DaveyBoy’s Wrestling Menu – CM Punk, Scramble Matches + No Mercy Review Submitted by DaveyBoy on Wednesday, October 8, 2008 at 1:07 AM EST
THE WRESTLING MENU #284
Welcome one and all to the 284th edition of The Wrestling Menu, the column that is sure to satisfy your taste buds when it comes to discussing all things wrestling.
Another pay-per-view has come and gone… Another 100% for DaveyBoy’s PPV Predictions. Some would say that it is as easy as scoffing down a packet of Skittles!
I’m still busy at work, so today’s column will be a little shorter than usual. Now there’s some famous last words if ever I’ve heard them.
It’s on with the scrambled merciful punk show…..
APPETIZERS
Scramble Matches
Well, some of you will be pleased to know that I was able to clear about half of my pending emails this past Sunday. Of course, that still means I have about 20 odd left and who knows when I will get to them. The majority of the emails I replied to were around the time of the Unforgiven pay-per-view & I felt that 2 topics stood out in relation to that show…
The first topic was rather predictable and that is WWE’s booking of replacing CM Punk in the Raw scramble match with Chris Jericho, and then subsequently having Y2J win the title. I think I made my thoughts quite clear at the time of my review on that booking, while I also will speak on CM Punk’s perspective in the ‘Dessert’ section of my column today.
The other major talking point was the Scramble Matches themselves. The feedback was rather varied on them and I can see why. Some liked the idea in principle, but thought having 3 of them on the 1 night was a bit much. Some hated the idea full stop. Some liked 1 or 2 of the matches & hated the others.
Initially, I had no issues with the principle of the match format. While some fans were apparently confused, I think it was rather easy to follow & the rules were simple enough. I didn’t even have significant issues with 3 of them occurring on the same night, as I thought that (unlike Elimination Chamber matches) these could play out very differently from each other. To an extent, I still think that is the case.
But what it eventually came down to was the fact that instead of easing into a new match format and trying out a few things first, WWE went into the night full force by including 3 of these match types on their debut. In retrospect, having a single one would have been a better idea as it would have meant that the bookers would have been better able to work out the little things that worked & the little things that didn’t work. Then, maybe later down the track, they could have used that knowledge to their advantage and had 3 of them on the 1 night.
But as for the future of Scramble Matches, I think there is indeed one. Used in the right circumstances (especially when 1 brand has a number of title challengers worthy of contention), it could not only be a way to nicely work in future feuds & storylines, but it could also lead to one hell of a terrific main-event in isolation. Having said that, it is not an idea that needs to be forced down the throat of fans, and is best used when it most makes sense.
MAIN
’No Mercy’ 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: Unforgiven ‘08) 60-64: Worth A Watch. [C+] (EG: Great American Bash ’08) 65-69: Good event that was worth the money. [B] (EG: Night Of Champions '08) 70-74: Very good. [B+] (EG: Summer Slam '08) 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+]
MATT HARDY defeated MARK HENRY to Retain the ECW Title: This was a strange choice as opener, especially since Henry controlled the opening minutes to establish his strength dominance. Hardy would occasionally get in some shots to the challenger's left knee though & it eventually added up to allow Matt significant periods of offense & a close 2 count via the side-effect. Henry then gets a 2.9 count with a splash, but his injured leg does not allow him to hit the World's Strongest Slam & Matt sneaks in a Twist of Fate to retain the title after 8 minutes. While this was ultimately nothing special, these 2 did a good job of putting together a story in the match which was efficiently performed to showcase Matt's fighting qualities & resourcefulness. Match Rating: 7
BETH PHOENIX defeated CANDICE MICHELLE to Retain the Women's Title: Candice immediately takes advantage of a cocky Beth by piecing together a nice flurry of offense to have everyone stunned. Beth fires back soon enough though & targets the previously injured shoulder of the challenger. Another Candice offensive flurry takes place & when she crotches Phoenix on the top-rope, she appears to have all the answers & be about to pull off an upset win. But some timely Santino interference (some of which works & some of which doesn't) allows Beth to pounce for her awesome finisher for the victory at the 5 minute mark. As short as this was, it was kept entertaining & on the move throughout. Candice appeared to be nearing her best here, while Beth did all that was required. Match Rating: 6
REY MYSTERIO defeated KANE by Disqualification: Rey predictably hits & runs in the opening minutes, but a Kane big boot almost takes his head off. An early 619 tease is then halted by a huge clothesline, as the action continues to go back & forth until Mysterio is thrown hard into the front row, while he had a sleeper-hold applied. At this stage, Kane slows things down & controls the offense for minutes on end. But Rey beautifully counters a side-slam & then goes upstairs to land a moonsault! Mysterio then scores a 2 count with a springboard leg-drop & is able to counter a choke-slam with a botched springboard move. A top-rope splash then gets another near-fall & the match ends in a DQ soon after at the 10 minute mark when Kane lands a wicked chair-shot to Rey's head in countering yet another top-rope move. Solid action in every sense, this match was kept in motion & saw Rey entertain like he always does. I did think the bout could have been booked a little more imaginatively though, esepecially considering who was involved & what was meant to be at stake. Match Rating: 7
