WWE: Owens keeps title in Clash of Champions
Kevin Owens (left) retains his WWE Universal Championship thanks to the aid of Chris Jericho. Photo by WWE.com
Kevin Owens needed a couple of breaks to keep his WWE Universal Championship in his match against Seth Rollins at WWE Clash of Champions Monday Manila time in Indianapolis.
The Architect nearly won the title after a Pedigree on the Prizefighter, but Chris Jericho came out and placed Owens’ feet at the bottom rope to stop the pin.
Rollins would go after Jericho before suckering him to a waiting Owens. The challenger got out of the Pop-up Powerbomb but took out referee Chad Patton in the process.
The Canadians ganged up on Rollins, but the latter found a way to fight back, reversing another Pop-up Powerbomb to a Pedigree. Unfortunately, the referee was still down as the crowd counted the pinfall up to 12.
Incensed, Rollins tried to bring the official back to his senses before Raw commissioner Stephanie McMahon came down with another referee.
Owens, though, shocked Rollins this time as he finally hit a Pop-up Powerbomb to retain his belt.
The WWE Universal Championship was not the lone title defended on Sunday.
Roman Reigns won the United States title, beating Rusev with a Spear for the win.
The Big Dog fought his way out of the Accolade but the Bulgarian powerhouse continued to pummel him at the corner.
But just when Rusev was about to hit another kick on Reigns, the Samoan challenger rocked him with a Spear.
Reigns could have won the title earlier after his first Spear, but Rusev’s wife Lana stopped referee Danilo Anfibio from making the count, pulling him out of the ring and forcing the official to send her to the back.
Charlotte also retained her Raw Women’s Championship in a triple threat match, pinning Bayley after a pair of boots.
The reigning titlist took out Sasha Banks near the end of the bout, hurling her to the barricade before nailing Bayley with a boot.
Bayley inadvertently bounced the returning Banks off the ring apron and set up Charlotte for a second boot for the victory.
TJ Perkins was successful in his first title defense, retaining the WWE Cruiserweight Championship after making Brian Kendrick tap out to his Kneebar.
The two shook hands after the match, but Kendrick headbutted the Fil-Am titlist before he left the ring.
The New Day also continued its 399-day reign as Raw Tag Team Champions, surviving the team of Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson to keep the belts in the night’s curtain raiser.
The defending champions survived the challengers’ early onslaught, using a momentary distraction as Xavier Woods hit Anderson with a trombone that set up the Midnight Hour from Big E and Kofi Kingston.
In the night’s other matches, Cesaro and Sheamus fought to a no contest in an underwhelming end to their best-of-7 series.
The Swiss Superman and the Celtic Warrior fought in a physical match that ended when Cesaro nailed Sheamus with a lariat that sent both men over the barricade.
Ringside doctors deemed both fighters unable to continue as referee John Cone stopped the match, much to the displeasure of both men.
Before interjecting himself in the main event, Jericho also beat Sami Zayn earlier in the night.
He surprised the Underdog from the Underground with a Codebreaker for the pinfall victory.
Nia Jax also dominated Alicia Fox in the pre-show, scoring the three-count after nailing a Samoan drop.
