WWE Macho Man: The Randy Savage Story DVD Review

WWE's Macho Man: The Randy Savage Story is out now on DVD (There's a Blu Ray version too), available from www.wwedvd.co.uk. The three disc set features a 90 minute documentary on Savage's life and career, as well as fifteen matches from between November 1986 and October 1997. The set includes matches featuring the likes of Hart Foundation, Shawn Michaels, Ricky Steamboat, Bruno Sammartino, Ted DiBiase and more. 

The Documentary

Quite simply, the documentary portion of this DVD should be required viewing for any wrestling fan. One of the best pieces WWE Home Video has ever created, it details the entire of Savage's life, with a lot of time spent on detailing Savage's early life and his personal life away from the wrestling ring. This is embellished with interviews with his brother, Lanny, his mother, Judy and a handful of Savage's personal friends and other acquantances. This gives the set a real sense of context and allows Savage's larger than life wrestling persona to be humanised, perhaps in a way it has never been before. 

An old interview with Savage's Dad, Angelo, is included.

Those looking for some meaty wrestling stories to get their teeth into also won't be disapointed as the likes of Dusty Rhodes, Ric Flair, Jake Roberts, Ricky Steamboat, Diamond Dallas Page, Hulk Hogan and Kevin Nash are all on hand, alongside Lanny, to provide a number of interesting tales about Savage both in and out of the ring. From these stories, Savage comes across as a die hard perfectionist, with some off camera footage of an interview taping helping to create this picture. Stories of his classic feud with Ricky Steamboat, including Steamboat's teary reaction, and his hot and cold friendship with Hulk Hogan were personal favourites of mine,

His relationship with WWE going sour is also not shyed away from, as Lanny explains Savage's plans to end his career in a lengthy feud with Shawn Michaels, before explaining why Savage never wished to go back to WWE after leaving for WCW. By the end of the documentary it's difficult not to have an emotional involvement, as Savage seems to spiral out of control, with his infamous video on Hulk Hogan included in part, as well as the death of his ex-wife Miss Elizabeth. Just as the story seems to be turning a corner, it's cut short, way way too soon. 

Savage's brother, Lanny, is heard from often.

The Matches

The set get's straight into some big time action as Savage faces Ricky Steamboat on a November 1986 episode of Superstars. The pair show all of the chemistry that would put together their classic WrestleMania III bout, with a number of great sequences and finish off with the classic moment that lead to their bout at Mania. This is followed up by an interesting clash of styles as Savage battles Bruno Sammartino in Lumberjack match at Boston Garden in February 1987. Whilst it's intriguing to see the two styles collide, there isn't much to this match at all. In the same month, Savage returns to his feud with Steamboat with the pair putting on another good bout, with solid wrestling and storyline progression. Savage's selling and the finish of this bout are particular highlight. 

A clash with Harley Race from September in Phildadelphia follow, with Savage now wrestling as a babyface. It's slow brawl, with Race clearly not capable of going at the required pace at this time in his career and whilst there is some decent wrestling, the lack of pace really hurts this one. A steel cage bout seeing Savage team with Strike Force to take on The Honky Tonk Man and The Hart Foundation at Boston Garden in May 1988 may be a paint by numbers affair, but it's still a compelling bout that is a lot of fun to watch. Savage is absolutely adored by fans at this point. The same venue host a match with Ted DiBiase in July, as the pair put on another good contest, including an electric comeback from Savage. It's a shame about the shite disqualification finish.

Oh yeah! 

Onto 1989 and Savage tangles with Bad News Brown in a Harlem Street Fight on Maple Leaf Wrestling in January. This match is certainly behind it's time with the use of chairs and table spot, and for that alone it is an interesting watch. However, it has perhaps the worst finish I have ever seen. After turning back heel, Savage battles Hulk Hogan at Madison Square Garden in April, in a match that screams Sports Entertainment. Bucket loads of storytelling and some awesome spots, this is what WWE is all about. Roddy Piper is the opponent for a dull bout in Miami in January 1990. The crowd couldn't care less and spend most of the match silent, and despite some attempts at comedy this bout falls flat. 

A hidden gem of a bout arises as Savage takes on Shawn Michaels in Munich in April 1992, with Savage returning as a babyface. The psychology in this bout is spot on throughout, with Savage selling throughout, creating a compelling story that drew me straight in. This bout deserved an extra five minutes and HBK and Savage deserved a lengthy rivalry. We stay in Europe for SummerSlam 1992's World Title match as Savage clashes with The Ultimate Warrior. It's another classic slice of sports entertainment, with the two stringing together an interesting match, although it does go a little too long and the interference becomes tiresome. The crowd loves it all however. Ric Flair is the opponent in Hershey in September 1992, in a bout rich in storytelling. Another classic encounter, an absolute pleasure to watch. 

