Posted in: The Classic Paper Review The Current Paper Review - Vol 7 - Bragging Rights + A Week in the WWE
By Mazza
Oct 29, 2009 - 1:46:24 PM
Romeo Done!
Vol VII – Bragging Rights 2009
Ladies and Gentleman, welcome to the slightly late Bragging Rights edition of The Current Paper Review, I am your host, Mazza. It is only three weeks since my Hell in a Cell review but I have been a busy boy in October. I have started a new column series with Uncle Joe’ called Smarks Court, which you should definitely check out if you have a moment. Last week my love for the company that I have been watching for twenty years, the WWE, also stepped up a gear. For the first time in ages I watched Raw and in turn, it gave me the urge to check out SmackDown, ECW and even Superstars. As a result, this week I will start out by sharing my thoughts about the last week in the WWE.
19 OCTOBER 2009
After buying last week’s episode of Raw, I decided that I would much rather spend a couple of free hours I had on Thursday afternoon listening to Sean Taylor and KMA Jackson’s The Teachers Lounge. You see, Raw just had not been capturing my imagination for some time and had become a chore to watch. Later that day however, I did give it a chance and I have to say I am glad I did. Firstly, I love Snoop Dogg and despite his crusty clothesline on Chavo, I think he did a very good job as guest host and was interesting in all his segments. DX were on top form as ever and their jokes were sharp. I particularly liked their chat about sleeping with women to get to the top. I actually quite enjoyed Orton-DiBiase match and although I have been outspoken about my thoughts on Randy of late, I feel the slow style actually worked in the situation with Ted not fighting the Legacy leader. The Cena-Hunter match was a very pleasant surprise indeed. The back and forth action and the finisher counters and kick outs was almost Attitude Era-esque in its booking and it was highly enjoyable. The clean finish was also a surprise and if Cena comes out of Bragging Rights victorious, I guess it sets Triple H up as the logical number one contender. On the other hand, if Cena heads to SmackDown, it keeps The Game looking very strong, just hopefully not for another feud with Randy. The only slight disappointment was that the Michaels-Jericho match didn't happen. The segment that took over was certainly interesting though and the WWE would make up for not giving us this match the next night.
20 OCTOBER 2009
It seems like an age since I have watched ECW and as a result, I got to see a couple of newer wrestlers for the first time. It was also my first glimpse of ring announcer Lauren and me likey. A couple of odd things jumped out at me straight away like Zach Ryder’s (I actually thought it was Charlie Haas) tights and Yoshi Tatsu’s hair. The two had an okay match but I just don’t see it in Ryder. Tatsu however may have a nice mid card career in front of him, he will have to do something about that music though. As for Sheamus, I think he has quite the look. Not sure how much he can do in the ring but what I saw looked quite good. I was a bit upset to see such limited Shelton Benjamin action as he is one of my favourite superstars, despite his charisma shortcomings. I know I am British but Paul Birchall sounds sooooo gay. Wrestlers should have a deep voice and when they don’t, it just sounds stupid. Hello Vince, this is why we need to bring back the age of the manager. As for Gregory Helms going all Sting on us, all I have to say is "what’s up with that"? The main event was pretty much what you would expect out of a Christian-Jericho match and that is a very, very strong encounter. It was a really fun match to watch and it turned an okay show into a great one.
22 OCTOBER 2009
I have never been too bothered with Superstars as lets face it, it is pretty much a dark matches of the week compilation. Gail Kim and Kelly Kelly actually managed to put on as strong as Divas match as I have seen in quite a while and I have to admit to being very impressed with Kelly’s in-ring progress. She could well be on a slow burn to becoming the company’s number one diva in the future. After all, was she any worse when she started than Trish Stratus was? JackSlov against DreamDust showed me two things. One, Jackson and Koslov really both look ready to be thrown at a face champion on one of the bigger shows. As a team it is just a shame that there is no real face tag team for them to go against. Back in the glory days I think they could have had interesting feuds with the likes of the Road Warriors. The second thing is that Goldust can still really go in the ring. I would really love it if the WWE would give him a run as plain old Dustin Rhodes and see what happens. He deserves that much for expertly carrying out this strange gimmick for all these years. I guess he is a victim of his own ability to portray a character, which really should never have gotten over, to perfection. The main event saw R-Truth and Matt Hardy against Drew McIntyre and Eric Escobar. This was another surprisingly decent match. Escobar certainly seems to have some potential and I, like Shawn Michaels and Triple H, am expecting big things from McIntyre. Overall it was an okay show which to be honest, was better than I expected.
