REVIEW CORNER: WWE SUPERSTAR COLLECTION - JOHN CENA AND RANDY ORTON

WWE SUPERSTARS COLLECTION: JOHN CENA

 

   A – Excellent

   B – Good

   C – Mediocre

   D – Avoid

Release Date: 2nd September 2013

Available From: www.amazon.co.uk

Price:

DVD £10.00

(Prices from www.amazon.com: high street prices will vary)

Format Reviewed: DVD

What It’s About:

This release collects together four of John Cena’s matches from 2008 – 2011. Whilst its not an attraction for the older wrestling fan, this release is garnered more to the younger WWE fan.

Strengths:

John Cena vs Triple H vs Shawn Michaels (WWE Survivor Series 2009, November 22nd 2009) for the WWE Championship is a really good triple threat match in which Triple H and Shawn Michaels do their very best to hide John Cena’s flaws. Michaels’ immediate Sweet Chin Music to his tag team partner Triple H as the bell rings pops the crowd wonderfully and John Cena is comical feigning surprise. Shawn Michaels and John Cena share some decent reversals and counters whilst Triple H illogically sells the Sweet Chin Music for more than five minutes, when he’d only do so for around forty seconds in a singles encounter. When Triple H does get himself back into the match, his spinebuster on HBK through the announcers table is sumptuous as Hunter, like Michaels, makes the most of his one on one time with Cena in the ring. John Cena’s flaws are still on show here as he no sells the lasting effects of almost everything bestowed upon him which makes him look out of place against two great warriors. Triple H and Shawn Michaels light the match up when they dispose of Cena from the ring for a short while and their exchanges are fluid and more professional than anything John Cena does in the ring. The crowning moment of John Cena’s inadequacy in the ring however comes when he applies the STF to Triple H, only to then have it applied properly on himself by Shawn Michaels – that Michaels really synchs it in opposed to Cena’s dismal effort just shows how little Cena cares. The match hosts some great near falls, the best coming after HBK nails Cena with Sweet Chin Music and the finale to the match is a ball of energy and reversals. The highlight of which is a Triple H backdrop of Shawn Michaels into an Attitude Adjustment attempt which is a good looking spot. A next to brilliant triple threat match.

John Cena vs The Miz vs John Morrison (Extreme Rules 2011, May 1st 2011) is a decent, if not excellent triple threat Steel Cage Match for the WWE Championship. Sadly, John Cena as good as destroys both of his opponent’s images as he no sells everything making them look like complete jobbers and he and Morrison almost break The Miz’s neck with a botched double suplex from the top of the cage. Cena looks like he’s in a bank robbery when Miz applies The Skull Crushing Finale, even this look hokey and looking at this match, it’s hard to believe that The Miz was ever WWE Champion and sad to see how far he has fallen in 2 years. As you would expect from John Morrison, he is quick and nimble in everything he does and when he is on the receiving end of offence he reminds of a young Shawn Michaels, in the way he willing throws himself around the ring to aid his opponent’s image. Morrison’s springboard kick from rope to rope adds a little class to the proceedings and his 360 head over heels slam proves that in another life he could have been a huge main event star. To his credit, John Cena executes an excellent monkey flip on Morrison from the corner – a move he doesn’t botch – though R-Truth’s invasion only prolongs what is already an overly long bout. Cena’s Attitude Adjustment from the top rope to end the brawl looks very good and thankfully he doesn’t hurt Miz in doing it.

Weaknesses:

John Cena vs Chris Jericho (Armageddon 2008, December 14th 2008) is a borefest which once again highlights Cena’s shortcomings. In 5 years, it’s embarrassing that his offence hasn’t changed one bit. So much so that it’s almost impossible to tell between the John Cena of 2008 and the John Cena of 2013. Clumsily, Cena falls backwards on Jericho as Y2J has a sleeper hold locked in and almost splits Jericho in two in a nasty looking moment and in one of the better looking moments of the match, Jericho executes a facebuster from the apron onto the steel steps, though it’s not enough to save this. Whilst Cena has to take half of the blame for this wrist splitting effort with his deplorable selling, Jericho also must shoulder some of the blame as well. Jericho employs a lot of enthusiasm zapping rest holds when the pair could have put on a fast paced clash which would have kept it watchable. In a moment of carelessness, Jericho almost completely misses with a Lionsault which appears farcical to the on looking crowd. The pair manage to inject some life into the match at its conclusion with an Attitude Adjustment into a Codebreaker in a fine sequence but the match lacks the big fight feel, near falls, tense submission moments and overall quality.

