• United States Championship match: Dolph Ziggler(c) vs. Zack Ryder

This was a really solid way to start the show. Ziggler has been very impressive lately and this was another good performance from him. Ziggler sweeps the leg twice at the start before they lock up. Ryder hits an arm drag before Ziggler hits a shoulder block and they run the ropes. Ryder catapults Ziggler into the corner, clotheslines him to the floor, and hits a big tope flip dive over the ropes. Ziggler catches Ryder with a DDT on the ring apron and hits a neckbreaker back inside the ring followed by several consecutive elbow drops. Ziggler hits a clothesline and applies a chin lock. He breaks to do some sit ups, but then goes right back to the hold. Ziggler puts Ryder on the top rope, but Ryder kicks him away and hits a big missile dropkick for 2. Ryder hits a forearm, clothesline, and a Facejam followed by a corner clothesline and a running face wash for 2. Vickie is then ejected from ringside after she puts Ziggler’s foot on the ropes. Ryder and Ziggler both score near falls with roll-ups. Ziggler snaps Ryder’s head over the ropes, Ryder does a roll-up for 2, and Ziggler hits a Famouser for 2. Ziggler hits a dropkick and heads up top, but Ryder meets him up there and hits a top rope hurricanrana for 2. Ziggler launches Ryder into the corner and rolls him up for 2, but Ryder boots a charging Ziggler in the corner and hits the Rough Ryder for the win. Really nice pop for Ryder’s win. Overall this was a good, competitive opening match with some nice near falls and a hot crowd. Match Time: 10:25     Star Rating: ***1/4

• WWE Tag Team Championship match: Air Boom(c) vs. Primo and Epico

In an unadvertised match, Evan Bourne made his return from his suspension. This was an average filler match. Bourne starts with Epico, and both guys go for roll-ups early on. Bourne does a sunset flip, misses a hurricanrana, and hits a head scissors before tagging in Kofi Kingston. Kofi hits a dropkick for 2 followed by a double dropkick on both heels. Primo tries a monkey flip, but Kofi lands on his feet and hits one of his own. Bourne hits a head scissors and tries a springboard, but the heels catch him and toss him to the floor. The heels then stomp Bourne repeatedly before Primo applies a front chancery. Primo drives Bourne into the corner before tagging in Epico, who hits a dropkick followed by a backbreaker, 2 back suplexes, and a German suplex. Epico applies a Gory special, but Bourne is able to escape with a sunset flip. Bourne hits the double knees before both guys get tags. Kofi hits some clotheslines and a dropkick followed by the Boom Drop, but Primo gets a boot up in the corner. Kofi springs out of the corner with a cross body, Bourne takes out Epico with a plancha to the floor, and Kofi hits the Trouble in Paradise to Primo for the win. Total TV quality match here, but it was fairly solid. Air Boom is a fun tag team but they have no competition. Match Time: 7:32     Star Rating: **1/2

• Tables match: Randy Orton vs. Wade Barrett

This was another good match. Orton and Barrett haven’t had many good matches in the past, but they had a decent brawl here and told a story. They trade punches and kicks at the start before Orton hits his signature backbreaker and gets a table from the floor. Barrett kicks the table into Orton’s face and hits some shots on the floor, but Orton kicks a table into Barrett’s gut and then launches it into his face. Orton sets up the table on the floor and brawls up the ramp with Barrett. Barrett knocks over some tables and teases a pumphandle slam, but Orton escapes and they head back toward the ring. Barrett slams Orton’s head on the ring post and sets up another table on the floor. Barrett slams Orton’s head on the table and lays Orton across it, but Orton gets up. Barrett drives Orton into the apron and rolls him into the ring, where he hits a second rope elbow drop. Barrett chokes Orton against the ropes and hits some knees to the face followed by a running big boot, but Orton avoids the table by landing on the apron. Barrett sets a table up in the corner, but Orton escapes a slam and hits some clotheslines followed by a snap powerslam. They do a good counter sequence near the apron before Orton hits the spike DDT. Orton avoids being sent into the table again, but Barrett hits a black hole slam and drops the table on Orton. Barrett sets the table up again and lays Orton across it before heading up top. Barrett leaps, but Orton catches him with a sudden mid air RKO through the table for the win. Good stuff with some nice psychology built around the tables and a great finish. Barrett got a pinfall victory at Survivor Series, so him losing a match without standard rules here doesn’t hurt him. No complaints here. Match Time: 10:17     Star Rating: ***

• Divas Championship match: Beth Phoenix(c) vs. Kelly Kelly

This was another unadvertised filler match. Kelly slaps Beth at the start, sends her to the floor, and hits a bulldog off the apron. Back in the ring, Kelly hits a head scissors into the corner, but Beth drops her on the ropes and beats on Kelly with punches. Beth pulls Kelly’s hair and stands on her back before applying a camel clutch. Kelly escapes and hits a bulldog before slamming Beth’s face in the mat repeatedly. Kelly leaps off the top, but Beth catches her and slams her down for 2. Beth misses a top rope leg drop and both girls counter each other’s finishers. Both attempt roll-ups before Beth hits a reverse powerbomb for the win. Standard short, crappy Divas match, move along nothing to see here. Match Time: 5:14     Star Rating: *1/2

Booker T then comes out for his match against Cody Rhodes, but Cody jumps him during his entrance. Cody also attacked Booker earlier backstage. Referees and other officials break it up and send both guys to the back, so no match here. I didn’t really see the point in putting this match off.

• Sledgehammer Ladder match: Kevin Nash vs. Triple H

Yes, it is the year 2011. These guys couldn’t even have good matches eight years ago, and this was very sluggish. The rules were that you had to climb a ladder to get the sledgehammer hanging above the ring, and then you could use it as a weapon and the match ends via pinfall. Both guys go back and forth with punches early on, and Nash looks very rough. Nash hits some knee lifts, but Triple H sends him to the floor and slams his head on the announce table. Triple H unloads with punches and clotheslines Nash into the crowd. Nash hits a back elbow and drops Triple H face first on the barricade, but Triple H sends him into the ring post. They then get a couple ladders and go back into the ring. Triple H hits Nash’s knee repeatedly with a ladder, puts his knee inside the ladder, and applies a modified figure four with the ladder. Triple H leans one of the ladders against the corner and drops the second one on Nash. Nash whips Triple H into the ladder in the corner, and then lays the ladder across the second rope. Nash body slams Triple H onto the other ladder in the ring and catapults him face first into the ladder in the ropes.

Nash takes apart the announce table on the outside and teases a Jackknife powerbomb, but Triple H backdrops him over the table (he had trouble getting him up and it looked like the table was supposed to break, but it didn’t). Triple H climbs a ladder in the ring, but Nash pulls him off and clotheslines him. Nash whips Triple H into a ladder and hits a chokeslam before getting a table from under the ring. Triple H drives Nash into the ladder in the corner and hits Nash’s knee with another ladder. Both guys climb a ladder and fight at the top, with Triple H hitting Nash with the end of the sledgehammer twice, causing Nash to fall off the ladder through the table. Triple H unhooks the sledgehammer and climbs down, hitting Nash’s knee with it repeatedly. Triple H then goes for the Pedigree but Nash botches it by bumping too early. Triple H then hits a second one but it also comes off sloppy. Nash then begs off with the Wolfpac sign, but Triple H hits him in the face with the sledgehammer for the win. Match reads much better than it was executed. Both of these guys, especially Nash, are just too old and slow now. It just dragged on forever and ever and a lot of the stuff they did looked very clunky. This probably sounded really good on paper, but in reality it was just way too long and the fans weren’t into it. Absolutely nobody cares about Kevin Nash anymore. Match Time: 18:13     Star Rating: *3/4

• Jack Swagger vs. Sheamus

This match was also unadvertised, having been added on in a backstage segment earlier in the show. Sheamus hits some clotheslines and a shoulder block at the start before blocking an abdominal stretch and hitting the clubbing blows to the chest in the ropes. Swagger is sent to the floor, where he drives Sheamus back first into the ring post and barricade. Swagger hits a Vader Bomb back into the ring for 1 before hitting some forearms to the back. Sheamus comes back with a clothesline and some double sledges before they go to the outside. Sheamus drives Swagger into the ring post, tosses him into the barricade, and hits a shoulder block off the top in the ring for 2. Sheamus misses the Brogue Kick and Swagger dives at his leg. Swagger hits a Vader Bomb elbow drop to the leg and goes for the ankle lock, but Sheamus is able to escape. Swagger dives at the leg again, but Sheamus avoids him and hits the Brogue Kick for the win. This was a very average, Smackdown quality filler match that didn’t get much reaction from the crowd. Match Time: 5:57     Star Rating: **

• Chairs match for the World Heavyweight Championship: Mark Henry(c) vs. The Big Show

This was a bit interesting. Show bails to the floor at the start and starts throwing chairs into the ring. Henry decides he’s seen enough and tries to leave with the title, but Show goes to the outside and hits him with a chair repeatedly before laying into Henry with punches. Henry hits a head butt and a chair shot before slamming Show’s hand on the steel steps. Both guys go for a chair shot at the same time back in the ring before Henry hits Show repeatedly with a chair. Henry puts a chair around Show’s hand and stomps on it before hitting him in the ribs with a chair. Show hits the WMD punch with the injured hand and covers for the win out of nowhere. After the match Henry attacks Show with a chair and hits him with a DDT on 2 chairs. This was too short to be much of anything, and a really lackluster end to Henry’s world title reign. Just 5 minutes of chair shots and nothing else, which is not good for a PPV world title match. Match Time: 5:30     Star Rating: *

BUT WAIT!!!! Daniel Bryan’s music hits and Bryan comes down to the ring with his Money in the Bank briefcase! Bryan says he is cashing in, leading to…

• World Heavyweight Championship match: The Big Show(c) vs. Daniel Bryan

Bryan rolls over Big Show and covers for the instant victory. Bryan then had a great, lengthy celebration afterwards, high fiving the fans and standing on top of the announce table. While this certainly isn’t the direction many people thought WWE would go with Bryan’s Money in the Bank briefcase, this was a really great feel good moment for a guy who deserves this championship more than anyone. Bryan has busted his ass wrestling all over the world for the last decade and finally won the big one in the WWE. Hopefully all goes well with his world title reign and I just couldn’t be happier for the guy. Match Time: 0:08     Star Rating: N/A

• Intercontinental Championship match: Cody Rhodes(c) vs. Booker T

So it turns out we are getting this match after all. Booker, totally not selling his injuries from before, immediately lays into Cody with punches, a back elbow, and back to back scoop slams followed by a sidekick. Booker tosses Cody to the floor where he hits some chops, but Cody comes back with some punches and tosses Booker into the barricade. Cody flips Booker by his arm in the ring and applies a submission, but Booker fights out. Booker hits a chop, but Cody kicks his leg and covers for 2. Cody applies a full nelson, but Booker gets out and they trade shots. Booker hits some clotheslines, a sidewalk slam, and a spinebuster but misses the scissors kick. Cody hits the beautiful disaster kick for 2, and then hits a second one for the victory. Short, but decent match here. Booker did fine and had a solid performance, plus Cody got a nice clean victory over an established legend. That’s pretty much all you can ask for with this type of match. Match Time: 7:15     Star Rating: **1/2

• Triple Threat Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match for the WWE Championship: CM Punk(c) vs. Alberto Del Rio vs. The Miz

Though far from the best TLC match, this was a really fun main event to close the show. The heels gang up on Punk at the start, and Punk hits a couple dropkicks, but Miz and Del Rio go back to stomping him and drop him face first on the top rope. Miz and Del Rio go to the outside and Del Rio gets a ladder, but Punk hits him with a suicide dive through the ropes. Punk gets a chair, but Miz stomps him and hits him with the chair before setting it up on its legs. Punk hits the high knee in the corner, but Miz blocks the bulldog and hits a back suplex to Punk on the chair. Del Rio blocks the Skull-Crushing Finale from Miz and backdrops Miz on a leaning ladder on the floor. Del Rio avoids a baseball slide from Punk, but Punk kicks a ladder into Del Rio’s face and tosses him into the barricade. Punk and Del Rio both try to suplex each other through a table before Punk hits a neckbreaker on the floor. Punk avoids a chair shot from Miz, hits him with the chair, and props him up on the barricade, where he hits a high knee strike off a chair to Miz into the crowd. Punk climbs a ladder in the ring, but Ricardo Rodriguez interferes and handcuffs Punk’s wrist to the ladder. Del Rio then attacks Punk before climbing the ladder, but Punk breaks free and tips it over before hitting a flapjack to Del Rio onto the ladder.

Miz hits Punk with another ladder and starts climbing it, but Punk pulls him down and goes for the Go to Sleep. Miz blocks it and they go up top, only for Del Rio to hit Punk with an enzuigiri, causing him to fall off the top through a table on the floor. Del Rio and Miz brawl up the entrance ramp, with Del Rio throwing a ladder at Miz and applying the cross armbreaker with the ladder around Miz’s arm. Del Rio then hits Punk with chair shots and applies the cross armbreaker with a chair around Punk’s arm. Del Rio climbs a ladder in the ring, but Punk and Miz tip it over, causing Del Rio to be crotched on the top rope. Punk and Miz then trade shots and knock each other down. Ricardo then climbs once again, but Punk and Miz tip the ladder over, causing Ricardo to fall off and through a table outside the ring. Punk and Miz both counter each other’s finishers before Miz handcuffs Punk to the corner. Miz taunts Punk, but Punk hits a sudden roundhouse kick. Del Rio and Miz then both climb ladders as Punk struggles to free himself. Punk is eventually able to take apart the second rope and free himself from the corner, and then ascends the two ladders. All 3 guys fight at the top, with Punk knocking Del Rio off of a ladder and then fighting with Miz on the mat. Punk hits Miz with the GTS, climbs the ladder, and grabs the title to win the match. This didn’t have nearly as many crazy spots as past TLC matches, but it was paced very well and had some innovative offense with the chairs. By the standards of this match, it wasn’t great, but it was very good and the best match on the show. Nice to see Punk get the win and hopefully his title reign lasts long enough to restore some credibility to the belt. Match Time: 18:26     Star Rating: ***1/2

Overall PPV Rating: 7/10

• WWE Tag Team Championship match: Air Boom(c) vs. Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler

This was a really nice way to start off the PPV and ended up being one of the better matches of the night. Kofi Kingston and Ziggler lock up and do some grappling early on, with both guys going for headlocks and hammerlocks. Kofi does a pair of leapfrogs and a clothesline followed by a big monkey flip that Ziggler does a full rotation bump for. Evan Bourne comes in with a dropkick and nearly catches Swagger with a sunset flip. Kofi leaps onto a rope hung Swagger before hitting a double dropkick in the corner with Bourne followed by a double bulldog. Kofi goes for a cross body off the top but Swagger catches him and slams him down. Ziggler hits a dropkick for 2 and puts Kofi in a submission. Kofi fights up, but Ziggler throws him down by his head and tags in Swagger. Swagger applies a chin lock but Kofi eventually arm drags out of it and tags Bourne. Bourne hits a hurricanrana, a series of kicks, and a knee to the head followed by a single leg dropkick. Bourne leaps off the top but lands on his feet and sends Swagger into Ziggler.

