Wrestling History Today - Apr 1sr
On this day in history in ....
1974 - WWWF ran at Madison Square Garden in New York City with the following results:
- Otto Von Heller vs. Jose Gonzalez ended in a draw.
- Larry Zbyszko defeated Ed Sullivan.
- WWWF Tag Team Champions Dean Ho & Tony Garea defeated Mr. Fuji & Toru Tanaka via DQ.
- Gorilla Monsoon defeated Don Leo Jonathan.
- Chief Jay Strongbow defeated Stan Stasiak.
- Pedro Morales defeated Larry Hennig.
- WWWF World Champion Bruno Sammartino defeated Nikolai Volkoff.
1989 - Master Of Pain defeats Jerry Lawler for the USWA Unified Heavyweight Title in Memphis, Tennessee, ending the first of Lawler's 27 runs with the title.
1990 - Wrestlemania VI takes place. Mike Johnson penned the following:
WRESTLEMANIA VI
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Venue: Skydome
Announced Attendance: 67, 678
*Rick Martel forced Koko B. Ware to submit to a Boston Crab.
*Demolition defeated the Colossal Connection, Andre the Giant and Haku to win the WWF Tag Team championship. Andre was at the very end of his run here so Hake did most of the in-ring work. Demolition hit their finisher on Haku for the pin. Andre the Giant turns babyface again by laying out Haku and manager Bobby Heenan. It would be Andre's final Wrestlemania appearance inside the ring.
*The Earthquake pinned Hercules Hernandez in a short match. Hernandez is carried out on a stretcher after the match.
*Brutus Beefcake pinned Mr. Perfect Curt Hennig after a slingshot into the ringpost. This would "break" Hennig's perfect record within WWF's television storylines, although he had lost on house shows to both Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior prior to the PPV bout. Lanny Poffo, working under the name the Genius, managed Hennig.
*Roddy Piper, painted half black, fought Bad News Brown to a double countout. Piper would recount in his autobiography that the paint would take some time to come off, and he actually flew home painted half black.
*The Hart Foundation defeated The Bolsheviks in a quick match. Nikolai Volkoff attempts to sing the Russian National Anthem and is attacked with the Hart's hitting their Hart Attack finisher for a quick pin.
*The Barbarian pinned Tito Santana with a flying clothesline. Bobby Heenan would start as Barbarian's manager here for his singles run with the company.
*In a mixed tag match, Dusty Rhodes and Sapphire defeated Randy Savage and Sherri Martel. Miss Elizabeth is in Dusty's corner and sets up Sapphire's pin on Martel after interfering. It would be the last time we'd see Elizabeth until next year's Wrestlemania.
*The Orient Express, Pat Tanaka and Akio Sato defeated The Rockers by countout when Mr. Fuji tossed salt in the eyes of Marty Janetty and blinded him.
*Hacksaw Duggan pinned Dino Bravo after clobbering him with the trusty old 2 x 4. Earthquake laid out after the bout.
*Ted DiBiase defeated Jake Roberts to regain possession of his "Million Dollar Belt." DiBiase in a series of vignettes had the belt created because it was worth more than the WWF championship. Roberts had stolen it and kept it in his bag with Damien the snake. DiBiase hides under the ring after the match.
*Big Bossman, fresh off his turn as a babyface, pinned former Twin Towers partner Akeem with a sideslam. DiBiase attacked Bossman while he was on the floor during the bout. Bossman would go right into a feud with DiBiase because he couldn't be bribed to return the Million Dollar belt several weeks earlier.
Rhythm and Blues (Honkytonk Man and a jet black-dyed hair version of Greg Valentine) perform their new "single", only to be attacked by The Bushwhackers.
*Rick Rude pinned Jimmy Snuka with the Rude Awakening.
*WWF Intercontinental champion The Ultimate Warrior pinned WWF champion Hulk Hogan in a Title-For-Title bout. This is a great match the first time you watch it, as the crowd makes it just incredible. Years later, the same fans would create a similar atmosphere for Hogan's Wrestlemania return vs. The Rock. Hogan hurts his knee early and walks around the ring. Gorilla Monsoon actually says that it may have been dislocated during the match. Hogan locked on a side headlock. When Monsoon talked about what a dangerous hold it was, Ventura quipped, "Absolutely- ask Richard Belzer." as a nod to the lawsuit over Hogan dropping Belzer on his head when he passed out in a side headlock. Hogan missed his legdrop, setting up Warrior splashing him for the pin. In an unplanned moment, Hogan presented the belt to the Warrior, leaving as the sympathetic legend. The final visual of the show is plain awesome as Warrior celebrated with both championships and fireworks galore, while Hogan watches from his departing ring cart, the legend defeated.
Celebrities: Rona Barrett, a gossip reporter, did an interview with Miss Elizabeth....Steve Allen, future spokesman for the Parents Television Council, did a sketch rehearsing with The Bolsheviks singing in the men's room....Robert Goulet sang the Canadian national anthem to open the event.
Notes: The first International Wrestlemania set a then-Skydome attendance record....The theme to the show was "The Ultimate Challenge" based around the main event....WWF was turned down by all of the Skydome-related companies to sponsor and co-promote the event, to the point that the Toronto Blue Jays declined allowing WWF to use their ticketing system to sell tickets.....The late Jack Tunney had a lot to do with local promotions for the event....Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse Ventura were the announcers for the show. This would be Ventura's final appearance at a Wrestlemania as commentator as he parted ways with the company soon after....A dark match on the show saw Paul Roma defeat The Brooklyn Brawler....The ring carts from Wrestlemania III returned for this show, the last time (thus far) that they have been used for a Wrestlemania event....Yes, that's none other than future WCW World champion Diamond Dallas Page driving a pink Cadillac (which he owned) to bring Honkytonk Man and Greg Valentine to the ring....Future WWE star Edge attended the show as a fan, sitting 11th row.
Jess McGrath: Much like Mania 5, this was a one-match show. And just like Mania 5, that match delivered. But, unlike Mania 5, if you went back today and watched Hulk Hogan vs. the Ultimate Warrior, you would be quite disappointed. Hogan-Savage held up much better than Hogan-Warrior. But at the time, it was a tremendous match. I remember being shocked at how interesting it was. I think what made it in part was that they went so long; I was figuring on a quick match like Hogan-Andre from three Manias before. Instead they surpassed the twenty minute mark, and it was really entertaining the whole way. Another thing that can't be underestimated is how big that finish was. Hogan NEVER missed the legdrop, and nobody ever kicked out of it. Even more of a shock than if somebody kicked out of the pedigree today, let's say. Not really much to say about the rest of the show. Quite a contrast when Robert Goulet finished up his anthem and they went right into Koko B. Ware's "Bird Bird Bird" song, or whatever it was that they called it.
Mike Johnson: This was a one match show and the match delivered as the WWF did a rare babyface vs. babyface match. While Warrior was being positioned as the new king of the mountain, he lasted less than a year in the role....This show began a huge push for Rick Rude as the Warrior's first real challenger, based on his Wrestlemania victory the previous yearr....There was a lot of filler on the show and much of it wasn't pleasant....Interesting to note that the Canadian stars (Dino Bravo, Earthquake, etc.) still worked as villains despite the hometown advantage.
Dave Scherer: I remember two things totally jumping out at me for this show. First and foremost, I never thought I would see Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior have a great match, but they did. As Mike said, it was a one match show and man, that one match delivered in a big, big way. The match was booked perfectly as well, with Hogan symbolically passing the torch to the new top guy. I also loved the aura that eminated from booking the show at Skydome. It gave the company's big show a big show feel, the first of its kind since Mania 3 in Pontiac.
1994 - The Rock N' Roll Express defeat the Heavenly Bodies (Tom Pritchard & Jimmy Del Ray) for the SMW Tag Team Title in Pikeville, Kentucky, starting their seventh reign with the title.
