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Monday 28 January 2013

Royal Rumble 2013 Review




Royal Rumble 2013 Review : Punk vs Rock


Probably the most anticipated PPV since Wrestlemania last year .




Alberto Del Rio vs Big Show : Last Man Standing
It seems strange to have them in another LMS match , but I definitely prefer that idea rather than a normal match . This wasn't as good as their LMS match on Smackdown , but it was still a damn good match . I genuinely feared for Del Rio's health when he was thrown through that table . It looked like he landed awkwardly on his shoulder . I wasn't a fan of the re-hashed Extreme Rules 2010 finish with the duct tape though . Del Rio retains . ***1/4



Team Hell No vs Team Rhodes Scholars 
I was expecting this one to be a lot of fun , but it wasn't really . It seemed as if Rhodes Scholars barely got any offense in , apart from their relatively short heat segment . Also I thought they may have had a finish that would continue this feud , but Hell No won the match pretty definitively with Sandow tapping to the no lock . **1/4



Royal Rumble Match
I wasn't sure if this would be the main event or not , but this was probably the right placement for it . It started with a huge bang as Y2J made his unexpected return . I have to commend Ziggler for lasting almost the whole match as well . Very few surprise entrants here , as well as Jericho , Goldust and The Godfather also returned , although Godfather only lasted about 2 seconds . Seriously though , did Cena have to win again ? I'm not a Cena hater , but I'm just so bored of the guy now . This obviously sets up Rock/Cena II even though that would negate the ' Once in a Lifetime ' of the last match . Until the ending , this was a great rumble match . ***3/4




The Rock vs CM Punk
Here's the match we were all waiting for . Rock was game here and he showed a lot of chemistry with Punk . I have a feeling Rock may have injured his leg when the announce table collapsed prematurely . Punk looked right at home in this huge main event spot . I really wish they would have had no interference and just had an epic match , but the lights went out and someone attacked Rock . Vince came out to strip Punk of the title but had the match restarted at Rock's request . One people's elbow later and we have a new champ . Overall I'll give it  ***1/2



7.5/10 . Overall , this is a great start to the WWE's PPV year and let's hope they keep the momentum going . You have three matches worth watching here and one solid contest , and to be honest there's really nothing terrible here . Although there are a lot of questionable booking decisions .  I'd recommend the replay .

Friday 25 January 2013

Summerslam 2003 Review




Summerslam 2003 Review : Goldberg Loses His Momentum



Lilian Garcia sings the American national anthem beautifully to start us off .




Dudley Boyz vs La Resistance
These teams would go on to have a better match at the next month's PPV , Unforgiven . The Dudleys had been attacked for the past couple of weeks by these Frenchmen , leading to this match for the tag titles . This was a fun match to get the crowd pumped for the show . Out of nowhere finish though , as D-Von was attacked out of nowhere by a camera man to end the match . **1/4



Undertaker vs A-Train
This was kind of a Wrestlemania rematch , just without Big Show . This match was made as A-Train started targeting Taker because Mr McMahon told him to . And so this bout was made . I'm not expecting a technical classic . Slow and plodding as was expected . It seemed like it was building to a finish , but it ended suddenly with Taker hitting a chokeslam . *



Shane McMahon vs Eric Bischoff
I think the only reason that these two were fighting here , was to keep Kane and Shane from fighting to keep the feud hot . This really wasn't a match for Summerslam . Shortly into the match , Eric turns it into a Falls Count Anywhere match . Coach begins to help Eric too . Ok this one really sucked during the middle portion , and Coach's commentary didn't help . I'll give it  1/2*  for the stunner and the elbow drop .



Eddie Guerrero vs Chris Benoit vs Rhyno vs Tajiri
This fatal 4 way is for the US Title . This obviously would have been an amazing match had it just been Benoit and Guerrero . As it is , it's still a very good match . This is the first Summerslam featuring a match for the US Title . Fun , non-stop action in this title match . Really found its pace on the finishing stretch . Eddie hit the frog splash to retain . ***1/2



Brock Lesnar vs Kurt Angle
Now this is a Wrestlemania match that I want to see and it's for the WWE Championship ! These two had a fantastic match at Wrestlemania . Would they be able to recreate that magic ? I'd say yes . While it wasn't as good as their match five months earlier , it was still an awesome match and the best of the show . Brock taps to the ankle lock to end the match . ***3/4



Kane vs Rob Van Dam : No Holds Barred
Former tag partners going at it . This is Kane's first PPV without his mask , and wouldn't wear it to another PPV until the Royal Rumble in 2012 . This match was mainly here to make Kane look more like an indestructible monster . The match was ok , but it was pretty dull for a no holds barred contest . Kane wins it with a tombstone to the steel steps . **1/2



Triple H vs Shawn Michaels vs Chris Jericho vs Kevin Nash vs Randy Orton vs Goldberg : Elimination Chamber
The second chamber match in history , made after the huge success of the first one . HBK and Y2J start the match off and that can only be a good thing . Nash eliminated with a superkick . Goldberg was really over in this match . Probably the peak of his popularity . Orton eliminated by a spear . Jericho being speared in the glass looked awesome . HBK out with a jackhammer . Y2J also out with a jackhammer . This would have been a perfect time to have Goldberg win the World title , but no , HHH had to ruin it by beating him with a sledgehammer and killing his momentum . Still a great match though . ***1/2



6/10 . The show didn't start off too well , but when we got to the US Title match , things really picked up . The show is worth the watch for the US , WWE , and World Title matches .

The Rock : The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment DVD Review




The Rock DVD Review 


I've already reviewed his latest three disc set , so it's there if anyone wants to check it out . This , in my opinion , is the superior release . I'm gonna try and upload this by Sunday , before the Rock takes on CM Punk . Ok , lets get cracking !



Some info is given on the Rock at the start of the disc and between matches .



Disc 1 Matches :



Rocky Maivia vs Hunter Hearst Helmsley
This was a big moment for The Rock ( even if the crowd really didn't think so ) , as this would be his first title win , the IC Title to be exact . It's amazing to think that these two would go on to have a classic 60 minute match in the future . You could tell Rock was green here . Hunter's heat segment lasted a bit long for my liking . Pretty good match overall .  **3/4



The Rock vs Owen Hart
Fortunately there's no more Maivia , it's all Rock now . To think , this is probably considered a sort of dream match now . IC Title is on the line in this one . The People's Elbow was really ineffective back then , as Owen kicked straight out of it . The match was too short to mean anything and ended in interference but it was fun while it lasted . **1/4



The Rock vs Triple H
This was a King of the Ring Quarterfinal that took place on Raw . Amazing to think that two months later , these two would have a fantastic ladder match at Summerslam . Face and heel roles from the first match on the set have been reversed . This time , Rock's heat segment was too long . Match was ok overall . Rock moves on in the tournament . **



The Rock vs Mankind 
From Survivor Series 1998 and the finals of the deadly game tournament to decide a new WWE Champion . This is infamously known as the first time that Vince tried to recreate the Montreal Screwjob from the year before . However , it is also known as the night that Rock won his first WWE Championship , so it's pretty historic . The match was a little slow , but that's to be expected since it was a tournament . I'll give it  ***  for everything it did .