Cunt Hogan

Onto WCW, historically where the quality of these sets decline. It was a little worrying when Savage's January 1995 Saturday Night clash with Arn Anderson was a dull bout full of rest holds and the two guys lying around. SuperBrawl VI presents Savage against Flair again, this time inside a steel cage. Whilst the bout never reaches the peak of their previous match on the set, it's still a good watch with a nice swerve as the finish. Finally, with Savage back heel and part of the NWO, he takes on Diamond Dallas Page in a Las Vegas Sudden Death match (Known to everyone else as a Last Man Standing Match) at Halloween Havoc 1997. The match attempts psychology, although Page doesn't sell his injured ribs once, however that doesn't stop this from being a fun and silly brawl with some decent spots. Not a bad way to close of the set.

Finally...

Buy this DVD. Watch it. Thank me. No more of conclussion is needed. 

ATPW 2014 Awards Shortlist

We announced our 2014 Awards shortlist on Christmas Eve on our Facebook and Twitter pages, as chosen by our writers from 2014, just in case you missed it here's a recap of the nominees. The results will be revealed here on www.acrossthepondwrestling.co.uk on New Years Eve, with Facebook and Twitter being updated with the results later in the day.

Television

Babyface of the Year

Daniel Bryan
Dean Ambrose
John Cena

Heel of the Year

Brock Lesnar
Seth Rollins
Stephanie McMahon

Feud of the Year

Daniel Bryan vs. The Authority (WWE)
Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins (WWE)
Team 3D vs. The Hardys vs. The Wolves (TNA)

TV Show of the Year

TNA Impact Wrestling
WWE NXT
WWE Raw

Promotion of the Year

Ring of Honor
Total Non-Stop Action Wrestling
World Wrestling Entertainment

Most Improved Wrestler of the Year

Charlotte
Ethan Carter III
Luke Harper
Nikki Bella
Rusev
Ryback
Tomasso Ciampa
Tyson Kidd

Most Overrated Wrestler of the Year

Bray Wyatt
John Cena
Roman Reigns
Samoa Joe

Most Underrated Wrestler of the Year

Cesaro
Damien Mizdow
Emma
Erick Rowan
Kofi Kingston
Titus O'Neil
Tyler Breeze

Gimmick of the Year

Bray Wyatt
Rusev
The Authority

Tag Team of the Year

Gold and Stardust
The Usos
The Wolves

Female Wrestler of the Year

Charlotte
Gail Kim
Paige

Non-Wrestler of the Year

Paul Heyman
Renee Young
Stephanie McMahon

Move of the Year

Curb Stomp (Seth Rollins)
Paige Turner (Paige)
RKO (Randy Orton)

2015 One to Watch

Adrian Neville
Finn Balor
Kevin Owens
Sami Zayn

British

Babyface of the Year

El Ligero
Grado
Mark Andrews

Heel of the Year

Jack Jester
Jackie Polo
Jimmy Havoc
Joey Hayes
MK McKinnan
Sha Samuels
Xander Cooper
Zack Gibson

Feud of the Year

Drew Galloway vs. Jack Jester
Grado vs. Sha Samuels
Jack Gallagher vs. Zack Gibson
Regression vs. Progress

Promotion of the Year

Futureshock Wrestling
Insane Championship Wrestling
Preston City Wrestling

Most Improved Wrestler of the Year

Don Meacho
Ian Ambrose
Marty Scurll
Sammi Jayne
Tyler Bate

Most Underrated Wrestler of the Year

Bubblegum
Eddie Dennis
Liam Thomson
Ryan Hendricks
Sha Samuels
Stevie Boy Xavier

Gimmick of the Year

Grado
Noah
Sebastian Radclaw
Switch
The Models

Tag Team of the Year

2 Unlimited
Just Uz
Team Single

Female Wrestler of the Year

Danni Hunter
Lana Austin
Kay Lee Ray

Non-Wrestler of the Year

Billy Kirkwood
Charles Boddington
Chris Egan
Lionheart

Move of the Year

Reverse Rana (Mark Andrews)
Tilt-a-Whirl Stunner (Lana Austin)
Vulture Culture Destroyer (Nixon Newell)

2015 One to Watch

Joe Hendry
Joel Redman
Lou King Sharp
Tyler Bate

WWE Attitude Era Vol. 2 DVD Review

WWE's Attitude Era Vol. 2 is out now on DVD (There's a Blu Ray version too), available from www.wwedvd.co.uk. The three disc set features twenty nine matches and five segments from the Attitude Era, from between 1997 and 2000, with a interviews from a number of the era's stars interspersed throughout. The set includes matches featuring the likes of Shawn Michaels, The Hardy Boyz, Chris Jericho, The Legion of Doom, The Undertaker and more.

