WWE DVD Live in the UK - April 2013

WWE DVD Review: Live in the UK – April 2013

The WWE only travel to our shores twice a year here in the UK/Ireland and as such these events are highly charged ones for the most part. Recent years have seen the company bring as many of their big name stars and they can and even go so far as to record episodes of their weekly Raw and Smackdown shows here too.

This two disc set features all of the events that took place at the O2 Arena in London during the WrestleMania Revenge tour (April 2013). This means you get to see complete episodes of Monday Night Raw, Smackdown and never aired in the UK instalments of Main Event, Superstars and Saturday Morning Slam.

Talent wise the WWE brought a fair number of their big hitters here. Which was not surprising considering the shows were going to be broadcast. What was special was the inclusion of Undertaker on the shows. It had been a number of years since Taker stepped into a UK ring and yet here was participating in two matches (one for Raw, one for Smackdown). That name alone will insure this set sells well with fans.

Of course any of us who attended any of the April 2013 live shows will want to possess this snapshot of the tour, to remind them of what they witnessed. After all the matches may have changed slightly, but many of the grapplers featured here were at the other houses shows too.

Highlights from Raw include Dolph Ziggler facing Chris Jericho, Undertaker & Team Hell No versus The Shield and UK hero William Regal (on his farewell tour) battling Fandango. There are of course numerous other features here and even a few other matches.

Smackdown offers up a fine No DQ scrap between Alberto Del Rio and Jack Swagger, Layla versus Aksana, Undertaker tackling Shield member Dean Ambrose and Wade Barrett taking on fellow Uk star William Regal. As with Raw there are other features here too.

Of course we also have the episodes of Superstars and Saturday Morning Slam too. Both of which have a few nice matches as well.

On the extras front we get a fine outing from the UK-based PPV Rebellion held in November 2001. Which featured an on form Chris Jericho versus an equally slick Kurt Angle.

WWE Live in the UK : April 2013 is available now from www.wwedvd.co.uk and all good retailers.

RRP £17.99

By Phil Allely

WWE TLC Review 2012

WWE Live Show Review: TLC (Tables, Ladders, Chairs) 2012

WWE's TLC pay-per-view event is one that has a tendency to deliver greatly with its match quality and results. Even the lack of blood can't affect the violence that many of the wrestlers bring to the ring when foreign objects such as table, ladders and steel chairs become legal weapons. This year we were also treated to a few new faces, which helped create new feuds and elevate some often neglected mid-card talent. With CM Punk injured there was some re-jigging behind the scenes match wise, but perhaps it was for the best. WWE need his fresh and ready for his upcoming scrap with The Rock.

It was also nice to see the legendary Jerry 'The King' Lawler return to his commentary duties. Lawler seems to have recovered well after his near fatal heart attack (which occurred during a live raw show).

TLC kicked off with a (dark match) battle of the 'Santa's Little Helpers' In other words a diva encounter. This will of course probably make its way on to the DVD version of the show. Here we had a reasonable if not too exciting Diva's style scrap. Competitors were Alicia Fox, Askana, Naomi, Cameron, Tamina, Kaitlyn, Layla, Natalya and Rossa Mendes. The match was short and sweet, with Divas champ Eve Torres sticking her oar in to allow Namoi a shot at her title.

TLC started (proper) with a very reasonable tables match for the number one contender spot for the WWE tag team belts. The duo of Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara battled Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes in a fun battle. Cara is looking so much better in the ring now he is teamed up with fellow high flyer Mysterio. Rhodes Scholars on the other hand are a wonderfully fresh addition to the diminishing tag ranks. Rhodes and Sandow picked up the win after Cody caused Cara to plough through a table.

Your reviewer is not a hug fan of US Title holder Anonio Cesaro, but he can put together a pretty decent match with the right (talented) performer. The match however didn't really sizzle as much as we had hoped it would. Cesaro was able to overcome a few nice looking pin attempts by Truth and nailed a 'Neutralizer' to retain his gold.
Uk wrestler Wade Barrett has been making real strides in recent months to get one more big push for his WWE career. His match with Kofi Kingston here highlighted the fact that Barrett does have potential. Putting Kofi's Intercontinental Title on the line helped as well of course. Wade is a very good big man and has an aura about him, perhaps he will be William Regal's successor to the role of sterotypical British bad guy. Kofi did manage to fend off his European influenced assault and retained the belt.

