The Year in PPV- 2009, Part II

2009 continues on a night when everything goes extreme...


6. Extreme Rules

Evolving from the One Night Stand PPV, Extreme Rules was the WWE's PG method of saying we can still be extreme. If by extreme you mean Hogpen matches, Fatal 4-Ways, Submission matches, and Samoan strap matches. There are a handful of times where they TRY to go extreme, like the No Holds Barred match for the Intercontinental Championship between Rey Mysterio and Chris Jericho. These two have all the capabilities of doing something memorable and extreme, yet they resort to maybe using ONE steel chair towards the end of the match. If that's all they do, then what was the point? A much better example of how to go extreme was the Hardcore Triple Threat match for the ECW Championship. Christian defended the title against Jack Swagger and Tommy Dreamer, and I believe if Dreamer lost he would retire from pro wrestling. Now, having binged my way through many ECW PPVs on the WWE Network, I've grown a huge amount of respect for all Tommy Dreamer has done. With that in mind, you know EXACTLY what's going to happen, so just enjoy the moment for what it is.

Batista challenged Randy Orton in a Steel Cage match for the WWE Championship, which wasn't awful, but it was a bit too brief for my taste. The main event was really good, however, in the form of a ladder match between Edge and Jeff Hardy for the World Heavyweight Championship. Here we have an extreme gimmick match that makes PERFECT sense. These are two men whose careers have been made by the ladder match (Edge with the amount of ladder match victories he's had, and Jeff Hardy for all the crazy risks he takes), and have also been made through each other (beginning with the tag team ladder match at No Mercy 1999). They do a good job of combining memorable spots with in-ring ladder psychology (if that's a real thing). And it would've appeared that the night ended on the perfect extreme note, but oh, how the landscape can change in such a short time...

Mild Recommendation


7. The Bash

In another PPV name change, WWE turned The Great American Bash into simply The Bash. Doesn't really matter since this was the LAST edition of the longstanding PPV, so what better metaphor to sink the ship than change the name. Anyways, this show does have a handful of fun moments. Not good ones, but fun ones. For example, this show brought back the Championship Scramble match (check out my review of Unforgiven 2008 if you need a reminder). This match saw Tommy Dreamer, Christian, Finlay, Jack Swagger, and Mark Henry battle it out for the ECW Championship. It was a lot shorter than the previous installments, and rightfully so. This match was a decent concept, but I think the trouble was keeping the crowd interested the entire time. Another fun moment was seeing John Cena FINALLY shut The Miz up in their feud that hard started (solely by The Miz) months ago.  

We also got to see the CM Punk/Jeff Hardy feud continue as they fought for Punk's World Heavyweight Championship. The heel turn for Punk was a tremendous slow burn for the summer, and this match was an indicator of that. Look at how subtle he does things. He still comes out to applause, since he hasn't deliberately done anything evil, but watch how he changes at times. The main event also saw a 3 Stages of Hell match between Randy Orton and Triple H for the WWE Championship. I've gone over it before, and I'll just wrap up their feud by saying I HOPE we never have to see these two fight on a PPV again after this! It's just not clicking with me, nor most of the fans I think. But the true highlight of the show was the Chris Jericho/Rey Mysterio match that put Jericho's Intercontinental Championship on the line against Rey's mask. This match was the final chapter in their epic PPV trilogy and is considered by many to be the best installment. The high stakes and the psychology make this an instant classic to bring a bit of gravitas to an overall so-so kind of show.

Mild Recommendation


8. Night of Champions

Now THIS is why I miss having 8 or 9 titles in the WWE. I don't care if having 5 titles makes them seem more important...THEY'RE CHAMPIONSHIPS! It doesn't matter if you have 5 or 10 of them, they should always be treated important, and when you have them all defended on one night, that makes it feel pretty important. This show had a mystery surrounding who Chris Jericho will choose to be his partner to defend the Unified WWE Tag Team Championships against The Legacy, a Women's Championship match (Michelle McCool vs. Melina) AND a Diva's Championship match (Maryse vs. Mickie James), a young talent in Dolph Ziggler challenging a veteran competitor in Rey Mysterio for the Intercontinental Championship, and a 6-Pack Challenge for the United States Championship (Kofi Kingston vs. MVP vs. Carlito vs. Jack Swagger vs. Primo vs. The Miz). That's a pretty solid undercard if you ask me, and proof that midcard titles can be a big deal as long as you book them properly. So, with that in mind, can we PLEASE bring back the Hardcore and Cruiserweight divisions? 7 belts...that's all I ask for.

