WWE // 2009 // 175 Minutes // Not Rated
Reviewed by Judge Franck Tabouring // September 24th, 2009
Every Championship Defended!
WWE: Night of Champions is the only pay-per-view during which every title is on the line, and this time around, WWE's most popular superstars face their fiercest competitors as Jeff Hardy battles CM Punk and Randy Orton shares the ring with Triple H and John Cena. Here's the complete line-up of the eight-match event:
* Ted DiBiase & Cody Rhodes vs. Chris Jericho & A Mystery Partner in
a Unified Tag Team Championship Match
A tag team match is definitely a
good way to open a PPV like this one, and this 9-minute battle sends the show
off to a decent start. Jericho and his partner deliver some solid team action,
and DiBiase and Rhodes throw in a couple of interesting moves to inject this
matchup with some variety. It's not exactly a surprising opener, but it's
certainly not boring.
* Tommy Dreamer vs. Christian in a ECW Championship Match
This is one
entertaining title match. Christian and Dreamer are two wrestlers who know
exactly how to offer their fans a fast-paced show, and their capabilities to
deliver high-risk maneuvers help turn this battle into an entertaining one.
Clocking in at only 8 minutes, this matchup is pretty short, but both athletes
work together well enough to keep the crowd cheering from start to finish.
* Kofi Kingston vs. Primo vs. MVP vs. Carlito vs. Jack Swagger vs. The Miz
in a Six-Pack Challenge for the U.S. Championship
We're three matches into
this pay-per-view, and the wrestling action just seems to be increasing. Running
for 13 minutes, this six-man battle for the U.S. title is a whole lot more
amusing than its two predecessors. All of these athletes are incredibly
flexible, and they deliver one impressive high-risk move after another. There's
obviously a lot going on inside the ring with six men competing for one belt,
but the battle is coordinated well and the crowd is treated to a variety of
dives, big kicks, and other bold maneuvers. A solid match!
* Michelle McCool vs. Melina in a Women's Championship Match
At 6
minutes, the title match between McCool and Melina is actually not as terrible
as I expected. Both women deliver a series of strong kicks and some other
powerful moves. Even though some of their attempts to pull off risky maneuvers
fail, they still put on a decent show. It's not a superb matchup, but I've seen
worse.
* John Cena vs. Triple H vs. Randy Orton in a WWE Championship Match
This is a classic Triple Threat between three experienced WWE wrestlers who
coordinate their moves well and offer fans a mostly clean, entertaining battle.
Cena and Triple H are definitely the most active guys in the ring during this
21-minute fight, but all three of them get to show off their technical skills
via a series of powerful punches and other bold maneuvers. The matchup
occasionally slows down a tad too much for my taste, but other than that, this
is one excellent ride.
* Maryse vs. Mickie James in a Divas Championship Match
Forget this
one. I admit Maryse knows how to pull off a couple of impressive moves, but this
title match is one dragging snooze. It runs for a long 9 minutes, and neither
Maryse nor James really seems to be in the moment. That's all there is to say
about this matchup.
* Rey Mysterio vs. Dolph Ziggler in an Intercontinental Championship
Match
The battle between Mysterio and Ziggler may not be technically
perfect, but both athletes are fun to watch nonetheless. Mysterio pulls off his
usual routine filled with great dives, jumps and other high-risk moves, and
Ziggler delivers quite a few impressive maneuvers as well. Clocking in at 14
minutes, this is yet another amusing title matchup.
* CM Punk vs. Jeff Hardy in a World Heavyweight Championship Match
The
WWE Championship match is definitely the best match of this PPV, but the main
event between Punk and Hardy isn't that bad either. Although the battle starts
off way too slow, both wrestler soon engage in an action-packed fight featuring
a bunch of tough moves inside and around the ring. Both Punk and Hardy possess
excellent technical skills, and they certainly don't shy away from showcasing
their flexibility. This is a good final match.
As usual, WWE delivers a decent full-frame presentation. The picture quality is clean enough for this kind of television sports event, and the audio transfer, though only of minor importance, works just as well. The disc also includes a Spanish commentary track.
The bonus material doesn't have much to offer, unfortunately. The only thing you get to see here is a lame backstage interview between Josh Mathews and the loser of the World Heavyweight Championship Match. Don't even bother checking it out, because it's really not worth it.
All in all, WWE: Night of Champions 2009 is a passable WWE pay-per-view. Most matches are entertaining to watch, and despite one or two failures, this is a remarkably solid event.
Not guilty.
Review content copyright © 2009 Franck Tabouring; Site layout and review format copyright © 1998 - 2012 HipClick Designs LLC
Scales of Justice
Judgment: 83
Perp Profile
Studio: WWE
Video Formats:
* Full Frame
Audio Formats:
* Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround (English)
* Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo (Spanish)
Subtitles:
* None
Running Time: 175 Minutes
Release Year: 2009
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Distinguishing Marks
* Backstage Interview
Accomplices
* IMDb
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt1478966/combined
* Official Site
http://www.wwe.com/shows/nightofchampions/