Can you believe the 2010s have finally come to a close? It seriously feels like yesterday that we were all getting ready for WrestleMania XXVI. Fast forward to now and we are getting ready for WrestleMania 36 with some new faces and some old faces being front and center in the WWE realm. There's been so many Superstars who have taken the decade by storm so compiling a top 5 list was a very difficult task. Nonetheless, here is my list and why I believe these stars were the five best...
5. Randy Orton
The most underrated characteristic a wrestler can have is consistency. A consistency to show up, perform and always put on a damn good show at that. As a matter of fact, Randy Orton has done that at nearly a main event level since the start of 2010. Of this list, Orton is the only wrestler to have started as a top name from 2010 and finish as a top name here in 2019. Whether Orton was competing as a babyface or a heel, the audience was simply invested in what he was doing. His best work was arguably in 2011 where he had some of his best matches against the likes of Christian and Mark Henry for the World Heavyweight Championship. From multiple world championship wins, to winning his second Royal Rumble and to even winning a Money in the Bank Ladder Match, his resume more than speaks for itself.
4. John Cena
This is where the list begins to get really controversial. I really wanted to rank John Cena higher than this position but I think with the next three guys you will see on this list, this is ultimately the right spot for him. Like Orton, Cena began the decade as a marquee name in the business. But unlike Orton, Cena did not finish off the decade on top as he would only make sporadic appearances in the company starting in about 2017 or so in order to focus on other ventures. Regardless, his catalog of accomplishments and amazing matches during this time frame cannot be overlooked. Put aside the fact that the man won tons of championships and events and just look at the quality and quantity of matches the man had. Say what you want about the man, but his matches against guys like CM Punk, Brock Lesnar, AJ Styles and Seth Rollins speak for itself. When all is said and done, we will have to seriously consider John Cena as the greatest of all time.
3. Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns first appeared on WWE television in late 2012 as a member of The Shield. The trio of Reigns, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose ran rampant through the company before breaking up in 2014. It was no secret at the time, Reigns was picked to be the golden boy of the group and the company looked to make him the new face of the WWE as John Cena began to step away from the limelight. Although it was Rollins to be the first member of The Shield to become a world champion, it was arguably Reigns who was the first member to truly make their mark on the main event scene. A 2015 Royal Rumble victory propelled Reigns into three straight WrestleMania main events along with multiple world championships and multiple amazing matches. Reigns does not carry a long of a catalog as both Orton or Cena but certainly carries an incredible one that makes up for those missing years in the beginning of the decade. He became the face of the WWE for damn good reason.
2. Daniel Bryan
Of all the wrestlers on this list, I don't think anyone has a more inspiring or more wild one than that of Daniel Bryan. Bryan began the decade on the original NXT show before legitimately getting fired from the company. Upon return, Bryan willed his way to the main event scene and eventually forced the WWE to have him main event an incredible WrestleMania XXX. The "YES" movement became worldwide and his career had finally reached its peak... until he was forced to retire in early 2016. A sad and abrupt end to an amazing career left so many hearts broken until Bryan was eventually medically cleared to wrestle again in 2018. Bryan continued to reinvent himself as he became an environmental-obsessed heel in late 2018 where he would eventually win the WWE Championship against AJ Styles. Charisma, popularity, in-ring abilities and the power to reinvent himself when needed is what helped put Bryan on this list.
1. Brock Lesnar
Love it or absolutely hate it, Brock Lesnar is the WWE Superstar of the decade and in my opinion... it's not even close. The thought of Lesnar returning to the WWE after his departure in 2004 seemed like a dream that would never happen. However, Lesnar eventually left the UFC in 2011 before returning to the WWE in 2012 and immediately making an impact with an F5 to John Cena on the Raw after WrestleMania in Miami that left the crowd in complete disbelief. Lesnar was different this time around, he was a legitimate monster and the people treated him as such. His star soared highest in 2014 when at WrestleMania XXX, he broke The Streak in what can be seen as the most memorable and infamous WrestleMania moment ever. Soon after, he demolished John Cena to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion and really... never looked back. He became the longest reigning world champion in the history of the company to go along with so many main event victories and above all, becoming the most controversial and most talk about figure in the company's history. You can call him boring and you can call him whatever the damn hell you please, but you have to respect the legitimacy he brought to the business this decade to go along with some of the most shocking and memorable moments in the history of professional wrestling.
