|Date: June 28, 2009
|Venue: ARCO Arena |City: Sacramento, California
|Attendance: 11,946 |Buys: 178,000
|Brands: Raw, Smackdown & ECW

|tweet me: @BastionBlogger

The Bash is the revamped PPV previously known as The Great American Bash. This years edition has a big card, headlined by a WWE Championship defence by Randy Orton. Orton won the belt in a fatal four way after injuring Batista with help from his pals Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase. Orton then beat Triple H, The Big Show and John Cena in a fatal four way match for the vacant title. Triple H would win a 10 man battle royal to become number one contender to the WWE Championship and would receive his shot in a Last Man Standing match a week later, a match where neither man could beat the count of ten and the match went down as a draw. Vince McMahon then announced that Orton and Triple H would meet at The Bash in a three stages of hell match, which is a two out of three falls match consisting of a singles match, a falls count anywhere match and should it come to it, a stretcher match.

CM Punk will be defending his newly won World Heavyweight Championship in a match against previous (and brief) champion Jeff Hardy. CM Punk beat Hardy and Edge in a triple threat match when Punk stole a win from Hardy by pinning Edge. Teddy Long then made the match between Punk and Hardy for The Bash. The ECW Championship will also be defended as Tommy Dreamer puts the title on the line in a scramble match against rivals Jack Swagger and Christian as well as Finlay and Mark Henry. Michelle McCool will get a shot at Melina’s Women’s title after defeating Gail Kim in a number one contenders match and Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes get a shot at the undisputed tag team titles held by Carlito and Primo after Legacy beat The Colons in a non-title match.

Also tonight Rey Mysterio gets a shot at the Intercontinental Championship that he lost to Chris Jericho. Jericho only agreed to the match when Mysterio agreed to put his mask on the line. So it’ll be title vs mask in this heated rivalry. The Great Khali and Dolph Ziggler go one on one following a couple of shady victories from Ziggler. This one will be a no disqualification match. And John Cena goes one on one with the man that has claimed to beat Cena on multiple occasions by forfeit, The Miz.

In a dark match prior to the event R-Truth defeated Shelton Benjamin.

A video package kicks us off as usual and it’s fast-paced and fun. It’s a re-brand for The Great American Bash and a good one. The package focuses on John Cena and The Miz, Chris Jericho and Rey Mysterio, CM Punk and Jeff Hardy and Triple H and Randy Orton.

Michael Cole welcomes us to The Bash, he’s joined by Jerry “The King” Lawler. There are six title matches tonight!

Tommy Dreamer (c) vs. Christian vs. Mark Henry vs. Finlay vs. Jack Swagger – Scramble match for the ECW Championship

This is only the second pay per view ever to feature a scramble match. Christian is 0-1 at “Bash” PPV’s, Finlay is 1-1, Mark Henry is 1-0, Tommy Dreamer 0-1 and Jack Swagger makes his Bash debut tonight.

Christian and Jack Swagger start the match. Another man will be added every five minutes. There can be many falls in the match but whoever has the final fall will take home the title. Swagger lays into Christian in the early going, using his strength and amateur wrestling. Swagger hits a takedown for the first near fall of the match and then applies an abdominal stretch. Christian applies a sleeper of his own but Swagger shakes him off and applies a body scissors. Jack hits some right hands and then pops Christian on the top but Christian fights him off and hits a missile dropkick for a one count.

Finlay enters the match. Finlay hits clotheslines on both men and then launches Christian onto Swagger. Finlay boots Swagger out of the ring and then hits Christian with an uppercut and seated senton for a two count. Christian hits a flying uppercut on Finlay for a near fall and Swagger then drags Christian out of the ring and launches him into the barricade. Finlay rolls Swagger into the ring and Swagger pokes him in the eye and rolls Finlay up for the three! Jack Swagger is the current ECW Champion. Finlay has been out of action with an eye injury. Christian rolls Swagger up for a two count. Swagger and Christian counter each others finishers and Christian hits an inverted DDT for a near fall. Swagger hits a belly to belly on Christian and it’s time for a new man.

