WrestleMania 23
WrestleMania 23 took place live from Detroit MI and your hosts were JR and King for Raw, Cole and JBL for Smackdown and Styles and Tazz for ECW
Match #1
Money In The Bank Match
Edge Vs Randy Orton Vs King Booker w Sharmel Vs Jeff Hardy Vs Matt Hardy Vs Finlay Vs Mr Kennedy Vs CM Punk
Way too many guys in this years MITB match. Kennedy runs for a ladder and Orton nails him. Everybody brawling outside and Finlay dives on them all. Jeff preps a ladder and climbs but Matt stops him and they fight up top and they gets knocked off so Orton and Finlay can fight on it. Booker finds a stepladder under the ring and complains. Edge tries to suplex Punk onto a ladder while Booker hits everyone with spinebusters and does a royalrooni and the Hardyz drop him with a ladder shot. They abuse Edge with a ladder then Edge battles back and starts spearing people. Punk dodges and Edge posts himself. Punk does the helicopter spot with a ladder, spinning and hitting everyone in range until Edge spears him and he takes out two guys behind him on the way down. Edge brings out the king size ladder and tries climbing for the case but Orton stops him. Jeff knocks Orton off then Edge finds himself splayed on a ladder proped between the barrier and the apron so Jeff swanton's on Edge through the ladder which splits in half!!! EDGE IS DONE! Edge gets stretchered out which is a good spot because it adds realism and it's a good excuse to widdle down how manny people are in this thing. Orton RKO's the group then he has a climbing race with Punk. Orton gives Punk a super RKO off the ladder and Booker is the only guy moving. Booker goes up and Matt threatens Sharmel and Booker gives up the case to save her then gets a twist of fate. Matt climbs and Finlay tips the ladder and Matt does a nasty flat fall to the mat. Little Bastard shows up and offers to get the case. Kennedy goes after him and gets slapped so he gives the midget the rolling firemans carry off the ladder which looked ugly because it could of broke Kennedies neck and he could of crushed the little guy. Finlay nails Kennedy and goes up and Punk dropkicks Finlay off. Up the ladder, but Kennedy jabs Punk in the face with the ladder and goes up and gets the case at 19:05. 3 1/2 stars. MITB lost a little luster with this one.
Match #2
Interpromotional Match
Kane Vs The Great Khali
Khali no sells the punches and mandhandles Kane. Kane gets Khali tied in the ropes then goes outside and grabs a hook with a chain on it (I think it's the hook/chain that was used to hold the briefcase for the MITB match). He doesn't get a chance to use it and he kicks low and a bodyslam pops the crowd. Khali isn't down long and he tree slams Kane for the pin at 5:31. 1 star.
Match #3
United States Championship Match
Chris Benoit Vs Montel Vontavious Porter
I remember thinking around this time how haggered Benoit looked. This match shows he's aged big time since his WCW days. After awhile it wasn't so suprising anymore about what happened. Nice entrance for MVP. They do a nice mat wrestling sequence and MVP counters MVP with a ground sharpshooter of sorts then Benoit fights out and attempts a crossface but MVP gets the ropes. MVP tries a superplex but Benoit fights off. MVP tries working the arm then he misses a kick and Benoit hits the rolling germans. Benoit goes up and gets brought down with the superplex but Benoit does the Dynamite Kid pin spot for 2. MVP attacks the arm and posts Benoit for 2. Backdrop suplex gets 2. Benoit tries another crossface, but MVP hits him in the arm to break and gets a hammerlock slam. Player elbowdrop gets 2. MVP blocks a german suplex but Benoit persists and gets him eventually. Benoit up and he finishes with the swandive at 9:19. Pretty good. 2 1/2 stars.
Match #4
World Championship Match
Batista Vs The Undertaker
Undertaker does his Mania entrance. Batista spears him right at the bell and they trade shots in the corner. Batista clotheslines him and dumps him, and they crowd doesn't like it. Brawl on the floor and Taker goes to the stairs. Back in, Batista comes in via the top rope with a flying shoulderblock for 2 and clotheslines Taker before going down. They punch it out and the crowd goes boo/yay/boo/yay Undertaker comes back with a corner clothesline. Snake eyes and big boot set up the legdrop, brother, and that gets 2. Old school ropewalk then a chokeslam but Batista powers out of it. Taker hits him with the flying clothesline for 2 and Batista bails. Taker sets up Batista on the apron and legdrops accross the chest. Taker with the guided missle spot over the top rope then Batista beats Taker by the tables. Batista brings Taker up on one table then powerslams Taker through the opposite table in the best part of the match. Back in, that gets 2. Batista with a belly to belly for 2. He does the 10 punch but that sets himself up perfectly for last ride but he kicks out at 2. Batista comes back with the spinebuster, but Taker sits up and chokeslams him. That only gets 2. Tombstone attempt, but Batista counters with a spear and the batista bomb for 2. Another one is reversed, and the tombstone ends his title reign at 15:47. I enjoyed this more than what the majority said about it. Im going 3 stars.
