The Year in PPV- 2010, Part III

Can the WWE maintain any form of momentum to close out 2010...?


10. Hell in a Cell

I have no idea how a gimmick match like this can have such a MESS of a show. Since their rivalry began at the very first Hell in a Cell in 1997, it would make sense for Kane and the Undertaker to have their own Cell match for the World Heavyweight Championship. What resulted was one of the absolute WORST Cell matches I've ever seen. Everything was off about this match, including the pacing, the work rate from both performers, and the ending is absolutely confusing to see. Another sloppy main event came in the form of a match between John Cena and Wade Barrett, where Cena would have to join The Nexus if he lost. People break into the Cell all the time, so if they wanted to book a match where The Nexus (or someone else) would interfere, why couldn't they just book another Hell in a Cell match (since it is the name of the PPV)?

There are two high spots on the card, but the rest of the show is so awful that it can barely stop the ship from sinking altogether. The first is an impressive opening contest between Daniel Bryan, The Miz, and John Morrison (for the United States Championship) in the first ever Triple Threat submissions count anywhere match. These three really have a great way of showing that there were great things to come from all three of them (long term for Bryan and short term for Morrison and partially Miz). I really wish the Hell in a Cell match for the WWE Championship would have been the main event, because Randy Orton and Sheamus really hit their groove together (finally) and have an awesome PG-era Cell match full of weapons and false finishes. Instead, these two matches are within the first hour of the show, and I'm left deflated watching everything else that can't live up to the first two matches.

Skip It


11. Bragging Rights

It's odd for me to say that the midcard actually helps save this show, but it does considering that BOTH World title matches are completely lackluster and disappointing. The Buried Alive match for the World Heavyweight Championship really does show that the feud between Kane and the Undertaker was tired and lacking inspiration at this point (also, they never really explained the ending). The WWE Championship match between Randy Orton and Wade Barrett was at least intriguing thanks to the storyline of Cena being in The Nexus, but disappoints thanks to a lack of chemistry between Orton and Barrett. It doesn't help that Orton (THE WWE CHAMPION) is a mere footnote in this match in terms of storyline.

The match for the Bragging Rights trophy was a 14-man elimination tag match featuring RAW (The Miz, CM Punk, Ezekiel Jackson, Santino Marella, R-Truth, John Morrison and Sheamus) against SmackDown (Big Show, Rey Mysterio, Alberto Del Rio, Kofi Kingston, Tyler Reks, Jack Swagger, and Edge). The match is fine, but I think there's too many people involved and the elimination match seems to be misplaced (considering that Survivor Series was the next PPV and the elimination match that main evented SummerSlam). The show is absolutely STOLEN from the very beginning thanks to a match featuring Daniel Bryan (RAW's United States Champion) and Dolph Ziggler (SmackDown's Intercontinental Champion). These guys went out and kept the crowd on the edge of their seats the entire time, and proved that they could have a pretty solid spot in the main event picture in years to come (well, at least one of them would).

Mild Recommendation


12. Survivor Series

I remember around 2011 hearing that Survivor Series (the second longest PPV in WWE history) might not come back after poor buyers rate. I wondered why, and then I remembered it might be because of this PPV alone. It's so strange to think that the midcard is what's making a show memorable and the main events are not. Daniel Bryan vs. Ted DiBiase for the United States Championship, Dolph Ziggler vs. Kaval for the Intercontinental Championship, and John Morrison vs. Sheamus are all adequate matches, but then we get to the Survivor Series elimination match (where PPV focus USED to be on). Rey Mysterio captained his team (Mysterio, Kofi Kingston, MVP, Chris Masters, and Big Show) against Alberto Del Rio and his team (Del Rio, Jack Swagger, Tyler Reks, Drew McIntyre, and "Dashing" Cody Rhodes). This match wasn't awful, but it's placement on the middle of the card and being the only traditional Survivor Series match was a huge disappointment. It was interesting to note that it featured SmackDown talent only (since RAW's biggest focus was The Nexus), but I wish we could've had something from RAW.

The main events from this PPV are AWFUL. Kane vs. Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship is boring and the feud is just bizarre, where Edge (the good guy) kidnaps Paul Bearer, the father of Kane (the bad guy). HUH!?!?!? Moving on, we actually have a main event that made the stakes feel important. Randy Orton defended the WWE Championship against Wade Barrett with John Cena as guest referee in a match dubbed Free or Fired (Cena would be freed from The Nexus if Barrett won, but would be fired if Orton won). The bell rang, and the match was terrible. The result was bound to have people buzzing no matter what happened, but the payoff was so disappointing (I'll explain below) that it really makes the show pointless.

Skip It


13. TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs

I'm VERY shocked that this year ended with a very good PPV. The gimmick for this show is used to perfection, with nearly every match (only one didn't) having a stipulation surrounding tables, ladders, and chairs. Let's just go down the line by weapon. The tables matches are never going to be groundbreaking in their wrestling quality, but there's always something satisfying about seeing someone go through a table (and the anticipation is always fantastic). The tag team tables match between Natalya and Beth Phoenix against Layla and Michelle McCool was a lot of fun to see Divas get involved an extreme match up. The WWE Championship was on the line in a tables match between The Miz (who recently cashed his Money in the Bank briefcase to win the title) and Randy Orton and it was a solid tables match, but more focused on building the two as characters (particularly The Miz as a heel who cheats to win). The show opened with a solid ladder match between Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger, and Kofi Kingston for the Intercontinental Championship and it's a by the books kind of ladder match but still entertaining.

The show was nearly stolen thanks to the ladder match between John Morrison and Sheamus. These two young athletes were fighting to determine the number one contender for the WWE Championship, and the match really helped elevate their credibility and make instant stars out of both of them. The main event for the evening was a Chairs match between Wade Barrett and John Cena (so much for being fired), which was fine with a good payoff, but their chemistry left a little to be desired. The TLC match was for the World Heavyweight Championship and combined SmackDown's two biggest feuds by having Kane defend the title against Edge, Alberto Del Rio and Rey Mysterio. It's a spot fest to be sure, but is still a thrill ride from beginning to end. The name of the game for this PPV is to entertain fans through the use of tables, ladders, and chairs, and I believe they did that very well, so I'd call the show a success.

