From November 23, 2009.
After being absent from the WWE for over three months, John Cena makes his grand return in his hometown of Boston to take on Chris Jericho for the World Heavyweight Championship at WWE Survivor Series 2008.
Match 1: Traditional Survivor Series Elimination - Team HBK (Shawn
Michaels, Rey Mysterio, Cryme Tyme, & The Great Khali w/ Ranjin
Singh) vs. Team JBL (John "Bradshaw" Layfield, Kane, MVP, John Morrison,
& The Miz)
The opening match of the night was the first of
three Traditional Survivor Series Elimination matches with Team HBK
taking on Team JBL. I loved the fact that this opened the show and I
love the fact that Michaels and Mysterio are on the same team. The match
itself never really slowed down but it never really got out of first
gear. The ending came when Michaels hit the Sweet Chin Music on John
Morrison after JBL got counted out.
Winners: Team HBK
Rating: **3/4
Match 2: Traditional Survivor Series Elimination - Team Raw (Beth Phoenix
w/ Santino Marella, Mickie James, Kelly Kelly, Candice Michelle, &
Jillian Hall) vs. Team SmackDown (Michelle McCool, Victoria, Maria,
Maryse, & Natalya)
The second Traditional Survivor Series
Elimination match was the Divas match and it really killed the momentum
the opening match started. Team Raw eventually won after Beth Phoenix
hit her finisher on Maryse.
Winners: Team Raw
Rating: *1/4
Match 3: Casket - The Big Show vs. The Undertaker
After having a phenomenal Last Man Standing match at Cyber Sunday, the
two follow up with a Casket match here at Survivor Series. The Big Show
and The Undertaker usually have great chemistry but you wouldn't know
it by watching this match. The match itself was very slow and like the
opening match, never really got out of first gear. The finish came when a
second casket was brought out and The Undertaker threw The Big Show
into it.
Winner: The Undertaker
Rating: **
Match
4: Team Batista (Batista, CM Punk, Kofi Kingston, Matt Hardy, &
R-Truth) vs. Team Orton (Randy Orton, Shelton Benjamin, William Regal w/
Layla, Cody Rhodes w/ Manu, & Mark Henry w/ Tony Atlas)
In
Randy Orton's return to wrestling on PPV, he brought his team to take on
the team of Batista. There really isn't much to say about this match
other than it was interesting to see the crowd cheer for Orton and boo
Batista. Team Orton eventually won after Orton hit the RKO on Batista.
Winners: Team Orton
Rating: **1/4
Match 5: WWE Championship - Triple H (c) vs. Vladimir Kozlov vs. Edge
In a match supposed to be featured with Jeff Hardy, Hardy was
apparently unable to compete after being found uncounscious in a
staircase. Because of this, the match was changed into a singles match
between Triple H and Vladimir Kozlov and this match sucked the life out
of the arena. Anything the two did was slow and boring, to make matters
worse, the two wrestled for over 12 minutes. Finally, Vickie came out to
announce that Edge is back and there, the real match began! After Edge
appeared, Hardy shows up to try and take out Edge but fails after
getting taken down by Edge. Edge then scored a pin fall to win the WWE
Championship in dramatic fashion. That was simply a terrible match which
later transpired into an amazing finish.
Winner: Edge
Rating: 3/4*
Match 6: World Heavyweight Championship - Chris Jericho (c) vs. John Cena
The final match of the night was John Cena returning to take on Chris
Jericho for the World Heavyweight Championship. After a nicely done
video package and an always awesome Jericho entrance, Cena returns to a
huge reaction from the Boston crowd. Michael Cole said that Cena had the
problems of "ring rust" and he was indeed correct. Cena's move seemed
very out of place and you can tell he didn't want to take any risks as
he and Jericho held the match on the mat with lots and lots of
submission moves. The match then began to pick up the pace in the last 5
minutes where Cena finally hit the FU on Jericho to win the World
Heavyweight Championship in front of his hometown. It was a decent match
that started off extremely slow but then the two turned on the switch
and they put on a nice performance to leave the fans happy.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: ***
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
The 22nd Survior Series was a huge letdown and easily could have been a
much better show. The WWE Championship match, the Divas match, and the
Casket match were all given way too much time and really killed the
crowd. There is no reason to let Kozlov wrestle in a one on one match on
PPV when he is just so inexperienced. The highlights of the show were
Edge returning and Cena/Jericho. However, these two things aren't enough
to give you a reason to watch this show. You might have a little bit of
fun with this show but overall, it was a huge letdown.
Rating: 5/10
Saturday, July 12, 2014
TNA Bound for Glory 2009 Review
From November 23, 2009.
The NFL has the SuperBowl, the WWE has WrestleMania, the NBA has the Finals, and TNA has Bound for Glory. At Bound for Glory, Sting and AJ Styles clashed against each other for the TNA Championship and Matt Morgan wins Kurt Angle's respect.
Match 1: Ultimate X - X Division Championship - Amazing Red w/ Don West (c) vs. Suicide vs. Daniels vs. Homicide vs. Chris Sabin vs. Alex Shelly
The opening match for Bound for Glory was absolutely incredible. Bound for Glory really needed to start off with a bang and this was the perfect match to do it. From Daniels' nasty fall at the end to the "please don't die" chants, this was an awesome opening bout.
Winner: Amazing Red
Rating: ****
Match 2: TNA Knockout Tag Team Championships - Taylor Wilde & Sarita (c) vs. The Beautiful People
After a great opening match, we really needed a match to cool down and this one was the perfect one. Though this match lasted around 3 minutes, it was still a pretty damn good one. Not much to say about this one other than a nice job to the four women in this match for using their time productively.
Winners: Taylor Wilde & Sarita
Rating: 3/4*
Match 3: Legends Championship - Kevin Nash (c) vs. Eric Young vs. Hernandez
The third match of the night was for the pointless Legends Championship which was defended by Kevin Nash in a three way match. I really don't know why this match was booked to be on this card when this feud wasn't really anything special. It was just an ordinary match that really should have been on Impact.
Winner: Eric Young
Rating: *1/2
Match 4: IWGP Tag Team Championships & TNA World Tag Team Championships - Full Metal Mayhem - The British Invasion (c) vs. The Main Event Mafia (c) vs. Beer Money, Inc. vs. Team 3D
Following a crowd killing three way match, we head into the Full Metal Mayhem match for the two tag team championships. This was a pretty nice match with some really nice table spots and nice chair shots. A good 15 minute match that I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun watching.
Winners: The British Invasion & Team 3D
Rating: ***
Match 5: Women's Knockout Championship - ODB (c) vs. Awesome Kong vs. Tara
This was the better Knockout's match with Tara and Awesome Kong carrying the load here. TNA has a phenomenal women's division and this proves it as these three Knockouts landed some nice moves you normally wouldn't expect a Knockout to perform. Good match but I was really hoping for Tara to win.
Winner: ODB
Rating: **
Match 6: Submission - Bobby Lashley vs. Samoa Joe
After the three way Knockout's match was the Submission match between Bobby Lashley and Samoa Joe. To no one's surprise, the two didn't do much as they filled out 10 minutes with their normal stuff while mostly keeping the action on the mat as Lashley made Joe pass out to win the match.
Winner: Bobby Lashley
Rating: **
Match 7: Monster's Ball - Mick Foley vs. Abyss
This match had awesome written all over it but sadly, it didn't quite meet up with my expectations. The match had some nasty spots including thumbtacks, tables, and barbed wire. However, the botched spots really killed this one and failed to meet my expectations as the two didn't click so well.
Winner: Abyss
Rating: **1/4
Match 8: Kurt Angle vs. Matt Morgan
The feud going into this one was spectacular and thankfully, this match was just as good as the feud. Kurt Angle is magic when he is given the green light and obviously, he was given the green light and he excelled. Morgan is a pretty decent athlete but Angle really pushed him to the limit here. This match would definitely have to tie with the opening match as the match of the night. Good to see these two step up their game for such a huge night.
Winner: Kurt Angle
Rating: ****
Match 9: TNA World Heavyweight Championship - AJ Styles (c) vs. Sting
The main event of the night featured the champ against the Icon. Although these two have met in the past, the story was much different here with much more on the line including the TNA World Title and more importantly, honor. Sadly, the two were given only 14 minutes to show off their craft but thankfully, they made good use of their time. A good wrestling match with a less than dramatic ending but a good main event to end a great show.
Winner: AJ Styles
Rating: ***
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
TNA really stepped it up for their biggest show of the year here. Although I was disappointed with a few matches, the Angle/Morgan and Ultimate X matches really raised my spirits. They are two matches I highly suggest you check out as you will be absolutely amazed by the aweomeness of their skills.
Rating: 8/10
The NFL has the SuperBowl, the WWE has WrestleMania, the NBA has the Finals, and TNA has Bound for Glory. At Bound for Glory, Sting and AJ Styles clashed against each other for the TNA Championship and Matt Morgan wins Kurt Angle's respect.
Match 1: Ultimate X - X Division Championship - Amazing Red w/ Don West (c) vs. Suicide vs. Daniels vs. Homicide vs. Chris Sabin vs. Alex Shelly
The opening match for Bound for Glory was absolutely incredible. Bound for Glory really needed to start off with a bang and this was the perfect match to do it. From Daniels' nasty fall at the end to the "please don't die" chants, this was an awesome opening bout.
