Match 1: Hanson vs. Mark Briscoe
This is one of my first few
times watching Hanson as he has his hands full against Mark Briscoe!
Hanson is deceptively athletic and does a great job and making sure he
still looks like a beast to be reckoned with at the same time. Good
opening match that was pretty even. They did a great job of building
around Hanson's size as Briscoe eventually lifts him up and slams him
later in the match where Briscoe then scores the win from a dive off the
top rope. Really nice opening bout between two veterans.
Winner: Mark Briscoe
Rating: **1/2
Match
2: BJ Whitmer & Adam Page vs. R.D. Evans & Moose vs. Ethan
Gabriel Owens & Josh Alexander vs. Caprice Coleman & Watanabe
I
can already tell that this match is going to be a mess. And I mean that
in the funnest way possible. ROH always comes up big when it comes to
hectic types of matches like this. Tons of chaos and tons of guys flying
in and out of the ring made this a really fun watch. Crowd was
energetic throughout and there were so many different types of
personalities in the match. You had your comedic styles sprinkled in and
you had your really cool spots including Moose diving outside and
taking everybody out. Everyone was great in their roles and the finish
was awesome where Owens & Alexander looked to score the victory
after hitting their cool finisher until Evans gets a pin out of nowhere
to increase his undefeated streak to 150! Crowd loves it and so do I!
Winners: R.D. Evans & Moose
Rating: ***
Match 3: The Addiction vs. The Decade
Little
feud between a team of guys who have stayed in just ROH against a team
of guys who went elsewhere before returning to ROH. Definitely liking
the back story but the match just didn't really click how I felt like it
would have. The crowd seemed a bit tired from the last two matches and
they weren't given a sufficient amount of time to really do anything out
of the ordinary. The action was fine and just came off as a regular tag
match that you would normally be able to catch on television.
Christopher Daniels & Kazarian get the win after hitting their cool
finisher on Roderick Strong. The Decade then exchange words before Jimmy
Jacobs gets in between the thick of things and plays peacemaker.
Winners: The Addiction
Rating: ***
Match 4: Adam Cole vs. AJ Styles
Adam
Cole claims to have lost everything after losing his ROH World
Championship to Michael Elgin. He gets a chance to take out the leader
of The Bullet Club tonight against AJ Styles. Good match but I felt as
if the expectations were placed way too high. Things were just sluggish
at times and the flow just didn't fit with the crowd. Pacing is
something Styles is usually spot on with but not too much here. They did
a lot of focusing on the leg of Styles as Cole wanted to damper it down
for his Figure Four. Styles was great in selling it but it wasn't much
of a major factor as it should have been. Cole tried coming off as the
jerk heel but this time around, it really seemed forced. The ending came
when they were on the top rope for a good minute before Styles dropped
Cole on his head for the win. Again, good match that just didn't meet
the expectations. The action was sluggish at times but did pick up in
the middle where they finally shifted into a different gear. Here's
hoping for a better and cleaner rematch.
Winner: AJ Styles
Rating: ***1/2
Match 5: ROH World Television Championship - Jay Lethal (c) vs. Cedric Alexander
Jay
Lethal is definitely becoming one of the company's top heels. At first,
I was reluctant at his turn but he has easily made the most of it and
proved any doubters wrong. This match starts off hot and never really
looked back from the start. Crowd was into the action and Alexander more
than held his own against Lethal in a bigger match. Alexander's energy
and style in the ring should not go unnoticed, he did a fantastic job of
playing with the crowd and making sure every fall was believable. The
closest one came when Seleziya came out to help Lethal but ended up
getting kicked in the face! Alexander almost capitalized on the
distraction by hitting Lethal with a Lumber Check but Lethal barely put
his leg up on the first rope for the break! Lethal hits Alexander with
Matt Taven's Climax and follows it up with a Lethal Injection to retain
with the victory. The two shake hands afterwards in a great match that
may have suffered a bit from a little lack of time but even still, great
match as we roll into the final two matches of the night.
Winner: Jay Lethal
Rating: ***3/4
Match 6: ROH World Championship - Michael Elgin (c) vs. Jay Briscoe
Personally
would have preferred to seen this match go last on the card but either
way, here we are. Jay Briscoe looks to reclaim the ROH World
Championship and become the second person in company history to hold the
title on two different reigns. Huge fan of both these guys and their
aggressive styles. This match should be good and they delivered. From
the start as Briscoe shoved Elgin after the handshake, the emotions were
running high and as a fan, I felt the intensity kicking up a notch.
Elgin is the champ and Briscoe has not been pinned in over two years. At
times, this felt like a match with no disqualification. They took the
fight outside where they brought in the table where Elgin even smashed
Briscoe with it. Sinclair for sure is not calling it or this crowd will
riot. One of the coolest spots of the night came when Briscoe hit a Jay
Driller on Elgin through the table. They crashed hard and it looked
sick! Crowd came unglued after that as Elgin kicked out of the pin.
However, Briscoe was able to hit another one in the ring and capture the
ROH World Championship! Strong first main event of the night as
Briscoe, the face of the company, starts his second reign. Crowd popped
for Briscoe nicely but seemed disappointed with the outcome. Elgin
worked his tail off to become champion and as much of a shame it is to
see him drop it, Briscoe really earned a longer title reign and
hopefully, we get to see one here. This needed to close the show.
Winner: Jay Briscoe
Rating: ****
Match 7: ROH World Tag Team Championships - 2 out of 3 Falls - ReDRagon (c) vs. The Young Bucks
Very
unlike Ring of Honor to not have a World Championship match close out
the night but this is definitely a worthy follower. Start to finish,
this was high octane and just ridiculously fun to watch. Crowd is still
hot after the last match and this just feels like a main event. The
first pin came when Kyle O'Reilly & Bobby Fish bring in a hockey
stick and nail one of The Bucks with it before hitting Chasing the
Dragon to score the first pin. ReDRagon look to go for the kill but The
Young Bucks make the comeback and tie it up about five minutes after in a
fast-paced exchange. Now it gets crazy as the next pin wins the match
and the belts. The Bucks hit their crazy Meltzer Driver finish but Bobby
Fish pulls out Paul Turner right before he strikes the final pin! The
Bucks inadvertently take out Turner and mayhem continues! Fish tosses
Matt Jackson off the top rope to the outside and through a table!
O'Reilly then makes Nick submit for the crazy finish as Todd Sinclair
called for the bell. Afterwards, Tommaso Ciampa runs out and takes out
both Young Bucks before he takes off the ring canvas and exposes the
wood and plants Nick Jackson on the wood to end the show. Talk about the
two best tag teams in professional wrestling today. They stepped up
their game after the big title switch and closed out the show with a
bang.
Winners: ReDRagon
Rating: ****1/4
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
I
don't really follow much ROH these days but this show was definitely a
good one for me to sit back and watch. From top to bottom, everybody
stepped up their game and we got two fantastic main events that included
Jay Briscoe winning the championship again. While I was disappointed the World Championship bout to close out the show, I won't let it take away from the fantastic main event and overall night of wrestling.
Rating: 8.75/10
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Monday, June 22, 2015
ROH Supercard of Honor VIII Review
Match 1: Cedric Alexander vs. Roderick Strong
Opening up the big wrestling weekend features The Decade's Roderick Strong taking on Cedric Alexander. Really great choice of opener that sets the pace for the show with Strong looking great but also makes Alexander look great in the process. Crowd was definitely hot and especially when Alexander basically took out the entire Decade team before Strong hit a backbreaker to pick up the win. Jimmy Jacobs then got on the mic and put themselves over. Fun match that was hard hitting and also fast paced at the same time. Great start to the show and hopefully, others can follow in its place. Can't help but wonder where the direction Strong is headed.
Winner: Roderick Strong
Rating: ***1/2
Match 2: The Decade vs. Adrenaline Rush & Andrew Everett
Following Strong's win, The Decade have Whitmer, Page, & Jacobs pitted against Adrenaline Rush & Everett. Very much what you would expect, some cool spots here and there but nothing that will steal the show. Crowd was still hot after the hot opener and the guys took advantage of it. Finish saw The Decade pick up the second win of the night. Good match that served its purpose and made sure not to take anything away from the next tag match that we will see later in the night.
Winners: The Decade
Rating: **1/4
Match 3: Silas Young vs. RD Evans
82-0. The streak that Evans is riding here against Young. I love a bit of comedy in wrestling and this streak that Evans has is great! He's such a goofy dude and is playing his character nicely. And him going up against a guy who is super serious in Silas Young is a great mixture. One thing I will say is that the commentary has been atrocious. I love both guys but when they ramble on about random things during a match, it's worse than WWE. Finish came when Evans tried to pull an Eddie Guerrero by tossing the belt to Young making referee Paul Turner think Young used the belt. However, Evans tried rolling up Young as he convinced Turner he did not hit Evans but to no avail. Young them clobbered Turner on accident with the belt. Young takes out Evans as a new referee slides in to give Young the win. However, out comes Turner and reverses the call. 83-0. Fun match with a cool ending, Young stays strong while the streak continues.
Winner: RD Evans
Rating: **
Match 4: No Disqualification - Mark Briscoe vs. Michael Bennett
Bad blood has been brewing between these two as they finally meet in a no disqualification contest. This match has stupid fun written all over it. They quickly take the fight to the outside where Briscoe dives off a little ledge onto Bennett and takes control of the match. They go back and fourth before Bennett finally gets the advantage by spearing Briscoe off the stage and through a table. Awesome. They take it back into the ring where they bring in chairs and sticks before Bennett locks in an Anaconda Vice to get the win over Briscoe as the referee called for the bell. Bennett is a great heel as he copies popular WWE moves which received a pretty good reaction from the audience. The match was nothing special but the show did need a little spark like this one before settling into the main events.
Winner: Michael Bennett
Rating: **1/4
Match 5: Forever Hooligans vs. Hanson & Rowe vs. ReDRagon
I am a sucker for these chaotic tag team matches and this one should be a dandy. Their styles nicely clashed against one another, you have the crazy Hooligans doing their fun thing, the big dudes looking to steamroll through everyone, and my favorites in ReDRagon just being awesome heels. Crowd was much hotter for this one and the action was always coming at a fast pace but not too fast for us to not be able to sink our teeth into. Great pacing and great action from top to bottom that saw Kyle O'Reilly roll up Alex Koslov with a handful of tights to secure the big victory. Bobby Fish then gets in the face of the commentators at ringside and lets them know who the best tag team in the world is. ReDRagon will be challenging The Young Bucks soon for the belts and that one should definitely be a good one. Great tag match here that separates itself from the tag match earlier in a better fashion.
