The Undertaker has been in just about every type of match you could
imagine. This Deadliest Matches DVD set displays the array of matches he
has been in from the many years he has been taking souls.
Match 1: Survivor Series 2006 - First Blood - Mr. Kennedy vs. The Undertaker
After Mr. Kennedy bloodied up The Undertaker on an edition of SmackDown, a First Blood match was made here between the two. Of course, it was mainly a match that saw an angry Undertaker beat down the pesky Kennedy left and right. JBL pointed out on commentary that The Undertaker was working on the core of Kennedy to punish him badly as Kennedy would eventually begin bleeding from his mouth. However, his trusty friend in MVP came out with a towel before later tossing him back in the ring. MVP later returned and accidentally nailed Undertaker with a steel chair where blood began to leak from The Deadman's head. The referee then declared Kennedy the winner... But rest assured, Kennedy would get the receipt for that one. Undertaker hit Kennedy with one of the nastiest chair shots I have ever seen as he then left the victorious Kennedy in a bloody mess. Fine match that sets up for another bigger one between the two.
Winner: Mr. Kennedy
Rating: **
Match 2: Armageddon 2006 - Last Ride - Mr. Kennedy vs. The Undertaker
This is the blow off to their late feud in 2006 with the second Last Ride match in WWE history. For those who have never seen this match before, one must put their opponent in the back of a hearse and drive off in order to secure the win. This was much better than their First Blood match at Survivor Series, Mr. Kennedy got in more offense and they told the great story of a desperate Kennedy taking advantage of any mistake The Undertaker made. One of the coolest spots in the match came when Kennedy had Undertaker in the back of the hearse and looked to score the biggest win of his career until the dash camera showed Undertaker sit up as Kennedy looked on in horror before being dragged out. Another cool spot that many may remember saw Kennedy throw Undertaker off the top of the stage structure. Undertaker clearly landed on some padding but the sight itself was pretty sweet. Of course, The Phenom hit Kennedy with a nasty chair shot and followed it up with both a Chokeslam and a Tombstone above the hearse before finally tossing Kennedy inside to win the match. Definitely one of the sillier match types in the company. A type of match that would certainly be hard to pull off and get away with in 2018. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it for what it was worth and a very fitting end to great feud. Kennedy only goes up from here... right?
Winner: The Undertaker
Rating: ***1/2
Match 3: Backlash 2007 - World Heavyweight Championship - Last Man Standing - The Undertaker (c) vs. Batista
This is their big rematch from their epic WrestleMania encounter with it now being a Last Man Standing match. I loved their WrestleMania 23 match and this was probably my favorite feud of 2007 so when this match was announced at the time, I was one stoked 8th grader. Also want to point out that this was probably JBL at his finest on commentary, he was not obnoxious and did a fantastic job of hyping both the match and the wrestlers in the ring. What I loved about this match was how they pulled no punches from the start. It started off a bit systematically with Batista aiming towards some limbs of The Undertaker before the turned the switch and turned it on to a different level. They turned the match into a series of big moves and I loved it, it made every sense considering these guys wanted to beat the hell out of each other. Through a table spot, a Batista Bomb and a Tombstone, neither guy was going to give. Finally, they took it to the top of the stage where Batista Speared The Undertaker off the stage which triggered a mini explosion as part of the set fell down on top of them. Awesome sight to see as the referee counted both of them out to end the match in a draw. Love the draw result considering it will set up a bigger match down the line for them to have. Also loved the spectacle of the Spear off the stage, they needed something big to differentiate themselves from their WrestleMania match and this did the trick.
Winner: n/a
Rating: ****1/2
Match 4: SmackDown (January 25, 2008) - Big Daddy V vs. The Undertaker
This is the last pit stop before the Royal Rumble event as The Undertaker squares off against Big Daddy V. The Big Daddy V gimmick was surely one of the strangest within the long career of Viscera, the company seemed big on using him as a guy for bigger stars to conquer. With Big Daddy V (feels so strange typing that) and his very limited skills, it was certainly up for The Deadman to carry the match and tell a good story. Basically, the match was just a barely mobile Viscera smack Undertaker around before quickly tapping out once Undertaker locked in his Hell's Gate finisher. I think the only reason this was featured on the DVD was to display the emphasis they placed on Undertaker's new finisher as he locked it in on Viscera as blood quickly poured out. Regardless, they certainly could have chosen a better match than this.
Winner: The Undertaker
Rating: *
Match 5: Hell in a Cell - Edge vs. The Undertaker (Taken from WWE Summerslam 2008 Review)
I have seen this match so many times that I actually can't even remember
if I have ever even reviewed this before so I'm just going to pretend
like this is the first time for both. 2008's feud of the year was Chris
Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels but one that often gets overlooked that year
is between these two, Edge and The Undertaker. They feuded throughout
the year and it culminated here in a Hell in a Cell match at Summerslam
in the main event. One of my favorite promos of all time came on an
edition of SmackDown leading to this event that saw Edge feature Mick
Foley on an edition of The Cutting Edge. If you haven't seen it, do
yourself the favor. A huge gripe that many often have with this match is
that it felt like a big spot after big spot type of match. Personally, I
loved the spots and I love how they spaced them out perfectly. They
couldn't do any blood so they made up for it with some incredible table
spots and storytelling. Loved the spot where Edge drove a steel chair
through the heart of The Undertaker through a table before saying to
himself, "I understand." Referencing his promo with Mick Foley.
Undertaker scores the big win after hitting a Spear and a Tombstone.
Afterwards, Undertaker Chokeslams Edge off a ladder through the ring
before fire erupts out of nowhere. Memorable finish and ending to the
show as Edge would go on to take a much-needed break before like Cena,
returning at Survivor Series.
