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Post by microstatistics on Jul 14, 2023 19:34:11 GMT -5
As JR put it, the "superkick banned vs. Orton loses the title on DQ" stipulation forced them to engage in traditional wrasslin' and ended up producing the 2007 WWE MOTY.
HBK starting off very deliberately with a neck-twisting cravat and temple-smashing knees before transitioning into "throw everything and see what sticks" mayhem was neat and sold the stipulation. Orton not deviating from the head injury he had induced months prior to build to the RKO was flawless strategy, both story-wise and structurally. HBK sold the disorientation well. This lacked some substance in the middle portions which knocked it out of Top 100 contention this time around. Conversely, this was an excellent piece of minimalist wrestling.
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Post by [Darren] on Jul 14, 2023 20:41:02 GMT -5
I have never even heard of this
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Post by KB8 on Jul 16, 2023 1:34:59 GMT -5
Sure, why not. Second.
I don't think I've watched this since it aired. I remembered it being the first WWE match to feature a Crossface post-Benoit and not a whole lot else. Michaels always gets dinged for having piddly looking offence and has never been talked up as much of a hold worker, but maybe he'd been hanging around with Regal for a minute before this because he threw on a mean cravat early on and wouldn't let the thing go. This had a kind of silly stipulation in that Michaels couldn't hit Sweet Chin Music or he'd be disqualified and never allowed to challenge Orton for the title again. I have no idea why. Orton meanwhile would lose the belt if HE was disqualified. The latter is never really a factor but the former leads to some really creative stuff and WEAVES A TALE of Michaels having to step out of his comfort zone and find a new way to win. That means using a bunch of submissions that he's been forced to submit to himself over the years and I shit you not his Crossface looked better than Benoit's ever did. He really used his legs to hook Orton's arm so he couldn't grab the ropes and then twisted his head all ugly to the side, which left Orton with a cut lip (that led to some nice visuals later of Orton's blood-stained grin, especially after he nearly took Michaels' head off with a clothesline). He broke out the Sharpshooter and this being Survivor Series adds a nice wee layer to things, tried for the figure-four but it was reversed, then he went to the ankle lock towards the end and people were biting huge on it. They even worked those superkick teases in well, the first time with him making to hit it after the top rope elbow, brushing aside the referee's reminders that he can't actually do that move, but merely using it as a FEINT and rolling Orton up when he ducked. The second time he tried it was out of instinct, had to pull it back, and that split second let Orton hit the RKO. If we're keeping it a buck I've never seen Ric Flair work a match as creative as this. Fire me, I'm already fired.
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Post by [Darren] on Jul 16, 2023 8:05:22 GMT -5
Third. I enjoyed this immensely. A limited Shawn Michaels works well
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Post by mvz on Jul 16, 2023 8:28:58 GMT -5
I haven’t seen this in a long time but I remember liking it for the reasons described. Cool that it is getting some discussion.
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