Better late than never, eh, folks? I've been sitting on this article for about a week now and even after watching the event twice, I'm pretty indifferent about my thoughts.
Back at WWF Summerslam 1999, The Undertaker said that "Summerslam would be forever known as Armageddon" and he wasn't lying either. WWE Summerslam 2014 will be forever known as the night Brock Lesnar unleashed Armageddon upon John Cena's poor soul.
WWE World Heavyweight Championship - Brock Lesnar (w/ Paul Heyman) def. John Cena (c)
This wasn't even a match, this was a complete utter destruction. Brock Lesnar walked into John Cena's house, took a shit on his dinner plate and left him to eat his shit. To say that the internet wrestling community whines and complains that Cena NEVER puts anyone over then they should be able to completely shut up now. That beating he took in Summerslam's main event made Lesnar look like a million bucks.
Going into this match, I was worried that Cena would somehow retain the title(s) and WWE would tarnish Lesnar's win of ending the legendary streak of The Undertaker. I could not be any happier to be wrong on a prediction. My only concern now is where does WWE go from here? Brock Lesnar definitely can't maintain his part-time status and has to show up at bit more frequently now that he's the new champion.
If I were in charge of WWE's creative team, I would book Brock Lesnar similar to Samoa Joe's NWA-TNA run, where he was undefeated nor pinned for the bulk of his career until Kurt Angle joined TNA in 2006. In my opinion, Brock Lesnar should remain undefeated until WrestleMania 31, but I have no idea who he should face at this rate. He would cripple Sting. The Rock already got beat in 2002, so it would be no different now and end up being a repeat of Cena's recent failure. Roman Reigns is FAR too green to push into that position right now. Hell no to Triple H again... The Undertaker could work if he wanted to TRY to get his dignity back, but no one knows if he's done for good or not.
Stephanie McMahon def. Brie Bella
To say Stephanie McMahon hasn't wrestled in well over a decade, she was giving Brie Bella a run for her money in this match. Stephanie definitely deserved those "You still got it!" chants throughout this match. The only thing I would critique her in this match would be about her selling and overall pacing in this match. There were times where it seemed like Stephanie was racing to get to the finish instead of allowing herself (and Brie) to catch their breath and sell each other's offense.
The biggest point to take home here was obviously Nikki Bella's heel turn. I was more shocked that Triple H stayed down and sold her dropkick to the floor than the actual moment where Nikki turned on Brie.
Roman Reigns def. Randy Orton
Roman Reigns def. Randy OrtonLet's be real here - Orton carried Reigns from start to the finish of this match.
This match should have been lower on the card as it definitely didn't deserve to be right before the main event. If it were up to me, I would have had either the United States Championship or Tag Team Championships up in an impromptu title match since they weren't booked on tonight's card. That was bizarre to say that Summerslam is one of WWE's "Big Four" PPVs (Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, Summerslam, and Survivor Series).
I get that Roman Reigns is popular and the ladies LOVE him (just like Ambrose and Rollins), but from a technical standpoint, he does NOT need to be propelled into the main event picture YET. I could say the same about Ambrose and Rollins, but that's a topic for another day. Roman Reigns' winning a main event title would set him up for failure down the road, just like Sheamus before him. Every "big" guy in wrestling doesn't need to have an instant drive to the top like Brock Lesnar or Batista. This stuff takes damn time. Roman Reigns could benefit from being groomed slowly to the top with a few mid-card feuds before ascending to that level.
Lumberjack Match - Seth Rollins def. Dean Ambrose
I'm going to warrant a lot of heat for saying this, but this match wasn't the match of the night like everyone acting like it was over my Twitter feed during the live event. Sure, the diving cross body into all of the lumberjacks at ringside and the brawl at the erupted in the ring during the match's final moments were cool, but I honestly wasn't impressed here. If they wanted to do all of that, WWE should have booked this as a Street Fight to begin with. Oh wait, they did something like that on RAW the following night...
After that vicious beating that Ambrose took from Rollins to end RAW, I'm guessing that's Ambrose's write-off TV for he can go film that movie he was reportedly signed up for. That guy is going to have an even stronger following behind him whenever he returns. As for Rollins, I suggest he either hang onto that Money in the Bank briefcase or just flush that shit down the toilet as there's no way in hell he is going to win the title from Brock Lesnar at this stage of the game.
Divas Championship Match - Paige def. AJ Lee (c)
80% of this match I can't even call an actual wrestling match. This bout was littered with sexual euphemisms to toss more fuel into the fire of this borderline lesbian crush angle. It's strangely familiar to what Madison Rayne and Brittany were doing in Impact Wrestling a few months ago before they nixed it. I doubt this is going to go extreme into the gutter like fans of both Divas would like, but I personally would like to see them focus more on the wrestling aspect of this narrative.
Seriously, to say that Paige has been portrayed as bad-ass on NXT then to come to the main roster where she's running away from a girl who's shorter than her is just downright silly, especially to say that she knocked her ass out the night before. Yes, I'm referring to Paige and AJ's altercation on RAW the night after Summerslam.
Speaking of that night, I hope the involvement of Natalya in this feud leads to a triple threat match. Unlike the bulk of Diva fans, I'm not settling for less here. This is supposed to be the pinnacle of the Divas division in terms of feuds at the moment and we're getting a mediocre narrative AND matches. So you can't put the blame completely on WWE Creative here, folks. AJ Lee and Paige's efforts in the ring have been lukewarm at best and I know that both of these women are capable of MUCH better performances than this.
Flag Match - Rusev (w/ Lana) def. Jack Swagger (w/ Zeb Coulter)
To be quite honest, I was rather surprised to see Jack Swagger lose this match, especially how much babyface appeal he had going into this match. Rusev manages to sneak by with a win, just barely but I think the loss here hurt Swagger more than WWE thought it would. He has been struggling to bounce back with momentum again, especially after the absence of Zeb Coulter during the aftermath of this event. Meanwhile, Rusev continues to look strong despite the confusing booking of adversaries for him as of late - first it seemed like Mark Henry was going to take him on next, but Swagger was tossed back into the mix on the recent Monday Night RAW broadcast. C'mon WWE Creative, get with the program...
By the way, I'll quote my best friend and say that it has to be a damn SIN for Lana's dresses to be THAT damn tight. Not that I'm complaining... Looking at Lana has been healthy for me to stay focused on this feud...
Bray Wyatt def. Chris Jericho
This match was pretty much a repeat of their match at Battleground, which wasn't bad to begin with, combined with a little of Bray's flair from his bouts from Daniel Bryan earlier this year. I felt this was the win that Bray Wyatt should have gotten at Battleground last month while Jericho should have won here to make things even.
