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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
I Hope They Bring This One Back, October 27, 2009
Even though I think the WWE is merely getting away with their silly PPV concepts so far, "Bragging Rights" is a success. The WWE hasn't done much brand-vs-brand action in quite some time, so it's nice to see them bring it back in a "Less Is More" fashion. Throw in a couple of championship main events, and we've got a good one here:
1) The Miz (United States champion - RAW) v.
John Morrison (Intercontinental champion - SmackDown)
---I'm glad WWE gave this opener a video package, because I think this was somewhat of a curiosity. After all, these two were one of the most successful tag teams in the past few years, and they never got the traditional "Tag Team Breakup Rivalry". I'm glad they waited, because Miz & Morrison have grown into their new characters, and enhanced their in-ring abilities in the waiting months. The best word to describe this curtain jerker is "FAST!" These guys just keep going, and going, and going. Move after move. Counter after counter. Near fall after near fall. One scary-looking high-risk attempt gone bad after another. I suppose you could fault Miz & Morrison for not telling a story in the ring, but frankly I'm so dizzy after watching them going full speed for 13 minutes that I don't care. This is an exciting way to start "Bragging Rights 2009", which will be par for the course tonight.
"7.5 / 10"
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2) Beth Phoenix, Natalya, & Michelle McCool (Women's champion - SmackDown)
v. Kelly Kelly, Gail Kim, & Melina (Divas champion - RAW)
---Look, as much as I think ladies' matches are underappreciated, I confess that 2009 hasn't been a good year overall for this division. But I recommend this breezy contest because like the opener, it keeps a fast pace, and just doesn't slow down. This also avoids obvious botches or weak athleticism that plagues many of the WWE's Diva matches. The SmackDown crew impressed me with their dominance, while the RAW ladies were agile enough to hang in their with their opponents. Gail Kim started things off, Kelly Kelly hung in their pretty well, and Melina was the hot-tag closer. I actually wish this tag contest went longer, but "short-n-sweet" is still sweet.
"7.0 / 10"
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3) World Heavyweight Championship
Batista v. Rey Mysterio v. CM Punk v. The Undertaker (champion)
---My feelings on this Fatal Fourway are similar to the ones I had with the recent triple threat title matches at "WrestleMania". The action is fast-paced. The wrestlers are talented. The storyline is at least interesting. The match is never boring. And...it's all too short. My reaction to this particular match might not make much sense: I guessed that this one was gonna be short since CM Punk and Taker's recent encounters have barely lasted 10 minutes, and indeed this contest was the same. However, from bell to bell, all four men didn't let the action slow down. Everyone was constantly going for the quick pinfall victories, and everyone got to show their signature moves. Plus, the aftermath is a twist that I'm eager to see play out. I'm guessing most fans didn't buy this PPV to see this match anyway. Honestly, I didn't expect much, either. But I thoroughly enjoyed it, and hope that the title picture on "SmackDown" doesn't continue to diminish.
"7.0 / 10"
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4) TEAM RAW
D-Generation X, Big Show, Jack Swagger,
Mark Henry, Cody Rhodes, & Kofi Kingston
-VS-
TEAM SMACKDOWN
Chris Jericho, Kane, Matt Hardy,
Finlay, R-Truth, & The Hart Dynasty
---I think there are two aspects to explore here:
First, is the concept. Brand competition is always a fun idea, even if it's meaningless. In no way do I believe that SmackDown is going to get a huge boost of anything from their victory, even though I believe it's a far superior show at this time. I actually didn't mind ECW being absent from this match; I've accepted that it's a training ground with a third-rate status.
Secondly, there's the 14-Man Tag Team match itself. Like most brand-vs-brand showdowns, I like this all-star mashup, but don't love it. I like seeing the unusual pairings of wrestlers, like Finlay/HBK or Kofi/Jericho. It was also nice to see a few rivalries get briefly revisited, like Matt/Swagger, or even Show/Kane. Credit must also go to the three commentators for sticking to their brand loyalties without interrupting each other. However, this contest could've been much more than it was. It was only 14 minutes for starters, when I think most of us wanted an epic confrontation. I was also disappointed to see most wrestlers fall into their usual roles. HBK got beat up a lot, while HHH got the dominant hot tag. Kane, Big Show, & Mark Henry made brief appearances, and nothing more. The Hart Dynasty didn't get to show off their in-ring excellence very much (Tyson Kidd barely got any offense in, period).
Overall, this is a good match, well worth your time & money. But there's a lot of room for improvement.
"7.0 / 10"
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5) "Anything Goes" Iron Man Match - WWE Championship
Randy Orton (WWE champion) v.
