Twenty years ago, a 17 year old wrestling fan, having first viewed the World Wrestling Federation two years before with a certain disdain, decided to give their product another go. The first show he really paid attention to was held at the Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and was shown on a two month delay on Sky Channel here in Britain. That show was Wrestlemania V, and that wrestling fan was yours truly. Now, twenty years on, the biggest show in the history of professional wrestling is still going strong, with World Wrestling Entertainment presenting Wrestlemania 25, shown live here in Britain on Sky Box Office, with Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler and Michael Cole handling commentary duties.

Money in the Bank kicks off the show, with C.M. Punk, Mark Henry (accompanied by Tony Atlas), U.S. Champion MVP, Finlay (accompanied by Hornswoggle), Shelton Benjamin, Kofi Kingston, Christian and Kane. This was a great way to start the show. Tons of big spots involving high flying and collision with ladders coupled with outstanding performances from all eight men involved (even Mark Henry) made for a thrilling contest. Normally in these things there’s always one man who stands out as the best man in the match, but that wasn’t the case with this one, because they all stood out, and for the second year in a row, C.M. Punk capped off a tremendous match, using a series of high right kicks to knock Kane off the ladder so he could grab the case and a guaranteed title match within the next year. For the second year in row, Punk put in a great performance, and this self-confessed Punk fan is more than pleased. Before I move on, can someone tell me exactly what Tony Atlas does?

After Kid Rock gives us a medley of his greatest songs, (sadly, no American Bad Ass though), it’s on to the Divas battle royal. A total waste of time in my opinion. For weeks we kept getting told that former Divas would be returning, for one night only, to take part in this thing, and there were only six returnees. None of them were even introduced to the crowd. In fact, none of the participants got an introduction, and what made this thing even worse was that the winner was Santino Marella, in a dress, claiming to be his long-lost twin sister Santina.

Normal service is resumed with Chris Jericho taking on a trio of legends in the form of “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka and Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, accompanied by “Nature Boy” Ric Flair. To win this one, Jericho would have to pin all three legends. Oh, and let’s not forget the star of “The Wrestler”, Mickey Rourke, sitting at ringside. Was that MMA legend Frank Shamrock sitting with him? Anyway, back to the matter at hand. Now, to paraphrase Jim Ross, the offence of Piper and Snuka was bowling shoe ugly, but that all changed when Steamboat got into the ring. The guy looked in great shape, and wrestled just as well, pulling off the kind of moves we used to see in his heyday.

Snuka was the first man eliminated, tapping out as Jericho applied the Walls of Jericho. Jericho then managed to get out of Piper’s sleeper hold so he could take him out with an enziguri, which led to the best part of the match. The back and forth action between Jericho and Steamboat was a joy to behold. He may not have been as fast as he used to be, but Steamboat was more than a match for Jericho. There were false finishes aplenty as Steamboat nearly got the win countless times, until Jericho eventually took the legend out with a code breaker. But that wasn’t the end of things. After drawling Flair into the ring and taking care off the Nature Boy, Jericho baited Mickey Rourke, who, despite his reservations, stepped into the ring to face off against his most vocal critic. What followed was a little disappointing to be honest, as Rourke showed off his boxing skills and took down Jericho with a right to the body and a left hook to the head. Well, if you take out the bit with Rourke, you’ve got a hell of a match here, and I know that this probably won’t happen, but I’d love to see a singles match between Steamboat and Jericho.

Big grudge match time, the battle of the brothers, with Matt and Jeff Hardy going at it in an extreme rules match. Boy, was this a good match. These two really tore into each other, making you think that their grudge was in fact real. We saw chairs, tables,  ladders and more as they both took it to the extreme. There were so many great moments in this match, but the best has to be Jeff’s swan dive off the top rope, sandwiching Matt through two tables at ringside, with his leg drop attempt from the top of a massive ladder, crashing and burning in the middle of the ring, coming a close second. That was the beginning of the end for Jeff, as Matt put his head in a steel chair and took him out with the Twist of Fate. A three count later, and big brother had the victory, ending what was a truly great match.

The first title match of the evening followed, with Rey Mysterio, with a mask modelled on Heath Ledger’s Joker, challenging JBL for the Intercontinental title. This one didn’t last long. After taking Mysterio down with a big boot before the bell, the referee kept him back so he couldn’t cause any more damage and so he could officially start the match. When the bell rang, Mysterio went to work quickly, connecting with the 619, and then getting the pin after a top rope splash. Mysterio was now Intercontinental Champion, and it didn’t sit too well with the now-former champion, who grabbed a microphone, and after a few stutters, promptly quit. So, as he revealed later in his blog, this is JBL’s match, and as a fan of his ever since he made his WWE debut over a decade ago, and as a fan through his various gimmick changes, thanks, John, for all the enjoyment you gave this wrestling fan during your career. It was a pleasure watching you.

