Match 1: Ring of Fire - Bray Wyatt vs. Kane
This is the gimmick of all gimmick matches and it is a very interesting choice of opener for the night. This is Wyatt's debut in the ring and he has the mammoth of a task in facing Kane. Unlike an Inferno match, the rules of a Ring of Fire match require one to pin or submit their opponent for the victory. Action in the ring was as expected with the flames rising into the air when one would lad a big move upon each other. The Wyatt family on the side tried to interfere only to feel the wrath of the flames rise whenever they wanted to help Bray. Eventually, the used a blanket to block the flames and enter the ring to which Bray took advantage of and hit his finisher for his first victory. They then dismantle Kane after the match and take him to the back mysteriously. Decent match with the flames being the main attraction. Wyatt Family going to be big.
Winner: Bray Wyatt
Rating: *1/2
Match 2: Damien Sandow vs. Cody Rhodes
The implosion of Team Rhodes Scholars have finally come full circle with a match between the two here at Summerslam. Rhodes has finally shaved off his mustache and Sandow has a briefcase that resembles a chocolate bar. Good wrestling between the two but can't help but feel that through all the drama and hatred the two have had the past month, there really should have been more. The commentators added that the animosity has basically reached a boiling point but the match failed to live up to that. Rhodes hits a Cross Rhodes to pick up a much-needed win against his former partner. Interesting to see where they go from here.
Winner: Cody Rhodes
Rating: *3/4
Match 3: World Heavyweight Championship - Alberto Del Rio (c) vs. Christian
How cool is it to see Christian in a match for the World Heavyweight Championship! And it is against Alberto Del Rio! Is this 2011? These two straight up raised the bar for the night. Just a great physical match with the story being Christian trying to pull out one last big victory. And the two did a fantastic job of conveying this message, Christian seemingly pulled out all the stops and was definitely having the crowd in his hands. Del Rio was perfect in his role as well, looking like a vicious heel with a compilation of nasty kicks and giving off an animal-like vibe. The close counts and reversals really gave me the feeling like I was watching a classic wrestling match with none of the crap on the side. No gimmicks, no weapons, no interferences, just wrestling. And it was great. The ending came when Christian finally landed the Spear out of nowhere but was quickly caught up in Del Rio's signature submission. Christian submitted and that was it, Del Rio retained and put himself over the Los Angeles crowd.
Winner: Alberto Del Rio
Rating: ***3/4
Match 4: Brie Bella vs. Natalya
This is a battle between two sides from the Total Divas show as both competitors have support at ringside. The crowd absolute had no interest in this match as they were chanting for the commentators. It was funny but also stupid on their part, I understand that this is not the most appealing match in the world but they still put on a better Divas match than what we are accustomed to. Sometimes, you could really see the passion in Natalya's work so it felt awkward to hear the crowd chant these annoyances. Other than that, the match was basic but like I said, better than the normal as Natalya submits Bella through the Sharpshooter.
Winner: Natalya
Rating: *
Match 5: No Disqualification - Brock Lesnar vs. CM Punk
As physical as the World Heavyweight Championship match was, it is nothing in comparison to this one right here. I don't know where to start, the build, the vibe, and the video package all has me so hyped for this match. The no disqualification stipulation was added earlier and that just makes things so much more exciting. Lesnar is white hot. And so is Punk. This has all the makings to be a classic Summerslam match. Off the bat, Lesnar shows Punk who the true alpha male is and looks like a beast in the process. Punk must pull out everything he has to defy the odds and he does everything in his power to do so. Let's also not forget to mention that the crowd is white hot for this, too. From an amazing submission exchange, to Paul Heyman hollering like a dog, to the nasty chair shots, and the story being told, this match clicked on so many levels. Lesnar hits an F-5 to Punk on a steel chair to claim victory after Punk distracted himself from the match to focus on beating up Heyman. A spectacular match that makes Lesnar a bigger beast headed into WrestleMania season. Lesnar and Punk are both at the top of their games here and it was so cool to finally see these two put on a show on a grand PPV.
