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411’s Instant Access 09.07.08: WWE Unforgiven 2008
September 7, 2008 | Posted by
Welcome to Instant Access! I’m Dan and this is 411’s Instant Access: WWE Unforgiven 2008. Instant Access is a new experiment here at 411 Wrestling that will feature immediate reaction to wrestling pay-per-views. The focus here is going to be on first thoughts and snap judgments instead of play-by-play with the goal of providing you with instant access to one TWO writers’ thoughts on the show. That’s right, Instant Access will now feature multiple analysts for all WWE pay-per-views. Here’s the team for Unforgiven;
- Dan Wilcox, author of Thoughts From The Top Rope
- Scott Slimmer, author of Don’t Think Twice
That’s enough of the explaining, let’s waste no more time and get to the wrestling.
ECW Championship Scramble
Mark Henry (Champion) vs. Matt Hardy vs. Finlay vs. Chavo Guerrero vs. The Miz
Match Result: Matt Hardy pinned The Miz (Twist of Fate)
Match Length: 20:00
Match Analysis:
Wilcox: I loved this. I love how they played up the “new entrant has an advantage” thing with Chavo quickly picking up the first fall. I loved Henry’s dominance for the middle part of the match and I loved Finlay, as the last man in, being frantic to get a pin fall. Watching Hardy leap around the ring breaking up pin falls was great and then the final few seconds were just awesome fun. They played up the gimmick really well, busted out some pretty fun spots and genereally had a great match. It certainly didn’t feel like 20 minutes.
Slimmer: This was a great choice to open the show as it served to both get the crowd rocking and help to establish the framework and rules of a Scramble Match. Both the World Heavyweight Championship Scramble Match and the WWE Championship Scramble Match will be served well by having the crowd already exposed to the concept of the Scramble Match here. It was also incredibly smart to start the match with Matt Hardy and The Miz followed closely by Chavo Guerrero in the third spot. Those three men put on a great show for the first ten minutes of the match, and the speed they demonstrated early served as a pointed foil for the power game that Mark Henry and Finlay employed once they entered the match. In the end Matt Hardy came away as the ECW Champion, and that was absolutely the right result. Matt Hardy once again seems like his career is moving in a forward direction, and ECW automatically becomes more interesting with Hardy as champion. Assuming that we’re lucky enough to be rid of Mark Henry in the title picture, it would seem as though the three most likely heel challengers are Chavo Guerrero, John Morrison, and The Miz.
Match Rating:
Wilcox: ***1/4
Slimmer: ***1/2
Average Match Rating: ***1/2
World Tag Team Championship Match
Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase (Champions) vs. Cryme Tyme
Match Result: Rhodes pinned JTG (Small package)
Match Length: 11:55
Match Analysis:
Wilcox: Two matches in, and both have been pretty great. The start was fast paced and action packed and while the middle portion was a little slow, it was solid and it’s always nice to see some regular tag team formula playing out on pay-per-view. The finishing sequence was nothing short of fantastic, really original and well executed. The post match stuff with the newcomer was a surprise, and it’s always nice to be surprised on pay-per-view.
Slimmer: This wasn’t a five star classic, and it wasn’t epic, but it was fundamentally solid and a great throw-back to a time when tag team wrestling, you know, actually seemed to matter. This was exactly the kind of tag team match that WWE needs to have on every pay-per-view if they ever want to rebuild the credibility of their tag team divisions. I had initially hoped that Cryme Tyme would get the win, but I can see the merit of letting Simply Priceless retain given that Afa Jr. has now joined forces with them. Does this mean that Simply Priceless has now become Team Second Generation? And more importantly, will they defend the titles under the Freebird rule? Because that would rule all. (Bonus Comment from Lansdell via Gmail Chat: If they really want to run with the Freebird rule, then they need to bring Jesse over from Smackdown and have him join the stable.)
Match Rating:
Wilcox: ***
Slimmer: ***1/4
Average Match Rating: ***1/4
Unsanctioned Match
Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho
Match Result: Shawn Michaels wins via ref stoppage
Match Length: 28:00
Match Analysis:
Wilcox: Maybe it was Shawn’s injury, but in the early going, things really didn’t click. They brought the weapons out and it was all feeling a little bit disjointed, but I felt that they really picked things up as the match went on. This was a massive blow off to a long feud and it felt like it, so I have to give it credit just for that. I wasn’t a huge fan of the Lance Cade interference, but logically, it made perfect sense and one could see it coming a mile away. Michaels making his own save was great, and the table spot was equally awesome. From there, one would think they would move into another gear and that’s exactly what happened as we got that ridiculous announce table elbow drop. Shawn’s a great actor and he’s mannerisms and expressions really did tell a great story here. People will shit all over the finish but in terms of the storyline, Shawn was never going to be satisfied with a pin fall so this was a smart way to go. I loved how Shawn looked distraught at his own actions after the bell but kept on going with the assault anyway. The image of him on his knees in the ring as referees attended to Jericho was a great one, and an unforgettable one. Not the potential classic it could have been, but great none the less.
