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
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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