Hey Kevin , no need to thank us . You did all the work !
Any chance of ever seeing the Hulkster participating in a Wrestlemania event again ?

Thanks for your work and input on pro wrestling, and in particular your coverage of this year's 'Mania. Clicking on your blog is one of my daily routines now on the internet.

I, like you and the 72,000+ fans in Reliant Stadium on Sunday night, will attest to the "bring-the-stadium-down" performance of Taker-Michaels. I was in attendance with my two brother-in-laws who were more excited about watching Kid Rock perform than the wrestling (and Kid Rock was very good and provided an appropriate segue-way to the Divas Battle Royale), but even they really got invested in the Taker-Michaels match.

You'd be hard pressed to find another match in the last few years that rivaled the drama, intensity and crowd-heat of the last 10 minutes of Michaels-Taker.

What's even more amazing is that this match was between two veterans who are about 10 years past their physical primes and with no championship title at stake; it only illustrates why you continually (and rightfully) mark for HBK and Taker.

A helluva match; the only thing is that it should have been placed inbetween the world championship matches. The crowd was absolutely spent after that classic.

Kevin, I am one of those fans that didn't appreciate Kid Rock's appearance. You make a fine argument that it fits the pomp of the event. I would also say that it's absolutely fitting for WrestleMania as it's the most mainstream WWE event of the year. They're always looking for an angle to catch the non-wrestling fan. That said--and I know I'm biased because I don't particularly care for Kid Rock--I felt his set was a waste of valuable time. I would much rather have seen the tag title match. If that match wasn't pushed off the air for Kid Rock, I probably wouldn't be complaining right now, but because it feels to me like I didn't see a match I was looking forward to because the WWE wanted to let a band play, I'm a little annoyed. But I loved Raw last night and that more than made up for it.

The problem with Triple H isn't that he won't put anyone over, it's that he uses his power to pick and choose who he puts over, and inevitably, he only puts over his buddies (or those that brownnose him).

Triple H was put over massively by Mick Foley at the turn of the decade (most especially the 2000 Royal Rumble) and it's time Triple H returned the favour, this time to Randy Orton.

Thanks for being the voice of reason once again Kev. Anybody who thinks HBK vs. UT wasn't one of the greatest matches, not only at WM but of all time, needs to just stop watching wrestling, because you just don't get it. I love this blog and I've enjoyed many of the books that wrestlers have written explaining the in's and out's of how the business works but since that has happened EVERYBODY who has ever seen one wrestling match is now an expert. And yes I am not above this. I find myself watching any given PPV or weekly WWE or TNA program, scratching my head about bad booking or one guy getting pushed while someone who is clearly more deserving doesn't. But at the end of the day it's all just a show, it's entertainment, it always has been, even before Vince ever thought of coining the phrase "Sport's Entertainment." Try letting yourself go and just try watching it like you did when you were a kid and it becomes much more fun.(Of course I think that some of the problem is, as long as most of you have been watching wrestling, it has been public knowledge as to what the wreslers are trying to acomplish when they get in the ring.) And that really takes alot of the fun out of it, when you're sitting there saying to yourself "OK this is what should happen, and this is who should win," and so on, and then when it doesn't you become outraged. As I said I'm no better but for this years Mania I forced myself not to think to much about it and you know what I had a much more enjoyable experince. I thought it was one of the top 3 Mania's ever.
That was the best MITB match ever. I was totally "marking" (see I do it too) out for Piper even though he doesn't move that well and Ricky Steamboat was off the page! Amazing for his age! I actually got mad when he went diving over the top rope because he didn't need to, he had that crowd eating out of the palm of his hand. The Hardy's, while yes it was a spotfest, they were atleast good (sick) spots, especially the closing sequence.HBK/UT I talked about.The triple threat was far better than expected, and yes HHH should have put Orton over and if this match wasn't last then there may not be such a backlash about it. Admittidly the diva thing was silly,the tag tittle match shouldn't have been kept off the show, Jack Swagger should have wrestled somebody, anybody! And Kid Rock did play to long even though I enjoyed it. But even after all that, it was still an awesome Mania!
Two last things, I hope taking the time to blog after every match didn't take away from your experince there Kev. And if WWE is going in a more PG direction, did anyone else think it was weird to have Kid Rock singing
"I wanna get you alone...so hott
I wanna get you stoned...so hott
I don't want to be your friend
I wanna F*#% you like I'm never gonna see you again."
I know he censored himself but, you know there was a group of like 5 drunken rednecks in the audiance singing along with him at the top of thier lungs right next to a family of four.

You should not compare The Rock and Austin when it comes to leaving wrestling and pursuing acting. Austin can't wrestle due to injuries and has always made a few appearances every year.

But to be far Ozzy is God and Kid Rock has no talent...

