Backlash Recap

Backlash was last night. Let's take a look at what went down in Baltimore.

1. Matt Hardy vs. MVP
Definitely the right choice as the opener and the crowd seemed to love it. Very solid match and even though the US title doesn't mean much anymore, I still do think it is a big step forward for Matt Hardy to win the title. I'm not sure where they'll go with MVP from here, but I say he definitely deserves a push. Good, solid match as Hardy wins by pinfall.

Unofficial Rating: 3.5 (out of 5)

2. Kane vs. Chavo Guerrero
People seem to be down on this, but I thought this definitely exceeded my (minimal) expectations. Kane seemed to be working hard and Chavo was his usual self. Kane picks up the victory in another clean finish.

Unofficial Rating: 2 (out of 5)

3. Big Show vs. Great Khali
This was about what we expected. I was hoping they'd keep it around 5 minutes, but I guess 8 minutes isn't too bad. Big Show won, which of course is the right move and should boost him up to a title program with the Taker.

Unofficial Rating: .25 (out of 5)

4. Mickie James, Maria, Ashley, Kelly Kelly, Michelle McCool, + Cherry vs. Beth Phoenix, Natalya, Melina, Layla, Victoria, + Jillian Hall
This was what it was, which was a mess, but not completely horrible. The divas all performed well in their limited roles and had an okayish match. Not much more could be asked of them. The heels pick up the victory.

Unofficial Rating: 1 (out of 5)

5. Batista vs. Shawn Michaels
I expected this to steal the show, and while it was a very good contest, it was not the match of the night. I was very surprised to see Michaels get the majority of the offense AND pick up the victory. I'm not quite sure why Jericho was the ref for the match, unless Michaels was actually hurt. I have to say if the knee was a work, they sure pulled it off well.

Unofficial Rating: 3.5 (out of 5)

6. Edge vs. Undertaker
These two stepped it up again, and from my first impression, slightly topped their WrestleMania main event. Of course we knew Edge wouldn't win, but there were some nice nearfalls in this matchup. When Undertaker is motivated, it seems he really can put on a great match.

Unofficial Rating: 4 (out of 5)

7. JBL vs. John Cena vs. Triple H vs. Randy Orton
People seem to not have liked the first half of this match, but I thought the multiple man part was fun. It was shocking to see Cena eliminated so quickly, but if he wasn't going to win, he had to go some time. It has been awhile since Trips has been champ, but I don't know if he'll make it past SummerSlam. It should be interesting where Cena goes from here.

Unofficial Rating: 3.75 (out of 5)

Overall, this was the weakest show of the year, but in most years this show would be towards the top. A lot of wrestling and they were 7 for 7 on clean finishes making this a solid show.

Overall Rating: 82%

Backlash Rankings
2000
2007
2004
2008
2006
2005
1999
2003

Match Of The Year Tracker
WrestleMania XXIV - Ric Flair vs. Shawn Michaels (4.75)
No Way Out - Raw Elimination Chamber (4.5)
WrestleMania XXIV - Money In The Bank Ladder Match (4.5)
Backlash - Edge vs. Undertaker (4)
Royal Rumble 2008 (4)
WrestleMania XXIV - Edge vs. Undertaker (4)
Raw March - Jeff Hardy vs. Chris Jericho (3.75)
WrestleMania XXIV - John Cena vs. Randy Orton vs. Triple H (3.75)
Backlash - John Cena vs. JBL vs. Triple H vs. Randy Orton (3.75)

Pay-Per-View Scores
WrestleMania XXIV - 93%
No Way Out - 91%
Royal Rumble - 88%
Backlash - 82%

Movie Review - Forgetting Sarah Marshall

By this point, you should probably know whether or not you like Judd Apatow and his buddies. If you do, then Forgetting Sarah Marshall does not disappoint. Jason Segel wrote and stars in the romantic comedy that blows away most movies in this genre. Kristen Bell and Mila Kunis both do well in their roles, but it's the usual cast of Judd's friends who have most of the laughs. Despite it being an Apatow film in spirit, Segel does have a slightly different take on things and turns in a fantastic comedy.

Rating: 4.25 (out of 5)

Movie Of The Year Tracker
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Be Kind, Rewind
Young @ Heart
Semi-Pro
Horton Hears A Who!

