My Take On: 12.26.06: The Best and Worst of PPV in 2006 (PART I)

Introduction:
Welcome one and all to another edition on My Take On. As we end one year and move towards the next, it is time to look back at the year that was in PPV, a year that saw Larry spend an ass-load of money on many a show. I see them all, I write about them all and I give you my opinions on them all as honestly as possible. So, how did the PPVs stack up in the year 2006? Let’s find out!

The Bottom of 2006~!

ECW December to Dismember
-Best Match: The Hardy’s defeated MNM @ 22:30 via pin ***¼
-Worst Match: Kevin Thorne and Ariel defeated Mike Knox and Kelly Kelly @ 7:40 via pin
-Score: 1.0
-My Thoughts: This PPV blew. Four of the six matches were at or below the quality that we get on Raw from week to week, actually probably worse. They were filler matches, almost squash matches on PPV, a PPV that they asked you to pay $40 for. A PPV that ended almost 30-minutes earlier than it should have, it was just pathetic.

In the end I will go with a 1 out of 10 for the show. That’s right, ONE out of 10. It gets a 1 for the good opening tag, but other than that…BULL FUCKING SHIT! Cyber Sunday at least had a “semi” excuse for not having things fully laid out due to its gimmick, but this was just piss poor planning by management. This was the public execution of the ECW brand. While not the worst PPV of all time as many were saying, it was the worst of the year, which is an amazing turn around from ONS II, which was one of the best PPV’s this year.

After a show like this, I would beg fans of this company to not take this shit anymore. Voice your displeasure with your remote and PPV dollars. The WWE continually tells you to fuck off by providing horrible PPV’s that cost you $40 of your hard earned money. I tell you to let them know that you are done. You take the chance to tell them to fuck off and turn off the shows, don’t buy the PPV’s and hurt them where it counts. The recaps will be here for you, the opinions will be here and you can share yours with us. Make it happen. Don’t buy this show on PPV, don’t get the DVD, stay away for your own sanity. I am now off to therapy.

WWE Cyber Sunday
-Best Match: Randy Orton and Edge defeated DX @ 18:16 via pin **¾
-Worst Match:
WWE IC TITLE MATCH: Jeff Hardy defeated Carlito to retain the IC Title @ 13:30 via pin (ASS)
-Score: 2.0
-My Thoughts: You know when I spend $40 on a PPV, I expect good matches, some clean finishes and a sense of satisfaction as far as money spent goes. Some PPV’s don’t live up to that and some just flat out suck ass, and this was one of them. It was predictable, the matches were basically all bad, minus two of them and we had to deal with fucking K FED in the main event match that was “supposed” to be huge. It all fell short and I could NEVER tell someone to but this monstrosity of a show. In the end I will go with a 2 out of 10 for the show, making this indeed the worst PPV of the year thus far. Also I really wonder about this buy rate, because this is it for feedback below. I usually get an ass-load of feedback for PPV’s but this one, people seemed to take a pass.

Now we get into three PPV’s all with the same score, and are in no order of importance here.

WWE Survivor Series
-Best Match: WWE US TITLE MATCH: Chris Benoit defeated Chavo Guerrero @ 8:30 via submission ***
-Worst Match: CLASSIC SURVIVOR SERIES MATCH: Team Legend defeated Team Spirit Squad: Ric Flair (SOLE SURVIVOR) @ 10:35 via submission *
-Score: 4.0
-My Thoughts: Once again WWE comes up way short to me on this PPV. The legends match was ok, but furthered the continual burial of the Spirit Squad. The US Title match was the best of the show, but they barely got 9-minutes to work with because everyone had to have their own entrance for their egos, so we get punished by having a shorter match. It was good, best on the show, but could have been s much more. After a sloppy start Mickie and Lita had a good little match, and the after match antics were funny and sent out Lita, the heel, the right way. I already ranted on the D-X burial stuff, the first blood match was just about as bad so no need to reiterate there. Team Cena vs. Team Show was fine, although some odd booking choices and the main event was there. Not bad, but not good or what you should be striving to put on in your main event, plus I question the booking because I don’t think people are that excited about Batista and I for one question his durability.

In the end I will go with a generous 4.0 out of 10 for the show. At the time it marked the second straight month that a WWE PPV failed to deliver. I cannot give a PPV a good score when there is mediocre wrestling at best. The matches again, while not horrible this time, weren’t all that great. I once again feel that I did not get my money’s worth from the show, and question why I would pay $40 to see this. I cannot recommend the show, unless you REALLY want to see “classic” Survivor Series matches, but I warn you, they are nothing special and all in all only average 10-minutes or so of wrestling. Recommendation to avoid kids.

