DaveyBoy’s Wrestling Menu – Ladder Match DVD + ‘No Way Out’ Review
Submitted by DaveyBoy on Wednesday, February 20, 2008 at 12:55 AM EST






THE WRESTLING MENU #261

Welcome one and all to the 261st edition of The Wrestling Menu, the column that is sure to satisfy your taste buds when it comes to discussing all things wrestling.

For a second there, I thought one of my predictions from 2006 was going to come true. Approximately 15 months ago I wrote a column topic on a certain mainstream personality that I believed WWE should have pursued to take part in WrestleMania 23. And then we read this week what is most likely a scurrilous rumor that the man in question may be training for a role in WWE. That man of course is Eminem.

While I would prefer only limited appearances (similar to Mike Tyson in 1998), I still feel that Marshall Mathers would be a great fit for WWE & while it would be a little hint of desperation of the man who not so long ago was at the forefront of hip-hop music, his star isn’t exactly shining bright of late. I thought WrestleMania 23 was the perfect occasion for all involved as it took place in Eminem’s hometown of Detroit. But Orlando would have done & no matter what the year, if WWE were to pull it off, I can assure you that the event would get huge mainstream exposure.

Of course, it’s too late now to get the deal signed for this year anyway, as WWE have obviously looked elsewhere with the recent appearance of ‘Pretty Boy’ Floyd Mayweather at No Way Out. But even next year, I genuinely hope that WWE at least speak to Mr. Mathers’ representatives.

Otherwise, most of the wrestling news of late has simply surrounded the ‘Road To WrestleMania’. That’s not a bad thing at all as the spotlight should be on the on-screen happenings when we get closer & closer to the biggest WWE event of the year.

Oh yeah, there is one more thing to mention as I need to welcome another new colleague to the LOP main page. Aisce has finally hit the big time with his column ‘Aisce in the Hole’ & this is one columnist I can personally vouch for as his writings in all of the LOP Forums is always top-notch. Just have a dictionary nearby when reading the column… LOL!

Today, I complete my review of the fantastic ‘Ladder Match’ DVD, before continuing to be the reviewing machine that I am by taking a look at the ‘No Way Out’ pay-per-view.

So it’s on with the review-bulous show…..


’Ladder Match’ DVD REVIEW

For those yet to read my review of Disc-1 & 2 of this 3 disc DVD set, you may still do so by clicking on the following link: http://www.lordsofpain.net/news/2008/articles/1202879899.php


APPETIZERS – Disc-3

EDGE defeated CHRIS BENOIT, CHRIS JERICHO, SHELTON BENJAMIN, CHRISTIAN & KANE (WWE WrestleMania 21. April-3, 2005): This was the first ever ‘Money In The Bank’ Ladder Match for a contract to wrestle for the World HeavyWeight Title within the next 12 months. A great visual opens things up as a bunch of ladders near the entrance are set on fire to greet Kane. All the other competitors then attack the Big Red Machine before the bell, before a sequence of high-flying moves to the outside gets some early crowd pops. That’s probably the only super spotty action in the first 9 minutes, but that doesn’t mean that the rest is boring & disappointing as it is a very solid good mix of everything. A 5 man top-of-3-ladders showdown ends with Shelton t-bone suplexing Edge from atop a ladder, before the same man then runs up a diagonally set up ladder to clothesline Jericho who was about to win the match! Unfortunately, Kane chokeslams Benjamin to the outside, before being distracted by an interfering Tomko.

Christian, Jericho & Kane all take awkward falls, before Benoit hits a swan dive headbutt from off the top of a ladder to bust himself open. However, (the previously quiet) Edge hits a chair-shot on the climbing Benoit leading to the victory at the 16 minute mark. Spectacular ladder match which hardly let up on the action. All men contributed in some way & not too much more could have been asked from them. For a 6 man match, I did not think it was overbooked & was as natural as practically possible. The only probable exception was the 3 ladder spot early on, which didn't really have a good enough payoff for something so rehearsed. Not quite worth a 10 rating, but not far from it. 16 minutes wasn't quite enough & the ending also probably deserved something a little more special. But I'm nitpicking a little. Entertaining & sufficiently spectacular. Kudos to everyone involved, especially Benjamin (who took another step to super-stardom). Match Rating…9