Whether they are associated with Champion CM Punk The Shield are a welcome addition to the WWE roster. Their sneak attacks and N.W.O. Inspired storyline is something that may just inject some much need adrenaline into the WWE product.

The match here was a TLC one and The Shield (Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose) faced off against the formidable trio of WWE Tag Team Champs Kane/Daniel Bryan and the fastest rising star of the year Ryback. This match was a brutal, tough and well-paced affair. Working with such talented opponents The Shield team were on perfect form. What was nice was that amidst the weapons based fun and games, we saw some new faces get their hands raised (over some more established acts). This angle by WWE may just work out very well for all concerned. The Shield pulled off a rather good win, to continue their progression.
The Divas returned next, with Eve defending her title against (pre-show match winner) Naomi. Naomi did show some impressive in-ring ability here. It was of course always going to be Eve's night and here she did not disappoint. Eve retained her glamorous belt as predicted.
As explained before a TLC PPV should really feature some blood. But you know what sometimes the spilling of claret is not necessary. The World Heavyweight Title match between champion Big Show and challenger Sheamus was a real barn-stormer. Sheamus seems to bring something out in show that we have not seen in a while and perhaps Show himself has grabbed this opportunity to highlight how valuable he is to the company. The match was violent, hard-hitting and worked to both men's advantage. Shows win maintains his grasp of the belt and Sheamus' loss does little more than make him a man we will root for next time.
Next up we saw an interesting battle. This was Heath Slater, Jinder Mahal and Drew McIntyre taking on Alberto Del Rio, The Miz and Brooklyn Brawler. This was a nostalgic match for veteran fans, as longtime jobber the Brawler (Steve Lombardi) returned to the ring. Lombardi is a familiar face to anyone whoo who watches WWE biographical or special edition DVDs. He often pops us as a talking head on such releases. Lombardi never won a major title, but he did elevate many superstars to the enxt leevl and his simple style made him a minor league star. Brawler got his chance to shine on PPV in Brooklyn (of course) and even picked up a rare win.

Love him or hate him John Cena is one of the few real stars the WWE have available to perform at present. His act may need polished and a break from his main event appearances would help things. But with no one else ready to fill his spot or shift as much merchandise this is a picture we will have to expect for a while, the one of Cena in the main event.

The storyline featuring Cena/AJ/Vickie Guerro has been fun (even if it does echo a recent ill-fated TNA one). This match between Dolph Ziggler and Cena was a curious entry too. Ziggler could have as easily cashed in his 'Money in the Bank' title shot, but instead he offered it up in a match with Cena. This was a ladder match to remember. Cena took some stiff shots, Ziggler was a bump-machine (in the style of Shawn Michaels) and the outside interference proved to be beneficial to the pair. Cena in a rare moment for his character stared at the lights for the ever-exciting Ziggler. AJ did prove to be the thorn in Cena's side, but this was really all about raising Dolph to the next level. After all if he can beat Cena, this man may just be able to win the big one.

TLC 2012 was a very good event to round off 2012 for the WWE. The company may be floundering slightly talent wise, but things are looking up and after so many journos like myself suggesting it, there are now some fresh faces in the mix.

Here's hoping Punk can recover OK in time for his Royal Rumble encounter with a certain Mr Johnston.

