• 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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1.    Triple Threat Ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship: Dolph Ziggler(c) vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Jack Swagger

The show kicked off with the first of the two scheduled ladder matches. Despite the fact that there was a lot of talent involved and the gimmick appeared to suit the styles of all 3 guys, the match ended up greatly underachieving. Everyone brawls at the start, with Ziggler getting tossed outside and Swagger landing some punches on Kofi. Swagger and Kofi tumble to the outside, which allows Ziggler to set up and ascend a ladder in the ring before it gets pushed over and he crashes into the ropes. Kofi dropkicks Swagger and slams the ladder onto him, but Ziggler rejoins the action by taking down Kofi and wedging a smaller ladder in the corner. Swagger sets up a ladder but Kofi jumps through the ladder with a double knee strike. Kingston dives off the ladder onto Swagger and places the smaller ladder on top of Swagger, but Ziggler hits a Famouser to Kingston onto the ladder. Vickie Guerrero then slowly climbs the ladder but Kingston is there threatening to tip the ladder over. Swagger hits Kingston with another ladder as Ziggler saves Vickie. Swagger attacks Ziggler with a ladder but Kingston uses it send Swagger to the outside before Ziggler clotheslines Kingston over the ropes. Kingston comes back into the ring but Swagger puts him in the Ankle Lock. Kofi tries to climb the ladder while stuck in the Ankle Lock but Ziggler climbs over both men. Kofi kicks Swagger off and fights with Ziggler at the top of the ladder. Ziggler is able to apply the sleeper, but Kofi fights out and knocks him to the mat. Swagger then climbs up the ladder and has a tug-of-war with Kofi over the title, but the title falls to the mat. Ziggler crawls over and picks up the title for the win. So in the opener of a show where WWE is trying to get over the idea that competitors have to take huge risks and overcome dangerous situations such as climbing ladders, the guy wins by just grabbing the belt off the mat? Way to set the tone. The match was alright and had some cool spots but the ending hurts it, and it was too short for a ladder match. Match Time: 8:58     Star Rating: **1/4

2.    Tables match: LayCool vs. Beth Phoenix and Natalya

This match was a bit surprising in that it wasn’t completely awful, but it ended up dragging on longer than it needed to be, which made it just a little step up from most WWE women’s matches. Beth slams Michelle McCool at the start and then slams Layla on top of her before grabbing a pink gimmicked table from the outside with Natalya. Natalya sets it up in the corner as Beth shoulders LayCool in the corner, but LayCool is able to fight out. The heels are quickly sent to the outside, but end up getting the upper hand as things break down into a brawl. LayCool land some kicks back in the ring before whipping Beth into Natalya in the corner. McCool tries to hit a super Faith Breaker on Natalya through a table, but Beth breaks it up. Beth tries to press slam McCool but McCool rakes the eyes before Layla goes to work on Beth. Beth tries to counter a suplex and almost hits a double slam with Natalya but McCool breaks it up. Natalya applies a cool-looking double Sharpshooter on both of LayCool, but the heels come back after Natalya breaks. McCool sets up Natalya on the top rope and centers the pink table before trying for a double superplex with Layla. Natalya hangs on and knocks Layla and McCool into the table, which doesn’t break. Natalya then splashes both members of LayCool through the table for the win. The botched finish ended up actually helping the match, but it was just a bit long for a WWE women’s match, especially one with LayCool, who get annoying fast. Still, a passable match and nothing too bad. Match Time: 9:26     Star Rating: **

After a really strange backstage skit with Kane, Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov come out to the ring. Santino cuts a brief, dumb promo to lead into an impromptu tag title defense against the Nexus. Oh this should be fun…..