Match #4
8 Man Tag Team Match
The Originals Vs The New Breed
Originals do the Sandman entrance, and I don't see anything gay about Elijahs costume. Sabu hits Striker with springboard kicks to start and Sandman comes in with the guillotine legdrop for 2. Burke is in next and he gets pummeled by Dreamer and Sandman, but Striker gets a cheapshot from the apron and Dreamer is put in danger. Cor Von beats him with a butterfly suplex and Burke follows with the high knee in the corner for 2. Thorne comes in with a chinlock, and a spinebuster gets 2. Cor Von suplexes him for 2 and also goes to the chinlock. Dreamer musters an inverted DDT and hottags RVD. Missile dropkick for Striker, as everything breaks down when Dreamer ddt's Striker then Sabu dives on Cor Von outside then Sandman hits Elijah with the cactus clothesline and everyone is laying around on the floor so RVD hits Striker with the five star frogsplash for the pin at 6:25. This one was too short for me personally. 1 1/2 star.
Match #5
Battle Of The Billionaires
ECW Champion Bobby Lashley w Donald Trump Vs Umaga w Estrada And Vince McMahon
Special Referee: Stone Cold Steve Austin
Best spots of the match. Umaga blind charges, and Lashley lowbridges and Umaga takes a sick fall on his back outside the ring. Lashley tries the same dumb move and he dives through the ropes and splatters himself on the floor. Umaga splash and he chokes. Austin breaks that up. Umaga buttdrops him on the ropes and follows with a samoan drop. Lashley tries a slam, but Umaga falls on top for 2. Umaga goes up and gets slammed off. Austin refuses to finish counting, and now Shane McMahon runs in. Umaga chokes away again and Austin pulls him off again, so Umaga samoan spikes him. Umaga fat ass charge and a shaneinantor on Lashley but Austin wakes up and puts Shane to the steps then Trump beats on Vince. Austin gets attacked by Umaga again so kick wham stunner and a lashley spear finishes it at 13:04. Started alright, but got stupid about 5 minutes in. 1 1/2 star. Vince tries leaving and Lashley brings him back and he gets shaved. Celebration is on and Donald takes one of the worst stunners ever as WWE productions gives us thw woozy camera vision to try and cover.
Match #6
Womens Championship Lumberjill Match
Melina Vs Ashley
A bunch of sluts working as Lumberjills that I don't reconize, ive been out of the loop for almost 2 fulls years by this shows airing. Melina bails and gets tossed in by the lumberjills. Melina spends most of the match choking Ashley. Surfboard from Melina. Ashley misses an elbow but Ashley rolls her up for 2 but Melina reverses for the pin to end this slop at 3:13. The Divas have a bloomingdale rumble postmatch. DUD!!!
Match #7
WWE Championship Match
John Cena Vs Shawn Michaels
Cena's Mania entrance this year: Drunk erratic driver. A streaker tries getting in the ring prematch but the producers do a good job of keeping it off the home video release. Slugfest is won by Michaels he crotch chops Cena. Once again, the crowd turns on Cena. Cena tries a suplex but Shawn dodges and ducks and just basically makes Cena look like a chump. Shawn starts on the arm and takes him down with a headlock but Cena comes back with a clothesline. Shawn takes him down with a Thesz Press, then necksnaps him on the top. They head to the floor and Shawn gets an enzuigiri by the tables, and follows with a moonsault press at Cena against the table. Shawn wraps Cena's knee around the post. Back in, he drops some knees on Cena's knee. Shawn keeps throwing chops and Cena replies, and the crowd goes yay/boo. Shawn goes back to the knee to stop the rally. Shawn charges in and hits the post and bleeds. Cena goes after the cut and pounds it. Shoulderblocks from Cena and the backdrop suplex set up the five knuckle shuffle, but Shawn escapes a potential FU. The ref is superkicked out of the ring, and another FU attempt is countered into a DDT with no ref. Shawn takes Cena outside and gives him an ugly piledriver on the steps and cena bleeds off the top of his head. Another ref in for the 2 count. Shawn gets the forearm and kips up. Flying elbow and he goes for the superkick but Cena hits a clothesline to stop that. They slug it out and Cena tries the FU, but Shawn reverses to a rollup for 2. Shawn tries a leapfrog, however, and Cena is able to reverse that into the FU successfully. That gets 2. They head up and Cena wants one from the top, but Shawn elbows out of it and comes down with a high cross, which Cena rolls through into another FU. Shawn escapes and they struggle over the STFU but Shawn rolls him up for 2. Shawn misses the enzuigiri and Cena gets the STFU, but Shawn gets the ropes on a struggle. Cena BS's the referee and gets superkicked for not paying attention. It only gets 2 1/2 . Cena beats the count first and gets another FU and the STFU mid ring makes Shawn tap at 28:21. 4 stars.
Overall Opinion: A good Mania. MITB and Shawn/Cena are the one's to see, Batista and Taker was suprisingly good.
Final Score: This Mania gets an even 6.0 stars out of 10.0 from me.
Here are my mania ratings
Mania 17: 10.1
Mania 19: 9.9
Mania 21: 9.6
Mania 20: 8.1
Mania 18: 7.6
Mania 22: 7.5
Mania 10: 7.3
Mania 3: 7.1
Mania 6: 7.0
Mania 5: 7.0
Mania 7: 6.9
Mania 4: 6.8
Mania 16: 6.5
Mania 23: 6.0
Mania 8: 5.9
Mania 13: 5.7
Mania 14: 4.9
Mania 2: 4.8
Mania 12: 4.6
Mania 15: 4.4
Mania 1: 4.1
Mania 11: 3.9
Mania 9: 3.8