The 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania (2009 TV Special) User Reviews

Wrestlemania 25, 2009

[wrestlingsitewebmaster · 8/10 · 17 May 2009]

Wrestlemania was held in Houston, Texas and the show was decent. That said 2 of the WWE's most reliable superstars (Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker) saved this show from being mediocre.

The Money in the Bank Ladder match was good but was let down by botched moves, like for instance Shelton Benjamin was going to sunset flip power bomb MVP off a ladder but Porter was late releasing his grip, which resulted in both men falling to a heap on the floor. WWE didn't need to have Mark Henry, Finlay or Kane in there, they could have put the likes of R-Truth, The Brian Kendrick or Evan Bourne in with Kofi Kingston, Christian, MVP, CM Punk and Shelton Benjamin to make it more interesting.

The Rey Mysterio vs JBL match was a waste of time, 21 seconds long? Why bother putting it on a super show? Oh yeah to make room for Kid Rock's abysmal singing which lasted 11 minutes but seemed like 11 hours. This was one of the reason's why the WWE unified tag team title match pitting Carlito and Primo against The Miz and John Morrison was cut from the PPV to make room for Kid Rock. If Kevin Dunn generally believes that he done good making this decision he needs his head testing.

The 25 Diva battle royal was abysmal. Not memorable at all, Trish Stratus made the right decision turning the offer down to appear on it and Santino..... oops sorry Santina Marella winning it seemed like someone's idea of a joke.

I was hoping that WWE would have put Chris Jericho in there with Ricky Steamboat alone. My fears were confirmed when they announced that Steamboat would be teaming with the ancient 64 year old Jimmy Snuka and the barely mobile Roddy Piper. Give Steamboat his due he had a very good 4 minute scrap with Jericho at the end. But the result with anti-climatic, fans sensing a feel good ending were baffled when Steamboat lost.

The Triple Threat match between Edge, Big Show and John Cena was OK but not the best, Big Show was totally knackered but looking at Show's age (37) weight (440 pounds) and his condition (knackered)it's no wonder he's feeling the strain of wrestling long matches. This isn't the same Paul Wight who wrestled in WCW were he was billed as the Giant. Wight who could execute moonsaults and standing drop kicks in WCW, has never really fulfilled his true potential and never will.

The Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels was outstanding. Possibly the best match at a Wrestlemania. Undertaker won with a Tombstone. Watch out for when Taker landed on the camera man, that was Sim Snuka (yes the same Sim Snuka who used to wrestle as Duece in the tag team with Domino, and hasn't been seen for months) Results from the show: CM Punk won the MIBL match which also featured, Kane, Finlay, Kofi Kingston, Christian, Shelton Benjamin, MVP and Mark Henry.... Rey Mysterio downed John Bradshaw Layfield in 21 seconds to win the Intercontinental Championship.... Chris Jericho downed Jimmy Snuka, Roddy Piper and Rick Steamboat in an elimination match.... John Cena defeated Big Show and Edge in a passable triple threat match to win the Heavyweight title.... Matt Hardy pinned Jeff Hardy in a good Extreme Rules match.... Santina Marella won the diva Battle Royal.... The Undertaker pinned Shawn Michaels in a superb match.... Triple H defeated Randy Orton in a disappointing match to retain the WWE title.

Overall grade - B/C

25th Anniversary of Wrestlemania review.

[ThePunisherr · 8/10 · 19 February 2010]

Overall Wrestlemania 25 fulfilled my expectations, I didn't expect to see the most historical event in wrestling history or anything, I was just expecting a fairly good, entertaining Wrestlemania, which it was.

4,25/5 Money in the bank ladder match: The money in the bank ladder match featured the following superstars; CM Punk, Kofi Kingston, MVP, Shelton Benjamin, Finlay, Kane and Mark Henry. I think the match was a really good Wrestlemania opener match,it included very good high risk moves (especially Shelton's suicide dive), almost no botched moves (except Shelton's sunset flip power bomb attempt to MVP from the ladder)and all the superstars in it made a really good performance. Everything until the ending in the match was spectacular I really enjoyed watching it, but I think CM Punk shouldn't have won for the second time in a row. I was hoping to see Kane or Christian win and get a championship opportunity, but overall a very good match.

