Match 1: Judgment Day 2002 - Hell in a Cell - Chris Jericho vs. Triple H
This
is probably one of the more forgettable Hell in a Cell matches, I
barely have any recollection of this match. As a matter of fact, one of
the more memorable spots of this match came when the referee in Tim
White got injured after getting tossed into the cage. I did enjoy how
you could definitely feel the animosity between the two throughout the
match. They were fighting each other everywhere and Chris Jericho was
relentless as he was constantly talking down to Triple H in the process.
With White getting injured inside the structure, other WWE officials
had to run into open the door and help him out. This allowed for Jericho
and Triple H to take the fight outside where it led them to the top of
the cell. After hitting Jericho with a barbed wire baseball bat, Triple H
hits a Pedigree on top of the cell to seal the win. Solid match that
dragged just a bit in the beginning before really turning up a notch
once the White bump happened. But again, this was certainly one of the
more forgettable Hell in a Cell matches that you will come across.
Winner: Triple H
Rating: ***1/2
Match 2: No Mercy 2002 - WWE Championship - Hell in a Cell - Brock Lesnar (c) vs. The Undertaker
One
of the rare instances where two Superstars would have two Hell in a
Cell matches began in 2002 when the young Brock Lesnar faced off against
The Undertaker in what was supposed to be their concluding match. This
was exactly what a Hell in a Cell match, bloody and brutal from the very
beginning to the very end. Loved the feud they had going into this with
their hatred for each other becoming extremely personal before Lesnar
would break Undertaker's hand on an episode of SmackDown. This forced
Undertaker to get a cast on his hand but he would be allowed to have it
on during the match. This made for some extra drama added to the match
with Undertaker trying to use it to his advantage before Lesnar would
eventually take it off along with bashing The Deadman's hand with a
steel chair with the help of a bloody Paul Heyman getting his hands on
The Undertaker through the cell. Tons of blood and tons of gritty spots
before Lesnar sealed the deal by reversing a Tombstone into an F5.
Awesome finish. Afterwards, Lesnar poses with the WWE Championship atop
the cell. What a match and what a defining moment for the young Lesnar
at that stage in his career.
Winner: Brock Lesnar
Rating: ****3/4
Match 3: Bad Blood 2003 - WWE World Heavyweight Championship - Hell in a Cell - Triple H (c) vs. Kevin Nash
This
is another fairly forgotten Hell in a Cell match when talking about its
storied history. I even sometimes forget about this one. Mick Foley is
serving as the special guest referee for this one to serve order between
the two competitors. It's almost strange to watch Kevin Nash move
around fairly effortlessly around the ring and put on a pretty damn good
match as opposed to seeing him a few years later. This was a bloody and
fun affair that saw the two beat each other up with barbed wire
baseball bats, steel chairs and sledgehammers. Despite Nash still
looking pretty good around this time, they were still able to hide some
of his limits by putting much of the focus on the foreign objects in the
match along with Mick Foley getting involved throughout the match
against Triple H. Nash nearly scored the win over The Game a couple
times and really had the crowd thinking so until Triple H was able to
get his shoulder up before drilling Nash with a sledgehammer to the face
along with a Pedigree. Solid Hell in a Cell match to conclude their
feud. Sort of. They actually had a Ladder match in 2011 at a TLC PPV
event. Can't make this up.
Winner: Triple H
Rating: ****
Match 4: Bad Blood 2004 - Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels
The storied feud between two former best friends and two former partners finally gets its conclusion in the main event of Bad Blood. Incredible stories leading into this one and definitely a match that doesn't really get the recognition it deserves. Like Triple H's last Hell in a Cell match against Kevin Nash a year
prior, this match was just as bloody and just as fun to watch. They didn't hold back here, beating the living daylights out of each other with steel chairs, steel steps and actually breaking out a ladder and table for kicks. I guess it was a little throwback to their Summerslam encounter which was a nice touch. The two scratched and clawed to the finish line where Triple H barely had enough energy to muster a third Pedigree against Shawn Michaels to secure the win. I'm personally not the biggest fan of matches that go past 45 minutes, but these two made it work and considering the backstory leading into this, it had to go this long. The match didn't drag but they definitely reminded us how the length of the match was taking a toll on them with the two struggling to get up, kick out of a pin or pin their opponent at certain points. When talking about the history between these two guys, this match shouldn't just be an afterthought.
Winner: Triple H
Rating: ****1/4
Friday, September 27, 2019
Monday, September 23, 2019
Free WWE Match Review: Randy Orton vs. Sheamus (Hell in a Cell 2010)
Review Taken from Randy Orton - The Evolution of a Predator DVD (Disc 3) Review
WWE Championship - Hell in a Cell - Randy Orton (c) vs. Sheamus
I question why this match had to be inside a Hell in a Cell. I hate having matches inside the friendly confines without having blood feuds. The match itself was fine and I was able to feel the tension between the two despite my strong thoughts of having it inside Hell in a Cell. The flow and pacing of the match was fine but again, the lack of focus on the actual cage itself was a distraction. They brought out the steel steps and made it a focal point of the match where Randy Orton was able to hit an RKO to Sheamus atop the steps for the victory. Good match as their styles blended nicely here as they would go on to have several more matches down the line and many more in 2016. Would have been the exact same match if the cage wasn't taken into play. I liked the match and I liked the build to the RKO at the end but this is Hell in a Cell, this should have been so much more.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ***1/4
I question why this match had to be inside a Hell in a Cell. I hate having matches inside the friendly confines without having blood feuds. The match itself was fine and I was able to feel the tension between the two despite my strong thoughts of having it inside Hell in a Cell. The flow and pacing of the match was fine but again, the lack of focus on the actual cage itself was a distraction. They brought out the steel steps and made it a focal point of the match where Randy Orton was able to hit an RKO to Sheamus atop the steps for the victory. Good match as their styles blended nicely here as they would go on to have several more matches down the line and many more in 2016. Would have been the exact same match if the cage wasn't taken into play. I liked the match and I liked the build to the RKO at the end but this is Hell in a Cell, this should have been so much more.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ***1/4
Saturday, September 21, 2019
WWE Hell in a Cell 2014 Review
WWE Hell in a Cell 2014
October 26, 2014
Dallas, Texas
Two big Hell in a Cell matches headline the 2014 Hell in a Cell PPV event! John Cena and Randy Orton clash once again inside the devil's playground to determine who will get the opportunity to face Brock Lesnar for his WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Also, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose close out the night in a brutal Hell in a Cell match.