REY MYSTERIO defeated EDDIE GUERRERO (WWE SummerSlam. August-21, 2005): This ladder match was for the custody of Rey’s son Dominick during a rather over-dramatic feud that the 2 were having at the time. The bout takes a little while to get going due to the ringside presence of Dominick, but when it does Eddie has the best of the opening moments. That is, until Rey hits 2 gorgeous springboard moves, one to the inside & one to the floor. Subsequent climbs up the ladder by both men sees Eddie just connect with his sunset flip into a powerbomb from off the ladder. Minutes later, a similar situation sees Rey gain some revenge with a back body drop that resulted in painful falls on ladders for both competitors. Speaking of painful, Rey goes ribs-first into a ladder due to an Eddie counter, which allows the heel to climb up for the win. But he is halted by an interfering Dominick, who distracts Eddie to allow a now aggressive Rey to hit a ladder-assisted 619 & springboard leg-drop!

A fantastic powerbomb counter to an electric chair from atop a ladder then allows Rey to climb up, but he is practically powerbombed from off the suitcase-holding cables by Eddie, who subsequently hits his 3 Amigos suplexes. As Eddie is close to the win again, he is distracted by his interfering wife Vicki, who sends her husband crashing to the mat, allowing Rey the victory at the 20 minute mark. Following the initial minutes, the bout was pretty much ladder spot after ladder spot. Some were new, some weren't. Some were performed excellently, while others didn't quite go to plan. But most importantly, all were entertaining. The match could have been a few moments longer in actual fact (maybe the ladder could have been introduced a few moments later), and Eddie had so many opportunities to win it that realism never played a part here in this overbooked match. Overall, this was still very good, if not the 10 out of 10 classic that we were expecting from the 2 in WWE. Match Rating… 8.5

EDGE defeated MATT HARDY (WWE Raw. October-3, 2005): This match took place following Matt’s sabbatical from WWE & in the midst of a strange feud that blurred reality & storylines. This wasn’t only a ‘Money In the Bank’ match, but the loser would also be required to leave the Raw brand. Edge tries to take advantage by attacking Matt upon his entrance, before heading to the ring for a fast-paced intensity-filled beginning that backs up the storyline & match stipulation well. Much of the action not only seemed painful, but rather realistic & impromptu, which is always a positive. Matt gets suplexed awkwardly onto a ladder on 2 separate occasions & then the action heads to ringside where Matt cross-bodys Edge off a ladder & into the crowd!

Lita then interferes & a kendo stick shot by Edge saves the day for the heel pair & allows the Rated R Superstar to splash Matt through a table. But back in the ring, Matt recovers to hit a Twist of Fate from off a ladder, but once more Lita gets involved & it allows Edge to get the victory at the 11 minute mark (excluding commercial time). This was a very good match where the storyline of the feud played out in favor of the bout. Unfortunately, that storyline did lead to a semi-disappointing & predictable finish. Both men performed terrifically here & the action was a great mix of realism & spots. It’s just a shame that this wasn’t longer & had a better finish. Match Rating… 8.5

Prior to the next bout, Ric Flair tells Todd Grisham how proud he was of his performance in the following match. Not only that, but he said that at the time he was at a low point in his career & with the help of Edge gained the motivation & confidence to continue wrestling in WWE to this very day.

EDGE defeated RIC FLAIR (WWE Raw. January-16, 2006): This was a TLC Match for Edge’s WWE Championship & it was apparently Flair’s first attempt at any kind of ladder match! Edge dominates early with some ladder shots & continues the momentum at ringside until The Nature Boy grabs a handful of nuts much to the crowd’s amusement. An Edge chair-shot busts Flair open badly though, as Lita also makes her presence known with interference. A huge spot then occurs when Edge splashes Flair through a table at ringside from the top of a ladder in the ring! Back in the ring, a badly bloodied Flair makes a comeback by way of multiple chair & ladder shots, but he gets superplexed off of a ladder & then hit for a home run by a chair.

