Bragging Rights 2010: A Strong Brand Battle With a Compromised Main Event

Daniel Bryan and Dolph Ziggler open Bragging Rights with the kind of champion-versus-champion match the event concept should have emphasized more often. Bryan's submission game gives the bout a technical base, while Ziggler's speed and bumping keep the pace high through a long sequence of counters and near-falls. The match briefly appears to end when Ziggler scores a three-count, but the referee notices Bryan's foot on the rope and correctly continues. That restart adds tension instead of feeling contrived because the wrestlers immediately return to competitive exchanges. Bryan eventually traps Ziggler in the LeBell Lock and forces a clean submission. The finish is decisive, the champions both look strong, and the match stands comfortably above most of the card.

The impromptu tag-title match is more important for John Cena's forced Nexus membership than for the championship wrestling itself. Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre control the opening minutes through quick tags, while David Otunga struggles to create any momentum before Cena finally enters. Once Cena is legal, the match becomes a short showcase for his reluctant participation rather than a balanced tag contest. Cena traps Rhodes in the STF and forces the submission, making Cena and Otunga the new champions. The post-match image matters even more when Cena attacks Otunga and leaves with both belts. The title change creates a strange but memorable wrinkle in the Nexus story, though the match itself is too brief to become a major attraction.

Ted DiBiase and Goldust receive an unadvertised singles match built around Goldust taking possession of the Million Dollar Championship. The story gives both wrestlers a clear reason to fight, and Goldust's veteran timing keeps the match coherent despite the limited stakes. DiBiase works from a more aggressive position while Maryse and Aksana remain a constant ringside distraction. The finish arrives when Maryse and Aksana begin fighting outside, pulling Goldust's attention away long enough for DiBiase to score the pin. That protected ending keeps the rivalry alive rather than resolving it. The wrestling is competent and the characters are understandable, but the match feels like a television segment inserted into the pay-per-view rather than a destination.

Layla and Natalya have a useful stylistic contrast, but the Divas Championship match receives barely five minutes and never has room to become substantial. Natalya controls the early exchanges with strength and submission attempts, while Layla relies on movement and Michelle McCool's presence to survive. The challenger's offense is strong enough to create a believable threat, but the finish again turns on LayCool's numbers advantage. McCool interferes repeatedly, and Layla ultimately takes advantage to score the pin. The result preserves the championship and continues the program without offering a decisive competitive payoff. The wrestling is competent for the time available. The short runtime and outside involvement make the title feel secondary on a card that already contains several storyline-heavy finishes.

Kane and The Undertaker move their rivalry into a Buried Alive match that gives the program its most decisive visual ending. The brothers brawl from the entrance ramp through ringside before eventually reaching the burial site, where the match becomes more about survival than conventional near-falls. Undertaker appears ready to finish the fight until Paul Bearer distracts him and The Nexus attacks. Kane then uses the urn to knock Undertaker into the grave and operates the digger to complete the burial. The interference keeps the champion from earning another clean victory, but the finish is dramatic and historically important. This becomes Undertaker's final pay-per-view match outside WrestleMania until SummerSlam 2015.

The interpromotional elimination match is the card's most complete expression of the Bragging Rights concept. The format allows wrestlers from both brands to gain meaningful moments, while the steady eliminations keep the twenty-seven-minute match moving without becoming chaotic. Big Show and Sheamus eliminate each other by count-out, Edge quickly removes R-Truth and Morrison, and CM Punk appears to leave SmackDown in serious trouble after pinning Alberto Del Rio. Rey Mysterio then returns after an earlier injury angle, eliminates Punk and Ezekiel Jackson, and helps Edge isolate The Miz. Edge finishes Miz with a Spear to give SmackDown the trophy. The closing sequence is clean, the crowd understands the stakes, and the match justifies the event's brand-versus-brand identity.

Wade Barrett and Randy Orton close the show with John Cena trapped between his Nexus orders and the threat of being fired if Barrett loses. The match itself is deliberate rather than spectacular, with Orton building toward the RKO while Barrett repeatedly uses Cena's presence to create tension around the finish. The Nexus interferes while the referee is down, but Cena stops the attack to avoid getting Barrett disqualified. When Orton regains control, Cena deliberately attacks Barrett, handing Barrett a disqualification victory while allowing Orton to retain the WWE Championship. That loophole preserves Cena's job and keeps the Nexus story moving. It is clever character logic, but the main event still ends without a decisive championship result, which limits its value as a pay-per-view closer.