Rowe's Top Songs - 12-29-12

This Chart	Song	Artist	Last
1	"Ride"	Lana Del Rey	6
2	"Here Comes My Man"	The Gaslight Anthem	2
3	"Suitcase"	Circa Survive	1
4	"Let Her Go"	Passenger	3
5	"No Tell"	Smoke and Jackal	5
6	"Mountain Song"	Of Monsters and Men	9
7	"Old Friend"	Sea Wolf	8
8	"Little Black Submarines"	The Black Keys	4
9	"Miss Atomic Bomb"	The Killers	10
10	"Stay Useless"	Cloud Nothings	12
11	"Safe and Sound"	Capital Cities	20
12	"All Your Gold"	Bats for Lashes	19
13	"Here I Am, Alive"	Yellowcard	7
14	"Breakers"	Local Natives	17
15	"Spitting Image"	Freelance Whales	11
16	"King for a Day"	Pierce the Veil	18
17	"Thread"	Now, Now	14
18	"San Fransisco	The Mowgli's	NEW
19	"Amy"	Green Day	15
20	"Did It Even Really Matter?"	The Rescues	NEW

TNA Pay-Per-View Posters 2006

WWE Survivor Series 2007

WWE Survivor Series
November 18, 2007

-From Miami, FL. Our hosts are Joey Styles, Tazz, Michael Cole, John Bradshaw Layfield, Jim Ross, and Jerry Lawler.

ECW Championship:
CM Punk © vs. The Miz vs. John Morrison

It’s worth noting that The Miz and Morrison had just won the WWE Tag Team Championship leading into this event. Punk has to fend off a double team attack in the early going. Punk tosses both opponents to ringside for a suicide dive! Miz blocks Punk’s springboard attempt on Morrison. Double suplex by Miz and Morrison! It doesn’t take long for Miz to stab Morrison in the back, pushing off the ropes to the floor. Morrison interrupts a Miz chinlock, delivering a slingshot drop-kick. Backbreaker/neck breaker combo by Morrison almost puts Punk away. Punk breaks out of a sleeper with some hard kicks, but gets tossed to Miz, who drops Punk back-first on the concrete. Miz and Morrison trade near falls. Morrison debuts Starship Pain but Punk breaks the cover attempt. Top rope hurricanrana by Punk sends Morrison into a Miz power bomb! Double underhook backbreaker on Miz by Punk! Miz accidentally knocks Morrison off the apron, leaving Punk to deliver Go To Sleep for the win at 7:58. Fine opener that didn’t expose the limitations of the challengers, good victory for Punk, **¼.
Winner and still ECW Champion: CM Punk
 
-We take a look at MVP beating up his tag partner, Matt Hardy, after dropping the tag titles. MVP viciously targeted Hardy’s knee, effectively writing Hardy off television for a few months.

-Some random diva interviewer talks to MVP. She asks for an explanation for what he did to Matt Hardy. MVP promises that Hardy won’t be competing tonight, due to not being able to walk without a crutch. Hell, Hardy has relied on crutches his entire career, whether it be Jeff Hardy or your’s truly. MVP poses with the U.S. title and tries to get his own name over as a catchphrase.

WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix, Layla, Jillian Hall, Victoria, and Melina vs. Torrie Wilson, Michelle McCool, Kelly Kelly, Maria, and Mickie James

Poor Melina slips during her split entrance, but she laughs it off and tries again successfully. Honestly, I’m stunned that Torrie Wilson was still employed at this time. Victoria and McCool kick things off. Michelle suffers a wardrobe malfunction, which the DVD failed to censor. Torrie tags in and eats a sidewalk slam. Layla tags herself in and Torrie hits an awful suplex for 2. Kelly squares off with Jillian. Maria and Beth tag in. Beth takes control, isolating Maria in the heel corner. Melina gets crotched in the ropes, allowing for a hot tag to Mickie James. Mickie plants a kiss on Melina’s lips and delivers the Mick Kick for the win at 4:42. Sloppy and overcrowded, as you might expect. I’m surprised they couldn’t toss six more minutes into this and just make it an elimination match, *.
Winners: Mickie James, Torrie Wilson, Kelly Kelly, Michelle McCool, and Maria

-Jonathan Coachmen and William Regal are hanging out backstage with Hornswoggle. Coach and Regal are amused because Hornswoggle is being forced to face The Great Khali later tonight. Whoo hoo! -WWE Champion Randy Orton senses excitement in the air. Unfortunately, everyone is going to be disappointed when he beats Shawn Michaels. -Shawn Michaels says that over the past six months, Randy Orton has made his life a living hell. He’s going to repay the favor by taking the WWE Championship.

