WWE Extreme Rules thoughts
There were two new world champions crowned at WWE’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view Sunday night.
One is literally a new world champion, and it felt as if we were watching something special when the veteran finally captured the championship belt. The other new champ, however, is anything but, and his victory felt like it was just the same old, same old.
Christian defeated Alberto Del Rio in a Ladder Match to shatter the glass ceiling and claim the world heavyweight title that had been vacated by his best friend Edge, while John Cena toppled defending WWE champion The Miz and John Morrison in a Steel Cage Match to become a 10-time world champ.
Both matches were very good, as was the show overall. The Randy Orton-CM Punk Last Man Standing Match and Rey Mysterio-Cody Rhodes Falls Count Anywhere Match also delivered.
It was a good night to be a babyface, as the good guys (and girl) went over in seven of the eight matches. The lone heel victory went to Michael Cole – of all people – and Jack Swagger, who defeated Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross in a Country Whipping Match.
In other noteworthy developments, Kharma – formerly known as Awesome Kong – made her WWE debut by attacking Michelle McCool moments after McCool had lost a Loser Leaves WWE Match to Layla, and Kofi Kingston defeated Sheamus to bring the U.S. title to Raw.
Here is a match-by-match look at the show:
John Cena defeated WWE champion The Miz and John Morrison in a Steel Cage Match to win the title (19:53): The Miz immediately tried to climb out of the cage but Cena and Morrison pulled him down. Miz hit the Skull-Crushing Finale on Cena just four minutes into the match, but he couldn’t make the cover because he had to stop Morrison from climbing out. There was a scary moment just past the 5-minute mark, as Cena and Morrison double-suplexed Miz off the top of the cage and back into the ring. Miz appeared to land awkwardly on his neck, but he made it through the rest of the match. There was a lot of action on top of the cage throughout the contest, including several spots in which two of the participants traded blows up there. At the 9:15 mark, Miz tried to escape through the door while Cena and Morrison exchanged punches above him. Morrison managed to kick the door into Miz’s face, but then he ended up crotching himself on the door, and Miz dragged him back in the cage. In a cool spot at 13:25, Morrison hit Starship Pain off the top of the cage onto a standing Cena and Miz. About a minute later, Morrison was nearly through the door when R-Truth suddenly appeared and hit a running knee to Morrison’s head against the ring steps.
R-Truth then stepped inside the cage and attacked both Morrison and Cena. He never touched Miz, who was selling on the mat the entire time. R-Truth then climbed out of the cage in a symbolic move to show that he could have won the match had he been in it. Miz stirred, saw that his two opponents were down and began climbing the cage. Cena went to get him, and the two battled on top of the cage and then on the top rope, where Miz attempted to deliver the Skull-Crushing Finale. Cena countered it and hit the Attitude Adjustment off the top rope. He then covered Miz to win the match and regain a championship that he had not held since last June. I think taking the belt off The Miz at this point and putting it back on Cena is the wrong call, but let’s see where things go from here. I suppose we could be getting a title program between Cena and Alberto Del Rio, which would be fresh. Hopefully, The Miz will remain in the hunt and not slip to the upper mid-card. Morrison – who gained more credibility as a potential main-eventer in this match – is obviously going to be feuding with R-Truth.
Christian defeated Alberto Del Rio in a Ladder Match to win the vacant world heavyweight title (21:07): Cena’s title win may have been a bit anti-climactic (some critics might say it was actually groan-inducing), but Christian’s milestone victory was dramatic and emotional. The crowd was hotter for this than any other match on the card and really wanted to see Christian win, as a “Let’s go Christian” chant began right after the opening bell. After some good back-and-forth action, things really started to pick up around the 13-minute mark. As Christian – who had some nasty bruises on his back and side from absorbing blows from the ladder – was attempting to do a move with the ladder from the top rope, Del Rio connected with an Enziguri, which sent the ladder crashing down to the mat and Christian on top of it. A few minutes later, Christian speared Del Rio, which got a big pop. There was a great false finish at the 16:35 mark when Del Rio pulled Christian off the ladder and Christian became trapped between the rungs. Christian watched helplessly as Del Rio climbed the ladder and was about to take down the championship belt suspended above the ring. Christian, however, slipped free at the last second and tipped the ladder over. A minute later, Del Rio had Christian draped across a ladder that was bridged between the ring and the announce table. He came off the top rope, but Christian moved and Del Rio landed hard on the ladder. Christian then set up a ladder in the ring, and with Del Rio motionless on the floor, the crowd sensed that victory was imminent.