Winner: Amazing Red
Rating: ****
Match 2: TNA Knockout Tag Team Championships - Taylor Wilde & Sarita (c) vs. The Beautiful People
After a great opening match, we really needed a match to cool down and this one was the perfect one. Though this match lasted around 3 minutes, it was still a pretty damn good one. Not much to say about this one other than a nice job to the four women in this match for using their time productively.
Winners: Taylor Wilde & Sarita
Rating: 3/4*
Match 3: Legends Championship - Kevin Nash (c) vs. Eric Young vs. Hernandez
The third match of the night was for the pointless Legends Championship which was defended by Kevin Nash in a three way match. I really don't know why this match was booked to be on this card when this feud wasn't really anything special. It was just an ordinary match that really should have been on Impact.
Winner: Eric Young
Rating: *1/2
Match 4: IWGP Tag Team Championships & TNA World Tag Team Championships - Full Metal Mayhem - The British Invasion (c) vs. The Main Event Mafia (c) vs. Beer Money, Inc. vs. Team 3D
Following a crowd killing three way match, we head into the Full Metal Mayhem match for the two tag team championships. This was a pretty nice match with some really nice table spots and nice chair shots. A good 15 minute match that I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun watching.
Winners: The British Invasion & Team 3D
Rating: ***
Match 5: Women's Knockout Championship - ODB (c) vs. Awesome Kong vs. Tara
This was the better Knockout's match with Tara and Awesome Kong carrying the load here. TNA has a phenomenal women's division and this proves it as these three Knockouts landed some nice moves you normally wouldn't expect a Knockout to perform. Good match but I was really hoping for Tara to win.
Winner: ODB
Rating: **
Match 6: Submission - Bobby Lashley vs. Samoa Joe
After the three way Knockout's match was the Submission match between Bobby Lashley and Samoa Joe. To no one's surprise, the two didn't do much as they filled out 10 minutes with their normal stuff while mostly keeping the action on the mat as Lashley made Joe pass out to win the match.
Winner: Bobby Lashley
Rating: **
Match 7: Monster's Ball - Mick Foley vs. Abyss
This match had awesome written all over it but sadly, it didn't quite meet up with my expectations. The match had some nasty spots including thumbtacks, tables, and barbed wire. However, the botched spots really killed this one and failed to meet my expectations as the two didn't click so well.
Winner: Abyss
Rating: **1/4
Match 8: Kurt Angle vs. Matt Morgan
The feud going into this one was spectacular and thankfully, this match was just as good as the feud. Kurt Angle is magic when he is given the green light and obviously, he was given the green light and he excelled. Morgan is a pretty decent athlete but Angle really pushed him to the limit here. This match would definitely have to tie with the opening match as the match of the night. Good to see these two step up their game for such a huge night.
Winner: Kurt Angle
Rating: ****
Match 9: TNA World Heavyweight Championship - AJ Styles (c) vs. Sting
The main event of the night featured the champ against the Icon. Although these two have met in the past, the story was much different here with much more on the line including the TNA World Title and more importantly, honor. Sadly, the two were given only 14 minutes to show off their craft but thankfully, they made good use of their time. A good wrestling match with a less than dramatic ending but a good main event to end a great show.
Winner: AJ Styles
Rating: ***
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
TNA really stepped it up for their biggest show of the year here. Although I was disappointed with a few matches, the Angle/Morgan and Ultimate X matches really raised my spirits. They are two matches I highly suggest you check out as you will be absolutely amazed by the aweomeness of their skills.
Rating: 8/10
WWE Summerslam 2009 Review
From November 19, 2009.
In the summer of 2009, the WWE was dominated by superstars such as CM Punk, Randy Orton, and Ted Dibiase and Cody Rhodes of Legacy. However, at Summerslam 2009, these men were all challenged by Jeff Hardy, John Cena, and Shawn Michaels and Triple H of the legendary D-Generation X.
Match 1: Intercontinental Championship - Rey Mysterio (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler
The first match of the night was Rey Mysterio vs. Dolph Ziggler for the Intercontinental Championship. In my book, Mysterio is having one of his best years as he has had some incredible PPV matches and this one wasn't any exception. After having a less than stellar match at Night of Champions, the two rebound here by landing some excellent moves including a dropkick by Ziggler after a springboard by Mysterio. Mysterio got the win after hitting him with a a top rope hurricanrana to retain his title.
Winner: Rey Mysterio
Rating ***
Match 2: MVP vs. Jack Swagger
We now get to the first filler match of the night. This was the basic match that you would normally see on Raw with nothing special. It was nice to see these two get a spot on the card but sadly, they weren't even give at least 10 minutes.
Winner: MVP
Rating *1/4
Match 3: Unified WWE Tag Team Championships - Chris Jericho & The Big Show (c) vs. Cryme Tyme
The third match of the night featured "Jeri-Show" take on Cryme Tyme in a tag team match for the Unified Tag Team Championships. Just like the previous bout, this match was a basic tag team match that you would normally see on something like Raw. The real reason this match is even on the card is because of the Big Show/Shaq face off a few weeks before Summerslam.
Winners: Chris Jericho & The Big Show
Rating: **
Match 4: Kane vs. Great Khali w/ Ranjin Singh
The fourth match of Summerslam was easily the biggest waste of time of the entire show. Let's face facts, no one cares about The Great Khali, nobody is interested in this feud, and no one gives a flying burrito about anything associated with either Khali or the feud. If you purchase this DVD, skip this part without any hesitation.
Winner: Kane
Rating: 1/4*
Match 5: D-Generation X vs. Legacy
Going into this match, I was extremely worried that DX would kill Legacy in a pointless squash match that would do nothing but hold back both Ted and Cody. Thankfully, this match was given over 20 minutes and Legacy got a lot of offense in here to look extremely credible. The final 5 minutes of the match is where things started to get hectic and Triple H and Dibiase brawled around the announcer's tables as Shawn Michaels then hit the Sweet Chin Music on Rhodes to finish off the match.
Winners: D-Generation X
Rating: ****
Match 6: ECW Championship - Christian (c) vs. William Regal
Here's what happened, Christian hits the Killswitch and pins Regal to win the match. It took me longer to write that damn sentence than to actually watch the match. I don't know what was accomplished out of this. Was it that Christian's finisher is extremely painful? That Regal needed to get owned at Summerslam? Or was it because the WWE wanted to take a flaming s*** all over the ECW Championship? Yup, that has to be it. Aside from the Kane/Khali match, this was the biggest waste of time on this PPV.
Winner: Christian
Rating n/a
Match 7: WWE Championship - Randy Orton (c) vs. John Cena
The WWE Championship match at Summerslam 2009 is between Randy Orton and John Cena. The match was headed it's way to be the typical Cena/Orton match we've seen many times in the past until all hell broke out. First, Orton gets disqualified which leads to the match restarting. Then, Orton gets counted out which leads to the match being restarted once again. THEN, Cena puts Orton in the STF to which a "fan" runs into the ring and breaks "attacks" the ref. After this, Orton hits the RKO on Cena to finish him off. In my personal opinion, I liked it, it got me on the edge of my seat and it got the wrestling community something to talk about. It was a good match but it doesn't even compare to their classic at Summerslam 2007.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ***
Match 8: TLC - World Heavyweight Championship - Jeff Hardy (c) vs. CM Punk
The main event bout of the night was between Jeff Hardy and CM Punk where they competed against each other in a TLC match for the World Heavyweight Championship. Jeff Hardy is not one to disappoint in Ladder matches and he proves that here in this main event match. When you mix an awesome feud, incredible spots, and Jeff Hardy in a Ladder match, you get awesomeness. Hardy and Punk battled each other in a good 20 minutes with chaos breaking out as we saw Jeff jump off a 20 foot ladder where he missed his signature Swantom Bomb on CM Punk to which he crashed through an announcer's table. Punk wins the match after knocking Hardy off the ladder and retreiving the title belt. An incredible performance by both men.
Winner: CM Punk
Rating: ****1/4
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Summerslam 2009 was definitely a great event and something I highly suggest you check out. The only major flaws here would have to be the Kane/Khali match and the ECW Championship match. Both matches were huge wastes of time and the time the two got could have been given to up and coming guys like MVP, Swagger, Morrison, Miz, and Ziggler.
Rating: 8/10
In the summer of 2009, the WWE was dominated by superstars such as CM Punk, Randy Orton, and Ted Dibiase and Cody Rhodes of Legacy. However, at Summerslam 2009, these men were all challenged by Jeff Hardy, John Cena, and Shawn Michaels and Triple H of the legendary D-Generation X.
Match 1: Intercontinental Championship - Rey Mysterio (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler
The first match of the night was Rey Mysterio vs. Dolph Ziggler for the Intercontinental Championship. In my book, Mysterio is having one of his best years as he has had some incredible PPV matches and this one wasn't any exception. After having a less than stellar match at Night of Champions, the two rebound here by landing some excellent moves including a dropkick by Ziggler after a springboard by Mysterio. Mysterio got the win after hitting him with a a top rope hurricanrana to retain his title.
Winner: Rey Mysterio
Rating ***
Match 2: MVP vs. Jack Swagger
We now get to the first filler match of the night. This was the basic match that you would normally see on Raw with nothing special. It was nice to see these two get a spot on the card but sadly, they weren't even give at least 10 minutes.
Winner: MVP
Rating *1/4
Match 3: Unified WWE Tag Team Championships - Chris Jericho & The Big Show (c) vs. Cryme Tyme
The third match of the night featured "Jeri-Show" take on Cryme Tyme in a tag team match for the Unified Tag Team Championships. Just like the previous bout, this match was a basic tag team match that you would normally see on something like Raw. The real reason this match is even on the card is because of the Big Show/Shaq face off a few weeks before Summerslam.
