The Event Center: Wrestlemania 23 Review

The Event Center: WWF Wrestlemania 23

Introduction:
Hello everyone and welcome back to the Event Center. We are back again for another Wrestlemania on our Road to Wrestlemania tour here. So far we have made stops at Wrestlemania 2, Wrestlemania 7, Wrestlemania 19, and now we are heading to Detroit for a show that is 20 years in the making. Thats right we are heading back to Wrestlemania 23 to witness one of the better cards the WWE has produced. I went to this show live and it was my first ever Wrestlemania. I was in aww the entire time and can remember just looking around in amazement. There is nothing like being at a Wrestlemania live so if you ever get the chance definitely take advantage. Anyways, enough about the personal side of things so lets get this thing going.

Event Information:
Date: April 1st, 2007
Location: Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan
Attendance: 80,103
Main Event: WWE Title Match: John Cena (c) vs. Shawn Michaels

Show Opening:

The show opens up with an awesome video package where they show all of the big moments from the prior Wrestlemania’s. They then show a shot of the Silverdome and say that 20 years later the WWE returns all grown up. They then take it back to Wrestlemania 3 and show Vince McMahon welcoming everyone to Wrestlemania 3. They then head to Wrestlemania 23. They play the voice over from Wrestlemania 3 where Vince McMahon introduces Aretha Franklin to sing America the Beautiful.

We then head to another video package focusing on the wrestlers who will take part in Wrestlemania. They have little kids portraying the wrestlers and they are talking about how they dreamed of this day. Just an overall really great opening video. One of the better ones they had for a show. Really well done.

Pre-Match Thoughts:
Most of these guys won qualifying matches to get entered into the Money in the Bank match. Theres side feuds going on but nothing major that one should focus on. Orton and Edge’s relationship is starting to fray a little bit so that is something to look forward to here Also, we have the Hardy Boyz in here so it would be interesting to see them go at it to prevent one another from winning the briefcase. Other than that you have a few mid card guys thrown in just to add more people. Thats about it here.

Match 1: Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Mr. Kennedy, CM Punk, Edge, Finlay, Jeff Hardy, King Booker, Randy Orton, & Matt Hardy

The match starts with all 8 guys just staring at the brief case in the ring. Then the brawl breaks out with all 8 guys. 6 of the guys are brawling and then Finlay goes off the top rope and does a splash on all of them. Edge then gets a ladder and quickly climbs up it but Matt Hardy stops him from getting the brief case. Orton and Finlay try the same thing but they just beat the hell out of each other. Now Jeff Hardy tries to get the briefcase but Kennedy tips the ladder over to stop it.

Booker then gets under the ring and he happens to pull out a step ladder but CM Punk ends up taking it from him and he starts hitting everyone with it. Edge steals the step ladder from Punk and throws it at him and he gets busted open from it. Edge then takes a big ladder and sets it up on the apron and the guard rail. I think that will come in to play at some point. Booker T then takes out 4-5 guys with a spine buster and then he does the spin-a-roonie. The Hardyz then work together against Edge. They setup a ladder on the side and then one on top and then Jeff goes to the top rope and he goes for the same move that injured Mercury but Finlay pushes Jeff off the top rope to the outside. Edge then suplexes Matt on to the ladder setup that he and Jeff had.

Kennedy goes for the Kenton to Matt Hardy on the ladder but Matt moved out of the way and Kennedy smokes his head on the ladder. Jeff then hits Kennedy with the Swanton Bomb. Matt and JeFf go up for the briefcase but they end up fighting each other over it until Finlay tips the ladder over. Edge gets back in the ring and he drops everyone with a spear until he goes after Punk but Punk jumps out of the way and Edge goes crashing into the corner. Punk puts the ladder on his head and is taking everyone out with it until Edge drops him with a spear and it sends the ladder into Finlay and Orton and he takes out all three guys. That was a pretty sweet spot there.

Edge then gets out a huge ass ladder and heads up for the briefcase but Orton ends up stopping him from getting there by tipping the ladder over and Edge goes crashing to the floor on the outside. Matt ends up setting Edge up on the ladder that was draped across the barricade and apron. Jeff then sets up the giant ladder and climbs up to the top and ends up jumping on to Edge as they both go crashing to the mat. What a dangerous ass spot and I remember the crowd jumping up and it getting as loud as possible at this point and then it just got quiet because they had no idea what was going on with these two. Just a really cool moment here.

