Tagged under:
By @TrueGodImmortal
WWE made a point of making In Your House PPVs a regular occurrence before the event soon turned into regular PPVs in 1998. However, from 1995-1997, we had multiple In Your House PPVs, some good, some bad, but regardless, those PPVs are etched in history and today we rank the top 5. Let's get into it.
5. In Your House: Good Friends, Better Enemies (1996)
-This is an underrated event for sure. We witnessed Shawn Michaels vs Diesel in what would be Diesel's last WWF PPV match and Ultimate Warrior taking on Goldust as well. Vader vs Razor Ramon was solid, but what does piss me off about this one is that this show had amazing dark matches that weren't televised. The only downfall of these In Your House PPVs was the great dark matches we missed. This event is one of those, but still a very good event in the history.
4. In Your House: Revenge of The Taker (1997)
-This was a special event and had some really good matches starting with the Tag Team Title match between The Legion of Doom vs Owen Hart and British Bulldog. Then Rocky Maivia and Savio Vega had a nice Intercontinental title match, and the WWF Title Match was actually pretty good with Undertaker defending against Mankind. However, no feud was hotter than Bret vs Austin and this was no different here. They headlined the show as Austin and Bret fought to the wire for a chance at a title shot. That would be the match of the night, but unfortunately, Bret still wouldn't put Austin over officially, a problem no one seems to mention.
3. In Your Mind: Mind Games (1996)
-This is one of my favorites. It has one of the greatest matches in In Your House history with Shawn Michaels vs Mankind in the main event. Owen Hart and British Bulldog vs The Smoking Gunns was a good one, as was The Undertaker vs Goldust. This event was solid overall and when compared to the other PPVs, this is certainly top 5. Check this out if you haven't.
2. In Your House: Badd Blood (1997)
-As the In Your House series began winding down, this was one of the final installments of the full series, and it's one of the best mainly because of the epic main event. Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker went at it in an epic Hell In A Cell match, which also saw the debut of Kane. Other matches included The Nation of Domination vs The Legion of Doom, The British Bulldog and Bret Hart vs Vader and The Patriot, and a solid tag match with The Godwinns vs The Headbangers. This was definitely one of the more solid In Your House events.
1. In Your House : Canadian Stampede (1997)
-This is the greatest. Magnificent card all around from top to bottom. I loved every match on the card here, and thought that there was no weak spot on the entire card. The opening match of Mankind vs Triple H was solid, as was the contest between The Great Sasuke vs Taka Michinoku. After this, Undertaker and Vader had a tolerable WWF Title match, but the 10 man main event match really took things up a notch with the Canada vs US element. All in all, this is certainly the best In Your House PPV and a pleasure to watch even now.
-True
Tagged under:
By @TrueGodImmortal
Gather around children. It's time to talk about the biggest atrocity that could possibly ever exist. Now, trust me, WWE has made a ton of mistakes over the years, but there is one huge mistake that they could really make, and according to multiple sources and Jim Ross himself, Goldberg vs Brock Lesnar 2 is due to happen very soon. Now, as the plot thickens, more details are coming out about this match reportedly being confirmed and set in stone. Why? Who the hell knows. However, nearly 50 year old Bill Goldberg seems set to hop back in the ring and fight once more... or perhaps more than that, who knows. What we do know is that the last time Goldberg was in a WWE ring, it was absolutely horrible. And who did he face?
Brock Lesnar. At Wrestlemania 20.
Now, let's be honest. A lot of the matches Brock has had since returning in 2012 have been rematches, usually ones that were unnecessary and pointless. Instead of perhaps building to a Kevin Owens vs Brock feud, or a Cesaro vs Brock feud, or even something involving Brock vs Chris Jericho with Heyman on the mic versus Jericho, we seem to be on the verge of getting Goldberg vs Brock II at Survivor Series. Now, don't get me wrong.... Goldberg returning could be big... or could have been. If it was at Wrestlemania and NOT against Brock, and rather someone who could carry the feud, it would be somewhat interesting. I mean Goldberg can be intense in the ring and his spear is almost unparalleled, BUT.... do we really want to see him again? I'm sure some of us do, but do we really want to see Brock, who already has taken criticism for his lazy matches and lackluster performances, against Goldberg, a man who hasn't wrestled in WWE for 12 years and just had double knee surgery?
