EOTR Retro: The 5 Best WWE Unforgiven PPVs

By @TrueGodImmortal

Years ago, in September, there was a PPV we could always look forward to. That PPV was Unforgiven. Unfortunately, it's no longer in existence in WWE, but with yearly PPVs from 1998 through 2008, the legacy for the show is in tact. Today, we wanted to take a look at the best shows in the event's history. Let's get into it.

5. WWE Unforgiven 2004

-I debated on putting 1998 in this spot, but honestly, the matches on that card don't seem to be better than the best of the best of this event. With a major first time main event of Triple H vs Randy Orton, as well as a solid Shawn Michaels vs Kane match, and much more, this event takes the fifth spot on the list. The best match of the night however? Jericho vs Christian in a classic ladder match for the IC Title. 

4. WWE Unforgiven 2006

-This PPV was actually pretty damn good IMO. I didn't have fond memories of it at first based on the result of the main event, but it was a solid event overall and shocked me when I watched it back recently. The Randy Orton vs Carlito match is underrated, the opening match between John Morrison (then known as Johnny Nitro) and Jeff Hardy was good, the Hell In A Cell with DX vs The McMahons and Big Show wasn't perfect but was entertaining, the Trish vs Lita match was surprisingly good, but the best match of the night was the TLC match between John Cena and Edge, which could be considered a near classic. It's a great match and a great way to finish off the PPV.

3. WWF Unforgiven 2000

-This is a personal favorite of mine for multiple reasons. It has a lot of solid matches overall, but there are two stand out things about this show. The first? The return of Stone Cold Steve Austin. The second? The main events. Triple H and Kurt Angle do battle in an underrated match at the height of their Stephanie love triangle to close out that chapter and The Rock defended his WWF Title in a Fatal Four Way against Kane, The Undertaker, and Chris Benoit. Both matches were really good, and then you have a solid Jericho vs X-Pac match, a fun Hardcore Title match, and my favorite match of the night, a steel cage contest between The Hardy Boyz and Edge and Christian. All in all, Unforgiven 2000 was a very good show.

2. WWE Unforgiven 2008

-This was almost my choice for the top pick. It's a great event in a year that was hit or miss for WWE. The invention,of the Championship Scramble was innovative for the time and caught many of us off guard when it was introduced. Perhaps three Scramble matches were too much in one night, but all three were enjoyable. My favorite match of the night however? It has to be the Shawn Michaels vs Chris Jericho match. That match was a classic and it showed HBK at his most aggressive, which was fun to see. My favorite of all the Scramble matches? Probably the Smackdown Scramble match, as it flowed very well, but the RAW Scramble wasn't too far behind. This was really a good PPV.

1. WWE Unforgiven 2002

-From the opening contest to the main event, this is the best Unforgiven event hands down. It kicks off with a solid dark match between Rey Mysterio vs Chavo Guerrero (which I think was on the DVD), then starts off with a pretty solid 8 man tag match between Kane, Goldust, Bubba Ray, and Booker T vs The Un-Americans. We see another Jericho vs Flair match, which was decent, a good Edge vs Eddie Guerrero match, then the formative stage of Evolution, as Ric Flair helps Triple H defeat Rob Van Dam in a solid Championship match. Trish and Molly Holly had a good contest, but the match of the night is between Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit. As if that wasn't enough, we also witnessed the first showdown between Undertaker and Brock Lesnar, which was a brutal contest that ended in a double DQ. There was really no weak spot on this card, and truthfully, it's the most consistent of all the Unforgiven shows, thus why it lands at no. 1. It's the best of them all.

-True

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Eyes on the Ring 4:21 AM  No comment

Eyes On WWE: The 5 Worst Summerslam PPVs

By @TrueGodImmortal

In reality, the biggest show of the summer has been more lackluster over the years than exciting. The truth is, while WWE builds the show up very well, it sometimes misses the mark. In the history of the event, we've seen some great contests and of course we've seen some terrible matches. Sometimes, we get a great card and other times, we get a terrible card. Today, I wanted to look at the latter and the times that we get the terrible shows. Let's take a look at the worst Summerslam events.

