Punk vs. Umaga
Pretty great stuff, but that doesn't surprise me anymore because Punk has become one of the best at adapting to other guys styles.
***
Swagger vs. Christian
On par with their other match from last month but not as good as the 2nd ECW TV match imo. Just well played matches. Hopefully they have another at ONS in a 2/3 falls match, although they might add Dreamer and make it some triple threat garbage or something.
***1/4
Morrison vs. Benjamin
What you'd expect I guess. This is my first time seeing Morrison as a face, and I gotta say, I'm not a huge fan. I'll give him some time though to work on it, but he's just a natural heel in my eyes.
**1/2
Rey vs. Jericho
I'm not as high on this as most are. It was really good though. Jericho avoiding the 619 and Rey avoiding the Walls was really cool. MOTN so far.
***1/4
Orton vs. Batista
Not feeling this at all. Worst MOTN to me. I really have no confidence in either guy anymore to go out there and entertain me in a match with one another. Orton being a pussy and trying to weasel his way out of the match was the saving grace for me.
**1/4
Cena vs. Big Show
Prepare to been blown away. I LOVED this. So simple with Show working over the injury, but I'm a mark for simplicity like that in wrestling. I'm all for guys like Morrison going out there and doing 625's off the top rope and whatever, but things like this hold my attention more in this stage of my life than anything like that. Show destroyed Cena's midsection and I think Cena sold really well. The multiple attempts at the STFU were great because Cena was too hurt and Show was too tall for it t be locked in. The finish with the FU even after the beating to the ribs didn't really bother me because Cena sold them after he pinned Show. I know everyone thought it was slow and my rating blows any other rating I've seen for it out of the water, but I feel what they did justifies it. I'd bet no one ever comes close to my rating, but I'm cool with being the minority.
***3/4
Hardy vs. Edge
This kind of exceeded my expectations a little. I was expecting a typical Smackdown match and they turned up the volume a little more. It felt like they knew they were the main event and they thought they had to deliver. I love top rope finishes so that was nice. Overall, the match wasn't revolutionary, but that's still fine.
***1/4
I thought this was another good show from the WWE. I see no signs of that stopping
Showing posts with label WWE. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WWE. Show all posts
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
WWE Backlash 2009 Review
Swagger vs. Christian
Loved it. Swagger is growing on me in all honesty. Not as good as their second match, but not a lot is. I’d assume match IV takes place at Judgment Day, and I’m more than game for that.
***1/4
Steamboat vs. Jericho
Yikes, apparently I liked this a lot more than most. Pretty epic imo. Even better than their Mania encounter, much better in fact for me. I loved the callback to Mania 3 with the reversal of the body slam. Basically, I was marking out non stop for this.
***1/2
Punk vs. Kane
And I guess I liked this a little less than most. Solid structure but the dead crowd killed it for me (I actually thought the crowd was generally bleh excluding high spots and the final 45 minutes of the PPV). I still enjoyed this for a Raw match.
**1/4
Jeff vs. Matt
Solid if unspectacular. I’m not really a fan of either guy anymore so this was what it was. I actually liked the finish.
**1/2
Orton/Legacy vs. HHH/Shane/Batista
OK, I thought the first part of this match sucked when Batista was taking a beating. I was questioning why they would do that with Shane on the damn ring apron and a guy like Batista who’s offense would be great for a hot tag. Then they go a similar route and it’s pretty damn great. Shane took a really nice beat down. Ending sequence was fabulous, too. I could probably go higher, but the early portion really brought down the match to me. Still really good, albeit a tad too long for what they wanted imo.
***
Edge vs. Cena
Woah. Big match feel here. I loved pretty much everything they did. I wasn’t a huge fan of the crowd brawling because the entire match had been built up on hate and escalating violence, and then Edge runs away. Whatever though, the finishing stuff made up for it more than enough. I also wasn’t a fan of Show interfering in what should be the final blowoff to a big rivalry. Cena/Show on PPV interests me greatly though, so that can be considered a win.
****1/4
WWE has got the hang of this now. They’re really on a roll when it comes to putting on what can be considered, “watchable - great” PPVs. This one was really good, and I’m starting to see that they might not put on a bad one again for a while. Great sign for everyone.
Loved it. Swagger is growing on me in all honesty. Not as good as their second match, but not a lot is. I’d assume match IV takes place at Judgment Day, and I’m more than game for that.
***1/4
Steamboat vs. Jericho
Yikes, apparently I liked this a lot more than most. Pretty epic imo. Even better than their Mania encounter, much better in fact for me. I loved the callback to Mania 3 with the reversal of the body slam. Basically, I was marking out non stop for this.
***1/2
Punk vs. Kane
And I guess I liked this a little less than most. Solid structure but the dead crowd killed it for me (I actually thought the crowd was generally bleh excluding high spots and the final 45 minutes of the PPV). I still enjoyed this for a Raw match.
**1/4
Jeff vs. Matt
Solid if unspectacular. I’m not really a fan of either guy anymore so this was what it was. I actually liked the finish.
**1/2
Orton/Legacy vs. HHH/Shane/Batista
OK, I thought the first part of this match sucked when Batista was taking a beating. I was questioning why they would do that with Shane on the damn ring apron and a guy like Batista who’s offense would be great for a hot tag. Then they go a similar route and it’s pretty damn great. Shane took a really nice beat down. Ending sequence was fabulous, too. I could probably go higher, but the early portion really brought down the match to me. Still really good, albeit a tad too long for what they wanted imo.
***
Edge vs. Cena
Woah. Big match feel here. I loved pretty much everything they did. I wasn’t a huge fan of the crowd brawling because the entire match had been built up on hate and escalating violence, and then Edge runs away. Whatever though, the finishing stuff made up for it more than enough. I also wasn’t a fan of Show interfering in what should be the final blowoff to a big rivalry. Cena/Show on PPV interests me greatly though, so that can be considered a win.
****1/4
WWE has got the hang of this now. They’re really on a roll when it comes to putting on what can be considered, “watchable - great” PPVs. This one was really good, and I’m starting to see that they might not put on a bad one again for a while. Great sign for everyone.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Wrestlemania 25 Live Review
Colons vs. M&M - **3/4
Really fun match. Great way to kick off the show. I was surprised to see it on the preshow, but whatever. If you’ve seen one of their matches, you’ve seen this one. Still really good for time given.
MITB - ****
I could go ***3/4 but my blind markiness for Punk pushes this into that territory. Really enjoyed it as the rating shows. Kofi is a freak. He really stood out in the match. There was also a part of me, albeit small, that thought maybe Orton wins the title and HHH kills him. Then Punk cashes in and poetically gets revenge on Orton for taking his title in September. I know, I know.
Apparently, I’m the only one who didn’t mind Kid Rock. I mean I had that damn CD with these songs 10 years ago, so maybe that’s why. Way too long though.
Divas - N/R
Too much shit going on for me to care. I looked in the ring from my seats and saw a sea of blonde hair, so it was tough to pick them apart. Santino was pretty over. I don’t rate battle royales.
Jericho vs. Legends - **1/2
Holy mother. Blew me away. Give Steamboat a contract now. Glad Jericho went over. Speaking of over, Flair very much is. I heard ‘woo’ing all day and he got a great pop when his face showed on screen or when he was in the match.
Matt vs. Jeff - ***1/4
Pretty much what I expected. Fun hardcore garbage match. Loved the finish too, just a sick TOF.
Rey vs. JBL – ¼*
Um, yeah. Thanks for the memories, John. Entertaining segment.
Michaels vs. Taker - *****
All right. First off, I’m pleased to see ratings like this from a ton of people for the match. When it was over and the first “rating” to pass through my mind (I swear it didn't cross my mind until after the 3 way was over. I was like, “Oh yeah, STARZ~! What was I thinking? This is clearly the most important thing about wrestling. I should probably get on that if I want some sweet IWC credibility.”) was *****, I figured I’d have to explain myself. Looks like I’m not alone, but I’ll go ahead and try to anyway even though I’m dead tired as I type this. I remember people saying that everyone was rating this match ***** before it even happened like Flair/Michaels last year. I’m sure in some instances it’s true, but not on my end. I’m a low expectation kind of person. I keep them there and I’m rarely let down (especially when it comes to wrestling, where even if I’m let down by something, I can turn around and find another match or whatever to pick me up).
Anyways, I’m gonna go ahead and cheat with my rating and use an old fashioned cop out. My reasoning? You just…had..to be there. OK, judging by all the five stars I see coming from posters I see that isn’t necessarily true. The whole fucking feel of this moment (not match…moment. From the screenshot that flashed on the big screen before the match took place, to the pop THAT got, to Shawn’s (I’m sure super cheesy to some but not to me) grand entrance to clearly the match itself, everything about this screamed perfect to me. I’ve had a feeling very close to this before, at Mania X-7 when I saw Rock and Austin tear that dome down.
I thought they put the match together so well. These guys are truly 2 of the best on Earth. No doubt. I swear to you, when Taker missed the suicide dive, I thought he was legit knocked out and I thought Shawn would win via countout. They got me. What a fucking tease that Mark Callaway is. Throughout the rest of the match I was on the edge of my seat. I remember looking up around the stadium. I just wanted to take in what I was apart of; Truly one of the most epic matches ever, imo. I seriously felt like this was one of the greatest moments IN MY LIFE. Man, I take wrestling too seriously. None the less, this match had me jumping up and down in the aisles…literally. When Shawn started stomping his foot to “tune up the band” I stomped along with him. I’m 25 years old and I was stomping on the ground to the beat of a balding man child (™Andy). I just didn’t give a fuck about looking cool in front of the people in the crowd. I just let myself go. I’d like to say I embarrassed my friends…but they were doing the exact…same…thing. This is all real, btw. Take the rest of the actual match into account, and you have more than enough to justify 5 asterisks. I swear to God I’m not trying to rub in the fact that I was there and you guys weren’t, but if you were there, you’d know what I’m saying.