Wwe.com

By Phil Allely

WWE Money in the Bank 2012 DVD Review

WWE DVD Review – Money In The Bank 2012 For years the MITB concept was the highlight of WWE events. Now that the innovative match has been given its own PPV we can enjoy it even more. The idea behind MITB is simple a match winner gets to grab a case and in that he has a shot at the World Title (which can be cashed in at anytime). The MITB matches have been the ones that have elevated many of the WWE's current stars and made them real stars for the company. This DVD release by Silvervision is a nice addition to the calendar and one that really does warrant a second or third viewing. The opening scrap between Hunico/Comancho and Kofi Kingston/R-Truth is an entertaining effort. Next up the MITB Ladder Match revs things up and gives us an insight into the excitement a match of this style can offer up. Dolph Ziggler, Christian and Cody Rhodes stood out here and gave their all in the spot-fest that ensued. The world Heavyweight Title was up for grabs next and it featured Ireland's own Sheamus (champion) battling his long-term thorn in his side Alberto Del Rio. Sheamus is indeed improving and Del Rio is a man so talented that he could get a good match out of anyone. This is well worth a punt. Unfortunately for your review the Titus O'Neil/Darren Young and Primo/Epico bout didn't float my boat. The addition of R-Truth and Kofi on commentary did help but. As a big fan of Daniel Bryan I don't wish to be biased here. Suffice to say that the NO DQ match between him and CM Punk is a real highlight of MITB 2012 for me. Viewers will see exactly why when they view it again. Ryback continued his 'Goldberg' style run next with a decimation of Tyler Reks and Curt Hawkins in a swift encounter. The two-on-one odds proving to be not a huge deal to the big man. The Diva's got their chance to shine next and whilst the division is knocked often for its poor talent the ladies here were mostly above par. The teams of Layla, Kaitly, Tamina and Beth Phoenix, Natalya, Eve featured at least four good workers. This may be a short match, but it is fun. Up next we get the MITB Ladder match for the WWE Title shot. The name value hee alone makes this worth watching. When you factor in Kane, Chris Jericho, Big Show, John Cena and The Miz you know you are in for something special and this one is indeed. The finish may be popular knowledge by now, but that cannot ruin the encounter. MITB 2012 is a great DVD and one that will sit nicely alongside your collection. The matches are mostly above par and the action throughout will certainly keep you entertained. MITB 2012 is available now from www.silvervision.co.uk and all good retailers. By Phil Allely

Paul Bearer Interview Highlights

THQ and WWE Games have announced that their new game, WWE '13, will feature Alberto Del Rio's personal ring announcer, Ricardo Rodriguez, as well as the legendary manager, Paul Bearer. To celebrate, WWE Games caught up with the urn-holder himself for an extended talk about his time as an actual mortician, the evolving role of a manager in WWE, his favorite managers in history, favorite "Attitude Era" moments and his top three WWE Superstars—CM Punk, Daniel Bryan and Dolph Ziggler. Bearer states, "CM Punk is outstanding. I put CM Punk above Cena. I never knew him until I came back when I got kidnapped by Edge. He has the mentality and the ability and the athleticism to perform. He picked up all of that on his own, from Taker and Kane and talking with those guys. He is like a sponge and he just picks up everything. I think he is fantastic. Cena is fantastic too, but Punk is, in my estimation, No. 1 on the roster. "Daniel Bryan was in developmental when I was going to a different territory each week. He came from Shawn Michaels' school. Shawn is one of the best in the business, and he taught Daniel Bryan right. He is not a CM Punk, but he is pretty close. He is really good at one he does. "Dolph Ziggler…he had to grow on me. I had never heard of him before and he looks so much like Billy Gun. Certain things he does in the ring…I see Billy Gunn. He’s not Billy Gunn, but he is a fantastic performer. I have nothing bad to say about any of these guys – they are all really good at what they do." The legendary manager also discussed his association with The Undertaker and Kane. "They are such great performers, such great athletes. Such great men, gentlemen in general. I am truly humbled that I have been allowed to be associated with them for all these years," Bearer said. "When me and Taker first started, his first WrestleMania was my first WrestleMania, so we’ve really been together all that time. I get asked, would you have thought then, that he’d be still going in 2012? Hell no, I wouldn’t then and I’m sure that he wouldn’t have either. In the early years, me and Taker were together so much, I mean all the time. We had a very special relationship and a very special bond. It was such a perfect chemistry, a perfect meant-to-be thing. We were meant to be for each other, but we had no idea it would last this long."

WWE TLC 2010 DVD Review

WWE DVD Review – TLC Tables Ladders & Chairs 2010


By Phil Allely

TLC 2010 was a thoroughly enjoyable pay-per-view offering from the WWE and one that considering its reliance on gimmick matches could have gone wrong in many ways. The card itself saw a few major lines continue, one being the on-going feud between Nexus leader Wade Barrett and John Cena, others included WWE Champion The Miz defending his recently won title against former champ Randy Orton, Intercontinental champion Dolph Ziggler taking on Jack Swagger and Kofi Kingston and Kane defending his World Heavyweight Championship in a four-way brawl with Edge, Rey Mysterio and Alberto Del Rio.

