WWE WrestleMania 24
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Movie Reviews of WWE WrestleMania 24
Movie Review: True Wrestlemania moments
Summary: 5 Stars
This is Wrestlemania 24. I almost didn't order it live because last year wasn't great and I didn't think it would be worthwhile.
My god, am I glad I did not miss it!
First of all, the open air style gave the show a certain quality and largesse I was only used to when watching old tapes of WM 3, for instance.
The opener was a Belfast Brawl between Finlay and JBL. I don't know if these two had a story together, at least it wouldn't be my favourite pairing. And "Belfast Brawl" is just another term for "Hardcore Match", which itself is just another term for "ECW Light". But anyway, as an opener it had enough punch to shake the audience a bit. Boring finale, though.
After a short interview with Mr. Kennedy, who announced he's going to be the first-ever WWE star to win two consecutive MITB Ladder Matches in a row, which is not THAT much of an achievement anyway, the seven contestants for the suitcase entered - MVP, John Morrison, CM Punk, Mr. Kennedy, Carlito, Chris Jericho and Shelton Benjamin.
Is it just me, or do always the same guys compete every year? You could almost think Vince McMahon wants to say "Well, these guys could theoretically become World Champions, but unfortunately they suck quite badly."
When Jericho came out, I though this was a farce, of course he's going to win! Guess what? He didn't. After the usual back and forth, and also some quite cool new moves with the ladders, Jericho gets trapped in the ladder and CM Punk grabs the suitcase.
I foresee doom ...
I also expected doom in the ECW Title match between Chavo Guerrero and Kane, who won the Battle Royal earlier on. Fortunately, WWE decided to spare the audience some stiff wrestling and ended the match in circa ten seconds. Kane suddenly appeared in the ring, chokeslammed Chavo and won the belt.
I don't even care anymore what the hell they do to ECW, seems to me like it has become a home for stranded superstars.
Next on the card was Batista Vs. Umaga. I have absolutely zero idea why Umaga was still pushed as the big bad monster before this match, the guy has lost weight and is now more than slightly inferior to Batista, as far as the body constitution is concerned; the wrestling skills of both men on the other hand are equally meager.
And I didn't get the storyline behind it, since I don't watch the weekly shows. Apparently some branding rights were on the line, and for a split second I felt transported back in time, into the days when the RAW Vs. Smackdown angle was on its death bed.
The match was exactly like would have expected. Just under ten minutes, power wrestling, and a victory for Batista.
A promo was played for the Carreer-ending match between Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels, followed by the actual match.
Was I the only one? Was I the only one who cried afterwards? I can't have been the only small boy in front of a television screen, watching the first ever match between Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair back in 1993. I can't have been the only boy who was glued to the TV late at night, much to the distress of my parents, watching Ric Flair style 'n profile. Back in the days when everything was real, when everything was grand, fascinating and enticing.
Even in WCW's darkest hour, Ric Flair transcended the whole misery, gracing every match he was in.
Surely I wasn't the only one who felt that!
The match itself was irrelevant, it was wrestling like we love it, with intensity, tension and above all passion; what really matters, and what grabbed me and the audience by the heart was the ending. Before super-kicking Flair to the final pinfall, Shawn looked into his face and repeatedly said "I'm sorry". Even before Charles Robinson (of course he would officiate Ric Flair's last match!) started the count, you could see that Flair broke character and started to break out in tears. Immediately after the three-count, Michaels moved close to his face and told him something we will probably never know.
As Flair moved around the ring crying, thanking the audience, kissing his children, who also wept, the crowd applauded and I could not hold myself back.
And thus, the era Flair was ended.
Even now, in his declining years, Flair was able not only to overshadow the grandest stage of them all, but also to create the first true, historic Wrestlemania moment since many, many, many years!
Having been introduced into the Hall Of Fame the night before, the moment to end the carreer couldn't be more perfect.
Thank you, Ric, from the bottom of my heart! For your passion, your skills - you will never be forgotten!
There was no way anything could come even close to this experience, so WWE put the "Bunnymania Lumberjill" Tagteam Match on the card next.
The divas came out, accompanied by Snoop Dogg, so you knew what to expect, and I will not comment any further.
