WWE: Extreme Rules 2009
For one night only the regular rules do not apply as the superstars
Rating:  List Price: $ 24.95 Price: $ 10.95 More Dvd Products[/random] |
WWE: Extreme Rules 2009
For one night only the regular rules do not apply as the superstars
Rating: List Price: $ 24.95 Price: $ 10.95 More Dvd Products[/random] |
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(out of 14 reviews)
Review by R. Marsiglia for WWE: Extreme Rules 2009
Rating:
This was a very newsworthy show from WWE as there had been 5 title changes during the night. I did not, however, think this was a great show. I did like it, but only mildly, because the two matches I was looking foreward too (the IC title match and the Ladder match) were both very good. I did not think it was nearly as good or as well-rounded as Backlash and Judgment Day, but it held its own. Personally, I would not purchase this on dvd, but it is worth a rental. Matches are rated out of 5 stars (*****).
1. United States Title Match
Kofi Kingston (c) vs. MVP vs. Matt Hardy vs. William Regal
Fast paced match to start, but it was rather short and felt rushed. There were botched spots aplenty in this one, but they pulled out some nice moves as well. Overall this was fine and the guys worked hard, and the match did it’s job by getting the crowd pumped up. **
2. No Holds Barred Intercontinental Title Match
Rey Mysterio (c) vs. Chris Jericho
Another great match from these two. The crowd wasn’t particularly into it at first, but by the end they were going insane, which is a tremendous credit to the workers. The pace was superb and they did their usual great moves, and I thought they worked the No Holds Barred stipulation in nicely by letting the fans know it was there but not going overboard with gimmicks (all they used was a steel chair). The finish was also brilliant and allows for this fued to continue. ***3/4
3. Samoan Strap Match
CM Punk vs. Umaga
There was not a lot of heat for this one. The match was OK and nothing more, but I will say the ending was good. Pretty average otherwise, not nearly as good as their match at Judgment Day. *3/4
4. ECW Championship Hardcore Triple Threat Match
Christian (c) vs. Tommy Dreamer vs. Jack Swagger
This was a pretty fun match, and was good for what it was. Fans wanted tables but they got trash cans and kendo sticks, and they used those two weapons for basically the entire match. Personally I thought it went a little long, but that’s just me. Fans loved Tommy getting the win, and his celebration afterwards was really great. **1/2
5. Hog Pen Match
“Santina” Marella vs. Vickie Guerrero (w/ Chavo Guerrero)
I knew going in this was going to be bad, but this was SHOCKINGLY bad. They had an absolutely hideous match, one of the worst I’ve seen in years. Worst of all, with promos and the aftermath included, this probably wasted close to 20 minutes of ppv time. I want to hear someone from WWE try and justify fans paying money for this. – (negative) ***
6. WWE Championship Steel Cage Match
Randy Orton (c) vs. Big Dave Batista
This was the real shocker of the evening, as I did not think even for one second that Dave was going to win this match. Not to mention that he pinned Orton clean as a sheet in the middle of the ring after about 7 minutes of action. However, I do not have a serious issue with the length of the match, because for those 7 minutes it was all solid pro wrestling action instead of a long drawn out brawl. Again, this was too short to really be good, but for what it was I liked it. **1/4
7. Submission Match
John Cena vs. The Big Show
Very boring match. This was basically the exact same boring match they had last month, only there were no pin fall attempts and subsequent near falls. Big Show dominated Cena FOREVER with his slow plodding offense, and I was nearly dozing off. At the end, Cena tangled Show’s foot in between the middle and bottom rope, which took care of the “t” in stf, and then he applied a crossface. Problem is, show’s foot fell out and he had to pretend it was still there in that bent position. This was not good folks, I pray that this fued is over. 3/4*
8. World Heavyweight Championship Ladder Match
Edge (c) vs. Jeff Hardy
Very good match, but not quite the classic I was expecting. They both worked really hard and tried some innovative moves, some of which were truly horrifying. Unfortunately they didn’t have a whole lot of time because of all the other matches on the show, so they may have had to cut some things out. This match didn’t blow me away like I thought it would, but like I said it was still very good and I was quite satisfied when it was over. The finish was also great. ***3/4
9. World Heavyweight Championship Match
Jeff Hardy (c) vs. CM Punk
Punk got a major mixed reaction coming out. Basically, Punk hit the GTS, hardy kicked out, place went insane, hardy rolled up Punk and Punk kicked out, place went nuts, then Punk hit another GTS for the pin, and the crowd died. The crowd was super into this untill the very end, and then there really wasn’t a big pop for the title change. That being said, this was GREAT for the one minute that it lasted. (NR)
This show was a mixed bag. It was very newsworthy and interesting, because I really don’t know where they are going from here. There were two great matches on the show and some fine little matches as well, but the middle of the card really dragged the show to a screeching halt, particularly the Hog Pen disaster and the Submission match. If you really enjoy gimmick matches then I’d consider picking this up, otherwise save your money and rent it for a rainy day. Overall I give this show a moderate thumbs up.
