• 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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• WWE Tag Team Championship match: Air Boom(c) vs. The Miz and R-Truth

This was a good choice as the opener, and was for the most part pretty well worked. Kofi Kingston starts the match with Miz, and they lock up before breaking in the corner. Kofi gets a 2 count off a big right hand, and then holds Miz for Evan Bourne to hit a diving double stomp off the top. Kofi scores a near fall on Miz before hip tossing Truth. Kofi and Bourne hit a double dropkick to Miz and head up top to hit stereo dives onto the heels on the outside. Truth takes advantage after Miz cheap shots Bourne, hitting some punches and choking Bourne against the ropes. Miz tags in and scores a near fall before applying a chin lock. Bourne gets up but Miz sidesteps a dropkick attempt and hits a double shoulder block with Truth. Miz hits some punches, but Bourne fights back with some kicks and counters the Skull-Crushing Finale by tossing Miz to the floor. Kofi gets a hot tag and hits a series of shots followed by the Boom Drop, but Truth hits a cheap shot as Kofi readies for the Trouble in Paradise. Kofi hits the SOS to Miz for a near fall, and Truth snaps Kofi’s neck over the ropes, allowing Miz to hit his modified DDT for 2. After seemingly not tagging in, Bourne hits the diving knees off the top but misses the shooting star press. Miz hits a DDT and Kofi breaks up the pin. Miz tags in Truth, but the ref doesn’t see the tag and is busy holding back Truth while Miz goes for a pin after hitting the SCF. Miz yells at the ref about it and eventually shoves him down, causing a DQ. The finish made sense with the “conspiracy” storyline with Miz and Truth, but it’s just not a good idea to book DQs in PPV openers. The match was going along nicely but the finish takes it down a peg. Match Time: 9:56     Star Rating: **3/4

• Intercontinental Championship match: Cody Rhodes(c) vs. Ted DiBiase

This was decent, but nothing more, pretty much a Smackdown quality match. Ted applies a chinlock early and hits a boot to the face before going after Cody’s mask. Cody then takes advantage and hangs up Ted in the ropes where he kicks him in the gut. Cody slaps him in the face, and Ted tackles Cody and punches away at him. Cody backflips out of a suplex attempt and hits the beautiful disaster kick for 2. Cody hits a front suplex and applies a camel clutch, which he transitions into an arm submission. Ted fights out, but Cody comes back with punches and stomps him against the ropes. Ted avoids a charging Cody in the corner and hits a backbreaker, but misses a dropkick. Cody hits a boot to the head and applies an abdominal stretch before sliding down and sneaking in a shot to the head. Ted fires back and hits an atomic drop followed by a flying knee and a sitout spinebuster for 2. Cody goes for the beautiful disaster again, but Ted dropkicks him in mid-air. Ted sets Cody up on the top rope, but Cody rakes the eyes. Ted tosses Cody to the mat and then rips the mask off. Ted celebrates and goes to hit Cody with the mask, but Cody rolls up Ted and hooks the tights for the win. Crowd wasn’t into this and the finish made Ted look completely stupid. Just an alright match, nothing special about it. Match Time: 9:49     Star Rating: **1/2

Christian then comes out for a promo. He dissed Buffalo and talked about how he deserved one more shot at the world title. He got the crowd to chant “one more match” until Sheamus came out. Sheamus dissed Christian but offered to help him get another shot at the title as long as Christian’s first title defense is against him. Christian accepts and Sheamus starts up the “one more match” chants again before hitting Christian with the Brogue Kick. Total filler segment designed to kill time.

• Fatal Four Way match for the United States Championship: Dolph Ziggler(c) vs. John Morrison vs. Alex Riley vs. Jack Swagger

This was a lot of fun, and also easily the best-booked match of the evening. Riley squares off with Ziggler and Morrison with Swagger to start. Riley hits a neckbreaker but Swagger hits him with a shoulder block and some punches. Riley hits an STO but Ziggler sends him off the apron into the steel steps. Morrison rolls up Swagger for a near fall, and then hits a dropkick to Ziggler into a cover on Swagger. Swagger hip tosses Morrison to the floor and hits Ziggler with a clothesline and a big boot. Riley hits Swagger with a TKO but Vickie puts Swagger’s foot on the ropes during the pin attempt. Morrison hits the Flash Kick to Ziggler, but Ziggler comes back with a Famouser for 2. Morrison hits an uppercut and both guys head up top. Ziggler blocks a superplex attempt and hangs up Morrison in the tree of woe. Riley then goes up top in the corner, but Morrison springs up and hits a German superplex to Riley off the top. Swagger then leaps up top and hits a super belly to belly suplex to Ziggler. Morrison hits some clotheslines and a dropkick followed by a tornado DDT to Swagger. Morrison hits a Flux Capacitor to Riley for 2, but Riley blocks a Starship Pain attempt. Ziggler then catches Riley in the sleeper just as Swagger puts Morrison in the Ankle Lock. The faces escape the holds and Riley hits a lifting DDT to Swagger. Swagger puts Riley in the Ankle Lock and ducks a Flash Kick from Morrison before giving him the gutwrench powerbomb. Ziggler then shoves Swagger aside and covers Morrison for the win. Energetic and fast-paced match that told a nice story with Swagger and Ziggler. Had some great spots as well. Match Time: 8:20     Star Rating: ***1/4

