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The 2008 installment of WWE One Night Stand emanates tonight from the San Diego Sports Arena in San Diego, California.
Despite a strong in-ring lineup, the show is expected to draw WWE one of their lowest buy rates of the year. Four steeply-priced PPVs in two months is simply asking too much of the average wrestling fan’s bank account (something I sincerely hope the company soon realizes). This coupled with the fact that thirteen days of build is hardly enough time to establish compelling angles for a PPV makes for one hard sell of a show.
Another turnoff for most fans here is - much like last month’s Judgment Day event - the card primarily consists of WrestleMania and post-March rematches. This is another reason why WWE higher-ups must take a closer look at the company’s annual PPV schedule - it would be nearly impossible for any wrestling promotion to present a fresh, inspired pay show every two or three weeks, and this includes the McMahon empire.
Now that the bad is out of the way, it’s time to focus on the positive aspects of tonight’s ONS broadcast. As I mentioned earlier, the show appears very solid on paper from a wrestling standpoint, with two exciting main events headlining the show.
WWE Champion Triple H will defend his belt against Randy Orton in a Last Man Standing Match, while Smackdown represents Friday nights with The Undertaker opposing Edge under TLC rules for the vacant World Title . These bouts - while repetitive - have never failed to deliver inside the ring and tonight should be no different.
Shawn Michaels will also take on Batista in a Stretcher Match. Nowhere is the lack of promotion for ONS more apparent than the build (and I use that word loosely) for this encounter. Michaels and Batista have barely made eye contact or done anything significant to push their bout tonight, and adding a stipulation which guarantees a non-conclusive finish only further minimizes what should feel like an important rematch.
Here is the current lineup for One Night Stand 2008:
Edge vs. The Undertaker in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs Match for the World Championship
WWE Champion Triple H vs. Randy Orton in a Last Man Standing Match for the WWE Title
Batista vs. Shawn Michaels in a Stretcher Match:
John Cena vs. JBL in a First Blood Match
Jeff Hardy vs. Umaga in a Falls Count Anywhere Match
The Big Show vs. Tommy Dreamer vs. Chavo Guerrero vs. John Morrison vs. CM Punk in a Singapore Cane Match to determine who will challenge Kane for the ECW Title at Night of Champions
Melina vs. Beth Phoenix in an I Quit Match
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