Winners: Chris Jericho & The Big Show
Rating: **
Match 4: Kane vs. Great Khali w/ Ranjin Singh
The fourth match of Summerslam was easily the biggest waste of time of the entire show. Let's face facts, no one cares about The Great Khali, nobody is interested in this feud, and no one gives a flying burrito about anything associated with either Khali or the feud. If you purchase this DVD, skip this part without any hesitation.
Winner: Kane
Rating: 1/4*
Match 5: D-Generation X vs. Legacy
Going into this match, I was extremely worried that DX would kill Legacy in a pointless squash match that would do nothing but hold back both Ted and Cody. Thankfully, this match was given over 20 minutes and Legacy got a lot of offense in here to look extremely credible. The final 5 minutes of the match is where things started to get hectic and Triple H and Dibiase brawled around the announcer's tables as Shawn Michaels then hit the Sweet Chin Music on Rhodes to finish off the match.
Winners: D-Generation X
Rating: ****
Match 6: ECW Championship - Christian (c) vs. William Regal
Here's what happened, Christian hits the Killswitch and pins Regal to win the match. It took me longer to write that damn sentence than to actually watch the match. I don't know what was accomplished out of this. Was it that Christian's finisher is extremely painful? That Regal needed to get owned at Summerslam? Or was it because the WWE wanted to take a flaming s*** all over the ECW Championship? Yup, that has to be it. Aside from the Kane/Khali match, this was the biggest waste of time on this PPV.
Winner: Christian
Rating n/a
Match 7: WWE Championship - Randy Orton (c) vs. John Cena
The WWE Championship match at Summerslam 2009 is between Randy Orton and John Cena. The match was headed it's way to be the typical Cena/Orton match we've seen many times in the past until all hell broke out. First, Orton gets disqualified which leads to the match restarting. Then, Orton gets counted out which leads to the match being restarted once again. THEN, Cena puts Orton in the STF to which a "fan" runs into the ring and breaks "attacks" the ref. After this, Orton hits the RKO on Cena to finish him off. In my personal opinion, I liked it, it got me on the edge of my seat and it got the wrestling community something to talk about. It was a good match but it doesn't even compare to their classic at Summerslam 2007.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ***
Match 8: TLC - World Heavyweight Championship - Jeff Hardy (c) vs. CM Punk
The main event bout of the night was between Jeff Hardy and CM Punk where they competed against each other in a TLC match for the World Heavyweight Championship. Jeff Hardy is not one to disappoint in Ladder matches and he proves that here in this main event match. When you mix an awesome feud, incredible spots, and Jeff Hardy in a Ladder match, you get awesomeness. Hardy and Punk battled each other in a good 20 minutes with chaos breaking out as we saw Jeff jump off a 20 foot ladder where he missed his signature Swantom Bomb on CM Punk to which he crashed through an announcer's table. Punk wins the match after knocking Hardy off the ladder and retreiving the title belt. An incredible performance by both men.
Winner: CM Punk
Rating: ****1/4
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Summerslam 2009 was definitely a great event and something I highly suggest you check out. The only major flaws here would have to be the Kane/Khali match and the ECW Championship match. Both matches were huge wastes of time and the time the two got could have been given to up and coming guys like MVP, Swagger, Morrison, Miz, and Ziggler.
Rating: 8/10
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
WWE Survivor Series 2012 Review
Match 1: Traditional Survivor Series Elimination - Team Clay (Brodus Clay, Sin Cara, Justin Gabriel, Tyson Kidd, & Rey Mysterio) vs. Team Tensai (Tensai, Primo, Epico, Titus O’Neil, & Darren Young)
Good to see that these types of matches are still alive for the Survivor Series events and this match is a perfect way to kick off the night. Grading these matches does become a tad bit of a challenge considering there are so many eliminations, so many wrestlers, and a lot of action to take into consideration. With that being said, action was fun and the crowd loved seeing the faces get a pretty easy win against the heels as Sin Cara, Gabriel, Kidd, & Mysterio all hit their finishers on Darren Young to secure a kickoff win. All the pins came at a nice pace and everyone played their roles nicely. Just a bit confusing to see where exactly Mysterio’s career is headed and why he is always tossed in such random matches. It’s almost as if this is his new role in the company. Either way, fun little match to get the show started on the right foot and emphasize what exactly this show is.
Winners: Team Clay
Rating: **¾
Match 2: Divas Championship - Eve © vs. Kaitlyn
Kaitlyn was ambushed earlier by Aksana and managed to counter her attack and get the better of Aksana who wore a wig. Kaitlyn comes down to the ring with the wig looking steamed and ready to take on Eve. Match didn’t really feel like she wanted to destroy Eve but it is a Divas match after all. Kaitlyn looked pretty dominant but Eve finds a way to get the pin and victory in a matter of minutes. Eve plays a good heel and while I like Kaitlyn, it is too early for her to win the title.
Winner: Eve
Rating: *
Match 3: United States Championship - Antonio Cesaro © vs. R-Truth
Another filler match to get us warmed up for the final three matches. Crowd isn’t really much behind both guys and seemingly, the commentators aren’t either. They argued for a good portion of the match as the two continued to wrestle in front of the Indianapolis crowd. Cesaro has a style I love to watch but doesn’t really bring out a WWE crowd to its feet, Truth has an interesting style but they don’t seem to clash too well. This allows much of the match to be handled in a different manner. Cesaro hit’s a Neutralizer to get a big win.
Winner: Antonio Cesaro
Rating: **
Match 4: World Heavyweight Championship - The Big Show © vs. Sheamus
This is the rematch from the Hell in a Cell PPV in which Show captured the World Heavyweight Championship once more. However, it is a little more personal this time around with Show beating down Sheamus’ good friend, William Regal. A strange way to get this feud going but either way, the two do have oddly good chemistry and are looking to hit another one out of the park. As expected, action starts slowly with Big Show getting a huge advantage with the size card being too much for Sheamus to handle. However, the pace changes once Sheamus lands a huge electric chair on Show. The match really picks up here and after nearly getting the pin on Show for the win, Sheamus wants to end it with a Brogue Kick. Show manages to pull the referee into the kick. Sheamus neglects The Big Show in concern of the referee which allows Show to knock Sheamus out for the tainted victory with a different referee in to make the count. The referee quickly reverses the decision into Sheamus’ favor for the disqualification win. Irate, Sheamus destroys Big Show with the chair before hitting him with one final Brogue Kick on the walkway. Great match that exceeded expectations. Again, the chemistry is here and the crowd involvement played a huge role. Every big move made sense and the crowd reacted to every single one. A bit frustrating to see an opportunity for them to end the feud on a bigger PPV like Survivor Series but it just opens doors to a bigger conclusion at TLC with some sort of gimmick.
Winner: Sheamus
Rating: ***½
Match 5: Traditional Survivor Series Elimination - Team Foley (Daniel Bryan, Kane, Randy Orton, The Miz & Kofi Kingston) vs. Team Ziggler (Dolph Ziggler, Damien Sandow, David Otunga, Alberto Del Rio, & Wade Barrett)
Was really disappointed upon finding out about the big change to this match. How cool would it have been had this match main evented the show? It would be the first Traditional Survivor Series match as the main event since 2005. Supposed to be CM Punk leading a team against the team of Mick Foley is now Team Ziggler with Wade Barrett taking over Punk’s spot against Mick Foley’s team. With that being said, it does subtract much of the heat that the match was able to gain when it was made on Raw. One of my bigger gripes with this match is that it lacks intertwining storylines. This is generally a good spot to further feuds or even start some, but I didn’t feel like anything of that nature occurred aside from maybe Orton and Ziggler. Action was average and enough to keep the crowd engaged through the better part of the match. They sorted out the eliminations correctly which didn’t allow the match to drag which can certainly become a huge issue in a match like this. Orton & Miz were the two final competitors against Ziggler, Barrett, & Del Rio. This is the best scenario one could ask for, especially taking into consideration that Miz is looking for a face turn. After Miz gets things going, he eventually got eliminated for Orton to finish the job as his last opponent would be Dolph Ziggler. Orton looks to punt the hell out of Ziggler to once again become a Sole Survivor until Ziggler knocks Orton out with a nasty kick to get the huge win. While this was a fun match, there was still many dull moments and many missed opportunities. The ending is what everyone will remember and for good reason, Ziggler’s win was somewhat surprising and a huge feather added to his cap.
Winners: Team Ziggler
Rating: ***¼
Match 6: WWE Championship - CM Punk © vs. John Cena vs. Ryback
Triple threat championship matches have sort of become a stable for Survivor Series. JBL also noted that John Cena is undefeated at this event, a pretty amazing statistic that adds drama to the match. Also, if Punk wins, he will be the WWE Champion for an entire year, the first to hit this feat since John Cena in 2007. This match felt more like Punk vs. Cena with Ryback lingering in the background. While I am sure this is not what the WWE wants, it most certainly seems like what the crowd wants. First half of the match was very slow and only set the table for what should be a big second half. The course of the match finally makes a big change once Cena and Punk team up for a quick second to take Ryback out of the equation by suplexing him through one of the announcers table. It is literally Punk and Cena wrestling to the delight of the crowd while Ryback sits out until finally putting himself back into the match. He lands his finisher to both guys and is ambushed by three guys dressed in black who Michael Cole identifies as wrestlers from NXT. They set Ryback through the other announcers table and Punk capitalizes on the situation at hand by pinning Cena. The best in the world has done it, 365 days. Many things coming out of this match that will likely affect the road to WrestleMania. What exactly were the intentions of the three guys? Was Punk involved? Where does Cena go from here? How much longer will Punk be champion for? The idea of a PPV is to solve questions but that is obviously a dated route for the WWE. Questions only lead to bigger questions and this is a great example. The ambush was done nicely and makes Punk seem more of a weasel than before. Does it detract from the match? Sure, but there was not much interest invested from the crowd to begin with. Punk’s journey started at Survivor Series 2011 in New York against Alberto Del Rio and continues to grow one year later.
