Superstar Sleeze

WWE Champion Randy Orton vs John Cena - Breaking Point I Quit Match At first, I was like what is the big deal this is just the usual John Cena vs Randy Orton match. Then Orton started stomping Cena's head on the steel steps. I was like that is pretty violent. Then Orton busted out the handcuffs and cuffed him to the ropes. Well that's definitely escalating thing. Then he hung him up on the post and the match got good, real good. This is the WWE at its cinematographic best. Orton pouring water on Cena so he doesn't pass out. A defiant Cena spitting the water back in Orton's face when he asks him if he quits. Orton whacking Cena as hard as he can with Singapore Canes to the exposed ribs leaving some of the nastiest cuts and bruises on Cena's body. Cena punting him in the balls. This was just great, over the top action movie ass kicking. The verbal selling of Cena was off the charts great in this match. His facial expressions too really captured the agony and helplessness of the situation. Orton did a great job writhing in pain after the ballshot. Orton gets a chair shot to the head and then another one. The way Cena flexes his entire body from the body almost like he is being electrocuted has to go down as one of the single greatest moments of selling in wrestling history. Orton misses with a chair shot and Cena knocks him down. He has the key. Cena cuffs Orton to himself meaning Orton has nowhere to run, nowhere to hide! CENA UNLEASHES THE FURY! We are talking some Jerry Lawler shit right now. WHERE HAS THIS CENA BEEN! These big hammock rights and all the energy this is what Cena should be. Orton does get an RKo as his last gasp. Then he tries to drag Cena to the key. Great drama here with the crowd finally coming alive. Cena ends up overpowering him and wrapping the chain around him such that in the STFU Orton is basically choking himself out. Orton says I Quit! Beginning of the match being very pedestrian & run of the mill means this is not *****. I thought the finish was good, but could have been great if the metal of the cuff was around Orton's mouth but that's a nitpick. Now let me gush. Cena's selling was truly special. You could argue that he was not selling those Cane shots because they were a fucking shoot. Holy shit! I think the crowd was not reacting because this was not a conventional wrestling match with spots. It was closer to an action movie torture scene. Where Orton had Cena totally helpless and was just torturing him to get him to say I Quit, to break his spirit and rob Cena of his pride. Cena NEVER GIVES UP! They came up with a good way to get Cena the keys and then Cena just DESTROYED Orton! Really unique presentation until pretty much any wrestling match I have ever seen. Kudos! ****1/2

WWE Champion Randy Orton vs John Cena - Summerslam 2009 I bought this PPV because the Punk/Hardy storyline was so engrossing that my brother and I just had to get this one. For soap enthusiasts, Bold & The Beautiful's Ridge Forrester is in attendance for this show. I spotted him in the crowd in a couple shots when they pan. This is during Randy Orton's very lean and very hairless phase that makes him look wicked creepy. A little context, Batista actually defeated Orton for the belt in June, but got injured in the match. So WWE just rebooted put the belt back on Orton and had him feud with Cena. Honestly, not a bad idea, their 2007 feud got cut short by an injury and even though they had a match at No Way Out 2008 was not exactly a blowoff. Then for some strange reason John Cena ended up in a feud with JBL. Oh yes, HHH was too busy pushing himself in 2008. I think the Cena/Orton feud of 2009 is make good for their 2007 feud being put on hold, but also only exists because Batista got injured. Weird how life turns out. Main eventers got injured a ton during this era. More context, Orton has his current theme music and is being presented as pure evil, the Viper and diabolical. He shows none of those traits in this match. Unless diabolical just means methodical. A big problem in modern WWE is lack of heeling from heels. What did Orton do that was heelish in this match? He broke up the early chain wrestling with fists. In the modern landscape, that is hardly egregious. No eyerakes. No choking. No real underhanded tactics. Just the usual slow Orton heat segment punctuated with a chinlock. John Cena really hates babyface shine. The reason he has not turned heel is because I honestly don't think he can work a match on top (see the Roman match at No Mercy where he clearly should have worked heel and didn't). I like the burst of aggression from Cena at the beginning out of the corner. Then he gets stymied by a reverse elbow. A Reverse Elbow! A FUCKING REVERSE ELBOW! Hulk Hogan used to no sell that shit, brutha! We get the standard Cena comeback halfway through and it gets extended out. I dig the Ode to Misawa with the extended comeback I think it is the best part of Cena's game. Orton's powerslam is good way to cutoff him. I love Orton dropping down on the shouldertackle sending Cena flying to the outside. Great bump by Cena. Also a good setup for the Hangmans DDT. They do a good Punt tease. The slugfest comes off great. Cena's punches look great here. Cena is actually showing some fire. Orton gets backdropped and shoves the ref?!?! Instant DQ. Match of course restarts. Then Orton beats down Cena and leaves, counted out. Match restarts. I just want to stop here. This is some of the worst booking in history. First, why Orton is giving up so easily. They have established no Orton character. Is he a chickenshit or not? Was he in that much danger? They were also presenting it like he had run out of ideas and options. He had NOT even tried for the RKO. That was bad. Then the countout. He beats up Cena and leaves. Just pin the dude. Not only does this make Orton look stupid. It makes Cena look like a chump. The finish is Cena has him in the STFU, a "fan" who is a DiBiase chokes out the ref, security pulls him off. They actually sell this well until the camera shoots to the "fan" again because I kinda bit on it (even though I have seen this PPV before). I actually read a review where the guy says a fan did this and just kinda brushes it off like it is no big deal. Either he knew and didn't say in the review or thought it was no big deal some random dude tried to choke out Scott Armstrong. Anyways Orton takes advantage of the distraction to hit the RKO and win. There is a reason I had ZERO recollection of this match because it is a blasé, pedestrian match with some really shitting booking.