Winner: The Undertaker
Rating: ****3/4
Match 6: SmackDown (December 5, 2008) - Steel Cage - The Big Show vs. The Undertaker
This seems like another strange addition to the DVD set. However, it is the strange and lost matches like this one that make these DVD releases worthwhile. 2008 was a solid year for WWE and for SmackDown in particular as both The Big Show and The Undertaker had standout years. The two had their match on Raw back in 1999 and they close it out here with another encounter in late 2008. Really, what is there to say about this one other than it is two veterans working a solid main event for television that really was a testament to how good they were to adapting to the game. Good action throughout the match that took a turn at the end when The Undertaker climbed the cage and looked to escape before deciding to go back in and lay into The Big Show a little more. Show wouldn't go down easily but eventually fell victim to The Undertaker's Hell's Gate after he sat up from a knockout punch. Great main event for an edition of SmackDown and as I said, a true testament to how good these veterans are to be able to work main events of 1999 and 2008 without skipping a beat.
Winner: The Undertaker
Rating: ***1/2
Overall DVD Thoughts and Rating:
Fine way to close out the DVD set with some matches that I totally forgot about. Were they the best options ever? Probably not, but I did enjoy going back and reminiscing about some of The Undertaker's matches that often go overlooked by his higher-tier ones. As his career reaches the end soon in 2018, it doesn't hurt to go back and enjoy some of his finest moments of what truly makes him The Phenom of the WWE.
Rating: 7/10
Sunday, May 20, 2018
Thursday, May 10, 2018
The Undertaker's Deadliest Matches DVD (Disc 2) Review
The Undertaker has been in just about every type of match you could imagine. This Deadliest Matches DVD set displays the array of matches he has been in from the many years he has been taking souls.
Match 1: Raw (May 3, 1999) - The Big Show vs. The Undertaker
The first match on the disc comes from a 1999 edition of Raw that saw a quick match between the two giants with The Undertaker doing everything in his power to take down the giant. With the help of the late Paul Bearer, The Undertaker doused his elbow with ether in hopes of putting The Big Show unconscious, good luck seeing that in 2018. However, that tactic failed as The Undertaker then brought out a baseball bat and drilled Show over the head with it and disqualifies himself in the process. Quick match here that sets up for their next bout on this DVD.
Winner: The Big Show
Rating: 3/4*
Match 2: Raw (June 7, 1999) - WWF Championship - The Undertaker (c) vs. The Big Show
The Big Show promised to hit a Chokeslam on The Undertaker as he challenges him for the WWF Championship in the main event. Big Show attacks Undertaker early on as the fight spills to the outside. Pretty bland match until the finish came where Big Show hit a huge Chokeslam on Undertaker through the ring in a famous moment for Monday Night Raw. The referee calls for the bell soon after as The Acolytes run out and get handed Chokeslams for their worries. Kind of strange to fit these last two matches on the DVD. Guess they just wanted a platform to show this match for those who have never seen it.
Winner: n/a
Rating: *3/4
Match 3: Great American Bash 2004 - Concrete Crypt - The Dudley Boyz vs. The Undertaker
This is perhaps one of the oddest matches to have ever taken place in the WWE... and that is certainly saying a lot. The story behind this one is just as bizarre with Paul Heyman taking the urn from Paul Bearer and forcing The Undertaker to choose sides in either siding with Heyman and The Dudley Boyz or remaining loyal to Paul Bearer. Get it? No? Neither did I. For those who do not know, Heyman was going to drown Bearer in concrete if The Undertaker did not want to abide by Heyman's demands. Undertaker was coming off his hot return at WrestleMania XX but was unfortunately stuck with this silly story. Another story the company could not get away with in 2018. Pretty good match here with Undertaker struggling to fight out the best tag team in the world while having to deal with Heyman drowning Paul Bearer in concrete. However, Undertaker is able to fight them off and scare away Heyman afterwards. Paul Bearer is screaming in joy but instead, screams in horror as The Undertaker then drowns him in concrete himself. Like I said, another bizarre and controversial match at the time but certainly one worthy to look back at and watch for entertainment purposes.
Winner: The Undertaker
Rating: **3/4
Match 4: Royal Rumble 2005 - Casket - Heidenreich vs. The Undertaker (Taken from WWE Royal Rumble 2005 Review)
Heidenreich hates caskets. And here we are. The Undertaker is his opponent and must put The Undertaker in the casket. I can't believe I'm watching this 11 years later for my review. Regardless, they centered the match around Heidenreich's fear of the damn casket. They had a pretty lackluster match going on and when Undertaker looked to be in complete control, Snitsky came to Heidenreich's aid. However, Kane emerged from the casket and fought Snitsky away. Meanwhile, Heidenreich pushes the casket away with ease. Funny considering the announcers just said the thing must weigh over 500 pounds. Undertaker would later hit a Tombstone and placed Heidenreich away in the casket. Wasn't as bad as I expected but don't get it twisted, I won't be watching this again any time soon.
Winner: The Undertaker
Rating: *1/4
Match 5: No Mercy 2005 - Casket - Randy Orton and Bob Orton vs. The Undertaker
The two feuded for basically the entirety of 2005 with this match being the big turning point. The Undertaker would take Randy Orton and his father on another ride (pun intended) as they faced off in his famous Casket match. Despite his age, Bob Orton played a crucial role in the match and played his role perfectly. Of course, the meat of the match centered around Randy trying to take down the mighty Undertaker while The Undertaker did his best to fight off both Randy and his pesky father. With the addition of Bob Orton being in the match, he added more suspense to the match by making it more difficult for The Deadman to put both guys in the casket at the same time. Eventually, Bob Orton would help his son lock The Undertaker up in the casket after a distraction led to Randy knocking Undertaker out with a steel chair. Afterwards, they pull the casket up to the front of the stage and set it ablaze. Great match and a great way to set up for a future Hell in a Cell match to wrap up their great feud in 2005. Not sure how the WWE would get away with someone lighting another person on fire in 2018, though.
