Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not A Summer Blockbuster But Enjoyable, August 22, 2008
Jeff Hardy vs. MVP - Hardy got control of the match early before MVP took over after one hell of a release belly to belly suplex that landed Jeff right on the top of his neck. MVP focused on the neck & dominated for the rest of the bout before Jeff started to gain some momentum. From here, Shelton Benjamin made an unknown appearence distracting Jeff for MVP to capitilize & get the win.
Intercontinental Champion Kofi Kingston & Womens Champion Mickie James vs. Santino Marella & Beth Phoenix a.k.a. "Glamorella" - This match went a little over 5 minutes & was watchable anything really noteworthy past some entertaining moments like Santino jumping into Beth's arms at one point which looked like something straight out of the old Shaggy & Scooby Doo cartoons. In the end, Beth lead her team to win both championships & did a victory walk afterwards...with Santino on her shoulders.
Right out here was the big announcement by Shawn Michaels (who was accompanied by his wife) which was that he was going to retire because of his eye & other mounting injuries. From here, Chris Jericho came out & had a verbal confronation with HBK in regards to why he was really retiring before Y2J "accidently" punched Shawn's wife right in the face & knocking her out. Eventhough this was a real good verbal interaction, this should have been saved for RAW instead of taking time away from other matches on the PPV that people payed for like.......
ECW Champion Mark Henry vs. Matt Hardy - ......this one. This is the forth time in a little over a year (Judgment Day '07, No Mercy '07, WrestleMania XIV) that the ECW Title match got around a minute of time. This was a wrestlecrap moment if there ever was one. First of all, they've been building up Mark Henry as this big monster for the past few weeks as ECW Champion but in the short time they had here (less than a minute), Hardy took out Henry with one move & was ready to win the title before Tony Atlas pulled out Hardy to save Henry leading to a double team before Jeff Hardy came out for the save. Hopefully to make up for the match on the DVD, they'll put the "rematch" between these two on Sci-Fi days later but for the live crowd at home (like me) & in the arena...this was bull.
World Champion C.M. Punk vs. J.B.L. - I swear by looking at this match, you thought that John Cena & C.M. Punk switched bodies because this match was almost an exact replica of the "WrestleMania 21" match or the recent Judgment Day match between those two...with Punk replacing Cena in this case. Eventhough Punk got a few moves here & there, this match was dominated by J.B.L. who was working over Punk's back non-stop with shoulder blocks, a fallaway slam from the top rope, an abdominal stretch, a waistlock, punches & kicks before Punk got the win out of nowhere with the GTS. This was the typical J.B.L. performance we've seen since his return while we've seen Punk in better matches. One nasty moment to look out for was when J.B.L. head cracked the back of Punk's head which lead to it being busted open.
WWE Champion Triple H vs. Great Khali - Concidering how Great Khali just didn't a good worker in the ring, this was the more unique Triple H match you've seen in a very long time as he did the exact same thing John Cena did around a year earlier to make the match watchable in that Triple H bumped & sold like a spotmonkey more than I can recall him doing for anyone in recent memory. The only thing noteworthy here was the time that Khali did the classic Andre The Giant "caught in the ropes" spot but after trying over & over again, Triple H got the pedigree & overcame the giant Khali.
John Cena vs. Batista - Before I get started...eventhough the setup for this match seemed rushed, the fact that WWE played off their similar history dating back to when both men won the World Titles at WrestleMania 21 & even to how Cena main evented WrestleMania 23 but it was Batista's match that stole the show helped put this over as dream match more than anything feud related & made up for the lost time to build this match up storyline wise.
Both Cena & Batista have a reputation for being too "off & on/hot & cold" during their matches but that wasn't the case here as both men brought forth a strong effort & were on the ball in this match. Batista used a different type of offense than we normally see from him as he showed signs of Ric Flair's offense of attack the leg & even used the figure four submission along with a rear naked choke later on while Cena also worked on the leg to set up the STFU. From reversing each others moves like the powerslam into the FU & the leg drop off the top into a powerbomb before Batista unleashed "the animal" and proved he was as as Michael Cole put it, "three seconds better than Cena." This was one of those matches where both men came out looking better than they did coming in & if Hell In The Cell wasn't on the card, this would have been the match that stole the show.
Hell In The Cell Match: Undertaker vs. Edge - In the weeks leading up to this match, you saw a Edge's personality change & if was showcased in this match as a different Edge wrestled here than you saw in their previous encounters. Edge came off as insane & obsessed with Taking out taker once & for all instead of being scared, intimiated, and relying on help like his previous encounters. Throughout the match, Edge utlilzed his specialties in tables, ladders, and chairs throughout match while being very physical & aggressive in his offense like multiple spears through the caged cell wall & ECW announce table. Undertaker didn't show a sign of ring rust & gave a main event performance like he usually does in this position & eventually overcame everything Edge threw at him, got his revenge using various props that Edge used against him in the past, & finished Edge off with a tombstone for the victory before sending Edge "to hell."