Match 1: WWE Intercontinental Championship - 2 Out of 3 Falls - Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. Cesaro
Anytime you have these two going at it, you can sign me up. And if it is going to be a 2 out of 3 falls match, then you can sign me up twice. Always thought Dolph Ziggler worked pretty well as a babyface and he had a great heel in Cesaro to go against here. Ziggler is able to pretty quickly roll Cesaro up for the first fall. Nice way to start the match, Cesaro doesn't take a hit from that pin since Ziggler squeezed it out of nowhere and it now really sets a faster pace for the rest of the match. Great action between the two with Cesaro being able to display his crazy strength. However, a kick from Ziggler and a Zig Zag allows Ziggler to sweep the match and retain his gold in a solid opening contest.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler
Rating: ***1/4
Match 2: Nikki Bella vs. Brie Bella
For those who forgot, Nikki Bella helped Stephanie McMahon defeat Brie Bella at Summerslam and the two sisters come to a crash here at Hell in a Cell. The stipulation here is that the loser must be the winner's personal assistant for 30 days. Alright then. Fairly quick match here with Nikki hitting a Rack Attack to seal the win before mocking her sister right after. Good for what it was worth, just wish the crowd wasn't so damn annoying.
Winner: Nikki Bella
Rating: *1/2
Match 3: WWE Tag Team Championship - Gold & Stardust (c) vs. The Usos
For my younger readers, your AEW hero in Cody Rhodes was once named Stardust and actually paired with his brother. They actually had some banger of matches during their run and their bouts against The Usos were no exception. This is the rematch from a month ago when The Usos lost at Night of Champions. However, the match the two teams had here was rather underwhelming and much of that was because they didn't really have much time as they probably should have to really put on their usual great stuff. Stardust helps Goldust fight off one of The Usos as the referee's back is turned before Goldust hits his finisher to pick up the win for his team. Good match in the fairly short amount of time they had, great chemistry.
Winners: Gold & Stardust
Rating: **3/4
Match 4: Hell in a Cell - Randy Orton vs. John Cena
One of these days, I'm going to count how many times I've seen these two wrestle against each other on PPV. I completely forgot they had ANOTHER Hell in a Cell match here in 2014 with the winner getting a shot at Brock Lesnar and his WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Since I have no recollection of their last Hell in a Cell match, I can't compare the two matches but I'm sure they're both pretty similar. Action in the ring was fine for what it was and exactly what you would expect from these two. A few kickouts from some RKOs and Attitude Adjustments before the two finally brought the fight on the top rope where John Cena was able to finish Randy Orton with an Attitude Adjustment off the top rope. Cena wins and gets another crack at The Beast as he stares down an angry Paul Heyman shortly after the match. Good match but nothing close to being a memorable Hell in a Cell match.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: ***1/4
Match 5: WWE United States Championship - Sheamus (c) vs. The Miz
With Damien Mizdow serving as his stunt double, The Miz challenges Sheamus for his United States Championship. As much as I loved Mizdow mimicking Miz at ringside, he definitely became a distraction for the better part of the match and the novelty was definitely beginning to wear about half way through. Despite Mizdow doing his best efforts to help Miz, Sheamus was able to fight the odds and hit a Brogue Kick to Miz as he was coming down from the top rope. Afterwards, Sheamus messes around with The Miz and Mizdow before delivering another Brogue Kick to Miz. Another fairly basic match on the card, funny to see how over Mizdow was getting around this time.
Winner: Sheamus
Rating: **3/4
Match 6: Rusev vs. The Big Show
Rusev was on an absolute roll around this time as the company was getting him ready to face John Cena at the upcoming WrestleMania. Loved the feud he was having against The Big Show around this time and Show does a great job in making the newer guys look good. Evidence to that point was shown in this match, Show allowed Rusev to look dominant throughout the match but also put up a battle on his own right as well. In other words, Rusev wasn't about to have a cake walk and it makes for a more entertaining and believable match. Despite Mark Henry coming out to cheer on Show, Rusev is still able to lock in an Accolade submission to secure the win. Surprisingly solid match here, fantastic way to continuing building Rusev as a serious threat.
Winner: Rusev
Rating: **1/4
Match 7: WWE Divas Championship - AJ Lee (c) vs. Paige
It's a battle of the two most annoying theme songs in the history of WWE. I've said that on numerous occasions but I might be serious about it this time around. Basic and quick Divas match here, the two tried their bets but the action just wasn't as fluid and entertaining as you would expect from these two. AJ Lee is able to drop Paige off the top of a barricade outside the ring before locking her in a Widow's Peak submission to secure the win. Afterwards, Paige slaps Alicia Fox for rolling Paige back in the ring after she nearly got counted out before getting hit with a Widow's Peak. Forgettable match, on to the next one.
