25th Anniversary Of WrestleMania
Houston, Texas
April 5, 2009 - 7PM ET/ 5PM PT/ 12AM GMT
Matches:
WWE Championship
Triple H (WWE Champion) Vs Randy Orton
No words needed to be spoken. No blows exchanged.
Everything - all the shock, the pain, the suppressed rage - everything was written deeply into the lines on their faces. An incensed Triple H knelt beside the limp body of his wife, Stephanie McMahon, and locked eyes with Randy Orton, the man who, moments earlier, had rendered his beloved unconscious with an RKO and slithered from the ring. It was in that white-hot moment that both men recognized that a line had been crossed, that matters between them were now far too personal to ever be the same again. (WATCH)
With that anguish still seared into his conscience, WWE Champion Triple H will face down the challenge of his tormentor as he and Orton meet in a WWE Championship Match at the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania. The Game, however, cannot allow his emotions to rage untethered as Orton convinced Raw's interim General Manager Vickie Guerrero to stipulate that Triple H will lose the title if he gets disqualified or counted out.
A month prior to his RKO on Stephanie, Orton's path had intersected with his former partner in Evolution at the Royal Rumble during which Triple H faced down the onslaught not only of Orton but also of his "Legacy" henchmen, Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase. While The Cerebral Assassin, alone with Legacy, managed to lay waste to two of the second-generation Superstars, the numbers would overcome him, and Orton would emerge victorious, ensuring himself a match at the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania.
Orton's violent journey toward Triple H would persist as he continued to put one foot in front of the other - his right foot to be precise.
In a fit of unchecked aggression, Orton punted Mr. McMahon in the skull with that punishing foot just as The Chairman appeared ready to fire him. While Triple H and his father-in-law have shared a well-documented contempt for one another over the years, it's one thing to quarrel with a family member, but it's quite another when someone else does it.
Ever proud, The King of Kings must have looked upon Orton's despicable actions as an insult to all that the McMahon family has achieved, all that with which Triple H now finds himself inextricably intertwined.
Orton, however, would not stop there. Seemingly blinded with rage, the Legend Killer then trained his sights on Shane. Understandably livid, the younger McMahon sought to avenge his father, going so far as to agree to a No Holds Barred Match with Orton at No Way Out. Like his father, Shane would succumb to the treacherous dealings of the Legend Killer, who, with help from "Legacy," dropped the progeny with a painful RKO.
For weeks afterward, the combustion between Orton and the McMahon family grew ever more intense until finally the flames of animosity were fanned into a rampaging blaze.
Sparked by Orton's anger, or what he classified as IED (Intermittent Explosive Disorder), the Legend Killer employed Rhodes and DiBiase again during a match against Shane on Raw. As McMahon geared up to go Coast-to-Coast on his opponent, Orton's lackeys interrupted, pummeling Shane and leaving him dazed on the mat. Unfortunately for Shane, his problems were only just beginning. In a sick rerun of events a month prior, Orton booted Shane in the skull, rendering him unconscious. That's when a distraught Stephanie rushed to her brother's side only to find herself leveled with an RKO. See this and more in RK-Ode...
The sight of his wife lying unconscious at the hands of Orton was almost too much for Triple H to bear. The following week, The Game would exact a small measure of revenge. Wielding his always convincing sledgehammer, Triple H punished both Rhodes and DiBiase. For his part, Orton narrowly escaped, finally fleeing the carnage in a car.
While he may have fled, Orton could not find solace - even within the certain comfort of his home in St. Louis. On a startlingly memorable Raw, The Cerebral Assassin took a field trip to The Legend Killer's abode to seek Orton's blood. Tearing through the Orton household with sledgehammer in tow, Triple H exacted the physical damage he sought. After driving his foe through the front window of his own house, the WWE Champion was apprehended by the authorities, at risk of criminal charges and the cancellation of his confrontation with Orton at WrestleMania. Watch the home invasion...
