With The Shield reuniting once more, I wanted to make this week's Match of the Week one that was dedicated to The Hounds of Justice. Of course, before the three became mega stars of the WWE, they had to make a name for themselves as a unit and they did so in remarkable fashion against Daniel Bryan, Kane and Ryback in an incredible TLC match. After this win, they were immediately catapulted to the top of the wrestling world and would later become the strongest faction the business has ever seen.
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TLC - Team Hell No & Ryback vs. The Shield (Taken from WWE TLC 2012 Review)
For the first time
ever, it is a three vs. three TLC match with the only way to win is via
pin or submission. This is going to a ton of fun. It is also hard to
believe that this is the first match for The Shield on WWE
television/PPV, not bad. I was not expecting anything that we used to
see in TLC matches from years past, but things did get pretty damn close
to it. They exceeding the expectations of the viewers while making the
match retain the 2012 type of WWE style. This is just one of those
matches that I have no idea where to begin. A beautifully constructed
match with huge spots perfectly positioned throughout the match and
everyone came out looking better when all was said and done. Off the
bat, everyone went after each other to set the tone of the match. Lots
of trash talking and much more fighting, the type of action that needs
to be established early to let the viewers know just what exactly is
going on here. Many big spots to mention including The Shield throwing
Ryback through the Spanish announcers table again, Kane jumping off a
table set up on the top rope, Kane hitting a Chokeslam through a steel
chair, Ryback coming back from the dead to look like a beast, Kane
getting buried in all sorts of equipment after a Spear from Roman Reigns
through a barricade, and Seth Rollins getting thrown off one of the
ladders on the stage by Ryback to which Rollins landed through four
tables. The latter being the nastiest spill of them all, maybe even one
of the nastiest spills I have ever seen in pro wrestling. However, after
that happened, the other two members of The Shield put Daniel Bryan
through a table with a bomb off the top rope. Awesome match with an
awesome finish, just sucks that Bryan had to be the one to eat the pin.
The fallout should be interesting as Ryback’s beef with The Shield will
definitely continue.
Winners: The Shield
Rating: ****¼
Monday, August 27, 2018
Friday, August 24, 2018
WWE Night of Champions 2014 Review
After getting demolished by Brock Lesnar at Summerslam, John Cena tries to rebound and avenge his loss by recapturing the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Match 1: WWE Tag Team Championship - The Usos (c) vs. Gold and Stardust
Brothers against brothers is the first match of the night, pretty strange to see Goldust and Cody Rhodes as heels here... sorry, Stardust. However, around this time, the tag division was really starting to pick up and the two teams here really found their chemistry against each other. Lots of action to start the show and the crowd was hyped for all of it, especially The Usos. However, Stardust is able to pin one of The Usos after a failed splash attempt as the long reign of The Usos finally came to its end. Solid match to start the show and very cool to see the Rhodes brothers to become champs in 2014.
Winners: Gold and Stardust
Rating: ***
Match 2: WWE United States Championship - Sheamus (c) vs. Cesaro
I really can't recall if I've seen this match before or if I've just seen them wrestle against each other about a million times before. Probably the latter. Even still, this was probably the best match I have seen from these two as their chemistry just clicked so brilliantly here. Cesaro was working as a heel and would not let up on a bigger Sheamus. This was as physical as you could want from a professional wrestling match, they threw fists, elbows, knees, everything... and they all looked brutal. The second half of the match had the crowd on their toes with the two exchanging blows left and right before Sheamus was able to catch Cesaro with a Brogue Kick to seal the victory in a match that could seriously be the match of the night.
Winner: Sheamus
Rating: ***3/4
Match 3: WWE Intercontinental Championship - Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. The Miz
As much as I love them, very odd to have Florida Georgia Line come out to help do commentary for this match despite them trying to build up their appearance at Tribute to the Troops later in the year. Kind of random to have them there, though. With them being on commentary, the commentators pretty much overlooked the entire match and even made light of the match itself. Can we all take a minute to remember how good Damien Mizdow was? He made that gimmick look like a million bucks. Dolph Ziggler had his own stunt double as well in R-Ziggler, good stuff. Like the last match, the two have great chemistry with each other as the match worked well here with Florida Georgia Line helping out Ziggler in the process. Even still, a handful of tights was enough for The Miz to roll up Ziggler and steal the win and win back the Intercontinental Championship. Solid match here but it becomes more and more difficult to care about this championship when the guys on commentary don't even care.
Winner: The Miz
Rating: ***
Match 4: Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns
With Roman Reigns being out of commission due to an emergency surgery, Seth Rollins was left without an opponent. Rollins still comes out and calls him out for not being man enough to show up as he forces a referee to start the match without him being in the arena. The referee counts out Reigns and welp, Rollins is the winner via forfeit. Afterwards, Rollins issues an open challenge to which Dean Ambrose then appears and beats the crap out of Rollins. However, The Authority then come out to break up the action. Great segment here that substitutes for Reigns missing the show, the crowd ate up Ambrose coming back.
Winner: Seth Rollins
Rating: n/a
Match 5: Mark Henry vs. Rusev
Trying to defend the honor of America, Mark Henry takes on Rusev in a match with pride and bragging rights on the line. Before the match, Lillian Garcia sings the national anthem before Rusev made his way down to the ring, nice touch. As obvious as it was that Rusev was going to go over, they worked a good back and forth contest with Rusev being too much for Henry who was still able to his his World's Strongest Slam move. However, Rusev locked Henry in his Accolade submission as Henry was forced to tap after Rusev had worked much of the match focusing on the back of Henry.
Winner: Rusev
Rating: **
Match 6: Chris Jericho vs. Randy Orton
I'm convinced that there is no bigger discrepancy in the WWE with Randy Orton as a babyface and as a heel, he works so much better as a heel that it's pretty ridiculous. Fun fact of the day, the two faced off in 2007 for the WWE Championship where JBL interfered in the match. Seven years later, the two face off again and JBL is sitting at the table doing commentary for it. Funny how things work. Nothing new needs to be said here, two amazing veterans at the top of their game painting another piece of art. They did such a great job of revving up the match into a higher gear as the match progressed. They really did have the crowd at the tip of their fingers as they fell for every reversal and second of drama they created. Chris Jericho would end up falling for a RKO after he jumped off the top rope as Orton would then pose in front of an unconscious Jericho before pinning him. Did I say Orton works better as a heel? Because he is miles better as a heel and that just proved it. Another solid match on the card.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ***1/2
Match 7: WWE Divas Championship - Paige (c) vs. AJ Lee vs. Nikki Bella
After the last match, there needed to be a bridge between that and the main event. Alas, the Divas Championship is on the line in a triple threat match. Basic Divas match here with the crowd really not caring much for the action in the ring despite their efforts. AJ Lee is able to lock Paige in her Black Widow to win her third championship. Decent for what it was but nothing more. Ready for the main event.
Winner: AJ Lee
Rating: *1/2
Match 8: WWE World Heavyweight Championship - Brock Lesnar (c) vs. John Cena
Brock Lesnar steamrolled through John Cena at Summerslam en route to becoming the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. That match consisted of Lesnar suplexing the hell out of Cena and making it look like Cena's worst loss of his career. Like that much, this was similar in Lesnar dominating Cena for the most part but Cena was able to get some more offense in this time around. Surprising how this match never main evented a WrestleMania because the crowd was absolutely buzzing for this one. Cena was able to lock Lesnar in an STF and possibly had Lesnar ready to tap until Seth Rollins appeared and hit Cena in the back with his Money in the Bank briefcase along with hitting Lesnar with a Curb Stomp. A disqualification is called before Rollins attempts to cash in his contract but Cena attacked Rollins from behind and stopped that. The last scene, however, is Lesnar standing tall alone in the ring as he gives Cena an F-5 for his troubles. As much as people hate on disqualification endings in main event matches, this certainly worked. Cena doesn't get a big loss for two PPVs in a row, Lesnar still looks dominant, and Rollins remains the wild card in all of this and gets to feud with Cena while Lesnar is out of television. As for the match, it was one of Lesnar's weaker ones but again, it served its purpose and kept the crowd entertained.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: **3/4
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
While nothing in the show completely blew me away, this was still a solid show that I think was nicely booked from the start to the finish. The main concern I have with some of these PPVs is how recycled they feel. It's almost as if I have seen all of these matches on another PPV or on an edition of Raw before.