Winners: ReDRagon
Rating: ***1/4
Match 6: ROH World Television Championship - 2 out of 3 Falls - Tommaso Ciampa (c) vs. Jay Lethal
Interesting start to the match as Lethal offered his hand for the shaking but Ciampa instead gives Lethal his knee brace which Ciampa uses since tearing his ACL. Back in 2012, these two had an amazing match at Border Wars that completely caught me off guard. They look to steal the show here again but this time, on a much more stacked card. 2 out of 3 falls matches are not typically my favorite since they do tend to repeat themselves but I like what they did here. Lethal scored the first pin after the two basically wrestled a full match. They then told the story of Ciampa doing all he can to tie the score. Lethal inadvertently knocked down referee Todd Sinclair which led to Truth Martini coming to Lethal's aid by tossing in Ciampa's knee brace. Lethal drills Ciampa with it but Ciampa kicks out! Lethal hits the Hail to the King from the top but Ciampa kicks out before Sinclair can even count! Lethal then lands a couple kicks to Ciampa's face that does no harm! However, a kick to Ciampa's knee leading into a Lethal Injection was enough to score the win and win the World Television Championship once again. These two have great chemistry and they made every count believable from start to finish. Great stuff.
Winner: Jay Lethal
Rating: ***3/4
Match 7: Michael Elgin vs. Kevin Steen
This is a #1 contender match for a chance at the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in May. They have met against each other here and there as their bout a couple years ago in Canada comes to mind. But I loved this one, too. They both have such exciting styles that rely heavily on their big moves and they definitely brought them out here. The pacing was on point, not too fast and never a dull moment. They took the fight outside and in the ring where Elgin was able to display his incredible strength as Kevin Steen hung in right there with him. Crowd could not be any hotter for this one as Elgin hits Steen with a Package Piledriver to score the win and a chance at glory next month. The two abide by the Code of Honor and shake hands after the match. It was almost as if this was a story of Elgin avenging his loss for the ROH World Championship a couple years ago. Fantastic bout of two big guys going at it with everything on the line and everything to gain. Cool spots, close finishes, and a sweet finish. Very similar to their ROH World Championship match but also very different. Granted, the match was not as great as that one but this one was definitely a worthy sequel.
Winner: Michael Elgin
Rating: ****
Match 8: ROH World Championship - Ladder War - Adam Cole (c) vs. Jay Briscoe
One year removed from capturing the gold from Kevin Steen, Jay Briscoe finds himself looking to capture it once again in a Ladder War against his nemesis in Adam Cole. I love Ladder Wars and I also hate them. Most of the time, they are tough to watch and this is definitely the case here. The amount of unprotected chair shots these guys took to the head was too many to count. But you could feel the intensity here and the passion from both guys. They tore their bodies apart using tables, ladders, and chairs. Each spot more brutal than the next and while tough, it was still tons of fun to watch. Briscoe always tends to step up his game in these types of matches and he for sure brought the violence to this one. He got cut up early in the match and the blood kept flowing until the very end. The ending sequence may have been a bit too much as when Briscoe was ready to grab the belts hung up, Cole gave him the bird while on his back on the canvas. Briscoe then came down where he beat him down until Matt Hardy came to the scene and put a stop to things. Mark Briscoe then came out and looked to destroy Hardy by jumping off the huge ladder outside the ring through a table. But Michael Bennett comes out and drops Briscoe through the table! Jay was able to fight through everybody until Adam Cole beats Jay to the belts as he retains. Great war of a match until the cluster of a finish with all the interferences. If anyone has ever seen The Undertaker vs. Edge in a TLC match from 2008, this was the ROH version. Just on a much lesser scale and not as smoothly constructed. But all in all, it does not take away from what a cool main event that was.
Winner: Adam Cole
Rating: ****
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Not the best Supercard of Honor ever but it does live up to the name. Great matches from top to bottom with the three last final matches definitely being the highlights. Nothing here that was absolutely spectacular but there was still more great than good.
Rating: 8/10
Opening up the big wrestling weekend features The Decade's Roderick Strong taking on Cedric Alexander. Really great choice of opener that sets the pace for the show with Strong looking great but also makes Alexander look great in the process. Crowd was definitely hot and especially when Alexander basically took out the entire Decade team before Strong hit a backbreaker to pick up the win. Jimmy Jacobs then got on the mic and put themselves over. Fun match that was hard hitting and also fast paced at the same time. Great start to the show and hopefully, others can follow in its place. Can't help but wonder where the direction Strong is headed.
Winner: Roderick Strong
Rating: ***1/2
Match 2: The Decade vs. Adrenaline Rush & Andrew Everett
Following Strong's win, The Decade have Whitmer, Page, & Jacobs pitted against Adrenaline Rush & Everett. Very much what you would expect, some cool spots here and there but nothing that will steal the show. Crowd was still hot after the hot opener and the guys took advantage of it. Finish saw The Decade pick up the second win of the night. Good match that served its purpose and made sure not to take anything away from the next tag match that we will see later in the night.
Winners: The Decade
Rating: **1/4
Match 3: Silas Young vs. RD Evans
82-0. The streak that Evans is riding here against Young. I love a bit of comedy in wrestling and this streak that Evans has is great! He's such a goofy dude and is playing his character nicely. And him going up against a guy who is super serious in Silas Young is a great mixture. One thing I will say is that the commentary has been atrocious. I love both guys but when they ramble on about random things during a match, it's worse than WWE. Finish came when Evans tried to pull an Eddie Guerrero by tossing the belt to Young making referee Paul Turner think Young used the belt. However, Evans tried rolling up Young as he convinced Turner he did not hit Evans but to no avail. Young them clobbered Turner on accident with the belt. Young takes out Evans as a new referee slides in to give Young the win. However, out comes Turner and reverses the call. 83-0. Fun match with a cool ending, Young stays strong while the streak continues.
Winner: RD Evans
Rating: **
Match 4: No Disqualification - Mark Briscoe vs. Michael Bennett
Bad blood has been brewing between these two as they finally meet in a no disqualification contest. This match has stupid fun written all over it. They quickly take the fight to the outside where Briscoe dives off a little ledge onto Bennett and takes control of the match. They go back and fourth before Bennett finally gets the advantage by spearing Briscoe off the stage and through a table. Awesome. They take it back into the ring where they bring in chairs and sticks before Bennett locks in an Anaconda Vice to get the win over Briscoe as the referee called for the bell. Bennett is a great heel as he copies popular WWE moves which received a pretty good reaction from the audience. The match was nothing special but the show did need a little spark like this one before settling into the main events.
Winner: Michael Bennett
Rating: **1/4
Match 5: Forever Hooligans vs. Hanson & Rowe vs. ReDRagon
I am a sucker for these chaotic tag team matches and this one should be a dandy. Their styles nicely clashed against one another, you have the crazy Hooligans doing their fun thing, the big dudes looking to steamroll through everyone, and my favorites in ReDRagon just being awesome heels. Crowd was much hotter for this one and the action was always coming at a fast pace but not too fast for us to not be able to sink our teeth into. Great pacing and great action from top to bottom that saw Kyle O'Reilly roll up Alex Koslov with a handful of tights to secure the big victory. Bobby Fish then gets in the face of the commentators at ringside and lets them know who the best tag team in the world is. ReDRagon will be challenging The Young Bucks soon for the belts and that one should definitely be a good one. Great tag match here that separates itself from the tag match earlier in a better fashion.
Winners: ReDRagon
Rating: ***1/4
Match 6: ROH World Television Championship - 2 out of 3 Falls - Tommaso Ciampa (c) vs. Jay Lethal
Interesting start to the match as Lethal offered his hand for the shaking but Ciampa instead gives Lethal his knee brace which Ciampa uses since tearing his ACL. Back in 2012, these two had an amazing match at Border Wars that completely caught me off guard. They look to steal the show here again but this time, on a much more stacked card. 2 out of 3 falls matches are not typically my favorite since they do tend to repeat themselves but I like what they did here. Lethal scored the first pin after the two basically wrestled a full match. They then told the story of Ciampa doing all he can to tie the score. Lethal inadvertently knocked down referee Todd Sinclair which led to Truth Martini coming to Lethal's aid by tossing in Ciampa's knee brace. Lethal drills Ciampa with it but Ciampa kicks out! Lethal hits the Hail to the King from the top but Ciampa kicks out before Sinclair can even count! Lethal then lands a couple kicks to Ciampa's face that does no harm! However, a kick to Ciampa's knee leading into a Lethal Injection was enough to score the win and win the World Television Championship once again. These two have great chemistry and they made every count believable from start to finish. Great stuff.
Winner: Jay Lethal
Rating: ***3/4
Match 7: Michael Elgin vs. Kevin Steen
This is a #1 contender match for a chance at the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in May. They have met against each other here and there as their bout a couple years ago in Canada comes to mind. But I loved this one, too. They both have such exciting styles that rely heavily on their big moves and they definitely brought them out here. The pacing was on point, not too fast and never a dull moment. They took the fight outside and in the ring where Elgin was able to display his incredible strength as Kevin Steen hung in right there with him. Crowd could not be any hotter for this one as Elgin hits Steen with a Package Piledriver to score the win and a chance at glory next month. The two abide by the Code of Honor and shake hands after the match. It was almost as if this was a story of Elgin avenging his loss for the ROH World Championship a couple years ago. Fantastic bout of two big guys going at it with everything on the line and everything to gain. Cool spots, close finishes, and a sweet finish. Very similar to their ROH World Championship match but also very different. Granted, the match was not as great as that one but this one was definitely a worthy sequel.
