Introduction:
Hello everyone and welcome back to the Event Center. We are back again for another Wrestlemania on our Road to Wrestlemania tour. So far we have made stops at Wrestlemania 2, Wrestlemania 7, Wrestlemania 19, Wrestlemania 23, and now we are going for the back to back and doing Wrestlemania 24. I was at this show as well and I don’t really remember it being as good as Wrestlemania 23 but based off a lot of other reviews it gets pretty high praise. We have some different things on this show, compared to 23, that I am looking forward to. So without further ado lets get this thing going.
Event Information:
Date: March 30th, 2008
Location: Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida
Attendance: 74,635
Main Event: WWE World Heavyweight Title Match: Edge (c) vs. The Undertaker
Show Opening:
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The show opens up with a pretty sweet fly over as Lilian Garcia welcomes us to Wrestlemania 24. She then introduces John Legend who is going to be singing America the Beautiful. After that gets wrapped up we head into the hype video to welcome us to Wrestlemania. We get some nice highlights, great voiceover work, and pretty much everything you would expect from a Wrestlemania opening video. They focus on how much can change in just a year. They highlight the returns of Big Show and Jericho, the injuries that Cena and Triple H have gone through, as well as a few other things. Just a really awesome video here especially the ending of it.
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They bring it back into the building and shoot off all the pyro and hoopla to get this show kicked off. The overcast crowd was really nice and helped while you were there because it was hot as hell that day for the most part.
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They show a highlight video on the feud between Finlay and JBL.
Pre-Match Thoughts:
This feud was setup based off the idea that Hornswoggle was the illegitimate son of Vince McMahon. Vince hated the idea of this so he brought in JBL to take care of his dirty work in Finlay. This was a dumbass storyline but the match should be good because both of these guys know how to brawl pretty well.
Match 1: Belfast Brawl: John Bradshaw Layfield vs. Finlay
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This one starts off quickly as Finlay charges into the ring but JBL blasts him with a knee and we are off. JBL and Finlay brawl on the outside. Finlay throws JBL back into the ring and the bell finally rings to get this one officially going. Finlay goes right back outside and throws in some trash cans as well as some kendo sticks. Finlay gets back in the ring and gets blasted with a trash can. That looked brutal there.
JBL takes the lids and just blasts Finlay with them a few times before he drops him with a short arm clothesline. JBL goes to the outside and grabs the steps and throws them into the ring. JBL goes for a piledriver on the steps but Finlay reveres it into a back body drop. Finlay then takes the cookie sheet and blasts JBL in the head twice and then punches the cookie sheet into his face for a third time. Finlay goes for the cover and gets a 2 count.
JBL gets Finlay into the corner and lays in brutal right hands to Finlay. JBL then picks up Finlay’s shillelagh and is about to blast him with it but Hornswoggle comes in and nails JBL in the back with a kendo stick. JBL turns his attention back to Finlay and ends up getting nailed with the shillelagh and this sends JBL to the outside. Finlay heads back outside and pulls out the table and throws it back into the ring. Finlay sets the table up in the corner and he tries to whip JBL into it but they both reverse it a few times and nobody ends up going into the table just yet.
JBL rolls to the outside to catch a breather and ends up slapping the taste out of Hornswoggle until Finlay comes out and rams JBLs face into the announce table numerous times. Finlay goes for a suicide dive through the middle rope but JBL blasts him with the trash can lid and Finlay goes crashing to the ground. That looked brutal and sounded just as bad.
JBL picks up a trash can and throws it right at Hornswoggle and lays him out again. JBL goes for the Clothesline from Hell but Finlay grabs the trash can and blasts JBL with it. Finlay then hits a rolling DVD but he doesn’t go for the cover. Finlay then picks up JBL and throws him into the table in the corner and gets a 2 count out of it. Finlay picks up the stairs and is about to hit JBL with it but JBL hits Finlay with the kendo stick to trip him up and Finlay hits his face on the steps. JBL follows that up with the Clothesline from Hell and gets the 1-2-3. Your winner by pinfall….John Bradshaw Layfield!
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Recap:
This was just a brawl and it was a pretty good one. Finlay pulled out all the stops to try and get the win and JBL was JBL. Not a bad opener at all. There was a lot of cool spots and I always did like the Clothesline from Hell so it was cool to see that. This wasn’t a technical masterpiece but not everything has to be. This served it’s purpose and got the job done.
Backstage Interview: Mr. Kennedy
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They head backstage to the guest hostess of Wrestlemania, Kim Kardashian. She talks about the atmosphere backstage and then starts talking about the Money in the Bank match. Mr. Kennedy interrupts her and does his gimmick. Kim then says the match is coming up right now and Kennedy comes back and says Kennedy again.