Highly Recommended


Final Thoughts: The best way I can summarize the year 2010 is that it had a bunch of good ideas and matches, but there is a lot to be desired in terms of a larger picture. The Nexus story had solid mainstream attention, so did Daniel Bryan as a wrestler, and the evolution of The Miz throughout the year, but there was so much else that was lackluster (the booking of Sheamus, Kane's World Heavyweight Championship reign, Orton's babyface run, the Diva's division, the tag team division, John Cena getting fired and being brought back immediately, etc.). This year is very frustrating because it has one of my biggest wrestling memories (watching Shawn Michaels retire), but so much else that is just a chore to get through because so much of it was directionless (and that's the best word I can use to describe this year).


All rights and images are copyrighted and owned by World Wrestling Entertainment

The Year in PPV- 2010, Part II

As the year 2010 continued, a group of rookies shook things up, looking to make an impact...


6. Fatal 4-Way

I know that a lot are expecting this show to be bad, since the gimmick only lasted a year, but what we got wasn't offensively bad. Some solid midcard work from Kofi Kingston and Drew McIntyre (for the Intercontinental Championship), as well as Evan Bourne and Chris Jericho (in a match that nearly steals the show), helps get the show off the ground with solid momentum. But the main focus should be on the Fatal 4-Way matches. The Diva's Championship is thrown together very lazily with Eve Torres defending her title against Maryse, Alicia Fox, and Gail Kim. The World Heavyweight Championship match does a good way of interlocking feuds between Jack Swagger, CM Punk, Rey Mysterio, and Big Show, while also being able to interject Kane's involvement after "someone" attacked the Undertaker (let's be honest, we all know who was responsible).

The main event for the WWE Championship was built on star power, through John Cena, Sheamus, Edge, and Randy Orton, but it's a mere footnote in comparison to what the fans really cared about: when The Nexus would show up to wreak havoc. After shocking the world during their debut on Monday Night RAW, the entire focus booking wise was centered on the young group of NXT rookies that were attacking everything in their path. Needless to say, they made their presence felt in this match, which helped wake up the crowd up from the match. Their involvement in a PPV main event really helped seal that the fans were invested in having some new talent involved on the main roster, and we (theoretically) got our wish. Also, keep notice for the numerous chants for the recently released Daniel Bryan (and think that this is 4 years before the Yes! Movement), and how much the WWE tried to edit them out.

Mild Recommendation


7. Money in the Bank

Here we have another gimmick PPV, this time centered on a modern WrestleMania tradition: the Money in the Bank ladder match. Here, we have TWO ladder matches (a treat for me, since I'm a sucker for a good ladder match), so there were really three things fans cared about: who was going to win the SmackDown ladder match, who was going to win the RAW ladder match, and when The Nexus was going to get involved. The Nexus interference worked as a story with the WWE Championship match (Sheamus vs. John Cena in a steel cage match), but isn't what this show should be focused on, so let's look at the two Money in the Bank ladder matches.

The RAW ladder match had eight solid competitors (Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, Edge, Ted DiBiase, The Miz, John Morrison, Evan Bourne, and Mark Henry replacing the injured R-Truth), but many had specific favorites pointed out in Evan Bourne and Randy Orton. The SmackDown ladder match had a bit more of an unpredictability factor, in which many felt that any of the eight involved (Big Show, Kofi Kingston, Christian, Matt Hardy, Kane, Dolph Ziggler, Drew McIntyre, and "Dashing" Cody Rhodes) could win the match. Both matches have plenty of great spots and moments of storytelling, and I was completely content with how both matches turned out.

Recommended


8. SummerSlam

In my opinion, this SummerSlam is one of the most disappointing PPV events that I have ever seen. While the card was nowhere near perfection, I at least expected a better effort than the WWE actually put on. The opening match between Dolph Ziggler and Kofi Kingston is completely wasted to set up an in-ring promo with The Nexus. The Diva's Championship match between Melina and Alicia Fox is mediocre at best (but is Cameron's favorite match when she was a contestant on Tough Enough), and the WRONG winner was picked in a 3-on-1 handicap match between the Straight Edge Society and Big Show (guess who I thought should have gone over in this one). The WWE Championship match between Sheamus and Randy Orton had a similar problem to their Royal Rumble match, as the match lacked some serious chemistry (and the ending is irritating). The World Heavyweight Championship match between Kane and Rey Mysterio isn't awful (it's actually good), but the storyline of who took out the Undertaker was so overplayed at that point that I wasn't too invested and I knew exactly what was going to happen after the match (you will too, trust me).

In hindsight, SummerSlam was all centered on Team WWE vs. The Nexus. After Team WWE (John Cena, Edge, Chris Jericho, John Morrison, R-Truth, and Bret Hart) lost their seventh member with The Great Khali (no real loss in my opinion), the question around the WWE Universe was who would help them stop The Nexus (Wade Barrett, David Otunga, Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel, Darren Young, Michael Tarver, and Skip Sheffield). While the show teased that it would be The Miz, they found a much more suitable alternative to help them combat The Nexus in a satisfying seven-on-seven elimination tag match. The biggest problem in this match is that the build up for it could have gone on months longer, that and that it's the only bright spot on a very underwhelming show that's supposed to be the biggest party of the summer.

Skip It


9. Night of Champions

Leave it to the Chicago crowd to make the most of what should be a filler PPV. Let's be honest and say that even if there are some solid matches on the card, there are really only two matches that fans cared about. The first was the feud between The Miz and Daniel Bryan for not only the United States Championship, but also for respect. Considering that this feud had the seeds planted all the way in February (when Bryan was Miz's rookie on NXT), this is actually great payoff that did BOTH competitors favors, as it made Miz a credible future main eventer, and Bryan as a credible WWE superstar.

There was also a lot of buzz around the main event: a Six-Pack Challenge for the WWE Championship between Sheamus, Randy Orton, Edge, Chris Jericho, John Cena and Wade Barrett. This match combined a lot of feuds together and found a way to tie it to the most prestigious prize in the company, which is what this PPV should be about: bringing importance to the actual Championship matches.

Mild Recommendation


Thoughts: Clearly, there is still a lack in direction in some aspects, but clear focus on two storylines. For RAW, it was The Nexus, and for SmackDown, it was who attacked the Undertaker. Scattered throughout the shows that centered on these storylines were two quality ladder matches, some solid Fatal 4-Ways, and the story of an internet favorite's rise to the main roster. In order for the year to end on a high note, however, there needs to be some payoff to these stories, as well as some direction in the spots that have been lacking all year (i.e. the midcard, tag and women's divisions).

Concluded in Part III...


