The Year in PPV- 2011, Part I

2011 is considered a very important year in the PG Era, at least from the summer onward. The obvious element this year will best be remembered for is that it gave CM Punk that main event push he had deserved for quite some time. And, while I will be talking about that in depth in parts 2 and 3, there should also be some acknowledgement towards some good character development throughout the year to wrestlers that are NOT named John Cena and Randy Orton.

Here is a list of some of the main event talent that received extra attention in 2011: The Miz, Sheamus, Christian, Mark Henry, Big Show, Alberto Del Rio, the tag team division, the Divas division, and even R-Truth. Fast forward 3 years and these superstars aren't exactly running the main event scene, but this was definitely a refreshing environment that helped distance the constant need to shove Cena and Orton in our faces. Not to mention, there are a lot of good wrestling matches throughout the year as well, so let's not wait any longer.

Things get underway in 2011 with the biggest Royal Rumble match in history...


1. Royal Rumble

I understand that a LOT of the talent needed to be saved for the Rumble match, but with only 3 other matches on the card, there was a lot to be desired. The show kicks off the right way with a World Heavyweight Championship match pitting Edge against Dolph Ziggler. As an added stipulation, Edge would lose the title if he was caught using the Spear. I wish this feud wasn't a throwaway here, as they had some good chemistry and it could have started earlier or continued on, as long as it meant Edge and Ziggler could have continuously good matches with each other. The Miz and Randy Orton had a match for the WWE Championship that was pretty forgettable up until the end, which set a lot of the WrestleMania landscape into motion. The Divas match was thrown together during the show, so there really isn't a need to talk about it when the company doesn't even have any faith in their division to build up the title match prior to the show.

This is the first (and so far only) Royal Rumble match to feature 40 superstars. On paper, it sounds great to have a longer Rumble match. But there needs to be two things in order for it to work: a roster that can keep the audience interested, and match quality that causes the time to fly by. Sadly, both aren't present here. There are a handful of surprises that work, and the gang warfare between the New Nexus and the Corre works out well at the beginning (but goes ineffective once the match begins), but this could have easily been trimmed down to a traditional 30 man Rumble and it would've worked so much better. In fact, let me just quickly name off 10 superstars this match didn't need (Zack Ryder, Yoshi Tatsu, Chavo Guerrero, JTG, Chris Masters, Tyler Reks, Vladimir Kozlov, R-Truth, Hornswoggle and Tyson Kidd). If they would have eliminated a lot of the jobber spots from the match, the star power and pacing would have been far more superior. Here, it just looks like a failed experiment to make an already important match even more important.

Recommendation


2. Elimination Chamber

Let's get one thing out of the way: the in-ring segments are PAINFUL....and that's all thanks to Trish Stratus. Her promo for being a Tough Enough trainer was just uncomfortable and her teased in-ring return was heavily botched thanks to the heeled boots she was wearing. WEAK. Moving on, I really enjoyed the detail they gave in setting up the World Heavyweight Championship match for WrestleMania. After an opening bout between Alberto Del Rio and Kofi Kingston, we had the Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight title (Edge vs. Kane vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Wade Barrett vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Big Show). This Chamber match seems to be a favorite of the PG Era, and it's easy to see why. We have Big Show seeking revenge on Barrett for all of the Corre's antics against him, we have Drew McIntyre performing some really powerful spots and has the crowd behind him (such a missed opportunity), we have Kane laying waste to everything in his path (duh), and Rey and Edge having a competitive match with each other from start to finish. Then, once the match is over, Del Rio makes his presence felt, only for the World Champion to be saved by a returning friend who also wanted revenge on Del Rio. And just like that, you have a main event set for WrestleMania. Expertly done and a great example of why I love this time of year.

After a match for the Tag Team Championships (Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov vs. Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel so really...who cares?), it was time to set up the WWE Championship match for WrestleMania. In one of the most emotional WWE title matches in some time, Jerry Lawler challenged The Miz for the belt. Add to the fact that Lawler's mother passed away a week before the match, and Michael Cole (the thorn in the King's side) has been annoyingly biased towards Miz for months, and you have a formula for a match where majority of the audience wants the King as WWE Champion (even if it were for a day and Miz were to win it back the next night on RAW.....it would have worked....should have just given King the moment for crying out loud). Finally, RAW held a Chamber match to determine the number one contender for the WWE Championship (John Cena vs. R-Truth vs. Randy Orton vs. John Morrison vs. Sheamus vs. CM Punk). Go ahead...guess who won this match. I'll give you three guesses...and you'll only need one. Still, the match has great spots from Morrison, continues Punk's feuds with Cena and Orton, and features some interference from the anonymous RAW General Manager. It's a fine Chamber match, but definitely not one of the all-time greats, nor is it better than the one SmackDown put on earlier that night.

