411’s Instant Access 10.24.10: WWE Bragging Rights 2010

Hey kids, I’m Scott, and this is 411’s Instant Access: WWE Bragging Rights 2010. 411’s Instant Access is the companion piece to 411 Live Pay-Per-View Coverage and features immediate reaction to wrestling pay-per-views. The focus in Instant Access is on first thoughts and initial reactions instead of play-by-play with the goal of providing you with instant access to one two THREE writers’ thoughts on the show. Here’s the team for Bragging Rights:

• Scott Slimmer, author of Don’t Think Twice.
• Jeremy Thomas, editor of Wrestling’s 4R’s and author of The Hush-Hush News Report.
• Mike Uphoff, author emeritus of 411’s WWE Smackdown Report.
• Tonight’s special guest hosts for Instant Access are Cliff Clavin and Norm Peterson.

Wait, why are the guest hosts in Instant Access tonight?
And why the hell do they look like they want to pour one out for a homie?

Okay kids, enough with the explanations. Let’s get to the wrestling.

Champion vs. Champion Match
Daniel Bryan (United States Champion) vs. Dolph Ziggler (Intercontinental Champion) w/ Vickie Guerrero
Match Result: Daniel Bryan defeats Dolph Ziggler with the LaBell Lock.
Match Length: 16:13
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: This match seemed like the obvious choice to open the show, but Bryan and Ziggler definitely proved the curtain jerkers can still steal the show. Bryan is doing a brilliant job of incorporating his much revered in-ring style to the confines of the WWE ring, and Ziggler demonstrated once again that he’s for real by keeping with Bryan every step of the way. These are the kinds of matches that the Intercontinental Champion and United States Champion should be having every month on pay-per-view – the kind of matches that show you the next generation is ready for the big time. I’d love to see Bryan and Ziggler in a rematch, but for the moment we have to assume that this match was a one-off special event for Bragging Rights. Even so, this match gives both Bryan and Ziggler a boost of momentum, and I certainly hope they carry it back to their respective brands and whatever their next feuds may be.
Thomas: I see Daniel Bryan opening Pay-Per-Views pretty consistently for at least the near future. And that’s not an insult; opening matches need to be good in order to get the crowd hot and prime them for the rest of the show. Dolph put forth a hell of an effort here and worked really well with Bryan to put on a hell of a match that got a really solid amount of time. Both guys worked a really solid match here with some good technical work and a lot of submission fun. My favorite spot of the match was Bryan leaping over Vicki on the outside to hit Dolph with the flying knee. This was a great opener to get the show kicked off right.
Uphoff: Just for the sake of doing something different, I’m not going to talk about past booking or anything like that tonight. I’m just going to analyze the match and whatever booking happens with the match. With that being said, this match was pretty good. I was disappointed when this match began because these two were wrestling a formulaic match that was very slow, and I knew both of them were capable of better. This continued until it seemed they flipped a switch and the match kicked into another gear. This was a good effort by both men, and Ziggler does not lose any momentum with the loss here in my mind. WWE seems to be fully behind Danielson, because he is now undefeated on PPV since he came back at SummerSlam. Yes, I count that as a win because he was part of Team WWE and Team WWE won. I digress. This match was pretty good, but I wanted more from these guys because they were capable of a great match.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: ****
Thomas: ***¾
Uphoff: ***¼
Average Match Rating: ***¾

WWE Tag Team Champion Match
Drew McIntyre & DASHING Cody Rhodes (Champions)vs. John Cena & David Otunga
Match Result: John Cena defeats DASHING Cody Rhodes with the STF.
Match Length: 6:29
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: I suppose this was a passable tag team match, especially by current WWE tag team standards, but in reality this entire match was nothing more than a means to further the broader Nexus storyline. I certainly didn’t expect the Nexus to capture tag team gold tonight, but this certainly serves to once again demonstrate the quandary in which Cena finds himself as a member of Nexus. Going forward, the union of Cena and David Otunga as WWE Tag Team Champions allows for Cena to be placed in a plethora of situations in which he must continuously make the choice between his own personal morality and his forced loyalty to Nexus.
Thomas: I loved the fact that they threw Cena in here. I would have preferred Justin Gabriel to David Otunga, but hey whatever works. This match was in all honesty pretty dull though. This was by and large a handicap match since Otunga’s in-ring time was limited, which is probably for the best but didn’t do Cody and Drew any favors. The match plodded in parts and while Cena sold well enough for the champs, this was more about putting the title on another set of “tag team partners that don’t get along” and I think they took the belts off Drew and Cody when they were starting to get some momentum. The match could have been a lot worse but it did leave me feeling cold.
Uphoff: This was a good match, and for angle advancement alone with Cena, this gains a half star. Everyone worked pretty well, even Otunga in the limited role that he had. I think that Gabriel might have made more sense than Cena as a tag team partner with Otunga, but this made the Cena/Nexus angle even more interesting. Decent work by everyone involved.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: **
Thomas: **¼
Uphoff: **
Average Match Rating: **