John Cena vs Randy Orton (Raw, December 14th 2009) in the Slammy Awards Superstar of the Year Tournament Final, is a disappointment. The premise of the match is a dumb for to begin with. Just how you decide who has been the standout superstar of the year by holding a tournament which John Cena was always going to win is just plain dumb. This is just another attempt by WWE to try and make us believe that John Cena deserves accolades such as this, when he clearly didn’t. There were other more deserving candidates for superstar of the year in 2009 who didn’t even get a look in when the tournament came around. Now you can see how ridiculous the whole premise was. The commentators remind us that 24 hours previously at TLC 2009, John Cena was put through a table by Sheamus, though as you’d expect, Cena neglects to sell any effects of the night before. The match itself is horribly slow and Randy Orton can’t do anything to elevate it as he has nothing to work with. Both men seem to lack the will to perform on this night and it’s noticeable from beginning to end. The draping DDT onto Cena from the apron to the floor looks good but Cena jumps up like nothing has happened. A wholly disappointing effort from both men.

Rating: C

WWE SUPERSTARS COLLECTION: RANDY ORTON

 

     A – Excellent

     B – Good

     C – Mediocre

     D – Avoid

Release Date: 2nd September 2013

Available From: www.amazon.co.uk

Price:

DVD £10.00

(Prices from www.amazon.com: high street prices will vary)

Format Reviewed: DVD

What It’s About:

This release collects four of Randy Orton’s matches from 2009 – 2011. Whilst this release doesn’t offer anything for adult fans it is aimed at the younger generation of WWE fan.

Strengths:

Randy Orton vs John Cena vs Triple H (WWE Night of Champions 2009, July 26th 2009) proves to be a gripping triple threat match for the WWE Championship. Orton plays the slimy heel to perfection as he always has done when pitched into the role and sells Triple H and John Cena’s offence like a pro. The match only gets better from the opening delving into some excellent reversals though John Cena completely misses a flying leg drop on both Hunter and Orton, how exactly is beyond me. Worse, the commentators try to make us believe Cena hit his target. Triple H manages to get some good moves and reversals out of John Cena and thanks to Triple H their spot in the ring is kept decent. The near falls and break ups are perfectly timed as is the double submission which sees Triple H apply a sharpshooter and John Cena apply an STF to Orton at the same time. John Cena should take a look at this moment as Orton shows him how to sell a deadly submission moment. The downside of the match is that Randy Orton isn’t allowed to win the match without Cody Rhodes and Ted Dibiase’s help. But then again that was Orton’s role in 2009. Let’s hope it’s changed in 2013.

Randy Orton vs Christian (WWE Capitol Punishment 2011, June 19th 2011) is an excellent bout which makes both men look like stars. It’s somewhat of a slow burner but Orton and Christian exchange reversals and counters at a break neck pace showing WWE why they are two of the best all rounded wrestlers in the business today. Christian holds his own against Orton in the main event spot. This match would be the first of three stunning pay-per matches which are all a must see for any wrestling fan, if you haven’t had the pleasure already. Christian gets some impressive height on a backdrop and Randy Orton adds to his repertoire of moves which he doesn’t usually wheel out with a great belly to belly suplex. Watching this over the other matches on the release goes to show how much Randy Orton has refined with age inside the squared circle. Selling a concussion like a trooper, Randy Orton is flawless in this match and his backbreaker into a falling neckbreaker is joyous. From beginning to end the encounter is seamless and even better Randy Orton manages to convey Christian as his equal with killer near falls and believable selling.

