WWE: SummerSlam 2011 DVD Review

WWE SummerSlam 2011 DVD Review
WWE Shop recently had a big DVD sale and this is one of the several DVD's that I picked up. I wanted to relive some of the great moments of the phenomenal year that was 2011. Since I already had seen Punk & Cena's classic bout at Money In The Bank, I was eager to see their second match up. That was the main drawing factor in buying this DVD. Well, that and the fact that the cover is just awesome. Well, without any further a due let's get started as we take a look back at SummerSlam 2011.

1) Rey Mysterio, Kofi Kingston, & John Morrison vs. The Miz, R-Truth, & Alberto Del Rio
The show started with a promo from The Miz who was interrupted by R-Truth. Both were very entertaining. I was quickly reminded why I enjoyed both of them so much in 2011. Such a shame that as of this writing they are jobbers. They're both so talented. None the less, the match gets started and it was a great opener. It was fast paced, featured alot of action, and got the crowd fired up for the rest of the evening. It did exactly what a good opener should do so I have nothing to complain about here. Fun match.

Match rating - 7/10

2) Sheamus vs. Mark Henry
Well this was a drastic change in pace from the spotty, fast paced six man tag that opened the show. Despite that, it was still a fairly enjoyable big man match. It was a little slow at times, but was executed very well. This was right before Sheamus really hit his in ring peak, but he still did a good job here. The match ends in a countout after Mark Henry slams Sheamus through the barricade, that was pretty awesome I must say.

Match rating - 6/10

3) Kelly Kelly vs. Beth Pheonix - Divas Championship Match
I was actually surprised by this match as it turned out to be fairly good. I've always been a big fan of Beth Pheonix, but never realized that Kelly Kelly actually became decent in the ring during her run as Divas Champion. She hit some nice moves in this match and Pheonix played her role perfectly. Not anything out of this world, but still a solid contest.

Match rating - 6/10

4) Wade Barrett vs. Daniel Bryan
And this is where the show started getting awesome. First things first, it's absolutely CRAZY to watch this now seeing how much Daniel Bryan has changed over the past few years. From his entrance music to his beard - it's so different. One thing that was the same here though was Bryan's outstanding in ring ability. He delivered a wonderful match with Barrett and both men brought out the best in each other. I think this match is often overlooked, but truth is it shouldn't be. It was a damn good match. Great contest here between two young superstars looking to make their name.

Match rating - 8/10

5) Christian vs. Randy Orton - No Holds Barred Match for the World Heavyweight Championship
Going into this match I knew it would be great because Orton and Christian are two of the most solid in-ring workers out there. These guys took full advantage of the No Holds Barred stipulation by using steel steps, kendo sticks, trash cans, and several tables. This wasn't overly spotty which was good. It had a fair amount of spots, but each of them were placed at the perfect spot in the match and weren't thrown together. Although Christian did take all of the big bumps in the match. Despite that one minor complaint, this was a phenomenal match between Christian and Orton.

Match rating - 9/10

6) CM Punk vs. John Cena - WWE Championship Match - Special Ref: Triple H
Man, it sure seems like Triple H always manages to find his way into the main event of SummerSlam in some way shape or form. Although he did do a good job refereeing here so no complaints from me. This was a more technically based match from Cena and Punk which was perfectly fine with me. Punk continued to bring out the best in Cena here just like he did at Money in the Bank. The chemistry these two have in the ring is unmatchable. I'm always amazed at how many different counters CM Punk can come up with for some of Cena's signature moves that no one ever seems to counter. From hitting Cena with a knee when he went for a shoulder block to countering out of the five knuckle shuffle with a kick to the head - Punk had Cena scouted. They traded submissions on the mat several times throughout the match which was very fun to watch. Then came the ending where Cena had his foot on the rope, but Triple H missed the call. Just when I say Triple H did a great job refereeing this match - he screws up haha. But we all know it was storyline so let's move on. Despite the unclean finish, this was another classic between Punk and Cena that I will likely watch over and over again. It's not as good as their match at Money In The Bank, mainly because it doesn't have that emotional feel to it, but it's still one hell of a match.

Match rating - 9/10
Then we have the infamous ending which is very chaotic. Kevin Nash hits the ring and nails CM Punk with a JackKnife Powerbomb which allows Alberto Del Rio to run to the ring and cash in his contract successfully. Alberto Del Rio is the Undisputed WWE Champion! I wasn't sure on the call to put the belt on Del Rio during this super interesting Cena/Punk/HHH storyline, but this was an awesome way to end the PPV. Controversial endings like this remind me of why 2011 is one of my favorite years in WWE. Wonderful storylines throughout the year including this one.

Overall thoughts: There wasn't anything on this show that bored me or that I found weak. The six man opener was fun and so was the Divas Match. Sheamus/Henry was a little slow, but still enjoyable. Then we got 3 outstanding matches in the form of Bryan/Barrett, Christian/Orton, and Cena/Punk. Not much to complain about here. A solid showing from WWE that is much better than what we normally get from them. This was a milestone night in WWE as it was the first time in many years that an Undisputed WWE Championship Match was held and the first time ever that there was two WWE Champions. This was a historic night and featured three phenomenal matches. I recommend.