The stretchers end up coming out and sends Edge and Jeff both out on stretchers. Back to the action as Orton starts dropping everyone with RKO’s. Orton sets up a ladder but Punk ends up hitting him with a ladder of his own in the back. Punk then sets up the second ladder as he and Orton brawl on the ladders. Orton then takes Punk and drops him with an RKO off of the ladders. That was pretty damn awesome there.

Booker and Orton then end up on the ladders and Booker T ends up dropping Orton with a Book End off of the ladders. Booker and Matt brawl on the ladder until Sharmell comes in and interferes. Matt threatens to drop Sharmell with the Twist of Fate so Booker jumps down to save his Queen. Matt then drops Booker with the Twist of Fate. Matt then climbs up the ladder but Finlay comes in and dumps the ladder backwards and Matt smacks his head on the ground. This match is just brutal. Finlay then picks up Matt and drops him with the Celtic Cross on to the ladder.

Finlay struggles to climb up the ladder so Hornswoggle shows up and starts to climb up the ladder for him until Kennedy climbs up the ladder next to Hornswoggle. Kennedy then hits the Plunge on Hornswoggle off of the ladder. Everyone else is laid out so Punk gets a ladder and tries to get the briefcase until Kennedy meets him at the top. They brawl on the top of the ladder until Punk pushes Kennedy off of the ladder. Kennedy then picks up a ladder and blasts Punk with it. Kennedy then climbs up the ladder and retrieves the briefcase. Your winner and the Money in the Bank….Mr. Kennedy!!!!

Recap:
This match was a glorified train wreck with spot after spot after spot and it was all awesome. I miss having Money in the Bank on Wrestlemania because it sets the tone and gets people into the show early on. After having something like this you can have a 2-3 match cool down and the crowd would be fine. Now you just have match after match and it drags forever. Anyways, the spots in this one were awesome and were spaced out enough to where it didn’t become overwhelming. I like how they didn’t really do a whole lot with the ladders but instead focused on each other’s finishing moves and really hammering them home. I thought that was a nice touch considering the Edge and Jeff Hardy spot was really the only ladder spot you needed. This was a great way to get the crowd hyped and to kick off a Mania and is one of the better matches on the card that is definitely worth watching.

They show footage of the world premier of the Condemned.

Backstage Interview: Mr. Kennedy

Kennedy cuts Todd off and says blah blah blah blah. Kennedy said he would like to first and foremost congratulate himself on becoming Mr. Money in the Bank. Kennedy said he wants to send a message to anyone who has a belt in the back because he is coming for them anytime, anyplace. Kennedy says he realizes that nice guys always finish dead last so thank God he is not a nice guy. Thank God he is Mr. Kennedy and thank God he is Mr. Money in the bank……bank!

They show the Batista all grown up video.

Pre-Match Thoughts:
This match was thrown together to get a monster vs. monster match based off of Hogan vs. Andre from Wrestlemania 3. They couldn’t have picked a worse opponent for Kane than Khali. This has shit fest written all over it.

Match 2: The Great Khali vs. Kane

We get a tie up to start this one but Khali quickly uses his power and throws Kane to the ground. Kane goes for an irish whip but Khali just tosses him to the outside like it’s nothing. Kane hits the ropes again but again Khali drops Kane with a clothesline. Khali then body slams Kane and goes for the nerve hold and we are only 2 minutes in. Khali works Kane over in the corner until Kane moves out of the way of a punch and he starts to lay in the lefts and rights in the corner.

Kane heads up to the top rope and hits the clothesline on Khali but Khali just staggers around until Kane gets back up and kicks Khali into the ropes and he gets tied up in them. Kane just lays in the right hands until the ref makes him break it. Kane heads to the outside and grabs a hook and chain from See No Evil but Khali quickly stops Kane from using it by laying in some right hands. They then exchange shitty rights and just slug it out until Khali hits the chop on Kane to drop him. Kane hits a low blow on Khali with the chain and then ends up body slamming Khali but he only gets a 2 count.

Kane ends up going for the chokeslam but Khali goes for the chokeslam as well until Kane breaks free. However, Khali ends up picking up Kane and drops him with a double handed chokeslam. Khali then puts one boot on Kane and pins him for the 1-2-3. Your winner by pinfall….Great Khali!

After the match Khali takes the chain and chokes Kane out with it.

Recap:
This was the complete shit and it totally killed the crowd. I have no idea how in the hell this match got on the card but here we are. Khali couldn’t even bend down to pin Kane and they allow him to pin him with 1 foot. How in the world did this guy last as long as he did. This is a 5 minute piss break and worth skipping all together.

They show the WWE Divas all grown up video.