• World Heavyweight Championship match: Randy Orton(c) vs. Mark Henry

Considering Henry’s usual work rate and limitations, this was better than usual from him. They lock up at the start but Henry quickly tosses Orton into the corner. Orton fires away with punches and kicks at the knee before hitting a boot to the head and stomping Henry. Orton sends a charging Henry to the floor, where Henry rips the cover off the Spanish announce table. Henry lifts up Orton back in the ring, but Orton escapes and tries for the RKO, only for Henry to toss him off and big boot him. Henry charges into Orton in the corner and tries for the World’s Strongest Slam, but Orton escapes and applies a sleeper. Henry backs Orton into the corner to force a break and hits a huge right hand that sends Orton off the top to the floor. Henry drives Orton into the apron on the outside before hitting a head butt back in the ring and stretching Orton’s back across the ring post. Henry stands on Orton’s back against the ropes, and then hits a scoop slam and a running splash for 2. Henry hits a shoulder thrust and an elbow drop for 2 followed by a kick to the chest and a knee lift, but misses a splash after Orton hits some kicks and punches. Orton hits some mounted punches and more shots in the corner, and then hits a dropkick after some clothesline attempts fail. Henry hits a head butt, a clothesline, and the WSS for 2. Orton blocks a Vader Bomb attempt and hits a low DDT followed by a spike DDT, but Henry grabs the ropes to break the pin attempt. Henry kicks at Orton and Orton tries for the RKO, but Henry shoves him off and hits the WSS for the win. After the match Henry sold the win big in a post match interview with Josh Matthews. Match had solid storytelling to carry it through the slow pacing. Henry as champion is going to be tough to stomach after the high quality world title matches between Christian and Orton, but it was built up well and Henry’s matches aren’t quite as bad as they used to be. This was decent but not really PPV quality. Match Time: 13:10     Star Rating: **3/4

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

Although their SummerSlam match was fairly decent, this rematch was just used as a buffer before the double main event. Early on Kelly hits a hurricanrana off the top and applies a headscissor submission in the ropes, but Beth takes the advantage afterwards and catapults Kelly into the bottom rope. Eve attacks Natalya on the outside but Beth takes out Eve. Kelly gets a small package and a schoolboy for a pair of near falls. Kelly hits a kick, but Beth flips her and slams her down before setting her up top for a superplex. Didn’t look pretty and Kelly almost hurt her legs. Beth lifts Kelly up for a powerbomb but Kelly counters with a roll-up for the win. Bad decision here as Beth absolutely should have won, plus they did nearly the exact same finish as the match last month. Very typical Divas match, which is a little disappointing considering Beth’s skill. Match Time: 6:30     Star Rating: *1/2

• WWE Championship match: Alberto Del Rio(c) vs. John Cena

This was probably the best match on the show, though it wasn’t great or anything. Cena applies a headlock early on, but Del Rio escapes and bails to the apron. Cena fires back with some shots and a bulldog before the ref ejects Ricardo Rodriguez from ringside. Cena misses a charge into the corner and Del Rio kicks Cena before shoving him into the Spanish announce table on the outside. Del Rio hits a diving right hand off the top and applies a chin lock. Cena fights out and hits a gutwrench suplex for a near fall and a snap suplex. Del Rio hits his falling knee armbreaker and a big boot for a near fall. Del Rio stomps Cena’s arm and applies a chin lock, but Cena fights up and hits a belly to belly slam before both guys clothesline each other. Del Rio hits a lariat but misses a leaping body guillotine, and Cena hits a suplex followed by the shoulder blocks, side slam and the Five Knuckle Shuffle. Del Rio escapes the Attitude Adjustment and hits a back stabber, but Cena avoids the cross arm-breaker and hits a dropkick. Cena heads up top, but Del Rio hits an enzuigiri and Cena falls back into the ring. Del Rio hits a tilt a whirl backbreaker followed by some kicks in the corner before hanging up Cena in the tree of woe. Del Rio misses a headfirst dive and Cena hits the diving Famouser off the top for 2. Del Rio hits a German suplex and a diving senton off the top for 2 counts before applying the cross arm-breaker. Cena breaks the hold by lifting up Del Rio and slamming him down to the mat. Cena hits the AA and Ricardo runs back down to the ring. Cena uses the distraction to apply the STF, and Del Rio struggles for a while before finally tapping out. Terrible, terrible decision to take the belt off of Del Rio. Cena says flat out on Raw that Del Rio was not on his level, and then he makes him submit at the PPV. This is why the WWE has such a hard time making new stars and why it’s hard for guys to get over in front of this audience. The match itself was good but tainted by the bad booking. Nice sequences but nothing near the quality of the Punk/Cena matches. Match Time: 17:32     Star Rating: ***1/4

• No Disqualification match: CM Punk vs. Triple H

The stipulation was that if Triple H lost, he had to resign as COO of the WWE. This was extremely disappointing, mainly due to the horrendous booking in the latter half of the match. Punk attacks Triple H on the outside during his entrance and tosses him into the timekeeper’s area. Triple H comes back with some shots and whips Punk into the barricade before tossing him over the announce table and laying into him with punches. Both guys stand on the announce table and tease their finishers before Punk bails to the ring. Punk hits some punches and counters the Pedigree, but misses the high knee in the corner and falls to the floor. Triple H slams Punk’s leg into the ring post and drives him into the barricade, but Punk hits some shots, whips Triple H into the barricade, and hits a high knee against the steps. Triple H sends Punk over the barricade and hits a diving right hand off the barricade before they brawl through the crowd. They eventually make their way to the stage, where Triple H catapults Punk into one of the video screens, only for Punk to backdrop Triple H over the video screen into the area where guys walk out for their entrances. Punk hits a diving lariat off the screen and throws some duffle bags on Triple H. Punk slams Triple H into the video screen before they move back down the ramp, with Punk hitting some kicks.

