The CPR Presents: The Ultimate June PPV

[Mazza]

‘Sup CF? Well here I am, a little later than planned, to bring you final edition of the Ultimate PPV series. I have been feeling the effects of living a regular Monday to Friday, 9 to 5 existence for the last few weeks and whilst I definitely wouldn’t class my job as particularly tough, moving away from working random hours and days has left me with a lot less LOP time somehow. But you don’t care about all that, what most of you want to know is which matches made the card so without further ado, it is time to put this baby to bed.

PRESENTS
THE ULTIMATE JUNE PPV

Deja vu? It will be for most of you. This is the bit where I tell you I am out to make the best card I can using matches from WWE’s June PPVs and then for the twelfth time, I post the restrictions I set myself, like so...

My restrictions are that I can only use one match per event, one match per wrestler and one match per championship. I am not restricting myself time-wise or with the number of matches but I am also not going to go overboard and will try to keep the card balanced. I won’t have seen many of the events since the time they happened so I have created the card through memory, reviews and simply what looks good on paper. I will put links to all the matches at the bottom of the column if you fancy checking any out. Anyway, that’s enough explaining, I am sure you will work out what is happening as I go along.

So June in general is a nothing month. Mania feuds are well and truly over and most of the SummerSlam feuds have yet to really kick off. From 1993 to 2002 however the month was home to the King of the Ring PPV which not only had the famous tournament but also a whole host of memorable matches (check out Prime Time and my column on the winners of the tournies >>>here<<<). So it was a tougher process to pick this time out than it had been recently but there will be more on that later. Now I guess it is time to show you just who made the card.


THE ULTIMATE JUNE PPV

Shawn Michaels fought Steve Austin to a double disqualification in 22:29 (King of the Ring 1997)
First up is the final dark match of this series and maybe the most star studded one of them all. A year after his “career changing” 3:16 speech, Austin was still on his path to the very top. His double turn with Bret at WrestleMania had happened and he suddenly found himself one half of the tag team champions. His partner was none other than Shawn Michaels. The two Texans were brought together by the old “enemy of my enemy is my friend” schtick as rivals to the Hart Foundation and had won the straps from Owen and Bulldog. Problem was that they didn’t like or trust one another. The match itself is often forgotten, probably due to the finish which saw a double-DQ after both men took out referees. What went on before that showed just how good the main event at WrestleMania 14 could have been is somebody wasn’t being a spoilt brat and pretending to be injured. There was no Tyson here and no big time feel to the match. Just two great wrestlers wrestling (apart from a very strange incident early on involving a “special” Olympian). This is probably one of the last matches that Austin actually wrestled well in as opposed to brawling his way through. Definitely a match to check out if you feel disappointed by their big Mania encounter.
CPR Rating: B

The Hardys defeated The World's Greatest Tag Team in 17:17 in a Ladder Match to retain the World Tag Team Championship (One Night Stand 2007)
If you are a fan of spotty tag team wrestling then this has to be something of a dream match. I wouldn’t claim to be a massive fan of that type of wrestling but when TWGTT reunited and would get a shot at The Hardys during their last WWE run as a team, I was excited. Making it a ladder match just pushed it over the edge. The Hardy’s legacy with the gimmick had been well established for years and Shelton had turned plenty of heads in the couple of Money in the Banks that he had participated in. Whilst the teams didn’t redefine ladder matches once again, it was a very solid and exciting encounter which will always be remembered for one very bizarre moment. Now we all know that Shelton is the biggest botch artist this side of Mexico City but here he made a pretty decent save. With Jeff alone in the ring with his hands almost on the titles, the Gold Standard attempted to use the top rope to vault from the apron to the ladder. It would have been pretty badass had he not slipped whilst on the rope. To his credit, he managed to grab onto the rope, flip over and slide his feet towards the bottom of the ladder. A great touch of announcing from JR and Jeff pushing his weight back to tip the ladder saved the day. There were plenty of strong moments in the match though and the finish was very good. With all four men fighting on top of two ladders, the Hardys got pushed to the floor. However they made a smooth landing and proceeded to knock over TWGTT’s ladder. Haas and Benjamin weren’t so cat like and the Hardys retained their straps. A really good, fun match but just lacked that little something that pushed it to the great encounter it could have been.
CPR Rating: B

