Match 1: Finlay vs. Kane
An odd match to open a Summerslam, kind of shows how much lack of depth and how many missing holes there were on the roster at the time. JBL, per usual, does a fantastic job of hyping up both the competitors in the ring and the match itself. He lets us know early on that this isn't going to be pretty and that Kane's heavily taped ribs are a target of attack for Finlay. They aren't going to wow you with dives and flips, but they will definitely wow you with their ring psychology. Finlay knows Kane is a bigger man and uses anything and everything to stop him. His focus on Kane's ribs was great. Kane wanted to hit his Chokeslam but was unable to lift Finlay due to his ribs. Genius. And Hornswoggle's interference only added some fun to the match as Kane bullied him around before finally hitting a Chokeslam on Finlay for the win.
Winner: Kane
Rating: **3/4
Match 2: Intercontinental Championship - Umaga (c) vs. Carlito vs. Mr. Kennedy
This looks like it's going to be tons of fun. I always have nothing but great memories of watching Umaga, so fast and so deceivingly athletic for a man of his stature. Here, he was reckless and resembled everything a bulldozer should resemble. His presence was almost overwhelming. Simply put, I loved watching Umaga. Carlito and Mr. Kennedy had a plan to take out Umaga first and see who the better man was after that. It didn't last long as Carlito tried to pull a fast one on Kennedy and hilariously convinced Kennedy once more after that their attention should still be placed on Umaga. They did a great job of trying to limit Umaga throughout the match and Umaga was fantastic in his role here. He controlled the match, even when it looked like he was in trouble, you still felt like he was in control. Kennedy took out Carlito before Umaga swooped up Kennedy and hit his Samoan Spike for the win. Great second match of the night but just had to ask, who is the babyface here?
Winner: Umaga
Rating: ***1/4
Match 3: Chavo Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio
Hard to believe that this is Rey Mysterio's first match in nearly a year. It's also hard to believe that these two are having a rematch from last year's event. Chavo Guerrero injured Mysterio's knee on an edition of SmackDown in late 2006 which forced him to remain out of action until here. Guerrero smartly focuses on Mysterio's knee and while the two have good chemistry with each other, this is Mysterio's first match in a long time and just never felt like he was rolling on all cylinders. Guerrero looked locked in and Mysterio seemingly couldn't get ahead of the traffic. However, Mysterio's second attempt of the 619 was perfect and allowed him to secure the big win. Short match but it's almost impossible to complain considering Mysterio hadn't worked in so long. I prefer their other bouts over this one but I'm sure there was plenty more to come after this one. "He's painted in silver, but he looks gold to me." - JBL
Winner: Rey Mysterio
Rating: **1/2
Match 4: Divas Battle Royal
The Women's Champion in Candice Michelle comes out to scout the competition as the winner of the battle royal would become her new challenger, at least that's what I think. Just a match to get all the Divas on the card as they shout and scream at each other before Beth Phoenix tosses Michelle McCool out of the ring to win. Crowd could not have cared less despite giving Mickie James a mini pop. Phoenix then stares down Michelle before MVP came out to challenge Matt Hardy in a beer drinking contest, making this match completely forgotten already.
Winner: Beth Phoenix
Rating: 3/4*
Match 5: ECW Championship - John Morrison (c) vs. CM Punk
As hard as it was to believe that Chavo Guerrero and Rey Mysterio were wrestling against each other on a second straight Summerslam card, John Morrison and CM Punk are having their third straight PPV match for the ECW Championship. And all of them have been carbon copies of each other, none with any added stipulations for whatever reason. Since this was their third encounter, the action was a little more sped up and they spent less time on rest holds with more emphasis on landing moves on each other. Even still, it felt like watching their last two matches over again and you never really got the feeling that a championship was on the line here. To make matters worse, they weren't given much time to play with and it just felt like they were cramming as much as they could. Plus, the finish didn't help. Morrison was able to hang on to the top rope when Punk looked to hit a hurricanrana which resulted in Morrison being able to barely place his feet on the ropes for a leverage pin to score the victory.