This DVD of course features the above entertaining TLC battles Cena/Barrett (Chairs), Miz/Orton (Tables) and Kane/Edge/Mysterio/Del Rio (TLC), Ziggler/Kingston/Del Rio (Ladders), plus a nice ladder match between Sheamus and John Morrison, the first ever Divas Tag Team Tables Match between the combos of Natalya/Beth Phoenix and Lay-Cool, plus a WWE tag team Championship bout with Santino Marella and Vladimir taking on Nexus duo Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel.

So just what does this release have to offer the home video collector of WWE events? Well having the thrilling gimmicks on hand to assist and improve/enhance any moves is a bonus for each bout. Many of which of them are indeed heightened by the addition of such prop, each performer also stepped up to the plate to risk their bodies as well. The action throughout has a decent pace in each match. There are also some standout moments too including, some ladder based stunts, a double sharpshooter by Natalya on Lay-Cool, a festive Big Show appearance, Vickie Guerrero precariously hanging off a ladder and some highly inventive use for the tables, ladders and chairs on hand.

TLC proved to be a surprising event in many ways, titles changed hands, feuds ended and some were kick started. Many of the superstars were more than likely pretty sore after the gruelling situation they put themselves in as well. Whilst some PPVs are watch one only events, this one has some durability on that front due to the gimmicks involved, extras wise there is a post-match interview with John Cena only however.

TLC 2010 is available now from www.silvervision.co.uk and all good retailers.

Coming soon from Silver Vision:

The Big Show – A Giant’s World

WWE Tagged Classics - Rebellion 2001/Insurrection 2002

DX – One Last Stand

WWE Hell In A Cell 2010 DVD Review

WWE Hell In A Cell 2010 DVD Review




By Phil Allely



I have mentioned this before but the new WWE PG rated era has had a knock-on effect on the companies output and general product, cage match and gimmicks have especially suffered at the hands of this new family friendly approach to wrestling. A match such as Hell in a Cell of course is somewhat hampered by the remit of no blood and less violence. Luckily sometimes whilst we all wish for some blood and overt/gratuitous behaviour from our in-ring warriors, there are times we don’t miss it too much after all.



The 2010 HIAC pay-per-view had some really interesting matches on its card, three of them inside the cage. The main one being the ten year anniversary of the first HIAC encounter between Kane and Undertaker. Back then Kane was a non-speaking mask wearing monster who had no compassion or fear. Their meetings then were violent, bloody and awfully entertaining. In 2010 the roles were pretty much reversed as Kane defended his World Heavyweight Championship inside the steel structure, taking on the man whom he has battered, abused and almost dismembered over the past decade (also his storyline brother), Taker was of course realigned with his former manager (Kane’s storyline father) Paul Bearer for this battle.



As is now traditional the match of the night contender opened proceedings, with Daniel Bryan defending his United Sates Championship against John Morrison and the Miz in a ‘triple threat submissions count anywhere’ brawl. This was a fine example of how to work the crowd, showcase your talents and allow the crowd into the bout.



Next up WWE Champion Randy Orton took on former title holder Sheamus in a fairly decent and involving HIAC scrap. Orton carrying the lesser seasoned Irishman to a superb match. Both used the cell to their advantage and you cold certainly feel the brutal blows as they hit them. The chair shots and use of the steel structure were perfectly utilised to elicit the desired reaction from the crowd in this one.



Edge versus Jack Swagger was an impromptu challenge match, the idea behind it being that Edge had flattened the man dressed as an Eagle (Chavo Guerrero) who accompanied Swagger to the ring and Swagger wanted revenge. Both put in good efforts here and of course Edge’s involvement ensure things ran smoothly.



The John Cena and Nexus battle was in flow still and the following match displayed the way the flow of battle was going for the feud. The stipulation being that if John Cena won Nexus disbanded, if he lost however he had to join the invading group of NXT entrants, all he had to do was beat their leader and NXT winner Wade Barrett . The match was fun, exciting and at times hard to call, the finish was well worked out and worth viewing or two to spot fully.



The Unified Divas Championship cat fight between co-champ Michelle McCool and Natalya had its fair share of exciting moments as well, Natalya leading the way for the always improving McCool. McCool’s co-champion Layla hanging about ringside did have an impact on the ending though.



The aforementioned main event was an at times violent and brutal affair, Kane and Taker battering each other about the ring, cage and anywhere else they could. The years may not have been kind to both men, age and wear and tear on their bodies have limited them, but they did put forth a good match. The returning Paul bearer (after a six year break) and his trusty urn were the only downside as the finish came not only out of the blue, but lost the plot with it’s delivery. However that can’t really diminish just how well the PPV played out.



