Undertaker def. Shawn MichaelsStreaks are made to be broken.
Whoever conjured up that old cliché obviously knew nothing of Undertaker. After an epic battle pitting shadow against light, The Demon from Death Valley was finally able to bury the soul of “Mr. WrestleMania,” Shawn Michaels. A triumph of darkness, the victory propels Undertaker’s WrestleMania winning streak to an unprecedented 17-0.
As more than 70,000 sets of eyes focused on the ring inside Houston’s Reliant Stadium, vendors twiddled their thumbs and bathroom breaks were put on hold during the classic confrontation that had the international crowd fixed to their seats.
Having never defeated HBK, Undertaker set a deliberate and destructive pace, which seemed to pay dividends early in the match. Then again, Michaels enjoys quite a reputation for stamina and managed to recapture the momentum before moving outside the ring.
That’s when The Deadman leaped over the top rope, taking aim at HBK. But just as Undertaker was about to land atop Michaels with the full force of his nearly 300 pound frame, HBK darted aside and pulled a cameraman into Undertaker’s path. After a near count-out, The Phenom dragged himself back into the ring, and the legendary Superstars traded some of the most lethal maneuvers in their arsenal.
In the end, though, Undertaker would administer a second and final Tombstone to bury Michaels and secure his place in the annals of WWE history.
Though he lost, Michaels is to be commended for his efforts, never flinching from the daunting task before him. Unlike many of his predecessors, Michaels seemed unafraid to face The Phenom on WWE’s grandest stage, girded by both devotion and confidence.
For his part, Undertaker never once lost sight of his goal: Keeping his WrestleMania record unblemished. Now, in light of his monumental victory, Undertaker can rest – perhaps not “in peace” – but at least until he’s called on to defend The Streak at next year’s WrestleMania.
Matt Hardy def. Jeff Hardy (Extreme Rules Match)
Matt Hardy’s mission to conquer his brother Jeff was completed at the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania, in a dream match for the WWE Universe that was unquestionably a nightmare scenario for the Hardy family.
Poised to make another extraordinary WrestleMania moment at the expense of his older brother, Jeff’s attempted 16-foot ladder leap resulted in his crash, burn and Extreme Rules Match defeat.
In WWE.com’s weeklong “Dueling Diaries” feature that followed both rival siblings, Matt claimed that Jeff’s risk-taking would be his undoing. And, tonight at WrestleMania, these words resonated truth.
Resembling a brothers’ quarrel on their trampoline years back in Cameron, N.C., but with lethal and hazardous objects strewn about, the Hardys fought vehemently without any restrictions or disqualifications.
The Charismatic Enigma returned the steel chair crack across his brother’s skull from the Royal Rumble, the fateful night in which Matt cost Jeff the WWE Championship. Jeff also drove Matt’s sandwiched body through two tables – after the purple-faced warrior propelled his body from the top rope onto the structure to the Reliant Stadium floor.
But, this day would be Matt Hardy’s personal evolution and time to unlock his true destiny, as signified by the key emblazoned on his tights.
The enigmatic Superstar found momentum after a torrent of innovative attacks on his brethren. Then, in front of more than 70,000 in attendance, Jeff ascended the rungs of a ladder – a familiar item – then leapfrogged over an even taller ladder to the mat, just short of Matt’s face. This was just enough for the malicious Hardy sibling to lock Jeff’s neck within a steel chair for a Twist of Fate that collapsed the weapon around his painted throat.
A count of three later, Matt’s arm was raised as the better Hardy for at least this night – an event for the ages: The 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania.
John Cena def. Edge & Big Show (New World Heavyweight Champion)
In front of a packed Reliant Stadium, John Cena regained the World Heavyweight Championship by defeating now former World Heavyweight Champion Edge and Big Show.
More than 72,000 raucous WWE fans erupted to their feet in excitement during Cena’s entrance, which took a new take on his long-standing trademark catchphrase, “You Can’t See Me.” As far as the eye could see, dozens upon dozens of Cena lookalikes – all wearing his “Hustle, Loyalty, Respect” shirt – came out and parted ways as the genuine article came out and saluted Reliant Stadium. Though the odds were stacked against him this Sunday night, Cena’s lookalikes and fans cheered him on as he raced down to the ring, refusing to be daunted by the task at hand.
