Based on information recently released by WWE, the approximate paid attendance for WrestleMania 25 earlier this year in Houston was 70,400, which would make it the third largest in the history of pro wrestling behind the record setting 1992 SummerSlam at Wembley Stadium with 78,927 paid and the 1987 WrestleMania 3 at the Pontiac Silverdome with 75,700 paid. WrestleMania 23 at Ford Field in Detroit had 66,670 paid.

Labels: wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:23 PM | Permalink | Comments

Labels: wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 3:54 PM | Permalink | Comments

April 6, 2009

It doesn't get any bigger than Wrestlemania 25. WM 25 was in my home state of Texas with my childhood idols being inducted into the hall of fame.

I had wanted to make it to WM 25 for years, and when injuries cut my career short the one regret I had was that I wouldn't make the 25th anniversary of Wrestlemania-well, I made it. I never dreamed after I retired the first time that my back would get better and I would be allowed to return to wrestling.

Standing there last night in front of over 70,000 people in my home state ended a journey that was unreal to me. For a kid from Sweetwater, Texas to be able to travel all over the world and realize his dream is pretty cool.

I don't know what the future holds, never say never in life. But I have wrestled my last match. Months ago, I picked out this match. If Eddie Guerrero couldn't be here for it then my dear friend Rey was the obvious choice, and I'm proud he was.

I want to thank the WWE for a great career, for taking a chance on me and allowing me the keys to the car for a while. I will always represent the WWE wherever I go, I am proud of my 13 ½ years with the WWE. And, I am proud of the WWE for cleaning up a great sport to make it more healthy to everyone that is a part.

However, I have no current plans on doing anything in the future on a professional level with WWE. I don't plan on doing commentary, in fact; it hasn't even been brought up to me. I don't plan on being an on air character. I plan on starting the next chapter in my life, and closing the door on this one.

I have worked with some of the greatest people in the world; I have life long friends that are the best in the world. Everytime WWE is brought up or JBL,

I will smile. I having nothing but great, great memories.

Click HERE to read More

Labels: jbl, rey mysterio, wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 11:15 AM | Permalink | Comments

From: Pro Wrestling Insider

The general feeling backstage last night was that everyone knew that The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels tore down the house. There was a lot of talk about how great Ricky Steamboat looked for his age. And, the other big topic was about how poorly the Triple H vs. Randy Orton match came off, both in the ring and with how it was booked. A lot of people think that creative has to have something planned to get the title onto Orton tonight or they have just Orton'd him again. Overall, the mood was very good at the show and management was definitely happy with the attendance and the gate.

Labels: randy orton, triple h, undertaker, wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments

Best Match

Matt Loede: This is a no-brainer, as the HBK vs Undertaker match will for sure get plenty of votes for "Match of the Year" award. Both guys went out and gave 110 percent, and others in the company should watch that match with great interest as to how to have a good match with a lot of emotion that doesn't have to be a total bump fest. What is this company going to do when these two guys are gone? It's a shame that we didn't have 3-4 matches like this one, but then again, there's only one Undertaker and one Shawn Michaels.

John Sefcik: Hardy v Hardy. They way a hardcore match should be. Plenty of O my God moments courtesy of two men giving their all.


Worst Match

Matt Loede: The 21 second joke of an IC title match, the first one at Mania in seven years, really ticked me off. While I wasn't exactly looking forward all that much to JBL vs Mysterio, it at least deserved 4-5 minutes. What I am thinking is that JBL had well in advance made his decision to walk away from active wrestling again, and he wanted to at least get one last moment in the ring in front of the home crowd. I really think his "quitting" may be real, and that he'll return to the announce booth at SmackDown this week.

John Sefcik: Divas Battle Royal. Gimmick of Santino does not pay off as the lack of real intro leaves who is in this match a bit confusing.


Biggest Bump

Matt Loede: I don't even know his name, but how about the cameraman in the Taker-HBK match?! I am thinking this guy must have been an indie wrestler, because not just anyone could take that move from a man close to 300 pounds in Taker. I felt there was a number of bumps that got a little messed up, but if you watch it closely, this one seemed really not to go well. Give credit to that guy, whoever he is, for taking that type of shot on a stage the size of Mania.