I would think the consensus would be NO. A strong NO. Now, Goldberg a few months back was saying the ball was in WWE's court and that he was open and ready for a WWE return during the promotion of WWE 2K17. However, on ESPN early tonight, he mentioned that he was 49 and doesn't know if he should or not and that people should give him until the year is over to decide, a far cry from the rumors that the match is all but confirmed. One would assume that Goldberg has been training and that his deal might actually be done and that he's trying to save face for the info that leaked out. There's no reason why so many credible sources have Goldberg as basically signed and ready to go for Survivor Series, if it wasn't almost there or official. However, he said himself that he doesn't owe Brock a rematch, but if he did comeback, that's the FIRST match he would want. Why? Who knows.
See, that's the thing. Goldberg coming back is cool if he works with guys like Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, Jericho again, Reigns, and maybe a few others, but there's little money in any of those except maybe the battle of the spear with Reigns. With Brock vs Goldberg 2, it would be two men beyond their prime just having a slow slugfest match in an era where women are main eventing and stealing the show, Cruiserweights are consistently upping the bar, and main eventers in Kevin Owens, AJ Styles, Seth Rollins, and midcard guys like Sami Zayn are consistently having classics. Goldberg doesn't fit in the current WWE and that's probably why he's coming back. He isn't coming back to fit in, but to stand out. However, this may work against him. Now, who could we see Goldberg feud with if he decides to fight someone else other than Brock after their rematch? Roman Reigns vs Goldberg? Would be a terrible match considering neither man can really be a ring general and lead. John Cena vs Goldberg? Slightly better, but one would assume this would just be another accolade for Cena to cross off his bucket list and really nothing special. Goldberg vs AJ Styles? Now, this I wouldn't be mad at because Styles can damn near pull a classic out of anyone. But, I have no desire to really see it, and the promotion of it would be odd. The best possible matches in this whole sequence comes down to two men who are actually feuding right now, Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton. Goldberg vs Bray wouldn't be the best match, but the theatrics and the build could be fun in some way and Bray cutting the lights out and thinking he's outsmarted Goldberg only to turn around into a spear would be exciting for the moment. Orton vs Goldberg? Literally this would only be fun to see Orton pop up with RKOs out of nowhere or see him go for a punt kick and get speared out of his boots. Or turn the Jackhammer to a RKO. Otherwise, there isn't much else to speak of.
In the end, we seem to be getting Brock vs Goldberg soon again and I don't want it at all and neither do many others. Regardless, Goldberg returning has many negative effects and slim positive effects, but perhaps WWE will surprise us. Maybe. Doubtful, but maybe. Guess we'll have to wait and see.
-True
Tagged under:
By @TrueGodImmortal
I know. I know. Another damn WWE PPV, right? Yes, indeed. Interesting enough, while RAW on paper looks better than Smackdown, Smackdown is actually the better of the two shows easily and it looks as if they will once again upstage RAW on the PPV front. Much like Backlash, this PPV doesn't seem to be TOO great on paper, but what makes this PPV exciting is the build to it. That's right. A WWE PPV is exciting because of the build up to it. With that, let's get into this No Mercy preview and look at what this Sunday has to offer us.
*Possible Match Additions
There are 6 official matches, but I suspect Jack Swagger vs Baron Corbin to be added as a possible Pre-show match along with American Alpha vs The Ascension. American Alpha is not getting the love they deserve on Smackdown and it's actually one of the biggest mistakes of the brand so far. Hopefully these get added.
*WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship Match
The Usos vs Heath Slater and Rhyno
-I really don't care about this feud anymore, but I think that we have to let Heath and Rhyno continue their run and maybe feud with the Vaudevillains or The Ascension after this. Then let the Usos feud with American Alpha for a few months before American Alpha finally get the titles. The Usos don't need another title run and I'm not sold on their new heel turn. Sure, they are better than as faces, but it's not saying very much. I hope Slater and Rhyno retain.