John Cena (Leaves RAW If Defeated)
---I'll skip the analysis over whether Cena would actually lose this match. I give credit to WWE and to the Pittsburgh fans for making it seem like a possibility. Anyway, something very strange happened in the weeks leading up to this. You see, I used to hate Cena/Orton matches from their Eddie Guerrero Tribute throwaway, to their thankfully-interrupted 2007 program. Their 2008 follow-ups were watchable, but nothing special. In 2009, however, Cena & Orton have proven time after time that they're worth the spotlight that they're under. I somehow knew their 4th & final PPV showdown of the year would be worthwhile. In my opinion, my faith has been justified.
For 60 minutes, John Cena & Randy Orton delivered. What's best about this match is actually the storytelling. Cena gets busted open (on accident), and actually uses it to his character for a while. It makes him even tougher, Orton even viler, and the situation even more desperate. There's also an unusual but neat moment when Orton tries to set off the stage pyro on Cena!!! Even some of the early quick pinfalls & submissions make perfect sense. The very 1st fall is when Cena traps Orton in the STF, and Orton taps almost before it's even locked.
The Iron Man Match is filled with little touches like these.
The "Anything Goes" stipulation is used about as well as it can be in WWE's PG-programming. Aside from the medics cleaning up Cena's bleeding, the match lived up to its tagline.
Where the match goes awry is in the 30-45 minute mark. Orton endlessly stomps and punches away at an exhausted Cena, and it starts to feel like Deja Vu all over again. I understand Orton's Viper character is a slow, methodical sadist. I understand that Cena is a tough underdog whose never-say-die attitude is what makes him marketable and engaging. But those 15 minutes clearly became stalling time.
Don't let that last paragraph worry you. Frankly, going 60 minutes is something most wrestlers can't even do. And most of us can't even make it in the indy professional wrestling circuit, let alone WWE. These comments are just criticisms from someone who's watched too much WWE, and who puts a premium on matches that keep the pace up. The bottom line is that John Cena and Randy Orton have had a strong rivalry in 2009, and the Iron Man Match is an excellent finale.
"7.5 / 10"
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"Bragging Rights 2009" is one of the best PPVs of the year. It's a solid 3 hours from start to finish. I hope WWE expands on this concept next year, and brings ECW along with them. But for now, I'll look at this as a taste of what "Survivor Series" is going to be, and a fun way to see RAW & SmackDown mix it up, with the two brands putting on their own solid title bouts.
Go ahead and buy this.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
WWE Bragging Rights 2009, October 27, 2009
SmackDown! vs. Raw Match: John Morrison (SmackDown!) vs. The Miz (Raw)
This match was awesome, but they really botched it with the ending. Miz tried to avoid fighting Morrison at first, but Morrison then hit a series of offensive maneuvers followed by the standing Shooting Star Press for a near count. Miz fought back with power moves, and then it erupted into a back-and-forth battle with both men dodging each other's moves. Miz hit his signature offense and a knee on the outside while Morrison was on the apron, but couldn't put Morrison away. Morrison hit a plancha to the outside and laid Miz out, and then hit a springboard superkick! Morrison tried to follow up with the Starship Pain, but Miz got his knees up. Miz then went for the Skull Crushing Finale, but Morrison countered and got Miz on the ground again. Morrison went for the Starship Pain, but Miz yanked him off the top and pinned him. Like I said, bad ending. Winner: The Miz. Match Rating: 4/5
Raw Divas (Gail Kim, Kelly Kelly, and Melina) vs. SmackDown! Divas (Beth Phoenix, Michelle McCool, and Natalya)
Natalya made the match. She was teamed up on at first by the Raw team, with Melina hitting some especially unique moves on Bret Hart's niece. Michelle McCool made the save for Natalya and started fighting back with some stiff fighting, and Kelly Kelly hit an awesome tilt-a-whirl headscissors on her. Phoenix tagged herself in and started working over Gail Kim, and then there was chaos as all the other divas started brawling. Phoenix hit her finishing move on Kim to win the match for her team, chalking up one point for SmackDown!. Match Rating: 4/5
Fatal 4-Way World Heavyweight Championship Match: The Undertaker (Champion) vs. Batista vs. CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio
Very exciting and fast-paced match, though it could have stood to be a little longer. Everyone hit their signature moves on each other. CM Punk ate a Last Ride, but he hit the Go To Sleep on Mysterio. Undertaker suffered the Batista Bomb, but he Chokeslammed Batista. Mysterio and Batista double-teamed Undertaker. Mysterio hit a 619, which led him right into a Spinebuster from Batista! Batista and Rey's relationship started to suffer as they fought over who could pin Undertaker, but Undertaker responded by taking them out. Undertaker and Batista had a deul, though CM Punk and Mysterio both tried to interfere. Mysterio hit a Seated Senton on Punk on the outside off the apron, and then went for a flying hurracanrana on Undertaker off the top ropes, but Undertaker countered and went for the Last Ride. Batista hit the Spear on Undertaker after that. Batista and Mysterio started to argue, and Batista threw his friend out of the ring. Punk tried to get involved in the match again, but he was tossed out of the ring by Undertaker. Mysterio came back into the ring, but he was thrown out and onto CM Punk by Batista, becoming an inadvertent Seated Senton on Punk! Batista turned around and Undertaker hit a Tombstone Piledriver to seal the victory. Hard hitting and exciting as hell. Great match. Winner: The Undertaker. Match Rating: 5/5
