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WWE Extreme Rules PPV Reax #1: "The ending with Punk cashing in on a defenseless Hardy really annoyed me." Jun 7, 2009 - 10:49:45 PM
Zach Ward of Suffolk, U.K. (8.5): Best: Edge vs. Hardy. Worst: Cena vs. Big Show. It's time for WWE to change the stipulations of the Money in the Bank briefcase . Despite the PPV tonight being a really strong effort, the ending with Punk cashing in on a defenseless Hardy really annoyed me and personally, devalues the prestige and honor of a world championship. The ladder match was superb, which it was always going to be with the superstars involved; the spot with both Edge and Hardy crashing through the ladder was insane. Both managed to innovate and used new spots which kept the match fresh and strong. Cage match was surprisingly short, but this definitely was not a bad thing as they are sometimes a little overbooked. It was well paced and pleasing to see Batista again as a world champion. Seeing Tommy Dreamer win the ECW Title was also a personal highlight; the guy has put his life into the business, and the ECW is the recognition the man deserves. Despite my worst predictions on the Hog Pen match, I actually found it rather funny and entertaining, for what it was. The rest of the undercard, the strap match (which I was expecting to be terrible), fatal four-way and Intercontinental match were also very strong which the crowd were very much into. Very interested to see the fallout from Rey's unmasking on Smackdown. Please WWE, never EVER book Big Show and Cena on PPV, Raw or any programming ever again! I have seen Cena FU Big Show so many times, it is not a novelty anymore. The match was slow, uninteresting and dull, and was far too long. Although WWE would never, ever do it, I would love to have Cena turn heel - Cena in 2002, 2003, and 2004 was cool, now he's just a dork. Overall, however, a very strong PPV, which did not over utilize the extreme rules stigma of the event which it has done in the past.
Morgan Ruble of Ottumwa, Iowa (9.0): Best Match: Mysterio vs Jericho. Worst Match: Orton vs Batista. Extreme Rules delivered from start to finish! There will be some who are angered by some of the results, but it is hard to deny this was a great effort by everyone involved. Fatal Four Way was a nice way to start the show and all four men put on an above-average four-way bout. Kingston and especially Regal came off looking strong tonight. Mysterio vs Jericho was a thing of beauty. They rolled back the clock ten years and it was like watching old ECW/WCW matches between the two. Strap Match was something different and both Umaga and Punk did the best they could with the limits that type of match imposes on you. Santina vs Vickie wasn't a match, and went on slightly too long but nice to see Vickie get hers. Giving Tommy Dreamer the win that has alluded him his whole career made the three-way worth it. Nice storytelling with Christian's turn-buckle costing him the gold. Orton vs Batista was surprisingly short. I was glad they left Legacy, Tripel H, and Flair in the back and let these two tell the story. Show vs Cena was average but as usual both were workhorses in the ring and put on the best match they could. Edge and Hardy proved why they are main event stars tonight. Jeff diving for the belt off the falling ladder shows he truly has no fear. The end was priceless, with Edge forced to watch Hardy take the gold. I love Punk and think a feud with either Edge or Hardy will be entertaining, butt let him win a title the right way someday. Overall, I got caught up in Extreme Rules for three solid hours. Even the slow moments and matches were decent and and seemed special and unique. All the surprises made the show unpredictable. Mysterio's unmasking, Jericho and Dreamer's win, Orton and Edge's quick loss, C.M. Punk duping everyone again, and even Vickie and Edge's divorce announcement made this a great event. Something WWE needs more of.
Alex Roberts in the U.K. (4.5): Best Match: Mysterio vs. Jericho Worst Match: Hog Pen Match. Extreme Rules was a giant mess of a pay-per-view. The opening was fun thanks entirely to the efforts of Kofi Kingston and despite the fact it was over in the blink of an eye. Thankfully it was followed by the excellent Jericho-Mysterio match that featured a fantastically inventive and flawlessly executed finish. I eagerly await the Mask vs. Title match that must surely be coming our way at Night of Champions. Umaga-Punk was a forgettable dud. I'd be happy never seeing the strap gimmick ressurected again because there's just no tension or drama in a guy walking around the ring to win. The ECW Title match was surprisingly enjoyable and well executed. Had the WWE spent more time on Dreamer's angle on television then his victory might have actually meant something and people might have actually cared about it. Good match, though. The Hog Pen match wasn't funny or in anyway entertaining. Let's drop this now please, WWE. The WWE Title match was a complete joke. I can live with Batista winning and given how extensively the WWE has killed off my interest in Orton and Legacy it was the right decision however the way Orton was booked tonight was ridiculous and the fact the match didn't last 10-minutes is even worse. Cena-Show was marginally better than their Judgment Day train wreck but Show is still far too plodding and slow to have an exciting or engaging Pay-Per-View match and that finish made absolutely no sense. How can a man submit when he's tangled in the ropes? When did the WWE stop acknowledging rope breaks? It just makes no sense. The World Title Ladder Match was fairly unimpressive. It was just a collection of the same ladder spots strung together with the exception of a clever finish and the ladder fall on the outside that literally made Hardy bounce off the floor. As it is though there's only so many times I can see these spots and really care the law of diminishing returns kicked in for me tonight. Of course the major story of this show was C.M. Punk cashing in Money in the Bank, which is also why my score isn't higher. For the second year in a row the WWE has had Punk cash in this title shot in a way that makes no sense for him as a character. He's supposed to be all about competition and he cashes in after Hardy's just won a Ladder Match? And why on earth am I going to cheer C.M. Punk for screwing Smackdown's top face out of the World Title he just went through hell to get? And why exactly is this the ultimate act of evil when Edge does it but not when Punk does it? Its the exact same act a little consistency would be nice here. Unless this was a heel turn for Punk then this was the single worst piece of booking the WWE has done in years. A horrible end to a largely unenjoyable pay-per-view.
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