Winner: John Morrison
Rating: **1/2
Match 6: King Booker vs. Triple H
The Game finally returns to the squared circle as he takes on King Booker in his return match. Like Rey Mysterio's return, the WWE held off Triple H's return until Summerslam. That meant, no appearances on Raw or anything, it was strictly Booker's responsibility to build the match on his own and let Triple H's credibility boost interest in his return. We get a cool little intro video on Triple H before he makes his highly anticipated return as his classic Motorhead music booms throughout the arena. You can say this was a glorified squash match because never once did you ever feel like Booker was going to sneak out the win. Queen Sharmell did her best to aid Booker but Triple H was in control for the better part of the match. He hit all his patented moves to Booker before hitting a Pedigree to secure the win in his return. Good match for what it was, didn't expect them to put on a clinic since this was Triple H's first match since the beginning of the year. Only a shame they didn't prolong this feud for a couple more PPVs.
Winner: Triple H
Rating: **1/2
Match 7: World Heavyweight Championship - The Great Khali (c) vs. Batista
The Great Khali's infamous title reign in the summer of 2007 continued as it hit its peak here at Summerslam against Batista. Poor Batista did his absolute best to carry Khali to a bearable match but to no avail. Khali dominated throughout the match with his boring submission holds as the crowd restlessly poured on the boos. Batista still managed to squeak in a bit of offense but Ranjin Singh decided to hand Khali a chair for whatever reason. Khali whacked Batista with it which led to the referee calling for the bell. Batista then chopped down the tree in Khali afterwards with the chair. I hate disqualification finishes on PPVs, especially at Summerslam. Batista would go on to win the title at the next PPV. Why couldn't he had just won it here? Poor booking from all perspectives on this one.
Winner: Batista
Rating: 3/4*
Match 8: WWE Championship - John Cena (c) vs. Randy Orton
This was the first big clash between these two as the hate for John Cena was still in its prime here in 2007. Randy Orton was absolutely loved by the internet fans who were definitely out and about for this match. For all the flack Cena got this year, he really was at the top of his game. He made took the Superman gimmick to a whole different level. The build for this match was remarkable, both for Cena and Orton. Orton came off as a terrifying heel and probably the biggest threat to Cena's belt. Cena, on the other hand, looked completely vulnerable and the idea of him losing to the slithering Orton wasn't very hard to believe. I can easily remember how hyped the internet was for Orton challenging Cena for the strap. The fans were ready to see Cena's long reign come to an end at the biggest show of the summer. I forgot how much of this match was dominated by Orton. I get that most Cena matches were like this back in the day but this was very evident. At the same time, it made sense. Orton got the better of Cena throughout the build for this match and him getting the better of Cena throughout the match only made sense. Any chance Cena had to score offense was put down by Orton and relentless pursuit to beat Cena. Crowd was really hot for this one as they cheered heavily for any type of Orton offense or any time Orton would counter anything Cena would try to hit. They popped big for the RKO which Cena kicked out of before later quickly hitting an FU to win and close out the show. There's two ways to look at this match. One, it was 20 minutes of Orton beating down Cena before Cena scored the win with an FU. Or two, the match followed suit to the build of the match and all made sense with Cena barely squeaking out the win with a very fast FU. Personally, I liked it. It wasn't the best match in the world but I enjoyed the atmosphere, I enjoyed the finish and I enjoyed Jim Ross on the headsets. A great match with a clean finish to close out the night. Something that is seemingly a rarity these days.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: ***
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Despite a fairly strong main event, this event that relied big on the returns of Rey Mysterio and Triple H fell flat on its face. The match quality was poor and there was too much focus on the things happening outside the ring as compared to the action happening in it. One of WWE's worst PPVs in 2007 and one of WWE's worst Summerslam offerings.