Tommy Dreamer enters the match. Tommy Dreamer has lost his ECW Championship at this stage. He lays into both Swagger and Christian. He hits a bulldog on Swagger and then a sit-out powerbomb on Christian for a near fall. Dreamer hits a neckbreaker on Swagger and then ties Christian up in a tree of woe and hits him with a baseball slide. Dreamer looks for a DDT on Swagger but Swagger counters it and throws Dreamer into Christian. Bit of a botch there. Swagger throws Dreamer into an announce desk but Finlay throws Swagger into the ringpost. Back in the ring and Finlay hits the Celtic cross on Swagger for the three! Finlay is the current ECW Champion! Christian gets involved and all four men are in the ring. Christian heads to the top but Dreamer goes up with him. Christian fights him off and Swagger heads to the top with him.

Mark Henry enters the match. Henry is flanked by Tony Atlas. Henry powerbombs Swagger who superplexes Christian into Tommy Dreamer. Henry throws Christian out of the ring and then hits Tommy Dreamer with the world’s strongest slam. Mark Henry is the current ECW Champion. Henry fights off Finlay, Swagger and Christian but the three men team up to get the better of him and knock him out of the ring. Christian then rolls up Finlay for a two count. Finlay hits Christian with a hard Irish whip and then dives out at Swagger. Dreamer then cannonballs out at Swagger and Christian joins the party, leaping to the outside. Mark Henry then heads to the top but Swagger takes him down. Swagger hits a Vader bomb on Henry and gets the three! Jack Swagger is the current ECW Champion. 

There are two minutes left in this match and Swagger tries to fight off everyone. Henry guillotines Swagger and Finlay then throws Mark into the ring steps. Christian hits the killswitch on Swagger but Dreamer breaks up the corner and hits Christian with the DDT for the three! Tommy Dreamer is the current ECW Champion. Plenty of quick pinfalls now with a minute left. Swagger gets a near fall on Dreamer. Finlay hits Swagger with a DDT and Mark Henry breaks up the pinfall. 20 seconds left. Dreamer drops Mark Henry with a DDT. The times runs out, the bell rings and Tommy Dreamer wins the match! Dreamer retains the ECW Championship tonight! A fun, fast-paced match to kick things off.

Rating: 6.75/10

Teddy Long is backstage when Edge arrives. Teddy Long is on probation and Edge wants to be in the World Heavyweight Championship match. Edge says that it’s a crime that he isn’t on the pay per view. Teddy refuses to put Edge in the match and Edge says that he should reconsider or Teddy will be out of a job.

Chris Jericho (c) vs. Rey Mysterio – Mask vs. Intercontinental Championship match

This is the third PPV match between these two men. They currently sit at 1-1 in their series. Rey Mysterio is 2-1 at WWE Bash PPV’s, Jericho is 1-0. Jericho starts well applying a headlock and verbally abusing Mysterio. If Mysterio loses then he will have to unmask forever. Jericho knocks him down but then runs into a boot. Mysterio hits a hurricanrana off the top sending Jericho to the outside. Rey looks for a baseball slide but Jericho stops him and swings Rey into the barricade. Rey gets back into the ring but Jericho slingshots him into the bottom rope and then hits a suplex for a two count. Jericho goes back to the sleeper and screams “ask him” which is hilarious. Jericho pops Rey on the top rope and then hits him with right hands but Rey fights him off and then hits Jericho with a flying senton. Jericho hits Rey with a backbreaker for a near fall and then chokes the challenger with his boot. Chris baseball slides Mysterio out of the ring but then kindly helps him back in.