I know I should be more excited about this feud, but when Jericho is involved in something nowadays, you know he's just putting over new talent. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but at the same time, you know it's just passing the torch and not really offering anything else.
Intercontinental Championship Match - Dolph Ziggler def. The Miz (c)
After being robbed of the gold during Battleground's Battle Royal, it was only deserving that Ziggler pick up the win here tonight. I would be sick of this feud by now if the matches themselves have been pure money. No pun intended for the Moneymaker.
I could feel that burn all the way over here...
Too bad Maryse hasn't been around for this feud because these three have been killing it on their tweets back and forth on social media.
Pre-Show: Rob Van Dam def. Cesaro
It's a damn shame that these two had an excellent match here on the fucking PRE-SHOW instead of the event's actual match card for the evening. Even though they had a #1 Contender's Match on Monday Night RAW this week, I wouldn't mind seeing them both challenge Sheamus for the United States Championship to keep things interesting going into Night of Champions.
Closing Thoughts:
WWE Summerslam 2014 was pretty mediocre in my eyes, especially since this is supposed to be one of the Big Four Pay-Per-Views of the year AND one of the events to help convince people to renew their WWE Network subscriptions. It was definitely better than WWE Battleground last month, but that's not saying much.
I'm just hoping that WWE knocks it out of the ballpark come in time for Night of Champions or I'm going to be watching the stream, going "Meh..." for the third month in a row for a WWE-themed Pay-Per-View event. C'mon WWE, just because you launched the Network that's no excuse to start giving us $9.99 shows instead of $59.99 value that they should be worth each month.
Every now and then, I read an article about women's wrestling that pisses me off to the point that I have to rant about it. PWMania's recent article did just that trick.
The ONLY reason I'm sharing this article is that I'm going to go off on this misconception and delusional mindset about the WWE Divas that certain "fans" and people like the author of this article have about the current state of the Divas division and women's wrestling in general. So scroll down below the link to read what I have to say in-depth as I break all of this down what this clown has to say in a series of quotes followed by my analysis.
If you like what I have to say, Like this post, share it with your friends, or sound off in the comments. If you don't like what I have to say, you can bash me all you want, but I'm not going to waste my breath arguing with you in the comments. I'm saying my piece here and leaving it at that.
The article that I'm quoting is linked above and throughout this post, I'm going to quote and refer back to the original article, so feel free to follow along
"AJ Lee is the best Divas Champion of the last decade."
(Busts out laughing) So this clown is saying AJ is the BEST champion the Divas division has EVER had since 2004? Mind you, Lita and Trish were still with the company at that time. I get that AJ Lee is an idol to a LOT of fans nowadays since she's openly a geek and married to CM Punk now, but C'MON get your heads from shoved up her ass, Diva fans.
I'll quote my best bud and say that NO Diva is the best in the last decade. There's some strong contenders but no single candidate for that title. I'll gladly give AJ props for being the best champion of the last (roughly) 2-3 years though.
Much like Brie Bella's current program with Stephanie McMahon, AJ being involved in Punk/Bryan's feud was "best for business". She was the wildcard in play here and history shown that in Bryan's past feuds with Sheamus and The Big Show, that she could be used as a prop to throw a monkey wrench into either Superstars' plans. But let's not forget something. EVERYONE was anticipating something big from AJ in that title match at MITB 2012, but she was just a pawn to be manipulated by both men for Punk to win the match clean.
Call me what you want, but her whole gimmick of being the female CM Punk is really starting to bore me. It's ran it's course and I think she's going to have to do something else to catch my interest. And that whole thing of her cutting that look like Prince during Chappelle's Show when he played basketball against Charlie Murphy to cue that she's "cray cray" hasn't done anything for me since day one.
This is EXACTLY what I think of when I see AJ Lee's "crazy" look...
Bravo, AJ let the ENTIRE division job to her at WM30 when she did next to NO spots or any offense period in that match, yet the masses say she's so damn great. Since she won the title at Payback last year, AJ's offense in the ring hasn't impressed me at ALL. Her application of the Black Widow is sloppy at best and her matches are becoming just as stale as John Cena's to watch. For example, stop me when you see the pattern - Match starts, she gets some offense in, spends 80% of the match flopping around the ring like a ragdoll, 2-3 moves of doom or OHAI Black Widow! For the win.
"Her (Brie Bella) build is coming from her injured husband, and the heel work of Stephanie McMahon. She’s the luckiest Diva in the world right now."
Excuse me while I laugh out loud here at this stupidity. Women in wrestling being attached/associated to a high profile Superstar(s) is one of the OLDEST tricks of the trade in wrestling. Miss Elizabeth and Sherri Martel were attached to the hip to Macho Man Randy Savage and multiple other Superstars to get them over. Luna Vachon was attached to Gangrel. Sable was attached to Marc Mero before she surpassed him in popularity, only for Jacqueline to pick up the reigns after their separation. Debra was attached to Jeff Jarrett. Lita was attached to the Hardy Boyz (then later Rated RKO), Trish Stratus was tied to Test & Albert, and Terri Runnels/Marlena was attached to the hip with Goldust. Melina was w/ MNM, Ashley Massaro w/ Londrick, Cherry w/ Deuce & Domino, Rosa Mendes w/ Zack Ryder (then Primo & Epico before they were repackaged), Aksana w/ Cesaro, Summer Rae w/ Fandango, Kelly Kelly, Brooke Adams (now Tessmacher in TNA), and Layla w/ The Miz, Maryse w/ Ted Dibiase, Beth Phoenix w/ Santino (before picking up Emma recently), Chyna w/ Triple H, Tori w/ X-Pac, and so on. I could go on here ALL night with these pairings.
So what's the problem with associating Divas with Superstars? Goddamn NOTHING, I tell you. It's a concept that needs to be used more often if you ask me to get more Superstars AND Divas over nowadays.
For example, do you know why Rusev is over as fuck right now? It's F'N Lana. Whether you love or hate her, she's got eyes all over Rusev to increase his star power. I GUARANTEE you that dude would be completely forgotten in fans' minds as Vladimir Kozlov or Luther Reigns otherwise if he didn't have her in his corner.
So is there anything wrong with Brie riding off the popularity of her husband? NO. Stephanie did the same to go heel back during the McMahon-Helmsey Era and even AJ Lee herself is guilty of doing this. She would be just another former NXT Redemption (and easily forgettable) Diva on the main roster if she wasn't tied to the hip of Daniel Bryan and found a way to stick herself with almost every main event Superstar (Bryan, Punk, Cena, Ziggler, Kane, etc.) to propel herself into stardom. Now that the marks know that she's married to CM Punk she's set for life as they are going to INSTANTLY mark for her on that reason alone.
If anyone is the luckiest girl in the world right now, it's AJ Lee. If Vince wasn't dead set on trying to stay on Punk's good side, she would've been buried deeper than the memory of Chris Benoit.