All three world title matches were treated important as well. The ECW Championship match saw Tommy Dreamer defend against Christian in a solid match that saw two friends with mutual respect fight for a championship they'd do anything for. The WWE Championship was on the line in a triple threat with Randy Orton, John Cena, and Triple H. This match was about the same as their match from WrestleMania XXIV, but didn't have that big fight feel or first time appeal of their first match. The main event was a World Heavyweight Championship match with CM Punk defending against Jeff Hardy. The slow burn continued, and now it became a culture clash of the straight-edge superstar going against the risk taker who has made some bad decisions in life. It created a fine line that displayed Punk to be the role model he felt the WWE Universe needed, while also giving the fans a hero in Jeff Hardy that they hope can overcome his demons and achieve victory.

Recommended


9. SummerSlam

And then we get to the biggest party of the summer, SummerSlam. This was the first in a six year tradition of holding SummerSlam in the Staples Center. The show kicked off with a fast and furious Intercontinental Championship match between Rey Mysterio and Dolph Ziggler. This match really did wonders for Dolph Ziggler and was one of those matches that made me look at him and go "that kid's got 'It!'" Fast forward 6 years later, and he still has "It!" Moving on, the show also featured the return of D-Generation X in an amazing spectacle entrance complete with pyrotechnics, gunfire, and a tank. The Game and the Heartbreak Kid reunited to teach The Legacy a lesson in a tag team match that serves as a SummerSlam gem. I wish more people were talking about this match, because it is absolutely spectacular to see these two rookies hang with two of the all-time greats in a back and forth encounter.

Randy Orton defended his WWE Championship against John Cena in a match that is remembered for its multiple endings. While this may not be their best encounter, in fact it may be their worst from this year, the endings do at least add a bit of freshness to a traditional by the books match between the two. The highlight of the show was the TLC match for the World Heavyweight Championship. In what would be his last PPV with the company, Jeff Hardy looked to retain his title against CM Punk, who had finally gone off the deep end and made his full transition into a heel. And to be perfectly honest, I LOVED every bit of his heel turn. He's absolutely fantastic at it, it feels like home for Punk more than being a generic babyface. This TLC match took two guys that were very comfortable going to the extreme and put them in a big blowoff match that felt like a Hollywood blockbuster. And like most blockbuster nowadays, there is a fantastic scene that takes place after the film's conclusion.

Highly Recommended


Thoughts: This string of PPVs had some pretty solid momentum heading into summer, and was able to build to a GREAT SummerSlam. The highlights of this time was definitely the Punk/Hardy feud, the Jericho/Mysterio match from The Bash, seeing the stock rise for wrestlers like Legacy and Dolph Ziggler, and knowing that the Undertaker and Shawn Michaels were back just in time for the final batch of PPVs in 2009.

Concluded in Part III...


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

The Year in PPV- 2009, Part I

In many ways, 2009 is responsible for the product we have today in the WWE. By that I mean that this is the first year of the PG Era. However, I want to stress one HUGE detail about this: I do NOT hate this year. At all. In fact, I think it's one of the better years in recent memory. The roster of talent competing on all three brands was so extensive, that the PPVs had a lot of different feuds and superstars that had their focus. To think that we had shows that dealt with Randy Orton trying to eliminate the entire McMahon family, Matt and Jeff Hardy fighting each other, D-Generation X returning for one last run, Rey Mysterio battling Chris Jericho in an epic trilogy of matches, John Cena ending his long rivalry with Edge, Batista and CM Punk both turning heel, Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker having one of the best matches in history, and the emergence of superstars like John Morrison, The Miz, Kofi Kingston, Drew McIntyre, Dolph Ziggler, and Sheamus all happening within the same year is absolutely mind blowing. This year is proof that a PG product isn't always a bad thing, as long as the company keeps accentuating the good aspects of its product rather than carelessly exposing its flaws.

With that in mind, let's dive right into 2009 with the first PPV of the PG Era...


1. Royal Rumble

The undercard for the 2009 Royal Rumble left a little to be desired. The world title matches were very average on their workrate, but made up for it in storyline. The World Heavyweight Championship match between John Cena and JBL was carried by the storyline involving JBL hiring Shawn Michaels to help him win. Let's face it, Cena and JBL aren't the best in-ring generals to carry a match unless there is some kind of gimmick attached. Here, it works very well by having the focus on HBK. Then the WWE Championship match saw Jeff Hardy defend against Edge in a no disqualification match. Storylines between these two have never been the greatest, but if you add an extreme gimmick, they usually bust out solid matches. Plus, this match has an ending that really altered the landscape fans had in mind for WrestleMania.