This is all on one watch, though. Who knows, I could fall out of love with it. Probably will. But for now I’ll stand proud with ***** next to the match. I can already see this called the most OVERRATED MATCH IN EVERZ~.
Cena vs. Edge vs. Show - ***1/4
Oh hey guys, good luck following THAT. I’d say hundreds left after Taker/HBK was over, but the place was still pretty full. Anyway, really good match here, which is what you expect from the WWE main event style triple threat. Glad Cena won. There were so many smarks in my are who jeered his very existence, my friends included. I can say that I totally embarrassed them when he won and I acted like a fucking dork for the guy. Good times.
HOF stuff was cool. When Austin left about 5 seconds after he was announced, everyone in my are both laughed and booed. When he came out he got their hearts right back. Generic Beer party thing he does but I loved it.
Orton vs. HHH – N/R
OK, reason it’s N/R is because I wasn’t giving my utmost attention to the match. There were unsupervised kids sitting in front of us all night who were jumping up and down on seats and stuff, and in this match it really annoyed me. They were losing their shit, it didn’t help they had like 23 funnel cakes throughout the night. They might as well have snorted an eight ball in the bathroom. Plus, my friends were pretty burnt out and I was just chatting with them through some parts of the match. Add to that the camera men were being douches by taking the boom cam all around the arena. This led to everyone’s interest going to the camera, as opposed to, you know, the match. Plus the crowd was pretty dead after HBK/Taker anyway. That clearly should have main evented. The crowd was trying so hard to get into this but they just fell flat. Finish didn’t help things. I drove home hoping that maybe it came across better on TV. I mean, I didn’t like last year’s main event as much as most, so maybe this is the same. Apparently not, judging by these ratings. I’ll take a peak at it fairly soon because I want to have an honest opinion, but if you forced me to put a rating next to it with doubt in my mind about the match (What are you? A MONSTER?!) I’d probably say about **3/4 or so. However you look at it, I’m sure it’s a match that no one will ever say anything positive of for years to come.
EDIT: On a rewatch, I'll probably go **1/2. There was a good match in there somewhere, but it got lost in the fucked up structure of the match, which was a little off as well. Both guys hitting their finishers in the first 2 minutes didn't help things as it really took the crowd out of it, who had witnessed 2 spotfests, Steamboat owning Father Time, Taker/Shawn, Cena winning the title, and Steve Austin's possible last appearance already and were pretty dead. There's a reason they're called finishers, you should build up to them and not use them as momentum shifters so soon. Probably could have shaved off 6 or 7 minutes as well. The finish was also pretty embarrassing but coming from HHH, you just grow to expect it. Again, the match was solid but unspectacular. Certainly not what a Wrestlemania main event should resemble. Quite the sour taste in your mouth.
Overall, I had the time of my life, and quite frankly I’m a selfish person and I’m all I care about.
Really fun match. Great way to kick off the show. I was surprised to see it on the preshow, but whatever. If you’ve seen one of their matches, you’ve seen this one. Still really good for time given.
MITB - ****
I could go ***3/4 but my blind markiness for Punk pushes this into that territory. Really enjoyed it as the rating shows. Kofi is a freak. He really stood out in the match. There was also a part of me, albeit small, that thought maybe Orton wins the title and HHH kills him. Then Punk cashes in and poetically gets revenge on Orton for taking his title in September. I know, I know.
Apparently, I’m the only one who didn’t mind Kid Rock. I mean I had that damn CD with these songs 10 years ago, so maybe that’s why. Way too long though.
Divas - N/R
Too much shit going on for me to care. I looked in the ring from my seats and saw a sea of blonde hair, so it was tough to pick them apart. Santino was pretty over. I don’t rate battle royales.
Jericho vs. Legends - **1/2
Holy mother. Blew me away. Give Steamboat a contract now. Glad Jericho went over. Speaking of over, Flair very much is. I heard ‘woo’ing all day and he got a great pop when his face showed on screen or when he was in the match.
Matt vs. Jeff - ***1/4
Pretty much what I expected. Fun hardcore garbage match. Loved the finish too, just a sick TOF.
Rey vs. JBL – ¼*
Um, yeah. Thanks for the memories, John. Entertaining segment.
Michaels vs. Taker - *****
All right. First off, I’m pleased to see ratings like this from a ton of people for the match. When it was over and the first “rating” to pass through my mind (I swear it didn't cross my mind until after the 3 way was over. I was like, “Oh yeah, STARZ~! What was I thinking? This is clearly the most important thing about wrestling. I should probably get on that if I want some sweet IWC credibility.”) was *****, I figured I’d have to explain myself. Looks like I’m not alone, but I’ll go ahead and try to anyway even though I’m dead tired as I type this. I remember people saying that everyone was rating this match ***** before it even happened like Flair/Michaels last year. I’m sure in some instances it’s true, but not on my end. I’m a low expectation kind of person. I keep them there and I’m rarely let down (especially when it comes to wrestling, where even if I’m let down by something, I can turn around and find another match or whatever to pick me up).
Anyways, I’m gonna go ahead and cheat with my rating and use an old fashioned cop out. My reasoning? You just…had..to be there. OK, judging by all the five stars I see coming from posters I see that isn’t necessarily true. The whole fucking feel of this moment (not match…moment. From the screenshot that flashed on the big screen before the match took place, to the pop THAT got, to Shawn’s (I’m sure super cheesy to some but not to me) grand entrance to clearly the match itself, everything about this screamed perfect to me. I’ve had a feeling very close to this before, at Mania X-7 when I saw Rock and Austin tear that dome down.
I thought they put the match together so well. These guys are truly 2 of the best on Earth. No doubt. I swear to you, when Taker missed the suicide dive, I thought he was legit knocked out and I thought Shawn would win via countout. They got me. What a fucking tease that Mark Callaway is. Throughout the rest of the match I was on the edge of my seat. I remember looking up around the stadium. I just wanted to take in what I was apart of; Truly one of the most epic matches ever, imo. I seriously felt like this was one of the greatest moments IN MY LIFE. Man, I take wrestling too seriously. None the less, this match had me jumping up and down in the aisles…literally. When Shawn started stomping his foot to “tune up the band” I stomped along with him. I’m 25 years old and I was stomping on the ground to the beat of a balding man child (™Andy). I just didn’t give a fuck about looking cool in front of the people in the crowd. I just let myself go. I’d like to say I embarrassed my friends…but they were doing the exact…same…thing. This is all real, btw. Take the rest of the actual match into account, and you have more than enough to justify 5 asterisks. I swear to God I’m not trying to rub in the fact that I was there and you guys weren’t, but if you were there, you’d know what I’m saying.
This is all on one watch, though. Who knows, I could fall out of love with it. Probably will. But for now I’ll stand proud with ***** next to the match. I can already see this called the most OVERRATED MATCH IN EVERZ~.
Cena vs. Edge vs. Show - ***1/4
Oh hey guys, good luck following THAT. I’d say hundreds left after Taker/HBK was over, but the place was still pretty full. Anyway, really good match here, which is what you expect from the WWE main event style triple threat. Glad Cena won. There were so many smarks in my are who jeered his very existence, my friends included. I can say that I totally embarrassed them when he won and I acted like a fucking dork for the guy. Good times.
HOF stuff was cool. When Austin left about 5 seconds after he was announced, everyone in my are both laughed and booed. When he came out he got their hearts right back. Generic Beer party thing he does but I loved it.
Orton vs. HHH – N/R
OK, reason it’s N/R is because I wasn’t giving my utmost attention to the match. There were unsupervised kids sitting in front of us all night who were jumping up and down on seats and stuff, and in this match it really annoyed me. They were losing their shit, it didn’t help they had like 23 funnel cakes throughout the night. They might as well have snorted an eight ball in the bathroom. Plus, my friends were pretty burnt out and I was just chatting with them through some parts of the match. Add to that the camera men were being douches by taking the boom cam all around the arena. This led to everyone’s interest going to the camera, as opposed to, you know, the match. Plus the crowd was pretty dead after HBK/Taker anyway. That clearly should have main evented. The crowd was trying so hard to get into this but they just fell flat. Finish didn’t help things. I drove home hoping that maybe it came across better on TV. I mean, I didn’t like last year’s main event as much as most, so maybe this is the same. Apparently not, judging by these ratings. I’ll take a peak at it fairly soon because I want to have an honest opinion, but if you forced me to put a rating next to it with doubt in my mind about the match (What are you? A MONSTER?!) I’d probably say about **3/4 or so. However you look at it, I’m sure it’s a match that no one will ever say anything positive of for years to come.
EDIT: On a rewatch, I'll probably go **1/2. There was a good match in there somewhere, but it got lost in the fucked up structure of the match, which was a little off as well. Both guys hitting their finishers in the first 2 minutes didn't help things as it really took the crowd out of it, who had witnessed 2 spotfests, Steamboat owning Father Time, Taker/Shawn, Cena winning the title, and Steve Austin's possible last appearance already and were pretty dead. There's a reason they're called finishers, you should build up to them and not use them as momentum shifters so soon. Probably could have shaved off 6 or 7 minutes as well. The finish was also pretty embarrassing but coming from HHH, you just grow to expect it. Again, the match was solid but unspectacular. Certainly not what a Wrestlemania main event should resemble. Quite the sour taste in your mouth.
Overall, I had the time of my life, and quite frankly I’m a selfish person and I’m all I care about.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
No Way Out 2009 Review
Edge vs. J. Hardy vs. HHH vs. Kozlov vs. Undertaker vs. Big Show (WWE Title; Elimination Chamber) - ***1/2
Shane vs. Orton (No Holds Barred) - **3/4
Finlay vs. Swagger (ECW Title) - *3/4
JBL vs. HBK (All or Nothing Match)- **1/2
Edge vs. Cena vs. Rey vs. Knox vs. Kane vs. Jericho (World Title; Elimination Chamber) - ****
Much like the Rumble PPV, how good a show was sometimes depends on how good the main attraction was. The chambers were both really strong, so I'll say this was an enjoyabe show no doubt.
