WWE The Great American Bash 2005

Much like WrestleMania and Backlash, The Great American Bash was a decent show, nothing actively terrible wrestling-wise, with the letdown of a weak main event.

I really liked Mysterio vs. Guerrero. Sure, it's been going on for awhile, but every PPV match they've had has been very good, with a different, evolving dynamic to it. It's good that Rey keeps winning the matches, because he keeps getting pimp-slapped to build the feud. I do hope the final hurrah is at SummerSlam, in some kind of a #1 contender's gimmick match. It doesn't have to be something flashy like a ladder match. That'd be great, don't get me wrong, but it wouldn't fit with the nature of the feud. Not to mention WWE doesn't really do belt-less ladder matches. Even a basic No-DQ would work. Eddie finally getting the win, and going on to face Batista makes the most sense. I'd love to see Rey in the main event, but going against any of the potential champions after SummerSlam doesn't seem promising.

The only major part of the show I take issue with is the booking, which was pretty ripe. Animal & Heidenreich winning is alright, but MNM should have the belts back again soon, of course. Christian can't seem to get a break. Benoit losing to Orlando makes little sense to me, with OJ's reign serving as a plot device for the JBL vs. Cena feud, and very little since. But Benoit's career is far from over. (Mr. Farmer, you dramatic hoser. ) Undertaker winning was a foregone conclusion, though I wish they'd gone the route of a Hassan win, then being shipped back to Raw due to the UPN ban, furthering the whole discrimination angle, as Dude suggested. The Last Ride spot was a pretty crazy way to go out, though. Then for the main event, a DQ after a pretty bland match. Batista vs. Undertaker vs. JBL isn't going to be pleasant. Washington: I don't care that Dave's the hometown boy. Please take a hint from Toronto and dump all over this match.

Melina's was the only other win I did like, after a better-than-expected match (whatever that's worth). I'm pretty much indifferent to the Mexicools winning. Carlos & Hugo almost cherishing the rake they were given was so stupid, it was hilarious.

Tazz blaming the Canadian fans in the crowd for the goofy reactions to Christian & JBL was funny. Blaming them for being "people in society who want to know the secret", inferring that they enjoy Rey's misery, or something to that effect, just because an Eddie chant broke out, is a bit of a kick in the nuts.

Overall, I'd place it in the middle of the pack for this year, on the strength of Eddie vs. Rey, and the non-sucktitude of most everything else.