Speaking of which, let's talk about the Royal Rumble match. Let's be honest: this may very well be the most predictable Royal Rumble outcome since 2003 (2006...maybe). After so much of the match's focus was about Randy Orton punting Mr. McMahon in the head, it was painfully obvious who was going to win the Rumble. It didn't matter that the match had Triple H, CM Punk, Chris Jericho, Big Show, Kane, Undertaker, Vladimir Kozlov, Rey Mysterio, and even a few surprises. None of it mattered. All that mattered was that every fan in the building knew what was coming next. Is it bad? I don't think it is, but I can see many fans getting irritated at how they were telegraphing the early booking for the Road to WrestleMania.

Mild Recommendation


2. No Way Out

This show had a LOT of great storylines featured as the Road to WrestleMania continued. Shawn Michaels and JBL had their feud culminate in a match, and Shane McMahon hoped to get some family revenge on Randy Orton in a No Holds Barred Match. But really, most fans tuned in to watch the Elimination Chamber matches.

The WWE Champion Edge defended his title against Jeff Hardy, Big Show, Triple H, Vladimir Kozlov, and the Undertaker. This match had tons of star power, as arguably the 6 most profiled wrestlers on SmackDown were featured here. Sure, the bits with Kozlov probably dragged down the final outcome since his skills were limited, but it was still an engaging and entertaining title bout. The night ended with the World Heavyweight Championship match. John Cena defended the title against Rey Mysterio, Kane, Chris Jericho, Mike Knox, and Kofi Kingston. Well, technically he was supposed to defend it against Kingston. However, before he could make it to the ring, Kingston was attacked and replaced by another wrestler, who proceeded to shock the world with his last minute entry.

Recommended


3. WrestleMania XXV

The 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania is a show that usually gets a lot of flack from fans because it didn't live up to the expectations so many had for it. There are things on this show that I still complain about to this day, like the battle royal to crown the first (and only) Miss WrestleMania, but overall, I've forgiven this show over the last 6 years. Sure, the Money in the Bank match wasn't as good as previous encounters. Sure, seeing Chris Jericho take on three retired Hall of Famers looked a bit silly. Sure, the Hardys could have gone more extreme in their match. And sure, the Intercontinental Championship match could have actually lasted longer than it did. But at the end of the day, I believe they were trying with this show, and had it been any other number not ending in a 5 or a 0, it would have been regarded as your average WrestleMania.

Of course everyone remembers this show for the first ever WrestleMania encounter between Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker. What else needs to be said? It's Mr. WrestleMania vs. the Undefeated Streak at WrestleMania XXV. It writes itself. It's a classic before the bell even rings. I remember watching it live on PPV and being both excited and exhausted from the magic these two created in the ring. To this day, it is one of the few select matches where that feeling still exists with each repeated viewing. This match alone is worth checking out the show, as it felt VERY worthy of being on a special anniversary card like this one.

But then most fans were spent after that instant classic, so they were pretty dead when there was still another hour of programming left. The triple threat for the World Heavyweight Championship wasn't the worst match in the world, but it would have benefited Edge, Big Show, and John Cena if they went on before Michaels and Taker. Then there was an entertaining sendoff for Stone Cold Steve Austin when he came out with the Hall of Fame class, which felt appropriate for the Texas crowd. But then we get to the main event which most fans despise. In what should have been a grueling, physical brawl for the WWE Championship, Triple H and Randy Orton ended up putting on a well-wrestled match with in-ring psychology. The BIG problem with that, and the stipulation that Triple H would've lost the title if he got disqualified, is that it's NOT what the fans wanted. After the feud was so personal and had the proper buildup, a Street Fight would've been the perfect stipulation for the main event. Instead, we were restricted to your generic one-on-one encounter that the fans really did not want to see. Again, had all of this happened BEFORE Michaels and Taker, it probably would've been received better.

Mild Recommendation


4. Backlash

Now THIS is more like it. After WrestleMania left many underwhelmed, WWE answered with an awesome Backlash PPV. It's a shame this PPV isn't around anymore, but it couldn't have ended on a higher note. The only match that didn't really matter was the debacle involving Santina Marella, Beth Phoenix, and the Great Khali. Even midcard filler matches like CM Punk vs. Kane were entertaining and felt like big fight matches. When your card has Jack Swagger defending the ECW Championship against Christian, Ricky Steamboat having a match with Chris Jericho (which you can imagine Jericho was marking out for, considering he grew up a fan of the Dragon's work), and an "I Quit" match with Matt and Jeff Hardy, the show should be building up to some incredibly booked main event matches. And I believe Backlash does live up to the momentum created throughout the show.