Bourne goes for the shooting star press but Swagger gets his knees up and goes for a pin, only for Kofi to break it up. Ziggler applies a submission and Bourne fights out before both guys go for roll-ups. Swagger stomps Bourne and hits a Vader Bomb for 2, and then controls Bourne with a reverse headlock. Bourne rolls up Swagger for 2 and sends him to the floor when he goes for the ankle lock. Swagger pulls Kofi off the apron and Ziggler stomps Bourne in the ring. Swagger steps on Bourne’s gut and scoop slams him, but Bourne gets his knees up to block a second Vader Bomb. Kofi gets a hot tag and hits some clotheslines. Ziggler blocks the SOS but eats a rope-assisted Pele and a top rope cross body for 2. Kofi hits the Boom Drop and sets up for the Trouble in Paradise, misses, and hits the SOS, only for Swagger to break up the pin and put Kofi in the ankle lock. Bourne breaks that up by hitting the flying double knees off the top to Swagger. Kofi hits Ziggler with the Trouble in Paradise and Bourne finishes him with the shooting star press for the win. Really solid match to open up the show with some nice storytelling built around the heels wearing down Bourne’s midsection. Fun action with some exciting spots. Match Time: 13:24     Star Rating: ***1/4

• United States Championship match: Dolph Ziggler(c) vs. Zack Ryder

Ryder comes out right after the tag match ends, so the US title match is on right now. Ryder lays into Ziggler with punches in the corner, hits a back elbow, and whips Ziggler hard into the corner for 2. Ziggler hits a neckbreaker and Ryder comes back with a clothesline. Ziggler rolls to the outside but Kofi and Bourne, who hadn’t left ringside, toss him back in, causing the referee to send them to the back. Ryder hits some clotheslines and a flapjack for 2, but crashes into the ropes on a cross body attempt. Ziggler hits a boot to the head and an elbow drop for 2 before applying an arm bar. Ziggler hits a corner splash but misses a second one, only for Ryder to miss a face wash. Ziggler hits a Famouser for 2 and some shots in the corner. Ryder kicks a charging Ziggler and hits the face wash in the corner. Swagger gets on the apron and Ryder tries to kick him away. Ziggler goes for the Zig Zag but Ryder holds onto the ropes and blocks it. Ryder then kicks Swagger to the floor but Ziggler surprises him with a superkick for the win. This made Ryder look like a total geek because he couldn’t beat a fatigued guy who just lost, but Ziggler would have looked pretty stupid if he lost as well. This should have been saved for later on in the show where Ziggler’s win would have seemed more believable. Match was average, pretty much Raw quality. Match Time: 6:01     Star Rating: **1/4

• Divas Championship match: Beth Phoenix(c) vs. Eve

This wasn’t terrible by Divas standards, but certainly nothing to write home about. They lock up and go into the corner before Eve hits a sunset flip for 2. Beth hits a shoulder block for a near fall but Eve does a cartwheel and hits some kicks. Beth hits some strikes but Eve flips over Beth and hits an enzuigiri. They did a weird spot where Eve tried to handcuff Beth to the ropes via her outfit and kicked her repeatedly. Beth eventually frees herself and sweeps Eve’s legs on the apron before dropping her face first on the barricade. Beth whips Eve into the apron and covers in the ring for 2. Beth applies a submission for a bit before hitting a gutbuster for 2. Beth applies a body scissors and taunts Eve, and Eve eventually fights out. Eve hits some punches, a kick, a clothesline, and a running senton for 2. Eve hits a back elbow and puts Beth in a bizarre submission hold that looked like a weird modified triangle choke. Beth gets the ropes and Eve slams her head in the corner. Beth snaps Eve’s head over the ropes and goes for the Glam Slam, but Eve counters and sends Beth into the ropes. Eve hits a kick but misses a moonsault and Beth hits the Glam Slam for the win. This would have been a bit better than most Divas matches but they were out there for a little too long and the crowd was dead. Just a tiny step above your typical WWE women’s match. Match Time: 7:19     Star Rating: *3/4

• Christian vs. Sheamus

The crowd really hurt this match, maybe more than any other match on the show. This was solid but their match last month was better and longer. Christian slaps Sheamus and hits some strikes in the corner, but Sheamus comes back with some shots of his own and a scoop slam. Sheamus hits a shoulder block and some more shots in the corner. Christian slides under Sheamus and slaps him, but Sheamus takes Christian to the apron and hits the clubbing blows to the chest followed by a stalling vertical suplex. Christian comes back with back-to-back neckbreakers followed by some strikes in the corner. Sheamus tries to fight back but Christian chokes him with his boot. Sheamus hits some shoulders in the corner but Christian rolls him up for 2, hits some elbows to the back of the head, and applies a chin lock. Sheamus gets up and falls backwards to break the hold. Christian stands on Sheamus against the ropes, then slides out and slaps him. Christian hits a twisting uppercut off the second rope followed by a missile dropkick, but misses a top rope diving head butt. Sheamus hits some clotheslines and a scoop slam, then catches a leaping Christian in mid air and hits a fall away slam for 2. Christian sends Sheamus to the outside, but Sheamus shoulders a charging Christian and hits a slingshot shoulder block over the ropes for 2. Christian hits a reverse DDT and escapes the High Cross, but Sheamus blocks the rope-assisted Pele and covers for 2. Both guys counter each other’s finishers before Christian hits 2 rope-assisted Peles and heads up to, but Sheamus catches Christian in mid air and hits the uranage backbreaker. Christian hits a spear for 2 but Sheamus comes back with punches. Both guys go up top and Christian hits a top rope Frankensteiner. He sets up for another spear but Sheamus hits the Brogue Kick for the win. Solid match between these guys with some nice counters and sequences, but when is Christian ever going to get a win again? I’ve lost count of how many times they’ve jobbed this guy. Match Time: 10:37     Star Rating: **3/4

• The Miz and R-Truth vs. CM Punk and Triple H

This was a huge disappointment considering all of the buildup. It felt like an extended Raw match at times. Punk and Miz circle each other at the start, and Punk hits a few kicks before tagging in Triple H. Truth gets a tag as well and locks up with Triple H. Triple H hits a shoulder block, a punch, and whips Truth into the corner. Truth does a split but Triple H kicks him and does a crotch chop before tagging in Punk. Punk plants Truth and Miz comes in, but Punk tosses Miz into Triple H’s boot. Punk and Triple H hit a double team suplex to Miz and Triple H puts him in a figure 4 leg lock, holding Punk’s hands for leverage when the referee isn’t looking. They stretch Miz’s legs and Punk applies an arm bar, again using Triple H for leverage. Truth hits a cheap shot from the apron, Miz stomps Punk and Truth comes in and applies a chin lock. Punk eventually fights out and tags in Triple H, who hits a high knee, a spinebuster, and a knee facebuster before clotheslining both heels to the floor. Miz and Truth take the advantage on the outside and Miz stomps Triple H back in the ring. Truth tags in and applies a reverse headlock, then hits a corkscrew forearm strike when Triple H fights out. Miz hits some knees to the gut and a running knee to the head for 2. Miz applies a chin lock and Triple H tries to battle out, but Miz hits the reverse DDT backbreaker/neckbreaker combo. The heels hit stereo boots to the head for 2. Truth applies a head scissors on the mat, but Triple H escapes and hits an electric chair drop. Triple H clotheslines Miz and hits a DDT to Truth before tagging in Punk. Punk hits a springboard clothesline, some kicks to Truth, and the high knee in the corner followed by a bulldog/clothesline combo on both heels. Punk kicks Truth on the apron and Triple H sends him into the timekeeper’s area. Punk hits the Savage elbow drop to Miz, but Kevin Nash appears in the crowd and attacks Triple H. Punk goes for the Go to Sleep on Miz, but Miz counters and hits a Skull-Crushing Finale/Shut Up combo with Truth and the heels get the win. Nash continues the attack on Triple H after the match and hits a nasty-looking jackknife powerbomb. The match was extremely boring and never got going. This was supposed to be one of the premiere matches of the PPV and it completely flopped. Average stuff at best, huge letdown. Match Time: 15:23     Star Rating: **

• Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes

This was a nice rebound match after the clunky tag team affair. Orton hits a punch and a clothesline early before shoving off a bulldog attempt and clotheslining Rhodes to the floor, where he sends him into the steel steps. Rhodes misses the Beautiful Disaster kick back in the ring and Orton hits a clothesline. Rhodes hits some stomps, a front suplex, and a diving knee drop off the top followed by a knee to the gut. Orton tries to fight back with punches, but Rhodes hits a clothesline and applies a chin lock. Orton breaks it with a back suplex, but Rhodes hits a dropkick for 2 and stomps Orton repeatedly. Rhodes puts Orton in a Boston Crab, and Orton is eventually able to counter out and kick Rhodes away. Orton avoids a charge in the corner and rolls up Rhodes for 2. They trade shots before Rhodes hits an Alabama slam for 2. Rhodes misses a top rope moonsault and Orton comes back with clotheslines and a powerslam. Rhodes hits Orton from the apron and leaps off the top, but Orton dropkicks him in mid air for 2. Rhodes counters a gutwrench and hits the Beautiful Disaster kick for 2. Rhodes escapes the spike DDT, but Orton hits his signature backbreaker for 2. Orton hits a gutwrench neckbreaker before taking Rhodes to the corner. Rhodes hits a head butt followed by a moonsault off the top to a standing Orton. Rhodes misses a second dive off the top and Orton hits an uppercut. One of the “baggers” distracts Orton and Rhodes hits the Cross-Rhodes for 2. Rhodes mocks Orton’s taunt, but Orton hits a dropkick and a spike DDT. The bagger gets on the apron but Orton tosses Rhodes into the bagger and hits the RKO for the win. Rhodes looked really competitive in there despite the fact that most fans don’t see him as being at Orton’s level. Still, this was a good PPV quality bout with some nice near falls. Match Time: 12:12     Star Rating: ***1/4

• World Heavyweight Championship match: Mark Henry(c) vs. The Big Show

The trend of over-achieving, better than expected Mark Henry world title matches continued with this match. While certainly nothing great, this was about as good as you could ask for with these guys. They lock up at the start before Henry breaks in the corner, and Show fires away with punches, causing Henry to bail from the ring. Henry gets on the apron but Show hip tosses him inside and hits a punch and a superkick. Henry tries to walk away, but Show rolls him into the ring. Henry dives at Show’s knee and hits a scoop slam followed by an elbow drop. Henry then hits an elbow drop to the knee and wrenches at Show’s leg, scissoring it with his own legs. Henry continues to use a leg bar until Show is able to fight out, but his leg gives out on a scoop slam attempt and Henry scores a near fall. Henry twists the ankle, but Show kicks him off and they do a double clothesline spot. They trade shots and Show hits some head butts, clotheslines, a corner back splash, a shoulder block, and a scoop slam before hitting a chokeslam for a near fall. He goes for the WMD but Henry hits the World’s Strongest Slam for 2. Henry heads up top but Show chokeslams him off the second rope for 2. Show then heads up top and Henry meets him up there, and Henry gives Show a superplex, causing the ring to break, repeating the spot that Brock Lesnar and Big Show did on Smackdown in 2003. The match was stopped shortly after, with referees and doctors coming down to the ring followed by John Laurinaitis and Teddy Long. Show was carted out but Henry crawled to the back under his own power. Laurinaitis said the main event would still take place as planned, even with the broken ring. The spot at the end got a huge reaction and the fans were really getting into some of the near falls. Overall this turned out much better than expected and actually turned out to be decent. For a world title match it wasn’t great, but for a big man match this was very good. Match Time: 11:00 (rough estimate)     Star Rating: **1/2

• Last Man Standing match for the WWE Championship: Alberto Del Rio(c) vs. John Cena

This pretty much saved the show and was a very enjoyable main event. They did indeed work this match with the busted up ring, which ended up not harming it too much due to the stipulation. Ricardo Rodriguez tries to interfere at the start and Cena swings at him, but this allows Del Rio to take an early advantage with some punches, a suplex, and a big boot. Del Rio kicks Cena on the floor and sends him face first into the ring post. Back in the ring, Del Rio hits a superkick and a second kick, but Cena hits a back body drop followed by a scoop slam and some elbow drops. Del Rio hits a kick to the back, a dropkick, and 3 consecutive back suplexes. Cena makes it up at 7 and hits a clothesline. Del Rio escapes an Attitude Adjustment attempt and hits a back stabber. Cena is up at 5 and Del Rio hits 2 suplexes, but Cena counters a third with one of his own. Cena hits the shoulder blocks and the spinning side slam followed by the Five Knuckle Shuffle, but Del Rio escapes the AA and hits a German suplex. Cena is up at 7 and hits a gutwrench suplex, and Del Rio is up at 4. Del Rio hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and some punches before laying the fallen ring post over Cena’s chest and hitting a running stomp on it. Cena is up at 8 and hits the AA, with Del Rio getting up at 8. Ricardo breaks up another AA attempt and Del Rio puts Cena in a rear naked choke. Del Rio eventually releases the hold, but Cena gets up and tosses Del Rio out of the ring into the barricade. Cena slams Del Rio’s head into the barricade and Del Rio whips Cena into the steel steps, but Cena crotches Ricardo on the fallen post. Del Rio stomps Cena in the ring, but Cena drop toeholds Del Rio into the fallen post, causing it to crotch Ricardo again.

Outside the ring, Cena throws the top half of the steel steps at Del Rio and misses, and Del Rio sends Cena face first into it. Del Rio then hits Cena in the head with the lower half of the steps and Cena gets up at 8. Cena then unloads on Del Rio with punches and they go up the ramp and into the backstage area. Cena throws Del Rio across a catering table and pushes over a large crate, but Del Rio gets out of the way and scoop slams Cena on the crate. Cena gets up at 7, but Del Rio pushes 4 large lighting stands down on top of Cena. Cena fights out and gets up at 8, and they brawl back into the arena. Del Rio sends Cena through a giant V (a piece of the set) and puts Cena on a table. Del Rio then climbs another piece of the set, but Cena yanks him off and Del Rio crashes through the table. Del Rio gets up at 8 and they fight through the crowd before Cena tosses him over the barricade into the ringside area. Del Rio misses with an enzuigiri and hits the ring post, and Cena sets up the steel steps next to the Spanish announce table. Cena then picks up Del Rio and gives him an AA off the steel steps through the table. Cena goes into the ring, but The Miz and R-Truth suddenly run down and attack him, distracting the referee from counting. They both hit their respective finishers on Cena, Del Rio gets up, and the ref counts, but Cena makes it up at 9. Del Rio then hits Cena with the WWE title and Cena can’t make it to his feet, so Del Rio wins. Good finish to build towards Survivor Series, where it appears Cena will align with The Rock and others against a team including Miz and R-Truth. Though there were a couple goofy moments, this was a really fun brawl with some awesome spots strewn throughout. Cena is always great in last man standing matches and this was no exception, despite a slow start. Overall, it was a satisfying way to close the show. Match Time: 26:58     Star Rating: ***3/4

Overall PPV Rating: 6.5/10

My name is Jared Silberkleit. I am from Orange, CT and am a huge fan of pro wrestling. I mostly follow WWE and TNA but I also watch the smaller promotions such as ROH and DGUSA. I have been a lifelong WWE fan and have become a TNA fan over the past few years. Aside from wrestling, I also really love baseball and football and follow many other sports such as hockey and MMA. I have written for www.sportsgrumblings.com for three years.

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• TNA X Division Championship match: Austin Aries(c) vs. Brian Kendrick

Though it was a bit disheartening to see the X Division Championship match again being used to pop the crowd in the curtain jerker slot, this was a very exciting and fun match to open the show. They lock up and do some chain wrestling at the start, with both guys going after the arm. Aries hits a headlock takeover and applies a headlock before they run the ropes. Kendrick hits a headlock takeover and a dropkick that sends Aries to the outside before hitting a slingshot cross body to the floor. Kendrick hits a cross body off the top in the ring for 2 and hits 2 monkey flips, but Aries blocks a third and hits a clothesline for 2. Aries hits a scoop slam, a slingshot senton, and a running elbow drop. Kendrick fights out of a cravat but Aries hits an STO and teases the pendulum elbow. Kendrick blocks it and rolls up Aries for 2 before hitting a series of forearm strikes and dropkicks followed by a double sledge to the back. Kendrick goes up top and leaps over Aries, but Aries hits an STO and a quick pendulum elbow. Kendrick hits a tornado DDT for 2 but Aries blocks a sliced bread attempt. Aries hits a suicide dive to the floor and an IED back in the ring, but Kendrick counters the brainbuster and rolls up Aries for 2. Aries blocks a sliced bread attempt and both guys fight up top, and Kendrick hits a crazy sliced bread off the top for 2. Kendrick goes for a sliced bread off the apron but he’s sent to the floor. Aries hits a big shot to the head followed by the IED and the brainbuster for the win. Very good, competitive match, and a nice clean win for Aries. Match Time: 10:25     Star Rating: ***1/4

• Full Metal Mayhem match: Jerry Lynn vs. Rob Van Dam

Though not at the level of their match in July, this was a fun little throwback to their ECW feud. They start off with some grappling before RVD goes for a quick roll-up attempt and hits a roundhouse kick in the corner. RVD teases Rolling Thunder but Lynn hits a dropkick and some clotheslines. Lynn goes for a tornado DDT and they do a series of reversals before RVD snapmares him and they have a standoff. Lynn tries a cross body but both guys crash and burn near the apron. They go out to the floor where Lynn gets a ladder. RVD gets a chair but Lynn dropkicks the ladder into his face. RVD hits a cross body out of the corner on Lynn onto the chair and follows with a Van Terminator with the chair. RVD whips Lynn into the ladder in the corner and Lynn then falls down with the ladder on top of him. RVD then hits the Rolling Thunder onto the ladder on Lynn. Lynn recovers and dropkicks the ladder into RVD’s face, leans it up against the ropes, and lays RVD on it. Lynn then hits a leg drop off the top rope onto RVD on the ladder. Lynn throws a chair into RVD’s face and hits a bridging German suplex for 2. RVD suplexes Lynn on the ladder and does a dive onto it. Lynn hits a clothesline off the top to a charging RVD, then takes out a second ladder and leans it against the guardrail on the outside. Lynn hits a crazy sunset flip bomb to RVD off the apron onto the ladder on the floor (RVD kinda missed the ladder and took a nasty bump on the floor). Back in the ring, RVD kicks a chair into Lynn’s face for 2 and sets him in the corner with the ladder in front of his face. RVD then hits a Van Terminator with the chair and ladder to Lynn’s face for the win. They shake hands afterwards, so this feud is over. Overall a solid hardcore match, not their best match but the chemistry and effort were there. Match Time: 13:17     Star Rating: ***1/4

• 3-Way match: Samoa Joe vs. Matt Morgan vs. Crimson

This was pretty much an Impact quality match. The faces attack Joe at the start; with Morgan hitting the rapid fire elbows before Joe turns things around and lays in some punches on Crimson. The faces then pinball Joe and hit him with a double hip toss. Joe kicks Morgan, but Morgan hits a side slam and Crimson tries to steal the pin. Joe sends Crimson over the ropes onto Morgan on the floor and hits a suicide dive. Morgan then leaps off the top rope with a big cross body onto Crimson on the floor. Joe rolls Crimson into the ring and covers twice for 2. Joe hits some chops and punches but Crimson comes back with some punches and knees followed by a neckbreaker and a suplex. Morgan tries to steal the pin, but doesn’t get it and Joe rakes both guys’ eyes. The faces then knock down Joe again and trade shots. Morgan hits a shoulder block but Joe pulls him out and sends him into the guardrail. Joe hits some shots in the corner, a back splash, and an enzuigiri to Crimson. Joe goes for the Muscle Buster but Morgan breaks it up and goes for the Carbon Footprint. I think he was supposed to do the whole “missed bicycle kick into the ropes” deal but he botched it and just sat there in the corner as Crimson speared Joe for the pin. Match was sloppy and the crowd never bought into the story but it had a couple nice moments and wasn’t the worst match these 3 have been involved in. Match Time: 7:14     Star Rating: *3/4

• Philadelphia Falls Count Anywhere match: Bully Ray vs. Mr. Anderson

Although gimmick matches are heavily overplayed in this company, this was a fun brawl and far better than the last match that these guys had together. Ray hits some punches at the start but Anderson hits a neckbreaker for a quick 1 count. Ray then knocks down Anderson, rips off his shirt, and chops him repeatedly. Anderson hits a spin kick for 2 and hits Ray with a sign from the crowd. Anderson ripped off the paper and it was the old ECW trick where it was a road sign disguised as a typical paper fan sign. They brawl on the floor, with Anderson tossing a beer into Ray’s face and slamming his head on a chair. Ray sends Anderson into the steps and covers for a near fall. Ray sets up a table on the floor but Anderson comes back with punches and they fight up the ramp. Ray hits a suplex on the stage for 2 and mocks Anderson entrance as he calls for the mic to come down. Anderson then grabs the mic and clocks Ray with it for a near fall.