*Nikki Bella vs Carmella
-To be honest, I don't care about this one either. Carmella nor Nikki are actually good wrestlers so this match will likely be a bit sloppy and hilarious to watch from my perspective. Still, I like how they have paced this feud and I hope Carmella gets a win and keeps trying to get better because she could get a future feud for Becky Lynch in a few months with some improvement and she could be a really fun heel if she focuses. IF.
*Curt Hawkins Returns
-Does anyone really care? No. I damn sure don't. I think the worst thing about this is simply that no one cares and Smackdown has an issue of investing into these guys who we never cared about, like Hawkins and Swagger. This will likely be a squash match, and pointless. This is the one that seems to be the most disappointing on the card.
*Bray Wyatt vs Randy Orton
-The build to this one is strange, but entertaining in the same respect. I don't really see much good coming from this feud and I only mean that with regards to Bray. I think you'll see Bray lose this match and this feud could likely continue one more month since it is really just getting started, but I think Orton wins this match and then Bray terrorizes him a little bit more before one final Orton win on Smackdown leading into some type of Survivor Series team match at the PPV (Bray, Harper, The Ascension vs Orton, Ziggler, American Alpha?) and ending the feud officially. Either way, I'm interested to see how this plays out, and if Bray wins, I'd be surprised.
*Intercontinental Title Match
The Miz vs Dolph Ziggler
-Career vs Title. I can't see Ziggler losing this one, but if he does, it makes sense that his last few months in wrestling have been contesting for titles. I see Ziggler winning this one, and while I'm not totally invested in this one, I'm curious to see the result and how intense the match can be. I think they've at least done a great job of building this one when most of us didn't even want to see it in the first place. Now, to be fair, I still don't really care, but I can recognize the good job that Smackdown has done here and the good job both Miz and Ziggler have done.
*Women's Championship Match
Becky Lynch vs Alexa Bliss
-I'm not fully sure how I feel about Alexa Bliss. She reminds of a Kelly Kelly type look wise, but perhaps just a little crazier. I like Becky Lynch and I would like to see her continue her reign and I'm sure she will. There is no one ready to take the title from her on Smackdown, and Alexa will lose in a hopefully good contest and perhaps they will continue the feud another month because I like these two against each other as far as chemistry goes.
*WWE Championship Match
AJ Styles vs Dean Ambrose vs John Cena
-A potential classic that has brought out the best in the two guys that it needed to. I hope we get more Ambrose vs Styles matches for the title and that Cena goes away for months and stays out of the WWE Title picture. I like the attitude and arrogance from Cena lately and hope that allows him to take the pin as AJ retains, causing Cena to go away and letting AJ help to carry this feud with Ambrose one on one even more. I think Ambrose vs Styles could be a defining rivalry for the brand, and since this triple threat became official, I've seen Ambrose look more focused than he has in quite some time. Let's hope he keeps it up and we get more from Ambrose and he stays around the title picture. I predict AJ retains by pinning Cena and then we get Ambrose vs Styles once more before Styles moves on to Orton for a few months. Regardless, this should be match of the night.
This PPV looks to be a sleeper, but somehow it's been built up very very well. Let's hope we see a classic match or two here, as the build has definitely given us the opportunity to see one. Let's see if the show can deliver or exceed expectations.
-True
Tagged under:
By @TrueGodImmortal
No Mercy returns after an 8 year absence this Sunday and with the card shaping up to be a good one, we wanted to look back at all of the events and rank them over the history of the event. Let's get into it.
11. No Mercy UK (1999)
-We reviewed this one recently and it is really awful overall I'm essence. The main event is really the only good match and even that is a bit of a clusterfuck. This is the worst of all the events because of the weak card overall and the lack of actual stars, which must have been due to the event being overseas.
10. No Mercy 2005
-This wasn't a great show by any means, and the only significance of this show is that it is the last Eddie Guerrero PPV. He headlined the show with Batista in a title match, but outside of that, this is a very mediocre show. Mr. Kennedy vs Hardcore Holly is decent, and I sort of enjoyed the Taker vs Ortons casket match, but overall this event was nothing special. Eddie did his best in the main event, and it wasn't bad, but it just fell flat and Batista winning wasn't what I felt was the right call.
