WWE BREAKING POINT PPV ELEVATOR
By Buck Woodward on 2009-09-14 15:07:21
The Undertaker - Despite talk of lingering injury issues, the Dead Man looked crisp and good in the ring ... for nine minutes. When your main event is the second shortest match on the show, something is wrong, but that is a WWE Creative issue. With Jeff Hardy gone, Edge out injured, Rey Mysterio on a 30-day vacation and Chris Jericho splitting time between brands, Smackdown needed the star power of the Undertaker, and it looks like he hasn't missed a beat. Elevator: Back in service.
CM Punk - Your first PPV title defense lasts nine minutes, and you tap out clean as a whistle. However, a screwjob keeps the belt around your waist. Sadly, after being booked strong against Jeff Hardy, CM Punk now appears to have fallen into that WWE trap where a top heel has to be booked as being inferior to his babyface opponents. I'm not saying Punk should have forced Undertaker to tap, but having Punk tap out so quickly gave the message that he was outclassed by his opponent. Punk isn't strong enough yet in the eyes of fans to be booked like that. Elevator: Down a floor.
John Cena - It was right out of a comic book. SuperCena gets trapped by the evil villain, tortured and just when all hope is lost, he busts out and saves the world with ease. I actually enjoyed the work in this match, up until the finish, despite Cena's direct-to-DVD overacting. The problem is, WWE once again sent the message that no matter what happens, Cena will always overcome. If you know the end of the book, why bother reading it? Elevator: He can fly, what does he need an elevator for?
Randy Orton - I really enjoyed Randy Orton's work at the PPV. He did a good job in just beating up Cena, and his use of the handcuffs was different than what we've seen in the past in wrestling. It's unfortunate that WWE has booked him to look so weak in the end, as it practically negates all his work prior to the finish. Orton beat up Cena for 20 minutes, then Cena slaps on a submission hold and Orton taps out in seconds. No struggle, not hope spot, just tapping. Why would anyone want to see a rematch? Elevator: Down a floor.
Christian - The match we should have gotten at Summerslam finally took place here, and Christian turned in another good performance. Along with Chris Jericho, Christian has been one of the most consistently solid performers in the company. With the exception of the Summerslam "bout" all of his PPV efforts have been on the money, and this match with Regal was no exception. You have to wonder when WWE will realize this and put Christian on one of the bigger brands. Elevator: Up a floor.
William Regal - Given the way he is often presented on WWE television, you might forget what an incredible wrestler William Regal is. We were given a big reminder of that at Breaking Point, easily Regal's best PPV bout in many years. Regal's hard-hitting, suplex heavy style is a joy to watch, and it seems he is destined to become ECW Champion once he has been reestablished as a believable main eventer (for that brand). He took a big step in that direction at Breaking Point. Elevator: Up a floor.
Kane - You can't blame the Big Red Machine for this one. He was in an impossible situation, and at least he got the win. Let's hope that ends the feud, for his sake and ours. Elevator: On the same floor.
Great Khali - He may have slapped down Big Show backstage in Puerto Rico, but that doesn't mean his matches aren't painfully boring. With Khali, seven minutes feels like seven hours. Even in a match that consisted of 90% swinging a stick, Khali still managed to have awkward moments and stumbles. He did take the chokeslam well, but it doesn't make up for the rest of the dreck that is his offense ... and defense. Elevator: It has never gotten off the ground.
DX - DX did the job. If nothing else, give them credit for actually letting Legacy have a victory over them on a PPV. Now, I have to be honest, I am fearing that because DX lost here, they will bury Legacy on Raw (in front of a much larger audience), but I will give Triple H and Shawn Michaels props for working hard and letting their younger opponents finally have a win. And bonus points for bringing up Montreal in a good natured way (which is how I felt the crowd was treating it as well). Elevator: On the same floor.
Legacy - They finally scored a PPV win over top stars, and they did it without Randy Orton's help, or it being a handicap match, or some other crazy circumstances. Ted DiBiase & Cody Rhodes simply isolated the members of DX, got an advantage, and scored a win. As I mentioned above, how they get treated on Raw will go a long way in how useful this win is to their careers, but for right now, DiBiase & Rhodes got a much needed boost. Elevator: Up a floor.