Then it’s time for what could be the show stealer, the battle of the Wrestlemania icons between Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker. This was the one match on the card that I was really looking forward to. This match delivered, and then some. Two of the greatest wrestlers in the history of the business put on a display that will undoubtedly win numerous match of the year awards. It had everything, drama, extraordinarily athletic moves, tremendous ring psychology, a referee bump, a camera man taken out by a diving dead man, and two men laying it all on the line on the biggest stage of them all. After some dramatic false finishes, in which both men kicked out of the other’s big finisher, the Dead Man countered HBK’s top rope moonsault attempt to finally take him out with another tombstone, getting the three count, and extending his winning streak. I’m lost for words on this one folks, I really am. This might possibly go down as the greatest match in Wrestlemania history.

Main event time #1, with Edge defending the World title against both John Cena and the Big Show in a triple threat match. If anything, this match suffered because of it’s placement on the card. Technically it was well executed, with some very good action throughout, and three good performances from all concerned, as well as those at ringside, with Chavo Guerrero getting the FU (or whatever the hell it’s called now) from Cena after attempting to interfere, and his Auntie Vickie getting accidentally speared by Edge. In the end, Cena FU’ed the Big Show, then FU’ed Edge onto Show, before pinning the big man to regain the World title. A good match, but perhaps in the wrong place.

After an appearance from the Hall of Fame Class of 2009, in which “Stone Cold” Steve Austin made what could be his final appearance in a WWE ring, it’s on to main event #2, the biggest grudge match on the show, with Randy Orton challenging Triple H for the WWE title. After nearly four hours of great action (well, excluding the Divas battle royal), the match between two men who absolutely despised each other seemed to be something of an anti-climax. As with the World title match, it was technically sound, and well executed, but like the World title match, it may have suffered because of the Michaels/Undertaker classic, and also because we got the RKO and the Pedigree within the first few minutes. The rules stating that the title could change on a count out or disqualification didn’t help much either. When you have a match between two guys who are meant to really hate each other, a no disqualification rule might have been better. By the time the referee got clobbered and Triple H clobbered Orton with his trusty sledgehammer, it had gone on at least five minutes too long. Eventually the Game took Orton down with the Pedigree, retaining his title a three count later. A good enough match, but a little too long, and it probably won’t go down as one of the best main events in Wrestlemania history.

In conclusion - Wrestlemania 25 was a sound way of celebrating a milestone. Even though the Divas battle royal was a complete joke and the WWE title match was way too long, elsewhere the show delivered, with Michaels/Undertaker becoming an instant classic. However, I’m left to wonder why this particular match wasn’t put on last, because it inadvertently harmed the two main events, and by the time Triple H pinned Orton to finish the show, the excitement levels were way down. But in all the show was enjoyable, and now that Wrestlemania has reached number 25, I’m left to wonder if I’ll still be doing this by the time Wrestlemania 50 comes around!

The road to Wrestlemania continues, with two Elimination Chambers, a man protecting his father’s honour, a man wrestling for his very existence, and an Irishman competing for a title. It’s the 2009 version of No Way Out, shown live in the early hours of this past Sunday morning on Sky Sports here in Britain, with the usual suspects handling commentary duties.

The show begins with the first Elimination Chamber match, with Edge defending his WWE title against the Undertaker, the Big Show, Vladimir Kozlov, Triple H, and Jeff Hardy. The first two men to enter the match were old enemies Hardy and Edge, and it wasn’t long before we got the big surprise. After Hardy missed a swanton, Edge prepared to take his old rival down with his trademark spear, except that Hardy countered with a small package, eliminating Edge, meaning that a new champion would be crowned in this match.

Things didn’t look good for Hardy as first Kozlov, and then Hardy, came into the chamber and treated Hardy like their personal punch bag in a game of one-upmanship. If truth be known it wasn’t exactly the most exciting part of the match, until Kozlov decided to attack the big guy. Thankfully, things got a lot better when Triple H entered the match, and proceeded to clean house. Some great exchanges between the Game and the Big Show followed, and things really began to kick off when the last man, the Undertaker, came into play. Like Triple H before him he took the action to everyone. It wasn’t long before the dead man had his first victim, pinning Kozlov after taking him out with the last ride.

