----I usually don't cover the PPVs, but since it was in Memphis tonight I thought I would post what Dave Meltzer had to say about it on http://www.wrestlingobserver.com/. And, I am glad I did not go!!
Tonight's Unforgiven comes from the Fed Ex Forum in Memphis, and features the return of Undertaker after surgery to repair a torn biceps.
We're looking for your thoughts on tonight's show, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to dave@wrestlingobserver.com
C.M. Punk vs. Elijah Burke for the ECW title opens the show.
Burke dominated the match working the low back until Punk got the pin with a front rolling cradle. Decent match but the crowd wasn't much into it. Apparently they want to keep the program going because the first thing Joey Styles said was that Burke earned a rematch by dominating the match.
Matt Hardy & MVP defend the tag titles against Deuce & Domino next. Crowd was dead. Pretty much the story you'd expect with Hardy & MVP not getting along. Hardy used the old Anderson Brothers spot of using MVP's head bonking it on Domino's head and then Hardy used the twist of fate on Deuce for the pin. So-so wrestling, but continued a good storyline.
HHH vs. Carlito is up now.
Another match almost like you'd expect. The gimmick was Carlito could use foreign objects without being DQ'd but HHH couldn't. Carlito's offense was using the ring bell, garbage cans and finally powder. HHH recovered from powder without even selling one move, using a spinebuster, low blow and pedigree. Crowd was more up than the prior matches because of HHH's star power, but average match.
Candice Michelle vs. Beth Phoenix for the women's title is next.
They told a good story here with Phoenix dominating the entire match with power moves, including pulling hair out at one point. Crowd wasn't into it and some of Michelle's bumps into the corner were at the cringeworthy level. Michelle got the pin out of nowhere with a crucifix pin.
Great Khali vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Batista in a three-way for the World title is up now.
Mysterio gave both men a 619, but Batista power bombed Mysterio onto Khali and then pinned Khali with a spinebuster. I wouldn't call it a good match, but by the Khali match scale it was pretty good. Khali sure didn't help him on the lift either.
HHH congratulated Batista on winning the title.
Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch vs. Paul London & Brian Kendrick for the tag title are next. To me, it's kind of imperative that these teams have a good match to make it a good show.
Technically the best match on the show but crowd was pretty dead. Not anything special, but everything was solid and was only missing the crowd caring. Cade, who wasn't the legal man, gave Kendrick a spinebuster and Murdoch scored the pin. Basic tag match except for some flashy moves on London's hot tag.
John Cena vs. Randy Orton for the WWE title is next. So they are saving Undertaker for the main event spot.
Cena was disqualfied for not stopping punching Orton on the ropes and ref Chad Patton counted five. Shockingly, this was probably the worst title match of Cena's career including the days when he wasn't any good. After the match Orton flipped John Sr. over the rail. John went wild and and put Orton in an STFU on the floor and his father punted Orton in the head. I will say this, John's father's facials were the best stuff on the show. Even with the angle, the crowd was about 80% pro-Orton. People booed the hell out of this when it was over. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it. Obviously they are going to build for a Hell in a Cell like stip next month. I guess that explains why Undertaker is being put on last.
Jonathan Coachman announced a last man standing match for the next PPV while telling off John Sr. John Jr. snatched Coach and threw him on the ground. This whole scenario is such a great babyface scenario for Cena but the crowd still hated Cena.
Undertaker vs. Mark Henry headlines the show.
Nice ring entrance but terrible match. Crowd was so dead it was shocking. Henry kicked out of a choke slam but Undertaker used a last ride out of the corner and scored the pin. Both men were way off here. Actually worse than the Cena match. They all but announced Batista vs. Undertaker for the title next month.
Maybe the worst PPV of the year.