Winner: CM Punk
Rating: ***
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Really wish the WWE would make a bigger deal out of this event but it seems like the December TLC event continually overshadows this. With that being said, the emphasis on the two main events was cool but the execution was not enough to give anyone a recommendation for this event. Many missed opportunities detracted my viewing experience.
Rating: 6/10
Good to see that these types of matches are still alive for the Survivor Series events and this match is a perfect way to kick off the night. Grading these matches does become a tad bit of a challenge considering there are so many eliminations, so many wrestlers, and a lot of action to take into consideration. With that being said, action was fun and the crowd loved seeing the faces get a pretty easy win against the heels as Sin Cara, Gabriel, Kidd, & Mysterio all hit their finishers on Darren Young to secure a kickoff win. All the pins came at a nice pace and everyone played their roles nicely. Just a bit confusing to see where exactly Mysterio’s career is headed and why he is always tossed in such random matches. It’s almost as if this is his new role in the company. Either way, fun little match to get the show started on the right foot and emphasize what exactly this show is.
Winners: Team Clay
Rating: **¾
Match 2: Divas Championship - Eve © vs. Kaitlyn
Kaitlyn was ambushed earlier by Aksana and managed to counter her attack and get the better of Aksana who wore a wig. Kaitlyn comes down to the ring with the wig looking steamed and ready to take on Eve. Match didn’t really feel like she wanted to destroy Eve but it is a Divas match after all. Kaitlyn looked pretty dominant but Eve finds a way to get the pin and victory in a matter of minutes. Eve plays a good heel and while I like Kaitlyn, it is too early for her to win the title.
Winner: Eve
Rating: *
Match 3: United States Championship - Antonio Cesaro © vs. R-Truth
Another filler match to get us warmed up for the final three matches. Crowd isn’t really much behind both guys and seemingly, the commentators aren’t either. They argued for a good portion of the match as the two continued to wrestle in front of the Indianapolis crowd. Cesaro has a style I love to watch but doesn’t really bring out a WWE crowd to its feet, Truth has an interesting style but they don’t seem to clash too well. This allows much of the match to be handled in a different manner. Cesaro hit’s a Neutralizer to get a big win.
Winner: Antonio Cesaro
Rating: **
Match 4: World Heavyweight Championship - The Big Show © vs. Sheamus
This is the rematch from the Hell in a Cell PPV in which Show captured the World Heavyweight Championship once more. However, it is a little more personal this time around with Show beating down Sheamus’ good friend, William Regal. A strange way to get this feud going but either way, the two do have oddly good chemistry and are looking to hit another one out of the park. As expected, action starts slowly with Big Show getting a huge advantage with the size card being too much for Sheamus to handle. However, the pace changes once Sheamus lands a huge electric chair on Show. The match really picks up here and after nearly getting the pin on Show for the win, Sheamus wants to end it with a Brogue Kick. Show manages to pull the referee into the kick. Sheamus neglects The Big Show in concern of the referee which allows Show to knock Sheamus out for the tainted victory with a different referee in to make the count. The referee quickly reverses the decision into Sheamus’ favor for the disqualification win. Irate, Sheamus destroys Big Show with the chair before hitting him with one final Brogue Kick on the walkway. Great match that exceeded expectations. Again, the chemistry is here and the crowd involvement played a huge role. Every big move made sense and the crowd reacted to every single one. A bit frustrating to see an opportunity for them to end the feud on a bigger PPV like Survivor Series but it just opens doors to a bigger conclusion at TLC with some sort of gimmick.
Winner: Sheamus
Rating: ***½
Match 5: Traditional Survivor Series Elimination - Team Foley (Daniel Bryan, Kane, Randy Orton, The Miz & Kofi Kingston) vs. Team Ziggler (Dolph Ziggler, Damien Sandow, David Otunga, Alberto Del Rio, & Wade Barrett)
Was really disappointed upon finding out about the big change to this match. How cool would it have been had this match main evented the show? It would be the first Traditional Survivor Series match as the main event since 2005. Supposed to be CM Punk leading a team against the team of Mick Foley is now Team Ziggler with Wade Barrett taking over Punk’s spot against Mick Foley’s team. With that being said, it does subtract much of the heat that the match was able to gain when it was made on Raw. One of my bigger gripes with this match is that it lacks intertwining storylines. This is generally a good spot to further feuds or even start some, but I didn’t feel like anything of that nature occurred aside from maybe Orton and Ziggler. Action was average and enough to keep the crowd engaged through the better part of the match. They sorted out the eliminations correctly which didn’t allow the match to drag which can certainly become a huge issue in a match like this. Orton & Miz were the two final competitors against Ziggler, Barrett, & Del Rio. This is the best scenario one could ask for, especially taking into consideration that Miz is looking for a face turn. After Miz gets things going, he eventually got eliminated for Orton to finish the job as his last opponent would be Dolph Ziggler. Orton looks to punt the hell out of Ziggler to once again become a Sole Survivor until Ziggler knocks Orton out with a nasty kick to get the huge win. While this was a fun match, there was still many dull moments and many missed opportunities. The ending is what everyone will remember and for good reason, Ziggler’s win was somewhat surprising and a huge feather added to his cap.
Winners: Team Ziggler
Rating: ***¼
Match 6: WWE Championship - CM Punk © vs. John Cena vs. Ryback
Triple threat championship matches have sort of become a stable for Survivor Series. JBL also noted that John Cena is undefeated at this event, a pretty amazing statistic that adds drama to the match. Also, if Punk wins, he will be the WWE Champion for an entire year, the first to hit this feat since John Cena in 2007. This match felt more like Punk vs. Cena with Ryback lingering in the background. While I am sure this is not what the WWE wants, it most certainly seems like what the crowd wants. First half of the match was very slow and only set the table for what should be a big second half. The course of the match finally makes a big change once Cena and Punk team up for a quick second to take Ryback out of the equation by suplexing him through one of the announcers table. It is literally Punk and Cena wrestling to the delight of the crowd while Ryback sits out until finally putting himself back into the match. He lands his finisher to both guys and is ambushed by three guys dressed in black who Michael Cole identifies as wrestlers from NXT. They set Ryback through the other announcers table and Punk capitalizes on the situation at hand by pinning Cena. The best in the world has done it, 365 days. Many things coming out of this match that will likely affect the road to WrestleMania. What exactly were the intentions of the three guys? Was Punk involved? Where does Cena go from here? How much longer will Punk be champion for? The idea of a PPV is to solve questions but that is obviously a dated route for the WWE. Questions only lead to bigger questions and this is a great example. The ambush was done nicely and makes Punk seem more of a weasel than before. Does it detract from the match? Sure, but there was not much interest invested from the crowd to begin with. Punk’s journey started at Survivor Series 2011 in New York against Alberto Del Rio and continues to grow one year later.
Winner: CM Punk
Rating: ***
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Really wish the WWE would make a bigger deal out of this event but it seems like the December TLC event continually overshadows this. With that being said, the emphasis on the two main events was cool but the execution was not enough to give anyone a recommendation for this event. Many missed opportunities detracted my viewing experience.
Rating: 6/10
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
WWE Night of Champions 2012 Review
Match 1: Intercontinental Championship - The Miz © vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Sin Cara
Definitely cool to hear JBL back in the booth and seeing Mysterio again in the ring. This was a perfect way to open up the show, the action was not too fast but it was fast enough to get the crowd going and have a pretty damn good match. Things started off feeling like a tag match with the heels siding with each other and the faces, too. But as the action progressed, everyone was all for themselves and things started to spill in and out of the ring. Sin Cara pulled out a mask to put over the face of Cody Rhodes until things backfired. The mask was placed on the face of Miz who lands a Skullcrushing Finale on Rhodes to pick up a blind win. A pretty cheesy finish to a pretty fun match overall. The ending felt unnecessary and somewhat drew away from an entertaining match. All in all, a nice start to the show in Boston.
Winner: The Miz
Rating: **¾
Match 2: WWE World Tag Team Championships - Kofi Kingston & R-Truth © vs. Daniel Bryan & Kane
This whole thing between Bryan & Kane may sound odd on paper, but it is easily becoming the best thing on WWE television. Kane needs some sort of award for all the things he has done for the company. Incidentally, the two form a team to challenge for the championships on the second match of the night. Crowd virtually has no interest in the team of Kingston & Truth with the focus being centered around Bryan & Kane. With that being said, interesting match that showed again, zero focus on the team of Kingston & Truth with Bryan eventually pushing Kane on top of Kingston from the top rope to get the victory. Proper win to advance the storyline for these guys and this should certainly make for some interesting television and matches down the road.
Winners: Daniel Bryan & Kane
Rating: *¾
Match 3: United States Championship - Antonio Cesaro © vs. Zack Ryder
These two guys are on two completely different ships in the WWE. Ryder is on a sinking one while Cesaro is simply getting ready to depart. Cesaro is such a joy to watch, it is really cool to see how he translated his work from ROH or other independent companies to the WWE style. JBL did a fantastic job of building up the guy and the match itself which was for the better part, dominated by Cesaro. Cesaro makes pretty quick work of Ryder to pick up another victory. Big things seem to be on the horizon for this man.