Rating: 7.75/10
Match 1: WWE Tag Team Championship - The Usos (c) vs. Gold and Stardust
Brothers against brothers is the first match of the night, pretty strange to see Goldust and Cody Rhodes as heels here... sorry, Stardust. However, around this time, the tag division was really starting to pick up and the two teams here really found their chemistry against each other. Lots of action to start the show and the crowd was hyped for all of it, especially The Usos. However, Stardust is able to pin one of The Usos after a failed splash attempt as the long reign of The Usos finally came to its end. Solid match to start the show and very cool to see the Rhodes brothers to become champs in 2014.
Winners: Gold and Stardust
Rating: ***
Match 2: WWE United States Championship - Sheamus (c) vs. Cesaro
I really can't recall if I've seen this match before or if I've just seen them wrestle against each other about a million times before. Probably the latter. Even still, this was probably the best match I have seen from these two as their chemistry just clicked so brilliantly here. Cesaro was working as a heel and would not let up on a bigger Sheamus. This was as physical as you could want from a professional wrestling match, they threw fists, elbows, knees, everything... and they all looked brutal. The second half of the match had the crowd on their toes with the two exchanging blows left and right before Sheamus was able to catch Cesaro with a Brogue Kick to seal the victory in a match that could seriously be the match of the night.
Winner: Sheamus
Rating: ***3/4
Match 3: WWE Intercontinental Championship - Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. The Miz
As much as I love them, very odd to have Florida Georgia Line come out to help do commentary for this match despite them trying to build up their appearance at Tribute to the Troops later in the year. Kind of random to have them there, though. With them being on commentary, the commentators pretty much overlooked the entire match and even made light of the match itself. Can we all take a minute to remember how good Damien Mizdow was? He made that gimmick look like a million bucks. Dolph Ziggler had his own stunt double as well in R-Ziggler, good stuff. Like the last match, the two have great chemistry with each other as the match worked well here with Florida Georgia Line helping out Ziggler in the process. Even still, a handful of tights was enough for The Miz to roll up Ziggler and steal the win and win back the Intercontinental Championship. Solid match here but it becomes more and more difficult to care about this championship when the guys on commentary don't even care.
Winner: The Miz
Rating: ***
Match 4: Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns
With Roman Reigns being out of commission due to an emergency surgery, Seth Rollins was left without an opponent. Rollins still comes out and calls him out for not being man enough to show up as he forces a referee to start the match without him being in the arena. The referee counts out Reigns and welp, Rollins is the winner via forfeit. Afterwards, Rollins issues an open challenge to which Dean Ambrose then appears and beats the crap out of Rollins. However, The Authority then come out to break up the action. Great segment here that substitutes for Reigns missing the show, the crowd ate up Ambrose coming back.
Winner: Seth Rollins
Rating: n/a
Match 5: Mark Henry vs. Rusev
Trying to defend the honor of America, Mark Henry takes on Rusev in a match with pride and bragging rights on the line. Before the match, Lillian Garcia sings the national anthem before Rusev made his way down to the ring, nice touch. As obvious as it was that Rusev was going to go over, they worked a good back and forth contest with Rusev being too much for Henry who was still able to his his World's Strongest Slam move. However, Rusev locked Henry in his Accolade submission as Henry was forced to tap after Rusev had worked much of the match focusing on the back of Henry.
Winner: Rusev
Rating: **
Match 6: Chris Jericho vs. Randy Orton
I'm convinced that there is no bigger discrepancy in the WWE with Randy Orton as a babyface and as a heel, he works so much better as a heel that it's pretty ridiculous. Fun fact of the day, the two faced off in 2007 for the WWE Championship where JBL interfered in the match. Seven years later, the two face off again and JBL is sitting at the table doing commentary for it. Funny how things work. Nothing new needs to be said here, two amazing veterans at the top of their game painting another piece of art. They did such a great job of revving up the match into a higher gear as the match progressed. They really did have the crowd at the tip of their fingers as they fell for every reversal and second of drama they created. Chris Jericho would end up falling for a RKO after he jumped off the top rope as Orton would then pose in front of an unconscious Jericho before pinning him. Did I say Orton works better as a heel? Because he is miles better as a heel and that just proved it. Another solid match on the card.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ***1/2
Match 7: WWE Divas Championship - Paige (c) vs. AJ Lee vs. Nikki Bella
After the last match, there needed to be a bridge between that and the main event. Alas, the Divas Championship is on the line in a triple threat match. Basic Divas match here with the crowd really not caring much for the action in the ring despite their efforts. AJ Lee is able to lock Paige in her Black Widow to win her third championship. Decent for what it was but nothing more. Ready for the main event.
Winner: AJ Lee
Rating: *1/2
Match 8: WWE World Heavyweight Championship - Brock Lesnar (c) vs. John Cena
Brock Lesnar steamrolled through John Cena at Summerslam en route to becoming the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. That match consisted of Lesnar suplexing the hell out of Cena and making it look like Cena's worst loss of his career. Like that much, this was similar in Lesnar dominating Cena for the most part but Cena was able to get some more offense in this time around. Surprising how this match never main evented a WrestleMania because the crowd was absolutely buzzing for this one. Cena was able to lock Lesnar in an STF and possibly had Lesnar ready to tap until Seth Rollins appeared and hit Cena in the back with his Money in the Bank briefcase along with hitting Lesnar with a Curb Stomp. A disqualification is called before Rollins attempts to cash in his contract but Cena attacked Rollins from behind and stopped that. The last scene, however, is Lesnar standing tall alone in the ring as he gives Cena an F-5 for his troubles. As much as people hate on disqualification endings in main event matches, this certainly worked. Cena doesn't get a big loss for two PPVs in a row, Lesnar still looks dominant, and Rollins remains the wild card in all of this and gets to feud with Cena while Lesnar is out of television. As for the match, it was one of Lesnar's weaker ones but again, it served its purpose and kept the crowd entertained.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: **3/4
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
While nothing in the show completely blew me away, this was still a solid show that I think was nicely booked from the start to the finish. The main concern I have with some of these PPVs is how recycled they feel. It's almost as if I have seen all of these matches on another PPV or on an edition of Raw before.
Rating: 7.75/10
Monday, August 20, 2018
Match of the Week (August 20, 2018) - Mark Henry vs. The Undertaker (WWE Unforgiven 2007)
I honestly didn't mean to choose two Undertaker matches in a row to start off my Match of the Week posts. Nonetheless, The Undertaker is still going to be my feature considering he will be returning to the ring in October to face Triple H. Look, we all know the battles these two have had but I figured I would dig deep to September of 2007. I was just a freshman in high school and the WWE was coming off the worst summer in its existence. Injuries and controversies plagued the company as a whole but finally... The Deadman was ready to make his return and get some revenge against a man who had decimated him after The Undertaker had gone through a grueling steel cage match, Mark Henry. The weeks leading to this match on episodes of Friday Night SmackDown were so well put together and if there is anyone that could close out a PPV that already had two world championship matches on the card, it's The Undertaker. Was the match the greatest thing ever? Absolutely not, but not every match needs to be five stars with tons of nearfalls and crazy bumps everywhere. This match represented that not only was The Undertaker back, but the company was ready to get back on its feet again.
