Worth Your Wealth? 09.08.08: WWE Unforgiven

Hello again, 411 readers! “The One-Man Ratings Booster” here with another edition of “Worth Your Wealth?”! The idea is that you spend your hard-earned dollars on wrestling on a monthly basis, and I want you to know whether or not you’re getting your moneys worth. So read on and see if you’re investing wisely of if your cash is going to waste as this edition of…

Presents:

First, as always, we start off with our super-scientific formula for calculating the projected worth of each part of the show. Keep in mind I round things to the nearest nickel, so as not to piss myself off. Oh, and for the purposes of this column, I don’t have HD and neither do you.
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P = 2(A)x + 1.5(B)x + 1(C)x + 0.1(P)

Ten-percent of the PPV price accounts for non-wrestling related activities, such as in-ring promos, backstage segments, video packages, etc. Aside from that, A B and C represent the different classes of matches on the card:

Class C: Filler matches with little to no solid build behind them.
Class B: Secondary, but still significant matches that were well-promoted prior to the show.
Class A: The main event, as well as other high-profile, heavily promoted matches on the card.
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The Breakdown (as I see it):

Class C: Michelle McCool vs. Maryse and The Undertaker/Vicky Guererro confrontation.

Class B: ECW Championship Scramble, Simply Priceless vs. Cryme Tyme.

Class A: Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels, Raw Championship Scramble, and Smackdown Championship Scramble.

The Calculation (as the universe sees it):

40 = 2(3)x + 1.5(2)x + 1(2)x + 0.1(40)
40 = 6x + 3x + 2x + 4
36 = 11x
x = 3.30

The Result (as you will see it):

Class A: $6.60
Class B: $4.95
Class C: $3.30
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And now, THE GOODNESS!

Bonus Materials – Price Tag: $4.00

Personally, the video package for the Michaels/Jericho feud was worth the price tag alone for me. Additionally, Shawn Michaels also cut a short but awesome promo following his match.

Aside from that, we got treated to some more Randy Orton burying of the tag champs, as well as all three taking out CM Punk and, kinda randomly, Kofi Kingston. Oh, and Afa, Jr. debuted as he joined ranks with Simply Priceless (yay new kid stable!).

All in all, the extras more than delivered tonight and played off of the matches themselves very well.

Overall Value: $5.00

ECW Championship Scramble: Matt Hardy def. Mark Henry (c), Finlay, The Miz, and Chavo Guerrero via Pinfall/Timeout – Price Tag: $4.95

This was a really fun opener that vastly improved the outlook of the Scramble concept, at least in my book. I honestly wasn’t sold on the whole idea prior to the show, but this really helped get me into it. Henry got to look dominant for a while despite his loss, they played up the frantic nature of the match with Chavo and Finlay going for quick pins, and Hardy looked like a star once again.

All these guys worked really hard and the match was very well booked. Matt looked very smart jumping around the ring breaking up all the pinfalls and winning the belt in such a hectic environment. Overall, an excellent opener that really helped to brighten my outlook on the rest of the show.

Overall Value: $5.20

World Tag Team Championship: Simply Priceless def. Cryme Tyme via Pinfall (Reversed Rollup) – Price Tag: $4.95

Cryme Tyme had a lot to prove in this match, as far as I was concerned. Despite being around on-and-off for a couple years now, this was definitely their biggest match to date as they challenge for the titles on PPV. I have to say, it looks like the time they spent away from WWE was definitely good for them, as they really seem to have improved over where they were when they first debuted.

The match itself was entertaining, though the middle REALLY seemed to drag. I understand JTG playing the whole face-in-peril schtick before getting the hot tag to Shad, but this lasted F O R E V E R ! On the plus side, Rhodes and DiBiase looked like supreme douchebags by not only beating the crap out of the littler guy, but also by stealing the fluke win and then trying to brag about it afterward.

I’m glad to see the champs retain here, as the feud still has some legs to it and I honestly won’t mind seeing these guys lock up again for the belts.

Overall Value: $4.50

Unsanctioned Match: Shawn Michaels def. Chris Jericho (w/Lance Cade) via Referee Stoppage – Price Tag: $6.60

Yes, yes, after long last and endless complaints in the comments section, I gave Michaels/Jericho a Class A spot. Nevermind the fact that this was the blowoff match to the whole amazing feud…

Anyway, this was all kinds of awesome, as we’ve more or less come to expect from these guys. I’ll grant that the early parts of the match seemed iffy, but things drastically improved as it went on. And really, how insane is Shawn Michaels? The guy has a torn tricep and he still goes out there and leaps across the ringside area to smash two guys through the announce table. Absolutely incredible.

