WWE Over The Limit 2011

Over the Limit was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), which took place on May 22, 2011 at the KeyArena in Seattle, Washington. It was the second Over The Limit event. Eight matches took place during the event.
==Background==
Over the Limit featured professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing feuds, plots, and storylines that played out on WWE's primary television programs. Wrestlers portrayed villains or heroes as they followed a series of events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.
The main feud from the Raw brand heading into Over the Limit is between John Cena and The Miz over the WWE Championship. John Cena won the WWE Championship from The Miz in a Triple Threat Steel Cage match that also featured John Morrison at Extreme Rules. The Miz invoked his rematch clause the following night. He initially won the match by hitting Cena with the WWE Championship belt, but the referee immediately reversed his decision after seeing the belt in the ring. Thus, Cena retained the championship via disqualification. On the May 9 edition of Raw, The Miz defeated Rey Mysterio and Alberto del Rio to earn another shot at the WWE Championship. Later that night, Cena announced that their match would be an "I Quit" match.
The main feud on the SmackDown brand is between Randy Orton and Christian over the World Heavyweight Championship. At Extreme Rules, Christian defeated Alberto del Rio in a Ladder match to win his first World Heavyweight Championship. On the following edition of SmackDown, aired on May 6th, Randy Orton defeated Christian to win the World Heavyweight Championship. The following week, it was announced that Christian would invoke his rematch clause against Randy Orton at Over the Limit.
An ongoing feud involves Raw commentators Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler. At WrestleMania XXVII, Jerry Lawler made Cole submit to the ankle lock, but the anonymous Raw General Manager reversed the special guest referee, Stone Cold Steve Austin's decision, making Cole the winner via disqualification. At Extreme Rules, Michael Cole teamed up with Jack Swagger to face and defeat Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross in a tag team Country Whipping match after Cole pinned Jim Ross. On the May 9 edition of Raw, Lawler challenged Cole to another match with a stipulation that Lawler would give him his Hall of Fame Ring and, should Cole be honored, personally induct him into the WWE Hall of Fame. After an altercation, Jack Swagger agreed to the match on behalf of Michael Cole. A contract signing for the match took place on the May 16th edition of Raw where it was revealed after the contract was signed that the match is also going to be a "Kiss My Foot" match, where the loser must kiss the winner's feet.
Another feud from the SmackDown brand involves former allies Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett, and the rest of the Corre, against Ezekiel Jackson. At Extreme Rules, Wade Barrett and Ezekiel Jackson faced the WWE Tag Team Champions Big Show and Kane. Ezekiel had the early advantage in the match. However, Wade Barrett tagged himself in the match just to get pinned by Big Show. The following week, Ezekiel Jackson decided to leave the Corre. Later that night, his former teammates Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel and Wade Barrett attacked him in the locker room. On the May 13 edition of SmackDown, Wade Barrett challenged Ezekiel Jackson to a match at Over the Limit for the Intercontinental Championship.
Another feud from the Raw brand involves R-Truth and Rey Mysterio. On the May 9th edition of Raw, Rey Mysterio and R-Truth, along with The Miz and Alberto del Rio had a confrontation as to who will challenge WWE Champion John Cena for his title next. The anonymous Raw General Manager, however, announced that only Rey Mysterio, Alberto del Rio and The Miz were to compete for the number 1 contender-ship in a Triple Threat match. R-Truth still believes that he is better than the other three, especially Rey Mysterio. After the Triple Threat match, he attacks Rey Mysterio in the ring. On the May 16th edition of Raw, R-Truth announced that he will face Rey Mysterio at Over the Limit.
On the May 16th edition of Raw, it was announced that the WWE Tag Team Champions The Big Show and Kane will defend their title against Mason Ryan and CM Punk from the New Nexus at Over the Limit.
On the May 20th edition of SmackDown, it was announced that Brie Bella will defend her WWE Divas Championship against Kelly Kelly at Over the Limit. On the same night, Chavo Guerrero announced that he will face Sin Cara.
==Reception==
Over the Limit 2011 received generally mixed reviews. In his review for The Sun, Rob McNichol reported that the event was failed to follow the footsteps of a very good Extreme Rules PPV."
Rey Mysterio and R-Truth's opening match was said to be an entertaining wrestling match with some good high-flyer offense from Rey, but the best of its story was Truth's heel persona. The match between Sin Cara and Chavo Gurrero received also mixed reviews, with the Sun stating that "Sin Cara's high-flying ofense was impressive, but the mistake in the final move did little for him". After a solid Tag Team titles match in which the Big Show & Kane retained their titles against CM Punk & Mason Ryan, and a quick and boring Divas Championship match, we get to the first World Championship match of the night between the World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton defending his title against Christian in which was though and easily "the match of the night". Rob McNichol in his review of the match stated "that the drama during the match and the crowd's genuine elation made the match an emocional one from the begining to the end", and he rated the match a 9 out of 10.
After a quick and forgettable "Kiss my Foot" match between Jerry Lawler and Michael Cole that was highlighted by the return of Bret "Hitman" Hart, the main event saw John Cena defend his WWE Championship in a "I Quit" match against The Miz. McNichol, in his review stated that "in this match Cena proved that he is a true champion enduring the beating that The Miz and Alex Riley gived him during more than twenty-five minutes, and after overcoming the pain forced The Miz to say "I Quit" after a brutal STF on the entrance ramp to retain his title". He awarded the match an 8.5 out of 10.
Finally The Sun rated the entire event 8 out of 10 overall stating that "it was "good", with one or two big matches but that could not follow the path of a big Extreme Rules event.
==Results==
;
*Dark Match: Daniel Bryan defeated Drew McIntyre
*R-Truth defeated Rey Mysterio (8:14)
*Ezekiel Jackson defeated Wade Barrett (c) by DQ in a Intercontiental Championship Match (7:29)
*Sin Cara defeated Chavo Guerrero (7:22)
*Big Show and Kane (c) defeated CM Punk and Mason Ryan to retain the WWE Tag Team Championships (9:07)
*Brie Bella (c) (Nikki Bella) defeated Kelly Kelly to retain the WWE Diva's Championship (3:45)
*Randy Orton (c) defeated Christian to retain the World Heavyweight Championship (16:52)
*Jerry Lawler defeated Michael Cole in a "Kiss My Foot" Match (2:59)
::*If Cole had won, Lawler would have to had surrender his WWE Hall of Fame ring to him and personally induct him into the WWE Hall of Fame.
*John Cena (c) defeated The Miz (w/ Alex Riley) in an "I Quit" match to retain the WWE Championship (27:25)
==Other on-screen talent==
;Commentators
*Michael Cole
*Booker T
*Josh Mathews
*Jim Ross
*Jerry Lawler
*Carlos Cabrera
*Hugo Savinovich
;Interviewers
*Josh Mathews	
;Ring announcer
*Justin Roberts
*Tony Chimel
;Referees
*Jack Doan
*Chad Patton
*John Cone
*Charles Robinson
*Scott Armstrong
*Mike Chioda
*Justin King
==See Also==
*List of WWE pay-per-view events
*WWE Event History
*Event gallery
*Over The Limit
==DVD release==
* Over The Limit 2011 on DVD
==External links==
* Over the Limit 2011 website
* Over the Limit 201 at CAGEMATCH.net
* Over the Limit 2011 at Online World of Wrestling
* on WWE Network
Category:2011 pay-per-view events
Category:World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view events
Category:Over the Limit
Category:Events with I Quit matches