Welcome to the latest edition of our WrestleMania Rewind series, written by yours truly, exclusively for everyone here at SLTD Wrestling. The aim of WrestleMania Rewind is to review every WrestleMania in roughly 2,000 words. Click here to read the series so far.
We’re getting towards the end of our look back at old WrestleManias. Today our spotlight shines on WrestleMania 23 – supposedly where WrestleMania was “all grown up”. Given that the PPV took place on April Fools Day in 2007, I’m not sure if that was a joke from WWE to us or not.
I don’t know about that, but to be fair, the crowd certainly grew in the 12 months between 22 and 23. Over 80,000 people crammed in to the Ford Field in Detroit, which is a monstrous crowd. For the first time, we had 3 sets of English commentators – JR & The King for Raw, Michael Cole & JBL for SmackDown and ECW were represented by Joey Styles & Tazz. Let’s get down to the action.
Match 1: Money in the Bank Ladder Match – Jeff Hardy vs King Booker vs Finlay vs CM Punk vs Mr Kennedy vs Matt Hardy vs Randy Orton vs Edge
The first big spot sees Finlay come off the top rope and splash the others at ringside. Edge sets a ladder across the apron to the barrier. Booker goes on a spinebuster spree in the ring and we see some double-team action from the Hardys until Finlay pushes them off a ladder. Edge hits about half a dozen Spears, then Punk wears folk out with a ladder.
Edge brings a giant ladder into play and Orton pushes him off. Jeff Hardy climbs the giant ladder and flies off, crashing through Edge, through the ladder between the apron and the barrier. Orton hits RKOs on Matt Hardy, Kennedy and Finlay before RKO’ing Punk off the ladder.
Booker hits Orton with the Book End, only to turn into the Twist of Fate. Finlay pushes Hardy off the ladder, then Celtic Crosses him on it! Hornswoggle appears and climbs the ladder. Kennedy Green Bay Plunges him off it, only for Finlay to blast Kennedy with the ladder. Punk dropkicks Finlay off the ladder. Kennedy knocks Punk off it, and gets the briefcase.
Opinion: There was a hell of a lot going on, but that’s to be expected when there are eight different men in a ladder match! The spot with Hardy and the giant ladder made me wince when I saw it again. Yes, it’s a cool spot but it’s flat-out dangerous! A fabulous way to open the show.
Match 2: The Great Khali vs Kane
Khali dominates and uses a nervehold. Kane rocks Khali with a series of rights and a top rope clothesline, but can’t knock the big man down. They exchange right hands til Khali chops Kane down. Khali rips the turnbuckle pad off. Kane low-blows Khali with a chain, and gets a 2-count from a slam. Khali gets the win off a double-handed chokeslam.
Opinion: The nicest thing I can say about it is that at least it didn’t last too long. This was an up-to-date version of Undertaker/Gonzalez from WM9. Horrific.
Match 3: WWE United States Championship Match – MVP vs Chris Benoit (c)
MVP has the edge early and has a counter for everything Benoit throws at him, which is a recurring theme throughout the match, to be honest. He counters a Superplex with an armwringer off the top rope to get the first nearfall, then works Benoit’s left arm. MVP cuts off the top rope headbutt with a Superplex and sends Benoit shoulder first into the ringpost for another 2-count. Benoit gets back into it when MVP misses a big boot in the corner, hits his second trifecta of German Suplexes and the top rope headbutt to retain his title.
Opinion: It’s not an exaggeration to say that MVP dominated this match and he shone in this environment. He had a lot of potential and I can’t believe he didn’t become a bigger star in the WWE. He could talk, was technically sound and had charisma. It baffles me.
Match 4: World Heavyweight Championship Match – Batista (c) vs The Undertaker
Batista gets the best of an early ringside brawl, and earns a couple of nearfalls. They exchange right hands and Taker has the best of it. He lands two clotheslines and follows up with Snake Eyes, a big boot and a legdrop for 2. Taker sends Batista into the steps outside before landing an elbow and a legdrop on the apron, then SOARS over the top rope and takes Batista out with a clothesline.
More ringside brawling sees Batista send Taker flying into the timekeeper’s area to get the advantage, then he running powerslams Taker through the ECW announce table! He rolls Taker back in and gets 2, and gets another from a belly-to-belly suplex. Taker counters mounted punches in the corner with a Last Ride for 2.
Batista connects with a thunderous spinebuster. Taker replies with a chokeslam for a nearfall. Batista counters the Tombstone with a Spear and the Batista Bomb for 2. Taker sends Batista into the corner and catches him in the Tombstone on the way out to become the new World Heavyweight Champion.
Opinion: Batista had his boo-boo face on when he came out, so if anyone wasn’t sure if he was gonna win or lose beforehand, they knew as soon as they saw him. For two big guys, they put together a hell of a match that was exceptionally physical, to say the least.
