411’s Instant Access 05.18.08: WWE Judgment Day 2008

Posted by Scott Slimmer on 05.18.2008

Slimmer, Small, Lansdell, and J.T. break down the card as Shawn Michaels once again steals the show...

Hey kids, I'm Scott, and this is 411's Instant Access: WWE Judgment Day 2008. Instant Access is a new experiment here at 411 Wrestling that will feature immediate reaction to wrestling pay-per-views. The focus here is going to be on first thoughts and snap judgments instead of play-by-play with the goal of providing you with instant access to one two three FOUR writers' thoughts on the show. That's right, Instant Access will now feature multiple analysts for all WWE pay-per-views. Here's the team for Judgment Day:

• Scott Slimmer, author of 411's WWE Heat Report.
• Jeff Small, author of the Thursday Small-For-All News Report.
• Chris Lansdell, author of the all-new Lansdell's Sunday Brunch News Report.
• J.T., all around good guy and Dixie Carter enthusiast.

And a very special thanks to Sat, one half of the High Road / Low Road team, for coming through on hella short notice with some swank graphics for the matches that WWE.com was no selling.

Okay kids, enough with the explanations. Let's get to the wrestling.

John Cena vs. John "Bradshaw" Layfield
Match Result: John Cena defeats John "Bradshaw" Layfield with the FU.
Match Length: 15:00
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: Holy shit, when was the last time you saw John Cena curtain jurkin'? But you know, I sort of like this strategy. WWE likes to open pay-per-view with a second-tier title match in order to get the crowd excited, but this match accomplished the exact same thing just based on the men in the ring without having to devalue a title by having it open the show. The match itself was a bit more tame than I had hoped, but that's mostly because I have very fond memories of their great I Quit match from Judgment Day 2005. In the end it was absolutely the right call to have Cena pick up the win. Cena will undoubtedly return to the WWE Title scene at some point, and he needs to be booked strong in the meantime. On the other hand, JBL is, um, in the autumn of his career, so to speak, and at this point he is most useful when putting over guys who need to built credibility or, as was the case here, stay strong while biding their time.
Small: Seeing as I only watched the last four minutes of this match, it's hard for me to rate this match. Personally, I hate the "FU out of nowhere" spot unless it's a near fall as it kills any chance of a finishing sequence. The fans didn't really seem to be much into Cena at the end of the match but at least they weren't booing him. With JBL's look of death after this match, I expect another "I Quit' match between them at One Night Stand.
Lansdell: So basically we got to see an entire match of Cena selling and JBL playing ground and pound, with the crowd completely no-selling the whole thing? And to top it all off, the wrong person wins. Now granted, the way he won, getting beaten up all match and then hitting a flash FU out of nowhere, COULD lead to another match at One Night Stand, but I still would have preferred JBL going over, if for no other reason than he's won almost nothing since his return. Oh, and the crowd sounded pretty damn dead to me. The match was OK, I guess, nothing bad, nothing that made me want to gouge my eyes out...but nothing good either.
J.T.: They've had much better matches with each other in the past. It doesn't help that booking felt the slow, formulaic pace of this match was the best idea for an opener.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: **½
Small: N/A (didn't see the whole match)
Lansdell: **
J.T.: **
Average Match Rating: **¼

