Wrestlemania Count-Up – Wrestlemania XXIII (2015): Shawn’s Show (Again)
IMG Credit: WWE
Wrestlemania XXIII
Date: April 1, 2007
Location: Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
Attendance: 80,103
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Michael Cole, Tazz, John Bradshaw Layfield, Joey Styles
Pre-Show: Carlito/Ric Flair vs. Gregory Helms/Chavo Guerrero
Helms slowly pounds Carlito down until a botched hurricanrana allows for the tag to Flair. The lumberjacks keep slapping the mat and it sounds like bubble wrap popping. Chops and backdrops abound but Helms saves Chavo from the Figure Four. Everything breaks down and Chavo misses the frog splash, allowing the tag to Carlito for a quick Backstabber to pin Chavo at 6:37.
Jeff Hardy vs. King Booker vs. Finlay vs. CM Punk vs. Mr. Kennedy vs. Matt Hardy vs. Randy Orton vs. Edge
Batista is All Grown Up. These videos will be on all night long with different people starting as kids and then becoming what they are today and narrating about what it means to them.
Great Khali vs. Kane
Khali chokes him with the chain post match.
The Divas are All Grown Up.
Reverend Slick comes in to join the party (now with a disco ball) but Dusty Rhodes takes over instead. This brings in Sgt. Slaughter, Jimmy Hart, IRS, Gerald Brisco and finally Ricky Steamboat in karate gear. Ron Simmons comes in for his one word catchphrase (a bad word beginning with D) to cap the whole thing off, as was his custom. Funny stuff here as usual and always entertaining.
US Title: MVP vs. Chris Benoit
Undertaker is All Grown Up.
Hall of Fame recap from last night. The speeches about Mr. Perfect were rough to sit through. Actor William Shatner inducted Jerry Lawler, even though Lawler specifically asked for longtime Memphis announcer Lance Russell to do it. WWE said no because Shatner had more star power. True, but how many people watched the ceremony because William Shatner was making a speech?
Attendance record announcement.
Time for the Hall of Fame presentation (why do the attendance in the middle?): Jim Ross, Mr. Perfect (represented by his father, which is always sad), Jerry Lawler (he had to go in with JR), Nick Bockwinkel (classy as always), Mr. Fuji (who looks about 90), the Wild Samoans, the Original Sheik (represented by his wife) and Dusty Rhodes. No one really got a bigger reaction than anyone else but the acoustics are weird in a place this big.
Smackdown World Title: Undertaker vs. Batista
Batista is defending and Smackdown GM Teddy Long is announcing for some reason. Both guys are faces coming in so this could be interesting. Of course we have the druids and torches which never get old. Batista spears him down at the bell and the fans instantly boo. Right hands put Batista into the corner but Undertaker stops to glare at the referee, allowing Batista to come back with a big clothesline.
Now, say it with me: Batista pounds away in the corner and gets caught in the Last Ride. Man he deserves that crash landing for being so stupid. Batista comes back with a spinebuster but walks into a chokeslam for two. The Tombstone is countered and another spear sets up the Batista Bomb for a VERY close two and a roar from the crowd. Back up and Batista tries a Tombstone (moron!) but Undertaker slips out and hits the real thing to win the title at 15:48.
Bobby Lashley is All Grown Up.
ECW Originals vs. New Breed
Originals: Rob Van Dam, Tommy Dreamer, Sandman, Sabu
New Breed: Elijah Burke, Marcus Cor Von, Matt Striker, Kevin Thorn
Steve Austin is All Grown Up. A kid who looks like Austin slams milk together to drink it like Austin does beer. Were he and Kurt Angle switched at birth?
Wrestlemania XXIV is in Orlando, somehow the first time the show took place in Florida.
Video on celebrities saying they want to see Trump get his head shaved. Only Rock wants Vince to get shaved.
Bobby Lashley vs. Umaga
They slug it out to start as this is power vs. power. Lashley takes over to start and drops Estrada with a right hand, followed by low bridging a charging Umaga to the floor. Back in and Lashley misses a charge of his own, setting up a splash from Umaga for two. Trump is WAY into this on the floor, which is all you would expect from him here.
Post match Austin Stuns Shane as Vince runs. Lashley chases him down (“TIME TO GET BALD!”) and feeds him to Austin for a Stunner, followed by the big shaving. Lashley and Trump do the honors while Austin holds Vince in place be he had to be involved somehow. This would lead to a long feud between Vince and Lashley with Vince becoming ECW Champion to kill the belt once and for all.
John Cena is All Grown Up.
Clips of the dark match to give them time to clean the ring.
The good lumberjills clean house post match.
Shawn Michaels is All Grown Up.
Cena is favored to retain the title 59% to 41%.
We recap Cena vs. Michaels. Shawn came in second in the 2007 Royal Rumble and then won a triple threat to earn the title match. Cena and Michaels then became partners, but Cena was reminded that Michaels would turn on every partner he had no matter what. They wound up winning the Raw Tag Team Titles and hold them coming into this match with Shawn still promising to turn on Cena soon.
Raw World Title: John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels
Back in and Shawn punches Cena in the knee for a target and wraps it around the post. Cena has to hop around the ring on one leg so Shawn bends the bad one around the ropes and chop blocks the champ down. It works so well that Shawn wraps it around the ropes again but Cena punches his way out of trouble. When all else fails, hit the other guy in the face. Shawn misses a charge and goes head first into the post to draw some blood. Oh yeah now we should get going.
Cena cries after the match and the highlights end the show.
Ratings Comparison
CM Punk vs. Mr. Kennedy vs. Finlay vs. Randy Orton vs. King Booker vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Booker T vs. Edge
Original: B+
2013 Redo: B
2015 Redo: B-
Great Khali vs. Kane
Original: D
2013 Redo: D-
2015 Redo: D
Chris Benoit vs. MVP
Original: B
2013 Redo: C
2015 Redo: C-
Undertaker vs. Batista
Original: B+
2013 Redo: A
2015 Redo: A-
ECW Originals vs. New Breed
Original: D+
2013 Redo: D
2015 Redo: D
Bobby Lashley vs. Umaga
Original: C-
2013 Redo: D
2015 Redo: C-
Melina vs. Ashley
Original: F
2013 Redo: M (for Mickie James)
2015 Redo: F
John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels
Original: A
2013 Redo: A-
2015 Redo: A
Overall Rating
Original: B
2013 Redo: B+
2015 Redo: B+
This one is famous for one match and I’m leaving it at that.
And the 2013 Redo:
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