In Brie's case, this is her golden opportunity to prove herself and shut up the critics. While I'm not expecting a 5 star match between her and Steph, but I'm expecting it to be spotfest, much like Bret Hart vs. Vince a few years ago. Straight-forward and to the point, much like that WeeLC match from earlier this year.
"Stephanie is making it (the division) look bad because she’s going against the wrong person. It really should be AJ vs. McMahon. There have been two main event segments that Stephanie has dominated on the microphone. All the while, Paige’s transcendence into the next big heel in the division is flourishing. AJ and Paige work so well together because their feud is about being the best."
Once again, NO. AJ vs. Steph would be overkill. Wrong time and wrong place. You know people would want them to bring up the real life drama of the CM Punk/WWE situation into the light and I doubt BOTH parties are willing to air that dirty laundry. At the end of the day, that feud would pretty much DEMAND Punk come back and be in AJ's corner. That's not going to be happening as the guy has openly stated that he's done - retired - for good from wrestling.
Here's another thing that Diva fans are failing to see the big picture of here. The Divas division does NOT need a new big heel. IMO there's TOO many heels in the division. What they need is a new big babyface. The Trish vs. Lita feud worked so well b/c there was that clear distinction on which side each Diva was playing. Paige vs. AJ just seems like who is trying to upstage who for ghetto Queen Bitch spot.
As for AJ's current feud with Paige, it's underwhelming for a lot more reasons.
1) WWE already gave us this match at Battleground last month and they left a lot to be desired in terms of match quality. I wouldn't say it's the fault of either Diva in terms of ring ability, I just think it's one of those occasions like with Gail Kim and Mickie James where they are talented athletes but have ZERO chemistry in the ring together. It just doesn't click. I hope to be proven wrong in their rematch at Summerslam, but I don't have my hopes up at all.
2) Their match at Battleground didn't allow neither AJ nor Paige cut loose in the initial build up to this feud. They were playing off each other as "frienemies" with Paige becoming the aggressor now while AJ has reverted back to her "crazy" gimmick in an attempt to show some degree of unpredictably that she has a chance against the Anti-Diva. From the attacks on WWE Friday Night SmackDown and WWE Monday Night Raw to their most recent verbal exchange on WWE Main Event this past Tuesday, WWE has been booking this feud poorly. It's as if WWE doesn't understand what a big deal this match is supposed to be.
3) AJ ALREADY beat Paige twice now. First on her first night back, then again on Summerslam. It's like that last time The Rock challenged Steve Austin at WM18. Austin was already up 2 to 0 in that feud and Rock's win did NO favors for him. It's looking the same way for Paige. I could understand if they were tied even in this feud then I would care more. Paige's change in attitude to a more aggressive style is going to make this match more enjoyable to watch, but I don't have a single doubt in my mind that they are going to allow AJ to drop the title to her, especially from how Paige has been beating her up week-in and week-out.
4) Like I said before, there is NO clear distinction on who is face or heel here. At Battleground, it was a match between two struggling faces/tweeners. Now going into Summerslam, it seems like a tweener (who wants to be heel SOO bad) against the obviously heel Paige. I understand we are in an age of wrestling where being the bad guy is perceived "cool" but heel vs. heel feuds tend to be completely boring in my eyes.
"The Divas title that should be the apex of the division is taking a backseat."
I know this is going to be point where a LOT of people get mad at me, but I'm going to speak the truth when I say you ONLY have AJ Lee to blame there. She buried the ENTIRE division at WM30. Why else should people care if this chick made the rest of them look pathetic in comparison?
While AJ was on her "vacation", the division was slowly rebuilding itself. The Divas were in more segments and putting on stronger matches on the main roster. AJ comes back and we're back to how it was pre-WM30. Quick squash matches, a LOT of angles have been dropped (anyone remember Cameron/Naomi's feud that got axed? Or how about Crazy Alicia Fox?), and we're back to square one, especially after she beat Paige - who was regarded as the best Diva the company has seen in years in terms in-ring ability within SECONDS of AJ's return. Just ALL KINDS OF NO on so many levels. I already wrote an article about that so I'll skip that rant again:
People shit on TNA 24/7 but they CLEARLY know how to run a women's division better than WWE. Take their top veteran, Gail Kim. She can EASILY fall into any role that's needed for the division - top heel, top babyface, top workhorse to put over new talent, etc. TNA managed to make their division great for the past year with LESS than 6 active women when WWE has roughly a dozen and don't know how to book a SINGLE damn interesting feud.
But when they do something magical like this Steph vs. Brie feud, there's marks like this retard who wrote this article who bitches about it b/c AJ's not in it. Get the FUCK over yourselves. If this feud goes well, then that means the division as a WHOLE is smiled upon.
"There is too much talent in the division right now to pander to sub-par talent that are where they are because of how they look (Eva Marie), their bad attitude (Cameron), or even their personal lives (Bellas). There is better talent that is coming up through Sara Del Rey’s magnificent work behind the scenes who are going to blow a lot of the ladies out of the water. NXT is flourishing with Charlotte at the helm. Bayley, Becky and Sasha Banks are all solid hands. Natalya is killing it with Tyson Kidd. Paige is only 22. Despite having trouble behind the scenes, Emma is just waiting for some time to wrestle. Emma vs. AJ would be really fun too. Women’s wrestling in WWE is turning for the better, but it’s things like Total Divas and Brie vs. Stephanie that are holding it back because it is about look and not the substance."
I know this is a foreign concept to newer Diva fans, but NOT every woman that comes into WWE will excel at EVERYTHING in the ring. Some will be just great actresses (Stephanie), others will be used just b/c they are pretty (Eva Marie), then there's others that will be pushed to the moon b/c of their families (Paige, Natalya, Charlotte, Tamina, etc.) or who they are associated with (Bellas, AJ, etc.). There's a place for ALL of these pieces of the puzzle in the grand scheme of things here in wrestling. There's just that process of finding out how the pieces fit correctly into the puzzle. The perfect example is what we're witnessing with Steph and Brie's feud. And much to contrary of the author of that article's beliefs, this feud has MUCH more substance than he/she is giving it credit for.
"The pieces are there to build the division to be better than Lita, or Trish ever had it. Actually, THAT is what the division really needs. It needs a Lita. Not Lita per say, but the spirit of Lita. Think about how the wrestling in the division really is. A ton of on the mat, submission and general stuff. There isn’t a high flyer to provide any explosiveness to matches. All Divas wrestle the same in the division, and a female wrestler who was willing to take risks would make a killing right now with the audience. The division needs something different to watch. These kind of ideas are what is lacking in the division because the powers that be are content with Stephanie making the division look stupid on the mic while the Divas title and best wrestlers get less exposure. I think everyone needs to try harder to make it feel important."