Weaknesses:

Randy Orton vs Triple H (WWE The Bash 2009, June 28th 2009) is a drab and dire 3 Stages of Hell Match which offers nothing to the viewer. In fact I will go out on a limb here and say that even John Cena vs Ryback’s 3 Stages of Hell Match at Payback 2013 was better than this. Randy Orton and Triple H are the others bogey opponent. For all the talent both men hold, neither have ever had a truly epic singles match against the other and the best it got was the thrilling six man tag team match at Backlash 2009 and a decent Las Man Standing Match at No Mercy 2007. The first stage of the bout is a by the numbers affair which you just want to end as quickly as possible. Literally nothing of note to mention happens except for a little leg work by Randy Orton. Worse, the fall ends in disqualification. The second stage is a blink and miss it affair which lasts less than 30 seconds after a pedigree on the outside. The third and final stage – a stretcher match – can’t hold a candle to the excellent Brock Lesnar vs Big Show Stretcher Match at Judgment Day 2003 and is almost a repeat of the first stage but with a stretcher included. The pair brawl into the crowd where they trade some mind numbing punches and then for some reason find their way back into the ring to everyone’s annoyance just to complete a planned spot with the steel steps. When the action does travel up the aisle, Triple H carelessly shoves Orton off of the stretcher which visibly hurts Orton’s lower spine and in a replay of the Night of Champions bout, Orton isn’t permitted to win without the help of Rhodes and Dibiase. There’s no structure to this match in which WWE shot themselves in the foot before it began. With only the stretcher match of any interest the other two falls consisting of a normal singles bout and a falls count anywhere match were never going to elevate this. Had the falls been fought under Steel Cage, Last Man Standing and Stretcher Match rules then this may have stood a chance of succeeding. A total waste of time.

Randy Orton vs Ted Dibiase (Raw, March 1st 2010) should have been replaced by their excellent bout on the July 6th 2009 edition of Raw. Instead, what we get is a lacklustre match in which Randy Orton can do nothing for the already buried Dibiase who in himself looks to be bored and fed up at his treatment at the hands of WWE. The match is both short and lacks anything interesting ending in a disqualification. WWE could have done better than this on a release which is meant to feature Orton’s best matches. There’s nothing more I can add to this.

Rating: C

Overall Conclusion:

Beginning with video packages on each wrestler, it’s apparent that ‘WWE Superstar Collection...’ range of DVD’s (which are not available on Blu-ray) are aimed at children. The beginning of each practically has that tag written all over it by its bright and colourful presentation. That’s not necessarily a bad thing as the younger audience need lessons on current WWE stars, however this isn’t quite the teaching required. There is no back story on the wrestler the releases have in question which means someone who comes in fresh without prior knowledge of the business would be totally at a loss as to who John Cena or Randy Orton were or their history in the business. This could have been rectified with one short five minute highlight package on each mans career, narrated by both or WWE’s voice over guy who is present on almost every other release.

The DVD’s have been previously released in America over a year ago which begs the question as to why it’s taken WWE this long to get them out on this side of the water. Before Fremantle – who also produce these releases – took over the UK handling of WWE DVD and Blu-rays, Silvervision were present as the licensee. Was it so difficult for WWE to send these releases to Silvervision? Obviously it was.

However, it wasn’t worth the wait. With both releases aimed at children and the younger WWE fan base, there is absolutely nothing to offer the older fan. If you already own every pay-per view match on both of these releases then the £5 – 10 asking price is utterly ridiculous. The Randy Orton release has much more to offer in the way of actual wrestling but the John Cena release will undoubtedly sell twice as many because of his connection with the younger fans. In reality, neither are worth the asking price with only four matches on each and only two of the four matches worth watching.

The John Cena release could have included matches against Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania 23 and their one hour classic from the Raw in London) and Triple H (WrestleMania 22) to hide Cena’s flaws and anyone could name two or three more excellent Randy Orton bouts which could have easily been included and taken the place of the unfavourable ones.

Overall, these releases are quaint and compact harking back to the VHS days when you used to get four of your favourite television episodes on one release. These are perfect for children but give them a miss if you’re a fully grown adult. The pay-per view matches will probably already be in your collection and the one Raw match on each release is certainly not worth the price of admission.

Next Time in Review Corner: The Best of WWE at Madison Square Garden DVD and Blu-ray

Onwards and upwards...

A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY REPEATED

At last, we can rejoice. WWE have done what they teased for so very long and turned Randy Orton heel. Of course, we could all see it coming as soon as Orton came to the ring at SummerSlam to cash in the briefcase. After all, Triple H wasn’t installed in the match for nothing you know. The whole McMahon saga which has been done before is beginning to repeat itself for a new audience and new generation and instead of The Rock at the helm, this time it’s Randy Orton.

