WWE Breaking Point Review

WWE Breaking Point occurred on Sunday night and it seems like it was an interesting show. During football season, WWE PPVs take a back seat around here. So, my thoughts will be based only on reports of the show I have read and I will be comparing my predictions to what actually happened. If anyone who saw the show live wants to correct me on anything, please feel free to leave a comment. Let’s get into it:

WWE Unified Tag Team Championship
Jericho and Big Show (c) vs. MVP and Mark Henry
My prediction: Jericho and Show win and retain
Actual result: Jericho and Show retain via pinfall
As I predicted and expected, Chris Jericho and the Big Show get the win in this match and continue their tag team championship reign. It just did not make any sort of sense to throw the belts on a hastily made team of MVP and Mark Henry. Reports indicate that this match had some good action in it. You got the standard, fast paced chain wrestling from Jericho and MVP, while Show and Henry slugged it out with their power moves. MVP played the “face in peril” until he could make a hot tag to Henry. Henry was able to dominate and Jericho avoided losing the titles by getting a foot on the ropes. The finish once again saw Big Show hitting a knockout punch on Henry and Jericho scored the pinfall to retain. This was the correct finish in my mind, but I still have no idea what the WWE plans to do here. Having Jericho and Show dominate for a long period can be good, as long as they drop the belts to a team who could use the help. I still say Legacy or the Hart Dynasty should beat them and that would cement either team as serious players. I wonder how long it will be before we get tension between Jericho and Show and the team starts to crumble.

WWE United States Championship
Kofi Kingston (c) vs. The Miz
My Prediction: I stated via Twitter that I was pulling for Miz, but expected a Kofi victory to extend this feud
Actual result: Kingston retains via pinfall
This match was a late addition to the PPV and pretty much replaced the Intercontinental Title match between John Morrison and Dolph Ziggler. By all accounts, this match delivered and it was very good. From what I read, the action was pretty fast paced throughout the match and it was filled with counters and reversals. Both Kofi and Miz looked very even and the match could have gone either way. In the end, Kofi connected with the Trouble in Paradise to retain the U.S. Title. I am fine with this result for the time being and I expected it. I love Miz’s arrogant and cocky character and he has really developed in a solid performer. In my estimation, he should get a run with the U.S. Title in the near future and I am hoping this feud will continue. Miz did the job and was John Cena’s bitch, so I don’t see how he can come up short here. If he continues to lose to Kingston and does not get the title, Miz will look very weak and will be stuck in mid-card jobber hell. Kingston has done a really good job with the U.S. Title and I think he should eventually lose to Miz and have a few good rematches before they both more onto new challengers.

Submissions Count Anywhere
Legacy vs. DX
My prediction: Legacy
Actual result: Legacy via submission on Michaels
I could not be more thrilled when I read the result of this match. After thinking and evaluating things, I came to the conclusion that Rhodes and Dibiase could not afford to lose this match and I am happy WWE creative seems to have agreed. Triple H and Shawn Michaels are bulletproof and they could afford the loss. A win over Legacy would have only buried two potential stars and it would have been stupid. Everything I have read indicates that this was a damn good match. The action spilled out of the ring and all over the arena. They fought in the stands, in the arena concourse, backstage, you name it. Obviously, both teams tried to kill each other and Legacy actually was much more effective. After going back and forth for a long while, Rhodes and Dibiase used the help of a cooler and a sick chair shot to knock out Triple H backstage. Once they got back into the ring, Shawn Michaels did a valiant job of trying to fight off Legacy, but he was not able to overcome the 2 on 1 disadvantage. Michaels eventually tapped out to a combination of a figure-four leg lock on the ring post by Rhodes and a Million Dollar Dream by Dibiase before Triple H could get back to the ring to make the save. It seems like Legacy finally was allowed to look like a real threat and they came out looking like stars in this match. I am pleasantly surprised at this outcome and hope that Rhodes and Dibiase continue to be booked strong. I don’t think they will ever become megastars, but they have the chance to be solid main event level talent if they are handled correctly. I have a sneaking suspicion though that this feud will continue and I am fearful that Legacy will be destroyed by DX at the Hell in a Cell PPV, which would very much hurt the momentum they got from this match.

