BY MIKEY MIGO
I didn’t expect much going into this Pay Per View. I figured CM Punk and Daniel Bryan wouldn’t go on last, Cena and John Laurnaitis would be the last match and end with shenanigans, and there might be one or two bright spots. There just didn’t seem to be much going for this show going in. These are typically the shows that end up surprising the hell out of us. I didn’t even have that vibe going in. I expected some forgettable shit.
I loved the way this show opened up. The battle royal starting in progress was really interesting and gave the show an immediate feel of action. The battle royal itself was decent. Some of the eliminations looked embarrassing. There were some bright spots thought. It got to showcase guys like Kidd, Miz, Reks, and guys that seem to be buried in the lower card these days. When it got down to the final four I really didn’t care who won. I’m cool with The Miz, Tyson Kidd, Otunga, and Christian getting a mid-card title match. Hell, I’m cool with there actually being a mid-card title match. The finish was good. The outside corner spot was pretty innovative. Christian winning was fine.
Kofi and Truth defended the tag titles against Dolph and Ziggler second. I was looking forward to this one. They gave it time and let it tell a story. Sadly, Jerry Lawler almost ruined this match. His constant bickering about Vicki Guerrero’s dress and body was annoying as hell. He crossed the line of being pseudo-witty and just came off as a dickish bully. Booker T seemed forced into commenting on this shit and then Michael Cole would get them back into the match. Except for Lawler proving he’s outdated, this was probably the best WWE tag match in a year or two. I didn’t see anything in the Divas Title Match that was really worth talking about. Beth was solid and Layla wasn’t bad, but there was just nothing about the match that was all that interesting. The battle royal and the tag title match was good, but all in all so far, so forgettable.
The Four Way for the big gold belt was next. It wasn’t that bad and it wasn’t that great. Sheamus retained his belt after a really solid match. I’d watch it again, but I wouldn’t get overly excited about it. I enjoyed seeing Jericho and Del Rio go back and forth, Orton is working at his best and his intensity is always sharp, and Sheamus continues to grow into a solid main eventer. It’s closer to “great” than not, but I’m pretty sure I’ll forget about it within the next few weeks.
The show gets some “filler” in the form of Brodus Clay beating The Miz. I’m past Brodus Clay already. I have been. They’ve done nothing of interest with the character other than creating it. The Miz should be a main eventer or at least in the upper card, but has been regulated to being at the low end of the WWE totem pole. At this point, it’s almost obvious that he’s being punished for something. I could be wrong, but there seems to be no effort in his character push and I see nothing redeeming about his past six or so months. I hope I’m wrong. Christian defeated Cody Rhodes for the Intercontential Title. I’ve been anti-Christian since he pretty much came back to the WWE. He lost a step in the ring and personality wise. When he’s out there he doesn’t draw my attention really at all. I know he’s a good wrestler, but no more than just “good”. That said, he’ll be a good IC Champion. He’ll get to work with the mid card of the show and help them on their way hopefully upward. He and Cody could have a nice feud, but he’d also be good against most of the younger guys.
CM Punk and Daniel Bryan had a great twenty four minute match. It wasn’t the greatest match. Hell, I don’t feel like it was even the greatest match EITHER of these two have had this year. Still, I got no complaints. The ending automatically presents potential for rematches and the story to continue. That’s what I was hoping for. The build going in sucked. Everyone wanted to see these two go at it, but without some build and meaning behind it it’s just another Ring of Honor match. At least it didn’t have “iPPV issues”.
More “filler” comes in a Ryback squash over Camacho. There is nothing about Ryback that I find of interest, entertainment, or value. He’s taking up roster time from those who can actually string together an actual wrestling match. All he has done is use a few power moves and then make awkward poses and screams. I wasn’t a Goldberg fan, but at least there were those who were entertained and behind him. He makes Titus O’Neal look like Kurt Angle in his prime. Ouch.
The final match was, of course, Cena and Laurnaitis. It sucked so badly. It was actually insulting to the viewer. We all wanted to see Laurnaitis get beat up, but Cena made it lame. He preaches the whole “anti-bully” shit and then turns into the biggest bully I’ve seen in a match in a long time. It was horrible. The finish with Big Show was one of the most predictable things to happen in a long time. Why couldn’t have this been earlier in the night? I can’t think of anything good to say about this. It was long, uncomfortablely bad, and a perfect example as to why, despite great talent and occasional great matches, fans are becoming cynical. I enjoyed one or two matches on this show, the rest of it was not only a waste of time, but a nuisance. After a spree of really solid PPVs, this show really was forgettable.
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