The Year in PPV- 2014, Part II

Let's continue 2014 by heading to the Windy City for Payback...


5. Payback

Once again, the WWE returned to Chicago for the Payback PPV. Unfortunately to some, this event was nowhere near as spectacular as the premiere installment. While a lot of the midcard was consistently solid, there wasn't a match or moment that really stood out as something special. That being said, we at least had two fantastic main event matches. After two lackluster matches, John Cena and Bray Wyatt really hit their stride with an intense Last Man Standing match. With tons of extreme spots, and having the Wyatt Family and the Usos constantly interfering, this match felt like a proper way to end their lengthy feud.

But the match that really sealed the deal for the show was the No Holds Barred elimination match between the Shield and Evolution. This match was really the test to see if Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, and Seth Rollins were worthy of succeeding in the WWE. If this match proved to be a success and they could hang with legendary superstars like Randy Orton, Batista, and Triple H, then they could easily be considered the future of the WWE. Thankfully for the Shield, fans really enjoyed the match and the future was looking bright for them. Unfortunately for the WWE Universe, the WWE creative team saw this as the go ahead sign to split up the Hounds of Justice shortly after Payback.

Mild Recommendation


6. Money in the Bank

Before getting into the two ladder matches, I really want to give some credit to the WWE Tag Team Championship match that opened the show. The Usos defended against the Wyatt Family in a very impressive match for both teams. Fans were really into both teams heading in, and these four competitors why the fans would be invested in them. Terrific tag team psychology and physicality to start the show on a high note.

Now let's get to the reason fans tuned into the PPV. The first ladder match was for the Money in the Bank briefcase and featured Dean Ambrose, Rob Van Dam, Jack Swagger, Seth Rollins, Kofi Kingston, and Dolph Ziggler. These six guys really worked their tails off to entertain the fans and the spots and high risks definitely prove that. The main event was a ladder match to crown a new WWE World Heavyweight Champion (after Daniel Bryan had to vacate the title due to injury). Randy Orton, Cesaro, Alberto Del Rio, Sheamus, Bray Wyatt, John Cena, Roman Reigns, and Kane tried to deliver an epic main event, but I really think they were overshadowed by the earlier ladder match. Some brownie points should be given to Orton, however, who was definitely the MVP of the match after bleeding buckets from a ladder shot and continuing the match. Also, with Ambrose, Rollins, and Reigns separated due to the Shield's breakup, keep an eye out to see if all three can stand on their own as singles competitors.

Mild Recommendation


7. Battleground

After the disaster of a show that was the first Battleground PPV, the WWE could only go up in quality with the 2014 edition. The show started with an astounding 2 out of 3 falls match for the WWE Tag Team Championships between the Usos and the Wyatt Family. This match did wonders for both teams, as it showed that the Usos deserved to hold the titles and were fighting champions and that Luke Harper and Erick Rowan were worthy opponents that were capable of taking the titles away from them. The sheer brilliance of the gimmick was having both teams score a fall early into the match, leaving the third fall to last the longest and made the victory feel well-earned.

Unfortunately, not much after that match surpasses it in quality. The match between Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins, which I know fans were waiting to see, ended up being turned into a generic backstage segment. The match between Bray Wyatt and the returning Chris Jericho didn't seem to live up to the expectations for the fans in terms of in-ring chemistry. And of course, everyone knew who was going to win the main event before it even happened. John Cena defended the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Randy Orton, Roman Reigns, and Kane in a Fatal 4-Way. While certainly star-studded, we all knew that this was a filler match for Cena to look strong heading into SummerSlam to face Brock Lesnar, so there's really no point in seeing it.

Skip It


8. SummerSlam

Now we're talking on quality. From the opening match for the Intercontinental Championship (The Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler), to the Flag match between Rusev and Jack Swagger, to the match between Chris Jericho and Bray Wyatt, to even the Diva's Championship match (AJ Lee vs. Paige), every match felt important and every match was treated as such. Some big props go to Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins, who had an impressive Lumberjack match with each other early into the show. This really opened the doors for both of them in my opinion. Another former Shield member looking to make a statement at SummerSlam was Roman Reigns in his match against Randy Orton. While fairly obvious who would win, it's nice to see this match as it's a big turning point in Reign's career.

But let's talk about the two main events. Surprisingly, one of the most hyped matches for the night was the match between Stephanie McMahon and Brie Bella, and it was a very well-done match. That's right. On SummerSlam, the second biggest night of the year, a Diva's match was one of the most hyped matches of the evening and it didn't suck. Someone pinch me, I must be dreaming. But then we come to the main event for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. John Cena looked to take on Brock Lesnar and HOLY CRAP! There are no words that I can use to describe the beat down on display in this match to do it justice. Just watch for yourself and be amazed.

Highly Recommended


Thoughts: Boy, things really stayed kinda bland until SummerSlam kicked in. With that in mind, you can at least see where company stock was rising. The WWE was beginning to book Rusev to be a very strong anti-American heel. The WWE was trying to see which former Shield members would rise to the occasion. I can easily say the feud between Rollins and Ambrose certainly had me intrigued, especially since their looks and behaviors actually changed. The biggest problem I had with Reigns when he started singles competition was that he seemed to cling way too much to the Shield gimmick (even keeping the theme music and attire). Harper and Rowan and the Usos were given time to shine for the tag team division thanks to their opening bouts at Money in the Bank and Battleground. It was refreshing to see a high stakes Divas feud that was NOT for a championship with Brie Bella and Stephanie McMahon. And lastly, the main event to SummerSlam gave us a beat down for John Cena that we never saw coming. With Brock Lesnar winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, all eyes were on the product to see how they would wrap up 2014.

Concluded in Part III...


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