John Sefcik: Jeff Hardy going through a table to put Matt through another. This is as extreme as it comes. For a moment I felt we were in south Philly watching ECW

Match that Could Have went Longer

Matt Loede: Other than the IC belt, which I talked about above, the thing that really peeved me was having to sit through 15 minutes of worthless Kid Rock instead of seeing the Tag Team match that had been talked about with Miz and Morrison vs the Colons. I was actually thinking this would be a very good match, and instead of showing it, as they said they would, they did it as a dark match, and it will be on the WM 25 DVD. Why not cut the crap with Kid Rock and show that instead?

John Sefick: Jericho v Steamboat. The Dragon still can compete and his efforts were only hampered by Snuka and Piper. It should have been him and Jericho straight up.

The "And They Booked This Why?" Match

Matt Loede: The Divas battle royal had potential, and there was a lot of buzz on the net about the match, and instead of showing the past divas and making it a really cool event, they really blew past it, and then since Kid Rock played way too long, we didn't even get to see the ladies coming out. Then the announcers playing dumb about Santino being the last dressed up diva was dumb to say the least. If the ladies are not going to get a fair shot, don't book the match at all.

John Sefcik: JBL and Mysterio. Again we missed a tag match between the Colon's and Miz/ Morrison in order to see a quick and worthless match. Come on WWE, respect your fans some more than this.

Risk Taker of the Night

Matt Loede: A number of guys took some big bumps, but how about that death dive from Shelton Benjamin in the Money in the Bank match?! Insane to say the least. He's always been a guy that makes that match, and again on Sunday night he did his part in making that match one of the best of the night, and that dive was nuts. Someone is eventually going to get REALLY hurt in that Money in the Bank match.

John Sefcik: Shelton Benjamin. This man will die one of these days in Money in the Bank. In these matches he has no concern for his safety. Tonight he proved it again as he was only inches from horrific injury with his leap off the ladder onto the floor


Overall Favorite Moment

Matt Loede: The last few in-ring moments of the Taker-HBK match really was the highlight of the night, and that could have been a great way to end the night overall as the main event, but just like Mania 18 with Hogan and Rock, they dropped the ball on this one, and instead went with the Orton-HHH as the way to end the show.

John Sefcik: The Undertakers streak still being kept alive. What a great match between two legends with the result never really looking to favor one or the other. A true legendary Wrestle Mania moment.

The "Man that Sucked" Award

Matt Loede: This is going to be a shocker, but how about the crowd in Houston? I realize that a good event is what gets the crowd going, but it seemed like all night long they sat on their hands. If you watched the broadcast, during the Kid Rock segment, most of the matches, and even the main event, they looked like 70,000 people that were more than happy to sit there as if they were at the opera. I was at the last three Mania's, and I think those crowds easily blew the one in Houston away.

John Sefcik: Kid Rock, hands down. What a way to kill the buzz from money in the bank. Hey Vince, we came for the wrestling. If I want music I'll go to a concert and see a real performer. Also it prevented the crowd from getting into the Divas match and giving some cheers for returning stars like Tori, Sunny and Molly Holly.

Final Grade for the Event

Matt Loede: C minus - The company really needs to go back to the drawing board and get this event back on track. I thought that 22 and 23 were good, 24 was average at best, and this one was actually below average for the work that goes into it. Last year we had a better triple-threat with HHH-Orton-Cena, and the Edge-Taker match was a good main event. We also had the Flair-HBK, and the build for Mayweather vs Show. This year, other than the HBK-Taker match, the rest of the night was average to well below average. The main event really failed to deliver, and it's a shame that they felt that was the way to go instead of the Taker-HBK match.

Early Pick for Main Event at WrestleMania 26

Matt Loede: How about Taker vs Triple H for the WWE Title?

Labels: wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:26 PM | Permalink | Comments

We've come to the main event at WrestleMania 25, as Randy Orton and Triple H go at it for the richest prize in the sport. Here is our breakdown on the main event at the 25th anniversary of Mania:

Matt Loede: Can you say - underwhelming? Yes, I'd have to say that this match is the weakest main event of Mania we've seen since the HHH-Chris Jericho sleeper in WrestleMania 18. While it was an okay match, it clearly didn't have the fire that the two intended. When is the company going to learn that when you have a match like Taker-HBK, that you know is going to dominate - go with it as the main over a lackluster title match that no one at the end of the day cares about? That should have been the case here.