However, Brodus Clay then entered the ring and pulled the ladder away, which left Christian dangling. Clay pulled Christian down and put him on his shoulders, but Christian wiggled free and managed to throw Clay into a ladder. Christian then nailed him in the face with a small ladder. That legitimately busted open Clay, who was lying in a pool of blood outside the ring. After Del Rio got back in the ring, he put Christian’s arm through the ladder and applied the Cross Armbreaker. Believing Christian – who also was bleeding from the forehead – was sufficiently weakened, Del Rio began to climb the ladder. Just as Del Rio was about to grab the belt, the recently-retired Edge drove into the arena in a jeep and began honking the horn, which distracted Del Rio. That allowed Christian time to recover, and he tipped over the ladder, sending Del Rio over the top rope and onto Clay and Ricardo Rodriguez. With Edge cheering him on, Christian then scaled the ladder and pulled down the belt. Edge had a big smile on his face and appeared teary-eyed as Christian sat atop the ladder staring at the big gold belt and saying, “I can’t believe it, I can’t believe it.” That was an awesome feel-good moment. Even though Christian had been a world champion in TNA, attaining that status in WWE was something that many figured would never happen. Much like when Jeff Hardy rose to prominence several years ago in WWE, the fans basically willed Christian into a top spot. His moment in the sun – even if it turns out to be short-lived – is well-deserved.
Randy Orton defeated CM Punk in a Last Man Standing Match (20:06): This went on first and got the show off to a strong start. Punk’s fellow Nexus members were banned from ringside before the match began. Punk used a kendo stick to gain the early advantage early. The first false finish occurred at the 10:40 mark, when Orton made it back to his feet at the count of nine after Punk had landed the GTS. A couple minutes later, Punk had a chair set up in the ring and was attempting to Russian Legsweep Orton onto it, but Orton countered with an RKO. Punk got up just before the 10 count. Outside the ring, Punk wrapped a chair around Orton’s neck and slammed him into the ring post, but Orton again beat the 10 count. At the 16-minute mark, Punk tried to hit the GTS on top of the announce table, but Orton turned it into an RKO on the table. Punk, on wobbly knees, was up at the count of eight. Orton then went for the punt to the head outside the ring, but Punk caught him with a GTS onto the ring steps for another nine count. Back in the ring, Orton nailed Punk repeatedly with stiff kendo stick shots to the back. Orton then hit an RKO from the middle rope and both men were down. Orton got to his feet at nine, but Punk could not beat the count this time. This was a solid win for Orton as he transitions into the top spot on Smackdown. I’m curious to see what’s next for Punk.
Rey Mysterio defeated Cody Rhodes in a Falls Count Anywhere Match (11:41): They wasted no time in taking the fight outside the ring, as they battled through the crowd and onto the concourse level. Out there, Mysterio and Rhodes took advantage of their surroundings, incorporating whatever was at their disposal into the match. Rhodes delivered the Beautiful Disaster off a short ledge that – ironically – had a mirror on it, and a few moments later, Mysterio hit a cross-body off the top of a bar. They got back in the ring at the 8:30 mark. A few minutes later, Rhodes charged at Mysterio – who was perched on the top rope – and Mysterio suddenly spewed green mist – ala The Great Kabuki and The Great Muta – into Rhodes’ face. That allowed Mysterio to hit the 619 and springboard splash for the victory. I liked Mysterio doing the old green mist gimmick, but I’m very surprised Rhodes lost the blow-off match to this feud. I figured he needed the win to gain some momentum as a top heel on Smackdown. Mysterio, at this point in his career, wouldn’t have been hurt by the loss.