WWE just needs to realise that if someone wants girls to jiggle around with funny moves in sexy dresses, you'll be better advised to rent a softcore porno.
I was a wee bit surprised that the Three-Way Match for the WWE Championship was not the main event.
John Cena's theme song was performed live by some local capella, I assume, and it was so crippled that I didn't even recognise it at first. Apparently, neither did the audience, which is a shame because I love the sudden burst of Boos when the first strains play.
Triple H and Randy Orton were somehow underdogs in my mind, I really expected Cena to win yet again. The match was as good as a WWE Triple Threat currently gets, it was very good, actually. You could have wished for a better build-up to the finale, but apart from this little dent, it was a four star matchup; also because Cena actually didn't win.
Big Show Vs. Floyd Mayweather was in my eyes a positive surprise. It was entertaining, funny, tight and believable. Ironically, Mayweather has more charisma than many musclemachines that pass off as superstars in WWE today.
Now the main event. Purely on paper, Undertaker Vs. Edge doesn't sound very promising. And in the first third of the match, you had every right to fear the worst, since it meandered along quite slowly. Fortunately, things picked up pretty soon and it became a very good match. Whether it was worthy of a WM main event, that's a debatable point, but it was leagues better than 90% of WWE's PPV main events last year.
Since Taker was injured shortly after he won the title at WM 23, he had every right to reclaim the title tonight, and so he did.
The event closed with a stunning firework over, outside and in the bowl. The reason I give this event five stars is not because of the matches, also not because of the title matches, but simply because Ric Flair's ended carreer alone justifies the existence of the WM. It will be remembered; it had a fantastic atmosphere; the matches ranked from okay to very good; and Ric Flair finally and truly acquired immortality, which will make this event legendary.
Movie Review: My First PPV, and it was Awesome
Summary: 5 Stars
So, first off. This was my first WrestleMania and PPV I saw as it aired and it was an awesome experience. This event made me realize that professional wrestling is much better when you have no idea of what will happen. Now, as with all reviews, this is just the viewpoint of a wrestling fan, so it's all just my opinion. So, with that said, let's review the event.
Dark Match: Kane won a 24 man battle royal to win the #1 contender spot to the ECW Championship later in the night.
So, this is a DVD extra and it really is just a basic battle royal. Although, I've personally always been a sucker for battle royals and it was enjoyable. As a big Kane mark, I was really excited when I found out Kane won.
6/10
1. JBL defeated Finlay
The story behind this match was that Hornswoggle was revealed as Mr. McMahon's illegitimate son. However, Vince abused Hornswoggle, enlisting JBL to attack him in a cage. Finlay then came to Hornswoggle's protection.
This match was a Belfast Brawl, and while people tend to not like it as much. I personally enjoyed it for what it was. I thought it was a solid opener and a fun brawl filled with weapon spots including the frequent use of the trash can. My favorite spot of the match was JBL throwing a trash can at Hornswoggle (God, I can't stand him) outside of the ring. JBL wins a 9 minute Belfast Brawl with a clothesline from hell
8/10
2. CM Punk defeated Mr. Kennedy, Chris Jericho, MVP, Carlito, John Morrison, and Shelton Benjamin in a 7 Man Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Besides the first Money in the Bank, this is my favorite Money in the Bank match to date. I was sure that Chris Jericho would win this match, but I was delighted by the nice surprise. The match itself features many awesome and unique spots with the ladders, including John Morrison's back flip off with one off the turnbuckle, Matt Hardy interfering and hitting MVP with a twist of fate off the ladder, Shelton Benjamin's superplex and powerbomb combo, and my personal favorite, the ladder V that was created. The ending was incredibly well done as CM Punk had Jericho in a tree of woe on the ladder as he unhooked the briefcase in 14 minutes.
9/10
3. Batista defeated Umaga
As I watched this, I remember really disliking it. However, as I rewatched it again on DVD, I found out this is a pretty decent match. The back story for this is basically a battle for brand supremacy and that's about it. This is a pretty good big man match. There isn't a whole lot memorable about it, though other than a really crappy looking Batista bomb at the end for the victory at the 7 minute mark.
