The Year in PPV- 2003, Part III

2003 comes to an end with the McMahon family all over the product...


10. Unforgiven

The big fight feel was present on this night when Goldberg put his career on the line against Triple H and the World Heavyweight Championship. I think it was painfully obvious who was gonna win this one, but you still gotta live for the moment right? Well, the match is just alright, but the moment at the time seemed pretty good. But here we have the biggest problem with Goldberg that existed was in his lack of quality ring work. Once you put the World Championship on a guy who is known for destroying everything in his path, you have to rely on him to have 20 minute wrestling matches, which Goldberg could NOT do. In the case of the World Heavyweight Championship, I would have just stuck with Triple H running the show. Not to mention there's the big problem of the complete death of Evolution's momentum.

However there are two matches on the undercard that outshined the main event. The first was a match between Randy Orton and Shawn Michaels, which is often credited as the match that gave Orton the Legend Killer gimmick. The other match was a Last Man Standing match between Kane and Shane McMahon, which may have been bowling shoe ugly, but at least told a solid story and had some memorable spots to make the audience happy.

Mild Recommendation


11. No Mercy

The show opens with a nice Crusierweight Championship match with Rey Mysterio defending against Tajiri, but that's not the selling point that would have people tuning into the show. The second half of No Mercy is really the stuff that's worth checking out, but not all of it is for the right reasons. In terms of actually well wrestled matches, there's an early match between John Cena and Kurt Angle, which was the last major feud Cena had before turning face and never looking back. Also included is the United States Championship match between Eddie Guerrero and Big Show, which many wouldn't expect being good because of Show's limited skills, but with Guerrero attached, I'm not surprised with how good it turned out.

No we enter the crap that is so bad it's good to watch. One that may surprise many would by the nearly 25 minute match for the WWE Championship. Any match with Brock Lesnar and the Undertaker is a memorable and entertaining experience, but when you add a goofy stipulation like a Biker Chain on a pole, then you've got something that belongs NOWHERE near the end of the show, nor a match that should be 25 minutes. It's a fine match, but a regular wrestling match would've sufficed as well. Then, if things couldn't get more ridiculous, Mr. McMahon took on his own daughter Stephanie in the only father/daughter I Quit match. They actually had a solid match, but the concept itself is so goofy that it's really hard to not only laugh, but be disturbed in the process.

Skip It


12. Survivor Series

Admittedly, the main event with Goldberg and Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship told a more interesting story, but it had about the same match quality as before. Of the FIVE main events on this card, this one's definitely the lowest ranked....and why it went on last is beyond me. Were people really invested THAT much with Goldberg/Triple H over these other matches? Anyways, two of the other main events involved a member of the McMahon family taking on one of the Brothers of Destruction. Shane McMahon finished his feud with Kane in an Ambulance match and the Undertaker looked to defeat Mr. McMahon in a Buried Alive match. The Buried Alive match for sure stands out because of how bloody Mr. McMahon gets (after ONE punch to the face by Taker).

But then we have the two Survivor Series elimination tag team matches. Now for some reason, I feel the roles switched, with SmackDown favoring bigger men and brawlers with Team Lesnar (Brock Lesnar, A-Train, Big Show, Matt Morgan, and Nathan Jones) taking on Team Angle (Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, Bradshaw, Hardcore Holly, and John Cena). Whereas RAW had much better overall wrestling in their match, as well as a great storyline where their team captains put everything on the line. Stone Cold Steve Austin captained the team of Shawn Michaels, the Dudley Boyz, Rob Van Dam, and Booker T, and if his team lost, he would lose his job as Co-General Manager of RAW. Eric Bischoff helmed the team of Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, Scott Steiner, Christian, and Mark Henry, where if he lost, Stone Cold would be able open a can of you know what on anyone in his path. So the stakes were HUGE going into this match, and it did NOT disappoint at all.

Recommended


13. Armageddon

It's normally against my moral fiber to completely spoil a PPV unless the results are obvious. So with that being said, this is the show that ended with Evolution holding all of the titles on RAW. In terms of execution, it's a phenomenal moment to properly restore credibility to Evolution, not just with winning titles but how they did so. For example, when Randy Orton won the Intercontinental Championship, he defeated a GREAT champion in Rob Van Dam. After losing a match to Shawn Michaels, which still made him look strong (take notes Roman Reigns...), Batista teamed with Ric Flair to crash the end of the Tag Team Turmoil match for the World Tag Team Championships. Flair and Batista also won the titles by beating the Dudley Boyz specifically, which is instant credibility for a tag team since the Dudley Boyz are the most decorated tag team in history.

Maybe the only Evolution member that didn't have credibility restored is the one who needed it least. For all of 2003, Triple H had been the mainstay of the main event and on this evening he regained the World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Goldberg and Kane in a Triple Threat. On this night, it was about paving the way for the future with Orton and Batista, and that final image with Evolution toasting with the four title belts is an iconic moment for sure and the proper way to end the last show of the year.