Edge seemingly has the match won here, but Flair saves the day by sending a climbing Edge through a table at ringside, leading to a crowd-popping climb for Ric. But an interfering Lita saves the day & Flair can’t help put her into the figure 4 leglock. It is enough of a distraction to allow Edge back into the bout though & after punching away atop a ladder, the heel champ retains rather anti-climactically at the 13 minute mark (excluding commercial time). A very good television bout & good in a fish-out-of-water underdog kind of way, but apart from a couple of big & admirable spots, this was a rather run-of-the-mill ladder match that paled into comparison with some of the best of the past. This is understandably so considering the inclusion of Flair in a singles match of this kind though & this was still sufficiently entertaining. Match Rating… 7.5

JOHN CENA defeated EDGE (WWE Unforgiven. September-17, 2006): Following Edge gaining victory over Cena in his opponent’s hometown the previous month, this bout for Edge’s WWE Championship was contested under TLC rules in Edge’s hometown, which meant the crowd were well & truly behind the heel here. In addition to this, Cena promised to leave Raw if he lost here. After a rather methodical beginning, Edge is first to bring some weapons into action. He drops Cena back-first through 2 chairs & then dropkicks a ladder into his face! A hip-toss counter onto a ladder gets the challenger back into the bout, although he fails to F-U or superplex the champ through a table. Following what appears to be a botched sunset-flip into a powerbomb spot, Edge makes Cena pay by power-slamming him through a table & then riskily runs up a ladder & hurls himself onto Cena at ringside. A chairshot follows, but Cena counters a conchairto attempt & squashes Edge with the ladder. He then locks on the STF-U while Edge is caught in the ladder, but Edge tapping out means nothing in this type of bout.

Cena remains in control with a ladder shot & a 5 Knuckle Shuffle off of a ladder, but while setting up a table, falls victim to a wicked chairshot! But Cena fights back promptly & heads for the super-tall ladder in attempting to retrieve the title. Edge recovers however & spears Cena from off of another ladder. Edge’s climb towards the title also gets halted though & Cena capitalizes with a powerbomb & chair-shot. With his hands literally on the title, Cena has the match seemingly stolen from him by an interfering Lita who pushes the ladder over resulting in a huge crash landing through a table at ringside! It should have been academic from there, but a Lita chairshot inadvertently knocks Cena into the ladder resulting in Edge taking a similar fall through a table at ringside! Edge then unrealistically gets up quickly to duke it out with Cena at the top of the ladder, but his reward is a huge F-U from the top of the ladder through 2 tables set up in the ring!!! A rather solemn-looking Cena then grabs the title to end the match at the 25 minute mark.

The TLC gimmick definitely lends itself better to multi-man matches & this match proved it to some extent by not always coming off as realistic & having a few minor duplication issues. But overall, the effort from these 2 was just too great to ignore, as was the entertainment value. While not always successful, kudos should be given to Cena for playing the role of a wrestler taking part in his first TLC match very well. His mixture of getting carried away with weapons & then sense of regret added to the bout in my opinion. In conclusion, this was a terrific main-event match that was right up there in contention for 2006 match of the year. Match Rating… 9

JEFF HARDY defeated JOHNNY NITRO (WWE Raw. November-20, 2006): This ladder match was for Jeff’s InterContinental Title & the challenger is accompanied to the ring by (an often screaming) Melina. A Whisper in the Wind by Jeff gets the crowd involved early, but then in typical television match way, we miss some innovative ladder-assisted offense during the commercial break (briefly seen on replay afterwards). The 2 trade shots back & forth during the middle stages of the bout, before Nitro impresses with a nice dropkick from the top of a ladder. The heel takes further control when Jeff misses a swanton onto a ladder (ouch), and then he brings a huge ladder into the ring. It works against Nitro though as Jeff hits a sunset flip into a powerbomb off it soon after.

Hardy then follows this up with a legdrop up & over a ladder which allows him to climb to victory at the 15 minute mark (excluding commercial time). Solid & entertaining television bout, but rather lackluster considering the 2 combatants involved. This may have actually been one of the best examples of the ladder match being watered down from over-use over the years as the match seemed to drag on a little too much & had too many moments of normal everyday action. It still wasn’t anything too bad though. Match Rating… 7.5

Joey Mercury & Johnny Nitro then help Todd Grisham introduce the final bout on the DVD which I rated the 2006 match of the year. The scars on Mercury’s eyes & nose can still be seen here!