Michael Cole and Jack Swagger defeated Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross in a Country Whipping Match (7:02): Cole came out wearing bubble wrap all over his body, which was pretty funny. When Lawler hit him with the strap, Cole just laughed because the blows had no effect. As Cole taunted Lawler, however, “The King” punched him in the face and then un-wrapped him, prompting Cole to quickly tag out. Later, the heels worked over Lawler, who eventually tagged in Ross. J.R. whipped Swagger and applied the ankle lock to him. Swagger managed to tag Cole, who wanted no part of Ross. The larger Ross manhandled Cole for a bit, and then after Swagger entered the ring to interfere, Ross gave the “All-American American” a low blow. The momentary distraction by Swagger allowed Cole to get behind Ross and roll up him for a three count. So after all the humiliation that Ross has suffered as of late at the hands of Cole – being doused with barbecue sauce, beaten up and whipped with a belt – he still ended up on the short end. The loss doesn’t make Lawler look too good, either, since he picked the stipulation for the match and still couldn’t win. Cole has to get his comeuppance at some point, right?
Kofi Kingston defeated U.S. champion Sheamus in a Tables Match to win the title (9:08): The story of this match was that Sheamus was in control for much of it but couldn’t put Kingston away. Then, when Kingston saw an opening, he seized it and won the match. Kingston’s athleticism was on display throughout the bout. One spot saw Kingston charge across the ring at Sheamus, who was propped up against a table in the corner, but Sheamus moved and Kingston jumped up on the ropes and did a split to avoid running into the table. Later, Sheamus delivered a Brogue Kick that sent Kingston over the top rope, but instead of crashing onto the table that was outside the ring, Kingston leaped over it. The finish was impressive, as Kingston hit a soaring Boom Drop off the top rope onto Sheamus, who was lying on a table outside the ring. The impact sent Sheamus through the table and gave Kingston the win. It will be interesting to see where Kingston goes from here, as he hasn’t exactly been on a roll as of late. As for Sheamus, dropping the U.S. title frees him up to get back in the main event mix on Smackdown.
Layla defeated Michelle McCool in a No-Disqualification, No-Countout, Loser Leaves WWE Match (5:23): The showdown between the former LayCool BFF’s wasn’t bad, but I expected more. The effort was there on the part of both women, but they really could have used another four or five minutes. At the 4:15 mark, Layla maneuvered out of McCool’s attempted Faith Breaker and hit her Face Lift finisher, but McCool got her foot on the rope after a two count. McCool then hit the Faith Breaker, but she hesitated before going for the pin. She leaned back nonchalantly on Layla, who suddenly countered with a crucifix pin for the victory. I wish Layla – since she is the one who is sticking around – would have won more convincingly, as this came off as a bit of a fluke, almost like McCool beat herself rather than Layla truly getting the better of her. Both women were in tears after the match. After Layla left, Kharma came out and made her way to the ring. McCool looked terrified, as Kharma stalked her and then delivered the Implant Buster. By having Kharma attack the top female heel, it established that she is going after all the Divas, not just the babyfaces. WWE cut to a shot backstage of several of the Divas watching on the monitor and looking concerned about Kharma’s arrival on the scene.
WWE tag team champions The Big Show and Kane defeated Wade Barrett and Ezekiel Jackson in a Lumberjack Match (4:16): This unannounced match was inserted as a buffer between the two world title matches (the spot typically reserved for Divas matches). The lumberjacks were the NXT guys and regulars from the WWE Superstars show. It’s interesting that Jackson was booked to look strong, while Barrett came off as a chump. After Big Zeke body-slammed The Big Show, Barrett tagged himself in, quickly fell victim to a choke slam and was pinned. Jackson did not look pleased. The lumberjacks began brawling with each other after the match, and Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater ended up in the ring, where they were choke-slammed by Big Show and Kane. Color commentator Booker T. summed it up best when he said, “Not a good night for The Corre.”
