Fatal 4-Way 2010: Good Wrestling Trapped Inside a One-Off Gimmick

Kofi Kingston and Drew McIntyre open with a championship match that is much stronger than the event's reputation suggests. McIntyre controls enough of the early stretch to make Kingston's rallies feel earned, and the longer runtime gives their rivalry room that Over the Limit never had. The referee bump brings Theodore Long into the story, tying the match directly to McIntyre's abuse of authority. Long refuses to count McIntyre's pin, Matt Hardy attacks McIntyre, and Kingston follows with Trouble in Paradise to retain. The interference keeps the finish from being completely clean, but it is rooted in existing storylines rather than random chaos. The wrestling is physical, the crowd is responsive, and the opener gives the card an immediate lift.

The Divas Championship four-way is given less than six minutes, which leaves four wrestlers trying to establish a match before the finish arrives. Eve Torres and Maryse provide the most recognizable title rivalry, while Gail Kim and Alicia Fox are inserted without enough time to develop separate stories. The finish is at least opportunistic in a way that suits the format: Eve lands a moonsault on Maryse, Fox throws the champion out, and steals the pin on Maryse. That gives Fox her first WWE title without requiring her to dominate the match. The booking consequence is notable, but the wrestling feels rushed and awkward in places. It is a title change presented more as a surprise than as a fully built championship performance.

Evan Bourne and Chris Jericho produce the card's best pure singles match and give the event a result that feels genuinely useful. Jericho controls the structure with veteran timing, forcing Bourne to earn each burst of speed rather than simply sprint through his offense. The Codebreaker near-fall gives Bourne a major survival moment, and the crowd grows with each attempt to reach Air Bourne. Bourne finally lands the move across Jericho's back and scores the pin, giving the younger wrestler one of the biggest victories of his WWE run. The match is fast without becoming careless and dramatic without requiring a championship or stipulation. Contemporary reviews repeatedly singled it out, and that praise is easy to understand.

The World Heavyweight Championship four-way is compact, active and built around keeping Big Show from controlling the entire match. Swagger, Punk and Mysterio repeatedly have to redirect attention toward the largest opponent, which gives the format a natural strategy instead of random pairings. Punk appears positioned to steal the match after hitting Swagger with the GTS, but Kane arrives with a casket and chases Punk away as part of the Undertaker storyline. Mysterio immediately capitalizes with the 619 and pins Swagger to win the championship. The interference weakens the sporting purity of the title change, yet the surprise result gives the match energy. Mysterio leaves as champion and Swagger's brief reign ends without a decisive singles loss.

The Miz and R-Truth receive more than thirteen minutes, but the match never develops the urgency expected from a pay-per-view championship defense. Truth's athletic bursts give the crowd occasional reasons to respond, while Miz slows the pace and leans on opportunistic counters. The champion eventually reverses Truth into a pinning combination and retains without a major finishing sequence. That outcome is functional and protects the title, but it reinforces the sense that this could have happened on Raw with little changed. The work is generally competent and the match is not a disaster. It simply lacks a compelling story, memorable escalation or decisive signature finish, leaving the United States Championship portion of the card as connective material.

The Hart Dynasty and the newly arrived Usos and Tamina use a short mixed tag to establish the next phase of the tag division. Tyson Kidd and the Usos provide the speed, David Hart Smith supplies the heavier exchanges, and Natalya's interactions with Tamina give the women a real role instead of a decorative cameo. The match moves briskly because all six participants have a clear lane. Natalya pins Tamina after Nattie-by-Nature, giving the champions' side a victory without directly beating either Uso. The bout is not long enough to become a featured tag showcase, but it does its developmental job effectively. The chemistry hints at a rivalry that would continue through the summer.

The WWE Championship main event has the strongest star power on the card and works the four-way format more naturally than the show around it. Cena, Orton, Edge and Sheamus rotate through control without allowing the match to become four separate singles pairings, and the crowd stays engaged through the finishing stretch. The decisive moment belongs to The Nexus, whose attack on Cena and the other participants turns the championship finish into part of the faction's invasion story. Sheamus takes advantage and pins Cena to win his second WWE Championship. The angle creates a memorable ending and keeps Nexus hot, but it also denies the match a self-contained conclusion. Strong action survives a finish designed primarily to advance television.