Triple H was originally meant to win the WWE Championship in the final match of WrestleMania 24, yet plans changed when WWE felt that their four main matches for the show were too predictable. They couldn’t change the Flair/Michaels match as plans were in place for Flair’s induction speech, farewell address and retirement. They couldn’t change the Undertaker/Edge match as they didn’t want to end the streak. They couldn’t change the Mayweather/Show match owing to the terms of the deal made with Mayweather. That left the triple threat title match, with the company deciding to keep the title on Orton in part because Cena will not be doing house shows until May and in part because of the expected unfavourable Orlando crowd reaction to him.
Triple H is still expected to get a title reign and a heel turn this year. Michael Hayes has been pitching for him to switch to Smackdown and work a program with The Undertaker but few expect that to happen.
C.M. Punk was also in line for a heel turn but since his merchandise is selling so well WWE will probably keep him as a face and see how high sales can go. He is still expected to go to Raw in the upcoming draft.
Vince McMahon has apparently decreed that nobody can refer to The Undertaker’s submission hold finisher as a gogoplata, a triangle choke, or anything similar to a triangle. Of course, they still haven’t come up with a distinctive name for it.
A fan in the upper deck of the Citrus Bowl at WrestleMania reportedly overheard an official shouting into their radio during the main event that the fireworks display planned for the finale of the show should be called off due to high winds. Of course, the display went ahead as planned and 40+ fans wound up getting hit by the pyro. Another fan in the upper deck said that remnants of fireworks had scattered into their section earlier in the show as well, with the pyro set-up being too close to the upper deck for comfort. A number of media outlets tried to get the Orlando mayor, Buddy Dyer, to ban WWE from using pyro at Raw the next night but Dyer made no such attempt since he wants WrestleMania back in the city in 2012.
Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter, 10 April 2008 (subscribe here)
