Last Sunday was the first WWE Pay-Per-View at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. Vince and company having been kicking around name changes too many of their PPV’s and this was one of the first ones to debut.
The name of the event was Hell in a Cell. All three main events were to take place in the most demonic structure ever created for a professional wrestling match: Hell in a Cell. The Hell in a Cell cage is no ordinary cage. The photo proves it.
The event kicked off with an awesome fireworks display. The WWE still has some of the best television production around. The first match of the night is…Undertaker vs. CM Punk? Huh? The World Heavyweight title match is on first? I totally expected this match to be the main event. My friend Nick and I couldn’t believe it. I asked him when was the last time the Undertaker opened a Pay-Per-View? He couldn’t come up with an answer. One of the main reasons I even decided to go to this event was for the Undertaker. Whatever the case…his entrance is worth the price of admission alone. It still gives me goose bumps and every hardcore wrestling fan will tell you the same.
Undertaker won the match and the title (what a surprise). The match itself didn’t last that long and there weren’t any big spots. WWE is staying away from the blood and crazy high spots as the show is now PG-13. I despise this. I miss the days of guys climbing to the top of the Cell and flying off or crashing through it. I miss the blood. Oh well, I guess the WWE is smart in marketing their product towards the younger kids because they buy the merchandise. Taker is also in bad shape. The man can barely walk and his knees and hips are close to being replaced. I give the man credit for still being able to put on a decent wrestling match. His last match of course was one of the greatest matches of all-time at WrestleMania 25 back in April (More on that later). His time is coming to an end and he’s had a hell of a career. The younger generation of fans should be honored they get to watch a living legend perform in the ring.
The next few matches were all filler until the next main event. The highlights included a great Intercontinental Title match between young stars John Morrison and Dolph Ziggler. I can see these two guys feuding for the I-C title for awhile. Their chemistry reminds me of the chemistry Mr. Perfect and Bret Hart had together in matches. Both of these guys are future main-eventers. Another highlight was the tag team title match between Jeri-Show (Chris Jericho and Big Show) against the returning Batista and Rey Mysterio. Jericho is one of my all-time favorite wrestlers and no one plays the a**hole heel like he does. Batista is another guy at the tail end of his career. He is slow and lethargic in the ring and does the same moves over and over. I don’t understand why people cheer him anymore. It was good to see Show and Jericho retain the titles after Show knocked Mysterio out cold in mid-air with his fist.
The next main event was WWE Champ John Cena facing off against his rival Randy Orton. Orton and Cena have feuded for years and the latest installment hasn’t brought anything different. They put on better matches than Orton and Triple H do so I’ll give them that. Once again, the Cell didn’t serve much purpose aside from the two men throwing each other into it. The big shocker here was Randy Orton getting a clean win over John Cena to regain the WWE title. I was pleasantly surprised to see that happen. Cena rarely loses cleanly to a heel these days. The best part was seeing Cena’s shocked face as Orton walked out of the ring and to the back.
A triple threat United States title match followed between champ Kofi Kingston, The Miz, and Jack Swagger. I think all three of these guys are super talented and will be in the WWE for a long time. I am especially surprised with the Miz’s improvement in the past year. When he first arrived on the WWE scene he was very green. He messed up his lines on the mic and you could tell he was nervous. Here was a guy that got famous from an MTV reality show with a dream of becoming a WWE Superstar. He earned his way into the WWE through their Tough Enough contest. In the past year, the Miz has gone from being apart of one of the best tag teams ever (Miz and Morrison), to being one of the best heels on the mic. He cut one of the funniest promos I’ve ever heard before the match started degrading the city of Newark and the state of New Jersey.
Everyone was surprised that the DX vs. Legacy match was the main event. Rarely will you see a non-World title match be the last match on a Pay-Per-View. Legacy (Ted DiBiase Jr. and Cody Rhodes) had gotten the better of DX at last month’s PPV by making Shawn Michaels submit. Legacy attacked Triple H and Michaels as they made their way to the ring. They had the perfect strategy. Divide and conquer. They managed to knock out Triple H, drag Michaels into the Cell and lock it shut. Rhodes and DiBiase proceeded to maim and maul Michaels as Triple H tried desperately to break into the cage. Triple H left the ringside area and returned 5 minutes later with a pair of gardening sheers. He cut the chain locks with the sheers and entered the cage to save Michaels. Once DX gained the upper hand, Michaels and Trips dragged DiBiase out of the cage and locked themselves in it with Rhodes. Legacy got a dose of their own medicine. One Superkick and sledgehammer shot later and DX was victorious.
Overall, the PPV was not great at all. There was 1 backstage segment all night and there were no surprises. What happened to the shocking events that took place at WWE events? It seems like all the focus now goes into the pre-match montage videos. Don’t get me wrong, those videos are amazing. I’m an aspiring video editor that would love to work for WWE and create those montage videos. But there’s always a feeling that something is missing when you go to a WWE event. I don’t know what it is. It was great to see the Undertaker, Jericho, and DX; but how much longer will these guys be around? In about 5 to 10 years, I will no longer recognize anyone on a WWE roster. That’s the sad part. WWE needs to build new stars. They are on their way with Rhodes, DiBiase, Miz, Kingston, Swagger, Morrison, and Ziggler. Even though the show itself wasn’t great I always have a good time going to a live WWE show. There’s something about being there. The crowd, the lights, the theme songs, the pyros; it’s a great experience.
Be on the lookout for my WrestleMania 25 review. It’s been 6 months since I came back from Houston, Texas and I just never got around to writing it. I can promise you it will be epic.
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