Photo of Edge and Christian courtesy of WWE
Comments
This is what Wrestlemania should have been. The crowd felt a little dead, but the matches were all top notch, including the Diva match which had some tremendous action.
And damn, that Kharma music was chilling.
Posted by: Sam | May 2, 2011 3:14 PM
It's refreshing to see Christian become the World Heavyweight champion in WWE.
Posted by: Jimmy Bellamy | May 2, 2011 3:19 PM
I think it was kind of ironic that John Cena wins the WWE championship that night the world found out Osma Bin Laden was dead the he tells WWE universe also why does creative team keep going on and on with Cole and Jerry Lawler nobody cares about this feud what are they trying to get out of it .
Posted by: ryan | May 2, 2011 3:55 PM
I thought this was a fantastic PPV, and one of the best I've seen in a while. And I have to say I found this more entertaining than I did WrestleMania. At least the main event delivered big time here, while the main event of WrestleMania was an anti-climactic stinker...Morrison had some sick spots, R-Truth was awesomely aggressive when he entered the cage, and Miz/Cena were also quite good in the match.
I also really enjoyed Christian winning his first world title in an excellent ladder matchup; Punk vs. Orton; Kofi vs. Sheamus; and Mysterio vs. Rhodes. I thought most of the matches were given the proper time to develop, especially the opener (Orton vs. Punk, you usually don't see the first match go 20+ mins)
Posted by: Ryan | May 2, 2011 4:00 PM
Comeuppance for Cole? It's called the fast forward button. & if they keep pushing him, it'll be the channel button because I'd rather watch the cooking channel than watch this garbage.
Posted by: bzdryvr | May 2, 2011 4:09 PM
I'm not totally convinced Layla is a face. Wade Barrett was kicked out of Nexus and remained a heel when the general rule is that if you are a heel wronged by a heel, you become a face. I think she's gonna remain a heel despite being the one to cry over Michelle.
Posted by: Don | May 2, 2011 4:17 PM
If you think about it, we should have seen John Cena's win coming. Let's say the Miz had won last night like everyone predicted, he would have won 2 straight PPVs versus Cena and pretty much killed that feud. That would have been fine by me, but who would he have feuded with to lead into the next PPV? There are no baby faces left.
By putting the strap on Cena, they at least open the door to many decent storylines. First they will set up the rematch between Cena & Miz for the next PPV. Then Cena will retain and they can set up the Del Rio vs Cena feud. This could open the door for a Miz vs. Stone Cold lead up for SummerSlam to keep the Miz in the spotlight, but not as a WWE title contender.
Posted by: Doug V | May 2, 2011 5:19 PM
Hey Kev, what do you think the chances are that cena holds the title until next mania?
Posted by: Lee Baxter | May 2, 2011 6:09 PM
No imagination. That's all that needs be said for creative at WWE. No one over the age of 12 would've been impressed with the WWE title match's outcome. If they really felt it that important to take the title off The Miz, they could have at least given it to Morrison, a man who was more in ring ability than Cena could ever hope for. It also could have given us a Miz Morrison feud or at least made a R-Truth and Morrison's feud more compelling. Oh well, just gotta hope that Del Rio continues to deliver the goods on Raw.
Two quick questions Kev; firstly, you said last month how impressed you were at Cole becoming the biggest heel in WWE, but I've gotta ask if you feel, like I do, that he's now beginning to move from legitimate heat to more go-away heat following these continued victories without any payoff?
Secondly, I've noticed that Orton seems to be now able to consistently pull the RKO off regularly out of nowhere, or manage to make Cena like recovery's after significant beatings, so I guess I'm curious if we're beginning to see a Super-Orton like we have with Super-Cena?
RESPONSE FROM KE: I still enjoy Cole as a heel character, but I may be in the minority. I don't think Orton is a Superman character as much as I just think that WWE is establishing that the RKO is Orton's great equalizer.