Match 5: ECW Originals (RVD, Tommy Dreamer, Sabu & The Sandman) vs The New Breed (Elijah Burke, Marcus Cor Von, Matt Striker & Kevin Thorn) (w/Ariel)
Sabu’s springboarding all over the place early. Sandman gets a 2-count on Striker from a legdrop. Tags to Burke and Dreamer. The heels isolate Dreamer. Burke gets a 2-count off an Elijah Express in the corner. There’s a succession of quick tags between the New Breed and they get a series of 2-counts on Dreamer. Hot tag to RVD, who cleans house. There’s a bit of a melee, which leads to RVD hitting the 5-Star Frog Splash on Striker to give the Originals the win.
Opinion: It was great to see some of the original ECW guys appear at WrestleMania. The match was fun for what it was, but it didn’t mean a whole hell of a lot in the long run.
Match 6: Battle of the Billionaires – Umaga (w/Vince McMahon & Armando Estrada) vs Bobby Lashley (w/Donald Trump)
***The representative of the wrestler who loses the match gets his head shaved bald***
Austin’s the special guest referee. Both men fly outside early and neither man has a clear advantage. Umaga probably just shades it and no more. Shane McMahon comes out. Austin gets distracted and turns into a Samoan Spike from Umaga. With Austin out of it, Shane and Umaga double-team Lashley. Shane hits the Coast to Coast on Lashley with a trash can, then reveals a referee’s shirt!
Umaga lands a top rope splash before Austin pulls Shane out and wails on him outside. Umaga wipes out Austin with a SECOND Samoan Spike. Outside, Trump clotheslines Vince. Austin comes back in, Stuns Umaga and Lashley gets the pin from a Spear.
Opinion: This was one-half of the biggest grossing Mania main-event of all-time. That’s crazy huh?!?! This was really fun. Say what you will about big guys, but these two were really athletic and even with all the outside shenanigans, you couldn’t help but be entertained by it. At the end of the day, the Donald “Trumped” Vince. You’re welcome…
Match 7: Lumberjill Match for the WWE Women’s Championship – Ashley vs Melina (c)
This was horrible. Thankfully, it didn’t last long. Melina wins after rolling through a roll-up.
Opinion: The less said about this, the better. Honestly, horrible doesn’t even begin to cover it. It was clunky and they didn’t have good chemistry together. I can’t understand why Mickie James wasn’t in this match instead. Now THAT would’ve been something to see!
Match 8: WWE Championship Match – Shawn Michaels vs John Cena (c)
Michaels outwrestles, and out-thinks, Cena from the start, using a side headlock before sending Cena outside. Michaels lands a springboard moonsault on Cena on the announce table. Michaels is dictating the pace and dominating, working Cena’s left knee. Cena gets back in it when he avoids a shoulderblock in the corner, which sends Michaels into the ringpost, busting him open.
Cena makes his comeback and hits the Five Knuckle Shuffle. Michaels avoids the F-U and goes to hit Cena with Sweet Chin Music, but he hits the ref! Michaels counters the F-U with a DDT. A ringside fight ends with Michaels piledriving Cena on the steps. He rolls Cena back in for 2. Michaels goes on to hit his signature moves til Cena counters Sweet Chin Music with a clothesline. Michaels rolls through the F-U for 2, but Cena hits it at the third attempt to get a nearfall.
There’s an amazing sequence where Cena rolls through a top rope crossbody, Michaels avoids the F-U again and gets a 2-count from a modified inside cradle. Cena eventually gets Michaels in the STF-U, but Michaels gets to the ropes to force the break. Cena argues with the ref and Michaels blasts him with Sweet Chin Music for 2. Michaels is able to avoid the F-U again, but doesn’t escape the STF-U and taps to give Cena the win.
Opinion: For the fourth WrestleMania in a row, WWE followed the same formula for a John Cena match. And I don’t just mean Cena going over. Or kicking out at 2. I mean having a more experienced opponent dominate the match, but give Cena his five minutes to kick out of things at 2 before getting the win. Michaels did a tremendous job in this match of making Cena look good. Cena even sold the damage to his knee at one point, so that’s something! A terrific main-event, mainly down to Michaels.
Summary: I think I’m right in saying that this is the highest-grossing WrestleMania of all-time in terms of buyrates, which is phenomenal when you think about it. The crowd was pretty well-rounded and the show flowed well. It didn’t peak too early and the crowd were pretty much hot for everything.
As far as stand-out matches go, Batista/Undertaker just shades it for me. Only because you wouldn’t expect to get a match as good as that out of two men of that size. Michaels/Cena was a terrific match, but it just felt like a rehash of the HHH/Cena match from the year before. At least Batista/Undertaker was more original, even if Big Dave did have his “I’m doing the job” face on as he made his way to the ring.
This WrestleMania also marks the end of me feeling awkward watching matches that involve Chris Benoit. Less than 3 months after this PPV, he murdered his wife and son before committing suicide. Regardless of how good he was as a wrestler, it’s those acts which define him. Thankfully, I won’t have to watch any of his matches again.
Hopefully, you enjoyed that quick look back at WrestleMania 23. Leave your comments/feedback via the usual channels, and join me again tomorrow to revisit WrestleMania 24!
SLTD Wrestling's resident Scottish Nightmare. Some of my content may not be suitable for younger readers or those who are easily offended!
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