WWE Royal Rumble 93'

WWE Royal Rumble 93'

Sacramento, CA - January 1993

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, Bret Hart was the WWE Champion, the Intercontinental Champion was Shawn Michaels, and the World Tag Team Champions were Money Inc.

Royal Rumble shows are always a fun watch and this one has the benefit of being called by my personal favorite broadcast team - Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan. 

The show begins with The Beverly Brothers taking on The Steiner Brothers, who had joined the company just a few weeks before in December 92'. This is a paint-by-numbers tag match with Scott playing the face-in-peril for an extended stretch until he makes the hot tag to Rick Steiner, who comes in and delivers some no-nonsense ass-kicking in the form of an awesome release german suplex and then a couple Steinerlines. Scott Steiner eventually gets the victory with a painful-looking Frankensteiner. I prefer Steiner matches where they just come in and destroy people so there were some moments I was bored by this, but the finish was solid enough. Not an all-time great opener, but not terrible. (2.5/5)

After a video recap of all that led up to this match, it is time for Shawn Michaels to defend his Intercontinental Championship against his former teammate, Marty Jannetty. This is one of the best feuds of the 90s, no doubt, and really propelled Shawn into the singles division. Before the match begins, Sherri Martel shows up, the Sensational One having been accidentally struck by a mirror by Jannetty during one of their physical confrontations weeks earlier. Marty's outfit is bonkers (he thankfully ditches most of it when the match begins), while Shawn (referenced as "the wrestler of the 90s") is decked out in white, gold, and black and looks like a million bucks. Just a few months earlier, Michaels had main evented the 92' Survivor Series but this match has considerably more heat because of the history between the competitors. Michaels bumps like crazy but gets in quite a bit of offense too, including a shoulder-breaker into the post that sets the stage for further shoulder damage in the minutes after. Considering the Rockers were known for their speed and high-flying, the deliberate pace that Michaels set is a bit underwhelming. There are good moments and Sherri's facial expressions are terrific on the outside, but Shawn had not "put it all together" in terms of controlling long stretches of a match - and, truthfully, had the best matches of his career by avoiding having to work that way anyway. There's an awesome suplex to the outside - a move I'm not sure the WWE had ever featured before - and then a great moment where Sherri slaps the taste of Shawn's mouth. It is here when the action finally gets good, not that Jannetty is particularly awesome, but just that the pace picks up and we get some exciting nearfalls (plus Bobby Heenan losing it on commentary). A ref bump leads to Sherri accidentally waffling Jannetty with her shoe and Shawn gets in her face. Michaels connects with a very lackluster superkick and makes the cover, Sherri running to the back in tears. I'd consider this slightly above-average and it does have an interesting (though, not necessarily a good) ending - I mean, Sherri now a babyface? - plus some good post-match brawling and "Mean" Gene losing his cool trying to get a word from Shawn's ex-manager. (3/5)

Back to the ring we go for Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Big Bossman. If I'm not mistaken, Bossman would leave the company before the year's end, while Bigelow was headed for a bit of a push (and an eventual WrestleMania main event in 94'). Bigelow controls early, jumping Bossman before the bell rings, and bringing the fight right to him. Bigelow almost takes the countout victory but Bossman rolls back in and manages some offense with a series of big clotheslines. Bossman would have some tragically underrated and super stiff matches against Vader in 94' so this match looks very "soft" in comparison, some of his punches not landing at all. There is at least one great spot - a back body drop that Bossman takes to the floor (and ring apron) that looks nasty - but the action is too broken up to keep the crowd engaged. Bigelow applies a cartoonish rear bearhug and Bossman has no trouble breaking out of it. He comes off the rope but the Bammer catches him and drops him neck-first on the top rope. He gets a 2 count and the match continues but doesn't get any more interesting as Bigelow reapplies a the rear waistlock. Bigelow attempts a suplex, but Bossman blocks it and just barely hits one of his own (which Heenan wisely notes on commentary). Bossman gets one last comeback but his lower back is clearly hurt. He hits some of his signature offense, but Bigelow catches him with a boot in the corner and hits the flying headbutt for 3. What a lousy finish that was for Bigelow as it just doesn't look at all impressive and only barely connects with Bossman's upper chest. This could've been a great match if they'd both been motivated and given the opportunity to go out there and just beat the hell out of each other - but that simply wasn't what the WWE offered at the time. (1/5)

Backstage, Owen Hart (pre-heel turn) sits down for an interview, but gets attacked by Razor Ramon. Bobby and Gorilla then segue to an additional promo out of Razor Ramon. As I noted earlier, Survivor Series 92' was headlined by Bret Hart and Michaels and now, a couple months later, it is Ramon who is challenging the Hitman after, just 9 months earlier, being a lower midcarder in WCW. The WWE wasn't yet fully into its New Generation, but it is remarkable to think that, a year prior, the 91' Rumble featured Hogan, Savage, Piper, Flair, Jake The Snake, and Sid Justice and, a year later, we're heading into WrestleMania IX with nearly that entire crew of main eventers either out of the company entirely, on their way to being out of the company entirely, or nowhere close to the main event. Anyway...the bell rings and Ramon immediately brings the fight to the Hitman, Bret manages to get Razor into the figure four and Razor starts selling the damage instantly. Bret continues to work on Ramon's leg and the crowd is 100% behind him. There's a great spot that turns things around, though, as Ramon whips Bret into the corner and Bret (who usually takes a facefirst bump into the buckle) goes ribs-first into the post. Outside the ring, Razor hits him with a series of rib-breaker slams and then rams him into the post for good measure. I've been critical of Scott Hall's in-ring work over the years, calling him outright boring at times, but his offense is crisp and focused here and Bret was clearly driven to re-educate the fans about what a World Heavyweight Championship match could be and should be after years of watching Hogan, Warrior, and others go through the motions and barely leave their feet. Like most of Razor's matches from this time, he relies a bit too much on restholds for my liking - but at least here he varies them up and Bret is a good enough worker to struggle through them, not just play dead. Bret escapes a bearhug and, soon after, we get a great dive into the entranceway and Bret follows it up with a flurry of fists in the corner. Bret drops him with a series of big right hands and then hits an atomic drop and clothesline for 2. Bret hits a backbreaker that impresses Gorilla and then another clothesline from the 2nd rope for another nearfall. Bret hits a bulldog as Gorilla wonders aloud why Bret won't apply the Sharpshooter. Bret hits the Russian Leg Sweep but only gets 2 again. Bret goes for the Sharpshooter, but Razor is able to use his height to get to the ropes. Bret tries his best to turn him, but Razor pulls the ref into the fray and the match continues. Razor goes back to the ribs and Bret collapses to the mat. Razor attempts a back suplex out of the corner, but Bret counters it and hits one of his own. The Hitman goes for his patented elbow drop, but Razor gets his foot up. Wow. Everytime this match seems like it is going to go into "5 Moves of Doom" territory, there's another wrinkle. Razor tries to hit the Razor's Edge, but Bret counters it into a backslide - but only gets 2.9. Good false finish there. Razor maintains control, stomping on Bret and sending him into the corner again. Ramon tries to weaken Bret even more, locking his hands up and booting him in the chest, but Bret maneuvers it into a pinfall attempt and then awkwardly applies the Sharpshooter. This match had really good moments, but the finish fell flat because it was overly complicated. Throw a better final 2 minutes on this match and this could've been a "must see." As it is, it is above-average but not that much above average. (3/5)

This match is followed by one of my all-time favorite debuts/segments - Bobby Heenan unveiling "The Narcissist" Lex Luger. Luger had been hired by Vince to be a "guest star" of his short-lived World Bodybuilding Federation (and cohost of the WBF Bodystars show) in 92', but never actually competed. After rehabbing an injury caused by a motorcycle accident, Luger was brought the WWE proper and given Heenan has a mouthpiece (a good idea) and this gimmick (a not as good idea). I'm guessing the initial plan was for Luger to challenge Bret for the Championship at SummerSlam, but that everything was thrown for a loop when Hogan came back? Its never really been clear to me but the Narcissist gimmick didn't end up lasting long. Anyway, this is a great segment and sets up the feud with Mr. Perfect, well, perfectly. (+1)