WWE Tag Team Championship Match
Kane & CM Punk vs. John Morrison & The Miz (Champions)
Match Result: John Morrison defeats CM Punk with the Moonlight Drive.
Match Length: 7:12
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: So I'm torn here. I was really digging the first seven minutes of this match… and it was only seven minutes and twelve seconds long. This was absolutely the CM Punk show, and Punk looked crisper and more motivated than I've seen him in quite some time. This was the CM Punk that I pay to see, and I had a ton of fun watching him tonight. You know, until he ate the pin… CLEAN. But here's where I'm torn. Yes, part of me hates that CM Punk, seemingly one of the best bets to be a major star in WWE for years, keeps losing… over, and over, and over again. And yet, on the other hand, John Morrison (and, to a lesser degree, The Miz), may also have a bright future ahead of him, so who's to say he shouldn't have gotten the win? Doesn't having the WWE Tag Team Champions defeat the ECW Champion and the Money in the Bank winner help to give the WWE Tag Team Titles some much needed credibility? Probably, so maybe I shouldn't bitch. But at any rate, the first seven minutes of the match were good regardless. It's just a shame that, no matter your views on the finish, these guys didn't get ten or fifteen minutes before the finish.
Small: Ah ha ha ha, Punk jobbed cleanly again. Thankfully, the match did not see a title change. A Kane and Punk title reign would only end with a feud which is counterproductive when Punk has a guaranteed title shot. Plus, it's the ECW title for Christ-sakes! While I would like to see Punk win a match once and awhile (I know he did beat Palumbo on Smackdown, but so did Jaime Noble), it would have been worse if the champ got pinned. Also, for those of you who bitch that the WWE does not do a great job with their Tag Team Division, the champs came out of this feud looking like a million bucks. Both the Miz and Morrison won in singles matches to build to this match, mock Kane and Punk before the match, and then proceed to outsmart the ECW Champion and Mr. Money in the Bank! Hopefully, when Miz and Morrison finally lose the titles, it will look all the more important (thanks to matches like this). As for the match, it was short, energetic, and solid.
Lansdell: Pretty good little match, I must say. Punk was allowed to use a bit more of his move set than normal, and Miz and Morrison continue to improve their chemistry. Even having Kane in the match and Adamle on the mic didn't ruin it. Once the decision to have Miz and Morrison retain was made, it pretty much had to be Punk that took the pin, since you never want to job out your champion. Still, for a guy who we're supposed to believe can win his MitB-won title match, Punk sure does job a lot. Booking-wise, I would have preferred Miz and Morrison to drop so that we could have a face team hold the belts and transition them to the Rated Rmy, but if the champs go on to drop to, say, Jesse and Festus, that would work too.
J.T.: Entirely too short. CM Punk continues to get jobbed out at any and all possible turn. His Money In The Bank contract becomes less threatening by the day.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: **¼
Small: **½
Lansdell: **½
J.T.: *½
Average Match Rating: **¼

Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho
Match Result: Shawn Michaels defeats Chris Jericho with a roll-up counter to the Walls of Jericho.
Match Length: 15:54
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: This was a good match, certainly not a classic, but definitely good. I was sure that Jericho was going to get the three count after that Code Breaker, but the match continued and got even better from there. So yeah, the in-ring action was just about what we expected from these two. But the booking is what interests me more. Some have said that Jericho needed the win more than Michaels, and in many ways it's hard for me to argue with that. But this entire Michaels / Jericho / Batista feud has been about Michaels always finding a way to win, so in some sense it only makes sense for Michaels to pick up the win in the big matches. But I do still have two questions. First, why couldn't we have had a post-match nut shot? We had the hand shake, we all remember WrestleMania XIX, and I think a nut shot would have been perfectly logical from either Michaels or Jericho. I do love a good nut shot. Second, where the hell was Batista? I know he wasn't advertised for this show, but come on, we all knew he would show up during this match, right? Now I am confused…
Small: Excellent match. My only qualm about the match has nothing to do with the wrestling but rather the storyline. Where was Batista? While it was very surprising to see him not interfere with the finish of the match, I'm surprised he did not make any appearance during the post-match handshake. Then again, the show's not over. (Note: Batista did make an appearance and it was well worth the money. Short, sweet, and effective.)
Lansdell: Wow. These guys really went to another level from what we've been seeing on WWE TV recently. We shouldn't be surprised, I guess, since we know both men are imminently capable. There was good psychology, there were moves we don't see every day, there were mind games within mind games. I was a bit worried that we might have a Batista-related non-finish, but fortunately they resisted that urge. This mini-feud should probably end now, as I get the feeling it was only really to give Jericho something to do until Hardy came back. Michaels has unfinished business with Batista, of course, and with any luck he'll head to Friday nights to take care of it.
J.T.: These two aren't quite as young as they were when they faced each other at WrestleMania 19, but I'll be damned if they didn't do a fine job of picking up where they left off. I gave this a 3 ½ because I know they can do better, and can also go longer (although that isn't really their fault). I've seen it, and I suspect that this feud is not over. ONS? Rubber match at SummerSlam anyone? I don't think the handshake ended it.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: ***¾
Small: ****
Lansdell: ****
J.T.: ***½
Average Match Rating: ***¾