All rights and images are copyrighted and owned by World Wrestling Entertainment

The Year in PPV- 2010, Part I

I didn't need the WWE Network to remind me of the memories I had with the year 2010. By memories, I mean some of the most agonizing PPVs I had ever watched as a fan in my life (which was only about 3 or 4 years at that point). Is the problem within the superstars? No, in fact, I'd say that there was an overabundance in talent within the superstars. The biggest issue with the year 2010 is in the direction of booking, in that a lot of the superstars are left without any major direction.

If I was to ask a WWE fan what happened in the year 2010, most will answer with the year that saw The Nexus angle play out. What started off as a gripping storyline that had fans fully invested eventually got tiresome because, for many shows, it was the ONLY storyline that had any thought put into it. There are some very good superstars to watch out for throughout the year, including Sheamus, The Miz, Drew McIntyre (how could they ever release this guy?), and Daniel Bryan (what a shocker). Along with a handful of returns and departures, the year seems to have some monumental material (on paper).

So let's see the good, the bad, and the ugly surrounding the year 2010...


1. Royal Rumble

The year gets started with a mixed bag of midcard matches. There's a surprising gem of an ECW Championship match (the last one in PPV history) between Christian and Ezekiel Jackson, and a great (but short) World Heavyweight Championship match between the Undertaker and Rey Mysterio. But then there's a disgrace of a Women's Championship "match" between Michelle McCool and Mickie James (the culmination of the cruel "Piggie James" angle), and a very sloppy WWE Championship match between Sheamus and Randy Orton (since both were heels, it was very difficult to be invested in either winning). When the momentum is this scattered, the rest of the night can only be decided by the quality of the Royal Rumble match.

Ignore the fact that Edge's "surprise" return was a bit lackluster (he should be Rated-R for "Ring Rust"), and that many of the superstars are eliminated WAY TOO QUICKLY, and this Rumble match is still pretty underwhelming. The best performances of the match are Shawn Michaels (determined to get his WrestleMania rematch with the Undertaker) and CM Punk (who was able to display his amazing promo skills while eliminating the first batch of Rumble superstars). Then there are the moments that are just bizarre, like why were Kane and Matt Hardy eliminated so quickly, or why did R-Truth eliminate Big Show AND Mark Henry simultaneously if they weren't gonna do anything with him afterwards? The biggest problem with this match is that it feels directionless with the exceptions of Punk, Michaels, and Edge, and when this is one of the most anticipated matches of the year (particularly the match that I look forward to most every year), that's a BIG problem.

Skip It


2. Elimination Chamber

As one would expect with the introduction of these gimmick PPVs, there is a lot to be desired in filling the card with matches that do not feature the advertised gimmick match (in this case, the Elimination Chamber). The matches aren't bad, but they aren't what the fans came to see. The fans did pay to see who would walk into WrestleMania as WWE Champion (the World Heavyweight Championship was a little more predictable to be honest). Whoever walked away from the Elimination Chamber match definitely deserved to hold the belt. This match utilized Chamber veterans in Triple H, John Cena, and Randy Orton to legitimize younger stars like Kofi Kingston, Ted DiBiase and WWE Champion Sheamus. From Kofi's athleticism in the Chamber, the tension between Orton and DiBiase, Triple H enduring through the pain, Sheamus's dominance, and Cena being a "Superman," each man played a key part in painting scenarios for the WWE Championship match at WrestleMania, and many feuds for the other competitors. Make sure to stay tuned after this match is over, to see how the WrestleMania landscape can change within seconds, as the winner of the match (go on and guess who) was put in an impromptu Championship match by Mr. McMahon's newest heavy, Batista.

Most will regard the Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship match as a better overall match, but I think it suffers from two things. The first is the quick eliminations at the beginning of the match (the RAW Chamber match at least waited for all six men to be in the Chamber before the eliminations began), and the second is the filler spot that was given to R-Truth that served absolutely no purpose in getting him over. Rey Mysterio and John Morrison do their usual high flying antics in the match, CM Punk and Chris Jericho showcase why they are the best in the world (at what he does, in Jericho's case), and Undertaker is the dominating force of the match, made much angrier than usual thanks to being legitimately BURNED by his pyro before the match started. Watch the edits and listen to the commentary as they try to cover up this incident. Needless to say, the Deadman was in pretty bad mood for this match, but the night would get much worse at the conclusion of the match. Again, this is where I say it was OBVIOUS that Undertaker wouldn't walk into WrestleMania as World Heavyweight Champion, and that the eventual Champion was going to be obvious since they would be facing Edge, the Royal Rumble winner, but it is still a thoroughly entertaining match thanks to a lot of its key players.

Mild Recommendation


3. WrestleMania XXVI

Heading into this event, the WWE had a HUGE roster of talent that required 10 matches to give everyone a chance to perform. Admittedly, there are some matches on that show that feel crammed with talent (including a rushed WWE Tag Team Championship match, a 10-Diva tag match and a Money in the Bank ladder match involving 10 competitors), but there are more important stories that needed to be told. A lot of fans cite this as a WrestleMania where the wrong man won majority of the matches. In most cases, it's the internet crowd complaining that their guy didn't win, but there are some valid points nonetheless. With CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio, it was important to get Punk and the Straight Edge Society over as a faction. With Sheamus vs. Triple H, it was necessary to get Sheamus over as a legitimate, dominating powerhouse. And the Triple Threat between Randy Orton, Ted DiBiase, and Cody Rhodes, should have shown DiBiase and Rhodes over as the potential future of the company.

This WrestleMania is also responsible for one of the biggest letdowns in wrestling history with the horrifically boring No Holds Barred match between Bret Hart and Vince McMahon. How in the world do you make Bret's revenge for the Montreal Screwjob boring? You add a convoluted storyline to the match mere moments before it begins, barely any weapons are used (making the No Holds Barred gimmick nearly pointless), and you spend nearly 12 minutes of Bret beating Vince with a chair. On paper it might have seemed good, but something was definitely lost in translation. The match drained the audience of all excitement to the point where they were sitting on their hands during the World Heavyweight Championship match between Chris Jericho and Edge. Luckily for Jericho and Edge, they were able to win the crowd back mid-way through the match and show why they are two of the very best.

The WWE Championship was also on the line in a battle between Batista and John Cena. This match wasn't horrible, but fans knew exactly how the match would end. I think they would have had some extra excitement added if this was their first match together. Finally, fans were rewarded with the main event they should have had a year earlier: Shawn Michaels vs. the Undertaker. After months of demanding a rematch, Shawn finally got his second chance to end the Streak but only if he put his career on the line. A lot of fans agree that this match isn't as good as their match from WrestleMania XXV, but that's a really tough act to follow. Besides, I also appreciate story, and this match tells a much better story in my opinion because both men are willing to put both of their legacies on the line and one man would pay the ultimate price at the conclusion of this instant classic.

