The Year in PPV- 2006, Part I

I'm not going to sugar coat this at all. This year had 16 PPVs, the most in WWE history. Had a great roster, a handful of really great moments and matches. But also suffered from SO MANY problems. Most of this year felt like filler between the years 2005 and 2007, and when you've got to sit through 16 PPVs like that, it can be quite the chore to watch. This year featured the return of D-Generation X, the rise of the Rated-R Superstar, the return of ECW, the crowning of King Booker, and the uncomfortable booking surrounding the passing of Eddie Guerrero, only to name a few. So much of this stuff should sound exciting, but as we are about to find out, it all looked good on paper, but there's a LOT to be desired in the execution.

Let's handle this as best as possible by heading to New Year's Revolution...


1. New Year's Revolution

Since the undercard doesn't even remotely matter in history's eyes, let's focus on the main event. Now for me, I always believe that the year starts off with the Royal Rumble, but I think the WWE at the time was looking for something to generate those post-Christmas PPV buys and thought the Elimination Chamber was their ticket. John Cena defended his WWE Championship inside the Chamber against Shawn Michaels, Kane, Carlito, Chris Masters, and Kurt Angle. There were a lot of factors going into this match: Cena being the underdog, Michaels being punished by Mr. McMahon, Carlito forming an alliance with Masters, Kane being...Kane, and Angle destroying everything in his path (the original mayor of Suplex City). This match had a lot of spots and surprises, but it wasn't exactly the epic encounter I'm sure the WWE was looking for.

When the Chamber lifted after the match's conclusion, the brutality may have been over, but the night wasn't. As the WWE Champion celebrated in the ring, Mr. McMahon came out to say that they had one more match that evening, surprising everybody. There's only one real thing to say about this moment: it was a shocking moment that saw a superstar seize the ultimate opportunity (see what I did there?) to become a part of wrestling history.

Skip It


2. Royal Rumble

After a VERY underwhelming undercard (seriously, the first hour is AWFUL), let's talk about the main events that went AFTER the Royal Rumble match. Edge defended the WWE Championship against John Cena. This match was a good introduction to the matches they'd be having throughout the year, but I'm not the biggest fan of the result. The payoff of this initial encounter SHOULD have happened at WrestleMania, but they had bigger plans for both men to establish themselves as big time players. If the Royal Rumble match wouldn't main event the show, this should have. But instead, we have a 9 minute match between Kurt Angle and Mark Henry for the World Heavyweight Championship. Why? For a surprise superstar return. If that was the reason, it could have easily been saved for SmackDown.

But now let's talk about the Rumble match. The breakout performance is easily Rey Mysterio, who entered at Number 2 and currently holds the longest time spent in a Royal Rumble match. Dedicating the match to his friend Eddie Guerrero, Mysterio held his own against a star-studded roster including Triple H, Randy Orton, Shawn Michaels, Kane, Big Show, Ric Flair, Bobby Lashley, Chris Masters, Carlito, Booker T, Chris Benoit, and Rob Van Dam among others. There are also a lot of dud spots that they handed to some really goofy gimmicks, but it's still worth a watch to see one of the crowning moments in the career of Mysterio.

Mild Recommendation


3. No Way Out

After two mediocre shows, thank the Lord we had a show that could breathe some life into this Mania build. Going into this show, I had an idea what matches would be on it, but I had no clue it would be THIS good. The pacing and structure of this show is flawless. I wouldn't change how a single match on this card was executed nor the order they were placed on the card. The show opens with a Cruiserweight Championship match featuring 9 competitors (Oh my goodness), followed by a match that felt more like a fight between JBL and Bobby Lashley, and then Matt Hardy and a mystery partner took on MNM in a tag team match. This stuff was small, but heading closer to Mania, these matches felt important and the people involved felt like SmackDown's elite. Then we get to some main events on the card, starting with Booker T defending the United States Championship against Chris Benoit. If you ever wanted to show someone a match where the United States Championship actually meant something in the WWE then show them THIS match. Their matches were always competitive, but add a feud that was darn sure personal, and you have magic. I'm telling you, by the end of the 16 PPVs from this year, I was STILL thinking about this match. Then we had Rey Mysterio put his championship match opportunity at WrestleMania on the line against Randy Orton. Orton made this very personal by verbally berating the late Eddie Guerrero, which was extremely uncomfortable for everyone I'm sure (there were other ways you could've given him heat guys). The match was very well handled and made the main event of Mania feel really important with how hard these guys fought to get there.

