The Best of Raw and Smackdown 2011 DVD Re-Do Review

The Best of Raw & Smackdown 2011 Re-Do Review


This seems like the most appropriate choice for a re-do review. This is the first review that I posted on this blog, and it's also the worst one I've ever done as you'll soon see for yourself. So like my Wrestlemania XXIX re-do, I'll post the original review, whilst writing what I think of the matches now. Ok lets begin. This is gonna be a long one.



Disc 1

John Morrison vs  The Miz : Falls Count Anywhere.
Great match to start the year off with , and they really used the FCA stipulation out there . Why the hell isn't Morrison with wwe anymore ? ****1/4


(Well that was certainly a short observation. I still agree that Morrison should still be with WWE. He may have had the personality of a brussel sprout, but he was amazing in the ring. The match, however, isn't as good as I first thought. It's still a great match, just not ****1/4 great. I'll lower it to  ***3/4)


Kofi Kingston vs Dolph Ziggler
Not as good as other matches they've had in the past , but still good nonetheless. ***


(Wow, that's got to be the shortest review I've ever given to a match featuring Ziggler. Ziggler had held the title for quite at this point. This might have been their 94th match together, who knows. Kofi was more of a transitional champion, since the title went to Wade Barrett soon after. I definitely overrated this one. It may be exciting, but it's just way too short. I'll give it  **)



Rey Mysterio vs Alberto Del Rio : 2 out of 3 falls
This match would be great if given a proper ending , but everything before that was great . ***1/4

(Man, I loved the matches between these two. It's a shame we never got to see more, or even a PPV match between the two. Mysterio lost the first fall really quickly, as he tapped to the arm breaker. Del Rio lost the second fall to a roll up. Del Rio manages to win on a countout. Great match with a copout ending. I'll increase the rating to  ***1/2)


Natalya vs Melina
Watch for the great finish . *


(A keen observation there, if I do say so myself. Although Natalya stretching Melina with the sharpshooter was a fucking awesome visual. Natalya should totally be at the top of the divas division. A year later she would move on to a fart gimmick that no one wants to remember. Match was super short, but still not bad. Rating stays the same *)



(Just so everyone knows, I won't be talking about the non-wrestling segments since I can't rate them. I might add something smart and witty if I can come up with anything)



The Miz vs Daniel Bryan
I probably overrate this match , but i thought it was fantastic . ***3/4


(Why in the name of God didn't I capitalise my I's? It just looks so damn tacky and unprofessional. Wait, I'm not a professional. Well I may as well act like one. Don't worry Daniel, you'd move on to bigger and better things, like 18 seconds at Wrestlemania. I think I may have overrated this a tad, but it was just so damn fun and exciting, like most Bryan matches. I'll give it ***1/2)


The Rock Returns - Amazing , must-see

(His return still gives me goosebumps)

John Cena Responds - These last 2 promos are even more interesting now looking back . Great promo.

Championship Coronation of Dolph Ziggler- Skip unless you want to see Edge win his final World title .

A Stone Cold Referee - Ok segment , having JBL return was a nice surprise.


(Even Stone Cold couldn't make their match work)


'The Rock' Attacks Cena . - Probably the only heat segment for the 'Main Event' of WM XXVII


(Miz's make up looked awesome here, as even some of the people in the crowd thought he was The Rock as he came out. It's a real shame he was more of a background character in the feud)


Christian vs Alberto Del Rio : Steel Cage
Really good match , but I still find it strange why they gave Del Rio a loss 2 weeks before his World Title WM match which he lost clean . Made him look rather weak . ***


(Yeah it was bad booking giving Christian the win over Del Rio two weeks before Wrestlemania, where he would lose once again. No wonder he can't get himself over. The match was good though, so I think I'll stick with my *** rating)


Kofi Kingston vs Wade Barrett
Kinda sucks that Wade only has one match on this entire 4 disc set . Ok match with a great finish . **3/4


(At least it's the only match featuring the Corre on the set. My God they were boring. They tried giving them the IC and Tag Team Titles, but they just never looked like a threat, and I think they were a failure overall. Match wasn't bad, and the finish was pretty cool with Barrett turning trouble in paradise into a wasteland for the win. I'll give it  **1/4)


(For some reason I missed out the Taker/HHH confrontation on Raw, featuring Shawn Michaels. Shawn was awesome here, as he got everyone hyped up for the No Holds Barred match at Mania. Good work from everyone here)


Disc 2

Edge Says Goodbye - Emotional goodbye from Edge . Definitely watch especially if you're a fan of Edge .


(Even today, this still hurts to watch. It has been two years since this took place, and I still can't believe that Edge has gone)


A New Side of R-Truth - I truly miss the heel R-Truth . This was great to see at the time .