The Big Show was the next men eliminated, and it took three men to do it. After the big guy had cleaned house again followed Kozlov’s elimination, the Undertaker took him down with a superplex off the top rope. Triple H then delivered the pedigree, with Hardy coming down with a swanton from atop one of the pods, with Triple H getting the pin.

Hardy was the next to go. Having put up a great showing in this match, he soon fell to the Undertaker’s tombstone piledriver, leaving the two most experienced men in the match. This was definitely the best part of the match. The exchanges between the two veterans would put most of the younger guys to shame. It went back and forth so often you couldn’t tell who was going to win, even after ‘Taker took the Game down with a tombstone, only for the Game to survive by putting his foot on the bottom rope at the last moment. In the end it was Triple H who came out on top, winning his thirteenth title after taking the Undertaker down, countering the last ride attempt and taking the dead man with a second pedigree, ending what could only be described as a hell of a match, leaving the second chamber match with a lot to live up to.

Grudge match time followed, with Shane McMahon defending his father’s honour by taking on Randy Orton in a no holds barred match. Although Shane is only a part-timer, you always know you’re going to get a good match whenever he steps into the ring, and that was the case here. Orton and Shane proceeded to beat the hell out of each other with whatever they could get their hands on, with Orton getting busted open for good measure after being clobbered with a television monitor. The younger McMahon was about to put Orton through the Smackdown announcer’s table when Cody Rhodes and Ted Dibiase ran down and attacked Shane, only for their attack to backfire, with Shane jumping from coast to coast and drop kicking a rub**** bin into Rhodes. But this gave Orton time to recover. Shane went for the elbow drop off the top rope, but Orton managed to roll out of the way as McMahon put himself through the table. It wasn’t long before McMahon was put through a second table, courtesy of an Orton superplex, but this still wasn’t enough to put him away. Eventually, having taken countless chair shots, Orton countered Shane’s punt attempt with an RKO, enabling him to get the winning pin. The second good match in a row, and a good example of what a grudge match should be like.

The second title match of the night followed, with Jack Swagger defending the ECW title against Belfast’s favourite son, Finlay. Of course, Finlay has his little buddy Hornswoggle along for company. Now, while this was a good, if unspectacular match in it’s own right, I couldn’t help but get the feeling that this was nothing more than filler material. Normally that honour goes to the Divas, but for this show it went to the ECW title match. Once again Swagger showed that he’s full of promise, and Finlay showed that he’s still a crafty old geezer. Sadly, my fellow Brit failed to get the job done. After inadvertently knocking Hornswoggle off the ring apron, Swagger took Finlay down with his gut wrench powerbomb. This one was okay, but it will probably be forgotten in a few months.

Then it was on to the second grudge match, with Shawn Michaels fighting for his very life against his boss John “Bradshaw” Layfield. This was one of those matches where you could really suspend your disbelief. With Michaels’ wife Rebecca (didn’t she used to be a Nitro girl?) sitting at ringside, you could actually believe that Michaels hated JBL, and would do anything to get away from his evil clutches. This was also the best match JBL has wrestled since he returned to active competition, but then again, he was in the ring with one of the best in the business, which helped a great deal. It looked like JBL had the match one twice. The first clothesline from hell didn’t get it done, and Michaels beat the count back into the ring after JBL pushed him outside after the second. It was only after JBL taunted the wife and got a slap for good measure that Michaels finally sprung back to life, taking JBL apart, and sealing the deal with sweet chin music. A good match, but I can’t help but think that this would have been better at Wrestlemania.

The final match of the night was the second Elimination Chamber match, with John Cena defending the WWE title against Mike Knox, Kane, Kofi Kingston, Rey Mysterio and Chris Jericho. Well, it was meant to be Kofi Kingston, but just as he was about to enter the chamber, Edge came down to ringside and attacked him, ramming him into the ring steps before taking him out with a con-chair-to. Edge then ran into the chamber and into one of the pods while Kingston was taken away by the medics. Jericho and Mysterio were the first two in this one, reminding this writer of the time they fought over the cruiserweight title back in WCW. Both guys put together some good exchanges in the opening minutes, although there was one moment where you could see Jericho visibly call a spot. Five minutes later, Kane entered the match, taking it to his rival Mysterio before dealing with Jericho in the same manner. However, the big red machine was the first man eliminated. Having fallen to the 619 and Jericho’s code breaker, Mysterio quickly took care of Jericho before climbing to the top of one of the pods and taking out Kane with a seated senton. Something of a surprise when you think about it.

