The Best of Times…The Worst of Times // WrestleMania

The SuperBowl; The World Series; The World Cup; WrestleMania: the fact that Vince McMahon’s showpiece event is regularly mentioned in the same breath as these mainstream juggernauts is testament to his vision and drive, proof that his legacy goes beyond wrestling and touches the worlds of sport and entertainment. Whichever city secures the show of shows becomes the epicentre of the wrestling word, hosting a week-long festival that draws in grap-fans from across the globe. As exciting as all of the supplementary shows are, for me, WrestleMania always remains the most significant: the grandeur of the national anthem; the first shot of the epic set design; the pageantry of the entrances. For 33 years, this show has forged some of the greatest moments in professional wrestling history, as well as some that would be better forgotten. For one last time, I roll out the best of times, worst of times treatment to examine the granddaddy of them all...

Best WrestleMania: WrestleMania 17

This is the only sane choice for best Mania ever and in my humble opinion is the GOAT of all wrestling shows. Want to know how much I love this card? I had My Way by Limp Bizkit played at my wedding (it wasn’t the first dance or anything but yeah, it was in there).

The first hour is a little slow (Kane in a golf cart though) but business picks up in hour two. Angle vs. Benoit isn’t a classic but it’s much better than it gets credit for while the battle of the McMahons over-delivers more than any match in Federation history. That pop Linda gets when she kicks her old man in the plums…wow. TLC is magical, the Edge-Jeff Hardy spear spot absolute perfection while the Undertaker and Triple H have a spirited tussle. The legends’ battle royale is harmless fun: Bobby Heenan’s last stint at a WWF commentary table the undoubted highlight. And then there is the main event: in hindsight the turn was a bad idea but many wrestling commentators were calling for it at the time. And the match itself was superb. The epoch of attitude era brawling: multiple finishing moves, big near falls and genuinely exciting punch-kick combos, this match is action movie wrestling at its finest.

Honourable Mentions: Mania 19/ Mania 31

Worst WrestleMania: WrestleMania 11

For most fans, WrestleMania 9 usually takes this category hands down but at least the Vegas show is fun to look at. True the matches are at best bang average and at worst Undertaker vs Giant Gonzales but there are good moments: sick bumps in the Steiner-Headshrinker war; respected announcers in togas; Todd Pettingill interviewing clearly pissed up fans. By contrast, WrestleMania 11 is just a bit boring. It emanates from their home state of Connecticut, a metaphor for the play it safe nature of the PPV - and features one good match: HBK doing the J-O-B for his kayfabe foe Diesel. Lawrence Taylor may have been big news in the States (and to be fair he performs pretty well here) but as an 11 year old from the UK, this felt like such a nothing main event and I can’t shake that feeling watching the card years later. Elsewhere Bob Backlund vs. Bret Hart is so poor while King Kong Bundy versus Taker is every bit as mundane as it sounds.

Honourable Mentions: Mania 2/ Mania 9

Best Match: Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels - WrestleMania 25

I was fortunate enough to be in attendance in Houston, Texas when the Deadman went to war with the Heartbreak Kid in the greatest WrestleMania match of all time. Walking into the Reliant Stadium, I knew Taker would win a; indeed, everyone I spoke to that day shared that conviction. We knew Taker’s streak was now the WrestleMania storyline and that if it was ever to be vanquished, it would be offered up to someone other than the near-retired Shawn Michaels. However, half way through this incredible, absorbing contest, I stopped believing that: I reacted to near falls as though either man could win, as did the rest of the crowd. This match shut off the “smart” part of our wrestling brains and retreated to the naïve, purity of fandom that we enjoyed as children; we didn’t question the booking of whether Micheals could or should win, rather  we just lived in the moment,. When HBK kicked out of the Tombstone I took pause and glanced around me: some fans were pumping their fists while others were shaking their heads, the emotion as real and raw as any legit sporting event. A father and son sat next to me, the former cheering on Taker, the latter supporting Michaels, shared a gasp, unable to believe the ride they were being taken on. The feeling among the thousands in attendance was mutual.

Honourable Mentions: Savage vs Warrior (Mania 7)/ Michaels vs Ramon (Mania 10)/ Dudleys v Edge and Christian v Hardys (Manias 16 and 17), Austin vs Rock (Mania 17)/ Michaels v Angle (Mania 21)

Worst Match: Al Snow and Steve Blackman vs. Test and Albert: WrestleMania 16

Al Snow is the worst good wrestler in the sport’s history: he is a pretty capable performer but his back catalogue is full of undisputed train wrecks. This is no different: his odd man team with Blackman was entertaining in skits but really struggled in the ring. This clunky mess, played out before a largely disinterested crowd and topped off by a violent attack on a little person dressed as a block of cheese (!), was better than Snow’s previous nadir (Kennel in the Cell) but only just.