1996 - Goldust defeats Savio Vega to win back the WWF Intercontinental Title at a Raw taping in San Bernadino, California. The belt was held up earlier in the show following a controversial finish in a match between the two. The two matches were shown on separate episodes of Raw. Also at this taping, Mick Foley had his in-ring TV debut as Mankind, defeating Bob Holly with the Mandible Claw. Later in the same episode, Mankind would attack the Undertaker, laying him out with the Mandible Claw as well.
2001 - Wrestlemania 17 takes place. Mike Johnson penned the following:
WRESTLEMANIA X7
Location: Houston, TX
Arena: The Astrodome
Announced Attendance: 67,925
RESULTS
*WWF Intercontinental champion Chris Jericho pinned William Regal
*The APA & Tazz defeated The RTC (Bull Buchanan & The Goodfather & Val Venis when Bradshaw pinned Goodfather with a clothesline from hell.
*Kane beat Raven and Big Show to win the WWF Hardcore championship when he pinned Big Show.
*Eddie Guerrero pinned Test to win the WWF European championship.
*Kurt Angle pinned Chris Benoit, hooking the tights in an awesome match that Angle later commented was as close to Olympic wrestling as it would ever get in the WWF.
*Chyna pinned Ivory to win the WWF Women's championship in a virtual squash.
*Shane McMahon pinned Vince McMahon in a Streetfight with Mick Foley as the special referee after McMahon hit the Van Terminator with a trash can on Vince for the pin. An early sign of problems with the WCW Invasion were seen when Shane gave a shout-out to the WCW stars sitting in a luxury box to no reaction from the crowd. A catatonic Linda McMahon came out of her trance to help her son with after a low blow to Vince. Trish Stratus turned babyface here as well and got into it with Stephanie McMahon. A fun brawl!
*Edge & Christian defeated The Dudley Boyz and The Hardy Boyz in a TLC match to win the WWF Tag Team championship. This excellent match featured run-ins by Lita, Spike Dudley, and Rhyno. This was the ultimate TLC style match and the last time the three teams who pioneered the idea would face each other.
*The Iron Sheik won a Gimmick Battle Royal which featured Brother Love, Bushwhackers, Jim Cornette, Doink, Duke Droese, Earthquake, Gobbledy Gooker, Goon, Michael Hayes, Hillbilly Jim, Kimala, Kim Chee, One Man Gang, Repo Man, Sgt. Slaughter, Tugboat, and Nikolia Volkoff. Bobby Heenan and Gene Okerlund were brought out for commentary. The entire thing was played for laughs and nostalgia and gave the crowd a chance to calm down.
*The Undertaker pinned Triple H with a tombstone in a good brawl including Hunter being tossed off some production scaffolding.
*Steve Austin pinned The Rock in a No DQ match to win the WWF World Title after Austin obliterated The Rock with several stone cold stunners and a chair. Austin aligned himself with Vince McMahon after the bout.
Notes: The peak of WWF's business....The crowd was announced as a new Astrodome record....Before the PPV went on the air, Justin Credible (Wrestlemania debut) & X-Pac beat Steve Blackman & Grandmaster Sexay when X-Pac pinned Blackman during Sunday Night Heat....Paul Heyman (Wrestlemania debut) and Jim Ross hosted the event....The promotion held another AXXESS during the weekend.
Mike Johnson: I attended Wrestlemania X7 live at the Astrodome in Houston. I remember liking the show, although from my sightlines (the 200 level, which was priced at $75) it was a little hard to get into some of the matches because of the distance of the ring. Nothing, however could match the atmosphere of being inside the Dome, which I still consider to be one of the best live events I've attended. From the second you walked out from the tunnel into the building, one could not just feel overwhelmed by the sheer size of everything: the crowd size, the production, everything. The roar of the crowd when the show began was unlike anything I had ever seen in any event, be it a wrestling show, a concert, a theatrical production or a sporting event. It truly was WWF's peak and in my eyes, they have yet to surpass this 2001 day in that regard. While the crowd roared for the superstars of the promotion all night, the World Wrestling Federation's production was the true star of the event. The staging of the show, particularly 16 spotlights with changing colors added a great sense of magic to the look of the building, while the graphics and Titantron screens made everything seem important. Every match had it's own identity based upon the graphical designs of the WWF staff. They were second to none anywhere in the entertainment business. The main event between Steve Austin and the Rock was nothing less than spectacular, although live whatever the storyline was for the alliance with Vince McMahon was completely lost on the crowd and eventually was a factor that helped put WWF business into a downward spiral. The dichotomy of the audience was really interesting to follow in the main event. The crowd cheered Austin completely, while factions were cheering for the Rock, most of the majority booed his offense and comebacks on Austin. When McMahon got involved, the crowd wasn't happy, but if turning Austin was the point, the crowd didn't seem to know whether to react or not. They booed at the doubleteaming but when Austin scored the pinfall after pummeling the Rock with multiple chairs, the crowd exploded. The crowd was really strong for the opening matches and quieted down as the show went on. They came alive again for the TLC match, were brought down by the gimmick Battle Royal and were completely electric for the two main events. It was quite an experience as the Texan fans were something else. Live, Triple H vs The Undertaker was really great with the crowd totally behind the Undertaker. The roar when Helmsley was thrown off the scaffolding was tremendous. The crowd swarmed to the stage that Motorhead was playing from and popped huge for Triple H's entrance like he was a true star. At the time with Austin's turn, it would have made sense to turn Triple H face, but the idea was discarded. The TLC match was a really fun match to watch, although one couldn't help to wonder at the times how in the world they could even try to top themselves. You could see they were working really hard and well beyond the point of sanity and logic and one can only respect what everyone involved went through. The scariest moments of the match were easily Jeff Hardy slipping as he crossed the top of three ladders and D-Von nearly killing himself on a ladder as he fell when hanging from the belts. Hardy's penchant for crazy stunts eventually burnt him right out of a full time wrestling career. When one thinks about this show, they have to think of the gimmick battle royal. What can one say other than it was there? It was fun in a nostalgic sense to hear all the old theme songs. Live, the crowd didn't seem to know who most of the performers were, although Michael Hayes, Jim Cornette and Doink received great ovations live. It was a great idea to bring the crowd down so they weren't burnt out for the main event, too. The Vince McMahon-Shane McMahon match was a lot of fun to follow live with great twists and turns. The crowd came alive for the match, chanting "Linda" through the entire match while waiting for the then-catatonic Linda McMahon to attack her husband. It was really fun to see Mick Foley returning to old form for a few brief moments while pummeling Vince. The debut of the Van Terminator by Shane McMahon was a surprising move, and with all the turns, the catfight, and the great finisher, Paul Heyman's fingerprints were all over the match. While Rob Van Dam would eventually do the move in WWE, it would be Shane McMahon would be credited with doing it first on a huge national scale. The undercard of Mania 17 had it's moments as well. Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle gave us a nice taste of what to come. It was cool to see the crowd popping live for the matwork in the opening moments of the show. Chris Jericho vs William Regal and Test vs Eddy Guerrero were fine live, although I found the earlier portion of the show odd at first because I couldn't hear the bumps in the ring. The crowd popped huge for Bradshaw hitting the lariat and the big boot like he was Stan Hansen in the Tokyo Dome during the six man tag team bout, which was a little too fast to follow live. Tazz got a nice pop coming out when he prevented the RTC from speaking on the mic.
Jess McGrath: BEST. WRESTLEMANIA. EVER. What more needs to be said? It will be a very long time before you see a show this good from WWE. Everything clicked on all cylinders, topped by one of the best WWF title matches ever with Austin vs. Rock. On a scale of 1 to 10, this show was a 9.9. The only small thing that still bothers me to this day is turning Austin heel. People didn't want to see it, and certainly the people in Houston that day didn't. There were a lot of good arguments for it on paper, and they had a lot of success ending Wrestlemania with a heat finish the previous year rather than the big babyface winning. But it just didn't work. That said, I don't want to dwell too much on a small blight on an otherwise awesome show. Definitely the best of the Wrestlemanias, and the one against which future Manias will be judged.
