WWE Crown Jewel 2018
November 2, 2018
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
One
of the biggest nights of the calendar year for WWE sees Shawn Michaels
returning to action as he teams with Triple H to represent D-Generation X
and go into battle against The Brothers of Destruction. Also, the
vacant Universal Championship is up for grabs in a bout between Brock
Lesnar and Braun Strowman while the WWE World Cup Tournament decides who
is the best in the world.
Match 1: WWE World Cup Quarterfinal - Rey Mysterio vs. Randy Orton
Dig
the mention of the two meeting 12 years ago at the start of the 2006
Royal Rumble match, here they are now to kick open one of the biggest
shows for 2018. Longevity doesn't get the recognition it deserves. If
you were expecting a usual amazing match between the two here, forget
it. They have had some outstanding matches in the past with some great
chemistry between the two, even fighting for the World Heavyweight
Championship. However, this was barely 5 minutes and not much offense
from the two was on display here. Rey Mysterio is able to quickly roll
Randy Orton up to score the win before Orton hits Mysterio with an RKO
afterwards and attacks him around the ring. With so many matches lined
up for the night, I get why it was so short. But damn, would have loved
to see them go at it for just a few more minutes.
Winner: Rey Mysterio
Rating: *1/2
Match 2: WWE World Cup Quarterfinal - Jeff Hardy vs. The Miz
How
I miss The Miz as a heel... and how I miss Jeff Hardy as a top star.
Good times. Much like the last match, this was a fairly quick and basic
bout, almost as if I was at a house show watching this. Hardy is able to
hit some of his usual stuff here in a more competitive match than the
last one before falling to The Miz and a Skull Crushing Finale. Good for
what it was. Like I said, very basic match as you would expect here but
still solid, especially considering how many matches they have lined up
for the night.
Winner: The Miz
Rating: **1/2
Match 3: WWE World Cup Quarterfinal - Seth Rollins vs. Bobby Lashley
Am
I the only one who enjoyed seeing Lio Rush as Bobby Lashley's hype man?
I think their dynamic worked really well together. With Rush by his
side, Lashley was seemingly having his way against the Intercontinental
Champion in Seth Rollins. However, a missed Spear was enough to cost
Lashley the match as he would quickly fall right into a Curb Stomp for
the finish as Rush watched in horror. Again, continuing the pattern of
quickly getting the first round matches out of the way. Take it or leave
it. Still would have been nice to have Rollins maybe get a little more
offense than he did.
Winner: Seth Rollins
Rating: **
Match 4: WWE World Cup Quarterfinal - Kurt Angle vs. Dolph Ziggler
Completely
forgot they had Kurt Angle wrestling on this card, he goes against
Dolph Ziggler who also has Drew McIntyre keeping an eye on things in his
corner. Almost sad to watch Angle at this point in his career, looking
very stiff in the ring and unable to move around like he once did.
Thankfully, he had somebody like Ziggler who was able to really sell
much of Angle's attacks nicely and really keep the match pushing forward
at a great pace. Angle gave his best efforts to Ziggler but he would
run himself into a corner post before Ziggler would be able to land a
Zig Zag to score the win.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler
Rating: **1/4
Match 5: WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship - The Bar (c) vs. The New Day
For
those keeping score at home, The Big Show is a heel around this time
and accompanies The Bar to the ring as their enforcer. The Bar defend
their belts against The New Day with Xavier Woods rooting on both Big E
and Kofi Kingston. Loved seeing The New Day come down to the ring on a
magic carpet, they really do have the best entrances in the game today.
The action in the ring was solid for what it was worth with both teams
getting in a good amount of offense. Watching Kingston prior to him
winning the big one feels strange, it's almost unbelievable how good he
is and how baffling it is to think that he wasn't actually given a shot
at it until a few months later. But I digress, Big Show gives Sheamus a
helping hand with a punch to the face of Big E as the referee's back was
turned which led into a Brogue Kick for the finish.
Winners: The Bar
Rating: **3/4
Saturday, October 12, 2019
Sunday, October 6, 2019
Hell in a Cell - The Greatest Hell in a Cell Matches of All Time DVD (Disc 3) Review
Match 1: Vengeance 2005 - WWE World Heavyweight Championship - Hell in a Cell - Batista (c) vs. Triple H
After Batista beat Triple H at two PPVs in a row, they look to settle the score inside Hell in a Cell. This feud was white hot at the time and a perfect reason to break out the Hell in a Cell. Loved the intensity right off the bat, the two came in with a mindset that this was really the end to their feud and they needed to show us exactly that. Blood began to pour from the forehead of The Game early on before introducing a steel chair wrapped in barbed wire into the mix. The match really turned up a gear here as the two beat the crap out of each other with it. They did a perfect shot of Batista's back becoming bloody after Triple H drilled his back with it. However, even with that, a sledgehammer and a Pedigree, Batista was not going down. One of the coolest spots in the match came when Batista rammed a bloody Triple H into the bottom half of the steel steps set in the corner of the ring. Finally, a Spinebuster on the steps followed by a Batista Bomb would be enough for The Animal to close the book on his former mentor. Incredible and completely underrated Hell in a Cell match with one of the coolest finishes ever. Batista had Triple H in the air for a Batista Bomb with Triple H ready to strike with a sledgehammer but was not quick enough to pull the trigger. That is everything you could want from a Hell in a Cell match with the top two guys in the business. Go back and rewatch this.
Winner: Batista
Rating: *****
Match 2: Armageddon 2005 - Hell in a Cell - Randy Orton vs. The Undertaker (Taken from The Undertaker's Deadliest Matches DVD (Disc 2) Review)
Here it is, the conclusion of a feud that was possibly the best one on SmackDown for 2005. With his father being locked outside, Randy Orton looked to beat The Deadman at his own game. In the beginning, it looked completely bleak for The Legend Killer as The Undertaker beat Orton to a pulp with a few nasty steel chair shots that left Orton dripping blood. Almost forgot how much blood can add to a match. Undertaker was dominating the match and Orton only had a few sprinkles throughout that had him in the leading position. Got to mention the part with Undertaker pulling Bob Orton into the cell from the inside and cutting him open by tossing Randy straight into him. Bob was able to enter the cell after a referee bump and later suffered a Tombstone for his troubles. Loved his participation in the match, never did it feel forced but it still felt necessary to have him inside since he was a focal point during their feud. After, Undertaker delivered one to Randy and won the match to end their lengthy feud. Another great Hell in a Cell match under the belt for The Undertaker. It certainly did have its slow parts and the crowd just was not as hot as they needed to be, but it was certainly a fulfilling end to their great feud. It was as gruesome and intense as it needed to be.