The Rock vs Mankind : Last Man Standing
From St Valentines Day Massacre 1999 . I might be mistaken , but I think this might have been the first LMS match that the WWE ever had , at least on PPV anyway . I'd probably put this as one of the better LMS matches in WWE's history , even though it does have the annoying double count out finish that most LMS's have . The DDT on the table was pretty cool . Great match . ***3/4



The Rock vs Mankind : Ladder Match
This took place the night after the great LMS match . This was the culmination of their awesome 1999 feud for the WWE Title . The winner of this match would go on to face Austin at Mania . It was obvious Rock was winning here , but it would have been interesting if it had been Mankind winning . You wouldn't generally think that these two could put on a great ladder match , but they managed it here on this night . Another awesome match between these two . ****




Stone Cold vs The Rock : No DQ
The saving grace of this Wrestlemania . If this wasn't here it would be the worst Wrestlemania of all time . I've got the Austin/Rock Wrestlemania matches at the same ratings as the HHH/Taker matches . I would still put this feud ahead of that one . This match was great . Mankind comes back out later in the match as the referee . Austin wins the championship after a huge stunner to the Rock . The worst of their Mania matches , but that is definitely not a bad thing . ****



Disc 2 Matches :




The Rock vs Triple H : Steel Cage
The third match between these two on this set , and not the last . These two would also have a steel cage match on the UK PPV Rebellion . That was probably the better one though . Both guys left the cage at one point , but there was no winner announced since the ref was down . Good cage match . Rock escapes first to win . ***1/4



Rock N Sock Connection vs Undertaker & Big Show
The tag titles are on the line here . After the wars that Rock and Mankind went through earlier in the year , it really was strange to see them tagging together . The match was pretty dull though and Taker left for some reason . The ending was a lot of fun though with Rock n Sock doing the people's elbow and winning the titles . **



The Rock vs Kane : No Holds Barred
Apparently HHH asked Kane for a favor and put him in this match . Seems a strange match to put here since they never really had a rivalry with each other , apart from Rock making fun of him . Kane being knocked off the stage was pretty cool . It was very short , but it was a really fun match while it lasted as Rock leaves with the win . **3/4



The Rock vs Triple H 
From Backlash 2000 . This is probably the most remembered match of their feud , besides the Iron Man math . The odds were stacked against the Rock , as HHH was basically running the company , and his brother-in-law , Shane , was the referee . The double rock bottom through the announce table fucking ruled . Fans were really hot for this and they absolutely blew the roof off when Austin arrived . Fantastic match here . A must-see as Rock wins the match . ****1/4



The Rock vs Shane McMahon : Steel Cage
For some reason the WWE Title is on the line . If you had to wrestle a non-wrestler , I think Shane would be the easiest pick , as he has proven he can put on great matches . Pat Patterson was the ref here . The match , while not technically good , was a lot of fun with all the overbooking . Sometimes it just works . Rock escapes to win . ***



The Rock vs Kurt Angle 
From No Way Out . These two had a lot of chemistry together , and I think it shows in this match , as it's probably their best match together , even if the ref managed to blow the finish . Just an overall awesome match that managed to standout on a fantastic PPV . Rock hits a rock bottom to win the title and to face Austin at Mania . ****




Booker T vs The Rock
From Summerslam 2001 . For some reason the WCW Championship is being defended in the main event of a big WWE PPV . This was a pretty good match and the crowd was into it . The Rock wins the WCW Title after a rock bottom . ***



The Rock vs Chris Jericho
From Royal Rumble 2002 . These two have fantastic chemistry together and this match helps prove that point . Their No Mercy 2001 match , however , was easily their best . The run ins never really hurt this match , although it did make Jericho look a little weak . A brilliant match as Jericho uses the leverage pin for the win . ****



Disc 3 Matches :




The Rock vs Hulk Hogan
And now it is time for the match that we all came to see at this show ! A match that will go down in history as an all-time classic . This match showed that a crowd can make a match a classic and that it's not all about the moves in the ring , just like Hogan/Andre at WM 3 . It was surreal to see Hogan getting cheered like a villain and The Rock being booed so loudly . This match made the show worth seeing . It was such a fantastic moment seeing the Hulkster hulk up for the first time in who knows how many years . An absolute classic in Wrestlemania history without a shadow of a doubt . The Rock picks up the victory after a peoples elbow to Hogan . ****3/4




The Rock vs The Undertaker vs Kurt Angle
This is a match that seems to get better every time time I watch it . One of the better triple threat matches in WWE . The belt used in this match is probably my favourite variation of the Championship . Either that or the Winged Eagle belt . I loved the way they used their opponents finishers against them . Shows how much they wanted that title . This was a fantastic match overall . ****1/2



The Rock vs Eddie Guerrero 
I'm pretty sure this is the only match they ever had together . This was a non-title match , but if Eddie won , he would earn a title shot . Eddie countering the rock bottom into an arm drag was a phenomenal move and worth youtubing to see . I wish it could have been longer as it was going really well . Rock hits the people's elbow to win . **3/4




Stone Cold vs The Rock
Their final match against each other , and Austin's final match ever . A great match to go out on . Austin kept the fact that he was retiring quiet and wanted to go off into the sunset without any fanfare whatsoever . Got to respect him for that . The Rock picks up the win after a third rock bottom to Austin . A tremendous match here and the second best of their WM trilogy . Farewell Stone Cold . ****1/2



Some of Rock's promos are included here :


Billy's Prayer to God

The Big Slow

My Name is Kane

Doughnuts

Hermie

Thomas Jefferson Sucka

The People's Strudel

Great Balls of Fire

Copacabana

Camera Man

The Charleston

NWO

Busta Rhymes

The Superhero

Miami Dolphins


The One-liners - This is a collection of the Rock's best moments .


The promos and one-liners are all worth watching , as it's Rock at his best .



9/10 . One of the best superstar collections released by WWE . The only thing missing from this is a documentary , but the release from last year covers that . Plus , the great matches and information between matches make up for it too . The time flew by watching this and I would recommend it , even to non-Rock fans .




Monday 21 January 2013

The Very Best of WCW Monday Nitro DVD Review



The Very Best of WCW Monday Nitro DVD Review

After the amazing success of my Clash of the Champions DVD Review , I am definitely going to go with your requests from now on and this was a request that someone asked for , as it brought good memories back . Obviously I was too young to remember any of this , but I still love experiencing new wrestling moments for myself .

As usual , I will only grade the matches , but obviously my overall rating for the set will include how good I thought the non-wrestling segments were . Ok lets get started !

DDP is the host and does a very good job of it .



Disc 1 Matches :



Brian Pillman vs Jushin Liger
The very first match in Nitro's history , and a great choice considering that it features two fantastic athletes . A very good match to debut a groundbreaking show for the 90s . Brian rolls up Jushin to win the match . ***1/4



Hulk Hogan vs Big Bubba
Big Bubba is , of course , also known as Big Boss Man . This was the main event of the first Nitro , so it's pretty historic . This is just the usual Hogan match that everyone is used to and has seen before . Boot , leg drop , match over . *1/4



Randy Savage & Hulk Hogan vs Ric Flair & Arn Anderson
This was a very entertaining tag team match , and the crowd was really into it . Hogan and Savage are able to win the match with Hogan hulking up , and pinning Anderson with the leg drop . Good tag action here . ***



Road Warriors vs Sting & Lex Luger
The tag titles are on the line in this one . Big LOD chant for the Road Warriors . Luger & Sting retain , after Luger hits Animal with a steel object . Sting isn't very happy with the result . Good match though . **3/4



Steven Regal vs Fit Finlay : Parking Lot Brawl
Strange to see Finlay with long hair . Stiff stuff , but why would you expect less from two old school-style grapplers ? The piledriver on the car was sick . Steven Regal picks up the victory . ***  for something a little different .



