Thursday, October 30, 2008

10/30/08 TNA Impact!

Star rating key:
(negative stars) = Huh?! (BS finish; most squash matches)
DUD = Boring match (or could not enjoy the match)
1/4* to 3/4* = It had watchable moments.
* to *3/4 = Average match.
** to **3/4 = Above average match.
*** to ***3/4 = Great match; usually saved for PPVs
**** to ****3/4 = Match of the year candidate
***** = The rarest of all matches. A classic.
_________________________________

10/30/08 TNA Impact!:
ODB & Christy Hemme vs. The Beautiful People: There were some good spots in the match. Nice wrestling from ODB and Angelina Love. Four or five minutes of action is not bad for the Knockouts. *1/4

Eric Young vs. James Storm: Nice fast start. Typical heel antics and a cheap rollup by Young for the win after miscommunication. There were a couple of nice moves, but hell, this match maybe got 2-3 minutes. 3/4*

Motor City Machine Guns vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Volador: Interesting that they brought in a guy from Mexico and a guy from Japan. Nice fast start. Great action with aerial moves and double-team maneuvers. Very good non-stop action. Unfortunately, it was maybe a six or seven-minute match, and I wish TNA would devote more time to such great talent. **1/2

Samoa Joe & AJ Styles vs. Booker T & Kevin Nash: Nice suicide dive from Joe; he never ceases to impress me. Decent action here, with each wrestler hitting some sort of impact move. To me, it was not as good as the previous tag match because it seemed to drag on. The match maybe got about 12 minutes. *3/4

Abyss vs. Kurt Angle: The two basically brawled in the stands for about 8 minutes at the start. It still was very entertaining and definitely got the crowd into it. Angle showed why he is regarded as one of the top pro wrestlers, showing his great technical wrestling and his ability to draw heel heat. Signature moves from both wrestlers produced some nice false finishes. Nice counters from Angle and Abyss. The DQ finish was a big letdown, but good stuff nonetheless. ***

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

10/28/08 ECW

Star rating key:
(negative stars) = Huh?! (BS finish; most squash matches)
DUD = Boring match (or could not enjoy the match)
1/4* to 3/4* = It had watchable moments.
* to *3/4 = Average match.
** to **3/4 = Above average match.
*** to ***3/4 = Great match; usually saved for PPVs
**** to ****3/4 = Match of the year candidate
***** = The rarest of all matches. A classic.
_________________________________

10/28/08 ECW:
Chavo Guerrero, Bam Neely, & Mark Henry vs. Evan Bourne, Matt Hardy, & Finlay: **3/4
Jack Swagger vs. Tommy Dreamer: **1/2

Monday, October 27, 2008

10/27/08 RAW

Star rating key:
(negative stars) = Huh?! (BS finish; most squash matches)
DUD = Boring match (or could not enjoy the match)
1/4* to 3/4* = It had watchable moments.
* to *3/4 = Average match.
** to **3/4 = Above average match.
*** to ***3/4 = Great match; usually saved for PPVs
**** to ****3/4 = Match of the year candidate
***** = The rarest of all matches. A classic.
_________________________________

10/27/08 RAW:
CM Punk & Kofi Kingston vs. Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase (World Tag Team Titles): A very good match. Punk and Kofi brought the flash, and Team Priceless came through in their heel role very well. Kofi's nip-up hurricanrana was extremely unique. Nice finish to the match. ***

Santino Marella vs. "GlamaHaas": Perhaps the funniest impersonation Charlie Haas has done yet. It wasn't even a match, though, as Honky Tonk Man nailed Santino with his guitar to cap an entertaining skit. N/A

Kelly Kelly, Candice Michelle, & Mickie James vs. Katie Lea, Layla, & Jillian: Nice rolling double-team move from Candice and Mickie. Action was not bad. It also was not breathtaking, either. 1/4*

Rey Mysterio vs. Evan Bourne: This was a match I looked forward to, and it delivered big time. I certainly hope this will lead to Vince McMahon signing more undersized wrestlers, because this is what WWE needed: fast-paced action with two guys just giving it their all. The match had a nice mix of timely counters, submission moves, high-impact moves, and aerial moves. Even with Rey's botch on the ropes, Bourne covered up the mistake well. The finish was well done because it made Bourne remain strong. There should be at least one more match between the two in the future. One gripe: could they NOT go to commercial when we have these two guys go at it next time? ***1/2