Recommended


4. Extreme Rules

Here we have a a post-WrestleMania filler show with a lot of good elements on the table. It's filled with many WrestleMania rematches with special gimmicks added. In many ways, the matches are improved by the gimmick like Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk (if Punk lost, he'd have his head shaved), and Edge vs. Chris Jericho (Steel Cage match). Another facet of the PPV that is important is even if the matches aren't "extreme," they should still be fun, and that's the case with the Extreme Makeover match for the Women's Championship (gotta love every single moment of its pun-filled goodness). The only real hiccups on the show are an extremely rushed Tag Team Gauntlet match (that was making up for their production schedule being a week behind due to many superstars being stranded overseas), and a Strap Match between Shad and JTG (it seemed obvious that Shad should be getting the push, so WHY DON'T THEY HAVE HIM WIN!?!?!)

The biggest shakeup in the landscape occurred when Jack Swagger cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase on Chris Jericho to become World Heavyweight Champion. His first PPV defense was against Randy Orton in an Extreme Rules Match. Despite Swagger's lackluster reign, this match is actually pretty solid. The Last Man Standing match for the WWE Championship between John Cena and Batista is also an excellent match and follow up to their WrestleMania encounter (except the ending). But the show's best extreme match was the Street Fight between Sheamus and Triple H that started at the beginning of the show, only to continue later on and shows the strength and determination of both men in trying to gain victory at any costs.

Mild Recommendation


5. Over the Limit

Here's a great example of how a show's better moments and matches can be overshadowed by what's wrong with the show. Despite some overall good match quality, a lot of fans and critics focus on two very poorly received matches that were shown back to back. The first was a high profile match between Randy Orton and Edge that ended with a double countout finish thanks to Orton legitimately separating his shoulder. Immediately afterwards, they have Jack Swagger retain his World Heavyweight Championship via disqualification (one of my BIGGEST pet peeves when it comes to PPV title matches) against Big Show. Not only was this a badly timed outcome given the finish of the previous match, but it also did no favors for Swagger (who was still struggling to have a monumental title reign) or Big Show (who was being pushed as one of SmackDown's newest babyfaces).

Even with these setbacks, there's some solid work effort thanks to an opening match between Drew McIntyre (I miss having him in the WWE already) and Kofi Kingston for the Intercontinental Championship, a lost gem for the WWE Tag Team Championships between the Hart Dynasty and the team of Chris Jericho and The Miz (HOW DID THAT TEAM NOT GET A LONGER PUSH!?!?!), a match between CM Punk and Rey Mysterio that combined the stipulations of their last two PPV encounters (if Rey lost, he'd join the Straight Edge Society, and if Punk lost, he'd get his head shaved) and delivered their most cohesive encounter of quality wrestling and storytelling. And the show is highlighted by the I Quit match for the WWE Championship match between John Cena and Batista (in his last match with WWE for nearly 4 years), a very entertaining conclusion to their series of matches. All these components make up a semi decent PPV that is more recognizable for its faults than its accomplishments.

Skip It


Initial Thoughts: 2010 is off to a bit of a shaky start with a lot of what's going on seeming directionless. With the exception of WrestleMania, the rest of the shows seem to just be holding their spots on the calendar, and little to no stars seemed built up. It's as if they took these quality stars (Jericho, Edge, Cena, Batista, Orton, and Big Show to name a few) and just expected them to get over on their established star power. There was some momentum given to younger superstars like Drew McIntyre (a heavily underutilized performer over the last 4 years until his release from contract), The Miz, and most notably Sheamus, but their growth seems lost in the shuffle. In hindsight, all of this might have something to do with the rivalries that were to come throughout the remainder of the year that had longer lasting continuity.

Continued in Part II...


All rights and images are copyrighted and owned by World Wrestling Entertainment

The Year in PPV- 2005, Part III

With the wave of momentum they had, let's see how the year 2005 finishes...


11. Unforgiven

This was the first real PPV of the year that felt like unimportant filler for the most part. The most historic match of the night was the Steel Cage match between Matt Hardy and Edge. You gotta appreciate how professional these two were to actually have solid matches together and trust each other in the ring, given that they were feuding through the real life drama surrounding Lita. This match is one of their best encounters, and really proved that these two could survive in the main event picture (and at least one of them was able to).

Other than that, the rest of the show is pretty forgettable. There's an attempt to get Chris Masters over by having him feud with Shawn Michaels, but that's lost in history. There's a fairly amusing bit involving Ric Flair partying all night after his Intercontinental Championship victory against Carlito. The main event between John Cena and Kurt Angle for the WWE Championship had all the makings of an epic clash (thanks to Cena's ongoing feud with RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff), but something gets lost in the shuffle that translates out to an average main event (made even more clear by the match's ending).

Skip It


12. No Mercy

In a show that features a Fatal 4-Way match for the United States Championship (involving Chris Benoit, Orlando Jordan, Booker T and Christian), the PPV debut of Bobby Lashley, and a solid encounter between JBL and Rey Mysterio, they are considered a mere footnote to the real story of this show. In the main event, Batista defended the World Heavyweight Championship against Eddie Guerrero. Up to this point, this was definitely Batista's best wrestled match as champion, helped by the chemistry he and Eddie had behind the scenes (it's been said numerous times that Eddie helped Batista get comfortable on the SmackDown roster when he was brought over). What really sold the match was whether or not Eddie would revert back to his old ways of lying, cheating, and stealing, and what Batista would do to Eddie if he was betrayed by him.

Tragically, on November 13, 2005, Eddie Guerrero passed away from heart failure. There were rumored plans for him to win the World Heavyweight Championship in the near future (even claims that he was to win it at the SmackDown tapings that week). While his time with us was cut short, we still remember the legacy that Eddie left behind as a total package type of performer. Not only did he have charisma in and out of the ring, but he could also wrestle submission style, technical grappling, high flying, and hardcore when he needed to. He will always be remembered as one of the greats.

R.I.P. Eddie Guerrero and Viva La Raza!

