Summerslam 2013 Review

Summerslam 2013 Review

Quite the highly anticipated event here, with two hot main events, but did they both deliver?




The Miz starts the show by welcoming us to Summerslam and is interrupted by Fandango. Unfortunately this would be a pointless running joke throughout the night.



Kane vs Bray Wyatt : Ring of Fire Match
Like an Inferno match except you can't set your opponent on fire because this is the PG era. I thought this was a bad decision for the opener as it was quite dull throughout and the fire was only there to make the match seem more interesting. It didn't do Wyatt any favours either since he looked easily beaten and needed his family to help him win. Not a great start to the night. *



Cody Rhodes vs Damien Sandow
Now this should have been the opening match. I have to say that I love Sandow's new MITB Briefcase. Suits him well. I'd been looking forward to this match for a while, even if it didn't get heat from the buildup, and I'd say that they delivered here. They have great chemistry together and I'd love to see more from them in the future. My only problem is that it was too short. An extra five minutes or so could have made this a much more memorable bout. As it is, it's still a good match. ***



Christian vs Alberto Del Rio
I'm slightly worrying that this could be Christian's last match after the video package. It was like something that would have been made for a Hall of Fame inductee. What was with Del Rio's huge shiner as well? I was worried that the match would be heatless since they had already fought each other a couple of times and the fact that there wasn't much buildup, but they surprised me with a great match. It was back and forth with some nice nearfalls and a great finish. It's a shame that it'll be forgotten thanks to other matches on the show. Worth checking out. ***3/4



Natalya vs Brie Bella
I wondered if this match would have some heat thanks to the Total Divas show, but it's safe to say that the fans couldn't give a shit about it. They spent their time chanting for Zack Ryder and the commentators. The match was actually not bad thanks to the effort from Natalya, and she got the win which was a great decision because she is arguably the best diva in the WWE. Enough of the 'reality' show please. *



CM Punk vs Brock Lesnar
The Best vs The Beast. This one had a great buildup thanks to all three guys putting their hearts into it. I had high expectations for this match and it managed to exceed them hugely. Everything about the match was fantastic, from the brawling, to the reversals and to Heyman's involvement. Quite possibly Lesnar's best match ever! The contest made CM Punk look like the best wrestler in the world and made Lesnar look like the biggest monster in the world, which is all you can ask for. I also love how neither guy kicked out of the other's main finisher, which isn't something you see in most big matchups. Match of the Year candidate for sure. *****



Dolph Ziggler & Kaitlyn vs Big E Langston & AJ Lee
I feel bad for these guys having to be the cool down match for that epic contest, but they did well with it. Ziggler bumped around awesomely as usual, and Big E showed that he has a bright future ahead of him as a very athletic big guy. More time and it could have been much better. **



John Cena vs Daniel Bryan
Needless to say, expectations for this match were huge. A lot of people, including myself, were annoyed when HHH was announced as the referee, but he did not hinder the match in the slightest. These two went out there and had a balls to the wall main event match that was reminiscent of the MITB 2011 main event. Bryan showed he deserves to be at the top, and Cena showed that he still has what it takes to be a main eventer. Awesome match all the way through and may be the best Summerslam main event ever and possibly the best Summerslam match ever. Now we can officially say that Bryan has held the WWE Championship! *****. My match of the year for 2013 and I doubt it will be topped.


But unfortunately, Bryan's feel-good moment ends with HHH turning heel and delivering a pedigree. Orton cashes in his briefcase and becomes the new WWE Champion.




9.5/10. Well that's the best PPV of the year so far and quite possibly the best Summerslam of all time. If the two main events had delivered, this would have been a recommended show, but the two main events delivered above and beyond the expectations. Add in a great World Title match, a fun mixed tag match and a good grudge match, and you have an awesome PPV. Get this one now!