5. Summerslam 2006

-I wasn't as invested in wrestling during this period due to real life, but I saw this show live and was disappointed. Extremely disappointed. I thought about putting shows from the 80s on this list or even the 1994 edition, but at least that card had a classic and solid IC Title Match with a decent tag team match. Aside from a decent John Cena vs Edge match with a solid build, the show suffers from a pointless DX vs The McMahons match, a very mediocre Batista vs Booker T match, and a confusing Big Show vs Sabu ECW Title Match. Even the Hulk Hogan vs Randy Orton match was well below any high expectations. Just not a fun PPV to sit through.

4. Summerslam 2007

-It still surprises me that I ordered this PPV. It bothers me actually. I was excited. I figured CM Punk was set to become the ECW Champion. Triple H would make a triumphant return. Cena vs Orton seemed like a big match. Rey Mysterio would be coming back as well. I figured, there's no way WWE could mess this up, right? I was very wrong. The Triple H return was awkward and lackluster, and the match itself was very disappointing. The Rey Mysterio return did nothing for me and the match itself against Chavo Guerrero just didn't go well. The only highlight on the show would be the Cena vs Orton match, but even that was slightly disappointing. Without any real highlights minus a decent triple threat and a mostly solid main event, this card falls way below the standards of the best.

3. Summerslam 1993

-This would be no. 1 if it wasn't for the fact that the top 2 choices had the opportunity to he better and literally just out right refused to be. It was interesting to say the least with this PPV, as watching Lex Luger vs Yokozuna as the main event told me that the WWF wasn't in the best place at that time. Losing Hulk Hogan, and trying to find his replacement couldn't have been easy and the same could be said for the lack of in ring work from Randy Savage, another legend. There are slight bright spots on this show with Shawn Michaels vs Mr. Perfect and Razor Ramon vs Ted Dibiase in his final WWF PPV match, but the rest of the card, including The Undertaker vs Giant Gonzalez was absolutely dreadful to watch. Even worse? After Lex Luger wins the match by DQ but doesn't win the title, he has the dumbest celebration of all time as if he became champion. A hilarious end to a terrible event. 

2. Summerslam 2010

-This show had potential. WWE was working toward a new era it seemed with the Nexus, but they were still in the Cena era. It was really odd to be honest. It seemed like every time the WWE attempted to move forward, Cena would bring them back. In addition to that, the card on paper was lackluster. CM Punk and the Straight Edge Society against the Big Show, a short and pointless Dolph Ziggler and Kofi Kingston match, Melina vs Alicia Fox, an awful Kane vs Rey Mysterio match with a laughable Undertaker appearance, with the only decent match coming from Randy Orton and Sheamus as Orton was settling in as a fan favorite. The main event is really too long and it was anti climatic as Daniel Bryan returning after two months of being "fired" didn't really have a huge impact. Plus, Cena killing the Nexus momentum just killed the whole group. It was over after that. For that, this show definitely has to make the list.

1. Summerslam 1995

-The truth of the matter? There was no way in hell this PPV could be great. There was a great IC Title Match between Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon, which should have closed the show. For some reason, Vince was an idiot and decided to close the show out with the absolute worst main event ever in Summerslam history: Diesel vs Mabel. Add to that the fact that they wasted other top wrestlers on lackluster matches (Bret Hart and The Undertaker), and in reality, this is the most disappointing Summerslam because of what it could have been. And, once again, the show was closed out by Diesel vs Mabel. Diesel vs Mabel. Diesel vs FUCKING MABEL. Enough said.