They fight backstage, with Ray hitting Anderson with a steel pipe and hitting a piledriver on the floor for 2. He chokes Anderson with a chair before Anderson gets up and they go into the crowd. Anderson hits some punches and stomps Ray in the groin before they head back toward the ringside area. Anderson grabs a guardrail, but Ray hits a clothesline in the ring and gets a second table, which he sets up in the ring. Anderson backdrops Ray on the guardrail, but misses a Swanton off the top and hits the guardrail himself. Ray goes for a diving senton off the top but Anderson rolls out of the way and Ray lands on the guardrail. Anderson hits a Mic Check on the rail for 2 before they go outside the ring. Anderson hits Ray in the head with a trash can and sets him on the table set up earlier on the floor. Anderson heads up top but botches the finish as he totally overshoots Ray on a Swanton attempt. Anderson then hits a Mic Check through the table and covers for the win. Botched finish hurts it a little but they recovered nicely and called a good audible. Some really brutal spots in this one with the guardrail and overall a well-paced brawl that was better than expected. Match Time: 14:36     Star Rating: ***

• 4-Way match for the TNA Women’s Knockout Championship with Karen Jarrett as Special Guest Referee: Winter(c) vs. Velvet Sky vs. Madison Rayne vs. Mickie James

This was pretty much your typical Knockouts match, except it dragged on WAY too long. Mickie goes for a quick roll up on Winter at the start but Winter kicks out and catches Mickie in an armbar. Mickie escapes it, but Winter stomps her in the corner. Mickie hits a back elbow and a headscissors out of the corner followed by a neckbreaker. Madison then comes in and rubs a handkerchief (?) in Mickie’s face. Velvet hits a bulldog to Madison, but Karen decides to tie her shoe rather than counting the pin. Winter breaks a pin attempt from Madison and the heels argue with each other before Karen talks them into letting the faces go at it. Mickie and Velvet both go for roll ups on each other but Karen won’t count the pin attempts from either. They lock up and run the ropes before Mickie hits a dropkick and knocks Madison off the apron. Velvet hits a sloppy headscissors and trades punches with Mickie before Winter yanks her out. The heels start to beat down the faces but Mickie and Velvet turn it around. Velvet gets sent to the floor and Mickie hits a corner clothesline to Winter before arguing with Karen. Angelina Love slips Winter the blood, but Winter misses and accidentally spits it into Karen’s face. Mickie hits Winter with the jumping DDT and Traci Brooks comes down to the ring. Mickie gets taken out, but Velvet hits a sit out Pedigree to Winter and Traci counts the pin. The story here was fine with Karen being totally in favor of the heels but the match was too long for its own good and felt like a mess most of the time. I’ve seen worse Knockouts matches but this was just not fun to sit through. Match Time: 8:41     Star Rating: *1/2

• I Quit match: Christopher Daniels vs. AJ Styles

Here is where things really went downhill with this show. This match was a huge letdown. So far beneath the quality of every match these guys have ever had against each other. Daniels hits an STO at the start and some punches before choking him and sticking the mic in his face. AJ does the same thing and hits Daniels with the mic before powering Daniels down and catching him in a hangman’s clutch. Daniels fights out and hits some elbow shots, but AJ leapfrogs him and hits a big dropkick. AJ hits a huge tope flip dive to the floor, but Daniels hits a blue thunder bomb on the apron and threatens AJ with a screwdriver. Daniels hits a back body drop back in the ring and puts AJ in a modified camel clutch. Daniels hits a BME to AJ’s lower back and applies a half Boston crab. AJ still won’t quit, gets to the ropes, and elbows Daniels in the gut before hitting a chop. Daniels comes back with a backbreaker, gets a chair, and sits on the chair over AJ’s throat. Daniels then starts cutting a heel promo on AJ talking about how he’s going to take everything from him, and basically threatens to kill him. He misses with a chair shot and a corner splash, and AJ hits some punches followed by a moonsault-reverse DDT. AJ hits a corner clothesline and a springboard forearm, but Daniels blocks the Styles Clash and hits a uranage. Daniels lands on his feet during a BME attempt, but AJ hits a Pele and the Styles Clash. AJ gets the screwdriver, but Daniels suddenly quits as AJ approaches him. As AJ leaves up the ramp, Daniels suddenly jumps him and gives him the Angel’s Wings on the stage. Totally random, anticlimactic finish. This match seemed to have been cut off before it really got going. The storytelling was good while it lasted but this was definitely not the type of match one would expect from two great wrestlers at a company’s premiere event of the year. And even if that was the intention, there was no reason to make this an I Quit match because all it did was take the crowd out of the match and slow things down. Huge disappointment. Match Time: 13:48     Star Rating: ***

Jeff Jarrett then came out to cut a heel promo on Jeff Hardy, talking about how no one wanted him in the company. Hardy then came out and immediately started brawling with Jarrett, and they traded punches until security came out to break things up, with both guys struggling to keep the fight going. Once they got Jarrett out of there, Hardy posed in the ring for the fans. Total time-killer segment, definitely felt like something better suited for free TV. It didn’t even get the big pop they expected for Hardy.

• Hulk Hogan vs. Sting

Yes everyone, it is the year 2011 and Hulk Hogan had a match with Sting on a major PPV. This was just sad. Hogan throws some punches at the start before Ric Flair’s music hits and he comes down to ringside. Hogan and Sting lock up and Sting applies a side headlock, but Hogan hits a shoulder block and starts to hulk up. Hogan hits a kick and some punches before stepping on Sting’s face. Hogan applies a chin lock and Sting fights up, but Hogan hits a clothesline and Sting bails to the floor. He returns, but Hogan rakes Sting’s back and chest before tossing Sting outside, where Flair lays into Sting with chops. YES IT IS 2011. Hogan hits a low blow and slams Sting’s head on the guardrail, hits some punches, and bites Sting’s head. Hogan then hits Sting with a spike repeatedly, and Sting is bleeding. Sting hits some punches and Hogan actually takes a bump. Sting attacks Flair and takes the spike, then hits Hogan with it twice, and Hogan blades. Sting hits a pair of Stinger Splashes and puts Hogan in a not-fully-cinched-in Scorpion Deathlock due to Hogan’s surgically repaired back, but Hogan taps out anyway. Then Immortal runs down to the ring and lays in the beatdown on Sting. The referee Jackson James (who was officially revealed as Eric Bischoff’s son earlier) takes the chair away from Eric, but Eric gets it back and hits his son with the chair. Immortal hits Sting with a seemingly endless amount of chairshots before who but HULK HOGAN should make the save and help Sting (who gets up and totally no sells the chair shots) clean house on Immortal. This was a joke. An embarrassment to pro wrestling. I don’t know how to rate this but it SUCKED. It was expected to suck, but it still sucked. Match Time: 9:43     Star Rating: N/A

• TNA World Heavyweight Championship match: Kurt Angle(c) vs. Bobby Roode

You want infuriating, mind-boggling, F*** THIS F***ING COMPANY finishes? Look no further than this match! This was the best match on the show, but had one of the worst PPV endings I can remember seeing in a while. Roode applies a headlock at the start and hits a shoulder block before going for the crossface, but Angle gets the ropes and kicks Roode. Angle hits a snap suplex before applying a waist lock. Roode goes for a clothesline but Angle hits the 3 Germans. Angle heads up top, but Roode charges hits a huge German suplex off the top. They trade punches and Roode hits some forearms and clotheslines. Roode hits a blockbuster off the second rope, but Angle hits a belly to belly suplex for 2. Angle counters a clothesline and hits a DDT for 2. Roode escapes an Angle Slam attempt and hits a spinebuster for 2. Roode goes up top, but Angle hits a super belly to belly suplex for 2. Roode then puts Angle in the crossface, but Angle grabs Roode’s leg and counters into the Ankle Lock. Roode counters the Ankle Lock and goes back to the crossface, but Angle counters with a roll up for 2. Roode again goes for the crossface but Angle counters out and hits an Angle Slam for 2. Angle then goes back to the Ankle Lock, but Roode kicks Angle off and hits a spinebuster followed by a fisherman suplex for 2.

Angle puts Roode in the Ankle Lock, but Roode counters with a roll up for 2 and counters the Angle Slam with an arm drag. Roode goes up top but Angle uses the referee as a shield and is able to hit a low blow followed by an Angle Slam for a close 2 count. Angle hits 2 Germans but Roode counters the third and puts Angle in the crossface. Angle gets inside the ropes for a break, whips Roode into the corner, and spears him for 2. Angle leaps off the top, but Roode takes him down into the crossface. Angle escapes, but Roode counters the Angle Slam. Angle counters a fisherman suplex, hits the Angle Slam, grabs the ropes, and the referee counts the pin while Roode’s arm is under the bottom rope. There was no restart, no nothing. The PPV just ended with Roode looking dejected. I hate this company with a passion. All of this time was invested into building up Roode so strong, that fans believed that this was truly the dawning of a new era and that Roode was headed for the biggest win of his career at Bound for Glory, and that his title win would be a very special moment that would be one of the greatest in the history of the company. Instead we got such a cheap, anti-climactic finish that wouldn’t be acceptable on a standard PPV, much less Bound for Glory. Congratulations TNA on once again missing out on a chance to create a new star. I guess we can put the blame on Hogan, who in a recent interview said that Roode wasn’t ready to be a top star. Thanks a lot. The match was going along great before the horrific finish, with some awesome near falls and counters. Incredibly disappointing show. Match Time: 14:18     Star Rating: ***1/2

Overall PPV Rating: 6.75/10

• Christian vs. Sheamus

After Christian’s entrance, The Miz and R-Truth are spotted in the crowd with tickets and are confronted by security and John Laurinaitis. This would start an angle with them throughout the PPV. Sheamus then came out and we had our opener, which was pretty solid. Sheamus controls Christian early with a headlock before Christian slaps him. Both guys try hip tosses and Sheamus hits a clothesline before chasing Christian on the floor. Christian drop toeholds Sheamus into the ropes and slingshots to the outside, but Sheamus blocks a slap and hits the clubbing blows to the chest in the ropes. Sheamus heads up top, but Christian shoves him off to the floor. Christian hits some punches back in the ring and chokes Sheamus against the top rope. Christian hits some more punches and a diving uppercut off the second rope. He tries a sleeper but Sheamus drives him into the mat. Sheamus hits a scoop slam but misses an elbow drop and Christian chokes him with his boot. Sheamus hits some shots but Christian hits a knee to the gut and a missile dropkick.

Sheamus hits some shots to the back, a knee drop, and some clotheslines followed by a scoop slam for 2. Christian escapes a slam, fails at a Killswitch attempt, and heads up top, but Sheamus catches him with an Irish curse backbreaker for 2. Both guys head up top, but Christian knocks Sheamus off and hits the rope-assisted Pele kick followed by a tornado DDT out of the corner for 2. Sheamus blocks the Killswitch and hits a corner clothesline followed by a knee to the head. Sheamus hits a big shoulder block off the top but Christian takes out his legs on the apron. Sheamus flings Christian out to the floor to block a baseball slide attempt, but Christian spears him on the floor and again in the ring for a near fall. Christian misses a top rope splash before both guys counter each other’s finishers. Christian backflips out of a back suplex attempt, but Sheamus avoids a charge from Christian in the corner. Sheamus then hits the Brogue kick for the win. Good match to open the show, felt a little stretched out though and Christian really needed the win. However, Sheamus winning wasn’t a surprise since normal-sized heels never win clean in WWE. Match Time: 13:41     Star Rating: ***

• Sin Cara vs. Sin Cara

For those who didn’t know, Mistico was the one in the blue attire and Hunico (Incognito) was the one in black. We’ll just call them Blue and Black for this recap. This was a good match but the crowd was completely unresponsive, likely due to unfamiliarity with lucha style matches. They lock up and Black goes for the leg early before attempting a surfboard-style submission, which Blue escapes. Black shoves Blue down, but Blue hits an arm drag. Black holds the wrists, but Blue does a backflip followed by a moonsault attempt from Black. Both men hit hurricanranas before Black hits a kick to the gut, only for Blue to hit a springboard head scissors. Blue arm drags Black to the floor before hitting a tope con hilo. Blue hits a kick from the apron but misses an asai moonsault. Black hits a springboard senton for 2 and applies a chin lock. Blue tries a handspring, but Black dropkicks him for 2, hits a chop, and sends Blue to the floor. Black does a huge plancha over the ropes to the floor and covers in the ring for 2. Black applies a chin lock before both men attempt cross bodies at the same time and collide. Blue hits some kicks, a handspring, and a headscissors followed by a big cross body off the top to the floor. Black hits a powerbomb for 2 back in the ring and heads up top, but Blue meets him there and hits an arm drag off the top. Blue hits an enzuigiri from the apron but misses a senton bomb off the top. Blue then hits a modified sunset flip bomb for the win. Though the crowd was totally dead, this was a really good lucha match. You can’t totally fault these guys for the pace they went at because this is the type of match they’ve been taught to have in Mexico. Had this taken place in AAA the crowd would have been going ballistic. Match Time: 9:47     Star Rating: ***

• WWE Tag Team Championship match: Air Boom(c) vs. Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger

Another pretty decent match, though this felt like an extended Raw match at times. Kofi Kingston applies a headlock early on before Swagger hits a shoulder block, but Kofi hits a facebuster and holds up Swagger for Evan Bourne to hit a double stomp off the top. Ziggler and Kofi get tags, and Kofi leaps off Bourne’s back with a shot in the corner. Swagger hits Bourne with some shoulder strikes in the corner before Ziggler comes in with some stomps and an elbow drop for a near fall. Kofi gets a hot tag but Swagger cheap shots him on the floor and Ziggler slams his head on the apron before applying a chin lock. Ziggler hits some more stomps and a dropkick, and Swagger comes in and controls Kofi with a reverse headlock. Bourne gets knocked off the apron and Ziggler gets some shots in on Kofi while the referee holds back Bourne. Swagger hits a side suplex followed by a Ziggler elbow drop for 2. Kofi hits a DDT and both guys get tags. Bourne hits a hurricanrana followed by the diving double knees for 2, then blocks a Famouser attempt from Ziggler and hits a standing shooting star press. Swagger then puts Bourne in the ankle lock, but Kofi breaks it up with a big cross body off the top. Bourne gets a small package for 2, and Ziggler hits a clothesline before tagging in Swagger. Swagger tries a superbomb off the top, but Bourne counters with a Frankensteiner off the top for the win. Heat segment dragged on a little but the match really got going by the finish, which came off nice. Nothing too special but pretty good. Match Time: 11:13     Star Rating: **3/4

• Hell in a Cell match for the World Heavyweight Championship: Mark Henry(c) vs. Randy Orton

Interesting seeing this go on fourth, as typically WWE really likes to space out the HIAC matches on this PPV. This was another pretty good match, and probably Mark Henry’s best match ever. Orton is all over Henry with punches at the start before they move to the outside, where Orton is able to send Henry into the cage. Orton stomps Henry in the ring and hits a knee drop, but Henry blocks the spike DDT and slams Orton’s head in the corner. Henry stretches Orton’s arm across the ring post, but Orton kicks Henry’s arm and leaps off the apron, only for Henry to catch him and drive him back first into the cage. Orton hits some shots, but Henry powerslams him in the ring for 2. They go back to the outside, where they trade shots before Henry hits a powerslam on the floor. Henry slams Orton’s head against the cage, picks up the steel steps, and hurls them at Orton, but Orton moves out of the way. Henry lawn darts Orton into the cage and presses his face against it.

