WrestleMania 25

[Cheex Incarnate 0]

Like alot of you, I had at least 2 big matches i was expecting for WM 25. Batista/Cena and HHH/Edge just seemed like the two biggest match-ups that they could offer which is what i think WM 25 deserves. WRESLEMANIA is now a QUARTER OF A CENTURY OLD! Why not save these feature bouts for what should be the biggest show of all time.

 

Edge/HHH has been given away at the GAB, Cena/Batista seems to be going down at SummerSlam. Who now does the WWE have to offer as the match-ups WORTHY of WM25's main event?

 

Logically, who do you think WWE has penciled in to main event their premier show?

 

Do they have anyone penned at all?

 

Has the WWE discounted the notion of WM "Dream matches" because WM sells itself while these other smaller events need the draw? If so is that legit?

 

Anybody have an opinion on these issues?

 

-cheex

[Lazarus 0]

I think that they just don't know how to hold off so long for a big angle like that. Storyline-wise it would be difficult to have Cena and Batista on the same brand for 9 months without them ever meeting in the ring, espescially when you consider the number of Raw episodes and PPV's that show up in that timespan. The same is true of Hunter and Edge. I think that those matches weren't saved til WM25 because they simply don't know how they could explain there not being a single matchup in the interrim.

 

I don't think they know who they'll be using at WM yet. They don't seem to book too long term and are probably waiting to see who is over and who is not closer to WM before making any final decisions. I suspect that they will do what they can to make it special, but the show will sell itself regardless so the actual matchups, which makes me suspect that the specialness might come from elsewhere (celebrity involvement, old wrestlers making a return for one night, etc).

 

Incidentally, WM is not 25 yrs old and will not be 25 when WM25 comes along. It always irks me when it is mentioned on tv and stuff as well, because it'll only be 24 since the first one, at time 0, was WM1.

[Sertac 0]

What I don't understand are the Singles Matches... why don't have, for example, Batista and Cena, fight against each other - But not in Singles Matches, just throw out some Triple Threat Matches and build the Final One on One Face-Off for WrestleMania.

 

I hope CM Punk will play a bigger role at WrestleMania... to be in the Main Event at WM 25 would be MORE than awesome.

[ANKLELOCK 0]

I think that they just don't know how to hold off so long for a big angle like that. Storyline-wise it would be difficult to have Cena and Batista on the same brand for 9 months without them ever meeting in the ring, espescially when you consider the number of Raw episodes and PPV's that show up in that timespan. The same is true of Hunter and Edge. I think that those matches weren't saved til WM25 because they simply don't know how they could explain there not being a single matchup in the interrim.

 

I don't think they know who they'll be using at WM yet. They don't seem to book too long term and are probably waiting to see who is over and who is not closer to WM before making any final decisions. I suspect that they will do what they can to make it special, but the show will sell itself regardless so the actual matchups, which makes me suspect that the specialness might come from elsewhere (celebrity involvement, old wrestlers making a return for one night, etc).

 

Incidentally, WM is not 25 yrs old and will not be 25 when WM25 comes along. It always irks me when it is mentioned on tv and stuff as well, because it'll only be 24 since the first one, at time 0, was WM1.

 

Not correct. HHH/Cena, Batista/Taker, Taker/Edge were all planned months if not a full year in advance and they had no problem holding them off.

 

They have something else in mind...

[Boxer 0]

Am I the only one who has a feeling that a lot of the old guys will be trotted out for this show? Hogan? Perhaps. Austin. Good chance in Texas. Macho Man. Alright, that one was a joke.

[King Kamala 0]

I did a fantasy booking for WrestleMania 25 on another board (ironically, I did it shortly before WrestleMania 24). All I remember was a Cena-Batista main event and The Undertaker/HBK Hell In The Cell II. The former is probably happening in some form at SummerSlam and the latter is probably not that good of an idea.

[Boxer 0]

Also, before we go any further, who is gonna win the Rumble?

