#RIP Paul Orndorff

[smartmarkally]

We are saddened to hear of the passing of another of our childhood favorites and all time great "Mr Wonderful" Paul Orndorff. All of us at SMA send our thoughts and prayers to his family, friends and fans. Thank you sir for everything.

[hitmanhartiswaseverwillbe]

Bret’s tribute to Paul ‘Mr. Wonderful’ Orndorff, who recently passed away at the age of 71

[andyelson]

These newbie wrestling fans the ones that started in 2011-forward are gonna be like omg no paul orndorff is gone oh no oh he was this and that. Bitch sit down your era of wrestlers suck compared to his era. Whole nother level of talent and life. So go ahead be sorry hes gone and pay respect but dont come on here acting like you knew the era of his time.

END TED TALK.

[littletroubledgrrrl]

Me: I will never dance for a man.

Paul Orndorff/Mr. Wonderful:

Me:

I hope this isn't tasteless considering Paul passed away last week.

[heatpotatoes]

This one hurts.  "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff passed away today.  He wasn't in good health.  He was apparently suffering from dementia. In 2017, I got to meet him at a wrestling event here in Saskatoon.  It was truly an honour.  One thing we talked about was him turning on Hulk Hogan and how I hated that as a kid.  Getting that reaction is what he wanted.  He knew he did his job. Rest in peace, Mr. Wonderful.  Thank you for the memories.

[delta7of96]

WWE Hall of Famer Paul Orndorff Dead at 71

RIP&P Paul "Mr Wonderful" Orndorff...

[gdwessel]

Full Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome, Summer Struggle in Osaka + Nagoya Cards Revealed; RIP Paul Orndorff (10/29/1949 - 7/11/2021)

New Japan Pro Wrestling finally revealed the cards for the first batch of Summer Struggle tour shows that starts tomorrow, as well as the full cards for the two Summer Struggle in Osaka shows, Summer Struggle in Nagoya, and, crucially, Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome.

The Tokyo Dome show doesn’t have any real surprises, as it’s a dome show, therefore we should be getting many title matches and maybe a special singles grudge match or two. Both tag title matches and the IWGP Juniorheavyweight title match have been added to this show. There is also two dueling stipulations for the KOPW2021 New Japan Ranbo that is opening the show, but I’m not entirely sure I can make sense of it right now, so here, read this interview with Toru Yano and see if you can figure it out.

The two shows in Osaka and the show in Nagoya are both punctuated with special singles match main events; two of them in preview for the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team title match at Wrestle Grand Slam, the other featuring grudge matches Hiroshi Tanahashi v. KENTA, and Tomohiro Ishii v. EVIL.

Kota Ibushi will be kept off the tour until the 7/19/2021 date in Ibaraki. Robbie Eagles makes his first in-ring appearance for NJPW since December on the 7/17/2021 Korakuen Hall show.

These are the cards we have for the tour so far. I’m not expecting any other announcements until after the Tokyo Dome show.

Summer Struggle 2021 - 7/13/2021, Aomori New Aomori Prefectural Sports Park Maeda Arena

Yuya Uemura v. Yoshinobu Kanemaru [SZKG]

Tomohiro Ishii [CHAOS], YOH [CHAOS] & Yota Tsuji v. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi & Dick Togo [Bullet Club]

Hiroshi Tanahashi, Ryusuke Taguchi, Rocky Romero [CHAOS] & Master Wato v. KENTA, Taiji Ishimori, El Phantasmo & Gedo [Bullet Club]

Kazuchika Okada & SHO [CHAOS] v. Jeff Cobb & Great O-Khan [United Empire]

Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, Shingo Takagi & BUSHI [Los Ingobernables] v. Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr., El Desperado & DOUKI [SZKG]

- 7/14/2021, Akita Nices Arena

Yota Tsuji v. El Desperado [SZKG]

Tomohiro Ishii [CHAOS], SHO [CHAOS] & Yuya Uemura v. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi & Dick Togo [Bullet Club]

Hiroshi Tanahashi, Ryusuke Taguchi, Rocky Romero [CHAOS] & Master Wato v. KENTA, Taiji Ishimori, El Phantasmo & Gedo [Bullet Club]

Kazuchika Okada & YOH [CHAOS] v. Jeff Cobb & Great O-Khan [United Empire]

Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, Shingo Takagi & BUSHI [Los Ingobernables] v. Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr., Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI [SZKG]

- 7/17/2021, Tokyo Korakuen Hall (NJPWWorld)

Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tomohiro Ishii [CHAOS], Yota Tsuji & Yuya Uemura v. KENTA, EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi & Dick Togo [Bullet Club]

Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI [Los Ingobernables] v. Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr. & Minoru Suzuki [SZKG]

Robbie Eagles, SHO & YOH [CHAOS] v. El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI [SZKG]

Ryusuke Taguchi v. Taiji Ishimori [Bullet Club]

Rocky Romero [CHAOS] v. El Phantasmo [Bullet Club]

- 7/19/2021, Ibaraki Tatsunoko Arena

Robbie Eagles, SHO & YOH [CHAOS] v. El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI [SZKG]

Tomohiro Ishii [CHAOS] & Yuya Uemura v. EVIL & Yujiro Takahashi [Bullet Club]

Hiroshi Tanahashi, Ryusuke Taguchi, Rocky Romero [CHAOS] & Tiger Mask IV v. KENTA, Taiji Ishimori, El Phantasmo & Gedo [Bullet Club]

Kazuchika Okada [CHAOS] & Yota Tsuji v. Jeff Cobb & Great O-Khan [United Empire]

Kota Ibushi, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima & Master Wato v. Shingo Takagi, Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI [Los Ingobernables]

Summer Struggle in Osaka - 7/22/2021, Osaka EDION Arena (NJPWWorld)

Robbie Eagles, SHO & YOH [CHAOS] v. El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI [SZKG]

Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tomohiro Ishii [CHAOS] & YOSHI-HASHI [CHAOS] v. KENTA, EVIL & Yujiro Takahashi [Bullet Club]

Kazuchika Okada & Hirooki Goto [CHAOS] v. Jeff Cobb & Great O-Khan [United Empire]

Kota Ibushi & Master Wato v. Shingo Takagi & BUSHI [Los Ingobernables]

SANADA [Los Ingobernables] v. Zack Sabre Jr. [SZKG]

Tetsuya Naito [Los Ingobernables] v. Taichi [SZKG]

- 7/23/2021, Osaka EDION Arena (NJPWWorld)

Ryusuke Taguchi, Rocky Romero [CHAOS] & Hirooki Goto [CHAOS] v. Taiji Ishimori, El Phantasmo & Jado [Bullet Club]

Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tomohiro Ishii [CHAOS] & Toru Yano [CHAOS] v. KENTA, EVIL & Yujiro Takahashi [Bullet Club]

Kazuchika Okada & YOSHI-HASHI [CHAOS] v. Jeff Cobb & Great O-Khan [United Empire]

Kota Ibushi & Master Wato v. Shingo Takagi & BUSHI [Los Ingobernables]

SANADA [Los Ingobernables] v. Taichi [SZKG]

Tetsuya Naito [Los Ingobernables] v. Zack Sabre Jr. [SZKG]

Summer Struggle in Nagoya - 7/24/2021, Aichi Dolphin’s Arena (NJPWWorld)

Robbie Eagles, SHO & YOH [CHAOS] v. El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI [SZKG]

Ryusuke Taguchi, Rocky Romero [CHAOS]. Hirooki Goto [CHAOS] & YOSHI-HASHI [CHAOS] v. Taiji Ishimori, El Phantasmo, Yujiro Takahashi & Jado [Bullet Club]

Kazuchika Okada & Toru Yano [CHAOS] v. Jeff Cobb & Great O-Khan [United Empire]

Kota Ibushi & Master Wato v. Shingo Takagi & BUSHI [Los Ingobernables]

Tomohiro Ishii [CHAOS] v. EVIL [Bullet Club]

Hiroshi Tanahashi v. KENTA [Bullet Club]

Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome - 7/25/2021, Tokyo Dome (NJPWWorld / FITE)

KOPW2021 New Japan Ranbo: Toru Yano v. TBA

IWGP Juniorheavyweight Tag Team Championship: Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo [Bullet Club] (c) v. Ryusuke Taguchi & Rocky Romero [CHAOS]

IWGP Juniorheavyweight Championship: El Desperado [SZKG] (c) v. Robbie Eagles [CHAOS]

Kazuchika Okada [CHAOS] v. Jeff Cobb [United Empire]

IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Tetsuya Naito & SANADA [Los Ingobernables] (c) v. Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr. [SZKG]

IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Shingo Takagi [Los Ingobernables] (c) v. Kota Ibushi

Earlier today we learned of the death of “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff at the age of 71. He was recently diagnosed with dementia, although it’s not certain if that contributed to his passing. Orndorff was one of the major players in the nationwide expansion of the WWF in the 1980s, his programs with Hulk Hogan, both as a rival and partner, drawing major gates, leading to the very first Wrestlemania, which he took part in the main event with Roddy Piper v. Hogan & Mr. T.