Review by D.P. for WWE: Extreme Rules 2009
Rating:
United States Champion Kofi Kingston vs. M.V.P. vs. Matt Hardy vs. William Regal – This was your average match that was fast paced & did it’s job as an opener with a few botched “crash & burn” spots but nothing special past that.
No Holds Barred Match: Intercontinental Champion Rey Mysterio vs. Chris Jericho – One of the best feuds of the year (if not THE BEST just based on the matches alone) continue here as they stuck the formula that was worked with great wrestling that had the fans get more into it and added the No Holds Barred element well here but didn’t overdo it using a mass amount of weapons as only a chair was used. The crowd got more into it as time passed & had a very creative finish that also makes sure this feud will continue…and that’s not a bad thing, that’s a good thing! (thanks DDP) Match of the night for me.
Strap Match: C.M. Punk vs. Umaga – This is one of those one of those matches where the gimmick hurt the match more than helped and the being absolutely dead didn’t do it any favors either. This was under the “touch all four turnbuckles” stipulations & there really isn’t much to say or remember here except that this ended up being Umaga’s last match in WWE.
Extreme Rules Match: ECW Champion Christian vs. Jack Swagger vs. Tommy Dreamer – This was “do or die” for Tommy Dreamer as we would leave WWE if he didn’t win the championship here. Tommy Dreamer went back to his “Innovator Of Violence” ways here by coming up with some different ways to use the weapons & breaking out some of his old spots which lead to the first “ECW” chants I’ve heard in WWE in a very long time. This was a very fun match & the emotional aftermath was well deserved as well.
Hog Pen Match for the Miss WrestleMania Crown: “Santina” Marella vs. Vickie Guerrero – I’m going to be honest, I never found Santina to be funny & I didn’t even watch this…I pressed the skip button right away since the only noteworthy thing here was that this turned out to be one of Vickie’s last appearences as she quit the next night.
Steel Cage Match: WWE Champion Randy Orton vs. Batista – For those who didn’t already know, Batista had already reinjured himself (after being back for around 2 months) going into this match so it was kept short but because of that. Despite all that, this turned out to be their best PPV match because it had the high impact & intensity that their previous matches were lacking. It was a dominate performance by Batista that resulted in the first ever time the WWE Championship changed hands in a steel cage match…it you don’t count the Elimination Chamber back in Feb. This was good concidering how Batista was injured.
Submission Match: John Cena vs. Big Show – This was the second match that was a rematch from Judgment Day that used the same formula in their previous match…however, this gave up the complete opposite result that the Mysterio/Jericho match did as this is possibly the worst feud of the year so far. Cena was again getting dominated by Show for what seemed like forever before he made his comeback & even had a finish with the STF that got botched. Another match that I would press the skip button on because these two just don’t have the chemistry that they had 5 years ago.
Ladder Match: World Champion Edge vs. Jeff Hardy – I’ll give credit in that they’ve tried to do what Jericho/Michaels did at No Mercy in delivering a different type of ladder match than the usual “non-stop spotfest” that we’re used to seeing. They tried to find new ways to use the ladder in this match along with revisiting old “highlight reel” spots from all their previous ladder matches. Again, it was a good match but it wasn’t the blowaway classic everyone was expecting…but to be fair, they’ve set the bar so high for the past decade in regards to ladder matches that they just couldn’t top it in this case. This was one of those matches where if you judge it on it’s own instead of comparing it to all of their past ladder matches (I counted at least six) then it’s a good match. But the major story at the end of the night was the aftermath that resulted in a new World Champion…AGAIN!
