The Year in PPV- 2005, Part II

The year 2005 continues...


6. Judgment Day

I was expecting Judgment Day to be traditional post-WrestleMania filler, but I was pleasantly surprised with how much quality there really is on this show. Sure, there's some filler matches for top talent like Big Show and Carlito (in a feud surrounding a tainted apple), and a United States Championship match between Orlando Jordan and Heidenreich (to capitalize on Heidenreich's face turn, even though he was still creepy), but there is also a very solid Cruiserweight Championship match between Paul London and Chavo Guerrero (further proof of why I miss the Cruiserweight division). There's an elephant in the room match that's on this PPV and it's the match between Kurt Angle and Booker T. It is not based on the match (which is actually pretty good), but purely on the storyline that involves Kurt Angle wanting to have "perverted, bestiality sex" with Booker's wife, Sharmell. They gave the guy who made Shawn Michaels tap out at WrestleMania a creepy, borderline rapist gimmick immediately after? That just makes no sense to me (although it is entertaining to hear an Olympic gold medalist use the phrase "gutter slut").

The night is highlighted by two intense rivalries ready to boil over. The first was about Eddie Guerrero turning his back on longtime friend (considered family) Rey Mysterio. These two would go on to have one of the most heated rivalries throughout the summer, and Judgment Day is one of their greater matches because the pure focus of storyline was the betrayal, and not the stupid custody battle (we'll get to that in a bit). In a WrestleMania rematch for the WWE Championship, John Cena and JBL waged a (literal) WAR for the title. This match more than makes up for their disappointing match at WrestleMania, as these men get brutal and bloody to win the title. This is a rarity for John Cena fans, as this was the time that when he bled, he bled buckets. This is surely the bloodiest I have ever seen Cena, but he also secured his placement as a main eventer and a credible, fighting champion.

Recommended


7. ECW One Night Stand

If you enjoyed the days of ECW, then this is the show for you. Every match on the card has a quality of entertainment, whether it's through technical wrestling (Chris Jericho vs. Lance Storm, and Eddie Guerrero vs. Chris Benoit), high flying action (Rey Mysterio vs. Psichosis, and Super Crazy vs. Tajiri vs. Little Guido), or weapon-heavy spotfests (Sabu vs. Rhyno, and The Dudley Boyz vs. Tommy Dreamer and The Sandman). The best match of the night is definitely the INSANE bout between Mike Awesome and Masato Tanaka, as they go out there and nearly kill each other with chair shots and table spots.

Add to the fact that a bunch of RAW and SmackDown "crusaders" show up to put an end to the ECW nostalgia trip, invoking tons of live shoot promos, a WWE vs. ECW brawl inside the ring, and the appearance of Stone Cold Steve Austin, and you have a show that is made entirely out of pure fun and appreciation for the sport of professional wrestling (even if it is a hardcore appreciation). This PPV should give all of the die-hard ECW fans something to enjoy, and is one of those rare non-WrestleMania shows that I think every wrestling NEEDS to see at least once in their lifetime.

Highly Recommended


8. Vengeance

With only six matches, Vengeance is actually a very strong PPV. There isn't too much to look at in terms of the midcard, except for some really bizarre segment involving Viscera, Lilian Garcia, and The Godfather (seriously, I couldn't figure if it was to make Godfather and Viscera heels since any self-respecting person would NOT cheer their actions that made Lilian cry). One of the show's better matches (that bends the lines between upper midcard and main event) was the WrestleMania rematch between Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle, made possible by Angle being drafted to RAW. This match has a much quicker pace and their chemistry has improved since their initial encounter. I'd argue to say that this match is better than their historic WrestleMania bout.

In a very interesting turn of events, John Cena was drafted to RAW, leaving the show with TWO World Champions. His first RAW PPV match saw him defend his WWE Championship in a Triple Threat against Chris Jericho and Christian. The match flows very quickly, and it seems highly plausible that either man could have won the match (thanks to Jericho's experience, Christian's use of his manager Tomko, and Cena in being the only babyface in the match). The rivalry between Batista and Triple H came to an epic conclusion in an amazing Hell in a Cell match for the World Heavyweight Championship. Their feud was so personal, that the level of blood and violence was one of the most brutal that Hell in a Cell has ever seen. If that's not enough to sell the match, then this should: BARBED WIRE COVERED STEEL CHAIR!!!

Recommended


9. The Great American Bash

Once again, I'm surprised to see a SmackDown PPV that delivers (not sure where that stigma came that they didn't, at least in 2005). Thanks to solid midcard matches from Booker T and Christian, as well as Orlando Jordan and Chris Benoit (Christian and Benoit were recently drafted to SmackDown from RAW). There's some goofy filler as one would expect, including a Bra and Panties match and a six-man tag match between the Mexicools (gotta love stereotypes) and the Blue World Order, but it's come to be expected.

Thanks to SmackDown's star power, there are three main event level matches, starting with Muhammad Hassan vs. the Undertaker in a number one contender's match. Needless to say, thanks to an ill-timed angle where Taker was attacked by "terrorists" just days before the bombings in London, this match is the complete BURIAL of Hassan, but it's very entertaining to watch. Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero continue their feud of stellar matches by bringing in a goofy storyline revolving around a secret that will be told to Rey's son Dominick if Rey loses the match (it's that kind of cheesiness that makes you roll your eyes at the concept but warms your heart in the execution of the story). After Batista was drafted to SmackDown, his first challenge as World Heavyweight Champion was to shut JBL up, which he attempts to do in a serviceable main event that is more of throwing fists and power moves than anything else. If the match is kept fast and furious in its duration, then there are no problems, but around the 12 to 15 minute mark, it becomes stale rather quickly.

Mild Recommendation


10. SummerSlam

I forgot just how STACKED this card is. You know it's going to be a memorable show when your midcard matches are Edge vs. Matt Hardy (in the midst of their real-life feud over Lita) and Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio in a Ladder match for the custody of Rey's son Dominick (such a goofy concept for a solid ladder match), and the Undertaker vs. Randy Orton in a WrestleMania rematch. The only star I feel sorry for is Kurt Angle, who was stuck in a silly program with Eugene after he won Angle's Olympic gold medal.

The show also had memorable World Championship matches in John Cena vs. Chris Jericho for the WWE Championship and Batista vs. JBL in a No Holds Barred match for the World Heavyweight Championship. Both matches are short but serviceable, and give all four men a chance to shine bright at the biggest party of the summer. This night, however, is most remembered for the billed "icon vs. icon" match between Hulk Hogan and Shawn Michaels. Thanks to Hogan's backstage politics and Michaels's goofy overselling, this match doesn't live up to the epicness it could've been, but it is still an entertaining main event between the biggest attraction of the '80s and his arguable successor during the '90s.

Recommended


Initial Thoughts: The momentum of quality PPVs continues, with Batista and Cena switching shows and each of them maintaining their spots atop the company food chain. The shows are supported through solid feuds (Rey vs. Eddie, Edge vs. Matt Hardy), epic matches (I Quit, Hell in a Cell) and nostalgic returns (Hulk Hogan and ECW), with very little setbacks. With this kind of momentum, the year looked poised to be one of the greatest overall during the new millennium. However, tragedy would strike a few months later, leaving the WWE having to act fast on how to carry on.

Concluded in Part III...


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