Winners: Randy Orton and Bob Orton
Rating: ***1/4
Match 6: Armageddon 2005 - Hell in a Cell - Randy Orton vs. The Undertaker
Here it is, the conclusion of a feud that was possibly the best one on SmackDown for 2005. With his father being locked outside, Randy Orton looked to beat The Deadman at his own game. In the beginning, it looked completely bleak for The Legend Killer as The Undertaker beat Orton to a pulp with a few nasty steel chair shots that left Orton dripping blood. Almost forgot how much blood can add to a match. Undertaker was dominating the match and Orton only had a few sprinkles throughout that had him in the leading position. Got to mention the part with Undertaker pulling Bob Orton into the cell from the inside and cutting him open by tossing Randy straight into him. Bob was able to enter the cell after a referee bump and later suffered a Tombstone for his troubles. Loved his participation in the match, never did it feel forced but it still felt necessary to have him inside since he was a focal point during their feud. After, Undertaker delivered one to Randy and won the match to end their lengthy feud. Another great Hell in a Cell match under the belt for The Undertaker. It certainly did have its slow parts and the crowd just was not as hot as they needed to be, but it was certainly a fulfilling end to their great feud. It was as gruesome and intense as it needed to be.
Winner: The Undertaker
Rating: ****1/2
Match 7: SmackDown (August 18, 2006) - Last Man Standing - The Great Khali vs. The Undertaker
This match was scheduled to be on the Summerslam card that year but plans took a hard left when the company just was not confident enough in The Great Khali's abilities so alas, it was taped on SmackDown. I have not seen this match in years and going into it, I had some mixed expectations. I really had very little recollection of this but thankfully, it exceeded those fairly low expectations. Really, it was just The Undertaker carrying Khali to a match that saw Khali look dominant as The Deadman had to fight him off. Totally different story we have become accustomed to seeing for The Deadman. They used all the smoke and mirrors to hide Khali's abilities and had Daivari do his best to help Khali but ultimately fail. Undertaker landed some nasty chair shots to Khali as blood poured down his face. 'Taker would eventually hit a big Chokeslam as the referee counted out Khali. The Undertaker finally slayed his biggest foe in Khali and had quite the exceptional match doing so. It never dragged and Undertaker really sold the story of being the underdog against the bigger and more dominant Khali. Above anything else, I think it attests to just how great The Undertaker in the ring is.
Winner: The Undertaker
Rating: ***1/4
Overall DVD Thoughts and Rating:
Going off the star ratings, I should probably give this disc on the DVD set a lower score. However, I think for the most part, the matches fit well and told a great story about The Undertaker's legacy and how he has been able to change and adapt to the changing times within this time frame.
Rating: 7/10
Match 1: Raw (May 3, 1999) - The Big Show vs. The Undertaker
The first match on the disc comes from a 1999 edition of Raw that saw a quick match between the two giants with The Undertaker doing everything in his power to take down the giant. With the help of the late Paul Bearer, The Undertaker doused his elbow with ether in hopes of putting The Big Show unconscious, good luck seeing that in 2018. However, that tactic failed as The Undertaker then brought out a baseball bat and drilled Show over the head with it and disqualifies himself in the process. Quick match here that sets up for their next bout on this DVD.
Winner: The Big Show
Rating: 3/4*
Match 2: Raw (June 7, 1999) - WWF Championship - The Undertaker (c) vs. The Big Show
The Big Show promised to hit a Chokeslam on The Undertaker as he challenges him for the WWF Championship in the main event. Big Show attacks Undertaker early on as the fight spills to the outside. Pretty bland match until the finish came where Big Show hit a huge Chokeslam on Undertaker through the ring in a famous moment for Monday Night Raw. The referee calls for the bell soon after as The Acolytes run out and get handed Chokeslams for their worries. Kind of strange to fit these last two matches on the DVD. Guess they just wanted a platform to show this match for those who have never seen it.
Winner: n/a
Rating: *3/4
Match 3: Great American Bash 2004 - Concrete Crypt - The Dudley Boyz vs. The Undertaker
This is perhaps one of the oddest matches to have ever taken place in the WWE... and that is certainly saying a lot. The story behind this one is just as bizarre with Paul Heyman taking the urn from Paul Bearer and forcing The Undertaker to choose sides in either siding with Heyman and The Dudley Boyz or remaining loyal to Paul Bearer. Get it? No? Neither did I. For those who do not know, Heyman was going to drown Bearer in concrete if The Undertaker did not want to abide by Heyman's demands. Undertaker was coming off his hot return at WrestleMania XX but was unfortunately stuck with this silly story. Another story the company could not get away with in 2018. Pretty good match here with Undertaker struggling to fight out the best tag team in the world while having to deal with Heyman drowning Paul Bearer in concrete. However, Undertaker is able to fight them off and scare away Heyman afterwards. Paul Bearer is screaming in joy but instead, screams in horror as The Undertaker then drowns him in concrete himself. Like I said, another bizarre and controversial match at the time but certainly one worthy to look back at and watch for entertainment purposes.