The Bash 2009 Review

The Bash 2009 Review : Almost Match of the Year




Tommy Dreamer vs Christian vs Finlay vs Jack Swagger vs Mark Henry
These scramble matches are usually pretty fun. ECW Title is on the line. Christian and Swagger are starting the match off. Finlay out next after a couple of minutes of good action. Dreamer out next. Bad botch as it looked like Christian moved out of the way when he wasn't supposed to. Henry out last. Henry came in very motivated. Fun match to open the show, but the finish was all over the place. Dreamer retains. ***



Rey Mysterio vs Chris Jericho
This is Mask vs Title. I've heard so much about this match, so I'm really looking forward to it. Two minutes into the match and Rey goes head first into the barricade. Ouch. I can't believe that Rey kicked out of that huge codebreaker. Amazing action with some awesome counter-wrestling. Easily match of the night, and if Taker/HBK hadn't happened, it would likely be match of the year as well. Mysterio's second mask was a great idea. Mysterio hits the 619 to win the title. ****1/2



Dolph Ziggler vs The Great Khali : No DQ
I suppose if anyone could get anything good out of Khali, it would be Ziggler. For some reason they show a video package before the match. Obviously not a good match, but it was short and Ziggler sold like a champ as usual. Kane interferes to help Dolph get the pinfall win. Meh. 3/4*



The Colons vs Legacy vs Chris Jericho & Edge
This was originally meant to be the Colons vs Legacy, but Teddy Long decided to add Jericho & Edge to be controversial. The teaming of Edge and Jericho was a good idea, but it never went anywhere thanks to Edge's Achilles tendon injury. At least we got JeriShow out of that. Match wasn't bad, but it needed more Edge and Jericho. Edge hits the spear to win the titles. **1/4



Michelle McCool vs Melina
These two had a pretty solid match at Night of Champions the next month, would this live up to that standard? Quite sad that the best we could have hoped for from divas matches was 'pretty solid'. Anyway the match wasn't bad and certainly had it's moments, but it suffered from lack of crowd heat and some sloppiness. Michelle hits the faithbreaker to win. *1/2



CM Punk vs Jeff Hardy
The start of a fantastic feud and probably the best feud of the year. The great thing is that their matches would get better and better as they went on. The fans were definitely behind Hardy in this one. This wasn't their best match, but it was still pretty good. The false win for Hardy stopping the momentum of the match and the DQ finish brought things down. I'll go with  **3/4. Pretty disappointing considering how good their other matches are.



John Cena vs The Miz
This was Miz's first proper storyline I think, in which each week he would claim a victory against Cena. It was pretty entertaining up to this point until Miz was buried. At least it didn't really affect him, and he even became WWE Champion. A match you would see on Raw from Cena. *




Triple H vs Randy Orton : Three Stages of Hell Match
I can only remember one excellent TSOH match and that was the one from No Way Out 2001 between Austin and HHH. HHH loses the first fall by hitting Orton with a steel chair to cause a DQ. Quickly after that, HHH hits a pedigree on the outside to win the second fall. Stretcher match for the final fall. Pretty solid match, but not PPV worthy as Orton retains with Legacy's help . **3/4



5.5/10. Man, the Jericho/Mysterio match was certainly a show saver. The opener was good too, but everything else just felt completely lackluster. Only get this one if you haven't seen the awesome IC Title match.

Wrestlemania XVI Re-Do Review

Wrestlemania XVI Re-Do Review


If anyone hasn't seen my re-do of Mania 17, here's the link if you want to keep the continuity going : http://prowrestlingtvreviews.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/wrestlemania-x-seven-re-do-review.html

I've been looking forward to watching the ladder match and the main event again, as I have a feeling that the ratings will change for those ones. Right let's get started.


                                                                                                                                                                   


(I forgot that this one is famous for not having any traditional singles matches) 


The Godfather & D-Lo Brown vs The Big Boss Man & Bull Buchanan 
I actually found this tag match to be really entertaining . All guys put on a good performance , especially Bull Buchanan who impressed me . Bull picks up the win after a leg drop onto D-Lo . **3/4


(Ice T raps Godfather and D-Lo to the ring. He really didn't look like much of a big deal with a random tag match. Did this match even have a feud to go with it? Doesn't seem like much of a Mania match. Seems like it should have been more of a dark match. Match wasn't too bad, but there wasn't anything memorable about it. Definitely overrated it. *1/4)




Hardcore Battle Royal
The rules of this match were that if you pinned someone , you were the hardcore champ . The time limit was 15 minutes . There was a big botch at the end of the match where the ref was supposed to do the pinfall just as the timer ran out , but he did that too early and managed to get the pinfall , so there was a new champ even when there wasn't supposed to be ! This was mostly brawling with trash cans and road signs but it was fun . Hardcore Holly wins after smashing a glass over Crash's head and gets the pinfall . **


