This will be a new post PPV feature that will attempt to grade out how everyone who appeared on the PPV did. Teams will be treated as a unit with standout performers highlighted. To see a quick breakdown of the match and who won, just click that wrestler’s name. Let’s get to the Report Card!
The Miz: B-
His match wasn’t great, but he proved once again to be a heat machine, keeping the crowd involved mostly out of sheer hate. He didn’t really establish a great control period and the finish should have had a blatant tights grab or feet on the ropes to really be effective.
John was a big loser tonight, not in losing the match, but in being unable to work with Miz for a memorable performance. Some might say the Miz is as responsible for that as Morrison, but the Miz’s road to fame is the heat he gets, while the “new HBK†John Morrison needs to have great matches no matter what. He also threw a lot of stuff into this, without a ton having meaning. Morrison will be a top guy, but isn’t quite there.
Michelle McCool, Beth Phoenix and Natalya: B-
They weren’t memorable, but they came off as ass kickers, and that’s something.
Gail Kim, Melina, and Kelly Kelly: C-
Kelly and Melina both seemed disinterested out here, but some hard work by Kim saved the team’s grade. She’s not the most talented or best woman on the roster, but she always tries hard.
Undertaker: B
‘Taker looked the most mobile he has since he’s returned and pinned the guy who could most afford the loss- both positives, just nothing outstanding.
CM Punk: A-
Punk’s personality carried this- cocky against Rey or Batista, but respectful to the borderline of fear for the Undertaker. He also continued to be a sneaky opportunist, proving the perfect replacement Edge. As the glue guy of a multi-man match, his contributions might not be readily noticeable to the casual observer, but they were there.
Rey Mysterio: C-
Rey needed to far more actively cost Batista for this match and turn to really be great, but instead, what we got was Rey occasionally flying in to interrupt stuff. His main segment with Batista was good, but didn’t really do the job of getting the crowd behind him for the night.
Batista: C+
Batista was at least a B in the match, looking strong and energetic, plus taking the fall, but after the match, he was so casual in his heel turn the audience didn’t seem to care and that pulls his grade down.
Team Raw: B
The real standouts of the Raw team were Cody Rhodes and Kofi Kingston, perhaps to be sure to foreshadow their later importance, which was also well done. Swagger looked a bit lost and D-X felt irrelevant, while Mark Henry tried hard. This team didn’t do anything above and beyond to be memorable with even the Big Show turn being obvious.
Team Smackdown: B+
Only Finlay and Jericho and the Hart Dynasty appeared to care. Matt Hardy still seems off his game, and he isn’t that good to begin with, while R-Truth was over-matched from the get-go. Kane was filler and acted it, with Finlay for some reason usurping him as team tough guy. Jericho was his usual sneaky brilliance, and the Hart’s as usual, came off as budding stars.
John Cena: A
Sure Cena spent most of the match laying there beaten, but he took a great beating and made a smart comeback without forgetting he was hurt for once. While that might have been exhaustion, it still made for a hot crowd as he struggled across the finish line.
Randy Orton: A+
Even in defeat, this was Randy’s night. He controlled the entire match with great psychology and even managed to pace it pretty well, letting the crowd rest at times, before bringing them to the edge of their seat with his psychotic assaults. He’s merely a good seller and above average talker. His timing is weak usually and he’s prone to silly facial expressions, but Randy Orton, more than anyone else in the WWE right now, gets the reason behind everything he’s doing in the ring and it’s making him an extremely entertaining, if thoroughly polarizing figure. Still, this was his great match, perhaps his greatest and he deserves the credit for that.