Winner: The Undertaker
Rating: **3/4
Match 4: Royal Rumble 2005 - Casket - Heidenreich vs. The Undertaker (Taken from WWE Royal Rumble 2005 Review)
Heidenreich hates caskets. And here we are. The Undertaker is his opponent and must put The Undertaker in the casket. I can't believe I'm watching this 11 years later for my review. Regardless, they centered the match around Heidenreich's fear of the damn casket. They had a pretty lackluster match going on and when Undertaker looked to be in complete control, Snitsky came to Heidenreich's aid. However, Kane emerged from the casket and fought Snitsky away. Meanwhile, Heidenreich pushes the casket away with ease. Funny considering the announcers just said the thing must weigh over 500 pounds. Undertaker would later hit a Tombstone and placed Heidenreich away in the casket. Wasn't as bad as I expected but don't get it twisted, I won't be watching this again any time soon.
Winner: The Undertaker
Rating: *1/4
Match 5: No Mercy 2005 - Casket - Randy Orton and Bob Orton vs. The Undertaker
The two feuded for basically the entirety of 2005 with this match being the big turning point. The Undertaker would take Randy Orton and his father on another ride (pun intended) as they faced off in his famous Casket match. Despite his age, Bob Orton played a crucial role in the match and played his role perfectly. Of course, the meat of the match centered around Randy trying to take down the mighty Undertaker while The Undertaker did his best to fight off both Randy and his pesky father. With the addition of Bob Orton being in the match, he added more suspense to the match by making it more difficult for The Deadman to put both guys in the casket at the same time. Eventually, Bob Orton would help his son lock The Undertaker up in the casket after a distraction led to Randy knocking Undertaker out with a steel chair. Afterwards, they pull the casket up to the front of the stage and set it ablaze. Great match and a great way to set up for a future Hell in a Cell match to wrap up their great feud in 2005. Not sure how the WWE would get away with someone lighting another person on fire in 2018, though.
Winners: Randy Orton and Bob Orton
Rating: ***1/4
Match 6: Armageddon 2005 - Hell in a Cell - Randy Orton vs. The Undertaker
Here it is, the conclusion of a feud that was possibly the best one on SmackDown for 2005. With his father being locked outside, Randy Orton looked to beat The Deadman at his own game. In the beginning, it looked completely bleak for The Legend Killer as The Undertaker beat Orton to a pulp with a few nasty steel chair shots that left Orton dripping blood. Almost forgot how much blood can add to a match. Undertaker was dominating the match and Orton only had a few sprinkles throughout that had him in the leading position. Got to mention the part with Undertaker pulling Bob Orton into the cell from the inside and cutting him open by tossing Randy straight into him. Bob was able to enter the cell after a referee bump and later suffered a Tombstone for his troubles. Loved his participation in the match, never did it feel forced but it still felt necessary to have him inside since he was a focal point during their feud. After, Undertaker delivered one to Randy and won the match to end their lengthy feud. Another great Hell in a Cell match under the belt for The Undertaker. It certainly did have its slow parts and the crowd just was not as hot as they needed to be, but it was certainly a fulfilling end to their great feud. It was as gruesome and intense as it needed to be.
Winner: The Undertaker
Rating: ****1/2
Match 7: SmackDown (August 18, 2006) - Last Man Standing - The Great Khali vs. The Undertaker
This match was scheduled to be on the Summerslam card that year but plans took a hard left when the company just was not confident enough in The Great Khali's abilities so alas, it was taped on SmackDown. I have not seen this match in years and going into it, I had some mixed expectations. I really had very little recollection of this but thankfully, it exceeded those fairly low expectations. Really, it was just The Undertaker carrying Khali to a match that saw Khali look dominant as The Deadman had to fight him off. Totally different story we have become accustomed to seeing for The Deadman. They used all the smoke and mirrors to hide Khali's abilities and had Daivari do his best to help Khali but ultimately fail. Undertaker landed some nasty chair shots to Khali as blood poured down his face. 'Taker would eventually hit a big Chokeslam as the referee counted out Khali. The Undertaker finally slayed his biggest foe in Khali and had quite the exceptional match doing so. It never dragged and Undertaker really sold the story of being the underdog against the bigger and more dominant Khali. Above anything else, I think it attests to just how great The Undertaker in the ring is.
Winner: The Undertaker
Rating: ***1/4
Overall DVD Thoughts and Rating:
Going off the star ratings, I should probably give this disc on the DVD set a lower score. However, I think for the most part, the matches fit well and told a great story about The Undertaker's legacy and how he has been able to change and adapt to the changing times within this time frame.
Rating: 7/10
Friday, May 4, 2018
WWE Royal Rumble 2017 Review
Remember the Rumble. The annual Royal Rumble event returns to San Antonio's Alamodome for the first time in 20 years with one of the most stacked cards in recent memory. John Cena tries to tie Ric Flair with 16 world championship wins as a star-studded Royal Rumble match closes out the night on the road to WrestleMania.
Match 1: WWE Raw Women's Championship - Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Bayley
Billed as the PPV king, Charlotte Flair looks to make another successful title defense against Bayley in the opening contest. Really good match here to get the night going, Charlotte definitely embraces the role as a heel and you just cannot help but feel pity for Bayley at times throughout the match. Bayley had a few bursts that made victory look possible until a Natural Selection on the ring apron put a halt to that fantasy. Charlotte picks up another big PPV win and starts the show off on the right foot. They really are putting Charlotte over the moon and rightfully so, she looks and acts the part.