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Mark Henry vs. The Undertaker (Taken from WWE Unforgiven 2007 Review)
After being placed on the shelf for four months, The Phenom is set to return in a huge main event against Mark Henry. Henry comes down to the ring and talks tons of trash as he looks supremely confident. I always have to mention how great a heel Henry makes, this dude is ruthless and I absolutely love it. The Undertaker makes an incredible entrance to the ring as the Memphis crowd stands in awe. Shame this entrance tends to get forgotten, the ambiance created here was unreal. I could only imagine what it felt like to be in the arena for this. Henry managed to squeeze in some offense but this was The Deadman's show. Henry managed to also kick out of a Chokeslam but eventually had to succumb to a Last Ride. More of a spectacle than a match. They planned this match when Undertaker had to drop the title to Edge and had Henry come out before that to plant the seeds. I like it, it all made sense and his return led for a grand main event to save the show and give the fans a big reason to buy the PPV. What a return for The Undertaker as he goes on to now challenge for the top prize on SmackDown.
Winner: The Undertaker
Rating: **1/2
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Mark Henry vs. The Undertaker (Taken from WWE Unforgiven 2007 Review)
After being placed on the shelf for four months, The Phenom is set to return in a huge main event against Mark Henry. Henry comes down to the ring and talks tons of trash as he looks supremely confident. I always have to mention how great a heel Henry makes, this dude is ruthless and I absolutely love it. The Undertaker makes an incredible entrance to the ring as the Memphis crowd stands in awe. Shame this entrance tends to get forgotten, the ambiance created here was unreal. I could only imagine what it felt like to be in the arena for this. Henry managed to squeeze in some offense but this was The Deadman's show. Henry managed to also kick out of a Chokeslam but eventually had to succumb to a Last Ride. More of a spectacle than a match. They planned this match when Undertaker had to drop the title to Edge and had Henry come out before that to plant the seeds. I like it, it all made sense and his return led for a grand main event to save the show and give the fans a big reason to buy the PPV. What a return for The Undertaker as he goes on to now challenge for the top prize on SmackDown.
Winner: The Undertaker
Rating: **1/2
Friday, August 17, 2018
WWE Summerslam 2015 Review
The rematch the wrestling world has been anticipating since the most
shocking moment in history, The Undertaker looks to avenge his
WrestleMania XXX loss against Brock Lesnar in the main event. Also, John
Cena and Seth Rollins face off in a title unification match. WWE comes
to Brooklyn for the biggest event of the summer.
Match 1: Randy Orton vs. Sheamus
One of these days, I am going to look back and see how many times I have reviewed a singles match between these two. Anyway, after a horrendous opening with the supremely annoying Jon Stewart, these two finally kick off the show. Stiff action and enjoyable to watch with a stupid New York crowd trying their best to hijack the show with old chants. You pretty much know what you are going to get with these two but it felt like the sped things up a bit and gave us a more enthralling effort. Loved the finish that saw Sheamus push Orton off an attempted RKO before following it with two Brogue Kicks. As the Money in the Bank winner, Sheamus needed a big win and one against Randy Orton certainly helps his cause. Orton can take a loss and still be where he was anytime.
Winner: Sheamus
Rating: ***1/4
Match 2: WWE Tag Team Championships - Primetime Players (c) vs. The New Day vs. Lucha Dragons vs. Los Matadores
Nice way to get all these guys on the card as The New Day is riding all the momentum in the world in their efforts to take down three other teams. Glad to see this match get the time it deserved as they certainly made every second count with action that would not stop with Xavier Woods at ringside making hilarious comments and trying to insert himself in the match. Titus O'Neil has come a long way in the WWE and definitely had his star shining here when he literally took out everybody in this match individually. However, a blind tag by Kofi Kingston allowed him to score the win for his team as The New Day are the new champions! Fun tag match here with tons of twists and turns that eventually led to The New Day stealing one. Would have loved to see Primetime Players retain here but there was no doubt that The New Day is the hottest commodity in the tag team division.
Winners: The New Day
Rating: ***3/4
Match 3: Dolph Ziggler vs. Rusev
Both Dolph Ziggler and Rusev are facing dilemmas with their own ladies and the two face off here with the ladies at ringside. Since losing to John Cena at WrestleMania, definitely felt like much of Rusev's momentum had been lost and nearly derailed at some points. The two had some great exchanges and really good chemistry here as Ziggler did a great job in fighting as an underdog against the stronger and bigger Rusev. A double countout ends the match when Ziggler kicks the living daylights out of Rusev on the outside and isn't able to get himself back into the ring before the final count. Afterwards, the two ladies go at it before being held back by their respective boyfriends. Another solid match on the card and dig the double countout to end the match as it allows for the feud to grow into something bigger from this.
Winner: n/a
Rating: **3/4
Match 4: King Barrett and Stardust vs. Neville and Stephen Amell
Of course, the WWE really wanted to get their movie star on the card as a little shove from Stardust against Stephen Amell on an edition of Raw proved to be the spark to the fire. The Green Arrow teams with the Red Arrow himself to take on the team of King Barrett and Stardust. Credit where it is due, Amell looks to be in great physical shape as was able to more than hold himself well in the ring and look legitimate in his role while also being able to display how was in an uncomfortable league. Cool spot saw Amell dive off the top rope onto the outside as he took out both Barrett and Stardust in the process. Finally, a Red Arrow from the top by Neville proved to be the nail in the coffin as he wins it for his team. Great match and easily one of the better performances from a movie star in the WWE. Crowd wasn't too much into the action but they were certainly paying attention.
Winners: Neville and Stephen Amell
Rating: **
Match 5: WWE Intercontinental Championship - Ryback (c) vs. The Big Show vs. The Miz
Another Summerslam, another random match for The Big Show to be a part of. The Miz is up to his dastardly tricks again by letting Ryback and The Big Show duke it out themselves in the beginning of the match before getting himself involved. For what was such a short match, the guys in the ring packed in as much action necessary to keep the fans invested. Big Show was able to hit a Knockout Punch on Miz before getting clotheslined out of the ring by Ryback. Ryback is able to pin an unconscious Miz to retain his championship. Definitely enjoyed the match for what it was but question the finish, what kind of babyface champion does this make Ryback for basically taking the pin for Big Show putting in the work?
Winner: Ryback
Rating: **1/2
Match 6: The Wyatt Family vs. Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns
Finally reunited with Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper helps Wyatt's cause in taking out both Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns. Of course, Wyatt and Harper basically had no chance in winning this one but they still did a great job in selling the match and doing their best to make it look like they had a believable chance. While this certainly felt like a main event match you would expect to see on an episode of Monday Night Raw, the action was fun and the Brooklyn crowd was hot for this one... especially for Reigns. They can boo him and talk all the noise they want, but they are giving him the biggest reaction of the night regardless. Per usual, the chemistry was on point as a Dirty Deeds from Ambrose onto Wyatt leading into a Spear from Reigns capped off the match.
Winners: Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns
Rating: ***1/2
Match 7: WWE World Heavyweight Championship - WWE United States Championship - John Cena (c) vs. Seth Rollins (c)
This is certainly a dream match of sorts for me as I recall watching Seth Rollins wrestle as Tyler Black back in the day and wondering what a match against John Cena would look like. So many stories heading into this one with Rollins breaking the nose of Cena on episode of Raw prior to this along with Cena looking to tie Ric Flair as a 16 time world champion. The two brought out their best here with some really innovative spots along with an incredible display of athleticism such as Rollins diving through the ropes three times in succession. One of the coolest points in the match saw Cena lock Rollins in a Figure Four, a callback to Flair. How cool would it be to see Cena tie Flair's record with that submission? Also interesting to note how Rollins has changed his style in the ring after getting injured later in 2015, his style was certainly reminiscent of his days of Ring of Honor with an emphasis on so many dives and big spots. The biggest story from this match was Jon Stewart coming in to hit Cena with a steel chair and letting Rollins plant Cena with a Pedigree on that chair to pick up the win. Rollins becomes the first individual to simultaneously hold both the World Heavyweight and United States Championships. I get that the WWE wanted to get some sort of noteriety with that finish, but man, I really can't be the only one who gets annoyed as hell whenever Stewart is on my television. This is supposed to be one of the biggest matches in WWE history and we have to settle with a political comedian being the deciding factor? Come on! Even still, I will try not to let it spoil the taste in the mouth and understand how great of a contest it was before that.
