ECW Championship Ladder Match

Christian © Vs Shelton Benjamin

To wrestling purists opening a show with a championship match up may seem odd and I’m sure to the champion and challenger it seemed like a slap in the face. However I think it’s a place of honor! What better way to set the pace for TLC than with the ECW championship? I was worried about this match. Benjamin has proved to be inconsistent at times, despite his athleticism, and as good as Christian is, he is sometimes guilty of trying too hard. There was an early lull in the action, when we were forced to wait while a doctor cleaned up some abrasions on Christian’s face. The crowd chanted “we want blood” and I assumed that they had lost them for the rest of the match, if not the payperview. However Benjamin stepped up as the walking high light reel he can be when he is ON, and Christian who is one of the best workers in the company knew just how to draw the audience back into the match. The ladder spots were creative and just over the top enough without being too much. The action between ladder spots, flowed and connected well. Over all this match delivered! It was a great performance to set the pace!

Winner and still champion: Christian

I give the match three stars. I was tempted to give this match four but don’t wanna set the bar too high because I had low expectations.

Intercontinental Title match

John Morrison © VS. Drew McIntyre

To be honest I either forgot or did not realize that this match was on the payperview. I’m not overly impressed with McIntyre and Morrison is an outstanding performer…with certain people. However this match was quick to impress. The chemistry was remarkable and watching the match felt good. The downfall was that there was nothing to draw me into the match. Perhaps it is because I feel little connection to the two competitors. That aside a good match and a good story should still draw me in emotionally. The match was good to see, two young stars putting in work and trying to shine. However this kind of performance should be industry standard and not a stand out performance, so I gave it 2 stars over all.

Winner and new champion: Drew McIntyre

The match was followed by a promo where Mr. MacMahon congratulated Drew on his victory. Bottom line I still just don’t buy that this is Vince’s new “chosen one”. Sheamus steps on camera to remind Drew that he’s not the only new star who will win gold tonight. Absolutely nothing remarkable about this promo.

Women’s Championship Match

Michelle McCool © VS. Mickie James

This match is snooze and I usually love me some Mickie James. Perhaps it’s because I find the piggy james angle so detestable (and not that good-heel-I’m-emotionally-involved detestable either) that I’m completely removed from the experience. The action was slow and lack luster, the finish was lame, Michelle McCool is the worst good women’s wrestler and that’s not a compliment. I’m glad to see Mickie remains on top of the women’s division (despite rumors that some high up idiot in the creative department thinks she’s fat) but that is literally the only thing of note about this match. Again the women lose even the dignity of a rating.

At this point the hype video for the WWE Championship match begins. However, the past 2 weeks Raw has so desensitized me to Sheamus’s vignette’s that I don’t even notice until the entrances begin that its already time for this match.

WWE Championship Tables Match

John Cena © VS. Sheamus

Is anyone excited for this? I must admit I don’t know too many casual fans, but I’d love to get a casual take on Sheamus. Personally, if he were the second coming of Psycho SID I’m not sure I could be less impressed. Actually… that’s a pretty good comparison. Great look, all intensity, sent straight to a top spot, perhaps he is the second coming! Sid-comparisons not with standing, I’m going to give this match a shot and a fair review. It’s a good brawl to be sure. Cena and Sheamus actually a good smashmouth chemisty, unfortunately the style of match limits Cena’s normal energy levels. By that I mean that it’s hard for him to take it to the next level since he’s such a high energy brawler already.

The remarkable moment in this match comes when Sheamus wins the title! After an awkward struggle on the top turnburckle, the celtic warrior gives a shove and Cena goes through the table. The performance is strong all around if a bit lack luster and it’s always nice to see a new star elevated, or have the opportunity to be elevated. Sheamus is completely unproven but, as one of my consultants was eager to point out, it is refreshing to have no idea what will happen next. Moments like that seem to be coming increasingly few and far between these days.

Winner and new WWE Champion: Sheamus

In the grand scheme this match rates and underwhelming one star for effort. It could squeeze into two star range for the unexpected out come and the anticipation to see what happens going forward.