Eddie Guerrero vs Ric Flair
I always found it surprising that these two had as much chemistry as they did . They usually had good matches with each other and this is a good example . A nice , long battle here . Flair pins Eddie with the figure four . ***1/2


Scott Hall's debut shown .


Kevin Nash's debut shown .



Harlem Heat vs Steiner Brothers vs Sting & Lex Luger
I've said it before and I'll say it again : I love these multi-man types of matches . Tag titles are on the line . Entertaining tag match , that shows off the tag teams of WCW at the time . Booker T pins Luger to win the tag titles . **1/4



Sting & Lex Luger vs The Outsiders
At the start of the match , Sting didn't appear , but then suddenly came down to aid Luger about 20 seconds later . Not sure why . More of a brawl than a match as it ends in a no contest as the the locker room comes running out . *



Rey Mysterio vs Dean Malenko 
Two fantastic cruiserweights going at it . Unsurprisingly , this was a good match , it's just a shame it had a shitty crowd that didn't know good wrestling . Unfortunately the time limit for the match expires , very good stuff though . ***1/4



Other Segments included are :


nWo is Taking Over

nWo Awoke a Sleeping Giant

The Outsiders Attack WCW Superstars

nWo Takes Over

"Sting" Attacks Lex Luger

Sting Walks Out on Nitro

Roddy Piper Confronts Bischoff


Disc 1 Special Features :


Rey Mysterio vs Mr JL
Mr JL is also a luchador . I've never heard of him before . Nice to have another cruiserweight match here . Unfortunately , the nWo spraypainting a truck is more important . Mysterio pins JL to win . Match was about  **3/4



Disc 2 :



Diamond Dallas Page vs Mark Starr
This is basically just a squash match to show off DDP . He hits the diamond cutter for the win . After the match , The Outsiders try to get DDP to join them but instead he hits Hall with a diamond cutter . SQUASH



Rey Mysterio vs Syxx
Everyone knows Syxx as either the 123 Kid or X-Pac . Another entertaining cruiserweight match on this set . Kevin Nash interferes and gives Rey a jacknife and Syxx takes advantage to gain the win . **1/2



Lex Luger vs Hollywood Hogan
The World Heavyweight Championship is on the line in this bout . I think this was the 100th episode of Nitro and so they had this pretty big main event . The match itself wasn't too good though , but Luger winning the title was a cool moment . Luger puts Hogan in the torture rack to win . *1/4



Diamond Dallas Page vs Buff Bagwell 
Bagwell has Virgil .... sorry Vincent with him at ringside . The match was enjoyable while it lasted but it wasn't too good . DDP hits the diamond cutter for the victory . **



Randy Savage vs Sting
Two of the best from the 80s and 90s going at it . Sting's entrance is pretty damn long . The match wasn't as good as I thought it would have been . Hogan interferes to end the match in a DQ . *1/2




Goldberg vs Hulk Hogan
I still can't believe this wasn't a PPV match . You had the undefeated Goldberg going against Hogan for the championship in front of a hometown crowd of 40,000 . They could have made a lot of money out of this one . Goldberg hits the jackhammer to a huge pop from the crowd . Great moment . **1/2



Kevin Nash & Sting vs Scott Hall & The Giant
This is for the tag team titles , and this is the first mention of the Wolfpac on the DVD . The crowd was really into this one . Hall is able to get the pinfall on Sting to win the tag titles . Nice match . **1/2



Rey Mysterio vs Chris Jericho
These two guys would go on to have some amazing matches about a decade later in the WWE . Jericho has Juventud's mask around his neck as he enters the ring . This was another awesome match between the two as Mysterio gets the win with a pin . ***3/4



Billy Kidman vs Juventud Guerrera
Good to have another cruiserweight match here , as the cruiserweight title is on the line . I prefer Juventud with the mask on to be honest . As the match went on , the fans really got into it . Great stuff here . Kidman hits the shooting star press to win the title . ***3/4



Bret Hart vs Diamond Dallas Page
Always glad to see Bret and the US title is on the line . Never seen these two go one-on-one before so it should be good . And yes this was a good match . Page hits the diamond cutter out of nowhere to win the title . ***



Ric Flair vs Eric Bischoff
This was for control of WCW . This was basically Eric getting his ass kicked by Flair . Flair locks in the figure four for the submission . Pretty fun . SQUASH


Other segments on the disc include :


Harvey Schiller Suspends Eric Bischoff

Sting Attacks nWo

nWo Mocks the Four Horsemen

Sting Saves DDP From nWo

Jericho's 1004 Holds

Ric Flair Returns to the Four Horsemen




Disc 3 Matches :



Kevin Nash vs Hollywood Hogan 
Ah yes , the infamous Fingerpoke of Doom . The same night that WWE had the highest ratings thanks to Mankind winning the title , WCW decided to show this shit . Perhaps the worst title change ever ? This easily gets the DUD rating .



Sting vs Diamond Dallas Page 
I've heard great things about this match and it usually gets a four star rating , so I'm definitely looking forward to this one . The workrate here was awesome and the fans were hot for Sting . Oh yeah this is a fantastic match . Back and forth these guys go when Sting hits the scorpion death drop to win the title . What a match !  ****1/4



Eddie Guerrero vs Juventud Guerrera
Some more cruiserweight action coming up . This was shortly after Eddie's near-fatal car accident . Another good cruiserweight match here . Eddie hits a big spinning neckbreaker and follows with a frog splash to win the bout . ***



Sting / Goldberg / Hulk Hogan vs Kevin Nash / Sid Vicious / Rick Steiner
A lot of star power in this tag match . Hogan has his red and yellow back on . I never knew he went back to that after he joined the nWo . This one was an absolute ton of fun , and the fans loved it . Nash passes out to give the good guys the win . **3/4



Billy Kidman vs Diamond Dallas Page
DDP wants to teach Kidman some respect here . Kidman gets the upset win with a roll through . This match was DDP kicking the crap out of Kidman and Kidman getting a lucky pin . 1/2*



Goldberg vs Bret Hart
The World Heavyweight Title is on the line . Goldberg would be the one that ended the Hitman's career with a kick to the head , but that was a different match . Lots of interference in this one . For some reason there was no DQ . Hart said he hated this bullshit in WCW . I'll give the match  *1/2



Kevin Nash vs Sid Vicious 
This is for the World Heavyweight Title . I have a feeling that this one's gonna suck . Lets see if my psychic powers work . Hey what do you know , I was right ! Sid hits Nash with a guitar to win the title . 1/2*



Diamond Dallas Page vs Jeff Jarrett
Jeff is accompanied by Vince Russo . Two guys who should have never been World champ . A five minute cage match ? Really ? Whatever . DDP hits the diamond cutter to become the new world champ . *



3 Count vs Jung Dragons : Ladder Match
For some reason a gold record is the prize . This lasted three minutes . Seriously ? Fuck that . Dragons win it . 1/4*




Booker T vs Lance Storm 
Not really sure why they put this in , since it's already in the Rise and Fall DVD . . The fans were really hot for this though and it was good while it lasted . Booker hits the bookend to retain . **1/2



Triple Cage War Games
The World Title is on the line here . Just not a very good match and I'll leave it at that . *


Sting vs Ric Flair 
Here we have the final match in WCW history . I think these two guys were the perfect pick for the final match . The same two guys that had a classic up against Wrestlemania IV . I'll give this match . **1/2


Other segments from the disc include :


Goldberg Spears the Hitman

The Bischoff & Russo Era Begins

Mr McMahon Buys WCW




8/10 . There are 33 (!) matches here . That alone makes the set worth a look . The post-match and non-match segments really add to the DVD as well . It's just a shame that the third disc had to suck , although ironically it did have the best match of the entire set . If you're a WCW fan and don't have this set , I think you should go and order it immediately .