Winner: Brock Lesnar
Rating: ****1/2
Match 6: Dolph Ziggler & Kaitlyn vs. Big E Langston & AJ Lee
The animosity between Ziggler and AJ boils over here to Summerslam in an inter-gender match. Nothing too exciting to note here, crowd was understandably tired after the last match but the four competitors kept up the pace nicely. Fun action that didn't overstay its welcome which saw Ziggler hit his finisher on Langston to get his team the win. This nicely sets up the main event and allows the audience to cool off a bit from the last bout.
Winners: Dolph Ziggler & Kaitlyn
Rating: *1/2
Match 7: WWE Championship - John Cena (c) vs. Daniel Bryan
Who would have known just a few years ago that this would be the main event of Summerslam. Insane how the business works sometimes, but I guess that is the beauty of it. Once again, Triple H is the guest referee for a Summerslam main event and the crowd is hot for this one. Very reminiscent of WrestleMania 22 with the Chicago crowd booing Cena out of the building in the main event. The chants of Cena not being able to wrestle is so old, the dude has been doing this for more than a decade. I think he knows what he is doing. The better part of the opening of the match featured lots of wrestling and lots of reversals. Cena is easily holding his ground in the wrestling department against Bryan, the crowd can definitely stop the chants now. Very clean and paced enough for us to enjoy every move performed. Very similar to Cena's match against CM Punk at Money in the Bank 2011, the match now turns things up a notch. Let's also not forget that Cena is nursing his arm and does a fantastic job of selling the injury. Bryan lays lots of his focus on it and Cena uses his other arm for his moves. The small things like that go unnoticed and credit needs to be given to both for letting it be a nice focus on the match. The wrestling gets turned in for a harder and more physical match. Oddly enough, Bryan was in control for a noticeably better part of the match. Considering that Cena is the champ and is always billed as the best when it comes to the more physical style of wrestling. But on second thought, it does make a bit sense considering Bryan got a head start to the match with his superior wrestling skills. Still, it felt like Cena was wrestling as the underdog rather than Bryan. Bryan hit Cena with his running knee finisher and captured the WWE Championship. The journey culminated here and the crowd erupts. Michael Cole's call was just as great and the it was beautiful moment until...
Winner: Daniel Bryan
Rating: ****1/4
Match 8: WWE Championship - Daniel Bryan (c) vs. Randy Orton
...Randy Orton's music hits as Triple H lands a Pedigree on Bryan. Orton pins Bryan and takes Bryan's moment away. I loved it, this sets a path for Bryan to regain the championship and also makes both Triple H and Orton huge heels. With that being said, the match itself was great. But like I said, Bryan was in too much control of the match for me to give it a higher rating. The rematch down the line should definitely be much better. Triple H as the guest referee and someone cashing in their Money in the Bank contract at the end of the night. Is this Summerslam 2011 or 2013?
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: n/a
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Three really great matches that will easily standout when you give this one a view. From a historic standpoint, this Summerslam easily matches up there with some of the best. Punk vs. Lesnar delivered and so did the main event. Orton cashing in was a very cool surprise and only leads to interesting paths to WrestleMania XXX.
Rating: 7.75/10
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Friday, February 6, 2015
WWE Money in the Bank 2013 Review
Match 1: World Heavyweight Championship Contract Money in the Bank - Fandango vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Antonio Cesaro vs. Jack Swagger vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Damien Sandow vs. Wade Barrett
I say it every time, this match must be the toughest for the competitors. Coming up with new stuff for a Ladder match is always a challenge. I love the idea of this match, every person has never held the World Heavyweight Championship. Jack Swagger's 2010 reign doesn't count. Also, there are two tag teams which should make for interesting battles. The guys came out with new tricks from the bag, Ambrose standing atop a horizontal ladder being carried by The Real Americans was awesome, The Real Americans using each other instead of a ladder to climb for the briefcase, and Cody Rhodes came to steal the show. Rhodes cleaned house in the last few minutes of the match and the Philadelphia crowd exploded for him. He was about to reach the briefcase until Reigns & Rollins from The Shield came to Ambrose's side. However, The Usos joined and took out The Shield. Ambrose sneakingly climbs the ladder but Rhodes pushes him off onto all the guys at ringside. Rhodes climbs before his partner in Sandow pushes him off and grabs the briefcase. Seems like a missed opportunity to have Rhodes win but it gives Sandow an even bigger one in a way. Great opening match that already puts the show on notice.
