Search - WWE: Summerslam 2008 on DVD

The Undertaker Returns Inside The Delvil's Playground!

J-Man | 06/06/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This was a very good summerslam event. The 2 world title matches where a bit lackluster but the last couple of matches made this dvd well worth purchasing. Thanks for reading and please rate!

Jeff Hardy vs. MVP
This was a very solid, faced paced opener. Jeff had the most control over this match, but the bout had a nice spot when mvp gave hardy a suplex and jeff landed right on his neck. Mvp wins because of shelton's distraction on jeff. Good opening bout. Match Rating:4/5

Winner Take All Match
IC Champ Kofi Kingston and Women's Champ Mickie James vs. Glamarella
This suprised me alot. The match was actually pretty good. The match was short and watchable. Nice moment after the match where beth carries santino over her shoulders after thier win. Match Rating:3/5

ECW Championship
Mark Henry vs. Matt Hardy
DUD! To sum it up hardy gave henry a twist of fate and then tony atlas got henry disqualified. The match was super short and the aftermath was better than the bout itself. Match Rating:1/5 (For The Aftermath)

World Heavyweight Championship
CM Punk vs. JBL
This was an average matchup here. This was kind of like cena and jbl's wm 21 match except cm punk was wrestling instead of cena. JBL dominated most of this one and punk dished out some major punishment. Look for the spot where the two men crack heads. Punk wins with a g.t.s out of nowhere. Match Rating:3.5/5

WWE Championship
Triple H vs. Great Khali
Once again just an average bout. Triple H pretty much got dominated by khali throughout the match and hhh only getting in a few moves. This match got really slow at times, but had a good end to it where triple h gave a pedigree to the great khali for the win. Match Rating:3/5

John Cena vs. Batista
I liked the story coming into this one. It was about how the match was six years in the making and both men winning thier first world titles at wm 21 and they are fighting to see hwo is the better man. This wasn't any kind of dream match to me, but it was solid. Both men gave it thier all in this bout and gave a good match. The ending is where batista really shows he is the animal and counters cena's leg drop into a batista bomb and injures cena's neck to keep him out until survivor series '08. The second best match of the night. Match Rating:4.5/5

Hell In A Cell
Undertaker vs. Edge
This defiently deserved to be the main event. This match had a great story to it and a great way to end thier fued. This match had everything. Edge spearing taker through the cell and the anounce table. Both men were very aggressive in this matchup. The bout included weapons like tables, chairs, ladders, and steel steps. A nice moment where undertaker chokeslams edge of the top rope through two tables. Undertaker gets his revenge and beats edge with a tombstone and after the match chokeslams him off a ladder throught the ring and sinds him into flames. Great match and undertaker diserved the win. Match Rating:5/5"

WWE's Summer Series Returns To Form

R.A. McKenzie | New York | 09/18/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I posted a review for the WWE SUMMERSLAM ANTHOLOGY, which I concluded that this PPV series was becoming "one long cold shower". Last year's SUMMERSLAM was hyped as "The Biggest Party of the Summer", but I felt it was "The Worst Party of The Year".

However, I'm pleased to say that WWE's "Biggest Blockbuster of the Summer" lives up to its name.

*******************************

1) Jeff Hardy v. M.V.P.
---I wasn't really looking forward to this one, because both men's strange offense doesn't work with a lot of superstars. But I was pleasantly surprised to see both Jeff and Porter use unique reversals and sensible wrestling from bell to bell. Seeing these guys put on a match this good makes me regret losing interest in recent weeks.
"7.0 / 10"
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2) Winners Take All
Mickie James (Women's champion) &
Kofi Kingston (Intercontinental champion)
v. Santino Marella & Beth Phoenix
---I was also completely surprised by this tag team contest. This is probably the best Intergender Match I've ever seen. For starters, Marella & Phoenix have such terrific chemistry; I'd be surprised if they weren't a real couple. The match flows very well, as each person gets to look good before the finish comes. But most of all, this whole scenario is flat-out hilarious! It's filled with little facial expressions and great comedic timing, especially from "Glamarella". Trust me, just give this one a look. You won't regret it.
"7.0 / 10"
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***I actually want to address Shawn Michaels' promo, because it's gotten mixed reactions from people. I personally think everyone involved with this angle has done a tremendous job. WWE was smart enough to know that if HBK came out on PPV airtime just to talk on a microphone, people were willing to tune in. First, HBK gave a very heartwarming speech; I almost thought he might actually retire. But eventually, Chris Jericho interrupted, and delivered one of his best speeches. And then, when Jericho punched Rebecca, it looked pretty real to me. This entire rivalry is a multi-layered work or art. If you don't like to watch promos during a PPV, I understand. But I urge people to give this an honest watch. You won't see a better exchange of words between two wrestlers.***
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3) ECW Championship
Matt Hardy v. Mark Henry (champion)
---Okay, two questions:
1) Who thought a 30-second title bout was a good idea?
2) Is Matt Hardy ever gonna get a decent SUMMERSLAM appearance?