World Tag Team Championship:
Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch © vs. Hardcore Holly and Cody Rhodes

Yeah, it feels like the tag team division in WWE has been in shambles forever. Because it has. Cody starts off against Cade. Cody is a blue chipper and only knows how to throw an impressive drop-kick and other basic moves. Cade shows him how it’s done with a backbreaker. Murdoch tags and continues to pound away on young Cody. Holly tags and has little patience for Murdoch. Cade tags but Holly hoists him up for a suspicious kick between the legs. Murdoch makes a blind tag and boots Holly in the face. Holly is in trouble, as Cade and Murdoch make frequent tags and double team him. Holly dodges a double finisher and makes the hot tag to Cody. It’s unfortunate that the rookie has to clean house, but he does okay for himself. Sadly, Murdoch nails a somersault power bomb of sorts for the win at 7:18. The match was completely by the numbers, would have been right at home at any given house show, *¾.
Winners and still World Tag Team Champions: Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch

-Holly and Rhodes tease dissension after their loss. Holly lets Cody know that they’re cool with a shoulder slap. How nice.

-Triple H’s team is at a disadvantage because Matt Hardy is injured. Todd Grisham interviews the unhappy team. Jeff Hardy says that all MVP has done is light a fire under them. Rey Mysterio adds that he’s right at home being the underdog. Kane butts in, telling Rey that he’s never an underdog. The great thing about Survivor Series is they don’t have to get along. Kane points out that Triple H once accused him of being a murderer who had sex with his dead girlfriend. That reminds Jeff that he was once put in the hospital by Triple H. “My bad, sorry,” says HHH, to a nice laugh from the crowd. Triple H says that Survivor Series is the one night a year when guys who have done terrible things to each other can get along so they can do terrible things to someone else. “Now let’s go do something terrible.” Fantastic segment.

Classic Survivor Series match:
Mr. Kennedy, Finlay, Big Daddy V (with Matt Striker), United States Champion MVP, and Umaga vs. Kane, Rey Mysterio, Intercontinental Champion Jeff Hardy, and Triple H

Rey starts against Kennedy. The one-man-Botchamania-highlight-reel known as Mr. Kennedy is almost put away with a modified power bomb. Hardy tags in. Kennedy blocks the Twist of Fate and plants Jeff for 2. MVP tags and pounds away on his enemy’s brother. Big Daddy V joins the match and continues the dominance. Kane tags in and walks into a belly to belly suplex! Kane fights back and dispatches an interfering MVP and Finlay. BDV dishes out a Samoan Drop and elbow drop on Kane to eliminate him at 5:28. Triple H charges in and dishes out a knee lift. BDV misses a falling head butt and makes a needed tag to Umaga. Umaga delivers a suplex and a successful falling head butt. Umaga misses another head butt off the ropes. Rey gets a hot tag but Umaga cuts off his momentum. Rey dodges a splash and uses his speed to his advantage. 619 and the springboard ring board gains a close near fall. Umaga catches Rey in mid-air and plants him. The Samoan Spike eliminates Rey at 9:18.

Triple H and Jeff take a moment to size up their opponents, but Kennedy tags himself in and pummels away at Jeff. Hardy misses a swinging leg drop when MVP pulls Kennedy out of the way. Jeff is trapped in heel territory as the bad guys make quick tags. Hardy surprises MVP with the Twist of Fate to eliminate him at 12:50. Kennedy rushes in but Triple H gains a hot tag. Big Daddy V tries to make a save but elbow drops Kennedy by mistake. HHH eliminates Kennedy at 14:24. BDV drags HHH to ringside, Hardy dives into his arms only to be driven into the ring post. BDV misses a corner splash on both opponents and eats a double DDT. Triple H pins Big Daddy V at 15:28. Finlay rushes in and goes to work on HHH. Finlay flies into Triple H’s boot, allowing a tag to Jeff. Hardy is mounting a comeback when Umaga catches him off guard with a super kick. Finlay continues targeting Hardy’s head. Jeff strikes back with the Whisper of the Wind. Triple H gets a needed tag and cleans house. Umaga saves Finlay from a Pedigree. Unfortunately, HHH tries again and puts Finlay away at 21:18. A desperate Umaga charges in and makes too many mistakes. The Pedigree from Triple H and the Swanton Bomb from Hardy finishes Umaga at 22:09. This was a crowd pleasing contest, it played out pretty much exactly as one would imagine it would, ***.
Survivors: Triple H and Jeff Hardy

-William Regal and Coach offer Hornswoggle a seat on their couch, but he’d rather continue pacing. Mr. McMahon enters and Hornswoggle clings to his legs. Vince says it’s time that he and his “son” have a little talk. Vince wants to explain why he’s making Hornswoggle wrestle The Great Khali tonight. Some say it’s because he wants to see a train wreck, some say he’s ashamed, and others say he wants to see his son hurt. Vince clears it up, saying he made the match because Hornswoggle is a McMahon and McMahons always rise to the occasion. This seems to cheer Hornswoggle up. I still don’t want to see the match.