Winner: Damien Sandow
Rating: ****
Match 2: Intercontinental Championship - Curtis Axel (c) vs. The Miz
After Curtis Axel captured the championship at the Payback PPV, he defends it here against The Miz. The Philadelphia crowd is more into Paul Heyman rather than the babyface in The Miz. Miz works hard and I can't help but give him credit, he was definitely into the action and he was working the crowd by trying to get them fired up. Miz even pulls an Eddie Guerrero as he slaps himself when the back of the referee was turned. Once the ref looked back, he kicked out Heyman to a chorus of boos from the crowd. Axel still manages to get the win over The Miz. Okay match that continues to elevate Axel.
Winner: Curtis Axel
Rating: *1/2
Match 3: Divas Championship - AJ Lee (c) vs. Kaitlyn
A rematch from the Payback PPV as AJ once again has Big E Langston in her corner. Just another decent Divas match where Kaitlyn injures her shoulder from hitting a Spear in which AJ Lee follows it up with a Black Widow for the win. Nothing really to say here, just about what you would expect.
Winner: AJ Lee
Rating: 1/2*
Match 4: Chris Jericho vs. Ryback
Ryback has completely lost his steam from the past year and maybe a match against Jericho could help him pick it up. Match was a bit slow for the most part but that seems to be the case with most Ryback matches. They often feel rehashed and this one wasn't really any different until the latter moments but it felt as if Jericho was leading the charge. Jericho landed a Codebreaker on Ryback who was leaned inward towards the ring on the second rope and Jericho reversed a Shellshock into a DDT which were both pretty cool. But Ryback needs to look like a beast and this match just didn't really do it, it felt even. As much as the commentators tried to build up Ryback, it's hard to believe that this guy is going to be in the main event anytime soon. Plus, he won by rolling up Jericho. This guy is supposed to be a beast yet he wins by rolling up Jericho and sliding out of the ring as if he was Edge.
Winner: Ryback
Rating: **1/2
Match 5: World Heavyweight Championship - Alberto Del Rio (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler
Crowd is absolutely hot for the challenger, Ziggler is making the most out of his recent turn. After their past encounters, they needed to do something a bit different here and separate their last matches from each other. Safe to say that this was my favorite match between the two, beautifully working the crowd and never a dull moment. Del Rio wrestles much better as a heel and the same can be said for Ziggler who I feel wrestles better as a face. The way they interact with the crowd is so great and every single pin felt meaningful. They recalled to their last match where Del Rio landed a sharp kick to Ziggler's head but this time around, Ziggler kicks out! Del Rio exposes his knee brace but AJ Lee interferes and nails Del Rio with her Divas Championship. Ziggler was one second away from hitting his finisher. The referee calls for the bell as Del Rio wins via disqualification. Interesting ending but it makes sense, Ziggler is too hot right now to eat a pin and this gave them the perfect out. Also makes Del Rio look like a bigger heel as he once again weasels himself another win.
