They'll be talking about this one for years.
The already anticipated match between Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker at Wrestlemania XXV did the impossible: it lived up to the hype, and much more. The match was so incredible that it outshone everything else that happened at the pay-per-view. There is no question that this was a five-star match, with perfect storytelling, layout, psychology, suspense, execution and unbelievable athleticism from two guys in their mid-forties. They undoubtedly stole the show, and this match will be remembered far longer than this Wrestlemania itself.
Here's a match by match look at the show:
- The Tag Team Unification match between the Colon brothers and Morrison/Miz was scrapped from the main card and made a dark match. This is a really disappointing decision, as the four performers deserved a Wrestlemania spot. This all but confirmed WWE's apathy towards the tag division, which is really sad when you think about it. I really hope this changes in the future.
- Money In The Bank was great as usual, with some crazy and spectacular spots in it. Kofi Kingston and Shelton Benjamin in particular shone in this match. There were a lot of creative things the wrestlers did with the ladders, and I really tip my hat to them for putting their bodies through so much. Punk was a surprising winner, and I won't be surprised if he becomes the first to cash in the briefcase and lose.
- The Miss Wrestemania 25 Battle Royal was terrible, with 'Santina Marella', the eventual winner, being the only highlight. (Apart from the obvious visual ones)
- Chris Jericho vs. The Legends was next, and it was a pity that Jericho had to work so light. Considering his incredible performance over the past year, I feel he should have been rewarded better. It was ridiculous to see him having to sell Jimmy Snuka and Roddy Piper's offense. The two were moving pretty badly, and I don't understand why they didn't use guys who could still wrestle, like Jerry Lawler for this match. But once Snuka and Piper were eliminated, boy, did Ricky Steamboat turn on the style! "The Dragon" turned back the clock, and was unbelievably fast, fluid and agile for his age. He had a very good few minutes of action with Jericho before the latter got the victory. The Jericho-Rourke conforntation after the match seemed very, very contrived.
- Hardy vs. Hardy was a good match, highlighted by two insane spots by Jeff Hardy. However, the match was not backed by a story, and these two (along with a majority of the other wrestlers) need to learn how to do that from guys like Michaels and Jericho. I was happy to see Matt get a clean victory.
- Rey Mysterio (In a Joker's mask) beat JBL in about 20 seconds, following which JBL quit. I really wish he could have got a better farewell, but apparently he chose this himself. In that case I salute his attitude. I'm going to miss him. He was never a great wrestler, but I have always found his promos really entertaining. He has been one of the better heels in recent years.
- Until this point, the show was lacklusture and disappointing....but out came Mr Wrestlemania. Not enough can be said about Shawn Michael's greatness. He is in my opinion the best of all time, and is especially unrivalled as a big match wrestler. He never has bad matches, and when was the last time the Match of the Year didn't have HBK in it? I'll be shocked if this year is any different. That being said, The Undertaker matched him step for step in this classic. The storytelling was just perfect in this match, and they had the crowd in the frenzy. They didn't use rest locks, illegal weapons and outlandish stunts. It was a return to basics. The HBK-Taker will be remembered as one of the best in Mania history. You have to salute these two veterans, who can still do it better than anybody else. Although we all probably knew Taker would win, the nearfalls and suspense could not have made us doubt any better.
- Unfortunately, it was so magnificent that anything else that followed would seem like a terrible letdown. The Edge-Cena-Big Show had the unenviable task of following Michaels and Taker, and the match definitely suffered. It might have seemed quite good under different circumstances, but the crowd got bored easily after the rollercoaster they had just been through. The most memorable part of this match was John Cena's entrance, which saw about a hundred Cena clones come out to his old music before he made his entry. Cena won, which didn't please me, as I don't find his character compelling right now. I also think they're changing the belts far too much.
- Triple H vs. Randy Orton. What can I say about this match. After all the phenomenal build-up. After Randy Orton's unmatched momentum and heat in recent months. After all the hype and expectations, the match fell flat on it's face. Although it may have been a victim of HBK-Taker too, this match never picked up and held my interest, and I thought the execution was plain terrible for a Wrestlemania main event. It was a huge disappointment, and seemed like a match you'd see on Raw, not closing the biggest show of the year. It left an even more bitter taste with the ending. Although I personally feel Orton should have won to stamp his status as the #1 guy in WWE, I wouldn't have had an issue with Triple H winning, if it had been done differently. The ending seemed so tame and straightforward, that it's hard not to believe the talk about "The Game" pulling a few political strings.
Overall, the show was nothing special, except that one match which will live on as a classic. It was another below-par display by WWE, continuing their worrying trend in recent weeks. I plan on posting a blog about changes I want to see in the company, so more on that later. Till then, here's the Best of the Night
Best Performers: (1) Shawn Michaels (2) The Undertaker (3) Jeff Hardy
Best Match: Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker
Best Promo: JBL
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