3.    WWE Tag Team Championship match: Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov(c) vs. Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater

Husky Harris and Michael McGillicuty are in the corner of their Nexus stable mates. Gabriel quickly catches Santino in an arm hold but Santino hits a toss into a side headlock. Santino blocks a hip toss and hits a weak leg sweep followed by a forearm. Slater gets a tag but gets caught in a side headlock. Slater comes back with some kicks and punches, but freaks out when Santino teases the cobra. Kozlov gets the tag and hits some strikes followed by a fall away slam. Harris hits a cheap shot and Gabriel is able to tag in, applying a front chancery. Kozlov fights out but Gabriel is able to tag in Slater to work over Kozlov with a front face lock. Kozlov hits a headbutt and both men make tags. Santino comes in and takes down Gabriel before teasing the cobra, but McGillicuty takes out Santino from behind, causing a disqualification. Nexus then hit the ring after the match to lay the beat down, culminating in Wade Barrett coming down to hit Santino and Kozlov with some chair shots. Basically the same crap match from Survivor Series except with a worse finish. This is the reason the ladder match was so short? Complete waste of time. Match Time: 6:29     Star Rating: *1/4

4.    #1 Contender’s Ladder match: Sheamus vs. John Morrison

After a very underwhelming first hour, the PPV began its quick recovery with the second ladder match, where the winner would be #1 contender to the WWE Championship. This was one of the best WWE matches since probably July at the Money in the Bank PPV. Sheamus takes Morrison into the corner at the start before taking him down with a side headlock. Morrison fights out but takes a shoulder block. Morrison then charges Sheamus, sending both to the outside. Sheamus slams Morrison into the barricade and sets up a ladder across the ring apron to the announce table. Sheamus tries to launch Morrison into the ladder, but Morrison ducks and hits a big kick. Sheamus hits some strikes but Morrison spears him into the barricade. Sheamus hits a kick and throws Morrison into the crowd before grabbing a ladder, but Morrison jumps over the barricade with a diving forearm. Morrison sets up a ladder in the ring, but Sheamus tries to wedge Morrison in the corner with the ladder, only for Morrison to use the ladder for a leapfrog corkscrew cross body. Morrison climbs the ladder but gets his leg caught in the rungs when Sheamus breaks it up. Morrison is hung upside down as Sheamus tips the ladder over on top of him. Sheamus kicks at Morrison’s knee and slams a ladder on top of it. Sheamus sets up the ladder but sees Morrison crawling and goes to work on him, slamming his knee down on top of the ladder, which is now flat on the ground. Sheamus ties up Morrison’s injured leg in the ladder and uses the ladder to slam Morrison’s knee down repeatedly. Sheamus goes to climb again but Morrison grabs his ankle, only for Sheamus to put him back down and grab another ladder from the outside. Sheamus fends off Morrison and sets up the second ladder in between the bottom and middle ropes in the corner, and then hits a scoop slam, sending Morrison’s leg into the ladder. Sheamus climbs a ladder but Morrison throws another one at his back. Sheamus uses Morrison’s leg to hit an over-the-head slam, but Morrison comes back with a drop toehold, sending Sheamus face first into a ladder he was holding. Morrison hits some punches and a kick to the side of the head, but Sheamus hits the Irish Curse backbreaker.

Both guys roll out to grab ladders and have a standoff in the ring, with Sheamus dropping his ladder and Morrison throwing his at Sheamus’s face. Morrison sets up a ladder in the corner and slams Sheamus face first on it before crotching him and sending him to the outside, all while still selling the leg. Morrison tries to hop up the ladder due to the injured knee, but Sheamus hits him in the knee and sends him out. Sheamus climbs up but the contract is swaying. Morrison gets back up there and knocks down Sheamus before Sheamus pulls him off himself, but Morrison hits a headscissors that sends both guys to the outside. Morrison hops up the ladder again but Sheamus tips it over, sending Morrison into the ropes. Sheamus backdrops Morrison to the outside and starts to climb the ladder, but Morrison is on the apron and fights with Sheamus. Morrison teases a suplex out of the ring through the ladder bridged from the apron to the announce table, but Sheamus fights out and both guys end up on the side of the ladder. Morrison pushes Sheamus off, with Sheamus falling through the bridged ladder and Morrison landing on his injured leg on the floor. Morrison is up and gets in the ring to again hop up the ladder, but Sheamus gets in and tries to tip it back. Morrison is able to put one foot on the top rope and reverse the ladder’s momentum to hit a swinging kick before climbing to the top and pulling down the contract for the win. This was a great ladder match that made a star out of Morrison. He sold the leg like a pro the whole time and hit some really awesome spots. Finally it looks like he is going to get his well deserved main event push. Definitely go out of your way to check this one out. Match Time: 19:07     Star Rating: ****

After a brief backstage promo from The Miz, we cut to a shot of Husky Harris and Wade Barrett walking into the Nexus locker room, where the rest of Nexus minus David Otunga is laid out with some chairs scattered across the floor. Interesting.