Winner: AJ Lee
Rating: *1/4
Match 8: Hell in a Cell - Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins
After a pretty dull Hell in a Cell match earlier, the former Shield brothers look to close out the night on a high note. They started the match on top of the cell and eventually both fought each other off as they were climbing down and landed through the announcers tables. They brought back the fight into the ring and let their work do the talking. However, the action in the ring wasn't anything really that felt like it was a Hell in a Cell match and it was definitely beginning to drag a bit in the middle. Despite Rollins getting help early on from J&J Security along with Kane throughout the match, Ambrose was still giving Rollins tons of trouble with nasty steel chair shots and an elbow drop through Rollins on a table. However, Ambrose looked to seal Rollins' fate by driving him through a couple cinder blocks before Bray Wyatt appeared of nowhere to attack Ambrose and give Rollins the win. Afterwards, Wyatt hits Ambrose with a Sister Abigail to close out the show. The match itself was longer than it really needed to be, especially after their first spot through the tables. Also, the Wyatt interference felt more awkward than anything as it took him a pretty good minute to actually appear from the dark. Disappointing finish to a disappointing card.
Winner: Seth Rollins
Rating: ***
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
I have yet to even look at other scores for this event but it was really such a forgettable event. There was so much boring stuff and so much bland stuff that I completely forgot I was even watching a PPV at times. The card was headlined by two Hell in a Cell matches but in all honesty, they were probably two Hell in a Cell matches that you could go without watching.
Rating: 5.75/10
October 26, 2014
Dallas, Texas
Two big Hell in a Cell matches headline the 2014 Hell in a Cell PPV event! John Cena and Randy Orton clash once again inside the devil's playground to determine who will get the opportunity to face Brock Lesnar for his WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Also, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose close out the night in a brutal Hell in a Cell match.
Match 1: WWE Intercontinental Championship - 2 Out of 3 Falls - Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. Cesaro
Anytime you have these two going at it, you can sign me up. And if it is going to be a 2 out of 3 falls match, then you can sign me up twice. Always thought Dolph Ziggler worked pretty well as a babyface and he had a great heel in Cesaro to go against here. Ziggler is able to pretty quickly roll Cesaro up for the first fall. Nice way to start the match, Cesaro doesn't take a hit from that pin since Ziggler squeezed it out of nowhere and it now really sets a faster pace for the rest of the match. Great action between the two with Cesaro being able to display his crazy strength. However, a kick from Ziggler and a Zig Zag allows Ziggler to sweep the match and retain his gold in a solid opening contest.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler
Rating: ***1/4
Match 2: Nikki Bella vs. Brie Bella
For those who forgot, Nikki Bella helped Stephanie McMahon defeat Brie Bella at Summerslam and the two sisters come to a crash here at Hell in a Cell. The stipulation here is that the loser must be the winner's personal assistant for 30 days. Alright then. Fairly quick match here with Nikki hitting a Rack Attack to seal the win before mocking her sister right after. Good for what it was worth, just wish the crowd wasn't so damn annoying.
Winner: Nikki Bella
Rating: *1/2
Match 3: WWE Tag Team Championship - Gold & Stardust (c) vs. The Usos
For my younger readers, your AEW hero in Cody Rhodes was once named Stardust and actually paired with his brother. They actually had some banger of matches during their run and their bouts against The Usos were no exception. This is the rematch from a month ago when The Usos lost at Night of Champions. However, the match the two teams had here was rather underwhelming and much of that was because they didn't really have much time as they probably should have to really put on their usual great stuff. Stardust helps Goldust fight off one of The Usos as the referee's back is turned before Goldust hits his finisher to pick up the win for his team. Good match in the fairly short amount of time they had, great chemistry.
Winners: Gold & Stardust
Rating: **3/4
Match 4: Hell in a Cell - Randy Orton vs. John Cena
One of these days, I'm going to count how many times I've seen these two wrestle against each other on PPV. I completely forgot they had ANOTHER Hell in a Cell match here in 2014 with the winner getting a shot at Brock Lesnar and his WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Since I have no recollection of their last Hell in a Cell match, I can't compare the two matches but I'm sure they're both pretty similar. Action in the ring was fine for what it was and exactly what you would expect from these two. A few kickouts from some RKOs and Attitude Adjustments before the two finally brought the fight on the top rope where John Cena was able to finish Randy Orton with an Attitude Adjustment off the top rope. Cena wins and gets another crack at The Beast as he stares down an angry Paul Heyman shortly after the match. Good match but nothing close to being a memorable Hell in a Cell match.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: ***1/4
Match 5: WWE United States Championship - Sheamus (c) vs. The Miz
With Damien Mizdow serving as his stunt double, The Miz challenges Sheamus for his United States Championship. As much as I loved Mizdow mimicking Miz at ringside, he definitely became a distraction for the better part of the match and the novelty was definitely beginning to wear about half way through. Despite Mizdow doing his best efforts to help Miz, Sheamus was able to fight the odds and hit a Brogue Kick to Miz as he was coming down from the top rope. Afterwards, Sheamus messes around with The Miz and Mizdow before delivering another Brogue Kick to Miz. Another fairly basic match on the card, funny to see how over Mizdow was getting around this time.
Winner: Sheamus
Rating: **3/4
Match 6: Rusev vs. The Big Show
Rusev was on an absolute roll around this time as the company was getting him ready to face John Cena at the upcoming WrestleMania. Loved the feud he was having against The Big Show around this time and Show does a great job in making the newer guys look good. Evidence to that point was shown in this match, Show allowed Rusev to look dominant throughout the match but also put up a battle on his own right as well. In other words, Rusev wasn't about to have a cake walk and it makes for a more entertaining and believable match. Despite Mark Henry coming out to cheer on Show, Rusev is still able to lock in an Accolade submission to secure the win. Surprisingly solid match here, fantastic way to continuing building Rusev as a serious threat.