Agree with all your points, WingedEagle, as you will see below. John Cena vs Batista - Summerslam 2008 Terrific match, exactly what I needed to see to remind me how great a big match player, John Cena is. Total Dome, Clash of the Titans style match that if it happened in the Tokyo Dome or at WrestleMania would be more fondly remembered. Honestly, I am surprised this is not more well-known. I think ever since 2005 or so there has been a problem with the WWE's myth-making machine in dubbing matches as classics. In the 90s, the WWF drilled in the fans heads which matches were the classics, but I think that has sort of subsided over the years. It is a real shame that awesome matches like these are forgotten rather than celebrated. The beauty of this match is the parallel lives these men have led, both winning their first championships at WrestleMania XXI ushering in the modern era. Cena was the standard bearer for RAW and Batista was the face of Smackdown. They did a great job keeping them apart for three years. That was the great thing of the brand split is allowed them to create their own dream matches. Just needed to wait 3-5 years and voila fans would be pumped to see a match of this magnitude. Just watching them make their entrances felt electric. It feels like the pinnacle of this era of the WWE. I thought the match they worked was pitch perfect. Face vs face matches work best when there is a lot of symmetry and eveness. This match had it in spades. The way they each had one slam a piece. They each had one suplex a piece. They had the same number of pin attempts. On top of that, these are two faces known for their power. You add in that Clash of Titans feel. The power game being on display. I love how this match is worked around finisher attempts. Going for a finisher is dramatic. You know the match could end. It creates a moment of chaos. If he hits it, he could win. But the possibilities are even more exciting if he doesn't. Going for a finish will freak your opponent out as he scrambles to evade it. This opens him up to be clobbered once he has wriggled free. So even though you don't hit it, you can take command of the match we see this with Batista going for the BatistaBomb early, Cena evades, but eats a clothesline. Going for a finish is also a gamble. You are committed to the move, but you don't know your opponent will react. Batista's evasion of the FU leads to him chopblocking the knee and leading to a kneecrusher and a figure-4. Going for that finish early left John Cena open. Great psychology. On top of that, amazing selling here from Cena that reminded me of his ability to be a great sympathetic babyface. I thought out of the kneecrusher and in the figure-4 he did stupendous. The FU, where he FUs him over the top rope after the figure-4, fighting through the pain and fighting through Batista having the ropes is a beauty. You know Cena is toast and he needs this move if he wants to have a chance at all. It is a great BIG highspot for these two behemoths. Now they trade comeback routines. In a match structured like this, I love it. It feels big and important. John Cena gets the STFU as a good symmetrical counterpart to Batista's figure-4. Then as he is going for the FU, Batista drops down into a rear naked choke. At first, I loved this counter. It was both sudden and unexpected (never seen Batista use that). Unfortunately, it was quite possibly the worst, loosest "choke" I have ever seen. They tried to zoom in at first you could see that a huge gap between Batista's arm and Cena's neck. They quickly zoom out and try their best to find a shot of this shitty chinlock. The way Cena sells it after it is released is amazing. The choking and he is disoriented. BANG! SPEAR! You are so focused on Cena and then you are totally caught unaware by the spear as is Cena. Loved the suddenness there. Then use one of the ultimate Clash of the Titans moves...the backward reverse of the powerslam (think of how Sting/Rude reverse the tombstone) and Cena hits an FU out of that! WOW! Cena goes up top they slug it out. Cena goes for that legdrop and eats a Powerbomb. Thought this was the finish given how this is where they say he was injured. Kickout. Wow I bit so hard on that and I popped just like the crowd. Cena eats another BatistaBomb for three. I dig it. I think the first kick out makes Cena look legitimately strong but they immediately go to the finish which feel definitive. It was an even match all the way. Cena went high risk and he go caught that simple. It was a simple power match that Cena took next level with his selling and each having that superstar presence. One of the best matches of this era and one of the best BIG, Clash of the Titans, Dome type matches of all time. ****1/2