Back in the ring, Henry hits a corner clothesline and a splash for 2 followed by a backbreaker. Henry applies a bear hug, stands on Orton against the ropes, and puts him in the bear hug again. Orton fights out with punches but Henry tosses him to the floor. He teases the World’s Strongest Slam on the steps, but Orton grabs onto the cage and kicks Henry. Orton drives Henry into the steps and the ring post before hitting a Thesz press in the ring followed by a dropkick, the spike DDT, and an RKO for 2. Orton sets up for the punt, but Henry catches him as he charges and hits the WSS for the win. After the match, Henry wraps a chair around Orton’s leg and tries to hit a splash on hit, but Orton avoids it and attacks Henry with the chair in the ring and up the entrance ramp. Henry eventually low blows Orton and bails. The match was solid but the post match was irritating, as both guys are merely continuing the feud and the HIAC solved nothing. Not a great HIAC but they used the cage, told a story, and had some bright spots. Match Time: 15:59     Star Rating: **3/4

Cody Rhodes then comes out in a suit for a promo a in a filler segment to kill time. He heels on the crowd before unveiling the classic Intercontinental title belt, which apparently will be replacing the current one. John Laurinaitis comes out and says Triple H has ordered Rhodes to defend the Intercontinental title right now. John Morrison then comes out and we have our impromptu match.

• Intercontinental Championship match: Cody Rhodes(c) vs. John Morrison

Yep, Rhodes is still in the suit for those who were wondering. Morrison tries a quick roll up before applying a headlock. Rhodes misses a clothesline and a dropkick and Morrison goes back to the headlock. Rhodes goes outside to take off his shirt and tries to walk away shortly after, but Morrison brings him back toward the ring. Rhodes then tries to get counted out by staying on the floor, but Morrison kicks him in the back and brings him into the ring. Rhodes hits a front suplex and a knee to the gut before applying a submission. Rhodes kicks a rope hung Morrison in the gut, but Morrison counters an Alabama slam attempt with a roll up. Rhodes applies a Figure Four, but Morrison gets the ropes. Rhodes hits some punches, a knee drop, and a headlock with a quick punch to the head. Morrison drives Rhodes into the corner and hits some punches and a dropkick followed by a Flux Capacitor for 2. Morrison hits a Pele but misses the Flash Kick and Rhodes rolls him up for the win. Total Raw match hampered by the fact that Rhodes wrestled in suit pants and Gucci shoes. Due to the way it was set up, whoever lost this thing was going to come off looking bad. Nothing to see here. Match Time: 7:23     Star Rating: *3/4

• Divas Championship match: Kelly Kelly(c) vs. Beth Phoenix

For the third straight PPV Kelly and Beth squared off against each other. Eve and Natalya are once again at ringside. Kelly hits some punches at the start followed by a Thesz press and more punches. Kelly kicks Beth from the corner and hits a diving clothesline off the top, but Beth counters a head scissors attempt with a backbreaker and hits an elbow drop. Kelly is hung up in the tree of woe and Beth hits a baseball slide before applying a modified dragon sleeper. Beth throws Kelly down by her head and spanks her before hitting a backbreaker and stretching Kelly’s back over her knee. Kelly gets a quick cover for 2 but Beth hits a rope-assisted suplex. Beth chokes Kelly against the ropes, but Kelly hits a neckbreaker before both go for roll ups. Kelly flips out of a Glam Slam attempt, but Beth drives her into the corner. Beth charges in the corner but misses, and Kelly hits a handspring elbow and a bulldog off the top for a near fall. Eve and Natalya brawl on the floor and Beth puts Kelly in a unique double leg submission. Natalya taunts Kelly on the mic as she struggles. Kelly gets the ropes, and Natalya hits Kelly with the mic while the ref is busy holding Beth back. Beth then hits the Glam Slam for the win. Good to see Beth finally win the Divas title but the match really dragged and suffered from some sloppy spots and a lack of crowd heat. It was going along fine at first but they just went too long here. Match Time: 8:28     Star Rating: *1/2

• Triple Threat Hell in a Cell match for the WWE Championship: John Cena(c) vs. Alberto Del Rio vs. CM Punk

This was easily the best match on the show, and was really good outside of the anticlimactic finish. The three men play a bit of cat and mouse early on, keeping their distance from each other and moving in and out of the ring until Cena and Punk both go after Del Rio and take turns wailing on him in the corner. Eventually Cena and Punk have a standoff and tease their finisher before Cena winds up on the outside. Del Rio ends up on Cena’s shoulders on the floor and Punk does a suicide dive that sends both men into the cage. Punk hits a neckbreaker to Del Rio back in the ring and grabs a chair, but Del Rio shoves Punk off the steel steps and into the side of the cage. Del Rio hits a backbreaker to Cena before getting another chair and wedging it in the corner. Cena hits his shoulder blocks and the side suplex followed by the Five Knuckle Shuffle, but Del Rio escapes the Attitude Adjustment, only for Punk to hit him with a roundhouse kick before hitting an STO to both men at the same time. Punk sets up a table on the outside and runs along the apron to hit the high knee to Cena but Cena blocks the bulldog attempt and shoves Punk off the apron into the cage wall. Del Rio hits Cena with a chair, sets it on its legs, and hits a backbreaker to Cena on the chair. Del Rio puts Cena in the tree of woe, but misses with a charge and hits the ring post. Cena then stands on the top rope, but Punk shakes it and Cena ends up crotched. Punk hits a Russian leg sweep to Del Rio for 2, but Del Rio comes back with a clothesline before catching Punk in a chin lock. Cena then breaks up the hold with a flying leg drop onto both men.

Punk hits a big kick to the Del Rio before him and Cena collide. Punk and Cena trade shots before Del Rio breaks up a Go to Sleep attempt from Punk and hits both men with a chair. Del Rio stacks both men on top of each other with the chair between them, and comes off the top rope with a diving senton onto the pile. Del Rio gets near falls on both men and tries for the cross armbreaker, but is sent to the floor. Cena hits a sudden AA to Punk, but Del Rio breaks up the cover and hits an enzuigiri to Cena. Del Rio tries for the cross armbreaker on Cena, but Punk breaks it up with a slingshot senton over the ropes. Punk hits Cena with the GTS, but Del Rio pulls him out of the ring and sends him into the cage, and then the ring steps before throwing a chair at him. Cena catches Del Rio with an inside cradle for 2, but Del Rio brings Cena to the outside and throws him into the cage before hitting him in the leg with a chair. Punk hits Del Rio with some clotheslines, a scoop slam, and the Savage elbow drop back in the ring. Cena hits Punk with the shoulder blocks and the side suplex, but Punk kicks Cena in the head when he goes for the Five Knuckle Shuffle. Punk heads up top but Del Rio shoves him off and Punk falls through the table on the floor.

Cena puts Del Rio in the STF, but Ricardo Rodriguez knocks out a referee on the outside, gets the key, unlocks the door, and enters the Cell with a steel pipe. Cena then gives Ricardo an AA onto the floor outside the Cell, but Del Rio hits Cena with the pipe, knocks him outside the cage, gets the key, slams the door shut, and locks Cena out. Del Rio hits a German suplex to Punk for 2, but Punk blocks a second attempt with a roll up attempt. Punk heads up top, but Del Rio hits a big enzuigiri for 2. Punk blocks the cross armbreaker and hits some kicks, a dropkick, the high knee/bulldog combo, and a springboard flying forearm for 2. Cena tries to get in but can’t open the door. Del Rio hits Punk with the pipe and Punk goes for the GTS, but Del Rio hits a couple more shots with the pipe for the win. Frustrating finish for various reasons. They hot shotted the title once again, which proves that the company literally will do just ANYTHING to make sure that Cena never loses cleanly, even though it would have made far more sense to have Del Rio retain at Night of Champions and at this PPV rather than doing a title switch for the fourth PPV in a row. And since Del Rio was going over here, they just had to give Cena an “out” for losing and an excuse to rematch these guys at the next PPV, where Cena will probably win the title yet again. The finish just felt really flat after such a competitive and action packed match. This was really good stuff despite the fact that the cage was only used sparingly. It doesn’t hold up to the classic Hell in a Cells as it felt more like a traditional 3-way at times, but this was still a worthy main event. Match Time: 24:11     Star Rating: ***3/4

After the match, two men in black hoodies got in the cage and started attacking Cena. They quickly revealed themselves as Miz and R-Truth, and they were wreaking havoc in the Cell, attacking everyone including the referee and even some cameramen. Triple H, Laurinaitis, security, and the whole locker room poured out to try and get the cage open, and the idea was that Del Rio had the key and was still inside the cage, so they had no way in. JR was selling this beautifully on commentary. Eventually they got bolt cutters to break the chain and open the door, at which point police officers ran into the cage to arrest Miz and Truth. Once they got outside the cage, Triple H started beating up both of them as guys tried to hold him back, and Triple H decked Laurinaitis as he was being held back. Very good angle to close the show, this and the main event itself were the clear highlights of an otherwise dismal show.

Overall PPV Rating: 6.5/10

My name is Jared Silberkleit. I am from Orange, CT and am a huge fan of pro wrestling. I mostly follow WWE and TNA but I also watch the smaller promotions such as ROH and DGUSA. I have been a lifelong WWE fan and have become a TNA fan over the past few years. Aside from wrestling, I also really love baseball and football and follow many other sports such as hockey and MMA. I have written for www.sportsgrumblings.com for three years.

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• The Miz, R-Truth, and Alberto Del Rio vs. Kofi Kingston, John Morrison, and Rey Mysterio

The show opened up with an unadvertised trios match in what appeared to be a combination of Raw’s predominant upper midcard feuds. Not surprised to see they added this match considering that the pre-announced card lacked a definitive opener. Kofi and Miz lock up at the start, with Kofi applying a headlock before they start to run the ropes, only for Kofi to hit a monkey flip. Morrison gets a tag, hits a double shoulder block with Kofi, and hits a corkscrew leg drop. Truth gets a tag, but Morrison is all over him with punches and hits a kick to the gut followed by the springboard flash kick. Truth comes back with a slap and shoves Morrison off the top turnbuckle to the floor before slamming his head on the apron. Truth applies a snapmare and a chin lock back in the ring before Miz comes in, hits a running boot to the head, and applies a chin lock of his own. Morrison hits a kick to the head before Kofi gets a tag. Kofi comes in with a diving clothesline off the top, but Miz counters the SOS. Kofi hits a springing cross body out of the corner and the Boom Drop before both men go for their respective finishers, only to have them countered. Kofi hits the SOS, but Del Rio breaks up the pin. Kofi dropkicks Del Rio, but Miz hits a cutter-facebuster type move for 2. Truth then hits a reverse falcon arrow for a near fall. Del Rio kicks Kofi in the gut and slams him down. Kofi kicks off Del Rio, but Miz hits him with a suplex. Kofi rolls Miz up for 2 before fighting out of a chin lock and hitting an arm drag followed by a sunset flip. Rey and Truth get tags, with Rey hitting a seated senton off the top, a springboard cross body, and a kick to the head before setting both Truth and Miz up for the 619. Morrison does a twisting dive onto Del Rio on the outside and Rey hits the 619 to Truth, but Miz rolls to the floor. Kofi does a springboard plancha to Miz on the floor, and Rey finishes Truth off with a top rope splash for the win. Good, fun opener with a hot crowd and some nice spots. Great way to start things off. Match Time: 9:37     Star Rating: ***

• Mark Henry vs. Sheamus

Much like Henry’s match with Big Show last month, this was surprisingly not totally awful. They lock up at the start before Henry hits a shoulder block. Sheamus unloads on Henry with a ton of punches and clubbing blows to the back, but Henry hits some elbows and tosses Sheamus to the floor. Henry tosses him back inside and hits a shoulder block and a running splash for 2. Henry then hits a pretty impressive coronation for a 1 count. Sheamus hits some shots, but Henry hits a backbreaker and gets Sheamus in the Sammartino backbreaker rack. Sheamus escapes but Henry whips him into the corner and steps over him. Henry misses a splash and Sheamus comes back with some double sledges and knee strikes to the head. Sheamus then hits some shots to the chest in the ropes and a knee to the head before the two collide in the middle of the ring. Sheamus kicks Henry and hits a shoulder block off the top for 2, but misses the Brogue kick. Henry hits a clothesline, but Sheamus escapes the World’s Strongest Slam and hits a Brogue kick that sends Henry to the floor. Henry hits some shots on the outside, rams Sheamus back-first into the post, and then slams him through the barricade into the crowd. Henry goes back into the ring, Sheamus can’t beat the count, and Henry wins via count out. Good booking to protect both guys and the barricade spot was pretty nice, but the match was fairly dull despite the solid storytelling. Not too terrible but not very good either. Match Time: 9:22     Star Rating: *3/4

Cee Lo Green then came out for his advertised performance. He performed the PPV’s theme song “Bright Lights, Bigger City” as well as a modified version of “F*** You”. Interesting to see him perform that second song on a PG show. The audio wasn’t coming in very clear for the first song but it turned out alright. Performance didn’t seem to be completely necessary but it did make the show feel like a big deal.

• Divas Championship match: Kelly Kelly(c) vs. Beth Phoenix

Kelly is all over Beth at the start with punches and kicks, but Beth just tosses her off during a head scissors attempt. Kelly knocks Beth to the floor and hits a diving clothesline off the second rope to the floor. Back in the ring, Beth counters a backslide and hits a clothesline followed by a military press drop onto the ropes for 2. Beth puts her boot to Kelly in the corner and does a Samoan wrecking ball. She rubs Kelly’s face in her ass before applying a chin lock. Kelly escapes, but Beth catches her in a Sammartino backbreaker rack. Kelly fights out with elbows and hits a neckbreaker and some forearms, but Beth powerslams her into the corner and hangs her up in the tree of woe. Kelly escpaes and rolls up Beth for 2, but Beth comes back with a sidewalk slam. Beth hangs Kelly up in the ropes and kicks her in the head, but Kelly repeatedly slams Beth’s face into the mat. Beth blocks a handspring elbow attempt and goes for the Glam Slam, but Kelly counters with a victory roll for the win. This was much, much better than the usual Diva fare but suffered from a lack of crowd heat. It told a solid story and was a decent little match, but the wrong girl went over for sure. Match Time: 6:33     Star Rating: **

• Wade Barrett vs. Daniel Bryan

This was a very nice showcase for both guys. They got a little more time than usual and delivered a solid back and forth match. Barrett starts with some shots to the back, a headlock, and a shoulder block, but Bryan comes back with a kitchen sink, a dropkick, and applies a hammerlock. Bryan does a leap frog and a drop down followed by a dropkick, but Barrett responds with some shots in the corner. Bryan hits a dragon screw and an IED before trying for a surfboard, but he can’t get Barrett up so he just stomps his legs. Bryan hits a running kick to the chest and backflips out of the corner, but Barrett hits a black hole slam and a boot to the head followed by a rope-assisted backbreaker. Barrett applies a chin lock, but Bryan fights out and hits some elbows, a running elbow strike, and some uppercuts. Barrett responds with a flying forearm strike and chokes Bryan against the ropes before laying in some knee strikes and kicking Bryan to the floor. Barrett applies a rear chin lock back in the ring, but Bryan fights out, hits some kicks, and crotches Barrett on the ropes. They fight on the apron and Barrett goes for the Wasteland, but Bryan fights out and kicks Barrett to the floor, where Bryan hits a running knee strike off the apron. Bryan hits a missile dropkick back in the ring for 2, but Barrett avoids Bryan in the corner and hits a big boot. Bryan escapes the Wasteland again and cinches in a guillotine, which he transitions into the LeBell Lock, but Barrett makes it to the ropes. They go up top, and Barrett crotches Bryan on the top rope before hitting a vicious clothesline off the ropes into the ring. Barrett then hits the Wasteland for the win. Bryan really should have gone over here but they still have time to build him up before Wrestlemania next year so Barrett winning wasn’t a terrible move. Definitely the highlight of the undercard and a really solid, competitive match with some good near falls. Match Time: 11:47     Star Rating: ***1/4

• No Holds Barred match for the World Heavyweight Championship: Christian(c) vs. Randy Orton

Before the match, Christian introduces Edge, who he says will be watching his back in the match. Edge talks about everything that’s happened since Christian won the title, then calls him a bitch and leaves. Way to make Christian look credible before this big match. That aside, this match was awesome. The best match these guys have had andone of the best matches of both guys’ careers. Orton circles Christian at the start before they trade punches, with Orton beating on Christian in the corner before Christian comes back with some shots himself. Orton hits a clothesline but Christian snaps his neck over the ropes and hits a diving elbow strike off the top. Orton hits a back body drop, some stomps, and a knee drop, but Christian comes back and stands on Orton’s back on the ropes. Orton tries for the spike DDT, but Christian counters and sends Orton to the floor. Orton sends Christian into the barricade and takes apart the announce table, but Christian escapes an RKO attempt on the table, and then takes his title and tries to escape through the crowd. Orton catches up to him and lays in the punches in the stands. Eventually Christian is thrown over the barricade back to ringside, and Orton hits some mounted punches in the ring. Christian sends Orton shoulder first into the ring post before getting a kendo stick and repeatedly striking Orton with it. Christian presses the tip of the stick against Orton’s throat and covers for a near fall.