Friday 18 January 2013

Summerslam 2004 Review




Summerslam 2004 Review : The Viper Rises


Ah my very first Summerslam . I haven't seen it for years , but I still have memories of it being fucking awesome . Lets hope I still have the same feelings for it .



Rey Mysterio / Billy Kidman / Paul London vs The Dudleyz
This was just after Spike had turned heel , and into ' The Boss' which I never understood seeing as he was so damn small compared to the other Dudleys . Very entertaining match while it lasted as the 3D finishes Billy Kidman to give the Dudleys the win . **3/4



Kane vs Matt Hardy
The winner of this match would marry Lita . I guess hindsight is 20/20 eh Matt old boy ? Anyway the match wasn't too bad and was kept short . Kane , surprisingly , didn't get a lot of offense in until the finish with the chokeslam from the top rope to give Kane the win . **



John Cena vs Booker T
The first match in their best of five series for the US Title that would end up pointless , as Cena won the series and then lost it the very next week . These guys didn't have good matches and this is another . Their best was probably the No Mercy match . Cena hits the FU for the victory . *1/4



Edge vs Batista vs Chris Jericho
IC Title is on the line . If this match had taken place in either 2008 or 2009 , it would have been a pretty big match , and I'm sure it would've been for a World Championship . Surprisingly , Edge barely got a reaction even though he was in his hometown . Good triple threat as Edge retains . **3/4



Eddie Guerrero vs Kurt Angle
Here we have a Wrestlemania rematch , that seems to happen a lot at Summerslam . Their match at Mania was awesome . I've seen reviews saying this is a three star match , but I remember it a lot differently . It was a nice change with the big moves hitting early on . Great match as Eddie taps to the ankle lock . ***1/2



Triple H vs Eugene
I absolutely loved this match as a kid , but I have a feeling that I'll see it a bit differently now . Eugene cost HHH the World Title a couple of times which led to this match . Unique style of match here . I still enjoy it . HHH hits the pedigree to beat Eugene . ***1/4


I am seriously not even going to consider the Diva Dodgeball to be a real match . Fucking dreadful .



Undertaker vs JBL
For the WWE Championship . I loved the way this feud started , just with Taker coming out ,chokeslamming JBL , and saying 'You , me , Summerslam' . Awesome . The fans doing the wave were fucking hilarious . Match wasn't too shabby . Match ends in DQ as the ref catches Taker using the belt . **1/2



Randy Orton vs Chris Benoit 
This match really should have been on Orton's DVD set . I remember thinking that Orton had no chance in this match . Boy was I wrong . Benoit's suicide dive was scary to watch . Awesome match and easily the best of the night . Orton hits the RKO to win his first World Championship . ****



6.5/10 .  Good Summerslam , but not as good as I remembered . Orton/Benoit is a must-see and there were other good matches that aren't available on other DVD sets .

Monday 14 January 2013

Summerslam 2005 Review




Summerslam 2005 Review : Icon vs Icon


Here we are with another Summerslam review ! This is one I've wanted to watch for a long time .



Orlando Jordan vs Chris Benoit
This is for the US Title . And the match is over in 20 seconds ! Normally I would've complained about something like that but it was pretty awesome and had the crowd fired up . Benoit is the new champ . 1/4*



Edge vs Matt Hardy
Easily the most personal match on this night . Funny how last year Matt was fighting to marry Lita , and here he's fighting because she cheated . Everyone rooting for Matt here . Referee calls for the bell as Matt can't continue . These two just beat the crap out of each other for five minutes . **




Eddie Guerrero vs Rey Mysterio : Ladder Match
I always love the matches between these two and this one is no exception . The storyline was stupid but these two were able to make it work . It was for the custody of Eddie's alleged child Dominic ( he was really Rey's ) The spots were great in this match even if Vickie did screw it up a bit . With help from Vickie , Rey climbs the ladder and grabs the briefcase . ***3/4



Eugene vs Kurt Angle
I really have no idea why this match is happening and at this PPV . Angle should make it pretty entertaining though . And it was pretty entertaining with Angle beating the crap out of Eugene . Eugene taps to the ankle lock to end the match . *1/4



Undertaker vs Randy Orton
Here we have a rematch from Mania 21 . Orton was determined to kill the legend of the Taker . This was another very good match between the two . Orton shocks the world and gets a huge upset victory over Taker with an RKO . ***1/2



John Cena vs Chris Jericho
This would be Jericho's final PPV match until Armageddon two years later . This was the first PPV match in which Cena was booed by a portion of the audience , and that trend would continue even today . Crowd was very divided . Great match as Cena hits the FU to retain his title . ***3/4


Batista vs JBL : No Holds Barred
JBL makes it rain money before the match . The no DQ stip. helped , since these two didn't have much chemistry in normal matches . Match was actually pretty short and pretty good . Batista retains with a powerbomb onto steel steps . **1/2



Shawn Michaels vs Hulk Hogan
Icon vs Icon and a dream match come true . The best ever vs the biggest ever . A match I've wanted to see for a while . Supposedly , HBK was supposed to win this match , ( he did need it more ) , but Hogan complained and it was decided that he would win . HBK responded by acting like a human pinball which was pretty damn awesome . Hogan hits his leg drop for the win . Great way to end the show . ***1/2


7.75/10 . Great Summerslam here , much better than I expected . Nothing too terrible here and the ladder match , the WWE Title match , Taker/Orton and Hogan/Shawn were the highlights of a fun night .



Summerslam 2006 Review




Summerslam 2006 Review : Most Brutal Match in SS History


Continuing my reviews from the Summerslam Anthology set .



Rey Mysterio vs Chavo Guerrero
This is the first match these guys would have at Summerslam and would have another at the same event the following year . Rey's mask came off at one point during the bout . Not the usual goodness from these two but still not bad . The best choice for the opener . Vickie costs Rey the match . **1/2


King Booker was an awesome character . Why not bring him back ?



Big Show vs Sabu : Extreme Rules
The only ECW portion of the evening and it is under extreme rules , the first and only in Summerslam history . This honestly wasn't as bad as I thought it was gonna be . Big Show was booked well , as it seemed that it was only weapons that could take him down . That DDT through the table was pretty cool too . Chokeslam through a table finishes off Sabu . **



Hulk Hogan vs Randy Orton
Billed as Legend vs Legend Killer . After pretty much burying HBK the previous Summerslam , Hogan decided he needed the victory more than an up and coming star . Screw you Hogan . Boot , leg drop , you know the shit . 1/2*



Mick Foley vs Ric Flair : I Quit Match
I've heard good things about this match so I'm looking forward to it . Two complete opposite styles of superstars going at it . Flair's chops with the barbed wire socko were pretty cool . Flair deserves a ton of credit for the beating he took . Brutal match , probably the most brutal in Summerslam's history . The ending was quite lame with Foley trying to protect Melina . Sick stuff . ***1/2



Batista vs King Booker
World Title being defended here . Batista wants his title back after losing it to injury eight months previously . These guys don't really have chemistry . The fans didn't enjoy this . Boring match . Sharmell interferes to end the match in a bullshit fashion . *



DX vs The McMahons
This one had been built for a couple of months with DX continually humiliating Vince . You know there's gonna be shenanigans here . And the shenanigans begin right away with different superstars coming in to try and stop DX . I liked the McMahons using classic tag finishers . This was an overbooked mess , but it was a fun one . DX win it . ***




John Cena vs Edge
This is for the WWE Championship . If Edge lost by DQ , he would automatically lose the title . The DQ stipulation was used well here . A great match as Edge pins Cena after punching him with brass knucks . I think everyone expected Cena to win here . ***1/2



5.5/10 . Not a very good Summerslam , but at least it was better than the 2007 edition . The I Quit match , Edge/Cena and DX/McMahons were the highlights of this unspectacular Summerslam .