WWE Summerslam
-Best Match: WWE Title Match: Edge defeated John Cena @ 15:45 via pin ****
-Worst Match: ECW Title Match: The Big Show defeated Sabu @ 8:36 via pin ¼*
-Score: 4.0
-My Thoughts: I suppose that if you just look at this show in a bubble, in it’s own little world, it is a fine show. But in reality the show doesn’t exist in a bubble, it is part of the WWE world and in the reality of my world that world has a lot of problems. Relying on Hogan while knowing he is going to go over a talent you have been trying to groom, exploiting a man who has died 9-months ago while getting his nephew, best friend and wife to all go along with it, the owner, son and son in law and his best friend working in the semi-main and burying talent left and right to get themselves and a feud no one cares about over are just some of the problems. I have always said that this column is more about what is right for business than what I like, but in this case they go together this time. I just can’t it back and recommend the show with all I wrote above. I will give the show a 4 out of 10 and recommendation to stay away from it unless you are a devout follower of “McMahonism.”

WWE Royal Rumble
-Best Match: Match #5 – John Cena defeated Edge @ 14:20 via Submission to become the NEW WWE Champion **¾
-Worst Match: Kurt Angle defeated Mark Henry @ 9:01 via pin (ASS)
-Score: 4.0
-My Thoughts: You don’t understand how much this one hurts. The Rumble is one of my ALL TIME favorite PPV’s. Usually, I come away happy in some way or form because of the Rumble match at least. But I just didn’t feel that way this year. Last year’s show was a great rebound show for them after some poor PPV efforts. New Year’s Revolution was kind of in the middle to me, but with the surprise Edge title win they had some serious momentum. Well, I think they killed it here. The booking was either tasteless or made no sense, the matches weren’t good and for a company with so many great workers and backstage personnel it amazes me that they can put on such a shitty product. Don’t waste your money on this crap-fest of a PPV, but if you want to give your money away I got a bridge in Brooklyn I can sell you instead. In hindsight, 4.0 may be too high a score.

WWE Backlash
-Best Match: WWE Title Match: John Cena © defeated HHH and Edge via pin @ 20:00 ****¼
-Worst Match: Kane vs. The Big Show went to a no contest @ 10:00 (ASS)
-Score: 4.5
-My Thoughts: Well, the bad was very bad but the good was really good. The God stuff still was a huge turn off, so after a re-watch and doing the column, I go 4.5 out of 10 and a thumbs slightly in the middle, but leaning very down. The Triple Threat, RVD/Shelton and HBK’s working for 9-men saved this from being a monumental disaster.

WWE Vengeance
-Best Match: WWE Title Match: RVD defeated Edge @ 17:57 via pin ***¾
-Worst Match: Umaga defeated Eugene @ 1:42 via pin (N-R)
-Score: 5.0
-My Thoughts: This was about the definition of mediocre. The show as a whole is a huge disappointment, as it looked great on paper, but just didn’t deliver. As my round table predictions indicated, I had a feeling it would be this way. In the end this was just another brand only PPV, with nothing memorable happening. I really wanted this PPV to succeed, I wanted it to be good because the last thing I like to do is take my time to recap a shitty or mediocre show, but that’s what I got. I guess I will go 5 of 10, thumbs right in the middle and I really can’t recommend a replay.

WWE Great American Bash
-Best Match: WWE Tag Title Match: Kendrick and London defeated The Pitbulls @ 13:40 via pin ***¼
-Worst Match: Bra and Panties Match: Ashley defeated Jillian, Krystal and McCool @ 5:25 via stripping *
-Score: 5.5
-My Thoughts: This was the show that Wellness almost destroyed. This could have been a disaster. History said this would be a bad PPV, Henry was half of a money match they had planned and was out. Lashley was over big and was a huge part of the US title match and was ousted. Love him or hate him, they were banking on Taker fans shelling out for Khali and Taker, and that didn’t happen. But despite all of that, they avoided disaster and put on a pretty decent show. I will go 5.5 out of 10 for the show, not a recommendation but not too bad considering the situation and history of this particular show. They definitely avoided a disaster here all things considered, and for the most part it was rather enjoyable; but I can’t tell you to spend $40 for it.

Now we get into FIVE PPV’s all with the same score, and are in no order of importance here.

WWE Judgment Day
-Best Match: Chris Benoit defeated Finlay via submission @ 21:20 ****
-Worst Match: The Great Khali defeated The Undertaker via pin @ 8:40 *
-Score: 6.0
-My Thoughts: I went into this PPV with minimal hopes. I knew Finlay vs. Benoit would deliver, I thought MNM vs. K & L would deliver and they did. King Booker of T will be nothing short of tremendous as he and Sharmell have become two of the best characters in the E with their wacky antics. Those things alone made this an enjoyable PPV for me. The matches I thought would sucks didn’t, but there were a lot of questionable things here to me. I will go a very HIGH thumbs in the middle, almost thumbs up and a 6.0 out of 10 as it was a lot more entertaining than I thought it would be and some of the booking actually made some sense for once!