Jericho takes Rey Mysterio down for a near fall and then screams at him again before applying a modified full nelson. Chris Jericho looking to be the first man to have won at last years Great American Bash and this years. Mysterio sends him out of the ring with a head scissors and then dives out at Jericho with a seated senton! Rey rolls Jericho back into the ring and hits a springboard cross body for a two count. Rey hits a head scissors and then a springboard moonsault for a near fall. Rey looks for an asai moonsault but Jericho catches him and hits him with a running powerslam for a near fall. Jericho hits a headbutt but misses with a shoulder charge in the corner. Mysterio hits a moonsault for a near fall and then looks for a hurricanrana but Jericho counters it with a walls of Jericho! Mysterio manages to get to the ropes to break the hold but Jericho takes him down with a clothesline.

Jericho heads to the top but Mysterio fights him and then looks for a top rope hurricanrana which Jericho counters into a powerbomb. Jericho gets a near fall with his feet on the ropes and a “Y2J” chant breaks out. Jericho misses with a lionsault and Jericho hits him with a hurricanrana for a near fall. Rey sets Jericho up for a 619 but Jericho tries to counter it only for Mysterio to counter Jericho’s counter with a DDT. Rey looks for a springboard moonsault but Jericho counters it with a codebreaker! Jericho only gets a near fall and nobody can believe it. Jericho throws Mysterio into the top turnbuckle and then sets him up on the top for a top rope codebreaker but misses it. That didn’t look great. Mysterio sets up for the 619 and this time hits it before looking for the west coast pop but Jericho counters it with a walls of Jericho! The crowd are really behind Jericho in this one. Rey counters the hold and both men get near falls. Jericho then pulls of Mysterio’s mask but Rey is wearing two! Mysterio hits the 619 and a splash and it’s all over! Rey Mysterio wins the match and becomes a two time Intercontinental Champion! Great match between these two men.

Rating: 8.5/10

We’re shown some highlights from the commercial-free Raw from last week.

Chris Jericho is backstage moaning at Teddy Long about losing his title. Teddy Long kicks Jericho out of his office and it seems like there might be a vendetta growing against Teddy who is close to five years as a general manager.

There’s a video package showing the recent history between The Great Khali and Dolph Ziggler.

The Great Khali vs. Dolph Ziggler

This is a first PPV match between these two men. Ziggler’s only previous match on PPV was as part of the Royal Rumble match earlier this year. Khali is 1-0 at Great American Bash events. Khali throws Ziggler across the ring in the early going and then takes him down with a big chop. Ziggler hits a dropkick to the knees of the big man but Khali throws Dolph out of the ring. Khali hits a big clothesline on the outside and then a chop but Ziggler avoids a second chop and Khali hits the ringpost. Dolph hits a couple of dropkicks off the apron but Khali chops him back into the ring. Khali misses with as big boot and Ziggler starts to work Khali’s leg. Dolph grabs a chair and swings that into Khali’s knee before hitting a chop block and a fame-asser for a two count. Ziggler applies a front facelock but Khali gets out of it by throws Dolph across the ring.

Khali hits some boots and then motions for the big chop but Kane’s music hits and out walks Kane! Kane hasn’t been about for a while. This distracts Khali long enough for ziggler to lay into Khali with a chair. Kane grabs the chair and smashes Khali with it a few times. Kane then leaves and Ziggler pins Khali for the three! Dolph Ziggler beats The Great Khali tonight with a lot of help from Kane!

Rating: 3.5/10

Vince McMahon enters Teddy Long office and seems like he’s in a good mood. McMahon tells Long that he has accomplished nothing in five years. Vince said that if he was in a foxhole with him then he would shoot himself. McMahon tells Teddy that he is still on probation and leaves.

Carlito & Primo (c) vs. Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase – Unified Tag Team Championship match

This is a pay per view debut for Primo who has been around for about a year now. Carlito is 1-0 at Great American Bash events, the other three men make their Bash debuts tonight. The bell is about to ring but out walks Teddy Long! Teddy Long announces that this match is now a triple threat tag team championship match! Edge’s music then hits and out walks the Rated-R Superstar! Edge’s partner is Chris Jericho!