For those not old enough to remember the last time The McMahon Family were the centre of the company in a storyline then it began properly at WWE Survivor Series 1998 which was held at the Kiel Centre in St. Louis, Missouri on November 15th 1998. The idea on the night was to do two things. The first crown a new WWE Champion in the Deadly Games Tournament and the second was to make The Rock a bona fide main event star in the process. Both goals were accomplished on the night even though Stone Cold Steve Austin was the fan favourite to win the tournament rebelling against The McMahon Family who had sought to depose ‘The Texas Rattlesnake’.

Entering the tournament Mankind was the supposed Corporate darling who had McMahon’s backing to step up and become the headline star. As we would find out that that was a ruse and to be honest, anyone who didn’t see it coming needed their eyes testing. The Rock was always earmarked to win the tournament and the WWE Championship, only along the way he was also going to turn heel on Mankind and side with Vince McMahon. For the main players in the story, they advanced through the first round with ease as Mankind went over Duane Gill in a pathetic thirty second burial, Stone Cold Steve Austin eliminated the Big Boss Man by disqualification in a paltry three minute twenty second affair and The Rock who was due to face a mystery opponent in the first round was also handed Big Boss Man in what was meant to look like The McMahon Family trying to stop ‘The Brahma Bull’ reaching the final. The Rock bested Boss Man in three seconds.

The whole idea of the Deadly Games tournament, as stated was to make The Rock a star. Vince McMahon was going to do this by trying to feed us a red herring. Trying to stop The Rock reaching the final whilst all the time helping him advance in each match was a master strategy which worked on the night and the Boss Man was only the beginning. Made to look like the tables were stacked, were told at a later date that Boss Man had been told to lay down for The Rock and make sure he was to advance to the next round. By supposedly pitting The Rock against all Corporate opponents on the night, in the storyline, McMahon had ensure The Rock’s place in the final. It wasn’t to be the last time the Boss Man intervened in The Rock’s progress, though his intervention was meant to look like an accident as he was supposedly helping his Corporate buddies.

The Quarterfinals of ten Deadly Game Tournament saw The Rock pin Ken Shamrock, another Corporate drone, in a good eight minute and twenty second match when the Boss Man ran in and threw the nightstick to Shamrock. The Rock intercepted the foreign object and nailed Shamrock with it to score the pin. To the onlookers, The Rock had bee clever in foiling the Corporation’s plans when in reality Boss Man had passed the nightstick to The Rock; Stone Cold Steve Austin advance through a bye into the Semi-Finals thanks to a double count out in the match between William Regal and X Pac and Mankind best Al Snow in a three minute and fifty five outing which is best forgotten. After the quarterfinals had transpired, there was huge hype that The Rock would face Austin in the final. The pair had already done battle over the WWE Intercontinental Championship the previous year and in the eyes of the WWE fans both men were ready to be main event stars. In hindsight, WWE need not have tried so hard in pushing The Rock, the hype that he would meet Austin in the final did all the work for them. But then in those days Vince actually planned things out in advance.

A question mark hung over the fate of the WWE Championship as far as the fans were concerned when Mankind pinned Austin to eliminate Stone Cold in the Semi-Finals. As far as everyone was concerned Austin was shoo-in for a place against The Rock who had already advanced thanks to a victory over The Undertaker by Disqualification when Kane injected himself in the bout. Another piece of evidence that the Corporation were aiding The Rock, without our knowledge. Suddenly with Austin gone it was Mankind vs The Rock in the final of the Deadly Games Tournament and really, there could be only one logical outcome.

At the time, Mankind wasn’t WWE Championship material. Anyone with eyes could see that McMahon was going to double cross Foley on the night and The Rock was going to side with the McMahon’s. The match was very good and the ending which was a perfect replay of the Montreal incident from the year before only served to help The Rock get hated and despised by the fans. The reason I’m recapping events from fifteen years ago was because it was almost a perfect heel turn, akin to Randy Orton’s at SummerSlam.

