WWE Mark Stuff

The Hardy/Umaga cage match is one of my favorite RAW main events in a long time, and the best cage match I've seen on free TV since Benoit/Angle before one was an infamous murderer and the other was trying to be the new Jeff Jarrett in another promotion. Much like Edge vs. Mick Foley at 'Mania 22, I'll cop to the fact that I may be overrating it because of some cool spots at the climax of the match, but I'll be damned if those weren't some damn cool spots; I was especially happy with the bits where Hardy was chanelling Sabu with his use of the chair, but nothing's going to top that somersault off the top of the cage. Hardy celebrating at the top of the cage was a great moment to end the show on.

Admittedly, it's kind of sad that Umaga went from a nigh-unbeatable monster to looking like a jobber to the stars in a matter of months, but hey, that's what happens when you got with your hand in the HGH jar these days; remember when Kennedy looked poised to be a world champion and Wrestlemania headliner? Me either. Oh, and there's that whole "feuding with HHH" thing that also seems to have deflated everyone's second favorite portly Samoan badass (well, third if you're really fond of Meng/Haku). That said, between that whole 7 month undefeated streak and how well he plays the character, Umaga should at the very least settle in to a role similar to Kane's, where he's believable as a threat and will be used as an upper mid carder but will mostly be used to put over main eventers which, when you think about it, is no bad thing, really.

I also really liked the HHH/Regal First Blood Match, especially when Regal realized he could fight back. There was a real moment of clarity for him there when he remembered he was a badass brawler which I thought was a nice touch. Of course, he wound up jobbing, but it was nice that he at least got some offense in, which seemed doubtful for awhile.

ECW also had a couple of noteworthy matches. Throw in Layla dancing and that's pretty much all you can ask for. Admittedly, both the tag title and Punk/Chavo had cop out endings, but that's just goes with the territory of free shows. It would great to see either of these feuds get a blow off at the Rumble, but it seems unlikely, given how stacked the card already is. Besides Orton/Hardy, there's also Mysterio/Edge for the World Title, JBL/Jericho, and Flair/MVP and, you know, the hour+ Royal Rumble, well, there seems like there isn't room for anything else. ECW tends to get the short end of the straw in the time alotted depratment, so maybe it's for the best that they keep these going on ECW instead of squeezing a rushed Punk/Chavo or Mizorrison/Dragon Count (that's the best combination for Wang and Moore I could think of) in there just to give ECW something to do on the PPV. Or, you know, at least save it for No Way Out. At any rate, I'm getting dangerously close to be excited about WWE programming again. I'd better watch that ROH DVD I won off their E-Bay store in order to rectify that. Or just remember they still employ Mabel and Mark Henry. Whichever's quicker.