Carlito & Primo (c) vs. Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase vs Edge & Chris Jericho – Unified Tag Team Championship match

Well this makes things interesting. Teddy Long gives in to the pressure. Jericho is now 1-1 at Bash PPV’s, he’s now pulling double duty. Edge is 0-1 at Great American Bash PPV’s. The Colon’s and Legacy double team Edge and Jericho to get rid of them. Ted DiBiase Jr starts with Carlito and Carlito does an amazing flip off the top rope before dropping Ted with a clothesline. Carlito tags in Primo and there’s some double teaming from the brothers. DiBiase tags in Jericho and Rhodes tags himself in! Rhodes hits a drop toe hold on Primo but Cody tags in DiBiase. Primo hits some right hands on Ted and then sweeps him off his feet and drops an elbow for a two count. A “we want Christian” chant breaks out. Primo tags in Carlito who applies a chinlock to DiBiase. Dibiase gets to his feet and Carlito tags in Primo.

Ted DiBiase tags in Cody Rhodes who boots away at Primo. Cody hits an elbow as Jericho screams to tag him in. Instead, Rhodes tags DiBiase and they double team Primo. DiBiase chokes Primo and then applies a headlock and tags in Cody. They double team Primo and Cody applies a surfboard. Primo gets out of it with a headbutt and Edge tags himself in off Rhodes. Primo avoids a spear and DiBiase tags himself in off Edge. Ted hits a suplex on Primo and then drops some elbows for a two count. DiBiase hits a clothesline and tags in Rhodes. The story in this match is that neither Legacy or The Colons want to tag in Edge or Chris Jericho. Rhodes lays into Primo with boots, knees and then a chinlock. Primo rolls Cody up for a two count but Rhodes knocks him back down with a clotheslines for a two count. An “Edge and Christian” chant breaks out as Cody Rhodes applies an inverted surfboard with Primo on his back. Edge breaks up the hold and Primo kicks Cody away. Cody tags in DiBiase who hits some right hands.

Primo back body drops DiBiase out of the ring and Primo finally tags in Carlito! Rhodes also tags in but it’s all Carlito as he hits right hands, a running knee and a clothesline. Carlito hits a springboard elbow for a two count.DiBiase gets involved, as does Primo but Jericho hits Primo with a codebreaker. Edge tags himself in off Cody Rhodes. Carlito hits Rhodes with the backstabber and then turns around into a spear off Edge. Edge hooks the leg and gets the three! Edge and Chris Jericho win the match and the unified tag team championships! A fun match, a great story but a little slow in parts.

Rating: 6/10

Randy Orton is backstage telling Rhodes and DiBiase not to worry about losing their match and to concentrate on helping him later. DiBiase isn’t happy with how Orton treats them. DiBiase wishes Orton good luck against Triple H and Rhodes goes after him.

Melina (c) vs. Michele McCool – WWE Women’s Championship match

This is a first time PPV match between these two ladies. Melina and Michelle are both 1-1 at Great American Bash events. Alicia Fox is in Michelle McCools corner for this one. The match starts quickly with Michelle laying into Melina. Melina fights back with elbows, kicks and right hands of her own. Melina hits a DDT which Michelle looked like she rolled though. Big back body drop from Melina and then a clothesline. Melina has held the belt since January. Melina chokes McCool on the ropes but Michelle hits Melina with a dropkick to the knees before dropping an elbow on Melina’s left knee, clearly targeting it. Michelle kicks Melina’s leg out from her leg and then wraps it around the ring ropes. Melina can barely stand now as Michelle continues to target Melina’s left leg, smashing it into the ring apron and kicking it into the ring steps.