(Why the hell can't this R-Truth come back? He was awesome! Now he's gone back to the boring rapping R-Truth)


John Cena vs The Miz
I remember watching this match at the time and once it had finished , i said to myself , 'why didnt that happen at Wrestlemania ?? Even with the DQ finish it still would have been better than what we got instead . ***1/2



(Yeah this totally should have been the match that took place at Mania. It was fun and had tons of heat from the crowd. It's probably the best match the two have had together. Rating stays at ***1/2 for this one)


Randy Orton vs Christian
I hated this match at the time because Christian's reign was so short and it felt like a slap in the face to a man who worked hard for his opportunity. It even made me boo Orton for a while , and i dont usually boo someone unless they suck at wrestling . Suffice to say it was shocking at the time . However , with that being said , this was an awesome match that showed that both guys were at the top of the brand . ****



(I'm still pissed that Christian only held that title for two days. He worked so hard for it, and then it was just ripped away from him. Stopped watching Smackdown for a while after it. At least we got some great Orton/Christian matches out of it, especially their excellent No Holds Barred match. This was the first of many great matches between the two. Excellent stuff as Orton hits a big RKO to win the title. This still deserves it's **** rating)


Riley's Revenge - Would have been much better if Riley wasn't now a jobber for guys like Lord Tensai . Skip.

(Now known as Sweet T, and Riley is still in jobber hell)



Randy Orton vs Sheamus . Special Referee : Christian
Don't know why Christian is wearing his ring gear but i suppose that's irrelevant . A lot of people think Sheamus was better as a heel . I would say he is good as a heel but much better as a face . I think the No DQ match would have been better here , but this is still a good match that is worth watching , especially for the heel turn of Christian . ***


(I still think that Orton and Sheamus should have had more matches for the World Title. Who knows, they may have some in the future. Christian made his inevitable heel turn in this match. This match is a bit better than I originally thought. Just good action throughout, and Sheamus even looked great when it was over. I'll increase it to  ***1/4)


John Cena , Randy Orton & Alex Riley vs The Miz , R-Truth & Christian : Elimination
Funny promo by the heels before the match that is worth watching for the lols . Good match . Nothing more
***


(Sweet Jesus Christ, I actually used the word 'lols'? I hate my 17 year old self. The heel segment before the match was pretty good though. Elimination matches are usually fun, and this one was no exception. It's nice that Christian got a pinfall on Orton. Cena wins as usual. Rating stays at ***)


Daniel Bryan vs Cody Rhodes
Wow these guys fought each other a lot in 2011 . Good match from 2 of my wrestlers . ***


(Yeah these two did fight each other quite a lot. Not a bad thing at all mind you. For some reason, when Cody talks about chocolate, it gives me a craving for chocolate. I probably should have put the word 'favourite' behind the word 'wrestlers'. Makes me sound like a creepy stalker when I don't. The match wasn't as good as I remembered, but it did have it's moments, mainly thanks to Bryan. I'll give it  **1/2)



CM Punk Pipe Bomb- Absolutely required viewing if you haven't seen it . Still amazes me .


(Yeah this is still amazing. Got to be one of the all time best promos. Just absolutely masterful stuff here)


Sin Cara vs Christian
Great match from these two , they seem to have chemistry together . Hope they can face off in the future . ***1/4


(This might be Sin Cara's best match in the WWE so far. Don't know if that's good thing or not. Soon after this, Sin Cara would be suspended after violating the wellness policy. Christian made Sin Cara look great here. Fun, high-flying match. Rating stays at  ***1/4)


Mr McMahon Relieved of his Duties - Quite shocking at the time , but not very good now looking back . Kinda cheesy as well.


(Good God this was horrible. HHH looked silly with his crying and the line 'I love you pop'. Pardon me while I go to vomit. What made it even worse was that it was all made redundant when Vince returned, without any explanation as to why his power was given back to him.


Disc 3

John Cena vs Rey Mysterio
Kind of a dream match here and probably should have been saved for a pay per view considering how good it is and the money it could make . I couldn't help but feel bad for Rey , as he had already fought earlier in the night and didn't get his rematch until a month later . Rey applying the STF was unbelievable . CM Punk returning was great too. Phenomenal match between the 2 babyfaces . One of the best of 2011 . ****


(Since it looks like Rey may be retiring anytime soon, this could be the only big match we see between the two, which is an absolute shame since they have such great chemistry. Still sucks that Rey only heard the title for around an hour, but the great match made up for it. One of the better TV matches of 2011. It stays at  ****)


Cody Rhodes vs Ezekiel Jackson
This match is only here to show Cody winning the title . *


(Why was Ezekial even the IC Champion in the first place? He was good as heel, but he was fucking awful as a face. Thank God for Cody winning the title, as he would also go on to bring back the classic IC Title. We didn't see much of Zeke after this. Really quick match, but it was fun due to Cody winning the title. Lets keep it at  *)


John Morrison vs R-Truth : Falls Count Anywhere
I thought this match would take place at Summerslam or another PPV but obviously that didn't happen . Good match from the two . ***


(Considering how packed that year's Summerslam card was, it was no wonder that this wasn't on it. At least we did get to see the end of the feud. There were some nice spots in this one, like the front suplex on the floor, and the big kick from the barricade. Rating stays at  *** for this one)


Daniel Bryan vs Alberto Del Rio
Disappointing match but still good , thought they could have done better . ***