Pre-Match Thoughts:
Just like last years show it’s just a mix of guys who qualified for the match and thats about it. Theres a lot of great athletes in this one so the action should be pretty damn awesome. I always liked this match and wish it would be brought back to Wrestlemania because it can really get things going. Anyways, lets get to this one.
Match 2: Money in the Bank: CM Punk, Carlito, Chris Jericho, John Morrison, Mr. Kennedy, MVP, & Shelton Benjamin
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The bell rings and everyone heads outside to get a ladder. MVP stays in the ring and just dumps everyone who tries to get back into the ring. Pretty smart there for him to do that. Somebody already setup a ladder on the apron and barricade. Jericho gets in the ring and they have dueling ladders but Jerichos ladder is bigger so he takes out MVP with it. Morrison comes in and throws another ladder into Jerichos ladder to take him out. Morrison then climbs to the top rope and grabs a ladder and does a backflip on to the rest of the participants. At this point my cousin got a holy shit chant going because this spot was ridiculous and awesome.
Kennedy and Jericho are the only ones left in the ring. Jericho goes for the Walls on Kennedy but instead sling shots Kennedy into a standing ladder but Kennedy grabs a hold and climbs up the ladder and nearly gets the briefcase. Morrison takes out Jericho with one ladder and then starts to work over Kennedy at the top of the ladder. Shelton then sets up another ladder right next to them and nearly gets the briefcase. We then get a sunset flip superplex off of the ladders. What an awesome spot there.
Shelton had an awesome spot there but the ladder gave out from under him so it wasn’t as good as it could have been. Carlito tipped the ladder over on him but Benjamin just walked the top rope and threw the ladder back into Carlito. Benjamin then jumped on to the ladder but the ladder fell down and he went crashing pretty hard to the mat. Would have been awesome if he landed it.
Punk tried going up the ladder twice but he gets stopped both times. Benjamin is climbing the ladder but Punk grabs him down and gets him in the GTS. Kennedy then picks up Punk and drops him with the Kenton on to a ladder and lays out both guys. Carlito heads up the ladder but Benjamin ends up pulling him down and hits him with a spinning leg kick. Benjamin heads up again but this time Kennedy and Carlito tip the ladder over and Benjamin goes crashing through the ladder that was setup on the apron and guardrail. What a brutal spot that had to be to go through. No thanks on that.
Carlito, Kennedy, and Jericho are all going for the briefcase but MVP ends up dumping them and sending them into the ropes. Morrison then comes in and throws a ladder at MVP and the ring is cleared for Morrison to go get the briefcase. Jericho then climbs up the ladder and stops him and ends up getting Morrison in the Walls of Jericho on the ladder. No thanks on that spot either. Kennedy sets up another ladder and goes for the briefcase but Jericho dumps. Morrison so he and Kennedy can brawl over the briefcase. Punk and Carlito then join them and all four guys are brawling on two ladders. Punk and Kennedy fall off the ladder and Jericho pushes Carlito off but he gets back up and hits the back stabber off the ladder onto Jericho. Wow what a move!
MVP is the only guy left standing and he heads up the ladder but ends up getting stopped by Matt Hardy who jumped the rail. Matt then hits the twist of fate off of the ladder and takes out MVP. They setup a teeter totter type contraption and Morrison tries to climb it but gets racked on the top rope. Jericho then sets up a ladder in the middle of the ring and is near the briefcase but Carlito joins him on the ladder and spits in the face of Jericho with an apple. Carlito has the briefcase but Kennedy pushes Carlito off and he goes crashing into a ladder.
Punk then picks up a ladder and nails Kennedy with it and then Jericho hits a Codebreaker on to Punk who was holding a ladder. Jericho climbs the ladder but Punk starts shaking the ladder and prevents him from getting the briefcase. Both guys grab a hold of the briefcase and they get it swinging. Jericho hits Punk in the face with the briefcase and Punk falls down a few rungs but he ends up tripping up Jericho and he gets his leg caught in the step and Punk climbs the ladder and grabs the briefcase for the win. Your winner and Mr. Money in the Bank….CM Punk!!!
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Recap:
This match had a lot more wow moments in this one than Wrestlemania 23 but I felt like 23 was an overall better match. This was all ladder spot after ladder spot and all of them were amazing. Just a brutal and dangerous match and these guys took it up another level. Between the Benjamin spot and the Tower of Doom move they did it was just ridiculous. A really great match here that really got the crowd hyped and ready for the rest of Wrestlemania.
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They show Cena, Orton, and Triple H in the back in their locker rooms.
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They recap the Hall of Fame class of 2008.
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They bring out the Hall of fame Class of 2008 to get one last standing ovation.