     Unlike the original Attitude Era set, Vol. 2 takes the form of a match compilation, originally presented by the dull flannel that is Michael Cole, whilst a series of interviews are placed in between the matches. Sometimes the interviews connect nicely with the following match, such as Sunny talking about managing LOD 2000 before a LOD 2000 bout or Mark Henry introducing a series of vignettes demonstrating the "Sexual Chocolate" gimmick. However, there is a number of the interviews that feel very thrown together, as if these are parts of interviews that WWE Home Video simply had knocking around from previous sets, such as Chris Jericho talking about his WWE debut, after we've just seen a Chris Jericho match on the set and a completely random story from Ron Simmons. There's also a real lack of star power in terms of interviews, with short clips of The Rock and Chris Jericho the only real appearances from major stars, and whilst it is nice to hear from guys like The Godfather and X-Pac, having the majority of the main event stars missing does give this set a slightly second rate feel. Throw into the mix the random clippings of interviews and it's difficult to feel that this set has been given the love and attention that it needed. The presentation really let's it down.

Mike Tyson - Not on this set (but part of the press pack, so there)

The Matches and Segments

The set kicks off with a Bikini Contest from the 1997 Slammy Awards, with Sable, Marlena and The Funkettes, to get over that the Attitude Era was all about frustrated teenage boys. Vince McMahon on commentary is hilarious with quips such as "She is looking mighty fine" being the pick of the bunch. Luckily, we get some wrestling next as Owen Hart and Shawn Michaels battle on a December 1997 episode of Raw. It's a grudge match style bout, happening a mere month after the Montreal Screwjob, with some great wrestling sequences and Hart's offence looking superb, this is a decent TV match and a good way to start the wrestling content. The New Age Outlaws take on the team of Cactus Jack and Chainsaw Charlie on a January 1998 Raw in a basic and dull brawl, that is almost saved by the everything going nuts after the match.

 Strangely, the sets chronological order is broken as we jump back to Royal Rumble (surely helping the case that this set was thrown together) as Rocky Maivia and Ken Shamrock tangle in a decent Intercontinental Championship match. Raw in April teases Steve Austin vs. Mr. McMahon with a shit tonne of stalling, it never delivers what it promises but the swerve is still entertaining to watch. A few weeks later Triple H teams with The New Age Outlaws against LOD 2000 and Owen Hart in a fun six man tag, that's structured to play to the strengths of each man in the match. Again, everything Owen does looks flawless. 

Jerry Lawler talks about breasts.

     June segment from Raw see's D Generation X head to New York to promote SummerSlam in an uncomfortable segment that is chock-full of racist and sexist verbiage. Maybe not the best segment to include at time when the WWE (and specifically Triple H) have had claims of racism sent their way. A month later, Mankind and "Kane" battle to become Number One Contender to the WWF Championship, complete with Kane's red lighting! It's quick and swervy with an infamous finish, one of the iconic moments of the Attitude Era here. Just as iconic as this are Sable's breasts, which are on display in a bikini contest against Jacqueline from Fully Loaded. Jerry Lawler presents the contest, acting in the role of 13 year old boy seeing a breast for the first time. 

Val Venis teams with Taka Michonoku to take on KaiEnTai's Dick Togo and Sho Funaki, which quickly descends into madness on an August Raw. On the same show in September, Steve Austin and Ken Shamrock work an acceptable TV main event over the WWF Championship, with a hot crowd that is let down by a dodgy finish. A week later on Raw, Sgt. Slaughter faces Al Snow in a Bootcamp match with Al Snow's contract on the line and whilst the commentators Shane McMahon and Jim Cornette have no idea of the rules and Sgt. Slaughter is horrendously out of shape, Snow manages to carry him to a tolerable match, with a number of fun spots.

Road Dogg shouts words at Owen Hart

 

A week later, a six man four corners match is on offer as Edge, Gangrel, Jeff Jarrett, Droz, Marc Mero and D'Lo Brown battle to become Number One Contender to the European Championship. The match is enjoyable, with a lot going on and allows a number of on-going stories to progress, but the crowd and D'Lo Brown's bumping ability are questionable. The bout is also a little short to fully show off all six men. On a November Raw, X-Pac get's a shot at The Rock's WWF Championship and while there is about as much doubt today as there was then as to who would walk out the winner, this is still a well put together match with a solid swerve finish. The opener from In Your House 26: Rock Bottom see's The Godfather and Val Venis team up to take on Mark Henry and D'Lo Brown. The match lacks any real pace or notable offence, but is entirely watchable, helped along by how over D'Lo Brown is!

Triple H vs. Edge from Raw in January 1998 is an extended squash match. Most likely included because of Edge's later star power, it's good for the two and a half minutes it lasts. Kane and Steve Austin main event a March Raw, in a bout that attempts to tell a decent story, but struggles because Kane refuses to sell at all. There's a couple of big spots and appearance from the then "Big Nasty" Paul Wight, as highlights. Two weeks later, Billy Gunn challenges Hardcore Holly for the Hardcore Championship. It's a good representation of the Hardcore division with plenty of random weapon shots, alongside one silly table spot. There's way too much focus on Jim Ross' stupid separate commentary table.