 

We've seen how that gimmick has fallen off due to them rushing Cena back into a title match. Honestly, I would've said Punk, but he's already world champion. Cena? OH HELL NO, please not again. Orton, HHH, Batista all had their title runs. Even Edge, Taker, etc..........

 

Honestly, as I type this, only one name pops into my mind.

 

JEFF HARDY.

 

He wins the Rumble, he defeats a heel HHH at Wrestlemania 25. So HHH holds the strap until then.

 

Who else needs a big victory and that final push to main event stardom?

[DarKnight 0]

Am I the only one who has a feeling that a lot of the old guys will be trotted out for this show? Hogan? Perhaps. Austin. Good chance in Texas. Macho Man. Alright, that one was a joke.

 

I hope to God not. Hogan has a lot of problems right now, Austin has sucked since 2002, so I don't want to see him again. And yes, Wrestlemania main events are planned out months before hand, usually around this time of the year. Though since Raw and Smackdown have had huge makeovers in creative, I don't think they have anything planned yet. I do have one question. Was Kennedy when he won the money in the bank really going to cash it in at Wrestlemania this year? Cause if they did that, that would have been HORRIBLE. I mean I remember his promo after he won the money in the bank, and he actually had a clock at the bottom of the screen counting down to Wrestlemania. If they actually did that, it would have been the most obvious thing on Earth, since they told us months before hand with the countdown clock.

 

[Sertac 0]

Who else needs a big victory and that final push to main event stardom?

 

What about guys like MVP and Ken Kennedy? Jeff Hardy is a good candidate though.

[Boxer 0]

Who else needs a big victory and that final push to main event stardom?

 

What about guys like MVP and Ken Kennedy? Jeff Hardy is a good candidate though.

 

MVP I like but Wrestlemania isn't really the place where heels get their big breakthrough in the main event. As for Kennedy, we've all seen him crash and burn twice, I don't know if WWE wants to give him that final big push. But then again, Jeff Hardy also has two strikes against him, so who knows.

[Hawk 34 0]

 

 

It's really a crapshoot. We've seen plans be etched in stone for a year in advance only to see injuries, death and lack of heat kill those plans. Randy Orton has been planned" for so many WM Main Events and has only one to his credit. I'm not so sure that the WM main event demands to be a "first time ever" match. It's nice but many of the main events weren't first time matches and they have mostly worked out well.

 

With a roster full of names from Batista, Cena, Shawn Michaels, Randy Orton, CM Punk, Jericho, Triple H, Edge, Undertaker, TBS, Jeff Hardy and those close but not quite there guys, there's a immense amount of opportunities. They have a plan and while it isn't visible right now and won't be until they approach the Rumble, they aren't in a situation as they have seen in the past with limited options. Cena-Triple H III, Cena-Taker, Orton-Punk, Edge-Punk, Michaels-Punk, Michaels-Taker, Hardy-Triple H, Edge-Hardy, Orton-Batista and any number of combinations for triple threats and four ways can be viable options for WM. They really have the potential to have a loaded show but those factors can always come into play. Not to mention, they could end up with a Batista situation once again where someone emerges in a big way and forces them to alter plans.

 

Just because Edge-HHH and Batista-Cena have or will occur, doesn't eliminate them completely from consideration at WM.

 

[Cheex Incarnate 0]

I think HHH/Kennedy would be an awesome match and could have an awesome build. Kennedy is known for taking a good ass wipping and HHH can certainly dish one out. I'd like to see them in some kind of Last Man Standing match at WM, but not for the title. Keep in mind this is IF Kennedy can stay out of trouble.

 

Punk/Orton would also be a good match-up, but I dont think WWE has Punk scheduled to be anywhere near thworld title matches at WM, same goes for Hardy. It's really just not in their nature. Sure there are cases like Benoit and Eddie, but neither Punk or Hardy really have either of those two's legacy on their side.

 

I expect an HBK/Taker match to occur.

 

-cheex

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

I would have bet that we'd be looking at Edge/HHH, Cena/Batista, HBK/Taker as the top 3 matches.