2003 - At a Smackdown taping in Spokane, Washington, Sable returned to the WWE after a four-year absence, interrupting Torrie Wilson's celebration over her Playboy magazine cover. The return shocked many, given the bad blood between Sable and the WWE, which included Sable filing a lawsuit against WWE at one point for sexual harassment.
2006 - WWE held their Hall Of Fame induction ceremony in conjunction with Wrestlemania weekend, inducting Bret Hart, Eddie Guerrero, Gene Okerlund, The Blackjacks, Tony Atlas, Verne Gagne, Sherri Martel and William Perry (who went into the "celebrity wing"). This would be Bret Hart's first appearance at a WWE event following the 1997 "Montreal Screwjob".
Here is Mike Johnson's original report from the ceremony:
- The crowd has already been let in at the Rosemont Theatre, and a huge "We Want Bret" chant has broken out.
- They are using the same stage set as last year for the Hall Of Fame.
- All of the WWE stars arrived as a group at 6:45pm local time to take their seats in the front rows. There was a big pop for all the stars coming out. Jimmy Hart got a big pop as he entered.
-A huge "LOD" chant broke out for Road Warrior Animal as he walked in.
- There were loud boos and "You Screwed Bret" chants as Shawn Michaels entered and took his seat.
- Lilian Garcia came out to welcome the crowd to the event, and reminded them to be loud.
- Batista entered to a huge pop, and a chant broke out for him.
- The first induction of the evening was the Blackjacks, Mulligan & Lanza, who were inducted by Bobby Heenan. Heenan played an April Fool's joke on the crowd, telling them to look under their seats for an envelope with backstage passes. Mulligan remarked that the Blackjacks were part of "Americana", sandwiched between the Road Runner and the Cisco Kid every Saturday morning.
- Obviously, the webcast on WWE.com will not be live. All of the presenters and inductees have Titantron videos that are being played for them.
- Verne Gagne was inducted next, by his son Greg. Greg said that "twenty years ago if you told him they'd induct Verne, he'd say you were out of your minds" and then noted, "and no, this doesn't mean we joined 'a very special club'." Greg then thanked the McMahons for all they have done for wrestling. Greg then talked about the Gagne family, and then listed the people Verne had trained, including Ken Patera, Jim Brunzell, The Andersons (which got a big pop), Ric Flair, The Iron Sheik, Chris Taylor, Buddy Rose, Sgt. Slaughter, Ricky Steamboat and Curt Hennig. Greg then spoke about the formation of the AWA and the stars it created, naming Hulk Hogan and Jesse Ventura.
- Verne Gagne then made his acceptance speech. At one point he mentioned Vince McMahon, which drew boos from the crowd, and Verne remarked "I never liked the guy either". Verne said that being put in the Hall Of Fame meant the world to him. There crowd chanted "One More Match" at Verne. Verne closed his speech by complimenting McMahon on putting together "the greatest wrestling promotion".
- William "The Refrigerator" Perry was next, inducted by John Cena. Almost the entire building was booing John Cena, and a "Cena Sucks" chant started up. Cena remarked "It seems everyone is ready for Wrestlemania". They showed HHH on the screens, and the place popped. The crowd was not letting Cena talk, and Triple H stood up briefly at one point, resulting in chants of "Triple H" and "One More Day". The crowd then chanted "F*** You Cena" as Cena tried to do a Howard Cosell impersonation. Music started to play as Cena talked in an attempt to drown out the crowd, who were now chanting "Boring". The fans continued to boo Cena, while the screens above the stage focused on a small group of fans who were clapping for Cena.
- William Perry then made his acceptance speech, talking about playing for the Chicago Bears, and how he never knew that would lead to him being in the ring with wrestlers he watched while growing up like Andre The Giant, Big John Studd, Tony Atlas and the Killer Bees (yes, he said the Killer Bees).
- Sensational Sherri Martel is next, inducted by Ted DiBiase. During the video package for Sherri, there was a big pop from the crowd when Randy Savage appeared in a clip. The crowd also booed every sign of Shawn Michaels in the video package. DiBiase received a standing ovation from the crowd as he came out. DiBiase put over Sherri for her toughness, noting she fought for everything she had, and came from a broken home, never knowing her dad. DiBiase said Sherri proves you should never be told you can't achieve your dreams. He said she shows the passion it takes to be a wrestling star, and she wanted to do this from the time she saw her first show in an auction barn. She moved to Memphis because she wanted to become a star, and there was a company based there, where she was trained by Butch Moore. DiBiase says that Sherri went on to become one of the greatest of all times, and that she was the first lady to hold both the WWF and AWA Women's Titles. DiBiase then went over her managerial career, noting how she did everything she could to make her charges the biggest stars she could.
- Sherri made her acceptance speech. She talked about how she got to watch all the big stars grow in the business, naming Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin and Big Show. A fan yelled for Macho Man, and Sherri said "Now, that was a psycho ... and it took a psycho like me to work with him". Sherri noted how many different people she worked with, and joked to Pat Patterson, who was in the crowd, that she was jealous because "he keeps partners longer than she does". She then asked Booker T why he lost Sharmell to the Boogeyman when Booker never lost her when they were together. A fan yelled "She's drunk" and Sherri responded "I worked 26 years for this and you paid for your ticket, so be quiet". Sherri then thanked everyone she worked with, including Pat Rose, Buddy Rose, Nailz, Randy Savage, Tom Prichard, Shawn Michaels, and last, but not least, Ted DiBiase and Ric Flair. She then told a story about going out drinking with Ric Flair before signing divorce papers, but couldn't remember which husband she was divorcing. Sherri also thanked Eric Bischoff, who was in attendance, for her job in WCW. Sherri talked more about working with Flair, and about with Harlem Heat, saying she was closer to them than her own family. Sherri said that Harlem Heat taught her what having brothers is like, and that "there are no colors in wrestling, just brothers". A fan was yelling something from the balcony, but the fans drowned him out with chants of "Kick him out". Sherri then talked about training, and thanked the Fabulous Moolah and her friend Kathy Fitzpatrick. A production said something to Jerry Lawler, who then whispered something to Sherri. Sherri then rushed through a slew of thank you's to end her speech.
- Billy Kidman is in attendance at the event with Torrie Wilson. Ron Simmons is also in attendance. CM Punk is there, sitting with Maria.
- Tony Atlas is next, inducted by S.D. Jones. The video package for Atlas mentioned that Atlas faced Hulk Hogan and slammed him, but not that he pinned him. Jones, who was introduced as Atlas' longtime partner, and said that he and Atlas met in Allentown, Pennsylvania and became close friends. Jones said they went to the office and asked to become partners, and became one of the best tag teams at that time. He said they challenged Fuji & Saito, but didn't win the belts. Jones said it was his fault, and he stepped aside, which led to Rocky Johnson teaming with Atlas. Jones said Atlas and Johnson didn't get along, which resulted in Atlas and Jones becoming partners again. Jones then told a story about he and Atlas being in a gym in Spain, and having a lifting competition with some of the people there. Atlas lifted 660lbs., and no one in the gym wanted to try and compete with him. Jones then talked about Atlas out lifting Olympic athletes all around the world, then talked about Atlas' title victories.
- Tony Atlas then gave his acceptance speech. He thanked all the wrestling fans, saying there would be no stars without them. Atlas talked about some of his opponents and partners, including Ric Flair, Ken Patera, Dusty Rhodes, Superstar Graham, and noted that this was likely his last time in front of a huge crowd. Atlas told the story of his mother working two jobs to get by, and how they were "dirtpoor" and how they ate off of newspapers on the dirt floor of their house. Atlas said he was wearing the same pants at his High School graduation that he wore when he started school, but he was blessed to be born in the greatest country ever. Atlas said he proves that if you put in a good effort no matter who or what you are, you can make a name for yourself because you are in the United States. Atlas then asked a woman named Monica to stand up, and said in 1989 he was homeless when she took him in. Not knowing who he was, she educated him and now he's a certified personal trainer because of her. Atlas then said that Vince McMahon gave him a job as Saba Simba to give him a chance to earn money and get back on his feet, and thanked Vince for that. He closed the speech by asking everyone to remember that they live in the greatest country in the world.
