It’s 5:30PM and it is time for the WWE WrestleMania XXV Free-For-All! I’m your party host for the next several hours tonight! I’ll be here and on AIM throughout the night. If you have AOL Instant Messenger, log on during and immediately following the show to chat with other readers — and some Pulse Wrestling writers — by clicking on the below link:
.:: Pulse Wrestling Chat ::.
Also, you can follow along with us on Twitter at the bottom of this report. Sit back, grab some goodies, and enjoy tonight’s real-time coverage! For a different perspective, check out Danny Cox’s live-blog as he is ON-SITE at Wrestlemania 25!
WWE WrestleMania 25 Free-For-All
We recap the intense feud between Triple H and Randy Orton.
BREAKING NEWS: Danny Cox will have coverage of the WWE Unified Tag Team Title Match in his live-blog. They moved it to a dark match.
Recap of the Triple Threat Love Triangle World Heavyweight Championship title feud is shown.
We run down the card to WrestleMania XXV.
Recap of the Matt Hardy v. Jeff Hardy feud is shown.
BREAKING NEWS: As reported in Danny Cox’s live-blog, Carlito & Primo have unified the World & WWE Tag Team Championships!
Recap of the Undertaker/Shawn Michaels feud is shown.
This finishes the Free-For-All. WrestleMania XXV will be on shortly!
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WWE: THE WORLD IS WATCHING!
We open up with a montage of the past 24 WrestleMania’s, hyping the mood for tonight’s show. This segues to a recap of all the feuds heading into tonight.
Howard Finkel welcomes us to the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania and Nicole from the Pussy Cat Dolls (I’m not going to attempt to spell her last name) sings America, the Beautiful.
And now, it’s time for WrestleMania XXV! pyro shoots off everywhere and WE ARE LIVE FROM HOUSTON, TEXAS! We seemingly have a three man commentary crew tonight with Michael Cole, Jim Ross, & Jerry Lawler commentating. Our opening contest is the Money in the Bank Ladder Match!
Money in the Bank Ladder Match
CM Punk v. Mark Henry v. Montel Vontanious Porter v. Finlay v. Shelton Benjamin v. Kofi Kingston v. Christian v. Kane
The bell sounds and everyone pairs off in and out of the ring. Kane and Mark Henry clear the ring and they take it to each other in the corner. Pillar to post we go and Henry squashes Kane in the other corner. Christian and Benjamin work together and they take the monsters down. Kingston takes out Christian and Benjamin with a dropkick to the ladder. Finlay is in and Kane kicks him off. Both Kane and Henry climb the ladder at the same time. Everyone else takes them off. They eliminate the big men from the ring. They all get on ladders and the big men make them fall off. Big boot to Henry and Kane throws a ladder out of the ring. He sets the ladder up and he is tipped off by Henry. He is all alone and he THROWS THE LADDER AT FINLAY! He misses and Finlay takes care of Henry. Suicide Dive by Finlay takes Kane out and Christian hits a springboard dive out of the ring! MVP is on the apron and he goes ballin’, knocking three pins down. Kingston and Punk is in the ring and STEREO SUICIDE DIVES! INSANE! Benjamin climbs on top of a twenty-five foot ladder and HE HITS A STRIKE ON THE OUTSIDE! HOLY FUCKIN’ SHIT! Henry takes to the heights, but Finlay uses the Irish stick to take him out. Hornswaggle brings in a tiny ladder and Hornswaggle takes out six stars with the Tadpole Splash. Finlay takes Henry out and he brings a ladder into the ring. Finlay takes care of Kingston in the corner before scaling to new heights. KOFI GOES THROUGH THE LADDER AND TAKES FINLAY OUT! He dives into the mini ladder and Punk now attacks Finlay in the corner. Celtic Cross ON THE LADDER on Punk! Finlay uses the short ladder strategically and he positions the bigger ladder. He kicks Kofi off, but Kofi leaps off the ground and takes Finlay out. Henry tips the ladder, knocking Kingston into tomorrow night. Headbutt to Kingston and he looks to set the ladder up…KINGSTON LEAPS ON THE LADDER AND HE GETS CAUGHT BY HENRY. World’s Strongest Slam BREAKS KINGSTON’S BACK! MVP takes out Henry with a ladder and he goes to work. He takes to the ladder, but Benjamin cuts him off from the past.