Knox was the fourth man to enter the contest, and proceeded to take up where Kane had left off, taking it to Jericho and Mysterio. This was the first time I’d seen Knox since his makeover as it were, and although he pulled off some good moves, I couldn’t help but get the feeling that he didn’t really belong in this match, that he hadn’t really done anything to deserve his place. In fact, he lasted less than five minutes, with Jericho eliminating him after his code breaker.

Then it was the turn of the man who wasn’t meant to be there, Edge, to enter the match. Mysterio went to attack immediately, trying to avenge the attack on his friend. But each time Mysterio got the upper hand, Jericho interjected himself, taking the masked star down.

The last man to enter was the champion. Cena was like a house afire as he took both Edge and Jericho down, but he was soon eliminated. As Cena was about to take Edge out with the FU, or whatever the hell it’s called, Jericho connected with another code breaker. Cena slumped onto the ropes, where Mysterio connected with the 619, with Edge putting the finishing touches, getting the pin after a spear, which meant that, as with the first match, there would be a new champion.

Jericho was the next to go. As Jericho went to apply the Walls of Jericho, Mysterio countered with a roll-up, leaving him alone in the match with Edge. Mysterio got several near falls, but in the end it was the Rated R Superstar who came out on top. Despite putting up a great fight, Mysterio was taken down with Edge’s spear, after having been rammed into one of the pods. Having lost the WWE title at the beginning of the show, Edge had won the World title at the end. As for the match, while the drama surrounding Edge added a little spice to this one, and while it was a good match, the first one was a whole lot better.

In conclusion - having been bitterly disappointed by the last wrestling pay-per-view I’d watched, No Way Out was like a breath of fresh air. The two Elimination Chamber matches delivered on their promises, and the two grudge matches achieved what they set out to do. The only slight downturn was the ECW title match. But then again, you can’t have everything. So this writer gives the thumbs up to this year’s edition of No Way Out, a very good appetiser for what’s to come in a few weeks.

The journey to Wrestlemania has begun, as thirty of the top superstars battle it out for the right to headline the biggest wrestling show of the year. Oh, and there’s a couple of important title matches here as well. It’s time for WWE Royal Rumble, shown live on Sky Box Office here in Britain.

The show begins with Matt Hardy looking to regain his ECW title from Jack Swagger. This will actually be the first time I’ve seen Swagger in action (yep, I still don’t watch the weekly shows that much!), so this will make for interesting viewing. My first impression of the All-American American? Hey, he’s not that bad. I had expected him to make a few rookie mistakes, but he’s obviously been trained well. As for the match, a very good way to start the show. Hardy, well, was Hardy, a guy you can always look to for a good match, while Swagger impressed the hell out of me, and it was nice to see a few MMA moves thrown in there. Sadly, Hardy wasn’t able to regain the title here. After Swagger rammed his shoulder into the ring post, Swagger took Hardy down with a gut wrench power bomb to get the three count. A very good way to open the show.

Women’s action followed, with Melina challenging Beth Phoenix for the Women’s title. Needless to say that the ever annoying Santino Marella is also in the vicinity for this one. Once again the Glamazon proved just how good she is, especially at a time when the Diva’s division is somewhat overshadowed by TNA’s Knockouts. You can’t go wrong when you’ve got a great wrestler like Melina to work with. The most interesting part of this match saw Beth twist Melina’s leg backwards so she could hit her opponent in the head with it. There was one sloppy moment, but nothing to write home about. Despite her best efforts, Beth ended up losing the title. When it looked like Melina would take Beth down with a bulldog from a wheelbarrow position, she actually spun around and got the sunset flip-type roll-up to get the title winning pin. A very good match from the Divas here.

Then it’s the first of the two big title matches, with John “Bradshaw” Layfield, accompanied by his number one employee Shawn Michaels, challenging John Cena for the World title. Earlier on JBL told Michaels that if he helped him beat Cena his debt would be repaid, or words to that effect. Of course, this isn’t the first time Cena and JBL have gone at it over a major title, so this one had quite a lot to live up to. This is probably the best match JBL has had since his return to active competition, and while it wasn’t as good as the matches in their first feud a few years ago, it was damn close. Tons of great action was matched by the will he, won’t he drama surrounding Shawn Michaels. This was at it’s most intense when the referee was accidentally clobbered by JBL, and then JBL and Cena took each other out with a double clothesline. Michaels stepped into the ring, and as both men got to their feet, JBL ordered Michaels to take Cena out. Instead, Michaels took Cena out with sweet chin music, but to the surprise of everyone, he then did the same to Cena, draping JBL’s prone body onto Cena’s. A second referee entered to make the count, with the champion kicking out. Seconds later, Cena connected with the FU, or whatever it’s called now, getting the title retaining pin to end a great bout filled with great action and great drama.