The only DVD extra here was a post-match interview with Chris Jericho setting up the next stage in their feud. In the end, this ranks right around there with the 2007 edition as one of the most dissapointing editions of this PPV because there was just as much good here as there was stuff that’s either bad or easily forgettable so this is one I would recommend for a rental & make your own call here.
Review by J. Perez for WWE: Extreme Rules 2009
Rating:
This is worse then the 2008 becuase this time there were only 2 good matches.The first one was Y2J vs Rey-Rey for the IC title which stole the show and had the perfect finish. The second one was the ladder match for the World’s title which was an epic brawl. The Hog pen match was one of the worst and most dumbest matches I ever seen and I saw every match with Doink The Clown in them. The Submission match between John Cena & Big Show looked like it kept on going & going & going just like the bunny from the battery commercials and it’s the same basic match only without the pinfalls. The rest of them were second to third rate. I give this PPV a 3 out of 10.
Review by Ole Miss Rebel for WWE: Extreme Rules 2009
Rating:
As the title said, Extreme Rules 2009 is full of simply par matches. I’ll get to the reviews and hit my final thoughts at the end.
U.S. Title
Fatal Four Way
Kofi Kingston vs MVP vs William Regal vs Matt Hardy
Short match here. It was an okay opener. There is a constant stream of movement and action going on. The good flow doesn’t make it an eye catching match though. Way too short at 6 minutes. 5/10
IC Title
No Holds Barred
Chris Jericho vs Rey Mysterio
By far this is the 2nd best match on the card. Really great back and forth match. Great chemistry and story telling between these two. They played with the stipulation perfectly. They used the no holds barred theme to a minimum, but when they used it they optimized it. 8.5/10
Strap Match
CM Punk vs Umaga
Crowd was really not feeling this one, which never helps a match. The rules of this strap match were the same as the JBL/Guerrero bull rope match from 2004. You had to touch all four corners in a row. I’m not a huge fan of this format. The match has a few stiff strap spots, but it relatively slow for the most part. I wanted to like this one more than I did. 5.5/10
ECW Title
Hardcore Match
Jack Swagger vs Tommy Dreamer vs Christian
A good way to describe this match would be as follows: Think of all of the hardcore title matches from the WWE circa 1999 and 2000 (The ones with all the trash cans, kendo sticks, and trash can lids). Now take those matches, make the crowd care a little more, and turn the volume up on the matches to make them a little better. That’s pretty much what we have here. It’s entertaining; I was never bored thoughout it. It’s not really memorable in any capacity though. 6/10
Hog Pen Match
Santino Marella vs Vickie Guerrero/Chavo Guerrero
I did not watch this match because I did not care. I can imagine it was terrible though.
WWE Championship
Steel Cage Match
Randy Orton vs Batista
It’s okay. That’s really all i can say here. It’s very short at 7 minutes, but that helped this match I believe. It allowed them to have a constant flow of action, it just wasn’t ever that great. Underwhelming match by all means, though it was probably the best Batista/Orton encounter we have ever had. 5.5/10
Submission Match
John Cena vs the Big Show
Similiar to the strap match from earlier, in the fact that I wanted to like it more than I did. John Cena and the Big Show seem to have trouble finding their chemistry in this match. It has moments and minutes that are definitely better than others. Crowd enjoys it which helps the match. I liked the 19 minute length, because it at least gave them time to do all that they could. 6.5/10
World Heavyweight Title
Ladder Match
Jeff Hardy vs Edge
By far the match of the night here. I really loved this match. They made this one manage to be different from other ladder matches we have seen lately. It reminded me somewhat of the Rock/Triple H ladder match, in the fact that it was not all high spots (although there are definitely some great spots to don’t think you are going to be disappointed). There was some great chemistry and psychology with these two. I loved this match and could watch it over and over. 9.5/10
As you can tell, there are really two matches worth tuning into on this DVD. Those two matches are great. But everything else is largely forgettable. Is the DVD worth buying? I would say no. You can catch the ladder match on the new World Heavyweigh Title DVD (alot of other good matches there too).