Team SmackDown! (Chris Jericho, D.H. Smith, Finlay, Kane, Matt Hardy, R-Truth, and Tyson Kidd) vs. Team Raw (Cody Rhodes, Jack Swagger, Kofi Kingston, Mark Henry, Shawn Michaels, The Big Show, and Triple H)
A large part of the beginning of the match was rather slow. Everyone had their ring time, but it was just basic moves that were back and forth. This match was bloated, to put it bluntly, and it would have worked out much better if it was an elimination-style match. Shawn Michaels was isolated by Team SmackDown!, but he hit a Sweet Chin Music on Finlay. He almost made the tag to Triple H, but Tyson Kidd and D.H. Smith started double-teaming Michaels. Michaels fought back and finally made the tag to Triple H, who proceeded to clean house. Triple H hit a Spinebuster on D.H. Smith, followed by a Spinebuster on Tyson Kidd on TOP of Smith, followed by a Spinebuster on Finlay on TOP of the both of them! All hell started to break loose shortly thereafter, with R-Truth trying for a flying crossbody onto Mark Henry on the outside, only to have Henry catch him. Matt Hardy came off the top ropes for a clothesline on Henry to knock the big man down on the outside. D.H. Smith and Tyson Kidd brawled with Cody Rhodes on the outside, and Shawn Michaels tried to recover from his beatdown earlier. Jack Swagger hit the Gutwrench Powerbomb on Finlay, but he was engulfed in the brawl between Smith, Rhodes, and Kidd. In the ring, Jericho went for the Lionsault on Triple H, but Triple H rolled out of the way and tagged in Kofi Kingston. Kingston went for the Boom Drop, but Jericho tried to counter into the Walls of Jericho. Kingston countered and then hit the Trouble in Paradise, but the count was broken up by Kane, who delivered a Chokeslam to Triple H. Big Show ran into the ring and hit the Spear on Kane, and then he instructed Kofi to go to the top rope. Kofi did so, but then Big Show suddenly turned on Kofi and his team by hitting a Chokeslam! A confused Triple H started to enter the ring to confront Big Show, but he was met with a Knockout Punch that left his body limp. Jericho covered Kingston for the victory. Good idea, just not implemented as well as it could have, and should have been. Winners: Team SmackDown!. Match Rating: 4/5
Special Stipulations 60-Minute Iron Man WWE Championship Match: Randy Orton (Champion) vs. John Cena
This will go down as one of the best matches of all time. Usually when John Cena claims one of his matches will be like this, he's generally wrong, but this match was simply awesome. It reminded me of the kind of match we used to see in the Attitude Era. The special stipulations were that this would be the last match between Orton and Cena, and if Cena lost, he would have to leave Monday Night Raw. Orton started off by stomping on Cena, but Cena tripped him out of nowhere and applied the STF! Orton quickly tapped out to avoid being further damaged, giving Cena one point. There was a 30 second rest period in between falls, and the men used their first rest period to stare each other down. The fight spilled to the outside, and Orton smacked Cena in the head with a television monitor. Orton rolled Cena into the ring and grabbed a microphone, which smashed across Cena's head, making Cena bleed! Orton tried to follow up on his assault, but Cena hit a flurry of offense, including his back suplexes and spinning back suplex/powerbomb move. Cena then went to the top rope and hit a Fameasser off the top! Cena then went for the Five-Knuckle Shuffle, but Orton jumped to his feet and hit an RKO out of nowhere! Orton pinned Cena and earned his first point. The score was now Orton: 1 and Cena: 1. Orton started to wear Cena down with strikes and submissions, but Cena got him up for the Attitude Adjustment! Cena did hit the Attitude Adjustment, but Orton hit an RKO simultaneously! Their arms draped over one another lifelessly, and they both were awarded the point! The score was tied at two at this point in time. Cena recovered first and went to the top rope, but Orton jumped to his feet and tried for a superplex. Cena countered into a SUPER Attitude Adjustment to put himself in the lead with three points!!! During the rest period though, Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase of Legacy ran down to the ring! They started to attack Cena while Orton rested, and DiBiase hit Dream Street on Cena! Kofi Kingston ran down to the ring with a steel chair and chased Legacy away, but Orton still managed to tie the points because of DiBiase's assistance. The fight spilled to the outside, but Cena regained the advantage on Orton and they started brawling near the stage. Orton fought back by slamming Cena's head on the pyro controls, causing some of the fireworks to go off! Orton was startled by the