5.    Tables match for the WWE Championship: The Miz(c) vs. Randy Orton

Although I had low expectations going in, this match was actually surprisingly good up until the finish. Orton is all over Miz with uppercuts and kicks before slamming down Miz and hitting a knee strike. Orton stomps at Miz’s face and chest and whips him into the corners, but Alex Riley pulls Miz out of the way when Orton charges him in the corner. Miz capitalizes with some kicks, but Orton comes back with a clothesline before sending Miz to the outside. Orton slams Miz’s head into the barricade and takes a table out from under the ring. Orton hits a suplex on the outside but Riley has put the table back. Orton grabs it again but Miz baseball slides it into Orton’s face. Miz sets the table up on the outside and tries for a suplex but Orton hits an uppercut before going for a powerslam off the steps. Miz yanks Orton’s feet out from under him, sending him face first into the steps. Miz picks up the top steps and hits Orton in the face with them before grabbing a table from under the ring. He sets Orton on top of it but one of the legs collapses. Miz teases a top rope dive but Orton rolls off the table. Miz takes it to Orton on the floor until he gets another table, which he slides into the ring. Miz slams Orton’s head onto the steps and slides him into the ring, where he hits his signature corner clothesline. Miz sets up the table and tries to whip Orton into it, but Orton counters with a modified Angle Slam. Orton slams the table onto Miz before setting it up in the middle of the ring and going for a superplex, but Riley takes the table out of the ring. Orton hits a ton of punches, a kick, a clothesline and a snap powerslam, sending Miz to the apron where Orton hits the spike DDT. Orton gets a table from the outside and clotheslines Riley. Orton sets up the table as Miz tries to attack him from behind, but Orton hits his signature backbreaker before going for a powerbomb. Riley tries to break it up and ends up distracting Orton, only for Orton to send Miz into the referee. Orton hits the RKO on Riley and powerbombs him through the table, but Miz hits the Skull-Crushing Finale. Miz then drags Orton onto the broken table and wakes up the ref, who then calls for the bell. As Miz celebrates, the ref sees the replay and orders a restart. Orton beats on Miz on the outside, sending him into the barricade and the ring post before throwing him in the ring. As Orton climbs up the apron, Miz throws Riley into Orton, sending Orton off the apron through a table on the floor. The overbooked finish just felt like a cheap way to overprotect Orton, who really didn’t need to be protected in a match like this where you can have a finish out of nowhere without making either guy look bad. The match was going along good but the finish hurts it as Miz continues to be booked horribly as WWE Champion. Match Time: 13:41 (total bell-to-bell time)     Star Rating: **3/4

6.    Fatal 4 Way Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match for the World Heavyweight Championship: Kane(c) vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Alberto Del Rio vs. Edge

This match really should have been the main event, but that’s just about the only gripe you can have here. This was a really awesome TLC match and a huge improvement from the toned-down DX/JeriShow match from last year. Kane takes Edge to the outside as Del Rio beats on Rey in the ring. Rey hits a headscissors that sends Del Rio into the corner, which he follows up with a low dropkick. Rey gets a ladder from the outside and quickly ascends it in the ring, but Del Rio tips it over, causing Rey to fall to the outside on top of Kane and Edge. Rey returns to the ring with another ladder but Del Rio puts him down. Del Rio sets up a ladder in the corner but takes a drop toehold into it. Del Rio has Rey in an electric chair position, but Rey jumps off into the ladder in the corner, where he hits a ladder assisted seated senton onto Del Rio. Kane takes out Mysterio by throwing him into the ladder and takes out Edge with the ladder, and then throws the ladder onto Mysterio and Del Rio on the outside. Edge blocks a chokeslam attempt and hits the Impaler DDT before using the ladder to send Kane to the outside. Edge starts to set up a SUPER LADDER in the ring but stops to baseball slide Kane. Edge sets up a table on the floor but Kane hits him in the face. Kane slams Edge’s head onto the announce table before throwing him into the timekeeper’s area, and then takes out Mysterio and Del Rio. Kane gets a table but accidentally rips off one of the legs, so he sets it up with the other leg down and the other side leaning against the announce table. Kane tries to double chokeslam Del Rio and Rey, but Edge breaks it up and they all gang up on Kane. After they beat on Kane, the faces turn on Del Rio and take it to him. Edge and Rey set up a table and put Kane on it, and Edge follows with a huge splash off the ladder in the ring to Kane through the table on the outside. Rey then goes into the ring and sets up the ladder but Del Rio sends him into the corner and hits an enzuigiri. Del Rio’s ring announcer hands him a chair but Del Rio takes a drop toehold into it. Rey goes for the 619 and Del Rio ducks, and Rey spins around right into a spear from Edge. Edge spears Del Rio and climbs the ladder, but Kane tips it over, causing Edge to be crotched on the top rope. Del Rio and Rey send Kane to the outside, but Kane slams them both into the barricade.

