The Savior of the Disappointing Wrestlemania 25
HBK getting the best of Taker weeks before Wrestlemania 25
We have come to love a time every year in wrestling when the biggest show of the year comes at the end of March or early April. Wrestlemania. From the time I was a kid, it was the one pay-per-view I came to love and always want to purchase, albeit it was my parents money I wanted to use. this year was the first I ordered in quite sometime expecting one of the most entertaining shows of the year. As I watched the “Pre Game” show, if you will, I was taken aback to a time when the event was the greatest thing on Earth.
Hogan vs Andre the Giant. Hogan vs The Ultimate Warrior. Shawn Michaels vs Bret Hart. The Rock vs Stone Cold Steve Austin. The Rock vs Hogan. The Undertaker vs everyone. I mean these were epic names and I KNOW I missed plenty. Then we get the matches, from the first ever ladder match to the Iron Man match. Every year there was something new, something to draw the viewers into the millions, and in this year, I was going to be a part of the 25th anniversary of the spectacle.
With the giddy feeling of a middle school boy dancing his first slow dance, I sat and I waited for Wrestlemania to start. Right off the bat, BAM hit us with the money in the bank match. It was a decent match, in where a bunch of guys who really wouldn’t make a great champion, all fought for a chance that will make them a future champ. For crying out loud you want us to believe Mark Henry, Shelton “I lose this match every year”Benjamin, Kane, Kofi “I’m smiling just to be here” Kingston, MVP, CM Punk, Finley, or Christian would make a good WWE or World Wrestling Champion? I sat there and talked myself into giving Christian, Kofi, or Punk a chance, with Punk getting the smallest chance because he won lest year. After a slew of high flying moves from mostly Kofi and Benajamin, and a bunch of poorly executed moves by Christian and the rest, Punk came out victorious. Boring.
The remainder of the matches followed suit. Following that was the 25 Diva rumble in which “Santino(a) won the match. Nothing uninteresting about watching females jumping around, plus the comedy of Santino is golden. What followed wasn’t as great. JBL vs Rey “Midget” Mysterio ended with Myserio winning in 21 seconds. Please. Matt “No Gimmick” Hardy beat his brother Jeff in an extreme match that kept me awake only because I’m a fan of Jeff Hardy. The “We Can’t Hang it Up Crew” of Rowdy Piper, Jimmy Snuka, Ricky Steamboat and Ric Flair, lost to Chris Jericho in a match that had me hating both sides. Jericho is a complete waste at being the heel, and the other guys looked so ridiculous trying to wrestle. John Cena beat the Big Slow and Edge to win the World Wrestling Championship belt, who would of guessed? Like really? HHH honors his family by beating Orton to a pulp. Wow. If there was another besides the HBK vs Taker match, we’ll get to that in a second, I forgot for a reason.
Now to the main event of the night, well what should have been. The story line wasn’t the bet going with the “heaven vs hell” route, but I went with it. Mr Wrestlemania vs Undertaker’s undefeated streak at Wrestlemania. It did not disappoint. I mean with the actions leading up to the event I knew Taker was gonna win, HBK had gotten the best of him WAY too much on Raw and Smackdown. I mean I could write his stuff. Even as an HBK fan, I knew how it would end: Tombstone Pile Driver. 1, 2, 3. 17-0. The match though, came as more of a surprise. Not in the following order, but as best as i remember, the match goes: Taker goes with the chokeslam, HBK kicks out, I called that. Sweet chin music, Taker kicks out. Taker goes with his hold, I forget its name, Michaels gets the rope. HBK goes with inverted figure four, Taker gets rope to break the hold. Taker goes with last ride, HBK kicks out. Tombstone pile driver, over. . . WAIT!! Michaels kicked out!! this i did not expect. All of the sudden i have a sense that HBK might pull this off. He sets up the elbow drop and as he dives I expect Taker to move but he doesn’t. I can’t believe it!! here it comes and, sweet chin music again!! This has to be it!! 1, 2, kick out Taker. I have been had by the writers. I should have seen it coming but they got me. The rest goes as i called it. Tombstone, 3 count, 17-0.
I was not disappointed in the match for the mere fact tat for an instant, in that whole spectacle, I was rooting like that school boy. That was the feeling I paid for and I got it, only once. From all the Wrestlemanias I have seen, this was by far the most disappointing. One big match in what used to be a event full of them. WWE needs to start leaving the past behind, and develop new talent. I understand that they are trying to honor the history of the sport, but give us what we pay for. Gives us the back and forth of the HBK-Taker match in more than one match. Its as if the writers came in drunk, wrote all but that one match, and submitted it. Wait that would have been interesting to watch. Its as if they got paid to write the worst Wrestlemania possible to make that one match that much more epic. The WWE needs to get their stuff together and fast.
When they come to Glendale next year i will be in attendance, I just hope that the ticket I buy to see it live will be worth not just watching from home. Please WWE, give us our money’s worth from here on out. The experience and name itself isn’t enough to keep us paying.