Winner: Michael Elgin
Rating: ****
Match 8: ROH World Championship - Ladder War - Adam Cole (c) vs. Jay Briscoe
One year removed from capturing the gold from Kevin Steen, Jay Briscoe finds himself looking to capture it once again in a Ladder War against his nemesis in Adam Cole. I love Ladder Wars and I also hate them. Most of the time, they are tough to watch and this is definitely the case here. The amount of unprotected chair shots these guys took to the head was too many to count. But you could feel the intensity here and the passion from both guys. They tore their bodies apart using tables, ladders, and chairs. Each spot more brutal than the next and while tough, it was still tons of fun to watch. Briscoe always tends to step up his game in these types of matches and he for sure brought the violence to this one. He got cut up early in the match and the blood kept flowing until the very end. The ending sequence may have been a bit too much as when Briscoe was ready to grab the belts hung up, Cole gave him the bird while on his back on the canvas. Briscoe then came down where he beat him down until Matt Hardy came to the scene and put a stop to things. Mark Briscoe then came out and looked to destroy Hardy by jumping off the huge ladder outside the ring through a table. But Michael Bennett comes out and drops Briscoe through the table! Jay was able to fight through everybody until Adam Cole beats Jay to the belts as he retains. Great war of a match until the cluster of a finish with all the interferences. If anyone has ever seen The Undertaker vs. Edge in a TLC match from 2008, this was the ROH version. Just on a much lesser scale and not as smoothly constructed. But all in all, it does not take away from what a cool main event that was.
Winner: Adam Cole
Rating: ****
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Not the best Supercard of Honor ever but it does live up to the name. Great matches from top to bottom with the three last final matches definitely being the highlights. Nothing here that was absolutely spectacular but there was still more great than good.
Rating: 8/10
Saturday, June 20, 2015
WWE Extreme Rules 2014 Review
Match 1: Elimination - Rob Van Dam vs. Jack Swagger vs. Cesaro
This is the opening contest of the night as ECW original Rob Van Dam goes against Jack Swagger and Cesaro in an elimination match. I'm a sucker for triple threat matches and this one features three guys who can easily open the show on the right note. Good pacing and fun action from the three that saw Swagger get eliminated by Van Dam. Van Dam and Cesaro had a nice exchange as they brought out a trashcan because after all, this is Extreme Rules. Van Dam placed it on top of Cesaro and looked to finish him off with a Frog Splash until Cesaro got out of the way and planted Van Dam with a Neutralizer on the can for the win. Nice opening contest to set the tone for the rest of the night. Also a cool win for Cesaro who is on fire after his big WrestleMania win.
Winner: Cesaro
Rating: **3/4
Match 2: Alexander Rusev vs. R-Truth & Xavier Woods
Rusev's manager Lana comes out before the match and dedicates the match to Vladimir Putin and introduces Rusev to the New Jersey crowd. He has two opponents but quickly takes out Woods before the match bell tolls. He destroys R-Truth who surprisingly got in a decent amount of offense in before falling to Rusev's Accolade finisher. Rusev continues to impress and reminds me of Umaga in some sense. Nice squash match to continue getting Rusev in the spotlight. Rusev then disposes of Woods once more after the match.
Winner: Rusev
Rating: *
Match 3: Intercontinental Championship - Big E (c) vs. Bad News Barrett
Barrett won a #1 contender's tournament to challenge Big E for this opportunity. Been enjoying the work from these two as of late and was hopeful that they would score enough time on a pretty stacked card. Crowd is definitely behind the heel Barrett and it seemed like it brought the best out of him. Their styles are pretty similar and they blended well together here. Ending stretch came when Big E looked to hit his Big Ending finish until Barrett countered and missed a Bull Hammer shot. But Barrett manages to quickly land a running Hammer right after for the big win to the delight of the crowd. I've got some bad news for ya! Barrett is the new champ!
Winner: Bad News Barrett
Rating: **1/4
Match 4: Evolution vs. The Shield
It is almost impossible to believe that this match is happening. Evolution regrouping for the first time since 2004 as Triple H, Randy Orton, & Batista look to take on three hungry guys in Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, & Roman Reigns. This match rocked. They wanted to make The Shield look good and they definitely looked both stronger and hungrier. It is pretty obvious that the WWE is high on these guys and they got the better of Evolution here in a back and fourth match that really made Evolution look like they were simply playing defense the entire road. Crowd was insanely hot for this match, they did not want to see an ending. It was carnage from top to bottom with again, The Shield really getting the most out of the match. Since this is an Extreme Rules PPV, they took things outside the ring with Ambrose jumping off the announce tables and finally, Rollins jumping off a balcony and splashing on to Triple H along with Randy Orton. In the ring, Batista look primed to hit his Batista Bomb but Reigns reversed into a Superman Punch into a Spear! Before I say anything else, I definitely have to credit Batista. Not only did he come back and eat the submission loss at WrestleMania, but he ate the pin here. Zero selfishness on his part and is truly doing his best to make others look good. As for the match, it was awesome. Shield look motivated and ready to claim their spots at the top. And Triple H has no problem with putting them over. The younger Shield basically beat Evolution like we have never, ever seen before in a WWE ring. Awesome stuff.
Winners: The Shield
Rating: ****1/4
Match 5: Steel Cage - Bray Wyatt vs. John Cena
Heard so many interesting things of this match so I am a bit curious to see how this goes. This is the rematch for their WrestleMania match that I felt was underwhelming. Cage matches have become pretty repetitive overtime and it becomes increasingly difficult to really do something different. Wyatt has his family surrounding the cage and make things interesting as they refuse to allow Cena to exit by exiting. The pacing of the match was on point, this match went nearly half an hour and they spaced out their moves and spots nicely. But it almost felt like the crowd was a little taken back by it after the extremely fast match that was Evolution vs. The Shield. The match was pretty enjoyable until the finish came about. Cena had the entire Wyatt Family down. He looked to exit through the open door until the lights go out and a child appears singing. What is this? Cena is taken back by this as Wyatt hits his finisher and scores the win. I know this is pro wrestling and anything can happen. But seriously, what the hell was that? The announcers try to play it off but this is so stupid. Great match capped off with a ridiculous finish.
Winner: Bray Wyatt
Rating: ***
Match 6: Divas Championship - Paige (c) vs. Tamina Snuka
Tamina is not your typical Diva. She is definitely more wrestler than simply a pretty face. She won a battle royal to score a chance at gold here against Paige. Crowd could not care less for this one. Basically dead throughout the whole match and things did not help when the referee messed up a count. But even with that, the action was still a bit better than we have been accustomed to seeing as both Divas definitely got some skill in the ring. Paige wins with an innovative submission to retain her title.
Winner: Paige
Rating: *1/2
Match 7: WWE World Heavyweight Championship - Extreme Rules - Daniel Bryan (c) vs. Kane
It is almost hard to believe that these two were a tag team just a year ago. Many are not too thrilled to see that Kane is the first challenger to Daniel Bryan for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. However, seeing as this is an Extreme Rules match, I am actually looking forward to this one. This was far and away one of the more goofy main events in a long time from the WWE. This match defines exactly what the PPV should be, craziness and more craziness. After all, this is an Extreme Rules match! Lots of foreign objects used for this one as they took the fight to the back where they destroyed televisions, shattered car windows, and used a forklift. Yes, a forklift. Bryan knocked out Kane with a tire iron and used the forklift to carry Kane back to the ring! Bryan then dumped Kane into the ring using it and then doze off of it. I am not making this stuff up here. Bryan looks to be on a roll and looks to hit a dive to the outside only for Kane to catch him and Chokeslam him through the announce table. Kane then sets a table on fire where Bryan is able to dump Kane onto it and hit a Running Knee for the win! Fun stuff! One of Kane's strongest matches in recent memory, both Bryan and the stipulation brought out the best of him. Also, Bryan scores another PPV win under his belt. People are too sensitive these days, especially wrestling fans. Just sit back, shut up, and enjoy this. You know it was fun.
Winner: Daniel Bryan
Rating: ***3/4
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Extreme Rules is always one of the stronger shows of the year and this year fell a little flat. The obvious highlight would be the Evolution vs. Shield match which definitely lived to the hype. The main event was also fun but everything else was just there. Check out those two matches and you'll be good.
Rating: 6/10
This is the opening contest of the night as ECW original Rob Van Dam goes against Jack Swagger and Cesaro in an elimination match. I'm a sucker for triple threat matches and this one features three guys who can easily open the show on the right note. Good pacing and fun action from the three that saw Swagger get eliminated by Van Dam. Van Dam and Cesaro had a nice exchange as they brought out a trashcan because after all, this is Extreme Rules. Van Dam placed it on top of Cesaro and looked to finish him off with a Frog Splash until Cesaro got out of the way and planted Van Dam with a Neutralizer on the can for the win. Nice opening contest to set the tone for the rest of the night. Also a cool win for Cesaro who is on fire after his big WrestleMania win.
Winner: Cesaro
Rating: **3/4
Match 2: Alexander Rusev vs. R-Truth & Xavier Woods
Rusev's manager Lana comes out before the match and dedicates the match to Vladimir Putin and introduces Rusev to the New Jersey crowd. He has two opponents but quickly takes out Woods before the match bell tolls. He destroys R-Truth who surprisingly got in a decent amount of offense in before falling to Rusev's Accolade finisher. Rusev continues to impress and reminds me of Umaga in some sense. Nice squash match to continue getting Rusev in the spotlight. Rusev then disposes of Woods once more after the match.
Winner: Rusev
Rating: *
Match 3: Intercontinental Championship - Big E (c) vs. Bad News Barrett
Barrett won a #1 contender's tournament to challenge Big E for this opportunity. Been enjoying the work from these two as of late and was hopeful that they would score enough time on a pretty stacked card. Crowd is definitely behind the heel Barrett and it seemed like it brought the best out of him. Their styles are pretty similar and they blended well together here. Ending stretch came when Big E looked to hit his Big Ending finish until Barrett countered and missed a Bull Hammer shot. But Barrett manages to quickly land a running Hammer right after for the big win to the delight of the crowd. I've got some bad news for ya! Barrett is the new champ!
Winner: Bad News Barrett
Rating: **1/4
Match 4: Evolution vs. The Shield
It is almost impossible to believe that this match is happening. Evolution regrouping for the first time since 2004 as Triple H, Randy Orton, & Batista look to take on three hungry guys in Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, & Roman Reigns. This match rocked. They wanted to make The Shield look good and they definitely looked both stronger and hungrier. It is pretty obvious that the WWE is high on these guys and they got the better of Evolution here in a back and fourth match that really made Evolution look like they were simply playing defense the entire road. Crowd was insanely hot for this match, they did not want to see an ending. It was carnage from top to bottom with again, The Shield really getting the most out of the match. Since this is an Extreme Rules PPV, they took things outside the ring with Ambrose jumping off the announce tables and finally, Rollins jumping off a balcony and splashing on to Triple H along with Randy Orton. In the ring, Batista look primed to hit his Batista Bomb but Reigns reversed into a Superman Punch into a Spear! Before I say anything else, I definitely have to credit Batista. Not only did he come back and eat the submission loss at WrestleMania, but he ate the pin here. Zero selfishness on his part and is truly doing his best to make others look good. As for the match, it was awesome. Shield look motivated and ready to claim their spots at the top. And Triple H has no problem with putting them over. The younger Shield basically beat Evolution like we have never, ever seen before in a WWE ring. Awesome stuff.
