Dave Hall of Sydney, Australia (8.5): Best Match: Smackdown Elimination Chamber. Worst Match: None. This was the best WWE PPV I have seen in a long time. Each match had something to offer. Although the winners of the Elimination Chambers were predictable, the matches were awesome. Undertaker's stalking of MVP when he was due to enter the match was great psychology, and the ending was unique and well done. The Raw Elimination Chamber provided some great moments, but I was a little disappointed with the speed they got to the end of the match with. The eliminations of Umaga, Jericho, and Michaels happened a little too quickly. The Orton-Cena match was well put together, and the finish actually worked as Orton looked like he had enough. And as this was the only "non-finish" of the night, it made for interesting viewing of the Raw Chamber match. It will be interesting to see if Orton retains the title to WrestleMania, or if Cena gets one more shot (and as there is a cage at Raw tomorrow, could we see Orton-Cena in a cage?). The Edge-Mysterio match was fine, as was the Flair-Kennedy match. I was initially surprised to hear the crowd boo Punk as he mocked Chavo, but in reality, Chavo is honoring Eddie, so the crowd may have viewed what Punk did as a slight on Eddie and not Chavo. Big Show looks great, and the altercation with Mayweather was brilliant. Thise punches were not pulled, and for a moment I thought Big Show was truly angry. The speed he got out of the ring and over the rail was amazing. I look forward to seeing the slimmer Show in action.
Paul Hollingsworth of Tifton, Ga. (9.0): Best Match: Orton vs. Cena. Worst Match: None. Probably the best PPV in a long while from the WWE. The two Elimination Chambers were great spectacles, and the only point off is for Hardy not winning the Raw Brand side. The Punk and Chavo match was okay, nothing special. The Flair and Kennedy match was a little better than okay. The Big Show and Mayweather confrontation was really well done and both title matches, especially the WWE Championship match, were great. Worth a replay buy if you missed it.
We welcome your 1-10 score and comments on this show for a "WWE PPV Reax" feature in the Torch Feedback section of PWTorch.com. Just to add a twist to this feature, include not just your hometown, but also your occupation (mechanic, lawyer, stay-at-home-dad, college student, etc.) so readers get a flavor for what everyone does as "day jobs." To contribute your thoughts on Raw, click here.
LATEST PRO WRESTLING TORCH NEWSLETTER #1039 (17 PAGES)
This issue begins with a cover story by Wade Keller who attended Brock Lesnar's first UFC victory on Saturday night in the semi-main event in front of a record-setting crowd in his hometown. Keller's BBL looks at Lesnar's place in MMA and in what ways he seems more comfortable than ever... Bruce Mitchell's Memo examines the dilemma of Chris Benoit and the Hall of Fame... Sean Radican reviews the two latest TNA DVD releases... In-depth coverage of the TNA Hard Justice PPV including Keller's match report with star ratings and the newsletter-exclusive Roundtable Reviews... Jason Powell's "Page 2 Buzz" with scoops and insider analysis... WWE Newswire, TNA Newswire, and ROH Newswire with insider news, big story analysis, and notebook tidbits... Plus Keller's reports on Raw, Smackdown, and Impact, the Top 5 Stories of the Week, and more....
