Best: Tag Teams Matter Again

At least it seems like that’s where this new tag team resurgence is heading. I didn’t give much credence to the rumor that Triple H was legitimately (and when I say legitimately I mean in real life, backstage) trying to make tag teams matter again, but when I saw Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne walk out with matching green attire I felt hopeful. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a far cry away from The Hart Foundation vs. The British Bulldogs. Hell, it’s a far cry away from the Quebecers vs. Men On A Mission, but it’s a start. For me in order to be a real tag team you have to have matching tights and enter the ring together. Air Fart is halfway there, so they at least get points for trying.

Best: Evan Bourne Is A Dirty Little Cheater

The line between “good guys” and “bad guys” is usually pretty clear; good guys play fair, bad guys cheat. But, every once in a while someone will throw you a curve ball and do something that doesn’t line up with these carefully established perimeters. When Evan Bourne saw that the ref’s back was turned and slapped his hands together to give the impression that the tag was made, I immediately went from “this match is okay” to “this match is awesome”. While that might be an exaggerated reaction, it was definitely something that made me take notice. It was great because it added depth to the story. It showed Evan Bourne wasn’t afraid to get a little dirty to keep his championship, and it added legitimate evidence to all of Miz and R-Truth’s ramblings that there was a conspiracy against them. Miz and Truth were actually trying to play by the rules, and that dirty little star shooter and his jumping non-Jamaican buddy were blatantly breaking them and getting away with it. If Bourne had thrown the tag team belt into Miz’s hands and then flopped on the mat while holding his head I might have cried.

Worst: DQ Finishes Are The Vanilla Sky Of Wrestling

While the match itself wasn’t a classic by any stretch of the imagination, it was a fun little opener for a throwaway PPV. I know that the finish of having the Miz and R-Truth attack the referee that so obviously screwed them over added to the overall story, but I couldn’t help but feel a little cheated. Disqualifications are cheap and easy way to keep anyone from getting buried. You can have a match that covers all the so-called stipulations that make something a classic, but if you have a DQ finish the match always ends up feeling like a corporate-controlled dream sequence that makes you kill your girlfriend and forces you to be best friends with Jason Lee. I’m sure there are better analogies out there, but I really can’t think of many things worse than having to be friends with My Name Is Earl.

Bonus Worst: A Non-Big Four PPV Is Forty-Five Dollars

Seriously. I know WWE’s pay-per-views have been expensive for a long time, but I usually don’t buy them because I’m what my brother calls “embarrassingly cheap”. For a show that isn’t one of the “big four” (Royal Rumble, Summerslam, Survivor Series, and WrestleMania) this price almost seems unreasonable. I understand that times are tough and there is inflation to factor in and other big number stuff that I really don’t understand but say I do to sound smart, but forty-five bucks? Yeesh. I was originally planning on streaming this one just like I do the others, but since this was my With Leather debut I got a little overly excited and bought the show without really thinking about it. I get disgusted with myself when I spend nearly fifty bucks on anything. My wife is disgusted because I spent nearly fifty bucks on a wrestling show while I still make her buy the store brand feminine products, and apparently that’s horrible.

Best: Hey, Matt Striker Still Has A Job 

Whenever I see Matt Striker on TV, I always get the feeling that he’s just waiting for someone to hand him a pink slip and pull the lever for the trap door he is conveniently standing on.

Hilarious Best: You Poor Spanish Bastards

They showed the Spanish announce team? Ha ha ha, that table doesn’t stand a chance.