Sunday 13 January 2013

Rock vs Cena : Once in a Lifetime Blu Ray Review



Rock vs Cena : Once in a Lifetime Blu Ray Review


It seems that this set is one for negative feedback . Well I'm here to give it a fair chance . The main feature only lasts for 45 minutes , but length doesn't matter , it's quality that matters . If these guys had been given the same amount of time as HBK and Bret Hart , the feature would have sucked . With the time it has , it's a very good watch . I've seen one review that said it was one of the best ever docs , but I really wouldn't go that far . It is very different from other WWE features , and it works . It could definitely be used for other rivalries like Austin/Rock or Kane/Taker . The backstage footage is tremendous , especially the footage from Wrestlemania XXVIII , with Rock and Cena embracing after the match . We even got to see HHH after his grueling match . Overall I'll give it  7.5/10 .


Disc 1 :

Some extra features listed as follows :


First Class

Tiger Pride

World's Most Famous Arena

A Funny Person

Comedy Translate

Flat On My Face

Singing

Tonight Show

Merry Christmas !

Getting Dad Involved

Giving Back

Unpredictable

Tickets

Clash

Secret Recipe

All of these are worth watching in my view .


14th February 2011 : The Rock Returns
This is probably my fifth time watching this segment , and it still gives me goosebumps to watch . Easily one of the most memorable Raw moments in history . Turn your volume all the way up for this as the pop is absolutely huge . Just awesome stuff all round .


21st February 2011 : Cena Retaliates 
People weren't sure how Cena would react to Rock's promo a week previously , but to retaliate with thuganomics was just fantastic . It indicated that this rivalry would be edgier than usual and the thuganomics brought me back some good memories of my childhood .


14th March 2011 : Rock Confronts 'Cena' at his Home
Rock talks to a little kid that's meant to be Cena . Definitely not the Rock's best work .


28th March 2011 : Cena Adjusts The Rock's Attitude
This was the final Raw before Wrestlemania XXVII . Rock gives his usual promo to start with , with a nice ' homeless power ranger comment . Cena came out and for the first time ever , these two were in the ring together . This was a pretty monumental confrontation . Cena gives Rock an AA to end it .


3rd April 2011 : Rock Welcomes WWE Universe to Wrestlemania
This is Rock's intro to the start of Mania 27 . Pretty standard stuff as he warms the crowd up and makes some jokes about Cena .


John Cena vs The Miz
Only the end of the match is shown here . I have the full match rated at  **1/2


4th April 2011 : Save the Date
Rock and Cena agree to have a match in a years time at Mania 28 . This was groundbreaking at the time since no one had ever set a Wrestlemania match a year in advance . I doubt it'll ever be done again . It even includes the ambush from the Corre .


11th November 2011 : John Cena , This is Your Life
This segment was pretty awful . Mick Foley even went on to say that he wanted to be part of one of the worst Raw segments ever . I think his wish may have came true .


11th November 2011 : Boots to Asses
Pretty sure this was the first time Rock mentioned 'Boots to Asses' . Nice promo work by Rock . Cena and Awesome Truth eventually come down . Awesome Truth are taken out by Cena and Rock



John Cena & The Rock vs R-Truth & The Miz
Never Before . Never Again . The video package was great . This is Rock's first match in almost 8 years . Needless to say , this was huge . Straight away there are ' Cena sucks ' chants. And here's Rocky . The Rock has still got it . Any doubts that Rock had ring rust were taken away on this night . A ' don't tag Cena ' chant starts . The Rock picks up the win . I'll give it  ***1/2 . After the match , Rock gives Cena a rock bottom to end the show .




Disc 2 :



20th February 2012 : John Cena Calls Out Dwayne Johnson
This has got to be one of Cena's greatest promos that he's ever given us . It felt more like a shoot and made the rivalry between Rock and Cena feel legitimate . Great stuff from Cena . Made Rock seem like a huge asshole .


27th February 2012 : John Cena & Rock Face-to-Face
Rock felt really off his game here . Maybe he doesn't do well with shoots . ' Kung Pow Bitch ' was pretty damn dumb too . He did make all wrestlers in the back look bad as well . Things did pick up when Cena came out . Who would have thought that ?  On a sidenote , this set has made me respect Cena a little more and Rock a little less .


5th March 2012 : Rock's History Lesson #1
With these history lessons , I think the Rock picked back up on his game . This one was hilarious with the Rock going through Cena's merchandise and throwing it into the Boston harbor .


5th March 2012 : John Cena Returns Home
Cena gives a promo in an empty arena . Another great one from Cena and felt very personal and intimate and showed that Cena had to win the match at Wrestlemania .


5th March 2012 : Rock's History Lesson #2
Another entertaining lesson from the Rock and just as good as the first one .


5th March 2012 : Rock's History Lesson #3
Another lesson from Rock , but this one wasn't as good as the last two .


5th March 2012 : Rock & Cena Live in Boston 
Another war of words . Crowd even starts a ' tooth fairy ' chant which made me laugh . Quite short and Rock just basically calls Cena his bitch . Cena was definitely better here .


12th March 2012 : The Return of Thuganomics
I have to admit , I marked out when this first aired on TV . Hearing Cena's old entrance music and coming out with his old attire , made me feel like a 9 year old kid in 2004 again . Great stuff from Cena . He should do this more often in his rivalries .


12th March 2012 : Rock Concert
I believe this is the third Rock Concert . The first two concerts were great , and this one was great as well . Hell I've even got it on my ipod . This really brought Rock's confidence back . I did notice that the edited out the verse about Eve Torres and Cena needing a divorce lawyer . No prizes for guessing why . Thankfully they also edited out the dreaded Rock's version of We Will Rock You with different lyrics that ruined the Concert on TV .


26th March 2012 : The Final Confrontation
Here we have the final Raw before Mania 28 and the final time these two would come face-to-face on TV before their match . Cena was good here , but it didn't feel like the epic confrontation that they needed .


28th March 2012 : Wrestlemania XXVIII Press Conference
Cena tells a lovely story about a young boy that was given 24 hours to live and Cena invited him to the Make-a-Wish party and because of that , he was going to make it there . Good job from Cena . Rock comes out and puts over Wrestlemania and the what he calls the biggest match ever . Both guys come face-to-face .

The awesome video package with ' We Are Young ' playing is still shown before the match , along with the musical performances of both MGK and Flo Rida .




John Cena vs The Rock : Once in a Lifetime 
I've seen many different opinions on this match . Some think its good , some disappointing , and some think its a classic . Really similar to the Rock/Hogan match ten years before . I was really surprised with The Rock winning the match . I was so sure that Cena was going to pick up the victory . Due to the atmosphere , the match itself , and how much of a big deal it was . I'll call it a classic . Arguably the biggest match in Wrestlemania history and also one of the best . And now also one of the most underrated . ****1/2



Blu Ray Exclusives :


Some extra stories are told here , just like on the first disc :


Typewriter

A Dozen Eggs

Hungry ?

