Before we get started, I want to state that I intentially waited a little while before writing this article. It was meant to go up yesterday, but a few things got in my way. However, the reason I waited at least a day is that after posting my immediate reaction video, I wanted to let the event sink in and really understand everything that went into the creative decisions for the event. With this being a rate the booking piece, it's important for me to be cerebral with my remarks rather than working off emotion.
So has the time changed my opinion of the event? For one thing, I now have seen the whole thing (I only caught about half of it live), but the answer is yes. Not that my outlook was entirely negative on Sunday, but with more time to digest, I have a better understanding of the way things went down.
For starters, this was a really fun show. The concept of this Pay Per View is one that allows for big spots, brutality, and a lot of different ways to execute a match. Even in an era without blood, this concept works very well. Heck, I'd even say it works better without blood, as we no longer have to believe in the "realism" of blading. We got to see brutal wars, and not once did I think about anything outside of that.
The question though, is whether these wars were booked properly? Did the right guys (or girls) win? Did people get buried (well, other than the literal burial at the end of the show)? Let's take a look:
Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match: Dolph Ziggler(c) vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Jack Swagger - Exactly what you are looking for out of an opening contest and had a very cool ending. There was plenty of fast paced action, plenty of spots (though not overkill), and when the finish was coming, the match built up to it. You can't tell a story much better than that. I predicted Ziggler would retain because I feel like his heel run has to end to a face that will use the victory to catapult their career. Having Ziggler drop the title in a ladder match against two opponents after a long reign would seem silly. Still, I didn't envision the finish happening the way it did. I liked that both Swagger and Kofi had a chance at the belt and everyone thought one would win, then the title fell and Ziggler walks away with it! It's clever, and it makes Ziggler even more hated for winning a match he had no business winning. Great booking and a fun opening contest to boot.
Divas Tag Team Tables Match: Natalya & Beth Phoenix vs. LayCool - This one I got totally wrong. Perhaps it comes from the fact that I am often unwilling to accept feud enders, but I figured LayCool would win here. The general rule of thumb is that whoever gets the upper hand right before the Pay Per View is the person or team who loses at said Pay Per View. In this case, Natalya and Beth had the upper hand on Monday and followed through with a mostly dominant performance on Sunday. Given that LayCool are the only over heels active in diva competition, I wasn't sure they'd get dominated here. Now where does Natalya go? Where does Beth go? Does Beth still need to feud with LayCool? Credit the girls for putting on a solid match and one of the best diva matches all year, but I just have questions as to where the division will go from here. Hopefully those will get answered in the coming weeks. I'm still hoping for a Diva Royal Rumble, but somehow I doubt that will happen..........
Unified Tag Title Match: Santino Marella and Vladimir Koslov(c) vs. Justin Gabriel and Heather Slater of Nexus - There's not a ton to say about this. It wasn't booked beforehand and it was put on the card as foreshadowing for later in the night. It did a good job of that, as Nexus beat up on the tag champs.
Number 1 Contender Ladder Match: Sheamus vs. John Morrison - MATCH OF THE NIGHT. And it really wasn't that close. This was a fantastic match that was exciting, told an excellent story, had plenty of spots, and saw potentially the rise of a new main eventer. While some have tried to compare him to Shawn Michaels, I liken John Morrison to Bret Hart. While both were not blessed with the ability to cut amazing promos, both men more than make up for it in ring prowess. You can't help but be sucked in by a John Morrison match, especially lately. The guy connects with the crowd through his wrestling ability and I think there's a market for that. This victory may have solified his spot near the top, and as long as they keep his promos and vocal interactions short, you can push him the way Bret Hart was pushed. Perfect match and perfect result. Hard to top this one.