Goldust w/ Aksana vs. Ted DiBiase w/ Maryse
Match Result: Ted DiBiase defeats Goldust with a DDT.
Match Length: 7:32
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: This was a fun little mid-card match in which Goldust and Ted DiBiase did everything they could to pull the best match possible out of a seemingly random and potentially pointless angle. This match easily could have deteriorated into an angle disguised as a superficial match, but Goldust and DiBiase made sure that there was a legitimate match preceding the post-match angle development. With Goldust and Aksana still in possession of the Million Dollar Championship at the end of the night, one would have to assume that this feud must continue. Goldust and Aksana’s impending wedding on NXT coupled with WWE’s storied history of disastrous (and sometimes felonious) weddings would seem to provide DiBiase and Maryse the perfect venue for retribution.
Thomas: Speaking of leaving me feeling cold…I’ve been digging this storyline but I just don’t feel that DiBiase and Goldust stepped it up here for a match befitting ten-plus minutes on a Pay-Per-View. They threw this match on at the last moment and it kind of felt like such. Goldie and DiBiase were a bit awkward in there and the action was slow. It was interesting to see Maryse and Aksana go at it on the outside, but that was certainly not anything that really added to the match. Ted got the win but Goldust has the belt, which means this feud will continue and I’m fine with that because it gives them a chance to redeem themselves from this.
Uphoff: Decent match between the two guys for a match for the Million Dollar Championship that means absolutely NOTHING. After the match, Goldust and Aksana leave with the Million Dollar belt which makes absolutely NO sense whatsoever. Both men put in a good effort and the match was enjoyable but forgettable.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: ***¼
Thomas: **
Uphoff: **
Average Match Rating: **½

Unified Divas Championship Match
Layla (Champion) vs. Natalya
Match Result: Layla defeated Natalya after Michelle McCool delivered a big boot to Natalya.
Match Length: 4:50
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: Another month, another passable but forgettable Unified Divas Championship Match. However, I do definitely need to give credit to Layla for continuing to improve in the ring. It would be incredibly easy to become complacent in today’s WWE Divas division, but you can definitely see that Layla truly wants to put on a better show every time she steps into the ring. I have to admit that I was pulling for Natalya to get the win tonight, because her in-ring capabilities would restore at least some small semblance of credibility to the Divas Championship. However, now that Natalya has lost to both Michelle McCool and Layla, you have to wonder if the self-professed co-champions will seek out a new Number One Contender. The most troubling part of that scenario is that, barring the sudden return of Beth Phoenix, the new Number One Contender won’t be nearly as credible as Natalya.
Thomas: I actually really enjoyed this for a Butterfly Title match. I was honestly expecting the match to lag some due to the fact that Layla’s not at Nattie’s level but the ring work was better than I expected. Nattie was dominant of course and only lost because of Michelle’s cheating which is fine. She’ll get another shot—perhaps not right away, but soon enough and hopefully she’ll get a run with the belt soon. This wasn’t anything to write home about but it was better than I was expecting.
Uphoff: Everything before the match (except the Brett Favre thing, that was pretty good) was ear rape. This match was okay. Nothing special, but the women both put in some pretty decent work.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: **
Thomas: **
Uphoff: *¼
Average Match Rating: *¾