We all knew it was coming. Months ago WWE touted a Randy Orton heel turn yet every time they got near one, the company held off pulling that trigger. When Orton hit Bryan with an RKO before Payback, the seeds had been sown and when he captured the Money in the Bank briefcase in July it was almost a foregone conclusion that he would cash it in when Bryan defeated an injured John Cena at SummerSlam. When Triple H was added to the mix, the picture was complete. People not in the know may not have seen it, but we certainly did. I remember reading on forums before SummerSlam, people saying that if Orton cashed in and defeated Bryan then they would go mad and not watch anymore, but what they don’t realise is that WWE had to prepare for the future.

Vince and WWE creative knew that John Cena was leaving for surgery after SummerSlam. The company had fair warning and they knew that without their figurehead star to guide the ship they had to prepare for life with someone else at the helm. Undoubtedly, Daniel Bryan could have carried the company but what then? With Bryan as WWE Champion all WWE could have done was have him defend against heels. There would have been no driving story for fans to tune into. This way, with Randy Orton as Champion, Daniel Bryan and his fans have something to hold onto. Daniel Bryan is now in the Stone Cold Steve Austin role and Randy Orton occupies The Rock’s role of 1998. It was a perfect plan by Vince to have this crescendo at SummerSlam as now we have a feud which could easily last until WrestleMania 30.

There is a worry hanging over this heel turn and new alliance however. The last time Randy Orton sided with Triple H, Hunter selfishly outshined him and shamelessly stole his spotlight on purpose. Even in their singles feud, it was Triple H who had to have the majority of the limelight regardless of what it did to Randy Orton. This time around, Triple H cannot do this. Triple H has to stand back and allow Orton and Bryan to flourish at the top of the card. If he does then he could be credited with stabilising the future of a company he will run and co-own in the future, instead of being blamed for not doing enough to prepare it for Vince McMahon’s exit.

History is repeating itself again, but it’s something we haven’t had for at least 13 years which means WWE have had ample time to tweak each role and add a new depth to the story. I have no doubt that Vince, Triple H or Stephanie will break away from the faction and side with Daniel Bryan before its all said and done and Bryan will defeat Randy Orton for gold at the end of the feud. For now though we have another identical feud which was so enjoyable the first time around. As long as Orton, Bryan, Triple H and the McMahon’s keep it fresh and moving then it should be not only one of the standout feuds of the year but also turning Orton at SummerSlam should be one of the best decisions WWE has made in the last five years.

We Can’t See Him

The news that John Cena will be on he shelf for four to six months was a welcome one to everyone’s ears. Except those Cena fans of course. This doesn’t just mean no more crap main event matches where the star no sells everything thrown his way, it means so much more for the WWE. Sure, they’ll lose viewers in the time Cena is out of action but that’s a necessary evil right now.

John Cena has been at the front and centre of everything that happens in WWE’s main event scene since 2005 which has meant WWE have failed to create new headline stars, instead relying on John Cena to do the business at the top. His presence has meant that even if WWE tried to make stars then he would inevitably ruin their image with his shoddy work. Wade Barrett and The Miz are two fine examples of why WWE were unable to create stars when John Cena was on top. Now though, the company has no such limitations. Randy Orton is more than capable of putting over wrestlers in the right way and making them look stars in the process.

In John Cena’s absence WWE can now make two or even three new headline stars and plant them in the main event scene before Cena returns. If these stars can get a hold of the audience’s attention and be booked and seen as true headliners then not even John Cena can ruin it when he returns. This course of action will not only ignite WWE’s main event scene once again but it will also create much needed fresh feuds at Pay-Pay View events and for the one man career killer. Six months is a long time in wrestling, now Vince McMahon has to take the bull by the horns and prove to us that he’s willing to make changes and give us what we want to see.

Onwards and upwards...

REVIEW CORNER: WWE PAYBACK 2013

 

A – Excellent

B – Good

C – Mediocre

D – Avoid

Release Date: August 26th 2013 

Available From: www.wwedvd.co.uk

Price:

DVD £ 12.99

Blu-ray £ 13.99

(Prices from www.wwedvd.co.uk: high street prices will vary)

Format Reviewed: DVD

(Also Available on Blu-ray)

What It’s About:

WWE’s first Payback pay-per view event from the Allstate Arena in Rosemount, Illinois on June 16th 2013. Featuring the culmination of the John Cena vs Ryback feud in a Three Stages of Hell Match; the return of C.M Punk and Dolph Ziggler and The Shield making their first WWE Tag Team and United States Championship defences, plus much more.