Winner: Alberto Del Rio
Rating: ***3/4
Match 6: WWE Championship - John Cena (c) vs. Mark Henry
After Mark Henry faked his retirement in an amazing promo on Monday Night Raw, he now challenges John Cena for his first WWE Championship. For those who follow my reviews, you know that I'm a big fan of Henry and he showed why tonight. He's such a vicious heel and he picked apart Cena here. Henry was in control of the match for the most part which is now surprise, but it worked. Henry is built as a destroyer while Cena is still being built as the underdog. Crowd was much into the action which saw Henry kick out of an Attitude Adjustment and Cena kick out of a World's Strongest Slam. The finishing sequence saw Henry rip off both turnbuckle coverings to get a cheap advantage but it ended up backfiring. Cena was able to put Henry in the STF to win the contest and retain. Good WWE Championship match and loved seeing Henry being placed in this position.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: ***
Match 7: WWE Championship Contract Money in the Bank - Rob Van Dam vs. Randy Orton vs. Sheamus vs. CM Punk vs. Christian vs. Daniel Bryan
This is Rob Van Dam's first WWE appearance since 2009 and the Philly crowd is in love with him! It should also be noted that Kane was scheduled to be apart of the match until The Wyatt Family took care of him. The match starts off with all the competitors staring each other down before ganging up on RVD. They then take out Sheamus before it's just Bryan and Punk left alone. Fun way to start the match with two of arguably the best wrestlers in the game. Trying to differentiate between Ladder matches is hard, especially when there is two in one night. But this one had just as many cool spots as the first one. Bryan ripping everybody apart before driving Sheamus through a ladder that was placed outside was awesome, Paul Heyman rushing out to turn on CM Punk when he was so close to winning came out of nowhere, and Orton's RKO on RVD off a ladder before grabbing the briefcase was the perfect ending. Lots of questions heading out as things head into Summerslam with Heyman's turn and Orton's win. Satisfying end to a pretty damn good PPV offering from the WWE.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ****
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
The two Ladder matches delivered and the two championship matches did, as well. It's really hard to ask for much more as this PPV acts as a nice bridge for the road to Summerslam. One of WWE's best PPV offerings of the year!
Rating: 8/10
I say it every time, this match must be the toughest for the competitors. Coming up with new stuff for a Ladder match is always a challenge. I love the idea of this match, every person has never held the World Heavyweight Championship. Jack Swagger's 2010 reign doesn't count. Also, there are two tag teams which should make for interesting battles. The guys came out with new tricks from the bag, Ambrose standing atop a horizontal ladder being carried by The Real Americans was awesome, The Real Americans using each other instead of a ladder to climb for the briefcase, and Cody Rhodes came to steal the show. Rhodes cleaned house in the last few minutes of the match and the Philadelphia crowd exploded for him. He was about to reach the briefcase until Reigns & Rollins from The Shield came to Ambrose's side. However, The Usos joined and took out The Shield. Ambrose sneakingly climbs the ladder but Rhodes pushes him off onto all the guys at ringside. Rhodes climbs before his partner in Sandow pushes him off and grabs the briefcase. Seems like a missed opportunity to have Rhodes win but it gives Sandow an even bigger one in a way. Great opening match that already puts the show on notice.
Winner: Damien Sandow
Rating: ****
Match 2: Intercontinental Championship - Curtis Axel (c) vs. The Miz
After Curtis Axel captured the championship at the Payback PPV, he defends it here against The Miz. The Philadelphia crowd is more into Paul Heyman rather than the babyface in The Miz. Miz works hard and I can't help but give him credit, he was definitely into the action and he was working the crowd by trying to get them fired up. Miz even pulls an Eddie Guerrero as he slaps himself when the back of the referee was turned. Once the ref looked back, he kicked out Heyman to a chorus of boos from the crowd. Axel still manages to get the win over The Miz. Okay match that continues to elevate Axel.
Winner: Curtis Axel
Rating: *1/2
Match 3: Divas Championship - AJ Lee (c) vs. Kaitlyn
A rematch from the Payback PPV as AJ once again has Big E Langston in her corner. Just another decent Divas match where Kaitlyn injures her shoulder from hitting a Spear in which AJ Lee follows it up with a Black Widow for the win. Nothing really to say here, just about what you would expect.
Winner: AJ Lee
Rating: 1/2*
Match 4: Chris Jericho vs. Ryback
Ryback has completely lost his steam from the past year and maybe a match against Jericho could help him pick it up. Match was a bit slow for the most part but that seems to be the case with most Ryback matches. They often feel rehashed and this one wasn't really any different until the latter moments but it felt as if Jericho was leading the charge. Jericho landed a Codebreaker on Ryback who was leaned inward towards the ring on the second rope and Jericho reversed a Shellshock into a DDT which were both pretty cool. But Ryback needs to look like a beast and this match just didn't really do it, it felt even. As much as the commentators tried to build up Ryback, it's hard to believe that this guy is going to be in the main event anytime soon. Plus, he won by rolling up Jericho. This guy is supposed to be a beast yet he wins by rolling up Jericho and sliding out of the ring as if he was Edge.