Judd Apatow Produced Movie Rankings
The Cable Guy
Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy
The 40-Year Old Virgin
Knocked Up
Superbad
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Kicking & Screaming
Fun With Dick And Jane
Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

WrestleMania XXIV Live Review

I am back in Detroit after my stellar trip down to Orlando. This was my 2nd consecutive trip to WrestleMania and here were my thoughts on the show.

Dark Match - Battle Royal
No one was expecting anything amazing, but this was a solid way to get the crowd into it. Kane was the favorite and to no surprise, won the match.

Unofficial Rating: 1.5 (out of 5)

1. Finlay vs. JBL
This was a surprise as the opener, but when looking at the card, this match wasn't as "big" as some of the others on the card. This was a solid match that featured some of the Attitude Era type brawling. JBL won via pin.

Unofficial Rating: 2.75 (out of 5)

2. Money In The Bank Ladder Match
I seem to be one of the few that think that this was the best Money In The Bank match since the first one. John Morrison and Shelton Benjamin really stood out for their spots and the Matt Hardy return was awesome. Watching Punk and Jericho battle for the briefcase was a mark out moment for me, as they are two of my favorites today. Punk won in a semi-surprise.

Unofficial Rating: 4.5 (out of 5)

3. Batista vs. Umaga
This was without a doubt the biggest disappointment of the night. I really thought these two would up their game. Instead, we were given a below-average TV main event. A real let down. Batista wins via pin.

Unofficial Rating: .75 (out of 5)

4. Chavo Guerrero vs. Kane
This was probably just a thank you to Kane for being such a loyal company man all these years. Unfortunately, in return, it makes CM Punk look like a jobber because he couldn't beat Chavo for weeks. Kane wins in seconds via pin.

Unofficial Rating: .25 (out of 5)

5. Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair
Wow, this was quite the match. Both guys brought their A game (as if they would have brought anything less) and stole the show. The crowd was hot all the way through and I have to say I am proud to have been fortunate enough to see Ric Flair's final match. Wooo!

Unofficial Rating: 4.75 (out of 5)

6. Ashley + Maria vs. Beth Phoenix + Melina
This was a little better than expected and the right team went over. I'm not sure where they'll go from here, but I suppose they're waiting for Candice to come back.

Unofficial Rating: 1 (out of 5)

7. John Cena vs. Randy Orton vs. Triple H
I was shocked that this wasn't last and I think the crowd was too. This was a really good matchup, but needed about 10 more minutes to become a classic. All 3 guys worked hard and surprisingly Orton came out on top.

Unofficial Rating: 3.75 (out of 5)

8. Floyd Mayweather vs. Big Show
This was better than expected and probably as good as it could have been. Both guys played their roles well and Mayweather was able to win via knockout after some heel tactics.

Unofficial Rating: 2.5 (out of 5)

9. Undertaker vs. Edge
It was good to see Edge get a shot at a main event at WrestleMania, even if the Undertaker had to win. This match started off slowly, but got progressively better and turned out to be a very entertaining way to end the night.

Unofficial Rating: 4 (out of 5)

A great show that I feel was better than WrestleMania 23. Even the matches that didn't stand out had a good pacing to them and there really was nothing bad to say about the show as a whole. Great show.

Overall Rating: 93%

WrestleMania Rankings
WrestleMania X-Seven
WrestleMania XIX
WrestleMania 21
WrestleMania XX
WrestleMania X
WrestleMania XXIV
WrestleMania 22
WrestleMania 23
WrestleMania XIV
WrestleMania VIII
WrestleMania XII
WrestleMania III
WrestleMania VII
WrestleMania X-8
WrestleMania 2000
WrestleMania VI
WrestleMania XI
WrestleMania 13
WrestleMania XV
WrestleMania V
WrestleMania
WrestleMania 2
WrestleMania IV
WrestleMania IX

Match Of The Year Tracker
WrestleMania XXIV - Ric Flair vs. Shawn Michaels (4.75)
No Way Out - Raw Elimination Chamber (4.5)
WrestleMania XXIV - Money In The Bank Ladder Match (4.5)
Royal Rumble 2008 (4)
WrestleMania XXIV - Edge vs. Undertaker (4)
Raw March - Jeff Hardy vs. Chris Jericho (3.75)
WrestleMania XXIV - John Cena vs. Randy Orton vs. Triple H (3.75)
Royal Rumble - Jeff Hardy vs. Randy Orton (3.5)
Raw February - Chris Jericho vs. Jeff Hardy (3.5)
ECW March - John Morrison + Miz vs. Tommy Dreamer + Colin Delaney (3.5)
Raw March - John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels (3.5)
No Way Out - SmackDown Elimination Chamber (3.5)
Royal Rumble - Edge vs. Rey Mysterio (3.5)
Raw January - Jeff Hardy vs. Umaga Cage Match (3.5)
No Way Out - Randy Orton vs. John Cena (3.5)