(Yeah this one is mainly remembered for the screwed up finish. There were way too many guys in the match. They would have been better off with a fatal four way or even a six-pack challenge. Basically just random weapon shots for the fifteen minutes. Seeing some of the tag teams breaking up over the title was quite humorous. The stuff with Tazz, Crash and Hardcore Holly was quite enjoyable up until the fucked finish. Another match I overrated. *)


Al Snow & Steve Blackman vs Test & Albert
I always did enjoy the antics of Al and Steve . Usually gave me a laugh . A huge block of cheese runs to the ring to support head cheese . Test wins it with an elbow drop to Steve . Not much of a match here . *3/4


(Another random tag match. Was I drunk while watching this show the first time? All the ratings are too damn high! This match just wouldn't end and was all over the place. Bloody awful. DUD)



Edge & Christian vs The Dudley Boyz vs The Hardy Boyz : Triangle Ladder Match
The second ladder match in Wrestlemania history at that time . If it wasn't for the No Mercy ladder match , this wouldn't be here and if it wasn't for this match , there would be no TLC . Many people mistake this as the first TLC match and it's not hard to see why . Plenty of ladders and tables , just no chairs . This was an amazing match that no one had seen anything like at the time . No wonder the ladder match is such a popular match type .  So many replay moments . Edge & Christian grab the titles after plunging Matt to a table in the ring . *****


(Thankfully we finally have the match that saves this trainwreck of a show so far. This had everything you could want from a ladder match, from amazing inovative offense to no cringe worthy slow climb spots. Add in the fact that this led us to the birth of the TLC match, and you've got an all time classic here. I'll lower the rating a bit, because I think it was too high the first time. ****1/2)



Terri vs The Kat : Cat Fight
Fabulous Moolah was with Terri and Mae Young with Kat . Val Venis was also the special ref . The only reason to watch this match is obvious and it's not for the wrestling . The less said the better . DUD


(All I can say is fucking dreadful. DUD)



(I have no idea how I did it, but somehow I've gotten the order of the next two matches mixed up. How the fuck did I do that?)



Kurt Angle vs Chris Jericho vs Chris Benoit : 2 Falls Match
The first fall is for the IC Title and the second is for the European Title . Here we have three of the all time great technical wrestlers . All three of these guys were here performing in their first ever Wrestlemania . Needless to say they would go onto greater things at Wrestlemania . This wasn't the best triple threat match but it was still pretty damn good . Benoit wins the IC Title after a diving headbutt onto Jericho . Jericho wins the European title after lionsaulting Benoit .  Angle came in with 2 titles and left with none . ***1/2


(I thought it was pretty cool that Angle was never pinned or made to submit and yet he still lost both of his titles. This match took place a couple of years too early, as these attitude era fans couldn't really appreciate the great wrestling going on in the ring. I'll lower the rating a little because the fact that there's no heat kind of ruins things. ***)




The Radicalz vs Chyna & Too Cool
Apparently this match didn't really mean anything since the next day , Eddie and Chyna started going out . Not much to say about this match . Chyna wins by pinning Eddie . **

(Yeah this was made a bit pointless with Chyna and Eddie becoming friends the next night. The match itself was entertaining and, as always, Eddie was great to watch. Fun stuff. **1/4)



X-Pac & Road Dogg vs Kane & Rikishi 
I think the only reason this match was here , was to set up another Pete Rose Wrestlemania moment from which he is attacked by Kane and Rikishi . The match ends with Kane pinning X-Pac after a tombstone piledrviver .  *1/2


(Yeah the main point of this bout was to set up the final Pete Rose gag. Didn't Kane and Tori end up becoming an item later on? Anyway the match was quite fun while it lasted so I'll stick with my  *1/2 rating)


Triple H vs Mick Foley vs The Rock vs The Big Show : Elimination Match 
Until Wrestlemania 27 , this was the only main event in Wrestlemania history that ended with the heel walking out as the victor . I think that this is quite the underrated match . I've always enjoyed it , but other people seem to think that it wasn't very good . Everyone's entitled to their opinion though . There was a McMahon in every corner here because they need to be the center of attention all the time . The Big Show is eliminated after a rock bottom . Mick Foley is eliminated after a pedigree onto a steel chair . HHH retains his title after Vince hits the Rock with a steel chair .  ***3/4

(It's weird that both cases of the heel winning the final match at Mania seems to be seen as something really stupid to do. Although in this case it led to two classic matches between Rock and HHH so I'm completely fine with it. If this was just the four guys out there, it would have been better, but the McMahon in every corner thing hindered it a bit. I still really enjoyed this match but the original rating is a little too high for me. ***1/2)




6/10 . This one is worth watching for the triple threat match , the fatal four way and obviously the amazing ladder match .



