1. Batista/Rey Mysterio v. Chris Jericho/Big Show Hell in a Cell 10/4
Rey Mysterio continues his amazing 2009 run here, as his performance was just off the hook. Rey and Jericho have had some great matches in 2009, but I thought Jericho looked off here. The real highlight stuff was Rey v. Big Show as they just looked amazing against each other. It is always super impressive to watch Big Show feats of strength and the one hand head lift was as awesome as it gets. Rey's constant water bugging around the ring was great, as was his springboard DDT. Batista looked fine as well, energetic hot tag, and the double spear was a pretty big holy shit spot. Finish totally ruled, I love the right hand out of nowhere as a finish, and goddamn did he snatch Rey out of the air.
2. Christian/Tommy Dreamer/Yoshi Tatsu/Goldust v. William Regal/Vladimir Koslov/Ezekial Jackson/Zach Ryder ECW 9/29
I love 8 man tags like this, really is the perfect way to set up programs and keep limited guys looking good. This is the kind of thing they should be running every week. I know we have been talking about Goldust a ton in these, and he wasn't in this much, but man was he awesome on the ring apron, during the Christian face in peril section he was on the floor pounding the mat, such a cool little moment. This match had lots of little things like that, working over Christians bad ribs from the week before, Tatsu all in green rocking a rolling elbow, Regal being fucking Regal. Finish had the cool out of control feel to it, with the dives, and the surprise ending. Totally enjoyable match, I am digging ECW so much lately.
3. Randy Orton v. John Cena Hell in a Cell 10/4
There was lots about this match I really liked, and some stuff I didn't like. Orton is really great at making simple stuff look really violent. He has some really nasty looking stomps in this match, where he pauses, measures and drives his foot into Cena's neck or stomach. The point where he drove the chair into Cena's neck was super nasty. Both guys also have tremendous timing, I liked the placement of all the moves in the match, the comebacks and momentum shifts all felt like they were in the right places. Still this was a match with problems, I mind Orton's faces less then some people, but there were points where his mugging looked like Chris Kattan doing a skit about an overacting Soap Opera actor, it kind of took me out of what was otherwise a gritty violent match. I also didn't love the finish, good finish on paper, but the execution wasn't great, the choke looked like a chinlock, arm wasn't against the throat, it didn't look like he was squeezing him too bad. Also the punt looked pretty shitty, Orton has really kicked the fuck out of peoples heads in the past, this almost looked like a whiff. Still after kind of hating the match two PPV's ago, this is two in a row I have enjoyed, and I am tentatively optimistic about their Iron man match.
4. Undertaker v. C.M. Punk Hell in a Cell 10/4
Any PPV with three cage matches, one of them is going to get short shrift, and it is too bad Undertaker is so busted up, as this feud hasn't lived up to it's potential. Still pretty good for a 10 minute match. Punk is really good at working intelligent heel, I liked how he positioned Taker into getting the steps smashed into his knees, also I like how he is constantly reversing any attempt at the old school. Taker did a nice job of bodypart selling, which was probably helped along by his Piperish hip. Punk also looked pretty good bumping around, still you never got the sense Undertaker was in any real danger, and there was no real use of the cage.
5. Chris Jericho/Big Show v. Mark Henry/MVP RAW 9/28
This is the best match these two teams have had against each other, and a ridiculously long match for RAW. Like always the highlights were the Henry v. Show interactions. The Show spear looked like two school buses in a head on collision. Outside of that you had a basic tag match given some time. MVP had been looking kind of shitty lately, but he had some moments of competence here, Jericho looked fine too. Still I kind of want to see a Show v. Henry feud to piss off Bryan Alavarez.
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