Winner: The Undertaker
Rating: ****1/2
Match 3: Unforgiven 2006 - Hell in a Cell - Shane McMahon, The Big Show & Mr. McMahon vs. D-Generation X
It's almost hard to believe that this match was 13 years ago. Where does the time go? Both Triple H and Shawn Michaels wanted to take out the biggest challenge against them in the match early on as they landed low blows against The Big Show early on to shift their focus against The McMahons. The blood poured early on for this one with Shane McMahon looking like a complete mess when Michaels was handling him outside the ring. For all the jokes and questionable angles leading up to this match, they really turned things up a notch the weeks leading into this one and really doing a fantastic job of making you feel how personable this feud was inside the cell. The McMahons and The Big Show would get the advantage later on with Shane hitting a Coast-to-Coast on Triple H and Mr. McMahon not letting the match end. There was blood everywhere and this was intense from the very beginning. Triple H and Michaels were finally able to turn the tides with a Sweet Chin Music from Michaels to both Shane and The Big Show before shifting the focus to Vince... With Show being held up by the ropes on his stomach, D-Generation X shove Mr. McMahon's face into Show's behind before Triple H finishes things off with a sledgehammer shot to the back of Vince. A bloody and fantastic Hell in a Cell match that lives up to its name and a perfect ending to the feud.
Winners: D-Generation X
Rating: ****1/4
Match 4: Survivor Series 2007 - World Heavyweight Championship - Hell in a Cell - Batista (c) vs. The Undertaker (Review taken from WWE Survivor Series 2007 Review)
2007's best and most epic rivalry comes to a conclusion inside Hell in a Cell. They each have a win under their belts along with two draws, this is the rubber match. Even in 2015, this match holds up as one of my personal favorites in Survivor Series history. You could feel the hate between the two and everything was spaced out perfectly. While the crowd could have been livelier, it didn't detract me from the action in the ring as both men were on the top of their games respectively. Everything action done was done with purpose, no wasted spots or motions from the two. They emphasized how brutal the structure was early on as the blood flowed hard. The Undertaker driving Batista's neck with a steel chair onto the steel steps and Batista smashing Undertaker's head in with the steel steps were both sights to be seen. Every fall felt like it could have been the legit finish and when Batista wasn't able to finish off Undertaker with a Batista Bomb through a table, things got even more interesting. Batista later kicked out of a Tombstone and when Undertaker hit another one, Edge appeared out of nowhere disguised as a cameraman. He hit a shocked Undertaker with the camera and then hit his famous Con-Chair-To before lifting Batista's lifeless body onto Undertaker's lifeless body where he forced the referee to make the count. Batista retains. Afterwards, Edge smashes Undertaker's face in with a steel chair to close out the night. What. A. War. An incredible end to their rivalry which ultimately got overshadowed by the return of Edge. While this match could have done without Edge, his return still added another layer to this contest. Regardless, this was the ultimate main event for the night and maybe even for the entire year.
Winner: Batista
Rating: ****1/2
After Batista beat Triple H at two PPVs in a row, they look to settle the score inside Hell in a Cell. This feud was white hot at the time and a perfect reason to break out the Hell in a Cell. Loved the intensity right off the bat, the two came in with a mindset that this was really the end to their feud and they needed to show us exactly that. Blood began to pour from the forehead of The Game early on before introducing a steel chair wrapped in barbed wire into the mix. The match really turned up a gear here as the two beat the crap out of each other with it. They did a perfect shot of Batista's back becoming bloody after Triple H drilled his back with it. However, even with that, a sledgehammer and a Pedigree, Batista was not going down. One of the coolest spots in the match came when Batista rammed a bloody Triple H into the bottom half of the steel steps set in the corner of the ring. Finally, a Spinebuster on the steps followed by a Batista Bomb would be enough for The Animal to close the book on his former mentor. Incredible and completely underrated Hell in a Cell match with one of the coolest finishes ever. Batista had Triple H in the air for a Batista Bomb with Triple H ready to strike with a sledgehammer but was not quick enough to pull the trigger. That is everything you could want from a Hell in a Cell match with the top two guys in the business. Go back and rewatch this.
Winner: Batista
Rating: *****
Match 2: Armageddon 2005 - Hell in a Cell - Randy Orton vs. The Undertaker (Taken from The Undertaker's Deadliest Matches DVD (Disc 2) Review)
Here it is, the conclusion of a feud that was possibly the best one on SmackDown for 2005. With his father being locked outside, Randy Orton looked to beat The Deadman at his own game. In the beginning, it looked completely bleak for The Legend Killer as The Undertaker beat Orton to a pulp with a few nasty steel chair shots that left Orton dripping blood. Almost forgot how much blood can add to a match. Undertaker was dominating the match and Orton only had a few sprinkles throughout that had him in the leading position. Got to mention the part with Undertaker pulling Bob Orton into the cell from the inside and cutting him open by tossing Randy straight into him. Bob was able to enter the cell after a referee bump and later suffered a Tombstone for his troubles. Loved his participation in the match, never did it feel forced but it still felt necessary to have him inside since he was a focal point during their feud. After, Undertaker delivered one to Randy and won the match to end their lengthy feud. Another great Hell in a Cell match under the belt for The Undertaker. It certainly did have its slow parts and the crowd just was not as hot as they needed to be, but it was certainly a fulfilling end to their great feud. It was as gruesome and intense as it needed to be.
Winner: The Undertaker
Rating: ****1/2
Match 3: Unforgiven 2006 - Hell in a Cell - Shane McMahon, The Big Show & Mr. McMahon vs. D-Generation X
It's almost hard to believe that this match was 13 years ago. Where does the time go? Both Triple H and Shawn Michaels wanted to take out the biggest challenge against them in the match early on as they landed low blows against The Big Show early on to shift their focus against The McMahons. The blood poured early on for this one with Shane McMahon looking like a complete mess when Michaels was handling him outside the ring. For all the jokes and questionable angles leading up to this match, they really turned things up a notch the weeks leading into this one and really doing a fantastic job of making you feel how personable this feud was inside the cell. The McMahons and The Big Show would get the advantage later on with Shane hitting a Coast-to-Coast on Triple H and Mr. McMahon not letting the match end. There was blood everywhere and this was intense from the very beginning. Triple H and Michaels were finally able to turn the tides with a Sweet Chin Music from Michaels to both Shane and The Big Show before shifting the focus to Vince... With Show being held up by the ropes on his stomach, D-Generation X shove Mr. McMahon's face into Show's behind before Triple H finishes things off with a sledgehammer shot to the back of Vince. A bloody and fantastic Hell in a Cell match that lives up to its name and a perfect ending to the feud.
