Search - WWE: Wrestlemania XXV - 25th Anniversary [Blu-ray] on Blu-ray

WrestleMania 25

A. Pierre | Somewheres | 05/23/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Paul Rudoff's review said many of my thoughts but I figured i'd add my own two cents into the mix. I use to be a wrestling fan but now im just bored to death with WWE. I only get Raw and ECW but i've always prefered the Smackdown brand over Raw. Now with Vickie Guerrero as the GM of Raw, I rarely ever tune in to watch it. WWE can rarely build a PPV event like they use too and the champions are usually always the same, with wrestlers like Jeff Hardy and CM Punk getting short title reigns. I hesitated getting this event but I eventually purchased it and here is my thought on a lackluster event

Money in The Bank with CM Punk, Christian, MVP, Mark Henry, Shelton Benjamin, Kane, Kofi Kingston and Finlay- Yes, this match is usually always good. However, you can lose track of who is wrestling with wrestlers come in and out of the match. Two points-Christian or his opponent should practice hitting the killswitch off the top rope, it would be cool but he has yet to hit it successfully. Point Two is they should just rename this match Yes, Shelton Benjamin is still with WWE. Every year Benjamin is the MVP (no the wrestler) or the match and he never wins. Maybe it'll become a storyline but I highly doubt it. CM Punk wins it and he is now getting buried on Smackdown.

Kid Rock replaces Miz/Morrison VS Colons match up. Yes, a tag team match that had a good build up got replaced by a Kid Rock concert. What the hell? They should have aired a video of great tag teams thru the years and had the bell ring ten times. Morbid but WWE just killed off tag team wrestling within the company.

As Rock sung, the women came to the ring. Many former divas returned but no one could tell and probably no one cared. This was a waste of time and poorly executed. Santina makes his debut and wins this poor match.

Chris Jericho VS Jimmy Snuka, Rowdy Roddy Piper, and Ricky Steamboat with Ric Flair and Mickey Rourke at ring side: I was happy with Steamboat and he can still wrestle. The problem was WWE needs a new crop of legends because its always the same people. I see Mike Rotundo (IRS) look in good shape and he could have been used for a one time event. Rourke knocks out Jericho with a punch after the match.

Jeff Hardy VS Matt Hardy in an Extreme Rules match: A pretty good match up with the same old story. I prefer Owen VS Bret and I think everyone would agree but they did have a good match.

Intercontinental Champion JBL VS Rey Mysterio: I remember Regal said he'd bring honor back to the Intercontinental title but that idea was quickly squashed. Speaking of squash, that is what this match was. Mysterio wins in twenty five seconds or less and sends JBL into retirement.

HBK VS Undertaker: WWE Shop Zone released a shirt proclaiming Undertaker's victory a week before this match happened. No one thought Taker would lose but it was the only reason why you'd want to watch this event. A classic match from two legends near the end of there careers. The dive over the top rope was scary but i'm glad Taker was ok. A must see match up.

Edge VS Big Show VS John Cena: The big problem with the WWE lays within this match. Edge and Cena have won or exchanged world titles for the past few years and its getting really boring. Edge acts like the worlds biggest jerk but you watch a WWE home video and he is the nicest guy. Edge has won more world titles in three or four years then Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan, Bruno Sammartino, Randy Savage, and The Rock to name a few legends. Granted, Hogan and Sammartino held the title for years but its unbelivable to think of it. He is closing in on Triple H for most title reigns and i'm surprised WWE has not brought this fact up. Wrestlemania main event next year perhaps? Edge VS Triple H for the world title-it could happen. Edge's title reigns are becoming a joke with alot of wins coming out of being the right place at the right time or being the general managers boy toy. I cannot respect Edge's title wins and he'll never stack up to the legends I noted earlier. Cena cannot wrestle very well but he seems to always hold the world title. This two men ruin wrestling when they hold a world title but ratings take a dip if someone else holds the belt. Its a lose, lose situaion and shows wrestling fans dont know what they want.

Triple H VS Randy Orton: I remember the story going into the main event and this match was disappointing. It was boring and I really didnt care to watch the whole match.

The only real stand out match was 'Taker-HBK, which will probably be on anther dvd set sooner or later. I have all WrestleMania dvds and its the only reason why I purchased this dvd. Not the best place to start if your just a casual fan."

Succeeds When It Should've Failed, Only To Falter In Its Las

R.A. McKenzie | New York | 04/06/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The 25th Anniversary of WRESTLEMANIA had a lot to overcome. The poor economy forecasted that the event wouldn't sell out the arena. Strange booking had wrestling websites and loyal fans scratching their heads. Like many naysayers pointed out, it just didn't feel like WRESTLEMANIA this time.

However, after a heavy gulp and a $55 dollar gamble, I am delighted to inform you that I found this PPV to be a pleasure to watch. In fact, the show was going so well that it almost reached a five-star status...Almost. Much akin to how WRESTLEMANIA 21 went down from Los Angeles a few years ago, the show simply ran out of gas in its final stretch. The first three hours were fun, and even the poor aspects were forgivable. The fourth hour, however, is going to be the most divisive for people who review this PPV.