In the end, this PPV reminded me of Night Of Champions where if it wasn't for the last two matches...this would have been a passable to average PPV but the Cena/Batista & Hell In The Cell saved the show for me so I would honestly recommend this for a rental & make up your own mind if the entire show or just the main events are worth keeping for your collection.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Good, Not Great, PPV, August 18, 2008
I watched this Summerslam on PPV last night when it aired, and it was an alright PPV. Here is how I rate the matches.
Jeff Hardy vs MVP-It was a good opening match that got the show rolling pretty well. The match overall was decent. 3/5
MVP wins
Winner Takes All Match, Mickie James and Kofi Kingston vs Beth Phoenix and Santino Marella-No where close to good. Boring match all the way through and short. I expected it to be atleast a little bit better. 1/5
Beth and Santino win, New Champs
HBK's retirement announcement-Very surprising, HBK announces retirement and Jericho comes out and ends up hitting HBK's wife by accident! I wont be surprised if HBK stays for 1 final fight. (Not a Match-No Rating)
Matt Hardy vs Mark Henry (ECW Championship)-Matt Hardy within 20 seconds hits the Twist of Fate and had the win when Tony Atlas pulls him out of the ring to get Mark Henry DQ'ed. Atlas attacks Matt and Jeff Hardy runs out to his brothers aid and they double suplex Mark Henry. Henry retains title, Hardy gets win. 1/5
CM Punk vs JBL (World Heavyweight Championship)- A pretty good match, not that long, and not close to what I expected. Still a good match. 3
CM Punk Wins, Retains
Triple H vs The Great Khali (WWE Championship)-Decent Match. Overall not that great. Khali puts in holds and the Khali Vice Grip throughout the whole match.
Triple H Wins, Retains
John Cena vs Batista-Good overall match, not as good as expected. Decent throughout and than good at the end. 3.5/5
Batista Wins
MAIN EVENT-Undertaker vs Edge (Hell In A Cell)-Basically one of the greatest matches ever! Edge came into the match with a sadistic attitude and made it a hell of a match. Action spills to outside of the ring when cell breaks in one section. Undertaker dismantles Edge at the end even though Edge put on a show. Undertaker and Edge really brang down the house as the whole match was unpredictable and the end was amazing. 5/5
Undertaker Wins
Overall a good, but not great, PPV. I was expecting it to be ALOT better. Unless you get it for cheap, I wouldn't get it, even though the HITC match was great, they have a Hell In A Cell match DVD coming soon that Edge/Undertaker will probably be on.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
WWE's Summer Series Returns To Form, September 17, 2008
I posted a review for the WWE SUMMERSLAM ANTHOLOGY, which I concluded that this PPV series was becoming "one long cold shower". Last year's SUMMERSLAM was hyped as "The Biggest Party of the Summer", but I felt it was "The Worst Party of The Year".
However, I'm pleased to say that WWE's "Biggest Blockbuster of the Summer" lives up to its name.
*******************************
1) Jeff Hardy v. M.V.P.
---I wasn't really looking forward to this one, because both men's strange offense doesn't work with a lot of superstars. But I was pleasantly surprised to see both Jeff and Porter use unique reversals and sensible wrestling from bell to bell. Seeing these guys put on a match this good makes me regret losing interest in recent weeks.
"7.0 / 10"
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2) Winners Take All
Mickie James (Women's champion) &
Kofi Kingston (Intercontinental champion)
v. Santino Marella & Beth Phoenix
---I was also completely surprised by this tag team contest. This is probably the best Intergender Match I've ever seen. For starters, Marella & Phoenix have such terrific chemistry; I'd be surprised if they weren't a real couple. The match flows very well, as each person gets to look good before the finish comes. But most of all, this whole scenario is flat-out hilarious! It's filled with little facial expressions and great comedic timing, especially from "Glamarella". Trust me, just give this one a look. You won't regret it.
"7.0 / 10"
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***I actually want to address Shawn Michaels' promo, because it's gotten mixed reactions from people. I personally think everyone involved with this angle has done a tremendous job. WWE was smart enough to know that if HBK came out on PPV airtime just to talk on a microphone, people were willing to tune in. First, HBK gave a very heartwarming speech; I almost thought he might actually retire. But eventually, Chris Jericho interrupted, and delivered one of his best speeches. And then, when Jericho punched Rebecca, it looked pretty real to me. This entire rivalry is a multi-layered work or art. If you don't like to watch promos during a PPV, I understand. But I urge people to give this an honest watch. You won't see a better exchange of words between two wrestlers.***
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3) ECW Championship
Matt Hardy v. Mark Henry (champion)
---Okay, two questions:
1) Who thought a 30-second title bout was a good idea?