(First time I watched this, I thought it was awesome. Second time, I thought it was disappointing. And now for the third time, I think it's pretty good. It's not a technical masterpiece, but it was a well-worked, well-paced match. It's finish is a little abrupt though. I'll give it  ***1/4)


Airboom vs Michael McGillicutty & David Otunga
Just here to show Airboom winning the titles . **


(As I said above, this was here mainly to show Airboom winning the Tag Titles. Evan would end up ruining it by violating the wellness policy. In fact I think he was suspended twice. Could be wrong. Matches featuring David Otunga usually tend to be pretty dull. Very short, very unremarkable match. *)


Randy Orton vs Christian : Steel Cage
Awesome match between these two great athletes . Probably the third best match they had and that's saying something ! ****1/4


(This is the last match from their fantastic feud in 2011, and they finished it in great fashion. These two were usually guaranteed to have a great match, and this was no exception. It had great crowd heat to go along with it. The top rope RKO to end the match looked amazing. I overrated a tiny bit, but not by much. Still awesome. ****)


Randy Orton vs Cody Rhodes
Good , if unspectacular , match . ***


(These two had a few good matches during this time period, but nothing was going to follow Orton's fantastic feud with Christian. A good back and forth contest between the two. Rating stays at  ***)


Cutting Edge - Good to see Edge again and the ending was awesome.

Mark Henry Unleashed - Ok segment , just to show how dominant Mark Henry was.

Zack Ryder vs Dolph Ziggler
Probably here just to show the involvement of Hugh Jackman . *1/2



(I think this was WWE's way of saying "Hey, look who we can get on the show!". Other than that, there's no real reason for it to be on the DVD. Although it is Zack Ryder's only appearance. I'll give it  *)


Mark Henry vs Christian : Lumberjack
No idea why this is here . 1/4*


(There really is no reason for this to be here. The fact that it's heel vs heel doesn't help. The lumberjacks weren't really needed either. Boring match thanks to Henry's restholds. I'll give it  1/2*)


CM Punk vs Alberto Del Rio
These two would have a much better match at Survivor Series but this is still a good match . ***


(Aside from the 2011 Survivor Series, these two have never really had a match that could be called a classic. Good match anyway, but I don't think Punk should have won, considering that Del Rio would be winning the title at the PPV. **3/4)


Disc 4

12 Man Tag Match
Very good , if overlong , tag match . ***1/4


(Wow I didn't give a lot of info on this match did I? For those curious it's : John Cena / CM Punk / Kofi Kingston / Evan Bourne / Mason Ryan vs Dolph Ziggler / Jack Swagger / Cody Rhodes / Alberto Del Rio / David Otunga / Christian. Some great stars included there, apart from Mason and Otunga. But yeah this match was way too long, but it was pretty entertaining while it lasted. The  ***1/4 rating stands)


Vote of No Confidence
Just a Highlight Video



(This whole storyline sucked balls and still does today)


John Cena vs Sheamus : Referee - Triple H : Commentator - CM Punk
This is worth watching because it is so unique , even if it kind of failed in the long run . N/R



(This was strange to watch which makes it worth a view alone. Punk on commentary is always great though. The story was wretched though, with nothing accomplished and most of the roster looked really bad. Can't really give it a rating since it's not much of match)


Sin Cara vs Sin Cara
I really enjoyed this match and find it very underrated . ***1/2


(This was Sin Cara's last proper storyline in WWE, unless you include the mask feud with Cody Rhodes which I don't. I really overrated this one the first time round. It's a little too short and not enough action. Parts of it were still good though. **1/2)


Randy Orton vs Cody Rhodes : Street Fight
Brutal match that left both guys battered and bruised at the end . Great match . ***3/4


(This is probably the best match that these two have had against each other. This match featured no weapons being used, besides Cody's mask, and yet they still managed to look like they beat the absolute shit out of each other. That's something special right there. I just wish that it had a better finish. The  ***3/4 rating still stands)


Mark Henry vs Daniel Bryan
I think this match is here to show the feud between Mark Henry and Big Show . Daniel Bryan puts on a hell of a performance . **



(Daniel Bryan can make anyone look amazing, including himself. Everyone wanted to see Bryan win this, and he made you believe that he could. Bryan would only be a month away from winning the World Title and becoming a main eventer. I'll lower the rating to  *1/2)


CM Punk vs Dolph Ziggler
I remember watching this match and being amazed by it . Even after a second viewing it is still an amazing match . ****



(Great choice for the closing match of the DVD set. Ends with a bang, not a whimper. This was Punk's first full day of his 434 day championship reign. This match made Ziggler a star, and showed that he could be a bonafide main eventer. Fantastic wrestling all the way through. The best match on the set for sure. Still  ****)


Overall i would say that this dvd is definitely worth your money especially if you missed these matches . 8/10.


(Definitely still sticking with the 8/10 rating. These best of Raw and Smackdown sets are vastly underrated and this one was fun all the way through, with both the non-wrestling and wrestling content. Easily worth a purchase)