Batista & Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho & JBL: HBK got ambushed in the back by JBL before the match, so he didn't show up until the end. The match was pretty good. Batista did well in taking the punishment and then making all sorts of comebacks. Finish was OK. HBK barely got in any offense, but still played a pivotal role in allowing Batista to hit the Batista Bomb and score the win. **1/4

Sunday, October 26, 2008

10/26/08 Cyber Sunday

Star rating key:
(negative stars) = Huh?! (BS finish; most squash matches)
DUD = Boring match (or could not enjoy the match)
1/4* to 3/4* = It had watchable moments.
* to *3/4 = Average match.
** to **3/4 = Above average match.
*** to ***3/4 = Great match; usually saved for PPVs
**** to ****3/4 = Match of the year candidate
***** = The rarest of all matches. A classic.
_________________________________

10/26/08 Cyber Sunday:
Rey Mysterio vs. Kane (No Holds Barred): This match featured a bunch of great counters. Kane moves well for such a big man, and these two have quite a chemistry. The added effect of weapons helped the rating. I liked that the two men did not rely totally on weapons, incorporating a bunch of wrestling in the match. ***1/2

Matt Hardy vs. Evan Bourne (ECW Title): The fans easily won here. This was a clear match of the year candidate. Evan Bourne brought the flashy moves, and Hardy had to pull a Twist of Fate out of nowhere to get the win. I'm sure a bunch of people thought Bourne would pull one out - until he missed the Shooting Star. I liked the last-ditch effort from Bourne to use a backslide to try and win. ***3/4

The Miz & John Morrison vs. Cryme Tyme: Again, the fans made the right choice to have this match instead of the other two. Cryme Tyme has some great chemistry, and so do Miz and Morrison. Nice spot with Shad throwing JTG onto Miz and Morrison on the outside. Decent back-and-forth action. Typical heel way to win with the ref restraining the illegal guy on the face team and the two heel guys double team for the win. **1/4

Honky Tonk Man vs. Santino Marella: This was a decent choice, especially to go along with Santino's "Honk-a-Meter" dealie each week. Unfortunately, we got a crappy DQ finish. The entertaining pre-match skit kept it from negative stars. But hey, we all knew this segment was merely for entertainment purposes, right? After all, Santino hasn't actually been a part of even an average match since SummerSlam. DUD

The Undertaker vs. The Big Show (Last Man Standing Match): This was perhaps the most well-booked match of Cyber Sunday. Taker utilized several counters to keep Show at bay. Smart booking by WWE to make Big Show look completely unstoppable towards the end of the match. It really did appear that Show would win on more than one occasion, but Taker added to the suspense (and to the delight of the crowd) by continuing to get up. The triangle choke at the end was a pleasant surprise, considering we hadn't seen that in a while. It was a perfect way to end the match, and considering the match could have ended that way with any of the other stipulations (I Quit or Knockout), I really thought that was very well-planned. ****

Mickie won the Divas Halloween Costume Contest. Gotta love Tomb Raider. I also liked Michelle McCool (army brat), Kelly Kelly (sailor), Maria (bunny), and Maryse (French maid). The most bizarre costume easily went to Victoria (Peanut Butter Jelly Time banana).

Triple H vs. Jeff Hardy (WWE Title): Both men had some nice mind games at the start. Hardy had some offense in, but HHH mainly controlled most of the early going. Nice crossface from HHH, but an even better counter by Hardy after being in the hold for a while. Hardy came back with quality offense, which got the crowd even more riled up. Hardy seemed to get too greedy going for more than one Swanton. There was decent action until the end, and HHH managed to find another way to hit the Pedigree for the win. Their match at No Mercy was clearly better, though. ***1/2

Batista vs. Chris Jericho (World Heavyweight Title; special guest referee Stone Cold Steve Austin): The crowd went absolutely nuts when it was revealed that Austin won the fan vote (by a wide margin, no less). Good job by Austin to make sure Y2J doesn't blatantly get DQ'd or counted out. Y2J worked well on Batista's knee to take away the power game. Very surprised to see Batista go to the top and hit a shoulderblock. I liked how they incorporated the other two choices for referee (HBK and Orton) and even JBL into the match. It seems to set the stage for a future feud. The fans were very much into the match. This one, although very well done, does not get four stars because the entertainment aspect overshadowed the wrestling too much during the final few minutes. ***3/4
_________________________________