But the Legacy leader had other plans and other intentions than to have The Game incarcerated. Despite Orton's own mandate that barred physicality between he and the WWE Champion until WrestleMania, The Legend Killer decided that his WWE Title opportunity was the more important factor. Thus, the No. 1 contender proclaimed that it would be he who renders judgment upon The Cerebral Assassin, under "Orton's law."
Under The Legend Killer's rule or not, at WrestleMania there will be no escape. The situation has grown far too personal. While there's no telling what depths Orton will plumb in order to save himself, there's also no telling just how far Triple H is willing to go to seek vengeance for those he holds so dear - his family.
World Heavyweight Championship
Edge (World Heavyweight Champion) Vs John Cena Vs Big Show
Vickie Guerrero works in mysterious ways.
First, the General Manager of SmackDown pitted her husband, World Heavyweight Champion Edge, in a title match against the thunderous presence of Big Show at the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania. Then, two weeks later, she allows her nemesis John Cena to round out the third in a World Heavyweight Championship Triple Threat Match. (WATCH)
It seemed like a tall order just for The Ultimate Opportunist to withstand the blunt force trauma of a Big Show fist. Now, with Cena firmly in the mix, Edge's chances slimmed significantly.
Then again, Vickie has proven her cunning in the past like when she substituted Edge into the World Heavyweight Title Elimination Chamber Match at No Way Out. The R-Rated Superstar had just relinquished his WWE Championship less than two hours earlier, when Vickie offered him both the slot of an ailing Kofi Kingston and a shot at redemption.
Edge emerged from Satan's Structure victorious, taking the title from former champion Cena. Never one to let his sweatbands get too dry, Cena quickly challenged Edge to a rematch, but The Ultimate Opportunist seemed content to dodge the request.
Cena wouldn't hear of it. He vowed to track down the World Heavyweight Champion wherever he tried to hide, even traveling to SmackDown to force the issue. Unfortunately for Cena, he found more than he bargained for in the form of the 7-foot, 441 pound Big Show, who Vickie employed to fight the challenger.
Thanks to a distraction from Edge during the bout, Show managed to clock Cena with a knockout punch and level him with a high-altitude chokeslam.
It seemed as if Cena's hopes of a World Heavyweight Title challenge might be dashed. But that was before Cena discovered Vickie's secret: Edge's wife was having an affair with The World's Largest Athlete! Cena exposed this juicy nugget only after Vickie allowed him entry into the World Heavyweight Title Triple Threat Match.
Now that Edge realizes Show's betrayal, how will the champion target his newfound nemesis? And how will Cena's participation effect the dynamic in this volatile mixture? And what role will Vickie Guerrero play, now that she has made it clear to both Edge and Big Show that the winner of this match will be the man she gives her heart to?
Intercontinental Championship
JBL (Intercontinental Champion) Vs Rey Mysterio
Newly crowned Intercontinental Champion John "Bradshaw" Layfield finally has the opportunity to forge his own memorable moment at the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania. But he will need to contend with the equally fervent championship aspirations of Rey Mysterio.
Much like the U.S. financial market's continued recession, JBL's stock has fluctuated substantially in the past several months. With the paid services of Shawn Michaels, Layfield came within inches of fastening the World Heavyweight Title around his waist and heading into WrestleMania as the defending World Champion. Close, but not enough.
Soon after, HBK emancipated himself from employment under the self-made millionaire but their paths would intersect again as JBL contended with The Showstopper for the right to challenge Undertaker at The Biggest Spectacle of Them All. Failure found JBL yet again.
The Longhorn Loudmouth, however, continued to spew his noxious word and promised not only participation at WrestleMania, but also a history-altering performance. Then, when all but bottomed out, JBL's stock sky-rocketed when he went all in against CM Punk and stole the Intercontinental Title from the Straightedge Superstar. This win somewhat fulfilled the "wrestling god's" prophetic claims, as he became the first man to ever hold the WWE, WWE Tag Team, United States, European, Hardcore and, of course, Intercontinental Championships.
But watching Layfield's triumph closely was Mysterio, fresh off one of the most extraordinarily competitive and valiant displays of the year at No Way Out in the World Title Elimination Chamber Match. The Master of the 619, looking to reestablish his WrestleMania presence, issued a challenge to the Texas-born, New York City-tailored Superstar.