Winner: Antonio Cesaro
Rating: *¼
Match 4: Dolph Ziggler vs. Randy Orton
I guess you can look at this match as the seeds to be planted for a future feud down the line. The pacing of the match started off slowly like nearly all Orton matches but everything picks up in the final minutes down the stretch. And let me tell you something, nobody in the WWE can finish off a match like Randy Orton. Things were going back and fourth with Ziggler seemingly getting the better of things until Orton takes things outside. Lands a nasty DDT on the floor and tosses up Ziggler before hitting a sweet RKO to cap off the match. Say what you want about the slowness early on but there is no doubting that they took us on a ride before the closing minutes of the match. As a matter of fact, the beginning stages of the match were just used to build what would end up being a wild finish. Ziggler takes a loss here but manages to still look strong in the process as he is facing Randy Orton. Both benefit from the match and this may be a sleeper hit for the show tonight.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ***¼
Match 5: Divas Championship - Layla © vs. Eve
In place for an injured Kaitlyn who was attacked backstage, Eve challenges Layla for the Divas Championship. Match was as basic as it gets but they still managed to pull through with a crowd being very unsupportive for their efforts. Layla falls into Eve’s traps with a fake handshake which allowed Eve to gain an upper hand. Eve quickly gets the win over Layla to win the Divas Championship. Not much to say here other than another title change for the night as Eve continues her streak as a heel.
Winner: Eve
Rating: ¾*
Match 6: World Heavyweight Championship - Sheamus © vs. Alberto Del Rio
Sheamus is having a career year in WWE and faces Del Rio once again. The twist this time around is that Sheamus is banned from using his patented Brogue Kick. The storyline leading into this match surrounds this twist and allows for Sheamus to be more versatile. However, Booker T decides to legalize the Brogue Kick right before the match. Sheamus lands a big kick to David Otunga right after the announcement and the match begins. Very similar to their other encounters and nothing different from what we have seen. Sheamus was playing the John Cena role for a larger part of the match with Del Rio dominating much of the contest. Del Rio is a great heel and a perfect one for Sheamus to go against as the World Heavyweight Champion. Sheamus gets the win after finally hitting his Brogue Kick after Del Rio missed his flying kick in the corner. Again, nothing out of the ordinary here, just another victory for Sheamus. We won’t be talking about this in a year from now.
Winner: Sheamus
Rating: ***
Match 7: WWE Championship - CM Punk © vs. John Cena
Down the road, I strongly feel like people will be referring to this feud as the Austin vs. Rock of the era. This feud goes back to Money in the Bank 2011 and Summerslam 2011 where the two squared off. Rarely do we see guys tangle up again more than a year later in the main event but here we are. This time, instead of being in Punk’s hometown, we are in Cena’s hometown of Boston, MA. Punk comes out in Yankees pinstripe tights and proudly raises his title for an extended period of time to the dislike of the crowd before the match begins. My biggest fear of this was that it would be too similar of their previous bouts and while the match was still excellent in its own regard, it did feel like I was watching a lot of the same. While trying to keep this thought away from my mind, I enjoyed an old school type of match that often felt like a match with a caliber to be a WrestleMania main event. A perfect blend of technical wrestling, storytelling, and just the right amount of near falls to keep us on the edge of our seats while not being pushed off. Can’t say enough good things about JBL on commentary, all he does is make these guys sound like a million dollars. He has incredible insight to both guys and offers his takes from a perspective of a guy who has faced off against both men. Every move and every counter made more sense when JBL explained them accordingly. And trust me, there was a ton of different moves and counters. Let’s not forget about Paul Heyman, too. While he didn’t really do anything to affect the match itself, his sheer presence was enough to add a different kick to the match. After nearly thirty minutes of great action, Cena lands a suplex on Punk from the top rope to get the big win until the referee reverses the decision after announcing that both men had their shoulders on the mat. The result was a tie. Punk retains and knocks out Cena with the belt before walking out and proclaiming himself as the best in the world. I normally hate these types of false finishes, especially considering that this is the main event for the WWE Championship of all things. However, considering the circumstances of Punk’s title reign and the current feud surrounding the idea of respect, this was brilliant. Punk weasels his way out of another win and his long reign continues.
Winner: CM Punk
Rating: ****¼
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Night of Champions is one of my favorite PPV concept styles that the WWE has produced in the last few years. I really wish they would make this show a bigger deal and the main event just adds the event’s history. Even still, this was a bad effort at best and didn’t really capture the essence of momentum that Summerslam had created. A couple good matches don’t make up for what should be considered as a letdown of a show.
Rating: 5.75/10
Definitely cool to hear JBL back in the booth and seeing Mysterio again in the ring. This was a perfect way to open up the show, the action was not too fast but it was fast enough to get the crowd going and have a pretty damn good match. Things started off feeling like a tag match with the heels siding with each other and the faces, too. But as the action progressed, everyone was all for themselves and things started to spill in and out of the ring. Sin Cara pulled out a mask to put over the face of Cody Rhodes until things backfired. The mask was placed on the face of Miz who lands a Skullcrushing Finale on Rhodes to pick up a blind win. A pretty cheesy finish to a pretty fun match overall. The ending felt unnecessary and somewhat drew away from an entertaining match. All in all, a nice start to the show in Boston.
Winner: The Miz
Rating: **¾
Match 2: WWE World Tag Team Championships - Kofi Kingston & R-Truth © vs. Daniel Bryan & Kane
This whole thing between Bryan & Kane may sound odd on paper, but it is easily becoming the best thing on WWE television. Kane needs some sort of award for all the things he has done for the company. Incidentally, the two form a team to challenge for the championships on the second match of the night. Crowd virtually has no interest in the team of Kingston & Truth with the focus being centered around Bryan & Kane. With that being said, interesting match that showed again, zero focus on the team of Kingston & Truth with Bryan eventually pushing Kane on top of Kingston from the top rope to get the victory. Proper win to advance the storyline for these guys and this should certainly make for some interesting television and matches down the road.
Winners: Daniel Bryan & Kane
Rating: *¾
Match 3: United States Championship - Antonio Cesaro © vs. Zack Ryder
These two guys are on two completely different ships in the WWE. Ryder is on a sinking one while Cesaro is simply getting ready to depart. Cesaro is such a joy to watch, it is really cool to see how he translated his work from ROH or other independent companies to the WWE style. JBL did a fantastic job of building up the guy and the match itself which was for the better part, dominated by Cesaro. Cesaro makes pretty quick work of Ryder to pick up another victory. Big things seem to be on the horizon for this man.
Winner: Antonio Cesaro
Rating: *¼
Match 4: Dolph Ziggler vs. Randy Orton
I guess you can look at this match as the seeds to be planted for a future feud down the line. The pacing of the match started off slowly like nearly all Orton matches but everything picks up in the final minutes down the stretch. And let me tell you something, nobody in the WWE can finish off a match like Randy Orton. Things were going back and fourth with Ziggler seemingly getting the better of things until Orton takes things outside. Lands a nasty DDT on the floor and tosses up Ziggler before hitting a sweet RKO to cap off the match. Say what you want about the slowness early on but there is no doubting that they took us on a ride before the closing minutes of the match. As a matter of fact, the beginning stages of the match were just used to build what would end up being a wild finish. Ziggler takes a loss here but manages to still look strong in the process as he is facing Randy Orton. Both benefit from the match and this may be a sleeper hit for the show tonight.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ***¼
Match 5: Divas Championship - Layla © vs. Eve
In place for an injured Kaitlyn who was attacked backstage, Eve challenges Layla for the Divas Championship. Match was as basic as it gets but they still managed to pull through with a crowd being very unsupportive for their efforts. Layla falls into Eve’s traps with a fake handshake which allowed Eve to gain an upper hand. Eve quickly gets the win over Layla to win the Divas Championship. Not much to say here other than another title change for the night as Eve continues her streak as a heel.
Winner: Eve
Rating: ¾*
Match 6: World Heavyweight Championship - Sheamus © vs. Alberto Del Rio
Sheamus is having a career year in WWE and faces Del Rio once again. The twist this time around is that Sheamus is banned from using his patented Brogue Kick. The storyline leading into this match surrounds this twist and allows for Sheamus to be more versatile. However, Booker T decides to legalize the Brogue Kick right before the match. Sheamus lands a big kick to David Otunga right after the announcement and the match begins. Very similar to their other encounters and nothing different from what we have seen. Sheamus was playing the John Cena role for a larger part of the match with Del Rio dominating much of the contest. Del Rio is a great heel and a perfect one for Sheamus to go against as the World Heavyweight Champion. Sheamus gets the win after finally hitting his Brogue Kick after Del Rio missed his flying kick in the corner. Again, nothing out of the ordinary here, just another victory for Sheamus. We won’t be talking about this in a year from now.
