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Welcome to the first edition of PPV Fallout! Today, we are going to take a look at the matches and moments from Wrestlemania 25 and try to determine where each feud or Superstar is headed in the near future and to see what is in store for us as we move on to Backlash.
Wrestlemania 25
Match #1. Money in the Bank Ladder Match – CM Punk def. Mark Henry, Kane, Shelton Benjamin, MVP, Finlay, Christian, and Kofi Kingston for a Championship Match for any Championship when and wherever he chooses.
Impressions – I loved this match. This was probably my 2nd favorite MITB match, next to the match at Wrestlemania 23(click here to watch some highlights from the WM23 match I found on YouTube). The only things that held this match back from being better than the Wrestlemania 23 match were the botched spots. Christian’s Unprettier and Shelton’s attempted sunset flip off of the ladder, if done correctly, would have made this match outshine all the rest, but instead, I’m left thinking about what could have been.
Fallout-
· CM Punk wins, making him the first person to ever win the Money in the Bank match twice. He again has the chance to (hopefully permanently) elevate himself to the top of the card. Now, this is interesting because unlike last year, the draft is next week. As I write this, both Smackdown and Raw are in possession of a Heavyweight title, but after the draft, that may not be the case. Will we see CM Punk cash in his briefcase to bring a Championship to his show again?
· All of the participants in this match came out looking strong. Everyone got in a strong spot and was given a chance to show what they can bring to a match of that caliber.
· The only real feud in this match was MVP-Shelton Benjamin, and I could see it continuing seeing as they didn’t do anything to bring closure to the feud (Unless you consider that sick powerbomb over the top rope “closure”…OUCH!).
Match #2. 25 Diva Battle Royal to Crown 1st ever Miss Wrestlemania - Santina Marella def. 24 Divas from the past and present.
Impressions – This match was a huge let down. Not only did they barely even acknowledge the Divas that returned for this match, but this whole segment was a COMPLETE waste of time. Santino didn’t need this. It should have been given to one of the Divas. I think that this segment hurt the overall appeal of the show to a lot of people.
Fallout -
· Absolutely NOTHING. Santino now has more fuel for his comedy (which has been lacking lately), but that’s it.
· On a sad note, I don’t know if any of the Divas from the past will want to return for anymore appearances unless it’s just for the payday. They were barely even mentioned and to be honest, if I were in their shoes, I would be a little upset, especially if I’m someone like Molly Holly or Torrie Wilson who should have been given something more.
Match #3. Legends Challenge –Gauntlet Match – Chris Jericho def. Jimmy Snuka, Roddy Piper, and Ricky Steamboat w/Ric Flair.
Impressions - This match went pretty much how I assumed it would. I have to say though, I was so happy to see Steamboat and Jericho go at it for a few minutes, and to be honest, I would have popped huge for Steamboat winning. But Jericho picking up the win was the right thing to do. The aftermath with Mickey Rourke and Ric Flair was fun, but I felt that Mickey took WAY too long to get in the ring and start it up with Jericho. Overall, a good, fun segment that did what it was supposed to, and that’s put more heat on Jericho and continue to build him as a top heel.
Fallout-
· Jericho wins and continues to live up to everything he says. His character is going to just keep getting better with time. But where does he move on to now? Anything is possible.
· The legends got one more Wrestlemania moment, and the fans got the privilege of seeing Ricky Steamboat wrestle one last time. What an awesome moment that was.
Match #4. Extreme Rules- Matt Hardy def. Jeff Hardy
Impressions - I have to admit, I’m a huge Hardy fan. This was my must-see Wrestlemania match. They delivered a solid match, but I felt that Extreme Rules took a lot away from what could have been a classic match. I did enjoy the plunder and the big spots, but I was hoping for a bit more from them. But, the one thing that saved this match was one of the coolest spots I have ever seen in a wrestling match in my life, which was the Twist of Fate with the chair wrapped around Jeff’s head. Wow.
Fallout –
· Matt wins with a sick twist of fate. The point of Matt winning is to elevate Matt to Jeff’s level, which they are well on their way to doing.
· This feud is nowhere near over, and for that, I’m very happy. I want them to go out to the ring without chairs, without tables, without ladders, and just wrestle. When they do that, if they are given enough time, nothing will be able to stop them, and they will steal the show.
