B1ade Runner
08-24-2004, 11:46 PM
My thoughts:
World Tag Team Championships:
The Dudley Boyz vs. La Resistance (c)
Very mediocre opening. Another testament to why RAW should not open a double-brand show. This was the only time that RAW opened a double-brand show in 2003 and you could see why it was a bad idea. Every other time it was Smackdown! and the resulting matches were Brock Lesnar vs. Big Show (at the Royal Rumble), Rey Mysterio vs. Matt Hardy (at WrestleMania XIX), and Team Angle vs. Team Lesnar (at Survivor Series). This was a pretty boring match with a cheap ending. The tables rematch at Unforgiven (with Rob Conway) was much better.
**
The Undertaker vs. A-Train
Not bad for a "big man" match. Both men move really nicely for their size and they have more freedom to showcase their moves than at WrestleMania (because Big Show isn't around to slow them down). The ending with Stephanie McMahon coming out was equally funny and dumb.
***
Shane McMahon vs. Eric Bishoff
I try not to look at this as an actual match, rather a half-time segment with some WWE personalities making funny appearances. As a match, it's a complete dud. Shane beats the hell out of Bishoff, then Coach turns heel and beats the hell out of Shane, all while the two heels speak on the mic and the match is sporadically made into a hardcore match. Very cheesy. But the segment has some funny bits, particularly with Stone Cold delivering the stunner to Bishoff.
**1/2
U.S. Championship:
Eddie Guerrero (c) vs. Chris Benoit vs. Rhyno vs. Tajiri
How they can put four athletes of this high caliber into a title match and give them only ten minutes to perform is beyond me, but every participant makes the absolute most of their time. Some really awesome moves and a funny bit with both Guerrero and Benoit applying submission moves to Tajiri and Rhyno and vying to make their opponent tap first. Short but sweet.
***1/2
WWE Championship:
Kurt Angle (c) vs. Brock Lesnar
Easily one of best rematches ever. The stakes were a lot different than at WrestleMania XIX and the roles had been reversed. This is how you keep a good feud fresh. It was no wonder that Smackdown! got away with putting these two in the ring together five times on a PPV in 2003. The match itself is very fast and entertaining, with a lot of amazing moves. Some people would have liked to have seen Lesnar finally pull off the shooting star press, but seeing the F5 countered into a DDT and Lesnar tapping out were more than enough to make up for it. Vince's interference threatened to cheapen the end, but seeing him get the Angle slam through a chair made it worthwhile. A great match, an even better rematch, and easily one of the best of the year.
****1/2
Kane vs. Rob Van Dam
This definitely should have gone on before the WWE title match. The crowd was clearly drained because they were not into this at all. Pile onto the fact that the action is kind of boring. RVD and Kane are usually good for these "no holds barred" affairs, but something was missing here.
***
World Heavyweight Championship:
Goldberg vs. Triple H (c) vs. Kevin Nash vs. Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Randy Orton
So many thoughts on this one. What I liked about this elimination chamber match over the first one was that it represented a mid-point for some very high-profile feuds. Some feuds were ending and some were beginning, and they either ended or began in this match. But outside of that nice little thematic observation, the match itself can only be described as "pretty good." Michaels and Jericho are wisely put in first to start the show, with Orton soon added into the mix. And then it becomes a mediocre triple-threat match. Then Nash comes in and cleans house. The match then follows the standard formula of "let's get rid of the big guy." My problem here is that Nash is only in it for TWO minutes. Now, anyone who knows anything about pro wrestling would feel this is a good thing. But I wanted to see some interaction between Goldberg and Nash. Episodes of RAW had hinted that it would happen, but Nash was eliminated before Goldberg even made it into the ring. I guess they realized Nash was no Kane (the "big man" in the original EC match) and wanted the first potential "eliminator" out of the picture. Makes sense but still kind of bothers me. Then Goldberg comes in and cleans house. This is what I love. This is the Goldberg of the WCW days: an invincible monster who can run over anyone. He decimates Orton, Michaels, and Jericho, all in progressive order of size and strength. So it is only fitting that it leads to Goldberg and Triple H. And I love the part when Goldberg elimates Jericho and you can see him staring into the chamber at Triple H, with Triple H staring back at him with this "Oh shit" look on his face. If these two had slugged it out for ten minutes or so, I would have been content. But their only interaction together is a few minutes outside of the ring. And it pretty much sucked.
The outcome of the match reminded me a lot of HHH vs. The Rock vs. Mick Foley vs. the Big Show at WrestleMania 2000 (16). There are so many challengers against Triple H that you believe SOMEONE would be able to steal the title, but no one does. But that is where the end of the match differs and I get really bothered. Rather than just stealing the win, you have the three members of Evolution beat down on Goldberg. Goldberg losing is enough. I would have rather seen him accept the loss, spear all three of them, and set the tone for a one-on-one rematch. The actual ending is unpleasant and redundant. But I was entertained.