Owen Hart defeated The 1–2–3 Kid in 3:37 (King of the Ring 1994)
Here we have what I am pretty sure is the shortest match I have featured during this series. This is actually a lesson to everyone out there that moans about how much time they get. Even if you have just a few minutes, you still have the potential to put on a strong performance and that is exactly what Hart and Waltman did here. They squeezed the most out of every second they had in the ring as the story was told of a brave injured face taking on a motivated heel smelling blood. Whilst it didn’t take Owen long to put the underdog away and progress to the final, the Kid gave it a real go and it gave us a very good four minutes of high paced action.
CPR Rating: C+

Kurt Angle defeated Shane McMahon in 26:00 in a Street Fight (King of the Ring 2001)
When a non-wrestler takes on a guy wrestling his third match of the night, you certainly wouldn’t be expecting much. A slow paced 10 minute carry job would probably be the best you could hope for in such circumstances. However, when the non-wrestler is a McMahon and the guy wrestling his third match is a bonafide Olympic gold medalist then the match becomes a potential show stealer. This is easily ten times better than it had any right to be and a lot of the credit has to go to Shane as we all know Angle is capable of greatness each time he steps between the ropes. What Shane O’Mac lacks in technical ability he more than makes up for with the family enthusiasm, unexpected athleticism and the grapefruits to try the insane. All three of these were definitely on the menu here and whereas some other Shane matches are overrated due to a big spot, this was well paced with smaller (yet still ridiculous for a non-wrestler to be involved with) spots from start to finish. The standout one was being belly-to-belly suplex through some staging. Angle would eventually pick up the win with an Angle Slam from a table that was balanced across the top ropes but not after a great showing. This match could be seen as a very early one in the InVasion storyline and if they were all this good we could look back on it as one of the greatest angles (pun pun pun pun) in wrestling history as opposed to a piece of wrestlecrap. Hell, with what the WCW talent brought to the table maybe they would have been better off with Shane staring as the Alliance’s top dog as well as owner. As for Kurt, every day he spends down in Orlando just makes me die a little more inside.
CPR Rating: A-

Rey Mysterio defeated Chris Jericho in 15:42 in a Mask vs Title Match to win the Intercontinental Championship (The Bash)
This feud was one of the highlights of 2009 and this match may well have been the pick of the bunch. Of course the stipulation was always a major spoiler as to Rey picking up the victory but even then both men put on such a good show that I was second guessing the inevitability of it all. On top of that it gave the match a very interesting story rather than just have two guys delivering very exciting high paced moves. But if the latter is more your thing there is plenty in this match for you too. It is exactly what you would expect to see between two guys with the skill and experience of Mysterio and Jericho but add in Y2J’s desire to de-mask Rey Rey and it brings things to another level. From the get-go Jericho seems slightly more interesting in grabbing Rey’s mask than retaining his title. We see the action go back and forth in what is typical fashion for a good Mysterio match but there is just that little bit more anticipation behind every move here. Eventually Jericho’s obsession gets the better of him as he once again goes for the mask. He actually succeeds in taking it off but Rey has a contingency mask underneath. By the time Jericho realises what has happened he is lying over the second rope awaiting a 619. Moments later we have a new Intercontinental champion and winner of the feud. Whilst the ending was not as cool as the one in the previous encounter between the two (where Jericho did get the mask off and victory as Rey covered his face) this was probably the better match and one of the best of the year.
CPR Rating: A-