Review by R.A. McKenzie for WWE: Extreme Rules 2009
Rating:
“Extreme Rules 2009″ is par for the course this year in WWE PPVs. It neither blows your mind, nor does it bore the hell out of you. Oddly enough, the more family-friendly direction for an “Extreme Rules” event isn’t the main problem. There are deeper issues in store:
1) United States Championship
Kofi Kingston (champion) v. William Regal v. Matt Hardy v. MVP
—In case you care, the only Extreme part here is that Fatal Fourway Matches are No-DQ, which doesn’t even factor in anyway. Not to dismiss the work of these four men, but I bet you can guess what kind of match you’re gonna see here. This opening contest isn’t going to surprise you, but it’s going to entertain you and set the tone. You’re gonna see all four men bounce around the ring, get their one-on-one chances to shine, and get near-falls that you knew weren’t gonna get a three-count. You’re gonna see some suplexes from Regal & MVP, some one-handed action from Matt Hardy, and some Jamaican-Me-Crazy stuff from Kofi. It’s forgettable, but it’s fun, and it gets you ready for the rest of the event.
“6.5 / 10″
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2) No Holds Barred – Intercontinental Championship
Chris Jericho v. Rey Mysterio (champion)
—The first thing you need to remember is that this isn’t one of those matches that rely on weapons or high-risk spots to get your attention. It’s another strong wrestling match between two gifted veterans that includes a couple of “anything-goes” moments. But more importantly, it’s Jericho and Mysterio putting on another impressive contest that surpasses their “Judgment Day” showdown, but doesn’t quite match their “Bash” classic. Then again, does it really matter which match is best? These two have had the best in-ring rivalry so far this year, and I doubt there will be a better one.
“7.5 / 10″
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3) Samoan Strap Match
Umaga v. CM Punk
—Surprisingly boring considering the talent involved. Umaga is one of the more gifted larger athletes, and CM Punk is one of those performers you can’t classify. I like four corners matches like this, but this one didn’t do it for me. I think that’s mainly due to Umaga being even more dominant than he was with the “Judgment Day” opener between these two. Plus, the Strap doesn’t really come into play all that much. It’s almost like these guys could’ve have the exact same match, except throw in a couple of tug-of-wars and the corner tapping feature. I admire that these two were going for something different (one of the central focuses is Punk trying to lift Umaga for the GTS). But in the end, my mind wandered more than it should have.
“4.5 / 10″
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4) Hardcore Match – ECW Championship
Christian (champion) v. Tommy Dreamer v. Jack Swagger
—Bad news first: This isn’t an old-school ECW match where everyone becomes a broken, bloody and/or bruised mess. Now for the good news, it’s still one entertaining ride. These three guys try very few traditional wrestling maneuvers. It’s one of those blasts from the WWF past, where “hardcore” matches meant you grab a toy, and swing away. Jack Swagger is appropriately the least successful when using the weapons, but he’s talented enough to pull off some impressive moves, not to mention tough enough to put up with the pain he did. Christian is the exceptional wrestler he’s expected to be, with a good dose of wrestling and hardcore skills. But this is Tommy Dreamer’s night, and what a glorious one. Dreamer gets to pull out all sorts of tricks we rarely get to see him use anymore, and his title victory is a much-deserved honor. The championship may be made of silver, but someone as humble and dedicated as Tommy Dreamer probably doesn’t care. Besides, I’m sure all three men are just as proud of their Hardcore Match as we are pleased to have witnessed it.
“7.0 / 10″
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5) Hog Pen Match for the “Miss WrestleMania” Crown
Santina Marella v. Vickie Guerrero & Chavo Guerrero
—Why, oh why, oh f___king why? There are many reasons why this was a terrible reason to begin with, but I’ll focus on two of them. First off, I’m all for comic relief and understand taking a break from hard-hitting action. But this Hog Pen disaster simply isn’t funny, and it’s another embarrassing attempt from the WWE to try to make us laugh. Secondly, the match doesn’t `SOUND’ good. Mud and hog pens are soft surfaces, so there’s no sound to get us into the fight. You can’t hear the punches, you can’t hear the falls, and you can barely hear the dialogue. Now…combine these with every other insult that everybody else has hurled at this waste of time, and you’ve got a PPV catastrophe. It’s not even “so-bad-it’s-funny”…it’s aggravatingly awful.