Backstage Interview: Snoop Dogg
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They ask how he is enjoying Wrestlemania. He says he is having a great team seeing all of the great wrestlers past and present. Snoop says he likes seeing the bunnies doing their thing. Festus then joins the interview. Santino Marella then joins the interview and he wants Snoop to know that he will be at the Playboy match and if Snoop tries to do something funny. Snoop then rings a bell and Festus chases off Santino. Snoop then says he knows a friend and he brings in Mick Foley and he says have a nice dizzle.
Pre-Match Thoughts:
This match was billed as a battle for brand supremacy. Basically, Assistant Smackdown GM Teddy Long picked Batista to defend Smackdown while Raw GM William Regal chose Umaga. Really nothing between the two other than being on separate brands. Thats about it for this one.
Match 3: Inter-promotional Match: Batista (Smackdown) vs. Umaga (Raw)
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They start it off exchanging right hands until Batista gets the upper hand after hitting a shoulder block on Umaga that sends him to the outside. Umaga ducks early on a back drop so Batista nails him with a kick but Umaga returns the favor with a big time spinning wheel kick. Umaga then lays in a big ass kick that knocks Batista off of the apron and down to the floor. Umaga gets Batista in the ring and starts to work over the back of Batista.
Umaga continues to work over Batista with a nerve hold and then a body slam. Umaga heads up to the middle rope and goes for a flying head butt but Batista moves out of the way and Umaga goes crashing to the mat. Batista goes for a body slam but his back gives out and Umaga lands on him for another 2 count. Back to the nerve hold we go. Batista breaks free but Umaga pushes him into the ropes and drops him with a Samoan drop.
Umaga drags Batista over to the corner but Batista gets back to his feet and starts laying in the boots and right hands. Batista charges at Umaga but Umaga catches him and goes for the Samoan Spike but Batista blocks it. Umaga then goes for a splash in the corner but goes crashing into the steel post and gets dropped by a spine buster. Batista then gets Umaga in a terrible looking Batista Bomb for a 1-2-3. Your winner by pinfall….Batista!
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Recap:
These are two of my favorites from this time frame so I was looking forward to this one. It was an okay match but nothing special. There was a lot of stalling and rest holds that slowed down the pace of the match and really got boring. The finish came quick and it really made Umaga look weak to just go down to a spine buster and Batista Bomb. Not a bad match but nothing special either. You aren’t missing anything if you don’t watch this one.
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They show Floyd Mayweather and the Money Team getting ready in the back.
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They show highlights of Kane winning the battle royal earlier tonight.
Pre-Match Thoughts:
Well since this match was basically set the day of the show there really is no back story. Kane won the dark match battle royal to gain a title shot against Chavo Guerrero. Thats really all there is to this one.
Match 4: ECW Championship Match: Chavo Guerrero (c) vs. Kane
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Kane ends up coming in from behind and doesn’t come down the apron as Chavo is waiting for him. The bell rings and Kane drops Chavo with the chokeslam and gets the 1-2-3. Your winner and new ECW Champion….Kane!!!
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Recap:
Theres nothing to recap. This was a sham and a farce and if WWE didn’t give 2 shits about the new ECW going in they sure as hell don’t heading out. Congrats to Kane I guess but why would a near 7 footer need to sneak up on a cruiserweight to win a title?
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They show a vignette with Carlito and Maria on a date and he is trying to get with Maria but seagulls start to attack him. They then show a wish you were here post card for Wrestlemania 24.
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Raven Symone gets in the ring and screams and sounds ridiculous. She says she is here to help WWE grant wishes. They then show the 50 kids from 50 states that WWE granted wishes for at the show. Pretty cool stuff.
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They show a highlight video on the feud between Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels.
Backstage Interview: Ric Flair
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My boy Mike Adamle is in the back interviewing Ric Flair. Adamle tells Ric that tonight his career can come to an end. Adamle asks Ric what’s his game plan. Ric Flair says his game plan is to be the man….wooooo!
Pre-Match Thoughts:
Vince gave Flair the ultimatum that he can keep wrestling as long as he keeps winning. Vince tells Flair that if he loses a match his career is over. Flair says that there is only one thing that can make his career even bigger and that is to fight the man who’s name is synonymous with Wrestlemania and thats Shawn Michaels. Shawn reluctantly accepts the match after Flair says if he can’t compete against the best then he doesn’t need to continue his career. This was a perfect build to his last match. It’s a shame he ruined it with garbage in TNA.