Posted by: Nick Jolley | May 2, 2011 6:13 PM
Who was that guy in the lumberjack match wearing a JBL hat?
RESPONSE FROM KE: Believe it or not, that was David Hart Smith.
Posted by: Cory | May 2, 2011 6:17 PM
I was just wondering..could it be possible that Vinny Mac/WWE called an audible last night when the news came out bout Bin Laden - that they dediced to have Cena win ..because of tis close ties with the military ?
Posted by: Jam | May 2, 2011 6:54 PM
When Cena announced that Bin Laden was dead, I began to wonder if the WWE will ever bring back Muhammad Hassan?
Posted by: wrzesien | May 2, 2011 7:20 PM
My wife's out of town, so I actually got a chance to watch this show. First off, I thought Josh Matthews and Booker T were very good on commentary, even when Cole was out there. I think part of the reason Cole's been so annoying of late in his heel commentator role is that Lawler can never seem to put him in his place. I just don't think his heart's in to being the babyface.
I agree, it was a very good show. Yeah, Rhodes could have used the win, but he did win at WM, and Rey's using the green mist to take him out sure helps him keep his heat. BTW, I loved that Booker mentioned the Great Muta; I wonder if Vince did?
I've a feeling Kharma's attack on Michelle sets her up to be a babyface when she returns. Hopefully, not as an All-American Girl.
I sort of wondered if they might give Punk the big win to help keep him happy, but it was not to be. I also don't know where he goes from here. He's going to be behind Del Rio and Miz chasing Cena, Morrison's battling R-Truth, so what other babyface is there? Oh God, not the Big Show....
And finally.... I know it's not his call, so I shouldn't think John Cena's a jerk for upstaging Christian... but I think John Cena's a jerk for upstaging Christian. If Christian finally winning the title wasn't going to be the final image of the show, it should have at least been the lasting one; now, it's just buried under another Cena title win. I think Christian probably only got the title as a favor to Edge, but the powers that be should take note that the crowd EXPLODED when he won. What a great moment. John Cena is a jerk.
Hey, did anyone else notice the Orton and Cena matches both had the same finish, a top-rope (super) version of their respective finishers?
Posted by: Ken Raining | May 2, 2011 7:21 PM
I've learned over the years that "really" rooting for someone to win when it comes to pro wrestling is a bad idea, because more often than not you get let down by the outcome, and you knew you shouldn't have been "really" rooting in the first place. But I was "really" rooting hard for Christian to win, even though I kept telling myself that there was no way they were actually going to let Christian win. But then it happened, and Christian was on top of that ladder, holding The World Heavyweight "Title" above his head in victory, and it was glorious.
Christian is a guy that fans can live vicariously through, and when he won the world title, we won the world title as well. It's so special because this wasn't supposed to happen, but it did. And now a lengthly title run for Christian probably isn't supposed to happen either, but I'm hoping it will. If the fans willed this to happen, then we've gotten Christian this far, so why stop here?
The next person I was rooting for was John Morrison, and I absolutely knew he wasn't going to win, but I always felt he was worthy of being in the main event, and he put on a spectacular performance just like I always believed he could. The Miz did as well and he continues to prove that he is a star and this is only the beginning for him. But seeing Cena win does nothing for me any more, and I can't wait until they get the belt off of him. I respect Cena, he's the biggest star in the business, but his character is so stale, I just don't care about him any more.
And I'll give credit where credit is due. R-Truth has been at the top of my future endeavors list for months, but his heel turn, has changed it all around. He's taken the ball and is running with it and it's good to see. Now if we could just get Kofi Kingston a character adjustment, then that would be great to see as well. And yeah due to affirmative action they had to put a belt on a minority, but Kingston's character is still going no where fast.
It was good to see Kharma "Awesome Kong" again, and I hope she flourishes in the WWE. It will be interesting to see how they use her going forward. They have a great opportunity to take the Diva's division to whole new level, we'll see if they actually do it. You lose Michelle McCool and add Kharma in the same night, and the Divas just became much more interesting.
