Wrestlemania 23
Apr. 1st, 2007 08:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lurkerwithoutI wasn't expecting ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
spoonyone and his brother Miles to order it this, because it looked likely to suck the ass. But at the last minute they decided to get it, so I went and hung out and watched with them...
With only 8 matches for a 3 hour, 45 minute show there was a lot of video clips and replays and padded entrances and exits. And thats in an event that featured Undertakers full Evil Druid Intro sequence...
First up was the Money in the Bank Match. Lots and lots and lots of high spots in this. No shock with the Hardyz, Edge, King Booker, Mr. Kennedy, CM Punk, Finley and Randy "6 Kinds of 'Roid" Orton. Best was probably Jeff doing a swanton bomb off the higher ladder onto Edge who was lying on another ladder at ringside. And in so doing passing up a free shot at the Briefcase. And then later Matt threating Queen Sharmell with his finisher to get King Booker off the top of the ladder. Oh and Mr. Kennedy jumping off the ladder with Hornshwaggle the Lil' Bastard in a press for a wicked slam. But in the end, despite CM Punk's 3 Stooges ladder clearing moves, Edge hitting everyone with his Huggy Spears one after another and Matt's head games, Mr. Kennedy become the newest Mr. Money in the Baaaaaaaank...
Bank.
Next, IIRC, was Kane vs. Khali. Ugh. A shitty, shitty match. Dull. Dull. Dull. I can't believe I'm saying this, but a total waste of the talents of Glen Jacobs. He even got a huge crowd pop when he scoop slammed Khali. All for naught as he lay down for Khali's Double Hand Choke Slam followed by Foot Press pin...
Actually the Chris Benoit vs. MVP match might have been before that. I'm not sure of the order now. But Benoit basicaly slowed himself down, mostly doing suplexes so as to let MVP come off as a competant matt wrestler. Happily Chris held onto his gold, even if he did little for it. I mean they ended with his Wolverine Flying Head Butt rather than the cross-face...
Next was the Smackdown championship match. With Batista vs. Undertaker. As always Undertaker shows why he rests up all the remainder of the year as he put on a killer show, even managing a running dive OVER the top ropes to hit Davey at ringside. Batista brought his best game forward, but it still ended with an unbroken streak for 'Taker and gold around his waist...
Then it was the ECW Originals (Tommy Dreamer, Sabu, RVD, Sandman) vs. the New Blood (Kevin Thorne, Elijah Burke, Matt Striker and Monty the Alpha Male). Sadly I would be shocked to learn this match lasted even 10 minutes. And thats counting the team entrances. Still they managed to cram in some spots for all 8 guys, with the Originals winning the match and getting to celebrate what is likely their last hurrah. And in a non "Extreme Rules" match at that, which was baffling...
Then it was time for the Billionaire Hair match. Lashley vs. Umanga. And the two brought their A-game to the event. Lots of back and forth, with a very involved Stone Cold Guest Ref, who man-handled the former Jamal several times. And at one point Trump clotheslined Vince and started beating on him. Plus after a Samoan Spike briefly laid out the Rattlesnake, Shane O'Mac jumped in the ring, first beating on Lashley and then stripping down to reveal a ref uniform. And all looked bad for Lashley and Trump, but Austin came back to kick some ass, take a second spike, recover and turn a 3rd spike into a reversed stunner. Then Lashley speared Umanga and pinned him. So Vince (to no one with half a brain's shock) got his head shaved by Trump, Lashley and Stone Cold. And then Austin hit Trump with a stunner and walked off laughing...
Then the Women's Championship Lumberjill match. You don't care. I don't care. The 40000 or 80000 or whatever the number was plus fans at the arena didn't care. Melina vs. Ashley. With Victoria, Trinity and Mickie James as three of the six or eight Lumberjills. And when I say the crowd didn't care, I mean they just went to sleep. NO REACTION AT ALL. And making it worse was learning that their was a pre-show tag Lumberjack match between Carlito/Flair and Chavo/Helms. I had to watch a shitty Women's Championship instead of that? WHAT THE HELL WWE? WHAT THE HELL!?
Finally was the Cena vs. HBK championship match. Where HBK delivered a total ownership on the Master of Wiggernomics for half an hour, followed by Cena instantly recovering. Because he eats his vitamins I guess. And then HBK would dominate, Cena would instaheal by channeling the power of Hulkamania and so forth for another 10 plus minutes. The whole thing ends with HBK tapping out to the STFU, which I totally predicted after they had Benoit tap out to it on a recent Raw show. And the crowd HATED Cena all through it. Heel turn Vince. Seriously. Face Cena is over with everyone who isn't a)gay or b)a 13-17 year old girl...