Winners: The Shield
Rating: ****1/4
Match 5: Steel Cage - Bray Wyatt vs. John Cena
Heard so many interesting things of this match so I am a bit curious to see how this goes. This is the rematch for their WrestleMania match that I felt was underwhelming. Cage matches have become pretty repetitive overtime and it becomes increasingly difficult to really do something different. Wyatt has his family surrounding the cage and make things interesting as they refuse to allow Cena to exit by exiting. The pacing of the match was on point, this match went nearly half an hour and they spaced out their moves and spots nicely. But it almost felt like the crowd was a little taken back by it after the extremely fast match that was Evolution vs. The Shield. The match was pretty enjoyable until the finish came about. Cena had the entire Wyatt Family down. He looked to exit through the open door until the lights go out and a child appears singing. What is this? Cena is taken back by this as Wyatt hits his finisher and scores the win. I know this is pro wrestling and anything can happen. But seriously, what the hell was that? The announcers try to play it off but this is so stupid. Great match capped off with a ridiculous finish.
Winner: Bray Wyatt
Rating: ***
Match 6: Divas Championship - Paige (c) vs. Tamina Snuka
Tamina is not your typical Diva. She is definitely more wrestler than simply a pretty face. She won a battle royal to score a chance at gold here against Paige. Crowd could not care less for this one. Basically dead throughout the whole match and things did not help when the referee messed up a count. But even with that, the action was still a bit better than we have been accustomed to seeing as both Divas definitely got some skill in the ring. Paige wins with an innovative submission to retain her title.
Winner: Paige
Rating: *1/2
Match 7: WWE World Heavyweight Championship - Extreme Rules - Daniel Bryan (c) vs. Kane
It is almost hard to believe that these two were a tag team just a year ago. Many are not too thrilled to see that Kane is the first challenger to Daniel Bryan for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. However, seeing as this is an Extreme Rules match, I am actually looking forward to this one. This was far and away one of the more goofy main events in a long time from the WWE. This match defines exactly what the PPV should be, craziness and more craziness. After all, this is an Extreme Rules match! Lots of foreign objects used for this one as they took the fight to the back where they destroyed televisions, shattered car windows, and used a forklift. Yes, a forklift. Bryan knocked out Kane with a tire iron and used the forklift to carry Kane back to the ring! Bryan then dumped Kane into the ring using it and then doze off of it. I am not making this stuff up here. Bryan looks to be on a roll and looks to hit a dive to the outside only for Kane to catch him and Chokeslam him through the announce table. Kane then sets a table on fire where Bryan is able to dump Kane onto it and hit a Running Knee for the win! Fun stuff! One of Kane's strongest matches in recent memory, both Bryan and the stipulation brought out the best of him. Also, Bryan scores another PPV win under his belt. People are too sensitive these days, especially wrestling fans. Just sit back, shut up, and enjoy this. You know it was fun.
Winner: Daniel Bryan
Rating: ***3/4
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Extreme Rules is always one of the stronger shows of the year and this year fell a little flat. The obvious highlight would be the Evolution vs. Shield match which definitely lived to the hype. The main event was also fun but everything else was just there. Check out those two matches and you'll be good.
Rating: 6/10
Monday, May 25, 2015
WWE WrestleMania XXX Review
Match 1: Daniel Bryan vs. Triple H
This is the ultimate WrestleMania match. And it is opening the card. The machine vs. the underdog. The winner of this match gets inserted into the main event with a chance to capture the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Triple H comes out to an absolutely spectacular entrance with music to set the mood before Motorhead hits. Time to play the game. Daniel Bryan then comes out to absurd pop with the entire Superdome chanting that one word in favor of Bryan. Yes. Triple H offers the shaking of the hand but Bryan declines and kicks his hand away. Interesting start but Triple H quickly rebounds and works on the injured shoulder of Daniel Bryan. Right away, the veteran Triple H sets the tone of the match and lets the audience know that he is bigger, badder, and stronger. Oh, he also has Stephanie McMahon on his side. Beautiful wrestling from top to bottom with an array of submissions, reversals, and ring psychology like we have not seen in a WWE ring since the days of Shawn Michaels. I really mean that. The focus on Bryan's arm was so well done. Triple H came off exactly like he should have, the big heel that wanted to systematically destroy the fan favorite. In Bryan's case, he also played his role to its potential. The underdog looking to will his way to victory through what he does best with kicks, submissions, and anything he can to gain the advantage. Bryan was able to hit his running knee finisher to gain the win and entry into the main event. Afterwards, Triple H attacks Bryan and slams a steel chair into his shoulder that Triple H placed along the corner of the ring at the post. Brilliant opener, probably the best in WrestleMania history. The story, the wrestling, the mood, it was all there. Onto the main event...
Winner: Daniel Bryan
Rating: ****1/2
Match 2: New Age Outlaws & Kane vs. The Shield
This match is basically two teams from two completely different eras going at it. Hungry is the word to describe The Shield and the monster push they have received over the year continues here as they absolutely destroy their opponents with ease. It was simply a showcase of The Shield beating down three other guys for about five minutes with The Shield finally planting New Age Outlaws with their Triple Powerbomb finisher after Roman Reigns gave a Spear to everyone. Fun match that simply got a good spot on the card for The Shield and allowed them to get a quick win.
Winners: The Shield
Rating: *1/4
Match 3: Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
A new concept brought to WrestleMania likely meant to get some guys on the card and I like it! Ever since eliminating Money in the Bank in 2011, this has the potential to take over its reigns. Unlike the Royal Rumble, nobody comes out in intervals. Instead, everybody gathers in the ring at once and basically go at it. Battle royals are hard for anybody to really get over but hey this is WrestleMania. Not once during this match did I feel like it was dragging, everybody played the part well and the crowd did not take themselves out of the action. The final four came down to Big Show, Sheamus, Cesaro, and Alberto Del Rio. Del Rio and Sheamus go at it before they both eliminate each other simultaneously. It is down to Cesaro and Big Show. Cesaro lands huge uppercuts before Show fights back and tries to eliminate Cesaro. Cesaro then escapes Show's hold and lifts up Big Show and dumps him out of the ring! Amazing moment! Cesaro just got made right there! One of the better battle royals in recent history and the crowd erupted for that finish. The right guy won and this was a fantastic debut for this match.
Winner: Cesaro
Rating: ***1/2
Match 4: Bray Wyatt vs. John Cena
In my opinion, this is one of Cena's strangest WrestleMania match. For the first time in a long time, he is not the marquee match. It feels pretty strange and almost as if this is a foreshadowing to future events as the newer guys are ready to take center stage. This is also one of Cena's weaker feuds headed into WrestleMania. The idea of him being the underdog is so stale and just about everybody figured what the outcome was going to be. Very slow action from the start, their styles just don't really mesh well on a grand stage like this and it eliminates the crowd from staying active throughout. Wyatt tries to play mind games but it never really grasped the audience, almost as if the announcers were bored trying to explain what was going on. Cena takes out both Wyatt Family members before reversing a Sister Abigail into an Attitude Adjustment for the win. Match never picked up from first gear and suffered because of it. Definitely a disappointing match in Cena's long line of memorable WrestleMania matches and moments.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: **
Match 5: Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker
We all know the result. More than two decades of WrestleMania dominance comes full circle in New Orleans as Brock Lesnar conquers The Streak. The build has been fantastic, Paul Heyman being the wild card throughout everything is only turning things up a notch. He has been on the top of his game for this feud and rightfully so. Reviewing this match is extremely difficult. The match itself was very basic, The Undertaker simply is not as mobile as he once was and it almost looked like Lesnar was just toying around until the final stages of the match. The pins really did not seem all that believable until the very last one. When the referee pounded the finishing pin, a huge silence surrounded the arena like we have never heard in wrestling history. The Streak has ended. Lesnar leaves with Heyman as they are both in astonishment while The Undertaker leaves to a standing ovation. What. An. Ending. As basic of a match this was, there is no taking away the beautiful storytelling and amazing finish that saw the crowd hit a silence like never before. Forget the rating, forget what you thought of the actual match. Think about the history, think about what led both men to this position. Think of the end of an era. Watching this was tough, it felt like I saw my childhood finally come to a close. As if I was watching the end of a wrestling era. I can easily recall back to times in middle school, times in junior high, and times in high school when The Undertaker was the top dog. The guy that was prominently featured at the top of the list for every wrestling show. But like I said, this was tough to watch. Undertaker did not look like The Undertaker that we have become accustomed to seeing, he was simply a shell of who he used to be. He lost that pep in his step, he look drained, he just could not keep up with the younger and stronger Brock Lesnar. And it made sense. The WWE is turning the page with newer talent coming in and this match simply signified that this is a new age. Brock Lesnar, in my opinion, is the perfect choice to beat the undefeated streak. You want a badass animal, you got him. You want a household name, you got him. You want a legitimate fighter and wrestler, you got him. Brock Lesnar, the one behind the one in 21-1.
Winner: Brock Lesnar
Rating: ***
Match 6: Divas Championship - Vickie Guerrero Invitational
This is the gateway between the end of The Streak and the main event. Vickie Guerrero comes out and puts over the match as AJ Lee comes out to the delight of a shocked crowd. Just a sluggish and mess of a match that was hard to follow with the circumstances standing with The Undertaker losing. All of the Divas in one match and in one ring as everybody tries to score a pin over anybody. AJ makes Naomi tap and wins the match after all the Divas got eliminated beforehand.