This was a very good PPV. Hats off to WWE.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

10/24/08 Smackdown

Star rating key:
(negative stars) = Huh?! (BS finish; most squash matches)
DUD = Boring match (or could not enjoy the match)
1/4* to 3/4* = It had watchable moments.
* to *3/4 = Average match.
** to **3/4 = Above average match.
*** to ***3/4 = Great match; usually saved for PPVs
**** to ****3/4 = Match of the year candidate
***** = The rarest of all matches. A classic.
_________________________________

10/24/08 Smackdown:
Maryse & Natalya vs. Michelle McCool & Maria: 1/4*
Carlito & Primo vs. Bam Neely & Chavo Guerrero: *1/4
R-Truth & Kung Fu Naki vs. MVP & Shelton Benjamin: *1/2
The Brian Kendrick vs. Super Crazy: DUD
Triple H vs. The Undertaker: ***1/2
_________________________________

I really liked the segments involving Carlito & Primo with the Bella twins. Apparently this is how we will finally (in due time) get to see both twins on camera.

The Great Khali Kiss Cam segment was downright hilarious. I couldn't stop laughing.

The main event was one of the best I have seen on free TV in a very long time. If we had a clean finish, it would have been at least four stars.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

10/23/08 TNA Impact!

Star rating key:
(negative stars) = Huh?! (BS finish; most squash matches)
DUD = Boring match (or could not enjoy the match)
1/4* to 3/4* = It had watchable moments.
* to *3/4 = Average match.
** to **3/4 = Above average match.
*** to ***3/4 = Great match; usually saved for PPVs
**** to ****3/4 = Match of the year candidate
***** = The rarest of all matches. A classic.
_________________________________

10/23/08 TNA Impact!:
Finally, TNA in HD in Vegas. Very nice new graphics and a nice new screen in the background for the entrance video.

Christy Hemme vs. Velvet Sky: Decent aggression throughout the match, but it just looked too fake and quite a few moves were botched. Fans still liked it, though. 1/4*

By the way, I think the Legends Title looks awesome.

Sheik Abdul Bashir vs. Jay Lethal (X-Division Title): The match started off great, had great crowd reaction, and featured non-stop action. Unfortunately, this match did not get more than two minutes, which was a huge letdown. Also, having Bashir go over clean does not help Lethal in the title hunt at all. *

Beer Money, Inc. vs. Team 3D vs. LAX vs. Matt Morgan & Abyss (Tag Team Hard Rock Hardcore Text-Off Gauntlet; Tables Legal): Nice action all around. Fans wanted tables all throughout the match, which was nice. The tease with the lighter (to make a flaming table) was also good for crowd reaction. Didn't care for the interference at the end, though. **1/2

Awesome Kong vs. Taylor Wilde (Knockouts Title): Very good action. Great counters from Wilde. Interference from Saeed eventually led to Kong finally winning back the title. Real exciting and a nice number of near falls for such a short match. *3/4

Sting & Kevin Nash vs. AJ Styles & Samoa Joe: There were a bunch of watchable moments, but again, the match was way too short and cheating to win, even if it was to draw heel heat, it's just not my cup of tea to a good match. *1/4

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

10/21/08 ECW

Star rating key:
(negative stars) = Huh?! (BS finish; most squash matches)
DUD = Boring match (or could not enjoy the match)
1/4* to 3/4* = It had watchable moments.
* to *3/4 = Average match.
** to **3/4 = Above average match.
*** to ***3/4 = Great match; usually saved for PPVs
**** to ****3/4 = Match of the year candidate
***** = The rarest of all matches. A classic.
_________________________________

10/21/08 ECW:
Jack Swagger vs. Brett Baderly: Complete squash. No crowd reaction. -****

Shad vs. The Miz: A couple of botched spots and a DQ finish were the low points. I did not care for the interference by JTG and Morrison. The match seemed to drag on until Shad made a decent comeback. *

Evan Bourne vs. Finlay vs. Mark Henry: Very entertaining match. Finlay either has a legit pec injury, or he sold real well. Amazing feat of strength from Mark Henry when he had Finlay on his back and carrying Bourne in the front. Nice innovative stuff from Bourne as always. ***