7/10
4. Kane defeated Chavo Guerrero for to win the ECW Championship
There is really not a whole lot to say about this other than it was a disappointment. If they were given more than eight seconds, I'm sure they could have gotten a good match out of it, as proven by their Backlash match a month later. It was awesome seeing Kane win a championship, though. Other than that, it's an eight second match that ends with a chokeslam.
DUD
5. Shawn Michaels defeated Ric Flair in a Career Threatening Match
The storyline to this was a good six months of buildup. Vince McMahon gave Ric Flair an ultimatum that the next match he would lose, his career is over. This match was one for the ages as Shawn Michaels steals the show like he always does at WrestleMania and Ric Flair puts on one last amazing match before he retires. The match was filled with pure emotion, including Shawn Michaels doing a sick springboard moonsault across the announce table and the final superkick, ending Ric Flair's thirty plus year career at around 20 minutes. The most dramatic match of the night by far, which followed up by an equally emotional farewell for Ric Flair the next night on Raw.
10/10
6. Beth Phoenix and Melina defeated Maria and Ashley in a Lumberjill Match
Funny how the talented divas are on the heel team as the face team was two divas that received short Playboy pushes. The match was your basic uneventful diva tag team match. The right team won as Beth hit the glam slam on Maria. After the match, Maria got a kiss from Snoop Dogg.
3/10
7. Randy Orton defeated Triple H and John Cena to retain the WWE Championship
I really enjoyed this match as it felt like a main event of WrestleMania should, although I was really surprised that this wasn't the main event. I much prefer their match at Night of Champions 2009, as this match was too short and ended as I was really getting into it. Some really cool parts of this match were Orton's double DDT on Triple H and Cena, the tower crossbody, and the ending which saw Triple H hit the pedigree on Cena, only for Orton to punt Triple H and pin Cena for what I thought was a surprise ending at 15 minutes.
9/10
8. Floyd Mayweather defeated Big Show in a No DQ match
Now, this match was probably the very best celebrity involvement I have ever seen in professional wrestling. Mayweather and Big Show put on a very entertaining 12 minute match as Big Show nearly has Mayweather beat numerous times, but Mayweather gets the knockout with the brass knuckle use.
8.5/10
9. The Undertaker defeated Edge to win the World Heavyweight Championship
This match is my favorite WrestleMania main event ever. This match just told an amazing story as it started out slow, but progressively picked the pace up. Edge countered many of Undertaker's signature moves until Undertaker hit a tombstone, but the ref was out. By the way, Charles Robinson running down the ramp was a funny sight. Edge hit a second spear on Undertaker, but Undertaker countered into Hell's Gate, causing Edge to tap out at the 24 minute mark. That moment in time, I really rethought the obvious result. This was one hell of a match and I'm glad to have witnessed it as it progressed.
10/10
The Hall of Fame class of 2008 was also a good one and it was a very good induction ceremony featured as a bonus on the DVD.
-Ric Flair inducted by Triple H
-The Briscos inducted by JBL
-Rocky Johnson inducted by The Rock
-Peter Maivia inducted by The Rock
-Gordon Solie inducted by Jim Ross
-Mae Young inducted by Pat Patterson
-Eddie Graham inducted by Dusty Rhodes
Overall, this was one awesome event that was filled with some incredible moments and amazing matches, including Edge vs. The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair. This event was one week before my 18th birthday, so it was a great feeling to watch it.
Movie Review: WrestleMania XXIV Hits The Citrus Bowl
Summary: 5 Stars
For the first time in a long time, WWE got it right & delivered an event that was worthy of being called their biggest event of the year as this event really had so much to offer. In fact, I thought this event was better than the last couple WrestleManias including the previous year's card.
Belfast Brawl: J.B.L. vs Finlay. Thank god that I didn't pay any attention to the storyline that started this feud because I would not have cared for it otherwise. Besides that, this was a good opener as this was really just a fancy way of saying that this was a hardcore match as both men brawled & used weapons like trash cans, kendo sticks, steel steps, a table & even Hornswoggle getting involved in the action as this was perhaps J.B.L.'s best match since returning.