Orndorff was forever linked with Hogan, as they both shared Hiro Matsuda as a trainer. Indeed, Orndorff’s first tour of NJPW, from 10/10/1980 - 11/6/1980, saw him frequently tag with Hogan, usually in addition to Jimmy Garvin. Orndorff returned for several tours in 1983, and had singles rivalries with the likes of Akira Maeda and Seiji Sakaguchi, also getting wins over Kengo Kimura & Ryuma Go. 

His NJPW work was but a blip in a superstar career, mind you, but that’s kinda what this blog is for.

Paul Orndorff had the looks and the abilities. A lot is going to be written about him coming up, a lot of it more knowledgeable than what I can provide, so it’s worth reading up. Our condolences to his family, friends and loved ones.

[tribclchief]

RIP “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff

[jamest541975]

Reposted from @classicvintageprowrestling "Mr Wonderful" Paul Orndorff during one of his three reigns as the NWA National/Georgia Heavyweight Champion. Orndorff defeated Buzz Sawyer, The Super Destroyer(Scott Irwin), & The Masked Superstar(Bill Eadie/Demolition Ax) for his three reigns as champion throughout 1982. During his first reign he vacated the championship to focus on challenging Ric Flair for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. #paulorndorff #mrwonderful #mrwonderfulpaulorndorff #thebrandonbull #1982 #80swrestling #nwa #nationalwrestlingalliance #wcw #worldchampionshipwrestling #georgiachampionshipwrestling #georgiaheavyweightchampionship #nwanationalchampionship #buzzsawyer #thesuperdestroyer #themaskedsuperstar #rip #restinpeace #legends #icons #halloffame #wwe #wrestling #sportsentertainment https://www.instagram.com/p/CSD6YcgLMql/?utm_medium=tumblr

[nmgpodcastnetwork]

Couldn’t end the night without paying our respects, RIP Mr. Wonderful 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🕊🕊🕊• @wwe WWE is saddened to learn that WWE Hall of Famer "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff has passed away at the age of 71. WWE extends its condolences to Orndorff’s family and friends. #hottakewrestlingpodcast #wrestling #nxtuk #podcast #wwe #nxt #roh #nwa #mlw #impactwrestling #tna #aew #allelitewrestling #news #interviews #reviews #recaps #ppv #wrestlingnews #nmgpodcastnetwork #chicago #anchorfm #soundcloud #itunes #explorepage #stitcherradio #results #explore #paulorndorff #mrwonderful (at Chicago, Illinois) https://www.instagram.com/p/CRQOqwpp53C/?utm_medium=tumblr

[xenagabrielleforever]

Mr. Wonderful Paul Orndorff RIP

[littletroubledgrrrl]

RIP Paul Orndorff/Mr. Wonderful

[corychrist1]

RIP Paul Orndorff

RIP Paul Orndorff Just find out that "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff has pas away and I'm shock because he was my favorite wrestler from the golden era and my prayers goes to his family and friends, thank you for giving us memories and matches and we will miss you.

[wrestling-figure-enthusiast]

Closing out WWE Legends series 8 we have an extremely underrated figure of Mr Wonderful Paul Orndorff. An extremely well sculpted figure, showing off a great face scan to that of the former #wrestlemania headliner and also the body torso is fully on point showing how ripped Mr Wonderful was underneath another extremely detailed robe. Great figure from a great collection, series 9 tomorrow 🤙 . . . . . #mrwonderful #mrwonderfulpaulorndorff #paulorndorff #wwelegends #wwe #wwf #wweraw #wwesmackdown #wwehalloffame #wweuniverse #wweelitesquad #wweelite #elite #mattel #collection #collector #collectibles #toystagram #toyphotography #wrestling #wrestlemania #wrestlingfigures #wrestlingfigs #scratchthatfigureitch https://www.instagram.com/p/CNzIz5zMRdr/?igshid=1pb4qatvohsbr

[placetobenation]

He spent most of his career trying to battling Hulk Hogan, and he spent the last 15 years battling cancer. Today, professional wrestling’s greatest manager and one of the best talkers in the business, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, passed away.

