WWE SummerSlam last night was arguably doomed from the start with two meaningless world title matches, generously discounting ECW as a legitimate world championship. However, the card remained strong due to two blockbuster special attractions amidst title bouts featuring JBL and The Great Khali.

John Cena vs. Batista was a match that fans had never witnessed, and the two WWE born and bred superstars delivered a hell of a fight. But the main reason that I, as a major critic of WWE's changes over the years, ordered the pay-per-view, was for the Hell in a Cell match. It was an excellent effort with lots of good spots, though at the end of the two-and-a-half hours, I was left disappointed. 

The opener was strong. Jeff Hardy and MVP are both solid workers deserving of a pay-per-view spot at the very least, but Shelton Benjamin's absence was not the best way to put over a new champion who's been buried for years, even losing multiple matches to Kofi Kingston on ECW. The Benjamin interference was unnecessary and MVP should have gone over clean with a run-in from "The Gold Standard" post-match. However, he needed to be on the show and Jeff Hardy vs. Shelton Benjamin is a marketable U.S. title feud. Benjamin is one of the company's finest in-ring performers and he deserves to be the recipient of a push. However, champions are no longer booked strong, while feuds and angles do not revolve around titles. The midcarders, or anyone who hasn't "paid their dues" with the company are an afterthought and have no direction. This brings me to another meaningless piece of gold thrown around.

Santino Marella and Beth Phoenix captured the Intercontinental and Women's titles, respectively, in a five-minute match. They've been trying to build Kofi for weeks and to have him lose the Intercontinental title without putting up much of a fight is terrible booking. For that matter, Santino hasn't been groomed as a champion either, which is being generous. Though the Santino-Beth storyline has been done well, this didn't feel like much of a title match. The Intercontinental title is no longer a stepping stone for future world champions. The match itself was pretty good for what it was and I have no problem with Santino and Beth emerging victorious. The problem was in the poor buildup of Santino as any kind of marketable champion. While watching Santino jump into Beth's arms and climb on her shoulders is entertaining, it discounts the titles. The segment backstage with Maria was hilarious. At this point, whenever Santino touches the mic, it's quality. Both wrestling and non-wrestling fans have to appreciate the over-the-top Santino shtick for its sheer comedy value. 

Mark Henry vs. Matt Hardy was a disaster and I expected nothing less. Tony Atlas has contributed nothing to building Henry as a champion. "The World's Strongest Man" is the victim of infamous X-Pac heat or Great Khali heat. They aren't booing because you are a good heel. They can't stand the sight of you. The Jeff Hardy run-in was hardly enough to save the shit show that ECW has become. Mauro Ranallo put it best when he said, "the Hardy Boys tag-team is worth more than the ECW title." The saddest part about it all is that Henry and Hardy are the two biggest names on the ECW roster and there isn't much room for growth. The draft was an obvious slap in the face and another attempt to crush the name and brand ECW once was. I am shocked it hasn't been scrapped yet, though I can't envision this lasting much longer. In reality, I wouldn't mind it so much if they changed the name from ECW to say... Velocity... Or Heat? Might as well call it: "WWE Dog House."

It goes from awful to wonderful. Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels put over the feud exceptionally with last night's segment. HBK's wife took what had to be a stiff blow to the face, which went a long way in putting over the angle. Y2J has been an all-star lately and he pulls the heel gimmick off to perfection. Everything he did last night, from mic work to facial expressions, was on the ball. The only thing about this angle that didn't really do it for me was having HBK look after his wife instead of pursuing Y2J. In essence, it makes sense. But in reality, if this man who ruined your vision and ended your career punched your wife in the face, you would probably get a bit angry. HBK was shook and he seemed intimated by Y2J. It seems they might push in the direction of having Michaels be afraid of Jericho, seeing as how he was the man that "forced him to retire." If they can extend this feud to Wrestlemania and have the showdown happen then, it could be a candidate for feud of the year, but it's no easy task as Edge and 'Taker have set the bar high. All nitpicking aside, this angle was outstanding and the new and improved Y2J looks like a million bucks. Give him the title now! With Randy Orton out for a while, Jericho is the main heel on Raw and he should go far with it. Edge and Jericho are two of the most convincing heels on television and who better to lead your flagship show(s)?