WWE Hell In a Cell 2010 is available now from www.silvervision.co.uk and all good retailers.



The event is available as a single disc DVD and as a double disc Blu-Ray set.

WWE TLC 2010 PPV Review

WWE TLC: Tables Ladders & Chairs 2010WWE TLC 2010 PPV Review


By Phil Allely

Considering the WWE’s current PG orientated programming an event that features tables, ladders and chairs as a theme is one that should justifiably raise a few eyebrows. This year’s effort was a thoroughly decent one and whilst a few of the matches missed their mark, most did the job.

Things kicked off well as Dolph Ziggler put his Intercontinental Title on the line in a ladder match against Kofi Kingston and Jack Swagger. All three had their work boots on and happily risked life and limb to entertain. Vickie Guerrero even stepped through the ropes to assist Ziggler. A slightly botched ending couldn’t harm proceeding s, as Kingston and Swagger battled for the belt atop the ladder the strap slipped to the mat between them and into Ziggler’s hands to retain his gold.

Next up the Divas got their teeth into stunt matches, Michelle McCool and Layla facing formidable teammates Beth Phoenix and Natalya in a table match. Both pairings had a great brawl, trading the advantage and proving that the Divas division of the WWE has got some decent workers in it. The ending came after the table refused to break and Natalya had to hit a nice double cross body to put LayCool down through it to ensure the win for her team.

The nexus showed their force in the WWE tag Team Title match, champions Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov were kept on their toes as opponents heath Slater and Justin Gabriel (with assistance from fellow Nexus members Husky Harris and Michael McGillicuty) pulled every rule braking tactic they could out of their arsenal. Kozlov and Marella managed to retain their belts via DQ after a Harris and McGullicuty run in. The Nexus boys beat down the champs afterwards too for good measure.

With a WWE title shot hanging above the ring Sheamus and John Morrison assembled a rather good match up. Battling in and out of the ring they soon took to using a ladder as a weapon and both taking some risky ladder oriented bumps. Morrison pulled off the surprise win and takes one step closer to winning the prestigious WWE Title in doing so.

WWE Champion The Miz (with Alex Riley in tow) faced challenger randy Orton in a Tables match, putting his belt on the line against the unpredictable Orton. The combatants may not have gelled as well as planned, but with Riley in the mix and the table based nature of the bout, there was enough going on to disguise the failings. With Riley’s help Miz was able to retain his gold and take one more win in his quest to defend the belt at Wrestlemania, a re-start couldn’t help Orton’s fate as he finally found himself lying amongst a shattered table courtesy of Miz.

In a TLC match World Heavyweight Champion Kane saw his latest title reign end, but with a decent calibre of opponents to face (Alberto Del Rio, Rey Mysterio) and a very hungry Edge chomping at the bit to win back the belt, the end was pretty much inevitable. With tables, ladders and chairs at their disposal the foursome had a blast tearing down the house with as many set-pieces, dangerous moves and high spots to keep all those in attendance and at home on the edge of their seats. Considering Mysterio’s knee issues and other injuries he played a blinder, Del Rio is fast proving himself to be main event material and Edge and Kane did their veteran bit to perfection. Edge overcoming the competition to climb the ladder and nab the title.

After a brief interlude with The Bella twins, Cody Rhodes and Big Show (as Santa) the action switched to John Cena versus Wade Barrett in a chairs match.

With Cena systematically knocking nexus members down throughout the show Barrett had no one to help him here (even CM Punk on colour commentary sat back and watched). With chairs in hand the Nexus frontman and Cena had a good looking brawl around the ringside area and arena, sometimes slipping back into the ring for a while to rest up and contemplate their next move. The fun ended with a ring full of chairs and a nice looking attitude adjustment by Cena on a prone Barrett for the win. A post match beat down by Cena saw the show end with Barrett lying beneath the ring ramp and Cena celebrating his win.

TLC was a good way for the WWE to round off a year of ups and downs. It was great to see Edge win the Title, John Cena perhaps end his nexus feud and the Divas Division rise to the occasion with a fine tables contest. The lack of blood and overt violence on WWE programming has hampered many match concepts, but the viewing figures are still high and with many big names due to return soon things are looking good for 2011. Roll on the Royal Rumble.

