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I have a copy of WrestleMania XXVII on DVD thanks to our friends at www.wwedvd.com.au and I will be reviewing it for WrestlingSmarks.
WrestleMania XXVII DVD Review.
WrestleMania, the biggest PPV of the year and this year it is coming from the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. I didn’t see WrestleMania XXVII on PPV this year so this will be the first viewing for me, I have read the results so I do know what happens on the event but it will be interesting to see the event for myself.
The show opens with Atlanta native Keri Hilson singing the national anthem always gets the crowd going in the US and she does a great job. Then WWE gives us an SNL-style start to announce the guest host for tonight, The Rock. Ever since WWE announced that The Rock would be hosting this year’s WrestleMania it had me interested since he is one of the greatest of all time and it is so good seeing him back in WWE. The crowd reaction is great but unfortunately due to WWE hosting it in a giant stadium you can’t hear them that much which is a shame. The acoustics don’t work as well in large stadiums as it does in smaller 20k seat venues.
The Rock stalls for some time soaking in the chants from the crowd and then The Rock hits all, and I mean all, his signature lines. For me that opening segment featured too much stalling, he could have gotten through those same lines in close to half the time and it wasn’t as if they crowd was preventing him from continuing. I did like the ending when the entire crowd joined in with The Rock to hit the “If You Smell” line.
Video promo to highlight what is to come tonight and then we get some pyro. We then get a huge match first up with Edge defending his World Heavyweight Championship against Alberto Del Rio. Christian gets his own entrance as he is in Edge’s corner whilst Brodus Clay is in Del Rio’s corner. Odd set design by WWE where they lower a giant cube in the ring and show some of the entrance video on it.
World Heavyweight Championship – Edge © vs. Alberto Del Rio
Interesting match to start the show with. I hadn’t expected to see this until the second half of the show since this match involves the World Heavyweight Title and the Royal Rumble winner. I suppose it is a good way to get the crowd interested right away and get them pumped up for the PPV.
Knowing what we all know now about Edge it is odd watching this match as it is his final match. As I am watching the match I keep looking for signs that he is injured and every big bump he takes makes me wince a bit.
Some nice moves early in the match like when Del Rio misses the high kneeonto Edge and goes straight through the ropes to the outside. Then Edge hits a somersault out of the ring onto Del Rio. Edge goes to the top rope and Del Rio counters with an exquisite arm drag. Excellent sequence.
The moment where Del Rio first locks in the armbar was too short for me. I would have liked to see Del Rio lock it in for a bit longer so that they could build some suspense. Soon after that Edge was back to the top rope and Del Rio hit a great heel kick to take him down.
Next we get to see a bit of interaction with Christian and Clay at ringside with Clay hitting the fall away slamon Christian. Quick roll-up by Edge gets the crowd on their feet and then Edge hits the Edgecution. Crowd chanting Spear is awesome. Edge misses the spear and then Clay pulls Edge into the ring post. Del Rio locks in the arm lock and unfortunately Cole ruins it by saying that Del Rio has it won. Nice counter with Edge turning it into a modified Figure four. Crowd are excellent for this match. Edge hits the spear and gets the three count for the win.
Overall the crowd was brilliant throughout the match and helped make it that much better. Excellent opening match with some good spots. The finish was very good with lots of counters which built the suspense. Christian and Clay had some nice moments at ringside as well, I like that they didn’t take up too much time. I would have liked to see Christian celebrate with Edge when he left but anyway good opener and a good final match for Edge. Would have been much better if they were given another ten minutes but it was possibly due to Edge’s injury that they couldn’t go longer. Edge and Christian destroying Del Rio’s car was okay but it took up too much time again. I wish more of that time went towards the actual match.
Cole and Lawler’s constant interaction on commentary is distracting and wastes time. I would rather them build the rest of the card and promote the PPV.
Match number two is Cody Rhodes vs. Rey Mysterio. This is the biggest match of Rhodes career and could be the start of something special for him. This feud has taken him to another level as a singles wrestler. He has always had the mat wrestling skill but he didn’t show the charisma required. This gimmick changed has shown a new side of Rhodes and his intensity has been fantastic. Rey Mysterio looks hilarious as Captain America he looks like he has dressed up for Halloween.
