Unforgiven Preview & Predictions
This Sunday’s WWE Unforgiven pay per view is harder to predict than most. In three of the top matches of the night, it’s not just a matter of picking a winner and a loser, but what the shape the match will take. There are seemingly endless possibilities.
I’m still not sure what to think about the scramble matches, because I worry about them jeopardizing whatever is left of the integrity of WWE’s world titles. But I’m willing to let the matches play out before I deliver my verdict. If nothing else, we are guaranteed three 20-minute “world title” matches – at least a couple of which are bound to be pretty suspenseful, what with the whole ticking clock and all.
But for me, the real main event of this pay per view is clear: The “unsanctioned” match between Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho. This match alone is what will compel me to plop down 40 bucks this Sunday.
Let’s take a look at the entire card:
“Unsanctioned Match” Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels
I’ve done enough fawning in recent months about how great this storyline has been. Suffice to say I’m looking forward to this match as much as any in recent memory. My only hope is that Shawn’s arm injury won’t be much of an obstruction, and that the two men will be able to have the match of the year caliber brawl that you would expect as the climax of their rivalry. In addition to the mystery of Michaels’ arm, there are several other questions going into the match.
Who will win? Obviously, Pro Wrestling Booking 101 tells you that the babyface always wins the war in the end, but is this the end? What’s more, with Michaels’ questionable health, maybe this ends in another angle that will allow him to sit at the sidelines for a while. Also, what will this match look like? Clearly it will be a fight rather than a wrestling clinic, but will we see some innovative tactics by both men to really drive home the realism (stiff punches, chokes) or will we get the lame Reynolds Wrap trash cans, cookie sheets and stop signs, and complex spots that you’d never see in a real-world brawl (Michaels diving onto Jericho as he lays on a table with a trash can on his head)? I’m hoping for the former. I think the template for this match should be Michaels’ awesome streetfight with Triple H at SummerSlam 2002. It was the perfect blend of a believable street fight and larger than life pro wrestling antics. I’ll pick Jericho, because I think this feud may still have some legs after Sunday.
World Heavyweight Championship Scramble Match: C.M. Punk © vs. JBL vs. Kane vs. Batista vs. Rey Mysterio
It wouldn’t be my choice, but I expect this match to close out the show. There are some good storylines here among these five men, and many viable possibilities for an outcome. Obviously, for those who think WWE has long ago given up on the C.M. Punk world title experiment, this would seem like the ideal opportunity to take the belt off of him, yet let him save some face because of the unique stipulations of the match. I could certainly see that happening. But I’m going to predict that Punk retains the title in the most exciting of the night’s three scramble matches. I can see him getting pinned fairly early in the match, and several other “interim” title changes taking place in the scramble. With only seconds left on the clock, Punk can hit the GTS on whoever the interim champ is at the time, and get his belt back in the nick of time. It would be a pretty thrilling conclusion, and another step in trying to get Punk over as a legitimate world champion among the doubters.
WWE Championship Scramble Match: Triple H © vs. Jeff Hardy vs. MVP vs. The Brian Kendrick vs. Shelton Benjamin
This is a heck of an intriguing match up, featuring at least three names that you wouldn’t expect to see in a pay per view world title match anytime soon. The catch, of course, is that the mid-carder heavy match up seems to provide the perfect recipe for Triple H to mow down everyone of his challengers – surviving the entire 20-minutes without ever once being pinned. Then again, maybe this is a unique opportunity to put the world title on an unlikely candidate, and in doing so create a main event star in a brand that could really use one of those. If that were the case, I’d go with MVP as the most likely participant to score the upset win. But with Triple H as recently as a few weeks ago talking in an interview about how the young guys just don’t show him the heart to be top players, I can’t imagine he’d be OK dropping the title to any of these men. I’ll go with my initial instinct and predict that everyone gets a Pedigree and the Game makes it through the match unscathed. And we’ll all be oh-so-impressed, Mr. Helmsley.
ECW Championship Scramble Match: Mark Henry © vs. Matt Hardy vs. The Miz vs. Chavo Guerrero vs. Finlay
To get the “anything can happen” nature of this new concept match over, it’s almost necessary for there to be at least one official title change in one of three scramble matches, and this seems like the most likely candidate. Since he was drafted to ECW, it’s been a given that Matt Hardy would eventually end up with the brand’s top title. The only question has been when it will happen. This is as good a chance as any, especially since it provides a way for Mark Henry to lose the title without doing much damage to indestructible monster character. I’ll guess that the four men team up on Henry, somebody gets the pin, and then Henry is sidelined for the rest of the match. It then becomes a four-way, and Hardy hits the Twist of Fate on the Miz or Chavo to win the belt.
World Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase vs. Cryme Tyme
Cryme Tyme may be my least favorite act in all of wrestling, but I can’t deny how over they are. At the Madison Square Garden house show I recently attended, the pop they received was beaten only by John Cena’s. That doesn’t bode well for Rhodes & Dibiase, who have already been proven to be very vulnerable. Still, for the sake of drawing this feud out another month or two, I’ll guess the heels keep their titles for now.
Divas Champion Michelle McCool vs. Maryse
This is as weak a women’s match as has been featured on a WWE pay per view in some time. But, if the goal is to keep building McCool as the new Trish Stratus of the women’s division, then I’m all for her picking up a few decisive wins. She’ll take this in relatively short order.
I’ll give WWE a lot of credit for continuing to find intriguing ways to make so-called “off brand” pay per views feel important, as they did with the all-championship match format of Night of Champions, the double-Elimination Chamber No Way Out, and the all extreme-rules One Night Stand. The “scramble” gimmick could either fall flat on its face, or become a popular new concept match that WWE pulls out once a year. Either way, it’s probably worth a shot.
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Comments (12)
I got a much different impression the Scramble rules differently than you did. You have the champion, or interim champion, eating the pin for the (interim) title to change hands. I'm pretty sure these matches are fought under Triple Threat/Fatal Fourway rules where a pin on any competitor moves the title.
So, for example, Matt Hardy could win the title from Mark Henry by pinning The Miz before Henry even enters the match.
I see HBK over Y2J...then as he is celebrating, Y2J attacks and puts out HBK for a few months. Jericho on Raw can brag, that even though Michaels won the match, he won the war!
Scramble Matches:
Punk retains
HHH retains
Hardy wins the gold
Rhodes/DiBiase retain
McTaker retains
Yeah, anyone can pin anyone in the scramble matches to become interim champion. So say Batista is the interim champion and JBL pins Punk before the bell. JBL is now the WH Champ.
And they can't all gang up on Mark Henry at the outset because the match starts out one on one. After five minutes it turns into a triple threat. Five minutes later it's a fatal four way, finally ending up as a clusterfuck 5.
I predict Punk, MVP, and Mark Henry win the titles.
Punk will probably pin JBL and he'll go on to face Jericho at the next PPV. Jericho WILL beat HBK.
Matt Hardy isn't quite ready for the strap yet. And when he wins, it'll mean more to do it in a one on one match.
You don't expect HHH to lose and MVP all ready has built in feuds with Hardy and Benjamin. You add H to that and you have the next 4 PPVs booked. Somewhere along the way Kendrick has a US title match to keep him hovering in the mid card. H won't get pinned and he'll save face that way. He gets the title back in a few months and is now one step closer to eclipsing Flair's title reigns.
I'd agree with andy on the HBK/Jericho match.
The Raw Scramble will go one of two ways, with Punk eking out a late win over JBL, or Batista pinning JBL or Punk (depending on where Punk's future lies). Neither Kane nor Rey are getting the title, because their fued will continue, but it's not strong enough for a title match. If Punk walks away with the tile, JBL could cost Batista a last ditch win, setting up a match for them, with Jericho facing Punk at No Mercy.
If Triple H is looking for time off after he became a father again, then the Scramble match is perfect for him to drop the title without doing the job. If he has to job, then interference from The Great Khali can do it without HHH looking weak. Either way, I'm looking at Jeff Hardy coming away with the title to set up a match with the returning Edge for No Mercy. The only way Benjamin or Kendrick win is if Batista wins the Raw match.
As for ECW, Hardy and Finlay are the only credible face challengers for Henry right now, so it makes sense that a face has the belt after the match, so they have Henry, Chavo, Miz and Morrison. Which makes me wonder why the Miz, rather than Morrison is in the match. Maybe Morrison costs the Miz the win at the end, through jealousy, turning Miz face.
I don't care about the other matches. Cryme Tyme's don't need the belts just yet, so Rhodes and DiBiase can retain. The women's match needs to be short, otherwise McCool may find herself on the end of a lot of 'You Can't Wrestle' chants. I think it will easily be the worst womens PPV match ever. why Beth Phoenix couldn't have a match with Mickie James instead, I don't know.
I suppose it says a lot about the confusing scramble rules if you STILL can't keep them straight.