Winner: Ryback
Rating: **1/2
Match 5: World Heavyweight Championship - Alberto Del Rio (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler
Crowd is absolutely hot for the challenger, Ziggler is making the most out of his recent turn. After their past encounters, they needed to do something a bit different here and separate their last matches from each other. Safe to say that this was my favorite match between the two, beautifully working the crowd and never a dull moment. Del Rio wrestles much better as a heel and the same can be said for Ziggler who I feel wrestles better as a face. The way they interact with the crowd is so great and every single pin felt meaningful. They recalled to their last match where Del Rio landed a sharp kick to Ziggler's head but this time around, Ziggler kicks out! Del Rio exposes his knee brace but AJ Lee interferes and nails Del Rio with her Divas Championship. Ziggler was one second away from hitting his finisher. The referee calls for the bell as Del Rio wins via disqualification. Interesting ending but it makes sense, Ziggler is too hot right now to eat a pin and this gave them the perfect out. Also makes Del Rio look like a bigger heel as he once again weasels himself another win.
Winner: Alberto Del Rio
Rating: ***3/4
Match 6: WWE Championship - John Cena (c) vs. Mark Henry
After Mark Henry faked his retirement in an amazing promo on Monday Night Raw, he now challenges John Cena for his first WWE Championship. For those who follow my reviews, you know that I'm a big fan of Henry and he showed why tonight. He's such a vicious heel and he picked apart Cena here. Henry was in control of the match for the most part which is now surprise, but it worked. Henry is built as a destroyer while Cena is still being built as the underdog. Crowd was much into the action which saw Henry kick out of an Attitude Adjustment and Cena kick out of a World's Strongest Slam. The finishing sequence saw Henry rip off both turnbuckle coverings to get a cheap advantage but it ended up backfiring. Cena was able to put Henry in the STF to win the contest and retain. Good WWE Championship match and loved seeing Henry being placed in this position.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: ***
Match 7: WWE Championship Contract Money in the Bank - Rob Van Dam vs. Randy Orton vs. Sheamus vs. CM Punk vs. Christian vs. Daniel Bryan
This is Rob Van Dam's first WWE appearance since 2009 and the Philly crowd is in love with him! It should also be noted that Kane was scheduled to be apart of the match until The Wyatt Family took care of him. The match starts off with all the competitors staring each other down before ganging up on RVD. They then take out Sheamus before it's just Bryan and Punk left alone. Fun way to start the match with two of arguably the best wrestlers in the game. Trying to differentiate between Ladder matches is hard, especially when there is two in one night. But this one had just as many cool spots as the first one. Bryan ripping everybody apart before driving Sheamus through a ladder that was placed outside was awesome, Paul Heyman rushing out to turn on CM Punk when he was so close to winning came out of nowhere, and Orton's RKO on RVD off a ladder before grabbing the briefcase was the perfect ending. Lots of questions heading out as things head into Summerslam with Heyman's turn and Orton's win. Satisfying end to a pretty damn good PPV offering from the WWE.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ****
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
The two Ladder matches delivered and the two championship matches did, as well. It's really hard to ask for much more as this PPV acts as a nice bridge for the road to Summerslam. One of WWE's best PPV offerings of the year!
Rating: 8/10
Sunday, February 1, 2015
WWE Payback 2013 Review
Match 1: Intercontinental Championship - Wade Barrett (c) vs. The Miz vs. Curtis Axel
This is the inaugural edition of Payback and Barrett has his hands full in a triple threat match for his Intercontinental Championship. The Chicago crowd is hot and split between all three men. Miz doesn't get enough credit, he's improved so much in the ring over the years and he looked awesome here. Pun intended. His face turn has seemingly given him new life to his stale character. Great opening match with lots of ups and downs with a cool ending. Miz locked Barrett in the Figure Four as Axel sneaks in like a snake and pins Barrett for the win. Crowd popped pretty big for Axel and this win can do wonders for him. Axel hugs Paul Heyman and celebrates with the title as he looks to the sky.