Everyone fights up the ramp, with Kane waffling people with a chair until Edge puts a stop to it at the top of the stage. Mysterio climbs on top of one of the tables hanging from the stage as a prop and dives off onto Kane, who was standing on the floor to the side of the stage. Edge and Del Rio sprint to climb the ladder in the ring, but Mysterio breaks it up and sets up both for the 619. He connects on Del Rio but not on Edge, who holds up a chair to block it. Edge and Del Rio climb up the ladder but Mysterio knocks off Del Rio before climbing up. Mysterio and Edge fight at the top but both and up crashing face first to the mat. Del Rio’s ring announcer then climbs the ladder, which would have been funny if Vickie didn’t do it earlier. He’s stopped by Kane, who takes him off the ladder with a chokeslam. Kane hits a chokeslam to Del Rio and then chokeslams Edge off the apron through a table on the floor. Rey is able to hit the 619 to Kane, hit him with a chair, and send him to the outside, but when he tries to ascend the ladder Del Rio yanks him down and catches him in the cross-arm breaker. Del Rio looks up but decides to put Rey back in the hold. Del Rio breaks and slowly climbs the ladder, but Rey tips it over, sending Del Rio out of the ring through a table on the floor. Rey goes to climb the ladder but Kane grabs his leg. Rey jumps from the ladder to the corner and tries for a moonsault, but Kane catches him and hits a Tombstone piledriver. Kane tries to climb the ladder but Edge hits him with a chair several times. Kane goes to the apron, but Edge hits a spear, sending him through the table that was set up against the announce table earlier. Edge then climbs to the top of the ladder and takes down the title to win the match. Very long, awesome TLC match with a lot of really cool spots, and Del Rio didn’t feel out of place in his first PPV world title match. This was probably the match of the night, and thank God that Kane’s horrible world title reign is over. Match Time: 22:43     Star Rating: ****

Then we got…a segment. Cody Rhodes comes out in a suit to offer his “grooming tips” while claiming that everyone in Houston has IJS, Irritable Jowel Syndrome. Cody praises his own jaw line while taking shots at the fans until Big Show comes out dressed as Santa Claus. They have a horrible bicker back and forth that includes blatant product placement for Big Show’s awful movie Knucklehead and dumb jokes about underwear. Big Show eventually hits a spinebuster to Cody before ripping off his clothes. I don’t really get what was funny about this seeing as Cody was wearing exactly what he wrestles in on each and every night. You know, I heard that the Daniel Bryan/Ted Dibase dark match was pretty good, and THIS is why it didn’t make the main card?

After that terrible segment, we see Wade Barrett and Husky Harris walking backstage, when suddenly John Cena hits Harris in the face with a chair and tells Barrett that he’ll see him in the ring.