There's NO high flyers? What crack is this ass-clown smoking? I guess Tamina, Naomi, and Alexa Bliss don't count for anything huh... WWE has a Diva that does something different in the ring with Paige, but WWE chose to dilute her when AJ came back into the picture. Compare her matches with Fox, Tamina, and Naomi BEFORE AJ's return with her matches after that stage. It's like day and night.
Steph is NOT making the division look stupid on the mic. She's making Brie look stupid. There's a HUGE difference. Before AJ's marks defend her with that infamous verbal exchange between Steph and AJ last year, allow me to set the record straight. Steph was doing a show of force to remind AJ (in AND out of character) who the boss was and where to draw the line on her CM Punk-style attitude on the microphone. If AJ can't take that, then she needs to skip her ass back to kindergarden playground she came from. Steph wasn't the one who "tried" to bury the entire division on the microphone saying "no one is good enough to lace up her Chuck Taylors" before doing it literally at WM30.
The division already has a Lita, they just aren't using her. Who am I referring to? Naomi. If they attached her to the hip with the Usos and let her go nuts in their matches like Lita did w/ the Hardyz back in the day, I'm sure crowds would get behind her instantly.
"I think women’s wrestling can be something that everyone would tune in to see every week. I think it is being held back."
This, my friends, is literally the ONLY line of this article I agree with. If you want GOOD women's wrestling though, you're looking in the WRONG place as mainstream wrestling as a whole has a few lines they won't EVER possibly cross with women's wrestling.
If so-called WWE Diva fans want better things for this division, stop trying to belittle or nit-pick everything that isn't saturated with AJ Lee's presence as negative and hoping that it would fail. If you were a REAL fan of this division, you would be happy that more Divas other than AJ Lee are getting an opportunity to shine. So shut up and be happy that the Divas Division is getting a spotlight - if any, at all PERIOD - on WWE programming.
There, I'm done ranting folks. Love or hate it, I've said my piece.
Like it, hate it, unfollow/unfriend me, whatever. I don't care if I just pissed on your parade, but that's 110% truth on how I feel about this article that pissed me off enough to warrant this lengthy write up.
After my reviews on WWE Fatal 4 Way 2010 and WWE Capitol Punishment, I bet you guys were probably saying that I'm only going to be reviewing WWE's god-awful PPV events. Well, you've guessed wrong. While WWF Summerslam 1999 will be the last WWE-related DVD I'm going to do for a while before I go focus a few non-WWE DVDs, I wanted to end on a positive note with an Attitude Era favorite.
DVD Overview:
SummerSlam took place on the 22nd of August at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, it was the twelfth annual Summerslam event and the event was headlined by the presence of then Governor of Minnesota, Jesse Ventura, who would be the special guest referee for the main event, a triple threat match for the WWF Championship.
Note: Match Ratings are on a 5 star rating system.
Two Titles On The Line - Intercontinental & European Championship Match - Jeff Jarrett (w/ Debra) def. D'Lo Brown (c) to become NEW double champ
Jeff Jarrett sends Debra backstage at the dismay of this live crowd for her rather revealing attire, but D'Lo Brown brings her back out, much to both the live crowd and especially Jerry "The King" Lawler's delight. The best parts of this match is hearing King swooning and moaning about Debra on commentary. This was back when King was at his best in terms of perverted and hilarious remarks on commentary.
The finish came after the referee was distracted by both Debra and Jarrett, only for Mark Henry to storm the ring and take out D'Lo Brown himself. The heel turn by Henry shocked the masses as it showed that Double J was maniacal genius, using both Debra and Henry to turn this match into his favor from the start to pull the wool over everyone's eyes. I applaud WWE for great writing like this as you definitely don't see stuff like this in mid-card feuds anymore.
I tweeted this remark yesterday after I watched this event on DVD and I was more than flattered to have Debra herself favorite and retweet me. All Hail the Puppy Queen!
Match Rating: ★★½ stars
The Acolytes (Farooq and Bradshaw) def. The Hardy Boyz (Matt & Jeff Hardy w/ Gangrel), Edge & Christian, Mideon & Viscera, Droz & Prince Albert, and Hardcore Holly & Crash Holly in the Tag Team Turmoil Match for #1 Contender Spot for WWF Tag Team Championship for the following night on Monday Night RAW
This was one of my favorite matches on the entire card, along with the WWF Tag Team title match and the main event. I would love to see WWE's current product give the entire Tag Team division this much time on PPV to go nuts with everyone in the division throwing their biggest guns at each other.
For those who want to know the order of elimination it's as follows:
Edge & Christian def. The Hardy Boyz (sporting the New Brood gimmick as they were still affiliated with Gangrel at this point), Mideon and Viscera, Droz and Prince Albert (the man who would become A-Train and Lord Tensai).
Sick barricade run to Spear spot on Jeff Hardy out of the air by Edge
Acolytes def. Edge & Christian and Hardcore Holly & Crash Holly
Holly cousins lost the match due their own constant arguing, allowing The Acolytes to get an easy, cheap victory
If DailyMotion hasn't taken the video down, the entire match can be seen above for your viewing pleasure.
Match Rating: ★★★½ stars
Verbal Confrontation between Chris Jericho and Road Dogg
This was one of Chris Jericho's first WWF PPV appearances, so don't expect too much from this verbal exchange between him and Road Dogg. At this stage of his WWF career, he hasn't found his "it factor" so Road Dogg ends up winning over this crowd instead.
Hardcore Championship Match - Al Snow def. Big Bossman (c) to become NEW champ
You don't get old fashioned hardcore brawls like this anymore. This was a definitely a classic in the high point of the popularized Hardcore Championship at the time. This match started in the ring then moved throughout the arena and moved over to two additional locations across the street from the arena before reaching its conclusion.
For an additional treat, look for Teddy Long as a referee at this point of his WWE career.
Match Rating: ★★★ stars
Women's Championship Match - Ivory (c) def. Tori to retain
I found myself laughing at two things in this match. First, there was a fan holding up a sign in clear view that said, "I Poop Too Much" and the fact that Ivory's top was looking like a potential wardrobe malfunction.
I felt that even though this match was short and sweet, it was straight to the point with no bullshit. Tori got her chance for revenge against Ivory, but came up short from dethroning the champion. I wish current Diva fans could turn back the clock and relive some of these bouts as every heel Divas champion doesn't have to be a cowardly heel. And every "aggressive" Diva doesn't have to a powerhouse either. Ivory was one of the shortest or rather most petite Divas of this era and brought that vicious mean streak with her to the ring. If I were perfectly honest, I would love to see either AJ Lee or Paige adopt this type of aggression into their repertoire.