Winner: Curtis Axel
Rating: ***1/4
Match 2: Divas Championship - Kaitlyn (c) vs. AJ Lee
After Big E Langston surprise Kaitlyn as her secret admirer and came to AJ Lee's side, we have this match. The two are probably the best in-ring Divas which probably explains why they were given a decent amount of time. Good action for a Divas match that saw Kaitlyn hit a Spear and nearly retain before AJ kicked out and put her in a Black Widow for the submission win. AJ celebrates as the crowd pops for her and give heat towards a distraught Kaitlyn. One of the better Divas matches that you will see, nothing great but much better than what we have become accustomed to seeing.
Winner: AJ Lee
Rating: *1/2
Match 3: United States Championship - Dean Ambrose (c) vs. Kane
This is the third straight championship match and it sees Ambrose defending the gold against the veteran Kane. Basic Kane match with Ambrose hanging around and trying to do everything to take down the big man. Ambrose even tried hitting an Old School on Kane but to no avail. They took things outside where Ambrose landed a DDT and scored a a countout victory. Nice little win here for Ambrose as he is the first champion of the night to successfully retain. Nothing too special here.
Winner: Dean Ambrose
Rating: **
Match 4: World Heavyweight Championship - Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. Alberto Del Rio
It's easy to forget that coming into this match, Del Rio is not the heel, Ziggler is. This is Ziggler's first match in weeks after he suffered a concussion. The Chicago crowd is hot for Ziggler, who is still the heel. That is, of course, until he begins to show signs of the concussion he suffered. Del Rio uses this as his target and begins to show no mercy and the switch is finally taking place. Del Rio is now a full-fledged heel and Ziggler has become the face. I'm loving it and the commentators are hyping it up. Ziggler is great in his role here in selling the injury, whether he botched a signature move on purpose or not is irrelevant. It fit the spot and the crowd was popping for everything. Again, Del Rio continued to show no mercy and was relentless, he is a heel at heart. Ziggler kept kicking out of everything Del Rio gave him until the final couple minutes where it was too much. Ziggler was outside the ring as the trainers began looking over him which led Del Rio to dive out of the ring and landed a kick right to the back of his head. Ricardo Rodriguez screams that Ziggler is fine as Del Rio rolls him back into the ring, lands another kick, and wins the match. Great double turn here and a nice little match considering Ziggler was limited in his role. Del Rio should always be a heel, period. This is the third title switch of the night.
Winner: Alberto Del Rio
Rating: ***
Match 5: Chris Jericho vs. CM Punk
This is Punk's first match since WrestleMania and his hometown of Chicago gives him a very welcoming reaction. These two have been wrestling against each other for years and even had a match at WrestleMania. Much like the last match, it's easy to forget that Punk is the heel here. They did a great job of milking a hot crowd and the match flowed nicely throughout. Starting off with basic wrestling before turning things up a notch and still keeping the crowd on their toes. The interesting part of the match was when Punk had Jericho set for a GTS until Heyman came up on the steps and inadvertently distracted Punk. Jericho nearly capitalized on the situation and almost scored a win. Planting seeds for an inevitable turn on Punk begins here. Lots of ups and downs here that saw Jericho kick out of a GTS and Punk kick out of a Codebreaker. Punk eventually landed two GTSs to score the win in a very fun match. It's easy to say that these two will always have a great match against each other and this one was no different.
Winner: CM Punk
Rating: ***3/4
Match 6: WWE World Tag Team Championships - The Shield (c) vs. Daniel Bryan & Randy Orton
Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins are representing The Shield here as they defend the gold. Crowd is chanting big for Daniel Bryan and they eat it up every time he steps foot in the ring. Shield aren't veterans in the WWE but they can definitely hang in there with the best, this was no different. Great wrestling from start to finish that was a tad bit slow in the first half but nothing that got the crowd out of it. Miscommunication set in for Bryan & Orton when Bryan accidentally flew outside the ring into Orton. More miscommunication came about during the finishing sequence as Reigns landed a Spear on Bryan who Orton basically tossed into. Orton hit an RKO on Reigns as Rollins hit Orton to the outside where Rollins hit his finisher on Bryan for the win. Fun match that foreshadows a possible feud for Orton against Bryan as well as a heel turn.
