The highlight though is a bunch of portraits of various wrestlers around the arena for a unique and cool look. The set is much simpler this year as it looks like the side of a skyscraper and is shaped liked the Chicago skyline, which fits the theme of “Big Time”. I like the song but this really isn’t making me want to see the show. The opening video is set to I Dare You by Shinedown and gives us the required history of Wrestlemania package (very good this year) before shifting to the major matches this year. Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child sings America the Beautiful. While last year’s felt fun, this one really felt tacked on and that’s not a good thing. I mean……VISCERA? The long space near the end with no eliminations felt long too and really made the match drag, despite it not even breaking ten minutes. This was a horrible battle royal with the speed of the eliminations and the winner really holding things back. A big splash crushes Road Warrior and the elimination is academic, leaving Viscera to avoid a running boot to eliminate Snitsky for the win at 9:04. Road Warrior stares Viscera down and the fans chant for the LOD. MNM are thankfully eliminated and Snitsky kicks Tomko out by mistake. Viscera stacks them both up for a splash and the Visagra, which can only be described as rhythmic thrusting on the mat.
MNM avoids a corner splash from Viscera and actually tries the Snapshot, resulting in a severely sore back.
Viscera tortures MNM as Snitsky and Tomko forget their allegiance by starting a brawl that no one cares about. The final eight (Snitsky, Viscera, Murdoch and Tomko for Raw, Mercury, Nitro, Psicosis and Road Warrior for Smackdown) have the big staredown with Psicosis quickly eliminating Murdoch, only to be put out by Tomko. Snitsky throws Regal out and MNM plants Eugene with the Snapshot (elevated DDT) for an easy elimination. Psicosis puts out Goldust in a pretty big upset. Murdoch eliminates Crazy as the ring is quickly clearing out. Richards is stupid enough to pose on the apron and gets knocked out with Striker getting eliminated a few seconds later. Funaki gets catapulted out and Cade quickly follows him. Conway poses while beating on Richards and gets dumped for his efforts. Simon tries to make a sales pitch to start and gets superkicked for an elimination. Also Viscera is now a self professed love machine. Cade and Murdoch are a southern team, Striker is a former teacher who would become an annoying announcer, Road Warrior is our old friend Animal, Mercury and Nitro are partners in MNM (Smackdown Tag Team Champions) and Super Crazy and Psicosis are part of a group called the Mexicools. They’re keeping it a lot smaller this year with just eighteen names. Smackdown: Funaki, Super Crazy, Simon Dean, Steven Richards, Johnny Nitro, William Regal, Road Warrior, Joey Mercury, Psicosis Raw: Eugene, Viscera, Goldust, Rob Conway, Lance Cade, Matt Striker, Trevor Murdoch, Tyson Tomko, Snitsky The card just doesn’t feel big this year which was the case with most of the stuff this year.
Vince McMahon in a match over Vince not being willing to grow up and let go of some things in his past. Other than the two World Title matches, the other major match on the show is Shawn Michaels vs. Really there isn’t much to talk about here.
Location: Allstate Arena, Chicago, IllinoisĬommentators: Michael Cole, Tazz, Jerry Lawler, Jim Ross Note that I rate using letters instead of stars and I don’t rate matches under three minutes as really, how good or bad can something that short be? It could be anything from modern WWE to old school to indies to anything in between. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I’ll be posting a new review here on, starting today. I’ve been reviewing wrestling shows for over ten years now and have reviewed over 5,000 shows. Welcome to KB’s Old School (and New School) Reviews.