Sunday, December 29, 2019
Sunday, December 8, 2019
WWE TLC 2015 Review
WWE TLC 2015
December 13, 2015
Boston, Massachusetts
The final PPV event of 2015 sees Roman Reigns try to regain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Sheamus in a TLC Match. Is Reigns up to the challenge or will Sheamus escape Boston with another big PPV victory?
Match 1: WWE Tag Team Championship - Ladder Match - The New Day (c) vs. The Lucha Dragons vs. The Usos
What a way to open up the night with a wild Ladder Match with three of the hottest tag teams in the company. The New Day working as heels was an amazing act, would love for them to go back to heels one day. Big E and Kofi Kingston represent The New Day for the match with Xavier Woods being on commentary and getting his hand prints on the match later on. This was certainly one of the more overlooked matches of the year with all teams giving it their all throughout the match with some innovative spots that had the crowd rocking to start the show. Highlight of the match was Kalisto delivering a Selena del Sol off the top of a ladder and driving one of The Usos through another ladder set up in the ring. Crazy spot. Unfortunately for him and Sin Cara, Woods would involve himself in the match by tossing his trombone to Kalisto which allowed Kingston to toss Kalisto off the ladder and grab the belts to win the match. Wow, what a match. Super overlooked match that everyone needs to check out!
Winners: The New Day
Rating: ****1/2
Match 2: Rusev vs. Ryback
What an odd match to follow up with. Nothing screams 2015 like Rusev vs. Ryback on a PPV. Pretty standard match here with Lana watching closely in the background as she cheers on her man. Crowd was pretty taken out of the fun for the match here and could not care less for what was happening. With Lana pretending that Ryback ran her over outside the ring, Rusev would later take advantage and lock in his Accolade submission to secure the win. Take it or leave it. At this point, Ryback's run in the WWE has come to a screeching halt.
Winner: Rusev
Rating: *1/4
Match 3: WWE United States Championship - Chairs Match - Alberto Del Rio (c) vs. Jack Swagger
With Alberto Del Rio turning on his manager in Zeb Culter, Jack Swagger looks to fight in his defense against Del Rio for the United States Championship... in a Chairs Match. Always thought that this was one of the WWE's oddest stipulations but in this case, the two here made the match work. Del Rio was great in making those chair shots look nasty and meaningful throughout the match and coming off as a nasty heel that he is. Great ending to the match here with Del Rio stomping Swagger through his chest from the top rope on to a pool of steel chairs to seal the deal. Del Rio did a great job of selling the ankle injury after the match when Swagger locked in a Patriot Lock with a chair earlier on. Good middle of the card match here.
Winner: Alberto Del Rio
Rating: **1/2
Match 4: Elimination Tables Match - The Wyatt Family vs. The Dudley Boyz, Rhyno & Tommy Dreamer
Here it is, the match you have all been waiting for as The Wyatt Family goes against some ECW Originals in a Tables Match. Keep in mind that the year here is still 2015. Wild. This match was exactly what you would expect, all eight guys beating the crap out of each other as the fans wondered what exactly they paid for. Lots of messy spots here with Braun Strowman eventually saving the day for The Wyatt Family by slamming Bubba Ray Dudley through a table before Bubba could drive Bray Wyatt through a table. If you like mindless table spots, this is for you. If not, pass on this. The real saving grace here was giving The Wyatt Family a win on PPV.