The WWE Championship was on the line in a 6-man tag match. Triple H defended his title while teaming with Shane McMahon and Batista to take on Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, and Ted DiBiase. All three member's of Triple H's team had history with Orton, so they wanted to be personally responsible for his downfall, which ultimately created friction between the team. If any of them got disqualified, Orton would win the championship. There was a very big dynamic of teamwork and egos that were utilized in this match that made it very entertaining to watch. Finally, the show ended with a fantastic Last Man Standing match between John Cena and Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship. This feud had so match weight and depth within it since 2006, and this was an amazing way to bring it to an end. The spots all felt epic and appropriate, and the ending was one of the most shocking moments (I apologize in advance for that obvious pun) to happen around this time period.

Highly Recommended


5. Judgment Day

Usually the WWE prepares something special when they bring a PPV to Chicago. This is NOT one of those nights. Maybe that's a little harsh, but it's only because we have been nearly spoiled by the company in recent years with their Chicago shows. There isn't much historic or significant that even happens at this particular Judgment Day. Most of the matches are either filler, or carry over feuds from Backlash that won't culminate until the NEXT show. Even if the show has the likes of John Cena vs. Big Show, Edge vs. Jeff Hardy, and Randy Orton vs. Batista, most of these feuds are left open enough to continue through one or two more shows, so most of the fans (being aware of that) don't really have that much invested in what's going on.

However, if there is one match that every fan should check out on this show, it's the Intercontinental Championship match. When most people talk about greatest matches from this year, the PPV trilogy between Rey Mysterio and Chris Jericho usually comes to mind. This is probably the second best match in that trilogy, but it definitely get things off to a great start with a psychological focus from Jericho to avoid the 619 from Mysterio in order to disappoint all the fans that want to see it happen. And a lot of that is from the two men involved, but there is an extra factor added thanks to the Chicago crowd. The fans responded so positively to the in-ring work from these two legends that the match became an instant classic and one of the matches that helped temporarily bring back legitimacy to the Intercontinental Championship.

Skip It


Initial Thoughts: This was a great way to start the year. There was so much going on in these first couple of PPVs that it made it easy to binge these like a show on Netflix. Every show felt like it was must see to tune in, and while not every result was a home run, the stars and matches were at least treated like they were important. I was at least looking forward to each new PPV to see what would happen next, and that's a very good attitude to have going into the next couple months of 2009.

Continued in Part II...


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

The Year in PPV- 1999, Part III

As 1999 came to a close, the WWF experienced one of its dumbest moments in history...


10. Unforgiven

After Mr. McMahon won the WWF Championship....(WHAT?!?!?!), the title was vacated and offered in a Six-Pack Challenge. With Stone Cold Steve Austin as guest enforcer, The Rock, Mankind, Big Show, Triple H, Kane, and the British Bulldog squared off in an epic match. The Bulldog replaced an injured Undertaker, and while he was a decent replacement, how in the world could the WWF NOT jump at the chance to name Austin the replacement?!?! It had the potential of being the most star studded main event in the history of the Attitude Era, and no offense to Bulldog, but he kind of holds it down from being just that.

This show also had one of the WORST matches in wrestling history in the form of the Kennel from Hell. In what could've been a solid idea (Ok....that's a HUGE stretch...), Big Boss Man and Al Snow feuded over Boss Man kidnapping Snow's dog Pepper, cooking it, and feeding it to Snow. Yes, THAT happened! So to end the feud, they had a steel cage surround the ring, then had the Hell in a Cell descend, and surrounded the outside of the ring with "vicious" dogs. It's exactly the kind of disaster match that you'd expect. A match that should be that exciting should never be this boring. I think on this night the WWF learned that after two strikes, they should never put Boss Man in a cell match ever again.

Mild Recommendation


11. Rebellion

We've finally come to it. We've arrived at the LAST UK PPV I ever have to review. YAY!!! In reality, this isn't the worst UK exclusive I could've reviewed. There are actually a lot of things that really work for this show. The first thing that works is the booking of Jeff Jarrett. While in his feud with Chyna, he defended his Intercontinental Championship against D'Lo Brown, then answered a challenge from Chyna for later that night. Another great character highlighted on this show was the British Bulldog. Had his match quality been as pristine as it used to be, this could've easily been my favorite version of the Bulldog. He was so consumed by the thought of winning the WWF Championship, he didn't care who he attacked to get to the top.