Backstage Segment: Cryme Tyme & Eugene

Shad says that he knows Eugene is upset with what Stephanie McMahon did to him. JTG says that Eugene still looks like a player. Shad tells Eugene that they still have love for Eugene so they got something setup for him. They then turn off the lights as Kelly Kelly, Layla, and Brooke are dancing for Eugene. Eugene then flips out because Moolah and Mae show up. Slick then shows up out of no where and starts dancing with them. Dusty Rhodes says that they can’t have a dance party without the American Dream Dusty Rhodes. He then starts dancing as Slaughter, Jimmy Hart, IRS, and Gerald Brisco show up and they all start dancing. Then Ricky Steamboat shows up and starts dancing with them. Finally, Ron Simmons shows up and does his damn gimmick as this shit segment is finally over.

Pre-Match Thoughts:
MVP signed the “largest” contract in sports entertainment history so essentially he’s the main man on the show. He is getting thrown to the wolves leading up to this point and thats what has led him to a match with Chris Benoit. It’s the grizzled veteran vs. the young pup and it’s time for MVP to be taught a lesson. Thats how they booked this one so it should be somewhat decent.

Match 3: WWE United States Title Match: Chris Benoit (c) vs. M.V.P.

They start on the ground with some submission wrestling and mat based wrestling. MVP does a nice looking slide out until a leg lock and then into a head lock. Both guys exchange some blocks until MVP has enough and tosses Benoit out to the floor. Benoit gets back in and they roll through some blocked submission attempts and Benoit gets a little frustrated because MVP seems to be one step ahead. Both guys take turns getting control momentarily until they both get on the top rope. Benoit goes for a super plex but MVP blocks it and ends up grabbing the arm of Benoit and dropping it across the top rope as MVP falls to the ground on the outside.

MVP gets back in the ring and continues to work the arm of Benoit. MVP gets cocky and goes for a round house kick but Benoit ducks and ends up hitting the triple German suplexes on MVP. Benoit then heads to the top rope but MVP stops him and ends up hitting Benoit with a superplex of his own off the top rope but Benoit holds on and hooks the legs and damn near gets a 3 count. MVP quickly gets up and goes back to the arm.

MVP gets an arm bar submission move on Benoit but when Benoit breaks free he holds up on a kick attempt by MVP but when he charges in MVP hits the kick anyways. MVP then body slams Benoit and goes for his ballin’ elbow drop and gets a 2 count. MVP goes for a kick to the head in the corner but Benoit moves out of the way and goes for the three germans again but after the second one MVP blocks it and tries to get a German of his own but Benoit blocks it. MVP then hits the ropes and Benoit catches him with the triple germans again. Almost sounds like a broken record at this point. Benoit then goes to the top rope and hits the diving head-butt to MVP and gets the 1-2-3. Your winner of the match and still WWE United States Champion….Chris Benoit.

Recap:
I’ve said it time and time again that I have no interest or desire to watch or enjoy anything that Chris Benoit done. I can’t separate the man from the wrestler and I feel like no one should. Benoit’s whole career was based off the struggle of getting to the top and getting the respect he earned long ago. He was always on the short end of the stick until he finally broke through and got that title opportunity. So to take a person who had a career like that and then think about what he did it kind of ruins everything. You feel bad for him because he never got a fair shake and then you think about the son that he killed he never got a fair shake at life either. You can do the same for his wife and so on. So to separate one from the other is not possible and therefore I will never “watch” or enjoy anything this guy does or give an opinion on what he does for review purposes. His matches are what they are and if you enjoy watching them great but you won’t get that from me so if you are looking for something else then I aint your guy for that. Rants over so lets move on.

They show the Undertakers all grown up video.

Backstage Segment: Donald Trump & The Boogeyman

They go backstage and Trump is on the phone talking shit on Vince McMahon. Trump says Vince hasn’t given him any food, drink, or sandwich. He also has Tara with him, former Miss USA, and he says she has gotten nothing as well. The lights then turn red and the Boogey Man’s music starts to play. Boogey Man comes up behind the couch and he starts singing Old McDonald with worms in his mouth. Trump no sells the shit out of the Boogey Man and he tells him if he is going to get him then he needs to get him some food and a drink because he is hungry. Then Lil Boogey Man pops up and Trump says who the hell are you as he walks off. That was classic and awesome.

They show highlights of the WWE Hall of Fame from the night prior.

They announce the attendance figure for the show at 80,103.

They then bring out the Hall of Fame Class 2007.

They show highlights of the feud between Batista and the Undertaker.

