This request review is now brought to you with 98% less typos! Well, let's not get crazy. 96% less.
SummerSlam 2011
Arena: Staples Center - LA, California
Attendance: 17,404
Buyrate: The event brought in 296,000 buys, which is actually 54,000 buys down from the year before.
Rey Mysterio, John Morrison & Kofi Kingston vs The Miz, R-Truth, & Alberto Del Rio
It's a real shame that Kofi seems so complacent with his place in WWE, because he's a real talent, and deserves to be much higher on the card. His role in this bout is no exception. The match itself I didn't have too much faith in, however it started off great and never let up. An absolutely perfect opener, that was fast paced & action packed, with everyone hitting on point.
Mysterio hits R-Truth with the Frogsplash for the pin at 9:37 | ***1/2
Nice moment backstage where CM Punk refuses to shake Steph's hand because Punk knows where it's been.
Mark Henry vs Sheamus
I never saw much of Henry's rise before he won the strap, but the pre-match video package, coupled with the bout, shows they sure did one hell of great job of making him look dominating. Quickly snagging the upper-hand, Mark never really loses it, as he preforms one of my favorite moves from a big guy, thee ol' "step on the guy's chest and walk over him". Later they do a great spot that all dominating monsters should do, or some variation, as Mark Henry picks up Sheamus and sends him crashing through the barrier. Normally I hate count-outs on PPVs, but this worked perfectly. Another great match.
Mark Henry wins by count-out at 9:28 | ***1/2
Backstage, Christian refers to Randy Orton as Cowboys & Aliens, a flop, while Christian is Harry Potter. Whether it's Harry Potter from Troll, or Harry Potter from the film series is yet to be seen.
Cee-Lo preforms, and thankfully I get to skip it. Man, WHY do they put this crap on PPV? Do they
really think people want to see this? Do they imagine there's someone out there high-fiving a friend because Cee-Lo is out in his Moo-Moo from the Liberace House of Crap?.
Kelly Kelly [C] vs Beth Phoenix - Divas Championship
This is during the time when Beth is wearing that ugly blue outfit. It's a Divas match with Kelly Kelly. Cut & paste, really.
Kelly Kelly pins Beth with the roll-up, obviously at 6:33 | *
R-Truth & Jimmy Hart share wackiness in the back.
Wade Barrett vs Daniel Bryan
Bryan hits a Dragon Screw Leg Whip, and some where in Texas, Dusty Rhodes is trying it out on his wife. It's flashy and all, but I really wish Bryan would stop doing that back flip. There's going to come a time when it doesn't end well. Soon he's building up momentum, but Wade simply halts that whole mess with a massive black-hole slam esq move. That's how you make a man look dominating. Later, Wade has Bryan sitting on the middle rope, with his chin resting on the top one. He then grabs his head and smashes it with knees until he hits the ropes and brings a boot to Bryan's face, knocking him down to the floor head first. A brutal spot that Wade really needs to make a regular. Daniel later comes back with a vicious response as he flies off the apron to the outside, crashing his knee into Wade's face. This match has been extremely hard-hitting, and continuing the streak of great matches. I was originally pissed that Wade won, but Bryan's doing OK, so my senseless bitterness is forgotten. I'm sure Wade will be pleased to read that.
Wade hits Bryan with the Wasteland to score the pin at 11:47 | ***1/2
Bryan hits a Dragon Screw Leg Whip, and some where in Texas, Dusty Rhodes is trying it out on his wife. It's flashy and all, but I really wish Bryan would stop doing that back flip. There's going to come a time when it doesn't end well. Soon he's building up momentum, but Wade simply halts that whole mess with a massive black-hole slam esq move. That's how you make a man look dominating. Later, Wade has Bryan sitting on the middle rope, with his chin resting on the top one. He then grabs his head and smashes it with knees until he hits the ropes and brings a boot to Bryan's face, knocking him down to the floor head first. A brutal spot that Wade really needs to make a regular. Daniel later comes back with a vicious response as he flies off the apron to the outside, crashing his knee into Wade's face. This match has been extremely hard-hitting, and continuing the streak of great matches. I was originally pissed that Wade won, but Bryan's doing OK, so my senseless bitterness is forgotten. I'm sure Wade will be pleased to read that.
