This is a new feature where I’ll watch a single year’s big shows/PLE in prior decades. I’m also watching 1985 and 1993 and will post those reviews here. Please note I review shows in a format with less play-by-play, and you can fuck right off if you want to argue about star ratings.

WWE New Year’s Revolution 2007

Date: 01/07/2007

Location: Kansas City, MO

Announcers: Jim Ross & Jerry Lawler

The Setup

After protecting Umaga as undefeated since he came up to the main roster, WWE was finally poised to do the first Cena/Umaga match. The moment Umaga debuted, he looked manufactured in a lab to feud with Cena. The only question is jamming this on a show for the first time, which was hard to pick up steam because it was so close to the Royal Rumble. This show also had DX facing the super tag team of Rated RKO underneath for the tag team titles. That program had a lot of build, as all four men were getting a substantial push.

Business Notes 

The show did 225,000 PPV buys (149,000 domestic), according to Wrestlenomics. Those numbers were up 3,000 worldwide buys and down 10,000 domestically from the last Raw-only PPV, Cyber Sunday 2006. This number was also down 29.7 % from 2006’s New Year’s Revolution (320,000 worldwide buys), headlined by Cena defending the WWE title in an elimination chamber. Some data shows how effective the Chamber could be as a draw, but honestly, to be on par with Cyber Sunday, which was canceled as a PPV concept because it never drew, doesn’t speak well of the kickoff to the feud. The NYR PPV wasn’t the best choice to maximize interest, but you don’t want to be on par with Cyber Sunday. Prowrestlinghistory.com reports 10,000 in attendance in Kansas City, with a $560,000 gate, which was solid.

The Results

IC Title/Cage Match: Jeff Hardy (C) def. Johnny Nitro in 14:41

It felt like you could always count on these two to have a match in this range in the era. They had good in-ring chemistry, and the characters played off each other perfectly. The finish was Hardy getting crotched on the door of the cage, instead of hitting the floor, allowing Jeff to escape. ***1/2 

Tag Team Turmoil: Cryme Tyme def. Cade & Murdoch, Haas & Benjamin, Highlanders, Jim Duggan & Super Crazy in 18:14

Jim Duggan and Super Crazy as a regular tag team in 2007. WTF? They were also the most over team in this match. This match was your typical WWE gauntlet tag of the era. The work was solid, but unspectacular. Cryme Tyme beat Cade & Murdoch in the end. **1/2

Ric Flair def. Kenny Dykstra in 9:59

I used to be a reasonably big Kenny Dykstra proponent, but he was the breathing definition of underwhelming here. Flair had a better match with Carlito a year earlier. His work lacked flow, and he didn’t know how to work to the crowd at all for someone in this position. Dykstra won with a low blow and a small package to hammer home the point that he was the new Flair, since he entered with the robe and trademark Flair style. This was okay, but a miss overall. Dykstra was all wrong for this gimmick. **

Women’s Title Match: Mickie James (C) def. Victoria in 6:49

This was okay, but too short and unremarkable to be anything more than that. Mickie won with a tornado DDT. *3/4 

World Tag Team Title Match: Shawn Michaels & Triple H NC Edge & Randy Orton (C) in 23:20.

They had to call an audible in this match when Hunter tore his quad for the second time in his career. A bloody Shawn went absolutely wild, laying both Rated RKOs out with chairs and driving an elbow through an even bloodier Orton on the announce table. Even Hunter – with the torn quad – gave Edge a pedigree on the fucking announce table. Hunter’s injury threw off the good tag match they were building, and time stood still as the match fell apart a bit. Bit Shawn Michaels channeled 1995 Shawn and went wild, making it the only thing memorable on this show almost two decades later. He was diving out of the ring and swinging chairshots like Balls Mahoney possessed him. ***3/4

Chris Masters def. Carlito in 5:58. Masters and Carlito battled in an alliance that no one wanted to see end, specifically because they’d have to see the match. This was all a cruel reminder of why. Masters won with a cradle. Fucking horrible.  3/4* 

WWE Title Match: John Cena (C) def. Umaga in 17:16

After the build-up, this was disappointing. They did the deal where Umaga dominated and Cena “barely escaped” with his title after a rollup win. It made sense for a first match to set up another, but it didn’t leave the match as anything more than a solid outing in the main event. **1/4 

Additional Gaga

Really, the only thing of note was Vince talking to Coach backstage about the feud with Donald Trump and Rosie O’Donnell and teasing a match between the two. This was all leading to the hair match at Mania.

The Verdict

Thumbs in the Middle

The opener and tag title match at least made me comfortable giving the show this rating. There’s a lot of filler, but it’s not a bad show by any means.