Winners: The Wyatt Family
Rating: *1/2
Match 5: WWE Intercontinental Championship - Kevin Owens (c) vs. Dean Ambrose
Any time you put these two against each other in a ring, sign my ass up. With the roster being so limited at the time due to injuries, this is basically the second main event match of the night and it's for Kevin Owens' Intercontinental Championship. As you would expect, fun match here with both guys beating the living daylights out of each other as the crowd ate up every minute of it. Even after hitting a Dirty Deeds DDT onto Owens, Ambrose was still unable to secure the win. However, it all set up for a sweet finish that saw Ambrose counter a Pop Up Powerbomb attempt from Owens into a pin to score the big win. Afterwards, Ambrose celebrates the win with the crowd as the new Intercontinental Champion. Great Match.
Winner: Dean Ambrose
Rating: ***1/2
Match 6: WWE Divas Championship - Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Paige
It's interesting to look back at how much Charlotte Flair has evolved these past years and has really come onto her own. It felt like she was rushed to the main event scene here in 2015 and was essentially just a carbon copy of her dad. Her taunts, actions and moves all felt so forced and as if her persona was strictly just to be Ric Flair's daughter. That case was on full display here in her match against Paige. The action itself was decent but nowhere near as good as what she has become now in 2019. A little bit of a sluggish finish here with Ric helping Charlotte get her leg under a rope for a pin before Charlotte was able to drive Paige into an exposed turnbuckle... right in front of the referee. Charlotte scores the win and retains the belt in another successful PPV match.
Winner: Charlotte Flair
Rating: **1/2
Match 7: WWE World Heavyweight Championship - TLC Match - Sheamus (c) vs. Roman Reigns
The fans are already booing the match before it even begins, pro wrestling fans are the absolute worst. This match tends to be one of the more forgotten TLC matches and it's a shame because these two delivered when they really needed to. This was just a good ol' fashioned spot fest above all, table spots galore and it was just downright fun to watch it all go down. I think we all tend to be so damn technical in the way we match pro wrestling that we forget what it's supposed to at its core: fun. Tons of drama throughout the match with some really innovative spots that eventually kept the crowd from booing. One of the coolest spots saw Roman Reigns hit a Superman Punch on Sheamus off the ladder and through a table set up nearby. However, Alberto Del Rio and Rusev hit the ring to prevent Reigns from grabbing the belt. Eventually, Sheamus would hit Reigns with a Brogue Kick and grab the belt for the win. Fantastic main event, Reigns would go on to defeat Sheamus for the belt the next night on Monday Night Raw for those keeping score. After the match here, Reigns took out the three guys from League of Nations before Triple H came out to try and stop the mess. However, Reigns ended up beating the living daylights out of The Game for his troubles. Great way to send the fans home happy along with setting up the main event for WrestleMania.
Winner: Sheamus
Rating: ****1/4
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Even with a couple weak matches on the card, the show still had a nice fluidity to it and the main matches really delivered. The opening contest and the main event match were both fantastic efforts and a nice way to close out the year with a banging PPV leading into the final weeks of 2015. The seeds for WrestleMania have officially been planted.
Rating: 7.75/10
December 13, 2015
Boston, Massachusetts
The final PPV event of 2015 sees Roman Reigns try to regain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Sheamus in a TLC Match. Is Reigns up to the challenge or will Sheamus escape Boston with another big PPV victory?
Match 1: WWE Tag Team Championship - Ladder Match - The New Day (c) vs. The Lucha Dragons vs. The Usos
What a way to open up the night with a wild Ladder Match with three of the hottest tag teams in the company. The New Day working as heels was an amazing act, would love for them to go back to heels one day. Big E and Kofi Kingston represent The New Day for the match with Xavier Woods being on commentary and getting his hand prints on the match later on. This was certainly one of the more overlooked matches of the year with all teams giving it their all throughout the match with some innovative spots that had the crowd rocking to start the show. Highlight of the match was Kalisto delivering a Selena del Sol off the top of a ladder and driving one of The Usos through another ladder set up in the ring. Crazy spot. Unfortunately for him and Sin Cara, Woods would involve himself in the match by tossing his trombone to Kalisto which allowed Kingston to toss Kalisto off the ladder and grab the belts to win the match. Wow, what a match. Super overlooked match that everyone needs to check out!