The ladders get set up…Benjamin evades disaster and he gets on top of the horizontal ladder…lands INTO A POWERBOMB! Punk gets in the ring and he and MVP fight for it. Christian takes care of MVP and Punk evades Christian once. They fight on the ladder…GTS ATTEMPT ON THE LADDER..COUNTERED TO THE KILLSWITCH! Benjamin takes Kane out on the outside, but MVP goes up the ladder. THE LADDERS ARE SET UP WICKEDLY! Benjamin looked to do a Sunset Flip, but MVP slipped off the ladder to a You Fucked Up chant. Benjamin tosses MVP out of the ring and he and Finlay go up the ladder. HARD RIGHT HAND CAUSES FINLAY TO LAND ON TOP OF A LADDER! Benjamin and Christian pair off and Benjamin wrecks house. Two ladders are set up and Christian and Benjamin fight for the top. Christian holds on and he knocks MVP down. He gets close, but it is down to Punk and Christian! Punk is caught on the ladder, but Kane saves the match and Punk is upside down on the ladder! CHOKESLAM OFF THE LADDER! Punk frees himself, but he gets goozled. Kane gets sent down and PUNK WINS AGAIN!
Winner: CM Punk in 14:11
Grade: A+
We take a look at what happened at WWE WrestleMania Axxess.
Now it is time for Kid Rock to perform. This is where I’ll take a quick break. Join me in AIM Chat!
The WWE Divas parade down the ramp while Kid Rock continues to perform.
Miss WrestleMania Battle Royal
The fight starts before Justin Roberts can finish. I won’t even try to get names out there for a bit. Rosa Mendez gets tossed out, as well as Layla. Everyone tries to do what they can to get people out of the ring. Out goes another…too bad no one is dropping these names to HELP ME. Oh, Torrie Wilson and Sunny are gone. Maria gets tossed out by Victoria. Jillian Hall and one of the Bella Twins get tossed out. This is a mess. Beth takes out Tiffany. Beth takes out Kelly Kelly and Molly Holly. Maryse is gone. Santino is even in this match, but no one knows. The other Bella Twin is gone. It’s down to five. Santino, Melina, Beth Phoenix, Mickie James, and Michelle McCool remain. McCool and James are gone. Melina takes it to Beth while Santino watches. Santino eliminates them both.
Winner: Santino Marella in 5:53
Grade: N/R
Justin Roberts and Candice Michelle hand “Santina Marella” the trophy. S/he strips in the ring. I will have a complete list of those in the ring and eliminations after the live broadcast. It is time to get serious.
We view a trailer to The Wrestler and highlight the Jericho v. legends angle. Mickey Rourke is in attendance for this match.
Three on One Handicap Elimination Match
Chris Jericho v. Ricky Steamboat, Jimmy Snuka, & Roddy Piper (w/Ric Flair)
The bell sounds and the legends argue as to who will start first. Piper spits in Jericho’s face and he takes it to him. Kick to the midsection and the fight spills to the ring. Piper gets caught momentarily, but he frees himself. Back in the ring, Jericho takes it to him. Rollup gets two. Dropkick by Piper connects and Jericho goes to school in the corner. Piper tags in Snuka and he hits the chops. To the ropes and Jericho goes down. IN COMES STEAMBOAT! He gets on top and he hits a flying tomahawk drop. Armdrag into an armbar by Steamboat. He works the arm and the workrate increased drastically. Tag to Snuka and they hit a double clothesline. Snuka hits a headbutt and Jericho catches him in the Walls. Snuka taps at 3:44. Jericho gets a cheapshot in on Steamboat, sending him to the outside. Piper is legal and he has Jericho in the corner. Thumb to the eye and he locks on the Sleeper! Jericho counters and hits an enzugiri for three at 4:42. Steamboat hits a crossbody for two! Jericho hits a clothesline and he toys around with Steamboat. Steamboat hits the knifeedge chops, but Jericho gets a kick to the face. Down goes Steamboat and he gets kicked in the back. He locks on a Full Nelson, but Steamboat gets out of it. Shoulderblock connects. Jericho takes his eyes off Steamboat and decks Flair in the process. Steamboat HITS A PLANCHA ON JERICHO! He goes to the top! Top rope Tomahawk chop! Pillar to Post, but Steamboat gets a rollup…FOR TWO! Jericho takes Steamboat to the limit now. Bulldog connects and he has control. He goes for the Lionsault…MISSES! Jericho kicks Steamboat away…SCOOP SLAM CONNECTS FOR TWO! Jericho goes for the Walls. STEAMBOAT COUNTERS TO THE INSIDE CRADLE FOR TWO! Kidney shot connects. He goes for a suplex, but Steamboat floats over…CODEBREAKER BY JERICHO FOR THE WIN!