Blaisdell Centre

Instant Gratification

Billboard

Electrifying Mexico City

Evicted

Tattoo

The Kidman Spot

Enjoying the Moment

Tribute to the Troops

" U Can't See Me"

Grilled Cheese

Bad Advice

Rise Above Hate


All of these are pretty enjoyable to watch . Especially the Kidman Spot .


Film Cut - Rock vs Cena
This is the match from Wrestlemania , but with a different camera perspective and it has been edited . It's cool to watch if you don't feel like watching the original showing of the match . Still gets ****1/2


Rock gives his comments on the match , the night after Wrestlemania .


Cena gives his comments from the same night . Unfortunately they don't show Lesnar's return which I kinda wanted to see .


7/10 . I actually enjoyed this set . The time watching it flew by . The concept was great and should definitely be used again for future rivalry sets that the WWE produces . Thumbs up from me , although obviously you shouldn't get it if you weren't a fan of the feud .







Monday 7 January 2013

The Best of Clash of the Champions DVD Review




The Best of Clash of the Champions DVD Review



Ah Clash of the Champions . The event that went up against Wrestlemania IV , and ended up being much better , even though it was shown for free ! Lets get to it shall we ?

Dusty Rhodes is very good as a host .



Disc 1 Matches :



Sting vs Ric Flair 
Here we have what is arguably the most memorable COTC match ever ( aside from the Flair/Steamboat classic ) . The match that many agree turned Sting into a star . Just an awesome , classic Flair style of match . Fantastic stuff . I even found myself cheering for Sting by the end of the match . Classic NWA . The match ends in a draw . ****3/4



Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard vs Lex Luger & Barry Windham
Four amazing athletes going at it for the Tag Team Championship . The crowd was absolutely hot for this one . The match didn't last very long , but it was great , non-stop action while it lasted and had a great finish with Luger and Windham winning the titles . ***1/2



Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard vs Dusty Rhodes & Sting
This was the main event of the second COTC and the Tag Titles were on the line . I've never been the biggest fan of Dusty , but I thought he performed very well here . The match ends in a DQ but it was very good until then . ***



Ivan Koloff vs Ricky Morton : Russian Chain Match
To win , you must touch all four corners of the ring . I dislike these kinds of matches , as it's usually the same type of formula . This one just wasn't very interesting , but it did have its moments . Ricky touches all the corners to win . *1/2




Ric Flair vs Terry Funk : I Quit Match
From Clash of the Champions IX . This match was made after the classic at Wrestlewar , when Terry attacked Flair and gave him a painful piledriver onto a table . This match was pretty stiff . This was a war . The intensity of this match was off the charts . Terry quits to the figure four leg lock . ****1/4



Mil Mascaras vs Cactus Jack Manson
A recent inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame against Mrs Foley's baby boy . Match really wasn't as good as I thought it may be , but Foley just took a bad fall onto the concrete . Mil hits the crossbody to win . *



Midnight Express vs Rock N Roll Express
These two teams had an awesome match at Wrestlewar in the same year . Hopefully this one'll be just as good . This was a great little match , it's just too bad that it had to end in a DQ because I was really enjoying it . ***1/2



Disc 2 Matches :



Lex Luger vs Ric Flair
These two guys have amazing chemistry and hopefully this'll be another one of their great matches together . The US Title was on the line . And yes this was another great match between the two . I loved the superplex by Luger . The match is ruined by a DQ thanks to Stan Hansen interfering . Great match though . ***3/4



The Young Pistols & Z-Man vs The Fabulous Freebirds
The Freebirds look a lot like Bret Hart here . Who the hell is Z-Man ? The match was very short , but fun while it lasted . The good guys win with a trio of sunset flips . **



15 Man Battle Royal
I don't think the winner actually gets anything here , so pretty pointless . But it is cool to see Kevin Nash as Oz . Gigante wins the match . *



Sting vs Rick Rude
Two great wrestlers going at it for the US Championship . Wow I guess Paul E. was always good with promos . Sting's leg is injured from earlier in the night . Rude wins by grabbing the tights with the pin . Could have been way longer . *3/4



Ric Flair & Arn Anderson vs Hollywood Blonds : 2 out of 3 Falls
The Hollywood Blonds are of course Steve Austin and Brian Pillman . A great tag team . Best of three falls matches usually end up being excellent . The crowd only seemed to cheer Flair here . Flair pins Brian for the first fall . Really good match so far . Barry Windham interferes to cause a DQ . ***1/2



Brian Pillman vs Steve Austin
The Hollywood Blonds fighting against each other . It's a shame they were broken up as a team , because I don't think they really gelled as opponents . Definitely better as a team . This , however , was a very good match . Austin pins Brian to win . ***1/4



Lord Steven Regal vs Dustin Rhodes
TV Title on the line and if this was WWE , it would be William Regal vs Goldust . Fans weren't really into this . This one was pretty slow for the first ten minutes . The match ends in a time limit draw . **



Sting & Ric Flair vs Rick Rude & Vader
Elimination rules apply in this match featuring four of WCW's finest wrestlers . Vader's top rope superplex was impressive . Flair and Vader are eliminated , but no one seems to know why . Sting hits a splash from the top rope to end the match . ***1/2



Disc 3 Matches :




Ric Flair vs Sting
From Clash of the Champions XXVII . These two have had a lot of great matches together including the very first Clash and the Great American Bash . This was another great match . Flair rolls up Sting as he tries to help Sherri and unifies the world titles . ***3/4



Ricky Steamboat vs Steve Austin 
This match was also included on Austin's first 3 disc set . These two have amazing chemistry together and it led to what was , in my opinion , a fantastic match . Just some great back and forth action in this one . Ricky wins with an inside cradle . ****


Hulk Hogan & Randy Savage vs Ric Flair & The Giant
This match took place in Caesar's Palace . Giant was quite green in there , so he must have just recently joined the company . Pretty entertaining match while it lasted as Flair hits Savage with a foreign object to win the bout . **1/2



Madusa vs Bull Nakano
Here we have the only women's match on the set . I'm really surprised they included a Madusa match after what she did with the WWE Women's belt . And I thought Vince held a grudge . Very short match as Madusa wins with a roll up . *



Diamond Dallas Page vs Eddie Guerrero
This is for the Battle Bowl Championship . Never seen these two fight before so I'm looking forward to it . Then again it's a different DDP to the one I know , as this one's a heel . To end the relatively short match , Eddie hits the frog splash to win . **



Harlem Heat vs Steiner Brothers vs Sting & Lex Luger
Pretty big tag match here . I always like these big types of matches . It's nice for this one to be at a reasonable length , considering that the last few matches have been short . The match ends in DQ when the Outsiders interfere . **3/4



Dean Malenko vs Ultimate Dragon
Two fantastic cruiserweights going at it . Finally we get some cruiserweight action on this set . The fans were actually very hot for Malenko . A lot of great action in this one . Malenko locks in the cloverleaf and Dragon submits . ***1/4



Eddie Guerrero vs Chris Jericho
Two best friends going at it here . These two also had an awesome match at the Fall Brawl PPV , so I'm hoping for some good stuff here . Another short match here but it was good until the unexpected finishing pin . ***



Diamond Dallas Page & Lex Luger vs Scott Hall & Randy Savage
The only match featuring the nWo on the entire set . I smell shenanigans . Tag Titles on the line . For some reason Savage replaced Nash . Not too bad a match here . DDP accidentally hits the diamond cutter on Luger and Hall takes advantage for the win . **1/4



DVD Exclusive Matches :

In Europe , these came with the Silvervision bought DVDs , and in America , they came from the Best Buy exclusives .