Recommended


Final Thoughts: If we were basing who won the year in terms of their final PPV image, RAW would win in a heartbeat. But since we're grading on an overall scale....SmackDown takes it without a doubt. RAW's main event scene was AWFUL with Triple H taking on Steiner, Nash, and Goldberg to lukewarm reception while the WWE Championship was having the likes of Angle, Lesnar, and Benoit, busting their humps on PPV to put on actual wrestling matches. SmackDown also had a more diverse undercard with the Cruiserweight division, more compelling tag teams, not as many Diva matches to hold the momentum back, and performers like Eddie Guerrero, Rey Mysterio, John Cena, and the Undertaker to round out the rosters. As the first year of a new era goes, this one did a great job at creating the overall image of what made the Ruthless Aggression Era popular. It had a deep roster of talent and had tons of match quality, you just have to sift through some crap to find it.


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The Year in PPV- 2003, Part II

2003 continues by taking a trip to their fans in the UK...


6. Insurrextion

With a week until Bad Blood, you can guarantee this UK show is pure filler. Most, if not all of the matches carry on at the next show, so this PPV is really pointless. The only match that's really fun to watch is probably the main event. Triple H defended the World Heavyweight Championship against Kevin Nash in a Street Fight. You can only imagine that their in-ring work isn't the greatest, so the use of blood and weapons definitely helped.

There's only one thing that every fan could get into on this show and it's when Chris Jericho hosted the Highlight Reel and invited Eric Bischoff and Stone Cold Steve Austin. Sadly, Jericho and Austin never had that long-term feud with each other, so I always look forward to anytime these guys had something together and this segment is incredibly entertaining, especially with Bischoff added in the mix. Sadly, when an in-ring comedy segment is the most memorable part of the show, you know there's a problem in the execution of a PPV. After this, the WWE never did any more UK exclusive PPVs, so maybe this was the final nail in the coffin that showed these types of shows weren't drawing the greatest results.

Skip It


7. Bad Blood

Here, a comedy segment featuring Stone Cold Steve Austin and Eric Bischoff worked better since it wasn't the only memorable thing on the card. Austin and Bischoff partook in the Redneck Triathlon, which consisted of a variety of activities from a burping contest to a pie eating contest (I ain't talking pastries by the way...). But now onto the matches, starting with a feud that started as a failed concept in WCW: Chris Jericho vs. Goldberg. Now that Jericho was an official main event talent, this feud carried a bit more weight to it than when they "attempted" a minor feud in the old WCW days. This show also featured the first ever one-on-one encounter between Shawn Michaels and Ric Flair. The epicness of that match writes itself.

The main event was Triple H vs. Kevin Nash in a Hell in a Cell match for the World Heavyweight Championship. As an added bonus, when no referee wanted anything to do with this match, Mick Foley was special guest referee. Add his tension with Triple H and you have an extra bit of depth and psychology in this brutal and barbaric match. Is it the greatest Cell match ever? It's Triple H vs. Nash...what do you think? No. But the storyline and bloody and innovative use of tools as weapons allows this match to stand out as a unique approach to Hell in a Cell.

Recommended


8. Vengeance

This show is near PERFECTION. It has everything imaginable and is proof of why SmackDown was the the dominant brand in the early days of the brand split. It opens with an intense and exhausting match with Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero to crown the United States Champion. Then it has a humorous match where Billy Gunn took on Jamie Noble, which if Noble won, he would earn a night alone with Torrie Wilson. Then, the APA hosted an Invitational Bar Room Brawl featuring the likes of Brother Love, Matt Hardy, the Brooklyn Brawler, and the Easter Bunny. Then, the WWE Tag Team Championships were defended when the World's Greatest Tag Team (formerly Team Angle) took on Rey Mysterio and Billy Kidman in a match that fans of technical wrestling and high flying should enjoy.

For any fans of a good catfight, this show also offers a match between Sable and Stephanie McMahon. Then, in what many fans nowadays would consider one of the last dream matches to hold on a PPV, John Cena (during his battle rapping days) took on the Undertaker (in his biker gang days) in an ultimate battle of respect. Then, in something truly unique, Mr. McMahon took on Zach Gowen, a one legged wrestler. That's right...if you ever wanted to see Vince McMahon take on a one legged wrestler...this show has that TOO. And in the main event, a Triple Threat match was held for the WWE Championship with Brock Lesnar, Kurt Angle, and Big Show. This show is awesome from beginning to end and is one of the best shows of the year...and possibly in WWE history.

Highly Recommended


9. SummerSlam

Once you sift through some of the poorly worked matches on the card, there's some stuff to enjoy at this SummerSlam. I really enjoyed 5 of the 7 matches on this show and I wanted to separate the RAW from SmackDown matches in order to prove a point. On the SmackDown side, we had a Fatal 4-Way for the United States Championship (Eddie Guerrero vs. Rhyno vs. Tajiri vs. Chris Benoit) and a one-on-one match for the WWE Championship (Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar). Here, SmackDown focused more on displaying the wrestling talent of its wrestlers than go for stuff that was too gimmicky. Sure, a Fatal 4-Way is a match that can easily get carried away and the WWE Championship match could've relied too heavily on Brock Lesnar's heel turn and alliance with Mr. McMahon, but on this show both matches are downplayed on the storylines and focus more on the in-ring work.