Winner: AJ Lee
Rating: 1/2*
Match 7: WWE World Heavyweight Championship - Randy Orton vs. Batista vs. Daniel Bryan
This is it. The first triple threat main event at a WrestleMania since WrestleMania XX. And this event oddly resembles that one is so many ways. Bryan gained this opportunity after beating Triple H earlier in the show. Hard to believe that the original main event was going to be Batista vs. Orton. Bryan being injected into the match gives this match and event both a different kind of life. You know Bryan is going to win, but you just still got that feeling. The hate for Batista is real and he is fully embracing his role as a heel. He does such an amazing job at provoking these fans to boo him, he is a heel at heart. This match was exciting from the start and definitely worthy of closing out a wild night of wrestling. Just a roller coaster of a match filled with Bryan trying to fend off both Orton and Batista. Things got really foggy when Batista hit Bryan with a Batista Bomb as Orton connected with an RKO through an announce table. One of the coolest spots I have ever seen in a WrestleMania main event. Bryan refuses to quit and ends the match by getting Batista to submit after an amazing back and fourth finish. Bryan celebrates in the ring with both titles in hand as the pyro sets off to cap off an incredible night. Wow. Everything made sense here. It wasn't the perfect match or even the best main event in WrestleMania history. But again, everything made sense. You had Triple H, the scumbag boss, do his best to alter the finish with Scott Armstrong and the sledgehammer. But he failed. You had Batista, the man who was scheduled to likely win the match, submit to Daniel Bryan! What a match, what an ending, and what a show.
Winner: Daniel Bryan
Rating: ****1/4
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Definitely one of the best editions of WrestleMania that I have ever seen. Not really because of the match quality, but because of what the show represented. You get to see Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and The Rock open up the show with an incredible promo. You get the best WrestleMania opening match of all time. You get The Undertaker falling to Brock Lesnar. And finally, the culmination of Daniel Bryan's epic journey as he beats Evolution. Yes, Evolution! This show not only represented 30 years of WrestleMania, it also represented the turning of the page. A new era. Wow.
Rating: 9.5/10
This is the ultimate WrestleMania match. And it is opening the card. The machine vs. the underdog. The winner of this match gets inserted into the main event with a chance to capture the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Triple H comes out to an absolutely spectacular entrance with music to set the mood before Motorhead hits. Time to play the game. Daniel Bryan then comes out to absurd pop with the entire Superdome chanting that one word in favor of Bryan. Yes. Triple H offers the shaking of the hand but Bryan declines and kicks his hand away. Interesting start but Triple H quickly rebounds and works on the injured shoulder of Daniel Bryan. Right away, the veteran Triple H sets the tone of the match and lets the audience know that he is bigger, badder, and stronger. Oh, he also has Stephanie McMahon on his side. Beautiful wrestling from top to bottom with an array of submissions, reversals, and ring psychology like we have not seen in a WWE ring since the days of Shawn Michaels. I really mean that. The focus on Bryan's arm was so well done. Triple H came off exactly like he should have, the big heel that wanted to systematically destroy the fan favorite. In Bryan's case, he also played his role to its potential. The underdog looking to will his way to victory through what he does best with kicks, submissions, and anything he can to gain the advantage. Bryan was able to hit his running knee finisher to gain the win and entry into the main event. Afterwards, Triple H attacks Bryan and slams a steel chair into his shoulder that Triple H placed along the corner of the ring at the post. Brilliant opener, probably the best in WrestleMania history. The story, the wrestling, the mood, it was all there. Onto the main event...
Winner: Daniel Bryan
Rating: ****1/2
Match 2: New Age Outlaws & Kane vs. The Shield
This match is basically two teams from two completely different eras going at it. Hungry is the word to describe The Shield and the monster push they have received over the year continues here as they absolutely destroy their opponents with ease. It was simply a showcase of The Shield beating down three other guys for about five minutes with The Shield finally planting New Age Outlaws with their Triple Powerbomb finisher after Roman Reigns gave a Spear to everyone. Fun match that simply got a good spot on the card for The Shield and allowed them to get a quick win.
Winners: The Shield
Rating: *1/4
Match 3: Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
A new concept brought to WrestleMania likely meant to get some guys on the card and I like it! Ever since eliminating Money in the Bank in 2011, this has the potential to take over its reigns. Unlike the Royal Rumble, nobody comes out in intervals. Instead, everybody gathers in the ring at once and basically go at it. Battle royals are hard for anybody to really get over but hey this is WrestleMania. Not once during this match did I feel like it was dragging, everybody played the part well and the crowd did not take themselves out of the action. The final four came down to Big Show, Sheamus, Cesaro, and Alberto Del Rio. Del Rio and Sheamus go at it before they both eliminate each other simultaneously. It is down to Cesaro and Big Show. Cesaro lands huge uppercuts before Show fights back and tries to eliminate Cesaro. Cesaro then escapes Show's hold and lifts up Big Show and dumps him out of the ring! Amazing moment! Cesaro just got made right there! One of the better battle royals in recent history and the crowd erupted for that finish. The right guy won and this was a fantastic debut for this match.
Winner: Cesaro
Rating: ***1/2
Match 4: Bray Wyatt vs. John Cena
In my opinion, this is one of Cena's strangest WrestleMania match. For the first time in a long time, he is not the marquee match. It feels pretty strange and almost as if this is a foreshadowing to future events as the newer guys are ready to take center stage. This is also one of Cena's weaker feuds headed into WrestleMania. The idea of him being the underdog is so stale and just about everybody figured what the outcome was going to be. Very slow action from the start, their styles just don't really mesh well on a grand stage like this and it eliminates the crowd from staying active throughout. Wyatt tries to play mind games but it never really grasped the audience, almost as if the announcers were bored trying to explain what was going on. Cena takes out both Wyatt Family members before reversing a Sister Abigail into an Attitude Adjustment for the win. Match never picked up from first gear and suffered because of it. Definitely a disappointing match in Cena's long line of memorable WrestleMania matches and moments.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: **
Match 5: Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker
We all know the result. More than two decades of WrestleMania dominance comes full circle in New Orleans as Brock Lesnar conquers The Streak. The build has been fantastic, Paul Heyman being the wild card throughout everything is only turning things up a notch. He has been on the top of his game for this feud and rightfully so. Reviewing this match is extremely difficult. The match itself was very basic, The Undertaker simply is not as mobile as he once was and it almost looked like Lesnar was just toying around until the final stages of the match. The pins really did not seem all that believable until the very last one. When the referee pounded the finishing pin, a huge silence surrounded the arena like we have never heard in wrestling history. The Streak has ended. Lesnar leaves with Heyman as they are both in astonishment while The Undertaker leaves to a standing ovation. What. An. Ending. As basic of a match this was, there is no taking away the beautiful storytelling and amazing finish that saw the crowd hit a silence like never before. Forget the rating, forget what you thought of the actual match. Think about the history, think about what led both men to this position. Think of the end of an era. Watching this was tough, it felt like I saw my childhood finally come to a close. As if I was watching the end of a wrestling era. I can easily recall back to times in middle school, times in junior high, and times in high school when The Undertaker was the top dog. The guy that was prominently featured at the top of the list for every wrestling show. But like I said, this was tough to watch. Undertaker did not look like The Undertaker that we have become accustomed to seeing, he was simply a shell of who he used to be. He lost that pep in his step, he look drained, he just could not keep up with the younger and stronger Brock Lesnar. And it made sense. The WWE is turning the page with newer talent coming in and this match simply signified that this is a new age. Brock Lesnar, in my opinion, is the perfect choice to beat the undefeated streak. You want a badass animal, you got him. You want a household name, you got him. You want a legitimate fighter and wrestler, you got him. Brock Lesnar, the one behind the one in 21-1.
Winner: Brock Lesnar
Rating: ***
Match 6: Divas Championship - Vickie Guerrero Invitational
This is the gateway between the end of The Streak and the main event. Vickie Guerrero comes out and puts over the match as AJ Lee comes out to the delight of a shocked crowd. Just a sluggish and mess of a match that was hard to follow with the circumstances standing with The Undertaker losing. All of the Divas in one match and in one ring as everybody tries to score a pin over anybody. AJ makes Naomi tap and wins the match after all the Divas got eliminated beforehand.
Winner: AJ Lee
Rating: 1/2*
Match 7: WWE World Heavyweight Championship - Randy Orton vs. Batista vs. Daniel Bryan
This is it. The first triple threat main event at a WrestleMania since WrestleMania XX. And this event oddly resembles that one is so many ways. Bryan gained this opportunity after beating Triple H earlier in the show. Hard to believe that the original main event was going to be Batista vs. Orton. Bryan being injected into the match gives this match and event both a different kind of life. You know Bryan is going to win, but you just still got that feeling. The hate for Batista is real and he is fully embracing his role as a heel. He does such an amazing job at provoking these fans to boo him, he is a heel at heart. This match was exciting from the start and definitely worthy of closing out a wild night of wrestling. Just a roller coaster of a match filled with Bryan trying to fend off both Orton and Batista. Things got really foggy when Batista hit Bryan with a Batista Bomb as Orton connected with an RKO through an announce table. One of the coolest spots I have ever seen in a WrestleMania main event. Bryan refuses to quit and ends the match by getting Batista to submit after an amazing back and fourth finish. Bryan celebrates in the ring with both titles in hand as the pyro sets off to cap off an incredible night. Wow. Everything made sense here. It wasn't the perfect match or even the best main event in WrestleMania history. But again, everything made sense. You had Triple H, the scumbag boss, do his best to alter the finish with Scott Armstrong and the sledgehammer. But he failed. You had Batista, the man who was scheduled to likely win the match, submit to Daniel Bryan! What a match, what an ending, and what a show.
Winner: Daniel Bryan
Rating: ****1/4
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Definitely one of the best editions of WrestleMania that I have ever seen. Not really because of the match quality, but because of what the show represented. You get to see Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and The Rock open up the show with an incredible promo. You get the best WrestleMania opening match of all time. You get The Undertaker falling to Brock Lesnar. And finally, the culmination of Daniel Bryan's epic journey as he beats Evolution. Yes, Evolution! This show not only represented 30 years of WrestleMania, it also represented the turning of the page. A new era. Wow.
Rating: 9.5/10
Monday, April 13, 2015
WWE Survivor Series 2014 Review
Match 1: WWE World Tag Team Championships - Gold & Stardust (c) vs. The Usos vs. The Miz & Damien Mizdow vs. Los Matadores
The November tradition that is Survivor Series opens up with a four-way tag match! St. Louis is absolutely rocking for Mizdow. Match starts and he's all that they are chanting for, him reenacting every move of The Miz throughout the match was just gold. An overall good opening match that saw every team get in a good amount of offense with Mizdow basically stealing the spotlight from everyone. Finish came when an Uso hit a splash off the top rope before Miz tagged himself in. However, Mizdow tagged Miz and got the pin for the victory as the crowd exploded. Miz celebrates with both titles as Mizdow celebrates alongside with him. Awesome.
