I picked up this DVD last Saturday. The next day, Eddie Guerrero passed away. What a shock that was. In a way, I'm glad that he isn't featured in this PPV (although he can be seen in some of the promos), because it would be uncomfortable (to say the least) to watch him in action right now. Rest in peace, Eddie.
1) Batista and Ric Flair vs. Chris Benoit and William Regal. Not bad, but too long for an opener. And don't you think Ric Flair should retire gracefully just about now? Aren't there any talented young guys for WWE to pick up anymore? **1/2
2) Victoria vs. Trish Stratus (for the women's title). Victoria's strength and Trish's technique make for a pretty good and even matchup, but it could have been even better. **1/2
3) Tyson Tomko vs. "The Mystery Woman" (Steven Richards). OK, this is a waste of time, but there is some fun in watching Tomko beat the crap out of Richards. Thankfully, this was the only "comic relief" match of the night. *1/2
4) Chris Jericho vs. Christian. A ladder match for the intercontinental title. I'll give both men credit for the amount of physical punishment they take here, but the match itself is VERY draggy. **
5) Shawn Michaels vs. Kane. No disqualifications. Brutal but sluggish. What's more, the Kane / Lita / Matt Hardy storyline is distasteful and disrespectful to everyone involved, especially Lita, who deserves to be IN the ring wrestling instead of outside playing the terrorized wife. **
6) La Resistance vs. Tajiri and Rhyno (for the tag team title). Only the disappointing ending keeps this match, which probably has more pure technique involved in it than any other in this PPV, from a *** rating. Tajiri uses his legs about as well as Rey Mysterio, and Rhyno seems like a guy who is full of energy and means business. **1/2
7) Triple H vs. Randy Orton (for the heavyweight title). Two thirds of a good main event. Orton is either a very good actor or he really is in a lot of pain as HHH works on his left leg most of the time. But Orton is quite resourceful in his own right, and executes a variety of moves on HHH. It's all very intense, until Batista and Ric Flair interfere and turn it into a handicap 3-on-1 (4-on-1 if you count "The Coach", but I don't) match (the referee gets knocked out and misses all of this, of course). I understand why this had to be done (this way, Orton loses but still comes out as the winner in the ethical sense), but it's still a cheat. **1/2
