?Reported by Mike Siciliano of WrestleView.com

On Monday, April 4, 2005 at 1:11 AM EST

WWE has begun taking a step out of the past, and in to the future with this pay per view last night. The new blood has begun to take over pro wrestling.

I said when I made my predictions prior to Wrestlemania 21 that the WWE had some potential classics, and some potential zeroes in the card, and that overall, WWE would be in some trouble unless things fell in to place just as they scripted it.

Well, quite frankly, I think that it did fall right in to place.

Wrestlemania 21, as far as this writer is concerned, was a tremendous production, contrary to Wrestlemania 20 for the sheer fact that the primary matches, the matches hyped and promoed forever, lived to that hype, and delivered the material each of them needed to deliver. Were there some spots during the card that should've been eliminated? Indeed. Overall, however, the WWE receives high marks for its super bowl. Let's recap, ok?

Rey Mysterio over Eddie Guerrero
What a difference a year makes. Eddie lies, cheats, and steals his way to a main event title defense last year over one of the primary heels in the business, Kurt Angle, and now, this year, he participates in another classic, and loses by a hair to his tag team partner, and co-holder of the tag team titles, Rey Mysterio. The match was tremendous with one obvious exception. Rey, do us all a favor, okay, WEAR FULL MASKS!!!!!!! How many freakin' times did Mysterio have to adjust that damn thing throughout the match? I mean, I could also make fun of your tailor Rey, because this outfit, compared to your last two at the last two Wrestlemanias, was not that sharp at all, but hey, I'll stay out of that firepit.

Anyway, Eddie and Rey have a solid match, back and forth, nip tuck story throughout, and when the dust settles, a rollup gets the dupe for Rey Rey. However, one thing I will mention, when Rey went for the West Coast Pop, and Eddie countered in to the powerbomb, Eddie let him up, obvious. Yeah, I know the whole thing is planned, but still, a little more camouflage, okay, esse? :-D Anyways, this match was cockeyed in its booking prior to Wrestlemania, and what it does to the tag team championship on Smackdown remains to be seen. If Eddie doesn't go heel, what does this match give Mysterio, outside of a clean win at the primary stage over a former WWE champion? Well, I guess you can say it gives Rey quite a bit. I really feel sorry for Eddie. I think he's still got the it factor to be WWE champion again, but WWE doesn't seem to be heading in that direction.

Our typical champion hyping segment is up next with the Wrestling God meeting the sole reason for living, JBL meeting Triple H. Man, can someone please tell Ric Flair to get his head out of Triple H's backside? Ok, on to more important business.

Edge wins the Money In the Bank Ladder Match
First off, can we call Shelton Benjamin the New Cat? That spot when he ran up the slanted ladder to nail Christian I believe from getting the briefcase was the ultimate in athleticism. I jumped out of my seat when I saw that. Also, how many tendons do you think were still holding Chris Benoit's arm in place? Has anyone on this earth heard the Wolverine scream in agony like that at the end of a match? This was a car wreck, this was hardcore, this was brutal, this had all the makings of a near ECW or TLC style atmosphere, and I loved each and every damn minute of it. The near finishes from Jericho, Benoit with one arm, Christian, and Kane were all tremendously done, I thought Kane did finally get the job done when he was closest, but if I remember correctly, Edge knocked him off the ladder. (I am recapping this from memory, people, so cut me a little slack, I wanted to get this out right away. Correct me, if you like, but be advised, I do have the tape, and I will watch it again.) Also, Benoit's spot of headbutting Kane from the top rung of the ladder a week after getting split open like rotted fruit. Who else is crazy enough to pull off these spots for 20 years but the Rabid Wolverine? I am telling you, ladies and gentlemen, he was the star performer in that ladder match, by far, especially after almost getting his arm taken off, literally.

Lastly, about this match, and this is just a personal opinion, WWE had a small problem putting the fire out on those ladders, who else noticed that? When Kane came out, and they set the ladders on fire, who else noticed WWE not use that particular camera shot for a good five to six minutes afterwards because the damn fire wasn't out yet. I thought it was hilarious that they had another fire problem at a Wrestlemania, i.e. Undertaker's entrance at Wrestlemania 20 with the druids.

Eugene's return, Muhammad Hassan's interference, and the resulting ass whooping.
Well, I guess I was wrong. I didn't think they'd pull this one out of the hat one last time, but I guess anything is possible. First off, it was nice for WWE to allow Eugene the chance to stand ground in the Wrestlemania spotlight, even if it was for a brief period of time before the real players in this saga entered the ring. Now, who died and made Khosrow Daivari wear all white? Is it me, or did he look like Tatoo from Fantasy Island? I just thought of that one, but hell, it would've worked to scream out, "the plane, boss, the plane!!!!", when this piece of trash hit the arena. Oh, yeah, and Muhammad Hassan obviously got his ring attire from the bottom of a hospital's linen department, but hey, I digress.