I'm definitely old school--I've been watching wrestling since the late 1950's--so count me among those folks who don't care for rock concerts during WMania. I'm sure I'm not the only one out there who would rather have seen a 15-minute tag-team title unification match on the PPV instead of a 15-minute mini-rock concert. Vince could have put Simon & Garfunkel (my personal favorites) out there and that still wouldn't change my opinion. I'm paying to see wrestling, not a concert.

hey Kevin I agree that Triple H deserved a win as he did put Batista over in 2005 and Cena in 2006. But everytime Randy Orton has feuded or had a title match with Triple H he has always been on the short end of the stick and one more thing I just need a rehash on the number of feuds the two have had. Last time I counted it was 4

Taker/Michaels was the best match of WM and will be probably top 10 all-time, but still lacked certain things. Maybe when I watch it a few more times it will grow on me, but it DEFINITELY isn't top 5 in my book, or top 10 for now, but close.

Triple H NEEDED to win. Besides his bad luck at WM, the storyline made no sense in a PG environment to have him lose to Orton doing the things he did.

Which while I'm on that, I'm shocked Matt won, but I think Jeff/Matt will feud all summer, so it will end up in Jeff's favor in the end. (like Michaels/Jericho, Guerrero/Mysterio, etc...)

Kid Rock was a waste for WM, and the fact that Triple H/Orton got rushed in their match (both the beginning and end), the first thing to point out that could have been excluded is obvious....Kid Rock.

I liked the show, and would give it a 7/10 - which is the highest rating for a PPV that I paid for in years.

People wouldn't have had as much of a problem with the Kid Rock concert, if the tag titles match hadn't been bumped off the show for it.

I noticed at the Hall of Fame ceremony that Austin tossed Cena a beer during his mass chugging.

Then in this post you ponder the question "I wonder how Austin’s decision sits with Cena."

I'm just curious about the relationship between Austin and Cena.

I have a problem with the fact that Kid Rock got almost 10 minutes of air time while an excellent tag team match that would have gotten the crowd even more pumped than it already was was bumped to dark match status. I understand Wrestlemania is supposed to attract attention outside of the wrestling world, but WWE needs to cater to the wrestling fans, too.

And if there's one thing that ALWAYS holds Wrestlemania back, it's diva matches. The exception is Trish Stratus vs. Mickie James. That was a good match with a good feud behind it.

The saddest possible outcome of Wrestlemania XXV may be that in five or ten years, us wrestling fans might be saying that Orton's match against Triple H killed what Orton's career could have been. Had he won, he would be the biggest star of all three brands.

I also think this main event hurt Orton as a main event player. While HHH's performance was just as tedious as Orton's, HHH's ,main event status will never be in jeopardy. Orton, on the other hand, does not have the luxury of being HHH, so it was more important for him to be compelling. Orton did not bring his "A" game at all. It was the most boring I have ever seen Orton, which is inconvienient for him since it was Wrestlemania.

The best match these two have ever had was at No Mercy 2007 when they fought for the title in a Last Man Standing match. With the intensity and violence of the feud, a Last Man Standing match or a match of that nature would have been appropriate. WWE should have taken notes from Triple H's last Wrestlemania match in Houston, especially the part where HE LOST.

I'm a fan of Kid Rock, but he looked like he was either poorly lip synching or the back-up lyrics were at least making it look like he was. It just didn't look good.

The bigger issue for me was it being far too early in the show for a musical break. It was nearly an hour between the first match on the card and the next "real" match (not counting the diva battle royal). It hurt the momentum.

I don't know how anyone could've thought that having HHH win that match was a good idea. It was anticlimactic, pointless, and utterly forgettable. Not what you want your main event at WM25 to be.

On the other hand, I reserved praising Taker/Shawn too heavily on Sunday, since I knew I was too hyped up on adrenaline to say it was anything but the greatest match evah zomg :P, but I watched it again tonight and it was just as good as it was the first time. Totally loved it, and both guys should be really proud of themselves.

Not only was Kid Rock a waste of time and robbed Carlito, Morrison, and more importantly, Wrestlemania Virgins Miz & Primo of their chance to compete at Mania (televised), but the crowd was dead... the first song he performed is about 10 years old and hasnt been hip since. It was poorly executed, they needed a better band with a current smash hit to get the effect they seek.

Triple H has been on a Wrestlemania losing streak until 25... but what about the rest of the year? Triple H consistantly Dominates every PPV. When he finally was removed on the WHC picture after WM22, what happened? DX Reformed and became Raws main event. No matter where Triple H is on the card, he always is in a semi main event status.
In a way he has become a legend of sorts, he has been consistent, but I think its time he allow someone else the chance to create the kind of History he has been allowed to create... Thank god for SmackDown and Edge being able to build a reputation

To the HBK marks out there, I thought the Taker ,Hbk match was good but one of the best of all time, I don't think so. It stood out because the rest of the matches were so bad with the exception of Jeff and Matt.

I'm not going to comment on the greatness that was HBK v. Taker. It would just go on and on and on.

However, I will say that one of the things that made that one a classic was the pace of the match.

I understand that the HHH/Orton feud was a lot more 'personal' and was suppose to be closer to a street fight than a wrestling match, but i believe that you can have both if you pace the match correctly.