For RAW, they relied a LOT more on gimmicky matches (with Eric Bischoff in control....I am in NO way surprised). In fact, Bischoff has a Falls Count Anywhere match with Shane McMahon that relied HEAVILY on the storyline to carry the match. Then, they had a No Holds Barred Match between Rob Van Dam and the freshly unmasked Kane. The match is a bit of a letdown for me, since both men are capable of better, but for Kane's first high profile feud since unmasking, it did the job. Finally, the main event saw Triple H defend the World Heavyweight Championship in an Elimination Chamber match against Shawn Michaels, Kevin Nash, Chris Jericho, Randy Orton, and Goldberg. This match was about 90% Goldberg laying waste to everyone else, and the match was significantly shorter than the first one back at Survivor Series 2002. Needless to say, it was an underwhelming follow up to the original Chamber match (especially when you get to the ending).

Recommendation


Thoughts: The second part of the year had a lot of high profile matches, but is also a mixed bag on quality. It wasn't until they split into brand specific PPVs where we saw the brands have to put more than their midcard and main event matches together. We had to see these brands put on exclusive shows featuring solely their show's talent. Both had different results. RAW, with Bischoff, relied more on the main event talent (again...I am in NO way surprised). Whereas SmackDown tried to give the fans a little bit of everything...which proved to be much more effective in displaying brand supremacy. So let's see what efforts both brands put forward to bring 2003 to an end.

Concluded in Part III...


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

The Year in PPV- 2003, Part I

I want to introduce the year 2003 by painting the scenario for all of you. It's the year 2003, the first full year of the new Ruthless Aggression Era, as well as the first full year of the brand split between RAW and SmackDown. To display a roster of talent, you have the following wrestlers in the company: Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho, Brock Lesnar, Kurt Angle, Undertaker, Big Show, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, Rob Van Dam, Kane, John Cena, Randy Orton, Kevin Nash, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Hulk Hogan, and even Goldberg. With all these guys and so much more, it's easy to see why fans would enjoy sitting through this year. But is it worth the fuss? I usually regard 2003 as one of my favorite years, especially since the Aggression Era is my personal favorite, but is it a bias due to the size of the roster when the real focus should be on overall match quality? Well that's what we're here to find out.

So let's not wait any further and head to the first show of the year 2003...

1. Royal Rumble

If you wanna see how 2003 has some of the best and worst wrestling imaginable, look no further than the world title matches. As for the best, we have an amazing WWE Championship match with Kurt Angle defending the title against Chris Benoit. This match was so good it could have easily main evented WrestleMania, but here, it's the first stop on the Road to WrestleMania. On the other side of the spectrum was an abysmal World Heavyweight Championship match with Triple H and Scott Steiner. Talk about a letdown with some of the worst ring work imaginable. Steiner very famously provided way too many suplexes to carry the match work (and not in a cool way like Lesnar, Angle, or Benoit). Worst part of it....Angle/Benoit didn't get a PPV rematch after this and Triple H/Steiner DID!!!!

The Royal Rumble match is pretty basic as well. Very by the books with a few standout performances, most noticeably Chris Jericho for lasting a really long time and also seeking to outperform Shawn Michaels. At the end of the match, it came down to the two everyone wanted it to: the Undertaker, who was making his return after an injury at the hands of the Big Show, and Brock Lesnar, who had to win a match earlier in the night to qualify for the Rumble. It was only a tease of a return match from their epic Hell in a Cell match from 2002, but it was a very satisfying showdown to end an average Rumble match.

Mild Recommendation


2. No Way Out

I'll give No Way Out credit for 3 things. The first is the opening contest between Jeff Hardy and Chris Jericho. It was a solid match to wake the crowd up in Montreal, but that's not saying a lot since the rest of the night could deflate any crowd of fans. The second is to the handicap match of Team Angle vs. Brock Lesnar and Chris Benoit for having great wrestling overall and tying Kurt Angle's rivalries from both the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania. The final thing I'll give the show credit for is for the return of Stone Cold Steve Austin to wipe the floor with Eric Bischoff (and give Jim Ross material for the commentary of the year). But now comes the painful stuff to watch.

Let's start with the big men match between Undertaker and Big Show. This was at the point when Taker was getting by in the ring solely on respect from the fans, cause all he could do was his signature moves and throw punches. That's not very entertaining to watch for 15 minutes when your opponent can't do a heck of a lot better either. Then, in the Royal Rumble rematch NO ONE wanted to see, Scott Steiner tries once again to take the World Heavyweight Championship from Triple H. This is only a minor improvement from their previous encounter, but there's also a turd polishing metaphor I could use in the same regard. It's still a crap match to sit through. And speaking of rematches, in a WrestleMania rematch that I'm sure loads of fans did want to see, The Rock took on Hulk Hogan in a match that in no way (AND THE ROCK MEANS....NO WAY....couldn't help it) had the same electricity (I gotta stop with the Rock jokes) as the moment they created at Mania X8.