The Midnight Express vs The Fantastics
This is from the very first COTC event . US Tag Titles are on the line . This one turned into a brawl straight away . This was just fast paced , non-stop , back and forth action . Crowd was totally hot for it . This is amazing for its time . Almost had new champs , but instead it's a DQ . Damn . Still an awesome tag match though . ****



Hollywood Hogan vs Ric Flair
From COTC XXXIII . This was shortly after Hogan's shocking heel turn . These guys were a little too old to have another great match with each other . Yeah not too good of a match here . Hogan is DQ'd to save his championship . *1/2




7.5/10 . Great little set here , with a lot of matches that haven't been released before , and the matches that had been released were great ! Definitely try to get the DVD exclusive to get that amazing tag match . Hope WWE make more sets like this . Perhaps a Halloween Havoc set ?

The Monday Night War DVD Review




The Monday Night War DVD Review






A DVD released almost ten years ago . A few things here seem repeated but that's only because they use the Bischoff footage for just about every WCW DVD they release . The first half hour of the feature is mostly about the rise of WCW , culminating with Hogan's heel turn and the nWo . After that they talk about the rise of Austin , The Rock , the Montreal Screwjob and the ratings increase for the WWE . The only thing I don't like about the documentary is the bias . WCW is really criticised as the feature goes on , and nothing bad iis ever really said about the WWE . The documentary is still very entertaining though and I enjoyed it . Definitely worth a watch .  8/10



Matches :



Stone Cold & Shawn Michaels vs British Bulldog & Owen Hart
This is known as one of the best matches in Raw history and for good reason . The match is just non-stop action with amazing pacing . Just a fantastic match that is worth watching again and again . Austin pins Bulldog to win the tag titles . ****1/4



DX vs Legion of Doom
I'm not sure of the reasoning for this match to be on the DVD . DX were trying to work a comedy match , while LOD were trying to work a wrestling match . DX are DQ'd to end the match . *1/4



Chris Benoit vs Booker T
This was their fourth match in their best of seven series for a chance at the World TV Title . This match wasn't as good as I thought it would be , but it was still pretty entertaining . Benoit makes Booker tap to the crossface to go 3-1 . **1/4



Goldberg vs Hulk Hogan
I still can't believe this wasn't a PPV match . You had the undefeated Goldberg going against Hogan for the championship in front of a hometown crowd of 40,000 . They could have made a lot of money out of this one . Goldberg hits the jackhammer to a huge pop from the crowd . Great moment . **1/2



6.5/10 . Nice DVD . The main feature is great , but the extras leave something to be desired . I think this one could use a 3 Disc DVD Set makeover .

Sunday 6 January 2013

The 50 Greatest Finishers Blu Ray Review





The 50 Greatest Finishers Blu Ray Review



I love countdown DVDs so this might be a little biased . The countdown was fun , but it's not one that you can watch more than once or twice . The talking heads comments about the moves is the best part of the countdown , especially from the younger guys like Daniel Bryan or Drew McIntyre . I will say that the narrator basically telling you who was next before the actual countdown told you , was a tremendous pain in the ass for me . Overall I'll give it  6/10 .



Disc 1 Matches :

To start with , Sgt. Slaughter demonstrates his cobra clutch in 1981 .


Rick Rude vs Jake Roberts
This was a ' Rude Awakening vs The DDT ' match , which meant that the first person to hit their finisher would instantly win the match . Interesting stipulation . This was a very good match , great for its time . Jake hits the DDT to win the match . ***1/4



Mr Perfect vs The Texas Tornado 
IC Title on the line and Texas Tornado was , of course , Kerry Von Erich . This was a very nicely paced match and the crowd was hot for it . Unfortunately the match ended in a DQ . Still very entertaining though . **1/2



Bret Hart vs Bob Backlund
I loved the match at Survivor Series between these two , so I was definitely looking forward to watching this one . WWE Title was on the line as well . Now this was a wrestling match . Just a brilliant back and forth match . Bret locks Backlund in a small package to retain . ****



Scott Hall & Kevin Nash vs The Giant 
From Superbrawl VII . The tag titles are on the line . For some reason Lex Luger became part of the match by the end , which for some reason the ref allowed . Luger puts Nash in the torture rack to win the tag titles . *



Mankind vs Jerry Lawler
This was a semi-finals match from the 1997 King of the Ring tournament . Man , Jerry was an amazing heel back then . Pretty entertaining match while it lasted as Mankind wins with a mandible claw . **1/2



Rob Van Dam vs 2 Cold Scorpio
From the 1998 Living Dangerously . Two brilliant athletes going at it here . I love watching ECW matches . The match started a little slowly but really got faster by the time they fought outside the ring . Who the hell were the guys chanting ' boring ' ? RVD rolls up Scorpio for the pin . Great stuff . ***3/4



DDP vs Hulk Hogan vs Ric Flair vs Sting
From Spring Stampede 1999 and was for the WCW World Title . Randy Savage was the guest referee for this bout . This match felt very crowded up until Hogan was taken out . Then it got a little better . Good match . DDP hits the diamond cutter to win the title . ***



Disc 2 Matches :



Chris Jericho & The Rock vs Stone Cold & Kurt Angle
Quite a lot of star power in this one . This bout took place right at the tail end of the Invasion angle . The fans were really into this fast paced match . This was just an amazingly fun match that can easily be watched more than once . Stone Cold is DQ'd to end the match . ***1/2



Brock Lesnar & Eddie Guerrero vs Rob Van Dam & Bubba Ray Dudley
An early match in the career of Brock Lesnar . This was actually a good TV tag match featuring two thrown together teams . Eddie hits RVD with a frog splash to win the match . **3/4




Jeff Hardy & Shawn Michaels vs Chris Jericho & Christian : No DQ Match
HBK and Y2J were feuding here , leading to their classic Wrestlemania match a couple of months later . There is a high level of talent in this match . Today , all of them have been world champions . Jeff picks up the win with a swanton . This wasn't as good as it looked on paper . **



The Rock vs Goldberg 
From Backlash 2003 . I've actually wanted to see this match for a while . This is Goldberg's first PPV match with WWE , so it's quite historic . This would be Rock's last PPV appearance until Wrestlemania XX . The match wasn't too bad , but not as good as I thought it would be . Goldberg wins with a jackhammer . **



Evolution vs The Dudleyz
Elimination rules apply in this match . Must have been early for Evolution since they don't have their Motorhead theme song . Spike Dudley is eliminated with an RKO . D-Von is out after being hit by a French flag . A pedigree takes out Bubba to finish the match . This one was a lot of fun . ***



Trish Stratus vs Lita
Women's title is on the line . This match is pretty infamous for the way that Lita landed on her neck after a suicide dive . Still looks sick to watch . I think this is also the only divas match to main event Raw . Seems mind-boggling nowadays . Lita hits the moonsault to win the title . ***



Randy Orton vs Shawn Michaels vs Chris Jericho vs JBL
Elimination rules apply here which I always love . The winner of this would go on to face John Cena at the Royal Rumble for the World Title . Jericho is the first eliminated after a superkick . Orton is next out after a superkick from HBK . JBL hits HBK with a clothesline to become no.1 contender . **3/4




Undertaker vs Batista vs Rey Mysterio vs CM Punk 
The match that started Batista's great heel turn and it's for the World Championship . This match was a hell of a lot of fun . I think most knew that Taker was gonna win , but it was still a fun ride getting there . Nobody expected what came after the match though , and is , possibly , the highlight of the entire night . Taker wins with a tombstone to Batista . ***1/2