fireworks, but that didn't stop him from throwing Cena through part of the Bragging Rights lighting fixtures and earning another point, putting himself in the lead with four points! Orton then had an idea. He dragged Cena on top of the set and placed him...right where the pyro goes off! Orton smacked Cena in the back with a steel chair and then returned to the controls. The referee and the pyro technician tried to talk him out of it, but Orton started pressing the buttons anyway! Nothing happened because the techie turned the pyro off, but Orton slammed down on all the buttons at once, causing a large firework explosion, but thankfully Cena rolled out of the way just in the nick of time. A frustrated Orton dragged Cena back into the ring and started his stomping assault. Out of nowhere, Cena rolled Orton up in a small package to tie the score yet again! A frustrated Orton started beating on the injured Cena even more violently, throwing him into the steel ring steps and then hitting his second-story DDT to Cena from the ring apron onto the floor! This gave Orton another point, which put him in the lead again! Orton threw the steel steps at Cena and smashed a chair across his arm, which was wrapped around the steel ring post. Cena started to fight back though, and he grabbed the steel steps next and rammed Orton's head with them! Cena then set up the steel steps next to the announce table. Cena then THREW Orton THROUGH the freaking security barricade!!! Cena picked Orton up and...hit the Attitude Adjustment on Orton off the steps and through the announce table!!! This gave Cena the next point, once again tying the score at five points for either man. An angry Cena then set up a table in the ring during the rest period. He dragged Orton into the ring and set him up on the table and then went to the top rope. Cena went for a flying leg drop, but Orton rolled off the table, and Cena crashed through it!!! Orton couldn't capitalize though because he was still injured from being thrown through the announce table and the security...
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3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good event, but bad turning point in batista and rey mysterio, November 13, 2009
The first ever bragging rights event was pretty good. Thanks for reading and please comment.
Intercontinental champion vs. United States champion
The miz(us) vs. John morrison(IC)
This match is okay. Of course some highflying moves from morrison. This match really shouldn't have been on the card. But over all good match. Sad thing is the miz won with some dirty tricks(of course). Also, raw leading the way 1/0
match rating:6/10
3-on-3 smackdown vs. raw divas tag match
Terrible match here. this six diva match stunk. when i watched the highlights of this match, i almost cried. This match shouldn't have been on the card. But, with the smackdown team winning, they evened up the score to 1/1.
match rating:3/10
Fatal four way for the world heavyweight championship
Undertaker(C)vs. batista vs. rey mysterio vs. cm punk
This match is pretty good. Some nice moves by mysterio and punk. But i think batista and undertaker had the best battle with each other during the match. I thought batista was going to become to become world heavyweight champion when he batista bombed taker. but mysterio broke it up. Also, great moment when batista got tombstoned for taker to pick up the win.
match rating:8/10
I think the after math of this match went above the PG rating when batista said, "im going to rip your head off" Then beat the heck out of rey.
7-0n-7 battle of the brands tag team match
team raw vs. team smackdown
This match is definatly worth watching. Great tag team matchup here. This match was a finisher fest. Pretty much everybody got their finisher. Great moment in the match when michaels got dominated for a while and then got the tag to the game. Once the game got in, he cleared the house. Sucky ending when kingston hit the trouble in paradise, hart dinesty broke it up, and when he was on the top rope, big show hit the chokeslam and knocked out the game and jericho got the pin for smackdown to be the better show than raw.
60 minutes anything goes iorn man match-wwe championship(if cena loses, he must leave raw forever)
John Cena vs. Randy Orton(C)
This match is the best and most brutal iorn man match i have ever seen. This has everything. Pyro, tables, chairs, steps, and brutality. Cena started off good by winning the first fall just less than four minuets in the match. Once the match went outside the ring, it got brutal. When cena and orton went up around the stage area, cena got thrown into the lights and they went off on him. Then orton got the pin. Orton turned and started playing with the pyro and then he put cena on the stage and let the pyro go off on him. When cena got more strength, he gave orton a atitude adjustment through the announce table. Once he got the pin, he waited the thirty seconds and got the pin again. Then once it got evened up again, cena got orton in the stf for about 49 seconds until he tapped out with 4 seconds left in the match. Now, the new wwe champion and still on raw, John cena.
match rating:10/10
This was a pretty solid ppv. I wish that batista wouldn't have beat the crap out of mysterio. I would also suggest this to your wwe collection.
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