Bret Hart defeated Mr. Perfect in 18:56 (King of the Ring 1993)
When it comes to a Hennig vs Hart classic most people look to their SummerSlam 1991 encounter but this one right here is almost as good despite a totally different dynamic. First off both men are babyfaces, which adds to the intrigue of the semi-final match. With a heel Bam Bam Bigelow awaiting in the final, it wasn’t just an obvious outcome. That said, they play a nice story throughout the match of Perfect going back to his old ways, told in the ring and out thanks to The Brain on commentary. Not to say that Bret doesn’t try the odd underhanded tactic himself and he goes with a touch of the old-fashioned “playing possum”. It would be nice to see that a bit more these days but there would have to be a whole lot more selling at the top before there can be fake selling (which I guess is fake fake selling as it is wrestling). Whilst the psychology was a bit more like Bret’s match with Piper at WrestleMania VIII, the moves were not too far removed from their 1991 classic. Obviously that is not a bad thing. The Perfect One and The Hitman were two of those wrestlers who just seemed to click in the ring and they treat us here to a masterclass of counter wrestling and near falls. It eventually ends with Hart winning by the tightest of margins, getting the three after reversing Perfect’s small package. We get more drama after the match with Hennig teasing a turn but eventually shaking Bret’s hand. This was just an extremely well paced and laid out match between two greats. A must watch if all you have seen is their match from a couple of years earlier.
CPR Rating: A-

The Undertaker defeated Mankind in 16:00 in a Hell in a Cell Match (King of the Ring 1998)
We all know what this match was about. Even if you have never watched the whole match, you are bound to have watched the highlights and as such have probably had thoughts along the lines of “OMG” or “Holy Shit”. What you may not know if you haven’t seen much more of the action besides those two massive spots is that there really isn’t much worth seeing in it.
The spots and the fannying about after them take up a good 80% of the action. Granted, Foley probably needed the time and he did really well to suck up enough to finish the match but they have had stronger all-round encounters against each other. This Hell in a Cell will go down in history for a lot of reasons. The two epic bumps, a defining moment in the career of Mick Foley, iconic pro-wrestling imagery and the raising of the bar in terms of retarded spots are amongst them. Those are all enough to make the match one of the most important in WWE history and earn its place on this card, however it is still not enough to give it a CPR Rating to get it anywhere near the best matches I have looked at throughout this series.
CPR Rating: C

Beth Phoenix defeated Melina in 9:14 in an I Quit Match (One Night Stand 2008)
The ladies matches have not been all that regular during this series but I have tried to feature the divas whenever possible. This one was a no-brainer. When Beth is given a competent partner to work with, a bit of time and freedom to look dominant, the female division of the WWE doesn’t look better. That is exactly what happened here. Phoenix was free to show off all her skill and Melina, easily one of the more talented divas of recent years, matched her from start to finish. On top of that, the bitch can twist like a damn contortionist. It is actually what made the match such a good visual. When Melina puts on the moves it definitely helps but when Beth was stretching her seven ways ‘til Sunday it is a different class. The moves in this match looked as brutal as any submissions you would see the likes of Chris Benoit locking in. In fact, it was the move that eventually got the “I Quit” from Melina that was the pick of the bunch. It looked absolutely excruciating and was a great end to what is probably the best divas match of the post-Trish era.
CPR Rating: B

Triple H defeated John Cena in 19:37 to retain the WWE Championship (Night of Champions)
Just like a couple of editions ago, Triple H and John Cena close the show (even if this time they don’t have Edge joining them). If there is one thing I have noticed about matches between the two it is that although they are not amongst the greatest matches of all time, they are all very good. Both men are excellent sports entertainers and as such seem to work well together. I would guess there is probably some professional one upmanship going on as well between the top dogs of different eras in the company. Two of the most controversial figures in the history of the company, there are a million and one debates over what they do and don’t do well but one thing is for sure - They both know how to be a top star in the WWE mould and just like they did at WrestleMania 22, they delivered a textbook WWE main event. Whilst there wasn’t the “x-factor” that would place it amongst the very best title matches of all time, they do pretty much everything right. In fact it was similar to the King of the Ring 1993 match I looked at earlier. Not in that it was a wrestling clinic but in that it was a couple of years after a higher profile encounter, was wrestled in similar fashion but had a face versus face dynamic this time around. Not that that last bit made a difference as the crowd was just as pro-Hunter here as they were at Mania. The match was a fun back and forth affair chock-a-block full of signatures and false finishers with the odd surprise move here and there. In the end however it was The Game who got revenge for his Mania defeat by retaining his title with his second Pedigree of the match. When you consider that this was just a brief crossing of paths for Trips and Cena, you have to say they did well to deliver what seemed to be a quickly thrown together main event before Hunter moved to Smackdown. Not the most exciting main event ever but a strong showing of what a good one should be.
CPR Rating: B