Pre-Match Thoughts:
The feud started after Undertaker won the Royal Rumble and chose Batista as his opponent. Undertaker then hit Batista with the chokeslam and this pissed Batista off. They then had a match at No Way Out where they were partners against Cena/Shawn. Towards the end of the match Batista ended up turning on Taker and dropping him with a spine buster. It’s title vs. streak at Wrestlemania and it should be one heck of a match.

Match 4: WWE World Heavyweight Title Match: Batista (c) vs. Undertaker

The bell rings and Batista drops Taker with the spear right away and then lays in some right hands in the corner. Taker quickly turns it around and tosses Batista into the corner and lays in the rights. Batista then drops Taker with a clothesline as the crowd starts to boo Batista every time he does something. Batista then clotheslines Taker to the outside as they brawl on the outside. Batista whips Taker into the steps and he goes flipping over them. Taker gets back in the ring and Batista heads to the top rope and he hits a shoulder block on to Taker for a 2 count.

Batista keeps control of the match with clotheslines, body slams, and kicks before Taker blocks a boot and lays in some piston rights and lefts and an uppercut. Both guys then exchange rights as the fans cheer and boo each guy respectfully. Taker then hits two big clotheslines in the corner and then he hits Batista with snake eyes and a big boot. Taker drops a leg drop and goes for the cover and gets a 2 count. Taker then grabs the arm and heads up top for Old School. Taker then goes for a chokeslam but Batista powers out of it. Taker then hits a terrible looking flying clothesline that Batista was out of position for but Taker goes for the pin anyways and gets a 2 count.

Taker lays in a few right hands that eventually send Batista out to the floor. Taker then hits a few elbows with Batista’s head draped off the apron. Taker then drops a big time leg drop that sends Batista back to the floor. Taker then goes inside and goes for a big time suicide dive over the top rope right onto Batista. What an awesome looking move. Great stuff from the Undertaker.

They continue to brawl outside the ring and then finally Batista gets a little bit of the upper hand by reversing an irish whip and sending Undertaker into a shit ton of chairs at the time keepers table. Batista then clears one announce table and then beats up the Undertaker on another one. Batista then picks up the Undertaker and hits him with a running power slam through the other announce table. That was awesome as well.

Batista picks up Taker and puts him back in the ring and goes for the cover only to get a 2 1/2 count. Batista gets frustrated and just lays in a bunch of lefts and rights before getting another 2 count. Batista goes for the Batista Bomb but Taker drives him into the corner and starts laying in the elbows to Batista. Batista reverses an irish whip into a belly to belly suplex for a 2 3/4 count. Batista is laying in the rights and lefts in the corner until Undertaker catches him and drops him with the Last Ride for a 2 1/2 count before Batista kicks out.

Batista drops Taker with the spine buster and then starts shaking the ropes like the Ultimate Warrior. Batista then goes for a whip but Taker ducks under and then hits Batista with the chokeslam for another 2 count. Taker ends up calling for the Tombstone. Batista slips down the back of Taker and ends up hitting a spear on him and then the Batista Bomb. Batista goes for the cover and gets a 2 1/2 count. Batista is shocked that Taker kicked out so he ends up picking him up again for another one but Taker ends up backdropping Batista.

We head to the finish with going for a Tombstone but Taker slides down and pushes Batista into the corner and then gets Batista in the Tombstone himself and he goes for the cover and gets the 1-2-3. Your winner and NEW WWE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION….THE UNDERTAKER!!!!

Recap:
This was a really good match and being there live was awesome. You really felt like Batista had one of the better chances of ending the streak and so you were really on the edge of your seats throughout the entire match because you really thought Batista may win. Just a really good match and Taker delivered. Batista held his own as well and you can’t take anything away from him. Just a really good match and one of the best ones on the card.

They show the Bobby Lashley all grown up video.

Backstage Segment: Vince McMahon and Stephanie McMahon

Vince is shown looking at himself in the mirror and he says “what a sexy son of a bitch.” Stephanie then walks in with a baby stroller and Vince starts talking to his granddaughter. Vince says he is going to beat up Donald Trump just for her and he is going to bash his head in. Vince says he is going to give Trump a skull fracture and then he is going to bloody him up big time. He also says he is going to pull his hair out by the roots. Vince then starts smelling around and he asks Stephanie if she smells what he smells and then he says “She just dropped a Trump.”

Pre-Match Thoughts:
This was your typical feud between the old guard vs. the new breed. The New Breed wanted the Originals to step away and give them the spotlight they deserve but the originals aren’t quite ready to give up that spot yet. Basic writing here but it was affective.