MVP / ORTON / PRICELESS / PUNK & KOFI Segment: Despite what the live crowd intermittently thought, I liked this 11 minute segment & felt that practically everyone came out of it well. While a case can be made that MVP was used as fodder here, he logically stood up for himself & made his point well while reminding us of his character’s potential & most importantly never backing down. Everyone else was good on the mic & Cody Rhodes deserves special mention for handling the ignorant crowd rather well. Sure, a segment such as this would have been better placed on a weekly television show than on ppv, but it was never totally apparent where this was heading meaning it never got too predictable. The only thing that irked me significantly was the timing of CM Punk's entrance (but I'll write more on that in the 'Dessert' section of today's column). Segment Rating: 7
BATISTA defeated JBL in a #1 Contender's Match: Standard big man stuff to begin with before JBL sets up an early Clothesline from Hell, only to have Batista counter with a big spear. That was a sign of things to come as the face then fights out of a headlock with a side suplex & continues his control with multiple clotheslines & a spine-buster. A Batista Bomb later & it's all over after just 5 minutes! Basically a squash, I was rather shocked at the length of this. While some would argue this was best kept short, this took it a little too far & I am certain a better balance could have been found. Hell, it's not as if the bout was scintillating anyway. Afterwards, JBL stumbled through a heel promo that really had no place at the time. It may have had greater effect in America due to its content, but this is WWE damn it... Not even a Cryme Tyme interruption could save it. Match Rating: 5
THE BIG SHOW defeated THE UNDERTAKER: The Big Show has no fear in the early going and targets The Undertaker's mid-section as the action goes back & forth. The phenom takes stock with an apron leg-drop, but TBS regains control with a big flying shoulder-block. 'Taker avoids a middle-rope elbow-drop & then comes out on top of a running of the ropes with a flying clothesline. A subsequent leg-drop gets a 2 count, but Old-School is countered into a choke-slam for a near-fall. The dead man then counters another choke-slam attempt into a nice DDT for a 2 count, but a subsequent disagreement with the referee dooms him as Big Show capitalizes by ramming the phenom's head into an exposed turnbuckle. A few punches later & the bout is stopped at the 10 minute mark via stoppage (ie: knockout). This actually wasn't too bad of a match & definitely exceeded my expectations. The duration was about right & the time seemed to go by quickly enough which is usually a good sign. The finish was a bit cheap, but didn't entirely ruin the match. Match Rating: 7
TRIPLE H defeated JEFF HARDY to Retain the WWE Championship: Jeff turns his back on the champ at the bell & almost pays the ultimate price! The 2 then piece together some nice sequences of chain-wrestling & counters with each man holding their own. Jeff then clears H from the ring & strikes with a flying clothesline from the apron. Unfortunately for the challenger he then misses a somersault plancha to the floor & lands super hard on his back. In the ring, HHH methodically goes to work & scores numerous near-falls with rather standard offense. The champ even locks on an abdominal stretch & sleeper-hold! The Hardy offensive flurry does predictably come & Jeff this time scores with a somersault plancha. A face-buster subsequently gets the challenger a 2 count, but Triple H is able to messily counter a Whisper In The Wind & then land with a spine-buster. Jeff is able to counter a pedigree though & a Whisper In The Wind gets a crowd-popping 2.9 count!
It is then Swanton time, but H avoids it only to run into a Twist of Fate. Hardy then scores with the Swanton, but his clumsy cover leads to Triple H rolling him up for the 3 count after 17 minutes. This was an entertaining & crowd-involving title match that had predominantly very good action throughout, even if the middle stages were not quite perfect. The finishing sequence was undoubtedly exhilarating & well performed, but the eventual pinfall just didn't quite sit right with me as the Twist of Fate/Swanton combination should have been a little more lethal than it ultimately was. Very good match overall though & this could not have harmed Jeff's chances at a future title reign. Match Rating: 8
CHRIS JERICHO defeated SHAWN MICHAELS in a Ladder Match to Retain the World HeavyWeight Title: The opening minutes are solid here with the action not taking too long to head to ringside when Jericho hits a nice springboard shoulder-block to HBK who is on the apron, before HBK hits back as he comes flying off a ladder. Y2J then uses a Walls of Jericho to buy some time & allow him to take the ladder into the ring. HBK uses the ladder as a weapon though & is the first to attempt a climb, as the champion is shown bleeding from the mouth with a tooth possibly knocked out. Y2J then gets his leg caught in the ladder & Michaels targets it in multiple ways, including locking on a figure 4 leglock.