The main event also saw an epic steel cage match for the WWF Championship between Triple H and The Rock. Feeling like a legitimate bridge between Unforgiven and No Mercy, this match actually felt important because of how it was set up. The winner would face Stone Cold Steve Austin at No Mercy, so the winner actually meant something since the No Mercy match. This match was lengthy, but deservedly so. It has just the right amount of overbooking and wrestling quality. In fact, I'd label this match a lost gem of the Attitude Era.

Mild Recommendation


12. No Mercy

This was a really good show, highlighted by three GREAT matches. The first was a Good Housekeeping match that saw Chyna challenge Jeff Jarrett for the Intercontinental Championship. This match was full of great puns on commentary, and some of the most unique weapons spots in wrestling history. I'm sure many know how this match ends, but some might not be familiar with the overall impact on wrestling. PUN INTENDED! Jeff Jarrett left the company after this evening, and it led to friction between the WWF and Jarrett, that eventually led to the creation of TNA Wrestling. The main event was also pretty solid between Triple H and Stone Cold Steve Austin. The Game and the Rattlesnake put on a very entertaining brawl for the WWF Championship, that left things very open heading into Survivor Series.

But the best match on this card was the tag team ladder match between Edge and Christian and the Hardy Boyz (then known as the New Brood). This was the first match of its kind and was actually a game changer for the ladder match. This was the first ladder match to really pick up the pace and favor high risk spots, instead of having a wrestling match with a ladder.

Highly Recommended


13. Survivor Series

This year's Survivor Series started off a bit underwhelming with traditional elimination tag team matches that didn't matter. The only two that really wowed me was watching Big Show take on an entire team by himself (Big Show vs. Big Boss Man, Mabel, Mideon, and Prince Albert) and the Hardy Boyz teaming up with Edge and Christian to take on Too Cool and the Hollys. Other than that, not too much else on the undercard that was very memorable. And the only match on the undercard I was intrigued by was the Intercontinental Championship match between Chyna and Chris Jericho because they made it feel like a big match situation.

In one of the biggest bonehead decisions I've EVER seen, the WWF ran the "who ran over Stone Cold Steve Austin?" angle on the WORST night possible. The main event was scheduled to be Triple H defending his WWF Championship against Austin and The Rock in a triple threat, arguably the BIGGEST triple threat the wrestling world had ever seen (at least in the Attitude Era). Because he got ran over by someone, he was written out of the match to recover from injury. I can only imagine how pissed most fans were after this happened, I know I would've been had I watched it live.

Mild Recommendation


14. Armageddon

This was actually a pretty good way to end the year. I actually was able to find SIX things on this card that were entertaining. Knowing how to push the boundaries of women's matches and censorship, the Four Corners Evening Gown Pool match saw Ivory defend the Women's Championship against Jacqueline, Miss Kitty, and B.B. The match is pretty sloppy, but it's the post-match moment that absolutely shocked the world. We also had an Intercontinental Championship match between Chyna and Chris Jericho that built off their Survivor Series match and delivered something that was a lot more polished than their previous encounter. The steel cage match between X-Pac and Kane took their personal feud to new heights in a match where you REALLY wouldn't want to be X-Pac. The Rock n Sock Connection joined forces once again to try and win the WWF Tag Team Championships from the New Age Outlaws in a match that saw a cohesive tag team take on a mismatched pairing. And then we had the WWF Championship match between Big Show and Big Boss Man. Man, did they try and put the cheapest heat possible on Boss Man. The things he did were so despicable, I don't think you could've found a single fan watching and hoping he would win the title. It was a surefire way to get the fans behind Big Show as WWF Champion, so kudos to them for trying.

The main event saw a bitter and personal feud between Mr. McMahon and Triple H culminate in a No Holds Barred match. After marrying Stephanie McMahon (in a storyline, not in real life...yet), Mr. McMahon wanted the marriage ended, which is exactly what would happen if McMahon was victorious in their match. If Triple H won, he would be number one contender for the WWF Championship. This match had BIG stakes on the line. Admittedly, it did drag for a bit, so it would have been more of a classic if it had 5 or 10 minutes shaved off. The ending is the thing everyone talks about, and in terms of an end of the year moment, no moment could have ended the year BIGGER or more historical at that point.

