1) The Miz vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Sin Cara vs. Cody Rhodes - Intercontinental Championship Match
There was a vast number of styles in this match which caused for a slow start with some miscommunication however it turned into a solid opening bout. The exchanges between Cara and Mysterio were great, Rhodes held his own, and Miz played his role very well. Some nice action & nearfalls followed by a clever victory from Miz ends this fun opening match.
Match rating - **3/4
2) Daniel Bryan & Kane vs. Kofi Kingston & R-Truth - Tag Team Title Match
The first thing I noticed about this match was how over Daniel Bryan was. I remembered him being popular and the Team Hell No stuff being hilarious although I didn't realize his major popularity went back this far. The fans loved him so much that every time Kofi Kingston hit a move on him, they would boo. It was crazy. None the less, this was an enjoyable little bout that did what it set out to do which was showcase more tension between Bryan & Kane only for them to win the belts in accidental fashion.
Match rating - **1/2
3) Antonio Cesaro vs. Zack Ryder - United States Championship Match
This was actually much better than I thought it would be. Since Ryder has been a jobber for the past few years, I thought this was gonna be another squash, but thankfully they gave these guys a few minutes. It was an enjoyable match with some good exchanges that made me want to see them have another bout with more time.
Match rating - **3/4
4) Randy Orton vs. Dolph Ziggler
The show had been enjoyable thus far although it there hadn't been any standout matches until this one came along. Both guys worked hard and strung together a great match with multiple near falls. Orton catching Ziggler in a powerbomb off a famesser attempt was cool to see. There were alot of cool reversals like that. The most notable thing here was that it ended with the elevated RKO that we saw Orton do to Ziggler earlier this year (2014) on Raw. Really good match.
Match rating - ***1/2
5) Layla vs. Eve - Divas Championship Match
I recently picked up Extreme Rules 2012 on DVD and if I remember correctly, these two faced off for the Divas Title at that PPV as well. I guess that was an off/on feud in 2012 although I can't really remember it. None the less, this one started off good with some chain wrestling however Eve's heel turn brought some slopiness to the match as she pulled Layla's hair and such. Your basic Divas match.
Match rating - **
6) Sheamus vs. Alberto Del Rio - World Heavyweight Title Match
Unlike most people, I actually enjoy watching these two wrestle even though I will admit they get boring at times. The first half of this match was one of those times as I struggled to get into it until the second half began. But when that second half began, it was very good. The momentum shifted back and forth as Del Rio went to work on the arm while Sheamus continued to try to hit the Brogue Kick. The kick was actually the story of this match because Booker had banned it weeks prior however he "reinstated" it right before the match. Decent match, dull first half, good second half.
Match rating - ***
7) CM Punk vs. John Cena - WWE Championship Match
As mentioned before, the main reason I bought this DVD was for this match. I'm a massive fan of the Punk/Cena series and this is the only match from it that I haven't seen. Needless to say, this was yet another classic between these two. From the opening bell they drew me in with unique, never before seen counters to each other's signature moves such as Punk arm dragging Cena when he went for the five knuckle shuffle and locking him in the Anaconda Vise. Both guys tremendously showcased their desire to be champion by pulling out all the stops as Cena hit a dive which blew my mind and Punk went out of his comfort zone by attempting a moonsault. As if things couldn't get any more crazy, Punk hit Cena with a Rock Bottom after he kicked out of two GTS'. Speaking of kicking out of finishers, it's rare to see anyone kick out of an AA so seeing Punk kick out brought me out of my seat every time. The finish with Cena german suplexing Punk off the top rope was briliantly done and made my jaw drop. Phenomenal match.
Match rating - ****1/2
Overall thoughts: This event is worth buying/checking out solely for the Cena/Punk match in my opinion. It's the reason I bought it and it lived up to expectations. If you have the Network, I'd check this out mainly for Orton/Ziggler and Punk/Cena. If you don't have the Network like myself, this DVD is only $5 on Amazon as of this writing so I'd recommend picking it up. The two aforementioned matches are easily worth the five bucks.
Follow me on Twitter @EthanPWT and this blog @ThePWTruth to keep up with all my future articles and reviews!
No comments:
Post a Comment