Winner: Charlotte Flair
Rating: ***
Match 2: WWE Universal Championship - No Disqualification - Kevin Owens (c) vs. Roman Reigns
After constantly interfering on the behalf of his best friend, Chris Jericho has been forced to be locked in a shark cage hanging above the ring for this no disqualification match. As silly as it sounds, it made for great television leading up to this and the crowd certainly got a kick out of seeing Jericho being suspended high above the ring. What a match this was. All three guys involved played their parts brilliantly. For one of these guys to have a bad match would be a very rare circumstance at this point, but putting them together only makes for great stuff. Loved the way they started things out with Roman Reigns having to fight both guys off in order to finally put Jericho in the cage. They utilized the no disqualification rules to the max as they fought outside the ring, in the crowd, set each other through tables and even through a pile of chairs. The crowd was eating it up and so was Jericho as he cheered on his best friend while even tossing him some brass knuckles. Reigns looked to secure the big win until Braun Strowman appeared out of nowhere and drove him through a table set in the corner of the ring. Kevin Owens would reap the benefits and cover Reigns to retain the title. What a match and very big win for Owens in his great title run.
Winner: Kevin Owens
Rating: ****1/2
Match 3: WWE Cruiserweight Championship - Rich Swann (c) vs. Neville
Neville's journey to becoming king of the cruiserweights continues as he looks to regain the gold against Rich Swann. As you would expect from a couple athletic guys, very fast and fun action with the usual quiet crowd we have all come to familiarize ourselves with the division. To the audience's credit, they were a little burned out from the last match and this match overstayed its welcome a bit. Neville was really starting to come onto his own at this point as a heel and it showed with his stiffer style of play in the ring. He was rolling with some serious momentum heading into this match and he headed out with it as well after submitting Swann with a sweet submission that looked like a modifed butterfly of sorts. Good following match despite going a little longer than I would have liked.
Winner: Neville
Rating: ***1/4
Match 4: WWE Championship - AJ Styles (c) vs. John Cena
Who would have ever guessed that Ric Flair's record of 16 world championships would ever be tied? Well, 2017 would finally be the year and John Cena looked to be that guy. First, we got to give credit to Mauro Ranallo on the call, he really kicked this match up an extra notch, so vocal and so passionate with every word he said. Loved the backstory with this one as the main emphasis was being placed on Cena tying the epic record while AJ Styles being left completely in the dust despite beating Cena a few months back at Summerslam. What a roller coaster of the ride this match was with so many twists and turns. There were so many nearfalls and while it can sometimes be repetitive, that certainly was not the case here. All of the nearfalls looked legit and were all placed accordingly to the point that I was on the edge of my seat after every finisher they hit. Styles even kicked out of an Attitude Adjustment off the top rope which had the entire Alamodome shaking. Finally, Cena was able to hit another Attitude Adjustment before following it up with another one to secure one of the biggest wins of his career. The place was hot for this one, being there live to witness this match was something else, easily the best match I have ever seen in person. Watching it over again gave me the chills, do yourselves a favor and give this a viewing if you have or have not already.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: ****3/4
Match 5: 2017 Royal Rumble
The previous year's Royal Rumble match proved to be a big disappointment for many so it came as no surprise to me that the WWE wanted to erase the bad taste they left in the mouths of so many. The solution... a Royal Rumble match featuring some of the most star-studded guys in the business. Loved the way this Rumble match was structured and yes, I understand that I am probably in the minority here again. The match saw a good distribution of stars from both brands including Tye Dillinger of NXT and a couple guys from 205 Live. The guys they wanted to get over looked good with Braun Strowman being a standout as well as Chris Jericho lasting nearly an entire hour in the match. Everybody was anticipating the entrances of three guys in Brock Lesnar, Goldberg and The Undertaker. Once Lesnar entered, the match went into second gear. Lesnar destroyed everybody and when I say destroyed, he nearly beheaded Enzo Amore. Finally, we get the arrival of Goldberg as he Spears the living daylights out of Lesnar before eliminating him in a shocking manner. Then, The Undertaker arrived as he stood in front of the face of Goldberg before eliminating him. Loved how they brought Roman Reigns out for the last spot and having him eliminate Undertaker. Great way to keep the feud between Lesnar and Goldberg running while possibly planting the seed for a future match with Reigns and Undertaker. The final three came down to Randy Orton, Bray Wyatt and Roman Reigns. Reigns was able to eliminate Wyatt but was hit with an RKO from Orton after Reigns tried going for a Spear. Orton tossed Reigns out to score the second Royal Rumble victory of his career. Great ending here that sets up a big match between Orton and Wyatt at WrestleMania while the company's favorite guy in Reigns gets second place. Great Rumble match.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ****1/2
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Am I being biased here and giving this event a higher school since I attended it? Possibly. But there really is no doubt that the show delivered with two incredible world championship matches and a Rumble that had so much star power along with some big twists and turns that set up nicely for WrestleMania.
Rating: 9.5/10
Match 1: WWE Raw Women's Championship - Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Bayley
Billed as the PPV king, Charlotte Flair looks to make another successful title defense against Bayley in the opening contest. Really good match here to get the night going, Charlotte definitely embraces the role as a heel and you just cannot help but feel pity for Bayley at times throughout the match. Bayley had a few bursts that made victory look possible until a Natural Selection on the ring apron put a halt to that fantasy. Charlotte picks up another big PPV win and starts the show off on the right foot. They really are putting Charlotte over the moon and rightfully so, she looks and acts the part.
Winner: Charlotte Flair
Rating: ***
Match 2: WWE Universal Championship - No Disqualification - Kevin Owens (c) vs. Roman Reigns
After constantly interfering on the behalf of his best friend, Chris Jericho has been forced to be locked in a shark cage hanging above the ring for this no disqualification match. As silly as it sounds, it made for great television leading up to this and the crowd certainly got a kick out of seeing Jericho being suspended high above the ring. What a match this was. All three guys involved played their parts brilliantly. For one of these guys to have a bad match would be a very rare circumstance at this point, but putting them together only makes for great stuff. Loved the way they started things out with Roman Reigns having to fight both guys off in order to finally put Jericho in the cage. They utilized the no disqualification rules to the max as they fought outside the ring, in the crowd, set each other through tables and even through a pile of chairs. The crowd was eating it up and so was Jericho as he cheered on his best friend while even tossing him some brass knuckles. Reigns looked to secure the big win until Braun Strowman appeared out of nowhere and drove him through a table set in the corner of the ring. Kevin Owens would reap the benefits and cover Reigns to retain the title. What a match and very big win for Owens in his great title run.