Money In The Bank Ladder Match: Chris Jericho vs CM Punk vs John Morrison vs Shelton Benjamin vs Carlito vs Mr. Kennedy vs M.V.P.. This was the best one that they have done since the original MIB match as there were just so many spots to mention here along with new ones that we have never seen before. Moments include Shelton's athleticism along with taking a sick fall through a ladder, Morrison doing a moonsault to everyone with the ladder in his hand, Carlito delivering the "Backstabber" to Jericho off the ladder, the sunset flip/suplex sequence off the ladder involving Benjamin, Carlito & Kennedy, & Jericho applying "The Walls" to Morrison on top of the ladder. Awesome match to watch from start to finish.
Battle for Brand Supremacy: Batista vs Umaga. This was a RAW vs SmackDown interpromotional match but this was really just a decent match at best as Umaga mostly dominated this entire match & even go the crowd on his side before Batista did his usual Hogan/Warrior routine in order to win the match in the end.
ECW Champion Chavo Guerrero vs Kane. First of all, I just want to say that I don't care about what they do to ECW because the old ECW is long dead. Anyways, that statement was longer than this match as it ended in ten seconds with Kane winning the title.
Career Threatening Match: Ric Flair vs Shawn Michaels. The stipulation here was that if Flair loses this match, he must retire. This was one of the highlights of this event as this was just an emotional, techincal wrestling match as you can literally see the emotion from both men whether they were trading submission holds or even engaging in their battles of chops to the point where HBK wanted to taunt Flair but out of respect decided not to. The crowd was heavily into this one but it all ended for the Nature Boy after HBK, who was conflicted, decided to the end the whole thing with the third sweet chin music leaving barely a dry eye in the audience as Flair's career was over but not before getting a tremendous ovation on his way out.
Playboy Bunnymania Lumberjack Match: Melina & Beth Phoenix vs Maria & Ashley. Snoop Dogg was the master of ceremonies but this was a much better match than it looked on paper considering the history of these matches really stinking up the joint when it happened at WrestleMania. Although I am sure this match would have been better with the original Candice Michelle being in this match but again, it was better & watchable than I thought it would. However, the highlight for me was seeing Snoop Dogg deliver a great clothesline to Santino which I thought was funny.
WWE Champion Randy Orton vs Triple H vs John Cena. For the third year in a row, Cena had a unique entrance with the marching band & while I was not too big on it, I'll give credit for him doing something new. Anyways, this was a good triple threat as it was non-stop action with all three men facing off with one another at one point in time with one moment to look out for would be Triple H using the crippler crossface to Cena. But the real highlight here was the ending was done so well that it shocked everyone in attendance as it was also the person that nobody expected to win...and I mean that in a good way.
The Biggest vs The Best: The Big Show vs Floyd Mayweather. This was a shoot fight where you can only win by pinfall, submission or knockout while the match was changed to a No Disqualification match which really made this a very entertaining match. If you didn't pay a attention to the angle, you would have thought that Big Show was the fan favorite as the crowd supported him & booed Mayweather. In fact, they enjoyed him beating up Floyd which I have to admit that liked as well before Mayweather's people got involved in the match that lead to Floyd winning the match using a steel chair & a brassknockled right hand.
World Champion Edge vs The Undertaker. Even though Flair/HBK may be the match that most fans consider the match of the night, I would go with this one as I thought this was the better quality encounter out of the two. This match started slow but it picked up & got better as time went on that resulted in a great wrestling match between these two as they went back & forth with Edge targeting Taker's back to the point where Edge was able to counter most of Taker's signature moves in so many ways that it looked so impressive that you thought he was going to win at times. Undertaker never fails to deliver a great performance in main event situations as he delivered just like he did last year & was able to overcome the odds (including Edge's sidekicks) with the gogoplata submission hold to win his 6th World Championship & his 16th WM victory.
DVD extras include the battle royal that was played before the event to determine the #1 contender for the ECW Championship which was won by Kane with some entertaining moments including the way that Jamie Noble got back into the ring. The other extra is the entire Hall of Fame ceremony with inductions of Ric Flair, Mae Young, Rocky Johnson, High Chief Peter Maivia & others but the real highlight was seeing the return of The Rock to induct his father & grandfather but also making a few jokes to some of the WWE roster which was really some hilarious stuff worth checking out.