- This ended the taping for the WWE.com broadcast. The rest of the show is being taped for USA Network. We will continue to post notes on that taping.
- Hulk Hogan came out to induct Mean Gene Okerlund. The fans started chanting "One More Match" at Hogan, and soon a "Hogan-Austin" chant rang out. Hogan rubbed his fingers in the "money sign" and then admitted that would be a "great match someday". Hogan talked about Mean Gene's career and how they became friends. Hogan said that Okerlund helped wrestlers with promos when they didn't know what to say. He said Mean Gene became the "voice of wrestling and the life support of Hulkamania".
- Okerlund gave his acceptance speech, joking about tagging with Hulk Hogan. Bobby Heenan hugged Mean Gene and kissed his bald head. Mean Gene then told a bunch of stories, including making fun of the infamous Gobbledy Gooker, and talked about Ric Flair, the Hillbillies, the Sheik, Jake Roberts and others.
- It appears WWE has had John Cena come off the stage and sit amongst the other wrestlers in the front rows instead.
- The Eddie Guerrero induction, which will be airing on USA, is beyond amazing, with many WWE workers visibly crying.
- The Bret Hart induction is next. When Steve Austin came out, fans chanted "Austin-Hogan".
- During Bret Hart's induction speech, he told a lot of Owen Hart and Jim Neidhart stories. There were no references towards Shawn Michaels, except for Bret telling a story about how he once disciplined his son, so his son went to his room and came out with a Shawn Michaels shirt and glove on and said he was "in the kliq". Bret said while WWE took a lot from him, they gave him a lot too. Bret finished his speech about 15 minutes after 11pm (that's Eastern time, not Chicago time).
2007 - WWE broadcast highlights of the 2007 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony. Buck Woodward filed the following TV report:
The USA Network broadcast of the Hall Of Fame ceremony began with a montage of clips of past Hall Of Famers, leading into this year's ceremony. Todd Grisham immediately introduced Steve Austin, who inducted Jim Ross. They showed a video package on Ross' career, with comments from The Rock, Steve Austin, Triple H, Chris Benoit, Dusty Rhodes, Matt Hardy, Michael Cole, JBL, Ron Simmons, Ric Flair, Jerry Lawler, John Cena, Shawn Michaels and Vince McMahon.
Jim Ross came out to the Oklahoma fight song. They showed his wife in the audience, and there was a chant for Ross from the fans. Ross joked that "his cousins made it from Oklahoma". Ross talked about his passion for wrestling, and there was a "Thank You, JR" chant. Ross thanked his wife, calling her his "angel". Ross talked about how it took him 19 years to get to the WWE, and he was no "overnight sensation". Ross talked about being the first non-wrestler to grow up as a wrestling fan to be inducted into the Hall Of Fame. He thanked everyone for celebrating "a wrestling fan being inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame".
After a commercial break, Grisham introduced William Shatner, with Grisham doing a Captain Kirk impersonation. Shatner talked about the time he appeared on the King's Court in 1995. Shatner was literally reading every word off of a sheet of paper. Shatner said he would now "monkey flip" Lawler into the Hall Of Fame. The video package for Lawler then aired with comments from Triple H and Jim Carrey (from when they made "Man On The Moon") and including footage of his famous feud with Andy Kaufman. Lawler was introduced and as he walked out, they went to break.
Back from commercial, Lawler talked about what an honor it was to be backstage with all the legends tonight. Lawler talked about coming to WWE, and how Bret Hart helped him get "center stage" when he first arrived there. Lawler reiterated what Steve Austin said about Jim Ross being the best there ever was. Lawler then talked about Wrestlemania, and got in his joke that after tomorrow, one of the billionaires will be bald and "will have to cut holes in his pants pocket in order to run his fingers through his hair". Then they went to commercial again.
Back from break, Grisham introduced Wade Boggs who came out to baseball stadium organ music. Boggs did the old Mr. Perfect gum swat as he approached the podium. Boggs talked about how Hennig had big shoes to fill as a second-generation wrestler, but he filled them well. Boggs was visibly choked up as he introduced the video package on Curt Hennig. The video package featured comments from Gerald Brisco, Larry Hennig, Ric Flair, Sgt. Slaughter and Bruce Prichard.
Wade Boggs said that Curt Hennig's life revolved around his family, and he introduced Hennig's wife, children and parents, who came out to the old "Mr. Perfect" music. Hennig's wife, Leonice, thanked the fans, who were chanting "Mr. Perfect". She said "That he was". Leonice then adapted a line from his old promos, saying "He was exactly what he said he was, absolutely perfect".
After another commercial, we saw the lobby of the Fox Theatre, including the WWE merchandise stand. Todd Grisham then introduced "Dustin Runnels and Cody Rhodes". Dustin said that all his life, he wanted to be exactly like his dad, but he eventually realized that to really be like him he had to go out and do something on his own. He said tonight, he and "his bro" had the honor of inducting their father into the Hall Of Fame. Cody said that he felt Dustin has never gotten credit for his role in the Attitude era as the "envelope pushing" Goldust, doing a Goldust impersonation. The fans chanted "Thank You Goldust". Cody then talked about his father, saying Dusty was the best talker in the history of the business. Cody said he "didn't need a Pit, a Parlor, or a Shop", he just needed a microphone. Cody did a fantastic job putting over his father, and talked about his rivalry with Ric Flair, noting that even Dusty would tell you that Ric Flair is the greatest of all time. Flair was shown in the audience, getting choked up. Cody talked about Dusty as a father, and how when Dusty wasn't home, it was because he was putting food on the table for his family. The showed Dusty's daughter in the crowd, and she was getting choked up. Cody did a fantastic job with his speech.
They aired a video package on Dusty Rhodes with comments from Ric Flair, Triple H, and Arn Anderson. Dusty came out to his old WWF music, and danced with Kristal before going to the podium and embracing his sons. They went to commercial as they were hugging.
After the commercial, the fans were chanting for Dusty. Rhodes talked about how proud he was of his sons. Rhodes discussed having passion for the business. Rhodes cut a promo about "Hard Times" that people go through and how it was the duty of wrestlers to make it "good times" for the fans that pay to see them every night. Rhodes talked about how wrestlers moan sometimes about taking long trips, but that they wouldn't even care about being paid if they could walk out at Wrestlemania, noting that Triple H won't get to do that this year and he will be missed. The fans gave Triple H a big ovation.
They edited to another part of Rhodes' speech, with Rhodes talking about Kevin Sullivan hitting him in the heart with a golden spike, and how if "Stephanie was around then, she'd have fired him on the spot". Rhodes said that Harley Race was the toughest man he ever faced, and asked Race to stand up. He did and got an ovation, and Rhodes joked he had "put over Race enough". Rhodes talked about working seven nights in a row with Ric Flair, and said Flair is the greatest wrestler in the industry. Flair, in tears, walked up to the stage and shook hands with Dusty. Dusty said that he knew he was going to cry, and pulled out a black and yellow polka dot handkerchief. Dusty then said if someone young wants to get into this business, they should be given a tape of Ricky Steamboat, who was also given an ovation, but not shown.
Dusty joked about how he is "behind in the times" and that he gets his "ass chewed out" for not emailing people he just talked to face to face five minutes earlier. Rhodes talked about Dick Murdoch, saying that when he wonders where Murdoch is today, he turns around and sees JBL looking right at him. They showed JBL in the audience, and he was sitting with Barry Windham. Rhodes put over the WWE Divas, and joked that if his wife wasn't there, he would get himself some "brown sugar" looking at Kristal. Rhodes laughed and said "I can't believe I said that". Rhodes then asked Ric Flair, Arn Anderson and Harley Race to stand up, and asked Flair & Anderson to induct he and Harley into the Hall Of Fame. Rhodes then said "I have wined and dined with Kings and Queens, thank you".