Winner: Seth Rollins
Rating: ****1/4
Match 8: Elimination - Team Bella vs. Team B.A.D. vs. PCB
Around this time is when the Divas Revolution was starting to really come into its own as these three teams get their chance to shine on the summer's biggest stage. Brie Bella is able to pin Tamina to eliminate Team B.A.D. from the equation before going up against the team of Paige, Charlotte and Becky Lynch of PCB. Once it's down to these two teams, the action certainly picks up a notch. Nonstop action with the six ladies in the ring with Lynch being able to pin Brie to score the win for her side. Great win for the newcomers and placing a new emphasis on PCB. Good match.
Winners: PCB
Rating: **1/2
Match 9: Cesaro vs. Kevin Owens
Super awesome to see these two go at it on such a big stage after years of watching them wrestle on the independents. A true testament to their passion and dedication. Kevin Owens was still fairly new to the scene here and at this point, the company was certainly not too shy from giving him big matches and wins. The chemistry he had with Cesaro was fantastic, perhaps considering how long they have been wrestling against each other, it should not come as a surprise to anyone. Cesaro really proved that he can more than hang with the top dogs of the company here, can't help but marvel at how strong and athletic this guy is. We see him pick up guys every time with ease that we forget what a monster he is. The crowd was hot for both guys and loved seeing Owens hit his Pop-Up Powerbomb to pick up the big win. We need more of this.
Winner: Kevin Owens
Rating: ***1/2
Match 10: Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker
The rematch 16 months in the making. To put things into perspective, the last time Brock Lesnar had been pinned was at WrestleMania 29 against Triple H. Not waiting, Lesnar attacked The Deadman before he could take his coat off and as Undertaker fended off Lesnar, you just knew that this match had a different type of intensity to it. For as bad as Undertaker looked in his last two WrestleMania matches, he easily made up for them in this match. He looked motivated to make up for those matches and took some ridiculous bumps like an F5 through the announcers table that just looked downright nasty. One thing you will get from a Lesnar match is intensity. And with that intensity, Lesnar eliminates the idea of having a PG match. Let's be honest, the dude could basically say or do whatever he wants in a match and will almost have no repercussions for it. For instance, early on in the match, Lesnar was driven into a turnbuckle and was visibly cut with blood coming out of his forehead. Regardless if he bladed or not, it looked like he couldn't give a damn about the cut and continued his onslaught against Undertaker which added another layer of intensity to the match. The big story for this match was the finish. Lesnar had Undertaker locked in a Kimura which caused The Undertaker to tap out. How many times have you heard that before? The referee never called for the bell but the time keeper immediately rang the bell which caused much confusion. With the referee discounting the ring, Undertaker low blowed Lesnar and put him in a Hell's Gate. Defiant until the end, Lesnar saluted Undertaker with a middle finger as he passed out. The referee called for the bell as The Undertaker had finally avenged his biggest loss. Interesting finish here with Lesnar having an out for his loss and of course, another rematch set down the line inside Hell in a Cell. That is how you book a feud, my friends. What surprises me is how forgotten this match has become, the crowd was hot throughout and the intensity level was high from the start. An incredible effort from both parties.
Winner: The Undertaker
Rating: ****1/2
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
I loved this edition of Summerslam, a great combination of awesome in-ring action and big moments that give us good reason to go back and rewatch this. Am I in the minority here? Probably, but that doesn't stop me from giving this show two thumbs up. It was an easy watch from the start to the finish and certainly ranks up there as one of my personal favorite Summerslam events.
Rating: 9/10
Match 1: Randy Orton vs. Sheamus
One of these days, I am going to look back and see how many times I have reviewed a singles match between these two. Anyway, after a horrendous opening with the supremely annoying Jon Stewart, these two finally kick off the show. Stiff action and enjoyable to watch with a stupid New York crowd trying their best to hijack the show with old chants. You pretty much know what you are going to get with these two but it felt like the sped things up a bit and gave us a more enthralling effort. Loved the finish that saw Sheamus push Orton off an attempted RKO before following it with two Brogue Kicks. As the Money in the Bank winner, Sheamus needed a big win and one against Randy Orton certainly helps his cause. Orton can take a loss and still be where he was anytime.
Winner: Sheamus
Rating: ***1/4
Match 2: WWE Tag Team Championships - Primetime Players (c) vs. The New Day vs. Lucha Dragons vs. Los Matadores
Nice way to get all these guys on the card as The New Day is riding all the momentum in the world in their efforts to take down three other teams. Glad to see this match get the time it deserved as they certainly made every second count with action that would not stop with Xavier Woods at ringside making hilarious comments and trying to insert himself in the match. Titus O'Neil has come a long way in the WWE and definitely had his star shining here when he literally took out everybody in this match individually. However, a blind tag by Kofi Kingston allowed him to score the win for his team as The New Day are the new champions! Fun tag match here with tons of twists and turns that eventually led to The New Day stealing one. Would have loved to see Primetime Players retain here but there was no doubt that The New Day is the hottest commodity in the tag team division.
Winners: The New Day
Rating: ***3/4
Match 3: Dolph Ziggler vs. Rusev
Both Dolph Ziggler and Rusev are facing dilemmas with their own ladies and the two face off here with the ladies at ringside. Since losing to John Cena at WrestleMania, definitely felt like much of Rusev's momentum had been lost and nearly derailed at some points. The two had some great exchanges and really good chemistry here as Ziggler did a great job in fighting as an underdog against the stronger and bigger Rusev. A double countout ends the match when Ziggler kicks the living daylights out of Rusev on the outside and isn't able to get himself back into the ring before the final count. Afterwards, the two ladies go at it before being held back by their respective boyfriends. Another solid match on the card and dig the double countout to end the match as it allows for the feud to grow into something bigger from this.
Winner: n/a
Rating: **3/4
Match 4: King Barrett and Stardust vs. Neville and Stephen Amell
Of course, the WWE really wanted to get their movie star on the card as a little shove from Stardust against Stephen Amell on an edition of Raw proved to be the spark to the fire. The Green Arrow teams with the Red Arrow himself to take on the team of King Barrett and Stardust. Credit where it is due, Amell looks to be in great physical shape as was able to more than hold himself well in the ring and look legitimate in his role while also being able to display how was in an uncomfortable league. Cool spot saw Amell dive off the top rope onto the outside as he took out both Barrett and Stardust in the process. Finally, a Red Arrow from the top by Neville proved to be the nail in the coffin as he wins it for his team. Great match and easily one of the better performances from a movie star in the WWE. Crowd wasn't too much into the action but they were certainly paying attention.
Winners: Neville and Stephen Amell
Rating: **
Match 5: WWE Intercontinental Championship - Ryback (c) vs. The Big Show vs. The Miz
Another Summerslam, another random match for The Big Show to be a part of. The Miz is up to his dastardly tricks again by letting Ryback and The Big Show duke it out themselves in the beginning of the match before getting himself involved. For what was such a short match, the guys in the ring packed in as much action necessary to keep the fans invested. Big Show was able to hit a Knockout Punch on Miz before getting clotheslined out of the ring by Ryback. Ryback is able to pin an unconscious Miz to retain his championship. Definitely enjoyed the match for what it was but question the finish, what kind of babyface champion does this make Ryback for basically taking the pin for Big Show putting in the work?
Winner: Ryback
Rating: **1/2
Match 6: The Wyatt Family vs. Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns
Finally reunited with Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper helps Wyatt's cause in taking out both Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns. Of course, Wyatt and Harper basically had no chance in winning this one but they still did a great job in selling the match and doing their best to make it look like they had a believable chance. While this certainly felt like a main event match you would expect to see on an episode of Monday Night Raw, the action was fun and the Brooklyn crowd was hot for this one... especially for Reigns. They can boo him and talk all the noise they want, but they are giving him the biggest reaction of the night regardless. Per usual, the chemistry was on point as a Dirty Deeds from Ambrose onto Wyatt leading into a Spear from Reigns capped off the match.