Rating: 5.25/10
Friday, August 12, 2016
Sunday, August 7, 2016
Randy Orton - The Evolution of a Predator DVD (Disc 3) Review
Match 1: Vengeance 2006 - Randy Orton vs. Kurt Angle
Looking to avenge his loss to Kurt Angle at ECW One Night Stand, Raw's newest superstar acquisition in Randy Orton was in perfect position to do so here. Angle was pretty much in his prime here and was just an animal. You really had to admire his passion and intensity in his matches. That statement rang to be true as Angle brought the intensity once more to Orton. Angle was the aggressive one as Orton played his role as a heel brilliantly. Doing his best to escape from any type of Angle's offenses and finally resorting to exposing a turnbuckle. Orton is able to counter an Ankle Lock by driving Angle into the exposed turnbuckle before hitting a sweet RKO for the finish. Great opening match for the show that allows Orton to even the score against Angle. Angle's loss didn't really hurt him when taking into consideration the turnbuckle. Shame they never made a rubber match between the two.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ***1/4
Match 2: Summerslam 2006 - Randy Orton vs. Hulk Hogan (Taken from WWE Summerslam 2006 Review)
This feels like last year all over again with Hulk Hogan being prominently featured on another Summerslam show. This time, it's against the young, brash Randy Orton. And this time, Hogan puts his opponent over. One of those things I just typed is true and it's not the latter. Crowd is hot for both guys and it's pretty split as tons of boos and cheers are ringing down for both guys. The match was pretty much what you would expect. There really isn't much to be said. It didn't really carry the same vibe or flow like his match last year against Shawn Michaels but Orton held his own and carried Hogan to a damn good match. Orton looked to score the win at one point by hitting his RKO until the referee discovered Hogan's foot was on the bottom rope. Hogan then Hulks up, points, kicks, and drops for the win. Having Orton go up against the biggest legend of all time makes sense, but he's definitely in a tight spot. There's no reason at all for Hogan to be going over guys like Shawn Michaels or Randy Orton. They actively compete on the roster while Hogan does not at all. A loss against either does not hurt Hogan's reputation whatsoever, but a loss for Michaels or Orton baffles the audience. Why are these guys losing to an old man? How am I supposed to believe these guys are legitimate main eventers? Sure, the argument can be made that Orton even being in the same match as Hogan is cool but to me, what really did any of this accomplish? Where does Orton even go from here? Plus, they didn't even let Orton drop Hogan after the match!
Winner: Hulk Hogan
Rating: **3/4
Match 3: The Great American Bash 2007 - Texas Bull Rope - Randy Orton vs. Dusty Rhodes (Taken from WWE The Great American Bash 2007 Review)
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 4: WrestleMania XXIV - WWE Championship - Randy Orton (c) vs. John Cena vs. Triple H
Some fantastic entrances for these guys as it is time for Raw's WrestleMania main event. Funny to see how white John Cena is compared to the tanned bodies of Randy Orton and Triple H. I remember the hype being pretty high for this match and it falling flat on its face. While I won't go as far as saying it fell flat on its face, it definitely didn't live up to its expectations. Everything just felt so rushed and I wasn't able to feel the tension between the three guys that was built so well before this. However, that's not to say I didn't enjoy the match. I could almost compare this match to the triple threat match at WrestleMania 22 for the World Heavyweight Championship. There was never really a dull moment but I never really got the chance to stop and digest everything. A rather forgettable match with a couple cool spots like Orton delivering a DDT simultaneously to Cena and Triple H off the middle rope or Cena hoisting both Orton and Triple H on his back for the FU. The finish saw Orton punt Triple H in the skull and cover Cena for the win as he escapes with the WWE Championship. Although Cena had a lot of steam coming from his return at the Royal Rumble, Orton was ultimately the right choice here. He was for sure the wild card of everything and got his big WrestleMania win.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ***1/4
Match 5: Breaking Point 2009 - WWE Championship - I Quit - Randy Orton (c) vs. John Cena