Todd Grisham then closed out the ceremony, and confetti dropped from the ceiling to end the show.
Commentary: Geez, this thing was edited to bits. I strongly suggest reading our report from the live ceremony, because this special didn't even come close to doing the event, or those inducted, justice with the exception of Dusty Rhodes (and even his induction was heavily edited down). Lawler talking about Memphis gets edited out, but his pubic hair joke stays in? I really hope that next year WWE either gets more television time for the ceremony, or doesn't try to cram four inductions into the broadcast.
2007 - WWE broadcast Wrestlemania 23 on PPV. Buck Woodward filed the following PPV report:
Welcome to our coverage of Wrestlemania 23. We will be updating this page throughout the show with results from the show, so check back throughout the evening for updates.
Wrestlemania 23 opened with a video montage of past Wrestlemania logos and clips from those events. They showed Vince McMahon welcoming fans to Wrestlemania III at the Silverdome, then switched to a live shot of Ford Field. They continued to play the Wrestlemania III audio of Vince's introduction, which led to Aretha Franklin singing "America The Beautiful". Aretha, accompanied by a choir, sang while a montage of clips of WWE stars with troops overseas was shown. Fireworks went off at the end.
A video package focusing on the "All Grown Up" theme for Wrestlemania was shown. Pyro went off, and WWE Hall Of Famers Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler welcomed us to the show. They immediately put over that there were more fans at Ford Field tonight than there were when the Superbowl was held there (of course, that is due to floor seating). The Smackdown and ECW announce teams were then given their chance to welcome us to the show.
Money In The Bank ladder match for a guaranteed future title match: Edge vs. CM Punk vs. King Booker vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Ken Kennedy vs. Matt Hardy vs. Fit Finlay vs. Randy Orton
Each wrestler had a separate entrance and each wrestler's entrance was accompanied by their respective brand's announcers talking about the participant. Jeff Hardy, then King Booker with Sharmell, then Fit Finlay, then CM Punk, then Ken Kennedy (who had his mic on the stage to introduce himself), then Matt Hardy, then Randy Orton, and finally Edge. All the announcers are going to call this match together. There were several ladders set up in the aisle, and all around ringside on the floor.
At the start, everyone stared at the briefcase, then some wrestlers ran to the floor to get ladders, while others began brawling. A group of them fought on the floor and Finlay, yes, Finlay, jumped off the top rope onto the pile. In the ring, Edge went for the case, but Matt Hardy pulled him down. They went to the floor. Orton and Finlay climbed the ladder together, and then tipped over. Jeff went to climb up, but Kennedy pulled him down. Booker reached under the ring and pulled out a stepladder. CM Punk ambushed him and then began using the stepladder as a weapon until Edge got a hold of it and threw it in Punk's face. Punk was busted open. Edge bridged a ladder between the rail and the ring apron and went to suplex Punk in it, but Punk reversed it and suplexed Edge on the floor.
In the ring, Booker gave Orton a spinebuster, Kennedy a superkick, then Punk and Finlay spinebusters. Booker did a spinarooni, then was squashed between ladders by the Hardys. Matt gave Edge a Side Effect. The Hardys set up some ladders for the "Mercury face crusher spot" on Edge. Finlay shoved Jeff off the ropes to the floor to break it up, and Edge suplexed Matt onto a ladder. Kennedy got in and knocked Edge out, then pounded on Matt. Kennedy put Matt on a ladder and went for the Kenton Bomb, but Matt moved out of the way and Kennedy crashed. Jeff gave Kennedy a Swanton Bomb. Matt and Jeff then hit Finlay with a ladder, then knocked Orton off the apron with it. They hit Booker with the ladder as well, then set it up. The Hardys climbed a ladder, then punched it out at the top of the ladder over who would win, until Finlay knocked down the ladder, sending them into the ropes.
Finlay knocked down Booker and Punk, then picked up a ladder, but Edge speared him. Edge gave spears to everyone else in the match (including Orton), until CM Punk leapfrogged him and Edge hit the corner hard. Punk then took a ladder and did the Terry Funk whirly bird spot. He hit a bunch of participants, but then Edge speared him and Punk went down, with the ladder catching some people on the way down. Edge set up a huge ladder, and went to climb up, but Orton toppled it and Edge fell to the floor. Jeff Hardy gave Orton a gourdbuster, then set up the huge ladder again. On the floor, Matt put Edge on the ladder that was bridged between the apron and railing. Jeff looked to be deciding between the briefcase and killing Edge. Jeff decided on the latter, jumping off the ladder and legdropping Edge through the bridged ladder and to the floor. Yes, I said through, as the ladder broke in half. Jeff and Edge were laid out on the floor and stretchers were brought out.
In the ring, Orton gave Matt an RKO, then gave one to Finlay, and one to Kennedy. Orton set up a ladder began to climb up. Punk used another ladder to knock Orton down. Punk set up another ladder, so there were two ladders side by side. Edge was stretchered out. Orton and Punk fought it out on the two ladders. Orton gave Punk an RKO off the ladder, hurting himself as well. Booker came in and started to climb, but Orton got up and stopped him. Orton went for the Ladder RKO on Booker as well, but Booker blocked it and gave Orton a Bookend off the ladder. Booker started to climb, but Matt Hardy came up the other side of the same ladder and slugged it out with him. Sharmell ran in and pulled Matt down. Matt threatened to give her the Twist Of Fate, so Booker gave up grabbing the briefcase to save her. Booker came down, and Matt grabbed him and hit the Twist Of Fate. Finlay, who was bleeding, was crawling back into the ring.
Matt was climbing a ladder, so Finlay toppled it down. Finlay then gave Hardy the Celtic Cross onto a ladder that was laying in the ring. Finlay, holding his back from the move, was having trouble climbing the ladder. Hornswoggle, to a pop, came in and began to climb the ladder. Kennedy came in, kicked Finlay, then got up on the other ladder. Hornswoggle punched him, which made Kennedy mad. Kennedy gave Hornswoggle a somersault Samoan Drop off the ladder. Finlay picked up a ladder and threw it at Kennedy, hitting him in the face. Finlay started to climb another ladder, but CM Punk gave it a springboard dropkick to knock him off. Punk set up a ladder and started to climb. He got a hand on the case, but Kennedy came up the other side of the ladder. They slugged it out, and Punk shoved Kennedy off the ladder. Kennedy picked up another ladder and used it to knock Punk off. Kennedy climbed up and grabbed the briefcase at the nineteen minute mark.
Winner: Ken Kennedy.
Finlay was shown helping Hornswoggle up on the floor.
They showed a video package on The Condemned premiere.
Todd Grisham interviewed Ken Kennedy, who said that any champion in WWE should "grow eyes in the back of their freakin' head". Kennedy said that nice guys finish last, and that he isn't a nice guy. Kennedy said he is Mr. Kennedy, and he is Mr. Money In The Bank.
Kane vs. The Great Khali
Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler are the lucky announcers for this one. Kane didn't have his hook with him. Kane was shoved down on the initial lockup, then went down on a shoulderblock attempt. Kane went for a whip, and Khali tossed him to the floor. Kane yanked Khali throat first across the top rope as he got back into the ring, but Khali took him down with a clothesline, then slammed Kane. Khali applied a nervehold, then hit some forearms to the back and some elbows in the corner. Khali choked Kane. Kane battled back with some punches, but Khali just shoved him away. Kane charged and hit a clothesline, then went to the top rope and hit a clothesline, but Khali still didn't go down. Kane hit a big boot to the face, and Khali fell back and got tied up in the ropes. Kane hit a series of right hands. Kane went under the ring and pulled out his hook. Khali was freed by the referee. Kane got in the ring, but Khali hit some punches and Kane's hook ended up being hooked on the top rope.