Singapore Cane Match
Kane vs. The Great Khali
My prediction: The Great Khali
Actual result: Kane via pinfall
Well I don’t mind being wrong with this prediction. Although, it saddens me this could indicate the feud might continue. As you would expect, this was a very ugly match. The Montreal crowd started up a boring chant in the middle of it, so there is all you need to know. Kane and Khali apparently stumbled through the match, hitting each other with the canes a few times and trying to pull off some spots with them. Runjin Singh eventually got involved again by hitting Kane with a cane, which only angered the Big Red Machine and made him harass Singh. As Khali checked on Runjin, Kane was able to drop Khali neck-first on the ropes and then hit a chokeslam for the win. I have no more patience for this feud and it is going nowhere. Again, since Khali is playing the face in this feud, standard booking says that he comes out on top in the end. So sadly, we might have to be tortured with more matches between these two. I am not sure what else either Kane or Khali could be doing, but this feud is just boring and uninspiring.

*Special note: After this match, CM Punk was given some interview time and he actually brought up the fact that Jeff Hardy got arrested! I am surprised the WWE even touched that subject, but you can’t deny that it is a brilliant heel move for Punk to do.

ECW Championship
Christian (c) vs. William Regal
My prediction: William Regal wins ECW title
Actual result: Christian retains via pinfall
Well the swerve happened before this match even took place as ECW GM Tiffany banned Ezekiel Jackson and Vladimir Kozlov from ringside. Well if I knew that before the PPV, I may have had different thoughts about the result of the match. I expected Regal to steal the title with the help of Jackson and Kozlov, but with them being banned from ringside, it greatly increased the odds of Christian retaining and that is exactly what happened. As you would expect, the reports indicate that this was a very solid match. Both Christian and Regal are very skilled wrestlers and they seem to have delivered a good match. Christian had the Killswitch blocked three separate times before he was finally able to hit it for the win. Now, I have no idea what will be going on in ECW. I really thought that Regal would win and Christian would have to fight through the “Ruthless Roundtable” to try and get the title back. But at this point, Regal is starting to look like a chump and I don’t see how he should be in line for yet another title match. If Kozlov or Jackson step in now, that is pretty logical and could work. A title win for either one would definitely elevate that person to a new level.

“I Quit” Match for the WWE Championship
Randy Orton (c) vs. John Cena
My prediction: John Cena wins WWE Title
Actual result: John Cena wins WWE Title
Surprise, surprise, surprise…what a shocker. I said there was no way in hell John Cena would lose this match and say “I quit” and I was dead on. Cena’s whole persona is based on a never quit, never give up attitude so this result seemed to be a foregone conclusion. The way the match seems to have gone down is pretty bad and was typical Cena booking. From what I gather, Orton spent about 10-15 minutes absolutely beating the hell out of Cena. He abused him with steel steps and then pulled out a pair of handcuffs. Orton placed the key to the cuffs around his neck and then proceeded to cuff Cena to the ropes, to the turnbuckle, and even to himself with Cena’s hands behind his back. Orton destroyed Cena with a Singapore cane and chair shots. However, Cena did not quit and was eventually able to wrestle the key away from Orton and then cuffed himself to Orton directly. After a little more action, Cena worked Orton into the STFU and Orton quickly tapped. WHAT THE HELL?!? I am seriously sick and tired of John Cena playing Superman and Hulk Hogan, version 2.0. The act is so very worn out and I am tired of it. I don’t need Cena’s toughness and never give up attitude continually shoved down my throat. We get the point already. I have no problem with Cena winning the belt, but I am to the point where the booking of his matches is just insulting. The STFU is treated as the most dangerous move on Earth and John Cena can just survive anything. Orton will obviously get his rematch, but unfortunately Cena will win it and we will be subjected to a lengthy title reign and more of this crap. I try not to complain to this extent with what the WWE does, but I am just totally tired of John Cena.

Submission Match for the World Heavyweight Title
CM Punk (c) vs. The Undertaker
My prediction: Somehow, someway CM Punk retains
Actual result: CM Punk retains via Montreal Screwjob, Version 2.0
Well I said that I didn’t know how the WWE would do it, but CM Punk would not be losing the title this soon. I was right on this, but unfortunately, the WWE had to go the cheap and cheesy route and pull out another “Montreal Screwjob”. Punk and Taker put on a pretty good match that was cruising along just fine until Taker tried to hit Punk with a chokeslam. Punk countered with a roundhouse kick that was then countered into Taker’s Hell’s Gate submission hold. Punk quickly tapped out and we were led to believe that the Undertaker was the new World Heavyweight Champion…that is until Smackdown GM Teddy Long came out and reminded us all that Vicky Guerrero had the move banned and that decision has not been reversed. So the win did not count and the match had to continue. Soon after the restart, Punk got Taker in the Anaconda Vice. Suddenly, the bell rang, but the Undertaker did not submit. Punk and the referee quickly left the ring and joined Teddy Long on the entrance ramp. So the fix was in and we had to relive the Montreal Screwjob 12 years later. While I applaud the WWE for continuity with the Hell’s Gate submission being banned, this is just not a good move. It seems extremely stupid and foolish to do. I think it is insulting to the fans and there was no reason for it. The WWE painted themselves into a corner with this match stipulation and this is the price we pay. I don’t think the outcome does anything for CM Punk and he deserved something better to escape with the title. I really can’t say what that might have been, but this was dumb. To look on the bright side though, the build toward a rematch at the Hell in a Cell PPV should be pretty good and that main event match will hopefully be strong.

