Wrestlemania XXII Re-Do Review

Wrestlemania XXII Re-Do Review



This just arrived today and was the last Mania I needed to have the complete collection. Unfortunately I was an idiot and bought the region 1 version. Luckily I can still watch on my laptop so let's get to it!





Michelle Williams does a pretty good job of America the Beautiful.


(I don't know why I keep judging these people on how they sing. I'm not Simon Cowell. After wathing all these Manias, I feel like I know this song inside out)


Loved the video package for the event , the Shinedown song they used just felt right for Wrestlemania . This was definitely gonna be an action packed night . I would put this as one of my favourite events of all time .


(Not sure I would put it as one of my favourites now, but it's still a great event in my eyes)


And here we go with this great night ...

Kane & The Big Show vs Carlito & Chris Masters
This was a good choice for an opener as it got the crowd fired up for the rest of the night . I always liked the team of Kane & Big Show . Wow i really think Kane's athleticism is underrated , especially with that dropkick . Kane's diving clothesline to the outside was awesome . Kane gets the win with a chokeslam .
This was a lot of fun . **1/2


(This really didn't feel like a proper Mania match, but at least it was still fun while it lasted, which is all you can ask for sometimes. It's amazing that this was the first traditional tag title match since Mania 15. Then it wouldn't happen again until Mania 26. I overrated it but not by much. Short but fun opener. **)


Great promo from Shawn Michaels telling us not to expect a classic wrestling match , but to expect violence.

(I think he gave us enough of a classic match the year before with Kurt Angle)

  

Money In The Bank
Always get excited for these matches . Gotta give it to Ric Flair for going in there . I think he might regret it now . Shelton's running senton from the ladder to the outside was amazing . Flair being suplexed from the ladder was sick , especially when you hear his screams of pain . Quite uncomfortable . He is assisted to the back . RVD's rolling thunder to the ladder looked brutal . Flair comes back down . What a guy ! Fans are really behind Flair . RVD out of nowhere knocks Lashley off the ladder ! Unbelievable leg drop off the ladder from Matt Hardy . Shelton leap frogs onto the ladder out of nowhere ! Shelton & Hardy knocked off the ladder to the outside ! RVD grabs the briefcase . This was exciting all the way through . ****


(There was no way that this was going to be able to follow the classic original match, especially since there was less star power, but damn they tried their hardest in an awesome match. RVD was the clear favourite the entire time. This is another one I may have overrated a little bit. Still an awesome match though. ***3/4)



Backstage Batista says by WM 23 he will be the World Champion again . Got to give it to him for telling the truth .

Howard Finkel states that Bret Hart was uncomfortable participating in the event . Can't blame him . This was another great Hall of Fame class with legends like Mean Gene , Sensational Sherri , Verne Gagne and of course the late , great Eddie Guerrero and the legendary Bret ' The Hitman ' Hart . I actually cried during Eddie's induction and i'm not ashamed to say so . I still can't believe he's gone ....
Anyway back to the event .


(Yeah Eddie's induction to the Hall of Fame is really hard to watch, and I can just about guarantee that there will be tears when watched)


Chris Benoit vs JBL
And speaking of people i cant believe are gone , here comes Benoit . There was no need for JBL to mock Eddie . This is a nice solid matchup . I don't think JBL winning was a good idea . **1/4


(With Benoit in the match, there was a chance of this being the sleeper hit of the night. Unfortunately JBL was there to make sure it wasn't. I don't know why, but it seems that every match he's in feels really sluggish. JBL mocking Eddie to get some cheap heel heat is still disrespectful. Solid, unspectacular match. Sticking with  **1/4)


Edge vs Mick Foley : Hardcore Match
I think that Foley can make just about anyone into a superstar . He did it here with Edge on this night . How the hell is Foley still alive after all this time ? His body has taken so much abuse over the years . Nice to have Joey Styles assist with commentary , he always adds to matches . Here we go . Edge spears Mick and Edge appears to hurt more , and thats because Mick was weearing BARBED WIRE AROUND HIS WAIST !! How awesome was that ! He whips Edge with the barbed wire . Mick has his barbed wire bat ! Foley arm dragged onto the steps . Edge douses Foley with lighter fluid ! Mick takes the bat to the head . Bulldog on the bat ! Here come the thumb tacks . Edge back suplexed right on the tacks ! Mr Socko ! WRAPPED WITH BARBED WIRE ! Holy shit ! Both guys bleeding . This is like a horror movie . The table is on fire ! SPEAR THROUGH THE FLAMING TABLE !! There's your Wrestlemania moment Foley . Edge wins . This was amazing . Probably the most violent match in Wrestlemania history .  ****1/4


