CURTIS AXEL & PAUL HEYMAN VS. CM PUNK

   This is Curtis Axel’s second match tonight, as he defended his Intercontinental Championship against Kofi Kingston in the main show’s opener. This was during a short period of time where WWE listened to themselves constantly reminding the fans that he’s the son of Mr. Perfect and tried to push him by putting Sensei Paul with him. It didn’t work out, but if I remember right we got some fairly decent wrestling from the era.

Earlier in the night Paul Heyman sees Curtis pacing looking pleased with himself. Heyman reminds Axel that if Heyman is left alone tonight against CM Punk he doesn’t make it to Raw tomorrow night. That means he can’t guide Curtis Axel and add to the knowledge his father and grandfather gave him. But the important thing is that Curtis believes in himself, not that Paul’s shitting himself.

Michael Cole, John “Bradshaw” Layfield and Jerry “The King” Lawler are on commentary for this match.

Curtis Axel, Paul Heyman and Axel’s butchering of Curt Hennig’s WWE theme are out first. The fans chant for Punk as we await his entrance. The second that CM Punk’s music hits, Heyman regrets every life decision that lead to this moment. CM Punk walks down to the ring with a kendo stick. Curtis Axel has a kendo stick now, too!

CURTIS AXEL & PAUL HEYMAN VS. CM PUNK

(No Disqualification Handicap Elimination)

WWE Night of Champions 2013 (15^th September 2013)

  The bell rings with CM Punk and Curtis Axel in the ring. Heyman decides to stay at ringside for a while. CM Punk swings with the cane but Curtis Axel ducks and he jabs Punk in the midsection. CM Punk ducks a swing and swings at Axel’s ribs. The second he connects he follows up with a shot across the back, then another. Punk breaks his kendo stick so he uses Curtis Axel’s for a Russian legsweep.

  CM Punk turns towards Paul Heyman who stands there as Punk crashes into him with a tope suicida. CM Punk tips JBL’s own hat to him before sending Heyman back into the ring. Punk picks up a kendo stick but plays to the crowd for too long, allowing Axel to hit him with a low blow. Curtis Axel peppers CM Punk with right hands as Punk tries to cover up on the mat. Back to the kendo stick as Axel hits Punk in the back and the shoulder, he covers but CM Punk kicks out at 2. Paul Heyman has gone back to ringside and tells Axel he believes in the third-generation star as the fans chant boring. Curtis Axel grabs a chair but doesn’t get a chance to use it. Punk kicks at his legs before stunning Axel with overhand chops and a right hand. CM Punk measures Curtis Axel up and knocks him with a forearm before picking up the chair, but Curtis Axel with a great dropkick sends it back into Punk’s face. Curtis Axel pins Punk again and gets 2 as the crowd wants tables. Paul Heyman is jumping at ringside, keeping himself ready. Curtis Axel wedges the chair between the top and middle rope, but Punk cuts him off with chops.

  CM Punk knocks Axel back with a forearm, he tries to send Axel into the chair but Curtis stops the momentum. Curtis Axel ducks a clothesline, so does Punk but Axel is quick to turn a 180 and clock CM Punk in the back of the head. Curtis Axel covers again but Punk still kicks out at 2. Curtis Axel gives Punk a little kick of frustration as he gets a table from under the ring. Heyman’s just shadowboxing and keeping his shoulders loose at ringside, obviously. Not even help with the table so Axel leans it in the corner on his own. Oh no, Paul’s supervising and trash-talking CM Punk. CM Punk blocks a suplex, stopping himself from hitting the table, Axel tries again but can’t get Punk over. CM Punk is able to turn them but he can’t suplex Axel either. Curtis Axel decides a suplex on the mat is fine for now and covers CM Punk but only gets a nearfall. Curtis Axel hits a front elbow drop from the middle rope for another nearfall so he grabs a chinlock. The crowd chants for Punk but Axel has him worn down on the mat. CM Punk rolls out of the way of another middle rope elbow drop.