Winners: Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns
Rating: ***1/2
Match 7: WWE World Heavyweight Championship - WWE United States Championship - John Cena (c) vs. Seth Rollins (c)
This is certainly a dream match of sorts for me as I recall watching Seth Rollins wrestle as Tyler Black back in the day and wondering what a match against John Cena would look like. So many stories heading into this one with Rollins breaking the nose of Cena on episode of Raw prior to this along with Cena looking to tie Ric Flair as a 16 time world champion. The two brought out their best here with some really innovative spots along with an incredible display of athleticism such as Rollins diving through the ropes three times in succession. One of the coolest points in the match saw Cena lock Rollins in a Figure Four, a callback to Flair. How cool would it be to see Cena tie Flair's record with that submission? Also interesting to note how Rollins has changed his style in the ring after getting injured later in 2015, his style was certainly reminiscent of his days of Ring of Honor with an emphasis on so many dives and big spots. The biggest story from this match was Jon Stewart coming in to hit Cena with a steel chair and letting Rollins plant Cena with a Pedigree on that chair to pick up the win. Rollins becomes the first individual to simultaneously hold both the World Heavyweight and United States Championships. I get that the WWE wanted to get some sort of noteriety with that finish, but man, I really can't be the only one who gets annoyed as hell whenever Stewart is on my television. This is supposed to be one of the biggest matches in WWE history and we have to settle with a political comedian being the deciding factor? Come on! Even still, I will try not to let it spoil the taste in the mouth and understand how great of a contest it was before that.
Winner: Seth Rollins
Rating: ****1/4
Match 8: Elimination - Team Bella vs. Team B.A.D. vs. PCB
Around this time is when the Divas Revolution was starting to really come into its own as these three teams get their chance to shine on the summer's biggest stage. Brie Bella is able to pin Tamina to eliminate Team B.A.D. from the equation before going up against the team of Paige, Charlotte and Becky Lynch of PCB. Once it's down to these two teams, the action certainly picks up a notch. Nonstop action with the six ladies in the ring with Lynch being able to pin Brie to score the win for her side. Great win for the newcomers and placing a new emphasis on PCB. Good match.
Winners: PCB
Rating: **1/2
Match 9: Cesaro vs. Kevin Owens
Super awesome to see these two go at it on such a big stage after years of watching them wrestle on the independents. A true testament to their passion and dedication. Kevin Owens was still fairly new to the scene here and at this point, the company was certainly not too shy from giving him big matches and wins. The chemistry he had with Cesaro was fantastic, perhaps considering how long they have been wrestling against each other, it should not come as a surprise to anyone. Cesaro really proved that he can more than hang with the top dogs of the company here, can't help but marvel at how strong and athletic this guy is. We see him pick up guys every time with ease that we forget what a monster he is. The crowd was hot for both guys and loved seeing Owens hit his Pop-Up Powerbomb to pick up the big win. We need more of this.
Winner: Kevin Owens
Rating: ***1/2
Match 10: Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker
The rematch 16 months in the making. To put things into perspective, the last time Brock Lesnar had been pinned was at WrestleMania 29 against Triple H. Not waiting, Lesnar attacked The Deadman before he could take his coat off and as Undertaker fended off Lesnar, you just knew that this match had a different type of intensity to it. For as bad as Undertaker looked in his last two WrestleMania matches, he easily made up for them in this match. He looked motivated to make up for those matches and took some ridiculous bumps like an F5 through the announcers table that just looked downright nasty. One thing you will get from a Lesnar match is intensity. And with that intensity, Lesnar eliminates the idea of having a PG match. Let's be honest, the dude could basically say or do whatever he wants in a match and will almost have no repercussions for it. For instance, early on in the match, Lesnar was driven into a turnbuckle and was visibly cut with blood coming out of his forehead. Regardless if he bladed or not, it looked like he couldn't give a damn about the cut and continued his onslaught against Undertaker which added another layer of intensity to the match. The big story for this match was the finish. Lesnar had Undertaker locked in a Kimura which caused The Undertaker to tap out. How many times have you heard that before? The referee never called for the bell but the time keeper immediately rang the bell which caused much confusion. With the referee discounting the ring, Undertaker low blowed Lesnar and put him in a Hell's Gate. Defiant until the end, Lesnar saluted Undertaker with a middle finger as he passed out. The referee called for the bell as The Undertaker had finally avenged his biggest loss. Interesting finish here with Lesnar having an out for his loss and of course, another rematch set down the line inside Hell in a Cell. That is how you book a feud, my friends. What surprises me is how forgotten this match has become, the crowd was hot throughout and the intensity level was high from the start. An incredible effort from both parties.
Winner: The Undertaker
Rating: ****1/2
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
I loved this edition of Summerslam, a great combination of awesome in-ring action and big moments that give us good reason to go back and rewatch this. Am I in the minority here? Probably, but that doesn't stop me from giving this show two thumbs up. It was an easy watch from the start to the finish and certainly ranks up there as one of my personal favorite Summerslam events.
Rating: 9/10
Wednesday, August 15, 2018
WWE The Great American Bash 2005 Review
Batista and his reign as the WWE World Heavyweight Champion looks to
be in trouble as JBL looks to derail the fast train that is The Animal.
Will Batista be able to take down another another challenger or will he
fall flat in his efforts?
Match 1: WWE Tag Team Championships - MNM (c) vs. Legion of Doom
Paying respects to his former partner, Road Warrior Animal teams up with Heidenreich to take on the team of Johnny Nitro and Joey Mercury. MNM was still relatively new to the scene here and having to go against an old Road Warrior Animal and a very stiff Heidenreich was not the easiest of tasks. With a few mishaps along the way, the match ended pretty quickly with LOD being able to hit a Doomsday Device to pick up the win. Forget the quality of the match, that was a cool moment to see Animal get the win and then get on the mic as he dedicated it to his old partner. Nice way to open the show.
Winners: Legion of Doom
Rating: *1/2
Match 2: Christian vs. Booker T
Around this time, Christian was losing his charm and unfortunately, his character was consistently being booked as a chump despite some great crowd reactions. Coming off a big win against Booker T on an edition of SmackDown, Christian looked to do the same here on a bigger stage. Between the two veterans here, this was a solid match that did not need any flashiness or crazy spots, smart wrestling that continued to escalate before Booker T hit a Scissor Kick from the second rope to score the win and avenge his loss. This is a good example of how a good match does not need a ton of nearfalls and a ton of dives. Good stuff from both parties on this one. Just a shame that Christian would soon leave the company following this.
Winner: Booker T
Rating: ***1/4
Match 3: WWE United States Championship - Orlando Jordan (c) vs. Chris Benoit
Still hard to believe that the WWE had some stock in Orlando Jordan back in the day. As stiff and uncoordinated he was at times here, Chris Benoit was able to get some good out of him in this match. Good balance of control throughout this match with Benoit nicely setting himself up for a big comeback at the end before Jordan was able to drive Benoit into an exposed turnbuckle to secure the win. Two things here. One, this may have been the best Orlando Jordan match I have seen. Granted, I have not seen too many of them but I have seen enough to get a gauge of who he is in the ring. Two, Benoit was a master of the craft and this match was a reminder of that.
Winner: Orlando Jordan
Rating: **3/4
Match 4: Muhammad Hassan vs. The Undertaker
For those who don't remember, Muhammad Hassan was scheduled to actually beat Batista at the following PPV in Summerslam and become the youngest WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Those plans derailed way off the tracks when a controversial angle on an edition of Friday Night SmackDown featuring a bunch of hooded goons laying waste against The Undertaker took Hassan off television. Sure, the dude had a lot of heat behind him but there was no denying that he was still pretty green in the ring. The match here just wasn't anything special and the goons that Hassan had surrounding the ring was the biggest story here. Undertaker had to fend off both the attackers and Hassan at the same time as he almost got choked out at ringside while the referee was distracted. However, a Chokeslam to Hassan was enough to put him away to secure the win. Afterwards, The Undertaker takes everybody out before hitting a Last Ride on top of the stage to Hassan to put him away. If I'm correct, this would go on to be Hassan's final appearance with the WWE. What a shame.