(Looks like a wrote a freaking essay on this match. Can't blame since it's such a great match. My opinion has changed a little. Still awesome, still brutal and the final spot is still such a great Wrestlemania moment and image. But I'm just gonna bring it down to  **** because I overrated it just a little bit)



Booker T and Sharmell meet all the weirdos backstage in a funny moment .

Booker T & Sharmell vs The Boogeyman
Skip this please . DUD


(No real point to this except to cool down the crowd after the crazy hardcore match. Still a DUD)


Trish Stratus vs Mickie James
I consider this the greatest Womens match in Wrestlemania history , even if that's not saying very much at all . I loved Mickie as a psycho bitch . The unedited version of this match is the best , since it has Mickie acting her lesbian best . Mickie groping at Trish was awesome . Good match . ***


(This match puts all other divas matches, except the triple threat at Mania 19, to shame. It had a story that had lasted a few months with Mickie being Trish's psycho stalker and it all culminated in this match. On the DVD version, we still get Mickie groping Trish, but she doesn't lick her fingers afterwards. Still  *** to me)


Vince McMahon is really muscled up backstage .

Undertaker vs Mark Henry : Casket Match
Another extension for the legendary WM Streak of the Undertaker . Too bad the match wasn't that good . This was when Undertaker started diving over the top rope at Wrestlemania again . Taker wins . *


(Well at least Taker started having amazing matches at Mania after this one. Just a roadblock for the Deadman here. Mark Henry was still a while away from his Hall of Pain awesomeness. Very boring match and the rating is still  *)


Shawn Michaels vs Vince McMahon : No Holds Barred
This match showed that HBK can have a great match with anyone . The elbow drop off the huge ladder onto Vince ,who had a trash can around his head and was placed on a table , was amazing . Great match . ***1/2


(This got the Match of the Year award from PWI. I really wouldn't go that far with it, but it was still very fun. It had been built up for a while with Vince constantly screwing with HBK. HBK would get his revenge on this night and with the reformation of DX. Well done to Shawn for making this as fun as it could have been. Consider Vince the broomstick in this bout. The huge elbow from the huge ladder is still an amazing sight to behold. Still  ***1/2 to me)


Rey Mysterio vs Kurt Angle vs Randy Orton
Add ten minutes to this match and you have a classic . As it is , it's still a great match that was action-packed . Rey Mysterio finally got the moment he deserved . One of my favourite matches . ***1/2


(Yeah I wouldn't consider this one of my favourite matches now. Don't get me wrong, it's still a great little match, but imagine how good it could have been had they given them twenty minutes to work with. I guess using the death of Eddie Guerrero never really worked out well for Rey, since his title reign was mediocre, and he wouldn't win another World Title until 2010 and even then he only held it for a month. He won the WWE Title for only an hour in 2011!
Short but very good match. ***1/2)


Torrie Wilson vs Candice Michelle
Who the hell booked this crap ??! Absolute DUD .


(As if the rating was going to increase. Total shit. DUD)


(I still giggle when I see CM Punk dressed as a 1920s gangster. Don't worry Punk, in five years they'll all be chanting your name)


John Cena vs Triple H
This match helped make John Cena into a superstar . But it was also the real start of the anti-Cena movement . The match is great and was worthy of the WM Main Event . ***3/4


(This was Cena's big moment to show that he belonged in the main event scene, and he's been there ever since! However, this is also when the crowd started it's mega hate on Cena. They really hated him here, but nothing will ever match up to the One Night Stand hate. Still it's an awesome match and a great main event to close Mania out with. Definitely increasing this to  ****)



8/10 The good outweighed the match on this show , but the bad was REALLY bad . You do however get 5 great matches and 3 that were solid or good . Recommended .



(Sticking with the 8/10 rating here. You had a great crowd, both World Title matches delivered, HBK put on a great performance against Vince, the hardcore match was awesome and the MITB was a lot of fun. Only a couple of DUDs and the boring Casket match let it down. Overall a great Wrestlemania.