Slimmer: I was loving the first twenty-five minutes of this match, and then came the BULLSHIT ENDING. Seriously, referee stoppage in a freaking unsanctioned match? Seriously? I’m pretty sure that’s not how such things work. Granted, seeing Michaels superkick said referee after the match almost made up for it, but not quite. However, screwy ending aside, this was a fantastic match, especially when you consider the circumstances. Michaels and Jericho (and Cade) went twenty-five minutes in spite of Michaels’ injury, and they still managed to fit in an impressive number of big spots. (Bonus Comment from Lansdell via Gmail Chat (after the big dive): Dear Shawn Michaels. You are insane. That is all.) In addition to the action and brutality, the psychology here was also top notch. You have to love how Michaels kept his promise and went after Jericho’s eyes at every opportunity. Hell, even the run-in from Lance Cade fit nicely into the match, but I was disappointed when Paul London (or Bryan Danielson) didn’t make the save. Finally, the way that Michaels’ emotions fell apart during the match was spectacular. This was not the Show Stopper or the Main Eventer or even the Heart Break Kid. This was just a broken man doing things that he never thought he could do. I easily would have gone ****?, but I have to take off half a star for the nonsensical finish. The Michaels / Jericho feud may finally be over, but I have a feeling that the Saga of Shawn Michaels will continue. But who does a broken man challenge when his own worst enemy may be himself?
Match Rating:
Wilcox: ****
Slimmer: ****
Average Match Rating: ****
WWE Championship Scramble
Triple H (Champion) vs. THE Brian Kendrick vs. Jeff Hardy vs. MVP vs. Shelton Benjamin
Match Result: Triple H pinned MVP (Pedigree)
Match Length: 20:00
Match Analysis:
Wilcox: More Scramble goodness! I was really liking this match until The Brian Kendrick entered, and then I began loving it. Much like Mark Henry came in and dominated earlier, it was Kendrick who came in and impressed the most in this match. When The Game came in, sure, he took a bunch of falls but the rest of the match was highlighted by some great interaction between Triple H and Jeff Hardy and a ridiculous tower of doom spot. The end was all kinds of dramatic but I’m not overly keen on the finish as I thought it made Hardy look like a bit of a dumbass, opting to try and pin Benjamin with one second left when he could easily have broken up Triple H’s pin on MVP. Regardless, I thought Hardy looked great in his defeat, and Kendrick really shone despite being booked as The Game’s bitch in the final few minutes.
Slimmer: I suppose that I have to start by admitting that I’m a HUGE mark for THE Brian Kendrick. So it should be no surprise that I absolutely loved the first fifteen minutes of this match. Seriously, I was nothing short of amazed at how dominant Kendrick was allowed to be for the first three-quarters of the match. Of course, Kendrick’s night just went all to hell after that, but I’m still more than pleased that he was able to showcase his abilities for as long as he was. The final five minutes of the match were fine as long as you don’t mind poor, poor Brian Kendrick eating three pins in rapid fashion. My only question is why Jeff Hardy decided to pin Shelton Benjamin at the end instead of breaking up HHH’s pin on MVP. Had Hardy simply broken up that final pin (as we saw Matt Hardy do on numerous occasions earlier in the evening), he would have left the match as the WWE Champion. So now given than Triple H retained the title, you have to wonder who his next challenger will be. All four other men in the match could make a case, but you can’t forget that there’s a very angry Big Show waiting in the wings…
Match Rating:
Wilcox: ***1/2
Slimmer: ****
Average Match Rating: ***3/4
Diva’s Championship Match
Michelle McCool {Champion) vs. Maryse
Match Result: Michelle pinned Maryse
Match Length: 6:00
Match Analysis:
Wilcox: I want to give them a lot of credit for trying, because they did, but it still wasn’t all that great. I mena they tried some interesting stuff out on the floor and Maryse did some good work on the leg, but for the most part it was a typically sloppy WWE Divas match. Still, it got decent time and again, I give them credit for the effort.