I am really worried about Randy Orton. He has a great look, has been given great program over great program, yet I don't think that he is anywhere near the top heel that this company needs, or thinks they are getting. Here's the problem - he's not over. He's too bland, and frankly, he's rather boring.

That came out again here, and that's a shame. The company insists on throwing us HHH, who at the end of the day is a better heel, and now he's in a program with a heel that no matter what he does - no one cares about. It's a shame. They just ruined a main event of a card that clearly should have ended with HBK and Undertaker.

John Sefcik: A nice way to end the night. A solid physical match between two great competitors. This was a good match for Orton, despite the loss, as he is silencing the critics who feel he cannot be a solid champ. Granted he did not walk away with gold tonight, but he has shown he can match up well with top dogs like Triple H. Of course we know this one does not end here and look for Orton to possible get a win to keep the fire alive. It should be fun seeing Orton's Legacy crew face off against the McMahon clan.

This would even be a fun angle to spice up the upcoming draft by trying to split up Orton, Rhodes and DiBiase. Or have them move to a new brand and attempt to take control of that show. Either way there are plenty of plot lines you can use for them and Orton can carry the story. There should be plenty of controversy coming out of this match as Orton will complain Triple H used the sledge hammer to get the win. It should be interesting to see who will be the new leadership on Raw and how they react to Orton's accusations. We know there will be a rematch at Backlash, but how many more times will these two meet. I see this one going for a few months with a couple of title changes. We need our McMahon storyline and Legacy will prove to be great adversaries.

Labels: randy orton, triple h, wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:44 PM | Permalink | Comments

We're down to the last two matches at Mania, the first of the big two being the World Heavyweight Title match. Here is our breakdown on that match:

Matt Loede: Well, it was kind of made known in inner circles that Edge would drop the strap, the only thing would be would it be Cena or Big Show. In the end, they give it to Cena, who probably now will get into a program with Show. The whole Edge-Vicky thing probably goes on the back burner for awhile, and I think they have Show hurt Edge enough for him to have to take some time off, as it's being said he has to get his knee back in shape. I'm not a huge fan of triple-threat matches, but these guys pulled it off pretty well, and even with Edge taking time off, we'll see these three probably do it again in three weeks at Backlash.

As for Cena getting the belt, it's an okay decision, but I think it would have been fresh to put it on Show, who hasn't had a strap since he carried ECW when it started. We'll see if another Cena title run is something that gets over or not. I'm thinking it will at first, but then grow stale just like all the others. Okay match, but a letdown after the awesome Michaels vs Taker battle.

John Sefcik: The champ has returned ladies and gentlemen. A nice paced match for a triple threat, nothing special, but nothing to dull. I'm not complaining as the match was good to watch, unlike a few of the matches we have had to suffer through tonight. And despite your love or hatred of Cena, he makes a good champ as he gives his all in the ring and is fantastic on the mic. The question is where do we go from here? I'm sure there will at least be a rematch featuring Edge, but you know the rated R Super Star will end up finishing some business with the Big Show. Hopefully that ends soon and we get Edge back in a championship program. Both he and Cena are the great talents that will carry the WWE into the future. I would love for these two to keep the fire of this feud alive for awhile. Cena is probably the best face the organization has and Edge is his heel counterpart. No offense to Triple H, these two guys are the ones who can take the WWE back to its heights when the Rock and Stone Cold ruled the roost.

Labels: edge, john cena, the big show, wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:18 PM | Permalink | Comments

From: Pro Wrestling Insider

WWE had a major problem tonight with the nation's largest cable company, Comcast. When I went to order the HD version of the show, I got the dreaded black screen of death. I was on hold for 40 minutes before someone came on and told me that they were having a problem with the HD feed (no kidding). This is the third or fourth show in a row that Comcast has screwed up the HD feed. Since I have been through this beofre with them, I just ordered the SD version too and when the representative finally got on the phone, I had her cancel the HD purchase. But, anyone who ordered it in HD got nothing and will get a refund, costing WWE buys.