Luger's debut is followed by "Caesar" and "Cleopatra" making their way down the aisle to start tonight's main event - the 1993 Royal Rumble. The 93' Royal Rumble was an interesting one in terms of setting as Caesar's Palace wasn't your conventional basketball arena like the other WrestleManias around this time. Coming in at number 1, a clever nod to the 92' Rumble, is Ric Flair, but it gets a much lesser reaction than it did 12 months earlier - even from the commentators. At #2 is Bob Backlund and one has to wonder if this was something like a rib as Backlund was the other "old guy" (having made his comeback at age 43). Papa Shango comes in at #3 but is eliminated in under a minute. Next up, another guy known as a Rumble "Ironman" Ted Dibiase. At this point, DiBiase and IRS were the World Tag Team Champions, but I'm not sure if they were already pencilled-in to work with Hogan and Beefcake at WrestleMania IX (maybe the Steiners, though?). Nasty Boy Sags comes in next, a babyface, to even the sides. The Nasties and Money Inc. had been feuding for the past few months, but I doubt their program would've had the legs to make it to April. Virgil comes in at #6 and Sags gets clotheslined out of the ring. Jerry "The King" Lawler comes in at #7 to a chorus of boos. Lawler had only recently joined the company but, by the year's end, would be one of the company's top heels (which is, in a weird way, symbolized by the way he comes in and inexplicably goes right for Flair). Max Moon comes in at #8, one of the most bizarre gimmicks of the 90s. Was an astronaut? A man from the future? A wrestling alien? Lawler eliminates him as Tenryu makes his way down the aisle. Tenryu would also appear in the 94' Rumble. In some ways, if you look at the "star power" of this match, it is loaded with names that would've meant much more  5-10 years prior - Flair, Backlund, DiBiase, Lawler, even Perfect (who comes in at #9) - as this would've been essentially a show featuring the biggest regional names of the late 70s/early 80s, a clash of NWA, Memphis, and New York icons. As Perfect goes after Flair, Gorilla notes that the next night would feature a Loser Leaves Town match between Flair and Hennig. Skinner comes in at the #10 spot, but the big moment follows soon after as Perfect palm-faces Flair out of the ring to a huge ovation. Koko B. Ware comes in next and goes right after Lawler, these two fairly familiar with each other from 81'. Headshrinker Samu comes out next, followed by The Berzerker next. Lawler gets eliminated and, with Perfect on the other side of the ropes, nearly everyone tries to shove him out (with Lawler pulling him down too). Lawler and Perfect brawl on the outside, hinting at a feud that we never saw fully develop in the WWE but arguably could've/would've been pretty good (they'd feuded in the AWA). The Undertaker comes in next to a huge ovation and Heenan jokes that by the time he gets to the ring, it will be WrestleMania. Outside the ring, Nord grabs a chair and beats down on Backlund. Taker eliminates Samu as Nord continues his assault on Backlund outside the ring. The Berzerker's use of weapons and exposed concrete made him a bit different than the average WWE heel. Taker eliminates Tenryu as Taker brawls with DiBiase. In comes Terry Taylor, who I completely forgot was in the WWE at the time. B.Ware and Taylor get eliminated by DiBiase, but he ends up eating a chokeslam soon after and getting eliminated himself. This results in Taker and Berzerker being the last two men standing (though its unclear whether Backlund was ever officially eliminated). As they fight, Harvey Wippelman walks down the aisle with The Giant Gonzalez - an unofficial entrant. This is Gonzalez' debut and, to be fair, aside from his infamously bizarre outfit, he does look impressive. Taker eliminates Berzerker (who deserved better) and, after an epic staredown, Gonzalez strikes and backhands Taker over the top rope. Credit to the Undertaker as he does an expert jobbing selling for Gonzalez, bumping and bouncing around the ring to do whatever he can to get this angle over. Damien Demento is supposed to be the next entrant but he just watches from outside the ring. As Gonzalez continues to beat down Taker, IRS comes out. In the ring, IRS and Demento beat down Backlund (who ended up back in the ring, barely alive). Tatanka comes in next but the audience is focused on Taker, who is selling more than he ever has. As Heenan notes on commentary, Taker looks "more human than he's ever been." Nasty Boy Sags comes in next and we've now got the ring filled with relative jobbers (aside from Backlund, who would end up with the WWE Championship for 24 hours later in 94'). Typhoon comes in next, one half of the Natural Disasters tag team and just a 9 months from becoming the Shockmaster. Headshrinker Fatu comes in and this match has basically died, the crowd not responding at all to his entrance. After a quiet two minutes, Earthquake comes in. In a somewhat shocking twist, Quake eliminates his tag partner, but as far as I know this storyline was never really developed further and Typhoon just accepted that this was part of the game. Carlos Colon comes in and is, rather famously, referred to as a "youngster" despite being 45. Colon was known by very, very few of the fans based on the reaction he gets, but, in hindsight, I can understand Vince's desire to hype this match - maybe more than any other in the past (I'm not sure) - as being a ticket to a WrestleMania main event (which would explain why foreign talent and previously-retired wrestlers would want to participate). Tito Santana comes in next, another guy who I did not remember was still working in 93'. Rick Martel comes in and next and immediately goes after his former partner as Earthquake ducks and IRS goes flying out of the ring. This match really does bank a ton on fans being familiar with not-so-recent rivalries in and out of the company - from Hennig/Lawler to Martel/Santana to even Backlund/Flair. The next entrant (and SPOILER ALERT: eventual winner) is Yokozuna, who Monsoon notes has to be the odds-on favorite now. They really go out of their way to play him up as Yokozuna sends both Tatanka and Colon out of the match. The crowd loves the Yoko/Quake staredown, but 'Zuna won't budge and Tenta looks nervous. The next entrant is "The Rocket" Owen Hart but all the attention is still on Quake and Yoko. Yokozuna bearhugs Earthquake and sends him over the top rope as Heenan predicts him to be the eventual winner. The Repo Man comes in and everyone in the ring tries to take Yoko out, but its to no avail. The final entrant is "The Macho Man," arguably the most over babyface on the roster at this point (as Bret Hart had not quite ascended to that spot). Yoko tosses Santana as Savage works on Repo Man in the corner. Owen dropkicks Sags out of the match and we're down to 6. We're down to 5 when Owen gets tossed and then 4 when Repo is eliminated very soon after. Backlund hits the 61-minute mark, nearing the record that Flair set the previous year. Backlund eliminates Martel and it seems like Backlund may somehow, someway win the Rumble. He goes after Yoko, dropkicking him twice as the crowd roars, but ends up tossed over the top rope soon after. Savage and Yoko are the last standing and Macho Man is in trouble. Savage fights back with rights and lefts, though, eventually even attempting to topple him with a flying forearm from the top rope. Savage looks like he might have him once he brings him down to one knee, but Yokozuna connects with a devastating thrust kick and then a belly-to-belly slam. Savage takes an unbelievable beating for the next few minutes but manages to dodge a splash that leads to Yoko finally leaving his feet! Savage hits a somewhat-awkward elbow drop, but Yoko shoves him off and over the top rope! The finish is better in theory than in execution, but I still think it works and definitely put Yoko over huge as he basically shrugged-off Savage's finisher. (1.5/5)

With a Kwang Score of 2.4-out-of-5, Royal Rumble 93' is a considerable step down from the all-time best version from a year prior, but as a whole, the show does make for an interesting watch, especially for rasslin' history buffs. 93' was a transitional year for the WWE and there may be no greater evidence of it than this show. The commentary team and graphics are the same as 92', you've still got Flair and Savage and DiBiase and "The Model" all in significant roles, but the title is held by Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels has moved up the card, and Razor Ramon, Lex Luger, and Yokozuna are clearly being positioned as the company's top heels (though Ramon would be turned babyface by the year's end). The Rumble match itself has a few bright moments: the finishing stretch is unfairly maligned and makes Yoko look like a worthy challenger for the title, seeing Flair, Backlund, and Lawler in the same ring is remarkable in its own right, and, though he couldn't work an actual match if his life depended on it, the debut of Giant Gonzalez is terrific (and the Undertaker's performance is a large part of that). Plus, as mentioned earlier, you've got Gorilla and Bobby together calling one last Rumble (though, to be sure, they've got considerably less to work with than they did a year prior). A very specific type of fan will love the hell out of this show, but because this show doesn't represent the best of the early 90s (when Hulkamania was still running wild) or the peak of the New Generation, it is hard to recommend.

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver

WWE Unforgiven 2005

 

WWE Unforgiven 2005

Oklahoma City, OK - September 2005

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, John Cena was the reigning WWE Champion and Batista was the World Heavyweight Champion (both in their first reign). Carlito was the Intercontinental Champion and Chris Benoit was the United States Champion. The World Tag Team Champions were Rosey and The Hurricane and the WWE Tag Team Champions were the Legion of Doomish (Animal and Heidrenreich). Finally, the Women's Champion was Trish Stratus (who appears on this show but does not defend her title) and the Cruiserweight Champion was Nunzio.

WWE Unforgiven 2005 opens with a video package recapping the Angle/Cena feud that led to this show before we head to the ring for our opening contest - Ric Flair challenging Carlito for the Intercontinental Championship. Flair was 56 years old for this match and had to rely mostly on the basics, but Carlito was a good opponent for him at this point - energetic, charismatic, larger-than-life. Carlito has to slow some things down for the Nature Boy and Flair's kickouts don't necessarily have much gusto, but it works fine for the story they're telling, which is that 'Naitch is going to have use his cunning and experience to outsmart his younger adversary. There's a great moment when Flair finally finally comes off the top rope and hits a flying clothesline, the commentators and audience completely shocked that he didn't get press-slammed. This leads to the finish, where Carlito takes a bite of apple, gets clocked in the face after jawing with the ref, and then locked in the figure four. Carlito taps very quickly and we've got a new Intercontinental Champion. The match itself wasn't great, but the post-match victory speech and shenanigans is fun. (2.5/5)

Backstage, Edge and Lita discuss tonight's cage match. 

One hyper-sexualized act is followed by another as Torrie Wilson and Victoria (with Candice Michelle in tow) take on Trish Stratus and Ashley Massaro. Massaro won the 2005 Divas Search, which drew the ire of "Vince's Devils," a very short-lived stable. Stratus and Victoria do most of the heavy lifting as they are the most capable of everyone involved, but this still is a sloppy mess of not-so-good action. Massaro flips and rolls around alot, expending a ton of energy, while Victoria basically walks into her offense to make her look good. Its rare when Torrie Wilson isn't the worst wrestler in a match, but, well...Wilson gets under a minute of "ring time" in, which just about works. Ashley sports a ridiculous miniskirt that gets pulled up around her waist minutes into the match and never comes down. This visual isn't lost on Coachman or the audience. When Trish eventually takes over the match for the faces, things get much better, though this wouldn't necessarily be a match I'd point to as evidence that Stratus was ever a "super worker" (just maybe the best on a roster that wasn't necessarily deep with talented, trained female wrestlers). (1.5/5)

Backstage, Ric Flair continues to celebrate his Intercontinental Championship win, climbing into a limo with a trio of gals (but not before popping a couple Viagra in his mouth).

Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill are given a nice welcome from Lillian Garcia before the next contest - The Big Show (a babyface at this point) taking on Gene Snitsky. Snitsky had debuted roughly a year earlier, but aside from a lengthy, originally miscarriage-based feud with Kane, had not received any sort of real push and just kinda floated around as a big dumb oaf. Big Show will never be mistaken for Daniel Bryan or Bret Hart in terms of technical prowess, but Snitsky is even more limited and dull. I remember saying, back in 06', that the only chance Snitsky would ever have of being even a decent upper midcard performer would've been to cover him in a bodysuit and mask like they did with Kane because the Snitsky character and his track record made him a joke within months of his debut. He and Big Show get at least 2 minutes too long, though, to his credit, Big Show has the crowd behind him and this is essentially a Big Show carry job. An extra half-point for Big Show getting to waffle Snitsky with the bell after the match. (1.5/5)

After a video recapping the Shawn Michaels/Chris Masters feud, we're back in the ring for Kerwin White vs. Shelton Benjamin. I wasn't expecting much out of this match, but was pleasantly surprised. Kerwin White was considered a career low point for Chavo Guerrero, but I think the gimmick is kind of clever honestly. Plus, Chavo threw himself into the gimmick with aplomb, snapping his fingers and singing along to his awesome entrance music and getting heat from the crowd. It was a controversial character to play and I'm not sure how long it could've gone on (the gimmick was dropped after Eddie Guerrero's death in early November), but for the brief time it existed, it was at least different. Kerwin/Chavo was always solid in the ring, but its Shelton Benjamin who shines in this match, doing a great job selling a damaged knee throughout the match but also hitting all of his offense with intensity and accuracy. I liked the clean, decisive finish too. (3/5)