When I started watching the WWF back in the mid-1980s, Bobby Heenan was managing bad dudes like King Kong Bundy, Big John Studd and “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff in a quest to unseat WWF Champion Hulk Hogan and bring the title into his “Family.” While the company was built around Hogan, you couldn’t have a successful fan favorite without a strong villain, and Heenan was the Luthor to Hogan’s Superman.

From the moment he made his WWF debut in 1984, Heenan was never far from the limelight. For most of the 80s, the biggest heels in the company were associated with “The Brain.”

His biggest moment as a manager in the WWF was easily facilitating Andre the Giant’s title shot against Hogan at WrestleMania III. Heenan’s history with Andre went back to Andre’s feud with Big John Studd over who was the “one, true giant of the WWF” (spoiler – it was Andre). The storyline was subtle throughout the summer of 1986, with Andre getting suspended. And then, Heenan was the one who talked WWF President Jack Tunney into lifting Andre’s suspension. The story built through subtle asides on WWF Prime Time Wrestling, a recap show which Heenan hosted with Gorilla Monsoon, until the famous Piper’s Pit, where Andre, with Heenan, confronted Hogan and challenged him to a match.

Even though he was positioned as the idea man behind the company’s worst, it was hard to completely hate Heenan. He was one of the best talkers the company had, and the charisma he had during an interview or when he was commentating on a match just drew you in. It was impossible to not snicker at something he said. You couldn’t help but be drawn in watching him interact with Monsoon on Prime Time.

Needing a break from the wear and tear of managing, Heenan finally made the move to the commentary booth exclusively in the early 1990s, and just like when he was a manager, Heenan may have been the best color man the WWF ever had. He usually was paired with Monsoon on play-by-play, and the duo managed to call the action while threading stories throughout any card. Heenan and Monsoon were close friends behind the scenes and their relationship enhanced the repartee. Even the worst wrestling match was passable as long as Gorilla and “The Brain” were calling the action.

Maybe his greatest night as a color commentator was at the 1992 Royal Rumble, when “Nature Boy” Ric Flair draw number 3 in the 30-man event. Heenan, who served as an “executive consultant” to Flair, was apoplectic when Flair came through the curtain. He called the match with Monsoon openly pulling for his man, deriding that the WWF wasn’t “being fair to Flair” as Monsoon needled him and reminded him that drawing number 3 gave Flair little chance to win. When Flair overcame the odds and won – winning the WWF Title in the process – Heenan celebrated as if he won the title. It’s become one of the most iconic moments in the company’s history.

Heenan left the WWF at the end of 1993, getting a deal for more money and less travel from rival company WCW. Signing Heenan was meant to help legitimize WCW in the eyes of fans nationwide, and the company put him front and center immediately after he debuted in January 1994. Months later, WCW would sign Hogan, and “The Brain’s” grudge against the former 4-time WWF champion resumed, though Heenan’s days of managing wrestlers to oppose Hogan were done.

Even when Hogan turned his back on the fans in 1996 and formed the New World Order with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, Heenan – a career bad guy – refused to support Hogan. Whenever members of the nWo were in a match, Heenan would be in the unusual position of cheering for the babyfaces in the match.

WCW started to phase “The Brain” out at the end of 1999 and eventually let him go at the end of 2000. He made his return to the WWF at WrestleMania X-7, calling the gimmick battle royal with long-time collaborator “Mean” Gene Okerlund. In 2002, he announced that he was battling throat cancer, which eventually altered his voice beyond recognition. It didn’t stop him from making appearances, though, and for many years he would still meet with fans and attend conventions.

In 2004, Heenan was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Throughout his career, which started in the 1960s, Heenan proved that there was nothing he couldn’t do when it came to professional wrestling. His wit, his timing and his knowledge of the industry combined to make him one of – if not THE – greatest personalities to ever come out of wrestling. For years, heel commentators and managers mimicked him in the hopes of recreating something special. But no one could come close to what made Bobby “The Brain” Heenan the greatest.

Rest in peace, “Brain.” There will never be another one like you.