The last time I scored this match was when it happened about seven years ago. I was a junior in high school so I'm going to see how my **** score holds up in 2016 as a college student. This match was in 2009 and at the peak of the Randy Orton vs. John Cena feud as the very tanned Orton would be automatically disqualified if anybody were to interfere into the match on his behalf. I'm not sure what I saw in this match back in the day but this was easily one of the most dragged out I Quit matches I have ever seen. Maybe that's me taking into consideration how many times I've seen these guys wrestle against each other or maybe I just had completely different outlooks on this match from now and then. Orton was in control for so much of the match that it got me sucked out of the match. He tied up Cena with the handcuffs and never let up after that. They spent the huge chunk of the match just having Orton toy with Cena before Cena was able to escape and hit an STF to have Orton quit. I love John Cena, he is probably one of my favorites of all time. I mean that. But this was the type of match that made people really dislike him. He got dominated throughout the entire match before finally reversing the tide and earning another win and another championship. It's always a trip to relive old matches and read my reviews of them from back in the day.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: **
Original Rating: ****
Match 6: Hell in a Cell 2010 - WWE Championship - Hell in a Cell - Randy Orton (c) vs. Sheamus
I question why this match had to be inside a Hell in a Cell. I hate having matches inside the friendly confines without having blood feuds. The match itself was fine and I was able to feel the tension between the two despite my strong thoughts of having it inside Hell in a Cell. The flow and pacing of the match was fine but again, the lack of focus on the actual cage itself was a distraction. They brought out the steel steps and made it a focal point of the match where Randy Orton was able to hit an RKO to Sheamus atop the steps for the victory. Good match as their styles blended nicely here as they would go on to have several more matches down the line and many more in 2016. Would have been the exact same match if the cage wasn't taken into play. I liked the match and I liked the build to the RKO at the end but this is Hell in a Cell, this should have been so much more.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ***1/4
Match 7: WrestleMania XXVII - CM Punk vs. Randy Orton
Another match that I reviewed back in the day but will be giving a second look at it. Randy Orton is nursing an injury to one of his legs as CM Punk looks to take advantage of it. Should quickly note what a distraction the commentary was as we were in the midst of the Michael Cole vs. Jerry Lawler feud with Josh Matthews trying to play peacemaker. I feel like WrestleMania matches need to separate themselves from other matches on the card along with matches that are normally seen on regular PPVs. I liked the focus on Orton's injured knee but the action was a little too slow for me to really get into. I didn't feel the hate the two had like I did on my first viewing. The match was fine but didn't really get me or the crowd over so much. The ending came when Punk flew off the top rope looking to hit a clothesline before getting smashed with a slick RKO. Another big WrestleMania win for Orton.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: **3/4
Original Rating: ***1/4
Match 8: SmackDown 2011 - World Heavyweight Championship - Christian (c) vs. Randy Orton
With Randy Orton being drafted to the blue brand, he stepped up his game to another level. This match is fairly infamous for Christian losing his first World Heavyweight Championship in less than a week. While the commercial break did cut into the match, this was still a great television main event as the chemistry between the two was just so great. It's always fun to watch two babyfaces go at it and it was definitely interesting to see these two just have a straight up wrestling match. Christian wasn't able to hit his Killswitch and ended up suffering his fate as Orton pulled the trigger first as he hit a sweet RKO as Christian leaped off the second rope. Just like that, Christian's reign came to an end. This match was truly the turning point for Orton in 2011, he would go on to put on some incredible matches and arguably become the wrestler of the year. We all questioned why he won the belt so quickly but it ultimately became a great decision as the feud these two would go on to have would be the best of the year.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ***
Overall Thoughts and Rating:
Disc 3 of this DVD gives us a very broad range of Randy Orton. We were able to see the fairly new Randy Orton in 2006 to the seasoned veteran in 2011 where he really culminated as a performer. While the match quality wasn't the best, I liked the idea of displaying Orton's evolution and showcase his biggest matches throughout this time frame.
