4/5 WWE WrestleMania 25 PPV Reax

Omar Mills of Fairfax, Va. (8.0): Best match: Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker. Worst match: Diva Battle Royale. I haven't purchased a WWE pay-per-view since 2005, but Michaels-Taker had all of the makings of a dream match. I was surprised when I realized that Taker had never actually beaten HBK, but it makes sense. When Taker fought HBK it was mostly during Shawn's days as the top star in the company. This match was everything I hoped it would be and then some. When Shawn kicked out of the Tombstone, I lost my mind. Mind you, I always knew that Taker was going to win, but I didn't care. The match was so well-booked and executed that you knew that you were watching a gem as it happened. Shawn's moonsault to the floor; Taker's suicide dive that nearly killed him - you can't ask for more from these guys. That was an instant classic, match of the year candidate for sure and without question the greatest WM match I have ever seen. Michaels is arguably the greatest performer I have ever seen. He can make anybody look good and he looks good doing it. With Michaels, it's the little things. Did you catch his facial expression as the ref counted Taker all the way to nine before Taker rolled back in? He was praying and hoping to win by count-out, and I bought it. Taker's look after the Tombstone kick-out was classic too. This match had everything and the reason I think it beats Savage-Steamboat from WM3 as the greatest ever is because the finish in this match was clean and it also wasn't a match designed to elevate one guy over the other. This was by all accounts a "dream match" that actually delivered.

Joseph Lawson of Las Vegas, Nev. (8.5): Best Match: The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels. Worst match: IC title match. A much better WrestleMania than I anticipated. First off I love the WrestleMania intros and this one was top notch. Got me emotionally into the event. I was mad they dark-matched the tag title match. Do tag teams really mean this little? A big unification match with two top tag teams and we are forced to see the 25-diva battle royal? Sure glad I was at the bar and didn't pay for it. The MITB was good, but nowhere near where it has been since 2005. I like C.M. Punk, but it was bad to have him win twice in a row. The crowd really got behind Christian, as did I, and I really thought this was his moment to shine. I guess JBL's big surprise was to quit on worldwide TV and lose his title in 20 seconds. I think the European title was better promoted than the IC title. The Jericho-Legends match did better than I thought it would. WrestleMania really showed why Chris Jericho is the best in the business today. He took a sinking ship of a match and salvaged it. WWE got their time with Mickey Rourke and Flair got his pop. An overall good time for Legends of WWE past. I didn't feel it for the Hardys match. I liked the build, but it felt rushed on how they did the match. It made sense to have Matt win, as it could lead to multiple angles. Undertaker and Shawn Michaels was over 30 minutes of an amazing tale. Great near finishes and a wonderfully set-up ending. This is why Shawn Michaels is Mr. WrestleMania. The two championship matches were overhyped. I still don't think Triple H has had his WrestleMania moment. His win at WM16 was overshadowed by the corruption of the McMahons. His win at WM18 was surpassed by Hogan and The Rock. This year was no different, as the fans were out of it. They didn't care and showed it with their emotions. I'm not saying Trips isn't a good draw, but he keeps getting the short end of the stick and I truly believe Orton should have won this match. The same goes for the Cena title win. Fans were just not into it. It's the creative team's own fault. Both matches were solid through and through, but HBK and Taker outright stole WrestleMania 25

Chris Minardi of Clifton Park, N.Y. (5.0): Best Match: HBK vs. Taker. Worst Match: JBL-Rey. If someone can convince me that that match served some specific purpose, then I'll say it tied for worst with the Divas battle royal. I've been a fan for a very long time but I've lost interest in the WWE product and I don't have the time to look at other offerings. I've watched on TV only a handful of times over the last few years (the Benoit story was also a big downer for me) and I must admit that I have a stack of unopened Torches I'm trying to read (sorry about that). Not having closely followed the angles for a while, I found it difficult to become emotionally involved in the bouts. This was particularly the case with HBK-Taker. I recognized right away that this was a keeper, though. Master story-telling by both men - the best that you will find in the world today. The crowd was into that match like no other on the card. But all I kept thinking while watching those guys spend so much time on the mat, attempting to catch their breath to start the next sequence, was "wow, these guys have everyone faked out. They are barely exerting themselves." But that's how it's supposed to be, except I shouldn't be thinking about that until after the match is over. And that was for the best match I'm going to see in a long time. ... It's amazing that Shelton Benjamin and Jeff Hardy didn't hurt themselves. It hurt me just to watch those two leap from the high ladders. I couldn't sit still for two-to-three minutes after Jeff landed on the mat.

We welcome your 0-10 score and comments on this show for a "WWE PPV Reax" feature in the Torch Feedback section of PWTorch.com. Just to add a twist to this feature, include not just your hometown, but also your occupation (mechanic, lawyer, stay-at-home-dad, college student, etc.) so readers get a flavor for what everyone does as "day jobs." To contribute your thoughts on the PPV, click here.

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