Strengths:

Beginning with the best match on the card, this month’s match of the night comes as a little surprise. On merit, Kaitlyn vs A.J Lee for the WWE Divas Championship is the best Divas match in many years. From beginning to end it has more attitude than most of the male’s matches on the card and is a standout achievement for WWE and both of the women involved. From the feisty beginning in which Kaitlyn hurls A.J over the announcers table which gives us a different indication of how much better this is going to be compared to previous Divas matches, to A.J’s perfectly psychotic performance, both women shine at Payback. Every move is solid and the crowd are fully immersed in the action thanks to a more than average storyline giving this meaning for once. A.J’s wrap around sleeper hold is honed to perfection and even though the size difference is visible and Kaitlyn looks like she could snap A.J in half, the psychotic diva holds her own. Kaitlyn shows off her power with a wonderful reversal of a crucifix pin into a standing gut drop. Continuing the reversals, A.J turns the tide of a swinging sidewalk slam into the ‘Black Widow’ submission hold which looks like something of someone beyond her years. Every near fall the pair trade gets the crowd hot and rightly so as you believe that either woman could win the match. At last, Kaitlyn convinces with her acting and her tears seem genuine, making you really feel for her, whilst the chants of ‘You tapped out’ by the fans to Kaitlyn are disrespectful after the show she’s just contributed to. Overall this match is almost flawless and the best since Trish Stratus vs Lita at Unforgiven 2006. Maybe there is hope for the WWE Divas Division after all.

Wade Barrett vs Curtis Axel vs The Miz in a triple threat match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship couldn’t have been written better had WWE tried. Whilst trying to convince us that this is Curtis Axel’s destiny, winning the Intercontinental Championship his father, Mr. Perfect, had held so triumphantly years before on fathers day, it comes as a shame that the commentators couldn’t keep up the hype. Instead of really pushing Axel, WWE seemed to want to inform us that Axel was only in the match because Fandango had been injured on Smackdown and not because he’s a good wrestler. Axel gets a good reception on his entrance and the match begins fast which gets the fans excited for an encounter in which they never dip. Wade Barrett looks convincing as the defending champion, had he put this much effort into all his matches then he may be higher up the card by now, levelling Miz and Axel with several big moves stating his authority. Whilst Miz is in serious danger of being known as a main roster enhancement talent, he does have some stand out moments in this match, most notably taking on Axel and Barrett on his own and for the most part coming out smelling of roses. Miz portrays someone who has heart and someone who should be at a much higher level. Curtis Axel is dominant but slow. When its just Axel and Miz in the ring the action screeches to a halt, though Axel’s offence looks timed and thought out. He needs to speed up his ring work unless he wants to be seen as Michael McGillicutty with a new attitude. The trio exchange an excellent series of moves which leads into the ‘Winds of Change’ for Barrett and when Axel uses his father’s ‘Perfect Plex’ to score a brilliant near fall it nearly brings the house down. After the ‘Perfect Plex’ spot, the match flies. Every near fall is tense and The Miz’s reversal of ‘Wings of Change’ into the Figure Four Leg Lock couldn’t have gone smoother. The ending in which Axel pins Barrett whilst he’s in the Figure Four is a great ending and one which preserves The Miz’s image as he was so close to taking the gold. The commentators bleat on about Axel being Henning’s son and don’t let him bask in the spotlight on his merit but that is a minor gripe. It’s quite eerie how much Axel looks like his father.