Triple Threat Match for the WWE Women's Championship
Mickie James (Champion) vs. Beth Phoenix vs. Melina Perez
Match Result: Mickie James defeats Melina Perez with the Mickie-DT.
Match Length: 4:45
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: Well, that was certainly… short. I mean, damn, it was actually pretty sweet until then, but the finish absolutely came out of nowhere. Yes, Beth Phoenix's double back breaker spot was swank, but the fact that Mickie regained her bearings and pinned Melina right after that was incredibly anticlimactic. However, on the up side, I did enjoy the dynamic between Beth and Melina, and I appreciate the effort that all three Divas put into trying to execute moves and spots that we don't often see from them. I also glad that Mickie retained the title. She is by far the most credible baby face Diva, and there are a number of potential heel Divas that can still challenge her for the title. I still believe that we've only seen a hint of Jillian Hall's potential, and I'd love to see Jillian work a program with Mickie. Will it happen right away? Not so much. But as long as Mickie is wearing the gold, then at least I can hold out hope…
Small: Now, I wish this match got more time. Sure not all WWE women's matches need a lot of time but this one needed another five minutes. Seriously, it was quite good while it lasted. Everything was executed well even the awesome Dual Backbreaker Spot. It just sucks that the match had to end less than a minute after that spot.
Lansdell: I'm afraid I have to use Wow again. That was the best women's match that WWE has put on in a very long time. Lots of good spots, and the two-woman Argentine backbreaker was 31 flavours of awesome. That's right, we're talking Baskin-Robbins. As for the result...I think this is the second one I got right from my news report this morning, but the more I think about it, the more I wonder if the decision was the right one. Who does Mickie feud with now? They'll either have to bring someone over, or continue the Beth thing. Oh, and if they're turning Melina face, what happens to Jillian? Regardless, this match made me gasp at least 3 times, something I haven't done for a WWE women's match since I don't know when.
J.T.: This could have gone much worse actually. The ladies seemed a bit crisper than usual, they actually got some decent time, and they did try to get some new stuff in. A double backbreaker should probably get this match a *** alone.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: *½
Small: **
Lansdell: ***
J.T.: **¾
Average Match Rating: **¼

World Heavyweight Championship Match
The Undertaker vs. Edge
Match Result: The Undertaker defeats Edge by count-out but does NOT win the World Heavyweight Championship.
Match Length: 16:20
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: I like The Undertaker, I really do. And I like Edge, I really do. But I REALLY don't like them together. They don't have what I consider to be chemistry with each other, and for that reason it's hard for me to get excited by their matches. The Undertaker had great chemistry with Batista, and Edge had great chemistry with John Cena, so I know what each of these guys are capable of when they're in the ring with the right opponent. And that's not what I see when The Undertaker steps in the ring with Edge. Don't get me wrong; this was a fine match, and there was certainly nothing blatantly wrong with it. But it just didn't entertain me all that much. And as Vince likes to remind us, the E in WWE still stands for "entertainment."
Small: Thank God for Vickie Guerrero! Seriously, how lame would a Count Out ending be in a World Championship match? Call me crazy but I actually like that booking. The WWE totally booked themselves into a corner with One Night Stand happening in two weeks and this booking at least leads to a proper Edge vs. Undertaker blow-off match. The ending also seemed to get a rise out of the lifeless crowd, who slept through the first five matches. Seriously, Vickie's heat was off the charts. As for the match itself, it was damn good though below the quality of their Wrestlemania match. While these matches might not draw casual fans, they are definitely pleasant to watch for fans of wrestling.
Lansdell: Well, numerous people called that ending, and I wish I'd gone along with it. The problem is, now what? ANOTHER tournament? The match itself was another good one, 3 in a row for this PPV and for these 2 guys. They seem to work well together, but I don't think I want to see them fight AGAIN at ONS. At least not without someone else, or someTHING else, thrown in. Maybe an I Quit match? It's a tough one to rate, the non-finish pretty much guarantees that I can't put it above HBK-Y2J, but the quality was certainly there.
J.T.: It wasn't really their fault; they put on a great match at WrestleMania and a serviceable one at Backlash, and here they were again being asked to put on a regular match, no gimmicks or stipulations. I won't hold booking (or rather, Vickie…which I hate) against them and they did try to – as Cole said – put a twist on the things we've seen before to try and freshen it up.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: ***
Small: ***½
Lansdell: ***¼
J.T.: *** (BARELY)
Average Match Rating: ***¼