Winner: Rusev
Rating: **1/4
Match 7: WWE Divas Championship - AJ Lee (c) vs. Paige
It's a battle of the two most annoying theme songs in the history of WWE. I've said that on numerous occasions but I might be serious about it this time around. Basic and quick Divas match here, the two tried their bets but the action just wasn't as fluid and entertaining as you would expect from these two. AJ Lee is able to drop Paige off the top of a barricade outside the ring before locking her in a Widow's Peak submission to secure the win. Afterwards, Paige slaps Alicia Fox for rolling Paige back in the ring after she nearly got counted out before getting hit with a Widow's Peak. Forgettable match, on to the next one.
Winner: AJ Lee
Rating: *1/4
Match 8: Hell in a Cell - Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins
After a pretty dull Hell in a Cell match earlier, the former Shield brothers look to close out the night on a high note. They started the match on top of the cell and eventually both fought each other off as they were climbing down and landed through the announcers tables. They brought back the fight into the ring and let their work do the talking. However, the action in the ring wasn't anything really that felt like it was a Hell in a Cell match and it was definitely beginning to drag a bit in the middle. Despite Rollins getting help early on from J&J Security along with Kane throughout the match, Ambrose was still giving Rollins tons of trouble with nasty steel chair shots and an elbow drop through Rollins on a table. However, Ambrose looked to seal Rollins' fate by driving him through a couple cinder blocks before Bray Wyatt appeared of nowhere to attack Ambrose and give Rollins the win. Afterwards, Wyatt hits Ambrose with a Sister Abigail to close out the show. The match itself was longer than it really needed to be, especially after their first spot through the tables. Also, the Wyatt interference felt more awkward than anything as it took him a pretty good minute to actually appear from the dark. Disappointing finish to a disappointing card.
Winner: Seth Rollins
Rating: ***
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
I have yet to even look at other scores for this event but it was really such a forgettable event. There was so much boring stuff and so much bland stuff that I completely forgot I was even watching a PPV at times. The card was headlined by two Hell in a Cell matches but in all honesty, they were probably two Hell in a Cell matches that you could go without watching.
Rating: 5.75/10
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Free WWE Match Review: Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton (TLC 2009)
Review taken from WWE TLC 2009 Review
Match 6: Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton
2009 marked the changing of Kofi Kingston's persona and it really got started with his feud against Randy Orton. Kofi had a marquee moment on an edition of Monday Night Raw in Madison Square Garden where he did his Boom Drop on Orton through a table which eventually led to a match here. Strong match here that saw the younger Kingston try to keep up with the veteran in Orton. Whenever Orton looked to be in trouble, he got right back into the fight with a dropkick or some sort of reversal. Basically, he was still on another level than Kingston and the story they told got across pretty well. Orton was able to nail Kingston with an RKO to win the match. However, Kingston walks away looking like a main player despite the loss.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ***
2009 marked the changing of Kofi Kingston's persona and it really got started with his feud against Randy Orton. Kofi had a marquee moment on an edition of Monday Night Raw in Madison Square Garden where he did his Boom Drop on Orton through a table which eventually led to a match here. Strong match here that saw the younger Kingston try to keep up with the veteran in Orton. Whenever Orton looked to be in trouble, he got right back into the fight with a dropkick or some sort of reversal. Basically, he was still on another level than Kingston and the story they told got across pretty well. Orton was able to nail Kingston with an RKO to win the match. However, Kingston walks away looking like a main player despite the loss.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ***
Thursday, September 12, 2019
WWE Night of Champions 2010 Review
WWE Night of Champions 2010
September 19, 2010
Rosemont, Illinois
The top six Superstars on the Raw roster compete for the WWE Championship in the main event while Kane must defend his World Heavyweight Championship against his big brother, The Undertaker.
Match 1: WWE Intercontinental Championship - Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. Kofi Kingston
Holy crap. Another Dolph Ziggler vs. Kofi Kingston match. Crazy to think that even in 2019, the two are still having great matches. In this case, Ziggler will still lose his title if he is either counted out or disqualified. Ziggler has Vickie Guerrero by his side and must ensure that she does not interfere or she will cost Ziggler the match and title. As expected, solid action from the two as their chemistry was still awesome back here in 2010. Ziggler had to prevent Vickie from getting her hands on Kingston which allowed Kingston to go for a Trouble in Paradise. However, Kingston missed and would fall right into a Zig Zag for Ziggler to score the big win. Great opening contest between two hungry guys. Still shocks me to think that these two would eventually be wrestling each other nearly ten years later for the WWE Championship.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler
Rating: ***1/2
Match 2: CM Punk vs. The Big Show
Before the match, CM Punk comes out to cut a promo as he buries the people of Chicago before saying he wants to burn the entire city to the ground with him restarting the city on his own terms. Of course, The Big Show comes out and could care less about whatever Punk has to say. Strange match here on a show that already features a bunch of matches. Regardless, Punk is able to get in a squeak of offense against Show before getting speared in midair and getting hit with a Knockout Punch from Show to seal the match. Baffling to see how Punk was being booked at this point in his career. Maybe my *1/4 is a little too generous.
Winner: The Big Show
Rating: *1/4
Match 3: WWE United States Championship - The Miz (c) vs. Daniel Bryan
We all remember the feud back in 2010 between The Miz, Michael Cole and Daniel Bryan. BUT! How many of us can remember Bryan's terrible entrance music? It was bad, guys. Another crazy thing to note in how we saw Ziggler vs. Kingston in 2019, we also saw Miz vs. Bryan again in 2018. Wrestling is a crazy thing. Like the Ziggler vs. Kingston match, you already know what to expect from these two. Solid action in the ring with the pace and intensity picking up at every minute. Alex Riley tried to insert himself in the fray but Bryan was able to run him into a ring post and eliminate him from the affair. Bryan is able to lock Miz in a LeBell Lock to secure the biggest win of his career. Great win for Bryan with Michael Cole continuing to berate him on commentary. Miz may have lost the United States Championship, but he was certainly in line for much bigger things...