-Shane McMahon makes a surprise appearance in the arena. Shane is here to introduce his father, Vincent Kennedy McMahon. It’s also Shane’s great honor to introduce his little brother, Hornswoggle McMahon. You see, “McMahons stick together” and you need no better proof. The Great Khali and Ranjin Singh make their entrance as well. Singh reminds us that this is an official WWE match so he forces the referee to review the rules. Singh adds that even he is a giant compared to Hornswoggle. Meanwhile, the fans chant “We want Shaq” since Shaq is sitting at ringside with his family. Shaq starts playing to the crowd off camera, and that excites the fans more than anything taking place in the ring. Vince goes with it and tells the crowd that he “doesn’t give a damn what you want.” Well, that’s been pretty obvious over the years, Vinnie.

Hornswoggle McMahon (with Mr. McMahon and Shane McMahon) vs. The Great Khali (with Ranjin Singh)

I’d be shocked if this amounted to anything more than a waste of perfectly good pay-per-view air time. Hornswoggle tosses his jacket to the side and lands a harmless kick. The lil’ guy knocks Ranjin Singh off, spits green mist in his face, and delivers a Lou Thesz press. Khali chases Hornswoggle under the ring. Hornswoggle returns with a shillelagh and swings it wildly. Khali rips the weapon from his hands and slaps across the face. Khali prepares to crush the skull when Finlay runs in for the save, drawing a DQ at 3:16. Finlay’s face turn saved this from being completely pointless, but it’s still a DUD.
Winner via DQ: The Great Khali

-Finlay delivers a low blow to Khali and helps Hornswoggle back up. The two Irish men depart together, leaving Vince and Shane wondering what just happened.

WWE Championship:
Randy Orton © vs. Shawn Michaels

HBK is banned from using Sweet Chin Music in this match. Orton charges into a neck vise. HBK twists Orton into a pin attempt. Orton tries to break the hold with a slam, but Michaels holds on. Finally, Orton forces a break in the corner and unloads his frustration. Michaels teases SCM but tackles instead. HBK applies a chinlock with a body scissors. HBK transitions into a front chancery. Orton retreats to ringside to regroup. Michaels teases a dive and tricks Orton with a springboard moonsault. Orton rolls through a flying cross body and scores with an uppercut. Michaels applies a sharpshooter! Randy scratches and claws for the rope break. Orton thumbs the eye and hangs Michaels on the ropes. Orton delivers the DDT off the ropes. Orton returns the favor with a chinlock/body scissors combo of his own. Michaels fights out and builds some momentum. Orton cuts it off with a standing drop-kick. HBK blocks another drop-kick and serves some power slams. Flying elbow drop! HBK tunes up the band but Orton ducks. Michaels applies a crossface (which was somewhat scandalous as this was only a few months after the Benoit tragedy). Orton retaliates with a hard clothesline. Inverted backbreaker! Orton signals the RKO but decides he’d rather deliver a punt of death. HBK blocks and applies an ankle lock! Orton counters and nails the RKO for the victory at 17:48! HBK had to stop himself from hitting SCM and made himself an easy target. Good, sudden, and surprisingly clean finish for Orton. Michaels trying to find other ways to win made for a good story too, ***¾.
Winner and still WWE Champion: Randy Orton

-Orton has hate in his eyes as he slides back into the ring. Orton props Michaels up in the corner and screams for him to admit that Orton is the better man. Orton turns his back for a moment and gets blindsided with Sweet Chin Music! I suppose it’s okay now that the match is over. I guess Michaels just had to get his heat back.

-The program is interrupted by the cryptic “Save_Us” video. The mystery will be revealed tomorrow night on Raw.

World Heavyweight Championship Hell in a Cell match:
Batista © vs. The Undertaker

They kick things off with a basic back and forth contest. Batista blocks a choke slam but runs into a clothesline. I guess this sort of match is more epic with the cell serving as a backdrop. Undertaker grabs a chair but Batista nails a spear. Taker kicks the chair into Batista’s head and nails yet another clothesline. Batista blocks a triangle choke and the fight spills to ringside. Undertaker smashes Batista’s face into the cell wall. Undertaker wraps Batista up in the chair and drives him into the ring steps. Batista is bleeding from the mouth now but still manages to counter Old School with a spinebuster. Batista builds some momentum with his standard offense. The fight heads back to ringside, where Undertaker is sent crashing into the steel wall. Undertaker counters, whipping Batista into the ring steps. Taker hoists Batista on his shoulders and drives him head-first into the cage. Undertaker has busted Batista open and tries to put him away. Batista counters Old School again and nails a superplex. Undertaker surprises with the triangle choke. Batista gets a rope break, despite this being Satan’s playground, but eats a weird looking dive from the Dead Man. Batista blocks a shot from the steps and drives them into Undertaker’s head. Undertaker counters with the Last Ride! Choke slam by Undertaker, but Batista still kicks out. Spinebuster by Batista gets 2. Batista delivers a power bomb through a table! Undertaker counters another attempt, back dropping Batista onto the ring steps. Tombstone Piledriver! The crowd is really eating up all these near falls. Undertaker delivers a second Tombstone onto the steps! Suddenly, Edge appears and prevents the referee from counting to 3. Edge nails Undertaker in the head with the video camera. Edge cracks Undertaker’s head with a chair against the steps. Edge drags Batista onto Undertaker, giving him the victory at 21:25. They worked SO hard but this just wasn’t clicking and the crowd was pretty dead until the crazy near falls. Edge ruined the big blow-off conclusion, but kicked off a feud that would last for almost a year with Undertaker. Overall, a ***¼ outing.
Winner and still World Heavyweight Champion: Batista

-The cell is lifted but Edge isn’t finished. He cracks Undertaker with the chair yet again.