Monday, October 20, 2008

10/20/08 RAW

Star rating key:
(negative stars) = Huh?! (BS finish; most squash matches)
DUD = Boring match (or could not enjoy the match)
1/4* to 3/4* = It had watchable moments.
* to *3/4 = Average match.
** to **3/4 = Above average match.
*** to ***3/4 = Great match; usually saved for PPVs
**** to ****3/4 = Match of the year candidate
***** = The rarest of all matches. A classic.
_________________________________

10/20/08 RAW:
Kelly Kelly & Candice Michelle vs. Jillian & Katie Lea: *1/2
JBL vs. Stone Cold Steve "Haastin": 1/4* (it was amusing)
Rey Mysterio vs. Snitsky: 1/4*
The Miz & John Morrison vs. CM Punk & Kofi Kingston: **1/2
Cryme Tyme vs. Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase: N/A (Team Priceless w/Manu attacked CT before the bell and the ref called off the match)

Batista vs. William Regal (Gauntlet): DUD
Chris Jericho vs. William Regal (Gauntlet): -***

Mark Henry vs. Chris Jericho (Gauntlet): 3/4*
Batista vs. Mark Henry (Gauntlet): -***

Kane vs. Chris Jericho (Gauntlet): *1/2
Batista vs. Kane (Gauntlet): -***

Sorry Adamle. To me, your Gauntlet Match idea sucks.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

10/17/08 Smackdown

Star rating key:
(negative stars) = Huh?! (BS finish; most squash matches)
DUD = Boring match (or could not enjoy the match)
1/4* to 3/4* = It had watchable moments.
* to *3/4 = Average match.
** to **3/4 = Above average match.
*** to ***3/4 = Great match; usually saved for PPVs
**** to ****3/4 = Match of the year candidate
***** = The rarest of all matches. A classic.
_________________________________

10/17/08 Smackdown:
Big Show vs. three guys (in three different matches: Knockout, I Quit, and Last Man Standing): -****
Carlito & Primo vs. Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder (Tag Team Titles): **1/4
R-Truth vs. MVP: *
Ezekiel Jackson vs. Super Crazy: -****
The Undertaker vs. The Great Khali: *3/4
Maria vs. Maryse vs. Natalya vs. Victoria vs. Brie Bella (Divas Las Vegas Match): DUD
Jesse & Festus vs. Kenny Dykstra & Ryan Braddock: *1/2
Vladimir Kozlov vs. Jeff Hardy: **

Thursday, October 16, 2008

10/16/08 TNA Impact!

Star rating key:
(negative stars) = Huh?! (BS finish; most squash matches)
DUD = Boring match (or could not enjoy the match)
1/4* to 3/4* = It had watchable moments.
* to *3/4 = Average match.
** to **3/4 = Above average match.
*** to ***3/4 = Great match; usually saved for PPVs
**** to ****3/4 = Match of the year candidate
***** = The rarest of all matches. A classic.
_________________________________

10/16/08 TNA Impact!:
Motor City Machine Guns vs. Sheik Abdul Bashir & Sonjay Dutt: **
Booker T vs. Hernandez: *1/4
Roxxi vs. Raisha Saeed: 3/4*
Kevin Nash vs. Consequences Creed: 3/4*
Kurt Angle vs. Matt Morgan: **1/2

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

10/14/08 ECW

Star rating key:
(negative stars) = Huh?! (BS finish; most squash matches)
DUD = Boring match (or could not enjoy the match)
1/4* to 3/4* = It had watchable moments.
* to *3/4 = Average match.
** to **3/4 = Above average match.
*** to ***3/4 = Great match; usually saved for PPVs
**** to ****3/4 = Match of the year candidate
***** = The rarest of all matches. A classic.
_________________________________

10/14/08 ECW:
Evan Bourne vs. Chavo Guerrero (Cyber Sunday Qualifying Match): This was a tremendous match with a ton of counters. Excellent mat wrestling and high-flying moves involved. Nice use of near falls. Nice strong finish. ***1/2

Finlay vs. John Morrison (Cyber Sunday Qualifying Match): Another great matchup with very nice basic mat wrestling. There were some real nice spots in the match - including Hornswoggle's suicide dive through the ropes - but basically, the use of the shillelagh and other interference does not make the match better than Bourne's. ***1/4

