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Why would WWE decide that it would be a smart decision to run a PPV on the same day as the Oscars? I had to choose between the two, and only one really mattered to watch live. So, good job, WWE, making me miss your PPV when it first aired. As a result, I didn't watch the pre-show. If something important happened, I didn't see it.
Dolph Ziggler, Erick Rowan, and Ryback vs. Big Show, Kane, and Seth Rollins
http://i38.servimg.com/u/f38/16/09/70/40/clipb133.jpg
A hastily thrown together match gets to kick off the show? I guess Ziggler, Ryback, and Seth Rollins are exciting enough Superstars. I expected it to be The Usos, because people like them and they're in an actual feud, kind of.
Rowan's knee gets hurt relatively early on, so that means the heels get a target to work over. Giving Kane and Big Show something like that is beneficial, and we get to see Rowan's ability to sell targeted damage. It's fun when Ryback gets in because the match builds up well to it. J&J Security continue to be a hindrance to good matches, however, with their relatively frequent interference.
The match has a lot of energy and is far more exciting than you might expect given its little build. It ends a little abruptly, but such is life. Big Show hits a KO Punch behind the referee's back, letting Kane pin Ziggler for the win.
Match Rating: ***
The heels decide to beat up on Ziggler after the match. Rowan and Ryback try to make the save, but they're unable to. Randy Orton then makes his return, finally, and manages to singlehandedly defeat Kane, and J&J Security. Rollins and Big Show manage to escape. It's good to have Orton back.
Dusty Rhodes talks to Goldust before the next match. Goldust will bring Cody Rhodes home tonight, but Dusty wants him to do it without hurting his brother. Okay.
Stardust vs. Goldust
http://i38.servimg.com/u/f38/16/09/70/40/clipb134.jpg
Stardust comes out shirtless, which just looks weird, really. This is a match we've wanted for what feels like years at this point, and it's a match ... we will still want after this PPV. This one isn't the decisive match that we want; it exists to set up bigger things -- in this case, a WrestleMania match. They get to do some wrestling here, but nowhere near enough, and the pace of the match is far too slow. This isn't going to satisfy people. It's a teaser. I mean, it ends with a rollup crucifix. Goldust gets the win, but these two are going to clash again.
Match Rating: **1/2
Stardust kind of shakes Goldust's hand after the match, making us think that, perhaps, the feud is over. But we know it's not. Stardust ensures that we know it, too, as he later argues with his father and attacks Goldust backstage.
WWE World Tag Team Championship Match: The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso, with Naomi) vs. Cesaro and Tyson Kidd (with Natalya)
http://i38.servimg.com/u/f38/16/09/70/40/clipb131.jpg
This is just a really solid wrestling match. Tyson Kidd and Cesaro are both great in-ring talents, and when you've got Usos on PPVs, you're bound to get a good match. They always bring it when the stage it the biggest and the lights are the brightest.
Essentially what this comes down to is a pretty formulaic match between the two of them that's slightly longer, gets a few more interesting moves, and has one or two spots you don't often -- or ever -- see. In this one's case, we get a one-legged Cesaro Swing, a barricade Samoan Drop, and a fun superplex-to-elbow-drop combo. There are more near-falls than usual, a faster pace, some great tag team action, and it's lots of fun. It probably would have been even better served opening the PPV, but there you go. Kidd wins with his finisher after an Uso kicked Cesaro, which basically worked as a distraction. This was lots of fun. We have new Tag Team champions.
Match Rating: ***1/2
Next up is the Triple H and Sting confrontation we've all been waiting for. Triple H talks a whole bunch. Nothing new is really said here. He says working together could make Sting bigger than he's ever been before. But do you really think Sting is going to turn heel right now? Of course not! Triple H sucker punches Sting and beats him down a little bit. He then goes for a sledgehammer, but Sting has a baseball bat ready. A couple of points toward the WrestleMania sign, a swing of the bat, and an inverted DDT later sees Sting continue to look strong. This isn't as fun as it probably should be, but it's good to see that Sting will be wrestling at WrestleMania.
WWE Divas Championship Match: Paige vs. Nikki Bella (with Brie Bella)
http://i38.servimg.com/u/f38/16/09/70/40/clipb136.jpg
An aggressive and back-and-forth match between two Divas who are both pretty good in the ring, this is a testament to the fact that, if given the time to do so, the main roster Divas can, indeed, wrestle matches of comparative quality to those on NXT. Nikki gets to continue to play the powerhouse, Paige shows a slightly more vicious side, and then ... it ends with a rollup. Wait, seriously? Yep. A held-tights rollup sees Nikki retain the title. Are we saving their real match for WrestleMania, too? We shall see.