Winners: D-Generation X
Rating: ****1/4
Match 4: Survivor Series 2007 - World Heavyweight Championship - Hell in a Cell - Batista (c) vs. The Undertaker (Review taken from WWE Survivor Series 2007 Review)
2007's best and most epic rivalry comes to a conclusion inside Hell in a Cell. They each have a win under their belts along with two draws, this is the rubber match. Even in 2015, this match holds up as one of my personal favorites in Survivor Series history. You could feel the hate between the two and everything was spaced out perfectly. While the crowd could have been livelier, it didn't detract me from the action in the ring as both men were on the top of their games respectively. Everything action done was done with purpose, no wasted spots or motions from the two. They emphasized how brutal the structure was early on as the blood flowed hard. The Undertaker driving Batista's neck with a steel chair onto the steel steps and Batista smashing Undertaker's head in with the steel steps were both sights to be seen. Every fall felt like it could have been the legit finish and when Batista wasn't able to finish off Undertaker with a Batista Bomb through a table, things got even more interesting. Batista later kicked out of a Tombstone and when Undertaker hit another one, Edge appeared out of nowhere disguised as a cameraman. He hit a shocked Undertaker with the camera and then hit his famous Con-Chair-To before lifting Batista's lifeless body onto Undertaker's lifeless body where he forced the referee to make the count. Batista retains. Afterwards, Edge smashes Undertaker's face in with a steel chair to close out the night. What. A. War. An incredible end to their rivalry which ultimately got overshadowed by the return of Edge. While this match could have done without Edge, his return still added another layer to this contest. Regardless, this was the ultimate main event for the night and maybe even for the entire year.
Winner: Batista
Rating: ****1/2
Friday, September 27, 2019
Hell in a Cell - The Greatest Hell in a Cell Matches of All Time DVD (Disc 2) Review
Match 1: Judgment Day 2002 - Hell in a Cell - Chris Jericho vs. Triple H
This is probably one of the more forgettable Hell in a Cell matches, I barely have any recollection of this match. As a matter of fact, one of the more memorable spots of this match came when the referee in Tim White got injured after getting tossed into the cage. I did enjoy how you could definitely feel the animosity between the two throughout the match. They were fighting each other everywhere and Chris Jericho was relentless as he was constantly talking down to Triple H in the process. With White getting injured inside the structure, other WWE officials had to run into open the door and help him out. This allowed for Jericho and Triple H to take the fight outside where it led them to the top of the cell. After hitting Jericho with a barbed wire baseball bat, Triple H hits a Pedigree on top of the cell to seal the win. Solid match that dragged just a bit in the beginning before really turning up a notch once the White bump happened. But again, this was certainly one of the more forgettable Hell in a Cell matches that you will come across.
Winner: Triple H
Rating: ***1/2
Match 2: No Mercy 2002 - WWE Championship - Hell in a Cell - Brock Lesnar (c) vs. The Undertaker
One of the rare instances where two Superstars would have two Hell in a Cell matches began in 2002 when the young Brock Lesnar faced off against The Undertaker in what was supposed to be their concluding match. This was exactly what a Hell in a Cell match, bloody and brutal from the very beginning to the very end. Loved the feud they had going into this with their hatred for each other becoming extremely personal before Lesnar would break Undertaker's hand on an episode of SmackDown. This forced Undertaker to get a cast on his hand but he would be allowed to have it on during the match. This made for some extra drama added to the match with Undertaker trying to use it to his advantage before Lesnar would eventually take it off along with bashing The Deadman's hand with a steel chair with the help of a bloody Paul Heyman getting his hands on The Undertaker through the cell. Tons of blood and tons of gritty spots before Lesnar sealed the deal by reversing a Tombstone into an F5. Awesome finish. Afterwards, Lesnar poses with the WWE Championship atop the cell. What a match and what a defining moment for the young Lesnar at that stage in his career.
Winner: Brock Lesnar
Rating: ****3/4
Match 3: Bad Blood 2003 - WWE World Heavyweight Championship - Hell in a Cell - Triple H (c) vs. Kevin Nash
This is another fairly forgotten Hell in a Cell match when talking about its storied history. I even sometimes forget about this one. Mick Foley is serving as the special guest referee for this one to serve order between the two competitors. It's almost strange to watch Kevin Nash move around fairly effortlessly around the ring and put on a pretty damn good match as opposed to seeing him a few years later. This was a bloody and fun affair that saw the two beat each other up with barbed wire baseball bats, steel chairs and sledgehammers. Despite Nash still looking pretty good around this time, they were still able to hide some of his limits by putting much of the focus on the foreign objects in the match along with Mick Foley getting involved throughout the match against Triple H. Nash nearly scored the win over The Game a couple times and really had the crowd thinking so until Triple H was able to get his shoulder up before drilling Nash with a sledgehammer to the face along with a Pedigree. Solid Hell in a Cell match to conclude their feud. Sort of. They actually had a Ladder match in 2011 at a TLC PPV event. Can't make this up.
Winner: Triple H
Rating: ****
Match 4: Bad Blood 2004 - Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels
The storied feud between two former best friends and two former partners finally gets its conclusion in the main event of Bad Blood. Incredible stories leading into this one and definitely a match that doesn't really get the recognition it deserves. Like Triple H's last Hell in a Cell match against Kevin Nash a year prior, this match was just as bloody and just as fun to watch. They didn't hold back here, beating the living daylights out of each other with steel chairs, steel steps and actually breaking out a ladder and table for kicks. I guess it was a little throwback to their Summerslam encounter which was a nice touch. The two scratched and clawed to the finish line where Triple H barely had enough energy to muster a third Pedigree against Shawn Michaels to secure the win. I'm personally not the biggest fan of matches that go past 45 minutes, but these two made it work and considering the backstory leading into this, it had to go this long. The match didn't drag but they definitely reminded us how the length of the match was taking a toll on them with the two struggling to get up, kick out of a pin or pin their opponent at certain points. When talking about the history between these two guys, this match shouldn't just be an afterthought.
Winner: Triple H
Rating: ****1/4
This is probably one of the more forgettable Hell in a Cell matches, I barely have any recollection of this match. As a matter of fact, one of the more memorable spots of this match came when the referee in Tim White got injured after getting tossed into the cage. I did enjoy how you could definitely feel the animosity between the two throughout the match. They were fighting each other everywhere and Chris Jericho was relentless as he was constantly talking down to Triple H in the process. With White getting injured inside the structure, other WWE officials had to run into open the door and help him out. This allowed for Jericho and Triple H to take the fight outside where it led them to the top of the cell. After hitting Jericho with a barbed wire baseball bat, Triple H hits a Pedigree on top of the cell to seal the win. Solid match that dragged just a bit in the beginning before really turning up a notch once the White bump happened. But again, this was certainly one of the more forgettable Hell in a Cell matches that you will come across.