Winner: Chris Jericho in 8:47
Grade: B
Ric Flair comes unglued and HE TAKES JERICHO TO SCHOOL! Jericho hits a back body drop and he downs Flair with the Codebreaker! Flair gets kicked out of the ring. He grabs a microphone and decrees himself as the best of the world. He eliminated the Legends forever and he has one more piece of business. He wants Rourke to come into the ring to apologize, but he does not pay him any mind. Jericho threatens him and he calls him a coward. Rourke finally obliges. He takes his coat off and he heads inside the ring. Rourke mocks Jericho and he goes get inside. Jericho stands in the corner before they step close. Rourke takes the first jab and they get it on. LEFT HAND SHOT AND JERICHO GOES DOWN! Flair gets back in the ring and he celebrates with Rourke. Ladies & Gentlemen…Jericho just got neutered.
We take a look back at Hardy v. Hardy.
Extreme Rules Match
Matt Hardy v. Jeff Hardy
The bell sounds and Jeff slaps Hardy in the face. The match immediately spills out of the ring and Matt eats a poster shot to the face. Matt comes back with a trash can, but Jeff hits Poetry in Motion against the retaining wall. Matt gets tossed in the ring and Jeff brings a chair inside. Jeff goes for Poetry in Motion in the ring, but Matt evades the move. Whisper in the Wind attempt gets caught as Matt hits Jeff in the knee with the chair. Matt drops the chair on Jeff and he chokes him away. In comes a SHOP VAC? Jeff meets the vac in the head and Matt gets a two count. Matt takes Jeff in the corner and he comes back with a Side Effect on the chair for two. Kick to the ribs by Matt and he tees off on Jeff in the corner. Modified Bow & Arrow against the ring post and Jeff is in pain. He brings a table into play and sets it up on the outside. He looks for a suplex on the table, but Jeff blocks it. Jeff runs the apron and he takes Matt off his feet. Kick to the ribs sends Matt to the steel steps. Looks like Matt might be bleeding from the back of the head. Jeff gets the crutches and he abuses Matt with them. He puts the trash can over Matt’s head and he HITS A TURNBUCKLE DROPKICK ON THE CAN! Jeff covers and gets two. Front face slam connects and the shirt comes off. Jeff looks for the Swanton, but Matt moves! Twist of Fate by Matt connects and he gets TWO! He beats the hell out of Jeff before taking it to the top. He is going to fly. Jeff beats him to the punch and he hits a superplex! Jeff grabs the chair and he beckons Matt to get up. HE CRACKS MATT IN THE HEAD! The match goes out of the ring and Jeff sets Matt up on the table. Chair to the stomach and he lays the chair on Matt. Jeff pulls out another table and he sets it up…ON TOP OF THE FIRST TABLE! Matt Hardy is PINNED BETWEEN TWO TABLES! Jeff takes it to the top. He’s not going to do this. HE HITS A SPLASH THROUGH THE TWO TABLES! HOLY FUCKIN’ SHIT! BOTH HARDYS HAVE TO BE DEAD! Jeff gets back up and he picks Matt up. Matt gets tossed in the ring. Jeff covers, but Matt has a foot on the rope for the break. Jeff brings the chair back in the ring and he pulls out a ladder or two. Jeff drops the leg on Matt before setting up the playground inside the ring. Jeff climbs one ladder and he HOPS THE TALLER LADDER. MATT MOVES OUT OF THE WAY AND JEFF CRASHES AND BURNS! MATT PUT JEFF’S HEAD IN THE CHAIR…TWIST OF FATE CONNECTS! THAT IS ALL!