Winners: The Miz & Damien Mizdow
Rating: ***
Match 2: Traditional Survivor Series Elimination - Team Paige (Paige, Cameron, Layla, & Summer Rae) vs. Team Natalya (Natalya, Naomi, Emma, & Alicia Fox)
This match got so much time. And boy, did it ever feel like it. That's not to say the match was bad, it just wasn't good enough to stick around for nearly 15 minutes! Eliminations just didn't feel any special and the crowd had the life sucked out of them. Some cool spots here and there but nothing that will warrant me to believe the WWE actually gives two damns about the Divas division. Team Natalya gets the clean sweep.
Winners: Team Natalya
Rating: *3/4
Match 3: Bray Wyatt vs. Dean Ambrose
After interfering in Ambrose's Hell in a Cell match a month ago, Bray Wyatt faces him tonight in the third contest of the night. Great hard-hitting style of wrestling from top to bottom. Crowd was really behind both guys, they didn't do any pretty submissions or reversals, just punches and tosses. A nice breath of fresh air as their styles meshed well together. Wyatt gets on the microphone and ominously talks to Ambrose before tossing in a couple chairs. However, Ambrose grabs one of them and knocks Wyatt out as the referee calls for disqualification. Afterwards, Ambrose puts Wyatt through a table and buries him in tables and chairs before posing on top of a ladder. Great match to kick off what should be a big payoff for the next PPV.
Winner: Bray Wyatt
Rating: ***
Match 4: Adam Rose & The Bunny vs. Slater Gator
This match was placed on the card to remind us that this is supposed to be a PPV! With that being said, the crowd showed zero interest in this match and rightfully so. This is childish to the max, I find it hard to believe that even the PG audience is interested in this. Bunny gets tagged in and pins Slater for the win as Adam Rose looks in astonishment.
Winners: Adam Rose & The Bunny
Rating: 1/4*
Match 5: Divas Championship - AJ Lee (c) vs. Nikki Bella
The bell rings as Brie Bella steps on the ring apron and plants a huge kiss on AJ. AJ is stunned and as soon as she turns around, Nikki hits her finisher to capture the Divas Championship. Seriously, this is getting ridiculous.
Rating: 1/4*
Match 6: Traditional Survivor Series Elimination - Team Authority (Seth Rollins, Kane, Rusev, Luke Harper & Mark Henry) vs. Team Cena (John Cena, Dolph Ziggler, Ryback, The Big Show, & Erick Rowan)
This is one of the most epic main events in Survivor Series as The Authority will be put out of power if their team loses. However, if The Authority's team wins, John Cena's teammates will be fired. Things didn't start too well when Show knocked out Henry within the first minute of the match for an elimination. Cool way to start off the match, puts the pressure even more against The Authority. And in order to keep Rusev's undefeated streak in tact, he got counted out after missing a splash on Ziggler through the announce table. Authority tried shoving his unconscious body back into the ring but to no avail. It eventually came down to 3 vs. 3 but Big Show landed a huge punch upon Cena which led to his elimination. Show then shook Triple H's hand and walked out to get himself counted out. It's all down to Ziggler. He at least manages to take out Kane first before Harper then inserts himself into the match. Harper almost defeats Ziggler but Ziggler miraculously rolls Harper up and eliminates him by pulling his tights! It's now down to Rollins vs. Ziggler. The St. Louis crowd is on their feet! The two go back and fourth in an awesome exchange before Triple H removes the referee as The Authority look to take out Ziggler who fights back! Ziggler looks to score the victory for his team until Triple H removes the second referee in the match! He plants Ziggler with a Pedigree and calls for Scott Armstrong! Armstrong is about to make the count but out comes Sting! He plants Triple H and places Ziggler's body over Rollins for the win. Team Cena wins, The Authority is removed from power and the only way they may be reinstated is through John Cena. Great main event with a great debut for Sting which likely leads to a WrestleMania match.
Winners: Team Cena
Rating: ****
Overall Thoughts and Rating:
It's almost as if the WWE threw away the entire show in order to put all their stock in the main event. The match was great but not enough to justify the rest of the event which was pretty lackluster. One of the more disappointing Survivor Series shows in recent history.
Rating: 4/10
The November tradition that is Survivor Series opens up with a four-way tag match! St. Louis is absolutely rocking for Mizdow. Match starts and he's all that they are chanting for, him reenacting every move of The Miz throughout the match was just gold. An overall good opening match that saw every team get in a good amount of offense with Mizdow basically stealing the spotlight from everyone. Finish came when an Uso hit a splash off the top rope before Miz tagged himself in. However, Mizdow tagged Miz and got the pin for the victory as the crowd exploded. Miz celebrates with both titles as Mizdow celebrates alongside with him. Awesome.
Winners: The Miz & Damien Mizdow
Rating: ***
Match 2: Traditional Survivor Series Elimination - Team Paige (Paige, Cameron, Layla, & Summer Rae) vs. Team Natalya (Natalya, Naomi, Emma, & Alicia Fox)
This match got so much time. And boy, did it ever feel like it. That's not to say the match was bad, it just wasn't good enough to stick around for nearly 15 minutes! Eliminations just didn't feel any special and the crowd had the life sucked out of them. Some cool spots here and there but nothing that will warrant me to believe the WWE actually gives two damns about the Divas division. Team Natalya gets the clean sweep.
Winners: Team Natalya
Rating: *3/4
Match 3: Bray Wyatt vs. Dean Ambrose
After interfering in Ambrose's Hell in a Cell match a month ago, Bray Wyatt faces him tonight in the third contest of the night. Great hard-hitting style of wrestling from top to bottom. Crowd was really behind both guys, they didn't do any pretty submissions or reversals, just punches and tosses. A nice breath of fresh air as their styles meshed well together. Wyatt gets on the microphone and ominously talks to Ambrose before tossing in a couple chairs. However, Ambrose grabs one of them and knocks Wyatt out as the referee calls for disqualification. Afterwards, Ambrose puts Wyatt through a table and buries him in tables and chairs before posing on top of a ladder. Great match to kick off what should be a big payoff for the next PPV.
Winner: Bray Wyatt
Rating: ***
Match 4: Adam Rose & The Bunny vs. Slater Gator
This match was placed on the card to remind us that this is supposed to be a PPV! With that being said, the crowd showed zero interest in this match and rightfully so. This is childish to the max, I find it hard to believe that even the PG audience is interested in this. Bunny gets tagged in and pins Slater for the win as Adam Rose looks in astonishment.
Winners: Adam Rose & The Bunny
Rating: 1/4*
Match 5: Divas Championship - AJ Lee (c) vs. Nikki Bella
The bell rings as Brie Bella steps on the ring apron and plants a huge kiss on AJ. AJ is stunned and as soon as she turns around, Nikki hits her finisher to capture the Divas Championship. Seriously, this is getting ridiculous.
Rating: 1/4*
Match 6: Traditional Survivor Series Elimination - Team Authority (Seth Rollins, Kane, Rusev, Luke Harper & Mark Henry) vs. Team Cena (John Cena, Dolph Ziggler, Ryback, The Big Show, & Erick Rowan)
This is one of the most epic main events in Survivor Series as The Authority will be put out of power if their team loses. However, if The Authority's team wins, John Cena's teammates will be fired. Things didn't start too well when Show knocked out Henry within the first minute of the match for an elimination. Cool way to start off the match, puts the pressure even more against The Authority. And in order to keep Rusev's undefeated streak in tact, he got counted out after missing a splash on Ziggler through the announce table. Authority tried shoving his unconscious body back into the ring but to no avail. It eventually came down to 3 vs. 3 but Big Show landed a huge punch upon Cena which led to his elimination. Show then shook Triple H's hand and walked out to get himself counted out. It's all down to Ziggler. He at least manages to take out Kane first before Harper then inserts himself into the match. Harper almost defeats Ziggler but Ziggler miraculously rolls Harper up and eliminates him by pulling his tights! It's now down to Rollins vs. Ziggler. The St. Louis crowd is on their feet! The two go back and fourth in an awesome exchange before Triple H removes the referee as The Authority look to take out Ziggler who fights back! Ziggler looks to score the victory for his team until Triple H removes the second referee in the match! He plants Ziggler with a Pedigree and calls for Scott Armstrong! Armstrong is about to make the count but out comes Sting! He plants Triple H and places Ziggler's body over Rollins for the win. Team Cena wins, The Authority is removed from power and the only way they may be reinstated is through John Cena. Great main event with a great debut for Sting which likely leads to a WrestleMania match.
Winners: Team Cena
Rating: ****
Overall Thoughts and Rating:
It's almost as if the WWE threw away the entire show in order to put all their stock in the main event. The match was great but not enough to justify the rest of the event which was pretty lackluster. One of the more disappointing Survivor Series shows in recent history.
Rating: 4/10
Sunday, April 5, 2015
WWE Fastlane 2015 Review
Match 1: Dolph Ziggler, Erick Rowan, & Ryback vs. The Big Show, Kane, & Seth Rollins
Basically a Survivor Series main event rematch as we open up Fastlane! Although this match is getting tiresome, I still thoroughly enjoyed this match. Action featured The Authority in control for the better part of the match that saw Ziggler being left out as the crowd was continuously chanting for him. Ryback stepped up his game for this match, more fluid in the ring and is living off the Ryback chants. However, Ziggler came in to the match late where Big Show landed a nasty KO Punch on the side of the ring where Kane then pinned Ziggler for the win. The Authority then look to dismantle the rejects again until Randy Orton appears out of nowhere and scares everybody off! Quality opener with a cool surprise of Orton finally returning to the ring. Bring on Orton vs. Rollins!
Winners: The Big Show, Kane, & Seth Rollins
Rating: **3/4
Match 2: Stardust vs. Goldust
Considering that these two brothers have been tagging so long, it truly is a shame that the WWE dropped the ball on this feud. I would have loved to see this on the WrestleMania card. But such is wrestling and here we are. I love Cody in his role as Stardust, it was odd at first but he has certainly made the most of it. It has gotten to the point where it even begins to freak Goldust out! Action was a little slow and the crowd just could not get into the action at all. The commentators were great in their roles in hyping up both competitors and the match but that silent crowd just totally killed the experience of what was a pretty basic match. The ending did not help matters when the referee butchered the finishing count as Goldust rolled Stardust up. After, Stardust refuses to shake the hand of Goldust as Dusty Rhodes watches from the back.