Punk puts Triple H in the ring, gets a chair, and hits a huge chair shot to the back for 2. Triple H hits a spinebuster and throws Punk headfirst into the chair in the corner. Triple H clips Punk’s leg on the floor and slams his leg into the post repeatedly before hitting his leg with a chair. Triple H teases a Figure 4 but Punk kicks him into the steps. Triple H grabs a monitor but Punk hits a roundhouse kick and puts Triple H on the Spanish announce table. Punk heads up top and hits a diving elbow drop through the announce table. Both guys get back in the ring, but The Miz and R-Truth suddenly run out to attack both men. Miz hits the Skull-Crushing Finale on Triple H and Truth hits the Shut Up on Punk. They put Punk on top of Triple H for the pin, but Triple H kicks out. Miz argues with the referee, and the ref eventually punches Miz, only for Miz and Truth to beat down the referee. John Laurinaitis then comes out as Punk and Triple H attack Truth and Miz before Triple H hits Punk with the Pedigree and goes for the pin. A second referee comes down, but goes to check on the first referee rather than counting the pin. Punk hits the Go to Sleep and the second ref gets in the ring to count but Truth pulls out Punk during the pin attempt, despite the fact that Truth and Miz LAID PUNK ON TOP OF TRIPLE H FOR THE PIN 3 MINUTES AGO. Punk hits Truth with the GTS on the floor and tries a springboard, but Triple H kicks him in the gut and hits a Pedigree for a near fall.

Kevin Nash then comes down to the ring through the crowd, and punches out both guys. Nash attacks Triple H in the corner and tries for the Jackknife powerbomb, but Punk attacks Nash. Nash fires back with punches and hits Punk with the Jackknife, Nash goes after Triple H on the floor, but Triple H hits Nash with a sledgehammer. Triple H then hits a third Pedigree on Punk in the ring for the win. This was a huge clusterf**k. It seemed like this match was booked by Vince Russo. Way too much overbooking and interference. Yes you could justify the individual components of the overbooking, but there were simply just way too many things going on at once here. Miz and Truth ended up looking like complete idiots and jobbers after this, and Punk looked bad for taking the pin AND getting beat up by Kevin Nash. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that Triple H called this one, because the only people who didn’t look completely terrible after this were him and his buddy Nash. The match itself was going along fine before the crazy final minutes. Felt like a TNA main event. Just a total catastrophe that did no one any favors at all, and really ruined a show that wasn’t totally awful prior to this match. Match Time: 24:09     Star Rating: **

Overall PPV Rating: 5.5/10

1.    Survivor Series Elimination match: Team Morrison (John Morrison, Matt Hardy, Evan Bourne, Finlay, and Shelton Benjamin) vs. Team Miz (The Miz, Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger, Drew McIntyre and Sheamus)

The night kicked off with the first Survivor Series elimination match as Team Morrison took on Team Miz. While it ran a bit too long and wasn’t the greatest match of its kind, it was still a fun opener. In the first few minutes, Bourne was mostly getting worked over by Swagger and Ziggler but gets the hot tag to Matt Hardy. Hardy and Bourne hit simultaneous second rope elbows to Ziggler’s head before Hardy connects with a Side Effect. Bourne hits a Shooting Star Press and eliminates Ziggler but afterward is instantly hit with a double arm DDT from McIntyre and eliminated. A couple minutes later Sheamus hits a big boot to Finlay to quickly eliminate him after a long staredown.  Hardy then gets worked over for a little while by all of Team Miz before getting the hot tag to Morrison. Morrison hits a springboard enzuigiri to Swagger but the attempted pin is broken up. He shortly after hits Starship Pain to eliminate Swagger.  Miz and Morrison go at it for a bit with Miz hitting a top rope double ax handle, but Shelton Benjamin gets tagged in. Benjamin hits Miz with a flurry of high flying offense and a couple suplexes, but is eliminated following a headbutt from Sheamus and a Skull-Crushing Finale from Miz. Hardy then fights with McIntyre and hits a second rope leg drop for a near fall, but gets eliminated after he misses a moonsault and McIntyre hits his double arm DDT. Morrison then does some back and forth with Sheamus for a while, but McIntyre and Miz beat on Morrison for a little while the ref’s back was turned. Morrison goes for his springboard enzuigiri but Sheamus counters with a kick. Sheamus then hits his running powerbomb on Morrison and Team Miz picks up the win, with Miz, McIntyre, and Sheamus being the survivors. This was a very good opener and did a great job establishing Sheamus and McIntyre, who needed this win badly. Match Time: 20:55    Match Rating: 6.5/10