23 OCTOBER 2009
For a while back there, SmackDown had taken the mantel in many IWC fans as the number one show. The work of the likes of Jericho, Mysterio, Morrison, Ziggler, Jeff Hardy and in particular CM Punk really bought back the glory days of the blue brand. However, in recent weeks, the return of the Undertaker and recruitment of Batista have gummed up the works a little. I don’t think that either man is as bad as some make them out to be but they are just not a great fit. History has taught us that Raw is the E in WWE to SmackDown being the second W. Last week’s Raw definitely fulfilled its part of the acronym better than SmackDown did. Nothing on the show was particularly bad but nothing screamed "must see viewing". Mae Young slapping Michelle McCool was a funny moment and the changing of the guard within Team SmackDown was interesting without quite becoming exciting. It is however never a chore to look at Layla, even if they are trying to pretend she is no longer British. As for the nights' big matches, Batisterio and JeriKane put on a pretty good show. I have noticed a great improvement in tag team matches in the WWE over the last few months. I feel that Jericho and The Big Show teaming together has created an awakening in solid tag action, I just hope it is not a short lived fad. The main event was teased to be a replay of the 2009 Montreal Screwjob and pretty much like everything else so far in the Taker-Punk feud, it was not bad but not great either. I think that if these two could click, they could put on quite a feud but it is just not happening right now for whatever reason. In conclusion, SmackDown put on a decent show last week but they are capable of better.
So that was the build up in anticipation to Bragging Rights. I was not disappointed with much and I enjoyed sitting through the 6 hours of WWE programming. But now it is time to get to the main event. I have really been looking forward to Bragging Rights and I am not sure why. I really hope it can exceed my expectations. Following the success of my Classic Paper Review a few weeks back on WrestleMania, I am pleased to welcome BeyondKnight to help me out today. BK saw the event live but did not take his little buddy Mark along. Nope, he went with Mark's bigger and sometimes obnoxious cousin, Bobby and it will be young Robert who will be helping me out with the review. BK, why don't you introduce us to your underaged boy of the week.
BeyondKnight: Bringing back the star power to the CPR again eh Mazzeroni? As it should be. Yes Nation, I am fresh from my release from "30 days in the LOP hole" so to speak. And yes, the BKentourage had the dubious pleasure of sitting next to Bobby and his father John for a glorious evening of WWE PPV action. The last time PPV action had graced the Steel City was for the 2008 instalment of Armageddon, and where is a better place to hold the Ultimate Ironman showdown for the WWE Title than the City of Champions? It was a tremendous night full of action, intrigue and-
Bobby: It sucked balls. I am so sick of WWE's crap. Seriously this was just the latest in a long line of abortions Vince has been spewing forth-
Mazza, I know I said I'd bring a quote unquote "smark" perspective to the review by having Bobby along but all he and his kind bring is unwarranted disdain and vulgarity. I've listened to him rant on for the past 2 days. The little Heretic is upset because he had the entire night pre-booked in his head and is upset that the show didn't follow his preconceived notion of how events were supposed to transpire.
And what the fuck do you know about anything? Didn't the fruits that run this place just suspend your gay ass for the last 30 days? Fuck this noise, I'm done with all this bullshit.
John: You are most certainly not Robert. We told Mr. Knight and Mr. Mazza that we'd do this for them, and we are going to honor that commitment. And I think that Mr. Knight-
Call me BK, John. Or the Beacon of Knowledge and Righteousness, whatever is easier...
I'll be back in a bit Nation. I've got some important paperwork that I need to file. Have fun guys. Mazza, be sure to continue to profit of my genius.
Then get the hell out of here so we can get this stupid thing over with then. Ass-hat.