Winner: Daniel Bryan
Rating: ***1/2
Match 4: WWE Women's Championship & WWE Divas Championship - Lumberjill Match - Michelle McCool vs. Melina
Finally, the Women's Championship and Divas Championship get unified... but why a Lumberjill Match? 5 bucks to anyone who remembers this match and unification actually happening. The action in the ring between Michelle McCool and Melina was a bit dull at times and definitely overshadowed by all the Divas at ringside. It was also pretty annoying to see them throw the lightest of punches to each other once they got thrown out. Regardless, McCool takes advantage of Layla interfering in the match and hitting a big boot to seal the win and unify the titles.
Winner: Michelle McCool
Rating: *1/2
Match 5: WWE World Heavyweight Championship - No Holds Barred - Kane (c) vs. The Undertaker
Even in 2010, people were still complaining about these two being the focal point of SmackDown. People were dying for the younger stars to be in the spotlight. If only they knew what they had coming. Anyway, the feud between the two brothers spills into the No Holds Barred match with Kane defending his gold against The Undertaker. Always thought it was super cool to see Kane get a run as a world champ in 2010 and of course, the WWE had to take up the opportunity to have him feud against The Deadman. Even with The Undertaker rushing the ramp to attack Kane before the match officially began, Kane was in control for the better part of the match. Actually, he was in control for nearly the entire match and it allowed things to drag a bit as it started to take the crowd out of things. 'Taker looked to finally gain some serious momentum and finish his brother before Kane was able to hit a Tombstone of his own. Clean win for Kane as they set up for future rematches. Undertaker doesn't always lose clean so him losing to Kane certainly made Kane an even more believable champion at the time. Match could have been better but I wasn't going into this looking for a ***** affair anyway.
Winner: Kane
Rating: **3/4
Match 6: WWE Tag Team Championship - Tag Team Turmoil - The Hart Dynasty (c) vs. The Usos vs. Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov vs. Evan Bourne & Mark Henry vs. Drew McIntyre & Cody Rhodes
The Hart Dynasty start off the match as the champions going into this match face the biggest challenge. If the champs want to retain their belts, then they must go through four other teams. Unfortunately for them, The Usos were quick to eliminate them in the very beginning before the match came down to Evan Bourne and Mark Henry going against Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes. What odd teams they had here. Rhodes hits a Cross Rhodes on Bourne to seal the win and capture the gold for himself and McIntyre. Crazy to see where these two are at now in 2019. Anyway, good match for what it was. Short and sweet, sometimes that's all you can ask for.
Winners: **3/4
Rating: Drew McIntyre & Cody Rhodes
Match 7: WWE Championship - Elimination - Sheamus (c) vs. John Cena vs. Edge vs. Chris Jericho vs. Wade Barrett vs. Randy Orton
Sheamus puts hits WWE Championship on the line against five of the other top guys on the Raw brand with Edge and Chris Jericho possibly forming a little alliance for the match. That alliance quickly got shut down when Jericho was eliminated first and fast in the match, much to the shock of the other guys in the ring. Pretty cool start to the match to stir the pot a little more. Jericho's elimination was later followed with an Edge elimination as the two guys who tried to form a team were the first two to leave. Interesting to think that this would be one of Edge's final performances as a wrestler before being forced to retire. The Nexus interfere during the match and help Wade Barrett eliminate him from the match. However, the interference would end up biting Barrett back as Cena would lay waste to the rest of Nexus before Orton delivered an RKO to narrow the match down to himself and the champion, Sheamus. Sheamus quickly hit a Brogue Kick but Orton is able to kick out! Sheamus looks to end the match with a High Cross before Orton turns the tides into an RKO for the win. Fine main event for what it was, fairly forgettable but the ending was definitely nicely done. The feud between The Nexus and Cena continues while Orton gets back his top position in the company.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ***1/4
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
For 2010 PPV standards, this was actually better than what the WWE offered throughout the year. There was basically three solid matches on the card with everything else being forgettable. Looking back at it, it's just crazy to think how so many people were paying a lot of money to watch this on PPV opposed to having the WWE Network. Either way, you can pass on this one.
Rating: 6/10
September 19, 2010
Rosemont, Illinois
The top six Superstars on the Raw roster compete for the WWE Championship in the main event while Kane must defend his World Heavyweight Championship against his big brother, The Undertaker.
Match 1: WWE Intercontinental Championship - Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. Kofi Kingston
Holy crap. Another Dolph Ziggler vs. Kofi Kingston match. Crazy to think that even in 2019, the two are still having great matches. In this case, Ziggler will still lose his title if he is either counted out or disqualified. Ziggler has Vickie Guerrero by his side and must ensure that she does not interfere or she will cost Ziggler the match and title. As expected, solid action from the two as their chemistry was still awesome back here in 2010. Ziggler had to prevent Vickie from getting her hands on Kingston which allowed Kingston to go for a Trouble in Paradise. However, Kingston missed and would fall right into a Zig Zag for Ziggler to score the big win. Great opening contest between two hungry guys. Still shocks me to think that these two would eventually be wrestling each other nearly ten years later for the WWE Championship.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler
Rating: ***1/2
Match 2: CM Punk vs. The Big Show
Before the match, CM Punk comes out to cut a promo as he buries the people of Chicago before saying he wants to burn the entire city to the ground with him restarting the city on his own terms. Of course, The Big Show comes out and could care less about whatever Punk has to say. Strange match here on a show that already features a bunch of matches. Regardless, Punk is able to get in a squeak of offense against Show before getting speared in midair and getting hit with a Knockout Punch from Show to seal the match. Baffling to see how Punk was being booked at this point in his career. Maybe my *1/4 is a little too generous.