2.    Batista vs. Rey Mysterio

After all of the hype, this was pretty much just a squash match. It was pretty entertaining for a Batista match but it was far too short. This match served its purpose to establish Batista as a monster heel, but it wasn’t what WWE would have hoped as Survivor Series took place in Batista’s hometown of Washington D.C., where he is always cheered. Mysterio is able to get some offense early on with a bunch of kicks but Batista rebounds with a big lariat. Mysterio gets momentum again and goes for the 619 but Batista blocks it. Batista goes for the Batista Bomb but Rey counters with a hurricanrana that sends Batista outside the ring and then hits a baseball slide to send Batista into the ring barricade. Mysterio hits the 619 and a seated senton before going for a frog splash, but Batista blocks it and then hits a spear. Batista then hits a spinebuster before hitting 3 consecutive Batista Bombs, causing the ref to stop the match and award Batista the win. After the match Batista gave Rey a spinebuster on a chair. This was a solid match but I just wish it had gone longer. Match Time: 6:49      Match Rating: 5/10

3.    Survivor Series Elimination match: Team Orton (Randy Orton, Legacy, CM Punk, and William Regal) vs. Team Kingston (Kofi Kingston, Christian, R-Truth, MVP and Mark Henry)

This was definitely the best Survivor Series elimination match of the night and the best match of its kind since Team Orton vs. Team Triple H back in 2004. Henry is thankfully quickly eliminated within the first minute after an RKO from Orton. A couple minutes later, R-Truth is distracted and falls victim to a Go to Sleep from Punk and is eliminated. DiBiase then went to work on Christian by hitting a top rope double stomp and a scoop slam. Both men went for their finishers and were denied, but Christian leaps off the top rope into a modified sunset flip powerbomb to eliminate DiBiase. Regal enters and starts brawling with Christian, who quickly gets the tag to Kingston. Regal this Kingston with an exploder suplex but MVP comes out of nowhere with the Drive-By kick to eliminate Regal. Rhodes goes to work on Christian, locking in a couple body-scissors, but Christian fights out and tags in MVP, who hits a series of clotheslines and an elbow drop. MVP is then distracted by Orton, allowing Rhodes to hit Cross Rhodes and eliminate him. Christian soon after hits the Killswitch to Rhodes for another elimination and it is now 2 on 2. Christian and Orton do some great back and forth for a while before Christian counters the RKO with a Killswitch, but the pin is broken up by Punk. Christian charges Orton in the corner, but hits the ringpost and is then caught with an RKO and is eliminated.Kingston and Punk then go at it, with both men trying for their finishers before Punk takes control with leg locks on Kingston’s neck and midsection. Kingston goes for a splash but Punk moves out of the way before hitting a Falcon Arrow for a near fall. Both men fight on the top rope and Kingston is able to knock Punk off and connects with a huge cross body for a near fall. Punk tries for a victory roll on Kingston, but Kofi counters it into a roll-up of his own and Punk is out. Orton then charges the ring and is immediately caught with the Trouble in Paradise and Kingston wins! Kingston is the sole survivor and becomes elevated to main event status with this huge victory. This was a very good Survivor Series elimination match, mostly due to the great chemistry between Kingston and Punk. Match Time: 20:50       Match Rating: 7.5/10

4.    World Heavyweight Championship: Undertaker(c) vs. Chris Jericho vs. The Big Show

Many people were unsure of this match going in, but this ended up overdelivering and was a very enjoyable world title match. Jericho and Big Show team up against Undertaker in the early going, but thankfully this only lasts for a few minutes. Jericho hits Taker in the head with a mic outside the ring but Taker fights back by driving Big Show into the ring post and hits Jericho with a big right hand as Jericho tried for a move off the top turnbuckle. Taker tries for Old School but Jericho trips him up on the top rope and soon puts on the Walls of Jericho. Big Show reenters the match and chokeslams Jericho. He tries to chokeslam Taker, but Taker counters with a DDT. Jericho tries for a pin on each man but is unsuccessful. Taker and Big Show both try for a chokeslam, but Jericho smashes Show in the head with the world title belt. Taker hits a big boot and tries for the Last Ride, but Jericho has the belt again and hits Taker in the head. Jericho tries for a Tombstone and taker counter swith an attempt of his own, but Show catches both guys with Knockout punches. He tries to chokeslam Taker, but Taker counters with Hell’s Gate and Big Show spits up some blood before submitting. Very entertaining title match that was much better than expected. Match Time: 13:39       Match Rating: 7/10

5.    Divas Survivor Series Elimination match: Team Mickie (Mickie James, Melina, Kelly Kelly, Gail Kim, and Eve) vs. Team Michelle (Michelle McCool, Beth Phoenix, Alicia Fox, Layla and Jillian)

To provide a break in between the two title matches, we got the Divas Survivor Series elimination match. Much of the first half of the match consisted of very quick eliminations out of nowhere. Layla is out after a leg drop from Kelly and Gail is eliminated after a Faith Breaker from McCool. Eve hits a partially botched sunset flip on Jillian for an elimination as well. Phoenix then hits the Glam Slam on both Eve and Kelly to quickly dispose of them. Mickie enters and catches Beth with a crucifix roll-up for yet another elimination. All of these eliminations really did happen this quickly. Alicia hits a Northern Lights suplex, but Mickie hits a big splash and Fox is out. Mickie then did some good work with McCool for a bit, with McCool hitting a series of stomps and leg drops before Melina gets tagged in. Melina pounds on McCool before hitting a sunset flip and Team Mickie wins with the survivors being Mickie and Melina. The match got better once it was down to 2 on 2 but the first half was fairly sloppy. Match Time: 10:40      Match Rating: 4/10