ODE TO THE MENU
The Event: Bragging Rights 2009
The Date: 25 October 2009
The Place: Mellon Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Before we get underway with the review, here is a quick reminder of DaveyBoy’s review key.
<50: Ask for a refund for not only your money, but also your time. [F] (Armageddon '04)
50-54: Mediocre & disappointing. [D] (EG: No Way Out '07)
55-59: Average. [C] (EG: Unforgiven ‘08)
60-64: Worth A Watch. [C+] (EG: The Bash ‘09)
65-69: Good event that was worth the money. [B] (EG: SummerSlam '09)
70-74: Very good. [B+] (EG: Breaking Point '09)
75-79: Make sure you add this ppv to your video or dvd collection. [A] (EG: Royal Rumble '09)
80+: Make sure that the video or DVD is locked in a safe & cannot be erased. Memorable. [A+]
The Miz defeated John Morrison in 10:55
Like many, I have been highly anticipating this match which has the potential to steal the show. They start out with an awkward looking sequence on the mat but Miz is soon playing the crowd by going to the outside. The action is back and forth in the early going with both men excelling in their respective styles. We get to see a couple more not-so-smooth looking sequences but they are not bad enough to ruin the nice flow of the match. The Miz finally takes some sustained control and is very aggressive with his ex-partner. Morrison gets back in contention with some nice kicks and we see some nice close calls. As Jo “No Ho” Mo sets up for Starship Pain, Miz rolls out of the ring but gets hit with a corkscrew plancha on the outside. A “this is awesome” chant breaks out as Morrison counters a Skull Crushing Finale attempt before going once again for Starship Pain. The Miz however takes out Morrison’s leg as he springs off the rope causing him to crash to the floor. He follows up with a quick cover to give Raw a 1-0 lead in the race for the Bragging Rights trophy. If I had to use one word to sum this up it is “promising”. The dynamic was really good and they put on a very strong showing. However, this match really could have done with at least five more minutes (preferably ten) and maybe a bit more time for them working together. My other gripe is that the sequences were not always as smooth as they could have been and that took away from things a little. I think that the success of MorriMiz as a tag team was due to the fact that one man’s strength was the other man’s weakness and with a bit of fine tuning, it could translate into a great encounter down the line. There was enough here however for this to go down as a very good match and I really hope they get the opportunity to go again at Survivor Series. CPR Rating: 8
The one good thing that happened at that shit fest of a show was Miz proving his glory over that homo ex partner of his. Of course only the non-retards of the crowd knew enough to cheer for Miz. And Pittsburgh is full of fucking retards. Miz is a shining light for the educated wrestling fans amongst us, not the fucking douche bag kids and idiots that filled that arena up.
Robert, the only reason you are cheering for the Miz is so that you can perceive yourself as unique. It's the same reason you root against the Steelers and the Penguins. The truth was this wasn't the greatest showing from either Morrison or Mizanin, and I think adding more time would have only further exposed the problems these 2 had in the ring. The chemistry they had as a team just wasn't there as opponents. The match seemed stilted, and the finish didn't work at all. Maybe as a starter match for those of you on television this was great, but the rest of us had just watched Christian and Burchill compete and this match wasn't nearly as exciting as the previous one had been. I don't think either of these 2 are as ready for the main events as some of their supporters have been claiming.
SmackDown (Michelle McCool, Beth Phoenix and Natalya) defeated Raw (Melina, Kelly Kelly and Gail Kim) in 6:52 in a 6 Diva Tag Match
We start out with Beth Phoenix and Gail Kim and with the Glamazon in control, McCool tags herself in. It is not long until Team SmackDown cut off Kelly and work over her in their corner. Kelly eventually makes the hot tag to Melina who has some nice action with Phoenix. The action soon breaks down however as all six women battle it out. In the confusion, The Glamazon hits the Glam Slam on the Diva's champion to even it up for Team SmackDown. I think this match was actually booked and performed just right. A 6-Diva tag just screams WrestleCrap but all six ladies did well whilst they were in and the match length was just about right. There have been a lot worse PPV matches this year, that’s for sure. CPR Rating: 6.5
Why they put the fucking piss break so early is beyond me. Why these bimbos even got fuckin PPV time is-
Don't give me that Bobby. I was there, remember? You were oogiling those girls just as much as everyone else in the arena was. And television really doesn't do their beauty justice either. You were right Mr. Mazza, this was a nice little women's match that was well paced and entertaining. I suppose that it was the low point of the evening, but it was still very intriguing. Women's wrestling has changed so much of the past 30 years. I remember watching Moolah back when she was competing and the speed of women's matches has increased 10 fold. The speed of everything increased ten fold. Wrestling has become almost it's own kind of media. Just the video packages alone are amazing.