Christian misses a shot with the kendo stick but hits a shoulder block for 2. Orton avoids a charging Christian in the corner and rolls him up for 2. Christian hits a spinebuster for a near fall and leaps off the 2^nd rope with the kendo stick, but Orton dropkicks him in mid air. Orton hits some clotheslines and a snap powerslam before grabbing the kendo stick. Christian hits a kick, but Orton counters a missile dropkick attempt with a jackknife cover. Orton hits a Thesz press, Christian counters the spike DDT, and Orton counters the Killswitch before hitting his signature backbreaker. Christian avoids the punt and tries to crotch Orton against the post, but Orton uses his legs to pull Christian into the post. Orton then takes out two tables and slides one into the ring. Christian rams Orton into the apron and sets up the other table on the floor. Orton slams Christian’s head on the table before they head up top, where Orton hits a superplex onto the table laying flat in the ring. Ouch. Orton sets up that table in the corner and tries to send Christian into it, but Christian hits a reverse DDT. Christian misses a spear, but counters the RKO and sends Orton to the floor. Orton sends Christian into the steel steps and takes them apart, setting up the lower half against the apron. Christian slams Orton’s head on the steps before taking apart the Spanish announce table and hitting Orton with a monitor. Christian tries for an RKO on the Spanish table, but Orton counters and hits an RKO himself through the table.

Orton tries another RKO in the ring, but Christian counters and hits the Killswitch for 2. Christian then gets two steel chairs and sets Orton up for a conchairto, but Orton avoids it and hits Christian in the gut and the back with the chair. With Christian on the apron, Orton hits him with the chair again, causing Christian to fall off the apron through the table on the floor. Orton tosses some trash cans and another kendo stick into the ring. Orton misses a stomp on the steps, but is able to powerslam Christian through the table in the corner. Orton hits Christian in the back with a kendo stick and hits a spike DDT onto a trash can. Christian hits a kendo stick shot and springboards out of the corner, but Orton catches him with an RKO in mid air onto the steel steps for the win. Crazy, brutal match that would be a definitive feud ender. Christian took a ridiculous amount of punishment, maybe a bit too much, but this match was all about Orton’s revenge. Given the way this match had been built up, Christian really needed the win to avoid looking like a chump, and I still don’t like how Orton beat him in all their matches except for one where he got disqualified, but this match was excellent. The storytelling and psychology were extremely good and both men played their roles to perfection. Easily one of the best WWE matches of the year. Match Time: 23:42     Star Rating: ****1/2

• Undisputed WWE Championship match with Triple H as Special Guest Referee: CM Punk(c) vs. John Cena(c)

The main event of the evening was the highly anticipated rematch between CM Punk and John Cena after their classic at Money in the Bank last month. This wasn’t quite as good as that match, but was still an excellent follow-up. After some circling, they once again start off with a lot of chain wrestling, with both men applying headlocks and doing some mat work before Punk applies a chin lock with a body scissors. Cena fights out and hits a gutwrench suplex followed by a fisherman suplex before applying a rear chin lock. Punk is up, but Cena hits a scoop slam and an elbow drop before going back to the chin lock. Punk fights out with an arm drag and a big boot followed by some knees to the gut and a kitchen sink. Punk hits some falling head butts and applies a body scissors, but Cena fights out. Both men try suplexes near the apron, but Punk just dropkicks Cena to the floor. Punk kicks Cena in the gut back in the ring and applies an interesting arm-trap, neck-wrench submission. Cena fights to his feet and turns it into a tilt-a-whirl side slam. Cena hits a flying shoulder block but Punk prevents a second with a knee strike for 2. Punk misses the high knee in the corner and Cena hits some shoulder blocks, but misses the side suplex. Punk hits a downward spiral and puts Cena in a Koji clutch. Cena fights out and applies a modified STF, but Punk counters that into the Anaconda Vise, which Cena then counters into a Crippler Crossface. Punk makes it to the ropes and sends Cena to the floor before hitting a suicide dive. Triple H gets to 9, but instead of counting to 10 he goes to the floor and tosses both guys back into the ring, wanting a definitive finish. Cena and Punk trade punches and kicks before Punk fights out of the Attitude Adjustment, but Cena hits a dropkick and the Five Knuckle Shuffle.

Punk counters the AA with a sunset flip, but Cena escapes and tries a jackknife cover. Punk counters that and hits a roundhouse kick for 2. Punk goes for the Go to Sleep, but Cena fights out and hits a corner splash followed by a powerslam. Cena heads up top, but Punk hits a high knee and Cena falls into the ring. Punk then leaps off the second rope with a bulldog for 2. Punk attempts a springboard from the apron, but Cena avoids it and cinches in the STF, but Punk makes it to the ropes. Punk then counters the AA, but Cena counters the GTS and hits the AA for a near fall. Cena heads up top and misses the diving famouser, allowing Punk to hit the GTS for 2. Punk then heads up top and hits a Randy Savage elbow drop for a 2 count and a huge pop. Cena scores a near fall with a small package and unloads on Punk with punches. Punk hits a kick and a high knee followed by a second GTS. Cena gets his foot on the ropes but Triple H counts the pin and Punk is the Undisputed Champion. Cena argues with Triple H after the bell but leaves peacefully. Triple H raises Punk’s hand in the ring, congratulates him, and leaves to let him celebrate. The finish came off a little flat but there will obviously be follow-up to this. They were on their way to potentially matching the Money in the Bank match, as they definitely had the crowd with them and were working a really great match, but it ended before it could reach that level. The match was definitely much more storyline-driven than their initial encounter but this was still outstanding. Who knew that John Cena would be able to pull off such technically sound wrestling? These guys have awesome chemistry and produced another great PPV main event for the WWE this year. Match Time: 24:09     Star Rating: ****1/4

BUT WAIT!!!!! As Punk is celebrating in the ring, KEVIN NASH is suddenly behind him and hits a clothesline followed by a jackknife powerbomb. Triple H run back down and Nash runs away, and Alberto Del Rio then hits the ring with a referee to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase. This leads to…

• Undisputed WWE Championship match: CM Punk(c) vs. Alberto Del Rio

Del Rio instantly hits a running kick to the back of the head for the win. I like the way they are setting up this storyline with CM Punk and Triple H, but Del Rio being the champion is a big mistake. The guy is not yet a credible main event player, and he isn’t that over with many of the live crowds. Del Rio has all the tools to be a huge superstar but once again the WWE has jumped the gun by randomly giving a midcard heel a world title in order to make him seem important. It hurt Sheamus, it RUINED Jack Swagger, and now what will it do for Del Rio? If nothing else this whole situation is just devaluing the WWE Championship, because the main focus of Raw is going to be this Punk/HHH storyline, with the WWE title taking a backseat and Del Rio being secondary. Totally disagree with giving this guy the title but it’s going to be quite interesting to see how this Punk storyline continues. Match Time: 0:12     Star Rating: N/A

Overall PPV Rating: 8.25/10

1.    Last Man Standing match: Randy Orton vs. CM Punk

Interesting, but strong choice to open the show. Both guys circle each other at the start before Orton starts on offense with some punches, a clothesline, and a kick to the chest before he sends Punk to the outside. Orton hits an uppercut on the outside before they head back into the ring, where Punk is able to hit some punches and a knee drop, only for Orton to retake the advantage with a kick, snapmare, and a knee drop of his own. They return to the outside, where Punk hits Orton with a kendo stick before tossing Orton back into the ring and grabbing a second one. Punk stays on offense and hits a back suplex, but Orton is eventually able to make a comeback, hitting Punk with a kendo stick and a clothesline. Orton tries for a spike DDT, but Punk is able to counter it and catapult Orton into an exposed turnbuckle, which Punk uncovered before the match began. The ref counts but Orton gets up as Punk sets up a chair in the corner. Punk hits a high knee in the corner, but Orton is able to avoid a bulldog into the chair. Orton counters the Go to Sleep, Punk counters the RKO, and Orton counters the GTS again before throwing Punk face first into the chair, sending Punk to the floor. Punk gets up at 6, but Orton rams him back first into the apron and powerslams him on the floor.

Orton takes apart the announce table, but Punk hits him with a roundhouse kick. Orton gets up, slams Punk face first on the announce table, and hits a nasty Angle Slam on the barricade. Punk is up at 6 and gets into the ring, where he counters the RKO and hits the GTS. Punk slides a chair into the ring and hits Orton with a Russian leg sweep on it. Orton is up at 8 and Punk sets up the chair on its legs, but Orton hits an RKO. Punk is up at 9 and bails to the floor, but Orton clotheslines him into the crowd. Orton tries for a spike DDT off the barricade, but Punk counters and rams Orton back first into the ring post. Orton gets up at 9, but Punk wraps a chair around Orton’s throat and rams him throat first into the post. Orton gets up at 9 and Punk hits a ton of punches. Both guys end up on the announce table, where Orton hits a sudden RKO. Punk gets up off the table at 8 but stumbles to the floor. Orton tries for the punt but Punk catches him and drops him face first on the steel steps. Orton gets up at 9 and goes into the ring. Punk heads to the top rope with a kendo stick in hand, but Orton pummels Punk with the other kendo stick and hits an uppercut. Both guys are up top and Orton hits a super RKO into the ring. Orton gets up at 9 but Punk doesn’t, and Orton gets the win. Very good match with some really nice spots. What kept it from being even better were the excessive amounts of counts whenever anyone would hit a move, which tends to happen a lot in WWE last man standing matches. Still, a huge improvement on their Wrestlemania match. Match Time: 20:10     Star Rating: ***1/2

In a quick backstage segment, Teddy Long informs Sheamus that he will defend his United States Championship in a Tables match against Kofi Kingston. I wish they announced this ahead of time.

2.    Tables match for the United States Championship: Sheamus(c) vs. Kofi Kingston

For a last minute add-on, this was pretty good. Kofi hits some punches and kicks in the corner at the start, and Sheamus responds with kicks of his own, only for Kofi to take him down and hit some more punches. Kofi goes to the floor to get a table from under the ring, but Sheamus throws him into the barricade. Sheamus gets another table but Kofi knocks him down. Kofi sets up a table on the floor and puts Sheamus on it, but Sheamus rolls off and tosses Kofi into the barricade. Sheamus teases a High Cross through a table on the floor, but Kofi escapes, only for Sheamus to hit some punches and put him back in the ring. Sheamus ends up on the apron and Kofi hits some strikes, but Sheamus hits a slingshot elbow strike over the ropes into the ring. Sheamus gets another table from under the ring and yanks Kofi’s arm over the top rope. He hits Kofi in the gut with a table from the outside, then drops the table on top of him in the ring. Sheamus stands on the table (and Kofi), then steps on Kofi’s face. Sheamus sets up the table in the corner and slams Kofi’s face on it, but Kofi is able to hit a sunset flip and a double stomp. Kofi ends up crotched (sort of) on the table, but is able to escape the High Cross. Kofi ends up on the apron and eats a bicycle kick, but the impact causes him to overshoot a table on the floor. Sheamus sets up a table in the ring and teases a powerslam off the top, but Kofi hits some punches, only for Sheamus to knock him down. Sheamus teases a suplex over the ropes through a table on the floor and Kofi hits the Trouble in Paradise, but Sheamus takes a bump on the apron and misses the table. Sheamus gets to his feat and winds up on the table, and Kofi jumps off the top rope onto Sheamus, putting him through the table for the win. It was expected that Sheamus would lose his title since they can’t have both the US and Intercontinental titles on Smackdown. Good match here with a nice story of Kofi’s constant escapes from potentially devastating moves from Sheamus. Match Time: 9:12     Star Rating: ***

3.    Country Whipping match: Jack Swagger and Michael Cole vs. Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler

While this wasn’t dragged out as much as their Wrestlemania match, it was still atrocious. Cole cut a promo putting himself over before the match and was wrapped in bubble wrap, to protect against the whips. It was basically a no DQ match, with tags, where straps were provided as weapons. Lawler whips Swagger with the strap at the start before Cole comes in. Lawler tears the bubble wrap off Cole, but Swagger enters and whips Lawler several times. Cole whips Lawler himself and tags out to Swagger, who beats on Lawler but misses a Vader Bomb. Lawler comes back with punches and Cole begs him off, but Swagger hits a chop block and applies the ankle lock. Ross whips Swagger from the apron, allowing Lawler to hit a DDT and tag in Ross. It got ugly as Ross was visibly stiff, nervous, and sloppy. Cole was tagged in, and Ross tosses him into the ring, sends him into the corner, and hits a very weak shoulder block. Ross whips him with a strap and applies the ankle lock, but lets go in order to hit Swagger with a low blow, who was trying to interfere. Cole got a roll-up immediately after for the win. Why can’t they just let the faces win to end this incredibly ridiculous storyline? The match was all whipping and no wrestling, and the wrong guys won. There’s not much more you can say. Match Time: 7:05     Star Rating: *

4.    Falls Count Anywhere match: Cody Rhodes vs. Rey Mysterio

The show got back on track with another Wrestlemania rematch which was better than the first encounter. Cody hits some punches at the start, but Rey slides underneath him and hits a head scissors that sends Cody to the floor. Rey then slides under the ropes with another head scissors, but Cody scores a near fall on the floor. Cody punches Rey as they go up the ramp, but Rey slams Cody’s head into the titan tron. Cody ends up on the floor beside the stage, and Rey hits a seated senton off the stage to Cody on the floor. They then brawl into the crowd. Cody crotches Rey on the barricade but Rey sends Cody into a wall. They fight up the stairs in the crowd with both guys throwing punches. Cody applies a Boston Crab with Rey’s body trapped in the railing, and hits a head butt. They fight into the arena concourse, where Rey throws a crate on Cody for a near fall. Cody hits some punches and a nice rebound kick springing off a wall for a near fall. Rey hits a knee to the head and knocks down Cody as they head back into the crowd and down the stairs. Mysterio hits a kick but Rhodes is able to hip toss him over the barricade into the ringside area. Mysterio hits some punches and tries for the flip up bulldog, but Rhodes counters and slams him face first on the steel steps. Mysterio is able to recover and hit a top rope flying head butt to a standing Rhodes in the ring for 2. Mysterio misses a top rope guillotine leg drop, and Rhodes is able to hit some kicks to the groin and an Alabama slam. Rhodes sets Mysterio up in the corner, but Mysterio hits some punches and blows mist in Rhodes’ face (channeling the Great Muta?). Mysterio hits the 619 and a springboard splash to get the win. This was a fun match with some innovative spots and solid effort from both men. Mysterio getting the win was fine as he got revenge after Rhodes beat him at Mania. Match Time: 11:43     Star Rating: ***1/4

5.    No Count Out, No Disqualification match (Loser Leaves WWE): Layla vs. Michelle McCool

This turned out a bit better than most WWE women’s matches. McCool takes control early and sends Layla to the outside. Layla sends McCool into the announce table, but McCool knocks her down, kicks her, and gets a near fall in the ring. Layla ducks a big kick and hits 2 of her own. McCool begs off, but Layla hits some punches. McCool hits a belly to belly slam and they go outside again.  McCool misses a kick and is hung up on the barricade. Both girls end up standing on the barricade and crash to the floor. Both girls go back in the ring, where Layla hits a flip over stunner out of the corner for 2. McCool gets a near fall, but Layla escapes the Faith Breaker and hits her neckbreaker. McCool gets her foot on the ropes and soon after is able to counter a sloppy roll-up attempt into the Faith Breaker. McCool goes for the cover but Layla suddenly rolls her up for the win. McCool cries in the ring afterwards. All of a sudden, Kharma (aka Awesome Kong from TNA or Amazing Kong on the independent circuit) makes her WWE debut and gives McCool the Implant Buster in the ring, which was awesome. As for the match, they tried, but Layla is such a terrible worker that it wasn’t much more than average. But average is more than you can say for most women’s matches in this company. Match Time: 5:07     Star Rating: **

6.    Ladder match for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship: Alberto Del Rio vs. Christian

Unsurprisingly, this was the best match on the whole show. They do some back and forth early on, with Christian reversing an irish whip and knocking Del Rio down, only for Del Rio to come back with a kick and a scoop slam. Christian hits some punches and chokes Del Rio against the ropes, and then hits a back body drop and a diving uppercut off the second rope. Christian goes to get a ladder but Del Rio goes to the floor to stop him. Del Rio stomps Christian, kicks him in the head, and rolls him underneath the ring with his foot. Del Rio picks up a ladder, but Christian appears on the other side of the ring and does a baseball slide dropkick that sends the ladder into Del Rio’s face. Christian gets a big ladder and climbs in the ring, but Del Rio sends him to the mat before climbing himself. Christian pushes the ladder over, but Del Rio is on his feet and hits an enzuigiri. Del Rio stomps Christian and chokes him with his boot, only for Christian to dump Del Rio over the ropes to the floor. Christian is holding a ladder in the ring, but Del Rio takes his legs out from under him and Christian lands face first on the ladder. Del Rio takes a ladder and bridges it from the apron to the announce table. Christian tries to catapult Del Rio into the ladder bridge, but Del Rio blocks and hits some kicks. Christian puts Del Rio on the ladder bridge and goes to the top rope. Del Rio pushes Christian off, but Christian is able to land on a standing ladder on the floor and spring off with a cross body to Del Rio to the floor.