Match 5: Career Threatening Match: Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair
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We start off with some chain wrestling between the two as they feel each other out. They keep exchanging hammerlocks and take downs. They end up in the corner and Flair pushes Shawn and starts saying “old yeller” to him and then Shawn slaps the taste right out of his mouth. Flair hits Shawn with a knee then lays in a few vicious Flair chops. Shawn reverses it and lays in some knife edges of his own as the crowd starts to boo him. Everything Flair does gets a cheer while everything Shawn does gets a boo. What a great atmosphere.
Flair hits Shawn with a back elbow and then drops the patented Flair knee drop to the forehead. Flair goes after Shawn in the corner but Shawn drops him with a back elbow that drops Flair. Shawn then heads to the top rope but Flair catches him and body slams him off the top rope. Flair then goes up to the top rope and Shawn tries to slam him but Flair finally, after all these years, hits Shawn with the cross body. Flair then goes for the knee and tries to get Shawn in the Figure Four but Shawn kicks Flair to the outside. Shawn then hits Flair with a baseball slide. He then goes for a spring board moonsault but Flair moves out of the way and Shawn goes crashing stomach first into the announce table. The table didn’t break so that looked like it hurt a little bit.
Shawn gets back into the ring at the 8 count and Flair starts to lay in some more chops as well as work the midsection area of Shawn. Flair hits Shawn with a side suplex and then a butterfly suplex and after each one he gets a 2 count. Flair then gets Shawn in a delayed vertical suplex for another 2 count. Shawn hits Flair with a swinging neck breaker and then a backdrop to the outside to stop all of Flair’s momentum. Shawn then heads up to the top rope and hits a moonsault on Flair to the outside. Looks like he hit the floor more than he did Flair so that couldn’t have felt good. They both get back in the ring and exchange vicious sounding chops until Shawn gets the upper hand with his flying forearm. Shawn nips up and Flair gets up as well and Shawn hits him with back to back atomic drops.
Shawn hits a body slam and then goes to the top rope and hits his big elbow. Shawn goes for Sweet Chin Music but he couldn’t pull the trigger and Flair takes advantage by doing a leg take down and puts Shawn into the Figure Four Leg Lock. Both guys get up and exchange chops and then they go to the ground and Flair gets a cover but only gets 2 out of it. Both are back to their feet and Shawn gets whipped into the corner and he goes upside down and then Flair hits Shawn with the chop block.
Shawn goes for the enziguri but Flair ducks and he ends up getting Shawn in the Figure Four again. Shawn tries to get to the ropes but Flair drags him back to the middle of the ring. Flair continues to work the leg but when he turns around after posing to the crowd, he gets blasted with Sweet Chin Music. Shawn goes for the cover and gets a 2 1/2. Shawn is tuning up the band but Flair is to slow to get it up and it makes Shawn frustrated so he goes over to pick up Flair and Flair hits him with a low blow for a 2 count. Shawn then gets Flair into an inverted figure four but Flair drags himself to the corner and pulls off the padding to distract the ref so he can poke the eye of Shawn to break up the hold.
Both guys are on their knees and they exchange chops to play the boo cheer game with the crowd. They get to their feet and Flair is laying in the chops but Shawn has enough and hits Flair with Sweet Chin Music again. Shawn then gets up and tunes up the band. Before going in for the kill he says “I’m sorry and I love you” before delivering the knock out shot and getting the 1-2-3. Your winner by pinfall….Shawn Michaels!!!
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After the match Shawn lays on the ground and embraces with Flair. He then gives him a kiss on the forehead. Shawn quickly exits the ring and doesn’t really celebrate anything. For once, Shawn is giving the spotlight and the moment to someone else. Flair gets up and acknowledges the crowd with tears in his eyes. He then goes outside and embraces his family as they are all crying. We have David, Reid, and Charlotte as well as a few others. Just a great moment.
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Recap:
What a match. The emotional rollercoaster these two put everyone through was just amazing. Everyone knew Flair was losing but they made you think he wasn’t and thats what greats do. Flair put on one hell of a last performance and had nothing to be ashamed of. He went toe to toe with Michaels and outside of a few things he looked excellent. Obviously he wasn’t the 1980’s Flair but he was pretty damn good. Like I stated earlier, it is a shame he went on to TNA and had meaningless matches for 500 people when this should had been his swan song and his farewell moment. It sucks he ruined. Anyways, an excellent match, a great moment, and a wonderful Wrestlemania moment. Great job to both guys.
Backstage Interview: Edge
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Todd says a lot of history can happen here tonight. Edge says we have already seen history be made by one career ending. Edge says he is going to make a lot more history being made later on tonight. Edge says he wants to take us back to him being in the crowd at Wrestlemania 6. Edge says he was the biggest Hulkamaniac in Canada and that Hogan lost that night. He said that wasn’t the only thing that was lost that night because according to Edge, he lost his innocence. Edge says it has come full circle because people rely on the Undertaker to win at Wrestlemania.
