2009 Running Pro Wrestling Thread

Matt's head hit those ring steps pretty damn hard. He really looked out of it.

RAW better produce something more on this Orton-HHH feud. WWE has to know that match sucked last night and fans are probably pissed.

 

Given all the commentary about the DQ stipulation early in the main event, I thought for sure they were going to set up a moment where HHH would have to choose between avenging his family and retaining his title.
He chooses avenging his family and the show ends with HHH dropping the strap onto a bloody, unconscious Orton and leaving the ring, satisfied with what he'd done.

 

I don't mind it if something really bad happens, a la Matt hitting his head like that or Taker's jump from the ring onto the cameraman. Was kind of surprised they didn't send anyone out to check on Taker and HBK after that spot.

 

That is a f**king fantastic finish. Would've made the PPV worth it.

 

Agreed. Too bad it makes too much sense.

 

Few random points:

* I don't actually have a huge problem with having HHH go over Orton clean to end the show. First, WM almost always has a happy ending. Twice it didn't -- when HHH won the four-way title match at WM 2000 after Vince turned on the Rock, and when Austin turned heel on Rock to win the title match at the next year's WM X-Seven. The former was, as I understand it, was supposed to have Austin interfere to help Rock win, but he wasn't ready to come back, so they changed the finish and had Rock win at Backlash. The latter might have been a heel turn, but it was Houston and everyone loved Austin. tl;dr -- good guy's gonna win the WM main.

* HHH lost his last six WM matches, so believe it or not, he was kinda due. And I definitely was happy to not see a McMahon turn, because having them on center stage in the end would have pissed y'all off more than simply HHH winning. Really dug the first-minute RKO; if wrestling fans weren't conditioned to expect PPV mains to last a while, and if it weren't for the high expectations for this match, I could have gone for a surprise Orton win in 50 seconds.

* That said, the match sucked ass.

* On the other hand, Wrestlemania -- for all the pomp and circumstance and history and all -- has gone from being the end of the WWF season and the chance to tie up a bunch of storylines to just another show, at least for storyline purposes. Backlash usually gets a handful of WM rematches with stips, and while HHH-Orton II won't take place there (Legacy v. McMahons? Really? Really?), it's coming, it'll probably be a stip match, and they'll now be under the gun to produce the classic everyone expected last night. Hell in a Cell at SummerSlam to blow it off?

* Nothing wrong with CM Punk getting the MITB title again -- it was either Meltzer or Wade Keller who said that all these accomplishments Punk's had will sound good to rattle off when he turns heel sXe. Two MITBs, a world title, a U.S. title, a tag team title ... it's a nice resume and good fodder for when he starts telling us he's better than us.

* Liked the stills montage from WM that opened Raw tonight. Really nice photog work.

* Taker-HBK was a good professional wrestling match.

 

Gotta say, I've enjoyed watching Steamboat the last two nights. Dude has to be pushing 60, but he still moves pretty damn well.

 

Agreed...outstanding work by Ricky. He could come back to the active roster if he so chooses.

Vickie becomes GM of Raw. Noooooooooooooooooo.

 

Vickie becoming the GM of Raw is the worst possible move that WWE could have pulled.

 

So, I guess to make amends for making the unified tag match a dark match they open Raw with the rematch and put a bunch of lumberjacks out there. /yawn

 

And I missed it again. What happened?

 

I did like Santina Marella coming out to Chuck and Billy's old theme. Subtle nice touch.