Final Thoughts: It’s middle of the road shows like this one that really frustrate me. It’s not “Must See” nor was it so bad that I could enjoy ridiculing it for three hours. Business would pick up the next night when Chris Jericho returned, so this event was quickly forgotten. Thumbs in the middle.

WWE Pay-Per-View Posters 2012

 

 

 

 

 

Rowe's Top Songs 12-22-12

This Chart	Song	Artist	Last
1	"Suitcase"	Circa Survive	1
2	"Here Comes My Man"	The Gaslight Anthem	3
3	"Let Her Go"	Passenger	9
4	"Little Black Submarines"	The Black Keys	2
5	"No Tell"	Smoke and Jackal	4
6	"Ride"	Lana Del Rey	20
7	"Here I Am, Alive"	Yellowcard	10
8	"Old Friend"	Sea Wolf	5
9	"Mountain Song"	Of Monsters and Men	11
10	"Miss Atomic Bomb"	The Killers	13
11	"Spitting Image"	Freelance Whales	6
12	"Stay Useless"	Cloud Nothings	18
13	"Knock, Knock"	Band of Horses	7
14	"Thread"	Now, Now	8
15	"Amy"	Green Day	16
16	"So Cold"	Further Seems Forever	15
17	"Breakers"	Local Natives	NEW
18	"King for a Day"	Pierce the Veil	NEW
19	"All Your Gold"	Bats for Lashes	NEW
20	"Safe and Sound"	Capital Cities	NEW

WWE Cyber Sunday 2007 Review

WWE Cyber Sunday
October 28th 2007

-Democracy has come to the WWE Universe. Tonight, fans will vote for match participants and stipulations.

-From Washington D.C. Our hosts are Michael Cole and JBL for Smackdown, Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler for Raw, and Joey Styles and Tazz for ECW. Todd Grisham is on the stage to announce the results to each poll.

Stretcher match:
Rey Mysterio vs. Finlay
Finlay looks pleased about the stretcher stipulation. Rey matches Finlay’s brawling in the early going. Finlay baseball slides Rey onto the stretcher, bringing the fight to ringside. Finlay can’t keep Rey on the stretcher so he works on wearing him down.

Rey goes on the offensive with a hurricanrana. They both eye the shillelagh on the poll (one of the losing stipulations) which sets up a sunset flip power bomb by Rey! Rey grabs the weapon but Finlay takes it and punishes him. Finlay drives the stretcher into Rey. Mysterio returns the favor and hit’s a modified 619! Rey nails a back senton onto the stretcher, but some loose cables prevent him from winning. The padding comes off, Finlay gets dropped on it, and the stretcher rolls past the white line. Rey wins at 9:42! This was a very entertaining, and at times creative, brawl. Also, I like stretcher matches, ***.
Winner: Rey Mysterio

-Matt Hardy may not be able to compete tonight due to being badly cut open on Smackdown. Earlier tonight, MVP checked in on his rival and partner, Hardy. MVP advises him not to wrestle which is such a shame because MVP really (but not really) wanted to compete tonight. Hardy tells him that Vickie Guerrero said MVP will be wrestling tonight after all, and the fans will vote on his opponent.

-JBL is wearing a referee shirt. He is campaigning to be the guest referee for the main event tonight (against Mick Foley and Steve Austin).

-There’s also a divas costume contest tonight. Maria is a stripper cat. Victoria is a sumo wrestler (slash, Yokozuna). Ron Simmons strolls in for a “…damn!”

ECW Championship:
CM Punk © vs. The Miz

This Miz won the poll to challenge CM Punk over John Morrison and Big Daddy V. This was considered to be a big upset at the time. They kick off with some chain wrestling. Punk lights Miz up with some stiff shots. Slingshot suplex by Punk. Miz blocks a superplex when he trips Punk in the turnbuckles, hurting he ankle in the process. Miz takes control but chooses not to focus on the ankle. Punk goes for the flying cross body and hits Miz in the head. It’s played up to be a great counter by Miz, but it looked like a horrible botch to me. The crowd chants “Y2J” as Miz continues his attack. Punk hip tosses Miz off the top! Springboard clothesline by Punk! Punk blocks the Reality Check and nails GTS for the win at 8:50. They had a good game plan, but Miz was not ready to be in this position yet. Punk worked hard to keep it together, *¾.
Winner and still ECW Champion: CM Punk

-The Halloween contest continues. Mickie James is a slutty Indian warrior princess. Torrie Wilson sucks up to the crowd as a Washington Redskins football player. I’m amazed that Wilson was still employed by this point.