Winners: The New Day
Rating: ****1/2
Match 2: Rusev vs. Ryback
What an odd match to follow up with. Nothing screams 2015 like Rusev vs. Ryback on a PPV. Pretty standard match here with Lana watching closely in the background as she cheers on her man. Crowd was pretty taken out of the fun for the match here and could not care less for what was happening. With Lana pretending that Ryback ran her over outside the ring, Rusev would later take advantage and lock in his Accolade submission to secure the win. Take it or leave it. At this point, Ryback's run in the WWE has come to a screeching halt.
Winner: Rusev
Rating: *1/4
Match 3: WWE United States Championship - Chairs Match - Alberto Del Rio (c) vs. Jack Swagger
With Alberto Del Rio turning on his manager in Zeb Culter, Jack Swagger looks to fight in his defense against Del Rio for the United States Championship... in a Chairs Match. Always thought that this was one of the WWE's oddest stipulations but in this case, the two here made the match work. Del Rio was great in making those chair shots look nasty and meaningful throughout the match and coming off as a nasty heel that he is. Great ending to the match here with Del Rio stomping Swagger through his chest from the top rope on to a pool of steel chairs to seal the deal. Del Rio did a great job of selling the ankle injury after the match when Swagger locked in a Patriot Lock with a chair earlier on. Good middle of the card match here.
Winner: Alberto Del Rio
Rating: **1/2
Match 4: Elimination Tables Match - The Wyatt Family vs. The Dudley Boyz, Rhyno & Tommy Dreamer
Here it is, the match you have all been waiting for as The Wyatt Family goes against some ECW Originals in a Tables Match. Keep in mind that the year here is still 2015. Wild. This match was exactly what you would expect, all eight guys beating the crap out of each other as the fans wondered what exactly they paid for. Lots of messy spots here with Braun Strowman eventually saving the day for The Wyatt Family by slamming Bubba Ray Dudley through a table before Bubba could drive Bray Wyatt through a table. If you like mindless table spots, this is for you. If not, pass on this. The real saving grace here was giving The Wyatt Family a win on PPV.
Winners: The Wyatt Family
Rating: *1/2
Match 5: WWE Intercontinental Championship - Kevin Owens (c) vs. Dean Ambrose
Any time you put these two against each other in a ring, sign my ass up. With the roster being so limited at the time due to injuries, this is basically the second main event match of the night and it's for Kevin Owens' Intercontinental Championship. As you would expect, fun match here with both guys beating the living daylights out of each other as the crowd ate up every minute of it. Even after hitting a Dirty Deeds DDT onto Owens, Ambrose was still unable to secure the win. However, it all set up for a sweet finish that saw Ambrose counter a Pop Up Powerbomb attempt from Owens into a pin to score the big win. Afterwards, Ambrose celebrates the win with the crowd as the new Intercontinental Champion. Great Match.
Winner: Dean Ambrose
Rating: ***1/2
Match 6: WWE Divas Championship - Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Paige
It's interesting to look back at how much Charlotte Flair has evolved these past years and has really come onto her own. It felt like she was rushed to the main event scene here in 2015 and was essentially just a carbon copy of her dad. Her taunts, actions and moves all felt so forced and as if her persona was strictly just to be Ric Flair's daughter. That case was on full display here in her match against Paige. The action itself was decent but nowhere near as good as what she has become now in 2019. A little bit of a sluggish finish here with Ric helping Charlotte get her leg under a rope for a pin before Charlotte was able to drive Paige into an exposed turnbuckle... right in front of the referee. Charlotte scores the win and retains the belt in another successful PPV match.