Winner: The Big Show
Rating: *1/4
Match 3: WWE United States Championship - The Miz (c) vs. Daniel Bryan
We all remember the feud back in 2010 between The Miz, Michael Cole and Daniel Bryan. BUT! How many of us can remember Bryan's terrible entrance music? It was bad, guys. Another crazy thing to note in how we saw Ziggler vs. Kingston in 2019, we also saw Miz vs. Bryan again in 2018. Wrestling is a crazy thing. Like the Ziggler vs. Kingston match, you already know what to expect from these two. Solid action in the ring with the pace and intensity picking up at every minute. Alex Riley tried to insert himself in the fray but Bryan was able to run him into a ring post and eliminate him from the affair. Bryan is able to lock Miz in a LeBell Lock to secure the biggest win of his career. Great win for Bryan with Michael Cole continuing to berate him on commentary. Miz may have lost the United States Championship, but he was certainly in line for much bigger things...
Winner: Daniel Bryan
Rating: ***1/2
Match 4: WWE Women's Championship & WWE Divas Championship - Lumberjill Match - Michelle McCool vs. Melina
Finally, the Women's Championship and Divas Championship get unified... but why a Lumberjill Match? 5 bucks to anyone who remembers this match and unification actually happening. The action in the ring between Michelle McCool and Melina was a bit dull at times and definitely overshadowed by all the Divas at ringside. It was also pretty annoying to see them throw the lightest of punches to each other once they got thrown out. Regardless, McCool takes advantage of Layla interfering in the match and hitting a big boot to seal the win and unify the titles.
Winner: Michelle McCool
Rating: *1/2
Match 5: WWE World Heavyweight Championship - No Holds Barred - Kane (c) vs. The Undertaker
Even in 2010, people were still complaining about these two being the focal point of SmackDown. People were dying for the younger stars to be in the spotlight. If only they knew what they had coming. Anyway, the feud between the two brothers spills into the No Holds Barred match with Kane defending his gold against The Undertaker. Always thought it was super cool to see Kane get a run as a world champ in 2010 and of course, the WWE had to take up the opportunity to have him feud against The Deadman. Even with The Undertaker rushing the ramp to attack Kane before the match officially began, Kane was in control for the better part of the match. Actually, he was in control for nearly the entire match and it allowed things to drag a bit as it started to take the crowd out of things. 'Taker looked to finally gain some serious momentum and finish his brother before Kane was able to hit a Tombstone of his own. Clean win for Kane as they set up for future rematches. Undertaker doesn't always lose clean so him losing to Kane certainly made Kane an even more believable champion at the time. Match could have been better but I wasn't going into this looking for a ***** affair anyway.
Winner: Kane
Rating: **3/4
Match 6: WWE Tag Team Championship - Tag Team Turmoil - The Hart Dynasty (c) vs. The Usos vs. Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov vs. Evan Bourne & Mark Henry vs. Drew McIntyre & Cody Rhodes
The Hart Dynasty start off the match as the champions going into this match face the biggest challenge. If the champs want to retain their belts, then they must go through four other teams. Unfortunately for them, The Usos were quick to eliminate them in the very beginning before the match came down to Evan Bourne and Mark Henry going against Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes. What odd teams they had here. Rhodes hits a Cross Rhodes on Bourne to seal the win and capture the gold for himself and McIntyre. Crazy to see where these two are at now in 2019. Anyway, good match for what it was. Short and sweet, sometimes that's all you can ask for.
Winners: **3/4
Rating: Drew McIntyre & Cody Rhodes
Match 7: WWE Championship - Elimination - Sheamus (c) vs. John Cena vs. Edge vs. Chris Jericho vs. Wade Barrett vs. Randy Orton
Sheamus puts hits WWE Championship on the line against five of the other top guys on the Raw brand with Edge and Chris Jericho possibly forming a little alliance for the match. That alliance quickly got shut down when Jericho was eliminated first and fast in the match, much to the shock of the other guys in the ring. Pretty cool start to the match to stir the pot a little more. Jericho's elimination was later followed with an Edge elimination as the two guys who tried to form a team were the first two to leave. Interesting to think that this would be one of Edge's final performances as a wrestler before being forced to retire. The Nexus interfere during the match and help Wade Barrett eliminate him from the match. However, the interference would end up biting Barrett back as Cena would lay waste to the rest of Nexus before Orton delivered an RKO to narrow the match down to himself and the champion, Sheamus. Sheamus quickly hit a Brogue Kick but Orton is able to kick out! Sheamus looks to end the match with a High Cross before Orton turns the tides into an RKO for the win. Fine main event for what it was, fairly forgettable but the ending was definitely nicely done. The feud between The Nexus and Cena continues while Orton gets back his top position in the company.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ***1/4
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
For 2010 PPV standards, this was actually better than what the WWE offered throughout the year. There was basically three solid matches on the card with everything else being forgettable. Looking back at it, it's just crazy to think how so many people were paying a lot of money to watch this on PPV opposed to having the WWE Network. Either way, you can pass on this one.
Rating: 6/10
Thursday, September 5, 2019
Free WWE Match Review: Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena (Night of Champions 2014)
Review taken from WWE Night of Champions 2014 Review
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
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
Tuesday, September 3, 2019
WWE Clash of Champions 2016 Review
WWE Clash of Champions 2016
September 25, 2016
Indianapolis, Indiana
After Triple H helped Kevin Owens pin Seth Rollins for the Universal Championship, Rollins gets another crack at the biggest prize in the game against Owens at the first Clash of Champions event in WWE history.
Match 1: WWE Raw Tag Team Championship - The New Day (c) vs. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson
Big E and Kofi Kingston represent The New Day as they defend their belts against Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson in the first contest of the night. While this was a fairly short match, they told a great story with Gallows and Anderson doing everything in their power to bully their way to a victory. The two started by attacking all members of The New Day before the match and cutting the ring in half while focusing on the smaller Kingston during the match. However, The New Day were able to turn the tides with Xavier Woods driving Francesca into the face of Anderson that led to a Midnight Hour from Big E and Kingston to seal the win.