The Game’s Quick Hits

Patriots 25, Bills 24 – This turned out to be a surprisingly competitive game to open up the 40th season of Monday Night Football and the Patriots ended up having to survive and steal a victory in the final minutes. After being in disarray on the offensive side of the ball and firing their offensive coordinator in the preseason, most people assumed that the Patriots would easily handle the Bills in this game. But Buffalo came to play and their defense played well in the 1st half. They got really good pressure on Patriots QB Tom Brady and held the running game in check. Brady was not particularly sharp early on and he missed some throws. He did engineer one good scoring drive for a TD and had another bog down right before halftime. The Bills did not do much better on offense, but they did get a 26-yard interception return for a TD from Aaron Schobel after Brady poorly executed a screen pass. This helped the Bills take a 14-10 lead into the half.

Things did not get much better for the Patriots in the 2nd half. They dominated in terms of time of possession and they were able to move the ball with two long drives, but one ended in a turnover on downs and the other in a field goal. Brady looked passive and tentative in many situations and things were not clicking. The Bills were only slightly better until there was about 10 minutes left in the game. QB Trent Edwards was able to engineer a long scoring drive which ended in a 10-yard TD pass to RB Fred Jackson. This gave the Bills a 24-13 lead with just over 5 minutes left and it looked like Buffalo was going to pull an amazing upset. But then, the Patriots turned back into the Patriots. Brady got the hurry up offensive going and he easily drove New England down the field and threw an 18-yard TD pass to TE Benjamin Watson to pull the score to 24-19 after a failed 2-point conversion. Then, the Patriots got the break they needed when Buffalo’s Leodis McKelvin elected not to take a touchback on the kickoff and then proceeded to fumble the ball away. It only took Brady 3 plays to hit Watson again with a 16-yard TD pass to give the Patriots a crazy 25-24 come-from-behind win.

So in the final analysis, the Patriots may not be as good as everyone thought and the Bills might not be as bad as everyone thought. You could attribute the poor performance to opening game jitters, but the Patriots’ defense did have some holes that can be exploited as the year goes along. But this is what good teams do. They find a way to win games even when they do not play their best. I do expect Brady and the rest of the offense to round into form though and they should be fine in the long run. Considering how bad Buffalo looked in the preseason, this was an excellent performance. The no-huddle offense actually did some good things, but Trent Edwards needs to get better and take more shots down the field. The defense will also have to play this well in subsequent weeks to give the Bills any chance to win some ball games.

Chargers 24, Raiders 20 – In the final game of week 1, we got another strange game and a shocking performance from the Oakland Raiders. Just like the Bills, the Raiders looked bad in the preseason and no one expected them to really give the Chargers a game tonight. But Oakland came out rolling and was able to dominate the line of scrimmage with their offensive line. They were able to run the ball effectively on offense and their defense was surprisingly stout as they held Chargers QB Philip Rivers and RB LaDainian Tomlinson in check. Richard Seymour looked great and delivered an immediate impact on defense for the Raiders. If not for a few mistakes, a near miss of a TD catch late in the 2nd quarter, and some bad coverage on kickoff returns against RB Darren Sproles, the Raiders could have had a 14-7 lead at halftime. Instead, San Diego was lucky to go into the half with a 10-10 tie. Things remained ugly as both teams struggled on offense to start the 3rd quarter and both defenses were in firm control, but it was clear the Raiders continued to look better than the Chargers. Things finally heated up in the 4th quarter as the teams traded touchdowns and the lead. Rivers hit WR Vincent Jackson with a 15-yard TD pass to put the Chargers up 17-13. Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell then responded with a beautiful 57-yard touchdown pass to WR Louis Murphy on a 4th-and-15 to give Oakland the lead back. But Rivers and the Chargers had the final say as they drove down the field and Sproles scored on a 5-yard run to give San Diego a 24-20 win. Once again, good teams find a way to win games. This win will now be a good confidence booster for San Diego and it should be one hell of a game against the Ravens this Sunday. The Raiders look like they are buying into Coach Tom Cable’s philosophy and are playing better fundamental football. They actually could win a few more games than expected this season.