World Heavyweight Champion John Cena vs Chris Jericho - Armageddon 2008 I get excited for the video package showing Cena snapped and destroyed Jericho and that this has a shorter match time. I thought as a way to build off last match they would have a more hate-filled brawl. Instead, they basically wrestle the same match, but without the same focus from Jericho. They lock up and it is a strong lock up but why is it even stevens? Cena is always presented as stronger and should have shoved Jericho off. That was bad. Jericho grabs a sleeper and hangs on for dear life. John Cena, why do you hate babyface shines? Cool spot early is Jericho goes for his usual springboard dropkick but gets caught in a fireman's carry on apron but transitions into a bulldog into the steps. Jericho's heat segment is not nearly as good. The comeback is so basic. The spots are generally well set up like Cena missing the Throwback and Jericho hitting the Lionsault. Or Cena going for the FU and Jericho landing on his feet hitting the Codebreaker. In between Cena is hitting his moves the legdrop from the top and an FU. STFU leads to Walls and then Walls leads to STFU. What was the hook here? They did the neck psychology in the last match. If you are going to back to that well, do it. It was sort of half-assed. Cena's hatred for the babyface shine kills me. Then just finisher trading down the stretch. ***

World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho vs John Cena - Survivor Series 2008 2008 was the Year of Jericho and I am going to re-live it MAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNN. For my money not only his best year of his career, but he was the best wrestler of the year in 2008. After hitting it out of the park with Shawn Michaels in the best blood feud of this millennium, he faces the returning John Cena. For the life of me, I couldn't remember what the hell John Cena did 2008. Turns out feud with JBL and get injured, no wonder this is not the most memorable year of Cena's career. Besides the winning the Championship here in his hometown of Boston, Mass (I was NOT in attendance due to being at school in Michigan), he had the match with Batista at Summerslam (which I need to see) and the surprise return & win at the Rumble. So not a bad year, but definitely not his best. I thought this was really strong and I was really shocked how this was pretty much universally panned. The strong neck psychology is refreshing during this time period and Jericho actually comes off as violent. There is one clothesline that is a real head-rocker and a string reverse elbow. I really thought Jericho was the MVP of the match and really showed me something here. I don't think the Jericho of 2005 could have worked this match. He was laser focused on the neck. I liked them zooming in on the scar early. Cena wrestled the beginning of the match like a champ. Goes for the F-U early and Jericho heads for the hills. Lets get in and out, smart strategy. Jericho hits a shouldertackle, Cena lands hard on the back of his injured neck, rolls out. Collects himself. Then charges! He unleashes fury. I would love to see this during his comebacks. This time he goes for STFU. Again smart looking to end the match early. Cena looks to ascend to the top, but changes his mind and comes back down. As he is re-entering the ropes, Jericho kicks him and nails a Double Arm DDT right on the head compressing the injured neck. So whats the story here? Why did Cena come down? Well you see the last time Cena did a move off the top was Summerslam 2008 against Batista he was caught and Powerbomb and this is how he herniated the disc in his neck. Now that's holy shit, awesome psychology. Jericho is just money here. Kicks Cena head up against the steel post. Nasty dropkick to the head as Cena is kneeling. Cena takes a great bump off a missed shouldertackle when he is trying to get something started. The story of the match to me is that Cena's strategy was to go in swinging with reckless abandon. Jericho is weathering the storm, making Cena miss and then attacking the neck. Strong hold focused on the neck like the Full Nelson. Cena is selling really well. The match like most late-00s matches goes a bit off the rails in the latter stages. This is a watch out in future Cena matches but I think he has an issue transitioning to his comeback. The shouldertackles and the FU all come outta nowhere with no real flow. The initial comeback is a little too rote for me, shouldertackles, missed punch, Jericho backflips out of the protobomb, Lionsault, Cena moves, Jericho lands on his feet, scooped up proto-bomb. It was an elaborate dance. There was no struggle. I didn't like his reaction during the Five Knuckle Shuffle. Like he was just happy to be there. I think that stuff has a place and that place is at the beginning of the match. That smile would have been perfect for the shine not late down the stretch after you have taken a ton of shit to your neck. The best stuff late is Jericho's Liontamer and then traditional Walls of Jericho. Cena's only hope was out of nowhere bombs. The way he sold it just didn't jive with me. It felt like false Pro Wrestling NOAH epic. Jericho kept the violence coming with the reverse elbow, headbutt and clotheslines. They way overthought the finish. There is a great moment where Cena is on the top rope having knocked Jericho off and he overcomes his fear hits his patented legdrop. He is fired up, Hit the fucking FU and win the match. It was built. But they do the Codebreaker, the STFU and then FU. It is really overwrought. This is my traditional review for matches from this era. Love the first 2/3rds and they drive me bonkers in the last 1/3. To me a real feather in Jericho's cap because he looked strong on top (something lacking from him), sound psychology, and focused. Cena was amazing at the outset and the transition to the heat segment playing off the injury was amazing as was later on him overcoming his fears. Just way too much throwing out finishers and "epic" selling drag this down from classic status. ****