X-Pac - Has A Sex Tape with Chyna

On Raw in April, Paul Wight takes on The Rock and Triple H in a handicap match main event, which is much more of a segment than a match. The booking of Wight makes him look like a beast and the pop for Steve Austin entrance is HUGE! A week later, The Big Boss Man is supposed to face Goldust for the Intercontinental Championship. The match doesn't go to plan, but what is provided is an awkward and plodding title contest. Five days later on Shotgun Saturday Night, Edge & Christian go up against The Hardy Boyz in an enhancement match. There's some suspect booking, with Gangrel at ringside, but a superb finish makes this one worthwhile.

The Rock and The Undertaker tussle in a Casket Match on an May Raw, although again this is more of a segment with wrestling in it, than an actual match. There's interruption for a backstage brawl and a tonnes of interference, with a decent story peering through. It was strange to see the Casket match gimmick used in such a throwaway manner to build other feuds. A surprisingly entertaining contest comes in the form of Jeff Jarrett defending the Intercontinental Championship on a July episode of Sunday Night Heat. A quick match, with sound wrestling and good flow, it's a shame about the super silly finish. A Tag Team Championship match pitting X-Pac & Kane against The Acolytes is a perfectly booked, yet basic tag team match, played out in front of a red hot crowd. It also see's Kane talk for himself for the very first time, without his special talky stick.

Papa Shango Kama Mustafa The Godfather

Mark Henry's Sexual Chocolate days are represented through a series of promos and vignettes. These were straight up embarrassing to watch, as Henry revealed such lovely nuggets about his past as losing his virginity to his sister, aged 8 and that he was still having sex with his sister, I honestly don't understand the logic of this booking. Was it simply to embarrass Henry? Next up, there's more Henry action (literally) as he spends Valentines' Night with Mae Young in a hotel. How on earth do you review that? Luckily, wrestling returns as Chris Jericho and Tazz chase Kurt Angle's European Championship on a March 2000 Raw, unluckily the bout goes for only just over three minutes, and whilst all cut strong promos before the match, the match just isn't long enough for these three to reach their full potential.

Jericho and Angle are back on a May Raw with Jericho defending the European Championship. Angle's pre-match promo is a gem, but the match is not the strongest these two have had, whilst the wrestling is crisp, there is nothing resembling substance or drama to be found here. The next month on Heat, Dean Malenko and Eddie Guerrero have a similar problem with timing, as whilst there are a number of cool looking moves, this match isn't given any real time to get going. There is also a genuinely shit finish. WWF's style storytelling suits a mixed tag team match, pitting The Rock & Lita against Kurt Angle & Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley, main eventing an August Smackdown much better. The bout allows the Triple H-Stephanie-Angle love triangle storyline to progress, whilst pushing the Triple H vs. Angle vs. Rock for the upcoming PPV. Rock and Angle also manage to fit in some nice wrestling, whilst Lita is elevated from appearing in the main event, as are The Hardy Boyz appearing later on!

Frilly shirts and sunglasses in doors. The Brood were cool.

A truly awful Women's Championship match sees Lita defend against Jacqueline and Ivory on a September Sunday Night Heat. Lita is extremely over with the crowd, but this short, sloppy, botch-laden match does little show off why. Things continue on this downward spiral, as strangely we jump back to a June Raw to witness Gerald Briscoe and Crash Holly clash over the Hardcore Championship in a silly silly silly match. The King of the Ring PPV witness' more of Gerald Brisco's antics, as he takes on Pat Patterson in the infamous Evening Gown match. I don't think I'll ever be able to remove these images from my brain. Thank fuck the Hardcore title is gone and shall never ever return!

Another mixed tag bout rounds of the set, as The Rock and Lita team up again to take on Triple H and Trish Stratus to main event a July Raw. It's a little on the short side for a TV main event these days, but is still a lot of fun to watch, being well booked and contains a saucy finish. Even one loves a saucy finish!

Finally...

 

The Rock is the biggest name to get interviewed for this set.

 

     If you were an avid viewer of WWE between 1997 and 2000 this set could act as a nice little nostalgia trip, reliving a handful of iconic moments, whilst being remembering some that you had forgotten about. However, this set didn't do much for me personally, it's quite clearly chucked together from old interviewers and doesn't attempt to follow a chronology or any other discernible pattern. There also isn't a single match on here that I'd recommend going out of your way to watch and whilst the majority are at least watchable, there's also Briscoe vs. Patterson which no one should ever have to watch. Approach this set with caution.

