The Importance of…4.03.09: Wrestlemania XXV

Posted by Mike Chin on 04.03.2009

A comprehensive preview of wrestling's biggest night, as this column's author prepares for an epic weekend in Houston.

(Writer's note: based on a busy schedule and lots of travel ahead, I'm posting this nearly two weeks early. Excuse any blunders that time may produce between now and the time you're reading this.)

With just two days to go before Wrestlemania XXV, there seems no better time to discuss the importance of this huge show. Some pundits are knocking at as a weak ‘Mania card, and while I won't argue that it's the best, I would contend that it's far from the worst, and has the potential to mark a very important event in wrestling history. This week, we take a look at the match-by-match importance of this show.

Rey Mysterio-JBL
On the surface, of all of the matches on the Wrestlemania card, this one feels the most thrown together, and least organic to the storylines. JBL won the IC title out of nowhere, and these guys just seem to be two of the biggest stars who didn't have matches for ‘Mania.

Beyond that surface, though, there is some history here. JBL was one of the few challengers Mysterio toppled during his ill-fated title run in 2005, and in that program, JBL was acting about equally as an enemy of Mysterio as he was a foil for the late Eddie Guerrero, with whom he had a much more memorable feud when Eddie had the title. And so, I think of this match as more representative of what could have been with Eddie, had he made it to Wrestlemania 25. What's more, it's a call back to JBL's rise up the ranks, as his initial singles push was based on his pseudo-patriotic, xenophobic tendencies. The face luchador is the perfect foe to recall a brighter time in JBL's career. Will Bradshaw be able to deliver in the ring? Recent performances suggest no. Will Mysterio be able to make up the difference? No Way Out suggests yet. If Mysterio gets enough time on offense, this could be an interesting one.

25 Diva Battle Royal
The T&A match has become a Wrestlemania staple, and of all of them, this one has the potential to be one of the better showcases. It's hard to imagine that this will be good at all, but it will be an opportunity to showcase some great looking women, and hopefully the decent hands (Gail Kim!) will get a few minutes to do their thing, and make a statement on behalf of women's wrestling. Equally exciting, though, is the nostalgia factor that comes with some of the rumored returning divas, like Sunny and Trish Stratus. This one should be almost as entertaining, and little more offensive than the gimmick battle royal that went down the last time Wrestlemania came to Houston.

The Legends-Chris Jericho
Wow, did this one fall apart. With very few exceptions, I'm not a fan of celebrity involvement in matches, so I was actually happy to hear Mickey Rourke wouldn't be stepping between the ropes. I was amped at the prospect of Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin or Ric Flair taking his place, in what seemed would shake up as a can't-miss nostalgia match—and one that a red hot Y2J would carry to passable in-ring levels. I'm not sure what happened with any of the proposed legends, but the Steamboat-Snuka-Piper trio is a less than thrilling consolation prize. Don't get me wrong—I'd love to see Jericho against any of these three guys in their prime. But Piper's body simply cannot a handle a real wrestling match at this point, and Snuka is looking more and more frail with each outing. Steamboat is the one wild card in the mix—a fantastic enough talent in his day, who we haven't really seen get physical in a while. If he can still perform, he could make things interesting. I'm skeptical.

This match may be all about its aftermath. More than likely, the old guys will get slow motion versions of their signature spots in, then Jericho will either steal the win or actually get beat, then attack everyone afterward. That's when the time comes for a legend's rescue—Austin, Flair or maybe even Hogan coming to the rescue. Heck, maybe it'll even be the entirety of the 2009 Hall of Fame class. One way or another, it could make for a fun moment.

The Colons-Miz and Morrison
Ordinarily I really resent it when we get a match on free TV just shortly before we see it on PPV. This is a rare exception, where these two tag teams are performing at such tremendous levels that I'm looking forward to a re-re-re-re-match, with the winners take all stipulation. Years ago, who could have predicted that The Miz would arrive as an able cohort for amazing John Morrison? And who would have suspected that the arrival of his little brother would make Carlito relevant again, and give him a well-deserved spot at Wrestlemania? From an in-ring perspective, if these guys get enough time and a loose enough leash, this could be the best match of the night.

Jeff Hardy-Matt Hardy
I have both foreseen and eagerly anticipated this match since Survivor Series. The pessimists will point at that the brothers did feud earlier in their careers. Fair enough, but there have been many years, and many twists and turns since (kayfabe and real), and both guys are both far bigger stars, and far more capable in the ring now than they were then. The last time ‘Mania was in Houston, The Hardyz teamed up for TLC II, one of the greatest spotfests in Wrestlemania in history. This "Extreme Rules" showdown may rival its predecessor. The main questions going in: 1) what is going to be Jeff Hardy's big spot? 2) Will he hit and win, or miss for the sort of crash and burn that gives Matt the victory and his first main event push? Either way, it'll make for a moment.