***1/2
Overall: *** (out of 5)
World Tag Team Championships:
The Dudley Boyz vs. La Resistance (c)
Very mediocre opening. Another testament to why RAW should not open a double-brand show. This was the only time that RAW opened a double-brand show in 2003 and you could see why it was a bad idea. Every other time it was Smackdown! and the resulting matches were Brock Lesnar vs. Big Show (at the Royal Rumble), Rey Mysterio vs. Matt Hardy (at WrestleMania XIX), and Team Angle vs. Team Lesnar (at Survivor Series). This was a pretty boring match with a cheap ending. The tables rematch at Unforgiven (with Rob Conway) was much better.
**
The Undertaker vs. A-Train
Not bad for a "big man" match. Both men move really nicely for their size and they have more freedom to showcase their moves than at WrestleMania (because Big Show isn't around to slow them down). The ending with Stephanie McMahon coming out was equally funny and dumb.
***
Shane McMahon vs. Eric Bishoff
I try not to look at this as an actual match, rather a half-time segment with some WWE personalities making funny appearances. As a match, it's a complete dud. Shane beats the hell out of Bishoff, then Coach turns heel and beats the hell out of Shane, all while the two heels speak on the mic and the match is sporadically made into a hardcore match. Very cheesy. But the segment has some funny bits, particularly with Stone Cold delivering the stunner to Bishoff.
**1/2
U.S. Championship:
Eddie Guerrero (c) vs. Chris Benoit vs. Rhyno vs. Tajiri
How they can put four athletes of this high caliber into a title match and give them only ten minutes to perform is beyond me, but every participant makes the absolute most of their time. Some really awesome moves and a funny bit with both Guerrero and Benoit applying submission moves to Tajiri and Rhyno and vying to make their opponent tap first. Short but sweet.
***1/2
WWE Championship:
Kurt Angle (c) vs. Brock Lesnar
Easily one of best rematches ever. The stakes were a lot different than at WrestleMania XIX and the roles had been reversed. This is how you keep a good feud fresh. It was no wonder that Smackdown! got away with putting these two in the ring together five times on a PPV in 2003. The match itself is very fast and entertaining, with a lot of amazing moves. Some people would have liked to have seen Lesnar finally pull off the shooting star press, but seeing the F5 countered into a DDT and Lesnar tapping out were more than enough to make up for it. Vince's interference threatened to cheapen the end, but seeing him get the Angle slam through a chair made it worthwhile. A great match, an even better rematch, and easily one of the best of the year.
****1/2
Kane vs. Rob Van Dam
This definitely should have gone on before the WWE title match. The crowd was clearly drained because they were not into this at all. Pile onto the fact that the action is kind of boring. RVD and Kane are usually good for these "no holds barred" affairs, but something was missing here.
***
World Heavyweight Championship:
Goldberg vs. Triple H (c) vs. Kevin Nash vs. Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Randy Orton
So many thoughts on this one. What I liked about this elimination chamber match over the first one was that it represented a mid-point for some very high-profile feuds. Some feuds were ending and some were beginning, and they either ended or began in this match. But outside of that nice little thematic observation, the match itself can only be described as "pretty good." Michaels and Jericho are wisely put in first to start the show, with Orton soon added into the mix. And then it becomes a mediocre triple-threat match. Then Nash comes in and cleans house. The match then follows the standard formula of "let's get rid of the big guy." My problem here is that Nash is only in it for TWO minutes. Now, anyone who knows anything about pro wrestling would feel this is a good thing. But I wanted to see some interaction between Goldberg and Nash. Episodes of RAW had hinted that it would happen, but Nash was eliminated before Goldberg even made it into the ring. I guess they realized Nash was no Kane (the "big man" in the original EC match) and wanted the first potential "eliminator" out of the picture. Makes sense but still kind of bothers me. Then Goldberg comes in and cleans house. This is what I love. This is the Goldberg of the WCW days: an invincible monster who can run over anyone. He decimates Orton, Michaels, and Jericho, all in progressive order of size and strength. So it is only fitting that it leads to Goldberg and Triple H. And I love the part when Goldberg elimates Jericho and you can see him staring into the chamber at Triple H, with Triple H staring back at him with this "Oh shit" look on his face. If these two had slugged it out for ten minutes or so, I would have been content. But their only interaction together is a few minutes outside of the ring. And it pretty much sucked.
The outcome of the match reminded me a lot of HHH vs. The Rock vs. Mick Foley vs. the Big Show at WrestleMania 2000 (16). There are so many challengers against Triple H that you believe SOMEONE would be able to steal the title, but no one does. But that is where the end of the match differs and I get really bothered. Rather than just stealing the win, you have the three members of Evolution beat down on Goldberg. Goldberg losing is enough. I would have rather seen him accept the loss, spear all three of them, and set the tone for a one-on-one rematch. The actual ending is unpleasant and redundant. But I was entertained.
***1/2
Overall: *** (out of 5)