MVP should have called out Apollo Crews in Raw Underground

United States championship match

This one’s had it all, scripted fight fans. Multiple belts. Real and possibly kayfabe injuries. Throwing furniture. Ninjas. Invitations to join factions. Accusations of leading factions.

Now it will have its third singles match between champion Apollo Crews and challenger Montel Vontavious Porter. Four if you count one before Crews won the red, white, and blue strap.

The Road to SummerSlam

Apollo was moved from the blue brand to the red one back in April, and quickly crossed paths with MVP over a spot in the Money in the Bank ladder match. An injury kept him out of that cinematic affair, but he returned a short time later to win his first title in WWE. Porter than tried to ally himself with Crews, but was rebuffed, signaling the start of this feud.

Instead of Apollo, MVP recruited Shelton Benjamin to join Bobby Lashley by his side, and The Hurt Business opened for, well, business. Lashley and Benjamin have attacked the champ on multiple occasions, with varying degrees of success. Their leader beat Crews in a non-title match (with Bobby’s help, of course), so he unveiled a new design for the U.S. title. Then, when Apollo couldn’t compete at Extreme Rules, he awarded it to himself.

A unification match of sorts followed when Apollo was able to return, and the true champ emerged victorious.

Another rematch was set-up for SummerSlam, because Apollo’s a fighting champ and MVP is obsessed with him and the belt he once held for a long time. While biding time for that clash this weekend, The Hurt Business took a trip to Shane McMahon’s Raw Underground and looked great - but for some reason hasn’t returned. Instead, Porter’s pulled out a variety of different tricks to get into Crews’ head... beating him in trios matches, accusing him of leading the invading RETRIBUTION faction, and trying to get Apollo’s friend Cedric Alexander to switch sides.

Has he found the right combination to start his third U.S. title reign at 46 years of age? We’ll find out Sunday night in the ThunderDome.

What’s at stake

For Crews, he’s still trying to use this reign to cement his status as a rising star. The belt has been with him for quite a while, but circumstances have limited his appearances since he won it in late May. Putting down the veteran Porter and moving on to someone else would be make his run with the U.S. title a lot more memorable.

Much of the attention on MVP’s chances have focused on the possibility of an Alexander turn. The prospect of a series of matches between the talented former Cruiserweight champ and the equally fun-to-watch Crews is an exciting one.

Plus, it would free up the core Hurt Business trio to go back to Shane McMahon’s fight club. Their run through the Underground was the standout of the first edition of the show-within-a-show. Many hoped it would become “their thing,” but they haven’t been back since.

The group could also tussle with RETRIBUTION. Porter’s probably just using the group as a tactic in his psychological war against Crews, but if the lights flicker during the U.S. title match at SummerSlam, all bets are off.

Lots of intriguing possibilities, especially for a rivalry that’s been going on for months. Whatever twists are in store, they’ll play out on WWE Network, and be covered right here at Cageside Seats!