Bragging Rights: What's with all the gimmick PPV's?
Match #1: "Intercontinental Champion" John Morrison (Smackdown) vs. "US Champion" The Miz (Raw)
This match is interesting right from the beginning when you consider the path that wrestlers careers have taken since there team split. When they first split, it really seemed that they were separated as a means to propel Morrison into super stardom and eventual main event status and that The Miz would just be tossed aside and probably just end up a jobber. Things didn't exactly turn out that way. After the split, Miz would go on to have a very significant fued of sorts with John Cena (I know he never really won, but it really helped get him over as a heel) and all the while his mic skills just kept improving. All this really showed that there was more to him then people gave him credit for. Morrison on the other hand didn't exactly have a smooth start after the split. After he was moved to Smackdown, he was turned into a good guy, which is fine in its own right, it's just that it was done with little to no grace. They never explained why all of a sudden he was a nice guy, he just all of a sudden was buddies with Teddy Long and being all nice to the fans. Very weird turn, almost confusing to certain extant. After a couple sloppy months, Morrison got himself back on track and has actually been very impressive as of late, most notably his matches with Dolph Ziggler. Both men have shown improvement since the split, but The Miz is the more impressive of the two since I really felt that he was doomed to be "future endeavored".
Wow, anyways, to get back to this match. Well, since this is non-title, the only thing really on the line is "show pride", I kinda have to go with Morrison. I really don't see this being a regular fued even though they work so well together, this really feels like a one time kind of thing just for this show, at least for the time being. I pick Morrison mostly due to the fact that I believe Smackdown will win the undercard matched, while Raw will win the big one. This will at least make it seem like both teams are even. Should be a great match either way though, expect to see this one open the show.
Winner: John Morrison (Smackdown)
Match #2: Raw Divas (Kelly Kelly, Gail Kim, Melina) vs. Smackdown Divas (Beth Phoenix, Michelle McCool, Natalya)
Is it just me or do these teams seem a wee bit unbalanced? Lets start with Smackdown, Phoenix is quite possibly the best female wrestler in all of the WWE right now, Natalya should be a good wrestler do to her lengthy experience and heritage (emphasis on "should", she's barely been given a chance to wrestle while in the WWE so it's hard to really measure her ability) and McCool, while she might get some shit for implied backstage pull *cough*Undertaker*cough* and her allegedly difficult attitude, she is getting pretty good in the ring with an increase in ability and all around vicious persona. Now on to team Raw, sigh. First we have the team captian, Melina, a perfectly respectable worker and easily the best wrestler on team Raw but ever since her face turn, she's been completely neutered. Next you have Gail Kim who really should be an impressive member of the team, but ever since her return to WWE she's been a mess. I have no idea what has happened, she was gold in TNA, but as soon as she returns to WWE she begins to have one botched filled match after another. Hopefully, I'm just exaggerating and she'll turn it around soon, she has shown such potential in the past. Last, and sadly least, Kelly Kelly. She most certainly has heart, but in all honestly, Maria probably would have been a better teammate and that's saying something. At least we get a straight forward heel vs. face dynamic with this one, unlike the 7 on 7 we have later. Smackdown divas will dominate this one so as to add another win for Smackdown, but expect some run ins, most likely from Mickie James since she's feuding with McCool and it would make sense story wise.
Winner: Smackdown Divas
Match #3: "WWE Champion" Randy Orton vs. John Cena (60 Minute Iron Man Match for the WWE Championship)
This one is a hard to call to say the least. Orton is a super over heel with many potential contenders waiting in the wings, but betting against John Cena, especially with the build this match is getting, is like betting against the Harlem Globetrotters. I'll have to go with my gut and go with Orton retaining for a few reasons. First, I really see a face winning the 4-way later in the show and Orton winning his would be a way to balance the show a bit, something WWE usually likes to do. Second, I've heard he's got another movie in pipe line so putting the belt on him now would be unwise. Third, don't forget the additional stip, if he loses, he's gone from RAW. I see this actually happening, he's been on RAW for quite a while and changing brands could really freshen him up a bit, he always runs the risk of getting stale. This move will give some of the midcarders on RAW a chance to grow and this will help stack Smackdown a bit which should help with ratings a bit. Curious to see the quality of this one, oddly Cena has shown that he has the capability to go for an hour (that amazing hour long match he had with HBK on RAW a ways back), but Orton is a sure bet yet, should be interesting one way or another. Hope they don't the trigger on the Ted Dibiase turn yet, way to early.
Winner: Randy Orton........I'm so going to get this one wrong.....
Match #4: "World Heavyweight Champion" The Undertaker vs. CM Punk vs. Batista vs. Ray Mysterio (Fatal Four Way for the Championship)
It still really feels like Batista and Mysterio just kinda got shoe-horned into this feud. I see the Undertaker retaining and then continuing his feud with Punk for at least one more PPV, probably with a Casket match or something. I really smell a Batista heel turn for this match. They seem like they've been building to it a bit lately with his sort of nice-guy routine as of late, I could be reading things wrong, but that's how it feels. If he does turn, look for the finish to go something along the lines of him having the match won (Batista bomb on Punk perhaps?) then have Mysterio break up the pin, Mysterio goes for the pin only for Batista to break that up, they start to fight leaving Undertaker to tombstone Punk for the pin. Batista can then blame Mysterio for the loss, feud with him for a bit, then go on to feud with Taker (you can just smell that's what WWE wants to do, ugh, two big guy that can barely move, should be fun to watch, again.) in a clear heel vs. face situation. This seems especially likely if Cena heads over to Smackdown since they seem a little light on main event heels.
Winner: The Undertaker
Match #5: Team Raw vs. Team Smackdown (7 on 7 tag match)
Team RAW: Triple H, HBK, Big Show, Mark Henry, Cody Rhodes, Jack Swagger, and Kofi Kingston
Team Smackdown: Chris Jericho, Kane, Finley, R-Truth, D.H. Smith, Tyson Kidd, and Matt Hardy
Good god, everything about this match is a mess. First of all, though I agree with the changes, what's with almost completely changing Team Smackdown's lineup two days before the show? I mean, I'm glad they cut Drew McIntyre (I actually like him and shows promise, but this match was not for him, not yet) and Eric Escobar (thank god, what the hell was he doing in that lineup!?). It just seems like a waste to go through the buildup just to change the teams last second, it sorta made sense storyline wise I guess, but it still seems sloppy. Another problem with this match is that it is apparently "one fall to a finish" not elimination style, huh!? That seems insane to do the match that way when you have so many guys involved, I just can't see how they can book this without being a complete mess. I hope they prove me wrong. Well, I see Team RAW winning this (no surprise really) and I'm guessing the finish will probably go something along the lines of Big Show turning on Team Raw, tries to help Jericho but misses and accidently hits him, Triple H brawls with Big Show while HBK superkicks Jericho for the win. They seem to be building to a DX vs. Jeri-Show feud so this kind of end would make sense.
Winner: Team RAW
Wait, that's it? This PPV is only 5 matches long? WTF!?
Well, for something more positive, anyone catch Impact on Thursday?
Yeah, pretty good episode.
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