1/5 25-Diva Battle Royal: I thought this match was pretty much pointless and a waste of time, when I Watched it I didn't even know what was happening in the beginning, a ring full of divas just hitting on each others. There wasn't any high risk moves at all and the ending was literally just stupid. I guess it was supposed to be very funny that "Santina Marella" became the Miss Wrestlemania, but I didn't find it very funny. I think that a "proper" diva should have won.

3,75/5 Chris Jericho vs The legends (Ricky Steamboat, Roddy Piper and Jimmy Snuka): I thought this was a fairly decent match, Ricky Steamboat's performance was AMAZING for someone his age. I think that they should have gotten some other Legend to replace Jimmy Snuka, because as you probably saw his performance wasn't very good and was sloppy (many botched moves and he was only slapping Jericho's chest). Roddy Piper was decent in the match, but was nothing compared to Ricky Steamboat's performance. The thing that made this match decent was the fight with Jericho and Steamboat after the other two legends had been eliminated. Steamboat literally stole the show in this match and saved the match from being terrible.

4/5 Matt Hardy vs Jeff Hardy: Overall in my opinion this match was good; because it had a fair amount of hardcore in it and since Jeff and Matt are both "hardcore experts" the quality of the hardcore in the match was really good. Both Matt and Jeff's performances were really good and I didn't see any badly botched moves. Many people were hoping that Jeff Hardy would win and kick Matt's ass and were disappointed that Jeff Hardy lost. I think that the chair Twist of Fate was literally amazing, well done and a good way to end the match.

2/5 Intercontinental Championship: JBL vs Rey Mysterio: The entrance and the speech of JBL before the match was literally ridiculous, when he said he will give us the most dominant victory in Wrestlemania history. Rey Mysterio's entrance was nice, respecting Heath Ledger (The Joker). The match itself was a bit stupid and humiliating for JBL that he lost in 21 seconds at Wrestlemania and at HIS LAST MATCH. It's a bit stupid that a guy who's weighs 100 pounds less, is almost 1 foot shorter and is always considered as the ultimate underdog wins a much bigger guy in 21 seconds at Wrestlemania. The 619 itself wasn't very spectacular, it was nearly botched. I was hoping to see at least a 10 minute match and I think that the idea of a 21 second match is boring, because on Wrestlemania 24 there was a 7 seconds ECW championship match.

10/5 The Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels: I had very high expectations for this match, two legends, probably the best superstars in WWE history. After I had watched this match I was literally shocked, IT WAS AMAZING. The performances of Shawn and Undertaker were superb. As I was watching the match at a moment. I actually thought that Shawn Michaels could maybe break the streak, but he didn't. Everybody should respect these two men who gave us one of the best fight of all time! After I had seen Kurt Angle vs Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania 22, I thought that a non-hardcore match can't get any better than this, but after seeing this I was definitely wrong. Both of these amazing athletes showed amazing resiliency taking many finishers. Shawn and Taker proved everybody that said they would retire at WM 26 wrong and instead they gave them the fight of their lives. The crowd reaction was amazing, because both superstars had about the same amount of fans. 10 years from now when people will remember Wrestlemania 25, they will remember this match. You rarely see such performing and matches these days. This match definitely should have been the main event.

4/5 World Heavyweight Championship: John Cena vs Edge vs Big Show: It was a good match, but the fact that Big show was in it, made the fans sure that it would be either Cena or Edge who will win. Like Big Show winning the title at the 25th anniversary of Wrestlemania, that would never happen. I think the match could have been longer. Cena showed some real POWER in the end lifting Big Show and Edge. Overall it was a good entertaining match, but could have been better.

3/5 WWE Championship: Triple H vs Randy Orton: A disappointment, I was hoping for a much better main event for WM25. Well the match wasn't very bad, there was a lot of good stuff in it too, but it just didn't feel like a good main event and people are getting tired of Triple H and Randy Orton always fighting in the main event. Many people say the ending was bad, well it wasn't a good WM25 last match ending.

WM25 overall 8/10

The performances of Shawn micheals and Unertaker made this show very solid from decent.