Skip It


3. WrestleMania XIX

In terms of match quality, this is what I would consider to be the best WrestleMania. PERIOD. Before getting into the main event matches, let me just explain how solid the undercard was leading up to it. There's really only 2 bumps in the road match wise and that's with the Undertaker's handicap match against Big Show and A-Train (you can only imagine the damage these 3 men did for nearly 10 minutes) and the ridiculous pillow fight-like match that featured Stacy Keibler, Torrie Wilson, and the Miller Lite Catfight Girls (which bumped the World Tag Team Championship match to the dark match). But still, this show opened with a fast-paced Cruiserweight Championship match between Matt Hardy (V.1...AH!) and Rey Mysterio, one of the greatest Women's Championship matches of all-time with Victoria taking on Jazz and Trish Stratus in a Triple Threat, Team Angle defending the WWE Tag Team Championships in a Triple Threat match against Los Guerreros and the team of Chris Benoit and Rhyno, and TWO performances from Limp Bizkit (who were referred to as the WWE's favorite band in the entire world....which doesn't sound dated at all).

Now on to some of the main event matches on this epic evening. We begin with one that I'm not sure was intended to be considered a main event, but was more on that blurred line of upper midcard match that stole the show, and that would be the match between Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho. All I need to say about what's so great about this match is that it's the first one-on-one PPV encounter between my top 2 wrestlers of all-time (Michaels 1 and Jericho 2), so I'm instantly sold on that one. The show continues with Triple H defending the World Heavyweight Championship against Booker T, in a match that I tend to find overlooked due to the actual match result and the IMPLIED racial undertones (when in reality it was a dig at Booker's criminal past and roots in WCW that made him unfit to be World Champion). Still, I enjoy it (especially thanks to the manager antics of Ric Flair and the commentary from Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler...just helps bring everything together) and think more fans need to talk about it. Then, Hulk Hogan took on Vince McMahon in a bloody No Holds Barred match that NEVER should have been as fun as it was, but fans really got into it and the spots are very memorable (including a surprise return from an enemy of both Hogan and McMahon).

Rounding off the show were the main events from both brands. For RAW, it was the epic conclusion to the WrestleMania trilogy of matches between The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin. This is easily my favorite of the three because there is no interference from anybody else or pointless heel turns. It was a simple story: Rock feels he's done it all, except for one thing and that's beating Austin at Mania. It's not about titles or making money, it's a personal battle between two of wrestling's biggest icons on the grandest stage in sports entertainment. For SmackDown, Brock Lesnar tried to regain his WWE Championship by taking it off of Kurt Angle in a dream match for wrestling purists. The match may be known for Brock botching the Shooting Star Press at the end of the match, but watch it again and really pay attention to the chemistry between Angle and Lesnar, and the great match these two are able to have prior to the Shooting Star. It's faced paced, well wrestled, and the momentum is always constantly switching between the two that you had no idea who had the upper hand to win. It's a fantastic main event to end one of the greatest evenings in PPV history. A must watch for all wrestling fans.

Highly Recommended


4. Backlash

The phrase "post-WrestleMania filler" seems appropriate here, but there's still some entertaining matches some fans would enjoy. In a star-studded six-man tag, Triple H teamed up with Ric Flair and Chris Jericho to take on Shawn Michaels, Booker T, and Kevin Nash, in a David meets Goliath type of match Rey Mysterio took on the Big Show (worth it for the post-match angle), and before he was dominating John Cena at last year's SummerSlam, the two were actually wrestling for the WWE Championship at Backlash in a much more back and forth kind of match. There's also some solid tag team bouts, some backstage antics involving the Divas, and a match to capitalize on the modern retelling of the Roddy Piper/Jimmy Snuka incident with the coconut. But none of these things were what the show was about.

On this night, Goldberg wrestled his first WWE match against The Rock in a dream match fans of the Monday Night Wars were clamoring to see. In reality, the match was just alright, but if these were two of your guys during the late '90s, then it should be entertaining enough to mask that their match was just "meh." And this would be just the first point in Goldberg's mediocre run in the WWE.

Mild Recommendation


5. Judgment Day

I'm actually surprised with how much I enjoyed this show. There's a good amount of variety presented throughout the evening, all tied together with some hilarious scenes of Stone Cold Steve Austin and Eric Bischoff sharing the Sky Box together as RAW's Co-General Managers. But onto the action. Sure, there are some disappointments like the match between Rowdy Roddy Piper and Mr. America (who was CLEARLY Hulk Hogan). These guys may have been a top draw with personality to hide what they may have lacked in the ring, and that might have been ok in the '80s, but it certainly wasn't going to be tolerated by fans during the heart of the Ruthless Aggression Era. Remember what I said in my 2011 review about Triple H and Kevin Nash? Well, it wasn't much better in 2003. It was better, but only by a little. Not to mention this was the first (second if you count Backlash) of three (or four) consecutive PPV main events together.