Winner: Kevin Owens
Rating: ****1/2
Match 3: WWE Cruiserweight Championship - Rich Swann (c) vs. Neville
Neville's journey to becoming king of the cruiserweights continues as he looks to regain the gold against Rich Swann. As you would expect from a couple athletic guys, very fast and fun action with the usual quiet crowd we have all come to familiarize ourselves with the division. To the audience's credit, they were a little burned out from the last match and this match overstayed its welcome a bit. Neville was really starting to come onto his own at this point as a heel and it showed with his stiffer style of play in the ring. He was rolling with some serious momentum heading into this match and he headed out with it as well after submitting Swann with a sweet submission that looked like a modifed butterfly of sorts. Good following match despite going a little longer than I would have liked.
Winner: Neville
Rating: ***1/4
Match 4: WWE Championship - AJ Styles (c) vs. John Cena
Who would have ever guessed that Ric Flair's record of 16 world championships would ever be tied? Well, 2017 would finally be the year and John Cena looked to be that guy. First, we got to give credit to Mauro Ranallo on the call, he really kicked this match up an extra notch, so vocal and so passionate with every word he said. Loved the backstory with this one as the main emphasis was being placed on Cena tying the epic record while AJ Styles being left completely in the dust despite beating Cena a few months back at Summerslam. What a roller coaster of the ride this match was with so many twists and turns. There were so many nearfalls and while it can sometimes be repetitive, that certainly was not the case here. All of the nearfalls looked legit and were all placed accordingly to the point that I was on the edge of my seat after every finisher they hit. Styles even kicked out of an Attitude Adjustment off the top rope which had the entire Alamodome shaking. Finally, Cena was able to hit another Attitude Adjustment before following it up with another one to secure one of the biggest wins of his career. The place was hot for this one, being there live to witness this match was something else, easily the best match I have ever seen in person. Watching it over again gave me the chills, do yourselves a favor and give this a viewing if you have or have not already.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: ****3/4
Match 5: 2017 Royal Rumble
The previous year's Royal Rumble match proved to be a big disappointment for many so it came as no surprise to me that the WWE wanted to erase the bad taste they left in the mouths of so many. The solution... a Royal Rumble match featuring some of the most star-studded guys in the business. Loved the way this Rumble match was structured and yes, I understand that I am probably in the minority here again. The match saw a good distribution of stars from both brands including Tye Dillinger of NXT and a couple guys from 205 Live. The guys they wanted to get over looked good with Braun Strowman being a standout as well as Chris Jericho lasting nearly an entire hour in the match. Everybody was anticipating the entrances of three guys in Brock Lesnar, Goldberg and The Undertaker. Once Lesnar entered, the match went into second gear. Lesnar destroyed everybody and when I say destroyed, he nearly beheaded Enzo Amore. Finally, we get the arrival of Goldberg as he Spears the living daylights out of Lesnar before eliminating him in a shocking manner. Then, The Undertaker arrived as he stood in front of the face of Goldberg before eliminating him. Loved how they brought Roman Reigns out for the last spot and having him eliminate Undertaker. Great way to keep the feud between Lesnar and Goldberg running while possibly planting the seed for a future match with Reigns and Undertaker. The final three came down to Randy Orton, Bray Wyatt and Roman Reigns. Reigns was able to eliminate Wyatt but was hit with an RKO from Orton after Reigns tried going for a Spear. Orton tossed Reigns out to score the second Royal Rumble victory of his career. Great ending here that sets up a big match between Orton and Wyatt at WrestleMania while the company's favorite guy in Reigns gets second place. Great Rumble match.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ****1/2
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Am I being biased here and giving this event a higher school since I attended it? Possibly. But there really is no doubt that the show delivered with two incredible world championship matches and a Rumble that had so much star power along with some big twists and turns that set up nicely for WrestleMania.
Rating: 9.5/10
WWE Payback 2014 Review
The war between Evolution and The Shield continues. After The Shield beat Evolution at Extreme Rules, the return match sees the two teams clash in an elimination match to really see which team is the alpha of the WWE.
Match 1: WWE United States Championship - Sheamus (c) vs. Cesaro
Remember when Paul Heyman used to be Cesaro's manager? I totally forgot about that. With a match between Sheamus and Cesaro, you know you are going to give you a really physical match and that is exactly what they gave us. And of course, the Chicago crowd added another element to the match as the crowd was hot for Sheamus and even hotter for Cesaro. Cesaro was able to swing Sheamus but before he was able to his his Neutralizer finisher, Sheamus rolled him up to score the win. Great finish to a nice opening match. As great as Heyman is, his role as a manager with Cesaro felt pretty forced and unnecessary, glad he eventually remained exclusive to Brock Lesnar.
Winner: Sheamus
Rating: ***
Match 2: Cody Rhodes and Goldust vs. Curtis Axel and Ryback
Speaking of Paul Heyman guys, remember when Curtis Axel was managed by Heyman? Pepperidge Farm remembers. Speaking of Paul Heyman, there was also a point where he was siding with Ryback against CM Punk. But I digress. As hot as this crowd was for the opener, they were the exact opposite for this one. Ryback was finally able to hit a Shell Shocked in what was a better than expected. At this point, all of these guys had acts that were dying more than anything. Kind of crazy to think how slim the roster was at the time.