  CM Punk is slow to get to his feet, but he clocks Curtis Axel and sends him into the steel chair. Axel's own momentum sends him out to the floor. Heyman’s a real manager and goes to advise his client at ringside instead of getting physical. He wills Axel back into the ring but Punk strikes first with a calf kick. Axel is knocked down by a double sledge and gets planted with a swinging neckbreaker. CM Punk hits the running knee in the corner and hits the short-arm clothesline setting up for his Randy Savage-like Elbow Drop. Curtis Axel is able to roll out of the ring as JBL calls it great ring presence. He picks up the chair from earlier and lets Punk run into it with a dive through the ropes. He didn’t get much of it, but it’s enough with Punk’s momentum being factored in. Curtis Axel brings it back in the ring and covers, but CM Punk kicks out at 2. The fans chant for Goldberg but it’s drowned out with CM Punk chants. Curtis Axel waits for Punk and runs at him with a swinging neckbreaker. He covers again and CM Punk kicks out at 2 again.

  Curtis Axel is really pissed off now. He lays in right hands and grinds Punk’s face into the mat as Heyman tries to convince Curtis Axel that he’s better than Punk. Curtis Axel gets some kendo stick shots in, targeting Punk’s back and covers. CM Punk kicks out at 2 but screams in pain. CM Punk counters some kind of neckbreaker or bulldog driver? Apparently Axel hit it on Kofi earlier. Curtis Axel slips out of the Go To Sleep but CM Punk catches him with a kendo stick shot to the midsection. Punk hits the GTS and locks the Anaconda Vice on Curtis Axel, who taps out after a short fight. The look on Paul Heyman’s face is priceless as he realizes he can’t play manager any longer. Luckily for him CM Punk keeps the Anaconda Vice on Axel for a bit longer, then CM Punk turns to face his former mentor and crawls over to him. Paul Heyman makes the most of his head start as Punk chases him up the ramp and into the crowd. He makes it through the time keeper’s area and slides back into the ring before Punk catches up with him. Which is impressive, to be honest. CM Punk pulls back at Heyman’s face, because that’s the best way to cause pain in a no disqualification match.

  CM Punk picks up a kendo stick with one hand and has Mr. Heyman by the scruff of the neck with the other. Paul Heyman gets desperate and hugs CM Punk, telling Punk he forgives him. CM Punk embraces the moment before swinging for the fences with the kendo stick as the crowd goes insane. The kendo stick is destroyed over Paul Heyman’s back and the fans chant for tables. CM Punk calls for another GTS then changes his mind, pulling a set of handcuffs from his boot. CM Punk handcuffs Heyman’s hands behind his back, as Axel did to Punk before attacking him with a kendo stick. Paul Heyman tells the referee that he’s tapping out but gets ignored. CM Punk hits Heyman in the ankles with the kendo stick, then just hits whatever the stick connects with, happy so long as it’s Heyman. CM Punk tells Heyman to remember who did this to him before making his point further with shots to Heyman’s ribs. The fans chant for tables again, the first one hasn’t been broken yet! CM Punk tells Heyman he’s going to break his face, to match Heyman’s broken heart.

  Ryback sneaks up behind Punk and drives him through the table in the corner. CM Punk has a cut most of the way up his spine from the broken pieces of table, Ryback gets to his feet from the wreckage and he drags Punk away from the ropes as the fans chant “Goldberg” at him. He places Heyman’s carcass over CM Punk and the referee counts the 3. John “Bradshaw” Layfield confirms that Paul Heyman has just beaten CM Punk, and that’s what the records will show.

WINNERS: CURTIS AXEL & PAUL HEYMAN

I was annoyed with Paul Heyman at the beginning for staying at ringside, but he made his and Punk’s mini-match mean that bit more. It wasn’t much with Heyman involved, just what it needed to be. I almost didn’t care for the finish simply because the crowd chanted for a table just before, and it was the third time in the match, but it was done well enough to protect CM Punk and give Paul Heyman some bragging rights. Although  winning a match without executing a move is a strange brag. [**] 4/10

After the match, Ryback carries Paul Heyman to the back.