Buried Alive Match for the World Heavyweight Championship
Kane (Champion) vs. The Undertaker
Match Result: Kane defeats the Undertaker.
Match Length: 16:53
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: I have a feeling that the reviews of this match could span quite a broad range. I can certainly see the case being made that the match was slow, plodding, boring, and absolutely nothing that we haven’t seen from the Undertaker and Kane in the past. The finish of the match was even eerily similar to the finish of the Buried Alive Match between the Undertaker and Mr. McMahon at Survivor Series 2003. On the other hand, I tend to view this match in the context of the broader storyline in which it is framed. Yes, there may have been a plethora of punches and kicks in this match, but a slugfest is exactly the kind of match that this feud warrants. I choose to just sit back and watch the spectacle of two monsters beating each other across the arena, and I for one had a good time. It wasn’t all-time classic by any means, but it was a fun gimmick match. Moreover, this match sets up two intriguing possibilities for the future. First, we all know that the Undertaker will return at some point after staying away for a suitably dramatic period of time. But which incarnation of the Undertaker will return? After all, it was his lost in a Buried Alive Match in 2003 that precipitated his metamorphosis from the American Badass back to the Dead Man. And if he does return to seek vengeance on Kane… possibly around the time of the granddaddy of the them all… could we possibly see the Undertaker’s retirement match? Second, let’s not forget about Nexus’ involvement in this match. Their current dominance on Raw wouldn’t seem to necessitate interfering in the World Heavyweight Championship Match. Could there really be a master plan and higher power as was hinted all those months ago?
Thomas: Unfortunately circumstances beyond my control led me to miss parts of this match. What I saw though wasn’t impressive. Kane and Taker just don’t have it in them to put on a good, long match against each other and they keep resorting to these gimmick matches which frankly aren’t helping. They end up turning into punchfests with a few power spots, and just because they can brawl outside doesn’t automatically make it better. The ending was goofy and I’m sure we’ll find out that Kane made a deal with Nexus or something, but the whole bit with the special effects at the end didn’t do it for me. Taker will probably take a bit of time off from here and come back to challenge Kane once more. Gee, can’t wait.
Uphoff: I don’t even know where to start with this one. These two had matches at the two previous PPV’s that were okay and watchable. This was a travesty. I cannot find anything redeemable in this match, and I’m being charitable here. Taker and Kane just did not even try in this match and it showed. Also, WHAT THE FUCK was Nexus doing interfering in this match? I want to know which booker thought up that gem because he needs to be shot. There is no reason for Nexus to interfere here. This match was just godawful.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: ***
Thomas: *½
Uphoff: *
Average Match Rating: *¾

Bragging Rights Seven-on-Seven Tag Team Elimination Match
Team Raw (The Miz, John Morrison, R-Truth, Santino Marella, Sheamus, CM Punk, & Ezekiel Jackson) vs. Team Smackdown (The Big Show, Rey Mysterio, Edge, Kofi Kingston, Alberto Del Rio, Jack Swagger, & Tyler Reks)
Match Result: Edge defeats the Miz with the Spear (Edge and Rey Mysterio are the survivors).
Match Length: 27:30
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: This was a fun, fast-pace match, plain and simple. Despite what WWE has tried to make us believe for the past three weeks, the Bragging Rights match ultimately has a rather minor effect on WWE storyline in the forthcoming year. This is really a special one-night gimmick designed to get Raw and Smackdown Superstars in the same ring, but it was still a ton of fun and a pleasure to watch. Tyler Reks looked respectable in his biggest match to date, and I can see the logic in protecting both the Big Show and Sheamus with their count-out losses. I was glad to see Ezekiel Jackson get so much exposure after his lengthy hiatus, and it’s hard for me to argue with giving Edge and Rey Mysterio a bit of boost by letting them pick up the win. The only slightly tricky outcome of this match is going to be properly dealing with the fact that the Miz lost the match for his team. This could diminish the Miz’s credibility, or it could give him the chance to blame everyone except himself and continue to be the brash, egotistical heel that we love. Handled correctly, this match could be an important stepping stone for virtually everyone involved. Well, except for maybe Santino. Poor, poor Santino.
Thomas: This was actually a lot more fun than I expected it to be as well. The match got a lot of time and they got Santino out of there quickly after he got his comedy spots. I’m surprised that Kofi left so quickly and Reks lasted as long as it did. My initial rating was higher but thinking about it, there was too much that was predictable such as Del Rio assaulting Rey Rey so that he could come back later, Edge being a massive underdog so he could make the big comeback and so on. I see Edge being Kane’s next challenger which is not a bad choice at all; I hate the spots where they do a bunch of quick eliminations and we got a ton within a few minutes midway through so that hurts it. The match was enjoyable but not great.
Uphoff: I expected a good match here and I got it. I expected some questionable booking here and I got that as well. This match started slow with different people in the ring, but picked up nicely when Edge came into the ring and started spearing people. It hit a snag until Rey returned and picked up again with Rey and Punk in the ring. The botch by Rey and the confusion with the pinfall on Jackson hurt the match a little. Still, this was a good effort by those involved and an enjoyable match.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: ****
Thomas: ***½
Uphoff: ***¼
Average Match Rating: ***½