WWE TLC card to date

Below is the updated confirmed card for WWE's Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view coming out of last night's SmackDown tapings in Virginia:

Tables, Ladders & Chairs Match for the World Heavyweight Title
Edge vs. Kane

Alberto Del Rio vs. Rey Mysterio

Randy Orton vs. The Miz for the WWE Title is also being advertised but has not been announced by WWE yet. By the sound of things at tonight's tapings, Mysterio vs. Del Rio will be a Tables Match but that's not confirmed yet either.

More WWE Belfast pics

Pics taken Nov 2010

WWE Smackdown Tour Pics Nov 2010

A few more pics taken during the recent Irish leg of the WWE Smackdown tour.

WWE Live PIctures: Belfast Nov 2010

A further selection of pictures taken during the 2010 European tour by the WWE, at the Odyssey Arena, Belfast November 2010.

By Phil Allely

WWE Live Pictures: Nov 2010 Belfast

A selection of pictures taken during the 2010 European tour by the WWE, at the Odyssey Arena, Belfast November 2010.

By Phil Allely

WWE Hell In A Cell 2010 Review

WWE Hell In A Cell 2010 - PPV Review

By Phil Allely

Hell in a Cell is one of those concepts that when it first appeared in the WWE was a fresh of breath that the company needed. The violent steels cage match premise and very eager to please grapplers who entered it often bled heavily form the match and that in turn ramped up the live audience and PPV buy rates. However now that the WWE is in a place where it wishes to portray itself as a PG organisation and bloodshed is a no-no, this years HIAC outing really needed to be something special indeed.

With a couple of nice (on paper at least) looking matches based in the steels cell and a good supporting card hopes were indeed high for the 2010 offering.

Things started well with The Miz and John Morrison taking on United States Champion Daniel Bryan for his belt in a submissions count anywhere match-up. The action was fair to good and all three worked hard to please the pumped up live crowd. A Nexus run-in saw Daniel Bryan able to capitalise and wipe Morrison out of the equation, leaving Miz to tap out to the LeBell submission move once again for Bryan to retain.

Next up surprisingly was the Hell In A Cell match for the WWE Title between champ Randy Orton and Irish man Sheamus. This was the 20th HIAC match in WWE history and saw both men risk life and limb with earnest. Sheamus and Orton traded near falls, trademark moves and some stiff shots throughout. The steel ring steps proving to be harder to negotiate than the cell itself, with Sheamus first being slammed into them then RKO’s onto them for the pin fall loss.

The nice mystery Raw GM storyline continued to pick up speed next as Edge was interrupted mid rant (about Del Rio) and told he’d be facing Jack Swagger next.

Swagger dominated most of the match, using his speed advantage over the veteran Edge. Edge’s cunning and brutal looking Spear saw him overcome an ankle lock attempt and embarrassing loss to the young underdog, to win the impromptu scrap.

The following bout was a fun one on paper, WWE cartoon hero John Cena was faced with the prospect of joining the Nexus group next, he faced Wade Barrett in a match where if he lost he joined up and if he won they disbanded.

Without his team mates Barrett put forth a great deal of offence to the former multiple time WWE champ. There were near falls aplenty and Barrett got a very decent showing against the man who WWE seem intent on pushing to the sky Cena.

The end came when a fan (most likely a Nexus member) and an associate took out Cena, Barrett capitalised on the interference and left a great many of Cena’s fans upset that their hero would have to join the upstart Nexus group.

The new Unified Divas Title was up for grabs next as Natalya faced current champ Michelle McCool. McCool’s partner in crime Layla proved to be the thorn in Natalya’s side though, taking a few opportunities to interrupt proceedings and leave the ref with no choice but to DQ McCool.

The final match of the night was the highly anticipated and eagerly awaited match between the Undertaker and his brother Kane. With Undertaker’s old manager Paul Bearer (also storyline wise Kane’s father) thrown into the mix this was expected to be a scorcher.

The match itself was fair, but Taker and Kane in 2010 is nothing compared to when they faced off a few years ago. The in-ring abuse and wear-and-tear and various injuries are all slowing down the giants unfortunately. The pair did pull out all of the stops, but this main event just lacked something that previous scraps have seen. The ending though will have internet notice boards buzzing for weeks I’m sure. Direct from the comic book matches of old (when Taker beat much larger foes and used supernatural powers), Paul Bearer strode into the ring amidst a ref bump and unleashed a flash of light from his ever present urn to blind Taker and allow Kane use it as a weapon on his charge. The match ended with Kane and Bearer leaving a shaky Taker to make his way to the back.