(This originally appeared at thecasualgeekery.com)

[worldwrestlingfanatic]

Classic Review: WrestleMania 21

Now that we're officially on the road to wrestlemania I thought it would be neat to review some retro pay-per-views. Personally this is one of my favorite wrestlemania's of all time, so let's get started...

Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio

The night starts with the current smackdown tag team champions going one on one. Just a year earlier Eddie Guerrero was in a classic match against Kurt Angle for the WWE Undisputed Championship and this year, he opens the show with real life close friend, Rey Mysterio. While at times it can feel like the match was kinda slowly paced, this is truly a great wrestling match to start the show featuring two of the very best to ever set foot in a ring. Up to this point the story is Eddie Guerrero has achieved so much in his career, but he hasn't beaten Rey Mysterio. So a desperate Eddie Guerrero attempts to do all he can to add the name Rey Mysterio to the long list of legendary superstars that he beat. A lot of great near falls but ultimately, Rey Mysterio picks up the win with a roll up. Perfect storytelling to end the match. When it comes to this rivalry it perfectly shows how Eddie is always within inches of pulling off the win but cant quite do it. Perfect way to start the show.

Money In The Bank Ladder Match: Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit vs. Christian vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Edge vs. Kane

The first money in the bank ladder match ever and this truly did not disappoint. Just look at the names involved, there was no way this match could fail. Its hard to keep track of all the big spots in this match, so you'll have to either take my word for it or check it out on the WWE network, this match was awesome. Ultimately Edge gets the win here after hitting Chris Benoit off the ladder with a chair. I remember being surprised at the outcome my first time ever seeing this but, honestly, for the first ever winner of the money in the bank ladder match, it was the perfect choice.

Undertaker vs. Randy Orton

Just listening to Randy talk in the video package played before the match reminds me just how charismatic he was, how he had a passion for what he was saying and what he was doing. He was a young, top star at the time and for good reason, no matter what he did, it was great. Plus with his legend killer gimmick and his cocky attitude, Randy Orton was an obvious pick to be the man to challenge Undertakers undefeated streak at this year's wrestlemania. At the end, it was Undertaker who gets the win here. It was the right choice to have Taker go over and I'm not upset at the decision but can you imagine if Randy Orton won this match? The legend killer gimmick, the heat he would've had moving forward. This loss didn't make Orton lose any momentum but if he did win, that would've been massive for Orton at this stage in his career and the character he was portraying. This was also a pretty fast paced match, which is refreshing to see, an Undertaker that can keep up with his opponent. I mean no disrespect at all, its impressive that he even still can step in the ring today, old age is just something that happens to all of us and with old age comes not being able to move as quickly or efficiently as you used to. All I'm saying is, seeing Taker be able to keep up with a young Randy Orton is a nice sight to see.

Trish Stratus (c) vs. Christy Hemme

I didn't care too much for this match. Did WWE, honestly? We know today some female wrestlers can easily outperform some of the male talent but that certainly cant be said for WWE's diva division during the ruthless aggression era. You had a couple gems like Trish Stratus and Lita but Christy Hemme just was not ready to compete for the title, against one of the top female talent, on the companies biggest show of the year. I don't remember if Lita was coming off an injury at the time it should've just been trish vs. Lita. Lita was in Christy's corner and already had an old rivalry with Trish that could have been reignited but Christy was the cover girl for playboy at the time and sex sales so I guess from a money making standpoint the choice was clear who they had to go with to compete for the divas title. It felt like WWE treated its women like the fans did at the time, the restroom break of the show. Trish won by the way, but with a match with so little thought put behind it, does it matter?

Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels

This match was absolutely incredible. Two of wrestlings absolute best going one on one in a wrestlemania classic and this match lived up to the hype and so much more. Really, I'm not just overhyping this match, if you haven't seen this match, it is an absolute must watch, these guys made every minute they were given count. The fierceness in Kurt Angle and the resilience of Shawn Michaels made for one of the best matches probably ever. The chemistry between these two was unreal, even if you have seen this match its deserving of a second, third and even fourth rewatch. Kurt Angle gets the win in this match but both men left this match looking even better then they did coming into it and honestly, isn't that the indication of a great match?