Winner: Sheamus
Rating: ***
Match 7: WWE Championship - CM Punk © vs. John Cena
Down the road, I strongly feel like people will be referring to this feud as the Austin vs. Rock of the era. This feud goes back to Money in the Bank 2011 and Summerslam 2011 where the two squared off. Rarely do we see guys tangle up again more than a year later in the main event but here we are. This time, instead of being in Punk’s hometown, we are in Cena’s hometown of Boston, MA. Punk comes out in Yankees pinstripe tights and proudly raises his title for an extended period of time to the dislike of the crowd before the match begins. My biggest fear of this was that it would be too similar of their previous bouts and while the match was still excellent in its own regard, it did feel like I was watching a lot of the same. While trying to keep this thought away from my mind, I enjoyed an old school type of match that often felt like a match with a caliber to be a WrestleMania main event. A perfect blend of technical wrestling, storytelling, and just the right amount of near falls to keep us on the edge of our seats while not being pushed off. Can’t say enough good things about JBL on commentary, all he does is make these guys sound like a million dollars. He has incredible insight to both guys and offers his takes from a perspective of a guy who has faced off against both men. Every move and every counter made more sense when JBL explained them accordingly. And trust me, there was a ton of different moves and counters. Let’s not forget about Paul Heyman, too. While he didn’t really do anything to affect the match itself, his sheer presence was enough to add a different kick to the match. After nearly thirty minutes of great action, Cena lands a suplex on Punk from the top rope to get the big win until the referee reverses the decision after announcing that both men had their shoulders on the mat. The result was a tie. Punk retains and knocks out Cena with the belt before walking out and proclaiming himself as the best in the world. I normally hate these types of false finishes, especially considering that this is the main event for the WWE Championship of all things. However, considering the circumstances of Punk’s title reign and the current feud surrounding the idea of respect, this was brilliant. Punk weasels his way out of another win and his long reign continues.
Winner: CM Punk
Rating: ****¼
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Night of Champions is one of my favorite PPV concept styles that the WWE has produced in the last few years. I really wish they would make this show a bigger deal and the main event just adds the event’s history. Even still, this was a bad effort at best and didn’t really capture the essence of momentum that Summerslam had created. A couple good matches don’t make up for what should be considered as a letdown of a show.
Rating: 5.75/10
Saturday, October 5, 2013
WWE Summerslam 2012 Review
Match 1: Dolph Ziggler vs. Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho has seemingly missed his chance to win the big one in several years. He hasn’t necessarily won any marquee matches since 2008 or 2009. Ziggler has let this be known to Jericho where the two will face each other in the opening contest of the night. This is the perfect match to set the pace of the night, Ziggler is becoming the guy to open up Summerslam throughout the past few years. Jericho’s veteran instincts really brought out the best of Ziggler here and his unselfishness really was in display here at a forefront. Jericho has become popular for simply making his opponents look stronger in recent years. Fun back and fourth action from the two mixed with a little bit of everything. Jericho is selling is injured ribs nicely and Ziggler is making the most out of his opportunities. Even still, Ziggler isn’t able to pull through as Jericho makes Ziggler tap out to get a big Summerslam win! Great opening match to set up the night, Ziggler eating a loss doesn’t hurt him as he put in a very great wrestling display.
Winner: Chris Jericho
Rating: ***¼
Match 2: Daniel Bryan vs. Kane
The crowd is really getting into Bryan, a huge push should be in order for him soon as he faces Kane in the second match of the night. Bryan practically has great chemistry with everybody on the roster and while Kane may be a challenge for even him, the two had a fun little match here. Nothing that we haven’t come to expect from the two, just a good match to have following the opener with Bryan picking up the surprise win after Kane tries to take out Bryan after hitting a Chokeslam.
Winner: Daniel Bryan
Rating:**½
Match 3: Intercontinental Championship - The Miz © vs. Rey Mysterio
It is no secret that Mysterio is nearing the end of his course. But that doesn’t mean that he is not capable of putting on fun matches with guys like The Miz. The crowd is actually pretty split for the two as their star powers have easily dwindled throughout the course of the year due to their absences. Even still, they put on a good match with a few nifty spots until Miz eventually gets the best of Mysterio for the win. Life in this title is at a low, Miz holding it somewhat brings a little more credibility and especially considering how he defeats Mysterio at Summerslam. Match was good for what it was and served its purpose in a short period.
Winner: The Miz
Rating: **¼
Match 4: World Heavyweight Championship - Sheamus © vs. Alberto Del Rio
Coming off their match at Money in the Bank, their feud spills over into Summerslam. As expected, the action was similar to that match but it doesn’t really take anything away from the match. Both men have established themselves as the top dogs on SmackDown and their match here shows it. Great back and fourth action from the two as the crowd was definitely into the action. After Del Rio nearly picks up the win, he tries to cleverly get the win by having Ricardo Rodriguez toss him his shoe. However, Del Rio misses the catch and Sheamus gets a hold of it to land a nasty blow. Sheamus hits an Irish Curse to get the victory only after the referee doesn’t see Sheamus shoving Del Rio’s foot off the rope. The finish felt so awkward but still a cool way for Sheamus to get the win. In a way, in kind of reminded me of Eddie beating Kurt Angle at WrestleMania XX. The only difference being that this wasn’t executed as nicely. It hurt the match more than anything. Good match that suffered a bit from an odd finish.
Winner: Sheamus
Rating: ***
Match 5: WWE Tag Team Championships - Kofi Kingston & R-Truth © vs. The Primetime Players
Just a basic filler match to pass time and get these guys a quick spot on the card. Really feel like The Primetime Players are starting to rise above and have definitely earned my consideration for champions. Good match with your typical action you would normally see on an episode of Raw. Kingston & Truth retain as they continue their reign as champions.
Winners: Kofi Kingston & R-Truth
Rating: *¾
Match 6: WWE Championship - CM Punk © vs. John Cena vs. The Big Show
For all the times these guys have done battle, there is still interest in them feuding and a triple threat match works nicely for the WWE Championship match. They have established Big Show as the dark horse of the match with the main focus being between Punk and Cena and the action nicely demonstrates that with Show not necessarily being the focal point of the match. However, he still is able to get in a great amount of offense and not let the audience forget that he is still in the match. Punk and Cena both lock Show simultaneously in submissions and Show cannot carry on as he taps out. A winner cannot be declared so AJ Lee comes out to restart the match. I normally hate it when matches have this type of scuffle but considering the feud heating up between the two, it worked. Show immediately lands a Chokeslam to both guys but is not able to secure the victory. Cena eventually hits Show with an Attitude Adjustment but Punk tosses Cena out of the ring and covers Show to get the win. While the finish was predictable, it worked as Punk is still looking to get going as a heel and get the feud really cooking. Punk mocks Cena and celebrates after as his long reign goes on.
Winner: CM Punk
Rating: ***¼
Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H
It’s the perfect storm. The main event of Summerslam 2012 in Los Angeles at the Staples Center features Triple H stepping in the ring against Brock Lesnar. This is probably the most hyped Summerslam main event in the past decade or so. Stemming from Lesnar breaking Triple H’s arm a few months back on Raw, The Game had no other option but to gain his revenge. WWE has done an excellent job at promoting this match and it doesn’t stop at the event itself. Beautiful video packages along with top notch commentary allow this match to beckon a big match type of feel. Things start off hot with Triple H getting the better of the exchange early on but only makes Lesnar angry and allows him to take advantage. Lesnar looked dominant throughout but not to the point where it became lopsided because Triple H managed to fight back and make things very interesting. Triple H focused on the stomach of Lesnar after driving him into the corner of the table and nearly became the downfall for Lesnar who has a huge history of stomach problems. Lesnar proved to be too strong and too powerful for The Game to handle as Lesnar made Triple H tap out with the Kimura submission when Triple H when for a pin attempt from the Pedigree after focusing on Triple H‘s arm throughout the match. The near falls were believable, the counters were just ridiculous, the psychology was there, the crowd was alive yet this will be one of the most overlooked Summerslam main events. I think many just simply dislike the fact that Triple H is again inserted into another main event but there is no denying the effort that both men put into this match to make it what it was. Let’s also not forget the presence of Paul Heyman. His shouting and screaming added another layer to the match and only made the audience hate Lesnar more than they already do. Aside from that, referee Scott Armstrong was informed by Triple H to only end the match via pin fall or submission and seeing Lesnar land a low blow upon Triple H made him look like a nasty heel. Pure awesome. This match definitely matches up to Lesnar’s match against Cena back in May. Lesnar winning somewhat avenges his loss against Cena and makes him look like a beast in the process.
Winner: Brock Lesnar
Rating: ****½
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
A rather weak Summerslam with only a couple bright spots to look at when it is all said and done. Everything on the card is rather forgettable until we talk about the main event. Brock Lesnar is on top of his game and is easily the biggest attraction in wrestling today, bar none. The theme of the show is focused around the main event and in all honesty, it is for the right reason.
Rating: 6.5/10
Chris Jericho has seemingly missed his chance to win the big one in several years. He hasn’t necessarily won any marquee matches since 2008 or 2009. Ziggler has let this be known to Jericho where the two will face each other in the opening contest of the night. This is the perfect match to set the pace of the night, Ziggler is becoming the guy to open up Summerslam throughout the past few years. Jericho’s veteran instincts really brought out the best of Ziggler here and his unselfishness really was in display here at a forefront. Jericho has become popular for simply making his opponents look stronger in recent years. Fun back and fourth action from the two mixed with a little bit of everything. Jericho is selling is injured ribs nicely and Ziggler is making the most out of his opportunities. Even still, Ziggler isn’t able to pull through as Jericho makes Ziggler tap out to get a big Summerslam win! Great opening match to set up the night, Ziggler eating a loss doesn’t hurt him as he put in a very great wrestling display.
Winner: Chris Jericho
Rating: ***¼
Match 2: Daniel Bryan vs. Kane
The crowd is really getting into Bryan, a huge push should be in order for him soon as he faces Kane in the second match of the night. Bryan practically has great chemistry with everybody on the roster and while Kane may be a challenge for even him, the two had a fun little match here. Nothing that we haven’t come to expect from the two, just a good match to have following the opener with Bryan picking up the surprise win after Kane tries to take out Bryan after hitting a Chokeslam.