Wade hits Bryan with the Wasteland to score the pin at 11:47 | ***1/2
Christian [C] vs Randy Orton - No Holds Barred for the World Heavyweight Title
This feud reminded me a lot of Edge vs The Undertaker, where the chemistry was off the charts as they headlined PPV after PPV. Christian & Orton just couldn't have a bad match in 2011, and it reached it's zenith at SummerSlam. An absolute monster, as both guys go until absolute tilt, it's incredible. I had the match originally docked a quarter because of Orton winning, but that really shouldn't effect the quality of the match, so I went all the way with this. What a brutal ending.
Orton hits a mid-air RKO onto the steel stairs at 27:43 | *****
CM Punk [C] vs John Cena [C] - WWE Championship w/ special guest ref HHH
The chemistry between these two is one of the all time greatest. They absolutely can't have a bad match between one another. Fantastic sequence mid match as both Punk & Cena try to hit one another with their combo moves, but keep getting shut down by the other person just as the momentum gets going. It then switches into a back and forth between submissions, where you feel the match could end at any moment.
Later they trade attempts at the GTS and AA, with Cena winning the exchange. The air is thick with finality, only for Punk to kick out, soon besting Cena with a GTS of his own, as Cena answers back with a kick out of his own. The crowd has hardly, if ever, sat down for the entire bout. One hell of an incredible match that I personally feel trumps their MiTB bout, due to a shorter match time and better pacing.
CM Punk hits John Cena with the GTS, scoring the pin at 24:28 | ****3/4
Of course, as we all know the Summer of Punk soon became of the Fall of Triple H & Bestie Kevin Nash. Who apparently sits back stage and texts himself.
Showcase Showdown: Honestly, I never had much faith that 2002's SummerSlam would ever be dethroned, but it clearly just happened. The entire under card never went below ***1/2 [who counts Diva matches? I don't], as the two main-events went on to deliver dual classics. One of the greatest PPVs I've ever seen, easily earning the highest of recommendations. Incredible.
Hope you guys dug it. If you have any requests or mailbag questions, just ask in the comments, or send me an email.
faucetofslfame@hotmail.com
Str8 Gangster, No Chaser - The very website that caused the MPAA to come up with a rating between PG & R. So safe to say, my website is rated BONER. Wrestling reviews, horror, Top 5's, Man Movie Encyclopedia entries, as well as articles from the Saved By The Bell Archives.
WCW In 2000 - We're 4 months in, and we've just learned you never trust a man from Hollywood. Speaking of which, you can also read a review of Ready To Rumble. A movie I PAID to see in theaters.
The Man Movie Encyclopedia - Vol. 1 - My book. Constant 5 star ratings, with endorsements from Scott Keith & Maddox.
- Caliber Winfield
This was quite the excellent PPV, coming off of the amazing MITB PPV. I don't think I'd go quite as high with either main event as you did, but this was a top-to-bottom quality PPV with two ****+ main events. When the only thing that sucks is the requisite Diva match, and you pull ***+ from Sheamus/Henry, you know your PPV is on fire. WWE seems a mile away from those two great months last year.
ReplyDeleteTotal props for the Dusty line, as I remember during that match when he's told it's called a dragon screw leg whip, and he says he'll go home and try it on his wife. One of the few times during a Dusty commentary I was laughing out loud.
ReplyDeleteA great show to be sure, but I think you were a *tad* generous.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. The last two matches are definitely 4 stars...but not perfect or near perfect.
ReplyDeleteWasn't this right after Rey had the title hotshotted on and off him in one show? And now he's curtain jerking? Forgot about that little weirdness.
ReplyDeleteBryan vs. Barrett had also disappeared from my memory due to his greatness shortly following this. Man did he shove a rocket up his own ass.
Caliber skews high if he really likes something in comparison to some people. That's just his jam.