 

I would have been wrong...but I would have bet it.

 

Now it's harder to say. They could definitely get a lot of mileage out of HHH/Taker since it'll actually be believable that Taker would lose for a change. But I don't think the title should be involved if they did that match.

[RedJed 0]

The only thing that seems like a possibility to me at this point is HHH/Taker, title vs career or something.

 

I could totally see them begging both Hogan and Austin back, first and foremost to try to find one last hope for a match between the two (99 percent chance of not happening) and when that goes south again, I could see Cena/Hogan or Cena/Austin as a possibility. Either Austin or Hogan could get put in against Batista or Edge easily as well. I wouldn't at all be shocked to see them try to lure Rock back as well for one last shot as well since this is the 25th Mania, probably against Orton, or Michaels against Rock would be great. Again though, very slim to none that Rock coming back will even happen. Great in theory though. If they did Cena or Batista/Austin, Edge or Cena or Batista/Hogan, and Rock/Orton or Michaels, that would be huge for Mania 25.

 

Punk/Hardy or Punk/HBK could be a possibility as well, but it's way too early to judge if Punk will even still be champion by the end of the year, much less until Mania. They may hold on Hardy for a long time and just give him the MITB match here, too. Which, if that happens, I would push for a heel Punk against Michaels or something like that.

[DarKnight 0]

I don't want to see any of these old guys come back, as I think its really annoying and doesn't get anything done. Those guys really just come back for Wrestlemania just for a paycheck.

[RedJed 0]

I don't want to see any of these old guys come back, as I think its really annoying and doesn't get anything done. Those guys really just come back for Wrestlemania just for a paycheck.

 

Of course they do, but you have to figure in the 25th Mania and the build it deserves. With nothing draw-worthy on the horizon, it makes sense to go back to the old draws of yesteryear to try to really get a strong buzz for the show.

 

Ultimately, I think there will be alot of respect given to the Texas workers like Michaels, Taker, JBL, etc as well.

[foleyfanforever88 0]

Here's the thing with these special anniversary Wrestlemanias (XX, 23(kinda), 25). I think that the matches on these shows should all fit one of the following descriptions:

 

A. The final showdown between two guys who have been feuding for a long time (atleast 4-6 months), or between two guys who have feuded on and off for a couple years with a few big matches thrown in (see Rock vs Austin at 19)

B. An "old vs. new" match featuring the best of today against the best of the past (see..idk, Jericho vs HBK at 19)

C. A great, first-time technical match that people have been waiting to see based on the performers' previous in ring work (see Angle vs Brock at..wow, 19).

D. Two legends going at it for the first time in years (see HBK vs Flair).

E. A passing of the torch match where someone finally breaks through into superstardom (see Benoit vs HBK vs HHH)

 

That's why looking back on Wrestlemania XX I'm a little bit disappointed. I mean, Mark freaking Jindrak had a match at Wrestlemania XX. Wtf? That's why if I had to book Wrestlemania 25 at this point in time, it would look something like this:

 

Undertaker vs. HBK

World Heavyweight Championship - John Cena vs. Batista (heel, champion)

Randy Orton vs. The Rock

WWE Championship - Edge © vs. Mr. Kennedy (Rumble winner) vs. Triple H

Big Show vs. Hulk Hogan

Umaga vs. Rikishi

JBL vs. Stone Cold

MITB: CM Punk vs. MVP vs. Chris Jericho vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Kofi Kingston vs. John Morrison vs. Matt Hardy vs. Finlay

Tag Title Unification Match: Cryme Tyme © vs. Rhodes/Dibiase vs. WGTT vs. London/Kendrick

Women's Title: Mickie James vs. Beth Pheonix © vs. Candice Michelle

 

EDIT: Foley could have Austin's spot if Austin wasn't available.

