Credit: WWE.com
Just weeks after cashing in his Money in the Bank opportunity on an injured and battle-weary Randy Orton to capture the WWE Championship, The Miz defanged The Viper once more at WWE TLC in a barbaric and doubly controversial Tables Match to retain the most coveted prize in sports-entertainment. The Era of Awesome, it seems, is far from over.
Though Orton seemed primed to humble The Awesome One with a trip through a table at WWE TLC – capturing his seventh WWE Title in the process – The Miz combated The Viper’s venom with a healthy dose of deception during this no disqualification contest. While the referee was incapacitated following a nasty tumble out of the ring, Orton powerbombed The Miz’s intervening apprentice, Alex Riley, through a table. But The Miz immediately retaliated by hitting WWE’s Apex Predator with a Skull-Crushing Finale.
The WWE Champion then positioned Orton atop the debris, enabling him to convince the still-reeling referee that Orton had already lost the match. Unfortunately for the crafty titleholder, the post-match instant replay exposed The Miz’s ruse to the official, who ordered the match to restart.
Driven by frustration following The Miz’s near-victory, Orton seemed unstoppable once the action resumed, but it was the WWE Champion’s apprentice that would again determine the bout’s outcome. While Orton stood on the apron, The Miz pushed Riley into his opponent – a split-second maneuver that sent The Viper crashing through a table set up at ringside. This time, the WWE Champion sealed an official win when the referee witnessed him putting Orton through the pine. Twice in a single evening, The Miz had stolen victories from The Viper’s grasp.
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