Winner: Charlotte Flair
Rating: **1/2
Match 7: WWE World Heavyweight Championship - TLC Match - Sheamus (c) vs. Roman Reigns
The fans are already booing the match before it even begins, pro wrestling fans are the absolute worst. This match tends to be one of the more forgotten TLC matches and it's a shame because these two delivered when they really needed to. This was just a good ol' fashioned spot fest above all, table spots galore and it was just downright fun to watch it all go down. I think we all tend to be so damn technical in the way we match pro wrestling that we forget what it's supposed to at its core: fun. Tons of drama throughout the match with some really innovative spots that eventually kept the crowd from booing. One of the coolest spots saw Roman Reigns hit a Superman Punch on Sheamus off the ladder and through a table set up nearby. However, Alberto Del Rio and Rusev hit the ring to prevent Reigns from grabbing the belt. Eventually, Sheamus would hit Reigns with a Brogue Kick and grab the belt for the win. Fantastic main event, Reigns would go on to defeat Sheamus for the belt the next night on Monday Night Raw for those keeping score. After the match here, Reigns took out the three guys from League of Nations before Triple H came out to try and stop the mess. However, Reigns ended up beating the living daylights out of The Game for his troubles. Great way to send the fans home happy along with setting up the main event for WrestleMania.
Winner: Sheamus
Rating: ****1/4
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Even with a couple weak matches on the card, the show still had a nice fluidity to it and the main matches really delivered. The opening contest and the main event match were both fantastic efforts and a nice way to close out the year with a banging PPV leading into the final weeks of 2015. The seeds for WrestleMania have officially been planted.
Rating: 7.75/10
Sunday, November 3, 2019
WWE Crown Jewel 2018 Review (Part 2)
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 6: WWE World Cup Semifinal - The Miz vs. Rey Mysterio
At this point, the crowd is beginning to become deflated from what has already been a pretty long night. Either way, the show must go on as the first semifinal match of the night sees The Miz go against an injured Rey Mysterio. Mysterio is nursing his injured ribs throughout the match and Miz is doing is best to exploit that injury. This made for some fun action and probably the best match of the night with Mysterio gutting through the contest and even kicking out of a Skull Crushing Finale. However, Mysterio hit a 619 and followed it up with a dive from the top that resulted in Miz putting his knees up into Mysterio's injured ribs. Miz quickly pinned Mysterio to close the match and advance.
Winner: The Miz
Rating: ***
Match 7: WWE World Cup Semifinal - Seth Rollins vs. Dolph Ziggler
When you run out of ideas, what do you do? That's right, put Seth Rollins and Dolph Ziggler together in a singles match. Some may argue that these two had the feud of the year in 2018 as they do battle in Saudi Arabia. Per usual, the two had a great match as their chemistry together has completely been raised to a different level after all their bouts. However, this match just wasn't as exciting as their other encounters with such a dead crowd to work with. They built much of the match around Drew McIntyre being ringside and possibly interfering until Rollins was able to later take both him and Ziggler out with a single dive out of the ring. However, McIntyre would later insert himself in the match by tossing Rollins off the top rope which led to Ziggler hitting a Superkick for the win. Solid match between the two but like I said, not their best one but still a great match for what has been a fairly dull night.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler
Rating: ***1/4
Match 8: WWE Championship - AJ Styles (c) vs. Samoa Joe
AJ Styles and Samoa Joe meet once again in a singles match here for the WWE Championship. More than two hours deep into the show and the crowd is already super tired, tough task for the two veterans here. Despite the crowd being completely out of the action and having their own fun in the stands, the two in the ring were still able to put on a solid match as you would expect from the two. However, that isn't to say the match didn't feel a tad bit underwhelming. For a feud that has gotten so personal, I would have preferred to see the two beat the daylights out of each other opposed to a regular singles match that we were presented with here. Styles is able to hit a Phenomenal Forearm to seal Joe's fate as Styles is able to go home with the title in his hands. What's the count for failed title challenges for Joe at this point? Poor guy.