Yeah, it's not fat dudes in a dank room anymore Dad, we get it. You can't even work an i-Phone, it's no wonder why you are so amazed by all the flashy lights and shit. Spare me the trip down memory lane though and let's move on. The true fucking travesties are starting.
Next up is a segment with DX rallying the Raw team which gets two thumbs up from me for the fact that they mentioned Mark Henry’s relationship with Mae Young.
Of course, because you have to let all those fucking stupid assholes play sing along with DX. God I fucking hate them. Almost as much as a fucking hate Cena.
The Undertaker defeated CM Punk, Rey Mysterio and Batista in 10:09 in a Fatal Four Way Match to retain the World Heavyweight Championship
The action is crazy from the get go and is tough to keep up with but it is certainly interesting. Nobody can retain control for long and we see some nice moves including Batista hitting Taker with a spear whilst he is about to hit a Last Ride on Rey and this is followed up by Rey hitting a 619 on The Deadman which pushes him into a spinebuster from Big Dave. Rey soon gets nailed with a Go To Sleep from Punk but the cover is broken up by Batista. Soon though Dave finds himself in Hells Gate but it is Punk that makes the save this time. Punk is soon hit with a Last Ride but Batista returns the favour by making the save. Batista is then nailed with a Chokeslam but Punk makes the save once more. Batista then counters a Tombstone attempt with a Batista Bomb but it is Mysterio’s turn to make the save. This upsets Dave and a heel turn is hinted at once more as he angrily pushes his buddy out of the ring. He then turns into a Chokeslam for a two count. Batista then throws Punk and Rey out of the ring but he turns into a Tombstone and The Undertaker retains.
After the match Josh Matthews interviews Rey and Dave in the ring. Mysterio says they both came close as Batista tries to shake off the Tombstone. Batista then takes the mic and says that they weren’t close, he was close. He says he is tired of coming close and tired of his best friend stabbing him in the back. He says he is going to rip Rey’s head off and nails him with a sick looking clothesline. Dave then goes psycho heel and throws Mysterio into the ringside barriers. I have to say that this match was a hell of a lot better than I was expecting. Yeah, it was a bit of a clusterfuck at times but the action hardly ever dropped below smoking hot. The underlying Taker-Punk feud helped the match along and Dave did not botch one line in his heel turn. I guess he interviews better tired. I am a fan of this heel turn as it can open up some interesting angles for a guy who was becoming very stale. CPR Rating: 8.5
This match is everything that is fucking wrong with wrestling. You've got that fucking old bastard that no one fucking cares about as the champion while CM Punk is fucking buried. Punk should have been able to fucking decimate all 3 of those fucking assholes. But instead it's all about the fucking Undertaker! Smackdown was finally getting good and now we've got to deal with a fucking reign from this douche-
This was a great match up between 4 distinct characters that have wonderful chemistry together. From the moment the entrances started the crowd was totally engaged in this match. The transitions from wrestler to wrestler were very crisp, and the action was non stop. And Bobby, explain to me how Batista was the "worst wrestler ever" when he was acting as a face, but after he turned on Rey Mysterio you were bowing to his greatness! Most of the time you are so over critical that you can't decided whether it's the talent you dislike, or simply the role the talent is playing. My guess would be that if the Undertaker takes turns heel in the next 6 months you'll suddenly jump onto his bandwagon as well. However in the mean time you have such scorn and disdain for anyone that can enjoy the show on a simplistic level.
It's because they are ruining everything we fucking built!
You need to get over yourself Bobby. It wasn't that long ago that you were jumping up and down in the living room when Too Cool would dance, and you went just as crazy for The Rock as your cousin does for John Cena. You haven't evolved into some connesuir Bobby, you've dengenerated into a cynic. Mazza, lets move onto the next match.