World Championship Chair Match

The Undertaker © VS. Batista

This match is automatically handicapped because I always expect a Wrestlemania 23 caliber performance. These two pros should be able to deliver a show stealing match any time they are together, just doing what they do. This match did not deliver that. They did some experimentation with a steel chair that would be appreciated, except that the match and feud were built around the chair, and they did not deliver the kind of chair pounding, skull cracking action they promised. I understand that only the chair was made legal but the match was restarted because Batista also used a low blow to get the win. Taker went on to retain with a less than dramatic submission victory. Over all this match was the same match as Cena versus Sheamus. I was disappointed because I expected better from these two superstars. One star.

Winner and still World Champion: the Undertaker

Randy Orton VS. Kofi Kingston

This match was the definition of unlimited potential. Randy Orton is the kind of superstar who should be in the midst of building a “one of the greatest of all time” legacy and Kofi could definitely be the next big thing with the proper opponents and development. I guess that’s why it was such a let down when it was just okay. The build to this match was bordering on perfect and I was definitely looking forward to it. It was very solid wrestling but nothing to standout, nothing overly exciting, which both of these performers were more than capable of! Hopefully the feud will be continued and these guys will be able to revisit this match and deliver the performance they should have had last night. Two stars.

Winner: Randy Orton

Undisputed Tag Team Championship Tables, Ladders and Chairs match

Jerishow VS. Degeneration X

You expect a lot from these guys. You should anyway. Triple H, Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho are three of the best of all time (Consistency issues not with standing). The know how to main event payperviews, they know how to take it to the next level and they have the charisma and star power to standout without trying. …And Big Show is pretty good at what he does too… I guess the downfall of this match is probably that none of these guys are passionate enough, or dependant upon this business enough to take any risks. HBK is older, has other interests and a family to stay healthy for. Triple H has cemented his legacy and spot, and has family to consider now. Big Show is already injured (kudos to him for working through it). Even Jericho is older now and in the process of establishing his superstardom instead of trying to break through the glass ceiling. The point being that TLC matches are only good when you have young, hungry guys willing to take risks to standout and none of these four are that. However they did what they could to make the match entertaining. Chairs were used, sparing, tables were broken, safely, and ladders were fallen from, cautiously. There was very little exciting and nothing that made me hold my breath in fear and anticipation. They did work some imaginative spots and kept the action going, there was no lull or down time so it was a fun match to watch. It marks the first time DX has held a tag team championship, which is fun for everybody. Unfortunately beyond that little piece of trivia this match was entirely forgettable. I put this match down for a very bland two to three stars.

Winners and new Undisputed Tag Team Champions: Degeneration X

It’s hard for me to call TLC a bad payperview because there was a couple standout matches, a few surprises, and a few wrestling-cliffhangers. In most instances I would have called this an above par show, or at least on par with what we should expect from any given $40 payperview. However in this instance, I was promised something else. I was promised a ground breaking, history making show with lots of skull crushing, bone crunching edge of my seat EXTREME action. TLC fell dreadfully short of that promise! Maybe it’s the PG13 rating or maybe it’s just the complacency of the company or maybe it’s because the entire payperview was gimmicked. Half the reason to put gimmick matches on a wrestling card is to give that match a chance to standout. The performers in that match feel special because they’ve been put in a special situation and that’s inspiring. They try harder to live up to that opportunity so they’ll get it again and so it’ll be memorable. When the entire show is gimmick matches, especially when they’re themed the same there’s nothing special about it and nothing to get excited over, for the crowd or the wrestlers. The whole thing just ended up feeling watered down and bland. Traditionalists like me weren’t interested in the first place, and we were proven right. Hardcore fans who should have been excited for this show were let down, and I can’t imagine the casual fans could have felt anything remarkable either way. And isn’t that what we shell out our hard earned money for? To feel something remarkable or at least experience something memorable? Well, I could go on and on, but in the end the result would be the same, two stars.