EDIT 2: Hardcore Battle Royal for the ECW Title: Mark Henry vs. Great Khali vs. Tommy Dreamer vs. Steven Richards vs. William Regal vs. Val Venis vs. Hardcore Holly vs. Chavo Guerrero vs. Big Daddy V vs. DLo Brown

EDIT 3: See WWE Title Match

EDIT 4: Another option if Hogan/Rikishi weren't available would be Big Show/Kane vs. Umaga/Khali.

[lukiep8 0]

hopefully Shawn F'n Michaels can have another run at the top. Ol' HBK v Trips should def top WM25. I mean come on it's the big one. Greatest wrestler of the 90s v greatest wrestler of the 00s.

 

speaking of Shawn.... read this preposterous bull:

 

50 wrestlers better than Shawn Michaels LOL

http://z11.invisionfree.com/wrestling_ko/i...p?showtopic=387

[alfdogg 0]

I can't vouch for most of the guys in the foreign promotions, but IMO almost all of the names I recognize on that list are better workers than Michaels.

[Banter 0]

That list doesn't seem crazy. Debatable, but not out right ridiculous.

[Wally Balls 0]

FoleyFan's Wrestlemania seems really good, but it's probably a stretch considering The Rock is involved. I'm sure Austin will be involved somehow considering that this is the year where he more than likely goes into the HOF.

 

But right now, it's way too early to determine what they're going to do. It's still July and they have over half a year left to prepare.

 

There are so many different directons that they can go but I think it's a safe bet to say that the main event pitcure will revolve around Cena, HHH, Batista, HBK, Orton, Edge and Taker. I'm not sure how they fit all of those names in, but I'm willing to bet by the time WM comes rolling around, they'll still be at the top of the card. I don't see CM Punk as main event material, but then again there is still a lot of time left. In all honesty, I don't think Punk is over enough to main event WM. Jeff Hardy definitely is, but Punk isn't anywhere near as over with the fans as Hardy. Hell, I think Matt Hardy is more over than Punk.

 

I don't know, thinking about all the possible ways they can go makes my brain hurt, but it's probably pretty easy to determine most of the wrestlers involved.

[DarKnight 0]

There are so many different directons that they can go but I think it's a safe bet to say that the main event pitcure will revolve around Cena, HHH, Batista, HBK, Orton, Edge and Taker.

 

No way in hell is Orton going to main event. He had a botched push in 04, and was lucky that Cena got hurt to where they had to give him the title. I don't think they were seriously planning last year for him to main event a Wrestlemania, I actually think they were going for a HHH/Cena rematch, but Cena got hurt. Hell, they were going to do that match at Wrestlemania 23, but HHH got hurt. Come to think of it, The only guys you have listed that I think will be in the main event is HHH and Taker. Putting Cena in it is just annoying and not needed, he hasn't done shit since his return, but job to people. HHH is very likely since, well, its HHH having control of a show backstage. I don't think HBK has any momentum to main event, so I don't think he will. Edge most likely will be buried on Smackdown through the rest of the year, and Taker is very likely, since it seems like a running joke that Taker has to win the title at Wrestlemania.

[Wally Balls 0]

There are so many different directons that they can go but I think it's a safe bet to say that the main event pitcure will revolve around Cena, HHH, Batista, HBK, Orton, Edge and Taker.

 

No way in hell is Orton going to main event. He had a botched push in 04, and was lucky that Cena got hurt to where they had to give him the title. I don't think they were seriously planning last year for him to main event a Wrestlemania, I actually think they were going for a HHH/Cena rematch, but Cena got hurt. Hell, they were going to do that match at Wrestlemania 23, but HHH got hurt. Come to think of it, The only guys you have listed that I think will be in the main event is HHH and Taker. Putting Cena in it is just annoying and not needed, he hasn't done shit since his return, but job to people. HHH is very likely since, well, its HHH having control of a show backstage. I don't think HBK has any momentum to main event, so I don't think he will. Edge most likely will be buried on Smackdown through the rest of the year, and Taker is very likely, since it seems like a running joke that Taker has to win the title at Wrestlemania.

 

I agree that Orton's push in 2004 wasn't that great, but he's tne times over as a heel, and yes I still think that they were penciling in Orton as the top heel in the company, and he's done a damn good job of playing that role.