Mild Recommendation


3. WrestleMania XXVII

How can a show considered a disaster have so many hidden gems on the card? A lot of people are quick to point at the flaws with Mania XXVII, but I have a soft spot for it. Sure, the show has a really rushed 8-man tag match and an intergender tag match that features Snooki from the Jersey Shore, both are too short and feel out of place for WrestleMania. Yes, the show has a painfully long "clash" between Jerry Lawler and Michael Cole that is so bad even Stone Cold Steve Austin as guest referee can't salvage it. Granted, the anticipated United States Championship match (Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan) was moved to the dark match, which later turned into a battle royal won by the Great Khali (*sighs*). And admittedly, the main event just didn't click (I'll get to that a little later), but what about all the good stuff that happened on the card.

There are at least three gems on the card I wish people discussed more when it comes to modern Mania classics. The Rey Mysterio vs. Cody Rhodes match showcases a bitter feud and some good in-ring psychology revolving around knee braces and facial masks, and the Randy Orton vs. CM Punk match had great build up and star quality to give higher value to this upper midcard feud. I really enjoy both matches and they deserve more attention from the fans, at least offering more variety than the countless Undertaker and part timer matches we've been getting the last few years at Mania.

There's plenty of memorable moments on this show, starting with the obvious focus of the show: The Rock returning to host WrestleMania. His presence is felt in an electrifying opening promo and various backstage segments. It was painfully obvious from his return that he and John Cena were gonna clash down the road, and it's this payoff that makes the main event almost worth it. Cena challenged The Miz for the WWE Championship and while their match is awful (something just seemed really off about their ring work), the ending at least sets up some important stuff down the road for The Rock and Cena. The two matches this show will mostly be remembered for are the World Heavyweight Championship match between Edge and Alberto Del Rio and the No Holds Barred match between Triple H and the Undertaker. Edge/Del Rio is memorable thanks to it being Edge's last match ever (didn't know that at the time, but it's quite the end to a career) and Taker/Triple H is memorable because....need I say more (there's a moment where Triple H was so close to ending the Streak that I nearly pissed myself in excitement...true story)?

Mild Recommendation


4. Extreme Rules

Now THIS is what I'm talking about. After an underwhelming WrestleMania, and following the draft special the previous week on RAW, Extreme Rules comes along and puts on a fantastic show to tease the changing landscape of the WWE for the rest of the year. Many Mania feuds came to an end on this evening, including Randy Orton and CM Punk's which culminated in a last man standing match, as well as Rey Mysterio and Cody Rhodes ending their rivalry in a falls count anywhere match. Both these matches do a really fine job at ending their respective rivalries, yet they won't be what this night is remembered for. Even some of the throwaway matches don't hinder the momentum of this night. Not even the WWE Championship main event (a steel cage match between The Miz, John Cena, and John Morrison) isn't what's important about this edition of Extreme Rules.

After WrestleMania, Edge shocked the world by announcing that he had to retire (wrestling your last match by retaining the World title at Mania is a pretty sweet way to go out if you ask me). A ladder match was held to determine the new World Heavyweight Champion. In one corner, Alberto Del Rio, who was already scheduled to face Edge at Extreme Rules in said ladder match. In order to determine who would replace Edge, a battle royal was held on SmackDown, which was won by Edge's best friend Christian. So, it's Christian vs. Del Rio, ladder match to determine the World Heavyweight Champion. Just watch this match and enjoy the moment. A moment that fans never thought they were ever gonna see, and a moment that sealed this evening as one worth remembering.

Highly Recommended


Initial Thoughts: The first couple of shows in this year definitely felt like the scraps of 2010. The big problem with this year, apart from the obvious amount of "Mild Recommendations" I gave them, is the primary focus on only handling proper booking in the main event picture. Obviously, stars like Orton, Cena, and Edge remain constant, but I was really impressed with the focus on Del Rio and Miz in the World Title picture. So many other ideas fall to the wayside though, including the New Nexus and the Corre, consistent booking for John Morrison, Dolph Ziggler, Daniel Bryan, and Sheamus, and the Divas division (that should come as no surprise though). However, things were definitely in the midst of a HUGE change coming within the next few months that would permanently change the landscape of the era.

Continued in Part II...


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