Match Rating: **1/2
WWE Intercontinental Championship Match: Dean Ambrose vs. Bad News Barrett
http://i38.servimg.com/u/f38/16/09/70/40/clipb132.jpg
Both of these men are stellar brawlers. Their styles are similar and they mesh very well. They're sure to have a good feud with strong matches. We know this after seeing them wrestle at Fast Lane. However, their match at Fast Lane was not particularly good. The match is fine but it serves more as a sample than anything else. It has a couple of good spots, but it exists to lay groundwork, much like a lot of this PPV.
Ambrose winds up getting disqualified -- no, really -- after refusing to stop stomping on Barrett in the corner. He loses and does not win the title.
Match Rating: ***
Ambrose takes the title anyway, taunting a beaten Barrett while holding it. Then he hits a Dirty Deeds. He takes the title and heads backstage. The commentators call it "stealing."
After an advertising for a new WWE/Flintstones crossover, The Undertaker's entrance starts up. There are druids, a casket, and ominous music. We've been waiting for The Undertaker for a while now, and it looks like he finally returns here.
Just kidding. It turns out that Bray Wyatt is in the casket. He's finally called out The Undertaker directly. What a way to get heat. I guess we're confirming this match, now, too. Or at least some sort of confrontation. It'll be interesting to see at what point we finally see the Deadman. Will he be on the next Raw? We shall see.
WWE United States Championship Match: Rusev (with Lana) vs. John Cena
http://i38.servimg.com/u/f38/16/09/70/40/clipb135.jpg
Interestingly, the commentators mention Cena vs. Kurt Angle from over a decade ago, even though Kurt Angle is currently in TNA. Well, Jerry Lawler mentions that feud. The other two seem taken by surprise by it, and never address Angle by name like Lawler did.
It wasn't until John Cena and Umaga squared off in a Last Man Standing match that many of us became fans of the monster heel. While Rusev's got a fanbase already -- and he deserves one -- this might be the match, or the feud, that really puts him on the map. Cena can make someone like Rusev look great, and he does that here. Rusev comes across as a dominant, unstoppable force. Cena gets most of his signature moves off, too, and even that isn't enough to put away Rusev. This was a really fun match that could have been in the main event slot and not disappointed. Say what you will about Cena, but he knows how to wrestle a great match.
However, like most of the PPV's matches, we don't get a definitive finish. Rusev gets a low blow on Cena when the referee had his back turned, which allowed him to re-apply a broken Accolade, which knocks out Cena. Finally, Rusev does some real heel stuff.
Match Rating: ***1/2
Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan
http://i38.servimg.com/u/f38/16/09/70/40/clipb137.jpg
The juggernaut versus the technical specialist. The smart booking for this has Reigns earn Bryan's respect by beating him clean and turning in a good show -- and letting the fans know that Bryan approves of Reigns' victory. Guess what? That's exactly what happens here. WWE has salvaged, for the second straight year, what could have been disastrous.
The match told a fantastic story and, if you didn't believe in Roman Reigns before it, you certainly will after. There's no more saying that he hasn't had a great singles match. Sure, it took Daniel Bryan to do it, but if you haven't seen Reigns' improvement since returning from injury, you're being intellectually dishonest. This match wouldn't have been anywhere near this good prior to Reigns' hernia. He's come back better than he ever was.
Bryan tries to win with submissions and technical wrestling. Reigns retaliates with powerhouse moves. The clash in styles worked very well here. Both men come away strong, reminding us that we can have a competitive singles match and have it not "hurt" either competitor. Reigns goes into WrestleMania looking great, while Bryan makes us want to see more. This is back-and-forth, high-speed action from start to finish, and definitely worth seeing. The finish comes with Reigns getting a spear on Bryan, who was going for a Running Knee.
Match Rating: ****
Bryan shoves Reigns after the match and tells him he better beat Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania. They then shake hands. The PPV ends with Reigns standing on the entrance ramp, looking great going into the biggest PPV of the year.
The Good: Ziggler, Rowan, & and Ryback/Show, Kane, & Rollins. The Usos/Cesaro & Kidd. Paige/Bella. Rusev/Cena. Reigns/Bryan.
The Bad: Stardust/Goldust.
Match of the Night: Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan.
Prediction Score: 5/7.
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Why would WWE decide that it would be a smart decision to run a PPV on the same day as the Oscars? I had to choose between the two, and only one really mattered to watch live. So, good job, WWE, making me miss your PPV when it first aired. As a result, I didn't watch the pre-show. If something important happened, I didn't see it.