Backstage, Matt Hardy cuts a promo about his upcoming cage match against Edge. Unlike their SummerSlam match, which was more like an "angle" than an actual match, this one wasn't as emotionally-driven and isn't trying to fool anyone into thinking it was a "shoot" of any kind. On the negative side, that means this is just a cage match. On the positive side, Edge and Hardy working together is better than the WWE trying to fool fans into thinking that every other match is "fake" but Edge and Hardy's fights are "real." Plus, Hardy and Edge have chemistry, the crowd is fully engaged, and this match does feel like a final showdown between two guys with a deeply personal issue. Coming into this match, it also wasn't clear who would end up getting the W, giving the match some real suspense. The action isn't mind-blowing, though Matt Hardy does take some great bumps. At SummerSlam, Hardy ended up with a crimson mask, which may have set expectations a bit high for how violent this match would end up. Instead, this one is built around Hardy getting knocked loopy and Edge piling on the punishment (including delivering a powerbomb into the cage wall and a buckle-bomb soon after). Eventually, Hardy looks like he has the opportunity to escape the cage, but Edge ends up powerbombing him from the top rope. Hardy kicks out at 2, showing tremendous resiliency after the beating he took. Hardy takes over and ends up tying Edge in the ropes, allowing him to unload on him to a huge pop. Hardy follows it up by slingshotting him into the cage wall and then hitting him with a bulldog headlock into the Money In The Bank briefcase. Edge sends him into each cage wall as Lita tries to climb in. Hardy pushes her off the cage (while Edge blades himself off-screen). With Edge now bleeding profusely, Hardy hits him with a series of kicks right to the head. Hardy goes to the top rope, but ends up crotched and then speared into the cage wall. Edge tried to climb, but Hardy caught him and we get a Side Effect off the top rope. Lita comes into the cage (as most anyone would've predicted), distracting Hardy. Lita tries to clock him with the briefcase, but instead, Hardy catches her and nails her with a Twist of Fate! Edge nails him with a Spear immediately after, but only gets 2! A huge "Hardy" chant breaks out as most everyone bit on that false finish (myself included). Edge tries to climb out, but Hardy catches him and sends him back into the center of the ring. Though he has the option of winning the match, Hardy performs an absolutely INSANE leg drop from the top rope onto Edge to get the W! This match started a bit slow, but the second half is really good. I've seen this called one of the top 10 matches that the WWE produced in the 2000s, but I think that's a touch generous. This is a great match, though, falling somewhere between "should see" and "must see." (4/5)

Backstage, Cena gets an earful from Eric Bischoff. Meanwhile, Edge crawls his way to the locker room, his face a crimson mask. 

The World Tag Team Titles are on the line next as Trevor Murdoch and Lance Cade challenge The Hurricane and Rosey. In a gimmick that the WWE was obsessed with in 04'-05', Murdoch and Cade defeated the champions in their debut match on Raw, but it was a non-title affair. I always thought Murdoch had a terrific heel look, but he never got a legit push and, even in his lesser companies like TNA and NWA, was treated as a jobber. This is a really smartly-worked, well-layed out match from beginning to end. I'm not sure who deserves the credit, but this match protects everyone, really helps define the heels' style of treachery and why they are a threat, but also protects Rosey and Hurricane in a loss. There's a clear story being told and it is effectively done. (3/5)

Backstage, Maria interviews Chris Masters before he makes his way down the aisle for a match with Shawn Michaels. Masters shows brilliant strategy by applying the Master Lock as Michaels does his usual pre-match posing and nearly reapplies it once the bell does ring. Shawn retakes control with rights and chest chops, eventually knocking Masters out of the ring with a big clothesline. Masters' bumping and selling is quite good - the guy became something of a "IWC darling" towards the end of his WWE career, but he was already serviceable in 05'. Masters gains the upperhand, though, and starts to work on Michaels' back. I like the targeted focus of his work here and Michaels' selling, the Heartbreak Kid making it look easy to draw sympathy from the crowd. Like the previous bout, this is a smartly-worked, well layed-out match, simple but effective, and Michaels is unselfish in making Masters look like a tough challenge despite his inexperience. There are some terrific sequences in this match and even a bit of blood unexpected, unplanned blood. Had they opted to give Masters the submission victory, this would've been a star-making match for Masters, an instant step-up into main event status. In a surprising twist, Masters nearly applies the Master Lock, but Michaels escapes with a heelish low blow - further cementing just how dangerous Masters' finishing hold is. Its an interesting wrinkle in a match as the audience doesn't seem to cheer for it, even the biggest Michaels' supporters having to admit that such a move was dirty. Then again, they're back with him when he goes into his own finishing sequence, stomping along with him as he takes aim with the Sweet Chin Music. Michaels can't hit it, though, as Masters ducks and applies the Master Lock! Michaels tries to kick his way out of it, but Masters won't let go. Michaels goes down on one knee and the crowd loses their shit chanting "HBK!" Michaels finally gets on the other side of the ropes and Masters is forced to break the hold. Michaels uses his cunning to surprise Masters with a hangman on the ropes and then, after escaping one final attempt at the Master Lock, delivers a surprising Sweet Chin Music to get the W. Wow. Some matches become "must see" just because they exceed expectations. This was an undeniably great match and should've put Masters on the map, but it almost feels like this actually signaled the end of his career rather than the start of a great run. (4/5)

Main event time - John Cena defending the WWE Championship against Kurt Angle. The story here is that Cena has to turn this match into a brawl as he will lose a straight-up wrestling match if that's how this goes. On commentary, they play up Cena potentially having an injured ankle, but he doesn't sell it at all in the early going. After some babyface shine minutes, Angle takes over, taking full control after a devastating german suplex. Angle's uppercuts and crossface forearms have some extra mustard on them, this match much stiffer and physical than many likely remember. Once Cena and Angle start throwing out the big signature offense, the crowd becomes unglued and the match enters a higher gear. At this point, Cena was still peppering his matches with needless hand gestures and the unlovable 5 Knuckle Shuffle, but it was undeniably over at the time. We get a number of 2.9 nearfalls, a ref bump, and a visual pin (with the ref unconscious), but at least they attempted to give the fans reasons to believe Angle might actually win the title. After hitting Cena with his gold medal and applying the Ankle Lock, Bischoff comes down and taunts Cena, grabbing the WWE Championship in the process. Cena reaches the ropes but there is no ref to break the hold! Bischoff kicks his arm from the ropes, but as Bischoff goes to have the bell rung, Cena rolls out of the move and knocks Angle into Eazy E. Cena clocks Angle with the World Championship but the referee catches it and we have a DQ finish. Why in the world would they go with that? The crowd boos (understandably) and Bischoff goes on a rant. Cena grabs him and hits him with F-U. Angle attacks him from behind and the fight continues outside the ring. Angle attempts to Angle Slam Cena through a table, but Cena counters it into an F-U instead! A good-not-great match, an overbooked finish, and a fine post-match angle. (3/5)

With a Kwang Score of 2.81-out-of-5, Unforgiven 2005 might not seem like one of the best pay-per-views of the Ruthless Aggression Era, but it absolutely was. This show features the peak match of the Hardy/Edge blood feud, a solid-if-unremarkable Cena/Angle showdown, and a bit of a hidden gem in Michaels/Masters. The low points of the show are without redempton, but the tag team title match and Kerwin White/Shelton Benjamin overperform. 

FINAL RATING - Watch It...With Remote in Hand

WWE Survivor Series 92'

WWE Survivor Series 92'

Richfield, OH - November 1992

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Bret Hart was the fairly-recently crowned WWE Champion coming into this show, while Shawn Michaels was the Intercontinental Champion. The WWE Tag Team Champions were Money Inc. (Ted Dibiase and IRS). Wow. Only 3 titles. Simpler times...

I was 8 years old for this show and remember attending, but don't remember any of the matches aside from the main event...

After running down the card, High Energy (Owen Hart and Koko B. Ware) take on The Headshrinkers (Fatu and Samu). An unremarkable, but everyone in the ring is competent and the match does what it is intended to do - even if it takes way too long to get there. The "heat" segment runs too long as Koko B. Ware gets destroyed for such a lengthy stretch that the crowd loses all interest in the match. Owen's hot tag wakes them up a bit, but its not long before he gets cut off too. The Headshrinkers get the clean win, which draws boos from the crowd, but High Energy were always a second-tier team and the 'Shrinkers would go on to get a run with the titles. (1.5/5)

Backstage, Sean Mooney interviews Nailz. This promo is absolutely insane. (+1)

"Mean" Gene gets some words from Big Bossman and its go-time for the Nightstick Match. The minute Nailz gets in the ring, Bossman sprints out of the backstage area and slides into the ring. Nailz immediately takes control, though, trying to choke the Bossman. Nailz isn't the worst worker I've ever seen, but he's definitely not good either - his selling comical, his moveset very limited, his bumping noticeably awkward (especially compared to Bossman, who was surprisingly agile for his size). Bossman eventually grabs the nightstick and uses it on Nailz, but Nailz gets a hold of it and regains control of the match. Bossman withstands some punishment but dodges a nightstick shot and catches Nailz with a big right hand. He hits the Bossman Slam and gets the W. Weak match and I'm not even sure the right man won considering Nailz lost a lot of credibility with this loss. (1/5)

Before we get a promo out of Ric Flair, we get a recap of the angle that saw Mr. Perfect decide to make his comeback on this show to team up with Randy Savage. Originally, Savage's partner was The Ultimate Warrior, but he left the company a few weeks before prior and they had to rebook their main event. 

"The Model" Rick Martel makes his way down the aisle for his match against Tatanka (whose feathers he had stolen). Tatanka came into this match undefeated (a streak that would continue for quite awhile to come), while Martel had become a mainstay of the lower midcard - a position he'd stay in for the next year or two. This isn't a great match, but its a step up from what came before it. Martel is a smart, balanced worker that could really do it all in the ring, while Tatanka was serviceable. This match goes about 2-3 minutes too long and the finish wasn't really in doubt - even in 92' - as Tatanka was the one getting the push and The Model hadn't won a significant match in a long time. (2/5)