Christian ascends a ladder in the ring, but Del Rio knocks him down and sets up a ladder against the corner. Christian counters the cross-arm breaker and Del Rio counters the killswitch, but Christian is able to flapjack Del Rio onto the ladder. Del Rio ends up on the floor and Christian tosses a ladder on top of him. Christian climbs a really tall ladder in the ring, but Del Rio comes back in and throws a very small step ladder at him. In a really cool spot, Del Rio stands on the step ladder, holds Christian, and gives him a jumping double knee armbreaker off both ladders. Del Rio applies the cross-arm breaker for a bit before he sends Christian into a ladder in the corner. Del Rio charges but Christian avoids him and sets up the SUPER ladder. Del Rio tries to powerbomb Christian off the ladder, but Christian counters with a head scissors and Del Rio is on the apron beside the ladder bridge. Del Rio teases a suplex on the ladder bridge, but Christian backdrops him onto another ladder laying flat in the ring. Christian goes to the top rope and holds onto a ladder, but Del Rio hits an enzuigiri, causing Christian to fall to the mat and land on the ladder. Del Rio climbs a ladder and Christian knocks it over, only for Del Rio to send Christian out to the floor. Ricardo Rodriguez hands Del Rio a chair, but Christian sends Del Rio into the ring post.

Christian gets in the ring, waits for Del Rio, and hits a big spear. Christian climbs a ladder, but Del Rio pulls his legs through the rungs and he’s stuck (channeling the finish of the Edge vs. Jeff Hardy ladder match from Extreme Rules 2009) as Del Rio climbs on the other side. Christian gets free and pushes the ladder over. Del Rio kicks the step ladder in Christian’s face and sets him up on the ladder bridge. Del Rio goes up top for an elbow drop, but Christian moves and Del Rio crashes into the ladder bridge. Christian sets up a ladder in the ring and gets to the top, but Brodus Clay comes down to interfere and pushes the ladder over. Christian is left dangling in mid air, but ends up on the mat and pushes Clay into a ladder in the corner. Christian hits him with the step ladder and Clay ends up on the outside. Del Rio kicks a ladder in Christian’s face and applies the cross-arm breaker with Christian’s arm through a ladder. Del Rio sets up the SUPER ladder and climbs slow, but Edge appears in a Jeep by the stage and honks the horn. Del Rio is distracted and Christian pushes the ladder over, causing Del Rio to fall out of the ring onto Rodriguez and Clay on the floor. Christian sets the ladder back up, climbs, and grabs the title as Edge comes into the ring to celebrate with him. Amazing moment with Christian winning the title and the crowd went INSANE. This has been a long time coming and I couldn’t be happier about Christian winning a world title in WWE. He’s easily one of their most skilled performers and he’s very over with the fans. Aside from the memorable moment, the match itself was great. The psychology was awesome with Christian climbing to win during the whole match. This got a ton of time, Del Rio did a great job working the arm, and they mixed in some very good spots. Excellent stuff. Match Time: 21:14     Star Rating: ****

7.    Lumberjack match for the WWE Tag Team Championship: Kane and The Big Show(c) vs. The Corre (Ezekiel Jackson and Wade Barrett)

This match was not announced in advance, and was just a buffer between the two major title matches. Show hits a punch and a couple chops to Barrett before tagging in Kane, who hits a low dropkick, a corner clothesline, and a sidewalk slam. Barrett is able to send Kane to the floor, where the lumberjacks ambush him. Show beats up a bunch of the lumberjacks as Jackson works over Kane with some clotheslines, stomps, and punches in the corner. Barrett stomps Kane and gets a near fall, but Kane hits a few strikes on Jackson before both men are down after a double clothesline. They tag their partners and Show is all over Barrett, hitting a corner back splash before he’s sent to the floor via Jackson pulling the rope down. The lumberjacks beat up Show and Jackson hits him with a scoop slam in the ring, but Barrett tags himself in. He can’t do the Wasteland and Show hits a chokeslam for the win. Pretty much a Raw match, but fine for what it was. Match Time: 4:19     Star Rating: *1/2

8.    Triple Threat Steel Cage match for the WWE Championship: The Miz(c) vs. John Cena vs. John Morrison

This really surprised me and ended up being nearly as good as the ladder match. Miz has the advantage early, hitting some clotheslines and tossing both Cena and Morrison into the cage. He tries to toss Cena into the cage again, but Cena blocks it and hits some punches and a fisherman’s suplex. Miz and Morrison end up on the top rope and Morrison tries to climb out, but Miz pulls him back in. Miz and Cena then fight on the top rope and Miz hits some punches, but Cena hits a big bulldog off the top rope into the ring. Cena hits his shoulder blocks, side suplex, and the Five Knuckle Shuffle on Morrison, but falls victim to a Skull-Crushing Finale from Miz. Morrison tries to climb out again, but Miz pulls him in and they slug it out on top of the cage. Morrison and Cena are on the top rope and double superplex Miz (who was hanging by his feet from the top of the cage) into the ring. Morrison again tries to escape but Cena pulls him back in, only for Morrison to send Cena to the mat. Morrison tries for the flash kick, but Cena ducks and Morrison just hits Miz instead. Morrison hits a Flux Capacitor to Cena for a near fall and climbs again, but Miz stops him and powerbombs him into the side of the cage before hitting a knee strike to the head. Cena catches Miz in the STF and Miz calls for the door to be opened as he crawls to it. Both Cena and Miz almost crawl out and are pulled in by their feet, and Cena hits a gutwrench suplex to Miz back in the ring. Morrison and Cena trade punches on top of the cage as Miz tries to escape out the door, but Morrison swings the the door into Miz’s face with his foot. Morrison ends up crotched on the top of the open door, and Miz pulls him by his leg back into the ring.

Morrison kicks off Miz, but Cena gets a near fall on Morrison. Miz hits a DDT for a near fall and follows it up with a clothesline and some kicks to Cena’s head. Miz presses Cena’s face against the cage with his leg, but has to stop as Morrison tries to escape over the top. Morrison dangles over the edge and Miz pulls him in, then Morrison does the same to Miz. Morrison sends Miz to the mat and kicks away Cena, then hits a crazy corkscrew splash off the side of the cage onto both men in the ring. Morrison tries to crawl out the door, but R-Truth runs down and hits a knee to the side of Morrison’s head. Truth enters the cage, kicks Morrison several times, hits an axe kick to Cena, and hits a Paydirt to Morrison. Truth then climbs over the top of the cage to leave, showing he could have won the match if he was in it. Miz ascends the cage, but Cena pulls him back in and they have a slugfest on top of the cage. Cena tries to escape but Miz pulls his foot and both guys end up on the top rope. Miz tries for the SCF, but Cena hits a jumping Attitude Adjustment into the ring and covers Miz for the win. Cena winning was anticlimactic but Miz’s title reign was really lackluster and they needed to take the belt off him. It’s a huge mistake by WWE if they don’t give Morrison the title this year because he’s crazy over and always puts on an outstanding performance in his matches. This was a great cage match with a lot of drama, and everyone was working at a breakneck pace right from the get go, which was stunning seeing as the match was going 20 minutes. Awesome stuff all around with a lot of great spots, and Morrison and Truth were put over strong. Great match to end a great show. Match Time: 20:00     Star Rating: ****

Overall PPV Rating: 8/10

My name is Jared Silberkleit. I am from Orange, CT and am a huge fan of pro wrestling. I mostly follow WWE and TNA but I also watch the smaller promotions such as ROH and DGUSA. I have been a lifelong WWE fan and have become a TNA fan over the past few years. Aside from wrestling, I also really love baseball and football and follow many other sports such as hockey and MMA. I have written for www.sportsgrumblings.com for three years.

1.    No Disqualification Falls Count Anywhere match: Bully Ray vs. Tommy Dreamer

The stipulation was added at the last second with Ray announcing it in a brief pre-match promo. Dreamer unloads on Ray with punches to kick this one off and goes for a bulldog, but takes a clothesline. Dreamer sends Ray to the floor and beats on him around ringside, using a fan’s water bottle and yes, a giant stuffed animal, against Ray. Dreamer tosses Ray into the crowd and continues to beat on him. They brawl in the crowd for a bit before Ray is able to drop Dreamer over the barricade back to ringside. Ray uses the steps on Dreamer’s hand, but Dreamer turns things around and starts throwing weapons into the ring. Dreamer jumps off the top with a kendo stick shot to the head, and then brings a BLOW UP DOLL into the ring. Dreamer hits Ray in the head with a trash can lid, and Ray falls onto the doll in the 69 position. Lovely. Dreamer splashes Ray (with the doll on top of him) for a near fall. Dreamer goes up top but Ray hits him in the head with the trash can lid and superplexes him before tossing the doll out of the ring. Dreamer counters the Bubba Bomb with a DDT before getting a table from under the ring. Dreamer sets up the table and goes for a piledriver, but Ray backdrops him and hits him with a trash can. Ray beats on Dreamer with a kendo stick and taunts him on the mic, saying that this is for Devon, but Team 3D’s old music hits and Devon’s sons come out. Ray is distracted as Devon sneaks into the ring, and Devon gives Ray the 3D through the table with Dreamer’s assistance to give Dreamer the win. This was your typical TNA brawl with some goofy spots, and the ending did its job to further the feud. Nothing special, just an okay-ish garbage match from two veterans. Match Time: 10:49     Star Rating: **1/4

2.    TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championship match: Angelina Love and Winter(c) vs. Sarita and Rosita

This was pretty much just filler and had the feeling of a TV match. Love and Rosita trade some headlocks early on before Love hits some forearms. Rosita takes advantage of a missed clothesline and takes down Love, but Love hits a snap suplex before both girls tag in their partners. Winter hits a back elbow and a backbreaker, and then a northern lights suplex after some brief back and forth action. Love gets a tag and beats on Sarita, but Sarita hits a clothesline and tags in Rosita. The heels try double teaming Love but Rosita falls on her face in a mistimed spot. Love scoop slams Rosita for a near fall and tags in Winter. Rosita sweeps Winter and makes a tag, but the double team attempts from the heels backfire again as Winter makes a tag. Love works Sarita’s arm, but gets thrown into the ropes and Rosita hits a shot to the back of the head. Winter gets a tag and the faces double team Rosita before the ref gets distracted. Sarita tries to use one of the title belts but is stopped by the ref. Rosita tries to use the belt but Velvet Sky runs down and takes it away from her. Winter gets a roll-up but there’s no ref to count it, and Rosita counters with a roll-up of her own (which she holds for a LONG time) to get the win as the ref comes back into the ring. Screwy, overbooked finish to end a very by-the-numbers Knockouts match. Had some really poorly timed spots and the finish was a total mess with several people late on their cues. Match Time: 4:55     Star Rating: *1/2

3.    First Blood match: Hernandez vs. Matt Morgan

Things got from bad to worse with this next match. These guys have had some bad matches in the past, but this here was something else. Morgan rushes the ring and they brawl to start, with Morgan taking advantage and choking Hernandez with his boot. Morgan hits some head butts and punches in the corner before tossing Hernandez to the outside. Morgan tries to send Hernandez into the steps and ends up hitting them himself, but he is able to get up and toss Hernandez into the steps and the ref checks for blood. Hernandez hits a shoulder block on Morgan in the ring before grabbing a sharp-ended kendo stick from underneath the ring. Hernandez hits Morgan over the back and tries to stab him in the face with it, but Morgan blocks. Hernandez stays on offense until Morgan comes back with a side slam. Hernandez retakes the advantage with a shoulder block and works over Morgan’s midsection (which makes no sense at all in a FIRST BLOOD match) before spearing him in the corner. Morgan comes back with some clotheslines, a corner splash, and an overhead suplex and grabs the pointed stick. Morgan tries to stab Hernandez but Hernandez blocks and heads up top, only for Morgan to toss him off the top into the ring. Then, a fan runs into the ring but the ref tackles him and both the fan and ref wind up outside the ring. Hernandez wraps a chain around his fist but Morgan is able to take it and hit Hernandez in the face with it. Hernandez is apparently bleeding and Morgan calls for another ref since the original one was somehow down from the fan altercation. Hernandez wipes off the blood with a towel, takes a can out, and sprays Morgan in the chest with fake blood. A ref comes down to the ring, sees the blood on Morgan, and calls for the bell. Yes, the third match in a row with a screwy, overbooked finish, and this one really just insulted people’s intelligence. One of the worst endings to a First Blood match ever, and the rest of the match made no sense with respect to the gimmick because both guys were just hitting a bunch of power moves rather than trying to draw blood. This was just awful, awful stuff. Match Time: 8:38     Star Rating: *

4.    Ultimate X match for the TNA X Division Championship: Kazarian(c) vs. Robbie E vs. Max Buck vs. Jeremy Buck

The PPV entered a good stretch beginning with this match. Although it wasn’t great, this match delivered everything you’d expect an Ultimate X match to deliver. Cookie grabs Kaz’s leg at the start as Generation Me send Robbie to the outside before double teaming Kaz with some quick offense. Kaz is able to spring up to the cables but can’t reach the belt. He finally turns things around on Generation Me, but Robbie comes into the ring and works him over in the corner. Max scales the cables but is pulled down by Robbie. Robbie and Kaz fight in midair on the cables, with Kaz kicking Robbie down and dropping off the cables with a leg drop. Jeremy kicks down Kaz and plants him face-first before guiding Max across the cables. Robbie and Kaz take out Generation Me before trading shots themselves. Robbie counters the Fade to Black, but Kaz dumps him over the ropes and Robbie lands face first on the steps. Kaz does a dive onto Robbie outside the ring, and Jeremy does a crazy moonsault to the outside with Max’s assistance. Max tries to get Jeremy to come back into the ring and help him but Kaz comes in and trades blows with Max. Max hits a dropkick and climbs across the cables as Jeremy holds down Kaz. Kaz is able to stop Max from getting the belt, but Generation Me double team Kaz and Max again tries for the belt. Kaz dropkicks Jeremy from the cables and pulls Max down, hitting him with a mid-air cutter on his way down. Robbie gets on the cables but Max pulls him down and hits a blockbuster off the top.

Max heads up top but Kaz pushes him and Max goes face first into one of the vertical beams holding up the X structure, with Max’s throat forced right into one of the steel bars. Kaz is up top as Jeremy and Robbie end up near the corner, and the three of them do a superplex-powerbomb Tower of Doom spot.  Kaz hits the reverse Tombstone on Robbie, but Jeremy hits him with a back elbow and a spin kick. Jeremy heads to the top turnbuckle but Kaz kicks him and hits a super Flux Capacitor into the ring. Kaz and Robbie both climb across the cables and fight in mid-air, but Generation Me pull Robbie’s legs down before swinging Kaz by his legs, resulting in him taking a hard bump into the ring. Jeremy tries for the title, but Max pulls him down and they argue. Max and Jeremy both climb across the cables and meet in the middle, trading some shots before both are sent back down. Robbie sets up and climbs a ladder as Kaz walks across the cables, holding onto the steel X structure with his hands for support. They meet in the middle and both grab the belt, and Kaz is able to kick Robbie off the ladder and snatch the belt for the win. Very, very good Ultimate X match that was able to distance itself from past incarnations of the match because this one focused more on telling a story rather than just going for the insane spots, though this certainly had a few of those due to the athleticism of Kaz and Generation Me. Not the best Ultimate X match but by far the best match on this show. Glad to see they gave these guys enough time and didn’t make this the opener. Match Time: 14:22     Star Rating: ***3/4

5.    TNA World Tag Team Championship match: Beer Money(c) vs. Ink Inc.

Though this was certainly not up to par with some of Beer Money’s better matches with the likes of the Motor City Machineguns, this was a very solid tag title match. James Storm and Jesse Neal start the match, locking up and trading headlocks before Neal hits a pair of arm drags. Both guys hit slaps before Storm hits a neckbreaker for a near fall, but Neal gets one of his own after a cross body out of the corner. Robert Roode and Shannon Moore get tags and go at it, trading some quick holds before Moore gets a near fall off a dropkick. Moore hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and tags in Neal for some double-teaming. Roode avoids a charging Neal in the corner and scoop slams him. Storm gets a tag but gets attacked from behind by Moore. Moore gets a tag, beats on Storm in the corner, hits a leg drop, and applies a headlock. Moore slams down Storm and tags in Neal, who scores a near fall after a neckbreaker. Ink Inc. do some quick tags as they continue to work over Storm, but Storm is eventually able to avoid a leaping Moore in the corner and makes a tag. Roode hits some clotheslines and chops on Neal, and gets a near fall after a big spinebuster. Storm tags in for a double team, but Neal tags in Moore, who comes in with a headscissors and a kick. Moore hits a hurricanrana to Roode, a moonsault on Storm, and a bulldog on Roode. Moore heads up top but Roode pushes Neal into him. Roode gets a two count after some back and forth action, and Neal attacks him from behind. Beer Money double suplex Neal and do their taunt, but Neal is able to hit a spear. Ink Inc. do their neckbreaker/cutter combination but only get a two count. Moore gets frustrated and tries to use the metal book necklace, but Neal tells him not to do it. Neal eats a superkick from Storm, and Beer Money hit the DWI on Moore for the win. After the match Moore takes a beer and spits it in Beer Money’s face. Match really got going in the last few minutes and told a nice story with the character progression of Moore. They’re moving this along nicely with Moore being the rude punk and Neal being the purist. Good match, no complaints here. Match Time: 12:31     Star Rating: ***1/4

6.    AJ Styles vs. Matt Hardy

This was a good effort from both guys, but not the show stealing performance they were looking for. They lock up at the start before they reach the corner and the ref calls for a break. AJ hits some punches and chops before applying a side headlock and Hardy fights out, only to be dropped with a shoulder. Hardy fights out of a headlock but AJ takes him down into another one. AJ hits a dropkick and heads to the apron, but Hardy brings him back in, only for AJ to send him to the floor. Hardy is able to clothesline AJ after a Ric Flair distraction for a near fall. Hardy works AJ over for a bit and charges him, but AJ pulls the ropes and Hardy goes out to the floor. AJ hits a moonsault off the apron to the floor and they fight on the outside. Hardy sends AJ into the apron and shoulder-first into the post before returning to the ring. Hardy goes to send AJ into the guardrail but AJ slides underneath and into the crowd, and then jumps off the rail with a forearm smash. Styles hits some chops back in the ring and Hardy tries to fight him off, but Styles hits some elbows before Hardy whips him into the corner. Styles gets thrown out to the floor and attacked by Flair while Hardy distracts the ref. Hardy brings Styles back in and slingshots him into the second rope, then butterflies the arms for a submission and takes him down to the mat.