Match 5: 8-Man Tag Team Match: Rob Van Dam/Tommy Dreamer/Sabu/Sandman vs. Elijah Burke/Kevin Thorn/Marcus Cor Von/Matt Striker

This one starts off with Sabu doing his finger point but Striker nails him with a right hand. Sabu then starts using all of his high flying moves with spring board clotheslines and leg drops. Sabu tags in the Sandman and he comes in by dropping a leg drop on to Striker off the top rope. Burke gets tagged in and so does Dreamer. We get a double team elbow drop before Sandman leaves the ring.

Ariel distracts the ref so Cor Von can cheat to get the upper hand. Cor Von gets tagged in and he lays in some boots and suplexes to Dreamer. Burke and Cor Von hit Dreamer with a double back body drop and then Burke lays in a double knee drop in the corner and he gets a 2 count. Thorn comes in and he works the lower back of Dreamer and then drops him with a sit down power bomb for a 2 count. Cor Von gets tagged back in and he drops Dreamer with a float over suplex for a 2 count.

Burke gets tagged in and they try to double team Dreamer but Dreamer drops Burke and Cor Von with a neck breaker reverse DDT combo. Dreamer finally tags in RVD as well as Striker. He comes in and lays out Striker with a spinning wheel kick and then takes care of the others in the New Breed. He heads up for the 5-Star Frog Splash but Thorn comes in and and gets nailed with a single leg drop kick. Striker gets hit with a monkey flip and then Rolling Thunder before Cor Von tosses RVD to the outside.

Sabu goes flying with a front flip over the top rope onto Cor Von. Dreamer drops Striker with a DDT and then Burke kicks out Dreamer. Sandman then takes care of Burke and that leaves Striker alone in the ring for Rob Van Dam to nail him with the 5-Star Frog Splash for the 1-2-3. Your winners of the match by way of pinfall….the ECW Originals!

Recap:
This match was just kind of there. Coming off the high of Undertaker vs. Batista was going to be tough for anyone but sending out the crowd favorites from ECW definitely helped. I remember about an hour after this match was over some drunk idiot in the crowd said “damn I missed the ECW match?” Thats a pretty good summation on how good this match was and how memorable it is. It was nothing special as each of the Originals got their spots in and then it went to the finish. It was nothing terrible but it was nothing special either.

They show the Stone Cold Steve Austin all grown up video.

They announce that Wrestlemania will be heading to Orlando for Wrestlemania 24….best part about it is so was I!

They show a highlight video of the feud between Vince McMahon and Donald Trump and what has led to Bobby Lashley vs. Umaga.

Pre-Match Thoughts:
This match was built on Donald Trump always upstaging Vince McMahon including on Vince McMahon appreciation night. Trump showed up on the screen and said he wanted to give everyone what they all want and that is money. Money poured down in the arena. Vince then picked Umaga to go to battle for him while Trump picked Bobby Lashley. They then got the special referee of Stone Cold Steve Austin to really up the stakes on this one. This match had absolutely everything and was built up perfectly. The people were interested and that is why it is the second highest PPVs sold for Wrestlemania. You had the billionaires, two young up and coming superstars, and Stone Cold Steve Austin. Nothing more you could ask for.

Match 6: Battle of the Billionaires: Umaga (w/ Vince McMahon) vs. Bobby Lashley (w/ Donald Trump)

Both guys charge at each other to start this one off. They then exchange lefts and rights with each other until Lashley gets Umaga in the corner and nails him with a clothesline. Austin pulls Lashley off of Umaga in the corner and then Umaga nails Lashley with a big boot. Umaga goes for a splash in the corner but Lashley moves and Umaga goes crashing into the post. Lashley then comes off the top with a shoulder block for a 2 count because Armando puts Umaga’s foot on the rope. Lashley then picks up Armando and gets him in the ring and hits him with a power slam and then throws him over the top rope and sends him packing. Umaga tries to attack Lashley from behind but he falls down and Umaga goes flipping over the top rope and lands right on his back on the floor. That looked brutal.

Lashley was going for a spear in the ring and Umaga just side steps him and Lashley goes crashing through the ropes to the floor. Umaga gets him back into the ring and drops a big time splash on Lashley for a 2 count. Umaga starts choking out Lashley until Austin slaps him in the back because Umaga won’t break the hold. Umaga and Austin stare each other down but again Umaga goes back to the choke. Austin counts to 5 and Umaga doesn’t break so Austin grabs Umaga by the hair and they stare down again.