The second big title match sees Edge, accompanied by Chavo Guerrero, challenging Jeff Hardy for the WWE title, which Smackdown General Manager and Mrs. Edge Vickie Guerrero changed to a no disqualification match. No matter how many times I’ve seen these two against each other, whether it be in singles or tag-team, I never tire of it. Edge dominated the early part of the proceedings, but things changed when the toys came into play, especially when Hardy’s second choice, Guerrero, was put through the Smackdown announce table with a splash off the top of a ladder. Back in the ring the action went back and forth, each man scoring with their signature moves. But when Hardy looked like he was getting the win after a swanton, Vickie Guerrero pulled the referee out of the ring. Jeff’s brother Matt then came down to the ring to even  things up, and when it looked like he was going to help him take Edge down with the con-chair-to, the shocker came, as Matt clobbered his own brother with a steel chair. By now Edge had recovered, and got the three count seconds later, meaning that we had a new champion. Now while Cena v JBL may have been a good match, this was a whole lot better, filled with great action, a ton of drama, and an event that nobody saw coming.

Main event time, the Royal Rumble match itself, with the winner getting a title shot at Wrestlemania 25. Time to get out that old line again. By now, long rime readers will know that while I always enjoy these kind of matches, it’s a pain in the arse reporting on them. As always, though, the Rumble match proved to be great. Beginning with Rey Mysterio and John Morrison, the stars soon came thick and fast. Early on it looked like Vladimir Kozlov would put in a dominating performance as he quickly eliminated three men, including the Great Khali. However, seconds after he managed these feats, the big Russian was eliminated himself by Triple H.

Some explosive action followed, especially when Randy Orton and his Legacy buddies Cody Rhodes and Ted Dibiase got into the match, triple teaming as much as they could. Legacy were also responsible for Goldust’s elimination, as Orton convinced Rhodes to take care of his own brother.

The big surprise of the match came with entrant number twenty-five - none other than Rob Van Dam. Boy, was it great to see this guy back in the ring as he took out as many as he could with his own innovative style of offence.

The final man to enter the contest was it’s biggest, the Big Show, who soon made his presence felt by quickly eliminating sentimental favourite and the winner of the first Rumble, Jim Duggan, R-Truth, C.M. Punk, Mike Knox and Rey Mysterio, who had lasted nearly fifty minutes in an astonishing performance that saw him escape elimination countless times.

The final four were Triple H, Orton, Rhodes, and Dibiase, making it the proverbial three-on-one situation. Legacy soon began to take the Game apart, until Triple H managed to fight back, eliminating Dibiase and Rhodes, before Orton, who Triple H almost eliminated, came up from behind and threw Triple H over the top rope to claim his first Royal Rumble victory and booked himself a main event spot at Wrestlemania. As always, the Rumble match itself proved to be outstanding, one of the highlights of the professional wrestling year.
In conclusion - this year’s version of the Royal Rumble proved to be a great event. The four support matches all delivered in their own way, setting out the stall for future encounters leading up to the big one. The whole show was nicely topped off by the Rumble match, with some great performances from Rey Mysterio, Triple H, and Randy Orton, as well as the more-than-welcome appearance of Rob Van Dam.

So having taken our first steps on the road to Wrestlemania 25, this writing is looking forward to see what will happen in a few weeks at No Way Out. Hey folks, it’s Elimination Chamber time again!!!!!

A couple of things before I go. Congratulations to Linda Robin for winning the A1 Wrestling Newsletter Writer of the Year award. She does some great work, and it’s no surprise that she’s asked to contribute for so many websites. Yours truly came second, in case you’re wondering!

And don’t forget to visit my online store at www.lulu.com/twosheds316, where you can purchase my two latest editions, The WAW Years Volume 2 and New Collected Writings. Both books are available in print and download form, so please show your support for a struggling writer!

It’s the final wrestling pay-per-view of the year, with Triple H and Jeff Hardy challenging Edge for the WWE title, and Chris Jericho challenging John Cena for the World title. It’s WWE Armageddon, shown live here in Britain in the early hours of this past Sunday morning on Sky Box Office.