Edge says everyone can count on the Deadman but that changes tonight because they all get slapped in the face with a cold hard dish of reality. Edge says there is a kid in that crowd that is relying on the Undertaker and assuming 16-0 is going to happen. Edge says tonight he is going to crush that kids soul and pluck his innocence from him when he defeats the Undertaker and he leaves Wrestlemania as the true phenom and World Heavyweight champion.
Pre-Match Thoughts:
I really have no clue what started this feud but this match was just used to get all of the divas on the card at the same time. I’m pretty sure Beth and Melina were on the side of not needing Playboy to get a spot on the card where Ashley and Maria took offense to that. Throw in Snoop Dogg and you have yourself a winner.
Match 6: Playboy Bunny Lumberjill Match: Beth Phoenix/Melina vs. Ashley/Maria
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The bell rings and Beth immediately throws Ashley down with a pie face type gesture. Ashley gets up and starts throwing some elbows and then she gets Beth in a hurricanrana for a 1 count. Beth throws Ashley into the corner and Maria tags herself in. Maria kicks Beth in the butt right into Melina, who tags herself in. Maria throws Melina to the outside and the Lumberjills throw her back in right away. Maria hits a back splash in the corner and then a bronco buster on to Melina and she goes for the cover and gets a 2.
Ashley tags back in as Maria just drops Melina on the top turnbuckle. We get a tilt a whirl take down and a shitty looking clothesline. Ashley then hits a face buster in the corner that looked kind of cool but the execution was terrible. Ashley ends up getting tossed to the outside and they start beating up Ashley before she gets thrown back in.
Beth gets tagged back in and Melina ends up hitting a sling shot into Beth who gets Ashley into a bear hug. Melina gets tagged in and she gets on the shoulders of Beth who then turns around and Melina does a back flip off the shoulders of Beth on to Ashley for a 2 count. That was a pretty sweet looking move there.
Maria gets tagged back in and all of the lights in the building go out. You can’t see shit but they get some spotlights on and Maria drops Beth back first on her knee and then goes to the top with a cross body for a 2 count. Beth picks up Maria and gets her in a double arm chicken wing but when she goes to drop her face first Maria holds on and gets a bulldog on Beth. She gets a 2 count before Melina breaks it up. Melina is on the apron and Beth spears her off of it.
Ashley then gets on the apron and does a cross body to all the heel divas. Maria comes off the top rope with a bulldog on Beth and she goes for the pin but Santino pulls the leg of Maria. Lawler then leaves the commentary table and he goes over and floors Santino with a big time right hand. Beth attacks the distracted Maria and she ends up dropping her with the fisherman suplex for the 1-2-3. Your winners of the match by pinfall….Beth Phoenix & Melina!
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After the match Santino is standing in the ring looking over Maria. Snoop ends up getting in the ring and he drops Santino with a big time clothesline. Snoop then helps out Maria and he gets a nice make out session out of it.
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Recap:
This match was trash. Maria looked solid for the most part but Ashley was still terrible and could only do the same 2-3 moves that she did at Wrestlemania 23. Beth Phoenix and Melina were solid workers but they needed good opponents and these two were not it. The lights going out didn’t help anything when it comes to this match. Snoop looked completely bored during the match when they showed him as well. Nothing much to see here and it is definitely not worth checking out.
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They show a highlight vide of the feud between Randy Orton, John Cena, and Triple H.
Pre-Match Thoughts:
They built this around Triple H having to miss Wrestlemania 23 as well as John Cena getting injured and possibly missing Wrestlemania 24. Cena ended up winning the Royal Rumble by last eliminating Triple H. Orton was on a rampage beating all comers. This was a really good build and one of the better lead ups to a title match going into Wrestlemania. I am not going to lie I was a little disappointed when John Cena came out at #30 and won the Rumble. By this point I was so tired of Cena so it would have been nice to go to Mania and not see him but then he showed up at the Rumble and the rest was history.
Match 7: Triple Threat WWE Title Match: Randy Orton (c) vs. Triple H vs. John Cena
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We get some marching band and cheerleaders to help with John Cena’s entrance. I remember this live and I thought what the hell was going on. Then Cena showed up and I had no clue he even came out until he started running to the ring. The bell rings and this one starts with Orton nailing Triple H with the WWE title. Cena then takes control with a flying forearm and then a suplex on Orton. Triple H gets up and tosses Cena to the outside as this one is starting off fast and furious.
