The Charge

Every Championship Defended!

The Case

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.

The Verdict

Not guilty.

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