7.    Chairs match: Wade Barrett vs. John Cena

Although I disagreed with this match being the main event, it did make sense given that this is the apparent blowoff to the Cena/Nexus angle and they hyped it up heavily throughout the evening. CM Punk comes out to do commentary before Cena and Barrett make their entrances. Cena backs Barrett into the corner where the ref forces a break, only for Cena to catch Barrett in a side headlock. Barrett fights out but Cena hits a shoulder block. Barrett tries to get a chair from the outside but Cena stops him, only for Barrett to get his hands on a chair. Barrett misses with chair shots and Cena grabs one of his own, with both guys having a standoff in the ring. Both guys swing and connect with each other’s chair, so they drop them, leading to Cena beating on Barrett in the corner. Cena whips him across the ring and hits a bulldog onto a set-up chair. Barrett uses the ref as a shield and lands some cheap shots and a pumphandle slam for a near fall. Barrett hits some punches and sends Cena into the steps on the outside. Cena crawls up the ramp, but Barrett sets up the lower part of the steps vertically at the end of the ramp before hitting Cena in the back with a chair. Barrett tries for a powerbomb on the stage but Cena counters with a back body drop. Cena grabs an office chair from backstage, puts Barrett in it, and then pushes it down the ramp, sending Barrett into the previous set up steps in a somewhat goofy spot. Cena grabs Barrett, but Barrett hits him with a chair, places Cena’s neck through it, and then pushes him neck first into the ring post.

Barrett tosses Cena into the ring and follows with a chair. Barrett brings the chair down on Cena’s chest before putting it across Cena’s throat and sitting on it. Cena powers out and hits some right hands followed by a shoulder block, but when he tries for a second shoulder block Barrett throws a chair in his face. Barrett hits some right hands and ties up Cena’s arms in the ropes. Barrett then hits a defenseless Cena in the gut and back with a chair. Cena is able to kick Barrett, free himself from the ropes, and hit a belly to back suplex followed by the Five Knuckle Shuffle. Cena goes for the Attitude Adjustment but Barrett counters with a spinning side slam. Barrett wedges a chair in the corner and both men avoid being sent into it by the other. Barrett fights off and STF attempt and sends Cena into the chair in the corner. Barrett tries for a diving chair assisted elbow drop but crashes and burns. Cena gets up, hits Barrett in the back with the chair, and hits a diving chair assisted Famouser off the top. Cena then gets some more chairs and sets up six of them next to each other in a 2 X 3 pattern, with the seats up against each other. Cena then scoops up Barrett and hits an Attitude Adjustment onto all of the chairs for the win. After the match, Cena clobbers Barrett with a chair as he crawls up the entrance ramp, and Barrett ends up laid out on the floor to the side of the stage. Cena then places a wooden push cart on top of Barrett and pulls down a row of the prop chairs used to make up the set. The chairs all fall onto Barrett in a spot that looked cool but was set up such that it was obvious Barrett was never in any real danger. Overall a good main event that had some pacing issues but enough big spots to hold it together. This was a fine blowoff to the seemingly endless Cena/Nexus storyline. Match Time: 19:09     Star Rating: ***1/4

Overall PPV Rating: 7/10

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.

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.

The ‘Raw’ match-up had a surprising change before it even got under way. Kofi Kingston was assaulted backstage by Edge, who substituted himself for the high-flying Jamaican. Rey Mysterio, Jr. pinned the Big Red Machine Kane and Chris Jericho eliminated Mike Knox. The World Champion John Cena may have joined into the fray late, but was knocked out fairly quickly with a triple-team effort by Jericho, Mysterio and Edge, who got the pin. Jericho was the next to go and that left the masked one and Edge, who finally out away Mysterio with a spear. 

In the ‘No Holds Barred’ match between Randy Orton and Shane McMahon, the Legend Killer came out on top and of course elicited help from his two stooges, Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase, Jr. 

Shawn Michaels has had a tough go of it of late dealing with his hated boss, JBL, but was able to leave the building with a smile in the ‘All or Nothing’ match. The Showstopper gave the Longhorn Loudmouth some sweet chin music and pinned him in the center of the ring. 

Jack Swagger was able to retain his ECW championship with a victory over Finlay.

Sometimes you get what you wish for, but regret it in the end. That may just be the case this Tuesday on WWE’s ECW when the brash Jack Swagger faces Matt Hardy for the championship. It all fell into place for the undefeated newcomer when on this past week’s show, he defeated Finlay and Hardy survived a non-title match with the World’s Strongest Man, Mark Henry.

ECW general manager Teddy Long granted Swagger’s wish and he will get his shot at glory. As far as entertainment purposes go, look for Swagger to either win the belt or come damn close, setting up a long and drawn out war between the two. It makes perfect sense, with no one else in the WWE-offshoot faction being worthy of the throne. Besides John Morrison and The Miz (the ECW Tag Team champions), who else is marketable enough to deserve the championship?

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