WWE Super Smackdown Live (16th December 2014) Review

Heading into 2015, the plan for ATPW is to review as many televised championship matches as possible, whether that be WWE, TNA or elsewhere, whilst including a full review of the show in which the title match takes place to add context to the importance of said title match. I thought I'd kick things of early, with this review of WWE's Super Smackdown Live, which aired as part of WWE week on the USA Network on Tuesday 16th December 2014 and included Naomi challenging Nikki Bella for the Diva's Championship. Sounds like a blast, eh? 

Seth Rollins 

with J&J Security 

vs. 

Dolph Ziggler

This match was originally advertised as being Seth Rollins taking on Ryback, which I was genuinelly intrigued to see. I was interested to see if Rollins had the skill to put together a decent match with Ryback, who isn't particularly known for his technical prowess, but has had passable matches with guys like Daniel Bryan and Sheamus. However, at the top of the second hour, Rusev attacked Ryback, sambo superkicking him off the stage and then over some conveniently placed boxes. This feud seems to be heating up nicely, but I'm not sure I actually want to see Ryback vs. Rusev. It's going to take some creative booking to make the match worth watching when it does go ahead. 

     With Rollins already in the ring with his pals Jamie Noble and Joey Mercury by his side, the Money in the Bank contract holder cut a whiny promo that suited the character down to the ground. Whilst also throwing in things like believing he beat John Cena on his own the previous night on Raw, before agreeing that he did, indeed, deserve a night off. This built well to Rollins being interupted by Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler, with the two having some enjoyable back and forth on the microphone, before Rollins agreed to face Ziggler in the main event of the show. It felt like the two had a lot of chemistry on the mic and I couldn't help but wonder why these two haven't been placed in a long-term singles feud yet. 

     Following an interview with Renee Young, in which Rollins went over his on-going feud with John Cena, whilst touching on the Ziggler match, it was time for the main event. This match only cemeted the fact that these two guys should've been placed opposite each other in a long-term and meaningful feud at some point. This was a great TV main event, with an enjoyable story that saw Ziggler fighting from underneath, thanks to the involvement of J&J Security on the outside, whilst Ziggler's comeback attempts would be focused on Rollins injured ribs, which Rollins sold well. The two have clear chemistry in the ring and put together some crisp sequences, like a sequence seeing Ziggler attempting to hit a Jumping DDT, that saw Rollins initially block and attempt a Roundhouse Kick, only for Ziggler to hit the Jumping DDT for two. 

The closing sequence managed to satisfy one of the matches on-going storylines as J&J Security were kicked out by the referee for interfering in the match, with Ziggler using the opportunity to hit a Zig Zag and pick up the pinfall victory. I was a little disapointed to not see the rib injury play into the closing stages, as it seemed to be forgotten about towards the end of the bout. However, this was still an enjoyable television main event and a solid story that was told soundly throughout the second hour of the show, keeping my attention and giving me a reason to keep watching the rest of the show! 

The Usos & Erick Rowan
vs.
The Miz, Damien Mizdow & Luke Harper

The Miz and Damien Mizdow's feud with The Usos continued as the two teams were joined by a former member of the Wyatt Family in Luke Harper and Erick Rowan respectively. It seemed a strange decision to have Rowan in this match considering he had lost clean to Kane earlier in the night on Main Event. There was no particular need to have Rowan wrestle twice in one night (especially after jobbing to Kane), and another wrestler could've benefitted from this slot. If Rowan was needed for this match, why not have someone else job to Kane on Main Event? Usually this wouldn't be a problem, as the shows airs three days apart, but with Smackdown airing directly after Main Event, this made the booking feel a little bit rushed. 

     The match itself however was a fun six man tag team match, with each element of the match being implemented in a way which played to their skillset. For example, Luke Harper spent the majority of the match in control of an Uso, with The Miz tagging in when Harper was fully in control and Mizdow dicking around on the outside. Whilst I'm tiring slightly of Mizdow's antics, this match allowed his relationship with The Miz to be spotlighted nicely, with Miz often refusing to tag in his partner and the two almost coming to blows when Mizdow started mimmicking Harper which was a nice touch. There was also a well done sequence that saw Mizdow tag himself in on Harper, only for Miz to do exactly the same to Mizdow, almost immediately. 

     All these antics kept me entertained to a degree, but it was the finish of the match that bought this match together. Rowan was used very well here, as he battered Miz for a few minutes, with a series of explosive powers moves, including a Full Nelson Slam for a near fall, before the Usos twatted Harper and Miz with superkick, and hit stereo suicide dives on Harper and Mizdow, before encouraging Rowan to head to the top rope to hit a big splash and pick up the win. It was an exciting finish that allowed both The Usos and Rowan to look good in their own way, whilst opening doors for some other interesting storylines going forward.