Recommended


13. Taboo Tuesday

Since I'm a big fan of these entertaining (yet predictable) fan interaction shows, I thought I would watch the PPV with the mindset of a potential voter, and most of my predictions were accurate (and yes, I did ignore the fact that I knew what the eventual choices would be). Even if majority of the matches aren't historically important, the entire show is a lot of fun and offers variety through the matches that are selected. One thing to note about the show is that it featured Joey Styles on commentary with Jerry Lawler, after Jim Ross had been fired and Jonathan Coachman had a match with Batista later that night (good luck Coach).

The biggest matches of the night are include a Triple Threat for the WWE Championship between John Cena, Kurt Angle and the fan's choice between Shawn Michaels, Kane, and Big Show (guess who was chosen) and the Intercontinental Championship on the line in a fan's choice match (normal match, submission match, or steel cage match) between Ric Flair and Triple H. The Triple Threat is pretty solid, as you would expect from the three performers involved, but left a little to be desired in actual storytelling. The Flair/Triple H match was so heavy on story that the commentators even admit that the Intercontinental Championship is a footnote in this match. The match itself (go ahead and guess after these hints) is bloody, brutal, and one of the best matches of Flair's career (let alone in the matches towards the end of his career).

Recommended


14. Survivor Series

The phrase "quality over quantity" is in effect for a show like this. Sure, there's some crappy (Eric Bischoff vs. Teddy Long) and underwhelming (Trish Stratus vs. Melina for the Women's Championship) sprinkled throughout the show, but there are also four very entertaining matches on the card that offers something different with each match. For wrestling purists, there's a great opening match between Chris Benoit and Booker T (the first match in a best of seven series to crown the United States Champion) that has the audience applauding both men by its conclusion. The Last Man Standing match between Triple H and Ric Flair continues where their steel cage match left off at Taboo Tuesday. Like that match, this match is brutal and bloody, but it also demonstrates that Flair is still an amazing performer, and allows him to take it to The Game without derailing any of Triple H's main event momentum.

The WWE Champion, John Cena, was in one of the biggest challenges that point in his career, as he was defending the title in a match against Kurt Angle, who had his own referee in Davairi, in an attempt by Eric Bischoff to intentionally screw Cena out of the title at Survivor Series. It's one of the best examples of Cena defying the odds and being an underdog champion, but before fans got tired of seeing that formula (but it was starting, as fans were definitely behind Angle in this match). By the end of the night, fans were guaranteed the showdown they all wanted: SmackDown vs. RAW in a traditional Survivor Series elimination match. For months, the tension had been building up to the point where the general managers named their teams. RAW (Shawn Michaels, Kane, Big Show, Chris Masters, and Carlito) and SmackDown (Batista, JBL, Bobby Lashley, Rey Mysterio, and Randy Orton) both had a lot to prove in this match, and the brand warfare was scattered all over, including battling referees and commentators (the commentary can get a little annoying with them always trash talking each other, I must admit). And let's just say that the show ends with the sole survivor of the getting a little more than he bargained for.

Recommended


15. Armageddon

"Quality over quantity," is not in effect on this filler show, however. With the exception of another fantastic encounter between Chris Benoit and Booker T (in match four of the best of seven), the rest of the midcard is forgettable. There is a fun blowoff match from the SmackDown vs. RAW feud, with RAW's World Tag Team Champions (Big Show and Kane) battling SmackDown's WWE Tag Team Champions (Batista and Rey Mysterio). This match is fun, but I am disappointed that Batista wrestled three straight PPVs without defending his championship (especially since, he would be injured and relinquish the title a month later).

The main event promised to bring an end to Randy Orton's feud with the Undertaker (thank the Lord, because that feud DRAGGED) inside Hell in a Cell. To build up this feud, they had Josh Matthews interview former referee Tim White, who proceeded to attempt suicide off-screen (I'm not even kidding), which would lead to those infamous Lunchtime Suicide videos on WWE.com. To say this was inappropriate to do only a month after Eddie Guerrero's passing is an understatement. But let's focus on the match. It was alright. I could tell that they were trying to recreate the style of match that Shawn Michaels had with the Undertaker in 1997. However, not even on his best day could Orton even come close to Michaels and it shows. The match, like their feud, just drags on too long. If they shaved 5-10 minutes, while keeping all of the spots, the match would be a lot better thanks to the pacing. I get that the slower pace might make the match feel like a war, but epic battles can definitely be quick paced as well. Thanks to the pacing, this match does come off as an underwhelming finish to a near year-long feud.

Skip It


Final Thoughts: Sadly, a year that was off to a very good start was not able to finish as well as it started. There are some quality matches throughout this last batch of shows, but for the most part, feels underwhelming. The year ended with Cena and Batista still on top, but also ended with us losing one of the greatest of all-time, so obviously, the end of the year is bittersweet. 


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The Year in PPV- 2005, Part II

The year 2005 continues...


6. Judgment Day

I was expecting Judgment Day to be traditional post-WrestleMania filler, but I was pleasantly surprised with how much quality there really is on this show. Sure, there's some filler matches for top talent like Big Show and Carlito (in a feud surrounding a tainted apple), and a United States Championship match between Orlando Jordan and Heidenreich (to capitalize on Heidenreich's face turn, even though he was still creepy), but there is also a very solid Cruiserweight Championship match between Paul London and Chavo Guerrero (further proof of why I miss the Cruiserweight division). There's an elephant in the room match that's on this PPV and it's the match between Kurt Angle and Booker T. It is not based on the match (which is actually pretty good), but purely on the storyline that involves Kurt Angle wanting to have "perverted, bestiality sex" with Booker's wife, Sharmell. They gave the guy who made Shawn Michaels tap out at WrestleMania a creepy, borderline rapist gimmick immediately after? That just makes no sense to me (although it is entertaining to hear an Olympic gold medalist use the phrase "gutter slut").

The night is highlighted by two intense rivalries ready to boil over. The first was about Eddie Guerrero turning his back on longtime friend (considered family) Rey Mysterio. These two would go on to have one of the most heated rivalries throughout the summer, and Judgment Day is one of their greater matches because the pure focus of storyline was the betrayal, and not the stupid custody battle (we'll get to that in a bit). In a WrestleMania rematch for the WWE Championship, John Cena and JBL waged a (literal) WAR for the title. This match more than makes up for their disappointing match at WrestleMania, as these men get brutal and bloody to win the title. This is a rarity for John Cena fans, as this was the time that when he bled, he bled buckets. This is surely the bloodiest I have ever seen Cena, but he also secured his placement as a main eventer and a credible, fighting champion.