Winners: The New Day
Rating: **3/4
Match 2: WWE Cruiserweight Championship - T.J. Perkins (c) vs. Brian Kendrick
At this point, the Cruiserweight train was running low on steam and the crowd was acting accordingly. Interesting story mentioned by Michael Cole during the match of how Brian Kendrick would give car rides to T.J. Perkins on their way to wrestling school years ago. Say what you want about WWE commentary, but that really gave some extra reason on the animosity that the two may have here which also boosts my interest in what was a fairly uninteresting match. You get your usual good stuff between the two here but nothing that was out of the ordinary or worth really noting. Perkins wins by submitting Kendrick with a kneebar submission. Afterwards, Kendrick headbutts Perkins as the two embraced each other for their performances.
Winner: T.J. Perkins
Rating: **3/4
Match 3: Best of 7 Series (Match 7) - Sheamus vs. Cesaro
After having a 3-0 lead against Cesaro, Sheamus looks to not completely blow his lead and seal a win tonight that would also score him the series victory. These two have amazing chemistry with each other and while I came into this match thinking this would be something identical than their last bouts, I was completely wrong. This match really picked up to a different level in the second half of the match that saw the two beat the living daylights out of each other as they kicked out of each other's finishers in spots that had me believing it was the end. It is also necessary for myself to mention Cesaro diving head first out of the ring towards Sheamus and landing right on his head. Looked disgusting but made for a sweet spot. The two take the fight to the outside where a clothesline from Cesaro to Sheamus over the ring barricade led to the doctors and referee to call for the match. The fans booed the finish but let's face it, the finish kind of made sense as the two were ready to get paired up. Great way to show the fans how evenly matched these two are.
Winner: n/a
Rating: ****1/4
Match 4: Sami Zayn vs. Chris Jericho
The former best friend of Kevin Owens against the current best friend of Chris Jericho. What a concept. As expected from the two veterans here, solid action from the beginning that really made you feel the animosity between the two that had been transpiring for the past weeks. However, I couldn't help but feel like the match seemed rush and as if the two were trying to get in all their signature moves just for the sake of it. Jericho is able to hit Zayn with a Codebreaker from out of nowhere to seal the deal and get the big win for himself and his best friend Owens. A great match between these two and a nice match to feature on the middle of the card when things usually start dragging. I wouldn't mind seeing more of these two going against each other... which I guess would be kind of hard as I review this in 2019.
Winner: Chris Jericho
Rating: ***1/2
Match 5: WWE Raw Women's Championship - Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Bayley vs. Sasha Banks
At this point, Charlotte Flair is still undefeated in title matches on PPVs but has her hands full against two of Raw's top female stars. Does anyone else cringe a bit sometimes when these girls trash talk each other in the ring? They say some of the corniest things ever. As usual from these women, solid action but definitely a bit sluggish at times. Almost as if Bayley was still getting adjusted to the main roster and understandably so. Crowd was certainly into the action and definitely very fond of having Bayley compete for the gold. However, a couple big boots from Charlotte to Bayley allowed Charlotte to score the win and retain the title. Good match but nothing worth writing home about, they definitely have had better ones than this.
Winner: Charlotte Flair
Rating: ***
Match 6: WWE United States Championship - Rusev (c) vs. Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns is fighting to become a United States Champion while Rusev is fighting to not only retain his gold, but also fight in the honor of his wife. As you could expect, the crowd had little interest in this because Reigns was apart of the match as they were really sitting on their hands in the first half of the match before even starting a "CM Punk" chant. Bunch of babies. While the first half wasn't exactly the most exciting thing ever, it was a nice pace that led into a wild second half that saw Lana save her husband from a loss at one point when she grabbed the referee out of the ring after a Spear to Rusev from Reigns. However, Reigns is able to recover and fight off an Accolade submission before finishing off Rusev with another Spear to seal the big win. Solid match before rolling into the main event. Reigns continues to shine, the crowd wanted to hate this match but they couldn't help but love it once the ball got rolling.
Winner: Roman Reigns
Rating: ***1/2
Match 7: WWE Universal Championship - Kevin Owens (c) vs. Seth Rollins
For those keeping score, these two actually main evented a Ring of Honor show back in 2010 for the ROH World Championship. Fast forward to 2016 and they're closing out a WWE PPV for the biggest prize in the company. Kind of crazy to even think that. Perhaps the crowd was tired from the night but for whatever reason, they just weren't getting into the action for the better half of the match. And unfortunately, it was tough for me to get into the action as well. A very slow start to the match and I almost forgot I was watching a match for the brand's top prize at one point. The pace finally started to pick up a bit once the fight spilled outside where Kevin Owens drove himself through one of the announcers tables after Seth Rollins moved out of the way. However, some interference by Chris Jericho allowed Owens to escape a loss and eventually hit a Pop Up Powerbomb to score the win and retain the gold. Underwhelming main event that finally picked up a bit at the very end. Even still, it's nice to see the heel close out a PPV with a big win every now and then.
Winner: Kevin Owens
Rating: **3/4
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Such a bland and forgettable show. Definitely some solid matches on the card but nothing memorable or anything that really stood out. This was the first event exclusive to Raw and it was a also a great reminder why the brand split in 2016 was just off to such a slow start. Again, definitely some good matches on the card but nothing that should warrant a serious consideration of watching this show.
Rating: 6/10
September 25, 2016
Indianapolis, Indiana
After Triple H helped Kevin Owens pin Seth Rollins for the Universal Championship, Rollins gets another crack at the biggest prize in the game against Owens at the first Clash of Champions event in WWE history.