My main concern coming out of the match, continued to be Erick Rowan. That may sound strange considering I praised how "Big Red" was used here, but I'm still not sure if Rowan is ready for a singles push and neither is WWE apparently considering the even steven booking they gave him on Tuesday night. He looked comfortable in a six man here, but it would be weird if he didn't considering he's spent the majority of his WWE career working in six man's as part of The Wyatt Family, alongside experienced guys like Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose and Luke Harper, and was helped a lot by The Usos who know how to connect with the audience, I'd like to see more of that from Rowan himself going forward.

Diva's Championship Match

Naomi

vs.

Nikki Bella (C)

with Brie Bella

     Divas! This match was tied into the previous one, as Miz's feud with Jimmy Uso continued, as Miz somehow got Jimmy's wife Naomi a title shot. I'm not quite sure how that works because apparently no one is in charge, but we'll quickly skip over that. Before the bout, Naomi was seen backstage with Jimmy, as Jimmy gave some kind of generic pep talk to his wife, who revealed she didn't want him at ringside. This felt a little superfluous as I don't remember ever seeing Jimmy at ringside with Naomi or vice-versa, but hey, at least this match was getting a little bit of build.

     I was incredibly surprised with this match, as it held my attention, and didn't once look awkward or botchy. I enjoyed seeing Nikki Bella going for the pin after every move she hit, which all looked, at least, decent, including a well done slingshot suplex. Naomi's offence all looked good, and different to what a lot of her contemparies are doing, like a Stunner on the apron using the top rope. The storyline elements of The Miz and Jimmy Usos involvement costing Naomi the match worked nicely and moved their feud forward, whilst Jimmy and Naomi's relationship was also thrown into the spotlight. It didn't set the world a light, but it didn't stink out the place either, which when it comes to Diva's matches on the main roster is always a bonus.

Fandango

with Rosa Mendes

vs.

Roman Reigns

      Roman Reigns made a return to in-ring action, ending his mini-feud with Fandango in a sub-five minute squash match. Maybe extended squash match would be a fairer term, as Fandango did get some offence in (mainly headlocks and such), before Reigns made his comeback and hitting a number of his signature moves, including the Superman Punch and Spear, en route to picking up the victory. Fandango did a good job of bumping for Reigns and allowing him to look like a star, whilst Reigns still seems to be over with the fans recieveing "Roman Reigns" and "Let's Go Roman" chants whilst trapped in Fandango lengthy headlock. Reigns looked good and that was the purpose of the match, so there's no complaints from me here.

Dean Ambrose & Bray Wyatt Segment

     The Dean Ambrose and Bray Wyatt feud continued as the pair engaged in a war of words, seemingly to promote their Boot Camp match on the following nights Tribute to the Troops. Ambrose's delivery of his promo felt fresh, as he allowed all the important information to settle in with the fans in the arena and at home, whilst still remaining completely captivating to watch on screen. With Wyatt interupting, to reveal he was "enjoying this so much", similar to Ambrose, Wyatt's delivery makes him captivating to watch, but I'm begining to believe his promos are more style than substance, as whilst I couldn't take my eyes of the screen, I have no idea what he was trying to get over here.

 Adam Rose

vs.

Kane

This match was entirely pointless. Kane had already destroyed Rose on Raw and defeated Erick Rowan on Main Event, and I'd imagine anyone watching was aware of what Kane can do in the ring, because he's been around for almost TWENTY YEARS! I'm not sure what him destroying Rose and Tombstone Piledriving "The Bunny" was supposed to achieve going forward. 

Finally...

      It had been a long time since I'd watch Smackdown and I have to say I was impressed with this episode. Two hours works so much better than the three hour long Raw, from a viewers perspective, at least. Ziggler and Rollins did a great job of their main event, with the build up throughout the second hour of the show aiding the match nicely. Everything else (with the exception of Kane vs. Rose) was at least passable, with the Six Man Tag bout standing out amongst the rest of the card. Maybe, it was because this was the special live episode, but I'm hoping to see more of this level of show heading toward the Royal Rumble.

WWE TLC Tables, Ladders, Chairs...and Stairs 2014 Review

Rejoice internet, rejoice! Dean Ambrose and Bray Wyatt main evented a Pay-Per-View in 2014! It had to be awesome...right?

Tables, Ladders and Chairs Match

Dean Ambrose vs. Bray Wyatt

 

 

 

I can't help but feeling that Dean Ambrose and Bray Wyatt's Tables, Ladders and Chairs match was a wasted opportunity for both men. This should have been the match where both men announced their arrival onto the main event scene with an awe-inspiring TLC match that would have people talking way into new year. Instead, what was produced was an overly long bout, that lacked any real drama or storytelling.

 

That isn't to say that this was a bad match, not by any stretch of the imagination. Both Ambrose and Wyatt formed some decent spots, that used the TLC gimmickry well with all weapons being used a number of times. Ambrose hitting multiple elbow drops off ladders of increasing sizes was impressive, but I would have much preferred seeing a bit more variety thrown into the mix here. The brawling style of the two suited the match well and this was highlighted early on, with the pair going into the crowd and Ambrose jumping off of the Kick Off show table, I would've like this brawl to have gone on for a little longer, as it was when the pair seemed to be at their strongest.