[davielee15 · 8/10 · 28 April 2010]

Sure this is disappointing and sure the match card did not live up to its hype but by golly it is not the worst wrestlemania ever! Match #1- MITB Ladder match- Probably the least of my favorite MITB matches but it was still a great way to start the show particularly from Kofi Kingston and Shelton Benjamin's performances. 8/10 Match #2- A diva battle royal match to declare wrestlemania queen or something like that- Abmysal 0/10 Match #3- Chris Jericho vs. Legends Stemaboat,Piper and Snuka- This put me back into the show. Ricky Steamboat looked tremendous.WOW! 7.5/10 Match #4- Extreme Rules match- Hardy vs. Hardy- While it lacked surprises, it sure did deliver some shock and AWE moments. The Hardy that won deserved to win. 7.5/10 Match #5- Intercontinental Title match- JBL vs. Mysterio- Like last years ECW title match I cannot rate it. However, JBL was hilarious and Mysterio had an awesome outfit.

Mtch #6- Undertaker vs. HBK- This is the greatest wrestlemania match ever and one of the greatest wrestling matches ever to see again and again. You will be literally on your for feet the entire time and I was just exhausted after this match. Wish I can rate it 100/10 but of course 10/10.

Match #7- 3 Way World Heavyweight Title match- Edge vs. Big Show vs. Cena- Very good triple threat title match 7/10.

Match #8- WWE title match HHH vs. Orton- I've read reviews for this match and it wasn't horrible it was just not the right way to end the show and I agree Taker vs. HBK should have ended the show but this wasn't a complete waste of time. It has its moments but this main event is far from great and it is the least favorite main event since Wrestlemania 21. But overall over decent match. 6/10.

The performances of Taker and HBK obviously saved the show but other reviews said it was one of the worst wrestlemanias of all time-I absolutely don't agree with that. This is a very solid show saved from being decent. OVERALL: 7/10

Oh No Triple H..... WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?

[Legend_Killa · 6 April 2009]

Can you say anti-climax?

1) Money In The Bank Ladder Match A good opener. The thing that works against the MITB Ladder match is that there is only so many spots that you can do with a ladder. Over the last few years, Shelton Benjamin has done almost every interesting spot that a human being can do with a ladder. They are now struggling to out do the previous MITB Ladder matches. This however was a very credible ladder match, but probably the weakest (along with WM XXIII) of the MITB Ladder matches to date. Kofi Kingston probably emerged as the MITB show stealer, although Benjamin had the spot of the match with a crazy Swanton-type dive from the top of an insanely high ladder..... C+

2) Diva Battle Royal A waste of time. The old Divas like Sunny & Molly didn't even get an entrance for the crowd to enjoy their return. To make things worse they had Santino win it. As funny as he is they need to start making him a credible wrestler (which he is capable of being) & not just a jobber who's good on the mic, which they are making him out to be...... F

3) Chris Jericho vs The Legends Much better than I thought it would be. Dare I say that Ricky Steamboat nearly stole the show. What a performance by the Hall Of Famer. It was a match that didn't steal the show but certainly didn't disappoint. The spot with Mickey Rourke at the end was never going to be taken well if it was over the top, so maybe its subtle approach was appropriate..... C

4) Jeff Hardy vs Matt Hardy Good match with some extreme, but not over the top spots. I worried that the spots in this match would be over top, but they did them just right. The ring psychology was good & it was good to see Matt win as that was the result needed if they plan to extend this feud (which I think they will). The Twist Of Fate on the chair was superbly done..... B-

5) JBL vs Rey Misterio It would've been more spontaneous if they hadn't done the exact same thing last year with Kane & Chavo Guerrero. JBL as boring as he is in the ring, is a master of psychology on the microphone. The angle of JBL quitting was as important as the actual 21 second match so I'll take that into account when grading it..... D

6) Undertaker vs Shawn Michael Well..... When I saw Kurt Angle vs Shawn Michaels, I thought that you will never see a better match where no weapons are used EVER again. Not just getting caught up in the hype because Wrestle Mania was only yesterday, but this just might be the best Wrestle Mania match that I have ever seen. As far as storyline goes it was built up very well. As far as in ring action goes, it was a privilege to watch. As far as ring psychology goes, it was a master class. As far as crowd reaction goes, that much crowd reaction hasn't been seen since Hogan vs The Rock. The WWE hasn't received a 5 Star rating for a match in Wrestling Observer for over a decade. If this doesn't get one then something is wrong. On a side note there was a spot where the Undertaker flew over the top rope & HBK moved out of the way sending Undertaker straight to the floor. Undertaker landed head first into the cameraman & a crunching noise was heard. I honestly thought for 5 seconds that The Undertaker had broken his neck & died live at Wrestle Mania..... A*

