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WrestleMania 24 Reax #7: "If I were to show any match to non-fans and say 'this is why I watch pro wrestling,' it would be this match."
Apr 3, 2008 - 2:01:48 AM
Shaun C. of Auburn Ala. (9.0) Best Match: Flair-Michaels. Worst Match: Batista-Umaga
Wow. I came in expecting this to be one of the worst WM's of all time. But came out with a new found respect for Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels. I'm not sure how exactly to rate their match other than to say that if I were to show any match to non-fans and say "this is why I watch pro wrestling" it would be this match. MITB wasen't the best version ever but it served it purpose and had some nice spots. Maybe punk will actually get a nice run out of this. Or maybe were doomed to Kane-Punk for the next 6 months. Bunnymania was what it was. Orton-Cena-HHH while not a show stealer was a nice 4 star effort from all three with a some what surprising finish. Taker-Edge, 5-stars plan and simple. Some sloppy spots but when i think of Wrestlemania main events this is what comes to mind. This is the best Wrestlemania sense 20 and in the top five all time.
Chris Glavin of Philadelphia, Pa. (9.5): Best Match: Ric Flair vs. HBK. Worst Match: Kane vs. Chavo Guerrero. My disillusioned friends and those who don't watch wrestling always ask me: Why do you like this crap? My answer: WrestleMania. For me it is the culmination of having to go through horrible gimmicks, matches, and storylines. It is a true payoff for those dedicated fans who tune in every week and follow each performer, to be rewarded with satisfying endings. The JBL-Finlay match was good. I didn't like the ending, as I think it would have made more sense for Finlay/Hornswoggle to get the last word in the feud. I was also expecting more of a stiff brawl than a hardcore match. The MITB matchup was insane. Shelton and Johnny Nitro took a lot of punishment. I've been a huge fan of C.M. Punk for sometime so I popped huge when he won. Let's see where the push goes from here. Batista-Umaga lost it's thunder after the first few minutes. They should've gone another ten minutes. The fans in the front row chanting for Umaga was very comical. "U-U-U-Umaga." The ECW Title match was forgettable. It fits Kane's character but really destroys the credibility of all performers in ECW who haven't beaten Chavo (including the MITB winner). Ric Flair vs. HBK started off slow. That table spot looked horrible! Just horrible. It was truly an epic match with so much emotion. The finishing sequence was amazing with HBK not wanting to finish off the career of Flair, yet Flair begging him on to just do the job. Classic Wrestlemania match. One of the best things I've ever seen in wrestling. Truly. The women's match was passable. Snoop Dogg was very funny. The triple threat was nonstop and also had a surprising finish. I love the chemistry Randy Orton and John Cena have. The Big Show-Mayweather match was booked nicely. Big Show came out looking good, which is all that matters. The main event was fantastic. Both men played their parts perfectly. Edge truly is the MVP of the company. Undertaker busted his ass. I still cannot believe he can do the flying bit over the ropes after so many years. I say it again, WrestleMania is why I am a wrestling fan. No company in the world can put together a better production than WWE. Thank you!
Terrie Neilson of Las Vegas, Nev. (9.0): Best: Michaels vs. Flair; Edge vs. Taker Worst: Bunnymania! Let me get the bad news out first: If it wasn't for Snoop Dogg, I'd say Bunnymania would not have belonged on the PPV. It was really bad, as cursed by the power outage. Show-Mayweather still wasn't very good, but a bit of a nice surprise. The only problem is, of course, now Big Show looks weak even with having been taken down by weapons. Our croad at Sam's Town booed Mayweather about as mercilessly as they booed Cena. The hot start at No Way Out was marred by the crappy build and the overbooking. Finlay-JBL was a good brawl with the right finish to continue the feud. Kudos to Finlay for the suicide dive headshot, though I worry some for the sheer number of head shots, more unprotected than protected. After seeing this year's MITB match, this match could become a case of diminishing returns as every year this match has to find new and innovative things to work in. This one found some: Morrison's moonsault with ladder in hand, Carlito marking out for his and Kennedy's flipping Shelton Benjamin to the outside onto a ladder, and the return of Matt Hardy, which everyone marked for. Umaga-Batista was a disappointment, but I expected that it wouldn't go well based on the very faulty build. Thank goodness Raven Simone did her segment after the Chavo-Kane match, because I would have almost missed Michaels-Flair due to choosing Chavo-Kane as a bathroom break. The triple threat was a decent enough match, but a disappointment considering the three involved. I came in hoping for an Orton win but seeing Triple H with the gold. Our crowd responded with a huge "WTF?" but still relieved that Cena didn't win. As far as the Edge-Taker match, Taker may have gone over and won the title, but Edge was definitely put over extremely well. They went long and the crowd's emotions went on a roller coaster. There was some extra booking, but nothing like the Show-Mayweather match to distract from the quality. Taker-Edge got a standing ovation from our crowd, but it was NOTHING compared to Michaels-Flair. The match tore at the heartstrings, Flair looked spectacular in the end, and had the perfect finish (as Flair challenged Shawn to finish him off, a holding-back-tears Shawn responded with "I'm sorry... I love you..." - BAM!) "Old Yeller" turned out to be a good analogy to use with this match after all (though Yeller was put down due to rabies and not age); the son hated to put down the dog but had to. Our crowd gave this match TWO standing ovations, a long round of applause, and a "Thank you Flair" chant, so I have no complete idea how the crowd Orlando responded. I do hope Shawn is okay, though, for the announce table bump he took (third Wrestlemania - 21, 23, now 24 - where the table has cursed him). There were a few overbumps, but nowhere near what he did to feed slightly younger Hogan's ego. I'm seeing this match on MOTY lists come year's end for the story it told.
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