Shane vs. Orton (No Holds Barred) - **3/4
Finlay vs. Swagger (ECW Title) - *3/4
JBL vs. HBK (All or Nothing Match)- **1/2
Edge vs. Cena vs. Rey vs. Knox vs. Kane vs. Jericho (World Title; Elimination Chamber) - ****
Much like the Rumble PPV, how good a show was sometimes depends on how good the main attraction was. The chambers were both really strong, so I'll say this was an enjoyabe show no doubt.
Monday, February 9, 2009
2009 Royal Rumble Review
Swagger vs. M. Hardy (ECW Title)
I think I like this more than anyone I've seen. Matt did a great job selling the arm in this one. Swagger continues to impress me in the 2nd match I've seen of his. Not feeling the opie haircut and attire but that can be changed. He's really solid in the ring and he's in there with a great wrestler so that lead to a really fun match. Perfect opener style which is important, imo. Got the crowd pumped but not deflated.
***1/4
Phoenix vs. Melina (Women's Title)
Solid stuff from these two. That spot where Melina kicked herself in the head had everyone I was watching with in tears. Good stuff. Can't believe Beth lost the title, though. I figured it would be around her waist til at least Mania. I'm not sure I buy Melina as the plucky babyface but that's a small complaint.
*3/4
Cena vs. JBL w/HBK (World Title)
I was watching with the peeps I'm going with to Mania and we exploded when Taker confronted Shawn backstage. I'm a pessimistic person and I still think JBL/HBK happens in Houston, but this got my hopes up. Match was really fun for the most part. I usually like these guys' matches more than most (WM 21 - **, JD 08 - **1/4, ONS 08 - **3/4) so I was looking forward to this more than pretty much everyone. I loved the spot where they played off the Cena/HBK match where JBL moved the ropes closer. Shawn SK'ing both guys was pretty awesome. Can't wait for Raw to see how this continues as I'm really interested in the story. If this was happening at any other event than Mania I'd be loving the ride there.
**3/4
J. Hardy vs. Edge (WWE Title)
Another really fun match. When Jeff started climbing the ladder on the outside, I began wondering where the ref or camera guy was to hold the bottom so he wouldn't...you know...die. Pretty bad move on whosever job that was as I'm sure Vince was throwing shit against the wall backstage. I loved the Spear counter into the Twist of Fate. Once Matt came out the fate of Jeff's title reign was obvious, but that doesn't mean I didn't mark when Matt killed him dead with the chair. I know a lot of people are pissed that it looks like we aren't getting Hardy/Christian at Mania, but I like this better anyway. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm more of a Christian guy but this feels like a Mania type blood feud match. I fully expect them to jump off high stuff at Mania. Should be fun to watch.
***1/4
Royal Rumble
WWE has figured out that near eliminations are as big a pop as a near fall in a regular match and they went all out with them here. Mysterio was awesome here. I adored the Miz --> Morrisson --> steel steps hop scotch spot. The Punk elimination was truly great too. Just Punk refusing to go down until Big Show said "fuck off" with his fist. The right guys started this match too. Just good workers coming in and building up until HHH and Orton's time came. I had no idea MVP was so over. Do something with him Vince. I hadn't read the spoilers that were surfacing yesterday, but RVD returning had me marking out the hardest I had in a while. The Legacy was built as a true threat to anybody in this match. In less than an hour they were built as more important than the Main Event Mafia has been in TNA, who had been killing people for months. Undertaker tripping Hornswoggle as he ran out of the ring was damn soothing. Ending was obvious but it worked I guess. I always like the final 2 guys doing battle to determine who goes to Mania, but you can;t do that every year.
***1/2
Overall more goodness from the WWE as the "watchable - great" PPV trends continues.
I think I like this more than anyone I've seen. Matt did a great job selling the arm in this one. Swagger continues to impress me in the 2nd match I've seen of his. Not feeling the opie haircut and attire but that can be changed. He's really solid in the ring and he's in there with a great wrestler so that lead to a really fun match. Perfect opener style which is important, imo. Got the crowd pumped but not deflated.
***1/4
Phoenix vs. Melina (Women's Title)
Solid stuff from these two. That spot where Melina kicked herself in the head had everyone I was watching with in tears. Good stuff. Can't believe Beth lost the title, though. I figured it would be around her waist til at least Mania. I'm not sure I buy Melina as the plucky babyface but that's a small complaint.
*3/4
Cena vs. JBL w/HBK (World Title)
I was watching with the peeps I'm going with to Mania and we exploded when Taker confronted Shawn backstage. I'm a pessimistic person and I still think JBL/HBK happens in Houston, but this got my hopes up. Match was really fun for the most part. I usually like these guys' matches more than most (WM 21 - **, JD 08 - **1/4, ONS 08 - **3/4) so I was looking forward to this more than pretty much everyone. I loved the spot where they played off the Cena/HBK match where JBL moved the ropes closer. Shawn SK'ing both guys was pretty awesome. Can't wait for Raw to see how this continues as I'm really interested in the story. If this was happening at any other event than Mania I'd be loving the ride there.
**3/4
J. Hardy vs. Edge (WWE Title)
Another really fun match. When Jeff started climbing the ladder on the outside, I began wondering where the ref or camera guy was to hold the bottom so he wouldn't...you know...die. Pretty bad move on whosever job that was as I'm sure Vince was throwing shit against the wall backstage. I loved the Spear counter into the Twist of Fate. Once Matt came out the fate of Jeff's title reign was obvious, but that doesn't mean I didn't mark when Matt killed him dead with the chair. I know a lot of people are pissed that it looks like we aren't getting Hardy/Christian at Mania, but I like this better anyway. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm more of a Christian guy but this feels like a Mania type blood feud match. I fully expect them to jump off high stuff at Mania. Should be fun to watch.
***1/4
Royal Rumble
WWE has figured out that near eliminations are as big a pop as a near fall in a regular match and they went all out with them here. Mysterio was awesome here. I adored the Miz --> Morrisson --> steel steps hop scotch spot. The Punk elimination was truly great too. Just Punk refusing to go down until Big Show said "fuck off" with his fist. The right guys started this match too. Just good workers coming in and building up until HHH and Orton's time came. I had no idea MVP was so over. Do something with him Vince. I hadn't read the spoilers that were surfacing yesterday, but RVD returning had me marking out the hardest I had in a while. The Legacy was built as a true threat to anybody in this match. In less than an hour they were built as more important than the Main Event Mafia has been in TNA, who had been killing people for months. Undertaker tripping Hornswoggle as he ran out of the ring was damn soothing. Ending was obvious but it worked I guess. I always like the final 2 guys doing battle to determine who goes to Mania, but you can;t do that every year.
***1/2
Overall more goodness from the WWE as the "watchable - great" PPV trends continues.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Armageddon 2008 Review
Kozlov vs. Matt Hardy - **1/4
Suprisingly good. Hardy is pretty great with big monster type guys. He had a really good match with Henry at No Mercy and now he gives Kozlov a match to be proud of.
CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio - ***1/2
Awesome. Much better than I was expecting. I probably could go ***3/4 but I think I'll stick with this. I'm glad these guys got a PPV match as opposed to a Raw match. Too bad the crowd was pretty much dead throughout. Sick G2S btw. My favorite match of the night but id you look in my avy you'll see why. Punk's best PPV match excluding MITB and his 2nd best match in the WWE overall behind his ECW title win.
I know this is just me being paranoid but I really hope they're not building to HBK/JBL at Mania.
Finlay vs. Henry - *1/2
Not really a fan of the plunder matches. Nothing really stood out in this match for me so I'll just leave it at that.
Orton vs. Batista - **3/4
A tad slow for my liking but that's Orton's character now. I loved the set up of the Batista Bomb that won the match. A little dissapointing for me but I think they'll have a rematch down the line that'll be better.
Santa's Little Helper match - *
Bleh. Just on the show for filler. Maryse has some great heel qualities. Maybe one of the best natural heel divas I've ever seen. I get more and more impressed with her as time goes on.
Cena vs. Jericho - ***3/4
Such awesome chemistry between these guys. Sadly, I don't think they'll have another PPV match anytime soon but I really hope they let these two have a Raw main event or something. I liked Survivor Series a little more but this still rocked the house down. This match was probably better wrestled but the story of Survivor Series is what puts it over the top for me. Interested to see where Cena goes from here since Orton lost.
HHH vs. Edge vs. Hardy - ****
I'll say this, the WWE knows how to build a dramatic match. I never thought Hardy had a shot at winning the title until I saw his match with HHH at Cyber Sunday. That match made me a believer that the E was gonna put that title on him somewhere down the line. I figured it would happen at Mania but I was obviously wrong. I'm far from a Hardy mark but towards the end of the match I was even marking out a little. Part of it was because I was wondering if this would be the time for Christian to make his return. I mean, I knew deep down that it wouldn't happen but I thought there was slim chance. Awesome Doomsday Device/Whisper in the Wind spot. I liked how Hardy kept going to the top rope and kept getting hit off. I thought they were booking him as a guy who gets so close to winning but in the end always comes up short. I also liked how the announcers shut up and let Hardy have his moment. Made it feel a little more special. I don't see him holding the belt til Houston so I'm also intrigued as to how he loses it.
One of the best WWE PPVs of the year imo. Fun - great undercard and important main event that delivered.
Suprisingly good. Hardy is pretty great with big monster type guys. He had a really good match with Henry at No Mercy and now he gives Kozlov a match to be proud of.
CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio - ***1/2
Awesome. Much better than I was expecting. I probably could go ***3/4 but I think I'll stick with this. I'm glad these guys got a PPV match as opposed to a Raw match. Too bad the crowd was pretty much dead throughout. Sick G2S btw. My favorite match of the night but id you look in my avy you'll see why. Punk's best PPV match excluding MITB and his 2nd best match in the WWE overall behind his ECW title win.
I know this is just me being paranoid but I really hope they're not building to HBK/JBL at Mania.
Finlay vs. Henry - *1/2
Not really a fan of the plunder matches. Nothing really stood out in this match for me so I'll just leave it at that.
Orton vs. Batista - **3/4
A tad slow for my liking but that's Orton's character now. I loved the set up of the Batista Bomb that won the match. A little dissapointing for me but I think they'll have a rematch down the line that'll be better.
Santa's Little Helper match - *
Bleh. Just on the show for filler. Maryse has some great heel qualities. Maybe one of the best natural heel divas I've ever seen. I get more and more impressed with her as time goes on.
Cena vs. Jericho - ***3/4
Such awesome chemistry between these guys. Sadly, I don't think they'll have another PPV match anytime soon but I really hope they let these two have a Raw main event or something. I liked Survivor Series a little more but this still rocked the house down. This match was probably better wrestled but the story of Survivor Series is what puts it over the top for me. Interested to see where Cena goes from here since Orton lost.
HHH vs. Edge vs. Hardy - ****
I'll say this, the WWE knows how to build a dramatic match. I never thought Hardy had a shot at winning the title until I saw his match with HHH at Cyber Sunday. That match made me a believer that the E was gonna put that title on him somewhere down the line. I figured it would happen at Mania but I was obviously wrong. I'm far from a Hardy mark but towards the end of the match I was even marking out a little. Part of it was because I was wondering if this would be the time for Christian to make his return. I mean, I knew deep down that it wouldn't happen but I thought there was slim chance. Awesome Doomsday Device/Whisper in the Wind spot. I liked how Hardy kept going to the top rope and kept getting hit off. I thought they were booking him as a guy who gets so close to winning but in the end always comes up short. I also liked how the announcers shut up and let Hardy have his moment. Made it feel a little more special. I don't see him holding the belt til Houston so I'm also intrigued as to how he loses it.
One of the best WWE PPVs of the year imo. Fun - great undercard and important main event that delivered.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
2008 Survivor Series Review
Team HBK vs. Team JBL - ***
Fun match. Loved the Morrison/HBK stuff. Hope they have a 1 on 1 match soon.
RAW Divas vs. SmackDown Divas - *
Standard stuff. LOL at the falls taking place so quickly within the match.
Taker vs. Show - **
Really dissapointing. They almost looked lost at points. Apparently Big Show's ride on his daddy's [/Bossman] casket in 99 has left him traumatized of them.
Team Orton vs. Team Batista - ***
A tad better than the opener imo. Batista ownin' bitchez should happen more often. I'm starting to dig Orton's character.
HHH vs. Kozlov - **3/4
I actually didn't think this was so bad before the ending. Appears I'm the only one. Looks like the WWE Title match at Mania is starting to take shape.
Cena vs. Jericho - ****
Just hits 4 here. Simple enough story executed well by both guys. Couple spots I loved: Cena goes for his tope rope leg drop and panics and the Liontamer returing (loved that last one).
More solid-ness from the E.
Fun match. Loved the Morrison/HBK stuff. Hope they have a 1 on 1 match soon.
RAW Divas vs. SmackDown Divas - *
Standard stuff. LOL at the falls taking place so quickly within the match.
Taker vs. Show - **
Really dissapointing. They almost looked lost at points. Apparently Big Show's ride on his daddy's [/Bossman] casket in 99 has left him traumatized of them.
Team Orton vs. Team Batista - ***
A tad better than the opener imo. Batista ownin' bitchez should happen more often. I'm starting to dig Orton's character.
HHH vs. Kozlov - **3/4
I actually didn't think this was so bad before the ending. Appears I'm the only one. Looks like the WWE Title match at Mania is starting to take shape.
Cena vs. Jericho - ****
Just hits 4 here. Simple enough story executed well by both guys. Couple spots I loved: Cena goes for his tope rope leg drop and panics and the Liontamer returing (loved that last one).
More solid-ness from the E.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
WWE Cyber Sunday 2008 Review
Rey vs. Kane - **1/2
Did what it needed to do. Never would have guessed Rey goes over.
Hardy vs. Bourne - ***1/4
Suprised they clicked so well in their first meeting.
Miz/Morrison vs. Cryme Tyme - **3/4
Another match I rate a lot higher than most, but I'm a sucker for a tag formula that works well.
Santino vs. HTM - DUD
At least it was....short...I guess?
Taker vs. Big Show - ***1/4
Maybe higher. I REALLY need to rewatch their NM match as I gave it like **1/4 as opposed to everyone else giving it ***+.
HHH vs. Hardy - ****1/4
Really loved this match. Totally about to overrate it here. In fact, I liked it MORE than their No Mercy match earlier in the month (****). Story in my eyes is all about the fact that Hardy is just a guy who gets by on ability and HHH gets by through his intelligence.
Jeff came into the match with the same formula he always has (ie: jump off shit). When they mat wrestle in the beginning, HHH just bides his time until Hardy goes to said formula and HHH pushes him off the turnbuckle. You see, HHH, who was taken to the limit 3 weeks prior, didn’t take Hardy for granted this time. He knew Hardy was going to get the vote (as pointed out by the announcers), so he watched a ton of tape to counter every….little…thing that Hardy had in his arsenal. Examples include:
Whisper in the Wind --> pushed off the top rope
Corner Dropkick --> Spinebuster
Crossbody off the middle rope --> Crippler Crossface
Twist of Fate --> pushed into turnbuckle which then leads to Pedigree attempt
Hardy then started to ever so slightly deviate his formula as he starts to hit the offense that HHH countered beforehand. When he finally hit the Whisper in the Wind, he then attempted and hit it a second time. This is paid off later. Hardy gets on a roll, so HHH tries the sleeper to slow him down, but Jeff can’t be stopped. The payoff of the double Whisper in the Wind goes down when Jeff hits the Swanton, then gets greedy and goes for it again only for HHH to adapt to the change in “style” and get the knees up. Hardy still won’t go down and starts playing to the crowd that voted him in as he goes up for another Swanton, but HHH has seen more than enough of that and Hardy gets pulled off the top and eats Pedigree. I really enjoyed the ending and I’m really glad Kozloff didn’t interfere as everyone one on the net predicted.
There weren’t many things I didn’t like about the match, but there were some. Hardy was a bit sloppy with some of his offense. Also when Hardy was in the Crossface, he looked not so much in pain as he did “mildly annoyed.” Another is when HHH put the steps back up after getting rammed into them so Hardy could do his awesome Poetry-in-Motion-on-the-outside spot. Clean a few of these things up and the rating would have been a little higher.
Incredible match all in all. I can’t really stand HHH as a face and I have not been a fan of his title run so far but his feud with Jeff has breathed new life into it for me. These two have so much chemistry it’s crazy. For the first time I truly buy Hardy as a threat to the title (even though HHH kind of schooled him here). I’m not a fan of Hardy either but I was actually marking for the guy towards the end. I thought there was a slight chance he’d get that day in the sun but it was not to be yet. The rating I’m giving it is the highest I’ve seen for it, but I really don’t care about the consensus anyway.
Batista vs. Y2J - **1/2
The first half kind of bored me. Batista matches tend to either be really awesome or really bleh to me. Picked up nicely towards the end. Probably the most I've ever liked ref bumps with Shawn and Orton taking control. Never would have guessed big Dave would go over here since Jericho has been booked like he was going to win if you follow the standard formula of heel gets ass kicked for weeks leading up to the match, where he retains in a slimey fashion.
Another good WWE PPV. All things considered I'd say they're my easy promotion of the year. First time I can say that about WWE in many years. Feels great to type as I will always be a WWE mark first.
Did what it needed to do. Never would have guessed Rey goes over.
Hardy vs. Bourne - ***1/4
Suprised they clicked so well in their first meeting.
Miz/Morrison vs. Cryme Tyme - **3/4
Another match I rate a lot higher than most, but I'm a sucker for a tag formula that works well.
Santino vs. HTM - DUD
At least it was....short...I guess?
Taker vs. Big Show - ***1/4
Maybe higher. I REALLY need to rewatch their NM match as I gave it like **1/4 as opposed to everyone else giving it ***+.
HHH vs. Hardy - ****1/4
Really loved this match. Totally about to overrate it here. In fact, I liked it MORE than their No Mercy match earlier in the month (****). Story in my eyes is all about the fact that Hardy is just a guy who gets by on ability and HHH gets by through his intelligence.
Jeff came into the match with the same formula he always has (ie: jump off shit). When they mat wrestle in the beginning, HHH just bides his time until Hardy goes to said formula and HHH pushes him off the turnbuckle. You see, HHH, who was taken to the limit 3 weeks prior, didn’t take Hardy for granted this time. He knew Hardy was going to get the vote (as pointed out by the announcers), so he watched a ton of tape to counter every….little…thing that Hardy had in his arsenal. Examples include:
Whisper in the Wind --> pushed off the top rope
Corner Dropkick --> Spinebuster
Crossbody off the middle rope --> Crippler Crossface
Twist of Fate --> pushed into turnbuckle which then leads to Pedigree attempt
Hardy then started to ever so slightly deviate his formula as he starts to hit the offense that HHH countered beforehand. When he finally hit the Whisper in the Wind, he then attempted and hit it a second time. This is paid off later. Hardy gets on a roll, so HHH tries the sleeper to slow him down, but Jeff can’t be stopped. The payoff of the double Whisper in the Wind goes down when Jeff hits the Swanton, then gets greedy and goes for it again only for HHH to adapt to the change in “style” and get the knees up. Hardy still won’t go down and starts playing to the crowd that voted him in as he goes up for another Swanton, but HHH has seen more than enough of that and Hardy gets pulled off the top and eats Pedigree. I really enjoyed the ending and I’m really glad Kozloff didn’t interfere as everyone one on the net predicted.
