The Year in PPV- 2007, Part II

Let's continue looking at 2007...


6. Judgment Day

Here's a surprisingly strong PPV in terms of match quality and the roster of superstars used. If there is a match on the card that lacks in actual wrestling quality, it makes up for in its storytelling, as is the case with a very quick match between Randy Orton and Shawn Michaels that was able to tell the story on a top rising heel for the Summer, as well as a way to get Michaels off TV for a while. Another match that has great storytelling is the WWE Championship match between John Cena and The Great Khali. The match itself is horrible, but the David vs. Goliath story is in full effect and was the first time in a while that majority of the fans were on Cena's side for a match.

While there are a lot of matches that are rematches from Backlash, there are some good forgotten gems, such as CM Punk vs. Elijah Burke, a 2 out of 3 falls match between Chris Benoit (in his last PPV match) and MVP, the beginnings of a fun feud between Edge and Batista for the World Heavyweight Championship (after Edge won the belt from Undertaker, writing him off TV for a while so he could recover from injuries) and a solid tag match with The Hardys and Cade and Murdoch. It might not be regarded as one of the greatest PPVs of all time, but it is still a very solid show worth checking out.

Recommended


7. One Night Stand

As a frontrunner to the Extreme Rules PPVs, this edition of One Night Stand is relatively harmless. However, in comparison to the previous ECW: One Night Stand PPVs, this is a HUGE step down in quality. A lot of what occurs during the show are rematches from Judgment Day and add an "extreme" stipulation to the mix (if you can consider Lumberjack Matches or Pudding Fights to be extreme, then more power to you). It's a transitional PPV that doesn't stand out as something that worth watching. Although, give them credit that they made sure EVERY match on the card had a unique stipulation (a lot more than I can say for the Extreme Rules PPVs of recent years).

The only real redeeming match of the night is the ladder match between The Hardys and The World's Greatest Tag Team. Other than that, the rest of the show is forgettable and does not capture the nostalgic fun brought on by its predecessors.

Skip It


8. Vengeance: Night of Champions

Nothing can be said about this PPV without discussing the obvious aftermath that followed it involving Chris Benoit (you know WHO and WHAT I'm talking about). Because of that, any mention of the "Who blew up Mr. McMahon's limo?" storyline is abandoned, all commentary about Benoit is removed (keeping the crowd chants, however), and the PPV has a somber feeling attached to it with recent viewings.

To the show's credit, there are some great matches and moments on the show including a Last Chance match for Batista against Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship, and WWE Championship match between John Cena, Bobby Lashley, King Booker, Randy Orton and Mick Foley that is the definition of "fast and furious" action. The show also feels like an event that is actually letting the current champions work, while also paying respects to champions of the past (something that has really been forgotten in recent Night of Champions PPVs). The only recommendation I can give is if you are intrigued to see a show that is lost in time due to the tragic real-life aftermath of one of WWE's top performers.

On an added note, Benoit's scheduled match that night was against CM Punk to crown a new ECW Champion after the title was vacated. Talk about the potential for an instant classic that we never got to see.

Mild Recommendation


9. The Great American Bash

This is yet another solid PPV from the company, but not without its goofy moments. This PPV is often cited for a match that absolutely BURIED the Cruiserweight division, as well as having a mediocre World Heavyweight Championship match, with The Great Khali as champion (YES, you read that correctly), replacing an injured Edge. There are good overall matches on the undercard though, including a United States Championship match between MVP and Matt Hardy, and an Intercontinental Championship match between Umaga and Jeff Hardy. There's also a fun Texas Bullrope Match between Randy Orton and Dusty Rhodes that kept building Orton as a top heel, while also serving as nostalgic for fans of Rhodes and the original Great American Bash PPVs from back in the day (a young Cody Rhodes also makes his presence known at the match's conclusion).

But this entire PPV was built around one match, a dream match for the WWE Championship: John Cena vs. Bobby Lashley. Throughout the night, they were teasing the match like a big main event feel out of a boxing or MMA showdown. The match is the best possible match the two guys could perform, but is often forgotten due to Lashley's injury and departure from the company soon after. At the time, fans probably thought the match should have ended differently, with Lashley coming out on top. But in hindsight, the match result was important symbolism on who was going to stay loyal to the company for years to come, while also serving as a fitting swan song for Lashley.

Recommended


10. SummerSlam

This SummerSlam has some quality in the roster of superstars competing on the card, but does not have the greatest quality matches in SummerSlam history. There's a solid outing between John Cena and Randy Orton for the WWE Championship, which felt like the culmination of two of 2007's biggest stories: John Cena's lengthy World Title reign and Randy Orton's ascension as top heel by being a ruthless and sadistic Viper.

Other than that, SummerSlam will best be remembered as the night two superstars returned from injury. On the SmackDown side, Rey Mysterio returned to seek revenge on Chavo Guerrero for (storyline) injuring his knee. And on the RAW side, it was time for King Booker to play the game, as Triple H made his return in match to see who WWE's true King was. Both matches are good enough, but there seems to be a lack of surprise in both matches (obviously, they aren't going to have the returning superstars lose their matches right?). But the returns themselves are entertaining moments in SummerSlam history, and for that, the match quality is forgivable.

Mild Recommendation


Thoughts: 2007 continues a steady wave of momentum with many strong PPVs thanks to its mixture of match quality and talented superstars. With the returns of Rey Mysterio and Triple H, the injuries of The Undertaker and Edge, and many more important returns and injuries to come, this serves as a good midpoint for the year, as things are about to get BIGGER to close out the year.

Concluded in Part III...


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