7) Edge vs John Cena vs Big Show A match that never should've been a world title match at Wrestle Mania in the first place. It wasn't terrible though, but wasn't anything that we haven't seen before. Cena showcased his AMAZING strength by holding Big Show & Edge on his shoulders for a few seconds. This was closely followed by the 3 count that made him World Champion once again, which in turn made for a good finish to the match. Not as bad as a match with John Cena & Big Show could've been..... C

8) Triple H vs Randy Orton Imagine if Stone Cold Steve Austin lost to Shawn Michaels at WM 14. Imagine if The Ultimate Warrior lost to Hulk Hogan at WM 6. Imagine if Chris Benoit didn't win at WM 20. They would've NEVER crossed over to that status that separates a transitional champion (Sergent Slaughter) from a dominant champion (Bret Hart). Orton who is without question the hottest thing in wrestling right now, was ready to take over like Triple H did at Wrestle Mania 2000. Randy Orton is in the the prime of his life at 28 & has a decade of dominance ahead of him. The only thing left for him to do was to defeat the man that he was destined to proceed as the No.1 bad guy in the world of wrestling at WM 25. Could Triple H get over himself for one second & do what was write for business? NO! He ruined Wrestle Mania 25 the same way that he ruined Wrestle Mania 18 by not letting The Rock & Hollywood Hogan be the main event. Orton will now have to start all over again rebuilding his character & we are destined to put up with Triple H until he breaks Ric Flair's record & finally steps down like he should've done at the end of the Attitude Era..... The Match was a C+, but the ending completely downgraded it to an F

A lot rides on the main event of Wrestle Mania as that is what is remembered the most. The ending to this year's main event was the most disappointing in WWE history!

Overall..... C

Wrestlemania 25........The Greatest Wrestlemania ever!!!!!!

[mishalwwechamp · 10/10 · 6 August 2009]

This year the grandest stage of them all (Wrestlemania) went to Houston, Texas where the most classic Wrestlemania in history took place. The opening match was the Money In The Bank Ladder Match which featured Mark Henry,Kane,Christian,CM Punk,Finlay,Shelton Benjamin and MVP, definitely one of the highlights of the night when CM Punk stepped out the winner for the 2nd time. The next match featuring Intercontinental Champion JBL and the No.1 Contender Rey Mysterio,before Mysterio could even warm up JBL leveled Mysterio with a giant boot. Everyone thought it was over, but it wasn't Mysterio got up hit the 619 and splashed JBL to pick up the 21 second win and his first Intercontinental title win. After the shocking victory JBL grabbed a mic. and said the shocking and rare words.......'I QUIT!!!!'.The next contest was an intense contest between former WWE champion Jeff Hardy and his brother and former ECW Champion Matt Hardy which started 3 months earlier at the Royal Rumble. The contest wasted little time in brutal violence as both men quickly took it to the EXTREME....with tables, ladders, chairs (OH MY) both brother punished each other until Matt Hardy hit a twist of fate with Jeff tangled in a steel chair to pick up the win. Next was the 3-on-1 handicap match between Y2J(Chris Jericho) and Jimmy Snuka, Roddy Piper and Ricky Steamboat, the match started with the legends ripping Y2J apart but Piper and Snuka were quickly eliminated for the match then it was Steamboats time to shine. As he hit a huge combination of moves involving a cross body, DDT, missile dropkick and several suplexes. Minutes later Y2J hit a codebreaker and picked up the win.The next contest was 'The Heartbreak Kid' Shawn Michaels looking to end the 16-0 streak of THE UNDERTAKER who at that time had never been able to beat Shawn Michaels one-on-one. Both men entered the ring and pushed each other to the limit Taker' powered out of several submissions and hit Michaels with several blows all over the body Michaels did whatever he could to avoid Taker' but nothing worked. The action intensified as Taker' leaped out of the ring onto his neck giving Michaels some momentum Taker' hit a last ride and a tombstone but Michaels shockingly kicked out,Taker' then caught Michaels in mid - air and hit a 2nd Tombstone for the win.The World title match a triple threat match featuring Edge, John Cena and THE BIG SHOW! All 3 men immediately took each other to the limit with everything in there arsenal but at the end Cena FU'ed both men at once to pick up a huge win and his 2nd World Heavyweight Title. The next and final contest featured a match 5 years in the making with 2 former friends and partners WWE Champion Triple H and the No.1 Contender Randy Orton in a completely personal rivalry. The match started unusually with Orton hitting the RKO and Triple H hitting the Pedigree, Triple H and Orton quickly took each other to the limit. Minutes later Triple H hit Orton with a punt and then a quick Pedigree to win and retain his WWE Championship.