The show opens with ECW Champion Matt Hardy facing the challenge of Vladimir Kozlov. ECW General Manager Teddy Long had earlier ruled that this wouldn’t be a title match, because Kozlov had never competed in ECW before. Given Kozlov’s recent performances, this was a match that looked great on paper, and one that looked good in actuality. Once again Kozlov showed just how much he’s improved over the past few months, as the big Russian and the champion put on a very good wrestling contest, with Kozlov mixing traditional wrestling holds with a few MMA holds as well. In other words, it was nice to see a key lock being used. Of course, Hardy, the great wrestler that he is, also did his bit to make this match what it was, but in the end it wasn’t to be his day. Despite giving Koslov a hell of a battle, he fell to the Russian, who secured the winning pin after taking Hardy out with what was described by the announcers as choke slam/spine buster mixture.

Then it was on to the final of the Intercontinental Championship Tournament, pitting Rey Mysterio against C.M. Punk, with the winner facing champion William Regal, who was seated at ringside in his King of the Ring throne. The battle of the former World Champions proved to be one of the best matches I’ve seen in a WWE ring this year. Punk and Mysterio were perfect for each other, putting on a match that was worthy of a championship match, let alone a number one contenders match. Some great wrestling mixed in with the usual high spots made for an enthralling contest, with plenty of false finishes, with Punk countering Mysterio’s hurricanrana attempt with the GTS to get the win and a title match against Regal. To say that this was a great match would be an understatement.

After Jeff Hardy cuts a promo in a darkened room, and JBL announces that he’s given Shawn Michaels a job, it’s back to the action, the Belfast Brawl as Finlay takes on Mark Henry. As my fellow Brit is in this one you should know who I wanted to win here. Our announcers go to great pains to let us know that this kind of match has it’s origins in the back streets of Belfast. So I’m guessing that the hardcore/extreme rules/anything goes match was originally pioneered in Northern Ireland then. Well, that’s the WWE Universe for you. Anyway, back to the matter at hand. It’s going to pain me to say this, but I actually found a Mark Henry match quite enjoyable. Both guys put on a very good brawl, making good use of the weapons provided, which were mainly kendo sticks, rub**** bins, and the ring steps. Of course, Finlay didn’t use any of those to deliver the final blow, using his trusty shillelagh, given to him by Hornswoggle, his first having been broken in half by Henry earlier in the match. Good stuff here.

Then it’s the battle of the former Evolution team mates, with Batista facing Randy Orton, who has Cody Rhodes and Manu along for company for this one. This was another one of those that looked good on paper. Rhodes and Manu didn’t actually last that long at ringside. After Orton threw the Animal out of the ring, Rhodes and Manu pounced, but did so in full sight of the referee, who had no choice but to throw them out of the arena, and after those two were taken out of the equation, what we got was yet another good match between two former World Champions, with Batista’s power and aggression matched against Orton’s speed and cunning. It may have gone on a little too long for the liking of some people, but for this particular writer it was just right, and after an eternity of great action, the Animal finally got the pin over his old buddy with the Batista bomb. While this won’t go down as a classic, it was certainly a great and very even battle.

Filler material time, with the Santa’s Little Helper Eight Diva tag-team match, with Mickie James, Kelly Kelly, Michelle McCool and Maria going up against Victoria, Natalya, Jillian Hall and Maryse, with the Divas dressed for the occasion. As far as women’s matches go, it was okay I suppose, but it certainly wouldn’t compare to anything that TNA is offering at the moment. Michelle McCool got the pin for her team, pinning Jillian after her version of A.J. Styles’ favourite move. We then got a visit from the WWE’s newest heart throb, the Great Khali. Kind of sad to see this monster become nothing more than a comedy character, and it got even worse when Mae Young made an appearance.

Main event time #1, as Chris Jericho challenges John Cena for the World title. Even though these two have feuded with pay-per-view matches before, this feud has been completely different, and that’s down to the fact that this is a totally different Jericho we’re seeing these days. As for Cena, well, he’s the same old Cena. Last month’s match at the Survivor Series was a very good match, which meant that this one had a lot to live up to. Sadly, it didn’t quite do it, although it did prove to be a good match in it’s own right, and this was one of those matches where, as it went along, it made you think that these two really do hate each other. The action was good, with both Cena and Jericho putting in good performances, with Jericho’s performance the stand out here. The end came when Cena reversed the Walls of Jericho and synched in his STFU. Seconds later Jericho was tapping, and Cena had retained his title.