Winner: Triple H
Rating: ***1/2
Match 2: No Mercy 2002 - WWE Championship - Hell in a Cell - Brock Lesnar (c) vs. The Undertaker
One of the rare instances where two Superstars would have two Hell in a Cell matches began in 2002 when the young Brock Lesnar faced off against The Undertaker in what was supposed to be their concluding match. This was exactly what a Hell in a Cell match, bloody and brutal from the very beginning to the very end. Loved the feud they had going into this with their hatred for each other becoming extremely personal before Lesnar would break Undertaker's hand on an episode of SmackDown. This forced Undertaker to get a cast on his hand but he would be allowed to have it on during the match. This made for some extra drama added to the match with Undertaker trying to use it to his advantage before Lesnar would eventually take it off along with bashing The Deadman's hand with a steel chair with the help of a bloody Paul Heyman getting his hands on The Undertaker through the cell. Tons of blood and tons of gritty spots before Lesnar sealed the deal by reversing a Tombstone into an F5. Awesome finish. Afterwards, Lesnar poses with the WWE Championship atop the cell. What a match and what a defining moment for the young Lesnar at that stage in his career.
Winner: Brock Lesnar
Rating: ****3/4
Match 3: Bad Blood 2003 - WWE World Heavyweight Championship - Hell in a Cell - Triple H (c) vs. Kevin Nash
This is another fairly forgotten Hell in a Cell match when talking about its storied history. I even sometimes forget about this one. Mick Foley is serving as the special guest referee for this one to serve order between the two competitors. It's almost strange to watch Kevin Nash move around fairly effortlessly around the ring and put on a pretty damn good match as opposed to seeing him a few years later. This was a bloody and fun affair that saw the two beat each other up with barbed wire baseball bats, steel chairs and sledgehammers. Despite Nash still looking pretty good around this time, they were still able to hide some of his limits by putting much of the focus on the foreign objects in the match along with Mick Foley getting involved throughout the match against Triple H. Nash nearly scored the win over The Game a couple times and really had the crowd thinking so until Triple H was able to get his shoulder up before drilling Nash with a sledgehammer to the face along with a Pedigree. Solid Hell in a Cell match to conclude their feud. Sort of. They actually had a Ladder match in 2011 at a TLC PPV event. Can't make this up.
Winner: Triple H
Rating: ****
Match 4: Bad Blood 2004 - Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels
The storied feud between two former best friends and two former partners finally gets its conclusion in the main event of Bad Blood. Incredible stories leading into this one and definitely a match that doesn't really get the recognition it deserves. Like Triple H's last Hell in a Cell match against Kevin Nash a year prior, this match was just as bloody and just as fun to watch. They didn't hold back here, beating the living daylights out of each other with steel chairs, steel steps and actually breaking out a ladder and table for kicks. I guess it was a little throwback to their Summerslam encounter which was a nice touch. The two scratched and clawed to the finish line where Triple H barely had enough energy to muster a third Pedigree against Shawn Michaels to secure the win. I'm personally not the biggest fan of matches that go past 45 minutes, but these two made it work and considering the backstory leading into this, it had to go this long. The match didn't drag but they definitely reminded us how the length of the match was taking a toll on them with the two struggling to get up, kick out of a pin or pin their opponent at certain points. When talking about the history between these two guys, this match shouldn't just be an afterthought.
Winner: Triple H
Rating: ****1/4
Monday, September 23, 2019
Free WWE Match Review: Randy Orton vs. Sheamus (Hell in a Cell 2010)
Review Taken from Randy Orton - The Evolution of a Predator DVD (Disc 3) Review
WWE Championship - Hell in a Cell - Randy Orton (c) vs. Sheamus
I question why this match had to be inside a Hell in a Cell. I hate having matches inside the friendly confines without having blood feuds. The match itself was fine and I was able to feel the tension between the two despite my strong thoughts of having it inside Hell in a Cell. The flow and pacing of the match was fine but again, the lack of focus on the actual cage itself was a distraction. They brought out the steel steps and made it a focal point of the match where Randy Orton was able to hit an RKO to Sheamus atop the steps for the victory. Good match as their styles blended nicely here as they would go on to have several more matches down the line and many more in 2016. Would have been the exact same match if the cage wasn't taken into play. I liked the match and I liked the build to the RKO at the end but this is Hell in a Cell, this should have been so much more.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ***1/4
I question why this match had to be inside a Hell in a Cell. I hate having matches inside the friendly confines without having blood feuds. The match itself was fine and I was able to feel the tension between the two despite my strong thoughts of having it inside Hell in a Cell. The flow and pacing of the match was fine but again, the lack of focus on the actual cage itself was a distraction. They brought out the steel steps and made it a focal point of the match where Randy Orton was able to hit an RKO to Sheamus atop the steps for the victory. Good match as their styles blended nicely here as they would go on to have several more matches down the line and many more in 2016. Would have been the exact same match if the cage wasn't taken into play. I liked the match and I liked the build to the RKO at the end but this is Hell in a Cell, this should have been so much more.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ***1/4
Saturday, September 21, 2019
WWE Hell in a Cell 2014 Review
WWE Hell in a Cell 2014
October 26, 2014
Dallas, Texas
Two big Hell in a Cell matches headline the 2014 Hell in a Cell PPV event! John Cena and Randy Orton clash once again inside the devil's playground to determine who will get the opportunity to face Brock Lesnar for his WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Also, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose close out the night in a brutal Hell in a Cell match.
Match 1: WWE Intercontinental Championship - 2 Out of 3 Falls - Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. Cesaro
Anytime you have these two going at it, you can sign me up. And if it is going to be a 2 out of 3 falls match, then you can sign me up twice. Always thought Dolph Ziggler worked pretty well as a babyface and he had a great heel in Cesaro to go against here. Ziggler is able to pretty quickly roll Cesaro up for the first fall. Nice way to start the match, Cesaro doesn't take a hit from that pin since Ziggler squeezed it out of nowhere and it now really sets a faster pace for the rest of the match. Great action between the two with Cesaro being able to display his crazy strength. However, a kick from Ziggler and a Zig Zag allows Ziggler to sweep the match and retain his gold in a solid opening contest.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler
Rating: ***1/4
Match 2: Nikki Bella vs. Brie Bella
For those who forgot, Nikki Bella helped Stephanie McMahon defeat Brie Bella at Summerslam and the two sisters come to a crash here at Hell in a Cell. The stipulation here is that the loser must be the winner's personal assistant for 30 days. Alright then. Fairly quick match here with Nikki hitting a Rack Attack to seal the win before mocking her sister right after. Good for what it was worth, just wish the crowd wasn't so damn annoying.
