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Jeff Hardy. Surprised? It seems that WWE's latest game is that just when you think Jeff Hardy is about to make his exit, he wins the World Title. His reign will certainly last longer than his last one this time around (since, as I type this, it already has), even if he ends up dropping the championship on Tuesday. WWE continues to get all they can out of Hardy, and making him World Champion again no doubt made his fans (who buy lots of merchandise) happy. Personally, I didn't think it was one of Hardy's better matches, but his devoted following is more concerned with the end result. Elevator: Up a floor.
CM Punk. Early in the PPV, Punk cut a fantastic promo, following up his mic work on Smackdown and furthering his heel turn. He no longer is targeting just Hardy, but the fans as well, and that was the key to making him an arrogant preacher, and getting the people to boo him. Unfortunately, I don't think he came out looking strong at all in the main event. Hardy kicked out of his finisher, and then when Punk took a walk, Hardy simply tossed him back in the ring, hit some punches, a Twist Of Fate and a Swanton in short order to beat him. Elevator: Down a floor.
Randy Orton. It was business as usual for the WWE Champion, as he once again retained the championship with the help of interference by Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes. Same old story, same old song and dance. Really, I don't blame Orton as much as I do WWE Creative and their insistence on having Orton look ridiculously weak against Cena and Triple H. The best thing for Orton would be a feud with someone else (Mark Henry, Ted DiBiase, whoever) where he could actually win a match or two on his own. He can cheat, just let him do it by himself for a change. Elevator: On the same floor.
John Cena. As is usually the case, John Cena can only lose when it is "insurmountable odds", in this case, falling victim to an RKO while holding Cody Rhodes on his back. Cena was also booked in the "logic defying moment of the night" as he stopped Triple H from giving Orton a Pedigree through a table, even though Cena could have let the spot happen, then picked up the remains and gotten an easy win. I would suggest that Cena would benefit from a non-title feud, but they did that last month, and all it did was bury The Miz. Elevator: On the same floor.
Triple H. The Game came out of the Triple Threat match the strongest. Unlike Randy Orton, he didn't tap out. Unlike John Cena, he didn't get pinned. However, like Cena and Orton, you get the feeling a change of scenery would be best for Triple H. The problem, of course, is there is a lack of believable competition for him. So, if the choice is between HHH vs. Orton or HHH vs. Cena, we've seen the latter match a lot less frequently, so that is the direction to go in. Elevator: On the same floor.
Rey Mysterio. Coming off an incredible series of matches with Chris Jericho, it was understandable that we wouldn't get the same level of performance out of a match with the less experienced Dolph Ziggler. Unfortunately, what we ended up with was a solid, but ultimately forgettable bout that saw Mysterio dominated for a good portion of the action, only to "flip a switch" at the end and pull out his usual trademark moves for the clean win. Not a bad performance, but not one that makes you think Rey will be jumping back into the World Title picture anytime soon. Elevator: On the same floor.
Dolph Ziggler. This was the biggest singles match of Dolph Ziggler's career to date, and after surviving the feud with the Great Khali, Ziggler was primed to jump into the upper echelon of Smackdown stars. That didn't really happen. While he dominated Mysterio, there was nothing that stood out about his performance. He was just another "bigger than Rey" opponent who controlled the action, but then got hit by Mysterio's usual 619/splash combo and was pinned clean in the middle. Rather than being a launch pad into the spotlight, the match was more a reminder that Ziggler is still part of the chorus. Elevator: Down a floor.
Kofi Kingston. In a six-pack challenge match that goes less than ten minutes, the only person that is going to stand out is the one that wins the match. In this case, Kofi Kingston went in U.S. Champion and came out U.S. Champion. That's all a wrestler can hope for in this situation. Elevator: Up a floor.
Primo. During the PWInsiderElite.com post-PPV hotline, Dave Scherer pointed out how Primo came off like the new version of Sting, the babyface that allows the heels a "second chance" only to get burned again and again. Despite charging after his brother for most of the match, and having his brother ambush him several times, Primo was still willing to work with Carlito, only to get laid out again. Primo definitely isn't looking like the smartest Colon right now. Elevator: Down a floor.