There weren’t many things I didn’t like about the match, but there were some. Hardy was a bit sloppy with some of his offense. Also when Hardy was in the Crossface, he looked not so much in pain as he did “mildly annoyed.” Another is when HHH put the steps back up after getting rammed into them so Hardy could do his awesome Poetry-in-Motion-on-the-outside spot. Clean a few of these things up and the rating would have been a little higher.
Incredible match all in all. I can’t really stand HHH as a face and I have not been a fan of his title run so far but his feud with Jeff has breathed new life into it for me. These two have so much chemistry it’s crazy. For the first time I truly buy Hardy as a threat to the title (even though HHH kind of schooled him here). I’m not a fan of Hardy either but I was actually marking for the guy towards the end. I thought there was a slight chance he’d get that day in the sun but it was not to be yet. The rating I’m giving it is the highest I’ve seen for it, but I really don’t care about the consensus anyway.
Batista vs. Y2J - **1/2
The first half kind of bored me. Batista matches tend to either be really awesome or really bleh to me. Picked up nicely towards the end. Probably the most I've ever liked ref bumps with Shawn and Orton taking control. Never would have guessed big Dave would go over here since Jericho has been booked like he was going to win if you follow the standard formula of heel gets ass kicked for weeks leading up to the match, where he retains in a slimey fashion.
Another good WWE PPV. All things considered I'd say they're my easy promotion of the year. First time I can say that about WWE in many years. Feels great to type as I will always be a WWE mark first.
Monday, October 6, 2008
WWE No Mercy 2008 Review
Matt Hardy vs. Mark Henry (ECW Title) - **1/4
Suprisingly good. They told a nice story with Matt working the leg much of the match. Ending paid off to the leg work. I havent seen their other match on ECW that was said to be solid, but this is probably the best 1 on 1 Henry match ever.
Beth Phoenix vs. Candice Michelle - *
Raw match. Nothing special. At least Candice didn't break anything.
Rey Mysterio vs. Kane (If Rey loses, he must unmask) - **1/4
Was going along fine until the finish.
JBL vs. Batista (#1 Contenders match) - 3/4*
Squash city, Population: JBL.
Big Show vs. Undertaker - **1/4
I'm not a fan of either guy but both did their job well in this match. I guess there'll be a rematch at Cyber Sunday with a stipulation.
HHH vs. Jeff Hardy (WWE Title) - ****
Awesome stuff as expected. When both guys are motivated great things happen. I actually liked the ending. Too bad next month will probably have Kozlov in the mix. Hopefully they get a TV rematch that's just as awesome where I'm sure Kozlov interferes leading to the 3 way.
Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels (World Title Ladder Match) - ****1/4
Also as expected, this was great. Match just cracks ****1/4 here. Not as good as Edge/Taker HIAC but close (Also ****1/4). I hated the interference from Cade. I also wasn't a fan of the way the match started out. They hate each other so much, and then they mat wrestle? YOU PUNCHED MY WIFE IN THE FACE AND TRIED TO BLIND ME!!! EAT THIS HEADLOCK!!! Everything after that was awesome. The tug of war spot was indeed sweet. Probably the best ending to a ladder match in recent memory...maybe ever.
Another decent show. Reminds me of Night of Champions with 2 great main events and not much else.
Suprisingly good. They told a nice story with Matt working the leg much of the match. Ending paid off to the leg work. I havent seen their other match on ECW that was said to be solid, but this is probably the best 1 on 1 Henry match ever.
Beth Phoenix vs. Candice Michelle - *
Raw match. Nothing special. At least Candice didn't break anything.
Rey Mysterio vs. Kane (If Rey loses, he must unmask) - **1/4
Was going along fine until the finish.
JBL vs. Batista (#1 Contenders match) - 3/4*
Squash city, Population: JBL.
Big Show vs. Undertaker - **1/4
I'm not a fan of either guy but both did their job well in this match. I guess there'll be a rematch at Cyber Sunday with a stipulation.
HHH vs. Jeff Hardy (WWE Title) - ****
Awesome stuff as expected. When both guys are motivated great things happen. I actually liked the ending. Too bad next month will probably have Kozlov in the mix. Hopefully they get a TV rematch that's just as awesome where I'm sure Kozlov interferes leading to the 3 way.
Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels (World Title Ladder Match) - ****1/4
Also as expected, this was great. Match just cracks ****1/4 here. Not as good as Edge/Taker HIAC but close (Also ****1/4). I hated the interference from Cade. I also wasn't a fan of the way the match started out. They hate each other so much, and then they mat wrestle? YOU PUNCHED MY WIFE IN THE FACE AND TRIED TO BLIND ME!!! EAT THIS HEADLOCK!!! Everything after that was awesome. The tug of war spot was indeed sweet. Probably the best ending to a ladder match in recent memory...maybe ever.
Another decent show. Reminds me of Night of Champions with 2 great main events and not much else.
WWE Unforgiven 2008 Review
Henry vs. Matt Hardy vs. Miz vs. Finlay vs. Chavo Guerrero (ECW Title Scramble) - **1/2
Miz looked so lost. Glad to see Hardy get the win.
Priceless vs. Cryme Tyme (WWE Tag Titles) - **3/4
Standard tag formula but I dug it.
Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho (Unsanctioned match) - ***3/4
Almost ****. Great job telling the story by both men.
HHH vs. Jeff Hardy vs MVP vs. The Brian Kendrick vs. Shelton Benjamin (WWE Title Smackdown Scramble) - ***1/4
No suprise wHHHo won tHHHis matcHHH
Michelle McCool vs. Maryse (Divas title) - *1/4
Suprisingly watchable
Kane vs. Chris Jerico vs. Batista vs. JBL vs. Rey Mysterio (WWE Title Raw Scramble) - **3/4
Not by much though. Y2J walking down the ramp like a 90 year old man and then winning the title without hitting an offensive move had me marking out even though Punker lost the strap.
Solid show
Miz looked so lost. Glad to see Hardy get the win.
Priceless vs. Cryme Tyme (WWE Tag Titles) - **3/4
Standard tag formula but I dug it.
Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho (Unsanctioned match) - ***3/4
Almost ****. Great job telling the story by both men.
HHH vs. Jeff Hardy vs MVP vs. The Brian Kendrick vs. Shelton Benjamin (WWE Title Smackdown Scramble) - ***1/4
No suprise wHHHo won tHHHis matcHHH
Michelle McCool vs. Maryse (Divas title) - *1/4
Suprisingly watchable
Kane vs. Chris Jerico vs. Batista vs. JBL vs. Rey Mysterio (WWE Title Raw Scramble) - **3/4
Not by much though. Y2J walking down the ramp like a 90 year old man and then winning the title without hitting an offensive move had me marking out even though Punker lost the strap.
Solid show
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Summerslam 2008 Review
One of the biggest feuds of the year goes to Hell...
• MVP defeated Jeff Hardy @ 10:10 via pin
**1/2
Standard stuff.
• Santino Marella and Beth Phoenix defeated Mickie James and Kofi Kingston @ 5:25 via pin to win the IC and Women's Titles
**
Suprisingly decent.
• ECW Title Match: Matt Hardy defeated Mark Henry @ 0:35 via DQ
DUD
Pretty much bullshit. The ECW Title is a joke.
• World Title Match: CM Punk defeated JBL @ 12:05 via pin
***
About as good as you could hope for.
• WWE Title Match: HHH defeated the Great Khali @ 10:00 via pin
*1/2
See World Title comment.
• Batista defeated John Cena @ 14:10 via pin
***¾
Very awesome. They just went out and threw bombs at each other and it worked.
• HELL in a CELL: The Undertaker defeated Edge @ 27:00 via pin
****1/4
Even better. Definatley their best match and I hope the feud is over.
Good effort but Summerslam is usually always strong.
• MVP defeated Jeff Hardy @ 10:10 via pin
**1/2
Standard stuff.
• Santino Marella and Beth Phoenix defeated Mickie James and Kofi Kingston @ 5:25 via pin to win the IC and Women's Titles
**
Suprisingly decent.
• ECW Title Match: Matt Hardy defeated Mark Henry @ 0:35 via DQ
DUD
Pretty much bullshit. The ECW Title is a joke.
• World Title Match: CM Punk defeated JBL @ 12:05 via pin
***
About as good as you could hope for.
• WWE Title Match: HHH defeated the Great Khali @ 10:00 via pin
*1/2
See World Title comment.
• Batista defeated John Cena @ 14:10 via pin
***¾
Very awesome. They just went out and threw bombs at each other and it worked.
• HELL in a CELL: The Undertaker defeated Edge @ 27:00 via pin
****1/4
Even better. Definatley their best match and I hope the feud is over.
Good effort but Summerslam is usually always strong.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Great American Bash 2008 Review
Can the show reach it's potential?
Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder defeated John Morrison and The Miz, Jesse and Festus, and Finlay and Hornswoggle to win the WWE Tag Team Championship (9:06)
Hawkins pinned Jesse after pulling him off the top rope.
**1/4
This was fine for what it was...a fun little house sho match.
Shelton Benjamin defeated Matt Hardy to win the WWE United States Championship (9:36)
Benjamin pinned Hardy after the Pay Dirt.
**3/4
I was suprised to see Shelton win the title clean like that. I think these 2 can do a little better though.
Mark Henry defeated Tommy Dreamer to retain the ECW Championship (5:31)
Henry pinned Dreamer after The World’s Strongest Slam.
During the match, Colin Delaney turned on Dreamer.
*
A Colin heel turn? Really?
