But in all seriousness, if this is an example of things to come this year, then I would say the WWE Universe is in for one heck of a treat.
1. Matt Hardy vs. ECW Champion Jack Swagger
I thought this was a decent match, putting off my opinions of the "All American American." They both hit the mat well and left a good chunk of themselves in the ring. I’m glad the powers-that-be decided to keep the belt on Swagger, giving him a bit more credibility. I am equally impressed that he was able to pick up the clean win. (7/10)
Now with that being said, I think they jumped the gun a bit on this guy. The new ECW champ does have some skills on the mic, which is rare to see of newcomers, and there is no doubting that he can handle himself in the ring. I think in a year or two this guy could really stand out as the top guy in ECW (if the product lasts that long), but right now, he’s new and he needs a bit more time. Giving him the belt, in my opinion, was just an means to an end, in that it opens up both the new Hardy storyline and welcomes in the Dreamer vs. Swagger title picture at Wrestlemania.
2. Melina vs. WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix
Finally, a PPV Women’s Championship match without Mickie James or Candice Michelle! Don’t get me wrong, Mickie James is still the best Diva in the business today as far as I’m concerned, and Candice Michelle is probably the worst (or most liable), it’s just nice to have some new, refreshing PPV matches. Melina is one of the best and proved that tonight picking up the win and the title for the third time. This was a great move in my opinion, and WWE will see more viewers tuning in to see Beth chase the title, rather than the other way around. Santino’s face at the end of the match was priceless. The match itself was pretty good for a Diva’s match. I give it (7/10) as well. The counter/pin giving Melina the win was a great spot, but the most bizarre definately went to Beth using the new champ’s own leg as a weapon…"OH MY GOD!"
3. JBL w/ Shawn Michaels vs. World Heavyweight Champion John Cena
Before I say anything, can I point out my complete change of heart towards this HBK/JBL fued? At first the idea of HBK being bankrupt was ridiculously over the top to me. But now, they have handled this so well, I don’t care about the angle anymore. I watch for the intense drama that has culminated between this new Shawn Michaels and John Cena, because from my perspective, I had no idea what Shawn was going to do. Would he turn on JBL and go to Wrestlemania, or would he help JBL and give him the title? Turns out, NEITHER! He tried to cash in on his boss’ offer, completing the fan’s heat for the Showstopper, but Cena kicked out (rather unexpectedly) and saved the world from having to see John Cena vs. Captain man boobs on the biggest stage of them all (Though I guess the biggest rack in wrestling deserves the biggest stage in wrestling). THe other great thing about this angle, is that it has forced the crowd to cheer for Cena again. I was shocked to hear the champ’s name being called during JBL’s entrance. And the intensity of Cena’s promos since returning have been amazing. I think this "new" intense Cena might actually be the "champ" I can get behind….so to speak… I give this well scripted match an (8.3/10). And one more thing… We’ve all been waiting for Undertaker to some how show up in this angle, but "sometimes, getting to heaven…is hell" made, at least to me, no sense. I was left with that "what?" feeling and still had no idea how they were going to pull of Undertaker vs. HBK at wrestlemania.
4. Edge vs. WWE Champion Jeff Hardy
My mouth was hanging open for at least 15 seconds after this one. The entire spoiler-reading community expected Christian to come down and screw Jeff out of the title… All signs still indicated this up to the last possible second. When icky-Vickie made the match no DQ I knew it was so Edge wouldn’t get DQ’d for the run-in by Christian. When Matt came down in the end I knew it was to play up the Edge/Christian vs. Hardy Boys thing. When Matt stopped Jeff from smashing Edge to get another chair, I KNEW it was Christian could make his return. But when Matt came back and laid out Jeff, what I "knew" became completely irrelevant. No Christian…but what in God’s name just happened? I’ll tell you what happened. Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy at Wrestlemania in some kind of Hardcore match. It doesn’t matter that neither are golden on the mic. They both sell huge and they can both draw big in Hardcore matches. This will be the feud that steals the show. The match itself was a good match and I’m glad Jeff wasn’t hurt by that ladder mishap. I give the match an (8/10) but the whole deal a (9.5/10). Two wonderful main event title matches tonight with both leaving me speechless. The only question is, is Christian really coming back, or was WWE trying to throw everybody off? If they were, congratulations Vince, you just fooled the spoiler community, and not by accident as usual.
5. Royal Rumble Match
Honestly, after the last two matches, this didn’t feel as great as it should have. It had some great moments for sure, but the end wasn’t what the end of the title matches were, and the suspense was lost knowing that Orton was probably going to win. After all, he was the only one in the rumble match getting a big enough push. I’m going to review the Rumble a bit differently. First, the CONS of the match.
CONS: Beth Phoenix wasn’t in the Rumble. She’s the most powerful diva since Chyna….come on. Put her in there. Undertaker literally stepped over the top rope on his own and eliminated himself and Big Show in one of the worst eliminations I’ve seen in the Rumble before. Rey Mysterio was completely destroyed the entire match. The birds that are undoubtedly living in Mike Knox’s beard didnt save him from elimination. No Christian…again. Nobody that competed earlier was allowed in. Koslov eliminated the Great Kahli that quickly. Koslov is still in this country. No Umaga (he was backstage wasn’t he!?!)