The story of one match in a pretty average wrestlemania (spoilers)

[avi0107 · 6/10 · 10 April 2009]

Well I guess it was OK overall.

-MITB Fun opener. Not the best MITB but I liked it. Was rooting for Christian tho. 7/10

-Kid Rock/Divas battle royal-Damn Kid Rock for cutting the divas' entrance. 25 Divas battle royal was bad....didn't see Torrie or Trish or Sunny. Pointless. 0/10

-Jericho vs. Legends. I consider Jericho as one of the very best in the businnes...waste of talent here. At first, I felt sad for Y2J as tried to sell Piper's weak attempts for some punches/kicks. Then it became scary, I mean **** hell Snuka is a mess. With all due respect, If i was Jericho, I would be worried that he may get injured or worse at any moment. He defines retirement perfectly. The match had the marks of being one of the worst in history until Steamboat came on. Wow....hell of a performance, hats off. Save the match. 6.5/10

-Rourke. The crowd were not really into it. It was OK, fun I guess but ridiculous.

-Hardy vs. Hardy. Pretty good match, much better than the first time they tried this feud. Great ending, I'm happy Matt won. 7.5/10

-JBL vs. Mysterio. Mysterio was ridiculous in his joker attire. Farewell JBL. Totally pointless. 4/10 (for the fun factor)

-Undertaker vs. HBK. A classic. Exceeded the already high expectations. These two guys got the very best of each other. The PPV is worth it for this match only. One of a kind. 20/10

-Edge vs. Big Show vs. Cena. Suffered from the fact that it's after Taker vs. HBK. Average anyway. Cena winning is a real shocker. me. Can't Edge have a decent run for once? Cena's entrance was annoying. 6/10

• Hall of Fame. He did it tons of times before, but I still love this Austin thing. Hell of a career. Great segment.

-HHH vs. Orton. MAJOR disappointment. I liked this feud a lot. It's true that Orton lost a beat of momentum by the end I was looking forward to this. An average match at the very best and the worst thing is that Orton didn't even win. HHH wins again, how does this help really? 5/10

Overall. A classic and some good matches...nothing really unwatchable but weak as per wrestlemania standards. Taker-HBK makes it worth it. Without this, it would have been the worst wrestlemania since 2000. Last year was better.....last time in Texas was the best ever but again, for me it was the story of one match: Taker vs. HBK

Not as good as expected!

[namashi_1 · 6/10 · 29 May 2009]

'WrestleMania 25' is supposed to be a grand affair, a brand which has been the most prominent affair in the history of WWE. But sadly the event doesn't live up to its mark.... Minus HBK vs Undertaker, no other match makes you go wow!! WM 25 could've been the best event ever, but sadly it joins the league of events like 'Summer Slam', 'Royal Rumble' and 'Survivor Series', not WM.

Things which left a mark: HBK vs Undertaker. The-duo once again proved that they are the true legends of WWE, delivering a fantastic match. Easily, The best WrestleMania in recent times. The Showstopper and The Deadman deserve a standing ovation for their contribution in WWE. Mickey Rourke's cameo was entertaining, knocking Y2J down.

The disappointments: Everything else. The Money In The Bank match was plain mediocre. Y2J vs The Legends was good, not great. The match reminded me of RAW. Triple H vs Randy Orton was a yawn. The built up for the match was instigating, but the result was narrow. Santina winning miss WM was unintentionally funny. Jeff vs Matt was boring, ditto for the other matches.

Being a hardcore fan of WWE since childhood, I expected a lot from WM 25, but sadly it didn't reach my expectation. HBK vs Undertaker, will surely be remembered as one of the greatest matches of WWE history. The performers didn't disappoint, the event did.

Wrestlemania 25.,,,a decent if not, mediocre Wrestlemania.