Winners: The Shield
Rating: ***1/4
Match 7: WWE Championship - 3 Stages of Hell - John Cena (c) vs. Ryback
The first stage of the match is a Lumberjack match. Not normally my favorite match but it makes sense for the first stage. Chicago isn't very friendly towards Cena and they aren't too keen on Ryback. Even still, the chemistry here wasn't bad and they managed to use the gimmick to its potential. One of the cool spots included Cena jumping out of the ring onto all the lumberjacks. Ryback scores the pin and wins the first stage of the match. Surprising to see Ryback score the pin here, shows how much management believes in this guy. The second stage is now a Tables match. All Ryback needs to do is put Cena through a table and he will be crowned the new champion. Ryback controls basically all of the stage but isn't able to score the win as Cena lands a quick Attitude Adjustment to tie up the match. The last and deciding stage is an Ambulance match. Ryback puts Cena through the announce table before the match begins and carries Cena to the ambulance once the match begins. This is where the goofiness happens as they tear apart the ambulance and beat the crap out of each other. They eventually get on top of the ambulance where Cena lands an Attitude Adjustment on Ryback through the roof and to pick up the win. Another smoke and mirrors match to hide Ryback's limited abilities but I kind of enjoyed it. A match like this every now and then doesn't hurt.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: **3/4
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Decent debut for the Payback PPV that featured a strong crowd in Chicago. None of the matches were insulting but none of the matches were too notable. Punk's return will overall be the reason we look back at this show and for good reason, he was the show.
Rating: 6.75/10
This is the inaugural edition of Payback and Barrett has his hands full in a triple threat match for his Intercontinental Championship. The Chicago crowd is hot and split between all three men. Miz doesn't get enough credit, he's improved so much in the ring over the years and he looked awesome here. Pun intended. His face turn has seemingly given him new life to his stale character. Great opening match with lots of ups and downs with a cool ending. Miz locked Barrett in the Figure Four as Axel sneaks in like a snake and pins Barrett for the win. Crowd popped pretty big for Axel and this win can do wonders for him. Axel hugs Paul Heyman and celebrates with the title as he looks to the sky.
Winner: Curtis Axel
Rating: ***1/4
Match 2: Divas Championship - Kaitlyn (c) vs. AJ Lee
After Big E Langston surprise Kaitlyn as her secret admirer and came to AJ Lee's side, we have this match. The two are probably the best in-ring Divas which probably explains why they were given a decent amount of time. Good action for a Divas match that saw Kaitlyn hit a Spear and nearly retain before AJ kicked out and put her in a Black Widow for the submission win. AJ celebrates as the crowd pops for her and give heat towards a distraught Kaitlyn. One of the better Divas matches that you will see, nothing great but much better than what we have become accustomed to seeing.
Winner: AJ Lee
Rating: *1/2
Match 3: United States Championship - Dean Ambrose (c) vs. Kane
This is the third straight championship match and it sees Ambrose defending the gold against the veteran Kane. Basic Kane match with Ambrose hanging around and trying to do everything to take down the big man. Ambrose even tried hitting an Old School on Kane but to no avail. They took things outside where Ambrose landed a DDT and scored a a countout victory. Nice little win here for Ambrose as he is the first champion of the night to successfully retain. Nothing too special here.