Monday, October 13, 2008

10/13/08 RAW

Star rating key:
(negative stars) = Huh?! (BS finish; most squash matches)
DUD = Boring match (or could not enjoy the match)
1/4* to 3/4* = It had watchable moments.
* to *3/4 = Average match.
** to **3/4 = Above average match.
*** to ***3/4 = Great match; usually saved for PPVs
**** to ****3/4 = Match of the year candidate
***** = The rarest of all matches. A classic.
_________________________________

10/13/08 RAW:
Kane & Mark Henry vs. Matt Hardy & Rey Mysterio: *3/4
JBL vs. "Haas Hogan" (Charlie Haas): -*
Batista vs. Shawn Michaels (Lumberjack Match): **1/4 (sucks that there was a no-contest ending, but that was predictable)
Cryme Tyme & Kelly Kelly vs. The Miz, John Morrison, & Jillian: 3/4*
CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho (special guest referee Batista): *1/2

Sunday, October 12, 2008

10/12/08 Bound for Glory

Star rating key:
(negative stars) = Huh?! (BS finish; most squash matches)
DUD = Boring match (or could not enjoy the match)
1/4* to 3/4* = It had watchable moments.
* to *3/4 = Average match.
** to **3/4 = Above average match.
*** to ***3/4 = Great match; usually saved for PPVs
**** to ****3/4 = Match of the year candidate
***** = The rarest of all matches. A classic.
_________________________________

10/12/08 Bound for Glory:
Jay Lethal vs. Sonjay Dutt vs. Jimmy Rave vs. Curry Man vs. Chris Sabin vs. Johnny Devine vs. Petey Williams vs. Shark Boy vs. Super Eric (Steel Asylum): ****1/4
ODB, Rhaka Khan, & Rhino vs. The Beautiful People & Cute Kip ("Bimbo Brawl"): 3/4*
Sheik Abdul Bashir vs. Consequences Creed (X-Division Title): **3/4
Taylor Wilde vs. Awesome Kong vs. Roxxi (Knockouts Title): **
Beer Money, Inc. vs. Matt Morgan & Abyss vs. Team 3D vs. LAX (Monster's Ball Four-Way for Tag Team Titles): ***3/4
Booker T vs. Christian Cage vs. AJ Styles: ***1/2
Jeff Jarrett vs. Kurt Angle (special enforcer Mick Foley): ***3/4
Sting vs. Samoa Joe (World Title): **1/2

10/10/08 Smackdown

Star rating key:
(negative stars) = Huh?! (BS finish; most squash matches)
DUD = Boring match (or could not enjoy the match)
1/4* to 3/4* = It had watchable moments.
* to *3/4 = Average match.
** to **3/4 = Above average match.
*** to ***3/4 = Great match; usually saved for PPVs
**** to ****3/4 = Match of the year candidate
***** = The rarest of all matches. A classic.
_________________________________

10/10/08 Smackdown:
Brie Bella vs. Natalya: 3/4*
R-Truth vs. Shelton Benjamin: *3/4
Jeff Hardy vs. MVP: **1/2
Jesse, Festus, Carlito, & Primo vs. Curt Hawkins, Zack Ryder, Kenny Dykstra, & Ryan Braddock: *1/4
The Great Khali vs. three jobbers: -****
Triple H vs. The Big Show (WWE Title): **

Thursday, October 9, 2008

10/9/08 TNA Impact!

Star rating key:
(negative stars) = Huh?! (BS finish; most squash matches)
DUD = Boring match (or could not enjoy the match)
1/4* to 3/4* = It had watchable moments.
* to *3/4 = Average match.
** to **3/4 = Above average match.
*** to ***3/4 = Great match; usually saved for PPVs
**** to ****3/4 = Match of the year candidate
***** = The rarest of all matches. A classic.
_________________________________

10/9/08 TNA Impact!:
Cute Kip vs. Rhino (No DQ): *1/2
Consequences Creed vs. Sonjay Dutt vs. Petey Williams vs. Jay Lethal (Four-Way #1 Contender's Match for X-Division Title): ***1/4
Matt Morgan & Abyss vs. Beer Money, Inc.: *1/2
Awesome Kong & Raisha Saeed vs. Roxxi & Taylor Wilde: **
Booker T vs. AJ Styles (special guest referee Christian Cage): **3/4