Backstage, Mr. Perfect and "The Macho Man" cut a promo and then, before you know it, its main event time? Ric Flair and Razor Ramon come down the aisle first. This would be Flair's second last WWE PPV appearance for close to a decade as he would leave the company in January (after appearing in the 93' Royal Rumble). Perfect and Ramon start things off, Hennig looking as quick and impressive as ever. Flair comes in and eats some right hands before getting back body dropped and then dropped again with a dropkick. Its hard to imagine how they would've worked this match with Warrior rather than Perfect as Curt's personal issues with Flair really drives the story of the match. Savage comes in and after a flurry of offense, he ends up on the receiving end of some punishment. Savage is one of the all-time great sellers to me - the grimaces of pain, the exhaustion, the way he slouches in the corner. While it may not be ultra-realistic, Savage just has that "X factor" to make it feel genuine and to bring the audience up and down with him on every hope spot and cut-off. With Savage locked in a half-crab, Mr. Perfect begins walking down the aisle, seemingly "quitting" the match. This would've been a better wrinkle in the story if it had been done for some clear reason - like a miscommunication or Savage continuously being cut-off from making the tag (which would lead to Perfect almost quitting out of frustration). Instead, Perfect's half-retreat comes out of nowhere and doesn't add anything to the drama. When Hennig does make his way back to the apron, Savage continues to just get beaten down; Perfect's involvement or non-involvement has no bearing on anything. Flair comes in and hits Savage with some punches and a clothesline in the corner, breaking up his offense with showboating and Woos. Flair, as per usual, inexplicably goes to the top rope, but Savage catches him with a press slam back into the center of the ring. It may be predictable, but that spot never fails to elicit a reaction. Savage makes the tag and the crowd pops as Hennig takes out Ramon with everything he's got. The fight spills out of the ring and Flair knocks Savage with a weak-looking chair shot. It looks like Perfect will be in some serious trouble as things are now 2-on-1, but Perfect holds his own. Perfect inadvertently hits the ref as Ramon (barely) gets Hennig up for a Razor's Edge. Perfect counters it, though, and hits the Perfect Plex for the visible pin - but there's no ref! The new ref shows up, but Flair breaks up the pin - this is total bedlam. Perfect hits another Perfect-Plex on Flair and gets another visible win, but as the referees lose control of the contest, they call for the bell. I liked the finish of this match more than the "meat" of it. It really does feel like things have devolved into such chaos that the match needs to be called off, but we still get to see the heels get beaten down and chased out of the ring by the babyfaces. I'm not sure I totally understand the babyfaces getting the DQ win - if anything it should be a double DQ - but whatever. Not a "must see" match and there were any number of ways they could've teased Mr. Perfect betraying Savage that would've been better than this, but still an above-average contest due to the talents of the performers involved. (3/5)

After some final words from the heels, we're back in the ring to witness the arrival of Yokozuna, who had only recently debuted in the company. His opponent on this night was Virgil, who looks super pissed off - maybe because he knew he was about to get squashed? In a line that Vince should probably wish he could take back, he references Virgil's entrance as "shucking and jiving." Not a great choice of words there. Virgil tries to bring the fight to Yoko, but the big man can not be taken down so easy, able to withstand a number of dropkicks. Yoko catches Virgil with a thrust kick and then a Rock Bottom/Chokeslam-esque maneuver that gets a big reaction. Yokozuna isn't the most fascinating worker to watch, but he's very good at the limited number of things he does - the exaggerated teeter-tottering, the cut-offs, the impressive power moves, even the surprising 0-to-60 speed. And, in front of this crowd, he gets sizable reactions for everything he does. In 93', Yoko really did seem like a monster - even if, over the years, he would lose that aura. Not a bad squash at all. (2.5/5)

The action continues with The Beverly Brothers teaming up with reigning WWE Tag Team Champions Money Inc. to take on the foursome of The Nasty Boys and The Natural Disasters. What's interesting about this match is that we've got four teams who spent most (like 90%) of their careers working as heels. By this point, The Nasties and the Disasters were full-fledged babyfaces, though, and got a more-than-decent response from the crowd. Blake Beverly (aka Mike Enos) starts things off against Typhoon and its not long before both Beverlys end up sandwiched in the corner. Knobbs comes in and goes after Blake, egging Money Inc. on. Like in the opener, what keeps this match decent is that just about everyone involved is competent and that even the least skilled (Typhoon?) and most boring (IRS) are only in the ring for a few minutes at the time. This is a match designed to "cool down" the crowd before the next two bouts and it meets that purpose - though I do think it would've been just as efficient with some minutes shaved off. The Beverlys' elimination gets a huge pop and is well-executed, but its always a little weird when the heels end up as the "underdogs" in a Survivors match. Eventually the heels take over, Earthquake playing the face-in-peril (and doing it quite well considering it was a role he rarely played). Typhoon gets the hot tag and almost gets the win with a splash on IRS. The Nasty Boys chase him off, but this allows for some chicanery from the heels and the Disasters are eliminated. As IRS celebrates, though, one of the Nasties comes in and schoolboys him for a 3 count to end the match. A few minutes too long, but I liked the speedy finish when it eventually got there. (2/5)

A video recap helps explain the reasoning behind our next match as Kamala and Undertaker had been feuding for quite awhile up to this point, leading to this show's Casket Match (dubbed a "coffin" match on this show). This includes a portion (maybe the whole thing?) of the Undertaker and Paul Bearer building Kamala's mammoth-sized coffin. Kamala tries to run from the very beginning, but can't escape the clutches of the Deadman, who connects with an Old School (before it was called that). When the fight spills to the floor, Kamala connects with some chops, some thrust chops to the neck, and a couple smashes into the steel steps. At one point, he even clobbers him with a fairly stiff chair shot, the Ugandan Giant standing up to the Phenom. Kamala hits him with a trio of bodyslams, but Taker sits up from each one except the last. Kamala strikes him with a number of splashes as Bearer tries to revive the Deadman with the power of the urn. Kamala, terrified of the urn, refuses to use it to his advantage, though, and ends up struck with it (and subsequently pinned). I'm not sure why the Undertaker had to pin Kamala first, but the bell is rung and Taker then closes up the coffin to officially end the match. This almost seems like a situation where Vince didn't have much confidence in Kamala and Taker actually having a back-and-forth match, but their brawling is way better than expected and this match had potential to actually be pretty good if they had been allowed to go full force against eachother and almost have a southern-style brawl around ringside (with some extra drama added by some false finishes). Instead, this one is over before it ever really gets going - which is probably better than if it had gone on too long. (2/5)

Main event time - the Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels challenging the WWE World Champion, Bret Hart. One of the things I remember most from attending this show is that Shawn Michaels' entrance music played at 3 times. That makes sense because, after Shawn comes out, we get a lengthy Bret Hart promo. At this point, Shawn was not super established, but Bret really wasn't either - his sole main event match being his SummerSlam bout against Davey Boy Smith some months earlier (in the Bulldog's home country). Bret and Shawn start off with some mat wrestling as Heenan runs the Hitman down on commentary, still upset that Bret defeated Ric Flair for the gold. Bret works the arm and, within 3 minutes, we've now seen more actual wrestling than maybe the rest of the show combined. Bret and Shawn's chemistry is apparent here, but what's really fun about this match is that it is a wonderful blend of old school storytelling (Bret's laser focus on working Shawn's arm, the way they separate the big spots with side and front headlocks) and a much more rapid pace than the WWE had offered in their main event than they had previously. With that quicker pace, the bigger spots look all the more devastating, the shifts in momentum way more exciting. Still, compared to the Undertaker match or the star-studded tag match, the crowd's reaction is generally mild. These two just didn't have the "star power" to main event yet - but its clear from the action that their work will get them there, that they couldn't be held down for long. There are segments of the match that run a bit long - especially compared to what fans might be used to today - but almost feels like Bret and Shawn re-training the audience for a different type of match, one rooted in realism and wearing down your opponent rather than cartoonish brawling or gimmicky signature spots. Again, at times, the abundance of "rest holds" (even if they are well-executed) drags the match, but every time they actually punch the gas a bit, the action is great and the crowd pops. Bret may have eventually found Shawn's bumping style to be showboaty, but it absolutely works here. Bret goes into his finishing sequence, but Shawn stays alive, kicking out of a superplex and eventually retaking control of the match with a bodyslam outside the ring. Shawn gets frustrated and starts jawing with the ref, but Bret rolls him up for 2. Shawn hits a superkick - which wasn't his finisher yet - but doesn't make the cover in time to capitalize. From here, Shawn and Bret just nail the last few minutes of the match, everything clicking. Had they taken some of the "filler" of this match out, this would probably be more fondly remembered, but as it is, it is still a very good match (though not a great or "must see" match). (3/5)

With a Kwang Score of 2.25-out-of-5, Survivor Series 92' isn't too good of a show, but its not unwatchable. There are moments that are actually pretty fun - the Coffin Match exceeds expectations, the main event is an interesting watch, and the Perfect/Savage vs. Flair/Ramon match is above-average thanks to its star power and the crowd's enthusiasm. Plus, that Nailz promo is really great. Aside from that, though, its not surprising that the company was about to enter a years-long rough patch right around this time as there's very little else to rave about on this show.

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver

WWE SummerSlam 2005

WWE SummerSlam 2005

Washington, DC - August 2005

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, Batista was the World Heavyweight Champion, John Cena was the WWE Champion, Orlando Jordan was the United States Champion, and the Intercontinental Champion was Carlito. The Cruiserweight Champion was Nunzio and Trish Stratus was the Women's Champion, though neither title was defended on this show. The World Tag Team Champions were Rosey & The Hurricane, while the WWE Tag Team Champions were The Road Warriors (Animal & Heidenreich, that is). 

SummerSlam 2005 is the show that got me back into pro-wrestling after a 3-4 year hiatus. Looking at the card, its easy to see why - this show was stacked with superstars and weighted heavily with nostalgia. Even the Guerrero/Mysterio feud felt a bit like a throwback to the 90s, when Eddie and Rey would routinely tear the house down on Nitro, while the show's main event was a legit "dream match" never seen before (a rarity these days when just about every wrestler has fought every other wrestler a dozen times on free TV). 

After a performance from Lillian Garcia, a video package hypes tonight's multiple main events. Its then time for the opening match, the pseudo-notorious squash of Orlando Jordan by Chris Benoit in under a minute. This gave Benoit the US Championship and, if I remember correctly, led to another "nostalgia gimmick" as he proceeded to have a Best of 7 series with Booker T (just like they had in WCW 7 years earlier). There are "cool" squash matches - see just about any time Sid was on TV or even Benoit getting squashed by The Giant in WCW - but this wasn't cool or very fun. It was just Benoit applying the Crossface and getting a tapout victory. At least his finisher was protected. (1/5)

A video package chronicles the rivalry between Edge (and Lita) and Matt Hardy, who compete next. There are a ton of details I'm going to exclude here for the sake of brevity, but basically, Edge cheated on his wife with Lita, who had been in a long-term relationship with Matt Hardy in real life for a number of years. Hardy got fired for airing his dirty laundry on the internet, but fans would not let Edge or Lita forget their infidelity, chanting "We Want Matt" (and worse) during all of their matches and segments to the point that Vince decided to turn the whole thing into a gimmick (ending Lita and Kane's phony on-screen romance in the process) and re-hire Matt...just to put over Edge, who was holding the Money In The Bank Briefcase at the time and had become a heat magnet. This one starts off like a brawl and the crowd is absolutely into it, cheering Hardy on as he applies a choke. You gotta give credit to Matt here - even as they are clearly wrestling a scripted, staged fight, he is putting a ton of mustard on his punches, really trying to sell this as a legit fight. It doesn't quite work - especially re-watching in 2020 when even a non-fan has likely seen at least 2-3 legitimate "shoot" fights - but at least they try. At one point, Edge drops Hardy onto the ring post and Hardy takes a bad tumble to the floor, blading himself to heighten the drama even more. Edge begins to stomp Hardy in the face and the ref calls for the bell as the crowd absolutely loses their shit. What an awful finish...but genius way to keep the heat on Edge and further this rivalry. As a match, this isn't great, but as a match and angle, it accomplishes exactly what they designed it to do (which was not necessarily what the fans wanted to see). (2/5)

Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio in a ladder match for the paternity of Dominik Mysterio is next. This is one of the most legendary storylines in modern WWE history, maybe the most famous feud of both guy's illustrious careers. One of the things forgotten about this match is just how far Tazz and Cole go to sell it on commentary, Cole even openly discussing how he adopted both of his two sons (as a way to clarify that while Dominick was, according to Eddie, his biological progency, Rey was his real father). Dominick's expressions on the outside are terrific as well; he really seems distraught with what he's watching before even the first punch is thrown. Speaking of punches, one could argue that the fact that Eddie and Rey have a match that features so much signature offense, so much flying and lucha-style action, that they are not working this like the blood feud match it should be - but I'd disagree as, not only is there viciousness from the early going, but also because these two guys are both wrestling to their strengths and trying to grab the paternity briefcase from the first 5 minutes. In other words, the psychology is there, even if no one would confuse this for Magnum/Tully or Valentine/Piper. Comparatively, when Rollins and Ambrose start a "blood feud match" with wristlocks and side headlocks, it isn't playing to either guy's strength nor does it show any urgency. Less than 10 minutes in there is an absolutely insane spot that sees Mysterio back-body drop Eddie from atop one ladder through another one that ends with one of the nastiest series of falls I've seen (and is immediately followed by another ugly bump from Rey - and then a reverse powerbomb into a ladder as well). As Eddie goes to retrieve the briefcase, Dominick slides into the ring and tries to shake him off the ladder, only to get scolded by his "father." Eddie demands a hug and then yells in Dominick's face, only to get stopped by Rey and eventually hit with a ladder-assisted 619 and a double leg drop. Rey climbs for the briefcase, but Eddie stops him, attempting to hit him with Electric Chair off the ladder - only for Rey to reverse it into a sunset flip powerbomb off the ladder! Damn. Rey seems to have the match won, but Eddie kicks the ladder from under him and drags him down with a ridiculous power bomb of his own. That was a concussion-causer if I've ever seen one. Eddie pins Rey under the ladder and begins to climb, taunting Mysterio with each step. Eddie has trouble unhooking the briefcase, though, and Rey is able to tip the ladder from underneath. Rey pulls Eddie down and Eddie drops leg-first in a fall that looks like it could've caused him a serious ankle injury. Eddie's selling is terrific, but because he has such a size advantage he's still able to hit the Tres Amigos (including one on the ladder for good measure). Eddie goes back to the ladder, but this time, his ascent is interrupted by the arrival of his wife, Vickie Guerrero, who tips over the ladder and causes Eddie to stun himself on the top rope! Rey picks the ladder up and makes his way up, but Eddie is back on his feet too - only Eddie get's held back by Vickie, his own wife doing what's right for the Mysterio family! I'm not sure if this match is as good as what they accomplished at Halloween Havoc, but its not far off and is certainly one of the best ladder matches of all time. (4/5)

Before the next bout, Chris Jericho cuts a promo about becoming a WWE Champion that all of Raw can be proud of. 

Eugene, with Christy Hemme at his side, makes his way down the aisle for his match against Kurt Angle tonight. Kurt Angle was the heel, but the Eugene gimmick had run its course by this point - but would somehow last for another 2 years. Angle comes in and just destroys him to start the match, but Eugene cuts him off with a spinebuster (that draws a chorus of boos). Eugene goes for a People's Elbow, but Angle clocks him with a nasty clothesline (that gets a huge pop). A "Let's Go Angle" chant starts up as Angle continues to wear down his opponent, the crowd loudly booing any time there's even a hint of a comeback from Eugene. After Eugene attempts to apply the Ankle Lock, Angle escapes, hits him with the Angle Slam and taps him, the match ending in under 8 minutes. The right guy won, the crowd was engaged (even if vociferously anti-Eugene), and I liked the post-match moment of Kurt Angle re-enacting the Olympic gold medal ceremony. This was pretty much exactly what is should've been, though Angle couldn't help himself from giving the fans at least two unnecessary near falls for no logical reason. (2.5/5)

In the parking lot, a number of divas are soaping up a limousine with the final reveal being that the limo has the Presidential seal on it and that, sitting in the backseat is noneother than...Vince McMahon. I totally forget if Vince running for President was ever actually a thing but we're living in the closest possible timeline with Trump in office. 

Back to the ring we go for The Undertaker vs. Randy Orton. Unlike the rest of the matches on the card, this one doesn't get a big pre-match hype video, though maybe it was because this rematch from WrestleMania XXI was developed rather quickly due to some unexpected happenings going on - most notably the writing off of Muhammad Hassan. Orton gets quite a bit of shine here, holding his own against Taker. Its also fun to watch Orton throw himself fully into selling; you just don't see Orton taking this much of a beatdown in 2020 (or even 10 years ago) and its a nice reminder as to why he was considered, even more than Cena maybe, as the future of the company. When Orton takes over and goes after Taker's knee, he goes after it with verve and a clear strategy, a clearly more confident worker in every way than he was when he got his first major push (roughly a year earlier). Taker, meanwhile, is wrestling the style that he would use for a lengthy strength in the 00s and early 10s, a style less gimmicky, quicker, more athletic, and more versatile. This is the Undertaker taking himself down down a peg, showing vulnerability in order to add suspense and drama to his matches. In a match like this, it absolutely works - it isn't WrestleMania and Undertaker doesn't look unbeatable. Unlike their Mania contest, the stakes are lesser and it is entirely conceivable that Orton could "get his win back." Towards the end, a mysterious figure (obviously Bob Orton) shows up to distract Taker long enough for the Deadman to eat an RKO. Its not the cleanest of victories, but how many clean jobs did Taker ever do anyway? Less than 10? I wouldn't call this a "must see," but this is a very good match nonetheless and probably would've been even more warmly received had it not been on a show featuring so many star-studded matches. (3.5/5)

The WWE Championship is on the line next with Chris Jericho challenging John Cena. The hatred for Cena was not yet peaking at this point, but it was undoubtedly there - especially online. Jericho is in arguably the best shape of his career here, looking lean and mean. This match is much better than it probably is remembered by most fans as these two put out the best possible match considering that (a) the finish was never really in doubt and (b) Chris Jericho was heading out the door and "burnt out." Jericho is terrific throughout, his offense intense and purposeful, targeting Cena's lower back throughout the contest to weaken it for the Walls of Jericho. Cena is in "sell mode" for most of this contest, which isn't surprising as, even after being bestowed the WWE Championship, Cena was still considered fairly "green" - especially in a lockerroom like the WWE had in 2005, which was still weighted heavily with veteran workers and established stars. And so Jericho is clearly calling this match from beginning to end and doing a rather masterful job of it. By the closing minutes, a loud anti-Cena contingent lets their presence be known, but that was to be expected from a SummerSlam crowd. The predictability of the ending does hurt things, but there is at least one great moment of doubt when Jericho counters what appeared to be an attempt for a "Super F-U" into a back suplex. Cena lasting so long in the Walls of Jericho was always going to irk the "smarks," but it definitely is a great way to put a guy over on your way out - as Jericho was clearly working to do here. I'm not going to call it a "must see," but its definitely a very good title match. (3.5/5)

Hometown hero Batista defends his World Heavyweight Championship against JBL in an Anything Goes match next. JBL catches Batista in the entranceway to jump start the match, the two men brawling into the crowd with Batista eventually spearing JBL through the barricade back to ringside. JBL has always had the reputation of being a backstage bully who would work needlessly stiff in the ring (famously taking liberties during the first One Night Stand show a few months before this), but he takes a respectable beating here. Neither of these guys is known for wowing the crowds with technical prowess, so seeing them beat the hell out of each other works pretty well at keeping the crowd engaged. Bradshaw takes control and uses a belt to try to choke Batista out, but the Animal powers out with a back suplex. Batista grabs the belt and whips the hell out of his opponent, following it up with some shoulders in the corner. JBL manages to change the tide, though, with an absolutely nasty Clothesline from Hell, but Batista kicks out at 2. JBL grabs some steps and attempts a piledriver, but Batista back body drops him onto the mat. JBL attempts another Clothesline from Hell, but Batista counters it into a spinebuster. Batista calls for the Batista Bomb and nails it. Batista has the opportunity to make the cover, but instead, decides to inflict more damage as the crowd chants "One More Time." Batista lifts him up and this time he powerbombs him onto the steps to get the W. Like Jericho did for Cena, you have to give some credit to JBL for doing everything he could to further cement Batista's status. This isn't an all-time classic or anything, but it accomplished everything it needed to and didn't waste any time getting there. (3/5)

Main event time - Shawn Michaels vs. Hulk Hogan. This match has become notorious over the years, legendary for the politicking that supposedly occurred backstage and in the ring. For starters, based on reports from the time, Shawn wanted the match to be a face/face encounter, but Hogan requested for Shawn to turn heel to protect his own character. Shawn being Shawn, he did turn heel - but the exact kind of heel that made the original DegenerationX a cool stable, mocking Hogan's age (a touchy subject for the Hulkster) and trolling the Montreal crowd in one particular episode of Raw. According to rumor, Michaels wanted to have a trilogy of matches (or at least two) and was more than willing to lose the first contest as long as he'd get his win back. At some point, Hogan refused to do any more matches than this one - if you believe Shawn. Hogan's take was slightly different as he alleges that he was willing to have more matches (but that Shawn's overreaction on this night [and maybe getting too personal in his promos?] prevented it from happening). Anyway...The match starts off with Hogan sending Shawn to the mat repeatedly. Michaels applies a wristlock and then a side headlock, but Hogan powers out and we get our first bit of pinball bumping out of Shawn, the Heartbreak Kid rolling out of the ring after a shoulder block from the Hulkster. Back in the ring, Shawn takes over on offense a bit with some chest chops and an eye poke to halt Hogan's momentum (which draws some loud boos from the crowd). Minutes later, Shawn Michaels takes a clothesline on the outside and sells it by doing a somersault and a Flair flop, but really, there are lengthy stretches where Michaels is simply being his usual self - or at least the self he was in 97'. Are there some over-the-top moments? Absolutely. And they're noticeable. But there are also some legitimately intense and memorable moments - Michaels slapping Hogan across the repeatedly, a sequence built around simple post-ramming and stiff right hands that results in Hogan getting busted open, both guys masterfully milking crowd reactions with their expressions. While this match doesn't have the electricity of Hogan/Rock, its a much more physical match than that, more violent, and also built more on a clash of styles. Michaels (even at his peak) couldn't elicit the reactions The Rock could with a simple lift of his eyebrow, but he also bumps and sells and provides the speed and high-flying that The Rock couldn't. He also sinks his teeth into his heel role, at one point even busting out a Sharpshooter to further draw heat from the crowd. Like most any classic Hogan match, there's some overbooking to go with the overselling - the aforementioned blood (and there's a ton of it), a ref bump that leads to a low blow and a chairshot, a finisher kickout. And because its a Hogan match, it ends with a Hulk Up - and Hogan doing some clever "maneuvering" of his own in the final moments by hitting Michaels with the leg drop and, before making the cover, doing an extended "I Can't Hear You Bit" in order to draw out Michaels selling of his finish. Michaels takes the pin by lifting his leg straight up in the area, an absurdly cartoonish way to get pinned, but its not super jarring because he'd been doing exaggerating moves the whole match. In fact, the first time I watched this match, I really didn't catch Michaels' overselling - I just thought he was putting extra oomph into the match because, hey, his opponent is Hulk friggin' Hogan. Ultimately, though, its not Michaels' over-the-top performance that mars this match, its the fact that, in the end, it seems a bit too by the book, like Shawn Michaels saw the framework of the typical Hulk Hogan match and decided to just go with it instead of changing it up at all. Michaels is too entertaining a bumper, too interesting as a heel, too good a performer not to make this arguably Hogan's last great match - but this one doesn't touch Hogan's true classic performances. (3.5/5)