They exchanged punches, and Khali got the better of it. Khali ripped the pad off of a turnbuckle. While the referee cleared the stuffing out of the ring, Kane used the chain on his hook to crotch Khali. Kane then bodyslammed Khali for a two count. Kane called for a chokeslam. Khali grabbed Kane by the throat as well. Kane punched free, but then walked into Khali's double handed chokeslam. Khali stood on Kane's chest for the three count at the five minute mark.
Winner: The Great Khali.
Khali choked Kane with the chain from the hook for a while before walking off.
Backstage, Cryme Tyme were trying to cheer up Eugene over having his head shaved. They had Extreme Expose start dancing, and Cryme Tyme joined in. This wasn't cheering up Eugene at all. The Fabulous Moolah and Mae Young showed up, dressed like Extreme Expose, and started dancing with Eugene, which did cheer him up. They were stopped by the Doctor Of Style, Slick, who told them they shouldn't be illin', when it was time to be chillin'. Slick then danced, but was interrupted by Dusty Rhodes, who said you can't have a dance party without him. He started dancing, and we had Sgt. Slaughter, Jimmy Hart, IRS, Pat Patterson, Geraldn Briscoe, Mean Gene Okerlund and Howard Finkel joining in. The music stopped and Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, to a big pop, appeared on the screen. Steamboat looked at the camera, winked, and the dance party continued.
U.S. Champion Chris Benoit vs. MVP
Obviously, Michael Cole and JBL handled this one. They locked up and MVP took Benoit down with a headlock, but Benoit switched to a headscissors, and MVP reversed into a single leg crab, then went into a headlock. MVP hit a shoulderblock, blocked a German suplex attempt by Benoit, and armdragged him to the floor wen Benoit went for an arm. Benoit got in and went for a sharpshooter, but MVP tripped out of it and Benoit went for the Crossface, but MVP rolled out. MVP went for a waistlock, but Benoit reversed it, only for MVP to take Benoit down with a fireman's carry. Benoit went for an arm, but MVP grabbed the ropes. MVP kicked Benoit in the gut, and whipped him hard across the ring. Benoit elbowed him as he charged in and set up MVP for a superplex. Benoit hit some chops, then went for the superplex. MVP blocked it, and pulled Benoit's arm across the top rope as he jumped down to the floor.
MVP got back in and went to work on the arm with kicks and punches, then kicked Benoit hard in the back for a two count. MVP hit the arm again, but Benoit responded with a chop. MVP hit some kicks to take Benoit down, but missed a roundhouse and Benoit grabbed MVP in a waistlock. Benoit hit three consecutive German suplexes, then went to the top rope. MVP crotched Benoit on the top and set up for the superplex. MVP hit the top rope superplex, but Benoit cradled his legs up and got a two count on MVP when they hit the mat. MVP kicked Benoit and threw him shoulder first into the ringpost. MVP rolled up Benoit for a two count.
MVP hit a back suplex for a pair of two counts, then applied an armbar. Benoit punches out of it, and avoided an MVP kick, but MVP caught him with a boot to the face on the rebound. MVP went for a slam, but Benoit floated over it and went for the Crossface, but MVP pounded out of it. MVP slammed Benoit, then hit his elbowdrop for a two count. MVP missed a running kick in the corner, and Benoit hit two consecutive German suplexes. MVP blocked a third and went for one of his own, but Benoit blocked it. MVP shoved Benoit into the ropes, but Benoit ducked a kick and hit three consecutive German suplexes. Benoit called for the diving headbutt, and hit it for the three count at the nine minute mark.
Winner: Chris Benoit
Donald Trump was backstage with the former Miss USA, Tara whateverhernameis. He was on the phone complaining about the lack of catering in the dressing room. The Boogeyman appeared, and Tara ran off. The Boogeyman said "I'm the Boogeyman, and I'm coming to get ya!" Donald Trump said he wanted a sandwich. Boogey said he would. Trump said if he did, he'd get Boogey some worms. Boogey asked if Trump wanted a worm sandwich before leaving.
The showed a video package on last night's Hall Of Fame ceremony.
Lilian Garcia announced that tonight's attendance, a new Ford Field record, is 80,103.
Howard Finkel was then introduced, and he brought out the Hall OF Fame class of 2007. Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler were on the stage for this segment. Curt Hennig was represented by his wife and father. Don Muraco accompanied Mr. Fuji, who was in a wheelchair. Afa & Sika mugged for the camera. Joyce Farhat represented her late husband, the original Sheik. Dusty Rhodes was the last one introduced.
They showed the results of a WWE text message poll for the Undertaker vs. Batista match, with 82% of those responding picking Undertaker to win. They then showed a video package on the events leading to the World Title match.
World Champion Batista vs. The Undertaker
Smackdown General Manager Theodore R. Long was the ring announcer for this match. Batista came out first. Undertaker had a long entrance.
Batista speared Undertaker immediately and hit some punches in the corner. Taker reversed positions and pounded Batista with punches. Batista responded with shoulderblocks to the gut. Batista whipped Taker across the ring and hit a clothesline, then clotheslined him to the floor. Taker landed on his feet and pulled Batista out. They slugged it out on the floor. Fans are solidly behind Undertaker. Batista whipped Undertaker into the ringsteps and rolled back into the ring. Batista came back out and tossed Undertaker in. Batista went to the top rope and hit a flying shoulderblock for a two count. Batista hit some punches, but ran into an Undertaker boot to the face. Batista absorbed the shot and came right back with a clothesline. They exchanged punches, and Batista slammed Undertaker. Batista went for a kick, but Taker caught it and then hit a series of rights and lefts to the gut. The back and forth punching resumed, with Taker getting the better of it.
Undertaker whipped Batista across the ring and hit a running splash. Taker hit a second, then gave him Snake-Eyes and a boot to the face. Undertaker dropped the leg for a two count. Undertaker went for the Old School rope walk and hit the top rope forearm. Undertaker called for a chokeslam, but Batista blocked it and pulled Taker's hand off his throat. Batista hit a knee to the gut, but Taker came back with a shoulderblock. Undertaker got a two count, then punched Batista to the floor. Undertaker rammed Batista into the ringsteps, then stretched him over the ring apron and hit an elbow, then kicked him in the head. Undertaker went for the ring apron legdrop and nailed it, bringing Batista to the floor with it.
Batista slowly got up on the floor, and Undertaker dove over the top rope and hit a tope to a huge pop. Taker pounded Batista on the floor, rolling in briefly to break up the count. Baitsta reversed a whip and sent Undertaker into the timekeeper's table. Batista pounded Undertaker on the floor, clearing off the Raw and ECW announce tables and putting Taker on the Raw one. Batista stood on the Raw announce table, lifted Undertaker, and powerslammed him through the ECW announce table. Batista shoved Undertaker back into the ring for a two count, hit a series of punches, then covered him for another two count. Batista set up for a powerbomb, but Taker backed him into a corner and hit a pair of back elbows. Taker went for a whip, but Batista blocked it and hit a belly to belly suplex for a two count. Batista kicked Taker in a corner, then got on the second rope and started punching him, arguing with the referee in between shots. Undertaker pulled Batista off the ropes and gave him the Last Ride powerbomb for a two count.
Both men got to their feet and Undertaker hit a series of rights. Batista reversed a whip and hit a spinebuster. Batista called for his powerbomb, but Undertaker sat up and rose to his feet. Batista went for a clothesline, but Undertaker ducked it and hit a chokeslam for a two count. Undertaker called for the tombstone. Undertaker lifted Batista, but Batista floated over and speared the Undertaker. Batista hit the Batista Bomb, but Undertaker got a shoulder up at the two and a half count to a big pop. Batista was stunned. Batista went for a second one, but Undertaker backdropped him. Undertaker went for a punch, but Batista ducked it and scooped him up for a slam. Undertaker floated over and shoved Batista into the turnbuckles. Batista staggered out, Undertaker lifted him and delivered the tombstone piledriver. Undertaker goes 15-0 at Wrestlemania at the fifteen minute mark.