6.    WWE Championship: John Cena(c) vs. Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels

The main event started off with a bang with Michaels hitting Sweet Chin Music on his DX partner Triple H just after the bell. Michaels and Cena did some great back and forth work for a bit culminating in Michaels leaping over the ropes with a cross body on Cena on the outside. Cena goes for the Attitude Adjustment, but Triple H is back up and breaks it up. Triple H then hits a spinebuster to Michaels through the announce table. Triple H then goes to work on Cena in the ring, hitting a spinebuster and neckbreaker for a near fall. He goes for the Pedigree, but Cena catapults him into the corner. Cena hits his series of moves on Triple H and the Five Knuckle Shuffle, but HBK breaks up an AA attempt by sending Cena into the ringpost. Triple H and HBK then duke it out in the ring, with Michaels hitting some chops and atomic drops before Triple H comes back with a high knee and a facebuster. Michaels hits his flying forearm, but kips up right into a spinebuster from Triple H. Michaels goes for a flying elbow on Triple H, but Cena crotches him on the turnbuckle. Cena tries for his top rope leg drop, but Triple H moves out of the way. HBK then hits the elbow on Cena but is sent to the outside by Triple H. Cena puts the STF on Triple H, but HBK breaks it up by putting the Crippler Crossface on Cena. Cena fights out and puts on the STF but Michaels reaches the ropes. HBK hits Sweet Chin Music on both of his opponents before collapsing, but Triple H falls on Cena for a near fall. Cena catches Triple H with the AA but can’t initially make the cover. Minutes later, a wild ending sequence ensues with everyone trying to hit their finisher. Michaels hits Sweet Chin Music on Triple H, but Cena hits the AA to HBK on top of Triple H before covering The Game for the win. A great main event to close out an excellent show. Match Time: 21:14        Match Rating: 8/10

Overall PPV Rating: 8.25/10

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 roughly a year now as well.

1.    TNA X Division Championship: Amazing Red(c) vs. Homicide

The night kicked off with Homicide challenging Amazing Red for the X Division Championship. This was a great way to kick off the PPV as the match was very back and forth and had a ton of high spots.  Red connected with a hurricanrana and a crossbody early on in the match but Homicide soon took control with a belly to back spulex and a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Homicide then worked over Red for a bit before Red gets back into it with a dropkick and a DDT for a near fall. Red counters the Gringo Killer and an ace crusher and hits a standing shooting star press for another near fall. Homicide hits a cutter for a near fall afterward. Eventually this match comes to an end when Homicide goes for a top rope hurricanrana, but Red held on and hit the Code Red for the win. Good X Division match to open up the show and pop the crowd. Match Rating: 6/10

2.    6 Woman Tag Team match for all the Knockouts Championships: TNA Women’s Knockout Champion ODB and TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champions Sarita and Taylor Wilde vs. The Beautiful People

I generally don’t like tag team matches where champions can lose their titles without eating a pin, and this match did little to change my opinion. The fans voiced their dislike for Lacey Von Erich with “You can’t wrestle” chants and a Lacey Von Botch sign. The faces all work over Madison Rayne for a bit before she gets the hot tag to Velvet Sky, who hits a snapmare and a running knee before tagging in Von Erich. After Wilde gets beaten down by The Beautiful People for a while, ODB gets the hot tag and cleans house. Just when it seems that the heels have gotten her under control, ODB connects with a few elbow smashes to fight them off. She then hits a reverse-FU to win the match and the faces retain their titles. This match was fairly sloppy and was not enjoyable. Can we please end the Sarita/Wilde vs. The Beautiful People feud now? Match Rating: 3/10

3.    TNA World Tag Team Championship: The British Invasion(c) vs. Beer Money Inc. vs. The Motor City Machineguns

After a weak Knockouts match, this 3 way for the Tag Titles got the PPV back on track. However, the one gripe I had about this match was that much of the later portion of it was built around Beer Money vs. The British Invasion, and the match had been promoted for weeks as the Guns vs. British Invasion (Beer Money was merely added to the match on the Impact before the PPV). Anyway, this match was good, even though it was a bit shorter than I would have liked it to be.  Roode gets worked over by Sabin and Shelley in the early going, and takes a slingshot senton from Sabin. The Guns then worked over the British Invasion for a bit with double team moves but Sabin falls victim to a double team neckbreaker from the Invasion and the heels are in control. Sabin eventually fights back with an enzuigiri and is tagged by Storm. Storm hits Magnus with a uranage and hits a double suplex with Roode onto Williams. Beer Money and the Guns hit a bunch of double team moves on the Brits but Sabin misses a slingshot move over the top rope and crashes to the floor. Storm hits an enzuigiri to Williams, but Eric Young appears outside the ring with the Global title and attacks Storm. Storm then goes after Young up the entrance ramp, where Kevin Nash appears and takes the Global belt before surprisingly hitting Storm with it. The Brits then capitalize on this and hit a double team move on Roode to retain their titles. Good tag title match but it could have been a bit better. Match Rating: 6/10