[KillerK1991 · 6/10 · 9 April 2009]

The Good: - HBK/Undertaker kicked ass. One of the best matches I've seen in a while. - The Legends vs Jericho thing wasn't a complete waste of time- Rourke actually showed, but more importantly it reminded the world of the talented Mr. Steamboat. Kudos to Jericho for keeping this thing alive, and WWE giving Jericho the much needed victory. - The World Title Triple Threat was decent and worthy- it lived right up to it's expectations.

The Bad: - The Divas match set womankind back 500 years. - The Main Event sucked ass. It was incredibly boring and had one of the lamest endings ever. Orton was pretty much squashed for 25 minutes. It was the exact opposite of Rock/Austin 8 years ago in the same place. - CM Punk winning again is an idea that would've worked in any year but this one. - JBL deserved a greater retirement match. - The Hardyz bout, and the main event for that matter, could've used some more intensity and violence, WE WANT BLOOD! - Where hell was the tag match! - What happened to Swagger and the ECW title?

This was probably the most average Wrestlemania of all time. The only real standout moment was Taker/Michaels. It didn't have the worst matches, and it definitely didn't have the best. Wrestlemania is supposed to shake the company up quite a bit, something this Wrestlemania completely failed to do. You could say it's because of WWE's significant loss of star power since the early 00's, but in all seriousness, the booking was just plain uninspired. I suggest taking out the money in the bank, because those stars each having their own piece of the show would've benefited it greatly.

Houston, we have a few problems.

[southdavid · 6/10 · 3 March 2022]

I don't care what the fed' are trying to call the show. It's "Wrestlemania 25" and it's the 24th anniversary of Wrestlemania because that's how the English language and time works.

This show came from the Reliant Stadium, in Houston, Texas, in April of 2009. The cards consists of an 8 Man 'Money in the Bank' ladder match. A Miss Wrestlemania battle royal. Chris Jericho against Jimmy Snuka, Ricky Steamboat and Roddy Piper. Matt Hardy against Jeff Hardy. JBL against Rey Mysterio. The Undertaker against Shawn Michaels, Edge vs John Cena vs The Big Show and Triple H vs Randy Orton.

The show consists of one all time classic, a couple of other solid matches, some decent moments and a lot of rubbish.

The money in the Bank ladder match kicks us off strong. With Shelton Benjamin, Kofi Kingston and CM Punk providing various high spots and Kane and Mark Henry spotting for others. It's full of big moments, obviously and is a great start. Mercifully, Kid Rocks concert isn't on the DVD, so instead we se the Diva's already in the ring for their battle royal. This is probably one of the lowest points that womens wrestling would be at, and that it's won by a man in drag shows how little value these women had at this point. Jericho vs. The Legends would have been fine, had it just been him versus Ricky Steamboat, the other two add nothing - nor does Flair on the outside or the post-match business with Mickey Rourke.

The Hardy's battle was better and had a really good ending. JBL vs Rey was over quickly and would be the last the universe would see of JBL for a few years. The first Undertaker vs. Shawn Michael's match is an undisputed classic, full of false finishes and kick outs that I can't believe, even though I've seen the match several times before. The Cena triple threat is OK, but the ending is poor and the HHH vs Randy Orton match is fine, but struggles to follow that Michaels / Taker match - as anything would.

The blu ray version also includes Raw and Smackdown from before the show, as well as the Dark match, which was a lumberjack tag titles match.

The classic match and the high spots in some of the others makes this a show that you would just about recommend.

WWE Celebrates 25th Anniversary with a Disappointing Show.

[morantjavonte · 5/10 · 12 September 2020]

Wrestlemania 25 Thoughts

Wrestlemania 25 was the 25th annual WrestleMania taking place in Houston, Texas at the Reliant Stadium on April 5, 2009. The event was the first WrestleMania to be held in the state of Texas since WrestleMania 17 and the first WrestleMania through the PG-Era as WWE went back to TV-PG at the start of November 2008. WWE celebrated 25 years of WrestleMania even though the first WrestleMania took place only 24 years ago in 1985. This event was mostly memorable for the classic Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker match as Undertaker put his streak on the line against a man who he never defeated in a one on one encounter. Triple H defended the WWE Championship against Royal Rumble Winner Randy Orton which became a blood thirsty feud more about Triple H getting revenge for his family after Orton attacked the Mcmahons most importantly his wife. A Triple Threat Match for the World Heavyweight Championship also was in the mix as John Cena tried to reclaim his belt that he shockingly lost the previous month. Edge defending was in a love triangle with Big Show (who was the third participate) and Vickie Guerrero.