Recommended


7. ECW One Night Stand

If you enjoyed the days of ECW, then this is the show for you. Every match on the card has a quality of entertainment, whether it's through technical wrestling (Chris Jericho vs. Lance Storm, and Eddie Guerrero vs. Chris Benoit), high flying action (Rey Mysterio vs. Psichosis, and Super Crazy vs. Tajiri vs. Little Guido), or weapon-heavy spotfests (Sabu vs. Rhyno, and The Dudley Boyz vs. Tommy Dreamer and The Sandman). The best match of the night is definitely the INSANE bout between Mike Awesome and Masato Tanaka, as they go out there and nearly kill each other with chair shots and table spots.

Add to the fact that a bunch of RAW and SmackDown "crusaders" show up to put an end to the ECW nostalgia trip, invoking tons of live shoot promos, a WWE vs. ECW brawl inside the ring, and the appearance of Stone Cold Steve Austin, and you have a show that is made entirely out of pure fun and appreciation for the sport of professional wrestling (even if it is a hardcore appreciation). This PPV should give all of the die-hard ECW fans something to enjoy, and is one of those rare non-WrestleMania shows that I think every wrestling NEEDS to see at least once in their lifetime.

Highly Recommended


8. Vengeance

With only six matches, Vengeance is actually a very strong PPV. There isn't too much to look at in terms of the midcard, except for some really bizarre segment involving Viscera, Lilian Garcia, and The Godfather (seriously, I couldn't figure if it was to make Godfather and Viscera heels since any self-respecting person would NOT cheer their actions that made Lilian cry). One of the show's better matches (that bends the lines between upper midcard and main event) was the WrestleMania rematch between Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle, made possible by Angle being drafted to RAW. This match has a much quicker pace and their chemistry has improved since their initial encounter. I'd argue to say that this match is better than their historic WrestleMania bout.

In a very interesting turn of events, John Cena was drafted to RAW, leaving the show with TWO World Champions. His first RAW PPV match saw him defend his WWE Championship in a Triple Threat against Chris Jericho and Christian. The match flows very quickly, and it seems highly plausible that either man could have won the match (thanks to Jericho's experience, Christian's use of his manager Tomko, and Cena in being the only babyface in the match). The rivalry between Batista and Triple H came to an epic conclusion in an amazing Hell in a Cell match for the World Heavyweight Championship. Their feud was so personal, that the level of blood and violence was one of the most brutal that Hell in a Cell has ever seen. If that's not enough to sell the match, then this should: BARBED WIRE COVERED STEEL CHAIR!!!

Recommended


9. The Great American Bash

Once again, I'm surprised to see a SmackDown PPV that delivers (not sure where that stigma came that they didn't, at least in 2005). Thanks to solid midcard matches from Booker T and Christian, as well as Orlando Jordan and Chris Benoit (Christian and Benoit were recently drafted to SmackDown from RAW). There's some goofy filler as one would expect, including a Bra and Panties match and a six-man tag match between the Mexicools (gotta love stereotypes) and the Blue World Order, but it's come to be expected.

Thanks to SmackDown's star power, there are three main event level matches, starting with Muhammad Hassan vs. the Undertaker in a number one contender's match. Needless to say, thanks to an ill-timed angle where Taker was attacked by "terrorists" just days before the bombings in London, this match is the complete BURIAL of Hassan, but it's very entertaining to watch. Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero continue their feud of stellar matches by bringing in a goofy storyline revolving around a secret that will be told to Rey's son Dominick if Rey loses the match (it's that kind of cheesiness that makes you roll your eyes at the concept but warms your heart in the execution of the story). After Batista was drafted to SmackDown, his first challenge as World Heavyweight Champion was to shut JBL up, which he attempts to do in a serviceable main event that is more of throwing fists and power moves than anything else. If the match is kept fast and furious in its duration, then there are no problems, but around the 12 to 15 minute mark, it becomes stale rather quickly.

Mild Recommendation


10. SummerSlam

I forgot just how STACKED this card is. You know it's going to be a memorable show when your midcard matches are Edge vs. Matt Hardy (in the midst of their real-life feud over Lita) and Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio in a Ladder match for the custody of Rey's son Dominick (such a goofy concept for a solid ladder match), and the Undertaker vs. Randy Orton in a WrestleMania rematch. The only star I feel sorry for is Kurt Angle, who was stuck in a silly program with Eugene after he won Angle's Olympic gold medal.

The show also had memorable World Championship matches in John Cena vs. Chris Jericho for the WWE Championship and Batista vs. JBL in a No Holds Barred match for the World Heavyweight Championship. Both matches are short but serviceable, and give all four men a chance to shine bright at the biggest party of the summer. This night, however, is most remembered for the billed "icon vs. icon" match between Hulk Hogan and Shawn Michaels. Thanks to Hogan's backstage politics and Michaels's goofy overselling, this match doesn't live up to the epicness it could've been, but it is still an entertaining main event between the biggest attraction of the '80s and his arguable successor during the '90s.

Recommended


Initial Thoughts: The momentum of quality PPVs continues, with Batista and Cena switching shows and each of them maintaining their spots atop the company food chain. The shows are supported through solid feuds (Rey vs. Eddie, Edge vs. Matt Hardy), epic matches (I Quit, Hell in a Cell) and nostalgic returns (Hulk Hogan and ECW), with very little setbacks. With this kind of momentum, the year looked poised to be one of the greatest overall during the new millennium. However, tragedy would strike a few months later, leaving the WWE having to act fast on how to carry on.

Concluded in Part III...


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The Year in PPV- 2005, Part I

The year 2005 can definitely be looked at as one of the most historically important years in WWE history, as it led to the rise of some of the modern-era's biggest stars. Stars like John Cena, Batista, Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio, Edge and many others were able to come into the forefront of the company, while veterans like Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Kurt Angle, and the Undertaker were still relevant for use as well. This year also marked the return of Hulk Hogan, the debut of the Money in the Bank match, the resurgence of ECW, and unfortunately, the passing of one of the greatest performers in wrestling history. With so much going on in one year, it felt like a foundational year, serving as a building block for the future of the company.

I know many would say this year hurt the company in the long run (primarily internet crowds), but I still think there is a lot of value in this year. No matter what fans think about Cena and Batista, this was a year where these two were allowed to dominate RAW and SmackDown (both would get a taste of both brands this year), as WWE saw that they had two powerhouse superstars that were ready to be given the proverbial ball to run with.

Let's see how the year 2005 begins...