PAUL LONDON / BRIAN KENDRICK defeated THE HARDYZ, MNM & WILLIAM REGAL / DAVE TAYLOR (WWE Armageddon. December-17, 2006): This ladder match for London & Kendrick’s Tag-Team Championships was initially a standard singles bout against Regal & Taylor. But SmackDown GM Teddy Long comes out to add the ladder match stipulation & 2 teams to the bout. It is also fought under tornado rules right from the beginning. The 2 face teams clear the ring of the 2 heel teams & it doesn’t take long for ladders to get involved & the spots to begin. For the most part, only 2 of the 4 teams take turns battling it out in the ring, but there are sufficient moments when more than 4 men are involved. Regal & Taylor are wisely used sparingly to add some story & variety to the bout, while MnM are taken out for a while in a spot that sees 4 men carry a ladder-riding Mercury to the outside on to his partner! London & Kendrick are booked well to hold their own against the legendary Hardyz, but neither team gets the win to thankfully prolong the bout. In a truly scary moment at the 10 minute mark, Mercury is taken from the match after a dangerous slingshot ladder spot closes his eye & opens a deep gash on the bridge of his nose!

The spots don’t stop though as a nice new variation sees Nitro come from nowhere to dropkick a ringside ladder to hang Jeff up on the top-rope! The absence of Mercury is seamlessly played over as Nitro puts together some offense & almost grabs the title. But that’s only a prelude to an extended finishing sequence predominantly involving the 2 face teams & spot after spot. A huge back body-drop off a ladder is followed by a huge sunset-flip powerbomb. And if that wasn’t enough, Kendrick then has the crazy notion that he can hit his ‘sliced bread’ finisher off the top of the ladder! It didn’t quite come off, but very much put over what these guys were willing to do. The bout finally ends at the 20 minute mark when London emerges victorious after dueling it out with Matt atop a ladder. Absolutely sensational match & as JBL said afterwards, this was “nothing short of phenomenal”. Exciting, if obviously spotty, this was non-stop action that was fast-paced & high-flying. It was also very well booked to last 20 minutes as it hinted at ending many times from the 5 minute mark onwards! Finally, the correct team was put over. Wow… My match of 2006. Match Rating… 9.5


MAIN – DVD Conclusion

Before I head into the conclusion proper, some readers may recall that I usually pair the conclusion section of my DVD Reviews with a listing & brief description of all Easter Eggs to be found on a DVD set. I am not doing that here as I believe there are no easter eggs at all to be found on this 3 disc set. I have a way of locating these features on any DVD via an on-screen menu on my DVD player & this revealed that there were not any here. But I didn’t physically go clicking left & right around the screens, so if I am wrong on this fact, please let me know & I will pass them on in my next column.

Despite the fact that there are no easter eggs, I can assure you that the viewer is not short-changed at all on this 3 disc set as each disc goes right up to it’s 3 hour duration. And it’s obviously chock full with excellent matches for the complete 9 hour running time as well.

That’s the bottom line really. Take a look through my match ratings & that pretty much sums up the set in its entirety. There are simply too many excellent matches included on this set (some of them matches of their particular year) for it not to be one of the best WWE DVD’s released thus far. There are some minor gripes that some viewers may have here & there, but at the end of the day, match quality rules the roost. I mean, the lowest rating for any match here is 7.5 & that is what I would describe as a good solid entertaining match.

If I was to pick out a few critical gripes, I would say that WWE should have gone for the complete package here & made this a genuine ’best of the ladder match’ set. This would lead to some duplication (both within this DVD & against other DVD releases) & while that should always be taken into account, I think there are a few types of DVD sets when it should be completely ignored. This was one of them.

While match quality would possibly be a question mark, I am a little surprised a 2nd match from WCW was not included, while the lack of an ECW ladder match was also a little surprising. I state those comments without any specific bouts in mind, although I do recall an Eddie Guerrero vs Sean Waltman match being pretty good.

A further gripe which is a touchy one among viewers is the inclusion here of pretty much all entrance themes & after-match goings on. I usually am in favor of these being included on WWE DVD sets to build up atmosphere & the like, but I actually thought it was a little over the top here & could have been possibly used to cull some time in order for at least one extra match to be included.

Another small word of warning is that this 3 disc set is probably not best viewed in 1 or 2 sittings. As the matches obviously have the 1 similar ingredient, they can be a little similar in structure as well. Thus, like the ‘Bloodbath’ DVD that showcased cage matches, it is best to watch this 1 disc at a time (if not 2 hours at a time). But to spend too much time on some rather inconsequential negatives is really an injustice to this 3 disc set. My conclusion is that this is right up there with the best releases WWE have put out on DVD due to match quality alone. I totally recommend this as an addition to any professional wrestling fan’s DVD collection.


