WWE Catch Up

I started this sucker just a week or so ago, so I apologize for the initial helter skelter of it all. I've got a lot of stuff from 07 that I want to get on here, and will be playing catch up with. Forgive the disorganization. That being said, here's some WWE stuff I've been meaning to put up here.

WWE Championship
John Cena v. The Great Khali
Judgement Day

This was shockingly good considering Khali was in this. There's not a whole heck of a lot to this, as it's just mostly Khali killing Cena with big man stuff and Cena selling his backside off for the big man. Somehow, despite being exceptionally basic, is a really good match.

Cena goes right at the challenger, seemingly unintimidated, but nonetheless a stupid move. Khali cuts him off in short order and sends most of the match tossing Cena all over the ring. Everytime Cena mounts a bit of a comeback, Khali cuts it off with something special looking. On the outside, he tosses Cena into the steps in a cool looking spot and cuts the second Cena comeback off with a nasty looking wheel kick.

The end is done really well though, seemingly playing off immediate pain rather than long, sustained selling. Khali tries to pick up the ring steps and Cena drop kicks the steps, sending them crashing into Khali's legs. Khali is gingerly climbing into the ring when Cena flies up to the top rope and comes sailing off with the leg drop. Leg and head hurt, STFU takes care of it. Very good, almost lucky ending for John Cena.

Cena's selling in this of course is top notch, but Khali deserves a tip of the cap too, holding the let on the outside and giving a great 'oh shit' face when he gets tangled in the ropes. This isn't Misawa-Kawada, but it's a fun main event made better by some great selling on the part of John Cena. ***

World Heavyweight Championship
Edge v. Batista
Judgement Day 2007

I don't know how I feel about this to be honest. All three or four of their matches never really got taken up a notch and everything seemed to be about building to a big blow off that never really happened. Even more than the MVP-Benoit matches, these all seemed to be lacking something. This one is okay for what it's worth, as they're just trying to cement Edge as a legitimate Champion. This match is coming directly off the heels of his second cashing in of the money in the bank contract so it'd seem fit that they do something to legitimize him.

Everything Edge does is as a result of a finger poke or some other fun heelish activity. Batista just swings for the fences as per the usual. Really though, this doesn't go anywhere and while nothing they do is remotely offensive or anything, none of it is really all that great either. Very average match that just seemed to lack 'it'. **

MNM v. The Hardy Boys
Royal Rumble 2007

This match had an interesting build to it, as it was a tag team match between teams of former partners who're all in singles feuds with... each other. Far more complicated than most stuff. Basically all you need to know is that both teams are very good and there's lots of hate to go around for everyone.

On the Raw brand, Jeff Hardy and Johnny Nitro have been feuding for forever and a day over the IC Championship. They put on a fun ladder match and a decent, but not overly violent cage match a few weeks prior this this match. Matt Hardy and Joey Mercury have been feuding over on the Smackdown brand in the meantime, as Mercury is still trying to get revenge on Matt for the infamous see-saw ladder shot to the face last month. Leading up to this match, he and Nitro tweaked Hardy's jaw to give it a body part for body part type lead in.

Basically the match progresses along the lines of Joey Mercury wanting to hurt a Hardy. He and Nitro target Matt Hardy and that jaw early on with some fun double team work. The hot tag finally comes and even Jeff Hardy gets cut off. Mercury holds this match together for me though, as he really looks like a spiteful guy and really does a good job of letting everyone know how badly he wants to hurt both brothers. I especially love the part where he decks Matt in the injured jaw only to pull back and show the crowd himself rubbing his fist because he hit Matt so hard.

Mercury's Hardy-hate actually ends up costing his team the match though, as the shoulder tackle to the floor on Matt allows Jeff to get the hidden tag, hit the swanton and win the match. This is definately good stuff. ***

World Heavyweight Championship, Last Man Standing Match
The Undertaker v. Batista
Backlash 2007

Very excited about this given that the Wrestlemania 23 match was so good.

This is built entirely around the whole 'who can keep the other guy down for 10 seconds' thing which I like better than the brutal "I hate your guts" kind of stuff they've done in the past. Thus i'm a little remice when JBL starts talking about how brutal the match is immediately after the video package is done. It's not exactly the end of the world or anything, but still.

Honestly, I didn't really feel as if this was a step up from WM. Basically it's a bomb-fest, but this time it's got some weapons. I like some of the learned spots in this, like Taker cutting off Batista on the top rope and returning the favor for the table shot last month. Batista certainly seems to be the desperate one here and looks better than Taker in this match, IMO. He looks SO rattled by losing his title and it plays out well throughout the match as he doesn't seem to really care how he wins, as long as it happens.

All that aside though, it's really not a major step forward, just a really good last man standing match, which really is ok with me. There's some great selling on the part of Batista, as the leg injury never becomes a focal point of the match, but always a way to gain control for Taker. The spots are good too, especially the steps-shot and the table breakage. The ending is a LITTLE overdone, but keeps the door open for that third match we unfortuantely never got to see.

While this isn't quite up to part with the big five this year, i'd say it's easily towards the top of the next tier of matches and most certainly in the top 10 WWE matches this year. By all means, check it out. ***1/4