Rating: 6/10
Looking to avenge his loss to Kurt Angle at ECW One Night Stand, Raw's newest superstar acquisition in Randy Orton was in perfect position to do so here. Angle was pretty much in his prime here and was just an animal. You really had to admire his passion and intensity in his matches. That statement rang to be true as Angle brought the intensity once more to Orton. Angle was the aggressive one as Orton played his role as a heel brilliantly. Doing his best to escape from any type of Angle's offenses and finally resorting to exposing a turnbuckle. Orton is able to counter an Ankle Lock by driving Angle into the exposed turnbuckle before hitting a sweet RKO for the finish. Great opening match for the show that allows Orton to even the score against Angle. Angle's loss didn't really hurt him when taking into consideration the turnbuckle. Shame they never made a rubber match between the two.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ***1/4
Match 2: Summerslam 2006 - Randy Orton vs. Hulk Hogan (Taken from WWE Summerslam 2006 Review)
This feels like last year all over again with Hulk Hogan being prominently featured on another Summerslam show. This time, it's against the young, brash Randy Orton. And this time, Hogan puts his opponent over. One of those things I just typed is true and it's not the latter. Crowd is hot for both guys and it's pretty split as tons of boos and cheers are ringing down for both guys. The match was pretty much what you would expect. There really isn't much to be said. It didn't really carry the same vibe or flow like his match last year against Shawn Michaels but Orton held his own and carried Hogan to a damn good match. Orton looked to score the win at one point by hitting his RKO until the referee discovered Hogan's foot was on the bottom rope. Hogan then Hulks up, points, kicks, and drops for the win. Having Orton go up against the biggest legend of all time makes sense, but he's definitely in a tight spot. There's no reason at all for Hogan to be going over guys like Shawn Michaels or Randy Orton. They actively compete on the roster while Hogan does not at all. A loss against either does not hurt Hogan's reputation whatsoever, but a loss for Michaels or Orton baffles the audience. Why are these guys losing to an old man? How am I supposed to believe these guys are legitimate main eventers? Sure, the argument can be made that Orton even being in the same match as Hogan is cool but to me, what really did any of this accomplish? Where does Orton even go from here? Plus, they didn't even let Orton drop Hogan after the match!
Winner: Hulk Hogan
Rating: **3/4
Match 3: The Great American Bash 2007 - Texas Bull Rope - Randy Orton vs. Dusty Rhodes (Taken from WWE The Great American Bash 2007 Review)
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 4: WrestleMania XXIV - WWE Championship - Randy Orton (c) vs. John Cena vs. Triple H
Some fantastic entrances for these guys as it is time for Raw's WrestleMania main event. Funny to see how white John Cena is compared to the tanned bodies of Randy Orton and Triple H. I remember the hype being pretty high for this match and it falling flat on its face. While I won't go as far as saying it fell flat on its face, it definitely didn't live up to its expectations. Everything just felt so rushed and I wasn't able to feel the tension between the three guys that was built so well before this. However, that's not to say I didn't enjoy the match. I could almost compare this match to the triple threat match at WrestleMania 22 for the World Heavyweight Championship. There was never really a dull moment but I never really got the chance to stop and digest everything. A rather forgettable match with a couple cool spots like Orton delivering a DDT simultaneously to Cena and Triple H off the middle rope or Cena hoisting both Orton and Triple H on his back for the FU. The finish saw Orton punt Triple H in the skull and cover Cena for the win as he escapes with the WWE Championship. Although Cena had a lot of steam coming from his return at the Royal Rumble, Orton was ultimately the right choice here. He was for sure the wild card of everything and got his big WrestleMania win.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ***1/4
Match 5: Breaking Point 2009 - WWE Championship - I Quit - Randy Orton (c) vs. John Cena