Honourable Mentions: Hulk Hogan vs Sid (Mania 8)/ Undertaker vs Giant Gonzales (Mania 9)/ Sable vs Tori (Mania 15)

Best Promo: Hogan- Austin-Rock at WrestleMania 30

The best promo in Mania history started with two flubs as Hulk Hogan forgot what a) building and b) decade he was in. However, this error provided the base for a great running joke as Steve Austin and The Rock joined him in-ring to provide fans with a real life wrestling Rushmore. Comedy (love Austin’s “great to be back in the Silverdome” line), catchphrases and nostalgia proved a heady cocktail as fans laughed, chanted and cheered through this genuine once in a lifetime moment. Star power never shone so bright.

Honourable Mentions: Hulk Hogan at Mania 4 (he claims that in the event of Trump Plaza sinking, host and future Prez The Donald would abandon all materialistic possessions (!) in order to doggy paddle his family to safety: to illustrate the point, Hogan then backstrokes out of frame); Jake ‘the Snake’ Roberts- Mania 6; Pete Rose laying waste to the Boston sports’ scene at Mania 14.

Worst Promo: Rhythm and Blues- WrestleMania 6

In a bloated show, the last thing the fans in Toronto needed was a terrible tag team wasting their time with a poor, pointless promo, singing not so bad it was funny, just so bad as to be really bad. Especially frustrating was that this whole mess existed simply to set up a Bushwhackers run-in. I love cartoon wrestling but this material would drive away hardened fans, let alone non-believers.

Honourable Mention: Brutus Beefcake at Mania 4: he literally just chats waffle for 30 seconds while staring at his scissors. No clue what he was trying to do here.

Best surprise moment: Seth Rollins cashes in at WrestleMania 31.

To qualify as a truly effective surprise, the moment in question should feel spontaneous and unexpected but on closer inspection make total sense for all performers involved. Such was the case when Rollins became the first man to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase at WrestleMania, interjecting himself into a great title bout between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar, not diluting the match but adding to it. All three men prospered: for Rollins, the moment was an arrival for him, a chance to close the biggest show of the year title in hand; for Lesnar, the title was dropped but as the odd man out in the fall, his aura was preserved; and Reigns maybe benefited most of all. Had he won, the crowd may have rioted and destroyed his push once and for all; by putting over his well-liked Shield alumni, he did business and lived to fight another day.

Honourable Mentions: Rowdy Roddy Piper interferes in Hogan v McMahon- Mania 19; Ronda Rousey appears at Mania 31.

Worst surprise moment: Hogan beats Yokozuna at WrestleMania 9

To the above point: if the surprise benefits no-one going forward, it really shouldn’t happen. Take this infamous night in Vegas: Yokozuna cheated to win the world title, a few grains of salt once again proving too much for a main event wrestler to withstand. Hogan, consoling the defeating Bret Hart, soon decided to enact revenge for the Hitman or ‘Merica or something and within seconds, Yoko was beaten and the Hulkster was the new champion. This match, impromptu and unadvertised as it was, didn’t boost buy rates, it made the Hit-man and Yoko look weak and cast Hogan as, at best a shrewd political mover and at worst, a conniving, attention-hungry schemer. Often fans view Hogan’s antics at Manias 6 and 18 as his most self-serving; this was far worse.

Honourable Mention: Vince turns heel (again) and re-unites the McMahons (again)- Mania 16

Quick Hits:

To sign off the series, here are some quick hits to cover the great and not so good of ‘Mania history.

Best Promoted Main Event: John Cena vs The Rock- Mania 28 (a year in the making and the biggest money show at the PPV box office).

Worst Promoted Main Event: Triple H vs Chris Jericho- Mania 18 (this was all about Steph- glad they don’t take that approach anymore…)

Best Opening Match: Bret Hart vs Owen Hart- Mania 10 (one of the underrated feuds in Fed history)

Worst Opening Match: Tag Team Battle Royale- Mania 14 (I only remember that LOD were in fancy dress and they had Sunny knocking about).

Best Set Design: WrestleMania 29 (an ode to New York: the Statue of Liberty above the ring was something else)

Worst Set Design: WrestleMania 11/13 (these could have just been any old television tapings).

Best Celebrity Involvement: Donald Trump (love him or loathe him, Trump was big business).

Worst Celebrity Involvement: Akebono (I can never unsee Big Show in a nappy).

Written by Sean Taylor-Richardson // @GrownManCenaFan

The Best of Times, The Worst of Times…John Cena

I had just turned 20 when John Cena debuted on WWE television, wrestling Kurt Angle on June 27, 2002. Over the next few years, Cena’s ascent was rapid, quickly progressing from promising young talent with a knack for rapping to perennial WWE champion who saluted a lot. As his rise to the top unfolded before my 20-something eyes, it became apparent that I wasn’t his demographic. As a young adult, I just couldn’t embrace the John Cena character. Whilst I never hated him and didn’t boo him with malice at live events (truly no Cena win would have made me consider rioting), I did find myself almost always cheering on his opponents and joining in with the odd round of “Cena Sucks” chants. I acknowledged his good matches but seemed to notice his bad ones more: he had to go some way to secure my approval.