Michelle hits a tilt-a-whirl gutbuster which I haven’t seen before and then hits a single leg crab, hooking Michelle’s leg right up to her head. Melina is very bendy. Melina avoids a big boot but can’t take the advantage due to her knee. Michelle hits a chop block but Melina applies a head scissors, hits a boot and then tries it again but Michelle blocks it and looks to hit the facebreaker but Melina counters it with a hurricanrana. Michelle sets up for a superplex but Melina shoves her away and then takes her to the mat for a two count. Alicia put Michelle’s foot on the rope there. Melina dropkicks Alicia Fox to take her out of the equation but Michelle boots her in the face for a near fall. Michelle hits the facebreaker and it’s all over! Michelle McCool wins the match and becomes the first ever woman to hold the divas and women’s championship. Not a terrible match but it felt rushed.

Rating: 3.75/10

There’s a video package next for CM Punk and Jeff Hardy.

CM Punk (c) vs. Jeff Hardy – World Heavyweight Championship match

This is technically the second PPV match between these two men if you count CM Punk’s cash-in at Extreme Rules last month. Obviously CM Punk won that one. Jeff Hardy is 0-1 at Great American Bash PPV’s, CM Punk has drawn one and lost one. CM Punk gets a mixed reaction as he comes out. I’m expecting a good match from these two. Hardy starts the match with a headlock which Punk counters into one of his own. Punk knocks Hardy down and it’s a tense start to the match. Punk applies a hammerlock which Hardy counters into a headlock takedown. Jeff then starts his own “Hardy” chant which is a bit weird. Punk hits a headlock takedown and then counters a hiptoss to set up for a go to sleep but Jeff counters that. Jeff then looks for a twist of fate but CM Punk counters that before getting back body dropped out of the ring. Jeff then leaps over the ropes on Punk before throwing him into the barricade. Jeff attempts a poetry in motion off the ring steps but CM Punk gets out of the way.

Back in the ring and CM Punk hits a backbreaker for a near fall before applying as head scissors. Punk hits a bodyslam and then heads up to the middle rope for an elbow drop but Jeff Hardy gets out of the way. Punk then misses a splash in the corner and Jeff makes him pay with whisper in the wind for a two count. Hardy hits a few slingblades and then an inverted atomic drop and a legdrop for a two count. Hardy hits a face-first suplex and then heads to the top for a swanton bomb but CM Punk rolls out of the ring. Hardy dives to the outside with a clothesline before rolling Punk back into the ring and setting up for a mule kick which Punk counters. Punk then hits a running knee in the corner and a bulldog for a two count. CM Punk hits kicks, lefts and right but Hardy hits a twist of fate from nowhere! Jeff then heads to the top but Punk barely avoids the swanton bomb.

Hardy rolls Punk up out of nowhere for a near fall but CM Punk drops him with a big kick and sets up for the go to sleep. Hardy counters it with a twist of fate and heads to the top and hits the swanton bomb! Jeff hooks the leg and the referee counts the three! Hardy’s music hits but even I could see that CM Punk’s leg was under the bottom rope. The referee waves it off and points out the leg and so the match continues. Jeff can’t believe it and attempts another twist of fate but Punk avoids it and looks to hit a go to sleep. Hardy elbows his way out of it and Punk immediately goes down holding his eye. The referee tells Hardy to back off and Punk then kicks the referee in the back! Jeff Hardy wins by disqualification but CM Punk will leave with the title. This has got heel turn written all over it. Punk sells his eye injury. I think with a better finish these two could put on a really good match. Hardy and Punk go at it after the bell and Hardy lays into Punk!

Rating: 6/10

Carlito and Primo march into Teddy Long’s office, unhappy with his decision to add Edge and Chris Jericho to their match. Teddy said he had to do it or risk being fired before kicking them out of his office.

Randy Orton looks nervous backstage. He makes a phone call but gets Cody’s answer phone. He wants to know where his boys are!

Next up, a video package for John Cena and The Miz.

