Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Does Violence Really Solve Anything?, June 2, 2008
ONE NIGHT STAND 2008 was another entertaining PPV from the WWE, but I don't think it'll inspire much discussion in the future. WWE's One Night of Extreme Rules was a most bizarre pleasure:
1) Falls Count Anywhere
Jeff Hardy vs. Umaga
---I have to admit I didn't want to see these two square off in the first place. Not only were my prayers not answered, I got a throwback of the worst kind. Remember those "hardcore" matches from about 1999 or 2000? You know, where the WWF thought if a match wasn't in the ring, then it must have been "hardcore"? I'm afraid this opener was basically these guys just brawling around the arena with little-to-no Extreme moments. There were a few innovative spots, like when Jeff slid down a stair-railing to deliver a clothesline. But then the festivities ended with a Swanton Bomb from atop a truck, where we couldn't see the impact. If you've seen some of Shane McMahon's famous TitanTron falls, where you barely saw where he landed, you know what to expect. This one didn't even come close to doing the trick for me.
"5.0 / 10"
---------------------------------------
2) Singapore Cane Match - #1 Contender Match
CM Punk vs. John Morrison vs. Chavo Guerrero vs. Tommy Dreamer vs. Big Show
---Now THIS was more like it! One of those crazy fights that had some good laughs, and some "OUCH" moments too. Big Show took a nasty cut above his left eye. San Diego Charger Sean Merriman got to smack Chavo with a cane. Tommy Dreamer proved he can still hang in an anything-goes environment with the rest of the talent. Even Mike Adamle got a good chuckle from me: "Big Show's grabbing canes from that trashcan like Tiger Woods grabs his clubs from his bag!" That Adamle is starting to grow on me. I'm not looking forward to Big Show and Kane (ECW champion) having another faceoff, but I'll keep my fingers crossed. All in all, this was about 12 minutes that would earn the Hammerstein Ballroom's approval.
"7.0 / 10"
---------------------------------------
3) First Blood Match
JBL vs. John Cena
---It's official: Cena and Bradshaw had a one-hit wonder 3 years ago, and that's the end of it. I'm tired of waiting for these two to deliver an excellent brawl again. Like their JUDGMENT DAY opener --- which I liked a lot more than everybody else --- it wasn't not bad, but not very good either. Thankfully, we saw a few decent weapons spots and a little back-and-forth fighting; just not a whole lot. Also, these two beat each other's heads so much, I just started laughing that neither bled for 15 minutes. It was also funny to hear the crowd cheer JBL for a change. It's too bad he lost in a rather weak finish. This rivalry was on the shelf for 3 years; it probably should've stayed there.
"6.0 / 10"
---------------------------------------
4) "I Quit" Match
Beth Phoenix vs. Melina
---This was more of a Submission Match than an "I Quit" Match, but so what? These ladies engaged in a remarkable technical showdown. They got about 10 minutes to show off a variety of holds, which was a thrill for the mat-wrestling mark that I am. The finishing submission looked like one of the most painful holds I've ever seen. I'm a little disappointed that the crowd didn't get into it more, but maybe that's a reality that won't change. I think I heard a "Chyna" chant going on, which was even weirder. Anyway, I think the WWE Divas have been steadily improving since October. Phoenix and Melina gave a good example of why.
"7.0 / 10"
---------------------------------------
5) Stretcher Match
Shawn Michaels vs. Batista
---First off, I liked how SMACKDOWN got to announce this match, since RAW got to call these two back in April. Some other good news is that this Stretcher Match was just as good as their BACKLASH encounter. The first time around was very technical, and this rematch was very similar, just with some Stretchers at ringside. Batista and Michaels still utilized submission holds, while throwing in some nice Stretcher spots. The triangle storyline including Chris Jericho got a little weird, when Y2J came out to encourage a weakened Michaels to keep fighting. The finish was even stranger, with an unexpected nod to the Flair/HBK finale at WRESTLEMANIA 24. I'll leave that one for you to watch. I can't tell how I feel about the storyline developments, but if you wanna check out the match on DVD, it'll be worth a watch.
"7.0 / 10"
---------------------------------------
6) Last Man Standing Match - WWE Championship
Randy Orton vs. Triple H (champion)
---One of the most unpleasant surprises in recent memory. I've put up with this rivalry going on as long as it has, because the matches between HHH and Orton have usually been worth the PPV airtime. But this time, it backfired. About 10 minutes in, Orton was tossed over the top rope, and landed so awkwardly that he hurt his collarbone. The action before this finish was decent, but Orton's injury (which seemed to be very real) apparently ended things prematurely. Like the Montreal Screwjob, the finish was so shocking I won't remember the rest if it.