To tackle the second question, I'm not joking when I ask. After two exciting Tag Team appearances, Matt Hardy hasn't had a decent SUMMERSLAM match since. He didn't get to compete in 2001, whereas brother Jeff got a Ladder Match. His 2003 match against Zach Gowen was cancelled at the last minute. He lost Lita's hand in marriage to Kane in 2004, which actually isn't very funny anymore. And Edge beat him to a knockout in 2005, in a grudge that everybody knows about. Hoenstly, what's the deal?

But more importantly, what possible intelligence is there in booking a brand's single PPV match this way?! This PPV only ran 160 minutes, meaning these guys deserved at least 10 minutes to entertain paying fans!
"1.5 / 10" (1 point for getting in the ring, and a half-point for the Hardys reunion at the end)
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4) World Heavyweight Championship
JBL v. CM Punk (champion)
---Before I criticize too harshly, I want to be clear that I do enjoy this match. However, you need to know that this title contest plays out like a typical Cena-style performance. JBL dominates most of the match, and Punk wins after very little offense. These kinds of "underdog" matches don't always work, but in this case, I think it does. JBL got to use some rough offense, and Punk...well, what I can say...he made me a believer. If you can forget Punk's classic ROH performances, then you might accept this one like I do.
"6.5 / 10"
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5) WWE Championship
The Great Khali v. Triple H (champion)
---I have similar thoughts on this title match as I do with Punk/JBL. It's an underdog-style, one-sided story. But this time, it worked for me. Even with a 9-minute length, and very basic offense from both men, I still bought into it. I mean, how else would a fight like this play out if it weren't fixed? Khali is an intimidating figure, HHH works extra hard to make the match work, and the crowd seemed to enjoy every second of it. However, Jim Ross deserves the most credit, because he sold this story as well as anybody possibly could. This wasn't a great match, but a fun one.
"6.0 / 10"
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6) John Cena v. Batista
---Oh boy, I had plenty of doubts about this one. The epic modern star clashes rarely work. Well, was this a "Bret/Shawn" classic, or "Goldberg/Lesnar" dud? Actually, it was more of a "Hogan/Warrior" battle, where it wasn't great, but good enough to convince skeptics. At the outset, this match seems like it's going to be nothing but signature moves from both men. However, what you start to realize as the contest plays out is that both Batista & Cena manage to put nice little spins on each of their moves. You will get to see the finishers, but in ways you don't expect. You will get to see the familiar moves, but also a few new tricks. By the end, I was as caught up as the Conseco Fieldhouse crowd. A surprisingly entertaining contest.
"7.0 / 10"
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7) Hell-In-A-Cell Match
Edge v. The Undertaker
---Do I even need to write a review on this main event? Actually I do, because Taker & Edge have put on five --- count them, "FIVE!" --- Match-Of-The-Year Candidates in one year alone. The opening video package is very crucial to this encounter, because most Cell Matches with Undertaker involve an intimidated opponent. But as you'll learn from the introductory video that hypes this Cell Match, Edge is even more eager to engage in the fight than Taker. And once the bell rings, Edge brings the fistfight to Taker much like he did at WRESTLEMANIA 24. But enough of the psychobabble, how's the match? Like their TLC Match back in June, this Cell Match is brutal yet sensible. When tables are set up, they're broken in convincing fashion. When Taker & Edge escape the Cell, they only fight on the ground level. When weapons are grabbed, they're used instantly. Every Cell Match has some "OUCH!" moments, but only the best include terrific psychology with the weapons & spots. Earlier in my review, I called the Jericho/HBK rivalry "a work of art". This rivalry is the SMACKDOWN equivalent. Come December, I think hardcore fans will have a heck of time picking a Rivalry-Of-The-Year.
"8.5 / 10"
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OVERALL
---With the exception of a pointless, mind-boggling ECW Title Match, I enjoyed every single match from SUMMERSLAM 2008. Even though I've used a couple of "6" scores, those matches are "Sixes" that I can still have a good time watching. And speaking of that ECW Title Match, at least WWE included the TV rematch on this DVD. The rematch is just over 11 minutes long, and isn't half-bad --- a weird (but nice) compensation.

But the rest of the package is the real deal. Besides, the Edge/Taker Hell-In-A-Cell Match is so good that it's worth buying this DVD, even if you don't like the rest of the card. SUMMERSLAM hasn't been kind to me over the last few years, but I think I'm going to hang onto this blockbuster for a very long time."