Pay-Per-View Scores
WrestleMania XXIV (93%)
No Way Out (91%)
Royal Rumble (88%)

Orlando Theme Park Review

Here is a review of my most recent trip down to Orlando. I only rated the attractions I visited on this trip. Ratings are out of 5.

Splash Mountain - Magic Kingdom - 5
The Amazing Adventures Of Spider-Man - Islands Of Adventure - 5
Test Track - Epcot - 5
The Twilight Zone Tower Of Terror - Disney's Hollywood Studios - 5
It's Tough To Be A Bug - Animal Kingdom - 5
The Haunted Mansion - Magic Kingdom - 4.75
Kilimanjaro Safaris - Animal Kingdom - 4.75
Pirates Of The Caribbean - Magic Kingdom - 4.75
Jim Henson's Muppet*Vision 3D - Disney's Hollywood Studios - 4.75
Space Mountain - Magic Kingdom - 4.75
Mickey's PhilharMagic - 4.75
Dueling Dragons - Islands Of Adventure - 4.75
Rock 'N' Roller Coaster - Disney's Hollywood Studios - 4.75
Dinosaur - Animal Kingdom - 4.5
Incredible Hulk Coaster - Islands Of Adventure - 4.5
Expedition Everest - Animal Kingdom - 4.5
Walt Disney's Carousel Of Progress - Magic Kingdom - 4.5
Jaws - Universal Studios - 4.25
The Jungle Cruise - Magic Kingdom - 4.25
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad - Magic Kingdom - 4.25
Country Bear Jamboree - Magic Kingdom - 4.25
Jurassic Park River Adventure - Islands Of Adventure - 4
Spaceship Earth - Epcot - 4
Monster's, Inc. Laugh Floor - Magic Kingdom - 4
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin - Magic Kingdom - 4
Flights Of Wonder - Animal Kingdom - 4
Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls - Islands Of Adventure - 4
Maharajah Jungle Trek - Animal Kingdom - 4
Men In Black: Alien Attack - Universal Studios - 4
Living With The Land - Epcot - 4
Finding Nemo: The Musical - Animal Kingdom - 4
The Many Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh - Magic Kingdom - 4
It's A Small World - Magic Kingdom - 4
Revenge Of The Mummy: The Ride - Universal Studios - 3.75
The Seas With Nemo And Friends - Epcot - 3.75
Mad Tea Party - Magic Kingdom - 3.75
Maelstrom - Epcot - 3.75
Journey Into Imagination With Figment - Epcot - 3.5
Peter Pan's Flight - Magic Kingdom - 3.5
Snow White's Scary Adventure - Magic Kingdom - 3.5
The Cat In The Hat - Islands Of Adventure - 3.5
E.T. Adventure - Universal Studios - 3.5
Popeye And Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges - Islands Of Adventure - 3.5
The Enchanted Tiki Room: Under New Management - Magic Kingdom - 3.5
Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast - Universal Studios - 3.25
Stitch's Great Escape - Magic Kingdom - 3.25
Twister...Ride It Out - Universal Studios - 3.25
Storm Force Accelatron - Islands Of Adventure - 3.25
Terminator 2: 3-D Battle Across Time - Universal Studios - 3.25
Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros - Epcot - 3.25
Universal's Horror Make-Up Show - Universal Studios - 3.25
Magic Carpets Of Aladdin - Magic Kingdom - 3.25
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular - Disney's Hollywood Studios - 3.25
The Hall Of Presidents - Magic Kingdom - 3
Tomorrowland Transit Authority - Magic Kingdom - 3
Animal Actors On Location - Universal Studios - 1.5
Swiss Family Treehouse - Magic Kingdom - .75
Shrek 4-D - Universal Studios - .25
Beetlejuices Rock And Roll Graveyard Revue - Universal Studios - 0

Overall Rankings
1. Animal Kingdom
2. Epcot
3. Magic Kingdom
4. Hollywood Studios
5. Islands Of Adventure
6. Universal Studios