Umaga continues to work over Lashley with a big time clothesline and then a couple of butt drops by jumping off the middle rope. Vince is on the outside taunting Trump saying it’s about that time to where Trump is going to get his head shaved. Anyways, Lashley charges at Umaga and he ends up getting caught with a Samoan drop. The crowd is booing Lashley here. Lashley goes for a body slam on Umaga but he can’t get him up and Umaga lands on top of him for a 2 count. Vince ends up on the apron talking shit to Vince and Lashley ends up hitting the ropes and Vince goes flying off the apron to the floor.

Umaga heads to the top but Lashley catches him and body slams him off the top rope. Lashley then hits a big time clothesline that turns Umaga inside out. Austin starts counting both guys out and he gets to 9 and then just walks around the ring and tells them to get their asses up and refuses to count the 10. Shane comes out and checks on Vince and helps him get back to his feet. Umaga rams right hands to Lashley in the corner and again Austin pulls Umaga off of Lashley until Shane gets in the ring and stops Austin and when Austin turns around Umaga nails Austin with the Samoan Spike and sends him packing to the outside.

Shane then gets in the ring and lays in the left and right hands to Lashley. Umaga and Shane then both work over Umaga in the corner as Umaga hits the butt drop in the corner to Lashley. Lashley is laid out in the corner and the put the trash can on Lashley as Shane gets set up for coast to coast. Shane nails Lashley with the coast to coast. Shane then takes off his jacket and shirt and reveals a referee shirt. Umaga heads to the top rope and nails Lashley with a big time splash and he gets a 2 before Austin gets up and beats the brakes off of Shane McMahon and throws him into the steel steps.

Austin gets back in the ring and Umaga drops him with a chop to the throat again. Trump then comes over to McMahon, who is cussing out Austin, and he drops him with a clothesline. Trump then lays in a couple of right hands before he let him go. In the ring, Austin ducks the Samoan Spike and drops Umaga with the Stone Cold Stunner. Lashley then follows that up with a big time spear and gets the 1-2-3. Your winner of the match….Bobby Lashley!!!

After the match McMahon tries to get out of the way but Austin goes out after him and throws him into the ring. Shane gets in the ring to help Vince but Austin drops him with the Lou Thesz press, elbow drop, and a Stone Cold Stunner. Vince again tries to crawl his way out of the building but Lashley goes out after him and catches him and takes him back to the ring. When he gets into the ring Austin drops him with a Stone Cold Stunner. They finally strap Vince into the barber chair as Trump, Austin, and Lashley take turns cutting the hair of Vince McMahon.

After they get done cutting the hair of Vince McMahon Austin starts to celebrate with the beer and then he ends up dropping Donald Trump with the worst Stone Cold Stunner of all time. That was brutal.

Recap:
This was a solid match but it was all about the story and the billionaires involved and they delivered. The crowd was pretty much loving every minute of their interaction and Trump did pretty damn good. He was a natural out there and he played his part well. Austin being involved was the icing on the cake and really makes the match stand out. It wasn’t a classic wrestling match by any means but for what it was it definitely got the job done. Kudos to everyone involved on this one.

They show the John Cena all grown up video.

They show highlights of the dark match. It was a tag team lumberjack match featuring Ric Flair/Carlito vs. Chavo Guerrero/Greg Helms

Pre-Match Thoughts:
This match started when Ashley posed for Playboy and she ended up getting a title shot. Melina thought it was beneath her to pose for Playboy and she felt like the only reason Ashley got a shot is because she did pose. Throw in the lumberjills to get all of the women on the card and this is what you get.

Match 7: WWE Women’s Title Lumberjill Match: Melina (c) vs. Ashley

This one starts with Ashley throwing Melina face first into the mat and then getting on top of her and throwing the right hands. Melina tries to roll outside and get a breather but the Lumberjills throw her right back into the ring. Ashley charges at Melina but Melina ends up throwing her into the ropes. Ashley then gets in the corner and Melina chokes her out with her foot before Ashley turns it around and she slaps Melina around before choking her out with the boot.

Melina then gets Ashley in a giant swing for a 2 count. Melina then gets a modified surfboard type move on Ashley and then she kicks her off and drives her face into the mat. Ashley ends up hitting Melina with a head scissors take down and then whipping her in the corner to do a monkey flip. Ashley goes for an elbow off the second rope but Melina moves out of the way and then Melina goes for the cover and gets a 2 count. Ashley ends up rolling up Melina for a 2 but Melina rolls through it and gets Ashley in a roll up with a bridge and gets the 1-2-3. Your winner of the match and still WWE Women’s Champion….Melina!!!