ReplyDeleteI hate to be argumentative but the opening match in a big show is not really "curtain jerking". They always put a middle-high profile match on first to pop the crowd. I'm not sure how it gets the reputation of being the shittiest spot on the card; to my mind it's second only to the main event or maybe the midway point. And anyhow, the actual "curtain jerking" match is always whatever random dark match they throw out there while people are still getting to their seats.
ReplyDeleteAnd there are many examples of that opening match slot producing some of the finest matches of the entire show,or at least one of them. Pillman-Liger, Bret-Owen, Mankind-Duane Gill........er, well two of those anyway.
ReplyDeleteThis was a great show minus the nash angle. I still can't decide if I like the mitb Christian and orton match or this one better. Also the sheamus barricade spot was brutal.
ReplyDeleteAnd is it just me or is kofi basically Tito Santana 2.0 and is that even a bad thing?
I think the "wait and see how it plays out" started with Nash's powerbomb. That's a very important occasion here at the BOD.
ReplyDeleteNice review Caliber, higher marks than I would give, but I guess that's your thing. Either way, I enjoyed this show for the exception of the ending.
I thought it was when Brock went over Cena?
ReplyDeleteI know, right? It's happened several times now, although I admit, Punk's made a comeback to correct these ppv endings.
ReplyDeleteI guess Ambrose, Rollins, and Reigns is another wait and see thing. Although I do admit I like their rumored name, The Shield.
ReplyDeleteChristian/Orton had mad chemistry yo.
ReplyDeleteThat is a good name and I hope that it implies "Shield"-ing Punk.
ReplyDeleteEither Punk or Maddox works. But I think it makes more sense, and the name works more, if it's Maddox. A douche, chicken shit heel calling his guys "The Shield" is hysterically arrogant.
ReplyDeleteThreadjack: So apparently the preliminary buyrate is in for HIAC and it did 200K, up about 20K from last year and up from Night of Champions. Actually thought it would be much lower. I guess people dig these Ryback and Punk dudes.
ReplyDeleteThat's pretty awesome. Even if more of the credit goes to Ryback than Punk it still bodes well for them that a Cena-less show can pull in good buys.
ReplyDeleteHoly fuck, I hope that's their name.
ReplyDeleteIt takes two to tango, especially in this day and age. I'm sure a lot of it was curiosity about Ryback. I'll guess we'll see if what they did at HIAC will keep people interested.
ReplyDeleteWithout even trying, I found several typos. Not good.
ReplyDeleteHere's my big issue, besides the fact that you are a plagiarist and I am losing some respect for Scott for continuing to let you write for the site.
You give Orton v. Christian 5 stars. Of course, that's absurd, but it's your opinion, so that's fine. But if you're going to give a match five stars, shouldn't you give us a lot more insight than saying the match was brutal?
Why is this match perfect or near perfect? What did Orton do well? What did Christian do well? Was there something in this match that the other matches were lacking? Did they play off their previous matches? Were there innovative moves and spots?
You give a lot of time to Bryan v. Barrett, a match that I'd say most people don't even remember took place, yet barely anything to a match you deem *****. I think if the reader is reading this, and sees a match gets 5 stars, they deserve a little more insight and analysis.
You also ignore how Punk v. Cena ended and the aftermath, which was the big storyline of the show.
tell you what.
ReplyDeleteI'll answer your questions if you answer mine first;
If you hate my work so much, why do you read it & and analyze it?
As far as the plagiarist thing goes, yeah, we all joke about it. But I honestly did not copy cracked, and you're about as stupid as you seem if you truly believe it. I pitched them some ideas, one of them being the movie plots being real, and they said they already did that. I thought of the idea organically, and still wanted to use it.
hey man thanks a lot for taking my request into consideration , and great review by the way ! Would it be rude to request another ? If not , i would have to go for my favourite Wrestlemania , which would be 19
ReplyDeleteI enjoy reading writers that are terrible and are good.
ReplyDeleteYeah, Bret-Owen kinda sucked.
ReplyDeleteNah, it's not rude at all. I'm happy to answer any requests.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to finish Night of Champions today, and then I'll get started on WM19. I was actually at that show, so it'll be fun to look back.