Winner: The Undertaker
Rating: *1/2
Match 5: The Mexicools vs. The Blue World Order
I forgot how bad some of these gimmicks in 2005 were. If you are like me and forgot, then this is the match for you. I should also note that I'm not even too sure who the babyfaces and heels were in this one, the crowd just could not care less for this match. Psicosis is able to hit a leg drop from the top rope onto Stevie Richards to pick up the win for his team in another fairly short contest. Nothing to see here, just bridging the gap between the last match and the next one.
Winners: The Mexicools
Rating: *1/4
Match 6: Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio
Welp, these two were in the midst of a feud that went from friendly to personal real fast. Had Eddie Guerrero be the winner for this match, he would spoil Rey Mysterio's biggest secret that was surrounding his son in Dominic. I recall this feud getting a lot of flack back in the day, but Eddie was just fantastic as a heel in my opinion and really made this whole thing work well with Mysterio's sentimental personality. Unlike their other bouts, much of this match focused on what was at ringside more so than what was actually happening in the ring. Dominic was seated at ringside per Guerrero's request and the two did a great job in playing the story, especially with Guerrero being so obsessed in humiliating Mysterio in front of his son. Either way, it's always a pleasure to see these two go at it in a squared circle. Guerrero is able to hit a Frog Splash from the top but as he wastes his time with a silly pin, Mysterio flips the switch and pins Guerrero for a surprise win. Mysterio escapes with his son as an angry Guerrero looks pissed that he let the match slip through his fingertips, this is definitely not the end. They worked a well constructed match that gives the fans the idea that the good guy prevails but in all actuality, things would get even worse after this. Guerrero was masterful in his role during this time, completely looking like a vicious monster throughout. Love it.
Winner: Rey Mysterio
Rating: ***
Match 7: Bra and Panties - Melina vs. Torrie Wilson
Melina does not look happy as she walks her way down the ramp to take on Torrie Wilson in a classic bra and panties match with Candice Michelle serving as the referee. For a bra and panties match, this was more physical than usual. But that doesn't mean for me to say that the match was super enjoyable. Of course, nobody was taking this match seriously as the two simply just tried to undress each other with Melina finally unclothing Wilson to score the win. Afterwards, Michelle and Wilson team up to unclothe Melina as she runs off in disgust. I mean, it wouldn't be a PPV without this, right?
Winner: Melina
Rating: 3/4*
Match 8: WWE World Heavyweight Championship - Batista (c) vs. JBL
With John Cena getting drafted to Raw, Batista would go on to jump ships and become a member of SmackDown. This match makes him the first man to headline both a Raw PPV and a SmackDown PPV within a month. Former champion in JBL would be The Animal's first challenger on SmackDown. Decent match here with JBL brutalizing Batista for the majority of the contest before some interference from Orlando Jordan led to Batista drilling both Jordan and JBL with a steel chair as the referee would call for disqualification. As the announcer announced JBL as the winner, Batista would hit him with a Batista Bomb for his troubles. Obviously, they would go on to have a bigger rematch after this but after such a bad show, nobody wants to see it end with a disqualification finish. Like the Guerrero vs. Mysterio match earlier, this felt more like an angle instead of an actual match and puts into perspective why somebody would actually pay for an event like this when they can just save their money for Summerslam. A finish with Batista hitting a Batista Bomb after a steel chair shot and actually pinning him would work just as fine as the finish that actually happened.
Winner: JBL
Rating: **3/4
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Very disappointing outing from the WWE here with the card lacking any real substance as the main event only serving to be an angle for the rest of their feud. Another great reminder of how some of these brand-exclusive PPVs just weren't working out for the company.
Rating: 4/10
Match 1: WWE Tag Team Championships - MNM (c) vs. Legion of Doom
Paying respects to his former partner, Road Warrior Animal teams up with Heidenreich to take on the team of Johnny Nitro and Joey Mercury. MNM was still relatively new to the scene here and having to go against an old Road Warrior Animal and a very stiff Heidenreich was not the easiest of tasks. With a few mishaps along the way, the match ended pretty quickly with LOD being able to hit a Doomsday Device to pick up the win. Forget the quality of the match, that was a cool moment to see Animal get the win and then get on the mic as he dedicated it to his old partner. Nice way to open the show.
Winners: Legion of Doom
Rating: *1/2
Match 2: Christian vs. Booker T
Around this time, Christian was losing his charm and unfortunately, his character was consistently being booked as a chump despite some great crowd reactions. Coming off a big win against Booker T on an edition of SmackDown, Christian looked to do the same here on a bigger stage. Between the two veterans here, this was a solid match that did not need any flashiness or crazy spots, smart wrestling that continued to escalate before Booker T hit a Scissor Kick from the second rope to score the win and avenge his loss. This is a good example of how a good match does not need a ton of nearfalls and a ton of dives. Good stuff from both parties on this one. Just a shame that Christian would soon leave the company following this.
Winner: Booker T
Rating: ***1/4
Match 3: WWE United States Championship - Orlando Jordan (c) vs. Chris Benoit
Still hard to believe that the WWE had some stock in Orlando Jordan back in the day. As stiff and uncoordinated he was at times here, Chris Benoit was able to get some good out of him in this match. Good balance of control throughout this match with Benoit nicely setting himself up for a big comeback at the end before Jordan was able to drive Benoit into an exposed turnbuckle to secure the win. Two things here. One, this may have been the best Orlando Jordan match I have seen. Granted, I have not seen too many of them but I have seen enough to get a gauge of who he is in the ring. Two, Benoit was a master of the craft and this match was a reminder of that.
Winner: Orlando Jordan
Rating: **3/4
Match 4: Muhammad Hassan vs. The Undertaker
For those who don't remember, Muhammad Hassan was scheduled to actually beat Batista at the following PPV in Summerslam and become the youngest WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Those plans derailed way off the tracks when a controversial angle on an edition of Friday Night SmackDown featuring a bunch of hooded goons laying waste against The Undertaker took Hassan off television. Sure, the dude had a lot of heat behind him but there was no denying that he was still pretty green in the ring. The match here just wasn't anything special and the goons that Hassan had surrounding the ring was the biggest story here. Undertaker had to fend off both the attackers and Hassan at the same time as he almost got choked out at ringside while the referee was distracted. However, a Chokeslam to Hassan was enough to put him away to secure the win. Afterwards, The Undertaker takes everybody out before hitting a Last Ride on top of the stage to Hassan to put him away. If I'm correct, this would go on to be Hassan's final appearance with the WWE. What a shame.
Winner: The Undertaker
Rating: *1/2
Match 5: The Mexicools vs. The Blue World Order
I forgot how bad some of these gimmicks in 2005 were. If you are like me and forgot, then this is the match for you. I should also note that I'm not even too sure who the babyfaces and heels were in this one, the crowd just could not care less for this match. Psicosis is able to hit a leg drop from the top rope onto Stevie Richards to pick up the win for his team in another fairly short contest. Nothing to see here, just bridging the gap between the last match and the next one.
Winners: The Mexicools
Rating: *1/4
Match 6: Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio
Welp, these two were in the midst of a feud that went from friendly to personal real fast. Had Eddie Guerrero be the winner for this match, he would spoil Rey Mysterio's biggest secret that was surrounding his son in Dominic. I recall this feud getting a lot of flack back in the day, but Eddie was just fantastic as a heel in my opinion and really made this whole thing work well with Mysterio's sentimental personality. Unlike their other bouts, much of this match focused on what was at ringside more so than what was actually happening in the ring. Dominic was seated at ringside per Guerrero's request and the two did a great job in playing the story, especially with Guerrero being so obsessed in humiliating Mysterio in front of his son. Either way, it's always a pleasure to see these two go at it in a squared circle. Guerrero is able to hit a Frog Splash from the top but as he wastes his time with a silly pin, Mysterio flips the switch and pins Guerrero for a surprise win. Mysterio escapes with his son as an angry Guerrero looks pissed that he let the match slip through his fingertips, this is definitely not the end. They worked a well constructed match that gives the fans the idea that the good guy prevails but in all actuality, things would get even worse after this. Guerrero was masterful in his role during this time, completely looking like a vicious monster throughout. Love it.
