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’ve arrived at WrestleMania 24 today, which took place from Orlando’s Citrus Bowl in front of just under 75,000 fans on March 30th, 2008. Again, we had 3 English commentary teams – JR & The King handled the Raw matches, Michael Cole & Jonathan Coachman handled SmackDown, and Joey Styles & Tazz chipped in whenever ECW stars were involved. Time to get down to business and discuss the nine matches on the card.
Match 1: Belfast Brawl – JBL vs Finlay
Finlay sends JBL into the steps before the bell. The brawl continues with weapons brought into play. Finlay counters a piledriver into a back bodydrop. JBL floors Finlay with a big boot and follows up with right hands. A distraction from Hornswoggle allows Finlay to rattle JBL with the shillelagh.
Finlay goes for a suicide dive, only for JBL to blast him in the head with a trashcan lid for 2. Finlay retaliates with some shots of his own with both the trashcan, and the lid. He lands the Celtic Cross, which sends JBL through a table. JBL picks up the win with a kendo shot to the knee and the Clothesline from Hell.
Opinion: A hot opener for the crowd. If you’re a wrestling purist, this wasn’t for you, but if you’re someone who loves smashmouth, physical matches, you’ll have loved this. It was definitely entertaining.
Match 2: Money in the Bank Ladder Match – John Morrison vs Carlito vs Shelton Benjamin vs Mr Kennedy vs CM Punk vs Chris Jericho vs MVP
Morrison wipes out four people at ringside, using a ladder as he moonsaults. We see a powerplex off a ladder involving Benjamin, Kennedy and Morrison. As with last year, there’s a ladder bridged between the apron and the barrier. Kennedy and Carlito tip Benjamin off the ladder, and he crashes through the one that’s bridged at ringside to take him out.
Jericho puts Morrison in the Walls of Jericho over the top of a ladder. Punk and Carlito springboard onto ladders to brawl with Kennedy and Jericho respectively, but they crash and burn soon after. With MVP about to win, Matt Hardy appears through the crowd and Twist of Fates him off the ladder. Punk traps Jericho in the ladder and retrieves the briefcase.
Opinion: This was almost on par with the original MiTB match back at WM21. The crowd were super into everyone and WWE made the right call with the participants. They also used the match to further the Hardy/MVP story, as well as elevate Punk to the next level. Tremendous stuff.
Match 3: Umaga vs Batista
The first thing I noticed was that the farting firework man (aka Batista) didn’t have his boo-boo face on. Guess he’s not doing the job right?
He rocks Umaga with a series of rights and sends him outside. Umaga nails Batista with a spinning heel kick that sends HIM outside. Umaga gets a 2-count from a splash and dominates, working Batista’s back with a nervehold and a series of power moves. He gets a 2 from a Samoan Drop. Batista makes his comeback when Umaga misses a splash and hits the ringpost instead. Batista picks up the win with a spinebuster and a very sloppy (and dangerous) looking Batista Bomb.
Opinion: That’s right folks. Everything’s right with the world now that the farting firework man got back on the winning track at Mania. This was decent, with Umaga dominating, but that Batista Bomb looked terrible. Honestly. Go back and watch it. Also, any time you get to hear William Regal say UMAN-GA, it’s a good time.
Match 4: ECW World Championship Match – Chavo Guerrero (c) vs Kane
***Kane won a battle royal on the pre-show to earn his title shot***
Kane appears from behind Chavo and chokeslams him to win.
Opinion: A squash match that meant nothing. Something I picked up here (as well as during the MiTB match) was that Joey Styles could not have sounded less interested if he’d tried. Maybe he knew what was to become of WWECW.
Match 5: Career Threatening Match – Shawn Michaels vs Ric Flair (if Flair loses, he has to retire)
I was in tears before the match even got started, during the pre-match video package.
Flair gets the first 2-count off a top rope crossbody! He goes for the figure-4, but Michaels kicks him off to the outside and follows up with a baseball slide. Michaels goes for a springboard moonsault. Flair avoids it and Michaels goes crashing into the announce table. Back in the ring, Flair goes on the attack, working Michaels’ ribs, and gets a couple of 2s from a back – and double-underhook – suplex. Michaels gets back in it with a swinging neckbreaker and back bodydrops Flair outside. He follows up with a springboard moonsault.
They exchange chops back in the ring. Michaels hits his flying forearm and signature moves, leading to the top rope elbow, which he lands, but doesn’t pin Flair. He goes for Sweet Chin Music, but hesitates. Flair doesn’t, and slaps Michaels in the figure-4! Michaels reverses it to force the break.
They exchange chops again, and Flair gets a 2 from a bridge. Flair’s on the attack. Michaels counters the figure-4 into an inside cradle for 2, but Flair goes back to the figure-4. Michaels gets to the ropes to force the break, and hits Sweet Chin Music for 2. Michaels gets Flair in a waistlock, only for Naitch to low-blow him behind the ref’s back for 2! Michaels then puts Flair into the figure-4. Flair escapes with a thumb to the eye, and gets a 2 from a roll-up.
They exchange chops and Michaels hits another Sweet Chin Music. And here it comes…the now infamous “I’m sorry. I love you” line and image, where Michaels hits a third Sweet Chin Music to win.