There's a reason that 2005, especially the second half of the year, felt like a "turning the corner" era for the WWE. RAW was back on USA. Gimmicks like Carlito and Chris Masters felt like throwbacks to the 80s. And, hey, with Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, and, by the end of the year, Jimmy Snuka and Piper back around, you didn't even need throwbacks because, hell, you got the real thing (or at least their son in Randy Orton)! While the WWE was laying the nostalgia on thick, at the top of the card, John Cena and Batista were undeniably fresh - even if, over time, much of the fan base would turn on them and even criticize the lack of "dues" they put in. Meanwhile, the rest of the roster was stacked with future Hall of Famers in the form of Eddie Guerrero, Rey Mysterio, The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Triple H (who would return later that year), Edge, Jericho...the WWE was loaded with talent and star power and the writing actually seemed focused and purposeful. This show is not match-for-match as strong as the Vengeance show from July, but it still features at least one excellent, "must see" match in the Guerrero/Mysterio Ladder Match and a number of matches that were almost as strong - Hogan/Michaels, Cena/Jericho, and Taker/Orton. With a Kwang Score of 2.88-out-of-5, I'm going to shockingly give this a higher overall rating than the point total might indicate...

FINAL RATING - Watch It 

WWE Hell in a Cell 2020

WWE Hell in a Cell 2020

Orlando, FL - October 2020

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, Roman Reigns was the Universal Championship while Drew McIntyre held the WWE Championship. The United States Champion was Bobby Lashley the Intercontinental Champion was Sami Zayn, the RAW Tag Team Championships were held by The New Day (specifically Kofi and Woods), and the SmackDown Tag Team Championships were held by The Street Profits. The RAW Women's Champion was Asuka (though she would not defend the title on this show) and the SmackDown Women's Champion was Bayley, with the Women's Tag Team Championships held by Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler. Finally, the 24/7 Championship was held by R-Truth (enjoying his FORTY-SECOND reign with the title).

The fact that Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso for the Universal Championship in an "I Quit" Match in the Hell in a Cell opened the show was a major surprise as this feud had a terrific build based around Reigns demanding that his cousin acknowledge him as the Tribal Chief (with the added stipulation that if Reigns won the match, both Uso Brothers and their families would be cut out of the family). This started off as just a straight-forward match, the first big spot being an Uso dive on Reigns into the cell wall. Without a live audience, its hard to imagine what kind of reaction this match would've received in its first few minutes, but I'm guessing a mild one as this match started off less violent than their match at Clash of the Champions despite being in a more sinister setting. Reigns hit a not-so-hot spear early on, but it was the second one that looked like it took all the wind out of Jey (even Cole admitted on commentary that it was considerably more impactful). The theatrics and drama began at this point, Reigns threatening to "end" his cousin despite not wanting to. Uso rallied, though, hitting a big splash from the top. Inexplicably, the referee asked Reigns if he would quit at this point. Off a single top rope splash? Even off the second one it was dumb considering Reigns has kicked out of multiple F-5s and, if I'm not mistaken, even a Tombstone. Uso finally brought a weapon into play, grabbing a strap from underneath the ring. Uso began whipping Reigns, which, to me, felt a bit like the kind of thing that should've been instigated by the heel rather than the face (but maybe I'm just old-fashioned). Reigns only got a couple lashes before he nailed Uso with a spear and grabbed the strap for himself (as anyone could've predicted). Jey Uso's selling of the strap was a perfect mix of defiance and anguish and I loved the added touch of Reigns tying the strap to Uso's wrist to prevent him from escaping the whipping. It created an extra visual metaphor of their linkage and literal tension to the match, plus, with neither guy being known for their submissions, gave them both a very violent means to try to get their opponent to say "I Quit." At one point, Uso seemed to choke Reigns out, but Roman sprung back to life, gasping for air before Uso choked him out again. Reigns eventually stirred back to life, but Jey was waiting for a chair. Jey went for a chair shot, but Reigns nailed him with a Superman Punch and applied the guillotine, choking out his cousin (but before he could utter the words that would end the match). For the new few minutes, Reigns muttered and the ref repeatedly asked Jey if he would quit but got no response. Reigns dragged Jey onto the ring apron and hit him with a Drive-By that nearly put him into the post - but then followed it up by sandwiching Jey's head between the post and part of the steps and hitting him with another Drive-By. The spot didn't "pop" the way it should've for whatever reason and even the commentators' hush didn't add the gravitas they wanted that maneuver to carry. Without a genuine live audience reaction, it just felt like another underwhelming moment in a match that had now become mostly just walk-and-talk. Reigns attacked the referee, leading to various other officials entering the ring and demanding Reigns leave the ring. Before leaving, though, Reigns shut the cell door, tossed the steps back into the ring, and pinned Uso to the mat just so he could deliver another speech about Jey not acknowledging him. At Clash of the Champions, the blend of unhinged violence and trash talk worked, but here, the theatrics might've just gone too far, especiall once Jimmy Uso showed up and "broke kayfabe," referring to Jey as Josh and himself as John. Reigns, crying on the mat, showed off his acting range before applying the guillotine to JImmy. With Jimmy getting choked out by the Champion, Jey "quit" and Reigns sneered, turning from a whimpering baby to an evil bastard at the blink of an eye. The charisma of the performers carried this match and it was definitely different, but I wouldn't call this great or even "must see" unless you're dying to see two guys lay the capital-A Acting on thick. The kind of match that will certainly be divisive in terms of fan opinion but one that I still found interesting, if hammy at times. In an extra little moment of brilliance, Afa and Sika stood at the top of the stage and hugged Reigns, gifting him with a lei that symbolizes his ascension as the family's Chief. (3/5)

After a series of commercials and a wholly unnecessary replay of the end of the previous match, it was time for our next contest - Elias taking on Jeff Hardy. I haven't been watching SmackDown for awhile, but wasn't Elias now a babyface after feuding with Corbin? Wasn't Jeff Hardy also involved a much higher profile feud with Sami Zayn too? Elias is a great example of how the WWE "cooling" on someone can have a permanently damaging impact as he just feels microwaved leftovers. Hardy was once known for his inconsistency, but he's actually become a dependable performer on this most recent run, shining in matches against Zayn, Sheamus, and AJ Styles as of late - but Elias is not the caliber of worker the other guys are, his character is ice cold, and Hardy going 50/50 with him didn't make me any more interested in this rivalry. The finish seems to point to an eventual rematch as Hardy lost his temper and used Elias's guitar against him, but this was nothing special to build from. (2/5)

After a recap of the Law & Otis segment from SmackDown, it was time for Otis vs. The Miz for Otis' Money In The Bank Briefcase. While Otis hasn't been off-screen for as long as Elias was (Otis hasn't really been off-screen at all), his lack of presence on the past couple PPVs has undoubtedly hurt the momentum he had in the spring - when his storyline with Mandy Rose was mega-over and feud with Dolph Ziggler was one of the more talked-about storylines going in the build-up to WrestleMania XXXVI. The Miz and Morrison had some momentum too a few months ago, but have also fallen enough down the card that they're not nearly the "must see" team they once claimed to be. Despite this match having fairly high stakes, I wasn't enthralled by it. The Miz can be a terrific heel - but he's better in front of a live crowd, playing off real-life drama (like his feud with Daniel Bryan and even, before that, John Cena), and against workers that push him physically (the aforementioned Bryan and even Braun Strowman). Paired with Otis, Miz has to play ring general and Otis just has to do his comedy shtick and it all feels a bit childish. Tucker's heel turn was a surprise, but it was also awkwardly executed as Otis leaned into the hit, Tucker's apprehension felt like it was just a small beat "off," and getting struck with the briefcase (mostly in the shoulder) just didn't look like a "death blow." Had he struck him and caused Otis to stumble into a Skull-Crushing Finale, it would've been much, much better. This was another filler match with a not-so-well executed finish. (1.5/5)

Backstage, The Miz cut a great promo - exactly the type of promo I described above - passionate, purposeful, and rooted in reality. As Miz celebrated, Tucker joined and explained that he didn't turn on Otis because of anything JoMo or Miz did, but because Otis stole the spotlight from him. Otis showed up and he and Tucker brawled in the back before we cut back ringside for...