4.    Six Sides of Steel: Tara vs. Awesome Kong

Who would have thought that a women’s match clocking in at less than 8 minutes would have been the match of the night thus far when it ended? Kong hits a couple big moves early on including an electric chair drop and a stunning missile dropkick. Kong then splashes Tara against the cage and chokes her against the steel. She also hit a very nice looking front suplex against the side of the cage. Tara fights back into the match with a DDT and slams Kong into several sides of the cage before hitting a standing moonsault for a near fall. The two women fight on the top rope which ends with Tara hitting a nice powerbomb onto Kong for a near fall. Tara then scales the cage and hits an incredible crossbody off the top for the win. This was the best women’s match of the year, no doubt. Match Rating: 6.5/10

5.    Rhino and Team 3D vs. Matt Morgan, Hernandez, and D’Angelo Dinero

This match had been advertised as a street fight, but was fought under standard 6 man tag rules. There is tension early on between Dinero and Matt Morgan, allowing the heels to take control. Dinero soon goes after Ray with a double leg take down and some punches but Ray fights back into it with some elbow strikes and a Bubba Bomb before tagging in Rhino. Rhino fights with Morgan, who hits a big clothesline before everyone enters the ring, leading to Dinero suffering a reverse 3D. Devon later puts on a chin lock and hits a lariat on Dinero before making the tag to Rhino. The heels work over Dinero for a bit before Morgan is tagged back into the match. Morgan hits a ton of punches, a side slam, and a splash for a near fall. Hernandez later does an impressive dive outside the ring to the entire opposing team. The match eventually comes to an end when Hernandez gets hit with a chair by Devon while the ref’s back was turned and Rhino hits a Gore for the win. Why didn’t the young guys go over here? Match Rating: 5.5/10

6.    No Disqualification, Falls Count Anywhere: Scott Steiner vs. Bobby Lashley

Just before the start of the match, it was announced that it would be No DQ and Falls Count Anywhere. I thought that the gimmick would help the match out greatly and make it more entertaining, but instead it just opened the door for horrible camera work and a ton of botches. I seriously think every major spot was botched somewhat. The match starts off with the two brawling in the stands and Lashley goes after Steiner with steel chairs. The two then went back to the ring where they hit various suplexes on each other but overall the match pace slowed down. Steiner hits a Frankensteiner that Lashley almost completely botched and barely made contact with the mat. The two then brawl to the backstage area and the cameras struggle to keep up. We have to wait a bit before getting a camera going backstage. The two start hitting (I use that term lightly) each other with various weapons and Lashley hits a very weak-looking suplex to Steiner through a table. Lashley connects with a super-light shot with a 2×4 before crashing through some plywood while going after Steiner. Steiner chokes out Lashley with a cord before the two go back into the Impact Zone. They fight near a metal scaffolding, which Steiner takes apart. Steiner takes a lead pipe and hits Lashley in the head with it (so lightly that there is barely any impact at all) and Lashley falls down. Steiner pins him for the win. Just a complete mess of a match. Match Rating: 2.5/10

7.    Kurt Angle vs. Desmond Wolfe

Thankfully this next match rejuvenated my interest in the PPV. This was definitely the technical match of the year as far as mainstream wrestling goes. This match really had it all and was great from start to finish. It was a bit slow in the beginning with the two simply doing a bunch of submission holds such as hammerlocks, but it quickly got better. Wolfe repeatedly works over the arm of Angle with stomps and a great submission hold.  Angle fights back into it with a flying forearm before hitting six German suplexes in a row. He then goes for the Angle Slam but Wolfe counters with a great arm drag. Wolfe connects with a big lariat but Angle kicks out. He then hits Angle with the Tower of London for another near fall before Angle hits a big lariat of his own. Angle misses a moonsault and Wolfe puts on the London Dungeon. Wolfe goes for a second Tower of London, but Angle counters and Wofle tries for a superplex instead. Angle fights him off and hits a frog splash for a near fall. Both men try for the Tombstone but Angle eventually counters into the Ankle Lock. Wolfe fights out of that hold, but Angle locks in a side triangle choke to force the submission and win the match. Even though Wolfe (aka ROH’s Nigel Mcguinness) didn’t win, Angle put him over big time and the crowd really got into him. This was TNA’s match of the year at its conclusion, but unfortunately it did not hold that title for long. Match Rating: 8.5/10