They head to the outside as Orton and Triple H brawl on the ECW announce table. We get back in the ring and Triple H gets a sleeper hold on Orton and then Cena comes in and picks up both guys but Hunter slides down and then kicks Cena in the nuts. Orton has the control early and he is putting the boots to Cena and Triple H. Orton hits a high knee on Cena and goes for the cover and gets a 2. He does the same to Hunter and again he gets a 2 count. Orton heads to the top but Cena stops him and climbs up for a superplex but Triple H gets under Cena and puts him on his shoulders and then Orton comes off with a cross body on Cena. However, Cena rolls through and puts Orton his shoulders and goes for the F-U but Orton slides out of that.
Cena rolls to the apron on the outside and Orton is about to go for DDT but Triple H gets up. However, Orton gets him and he hits both of them with a DDT. Orton tries to cover Cena and gets a 2 and then he turns around and tries to pin Hunter and gets a 2 as well. Orton goes for the RKO on Cena but Cena blocks it and throws Orton on top of Triple H.
Cena hits the Snap Back on Orton and then Cena goes to the top rope and hits a leg drop on top of a prone Orton. Orton rolls out of the ring and Cena starts chasing him but Orton slows down and ends up taking Cena and throwing him into the steel post. Hunter gets the upper hand on Orton as he starts to work over the leg of Orton. Triple H is walking around and when he turns around Orton drops him with an RKO. Orton gets up to his feet and Cena gets the STFU on to Orton right in the middle of the ring. Orton is reaching for the rope when Triple H gets up and drags him over to help him break the hold.
Hunter then goes back to the Indian death lock. Its amazing Hunter is doing what he did against Booker T at Wrestlemania 19. He did the Indian death lock and the same knee to the knee move in the corner. Anyways, Cena whips Hunter into the corner and he goes flying over the top rope. Cena then puts Orton in the STFU again. Triple H comes in and he grabs the arms of Cena and gets him in the crossface. Cena ends up getting to the ropes to break it up. Cena and Triple H exchange right hands as the crowd does the boo cheer gimmick again.
We get the three moves of doom from Cena and then the five knuckle shuffle as the crowd starts booing the hell out of him. Cena then picks up Triple H for the F-U but Hunter slides out of it and goes for the Pedigree but Cena reverses that into the STFU but Triple H kicks him off. Triple H then hits the knee to the face spine buster combo. Orton gets up to the apron and Hunter drops him with a chop block. Triple H blocks the F-U again but this time he nails the Pedigree on Cena and he goes for the cover but Orton comes out of no where and blasts Triple H with the punt to the face as he falls down on to Cena and gets the 1-2-3. Your winner by pinfall and still WWE Champion….Randy Orton!!!
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Recap:
This was a solid match here as well. The action never really stopped and they had a lot of sweet combinations and sequences throughout. The last 3-4 minutes was really good with all of them going for their finishers but getting countered. The ending was unexpected and surprising but it was pretty damn awesome. I wasn’t expecting Orton to win this one but when he nailed that punt and got the win I was pretty happy. I remember my cousin wanting Triple H to win really bad and when Orton came in with that punt at the end and getting the win he was pissed off. Me and my brother in law just looked at him and laughed and this pissed him off even more. Anyways, a solid match with a damn good finish and an unexpected winner. Can’t ask for much more than that.
Pre-Match Thoughts:
This one started when Big Show came back at No Way Out in Vegas. He was talking shit to Floyd who ends up getting in the ring and laying in the left right combo that legit broke the nose of the Big Show. This started the feud that would lead to the biggest match on this card. This is the classic boxer vs. wrestler and big guy vs. little guy. The promotion leading up to this match was great and it really got you excited for this one. You can’t expect much because they were going to do nothing that would risk Floyd getting injured but it should still be a decent match.
Match 8: No Disqualification Match: Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Big Show
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The bell rings and Floyd is just trying to stay away from the Big Show. Big Show tries to get Floyd in the corner but Floyd moves out of the way and starts laying in the left/right combo on the midsection of Big Show while Big Show is swinging and missing. Floyd continues to use his speed and nail Big Show with some rights and lefts. Floyd then gets in the corner and gets help from one of his handlers and he gets a drink of water. Big Show then gets pissed off and destroys this Mayweather body guard.
Big Show tosses the guy into the ring, rips his shirt off, and lights up his chest with a huge chop. Floyd goes for a right and this time Big Show catches him. Show puts Floyd’s hand on the ground and Big Show goes to stomp on it but Floyd gets out of the way. Floyd tries to run away again and this time Big Show grabs him by the throat and elevates him to the top rope. Floyd nails Show and he releases the choke. Floyd then jumps on the back of Big Show and gets him in a sleeper hold that Big Show can’t get out of.