Team SmackDown (Chris Jericho, Kane, R-Truth, Matt Hardy, Tyson Kidd, David Hart Smith and Finlay) defeated Team Raw (Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Big Show, Cody Rhodes, Jack Swagger, Kofi Kingston and Mark Henry) in 15:35 in a 14-Man Tag Team Match
After having exchanged words earlier in the evening, R-Truth and Cody Rhodes start off the match. The tags start to come thick and fast in the early stages but the action really lacks a storyline to get me excited until the Hart Dynasty make their entrance to double team Michaels which leads to a tag to Jericho. We do not get a replay of last year’s feud unfortunately and SmackDown continue with the quick tags as HBK plays the face in peril. Michaels eventually tags in Super H who looks like he could single handedly win the match if he so pleased. He dominates the Harts and Finlay but soon gets caught with a Kane chokeslam. The action breaks down after a Trouble in Paradise on Jericho as all fourteen men get involved. Jericho is down in the ring and the Big Show tells Kingston to go to the top before chokeslamming his Raw team mate (didn’t see that coming). He is confronted by Triple H who gets hit with a knockout blow before Show walks to the back. Jericho covers Kingston and wins the match, the tournament and the bragging rights for the blue brand.
Team SmackDown celebrate with the trophy and Finlay tries to kick Triple H out of the ring before getting told off. Belfast’s favourite son should be expecting a nice little drop down the card. As for the match, it was a big disappointment. The action was rarely gripping and the decent bits would be broken up by a tag within a matter of seconds. Show costing Raw the match could have been called from a mile off. Not only has he done it before when defecting to ECW but his partner was also on the other team. All in all, experiment failed I’m afraid. CPR Rating: 6.5
I think you are being a bit harsh on this match. WWE managed to showcase 14 of their talents and did it without anyone being buried or squashed. Everyone got time in the ring to showcase their abilities, and some very young talent were given an equal playing field with established veterans. For something that you describe as a cluster, it sure held the crowd's attention. While I would say the Mellon was primarily behind the Raw audience, there was definitely a Smackdown contingent there. All the while, Big Show held control of the audience in the palm of his hand. The turn, even though we all knew it was coming, was masterful and got the exact reaction the audience was looking for. This deserves at least another point.
Dad, you don't know shit about shit when it comes to wrestling.
In the back, Rhodes blames Kingston for Raw’s defeat and throws him into a ladder.
John Cena defeated Randy Orton 6-5 in 60:28 in an Anything Goes Iron
Man Match to win the WWE Championship
We get to the main event and I am expecting to get bored silly but how would I love to be wrong. The match starts slowly with both men using side headlocks which can actually be forgiven for once in this feud seeing how far they will have to go. The match is not even four minutes old before Cena locks in the STF. Orton taps straight away to avoid further damage and we are already at 1-0 to the challenger. There is a thirty second interval between falls and then men stare each other down. Orton then takes control and the methodical style kicks in. We get our lengthy chin lock of doom but the duelling “let’s go Cena”, “RKO” chants help the match along. Cena breaks the hold and hits a top tope Fameasser and goes for the 5-Knuckle Shuffle. Orton is ready though and counters with and RKO to level up the match at just the nine minute mark.
Orton next takes the match to the outside and utilises the “anything goes” caveat. He first takes Cena out with a monitor and gets a two count on the floor (it is obviously falls count anywhere as well). He then nails Cena with a mic AND WE HAVE BLOOD! PG-13 goes out the window as Cena refuses medical attention to beat down on Orton. This does not last long as Randall takes control back with the aid of the ring steps. Cena counters an RKO attempt and gets on a roll again. He lands the Attitude Adjustment but on his way down, Orton also turns it into an RKO. Both men are down with their arms across each other and the ref counts a double pinfall just before the seventeen minute mark. Michael Cole informs us that we are in the thirty MINUTE interval between falls (what a tool!) as the medics glue up Cena's wound. The challenger takes control after the break and lands a Attitude Adjustment from the second rope to take a 3-2 lead before we hit the twenty minute mark.