 

Whilst a lot of the spots (Wyatt's senton onto a ladder etc.) were recycled from previous match ups, the one spot that stood out here, for me, saw Wyatt place a kendo stick under the cover of the turnbuckle and send Ambrose directly into the stick, with the commentary team commenting that it seemed to have connected with Ambrose's eye. This would be the matches biggest missed opportunity, as as quickly as the injury developed it was forgotten about and never mentioned again. This could've given the match an interesting and unique story to play with, but instead it was left as another random spot with no real explanation to why the Kendo Stick was legal in the first place in a TLC match.

 

The finish, oh, the finish. A TV monitor from under the ring, that as far as I'm aware has never been seen before, exploded in Ambrose's face, because Ambrose is so crazy he refused to simply remove the wires from the monitor before attempting to twat Wyatt in the head with it. It was wrestling's answer to Dues ex machine, as Wyatt picked up the pinfall victory following a Sister Abigail, and boy was it silly. And I'm not talking good silly, like a slinky or TV's Bodger and Badger. Now, I can completely understand the reasoning for wanting to both Wyatt and Ambrose looking strong, I'd imagine both are pencilled in for major matches at WrestleMania in a few months, but I'm not sure this finish did either, Ambrose looked a bit dense, whilst Wyatt won because Ambrose's stupidity.

 

Tables Match

Seth Rollins vs. John Cena

 

 

 

This was your classic "against the odds" story, with John Cena playing the part of the dashing hero, against the remnants of the villainous Authority. It was a tale we've seen time and time again with Cena in a more than familiar role, however it still managed to hold my attention throughout the mostly enjoyable contest, perhaps down to the sound use of the tables match stipulation. Joey Mercury and Jamie Noble continue to prove their worth as on screen characters, looking good in their interactions with Cena throughout the bout and contributing to the story nicely.

It was important that Seth Rollins be allowed to look, at least half way competent within this narrative, to continue to allow the Money in the Bank holder to move towards his title victory. Luckily, for Rollins, and the audience, this did occur at a number of points throughout the contest, where it seemed Rollins could be about to seal the victory on his own. Rollins looked at his best in an exhilarating sequence that saw Rollins flip out of an Attitude Adjustment attempt, narrowly avoiding a table, before leaping over the table an connecting with an Enziguiri. More of this type of action and the match would have been even better.

Whilst the story was strong, the match also provided it's fair share of big spots, that were well placed and allowed the match to peak at the right times. Noble taking a suplex on a barricade, Rollins taking a Super Attitude Adjustment through a table and Rollins' suicide dive onto Cena whilst Cena was on the floor outside, were all enough pique the interest of the audience, whilst never threatening to look particularly innovative, however with the story driven nature of the tangle this wasn't much of a requirement.

Roman Reigns making his return in the closing stages to save Cena from an interfering Big Show was a good way to bring back Reigns, who looked great as he dismantled Show and allowed Cena to pick up the victory sending Rollins crashing through a table with another AA. Less exceptional was the strange spot that saw both Rollins and Cena crash through a table at the same time, leading to the match to be restarted, as this added very little to the match itself. It will be interesting to see if Rollins attempts to bring this up on Raw, but I can't see the benefit, to be honest, with Cena now nailed on to face Brock Lesnar at the Royal Rumble.

 

Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match

Dolph Ziggler vs. Luke Harper (C)

 

 

 

 

The strongest match of the evening came in the form of Dolph Ziggler and Luke Harper's Ladder match over the Intercontinental Championship in the opening contest. As soon as Ziggler was finally announced as from Cleveland, Ohio (instead of Hollywood, Florida) his real hometown and the host city for the Pay-Per-View, the crowd was firmly behind their hometown hero, giving the match an extra edge and making it a much more enjoyable watch than it may have been otherwise.

 

This is down to how the match was structured, with Harper dominating for the majority of the bout, cutting Ziggler's comeback attempts short at almost every turn. This not only created a good story, but also suited each man down to the ground, with Harper allowed to show off a power, size, and even agility, hitting a love enziguiri that connected with a ladder and sent Ziggler off the top rope to the floor, whilst Ziggler was allowed to play the plucky underdog, a role that he seems to have really grown into as of late. Even Ziggler's habit of rushing sequences didn't rear it's head, as the former World Heavyweight Champion took his time and allowed the match to breath correctly.

 

Similar to Cena and Rollins' table match, the spots in this one weren't particularly innovative, but there was plenty of them and each one felt like it had a purpose and furthered the story of the bout. Both men took a number of big bumps during the match, with Ziggler taking a powerbomb onto a ladder set up in the corner and a catapult in the ropes using a ladder (that busted Ziggler open), whilst Harper was sent crashing onto a Ladder bridging the announce table and the ring apron.