-True 

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Eyes on the Ring 11:34 PM  No comment

Eyes On WWE: 30 Greatest Matches At WWE Summerslam (14-1)

By @Phranchize19

Of course, it's only right to close this thing out as it should be. Let's take a look at the last 14 matches on this list. What ranks no. 1? Keep reading and find out.

14. John Cena vs Randy Orton WWE Championship
Summerslam 2007

-They’ve had two title matches at this event but their 2007 match is classic. Orton pushed Cena further than any challenger had done before him. Both men relatively in their prime made for a great main event.

13. Brock Lesnar vs CM Punk
Summerslam 2013

-The Best vs The Beast. This may be Lesnar’s best outing since returning to WWE. Punk took everything Lesnar had and kept coming back for more.

12. Randy Orton vs Christian 

World Heavyweight Championship
No Holds Barred
Summerslam 2011

-Orton and Christian had amazing chemistry. Their feud sort of ended with this match and it did not disappoint. Orton gets the win in this classic.

11. CM Punk vs Jeff Hardy
World Heavyweight Championship
TLC Match
Summerslam 2009

-A gem that saw the end of Jeff Hardy and his great 2nd coming in the WWE. This was a great send off for Jeff, as he would lose the title and move on after a rematch on Smackdown. Taker returning at the end was also a good moment.

10. Shawn Michaels vs Razor Ramon
Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match
Summerslam 1995

-The return match from Wrestlemania 10. This is the only good match from that dreadful 1995 card. Shawn defeats his demons and wins this thrilling encounter.

9. Kurt Angle vs Brock Lesnar 

WWE Championship
Summerslam 2003

-This match often gets overlooked but it’s a classic. I feel it’s better than their WM match. Kurt Angle makes Brock tap out for the first time in his career.

8. Hardy Boyz vs Edge and Christian vs Dudley Boyz
WWF Tag Team Championship TLC 1
Summerslam 2000

-The first ever (officially because the “triangle Ladder Match” at Mania may as well have been a TLC match) TLC match. It was fantastic and it didn’t disappoint minus the fact that the Hardyz should’ve won this match.

7. Kurt Angle vs Stone Cold
WWF Championship
Summerslam 2001

-Kurt Angle had one of his finest performances ever. I think he raised a lot of eyebrows with his performance here. He truly looked like an American hero even though he only wins by DQ.

6. Mr. Perfect vs Bret Hart 

Intercontinental Championship
Summerslam 1991

-The first singles title match for Bret Hart against an injured Mr Perfect. When one thinks of an IC title match, this should pop up. Perfect had a serious back injury and still performed fantastically. Bret Hart gets the win.

5A. Triple H vs The Rock vs Kurt Angle
WWF Championship
Summerslam 2000

5B. John Cena Vs Daniel Bryan WWE Championship
Summerslam 2013

-I had to put two matches here. First, the triple threat match in 2000. Adding Kurt Angle to The Rock vs Triple H rivalry was genius. Kurt takes a nasty bump but finishes the match anyway. Second, John Cena vs Daniel Bryan. This is a personal favorite of mine because I was happy to see Bryan achieve the impossible all while beating the golden boy Cena CLEANLY.

4. Triple H vs Shawn Michaels
Non Sanctioned Match
Summerslam 2002

-A fight plain and simple. I had doubts coming in that HBK would have a little rust but he came through and showed out. Triple H sold this story perfectly. Shawn wins but Triple H is the only one who walks out.

3. Triple H vs The Rock 

Intercontinental Championship 

Ladder Match
Summerslam 1998

-This is the greatest one on one Ladder Match I’ve ever witnessed. This match literally was the definition of stealing the show. Triple H gets the win here.

2. Bret Hart vs British Bulldog Intercontinental Championship
Summerslam 1992

-One of the best matches ever. The first and only time that the IC title would main event this show and it exceeded the hype. Bulldog defeated his brother in law in front of his hometown crowd.