Now let's get to what's memorable in a good way. There was an entertaining battle royal to crown a new Intercontinental Champion (with the title being reinstated after it was merged with the World Title back at No Mercy in 2002), a bikini challenge with Sable and Torrie Wilson, and a very underrated ladder match for the WWE Tag Team Championships with Team Angle defending against Eddie Guerrero and Tajiri (who was replacing the recently injured Chavo Guerrero). The show was main evented by a stretcher match for the WWE Championship. You wouldn't expect Brock Lesnar and Big Show to have as good a match as they can, but they have a really strong chemistry together and are solely responsible for reviving the stretcher match for modern fans to enjoy...Bravo guys.

Recommended


Initial Thoughts: With the exception of Mania, the beginning of 2003 was a tad rocky. Not too many matches stood out as compelling outside of maybe one or two main events on each show. This was usually the case during the In Your House Days of the New Generation and were tolerable back then. But like I said earlier, this was the first full year of the Ruthless Aggression Era, the first full year of the brand split, and the fans were looking for shows that had quality flowing throughout each show. Still, you couldn't deny a roster of epic proportions that accurately featured the past, present, and future of the business, and that was helping them get by for a while. Would the quality improve throughout the year or would there still be a lot of bumps in the road?

Continued in Part II...


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

The Year in PPV- 1991

I'm not going to sugar code anything with an elaborate introduction paragraph, so let's just get right to it. 1991 is FUN to watch. It's got the roster, some great match quality, and is the first time where it felt that a majority of the shows were held together by consistent momentum (all except one). This was a very enjoyable year to binge watch and it went by very quickly. I wish more shows from the Hogan era of wrestling were like this one, especially since the next year was going to be that transitional year to the Next Generation. Do I have some gripes about the year? Sure, it's what I do (Mark Henry joke not intended), but nonetheless, it was still a great year of wrestling worth talking about, while also pointing out some of the flaws along the way.

So let's have some fun with the year 1991 by heading to the Royal Rumble...


1. Royal Rumble

There's a couple of hurdles to go over when watching this one (a few boring matches, but nothing too offensive to watch), but overall this Rumble is full of memorable PPV moments. Let's begin with the opening contest between the Rockers and the Orient Express. This tag match felt really special thanks to the fast paced energy from both teams and is usually finds its way on the list when fans discuss the greatest opening matches in PPV history. On top of that tag team match, we have another tag team match that saw Ted DiBiase and Virgil challenge Dusty Rhodes and his son Dustin (a young Goldust sighting is always enjoyable). This wasn't about the match though, it was all about the tension between DiBiase and Virgil. With Rowdy Roddy Piper trying to be the voice in his ear, fans waited eagerly to see if Virgil would get his revenge on the Million Dollar Man for all the years of bullying and abuse. Then, we have a controversial WWF Championship match that saw the Ultimate Warrior defend the title against Sgt. Slaughter. The match is fine, but again, it's all about the moment and this moment certainly had fans talking for a while.

Admittedly, the actual Royal Rumble match is a pretty average, cookie cutter type of Rumble match, but it's still entertaining. It's got plenty of star power, so it should be able to hold the interest of even the most casual of wrestling fans, and I think everyone should especially pay attention to the performance of Rick Martel. Had there been more push behind the Model over the years, this moment could have easily been what put him on the map as a big time player, since no one was expecting him to last in the match as long as he did.

Recommended


2. WrestleMania VII

Here we have, in my opinion, the first WrestleMania where a majority of the matches were given a fair amount of buildup and payoff to create a show with phenomenal momentum throughout. Most previous Manias were centered only on the main event, but there's a lot here that makes the main event look like an afterthought. The opening match saw the Rockers face the Barbarian and Haku, and it's always great to see the early days of Shawn Michaels before he was Mr. WrestleMania. This event also marked the WrestleMania debut of the Undertaker as he made mincemeat out of Jimmy Superfly Snuka. Heck, there was even a match where both opponents were blindfolded (Jake Roberts and Rick Martel). And the crowd gathered in anticipation to see if Virgil could defeat his former employer Ted DiBiase on the grandest stage of them all.

Let's not forget the intrigue surrounding the championship matches. From Big Boss Man trying to win the Intercontinental Championship from Mr. Perfect, to the WWF Tag Team Championship match between the Hart Foundation and the Nasty Boys. And a lot of the show's attention was on the main event that saw the WWF Champion Sgt. Slaughter put the belt on the line against Hulk Hogan, in a contest that could be declared the ultimate battle of patriotism, as the world hated Slaughter for turning his back on the U.S. and siding with Iraq. You wanna talk about a recipe for cheap heat: burning a Hulkamania shirt during your WrestleMania feud, as well as turning your back on your country. Brilliant booking for a main event villain.