TNA Genesis
-Best Match: Kurt Angle defeated Samoa Joe @ 13:42 via Submission ****½
-Worst Match: The VKM defeated The New Movement @ 3:39 via pin DUD
-Score: 6.0
-My Thoughts: The under card, some of which had potential, was very under-whelming. The VKM stuff is just DX-lite to a horrible degree, but I like the return of Raven and the potential his new movement could have. The X-Title match picked things up, as Daniels and Sabin had a really strong match. Unfortunately the crowd was deflated by the next match, and Nash while funny continues to bury the seriousness of the X-Division. AJ and Cage delivered in the ring, but once again the after match angle is questionable. The tag title match was a let down in the ring, and the stripping of LAX is a dangerous, and Russo-riffic move. Sting vs. Abyss was solid, but way too Russo-riffic. The title change on a DQ is fine, if you have educated the fans to that rule. Add to that the usual TNA main event and it comes off as totally confusing. The Angle vs. Joe match totally delivered and was a fantastic match, one I loved. It closed the show on a good note, and also makes you want to see more since Angle refused to answer Joe. In the end I will go with a 6.0 out of 10 for the show. While there was a lot of Russo-riffic booking, you had three matches (AJ vs. Cage, Daniels vs. Sabin and Joe vs. Angle) that were just great matches, and made the show worth it to me when it comes to great matches. TNA really needs to make themselves different from WWE, and when they do that they are great. AJ vs. Cage, Daniels vs. Sabin and Joe vs. Angle; all great matches with good stories and matches and angles that were given time are all different from WWE and were outstanding. The other shit was very WWE and well, not done well at all. Hopefully they can see what really worked and start booking toward that instead of all the stupid shit they are doing.

TNA Destination X
-Best Match: Chris Sabin defeated PUMA, Petey Williams and Sonjay Dutt @ 15:13 via pin ****¼
-Worst Match: James Gang defeated LAX @ 6:43 via pin ¾*
-Score: 6.0
-My Thoughts: At the time I didn’t rate the Scott Steiner debut and beat down of Sting. At the time I thought the angle played out great and the place was hot for it. I was also willing to give Steiner a shot here, because TNA seems to book people like Steiner better than WWE does and I was right. As far as the PPV as a whole, there was a lot of solid action and fun matches. The PPV was fun to watch and the bad stuff was kept short, as usual. There were some really fun matches, and the closing angle was hot. I will go with a “thumbs in the middle, leaning up,” with the only thing that you really need to see is the International 4-way.

TNA Slammiversary
-Best Match: NWA Tag Title Match: AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels defeated America’s Most Wanted @ 18:00 via pin ****¼
-Worst Match: Kevin Nash defeated Chris Sabin @ 8:24 via pin *½
-Score: 6.0
-My Thoughts: From a wrestling standpoint this was a very satisfying PPV. They got the crowd going with the Bingo Hall Brawl at the top of the show; Rhino got his revenge on D’Amore, The X-Division once again went out there and did what they do best in a great 6-man match, we got a title change as AJ and Daniels won the tag titles in a great match, Samoa Joe proved that he is for real and Scott Steiner had his best match in years. The King of the Mountain Match was a good “match” and exciting, but the finish turned many people off of the show as a whole. A lot of good, but some bad decision making pulls the show down. I will go 6 of 10, low-end thumbs up.

TNA Final Resolution
-Best Match: Samoa Joe defeated Christopher Daniels @ 15:45 via towel thrown in ****¼
-Worst Match: The James Gang defeated The Diamonds in the Rough @ 7:50 via pin *
-Score: 6.0
-My Thoughts: There was a lot of good story stuff on this PPV, as well as “good” matches. When I say good, I mean that they were ok and I didn’t feel ripped off. Sting’s debut came off as a hue deal and Joe vs. Daniels rocked. But there were too many shit finished on the show, and the overall quality was down from other shows. I have to go thumbs in the middle for this show. There was some solid stuff, but not enough to tell you to spend money on the show. Check out Joe vs. Daniels if you can, and maybe Sting’s match to check him out, as well as the crowd reactions he got but that’s about it.

My Take On:
And there is was, the year that was in the bottom part of PPV quality. I went back to the archives to get my thoughts, best and worst matches and scores I made for these shows. It breaks down to 1 ECW, 8 WWE and 4 TNA shows. The worst part of the number for WWE is that three of them were “Big Four PPV’s” that just didn’t deliver. How do the other 15 PPV’s stack up and rank? Well, you’ll just have to wait for part II to find out!