Sumo Match: Akebono vs. Big Show

I guess WWE needed a "fun" and "cool" and "unique" moment for wrestlemania. But up to this point we've seen segments including Hulk Hogan, Rowdy Piper, and Stone Cold Steve Austin so this just kinda comes off as another bathroom break moment. Kind of a boring segment to be honest. This time could have been used to give some other superstars some screen time.

JBL (c) vs. John Cena

First off, the buildup to this match was incredible, all the best feuds feel personal and just watching the video package before the match, this felt personal. Watching this feud build up on a week to week basis had to be some of the most interesting storytelling in recent years. JBL may not have been the greatest wrestler ever but that man can talk with a cockiness and intensity unlike most today. Plus you had John Cena still doing his rapper gimmick. In my opinion Cena was doing some of his best work ever during this time. He had an edge to him when he spoke, a hunger in him to get to the top and he wasn't going to let anyone get in his way. I'm a fan of this John Cena. Unfortunately the match didn't really live up though. Pretty slow paced and one sided for the most part. This was Cena's first Undisputed Championship victory though and the celebration was fun to watch. Him jumping in the crowd and overall just losing himself in the moment. Its small things like jumping over the barricade and celebrating with the fans after a title win that superstars dont do anymore and its just nice to see someone actually celebrate winning a title they worked hard to get to, you know, being happy your hard work finally paid off, crazy right? This win started the John Cena dynasty though. We know him today as the guy who tied Ric Flairs record for most major titles won and this is where it all began. The ride to get here was fun to watch since he debuted back in 2002, the hype to the match was great and the celebration was fun to watch. I just wish the match was a little better.

2005 Hall of Fame Inductees: "Cowboy" Bob Orton, Nikolai Volkoff, Iron Sheik, Paul Orndorff, Jimmy Hart, "Rowdy" Roddy Pipper (RIP), Hulk Hogan.

Triple H (c) vs. Batista

Firstly, if I was booking the break down of evolution I would've put Randy Orton in this position. I like Batista and this wasn't a bad match, I just feel Randy was the first one to get screwed over by Triple H after he won the world title back at SummerSlam so I would've liked to see it all come full circle and Randy win the title back in the main event of the biggest show the company has to offer. I would've went as far as to keep Batista apart of evolution for a little while longer before feuding with Triple H. But that didn't happen and all I can do is talk about what actually happened. Some get upset about Triple H holding the title for as long as he did and beating the talent that he beat but I dont mind it, its what the world title needed at the time. Triple H was the first world champion since WWE decided to bring it over from WCW to make it raws main title so you have to put some prestige on it and solidify it as a title worth winning. Triple H was on the weekly shows every week, could cut an amazing promo and could put on a great match. Triple H is exactly what the world title needed. Triple H bled and he bled alot in this match. I know blood isn't need to have a great match but it does have some added intensity. It says alot about a match, a championship and a rivalry. It says "I'm willing to bleed and give everything I have to offer to put on a good match, I'm willing to go through anything I have to in order to win or retain this championship". It was fairly back and forth but it felt like Batista got in the majority of the offense which is odd because typically you'd expect the current champion to get in most of the offense and the challenger have a big comeback near the end to signify he went through a beating but hes still standing because this match means too much to lose. But, it was triple H taking most of the beating. Like I said, he bled and bled alot. Batista ended up getting the win and earning his first major wwe title. We all know now how good Batista but like I said, at the time I would've given the shot to Orton. In my opinion at the time he was better on the mic and in the ring. Batista was no slouch, he could talk and he could work but I think he could have benefited from keeping the title off him for just a little while longer. Maybe wait until next years wrestlemania or that years SummerSlam? But what's done is done and the match was entertaining and seeing a young star come out on top is always a good way to end a wrestlemania.

Pros: Money in the Bank, Undertaker v. Randy Orton, Kurt Angle v. Shawn Michaels

Cons: Trish Stratus v. Christy Hemme, Sumo Match

From what I saw the good outweighed the bad by a ton. As good as the show was I was believe it was still missing alot. There was no tag team title match, united states title match or intercontinental title match. I don't even remember who held those titles at the time but there certainly could've been some segments and matches that could've been shortened or scrapped to make room for all the champions to get some screen time. This was the first pay-per-view I ever ordered and watched live so when I say this one of my favorite wrestlemania's of all time it's because it holds a special place in my heart. I definitely recommend checking the pay-per-view out if you haven't seen it and have the spare time, it's a fun watch with some great matches

Final rating: 4/5