-Video package highlighting Randy Orton’s WWE title win, Shawn Michaels’ surprise return, and the rise of Jeff Hardy and Mr. Kennedy. The fans can choose to vote for Hardy, Kennedy, or Michaels to challenge Orton tonight.

-Raw General Manager William Regal joins Todd Grisham on the stage to announce the WWE title challenger. Regal adds that the two superstars who aren’t chosen will face each other next. Shawn Michaels wins with 59% of the vote.

Mr. Kennedy vs. Jeff Hardy
They start chain wrestling. Kennedy uses the ropes to hit a suplex and take control. Hardy drop-kicks Kennedy off the apron and connects with a dive. Kennedy later throws Hardy to the floor. A boot to the head establishes Kennedy’s dominance (mainly rest holds). Hardy comes back with a top rope hurricanrana. Hardy overwhelms with some clotheslines. Twist of Fate is blocked so Hardy improvises with the Whisper of the Wind. Mule kick by Hardy but Kennedy viciously counters the drop-kick. Kennedy pins Hardy at 9:05. Slow formula match, but the work was solid, **.
Winner: Mr. Kennedy

-Michael Cole is having so much fun! Just ask him! Cole and JBL play up MVP’s United States title defense against Kane, Mark Henry, or The Great Khali.

-More divas in costumes. Michelle McCool is Eve from the garden of Eden. She takes a big bite of an apple. Melina is a Vegas showgirl.

-Mick Foley is arguing with cardboard cutouts of Batista and The Undertaker. JBL grabs a mic and insults Foley. He introduces a “fair and balanced” political advertisement. The video puts over JBL’s in-ring success and smears Steve Austin and Mick Foley. Foley responds by calling JBL a fat head (now that’s just uncalled for). Vote Foley!

-Vickie Guerrero joins Todd Grisham to announce MVP’s opponent. Kane easily beats Mark Henry and The Great Khali with 67% of the vote. For once, a Libertarian candidate won an election!

United States Championship:
MVP © vs. Kane
MVP tries to outmaneuver Kane but gets caught by Kane’s power moves. MVP knocks Kane off the top rope. MVP begins to target Kane’s recently injured ribs.

Kane angrily goes after MVP’s ribs as well. Kane pulls MVP rib-first into the ring post but breaks the hold on the four count. MVP sells the ribs at ringside and gets himself counted out at 6:38. This was more like a Smackdown match to set up a pay-per-view rematch, *.
Winner by count-out: Kane

-Save_Us is coming to the WWE!

-Layla is a bad cop. Kelly Kelly is a gangsta. That is all.

-WWE Champion Randy Orton cuts a promo backstage. He reminds us of all the horrible things he’s done to Shawn Michaels in the past. Therefore, if anything bad happens to Michaels tonight, it’s the fans fault for putting him in the match.

WWE Championship:
Randy Orton © vs. Shawn Michaels

HBK builds some steam so Orton retreats. HBK nails a dive to the floor. Orton begins targeting the head. Michaels fights back by targeting the arm. Orton stomps the face to escape an arm lock. Orton becomes aggressive but HBK goes back to work on his arm. Orton escapes but gets tossed to the floor. Orton counters with a back suplex onto the guard rail! Michaels is vulnerable as Orton works over his back. Michaels dodges a drop-kick and counters a suplex. Orton hits the inverted backbreaker. Michaels desperately blocks a superplex but misses the flying elbow drop! Michaels counters the RKO with a backslide pin attempt. HBK tries again and connects with the flying elbow! Orton blocks the Sweet Chin Music with a blatant low blow! The ref disqualifies Orton at 15:45! This was a great example of having a mat-based match without being boring. This was quite lively and the non-finish works as it further establishes Orton’s villainy, ***½.
Winner by DQ: Shawn Michaels

-Michaels is trying to recover as Orton considers what to do next. Orton sets up the death punt but eats Sweet Chin Music! Gee, I bet these two will wrestle again. Perhaps next month? On another $40 pay-per-view? Bingo!

Street Fight:
Triple H vs. Umaga

The street fight stipulation won with 57% of the vote, over a cage or first blood match. Triple H meets Umaga on the ramp for a brawl. Triple H spears Umaga through the (well padded) set. They battle through the crowd and finally into the ring. HHH delivers a trash can shot but soon eats a Samoan drop. Umaga takes control, working over the kidney area. Umaga can’t get the pin, so he chases the referee away and grabs a chair. Triple H counters the chair with a low blow! DDT onto the chair by The Game. Triple H is unable to hit the Pedigree and eats the spinning uranage. Umaga charges across the announce tables and splashes Triple H through a table! Umaga climbs to the top and misses a diving head butt! Triple H fetches his trusty old sledgehammer (the sultan of swat, according to J.R.). Umaga blocks the hammer but misses the Samoan spike. Triple H connects with the hammer and the Pedigree finishes it at 17:19. This was a decent brawl, rounded out by some dead stretches and one awesome table spot. A **½ is in order.
Winner: Triple H

-I know you’re all dying to know who won the diva costume contest. J.R. hilariously goes off script, saying he wants to “cancel the whole thing.“ Mickie James, the slutty Indian, wins with 27% of the vote.