The Good - Well Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels was an all time great that stole the show. I think I like the one they had the next year a little more due to the story but this was a five star classic that is said to possibly be the GOAT of WrestleMania matches. It was sooo good that the crowd was pretty burned out to the point where it is often talked about today that it should have been the main event. I liked the Triple Threat Match for the World title. Yeah the storyline was more about Edge, Vickie, and Big Show but the match itself was quite enjoyable. Mickey Rourke's moment with Chris Jericho was a highlight of the show.

The Meh - Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy is good but it's honestly disappointing that it wasn't even close to a match of the year spot. Hardys being one of the greatest tag teams of all time is a fact. But what's also true is they never had a terrific match against one another. The undercard was okay. The Money in the Bank was alright but I wasn't to found of wrestlers laying down peaking and looking down to do a spot. A high botch was also memorable about it.

The Bad - Triple H vs. Randy Orton was a lackluster. All the build up, which I remember at the time was intense, got thrown out the window with it just being a standard match where Triple H being DQ would lose the belt. What's worse was how it being the main event over a match that was impossible for anything to top for that evening, hurt it even worse. Another disaster was the Women's Battle Royal. What an embarrassing load of crap. Returning Stars also not being introduce was disrespectful and the winner just made it into a joke.

Overall - Pretty mediocre show that was saved by a match that honestly makes this show worth watching all over again even without a fast forward option.

Score - 5 out of 10: Mediocre

0 = Terrible: 1 = Bad/Lackluster: 2 = Decent: 3 = Good: 4 = Awesome: 5 = One of the best of all time:

1. Kofi Kingston vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Finlay vs. Kane vs. MVP vs. Christian vs. Mark Henry vs. Finlay: Money in the Bank (Ladder Match) - 2.5/5

2. 25 Diva Battle Royal - 0/5

3. Rowdy Piper, Jimmy Snuka, and Ricky Steamboat vs Chris Jericho (Handicap Match) - 2/5

4. Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy (Extreme Rules) - 3/5

5. JBL vs. Rey Mysterio: Intercontinental Championship - Not worth it

6. Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels - 5/5

7. Edge vs. Big Show vs. John Cena: World Heavyweight Championship - 3.5/5

8. Triple H vs. Randy Orton: WWE Championship - 1.5/5

Best Match - Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker

Worst Match - Women's Battle Royal

Most Memorable Moment - Undertaker dive on the camera man

Top 5 Performers

1. Undertaker

2. Shawn Michaels

3. John Cena

4. Edge

5. CM Punk.

Didn't Really Live Up to the Hype, but a Pretty Good Show Nonetheless

[carologletree · 7/10 · 29 February 2016]

This show was pretty good, but it was a bit disappointing. There was some good stuff on here for sure, but apart from one classic match, it really didn't live up to the "25th Anniversary" hype.

Money In The Bank Ladder Match: CM Punk vs. Kane vs. Christian vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Finlay vs. Kofi Kingston vs. MVP vs. Mark Henry - Probably the weakest MITB match, but still very good. It was a nice way to start the show with Kofi Kingston and Shelton Benjamin providing the real stand-out moments. CM Punk wins the briefcase for the 2nd time in a row. RATING: ***3/4

3 on 1 Handicap Elimination Match: Chris Jericho vs. Ricky Steamboat, Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka, and Rowdy "Roddy" Piper - It was okay when Snuka and Piper were in there, but really good when Steamboat was in there. He showed that he still had it. This should have been a singles match. Chris Jericho wins but then gets punched by Mickey Rourke. RATING: ***

Extreme Rules Match: Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy - This was a pretty extreme and brutal match, and it's a lot of fun to watch. You can't go wrong with these two. Matt Hardy wins with a Twist of Fate on a steel chair. RATING: ***1/2

Intercontinental Championship Match: JBL (c) vs. Rey Mysterio - Rey Mysterio wins the title in 21 seconds. JBL then quits afterwards. RATING: N/A

Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker - This match simply blew me away. This defines the word "epic." These two legends put on an incredible contest that is rightfully considered one of the very best matches of all time. You will barely have time to catch your breath. Buy the show for this match alone. The Undertaker's streak is now 17-0. RATING: *****

Triple Threat Match for the World Heavyweight Championship: Edge (c) vs. John Cena vs. The Big Show - This match was good, but quite underwhelming as a world title match. There were some good moments, but it felt more like a regular PPV main event, not WrestleMania. John Cena wins the Championship. RATING: ***

WWE Championship Match: Triple H (c) vs. Randy Orton - The build-up was great, but this match was very disappointing. It was more of a slug-fest than a match, and it was mostly pretty dull. Not very good, and pretty bad as a main event. RATING: **

A solid show overall. The main event was disappointing, but HBK/Taker is the real reason to get this.