Also, we have heard from other Comcast customers who said they had no SD feed either. How the nation's largest cable company can't make sure that they can sell one of the biggest PPV shows of the year to its customers is beyond me. The sad thing is that it will end up costing WWE buys.

Labels: wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:00 PM | Permalink | Comments

In what will have to go down as a match of the year candidate, Shawn Michaels vs Undertaker took the stage in the latest match at WrestleMania 25. Here is our breakdown of this historic match.

Matt Loede: This could have been the main event, as these guys easily made this the best match of the night, and possibly the best match in Mania in the past few years. You gotta love the intense back and forth, and the crazy endings that each guy kicked out of time after time. Frankly, this match reminded me of Angle-Benoit at Mania 17, Michaels vs Angle at 21, and now Taker vs Michaels. The facials of each guy as this match went on was classic, and you figure that HBK survived a pair of tombstones, and Taker a pair of super kicks. Unless something amazing happens in the last two matches, I'm pretty sure that we just saw the best match of the night, and when people go back and think about Mania 25, they will think of this match.

John Sefcik: Now we are picking up steam. It was not a scheduled Iron Man match, but it might as well have been. Despite the et-shirt goof on Shop Zone, the results of this one were somewhat in doubt. Both men went back and forth and put on one hell of a show. File this one away as the greatest wins of all for the Undertakers streak. Both men put life an limb on the line by putting out some amazing moves. The sequence of HBK missing the moonsault followed by an airborne Taker crashing into a cameraman left the audience shaking its collective head in amazement. There was talk of making this match the main event and after it played out that would not be a bad call. The championship matches are going to have to pull ot some major stops if they want to meet the expectations that have now been set.

Labels: shawn michaels, undertaker, wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:52 PM | Permalink | Comments

Match #5 saw the IC belt defended for the first time in 7 years at WrestleMania, as JBL took on Rey Mysterio. Here's our thoughts on this title match:

Matt Loede: 21 seconds? Yes, I guess after some of the best matches in wrestling history, the IC belt has fallen to a new low. Not that either JBL or Mysterio are bad reps for the belt, but to have a match at Mania that lasts 21 seconds for a belt that has had some of the best matches in history is bad. Mysterio is going to get a run with the strap, and the whole thing with JBL has now become a joke, as he says he quits. Yeah, and I'm the Pope.

John Sefcik: A horrible and stupid match. Again wy did they make the tag match a dark match for this garbage? Not much else to say as it will take you longer to read this than the match itself.

Labels: jbl, rey mysterio, wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:08 PM | Permalink | Comments

Match #2 is underway, and this sucks, since there was no intro's due to the stupid Kid Rock "concert," the match just started with no real fanfare.

Matt Loede: For all the hoopla this got on the internet and on TV, this was awful. They really should have introduced the Divas, and it was a joke that of the Divas that came back, they were all pretty much out before we could even realize they were in the match. I mean, I really wanted to see the crowd pop for women like Torrie, Molly Holly, Victoria and more. And the whole fact they made "Santina" the winner was even more of a joke. I am not going to waste any more typing on this match. It outright sucked.


John Sefcik: Horrible gag. First a long intro combined with a terrible Kid Rock performance along with a lack of individual intros for the Divas. Then the match was a mass of humanity in which you had no idea who was who. This was followed up by Santino winning Miss Wrestle Mania. Why did we make the tag match a dark match? Yeah that's what I thought.

Labels: beth phoenix, molly holly, torrie wilson, wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 6:53 PM | Permalink | Comments

WrestleMania 25 in Houston is underway, and match #1 is in the books, as C.M. Punk has once again won the Money in the Bank. Here is a quick review of the match with Let's Talk Wrestling co-editors Matt Loede and John Sefcik.