"5.5 / 10"
---------------------------------------
7) TLC Match - World Heavyweight Championship (vacant)
Edge vs. The Undertaker (Banished From WWE If Defeated)
---How do these two men keep doing it? This was the only reason I needed to order this PPV in the first place, because of these guys' outstanding encounters. But time after time, Edge and Undertaker have put on a Match-of-the-Year candidate. This rivalry is the stuff of classics, folks. So how's the match? In short, it was outstanding, and both men did nothing but improve their reputation as WWE legends. Taker and Edge deserve a ton of credit for going through with this spot-fest, considering they're both kinda injury-prone. I enjoy TLC for the carnage; besides Taker and Edge spent 3 months delivering sensible displays of in-ring psychology. When it comes to TLC Matches, I don't expect logical competition. That does bring up one big complaint from me, however. The final high-risk spot, while more daring than anything I'd ever attempt, was beyond predictable. Other than that, this main event did the TLC lineage proud.
One last note - big props to WWE for treating Taker's loss with class and respect. This match only had 2 weeks of build-up, so I didn't think this would be his last match. I know you it's never-say-never in wrestling, but Taker's departure felt just as real as Austin's "retirement" from 5 years ago. If this is a storyline, WWE played it very well. But if this is the last time Undertaker graces a WWE presentation, it's a hell of a way to go out!
"8.0 / 10"
---------------------------------------
________________________________________________
CLOSING THOUGHTS
---ONE NIGHT STAND 2008 has put me in a puzzling state of speculation. This 2008 edition was a genuine rollercoaster. It started slow, gained speed, hit a roadblock, and ended with the ultimate adrenaline rush. My only real gripe is that nothing really seems resolved from tonight's PPV. Orton's injury and Taker's banishment (real or fake) have abruptly taken them out of the big picture, which means HHH and Edge have no momentum as champions. The HBK/Jericho/Batista triangle is far from over, so tonight was a mid-novel chapter. Big Show is the #1 Contender foe the ECW Title, but I doubt anybody is looking forward to that. And the rest of the card, while entertaining in patches, isn't anything to go out of your way to see.
Is this ONE NIGHT STAND better than last year's garbage? Absolutely! Is it better than the 2005 & 2006 ECW events? Not even close. I don't know if this PPV will age well. Like I said, it was a rollercoaster - entertaining while it lasted, but won't be the same the next time around.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you?
 
|
|
|
|
|
|
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Night Of Extreme Rules...And Steel Ring Steps, June 2, 2008
Falls Count Anywhere Match: Jeff Hardy vs. Umaga - Just based off the on & off feud these two have been having for close to a year now and they're past performances in these type of matches, you got exactly what you would expect as it was Umaga's power vs. Jeff's speed. They went from the ring to the outside & through the crowd with chairs, the retaining wall, and plastic traffic cones being used in the process before finally making their way outside (including a cool spot where Hardy slid down the handrail on the steps onto Umaga) with Hardy getting the win after a swanton bomb off the top of a semi-trailer. Good opener & possibly their best match together.
Singapore Cane Match: Big Show vs. C.M. Punk vs. Tommy Dreamer vs. Chavo Guerrero vs. John Morrison - Well if you watched ECW for the past two weeks, you knew how this match was being setup as it was everyone against the Big Show throughout a majority of the match, including everyone getting the canes off the poles & using it on him with even Miz & Bam Neely getting involved on the outside & taking Show out for few moments with his head being busted open on the steel steps (this will be a running theme that will be used throughout the night). Show looked seriously pissed off, made his comeback, grabbed the trash can full of singapore canes at ring & used the canes to dominate his way onto an ECW Title shot. Good match for what it was but two moments you have to look out for was when Show just caned the crap out of Miz & what happened between Chavo & Shawn Merriman from the San Diego Chargers.