So, I'm gonna dig in, and hope my reflections help you out.

1) Money-In-The-Bank Ladder Match
---The eight superstars who competed in this opener are to be commended from keeping this annual spotfest from getting stale. In fact, this MITB Ladder Match is definitely one of the better ones. First, I want to give Mark Henry and Kane a lot of credit for using their giant physiques to put some neat spins on the match. Yes, they actually climb the ladders, and Henry even gets to pull off some sweet counters when a wrestler tries to use aerial attacks against him. Another good moment is a wonderful bit of self-parody, when all the superstars shrug their shoulders before attempting the obligatory inside-to-outside dives. It's almost as if the wrestlers knew that fans wanted to see it, and are mocking the poor strategy. Shelton Benjamin is once again an MITB staple, but Kofi Kingston just might've eclipsed Shelton's show-stealing this year. It's a toss-up, but if this match is to return at WRESTLEMANIA 26, then WWE would be wise to put both guys in it. My only gripes with the match are that Christian and CM Punk (one of them won the match) didn't seem to do a whole lot. Considering that the former helped revolutionize Ladder Matches and the latter used to work in ROH, I'm surprised that I don't remember them more. But all in all, there are too many sweet spots to recap with this match, which is the best compliment you can give to a Ladder Match.
"8.0 / 10"
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***Kid Rock performs four songs at this point in the show. I was really enjoying his performances, but the Texas crowd didn't seem to care until Kid Rock sang "All Summer Long" (the "Sweet Home Alabama" tribute/rip-off). His last song, "So Hott", brings 25 Divas for their Battle Royal.***
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2) 25-Diva Battle Royal
---Not surprisingly, there's not much to say about this one. It's a short cluster of a battle royal, with barely any kind of flow or rhythm to it. I'm very disappointed that WWE didn't take the proper time to introduce the ladies, especially because a few of them were former talent for the company. Then again, it would've "ruined" the surprise that Santino Marella was dressed as a Diva, and won the match. The finish was funny, but the match is forgettable. At least it was short.
"3.0 / 10"
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3) 3-on-1 Handicap Elimination Match
Chris Jericho v.
Ricky Steamboat, Jimmy Snuka, & Roddy Piper (w/ Ric Flair)
---This was another match I didn't want to see, but it came off MUCH better than anticipated. Prior to the match, WWE managed to use footage from THE WRESTLER, to hype Mickey Rourke's original challenge and eventual participation in the contest. When the bell rang, the physical action was pretty smooth. Basically, Snuka couldn't do a whole lot (no big surprise) and Piper could still pull of some good stuff (good news). But Ricky Steamboat --- I kid you not --- was tremendous in the ring! The one-on-one action Steamboat and Y2J delivered was crisp and exciting. It was almost as if fans were given a chance to revisit the Steamboat/Savage classic from WRESTLEMANIA III, a match that Jericho claimed he used to reenact over and over again. I am praying that WWE, Jericho, and "The Dragon" get to produce a rematch. The aftermath involved Jericho challenging Mickey Rourke to enter the ring; the segment came off alright, but took a little too long. In short, after some taunting, Rourke knocked Jericho out with a few punches, and celebrated with Ric Flair. I'm more than satisfied with this match considering how poor it could've been.
"7.0 / 10" (mostly for Ricky Steamboat's awesome performance)
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4) Extreme Rules
Matt Hardy v. Jeff Hardy
---If you're concerned that these two will let you down like they did back in 2001, you can put your fears to rest. In fact, the weapons come into play immediately, and both brothers just use toy after toy to punish each other. Rather than trying to warm up the crowd with any kind of traditional wrestling, Jeff and Matt just pummel away for our viewing pleasure. And what a pleasure it is! There are no botches (that I saw), and the two guys don't even protect each other's attacks much. Chairs, trashcans, a super vacuum, a kendo stick, a crutch, a trash can...need I say more? The match isn't bloody, but it doesn't need to be. After seeing these guys jump from ladders and crash through tables, their anguish was real enough. The match might be a little shorter than I expected from a marquee WRESTLEMANIA match. But if the finish and commentary is of any indication, the war has only just begun.
"7.5 / 10"
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5) Intercontinental Championship
JBL (champion) v. Rey Mysterio
---I'm sad to report that this one is a disappointment, although there is a method to its madness. You see, the match itself is less than a minute. JBL trash talks his way to the ring, Mysterio shows up looking like Heath Ledger's Joker, JBL assaults Rey before the bell rings, and then Mysterio pulls off four moves to win the IC Title. Now, I understand that having a bad guy promise "the most dominant victory in WM history" is a funny way to setup a squash. JBL is an excellent talker, and Rey deserves a title run. After losing, JBL grabs a mike, and QUITS! But why couldn't there have been a longer match to setup JBL's loss? I'm really torn, because I wasn't bored, but I'm still very disappointed that these two didn't get to show off their abilities.
"4.0 / 10" (even lower if you're looking for a match)