JBL vs. CM Punk was what it was. I expected a stronger match, but they did the right thing by having Punk go over clean. The heads bumping was messy and the gash on Punk's head was deep. He did well trying to put it over after the match, wiping blood out of his hair. This should have gone after the Triple H-Khali match, but if your name is "The Game" or "The King of Kings," chances are you have an ego. Punk is unremarkable as champion, but JBL would be worse. He had his run as champion on Smackdown and he managed to do good things with the belt, but another title run is hardly in order. I understand the business side of things and they are desperately trying to put Punk over as their next big star. But from a realist's point of view, Punk could barely beat John Morrison a few months ago and he was submitted clean by William Regal. Is this really the best guy on the roster? When you win the belt, you should already be a marketable name. Trying to push your champion as a marketable guy by giving him the fourth last match on one of your biggest pay-per-views will not work. Punk has yet to have any matches that have blown fans away and that is just what he needs. A match with HBK would really elevate his career. Triple H could as well. Right now, a good, long feud with Chris Jericho could be an excellent program on Raw that would potentially produce stellar in-ring work. It is presently unclear if the goal is to save the pay-off for Y2J-HBK for 'Mania. If Survivor Series is the target grudge match, then focus on that program for now. However, I would not be averse to Chris Jericho winning the World title from Punk, maybe even exchanging it back and fourth. Both need exposure in the title picture and if they let Y2J's momentum fade away with throwaway programs on Raw, it could be a big mistake, similar to the errors made with Jeff Hardy and Rob Van Dam when they were at their peaks. 

Triple H vs. The Great Khali was horrifying and painfully long. I was patient with Khali's push for a long time, but enough is enough. It is now beginning to look ridiculous. He can't work, fans chant about him not being able to work and he can't even speak English. This was almost the reason I was going to pass on SummerSlam, but luckily I kept my faith in The Undertaker vs. Edge. Instead of Triple H squashing him in five minutes, this was dragged out and Khali actually had a few minutes of offense, consisting of patented head squeezes, chops, pressure points, elbows and robotic gestures. Somehow fans were into it by the end and credit is due to Triple H for that, but it was insulting to book this as the WWE title match at SummerSlam. Fans had to be happy it was over by the end. Anything would have been better. Kane, Mr. Kennedy, Shelton Benjamin, Festus, Brian Kendrick, Bam Neely... Anything! The WWE title picture is in disarray and something needs to be done soon. MVP vs. Triple H could be a strong program and while I'll bet my last dollar Trips won't drop the belt to the rookie, it could be the vital exposure MVP needs to get to that next level. He has all the tools - he's fluid in the ring and he's a great talker. The Undertaker vs. Triple H is likely the plan for Wrestlemania.

For their first ever meeting, John Cena and Batista put on a good show. The match was nothing over-the-top good, but it went over very well live and the near falls made it dramatic. As a wrestling purist, another ten minutes would have been a welcome addition to the match, and most definitely would have helped the finish, but they did well with the given timeframe. It seemed there was no gradual buildup to the match and they went into their signature moves too quickly. Batista going over clean was a shock and a good one. For all the fans who longed to see Cena lose the belt, let alone a match, behold! Cena lost a clean match on pay-per-view and it wasn't even the main event. This match will repeat itself down the road, possibly Wrestlemania, and the grudge rematch will be a big draw with Cena going over.

Any fan that texted in to see if Edge and Vickie were getting a divorce is a mental patient. Enough said.

Edge and the Undertaker ripped each other apart in the Hell in a Cell main event. The match was an entertaining spotfest, though the pace was again too quick for my liking. Granted the match was long, but it rushed right into tables, ladders and chairs instead of building up a slow pace. It was a good match, though fans were probably disappointed with the spear through the table being the only spot outside the cage. My argument is that if they are already going to do a useless chokeslam through the ring spot, they could have done something cool outside the Cell for fans to see a Foley-esque moment, only with the upmost regard for Edge's safety. Regardless of the spots, the match was an excellent culmination of what was undoubtedly the feud of the year. However, what happened after the final bell rang was absurd. Fans probably love the effects and I get that "fire is cool," but even in defeat, Edge came out of this program and this match looking like a bona fide star. If they are planning to leave him off television to put the angle over, it's a bad move. Edge paid his dues and deserves to be WWE Champion. While I can't say I'm strongly opposed to an extension of his feud with 'Taker, they have already had plenty of pay-per-view matches this year. It's time that Edge moves on to Triple H and goes over clean to win the belt. He is the present and future of the company and I wish the pay-per-view ended after the tombstone finish. 

All in all, a mixed bag as usual from World Wrestling Entertainment. SummerSlam is supposed to be the spectacle of the summer, but I wasn't convinced with The Great Khali and JBL as challengers for world championships, not to mention a laughable Matt Hardy vs. Mark Henry feud. While The Undertaker, Edge, John Cena and Batista did their part to try to save the wrestling portion of the show, the terrifying memories of watching The Great Khali for 15 minutes are hard to escape. Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels have the best thing going right now and if they aren't going to capitalize on that until Wrestlemania, which would be the smart move, then Y2J needs to go after CM Punk's World Heavyweight Championship. As for Edge, he continues to solidify his position as the top heel in professional wrestling. It only makes sense for him to fall to a fiery demise, right?