JBL agreed to the title match, but he may not have agreed to the ferocity that The Ultimate Underdog is certain to unleash when he competes on The Grandest Stage of Them All for the first time in three years. Due to injury, Mysterio missed action at the past two WrestleManias. In fact, the last time the masked Superstar danced on this unique stage was at WrestleMania 22 - the event where he did the impossible by capturing the World Title.
The five-and-a-half-foot Superstar left huge footsteps in the annals of WrestleMania in 2006 and he can certainly do it again if Mysterio were to claim the Intercontinental Championship - a title that has eluded his gloved clutches during his WWE career. Ironically, it was also two years ago when Mysterio sent JBL into retirement.
Extreme Rules Match
Brother Vs Brother
Matt Hardy Vs Jeff Hardy
At the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania, Jeff and Matt Hardy will battle each other in the squared circle, looking to settle a personal issue that is making their common blood boil down to the core. (WATCH)
They will settle their differences in an Extreme Rules Match, featuring no disqualifications and no count-outs. (Follow the Hardys in WWE.com's "Dueling Diaries")
Matt Hardy's actions in the past few weeks - slapping Jeff in the face after his brother refused to fight him, costing Jeff his chance at WrestleMania's Money in the Bank Match and finally alluding to the fact he may have been behind Jeff's recent, terrible "accidents" - are only a smaller part of a larger problem that has been building for some time.
Matt and Jeff Hardy came up in WWE when they were still teenagers. And through the years, there has always been a subtle whisper in the wind, a hint of friction accompanying their success. Perhaps the elder Matt Hardy was forced to pick up the slack for his free-spirited, "irresponsible" younger brother time and time again. And, as the two Superstars grew in the business, Matt would later say that this arrangement would consistently be a thorn in his side.
While Matt Hardy was forced to leave WWE due to injury, Jeff got himself suspended for destructive reasons of his own making. Jeff's misfortune continued when his house burned to the ground. However, upon returning, both brothers' fortunes immediately started to change. Matt won the ECW Championship and promised to be a fighting champion, tenaciously taking on all comers. Jeff Hardy worked through his problems and came back determined to be a World Champion, overcoming numerous obstacles in pursuit of that goal.
Then, several months ago, just one day before Jeff was set the make his attempt at the WWE Championship, the Charismatic Enigma was mysteriously attacked in a stairwell of his hotel. This ignited a series of unfortunate circumstances that included a hit and run "accident" and a pyrotechnics "accident," both of which left their mark on Jeff.
Something didn't add up about these instances and though many were suspected, for the time being, the culprit would remain a mystery. Although it was not known at the time, the dye had already been cast on the future of the Hardys.
Jeff Hardy continued to overcome his demons and at Armageddon, as he finally captured the WWE Championship. Both Hardys carried gold in what should have been a perfect realization of a family dream.
But, at the Royal Rumble, the fuse was lit that would instantly bring family disorder. After losing the ECW Championship to Jack Swagger weeks before, Matt Hardy lost his rematch for the Extreme gold. Then, later that night, when it looked like he was coming to the ring to help deal with SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero's interference in his brother's match, Matt stunned the WWE Universe by hitting Jeff with a steel chair, allowing Edge to get the three-count and in one instant, take away Jeff Hardy's dream.
Matt Hardy may have opened a wound that can never be closed. And now that Jeff has agreed to face his estranged brother at WrestleMania, it remains to be seen whether Houston's Reliant Stadium is reinforced enough to contain the firestorm that will be unleashed.
WWE Tag Team Unification Match
Carlito & Primo Vs John Morrison & The Miz
At the 25 Anniversary of WrestleMania, World Tag Team Champions The Miz & John Morrison will battle WWE Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo in a Unified WWE Tag Team Championship Lumberjack Match.
The brothers from San Juan shocked the WWE Universe when they interrupted a live taping of "The Dirt Sheet" on ECW on Sci Fi in order to issue the challenge of absolute historic significance. And though Nikki and Brie Bella seem conflicted about where their loyalties are, the WWE Universe is ecstatic to find out which tag team will reign supreme.