DESSERT – ‘No Way Out’ Review

For those that cannot recall my previous PPV review columns, this is the key that explains what the final PPV Rating means:

<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: Vengeance ‘07)
60-64: Worth A Watch. [C+] (EG: No Mercy ‘07)
65-69: Good event that was worth the money. [B] (EG: Armageddon ‘07)
70-74: Very good. [B+] (EG: Great American Bash '07)
75-79: Make sure you add this ppv to your video or dvd collection. [A] (EG: Royal Rumble '08)
80+: Make sure that the video or DVD is locked in a safe & cannot be erased. Memorable. [A+]

CHAVO GUERRERO defeated CM PUNK to Retain the ECW Title: Both men receive the appropriate reception by what appears to be a pumped up crowd. A standard back & forth beginning comes to life when Punk hits a powerslam, but Chavo counters with a hurracanrana & follows it with a tornado DDT for a 2 count. Punk regains control though & then strangely attempts the 3 Amigos suplexes, which earns the ire of some of the crowd! The storyline then plays out that Punk is frustrated as he scores many near-falls, but can’t seal the deal. This leads to the face attempting a top-rope frankensteiner, but Chavo blocks it, hits his frog splash & retains his title at just the 7 minute mark. This was almost identical to most ECW Title bouts throughout 2007 in that it was solid, but uninspiring, wrestling where the lack of match length hurt the bout overall. This actually did contain some good crisp action, so I can’t mark it too low, but it’s not anything we couldn’t have seen on free television. Match Rating… 6.5

THE UNDERTAKER defeated BATISTA, FINLAY, MVP, THE GREAT KHALI & BIG DADDY V in an Elimination Chamber Match: A good booking move sees ‘Taker & Batista continue their terrific 2007 feud by kicking things off here. It added a touch of unpredictability to proceedings while theoretically involving the crowd from the get-go. Unfortunately, the opening few minutes is standard big man stuff wrestled at a snail’s pace. You know that is fact when the opening 2 replays show a punch & a kick! It’s almost a thankful event when Big Daddy V enters at the 5 minute mark, but he doesn’t exactly pick up the pace. In a strange occurrence, BDV knocks ‘Taker out through the door, yet nothing comes of it. Following some heel offense, Batista hits a spine-buster out of nowhere, ‘Taker follows up with a DDT on the steel floor & that is it for the former Viscera. Khali enters next, gets some offense & near-falls, but soon taps out to ‘Taker’s new submission hold.

Finlay is in 4th & he has no qualms taking it to the 2 faces as he gets a close 2 count with a Celtic Cross on the phenom. The intensity picks up a little here, but it’s nothing outstanding. Just the appearance of a different character & type of wrestler in MVP finally awakes the crowd & the U.S Champ gets a few minutes of offense just like the other heels did. Unfortunately, scurrying up to the top of a pod proves disastrous as ‘Taker throws him down to the mat, leading to his elimination. Hornswoggle then makes an appearance to hand Finlay his trusted shillelagh, but a choke-slam to the steel floor (ouch) puts paid to the Irishman. So it’s back to the 2 we started with & despite both men selling that they’re tired, the pace is pretty much exactly the same as the opening 5 minutes.

The crowd gets behind ‘Taker, but it is Big Dave that pulls out a Batista Bomb for a super close 2 count. Taker gets the same result with a Last Ride Powerbomb, but gets the victory soon after with a clever & brilliant finish that sees him counter being thrown into the cage & go back inside the ring over the ropes in tombstone position (sorry, that’s as good I can get with the explanation). There simply wasn’t enough variety in this long 30 minute match to rate it too highly. I am actually a little surprised how highly some fans thought of this bout, especially since Khali & Big Daddy V did bring the quality down as expected. But so did the opening 5 minutes surprisingly. The action was sporadically good during the middle stages of the bout & the final 3rd was also pretty good. On top of that, we all know that ‘Taker & Batista are great at false finishes & this was no exception. But it didn’t totally save this for mine, despite the inherent entertainment factor of this gimmick match. Match Rating… 7.5