Opinion: Damn you Shawn Michaels. Damn you Ric Flair. Damn you straight to hell. I was in pieces during this match. Both when I watched the PPV live, and again now doing this series. Talk about an emotional rollercoaster! Even though we all really knew that Flair was going to lose, we didn’t know how it was going to happen. And those two go ahead and deliver this! Bastards. I hate them. And love them. Damn… This is what wrestling’s supposed to be. Both in terms of match quality and pure emotion. I doubt there’ll ever be a spectacle like this. EVER…
Match 6: Playboy BunnyMania Lumberjill Match – Beth Phoenix & Melina (w/Santino Marella) vs Ashley & Maria
The babyfaces take turns to work Melina until Ashley gets isolated by the heels. When Ashley makes the hot-tag to Melina, the lights go out! Maria gets a couple of 2s from a crossbody and countering a double Chickenwing. There’s a distraction with Lawler and Marella outside, which allows Beth Phoenix to get the win with a Fisherman’s Suplex.
Opinion: Not that great to be honest, but that’s what happens when the teams are uneven. If Beth or Melina had been on the other side, or even a Mickie James to some extent, then the quality would’ve been better. But it was OK. Certainly better than most Divas matches of today.
Match 7: Triple-Threat Match for the WWE Championship – John Cena vs Triple H vs Randy Orton (c)
Orton blasts H with the belt early and gets dominated by Cena. H comes back in and dumps both Cena and Orton outside. H and Cena argue, giving Orton the advantage and he gets a 2-count on both of them with a pair of kneedrops. A series of counters leads to Orton getting a 2 on Cena with a Sunset Flip. Orton lands a double draping DDT on both of them for another pair of 2s. Orton takes Cena out at ringside, leaving him to go at it with H.
H works Orton’s right leg. An RKO out of nowhere sends H outside. Cena puts Orton in the STF-U, but H stops Orton from tapping and sends Cena into the steps. Cena returns the favour by breaking an Indian Death Lock on Orton and throwing H out, before going back to the STF-U. H comes back and puts Cena in the Crossface, but Cena gets to the ropes.
Cena and H exchange right hands. H lands an AA (that’s Arn Anderson) spinebuster and counters the F-U into a Pedigree. Orton punt kicks H to break the pin and covers Cena himself to retain the title.
Opinion: I’d actually forgotten how good this triple-threat was. Orton dominated for the most part and was able to withstand the offense of both Cena and H, and deserved to win. It would’ve been a travesty if he’d have lost this match.
Match 8: Big Show vs Floyd Mayweather
Yes, you did read that correctly. This is a match between the Big Show and Floyd Mayweather. This is why WWE have celebrities involved in WrestleMania. They must’ve creamed their pants at the mainstream media attention this attracted.
Obviously, Mayweather spends most of the encounter trying to avoid Show. Show eventually catches him and wears him out. Show starts wiping out Mayweather’s people left, right and centre. Mayweather uses a chair and low-blows Show. He delivers the KO blow with brass knucks to win.
Opinion: In terms of the media attention it got, then this match served its purpose. As a spectacle it was great. You can’t compare this to a wrestling match. It’s not in the same league.
Match 9: World Heavyweight Championship Match – The Undertaker vs Edge (c)
Taker has the best of the early going and a double-counter of Old School leads to Taker arm-dragging Edge. Taker launches himself at Edge in the corner. He connects but flies outside to give Edge the advantage. Edge works Taker’s back both in and out of the ring. He gets the first nearfall off a crossbody. Taker’s back in it when he sends Edge off the top rope to the outside, and follows him – soaring over the top rope to land a clothesline. He follows up with a legdrop on the apron to get a 2.
Edge gets back in it with a big boot. He goes back to working Taker’s back with a half Boston Crab. Taker shifts his weight to get a 2, but Edge goes back to the submission. Taker gets back in it with the best of a fistfight. He hits Snake Eyes, but Edge counters the big boot with a dropkick for 2. He counters the chokeslam twice and the second leads to a 2-count from a DDT. Taker replies with a counter of his own – a knee to counter the Spear – and gets a 2 from a chokeslam.
Edge counters Old School for the second time by crotching Taker on the top rope and delivering a Superplex for another nearfall. An exchange of counters leads to another nearfall as Edge gets a 2 from a neckbreaker. Undertaker gets a nearfall from the Last Ride. Edge counters a Tombstone with the Edge-O-Matic for 2. Taker lands Old School at the THIRD attempt, but Edge ducks the big boot, which wipes the referee out and he low-blows Taker.
Edge blasts him with a TV camera. Taker counters a Tombstone into one of his own for 2. Hawkins & Ryder come out. Taker takes care of them with ease but turns into a Spear for 2. Edge hits a second one, but as he goes to pin Taker, the Deadman locks him in Hell’s Gate and Edge taps.
Opinion: A tremendous wrestling match. Not as good as Michaels/Flair (not a lot is), but taking it as a standalone encounter, this was terrific. You could probably tell that there was a hell of a lot of counters! The story was that Edge had an answer for everything…except for Hell’s Gate. A very under-rated match. I’m not quite sure why…
Summary: Overall, this is definitely one of the better WrestleManias, but not a lot of people remember it, which surprises me. Aside from the ECW Championship and Divas matches, everything on the card was three stars at least, with Michaels/Flair and Taker/Edge well over the four mark.
I felt emotionally drained after the Michaels/Flair match. I’m not lying/exaggerating when I say that I was in pieces watching it. There were tears literally streaming down my face, even though I already knew the outcome. Although the Divas match wasn’t great, it was in the perfect place on the card to let everyone try to gather themselves after Flair’s “retirement”.
The highlights of the show were the aforementioned Flair and World Championship matches, as well as MiTB. Almost everything on the card delivered and it was a good way to spend a few hours.
Hopefully, you enjoyed that quick look back at WrestleMania 24. Leave your comments/feedback via the usual channels, and join me again tomorrow to revisit WrestleMania 25!
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