Having HBK and 'Taker kick out of their finishers provided a lot of the drama at the end. Obviously, the selling of the moves was very professional.

And then you go into Orton/HHH, and you get an RKO and a Pedigree within the first 3 mins of the match!!! Not to mention that they happened within 45 seconds of each other. Umm??!?!?! So HHH not only kicked out of Orton's finisher, but it was so ineffective that he was able to deliver his own finisher right after? AND... Orton was able to kick out?

Dumb. No pace to the match. And 3 mins in, the crowd was gone. Main event ruined. WM goes down the drain.

TRUE STORY: Two years ago, Taker and Batista put on a show that they thought should've been on last. It was put on in the late mid-card. After the match, 'Taker yelled backstage: TOP THAT! (most think it was aimed at cena/hbk... since they were the ones closing the show). well, there was no clear winner in this one, as hbk carried cena to one hell of a match.

point is... where would we be without these two wm legends: hbk and undertaker?

Kevin, thanks for the post. It is one of my "must reads". I do agree with you on the Undertaker/Michaels match. I have about 5 friends who get together about 4 times a year for the bigger PPVs. What I have found is that we spend less and less time actually watching the PPV and more time just talking. However, EVERYONE was totally quiet during that match. We all knew the outcome but their was still in the back of our minds the thought that Michaels might win. These guys can really work a match.
I did have a question since you were at the arena. It seemed that throughout the HHH/Orton match the crowd was just dead. Was that your impression?

RESPONSE FROM KE: Yes, the crowd was pretty quiet for HHH-Orton.

If Kid Rock had sang just one song, that would have been fine but five songs was really just too much when they could have filled the time with the tag title match or even an ECW title match. After all, this is a wrestling event.

I am one of those who feel that the HBK/Taker match was great but not to the extent that others have exaggerated. I believe many have elevated the match because the other matches on the show was rather disappointing. There's a reason too why the match is not as good as it could have been and that's the relative absence of any psychology. The closest we got to that was Undertaker's displaying some frustration. Calling this match the greatest ever at Wrestlemania is rather hasty. Austin/Hart & Savage/Steamboat are just two Wrestlemania matches that are superior to this because those matches had psychology. Those are the matches that transcend time because they did more than display compelling moves and counters; they also told a story. The Taker/HBK match could have been better, for instance, if HBK had behaved as arrogantly in the ring as he had been doing for the promos leading up to the match.

I'm no Kid Rock fan, but it wasn't the performance in itself (which wasn't great), but that so much time was wasted with it and the divas match that could have gotten a good tag team contest on the live broadcast, and/or more time devoted to MITB or the Hardys.

As far as HHH goes, it's not that he doesn't put people over, he's just very selective about it. And in any case, he hasn't been involved in a career making feud, the way Foley did for him in 2000. Still, it's very curious that he hasn't put Orton over yet, and even he does at Backlash, it won't mean nearly as much as it would have meant at Wrestlemania. Unfortunately, all signs appear to point at either Orton getting the title by pinning Shane and/or Batista turning, which is actually worse.

I agree with some of the others, having a musical performance is needed for Wrestlemania... but to a limit.

Kid Rock performed SO much that he did two things.

1) Bumped a major event off the card, the UNIFICATION of the two tag team titles. Just more evidence that McMahon doesn't give a s*** about the tag team devision

2) Cut into the Diva Rumble so that they didn't get introductions. There were a lot of returning divas that didn't even get any face time. The commentators were listing all these returning divas and I never saw their face! It was a huge failure in the booking and execution of that match.

I think the best arguments for why Undertaker/Shawn Michaels was the greatest WrestleMania match ever include a lot of its own hype and other circumstances. This match was between the two men with the most matches and second most matches in WrestleMania history.

Likewise, the match was in Texas! Both men have proud roots to their Texan heritage, and we know that Texas is damn proud of them!

One thing that could have made the match better was if Undertaker buried Shawn Michaels in some segments to provide the illusion that Shawn was as likely as not going to win (personally, I could also say that I would have enjoyed the match more without the disturbing sight of Undertaker landing on the cameraman, but – would the rest of the match have been as good without it? We will never know).

If that same match happened at SummerSlam or anywhere else, then it would be a Match of the Year candidate, but I don't think it would be as good as it was at WrestleMania. I have said for years Undertaker and Shawn Michaels are not the same people 364 days of the year as they are at WrestleMania.

This match had so much going for it before the event started that reaching expectations was a monumental achievement in the first place. Exceeding those expectations was absolutely extraordinary!

I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

Alanna

Kevin, although it has been over a year since someone made a comment. I was wondering how the crowd's reaction was live towards Steve Austin driving his ATV and having one more beer bash? Did he get one of the biggest pops of the night? I don't think the fans ever turned on Steve Austin or The Undertaker throughout there careers like they did against Bret Hart in 1997, Shawn Michaels in 1996, and The Rock in summer 2002, and early 2003.

RESPONSE FROM KE: I don't recall the fans turning on Austin. That;s why his heel turn didn't work.