Winner and new World Heavyweight Champion: The Undertaker.
Backstage, Vince McMahon was checking out his hair in the mirror. Stephanie McMahon entered, with a baby carriage. Vince chastised her for bringing his grandaughter to Wrestlemania. Vince then said maybe she would bring Vince luck. Vince then talked to his granddaughter about how he was going to give Donald Trump a skull fracture. We saw this from the point of view of the baby. Seriously. Vince suddenly acted like he smelled something. He said the baby just "took a Trump."
Joey Styles and Tazz, sans table, talked briefly about the ECW Originals vs. ECW New Breed war.
ECW Originals (The Sandman, Tommy Dreamer, Sabu & Rob Van Dam) vs. New Breed (Elijah Burke, Kevin Thorn, Marcus Cor Von & Matt Striker)
The ECW Originals entered through the crowd. The New Breed entered as a group, accompanied by Ariel. Elijah Burke has new ring gear. Sabu started off with Matt Striker. Striker missed a clothesline and Sabu hit a springboard clothesline and a springboard leg lariat, then another springboard clothesline. Sabu dropkicked Striker in the face, then hung him over the top rope. Sandman was tagged in and hit hit a top rope legdrop to the back of Striker's head. Cor Von broke up the cover. Burke tagged in, but Dreamer did as well and Dreamer & Sandman hit a double clothesline and a double elbowdrop. Cor Von hit Dreamer from the apron and Burke nailed him with a clothesline.
Cor Von tagged in and worked over Dreamer with punches. Cor Von hit a double underhook suplex, then tagged in Burke for a double backdrop. Burke hit a jumping double knee to Dreamer's back and got a two count, as Sabu broke it up. Thorn tagged in and hit a splash on Dreamer in the corner, then a clothesline. Thorn put Dreamer in a chinlock and hit some forearms to the chest. Dreamer elbowed out, but Thorn rammed him in a corner. Dreamer booted him in the face as he charged in, but Thorn caught him with a spinebuster for a two count. Cor Von tagged in and hit a vertical suplex for a two count, then put Dreamer in a chinlock.
Cor Von lifted Dreamer for a slam, but he floated over and gave Cor Von a reverse DDT and Burke, who had run in, a neckbreaker at the same time. Dreamer crawled for a tag, kicking away Burke. RVD got the hot tag and cleaned house on Striker and Thorn. RVD nailed Striker with a kick to the head, then hit Thorn with a top rope kick. RVD gave Striker a monkeyflip, then hit Rolling Thunder, but Cor Von pulled RVD to the floor and laid him out. Sabu dove over the top rope onto Cor Von. Dreamer DDT'd Striker. Burke knocked Dreamer out of the ring. Sandman knocked Burke over the top rope, and went over with him. RVD hit the Five Star Frog Splash on Striker for the win at the seven minute mark.
Winners: The Sandman, Tommy Dreamer, Sabu & Rob Van Dam
Joey Styles let out an "Oh My God" in celebration.
They showed a video package for next year's Wrestlemania, which will be in Orlando, Florida at the Citrus Bowl.
The Hitman was shown in the crowd. Thomas Hearns, that is. Yeah, cheap joke.
For the last time (thankfully) we saw the celebrity predictions for the Battle Of The Billionaires, followed by a long video recap of the events leading to the match.
ECW Champion Bobby Lashley, with Donald Trump, vs. Intercontinental Champion Umaga, with Armando Alejandro Estrada & Vince McMahon in a hair vs. hair match, with Trump and McMahon putting their hair on the line. Steve Austin will be the special referee for the bout.
Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler are the announcers for this match. A barber's chair was pulled to ringside, complete with it's own entrance music. Vince McMahon then entered, alone. Miss Universe, Miss USA, and Miss Teen USA were shown at ringside. Umaga, accompanied by Armando, then made his entrance. Donald Trump then made his entrance, accompanied by Tara. They dropped money (yes, real money) from the ceiling as Trump walked to the ring. Bobby Lashley then made his entrance. Steve Austin then made his entrance, wearing a sleeveless referee shirt.
They charged into each other at the start, and neither man budged. Lashley hit a series or right hands, and Umaga shoved him, but Lashley hit a clothesline in the corner. Lashley hit some punches in the corner, and Austin told him to break. When he didn't, Austin pulled Lashley out of the corner. Umaga kicked Lashley and whipped him into a corner. Lashley dodged a charge and hit a second rope clothesline. Lashley covered Umaga, but Armando put Umaga's foot on the bottom rope. Lashley pulled Armando into the ring and gave him a running powerslam. Lashley tossed him out of the ring. Umaga charged Lashley, but Lashley dodged it and pulled the ropes down. Umaga went over the top rope and landed on the floor. Armando is totally out. Vince convinced Umaga to get back in the ring and fight.
Umaga got back in and dodged a Lashley charge and Lashley went through the ropes and landed on the floor. Umaga got Lashley back into the ring and hit a splash for a two count. Umaga choked Lashley against the bottom rope. Austin told him to break, and when he didn't, Austin slapped Umaga in the back. Umaga and Austin had a staredown. Umaga choked Lashley again, and Austin pulled him off by the hair. They had a staredown again. Lashley hit Umaga with some shots, but Umaga took him down with a clothesline. Umaga used the second rope to hit a Bonsai Splash on Lashley, then hit a second. Lashley came back with some punches, but Umaga caught him with a Samoan Drop.
Lashley went to lift Umaga for a slam, but fell under the weight and Umaga went down on top. Vince got on the ring apron. Umaga went to slam Lashley, but Lashley floated over and bounced into the ropes, knocking Vince to the floor. Umaga gave Lashley a faceplant. Umaga went to the top rope, but Lashley went over and slammed him off the top. Lashley hit Umaga with a running clothesline, and both men were down. Austin counted both men down, but stopped at nine, refusing to end the match in a draw. Austin said there would be no countouts in the match. Shane McMahon came down to help up Vince, who had been lying on the floor since being knocked off the apron.
Umaga got up and hit Lashley with some punches, then choked him in the corner. Austin pulled Umaga off by fish hooking his eye. Shane McMahon got on the apron, but Austin chased him away. Umaga gave Austin the Samoan Spike, knocking him to the floor. Shane McMahon got in the ring and gave Lashley some right hands. Lashley grabbed Shane for a suplex, but Umaga hit him. Shane stomped Lashley down in the corner, and Umaga gave him the running posterior shot in the corner. Vince got a trash can out from under the ring, and Umaga held it over Lashley in the corner. Shane went to the top rope and hit the Coast To Coast dropkick, crushing the trash can into Lashley's face.
Shane McMahon took off his shirt and jacket, and had a referee's shirt on. Shane pulled Lashley into the center of the ring, and Umaga hit a top rope splash. Shane counted two, but Steve Austin pulled Shane out of the ring, hit a series of right hands and tossed him into the ring steps. Austin got into the ring and Umaga hit him with another Samoan Spike. Austin was down, and McMahon trash talked him from the floor. Trump gave McMahon a clothesline on the floor and hit a few punches. There's your highlight moment for the new programs. In the ring, Umaga lifted up Austin for a third spike, but Austin ducked it and hit a stunner on Umaga. Lashley hit a spear and covered Umaga and got the pin at the fourteen minute mark.
Winner: Bobby Lashley.
Austin grabbed Vince on the floor and tossed him into the ring. Shane attacked Austin, but Austin gave Shane a Thesz press. Austin gave Shane a series of right hands, an elbowdrop, and a stunner. Meanwhile, Vince was trying to sneak off. Austin was raising Trump and Lashley's hands in the ring, when they saw Vince escaping. Lashley ran down the aisle, scooped up McMahon and brought him back to the ring. McMahon yelled at Lashley from the ring, and backed into Austin. Austin gave Vince a stunner, and Lashley put him in the chair.