9. No Mercy 2004
-Smackdown only PPVs were usually terrible on a regular basis. Whoever had the idea to make Eddie Guerrero carry Luther Reigns to a halfway decent match should hate themselves. Eddie barely made the match watchable, but the match was horrible to kick off the show. The energy was ruined from there. I wasn't a big fan of the rest of the matches, not even the main event of JBL vs Undertaker, though I know many enjoyed it. I didn't. I thought the match was okay, but lacked a big fight feel and was slow and boring even In its most hardcore moments aside from the last few minutes. The best match on the night? Billy Kidman vs Paul London. Everything else pales in comparison.
8. No Mercy 2007
-This is literally a one match show. The main event is great, as HHH and Orton went toe to toe for the WWE Championship in a Last Man Standing Match..... after Orton and HHH had a battle earlier in the night and HHH won the vacant title.... then defended it against Umaga. The rest of the card is very take it or leave it, but the main event is worth watching for at least. However avoid the Punjabi Prison match on this card.... better yet avoid any Punjabi Prison match ever in wrestling history. They are horrible.
7. No Mercy 1999
-This was the inaugural PPV in the US and it had some interesting matches and moments. I'd say that the main event of Triple H vs Stone Cold was highly entertaining though it was obvious Austin was limited due to injury, and then there was the epic tag team ladder match between Hardy Boyz and Edge & Christian. The rest of the card wasn't that great, but the card flowed pretty well, something that was rare in 1999 for WWF.
6. No Mercy 2000
-A cluttered PPV with a couple of unnecessary matches, but this had some good overall contests on the night. I liked the cage match between Chris Jericho vs X-Pac, Triple H and Benoit had a really solid match, and the main event between Angle and Rock for the title was really entertaining. My only issue was the waste of a segment with Austin vs Rikishi as it only existed to have Austin beat the hell out of Rikishi. Otherwise, this is a pretty decent PPV, more middle of the road than anything, but still some highlights.
5. No Mercy 2003
-This PPV is actually pretty good. I liked a lot of the matches minus two, and while there are no classic matches here, it's a solid card overall. Angle vs Cena was good, Taker vs Lesnar was good yet still disappointing, but my favorite match on the night had to be between Tajiri and Rey Mysterio for the Cruiserweight Title, as it was a great contest to kick off the show. The worst match on the night is the Stephanie vs Sable match, but that's obvious. Otherwise, this is a decent card.
4. No Mercy 2006
-This is actually a slept on PPV. I wasn't the biggest fan of Smackdown during 2006, but this oddly enough was a truly solid card that may not have looked good on paper, but match wise, it's mostly strong. Aside from the match between MVP and an enhancement talent, this was a solid card as Benoit vs Regal was great, the Fatal 4 Way Title Main Event was solid, Mysterio vs Chavo was solid, and the tag team titles match was pretty good also. All in all, this isn't one of the best cards on paper, but as far as wrestling goes? This is certainly a good show in retrospect.
3. No Mercy 2008
-This is a two match show essentially, but I can't say I'm mad at that. Greatness came from the two main events, as the WWE Title was on the line between Jeff Hardy and HHH in a really good contest and the main event was the classic ladder match to end one of the greatest feuds of the 2000s in Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels. Those two matches alone garner a spot on the list this high. The rest of the card was middle of the road, but I thoroughly enjoyed the two main events, which is more than I could say about the rest of these PPVs sadly.
2. No Mercy 2001
-I think this tends to go slept on at times. It was an interesting night, kicking off with a nice tag team match for the WCW Tag Titles. The highlights on the night including a decent Booker T vs Undertaker match, and of course a near classic ladder match with Edge vs Christian, along with a really solid main event between Kurt Angle, Stone Cold and Rob Van Dan for the WWF Title. The best match on the night? The instant classic between Jericho and The Rock for the WCW Title. That match is amazing and easily the biggest highlight of the night.