Dolph Ziggler, Erick Rowan, and Ryback vs. Big Show, Kane, and Seth Rollins
http://i38.servimg.com/u/f38/16/09/70/40/clipb133.jpg
A hastily thrown together match gets to kick off the show? I guess Ziggler, Ryback, and Seth Rollins are exciting enough Superstars. I expected it to be The Usos, because people like them and they're in an actual feud, kind of.
Rowan's knee gets hurt relatively early on, so that means the heels get a target to work over. Giving Kane and Big Show something like that is beneficial, and we get to see Rowan's ability to sell targeted damage. It's fun when Ryback gets in because the match builds up well to it. J&J Security continue to be a hindrance to good matches, however, with their relatively frequent interference.
The match has a lot of energy and is far more exciting than you might expect given its little build. It ends a little abruptly, but such is life. Big Show hits a KO Punch behind the referee's back, letting Kane pin Ziggler for the win.
Match Rating: ***
The heels decide to beat up on Ziggler after the match. Rowan and Ryback try to make the save, but they're unable to. Randy Orton then makes his return, finally, and manages to singlehandedly defeat Kane, and J&J Security. Rollins and Big Show manage to escape. It's good to have Orton back.
Dusty Rhodes talks to Goldust before the next match. Goldust will bring Cody Rhodes home tonight, but Dusty wants him to do it without hurting his brother. Okay.
Stardust vs. Goldust
http://i38.servimg.com/u/f38/16/09/70/40/clipb134.jpg
Stardust comes out shirtless, which just looks weird, really. This is a match we've wanted for what feels like years at this point, and it's a match ... we will still want after this PPV. This one isn't the decisive match that we want; it exists to set up bigger things -- in this case, a WrestleMania match. They get to do some wrestling here, but nowhere near enough, and the pace of the match is far too slow. This isn't going to satisfy people. It's a teaser. I mean, it ends with a rollup crucifix. Goldust gets the win, but these two are going to clash again.
Match Rating: **1/2
Stardust kind of shakes Goldust's hand after the match, making us think that, perhaps, the feud is over. But we know it's not. Stardust ensures that we know it, too, as he later argues with his father and attacks Goldust backstage.
WWE World Tag Team Championship Match: The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso, with Naomi) vs. Cesaro and Tyson Kidd (with Natalya)
http://i38.servimg.com/u/f38/16/09/70/40/clipb131.jpg
This is just a really solid wrestling match. Tyson Kidd and Cesaro are both great in-ring talents, and when you've got Usos on PPVs, you're bound to get a good match. They always bring it when the stage it the biggest and the lights are the brightest.
Essentially what this comes down to is a pretty formulaic match between the two of them that's slightly longer, gets a few more interesting moves, and has one or two spots you don't often -- or ever -- see. In this one's case, we get a one-legged Cesaro Swing, a barricade Samoan Drop, and a fun superplex-to-elbow-drop combo. There are more near-falls than usual, a faster pace, some great tag team action, and it's lots of fun. It probably would have been even better served opening the PPV, but there you go. Kidd wins with his finisher after an Uso kicked Cesaro, which basically worked as a distraction. This was lots of fun. We have new Tag Team champions.
Match Rating: ***1/2
Next up is the Triple H and Sting confrontation we've all been waiting for. Triple H talks a whole bunch. Nothing new is really said here. He says working together could make Sting bigger than he's ever been before. But do you really think Sting is going to turn heel right now? Of course not! Triple H sucker punches Sting and beats him down a little bit. He then goes for a sledgehammer, but Sting has a baseball bat ready. A couple of points toward the WrestleMania sign, a swing of the bat, and an inverted DDT later sees Sting continue to look strong. This isn't as fun as it probably should be, but it's good to see that Sting will be wrestling at WrestleMania.
WWE Divas Championship Match: Paige vs. Nikki Bella (with Brie Bella)
http://i38.servimg.com/u/f38/16/09/70/40/clipb136.jpg
An aggressive and back-and-forth match between two Divas who are both pretty good in the ring, this is a testament to the fact that, if given the time to do so, the main roster Divas can, indeed, wrestle matches of comparative quality to those on NXT. Nikki gets to continue to play the powerhouse, Paige shows a slightly more vicious side, and then ... it ends with a rollup. Wait, seriously? Yep. A held-tights rollup sees Nikki retain the title. Are we saving their real match for WrestleMania, too? We shall see.
