WWE Bragging Rights 2009 Review

Match 1: Raw vs. SmackDown Bragging Rights - John Morrison vs. The Miz
This is the first Bragging Rights PPV and it's one of the better PPV ideas the WWE has created. There will be three Raw vs. SmackDown matches and whichever brand to score two wins earns the big Bragging Rights trophy. The first match is between two former partners in a champion vs. champion bout. I really do wish they had saved this for a bigger stage but it does make sense to have it open the night here. Miz has come a very long way, his wrestling skills have seen a pretty hefty improvement over the past year and it shows here against Morrison. Good match that only suffered from time constraints and a faulty finish as Miz simply pushed Morrison off the top who was attempting his Starship Pain finisher. Despite that, Miz scores a point for Team Raw.
Winner: The Miz
Rating: **3/4

Match 2: Raw vs. SmackDown Bragging Rights - Team Raw (Melina, Kelly Kelly, & Gail Kim) vs. Team Smackdown (Michelle McCool, Beth Phoenix, & Natalya)
The second match of the night is another Raw vs. SmackDown Bragging Rights bout but this time around, it's with the lovely Divas. Really, what needs to be said here that hasn't been said about them before? A typical Divas match that saw lots of sluggish moves and a couple botches here and there as the commentators do their best to hype this match. Beth Phoenix hit Melina with her Glam Slam finish to secure the win. Bland PPV match, just another Divas match you would see on Raw.
Winners: Team SmackDown
Rating: 3/4*

Match 3: World Heavyweight Championship - The Undertaker (c) vs. Batista vs. CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio
SmackDown's main event features four former champions going after each other for Undertaker's gold. This was an odd match, it never really felt like it got out of first gear and almost as if it was just one big cluster in the ring. Nobody had the advantage in the match, there was a nice blend of everybody getting close to scoring the win. However, CM Punk just seemed kind of there for the most part. The Undertaker is the champ and seems like is the one participating the most, Batista and Rey Mysterio have their encounter, and Punk never really seemed to fit in with the main eventers here. Batista cleans house in the ring before turning around to The Undertaker hitting a Tombstone on him for the victory. Afterwards, Josh Matthews interviews Mysterio in the ring about the match before Batista absolutely destroys Mysterio. One of the best heel turns you will ever see. The look of anger and intensity in Batista's face was superb. They teased his turn during the match and it culminated after with Batista beating the hell out of Mysterio. The match itself was good but it was too short and just never really clicked. But if there's one thing to take out of this match other than Punk is likely going down the card, it's that Batista belongs in the WWE as a heel.
Winner: The Undertaker
Rating: **1/4

Match 4: Raw vs. SmackDown Bragging Rights - Team Raw (D-Generation X, The Big Show, Kofi Kingston, Mark Henry, Cody Rhodes, & Jack Swagger) vs. Team SmackDown (Chris Jericho, Kane, Matt Hardy, Finlay, R-Truth, & The Hart Dynasty)
This is the first Raw vs. SmackDown Bragging Rights match in history and it reminds me very much of the famous main event of the 2005 Survivor Series. The main difference being that this one lacks that special feel to it. The one in 2005 felt like a legit feud, this one feels rather forced. The audience doesn't really have any brand allegiance and could really care less who walked out the "more superior brand." This is the deciding factor of the night as both brands have a tied score. This isn't an elimination match so the first to score the pin or submission scores the win for their squad. This was a pretty brief match as it takes into account the main event after this. Everybody gets their shots in until The Big Show hits a Chokeslam on Kofi Kingston followed by taking out Triple H. Chris Jericho is left to pin Kingston to score the win for his team. A rather predictable finish but it made sense considering how Jericho is pretty much brainwashing The Big Show. Jericho hilariously celebrates with his team and the trophy after the match. If we could get a count on how many times Show has turned on people, that would be great.
Winners: Team SmackDown
Rating: ***

Match 5: WWE Championship - Anything Goes Iron Man - Randy Orton (c) vs. John Cena
Just in case you guys haven't gotten enough of these guys facing each other, you get these two one more time in an Iron Man match for the full hour. Not only does anything go for this match, but Cena must leave Raw if he loses. Never heard that one before. Since we've pretty much seen everything from these two guys, they needed to pull as many tricks out of the hat as they could. They definitely did that and they definitely made the hour go by quickly. Every pin made sense and every pin was different from the other. Randy Orton tapped early on as soon as John Cena applied his STF, it was brilliant. They did a double pin where Cena landed his Attitude Adjustment as Orton slickly turned it into an RKO. They also got Legacy involved before Kofi Kingston chased them off with a steel chair as Kingston had a previous encounter with Cody Rhodes in the night. Let's not forget the wacky part where Orton looked to take out Cena with the pyro. It felt really corny but it definitely made for a memorable scene. Also cool to see how Cena bled a good amount after Orton drilled Cena in the top of his head with a microphone. I had my doubts about this match but they quickly turned them away pretty fast. They told a really great story throughout and especially with the second half. As time winded down, Orton had the advantage on the scoreboard and looked to play defense in order to protect his lead. However, Cena was having none of it and looked to regain the lead with limited time in his hands. Finally, Cena tied things up with a huge Attitude Adjustment through the announcers table. Cena wasn't able to score a second pin and decides to set up a table in the middle of the ring. That plan backfires as Orton rolled out of danger as Cena drove himself through the table. After a couple referee bumps, Cena is able to lock in the STF once more to get Orton to submit right in the nick of time to win the match, the rivalry, and the WWE Championship. Fantastic match that completely exceeded my expectations. These two never really have the best matches ever so to sit down and see them go at it for a full hour raised many questions for me. However, kudos to both guys on their amazing performances and making that hour go by as fast as possible.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: ****1/4

Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
I loved the concept of the show but it was executed pretty poorly. Fans don't seem to care which brand is more superior than the other and in turn, it didn't make things exciting for me to watch. The matches were pretty dull aside from the main event which definitely exceeded all expectations. While John Cena & Randy Orton were the stars of the show, Batista's heel turn may be the reason why I'll remember this event. One of the most remarkable heel turns I have ever seen. If there's any reason to check this show out, it's because of that and the main event.
Rating: 6/10