Winner: Rey Mysterio
Rating: ***
Match 7: Bra and Panties - Melina vs. Torrie Wilson
Melina does not look happy as she walks her way down the ramp to take on Torrie Wilson in a classic bra and panties match with Candice Michelle serving as the referee. For a bra and panties match, this was more physical than usual. But that doesn't mean for me to say that the match was super enjoyable. Of course, nobody was taking this match seriously as the two simply just tried to undress each other with Melina finally unclothing Wilson to score the win. Afterwards, Michelle and Wilson team up to unclothe Melina as she runs off in disgust. I mean, it wouldn't be a PPV without this, right?
Winner: Melina
Rating: 3/4*
Match 8: WWE World Heavyweight Championship - Batista (c) vs. JBL
With John Cena getting drafted to Raw, Batista would go on to jump ships and become a member of SmackDown. This match makes him the first man to headline both a Raw PPV and a SmackDown PPV within a month. Former champion in JBL would be The Animal's first challenger on SmackDown. Decent match here with JBL brutalizing Batista for the majority of the contest before some interference from Orlando Jordan led to Batista drilling both Jordan and JBL with a steel chair as the referee would call for disqualification. As the announcer announced JBL as the winner, Batista would hit him with a Batista Bomb for his troubles. Obviously, they would go on to have a bigger rematch after this but after such a bad show, nobody wants to see it end with a disqualification finish. Like the Guerrero vs. Mysterio match earlier, this felt more like an angle instead of an actual match and puts into perspective why somebody would actually pay for an event like this when they can just save their money for Summerslam. A finish with Batista hitting a Batista Bomb after a steel chair shot and actually pinning him would work just as fine as the finish that actually happened.
Winner: JBL
Rating: **3/4
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Very disappointing outing from the WWE here with the card lacking any real substance as the main event only serving to be an angle for the rest of their feud. Another great reminder of how some of these brand-exclusive PPVs just weren't working out for the company.
Rating: 4/10
Tuesday, August 14, 2018
WWE Night of Champions 2013 Review
Every championship is on the line as Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton headline the event for the WWE Championship. Also, CM Punk seeks revenge against his old manager in Paul Heyman in a no disqualification handicap match. It's the 2013 edition of Night of Champions!
Match 1: WWE Intercontinental Championship - Curtis Axel (c) vs. Kofi Kingston
After Triple H came out and got interrupted by both Paul Heyman and Curtis Axel, Axel was then forced to defend his gold against Kofi Kingston. Little fun fact, Kingston challenged Chris Jericho on the 2008 edition of Night of Champions. Like that match, this one also went unannounced prior to the start of the event. Tells you a lot where his career has gone unfortunately. Good action here to start off the night with Axel struggling to find his rhythm against the faster Kingston, goes well with Axel being unprepared for this match. Even still, Axel is able to swat Kingston away like a flay by planting him for his finisher to secure the win and retain the title before heading into his second match later in the night.
Winner: Curtis Axel
Rating: ***
Match 2: WWE Divas Championship - AJ Lee (c) vs. Natalya vs. Naomi vs. Brie Bella
AJ Lee was talking smack leading up to this contest about the new reality show in Total Divas which caused animosity between the ladies. They all ganged up on AJ early on in the match but after lots of sloppy wrestling spots, AJ was able to lock Natalya in a Black Widow to secure the win and retain her championship. We are still in 2013 and still are not able to get a quality match from the women. Come back in a couple more years.
Winner: AJ Lee
Rating: *1/4
Match 3: WWE World Heavyweight Championship - Alberto Del Rio (c) vs. Rob Van Dam
Very strange to see Ricardo Rodriguez accompany Rob Van Dam to the ring, always felt like he worked so much better as heel with Alberto Del Rio. His character was just doomed from the start once Del Rio dropped him. As expected, solid match here with Van Dam doing his usual array of innovative moves while Del Rio relentlessly attacking Van Dam like the great heel he is. After a failed Five Star Frog Splash, Del Rio locked Van Dam in a Cross Armbreaker and refused to break it once Van Dam reached the bottom rope. The referee then called for a disqualification as the crowd booed in disgust. Afterwards, with the help of Rodriguez, Van Dam hits a Van Daminator on Del Rio for his troubles. Enjoyed the match for what it was but just wasn't enough to be the show stealer as I was hoping for. Also, JBL notoriously hates ECW, so why was he hyping the Van Daminator? I thought he was a heel who would be so disgusted by this? Regardless, nobody likes a disqualification finish for a title match and this one is no exception.
Winner: Rob Van Dam
Rating: ***
Match 4: Fandango vs. The Miz
Is there any other wrestler who's star fell faster and harder than The Miz? He went from headlining WrestleMania to facing Fandango in the middle of a PPV. Thankfully, he has risen back to the top in 2018 and deservedly so, the dude is a star. Basic match here between the two with Fandango's star falling just as fast as the star fell for The Miz. Miz was able to lock in his Figure Four submission hold to submit Fandango for the win.
Winner: The Miz
Rating: *1/2
Match 5: Handicap Elimination - No Disqualification - Curtis Axel and Paul Heyman vs. CM Punk
CM Punk looks to get his redemption against his former manager in Paul Heyman as he must take on both him and Curtis Axel in a handicap elimination match. Heyman stood ringside in fear as he watched Axel try to take out Punk before he could get his hands on Heyman. The match basically consisted of Punk and Axel hitting each other with kendo sticks before Punk finally locked Axel in an Anaconda Vice. Axel taps and it is now time for Punk to get his hands on his former manager. Punk handcuffs Heyman and has himself a field day by teeing off on Heyman with a kendo stick before out of nowhere, Ryback appears and drives Punk through a table set up in the corner. Ryback places Heyman's body over an unconscious CM Punk to pick up the win. The match served its purpose but it wasn't anything spectacular and it just didn't make sense when the referee didn't end the match when Heyman said he was tipping while he was handcuffed. The Ryback spot was fine and sets up for a bigger match down the line with Punk getting his revenge on Heyman becoming a bigger deal.
Winners: Curtis Axel and Paul Heyman
Rating: **3/4
Match 6: WWE United States Championship - Dean Ambrose (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler
At this point, the crowd was a bit deflated after the roller coaster ride that was the last match and these two had to suffer from that. Didn't help that the action wasn't the most enthralling thing in the world and the crowd could just not care any less. With that even taken into account, they still wrestled a pretty decent match and one that didn't overstay its welcome. Ambrose is able to easily retain his title as Ziggler's career looks to continue headed down a spiral around this time.
Winner: Dean Ambrose
Rating: **
Match 7: WWE Tag Team Championships - The Shield (c) vs. The Primetime Players
After Dean Ambrose retained his championship, it was time for his Shield brothers to do the same against The Primetime Players. The Shield were still heels at this point and were running through the entire roster like nothing, unfortunately for The Primetime Players, they didn't stand a chance. With that being said, the match was at least competitive and Titus O'Neil continued to show some flashes of what a great superstar he could really be. However, O'Neil would later eat a Spear from Roman Reigns that would eventually seal the match.