A couple good matches, but nothing I'd have paid the ppv price for. Especialy since the next ppv, Backlash looks to be an almost replay of this...
spoonyone and his brother Miles to order it this, because it looked likely to suck the ass. But at the last minute they decided to get it, so I went and hung out and watched with them...With only 8 matches for a 3 hour, 45 minute show there was a lot of video clips and replays and padded entrances and exits. And thats in an event that featured Undertakers full Evil Druid Intro sequence...
First up was the Money in the Bank Match. Lots and lots and lots of high spots in this. No shock with the Hardyz, Edge, King Booker, Mr. Kennedy, CM Punk, Finley and Randy "6 Kinds of 'Roid" Orton. Best was probably Jeff doing a swanton bomb off the higher ladder onto Edge who was lying on another ladder at ringside. And in so doing passing up a free shot at the Briefcase. And then later Matt threating Queen Sharmell with his finisher to get King Booker off the top of the ladder. Oh and Mr. Kennedy jumping off the ladder with Hornshwaggle the Lil' Bastard in a press for a wicked slam. But in the end, despite CM Punk's 3 Stooges ladder clearing moves, Edge hitting everyone with his Huggy Spears one after another and Matt's head games, Mr. Kennedy become the newest Mr. Money in the Baaaaaaaank...
Bank.
Next, IIRC, was Kane vs. Khali. Ugh. A shitty, shitty match. Dull. Dull. Dull. I can't believe I'm saying this, but a total waste of the talents of Glen Jacobs. He even got a huge crowd pop when he scoop slammed Khali. All for naught as he lay down for Khali's Double Hand Choke Slam followed by Foot Press pin...
Actually the Chris Benoit vs. MVP match might have been before that. I'm not sure of the order now. But Benoit basicaly slowed himself down, mostly doing suplexes so as to let MVP come off as a competant matt wrestler. Happily Chris held onto his gold, even if he did little for it. I mean they ended with his Wolverine Flying Head Butt rather than the cross-face...
Next was the Smackdown championship match. With Batista vs. Undertaker. As always Undertaker shows why he rests up all the remainder of the year as he put on a killer show, even managing a running dive OVER the top ropes to hit Davey at ringside. Batista brought his best game forward, but it still ended with an unbroken streak for 'Taker and gold around his waist...
Then it was the ECW Originals (Tommy Dreamer, Sabu, RVD, Sandman) vs. the New Blood (Kevin Thorne, Elijah Burke, Matt Striker and Monty the Alpha Male). Sadly I would be shocked to learn this match lasted even 10 minutes. And thats counting the team entrances. Still they managed to cram in some spots for all 8 guys, with the Originals winning the match and getting to celebrate what is likely their last hurrah. And in a non "Extreme Rules" match at that, which was baffling...
Then it was time for the Billionaire Hair match. Lashley vs. Umanga. And the two brought their A-game to the event. Lots of back and forth, with a very involved Stone Cold Guest Ref, who man-handled the former Jamal several times. And at one point Trump clotheslined Vince and started beating on him. Plus after a Samoan Spike briefly laid out the Rattlesnake, Shane O'Mac jumped in the ring, first beating on Lashley and then stripping down to reveal a ref uniform. And all looked bad for Lashley and Trump, but Austin came back to kick some ass, take a second spike, recover and turn a 3rd spike into a reversed stunner. Then Lashley speared Umanga and pinned him. So Vince (to no one with half a brain's shock) got his head shaved by Trump, Lashley and Stone Cold. And then Austin hit Trump with a stunner and walked off laughing...
Then the Women's Championship Lumberjill match. You don't care. I don't care. The 40000 or 80000 or whatever the number was plus fans at the arena didn't care. Melina vs. Ashley. With Victoria, Trinity and Mickie James as three of the six or eight Lumberjills. And when I say the crowd didn't care, I mean they just went to sleep. NO REACTION AT ALL. And making it worse was learning that their was a pre-show tag Lumberjack match between Carlito/Flair and Chavo/Helms. I had to watch a shitty Women's Championship instead of that? WHAT THE HELL WWE? WHAT THE HELL!?
Finally was the Cena vs. HBK championship match. Where HBK delivered a total ownership on the Master of Wiggernomics for half an hour, followed by Cena instantly recovering. Because he eats his vitamins I guess. And then HBK would dominate, Cena would instaheal by channeling the power of Hulkamania and so forth for another 10 plus minutes. The whole thing ends with HBK tapping out to the STFU, which I totally predicted after they had Benoit tap out to it on a recent Raw show. And the crowd HATED Cena all through it. Heel turn Vince. Seriously. Face Cena is over with everyone who isn't a)gay or b)a 13-17 year old girl...
A couple good matches, but nothing I'd have paid the ppv price for. Especialy since the next ppv, Backlash looks to be an almost replay of this...