Winner: AJ Styles
Rating: ***
Match 9: WWE Universal Championship - Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman
With Roman Reigns having to surrender his Universal Championship, it was left vacant as Brock Lesnar and Braun Strowman having a match here to determine a new champion. Before the bell even rings, GM Baron Corbin whacks Strowman over the head with the Universal Championship belt. Lesnar is able to land a few F5s to Strowman who is able to still kick out of them. Lesnar then tried to win the match by tossing Strowman out of the ring with an F5 until Strowman was able to beat the referee's count by sliding back into the ring. However, this would lead Strowman to walk right back into another F5 for Lesnar to score the assisted win. Hate him or love him, Lesnar is definitely the top guy of the company and it's no surprise why they put the belt back on him. Every time his music hits, people stop to watch. For Strowman, his momentum was basically derailed at this point and by the end of 2019 now, he's still trying to find his footing.
Winner: Brock Lesnar
Rating: 3/4*
Match 10: WWE World Cup Final - Shane McMahon vs. Dolph Ziggler
Welp, The Miz was unable to compete due to injury so Shane McMahon decided it would be best to sub himself in and take on Dolph Ziggler. Much to the chagrin of Baron Corbin and the Raw commentators, the bell rings and it's a fresh McMahon against a worn down Ziggler in the final. As you could imagine, a very quick match here with Shane being able to hit his Coast-to-Coast finisher and scoring the big win as he went on to celebrate as if he went through the rigorous tournament himself. Strange finish and really puts a stinker on could have been a cool thing to do yearly at this Saudi events. I guess this was their way of setting up the brand warfare for Survivor Series.
Winner: Shane McMahon
Rating: 1/2*
Match 11: D-Generation X vs. The Brothers of Destruction
We finally got it, the one match everyone was looking forward to happening in 2018... D-Generation X against The Brothers of Destruction. It is insane to think how long these guys have been doing this for. As much as everyone was hating on this match before it even happened, just about everyone was still interested in seeing Shawn Michaels make his return to the ring for the first time since retiring in 2010. That included me, as much as I would prefer to see these guys step away from the ring at times, there was still no denying the interest I had in seeing Michaels back. Funny thing, he was probably the one who looked the best in the ring despite having over 8 years off. Everything else in this match looked so sluggish and slow with both teams fighting in a match that went way longer than it had any right to. The nostalgia feelings wore off early on and watching these guys wrestle just felt a bit disheartening. A couple Sweet Chin Musics to The Undertaker and Kane led to Triple H landing a Pedigree on Kane to score the win as the match and show mercifully come to an end.
Winners: D-Generation X
Rating: **1/2
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
This was a long ass show and I felt like I should have been compensated with pay once I finished. Seriously, having shows this long feels like such a chore to finish and the action certainly becomes repetitive at times with the crowd being basically dead near the half-way mark. There were a couple good spots during the show but the main events were pretty bad and definitely not worth investing your time into.
Rating: 4.25/10
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 6: WWE World Cup Semifinal - The Miz vs. Rey Mysterio
At this point, the crowd is beginning to become deflated from what has already been a pretty long night. Either way, the show must go on as the first semifinal match of the night sees The Miz go against an injured Rey Mysterio. Mysterio is nursing his injured ribs throughout the match and Miz is doing is best to exploit that injury. This made for some fun action and probably the best match of the night with Mysterio gutting through the contest and even kicking out of a Skull Crushing Finale. However, Mysterio hit a 619 and followed it up with a dive from the top that resulted in Miz putting his knees up into Mysterio's injured ribs. Miz quickly pinned Mysterio to close the match and advance.