Graphic by Sat (because WWE.com thinks drugs are bad)

Jeff Hardy vs. MVP
Match Result: Jeff Hardy defeats MVP with the Whisper in the Wind.
Match Length: 9:41
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: I was skeptical about this impromptu match when I read the spoilers, but I really liked how it evolved out of the Matt Hardy / MVP feud that's to Matt's introduction of Jeff. And I like the fact that Jeff and MVP ended up with a match on the show. I believe that both of them – yes, BOTH of them – are future World Champions, and it's time to keep moving them in that direction. You can say what you want about Jeff Hardy. Most of it is probably true. But I don't begrudge him a second third fourth chance, and I hope he makes the most of it this time.
Small: I don't think anyone will complain with the inclusion of this match (especially, over Mark Henry vs. Big Show). I wish MVP picked up the win especially since he hasn't won a PPV match since the Royal Rumble. If the WWE will ever become serious about MVP, he needs to start picking up wins against quality opponents. A win over Hardy would have done wonders for him here. Regardless, both MVP and Hardy looked strong throughout the entertaining ten minute match. I doubt the feud will continue but I would not mind if it did.
Lansdell: Hmm, is this a one-off, or is this the start of Jeff's next feud? I couldn't get into this match at all. It felt, to me at least, disjointed, like it was thrown together at the last minute. Which it probably was. There was nothing wrong with it, technically, but there was just no flow to it. At least Jeff sold the arm well. MVP is going to need to start winning though, if he they are going to give him his main event push.
J.T.: Both men are capable of better. I understand they don't have a lot of time working together under their belts, but fuckin a they're both capable of better improvisation. He's fought Matt Hardy a thousand times. Facing Jeff Hardy is like facing Matt Hardy with some extra aerial arsenal mixed in.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: **¾
Small: ***
Lansdell: **
J.T.: **¾
Average Match Rating: **¾

Steel Cage Match for the WWE Championship
Triple H (Champion) vs. Randy Orton
Match Result: Triple H defeats Randy Orton with the Pedigree.
Match Length: 21:11
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: You can probably look at this match in two different ways, and I'm sure there will be those who see it each way. Some will undoubtedly say that this match was slow, plodding, and possibly boring, but there will also be those who say that it was well-paced, methodical, and, for lack of a better term, "old school." And I guess I agree, at least to some extent, with both schools of thought. I think WWE is making a concerted effort to retrain its fans about what makes a match exciting and memorable. They finally realized that high spots and crazy stunts can only evolve so far before the dangers out way the benefits, and now they're trying to return us to a simpler time where intensity and storytelling trumped flips and twists. That's probably a good move in the long run, but in the short term there are going to be matches like this that seem a bit underwhelming only because of how we've been conditioned. Anyway, I was pulling for Orton, because I think it's time for the new generation (Orton, Cena, Edge, etc.) to finally take the belts from the old guard once and for all. But there's also something to be said for title reigns lasting more than three weeks, so I won't bitch too much about Triple H retaining the belt. I'd assume that we'll get another rematch at One Night Stand, and after that the champion, whoever he may be, can move on to a new challenger.
Small: While this match was not as epic as I think both wrestlers were going for, it still was a very good match. Triple H and Orton have worked so many times together, like Edge and Taker, that you cannot expect anything less than a solid match from them. The cage environment added some drama to the end of the match during Triple H and Orton's escape attempts. With that said, an escape finish probably would not have been the best ending to a "blood match" so it was nice to see a clean pinfall. Overall, a good match though it was missing a few spots (and BLOOD) that could have taken it to the next level.
Lansdell: You know, it was a really good cage match, but it was hurt by the crowd's strange reactions. The spot where Orton was hanging by his neck from the top of the cage should have had the crowd going nuts, but they almost went silent. The feud needs to end here, but I have my doubts that it will, since they don't have time to build a challenger for HHH for ONS. Interesting to see where they go from here. One other thing I noticed: a cage match with no blood? That's a new one on me. And before the comments section fills with corrections, I'm sure it has happened before, but I can't think of an instance at 12:30am.
J.T.: We've seen a lot of these two lately, so they had a disadvantage to begin with. I thought a lot of what they did was good, but overall it seemed underwhelming. It might have been the lack of blood and sudden finish.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: ***½
Small: ***½
Lansdell: ***
J.T.: ***¼
Average Match Rating: ***¼