Sasha Banks vs. Bayley in a Hell in a Cell Match for Bayley's SmackDown Women's Championship. It was noted that Bayley had competed in both of the previous two Hell in a Cell's matches featuring women, but Cole didn't mention that she lost both. It also doesn't really help sell the gimmick of Hell in a Cell matches being career-ending when you've got Sasha Banks losing two of them and still wanting to re-enter the ultra-dangerous environ. Bayley brought a chair into the ring with her, but as the cell was lowered, Banks dropkicked it out of her hands in a brilliant start to the match. These two always put on great matches, but this one was very different: it was in a cell, it was loaded with weapon use, and Bayley was playing the heel. The chemistry was still there, though, both performers busting out some of their best-ever offense including a nasty double-knees into the cell wall from the Boss and a ridiculous drop toe hold from Bayley that sent Banks face-first into the steps (and through some kendo sticks too for good measure). As one could expect, there were a few convoluted segments, the kind of cat-and-mouse sequences that these two just can't resist when they work together, but like in the opener, the charisma and passion they put on display made these moments easy to excuse. Other highlights included Bayley catapulted Banks into a pair of sticks, a sunset flip powerbomb from Banks that sent Bayley into the cell wall, and some clever uses of a chair (a callback to the heel turn that sparked this blood feud). Bayley hit a sunset flip powerbomb of her own that propelled (Corey Graves' word) Banks' neck-first into a steel chair and followed it up with an elbow drop, but only got 2. Back on their feet, Bayley attempted something (I'm not sure what), but Banks hit a backstabber and then locked her in the Banks Statement. Bayley rolled to the outside and tied Banks up in the ring apron before crushing her head into the steel ring frame. I'm not sure I've seen that before. Bayley struck her with a couple additional kendo stick shots then grabbed some duct tape. After taping the sticks together (not well), Bayley went to grab Banks, but Banks blinded her with a fire extinguisher! Trying to escape the cage, Bayley grabbed her spray-painted chair instead, which Banks then tossed into the ring. Banks sent Bayley into the cell walls a few times and the war raged on, hitting her with all she had. Banks grabbed a kendo stick and beat down on her one-time best friend repeatedly before retreating to the corner in emotional exhaustion. After stomping on Bayley one last time, Banks went to the top for a frog splash - but Bayley lifted the steel chair to block her, causing them both to suffer from the impact. Bayley regained control, but couldn't put Banks out. Bayley slid a LADDER into the ring - this had to be weapon type #6 by this point (if you count the ring frame and the cell itself) - and set it atop two chairs. Banks fought her, but Bayley ended up dropping her face-first onto the ladder before laying her across it. After spray painting her, Bayley went to the top for a chair-assisted flying elbow drop but Banks rolled away! Banks followed it up with double-knees off the ladder and then a Bayley-to-Belly into the ladder for 2. Bayley wouldn't stay down, though, fighting her way back into the match and hitting a Bayley-to-Belly herself for 2. Back in control, Bayley hit Banks with a series of chair shots, but Banks rallied and applied a chair-assisted Banks Statement that included Banks stomping on the leg of the chair to add extra pressure and pain to Bayley's neck! The finish wasn't the smoothest, but it certainly was effective and looked like a believable end to the match. This was not the all-time classic that many wished and wanted but, again, this was also a very different match - in build and style - from what they accomplished in NXT years ago (playing two different versions of themselves). (4/5)

Backstage, The Hurt Business hypes Bobby Lashley's United States Title defense against one of the members of Retribution - Slapjack (aka Shane Thorne). When Shelton Benjamin is scoring points off you in his promos, you know you're gimmick is lame. Slapjack got more offense in than I thought he would, especially as Lashley controlled the early moments and the commentators hyped his dominance over the previous few weeks. Thorne is lucky that's under a mask because he's definitely a decent bumper and seller and could potentially have a future beyond this joke stable. After the match, Ali had his henchmen try to beat up Lashley, but The Almighty sent them packing and the rest of the Hurt Business drove them off. Retribution has to be one of the all-time worst stables and Mustafa Ali should not be at all proud to be its leader. More filler on a show that already had quite a bit of it. (1/5)

Main event time - Drew McIntyre vs. Randy Orton for McIntyre's WWE Championship in yet another Hell in a Cell match. This match had a few things working against it - first, the feud between these two already reached its natural (and best possible) conclusion at Clash of the Champions. Second, this was now the third cell match of the night. Lastly, Randy Orton doesn't exactly have a track record of all-time great Hell in a Cell matches (though I did enjoy the horrific "earlobe spot" from the cell match he had against Jeff Hardy a couple years back). Oddly, McIntyre came out first, but the reasoning behind this became clear as Orton - decked in all black -  jumped Drew from behind. Of course, this ended up backfiring as McIntyre didn't really suffer all that much of a beat down and the match ended up starting just moments later. What's even the point of a start like that if all it does is lead to both guys just kinda staring at each other in the ring as the bell rings? I liked their SummerSlam match and the Clash match was fun, but the only place they could go with this match was to heap on the physicality, maybe get some "color" (which their previous matches had), and try not to replay the same "hits" that Banks and Bayley or Reigns and Uso had already played. McIntyre attempted a Claymore early, but Orton dodged it and struck Drew's knee with a chair instead in a not-so-great-looking moment. Orton then drove the chair into McIntyre's previously-injured jaw before going for a cover (and only getting a 1, which used to be one of McIntyre's calling cards, right?). Orton took control from there and things did not get any more interesting. McIntyre's bumping and selling looked awkward at times, most likely because his huge frame just couldn't really maneuver around the ring very easily. When the action got back between the ropes, things were better - but it almost just made it even clearer that putting this match in a cell actually hamstrung them more than it helped. A piped-in "This is Awesome" chant could be heard despite the fact that this match was not awesome at all. Even the trash talk, usually an area of strength for Orton, was a step down from the verbal sparring of the previous two cell matches. In another head-scratching turn, Orton grabbed a pair of bolt cutters to open up the cell door. Why? He was in the driver's seat? Again, Orton's actions had the reverse effect of whatever he was intending, though, as McIntyre attacked him from behind. Orton then, inexplicably, climbed the cage (despite being back in control of the match). Orton egged him on to join him at the top of the cage and McIntyre followed - a brave move but also a really dumb one considering that Orton needed to beat McIntyre and not the other way around. On top of the cage, Orton revealed that he had a steel pipe - but after one swing, McIntyre tackled him and beat him down. McIntyre then got up and did some sort of signature taunt only to get caught with the pipe. The lack of logic in this match was just astounding. Orton then climbed down the cage wall having accomplished very, very little (that he couldn't have accomplished in the ring). As Orton climbed down, McIntyre climbed alongside him and we got the classic Shawn Michaels table bump off the cage through a table. I'm not saying that its not a good, respectable spot (or that I'd be willing to take it myself) but we've seen it before, we've seen it done better, and we've seen it in a context that made way more sense than this. McIntyre cralwed out of the wreckage, choking and squirming, as Orton watched from behind him. Why wouldn't Orton grab him and try to get him back into the ring quicker? Why give him this time to recover? I get that part of the Viper's sinister attitude is that he enjoys watching others in pain, but I guess at this point I was just eager for this match to end in whatever convoluted fashion it was going to. As Orton revved up for an RKO, though, McIntyre sprang back to life - playing possum from falling through a table and coughing up blood?? - and hit a Claymore (but could not make the cover in time as Orton had rolled to the outside). After dragging Randy back into the ring, McIntyre attempted another Claymore, but Orton dodged it and hit the RKO! New Champion! Wow...I was not expecting that at all. This was not a good match and I'd argue the wrong man won as well. (1.5/5)

All in all, a disappointing show. The Reigns/Uso match was heavy-handed for lengthy stretches and maybe even went a touch too far with Reigns' crocodile tears. Had the "meat" of the match been better, like it was during Clash of the Champions, the match could've been really special - but it felt like a retread of that match and didn't add anything new aside from the appearance of the Wild Samoans at the end. People had insane and arguably unrealistic expectations for Bayley/Sasha; it was a very good match, a "must see" even (especially for what has been a not-so-great 2020 in terms of high-level matches for the WWE), but a Match of the Decade-caliber contest? An all-time great Hell in a Cell match? The only way it enters that conversation is if you disqualify any match with blood. The final match and the rest of the card really drag this show down - Otis/Miz was unremarkable, Elias/Hardy felt like filler from an episode of SmackDown, and the Lashley squash should've been half-as-long or replaced altogether. The large number of commercials and ads didn't help the watchability of the show either. The WWE could accomplish a ton more with their backstage segments during these shows by actually highlighting the large number of characters who simply can't or didn't make the show - Jax and Baszler, Sami Zayn, Asuka, Keith Lee, the list goes on. With a Kwang Score of 2.17-out-of-5, this one was...

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver

WWE Vengeance 2005

WWE Vengeance 2005

Las Vegas, Nevada - June 2005

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Batista was the World Heavyweight Champion while John Cena was the WWE Champion coming into this show. Trish Stratus was the WWE Women's Champion, Paul London was the Cruiserweight Champion (but would not defend it on this show), Orlando Jordan was the United States Champion, and the Intercontinental Champion was Carlito. Finally, the World Tag Team Champions were Rosey & The Hurricane, while the WWE Tag Team Champions (who I believe were on SmackDown) were Joey Mercury and Johnny Nitro. 

Vengeance 2005 kicks off with a video hyping the arrival of John Cena to RAW, the place he would spend the next 10-12 years (?) and the "final" showdown between Batista and Triple H. Quite a double-header.

There's a spectacular casino-themed set for this show as it hails from Las Vegas, Nevada.

Opening up the show, Carlito defended the Intercontinental Championship against Shelton Benjamin (the previous titleholder). I feel like these two fought and feuded for a full 18 months or so in 2005 and 2006 as both were clearly earmarked as future main eventers (not that it turned out that way). Colon is "all in" on his character, his over-the-top facial expressions on full display. The crowd seems split three ways - one third rooting for Benjamin, one third rooting for Carlito, and one third not interested at all. Benjamin and Carlito get lots of time, but its like they don't know what to do with it or really want the fans want to see (especially Carlito). Colon milks the near falls by raising a shoulder at 2.9, but because he does it practically every time, it comes across as phony (even if it was part of his gimmick to kickout in a "cool" way). He slows things when they don't need to be slowed any more. Benjamin is more impressive, all of his offense hitting, his selling perfectly fine, but his issue was always finding a character that resonated with audiences. The finish comes after Carlito exposes a turnbuckle, stealing the W after Benjamin splashes into the uncovered corner. Not a bad match, but nothing to write home about. (2/5)

Next up - Victoria vs. Christy Hemme. This one has some real mid-00s touchstones: the match was based on physicality after a bikini contest, there was gratuitous fake blood used at one point, and the announcer goes ahead and refers to the match as a "Divas Match" (to alter disinterested males that now might be a good time to freshen their Coors Light). Hemme comes in and immediately goes after Victoria, but Victoria uses her experience to outsmart her. Victoria isn't someone I'd consider an "all time great," but she was probably at or near the top of the division in terms of in-ring skill at the time. Hemme doesn't have much to offer, but she takes a beating just fine and this match does at least feel like a legit fight between two women with personal issues between them. It also goes for at least a couple minutes longer than I expected it would, which is a good thing. The right woman (Victoria) wins, but Hemme at least has an "out" as it wasn't clean. Another not bad/not good match. (2/5)

Backstage, John Cena - still with one foot in his hip-hop persona - cuts a promo about being the "new kid" on Raw. 