Dolph Ziggler vs Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship is an expertly handled mach in the way it turns Alberto Del Rio heel and Dolph Ziggler face. Reminiscent of Bret Hart vs Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13, WWE have every right to be proud of themselves here. Returning from a concussion which put him out of action for 5 weeks, Dolph Ziggler gets a thunderous reception which sets the tone of the match in which most of the audience are on his side. This is because he’s the first wrestler in quite a few years to come from the bottom to the top. WWE need to take note of the reaction here. Del Rio’s heel turn is a slow burner as he works over Dolph Ziggler’s head in moments which are uncomfortable to watch seeing as Ziggler’s concussion was real and not fabricated. As the work on the head gets more and more vicious the fans begin to turn on Del Rio for his brutality and cheer Ziggler, who puts up a hell of a fight. Dolph sells the head like Shawn Michaels in his prime and whilst a lot of the action is slow and calculated, again focussed on Ziggler’s head, it is kept intriguing by Del Rio’s heel turn and Ziggler’s determination to never give up. Undoubtedly, Dolph Ziggler is the star of this match with his never say die attitude which you don’t expect from a heel and he comes across as the valiant champion. The match has its quick succession of reversals in which Ziggler botches a fame-asser. Gladly it doesn’t ruin the match as the botched move looks like a result of Ziggler’s injury. Dolph Ziggler make his star on this night. The harsh kick to Ziggler’s head to end the match in what is a valiant and gritty ending, seals Del Rio’s heel turn though he does get a huge ovation when he pins Ziggler, who gets a well earned ovation from the crowd and rampant chants of his name. WWE has to send Del Rio back out for post match promo to get his heel character over with those who didn’t get it first time around.

C.M Punk vs Chris Jericho rings the warning bells as the match begins slowly and uninvolved as flashbacks of WrestleMania 28 flood back. Thankfully though, after all of the rest holds and plodding both men set fire to the match. C.M Punk is the hometown hero and returns to WWE after a three month absence and looks better than ever. An interesting note just to begin on though. In the pre match highlight video, Chris Jericho states that C.M Punk cannot call himself ‘Best in the World’ because he disappeared from WWE for three months. However Jericho then goes on to proclaim himself ‘Best in the World’ but never mentions that he disappears from WWE for numerous months every year, so by his logic, he can’t call himself that either. To the match: Punk is sloppy in places, which is unusual for someone of his calibre, but he gets back on track eventually with a stylish reverse running swinging neck breaker. Jericho’s reverse bulldog into a Lionsault shows shades of the old Chris Jericho. Punk pulls a move out of the original hat with a standing Anaconda Vice and when he gets Jericho down to the mat, Y2J’s right hand has a mind of its own. Towards the end of the encounter the pair pulls out every counter in their arsenal in order for the match to flourish and the close fall on a GTS is tense. Jericho countering a flying clothesline into a Codebreaker looks stunning and only fuels the fans to jeer him in favour of their home city hero. At ringside, Paul Heyman is as excellent as always and looks about one breakdown away from a stroke which adds to the tension of the match. Overall, it stars worryingly but turns into something memorable.

Surprisingly, the Three Stages of Hell Match for the WWE Championship pitting John Cena vs Ryback is an entertaining affair. Yes it has its low points, this is John Cena, what else did you expect, but for once its watchable stuff. The video package before hand shows WWE’s ineptitude at writing a decent promo for a character like Ryback, when Ryback states that John Cena didn’t walk away from their dull Extreme Rules match. Yes, you guessed it. As the promo is playing WWE show footage of John Cena walking away from the ambulance like nothing is wrong. Cena provides a chuckle, when on his entrance with the jeers reigning down on him he turns to the camera and states ‘I love this town’ with a dead pan expression which screamed sarcasm. Because of C.M Punk, Illinois will never like John Cena. Stage One – Lumberjack Match is a watchable and strangely enjoyable affair. Ryback gets the best of the showing in the ten minute stage with a sublime running Powerbomb and a reverse sit down Powerbomb which Cena neglects to sell. A lot of the action is predictably slow which brings out the ‘RVD’ chants, but the pair manage to turn that frown upside down with a Ryback press slam into the lumberjacks, and a John Cena dive into the brawling lumberjacks in which he looks comical – in a good way. Ryback’s reversal of the STF into Shell Shocked is impressive to conclude Stage One. Stage Two – Tables Match is just as good as the first stage even though Cena goes through the same old routine and no sells step shots to the head. Ryback and Cena swap some really good reversals which end in a dodgy looking spear by Ryback who also shows initiative by flipping an awaiting table when in the Attitude Adjustment. A fluid Attitude Adjustment through the table ends the second stage which is watchable and not totally horrible. Stage Three – Ambulance Match begins with a mighty Powerbomb through the announcers table by Ryback as he manhandles Cena. The Powerbomb gets a ‘One more time’ chant from the fans. This time around Cena sells really well for Ryback and is limp and suffering most of his way up the aisle as they approach the ambulance. Cena’s selling of exhaustion is also handled well. Ryback take the door off the ambulance in a decent move as is the backdrop onto the windshield which signals the time for both men to climb the vehicle for the planned finale. The finale in question is an Attitude Adjustment through the top of the ambulance for the Cena victory. It’s filmed well and so you can’t see the trap door in the ambulance roof, until WWE show you an overhead replay when the trap door is overtly visible. It’s not a perfect match but it is a watchable one and a somewhat entertaining one.