To be fair, I'm sure ANY woman would be flaming mad if another woman wrote "SLUT" and "SKANK" all over her body.
This match had a sloppy finish at the end, but I loved the aggression from Ivory from start to finish and the Big Swing (or rather, Cesaro Swing) spot about halfway in. Luna Vachon (R.I.P.) attacks post-match and sets up the feud for Ivory's next potential challenger for her precious title. Other than that, there's not much action here and the crowd weren't really into this match at all.
Match Rating: ★★ stars
Kevin Kelly interviews The Rock
Poor Kevin Kelly. This was at the prime of Rock's belittling of the poor guy in interviews. Fortunately, The Rock goes easy on him tonight and is more focused on his match later.
Lion's Den Match - Ken Shamrock def. Steve Blackman
The amount of foreshadowing here in this match is downright scary as this match could be considered an early UFC-style match underneath WWE's umbrella. I bet Vince McMahon wished he caught this lightning in a bottle back then instead of allowing UFC to grow into it's own entity that is arguably becoming a pending threat to his own empire.
As for the match itself, I have to admit this was a dream match of sorts for me growing up. I marked for Ken Shamrock in the WWF years without a Kurt Angle and I loved how Steve Blackman brought his raw martial arts background to the WWE ring and stood out even more in Hardcore Matches. The combination that results after tossing Shamrock's MMA background and technical prowess into a blender with Blackman's martial arts expertise is simply magical.
I have to be surprised this specialty match hasn't popped up in TNA/Impact Wrestling with all of those MMA guys that the company were struggling to push throughout the years. This match marks the second time that WWE has held this match, with the difference with this version hosting a series of weapons within the structure.
Match Rating: ★★★ stars
"Love Her or Leave Her" Match - Test def. Shane McMahon for Stephanie McMahon's honor
Mere minutes into this match, the members of the Mean Street Posse who were allegedly injured by Test (R.I.P. Andrew Martin) race out to Shane McMahon's aid. The bulk of this contest involves the Mean Street Posse helping Shane beat the holy hell out of Test to make this feasible that Shane has a legitimate chance. Shane hits one of his trademark Diving Elbow Drop spots through the announcers' table at one point, but the ending doesn't come until Gerald Brisco and Pat Patterson finally decide aid Test against the Mean Street Posse in the match's final moments.
After Test picks up the win over Shane, a VERY young and innocent Stephanie McMahon comes out to celebrate with Test. This was LONG before her transformation into the Billionaire Princess and current "Bow to the Queendom" heel antics.
There was one thing I kept laughing at as I was watching this DVD - ever notice how almost EVERY WWF Superstar at this time with long hair looked surprisingly like Kevin Nash? That DEFINITELY wasn't a coincidence, chico.
Match Rating: ★★½ stars
WWF Tag Team Championship - The Undertaker (w/ Paul Bearer) & The Big Show def. Kane & X-Pac (c) to become the NEW Tag Team Champs
I fell out laughing at The Undertaker's promo in this video package before the match started:
The Undertaker: "...Summerslam will be forever known as ARMAGEDDON!"
Sadly that didn't happen until 5 months later when WWF held their first Armageddon PPV.
Despite the impressive offense from the combined might of The Big Show and The Undertaker, this match was entirely about X-Pac defying the odds against these monsters and keeping up with Kane.
That being said, X-Pac puts up a great fight, especially when Taker and Show cut him off from the other side of the ring and prevent him from tagging out to Kane.
Match Rating: ★★★½ stars
Kiss My Ass Match - The Rock def. "Mr. Ass" Billy Gunn
Time for The People's Elbow...
The match starts with Billy Gunn bringing out some woman who looks like she could pass as one of Honey Boo Boo's relatives, claiming that The Rock will be kissing her ass by the end of the night. Instead, Billy Gunn gets the just desserts as The Rock forces him to inadvertently kiss her ass instead.
This is a pretty average match and nothing to write home about as if you've seen one Rock match from this time period, you've seen them all.
Match Rating: ★★½ stars
Triple Threat Match for WWF Championship - Special Referee: Jesse "The Body" Ventura Mankind def. Stone Cold Steve Austin (c) and Triple H (w/ Chyna) to become the NEW WWF Champ
On the original WWF DVD release, the WWF logo is NOT censored as
pictured here.
Jesse Venture is the judge and jury in this match, managing to eject Chyna from ringside after her repeated attempts to assist Triple H. After Triple H's repeated offenses - namely bashing both Mankind and Steve Austin with chair shots, Ventura refused to make the count to the crowd's delight.
Mankind: "Look ma, I did it!"
Mrs. Foley's baby boy does it again, becoming a 2-time WWF Champion. It was well-deserved as Foley takes the most abuse in this match from start to finish.
This match continues the trend of the bad night for Shane McMahon as Austin gives him a Stone Cold Stunner when he came to the aid of Triple H.
As for this match itself, this match at a bit of everything - the brawling throughout the opening moments from Stone Cold Steve Austin, the devious tactics of both Triple H and Chyna of using any means in order to win, and the perseverance of Mankind.
Match Rating: ★★★½
Closing Words:
WWF Summerslam 1999 was one WWE's better events back during 1999, but acquiring a copy on DVD is going to be a little tricky. If you have a subscription to the WWE Network, you can find this readily accessible at your own leisure, but acquiring a copy on DVD is going to be difficult. I have seen factory sealed copies go as high as $60 on Amazon and ebay, but used copies ranging from $5 (what I paid for it) to $20. When it comes to collecting these types of DVDs, you have to ask yourself how much does a hard copy mean to you as fan or as a collector of wrestling multimedia on DVD. You can take my word for it and say that if you have to own a WWF PPV from 1999, you definitely can't go wrong here.
From top to bottom, WWF Summerslam 1999 is an enjoyable PPV experience and marks one of the "good" times of WWE programming. Lots of good laughs and great wrestling can be found here. I'm giving WWF Summerslam 1999 an 8 out of 10.
Many film-goers were skeptical that Marvel could attempt a successful film adaptation of one of their most "out there" properties and attempt to introduce a mass audience to the "Cosmic Realm" of the Marvel Universe - a corner of the Marvel Comics Universe that has NEVER been adapted into film until now. Director James Gunn is up for the challenge with this latest entry in Phase 2 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Guardians of the Galaxy. Did this gamble pay off for Marvel? Read on to find out.
In 1988, following his mother's death, a young Peter Quill is abducted from Earth by the Ravagers, a group of space pirates led by Yondu. Twenty-six years later on the planet Morag, Quill steals a sphere-like artifact only to be intercepted by Korath, a subordinate to the fanatical KreeRonan. Although Quill escapes with the artifact, Yondu discovers his theft and issues a bounty for his capture while Ronan sends the assassin Gamora after the orb.