Kofi Kingston - Let's be honest, most fans probably didn't even know Kofi would be defending the U.S. Title at the PPV. It's unfortunate, because Kingston always works hard and delivers the best match he can. So, he gets credit for trying hard, and he is still the U.S. Champion. Too bad no one cares, including WWE. If they did, maybe they'd give his match a little more build, so then the fans would invest a little more emotionally into him. Elevator: On the same floor.
Miz - Miz came out of his feud with John Cena looking like someone who "couldn't handle the top guys" and be part of the main event picture. So, he was given a new look and inserted in the often forgotten U.S. Title picture. Then, in an act of rushed booking was given a pinfall over Kofi Kingston in a tag match on Superstars to set up this PPV bout. He looked good, but lost clean. So what is there for Miz now? A Hornswoggle feud? Elevator: Down a floor.
Chris Jericho & Big Show - It was just another day at the office for Jericho & Show. If nothing else, they've at least made sure the tag belts have been featured on PPV every month. That wasn't always the case. Jericho, as always, works hard in the ring, and Big Show being limited to short bursts in the ring is a good thing as well. The only problem now is, they don't seem to have any contenders. Elevator: On the same floor.
MVP & Mark Henry - They entered the match with a mixed bit of momentum. MVP coming off two strong matches with Chris Jericho, and Mark Henry coming off some disappointing encounters with Big Show. The match was solid at points, and the team of MVP & Henry could have potential. The only problem was the finish, which basically saw Jericho & Show dispatch of them the same way they did Cryme Tyme. Making all the challengers look the same (and the same in failure, at that), pretty much assures you that none will stand out. Elevator: Down a floor.
Dolph Ziggler - So, after two straight PPV losses, this month you kick an old man. Not exactly great momentum for a young star, then run off without even trying to take a crack at the Intercontinental Champion, who you are pursuing (in theory, anyway). Elevator: Down a floor.
By Buck Woodward on 2009-09-14 15:07:21
The Undertaker - Despite talk of lingering injury issues, the Dead Man looked crisp and good in the ring ... for nine minutes. When your main event is the second shortest match on the show, something is wrong, but that is a WWE Creative issue. With Jeff Hardy gone, Edge out injured, Rey Mysterio on a 30-day vacation and Chris Jericho splitting time between brands, Smackdown needed the star power of the Undertaker, and it looks like he hasn't missed a beat. Elevator: Back in service.
CM Punk - Your first PPV title defense lasts nine minutes, and you tap out clean as a whistle. However, a screwjob keeps the belt around your waist. Sadly, after being booked strong against Jeff Hardy, CM Punk now appears to have fallen into that WWE trap where a top heel has to be booked as being inferior to his babyface opponents. I'm not saying Punk should have forced Undertaker to tap, but having Punk tap out so quickly gave the message that he was outclassed by his opponent. Punk isn't strong enough yet in the eyes of fans to be booked like that. Elevator: Down a floor.
John Cena - It was right out of a comic book. SuperCena gets trapped by the evil villain, tortured and just when all hope is lost, he busts out and saves the world with ease. I actually enjoyed the work in this match, up until the finish, despite Cena's direct-to-DVD overacting. The problem is, WWE once again sent the message that no matter what happens, Cena will always overcome. If you know the end of the book, why bother reading it? Elevator: He can fly, what does he need an elevator for?
Randy Orton - I really enjoyed Randy Orton's work at the PPV. He did a good job in just beating up Cena, and his use of the handcuffs was different than what we've seen in the past in wrestling. It's unfortunate that WWE has booked him to look so weak in the end, as it practically negates all his work prior to the finish. Orton beat up Cena for 20 minutes, then Cena slaps on a submission hold and Orton taps out in seconds. No struggle, not hope spot, just tapping. Why would anyone want to see a rematch? Elevator: Down a floor.