Big Show breaks out of the sleeper and grabs the arm of Floyd and this time he holds it down as he stomps on the wrist of Floyd. Big Show gets Floyd in the corner and he blasts him with a massive chop. Big Show then stands on the back of Floyd. Big Show backs away and then comes back and does it again. Floyd nails Big Show with a few kicks and goes in for a right hand but Big Show catches him and drops him with a side slam. Big show is having a good time with this one. Big Show then drops a leg drop on to the arm of Floyd.
Big Show then walks across the chest of Floyd. Big Show drops Floyd with a head butt and then drops an elbow to Floyd. He was going for another one but the Mayweather team pulls Floyd out of the ring and they say they are out. Big Show leaves the ring and heads out after him. He destroys Mayweather’s people on his way to Floyd. Big Show finally gets Floyd back into the ring and he goes for the Chokeslam but another handler comes in but he gets dropped. Another Mayweather guy comes in and nails the Big Show with a chair but that guy gets dropped with a steel chair.
Mayweather then takes the chair and nails Big Show in the chest and then in the back with the chair. He was going for a head shot but Big Show grabs him by the throat but Floyd hits a low blow on Big Show. Floyd then nails big show 3 times in the head with the chair. Floyd then takes off his glove and grabs the brass knuckles off the chain of one of his guys. He lays in the right hand to the Big Show and knocks him out. Your winner by way of knockout….Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather!!!
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Recap:
Like most celebrity matches, there is only so much you can do. They were going to do nothing that would risk Floyd getting injured during this match. If you didn’t notice, the majority of the big spots were taken by Floyd’s team of guys. Floyd took some bumps but he didn’t do much of anything and he didn’t take much of anything. Again the risk of injury is far to great so they weren’t going to do anything stupid. Big Show is a pro’s pro so Floyd was in good hands. The match itself wasn’t bad and Floyd is such a natural heel that the fans loved seeing him get his ass kicked so it didn’t really matter what happened. For what this match was it was pretty damn good and fun to watch every now and then.
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We get another we wish you were here vignette, this time featuring Batista.
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Kim Kardashian announces the attendance for Wrestlemania.
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They show a highlight video on the feud between Edge and the Undertaker.
Pre-Match Thoughts:
The feud started when Edge cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on beaten down Undertaker. Edge also cost Undertaker his match against Batista at Survivor Series. Taker wants his revenge and his belt back while Edge wants to end the streak of the Undertaker. A lot at stake here in the main event of Wrestlemania.
Match 9: WWE World Heavyweight Title Match: Edge (c) vs. The Undertaker
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This one starts with Taker cutting his throat but Edge is having none of it and he shoves the Undertaker. Taker quickly gets the upper hand and clotheslines Edge over the top rope and to the outside. Edge gets back in the ring and he goes after Taker before he could get in but Taker drops him across the top rope. We get some back and forth action until Taker hits his flying clothesline for a 2 count. Taker starts to work the arm of Edge with shoulder blocks into the arm. Taker then goes up to the top rope and goes for Old School but Edge pulls him down but Taker still holds on and hits Edge with an arm drag.
Taker hits a running knee to the face in the corner on to Edge but aTaker goes flying over the top rope and to the outside. Taker gets on the apron trying to get back in but Edge nails him with a spear that sends Taker into the barricade. Edge hits a baseball slide to Taker that sends him into the barricade again. Edge then starts to work the lower back by driving Taker back first into the apron.
Edge continues to work the lower back of Taker and you can see it’s working when Taker goes for a body slam but he can’t get Edge up. Edge drops Taker with a nice drop kick and then quickly goes to the outside and up to the top rope but Taker gets up and pushes Edge off and to the outside. It looks like Edge’s foot nearly got caught up and broke. That looked brutal. Undertaker then does his awesome suicide dive over the top rope to the outside on to Edge. Two awesome spots back to back.
Undertaker gets Edge back in the ring but drapes his head over the apron and he ends up hitting Edge with the jumping leg drop and he gets a 2 count out of it. Edge stops Takers momentum with a big boot. They then head to the outside and Edge hits Taker with a belly to back suplex and drops him lower back first on the barricade. Edge has a single leg crab and drives the other leg into the back of Taker. Taker rolls out of it and nearly gets a 3 count on Edge. Taker gets back to his feet and we get the cheer boo right hand gimmick again. By the end of this show this crap was played out.
Taker finally gets the upper hand and he lays in two big clotheslines in the corner, snake eyes in the corner, and he goes for the big boot but Edge ends up nailing Taker with a beautiful drop kick and he damn near gets a 3 count out of it. Edge counters the chokeslam temporarily but when Taker goes for it a second time Edge reverses it into his implant DDT for another 2 1/2 count.