After waging a brutal war with his opponents, Cena summoned from deep within and hit the Rated-R Superstar with an Attitude Adjustment. Next, he hoisted then 400-pound plus World’s Largest Athlete atop his shoulders and – with the 70,000 in attendance cheering him on – Cena dropped Big Show with a thunderous Attitude Adjustment. After the carnage, Cena pinned Big Show to regain his gold.
The exhibition of brute strength caused the WWE Universe to erupt in raw emotion, putting their stamp of approval on Cena at one of the most historical events in WWE’s history.
The victory was a sweet measure of revenge for the Raw Superstar who saw The Ultimate Opportunist finagle his way into the Elimination Chamber Match at No Way Out and emerge from the evil structure with Cena’s gold.
Ever since that shocking night in February, Cena set his sights on regaining the World Heavyweight Championship. Like a tenacious pit bull, Cena kept himself close to the trio of SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero, her husband, Edge, and Big Show. Wherever they went – Raw or SmackDown – he there was right behind them.
Cena’s persistence paid off.
At the World Heavyweight Championship contract signing on Raw, Guerrero shocked her husband and Big Show by revealing that she was going to allow Cena to compete in the Triple Threat Match at the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania.
And it was Cena who revealed why – he had been holding onto salacious video footage of Edge’s wife and Big Show engaged in extra marital carousing.
Hustle, loyalty and respect. Those attributes certainly worked for Cena over the years in the ring, and now on the big screen as star of the action-packed movie, 12 Rounds.
And, at the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania, it was all of those traits, combined with steadfast determination and raw power that equaled success for The Champ.
To find out what’s next for the new World Heavyweight Champion, tune in to Raw at 9/8 CT.
WWE Champion Triple H def. Randy Orton
For months, the venomous Randy Orton tore through the life of Triple H, brutally attacking and injuring his father-in-law, brother-in-law and even his wife. At the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania, The Legend Killer had an opportunity to take away yet another thing his rival held dear: The WWE Championship. Yet despite Orton’s sadistic mind games, Triple H persevered, defeating his opponent to avenge his family and keep his coveted championship gold resting securely around his waist.
The match began with not one bang, but two, as Triple H and Orton both hit their patented maneuvers (the Pedigree and RKO respectively) within moments of the contest’s start. The Game dominated the early match, prompting The Legend Killer to move the fight outside of the ring. Keenly aware of the stipulation that would have the WWE Championship change hands on a disqualification or count-out, Orton hoped to leave his opponent battered and broken outside the ring as the referee counted to 10. But Triple H was running on pure fury, repeatedly coming back from the third-generation Superstar’s underhanded tactics.
With his options running out, Orton took out the referee, giving himself a few unsupervised moments to retrieve a sledgehammer from underneath the ring. But as he started to climb back in, Triple H served the venomous Superstar some of his own medicine, delivering a vicious punt and retrieving the sledgehammer for himself. While the ring official was still incapacitated, the WWE Champion clobbered Orton, setting him up a game-winning Pedigree and three-count.
Randy Orton’s Road to WrestleMania began in earnest at the 2009 Royal Rumble, where with the help of The Legacy he eliminated Triple H to earn a spot at WWE’s greatest spectacle. The Legend Killer’s phenomenal win came at a time when the third-generation Superstar was already up to his eyes in trouble for punting Mr. McMahon in the head less than a week earlier. Orton’s ensuing rivalry with the WWE Chairman’s progeny quickly escalated to the point of no return, when in one night of utter brutality, Orton both punted Shane and RKO’d Stephanie, drawing her husband, a livid Triple H out to the ring to her aid.
Though he had already incapacitated three beloved members of The Game’s family, Orton still had his eye on his rival’s WWE Title, and subsequently announced that he would be challenging Triple H for it at the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania. Escalating into realms rarely seen in WWE, their conflict saw The Game smash his way through Orton’s St. Louis home, prompting the third-generation Superstar to once again attack his rival’s wife, but this time following it up with a demented kiss, which the handcuffed WWE Champion had no choice but to watch in rage-filled horror.
With his defeat of Randy Orton, Triple H achieved much more than simply retaining the WWE Title. For months, The Legend Killer and The Legacy had run roughshod over WWE’s royal family, promising that a win at the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania would begin a new era. But with a punt, a sledgehammer and a thunderous Pedigree Triple H both avenged the McMahons and put an end to Orton’s delusions of grandeur.
Source: WWE.com
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