Winner: Nikki Bella
Rating: *1/2
Match 3: WWE Tag Team Championship - Gold & Stardust (c) vs. The Usos
For my younger readers, your AEW hero in Cody Rhodes was once named Stardust and actually paired with his brother. They actually had some banger of matches during their run and their bouts against The Usos were no exception. This is the rematch from a month ago when The Usos lost at Night of Champions. However, the match the two teams had here was rather underwhelming and much of that was because they didn't really have much time as they probably should have to really put on their usual great stuff. Stardust helps Goldust fight off one of The Usos as the referee's back is turned before Goldust hits his finisher to pick up the win for his team. Good match in the fairly short amount of time they had, great chemistry.
Winners: Gold & Stardust
Rating: **3/4
Match 4: Hell in a Cell - Randy Orton vs. John Cena
One of these days, I'm going to count how many times I've seen these two wrestle against each other on PPV. I completely forgot they had ANOTHER Hell in a Cell match here in 2014 with the winner getting a shot at Brock Lesnar and his WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Since I have no recollection of their last Hell in a Cell match, I can't compare the two matches but I'm sure they're both pretty similar. Action in the ring was fine for what it was and exactly what you would expect from these two. A few kickouts from some RKOs and Attitude Adjustments before the two finally brought the fight on the top rope where John Cena was able to finish Randy Orton with an Attitude Adjustment off the top rope. Cena wins and gets another crack at The Beast as he stares down an angry Paul Heyman shortly after the match. Good match but nothing close to being a memorable Hell in a Cell match.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: ***1/4
Match 5: WWE United States Championship - Sheamus (c) vs. The Miz
With Damien Mizdow serving as his stunt double, The Miz challenges Sheamus for his United States Championship. As much as I loved Mizdow mimicking Miz at ringside, he definitely became a distraction for the better part of the match and the novelty was definitely beginning to wear about half way through. Despite Mizdow doing his best efforts to help Miz, Sheamus was able to fight the odds and hit a Brogue Kick to Miz as he was coming down from the top rope. Afterwards, Sheamus messes around with The Miz and Mizdow before delivering another Brogue Kick to Miz. Another fairly basic match on the card, funny to see how over Mizdow was getting around this time.
Winner: Sheamus
Rating: **3/4
Match 6: Rusev vs. The Big Show
Rusev was on an absolute roll around this time as the company was getting him ready to face John Cena at the upcoming WrestleMania. Loved the feud he was having against The Big Show around this time and Show does a great job in making the newer guys look good. Evidence to that point was shown in this match, Show allowed Rusev to look dominant throughout the match but also put up a battle on his own right as well. In other words, Rusev wasn't about to have a cake walk and it makes for a more entertaining and believable match. Despite Mark Henry coming out to cheer on Show, Rusev is still able to lock in an Accolade submission to secure the win. Surprisingly solid match here, fantastic way to continuing building Rusev as a serious threat.
Winner: Rusev
Rating: **1/4
Match 7: WWE Divas Championship - AJ Lee (c) vs. Paige
It's a battle of the two most annoying theme songs in the history of WWE. I've said that on numerous occasions but I might be serious about it this time around. Basic and quick Divas match here, the two tried their bets but the action just wasn't as fluid and entertaining as you would expect from these two. AJ Lee is able to drop Paige off the top of a barricade outside the ring before locking her in a Widow's Peak submission to secure the win. Afterwards, Paige slaps Alicia Fox for rolling Paige back in the ring after she nearly got counted out before getting hit with a Widow's Peak. Forgettable match, on to the next one.
Winner: AJ Lee
Rating: *1/4
Match 8: Hell in a Cell - Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins
After a pretty dull Hell in a Cell match earlier, the former Shield brothers look to close out the night on a high note. They started the match on top of the cell and eventually both fought each other off as they were climbing down and landed through the announcers tables. They brought back the fight into the ring and let their work do the talking. However, the action in the ring wasn't anything really that felt like it was a Hell in a Cell match and it was definitely beginning to drag a bit in the middle. Despite Rollins getting help early on from J&J Security along with Kane throughout the match, Ambrose was still giving Rollins tons of trouble with nasty steel chair shots and an elbow drop through Rollins on a table. However, Ambrose looked to seal Rollins' fate by driving him through a couple cinder blocks before Bray Wyatt appeared of nowhere to attack Ambrose and give Rollins the win. Afterwards, Wyatt hits Ambrose with a Sister Abigail to close out the show. The match itself was longer than it really needed to be, especially after their first spot through the tables. Also, the Wyatt interference felt more awkward than anything as it took him a pretty good minute to actually appear from the dark. Disappointing finish to a disappointing card.
Winner: Seth Rollins
Rating: ***
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
I have yet to even look at other scores for this event but it was really such a forgettable event. There was so much boring stuff and so much bland stuff that I completely forgot I was even watching a PPV at times. The card was headlined by two Hell in a Cell matches but in all honesty, they were probably two Hell in a Cell matches that you could go without watching.
Rating: 5.75/10
October 26, 2014
Dallas, Texas
Two big Hell in a Cell matches headline the 2014 Hell in a Cell PPV event! John Cena and Randy Orton clash once again inside the devil's playground to determine who will get the opportunity to face Brock Lesnar for his WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Also, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose close out the night in a brutal Hell in a Cell match.
Match 1: WWE Intercontinental Championship - 2 Out of 3 Falls - Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. Cesaro
Anytime you have these two going at it, you can sign me up. And if it is going to be a 2 out of 3 falls match, then you can sign me up twice. Always thought Dolph Ziggler worked pretty well as a babyface and he had a great heel in Cesaro to go against here. Ziggler is able to pretty quickly roll Cesaro up for the first fall. Nice way to start the match, Cesaro doesn't take a hit from that pin since Ziggler squeezed it out of nowhere and it now really sets a faster pace for the rest of the match. Great action between the two with Cesaro being able to display his crazy strength. However, a kick from Ziggler and a Zig Zag allows Ziggler to sweep the match and retain his gold in a solid opening contest.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler
Rating: ***1/4
Match 2: Nikki Bella vs. Brie Bella
For those who forgot, Nikki Bella helped Stephanie McMahon defeat Brie Bella at Summerslam and the two sisters come to a crash here at Hell in a Cell. The stipulation here is that the loser must be the winner's personal assistant for 30 days. Alright then. Fairly quick match here with Nikki hitting a Rack Attack to seal the win before mocking her sister right after. Good for what it was worth, just wish the crowd wasn't so damn annoying.
