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.