Winner: Daniel Bryan
Rating:**½
Match 3: Intercontinental Championship - The Miz © vs. Rey Mysterio
It is no secret that Mysterio is nearing the end of his course. But that doesn’t mean that he is not capable of putting on fun matches with guys like The Miz. The crowd is actually pretty split for the two as their star powers have easily dwindled throughout the course of the year due to their absences. Even still, they put on a good match with a few nifty spots until Miz eventually gets the best of Mysterio for the win. Life in this title is at a low, Miz holding it somewhat brings a little more credibility and especially considering how he defeats Mysterio at Summerslam. Match was good for what it was and served its purpose in a short period.
Winner: The Miz
Rating: **¼
Match 4: World Heavyweight Championship - Sheamus © vs. Alberto Del Rio
Coming off their match at Money in the Bank, their feud spills over into Summerslam. As expected, the action was similar to that match but it doesn’t really take anything away from the match. Both men have established themselves as the top dogs on SmackDown and their match here shows it. Great back and fourth action from the two as the crowd was definitely into the action. After Del Rio nearly picks up the win, he tries to cleverly get the win by having Ricardo Rodriguez toss him his shoe. However, Del Rio misses the catch and Sheamus gets a hold of it to land a nasty blow. Sheamus hits an Irish Curse to get the victory only after the referee doesn’t see Sheamus shoving Del Rio’s foot off the rope. The finish felt so awkward but still a cool way for Sheamus to get the win. In a way, in kind of reminded me of Eddie beating Kurt Angle at WrestleMania XX. The only difference being that this wasn’t executed as nicely. It hurt the match more than anything. Good match that suffered a bit from an odd finish.
Winner: Sheamus
Rating: ***
Match 5: WWE Tag Team Championships - Kofi Kingston & R-Truth © vs. The Primetime Players
Just a basic filler match to pass time and get these guys a quick spot on the card. Really feel like The Primetime Players are starting to rise above and have definitely earned my consideration for champions. Good match with your typical action you would normally see on an episode of Raw. Kingston & Truth retain as they continue their reign as champions.
Winners: Kofi Kingston & R-Truth
Rating: *¾
Match 6: WWE Championship - CM Punk © vs. John Cena vs. The Big Show
For all the times these guys have done battle, there is still interest in them feuding and a triple threat match works nicely for the WWE Championship match. They have established Big Show as the dark horse of the match with the main focus being between Punk and Cena and the action nicely demonstrates that with Show not necessarily being the focal point of the match. However, he still is able to get in a great amount of offense and not let the audience forget that he is still in the match. Punk and Cena both lock Show simultaneously in submissions and Show cannot carry on as he taps out. A winner cannot be declared so AJ Lee comes out to restart the match. I normally hate it when matches have this type of scuffle but considering the feud heating up between the two, it worked. Show immediately lands a Chokeslam to both guys but is not able to secure the victory. Cena eventually hits Show with an Attitude Adjustment but Punk tosses Cena out of the ring and covers Show to get the win. While the finish was predictable, it worked as Punk is still looking to get going as a heel and get the feud really cooking. Punk mocks Cena and celebrates after as his long reign goes on.
Winner: CM Punk
Rating: ***¼
Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H
It’s the perfect storm. The main event of Summerslam 2012 in Los Angeles at the Staples Center features Triple H stepping in the ring against Brock Lesnar. This is probably the most hyped Summerslam main event in the past decade or so. Stemming from Lesnar breaking Triple H’s arm a few months back on Raw, The Game had no other option but to gain his revenge. WWE has done an excellent job at promoting this match and it doesn’t stop at the event itself. Beautiful video packages along with top notch commentary allow this match to beckon a big match type of feel. Things start off hot with Triple H getting the better of the exchange early on but only makes Lesnar angry and allows him to take advantage. Lesnar looked dominant throughout but not to the point where it became lopsided because Triple H managed to fight back and make things very interesting. Triple H focused on the stomach of Lesnar after driving him into the corner of the table and nearly became the downfall for Lesnar who has a huge history of stomach problems. Lesnar proved to be too strong and too powerful for The Game to handle as Lesnar made Triple H tap out with the Kimura submission when Triple H when for a pin attempt from the Pedigree after focusing on Triple H‘s arm throughout the match. The near falls were believable, the counters were just ridiculous, the psychology was there, the crowd was alive yet this will be one of the most overlooked Summerslam main events. I think many just simply dislike the fact that Triple H is again inserted into another main event but there is no denying the effort that both men put into this match to make it what it was. Let’s also not forget the presence of Paul Heyman. His shouting and screaming added another layer to the match and only made the audience hate Lesnar more than they already do. Aside from that, referee Scott Armstrong was informed by Triple H to only end the match via pin fall or submission and seeing Lesnar land a low blow upon Triple H made him look like a nasty heel. Pure awesome. This match definitely matches up to Lesnar’s match against Cena back in May. Lesnar winning somewhat avenges his loss against Cena and makes him look like a beast in the process.
Winner: Brock Lesnar
Rating: ****½
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
A rather weak Summerslam with only a couple bright spots to look at when it is all said and done. Everything on the card is rather forgettable until we talk about the main event. Brock Lesnar is on top of his game and is easily the biggest attraction in wrestling today, bar none. The theme of the show is focused around the main event and in all honesty, it is for the right reason.
Rating: 6.5/10
Thursday, August 22, 2013
WWE Money in the Bank 2012 Review
Match 1: World Heavyweight Championship Contract Money in the Bank - Dolph Ziggler vs. Damien Sandow vs. Tyson Kidd vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Santino Marella vs. Sin Cara vs. Christian vs. Tensai
Differentiating each match from the past year is always the biggest challenge for the competitor’s in the ring. While this group doesn’t look like the most promising on paper, I still had confidence that they would pull off a good one. This match came off as a bit of a cluster and very sluggish at times. It looks like they wanted to pull off big moves to impress but on occasion, came up a bit too short. However, more than most of the time, they managed to create some daring and innovative spots including Tensai recalling last year’s match by slamming Sin Cara on top of a ladder. Tyson Kidd was the sleeper hit of the match. While not the most recognized face of the match, he definitely took advantage of his spot in the match and made an impact. Aside from maybe Cody Rhodes and the winner, nobody really came off as strong and it took away much of the match. It felt like many of the guys in the match were just there to fill spots. As Christian climbed the ladder to retrieve the briefcase, Ziggler popped out of nowhere and retrieved it himself. Christian is never going to win one of these. Wasn’t really expecting anyone else to win this match but it didn’t take anything away from the fun. Again, lots of sluggish spots but that is going to happen in this type of environment. Ziggler should be in the main event slot soon and as for everyone else, the future doesn’t look as promising. Sometimes, the obvious choice is the best choice.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler
Rating: ***½
Match 2: World Heavyweight Championship - Sheamus © vs. Alberto Del Rio
This feud has become personal after Del Rio smashed Sheamus with the hood of his car. Sheamus looks to get revenge by successfully defending against Del Rio. This was the type of match you would expect from these two, good but nothing that necessarily crosses the line. Del Rio smartly focuses on the already damaged arm of Sheamus and looks to win using his submission lock. Crowd is a bit turned off by this style of wrestling and have definitely cooled down after the opener. This probably wasn’t the best spot to put this match on the card. The match itself just feels unimportant and lacks that flavor the previous match had to carry on the flame. Sheamus lands a White Noise on Del Rio with a huge Brogue Kick afterwards to pick up the win. Del Rio attacks Sheamus after the match which causes Dolph Ziggler to run out and try to cash in. However, Sheamus recovers in time to hit a Brogue Kick on Ziggler before the referee could start the match. A nice match with nice pacing and a good amount of time to go with it. The crowd wasn’t much into the action but I’m sure the viewers at home still enjoyed it. The feud definitely doesn’t end here and will likely carry into Summerslam.
Winner: Sheamus
Rating: ***
Match 3: Epico & Primo vs. The Primetime Players
Really unsure why they felt the need to put this match on the card. Kofi Kingston & R-Truth come out to do commentary ringside. This really feels like it’s straight out of Raw. Abraham Washington accompanies The Primetime Players after turning on Epico & Primo a month ago. He adds an extra layer to the team and as odd as this may sound, he was a refreshing taste added to what was a dull match with an even duller commentary on the side. Epico & Primo get the surprise win but The Primetime Players don’t take it lightly as they go up to the faces of Kingston & Truth before Truth splashes water in Washington’s face. Unnecessary added match to the card that really didn’t serve any real purpose other than to give a gap between the title matches.
Winners: Epico & Primo
Rating: **
Match 4: WWE Championship - No Disqualification - CM Punk © vs. Daniel Bryan
With AJ playing the role as a special guest referee, this match has something odd written all over it. The two pulled off an amazing match at the May PPV in Over the Limit and look to repeat magic once again. I was scared that AJ would steal the action these two would put on in the ring and it happened to be the case here. I understand where this feud is headed and how it revolves mainly around her, but I don’t think anyone wanted her to become a distraction in what should be an awesome match. The other stipulation added to the match that there would be no disqualifications and this rule definitely helped elevate the match and separate it from its predecessor. The use of a chair, kendo stick, and a table at the end added not only to the match, but the heat that was between them. When foreign objects in wrestling are used in a correct manner, it can be so much fun to watch. The chemistry these two have in the ring is top notch and it was no different here as they took the crowd in a roller coaster of a match. AJ as a referee added an interesting dynamic to the mix but I just felt like the match could have been much better off with her interfering in it or something. A fun match with tons of back and fourth action but I couldn’t help but feel under whelmed when the match was over. My expectations going into this one were through the roof and while I still felt they delivered, I feel like a bigger deal could have been made. Punk’s reign continues into Summerslam.