RIC FLAIR defeated MR. KENNEDY: Kennedy gets some decent heel heat to begin with by mocking The Nature Boy. It isn’t too long until the cocky heel then targets the injured knee of the 16 time World Champ & included in that strategy is a single leg crab & a ringpost figure 4 leglock. A standard in-ring figure 4 is then applied, but KK can’t get the job done. A couple more near-falls keep the crowd on the edge of their seats, before Flair then locks on his own figure 4 & gains the victory out of nowhere at the 7 minute mark. This was standard stuff & practically a replay of last month’s Flair vs MVP bout. Kennedy showed a bit here charisma-wise, but the match was so simply structured, it really didn’t allow either man to shine too much. Match Rating… 6.5

EDGE defeated REY MYSTERIO to Retain the World HeavyWeight Title: In an earlier backstage interview, Rey admits to having a torn bicep muscle & is wearing a large guard of sorts here. And it isn’t long until Edge targets the injury as Rey seeks the refuge of the ringside area. The momentum changes a little when the heel champ nuts himself on the ringpost allowing Rey to get 2 separate near-falls with a gorgeous moonsault & a tornado DDT. He even hits the 619, but a springboard move is met with an Edge spear for the victory at just the 5 minute mark. It is always difficult to rate a match involving a clearly injured wrestler as was the case here. While you can’t rate it too highly, you have to give Rey kudos for gutting it out. Furthermore, there was some good action involved here, while Edge was also getting good heel heat. But a 5 minute match is a 5 minute match at the end of the day. Match Rating… 6

BIG SHOW SEGMENT: To the surprise of most, TBS casually walks out (to his old entrance theme) & tells the world that he is back, has lost 108 pounds & will become a champion again. Despite receiving a good face pop through all of this, he then attacks Rey Mysterio who was still being taken to the back. This prompts boxer & front row celebrity Floyd Mayweather (who was involved in Rey’s earlier backstage interview) to get into the ring for an Austin-Tyson like showdown. And when TBS gets on his knees to negate the height discrepancy, Mayweather lands 2 shots flush to TBS’s face (ouch). In amongst the ensuing chase through the crowd, Shane McMahon appears from nowhere to hold back a bleeding Big Show. Interesting & very effective segment that came off well as a pleasant surprise & had good crowd involvement. It probably lasted a little too long for my liking at 9 minutes, but that’s probably a minor gripe. It’s difficult not to believe that Big Show’s recent boxing training won’t come in handy around WrestleMania time! Match Rating… 7.5

JOHN CENA defeated RANDY ORTON by Disqualification in a Match for the WWE Championship: Dual chants kick things off & Orton impressively portrays focus with his facial expressions. Cena has the better of the action though with 4 separate 2 counts with a variety of moves. Orton strangely hints at targeting Cena’s injured chest, but instead decides to focus on the challenger’s head! A nice top-rope leg-drop to the back of Orton’s head gets Cena yet another near-fall, but a subsequent F-U attempt is countered by the champ, who finally decides to target the injured pectoral muscle with slow & methodical offense (and yes, the usual Orton headlock was included). Cena hits back with his usual offensive flurry, as the 2 head to ringside & fake a double countout as they both slide back into the ring at the count of 9. A subsequent RKO attempt is countered by Cena into the STF-U, but the heel gets to the ropes & then falls to ringside where he audibly pleads to the ref to count him out!

It’s all another swerve of sorts though as Orton RKO’s Cena on the floor, but the challenger sneaks back into the ring at the count of 9. Orton’s response to this is to casually slap the referee in the face at the 16 minute mark for the DQ loss to hang on to his title. After viewing this bout, it’s difficult not to believe that Cena is still not 100% fit, as there was a lot of stalling & time-wasting included here. However, I actually thought it was quite clever how that was booked around to have this stretch out to the final duration. It was as if WWE knew its fans would expect a Cena win but for Orton to retain the title, so they messed with us a little with all the countout shenanigans. It sort of made that rather predictable result not as predictable as the action was occurring. But it’s still too difficult to rate this bout too highly, even if he big match atmosphere was evident here. Match Rating… 7.5

TRIPLE H defeated JEFF HARDY, SHAWN MICHAELS, CHRIS JERICHO, UMAGA & JBL in an Elimination Chamber Match: For some reason, Lillian Garcia explains the rules of the bout for the 2nd time of the night… Maybe because the intervals of entry were brought down from 5 minutes to 4 here to ensure the ppv ended on time! WrestleMania 19 opponents Michaels & Jericho kick things off & they begin very well with great technical wrestling, counters, reversals & near-falls. The crowd doesn’t react well though & I’ll put that down to the face vs face scenario. Umaga enters & soon hits a fantastic 2 man Samoan Drop as he dominates the 4 minute period. The faces eventually join together though & a Walls of Jericho / Crossface combination requires saving by the entering JBL. A pair-off then occurs (JBL vs Y2J and HBK vs Umaga) & HBK is badly busted open somehow.