Rhodes and DiBiase hit the ring during the interval and beat down on Cena. Ted hits Dream Street and Legacy roll Orton onto Cena and we are level once more at 3-3. Kofi Kingston then storms the ring and chases off Legacy with a chair. The action then goes to the entrance way and it is Cena who has the upper hand for a while before the tide turns once more in the champion’s favour. He bangs Cena’s head into the pyro control panel and then throws him through some of the set lighting to get the pinfall and take a 4-3 lead. With Cena on the stage, Randy starts hitting buttons on the pyro control panel. He then hits him with a chair shot and places over one of the pyrotechnics and goes to hit the button on the panel. It does not work at first and an angry Randy starts bashing it until eventually it goes off. It seems as if Cena vacated the area just in time and this appears to irritate Orton even more. The champion is in control as they head back to ringside at the halfway mark.
Randy continues his onslaught using chairs and stairs at ringside. They eventually get back in the ring and Orton stalks his prey but gets caught with a small package and out of nowhere and we are level once more. An angry Orton tries to compose himself in the interval whilst Cena is still down. Randy lands a DDT from the apron to the outside and he once again takes the lead with twenty five still remaining. After the break, Orton goes for the cover again but can only get a two count. Up until now, Orton’s methodical style had not been as slow as it has been in the previous encounters but after an action packed thirty-eight minutes, it is time for some time wasting. Even the crowd seem happy to rest their voices for a while. Cena then finds a second (or eighteenth) wind and Orton makes his way to the entrance way to let the clock run down. Cena goes after him but Randy is soon running back to the ring again and is back in control once Cena joins him. Orton then goes for the rope assisted DDT which is turned into an Attitude Adjustment attempt but the Viper squirms free and hightails it into the crowd. Cena follows suit and takes control of Orton amongst the fans and on the stairs. They eventually make their way back to ringside with fifteen left where the challenger gets a couple of two counts. He then sends Orton crashing through a barricade, nails him with the steel steps and FU’s him through the announce table (the move was not PG so neither is the name) to level it up at 5-5 with nine minutes to go.
After the thirty seconds, Cena goes for another cover but Orton somehow kicks out at two. With time ticking away, the challenger sets up a table in the ring and drags Randy in and lays him on the table. Cena goes for a Fameasser from the top rope but Orton rolls off the table just in time. With four minutes left, both men are spent and they trade blows and somehow manage to inject a real bust of pace which sees the referee get knocked down after Randy ducked a Cena shoulder block. Cena looks at the ref and then turns into an RKO. Another ref comes down to make the count but Cena kicks out at two. Orton then attacks the substitute ref and decides to overdo the facial expressions with the clock ticking towards one minute remaining. He then goes for the punt but Cena moves and locks in the STFU with fifty-five seconds on the clock. Orton squirms and fights but taps with four seconds left on the clock. By the time he gets back to his feet, the bell rings and Cena takes the match 6-5.
FINALLY! Finally the bookers get it right, finally Orton gets it right and finally this feud entertains me. The multiple falls really helped this along, as did Orton deciding to not botch up the works with wasting too much time. The places where he did here gave him a well earned rest and more importantly, fit in well with the story of the match. It did get slow at times in the middle but that can be forgiven in a one hour match. So, I am sure Plan and the Smarks Court readers are wondering if I am going to admit that I was wrong. HELL NO! I think this match proved my point. Orton got it right today, he was up two notches in pace and actually timed his psycho moments to place them where they fitted in. It is not too late to have your say on the subject by checking out the latest edition of Smarks Court >>>HERE<<<. Anyway back on track, it really was a fun main event. I don’t think that it will necessarily stay as good as it seems now with the test of time but anyone watching it spoiler free, will be in for one hell of a ride. CPR Rating: 9.5
And the biggest travesty of all fucking history occurs. Fucking John Cena overcomes again, just because WWE has been overrun with fucking twat kids and soccer moms. Stupid screaming cunts bitches cheering for the douche that can't fucking see everything that Randy Orton does is fucking perfect. They told us that dick dripping was going to Smackdown! He was supposed to lose! This was supposed to be the night that we reclaimed the WWE! Well I'm fucking done with it! TNA knows how to great real fans! They aren't going to shove a fucking hero down our throats! Fuck this place, I out of here! *slams door*
Wait till he hears about Hogan... Regardless, this was an excellent main event that capped off a pretty good feud. And I think John Cena was able to silence some of his detractors by the end of these 60 minutes. Sure when it started there were plenty of, what did BK call them... Fred Heads! There were about an equal number of Fred-Heads in the audience but as the match wore on it seemed that the Cena cheers got louder and more powerful. Maybe it was that the Orton fanatics lost hope, just like my son did. He was silent almost the whole ride home. I think he made some kind of wager with his cousin Mark over this match. Anyways, this was a great show. Pittsburgh always gets great shows. If any of your readers are in the area the next time a PGH show is announced they should definitely think it over. From Bruno Sammartino, to Foley going off the Cell, to Sunday Night's Ironman match, WWE has long honored the Steel City with great moments and memories. For me, it was worth every penny. And even though he'd never admit it, Bobby had a great time too.