Cody Rhodes vs. Rey Mysterio
Rhodes tries to work Mysterio’s knee right away building on the storyline that Rhodes damaged his knee in the weeks prior to WrestleMania. Rhodes hits the jumping knee off the second rope which is a great move. Rhodes pulls out the pinching nerve submission hold and works over Mysterio again. Rhodes continues to use his mask as a weapon. Delayed vertical suplex from the second rope is an awesome move and something that you rarely see in WWE these days. The crowd very quiet for the first half of this match. Rhodes catching Mysterio in the 619 attempt and then launching him into the ropes was a good spot.
Good story told in the match with Rhodes ripping off Mysterio's knee brace and then Rey getting rid of Rhodes mask and hitting him with the 619. Rey putting on the mask and using it as a weapon didn’t really get over with the crowd as much as it should have. Very quick finish to the match with Rhodes hitting Mysterio with the knee brace and then Cross Rhodes to get the pin.
Overall it was an alright match. There were some stuttering spots in the match and it didn’t flow as well as I thought it would. I also thought that it would be fought at a quicker pace. The crowd was very quiet as well which hurt the match.
Now we have Snoop Dogg backstage with Teddy Long auditioning wrestlers as support acts. Pointless segment but the best moment was Zack Ryder singing and fist bumping on WrestleMania and then Piper hitting him with a coconut. Another terrible segment and a waste of time this segment time should have been given to the matches.
The Corre (Wade Barrett, Justin Gabriel, Heath Slater and Ezekiel Jackson) vs. Kane, Big Show, Kofi Kingston and Santino Marella
I couldn’t help but laugh at Santino’s walk to the ring. A lot of good talent in this match and before the event I was really looking forward to the match. This match was just a mess with each wrestler coming into the ring and hitting a big move before being hit by the next wrestler. This was a nothing match and it was a shame since it could have been a fun match if given ten minutes. On a four hour show there is no reason to have a 90 second match. The entrances probably lasted as long as the match did.
One hour after his first appearance we get to see The Rock again this time talking to Eve, the Divas champion, backstage. We get a Mae Young appearance who wants the People’s Strudel. The Rock making some age jokes about Mae Young who certainly looks and sounds her age. Then we get Stone Cold and The Rock facing off. Huge crowd reaction and rightly so! Some tension between the two, we get a handshake and another great WrestleMania moment.
We get to see some history of the CM Punk and Randy Orton feud which began more than two years ago when Orton cost Punk the title. Good crowd reaction to Orton when he comes out.
CM Punk vs. Randy Orton
The talk from the commentators pre-match is all about whether Orton will be able to hit the punt due to the knee injury that he sustained at the hands of Punk two weeks before WM. Nice move by Punk to jump on the steel stairs when Orton irish whipped him into them, then Punk kicks them into Orton’s knee beginning a theme for the start of the match. Punk works the knee for some time mocking Orton as he does it. Punk works the crowd really well and is getting some great boos from the crowd. Punk goes for the GTS early but Orton is able to work out of it. Orton turns it into an RKO attempt but Punk then hits a high kick to the face for a two count. Nice sequence there from the two of them.
Punk continues to work on the knee inside and outside the ring. Orton starts to work out of it with head butts and then hits a great snap suplex. Orton is doing a good job selling the knee injury since he is limping throughout the match. Too often it happens when wrestlers forget to sell an injury throughout the entire match. Nice takedown from Punk to lead to the Anaconda Vice which we rarely see from Punk. I always like it when wrestlers bring out these moves on the big shows as it makes the matches more special. DDT by Orton with Punk on the ropesand then Orton sets up for the punt but Punk isn’t moving. Eventually Punk gets up but Orton’s knee gives out on him so he can’t hit the move. Finish was great with Orton hitting the RKO on a flying Punk.
Overall a good match that told a story. Orton sold the knee well throughout the match and it was consistent. Punk and Orton worked well together and it was good seeing them get a bit more time.
Another Rock sighting. This time he was backstage with Mean Gene Okerlund. More comedy from The Rock this time with Pee Wee Herman.
WWE HOF inductee time. I like the tradition of having all the WWE HOF inductees being introduced to the crowd the next night at WrestleMania. Good touch by WWE and it is a tradition that I hope continues for a long time. HBK’s music hitting brought back memories and it is incredible what he achieved throughout his career especially after that four year absence due to the back injury.
Booker T comes out to join Josh Matthews on commentary as the next match is Jerry Lawler vs. Michael Cole. JR also comes out to commentate and that was a great move by WWE to get him on the show calling some matches.