Styles gets a pin attempt but Hardy keeps the hold cinched in. Styles is able to ram Hardy into the corner, but Hardy drops a charging Styles face first in the other corner. Hardy chokes Styles against the ropes and hits some elbow drops for a near fall. Hardy goes to a neck-based submission and this is starting to drag. Styles fights out and hits some quick strikes before both guys go for clotheslines and halfway connect. AJ hits an enzuigiri, some clotheslines, and a kick. AJ hits a backbreaker and goes up top, but Hardy avoids him and hits a side effect for a near fall. AJ counters the Twist of Hate with a backslide and goes for the Styles Clash, but Hardy slams him on his neck. Flair distracts the ref to prevent AJ from getting a pinfall. AJ is able to hit a Pele kick on Flair, but Hardy hits a DDT for a near fall. Hardy hits a top rope moonsault, but AJ counters the Twist of Hate again. Hardy heads up top but AJ kicks him, Hardy takes a bump into the ring, and AJ goes up top and hits the Spiral Tap. Flair tries for a distraction but the ref fights him off and counts the pin. AJ low blowed Flair after the bell. This was pretty dull when Hardy was on offense since he can’t move very well, but the final minutes were really good. Some people are going to really like this but I thought it dragged in the middle a bit too much. Still, a good match to put over AJ. Match Time: 17:40     Star Rating: ***

Throughout the night they were showing video clips of Jeff and Karen Jarrett on their honeymoon, which was with the children in Universal Studios. Jeff was being the fun-loving dad and Karen was completely miserable. The blowoff to all of this was a final Jeff/Karen argument, which ended with the family being DOUSED WITH A BUCKET OF WATER. Wow, how lame. Jeff also announced he would offer Kurt Angle a truce on Impact, which was TNA doing what they always do in their ass-backwards booking: using PPVs to build up Impact.

7.    #1 Contender’s match: Rob Van Dam vs. Mr. Anderson

After seemingly entering recovery mode following a horrific first hour, this PPV fell off a cliff. They trade shots at the start and Anderson hits a shoulder block. They do some quick back and forth action and RVD hits a headscissors for a near fall. More back and forth action and counters and quick pin attempts, but RVD botches a leap frog. Anderson hits a corner clothesline, but RVD hits some shoulder thrusts in the corner before hitting a springboard kick and Rolling Thunder. They fight outside and RVD drapes Anderson over the barricade, but Anderson avoids the leaping leg drop and RVD connects with the barricade. Anderson uses the post on RVD’s leg and brings him back into the ring, hitting several knee drops on the leg and applying a single leg Boston crab. Anderson clips RVD’s leg and gets a near fall. RVD fights out of the corner and hits some clotheslines and a kick to the face. Van Dam counters a move from Anderson, but Anderson counters Rolling Thunder. Van Dam applies a headlock but Anderson backdrops him. Anderson hits some elbow drops and a neckbreaker, then the Green Bay Plunge for a near fall. Van Dam hits some shoulder thrusts in the corner and they fight to the outside. They brawl up the ramp as the ref counts and Anderson hits a Mic Check on the ramp. Both guys are down as the ref counts to 10, and this ends in a double count out. Yes, a #1 contender’s match on a PPV ended with no winner and TNA just moved on to the next segment. Before the finish, it was just an okay match that was really dull for the most part. Absolutely no excuse for a BS finish like that, but this was NOTHING compared to what was to follow. Match Time: 12:54     Star Rating: **1/4

After Sting and Jeff Hardy made their entrances for the main event, Eric Bischoff came out to the ring. Bischoff said since Hardy didn’t have a chance to prepare for Sting on the March 3^rd Impact, Sting won’t have a chance to prepare for a last minute No Disqualification stipulation, which Hardy knew about ahead of time. Sting attacks Bischoff and the match begins.

8.    No Disqualification match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship: Sting(c) vs. Jeff Hardy

They stall at the start, with Hardy lumbering around and cowering into the corner when Sting comes at him. More lumbering around and they lock up, with Sting hitting a few punches. Sting then hits the Scorpion Death Drop out of NOWHERE for the pin and that’s it. WHAT? That’s the PPV main event you’re charging people $34.95 to see? Are you kidding? TNA claimed afterward that Hardy was in no condition to perform, which was evident given the way he was moving around the ring. Still, they could have called an audible or something to give fans a PPV quality main event instead of this crap. Stuff like this is what drives away customers and gives people every reason to not order your PPVs. If you actually ordered this PPV, contact your cable provider and demand a refund. What bullcrap. Match Time: 1:29     Star Rating: DUD

Overall PPV Rating: 5.5/10

My name is Jared Silberkleit and I am from Orange, CT. I am a huge pro wrestling fan and follow all kinds of promotions such as WWE, TNA, ROH, PWG, CHIKARA, Dragon Gate USA, and anything else I might come across. I am a huge supporter of independent wrestling and I feel that it provides a true alternative to the mainstream promotions and also showcases a lot of innovation and hard work. Aside from wrestling I am also a really big fan of football, baseball, hockey, and MMA. I have also written for www.sportsgrumblings.com for over two years.

1.    Intercontinental Championship match: Dolph Ziggler(c) vs. Kofi Kingston

The stipulation was that Ziggler would lose the title if he got counted out or disqualified. This was a good way to start the PPV off and was much better than their match from SummerSlam. Match starts with some chain wrestling, with both guys doing headlock takeovers. Kofi goes for the Trouble in Paradise early but Ziggler kicks him a few times and tries to send him to the outside, only for Kofi to catch himself on the ropes and clothesline Ziggler to the floor. Kaitlyn (Vickie Guerrero’s rookie from NXT season 3) checks on Ziggler but Vickie sends her to the back. Ziggler comes back into the ring but Kingston hits him with some strikes and a dropkick. Ziggler hangs Kingston up on the top turnbuckle, hits a neckbreaker and a dropkick, and then puts on a long rear chin lock. Kofi eventually fights out but Ziggler hits a big boot for a near fall. Ziggler hits an elbow drop and then puts on a sleeper with a body scissors. Kofi fights out but Ziggler puts him down and hits a front flip neck snap to a seated Kofi. Kingston hits some strikes but Ziggler hits a rocker dropper. Ziggler puts on another rear chin lock and hits some elbows to the back of Kingston’s neck. Kingston fights out of the hold again and they two men trade punches. Kofi beats on Ziggler in the corner until the ref pulls him away, but Kofi hits a big kick and a diving cross body from the top rope for a near fall. Kofi hits some more strikes and a Thesz press before connecting with the Boom Drop. Kingston tries for the Trouble in Paradise but Ziggler avoids it and tries for a sleeper, only for Kingston to counter and get a near fall. Kofi sends Ziggler to the outside and slams him on the floor before rolling him back into the ring for another near fall. Ziggler counters a suplex attempt and puts on the sleeper, and Kofi dives into the ropes for a break after struggling for some time. Vickie is about to slap Kofi but Ziggler tells her not to interfere and they argue. Kingston tries for the Trouble in Paradise but misses and ends up in the ropes. Ziggler hits the Zig Zag for the win and retains his title. Good opener, nothing great but a fun match. Too bad no one really wanted to see this match on the PPV after they fought so many times on Smackdown. Match Time: 12:47     Star Rating: ***

2.    CM Punk vs. Big Show

Punk cuts an amazing heel promo before this match, ripping into the inhabitants of his hometown of Chicago. By the way, why is a match not for a title taking place on a PPV where the gimmick is EVERY MATCH IS A CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH? Punk opens the match with some quick kicks but Show puts him down with a head butt and a clubbing blow across the back. Show chokes Punk with his boot before chopping him against the ropes, sending him out of the ring. Punk hits a big boot to Show on the apron and lands some more kicks, sending Show to the floor before Punk hits a crazy diving senton onto Show. Show barely beats the count coming back into the ring but eats more kicks from Punk. Punk survives another clubbing blow and hits a flying forearm off the second rope. Punk continues to kick and punch away at Show but can’t keep him down. Punk goes for a springboard flying forearm but Show hits a massive mid air spear. Show hits the Knockout Punch and gets the victory. This match infuriated me. Why does WWE INSIST on having Punk job all the time? It baffles me that this company thinks it is a better idea to put over an aging 7 foot tall lumbering oaf than a guy in the prime of his career who has everything you could want in a wrestler. This was a complete burial and a waste of time. Match Time: 4:46     Star Rating: *3/4

3.    United States Championship match: The Miz(c) vs. Daniel Bryan

The match that had been anticipated ever since Daniel Bryan (aka Bryan Danielson of ROH fame) made his debut on the premiere of season 1 of NXT finally arrived at Night of Champions. This was a great match that really put Bryan over strong. Miz kicks Bryan in the gut and puts on a side headlock before putting him down with a shoulder block. Bryan tries for a hip toss, has it countered, and then tries for the LeBell Lock, but Miz avoids it and bails to the outside. Miz comes back into the ring only to take an arm drag and a big kick. Bryan tries to work the arm but Miz puts on a hammerlock, rams Bryan into the corner, and then puts him down for a near fall. Miz works over Bryan’s shoulder with a bow and arrow, but Bryan fights out and gets a near fall with a backslide. Miz goes back to the shoulder and sends Bryan into the ropes, then distracts the ref so that Alex Riley can wrench Bryan’s arm from the outside. Miz continues to work the arm until Bryan back flips out of a hammerlock, but Miz hits a huge shoulderbreaker. Miz keeps working the shoulder, but Bryan fights out of an armbar and sends Miz to the outside. Bryan then hits a big suicide dive through the ropes, crashing back first into the side of the announce table. Back in the ring, Bryan hits a missile dropkick for a near fall and a stiff kick to the head.

Bryan goes for a leg hold but Miz fights out, only for Bryan to hit a high knee attack. Bryan is still selling the arm beautifully, by the way. They both trade blows before Bryan beats on him in the corner, culminating with an IED. Danielson hits a big kick to the head and takes him up to the top rope, but Miz crotches him on the top rope and then hits a NIGEL MCGUINNESS LARIAT to Bryan, taking him off the ropes to the mat. Miz works the arm again but Bryan gets to the ropes to break a hold. Miz tries for the Skull Crushing Finale but Bryan counters with a roll-up for a near fall. He goes for the LeBell Lock but Riley gets up on the apron to argue with Bryan. Miz accidentally runs into Riley and Bryan gets another near fall with a roll-up. Bryan goes after Riley on the outside, sending him into the ring post, but Miz catches him with a small package when he returns to the ring for another close near fall. Miz beats on Bryan until the ref pulls him back, only for Bryan to lock in the LeBell Lock. Miz struggles for quite some time before finally tapping out and Daniel Bryan is the NEW United States Champion! As a big ROH fan this was a proud moment for me and I couldn’t be happier for Bryan. This was an excellent match, the storytelling by Miz was great and Bryan made it that much better with his incredible selling. The near falls were done extremely well and this was by far the best match The Miz has ever had. A star-making victory for Bryan. Match Time: 12:33     Star Rating: ****

4.    Lumberjill match to Unify the Women’s and Divas Championship: Women’s Champion Michelle McCool vs. Divas Champion Melina

After that great US title match, we got the bathroom break of the evening. This was actually not that bad for a WWE women’s match but the Lumberjills were awful. These two start off brawling outside the ring before coming into the ring, only to wind up outside quickly. They both return to the ring, after Michelle slaps Eve in the face. Melina hits a headscissors into a kick to the face, before both girls hit kicks at the same time. Michelle sends Melina off the top to the outside but the Lumberjills don’t touch her. Michelle catches Melina with a flipping neckbreaker as Melina comes back into the ring. McCool kicks at Melina and grinds her forearm against the face, then scissors her head while grabbing the ropes for leverage. McCool goes for the Faith Breaker but Melina fights out and hits a facebuster. Melina hits some strikes but McCool hits a belly to belly suplex. Natalya distracts the ref while Melina tries for a roll-up, then Michelle rolls to the outside only to be attacked by the lumberjills. Melina hits a double knee strike and avoids a kick, but Michelle pulls her down to the mat. Both girls fall to the floor but the lumberjills just stand there until Melina goes back into the ring, then they beat up Michelle. The ref is distracted breaking up the brawl as Layla goes into the ring to attack Melina. Michelle comes back in and big boots Melina for the win and becomes Unified Women’s Champion. Psychology was completely ass backwards here with all the lumberjills beating up the heel Michelle, and then she WINS. Some people are going to hate this thing with a passion but the wrestling was alright for a Diva match. Match Time: 6:32     Star Rating: **

5.    No Holds Barred match for the World Heavyweight Championship: Kane(c) vs. Undertaker

It was strange seeing these two having a gimmick in the first match of their feud. I wasn’t too excited for this match because I haven’t enjoyed most of their past matches but this ended up okay. Undertaker sprints up the ramp to attack Kane during his entrance, which was alright since it’s No Holds Barred. They fight at the stage, with Taker throwing Kane off the stage into a pillar on the floor near the side of the stage. Kane hits a kick and pounds on Taker near the ramp but Taker comes back with a big punch. Taker punches Kane on the ramp but Kane rakes the eyes and hits a big boot. Taker sends Kane into the barricade and hits some head butts before burying his knee into Kane’s midsection. Taker tries to whip Kane into the steps but Kane reverses and Taker hits them shoulder first. Kane tosses Taker into the announce table, then takes off the cover and throws it at Taker. They then repeat the steps reversal spot, this time with Kane taking the bump. Taker rolls Kane into the ring and hangs his head over the apron, then kicks him in the head and hits the guillotine leg drop. Kane gets up and rolls to the outside, but Taker clotheslines him over the barricade into the timekeeper’s area. Taker then hits a dive over the barricade into the timekepper’s area. Kane gets a steel chair and hits Taker in the gut with it before the two fight into the crowd. They go back and forth with EVEN MORE PUNCHES before Kane clotheslines Taker over the barricade back to ringside. Kane then dives off the barricade with a diving clothesline. Kane continues this endless beatdown with more punches and kicks. Kane with a ton of strikes before Taker starts to come back and then trade blows, with Taker hitting a jumping clothesline. Taker hits snake eyes, a big boot, a leg drop, and a chokeslam. He tries for the Tombstone but Kane reverses into one of his own for the win. Wrestling wise, this was incredibly boring in parts. Storyline wise, this was very good.  Problem is, the crowd did not care at all about this match or the angle so this match didn’t get over well. Live this was probably really bad, but on PPV this was alright. Not sure how this will lead to a Hell in a Cell match in 2 weeks. Match Time: 18:32     Star Rating: **3/4

6.    Tag Team Turmoil match for the WWE Tag Team Championship: The Hart Dynasty(c) vs. The Usos vs. Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov vs. Mark Henry and Evan Bourne vs. Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre

So for a PPV hyped as featuring all championship matches, a non title match was pre-announced but not a tag team title match. This was announced literally 1 minute before it happened. It’s basically a 5 team gauntlet. Hart Dynasty start with the Usos. One of the Usos pounds away at Tyson Kidd but Kidd comes back with a roll-up and a kick to the gut. Smith gets a tag and comes in with a shoulder block and a clothesline. Uso lands a kick but Smith hits a big suplex. Kidd gets a tag and hits a crazy springboard dive before rolling the legal Uso (these guys are IMPOSSIBLE to tell apart) into the ring. He tries for the sharpshooter but eats a kick to the head and the Harts are eliminated. So the Harts job in 2 minutes and drop their titles in an unannounced match. Wonderful. Next team out is Santino and Kozlov. Santino gets a near fall and teases the Cobra but takes a flapjack and is quickly eliminated. Next out is Henry and Bourne. Bourne hits some kicks and a hurricanrana but is hit with a back elbow. Henry gets a tag and hits some clotheslines and a head butt. Henry tosses out one Uso and hits the other one with a World’s Strongest Slam. Bourne hits the Shooting Star Press to eliminate the Usos. Final team is Rhodes and McIntyre. McIntyre stomps on Bourne before tagging in Rhodes, who hits a suplex before tagging back out to McIntyre. Drew works Bourne’s shoulder and tags to Rhodes, who hits a knee drop. McIntyre brings Bourne down across his knee before applying a rear chin lock. McIntyre sends Bourne to the outside with a shoulder block. Drew puts on yet another rear chin lock but Bourne starts to fight out eventually. Drew tries for a suplex but Bourne counters and hits a knee to the face. Both guys make tags, with Henry steamrolling Rhodes and hit a gorilla press slam. Bourne tries to dive off Henry’s shoulders but McIntyre breaks it up. Bourne kicks Drew in the head but Rhodes hits Cross Rhodes for the win. A thrown together tag team wins the belts in a thrown together match that no one cared about. This match was boring and no better than Raw quality, plus it made the Harts look like complete jobbers. Match Time: 11:47     Star Rating: *1/2

7.    Six Pack Elimination Challenge for the WWE Championship: Sheamus(c) vs. John Cena vs. Chris Jericho vs. Edge vs. Wade Barrett vs. Randy Orton

This was a pretty good main event, and it saved the show from being a pretty weak overall PPV. Match breaks down into a wild brawl right at the bell. Jericho and Orton trade punches before Cena gets involved, hitting a bulldog to Jericho. Orton then suddenly strikes with an RKO to quickly eliminate Jericho. Not surprising considering Jericho is reportedly on his way out of WWE, but they sold it pretty well with the other 5 guys in shock and staring down Jericho as he walked up the ramp. Everyone then swarms Barrett, beating on him until Sheamus and Edge clothesline him to the outside. Cena and Orton are left alone for a second before Barrett comes back in, only to eat a double shoulder block from Sheamus and Edge. Another Cena/Orton standoff, with Orton trying for the RKO and Cena trying for the STF, but to no avail. Orton tries for the spike DDT and Cena tries for the Attitude Adjustment but both guys counter. Orton and Edge try to double suplex Cena but are pulled to the outside by Barrett. Sheamus tosses Orton into the barricade before beating on Cena in the ring. Sheamus tries to pull Cena off the top rope for the High Cross but Cena fights out. Sheamus goes for a super belly to back suplex but Cena fights him off. Cena tries for the diving Famouser but Edge pulls him down. Edge and Sheamus then hit a double superplex to Cena. Edge tries for a cover but Sheamus accidentally breaks it up. Sheamus and Edge send Barrett into a barricade on the outside before going to work on Orton. They pound away on Orton for a bit, with Sheamus getting a couple near falls.

