WWE The Great American Bash 2008 Review

Match 1: WWE Tag Team Championships - John Morrison & The Miz (c) vs. Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder vs. Jesse & Festus vs. Finlay & Hornwoggle
Always a pleasure to hear Mick Foley on commentary with Jim Ross by his side for the SmackDown team. Fun opening match to get the flow of the show going as everybody got in a good amount of offense in which is tough in these types of tag matches. Good combination of action and straight silliness. Fun start to the show with Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder scoring their first tastes of gold. Foley & Ross are just as gold on the headsets.
Winners: Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder
Rating: **

Match 2: United States Championship - Matt Hardy (c) vs. Shelton Benjamin
Always forgot how over Matt Hardy was in 2007-2008. Hardy was drafted to ECW and brought along the United States Championship with him as Shelton Benjamin looked to bring it back to the blue brand. The crowd was pretty damn hot for this one as the dueling chants amongst the WWE crowd was very apparent. Great wrestling match that gradually picked up while keeping a smooth pace throughout. What's there to say here about these two? Good chemistry from two veterans of the game looking to steal the show. Benjamin is able to knee Hardy in the face as he attempted a Moonsault before Benjamin hit the Paydirt for the win as the crowd popped big. Great undercard match between two of the company's top underrated stars of 2008.
Winner: Shelton Benjamin
Rating: ***1/4

Match 3: ECW Championship - Mark Henry (c) vs. Tommy Dreamer
As Mark Henry made his way out to the ring, Tazz pointed out that we have a third title change in just as many matches to start off the night. Mike Adamle hilariously responded with, "Let's hope not." On that note, it's always cool to see Tommy Dreamer in some sort of PPV role. Same can be said for Henry, I always thought that he was one of WWE's best heels and his reign as ECW Champion showed that. A badass and dominant heel with zero remorse and zero care for the fans or his opponents. Henry dominates throughout with Dreamer finally scoring some offense in before his buddy in Colin Delaney turns heel and grabs Dreamer's arm as he came off the top rope which allowed Henry to score the finish. Henry laughs it off with the belt over his shoulder afterwards. Such a jerk heel, got to love it. While the match was pretty whatever, I liked the unexpected turn from Delaney.
Winner: Mark Henry
Rating: *1/4

Match 4: Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels
From the critically acclaimed feud in 2008, Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels at The Great American Bash turned things up a notch for both the show and their bitterness. I discussed earlier about the great chemistry in the Hardy vs. Benjmain match, but I don't think I could even compare that to this. The chemistry between Jericho and Michaels is just on another atmosphere. Starting the match off in an aggressive and smart manner. You felt the hatred between the two but they just built every next move like it would be the last. I don't remember a time when landing a suplex from the top rope could end a match, but these two sure as hell made it seem that way. While I'm normally not one who likes interferences in matches, the inclusion of Lance Cade just felt right. The slimy Jericho doing anything and everything in his power to get the advantage. Things took a huge turn when Jericho landed an elbow to the injured of eye of Michaels. Blood began pouring out of Michaels as Jericho's stunned look became a sign of things to come. The remainder of the match saw Jericho pound on the eye as the referee begged Michaels to give it up. Jericho was relentless as he systematically beat down Michaels until the referee couldn't take it and called for the bell. Jericho stood with Cade next to a bloody and battered Michaels afterwards. Unbelievable performance from all parties involved. The wrestlers, the referee and the commentators all did an incredible job. The feud was already on fire. This match just poured the kerosene and made things that much more interesting.
Winner: Chris Jericho
Rating: ***3/4

Match 5: Divas Championship - Michelle McCool vs. Natalya
This is the debut of the hideous Divas Championship as the SmackDown brand gets a new title for the ladies. A pretty dull Divas match here that saw Michelle McCool submit Natalya with a heel hook as they both screamed for about a full minute as the lock was applied. Yup.
Winner: Michelle McCool
Rating: 3/4*

Match 6: World Heavyweight Championship - CM Punk (c) vs. Batista (Taken from Batista - The Animal Unleashed DVD (Disc 2) Review)
CM Punk was booked like an absolute champ in 2008 as the champion for the red brand. Things didn't look too good for him as he had an animal in his way, Batista. If you haven't figured it out by now, Batista is almost booked as generously as John Cena. The commentators would not stop reminding us how Punk was the underdog of the match. The two worked a really good match around that story, Batista was fantastic in looking stronger while Punk was just as good in looking fast and cunning. Batista was understandably in control throughout the entire match but Punk wouldn't let up, putting his best efforts forward and made himself look like a legitimate contender. Credit to Batista for that, too. Batista hit a Spinebuster outside and once he rolled Punk back in the ring, Kane appeared out of nowhere and attacked both men which led to a disqualification. Punk raises his belt in front of Batista after Kane left and then handed out a Batista Bomb to Punk. I'm not sure what just happened. Is Batista a heel? Was Kane's interference absolute necessary? And why exactly did Punk raise the belt after a disqualification victory?
Winner: CM Punk
Rating: ***

Match 7: New York City Parking Lot Brawl - JBL vs. John Cena
Can you imagine the WWE doing something like this in 2016? If it did happen, it'd be a completely watered-down version. Everyone seems to have a very, very different opinion and I personally am on the minority side of things. They brought out all the stops and didn't hold back. It's like this PPV wanted to get every last bit of blood and violence in before transitioning over to PG. From fire to straight beating each other with cars and foreign objects, this was a brawl. Even though nearly all of the match was filmed in the back, it was still a joy to watch. They finally brought the fight in front of the audience where JBL tossed John Cena off the top of the stage and onto the windshield of the car they brought out. JBL covered Cena for the win as Cena has a nasty gash on the side of his arm. Cool finish to a really different type of match we're accustomed to seeing. Seems like whenever the WWE tries something different, they get hit hard for it. But whenever they do the same thing, they get hit hard again for it. You just can't please everyone. This was fun. However, I question why JBL got the victory.
Winner: JBL
Rating: ***1/4

Match 8: WWE Championship - Triple H (c) vs. Edge
Mick Foley noted on commentary that this would be the first singles encounter between the two for the prestigious WWE Championship. Interesting fact considering how many times they've crossed paths. Really loved the dynamic here, Edge was a crazed man looking to score his revenge on Triple H for ruining his wedding while looking to capture gold at the same time. Incredible how Edge can change from a cowardly heel into a ruthless one with one snap of the fingers. Foley also noted how Edge is doing all he can without the help of La Familia by his side. Great match that was a a pretty even bout between the two before Alicia Fox came in to make the save for Edge. However, Vickie Guerrero tries to stop her but earns a Spear from Edge for her troubles. The crowd's reaction along with Edge's stunned face was priceless, Triple H plants Edge with a Pedigree for the big win. As great as this match was, it felt strange watching this. It almost felt like Triple H was an afterthought within the whole situation between Edge and Guerrero. But it all made sense, Edge was ready to step foot into the Hell in a Cell with The Undertaker while Triple H was taking more steps into becoming SmackDown's biggest dog.
Winner: Triple H
Rating: ****1/4

Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
One of WWE's stronger PPV offerings from a strong PPV year in 2008. Definitely one that gets overlooked. A good range of violence and great wrestling. Despite a couple questionable finishes, the show delivered a better outing than what it said on paper. The main event remains one of my favorite 2008 matches and definitely one that unfortunately gets lost in translation. If you have the WWE Network, then you should definitely check out this great July PPV!
Rating: 8.25/10