Recommended


Final Thoughts: Call me crazy here (you probably have been for a while), but I think Triple H is what made the rest of 1999 interesting for me. He finally found his niche in the main event scene, and with Austin gone for a while, it was up to the Game to dominate the company. This string of PPVs actually kept me consistently entertained, so there's proof that there is stuff from this year in the Attitude Era that I found watchable. Heading into 2000, the company was about to start a storyline that was going to run the main shows for quite a while: the McMahon-Helmsley Era. With the ending of Armageddon really shaking things up, fans really wanted to tune in to see what could happen next. And THAT is the proper way to build excitement for your wrestling program.


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

The Year in PPV- 1999, Part II

Sadly, 1999 continues with one of the biggest tragedies in wrestling history...


6. Over the Edge

I could easily describe the matches that took place at Over the Edge, but at the end of the day, it would be pointless to do so. This show isn't remembered for the matches on the card, but rather the tragedy that befell the company and the wrestling industry when Owen Hart fell from the rafters when his harness broke. Falling more than 70 feet, Owen Hart was rushed to a medical facility, but ultimately died on that evening. After announcing that shocking news to those watching on PPV, the company was left with the difficult decision of continuing the PPV. Even worse, there was no announcement of Owen's death to those in attendance at the Kemper Arena in Kansas City. Any way going into this, things were not going to look good for the WWF legally or ethically.

While there is a title graphic dedicating the event to Owen's life, there is no mention of the accident at all in the WWE Network broadcast. No pre-match interview that took place during the accident. Nothing from Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler concerning the accident, or Ross announcing to the world that Owen died on that evening. While this movement is absolutely in good taste, the casual fans still know what happened at this event, so the solemn tone is still there. It definitely was not an easy event to sit through, and this show is best left skipped for those who know they can't handle the emotion behind the tragedy.

Skip It


7. King of the Ring

So, the King of the Ring tournament was featured very heavily on this PPV as it always is. However, when the matches consist of Kane vs. Big Show, X-Pac vs. Hardcore Holly, Chyna vs. Road Dogg, and Billy Gunn vs. Ken Shamrock, it was easy to see this tournament was lacking that potential future star element that came when guys like Stone Cold Steve Austin and Triple H won in previous years. Even worse was when you got to the semi-finals with short matches from Kane vs. Billy Gunn and X-Pac vs. Road Dogg. The finals came down to Billy Gunn and X-Pac and...did anyone really care who would win between those two? Neither of those guys were gonna go anywhere winning the King of the Ring tournament.

The non-tournament matches offered a little more fun, but only for a short time. Edge and Christian fought the Hardy Boyz in a short tag team match to determine the number one contenders for the WWF Tag Team Championships. This was a nice early tease to the rivalry these teams would have in the years to come. The Rock challenged the Undertaker for the WWF Championship in a match that didn't really click in story or in match quality (the ending is darn near laughable). The main event saw Stone Cold Steve Austin face Shane and Mr. McMahon in a handicap ladder match to see who would control the ladder match. It's your standard ladder match, but the most intriguing part of it (the ending) was never answered and still remains one of the biggest unsolved mysteries in WWE history. Would it had really been that difficult to explain on RAW the next night who kept raising and lowering the briefcase?!?!?

Skip It


8. Fully Loaded

Call me crazy, but I actually enjoyed this show. Similar to St. Valentine's Day Massacre, Fully Loaded realized that the more stipulation matches we add on the card, the more unique the feuds and payoffs will be. Having Triple H and The Rock fight in a Strap match certainly adds an element to their longstanding feud. Having Steve Blackman and Ken Shamrock (two very physical and violent athletes) compete in an Iron Circle match added a unique match stipulation that was new to the fans. Even having Road Dogg and X-Pac face Chyna and Billy Gunn in a match where the winning team would have the rights to go by the name D-Generation X made fans feel like there was something important for these former degenerates to be fighting over.

The main event saw Stone Cold Steve Austin take on the Undertaker in a First Blood match for the WWF Championship. Not only was the title on the line, but if Austin lost, he would never get another shot at the WWF Championship. If the Undertaker lost, Mr. McMahon would no longer be able to appear on WWF television. This match was being called the end of an era, and even if the result didn't matter in hindsight, the match had a big fight feel attached. What raised the stakes even higher was seeing both Taker and Austin get the upper hand on their opponent earlier in the evening by opening each other up and forcing each other to head into the match with fresh stitches.

Recommended


9. SummerSlam

I'll give the WWF credit where credit's due. At least at this SummerSlam, while not every match was a home run, they allowed the stars to feel like they were hitting grand slams. Each match was given a certain amount of time to try and shine, including time to get Chris Jericho over with an in-ring promo against Road Dogg. One of the early standouts on the card was a tag team turmoil match to determine the number one contenders for the WWF Tag Team Championships. This perfectly shows the status of the tag teams for them to have so many in this match, and also have a WWF Tag Team Championship match (Kane and X-Pac vs. Big Show and the Undertaker).