Orton eventually makes a comeback but Sheamus hits him with a big clothesline. Barrett gets knocked off the apron with a shoulder block and is sent into the announce table. Edge and Sheamus stare each other down, with Edge trying for a spear but Sheamus hitting the uranage backbreaker. Sheamus tries for the bicycle kick but Edge ducks and hits a spear. Cena tries to hit the AA to Orton but Orton fights out and gets speared by Edge. Cena hits the AA to Edge to eliminate him. Cena and Barrett go at it, with both men countering each other’s finishers. Cena hits his series of moves with the crowd booing every second of it. He hits the Five Knuckle Shuffle and tries for the AA but Sheamus breaks it up. Cena puts the STF on Sheamus but Sheamus makes it to the ropes after a struggle. Nexus swarm the ringside area, distracting Cena and allowing Barrett to eliminate him after the Wasteland. Barrett stares down Orton as Nexus come up the apron. Cena whacks 2 of them with a chair and Orton hits the other 2 with RKOs. Orton hits Barrett with his signature backbreaker and eliminates him with an RKO. Sheamus hits the bicycle kick on Orton but Orton kicks out of the cover. Sheamus tries for the High Cross but Orton fights out and hits the RKO for the sudden victory. The crowd went nuts and the announcers played it up like this HUGE MOMENT but it really didn’t feel all that special. It would have been better booking wise to have Orton go over at the Hell in a Cell PPV because him winning here really messes up the build for that show on the Raw side. This main event lagged in the middle and wasn’t the greatest but it had enough fun elements to it to be at least a satisfying match. It was a good title match to end an okay to decent show. Match Time: 20:50     Star Rating: ***1/4

Overall PPV Rating: 6.75/10

My name is Jared Silberkleit. I am from Orange, CT and am a huge fan of pro wrestling. I mostly follow WWE and TNA but I also watch the smaller promotions such as ROH and DGUSA. I have been a lifelong WWE fan and have become a TNA fan over the past few years. Aside from wrestling, I also really love baseball and football and follow many other sports such as hockey and MMA. I have written for www.sportsgrumblings for two years.

The show opened up with Taz coming out for a decent promo putting over ECW. It got the crowd hot and Taz proved he is still pretty good on the mic even if his days in the ring are behind him.

1.    The FBI vs. Kid Kash, Swinger, and Simon Diamond

The show kicked off with this 6 man tag team match, and with it also debuted the dim blue-ish lighting that would remain for the entire show. Kash and Little Guido start the match with some decent chain wrestling coupled with some takedowns. They do some staredowns before Guido tags in Tony Luke and Kash tags in Swinger. Luke does a drop toe hold and attempts a roll up before locking in an arm bar. Swinger breaks it with a slam, and Diamond and Tracy Smothers tag in. Smothers gets some quick shots to take down Diamond before doing a fist drop. Diamond bails from the ring and grabs a mic, saying that the FBI can outwrestle them but they can’t out dance them. So Diamond and Swinger dance horribly, which is followed by Smothers berating them on the mic and the FBI outdoing them with their own dance routine. Swinger and Diamond then attack and it breaks down into a brawl. Kash does a crazy plancha onto everyone on the outside. Kash hits a nice backbreaker on Luke in the ring. Luke gets a clothesline but Kash slams him into the corner. Guido takes out Diamond and Swinger before hitting a cross body and a low drop kick to Kash. Everything breaks down again and they do a crazy Tower of Doom spot with everyone but Diamond. Crazy ending sequence that includes Smothers completely botching a Stroke, Kash hitting a double underhook piledriver, and Guido hitting an Unprettier to Diamond for the win. Just an okay opener, the spots near the end saved it. The dance sequence was goofy but the match actually did have some fun elements to it, mostly thanks to Kid Kash. Match Time: 10:45     Star Rating: ** (I will now be rating matches out of 5 stars)

We were then treated to a really long sequence of video packages featuring some TNA guys and former ECW talent, which was okay but went on far too long and should have been trimmed. This lead to a backstage segment that also went on far too long with Al Snow, Stevie Richards, Nova, and a fat guy dressed up as the Blue Meanie. Some random guy and the fake Meanie pick each others’ noses at the end after lengthy conversation that I don’t think anyone cared about.

2.    CW Anderson vs. Too Cold Scorpio

We finally get to the next match, which on paper doesn’t look that bad since Scorpio is still in decent shape. This underachieved. Both guys stalled for a while before finally locking up. Anderson puts on a wrist lock but Scorpio fights out of it, only to get caught with a leg sweep from Anderson. Both guys exchange forearm strikes before Scorpio hits a dropkick that knocks Anderson out of the ring. Scorpio does a plancha to the outside before hitting a diving cross body back in the ring. Anderson comes back with a superkick and sends Scorpio into the post shoulder-first. Scorpio hits a back kick but Anderson puts him down and goes for a cover. Scorpio hits the cannonball in the corner but botches the top rope corkscrew leg drop, with his ass landing on Anderson’s face. Scorpio goes for a moonsault but Anderson gets the knees up. Anderson hits a spinebuster and some forearms, but Scorpio puts him down with a big kick before hitting a moonsault leg drop for the win. Just alright match with some nice spots, but too short. Match Time: 7:42     Star Rating: **1/4

We get another backstage segment, this time with RVD and Bill Alfonso. They go over the match with Sabu that is set to be the main event and Fonzie blows his whistle a few times.

3.    PJ Polaco vs. Stevie Richards

For those of you who may not know, Polaco is formerly known as Justin Credible. Much like the last match, this was very bland and basic with nothing major of note. The match begins with a series of headlocks interrupted by some shoulder blocks, before Polaco hits some knees in the corner. Stevie sends him into the corner before they go to the outside. Polaco hits a suplex on the floor before rolling Stevie into the ring and hitting a slingshot splash. Polaco hits a powerbomb out of the corner, sends him into the ropes, then hits a DDT and a jawbreaker. Polaco hits more kicks and chops in the corner but Stevie sends him to the outside, where Nova and the fake Blue Meanie taunt him. Stevie hits a side slam and a powerbomb but only gets a 2 count. Polaco hits a kick and then does a tombstone piledriver, but pulls Stevie up at 2 during the pin attempt. Polaco taunts Stevie, but Stevie hits the Stevie kick for the win. After the match Polaco attacked Stevie with a kendo stick, but The Sandman made the save and beat him down with a kendo stick. Amazing how TNA used The Sandman the same way WWE did when they held December to Dismember. The wrestling was okay but the match was just really lacking something. Match Time: 6:33     Star Rating: **

4.    3-Way Dance: Brother Runt vs. Al Snow vs. Rhino

This match apparently will be contested under elimination rules. This match was okay at best but it was ridiculously short and felt really pointless. After a couple headlocks, Runt eats a shoulder block from Rhino after Snow is sent to the outside. Runt sends Rhino to the outside as well and attempts a dive off the top rope, but Snow and Rhino catch him before hitting a double fall away slam to Runt on the ramp. Snow misses a slingshot leg drop but connects with a moonsault. Rhino hits Snow with a death valley driver before Runt connects with a diving foot stomp to Snow. Runt tries for the Deadly Dog and Rhino throws him off, but Runt hits him with a hurricanrana. The ref winds up down while they struggle over a chair and Taz comments that it would warrant a DQ. Really? On the PPV promoted as being so hardcore?  Runt eliminates Snow with a Deadly Dog but Rhino instantly hits the Gore for the win. Just a filler crap match. Match Time: 5:36     Star Rating: *3/4

We then had another promo, this time from Mick Foley. He talked about the Raven/Dreamer match before we cut to a video from Brutus Magnus of all people to kill time before the next match.

Axl Rotten and Cojones (aka Balls Mahoney) come down to the ring and cut a brief promo, talking about how they didn’t have a match scheduled. Joel Gertner then comes out with Team 3D, who are in their old tie dye gear. Gertner cuts a hilarious promo ending with a good introduction for Team 3D. A match is set between the two teams, with Brother Ray making it a South Philadelphia Street Fight. Yay.

5.    South Philadelphia Street Fight: Axl Rotten and Cojones vs. Team 3D

Good God, this match was completely atrocious. Easily the worst match of the night. It’s a brawl right from the start, with both teams fighting into the crowd. TNA then decides to employ split screen to “capture all the action”. With the really small screens and the awful lighting, we can’t see what the hell is going on at all. From what I can see due to TNA’s horrible production values, it’s just a bunch of punching and kicking with Ray landing some shots with a STYROFOAM HEAD. The crowd eats this garbage up and I couldn’t disagree more. This mess finally returns to ringside when they start throwing weapons into the ring. Cojones hits Ray with a trash can lid but Ray hits him with a frying pan. Axl hits Ray with a cookie sheet then hits some punches on Devon. Axl and Ray each hold a fake lightsaber and proceed to have, I am not joking, a LIGHTSABER DUEL with the sticks. They did a really dumb low blow spot before Ray hits some right hands and a bionic elbow. Axl hits a reverse DDT before Devon hits a neckbreaker followed by Cojones hitting a sitout powerbomb. Cojones and Axl nail 3D with chairs for a pair of near falls. 3D come back with some chair shots and hit Wassup to Cojones. They bring a table into the ring and decide to light it on fire. 3D double powerbombs Cojones through the flaming table for the win. Okay, cool ending. But then they manage to make this horrible match even worse. The Gangstas (New Jack and Mustafa) hit the ring and beat up 3D with a ton of weapons. Then all of a sudden they decide to STOP FIGHTING, and all 6 men hold up each other’s hands in the ring. WHAT? You can’t be serious. A complete disaster from a wrestling and booking standpoint. Match Time: 12:00     Star Rating: *1/4

After a package hyping up Raven vs. Dreamer, we got some more promos from the TNA stars. This also led to a very nice video package paying tribute to Joey Styles.

6.    Raven vs. Tommy Dreamer with Mick Foley as Special Guest Referee

Things just got worse and worse for this show with this match. Foley tells both men that anything goes, and Raven kicks Dreamer in the nuts to start things off. They fight on the outside, with Raven slamming Dreamer into the guardrail and tossing a chair into the ring. Dreamer sends Raven into the chair, which was wedged in the corner. Dreamer spits a fans beer into Raven’s eyes and slams the can into his head. Dreamer sets up two chairs in the ring but Raven sends him into them with a drop toehold. Raven busts open Dreamer with a chair and goes to work, opening him up. Raven sends Dreamer into the steps and slams his head against them before they return to the ring. Dreamer hits a drop toehold to Raven, sending him face first into a chair. Dreamer then hits Raven with a street sign concealed as a typical fan’s sign, busting Raven open. Dreamer brings a ladder into the ring, sets it up in the corner, and slingshots Raven into it. They go up top but Raven crotches Dreamer on the still-propped up ladder in the corner. Raven tries a clothesline and both guys tumble to the mat with the ladder in a messy spot. Dreamer hits the Dreamer Driver, then sets Raven up in the Tree of Woe and dropkicks the sign into his face. Dreamer grabs some barbed wire and does the crippler crossface while pulling the barbed wire across Raven’s face. The barbed wire is in Raven’s mouth as Dreamer pulls back, but Nova and the fake Blue Meanie run out to take out Foley just before Raven taps out. Dreamer is able to take out Nova and fake Meanie but Raven hits a DDT. Dreamer kicks out of a cover and Raven and Foley argue. Foley then takes it to Raven with some really awful punches. Foley puts on the sock and wraps barbed wire around it as a young ally of Raven’s enters the ring. Foley applies a barbed wire Mandible Claw to this kid, and blood quickly starts gushing out of his mouth. Raven is able to handcuff Dreamer’s hands together and hits him with a chair. Dreamer’s wife then runs out, because everyone and their brother must interfere in this match. Raven goes to hit her with the chair, but Foley stops him. Dreamer’s wife hits a low blow and Dreamer hits a DDT with his hands still handcuffed for another near fall. Dear lord will this match ever end? Raven finally finishes it with a chair shot and a DDT to put Dreamer away. This match dragged on far too long and had heaps of unnecessary interference and I hope Foley didn’t put that young kid in the hospital. It was a complete clustered, unorganized mess with no sense of purpose or direction. Some may have enjoyed this match, but this was total garbage. Match Time: 17:04     Star Rating: *1/2

7.    Rob Van Dam vs. Sabu

The main event rescued this show from going down as possibly one of the worst PPVs of all time, though it came close to hitting that level regardless. Jerry Lynn was unable to work his scheduled bout with RVD, so Sabu came in as a replacement. Sabu actually did very well and wasn’t his usual botchy self. These guys stall for a little while before they finally lock up a few times, with some solid chain wrestling. Sabu throws a chair into RVD’s head and splashes him in the corner before RVD bails to the outside. Sabu uses the chair to dive off the top rope onto Van Dam on the outside. Sabu puts on a chin lock on Van Dam before slamming a chair onto his back. Sabu applies a camel clutch with the chair wedged between RVD’s back and Sabu’s ass. RVD dropkicks the chair into Sabu and monkey flips him onto the chair, with Sabu almost completely missing the chair. Van Dam throws the chair into Sabu’s head but Sabu comes back with a clothesline. Sabu and RVD collide in the corner and go down, with Fonzie tossing both men water. RVD hits a front suplex to Sabu onto the guardrail on the outside, then hits a corkscrew leg drop off the apron. Van Dam then hits another leg drop, with a chair against Sabu’s chest. Sabu hits a hurricanrana to RVD and a chair-assisted Arabian Facebuster, but can’t keep RVD down. RVD drop toeholds Sabu into the chair and has Fonzie hold the chair against Sabu in the corner so RVD can hit the Van Daminator. RVD hits a split legged moonsault and begins setting up a table as Sabu clutches his nose. Sabu throws the chair into RVD’s face and hits a leg drop for a near fall. Van Dam kicks Sabu in the face and hits Rolling Thunder with the chair across Sabu’s chest. RVD hits a chair assisted corner dropkick but Sabu comes back with a tornado DDT onto a chair. Sabu hits a chair assisted leg drop but when he tries to hit a second one through the table, RVD moves and Sabu goes through the table. Good main event with a good ending sequence but it felt very long. Still by far the best thing on this show. Match Time: 17:16     Star Rating: ***

All the ECW Originals then hit the ring lead by Dreamer and they bring beer. Dixie Carter comes out and Dreamer says it was one hell of a show and thanks everyone. I couldn’t have been more disgusted with this closing segment where Dreamer and his buds bask in the glory of the foolish Impact Zone fans, who blindly cheered everything on this show even though all of it except for the last match was utter crap. I feel horrible for anyone who ordered this PPV as all they got was a sad attempt at a nostalgia trip filled with horrible wrestling and bad booking. What a terribly put together and executed show. I hope that ECW is now put to bed and never brought back again.

Overall PPV Rating: 3/10

My name is Jared Silberkleit. I am from Orange, CT and am a huge fan of pro wrestling. I mostly follow WWE and TNA but I also watch the smaller promotions such as ROH and DGUSA. I have been a lifelong WWE fan and have become a TNA fan over the past few years. Aside from wrestling, I also really love baseball and football and follow many other sports such as hockey and MMA. I have written for www.sportsgrumblings.com for over two years.