PROS: Santino’s run to the ring was awesome, and his new record time made me laugh out loud. RVD returns…but doesn’t return at the same time…dang. Bitter sweet. Randy Orton RKO’d the heck out of half the participants. Rey Mysterio used Morrison and Miz to skip around the ring and get back in after being thrown out. The Undertaker’s presence was known and everybody in the ring, veteran and newcomer alike stopped what they were doing and focused on the Phenom. He may not be the greatest wrestler of all time, but he can do THAT every time he walks into that ring.
Overall I give the Rumble match a (8/10). The moments were good, and everybody that was being given any sort of push at the time seemed to get their own time to shine, which was good. It was never one man the entire time. Everybody got in their licks. The most disappointing thing for me was the end. I knew Orton was going to win, mainly because of his insane push. But leaving the legacy and Triple H in the ring alone wasn’t exactly fair. Yeah, Triple H got rid of them and the crowd got hot for the Game, but as soon as Triple H put Orton over the top and "didn’t know he wasn’t eliminated" I knew what was going to happen. It was a predictable ending to a completely unpredictable show. I have to say this though. In Evolution, I hated Randy Orton. As the youngest champ, I hated Randy Orton. As Randy Orton vs. Evolution, I hated Randy Orton. Until his return last year, I hated Randy Orton. I felt like he was boring and had no desire to be in that company. But since his return he has demanded the respect of everybody watching at home. His promos are intense and he’s not afraid to stand up to anybody, including the McMahons. Since coming back he’s done things and said things to people that I never though he could do. His RKO’s have become something I want to see every week. I want to know who is going to be in the Legacy. I want to know what the Legend Killer’s next move is. The first "Age of Orton" was lackluster, and I thought WWE was trying too hard to get people to hate his character. Now I hate his character so much I cheer for him, and you can hear the RKO, RKO, RKO chants. The point is, when Randy Orton stood as champion in 2008 I hated him completely. When Randy Orton stood and pointed at the Wrestlemania 25 sign and the pyro went off, I thought "there is the future of this business." The Age of Orton may just indeed be upon us in 66 days at Wrestlemania 25.
Overall, I give the PPV a (8.5/10) and again state that if this is how WWE handles things in the year to come, TNA might as well pack up now.
But in all seriousness, if this is an example of things to come this year, then I would say the WWE Universe is in for one heck of a treat.
1. Matt Hardy vs. ECW Champion Jack Swagger
I thought this was a decent match, putting off my opinions of the "All American American." They both hit the mat well and left a good chunk of themselves in the ring. I’m glad the powers-that-be decided to keep the belt on Swagger, giving him a bit more credibility. I am equally impressed that he was able to pick up the clean win. (7/10)
Now with that being said, I think they jumped the gun a bit on this guy. The new ECW champ does have some skills on the mic, which is rare to see of newcomers, and there is no doubting that he can handle himself in the ring. I think in a year or two this guy could really stand out as the top guy in ECW (if the product lasts that long), but right now, he’s new and he needs a bit more time. Giving him the belt, in my opinion, was just an means to an end, in that it opens up both the new Hardy storyline and welcomes in the Dreamer vs. Swagger title picture at Wrestlemania.
2. Melina vs. WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix
Finally, a PPV Women’s Championship match without Mickie James or Candice Michelle! Don’t get me wrong, Mickie James is still the best Diva in the business today as far as I’m concerned, and Candice Michelle is probably the worst (or most liable), it’s just nice to have some new, refreshing PPV matches. Melina is one of the best and proved that tonight picking up the win and the title for the third time. This was a great move in my opinion, and WWE will see more viewers tuning in to see Beth chase the title, rather than the other way around. Santino’s face at the end of the match was priceless. The match itself was pretty good for a Diva’s match. I give it (7/10) as well. The counter/pin giving Melina the win was a great spot, but the most bizarre definately went to Beth using the new champ’s own leg as a weapon…"OH MY GOD!"
3. JBL w/ Shawn Michaels vs. World Heavyweight Champion John Cena
Before I say anything, can I point out my complete change of heart towards this HBK/JBL fued? At first the idea of HBK being bankrupt was ridiculously over the top to me. But now, they have handled this so well, I don’t care about the angle anymore. I watch for the intense drama that has culminated between this new Shawn Michaels and John Cena, because from my perspective, I had no idea what Shawn was going to do. Would he turn on JBL and go to Wrestlemania, or would he help JBL and give him the title? Turns out, NEITHER! He tried to cash in on his boss’ offer, completing the fan’s heat for the Showstopper, but Cena kicked out (rather unexpectedly) and saved the world from having to see John Cena vs. Captain man boobs on the biggest stage of them all (Though I guess the biggest rack in wrestling deserves the biggest stage in wrestling). THe other great thing about this angle, is that it has forced the crowd to cheer for Cena again. I was shocked to hear the champ’s name being called during JBL’s entrance. And the intensity of Cena’s promos since returning have been amazing. I think this "new" intense Cena might actually be the "champ" I can get behind….so to speak… I give this well scripted match an (8.3/10). And one more thing… We’ve all been waiting for Undertaker to some how show up in this angle, but "sometimes, getting to heaven…is hell" made, at least to me, no sense. I was left with that "what?" feeling and still had no idea how they were going to pull of Undertaker vs. HBK at wrestlemania.