But now, in my 30s, things have changed. I really like John Cena now; hell, my twitter handle pays testament to my change of heart. Part of the reason for my realignment of opinion is age: as a kid I had Hulk Hogan, a living, breathing cartoon character; through my teenage years, I was fed a diet of Stone Cold and The Rock; but my 20s were lacking an iconic figure to attach myself to. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to the Attitude Era so this  All-American golden boy act wasn’t going to cut it. But now, as a father looking forward to taking his kids to live shows, I get the Cena character and see its worth. My generation, who have grown up with the WWE, are ready to embrace this former pariah as we joyfully enter an exclusive class of the Cenation: the parent’s enclosure. My toddler even hums “My Time is Now” whenever he plays with his wrestling figures. Now that’s being over.   

Cena’s recent acceptance by the (bulk of) die-hards is about more than just us growing up and having kids. He has proven himself by forging an undeniable legacy. Not only is he the most over performer on the roster, he is the best all-rounder: his promo work can only touched by The Miz and Paul Heyman and his in-ring credentials have been confirmed by a back catalogue of matches that defy the lazy “you can’t wrestle” chants. He has earned his place as one of the biggest stars in the history of North American wrestling and as he begins to slow down the schedule and go Hollywood, here’s a look at the best, and indeed the worst, of the career of John Cena.

Best Match

vs CM Punk (Money in the Bank 2011)

The atmosphere was electric, the Chicago faithful’s fervent enthusiasm maybe second only to the Calgary crowd at 1997’s Canadian Stampede in terms of the most passionate audiences of all-time. Furthermore, the stakes were as high as in any match of the modern era; the matter of who left with the WWE title that night felt legitimately significant. Of course, the presence of the red hot CM Punk in his hometown was crucial but he couldn’t have created this magic with anyone but Cena. An epic tussle that combined great storytelling with impressive wrestling, Cena may not have executed each move or exchange as smoothly as Punk but it mattered not: this was a thrill ride that has yet to be matched for drama since. 

Honourable mention: vs Umaga (Royal Rumble 2007), vs Brock Lesnar (Extreme Rules 2012). vs Brock Lesnar vs Seth Rollins (Royal Rumble 2015), vs AJ Styles (Royal Rumble 2016)

Worst Match

vs John Laurinaitis (Over the Limit, 2012)

Big match John vs Big Johnny: what could go wrong? Well, everything: the promos building this up were awful, the “action” was the weakest attempt at comedy and the pay-off was the annual Big Show heel turn. Seriously, this contest was so bad that now, years later and with the two brought together by their shared passion of dating Bellas, I hope their post-dinner cigar sessions involve them sheepishly taking time to lament this trash. 

Honourable mention: vs Great Khali (One Night Stand 2007), vs The Miz (Wrestlemania 27).

Best Feud

vs The Rock (2011-13)

I toyed with the idea of Cena vs Punk here; certainly, if Punk were the focus of this piece, I would suggest that his best WWE feud was with Cena. However, Big Match John had a programme of such significance that it could not be ignored: his rivalry with the Great One.

A brilliant two year story was told: it started with The Rock returning to confront Cena over his part-time digs (oh the irony); then there was the run-in at Mania 27 leading to the announcement of the dream match a year in advance; the unlikely tag-team partnership at MSG; the blistering promos in the run-up to Mania 28; the Rock’s dramatic hometown win; Cena’s quest for redemption leading to a Rumble win on the same night the Rock lifted the title; and finally, Rocky returning the favour at Mania 29. Their first bout was decent, their second very good but this will be remembered less for the moves they exchanged and more for the moments they shared on the microphone. Commercially and critically, this was a smash.

Honourable mentions: vs Edge (2006), vs CM Punk (2011-13), vs AJ Styles (2016)

Worst Feud

vs JBL (2008)

The 2005 feud between Cena and JBL was okay: their Mania bout lacked genuine heat but they redeemed themselves with a bloody I Quit match a couple of months later. No real harm done, both men could move on to more fulfilling endeavours as their careers progressed. For a few years at least…

When they went back to the well in 2008, they found it bone dry. They had a boring, pointless match at Judgement Day, fought again at One Night Stand in an underwhelming First Blood match (fake blood klaxon) before finishing this epic waste of everyone’s time at the Great American Bash with a New York City Parking Lot Brawl. That’s right dear reader, the old NYC parking lot gimmick, which fortunately died along with this feud. For the real indicator of how bad this dispute was, consider this: it involved Cryme Tyme.