When Quill attempts to sell the orb on the Nova Corps homeworld Xandar, Gamora ambushes him and steals it. A fight ensues, drawing in a pair of bounty hunters; the genetically-engineered raccoon Rocket, and the tree-like humanoid Groot. The Nova Corps arrives and arrests the group, imprisoning them in the Kyln. A powerful inmate, Drax, attempts to kill Gamora due to her association with Ronan, who killed his family. Quill dissuades him by saying that Gamora can bring Ronan to him. Gamora reveals that she has betrayed Ronan, unwilling to let him use the orb's power to destroy entire planets such as Xandar. Learning that Gamora has a buyer for the orb, Rocket, Quill, Groot, and Gamora work together to escape the Kyln.
Elsewhere, Ronan meets with the titan Thanos to discuss his daughter Gamora's betrayal and the loss of the orb. Now accompanied by Drax, Quill's group escapes the Kyln in his ship—the Milano—and flee to Knowhere, a remote criminal outpost in space built in the giant severed-head of a celestial being. Drunk and seeking vengeance, Drax secretly sends a message to Ronan revealing the group's location, while the rest of them meet with Gamora's contact, Taneleer Tivan. Tivan opens the orb, revealing an Infinity Stone, an item of immeasurable power that destroys all but the most powerful beings who wield it. Suddenly, Tivan's tormented assistant grabs the stone, triggering an explosion that engulfs his collection.
Ronan arrives and easily defeats Drax, while the others flee by ship, pursued by Ronan's followers and Gamora's sister Nebula. Nebula destroys Gamora's ship, leaving her floating in space, and Ronan's forces leave Knowhere with the sphere. Quill contacts Yondu before following Gamora into space, giving her his helmet to survive; Yondu arrives and retrieves the pair. Rocket, Drax, and Groot threaten to attack Yondu's ship to rescue them, but Quill negotiates a truce by convincing Yondu that they can recover the orb. The group agrees that facing Ronan means certain death, but that they must stop him from using the Infinity Stone to destroy the galaxy. On Ronan's ship, the Dark Aster, Ronan embeds the stone in his warhammer, taking its power for himself. He contacts Thanos, threatening that after the destruction of Xandar, he will kill Thanos; hateful of her adopted father, Nebula allies with Ronan.
On Xandar, the Dark Aster is confronted by Yondu's fleet, the Nova Corps, and Quill's group, which breaches theDark Aster. Ronan uses his upgraded warhammer to destroy the Nova Corps fleet. Gamora defeats Nebula and unlocks Ronan's chambers, but the group finds themselves outmatched by his power until Rocket flies the Milanothrough the Dark Aster and crashes into Ronan. The damaged Dark Aster crash lands on Xandar, with Groot sacrificing himself to shield the group. Ronan emerges from the wreck and prepares to destroy Xandar, but Quill distracts him by dancing, allowing Drax to destroy Ronan's warhammer. Quill grabs the freed stone, and with Gamora, Drax, and Rocket sharing its burden, they use it to defeat Ronan.
In the aftermath, Quill tricks Yondu into taking a container supposedly containing the recovered stone, then gives the real stone to the Novas. As the Ravagers leave Xandar, they remark that it turned out well that they did not deliver Quill to his father following his abduction. Quill's group, now known as the Guardians of the Galaxy, have their criminal records expunged, and Quill learns that he is only half-human, his father being part of an ancient, unknown species. Quill finally opens the last present he received from his mother, which contains a cassette tape filled with her favorite songs. The Guardians leave in the rebuilt Milano accompanied by a twig recovered from Groot, which is already beginning to grow.
In a post-credits scene, Tivan sits in his destroyed archive, where he is licked by a cosmonaut dog, and mocked by one of his collections; Howard the Duck.
The Verdict:
Dancing "Baby" Groot is just TOO adorable...
Going into this EVERYONE knew Bradley Cooper's Rocket and Vin Diesel's Groot were going to be the stars of this and they don't disappoint for a second, but I don't want to discredit anyone in this film. Every single member of this cast brought everything together perfectly - from the precise delivery in terms of deadpan comedy from Dave Bautista's Drax to knowing when to sprinkle just enough 80s pop culture references into this film without running the gags into the ground or showcasing and pulling those newly acquired LucasFilm assets by Disney to great use in terms of spectacular visuals, especially during this film's climactic final battle.
I thought Vin Diesel's Groot was going to wear out his welcome by the end of the film from the fact that Groot can ONLY say "I am Groot", but I was definitely glad to be proven wrong. Bradley Cooper's Rocket will easily be a fan-favorite among movie-goers and I honestly see him be the Marvel Cinematic Universe's equivalent of Wolverine/Logan down the line if he doesn't reach that status by the time Guardians of the Galaxy 2 rolls around. I was amazed to see Zoe Saldana (Gamora) play almost the polar opposite of the typecast heroine she is known for playing in almost every other action film she has been in to date. Every other scene with Peter Quill/Star Lord (Chris Pratt) I was half-expecting her to fall for his romancing techniques and he suckers her in bed, like the typical appearance that many have come to expect out of Saldana in films. Instead, she surprises with a portrayal of a hardened woman who has not allowed her heart to feel affection and compassion for decades. Speaking of Chris Pratt, I will admit there were moments where I could have sworn I was watching an episode of Parks and Recreation, but he warmed up to me as the leader of the Guardians by the film's finale.
That being said, I have to admit this group of misfits coming together as a team was a much more compelling story than the one told in Marvel's Avengers. They didn't have to be "fooled" after the death of one guy who they had little connection with them to focus and fight as a cohesive unit out of the dire circumstances. Instead, the Guardians established a legitimate bond of friendship between them and were willing to die for each other. What made those bonds special was that it wasn't cheesy nor was it between particular members of the team - ALL of them bonded on different level that director James Gunn took the time to carefully weave that process into this narrative. I know that the critics said that Gunn's biggest risk with this film was doing a film entirely about the Guardians period, but I have to disagree. Gunn's biggest risk was banking on this narrative, focused on the compelling nature of these five strangers coming together as friends and transforming into heroes, was the biggest risk to take, especially after audiences have been treated to a similar narrative with Marvel's Avengers.
I have to wonder if The Walking Dead alumni Michael Rooker's Yondu will return in the already announced sequel for 2017. Yondu was established as having strong ties to Star Lord's past and then the talk of Quill's "father" has me wondering who could be his alien father in this continuity. When I first heard of Marvel attempting to make the Guardians of the Galaxy into a live-action feature film, Yondu was the character that stuck out to me the most as I was very familiar with the original Guardians' comic book run, which saw him as a staple member of that team. Unfortunately, Marvel chose to go with the 2008 revamp of this team and I don't see a problem with that as there would have been far too many confusing aspects to try to integrate into this adaptation and using the 2008 iteration keeps things a bit more flexible on their end. Who knows, maybe we might see Yondu as a new member of the Guardians in the 2017 sequel. Director James Gunn already confirmed that both Nova and Adam Warlock (whose cocoon was in the background in The Collector's lair) will appear in the sequel.