Monday Night RAWind: I thought the WWE was able to put on a pretty good show last night, but some things left a great deal to be desired. The show opened with Batista coming out, still in an arm brace, to make a “career altering announcement”. He stated that he was there to tell everyone goodbye, but before Batista was able to say much more, Randy Orton came out to the ring. Orton mocked Batista and claimed that he was retiring because he wanted to get away from Randy Orton. This seemed to amuse Batista, who then swerved everyone by pulling off the arm brace and attacking Orton. He then told everyone that he was saying goodbye to Raw because he was going to Smackdown. He finished off the opening segment by saying that tonight’s guest host, Trish Stratus, gave him one final match on Raw: a no holds barred match with Orton.

I was pretty excited for the show after this segment, but that turned into major disappointment as we got to the main event. Looking at the time, I could see that the match would be short and it was. Batista basically threw Orton around the announce table a bit and then took advantage of John Cena coming out and throwing Orton back in the ring as he tried to run away. He hit a quick Batista Bomb and the match was over. So you mean to tell me that after a man injures you and puts you out for 3 months and costs you your title that you are happy coming back and winning a meaningless match before switching shows? Will someone tell how the hell that makes sense? I could give it a pass if Orton and Batista had a long, kick ass match and Batista ended up destroying Orton, but this type of stuff is crap. Batista looks like a chump as far as I’m concerned and now he will be going to Smackdown to try and ruin CM Punk. I can dream that Punk will go over Batista, but I know better and I expect Batista to make Punk his bitch in the near future and that is sad. I am tired of Batista at this point, at least the face version of “The Animal”. If they turned him heel and allowed him to be a ruthless badass, I could be interested again. But like John Cena, Batista is stale and not that entertaining anymore.

Luckily though, there were some other good things to be found on Raw. The 10 pm main event featured Ted Dibiase against Shawn Michaels. Legacy cut a pretty effective promo before the match where they put themselves over as being the only people to make DX tap out. This was a good move and Rhodes and Dibiase are starting to look better out there. Michaels and Dibiase had a good match that ended in a DQ when Rhodes interfered and then all hell broke loose. DX and Legacy brawled around the ringside area and it was later announced that the teams would face each other in Hell in a Cell at the next PPV (to go along with Orton’s rematch against Cena which was also announced). So there is confirmation of my fear that Legacy will just get destroyed and set back.

We also saw a tag team match between Kofi Kingston and Primo against The Miz and Jack Swagger. It was short, but the most important development is that The Miz stole Kofi’s United States Title belt and walked out with it. So it seems this feud will indeed continue. In other action, Alicia Fox defeated Gail Kim to earn a shot at the Divas Championship against Mickie James. Now why in the hell is Alicia Fox getting a push? That makes no sense to me and she should not be getting anywhere near that belt. I think Beth Phoenix should be challenging James for it, but at least Beth did get a good spot on the card last night. She got in Trish’s face about the #1 contender’s match and Chris Jericho made an appearance as well. This led to a tag team match between Stratus and MVP and Phoenix and Jericho. The Big Show and Mark Henry got involved and it became a 6 person tag. In the end, Trish showed that she still has it in the ring and she was able to pin Beth for the victory. All in all, Trish was a good guest host and this edition of Raw was passable.

- The injury bug bit the Chicago Bears particularly hard on Sunday night as LB Brian Urlacher dislocated his wrist. He was forced to undergo surgery for the injury and he will be out for the rest of the season. This is terrible news for the Bears and they will take a big hit on defense. Urlacher is the heart and soul of the Bears’ defense and the unquestioned leader of the team. He is responsible for being the coordinator out on the field and he communicates what the team is doing to everyone else. And beyond that, he is just a ferocious player and can dominate a game. Chicago has enough playmakers and talent on the defensive side of the ball to still be a good unit overall, but they will not be as good without Urlacher. This is the exact same situation that the Pittsburgh Steelers face when you take Troy Polamalu out of their defense. I expect the Bears to still be tough to score on, but now it becomes a little easier for everyone to score points on them. Through the course of the season, this could be the difference between making the playoffs and coming up a game short. Chicago is already behind the Vikings and Packers and things do not look that good without Urlacher. The Bears have already been talking to free agent and former Buccaneers LB Derrick Brooks, but it looks like they will not be signing him at this time. Brooks knows the defensive scheme that Chicago runs, but at his advanced age, he will not be able to come in and make an impact like Brian Urlacher can. This is a tough situation for the Bears and I’m not sure they can overcome it to make a playoff run. QB Jay Cutler will have to start playing MUCH better to give Chicago any chance.