WWE Championship Tables Match: The Miz(c) vs. Randy Orton - Here is where the controversy begins. My colleague Alex over at Squared Circle Sideshow was a bit perturbed over the false ending in this match, and I kind of was too.........at first. The more I thought about it though, and really, it took about 5 minutes of thought, the more I realized that it was booked PERFECTLY. The original ending to the match where Miz replaced Alex Riley with Orton to make it look like he went through a table was genius...........if the feud was going to continue. However, John Morrison was already crowned #1 contender and Orton needed to lose without having an excuse that would justify a rematch. Having never actually been put through a table would have been grounds for a rematch. Thus, restarting the match and still having Riley help out was a way to get added heat and to give Orton no way of getting another match at this time. It wasn't the best match on the card, but for Miz's first Pay Per View title match, it was pretty entertaining. This was a lot better than anything Orton did with Sheamus, which may be a sign that Miz can have some chemistry with the top stars, which may in turn keep him a top star himself. Now, onto the former tag team partners feud.
World Heavyweight Championship TLC Match: Kane(c) vs. Edge vs. Alberto Del Rio vs. Rey Mysterio - Not the greatest TLC match in the world, but perhaps that sentiment is due to the phenomenal ladder match earlier in the night. There were some fun spots in this one, and it still was a fun match to watch, but this is why the best act is supposed to be last! Though many aren't sure where the Smackdown main event picture will go (myself included), I believe the right man won. Obviously, that's because I picked him and this temporarily put me ahead of SM Punk for the night, but even still, the Kane/Edge program sucked. Thus, it might be determined that Kane is only a good champion when he's facing his brother. Edge, however, should offer a bit more and maybe, just maybe, we'll get the Edge/Christian title feud that I've been asking for all year! Despite the somewhat weak ending, this was still a pretty well booked match and I believe the right guy won. To those who wanted Del Rio to win (like my friend), could you imagine the risk involved in having TWO first time champions at the top of both of your programs. That's tough, so going with the reliable Edge is the right move here.
Chairs Match: John Cena vs. Wade Barrett - There was definitely a sentiment among fans that this match shouldn't have gone on last due to not being a title match, but really, when a 6 month feud is going to culminate, and will do so with a symbolic gesture of epic proportions, are you really going to put that in the middle of the card? Could you imagine if the Miz/Orton match ended the show? It would feel weird to end on that note, woudln't it? Thus, this match HAD to end the show, and it ended the feud as well. I was incorrect in picking this one, but in my defense, the rumor is that feud was actually going to end at the rumble but was moved up for various reasons. Thus, I WOULD have been right, but WWE screwed me! Conspiracy I tell you! Some will say that this now buries Wade Barrett (literally and figuratively) as well as the Nexus, but 6 months of working with WWE's top talent is NOT a burial. Did you not think Cena would eventually overcome? It took him 6 months to figure out how to beat them! It will be interesting to see where Nexus goes next, as obviously I don't think they are done. The question is, where do you go after John Cena? About the only thing on the same plane is working with Undertaker, so maybe that's the plan............we shall see. As for the match, it was fine for a chairs match. Of course, I still don't really understand what a chairs match is, but it wasn't bad for one. The AA spot at the end looked brutal and the symbolic gesture to end the show worked well. Knowing what we know now, I think this was booked just fine. This was the finale of a long feud, and WWE's resident hero finally prevailed. Don't like it? That's the point of wrestling! Bad guys torment for a period of time but the good guy ultimately prevails in the end. That's how it will ALWAYS work. This was much better than it should have been. Let's enjoy it for what it was.
This was a great Pay Per View. All the matches were fun, and this is a concept that actually works. I was very adament about getting rid of themed Pay Per Views, and I still may believe that for shows like Money in the Bank and Hell in a Cell, but this show has a lot of match options and it gives value to a 2nd tier show. This was one of the most fun shows I've seen all year and I wouldn't mind this one every year. On top of the big spots and fun aspect of the matches, this show was booked very well, as unique endings highlighted the night. From title belts falling to a seemingly improvised splash onto an unbreakable table, the creative team was just that on this night. creative. When even lifelong fans like myself are saying "wow, that was unique", you know you've done something right. On Sunday night, the WWE did a lot of right. I recommend they continue to do so.
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