Was this the last truly "extreme" WWE PPV? I'd have to check the history books, but it certainly seems so. The show kicks off with Jeff Hardy vs. Umaga in a Falls Count Anywhere match and while I prefer some of their other matches more, I'll give credit where its due - the crowd is hot for this, Hardy shows off some of his wild innovation by doing a stairwell slide into an elbow drop, and Umaga looks like a monster (especially in the early going during the in-ring portion of the match). The worst part of this match was the ridiculous finish, which was purposefully obscured and took place in the loading zone of the arena. Umaga took a huge fall to what we later learned was concrete (crash pad) and then Hardy came down atop him with a swan dive (also, probably into a crash pad) and then the camera finally reached them to see Hardy get the 3 count. Not a great ending because of how phony it came off. (2.5/5)
The winner of the next match would be able to challenge for the ECW World Championship at Night of Champions. Singapore canes surrounded the ring for a 5-man - The Big Show vs. CM Punk vs. Chavo Guerrero vs. John Morrison vs. Tommy Dreamer. I wasn't expecting much out of this match, but it was borderline great. These guys went wild with the canes and I loved the psychology of everyone trying to eliminate Big Show early as he was certainly the biggest threat in the match. The crowd popped huge for Chavo accidentally caning NFL star Shawn Merriman, not so much because they recognized it as Merriman but because it was executed perfectly and it really did look like Guerrero accidentally struck a random fan near ringside. Really enjoyed when Big Show re-emerged in the match, his face covered in blood, and started dishing out the punishment. Everybody in this match looked like they got at least a few really stiff shots in and received just as many in return. This exceeded my expectations because everyone involved "knew the assignment" (as the kids say) and did their part to make it work. (3.5/5)
John Cena vs. JBL in a First Blood match followed. Cena and JBL had a legendary blood feud a few years before this, so making this match First Blood rules made total sense. Like most Last Man Standing or I Quit matches, these sorts of fights are typically built around set pieces or big, surprising weapon reveals or some other "I've never seen that before!" moment. This match built up very well to JBL busting out a bullwhip, a weapon that would've absolutely mutilated Cena, but then quickly negated it by having Cena - who was caught in the ropes - instantly break free, strike JBL, and then put him in a chain-assisted STF that inexplicably caused JBL to bleed from the mouth. It was a really unfortunate ending to an otherwise solid match where there were multiple times I thought either guy could've been busted open "hard way" (running into the post, lots of punches to the head, loud and dangerous microphone shots to the skull). It's almost unfortunate that this match was fought under this stipulation because, had it just been booked as an I Quit or a No Holds Barred match, I think this would've been considered very good. The crowd was really hot for everything they did, but the finish was a real disappointment (and it didn't help that even the commentators couldn't really sell it as there was no real reason JBL should've been bleeding profusely from his mouth after being in the STF for less than 5 seconds). (2.5/5)
Beth Phoenix vs. Melina in an I Quit match followed. This was wrestled more as a submission match than your typical WWE-style I Quit match with all the weapons and set pieces and craziness. In other words, this was more like something you'd have seen out of Bret Hart than John Cena and I don't say that with any sarcasm or irony. Beth Phoenix is awesome as the powerhouse and Melina is equally great. Way back, almost a decade ago now, I noted in my first few reviews of the women's division matches in NXT that one thing female athletes could do to help them stand out was to accentuate their agility and athleticism in ways that men can't. At that time, I was referencing things like Charlotte Flair's Figure 8 spin on her father's finisher and the way Sasha Banks' rapidity could be blurring and entertaingly reckless in a way that hadn't been seen since the early days of Rey Mysterio. Here, Phoenix and Melina do an incredible job of showcasing Phoenix's strength and grit - crawling her way out of the ring when Melina applies an Indian Deathlock is such an awesome way to get out of the hold - and Melina's incredible flexibility (the finish is maybe the most painful looking thing on this entire show, which was built around seeing all sorts of blood and weapon shots and physicality). Considering the era in which this was produced, this was incredible and holds up really well even watching it 15+ years later. It's also worth noting that this match wouldn't work if Melina wasn't also a good seller. I can't speak of all of her work, but she really does a great job in her role here, showing toughness and determination but also not overdoing it to the point of making Phoenix's submissions look weak (something that, I'd argue, even someone like Shawn Michaels struggled with in his matches against Kurt Angle). A surefire "Must See" because of how unique it is, but also because the performances are that great. (4/5)
