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I am a regular purchaser of WWE Raw pay per views, and this past Sunday was no different as I positioned myself in my newly refurbished guest TV room to spill another $40 into the pockets of Vince McMahon, while hoping for the card to be as good as it was on paper. All in all, it was, and I wasn’t left whining about all the beers I could’ve bought with those 40 dollars. I went to bed relatively satisfied. Or, considering the circumstances, shall I say…stratusfied? Okay, I promise, that’s the final corny joke of the column.
Jeff Hardy vs. Johnny Nitro for the Intercontinental Title
Jeff Hardy/Johnny Nitro was one of the bouts I was most looking forward to. And I was happy to see them get a good chunk of time to show what they were capable of. What’s funny about being a WWE fan that enjoys the wrestling aspect of it so much- you find yourself watching the clock thinking, “There’s NO WAY this one is gonna last 20.†But as the match progressed, it became clear that they were working enough of a scientific style for it to last past 15. A couple of the exchanges between the two seemed botched, and it was easy for some of us to tell that there was some miscommunication there, but that is easily overlooked when the overall match quality is good. I wouldn’t mind seeing this feud continue for at least another month. Seeing as how Melina has cost Jeff the first two matches in this series, I could see a third match being booked, but I could also see it being dropped altogether due to WWE’s lack of continuity. Time will tell!
The Spirit Squad vs. The Highlanders for the WWE Tag Titles
Like most, I’ve had just about my fill of the Spirit Squad. Them being a part of the tag division certainly hasn’t done much to help their already diminishing interest value. And The Highlanders, while having a recognizable look, will fade fast if they’re not put into a program the fans care about. And seeing as how often WWE likes to drop the tag division, the McCallister cousins could be finding themselves on the losing side of a big man-tag team handicap match sooner than later. That said, the match didn’t contain any surprises. The finish seemed a bit anticlimactic, though.
Kane vs. Umaga
I never thought the day would come when I actually looked forward to a Kane match, but I’ve enjoyed the work between him and Umaga recently. There’s something special about seeing an otherwise unstoppable monster in Kane face another dominant force and not be able to run roughshod right over him. I didn’t think this match was the best these two could do, and I understand the reason for the count-out ending, but overall, the fact that someone like myself is once again interested in the Kane character says something about WWE creative- they may actually have come back from their summer vacations!
DX vs. Vince, Shane, and Big Show: Hell in a Cell
Was anyone else surprised that Jim Ross prefaced the Hell in a Cell match by calling it, “the match many of you have paid to see� Nope, me neither. When it comes to HIAC matches, it is very hard not to compare it to its predecessors. So, looking at it from that angle, the match was in the middle, possibly in the low end of the Cell rating scale. Shane bumped his ass off, as is custom, Big Show generally was a non-factor, whose main purpose was to serve as a canvas for Vince McMahon’s bloody face. And speaking of, I thought it was a decent enough idea storyline-wise to have DX turn the tables on Vince and stick HIS face in someone’s ass. However, not only do I think the whole “Kiss My Ass†thing has gotten as old as it is sophomoric, but a bloody face on someone’s ass? I guess safety precautions are only necessary in legitimate sports! In the end, the match was entertaining, and if you weren’t expecting someone to scale the cage and take a monster bump, you probably enjoyed it, too.
Trish Stratus vs. Lita for the Women’s Title
The match itself was extremely solid. One of the best women’s matches I’ve seen since the Trish vs. Mickie match from Westlemania (minus the messy ending of that one). LOVED Trish’s ass cleavage and she proved that you CAN be a hot woman and still have a great match. For thoughts on Trish and her retirement, see below.
Carlito vs Randy Orton
I actually think Carlito and Randy Orton is a really good idea for a program. Both men are in the middle-upper tier of the card, and Randy needs someone the fans care about to work with at this point. I’ve always liked Carlito’s work, and this match was no different. His use of springboard moves is always impressive and his Backcracker finisher is my current favorite move. And the finish with Randy catching Carlito off the top rope with the RKO was a really cool spot. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not singing Orton’s praises yet, but putting him with a worker like Carlito is probably the best situation you can put him in for now. And I don’t see this hurting Carlito’s rep either.
John Cena vs. Edge: TLC Match for the WWE Title
This was the match of the night, in my opinion. While a wrestling card can certainly be solid without them, the occasional sick bump can kick any PPV into high gear. And this match had its share of them, for sure. The botched sunset-flip-powerbomb was unfortunate, but the FU through the two tables to end the match was an awesome spot. However, Cena sure didn’t seem happy with the win, did he?
The next topic of conversation is the retiring Trish Stratus. Now, the Trish retirement is a mixed bag for me. I have total respect for what she’s accomplished and the fact that she didn’t just rest on her looks. But from the minute Carlito mentioned on Raw that Trish was retiring, it came across as an angle to me. Of course, from reading this site, we all knew it wasn’t, but I think many of the fans watching believed that it was. And I think that might be the reason the MSG fans didn’t seem too crazy about her on last week’s Raw (regardless of the fact that NYC fans tend to be more “inside†than not). But with that said, her match with Lita was good to outstanding, and if this was her last match, she went out the right way. It is extremely rare these days that a performer state that they’re leaving the business and actually go through with it on live TV. Now whether she’ll stick to it is another story altogether. Her silence after her title win certainly leaves things open for a return, at least logically.
One person who has at least been trying to make a name for himself lately is Chris Kanyon. Months back, after being out of the wrestling spotlight for some time, Chris announced on the Internet that, in addition to his wrestling persona being gay, he himself was as well. And the reaction to this news within the wrestling community was probably about as deafening as a whisper in a library on Sunday. And then, a couple of weeks ago, he made a surprise appearance at a WWE house show. And I say surprise, because apparently not even WWE management knew about this cameo. And Chris was escorted out by security.
Now, I know the initial impression is naturally going to be, “Wow, this guy has officially lost it.†At the same time, his thinking probably is, “I’ve GOT to make an impact. I have to make people pay attention me. What better way to do that than to create a buzz much like Matt Hardy and Brian Pillman did, forcing WWE to hire me due to public demand?†Well, from the looks of it, Kanyon is a long way away from making an impact anywhere near what a Pillman or even a Hardy did. But my opinion is a bit different from those you may have heard. I actually feel sorry for Chris. Here’s a guy who I’m sure is just trying to get noticed and be remembered for doing something groundbreaking. But I’d be lying if I said I thought what he was doing wasn’t foolish. At the same time, it wouldn’t seem so foolish if people started to talk about him, he sparked our interest, and he was eventually hired. After all, everybody plays the fool at some point in their lives. But today? Not happening. Some people are able to catch lightning in a bottle. So far, Chris hasn’t been able to catch a cold.
That’ll just about do it for me this time around. If you’re on the fence about ordering the Unforgiven replay, I’d say order it if for no other reason than the flashy spots in the TLC match, Trish going out with a bang, and an entertaining Hell in a Cell match.
Till next time, feel free to contact me at SKAJOE@optonline.net.