Honourable mentions: vs Great Khali (2007), vs Big Show (2009/ 2012)

Best Promo

Shooting on Reigns (Raw- 28^th August 2017)

Poor Roman...in a few years I’ll write an article about how unappreciated you are. But right now you occupy a position John knows only too well, that of the heavily pushed main eventer overcast by the shadows of more respected veterans. Back in 2006, ahead of their WrestleMania 22 match, Triple H roasted Cena on Monday Night Raw, mocking his move set and his character with outright glee. Fast forward to 2017 and the roles are reversed with Cena revelling in his role as the proven elder statesmen, daring his younger charge to step up to his level. The promo had exemplary delivery and perfect balance: the right mix of humour and edge and enough kayfabe for the casual fans to compliment the ‘behind the curtains’ references aimed at the smart fan. Some said that Cena went too far and buried Roman here, just as they had claimed Hunter had done 11 years ago. Cena recovered; so too will Roman. This promo achieved its sole purpose- to hype up a big time match that could define the landscape for WWE for the coming year.   

Honourable mention: Promo on Miz and Mayrse (Smackdown- 28^th March 2017)

Worst Promo

Interacting with the fans (Raw- January 21^st 2013)

Cena’s promos are at their worst when the focus is on pandering to the crowd rather than selling a concept, putting comedy over substance. Don’t get me wrong, the man can do funny (see the next pick) but his material (or at least that of the writers) can also bomb big time. This promo, supposedly designed with the purpose of putting over the upcoming Rumble match, saw him interact with fans at ringside, joking about Taylor Swift and video games, rather than promoting possible challengers in said Rumble match. The fact that his performance garnered heat backstage- likely because Cena squandered the opportunity to entice more PPV buyers and thereby lost dollars for the boys - says it all about this below par effort.

Honourable mention: Star Wars promo (Raw- 25^th June March 2012)

Best Film

Trainwreck (2015)

A hit with critics and audiences alike, Cena plays his role perfectly here. As the strongman with equally powerful emotions, he bares all (save for creative use of his towel gimmick) and throws serious shade at Mark Wahlberg, despite Marky Mark basically being his rap/acting sensi. Good work John. Four stars.

Honourable mentions: 12 Rounds (2009), Sisters (2015)

Worst Film

The Marine (2006)

If my opening paragraph, didn’t age me enough for younger readers, try this on for size: over a decade ago, I walked into town to rent this film on DVD from the local Blockbusters. Once you’ve put ‘DVD’ and ‘Blockbusters’ in your Google machine, you’ll fully appreciate the titanic effort I made to watch this back in the strange, alien era of 2006. These efforts were frankly unnecessary, the whole pursuit a needless misadventure as the film sucked. Cena tried too hard, the more experienced actors didn’t try hard enough and there was an unforgivable lack of puns to accompany the underwhelming explosions. One star.

Honourable mentions: Fred 2 (2011), Fred 3 (2012), Anything with Scooby Doo

Article by Sean Taylor-Richardson (@GrownManCenaFan)

PG Tips #1 - Edge apologises to Vickie Guerrero and a Fatal Four-Way for an ECW Championship shot (22-25/07/08)

On 22nd July 2008, WWE's television output went from being rated TV14 to TVPG. 

This series plans to take a week by week look at how the RAW, SmackDown and ECW on Sci-Fi developed under this new rating, as well as the quality of the PPVs. The era hasn't been particularly romanticised, especially by the older generation of fans, but considering that those who were ten years old when WWE turned PG are now old enough to be attending University, it's certainly time to look back and re-evaluate just how good or bad for WWE the shift was in terms of quality. 

This week's edition see's us feature a Fatal Fourway for a shot at the ECW title at SummerSlam and Edge attempt at an apology to Vickie Guerrero following his affair with their wedding planner, Alicia Fox! 

We join the Universe just a few days after the last TV-14 PPV, The Great American Bash 2008/ Just to lend some context, here's the results from that PPV.

This week's trip to the "Land of Extreme" brings us a main event of The Miz, John Morrison, Matt Hardy and Finlay battling it out for a shot at Mark Henry's ECW title, which whilst sounding like an interesting match, makes little sense considering all four men lost on the PPV...but was the show any good?

Mark Henry received a new ECW Championship belt in Philadelphia 

An eventful opening segment to begin the show, as we get a new ECW title belt, a promo from Tony Atlas and Colin Delaney (who Atlas calls "Collars Delaney" for reasons) explaining his heel turn from two days earlier. It's not a good segment by any stretch of the imagination, but there was something persevely entertaining about watching Teddy Long and Atlas stumble through their awkwardly worded promos. Considering the show is in Philadelphia, the home of the original ECW, Atlas gets very little heat for mentioning that fact and then telling the crowd "for all of you all, who tired to hold onto yester year, you're going to get squash". I would've expected the comparisons between the two ECW brands to met with at least some kind of derision, but this crowd is almost completely apathetic towards Atlas and his charge Mark Henry. Perhaps by after two years of WWE's version of ECW the crowd had gone past the point of caring that it bore zero resemblance to the rebellious company that Paul Heyman used to run. However, they do come alive once Colin Delaney starts burying Tommy Dreamer, eating up Delaney's burial, before Long gets a nice pop from announcing we're getting Dreamer v Delaney next! 