Winner: Nikki Bella
Rating: *1/2
Match 3: WWE Tag Team Championship - Gold & Stardust (c) vs. The Usos
For my younger readers, your AEW hero in Cody Rhodes was once named Stardust and actually paired with his brother. They actually had some banger of matches during their run and their bouts against The Usos were no exception. This is the rematch from a month ago when The Usos lost at Night of Champions. However, the match the two teams had here was rather underwhelming and much of that was because they didn't really have much time as they probably should have to really put on their usual great stuff. Stardust helps Goldust fight off one of The Usos as the referee's back is turned before Goldust hits his finisher to pick up the win for his team. Good match in the fairly short amount of time they had, great chemistry.
Winners: Gold & Stardust
Rating: **3/4
Match 4: Hell in a Cell - Randy Orton vs. John Cena
One of these days, I'm going to count how many times I've seen these two wrestle against each other on PPV. I completely forgot they had ANOTHER Hell in a Cell match here in 2014 with the winner getting a shot at Brock Lesnar and his WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Since I have no recollection of their last Hell in a Cell match, I can't compare the two matches but I'm sure they're both pretty similar. Action in the ring was fine for what it was and exactly what you would expect from these two. A few kickouts from some RKOs and Attitude Adjustments before the two finally brought the fight on the top rope where John Cena was able to finish Randy Orton with an Attitude Adjustment off the top rope. Cena wins and gets another crack at The Beast as he stares down an angry Paul Heyman shortly after the match. Good match but nothing close to being a memorable Hell in a Cell match.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: ***1/4
Match 5: WWE United States Championship - Sheamus (c) vs. The Miz
With Damien Mizdow serving as his stunt double, The Miz challenges Sheamus for his United States Championship. As much as I loved Mizdow mimicking Miz at ringside, he definitely became a distraction for the better part of the match and the novelty was definitely beginning to wear about half way through. Despite Mizdow doing his best efforts to help Miz, Sheamus was able to fight the odds and hit a Brogue Kick to Miz as he was coming down from the top rope. Afterwards, Sheamus messes around with The Miz and Mizdow before delivering another Brogue Kick to Miz. Another fairly basic match on the card, funny to see how over Mizdow was getting around this time.
Winner: Sheamus
Rating: **3/4
Match 6: Rusev vs. The Big Show
Rusev was on an absolute roll around this time as the company was getting him ready to face John Cena at the upcoming WrestleMania. Loved the feud he was having against The Big Show around this time and Show does a great job in making the newer guys look good. Evidence to that point was shown in this match, Show allowed Rusev to look dominant throughout the match but also put up a battle on his own right as well. In other words, Rusev wasn't about to have a cake walk and it makes for a more entertaining and believable match. Despite Mark Henry coming out to cheer on Show, Rusev is still able to lock in an Accolade submission to secure the win. Surprisingly solid match here, fantastic way to continuing building Rusev as a serious threat.
Winner: Rusev
Rating: **1/4
Match 7: WWE Divas Championship - AJ Lee (c) vs. Paige
It's a battle of the two most annoying theme songs in the history of WWE. I've said that on numerous occasions but I might be serious about it this time around. Basic and quick Divas match here, the two tried their bets but the action just wasn't as fluid and entertaining as you would expect from these two. AJ Lee is able to drop Paige off the top of a barricade outside the ring before locking her in a Widow's Peak submission to secure the win. Afterwards, Paige slaps Alicia Fox for rolling Paige back in the ring after she nearly got counted out before getting hit with a Widow's Peak. Forgettable match, on to the next one.
Winner: AJ Lee
Rating: *1/4
Match 8: Hell in a Cell - Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins
After a pretty dull Hell in a Cell match earlier, the former Shield brothers look to close out the night on a high note. They started the match on top of the cell and eventually both fought each other off as they were climbing down and landed through the announcers tables. They brought back the fight into the ring and let their work do the talking. However, the action in the ring wasn't anything really that felt like it was a Hell in a Cell match and it was definitely beginning to drag a bit in the middle. Despite Rollins getting help early on from J&J Security along with Kane throughout the match, Ambrose was still giving Rollins tons of trouble with nasty steel chair shots and an elbow drop through Rollins on a table. However, Ambrose looked to seal Rollins' fate by driving him through a couple cinder blocks before Bray Wyatt appeared of nowhere to attack Ambrose and give Rollins the win. Afterwards, Wyatt hits Ambrose with a Sister Abigail to close out the show. The match itself was longer than it really needed to be, especially after their first spot through the tables. Also, the Wyatt interference felt more awkward than anything as it took him a pretty good minute to actually appear from the dark. Disappointing finish to a disappointing card.
Winner: Seth Rollins
Rating: ***
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
I have yet to even look at other scores for this event but it was really such a forgettable event. There was so much boring stuff and so much bland stuff that I completely forgot I was even watching a PPV at times. The card was headlined by two Hell in a Cell matches but in all honesty, they were probably two Hell in a Cell matches that you could go without watching.
Rating: 5.75/10
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Free WWE Match Review: Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton (TLC 2009)
Review taken from WWE TLC 2009 Review
Match 6: Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton
2009 marked the changing of Kofi Kingston's persona and it really got started with his feud against Randy Orton. Kofi had a marquee moment on an edition of Monday Night Raw in Madison Square Garden where he did his Boom Drop on Orton through a table which eventually led to a match here. Strong match here that saw the younger Kingston try to keep up with the veteran in Orton. Whenever Orton looked to be in trouble, he got right back into the fight with a dropkick or some sort of reversal. Basically, he was still on another level than Kingston and the story they told got across pretty well. Orton was able to nail Kingston with an RKO to win the match. However, Kingston walks away looking like a main player despite the loss.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ***
2009 marked the changing of Kofi Kingston's persona and it really got started with his feud against Randy Orton. Kofi had a marquee moment on an edition of Monday Night Raw in Madison Square Garden where he did his Boom Drop on Orton through a table which eventually led to a match here. Strong match here that saw the younger Kingston try to keep up with the veteran in Orton. Whenever Orton looked to be in trouble, he got right back into the fight with a dropkick or some sort of reversal. Basically, he was still on another level than Kingston and the story they told got across pretty well. Orton was able to nail Kingston with an RKO to win the match. However, Kingston walks away looking like a main player despite the loss.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ***
Thursday, September 12, 2019
WWE Night of Champions 2010 Review
WWE Night of Champions 2010
September 19, 2010
Rosemont, Illinois
The top six Superstars on the Raw roster compete for the WWE Championship in the main event while Kane must defend his World Heavyweight Championship against his big brother, The Undertaker.