-Right as the special guest referee is to be announced, JBL storms into the ring with a microphone and voices his confidence that he won the vote. Mick Foley comes out to argue. However, Steve Austin wins with 79% of the vote. JBL attacks Foley and they brawl. Austin comes out and nails Foley with a stunner. JBL attacks but Austin fights back and delivers a second stunner. That was kind of fun, I’d rather see this than Austin beating up members of the active roster as per usual.

World Heavyweight Championship:
Batista © vs. The Undertaker
Steve Austin is the guest referee. Undertaker sidesteps a spear and nails a big boot. Undertaker begins targeting the arm. Batista fights back with head shots. Batista barely saves himself from a triangle choke. Taker misses a running knee to the back, giving Batista an opportunity for control. The action goes back and forth, with both men trading offense. Taker continually targets the Batista’s left arm. Batista counters “old school” with a spinebuster! Undertaker responds with the triangle choke! Chokeslam by Undertaker! Batista blocks the Tombstone and hits the spear. Undertaker counters the Batista bomb. Batista hits the sorriest looking drop toe hold I’ve ever seen and makes the common mistake of climbing the turnbuckle to give Undertaker a Last Ride opportunity. Spinebuster by Batista! Undertaker kicks out of the Batista Bomb! A second Batista Bomb finishes it at 17:21. This was a pretty good main event, as it had a big match feel and bell to bell action, ***.
Winner and still World Heavyweight Champion: Batista

-Austin hands Batista the World title and leaves without dishing any more stunners. Undertaker looks grumpy about losing cleanly as a weary Batista celebrates on the stage.

Final Thoughts: Cyber Sunday 2007 is a completely middle of the road pay-per-view. The voting stipulations did not detract from the event as it had at times in the past when this show was known as Taboo Tuesday. If you are a big fan of the Michaels/Orton and Undertaker/Batista feuds, you will enjoy this. However, both feuds have better matches on other shows.

Thumbs in the middle. Again.

Rowe's Top Songs 12-15-12

This Chart	Song	Artist	Last
1	"Suitcase"	Circa Survive	1
2	"Little Black Submarines"	The Black Keys	3
3	"Here Comes My Man"	The Gaslight Anthem	5
4	"No Tell"	Smoke and Jackal	7
5	"Old Friend"	Sea Wolf	2
6	"Spitting Image"	Freelance Whales	4
7	"Knock, Knock"	Band of Horses	6
8	"Thread"	Now, Now	8
9	"Let Her Go"	Passenger	17
10	"Here I Am Alive"	Yellowcard	11
11	"Mountain Song"	Of Monsters and Men	15
12	"Handwritten"	The Gaslight Anthem	9
13	"Miss Atomic Bomb"	The Killers	NEW
14	"Fallen"	A Skylit Drive	13
15	"So Cold"	Further Seems Forever	10
16	"Amy"	Green Day	NEW
17	"Live and Die"	The Avett Brothers	14
18	"Stay Useless"	Cloud Nothings	NEW
19	"Do It Anyway"	Ben Folds Five	16
20	"Ride"	Lana Del Rey	NEW

WWE No Mercy 2007 Review

WWE No Mercy
October 7, 2007

-Live, from Chicago, Illinois. Our hosts for the evening are Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler for Raw, Michael Cole and John Bradshaw Layfield for Smackdown, and Joey Styles and Tazz for ECW. -The opening package uses a Biblical theme to highlight John Cena’s fall from grace, with Randy Orton being given storyline credit for putting him on the shelf. Keep in mind that heading into this pay-per-view, we did not know for sure how exactly the vacant WWE title situation was going to be handled. 

-The show kicks off with Vince McMahon and William Regal coming to the ring to address the WWE title. Vince announces that Cena will be out for six months to a year (to which a large portion of the crowd pops for). Vince plays to the crowd for a bit before finally getting to the point, which is awarding the WWE title to Randy Orton. Orton poses with fireworks going off on the stage and the crowd seems pleased about this development. Regal congratulates Orton and tells him he can choose his challenger for tonight. The crowd chants “Y2J” as Orton begins his acceptance speech. Triple H interrupts and questions Orton’s guts. Vince gives Triple H a title shot right now! Side note, this segment went almost 20 minutes, which is far too long for a pay-per-view.