But the moment that shined the brightest on this show was the Retirement match between the Ultimate Warrior vs. Randy Savage. At that time, Warrior was not known for his masterful technical wrestling, but the Macho King was. These guys tore it up and stole the show in a match full of action and suspense. Then to make matters even greater, an element of romance and elation is thrown into the mix (I won't spoil, if you haven't seen it...you MUST), so much so that it had the entire building (and probably millions watching around the world) in tears of joy. Now THAT is the epitome of a truly great WrestleMania moment.

Highly Recommended


3. SummerSlam

The biggest party of the summer this year was full of a variety of memorable moments. From an excellent 6-man tag team opener (Power and Glory and the Warlord vs. Ricky Steamboat, the British Bulldog, and the Texas Tornado), to a match where the loser must spend the night in jail (Big Boss Man vs. the Mountie), to a Street Fight for the WWF Tag Team Championships (the Nasty Boys vs. the Legion of Doom), to a WrestleMania rematch for the Million Dollar Championship (Ted DiBiase vs. Virgil). Every match felt like something different, which lets the night feel like something special to enjoy. And of course, the most famous match on the card is the Intercontinental Championship match between Mr. Perfect and Bret Hart. It was the match that launched Bret as the next midcard babyface, and it was Perfect's last match for a while due to back injuries and they made sure to give the crowd in Madison Square Garden something to remember.

The gimmick used throughout the night was that there was going to be a match made in Heaven (the wedding of Macho Man and Miss Elizabeth) and the match made in Hell (Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior vs. Col. Mustafa, General Adnan, and Sgt. Slaughter). The match made in Hell is mired in controversy thanks to Warrior holding Vince McMahon up for more money before going out (and being immediately fired after the match), and other than that, it's pretty forgettable. But the night was all about the match made in Heaven, a wonderful and heartwarming moment for all fans of wrestling to see. Very rarely do weddings in wrestling go correctly, and admittedly their reception gets spoiled by Jake Roberts, but in the context of the PPV, the wedding ended the way it should have: perfectly.

Highly Recommended


4. Survivor Series

Wow, talk about a show that could completely kill the momentum of good PPVs dead in its tracks. Speaking of dead, that's primarily the reason why this show is remembered: the Undertaker challenging Hulk Hogan for the WWF Championship. Their match is anything but spectacular and I wish I could say they kept it short to hide their in-ring shortcomings, but then I'd be lying. Still, this match results in one of the biggest moments in the career of the Deadman, I just wish it could've been a better match to make the moment that much greater.

The Survivor Series elimination tag matches are fine as well, but none seemed to wow me as much as I'd like. We had Team Piper (Rowdy Roddy Piper, Bret Hart, the British Bulldog, and Virgil) against Team Flair (Ric Flair, the Warlord, the Mountie, and Ted DiBiase), Team Slaughter (Sgt. Slaughter, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, the Texas Tornado, and Tito Santana) facing Team Mustafa (Col. Mustafa, Hercules, Skinner, and the Berzerker), the team of the Rockers and the Bushwhackers squaring off against the Beverly Brothers, and the Nasty Boys, and a main event that saw the Legion of Doom and Big Boss Man challenge Irwin R. Schyster and the Natural Disasters. Originally, Randy Savage and Jake Roberts were to be a part of their respective teams, but due to storyline injuries and suspensions, their time to finally clash would come at the next appropriate date. Meaning that a lot of what the fans were waiting to see and had probably ordered Survivor Series for was being pushed aside for the next PPV. What a waste of money and time for fans who were prepared to enjoy this show to see the culmination of the Savage/Roberts feud. I'm thankful that I have the WWE Network and didn't have to experience the total disappointment fans had during this edition of the Thanksgiving tradition.

Skip It


5. This Tuesday in Texas

So this is the show WWF thought was worth wasting a quality Survivor Series for. The undercard is actually fairly solid, but people weren't there to see Bret Hart vs. Skinner, the Warlord vs. the British Bulldog, or a random tag team match (Ted DiBiase and Repo Man vs. Virgil and El Matador). Heck, there was a dark match that featured Ric Flair taking on Roddy Piper. How was THAT not on the PPV?!?!?! They actually had a feud with a lot of buzz surrounding it, so why wouldn't they capitalize on it and exploit the crap out of it by broadcasting it? I mean, isn't the purpose of this show to exploit the fans' money by announcing this show less than a week after the last one, and ending that show with so many disappointments that you buy this one hoping those problems were resolved?

Moving on, the main event saw Hulk Hogan challenge the Undertaker to get his WWF Championship back. The match, like their last one, ended in controversy, and thanks to the historical impact, you'll discover this match was completely POINTLESS. Not to mention the fact that I don't think these two have ever put on a solid match together (either here or in 2002). But if there was one saving grace on this show, it's the short but sweet match featuring Jake Roberts and Randy Savage. There was so much buildup to their clash, and this match created a moment that bettered both men by showing Savage's determination to get revenge for himself and Elizabeth and Robert's ability to get under the skin of every fan in the building and watching at home. There's a reason he's one of the best promo men in the history of the business...trust me. This moment could have easily been added to the Survivor Series as a main event, and probably would've made that show worth watching as a whole.