1. No Mercy 2002
-The greatest. 2002 is the greatest year in wrestling to me, with Summerslam and Survivor Series having classic events, and Vengeance also being great. This was also a pretty damn good PPV, having a fairly entertaining match between HHH and Kane, a solid contest with Flair and RVD, the classic Hell in A Cell match between Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker, and finally the epic tag team match between Rey Mysterio and Edge vs Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle for the Smackdown Tag Team titles. This is the best event in No Mercy history.
Will this Sunday's No Mercy be added to the list? Only time will tell. Who knows. I'm curious to see how it turns out. Regardless, if you disagree with this list, tell us why in the comments as usual.
-True
Tagged under:
By @TrueGodImmortal
The year was 2006. Booker T had been in a bit of a stagnant period in his career and although he had his wife Sharmell by his side, he was still struggling to find his way. In previous moments, there was a feud with Kurt Angle that featured a promo referencing beastality, Booker taking on Heindereich, before turning heel again and feuding with Chris Benoit and The Boogeyman (which was hilarious to be fair). What bothered me about Booker having his talent so wasted was that he was still more entertaining than just about everyone else on the roster. Something had to give. Something.
Enter the King of the Ring Tournament.
The tournament was resurrected years after the last PPV occurred, and with it, we saw a new side of Booker. The finals of the tournament seemed prone to be all about Lashley winning and getting a good push. That was not the case and thankfully we got Booker getting the win in the Tournament Final at Judgment Day 2006 and instantly, we saw a royal disposition grow from Booker. It was undoubtedly hilarious from the start, as Booker seemed so proud to win the crown and bestowed with such a regal honor. The levels of where Booker took it however was absolutely brilliant and likely the greatest period of his career from a character standpoint.
Starting with King Booker's Court, he assembled a team with Sharmell as his queen, Fit Finlay (Sir Finlay), and William Regal (Sir Regal). Booker believed he was indeed a Royal monarch in the wrestling world, and as such, he created mannerisms and began wearing the stereotypical attire that fit for British kings. It was over the top and comical, bordering on ridiculous, but what made it work even more was the atrocious English accent that he tried to use. Booker would use a whole different vocabulary along with it, taking us back to a time where most kings dined with no eating utensils. That was only the start of it, as Booker would go a step further and become almost obsessed with making Lashley kiss his royal feet. Booker and Lashley had a solid feud, but it ended sort of abruptly, as Booker would go on to bigger and better things. Those bigger and better things would be the World Heavyweight Championship.
After defeating Rey Mysterio for the title at the Great American Bash, Booker took the gimmick to another level with his championship celebration, proclaiming himself as the King of The World. It was after this brief win over Rey that he would be trapped in bad booking as champion. Booker was a transitional champion, but he made the most of it anyways. He would be painted as a royal coward, hiding behind his court, using Finlay and Regal to help him win matches and dressing down his own allies in angry promos when things didn't go his way. It was obvious this was a temporary character change for Booker and while I wanted him to get more TV time and defend the title a little more seriously, he had a decent 4 month reign that really only consisted of him feuding with Batista.
Backstage rumors not withstanding, Booker would lose most of his battles with Batista, as he lost to Batista via DQ at Summerslam, before dropping the title finally to him at Survivor Series, but not before losing the rest of his court with an unprovoked attack on Regal. Finlay and Booker still teamed after this and after the title loss, as John Cena and Batista would team up to defeat the two. It was insignificant for the most part, and though Booker's booking wasn't the best, promo wise, he would keep me laughing and entertained. The story of King Booker isn't rooted in the booking, but rather his hilarious commentary and promos.
As 2007 began, Booker struggled and would be off TV for a few months due to injury until he got drafted to RAW and began a small feud with Triple H. This is the last highlight of Booker and his in ring career as King Booker, as in the weeks leading up to his Summerslam match with a returning Triple H, he berated Jerry Lawler and called him "Jerome", which still makes me laugh. Unfortunately, the promos and work he put in were all for nothing, as he would be easily defeated by Triple H and soon drift off TV following a Wellness Suspension that he claims was wrongful. Booker asked for his release soon after and was granted it. It was the worst way for the story to end, but I guess Booker was tired of being wasted. He walked away from the WWE at that point, but he left his mark with King Booker and that is the best time in his career from a character point. Long Live King Booker!