Chris Jericho defeated Shawn Michaels (18:18)
Jericho won when the referee stopped the match while Jericho was punching Michales in the eye.
***1/4
Match told a good story but it got really old really quick.
Michelle McCool defeated Natalya Neidhart to win the WWE Divas Championship (4:43)
McCool made Neidhart submit with The Anklelock.
This match was for the vacant Divas Title.
¾*
Did they really need another title? Let alone another women's title?
World Champion CM Punk and Batista fought to a No Contest (11:05)
During the match, Kane came down and attacked both men.
***1/4
Great job by both guys here. The finish left a lot to be desired but it is what it is.
John Bradshaw Layfield defeated John Cena in a New York City Parking Lot Brawl (15:12)
JBL pinned Cena after throwing him through a windshield.
**
Match was both fun and stupid.
Triple H defeated Edge to retain the WWE Championship (16:46)
Triple H pinned Edge after a Pedigree.
During the match, Alicia Fox and Vickie Guerrero interfered.
***
I felt these 2 could hit **** if they were both on their games, maybe the next encounter will connect stronger.
Probably the worst WWE PPV so far this year. Nothing overly bad or anything but nothing that stands out.
Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder defeated John Morrison and The Miz, Jesse and Festus, and Finlay and Hornswoggle to win the WWE Tag Team Championship (9:06)
Hawkins pinned Jesse after pulling him off the top rope.
**1/4
This was fine for what it was...a fun little house sho match.
Shelton Benjamin defeated Matt Hardy to win the WWE United States Championship (9:36)
Benjamin pinned Hardy after the Pay Dirt.
**3/4
I was suprised to see Shelton win the title clean like that. I think these 2 can do a little better though.
Mark Henry defeated Tommy Dreamer to retain the ECW Championship (5:31)
Henry pinned Dreamer after The World’s Strongest Slam.
During the match, Colin Delaney turned on Dreamer.
*
A Colin heel turn? Really?
Chris Jericho defeated Shawn Michaels (18:18)
Jericho won when the referee stopped the match while Jericho was punching Michales in the eye.
***1/4
Match told a good story but it got really old really quick.
Michelle McCool defeated Natalya Neidhart to win the WWE Divas Championship (4:43)
McCool made Neidhart submit with The Anklelock.
This match was for the vacant Divas Title.
¾*
Did they really need another title? Let alone another women's title?
World Champion CM Punk and Batista fought to a No Contest (11:05)
During the match, Kane came down and attacked both men.
***1/4
Great job by both guys here. The finish left a lot to be desired but it is what it is.
John Bradshaw Layfield defeated John Cena in a New York City Parking Lot Brawl (15:12)
JBL pinned Cena after throwing him through a windshield.
**
Match was both fun and stupid.
Triple H defeated Edge to retain the WWE Championship (16:46)
Triple H pinned Edge after a Pedigree.
During the match, Alicia Fox and Vickie Guerrero interfered.
***
I felt these 2 could hit **** if they were both on their games, maybe the next encounter will connect stronger.
Probably the worst WWE PPV so far this year. Nothing overly bad or anything but nothing that stands out.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Night of Champions 2008 Review
Can the WWE's hot streak of good PPV's continue?
The Miz and John Morrison defeated Finlay and Hornswoggle to retain the WWE Tag Team Championship (8:46)
Morrison pinned Hornswoggle after a throwing him off the top rope
**
This was better than I thought it was going to be. That shows just how awesome Miz and Morrison are.
Matt Hardy defeated Chavo Guerrero (w/Bam Neely) to retain the WWE United States Championship (9:21)
Hardy pinned Guerrero after the Twist of Fate.
**1/4
Generic Smackdown math.
Mark Henry defeated Kane and The Big Show to win the ECW Championship (8:17)
Henry pinned Kane after the Splash.
*
So awful when Mark Henry was in control. Once it became Kane vs. Show it got better but that's not saying much. I was shocked to see Henry win a "world" title.
Ted Dibiase Jr. and Cody Rhodes defeated Hardcore Holly to win the World Tag Team Championship (1:30)
Dibiase pinned Holly after the Million Dollar Dream Leg Sweep.
Rhodes turned on Holly to align himself with Dibiase.
DUD
Almost how I predicted but no Harry Smith. This was more of an angle advancer than an actual match.
Kofi Kingston defeated Chris Jericho (w/Lance Cade) to win the WWE Intercontinental Championship (10:59)
Kingston pinned Jericho after the the Trouble in Paradise
Shawn Michaels interfered on behalf on Kingston.
***
I was kind od suprised that they gave Kofi gold already.
Mickie James defeated Katie Lea (w/Paul Burchill) to retain the WWE Women’s Championship (7:16)
Mickie pinned Lea after the Mickie-T
*1/4
Katie Lea does not impress me so far. They were so awkward together.
Edge defeated Batista to retain the World Heavyweight Championship (16:49)
Edge pinned Batista after hitting him with the belt.
During the match, Vickie Guerrero appointed Chavo Guerrero the Referee.
***3/4
Their best match no doubt. They had me believing that Batista had a shot.
Triple H defeated John Cena to retain the WWE Championship (19:37)
Triple H pinned Cena after the Pedigree.
****
This was suprisingly awesome. I'd go as far as to say that this was better than their Wrestlemania match together.
~So now Smackdown has both World titles? I don't see that lasting. This PPV was salvaged by the last 2 matches. I'd say the streak is barely alive by the skin f their teeth. Hopefully they put together a better card for Great American Bash.
The Miz and John Morrison defeated Finlay and Hornswoggle to retain the WWE Tag Team Championship (8:46)
Morrison pinned Hornswoggle after a throwing him off the top rope
**
This was better than I thought it was going to be. That shows just how awesome Miz and Morrison are.
Matt Hardy defeated Chavo Guerrero (w/Bam Neely) to retain the WWE United States Championship (9:21)
Hardy pinned Guerrero after the Twist of Fate.
**1/4
Generic Smackdown math.
Mark Henry defeated Kane and The Big Show to win the ECW Championship (8:17)
Henry pinned Kane after the Splash.
*
So awful when Mark Henry was in control. Once it became Kane vs. Show it got better but that's not saying much. I was shocked to see Henry win a "world" title.
Ted Dibiase Jr. and Cody Rhodes defeated Hardcore Holly to win the World Tag Team Championship (1:30)
Dibiase pinned Holly after the Million Dollar Dream Leg Sweep.
Rhodes turned on Holly to align himself with Dibiase.
DUD
Almost how I predicted but no Harry Smith. This was more of an angle advancer than an actual match.
Kofi Kingston defeated Chris Jericho (w/Lance Cade) to win the WWE Intercontinental Championship (10:59)
Kingston pinned Jericho after the the Trouble in Paradise
Shawn Michaels interfered on behalf on Kingston.
***
I was kind od suprised that they gave Kofi gold already.
Mickie James defeated Katie Lea (w/Paul Burchill) to retain the WWE Women’s Championship (7:16)
Mickie pinned Lea after the Mickie-T
*1/4
Katie Lea does not impress me so far. They were so awkward together.
Edge defeated Batista to retain the World Heavyweight Championship (16:49)
Edge pinned Batista after hitting him with the belt.
During the match, Vickie Guerrero appointed Chavo Guerrero the Referee.
***3/4
Their best match no doubt. They had me believing that Batista had a shot.
Triple H defeated John Cena to retain the WWE Championship (19:37)
Triple H pinned Cena after the Pedigree.
****
This was suprisingly awesome. I'd go as far as to say that this was better than their Wrestlemania match together.
~So now Smackdown has both World titles? I don't see that lasting. This PPV was salvaged by the last 2 matches. I'd say the streak is barely alive by the skin f their teeth. Hopefully they put together a better card for Great American Bash.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Night of Champions Predictions
WWE Title
HHH (C) vs. John Cena
The 2 title matches are very hard to pick now that we know about what happened at the draft. If these 4 would have stayed where they were, I'd pick the world champions to retain across the board. I either have to pick HHH and Batista to win or Cena and Edge to win (by my logic of each show having a specific champion, but who knows?). I like Edge's chances the best so I'll pick him to retain and Cena to win and take the belt to Raw.
Winner: Cena
World Title
Edge (C) vs. Batista
See WWE title match thoughts...
Winner: Edge
ECW Title
Kane (C) vs. Big Show vs. Mark Henry
The only reason Henry is in this match is to take the pinfall. I'll say Show takes the title and sets up a 1 on 1 match vs.Kane next month.
Winner: Big Show
US Title
Matt Hardy (C) vs. Chavo Guerrero
Chavo just seems to be a challenger for the sake of being there. Hardy retains.
Winner: Hardy
IC Title
Chris Jericho (C) vs. ???
Y2J was supposed to face Shawn Michaels here but HBK is "injured." So apparently there will be another challenger. I'll say it's Punk (just because he has nothing else to do) and Y2J gets the win. It may still be HBK but Jericho goes over none the less.
Winner: Jericho
WWE Tag Titles
Miz & Morrison (C) vs. Finlay & Hornswoggle
I pray to God that one of the most entertaining WWE teams in years holds on to the titles here. I don't think WWE has the guts to put another title on a midget.
Winners: Miz & Morrison
World Tag Titles
Rhodes & Holly (C) vs. Dibiase Jr. & ???
Dibiase's partner here should be Harry Smith and I expect Rhodes to turn on Holly to form a 2nd generation group with the other 2. I'm probably way off and Holly & Rhodes continue their deathgrip on the titles, but I'll go with the former.
Winners: Dibiase & ??? (Smith)
Women's Title
Mickie (C) vs. Katie Lea
This is tough. Mickie hasn't really done much with the title so I think the new girl takes over.
Winner: Katie Lea
Divas Title
Natalyia vs. ???
Not sure if this is officially taking place on this show, but If it does, I say it's against Michelle McCool and McCool wins.