 

Ziggler picked up the win with Shelton Benjamin-esque use of the ladder, before connecting with a Superkick to keep Harper down and scaling the final few rungs to retrieve the belt and become a four-time Intercontinental Champion. With the match being in Ziggler's hometown, this definitely seemed like the right end to the match, with the crowd reaction cementing this, for me. Hopefully, Ziggler gets more than a few months with the belt, as his matches over the belt over the last six months or so have helped to elevate the belt and make it seem like a prize that is worth winning. A big singles match at WrestleMania would surely complete the restoration of the title.

 

Stairs Match

Big Show vs. Erick Rowan

 

 

 

 

Two big guys twatting each other with big bits of metal. What's not to like? Honestly, when this match got announced I was looking forward to the next time I accidentally stand on a plug slightly more. Whilst this wasn't what I would describe as a "bad" match, it was certainly dull. The crowd gave about as many shits as I did, with one mild "Big Show Sucks" chant the only sound that could be heard from them for entire match.

 

The only notable moments of the match saw Rowan bodyslam Show onto the steps (or stairs, because it rhymes with chairs) and Show spearing Rowan through a deadly WALL OF STEPS! Show winning by slightly leaning on the steps whilst placing them across Rowan (despite having hit Rowan with a Chokeslam on the steps and a WMD) looked ridiculous as the steps were across Rowan's chest and not shoulders, surely a normal pin would have been much more effective? Expect Big Show to get squashed by Roman Reigns in the coming months, whilst personally I'd seen Rowan back to NXT until after WrestleMania to polish up his skills as a singles wrestler.

 

Chairs Match

Kane vs. Ryback

 

 

 

 

Two big guys twatting each other with smaller pieces of metal. Played out in front of dead crowd for everything but the finish, this match was marginally better than the Big Show and Erick Rowan clash, boasting a handful of decent spots, like a DDT from Kane on a chair and Ryback hitting a Spinebuster onto two chairs in a seated position. If I had any real reason to care about either competitor, this could have actually been a decent PPV match.

 

The pair seemed to have something, almost, resembling chemistry and did put together a number of decent sequences, including the finish, that saw Ryback escape a Tombstone Piledriver attempt to deliver a Meathook Clothesline and Shellshocked to pick up the pinfall victory, which was actually done very well. Ryback picking up a clean victory was what the character needed going forward, although I can't quite see where Ryback fits into the picture on the Road to WrestleMania.

 

Diva's Championship Match

AJ Lee vs. Nikki Bella (C)

 

 

 

When one of your positives for a match is "surprisingly few botches" then it says a lot about how good the match actually was. There was a few decent moves thrown into this one, like AJ's Tornado DDT and Nikki's use of the ringpost to bend AJ almost in two, but there was no substance to the action and a distinct lack of selling throughout, in particular AJ after the aforementioned ring post spot. It's difficult not to compare this match to Charlotte and Sasha Bank's match from NXT Takeover: REvolution and wonder what exactly goes wrong between developmental and the main roster.

 

Tag Team Championship Match

The Usos vs. The Miz & Damien Mizdow (C)

 

 

 



 

This tag bout did very little for me at all and I think that may be because I'm losing patience with the Mizdow gimmick. Seemingly, I'm not alone as the act got a lot less of a crowd reaction here as it did at last months Survivor Series. The one spot that did stand out was Mizdown mimicking Miz whilst the Usos had Miz in a delayed vertical suplex. Jimmy Usos debuted a new submission hold, but with zero build towards it during the match it felt pretty inconsequential. The bout didn't flow particularly well and a disqualification ending didn't help either, these four guys could have done a ot better than this.

 

United States Championship Match

Rusev (C) vs. Jack Swagger

 

 

 

Essentially, this was a squash match to tie up the loose end of Rusev and Swagger's Summer feud, where Swagger refused to tap out to the Accolade at SummerSlam. Unfortunately, this match didn't come close to their SummerSlam bout, but I'm not sure it was ever supposed to be. The crowd were too busy watching something else for most of the match, but did at least get behind Swagger for a few minutes during the match. Rusev obviously needed something to tide him over to the Royal Rumble and keeping the title present on PPV was a good move. There isn't much more to say!

 

Finally...

 

The three big matches on the PPV were, at least, good matches, with Cena vs. Rollins and Ziggler vs. Harper both delivering on what I had expected from them. Ambrose and Wyatt didn't put on the show stealing match that they should have done, but it was still a decent match when viewed in isolation. Where this PPV falls apart is a piss poor undercard, that struggled to hold my interest for any real amount of time. WWE needs to get this sorted in the next few months, as with WrestleMania just over three months away there isn't much time to get all the major players in the right places.