Austin held down Vince while Lashley and Trump used razors to shave Vince bald. Vince screamed for them to stop, but they shaved it all off. Ross joked that we now knew the truth, and that it was Vince's real hair all along. They played the "Bald Headed Blues" as Lashley and Trump put Shaving cream on Vince's head, and then used razors on it. Austin was drinking a beer. They unstrapped Vince from the chair, and Lashley had a mirror to show Vince how he looked. Vince saw his bald head, and tried to fall back over the chair, but the chair wouldn't topple, so Steve Austin knocked it over. Bald Vince staggered down the aisle. Steve Austin had a beer celebration with Trump and Lashley in the ring. Austin then gave Trump a stunner and walked off. Trump takes a stunner like Linda McMahon takes one. Austin walked off, while Lashley checked on Trump in the ring. Austin gave a double bird from the stage as Lashley helped Trump from the ring.
They showed the finish from the dark match earlier tonight, which saw Carlito & Ric Flair defeat Chavo Guerrero & Gregory Helms in a Lumberjack tag match when Carlito gave Guerrero the backcracker.
WWE Women's Champion Melina vs. Ashley in a Lumber Jill Match with Kristal, Victoria, Layla, Jillian Hall, Candice Michelle, Kelly Kelly, Trinity, Torrie Wilson, Brooke, Michelle McCool and Mickie James surrounding the ring.
JBL and Michael Cole got to call this one. Melina had a fur covered hooded jacket as part of her ring gear. Ashley hit some punches at the start and Melina rolled to the floor, and was tossed back in. Ashley rolled her up for a two count. Melina tripped Ashley into the ropes and choked her with her boot. Ashley hit some forearms and punches and choked Melina. Melina screamed "You think you are better than me?" and choked her against the ropes. Melina gave Ashley a Giant Swing and got a two count. Melina choked Ashley. Melina put Ashley in a surfboard, and drove her face first into the mat. Ashley grabbed a flying headscissors and whipped Melina across the ring and did a monkeyflip. Ashley missed a second rope elbow and Melina got a two count. Melina picked up Ashley, but she got behind her and rolled her up. Melina rolled through it into her own rollup, and got a Backlund Bridge for the pin at the four minute mark.
Winner: Melina.
Ashley sort of kicked Melina to the floor, and the babyface Divas threw her back in the ring. There was a very brief all Diva catfight in the ring. The heel Divas then left with Melina and the belt, and the babyface Divas were left standing in the ring.
They showed the results of another WWE Text message poll, which saw John Cena favored with 59% of the vote over Shawn Michaels. A video package on the events leading to the main event were shown.Ãâ
WWE Champion John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels entered to the DX music, and was not wearing his World Tag Team Title belt. They did a big video entrance for John Cena with him supposedly driving into the building in a Ford Mustang and going through a glass wall with the Wrestlemania logo on it. As they were about to lock up, a fan ran in the ring and was removed. Shawn sat on the top turnbuckle and watched him being removed (they didn't show the fan on camera).
Shawn Michaels called Cena into center ring for a handshake. Cena refused, so Michaels slapped him and then decked him with some right hands. Michaels gave him a crotch chop. Michaels applied a side headlock, then went into a hammerlock. They traded reversals, then Michaels ducked Cena's punches and delivered his own punches and chops. Cena slumped down in a corner, frustrated. They locked up again, and Michaels hit some short arm shoulderblocks. Michaels took Cena down with a side mare. Cena rose up, and Michaels took him down with a side mare again. Michaels worked Cena over with the side headlock, but Cena got to his feet and shoved it off. Cena missed a clothesline and an elbow, but hit a second clothesline attempt to a chorus of boos.
Michaels sat in a corner and stared at Cena. He got to his feet and Cena hit a shoulderblock, but Michaels came back with a Thesz press and a series of right hands. Cena tossed Michaels to the apron, but Michaels hiptossed Cena from the apron to the floor. Michaels chopped Cena on the floor and hit an enzugiri. Michaels got on the apron and hit a second rope springboard moonsault onto a standing Cena on the floor. They crashed into the announce table, which didn't break. Michaels tossed Cena into the ring and hit a chop, then forearmed him in the corner. Michaels hit some chops, then whopped Cena hard across the ring. Cena tried to catch Michaels with a boot as he charged in, but Michaels caught the kick and pounded Cena's leg. Michaels stomped the leg, then dragged it outside and whipped the leg into the ringpost. In the ring, Michaels hit a kneedrop to the leg and chopblocked it.
Michaels chopped Cena, then went back after the leg, wrapping it around the middle rope and yanking on it. Michaels kicked at Cena's leg, then hit a chopblock. Michaels got in Cena's face and said something, but it wasn't audible. Michaels worked on the leg some more, then Cena fired off a few punches. Michaels returned fire with chops, but Cena was getting more out of his punches, finally decking Michaels. Michaels got up and rammed Cena back into the corner with a shoulderblock. Michaels kicked at Cena's leg, and they went returned to the punch-kick thing. Michaels went for a shoulderblock and Cena moved, and Michaels went head first into the ring post. Michaels was busted open.
Cena hit a running clothesline and a series or right hands on the mat. Cena hit a flying shoulderblock, then a second. Cena gave him a back suplex into a powerbomb, then did the "You Can't See Me" to a mixed reaction of mostly boos. Cena hit the Five Knuckle Shuffle fistdrop. Cena went for the FU, but Michaels floated out and hit a chop. Cena reversed a whip and Michaels went upside down in a corner. Michaels ducked a Cena punch, and Cena almost hit the referee. Michaels went for a superkick, but Cena ducked and the referee got knocked out of the ring. Cena went for the FU, but Michaels reversed it into a DDT. Both men were down on the mat.
Michaels rolled to the floor and took apart the ring steps. Michaels went took Cena outside the ring and gave him a piledriver on the bottom half of the ring steps. Cena was bleeding from the back of the head. Michaels rolled Cena into the ring, and a second referee eventually came out. Michaels covered Cena, but he got his shoulder up at two. Michaels lifted up Cena, but Cena reversed his attempted whip. Michaels rebounded off the ropes and hit a flying forearm. Michaels kipped up, then hit a top rope elbowdrop. Michaels started stomping in the corner, but Cena lunged at him and hit a clothesline.
Cena and Michaels got to their feet and exchanged punches. Cena scooped up Michaels for an FU, but Michaels floated over into a sunset flip for a two count. Michaels went for a Thesz Press again, but Cena caught it and hit the FU. Cena covered, but only got a two count. Cena put Michaels on the top rope and set up for a second rope FU. Michaels elbowed out of it, and punched Cena to the mat. Michaels hit a flying bodypress, but Cena rolled through it, got to his feet holding Michaels and went for the FU Michaels flipped out of it and went for a superkick, but Cena ducked it and tripped Michaels. Cena went for the STFU, but Michaels rolled over and Cena went for it again, but Michaels turned it into a cradle for a two count.
Michaels went for an enzugiri, but Cena ducked it and hooked in the STFU. Michaels made the ropes, and Cena finally broke the hold. The referee warned Cena that he has to break on the ropes, and the momentary distraction allowed Michaels to nail Cena with the superkick as he turned around. Michaels crawled onto Cena for a two count. Both men were down, and slowly got up, leaning on each other. Cena went to lift Michaels for the FU, but Michaels floated out and Cena went right into the STFU in the center ring. Michaels struggled a bit, then tapped out at the twenty-eight minute mark.
Winner: John Cena.
Cena celebrated in the ring, then went in the aisle where Michaels was walking out. He tried to turn Michaels around, but Michaels walked off. Michaels turned around halfway down the aisle, and Cena saluted him. Cena then went back in the ring to continue his post-match celebration. Confetti dropped down as the show ended.
One final note, Vince McMahon and Donald Trump are scheduled to appear on The Today Show tomorrow morning.