• Tommy Dreamer def. Colin Delaney. An almost complete squash match for Dreamer here as he gets his revenge on Delaney with a flurry of offence, before picking up the victory with a Dreamer DDT. 

• Backstage - The Miz and John Morrison are upset about dropping the WWE Tag Team Championships two nights earlier, but both put each other and their clothing over, before shaking hands and wishing each other luck in the main event. 

• Promo - Actress Jenny McCarthy will be at Saturday Night's Main Event on August 2nd, to promote the organisation, Generation Rescue. This was an organisation that advocated that autism was caused by vaccinations, which is total utter trash and should never have been promoted on WWE's television product or anywhere else. 

• Evan Bourne def. James Curtis [KC James]. Bourne looks pretty good here, even if extended squashes for high-flying babyfaces don't really work all too well, we did get to see Bourne landing on his feet out of a snapmare early doors, as well as a rana out of a pop-up from Curtis, before a shooting star press got the three count. Bourne was then able to dodge a post-match attack from Chavo Guerrero and Bam Neeley, who had been on commentary. 

• Backstage - A weird backstage segment where Assistant General Manager Tiffany [Taryn Terrell] told Ricky Ortiz about her education, before Teddy Long placed Ortiz in a match next week after Ortiz had claimed her was undefeated after just one match on the brand. 

Matt Hardy def. The Miz, Finlay and John Morrison to earn an ECW Championship match

Despite a shaky start and some terrible commentary from Mike Adamle, this ended up being a more than competent television main event. The opening played up the partnership between The Miz and Morrison, but lacked any notable action as we got the four repeatedly splitting off into pairs and not a whole lot else. The action in the first third was dull and slow and despite all four men being in the ring for an extended period of time, not much actually happened. However, once the action spills to the outside things begin to pick up, as Morrison and Finlay brawl on the outside, before Miz & Morrison are able to hitting their catapult into a forearm smash and then elbow drop/backbreaker combination using the barricade on the Irish man. After this things are much better, with Miz and Morrison trying for victories on Hardy, whilst trying to outwit each other at the same time, before we get a couple of sequences with all four men involved that are particularly well-done. The finish is a frenzied affair with Finlay nailing Miz with a Shillelagh, before getting knocked to the outside himself with a roundhouse kick from Morrison, leading into Morrison springboarding into a Twist of Fate from Hardy to take us home. Despite the early awkwardness and the lack of any convincing near falls, the last five or six minutes featured some really good TV action and provide us with the first recommended match of the PG Era. 

• In Arena - Mark Henry comes out to the ramp for a stare down with his SummerSlam opponent. 

ATPW Scale Rating - 3.83/10 

A good main event, but beyond that there wasn't much on this episode and it's clear that WWE isn't putting a whole lot of effort into the brand or anyone on it. Colin Delaney cut a strong promo in the opening segment, but was surrounded by bumbling speeches from Teddy Long and Tony Atlas and then had his feud with Tommy Dreamer almost immediately put to bed. The build towards Matt Hardy vs. Mark Henry at SummerSlam begins next week so it shall be interesting to see how that is handled and where the likes of Finlay, John Morrison, The Miz, Evan Bourne, Chavo Guerrero and Tommy Dreamer find themselves fitting onto the hour long show.

The episode aired on 25th July 2008 on the CW Network, having been taped on 22nd July at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvannia. The episode included Edge's apology to wife Vickie Guerrero after the previous episode revealed he'd been cheating with wedding planner Alicia Fox and an edition of The VIP Lounge (hosted by Montel Vontavious Porter) with Jeff Hardy, but was it any good? Let's take a look. 

The VIP Lounge with Jeff Hardy

I didn't enjoy this segment at all, but the Philadelphia crowd was massively into both men. The main thrust of it was that MVP was being a massive dick to Jeff Hardy, bringing up his suspensions, issues with drugs and the death of Hardy's dog, Jack, whilst Hardy looked uncomfortable with the content, delivered his lines with very little enthusiasm or believability and looked like he'd rather be anywhere else. Some of the dialogue was terrible here, when MVP bought up Hardy saying in WWE Magazine (remember that?) that he wouldn't get suspended again, Hardy replied with "I wouldn't, I'd be released", which, whilst in line with WWE wellness policy rules, is hardly the most inspiring babyface line. We close with Hardy pushing MVP over and shouting "You make me sick", for reasons I'm not quite sure. They'll both be involved in the "Biggest Blockbuster of the Summer" Battle Royal later on for a shot at Triple H's WWE Championship at SummerSlam. 

• United States Champion Shelton Benjamin def. Jimmy Wang Yang - A swifty victory for the US Champ with Paydirt, after cutting an uninteresting promo.

• A nervous Edge congratulated Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder on their Tag Team Championship win, before awkwardly looking at his hands for a bit. 