8.    TNA World Heavyweight Championship: AJ Styles(c) vs. Daniels vs. Samoa Joe

This was a rematch of what many consider to be TNA’s best match of all time back at Unbreakable 2005. While this match wasn’t quite as good as that bout, it came pretty darn close to topping it. This topped Angle/Wolfe as the match of the night and TNA’s match of the year for 2009. Styles opens the match with an assault on both men, but Joe fights back with an enzuigiri and a splash on Styles. Styles and Daniels do some great chain wrestling before Joe reenters the match to go after Styles. Joe hits a high knee to Daniels and puts on a leg hold that is broken up by Styles. Styles hits a suplex to Joe and locks in an inverted Indian death lock which is broken up by Daniels. Daniels hit a ton of moves to Styles before slamming him onto Joe. Daniels puts on a combination Boston Crab/Camel Clutch on both men before Joe fights out of the clutch and hits a urange. More action in the ring ends when Daniels dives outside the ring onto Styles and Joe. Back in the ring, Joe has Daniels in a rear naked choke when Styles does a twisting body press onto both men. Joe powerbombs Styles before working him over with a couple submission holds. Joe gets taken down with an enzuigiri from Daniels and a Pele from Styles. A great spot occurred in the middle when Daniels had Joe in a reverse DDT clutch and Styles came in with a senton on Joe. Styles hits a moonsault into an inverted DDT onto Daniels, but Daniels hits the Last Rites for a near fall that is broken up by Joe. Joe then hits Daniels with a Muscle Buster but Styles breaks up the pin and fights with Joe. Styles and Daniels go for each other’s finishers but are ambushed by Joe. Joe dropkicks Styles to the floor but is caught with an STO and a BME from Daniels. As Daniels goes for the pin, Styles comes out of nowhere with a springboard 450 splash onto both men. Style spins Joe to retain his title in this classic, almost perfect three-way match. Match Rating: 9.5/10

Overall PPV Rating: 8.75/10

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.com roughly a year now as well.

1.    John Morrison vs. The Miz

The show kicked off with these two former tag team partners going at it. This match started off slowly in the beginning with both men applying a variety of headlocks but it got better as it went along. Morrison hits a nice flapjack followed up by a standing shooting star press for a near fall. Miz later comes back by hitting a clothesline in the corner followed by a running knee lift. The two exchange punches and kicks before Morrison misses a shining wizard and Miz goes for a roll-up. Morrison afterward connects with a springboard enzuigiri, but Miz gets his foot on the ropes when Morrison tries for the pin. Morrison then goes for a superplex, but Miz knocks him off the top ropes and jumps off to hit him with a double ax handle. Eventually near the end Miz goes for the Skull-Crushing Finale, but Morrison counters with a side Russian leg sweep. He goes up top to hit Starship Pain, but Miz knocks him off the top ropes before pinning him to win the match. Raw is now up 1-0 in the best 2 out of 3 mini-tournament going on within the PPV during the interbrand matches. Overall this was a decent opener hurt by a very weak ending. Match Rating: 5.5/10

2.    Smackdown Divas (Michelle McCool, Beth Phoenix, and Natalya) vs. Raw Divas (Melina, Kelly Kelly, and Gail Kim)

This was a surprisingly very good for a WWE women’s match. Kim starts the match by doing some good back and forth work with all of team Smackdown including hitting a nice hurricanrana to McCool. After taking some big power moves from Natalya, Kim makes the tag to Kelly, who hits a big headscissors initially, but the heels quickly regain control and begin to work her over while making quick tags. Phoenix hits a snapmare and puts Kelly in a chin lock while McCool hit a nice powerslam and a knee lift. Eventually Kelly is able to fight back into it by hitting a hurricanrana to Phoenix before making the tag to Melina. Melina does some good back and forth work with Phoenix and hits a big dropkick before getting a near fall with a roll-up. Phoenix eventually overpowers her and gets the win after hitting the Glam Slam. Smackdown has now evened the score at 1-1. A good women’s match that was only hurt by the lack of time. Match Rating: 5.5/10 (Keep in mind this is very good for a women’s match)

3.    World Heavyweight Championship: Undertaker(c) vs. CM Punk vs. Batista vs. Rey Mysterio

Despite not really getting a ton of time, this world title match was pretty entertaining due to the non-stop action, big moves, and near falls. Right out of the gate Punk goes after Mysterio and Batista and Taker go at it. Mysterio hits a seated senton to Punk and Taker connects with Old School on Batista. Batista eventually rebounds by powerslamming Punk before getting hit with a big boot from Taker. Taker then goes for a Last Ride on Mysterio, but Batista hits him with a huge spear. Mysterio and Batista then hit a 619/spinebuster combo but Punk breaks up Batista’s attempt at a pin. Taker is able to fight back into it by putting Hell’s Gate on Batista, but Punk breaks up the hold just when it appeared Batista was going to tap. Taker and Punk then go at it once again, culminating in Taker hitting the Last Ride and having a pinfall attempt broken up by Batista, who then takes on the Deadman. Taker and Batista exchange punches before Taker hits a chokeslam. After tossing Punk to the outside, Taker is hit with a Batista Bomb, but the pinfall is broken up by Mysterio. Mysterio and Batista then argue, allowing Taker to recuperate and hit Batista with a second chokeslam. Eventually this match comes to an end when Batista throws Mysterio out of the ring onto Punk before turning around right into a Tombstone and Taker retains his title. After the match, Batista blames Mysterio for his loss and attacks him during an interview segment, thus turning heel for the first time in almost five years. This segment was done very well and this match, although brief (clocking in at just under 10 minutes) was enjoyable. Match Rating: 6.5/10

4.    Team Smackdown (Chris Jericho, Kane, The Hart Dynasty, Matt Hardy, Finlay, and R-Truth) vs. Team Raw (D-Generation X, The Big Show, Jack Swagger, Cody Rhodes, Kofi Kingston, and Mark Henry)