Did you actually watch it? Because then you wouldn't be so grumpy. Also Microstatistics deserves the credit for that find.

I was thinking about her. I was like do I put her on when I have seen only three matches of hers or Matt Borne who I have only seen three matches. Doink won out. She does have a great front kick. I am in confident in my top 13. Everything else is a clusterfuck.

I feel like I am a generally positive person and I do actually like WWF/E wrestling. But are there really 100 great WWE wrestlers? Because I feel like it is more like 40. Am I missing something?

You all are a bunch of haters! Vince being all "awwww shucks" goofy was funny.

Undertaker brings out a RIP marker for the death of a tax bill. Then Undertaker standing ominously while the NJ Gov is announcing Summerslam is hilarious.

Stone Cold is one of the all time great gimmicks. Totally unhinged and dangerous. He has that crazy look in his eye. He is unnerving but also hilarious. Great sociopathic performance.

Great promo his accent sounds good. Sounds like someone remembered his high school German. Great idea!

Awesome debate! This is a good use of the shoot promo and creating the feel of a worked shoot. I thought Lawler was amazing and definitely side with him. Him having no friends was great. I do wish there was a better finish. It just kinda ended. Either beat him up or have him run away.

To me this is the official beginning of the Attitude Era and the WWF finally turning it around. They basically threw two weeks of TV away for the European tour. The first week in Manhattan Center was terrible with a shell roster and those ECW wrestlers. Then the Germany show was a strong house show but was not good TV from Angle development point of view. This opening and show just felt so fresh!

Akiyama has the Misawa & Kobashi matches headlining his resume, but I'm not sure I can make a case for him bumping Kobashi here, especially given that he's got my runaway MOTY for 2000. Very much agree on AJ's 2016. Just out of this world and a legit all time year. Would have to look things over, but you don't think Danielson's run in '06 rises to that level? Its the only other year that came to mind on the domestic side, but haven't looked back at the lists for a close comparison. My ROH watching is very sketchy admittedly. Within American wrestling that's my biggest blindspot.

2016 is a slam dunk for AJ. Best calendar year in the US since Flair in 89. AJ should probably win 2014 & 15 and 2009.