Josh Brolin as Thanos in Guardians of the Galaxy
I'm a little iffy about Thanos' new look in this film from how they changed his appearance up from his teaser at the end of Avengers. Is it just me or does Thanos look "younger" than he did in his appearance from Avengers? Was that on purpose or was that due to Marvel switching actors from the time between the post-credits teaser during Avengers and this film?
Hmm... either way, that adds to my theory that I will come back to later in this review...
I doubt Ronan the Accuser is dead... Lee Pace put on an excellent performance as this villain and Marvel Studios would be crazy to pass up on a potential Kree/Skrull Invasion storyline for Phase 3 or 4 of Marvel Cinematic Universe. That being said, Ronan's "death" brings up my biggest gripe with this film and with the Marvel Cinematic Universe as whole to this point. Marvel needs to STOP making their villains disposable, with Loki being the only recurring villain to date. You can toss Thanos onto that list after his brief appearance in this film, along with Brock Rumlow (who survived the ordeal at the end of Captain America: The Winter Soldier), Justin Hammer (who was merely arrested instead of killed off at the end of Iron Man 2) and Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier, but there's other notable villains in these last few films that Marvel didn't have to simply kill off in their first appearances in this Universe.
To say that Karen Gillian's Nebula had a seemingly "minor"
role in this film, she made it work for her...
(Sighs) At least Nebula got away. She should be a major thorn in the side of both Thanos and Guardians of the Galaxy in the near future once Thanos (or Nebula herself) gets all of the Infinity Stones. Speaking of the Stones, I doubt this is the last that we have seen of The Collector either as he has to rebuild his base of operations and assemble a new collection of rare artifacts and lifeforms.
For those keeping count, we currently know the whereabouts of 4 out of 6 Stones:
Baron von Strucker of HYDRA has Loki's scepter that houses one of the Stones in an undisclosed location - This is still debatable if it's really one of the Stones at all
The Collector has the Aether that was recovered after events of Thor: The Dark World
The Tesseract is safeguarded in Asgard - Notice that the Infinity Gauntlet is locked away in Odin's vault; shown in the original Thor film
The Power Stone (which was used by Ronan the Accuser and Star Lord in this film) was entrusted with the Nova Corps
While there's NO post-credits teaser for Avengers: Age of Ultron, but there's something for 70's to 80's comic book fans will get a good laugh at the reference in the form of Howard the Duck. I know, I know... I was a little pissed too, but I'm guessing that Marvel has something else planned on how to tease that between now and next summer. I doubt Howard's getting a film, but I wouldn't be surprised if Cosmo (the dog shown licking The Collector's face) has a role in the 2017 Guardians sequel.
If I'm 100% honest, I'm NOT feeling Gamora and Star Lord's outfits AT ALL here. Their
debut costumes at the beginning of the film looked better than what they wore
for the final battle. If they want everyone wearing matching uniforms like FOX's X-Men
the they should have went with the Guardians' iconic navy blue outfits.
This film was great, as in it was better than Thor: The Dark World and Iron Man 3, but not better than Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Call me nit-picky but they left a lot to be desired. For example, I wanted the final confrontation between the Guardians and Ronan the Accuser to be a longer affair than the "one-shot kill from Star Lord then the whole 'Let our powers combine!' Captain Planet moment" for the finale. Also, is it too much to ask for a bit more action from Nebula in this film other than that ONE fight sequence she had with Gamora? The whole spaceship chase sequence was straight out of Star Wars and you guys reading this KNOW it. Lastly, let's not forget about what little involvement the Nova Corps had in this film other than establishing themselves an incompetent galactic police force in this Universe... If that's the point that they were driving at with this film for the Nova Corps, then bravo...
Okay, okay... I can't complain TOO much as this is the Guardians' first "formal" introduction to the masses. This film did what it was supposed to do - introduced the Guardians to broader audience, successfully introduced the "Cosmic Realm" of the Marvel Universe as an integral part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and gave Avengers fans a small preview of what Thanos is up to while the Avengers are still on Earth.
There's one thing that was bothering me as I left the theater. I have to wonder when does the previous events in this Cinematic Universe take place in relation to this film? In other words, does this film take place BEFORE Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Iron Man 3? Sure, it says 2014 but the understanding with Thor: The Dark World, Iron Man 3, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier was that almost all of these events were occurring simultaneously and that's why those heroes didn't come to each other's aid.
I have a feeling that Whedon is trying to do a clever mind-fuck that won't come to surface until Phase 3 or 4, much like the surprising plot twist that "saved" Season 1 of Agents of SHIELD after The Winter Soldier came out.
I don't know... Maybe I'm dwelling a bit too much on this. That's the blessing and curse of being a comic book nerd. You start thinking of all of these possibilities and potential outcomes of how the events of these future films could play out and you get excited in anticipation.
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy exceeded my expectations and Marvel's gamble paid off tremendously. Much like Marvel's 2012 summer blockbuster, The Avengers, this team of unlikely heroes paves the way for even more Marvel heroes to dominate the silver screen for years to come. Pulling off this successful gamble twice might give Marvel the confidence to test the waters with even more lesser-known heroes with film adaptations. In either case, Marvel Studios has a potential gold mine on their hands as the sky is the limit - potential (or rather inevitable...) Avengers/Guardians of the Galaxy team-ups and/or crossovers, overlapping storylines, or even the opportunity to give even more lesser-known heroes in this corner of the Marvel Comics Universe to shine on the silver screen.
With an amazing cast to the directorial talents of James Gunn, this combination manages to recreate the magic that made Avengers such a success, but leaves it's own mark on the Marvel Cinematic Universe that fans will remember for years to come.
Let's not forget the unforgettable soundtrack...
I'm giving this film an out-of-this-world rating of a solid 9 out of 10.
We continue this adventure as I sought out to watch and review my personal wrestling DVD backlog as we take a look back at WWE Capitol Punishment 2011 - commonly known as the night where R-Truth couldn't get the job done...
United States Championship Match - Dolph Ziggler (w/ Vickie Guerrero) def. Kofi Kingston (c) to become NEW champion
Odd to see a green as fuck Dolph Ziggler in this opening match - no overselling or anything. If memory serves me right, this was back during that weird period where Ziggler cut his hair and dyed it brown and everyone collectively went "WTF?" before he dyed it blonde again. Ziggler holds his own, but this is literally day and night from his performances now in 2014. Everyone has to start somewhere I guess. Pretty average match though.