• Festus def. Curt Hawkins - This went under two minutes with Festus winning with a the one man flapjack, before his lame gimmick of going into a vegetative state when the bell rings for a pinfall allowed Hawkins and Zack Ryder to hit a double-team DDT on the Corn-Fed Colossus. 

The Biggest Blockbuster of the Summer Battle Royal for a shot at Triple H's WWE Championship at SummerSlam 

So when I saw the lineup for this battle royal and knowing the time period, I thought this was going to a car crash and it wasn't. Was it a classic? No. But it was well-booked and made the most of its components. We had Mr. Kennedy, The Great Khali, MVP, Umaga, Jeff Hardy and The Big Show; six men who didn't make it onto the Great American Bash card in an unusually thin over-the-top affair. This took away part of the spectacle of a battle royal, but also negated those early stages where a bunch of no hopers are thrown out. The opening portion was kept interesting with a couple of nice spots, like a Poetry in Motion to Khali from Hardy using Kennedy, a Khali and Show face-off being interrupted by a pair of thrust-kicks from Umaga and a Whisper in the Wind from Hardy to Umaga. The match built well towards its conclusion as Hardy eliminated Show by turning a powerbomb into modified hurricanrana that sent the World's Largest Athlete over the top rope, leaving The Charismatic Enigma alone with The Great Khali. The crowd was super hot for Hardy, with Philadelphia desperate to see the underdog overcome, however despite a Swanton Bomb and a low blow to escape a vice grip, Khali picked up the win, dumping Hardy over the top after a Khali Chop. We get a staredown between Khali and Triple H to end the segment and I am already dreading this match. 

• R-Truth is coming to SmackDown soon and we get a package of him in North Carolina talking about his time in prison. Truth had been having dark matches since March, included one before this episode with Sheamus O'Shaunessy.  

• Michelle McCool def. Maryse - Another quick bout as the first ever Diva's Champion picked up a submission victory with a MADT Heel Hook.

• The Brian Kendrick def. Shannon Moore -  A quick promo from Kendrick about his new persona, as he let the roster know that if anyone had a problem with him they should take it up with his bodyguard Ezekiel [Jackson]. This was followed up by Kendrick quickly going over Moore with The Kendrick. 

Hell Hath No Fury Like Vickie Guerrero

Edge and Vickie Guerrero were both brilliant in this segment as Guerrero took revenge for her husband's infidelity by reinstating The Undertaker and placing Edge in a Hell in a Cell Match with the Deadman at SummerSlam. Edge trying to explain away the footage claiming that "No means no, but she wouldn't listen" in regards to Alicia Fox and then explaining he only got involved with Fox in order to make sure the wedding went smoothly was played perfectly by the Rated R Superstar. Edge gets the cowardly cheat act just right, remaining entertaining and getting a couple of laughs, but also being utterly contemptible as a character and someone who you look forward to seeing getting what they deserve. Vickie seemed to relish getting to say something that the crowd would pop for and paced her lines wonderfully getting a huge pop for almost every word that came out of her mouth. The crowd went nuts for The Undertaker coming back, leaving Edge having to let them get on with it whilst looking terrified and trying to come up with a way out of facing his rival again. The segment could have done with a better conclusion as once the announcement has been made there was a lack of a climax or conflict, perhaps just playing Undertaker's music and a few special effects would've rounded off the segment perfectly. 

Finally... 

ATPW Scale Rating - 4.29/10 

Not a terrible episode, but not a great one either. This is pretty much saved by the strength of it's closing segment as Edge and Vickie Guerrero shone in an emotional climax that both played wonderfully, as the opening segment was dire and the Battle Royal was okay. Elsewhere the show was filled with short, inconsequential matches, that did very little for anyone. 

An interesting start to the PG Era as ECW and SmackDown took the leap first. The ECW Four Way main event producing the strongest action of the week, whilst the closing sequence of SmackDown was a great example of the chemistry between Edge and Vickie Guerrero and just why that feud involving the pair and The Undertaker worked so well. Across the three hours there was a lot of talking, with three of the five major segments being promo based and I noticed that the matches were a lot shorter than what we are used to seeing in 2017. When we begin to include next week, a show that is known to include more talking and entertainment segments, it will interesting to compare that to what the other two brands were offering, as the company moves away from the adult and teen orientated programming that caused it's late nineties boom and more towards the family and children market. 

Next week - RAW features a Tag Team main event pitting John Cena & Batista against John "Bradshaw" Layfield and Kane, ECW sees John Morrison and The Miz take on Finlay & Hornswoggle, SmackDown features a classic segment between Edge and Mick Foley, before the Rated R Superstar faces off with one of his signature foes, Jeff Hardy, on the final Saturday Night's Main Event.

WWE Best of 2000s DVD Review

Here's the last of our WWE Home Video catch-up! 

