wrestling / Video Reviews
Views from the Hawke’s Nest: WWE PPV Matches (That I Missed) 2014
Loading...So, as most readers probably know, I genuinely do not consider myself a WWE fan at this time. I say that because I do not watch any of the television shows that they produce, and I only check out every other PPV (on average or close to it). That is not to say that I think WWE is awful all the time. I just do not think it would be a good use of my time to watch a product that I find annoying/disappointing/underwhelming the great majority of the time. Since I was using the free month of the Network though, I decided to go back and watch some of the PPV matches that I had not seen from this year. If a match does not appear in this review, it’s because I was not interested in it (or it happened at Royal Rumble, the Chamber, Wrestlemania, Extreme Rules, Battleground, and Summerslam). I also watched the Survivor Series main event already and will also not be writing about that (see my thoughts on the Cena/Bray Last Man Standing match though if you want a general idea of my feelings on it). With all that in mind, I hope you enjoy this review.
Payback
June 1, 2014
Sheamus(c) vs. Cesaro (w/ Paul Heyman)
Sheamus was having a lot of success early on. Sheamus went for the slingshot shoulder tackle, but Cesaro gave him a lifter that sent him to the floor. Cesaro then worked him over. Sheamus came back after hitting a backbreaker. He got some heat for his repeated knee drops. They started going back and forth. Cesaro reversed a Brogue Kick attempt into a German. Sheamus reversed a Neutralyzer into an Air Raid Crash! Sheamus applied the Cloverleaf. Cesaro got to the ropes. Cesaro came back with the Waterslide. GIANT SWING! After Cesaro dropped the hold, Sheamus grabbed a small package: 1…2…3!
These two are so fucking good. They have great chemistry, worked hard, hit hard, and they put together some really cool sequences. The crowd was engaged the whole time, and the match steadily got more and more exciting until the surprise finish that actually came off well. Giant thumbs up for this one.
Match Rating: ***3/4
John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt (w/ The Wyatt Family) [Last Man Standing]
The Usos came out before the match to even up the odds.
They were basically just working a regular match for a while, but with the occasional ten count from the referee. I’m not really a fan of working a Last Man Standing match in this fashion. It’s like trading holds in a ladder match. Just get to trying to knock the other guy out for ten seconds. Bray was pretty much in complete control. Cena came back with a diving FameAsser and then the FU. The Usos and Wyatts got involved. Harper hit a tope suicida. One of the Usos hit a corkscrew moonsault. So, the teams took out themselves. Bray used a chair on Cena. Cena came back by using the chairs. The Usos and Wyatts apparently teleported away. Cena got control and brought out a table. Bray gave Cena a suplex through that table though. Bray then used the steel steps to attack Cena. Cena came back by using the steel steps. Bray ended up on the floor, and Cena nailed him with the steel steps from the ring. That was a genuinely cool spot. Bray survived that somehow and hit Sister Abigail into the barricade. Cena gave Bray an FU on the floor, but the Wyatts made the save. The Usos made the save again. One of them went for a dive, but Harper threw the table at him. The teams continued to battle on the floor. They were also setting up furniture. One of the Usos put Rowan through a table with the running hip attack. Harper then gave the other Uso a superplex through two tables on the floor. What in the fuck. Bray then tackled Cena through a barricade. Cena and Bray made their way to the electrical equipment area. Bray tossed Cena onto something and fireworks went off. That was so unnecessary and completely tone-deaf. Cena FUed Bray through a box and then put a bigger box on top. Bray was counted to ten.
I think this match proves how great WWE is at booking “spectacle” matches. It’s as if Vince Russo was booking the match/product, but with WWE quality control. A lot of things don’t make sense (why did the teams get involve only to battle to the back?) and there are some ambitious ideas that should not have been done (the electrical equipment stuff almost always comes off hokey, and this was not the exception). However, there was just an epic feeling about this match despite all of that which really made it fun to watch. Great effort from both men.
Match Rating: ****
Money in the Bank
June 29, 2015
The Usos (Jey Uso & Jimmy Uso) (c) vs. The Wyatt Family (Erick Rowan & Luke Harper)
(At the risk of sounding very obnoxious) I don’t watch WWE TV at all. Thus, this matchup is still pretty fresh to me, and I’ve actually only seen their blowoff at Battleground. I’m pretty excited to see this one.
The teams went back and forth at the beginning. The Wyatts eventually cut off Jey and then worked him over. Jey eventually escaped, and Jimmy made a hot tag. Samoan Drops for everyone. Jimmy saved Jey by diving onto him and Rowan. Harper didn’t dive right after, which made me sad. Harper hit one of them with a Liger Bomb for a nearfall. BRODIE HIT TWO CONSECUTIVE TOPE SUICIDAS! Goddammit, did I just write Brodie? I’m such a dork. I’ll leave that in there for the sake self-deprecation. Rowan got crotched and then took a double superplex. They followed it up with the consecutive Superfly Splashes: 1…2…3
These two teams have tremendous chemistry. The Usos are one of those teams that can go on for a decade if they’re able to adapt and adjust over time. They seem like natural tag team wrestlers, and I am encouraged that WWE recognizes their talent. While Erick Rowan has clearly improved a ton since his first few matches on the WWE roster (and that deserves to be noted), I really have to talk about the greatness of Luke Harper. The dude comes across like the complete package in the ring every single time I see him. His timing, selling, moveset, facials, etc. are all top-notch. It would be great if he got a significant main event push after Wrestlemania next year.