Main event time #2, a triple threat match with Triple H and Jeff Hardy challenging Edge for the WWE title. This one had the makings of a great match, especially with the calibre of wrestlers featured in it. Early on there were a couple of silly little mistakes that detracted from things a little, but as the match went on, things got a hell of a lot better as all three men put on a great contest. The action, after the early mistakes, just went from strength to strength, with great psychology, and everything in the right place. The spot with the tables, where Triple H was about to pedigree Hardy through the Raw announce table, only for Edge to suddenly appear, running past Triple H as he made his move before spearing Hardy through the Smackdown announce table was a thing of beauty. Later, we had the second appearance of the evening of Kozlov, as he attacked Triple H and Hardy, only to be beaten back by Jeff’s big brother Matt. The ending was fantastic. Triple H took Edge down with the pedigree, but as he went for the pin, Hardy came down off the top rope with a swanton, taking both men out before pinning Edge to win his first ever WWE title, ending a tremendous match. You know, given the problems he’s had over the years, I never thought that Jeff Hardy would ever win one of the two major titles in WWE. Now he has, I’m glad he’s done it. I only hope that he doesn’t become a transitional champion. Well done Jeff.

In conclusion - this year’s version of Armageddon had a few dodgy moments, and seeing Mae Young snog a much younger man is never a good thing, but apart from that, this was a very good show, and a good way for WWE to end their pay-per-view year. The two main events were extremely good, but for me the match of the night was Punk v Mysterio. A hell of a match between two wrestlers who really deserve a lot more given their talents.

So now the countdown begins, and the road to Wrestlemania begins next month at the Royal Rumble. Let’s hope things continue to get interesting.

It’s multi-man madness again, but this time in a good way as WWE present the fourth of the big pay-per-views of the year, Survivor Series, headlined by Chris Jericho defending his World title against the returning John Cena.

The show begins with the first elimination match, as Shawn Michaels, Cryme Time, the Great Khali and Rey Mysterio face JBL, MVP, John Morrison, the Miz and Kane. So can someone tell me how Khali became a fan favourite? It just doesn’t seem right. Anyway, back to the matter at hand. As an opener, it wasn’t too bad, with the eliminations coming early with MVP taking care of JTG, and Khali eliminating MVP seconds later. After the two big monsters of the match went at it for a while, Khali then helped Mysterio execute a big splash on Kane, eliminating the big red machine, giving Michaels’ team the one man advantage. Morrison and Miz then showed just why they’re considered the best team in WWE at the moment, with Miz soon taking Shad down with his reality check finisher. This brought Michaels into the match for the first time, which saw some very good exchanges with Miz and Morrison. Indeed, it was kind of fun to see Morrison emulate Michaels at times. A short time later, Miz was eliminated after a 619/top rope splash combination after some more great exchanges. It was then the masked man’s turn to take a dose of punishment, but after he countered JBL’s top rope back suplex attempt, he got the hot tag to Michaels, and after brawling with his nemesis at ringside, he managed to get back into the ring before JBL was counted out. Seconds later, HBK countered Morrison’s super kick with sweet chin music, giving the match to himself, Mysterio and Khali. Some good touches in this one, and once again Morrison really impressed me, but Khali as a fan favourite? Well, it certainly hasn’t improved his wrestling ability.

It’s the turn of the Divas next, as Smackdown’s Michelle McCool, Maryse, Victoria, Natalya and Maria take on Raw’s Beth Phoenix, Mickie James, Jillian Hall, Candice Michelle and Kelly Kelly. This one threatened to break down early, as Maryse and McCool began a cat fight after Maryse shoved her off the ring apron after she’d tagged herself into the ring. Again the eliminations came quickly, with Kelly pinning Victoria with a roll-up from a hurricanrana. Kelly herself was then eliminated immediately by Maryse after a back breaker. Some good transitions between McCool and James followed, with James pinning McCool after a DDT, and after Maria had inadvertently hit her captain while trying to break up a pin attempt. Again, the one getting the pin was soon eliminated herself, with Maryse pinning James with a roll-up. This brought Natalya into the ring for the first time, giving us the obligatory sharp shooter, on Candice Michelle, who came back to eliminate Natalya with a spear and a roll-up. Maria then took Jillian out with a victory roll, with Maria getting pinned immediately by Michelle with a bridge suplex. Maryse then came storming into the ring, applying a leg to Michelle which the Playboy cover girl tapped to. This left Maryse against Phoenix, with the Glamazon soon getting the pin with her glam slam finisher. I have to admit that this one didn’t exactly set my pulse racing. Some of the action was good, but there were quite a few sloppy moments here which spoiled things a little.