Winner: The Miz
Rating: ***
Match 7: WWE World Cup Semifinal - Seth Rollins vs. Dolph Ziggler
When you run out of ideas, what do you do? That's right, put Seth Rollins and Dolph Ziggler together in a singles match. Some may argue that these two had the feud of the year in 2018 as they do battle in Saudi Arabia. Per usual, the two had a great match as their chemistry together has completely been raised to a different level after all their bouts. However, this match just wasn't as exciting as their other encounters with such a dead crowd to work with. They built much of the match around Drew McIntyre being ringside and possibly interfering until Rollins was able to later take both him and Ziggler out with a single dive out of the ring. However, McIntyre would later insert himself in the match by tossing Rollins off the top rope which led to Ziggler hitting a Superkick for the win. Solid match between the two but like I said, not their best one but still a great match for what has been a fairly dull night.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler
Rating: ***1/4
Match 8: WWE Championship - AJ Styles (c) vs. Samoa Joe
AJ Styles and Samoa Joe meet once again in a singles match here for the WWE Championship. More than two hours deep into the show and the crowd is already super tired, tough task for the two veterans here. Despite the crowd being completely out of the action and having their own fun in the stands, the two in the ring were still able to put on a solid match as you would expect from the two. However, that isn't to say the match didn't feel a tad bit underwhelming. For a feud that has gotten so personal, I would have preferred to see the two beat the daylights out of each other opposed to a regular singles match that we were presented with here. Styles is able to hit a Phenomenal Forearm to seal Joe's fate as Styles is able to go home with the title in his hands. What's the count for failed title challenges for Joe at this point? Poor guy.
Winner: AJ Styles
Rating: ***
Match 9: WWE Universal Championship - Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman
With Roman Reigns having to surrender his Universal Championship, it was left vacant as Brock Lesnar and Braun Strowman having a match here to determine a new champion. Before the bell even rings, GM Baron Corbin whacks Strowman over the head with the Universal Championship belt. Lesnar is able to land a few F5s to Strowman who is able to still kick out of them. Lesnar then tried to win the match by tossing Strowman out of the ring with an F5 until Strowman was able to beat the referee's count by sliding back into the ring. However, this would lead Strowman to walk right back into another F5 for Lesnar to score the assisted win. Hate him or love him, Lesnar is definitely the top guy of the company and it's no surprise why they put the belt back on him. Every time his music hits, people stop to watch. For Strowman, his momentum was basically derailed at this point and by the end of 2019 now, he's still trying to find his footing.
Winner: Brock Lesnar
Rating: 3/4*
Match 10: WWE World Cup Final - Shane McMahon vs. Dolph Ziggler
Welp, The Miz was unable to compete due to injury so Shane McMahon decided it would be best to sub himself in and take on Dolph Ziggler. Much to the chagrin of Baron Corbin and the Raw commentators, the bell rings and it's a fresh McMahon against a worn down Ziggler in the final. As you could imagine, a very quick match here with Shane being able to hit his Coast-to-Coast finisher and scoring the big win as he went on to celebrate as if he went through the rigorous tournament himself. Strange finish and really puts a stinker on could have been a cool thing to do yearly at this Saudi events. I guess this was their way of setting up the brand warfare for Survivor Series.
Winner: Shane McMahon
Rating: 1/2*
Match 11: D-Generation X vs. The Brothers of Destruction
We finally got it, the one match everyone was looking forward to happening in 2018... D-Generation X against The Brothers of Destruction. It is insane to think how long these guys have been doing this for. As much as everyone was hating on this match before it even happened, just about everyone was still interested in seeing Shawn Michaels make his return to the ring for the first time since retiring in 2010. That included me, as much as I would prefer to see these guys step away from the ring at times, there was still no denying the interest I had in seeing Michaels back. Funny thing, he was probably the one who looked the best in the ring despite having over 8 years off. Everything else in this match looked so sluggish and slow with both teams fighting in a match that went way longer than it had any right to. The nostalgia feelings wore off early on and watching these guys wrestle just felt a bit disheartening. A couple Sweet Chin Musics to The Undertaker and Kane led to Triple H landing a Pedigree on Kane to score the win as the match and show mercifully come to an end.
Winners: D-Generation X
Rating: **1/2
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
This was a long ass show and I felt like I should have been compensated with pay once I finished. Seriously, having shows this long feels like such a chore to finish and the action certainly becomes repetitive at times with the crowd being basically dead near the half-way mark. There were a couple good spots during the show but the main events were pretty bad and definitely not worth investing your time into.
Rating: 4.25/10
Saturday, October 12, 2019
WWE Crown Jewel 2018 Review (Part 1)
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
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
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
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