Michael Cole vs. Jerry Lawler
Jack Swagger is in Michael Cole’s corner for this match and Stone Cold Steve Austin is the guest referee. Stone Cold comes out on his quad bike and nearly runs over Swagger and then chases Cole with the bike. A lot of stalling ringside by Cole who hides in his ColeMine. Lawler enters the ColeMine and starts the match there. Swagger getting involved regularly on the outside whilst Cole distracts the referee. Not much to say about this match, Swagger inflicts some damage on the outside and then Cole hits a move or two in the middle of the ring.
Swagger tries to throw in the towel for Cole but Austin has none of it and Swagger eats a stunner. Lawler pins Cole but lifts his shoulder before the three count in order to continue the match. Cole is then put in the ankle lock and taps but Austin takes forever to ring for the bell. Lawler gets the win and Swagger carries Cole to the back. Booker T then joins Lawler and Austin in the ring to celebrate. Booker T hits the Spinarooniand then Austin hits him with a Stunner.
Five minutes after the match finishes the RAW GM sends an email saying that Stone Cold was a biased referee and therefore Lawler is disqualified and Michael Cole wins the match. Josh Matthews read the email and because of that Austin gives him a stunner. It was another long segment and I wish that more time was given to actual wrestling matches rather than a gimmick match involving a non-wrestler.
Lawler re-joins commentary and so we finish the show with Lawler and JR as commentators.
The big match is up next as The Streak is on the line; Undertaker vs. Triple H is the marquee match for this year’s WrestleMania. Legend vs. Legend and the build for this match was brilliant. Not a word was said in the initial confrontation and nothing had to be said. They didn’t have to touch each other before the big match either and that makes this match must see because you want to see them fight each other. Great video package shown before the match. Video packages are something WWE excels at and they haven’t disappointed here.
End of Disc One.
Start of Disc Two
Next up the streak is on the line. Triple H is out first with an elaborate entrance. Soldiers are guarding him and then they move out the way to reveal Triple H in a gas mask. Lights go out, Motorhead hits and Triple H is in his wrestling gear and we get a normal entrance from here on. Undertaker’s music hits and Undertaker appears at the top of the ramp and waits. Classic entrance from Undertaker, nothing special this year which is a bit surprising. Undertaker not looking in the best of shape, normally he is the fittest guy but he is carrying a bit of extra weight this year and even before the match looks like he has been through a war.
Undertaker vs. Triple H No Holds Barred
Nice move early to get them out of the ring, Undertaker throws Triple H to the corner but is so strong Triple H ends up going over the tope rope. ColeMine destroyed early when Triple H rams Undertaker into it. Good touch when right after that Triple H gets back in the ring and calls Undertaker back in there. Another awesome move early when they are both on the announce table, Undertaker went for the tombstone but that was reversed into a pedigree attempt but then that was reversed into a back body drop from the table to the floor for Triple H.
Then Undertaker flies again. One of the best big men moves ever and he always delivers with this move at the big PPVs and when you see this move you know that it is a big match. So many good moves in this match, Undertaker tries to charge Triple H into the announce table but Triple H reverses into a spinebuster throw the table. Great reversals in this match, Snake eyes occurred but before Undertaker could hit the clothesline Triple H hits another spinebuster. Some huge chair shots lead to a pedigree and a two count. Huge Last Ride ends in another two count.
Undertaker hits a tombstone piledriver but Triple H kicks out. Huge moment that Triple H kicked out of that this match has been incredible so far. Later on Triple H hits the pedigree and Undertaker kicks out. Third pedigree and Undertaker kicks out again. Great story being told in this match where Undertaker and Triple H throw every move they have at each other but can’t get the job done. Both guys stay down for some time and then we see the next big move. Huge amount of chair shots by Triple H on Undertaker’s back. Great line from JR, “Both these guys will be in the HOF, maybe we should induct that chair” Triple H yelling at Undertaker to stay down is great viewing. Shows that he won’t give up and adds to the character.