WWE Tag Team Champions Team Angle vs Los Guerreros - WWE Backlash 2003 I am skipping the triple threat match at WrestleMania with Benoit & Rhyno because I hate triple threats. I thought this was a better version of their Smackdown title switch. Here we get a better shine because Guerreros are really playing up the Lie, Cheat & Steal gimmick. Just really fun stuff, Eddie is just a maestro of playing to the crowd and even Chavo gets in on the action. They make routine cheating spots so much fun and bring a smile to your face because they are just relishing every moment. I thought the heat segment was really good. I didn't like Eddie just letting Benjamin tag out to Haas but at least Haas made him pay with back body drop (great bump by Eddie). Eddie worked really strong in this match upped his offense, but his selling was great. He brought this face in peril alive. Good hope spot like that snap back suplex. Great cutoffs from Team Angle with nasty double legs and ankle picks. Chavo was a great hot tag, just flying around, lots of energy. He eats a massive powerbomb from Benjamin but Eddie hits a missile dropkick on Benjamin and then three Amigos on Haas, but Chavo cant capitalize. Eddie hits a frogsplash as he is desperately trying to help Chavo, but again Chavo cant get the win. Team Angle does the trip on a suplex while Benjamin holds the feet ala Rude/Warrior Mania V. Team Angle beats the Guerreros at their own game, but the Guerreros never to be outdone in Lying, Cheating, & Stealing, steal the WWE Tag Team Belts. Just a solid tag team formula that demonstrates the undeniable charisma of Eddie Guerrero. ***1/2

WWE Tag Team Champions Los Guerreros vs Team Angle - Smackdown 2/6/03 Benjamin & Haas are a bit bland. I love a good amateur/shooter gimmick, but I feel like it has to be couple with being a cocky prick or being a white meat babyface. These two seemed better suited for the latter, but they were not positioned that way nor were either exuding that. They just sort of are there. I love Eddie. It has been a long time since I watched some Eddie. I have to say this is more like Eddie in cruise control than Eddie rock n rolling, but it was still nice to watch him again. He is such a pleasure to watch. I thought Chavo was laying his shit in and looked good. Early on Guerreros try to wrestle Team Angle clearly not a great strategy but they fare ok. This is what I mean Haas & Benjamin are just sort of there. Then the Guerreros take over with some double teams the old tag rope choke or posting. Good suplex by Eddie and a hard shot by Chavo. It is a traditional shine, but the Guerreros look good. Team Angle takes over when Chavo gets hit off the apron. They do their finish (the Benjamin jumps over Haas and lands on Chavo). Second time Eddie breaks it up. It just does not feel hot. Eddie hits Three Amigos and then a superplex and Chavito hits a Frogsplash for two. Things get kinda sloppy in the finish with Chavo missing a save but still going through with it and the nearfall on Eddie didn't come off great. Heyman takes a bump off by catching a Chavo splash which was crazy. Then Eddie frogsplash, Shelton isn't legal and Haas with an Oklahoma Roll to win. Not a bad finish kind of a microcosm of the whole match, not bad. ***

WWE Champion Brock Lesnar vs Undertaker - No Mercy 2003 Biker Chain Nowhere near their No Mercy 2002 Hell In A Cell Match classic, but few matches are, but I thought this was pretty good. It was just way too long. Clocking in at around 25 minutes, they could have shaved off ten minutes and it would have been a lot tighter. I still thought there was a lot to love. There was a great undercurrent of how important spacing is in pro wrestling. Anytime, Undertaker has space he is able to unload with those big soupbones and is able to stagger Lesnar. If Brock can close the gap and crowd Taker, he can control the match based on his size. It is two very different ways to control by power. It is a striker's power that needs that distance against a wrestler's power who wants close proximity. I liked how Taker needed to earn Old School. There are not a lot of Biker Chain attempts thankfully. Takes uses La Magistral Cradle. Wow! Taker sells punch drunk well especially off his own headbutts. Brock is like Dan Severn in the UFC early on. He is good at smothering Taker, but has no idea how to put him away. He introduces some stairs well that's one way. Taker hits a nasty piledriver on the stairs. Brock uses a low blow to finally slow down Taker. I'll be honest I cant really remember what happens after this. I don't take notes when I watch matches and usually I can remember if they tell a good narrative. That's the thing, it was a fine match but there was no sense of progression. What remember next is Brock powering out of a Triangle Choke with a powerbomb. Taker Dragon Sleeper, but Brock wriggles free and hits an F-5. It is little move trade-y towards the end. There was definitely a HUGE chokeslam off the top rope which think is a result of Brock trying to go for the Chain since the F-5 didn't work. The chain was way up there. Brock couldn't even reach it standing on the top rope. FBI run-in. THE FBI?!?1 Seriously, bro? Taker does his awesome fucking over the top rope suicide dive that I love so at least there was that. LAST RIDE! Taker goes for Chain and gets it. VinnyMac crotches him and gives the chain to Brock. Brock blasts him for the win. I thought they told an interesting story early, but then they just starting hitting bombs, but I didn't feel like there was much connection between the moves. There was some great moves: piledriver on steps, massive chokeslam and the tope. Just ultimately forgettable, shave off ten minutes and this would have been lean and mean. ***1/4