THE VERDICT

And there we have it ladies and gents. The very last monthly card of this series is in the record books. As I said, this wasn’t easiest of months to get through. Bret was obviously a lock for the card for his performance in the 1993 KotR but I could have gone with the final match against Bam Bam Bigelow. My love for Hennig ended up being the deciding factor there. Austin and Michaels going against each other in the dark match was probably a bit of a shocker considering how Stone Cold is synonymous with the event and HBK has good matches all over the place. To be honest though, the only other Shawn match under consideration was his Vengeance 2005 match with Kurt Angle. As good as that was, Kurt’s match with Shane was a lock from the start. I was tempted to use Austin’s match from 1996 against Marc Mero but seriously... fuck that guy.

The biggest debate however was whether or not to include the most famous match in King of the Ring history. The Taker vs Mankind Hell in a Cell is fully deserving of its legendary status but as a match it doesn’t measure up to some of the matches it eliminated. It meant that I could not pick The Deadman’s TLC match with Edge from One Night Stand 2008, or Foley teaming with Edge and Lita two years earlier to take on Terry Funk, Tommy Dreamer and Beulah. Worse than that however, I thought two cell matches would be overkill so I had to drop one of my faves, Triple H vs Batista, again from Vengeance 2005 (a great PPV which is bizarrely unrepresented). In hindsight, I may have made a boo-boo on that front but the epicness of those two Foley bumps is pretty much unrivalled in the WWE. From there however most things wrote themselves and it came down to a choice between Trips vs Cena and Eddie vs JBL (Great American Bash 2004) for the title match. Once again I went with wrestler preference and the card was done.

As always I would love to hear your thoughts. Would you have included the epic cell match? Does Mark Mero deserve some love? Have I made any glaring omissions? Now obviously that is also the last Ultimate PPV of this series but I do have a wrap-up column in the works to bring it altogether with an ultimate ultimate PPV card and some series statistics. Most of you will know exactly what a “statistics” based column means. That’s right, the return of Stump the CF and here are a few questions for fans of the guessing games...

STCF1 - Nobody earned a spot on every card but one guy made 11. Who? (3 points)
STCF2 - 3 other guys made 10 appearances. Who? (1 point each)
STCF3 - One guy made half of the editions without picking up a victory. Who? (3 points)
STCF4 - How many wrestlers appeared in the series? (3 points spot on, 2 for within 5, 1 for within 10)
STCF5 - Which year featured the most with in the series? (3 points)
STCF6 - Which type of gimmick match was featured the most in the series? (3 points)
STCF7 - How many tag title matches were there in the series? (3 points)
STCF8 - Of the 84 matches in the series, how many were 1-on-1? (3 points spot on, 2 for within 2, 1 for within 5)
STCF9 - How many matches nabbed the elusive A+ CPR Grade? (3 points)
STCF10 - What will be the main event of my Best of the Best Ultimate PPV card? (3 points)

NB: Dark Matches from the series are NOT included in the statistics

So there we go. I shall see you at some point before the end of the year with all the answers above and many more facts and figures from the series. Until then, I shall be procrastinating whilst pretending to watch the Olympics. As usual there are links to the featured matches below. Until next time, peace!