4. Edge vs. WWE Champion Jeff Hardy
My mouth was hanging open for at least 15 seconds after this one. The entire spoiler-reading community expected Christian to come down and screw Jeff out of the title… All signs still indicated this up to the last possible second. When icky-Vickie made the match no DQ I knew it was so Edge wouldn’t get DQ’d for the run-in by Christian. When Matt came down in the end I knew it was to play up the Edge/Christian vs. Hardy Boys thing. When Matt stopped Jeff from smashing Edge to get another chair, I KNEW it was Christian could make his return. But when Matt came back and laid out Jeff, what I "knew" became completely irrelevant. No Christian…but what in God’s name just happened? I’ll tell you what happened. Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy at Wrestlemania in some kind of Hardcore match. It doesn’t matter that neither are golden on the mic. They both sell huge and they can both draw big in Hardcore matches. This will be the feud that steals the show. The match itself was a good match and I’m glad Jeff wasn’t hurt by that ladder mishap. I give the match an (8/10) but the whole deal a (9.5/10). Two wonderful main event title matches tonight with both leaving me speechless. The only question is, is Christian really coming back, or was WWE trying to throw everybody off? If they were, congratulations Vince, you just fooled the spoiler community, and not by accident as usual.
5. Royal Rumble Match
Honestly, after the last two matches, this didn’t feel as great as it should have. It had some great moments for sure, but the end wasn’t what the end of the title matches were, and the suspense was lost knowing that Orton was probably going to win. After all, he was the only one in the rumble match getting a big enough push. I’m going to review the Rumble a bit differently. First, the CONS of the match.
CONS: Beth Phoenix wasn’t in the Rumble. She’s the most powerful diva since Chyna….come on. Put her in there. Undertaker literally stepped over the top rope on his own and eliminated himself and Big Show in one of the worst eliminations I’ve seen in the Rumble before. Rey Mysterio was completely destroyed the entire match. The birds that are undoubtedly living in Mike Knox’s beard didnt save him from elimination. No Christian…again. Nobody that competed earlier was allowed in. Koslov eliminated the Great Kahli that quickly. Koslov is still in this country. No Umaga (he was backstage wasn’t he!?!)
PROS: Santino’s run to the ring was awesome, and his new record time made me laugh out loud. RVD returns…but doesn’t return at the same time…dang. Bitter sweet. Randy Orton RKO’d the heck out of half the participants. Rey Mysterio used Morrison and Miz to skip around the ring and get back in after being thrown out. The Undertaker’s presence was known and everybody in the ring, veteran and newcomer alike stopped what they were doing and focused on the Phenom. He may not be the greatest wrestler of all time, but he can do THAT every time he walks into that ring.
Overall I give the Rumble match a (8/10). The moments were good, and everybody that was being given any sort of push at the time seemed to get their own time to shine, which was good. It was never one man the entire time. Everybody got in their licks. The most disappointing thing for me was the end. I knew Orton was going to win, mainly because of his insane push. But leaving the legacy and Triple H in the ring alone wasn’t exactly fair. Yeah, Triple H got rid of them and the crowd got hot for the Game, but as soon as Triple H put Orton over the top and "didn’t know he wasn’t eliminated" I knew what was going to happen. It was a predictable ending to a completely unpredictable show. I have to say this though. In Evolution, I hated Randy Orton. As the youngest champ, I hated Randy Orton. As Randy Orton vs. Evolution, I hated Randy Orton. Until his return last year, I hated Randy Orton. I felt like he was boring and had no desire to be in that company. But since his return he has demanded the respect of everybody watching at home. His promos are intense and he’s not afraid to stand up to anybody, including the McMahons. Since coming back he’s done things and said things to people that I never though he could do. His RKO’s have become something I want to see every week. I want to know who is going to be in the Legacy. I want to know what the Legend Killer’s next move is. The first "Age of Orton" was lackluster, and I thought WWE was trying too hard to get people to hate his character. Now I hate his character so much I cheer for him, and you can hear the RKO, RKO, RKO chants. The point is, when Randy Orton stood as champion in 2008 I hated him completely. When Randy Orton stood and pointed at the Wrestlemania 25 sign and the pyro went off, I thought "there is the future of this business." The Age of Orton may just indeed be upon us in 66 days at Wrestlemania 25.
Overall, I give the PPV a (8.5/10) and again state that if this is how WWE handles things in the year to come, TNA might as well pack up now.