Winner: Goldust
Rating: *1/4
Match 3: WWE World Tag Team Championships - The Usos (c) vs. Cesaro & Tyson Kidd
This is going to be good. I'm a huge fan of both teams and I'm pleased to say that these guys did not disappoint. The Memphis crowd is behind both teams and their styles clashed very nicely against each other. Fun action from top to bottom and it is definitely a breath of fresh air in the tag division to see two teams getting a sufficient amount of time on a PPV. They needed to differentiate this match from the opener and they did a great job. Lots of close finishes and lots of cool moves that had the crowd on their toes. Cesaro & Kidd get the win to capture the belts!
Winners: Cesaro & Tyson Kidd
Rating: ***1/2
Match 4: Divas Championship - Nikki Bella (c) vs. Paige
After the confrontation between Triple H and Sting, there needed to be a match to cool the crowd down and this was it. The Bellas are always involved in wacky feuds and this one isn't too different. Basic Divas match here that saw Nikki get the win with a handful of tights. Regular Divas match here with nothing that really stood out.
Winner: Nikki Bella
Rating: *
Match 5: Intercontinental Championship - Bad News Barrett (c) vs. Dean Ambrose
Huge fan of both these guys, definitely stepping up their game and molding themselves as legit main event guys. Good wrestling from the two as Barrett tried hitting his elbow finisher but Ambrose gets the upper hand and counters. Barrett tries to leave with his belt but Ambrose won't let him, he then goes off on Barrett as the bell is rung for a disqualification against Ambrose. Finish makes sense as nobody has to eat the pin leading into WrestleMania. But the match was too basic for me, what is different from this match as compared to what we see on Raw? If we're paying extra for a PPV, we should be expecting and getting more. Afterwards, Ambrose lays out Barrett and steals his belt.
Winner: Bad News Barrett
Rating: **1/4
Match 6: United States Championship - Rusev (c) vs. John Cena
Rusev has come off as a beast these past months and this feud with Cena is only doing wonders for him. His style reminds me of Umaga and just like Umaga, Rusev's style goes nicely against Cena's. Rusev looked good here, Cena was selling his moves perfectly and Rusev even kicked out of an Attitude Adjustment. This match definitely stood out from the others so far and not because of the star power. I enjoyed the slower action and enjoyed the fact that Rusev's undefeated streak was getting teased. They went for a good 15 minutes or so before Rusev finally locked in his Accolade. Cena is able to nearly escape before Lana comes in to distract the referee where Rusev lands a low blow along with a kick. Rusev then locks it in where the referee had no choice but to call for the bell. Enjoyable first main event of the night that made Rusev look like an animal and scoring a victory over Cena. Only sets up for a bigger match down the line.
Winner: Rusev
Rating: ***1/4
Match 7: Daniel Bryan vs. Roman Reigns
Here it is, the main event of the evening with the winner scoring an opportunity to face Brock Lesnar for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 31. Yeah, doesn't make much sense to me either. For those who have any doubts, Roman Reigns is a star and this match proved it. I'm sick of the argument that Daniel Bryan carries people in matches because Reigns more than held his own here. Awesome back and fourth action throughout that somewhat had Bryan come off more as a heel even though more than half the crowd was on his side. Interesting dynamic as Bryan had to rely on his kicks and submissions while Reigns simply had to rely on powering out and landing blows to gain an advantage. Reigns ultimately hit a cool Spear when Bryan went for his running knee finisher. Reigns is still your WrestleMania 31 main event against Brock Lesnar. Great main event that proves that the WWE is solidly behind Reigns over Bryan. Whether you like it or not.
Winner: Roman Reigns
Rating: ****
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
This felt like an episode of SmackDown more than anything. Two lengthy promos and a pretty average card that sets up the final foundation for WrestleMania. There really isn't anything here aside from maybe the main event that I might want someone to go out of their way to watch. Let's go to Santa Clara... if you're still interested.
Rating: 6/10
Basically a Survivor Series main event rematch as we open up Fastlane! Although this match is getting tiresome, I still thoroughly enjoyed this match. Action featured The Authority in control for the better part of the match that saw Ziggler being left out as the crowd was continuously chanting for him. Ryback stepped up his game for this match, more fluid in the ring and is living off the Ryback chants. However, Ziggler came in to the match late where Big Show landed a nasty KO Punch on the side of the ring where Kane then pinned Ziggler for the win. The Authority then look to dismantle the rejects again until Randy Orton appears out of nowhere and scares everybody off! Quality opener with a cool surprise of Orton finally returning to the ring. Bring on Orton vs. Rollins!
Winners: The Big Show, Kane, & Seth Rollins
Rating: **3/4
Match 2: Stardust vs. Goldust
Considering that these two brothers have been tagging so long, it truly is a shame that the WWE dropped the ball on this feud. I would have loved to see this on the WrestleMania card. But such is wrestling and here we are. I love Cody in his role as Stardust, it was odd at first but he has certainly made the most of it. It has gotten to the point where it even begins to freak Goldust out! Action was a little slow and the crowd just could not get into the action at all. The commentators were great in their roles in hyping up both competitors and the match but that silent crowd just totally killed the experience of what was a pretty basic match. The ending did not help matters when the referee butchered the finishing count as Goldust rolled Stardust up. After, Stardust refuses to shake the hand of Goldust as Dusty Rhodes watches from the back.
Winner: Goldust
Rating: *1/4
Match 3: WWE World Tag Team Championships - The Usos (c) vs. Cesaro & Tyson Kidd
This is going to be good. I'm a huge fan of both teams and I'm pleased to say that these guys did not disappoint. The Memphis crowd is behind both teams and their styles clashed very nicely against each other. Fun action from top to bottom and it is definitely a breath of fresh air in the tag division to see two teams getting a sufficient amount of time on a PPV. They needed to differentiate this match from the opener and they did a great job. Lots of close finishes and lots of cool moves that had the crowd on their toes. Cesaro & Kidd get the win to capture the belts!
Winners: Cesaro & Tyson Kidd
Rating: ***1/2
Match 4: Divas Championship - Nikki Bella (c) vs. Paige
After the confrontation between Triple H and Sting, there needed to be a match to cool the crowd down and this was it. The Bellas are always involved in wacky feuds and this one isn't too different. Basic Divas match here that saw Nikki get the win with a handful of tights. Regular Divas match here with nothing that really stood out.
Winner: Nikki Bella
Rating: *
Match 5: Intercontinental Championship - Bad News Barrett (c) vs. Dean Ambrose
Huge fan of both these guys, definitely stepping up their game and molding themselves as legit main event guys. Good wrestling from the two as Barrett tried hitting his elbow finisher but Ambrose gets the upper hand and counters. Barrett tries to leave with his belt but Ambrose won't let him, he then goes off on Barrett as the bell is rung for a disqualification against Ambrose. Finish makes sense as nobody has to eat the pin leading into WrestleMania. But the match was too basic for me, what is different from this match as compared to what we see on Raw? If we're paying extra for a PPV, we should be expecting and getting more. Afterwards, Ambrose lays out Barrett and steals his belt.
Winner: Bad News Barrett
Rating: **1/4
Match 6: United States Championship - Rusev (c) vs. John Cena
Rusev has come off as a beast these past months and this feud with Cena is only doing wonders for him. His style reminds me of Umaga and just like Umaga, Rusev's style goes nicely against Cena's. Rusev looked good here, Cena was selling his moves perfectly and Rusev even kicked out of an Attitude Adjustment. This match definitely stood out from the others so far and not because of the star power. I enjoyed the slower action and enjoyed the fact that Rusev's undefeated streak was getting teased. They went for a good 15 minutes or so before Rusev finally locked in his Accolade. Cena is able to nearly escape before Lana comes in to distract the referee where Rusev lands a low blow along with a kick. Rusev then locks it in where the referee had no choice but to call for the bell. Enjoyable first main event of the night that made Rusev look like an animal and scoring a victory over Cena. Only sets up for a bigger match down the line.
Winner: Rusev
Rating: ***1/4
Match 7: Daniel Bryan vs. Roman Reigns
Here it is, the main event of the evening with the winner scoring an opportunity to face Brock Lesnar for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 31. Yeah, doesn't make much sense to me either. For those who have any doubts, Roman Reigns is a star and this match proved it. I'm sick of the argument that Daniel Bryan carries people in matches because Reigns more than held his own here. Awesome back and fourth action throughout that somewhat had Bryan come off more as a heel even though more than half the crowd was on his side. Interesting dynamic as Bryan had to rely on his kicks and submissions while Reigns simply had to rely on powering out and landing blows to gain an advantage. Reigns ultimately hit a cool Spear when Bryan went for his running knee finisher. Reigns is still your WrestleMania 31 main event against Brock Lesnar. Great main event that proves that the WWE is solidly behind Reigns over Bryan. Whether you like it or not.
Winner: Roman Reigns
Rating: ****
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
This felt like an episode of SmackDown more than anything. Two lengthy promos and a pretty average card that sets up the final foundation for WrestleMania. There really isn't anything here aside from maybe the main event that I might want someone to go out of their way to watch. Let's go to Santa Clara... if you're still interested.
Rating: 6/10
Friday, April 3, 2015
WWE Elimination Chamber 2014 Review
Match 1: Intercontinental Championship - Big E (c) vs. Jack SwaggerGood choice of opener as the crowd is surprisingly pretty hot behind Big E. Swagger also doesn't really get the attention he deserves, too. It's hard to believe he was in one of the main events of last year's WrestleMania. Fun opening match that saw Big E hit an Ankle Lock for the win. Crowd was hot for Big E and especially for the finish. Nicely sets up the show.
Winner: Big E
Rating: **1/4
Match 2: WWE Tag Team Championships - The New Age Outlaws (c) vs. The Usos
Crowd really isn't into Billy Gunn or Road Dogg which isn't much of a surprise since this is a PG crowd. Fun tag match as The Usos have become a joy to watch. So much energy that the crowd can't help but react to them, a definite fresh taste in what has become a stale division. However, they weren't able to convert their energy into gold as The New Age Outlaws retain the belts.