“1.5 / 10″
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6) Steel Cage Match – WWE Championship
Randy Orton (champion) v. Batista
—The build up was solid. The two rivals deserved a rematch. The match type was perfect. Unfortunately, we only got 7 minutes after all the hype. Some hardcore fans expected something like this; it was leaked that Batista was injured going into the match. Thankfully, Orton getting dominated hasn’t hurt his career much. But it does hurt this PPV. Orton and Batista use a small number of moves to begin with, but there was hardly any sort of Cage suspense or brutality. I don’t need blood, but I need to be surprised. I guess I didn’t think WWE would surprise me like this. This Steel Cage Match is entertaining while it lasts, but leaves you feeling empty afterwards.
“6.0 / 10″
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7) Submission Match
Big Show v. John Cena
—`IF’ you read my “Judgment Day 2009″ review – (you faithful few) – you might remember that I hate when these two guys mix it up. You may also recall that I thought that particular match was god-awful. Well, they somehow managed to put on their best match together at “Extreme Rules”. I’m dead serious; there is more back-and-forth battling between Big Show and Cena. The match is kept to a decent pace, and it’s one of those rare underdog matches I wasn’t bored by. The only real problem (and it’s a big one) is that it’s just too darn long. I can tolerate Cena constantly getting stopped in his tracks every time he gains momentum. After all, John Cena is 200 pounds lighter than Big Show. But it becomes repetitive after a while, which ruins a potentially `good’ match. Plus, the finish was poorly-executed. I expected this match to ruin the PPV; instead, it kept it from getting any worse.
“6.0 / 10″
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Edge (champion) v. Jeff Hardy
—These two men are probably more responsible for the WWE’s Ladder Match lineage than any other in the company’s history. But after 10 years of innovation, it’s sad to think that there’s not much Edge or Jeff Hardy could’ve done to top themselves, let alone make the match fresh. As it stands, both guys put on a very solid match to end their rivalry, filled with a few Ladder spots I hadn’t seen before. The New Orleans crowd was surprisingly quiet for most of this main event (most of the PPV, actually). But one thing that’s been bothering me with Ladder Matches lately is that the wrestlers don’t try to grab the belt often. It’s almost like they’re more focused on punishing the other guy for 20 minutes, rather than just knocking him down to grab the strap. That might not seem like a big deal, but it kinda took me out of this one from time to time. But don’t let that last comment discourage you from checking this one out. Jeff Hardy and Edge took some serious risks (even by their standards), and put on one of the PPV’s best matches. Just don’t expect a show-stopper.
“7.5 / 10″
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As we all know, CM Punk cashed in his Money-In-The-Bank briefcase to win Jeff Hardy’s hard-fought World Heavyweight Championship. I give a ton of credit to WWE for not trying to make us like CM Punk taking the strap from Jeff. His MITB win wasn’t well-received at “WrestleMania”, and even though his weekly efforts to get his title match were delayed, WWE wisely didn’t ask us to celebrate Punk’s opportunistic victory. Has there been a better character development in the past few years? Doubtful, in my book.
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You know, even with a handful of good matches, “Extreme Rules 2009″ is probably my least favorite WWE PPV so far this year. Aside from the excellent Ladder Match and IC Title contest, not much really stands out. I think my 3-star score is mostly due to the Hog Pen Match, and also because the WWE Championship Steel Cage Match was really just a throwaway (Batista was written out of storylines the next night).
It’s kinda frustrating for reviewers like me, because WWE’s repeated middle-of-the-road quality forces me to write the same formulaic review:
“It’s Not Bad, But It’s Not Great Either.”
“It Has Some Great Things, But It’s Nothing To Go Out Of Your Way To See.”
C’mon, WWE. Gimme something better to type, will ya? I don’t mind a more PG version of “Extreme Rules”, but I do mind when even 20 dollars seems too high for a WWE DVD.