Match 1: WWE Intercontinental Championship - Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. Kofi Kingston
Holy crap. Another Dolph Ziggler vs. Kofi Kingston match. Crazy to think that even in 2019, the two are still having great matches. In this case, Ziggler will still lose his title if he is either counted out or disqualified. Ziggler has Vickie Guerrero by his side and must ensure that she does not interfere or she will cost Ziggler the match and title. As expected, solid action from the two as their chemistry was still awesome back here in 2010. Ziggler had to prevent Vickie from getting her hands on Kingston which allowed Kingston to go for a Trouble in Paradise. However, Kingston missed and would fall right into a Zig Zag for Ziggler to score the big win. Great opening contest between two hungry guys. Still shocks me to think that these two would eventually be wrestling each other nearly ten years later for the WWE Championship.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler
Rating: ***1/2
Match 2: CM Punk vs. The Big Show
Before the match, CM Punk comes out to cut a promo as he buries the people of Chicago before saying he wants to burn the entire city to the ground with him restarting the city on his own terms. Of course, The Big Show comes out and could care less about whatever Punk has to say. Strange match here on a show that already features a bunch of matches. Regardless, Punk is able to get in a squeak of offense against Show before getting speared in midair and getting hit with a Knockout Punch from Show to seal the match. Baffling to see how Punk was being booked at this point in his career. Maybe my *1/4 is a little too generous.
Winner: The Big Show
Rating: *1/4
Match 3: WWE United States Championship - The Miz (c) vs. Daniel Bryan
We all remember the feud back in 2010 between The Miz, Michael Cole and Daniel Bryan. BUT! How many of us can remember Bryan's terrible entrance music? It was bad, guys. Another crazy thing to note in how we saw Ziggler vs. Kingston in 2019, we also saw Miz vs. Bryan again in 2018. Wrestling is a crazy thing. Like the Ziggler vs. Kingston match, you already know what to expect from these two. Solid action in the ring with the pace and intensity picking up at every minute. Alex Riley tried to insert himself in the fray but Bryan was able to run him into a ring post and eliminate him from the affair. Bryan is able to lock Miz in a LeBell Lock to secure the biggest win of his career. Great win for Bryan with Michael Cole continuing to berate him on commentary. Miz may have lost the United States Championship, but he was certainly in line for much bigger things...
Winner: Daniel Bryan
Rating: ***1/2
Match 4: WWE Women's Championship & WWE Divas Championship - Lumberjill Match - Michelle McCool vs. Melina
Finally, the Women's Championship and Divas Championship get unified... but why a Lumberjill Match? 5 bucks to anyone who remembers this match and unification actually happening. The action in the ring between Michelle McCool and Melina was a bit dull at times and definitely overshadowed by all the Divas at ringside. It was also pretty annoying to see them throw the lightest of punches to each other once they got thrown out. Regardless, McCool takes advantage of Layla interfering in the match and hitting a big boot to seal the win and unify the titles.
Winner: Michelle McCool
Rating: *1/2
Match 5: WWE World Heavyweight Championship - No Holds Barred - Kane (c) vs. The Undertaker
Even in 2010, people were still complaining about these two being the focal point of SmackDown. People were dying for the younger stars to be in the spotlight. If only they knew what they had coming. Anyway, the feud between the two brothers spills into the No Holds Barred match with Kane defending his gold against The Undertaker. Always thought it was super cool to see Kane get a run as a world champ in 2010 and of course, the WWE had to take up the opportunity to have him feud against The Deadman. Even with The Undertaker rushing the ramp to attack Kane before the match officially began, Kane was in control for the better part of the match. Actually, he was in control for nearly the entire match and it allowed things to drag a bit as it started to take the crowd out of things. 'Taker looked to finally gain some serious momentum and finish his brother before Kane was able to hit a Tombstone of his own. Clean win for Kane as they set up for future rematches. Undertaker doesn't always lose clean so him losing to Kane certainly made Kane an even more believable champion at the time. Match could have been better but I wasn't going into this looking for a ***** affair anyway.
Winner: Kane
Rating: **3/4
Match 6: WWE Tag Team Championship - Tag Team Turmoil - The Hart Dynasty (c) vs. The Usos vs. Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov vs. Evan Bourne & Mark Henry vs. Drew McIntyre & Cody Rhodes
The Hart Dynasty start off the match as the champions going into this match face the biggest challenge. If the champs want to retain their belts, then they must go through four other teams. Unfortunately for them, The Usos were quick to eliminate them in the very beginning before the match came down to Evan Bourne and Mark Henry going against Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes. What odd teams they had here. Rhodes hits a Cross Rhodes on Bourne to seal the win and capture the gold for himself and McIntyre. Crazy to see where these two are at now in 2019. Anyway, good match for what it was. Short and sweet, sometimes that's all you can ask for.
Winners: **3/4
Rating: Drew McIntyre & Cody Rhodes
Match 7: WWE Championship - Elimination - Sheamus (c) vs. John Cena vs. Edge vs. Chris Jericho vs. Wade Barrett vs. Randy Orton
Sheamus puts hits WWE Championship on the line against five of the other top guys on the Raw brand with Edge and Chris Jericho possibly forming a little alliance for the match. That alliance quickly got shut down when Jericho was eliminated first and fast in the match, much to the shock of the other guys in the ring. Pretty cool start to the match to stir the pot a little more. Jericho's elimination was later followed with an Edge elimination as the two guys who tried to form a team were the first two to leave. Interesting to think that this would be one of Edge's final performances as a wrestler before being forced to retire. The Nexus interfere during the match and help Wade Barrett eliminate him from the match. However, the interference would end up biting Barrett back as Cena would lay waste to the rest of Nexus before Orton delivered an RKO to narrow the match down to himself and the champion, Sheamus. Sheamus quickly hit a Brogue Kick but Orton is able to kick out! Sheamus looks to end the match with a High Cross before Orton turns the tides into an RKO for the win. Fine main event for what it was, fairly forgettable but the ending was definitely nicely done. The feud between The Nexus and Cena continues while Orton gets back his top position in the company.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ***1/4
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
For 2010 PPV standards, this was actually better than what the WWE offered throughout the year. There was basically three solid matches on the card with everything else being forgettable. Looking back at it, it's just crazy to think how so many people were paying a lot of money to watch this on PPV opposed to having the WWE Network. Either way, you can pass on this one.