One underrated gem on the card was the Greenwich Street Fight "Love Her or Leave Her" match between Shane McMahon and Test. Shane McMahon is always clutch when it comes to hardcore matches, and this match is a pretty good indicator that Test could have been something HUGE for the WWF. He could've been a star if they pushed him harder after this match. But the main event saw Stone Cold Steve Austin defend the WWF Championship against Mankind and Triple H with Jesse Ventura as the guest referee. This was a standard triple threat, but it had a lot of buildup and follow through with company history. The ending of this match was used to really bring Triple H to the forefront of the main event at the expense of Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Mild Recommendation


Thoughts: IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG WITH ME?!?!?! I'm going to give the WWF the benefit of the doubt at the time and say that they had a tough time bouncing back from the death of Owen Hart. Owen was one of those personalities that was beloved all over wrestling, and his loss really put the company in a rough patch. With that said, even by the time we got to SummerSlam, the shows were only intriguing me with maybe one or two matches per show. By this time, Triple H had really grown into the main event spot, culminating with him "crippling" Austin at SummerSlam and winning the WWF Championship the next night on RAW. This was a defining moment for the Attitude Era, as it found its next main event heel. With Rock and Austin as the two top babyfaces, and guys like Mankind, Undertaker, and Big Show still rounding out the main event scene, the title picture certainly had a lot of intrigue heading into the last few months of the year...starting with Triple H losing the WWF Championship in a match with Mr. McMahon! Yeah, that happened! But how could they bounce back from that debacle as the 20th century came to a close?

Concluded in Part III...


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

The Year in PPV- 1999, Part I

If you recall some of my previous Attitude Era reviews, I'm not the biggest fan of the era. I don't have that soft spot for it like most fans do. I'm more of a Ruthless Aggression Era fan. Yet, here we have what many consider the most popular time to be a wrestling fan. It had one of the most talented wrestling rosters ever and fans were absolutely glued to watching the product. Naturally, 1999 should be one of my favorite years to watch right? RIGHT?!?!

So let's begin 1999 with one of the most controversial Royal Rumble moments in history...


1. Royal Rumble

The Royal Rumble midcard had some really unique midcard matches with a member of D-Generation X involved in the first three matches. We had Road Dogg vs. Big Boss Man, Billy Gunn challenging Ken Shamrock for the Intercontinental Championship, and X-Pac defending the European Championship against Gangrel. Then we had a strap match for the Women's Championship with Sable defending the belt against Luna Vachon. In all honesty, these matches were just warms up until we got to the two main events. The first main event was an "I Quit" match for the WWF Championship. Mankind and The Rock beat the crap out of each other in an absolutely brutal match that did wonders for both characters. Like the Hell in a Cell match with the Undertaker, this was a reminder for the fans of how much Mick Foley was willing to put his body on the line to entertain people. As for The Rock, it showed a darker and sadistic side for the Corporate Champion and proved he could hang with a hardcore legend like Foley.

Then we get to the Royal Rumble match. This match is not beloved by most purist wrestling fans for the obvious end result. In one of the most shocking Royal Rumble moments, it came down to Stone Cold Steve Austin and Mr. McMahon. Considering they both started the match, had moments where they left the ring, went backstage, spent most of the match out of the ring, then came back to finish the match, it really made the other 28 contestants feel unimportant. Yes, the Austin/McMahon rivalry was the biggest thing in the company, but this was not the proper payoff fans wanted. And even worse, it had to follow that phenomenal WWF Championship match and completely left fans pissed off. And even worse than that, the result of this match was COMPLETELY USELESS by the time we got to the next PPV. I'm sure you're familiar with how the match ends, but sadly to say, that image is not the only time you'll see McMahon win something prestigious this year...

Mild Recommendation


2. St. Valentine's Day Massacre: In Your House

I feel like this show was the WWF's attempt at an ECW show, or an ancestor to the Extreme Rules PPV. St. Valentine's Day Massacre had a lot of hardcore gimmicks added to feuds, such as a very entertaining Hardcore Championship match with Al Snow and Bob Holly. And then we had matches that just had compelling ideas, such as the Intercontinental Championship match (Ken Shamrock vs. Val Venis) that had Billy Gunn as guest referee, or the tag team match between D-Generation X (Triple H and X-Pac) and the Corporation (Chyna and Kane).