After the match Ashley attacks Melina and kicks her out of the ring. The Lumberjills throw her back in the ring and then they all get in the ring and brawl it out. Melina sneaks out of the ring and gets out of the mess.

Recap:
This match was the complete shits and the crowd was completely dead for it. This was the worst possible position for a match like this because the crowd just got done with Vince vs. Trump and then the main event is next so they couldn’t care less about this one. Ashley had no business being in the ring because she was sloppy as hell and just couldn’t work. She was all looks and not much else. Melina was decent if she had a good opponent but she was no where good enough to get something good out of Ashley. Only bright side to this one is it was only 4 minutes long.

They show the Shawn Michaels all grown up video.

They show a highlight video on the feud between John Cena and Shawn Michaels.

Pre-Match Thoughts:
The initial plan for this one was John Cena vs. Triple H but Triple H got injured so they had to make a few changes and we ended up with Shawn Michaels in the spot. I was pretty pumped when this match got announced because even though I am not a huge Shawn Michaels fan I always did want to see him main event Wrestlemania live and I did. The feud was built around Shawn saying he is different and how he has turned on all of his friends and his tag partners but Cena was different. However, on the last Raw before Mania John and Shawn teamed up against Undertaker/Batista and when Shawn had a chance to win he ended up hitting Cena with Sweet Chin Music to put a little heat on this match. This should be great and I can’t wait to see it again.

Match 8: WWE Championship Match: John Cena (c) vs. Shawn Michaels

John Cena has a pretty sweet entrance where he crashes through some glass in a bad ass looking Ford Mustang. I actually seen this car pull up in the morning and thought it looked awesome. Shawn calls for John to meet in the middle of the ring and he ends up offering him a shake of the hand. Cena declines so Shawn slaps him in the face and then starts laying in the right hands until John falls down and Shawn tells him to suck it. We get your basic headlocks and whatnot to start this one as well as Shawn using his speed to dodge punches only to land a couple of right hands of his own on Cena. We get an extended head lock as Shawn continues to keep control of the match and keeping Cena off balance.

The speed finally picks up as Shawn runs the ropes but he eventually gets dropped with a big time clothesline by Cena. Shawn cowers down in the corner as Cena just stares him down. We get some more back and forth action as Shawn is on the outside of the ring on the apron while Cena is still in the ring. Shawn then picks up Cena and just hip tosses him over the rope to the outside. Shawn hits the kick to the back of the head and then hits a spring board moonsault on to the announce table. That was just beautiful.

They get back in the ring and Shawn continues the fury with chops and punches and then he whips Cena into the corner and comes charging in. Cena gets the boot up but Shawn catches it and then lays in a forearm to the knee. Shawn then works over the knee of Cena by ramming it into the steel post. Shawn continues to work the leg as well as continuing the chops. Both guys go back and forth with chops and punches until Shawn gets blasted with a big right hand but Shawn gets up and drives his shoulder into the stomach of Cena to keep control of this one.

We go through the same sequence again but this time when Shawn delivers the shoulder block, Cena moves out of the way and and Shawn goes shoulder and face first into the post. This causes Shawn to get busted wide open. Shawn is a little unsteady but Cena takes advantage with a big time clothesline and then some clubbing right hands on Shawn. Cena does his shoulder blocks, sit down side power bomb, and then a 5 Knuckle Shuffle on to HBK. Cena goes for the F-U but Shawn slides down. Cena ends up whipping Shawn into the corner and he goes upside down in the corner. Cena then goes for a right hand but Shawn ducks and goes for Sweet Chin Music but Cena moves out of the way and Shawn takes out the ref with it.

Cena goes for the F-U again but Shawn counters out of it into a DDT and both guys are laid out. Shawn goes out and sets up the steel steps to where he took the top two steps off. Shawn then goes and gets Cena and he ends up dropping Cena with a spike pile driver on to the steel steps. The thud there was brutal sounding. This busted open the back of the head of Cena. Shawn gets Cena back in the ring and goes for the cover but he only gets a 2 count.

Cena reverses an irish whip but Shawn ends up hitting Shawn with a flying forearm. Shawn then nips up and heads to the top rope for his big elbow. Shawn then tunes up the band and he goes for Sweet Chin Music but Cena drops Shawn with a clothesline instead. Both guys get up and they exchange right hands as the crowd does the cheer, boo gimmick. Shawn hits the ropes but Cena catches him in the F-U but Shawn slides out of it into a rollup for another near fall.

