WWE champion Kofi Kingston's family sat ringside as daddy defended his title against the greatest threat to his Cinderella story to date, "The Viper" Randy Orton. With real-life animosity fueling the build to the match, the title bout was as hotly anticipated as anything on the show.

Orton meticulously picked his opponent apart, targeting his left arm. From there, he dragged the champion to the floor and dropped him across the announce table with a wicked side suplex. Back inside, he set Kingston up for a superplex but Kingston battled back, fighting out of the tricky predicament. He followed with a big DDT to help create some separation.

Kingston dropped Orton with consecutive clotheslines and a Boom Drop. "Who's stupid?! Not me!" he said, firing up. He set the challenger up for Trouble in Paradise but The Viper delivered a big backbreaker to stop his opponent's momentum.

Orton mocked the New Day clap and tried for the draping DDT. Kingston backdropped Orton to the floor, though, and delivered a falling senton that wiped the third-generation competitor out.

Orton recovered, countered a corner kick and delivered the draping DDT. He set up for the RKO, stalking his opponent like the Apex Predator he has long claimed to be. Kingston countered the RKO with a backslide. Orton kicked out. Kingston with a big kick to the face before soaring through the air...right into the RKO.

The challenger waited too long, though, and Kingston rolled to the sanctuary of the floor.

Orton stared down the family of the champion, incensing Kingston, who unloaded on his opponent, drawing a double countout. Kingston produced a kendo stick and beat the ever-loving hell out of The Viper. "Get your bitch-ass up!" Kingston exclaimed before putting Orton back down with Trouble in Paradise.

The champion stood tall over The Viper to close out the segment.

Kingston and Orton fought to a double count-out

The finish sucked.

There are probably more elegant ways to put it but a double countout finish to a match that was steadily building to a red-hot finish that never came is the antithesis of awesome. It was lazy, cheap and the fans in Toronto let WWE know it.

With that said, Kingston and Orton were in the middle of a damn fine match that played up the history between them and really had fans guessing as to which Superstar would emerge with the title.

As for the post-match, it was something Kingston desperately needed.

A feel-good story can only get a character so far before he or she has to display a few more traits. One can only be smiley and happy for so long before audiences will demand more layers. Kingston erupting on Orton, unleashing weeks of frustration in a cane-assisted beatdown added that edge to the champion he has lacked since his monumental moment in East Rutherford at WrestleMania.

Considering the quality of storytelling, more of this is a good thing.