Final Thoughts

Match of the Night:
Slimmer: Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho (***¾)
Michaels and Jericho delivered almost exactly what we expected from them. It may not have been a classic, but it was fast-paced and exciting. I loved the leg work and arm work from Michaels and the corresponding rib work from Jericho, and in the end the lack of Batista-ference actually helped the quality of the match. It seems as though we haven't seen the end of this story, and I for am anxiously awaiting the next chapter.
Small: Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho (****)
Not as good as their Wrestlemania 19 match but like JR said "I would not mind watching them wrestle every night of the week." Kudos for the clean finish, too.
Lansdell: Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho (****)
But only just, because of the finish to Edge / Taker.
J.T.: Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho (***½)
Wasn't a hard choice considering how the rest of the show went.

Trash of the Night:
Slimmer: Mickie James vs. Beth Phoenix vs. Melina Perez (*½)
I'll give all three ladies a ton of credit for doing the best with what they had, but what they had was less than five minutes and a highly questionable finish. However, the action up to that point was quite fun, and the fact that this is the weakest match of the night says more about the quality of the other matches on the card than it does about the quality of this match itself.
Small: Mickie James vs. Beth Phoenix vs. Melina Perez (**)
Five minutes for the women's match. Seriously, it was getting really good. Plus going from the awesome double backbreaker spot to the finish within 30 seconds was awkward.
Lansdell: Jeff Hardy vs. MVP (**)
Nothing was really trash, but I have to go with MVP – Jeff Hardy, simply because it lacked chemistry.
J.T.: John Cena vs. John "Bradshaw" Layfield (**)
Why they put this on first I'll never know. Nor will I ever understand how two guys who have put on FANTASTIC matches in the past could bring the total suck tonight.

Final Analysis:
Slimmer: This was sort of a strange little pay-per-view, and I'm not sure how it will be remembered… or even if it will be remembered. All of the matches except for the World Heavyweight Championship had a clean finish, so I once again commend WWE for giving us matches with real endings on pay-per-view. However, I didn't give any of the matches **** or higher, and I usually hope for at least one or two **** matches on a pay-per-view card. Nothing sucked, nothing was classic, no titles changed hands… so what really happened? I sort of get the sense that WWE was just treading water here, but at least they weren't sinking…
Small: Judgment Day 2008 was a very solid PPV. All seven matches deserved a spot on the card and even the worst match was solid. With that said, I truly doubt that people will remember Judgment Day as one of the year's best. Unlike the other WWE PPVs from this year, nothing spectacular or shocking happened that necessitates a "You have to see this" feeling. There were no title changes (even in a vacant title match), no shocking moments (no returns, heel turns, etc), and no Match of the Year candidates. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the show a lot. Seven clean finishes and a lot of good wrestling does not go unnoticed. It's just that if you didn't see the show, a DVD purchase is only necessary if you are a collector or a fan of WWE work-rate.
Lansdell: A very good pay per view. The women's match, HBK-Jericho and both title matches were very good, and for a change nothing felt like it needed another 5 minutes. A refreshing change. The booking from here, though, is by no means clear, and is going to require some serious rushing if we're to have new feuds for ONS.
J.T.: I agreed to pay 50 bucks (HD) so that I could help with this column and help Larry with the podcast. Somebody owes me 50 bucks. I'll let the two of you sort it out. Slimmer's Note: Um, Larry, that's all you. Take it out of Randle's moose fund or something.

Verdict:
Slimmer: ***
Small: ***½
Lansdell: ***¾
J.T.: **¾
Average Verdict: ***¼