A video package hypes our next match - Edge vs. Kane. The build for this match stems from someone not even involved in the contest: Matt Hardy. In the spring of 05', it was revealed that Edge and Lita had an affair (Lita was Hardy's real-life girlfriend), but on-screen, Lita was linked romantically to Kane. So, as the crowds wouldn't "play along" and continued to chant for Matt Hardy during all of Edge and Lita's matches and appearances, the WWE opted to have Lita turn on Kane and then join-up with Edge (who was now going through a divorce with his real-life wife). As anyone following this story would've predicted, a loud "We Want Matt" chant starts up and fills the arena. This is followed, moments later, by a loud "She's A Crackwhore" chant that the commentators also try to ignore. All of this is way more interesting than the match itself, which almost seems like its happening in the background of a crowd mutiny. An Edge spear on the arena floor, for example, barely draws a reaction while Edge's heat section elicits nothing more than sporadic "You Screwed Matt" chants. This match just plays like absolutely filler despite Kane's every effort to be an avatar for Matt Hardy's supporters. They finally get the audience into things when Kane no sells a series of Edge strikes and does two sit-ups before catching Edge with an excellent uppercut off the ropes. This is essentially Kane working like he's never worked before, busting out a wider variety of moves than ever before, showing fire (not literally and in a way very different than he usually does), and having fun with some of his signature moves (the aforementioned two sit-ups in rapid succession). Kane tears a Pillmanizing on Lita's neck, but gets stopped by Snitsky, who hits Kane with a big boot. Whatever happened to ol' Geno? Edge attempts an Impaler but again Snitsky interferes. Kane catches him, though, and he ends up struck by Edge's Money In The Bank Briefcase before Kane grabs Edge and chokeslams him too for the W. I'm not sure what the booking philosophy was here - Edge was definitely earmarked for a major run by the end of the year by this point as, rightly or wrongly, he was getting tremendous heat and Vince was going to capitalize on it. Kane, meanwhile, had vanquished his ex and her new beau but was also feuding with Gene Snitsky, not necessarily a main event-caliber opponent. If I'm not mistaken, he was also set to film See No Evil around this time so I'm not sure if this was done just as a send-off or if he'd hang around for awhile. Regardless, the right man won to end this storyline, but the wrong man won if you consider where Edge would be by the end of the year. (2/5)

In a rematch from WrestleMania XXI, Shawn Michaels takes on Kurt Angle in the next contest. That match ended with Michaels tapping out, so most fans expected this match to be all about Shawn "getting his win back." Some good back-and-forth early on before Angle targets Shawn's arm with a direct knee strike to the limb, forcing HBK to take a breather outside. Michaels comes back in and hits Angle with a series of chops, these two pros in no rush to get to the big spots and signature moves. Angle goes for the Ankle Lock early, but Shawn escapes both times - the first time with the help of the ropes and the second time with his speed and agility. Out to the floor they go where Michaels eats a German Suplex onto (but through) a table. With Angle now in the driver's seat, Michaels goes into selling mood, taking a beating as the crowd tries to rally around Shawn. Angle hits a Buckle Bomb that draws a huge reaction, a move that I'm not sure we'd seen many guys go for in the WWE up to this point, but only gets 2. Angle has been criticized for being a workrate machine, for working too fast, but his pacing here is spot on, the big spots broken up with headlocks and hope spots. The biggest flaw in this match might be that Angle doesn't stick to any of the body parts he is supposedly "targeting," going from the ankle to the neck to the back to the eye (where Michaels gets cut early) without any design. Michaels has so much goodwill with the audience that every one of his mini-comebacks gets a pop, but 2005 might be Shawn Michaels at his "most Shawn Michaels," his over-the-top facial expressions, his gunshot-like selling, his exaggerated kickouts at 2.99 and blatant attempts to "steal the show" rather than put on a realistic wrestling match sometimes hurting more than they help. If these sorts of performances hadn't become the blueprint for so many young wrestlers, they would be more endearing, but because this style became "the norm" (especially for smaller workers), there's credence to the idea of Michaels being the Godfather of the "Self-Conscious Epic." After a ref bump, Michaels takes a nasty spill onto the arena floor, his ankle looking to take the brunt of the damage. Angle applies the Ankle Lock back in the ring, but Shawn won't tap. Michaels tries every escape he can, but Angle will not let go. Again, the fact that Angle's most deadly move on an ankle that we are led to believe has been (at the least) sprained is not enough to make Shawn tap just goes a touch too far into fiction for me. When he finally breaks free of the hold, Michaels manages to knock Angle out with a devastating Sweet Chin Music, but can't make the cover, both guys nearly counted out. Angle, inexplicably, goes to the top rope and comes down only to eat another Sweet Chin Music. What was he even going for? This match started out strong, had a decent middle, but then veered a hard right into non-psychology and overbooking. (3/5)

After a backstage altercation between Batista and Triple H, Lillian Garcia comes to the ring and welcomes her guest and boyfriend Viscera into the ring (where a black leather couch is waiting for them). Lillian performs a song for Viscera and, though Garcia is a trained and accomplished singer, it just isn't good. Garcia then proposes to Viscera, but Big Daddy V doesn't give her a straight answer before The Godfather shows up (with a gaggle of "hoes" at his side). The Godfather asks Vis if he really wants to be a 1-woman man or if he'd rather take a ride on the "ho train." After examining all of Godfather's "goods," Viscera decides to jump aboard, leaving Lillian Garcia in tears. This is the kind of segment that you fast forward or turn off when somebody else walks into the room, the kind of segment that makes one embarrassed to be a wrestling fan. 

The WWE Championship is on the line next contest - John Cena defending the gold against Chris Jericho and Christian in a Triple Threat match. The build-up for this match was quite interesting with Christian (and his "muscle" Tyson Tomko) getting a good bit of mic time and shining in the spotlight while Jericho, who had been a babyface/tweener around this time, turned heel by attacking John Cena after a tag match. Christian and Jericho team up to beat on Cena early, but its not long before they come to blows themselves, both men hungry for the WWE Championship. After Tomko gets involved in the opening minutes, Hebner ejects him from ringside (much to Christian's dismay). Cena attempts an FU early but Christian holds onto the ropes and gets heaved onto the floor instead in a big spot. Jericho comes off the top with a crossbody for 2 and follows it up with a suplex and a dropkick. Cena was not yet considered a great worker (in fact, a faint "Cena Sucks" chant can be heard at random times in this match) but he wasn't yet as divisive a figure as he would become over the next 4-5 months. He also wasn't all that green, holding his own perfectly well in this match. In hindsight, Christian, the guy the "IWC" wanted to see get the victory, wasn't peaking yet either even if it seemed like it at the time. At one point, the crowd seems distracted with something going on outside the ring, nearly spoiling one of the better sequences of the match between Captain Charisma and Y2J. There's a Tower of Doom spot that elicits a "Holy Shit" chant followed by some nasty clotheslines out of Cena and a double 5 Knuckle Shuffle. This is followed by a really nifty sequence of pin attempts, reversals, and clotheslines. Christian gets 2.9 off a reverse DDT and then distracts the ref long enough for Tomko to level Cena with a clothesline. It is still not enough for him to get the W, though, Cena able to kick out at 2.9 again. Cena delivers a fireman's carry to send Christian to the outside but walks into a Walls of Jericho immediately after. Christian tries to steal the victory by rolling up Jericho, but ultimately gets caught by Cena and brought back to the mat with the F-U to wrap this one up. This isn't an all-time classic, but its a very good match, well-paced, some clever sequences, and a solid finish. (4/5)

Main event time - Triple H vs. Batista in a Hell in a Cell for Batista's World Heavyweight Championship. Batista controls early, battering The Game with clotheslines, punches, and a sidewalk slam early on before sending him into the cage walls. Triple H reverses an irish whip and sends Batista into the steps and post. When Batista tries to climb back into the ring. Triple H sends him into the cage wall, The Animal taking a solid bump into the cage wall. Really, one has to give credit to Batista for the gusto he puts into every bump here - this is Batista going 100%, leaning into the ultra-violence, and delivering the nasty visuals that are needed to sell this type of match. When its time for Triple H to take a beating, he's equally invested and its not too long before he's busted open. There's some great moments throughout this match - Triple H hanging Batista with a steel chain, the use of a barbwire-wrapped steel chair, Batista using his power to drive Triple H into the post and then into the wall - these two reveling in the barbarism they get to showcase. Triple H attempts a Pedigree on the barbwire chair, but Batista counters it and ends up powerslamming The Game into it instead. When The Animal grabs the chain, Triple H catches him with a DDT and now its Batista to eats the wire (rolling out to the floor immediately after to blade himself). When's the last time a match had both guys get "color"? With Batista now dazed and bloody, Triple H grabs the sledgehammer, but before he can use it, Batista catches him with a boot to the midsection and the brawl continues. Triple H eventually catches him with a sledgehammer to the skull, but only gets 2 from it. Triple H teases using the sledgehammer the actual way it would be used, but Batista stops him with a low blow. Batista ends up with the hammer but when he goes to use it, Triple H clocks him with a big chain-wrapped right hand! Triple H makes the cover but only gets 2. That could've been the finish, but much like the crowd in Vegas that night, I'm glad it wasn't. Triple H tries to come down the top rope with another fist, but Batista catches him with the hammer right to the throat! That was a clever counter. Batista hits Triple H with another series of big right hands and then sends him into the corner (and out of the ring). Batista whips Triple H into the steps and this match, which seemed like it was entering its final stage, has shifted into even more brutality. Batista catches The Game with the steps and then slides them into the ring. With the steps upright in the corner, Batista bashes Triple H's face into it 3 times, getting a huge sound from it that elicits a big reaction from the crowd. Batista calls for the Batista Bomb but Triple H counters with a low blow. Triple H hits the pedigree but Batista kicks out at 2.5. The crowd starts a massive "Batista!" chant, but Triple H hushes it by grabbing the steel steps and seemingly setting it up to deliver a skull-crushing pedigree on. Batista counters it with a spinebuster on the steps, though. Batista gets to his feet first and finally hits the Batista Bomb for 3. This was as good a Hell in a Cell match as I can remember seeing and maybe a career performance out of both guys. (4.5/5)

Vengeance 2005 starts off in the average range, but heats up nicely as the show goes on, building up with better-and-better matches as it goes on. Benjamin/Carlito, Hemme/Victoria, and Edge/Kane are unremarkable (though I could see someone bumping Edge/Kane and even the opener up a half-point) and Michaels/Angle is not my cup of tea, but the main events are both the kind of matches one should probably go out of their way to see - especially if they're a fan of Cena, Christian, Batista, or The Game. With a Kwang Score of 2.92-out-of-5, Vengeance 2005 isn't a top-to-bottom masterpiece, but it never dips to unwatchable (save for the Viscera segment).

FINAL RATING - Watch It...With Remote in Hand