Carlito, Jack Swagger, MVP, The Miz. If you're not the winner in a six-pack challenge, you're one of the guys who took up space. That's not to say the effort wasn't there, as certainly Swagger and Carlito had their moments during the bout, but in general, five minutes after the match was over, all you remembered was that Kofi won. So, none of the others were hurt, or helped, by being in the match. Which is a shame, as WWE should really be boosting up several of the names on this list right now. Elevator: On the same floor.
Chris Jericho & Big Show. You take the most despicable heel in WWE, and team him up with a monster who has been battering around popular wrestlers like Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne. Then, you have them work a match like babyfaces. That was the basic problem with the opening match on the PPV, as Jericho sold like Ricky Morton hoping to make a hot tag, while the fans sat on their hands because they had no rooting interest at all in the match. Honestly, once Jericho revealed his new partner was Big Show, I started my countdown clock for their inevitable break up and feud. Elevator: They just stepped on the elevator car together.
Ted DiBiase & Cody Rhodes. A few weeks ago, there was this glimmer of hope that Ted DiBiase was going to break away from Legacy and begin a serious singles run. Well, that might still happen, but in the meantime WWE has booked him and Cody to come off like the biggest losers and morons in the company. First, despite months of facing the top stars in the company, they act like children running from Frankenstein when Big Show enters the ring. Then, they lose the match. Nothing wrong with that, it happens, but they later cut an interview where they claim losing their match doesn't matter, because Randy Orton retained his title. Arn and Tully would never say that in the Horsemen. Hell, Billy Gunn and Road Dogg would never have said that in DX. Why not just get them T-Shirts that say "We're Randy's Bitches" and not bother giving them mic time. Elevator: Down a floor.
Christian. Christian reclaimed the ECW Championship in a good match with Tommy Dreamer, showing once again that while Christian may not get the ring time on PPV that others get, he is one of the most consistent wrestlers in the company today. Whether it is Dreamer, Finlay, Jack Swagger or Mark Henry, Christian's matches are always good. It will be interesting to see who WWE decides to push as his first challenger, although Shelton Benjmain or Vladimir Kozlov seem the strongest possibilities. Elevator: Up a floor.
Tommy Dreamer. No one expected Tommy Dreamer to even win the ECW Title in the first place. Certainly no one expected him to hold it past his first PPV defense. So, walking into Night Of Champions, still the ECW Champion, Dreamer has already surpassed all expectations for this title reign. He had a solid match with Christian and lost the title. Now, I don't know if Dreamer will get a series of rematches or not, but I think it is far more likely Dreamer will settle back into his role of being the "veteran presence" on ECW. The difference is, people won't be shocked anymore when he wins matches. Elevator: Up a floor.
Michelle McCool. Despite having her championship reign essentially ignored most weeks, Michelle McCool got to defend her title in a match that hopefully sent a message to WWE Creative that there is something to be said for giving the Diva Championship a little respect. She went toe-to-toe with Melina in a stiff, physical battle, that also included one of the cooler spots of the night, the DDT onto the security wall. Give McCool some respect, because she deserves it. She is improving and can hang with the better female workers in the company. Elevator: Up a floor.
Melina. Her banshee screams may drive you nuts, but her in-ring work is among the best in the company, and it would not be unfair to put Melina in the company of Beth Phoenix or Gail Kim. Melina is not afraid to work snug, and the way she and McCool traded shots showed they were more interested in putting on a good match than making sure they looked pretty for WWE.com pictures. No title win for Melina, but a good performance, hopefully one that won't be forgotten in favor of dance-offs and goofy backstage bits. Elevator: On the same floor.
Mickie James. Mickie was put in a bad situation on the PPV. She wasn't given much to work with, and was given way too much time to do something with it. This was one of the worse Mickie James matches in recent memory, as usually she is working with someone much better in the ring (like Beth Phoenix), or is working a much shorter match, where it is easy to hide her opponent's short comings. So, Mickie ends up winning the championship in a match that felt like it went eight minutes too long. And it only went eight minutes. Elevator: Up a floor (just for getting the strap).
Maryse. She's beautiful, and her heel mannerisms are great. If it was all about posing, facial expressions and acting the part of someone you want to hate, Maryse would be perfect. Unfortunately, at some point you have to get in the ring and wrestle. Taken out of her usual situations of tag matches and short bouts, Maryse's inadequacies are exposed for the world to see. She just is not ready to be in longer singles matches at this point. Hopefully WWE realizes that as well, and now that the title is off her, she can go back to work (off camera) at improving between the ropes. Elevator: Down a floor.
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