WWE Champion Brock Lesnar vs Big Show - Judgment Day 2003 Stretcher Match Holy shit! This came out of left field! Bill Watts would have had a raging boner for this. Two big muthafuckas just throwing each other around. Both dudes are just pouring sweat because they are just ramming into each other and going all out. This is by far my favorite type of match. Super heavyweights just muscling each other around. Brock Lesnar is the great defender of the land. He is defending the honor of Rey Mysterio who was brutally attacked by Big Show at Backlash. The iconic moment is when Big Show slammed Rey strapped to a stretcher into the post. Then Lesnar saved Benoit from a similar fate. Thus the stretcher match was born. Cole & Tazz are all about the Andre vs Killer Khan stretcher match and that it was the 40th anniversary of the founding of the WWE Championship. Enough about that, these two just wailed on each other with that stretcher board. Brock is an athletic freak. One of the best bumpers in the history of pro wrestling period. He was flying around for the Big Show. Enough though Show was jobbed out to Brock at Rumble and to Undertaker, the beauty of Show is that no matter how shitty he is booked, he is instantly credible because of his size. Show delivers a MASSIVE chokeslam to Lesnar. Then a huge legdrop, Lesnar sell of this is amazing. Show tries to push him across. Lesnar wriggles free to Show blasts him and Lesnar goes FLYING. Brock Rocks! Then Lesnar just unleashes hell with the board, chokes the fuck out of Big Show with a cable cord, nasty moment as Lesnar tries to wheel Big Show across the line with the cord still tied around his neck, he yanks so hard that cord does not give so Show is WRENCHED off the stretcher. LESNAR SLAMS THE GIANT! THIS IS AWESOME! They get into a tug of war with the stretcher. Show jabs him in the ribs. Lesnar will not be denied. He just starts hurling his body at Big Show and until he sends him flying off the apron onto the stretcher, which Show bounces off of and onto the floor. Lesnar leaves. So this is a good time for Rey Rey to exact some revenge. 619 to the gut. Big Show slams him. Brock has a got a forklift! He is an expert forklift operator. BROCK DIVES OFF THE TOP OF THE FORKLIFT ONTO THE BIG SHOW! HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT! LESNAR IS PUMPED! HE UNLEASHES THE BEAST! F-5! He puts the board on the pallet and then Show on the board and drives with him for the win. WOW! Super heavyweight slugfest that is just relentless. Never a dull moment, just two big uglies kicking ass. The dive off the forklift was such an insane spot and should be more iconic in my opinion. Watch this match. ****1/2

Thanks Charles. I was actually really going to hold this against Jericho and Hardy in my GWWE voting. So with some context, I will forgive them.

WWE Champion Brock Lesnar vs John Cena - Backlash 2003 You know how weird it is to listen to a crowd chant "Lets Go Cena" without the accompanying "Cena Sucks!". This takes place in Worcester so Cena is actually worried about being cheered so he wears a Roger Clemens Yankees jersey to the ring yep that will definitely do the trick. If he did that in October/November of 2003 in Mass he may have actually been killed. Let me get my one major complaint out of the way. It is so painfully clear that these two are miscast. Cena sells like such a sympathetic babyface and Brock Lesnar is just a total monster. The monster face can work but you need that sniveling heel that you really want to see his ass get kicked. That's not Cena. Cena is tough dude and he is not a big bumper. So the babyface shine feels like a heat segment. Only the press slam gets a pop. The rest is just great suplexes and knees but it feels like a monster dominating a valiant hero. Brock is justified in being pissed because Cena busted him open with a chain so he has a bandage. On the outside Cena slams him into the steps and reopens the cut. This was definitely the most interesting part of the match. How would Cena work on top? Good stuff for the most part. Great intensity. Works the cut. Good fists. He is keeping it basic but is vicious. Shouldertackle and then legdrop on neck. Good hope spot for Lesnar with the spinebuster before Cena hits a massive clothesline. Things grind to a halt when Cena just sits in a chinlock forever. The Lesnar comeback is much better than the shine. It is more uptempo and gets you rocking. It is a bit sloppy though. Cena recognizing that Lesnar is on an unstoppable roll gets a low blow for his nearfall. He wants the chain, but the ref blocks. Lesnar hits the F-5 for the win. It is a really cool match mostly because what happens after. Nine years to the month, they have a five star classic together with opposite roles. Cena is a totally different character and wrestler after this. Thought it was a very good effort from both young wrestlers. ***1/2