Winner: Dean Ambrose
Rating: **
Match 4: World Heavyweight Championship - Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. Alberto Del Rio
It's easy to forget that coming into this match, Del Rio is not the heel, Ziggler is. This is Ziggler's first match in weeks after he suffered a concussion. The Chicago crowd is hot for Ziggler, who is still the heel. That is, of course, until he begins to show signs of the concussion he suffered. Del Rio uses this as his target and begins to show no mercy and the switch is finally taking place. Del Rio is now a full-fledged heel and Ziggler has become the face. I'm loving it and the commentators are hyping it up. Ziggler is great in his role here in selling the injury, whether he botched a signature move on purpose or not is irrelevant. It fit the spot and the crowd was popping for everything. Again, Del Rio continued to show no mercy and was relentless, he is a heel at heart. Ziggler kept kicking out of everything Del Rio gave him until the final couple minutes where it was too much. Ziggler was outside the ring as the trainers began looking over him which led Del Rio to dive out of the ring and landed a kick right to the back of his head. Ricardo Rodriguez screams that Ziggler is fine as Del Rio rolls him back into the ring, lands another kick, and wins the match. Great double turn here and a nice little match considering Ziggler was limited in his role. Del Rio should always be a heel, period. This is the third title switch of the night.
Winner: Alberto Del Rio
Rating: ***
Match 5: Chris Jericho vs. CM Punk
This is Punk's first match since WrestleMania and his hometown of Chicago gives him a very welcoming reaction. These two have been wrestling against each other for years and even had a match at WrestleMania. Much like the last match, it's easy to forget that Punk is the heel here. They did a great job of milking a hot crowd and the match flowed nicely throughout. Starting off with basic wrestling before turning things up a notch and still keeping the crowd on their toes. The interesting part of the match was when Punk had Jericho set for a GTS until Heyman came up on the steps and inadvertently distracted Punk. Jericho nearly capitalized on the situation and almost scored a win. Planting seeds for an inevitable turn on Punk begins here. Lots of ups and downs here that saw Jericho kick out of a GTS and Punk kick out of a Codebreaker. Punk eventually landed two GTSs to score the win in a very fun match. It's easy to say that these two will always have a great match against each other and this one was no different.
Winner: CM Punk
Rating: ***3/4
Match 6: WWE World Tag Team Championships - The Shield (c) vs. Daniel Bryan & Randy Orton
Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins are representing The Shield here as they defend the gold. Crowd is chanting big for Daniel Bryan and they eat it up every time he steps foot in the ring. Shield aren't veterans in the WWE but they can definitely hang in there with the best, this was no different. Great wrestling from start to finish that was a tad bit slow in the first half but nothing that got the crowd out of it. Miscommunication set in for Bryan & Orton when Bryan accidentally flew outside the ring into Orton. More miscommunication came about during the finishing sequence as Reigns landed a Spear on Bryan who Orton basically tossed into. Orton hit an RKO on Reigns as Rollins hit Orton to the outside where Rollins hit his finisher on Bryan for the win. Fun match that foreshadows a possible feud for Orton against Bryan as well as a heel turn.
Winners: The Shield
Rating: ***1/4
Match 7: WWE Championship - 3 Stages of Hell - John Cena (c) vs. Ryback
The first stage of the match is a Lumberjack match. Not normally my favorite match but it makes sense for the first stage. Chicago isn't very friendly towards Cena and they aren't too keen on Ryback. Even still, the chemistry here wasn't bad and they managed to use the gimmick to its potential. One of the cool spots included Cena jumping out of the ring onto all the lumberjacks. Ryback scores the pin and wins the first stage of the match. Surprising to see Ryback score the pin here, shows how much management believes in this guy. The second stage is now a Tables match. All Ryback needs to do is put Cena through a table and he will be crowned the new champion. Ryback controls basically all of the stage but isn't able to score the win as Cena lands a quick Attitude Adjustment to tie up the match. The last and deciding stage is an Ambulance match. Ryback puts Cena through the announce table before the match begins and carries Cena to the ambulance once the match begins. This is where the goofiness happens as they tear apart the ambulance and beat the crap out of each other. They eventually get on top of the ambulance where Cena lands an Attitude Adjustment on Ryback through the roof and to pick up the win. Another smoke and mirrors match to hide Ryback's limited abilities but I kind of enjoyed it. A match like this every now and then doesn't hurt.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: **3/4
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Decent debut for the Payback PPV that featured a strong crowd in Chicago. None of the matches were insulting but none of the matches were too notable. Punk's return will overall be the reason we look back at this show and for good reason, he was the show.
Rating: 6.75/10
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