1. Bret Hart vs Owen Hart
WWF Championship
Steel Cage Match
Summerslam 1994

-Not only the greatest Cage match ever but the greatest match in the history of Summerslam. This was such a great match the story among other things makes it great.

 

-Phranchize

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Eyes on the Ring 4:39 PM  1 comment

Eyes On WWE: The Summerslam 2017 Main Event

By @TrueGodImmortal

With the Summerslam PPV approaching very quickly, it's time to discuss the biggest match on the show. No, it won't be John Cena vs Jinder Mahal, and it damn sure won't be Bayley vs Alexa Bliss or Naomi vs Natalya, but RAW has done something right lately surprisingly. In addition to the Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose hinted reunion, there is the Finn Balor vs Bray Wyatt feud which could be fun, but the biggest match on the card of the summer is the Fatal Four Way match for the Universal Championship that was just announced on Monday. It'll be a huge battle between Brock Lesnar, Samoa Joe, Braun Strowman, and Roman Reigns. As of now, it seems like it'll be the premier match of the show and could end up being a classic. Braun is improving, Reigns is a solid worker, and Samoa Joe is... well he's Samoa Joe. With that said, who has the best chance to win this match and walk out of Brooklyn as the Universal Champion? Let's examine.

*Roman Reigns
-First things first, Reigns should NOT win this match. He should NOT win the title for some time. He should NOT. Why? Look, I get it. He's a main eventer and he will continue to be. Fine. Boo him or cheer him, it doesn't matter. Vince is in love with this man and he will continue to push him as a big time star. He will likely end up defeating Cena at Mania to add to his already inflated and overblown legacy and that's alright. It was bound to happen. The sad fact remains, Reigns is not really the guy to be your top champion and while his reaction is more negative than positive, he's not a heel. He's not THE GUY no matter how much they force him. It's not organic. With that said, let's keep him away from the title. He doesn't need it. He can compete for it, but he should not win it.

*Brock Lesnar
-Literally, the two opponents that were scheduled to do battle one on one in Brock and Reigns are the two that shouldn't win it. Brock has had a 5 month reign almost now for nothing. Absolutely nothing. He defended the title once since he won it and that match was 7 minutes long. It was a fun match, but that's a shorter main event match than Diesel put on in 1995 as WWF Champ. The reigning but not really defending Universal Champ has wore out his WWE welcome after 5 and a half years and while he's fine as a non title holding special attraction, it's time for him to lose this belt. Brock should lose and I honestly think he should be pinned in this match. Brock might be leaving for UFC, so hopefully, he loses this match.

*Samoa Joe
-The right man to win. No one has been on as fire as Joe since the summer began. When a guy is on a roll, you shouldn't kill his momentum. Even a loss to Brock didn't slow his momentum down, so it's time to pull the trigger. Joe is a full time star who seemingly can stay healthy, put on great matches weekly, and can lead the RAW brand as a top tier heel or tweener. If Joe wins the match and the title, there's money in a Brock rematch, money in a Bray Wyatt feud, money in a Finn Balor feud, even money in another Seth or Ambrose feud, and of course Braun or Reigns. I want Joe to win this match, but I don't think he will because WWE isn't smart. However....

*Braun Strowman
-The only man with as much momentum as Joe in the WWE right now is Braun. If Joe can't get it, then Braun needs to win. He's been the most over star on RAW since 2017 began surprisingly and his momentum keeps growing. If there is one man who could win and the crowd could go home completely happy? It's Braun. He's a monster and his improvement might deserve a short run with the WWE Universal Title. I'd love to see Braun win and then we get a Brock vs Braun rematch for the belt. That would be great. Braun is a huge favorite and probably my favorite to win, slightly over Reigns in the realistic booking department.

Who will win this match? That's anyone's guess, but let's hope it ends up being Joe or Braun. Those two options would be perfect. Time will tell. The Road To Summerslam begins now.

-True 

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Eyes on the Ring 4:19 AM  1 comment