-True
Tagged under:
By @TrueGodImmortal
1996 is an interesting year for WWF. The Bret Hart era was starting to wind down, and the Diesel era has thankfully come to an end. With these things all coming to an end, it was the beginning of what we can call the Era of HBK, for better or worse. February 1996, Louisville, Kentucky. The 6th edition of the In Your House PPV arrived with a dark match before it went live of Jake The Snake Roberts vs Tatanka, which Jake won. We also got three dark matches after the actual PPV, which is odd in essence. Fans usually would leave after the PPV is done, but if you stayed afterwards, you got to see Goldust take on The Undertaker, which makes you wonder why they didn't televise it. Regardless, today we look back at the PPV, the matches and the overall quality of it. It is time for yet another EOTR Retro Review, a new but very big series here on EOTR. Let's get into it.
*Crybaby Match
Razor Ramon vs 1-2-3 Kid
-This match is weird. After the 1-2-3 Kid turned on Razor, we witnessed this match, which was a bit strange in essence when you think about it. Crybaby match? Meaning the loser wore powder and a diaper when the match ended along with drinking a bottle (insert alcoholic Scott Hall joke here). It was really weird and the concept doesn't make any sense to me, but the match was enjoyable at least. Razor wins, but I rather wash this from my entire existence and memory. It was such a weird and strange match and concept. I can't shake this at all.
*Hunter Hearst Helmsey vs Duke Droese
-They really let Hunter struggle in the early days. As crazy as this sounds, Hunter Hearst Helmsey was just a simple blueblood who apparently was accompanied by a new rich lady to the ring every week. It was odd to say the least, and the gimmick reeks of cheesy New Generation Era as is. Duke Droese was positioned to be your everyday man..... who happens to also be your local dumpster man. Yes, a trash man was an actual gimmick. Droese loses this one, and the pointless rise of Hunter continues. Though it was a very slow build to make him viable as a performer.
*Yokozuna vs The British Bulldog
-To think, this match back in 1993 or 1994 would have been classic material, but a bigger and out of his prime Yoko struggled with Bulldog. I saw the angle for this one, and with Bulldog only being used as match fodder to build to what could only be seen as Vince McMahon's dream match of Yokozuna vs Vader, as Yoko got the DQ win over Bulldog, but the arrival of Vader after the match ended signaled where they wanted to go. Once again, Vader vs Yokozuna in 1992-1993 when both were in their prime could have been the greatest big man match ever. However, this was a few years too late. Yoko vs Bulldog was decent, but only used to build up another feud.
*No. 1 Contenders Match For WWF Title
Owen Hart vs Shawn Michaels
-The match of the night. Hands down. And who would expect any less? Shawn and Owen always had good chemistry and this was certainly one of their better matches, and they made sure to add different elements of comedy, suspense, and storytelling. They teased the idea of Shawn possibly still suffering from the effects of the kick Owen "concussed" him with months prior, and that played excellently into the story of the match. This was to see who would go to Wrestlemania 12 and challenge the winner of the main event for the WWF Title and as history showed, of course Shawn won. This was a near classic and a great match, easily the best thing on this card, and the only great match here.
*Steel Cage Match For WWF Championship
Bret Hart vs Diesel
-I always thought Nash and Bret didn't really have much chemistry, yet their matches were never that bad. Their matches still lacked something about them and I can't pinpoint what that may be exactly, but this match didn't do it for me like their near classic at Survivor Series 1995 did. Bret and Diesel had a nice battle as Diesel was in the process of turning heel after the attempt to force him didn't work (*cough* Roman Reigns *cough*). The Undertaker appeared to mess with Diesel and cause him to lose the match, which was totally fine to me though it did no favors to Bret. Bret vs Shawn was set and Undertaker vs Diesel was set for Mania and essentially this PPV was used strictly for that. I'm okay with that, I just wish the In Your House PPVs had more to them than this. The PPVs lacked the big fight feel minus the main events, and being that they only televised 5 of the 9 taped matches, PPV buyers were screwed over in a way. Regardless, In Your House 6 is a rather interesting PPV, for better or worse.
-True