1. New Year's Revolution

This show will always be remembered as the show with one of the greatest Elimination Chamber matches of all time. However, that's about all when it comes to quality on this show. This is an infamous PPV where multiple superstars get injured during their matches (including Eugene and Lita), but that's about all to be remembered about the midcard. Normally, I would stray away from one-match shows, but when your main event is THIS epic, I'm willing to make an exception.

The Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship took 6 of the greatest wrestlers in history (Triple H, Chris Jericho, Edge, Randy Orton, Chris Benoit, and Batista) and made them battle in a war to crown a new champion after the belt had been vacated. To add to the mix, Shawn Michaels was announced as the guest referee. The bloody battle between these six competitors is arguably the greatest Chamber match in history, at least in terms of star power. While the rest of the show is underwhelming, this match is a great way to start the year off on a high note.

Mild Recommendation


2. Royal Rumble

The 2005 Royal Rumble show has some good matches on the undercard, including a fantastic opening match against Edge and Shawn Michaels, and a WWE Championship match between JBL, Kurt Angle and Big Show. The Casket match between Undertaker and Heidenreich is a good example of how a mediocre feud can have a cruddy and boring match, and the World Heavyweight Championship match between Triple H and Randy Orton is a good example of how a great feud can have a cruddy and boring match.

The Royal Rumble match has a lot of great performers involved, including Rey Mysterio, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, and Chris Jericho among others. There is a great amount of brand warfare between RAW and SmackDown in this match (even the General Managers get involved), culminating in the last two men being RAW's Batista and SmackDown's John Cena (which even at the time commentators were calling a dream match). This was a make or break moment for both men's careers, as the audience knew that one (or both) of these young talents were on their way to the main event of WrestleMania.

Recommended


3. No Way Out

Before going into WrestleMania, it's time for some SmackDown filler courtesy of No Way Out. Looking at this card, there is very little historical significance involved at all. The only real match on the undercard worth mentioning is the WWE Tag Team Championship match between Doug and Danny Basham and Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero. There's also way too much time given to the Rookie Diva of the Year competition that takes place throughout the evening (though it is ironic seeing a young Michelle McCool come up short in the competition, since she was the only one to succeed in the WWE).

The biggest question in this PPV was what the WWE Championship match was going to be at WrestleMania. The three deciding factors were in whether or not Batista (the Royal Rumble winner) decided to jump to SmackDown, a number one contender's match between Kurt Angle and John Cena, and a Barbed Wire Steel Cage match for the WWE Championship between JBL and Big Show. While the question itself is very interesting, you could just skip on over to WrestleMania to see what match took place.

Skip It


4. WrestleMania 21

Regardless of some of the filler (mainly the Women's Championship Match, and Big Show in a Sumo match), this WrestleMania has a LOT going for it. Look at the two in-ring segments: Hulk Hogan returns to save Eugene from Muhammad Hussan and Daivari, and Stone Cold Steve Austin as a guest in Piper's Pit. Either one of these would be worthy of being on a WrestleMania, but both on the same show? Wow. Add onto that a hot opener involving Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero, and a solid back and forth match between the Undertaker and Randy Orton (the first time that somebody actually acknowledged the Streak and challenged it), and the foundation for a solid WrestleMania has already been laid.

Most remember WrestleMania 21 as the night that Kurt Angle and Shawn Michaels went out and put on a wrestling clinic together, and while it is a very good match, it does have its fair share of slower moments. But by the end of the match, it didn't matter who won, as the real winners were the fans and BOTH men deserved a standing ovation for the match they put on. My favorite match of the night is the first ever Money in the Bank ladder match, which I will argue is one of the greatest ladder matches in history. It was fantastic because it was a great gimmick to add to the already exciting ladder match, and a way to get six talent RAW superstars a slot at WrestleMania. I also think they had the PERFECT six men to be in the match, with Chris Jericho, Shelton Benjamin, Edge, Christian, Kane and Chris Benoit all going out and putting all they had on the line for a contract for a future World Heavyweight Championship match.

Historically, this night will also be remembered as the night that John Cena and Batista won their first World Championships. For John Cena, he defeated JBL for the WWE Championship in a culture clash of fortune (JBL) vs. the streets (Cena). in all honesty, this match really sucks and can only be remembered for the last minute of the match where Cena makes his trademark "Superman" comeback and wins the title. Batista's victory was against his former Evolution teammate, Triple H. While a lot of fans dislike this match as well, there is AMAZING storytelling told (just watch the hype video before the match to see what I'm talking about) in their clash for the World Heavyweight Championship.

Highly Recommended


5. Backlash

Backlash was very surprising in how it did NOT feel like a carbon copy PPV full of WrestleMania rematches. The show gets kicked off the right way with a great Intercontinental Championship match between Shelton Benjamin and Chris Jericho. The two have fantastic chemistry together, and the match has so much back and forth action that the finish comes completely out of nowhere. Chris Benoit and Edge completely steal the show in terms of match quality, however, with a very entertaining Last Man Standing match.

The biggest pop of the night deservedly goes to Hulk Hogan, who returned for "one more match" to team with Shawn Michaels to fight Muhammad Hussan and Daivari in a match that is solely watchable for the moment of watching the Hall of Famer compete in another battle of patriotism. The final match of the night was Batista vs. Triple H in a WrestleMania rematch for the World Heavyweight Championship. The main story being told in this match was Triple H's Pedigree against Batista's Powerbomb, as whoever hit their finisher first would (logically) seal the victory.

Recommended


Initial Thoughts: Looking at the first handful of 2005 PPVs, it is clear that they used this batch of shows to develop Batista as "the man." From his performance in the Elimination Chamber, winning the Royal Rumble match, making his presence felt at No Way Out, winning the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania, and defending it at Backlash, it is a constant wave of momentum that develops one of the key wrestlers of the 21st century. Batista was not the only new main eventer on the block however, as John Cena would come into his own within the next few months of the year, which we will look at next time.

Continued in Part II...


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The Year in PPV- 2002, Part III

Let's see how the WWE finished up the year 2002...


10. Unforgiven

The best thing I can say about Unforgiven is that it tried its hardest to follow the amazing spectacle of a show that they put together with SummerSlam. This really felt like the first PPV in the war between RAW and SmackDown, thanks to the two world championship matches. On RAW, the newly crowned World Heavyweight Champion Triple H defended his title against Rob Van Dam, in a match that planted the seeds of the stable that would become Evolution. SmackDown continued to get Brock Lesnar over as the next face of the company by having him defend his WWE Championship against the Undertaker, and while the match ends inconclusively, the fans definitely wanted to see these guys go at it again in the future.