On the following ECW on Sci Fi, Carlito defeated Morrison after ECW General Manager Theodore Long announced the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship Match would include Lumberjacks. How will these Superstars contribute to which Tag Team walks away from Houston as the Unified WWE Tag Team Champions?
Problems started between the two decorated tag teams when Miz & Morrison won a non-title victory over the Colon Brothers several weeks ago, snatching the opportunity to take the Bella Twins out for Valentine's Day in the process. In addition to Carlito & Primo having to suffer the loss of affection from their favorite Divas, the "Dirt Sheet" duo was also given a chance at their gold. After Carlito & Primo successfully defended their titles two weeks later, rekindling Nikki and Brie's interest once more, they were in turn given an opportunity at the World Tag Team gold. Miz & Morrison roared back with a victory of their own, and the Divas' interests shifted yet again.
If one of these two outstanding duos can walk out of Reliant Stadium in Houston with all the gold, they will do more than simply prove their superiority or win the heart of the girl. They will change the very course of WWE tag team history forever.
The Streak Vs Mr WrestleMania
Shawn Michaels Vs The Undertaker
Only the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania would be an appropriate stage for two quintessential WWE icons - the celebrated innovator, Shawn Michaels, and the venerated spectre, Undertaker - to take arms. (WATCH)
At The Biggest Spectacle of Them All, the WWE Universe will witness a guaranteed timeless battle between The Showstopper and that which can not be stopped, The Phenom's unblemished winning streak.
WrestleMania canon bears a veritable who's who of WWE Superstars - including many past friends and foes alike of The Showstopper - that have fallen to the cold, callous grip of The Phenom. But while Undertaker's 16 remarkable victories against individuals of all types and talents stand irrefutable, it remains a rarely visited truth that The Deadman has never beaten HBK. (More on their history)
Like his opponent, Michaels has established his own niche at WWE's greatest annual extravaganza. HBK convincingly secured the moniker "Mr. WrestleMania" with leaps from ladder tops, the fulfillment his adolescent dream to be WWE Champion and, just last year, by ending careers of living legends.
Away from the glow and eminence of WrestleMania, for Michaels, it's been a long few months of hardship and internal turmoil born from unforeseen financial burden. Commencing 2009 as a conflicted and humbled man beneath the impugning thumb of John "Bradshaw" Layfield, HBK persevered to reclaim his stability and with it, his pride.
Reborn and given the opportunity to perform like only he can, Michaels not only conquered JBL, but also a well-equipped warrior from SmackDown territory in Vladimir Kozlov. On a critical edition of Monday Night Raw, HBK once again stopped the show, along with the pristine singles record of the Moscow Mauler - an individual who has pinned countless former World Champions in recent months. Michaels' dual triumphs against his former employer and Kozlov earned him the incontestable right to challenge The Deadman and the legendary 16-0 winning streak at WrestleMania.
Thus, it has been proven true that "it's hell getting into heaven," as Undertaker himself iterated to HBK at the Royal Rumble, in a moment that foreshadowed their imminent encounter. As fate would have it, the clouds have parted and the paradise alluded to by The Deadman is WrestleMania, where in order to ascertain immortality, Michaels must overcome a rather grim gatekeeper.
No doubt, both The Showstopper and his apparition-like opposition are two consummate performers who tend to excel on a stage of this caliber. Which of these dueling destinies will eclipse the other? Will the almost mythic streak of The Phenom be sacrificed? Or will the initials "HBK" be inscribed on the 17th headstone in Undertaker's macabre WrestleMania graveyard?
Money In The Bank
CM Punk Vs Mark Henry Vs US Champion Shelton Benjamin Vs Christian Vs Kofi Kingston Vs MVP Vs Finlay
Finlay defeated The Brian Kendrick on the March 13 edition of SmackDown to become the eighth and final Superstar to qualify for the Money in the Bank Ladder Match at the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania.
