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WWE Backlash PPV Reax #2: "Vickie being on a vindictive streak could make for a good storyline for Deadman."
Apr 28, 2008 - 1:16:30 PM |
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Wayne Maye of Richmond, Va. (8.5): Best match: Fatal Four-Way. Worst Match: Big Show vs. Khali. My wife and I attended this show live, and as usual, there's NOTHING like experiencing WWE live! To begin, as we were waiting outside to be let in, there were two individuals who were passing out TNA flyers, which I just balled up and threw to the ground, as I don't watch TNA and I've been a fan of the WWE for almost 20 years and counting. On to the show, MVP and Matt Hardy was a great way to start the show, as the majority of the crowd was solidly behind Matt the pop for his U.S. Title win was electric, like most on this show. Kane vs. Chavo was short, but okay for the most part. Big pop for Kane's victory. Big Show vs. Khali was the worst match of the night, as there was a big boring chant in the middle of the match, only for the crowd to pop once Show gave Khali that chokeslam. HBK vs. Batista fell a little below expectations, but overall it was real decent. Being that this was my third live WWE show, I stood up out of my seat and clapped endlessly when HBK came out, because it was my first time seeing my favorite performer live. Awesome. The twelve Diva tag match was fine for what it was, nothing special. Taker vs. Edge was another very good match, but not better than their encounter at WrestleMania. My wife enjoyed seeing Taker live for the first time. And finally, the main event, while not better than last year's four-way match, this one was terrific live, with Triple H getting big face pops, Cena receiving a mixed reaction, but STILL over with the crowd (there were a lot of kids in the area I was in, and all of them were pulling for Cena, and JBL and Orton with the scorching heel heat. I was surprised to see Triple H win the title, but the pop for his title win was nothing short of amazing. Overall, this was a fine show, especially live, as WWE continues to show why their live shows are something to behold. After the fireworks for Triple H title win ended, I left with an earache, but as I told my wife, it was worth it. We enjoyed ourselves!
Terrie Neilson of Las Vegas, Nev. (9.0): Best: Michaels vs. Batista; Taker vs. Edge (minus postmatch drama). Worst: Divas match. For all my grousing about the storylines and predictability going into the PPV, Backlash turned out all right after all. It was time for a shakeup in the U.S. Title, and Matt's been due something good for a while. It wasn't the neatest match (Hardy's hip toss and MVP's usually crisp overhead throw were clunkers), but the match was a nice opener to get the crowd motivated. The Sam's Town crowd was definitely ready for Hardy to win judging by his pop there, and MVP got the appropriate heel heat. For all the storyline, Kane (pop) vs. Chavo (heat) was a nice put together match; Bam Neely didn't figure as much as expected, which was a nice surprise. Khali (heat) vs. Show (pop) turned out okay. Nowhere near a masterpiece, but not a total disaster, either, as Khali did do some other moves. This should tell you something: the PPV crowd gave Batista some heat at some points in the match; the Sam's Town crowd gave him ZERO reaction the entire match. Shawn was the only one with any reaction, and it was all cheers. I actually think Shawn's crossface is much better than Chris Benoit's as he scissored the arm much deeper (upper arm vs. wrist). And the crossface-rollthrough-pin-crossface was excellently done. The match did answer the question about Michaels-Batista being an all verbal feud as he was still showing effects of Mania. So far no updates on Shawn's knee, so I'm hoping it was just a tweak as this feud may still have something in it to work with in terms of a Batista heel turn. The match also asked one big question: Why the hell was Jericho (what little reaction here there was was positive) in this match again? He was an absolute non-factor, which further frustrated me about this whole faulty storyline. The divas match wasn't all that bad either, but there was just too much chaos in it for me to really enjoy it. Taker (pop) vs. Edge (heat) was a very solid match, and Taker sold an awful lot considering. The Edge Heads' interference came at a time of desperation, which fit well into the match story. Undertaker holding the sub hold longer than match end fit as well, but Vickie was way too over the top and annoying. However, Vickie (all the wrong kinds of heat) being on a vindictive streak could make for a good storyline for Deadman. The main event was a wild match until it settled down to Triple H (pop) vs. Orton (straight up mix), and then became a very good match. JBL (heat) being eliminated first was seen a mile away, but Cena's (heat leaning mix) quick elimination came so fast that our crowd caught it way late. Same crowd was also livid at Cena's vote count. (While I had some hope for Orton, I voted for Triple H, though non-AT&T users need not apply, which is complete BS). As for the commentary, Mike Adamle was fine, just needs to find smoothness now, assuming he is allowed to. And Mick Foley just didn't impress me. I was much more entertained by the close-captioning calling him every name except his own (They even called him Jonathan and Coach wasn't there). At the end of the night, I was pretty able to keep my picky brain from having too many fits, and that was a good thing.
We welcome your 1-10 score and comments on this event for a "WWE Backlash 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 the PPV, click here.
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