WWE Championship:
Randy Orton © vs. Triple H
Orton jumps HHH from behind and it’s on! HHH fights Orton off and takes control. Orton tries to flee unsuccessfully. Orton rebounds and concentrates on wearing down The Game. Unable to get a pinfall, Orton utilizes the chinlock. HHH fights out and nails a desperate clothesline. Triple H is able to maintain control, planting Orton on the ropes. Superplex connects! Spinebuster by HHH, but still no pin. Rope assisted DDT by Orton gets 2! The RKO and Pedigree both get countered! Knee drop by Orton misses, allowing Triple H to lock in a figure four! HHH is tossed to ringside but hangs Orton up on the ropes. Orton knocks HHH off ropes but misses a charge, leaving himself vulnerable to a roll-up! Triple H wins his 11th world title at 11:01! This was a lively opener, **¾.
Winner and new WWE Champion: Triple H

-Orton looks dumbfounded, which is just awesome. You can really sense how devastated he is that his championship moment has already passed. Triple H spends quite a bit of time celebrating in the ring, though I must say that the crowd response is phenomenal.  -Backstage, Randy Orton and Vince McMahon bump into each other. They are both at a loss for words.

Jeff Hardy, Paul London, and Brian Kendrick vs. Mr. Kennedy, Lance Cade, and Trevor Murdoch
Whoa, I forgot this match exists. It’s not listed on the DVD packaging. Kendrick starts against Cade. London tags and delivers a sunset flip. Murdoch tags and goes toe to toe with London. Hardy tags but gets kicked in the face by Murdoch. Tag by Kennedy, who takes control of Hardy. Kendrick and Murdoch are in, but Cade positions the ropes so Kendrick crashes to the floor. Kendrick becomes the isolated face in peril. Hardy gets the hot tag and cleans house. Swanton Bomb on Murdoch, but Cade breaks the pin. London dispatches Cade, but Kennedy tags in. London hits a springboard drop-kick on Kennedy. Hardy misses a dive off the barricade, leaving London alone. Kennedy nails the Lambeau Leap for the win at 8:03.

Good work by all the participants, could have used a few more minutes to pick it up another notch, **½.
Winners: Mr. Kennedy, Lance Cade, and Trevor Murdoch

 -Backstage, Batista congratulates Triple H. Batista repeats what Triple H told him at Unforgiven, that it’s one thing to win the title and another to defend it. Triple H (in a slightly mocking tone) wishes Batista luck in the Punjabi Prison match. Vince storms in and decides that since they had advertised Triple H vs. Umaga, they’re still going to have the match… with the title on the line!

ECW Championship:
CM Punk © vs. Big Daddy V (with Matt Striker)
Big pop for hometown hero, CM Punk. Of course, you know that means Punk is about to get buried. BDV tosses Punk from the ring immediately. BDV takes Punk down and spins around on his back. Punk hits some stiff kicks. BDV misses a corner splash and eats a missile drop-kick! Matt Striker storms the ring and attacks Punk for the DQ at 1:35. BDV continues to beat Punk down afterwards. This was a complete waste of pay-per-view time. Also, leaves me wondering why did the ECW brand fail again? DUD!
Winner by DQ: CM Punk

-CM Punk bleeds from the mouth as officials help him to the back. The crowd cheers his ability to walk out, which is kinda nice.  -Tazz hosts a pizza eating contest between Matt Hardy and MVP! You know, they might have been able to get away with this segment had there not been a 20 minute talking segment to open this show. Far too much pay-per-view time is given to this, which results in Matt Hardy throwing up, which strangely enough, is what I would have done had I paid $40 to see this live.

WWE Championship:
Triple H © vs. Umaga
HHH blocks a belt shot from Umaga and a brawl erupts. Umaga no-sells a DDT but gets dumped to ringside. Umaga no-sells the ring steps and takes control with a super kick. They counter each other’s finishers but HHH nails the Spinebuster. Pedigree is countered with a Samoan Drop. Cue the Bear Hug!

Triple H rakes the eyes to escape but eats Umaga’s Uranage. Triple H dodges a charge and nails the Pedigree to retain at 6:33. This was pretty dull and heatless, but Umaga was allowed to look good in surprisingly one-sided match, *¾.
Winner and still WWE Champion: Triple H

-Save_Us.222 teaser video! Chris Jericho is on his way back to the WWE!

-The Great Khali is meditating to the “most evil of Hindu gods” backstage. Ranjin Singh tells us to stay quiet but then cuts a loud promo.

Finlay vs. Rey Mysterio
JBL is suggesting that Rey Mysterio is in the U.S. illegally, and I guess Finlay agrees. Rey uses his quickness to overwhelm Finlay in the early going. Rey attempts a sunset flip to the floor, but Finlay wraps him in the apron cover. Finlay establishes control by sliding Rey shoulder-first into the ring post. Finlay goes to work on the newly injured shoulder. Rey rebounds with a springboard cross body. Seated senton by Rey connects! Finlay blocks the 619 with a nasty clothesline. Shoulder-breaker by Finlay! The ref yells at Finlay over an exposed turnbuckle, Rey blocks a shillelagh shot. Rey nails a series of shots to the back of Finlay’s head! Finlay is knocked out! Well, until he opens his eyes to check if anyone is around. I’d say Rey wins at about 9:30. This was a very well worked match, it just needed a little more time, **¾.
Winner by K-O: Rey Mysterio

-Mysterio looks concerned as Finlay is placed on a stretcher. Finlay then leaps off the stretcher and jumps Rey from behind! Finlay lays quite a beating on Mysterio before being separated by officials. Finlay was an awesome heel during this time.