Matt Loede: Wow. This was another great way to start off WM, just like they did the past two years with the MITB match. Shelton Benjamin did what he always does, which is take way too many risks, and even Kane and Mark Henry did a good job keeping up with the younger, faster guys. Punk and Finlay seemed to be the two most involved, and MVP had a good showing as well. Punk winning though to me was a little stale, but I guess they still have big plans for the Chicago based wrestler, and I guess we'll see him in a feud of some sort over the summer with a champion. As far as the best MITB match ever? Tough to say right after it was over, but the high spots were very good, and it was for sure a great way to start the card.

John Sefick:Shelton Benjamin, that's all that needs to be said. Again he brings his game to the top and gives us some memorable moments from Mania. After watching this match it has left no question in my mind this is the highlight of Mania and is establishing itself as the great appetizer for the night, One has to imagine one of these years we will see a major injury as the guys just keep raising the bar with more and more insane moves. Just look at Benjamin's leap from the ladder onto is fellow competitors.

Despite the lack luster roster this year, they still pulled off a great match. Have to wonder about Punk winning the briefcase again. His profile as been a bit down lately, but the fans still love him. Don't know if this was done on purpose for another title run, but he does get a chance to move his status up a notch. I thought Christian would walk away in order to raise his profile and return to the WWE. Also it would have been a great way to move him off ECW and take on competition worthy of his talent. Overall though you got to love this match as it is the best way to kick of Mania with its thrills and spills.

Labels: c.m. punk, kane, mark henry, shelton benjamin, wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 6:34 PM | Permalink | Comments

WWE Championship Match
Triple (c) vs. Randy Orton

They have tried to build this as a hot feud, and while it's gotten a lot more legs over the past few weeks, we've seen it before, and it seems a little underwhelming to me. The right thing to do would be to give Orton the strap after some sort of screw job, but they don't normally end WrestleMania's on down notes, and they likely won't here either. Look for a Triple H win, and then for him to possibly lose the rematch next month at Backlash.

World Heavyweight Championship
Triple Threat Match
Edge (c) vs. John Cena vs. Big Show

The call here is that it's going to either be Cena or Show taking home the strap, becuase Edge has to take some time off for a knee injury. Show would be interesting, becuase you could keep him and Cena hot for a rematch at Backlash, and then have Cena take home the belt. I think though this is Cena's to win, since he's still the companies golden boy, and took the fall last year to Orton in the Triple-Threat.

Intercontinental Championship Match
JBL (c) vs. Rey Mysterio

No build here, and simply a filler match. JBL promised something big at Mania, and if he considers this szooner of a match "big," I'd hate to think of what he thinks is small. I don't know if Mysterio wins here or not, nor do I really care. If they want a cheap pop, they give the belt to Mysterio. There has been talk of Rey going back to SmackDown, so with that in mind, I'll go with JBL.

Brother vs. Brother
Extreme Rules Match
Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy

This could be the show-stealer. I have heard a few times that this feud will be quick, meaning they should go all out here. They usually have good matches with each other, and with the hatred that Matt has shown towards Jeff, I see the younger Hardy winning what I hope and think will be a great match with lots of bumps.

Elimination-Style Match
Ric Flair will be in the corner of the Legends while Mickey Rourke will be sitting at ringside
Chris Jericho vs. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, and Jimmy “Superfly”

I see Flair and Rourke getting involved here, sending Jericho to a loss. Lots of talk about Austin and Hogan being a part of this match at first, but since they had to go the route of Snuka, Steamboat and Piper, the match has lost a lot. You realize that Sunka hasn't been in a Mania match since Mania 7, Steamboat since Mania 4, and Piper since Mania 8? Crazy, but they will win here in some fashion.

WWE & World Tag Team Championship Unification Match
Carlito & Primo (c) vs. John Morrison & The Miz (c)

No matter what you say, you have to admit that Miz and Morrison remain the best tag team in the company, so I will go with them here to get the win, and unify the belts. Carlito and Primo could steal one, but I think Miz and Morrison have a better chance to earn a heel win.

The Streak On The Line
Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels

Easily could have been the main event, and should be. No way though that Michaels beats Flair at WM 24, then tops Taker at 25. I think the Taker streak is the one real thing in wrestling that should never end. It's something they will talk about forever, and I don't think there is a wrester that deserves beating him at this event.

Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Shelton Benjamin vs. MVP vs. Christian vs. Mark Henry vs. Kane vs. CM Punk vs. Finlay vs. Kofi Kingston

Benjamin is great in these matches, but he won't win it. MVP has a belt, and he won't win it. Mark Henry stinks, and he probably can't get up a ladder anyway, so he won't win it. Kane is just another big man here that doesen't belong, he won't win it. Punk won last year, he won't win it again. That leaves Kingston and Christian, and I think out of the two, you go with Christian, who's WWE return has been nothing short of awful. He wins here, and beat Jack Swagger sooner rather than later for the ECW title.

25-Diva Battle Royal
Advertised Divas: Alicia Fox, Beth Phoenix, Brie Bella, Eve, Gail Kim, Jillian, Katie Lea, Kelly Kelly, Layla, Maria, WWE Divas Champion Maryse, WWE Women’s Champion Melina, Michelle McCool, Mickie James, Natalya, Nikki Bella, Rosa Mendes, and Tiffany

We'll see 7 others n the match - my guess is Victoria, Sunny, Torrie Wilson, Trish Stratus, Mae Young, Lillian and one more. This is an interesting match, and one that they could make an annual event to get the women involved. Not sure who wins, but with Mae Young in there likely for the final time, let's go with the Hall of Famer.

Labels: wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 2:08 PM | Permalink | Comments

Here are the order of events as advertised for tomorrow's WrestleMania 25 pay-per-view, according to Main Event and Fox 8 in Australia. If these are indeed correct, we will be getting three main events in a row which seems unusual.

World Wrestling Entertainment presents: WrestleMania - The 25th Anniversary
Presented by National Guard
Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX
Sunday, April 5; 7e/4p LIVE on Pay-per-view
Contact your local service provider for ordering information

Hosted by Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler and Michael Cole.

Order of Events:

Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger sings America The Beautiful

WWE Intercontinental Championship Match
Rey Mysterio vs John "Bradshaw" Layfield

Money In The Bank Ladder Match
Christian vs Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) vs Mark Henry (w/ Tony Atlas) vs Montel Vontavious Porter vs Kane vs Shelton Benjamin vs CM Punk vs Kofi Kingston

Legends Challenge Gauntlet Match
Chris Jericho vs Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, Rowdy Roddy Piper and Jimmy "The Superfly" Snuka (w/ Ric Flair and Mickey Rourke)

WWE Tag Team Championship Unification Match
WWE Tag Team Champions John Morrison and The Miz vs World Tag Team Champions Carlito and Primo Colon

Extreme Rules Match
Matt Hardy vs Jeff Hardy

LIVE Musical Performance from critically-acclaimed artist Kid Rock

25-Diva Miss WrestleMania Battle Royal
Participants include: Melina, Mickie James, Beth Pheonix, Santino Marella, Michelle McCool, Tammy Lynn Sytch, Victoria, Mae Young and Gail Kim

World Heavyweight Championship Match
John Cena vs Edge © vs The Big Show

"The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker

WWE Heavyweight Championship Match
Randy Orton (w/ Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase) vs Triple H (w/ Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley)

Labels: wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 5:19 PM | Permalink | Comments

WWE Championship Match
Triple (c) vs. Randy Orton

World Heavyweight Championship
Triple Threat Match
Edge (c) vs. John Cena vs. Big Show

Intercontinental Championship Match
JBL (c) vs. Rey Mysterio

Brother vs. Brother
Extreme Rules Match
Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy

Elimination-Style Match
Ric Flair will be in the corner of the Legends while Mickey Rourke will be sitting at ringside
Chris Jericho vs. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, and Jimmy “Superfly”

WWE & World Tag Team Championship Unification Match
Carlito & Primo (c) vs. John Morrison & The Miz (c)

The Streak On The Line
Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels

Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Shelton Benjamin vs. MVP vs. Christian vs. Mark Henry vs. Kane vs. CM Punk vs. Finlay vs. Kofi Kingston

25-Diva Battle Royal
Advertised Divas: Alicia Fox, Beth Phoenix, Brie Bella, Candice Michelle, Eve, Gail Kim, Jillian, Katie Lea, Kelly Kelly, Layla, Maria, WWE Divas Champion Maryse, WWE Women’s Champion Melina, Michelle McCool, Mickie James, Natalya, Nikki Bella, Rosa Mendes, and Tiffany

Labels: triple h, wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 5:17 PM | Permalink | Comments

WWEShop.com has possibly spoiled the results of a WrestleMania 25 match by adding a new Undertaker and Shawn Michaels WrestleMania t-shirt to their website yesterday. The shirt read 17-0 with a tag at the bottom of a broken heart reading RIP HBK. The item was quickly removed from the website.