Winner: CM Punk
Rating: ***¾
Match 5: Ryback vs. Curt Hawkins & Tyler Reks
Since both guys could not beat Ryback individually, they get another shot in a handicap match. Just another predictable squash match to further Ryback. Looks like the guys in the back are really getting behind Ryback considering he gets another quick showing on PPV. Squash matches get crazy annoying.
Winner: Ryback
Rating: ½*
Match 6: Layla, Kaitlyn, & Tamina Snuka vs. Beth Phoenix, Natalya, & Eve
Layla is on fire as of late and looks to continue her streak in this tag match. Decent action from the Divas but they per usual, they don’t get the efficient amount of time to fully develop their matches. Therefore, every match comes off as stale and repetitive. However, I will admit that they made great use of their time and had a nice little match prior to the main event.
Winners: Layla, Kaitlyn, & Tamina Snuka
Rating: *
Match 7: WWE Championship Contract Money in the Bank - Kane vs. Chris Jericho vs. The Miz vs. John Cena vs. The Big Show
This is easily, if not the biggest Money in the Bank match of all time. Star power is written all over this one and they started off hot. Since this was the main event, not only did they have to be different, but they had to do something special to cap off the night. Starting off with Cena driving Show through the table with everyone burying him in ladders soon after, the action was nonstop for the most part and they managed to keep things interesting throughout. There are two of these matches in the night so in order to make sure this match is memorable, the guys need to be innovative. The hot crowd and action reminded me of one of those TLC matches back in the day. However, the match seemingly paced down near the final stages of the match where things cooled down and the match felt like a completely different animal from what I was watching just a few minutes ago. Big Show destroys all the ladders before bringing out an enormous ladder for him to propel himself slowly to the top. However, things get hectic when The Miz and Jericho try to stop him until they get punched to the ring below. Cena is in pursuit of the contract as he nails Show with the briefcase and takes it off its hook in the process. Cena wins in a really exciting fashion and lands a couple more blows to Show’s head with the briefcase for good measure. Just a fun match and a fitting way to cap off the night. Cena winning doesn’t really excite me considering how much we’ve seen him in the title picture. However, it doesn’t take away from what a unique match this was.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: ****
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
While this was still a pretty nice effort from the WWE, it just feels like they came up short just a tad bit. The 2011 version of this PPV was amazing and while nobody expected this event to be as memorable as that one, there was still this high expectation that was seemingly buzzing in the air. Even still, you won’t go wrong with checking this event out for a little bit of fun.
Rating: 7.75/10
Differentiating each match from the past year is always the biggest challenge for the competitor’s in the ring. While this group doesn’t look like the most promising on paper, I still had confidence that they would pull off a good one. This match came off as a bit of a cluster and very sluggish at times. It looks like they wanted to pull off big moves to impress but on occasion, came up a bit too short. However, more than most of the time, they managed to create some daring and innovative spots including Tensai recalling last year’s match by slamming Sin Cara on top of a ladder. Tyson Kidd was the sleeper hit of the match. While not the most recognized face of the match, he definitely took advantage of his spot in the match and made an impact. Aside from maybe Cody Rhodes and the winner, nobody really came off as strong and it took away much of the match. It felt like many of the guys in the match were just there to fill spots. As Christian climbed the ladder to retrieve the briefcase, Ziggler popped out of nowhere and retrieved it himself. Christian is never going to win one of these. Wasn’t really expecting anyone else to win this match but it didn’t take anything away from the fun. Again, lots of sluggish spots but that is going to happen in this type of environment. Ziggler should be in the main event slot soon and as for everyone else, the future doesn’t look as promising. Sometimes, the obvious choice is the best choice.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler
Rating: ***½
Match 2: World Heavyweight Championship - Sheamus © vs. Alberto Del Rio
This feud has become personal after Del Rio smashed Sheamus with the hood of his car. Sheamus looks to get revenge by successfully defending against Del Rio. This was the type of match you would expect from these two, good but nothing that necessarily crosses the line. Del Rio smartly focuses on the already damaged arm of Sheamus and looks to win using his submission lock. Crowd is a bit turned off by this style of wrestling and have definitely cooled down after the opener. This probably wasn’t the best spot to put this match on the card. The match itself just feels unimportant and lacks that flavor the previous match had to carry on the flame. Sheamus lands a White Noise on Del Rio with a huge Brogue Kick afterwards to pick up the win. Del Rio attacks Sheamus after the match which causes Dolph Ziggler to run out and try to cash in. However, Sheamus recovers in time to hit a Brogue Kick on Ziggler before the referee could start the match. A nice match with nice pacing and a good amount of time to go with it. The crowd wasn’t much into the action but I’m sure the viewers at home still enjoyed it. The feud definitely doesn’t end here and will likely carry into Summerslam.
Winner: Sheamus
Rating: ***
Match 3: Epico & Primo vs. The Primetime Players
Really unsure why they felt the need to put this match on the card. Kofi Kingston & R-Truth come out to do commentary ringside. This really feels like it’s straight out of Raw. Abraham Washington accompanies The Primetime Players after turning on Epico & Primo a month ago. He adds an extra layer to the team and as odd as this may sound, he was a refreshing taste added to what was a dull match with an even duller commentary on the side. Epico & Primo get the surprise win but The Primetime Players don’t take it lightly as they go up to the faces of Kingston & Truth before Truth splashes water in Washington’s face. Unnecessary added match to the card that really didn’t serve any real purpose other than to give a gap between the title matches.
Winners: Epico & Primo
Rating: **
Match 4: WWE Championship - No Disqualification - CM Punk © vs. Daniel Bryan
With AJ playing the role as a special guest referee, this match has something odd written all over it. The two pulled off an amazing match at the May PPV in Over the Limit and look to repeat magic once again. I was scared that AJ would steal the action these two would put on in the ring and it happened to be the case here. I understand where this feud is headed and how it revolves mainly around her, but I don’t think anyone wanted her to become a distraction in what should be an awesome match. The other stipulation added to the match that there would be no disqualifications and this rule definitely helped elevate the match and separate it from its predecessor. The use of a chair, kendo stick, and a table at the end added not only to the match, but the heat that was between them. When foreign objects in wrestling are used in a correct manner, it can be so much fun to watch. The chemistry these two have in the ring is top notch and it was no different here as they took the crowd in a roller coaster of a match. AJ as a referee added an interesting dynamic to the mix but I just felt like the match could have been much better off with her interfering in it or something. A fun match with tons of back and fourth action but I couldn’t help but feel under whelmed when the match was over. My expectations going into this one were through the roof and while I still felt they delivered, I feel like a bigger deal could have been made. Punk’s reign continues into Summerslam.
Winner: CM Punk
Rating: ***¾
Match 5: Ryback vs. Curt Hawkins & Tyler Reks
Since both guys could not beat Ryback individually, they get another shot in a handicap match. Just another predictable squash match to further Ryback. Looks like the guys in the back are really getting behind Ryback considering he gets another quick showing on PPV. Squash matches get crazy annoying.
Winner: Ryback
Rating: ½*
Match 6: Layla, Kaitlyn, & Tamina Snuka vs. Beth Phoenix, Natalya, & Eve
Layla is on fire as of late and looks to continue her streak in this tag match. Decent action from the Divas but they per usual, they don’t get the efficient amount of time to fully develop their matches. Therefore, every match comes off as stale and repetitive. However, I will admit that they made great use of their time and had a nice little match prior to the main event.
Winners: Layla, Kaitlyn, & Tamina Snuka
Rating: *
Match 7: WWE Championship Contract Money in the Bank - Kane vs. Chris Jericho vs. The Miz vs. John Cena vs. The Big Show
This is easily, if not the biggest Money in the Bank match of all time. Star power is written all over this one and they started off hot. Since this was the main event, not only did they have to be different, but they had to do something special to cap off the night. Starting off with Cena driving Show through the table with everyone burying him in ladders soon after, the action was nonstop for the most part and they managed to keep things interesting throughout. There are two of these matches in the night so in order to make sure this match is memorable, the guys need to be innovative. The hot crowd and action reminded me of one of those TLC matches back in the day. However, the match seemingly paced down near the final stages of the match where things cooled down and the match felt like a completely different animal from what I was watching just a few minutes ago. Big Show destroys all the ladders before bringing out an enormous ladder for him to propel himself slowly to the top. However, things get hectic when The Miz and Jericho try to stop him until they get punched to the ring below. Cena is in pursuit of the contract as he nails Show with the briefcase and takes it off its hook in the process. Cena wins in a really exciting fashion and lands a couple more blows to Show’s head with the briefcase for good measure. Just a fun match and a fitting way to cap off the night. Cena winning doesn’t really excite me considering how much we’ve seen him in the title picture. However, it doesn’t take away from what a unique match this was.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: ****
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
While this was still a pretty nice effort from the WWE, it just feels like they came up short just a tad bit. The 2011 version of this PPV was amazing and while nobody expected this event to be as memorable as that one, there was still this high expectation that was seemingly buzzing in the air. Even still, you won’t go wrong with checking this event out for a little bit of fun.
Rating: 7.75/10
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