RATING: B

review

[parm-b97 · 4/10 · 4 January 2010]

wrestlemania 25 was supposed to be the biggest event if the year bu it seem to a ppv with only one good match out of what 10 12 matches. it was like watching tna not the wwe and wwe is supposed to be a better wrestling show. if wrestlemaina 26 is going to be like this whats the point of watching wwe it's like your watching tna which is the worst wrestling company in the world. the only good part of wrestlemania was hbk vs taker which is the only match i watched fully from the whole wrestlemaina. if Vince wants wwe to be come more popular why not make it hbk vs taker in a hell in a cell match or Rey mysterio vs cena vs hbk vs taker in a ladder match for the world title.

What can I say?

[jakespick · 3/10 · 21 April 2010]

What can I say about 2009's stinker that hasn't been said before? The 25th Anniversary of Wrestlemania was an insult to the wrestling world, and will go down with the likes of Mania IX as one of the all-time worst Manias. It was abysmal, truly. Of course, aside from the now famous Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels match up.

The show started off with the usual matches, such as the Intercontinental Championship and the Money in the Bank Ladder Match. The IC title match was a joke in itself, less than 30 seconds long. The WWE has attempted to mimic last year's Hardcore Championship bout between Kane and Chavo, which was just as short, if not shorter. However, when Kane beat Chavo, it felt much more fresh and unexpected and worked much better then than it did here.

The Ladder Match, interesting as usual, always seems to be their get-out-of-jail-free card from Mania 21 on, using it as a way to make each Mania at least somewhat entertaining. But, Mr. McMahon, why is it that the most hyped-up and talked about Wrestlemanias are always the biggest failures in this business. Why is it that we have to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Wrestlemania with a triple threat match between Edge, Big Show, and John Cena (one of the worst main events in history)? Answer me that. How hard is it, exactly, to come up with a decent Wrestlemania. I mean, at least put some effort into an event as big as this.

Anyway, let's move on to the rest of the show, starting with the much hyped Chris Jericho vs. WWE Legends match. This match, along with the rest of the matches, was a joke in itself. The match quickly boiled down to generic garbage that was not only boring, but depressing to watch - to realize that the WWE has resorted, simply, to the match cards of their events to make sales. This was an obvious failure of a match and of an event, one Vince must've seen coming.

Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels. This one was for the ages, and will go down as, possibly, the greatest match of all-time for the Undertaker, and maybe even for the Show Stopper as well. It was quite the battle, and really helped me through the night, but you've heard enough about this glorious fight, so let's move on.

The Hardy vs. Hardy Extreme Rules match was actually quite entertaining, but not even high-flying violence could save this show. They both put on one hell of a show, one which I really enjoyed, but quickly faded away into the rest of the event, which include the two absolutely horrible main events.

XXV's main events included the triple threat match for the World Heavyweight Championship, as I stated before, and a one-on-one bout between Randy Orton and Triple H which actually wasn't that bad, but could've been saved for Backlash or even Summerslam, not the 25th Anniversary of Wrestlemania. The two obvious faces came out victorious (Triple H and Cena), something which was not the case at the previous year's show. They need to remember that, every once in a while, people don't like to see Cena walk away with every title and a hand-job. But, rather, see Cena lose for once, and what better place than the grandest stage of them all? Now the rest of the matches, or as I like to call them, "card fillers," were the usual garbage you'd expect. A tag team title match that nobody was excited about, and a Diva Battle Royale, which is always a bad sign seeing as how the Divas in today's WWE just can't pull off a good performance.

In conclusion, other than the Undertaker vs. Michaels match, nothing really stuck as special or even useful to the WWE or the event itself, and frankly I can't remember the event that match, and even had to look back at the Wrestlemania History section on WWE.com to see the matches in order to spark some sort of memory.

I do not recommend viewing this. You'll get more pleasure out of watching the highlights on YouTube.