Posted by: Maurice B. | May 2, 2011 7:40 PM
That's a damn shame. Miz was really building a strong character. Having him drop the title seems like a really bad choice. I mean, it's not like anyone thought Morrison had a real chance, but to put the belt back on Cena, who at this point should be helping to put over younger guys, just shows that all McMahon cares about is money.
I ask this in all seriousness. Who is Michael Cole blackmailing? He's on more than anyone else. Tonight, he interrupted the Rock's promo. Seriously, what does he have pictures of Vince doing? It was never entertaining to me, but now it's just unwatchable.
Posted by: Kyle | May 2, 2011 9:45 PM
Ok so HHH retained at WM16, then lost the belt at the next PPV. Randy Orton retained at WM24, lost the belt at the next PPV. Now Miz retained at WM27, lost the belt at the next PPV. I am missing the point of a heel winning at WrestleMania if he's just going to lose the title a month later.
I think the lone exception to a heel champion retaining at WrestleMania and keeping it significantly past the event was HHH in 2003, beating Booker at WM19 and retaining until Sept.
Posted by: Mr. Sarcasm | May 2, 2011 9:56 PM
When did DH Smith adopt a cowboy gimmick? That Lumberjack match was the first time I've seen him in a cowboy hat.
Posted by: Mr. Sarcasm | May 2, 2011 9:58 PM
Why do I have a bad feeling Cena is going to keep the title until Wrestlemania? That will be their angle to keep Cena "fresh" until then? No, even WWE's hack creative staff wouldn't be that stupid.....oh who am I kidding, they are!
Posted by: MechanicalBull | May 2, 2011 11:50 PM
It was so time for The Miz to drop the title!!!!! THE CHAMP IS HERE!!!!!!!!!! I really don't get how Cena is not talented, he's the best superstar in the business. He's got the best mic skills and is quite good in the ring as well. There's a reason he's been the champ so much, it's cuz he's the best! Anyways, I so wanna see a feud between Kharma and Beth Phoenix, hopefully with Beth coming out on top because she's gorgeous and Kharma's sooooo ugly.
Posted by: Eli Arbaiza | May 3, 2011 1:51 AM
I am over the moon for Christian, who should have already had multiple title reigns by this stage. He is that good, and is totally over right now. The real fans know he deserves it, and hopefully he gets to run with it for a while.
No one can take this moment away from him. I feel the same way about this one as I did when Bret Hart won his first world title. A guy who had been consistently brilliant for years but never getting the recognition, finally reaching the top.
A Punk-Christian feud would be amazing in my opinion, but I think Punk will leave, and who can blame him. He is booked horribly, despite being THE best performer in the industry today.
Cena winning the title and staying on Raw is killing WWE. Genuine fans are beyond bored by everything he does. There has been no evolution in his in-ring or mic "skills", same old boring crap we've had since day one.
WWE needs to think outside the box and give a heel a long run with the belt. Cena winning yet again is turning away fans over the age of 5 in their droves. Is Vince trying to tell me that Cena is the only option for the title? It seems anyone else who wins it is really only keeping it warm for Cena, and I'm sick fed up of it.
Posted by: Andrew | May 3, 2011 3:33 AM
I saw D.H. Smith with the hat on Superstars this week (didn't someone say that show was getting cancelled?) I'm guessing the cowboy gimmick makes sense because of the close ties between Calgary and the Harts. For those who don't know Alberta is kind of like Canada's Texas and then there's the Calgary Stampede and what not.
As for Cena getting the belt I'm guessing it is more to open up some feuds over the summer. Who knows, maybe Del Rio gets his first world title from Cena at Summerslam.
I think with Morrison they need to develop his promos at house shows and for now just have him wrestle great matches with a few of those awesome moves he pulls off. When he wrestles it kind of reminds me of the excitement I felt when watching the Hardy's or luchadors (biggest thing I miss about WCW) when I was a teenager a decade ago.