Shawn goes for a leap frog on Cena but Cena catches him and turns it into the F-U and now both guys are laid out again. Cena finally gets over to Shawn and goes for the cover but only gets a 2 1/2 count. Shawn gets put on the top rope and Cena goes up with him and goes for the F-U off the top but Shawn breaks free and pushes Cena off of the ropes. Shawn then comes off the top rope with a cross body but Cena catches him, rolls through, and then throws him on the shoulders and goes for another F-U but Shawn lands on his feet and goes for Sweet Chin Music but Cena turns that into the STFU. They continue to brawl over the STFU until Shawn gets a roll up for a 2 count.

This is when the match really picked up live and everybody was on the edge of their seat. Shawn goes for the kick to the back of the head but Cena ducks and quickly gets Shawn in the STFU. Shawn reaches the ropes and the crowd erupts. The ref admonishes Cena for not letting go and when he turns around Shawn nails him with Sweet Chin Music but he only gets a 2 1/2 count. Both guys are laid out on the mat and the ref gets to 9 before both guys get to their feet but they are holding each other up.

Cena goes for the F-U again but Shawn slides down but Cena quickly hits Shawn with the drop toe hold and back to the STFU right in the middle of the ring. Shawn acts like he is going to tap but he holds off until Shawn can’t take it anymore and taps out. Your winner by way of submission and still WWE Champion….John Cena!!!

After the match is over Cena raises the belt in the air as the pyro goes off in the background. Shawn is heading towards the back but Cena sees him and he goes and turns him around. Shawn just walks away from him but Cena salutes Shawn then back to the ring we go for Cena to celebrate.

Recap:
What can you say about this one. The last 8-10 minutes of the match were phenomenal. I remember being on the edge of my seat and feeling like a little kid all over again and that was because of Shawn Michaels. We all knew going in that he didn’t have a chance to win the belt but by the time they got to the finishing sequence you really bought in that he was going to do it. It was an awesome feeling to be able to experience that live and to be honest I haven’t had that feeling since this show. It speaks volumes to how good Shawn Michaels is as a performer and I give him all the credit in the world. I am not a huge fan of the person but the performer is unquestionably one of the greatest to ever do it. This was the perfect main event to an overall excellent show.

They show a highlight video of Wrestlemania 23 as well as showing some footage from Wrestlemania 3 as well.

Final Thoughts:
So that wraps up another Wrestlemania edition of the Event Center. This is one of my favorite Wrestlemania’s as well due to the fact that I was there for the most part. Being a part of the show live is an experience that I encourage every wrestling fan to experience at least one. It is a spectacle and you are in awe of the place the entire night. I caught myself just looking around at all of the work they put into the design of the building to make it feel like a wrestling arena. Just a wonderful experience and memories that I will cherish forever.

Now to the card itself. The matches that were supposed to deliver did deliver. Batista and Undertaker was awesome because you really felt like Batista had a legit shot of winning. That always made the Undertaker matches feel special back when he had the undefeated streak. When you thought his opponent had chance really enhanced the match. Lashley and Umaga was very good as well and when you throw in Vince and Trump you can’t really go wrong. The haircut segment was awesome and it really came across great even all these years later.

The Money in the Bank match was just insane. One of the better aspects of this ladder match was the little use of the ladder. Yeah it was used but not like it was at Wrestlemania 24 or other ladder matches. It was a lot of ring based things and finishers by the opponents than going to spot after spot after spot. The one spot between Jeff and Edge was really all you needed for the match because it took your breath way seeing him do that. Also, nothing would top that spot so why even bother? Kennedy winning was a surprise but one that a lot of people got behind. Too bad injuries derailed his run.

The main event between Shawn Michaels and John Cena was just amazing live and after watching it again it was just as good the second time. I put a lot of that on Shawn because he really made you believe. He made me feel like a kid again just enjoying the show instead of over thinking all of it. I really felt like he had a legit shot of winning the title and it was just awesome to suspend belief and get into the moment. I give the majority of that credit to Shawn because he was the chaser and he was easy to get behind. Just a really really good match to end the show.

All in all this is, again, one of the better Wrestlemania’s out there and it is really one that is worth checking out for sure. There are 4-5 matches that are fun as hell to watch and ones that you can definitely enjoy over and over. I would give this one a high recommendation, stealing from my buddy Ian, and one I would recommend watching each year if you get the change.

So that does it for this Wrestlemania Event Center. This is #4 out of 5 that I have planned. The next one that we will go to will be Wrestlemania 24. This is another show that I attended live so there may be a little bit of a bias to it but thats okay. It’s my review and if you don’t like it then thats okay because we can all have our own opinions here. Anyways, look forward to that one real real soon and thank you again for reading this one. Until next time, stay safe and have a good one.