Undertaker goes for a chokeslam but Triple H easily gets out of it. Undertaker on wobbly legs now. Triple H moves in for the kill and hits a tombstone piledriver on Undertaker. Undertaker kicks out to a huge roar from the crowd. Triple H backing away scared is an awesome vision, adds so much to the moment. Sledgehammer time. Undertaker blocks it and locks in the gogoplatta. Triple H tries to fight out of it but fades and eventually has to tap. Both guys lay motionless on the ring after the match. Some pyro hits and a 19-0 graphic appears on the big screen. Undertaker still down. Odd post match moment where Undertaker can barely move and Triple H just watches on from the ramp. Undertaker leaving on stretcher just doesn’t seem right to me.
Six person intergender match is up next and we get Vickie Guerrero out first to introduce Dolph Ziggler.
Dolph Ziggler & LayCool vs. John Morrison, Trish Stratus & Snooki
Trish Stratus and Michelle McCool start the match and work a lot of the match. Trish gets a nice move off the apron onto LayCool. Snooki enters the ring to boos from the crowd. Does a handspring elbow, then a cartwheel splash and gets the pin. Ziggler and Morrison were paid for nothing. Another nothing match and nothing noteworthy occurred.
Time for the MAINEVENT!
Promo video on The Miz detailing his rise from reality star to WWE champion. WWE always do a fantastic job on video packages and they make the Miz look like a star. Miz comes out with Alex Riley and pushes through a giant inflatable AWESOME on the top of the ramp. John Cena gets an entire choir for his entrance. A prayer begins before the choir starts singing Cena’s entrance. John Cena’s music finally plays and he runs to the ring. Long entrance for Cena.
WWE Championship – The Miz © vs. John Cena
Slow start to this match. Both wrestlers trading holds and both get near falls early on in the match. Crowd almost silent. Cena locks in an STF but The Miz is able to make it to the ropes. Whilst the ref is looking at The Miz, Riley rams Cena’s head into the exposed turnbuckle. Cena is able to kick out. Ref is down and Cena hits the Attitude Adjustment but as the official is down there is no-one to count the pin. Riley back in the ring and hits Cena with the MITB briefcase. Ref is back and he starts to count but Miz only able to get a two count.
Miz goes for a shot with the MITB briefcase but he hits Riley. Cena hits the Attitude Adjustment but the Miz kicks out and the crowd is starting to get into this match. Good to see that The Miz was allowed to kick out of Cena’s finisher, makes him seem stronger and more of a threat. Match goes out of the ring and Cena takes Miz out over the top railing.
Match finishes in a double countout but WM can’t end on that note and The Rock comes out. Before The Rock can speak an email from the RAW GM arrives. The Rock goes to read the email but ignores the RAW GM and makes his own decisions. The Rock restarts the match.
John Cena and The Miz are back in the ring and The Rock hits John Cena with a Rock Bottom. The Miz then pins Cena to retain his title. The Rock then goes after The Miz, hits a spinebuster and then the Peoples elbow. The show ends with The Rock standing tall.
DVD ends with a video promo recapping the PPV.
Overall Thoughts
There was one amazing match on this PPV and a couple of other matches that were good but could have been great if given more time. There was simply too much stalling throughout the entire event and not enough time was given to the wrestling matches. Lawler vs. Cole was given way too much time for the match and the post-match shenanigans. The Snoop Dogg skit wasted too much time as well. Plus there was just too much time wasted on post-match celebrations and on promos.
Edge vs. Alberto Del Rio and CM Punk vs. Randy Orton were good solid matches but both deserved another 5-10 minutes which would have given them a chance to make them great matches. The eight-man tag should have been given at least five minutes as it was a joke only giving it one minute.
Triple H vs. The Undertaker was clearly the MOTN and if you haven’t seen that match you should go out of your way to see it. It isn’t worth the purchase price alone but it is pretty close.
I also thought that the PPV wasn’t laid out correctly. Too many of the better matches were in the first half of the show and once The Streak match happened I felt that I wanted the PPV to end. It was really long and I had to stop the DVD a couple of times, I couldn’t watch the four hours in one sitting because it just didn’t hold my attention.
Go out of your way to see The Undertaker vs. Triple H. Edge vs. Alberto Del Rio is a must watch match as it is Edge’s final match and it was a good WrestleMania match. CM Punk vs. Randy Orton is another match that you should watch and Rhodes vs. Mysterio is also worth a look although it isn’t as strong as the other three matches. Lawler vs. Cole, the eight man tag and the six person tag are all forgettable matches. The mainevent is only noteworthy because of The Rock’s involvement setting up a match at WM28 between The Rock and John Cena.