Mild Recommendation


Thoughts: With the exception of Survivor Series, there's a lot of fun and entertaining stuff in 1991. I'm not sure the casual wrestling fan would expect that, but this year as a whole is really worth checking out. Not only is there the star power from the late '80s, but now more focus is being placed on match quality and newer stars are beginning to come to the forefront as the next evolution in sports entertainment was on the horizon. Imagine this, a year when the main eventers were Hogan, Savage, and Warrior, Undertaker was within his rookie years, Bret Hart was the new midcard babyface, and Shawn Michaels was close to splitting from Marty Jannetty and becoming the Heartbreak Kid. Simply put, this year is a blast to watch.


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The Year in PPV- 2011, Part III

2011 concludes with a string of PPVs with pretty solid continuity...


9. Night of Champions

In terms of this card, there isn't too much to offer. Nearly half the title matches are throwaway filler. One pet peeve I have about some installments of Night of Champions is that a lot of the matches (*SPOILER ALERT*) end with the champion retaining in a throwaway feud. I wish there was more prestige in building up these matches, but it's so rare that the titles actually change hands at this PPV, nor is there a lot of recognition of the illustrious history of each title, that it's no different from your generic PPV of the month. Naturally by saying that, this PPV does offer two major World Championship matches that should receive some attention. The least important was the WWE Championship match between Alberto Del Rio and John Cena, not offering anything out of the ordinary (and go ahead and take a guess who won). The one that I believe every fan should see is the World Heavyweight Championship match. Mark Henry challenged Randy Orton for the title, in a match that seemed very important for both men to win. Both men had made the move to SmackDown in the WWE Draft and made an impact in different ways, it was only natural that their development culminated in a big match situation on PPV. And it ends with something I'm sure not many saw coming, and it's very rewarding and proof that if you work hard in this business, it can pay off.

There's actually one match I think is underrated and worth paying attention to: the WWE Tag Team Championship match of Air Boom (Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne) taking on Awesome Truth (The Miz and R-Truth). This match may first seem like filler, but it's actually the catalyst for a lot of the moments you're gonna see on the remainder of the year's PPVs. However, here's where I find this PPV to be pointless: CM Punk vs. Triple H in a No Disqualification match....for no championship....at Night of CHAMPIONS!!!! I get these are two big name superstars, and Triple's run as COO was on the line if he lost, but the fact that it's the MAIN EVENT really lessens the importance of every match on the card. While the match is fine, it really could've waited two or three weeks until we got to the next PPV.

Skip It


10. Hell in a Cell

What's worth remembering on the undercard? Not a lot apart from the opening contest between Sheamus and Christian. It's a shame they weren't put in a Fatal 4-Way Hell in a Cell match with Mark Henry and Randy Orton (now that would've put some butts in the seats). Anyways, after that we have a really bizarre match featuring two Sin Caras (one blue, one black). Sin Cara Azul (blue) was still receiving heat (both backstage and with the fans) for his constant botches and for violating the wellness policy, so his initial run was ranging on catastrophic levels. Ironically, Sin Cara Negro (black) was not only doing the gimmick better than Azul at this point, but is now currently the only Sin Cara after the original was released earlier this year. Also, Cody Rhodes delivered a promo which featured him throwing away his Intercontinental Championship belt and replacing it with the vintage IC belt from the days of Mr. Perfect, the Ultimate Warrior, Bret Hart, Razor Ramon, Shawn Michaels, and the list goes on and on. It's a pretty cool little moment on the show that actually got a nice reception from the crowd in New Orleans. The belt unveiling was so well received that the impromptu title defense against John Morrison didn't draw as much attention or response. The fans had a championship belt from the '90s back, they were happy and technically had Cody Rhodes to thank for that.

As for the two Hell in a Cell matches, they are both fine. Nothing spectacular...just fine. Mark Henry defended the World Heavyweight Championship against Randy Orton and they had about as good a match as they did at Night of Champions but it lacked the moment their earlier match did (just felt like a rematch formality). The WWE Championship match, however, was more interesting in concept. In a Triple Threat match inside Hell in a Cell, John Cena defended the title against Alberto Del Rio and CM Punk. This triple threat dynamic really works for these three since their journeys were all intertwined back at Money in the Bank and it continued on up to this point. This feud actually felt like the culmination of a long-term rivalry between three superstars and their ring work is pretty good too. Unfortunately, the ending is a bit cheap, and there's a post-match angle that leaves this match as an afterthought. But if there was something worth salvaging from the PPV it's the first match, the last match, and the return of the classic Intercontinental Championship belt.

Mild Recommendation


11. Vengeance

After merging with Night of Champions in 2007, the WWE brought back the Vengeance PPV in 2011. They've done the same with No Way Out in 2012, and with some of the newer PPVs names in recent years (Payback, Battleground, Fast Lane.....yeesh), I would gladly welcome Backlash, Judgment Day, Armageddon, or No Way Out instead. Moving on, this rendition of Vengeance was actually pretty solid to sit through. I know that may surprise some people, but from top to bottom I was thoroughly entertained. What made it differ from any other PPV around this time? I think it had to do with the point in storytelling we were at in booking. Things had become so chaotic by the time we got to Vengeance, that there were so many storylines to buy into and be entertained by. Even if the tag team match of Awesome Truth vs. CM Punk and Triple H isn't the greatest tag match in history, it's still entertaining for the fan to watch because of how all the elements were brought together to make it happen over the last few months.