Posted by: Matthew | May 3, 2011 3:34 AM
Completely disagree on the Cena argument - it would have been more tedious to see Miz 'win' it at the end via outside interruption - yet again. Part of Miz's character is running his luck NOT being a Cena equivalent in talent. It is time to get Cena back at the front.
Morrison must be highlighted as well for an amazing performance.
The Orton/Punk match was excellent - so much better than the Wrestlemania one which just disappointed - which probably applies to some degree to all matches. Even enjoyed the Diva match - rare !!
Posted by: njg_london | May 3, 2011 7:31 AM
Mr Sarcasm, Calgary is actually a cow town (well originally) A lot of people up there still wear country gear so it may not have been a gimmick and if it was hopefully it will rejuvenate his career before he ends up on Future endeavours list
Posted by: Angelique | May 3, 2011 8:33 AM
Doug V, the Miz vs Cena feud could have been stretched to one more PPV if the Miz had pinned John Morrison at this three-way. That was what many of us were expecting. Also, the Miz could feud with Rey Mysterio & the Big Show for a few more months while Cena could have feud with Alberto Del Rio, CM Punk & R-Truth, among other possible choices. There was no real need to put the championship belt back on Cena and like Kev said, doing so just felt like the same old, same old. What a disappointing end to the PPV.
Posted by: Anonymous | May 3, 2011 9:50 AM
Christian winning the World Heavyweight Title sure should have been the final moment of the show but we all know Cena's place in the company by now.
I still really enjoyed the main event but its Christian's victory that I'll always remember. Awesome stuff.
Posted by: Andy | May 3, 2011 10:03 AM
Hey Kevin,
Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe Christian is now one of only three people (the other two being Ric Flair and Buddy Rodger) to have held the world titles in the NWA and WWE.
Posted by: Jersey Joel | May 3, 2011 11:30 AM
I don't get how you can have "Super" Cena, and like that the only lose Orton got in about a year was after being beat down by 8 guys.
Orton matches are the most boring. The RKO out of nowhere is such a given, that it's just waiting it to happen. And he is NEVER winded out in the aftermath. It always seems that could have won at any moment. IF that is not supper, I don't know what it is. Ans his character? "I'm evil and disturbed, but not that evil 'cause I'm face now" is really lame. He is a heel in personality and in the ring, but doesn't make run ins, backstage attacks and referee distractions. Pretty much because he doesn't need then now. He is booked in a such invincible way, that he is the true super human in wwe.
It's very sad see him bury Sheamus and now Punk. I'd rather see a Punk / Morrison feud than orton/ anyone.
Posted by: balard | May 3, 2011 12:42 PM
Appreciate all the comments here but willingly state that The Miz had the belt for toooo long and should not have had the belt in the first place. Putting the belt on The Miz just made for unconvincing television and I gladly switched to NASCAR every time he appeared on television. I could get behind most any other wrestler but he was just a bad call.
Posted by: Mitchell | May 3, 2011 1:07 PM
Like Maurice B, I was also really 'rooting' for Christian, and was overjoyed when he won the title - he is the most overlooked star on the WWE roster, and it was a hugely satisfying moment when he stood atop the ladder and lifted the big belt.
Whilst the circumstances leading up to his title win were far from ideal, I hope that he is rewarded with the long title reign that he deserves.
Posted by: Ben Veal | May 3, 2011 2:01 PM
@Eli Arbaiza: John Cena cuts serviceable promos; he is FAR from having "the best mic skills" in the business. He displays a baffling lack of recognition of when he needs to be serious. Frankly, it's hard to accept him as the top guy in the business when he's constantly cutting promos that would get him thrown off Tough Enough.
I ask this to you, and everyone else, in all seriousness: PLEASE tell me the one thing he does better then anyone else in wrestling, because I've been watching the guy at the top of the card for eight years now, and I still don't see it. And I think he legitimately earned his way to the top, because his work on Smackdown when he was rising was great. He was the best thing on the show. But he hit the main event and his skill set just plateaued. He's the stalest act in wrestling, and his program with the Rock has exposed his limitations.