Winner: Matt Hardy in 13:00
Grade: A-
Jeff has to have a broken neck, that was a sick, sick Twist of Fate!
Legends of Wrestlemania hard-sell is shown.
Randy Orton is seen preparing for his match with the Legacy. The Intercontinental Championship is NEXT! JBL makes his way down the ramp with a microphone. He says that he returned to Texas as a champion before talking trash to his fellow Texans and calls himself their hero. He promises a dominant victory tonight.
Is that a Joker mask Rey is wearing? Tribute to Heath Ledger perhaps?
WWE Intercontinental Championship
John Bradshaw Layfield v. Rey Mysterio
JBL kicks Rey in the face before the referee can start the match. The referee tells JBL to back off and the bell rings. Rey surprises JBL with an Enzugiri connects and the 619 follows. Big Splash connects. SQUASH!
Winner: Rey Mysterio in 21 seconds
Grade: N/A
JBL is embarrassed in the ring as Rey celebrates with the title. He picks up the microphone and he can’t believe what just happened. He has something to say. The fans won’t give him the time of day. He stutters a bit before he screams I QUIT! What a response from the fans.
Carl Edwards is in the house tonight. Up next is the Streak v. Mr. WrestleMania. We get the recap of this feud.
WE GET THE WICKED ENTRANCE FOR SHAWN MICHAELS! This is awesome! He is elevated from the sky to the ring via pedestal. He is covered by the white pyro and his regular music plays.
The Streak v. Mr. WrestleMania
The Undertaker v. Shawn Michaels
The bell sounds and they just stare at each other. They now jockey for position and Shawn gets the first shot in. Shawn gets Taker in the corner and he takes the early advantage. Taker assumes control, but Shawn continues to play the games. Thez Press connects, but Taker throws him off. Taker goes to work in the corner and he decks Shawn down. Taker beats into Shawn in the corner before we play role reversal. Pillar to Post and Shawn oversells as usual. Shawn gets dropped on his back. Military press slam connects by Taker and he drops the elbow for one. Taker works on the arm of Michaels and we go OLD SCHOOL! Shawn evades a corner charge and Taker pulls a hamstring. Atomic Drop connects and Shawn connects with a chop block. Enzugiri connects and Shawn looks for the Figure Four and he latches it on. Taker gets cold cocked for two, but the hold stays on. Taker punches away and he gets out of the move, but has the damage been done? Michaels dropkicks the legs and Shawn leaps into Taker’s grasp! Taker tees off on Shawn in the corner and he walks the pain off a bit. Corner to corner we go and Shawn gets squashed. He’s squashed again and he gets snake eyed! Big boot connects and the big leg drop found its mark for two. Taker sets up for the chokeslam, but Shawn counters to the CROSSFACE! Taker gets the rollup for two, but Michaels keeps the Crossface applied. Undertaker gets to his knees and HE PICKS SHAWN UP AND HITS THE SIDEWALK SLAM! He gets two and a half! He beats Shawn in the face and we go to the ropes. Kick to the face by Shawn and UNDERTAKER’S PISSED! Shawn doesn’t care as he takes the big man down! He kips up and he hits the atomic drop. Chops fly a bit and he takes Taker off his feet again. He takes to the air and he looks for the elbow. Taker rises up and he jumps into the