Then it’s on to the first singles match, with the Undertaker facing the Big Show in his speciality match, the casket match.  The battle of the big men proved to be just as good as their previous encounters, and while it may not have been the most technical of matches, the hard-hitting action made up for it. Show’s fear of caskets was apparent from the start. The Spanish announce….I mean the ECW announce table came into play early, with the dead man leg dropping the big guy through it. Show’s fear surfaced soon afterwards when, having put the Undertaker in the casket, he refused to touch it and only did so when the referees told him that he himself had to close the thing to win the match. Of course, Taker was able to escape, and it wasn’t long before Show was in the casket himself. But after the big guy escaped, he turned the casket upside down, claiming that the match couldn’t continue because the casket was no longer in play. This brought some of the Undertaker’s faithful druid friends into play, as they brought a second casket onto the stage. More brawling between the two combatants followed, before the Undertaker was able to put Show into the second casket to win the match. Enjoyable stuff here.

The elimination matches return with Batista, R-Truth, C.M. Punk, Kofi Kingston and Matt Hardy against Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, Shelton Benjamin, William Regal and Mark Henry. Oh well, I guess you can’t have everything. More quick eliminations here, with Punk taking Regal out with the GTS within seconds of the start. Lots of quick tags followed as the various superstars showed what they’ve got, before Benjamin took R-Truth out with a jumping DDT. The next man to go was Kingston, taken down by Orton after his DDT. Some good stuff between Punk and Rhodes followed, before Manu’s distraction allowed Rhodes to take Punk out with a DDT, giving the advantage to Team Orton four to two. Sadly, Henry came back into the match, and soon took Hardy down with the world’s strongest slam. But as he celebrated, Batista, the lone man on his team, took Henry out with a spear. Benjamin went next, courtesy of a Batista bomb, but as the animal was about to take Rhodes out with the same move, Orton got the blind tag, and took the big man down with the RKO. So finally the heels got their win in the elimination matches, with Orton and Rhodes as the survivors. Good stuff here, and thankfully Henry didn’t survive!

Main event time #1, the WWE title match. Originally it was meant to be a triple threat match between champion Triple H, Vladimir Koslov and Jeff Hardy. But with the mainstream media reporting that Hardy was found unconscious at his hotel, it became a singles match between Triple H and Koslov. Well, that’s what we thought we were getting. The match began normally, with some good mat wrestling between the Game and Koslov, which the fans, judging by their “boring” chants, didn’t seem to like at all, and although the match wasn’t spectacular, it was good with solid action throughout. But after Triple H had taken Koslov down with a pedigree, Smackdown general manager Vickie Guerrero appeared on the stage and announced that the match was now a triple threat match, introducing her old man, Edge, who quickly speared the champion. Seconds later Jeff Hardy, with a big bandage on his neck, came running down to the ring, taking out Triple H and Koslov with a steel chair before he was speared by Edge. Having taken care of Hardy, Edge then pinned Triple H to become the new champion. To be honest with you, I’m not really sure I like this outcome. The match between Triple H and Koslov was progressing nicely. But then again one of the best heels on the roster is now back, so I suppose we have to be grateful for something.

Main event time #2, with Chris Jericho defending the World title against the returning John Cena. Who would have thought that Cena would have returned this soon. Mind you, his last major injury layoff wasn’t as long as everyone thought it would be either. The storyline for this one was apparent from the beginning. From the opening bell Cena was concerned about his neck injury, with Jericho, the opportunist that he is, putting a bullseye on the injury, as well as taking advantage of Cena’s ring rust. Unlike the other singles matches on this show, you could get an emotional attachment to this match as you wondered if Cena had come back too soon. Jericho dominated, but whenever Cena was able to get any sort of momentum, Jericho quickly got the upper hand again. But having survived two Walls of Jericho, Cena kept mounting comebacks, with Jericho taking him down time and time again. But eventually, having tried to get Jericho to tap with the STFU, Cena finally took the champion down with the FU, getting the three count and title winning win seconds later. Although some might say otherwise, this was a very good match. Well executed from start to finish with a very good storyline.

In conclusion - this year’s version of the Survivor Series was a very enjoyable affair. The two main events, for the most part, were very good matches, as was the casket match, while two out of the three elimination matches really hit the button. However, the Divas match really failed to live up to expectation, although the expectation wasn’t really that high in the first place, and the re-introduction of Edge in the middle of a match really didn’t make any sense, and took away some of the heat that Vladimir Koslov had been building over the past few months. I’m hoping that this won’t be the case, because the big Russian has a hell of a lot of promise.