-Triple H is receiving some medical attention when Vince pays him another visit. Vince doesn’t think enough history has been made tonight, so he books Triple H vs. Randy Orton in the previously advertised Last Man Standing match.

Women’s Championship:
Candice Michelle © vs. Beth Phoenix
Beth knocks Candice down immediately and stays on the offense. Candice attempts a victory roll, which just looked awful. Beth angrily powers away on Candice to “we want puppies” chants. Candice responds with some kicks and locks on some arm scissors. Beth catches Candice in a cross body and slams her! Beth works the head. Candice breaks a lock by charging into the corner. Crossbody by Candice gets 2. Beth sloppily drives Candice into the ropes but gets rolled up. Backbreaker by Beth and a sloppy cradle suplex ends this at 4:28. Beth bursts into tears as she’s given the Women’s title. The match was sloppy and rushed though, which is disappointing considering how enjoyable their Unforgiven match was. ½*.
Winner and new Women’s Champion: Beth Phoenix

-Beth puts herself over as the perfect combination of beauty and strength. Her title win ushers in the era of the Glamazon!

World Heavyweight Championship Punjabi Prison match:
Batista © vs. The Great Khali (with Ranjin Singh)
The Punjabi Prison structure is one of the goofiest looking constructions WWE has ever come up with, complete with “reinforced steel bamboo.” There are two yellow cages to escape from.

Batista quickly ties Khali in the ropes, making me hope this doesn’t take long. Khali breaks out and calls for the cage door to open (giving him one minute to get through it, according to the goofy rules of the match). Batista blocks Khali, so the door is locked shut. Batista calls for the second door, but Khali applies a sleeper. Khali chokes with a rope, which is grounds for firing in 2010. Khali calls for the third door but Batista nails a spinebuster. Batista whips Khali with a leather strap and decides to climb the cage. Khali climbs up and counters a power bomb. Cue the vice grip! Khali calls for the final door but Batista delivers a low blow. Khali shuts the door on Batista and now they are both stuck in the inner cage. Khali climbs but Batista pulls him onto the ropes. Batista climbs but gets dropped onto the mat. Khali makes it over the inner cage and now only has to get over the second cage to claim the championship. Batista sprints up the first cage and JUMPS to the second one! Khali is over the second cage, but Batista drops down and wins at 14:46! This was surprisingly enjoyable, as the (lack of) quality of the wrestling didn’t really matter, as the match was smartly booked. I daresay this was Khali’s best match, **¾.
Winner and still World Heavyweight Champion: Batista

-Todd Grisham interviews Triple H backstage. Triple H says this is a dangerous business but that’s not a surprise. He says he’s just getting started and advises Randy Orton to get ready to get hurt!

WWE Championship Last Man Standing match:
Triple H © vs. Randy Orton

Slugfest kicks off the match, but Orton begins targeting Triple H’s injured ribs (to which he owes Umaga a thank you card). Orton backdrops Triple H onto the barricade! Orton drives Triple H into the ring steps. HHH counters with a face buster. Orton nails his patented backbreaker to reclaim control. Orton incorporates a chord into a rear naked choke. Back to the floor, Orton clears the announce tables and delivers a monitor blow. Triple H counters the RKO on the tables, driving Orton back-first through the ECW table! Triple H follows up with a spinebuster on the floor! Orton gets knocked down again with the ring steps! Orton keeps getting back up at the 9 count. Jim Ross is doing just as much on commentary to put Orton over as Triple H is. Orton blocks a chair shot and DDTs HHH onto it. RKO through the chair! Triple H is busted open but gets up. Triple H blocks the death punt and hulks up. Orton counters a Pedigree on the floor with a catapult into the ring post. Orton grabs the steps but Triple H low blows. Brutal chair shot by Triple H! Orton counters a Pedigree on the announce table with the RKO! Triple H fails to get up and Orton wins at 20:23! Fantastic main event that made Randy Orton look like a million dollars. This is probably the best match Orton and Triple H ever had together, ****¼.
Winner and new WWE Champion: Randy Orton

 Final Thoughts: No Mercy 2007 was a real rollercoaster of an event. The multiple title matches that seemed to be made on the fly gave the show an element of surprise and unpredictability. However, there were some real wastes of time, particularly the opening segment and the pizza eating contest. However, like Unforgiven, it’s a breezy show to get through, as most of the matches are on the relative short side. Unlike Unforgiven, this show has a great main event and a compelling storyline, so I’d actually recommend this one. Just skip the boring chapters and you’ll be fine. Recommended.