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

10/7/08 ECW

Star rating key:
(negative stars) = Huh?! (BS finish; most squash matches)
DUD = Boring match (or could not enjoy the match)
1/4* to 3/4* = It had watchable moments.
* to *3/4 = Average match.
** to **3/4 = Above average match.
*** to ***3/4 = Great match; usually saved for PPVs
**** to ****3/4 = Match of the year candidate
***** = The rarest of all matches. A classic.
_________________________________

10/7/08 ECW:
Finlay & Tommy Dreamer vs. Jack Swagger & Mike Knox: Just your traditional tag team match. Good wrestling from Swagger as he continues to show more of his arsenal. Hornswoggle and the shillelagh make their usual cameos. Knox of course is the one to be pinned so Swagger doesn't look weak. *1/2

Mark Henry vs. Jamie Noble: Noble tried, but really, did anyone expect Noble to win this one? At least it was not the worst thing ever and Noble actually got offense in. DUD

John Morrison, The Miz, Cody Rhodes, & Ted DiBiase vs. CM Punk, Evan Bourne, Ricky Ortiz, & Kofi Kingston: It's very reassuring seeing that all eight people in this match are young and are doing well on WWE TV. It was a decent match with a bunch of action. Usual Evan Bourne stuff early on. Nice spots from Kofi and Ortiz near the end. Manu interfered too much for my liking. Ending was unoriginal...typical heel stuff to allow Morrison to get the win. **

Monday, October 6, 2008

10/6/08 RAW

Star rating key:
(negative stars) = Huh?! (BS finish; most squash matches)
DUD = Boring match (or could not enjoy the match)
1/4* to 3/4* = It had watchable moments.
* to *3/4 = Average match.
** to **3/4 = Above average match.
*** to ***3/4 = Great match; usually saved for PPVs
**** to ****3/4 = Match of the year candidate
***** = The rarest of all matches. A classic.
_________________________________

10/6/08 RAW:
Santino Marella & Beth Phoenix vs. Jamie Noble & Mickie James (Mixed Tag): Very short match + lame finish = bad rating. It didn't help that Noble's punches didn't look believable at all. In my books, Santino last participated in a decent match at SummerSlam. -*

Ted DiBiase vs. Kofi Kingston: Decent spots in the match. Not too fond of the Team Priceless interference but it makes sense because they are heels. Interesting spot with Kofi doing some kick on DiBiase while in the ropes. DiBiase needs a better finisher. I actually wouldn't mind him just sticking with the Million Dollar Dream as the finisher, but come on, a Russian leg sweep after sticking his opponent in the Dream? That's as lame a finisher as Hogan's legdrop. 3/4*

Mark Henry & Kane vs. Rey Mysterio & Matt Hardy: Not a bad match. Having two smaller wrestlers go against two big men is a task, but it worked pretty good here. The finish was creative and well done because it showcases Henry's strength and does not make Matt look bad. **

Shawn Michaels vs. Lance Cade (No DQ match): Pretty violent match for its brevity - which I like - but it was still too straightforward. Table spot always gets a reaction. HBK's relentless chair shots reminded me of Stone Cold doing that to The Rock at WM 17. 3/4*

Kelly Kelly vs. Jillian Hall: Basically we listened to Miz/Morrison and Cryme Tyme trade insults throughout the match. That was probably used to drown out any "boring" chants that might have started - or at least prevented the camera from panning on people heading for the bathroom or the concessions. Good thing, because the match was horrible (quite a few botches) and went way too long. -***

Batista vs. JBL (special guest referee Chris Jericho; special guest timekeeper William Regal, special guest commentator Randy Orton): The match was your typical bout where the wrestling promotion stacks the deck against the face and it looks like there's no shot, but in the end the face pulls it out. Jericho gets taken out by a Batista spear when Batista was going for JBL. Adamle shows his face near the end and gets a real ref down to do the end whilke Jericho just watches stunned. Nice pop for the finish. *3/4

Sunday, October 5, 2008

10/5/08 No Mercy

Star rating key:
(negative stars) = Huh?! (BS finish; most squash matches)
DUD = Boring match (or could not enjoy the match)
1/4* to 3/4* = It had watchable moments.
* to *3/4 = Average match.
** to **3/4 = Above average match.
*** to ***3/4 = Great match; usually saved for PPVs
**** to ****3/4 = Match of the year candidate
***** = The rarest of all matches. A classic.
_________________________________

