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WWE Judgment Day Hits

Edge vs. Jeff Hardy: A very good pay-per-view main event. I loved the interference from Matt Hardy. Better yet, I was happy that it didn't lead directly to the finish, which would have been a big letdown given the way the other major title match concluded. Edge and Hardy work very well together and this was the right match to close the show with. It will be interesting to see whether they go with a rematch next month or if they go with another Hardy vs. Hardy match at the Extreme Rules pay-per-view. I can live with them ignoring the brand split rules in this case because they created a storyline purpose for doing so.

Umaga vs. C.M. Punk: A fun opening match that accomplished its goal of getting the live crowd into the show. The fans rallied behind the hometown hero, and didn't lose too much steam when Punk lost the match. Umaga looked like a badass, and Punk looked good in defeat.

Christian vs. Jack Swagger: Another solid outing from the top two wrestlers on the ECW brand. I enjoyed the way they played off of last month's finish that saw the referee catch Swagger taking off a turnbuckle pad while Christian was doing the same thing on the other side of the ring. This month, Swagger was caught grabbing Christian's tights at one point, but the referee missed Christian clutching Swagger's tights while scoring the pin. These two work well together and I hope they keep the feud rolling.

John Morrison vs. Shelton Benjamin: It started fast, slowed to a crawl, and then picked up again down the stretch. Morrison really shined during this match. Those of you who watched Tough Enough should remember that he had the ability to hit these flashy high spots, but he held most of them back while he was a heel. I'm still not convinced the quirky Morrison character is main event material, but he's a few tweaks away from getting there. Shelton didn't really stand out in this match, but I am happy to see him reunited with Charlie Haas.

Rey Mysterio vs. Chris Jericho: Jericho set this up brilliantly with his promo. He vowed that Rey wouldn't hit the 619 and guaranteed a victory. So many wrestlers (and especially McMahon family members) deliver on their guarantees, so Jericho's promises planted the seed in the minds of most fans that a title change was coming. As such, the finish was a pleasant surprise for Mysterio fans. This was likely the first installment of a long program between Mysterio and Jericho, and I'm looking forward to a long feud.

The Miz: Another fun promo. I love the way he shut down the tired "What" and "You suck" chants. His promo on the Cubs was classic. I understand the criticism that taunting the hometown team only registers with that fan base, but he did more than deliver a basic cheap heat line about the Cubs. Unfortunately, Santino Marella dragged the segment down with an uninspired comedy performance. Miz is an edgy heel, whereas Santino is all lighthearted comedy, and the two styles didn't mesh well.

Overall show: More hits than misses, but this was not a great pay-per-view. It was an entertaining show with some very good matches early and in the main event, but it wasn't a newsworthy show beyond Ric Flair's surprise return. Really, though, it felt like a house show event that viewers paid $40 to $50 to watch on television. I don't regret much purchase, but it wasn't a knockout show like the Backlash event.

WWE Judgment Day Misses

John Cena vs. Big Show: Did they really need 15 minutes? The match featured Show beating up Cena with slow-paced offense that appeared to bore the crowd. Cena eventually made his comeback and pleased most of the fans in attendance. However, I don't understand the point of putting Cena over in this match. Big Show is arguably the No. 2 heel on the Raw brand, and Cena had a built in excuse to lose given the big injury angle that took place last match. Instead, Cena won the match and now what? Show lost momentum by losing, and Cena doesn't have an obvious opponent to feud with unless they plan to do more with The Miz than I believe they will. Don't get me wrong, I hope they push Miz hard and give him in-ring credibility, but I have to see it to believe it.

Randy Orton vs. Batista: A forgettable title match. The cheap finish was weak, but at least they had Ric Flair to make the crowd happy. That said, Flair's return didn't pack much of a punch since we just saw him at WrestleMania 25. The live crowd was happy to see Naitch, but this didn't register as a "holy shit" moment for this pay-per-view buyer. By the way, when is the last time Orton stole a pay-per-view with an in-ring performance?

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