Hell in a Cell could have been so much more, the main event fell flat after some of the decent scraps earlier. Having Sheamus and Orton on second still seems an odd choice and the ongoing Undertaker and Kane feud has now hit some very strange levels. I’m hoping the rumours of Buried Alive matches and upcoming arena tour of the UK will see them show their talents to a better degree than HIAC did.

WWE Night of the Champions 2010 Review

WWE Night of the Champions 2010 Review

By Phil Allely

The Night of the Champions PPV is a relatively new one to the WWE event schedule, it is a welcome one indeed. The idea behind this PPV is that every title in the company will be defended and thus we are pretty well guaranteed at least one title change.

Tings kicked off well with Dolph Ziggler defending his Intercontinental belt against fan favourite Kofi Kingston. Vicky Guererro and her NXT rookie Kaitlyn both gave Dolph the assist where they could in a decent opening match that saw a harder edge to Kofi’s character. There were plenty of reversals, near falls and signature moves before Ziggler capitalised on a Kingston botched move to retain his gold.

CM Punk was working in front of his hometown Chicago crowd and of course he played up to that fact in his battle against Big Show. Punk certainly got the crowd fired up here, berating the city, its people and anyone else he could think of. The match itself was fun, but Shows strength put Punk’s speed and agility down with relative ease. A KO punch stopping the Straight Edge Society leader in his tracks.

United States Champion The Miz may have been a worthy winner of the Money in the Bank case, but he was always going to fall short in his battle with Daniel Bryan, the former Nexus man has a point to prove to not only the WWE hierarchy, but the entire fan base. The bout itself was well laid out, each getting the chance to show their skills and repertoire, Miz certainly is a well polished performer these days. Bryan nailed the win and raised his first US title after locking on his LaBell lock submission move.

The WWE women’s division has been a bone of content with fans for a long time now, the quality of the matches and in-ring skills are of course a problem that we all know f and yet WWE seem loathe to solve them. The WWE Women’s and Diva Title unification match between Michelle McCool and Melina was a case in point.

McCool and Melina did try to pull a decent match out of the situation, but really it wasn’t going to set the screen or arena alight and they knew it. McCool winning both belts after some brawling and hair pulling. The fact that the belts are now deemed obsolete by the WWE shows how far the division has fallen of late.

The many months of hype, storyline building and well crafted segments finally paid off as World Heavyweight Champion Kane defended his treasured belt against his brother Undertaker. Undertaker’s recent injury induced hiatus seems to have given him some in-ring fire and determination and his latest feud with his storyline brother are certs to be the feud we all want to see when the promotion tours these shores in November. The match itself was a hard fought and wearing battle of the big men, both trading stiff shots, outside assaults and some great selling by both men. Kane reversing a Tombstone Piledriver attempt into one of his own for the win.

Putting a tag team turmoil stipulation on the World Tag team bout added something to the Hart Dynasty’s title defence. The pairings subsequent loss early into the match meaning that we were guaranteed new champs no matter what. The remaining teams of The Uso’s, Kozlov/Marello, Henry/Bourne and Rhodes/McIntyre all played their parts well here. Each putting in the work to keep the crowd warm after the previous match. McIntyre and Rhodes proving to be the better team as they put away Bourne and Henry for the win.

The shows finale was a great way to round of a very good event. The Six Pack elimination challenge for Sheamus’ WWE Title certainly had its fair share of memorable moments and set-pieces. Chris Jericho was the first to be knocked out of the match (much to his and the rest of his opponents apparent shock), he’ll now concentrate on his band Fozzy for a while.

Randy Orton, Wade Barrett, Edge, John Cena and Sheamus all worked hard to emphasise just how important the title is to them, many dropping to pinfalls though. The finale saw Nexus lay waste to Orton and face off against Cena, Orton was able withstand the assault though and hit an RKO on fellow survivor Sheamus to get the pin and well deserved belt.

Night of the champions was a far better effort from the WWE than expected, there are sill qualms about the PG emphasis and lack of blood or violence, but in-ring and storyline wise the company proved they can do it if they need to.