Winners: Curtis Axel and Ryback
Rating: *3/4
Match 3: Rusev vs. Big E
The two were having Russia vs. USA wars on TV before they finally met here on the PPV. WWE was so hot on Rusev at the time and rightfully so, this dude looks and acts the part with Lana playing her role perfectly. He quickly makes Big E tap out with The Accolade. Crazy to think how much Big E has changed his career after the creating of The New Day. His career was basically in the toilet at this point. Suitable match for the show but lacked so much time to really go anywhere with it.
Winner: Rusev
Rating: *
Match 4: Kofi Kingston vs. Bo Dallas
Welp, Bo Dallas comes out and does his usual shtick and right after the bell rings, Kane comes out and destroys Kofi Kingston as Bo Dallas managed to run away. So after a solid start to the show with the opening match, we get three bad matches in a row. Weakest start to a show that I can recall in a long time. Although I did like Bo Dallas cutting a promo on Kingston after Kane mopped the ring with him.
Winner: n/a
Rating: n/a
Match 5: WWE Intercontinental Championship - Bad News Barrett (c) vs. Rob Van Dam
Rob Van Dam looks to capture the Intercontinental Championship for the 7th time against Mr. Bad News Barrett himself. We finally get the chance to see a good match since the opener, you know you are in for something fun when one of these two guys are involved. You get your usual fun moves from RVD with Barrett doing everything in his power to hit his Bad News Bull Hammer. After a failed attempt, Barrett is able to land one and knock out RVD in the process. Solid match but nothing noteworthy, certainly on par for match of the night so far with the opener if that means anything.
Winner: Bad News Barrett
Rating: ***
Match 6: Last Man Standing - Bray Wyatt vs. John Cena
This is the third installment within their series as this also constitutes as the rubber match with John Cena winning their bout at WrestleMania and Bray Wyatt grabbing the win at Extreme Rules. They needed to do something different from the other two matches and aside from the type of match it was, they definitely integrated a lot of outside action. The whole Wyatt Family tried to start the match with an ambush but The Usos came out to Cena's defense as the two sides would go on to clash later on and set each other through tables in a couple of sweet spots. They made sure to make the counts from the referee actually seem legit and they were all strategically placed throughout the match so that they would not have to slow down the pace of the match. Kudos to them for that. Couple of my biggest gripes with the match were while they nicely placed the counts in the match, it was still a bit too slow for my liking, think they needed to take advantage of the hot Chicago crowd. Also, the referee missed a crucial count when Wyatt was down for a good minute. Could care less if there were outside distractions getting in the vision of the referee, it was really annoying. The fight spilled to the stage where Cena was able to hit an Attitude Adjustment through the equipment they held up there before burying him with another piece of equipment that allowed Cena to score the win. After a pretty bad to pretty bland slate of matches from the show, it was certainly refreshing to see something that was actually worthy of being on a PPV.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: ***3/4
Match 7: WWE Divas Championship - Paige (c) vs. Alicia Fox
This was a good way to bridge the gap between the two main events as Alicia Fox looks to capture the Divas Championship from Paige after Fox was able to score a victory against her on an episode of Monday Night Raw. The commentators showed lack of interest in this match as they were consistently talking about the previous match. Quite frankly, the crowd also showed little interest. Standard match here with Paige locking in her Black Widow finisher to end the match and pick up another big win for herself.
Winner: Paige
Rating: *
Match 8: No Holds Barred Elimination - Evolution vs. The Shield
2014 marked the year that The Shield was on the last legs of their mega push. This match right here could certainly be defined as the premier representation of that push. This would be Batista's final match from his 2014 return and also the last time we have seen him wrestle in the ring. Who knows if we'll actually see him in the WWE again, scary how for granted the fans took it at the time. They are basically begging him to come back now. But I digress, Evolution is trying to avenge their big loss at Extreme Rules here as The Shield look to cement their position as the top dogs in the company. You could almost separate this match into three parts. The first part consisted of a huge brawl between both sides with no team seemingly having the advantage. The second part saw the fight spill around the arena while Evolution dismantled every member of The Shield individually, including a Triple Powerbomb through the announcers table. Finally, Seth Rollins dove off the stage onto all members of Evolution to turn the tides as they then eliminated Batista, Randy Orton and Triple H in order to secure the biggest win of their careers. Fun match to close out the night and it certainly had a vibe to it that really made The Shield feel like a big deal. There was no doubt at this point, the company was putting all their eggs in the basket for Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins. Fantastic way to close out the night.
Winners: The Shield
Rating: ****1/2
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Another decent outing for a WWE PPV with a couple matches being standouts in the Last Man Standing match along with the epic main event. They also placed an emphasis on Daniel Bryan having to surrender his World Heavyweight Championship with a great segment with Stephanie McMahon that saw her get slapped by Brie Bella. Tough to rate this show since there also happened to be a lot of bad stuff on the card to go with it. Either way, it's always nice to go back and watch that great main event over and over again. Of course, The Shield would soon break up after this and a new era would be ushered in.
Rating: 6.75/10
Match 1: WWE United States Championship - Sheamus (c) vs. Cesaro
Remember when Paul Heyman used to be Cesaro's manager? I totally forgot about that. With a match between Sheamus and Cesaro, you know you are going to give you a really physical match and that is exactly what they gave us. And of course, the Chicago crowd added another element to the match as the crowd was hot for Sheamus and even hotter for Cesaro. Cesaro was able to swing Sheamus but before he was able to his his Neutralizer finisher, Sheamus rolled him up to score the win. Great finish to a nice opening match. As great as Heyman is, his role as a manager with Cesaro felt pretty forced and unnecessary, glad he eventually remained exclusive to Brock Lesnar.