(5/10. Man if the main event wasn't very good, and the triangle ladder match hadn't been awesome, then this would have been a pretty dire Wrestlemania. The triple threat is good as well, but the rest was filled with pointless tag team matches, an awful woman's match and quite a bad hardcore match. Check out the ladder match and the main event though)

Wrestlemania XVIII Re-Do Review

Wrestlemania XVIII Re-Do Review



This Wrestlemania is remembered for one match. But were there other matches that were also memorable? Let's find out.


                                                                                                                                                            




Saliva sing the opening song which I assume was the theme song for the entire show . Wow that set looks huge .

(It was strange not to have America the Beautiful and instead have this nu-metal song. And yeah the set was pretty damn big)



The video package was very well done .

(Another one putting over the enormity of Mania)



Rob Van Dam vs William Regal 
This was RVD's Wrestlemania debut and was Regal's second year in a row being in the opener for the IC Title . RVD took a couple of brutal bumps in this match , especially from Regal's back suplex where he landed right on his head . Van Dam was hugely popular here . RVD wins with a five star frog splash and a nice match to start us off here . **3/4

(Good choice for the opener, as it got the crowd fired up. At this point, RVD was a fan favourite, and they were just waiting for him to win a title and elevate himself. Regal's suplex that made RVD land on his head still looks sick. Solid match but not as good as originally thought. **1/2)



Diamond Dallas Page vs Christian 
This would be the last Wrestlemania that the European title would be defended . Good god i hate this blurring . DDP competing in his first and last Wrestlemania . DDP wins with the diamond cutter . Solid match . **1/2 Christian takes a temper tantrum after the match .

(Yeah unfortunately the blurring will be an issue for another few shows. Anyway this came about with Christian betraying DDP. The match itself was solid and entertaining. Could have been much better with some extra time. **1/2)


(By the way, for those wondering, I know I've already re-done Wrestlemania 17, but I still want to watch it again with the anthology version. I may update the re-done version if I change my mind about some ratings)


Funny moment backstage with The Rock and Coach .

Goldust vs Maven
This is also the final appearance of the Hardcore title at Wrestlemania . This match wasn't good and would keep changing places throughout the rest of the night . Spike Dudley runs in to pick up the win and runs into the crowd while being chased . DUD

(All the shenanigans that went on for the rest of the show were pretty fun to watch. This part wasn't good though. No heat from the crowd and the uses of the weapons felt uninspired. Not quite a dud though as I've seen worse. I'll go with  1/4*)



For some reason we get Drowning Pool 'singing' us the story of HHH/Jericho . Ok then moving on .

(Definitely here just to waste time)



Backstage , Hurricane attacks Spike and wins the Hardcore title .

(Fun stuff)


Kurt Angle vs Kane
We have quite the underrated match here . Kurt's last Wrestlemania with hair and Kane's last one with a mask until the 28th edition . Good match as Angle gets the roll through and puts his feet on the ropes for the win . ***

(Overrated this one but not by much as it was very solid. I'd still put it as Angle's worst Mania match, but that's only because the other ones range from great to fucking awesome. Angle tried his best to get a great match, but he can still be happy with it being quite good. **3/4)



Hurricane is sneaking around backstage and spies on the Godfather's hoes as Godfather chases him out .

Undertaker vs Ric Flair : No DQ Match
This is a really good brawl match here . I loved it when Arn Anderson ran into the ring and gave Taker an amazing spinebuster . That absolutely brutal superplex to Flair was brilliant . Flair bled quite badly during the match . Flair kept fighting with all of his heart but couldn't finish it . Taker picks up the win after a tombstone piledriver and goes 10-0 at Wrestlemania . ***1/2

(This started Flair's comeback in the ring for another six years. Taker looked like a total dick in this feud. It was a really one-sided feud, as Taker took out Flair's friends and family, lost him his job in the board of directors, and Flair never really got his revenge. It's still awesome to see Arn Anderson run in and deliver a big spinebuster to Taker. The match wasn't as good as I remembered and most of it featured some dull offense from Taker. It did have it's moments though. I'll go with  ***)



Edge vs Booker T
I believe these two were feuding over some sort of shampoo commercial . Thank goodness they're good wrestlers . Edge back at home in Canada here . Booker's first Wrestlemania as well . Weird to see Theodore Long as a referee . Solid match as Edge wins with the edgecution DDT . **1/4

(Yep it was a commercial for shampoo. At least this gave guys a reason to feud unlike, for example, Kane vs Orton which just seemed random. I think this feud was mainly made up just to get Edge on the card, since they were in his home town. Match was entertaining enough and had a nice finish. **)



Backstage Molly wins the hardcore title after hitting Hurricane with a frying pan .