MVP supposedly has heat on him, so I wouldn't count on him winning the SD match.
Shelton won't be the Undisputed Champ on SD.
Hardy is still being watched due to his suspension.
If HHH is to lose to anyone, it will be Kendrick; but even that is a bit farfetched.
Unforgiven looks like a rather weak PPV.
My only comment about the scramble match is its time limit...why 20 minutes? I'm sure a 30 minute match each would be more entertaining, especially since there are only three other matches on the card.
Though I doubt anyone would wanna watch a 30 minute ECW match....
I suppose it says a lot about the confusing scramble rules if you STILL can't keep them straight. (I blame the "interim champion" label, it's completely meaningless and unnecessary.)
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While common sense would agree with your assessment that one of the titles would have to change hands to benefit the match concept, I expect all three champions to walk out with their respective titles. All of them are too solid right now to have their reigns disrupted, plus WWE has made a big deal about each champion only having a 20% chance of retaining, so they can go psycho if all three retain. "Wow, there is less than an 8% likelihood of that!"
For the RAW Championship Scramble, this could be the perfect opportunity for C. M. Punk to solidify his reputation as a bona fide, deserving champion by maintaining the title for the duration. Since Kane and Rey Mysterio have issues, there is no reason for either man to pick up a fall. Batista and JBL could dash the other's attempts, leaving Punk with the title for the whole match.
For the Smackdown! Championship Scramble, I imagine that HHH will only get pinned once by Jeff Hardy. The thing about this match is that Big Show made a big fuse earlier, so I am surprised not everyone is expecting him to come out in the closing minutes to take out everybody, and then HHH drapes an arm over Jeff Hardy for a fall to retain/regain.
For the ECW Championship Scramble, it should be a hot potato. It will most likely be the first of the three Scrambles of the night, so it would be a good idea. I really wish Tommy Dreamer and Mike Knox were in the match, instead of Finlay and Chavo Guerrero, just so Tommy could win & lose the ECW Title in the same night again! Oh well, at the end of the match there are only two men that should be ECW champion - either way his initials are "M. H."
I didn't mention Big Show because I kind of see him getting involved somehow in the Vickie/ Undertaker feud. Vickie brings out La Familia, and maybe Koslov and a returning Umaga (hopeful thinking) to lay out Taker and make him apologize. Then Show comes out to help Taker.
Of course that seems TOO likely. Maybe Show lays out Taker in order to get on Vickie's good side.
Either way, I don't see him getting involved in the title match.
Alfonso i have to say i absolutely agree with you 100% about Triple H. I'm only a fairly recent fan of the WWE but i've managed to catch up on at least the last 5 - 10 years of the biggest pay-per-views and i've come to really appreciate the time and effort these men put into their matches, and i can see how it affects them in their elderly years.
When i first saw Triple H wrestle, before he was married to Stephani McMahon, he was one of my favourite wrestlers, particularly after he sustained that horrible leg injury and still kept wrestling despite of it. But recently i've become absolutely fed up with him. He is nice and cosy with Vince now he's married to his daughter and so has some influence on his script. He's hell bent on being known as the greatest wrestler of all time by being put in matches such as the one he had with The Great Khali last PPV, outstripping Rick Flair's title record and using - what i affectionally call - the 'Triple H Formula'.
I've noticed his matches seem to take the same pradictable path. It starts off looking as though he's just not got what it takes to win, he'll be beaten down, thrown around, being held for the pin several times and all the people in the crowd would have resigned themselves to the fact that Triple H is going to be beaten...then, amazingly and most spectacularily he'll pull back the most unexpected and awe inspiring win and pedigree the unpedigreeable. We'll all drop to our feet chanting 'hail the king of kings' and he'll secure his legacy for another day. Since he's come to Smackdown he's done bugger all wrestling and its a pity, he IS a good wrestler no disputing that but i'm fed up with this mission of self proclamation and want to see the wrestler i admired when i first started watching him. Sadly, i think he's long gone and i've lost all admiration for him now.
Sorry to all the Triple H fans, it is only my opinion, i'm not trying to offend anyone. As for the rest of these matches...i think these scrambles are worth a shot. Spice up the WWE with some new concepts and see how they go. The match i'm most looking forward to though is the Chris Jerico vs Shawn Michaels match. I agree with a previous comment - Michaels will win the battle but Jerico will win the war. Well put! Both men put on a brilliant performance last time i can't wait to see how this match will play out.