WWE's Best of 2000s hit shelves in late April and features Mick Foley and guests introducing some of the best matches of the previous decade. Almost all of the noughties big bouts are here, including Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle's 60 Minute Iron Man Match, Triple H v "Stone Cold" Steve Austin in a Three Stages of Hell Match, Shawn Michaels and John Cena going almost an hour in London, The Undertaker taking on Michaels in the first of their classic WrestleMania matches, 'Taker v Kurt Angle, Steve Austin and The Rock's No DQ match from WrestleMania X-7, Triple H and Batista inside Hell in a Cell, a Street Fight between Cactus Jack and Triple H, Tables, Ladders and Chairs with Edge and John Cena, Shawn Michaels v Kurt Angle, the dream match between Hollywood Hulk Hogan and The Rock, as well as matches featuring Chris Jericho, Randy Orton, Jeff Hardy, Rey Mysterio and Booker T. 

That's a hell of a line, but does Best of 2000s make the most of it? Let's take a look. 

Mick Foley acts as the host, being joined by Enzo & Cass, Charlotte Flair and Bayley along the way for a series of entertaining skits and interviews that add up to just over 20 minutes. The comedy is hit and miss, but there's also a couple of old references that some will get a kick out off, whilst the interaction between Flair and Foley probably provides the best content.

We begin with Cactus Jack v Triple H in a Street Fight over the WWF Championship (Royal Rumble - Jan '00) in a bloody war (there's a lot of blood on the first couple of discs). The two are near perfect in their roles as Jack takes Triple H on a Hardcore thrill-ride through barbed wire, thumb tacks and steel chairs. The legendary original TLC match is next as Edge & Christian, The Dudley Boyz and The Hardy Boyz (SummerSlam, Aug '00) put on the stunt shows to end all stunt shows (or should that be begin all stunt shows). There's some super silly highspots as all six blokes (and Lita) go all out and send North Carolina crazy. 

The original Three Stages of Hell match between Triple H and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin (No Way Out, Feb '01) is well-booked and manages to carry it's lengthy 45 minute running time effectively. The regular singles match is physical, but the Street Fight portion takes things up a notch as Trips and Austin bring the toys and beat the shit out of each other. The final inside a Steel Cage manages to build upon the previous two bouts, pulling story threads through and features some wonderful near falls. Throughout the three matches there's a real feeling that these two lads hate each others guts (let's forget they became a team two months later), as they bring the fight and sell the fight, with the post-match selling in particular standing out. 

More blood is next as Austin and The Rock (WrestleMania X-7, Apr '01) put on high-drama in a No Disqualification bout over the WWF title. There's near falls a plenty and a crowd that is completely invested in almost everything the two do, with the first twenty minutes being especially gripping. The appearance of Mr. McMahon is perhaps the only thing that holds this back from being a perfect bout as the heel turn for Steve Austin just wasn't what the audience wanted to see, noticeable by the fact that the audience still goes nuts for Stone Cold taking the title. The Rock v Booker T over the WCW title (SummerSlam, Aug '01) is the only match on the disc that probably doesn't deserve it's slot, as whilst it's not a bad match, I'm sure it didn't even make any Match of the Year lists for 2001. The match is pretty much all shenanigans from the start, with Shane McMahon at ringside causing problems and comes at a time when the crowd was still hot for the Invasion angle. 

The quintessential dream match between The Rock and Hollywood Hulk Hogan (WrestleMania X-8, Mar '02) would become the template for many similar matches in future times. It's big moves, big moments and big drama in front of a crowd that refused to boo Hogan. It's not the best technical match on the set, but it is still completely fascinating. The next year (WrestleMania XIX - Mar '03) Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels takes elements of sports entertainment and elements of traditional pro wrestling and manages to mesh the two into one glorious package. The story of Jericho wanting to break out of being "the next Shawn Michaels" produces some very cool action, with some brilliant mirroring on a couple of near falls. It's crisp, physical and flows towards it's finish almost seamlessly.

The longest match (and the first TV bout) on the set is Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle's 60 Minute Iron Man Match over the WWE title (SmackDown - Sep '03) and if you could find two better performers to put on this kind of match then you're a better man than me. The story-telling and psychology from the get go is superb, with the two throwing out little nuggets of narrative and then pulling them through. Those little touches are mixed with big moves, like German suplexes and highspots (like the Angle Slam into the post) as the two take advantage of the vast canvas that they have to paint their picture on. The performances of both men, as Lesnar sells his left knee and ankle wonderfully and Angle does a brilliant out on his feet, man possessed turn that at times drives the contest. The closing five minutes are gripping with the scoring system being used better than ever before or since and both men telling the story all over their bodies and facial expressions. The bout is helped by the strength of the commentary from Michael Cole and Taz, who make sure the viewers notice ever little detail that Lesnar and Angle include, whilst heightening the drama further. 

