WWE The Great American Bash 2007 Review

Match 1: United States Championship - MVP (c) vs. Matt Hardy
Kicking off the 2007 edition of The Bash is two of SmackDown's hottest guys outside the main event scene. JBL does a fantastic job of not only putting over both guys, but putting over MVP's big boot finisher. MVP built the match around that move and Matt Hardy did a great job of selling the effects of MVP's strategy. At one point, Hardy had trouble climbing the top rope because of the damage he suffered to his head. MVP was later able to hit a big boot and followed it with his Playmaker finisher to score the victory. Great opening contest which once again tells the story of Hardy not being able to get that big win and obtain a singles championship. Great chemistry and great storytelling, both guys at the top of their game here in the decent time they were given.
Winner: MVP
Rating: ***1/2

Match 2: Cruiserweight Championship - Cruiserweight Open - Chavo Guerrero (c) vs. Jimmy Wang Yang vs. Shannon Moore vs. Funaki vs. Jamie Noble vs. Hornswoggle
This should be a fun one, first competitor to score pinfall or submission is the winner and new Cruiserweight champion. Unfortunately, they didn't get enough time to really set a nice pace or really do anything special. There were a couple cool spots here and there, but nothing that makes the division stand out. The end came when Hornswoggle appeared out of nowhere and hit a Tadpole Splash on Jamie Noble to score the win.
Winner: Hornswoggle
Rating: **

Match 3: Singapore Cane on a Pole - The Sandman vs. Carlito
If you thought the last match was odd, this one might be a tad bit odder. Feels so strange to see The Sandman coming down the aisles in the WWE. Anyway, first combatant to retrieve the cane up on the pole is able to use it. This match was about five minutes of the two literally exchanging punches, likely because of Sandman's limited capabilities. Sandman eventually grabs the cane first and as he swings for the fences, Carlito ducks and hits his Back Cracker. So all that and nobody even got hit with the cane.
Winner: Carlito
Rating: 1/2*

Match 4: Women's Championship - Candice Michelle (c) vs. Melina
I always dread the Divas matches but this one wasn't so bad. Melina has always been pretty good and Candice Michelle has definitely upped her game a notch. More fluid and clean action from these two that we are normally used to seeing on Raw as the two go back and forth before Candice hits her Candywrapper finish to retain the title. Decent match but per normal, nothing special or anything that will be remembered in a couple weeks.
Winner: Candice Michelle
Rating: *3/4

Match 5: Intercontinental Championship - Umaga (c) vs. Jeff Hardy
Looking back at this makes me miss both of these guys. The chemistry these two have for whatever reason was just brilliant. They managed to put on a great match while telling the perfect story. Jeff Hardy, the crowd favorite, can't match size with the heavyweight in Umaga so he relies on his unique style of wrestling to gain the advantage. Umaga has no intentions of changing his strategy at all against Hardy, he's looking for the kill. Umaga was in control for the better part of the match but Hardy held his own. Hardy relied on Umaga's mistakes in order to gain the advantages and was able to hit a Swanton Bomb but Umaga managed to kick out! Umaga was then able to hit a Samoan Spike which Hardy sold perfectly. Great match, Umaga comes out looking like a bigger beast while Hardy looked like a worthy contender.
Winner: Umaga
Rating: ***1/2

Match 6: ECW Championship - John Morrison (c) vs. CM Punk
I remember being a sucker for the 2007 version of ECW for whatever reason. This was the rematch from their match at Vengeance where Morrison won the vacant ECW Championship. The commentators do their best to hype this match but they don't even believe what they're saying. The crowd is quiet but the action is fairly enjoyable. But nothing from this match differentiates from their previous encounter. And just like that bout, this lacked the fire it needed to shift out of first gear and get the crowd going. Finish came when Punk launched himself off the top rope where Morrison hit Punk right in his knee to score the pin. Really uneventful finish for what was a pretty uneventful match.
Winner: John Morrison
Rating: **3/4

Match 7: Texas Bull Rope - Dusty Rhodes vs. Randy Orton
You can't have a Great American Bash without Dusty Rhodes! Mr. Legend Killer looks to take out another legend as Randy Orton's challenge to Rhodes in a match backfired when Rhodes called for a Texas Bull Rope match. There's only so much you can do here but the stimulation really covered Rhodes and his limits. They made the match pretty believable despite the ridiculous circumstances, Rhodes was the veteran of the match and used the rope to his advantage. Orton looked like a slithering snake out there and played his role perfectly. Rhodes got the majority of the offense before Orton finally drilled Rhodes with the bell for the finish. Orton looked to punt Rhodes in his skull afterwords before Cody Rhodes comes out for the save. Better than I expected but that really isn't saying much considering this is a PPV. Either way, they did the best they could with what they were given and it allows Orton to add a legend under his Legend Killer belt.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: *1/2

Match 8: World Heavyweight Championship - The Great Khali (c) vs. Batista vs. Kane
This was scheduled to be Edge vs. Kane for the World Heavyweight Championship until injuries happened. Crazy stuff. And even more crazy, Khali is champ! And he is constantly holding the title upside down and it drives me crazy. Since Khali is so limited in the ring, Batista and Kane have no choice but to team up and take him out. They take the fight outside where they drive Khali straight through the ECW announcers table! The match is basically Batista vs. Kane until Khali steps inside again and hits Kane with a Punjabi Plunge to retain the title. The table spot was really cool and the action really wasn't all that bad as the crowd was pretty vocal throughout. It was pretty obvious they structured the match with Khali being the third wheel. It still boggles me to this day that WWE wanted Khali as champ and they still wanted him to go over here. Still, this match was easily better than any expectations I had.
Winner: The Great Khali
Rating: ***

Match 9: WWE Championship - John Cena (c) vs. Bobby Lashley
I always loved Bobby Lashley, he had a phenomenal presence and I think in his latter years in the WWE, he was definitely gaining some personality. This match against John Cena for the WWE Championship was getting hyped to the moon and I always recall thinking that they drew the gun too fast on this match. They should have at least saved it for Summerslam and for another time as Lashley just switched brands from the 2007 Draft. Of all the challenges Cena has had, he's never had to face someone like Lashley. A legitimate amateur wrestler who is bigger and faster than Cena. Never a dull moment in this match, Lashley has the advantage throughout most of the match and looks like a worthy opponent for Cena's belt. But Cena closes the gap and the final minutes definitely turn things up a notch as Jim Ross does an incredible job of hyping the contest. Cena almost makes Lashley submit and Lashley almost wins after hitting a Spear. But the finish came when Cena was able to hit an FU off the top rope to retain the title. Great match which would have benefited from more time. Too short for me to give this match four stars but it was definitely a great main event and a great way to close out the night. The FU from the top was a great finish as Lashley's strength and will was too much for Cena to overcome with a normal finish. Unfortunately, we never got a rematch and this remains Lashley's final WWE PPV which just happened to be in the main event against John Cena. Would have loved to see where Lashley's WWE career would have taken him but this is as far as it went.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: ***3/4

Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
A good night of wrestling with the highlight being the main event the WWE tried to build as a mega match with John Cena overcoming Bobby Lashley. Also, the Hardy matches both delivered respectively and the World Heavyweight Championship bout wasn't all that bad.
Rating: 7/10