Winners: The Shield
Rating: **1/2
Match 8: WWE Championship - Randy Orton (c) vs. Daniel Bryan
With no outside interference being tolerated for this contest, Daniel Bryan looks to score some retribution against Randy Orton and regain the WWE Championship. These two are so good that it almost looked like they weren't trying, they placed their spots nicely throughout the match and made every move and every hold make sense. I think we all tend to forget how good Orton is in the ring, he moves effortlessly and can make the simplest of moves look like the smoothest thing you have ever seen. Maybe because my expectations were really high for this, the match just didn't make me jump out of my seat. It was enjoyable but once Bryan hit a running knee on Orton to win the match, I couldn't help but think to myself, "That's it?" Even though they were set to have more matches down the line, I still felt like there should have been more here. For those who forgot, Triple H would go on to strip Bryan of his championship a night later on Raw which basically renders this match a complete angle towards his journey to WrestleMania. Something about this match was just missing, the celebration just didn't give me goosebumps and I wasn't convinced that this match made up for the lackluster card.
Winner: Daniel Bryan
Rating: ***3/4
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
I can't recall the last time I gave such a low score to a PPV, but this event certainly deserved it. The card didn't deliver on its expectations with the main event not being enough to save the show. While it was cool to see Daniel Bryan regain the WWE Championship, it just felt underwhelming and didn't allow me to forget how poor the rest of the card was.
Rating: 4.25/10
Match 1: WWE Intercontinental Championship - Curtis Axel (c) vs. Kofi Kingston
After Triple H came out and got interrupted by both Paul Heyman and Curtis Axel, Axel was then forced to defend his gold against Kofi Kingston. Little fun fact, Kingston challenged Chris Jericho on the 2008 edition of Night of Champions. Like that match, this one also went unannounced prior to the start of the event. Tells you a lot where his career has gone unfortunately. Good action here to start off the night with Axel struggling to find his rhythm against the faster Kingston, goes well with Axel being unprepared for this match. Even still, Axel is able to swat Kingston away like a flay by planting him for his finisher to secure the win and retain the title before heading into his second match later in the night.
Winner: Curtis Axel
Rating: ***
Match 2: WWE Divas Championship - AJ Lee (c) vs. Natalya vs. Naomi vs. Brie Bella
AJ Lee was talking smack leading up to this contest about the new reality show in Total Divas which caused animosity between the ladies. They all ganged up on AJ early on in the match but after lots of sloppy wrestling spots, AJ was able to lock Natalya in a Black Widow to secure the win and retain her championship. We are still in 2013 and still are not able to get a quality match from the women. Come back in a couple more years.
Winner: AJ Lee
Rating: *1/4
Match 3: WWE World Heavyweight Championship - Alberto Del Rio (c) vs. Rob Van Dam
Very strange to see Ricardo Rodriguez accompany Rob Van Dam to the ring, always felt like he worked so much better as heel with Alberto Del Rio. His character was just doomed from the start once Del Rio dropped him. As expected, solid match here with Van Dam doing his usual array of innovative moves while Del Rio relentlessly attacking Van Dam like the great heel he is. After a failed Five Star Frog Splash, Del Rio locked Van Dam in a Cross Armbreaker and refused to break it once Van Dam reached the bottom rope. The referee then called for a disqualification as the crowd booed in disgust. Afterwards, with the help of Rodriguez, Van Dam hits a Van Daminator on Del Rio for his troubles. Enjoyed the match for what it was but just wasn't enough to be the show stealer as I was hoping for. Also, JBL notoriously hates ECW, so why was he hyping the Van Daminator? I thought he was a heel who would be so disgusted by this? Regardless, nobody likes a disqualification finish for a title match and this one is no exception.
Winner: Rob Van Dam
Rating: ***
Match 4: Fandango vs. The Miz
Is there any other wrestler who's star fell faster and harder than The Miz? He went from headlining WrestleMania to facing Fandango in the middle of a PPV. Thankfully, he has risen back to the top in 2018 and deservedly so, the dude is a star. Basic match here between the two with Fandango's star falling just as fast as the star fell for The Miz. Miz was able to lock in his Figure Four submission hold to submit Fandango for the win.
Winner: The Miz
Rating: *1/2
Match 5: Handicap Elimination - No Disqualification - Curtis Axel and Paul Heyman vs. CM Punk
CM Punk looks to get his redemption against his former manager in Paul Heyman as he must take on both him and Curtis Axel in a handicap elimination match. Heyman stood ringside in fear as he watched Axel try to take out Punk before he could get his hands on Heyman. The match basically consisted of Punk and Axel hitting each other with kendo sticks before Punk finally locked Axel in an Anaconda Vice. Axel taps and it is now time for Punk to get his hands on his former manager. Punk handcuffs Heyman and has himself a field day by teeing off on Heyman with a kendo stick before out of nowhere, Ryback appears and drives Punk through a table set up in the corner. Ryback places Heyman's body over an unconscious CM Punk to pick up the win. The match served its purpose but it wasn't anything spectacular and it just didn't make sense when the referee didn't end the match when Heyman said he was tipping while he was handcuffed. The Ryback spot was fine and sets up for a bigger match down the line with Punk getting his revenge on Heyman becoming a bigger deal.
Winners: Curtis Axel and Paul Heyman
Rating: **3/4
Match 6: WWE United States Championship - Dean Ambrose (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler
At this point, the crowd was a bit deflated after the roller coaster ride that was the last match and these two had to suffer from that. Didn't help that the action wasn't the most enthralling thing in the world and the crowd could just not care any less. With that even taken into account, they still wrestled a pretty decent match and one that didn't overstay its welcome. Ambrose is able to easily retain his title as Ziggler's career looks to continue headed down a spiral around this time.
Winner: Dean Ambrose
Rating: **
Match 7: WWE Tag Team Championships - The Shield (c) vs. The Primetime Players
After Dean Ambrose retained his championship, it was time for his Shield brothers to do the same against The Primetime Players. The Shield were still heels at this point and were running through the entire roster like nothing, unfortunately for The Primetime Players, they didn't stand a chance. With that being said, the match was at least competitive and Titus O'Neil continued to show some flashes of what a great superstar he could really be. However, O'Neil would later eat a Spear from Roman Reigns that would eventually seal the match.
Winners: The Shield
Rating: **1/2
Match 8: WWE Championship - Randy Orton (c) vs. Daniel Bryan
With no outside interference being tolerated for this contest, Daniel Bryan looks to score some retribution against Randy Orton and regain the WWE Championship. These two are so good that it almost looked like they weren't trying, they placed their spots nicely throughout the match and made every move and every hold make sense. I think we all tend to forget how good Orton is in the ring, he moves effortlessly and can make the simplest of moves look like the smoothest thing you have ever seen. Maybe because my expectations were really high for this, the match just didn't make me jump out of my seat. It was enjoyable but once Bryan hit a running knee on Orton to win the match, I couldn't help but think to myself, "That's it?" Even though they were set to have more matches down the line, I still felt like there should have been more here. For those who forgot, Triple H would go on to strip Bryan of his championship a night later on Raw which basically renders this match a complete angle towards his journey to WrestleMania. Something about this match was just missing, the celebration just didn't give me goosebumps and I wasn't convinced that this match made up for the lackluster card.
Winner: Daniel Bryan
Rating: ***3/4
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
I can't recall the last time I gave such a low score to a PPV, but this event certainly deserved it. The card didn't deliver on its expectations with the main event not being enough to save the show. While it was cool to see Daniel Bryan regain the WWE Championship, it just felt underwhelming and didn't allow me to forget how poor the rest of the card was.
Rating: 4.25/10
Monday, August 13, 2018
Match of the Week (August 13, 2018) - Edge vs. The Undertaker (WWE Summerslam 2008)
With the 2018 edition of WWE's Summerslam fast approaching, I think it is only fitting that my first pick for the "Match of the Week" goes to one of my favorite Summerslam matches of all time. It goes like this... The Undertaker dethroned Edge at WrestleMania that year for his WWE World Heavyweight Championship but later lost to Edge in a TLC match months later to be banished from the WWE. However, Vickie Guerrero reinstated The Undertaker as he would go on to meet Edge one last time inside the infamous Hell in a Cell at the biggest PPV of the summer. Their match went on to be one of my favorite matches of all time and an incredible end to one of the best feuds of all time.
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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
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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
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