Rating: 6/10
September 19, 2010
Rosemont, Illinois
The top six Superstars on the Raw roster compete for the WWE Championship in the main event while Kane must defend his World Heavyweight Championship against his big brother, The Undertaker.
Match 1: WWE Intercontinental Championship - Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. Kofi Kingston
Holy crap. Another Dolph Ziggler vs. Kofi Kingston match. Crazy to think that even in 2019, the two are still having great matches. In this case, Ziggler will still lose his title if he is either counted out or disqualified. Ziggler has Vickie Guerrero by his side and must ensure that she does not interfere or she will cost Ziggler the match and title. As expected, solid action from the two as their chemistry was still awesome back here in 2010. Ziggler had to prevent Vickie from getting her hands on Kingston which allowed Kingston to go for a Trouble in Paradise. However, Kingston missed and would fall right into a Zig Zag for Ziggler to score the big win. Great opening contest between two hungry guys. Still shocks me to think that these two would eventually be wrestling each other nearly ten years later for the WWE Championship.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler
Rating: ***1/2
Match 2: CM Punk vs. The Big Show
Before the match, CM Punk comes out to cut a promo as he buries the people of Chicago before saying he wants to burn the entire city to the ground with him restarting the city on his own terms. Of course, The Big Show comes out and could care less about whatever Punk has to say. Strange match here on a show that already features a bunch of matches. Regardless, Punk is able to get in a squeak of offense against Show before getting speared in midair and getting hit with a Knockout Punch from Show to seal the match. Baffling to see how Punk was being booked at this point in his career. Maybe my *1/4 is a little too generous.
Winner: The Big Show
Rating: *1/4
Match 3: WWE United States Championship - The Miz (c) vs. Daniel Bryan
We all remember the feud back in 2010 between The Miz, Michael Cole and Daniel Bryan. BUT! How many of us can remember Bryan's terrible entrance music? It was bad, guys. Another crazy thing to note in how we saw Ziggler vs. Kingston in 2019, we also saw Miz vs. Bryan again in 2018. Wrestling is a crazy thing. Like the Ziggler vs. Kingston match, you already know what to expect from these two. Solid action in the ring with the pace and intensity picking up at every minute. Alex Riley tried to insert himself in the fray but Bryan was able to run him into a ring post and eliminate him from the affair. Bryan is able to lock Miz in a LeBell Lock to secure the biggest win of his career. Great win for Bryan with Michael Cole continuing to berate him on commentary. Miz may have lost the United States Championship, but he was certainly in line for much bigger things...
Winner: Daniel Bryan
Rating: ***1/2
Match 4: WWE Women's Championship & WWE Divas Championship - Lumberjill Match - Michelle McCool vs. Melina
Finally, the Women's Championship and Divas Championship get unified... but why a Lumberjill Match? 5 bucks to anyone who remembers this match and unification actually happening. The action in the ring between Michelle McCool and Melina was a bit dull at times and definitely overshadowed by all the Divas at ringside. It was also pretty annoying to see them throw the lightest of punches to each other once they got thrown out. Regardless, McCool takes advantage of Layla interfering in the match and hitting a big boot to seal the win and unify the titles.
Winner: Michelle McCool
Rating: *1/2
Match 5: WWE World Heavyweight Championship - No Holds Barred - Kane (c) vs. The Undertaker
Even in 2010, people were still complaining about these two being the focal point of SmackDown. People were dying for the younger stars to be in the spotlight. If only they knew what they had coming. Anyway, the feud between the two brothers spills into the No Holds Barred match with Kane defending his gold against The Undertaker. Always thought it was super cool to see Kane get a run as a world champ in 2010 and of course, the WWE had to take up the opportunity to have him feud against The Deadman. Even with The Undertaker rushing the ramp to attack Kane before the match officially began, Kane was in control for the better part of the match. Actually, he was in control for nearly the entire match and it allowed things to drag a bit as it started to take the crowd out of things. 'Taker looked to finally gain some serious momentum and finish his brother before Kane was able to hit a Tombstone of his own. Clean win for Kane as they set up for future rematches. Undertaker doesn't always lose clean so him losing to Kane certainly made Kane an even more believable champion at the time. Match could have been better but I wasn't going into this looking for a ***** affair anyway.
Winner: Kane
Rating: **3/4
Match 6: WWE Tag Team Championship - Tag Team Turmoil - The Hart Dynasty (c) vs. The Usos vs. Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov vs. Evan Bourne & Mark Henry vs. Drew McIntyre & Cody Rhodes
The Hart Dynasty start off the match as the champions going into this match face the biggest challenge. If the champs want to retain their belts, then they must go through four other teams. Unfortunately for them, The Usos were quick to eliminate them in the very beginning before the match came down to Evan Bourne and Mark Henry going against Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes. What odd teams they had here. Rhodes hits a Cross Rhodes on Bourne to seal the win and capture the gold for himself and McIntyre. Crazy to see where these two are at now in 2019. Anyway, good match for what it was. Short and sweet, sometimes that's all you can ask for.
Winners: **3/4
Rating: Drew McIntyre & Cody Rhodes
Match 7: WWE Championship - Elimination - Sheamus (c) vs. John Cena vs. Edge vs. Chris Jericho vs. Wade Barrett vs. Randy Orton
Sheamus puts hits WWE Championship on the line against five of the other top guys on the Raw brand with Edge and Chris Jericho possibly forming a little alliance for the match. That alliance quickly got shut down when Jericho was eliminated first and fast in the match, much to the shock of the other guys in the ring. Pretty cool start to the match to stir the pot a little more. Jericho's elimination was later followed with an Edge elimination as the two guys who tried to form a team were the first two to leave. Interesting to think that this would be one of Edge's final performances as a wrestler before being forced to retire. The Nexus interfere during the match and help Wade Barrett eliminate him from the match. However, the interference would end up biting Barrett back as Cena would lay waste to the rest of Nexus before Orton delivered an RKO to narrow the match down to himself and the champion, Sheamus. Sheamus quickly hit a Brogue Kick but Orton is able to kick out! Sheamus looks to end the match with a High Cross before Orton turns the tides into an RKO for the win. Fine main event for what it was, fairly forgettable but the ending was definitely nicely done. The feud between The Nexus and Cena continues while Orton gets back his top position in the company.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ***1/4
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
For 2010 PPV standards, this was actually better than what the WWE offered throughout the year. There was basically three solid matches on the card with everything else being forgettable. Looking back at it, it's just crazy to think how so many people were paying a lot of money to watch this on PPV opposed to having the WWE Network. Either way, you can pass on this one.
Rating: 6/10
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