While I was pleased to see Michaels go over here, I was less than thrilled with the finish of the match. Before anybody bitches, I completely understand the logic behind it. Michaels swore, “an eye for an eye,” so I get why they wanted to run with the same finish from Great American Bash. The problem I have was more than they specifically hyped the fact that the ONLY way to win the match was by pinfall or submission. When you specifically point that out and then throw it right out the window, doesn’t that kind of defeat the purpose?

But this is minor. While a less-than-desirable finish can definitely hurt the overall value of a match, there was more than enough awesome stuff here to make up for it. If this WAS the blow-off (which Michaels post-match promo suggests it may not be), then they definitely went out on a high-note.

Overall Value: $8.90

WWE Title Championship Scramble – Triple H (c) def. Jeff Hardy, MVP, Shelton Benjamin, and “The” Brian Kendrick via Pinfall/Timeout – Price Tag: $6.60

Another Scramble, another satisfying 20 minutes of action. For me, the main reason this match was awesome was the guy in there with the most to prove – THE Brian Kendrick. I’ve been wishing for a Spanky push since the days the guy was wrestling to earn a contract on Smackdown and I’m absolutely thrilled with this recent gimmick change and subsequent push. Kendrick came in there, mixed it up with the more establish top guys, and looked like a star. Sure, the guy ate a couple Pedigrees and something like four pinfalls, but for the first 15 minutes, Brian Kendrick WAS the Smackdown Scramble.

My one complaint here was the finish which saw Jeff Hardy lose the title to Triple H at the last moment. This really pissed me off, not because of the concept of the finish, but because of the execution. Hardy sees Trips pinning Kendrick and what does he do? He stares at him for a second and then lays down on top of Shelton Benjamin. Yeah, that’s right, 5 seconds left and he just watches Hunter pin a guy. Seriously Jeff, how are we not supposed to think you’re Smackdown’s biggest moron now? Did you not see what your brother did in the ECW match? If you’re the champ with 5 seconds left and youre on your feet in the ring while another guy is being pinned, pretty much all you gotta do is kick Hunter in the face and you’re the champion. Way to go, buddy. This was a pretty lousy booking decision, though I have a feeling we’ll see a Triple H/Jeff Hardy title program next and that’ll be just fine.

Overall Value: $6.00

Divas Championship: Michelle McCool (c) def. Maryse via Pinfall (Gourd Buster) – Price Tag: $3.30

This was nothing spectacular, but damned if it wasn’t better than I expected. Granted, that isn’t saying much, but hey – better is better, no?

There isn’t much to say, really. They did some interesting leg holds which then were not sold afterwards, Maryse looked pretty hot, and Michelle won with a sitdown gourd buster. What’s sad was this match came in at about six minutes, which is more time that many of the Raw women’s matches have gotten on PPV in the last several months.

On a side note, I found it hilarious that JR and Tazz specifically pointed out that Michelle hasn’t defended her title since winning it at the Great American Bash. So much for that 30-day title defense rule, eh? Oh well, not like they give two shits about the few talented female workers they have on Smackdown. I hope Gail Kim enjoys that butterfly belt in a couple months.

Overall Value: $1.30

The Big Show complains, Vickie screeches, and The Undertaker has a glass jaw – Price Tag: $3.30

Y’know I was wondering where this whole Big Show thing was heading, I’m surprised that I didn’t see this coming. Show comes out and cuts a promo about how much Vickie sucks and she probably should be fired. Vickie comes down and tells him he’d better shut his cake-hole or his ass is gone, only to have Show hold her down for the entire length of the Undertakers promo AND entrance. This was all well and good and it made sense for Show to stick around, as Vickie would have just run away otherwise.

So we got a Big Show turn and he proceeded to systematically dismantle the Undertaker, completely with three or four Mayweather punches. While I was digging the angle, it went a little bit too long – mostly because Show was lumbering around and dragging Taker with him. At any rate, I was sad that Vickie didn’t get set on fire, and I’m also sad that we’re going from an awesome Taker/Edge program to a meh-at-best Taker/Show program.

Overall Value: $3.00

World Heavyweight Title Scramble – Chris Jericho def. Batista, Kane, Rey Mysterio, and JBL via Pinfall/Timeout – Price Tag: $6.60

Now, as for the match itself, the best I can say is that I’m sold on the whole championship Scramble idea, though I maintain that I was right to doubt it. Kane, Rey, and Batista played their parts well here, while JBL was more just “there” than anything else. While this one wasn’t as good as the ECW or Smackdown versions, it still delivered an entertaining 20 minutes and by and large had the most exciting and surprising finish we’ve seen in quite some time. Chris Jericho, in ultimate heel fashion, slithered his way into this match as Punks replacement and then picked up the ultimate shitbag win with a last minute pinfall behind Dave’s back.

