This one got the nod over the previous simply because it has aged well. On the night of, this particular critic was not blown away. 2009 was a Ladder match-heavy year that had followed several other Ladder match-heavy years, which did not allow the WWE Tag Team Championship match from HBK's hometown to stand out immediately. In the past half decade, DX vs. Jeri-Show has become a much more engaging viewing experience. Let's face it: Big Show climbing a ladder has always been a fascinating sight. Combine that with the fact that three of the four participants are in a master class of storytellers in the WrestleMania Era and it should come as no surprise that they produced a Ladder match that concentrated on drama and selling more than stunt brawling. It did not lack for innovative spots, granted, but there was no way that four guys at their age were going to be able to do a TLC Era type TLC bout. What we got was thoroughly enjoyable; another of the ilk described in the previous entry that is worth a watch without any illusions of deeming it outstanding.
"The Doc" Chad Matthews has written wrestling columns for over a decade. A physician by trade, Matthews began writing about wrestling as a hobby, but it became a passion. After 30 years as a wrestling fan, "The Doc" gives an unmatched analytical perspective on pro wrestling in the modern era. He is a long-time columnist for Lordsofpain.net and hosts a weekly podcast on the LOP Radio Network called "The Doc Says." His first book - The WrestleMania Era: The Book of Sports Entertainment - ranks the Top 90 wrestlers from 1983 to present day, was originally published in December 2013, and is now in its third edition.
Matthews lives in North Carolina with his wife, two kids, and two dogs.