Chokeslam. Shawn evades the chokeslam. Weak Sweet Chin Music to the gut and he looks for the submission…TAKER COUNTERS TO THE DEVIL’S GATE, but Shawn reaches for the ropes. The match spills out of the ring and Taker introduces Shawn to the steel steps. Taker goes to the apron and he drops the leg…BUT SHAWN MOVES AND TAKER LANDS ON HIS QUAD! Baseball slide knocks Taker down and goes back to the top rope. MOONSAULT ATTEMPT SWATTED AWAY BY TAKER! The referee checks on Shawn as Taker rolls inside the ring to rest up. The referee coaxes Shawn to stop the match, but Shawn is defiant. Taker looks for a plancha, but Shawn pulls the cameraman in the flight path and Taker KILLS HIM DEAD! Shawn, Taker, the cameraman, & the referee are down! Shawn rolls into the ring, then he rolls out of the ring to help the referee. Another referee comes out to check on Taker. Shawn pulls this ref into the ring and he asks him to count Taker out. Taker stirs at five, but drops back down. He’s at eight. Taker barely beats the count, much to Michaels chagrin! Shawn gets back to his feet and he readies for Sweet Chin Music. Taker gets up and he misses. CHOKESLAM CONNECTS BY TAKER! He gets the cover…SLOW TWO COUNT! He goes for the Tombstone, countered to a Sweet Chin Music attempt, countered to a Chokeslam attempt, COUNTERED TO SWEET CHIN MUSIC! Shawn puts an arm over Taker, but he gets TWO! THE MATCH IS NOT OVER! HE KIPS UP AGAIN! Taker was playing possum and he goes for the Last Ride, but he rolls through. Again, Last Ride attempt CONNECTS! THAT ONLY GETS TWO AGAIN! Taker is PISSED! He goes to the top rope. He goes for the elbow drop, but SHAWN MOVES! Both men are down again! Both men get up and Shawn gets tossed over the top. Shawn gets caught and gets DROPPED WITH THE TOMBSTONE! ONE! TWO! SHAWN FUCKING KICKS OUT! Shawn has taken all of Taker’s signature moves and has escaped being defeated! The straps come down and he is signaling for the end. Taker goes for a Tombstone again, but SHAWN GOES AROUND THE HORN AND DROPS TAKER WITH A DDT! AGAIN, BOTH MEN ARE DOWN! Shawn fights to get to the top rope. HE DROPS THE ELBOW ON TAKER’S DARK HEART! This has to be PURE EXTINCT! He gets ready for Sweet Chin Music. Taker pulls himself to his feet…IT HITS! He goes for the cover and TAKER KICKS OUT! THIS MATCH IS STILL GOING! FORGET THE REST OF THE YEAR, THIS MATCH IS GUARANTEED TO BE THE MATCH OF THE YEAR! Shawn and Taker get into a struggle and they get back up. Chop to Taker, punch to Michaels. THEY ARE BRAWLING IN THE RING! Big Boot to Michaels connects and Taker bought some time. Taker goes for Snake Eyes, but Shawn floats over and he chops away at the beet red chest of Taker. Taker charges to the corner and eats Shawn’s boot in the process. Shawn goes to the top and he goes for the Moonsault…but is caught for Tombstone for the three count! Taker is now 17-0!
Winner: The Undertaker in 31:00 (approximate)
Grade: A+
The WWE Draft will be in 8 days!
We get a recap of the Triple Threat World Championship feud between Edge, John Cena, & Big Show.
Chavo Guerrero rolls Vickie down the ramp. Edge & Big Show make their way to the ring and IT’S BASIC THUGONOMICS! An ARMY of John Cena’s make their way to the stage. The real one goes through the fake ones and he slides in the ring. Simply interesting.