John Cena vs. The Miz

This is a first time PPV match between these two men. John Cena is 2-1 at Great American Bash PPV’s, The Miz is 0-1. The bell rings and Cena takes down The Miz. Cena repeats the single leg takedown and drops an elbow on Miz’s knee. Cena looks like he’s learn some new moves, he takes down Miz again and then hits a headlock takedown. Cena is treating this match like’s he’s playing with The Miz, showing him who the better man is. Cena its a hiptoss but soon receives a kick to the face. Cena chases Miz around the ring and back into it where Miz takes the advantage. The Miz hits some left hands and then a clothesline in the corner. He then heads to the top and hits a double axe handle to the back of Cena’s neck for the first two count of the match. Miz hits a running boot and a suplex for a two count and then a clothesline.

The Miz baseball slides John Cena out of the ring and then rolls him back into the ring and pins him for a two count. The two men slug it out in the ring and Cena receives more boo’s. Cena hits a couple of shoulder knockdowns, a side suplex and then the five knuckle shuffle. Cena sets up for the attitude adjustment and hits it! Cena then locks on the STF and The Miz taps out. A straight forward enough win for Cena but not a great match.

Rating: 3.75/10

There’s a video package for Triple H and Randy Orton up next.

Randy Orton (c) vs. Triple H – Three Stages Of Hell match for the WWE Championship

This is the 8th PPV match between these two men which is a joint record for most amount of times two men have wrestled on PPV. It’s joint with Triple H and The Rock who have also wrestled each other eight times. Triple H has won 6 of the previous 7 matches between the two. Both men are 1-0 at Great American Bash events. The bell rings and the two men start quickly. Triple H hits a clothesline and then some right hands in the corner. Triple H has won the two previous 3 stages of hell matches. Orton drags Triple H to the corner and tries to pull his legs around the ringpost but Triple H counters it. Triple H suplexes Randy Orton back into the ring and hooks the leg for a two count. Triple H then looks for a pedigree but Randy counters with a chop block. Randy then smashes Triple H’s leg into the ring apron and looks to target the left leg of Triple H.

Orton attempts an RKO but Triple H counters it and takes Orton down with a spinebuster. That looked like it hurt Triple H more and it’s Orton that’s up first. He hits Triple H with a backbreaker which sends his challenger out of the ring. Triple H grabs a chair and smashes it over Orton’s head! Randy Orton wins the first fall! Triple H continues to use the chair and beats Randy Orton with it. He got himself purposely disqualified to get the advantage in the second fall! Triple H then hits a pedigree on the outside and hooks the leg for the three! Triple H wins the second fall!

So we’re into the third fall now which is a stretcher match. Triple H puts Orton on the stretcher and wheels it up the aisle but Orton gets off the stretcher at the last minute and kicks it into The Game. Orton drops Triple H on the barricade and then follows him into the crowd, hitting him with right hands. They make their way over to the technical area where Orton hits more right hands and uppercuts. Triple H fights back and clotheslines Orton over the barricade. Orton rips the padding off the barricade and throws Triple H into it. ORton then beats Helmsley with the padding. Not sure how affective that is. Orton side suplexes Triple H onto the exposed barricade which is a bit more affective. Randy throws Triple H into the ring steps before picking the ring steps up and throwing them into them into the ring. Triple H drop toe holds Orton onto the ring steps and then picks up the steps and rams them into Ortons face. Triple H drags Orton onto the stretcher and then pushes the stretcher up the ramp but again Orton fights his way off it and both men go crashing down the ramp.

Both men get to their feet and Orton smashes Triple H face-first into the stretcher before DDTing him off it. Orton then looks to punt Triple H in the head but Triple H gets out of the way and Orton punts the stretcher. Triple H then sets up for a pedigree but Orton back body drops him onto the stretcher. Randy pushes the stretcher up the ramp slowly but Triple H rolls off it before they reach the line. Orton looks to hit an RKO at the top of the ramp but Triple H pushes him into the set. Triple H then hits a pedigree on the stage! Triple H slowly pulls Orton to his feet and puts him on the stretcher but Cody Rhodes comes out and stops Triple H from rolling the stretcher over the line! Helmsley throws Rhodes into the set and then looks to pull Orton over the line but Ted DiBiase comes out and lays into Triple H with right hands. Rhodes and DiBiase put Triple H on the stretcher but Triple H fights back. Rhodes and DiBiase beat him down and then help Orton to his feet.