Winner: McCool
HHH (C) vs. John Cena
The 2 title matches are very hard to pick now that we know about what happened at the draft. If these 4 would have stayed where they were, I'd pick the world champions to retain across the board. I either have to pick HHH and Batista to win or Cena and Edge to win (by my logic of each show having a specific champion, but who knows?). I like Edge's chances the best so I'll pick him to retain and Cena to win and take the belt to Raw.
Winner: Cena
World Title
Edge (C) vs. Batista
See WWE title match thoughts...
Winner: Edge
ECW Title
Kane (C) vs. Big Show vs. Mark Henry
The only reason Henry is in this match is to take the pinfall. I'll say Show takes the title and sets up a 1 on 1 match vs.Kane next month.
Winner: Big Show
US Title
Matt Hardy (C) vs. Chavo Guerrero
Chavo just seems to be a challenger for the sake of being there. Hardy retains.
Winner: Hardy
IC Title
Chris Jericho (C) vs. ???
Y2J was supposed to face Shawn Michaels here but HBK is "injured." So apparently there will be another challenger. I'll say it's Punk (just because he has nothing else to do) and Y2J gets the win. It may still be HBK but Jericho goes over none the less.
Winner: Jericho
WWE Tag Titles
Miz & Morrison (C) vs. Finlay & Hornswoggle
I pray to God that one of the most entertaining WWE teams in years holds on to the titles here. I don't think WWE has the guts to put another title on a midget.
Winners: Miz & Morrison
World Tag Titles
Rhodes & Holly (C) vs. Dibiase Jr. & ???
Dibiase's partner here should be Harry Smith and I expect Rhodes to turn on Holly to form a 2nd generation group with the other 2. I'm probably way off and Holly & Rhodes continue their deathgrip on the titles, but I'll go with the former.
Winners: Dibiase & ??? (Smith)
Women's Title
Mickie (C) vs. Katie Lea
This is tough. Mickie hasn't really done much with the title so I think the new girl takes over.
Winner: Katie Lea
Divas Title
Natalyia vs. ???
Not sure if this is officially taking place on this show, but If it does, I say it's against Michelle McCool and McCool wins.
Winner: McCool
Saturday, June 7, 2008
WWE One Night Stand 2008 Review
Jeff Hardy defeated Umaga in a Falls Count Anywhere match (9:27)
Hardy pinned Umaga after a Swanton Bomb off a parking lot semi-trailer.
**1/2
Just a generic Attitude brawl.
The Big Show defeated CM Punk, John Morrison, Chavo Guerrero (w/Bam Neely) and Tommy Dreamer in a Singapore Cane match (8:35)
Big Show pinned Dreamer after hitting him with a Singapore cane to earn an ECW Championship match at Night of Champions.
**1/2
Better than I thought it would be.
John Cena defeated John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) in a First Blood match (14:30)
JBL bled from the mouth while Cena applied the STFU with a chain around his neck.
**3/4
Also better than I thought it would be. I hope this rivalry is over though.
Beth Phoenix defeated Melina in an "I Quit" match (9:14)
Melina said "I quit" while Phoenix had her in a modified chickenwing.
**1/2
Not bad for a Divas match.
Batista defeated Shawn Michaels in a Stretcher match (17:00)
Batista placed Michaels on a stretcher and pushed it across the line after he delivered a Spinebuster on Michaels onto the steel ring steps.
***1/4
Probably should have been a little better.
Triple H defeated Randy Orton in a Last Man Standing match to retain the WWE Championship (13:15)
Orton failed to answer the ten-count after Triple H hit him with a sledgehammer.
During the match, Orton legitimately broke his collarbone.
**1/2
The match was really starting to get good when the injury happened.
Edge defeated The Undertaker in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match to win the vacant World Heavyweight Championship (23:50)
Edge won the match by retrieving the belt suspended above the ring.
Per the pre-match stipulation, Undertaker was forced to leave WWE.
***1/2
I don't love this match like most do. It jsut felt like big spots that we've all seen before and you could see them coming a mile away. I mean, most matches like this you can see the spots coming, but not this obvious.
~ Another solid show but probably the weakest PPV of the year.
Hardy pinned Umaga after a Swanton Bomb off a parking lot semi-trailer.
**1/2
Just a generic Attitude brawl.
The Big Show defeated CM Punk, John Morrison, Chavo Guerrero (w/Bam Neely) and Tommy Dreamer in a Singapore Cane match (8:35)
Big Show pinned Dreamer after hitting him with a Singapore cane to earn an ECW Championship match at Night of Champions.
**1/2
Better than I thought it would be.
John Cena defeated John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) in a First Blood match (14:30)
JBL bled from the mouth while Cena applied the STFU with a chain around his neck.
**3/4
Also better than I thought it would be. I hope this rivalry is over though.
Beth Phoenix defeated Melina in an "I Quit" match (9:14)
Melina said "I quit" while Phoenix had her in a modified chickenwing.
**1/2
Not bad for a Divas match.
Batista defeated Shawn Michaels in a Stretcher match (17:00)
Batista placed Michaels on a stretcher and pushed it across the line after he delivered a Spinebuster on Michaels onto the steel ring steps.
***1/4
Probably should have been a little better.
Triple H defeated Randy Orton in a Last Man Standing match to retain the WWE Championship (13:15)
Orton failed to answer the ten-count after Triple H hit him with a sledgehammer.
During the match, Orton legitimately broke his collarbone.
**1/2
The match was really starting to get good when the injury happened.
Edge defeated The Undertaker in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match to win the vacant World Heavyweight Championship (23:50)
Edge won the match by retrieving the belt suspended above the ring.
Per the pre-match stipulation, Undertaker was forced to leave WWE.
***1/2
I don't love this match like most do. It jsut felt like big spots that we've all seen before and you could see them coming a mile away. I mean, most matches like this you can see the spots coming, but not this obvious.
~ Another solid show but probably the weakest PPV of the year.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
One Night Stand Predictions
I'm gonna keep this short and sweet because I'm tired.
World Title - TLC Match
Undertaker vs. Edge
Winner: Edge
WWE Title - Last Man Standing Match
HHH (C) vs. Randy Orton
Winner: HHH
Stretcher Match
Shawn Michaels vs. Batista
Winner: Shawn Michaels
Falls Count Anywhere Match
Umaga vs. Jeff Hardy
Winner: Jeff Hardy
I Quit Match
Melina vs. Beth Phoenix
Winner: Beth Phoenix
First Blood Match
John Cena vs. JBL
Winner: John Cena
Singapore Cane Match for ECW Title #1 Contendership
CM Punk vs. Tommy Dreamer vs. Big Show vs. John Morrison vs. Chavo Gueerero
Winner: Big Show
World Title - TLC Match
Undertaker vs. Edge
Winner: Edge
WWE Title - Last Man Standing Match
HHH (C) vs. Randy Orton
Winner: HHH
Stretcher Match
Shawn Michaels vs. Batista
Winner: Shawn Michaels
Falls Count Anywhere Match
Umaga vs. Jeff Hardy
Winner: Jeff Hardy
I Quit Match
Melina vs. Beth Phoenix
Winner: Beth Phoenix
First Blood Match
John Cena vs. JBL
Winner: John Cena
Singapore Cane Match for ECW Title #1 Contendership
CM Punk vs. Tommy Dreamer vs. Big Show vs. John Morrison vs. Chavo Gueerero
Winner: Big Show
WWE Judgement Day 2008 Review
Cena opening the show and a cage match as the main event...what is this...Raw?
John Cena defeated John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) (15:09)
Cena pinned JBL after an FU.
**1/4
Solid enough opener.
John Morrison and The Miz defeated Kane and CM Punk to retain the WWE Tag Team Championship (7:30)
Morrison pinned Punk after a Moonlight Drive.
**1/2
Standard stuff.
Shawn Michaels defeated Chris Jericho (15:56)
Michaels pinned Jericho after countering the Walls of Jericho into a straddle pin.
****
Not as good as their Mania XIXmatch but still really strong.
Mickie James defeated Beth Phoenix and Melina in a Triple Threat match to retain the WWE Women's Championship (4:55)
Mickie pinned Melina after a Mickie DT.
**
About as good a women's match as you'll ever get for less thatn 5 minutes.
The Undertaker defeated Edge by countout for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship (16:30)[4]
SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero declared the title would remain vacant since a championship cannot be decided by countout.
***3/4
Still like their Backlash match a little more. On par with Wrestlemania.
Jeff Hardy defeated Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP) (9:50)
Jeff pinned MVP after a Whisper in the Wind.[16]
*3/4
Just thrown on here and it showed.
Triple H defeated Randy Orton in a Steel Cage match to retain the WWE Championship (21:20)[3]
Triple H pinned Orton after a steel chair shot and a Pedigree.
***
Generic cage match best describes this.
~ Another solid show from WWE.
John Cena defeated John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) (15:09)
Cena pinned JBL after an FU.
**1/4
Solid enough opener.
John Morrison and The Miz defeated Kane and CM Punk to retain the WWE Tag Team Championship (7:30)
Morrison pinned Punk after a Moonlight Drive.
**1/2
Standard stuff.
Shawn Michaels defeated Chris Jericho (15:56)
Michaels pinned Jericho after countering the Walls of Jericho into a straddle pin.
****
Not as good as their Mania XIXmatch but still really strong.
Mickie James defeated Beth Phoenix and Melina in a Triple Threat match to retain the WWE Women's Championship (4:55)
Mickie pinned Melina after a Mickie DT.
**
About as good a women's match as you'll ever get for less thatn 5 minutes.
The Undertaker defeated Edge by countout for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship (16:30)[4]
SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero declared the title would remain vacant since a championship cannot be decided by countout.
***3/4
Still like their Backlash match a little more. On par with Wrestlemania.