 

If you think that Cena will be excluded from the main event, then you're probably fooling yourself. I didn't say that all of those guys would main event, but those are the ones with the best chance.

[chaosrage 0]

That list doesn't seem crazy. Debatable, but not out right ridiculous.

 

Did you see Sandman and Sabu's name on there as maybes?

 

That is a really awful board.

[DarKnight 0]

I agree that Orton's push in 2004 wasn't that great, but he's tne times over as a heel, and yes I still think that they were penciling in Orton as the top heel in the company, and he's done a damn good job of playing that role.

 

If you think that Cena will be excluded from the main event, then you're probably fooling yourself. I didn't say that all of those guys would main event, but those are the ones with the best chance.

 

Well yeah, Orton was probably the worst guy to ever play face, besides Mr. Kennedy, but I think he still sucks as a heel. He's just boring, and does nothing for me. I know Cena will probably be in the Wrestlemania main event in some way, but it just comes off like WWE shilling him rather than being in it naturally, because Cena hasn't done anything this year to deserve being in the main event of Wrestlemania, and I doubt he will do anything the rest of the year. WWE needs to keep Punk on top, as he is something fresh and different. He may not be mega over right now, but I don't think the fans have a problem with it, as for once, they are given a champion who actually seems human. He's naturally good on the mic and doesn't come off forced, he's good in the ring, and he isn't pushed like Superman. I think he will get over because he seems realistic.

[chaosrage 0]

I agree that Orton's push in 2004 wasn't that great, but he's tne times over as a heel, and yes I still think that they were penciling in Orton as the top heel in the company, and he's done a damn good job of playing that role.

 

If you think that Cena will be excluded from the main event, then you're probably fooling yourself. I didn't say that all of those guys would main event, but those are the ones with the best chance.

 

Well yeah, Orton was probably the worst guy to ever play face, besides Mr. Kennedy, but I think he still sucks as a heel. He's just boring, and does nothing for me. I know Cena will probably be in the Wrestlemania main event in some way, but it just comes off like WWE shilling him rather than being in it naturally, because Cena hasn't done anything this year to deserve being in the main event of Wrestlemania, and I doubt he will do anything the rest of the year. WWE needs to keep Punk on top, as he is something fresh and different. He may not be mega over right now, but I don't think the fans have a problem with it, as for once, they are given a champion who actually seems human. He's naturally good on the mic and doesn't come off forced, he's good in the ring, and he isn't pushed like Superman. I think he will get over because he seems realistic.

 

CM Punk vs Jericho with a very long amount of build up, after Jericho wins the feud with HBK. I wouldn't watch matches like Batista vs Cena and HHH vs Edge if they decided to air Wrestlemania on free TV, but I'd actually consider putting money down for this. If you add other matches like Undertaker vs HBK or something along the lines of Austin vs Hogan (it doesn't have to be that match, any dream match would be fine), then I would definitely put money down.

 

[Brett Favre 0]

Jericho is on the verge of becoming the top heel in the company, IMO. He's gaining steam.

[DarKnight 0]

Jericho is on the verge of becoming the top heel in the company, IMO. He's gaining steam.

 

I agree. Jericho's heel act the past few months has been awesome. I even think he's better than Edge right now. That promo on Raw last week was amazing. I'm actually glad that Cena/Batista is a mid-card match and not for the title, since I'm sick of seeing those 2 constantly main event. Here's a good question. Who do you think loses that match? Or will it just go to a DQ?

[Anakin Flair 0]

Well, didn't Rock and Austin fight a bunch of times before Wrestlemania? Or Rock and Triple H? Just because they use the match now doesn't mean they can't reuse it later.

[Craig Th 0]

Randy Orton vs. The Rock

I don't want to turn this into a Rock discussion but there is NOOO way the Rock is going to wrestle again. I know it's fantasy booking, but it ain't gonna happen.

 

All I know is that Cena is going to win the WWE title in the last match.