----------------------

Austin vs Michaels Part 1
Hardys vs TWGTT Part 1 Part 2
Owen vs Waltman Part 1
Angle vs Shane Part 1
Mysterio vs Jericho Part 1
Hart vs Hennig Part 1
Foley vs Taker Part 1
Melina vs Beth Part 1
Cena vs Triple H Part 1

[TripleR]

This one looked like it was tough to put together for sure. Wanted to touch on something you said about the Taker/Mankind HIAC match. You know I just re-watched this recently and you're dead on about it. If it weren't for those big spots, there really wasn't a lot to this match. It's forever etched in wrestling lore, but it was ALL about those spots.

Kudos for adding the Beth Phoenix/Melina match. Finding a decent Divas match is hard to do, but this one is certainly one of the better ones we've seen.

Nice job Mazz.

[MissouriDragon]

Pick any match on this card.

Throw it the fuck out.

Replace it with this.

I don't wanna bust on you personally, but the WWE has never done anything better than 1989 NWA.

Flair and Funk >>> Hart and Michaels, now and forever.

[Skulduggery]

I continue to be a big fan of these columns. Tough to say if this PPV matches the absolute star quality of some of the others, but it's right up there. Angle/McMahon and Mysterio/Jericho carry the load for thorough, exciting matches and Foley/Taker presents us with those infamous and intense hardcore moments that we'll be talking about for years.

Initially, I was aghast at the absence of Triple H/Batista, but after delaying my knee-jerk reaction, I thought about it. The Hellishness of that match (while chart-topping in its own right) would've been overshadowed and watered down by Taker/Foley's Hell in a Cell. Tough decision you made, but I think you made the right one (and all of these must be littered with tough decisions, I can imagine).

[Sidgwick]

I really like this as a column format. It's fun to revisit really good matches that have become largely forgotten, especially when the writing is sharp and enthusiastic.

The only thing I'd have done differently is insert the odd comma. Some - not all - of the sentences were a little clunky. Minor complaint though.

I 100% agreed with the following excerpt:

"This is actually a lesson to everyone out there that moans about how much time they get. Even if you have just a few minutes, you still have the potential to put on a strong performance and that is exactly what Hart and Waltman did here."

Jim Ross calls this "maximising one's minutes", and it's very true. You've made me want to revisit a match I'd probably never have watched again otherwise. That's an achievement.

[zzzorf]

Ooooh the return of the STCF, always up for some good Q&A

1. Triple H
2. Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Undertaker
3. Randy Orton
4. 45
5. 1998
6. ladder
7. 9
8. 81
9. 5
10. Undertaker v Shawn Michaels Wrestlemania 2009


As to the column itself, as per usual I have trouble faulting your choice of matches, they all deserve there spot on the card. Looking forward to the Ultimate PPV.

[T.O.]

I will say it 'til the end of time.

Fuck Taker/Foley HIAC.

[TheMaskedNewton]

I remember the Austin vs Michaels combat very fondly. There's a lot of wrestling going in there, there's a lot of storyline going in there. Although the match ended in disqualification, it was nice to see both of them walking together. WWE and the wrestling industry in general have that nagging habit of adding controversies where it is not required. Throughout the match, Austin shows off his character through various antics and Shawn perfectly plays the role of hesistant. My favourite spot in the match is when Austin invites Shawn in the ring by holding up the ropes for him. Classic Texan stuff!

[Mazza]

This one looked like it was tough to put together for sure. Wanted to touch on something you said about the Taker/Mankind HIAC match. You know I just re-watched this recently and you're dead on about it. If it weren't for those big spots, there really wasn't a lot to this match. It's forever etched in wrestling lore, but it was ALL about those spots.

Kudos for adding the Beth Phoenix/Melina match. Finding a decent Divas match is hard to do, but this one is certainly one of the better ones we've seen.

Nice job Mazz.

I am still not sure I made a right or wrong decision with the match. It's just one of those things really. I guess in a way like maybe a Andre Hogan or something like that.

Pick any match on this card.

Throw it the fuck out.

Replace it with this.

I don't wanna bust on you personally, but the WWE has never done anything better than 1989 NWA.