BRAGGING RIGHTS CPR RATING (39/50) = 79
Overall, Bragging Rights scored my first A on the DaveyBoy Grade Scale which means the event should be added to your collection. I have to say that I cannot argue with that logic. There was a great one hour main event as well as a surprisingly good World Heavyweight Championship match. A very solid opener was backed up by a decent 6-Diva tag match. Whilst the 14-man tag match was a little dull and predictable, it could not put a dampener on the evening. This will definitely be an event to revisit in the future.
Now, as per my contract with BeyondKnight in securing the services of Bobby, he will now get his own section in my column.
BK'S BIT
Thanks there Mazzarino, and thanks again to John and Bobby for the reviews. Couldn't have said it better myself. ;) All right Nation, I've got some news for you. I need to thank all of you. For the first time ever, my Pirate Broadcasts were the Number One rated show on the CF network for the month of September. And then for the month of October? Nothing. The vindictive bastards that run this place made me serve 30 days in the hole for hijacking their network. However there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Thanks to you, what has been stolen from me has been restored. Starting next week, I sit back down behind my desk to Dole Out the Hot and Steamy Truth. I will be educating the masses with my Righteousness and Truth once again. It's time to become a believer Nation. It's the year of jubilee! The Knight's Report is back!
THE ROAD TO SURVIVOR SERIES
Thanks for that BK, that was a very nice addition to the CPR. We are now a month away from another one of the big four WWE pay per views. You can never be sure how the WWE will book Survivor Series but I really am a sucker for the traditional elimination matches. Three of Raw's main eventers have already been booked as Cena will defend the WWE Championship against Shawn Michaels and Triple H in a Triple Threat match. Putting the brands three biggest faces together in a showcase event is not a bad idea as it gives the company some time to come up with the new feuds. Raw seems very face heavy at the top of the card and I am actually half expecting one of DX to turn heel. That would certainly change the landscape of the show. I would honestly be happy with either one turning. I love Hunter as a heel and I guess many of today's viewers will never have seen a fully committed heel HBK.
It seems that Big Show's turn has made him number one contender to Undertaker's World Heavyweight Championship. Not sure whether that will be for Survivor Series but anyone remember their last stinky feud. That was so bad it led to Show having an affair with Vickie Guerrero. With a Batista and Mysterio feud on the cards, we have to wonder where that leaves CM Punk. Maybe battling Morrison if the program with the Miz is over but that is still quite step down. The fact is there are not too many logical matches right now which makes the event tough for me to second guess. Hopefully that means we will get 2 or 3 of the classic elimination matches. It also means a shorter version of this weeks The Road to...
So we have come to the end of another edition of The Current Paper Review. Feedback, as always, will be much appreciated and you can drop me an email here or pop by my feedback thread in the forums. I will be back with Joe on Tuesday for the next Smarks Court but in the meantime, here are some of the best columns doing the rounds in the columns forum.
From the Podium by Leonard - One of my favourite writers has awoken from his column slumber with a piece about... New Kids on the Block... Seriously!
The Legacy of ECW by Uncle Joe - My Smarks Court Co-Host broke a court order to post this - I can tell you one thing, this will be dealt with in the next edition of the Court