The Wyatt Family vignette is unsettling and reminds you of something from a really disturbing horror film. It’s a very well put together piece and from the evidence so far, The Wyatt Family have a bright future in WWE.

The Rob Van Dam ‘returns’ video package brings one of the biggest reactions of the night. It’s no surprise as RVD is remembered with nothing but fondness by WWE fans.

Weaknesses:

The Shield has a distinctly unimpressive night beginning with Dean Ambrose vs Kane for the WWE United States Championship. This match was never going to be match of the night but it should have been better than it turned out. Ambrose and Kane contest a dull affair with no talking points at all. In one months time this match will be forgotten and rightly so. Predictably there are a lot of rest holds which kill the mood completely and Kane goes through his routine with haunting uncertainty as if he’s simply going through the motions. Dean Ambrose cannot carry Kane and therefore WWE should not have expected him to. The whole night for The Shield would have been much better had they been put in a six man tag team match against Team Hell No and Randy Orton with all three championships on the line. The count out ending is both cheap and a release as this match is a chore to sit through. If the feud with the Wyatt Family doesn’t reinvigorate Kane then his time is done.

Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns vs Randy Orton and Daniel Bryan for the WWE Tag Team Championships is another blow for The Shield. Even though they emerge victorious, this match isn’t much to shout about either as it boasts nothing of note to entice anyone in. Orton’s draping DDT is as popular as ever and Daniel Bryan once again shows some impressive athleticism including a suicide dive which was always going to hit Orton, but Reigns and Rollins do nothing to advance their image look lazy. For long periods, the action plods which hinders the match and Randy Orton nearly breaks Seth Rollins’ neck in a moment of carelessness on a suplex into the corner. Bryan nails Rollins with a great double under hook suplex from the top rope but that’s the only notable happening in this disappointing affair. The finale is hectic and does add a moment of suspense but ultimately, it should have been ten times better.

The DVD special features are ultimately worthless. ‘C.M Punk and Paul Heyman discuss Payback’ is a thirty eight second segment which lays the foundations of the Punk and Heyman split but seeing as this release comes after SummerSlam when the Heyman and Punk split has already happened, it’s pointless. The pair don’t discuss the event just exchange scowls. Heyman is frighteningly reserved here as is the power of his character. ‘The History of The Shield, Randy Orton and Team Hell No’ does a good job of recapping the feud but its nothing we haven’t seen before and adds nothing new.

DVD and Blu-ray Special Features:

Payback – June 16th 2013

C.M Punk and Paul Heyman discuss Payback

The History of The Shield, Team Hell No and Randy Orton

Blu-ray Exclusive Extras:

Raw – June 10th 2013

Triple H vs Curtis Axel

Randy Orton vs Roman Reigns

Daniel Bryan vs Seth Rollins

John Cena and Ryback face to face

Smackdown – June 14th 2013

Daniel Bryan distances himself from Kane

Team Hell No and Rand Orton vs The Shield

Conclusion:

Payback 2013 is a very good pay-per view which could have been excellent has The Shield been on form. The WWE Divas Championship Match is a must see and the triple threat match for the Intercontinental Championship is value for money. The WWE Championship Match for once is entertaining and adds to the quality of the event on a whole. The rest of the matches are of high quality and C.M Punk’s return gives the event a special feel which Dolph Ziggler proved his worth in a main event calibre match.

The extras are less than satisfactory on the DVD release and there is no Pre-show match between Sheamus and Damien Sandow which WWE should have included. Had the company cut the included extras and added the Pre-show match it may have made up for the disappointing Shield matches.

Overall, Payback 2013 is the second worthwhile pay-per view event WWE have produced in a row in 2013 and well worth the price of admission.

Rating: B

Next Time on Review Corner: The Best of WWE at Madison Square Garden DVD and Blu-ray

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