World Heavyweight Championship
Edge v. Big Show v. John Cena
The bell rings and Cena goes all out. Big Show takes Edge out inadvertenly. Cena hits a bulldog on Edge and Show swats Cena away. Edge ang Big Show want a truce, but Big Show doesn’t care. Edge gets dropped on the jewels on the top rope. Corner to corner we go, but Cena picks Edge up. Big Boot by Big Show connects. Show steps on Cena and Edge rolls out of the ring. Vickie rolls around to view Edge. Cena tries to fight back, but Show is too strong. Show lands on his jewels on the top rope and Cena sends Show to the outside. Edge dropkicks the steps against Show’s leg and Cena drops the Fameasser on Big Show. Edge and Cena go in the ring and Edge is sealing the deal, so to speak. Cena goes for the AA, but Edge gets out of it and gets a DDT for two. Edge goes to the top and Cena beats him to the punch. Big Show goes back in the ring and hits a sidewalk slam for two. Cena hits the body shots for no effect. Off the ropes and CHAVO GETS INVOLVED. Attitude Adjustment to Chavo and Cena goes back to work. Big Show gets caught in the ropes and Cena takes it to Edge. Protobomb connects and he goes for the Five Knuckle Shuffle. Vickie gets involved, but Edge SPEARS VICKIE! Rollup gets two as Big Show looks on hopeless. The referee tries to free Big Show and is successful. Show runs through Cena and Edge and he has headbutts for both men. He squashes both men and he sends Edge to Cena and squishes both of them. Chokeslam attempt on both men…Cena gets out of it and Edge gets slammed. AA attempt on Show and Cena gets knocked the F out! Show goes for a proper chokeslam, but Edge counters with a DDT onto the steel padding. Edge moves the steps and he waits for Show to get up. Edge PLOWS INTO SHOW THROUGH THE BARRICADE! Edge is back up and he focuses on Cena. Back in the ring and he covers Cena for TWO! Edge readies for the spear, but Cena counters into the STF! Edge crawls towards the ropes, but Cena pulls him away. SHOW GETS BACK UP AND HE BREAKS THE HOLD. He throws Cena out of the ring and he goes for the bonzai drop. He MISSES! Cena is back inside and he goes for a suplex, but Edge helps him! They are shocked and they work together. Show gets knocked out of the ring and Edge kicks Cena for two. Cena hits the Throwback and he takes to the air. Big Show knocks Cena off into an Edge SPEAR! Edge covers, but Show pulls him off and he chops the chest. Headbutt to Edge and he gets sent to the corner. Edge evades and he jumps onto Show’s back with a sleeper hold locked in. Show tries to get out of it…Cena hits the AA ON SHOW! AA TO EDGE ON SHOW! CENA PINS SHOW!
Winner: John Cena in 14:32
Grade: B+
Fireworks explode as Cena celebrates.
WrestleMania XXVI will be in Phoenix next year!
Todd Grisham is out for the Hall of Fame segment. Stone Cold takes center stage for this. Austin comes out with the ATV and he circles the ring! He showers himself with beer as Jim Ross gets addicted to the Michael Cole Mannerism. Vintage Stone Cold! He even shares a beer with Jim Ross and steals the hat for a moment. The cooler gets tossed in and he drinks some more.
Backlash promo.
WrestleMania XXV is a sellout at 72,744 people!
Recap of the intense Triple H/Randy Orton feud.
Triple H walks towards the ring. He is stopped by Vince and Shane and they say nothing.
WWE Championship – If Trips gets DQ or Counted Out – He Loses the Title
Randy Orton v. Triple H
The bell rings and they stare at each other. Orton circles around slowly before Trips spears Randy to the mat. Trips gets the early advantage in the corner. The referee reminds Trips that he can lose the title on a DQ. This buys time for Randy to down Trips with the RKO! Randy goes for the CONCUSSION KICK, BUT HE MISSES! Trips scores the Pedigree and the match just reached the two minute mark. Trips takes the match out of the ring and he sends Orton into the announce table. Trips drowns himself with a bottle water, buying time. Back in the ring, Trips mounts Randy and beats a hole into him. Randy takes a powder, but Trips is close behind. He bashes Orton’s head off the ring post and we go back inside the ring. Orton begs off, but Trips doesn’t listen. Guillotine on Orton and Orton is in trouble! Trips forcuses on the neck (he did promise to break Orton’s neck!). Neckbreaker connects and I catch the reference before the commentators do. Orton reverses a whip and sends Trips into the steel steps! Orton sends Trips over the barricade and he is on a camerama’s cable. The referee checks on him and Randy asks for him to count. Trips makes it to the ring at seven and Orton continues the onslaught. Randy stomps on the gut and he drops the knee on Trips’ neck. Cover gets one and a half. Orton mounts Trips until the referee pulls him off. Headlock is applied, but Trips hits a back suplex to get out of it. SNAP POWERSLAM BY ORTON GETS TWO! Headlock is applied again. I might need to do a headlock count if this keeps up. Trips gets to his feet and the hold is broken. Orton tees off in the corner, but Trips comes back. Orton has an answer and he ends up on the receiving end of the high knee. The knee smash connects and Trips goes for the Pedigree. That gets countered to a catapult and Trips counters to a clothesline for two. Trips sends Orton to the top and Orton fights off. He drops Trips on his neck and he takes to the air. He drops onto Trips waiting leg. Jacknife cover counters a Pedigree for an Orton two count. Trips gets a rollup for two. Orton off the ropes…SPINEBUSTER! Pedigree attempt gets countered to the 3.0 Backbreaker! Cover gets TWO! Trips fights Orton off and he takes to the skies. Off the ropes…DROPKICK BY ORTON! Orton lines up for the kick again and TRIPS BLOCKS IT! TRIPS FLIPS ORTON OVER THE TOP ROPE! The match goes out of the ring again and Orton gets introduced to the Spanish Announce Table. He grabs a monitor and he gets warned about the DQ. He stops himself and he kicks Orton instead. Trips has Orton on the English announce table and he looks for a Pedigree. ORTON BACKDROPS TRIPS ON THE SPANISH ANNOUNCE TABLE! Orton does not want the countout win…or does he. ORTON DDT OFF THE ANNOUNCE TABLE! TRIPS IS DEAD! Orton is in the ring and the ref starts to count. Trips makes it in time at nine and a half. Orton stomps a hole into Trips and he has Trips at his mercy. To the corner we go and Orton beats into Trips some more. He chokes Trips in the corner and we are 20 minutes in. REF BUMP! RKO by Randy connects! Orton rolls out of the ring and he pulls out a sledgehammer. Trips was waiting….CONCUSSION KICK AS ORTON ENTERS THE RING! Trips has the sledgehammer! HE HITS ORTON WITH IT! He gets back up waiting for the referee to get back up. He beats the holy holy hell out of Orton and the referee is back up. Pedigree attempt connects! He covers and this is done.
Winner: Triple H in 23:00 (approximate)
Grade: B-
Show Over.
The WrestleMania XXV Report Card
CM Punk wins Money in the Bank: A+
Santino Marella is Miss WrestleMania: N/A
Chris Jericho d. Roddy Piper, Jimmy Snuka, & Ricky Steamboat: B
Matt Hardy d. Jeff Hardy: A-
Rey Mysterio d. JBL: N/A
The Undertaker d. Shawn Michaels: A+
John Cena d. Edge & Big Show: B+
Triple H d. Randy Orton: B-
The Final Grade for WWE WrestleMania XXV: B+/A-
The Inside Pulse
I’m probably the only one that has overrated some of the matches, especially the main event, but I’ll defend it somewhat. Money in the Bank was as usual a spotfest, but the fans were engaged in the match, which helped the score. Punk winning might have drained some of that, but it was a worthy performance. Steamboat still has it as Jericho was humbled in the handicap match. The Hardy brothers put on a spectactular performance. Again, it was a spotfest, but it worked for what the feud was all about. Matt needed the win and he got it. Rey v. JBL stunk, but I didn’t give it a F grade because I didn’t want to do much negativity unless it was warranted. Since the show ended close to 10PM CST, I’m willing to chalk that down to as something necessary. Undertaker v. Michaels is your 2009 Match of the year, regardless as to what happens this year. It will take an act of God to top that match.
Now we get to the World Title matches. Yes, both were rated higher than many would rate it. Again, both matches delivered in terms of continuing the storyline. Cena wins the World Title, which leaves Edge and Big Show to continue their fight for Vickie Guerrero. The 735 pound Attitude Adjustment attempt was remarkable, even if Edge slipped off to save being hurt. Trips v. Randy Orton…many will call it a glorified squash, but Randy took Triple H to the limit and for what Randy did to Trips, when Trips sealed the deal with the concussion kick, followed by the Pedigree…that was vengenance. That feud is far from over, but the stories continued.
Many will say that WrestleMania is supposed to be the end to the stories and the beginning to new ones, but when has the WWE ever followed that principle in the last few years. It’s almost granted that Michaels and Taker won’t have a rematch, but some of the other matches will see rematches for sure.
This concludes my coverage of WrestleMania XXV. Thank you for spending the last five hours with me tonight. I won’t be here Monday night, but you’re in good hands with Norine Stice, taking RAW by the storm. Enjoy your week and see you sometime this week!