Flair and Funk >>> Hart and Michaels, now and forever.

You know me Missou, all WWF. This is a concept based on WWE only, more than anything because I don't really have the knowledge base to select NWA/WCW matches. That said it would be very cool for someone to reboot this series with the focus being on the dirty dirty. Hell, I would take it on myself if I had a partner to construct the cards.

I continue to be a big fan of these columns. Tough to say if this PPV matches the absolute star quality of some of the others, but it's right up there. Angle/McMahon and Mysterio/Jericho carry the load for thorough, exciting matches and Foley/Taker presents us with those infamous and intense hardcore moments that we'll be talking about for years.

Initially, I was aghast at the absence of Triple H/Batista, but after delaying my knee-jerk reaction, I thought about it. The Hellishness of that match (while chart-topping in its own right) would've been overshadowed and watered down by Taker/Foley's Hell in a Cell. Tough decision you made, but I think you made the right one (and all of these must be littered with tough decisions, I can imagine).

I actually had a lot of fun doing these and I am a bit upset that it is over. I am sure I can find something to fill the void sooner or later though. Belive me, I agonised over Batista-Trips. I think it is the best cell match that stayed in the cell (at least until this Mania). I actually could have gone with 2 cell matches at a push but the card just seemed to have better balance without it. Not the first of my favourites to get cut.

I really like this as a column format. It's fun to revisit really good matches that have become largely forgotten, especially when the writing is sharp and enthusiastic.

The only thing I'd have done differently is insert the odd comma. Some - not all - of the sentences were a little clunky. Minor complaint though.

I 100% agreed with the following excerpt:

"This is actually a lesson to everyone out there that moans about how much time they get. Even if you have just a few minutes, you still have the potential to put on a strong performance and that is exactly what Hart and Waltman did here."

Jim Ross calls this "maximising one's minutes", and it's very true. You've made me want to revisit a match I'd probably never have watched again otherwise. That's an achievement.

Thank you, Sir. Definitely a very fun series to put together and revisit. It was actually a tough one to write which may explain it being a little clunky. It just took me forever (I started it well before my previous 2 and had originally had it planned to drop over a month ago). To be honest, Owen vs The 1-2-3 Kid isn't one that got in on memory but based on a couple of people giving a semi-decent write up. Was definitely a good choice. Obviously not a classic but a fun 5 minutes.

Ooooh the return of the STCF, always up for some good Q&A

1. Triple H
2. Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Undertaker
3. Randy Orton
4. 45
5. 1998
6. ladder
7. 9
8. 81
9. 5
10. Undertaker v Shawn Michaels Wrestlemania 2009


As to the column itself, as per usual I have trouble faulting your choice of matches, they all deserve there spot on the card. Looking forward to the Ultimate PPV.

I knew you would be the first one on the STCF train, the good news is right now that you are in the lead!

I will say it 'til the end of time.

Fuck Taker/Foley HIAC.

'Til the end of time? Damn, you need a hobby or something. At least you got Shane-Angle.

I remember the Austin vs Michaels combat very fondly. There's a lot of wrestling going in there, there's a lot of storyline going in there. Although the match ended in disqualification, it was nice to see both of them walking together. WWE and the wrestling industry in general have that nagging habit of adding controversies where it is not required. Throughout the match, Austin shows off his character through various antics and Shawn perfectly plays the role of hesistant. My favourite spot in the match is when Austin invites Shawn in the ring by holding up the ropes for him. Classic Texan stuff!

It was a very fun match. Both characters were definitely being formed for big moments in their career. I wonder just how epic their rivalry would have been if Shawn hadn't been on the shelf for 4 years.

[Jackster]

STCF1 - Hulk Hogan
STCF2 - John Cena, HHH, HBK
STCF3 - Mick Foley
STCF4 - 72
STCF5 - 2000
STCF6 - Singles Match
STCF7 - 9
STCF8 - 46
STCF9 - 12
STCF10 - Rock v Austin WMXVII