Edge goes for the spear but Taker hits Edge with a knee to the face and then a big time choke slam for a 2 3/4 count. Taker gets up and goes for the Old School again and again Edge counters it by racking Taker on the top rope. Edge then climbs to the top rope and hits a big time super plex that leaves both guys laying. Edge starts laying in the right hands from the middle rope and Taker goes for Last Ride but Edge counters it and drops Taker with a neck breaker for another near fall.
Taker goes for Last Ride and this time he plants Edge with it. Taker goes for the cover and only gets a 2 count. Edge counters the Tombstone with a sit down slam and he gets another rear fall. Taker goes for Old School for the third time and this time he hits it. Taker goes for a running big boot but Edge moves out of the way and Taker lays out the ref. Edge talks shit to Taker and Taker ends up grabbing Edge by the throat and is about to choke slam him again but Edge kicks Taker in the nuts to stop that.
Edge heads to the outside and grabs a camera, similar to what he did at Survivor Series, and blasts Taker with it right in the face. Edge goes for the Tombstone on Taker but Taker falls back and ends up getting Edge in the Tombstone himself but there is no referee to make the count until Charles Robinson hauls ass to get into the ring. By this point Edge has enough time to kick out at 2. Hawkins and Ryder then come out and Taker disposes of both with a Chokeslam to one on top of the other. When Taker turns around Edge drops him with the spear and gets a 2 3/4 count.
What a match. Edge goes for another spear but Taker grabs the arm of Edge and gets him in the Hells Gate triangle choke. Edge is trying to get to the ropes but he can’t make it and ends up tapping out. Your winner by way of submission and new World Heavyweight Champion….The Undertaker!!!
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Recap:
This was one hell of match and one of the best main events of all time if you ask me. These guys countered the shit out of each other the entire night. Edge did everything he could to get the win and it wasn’t enough but he did make you believe he was going to get the job done. Just a lot of great action, great sequences, and everything that was done had a purpose. Also, a lot of the things they did were things that were done that lead up to the match such as Hawkins/Ryder interfering, the camera, and things like that. Just an awesome job by both guys to put on a show like that. The finish was awesome as well. This was a great finish to a great show over all.
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They show a highlight video of Wrestlemania 24.
Final Thoughts:
What to say about this show. The show started off with a nice little hardcore match between Finlay and JBL and it set the tone for the rest of the card. A lot of the matches on this card were really good and really entertaining. The Money in the Bank match was nothing but a brutal spot fest and was very well done. All of the spots were great and meant something and the finish was up in the air until the very end. I like the spot with Jericho hanging on the ladder while Punk got the briefcase. That was a pretty sweet looking spot.
The triple threat for the WWE Title was really good as well. Triple H went back to his Wrestlemania 19 playbook and worked the leg of Orton the same way he worked the leg of Booker T at 19. The punt at the end came out of no where and Orton getting the win was a pleasant surprise as well. The Floyd vs. Big Show match was executed perfectly if you ask me. Floyd didn’t get much offense in and Big Show was able to rag doll Floyd and a few of his henchmen in the process. Everybody loved seeing Floyd get his ass kicked so job well done there.
The retirement match between Ric Flair and Shawn was an emotional roller coaster that was very well done as well. Shawn really made it look like Flair was going to come out on top and thats what you want out of these matches. Even if you feel like you know what the outcome will be, it is always good to have that belief that the other guy may pull it out. Thats a kudos to Shawn because later on in his career he became the master of having you believe that he was going to pull it out or allow the opponent to feel like they are going to pull it out even though they aren’t. Great work all around and the production value on this match alone was just phenomenal.
The main event was the match of the night and one of the best main events that I have seen. Being their live adds a little to it but it was an excellent match and again you thought Taker had a great chance of losing. Like i stated before that really enhances a match and makes you get entrapped in the story and believe what you are seeing. Edge delivered on the biggest of stages so kudos to him. Undertaker was his awesome self per the usual and it really made for a great main event.
Theres some other matches on the card that weren’t as good but not bad either. The main event matches delivered and thats all you really go to these shows for. A lot of people say this show was better than Wrestlemania 23 and I can see where they are coming from but I feel like Wrestlemania 23 was better. I just prefer that card to this one but this card is no slouch. You have 2-3 matches that stand the test of time and if you can get that out of a 9 match card then you are doing something right.
So, there we have it. We have finally reached the conclusion of our trip down memory lane and we have finally reached the stop sign on our road to Wrestlemania. I hope you have enjoyed this long journey because I have enjoyed every minute of getting this reviews out to you guys. The reviews, the graphics, the screen caps, the gifs, and everything else that goes into these is all worth it to see the final product so I hope you enjoy and appreciate it as much as I do. I am going to take a short break from reviews then come back with something new and fresh that this site may have seen before or may not. Who knows but be on the look out for that. In the mean time, enjoy all these great Wrestlemania’s.