Match Rating: ***1/2
Night of Champions
September 21, 2014
Sheamus(c) vs. Cesaro [US Championship]
Neither man could get much of an advantage early. Sheamus connected on the slingshot shoulder tackle unlike their last PPV match. Sheamus went to the top rope, but Cesaro gave him a lifter that sent Sheamus to the floor. Cesaro then worked him over. Sheamus then just randomly started making a comeback, but Cesaro cut him off with a lariat. Sheamus hit a backbreaker for a nearfall. They started going back and forth. Cesaro avoided a Brogue Kick and hit the pop-up lifter: 1…2…NO! Cesaro avoided another Brogue Kick and then hit a snap butterfly suplex. Cesaro avoided another Brogue Kick and hit the Waterslide: 1…2…NO! They traded lots of strikes. Cesaro won that battle. Sheamus got pumped up anyway and then ate a gigantic boot to the face. BROGUE KICK OUTTA NOWHERE: 1…2…3!
The G1 comparisons were really on point. Sheamus and Cesaro have short-ish (10-14 minute) matches that feature a ton of hard-hitting action with an emphasis on moves instead of complex in-ring storytelling. It’s the type of match that would wear out its welcome past 15 minutes, but they didn’t overstay their welcome at all. I was actually slightly underwhelmed for the first half or two thirds of the match. They turned it on big time though down the stretch and completely made up for that. These two are SO good.
Match Rating: ***3/4
Chris Jericho vs. Randy Orton
I’m counting on the commentators to explain why these two are having a match. I’m in trouble.
They went back and forth for a bit. Orton cut him with a punt to the ribs. Scintillating. Orton then worked him over for too long. Orton kind of targeted the back/midsection. I’m being generous. Jericho eventually just started coming back because it was time to come back. Jericho begged for crowd response and then went for the bulldog/Lionsault combo. Orton avoided the latter and hit a backbreaker. Orton avoided the RKO and hit the Lionsault for a nearfall. Orton avoided the Walls. Jericho avoided the Punt of Death. Walls of Jericho! Orton escaped by kicking Jericho away. Draping DDT. Jericho played possum and then hit the Codebreaker for a nearfall.Orton then played possum. Jericho dived off the top rope, and Orton hit the RKO: 1…2…3
I did not find this match to be interesting at all, but the wrestlers managed to get the crowd invested at the very least. I also did enjoy the finish with Jericho’s “playing possum” strategy serving as the inspiration to defeat him.
I’ve not seen all three of Jericho’s PPV matches since he returned. The dude comes across as an aging artist who doesn’t know that he’s not cool anymore. He gave countless interviews in the 2008-2010 time period about how he should not be a bayface anymore. He was correct. What’s annoying is that I know if he came back as a part of a heel tag team or something like that, he would seem right back in his element. I do not understand why he and the WWE do not see what a bad idea a Chris Jericho babyface character is at this time.
Match Rating: **3/4
Hell in a Cell
October 26, 2014
Dolph Ziggler(c) vs. Cesaro [2/3 Falls for the WWE Intercontinental Championship]
I heard mixed things about this one.
Neither man could get much of an advantage during the first fall. They traded pinning combinations and avoided some signature moves. Cesaro managed to hit The Giant Swing, but Dolph then caught him with the Gannosuke Clutch: 1…2…3!
Dolph is winning one fall to none.
Cesaro had the advantage at the start of the second fall. Dolph managed to connect on a leaping variation of the Divorce Court on the left arm. Cesaro came right back with a double stomp and a butterfly bomb. Dolph came back by going after that left arm. Cesaro tried to reverse an arm submission into something…turned out to be a superplex. Cesaro charged into the corner, but crashed his injured shoulder into the ringpost. FameAsser: 1…2…NO! Cesaro caught Dolph with the pop-up lifter: 1…2…NO! Cesaro’s left arm apparently stopped bothering him there. Adrenaline. They avoided each other’s moves, but Cesaro caught him with a backbreaker. Cesaro went for the Neutralyzer, but Dolph his an arm breaker, a superkick and the Zig Zag: 1…2…3
While Cesaro probably should have dropped some of the power moves down the stretch due to the injured arm story, I definitely dug this match overall. Cesaro was doing a good job of selling the arm other than that, and that injury essentially cost him the match. This was not the most exciting match, but there were a lot of things to like about this one.
Match Rating: ***1/2
Watch some WWE matches for free!
Bruno Sammartino vs. Ernie Ladd
Shawn Michaels vs. Shelton Benjamin
Daniel Bryan vs. Dolph Ziggler
Daniel Bryan vs. Chris Jericho
The Shield vs. The Usos & Rey Mysterio