With an elimination still to occur, Triple H is 5th to enter the match & puts together a fast-paced flurry of offense. A succession of finishers sees Y2J eliminate JBL with the code-breaker, but the former commentator doesn’t take too kindly to that & hands chair-shots to the remaining competitors. With all 4 men down, Jeff Hardy enters the fray & cleans house. A nice Whisper in the Wind knocks out both DX members, but Umaga then takes control & butt charges Y2J through the plastic pod cover. The remaining faces realize they must team together to remove the Samoan Bulldozer & all hit their finishers (including a swanton from the top of a pod) to eliminate Umaga. A Sweet Chin Music follows quickly & eliminates Jericho. But the action doesn’t stop there as a Twist Of fate & Pedigree removes HBK to leave HHH & Jeff to duke it out.

Jeff scores first with a DDT on the steel floor that busts H open. Unfortunately, he misses a swanton & gets hit with a pedigree to seemingly end the bout. But to the crowd’s amazement & a very loud pop, Jeff kicks out at 2.9! Triple H then counters a Twist of Fate attempt not long after & hits a 2nd pedigree, this time on a chair, to get the victory at the 24 minute mark. This match was fantastic action from beginning to end & included a nice mix of everything to make pretty much every competitor look good (with the possible exception of JBL). Sufficiently brutal, this also included technical wrestling, a good pace, false finishes & decent spots. It is just a shame WWE were running short on time & this couldn’t have been stretched out longer. Match Rating… 9

PPV RATING (50.5/70) = 72

Looking at the key, I have basically given the 2008 version of ‘No Way Out’ a 'B+' grade & said that it was ‘very good’. And that is exactly what the pay-per-view was; Very good. And I can see how some fans may have actually rated some of the bouts a little higher than I did, so that does speak volumes as to the quality of this show. Although, I have to stand my ground that this wasn’t quite as good as the previous month’s Royal Rumble. But that definitely set a high bar to topple. Decent undercard matches, a very good non-match segment, no failing bout & an excellent main-event simply resulted in a nice well-rounded pay-per-view that furthered storylines towards WrestleMania 24.

While every single result was predictable (I got my predictions 100% correct, even down to the Cena win by DQ), WWE booked around that decently enough. If I have one gripe with the show though, it was the poor time management which looked to have cut the main-event short. Why some feud promos were shown here is beyond me. Case in point, the ECW opener which could have used the extra 2 minutes for the match, not seeing Chavo in the Gulf Of Mexico again! Another was having the SmackDown Chamber match longer than the Raw one in the first place. But don’t get me wrong… Overall, this was a quality pay-per-view & recommended if you have yet to view it.


Ok, that’s another DVD & PPV Review in the bag. $hit it was tiring writing this column. For whatever reason, writing an all-review column takes it right out of me. I’m buggered & think I might give myself 5 or 6 weeks off from the reviewing caper. Thankfully (& not so coincidentally), that’s roughly when WrestleMania 24 happens. As per usual, if there is anything about my reviews today that caught your fancy, don’t hesitate to let me know. My e-mail address is DaveyBoy123@bigpond.com, but if you are an LOP Forums member, it would be much appreciated if you could leave feedback on my thread at http://www.lopforums.com/showthread.php?t=159

I was so frantic getting everything for these reviews watched & written in time that I haven’t even begun to think about what the hell I will waffle on about next Wednesday. So, in short, I’m going to wing it. Expect anything… Maybe expect nothing… Who knows? I know I don’t! But whatever & whenever it hits, my column will be posted at the same Wednesday time on the same LOP channel. Until then, this is DaveyBoy signing off & asking you to remember that dinner is best served in 3 courses.


DaveyBoy’s Wrestling Menu. 2002-2008

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***DIRECT LINK*** Very CONTROVERSIAL Shots of Randy Orton in His Hotel Room!!

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