Match Rating: ★★
R-Truth arrives to arena, holding Cena's WWE Championship hostage
This trend continues throughout the broadcast as WWE hypes R-Truth up like he's already won tonight. Truth throws a few "Foshizzles" and tries to hit on Eve Torres, but got shut down. Keep in mind this was back when Eve was still a babyface, much before her whole "gold-digger/whore" phase as part of Big Johnny's faction.
Alex Riley def. The Miz
And nobody cared...
The Miz: "At least I have Maryse's 'moneymaker' to go home to..."
This match was drawn out FAR too long for my taste, with Miz dominating the entire affair until A-Ri's comeback phase. I don't understand why they let Alex Riley go over The Miz at this point of his career as he wasn't ready for a win here.
Match Rating: ★½ stars
"Obama" arrives to Capitol Punishment, greeted by Sgt. Slaughter and Vickie Guerrero
Much like the R-Truth segments littered throughout this event, this was pretty pointless. The guy looks like Tiger Woods instead of Obama. I'm surprised they couldn't get the real deal to do a quick cameo for laughs.
Alberto Del Rio def. The Big Show due to Show's inability to continue
Mark Henry races out and slams Show through the Spanish announcers' table with the World's Strongest Slam, then targets the injured leg which was ran over by ADR a few weeks prior to this event. This match is more about Mark Henry asserting himself at the top of food chain and making an example out of The Big Show than ADR getting a win here.
I won't lie, I busted out laughing when Show went through the table since it sounded like someone snapping into a candy bar.
I would normally give this a mere 2 star rating but the story they told here was great, so they earned another star for that alone in my eyes.
Match Rating: ★★★½ stars
R-Truth demands photos with WWE title backstage
Fast forward through this...
Intercontinental Championship Match - Big Zeke (Ezekiel Jackson) def. Wade Barrett (c) to become NEW champion
Another boring contest. Skip or fast forward through this.
I'll be honest and say this is the reason why I have never been a fan of Wade Barrett to begin with as his ring work is still the same bland, redundant crap. This match is slow paced, but works with the limited experience between these two Superstars.
This was another match I felt that they dragged out too long for no reason at all.
Match Rating: ★★ stars
"Obama" meets Santino, Beth Phoenix, and Kelly Kelly
The WWE Divas don't have anything going for them at this event, so they are stuck with Santino for this comedy bit as the Secret Service arrests Santino after he whips out the Cobra.
CM Punk def. Rey Mysterio
Best match of the night to this point... Hell, I'll be honest. This was the best match of the PPV, PERIOD. If you're a hardcore CM Punk or Rey Mysterio fan, you're pretty much are going to buy this DVD for this match alone.
Match Rating: ★★★★
World Heavyweight Championship Match - Randy Orton (c) def. Christian to retain
While this match was a step up from most of the other mediocre matches on this PPV outside of Punk v. Mysterio, this match only serves as another match in WWE's campaign to take the wind out of Christian's sails after returning to WWE, hot off the heels of his tremendous success in TNA Wrestling.
This wasn't a bad match by no means, but both Superstars are capable of better performances than this.
Match Rating: ★★½
Bonus Match - Evan Bourne def. Jack Swagger
The crowd couldn't get behind this match after the dull pacing in its opening minutes to drag out time before the main event...
This match continued Bourne's feud with Swagger as he seemed to have Swagger's number after a string of upset victories. This was a great match that highlighted both Superstars' best assets - Swagger works best as a powerhouse "bully" while Bourne excels at defying the odds as an underdog. I felt bad that the crowd didn't seem to get behind them at all.
Keith Stone, featuring a double dose of silicone-free Bella Twins
For some odd reason, Keith Stone was present to watch this match from ringside with The Bella Twins. King was more preoccupied with watching them than this match.
The match ends with an amazing exchange of counters with Bourne picking up the win from out of nowhere. I think this match would have done better on the card if it was booked BEFORE the Punk v. Mysterio match.
Match Rating: ★★★
"Obama" wishes best of luck to R-Truth and John Cena and does a Spinneroonie to the request of Booker T
I guess this is how those Spinneroonies during the RAW off-air bits got started. Seriously, they could've saved this for AFTER the show went off air.
WWE Championship Match - John Cena (c) def. R-Truth
Much like A-Ri vs. Miz earlier on this card, this match had the heel (Truth) dominating the entire match until Cena went into his comeback phase. Expect lots of trademark Cena kick-outs at 2 as R-Truth goes through his ENTIRE moveset arsenal on Cena to no avail.
If anything, watch this match for the commentary alone between King, Cole, and Booker T.
King: "R-Truth hasn't had a title match in ten years!!?? It took me 18 years to get a title shot!" Booker T: (after Truth hits Scissor Kick) "I thought that was me out there for a second!" Cole: "Yeah, it's you, especially after Cena beats you while you're laying on your back on that canvas..."
The finish came after Truth stole a drink from a kid on the front row (we'll just call him Little Jimmy) and took a sip from it before handing it back to him. The kid tossed the drink in Truth's face, which gave Cena MORE than enough time to toss him into the ring and hit the Attitude Adjustment for the win.
WWE were so wrong to hype R-Truth up in this affair only to send him straight to failure upon arrival. WWE historians should know that this feud was pretty much filler with the "Summer of Punk" on the horizon shortly after this event. I feel like WWE killed all chances of R-Truth being taken seriously as a main event talent with this event as they completely wasted his talents in this feud.
In all seriousness, I know people like to blame John Cena as the "killer" of careers, but no you have to point all fingers at WWE for booking this crap. It's the same "burial" they are doing with Christian. They are showing by example that they don't want these guys who were able to get themselves over in TNA Wrestling (or any other promotion for that matter...) and come back to WWE, only to show that they are nothing unless WWE wants them to be anything relevant. If you want proof of either R-Truth/Ron Killings or Christian/Christian Cage as legitimate main eventers, do yourselves a favor and check out their careers in TNA Wrestling during the NWA-TNA years.
Match Rating: ★★
Closing Remarks:
Much like WWE Fatal 4 Way 2010 that I reviewed last week, this was another lackluster PPV event, but I was fortunate to pick up dirt cheap for a $5 in my local Wal-Mart's bargain bin. Unless you're a hardcore fan of CM Punk or Rey Mysterio, I can't justify you paying more than $5 for this DVD. From start to finish (with the exception of Punk v. Mysterio), this event is an extended episode of Monday Night RAW or Friday Night Smackdown! There are far better PPVs on DVD from 2011 that are well worth your money than this, folks.
I normally don't complain about visuals on these DVDs, but the quality on this DVD has to be noted. It's about the same low quality as if you were watching this event on YouTube in their standard settings.
I'm giving WWE Capitol Punishment 2011 a 6 out of 10.