First Blood Match: John Cena vs. J.B.L. - If your expecting a "hardcore war" like you got at their Judgment Day 2005 match...then you will be heavily disappointed as this was just a very slow & just dull brawl between these two with various weapons being used like the steel steps (second match they were used in), the microphone, ringpost, the exposed turnbuckle, and a steel chain. Cena delievered the performance he's been sterotyped for in the past while J.B.L. has put on the type of perfomances that he's been having since he returned...and that's not a good thing. The only part that got me really into the match was when Cena was tied up in the ropes (like how Andre The Giant used to do all the time) & J.B.L. brought out out & cracked a bullwhip but it wasn't used as Cena excapes & put him in a STFU with a chain around his neck resulting in J.B.L. spitting up blood right away which was completely unbelieveable & a bad way to finish the match. This was the worst match of the night.
I Quit Match: Beth Phoenix vs. Melina - To my knowledge, this is the first time there's been a womens "I Quit" match on a national level (maybe some independents have done it but I don't recall). Before the match, check out Melina's entrance when one of the "photographers" fell backwards on his butt in a moment that was so funny that they actually showed a replay of it right away. Unlike last year when the womens match was just a complete wrestlecrap joke, this was a great back & forth match as Beth used her power moves while Melina was able to use various submission holds (like the Fujiwara armbar into a jujigatame) & heavily work on Beth's arm throughout the match before Beth applied a surfboard double chicken wing & almost broke Melina in two before winning. One of the best womens matches I've seen in the past year...including TNA.
Stretcher Match: Shawn Michaels vs. Batista - Batista didn't give us the type of perfomance we got at WrestleMania (haven't seen Backlash yet so can't comment) resulting in one hell of match between him & HBK with Jericho making cameo appearences throughout the match as well. The stretcher got involved various times with both men being hit in the chest with it with Shawn being nailed in the jaw with it later on before Batista started dominating & beating all the energy out of HBK (including two Batista Bombs) to the point where he was too weak to his the superkick with Batista stating the line "I'm not sorry & I don't love you" before eventually delievering a spinebuster onto the steel steps & winning the match. Again, great perfomance here.
Last Man Standing Match: WWE Champion Triple H vs. Randy Orton - They wasted no time here as they started brawling right from the start onto the floor with Orton being whipped into the steel steps (third match they've been used) & rammed into the SmackDown announce table & a short time later heading back outside with Orton's head being rammed into (once again) the steel steps & Triple H getting a DDT onto the floor while his body was hanging off the ECW announce table before eventually getting back in the ring for Orton to dominate & nail Triple H in the head with the steel steps (get the running joke now?). Right about here was when Orton tried an RKO but Triple H threw him over the top & Orton came down hard on his shoulder to the point where he couldn't even move it. You could tell by everyone's reaction that something went wrong so they did the quick finish with Triple H "tapping" Orton with the sledgehammer to end the match. For obivious reasons, this match didn't touch their previous one at No Mercy but concidering everything that happened before Orton suffered his injury, this was another good performance between both men. One moment to look out for was the crowd showing respect & cheering Orton afterwards only for him to still heel the crowd yelling to "Shut The F' Up!" & even get into it with a fan on the way out.
TLC Match for World Championship: Undertaker vs. Edge - Well, this match lived up to the previous TLC matches in that it delievered on crazy spots & hardcore action with the weapons being used at various times like both men ramming the ladder into each other at various times including Edge going facefirst at one point, both men using the steel steps on each other (I think you get the joke by now so I'll stop), Edge working on Taker's leg with a chair & eventually using a ladder on it as well, Edge being chokeslammed off a ladder onto another ladder bridged on the outside (that didn't give), Edge getting the last right through two stacked tables, all the members of La Famila either going through tables on the outside or being nailed with chairs, and Taker taking the ultimate fall through the four double stacked tables on the outside before Edge regained the World Championship. As I said earlier, this match heavily delivered and with the "if the babyface doesn't win, he must leave" stipulation usually predicting the outcome of the match (see Samoa Joe at TNA's Lockdown)...the swerve ending was great as it was something that most weren't expecting.
In the end, I heavily enjoyed this event TONS more than the previous years with the only bad match being Cena/J.B.L. so this is one event I would recommend.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
|
|
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
All Gimmick, All Good, September 16, 2008
I have been a wrestling fan since 1996 and have watched all kinds of wrestling. I have a wrestling DVD/VHS collection spanning over 50 all together. This is the most complete and accurate review of this DVD you will find. I hope you find this review helpful; remember to vote helpful or not helpful. (Note-Each DVD I review has a "Match of the DVD" award somewhere in it.)