Undertaker-Shawn Michaels
I have been hoping for this match since Royal Rumble 2007, and expect it to be something special. On one hand, there is some disappointment that comes with this match selection, as there is little threat to The Dead Man's Wrestlemania streak—I can't imagine him losing it all to someone who needs the win as little as HBK; much less when there isn't even a title at stake. Regardless, Michaels' involvement promises that this is going to be one of ‘Taker's best Wrestlemania matches. After all, since Mr. Wrestlemania returned to the big event at 19, he has had nothing but gems at the big show, including the best matches of the night (if not the year) at 20, 21 and 24.

As a fun little unlikelihood, if WWE wanted to kickstart a very surprising, very fun final heel run for Michaels, they could have him steal the win here. I don't expect it at all, but that would be something…

Money in the Bank
In my estimation, there has never been a bad MitB match, and I don't expect for this year's to be any exception. I'll be attending ‘Mania with my best friend who hasn't watched wrestling regularly since around the time of Wrestlemania X, and I've tried to explain to him how far the ladder match has come. The creativity and athleticism of professional wrestling has come so far that his sort of match almost cannot fail at this point.

The inclusion of monsters like Mark Henry and Kane were a bit odd for this year's match, and while I think the match could have been better served by involving Mysterio, Evan Bourne or, if it had to be a monster, Umaga, I suspect that WWE has something planned and that might see a unique power spot or two out of the big guys. I'm excited to see what Kofi Kingston will bring to the table, as the ladder should lend itself well to his unorthodox offense. Like he did at Wrestlemanias 22 and 23, I expect Finlay to provide the veteran's voice to help keep things together, and perhaps offer up a comedy spot or two with the aid of Hornswoggle and perhaps his step-ladder?). Shelton Benjamin is a perennial stand out in this environment, and could be a dark horse to take the whole thing this year. Another dark horse is the returning Christian, who has a tendency to do well in multi-man environments, and has proven himself handy with a ladder on more than one occasion. The odds on favorites, though, would have to be reigning MitB winner CM Punk, and the man most people picked last year, MVP. In kayfabe, Punk has to look like a threat given his continually growing star power and victory last year. The Punk as champion storyline has already happened, though, and so it seems more likely that MVP will ride his new push all the way to the gold. One way or another, like it has been since it's inception, this is going to be one of the best matches of the event.

John Cena-Edge-Big Show
After Edge's legitimately shocking world title theft at No Way Out, it seemed like WWE was going to have a red hot program headed into ‘Mania. My, how a few weeks can change things. With the addition of Big Show, through love triangle of all things, the main event has grown a bit silly and a bit less appealing to headline a show of this magnitude.

As much as I didn't want Show to be added to this mix, these are three guys who work well in the triple threat environment, and the results could be quite interesting. The three-man format gives Cena a chance to show off his power, his explosive offense, and his uncanny ability to put together fun spots without it looking contrived. Big Show is a monster, who operates well both when he's dominating multiple men, and when he's eating tandem offense. Edge is a traditional chicken shit heel, and triple threats give him a good chance to run and hide and pick his spots, living up to his ultimate opportunist moniker. I'm not quite sure how these factors will culminate for the match, but there is reason for optimism.

Perhaps more importantly, there is a fair amount of history between Cena and each of the heels. After all, Show was the biggest of all stepping stones—literally and metaphorically—in Cena's original rise to the main event scene, as he toppled the big man multiple times before getting to his world title, including taking Show's US title at ‘Mania five years ago. And then there's Cena-Edge—arguably the greatest program of the last five years, that saw Edge solidify his place as one of the top heels in the business, and a legit main eventer, besides having the men swap the title a few times over in some very good matches.

Triple H-Randy Orton
Critics have condemned this ‘Mania main event, saying that the two men have already fought a dozen or so times in high profile matches, including making up 2/3 of the co-main event of last year's show. This is all true, but what the critics fail to observe is that this match is all about history. Triple H was there at the start of Orton's WWE success in Evolution, before turning on him in a move that really did define Randy's career for a long time. A heel Orton robbed Triple H of his title at No Mercy 2007, in what seemed like it would set up a 1-on-1 showdown at Wrestlemania 24, until Cena returned to shake up the main event scene. The 1-on-1 match we did get between these two at last year's Judgment Day got cut short when Orton was injured, so we never really got the pay off to that incarnation of their program.

Now Orton has embraced an uber-heel persona in leading The Legacy, and has arrived as the most interesting heel in WWE. Perhaps for the first time, he has truly transcended the Evolution turn. What's more, attacking the Mcmahons got a lot of attention, and was a natural lead in for uber-face Triple H to come hunting for his head.

This is a legit culmination of 5+ years of storyline build—maybe closer to ten years if you want to look at it from the perspective of the Triple H-Stephanie McMahon kayfabe love story, which may be the closest thing a younger generation of fans has to Macho Man –Elizabeth in this day and age. Perhaps I'm giving this match-up a little too much credit, but with a build this long, thorough, and intense, and two guys who, despite their critics, truly can deliver in the ring, this has all the makings of an epic match to cap off an epically important show.

That's all for this column. As you read this, it's likely I'm already on my plane or even in Houston, to catch my very first live Wrestlemania weekend. Next week, I plan to diverge from the normal column, to look back and recount the experience of being a part of wrestling's biggest event of the year. See you in seven.