Triple H pulls a sledgehammer out from a grill on the stage. He beats down Rhodes and DiBiase with it but Orton hits him with a low blow. Orton then hits Triple H with the grate and Triple H slumps over the stretcher allowing Orton to drag it over the line for the win! Randy Orton retains the WWE Championship tonight! A good match between these two men. After the match Triple H knocks Randy Orton out with the sledgehammer.

Rating: 8/10

And that was The Bash 2009. It felt like a slightly above average PPV, with a handful of good matches and not much in the way of terrible ones. The ECW Championship match that kicked things off was fun and more entertaining than a regular match for the ECW title. Tommy Dreamer walked away with his ECW title, it was a good first defence for him. I don’t think this reign will last forever but it’s a nice run for him. I’m not sure what happens with the ECW title picture now but I wouldn’t mind to see Dreamer feud with Finlay next. Rey Mysterio got the better of Chris Jericho to beat him for the Intercontinental Championship. Based on what will happen later, this will be the end of this rivalry. It’s nice to see Rey Mysterio get the better of Jericho and the two have put on three fantastic PPV matches. There are plenty of contenders for Mysterio now with the likes of R-Truth, John Morrison, Dolph Ziggler and Shelton Benjamin.

Dolph Ziggler beat The Great Khali next after some Kane interference. This looks like it was set up to move Khali on to Kane which we saw at Wrestlemania last year. It’s a good win for Ziggler though who I can see moving into that Intercontinental Championship picture. Khali and Kane doesn’t excite me in the slightest. Not the best match, Ziggler shows a lot of potential but Khali seems to limited in what he can do. The Tag Team Championship was made a triple threat match with Edge and Chris Jericho which was another big shocker. Edge and Jericho then went on to win the titles which I quite like. It keeps Edge out of the World Heavyweight Title picture and it means Edge and Jericho can move between the brands. Carlito and Primo weren’t the best champions and I was expecting them to lose the titles to Rhodes and DiBiase but not Edge and Jericho! I loved the psychology in this match with the two teams trying to keep Edge and Jericho out of the match.

Michelle McCool defeated Melina for the Women’s Championship match. It felt like the girls had a lot of stuff they wanted to get into this match but not a lot of time to get it in. So it did feel rushed. Michelle is definitely the WWE’s flavour of the month and they’re running with her at the moment. I don’t think she has a lot of chemistry with Alicia Fox though. And Melina is a better heel. CM Punk and Jeff Hardy had a decent match but I feel like they could have had a much better match. The finish was odd but it looks like they’re going with a CM Punk heel turn and this was one step on the way to that. I can see this feud running for at least one more pay per view but I’m looking forward to seeing Punk as a full on heel.

John Cena beat The Miz in a match that was made to put Cena over and The Miz as an easy opponent. It was ridiculous really, it did nothing for Miz. It wasn’t a great match, I’ve seen more competitive job matches. I would’ve liked to have seen Miz win, whether it be by cheating or whatever. Not a fan of the booking of this match. Then in the main event Randy Orton beat Triple H in a very good match. We’ve seen the disqualification tactic before so that was nothing new but it got us to the third fall pretty quickly. Orton continues to frustrate Triple H and it’s now the joint most booked match on PPV. I’m a little fed up of this match combination but to be fair they did put on a decent match.

Overall Rating: 57.8/100 (ranked joint 122nd out of 240)

Match Of The Night: Chris Jericho vs. Rey Mysterio
Worst Match Of The Night: The Great Khali vs. Dolph Ziggler
Surprise Of The Night: Chris Jericho & Edge added to the card and tag team title win
Worst Booking Of The Night: John Cena vs. The Miz
Superstar Of The Night: Randy Orton
The Bash 2009 Will Be Remembered For: Edge and Chris Jericho winning the tag team championships