Sheamus vs John Cena vs Edge vs Chris Jericho vs Wade Barrett vs Randy Orton : Six Pack Challenge 
Elimination rules apply here in this match for the WWE Championship . This was a very hard match to predict as everyone had a good chance of winning . Jericho eliminated with an RKO within the first two minutes of the match . Edge is out after an AA . Barrett takes out Cena with a wasteland . Barrett eliminated with an RKO . Orton wins the WWE Title with an RKO . ***1/2



Blu Ray Exclusives :



Triple H & Undertaker vs Edge & Big Show
A lot of star power in this one . Seems strange to see HHH and Taker teaming up after the brutal bouts they've went through together more recently . This was a good TV match with all four guys playing their parts well . Taker hits Edge with the tombstone to win the match . ***



Jeff Hardy / Rey Mysterio / Great Khali vs Edge / Dolph Ziggler / Chris Jericho
The heel side seems like the IWC's dream team . Why did Khali have to be here ? Add in someone like Evan Bourne in his place and you have an awesome , fast paced match . At least we got CM Punk on commentary . It was pretty fun while it lasted . Hardy hits the swanton to win . **1/4



DX & Vince McMahon vs Legacy : No DQ
This took place on Vince's birthday and the night after SummerSlam , in which Vince ruined the WWE Title match by restarting it three damn times . Probably the reason for the match . Vince pins Orton after an AA for the win . **1/2




Big Show / Rey Mysterio / Chris Masters / Kofi Kingston / MVP  vs  Alberto Del Rio / Tyler Reks / Drew McIntyre / Cody Rhodes / Jack Swagger : Elimination Match
From the 2010 Survivor Series . And here we are , the best part of Survivor Series : the elimination match ! MVP gets a huge reaction . MVP is eliminated after a cheating pinfall by Drew . Masters eliminated after the cross arm-breaker by Del Rio . Del Rio is out with a knock out . Rhodes is eliminated after the knock out punch of Show . Reks is pinned by Kofi . Kofi submits to the ankle lock . Swagger is out after a big splash from Rey . The faces win after a 619 and a chokeslam to Drew . This match was exciting and fun from start to finish . Match of the night . ***3/4



John Cena & Rey Mysterio vs CM Punk & R-Truth
Bret Hart was the special guest referee for this one . This took place only a few days after the tragic death of Randy Savage and Punk is wearing ring attire that shows tribute to him . Very respectful thing to do . To end a pretty good match , Mysterio pins Punk . **1/4



7/10 . The countdown itself was quite underwhelming , but I'd still say it's worth a couple of watches . It's the matches that really make this set . Some rare ones and some great ones . I'd recommend it .





Coming soon , The Monday Night Wars and The Best of Clash of the Champions

Thursday 3 January 2013

Summerslam 2007 Review



Summerslam 2007 Review : Cena/Orton For the First Time on PPV



Kane vs Finlay
I don't know why these two are feuding but I guess it has something to do with Kane's taped ribs . The commentators also said something about spilled coffee . Match was pretty entertaining and was good for getting the crowd fired up . Kane hits the chokeslam for the win . **1/4



Mr Kennedy vs Carlito vs Umaga
IC title is on the line here . I think every guy in this match is a heel so I'm not sure why this was booked . I think the fans decided to side with Kennedy . Match was pretty entertaining . Umaga hits the samoan spike to retain . **1/2



Rey Mysterio vs Chavo Guerrero
This is Mysterio's return match after missing almost a year of action thanks to the same man he's facing here , Chavo . These two usually had good matches , so I was looking forward to this one . This is the second time these two have fought each other at Summerslam . Another good match as Rey hits the 619 to win . ***



Divas Battle Royal
Winner of this would get a future women's title match . Well this one sucked . 1/4*  for Beth .


MVP challenges Matt Hardy to a beer drinking contest . It ends with Stone Cold coming out so that's a good thing .



CM Punk vs John Morrison 
ECW Title is on the line . On Punk's DVD , he talks about both he and Morrison being off their game on this night and delivering a sloppy matchup . Actually the match wasn't that bad , the crowd just wasn't into it and it was too short . Morrison pins Punk to retain . **1/2



Triple H vs King Booker
And here we have the second return match of the night as HHH makes his return , after missing eight months of action . This would be Booker's final PPV appearance until the 2011 Royal Rumble . Pretty dull match here . HHH hits the pedigree to win . *3/4



Batista vs Great Khali
I can't believe that Khali managed to get into a World title match , two Summerslams in a row . A little mind-boggling actually . Yeah this one sucked . And to make matters worse , it ended in a DQ . Just awful . DUD


Cena/Orton better be a damn good match . Rey/Chavo isn't enough to carry the show .



John Cena vs Randy Orton 
This is the first time these two guys have went one on one at a PPV and the first time they have fought for the WWE Title and would fight for it multiple times more (felt like dozens) . They would also fight two years later at the 2009 Summerslam , just with a different result . Great match and quite possibly their best with one another . Cena hits the FU to retain . ****


4.5/10 . Thank god for that great main event , or this would have been a disaster of a show . The only other match worth seeing is the Rey/Chavo match .

Summerslam 2008 Review




Summerslam 2008 Review : Taker/Edge Rivalry Ends in the Cell



Jeff Hardy vs MVP
Couldn't tell you why these guys were feuding here , but I do know that they had a PPV match together a couple of months before this . The match was a good choice for an opener . Very enjoyable bout . MVP gets the pinfall with a big kick to the head . **3/4



Beth Phoenix & Santino Marella vs Mickie James & Kofi Kingston
A unique type of match here , as the winning team would leave with both the IC Title and the Women's Title . Entertaining match as the women brought the action , Kofi got to show off his athleticism and Santino tried his hardest to be funny . Beth hits the glam slam to win . **



At this point , an awesome segment between Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho took place , which ended with Y2J punching HBK's wife in the face .



Matt Hardy vs Mark Henry 
Poor ECW . First , an eight second match at Wrestlemania , and now a thirty second match at Summerslam . No wonder no one took it seriously . Match ends in a DQ .  DUD



CM Punk vs JBL 
Punk was the newly crowned champ here , after having just won the World title from Edge with his MITB contract . This was his first title defense to see how good a champ he was . There was a bad bump during the match when Punk went for his jump kick , and JBL landed head first on Punk's skull . I really enjoyed this one . Punk hits the GTS to retain . ***



Triple H vs The Great Khali
How did this one play out ? I imagine , " We need a big feud for HHH on Smackdown for Summerslam" . " How about Khali ?" . "Great idea !" . Anyway , the match actually wasn't as bad as that , but it had no place on the main Summerslam card . HHH hits the pedigree to retain . *1/2



John Cena vs Batista
This was the first time that these two had fought in a big match on PPV and it wouldn't be the last . No titles were on the line , it was to see who was the better man from two men that became superstars on the same night . The match itself was awesome and is perhaps the best they've had with each other . Surprisingly , Batista was the better man on this night by beating John cleanly and kayfabe injuring him . Great stuff . ****




Edge vs Undertaker : Hell in a Cell
The final match in what I would call the feud of the year for 2008 . This is so close to being their best match but I think I have to give the edge ( pun not intended ) to their Wrestlemania match . This match did have some amazing moments like Edge jumping off a ladder and onto Taker who was on a table . There was the spear through the cell , the spear through the announce table and the chokeslam through two tables . A classic match and one of the better HIACs and Summerslam matches . ****1/2



7/10 . This was a good Summerslam with two fantastic main events and a solid undercard . The only terrible things were the ECW title match and the fact that Khali was in the WWE Championship match .