Christian - The match we should have gotten at Summerslam finally took place here, and Christian turned in another good performance. Along with Chris Jericho, Christian has been one of the most consistently solid performers in the company. With the exception of the Summerslam "bout" all of his PPV efforts have been on the money, and this match with Regal was no exception. You have to wonder when WWE will realize this and put Christian on one of the bigger brands. Elevator: Up a floor.
William Regal - Given the way he is often presented on WWE television, you might forget what an incredible wrestler William Regal is. We were given a big reminder of that at Breaking Point, easily Regal's best PPV bout in many years. Regal's hard-hitting, suplex heavy style is a joy to watch, and it seems he is destined to become ECW Champion once he has been reestablished as a believable main eventer (for that brand). He took a big step in that direction at Breaking Point. Elevator: Up a floor.
Kane - You can't blame the Big Red Machine for this one. He was in an impossible situation, and at least he got the win. Let's hope that ends the feud, for his sake and ours. Elevator: On the same floor.
Great Khali - He may have slapped down Big Show backstage in Puerto Rico, but that doesn't mean his matches aren't painfully boring. With Khali, seven minutes feels like seven hours. Even in a match that consisted of 90% swinging a stick, Khali still managed to have awkward moments and stumbles. He did take the chokeslam well, but it doesn't make up for the rest of the dreck that is his offense ... and defense. Elevator: It has never gotten off the ground.
DX - DX did the job. If nothing else, give them credit for actually letting Legacy have a victory over them on a PPV. Now, I have to be honest, I am fearing that because DX lost here, they will bury Legacy on Raw (in front of a much larger audience), but I will give Triple H and Shawn Michaels props for working hard and letting their younger opponents finally have a win. And bonus points for bringing up Montreal in a good natured way (which is how I felt the crowd was treating it as well). Elevator: On the same floor.
Legacy - They finally scored a PPV win over top stars, and they did it without Randy Orton's help, or it being a handicap match, or some other crazy circumstances. Ted DiBiase & Cody Rhodes simply isolated the members of DX, got an advantage, and scored a win. As I mentioned above, how they get treated on Raw will go a long way in how useful this win is to their careers, but for right now, DiBiase & Rhodes got a much needed boost. Elevator: Up a floor.
Kofi Kingston - Let's be honest, most fans probably didn't even know Kofi would be defending the U.S. Title at the PPV. It's unfortunate, because Kingston always works hard and delivers the best match he can. So, he gets credit for trying hard, and he is still the U.S. Champion. Too bad no one cares, including WWE. If they did, maybe they'd give his match a little more build, so then the fans would invest a little more emotionally into him. Elevator: On the same floor.
Miz - Miz came out of his feud with John Cena looking like someone who "couldn't handle the top guys" and be part of the main event picture. So, he was given a new look and inserted in the often forgotten U.S. Title picture. Then, in an act of rushed booking was given a pinfall over Kofi Kingston in a tag match on Superstars to set up this PPV bout. He looked good, but lost clean. So what is there for Miz now? A Hornswoggle feud? Elevator: Down a floor.
Chris Jericho & Big Show - It was just another day at the office for Jericho & Show. If nothing else, they've at least made sure the tag belts have been featured on PPV every month. That wasn't always the case. Jericho, as always, works hard in the ring, and Big Show being limited to short bursts in the ring is a good thing as well. The only problem now is, they don't seem to have any contenders. Elevator: On the same floor.
MVP & Mark Henry - They entered the match with a mixed bit of momentum. MVP coming off two strong matches with Chris Jericho, and Mark Henry coming off some disappointing encounters with Big Show. The match was solid at points, and the team of MVP & Henry could have potential. The only problem was the finish, which basically saw Jericho & Show dispatch of them the same way they did Cryme Tyme. Making all the challengers look the same (and the same in failure, at that), pretty much assures you that none will stand out. Elevator: Down a floor.
Dolph Ziggler - So, after two straight PPV losses, this month you kick an old man. Not exactly great momentum for a young star, then run off without even trying to take a crack at the Intercontinental Champion, who you are pursuing (in theory, anyway). Elevator: Down a floor.
