Pads & Panels

Title: Over the Limit 2011

Format: DVD

Studio: WWE Home Video

Review by: Bill Jones

Over the Limit has been a strange pay per view for the last few years in World Wrestling Entertainment. Its speedometer and car theme seems entirely random, in comparison to its wrestling theme, which mostly seems to be that John Cena has an annual “I Quit” match that mostly consists of him being whooped for an unbearably long time, only to refuse to quit and eventually prevail. It’s like the writer of The Passion of the Christ is called in to handle this PPV once a year. This time, Cena’s getting whooped by The Miz and his protégé, Alex Riley. It’s unbearably long and boring, and like a superhero, Cena takes a ridiculous amount of punishment and never gives up, only to slap a quick finisher on The Miz, who taps immediately. WWE should not be allowed to have these matches anymore, if that’s how they book them, because this is an awful excuse for sports entertainment. (more…)

No matter what happens at MITB, Punk rant was brilliant

How WWE is playing a hometown, the internet and more

By Bill Jones

No matter what happens at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view in Chicago this Sunday, there’s no denying that the already infamous June 27 Monday Night Raw rant was an absolutely brilliant move. And its impact is already readily apparent. More people are buzzing about the world of professional wrestling than they have in years; WWE is likely to get great buyrates for a PPV that otherwise might have been considered second-rate and gone largely under the radar; people were chanting CM Punk’s name on Raw tonight; and there is the setup for some great shock value in Punk’s hometown.

For those coming to this story unfamiliar with the situation, CM Punk came out at the end of Monday Night Raw June 27, cost John Cena a tables match against R Truth, and proceeded to sit at the top of the ramp and cut a promo that had many wondering whether it was scripted or whether CM Punk had really just gone off the hinges. (more…)

Title: Bragging Rights 2010

Format: DVD

Studio: WWE Home Video

Review by: Bill Jones

Bragging Rights – another chance for a big tag battle squandered by World Wrestling Entertainment. The company’s annual event features a 7-on-7 tag team elimination bout between the rosters of Raw and Smackdown. But there are no great team ups, or interesting situations presented by the eliminations – only poorly handled storylines and bad wrestling. Meanwhile, Kane and Undertaker end the current incarnation of their brotherly battle in a disappointing Buried Alive match, and John Cena is forced to stand in Wade Barrett’s corner during a title match with Randy Orton. But when the announcers spend the last few minutes of the broadcast trying to explain what went down, the in-ring storytelling clearly isn’t getting the job done. (more…)

Title: Night of Champions 2010

Format: DVD

Studio: WWE Home Video

Review by: Bill Jones

Night of Champions is a wholly better pay-per-view than Summer Slam (which preceded it), largely do to its fantastic main event, a Six-Pack Challenge Match for the WWE Championship between Sheamus, John Cena, Randy Orton, Edge, Chris Jericho and Wade Barrett. With the match, WWE’s writers and wrestlers pull together the (nowadays) rare feats of telling good stories though the match and offering plenty of interesting wrestling team-ups with the six competitors in the ring. Kane vs. Undertaker is underwhelming though, looking exactly like what it is, an aged version of an old storyline between two guys who have been around for a long time. Many of the other matches are lackluster, but the United States Championship Match between The Miz and Daniel Bryan shines. And again, the main event nearly makes it worth the price of admission on its own. (more…)