KELLER'S WWE SUMMERSLAM REPORT
AUGUST 23, 2009
LIVE FROM LOS ANGELES, CALIF.

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-The show's opening was interrupted by Triple H and Shawn Michaels who made hand puppets and then stepped onto the screen, apparently auditioning to become the next hosts for "Blue's Clues." Triple H said Michaels "broke Summerslam." Michaels said he was a TV repairman before becoming a chef, so he can fix it. They went back to the opening of the PPV. Then it "broke" again. Michaels said he only had the TV repairman job for two weeks. Triple H said at least everyone got the message that they're back.

-They went live to the arena where pyro blasted and then Jim Ross introduced the show.

1 -- REY MYSTERIO VS. DOLPH ZIGGLER -- IC Title match

WINNER: Mysterio in 9:00 to retain the IC Title.

STAR RATING: ***1/4 -- Really good opener. That style and pace could have been in teased four stars if they have five to ten more minutes. Nice work to set the pace for the show.

2 -- MVP vs. JACK SWAGGER

WINNER: MVP in 7:00.

STAR RATING: *3/4 -- Decent basic short match.

-They showed Luke Perry in the crowd. Then they aired a video package on all of the guest hosts on Raw recently. Justin Roberts introduced Access Hollywood host Nancy O'Dell, who interviewed Freddie Prinze Jr. She tried to talk him into wearing spandex.

3 -- CHRIS JERICHO & THE BIG SHOW vs. CRYME TYME - Unified Tag Team Title match

WINNERS: Jericho & Show in 11:00 to retain the titles.

STAR RATING: *3/4 -- Pretty one-dimensional match, but it told a logical story with the bigger stars dominating, the babyfaces making a respectable comeback, and the heel duo cheating to ultimately win.

-Matthews interviewed C.M. Punk backstage. He held up a script someone wrote about the life of Jeff Hardy. He said he read it, and the ending had Hardy conquering his demons and retaining his title. He said it was a nice script, but the ending wasn't reality-based. He brought up kids idolizing the star of "Twilight" even if stars like that live destructive lifestyles. He said he doesn't subscribe to the poisonous lifestyle, but he just tells the truth and is accused of being preachy. He said tonight he's going to rewrite the Jeff Hardy story. He said it might be hard for people to watch, but it'll have a happy ending for him. Another promo, showing those who don't watch Smackdown regularly what they're missing.

4 -- KANE vs. THE GREAT KHALI (w/Ranjin Singh)

WINNER: Kane in 6:00.

STAR RATING: 1/2* - About what you'd expect.

-They showed Vince McMahon's Hollywood Walk of Fame star. Then in the crowd they showed Slash and Robert Patrick.

-A video package aired on DX.

5 -- TRIPLE H & SHAWN MICHAELS vs. CODY RHODES & TED DIBIASE

Michaels applied a figure-four at 16:00, but DiBiase interfered. Hunter set up a Pedigree on DiBiase, but Rhodes broke that up. Lawler said he was impressed thus far with how well Legacy scouted DX. Michaels went for Swet Chin Music, but Cody blocked it and after a DiBiase distraction, he hit Crossroads for a near fall. Cole declared that Legacy were about to upset DX, but Hunter broke up the pin. Hunter gave Cody the Pedigree a the ref was trying to get DiBiase out of the ring. DiBiase, though, then gave Michaels his Dream Street finisher as the ref was distracted by Hunter. Hunter went after DiBiase at ringside as the ref began to count both Cody and Michaels down. Both were slow to get up, but they beat the count together at nine. Michrals then surprised Cody with the superkick out of nowhere and scored the clean pin.

WINNERS: DX in 18:00.

STAR RATING: ***3/4 -- A very good match on several levels, including the near falls and dramatic hot tags that were masterfully executed, but what really made it stand out was that it was a star-making performance for Legacy with the announcers really selling it as such. This defined Cody and Ted as being in the league of Shawn and Hunter. They looked like they belonged and it took everything Michaels and Triple H had. There were some slow minutes when Legacy grounded Hunter for several minutes in the first half, but it picked up from there to the end.

6 -- CHRISTIAN vs. WILLIAM REGAL (w/Ezekiel Jackson, Vladimir Kozlov)

Josh Matthews and Matt Striker took over on commentary. At the bell, Christian surprised Regal - still in his robe - with the Kill Switch and scored the pin. Striker flew to L.A. for that? Jackson slammed Christian hard on the mat and then Regal applied the Regal Stretch. Kozlov shouted at a KO'd Christian. Striker called the heels a "ruthless roundtable."

WINNER: Christian in 0:05 to retain the ECW Title.

-A video package aired on Summerslam weekend including a clip of Batista and Roddy Piper.

7 -- RANDY ORTON vs. JOHN CENA - WWE Title match

WINNER: Orton in 18:00.

STAR RATING: **3/4 -- Fundamentally a solid match as you'd expect from these two. The cheating by Orton three times in a row didn't bother me as they told a story of Orton doing everything possible to win, painting a picture that Cena is better by a hair but Orton is more cunning. The problem is with the way the Lillian announcements were handled, which seemed rushed in general and clunky on her part when executed, plus the second ref convincing the first ref to restart sets a new standard that controversial finishes can be overturned by a second ref, which almost never happens otherwise. But when this is seemingly the 250th version of these two against one another, they have to get creative and there's danger in going too far.

-A video package aired on Punk vs. Cena.

8 -- JEFF HARDY vs. C.M. PUNK - World Hvt. Title match

At 14:00 Punk yanked Hardy off the ladder and threw him to the floor. Punk put a chair over Hardy's head and was going to threw him into the ringpost, but Hardy countered and whacked Punk repeatedly across the back with a chair. Hardy smashed Punk with a monitor and then swung a chair at his face. Hardy climbed a mega-sized 15-rung ladder, which two referees were nice enough to help hold in place for him. Hardy flip dove onto Punk on an announce table eblow. Officials ran to check on both wrestlers. They went to a replay. When they came back, both wrestlers were being put on stretchers and backboards. The crowd got restless, now wanting it to be the actual end of the match. There was no announcement

Hardy fought off the neckbrace being put on him. Punk slithered into the ring, so then Hardy managed to break free and work his way back into the ring. He flipped into the ring through the ropes and landed on his head in the process. Punk climbed the ladder on one side as Hardy climbed the ladder on the other side. Hardy punched Punk and reached for the belt, which swung above the ladder. Punk punched back, and then he kicked Hardy and knocked him off the ladder to the floor. Punk reached and grabbed the belt to win. Ross wondered if Hardy had taken his final fall. Grisham called it as devastating a TLC match as they've ever seen. Ross called it a battle for the ages.

WINNER: Punk in 20:00 to capture the World Hvt. Title.

STAR RATING: ****1/4 -- This will be on the radar for some as a Match of the Year contender. It wasn't at that level for me, but it was a very good TLC match with two good athletes who stunt bumped all over the place, but made every big move count in the context of the TLC rules.

-Afterward, as Punk celebrated, Undertaker's music played. Punk waved him to the ring. Undertaker popped up through the canvas and chokeslammed Punk. That's what you call a transition from Hardy as your top babyface on Smackdown to Undertaker. What a dream come true for Punk to be chokeslammed by Undertaker at SummerSlam. It's like getting into the NBA in time to be dunked on by Shaq or Michael Jordan when you're young enough to have been in grade school when you first saw them on the big stage.

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