Match Rating: **1/2
WWE Intercontinental Championship Match: Dean Ambrose vs. Bad News Barrett
http://i38.servimg.com/u/f38/16/09/70/40/clipb132.jpg
Both of these men are stellar brawlers. Their styles are similar and they mesh very well. They're sure to have a good feud with strong matches. We know this after seeing them wrestle at Fast Lane. However, their match at Fast Lane was not particularly good. The match is fine but it serves more as a sample than anything else. It has a couple of good spots, but it exists to lay groundwork, much like a lot of this PPV.
Ambrose winds up getting disqualified -- no, really -- after refusing to stop stomping on Barrett in the corner. He loses and does not win the title.
Match Rating: ***
Ambrose takes the title anyway, taunting a beaten Barrett while holding it. Then he hits a Dirty Deeds. He takes the title and heads backstage. The commentators call it "stealing."
After an advertising for a new WWE/Flintstones crossover, The Undertaker's entrance starts up. There are druids, a casket, and ominous music. We've been waiting for The Undertaker for a while now, and it looks like he finally returns here.
Just kidding. It turns out that Bray Wyatt is in the casket. He's finally called out The Undertaker directly. What a way to get heat. I guess we're confirming this match, now, too. Or at least some sort of confrontation. It'll be interesting to see at what point we finally see the Deadman. Will he be on the next Raw? We shall see.
WWE United States Championship Match: Rusev (with Lana) vs. John Cena
http://i38.servimg.com/u/f38/16/09/70/40/clipb135.jpg
Interestingly, the commentators mention Cena vs. Kurt Angle from over a decade ago, even though Kurt Angle is currently in TNA. Well, Jerry Lawler mentions that feud. The other two seem taken by surprise by it, and never address Angle by name like Lawler did.
It wasn't until John Cena and Umaga squared off in a Last Man Standing match that many of us became fans of the monster heel. While Rusev's got a fanbase already -- and he deserves one -- this might be the match, or the feud, that really puts him on the map. Cena can make someone like Rusev look great, and he does that here. Rusev comes across as a dominant, unstoppable force. Cena gets most of his signature moves off, too, and even that isn't enough to put away Rusev. This was a really fun match that could have been in the main event slot and not disappointed. Say what you will about Cena, but he knows how to wrestle a great match.
However, like most of the PPV's matches, we don't get a definitive finish. Rusev gets a low blow on Cena when the referee had his back turned, which allowed him to re-apply a broken Accolade, which knocks out Cena. Finally, Rusev does some real heel stuff.
Match Rating: ***1/2
Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan
http://i38.servimg.com/u/f38/16/09/70/40/clipb137.jpg
The juggernaut versus the technical specialist. The smart booking for this has Reigns earn Bryan's respect by beating him clean and turning in a good show -- and letting the fans know that Bryan approves of Reigns' victory. Guess what? That's exactly what happens here. WWE has salvaged, for the second straight year, what could have been disastrous.
The match told a fantastic story and, if you didn't believe in Roman Reigns before it, you certainly will after. There's no more saying that he hasn't had a great singles match. Sure, it took Daniel Bryan to do it, but if you haven't seen Reigns' improvement since returning from injury, you're being intellectually dishonest. This match wouldn't have been anywhere near this good prior to Reigns' hernia. He's come back better than he ever was.
Bryan tries to win with submissions and technical wrestling. Reigns retaliates with powerhouse moves. The clash in styles worked very well here. Both men come away strong, reminding us that we can have a competitive singles match and have it not "hurt" either competitor. Reigns goes into WrestleMania looking great, while Bryan makes us want to see more. This is back-and-forth, high-speed action from start to finish, and definitely worth seeing. The finish comes with Reigns getting a spear on Bryan, who was going for a Running Knee.
Match Rating: ****
Bryan shoves Reigns after the match and tells him he better beat Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania. They then shake hands. The PPV ends with Reigns standing on the entrance ramp, looking great going into the biggest PPV of the year.
The Good: Ziggler, Rowan, & and Ryback/Show, Kane, & Rollins. The Usos/Cesaro & Kidd. Paige/Bella. Rusev/Cena. Reigns/Bryan.
The Bad: Stardust/Goldust.
Match of the Night: Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan.
Prediction Score: 5/7.
<color=D6D9DA>_________________________________________________________________________________
<url=http://www.patreon.com/Marter><img height=150>http://i39.servimg.com/u/f39/16/09/70/40/oo4th_11.png
If you wish to be notified whenever I post something new, please join this <url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/groups/view/2-50-Reviews>user group.
For an archive of all my previous WWE reviews, please go <url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.846764-Marters-WWE-Reviews-Archive>here.
Talk to me on the Twitter, <url=https://twitter.com/martertweet>@martertweet.