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6) Shawn Michaels v. The Undertaker
---Get ready for what is sure to be a WRESTLEMANIA fan-favorite! Are you really surprised to read that comment? Two native Texans with a couple of infamous WWE matches together got to square off in their first one-on-one match in over decade. Everything you want from a Taker WM match is here: his opponent is a credible foe very capable of ending his streak, and almost does on numerous occasions. HBK and Taker use some good submission holds, good old-fashioned slugfests, countering the finishers, VERY close pinfall attempts...all resulting in utter exhaustion from the audience and the two competitors. Is the match perfect? Not really, mainly due to a very strange sequence where Taker & HBK both fail to land a suicide dive, resulting in a long period of both men staggering around. Also, the final minutes include both men taking a while to just stand up (think the HBK/HHH Hell-In-A-Cell from 2004). But is the match worth your time? Absolutely, this is one of Undertaker's finest matches, Shawn Michaels' finest matches, and WRESTLEMANIA's finest matches.
"8.5 / 10"
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7) World Heavyweight Championship
Edge (champion) v. Big Show v. John Cena
---In case you're wondering, Cena has a very interesting entrance for WRESTLEMANIA again. As for this title bout, this has one of the worst angles I've ever seen from the WWE, but the match itself isn't bad. There's some good comedy moments where the three men have to help each other out in various situations, and the action is fast-paced and rarely boring. All three men almost win the match on plenty of occasions, and looked like championship material amidst a crappy storyline. Where the match goes wrong is that like most Triple Threat Matches at WRESTLEMANIA, this one is shorter than it should be. So, after all this analysis, what do I think? I think that Edge, Show, and Cena overcame a very rough road to WRESTLEMANIA, and delivered a crazy entertaining ride that belonged on another PPV. It's fun, but it could've been better.
"6.5 / 10"
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***After anncouning that WRESTLEMANIA 26 was going to Arizona, we were then introduced to the 2009 Hall of Fame inductees. Not a bad bunch. I personally didn't care for 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin driving around in a buggy and drinking a crapload of beer. On the other hand, he is (IMHO) the most popular wrestler in history. So, perhaps he deserved these few minutes to celebrate.***
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***The HHH/Orton main event is now being hyped, which means that the advertised Unified Tag Team Championships is not on this PPV. I learned later that is was a pre-show match. Yeah...I'm definitely angry about that.***
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8) WWE Championship
Randy Orton v. Triple H (champion - Loses Title If Disqualified or Counted Out)
---Oh boy...this one is gonna produce a lot of heavy debate for years to come. Let's start with the buildup: In short, I thought it was awesome. The video package and commentators do an excellent job of making this a match filled with hatred & revenge & obsession. It's a very psychological scenario, made clearer when HHH's entrance has him looking in a mirror, and crashing through it to walk to the ring. But this setup eventually produced a lot of big missteps, in my opinion. First off, seeing the Pedigree and RKO within the first minute is a VERY stupid decision in my book, because now the moves have no crowd psychology when they come back into the match. Because of the storyline, the contest had to be a hard-hitting fight, with little wrestling involved. Slugfests and crazy fights are fine with me, but after a while, clotheslines and punches just start getting repetitive after a while. I'm also surprised (and disappointed) that Legacy and/or the McMahon Family didn't make a single appearance during the match. How could such a personal war between two men be so restrained? The pace was very slow, but not in a good way. Slow paces are supposed to either draw a crowd into the minds of the wrestlers, or tease us for the big spots. Sadly, I found it hard to care about the wrestlers' actions, and the big spots weren't anything special. I guess the best way I can sum this up is that it's too cerebral. It challenges our minds, but doesn't rouse our spirits. It makes for interesting TV, but makes for a poor live showcase. The Houston crowd was deader in this match than any other on the card, and the main event should NEVER be that way. Houston didn't even make noise when HHH's finishing Pedigree was executed; the three-count was almost more of a relief than a celebration.

Overall, I appreciate the concept of this main event, but can't say I enjoyed it very much.
"6.0 / 10"
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The 25th Anniversary of WRESTLEMANIA is definitely a good one, even if its 4th hour loses steam. I forgive the Diva Battle Royal and the IC Title squash, because neither match was a big draw. But the two main events (and lack of the WWE Tag Team Titles match on PPV) are what brings this PPV down to a 4-star rating for me. Again, this event is very similar to how WM 21 proceeded, where a strong show just lost its momentum.

Many press reporters and fans had doubts about the 25th Anniversary of WRESTLEMANIA. But I definitely recommend that you check this one out. It's a good PPV with some worthwhile matches, and a couple of good musical performances. No wrestling PPV is perfect, and WWE has done its annual extravaganza proud."