Stone Cold vs Scott Hall
I think Austin deserved better than this at Wrestlemania . This is probably his worst Wrestlemania match . Kevin Nash is out at ringside with Scott . Ok match but it didn't feel inspired at all . Austin wins with his fourth stunner to Scott . **

(I wonder how things would have went had they went with Austin/Hogan instead. I guess we'll never know. This is easily Austin's worst match at Mania. He definitely deserved more. I forgot that this match was even on the card prior to watching it. Austin was fine here but Hall just didn't seem to be feeling it. Can't believe it took four stunners to put Hall down. Should have been one. Sticking with  **)



Dudley Boyz vs Hardy Boyz vs APA vs Billy & Chuck : Elimination Match
The Dudley's theme music is done by Saliva . This felt strange since the tag title matches at the past couple of Wrestlemanias were defining classics of Wrestlemania history . The APA is eliminated after a 3D from the Dudleys . The Dudleys are eliminated after a twist of fate and a swanton . Chuck picks up the win after Jeff is hit on the head with the tag title . **3/4

(There was no way in hell they'd have been able to follow the two previous Mania tag title matches, which were all time classic ladder and TLC matches. How did Chuck manage to go from this to a badass biker years later? The match was pretty entertaining while it lasted, but it could have used a better finish. **1/2)



Backstage , Molly is hit with a door by Christian to become the hardcore champion .

The Rock vs Hulk Hogan
And now it is time for the match that we all came to see ! 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

(How this wasn't the main event I will never know. That's like putting Miz/Cena ahead of Taker/HHH. Oh wait..... Anyway the match is still a classic and I'm glad they didn't overbook it with run ins from the NWO until the match was over. It was a contest to see who the better man was. Seeing Hogan hulk up and the crowd going wild still gives me goosebumps. This match proves that it's not just about the wrestling, but about the feeling that two all time greats clashing in the biggest event of the year can create. I do think my original rating was too high though. I'll go with  ****)




After the match , the NWO comes down to attack Hogan , but Rock rescues him . They trade poses and should have sent the crowd home happy . Unfortunately , this wasn't the main event even though it should have been .

A record attendance tonight of 68,237 .

Jazz vs Lita vs Trish Stratus 
Trish was the hometown girl here and yet somehow she didn't walk away with the title . This was a solid triple threat match but not as good as the one the following year . Jazz wins after a fisherman's suplex off of the top rope . **3/4


(Is it me or did Lita look stoned coming to the ring? Maybe it's just her. The crowd did have some reaction for Trish who was the hometown girl. I thought the match would have been better given the talent in the ring, but it wasn't too bad. *3/4)


Backstage , Maven rolls up Christian to win back the hardcore title and that's the end of that .

Triple H vs Chris Jericho
Drowning Pool plays HHH to the ring . I feel bad for this match . It's a good match , but is ruined because it had to follow Rock/Hogan . It really shouldn't have been the main event . A highlight of the match is HHH finally giving a pedigree to Stephanie . HHH wins with a pedigree and becomes the Undisputed champion . ***

(They didn't even give it a video package before it began unless you count the pointless Drowning Pool performance earlier in the night. Made it feel like just another match. It should have been billed as Triple H vs Stephanie McMahon. When you have Chris Jericho as a third wheel in a feud, you're doing something wrong. At least Jericho can say he's been in the final match at Mania. The match itself was better than I remembered and had a good finish to go with it. I'll put this up to  ***1/4)


6/10 . Some of this show really dragged at some points but there was enough to keep the show going like the classic Rock/Hogan or the great Taker/Flair match .


(6/10. Not a great Mania here as Hogan/Rock was the only real memorable match. Taker/Flair and HHH/Jericho were good matches but not great. Everything else felt more like matches you would see on Raw or Smackdown, but they were all entertaining in their own way, except for the first Hardcore Title match)