That’s it from me and I hope you enjoyed my first ever DVD review. Please feel free to leave any comments.
WrestleMania XXVII DVD Review.
WrestleMania, the biggest PPV of the year and this year it is coming from the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. I didn’t see WrestleMania XXVII on PPV this year so this will be the first viewing for me, I have read the results so I do know what happens on the event but it will be interesting to see the event for myself.
The show opens with Atlanta native Keri Hilson singing the national anthem always gets the crowd going in the US and she does a great job. Then WWE gives us an SNL-style start to announce the guest host for tonight, The Rock. Ever since WWE announced that The Rock would be hosting this year’s WrestleMania it had me interested since he is one of the greatest of all time and it is so good seeing him back in WWE. The crowd reaction is great but unfortunately due to WWE hosting it in a giant stadium you can’t hear them that much which is a shame. The acoustics don’t work as well in large stadiums as it does in smaller 20k seat venues.
The Rock stalls for some time soaking in the chants from the crowd and then The Rock hits all, and I mean all, his signature lines. For me that opening segment featured too much stalling, he could have gotten through those same lines in close to half the time and it wasn’t as if they crowd was preventing him from continuing. I did like the ending when the entire crowd joined in with The Rock to hit the “If You Smell” line.
Video promo to highlight what is to come tonight and then we get some pyro. We then get a huge match first up with Edge defending his World Heavyweight Championship against Alberto Del Rio. Christian gets his own entrance as he is in Edge’s corner whilst Brodus Clay is in Del Rio’s corner. Odd set design by WWE where they lower a giant cube in the ring and show some of the entrance video on it.
World Heavyweight Championship – Edge © vs. Alberto Del Rio
Interesting match to start the show with. I hadn’t expected to see this until the second half of the show since this match involves the World Heavyweight Title and the Royal Rumble winner. I suppose it is a good way to get the crowd interested right away and get them pumped up for the PPV.
Knowing what we all know now about Edge it is odd watching this match as it is his final match. As I am watching the match I keep looking for signs that he is injured and every big bump he takes makes me wince a bit.
Some nice moves early in the match like when Del Rio misses the high kneeonto Edge and goes straight through the ropes to the outside. Then Edge hits a somersault out of the ring onto Del Rio. Edge goes to the top rope and Del Rio counters with an exquisite arm drag. Excellent sequence.
The moment where Del Rio first locks in the armbar was too short for me. I would have liked to see Del Rio lock it in for a bit longer so that they could build some suspense. Soon after that Edge was back to the top rope and Del Rio hit a great heel kick to take him down.
Next we get to see a bit of interaction with Christian and Clay at ringside with Clay hitting the fall away slamon Christian. Quick roll-up by Edge gets the crowd on their feet and then Edge hits the Edgecution. Crowd chanting Spear is awesome. Edge misses the spear and then Clay pulls Edge into the ring post. Del Rio locks in the arm lock and unfortunately Cole ruins it by saying that Del Rio has it won. Nice counter with Edge turning it into a modified Figure four. Crowd are excellent for this match. Edge hits the spear and gets the three count for the win.
Overall the crowd was brilliant throughout the match and helped make it that much better. Excellent opening match with some good spots. The finish was very good with lots of counters which built the suspense. Christian and Clay had some nice moments at ringside as well, I like that they didn’t take up too much time. I would have liked to see Christian celebrate with Edge when he left but anyway good opener and a good final match for Edge. Would have been much better if they were given another ten minutes but it was possibly due to Edge’s injury that they couldn’t go longer. Edge and Christian destroying Del Rio’s car was okay but it took up too much time again. I wish more of that time went towards the actual match.
Cole and Lawler’s constant interaction on commentary is distracting and wastes time. I would rather them build the rest of the card and promote the PPV.
Match number two is Cody Rhodes vs. Rey Mysterio. This is the biggest match of Rhodes career and could be the start of something special for him. This feud has taken him to another level as a singles wrestler. He has always had the mat wrestling skill but he didn’t show the charisma required. This gimmick changed has shown a new side of Rhodes and his intensity has been fantastic. Rey Mysterio looks hilarious as Captain America he looks like he has dressed up for Halloween.