Finlay will compete in the Money in the Bank Ladder Match with Christian, CM Punk, Kane, Mark Henry, Shelton Benjamin, Kofi Kingston and new United States Champion Montel Vontavious Porter, who defeated Shelton Benjamin on the March 20 edition of SmackDown.
Although the Money in the Bank Ladder Match was first instituted merely four years ago at WrestleMania 21, the match is quickly becoming one of WrestleMania's most prestigious and most anticipated encounters. With eight men attempting to climb the ladder and obtain the briefcase holding the coveted championship contract within, it is understandable why the match-up has quickly become legendary.
Like Royal Rumble winners, the aforementioned contract contained in the briefcase above the ring in the Money in the Bank Ladder Match guarantees the winner a World Title bout for the championship of his choosing. The unique quality of the Money in the Bank contract is that it is valid to be put to use anywhere and anytime for one full year following the win.
Since its inception in 2005, four different men have earned the moniker of "Mr. Money in the Bank" and three of those victors have gone on to successfully cash-in the contract and become World Champions. The only former "Mr. Money in the Bank" unable to successfully cash-in the contract was an injured Mr. Kennedy who lost the briefcase in a match against Edge. The Rated-R Superstar cashed it in later that very same week to become champion once again much like he did in 2006.
Considering the outstanding 100 percent success rate for those who have cashed in the contract in becoming World Champion, the briefcase's value has driven Superstars to great lengths (and heights) in its pursuit.
25 Diva Battle Royal For The Title "Miss WrestleMania"
Quit pinching yourself, you're not dreaming.
At the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania in Houston, one gorgeous Diva will pack the ring for each year that WrestleMania has thrilled audiences in a 25-Diva Battle Royal.
Believe it or not, it gets better.
Not only will 25 of the Sexiest Women on Television be facing off against one another, they'll also be competing to see who earns the title of the first-ever "Miss WrestleMania." The 25-Diva Battle Royal will feature ladies from Raw, SmackDown, ECW, including Women's Champion Melina and Divas Champion Maryse. And prepare yourself for some epic clashes that you never thought you'd see as several WWE Divas from the past enter the ring to challenge those who have followed in their footsteps.
Can The WWE Legends Break The Wall Down?
Chris Jericho Vs Roddy Piper, Jimmy Snuka & Ricky Steamboat (With Ric Flair)
At the inaugural WrestleMania, WWE Legends "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat & Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka helped shape WrestleMania into what it is today.
It seems fitting then, that these legendary Superstars, along with fellow WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair in their corner, will return to The Grandest Stage of Them All for the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania to maintain the honor of themselves and those Superstars who came before them against an out-of-control and arrogant Chris Jericho in an elimination-style match. The format permits The Legends to tag in and out, but Jericho insists he wants to defeat all three of them individually. (WATCH)
For his part, the only thing legendary about Jericho recently has been his self-importance. With an out-sized ego to feed, the conceited Superstar began railing against his legendary predecessors months ago after watching Mickey Rourke's Oscar-nominated performance in The Wrestler, a film that celebrates the heroics of a comeback.
Not only has Jericho insulted and attacked some of the most esteemed names in WWE during his massive ego trip, he also took a detour to Hollywood. Jericho offered a front row seat at WrestleMania to Rourke, a friend of the Legends, to better view the ensuing carnage. But just who will emerge intact after the dust has settled?
Snuka, Piper, Steamboat and Flair have captured more than two dozen championships between them, offered up unforgettable efforts in the ring and been admired by millions of people throughout the world.
So, just who does Chris Jericho think he is?
Well, for starters, he's a former WWE Champion, two-time World Heavyweight Champion and reigning Slammy Award-winning Superstar of the Year. And while it may sting a little to sing the praises of a man who eagerly belts out his own, there's no arguing that his accomplishments are plentiful.
Can he really hope, though, to overcome the esteemed WWE Legends that await him at WrestleMania? And if Jericho does manage to emerge from the match, what are his plans for Rourke?
I injoyed watching WrestleMainia 25 it was awsome
Tommy AKA Lil Squigi06:54 PM GMT