With the score now tied between Raw and Smackdown, this huge brand warfare tag team match would decide who would take the Bragging Rights trophy. The match started off with R-Truth facing Cody Rhodes, stemming from their earlier backstage confrontation. The two do some decent back and forth action before Kane and Big Show get tagged in and the big men go to work. Show this a big shoulder block and leg drop before tagging in Swagger. Swagger starts to work over Kane but Kane hits a big right hand before tagging in Hardy. Hardy starts to get the upper hand on Swagger and hits a nice second rope leg drop. Swagger is eventually able to get the tag on Henry, who beats down on Hardy for a bit before tagging in Shawn Michaels. HBK hits a few chops but Hardy retaliates with a side effect before making the tag to Finlay. Those two go back and forth for a bit, ending with HBK hitting Sweet Chin Music. Almost right after hitting his patented move, he is caught with a Hart Attack from the Hart Dynasty. David Hart Smith is legal and goes to work on Michaels. I definitely would like to see a future DX vs. Hart Dynasty match after what these two teams did in this match. Jericho is eventually tagged in, which brought back memories of his great feud with Michaels from last year. Smith is eventually tagged back in and hits a big suplex to Michaels before tagging in Tyson Kidd, who misses a springboard elbow, allowing Michaels to tag in Triple H, who then cleans house. He does some good back and forth work with Jericho and the Hart Dynasty before Jericho misses a Lionsault, allowing Kingston to get a tag and enter the match. After hitting the Trouble in Paradise, Kofi’s pin attempt is broken up by the Hart Dynasty and the match instantly turns into an all out brawl outside the ring. Kofi goes to the top rope, but Big Show turns on Team Raw by hitting Kofi with a chokeslam and then hitting Triple H with a Knockout Punch. Jericho then sneaks in and gets the pin on Kofi and Team Smackdown is victorious. It was great to see WWE recognize Smackdown as their superior brand by giving them the win here. This was a pretty entertaining tag match but nothing we haven’t seen before. Match Rating: 6.5/10

5.    1 Hour Anything Goes Iron Man match for the WWE Championship: Randy Orton(c) vs. John Cena

Our main event was the 60 minute Iron Man match between Cena and Orton for the WWE title. I was worried that these two wouldn’t be able to entertain me for the whole hour and that the match should have been a 30 minute Iron Man match. Well, I did not enjoy the first 10 minutes of the match, and there was a 20 minute gap in the middle of the match that I did not enjoy, so a 30 minute match would have been much better. Still, they did enough right in this match to make it very enjoyable and possibly the best match they have ever had together. The match starts off with a ton of headlocks before Cena gets a quick fall a few minutes in by making Orton tap out to the STF. Just minutes later, Orton hits the RKO to tie the score at 1-1. The two then brawl outside the ring, which is when the match started to get pretty good. Orton smashes Cena’s head on the steel steps before hitting him with a TV monitor and a mic, resulting in Cena getting busted open the hard way on the top of his forehead. Cena fights back into it and hits his combination of moves and goes for the Attitude Adjustment, but while taking the move Orton hits the RKO and both men are down. With both guys having an arm across the other, the ref counts a double pinfall and the score remains tied, but now at 2-2. They did 30 second clock stoppages in between falls, and the one following this fall allowed medics to enter and clean up Cena’s bloody head (stupid PG rating). Cena then scores another pinfall after a top rope Attitude Adjustment to go up 3-2. Legacy then runs down to the ring and attacks Cena, and DiBiase hits Dream Street before dragging Orton on top of Cena. Kofi Kingston chases Legacy to the back with a chair (stemming from a backstage brawl with Rhodes earlier), but the ref counts to three and we are now tied again at 3-3. Orton and Cena then brawl up the entrance ramp and up to the stage. Orton slams Cena onto a control panel, resulting in an explosion. Orton then whips Cena through part of the set, causing another explosion and followed up by another pinfall from Orton, who goes up 4-3. We then ahd an odd sequence where Orton started playing with the pyro controls and hit many buttons trying to set off explosions near Cena. The fight returns to the ring where Orton beats down Cena very slowly for many minutes, which is what hurt the match as a whole in my opinion. In the middle of this long beatdown, Cena gets a small package to tie the score at 4-4, but Orton goes back up 5-4 after hitting an elevated DDT to the floor. Orton continues to wear down Cena until Cena eventually starts to make his comeback. The two go back and forth up and down the entrance ramp before taking the fight into the crowd. Cena chases Orton up to the top of a section and hits him with a garbage can before slamming him into a wall. Cena hip tosses Orton over the guardrail to take the fight back to ringside before smashing him into the barricades and the ring steps. A great spot follows where Cena launches Orton through the barricade before Cena sets up the ring steps next to the announce table. He then picks up Orton’s lifeless body and hits an Attitude Adjustment off the steps through the announce table followed by a pinfall to tie the score at 5-5.  Cena then grabs a wooden table and puts Orton on it in the ring, but when he goes for a top rope leg drop Orton moves and Cena crashes through the table. The two men exchange punches before Orton hits an RKO for a near fall. With the clock ticking away, Orton goes for a punt but Cena gets out of the way and puts on an STF. Orton tries to hang on but taps out as time expires and Cena wins the match 6-5 as well as the WWE Championship and the right to remain on Raw. A very good title match, the best these two have had all year. Match Rating: 7.5/10

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 forwww.sportsgrumblings.com for roughly a year now as well.