A nice little kick of the ladder sees HBK cop one in the face & it is then Y2J who targets an area; Shawn's eye. As we cross the 10 minute mark (in seemingly no time), HBK throws a ladder on Y2J lying at ringside & then sets up a giant ladder that helps send both men through an announce table! Back in the ring, Shawn seems to do more damage to himself connecting with a top-rope elbow-drop & then tunes up the band. But Jericho counters with a ladder shot to the head & then hits a ladder-assisted lionsault. The champion's climb to the title is then halted as HBK sends him falling all the way to the floor. It is then the challenger's turn to climb & he is crotched on the top-rope at the very last second! The now customary battle atop the ladder then occurs & when Michaels seems to have the upper hand, Lance Cade interferes to even things up, despite receiving a super-kick for his troubles!
A 2nd battle atop the ladder then occurs & each man has one hand on the loosened title before Jericho scores with an almost accidental, but decisive, head-butt at the 22 minute mark. As expected, these 2 professionals put on one hell of a main-event here & it was often impossible not to get drawn into the bout which seemed to fly by. Not everything went perfectly (as I felt some moves didn't make a great deal of sense) & there was not a true jaw-dropping moment, but there really didn't need to be. If anything, it all added to the natural aspect of the match. Excellent match and if this was the end of their feud, then it was indeed fitting. Match Rating: 9
PPV RATING (56/80) = 70
Looking at the key, I have basically given the 2008 version of ‘No Mercy’ a 'B+' grade & said that it was ‘very good'. In a sense, this was the prototypical consistent WWE pay-per-view with the undercard being predominantly solid as four matches received a rating of 7. Meanwhile, neither of the 2 matches rating below that were anything too horrendous and were made up for by the 2 very good main-events. Ultimately, this was simply a really solid show, which is all we can ask for in normal circumstances, let alone a card which didn't exactly promise much in the lead up.
DESSERT – CM Punk
Some people love CM Punk and think he is the future of WWE. Some people hate CM Punk and/or think he is super over-rated. Personally, I am not so sure I have a strong opinion one way or another. Hell, I’m the person that ranked Kenny Dykstra ahead of him in my Rookie Rankings for the relevant year. But that doesn’t mean I was not aware of his talent & strengths, both then and now. The potential is obviously there with Punk, but that is not what this topic is about. This topic is about how WWE has booked him of late.
When CM Punk cashed in his Money In The Bank contract a few months back & defeated Edge to become World HeavyWeight Champion, it effectively shocked the wrestling world. The resultant title reign was never going to last out the year and nor was it going to be the most dominant reign in the history of WWE. As it turned out, neither predictably occurred and fans have differing thoughts as to the success of the title reign itself. Personally, I would have liked an extra (if there was any in the first place) decisive win on ppv, but at the end of the day, I wasn’t too upset at the way the couple of months was booked.
What I do have severe issues with however is how CM Punk’s title reign came to an end and (more importantly) how he has been booked since. Losing the title in a match that you are not even participating in does not sit well with me. It just doesn’t sit right from any perspective I look at it and that includes being the strongest possible beginning to Chris Jericho’s title reign. I know some people (possibly including WWE) are using the defense that Punk is perceived as being stronger since he wasn’t actually beaten for the title, but that is a cheap cop-out & a bunch of baloney as far as I’m concerned.
In the week or two following the title changing hands, Punk was indeed involved with Chris Jericho. Yet, it never appeared convincing and it was evident to anyone who was viewing that the 2 were never going to have any sort of feud. As it turned out, that was indeed true as both men put on a solid cage match on Raw before HBK returned to regain Jericho’s attention good & proper.
Even at this stage, I naively believed that all was not lost. Punk could still be kept strong and an upcoming feud with Randy Orton was not only obvious, but had already been started on the microphone in promo format with encouraging results. Yet, with each passing week that Orton is unable to return to action & with each passing week that he seems to pick on someone else other than Punk, it appears that the booking direction set down for CM gets more & more directionless.
No Mercy was really the icing on the cake as Punk was actually booked to be involved in the same segment as Randy Orton. Yet, he only came out after Orton had retreated to the locker-room. It was as if WWE now want to keep him away from Randy and I can only presume that this is because plans for a feud between the 2 have been shelved. If that is not the case & the feud will go ahead, then the promotion is going about building to it in a very strange fashion!
The most discouraging thing about all of this is that WWE are missing an opportunity to have Punk become entrenched in the upper midcard on the Raw brand. I don’t think many fans believe he is going to consistently main-event any time soon, but surely dropping him down to midcard level so quickly is counter-productive to everyone concerned. WWE must be careful here as those wrestlers who occasionally tumble down the pecking order so promptly, struggle to ever get back to where they once were & probably deserve to be.
Ok, that is #284 in the books. I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know if you have the opportunity to, but please be patient for a reply as I still have a backlog to get through. Please also note that I tend to reply quicker in the LOP Forums. 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 am still tossing up whether or not to post a column next Wednesday. I have a few topic ideas pending, but it may become more of a time issue unfortunately. Either way, 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.