If anyone knows anything about this event, it's because of the conclusion of the World Heavyweight Championship match between Mark Henry and Big Show. Let's just say, it made things very interesting for the match to follow. But actually, they do a good job of incorporating it into the Last Man Standing match for the WWE Championship. Alberto Del Rio and John Cena are given a lot of time, and are actually able to tell an entertaining tale all over the arena. I know not many are to credit Del Rio for being a great WWE Champion, but if there was a match to show his potential, this was it.

Recommended


12. Survivor Series

You can always depend on the fact that the WWE is going to try and provide top quality when they are in Madison Square Garden, and this Survivor Series didn't disappoint. Each match offered something different and interesting to try and win the crowd over. From a good wrestling contest to open the show (Dolph Ziggler vs. John Morrison for the Intercontinental Championship), to matches featuring big spots (Mark Henry vs. Big Show for the World Heavyweight Championship and Beth Phoenix vs. Eve for the Diva's Championship), to a traditional Survivor Series match with Team Orton (Randy Orton, Sin Cara, Kofi Kingston, Mason Ryan, and Sheamus) facing Team Barrett (Wade Barrett, Hunico, Jack Swagger, Dolph Ziggler, and Cody Rhodes).

A lot of the buzz surrounding the show was originally on the tag team main event of John Cena and The Rock taking on Awesome Truth. Never before had the two teamed up before, and never again have they done so (as of the writing of this review). This was obviously cheap build up to their upcoming battle at WrestleMania XXVIII (which they announced the night after Mania XXVII), but people more cared about whether Rock was still going to be able to deliver in the ring. Long-term history should point towards the WWE Championship, however, as Alberto Del Rio defended his title against CM Punk. I'm sure most of you know how this one ends, but let's just say it's a good match and the result had people happy for 434 days.

Highly Recommended


13. TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs

Before getting into the gimmick matches for the evening, I actually wanted to acknowledge two singles matches for midcard titles that took place at TLC. The first is the opening match for the United States Championship between Dolph Ziggler and Zack Ryder. Obviously, the fans had been wanting Ryder to win the title for months now, so Ryder was in a big match situation here. It really made winning the title look like a big deal (which has been a problem with the U.S. title over the years) and I really was able to buy into the moment. The other was the setup for the Intercontinental Championship. The champion Cody Rhodes was facing Booker T, and kept attacking Booker throughout the night to delay this match. By the time you got to the match, you had a big grudge match on display, along with some legitimacy for Rhodes as a champ by having him take on the 5-time (not doing it 4 more times) WCW Champion. I really liked this version of Cody Rhodes and wished they had been able to have a longer run like this (I'd take this Rhodes over Stardust any day of the week). But now moving onto the matches that actually use tables, ladders, and chairs.

The TLC gimmick I actually think isn't utilized greatly this year. The tables match with Randy Orton and Wade Barrett is fine, but happens really early in the show and is sandwiched with a lot of the thrown together midcard matches that it lacks importance. Triple H and Kevin Nash have a ladder match....in 2011!!!! Who wanted to pay to see that?!!?!? In actuality, the goal of the match was to climb the ladder and pull down Triple H's sledgehammer, which they could then use to win the match by pinfall or submission. This went on for nearly 20 minutes and lacked all forms of epicness. It's so boring, I'd dare to call it one of the worst ladder matches in WWE history. The TLC match for the WWE Championship didn't impress me in terms of actually telling a story. It had CM Punk, Alberto Del Rio, and The Miz going at it for the belt and felt like a really uninspired TLC match, main event match, and WWE Championship match. And this was the last match of the year so...way to go booking staff. The real thing to watch for here, honestly, is Mark Henry vs. Big Show in a Chairs match for the World Heavyweight Championship. Is it for the match quality? Heck no, and thankfully they keep it short. Just watch for when the match is over, and I'm sure it'll have you shouting "YES!"

Mild Recommendation


Final Thoughts: So the last few PPVs were ranging on average as a whole, but the WWE was still doing a lot of good things in developing superstars. Cena was taking a backseat for a few months, while Del Rio was coming up the ranks in the main events. Miz and Truth might not have fared well in the main events against Cena, but they formed a nice little team as Awesome Truth (and I wish they would've been around longer). Perhaps the most surprising was Mark Henry's run as World Champion, which I never would've called at the beginning of the year. The stuff involving CM Punk always had me entertained, and the authority figure angle involving Triple H and John Laurinaitis was, while telegraphed and predictable, very engaging to watch. In conclusion, 2011 is definitely a mixed bag, but there's enough potential there that I can see why a lot of fans favor it in the modern era.


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