WWE Championship Match
Randy Orton (Champion) vs. Wade Barrett w/ John Cena
Match Result: Wade Barrett defeats Randy Orton via disqualification after John Cena hits Wade Barrett with the Attitude Adjustment.
Match Length: 14:41
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: In fairness, Barrett did just say that he wanted to win the match. In fact, he said on multiple occasions that John Cena’s job was to make sure that Barrett won the match. And that’s exactly what John Cena did, although I’m not so sure that Barrett will be quite so level-headed about things tomorrow evening on Raw. However, while the booking of the finish may have been clever, I do have a problem with the relatively bland match that preceded the finish. The tag team match earlier in the evening was rather forgettable, but I gave it a pass for at least furthering the Nexus angle. However, there’s a problem when the main event is also a relatively forgettable match that ultimately serves little purpose other than to further the Nexus angle. The main event of a pay-per-view should deliver both in-ring quality and angle development, but this match suffered between the ropes. I would have been much happier if the Bragging Rights match has closed the show instead. With that being said, it’s abundantly clear that John Cena’s decent into Nexus hell will continue for the foreseeable future. However, what is less clear is if Wade Barrett is now out of the WWE Championship picture. Was this his one and only title shot? And if so, who will step up as the new Number One Contender for Randy Orton’s title?
Thomas: Sue me, I really liked the way this played out. It wasn’t the best worked match we’ve seen from either of them but it was fully competent and Cena did some good stuff on the outside. The psychology of the match was good and I liked the way they sold the emotions. The ending is goofy but I can dig it because it was the one way for them to get out of it without putting the title on Barrett, which I do think is a bit too soon. Of course, Barrett said Cena was fired if he didn’t “win the title,” not the match, so we’ll see how that goes. Let him have a run from the December Pay-Per-View through to the Elimination Chamber and that will give them time to build the Cena/Nexus thing more. Anyway, this worked fine.
Uphoff: Barrett winning via DQ was the only result that this match could have ended. These two had styles that I didn’t think would result in a good match, and I was right. However, this wasn’t a bad match either. Both men put in a good effort and the angle advancement with Cena was nothing short of gold. I loved it when Cena got rid of Nexus and explained to Barrett why he did so. I agree with the ending, but I hate the main event of a PPV ending with a non-finish. This was a decent match that protected everyone and advanced the best angle in WWE at the moment.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: ***¼
Thomas: ***¼
Uphoff: **½
Average Match Rating: ***

Final Thoughts

Match of the Night:
Slimmer: Daniel Bryan vs. Dolph Ziggler (****)
I gave **** to both Daniel Bryan vs. Dolph Ziggler and the Bragging Rights Match. However, I have to believe that it’s easier for fourteen guys to put on a fun four-star match that it is for two guys with a one-week feud to go out there and steal the show. Bryan and Ziggler made an impression on the WWE Universe tonight, and I love the fact that at least two guys in the company still remember what the second W means.
Thomas: Daniel Bryan vs. Dolph Ziggler (*** ¾)
It was the most impressive in-ring work and the most fun. I’m always happy to see Dolph step up and Bryan was a good guy for him to step it up against.
Uphoff: Daniel Bryan vs. Dolph Ziggler (***¼)
This match was exactly what I expected and delivered what I wanted, and also was the best match of the PPV.

Trash of the Night:
Slimmer: None
Sure, some matches were better than other, but I tend to believe that each of the matches on the card did a respectable job of living up to its respective potential. I didn’t feel cheated by any of the matches, and nothing fell below **.
Thomas: Kane vs. The Undertaker (* ½)
Hopefully the feud is done for the time being until Taker makes his comeback, because I am pretty damn tired of these two taking this “award.”
Uphoff: Kane vs. The Undertaker (*)
This match was a complete and utter failure and disappointment.

Final Analysis:
Slimmer: At the end of the night, this was a fun little show for which I was glad to have paid. The advancement of the Nexus angle and the demise of the Undertaker will be the most long-lasting events of the evening, but even the less historic matches were each still enjoyable in their own way. I’ll admit that none of the matches were anywhere close to being classics, but I’ll also point out that none of the matches were insultingly pointless or horribly booked. This was just a bit above a middle-of-the road pay-per-view, but a little bit above is always better than a little bit below.
Thomas: This was a pretty decent show without being spectacular. You have three three star-plus matches which is a good average but I expect a bit more from the ‘E; the key is that outside of Taker/Kane nothing was truly awful. Story progression continued and that’s important for what is ultimately a pretty throwaway and middle of the road Pay-Per-View. The ‘E is treading water until Survivor Series.
Uphoff: After two good to great PPV efforts by WWE, this PPV was lackluster. It can be summed up by the phrase ‘enjoyable but forgettable.” It had some solid matches but did not have that one standout match. This PPV was a disappointment considering the past two efforts by WWE. Pass on this one, as it’s not really worth your money.

Verdict:
Slimmer: ***¼
Thomas: ***
Uphoff: **½
Average Verdict: ***