Chris Jericho vs Jeff Hardy - No Way Out 2003 What is the point of this match? From a storyline perspective, commentary informs us that Shawn Michaels has taken Jeff Hardy under his wing. We know that Jericho idolized Michaels growing up and Jericho wants to prove he is better than his hero and that is crux of their match going into WrestleMania XIX. I don't love the Shawn/Jeff pairing because I feel like Jeff is a free spirit and having a mentor is strange. But both are sort edgy rebels without a cause so it is not the worst pairing. Michaels is not here probably because this is taking place in Montreal. Jericho goes over here which makes total sense, but the way they get there does nothing for either man. Jeff Hardy has the exact same moveset he always has. He has not incorporated any of Michaels' stuff. It is not like Jericho was somehow making this about Michaels. Maybe taunting Hardy in a specific way or using the Superkick. It was just a midcard match where both guys went through their moveset. If they want to have a match in a vacuum that's fine. So what is the hook? If the storyline is not providing the hook, there needs to be a hook. Body part psychology? Speed vs strength? Veteran vs young lion? Submission vs aerial? Outrageous heel tactics vs babyface valor? Nothing. The beginning meanders. Eventually Hardy gets a bit of a shine with his great dropkick through the ropes. It is one of his best moves. Jericho sends him into the steel steps. Solid transition. Nothing happens in heat segment. Jeff Hardy gets a bunch of nearfalls, DDT, Whisper In the Wind, Swanton Bomb and some cradles. Jericho misses his first attempts at Lionsault and Walls of Jericho. Hits the Lionsault->kick out. Jericho powerbombs Jeff off top rope and Walls of Jericho. Whats the point? It was just two people running through their movesets. Neither was adapting to the other. Jericho could have been in there with Christian. Jeff Hardy could have been in there with Lance Storm. How would have the match changed? Perfectly fine match, but they are wasting pro wrestling's greatest asset the ability to tell a story.

ECW Champion Mark Henry vs Tommy Dreamer - Great American Bash 2008 At this point, Umaga has impressed me more than Mark Henry. I know I am not in prim Mark Henry yet. I also have multiple long matches with Matt Hardy and Finlay coming up to really show me what Mark Henry can do. There is plenty off good. Treating Dreamer like a gnat, laying it that badmouth (It don't matter what you do) steamrolling him. It is just lacks that next level. He is not as brutal as Vader or athletic as Umaga. He is good about setting up offense by missing the Splash. Some nice weeble wobble selling before Dreamer hits the DDT. Colin Delaney, remember that jabroni!, turns on Dreamer. Not worth it. Excited for the Matt Hardy matches, even more excited for the Finlay matches!

ECW Champion Kane vs Mark Henry vs Big Show - Night of Champions 2008 Man, do you remember McMahon's Millions? What the fuck? Did people actually win money in a shoot? Was the accident just a way to write off the publicity stunt and McMahon? Or was there more to it, I honestly, cant remember? Kane certainly had his working boots on this night. Workrate Kane is surely something to behold. He was flying all over the ring just hitting big move after big move. He worked a great sprint with Big Show early. Then got "eliminated" so to speak but then came back and was just all over the place. Big Shown & Mark Henry had a good Clash of the Titans feel to their portion of the match. Kane was in full workrate sprint mode. It was wild. The double chokeslam on Mark Henry to "eliminate" him to allow Kane/Big Show to go at it was a great spot and transition to a hot finish. Kane hits a superplex on Big Show, but it takes so much out of him Mark Henry hits his best Worlds Strongest Splash to win the match and his major championship. Mark Henry came back in 2007 after about a year off. He was built up then fed to Undertaker at Unforgiven 2007 (September) and then was treated like a jobber until this match where he was re-pushed. I came to see Mark Henry and instead was impressed by frickin Kane of all people. ***1/4