Cody Rhodes vs. Rey Mysterio
Rhodes tries to work Mysterio’s knee right away building on the storyline that Rhodes damaged his knee in the weeks prior to WrestleMania. Rhodes hits the jumping knee off the second rope which is a great move. Rhodes pulls out the pinching nerve submission hold and works over Mysterio again. Rhodes continues to use his mask as a weapon. Delayed vertical suplex from the second rope is an awesome move and something that you rarely see in WWE these days. The crowd very quiet for the first half of this match. Rhodes catching Mysterio in the 619 attempt and then launching him into the ropes was a good spot.
Good story told in the match with Rhodes ripping off Mysterio's knee brace and then Rey getting rid of Rhodes mask and hitting him with the 619. Rey putting on the mask and using it as a weapon didn’t really get over with the crowd as much as it should have. Very quick finish to the match with Rhodes hitting Mysterio with the knee brace and then Cross Rhodes to get the pin.
Overall it was an alright match. There were some stuttering spots in the match and it didn’t flow as well as I thought it would. I also thought that it would be fought at a quicker pace. The crowd was very quiet as well which hurt the match.
Now we have Snoop Dogg backstage with Teddy Long auditioning wrestlers as support acts. Pointless segment but the best moment was Zack Ryder singing and fist bumping on WrestleMania and then Piper hitting him with a coconut. Another terrible segment and a waste of time this segment time should have been given to the matches.
The Corre (Wade Barrett, Justin Gabriel, Heath Slater and Ezekiel Jackson) vs. Kane, Big Show, Kofi Kingston and Santino Marella
I couldn’t help but laugh at Santino’s walk to the ring. A lot of good talent in this match and before the event I was really looking forward to the match. This match was just a mess with each wrestler coming into the ring and hitting a big move before being hit by the next wrestler. This was a nothing match and it was a shame since it could have been a fun match if given ten minutes. On a four hour show there is no reason to have a 90 second match. The entrances probably lasted as long as the match did.
One hour after his first appearance we get to see The Rock again this time talking to Eve, the Divas champion, backstage. We get a Mae Young appearance who wants the People’s Strudel. The Rock making some age jokes about Mae Young who certainly looks and sounds her age. Then we get Stone Cold and The Rock facing off. Huge crowd reaction and rightly so! Some tension between the two, we get a handshake and another great WrestleMania moment.
We get to see some history of the CM Punk and Randy Orton feud which began more than two years ago when Orton cost Punk the title. Good crowd reaction to Orton when he comes out.
CM Punk vs. Randy Orton
The talk from the commentators pre-match is all about whether Orton will be able to hit the punt due to the knee injury that he sustained at the hands of Punk two weeks before WM. Nice move by Punk to jump on the steel stairs when Orton irish whipped him into them, then Punk kicks them into Orton’s knee beginning a theme for the start of the match. Punk works the knee for some time mocking Orton as he does it. Punk works the crowd really well and is getting some great boos from the crowd. Punk goes for the GTS early but Orton is able to work out of it. Orton turns it into an RKO attempt but Punk then hits a high kick to the face for a two count. Nice sequence there from the two of them.
Punk continues to work on the knee inside and outside the ring. Orton starts to work out of it with head butts and then hits a great snap suplex. Orton is doing a good job selling the knee injury since he is limping throughout the match. Too often it happens when wrestlers forget to sell an injury throughout the entire match. Nice takedown from Punk to lead to the Anaconda Vice which we rarely see from Punk. I always like it when wrestlers bring out these moves on the big shows as it makes the matches more special. DDT by Orton with Punk on the ropesand then Orton sets up for the punt but Punk isn’t moving. Eventually Punk gets up but Orton’s knee gives out on him so he can’t hit the move. Finish was great with Orton hitting the RKO on a flying Punk.
Overall a good match that told a story. Orton sold the knee well throughout the match and it was consistent. Punk and Orton worked well together and it was good seeing them get a bit more time.
Another Rock sighting. This time he was backstage with Mean Gene Okerlund. More comedy from The Rock this time with Pee Wee Herman.
WWE HOF inductee time. I like the tradition of having all the WWE HOF inductees being introduced to the crowd the next night at WrestleMania. Good touch by WWE and it is a tradition that I hope continues for a long time. HBK’s music hitting brought back memories and it is incredible what he achieved throughout his career especially after that four year absence due to the back injury.
Booker T comes out to join Josh Matthews on commentary as the next match is Jerry Lawler vs. Michael Cole. JR also comes out to commentate and that was a great move by WWE to get him on the show calling some matches.