Match 1: WWE Raw Tag Team Championship - The New Day (c) vs. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson
Big E and Kofi Kingston represent The New Day as they defend their belts against Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson in the first contest of the night. While this was a fairly short match, they told a great story with Gallows and Anderson doing everything in their power to bully their way to a victory. The two started by attacking all members of The New Day before the match and cutting the ring in half while focusing on the smaller Kingston during the match. However, The New Day were able to turn the tides with Xavier Woods driving Francesca into the face of Anderson that led to a Midnight Hour from Big E and Kingston to seal the win.
Winners: The New Day
Rating: **3/4
Match 2: WWE Cruiserweight Championship - T.J. Perkins (c) vs. Brian Kendrick
At this point, the Cruiserweight train was running low on steam and the crowd was acting accordingly. Interesting story mentioned by Michael Cole during the match of how Brian Kendrick would give car rides to T.J. Perkins on their way to wrestling school years ago. Say what you want about WWE commentary, but that really gave some extra reason on the animosity that the two may have here which also boosts my interest in what was a fairly uninteresting match. You get your usual good stuff between the two here but nothing that was out of the ordinary or worth really noting. Perkins wins by submitting Kendrick with a kneebar submission. Afterwards, Kendrick headbutts Perkins as the two embraced each other for their performances.
Winner: T.J. Perkins
Rating: **3/4
Match 3: Best of 7 Series (Match 7) - Sheamus vs. Cesaro
After having a 3-0 lead against Cesaro, Sheamus looks to not completely blow his lead and seal a win tonight that would also score him the series victory. These two have amazing chemistry with each other and while I came into this match thinking this would be something identical than their last bouts, I was completely wrong. This match really picked up to a different level in the second half of the match that saw the two beat the living daylights out of each other as they kicked out of each other's finishers in spots that had me believing it was the end. It is also necessary for myself to mention Cesaro diving head first out of the ring towards Sheamus and landing right on his head. Looked disgusting but made for a sweet spot. The two take the fight to the outside where a clothesline from Cesaro to Sheamus over the ring barricade led to the doctors and referee to call for the match. The fans booed the finish but let's face it, the finish kind of made sense as the two were ready to get paired up. Great way to show the fans how evenly matched these two are.
Winner: n/a
Rating: ****1/4
Match 4: Sami Zayn vs. Chris Jericho
The former best friend of Kevin Owens against the current best friend of Chris Jericho. What a concept. As expected from the two veterans here, solid action from the beginning that really made you feel the animosity between the two that had been transpiring for the past weeks. However, I couldn't help but feel like the match seemed rush and as if the two were trying to get in all their signature moves just for the sake of it. Jericho is able to hit Zayn with a Codebreaker from out of nowhere to seal the deal and get the big win for himself and his best friend Owens. A great match between these two and a nice match to feature on the middle of the card when things usually start dragging. I wouldn't mind seeing more of these two going against each other... which I guess would be kind of hard as I review this in 2019.
Winner: Chris Jericho
Rating: ***1/2
Match 5: WWE Raw Women's Championship - Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Bayley vs. Sasha Banks
At this point, Charlotte Flair is still undefeated in title matches on PPVs but has her hands full against two of Raw's top female stars. Does anyone else cringe a bit sometimes when these girls trash talk each other in the ring? They say some of the corniest things ever. As usual from these women, solid action but definitely a bit sluggish at times. Almost as if Bayley was still getting adjusted to the main roster and understandably so. Crowd was certainly into the action and definitely very fond of having Bayley compete for the gold. However, a couple big boots from Charlotte to Bayley allowed Charlotte to score the win and retain the title. Good match but nothing worth writing home about, they definitely have had better ones than this.
Winner: Charlotte Flair
Rating: ***
Match 6: WWE United States Championship - Rusev (c) vs. Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns is fighting to become a United States Champion while Rusev is fighting to not only retain his gold, but also fight in the honor of his wife. As you could expect, the crowd had little interest in this because Reigns was apart of the match as they were really sitting on their hands in the first half of the match before even starting a "CM Punk" chant. Bunch of babies. While the first half wasn't exactly the most exciting thing ever, it was a nice pace that led into a wild second half that saw Lana save her husband from a loss at one point when she grabbed the referee out of the ring after a Spear to Rusev from Reigns. However, Reigns is able to recover and fight off an Accolade submission before finishing off Rusev with another Spear to seal the big win. Solid match before rolling into the main event. Reigns continues to shine, the crowd wanted to hate this match but they couldn't help but love it once the ball got rolling.
Winner: Roman Reigns
Rating: ***1/2
Match 7: WWE Universal Championship - Kevin Owens (c) vs. Seth Rollins
For those keeping score, these two actually main evented a Ring of Honor show back in 2010 for the ROH World Championship. Fast forward to 2016 and they're closing out a WWE PPV for the biggest prize in the company. Kind of crazy to even think that. Perhaps the crowd was tired from the night but for whatever reason, they just weren't getting into the action for the better half of the match. And unfortunately, it was tough for me to get into the action as well. A very slow start to the match and I almost forgot I was watching a match for the brand's top prize at one point. The pace finally started to pick up a bit once the fight spilled outside where Kevin Owens drove himself through one of the announcers tables after Seth Rollins moved out of the way. However, some interference by Chris Jericho allowed Owens to escape a loss and eventually hit a Pop Up Powerbomb to score the win and retain the gold. Underwhelming main event that finally picked up a bit at the very end. Even still, it's nice to see the heel close out a PPV with a big win every now and then.
Winner: Kevin Owens
Rating: **3/4
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Such a bland and forgettable show. Definitely some solid matches on the card but nothing memorable or anything that really stood out. This was the first event exclusive to Raw and it was a also a great reminder why the brand split in 2016 was just off to such a slow start. Again, definitely some good matches on the card but nothing that should warrant a serious consideration of watching this show.
Rating: 6/10
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