WWE One Night Stand 2008- Extreme Rules
One Night Stand is a very interesting PPV. Every single match is some type of gimmick match. This has had mixed results on other PPV, but the 2008 version of One Night Stand worked this idea nicely. Not every match was a classic, but all the matches were fun to watch. The extras are some of Undertaker's biggest moments over the years according to WWE. This includes looks at Undertaker's debut, the Hell in a Cell with Mankind, his Royal Rumble win, and his World Heavyweight Championship win at WrestleMania 23. If you are looking for a solid PPV from 2008, you might want to check this one out.
Falls Count Anywhere Match
Jeff Hardy VS Umaga
Cartoony. That word describes this match perfectly. Hardy and Umaga had a fun battle that spanned the entire arena and an outside area. Hardy hit a cool closeline after sliding down a handrail. Umaga and Hardy went back and forth for a while. The real controversy in this match comes in the ending. Hardy ascends a trailer and hits a Swanton Bomb onto Umaga, who is on nothing but concrete. Sadly, the camera is at a bad angle and you do not see Hardy hitting the ground. After a few seconds, the camera gets into range and you see a pad in the background that they tried to hide. The whole match has a fun, but unrealistic cartoony type feel to it. I like that though.
RATING- 7.5/10
Singapore Cane Match
Winner Receives ECW Title Shot at Night of Champions 2008
Big Show VS Tommy Dreamer VS CM Punk VS John Morrison VS Chavo Guerrero
Four poles were placed at the turnbuckles with kendo sticks on them. The match starts a little slow with Big Show dominating everyone. Eventually, the other competitors help pick up the pace. There is a ton of caning in this one. Big Show catches a sick gash over his eye. The major problem I have with this match is Big Show uses a trashcan full of Singapore Canes. What is the point of the canes hanging on the poles if Show had a stash of his own?
RATING- 7/10
First Blood Match
John Cena VS JBL
Many people will tell you that these to do not mix, and they are completely correct. However, this is one of their better encounters. Both men focus on the face of the other in hopes to get an easy cut. There are a lot of covering up so that you could not see their face after they are hit. This creates a little suspense as to whether or not they are bleeding or not. The ending is a bit cheap. I want a bloodbath, not a trickle of blood. Still, this is a entertaining brawl.
RATING- 8/10
I Quit Match
Beth Phoenix VS Melina
Women's wrestling is finally being respected again. TNA has been pushing their new Knockouts division, while WWE is using their talent better lately. This match is a testament to that. This is not like other I Quit matches, there are no weapons used. This match features a ton of submissions to force the opposition to say, "I quit." Submissions are not the only moves used in this match, there are a great number of impactful moves. The ending is sickening, but came much too soon.
RATING- 8/10
Stretcher Match
Shawn Michaels VS Batista
After Michaels feigned a knee injury at Backlash, Batista is ready to take his revenge. A stretcher match means you have to place your opponent on a stretcher and wheel them up the ramp across a finish line. It sounds silly, but it works well here. Both men provide their fair share of offense. Jericho makes a unnecessary appearance near the end. The match is still the best match on the card to this point.
RATING- 8.5/10
Last Man Standing Match
WWE Championship
Triple H(c) VS Randy Orton
After their praised Last Man Standing match at No Mercy 2007, many people were excited for this match. The match begins with a lot of potential. However, around the ten-minute mark, Randy Orton is tossed over the top rope and breaks his collarbone. Triple H and Orton do what they can with the cards they were dealt. Triple H looks extremely disappointed at the end of the match. Orton does a good job of insulting the fans to stop them from cheering.
RATING- 6/10
Tables, Ladders, and Chairs Match (Match of the DVD)
World Heavyweight Championship (If Undertaker loses, he is banished from WWE)
Undertaker VS Edge
The World Heavyweight Championship has been vacated since Backlash. This match heavily favors Edge, and it seems like Undertaker has little chance walking into this match. The pacing of this match is very slow and methodical. Edge takes one of the sickest chokeslams onto a ladder that is lying between the ring and the crowd barrier. There is a massive amount of interference on behalf of Edge, but it helps pick up the pace of the match. The ending is epic, with the winner taking a remorseful look at his demolished opponent. The aftermath is wonderful as well.
RATING- 9/10
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
DVD ~ Victoria
DVD ~ John Bradshaw Layfield
DVD ~ Chris Jericho
DVD ~ Edge
DVD ~ Wwe
the Internet Movie Database, which is visited by millions of movie and tv lovers each month.