Match #5. – Intercontinental Championship Match – Rey Mysterio def. John Bradshaw Layfield ©
Impressions - With Tazz gone, my 1st guess was that JBL would take his spot. And that looks like what may happen. With all the rumors swirling around about him retiring, I knew that it had to happen at Wrestlemania. This was ok. I mean, for what it was, it was alright, but it’s sad that this made the PPV, but Miz and Morrison didn’t.
Fallout –
· Rey wins in 21 seconds to become Intercontinental Champion for the 1st time in his career. Rey is a guy that could potentially rejuvenate the Intercontinental division and bring more focus and pride to the title.
· JBL quits for his “Wrestlemania Moment.” I won’t be surprised to see him on Friday calling matches with Jim Ross. Personally, I hope I do. He is a very good color commentator and with Jim Ross, he can only get better.
Match #6. – The Undertaker def. Shawn Michaels
Impressions – Wow! Just wow! What can you say about this match that hasn’t been said already? Just plain awesome.
Fallout –
· Undertaker wins via Tombstone and is now 17-0 at Wrestlemania. A loss for Shawn Michaels here doesn’t hurt him one bit. If anything, he looks stronger. He kicked out of the chokeslam. He kicked out of the Last Ride. He kicked out of the Tombstone. Shawn looks like a million bucks.
· Usually, whomever Taker feuds with at Mania, he feuds with for a while (Edge, Batista, Orton). I am begging WWE to keep these two in a program against each other for at least 1 more match. A rematch at Backlash is an instant reason to buy that PPV.
Match #7. – World Heavyweight Championship Match – John Cena def. Edge © and Big Show
Impressions – Sigh…Here we go again. This match was alright, nothing memorable other than the finish with Cena lifting both Show and Edge on his back for the Attitude Adjustment.
Fallout –
· Cena reigns supreme again. I have a feeling fans are going to crap all over this. But, the one thing to think about is who his first challenger will be. Will it be Edge (most likely) or will they move him out of the whole love triangle?
· Edge and Show, I’m sure will be stuck fighting over Vickie. What I’m hoping happens is that Edge will just ditch Vickie all together and go out on his own again. Maybe even a face turn for him. Edge is an awesome heel, but now is the perfect opportunity to change him, and keep that momentum he has built up with the fans and multiply it by getting the casual fans on his side too.
Match #8. WWE Championship Match - Triple H © def. Randy Orton
Impressions - What a boring match. This match (due to the build) was the match I wanted to see the least because I honestly did not care for this storyline at all. Orton bores me, HHH is not entertaining as Champion, and the whole storyline to this match has been convoluted and lackluster. I can honestly say I haven’t been this disappointed in a Wrestlemania main event since Triple H vs. Batista or Triple H vs. Booker T….hmmm…I see a similarity there.
Fallout –
· Triple H retains via the sledgehammer and a Pedigree. I have a funny feeling that this won’t be the end of the feud.
· Orton was “Orton’d” again. He was booked as a coward all throughout the feud, never had any big wins (NO Shane McMahon doesn’t count), and he couldn’t pull out the win at Wrestlemania. Even if they do something on Raw to try to rectify that situation, I still don’t see him as this huge star the way they are trying to force us to do.
Overall – Wrestlemania 25 was good. One amazing match, two very good matches, two good matches, and 3 pretty bad matches. I would say if you want to see one of the best wrestling matches of the last few years, buy the replay. If you are a fan of the Hardy’s, buy the replay. If you love some great spots in MITB matches or are a big CM Punk fan, buy the replay. Otherwise, this is skipable.
Final Thoughts- Undertaker vs. HBK, Hardy vs. Hardy, MITB, Austin’s Farewell, and Jericho vs. The Legends were all very entertaining. $55 may be steep, but I think you will appreciate this PPV for what it has to offer.
On the way to Backlash:
· The Undertaker/Shawn Michaels
· Jeff Hardy/Matt Hardy
· The possibility of CM Punk cashing in his Money in the Bank Briefcase.
· The continuation of McMahons vs. Legacy
· A new program for Chris Jericho
· The love triangle of Edge/Vickie/Big Show continues
· Intercontinental Champion Rey Mysterio
· World Heavyweight Champion John Cena
· Carlito & Primo Colon/Miz and John Morrison
· MVP/Shelton Benjamin
I will be back after Backlash with another PPV Fallout! Thanks for reading, and if you want to contact me for questions or feedback, you can email me at TJWWE2007@gmail.com.