Randy Orton's career maker opposite Cactus Jack (Backlash - Apr '04) is one of the most brutal matches WWE has ever put on, with all sorts of hardcore weaponary used creatively by the pair. The story of the young rookie wrestler attempting to tangle with the rough and tumble former death match fighter takes on a life of it's own from a couple of minutes in and develops into something quite special by the finish. The spots with Eric Bischoff appearing and leading into the fight on the entrance ramp give extra depth to a match that Orton has still to top in his WWE tenure. Lita and Trish Stratus main eventing RAW (Dec '04) is the only Women's match present and whilst it's not up to the level of most of the set, it's worth considering that it very well could have been, had Lita not straight-up murdered herself on that infamous suicide dive. 

Shawn Michaels against Kurt Angle (WrestleMania 21 - Apr '05) is perhaps two of the best wrestler's the world has ever seen going at it for almost half an hour and it's wonderful. Just the stuff with Sweet Chin Music and the Ankle Lock is incredible, but there's so much more than just finishers going on here. This bout is a great example of Michaels' selling ability, as he grabs the entire Staples Center and has them reacting every small action and reaction. Hell in a Cell houses Batista and Triple H (Vengeance - Jun' 05) for a battle that builds and builds. The pair use the structure and a variety of weapons, with the work with the barbed wire wrapped steel chair standing out, with the contest having a tangible feeling of animosity and bile. Whilst the two piss buckets of blood, there's still enough clever flourishes, like the finish, that make this stand out beyond the violence level. 

Kurt Angle and The Undertaker (No Way Out - Feb '06) put on a superb mix of wild brawl and back and forth reversals. Taker's favouring his ankle throughout puts Angle over as a threat effectively and means anytime The Olympic Gold Medallist goes for his signature hold the bout turns on it's head. The final five minutes are pretty much perfect as the two blend their big moves and submissions, keeping the viewer glued to the screen and on the edge of their seat. This bout really deserved to be on that year's WrestleMania 

The peak of the Edge v John Cena feud came with their Tables, Ladders and Chairs match (Unforgiven - Sep '06) and it's here in all it's Canadian patriotic glory. Both men take massive bumps, with the iconic FU off the ladder through two tables being the most memorable. The hot crowd create a unique home town atmosphere and whilst some of the spots don't come together as well as they could've, both cover for it well. Cena shows he can really mix it up opposite Shawn Michaels (RAW - Apr '07) as they go almost an hour in one of the best matches WWE has ever aired. The match twists and turns as both focus in on body parts and sell them like their lives depended on it. Whilst Cena's technical wrestling ability gets a spotlight, it's his body language that steals the show as he plays up his frustration at being unable to put HBK away, first turning it on Michaels and then the referee and even his own arm at one point. The call-backs to WrestleMania 23, with Cena constantly going for the STFU and the slick finish round off the lengthy, but fully engrossing battle.

The implosion of Rated RKO provides us with a neat heel v heel bout between Randy Orton and Edge (RAW - Apr '07) which often gets overlooked because it came just a week after Cena v Michaels. The pair trying to out each cheat each other gives the bout a different narrative and some cool mirror spots, before Orton puts over Edge massively with a face full of crimson.  Jeff Hardy gets his showcase against Triple H (No Mercy - Oct '08) as The Game becomes the default heel, jumping Hardy from behind and driving the bout. Hardy's underdog babyface act shines against the established main eventer and provides from some strong near falls that the Portland crowd buys into. It's arguable that the Shawn Michaels v Chris Jericho Ladder match that directly followed it on the PPV was a stronger contest, but with one HBK v Y2J bout already on the set, this bout is still worthy of it's inclusion. 

Too many The Undertaker v Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania 25 - Apr '09) isn't just the best match of the decade, but the greatest bout that WWE ever produced. Whatever bout you feel deserves that accolade, it's inarguable that Mr. WrestleMania challenging for the Undertaker's WrestleMania streak is a true masterpiece, a work of art. JR closes by saying "I feel like we've just seen heaven" and I think he may be right as the two legends go for almost half an hour of physical action and barely put a foot wrong. There's a plethora of convincing false finishes as the crowd grow into the match and end up going batshit crazy by the conclusion of the war. The set rounds off with Rey Mysterio putting his mask up against Chris Jericho's Intercontinental title in pacy outing, that uses it's gimmick to create real drama. The last stretch is really edge of your seat stuff, with a series of reversals and near falls, before heading towards it's rather clever conclusion. 

Finally...

ATPW Scale Rating - 9.02/10 

Best of 2000s is brilliant collection of matches, that offers 4 discs of (more or less) the best WWE had to offer throughout the decade. The selection is pretty much spot on, with each match (with perhaps the exception of The Rock v Booker T) being worth it's place on the discs. I would've liked to have seen an Eddie Guerrero bout (vs. Brock Lesnar from No Way Out 2004 stands out) but all the other big name wrestlers of the decade are present (with the obvious exception). If you're a new fan and want to jump into some of wrestling's more recent history then this is a fantastic place to start.