- Coach Andy Reid says that Philadelphia Eagles QB Donovan McNabb will try to play through the pain of a fractured rib this Sunday against the Saints. Reports indicate that McNabb was in a great deal of pain yesterday and he found it hard to even sit comfortably. He is not expected to practice on Wednesday and it seemed highly unlikely he will be able to play this week, but his health will be monitored by the Eagles and he is officially “uncertain”. I have heard reports that he could easily be out 2-4 weeks, but apparently McNabb is going to try and give it a go. If McNabb can’t start on Sunday, QB Kevin Kolb will have to assume the starting role. As I have said before, things will be tough for the Eagles without McNabb if he can’t play. Kolb has show an inability to get the ball to the Eagles’ playmakers and that will not get the job done. The Eagles signed free agent QB Jeff Garcia as insurance on Monday afternoon. This is a smart pick up considering that Garcia is a proven veteran and he knows the Eagles offense. At this point, Kolb is the back up but if he struggles, the team can now turn to Garcia. It will be interesting to see what happens if Kolb plays and really struggles this Sunday because Michael Vick will be eligible to play in week 3 and now Garcia is around. Without question, the Eagles will have to sail through some choppy waters.

- A definitive update has finally come in on Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu. It was reported that he will not need knee surgery and he should be out for 3-6 weeks as originally speculated. This is a bit of good news for Pittsburgh that it is not more severe, but they will definitely miss Polamalu while he is out. I am hopeful that the Ravens could catch a break and Polamalu’s absence could cost the Steelers a game that they should win. Hey, you have to take whatever you can get.

- Carolina Panthers Coach John Fox stated on Monday that QB Jake Delhomme’s status with the team is “unchanged” and he will remain the starting quarterback. Including last season’s playoff loss, Delhomme has turned the ball over 11 times in his past 2 games. Fox compared Delhomme to Tiger Woods and Roger Federer, saying that they don’t win every tournament. Excuse me while I have a chuckle with that one. Delhomme is no slouch, but he certainly is not on the same level as Woods and Federer. Regardless though, the Panthers really do not have much of an option behind Delhomme so they will have to stick with him. The evidence continues to mount that the Panthers will just not be that good this season. Delhomme will have to regain his confidence and his form to turn this thing around.

- On the college injury front, USC QB Matt Barkley is listed as day-to-day after suffering a bruised shoulder against Ohio State on Saturday. The injury does not appear to be anything serious, but Coach Pete Carroll said Barkley will be monitored. He hopes that Barkley will be able to play this Saturday and that QB Aaron Corp is ready to step in if needed. Considering that USC is playing Washington this week, I don’t think it matters who is starting at quarterback. Washington still has a long way to go to become a powerhouse again and USC should handle them easily, even on the road.

-U.S. Open Update: Due to rain delays, the men’s championship match was pushed to Monday for the second consecutive year. The wait was worth it as #6 seed Juan Martin del Potro shocked #1 seed Roger Federer and beat him in a 5 set classic, 3-6, 7-6, 4-6, 7-6, 6-2. Amazingly, Federer seemed to crumble down the stretch as del Potro punished him with strong forehands and played extremely smart by getting in a great percentage of 1st serves. Usually Federer wears down his opponent and brings his game to another level, but in this match it was del Potro who delivered. He came back from 2 sets to 1 down and denied Federer his 16th Grand Slam title, his 6th consecutive U.S. Open title, and snapped his 40 match winning streak at the Open. It was a great match and a huge win for the 20-year old from Argentina. Even the best find it hard to deliver every single time and it was Federer’s turn to not deliver the goods when it mattered.

Serena Williams also returned to the court after her profanity-laced tirade against a linesperson in her semifinal defeat to Kim Clijsters. She won the U.S. Open women’s doubles title with her sister Venus Williams. They defeated defending champions Cara Black and Liezel Huber in straight sets 6-2, 6-2 to capture their 10th Grand Slam doubles title and first at the U.S. Open since 1999.

And on a final note from the Open, Kim Clijsters’ amazing win in the women’s championship match propelled her all the way up to #19 in the latest WTA rankings. She had no ranking prior to the tournament and she would have come into the rankings at #181 if she lost in the first round after competing in a few warm up events.