I am postponing the column I had intended to do for this week regarding the Cruiserweights until next week so that I can address the upcoming WWE pay-per-view, SummerSlam. This is supposed to be the second largest PPV event of the year, taking a back seat only to Wrestlemania. But even though there are three titles on the line, the United States Championship, the WWE Championship, and the World Heavyweight Championship, this years’ show is really only about one match. Yep, that’s the truth. Legend vs. Icon – Hulk Hogan against The Heartbreak Kid, Shawn Michaels is really what SummerSlam is staking everything on. While this should definitely be a good match, will it be the action-filled and technical contest that will stand head and shoulders above the rest? I don’t think so. While I agree that this match is one that fans want to see, and I join them in that, we are still dealing with two wrestlers who find their best days behind them. Now before I get hate mail, wait just a minute.
Hogan has brought fans to their knees. There are very few who can top his popularity and longevity, and the colors red and yellow hold a special meaning for many. When I saw him face The Rock in Toronto at Wrestlemania 18 I could have not been more excited. I had not gotten to see him before, and I knew that I was watching someone special. But beyond his trademark legdrop and ‘Hulking up’, does he have anything else in his bag of tricks? No, and I realize that these things are what the fans want to see, so who cares if there is nothing new, right? Well, maybe we should care, because it is time to move onward and upward.
I won’t leave HBK out of this, and believe me, it is hard for me to write anything negative about him. I am a huge Michaels mark, and he is one of my very favorites. But even though he has all the passion in the world for the business, even though he can still make his opponents look good, and even though he busts his ass and goes the extra mile for us, his body is betraying him. It has been for a long time – that’s no secret. Yet both these men are being put in the position to make or break what is hyped as the company’s second biggest show, and looking at the rest of the card, that’s just not right.
Randy Orton came back from his injury lay up time to pick right up where he left off – going after The Undertaker. Orton is determined to prove that he is a legitimate legend-killer, and certainly ‘Taker is one of the true legends. I’m not sure if I necessarily like these two going at it, especially since The Dead Man was supposed to be the one facing Batista for the belt, not JBL. But that’s another story. In most instances, ‘Taker has no problem putting others over for the good of the company, and I don’t think he would balk at it here if asked. At any rate, this should be a better than decent match.
Could any more be on the line between Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio? Who will Dominick go home with at the end of the night? I don’t really like the story line, and it is really hard on a young kid who is not a professional actor to separate things, no matter how much explaining is done. But if nothing else there is a reason for this match, and it has been built up for quite some time. Put the ladders into play and we might just be given a clinic on ladder matches, as I believe that these two will do a first-rate job.
Things can’t get more emotional than the match between Edge and Matt Hardy. Lita at ringside will only add fuel to the fire that is sure to erupt between them. I am really looking forward to this one, if for no other reason than to see just what will happen. A lot of people think that this whole thing with the love triangle is a complete work. I keep changing my mind, but nothing would surprise me. Hell, Lita might just walk out with Matt by her side, who knows? One thing is for sure; we should be treated to one hell of a match here.
Then we have two big title matches. Raw is represented by WWE Champion John Cena, who is being challenged by Chris Jericho for the belt. I love Y2J, and expect this to be a super match. These two athletes will go all out to entertain us, I have no doubt of that, and this could be one of the best matches of the night.
On to SmackDown!’s World Heavyweight Champion Batista, who must face off against JBL. Bradshaw just can’t seem to stay out of the title picture, but I really hope that he falls victim to Batista. I don’t expect this to be at the top of the list as far as good matches are concerned. Whether you love Triple H or not, it is evident that he did one hell of a job to help make Batista look as good as he did. I don’t think that JBL has that ability. Don’t get me wrong, I am not dismissing Batista, but his weaknesses were hidden quite nicely when he was paired with HHH. I have no doubt however, that he will only eliminate those deficiencies as time goes by.
Of course not all of the matches make a lot of sense, and the last two fall into that category for me. Ever since Eugene won Kurt Angle’s gold medal in the Kurt Angle Invitational, Angle has had it out for him. Eugene will most certainly have the crowd in his corner, but that will not be enough to make a difference, for I can’t see the WWE, or Angle for that matter, being content with a Eugene victory. That would prove nothing, and take away all of the aggression and momentum that is Kurt’s.
The United States Champion Orlando Jordan is a good wrestler. I have nothing against him at all. But to put him against Chris Benoit just doesn’t seem right. Not for Jordan, but for The Rabid Wolverine. Benoit has scratched and clawed his way to the top, and while he might not have been the most charismatic Champion, he most certainly deserved to be at the top of the heap. Now he wrestles for the US Title, a belt which, sorry to say, means nothing. I am surprised to see that they have even kept it around. Nothing against the current champ, but Benoit warrants more.
So you see, most of the card has the ability to be quite strong, but is being dismissed by one match. Hogan and Michaels will most certainly make damn sure we go home happy, but let’s take a bit of the heat off of them and let some of the other matches work for us on their own merits.
Enjoy SummerSlam, and please let me know your thoughts!
Be safe and God Bless,
Barb.
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