Then we get to matches to paint the main event picture for WrestleMania, starting with a Last Man Standing match for the WWF Championship. Mankind and The Rock proceeded to once again beat the crap out of each other, in a match that wasn't as good as their "I Quit" match, but still delivered in quality. The main event was a Steel Cage match to determine the number one contender for the WWF Championship. Stone Cold Steve Austin and Mr. McMahon had a match that served as much better payoff than what they were given in the Royal Rumble match. This was a straight up beatdown, but it was tons of fun and Mr. McMahon had a BIG surprise waiting for Austin.

Mild Recommendation


3. WrestleMania XV

Oh gosh, this WrestleMania is AWFUL! Never before have I seen a year that had such a wide array of talent put on such a terrible show. Think about the people at this WrestleMania: Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Mankind, Big Show, Undertaker, Kane, Triple H, Shane McMahon, X-Pac, Billy Gunn, Road Dogg, Ken Shamrock, Goldust, Owen Hart, Jeff Jarrett, and the show STILL SUCKED! A lot of the problems were in the booking process. Certain wrestlers were switched from their division to another (like Billy Gunn and Road Dogg swapping the Hardcore and Intercontinental Championships), title contenders were decided in a pre-show battle royal (which made little sense because it was for the tag team championships), and some wrestlers turned on each other, reunited, and then turned on other people. And then we just have matches that nobody cared about. There was the boxing match between Butterbean and Bart Gunn that absolutely BURIED the Brawl for All concept. And then we had a Hell in a Cell match between Undertaker and Big Boss Man that was simply the worst. Never before have I seen a Cell match where literally no one cared. And that's this show in a nutshell.

The ONE match that will be remembered for all the right reasons is the WWF Championship match with The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin. It was the first match in their WrestleMania trilogy, and it may be the worst in quality, but it absolutely fit the tone of the era's main event matches, so it's not a complete letdown. If it wasn't for this match, this would probably be the absolute worst Mania in history, so it must say a lot about The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin to end a turd show on a high note.

Skip It


4. Backlash: In Your House

This PPV wasn't actually that bad, as it carried on the idea of rematches and post-Mania feuds. The midcard matches were ok, but when the show really gained my interest was in the Boiling Room Brawl between Big Show and Mankind. While it was only a couple minutes long, Big Show and Mankind really make the most of the time and putting on a solid hardcore match. Another personal feud on the card was between Triple H and X-Pac. It's not the greatest match in the world, but it had a historical significance in showing how Triple H could perform as a future main event heel.

I really loved the WWF Championship match between Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock. This match really picked up in quality thanks to the No Holds Barred stipulation, and the inclusion of Shane McMahon as guest referee. This was a GREAT sign of things to come for Rock and Austin, as this ranks higher than their Mania XV match, and set the standard for the Mania X-Seven match to live up to. Also, the on-air moment that happened after this match is ABSOLUTELY INSANE and made fans want to tune in the next night on RAW. THAT is how you end a PPV!

Mild Recommendation


5. No Mercy (UK)

We all know how I feel about UK exclusive PPVs, so let's just cut to the chase. This is the epitome of a RAW on PPV. None of the midcard really mattered, feuds were just filler to get from Backlash to Over the Edge, and in a week, no one would even remember the PPV. There's only one major strength with this show and it's the rivalry between Stone Cold Steve Austin and Shane McMahon's Corporate Ministry.

The main event was a triple threat for the WWF Championship with Stone Cold Steve Austin defending the title against Triple H and the Undertaker. In the annals of history, this would seem like one of the most star studded triple threats imaginable, so naturally the quality should reflect that right? Well, it doesn't. That's not to say it's bad, but it's a tad underwhelming. Triple H wasn't nearly the legend he is nowadays, so there weren't as high expectations back then. It's an example of a match that probably impressed viewers back in the day, but doesn't age well. As Triple H evolved his game (pun intended), there was a notable increase in his ability to be a ring leader. Heck, we even see signs of that later on in 1999, but here he was just filling a spot in a multi-man match where the focus was clearly on Austin and Taker.

Skip It


Initial Thoughts: Wow! This is NOT the way to get your year off on the right note. There was a handful of good matches, but there was so much stuff I didn't care about from these shows. Like I've said before, I think the Attitude Era is overrated. Yes, the personalities were all memorable and engaging, but the matches were so formulaic that it is really difficult to re-watch the same style of match over and over again as I move through these shows. One would've hoped the year would've gotten better within the next few months, but unfortunately, tragedy struck the company that would leave them in a really difficult spot soon after this string of PPVs.

Continued in Part II...


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