Overall, this was the best WrestleMania that I have seen in years as not only you got two great extras here but the event itself is a quality card that any fan would enjoy.
Movie Review: A WrestleMania Keeper!
Summary: 5 Stars
UPDATE 2/10/09:
I recently ordered the Blu-Ray version of this card and let me say as great as it looked on regular DVD, it is BEAUTIFUL on Blu-Ray! If you have a Blu-Ray player or a machine that can play Blu-Ray discs, then its worth it plus its more convenient as you have one disc for the card and one for the Hall Of Fame show!
The review below was mainly on the original 3 disc set:
For me, when I bought this set (which also came with the McMahon DVD as well that came out two years ago), I bought it mainly for Michaels Vs. Flair but I've looked at the whole card and here is my opinion:
JBL Vs. Finlay (Belfast Brawl) - Kind of a weak opener considering that both men are very good brawling wrestlers! JBL comes out on top in this one.
Chris Jericho Vs. Shelton Benjammin Vs. John Morrison Vs. Carlito Vs. MVP Vs. C.M. Punk Vs. Mr. Kennedy (Money In The Bank Ladder Match) - Too many high spots to call but I will say this, a couple of them had me cringing in pain, particularly Shelton's fall on the ladder and Morrison's fall on his b*lls from the near top of the ladder onto the top rope! To Morrison, I have one word for you: ICE and plenty of it!
We also see a surprise appearance from Matt Hardy as he prevents MVP from winning the match with a "Twist Of Fate" from the ladder. Ends when C.M. Punk ties up Chris Jericho's legs on the ladder and claims the briefcase for himself.
Batista Vs. Umaga (Smackdown Vs. RAW) - Not a great match BUT I've seen a lot worse too. Worth a look or two. Ends when Batista gets in his "Batista Bomb" on Umaga, which he nearly botches but manages to correct it in mid-drop to keep Umaga from falling on his head or worse!
Chavo Guerrero Vs. Kane (ECW Championsip Match) - Two words: 12 seconds!
Shawn Michaels Vs. Ric Flair (Career Threatening Match) - The main reason I purchased this set. Even knowing what was going to happen and what did happen afterwards, I found myself nearly in tears again just like the night they held the in-ring tribute on RAW the next night!
As for the match, I wouldn't rate it a 10 BUT it was no lower than an 8. Had this had been Michaels Vs. Ric Flair of the 1980's, then this would've been a 10 without question! As it was, its even more impressive that Flair (at around 60) could still put on a good match. No real words I can write will give this match justice. All I can say is see it and if you are really the sensative type, break out the tissues! It's that emotional!
Maria & Ashley Vs. Melina & Beth Phoenix (Playboy Bunny Lumberjack Match) - Not really worth watching except for the end when Snoop Doggy Dog did a surprisingly good clothsline on Santino Marrello as he was taunting Maria after the match! Even more surprising was seeing Snoop make out with Maria! Hope Snoop cleared that with his wife first! LOL!
John Cena Vs. Randy Orton Vs. HHH (WWE Title Match) - Got to admit, as a former band geek myself from my high school days, I found myself watching Cena's unique entrance in this match. Nice to see.
As for the match, it was good but not great. It was mainly finishers in this match. The surprise of the bout (for me) was seeing HHH break up Cena's STFU on Orton with....THE FREAKIN' CROSSFACE! The fans actually cheered on this one! I, myself, was thinking "He lost the World title to that hold back in 2004! Wouldn't this be irony if he won the WWE title with the same hold!" Of course, that didn't happen as Triple H hit his Pedigree move on Cena only to have Orton steal the pin after his punt kick to the head of "The Game."
So, as of this WrestleMania, Triple H is still winless since 2004. John Cena has lost his first WM since 2004 and Randy Orton has WON his first WM since 2004! Talk about irony!
The Big Show Vs. Floyd Mayweather - More entertaining than expected. I actually enjoyed this match. Even though he lost at the end, I loved seeing TBS beat the hell out of Floyd and his crew! Ends when Mayweather kicks TBS in his "manhood" and uses some brass knuckles to knock him out!