Winners: The New Age Outlaws
Rating: **1/2
Match 3: Darren Young vs. Titus O'Neil
After a heel turn from Titus O'Neil when he tore apart Darren Young in a beating reminiscent to Batista turning on Rey Mysterio in 2009, the former team clash here. Titus is a big dude and I'm interested to see how far he will go as a singles competitor. Basically, this match saw Titus beat down Young with Young doing his best to try and retaliate but to no avail. Titus wins with a move he calls Clash of the Titus in a short filler of a match.
Winner: Titus O'Neil
Rating: *
Match 4: The Shield vs. The Wyatt Family
The two biggest factions in the industry in one ring going at it for the very first time. This is going to be awesome. As a matter of fact, the crowd is even chanting that before the match even begins. This all began on an edition of Raw when The Wyatts interfered in a match with The Shield that cost them their entry into the Elimination Chamber match. They built the match around two guys, Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt. They teased them getting tagged in but it was mainly the other four for the better part of the match. WWE always does a great job when it comes to production values and this was no different, they captured perfect facial reactions from Reigns and Wyatt so nicely that you just felt the urgency for them to get in the ring. You just knew something was going down when they would get tagged in. But that's not discounting what was going on in the ring between the other four at all. Because they tore the house down. A frenzy from start to finish with the crowd being behind them every single step of the way. So many unique spots and close finishes that even saw The Wyatts slam Seth Rollins hard through the announcers table as Bray watched with a stoic face. The only member of The Shield left to handle was the juggernaut of the group, Roman Reigns. They surrounded the ring the same way The Shield does and went to work. Wyatt looked to end Reigns before Reigns powers out of Bray's finisher and took out The Wyatts on his own! He looked like an animal and the crowd loved it! Superman Punches for everyone! However, Bray Wyatt got the better of the exchange and scored the big win. What a match. No slowing down from the start and I loved it. Definitely one of the best matches in recent WWE history and hopefully, for a long time to come. However, it did feel like they pulled the trigger too early on this match which makes me question how long these two teams will be together for. Either way, awesome stuff.
Winners: The Wyatt Family
Rating: ****1/2
Match 5: Divas Championship - AJ Lee (c) vs. Cameron
Where do I start on this? They want to build the Divas division. And this just isn't the way to do it. Right after a hot match, these two go at it and start messing around with pom poms. AJ had Tamina Snuka accompany her ringside and Snuka and interferes which led to disqualification. What am I watching?
Winner: Cameron
Rating: 1/2*
Match 6: Alberto Del Rio vs. Batista
Crowd is so rapidly against Batista, it's pretty crazy and in my opinion, unfortunate. But they want what they want and they sure as hell want their Daniel Bryan. Del Rio comes out in a track outfit along with a cast around his neck and a crutch. He then attacks Batista from behind with the crutch and reveals that he was faking the injury. They go back and fourth a little bit before Batista hits his Batista Bomb for the win. Crowd crapped all over it and the announcers weren't helping the cause. Little feeding match for Batista as we head into New Orleans.
Winner: Batista
Rating: *1/4
Match 7: WWE World Heavyweight Championship - Elimination Chamber - Randy Orton (c) vs. John Cena vs. Christian vs. Cesaro vs. Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan
We have Cesaro and Sheamus to start the pacing of the match. They then had Bryan come in to the huge delight of the crowd as he took on both competitors before Christian and Cena make their way into the match. So far, the action has been fun but nothing overwhelming until Orton comes into play as he stomps around the ring before everybody decides to wake up and turn their heads to him. Orton weasels his way back into his pod before Sheamus Brogue Kicks the glass off and gets his hands on Orton. Such a cool spot that really makes a bigger difference than it seems, Orton is such a coward but Sheamus will stop at nothing to get his hands on him. However, the first elimination finally comes nearly 26 minutes into the match as Sheamus gets ousted first before Christian does moments later by Daniel Bryan. We're down to four with Cesaro looking like the dark horse of the match. He and Cena go after another in a pretty fast and furious exchange before Cesaro gets caught in the STF and becomes the third elimination. Lights go off and The Wyatt Family appear out of nowhere! They take out a rushing Daniel Bryan before they take out Cena which allowed Orton to slither in for the pin. It's now Orton vs. Bryan. Kane is out to seemingly restore order as he yells viciously at The Wyatt Family but out of nowhere, Bryan flies onto Kane and takes him out. Orton tries to take advantage of the situation with an RKO but Bryan kicks out! Out of nowhere, Bryan lands a Running Knee but Kane pulls out the referee! Bryan then gets drilled with a second RKO as Orton retains and scores the victory. Great main event that only gives out more questions leading into WrestleMania XXX. The eliminations were great and while The Wyatts interfering was kind of odd, it ignites Cena's match for WrestleMania. Great ending to a decent show.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ****
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Two matches define this show and everything else is forgettable. As a matter of fact, everything else were basically matches that could be seen on a Monday Night Raw! Lots of questions heading into WrestleMania XXX with the main one surrounding Daniel Bryan. While the PPV wasn't the greatest thing ever, it served its purpose in hyping up the next show, WrestleMania. The next few weeks should be very interesting.
Rating: 7/10
Winner: Big E
Rating: **1/4
Match 2: WWE Tag Team Championships - The New Age Outlaws (c) vs. The Usos
Crowd really isn't into Billy Gunn or Road Dogg which isn't much of a surprise since this is a PG crowd. Fun tag match as The Usos have become a joy to watch. So much energy that the crowd can't help but react to them, a definite fresh taste in what has become a stale division. However, they weren't able to convert their energy into gold as The New Age Outlaws retain the belts.
Winners: The New Age Outlaws
Rating: **1/2
Match 3: Darren Young vs. Titus O'Neil
After a heel turn from Titus O'Neil when he tore apart Darren Young in a beating reminiscent to Batista turning on Rey Mysterio in 2009, the former team clash here. Titus is a big dude and I'm interested to see how far he will go as a singles competitor. Basically, this match saw Titus beat down Young with Young doing his best to try and retaliate but to no avail. Titus wins with a move he calls Clash of the Titus in a short filler of a match.
Winner: Titus O'Neil
Rating: *
Match 4: The Shield vs. The Wyatt Family
The two biggest factions in the industry in one ring going at it for the very first time. This is going to be awesome. As a matter of fact, the crowd is even chanting that before the match even begins. This all began on an edition of Raw when The Wyatts interfered in a match with The Shield that cost them their entry into the Elimination Chamber match. They built the match around two guys, Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt. They teased them getting tagged in but it was mainly the other four for the better part of the match. WWE always does a great job when it comes to production values and this was no different, they captured perfect facial reactions from Reigns and Wyatt so nicely that you just felt the urgency for them to get in the ring. You just knew something was going down when they would get tagged in. But that's not discounting what was going on in the ring between the other four at all. Because they tore the house down. A frenzy from start to finish with the crowd being behind them every single step of the way. So many unique spots and close finishes that even saw The Wyatts slam Seth Rollins hard through the announcers table as Bray watched with a stoic face. The only member of The Shield left to handle was the juggernaut of the group, Roman Reigns. They surrounded the ring the same way The Shield does and went to work. Wyatt looked to end Reigns before Reigns powers out of Bray's finisher and took out The Wyatts on his own! He looked like an animal and the crowd loved it! Superman Punches for everyone! However, Bray Wyatt got the better of the exchange and scored the big win. What a match. No slowing down from the start and I loved it. Definitely one of the best matches in recent WWE history and hopefully, for a long time to come. However, it did feel like they pulled the trigger too early on this match which makes me question how long these two teams will be together for. Either way, awesome stuff.
Winners: The Wyatt Family
Rating: ****1/2
Match 5: Divas Championship - AJ Lee (c) vs. Cameron
Where do I start on this? They want to build the Divas division. And this just isn't the way to do it. Right after a hot match, these two go at it and start messing around with pom poms. AJ had Tamina Snuka accompany her ringside and Snuka and interferes which led to disqualification. What am I watching?
Winner: Cameron
Rating: 1/2*
Match 6: Alberto Del Rio vs. Batista
Crowd is so rapidly against Batista, it's pretty crazy and in my opinion, unfortunate. But they want what they want and they sure as hell want their Daniel Bryan. Del Rio comes out in a track outfit along with a cast around his neck and a crutch. He then attacks Batista from behind with the crutch and reveals that he was faking the injury. They go back and fourth a little bit before Batista hits his Batista Bomb for the win. Crowd crapped all over it and the announcers weren't helping the cause. Little feeding match for Batista as we head into New Orleans.
Winner: Batista
Rating: *1/4
Match 7: WWE World Heavyweight Championship - Elimination Chamber - Randy Orton (c) vs. John Cena vs. Christian vs. Cesaro vs. Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan
We have Cesaro and Sheamus to start the pacing of the match. They then had Bryan come in to the huge delight of the crowd as he took on both competitors before Christian and Cena make their way into the match. So far, the action has been fun but nothing overwhelming until Orton comes into play as he stomps around the ring before everybody decides to wake up and turn their heads to him. Orton weasels his way back into his pod before Sheamus Brogue Kicks the glass off and gets his hands on Orton. Such a cool spot that really makes a bigger difference than it seems, Orton is such a coward but Sheamus will stop at nothing to get his hands on him. However, the first elimination finally comes nearly 26 minutes into the match as Sheamus gets ousted first before Christian does moments later by Daniel Bryan. We're down to four with Cesaro looking like the dark horse of the match. He and Cena go after another in a pretty fast and furious exchange before Cesaro gets caught in the STF and becomes the third elimination. Lights go off and The Wyatt Family appear out of nowhere! They take out a rushing Daniel Bryan before they take out Cena which allowed Orton to slither in for the pin. It's now Orton vs. Bryan. Kane is out to seemingly restore order as he yells viciously at The Wyatt Family but out of nowhere, Bryan flies onto Kane and takes him out. Orton tries to take advantage of the situation with an RKO but Bryan kicks out! Out of nowhere, Bryan lands a Running Knee but Kane pulls out the referee! Bryan then gets drilled with a second RKO as Orton retains and scores the victory. Great main event that only gives out more questions leading into WrestleMania XXX. The eliminations were great and while The Wyatts interfering was kind of odd, it ignites Cena's match for WrestleMania. Great ending to a decent show.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ****
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Two matches define this show and everything else is forgettable. As a matter of fact, everything else were basically matches that could be seen on a Monday Night Raw! Lots of questions heading into WrestleMania XXX with the main one surrounding Daniel Bryan. While the PPV wasn't the greatest thing ever, it served its purpose in hyping up the next show, WrestleMania. The next few weeks should be very interesting.
Rating: 7/10
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