Scramble Match for The ECW Title – Christian vs. Jack Swagger vs. Finlay vs. Tommy Dreamer (c) vs. Mark Henry: This was a great way to open the PPV even though I’m not a huge fan of the scramble match concept. My main issue with the match type is that it usually promotes quick pin falls that seem illogical when more offense is generally needed to score the fall. The same issue is commonly found in elimination matches, and is usually the sore spot of a traditional 10 man elimination tag match at Survivor Series PPV’s. The problem is that two guys are wrestling and a fall often comes within the first 2-3 minutes of the match after a roll-up or a maneuver that would never put a wrestler away under normal singles match confines. However, last night’s scramble match left a lot of those cheap falls out of the equation, and in general it felt like every fall in the match was earned and believable. In the case of Finlay being pinned, he had a legitimate eye injury which was exploited by Swagger for a quick pin. Makes sense. As for the rest of the match, it was fast-paced and everyone had a chance to look like a contender, with the emphasis put on both Christian and Swagger as it should be. My only complaint with the bout is that it didn’t do much to showcase Dreamer as a the reigning champion heading into the match as he spent most of the time on the canvas. Still, I was glad to see him pick up the victory and continue what will hopefully be a fulfilling title reign for the ring veteran. Out of a possible 9 stars, I give “The Bash’s” opening bout 7 Stars.
Intercontinental Championship “Mask vs. Title” Match – Rey Mysterio vs. Chris Jericho (c): A brilliant wrestling match. Not more can be said here other than this was the best match I have ever seen Rey and Chris wrestle together, and it’s definitely a match of the year candidate in my opinion. All of the stars were in line for this bout. Both wrestlers showcased tremendous offensive and defensive sets, and the finish was the most creative thing I’ve seen all year. Chris Jericho is proving himself, match by match and feud by feud, to be one of the very best of all time in this business,. and Rey’s consistently phenomenal ring work compliments Jericho and also establishes Mysterio as one of the most innovative to ever play the game. Given Jericho’s Tag Title win last night, I am assuming this program is now over, and I have to say it was capped off in the best way possible. 10 Stars.
No Disqualification Singles Match – Dolph Ziggler vs. The Great Khali: I applaud WWE for going in a more creative route than I originally thought they would for this bout. Obviously creative new that this would not be a technical wrestling attraction, so they sweetened the pot with the surprise return of Kane and allowed Ziggler to pick up the much needed win here. Of course this is the beginning of a Kane/Khali feud, which has disaster written all over it, but my concern is going to lie with where Ziggler goes from here. I think this kid has a lot of potential, and I hope he doesn’t get swept under the rug in favor of a Kane/Khali program. As for last night, however, this was quick and surprisingly fun. 4.5 Stars.
Unified Tag-Team Championship Match – Primo & Carlito (c) vs. Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase vs. Chris Jericho & Edge: This was another fun match. Everyone had Legacy picked to win here and I’m glad WWE was a step ahead of everyone, knew that this match was predictable from the onset, and threw out a really cool curve ball in the form of Edge and Chris Jericho. I’m sure a lot of people will complain that they don’t want to see Edge and Jericho working in the tag division, but they way I see it the fans now have the opportunity to see two top guys on all three brands. Additionally, I think this might be a great way to eventually see Edge turn face. There’s no denying that Edge has been a top heel in the company for many years now, and it feels to me like his gimmick has run its course. It’s time to see a new side of Edge, and the plus side is that he can retain the Rated R aspect of his gimmick even as a babyface. Although with WWE generating a PG rated product nowadays, I’m very surprised they haven’t stripped Edge of the Rated R title already. But working with a top heel like Jericho could ultimately help get Edge over as a face, and result in a fresh, Edge vs Jericho program that would be a welcomed feud on Smackdown. As for the match last night, it was a solid tag team effort by all three teams involved, and although it wasn’t anything spectacular, the surprise element of the bout made for a good match. 6 Stars.
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