The Undertaker Vs. Edge (World Heavyweight Title Match) - This was Edge's first main event and let me say he showed he belonged there. I love The Undertaker BUT I have to give credit where its due....EDGE KICKED HIS A**! Sorry but its true though I am glad to see UT could pull it out at the end! Ends when UT catches Edge in his gogoplata chokehold for the submission after a lengthy bout dominated mostly by "The Rated R Superstar." Great way to end WM.
This set also has the Hall Of Fame ceremony. I haven't watch that yet but I'll come back and update my review once I've looked at it. Great purchase!
Movie Review: Wrestlemania outdoors once again!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
Today's wrestlemania was not the best one but was a preety exciting,emotional, and sight seeing.
Belfast Brawl
JBL vs Finlay
Hornswaggle came back with Finlay. Those two put on a very good brawl. They used a table, trash can lids, steel step, and the sheligh. The both of them took some hard shots with the trash ncan lids. Very good opener but I wished Mr. Mcmahon was there because it really didn't fell reight without him. But good. Overall 8.5/10
Money in the Bank Ladder match
Shelton Benjamin, Chris Jericho, MVP, CM Punk, Carlito, John Morrison, and Mr. Kennedy Kennedy!!!
This was not the best Money in the bank match but it was still okay. Shelton took a huge crash through the ladder like hardy and edge last year. It really looked like MVP was going to win but, Matt Hardy made his return and twist of fated him off the ladder. It got good towards the end but I was disappointed with the winner but oh well. Overall 7.5/10
Raw vs Smackdown
Umaga vs Batista
This was not good as expected. Pretty much Umaga dominated Batista through out the match until Batista came back towards the end and spinebuster and a horrible batista bomb. Bad match. Overall 3.5/10
ECW Championship match
Chavo Guerro vs Kane
Heres what exactly happens. Kane sneaks up behind him and chokes slam him and 1,2,3 your new champion. The big red machine Kane. Overall 5/10 , 10/10 for Kane finally wining a major championship.
Ric Flair vs Shawn MIcheals
These two put on one of tonights exciting match but also a emotional one. Shawn tried to do a moonsault to Flair but missed and possibly broke his ribs. I was very surprise with Flair because it must have been over a 20 minute match and He kept in the there. The both of them put out some loud chops to. I was very glad that Flair had his last match at Wrestlemania because he put on one of the greatest matches at Wrestlemania. It also got very emotional after the match. Overall 10/10
Bunnymania Lumberjill match
Maria and Ashley vs Beth Phoenix and Melina
This was a bad follow up to a fantastic match but oh well. This was even worst than Umaga vs Batista. It did look like they tried but didn't try hard enough. Plus the lights went out towards the middle of the match which was horrible. After the match was sort of funny with snoop dogg close lining Satino. Overall 2/10
Triple Threat Match
WWE Championship match
John Cena vs Triple H vs Randy Orton
Cena comes out with a drum line band which was preety nice. This wasn't like the triple threat at Wrestlemania 20 but it was good enough to watch. Orton did a double ddt to the both of them which was cool. Cena tried a double fu but they revered that. It was kind of strange because I knew Cena was going in there with a mixed reaction from the crowd but he is also the only one who got a reaction from the crowd. Good match. Overall 7.5/10
NO DQ match
Big Show vs Floyd Maywheather
At first I thought this was going to be a bad match but it wasn't . It was way better than the Bunnymania and Raw vs Smackdown matches. It stared out slow but really picked up. I was very excited when Big Show dished out pain towards Floyd and his crew. He gave out slams, chops, elbow, chokeslams, and etc. All of a sudden hes hit with a chair and brass knuckles. Still very good of a surprise match. Overall 8/10
World Heavyweight Championship match
The Undertaker vs Edge
This was the most intensed match I have ever seen. Going into the match it really looked like taker was going to loose at Wrestlemania which would start a riot. Edge countered every single move Undertaker tried to do. It got very heart pounding towards the end when Undertaker hit the tombstone and the referee was running to the ring. Undertaker wins out of nowhere when Edge speared Undertaker and turned it into a gogoplata to make him tap out. I'm really glad they put this match last because taker deserved that because of last year. Tie Match of the night with Flair and Micheals. Overall 10/10.