Ok, now let’s talk about CM Punk…

Yes, it sucks that he got screwed out of wrestling the main event tonight.

Yes, it sucks that he dropped the World Heavyweight Title tonight without even wrestling in the main event.

BUT…

CM Punk’s title reign has not gone well, they’ve screwed it up to an almost Rey Mysterio degree. This was an acceptable way to get the belt off of him because he can maintain that nobody ever actually beat him. Punks coming feud with Randy Orton is incredibly promising, plus both Punk and Jericho will need something to do until their prospective feud partners are able to work again. That said, I am the biggest Jericho mark on the face of the earth and I loved the fact that he became the champion again here.

Overall Value: $7.00

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The Final Tally:

Overall Price Tag: $40.00

Match of the Night: Unsanctioned Match – Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho – 135% Value ($8.90 worth, $6.60 price tag.)

Trash of the Night: Divas Championship: Michelle McCool vs. Maryse – 39% Value ($1.30 value, $3.30 price tag.)

Overall Value: $40.90

Resulting PPV Rating: A+ (102% Worth)

Closing Comments:

You read that right, kids. Unforgiven (I know, I’m surprised, too.) is officially the first show that was actually WORTH YOUR WEALTH! The Scramble matches were surprisingly awesome, Michaels and Jericho delivered another classic, the undercard matches didn’t suck, and

CHRIS JERICHO IS THE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION!

Yeah, I loved this show. What made the show even better, in my opinion, was the fact that I honestly thought that most of it was going to be pretty bad. It’s always nice to be surprised and have WWE throw some things at you that you never saw coming. This show delivered on both accounts and I highly recommend it because of the fact.
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Year in Review:

1. WWE Unforgiven – A+ (102% Worth – $40.90 / $40.00)
Match of the Night: Unsanctioned Match: Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho – 135% Value ($8.90 worth, $6.60 price tag).

2. WWE Summerslam – A (94% Worth – $37.20 / $40.00)
Match of the Night: Hell in a Cell: The Undertaker vs. Edge – 127% Value ($8.00 worth, $6.30 price tag).

3 (tie). TNA Victory Road – A (93% Worth – $28.15 / $30.00)
Match of the Night: World X-Cup 12-Man Tag Team Elimination match – 144% Value ($3.25 worth, $2.25 price tag).

3 (tie). WWE Night of Champions – A (93% Worth – $37.20 / $40.00)
Match of the Night: WWE Championship: Triple H vs. John Cena – 111% Value ($7.00 Worth, $6.30 price tag).

5. WWE Backlash – A- (90% Worth – $36.25 / $40.00)
Match of the Night: World Heavyweight Championship: The Undertaker vs. Edge – 101% Value ($7.00 Worth, $6.90 price tag).

6. WWE Judgment Day – B+ (89% Worth – $35.65 / $40.00)
Match of the Night: Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels – 114% Value ($5.95 worth, $5.20 price tag.)

7 (tie). WWE One Night Stand– B (86% Worth – $34.35 / $40.00)
Match of the Night: World Heavyweight Championship TLC Match: The Undertaker vs. Edge – 112% Value ($7.75 worth, $6.90 price tag.)

7 (tie). WWE Wrestlemania 24 – B (86% Worth – $47.25 / $55.00)
Match of the Night: Career-Threatening Match: Shawn Michaels vs. “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair- 116% Value ($8.00 worth, $6.90 price tag).

9. WWE Great American Bash – B (84% Worth – $33.70 / $40.00)
Match of the Night: NYC Parking Lot Brawl: John Cena vs. JBL – 121% Value ($5.75 worth, $4.75 price tag.)

10. TNA Slammiversary – B (84% Worth – $25.20 / $30.00)
Match of the Night: X-Division Championship: Petey Williams vs. Kaz – 111% Value ($4.50 worth, $4.05 price tag).

11. TNA Lockdown – B (83% Worth – $24.95 / $30.00)
Match of the Night: TNA World Heavyweight Championship: Kurt Angle vs. Samoa Joe – 116% Value ($5.00 worth, $4.30 price tag).

12. TNA Sacrifice – C (74% Worth – $22.15 / $30.00)
Match of the Night: X-Division TerrorDome – 100% Value ($3.25 worth, $3.25 price tag).
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And with that folks, we’ll see you next time with another edition off…