10/5/08 No Mercy:
Matt Hardy vs. Mark Henry (ECW Title): Very solid match with great chemistry. Nice counters and a hot crowd boost the rating. The right person won in this one. ***

Beth Phoenix vs. Candice Michelle (Women's Title): Again, a very solid match with the predictable interference from Santino. Very good finish at the end with a counter into the Glam Slam. **1/4

Rey Mysterio vs. Kane (If Rey loses, he loses his mask): Another very entertaining match with an extremely hot crowd. Great spots from Rey, including an excellent flipover counter into a DDT and several high-flying moves. Rey took a sick chair shot at the end, but it resulted in a crappy DQ finish. If it was a clean finish, the rating would have been higher. ***1/4

Batista vs. JBL (#1 Contender's Match for World Heavyweight Title): It was a pretty straightforward match. Batista got in most of the offense. Nice amount of impact moves and the crowd enjoyed it. *1/4

The Big Show vs. The Undertaker: Great counters and impact moves. Great false finish on the Big Show chokeslam. The Taker counter into a DDT was pretty nice. Not a bad finish with the KO ending, but it was still a bit disappointing. **1/2

Triple H vs. Jeff Hardy (WWE Title): Nice basic wrestling to start, a telltale sign for a pretty long match. It was an epic encounter, with Hardy so close to winning the belt at least 3-4 times. The crowd was the loudest and most intense of the night. Unbelievable action at the end, with Hardy basically hitting every move he knew and countering HHH's Pedigree to get one last shot. The ending was fantastic because it kept so consistent with the storyline about how Hardy was so close to the brass ring, and yet so far. The match went about 18 minutes, which was about right. The crowd (rightfully) seemed confused at the end and it sets the stage for a future rematch. Obviously, if Hardy had really won, this would have gotten a higher rating. ****1/4

Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels (Ladder Match; for World Heavyweight Title): This was yet another match-of-the-year candidate. both men beat the crap out of each other, and Jericho legitimately cracked a tooth during the match (just see his face after the match and it's obvious). There were a ton of big spots in the match, as every ladder match is, but the two sickest ones were the suplex onto the announce table and the fall Y2J look from the top of the ladder to the floor. I'm amazed Y2J didn't really blow his knee out. Lance Cade interference was minimal and acceptable. The finish was unique, with both men grabbing one half of the belt in a tug-of-war. ****1/4

Saturday, October 4, 2008

10/3/08 Smackdown

Star rating key:
(negative stars) = Huh?! (BS finish; most squash matches)
DUD = Boring match (or could not enjoy the match)
1/4* to 3/4* = It had watchable moments.
* to *3/4 = Average match.
** to **3/4 = Above average match.
*** to ***3/4 = Great match; usually saved for PPVs
**** to ****3/4 = Match of the year candidate
***** = The rarest of all matches. A classic.
_________________________________

10/3/08 Smackdown:
Jeff Hardy, Rey Mysterio, Finlay, & Batista vs. MVP, JBL, The Brian Kendrick, & Kane: **3/4
Santino Marella vs. Shelton Benjamin (Champion vs. Champion): 1/2*
Mark Henry & The Great Khali vs. Chavo Guerrero: -**
Carlito, Primo Colon, & CM Punk vs. Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase, & Manu: *3/4
Beth Phoenix vs. Michelle McCool (Divas Lumberjack Match): 3/4*
Triple H vs. Matt Hardy vs. Chris Jericho (Champions Triple Threat): **1/2

10/2/08 TNA Impact!

Star rating key:
(negative stars) = Huh?! (BS finish; most squash matches)
DUD = Boring match (or could not enjoy the match)
1/4* to 3/4* = It had watchable moments.
* to *3/4 = Average match.
** to **3/4 = Above average match.
*** to ***3/4 = Great match; usually saved for PPVs
**** to ****3/4 = Match of the year candidate
***** = The rarest of all matches. A classic.
_________________________________

10/2/08 TNA Impact!:
Angelina Love vs. ODB: 1/2*
LAX vs. Motor City Machine Guns (Monster's Ball Qualifier): **1/2
Sheik Abdul Bashir vs. Eric Young vs. Jimmy Rave (X-Division Title): *
Team 3D & Booker T vs. AJ Styles, Christian Cage, & Jay Lethal: **
ODB & Rhaka Khan vs. The Beautiful People: 3/4*