Winner: Sheamus
Rating: ***
Match 2: Cody Rhodes and Goldust vs. Curtis Axel and Ryback
Speaking of Paul Heyman guys, remember when Curtis Axel was managed by Heyman? Pepperidge Farm remembers. Speaking of Paul Heyman, there was also a point where he was siding with Ryback against CM Punk. But I digress. As hot as this crowd was for the opener, they were the exact opposite for this one. Ryback was finally able to hit a Shell Shocked in what was a better than expected. At this point, all of these guys had acts that were dying more than anything. Kind of crazy to think how slim the roster was at the time.
Winners: Curtis Axel and Ryback
Rating: *3/4
Match 3: Rusev vs. Big E
The two were having Russia vs. USA wars on TV before they finally met here on the PPV. WWE was so hot on Rusev at the time and rightfully so, this dude looks and acts the part with Lana playing her role perfectly. He quickly makes Big E tap out with The Accolade. Crazy to think how much Big E has changed his career after the creating of The New Day. His career was basically in the toilet at this point. Suitable match for the show but lacked so much time to really go anywhere with it.
Winner: Rusev
Rating: *
Match 4: Kofi Kingston vs. Bo Dallas
Welp, Bo Dallas comes out and does his usual shtick and right after the bell rings, Kane comes out and destroys Kofi Kingston as Bo Dallas managed to run away. So after a solid start to the show with the opening match, we get three bad matches in a row. Weakest start to a show that I can recall in a long time. Although I did like Bo Dallas cutting a promo on Kingston after Kane mopped the ring with him.
Winner: n/a
Rating: n/a
Match 5: WWE Intercontinental Championship - Bad News Barrett (c) vs. Rob Van Dam
Rob Van Dam looks to capture the Intercontinental Championship for the 7th time against Mr. Bad News Barrett himself. We finally get the chance to see a good match since the opener, you know you are in for something fun when one of these two guys are involved. You get your usual fun moves from RVD with Barrett doing everything in his power to hit his Bad News Bull Hammer. After a failed attempt, Barrett is able to land one and knock out RVD in the process. Solid match but nothing noteworthy, certainly on par for match of the night so far with the opener if that means anything.
Winner: Bad News Barrett
Rating: ***
Match 6: Last Man Standing - Bray Wyatt vs. John Cena
This is the third installment within their series as this also constitutes as the rubber match with John Cena winning their bout at WrestleMania and Bray Wyatt grabbing the win at Extreme Rules. They needed to do something different from the other two matches and aside from the type of match it was, they definitely integrated a lot of outside action. The whole Wyatt Family tried to start the match with an ambush but The Usos came out to Cena's defense as the two sides would go on to clash later on and set each other through tables in a couple of sweet spots. They made sure to make the counts from the referee actually seem legit and they were all strategically placed throughout the match so that they would not have to slow down the pace of the match. Kudos to them for that. Couple of my biggest gripes with the match were while they nicely placed the counts in the match, it was still a bit too slow for my liking, think they needed to take advantage of the hot Chicago crowd. Also, the referee missed a crucial count when Wyatt was down for a good minute. Could care less if there were outside distractions getting in the vision of the referee, it was really annoying. The fight spilled to the stage where Cena was able to hit an Attitude Adjustment through the equipment they held up there before burying him with another piece of equipment that allowed Cena to score the win. After a pretty bad to pretty bland slate of matches from the show, it was certainly refreshing to see something that was actually worthy of being on a PPV.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: ***3/4
Match 7: WWE Divas Championship - Paige (c) vs. Alicia Fox
This was a good way to bridge the gap between the two main events as Alicia Fox looks to capture the Divas Championship from Paige after Fox was able to score a victory against her on an episode of Monday Night Raw. The commentators showed lack of interest in this match as they were consistently talking about the previous match. Quite frankly, the crowd also showed little interest. Standard match here with Paige locking in her Black Widow finisher to end the match and pick up another big win for herself.
Winner: Paige
Rating: *
Match 8: No Holds Barred Elimination - Evolution vs. The Shield
2014 marked the year that The Shield was on the last legs of their mega push. This match right here could certainly be defined as the premier representation of that push. This would be Batista's final match from his 2014 return and also the last time we have seen him wrestle in the ring. Who knows if we'll actually see him in the WWE again, scary how for granted the fans took it at the time. They are basically begging him to come back now. But I digress, Evolution is trying to avenge their big loss at Extreme Rules here as The Shield look to cement their position as the top dogs in the company. You could almost separate this match into three parts. The first part consisted of a huge brawl between both sides with no team seemingly having the advantage. The second part saw the fight spill around the arena while Evolution dismantled every member of The Shield individually, including a Triple Powerbomb through the announcers table. Finally, Seth Rollins dove off the stage onto all members of Evolution to turn the tides as they then eliminated Batista, Randy Orton and Triple H in order to secure the biggest win of their careers. Fun match to close out the night and it certainly had a vibe to it that really made The Shield feel like a big deal. There was no doubt at this point, the company was putting all their eggs in the basket for Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins. Fantastic way to close out the night.
Winners: The Shield
Rating: ****1/2
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Another decent outing for a WWE PPV with a couple matches being standouts in the Last Man Standing match along with the epic main event. They also placed an emphasis on Daniel Bryan having to surrender his World Heavyweight Championship with a great segment with Stephanie McMahon that saw her get slapped by Brie Bella. Tough to rate this show since there also happened to be a lot of bad stuff on the card to go with it. Either way, it's always nice to go back and watch that great main event over and over again. Of course, The Shield would soon break up after this and a new era would be ushered in.
Rating: 6.75/10
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