2) Is Matt Hardy ever gonna get a decent SUMMERSLAM appearance?
To tackle the second question, I'm not joking when I ask. After two exciting Tag Team appearances, Matt Hardy hasn't had a decent SUMMERSLAM match since. He didn't get to compete in 2001, whereas brother Jeff got a Ladder Match. His 2003 match against Zach Gowen was cancelled at the last minute. He lost Lita's hand in marriage to Kane in 2004, which actually isn't very funny anymore. And Edge beat him to a knockout in 2005, in a grudge that everybody knows about. Hoenstly, what's the deal?
But more importantly, what possible intelligence is there in booking a brand's single PPV match this way?! This PPV only ran 160 minutes, meaning these guys deserved at least 10 minutes to entertain paying fans!
"1.5 / 10" (1 point for getting in the ring, and a half-point for the Hardys reunion at the end)
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4) World Heavyweight Championship
JBL v. CM Punk (champion)
---Before I criticize too harshly, I want to be clear that I do enjoy this match. However, you need to know that this title contest plays out like a typical Cena-style performance. JBL dominates most of the match, and Punk wins after very little offense. These kinds of "underdog" matches don't always work, but in this case, I think it does. JBL got to use some rough offense, and Punk...well, what I can say...he made me a believer. If you can forget Punk's classic ROH performances, then you might accept this one like I do.
"6.5 / 10"
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5) WWE Championship
The Great Khali v. Triple H (champion)
---I have similar thoughts on this title match as I do with Punk/JBL. It's an underdog-style, one-sided story. But this time, it worked for me. Even with a 9-minute length, and very basic offense from both men, I still bought into it. I mean, how else would a fight like this play out if it weren't fixed? Khali is an intimidating figure, HHH works extra hard to make the match work, and the crowd seemed to enjoy every second of it. However, Jim Ross deserves the most credit, because he sold this story as well as anybody possibly could. This wasn't a great match, but a fun one.
"6.0 / 10"
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6) John Cena v. Batista
---Oh boy, I had plenty of doubts about this one. The epic modern star clashes rarely work. Well, was this a "Bret/Shawn" classic, or "Goldberg/Lesnar" dud? Actually, it was more of a "Hogan/Warrior" battle, where it wasn't great, but good enough to convince skeptics. At the outset, this match seems like it's going to be nothing but signature moves from both men. However, what you start to realize as the contest plays out is that both Batista & Cena manage to put nice little spins on each of their moves. You will get to see the finishers, but in ways you don't expect. You will get to see the familiar moves, but also a few new tricks. By the end, I was as caught up as the Conseco Fieldhouse crowd. A surprisingly entertaining contest.
"7.0 / 10"
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7) Hell-In-A-Cell Match
Edge v. The Undertaker
---Do I even need to write a review on this main event? Actually I do, because Taker & Edge have put on five --- count them, "FIVE!" --- Match-Of-The-Year Candidates in one year alone. The opening video package is very crucial to this encounter, because most Cell Matches with Undertaker involve an intimidated opponent. But as you'll learn from the introductory video that hypes this Cell Match, Edge is even more eager to engage in the fight than Taker. And once the bell rings, Edge brings the fistfight to Taker much like he did at WRESTLEMANIA 24. But enough of the psychobabble, how's the match? Like their TLC Match back in June, this Cell Match is brutal yet sensible. When tables are set up, they're broken in convincing fashion. When Taker & Edge escape the Cell, they only fight on the ground level. When weapons are grabbed, they're used instantly. Every Cell Match has some "OUCH!" moments, but only the best include terrific psychology with the weapons & spots. Earlier in my review, I called the Jericho/HBK rivalry "a work of art". This rivalry is the SMACKDOWN equivalent. Come December, I think hardcore fans will have a heck of time picking a Rivalry-Of-The-Year.
"8.5 / 10"
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OVERALL
---With the exception of a pointless, mind-boggling ECW Title Match, I enjoyed every single match from SUMMERSLAM 2008. Even though I've used a couple of "6" scores, those matches are "Sixes" that I can still have a good time watching. And speaking of that ECW Title Match, at least WWE included the TV rematch on this DVD. The rematch is just over 11 minutes long, and isn't half-bad --- a weird (but nice) compensation.
But the rest of the package is the real deal. Besides, the Edge/Taker Hell-In-A-Cell Match is so good that it's worth buying this DVD, even if you don't like the rest of the card. SUMMERSLAM hasn't been kind to me over the last few years, but I think I'm going to hang onto this blockbuster for a very long time.
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