Michael Cole vs. Jerry Lawler
Jack Swagger is in Michael Cole’s corner for this match and Stone Cold Steve Austin is the guest referee. Stone Cold comes out on his quad bike and nearly runs over Swagger and then chases Cole with the bike. A lot of stalling ringside by Cole who hides in his ColeMine. Lawler enters the ColeMine and starts the match there. Swagger getting involved regularly on the outside whilst Cole distracts the referee. Not much to say about this match, Swagger inflicts some damage on the outside and then Cole hits a move or two in the middle of the ring.
Swagger tries to throw in the towel for Cole but Austin has none of it and Swagger eats a stunner. Lawler pins Cole but lifts his shoulder before the three count in order to continue the match. Cole is then put in the ankle lock and taps but Austin takes forever to ring for the bell. Lawler gets the win and Swagger carries Cole to the back. Booker T then joins Lawler and Austin in the ring to celebrate. Booker T hits the Spinarooniand then Austin hits him with a Stunner.
Five minutes after the match finishes the RAW GM sends an email saying that Stone Cold was a biased referee and therefore Lawler is disqualified and Michael Cole wins the match. Josh Matthews read the email and because of that Austin gives him a stunner. It was another long segment and I wish that more time was given to actual wrestling matches rather than a gimmick match involving a non-wrestler.
Lawler re-joins commentary and so we finish the show with Lawler and JR as commentators.
The big match is up next as The Streak is on the line; Undertaker vs. Triple H is the marquee match for this year’s WrestleMania. Legend vs. Legend and the build for this match was brilliant. Not a word was said in the initial confrontation and nothing had to be said. They didn’t have to touch each other before the big match either and that makes this match must see because you want to see them fight each other. Great video package shown before the match. Video packages are something WWE excels at and they haven’t disappointed here.
End of Disc One.
Start of Disc Two
Next up the streak is on the line. Triple H is out first with an elaborate entrance. Soldiers are guarding him and then they move out the way to reveal Triple H in a gas mask. Lights go out, Motorhead hits and Triple H is in his wrestling gear and we get a normal entrance from here on. Undertaker’s music hits and Undertaker appears at the top of the ramp and waits. Classic entrance from Undertaker, nothing special this year which is a bit surprising. Undertaker not looking in the best of shape, normally he is the fittest guy but he is carrying a bit of extra weight this year and even before the match looks like he has been through a war.
Undertaker vs. Triple H No Holds Barred
Nice move early to get them out of the ring, Undertaker throws Triple H to the corner but is so strong Triple H ends up going over the tope rope. ColeMine destroyed early when Triple H rams Undertaker into it. Good touch when right after that Triple H gets back in the ring and calls Undertaker back in there. Another awesome move early when they are both on the announce table, Undertaker went for the tombstone but that was reversed into a pedigree attempt but then that was reversed into a back body drop from the table to the floor for Triple H.
Then Undertaker flies again. One of the best big men moves ever and he always delivers with this move at the big PPVs and when you see this move you know that it is a big match. So many good moves in this match, Undertaker tries to charge Triple H into the announce table but Triple H reverses into a spinebuster throw the table. Great reversals in this match, Snake eyes occurred but before Undertaker could hit the clothesline Triple H hits another spinebuster. Some huge chair shots lead to a pedigree and a two count. Huge Last Ride ends in another two count.
Undertaker hits a tombstone piledriver but Triple H kicks out. Huge moment that Triple H kicked out of that this match has been incredible so far. Later on Triple H hits the pedigree and Undertaker kicks out. Third pedigree and Undertaker kicks out again. Great story being told in this match where Undertaker and Triple H throw every move they have at each other but can’t get the job done. Both guys stay down for some time and then we see the next big move. Huge amount of chair shots by Triple H on Undertaker’s back. Great line from JR, “Both these guys will be in the HOF, maybe we should induct that chair” Triple H yelling at Undertaker to stay down is great viewing. Shows that he won’t give up and adds to the character.
Undertaker goes for a chokeslam but Triple H easily gets out of it. Undertaker on wobbly legs now. Triple H moves in for the kill and hits a tombstone piledriver on Undertaker. Undertaker kicks out to a huge roar from the crowd. Triple H backing away scared is an awesome vision, adds so much to the moment. Sledgehammer time. Undertaker blocks it and locks in the gogoplatta. Triple H tries to fight out of it but fades and eventually has to tap. Both guys lay motionless on the ring after the match. Some pyro hits and a 19-0 graphic appears on the big screen. Undertaker still down. Odd post match moment where Undertaker can barely move and Triple H just watches on from the ramp. Undertaker leaving on stretcher just doesn’t seem right to me.