Labels: shawn michaels, undertaker, wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:26 PM | Permalink | Comments

The Sun out of the UK has a new interview with RAW Superstar Kane today. You can read the full interview at this link but here are the highlights:

Watching Raw and Smackdown this week has really given us a taste for WrestleMania especially Shawn Michaels against your storyline brother Undertaker. Is that what the boys in the back consider as the real main event of the show?

Yeah, I think so, especially for me. They’ve had very few previous matches and to put them in a bout at WrestleMania just means so much more. And both are going to genuinely be out to prove something, as both could legitimately claim that title of Mr WrestleMania.

And remember that Undertaker has never defeated Shawn Michaels in a one-on-one match. But none of those – including the one where I made my debut back in 1997 – were at WrestleMania, where Undertaker is always at his best. So you are going to see be a tremendous match between two future Hall Of Famers that will be a once in a lifetime event for our fans.

So what’s your relationship with Mark Calaway like? Is he like a big brother to you in real life?

Undertaker’s helped a lot of people, myself included. I wouldn’t be in the position that I’m at if it wasn’t for him. He’s a stabilizing force backstage and he’s always helping the young guys out and passing on his knowledge and his expertise. So I’d say so but, I’d also say that I’m not the only one he’s a mentor to.

What’s the atmosphere in the locker room like, because the last few years have been terrible for the wrestling community? Is the morale quite low at the moment?

No, not really. We get to do what we love to do and go out and perform in front of our fans. It’s just like everything else. Looking at things from the outside you probably have a different perspective then when you are actually there.

Our company has done a tremendous job of trying to get the sort of people that you would want to work for you, that you’d want to represent your company, into our company. And because of that the locker room is actually pretty harmonious. I would say actually that morale is very high, is as high as I’ve ever seen it.

Finally we’ve talked a bit about two matches at WrestleMania, what are your thoughts and predictions on the rest of the card?

Randy Orton is a snake and Triple H is at the top of his game, so I think you’re going to see Triple H retain his title. In the Big Show v Edge v John Cena match I’m going to go with Show on that one, because he’s physically so strong.

Matt and Jeff Hardy is a toss up. It’s two brothers so who knows what is going to happen there. Miz and Morrison will unify the titles and there are too many Divas in the battle royal for me to have any idea who will be the victor. As for Money In the Bank – I’ll win that one of course!

Labels: kane, undertaker, wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:11 PM | Permalink | Comments

As reported earlier, Big Show was originally earmarked to take part in the Money in the Bank Match at WrestleMania XXV, but Vince McMahon decided to put him in the World Heavyweight Championship bout instead. Mark Henry ended up taking place in the bout. Had Big Show stayed in the match, he was expected to win the briefcase.

McMahon felt they had done John Cena vs. Edge way too many times before, so he changed the bout to a three-way match by adding Big Show to it. Although, weeks worth of angles between Cena and Edge were shot before he came to this decision.

Labels: the big show, wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 4:05 PM | Permalink | Comments

The price for the WrestleMania XXV pay-per-view on most cable systems is $54.99 (while on WWE.com it is $54.95). Some sites are saying this is a price increase, although last year’s event also cost approximately $55 — an increase from $50 the year before.

Labels: wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 4:32 PM | Permalink | Comments

WWE has contacted two more former WWE Divas, Victoria and Luna Vachon, in regards to appearing at the WWE WrestleMania XXV 25-Diva Battle Royal. Nothing has been confirmed on whether they have accepted the offer to appear or not. Victoria last appeared on WWE television in January this year when she announced her retirement. Vachon was released by WWE in 2000 and hasn’t appeared on WWE television since.

Labels: wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 1:50 PM | Permalink | Comments