Posted by: Ken Raining | May 3, 2011 7:49 PM
Very disappointed with tables matches lately; they are too often booked to have the dominant guy lose a title match without looking weak (Sheamus/Cena, Orton/Miz, Sheamus/Kofi). And are we really expected to believe that Sheamus would spend all that time casually leaning against the table with his back to his opponent?
I marked out for Christian in a big way. Can't see Cena keeping the title all the way to 'Mania. I will continue to hope for Christian vs Rhodes and Punk vs Morrison for the two big titles.
Posted by: Starbjuk | May 3, 2011 8:11 PM
Just a few random thoughts while watching Extreme Rules.
Was Michelle McCool trying to use Last Ride?
I thought Randy Orton - CM Punk was too much selling, not enough working.
I liked how Mysterio - Rhodes matches are booked. It would make perfect sense that Mysterio would be able to out-wrestle Rhodes for the finish (roll-up, green mist). Cody still put up a great showing in all of the matches though, regardless of the finish.
And I thought the fact that Rey used green mist was more of a Tajiri reference rather than a Great Muta reference on Rey's part, although Booker would be more familiar with Great Muta.
Finally, I hope Christian is not a 1 pay-per-view champion...
Posted by: Jun | May 3, 2011 9:42 PM
@ Ken Raining: There's a reason why John Cena is always on top, it's because he's one of the best. If he really sucked do you think McMahon would give him so many titles? I will say that he should change his gimmick, proly go back to rapping, but that's creative team's fault, not Cena's. However, I still find him very entertaining on the mic. As far as in the ring, he sells moves very well, and while not the most technical, he's a heck of a brawler and has had some great matches over his career. Check out his matches in 07 against Umaga and The Great Khali: he made them look better than anyone else ever has.
Posted by: Eli Arbaiza | May 4, 2011 3:35 AM
Some other thoughts from me:
Personally I actually enjoy the Cole vs. Lawler feud, I think it adds to the show having the commentators argue during the show. I hate Cole but that's because he's a great heel.
Also: does anyone think a woman should win the WWE or World Heavyweight Championship? I'd like to see Kharma and Beth Phoenix have a monster feud with the glamazon eventually becoming the first woman to ever win a world title. I love the glamazon, so strong and sexy! Seriously, I'd mark-out big time to a kharma vs. glamazon feud, phoenix is my favorite diva.
Posted by: Eli Arbaiza | May 4, 2011 3:41 AM
Did DH Smith steal Uncle Bret's original WWF gimmick?
Posted by: that guy | May 4, 2011 9:43 AM
Ken Raining:
What does Cena do better than anyone else in wrestling or sports entertainment? He sells merchandise.
Posted by: paulie | May 4, 2011 11:52 AM
@wrzesien: It would be nice to see Hassan back. I wonder what he did backstage to be practically black balled from wrestling, yet Davari was around in both TNA and WWE for awhile.
Great to see Christian as champion. I really have to say its about time.
What is next for CM Punk?
Posted by: Peter | May 4, 2011 2:25 PM
@Jersey Joel: Rob Van Dam held the WWE title and the TNA title.
Posted by: Peter | May 4, 2011 3:39 PM
Pretty sure I remember Daivari acknowledging after Hassan was gone that he wasn't too bothered by it. He was an Italian American actor and basically moved on with his acting career whereas Daivari had really wanted to be a wrestler. I could be wrong though.
Posted by: Matthew | May 5, 2011 12:29 AM
Kenny, it's called charisma. Cena's got "it" - not to mention the best look in the business. And he may not be an all-time great with mike skills, but quite frankly - he might be the best of the current crop of faces in the business. He's certainly better than Orton - though he's far from the in-ring performer that Orton is.
Posted by: Ruzious | May 5, 2011 12:43 PM
i love jhon cena when he was playing game
Posted by: Mahran | May 8, 2011 9:44 AM