I have switched to a new match rating system , which is out of 10, rather than out of 5.
I felt that 5 was too limiting because there are those match that are between two ratings (Not good enough to be ***3/4, but definitely better than just ***1/2). I had actually been thinking about doing this for a while but held off because I didn’t want to sell better matches short (at first glance 4 out of 5 seems like a better rating than 8 out of 10). To derive normal star ratings from my new ratings, just divide the rating by 2.

1 or below- utter crap.

4 or above- Okay

5 or above- Solid (usually these match would have been a lot better but needed more time- can also be flawless execution of the moves themselves in a not very interesting match)

6 or above- Good

7 or above - Very Good (IMO, all main events should be at least this high)

8 or above- (****- definitely worth going out of your way to see)

8.5 or above Awesome (****1/4)

9 or above- Outstanding (****1/2

9.5 or above- Amazing (****3/4)

10 PERFECT (*****)




1. We’re back to creepy yet perfect Kane promos! YAY! The music playing softly in the background set the mood perfectly. I loved the vague heelishness in the beginning, transitioned perfectly into a sympathy-evoking story about vowing to avenge Taker and retain the title in his honor.

2. Props to Grisham for putting over Swagger’s ankle lock as a move so damaging that it could lead to not just one fall, but a second one immediately afterwards.

3. Striker did an awesome job of translating Kane’s earlier sympathy-evoking story for the kids in the audience, or for people who may have been turned off by Kane’s craziness. Props to him.

4. Hardy & Christian vs. Rhodes & McIntyre went 13:30, plus a commercial (so figure about 16 minutes total). 6.25/10
Great tease with Matt & Christian (Striker saying “The MegaPowers are about to explode made smile). Props to WWE for not having Matt take the McIntyre’s finisher, then get right up.

5. Swagger was great on the mic. Dissing Eddie for heat.

6. Wow. These annoying Alberto Del Rio hype videos take over two minutes! Stop showing last week’s videos!

7. I HATE Lay-Cool outside of the ring.

8. What has Tiffany done to deserve a title match? NOTHING! Kelly Kelly pinned the Women’s champ! Tiffany hasn’t done ANYTHING!

9. Kofi vs. Ziggler was very good as well. They told a good story with Ziggler aiming for Kofi’s neck, and the announcer’s did a great job of putting it over. 11 and a half minutes, plus a commercial. 6.5/10.- When you give guys the proper time, they give you good matches. The ref in this match was awesome, too. He should be the new head referee.

10. Sending McGillicutty away from ringside was good heel heat for Vickie and Dolph, but more importantly- it made McGillicutty seem important.

11. Punk tells Gallows to let the masked man wrestle Big Show instead of him.

12. Striker always calls Big Show “The Giant” rather than Big Show. I guess he didn’t get the memo from back in 1999 I did enjoy him calling Show “the Giant Machine” when he had the mask on, though.

13. The masked man is Joey Matthews. I’m glad Striker recognized him, because I sure wouldn’t have without his hair.

14. The problem with this is that Show absolutely squashed him. This is exactly the opposite of how you bring someone in with a bang.

15. I seriously thought that Cody Rhodes vignette was a razor commercial until I saw the WWE logo in the corner of the screen.

16. Rey cuts a bad promo. His emotion was great, but he said that he was going to move on from Knae taking the title from him… then, 15 seconds later, he is talking about facing Kane again.

17. I can’t tell if Alberto Del Rio is supposed to be a face or a heel. But either way, I am sick of him already.

18. Rey’s poncho is small enough to not look goofy on the kid he gives it to. LOL!

19. Rey vs. Swagger was GREAT 7.5/10! Rey selling was awesome. They told a great story. The match was pretty short, for a multiple-fall match, but all of the falls made sense, and didn’t make anyone look weak.

20. They need to bring Bryan Danielson back just to give Swagger a few pointers. Jack clearly needs to be reminded that “HE HAS TIL FIVE”… and that he should let go BEFORE THAT!.

21. Swagger goes for a post match beatdown, but Kane makes the save. Then we get a great tease where it looks like Knae is going to attack Rey, but he doesn’t.

22. WTF? Kane leaves the ring… then comes back and attacks Rey, only to get his ass kicked? WTF? Why would Kane need to fake Rey out? He could have just killed him two minutes ago?! The show was going PERFECTLY until this crap!

If you don’t watch that last part, this episode of Smackdown was amazing! It is still great, but that last part was SO DUMB!


Stupid Announcer Quotes:
1. Striker- “I you look back in history at what ladder matches have done for the careers of Matt Hardy and Christian, you have to understand that Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes have arrived as superstars here in the WWE.”
- I realize that he is trying to put people over, but Matt & Christian’s careers were made by putting on MULTIPLE amazing ladder matches with great heat going into them- not just because they have participated in so many. This isn’t CZW, where you can get over by taking a whole lot of crazy bumps. This is WWE- how well you do- especially if you win- counts.

2. Striker- “Plus, it’s easy to hate a guy who doesn’t wear knee pads. He just looks different than everybody else.” I’m sure that this sounded a lot better in his head, and I’m sure Striker regretted saying this moment it came out of his mouth.

3. Both announcers say “Alabama Jam” rather than “Alabama Slam.”

4. Striker, about the main event- Considering what’s on the line, you could make the argument that this is the biggest match of both superstars careers”- 100% WRONG! A #1 contenders’ match is important because it a SHOT at the TITLE! A TITLE match is infinitely more import, because is for THE VERY THING that you are trying to get a shot at in a #1 contenders match!
And you just kept talking about the title match they had, against each other LESS THAN A WEEK AGO!