And then, the epitome of an EPIC main event. Kurt Angle defended the World Heavyweight Championship against the Undertaker in a match that could have EASILY main evented a WrestleMania. These guys absolutely busted their butts to provide one of the most memorable main events for a WWE PPV. I was watching this match with my roommate and he was exhausted by the end of the match from all the finisher spots and near falls. My hat is definitely off to these two, since this match is absolute proof of why they are two of the greatest superstars in wrestling history. It also reminded me of how I desperately want Angle back in the WWE. C'mon guys...MAKE IT HAPPEN! Point is, this was the perfect way to end a night of absolute quality that would surely make any SmackDown fans excited for WrestleMania.

Highly Recommended


4. WrestleMania 22

With a VERY rowdy Chicago crowd, WrestleMania 22 decided to go Big Time with its event. Now, I'm under the belief if two ridiculous filler matches were cut from this show (Booker T and Sharmell vs. The Boogeyman, and Torrie Wilson vs. Candice Michelle in a Playboy Pillow Fight), then this show would be regarded as one of the better Manias in recent memory. However, I see it popping up more and more when people discuss underrated Mania events, so at least it's catching traction now. Opening with a solid World Tag Team Championship with Kane and Big Show defending against Chris Masters and Carlito (good luck guys, you're gonna need it), the crowd was solidly behind the heels (Masters and Carlito) to go over the faces (Kane and Big Show), which was a HUGE theme throughout the night. Next was the Money in the Bank match, the first one ever to feature both RAW and SmackDown superstars. This match had some very unique dynamics in its performers by having extreme veterans (Rob Van Dam and Matt Hardy), young athletes (Shelton Benjamin and Bobby Lashley), and more matured ring veterans (Ric Flair and Finlay). Is this one better than the first Money in the Bank match? To me it isn't, but it still has many terrific spots and holds up well. The third match on the card was a rough and physical United States Championship match between Chris Benoit and JBL. I could've done without JBL mocking the late Eddie Guerrero (seriously guys...STOP forcing your heels to mock the legacy of Eddie Guerrero to get heat!)

Then things really start to get cooking by the time we get to the hardcore match with Edge and Mick Foley. This was meant to give Edge the rub on being the next big main event heel, while also giving Foley a Mania moment he could have with him for the rest of his career. This match has blood, barbed wire, thumbtacks, flaming tables, and so much more for fans of extreme wrestling to enjoy. The next big highlight is Trish Stratus vs. Mickie James for the Women's Championship. For my money, this is the greatest one-on-one women's match in WrestleMania history. This match had three key elements: an engaging storyline, a well-wrestled match (excusing the botched ending), and a unique response from the Chicago crowd. The only main event that seems to underperform for most fans here is the casket match with the Undertaker and Mark Henry. It's not the greatest quality in the world, but it's the best those two could have done with each other at the time.

Things then got very personal and physical with the No Holds Barred match between Mr. McMahon and Shawn Michaels. This match may be a one-sided beatdown, but it's entertaining as heck. You have Jim Ross going crazy on commentary as Shawn Michaels delivers some quality hardcore spots on Mr. McMahon, it's pitch perfect storytelling. Then we have our first World Championship match with the Triple Threat for the World Heavyweight Championship. Kurt Angle defended his title against Randy Orton and Rey Mysterio in a short but sweet match. These guys definitely deserved more time, but made the most of the 9 minutes they had to deliver a solid WrestleMania moment. The night ends with a match for the WWE Championship that had a big fight feel attached to it. With dueling epic entrances, John Cena defended his title against Triple H against a very pro-Triple H crowd. This was Cena's big opportunity to show he could hang with the big dogs in the company and be a credible main eventer and it worked really well for him. He not only had to prove it to Triple H, but the Chicago crowd as well, and you can hear moments where the crowd reluctantly gives him the credit he deserves for this match. For all the junk that was used in the build to this Mania, the final result more than made up for it with a fun show with a little something for everybody.

Highly Recommended


Initial Thoughts: After getting off to a rough start, the Road to WrestleMania finally got its payoff with an excellent show (reminds me a lot of THIS year's actually). Looking at the two brands, SmackDown had a slight edge going into Mania thanks to No Way Out, but the RAW superstars really dominated the main events thanks to Van Dam, Edge, Michaels, Triple H, and Cena. However, it was absolutely crucial that with this momentum, not to do something completely stupid to mess it all up. We will soon see how many times throughout the year the WWE would do something stupid to screw up their positive momentum... 

Continued in Part II...


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