Jeff Hardy defeated Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP) (9:50)
Jeff pinned MVP after a Whisper in the Wind.[16]
*3/4
Just thrown on here and it showed.
Triple H defeated Randy Orton in a Steel Cage match to retain the WWE Championship (21:20)[3]
Triple H pinned Orton after a steel chair shot and a Pedigree.
***
Generic cage match best describes this.
~ Another solid show from WWE.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
WWE Judgment Day Preview
WWE Title Match (Steel Cage)
HHH (C) vs. Randy Orton
A lot of matches on this card are hard to predict. This is one of them. Just because I see HHH's reign lasting more than a month, I'll take him.
Winner: HHH
World Heavyweight Title
Edge vs. Undertaker
I'm not sure why they took the title off of Taker. Maybe to get him more title reigns? I don't know, I'll pick him anyway.
Winner: Undertaker
WWE Tag Team Titles
Miz & Morrison (C) vs. CM Punk & Kane
I originally picked Punk and Kane to win the titles, but I think Morrison and Miz will retain by DQ or shenanigans.
Winners: Miz & Morrison
WWE Women's Title
Mickie James (C) vs. Melina vs. Beth Phoenix
Mickie pins Melina. Nuff said.
Winner: James
Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho
Hopefully this is almost as good as their Mania XIX match. Too close to call, so I'll pick Shawn because he always wins these matches.
Winner: HBK
John Cena vs. JBL
JBL is worthless, Cena hasn't won in a while on PPV, Cena goes over.
Winner: Cena
Big SHow vs. Mark Henry
Apparently this has been added to the show...I'm not sure why...Since Henry only wins squashes, I'll go with Show.
Winner: Big Show
HHH (C) vs. Randy Orton
A lot of matches on this card are hard to predict. This is one of them. Just because I see HHH's reign lasting more than a month, I'll take him.
Winner: HHH
World Heavyweight Title
Edge vs. Undertaker
I'm not sure why they took the title off of Taker. Maybe to get him more title reigns? I don't know, I'll pick him anyway.
Winner: Undertaker
WWE Tag Team Titles
Miz & Morrison (C) vs. CM Punk & Kane
I originally picked Punk and Kane to win the titles, but I think Morrison and Miz will retain by DQ or shenanigans.
Winners: Miz & Morrison
WWE Women's Title
Mickie James (C) vs. Melina vs. Beth Phoenix
Mickie pins Melina. Nuff said.
Winner: James
Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho
Hopefully this is almost as good as their Mania XIX match. Too close to call, so I'll pick Shawn because he always wins these matches.
Winner: HBK
John Cena vs. JBL
JBL is worthless, Cena hasn't won in a while on PPV, Cena goes over.
Winner: Cena
Big SHow vs. Mark Henry
Apparently this has been added to the show...I'm not sure why...Since Henry only wins squashes, I'll go with Show.
Winner: Big Show
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Backlash 2008 Review
The end of an era?
Matt Hardy defeated Montel Vontavious Porter to win the WWE United States Championship.
Hardy pinned Porter after a Twist of Fate.
***
Good enough for what it was. I see a rematch at Judgment Day.
Kane defeated Chavo Guerrero (w/Bam Neely) to retain the ECW Championship.
Kane pinned Guerrero after a chokeslam.
*1/2
Really slow and methodical. Once Chavo hurt Kane's leg on Smackdown I knew it was going to be like this.
Big Show defeated The Great Khali
Big Show pinned Khali after a chokeslam.
*
Better than I thought it would be I guess.
Shawn Michaels defeated Batista (w/Chris Jericho as Special Guest Referee)
Michaels pinned Batista after Sweet Chin Music.
***
This was fun but I think they could have done a little better.
Beth Phoenix, Melina, Jillian Hall, Layla, Victoria and Natalya defeated Mickie James, Maria, Ashley, Michelle McCool, Cherry and Kelly Kelly in a 12-Diva Tag Team match
Phoenix pinned Ashley after a fisherman suplex.
*1/2
Wasn't expecting much from this and my that rating, I got it.
The Undertaker defeated Edge to retain the World Heavyweight Championship
Undertaker forced Edge to submit with the gogoplata.
****
I actually liked this more than their Mania match.
Triple H defeated Randy Orton (c), John Cena, and John "Bradshaw" Layfield in a Fatal Four-Way Elimination match to win the WWE Championship
Cena forced Layfield to submit with the STFU.
Orton pinned Cena after a punt to the head.
Triple H pinned Orton after a Pedigree to win the title.
***3/4
This match was also better than their Mania match. I thought The "Era of Orton" would last a little bit longer, but what ya gonna do?
~Overall this was the worst PPV of the year for WWE. That being said it was still pretty solid.
Matt Hardy defeated Montel Vontavious Porter to win the WWE United States Championship.
Hardy pinned Porter after a Twist of Fate.
***
Good enough for what it was. I see a rematch at Judgment Day.
Kane defeated Chavo Guerrero (w/Bam Neely) to retain the ECW Championship.
Kane pinned Guerrero after a chokeslam.
*1/2
Really slow and methodical. Once Chavo hurt Kane's leg on Smackdown I knew it was going to be like this.
Big Show defeated The Great Khali
Big Show pinned Khali after a chokeslam.
*
Better than I thought it would be I guess.
Shawn Michaels defeated Batista (w/Chris Jericho as Special Guest Referee)
Michaels pinned Batista after Sweet Chin Music.
***
This was fun but I think they could have done a little better.
Beth Phoenix, Melina, Jillian Hall, Layla, Victoria and Natalya defeated Mickie James, Maria, Ashley, Michelle McCool, Cherry and Kelly Kelly in a 12-Diva Tag Team match
Phoenix pinned Ashley after a fisherman suplex.
*1/2
Wasn't expecting much from this and my that rating, I got it.
The Undertaker defeated Edge to retain the World Heavyweight Championship
Undertaker forced Edge to submit with the gogoplata.
****
I actually liked this more than their Mania match.
Triple H defeated Randy Orton (c), John Cena, and John "Bradshaw" Layfield in a Fatal Four-Way Elimination match to win the WWE Championship
Cena forced Layfield to submit with the STFU.
Orton pinned Cena after a punt to the head.
Triple H pinned Orton after a Pedigree to win the title.
***3/4
This match was also better than their Mania match. I thought The "Era of Orton" would last a little bit longer, but what ya gonna do?
~Overall this was the worst PPV of the year for WWE. That being said it was still pretty solid.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Backlash Predictions
World Title Match
Undertaker (C) vs. Edge
Backlash always has rematches from Mania and this one is no different. They had a good match last PPV so I hope they can do it again. I think Taker wins becuase he didn't have the long title reign last year and I think he'll get it this year.
Winner: Undertaker
WWE Title Match
Randy Orton (C) vs. JBL vs. John Cena vs. HHH
I don't know why but I see Orton as a log term champion. I mean at least until Summerslam. Maybe even Wrestlemania 25. Thus, he goes over here.
Winner: Randy Orton
ECW Title Match
Kane (C) vs. Chavo Guerrero
I'm not looking forward to this match. It has clash of styles written all over it. I say that Kane retains and moves on to another challenger after Chavo.
Winner: Kane
Batista vs. Shawn Michaels
The feud has actually been built up rather well in my opinion. I think Michaels will motivate Batista to a good match. This seems like a coinflip, and since Michaels always seems to win those matches...
Winner: Shawn Michaels
Big Show vs. Great Khali
Ugh. Could be a WMOTYC when it's all said and through. Big Show needs the win for his push.
Winner: Big Show
US Title Match
MVP (C) vs. Matt Hardy
Should open the show. If this would have happened at Mania, I'd pick Matt to win. MVP has had the title for almost a year...but I say he goes the full year and loses it next month to Matt in maybe a gimmick match.
Winner: MVP
Mickie James, Ashley, Maria, Michelle McCool, Cherry, and Kelly Kelly vs. Beth Phoenix, Jillian Hall, Melina, Layla, Victoria, and Natalya Neidhart
CM Punk and Regal don't get a rematch but these talentless "wrestlers" do? I call bullshit. I'll go with the heel team because Beth needs a pin to look strong without the title. She then gets a rematch at Mickie next month.
Undertaker (C) vs. Edge
Backlash always has rematches from Mania and this one is no different. They had a good match last PPV so I hope they can do it again. I think Taker wins becuase he didn't have the long title reign last year and I think he'll get it this year.
Winner: Undertaker
WWE Title Match
Randy Orton (C) vs. JBL vs. John Cena vs. HHH
I don't know why but I see Orton as a log term champion. I mean at least until Summerslam. Maybe even Wrestlemania 25. Thus, he goes over here.
Winner: Randy Orton
ECW Title Match
Kane (C) vs. Chavo Guerrero
I'm not looking forward to this match. It has clash of styles written all over it. I say that Kane retains and moves on to another challenger after Chavo.
Winner: Kane
Batista vs. Shawn Michaels
The feud has actually been built up rather well in my opinion. I think Michaels will motivate Batista to a good match. This seems like a coinflip, and since Michaels always seems to win those matches...
Winner: Shawn Michaels
Big Show vs. Great Khali
Ugh. Could be a WMOTYC when it's all said and through. Big Show needs the win for his push.
Winner: Big Show
US Title Match
MVP (C) vs. Matt Hardy
Should open the show. If this would have happened at Mania, I'd pick Matt to win. MVP has had the title for almost a year...but I say he goes the full year and loses it next month to Matt in maybe a gimmick match.
Winner: MVP
Mickie James, Ashley, Maria, Michelle McCool, Cherry, and Kelly Kelly vs. Beth Phoenix, Jillian Hall, Melina, Layla, Victoria, and Natalya Neidhart
CM Punk and Regal don't get a rematch but these talentless "wrestlers" do? I call bullshit. I'll go with the heel team because Beth needs a pin to look strong without the title. She then gets a rematch at Mickie next month.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