Six person intergender match is up next and we get Vickie Guerrero out first to introduce Dolph Ziggler.
Dolph Ziggler & LayCool vs. John Morrison, Trish Stratus & Snooki
Trish Stratus and Michelle McCool start the match and work a lot of the match. Trish gets a nice move off the apron onto LayCool. Snooki enters the ring to boos from the crowd. Does a handspring elbow, then a cartwheel splash and gets the pin. Ziggler and Morrison were paid for nothing. Another nothing match and nothing noteworthy occurred.
Time for the MAINEVENT!
Promo video on The Miz detailing his rise from reality star to WWE champion. WWE always do a fantastic job on video packages and they make the Miz look like a star. Miz comes out with Alex Riley and pushes through a giant inflatable AWESOME on the top of the ramp. John Cena gets an entire choir for his entrance. A prayer begins before the choir starts singing Cena’s entrance. John Cena’s music finally plays and he runs to the ring. Long entrance for Cena.
WWE Championship – The Miz © vs. John Cena
Slow start to this match. Both wrestlers trading holds and both get near falls early on in the match. Crowd almost silent. Cena locks in an STF but The Miz is able to make it to the ropes. Whilst the ref is looking at The Miz, Riley rams Cena’s head into the exposed turnbuckle. Cena is able to kick out. Ref is down and Cena hits the Attitude Adjustment but as the official is down there is no-one to count the pin. Riley back in the ring and hits Cena with the MITB briefcase. Ref is back and he starts to count but Miz only able to get a two count.
Miz goes for a shot with the MITB briefcase but he hits Riley. Cena hits the Attitude Adjustment but the Miz kicks out and the crowd is starting to get into this match. Good to see that The Miz was allowed to kick out of Cena’s finisher, makes him seem stronger and more of a threat. Match goes out of the ring and Cena takes Miz out over the top railing.
Match finishes in a double countout but WM can’t end on that note and The Rock comes out. Before The Rock can speak an email from the RAW GM arrives. The Rock goes to read the email but ignores the RAW GM and makes his own decisions. The Rock restarts the match.
John Cena and The Miz are back in the ring and The Rock hits John Cena with a Rock Bottom. The Miz then pins Cena to retain his title. The Rock then goes after The Miz, hits a spinebuster and then the Peoples elbow. The show ends with The Rock standing tall.
DVD ends with a video promo recapping the PPV.
Overall Thoughts
There was one amazing match on this PPV and a couple of other matches that were good but could have been great if given more time. There was simply too much stalling throughout the entire event and not enough time was given to the wrestling matches. Lawler vs. Cole was given way too much time for the match and the post-match shenanigans. The Snoop Dogg skit wasted too much time as well. Plus there was just too much time wasted on post-match celebrations and on promos.
Edge vs. Alberto Del Rio and CM Punk vs. Randy Orton were good solid matches but both deserved another 5-10 minutes which would have given them a chance to make them great matches. The eight-man tag should have been given at least five minutes as it was a joke only giving it one minute.
Triple H vs. The Undertaker was clearly the MOTN and if you haven’t seen that match you should go out of your way to see it. It isn’t worth the purchase price alone but it is pretty close.
I also thought that the PPV wasn’t laid out correctly. Too many of the better matches were in the first half of the show and once The Streak match happened I felt that I wanted the PPV to end. It was really long and I had to stop the DVD a couple of times, I couldn’t watch the four hours in one sitting because it just didn’t hold my attention.
Go out of your way to see The Undertaker vs. Triple H. Edge vs. Alberto Del Rio is a must watch match as it is Edge’s final match and it was a good WrestleMania match. CM Punk vs. Randy Orton is another match that you should watch and Rhodes vs. Mysterio is also worth a look although it isn’t as strong as the other three matches. Lawler vs. Cole, the eight man tag and the six person tag are all forgettable matches. The mainevent is only noteworthy because of The Rock’s involvement setting up a match at WM28 between The Rock and John Cena.
That’s it from me and I hope you enjoyed my first ever DVD review. Please feel free to leave any comments.
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