Overall, this show indicated that the better brand was SmackDown, thanks to two midcard battles of Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit, and Eddie Guerrero vs. Edge. These four men, along with Chavo Guerrero and Rey Mysterio would be dubbed the SmackDown Six, indicating the great quality matches these six men had with one another every week on the blue brand. Add a main event program in Lesnar/Undertaker, and it seems obvious which show had the better wrestling talent.

Recommended


11. No Mercy

Who knew that a PPV featuring one of the most despised and ridiculous feuds in wrestling history could also have a TON of great matches scattered throughout the night. The main event for RAW was a unification match between the World Heavyweight Champion Triple H and the Intercontinental Champion Kane. That alone would have enough hype to have fans interested, but the booking felt the need to butcher the build up by throwing in the Katie Vick storyline where Triple H tried to prove that Kane was a "murderer and necrophiliac." Seriously, if you haven't heard of this wrestling angle, go look it up because it is one of the most infamous for its tasteless approach. The fact that Vince McMahon still doesn't see what all the fuss was about and stands by his creative decision is completely laughable, and the storyline fully deflates the hype for its main event match. Point is, this match was a HUGE step backwards for the RAW brand, which was not good since SmackDown brought their A game for this show.

SmackDown General Manager Stephanie McMahon decided to hold a tournament to crown their first ever WWE Tag Team Champions, with the tournament final being Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle against Edge and Rey Mysterio in one of the greatest tag team matches I have ever seen. This match felt like it could have been the main event of the entire show (which is no surprise since it features four of the SmackDown Six), but the show's real main event more than delivers in quality. The WWE Championship was on the line in a Hell in a Cell match between Brock Lesnar and the Undertaker and is one of the bloodiest matches I've ever seen in WWE History (just look at how busted up Undertaker is). This match more than serves as a method of continuing the growth of Lesnar as a legitimate superstar by having him combat the Phenom in the match he made famous.

Recommended


12. Rebellion

What I said about UK shows in my Insurrextion review still rings true for most UK PPVs, but this edition of Rebellion doesn't range on THAT bad of territory. While it's nothing spectacular, it does offer a more exciting show, thanks to many talented wrestlers on the roster. One of the better matches was the tag team match between Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit against Eddie and Chavo Guerrero for the WWE Tag Team Championships, another fine example of the SmackDown Six going out and having one of the best matches on the card.

The main event for the WWE Championship was a handicap match with Edge challenging Brock Lesnar AND Paul Heyman. I wish it would have just been Lesnar and Edge because it would have been a better display of young talent without having to focus on the possibility of Heyman getting in the ring. Still, the match is very good and I wish a feud with Edge and Lesnar would have been further explored (maybe it could have in 2003 had Edge not suffered his neck injury). The rest of the card is harmless, but overall the show isn't too meaningful on wrestling history.

Skip It


13. Survivor Series

SmackDown attempted to continue its dominance by booking Brock Lesnar's biggest challenge at that time, a WWE Championship match against Big Show. The match is brief, and the two do have great chemistry, but it was more about creating a moment to generate heat for the Madison Square Garden crowd than the actual match. The SmackDown Six were also on display in Triple Threat Elimination Match between the teams of Edge and Rey Mysterio, Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit, and Eddie and Chavo Guerrero. The match sells itself given the reputations of all six men at the time.

How would RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff get RAW to top the Hell in a Cell match between Lesnar and Undertaker? By creating the Elimination Chamber match, putting six men (Triple H, Chris Jericho, Rob Van Dam, Kane, Booker T, and Shawn Michaels) inside it, and debuting it at Survivor Series in Madison Square Garden. The entire show was building up to this epic encounter for the World Heavyweight Championship and many people didn't know if the match would be a success or not. The match's innovative spots from high flyers like Van Dam and Michaels, mixed with the violence and brutality from brawlers like Kane and Triple H created a violent match that exceeded all expectations. I think this is an instance where magic was created by having it at the right venue (Madison Square Garden shows always have strong fan interaction) and having the right six competitors. Had one of these factors changed, and we might not have this match every February on the last PPV before WrestleMania.

Even the undercard is full of fun moments that make this Survivor Series feel like a great variety show. From the Elimination Tables match, to the Hardcore match for the Women's Championship, to Scott Steiner's return to the WWE, this show offers a little bit of everything to everyone, and is a truly successful show for both brands by utilizing SmackDown's quality wrestling (SmackDown Six match) and an innovative gimmick match courtesy of RAW (Elimination Chamber match).

Highly Recommended


14. Armageddon

What is it about Armageddon that feels the need to be categorized as an end of the year filler PPV? The midcard feels very unimportant and the main events don't offer the kind of excitement that fans would hope for. The show is completely stolen by a solid match between Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero (I think it's impossible for those two to have a bad match together), and there is some significance in the PPV debut of Batista, but other than that, there's nothing special to end the year on a high note.

The SmackDown main event was a WWE Championship match between Big Show and Kurt Angle that was more focused on Brock Lesnar's interference than who would actually walk away as champion (it was pretty obvious whoever had the belt was holding it to transition over to the face-turned Lesnar). RAW tried to up the ante with a 3 Stages of Hell match for the World Heavyweight Championship between Shawn Michaels and Triple H, but it drags on too long on the first fall (Street Fight). By the time that fall was decided, there was still a Steel Cage match and a Ladder match (if necessary) for fans to have to endure, so the response to the match is very underwhelming. It's a shame really considering how intense their rivalry was at the time that this match didn't deliver, but such is the case when they try to make a match TOO epic.

Skip It


Final Thoughts: The year 2002 wraps up with the brand warfare continuing, and at this point, it felt like an appropriate beginning to the Ruthless Aggression Era. The era was introduced by Mr. McMahon wanting to see which stars had that type of aggression, and many answered the call. It was obvious that SmackDown felt more focused on the quality of the matches, while RAW felt more character oriented, which isn't a bad thing, as each show had its own style of entertainment that allowed fans to filter out what they liked and disliked about both brands. Within the year, Hogan, Rock and Austin left, Undertaker and Triple H were put in the veteran main event roles, Booker T, Van Dam, Jericho and the SmackDown Six dominated the midcard, Shawn Michaels was able to make his return to the ring after 4 years, John Cena, Randy Orton and Batista were merely rookies, and Lesnar was the newly emerged star of the company. Overall, the year 2002 was a year of change, but I would say that the changes were handled well and well received by majority of the fans.



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