After a backstage segment involving Mickie James and John Cena - who were dating at the time sorta but also both involved in long-term relationships with other people (in the case of Mickie James, she was engaged to Kenny Dykstra of Spirit Squad fame) - it was time for the Stretcher Match between Shawn Michaels and Batista. This was an awesome match both in terms of the action that we get - which looks brutal at times - and the psychology and character work from beginning to end. There are so many "small moments" in this match that make it work, from Shawn's initial attack to Batista grabbing the ring apron to prevent himself from getting stretchered out to Shawn's pitiful attempt at a superkick towards the end. If you hate Shawn Michaels' oft-ridiculous overacting and "brink-of-death" selling, this match will probably irritate the hell out of you...but I thought it worked in this context because it made Batista look like an absolute beast (or Animal?) and actually smart enough not to fall for any of Shawn's potential treachery. I liked how Batista targeted Shawn's lower back repeatedly based on Shawn's history. I loved that Shawn worked this as a pseudo-heel at times, using his cunning (and the stretcher and stairs and ring post) to put Batista out. As another review over at PWO wrote, this is "all killer, no filler" and it also progresses the storyline between Shawn and Jericho in an interesting way without sacrificing Batista's overness or credibility or sense of purpose here - which they easily could've done by having Batista go after Y2J despite not really having any beef with the guy. Just a wonderfully scripted and executed match. Maybe not a "must watch," but a "should watch," and, by my records, one of Batista's greatest matches (and one of the more interesting Shawn ones). (4/5)
The WWE Championship was on the line in the next match - Triple H defending against Randy Orton in a Last Man Standing match. The build-up for this was all about Orton and Triple H's long-running rivalry and the fact that Orton had defeated The Game in a Last Man Standing match the previous year. The fact that these two had already had close to a dozen matches over the previous 4 years in some for another - including a Last Man Standing match - should've been a sign that the main event scene needed some freshening up, but at the time, we were still a few years away from CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, Ryback, and others climbing the ranks. This match is a little tricky to rate because it seems like they were about to build towards the bigger spots just as Orton took a wicked fall to the outside (off of a failed RKO attempt) and the match essentially stops dead in its tracks as it is clear he has suffered an injury. Triple H and Orton were in a tough spot here because the awkward landing was clearly what caused his injury, but the match could really only end with a big weapons shot or something that truly "debilitated" Orton (who was very much awake and able to get to his feet even with what the commentators claimed was a broken collarbone). The 10 minutes before Orton's injury are fine - I liked Orton taking control with a hanging DDT onto the floor in the early going - but they were clearly still in stage-setting mode when the match fell apart. Not worth your time. (1.5/5)
Main event time - Edge vs. The Undertaker in a TLC Match for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship (with the added stipulation that Taker's career is on the line). A terrific and very violent TLC match that might've used just a touch of "color" to make it even more memorable and brutal. Edge has always been a worker that benefits from getting to use tables, ladders, and chairs in his matches and this one is another example of that. The Undertaker being out of his element but still fully capable of inflicting damage is cool to see. There were some really nifty and hard-hitting spots in this match without even mentioning the chair shots that both guys took. I can see why some fans would be turned off by the interference from Edge's allies (The Edgeheads, Chavo Guerrero, Bam Neely), but I thought their involvement not only allowed Edge to sell the pain and injury he suffered realistically, but also helped further the storyline (and long-running trope) that it takes a whole team of heels to put down the Deadman. Loved Taker's chokeslams on the Edgeheads that sent them through tables - they looked fantastic. Ditto for Edge getting slammed through a pair of tables in the end. And then you get the actual finish, which again looked terrific and felt "big enough" to really end things. Thoroughly entertaining match from start-to-finish and I even liked the post-match stuff with Edge being shocked that they'd actually vanquished the Phenom and the Undertaker really selling this as a "farewell match" by acknowledging the crowd as he left the arena. (4/5)
With a significantly better-than-decent Kwang Score of 3.14-out-of-5, One Night Stand 2008 is one of the better WWE shows I've visited/revisited over the past year. The opener and the Triple H/Orton match are disappointing but excusable due to the circumstances (Orton's injury and Hardy and Umaga clearly being put in a position to start the show "hot" without overshadowing anyone). Cena/JBL does not live up to their more brutal matches from years past, but everything else on the show is good-to-great. Melina/Phoenix is a hidden gem and, even 10 years later, remains in the conversation of being one of the best women's matches in the company's history. Michaels/Batista might be one of my favorite matches from either man and is well worth your time. The ECW multi-man is very fun and the main event is a riveting spectacle match featuring all-time great performances from both competitors.
FINAL RATING - Watch It
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