Fun fact: while this isn't the first WWE PPV I saw, it's the first one I ever saw live, so that's neat. Anyway, on to the review.
What an event. I've always been a bit iffy on checking out recent PPVs since I've never heard many great things, but since Triple H has taken over and proven himself to do a damn good job at creative, I wanted to tune in on the next one I could: which was this one. And damn. Am I glad I did. The entire concept of the War Games match is brilliant, as the idea of a 5 vs. 5 match with 2 rings locked into a cannot-escape cage until someone submits or is pinned is one that I hope the WWE sticks with for good. Both of the matches, Bianca's team vs. Damage Ctrl and company, as well as the Brawling Brutes and company vs. The Bloodline, were incredible, and a couple of the most engaging matches I've seen in recent memory. Each in ring performer did an outstanding job at displaying heart, passion, pain, courage, and treachery, and they all made it seem all the more legit and heart pounding.
Of course, that last comment doesn't just go for the ones who competed in the war games, as the rest of the card was relatively awesome as well. The angle they went with by having 2 former best friends: AJ Styles and Finn Balor, was awesome, and the match itself was, as well, as the 2 men (and their respective managers/tag team mates at ringside) did a phenomenal job-see what I did there? Same can be said for the other 2 non-War Games matches, as the triple threat match between Austin Theory, Bobby Lashley, and Seth Rollins for the US championship was one of the most entertaining and back and forth affairs I've seen in a while. The match between Ronda Rousey and Shotzi for the Smackdown Women's championship was the only match that felt a bit lacking, but it was helped immensely thanks to the backstory given to it, as it was also a revenge story. I just wish it went on longer and ended differently. Though, again, the talent of each woman involved cannot be understated, as they were awesome and showed the grit necessary to make the viewer invested.
Mix all of that with the just awesome inclusion of Ozzy Osbourne not only announcing the show briefly, but also recreating himself singing along to "War Pigs" by Black Sabbath (which could not have been a more perfect theme, nice job guys. Seriously), and what you've got here is a damn good time from start to finish. My only issues with this event are the length and the circumstances. While the War Games were undoubtedly amazing and lasted long, I feel like the event could've benefited greatly with more non-War Games matches, as 3 seemed a bit low. I know the event was already more than 3 hours long, but I would've maybe thrown in 1 or 2 more, because with 5 matches total, it left me wanting a bit more. Also, the circumstances make this event one that may not age the best, because, as we all know, the storylines within the WWE change pretty fast. While that's not an issue in and of itself, of course, some big things that did happen here (which I won't say just in case anyone hasn't seen it yet) may or may not take away from these great matches in time. This isn't to take away from the incredible performances put on here from start to finish, but it's still something worth noting.
Aside from that, this was a damn good show, and if this is the new standard of WWE PPVs, you bet I will most definitely tune into the next one. If you haven't seen this, I highly recommend it. It's not only filled with memorable moments, but it's also filled with plenty of carnage, and the talent who made it all happen deserve all of the kudos in the world. I can only dream of doing the things they are able to do.