Slimmer: Lansdell summed this one up perfectly – “That was nowhere near as bad as I would have expected it to be.” I certainly didn’t expect Michelle and Maryse to live up to the standard of some of the best Women’s Championship matches in WWE history, but maybe that’s the point of that pretty, pretty Divas Championship. But like I said, while this wasn’t a classic, it also wasn’t craptacular. And in the end, the right Diva absolutely got the win. The Smackdown Divas division has been built around Michelle, and she is far more marketable as champion than Maryse. But now that she’s bested both Natalya and Maryse, who’s next? I know Sforcina’s prayin’ for Victoria…
Match Rating:
Wilcox: *1/2
Slimmer: **
Average Match Rating: *3/4
World Championship Scramble
Match Result: Chris Jericho pinned Kane (Batista’s spinebuster)
Match Length: 20:00
Match Analysis:
Wilcox: Let’s start off by addressing all the post-match shenangians. The Orton/Punk interview was good stuff and the backstage beat down gave the entire match a whole new perspective, and I like that they threw up some surprises for pay-per-view. And to say that Chris Jericho replacing CM Punk was a suprise is the understatement of the century. But the moment I saw him walk down the ramp, I knew he was our new world champ, and I couldn’t be happier. Sure, Punk retaining would have been nice, but Chris Jericho just saved us! I have to say though, the match wasn’t all that great. It was pretty boring for the most part and really slow and sluggish, which isn’t surprising considering three of the five guys in it. But I can’t say this was a bad match, because Chris Jericho is our new World Heavyweight Champion!
Slimmer: I just had to laugh at the first three men to enter this match, especially when you compare them to the first three men in the other two Scramble Matches. I mean, you’ve got Matt Hardy / The Miz / Chavo Guerrero, Jeff Hardy / Shelton Benjamin / THE Brian Kendrick, and then Batista / JBL / Kane? One of these is not like the others, indeed. So then Mysterio entered the match, and at this point the match was looking a lot like the ECW Scramble in reverse. And hey, that’s fine, going from a power match to a slightly more up-tempo contest is all good with me. But then came entrant #5… and I just have absolutely NO IDEA what to think. I mean, I hate the fact that Punk was completely screwed out of even being in the match. I can deal with him looking like a weak champion, but what happened to him tonight was nothing less than disrespectful. However, with Punk out, you had to wonder who would take his place. Orton seemed possible. Based solely on the Royal Rumble, I was guessing Cena. But Jericho? Really? Didn’t Shawn Michaels, you know, kill him or something? Jericho sold the damage from the Unsanctioned Match admirably, so you have to give him credit for being aware of continuity. But it still seemed really random to toss him into the match… until, of course, he WON the freaking match. And that’s when my mouth hit the floor (which, by the way, hurts like a bitch). And that’s when I started to mark out. Because if Chris Jericho is the World Heavyweight Champion, and if Shawn Michaels still isn’t satisfied, then is the best feud in WWE about to collide with the World Heavyweight Championship? This could be so sweet…
Match Rating:
Wilcox: ***
Slimmer: ***1/4
Average Match Rating: ***1/4
Final Thoughts
Match of the Night:
Wilcox: Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho (****)
I really can’t fault this for the story they told, the effort they put in and the emotion that was felt throughout this match. A great effort, although hopefully it’s not the end of the rivalry.
Slimmer: Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho (****)
This match was everything that it could have been, more than it should have been given the circumstances, and is only hampered by the nonsensical finish. But in the end this is that match that stood out in a night of great matches, and the final moments of the show make this match even more memorable.
Trash of the Night:
Wilcox: Diva’s Championship (*1/2)
Not a good match by any means, but perhaps better than what many expected.
Slimmer: NONE
Sure, Michelle McCool vs. Maryse was technically the weakest match on the card, but there’s not way that I’m going to call their effort “trash”. They put on the best match they could, and it was a better match than many of us expected. And that’s definitely not “trash” in my book.
Final Analysis:
Wilcox: It’s hard to fault this show as there was only one not good match and that was the Divas’, which is to be expected. Everything hit ***, we got a bunch of surprises, title changes and memorable moments. What more can one ask for?
Slimmer: Holy crap, this was one hella solid show. There were six matches, and I had five of them above three stars. Every match on the card was better than I expected, and that alone means that the show felt satisfying. I actually felt like I got my money’s worth, and I literally can’t remember the last time I felt that way about a WWE pay-per-view. This is a great example of the whole being more than the sum of its parts, as there was a cohesive narrative that ran through the course of the evening and actually tied the matches together. The psychology of each of the Scramble matches played off of the psychology of the previous Scramble matches, and the final pin of the evening played off of the result of the best match of the evening. I may have to reconsider in the morning, but right now, this may just be my vote for pay-per-view of the year.
Verdict:
Wilcox: ****1/4
Slimmer: ****
Average Verdict: ****1/4