The last time I scored this match was when it happened about seven years ago. I was a junior in high school so I'm going to see how my **** score holds up in 2016 as a college student. This match was in 2009 and at the peak of the Randy Orton vs. John Cena feud as the very tanned Orton would be automatically disqualified if anybody were to interfere into the match on his behalf. I'm not sure what I saw in this match back in the day but this was easily one of the most dragged out I Quit matches I have ever seen. Maybe that's me taking into consideration how many times I've seen these guys wrestle against each other or maybe I just had completely different outlooks on this match from now and then. Orton was in control for so much of the match that it got me sucked out of the match. He tied up Cena with the handcuffs and never let up after that. They spent the huge chunk of the match just having Orton toy with Cena before Cena was able to escape and hit an STF to have Orton quit. I love John Cena, he is probably one of my favorites of all time. I mean that. But this was the type of match that made people really dislike him. He got dominated throughout the entire match before finally reversing the tide and earning another win and another championship. It's always a trip to relive old matches and read my reviews of them from back in the day.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: **
Original Rating: ****
Match 6: Hell in a Cell 2010 - WWE Championship - Hell in a Cell - Randy Orton (c) vs. Sheamus
I question why this match had to be inside a Hell in a Cell. I hate having matches inside the friendly confines without having blood feuds. The match itself was fine and I was able to feel the tension between the two despite my strong thoughts of having it inside Hell in a Cell. The flow and pacing of the match was fine but again, the lack of focus on the actual cage itself was a distraction. They brought out the steel steps and made it a focal point of the match where Randy Orton was able to hit an RKO to Sheamus atop the steps for the victory. Good match as their styles blended nicely here as they would go on to have several more matches down the line and many more in 2016. Would have been the exact same match if the cage wasn't taken into play. I liked the match and I liked the build to the RKO at the end but this is Hell in a Cell, this should have been so much more.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ***1/4
Match 7: WrestleMania XXVII - CM Punk vs. Randy Orton
Another match that I reviewed back in the day but will be giving a second look at it. Randy Orton is nursing an injury to one of his legs as CM Punk looks to take advantage of it. Should quickly note what a distraction the commentary was as we were in the midst of the Michael Cole vs. Jerry Lawler feud with Josh Matthews trying to play peacemaker. I feel like WrestleMania matches need to separate themselves from other matches on the card along with matches that are normally seen on regular PPVs. I liked the focus on Orton's injured knee but the action was a little too slow for me to really get into. I didn't feel the hate the two had like I did on my first viewing. The match was fine but didn't really get me or the crowd over so much. The ending came when Punk flew off the top rope looking to hit a clothesline before getting smashed with a slick RKO. Another big WrestleMania win for Orton.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: **3/4
Original Rating: ***1/4
Match 8: SmackDown 2011 - World Heavyweight Championship - Christian (c) vs. Randy Orton
With Randy Orton being drafted to the blue brand, he stepped up his game to another level. This match is fairly infamous for Christian losing his first World Heavyweight Championship in less than a week. While the commercial break did cut into the match, this was still a great television main event as the chemistry between the two was just so great. It's always fun to watch two babyfaces go at it and it was definitely interesting to see these two just have a straight up wrestling match. Christian wasn't able to hit his Killswitch and ended up suffering his fate as Orton pulled the trigger first as he hit a sweet RKO as Christian leaped off the second rope. Just like that, Christian's reign came to an end. This match was truly the turning point for Orton in 2011, he would go on to put on some incredible matches and arguably become the wrestler of the year. We all questioned why he won the belt so quickly but it ultimately became a great decision as the feud these two would go on to have would be the best of the year.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ***
Overall Thoughts and Rating:
Disc 3 of this DVD gives us a very broad range of Randy Orton. We were able to see the fairly new Randy Orton in 2006 to the seasoned veteran in 2011 where he really culminated as a performer. While the match quality wasn't the best, I liked the idea of displaying Orton's evolution and showcase his biggest matches throughout this time frame.
Rating: 6/10
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