So, the eventual ass whooping of poor Eugene begins, and the savior of saviors comes out, the immortal one, Hulk Hogan. I gotta give the big guy his props. He looks amazing. He looks like he could go full time right now. (GOD HELP US ALL). The segment did exactly what it was scripted to do, drive the general populus into a frenzy for the upcoming match. And it was a good thing, too, because the next match was ultra brutal.

The Undertaker over Randy Orton
Undertaker is just too damn good. I am sorry to say, but Randy Orton showed why he and John Cena together are capable, and ready to take this company in to the future. Orton took every ounce of punishment that Undertaker could dish out, and made it look like he got his ass racked from pillar to post, and back again. Undertaker hit Orton early in the match with a straight right hand just below the jaw line that I swear I thought broke Orton's nose in three places. Orton's counter of the choke slam in MID AIR into the RKO was absolutely spectacular. Orton's showboating on the top rope leading to a hellacious last ride, and only a two count to boot. Cowboy Bob even donning the cast for one final trip down memory lane, cold cocking the Dead Man was an unbelievable spot. I honestly thought Taker's streak was done at that moment. The finale was also just as brutal, seeing Orton try to literally tombstone the Dead Man, and then having the Dead Man counter it into the match clinching tombstone of his own. A tremendous feat of strength by both individuals. When the smoke cleared, literally, however, the legend took out the legend killer, and believe me, it was a classic for Wrestlemania, and this show. Both men deserve major props for their combined efforts in this contest.

And let's also say this. Randy Orton probably did more for his status within the company with this loss, than if he had successfully taken out the Dead Man's win streak, it was that close a contest.

Trish Stratus retains the Women's Title over Christy Hemme
I met Christy. She was an angel as a person, and hotter than hell as an upcoming Playboy covergirl. What she wasn't then, and isn't now, and wasn't at Wrestlemania is a wrestler. This was a mistake. This was a gamble by WWE and it flunked, miserably. I picked Christy, yes, I did, because I thought they'd put the title on her just for a change of pace in the women's division, but they didn't, and it was the smart thing to do. Trish could not carry Christy through this match, Christy may be ready down the line to compete, but this was her second match on television I can remember, and she just is not in the same stratusphere, pardon the pun, as the Women's title holder. This should never have taken place.

Kurt Angle over Shawn Michaels
When this match started, the first thought in my head was, which one of these gigantic egos is going to step aside and allow the other competitor to shine? I am shocked to say it was Shawn Michaels who took the fall, or excuse me, the tap to Kurt Angle, after a long and grueling encounter that saw Shawn in the ankle lock for an interminable amount of time. There were some very intriguing spots in this contest, most specifically the moonsault off the apron on to the announce table that doesn't break by HBK, but Angle used the damn ankle lock so long, and so many different times that this match, this classic in the making, almost took a bit of a boring luster to it as the match was entering the 4th quarter. IF Shawn Michaels ends up on Smackdown, this match could be an excellent precursor to some major league wars between the Olympian and the former DX leader. If Shawn stays on Raw, the true purpose of this match in the storyline remains a mystery to me. This one, which I predicted to be a classic at the beginning, was very good, but not on the level that I thought it could, and should achieve.

Piper's Pit with Stone Cold Steve Austin
Roddy Piper with a live microphone is always an adventure, that is just so obvious as this segment opens up. I thought this was going to deface in to a brawl between the Hot Rod and the Rattlesnake almost instantly when Piper and Austin exchanged slaps, but alas, here comes our latest heel to end all heels, Carlito, trying to antagonize and intimidate two of the legends of this sport. Naturally, Carlito ends up getting the preverbial mudhole stomped in him like a government mule. The hysterical part, is the beer bash, where Piper looks like he's practically going to fall over drinking beer with Austin before Austin drops him with a stunner. A terrific segment, but it provides absolutely no idea what possible long term roles the angry Scotsman or the Texas Rattlesnake will play down the road in WWE, and that, is a troublesome thing, in this handicapper's opinion.

Akebono over Big Show in the Sumo Wrestling Challenge
Big Show lifted this behemoth off the ground, ladies and gentlemen. This wasn't WWE scripted wrestling, this was legit sumo style wrestling. I have to believe that Big Show got Akebono off his feet, 504 pounds off his feet, literally. I thought that was tremendous, and a huge moral victory for the Big Show. Yes, he lost the match as a whole, and that was not a surprise, considering the experience factor. However, Show's strength was put to the test, and I think, passed with flying colors. The segment was well produced, and enjoyable to watch, considering I expected to be elsewhere when this thing was on the air. It really was very interesting, with one exception.

I saw BIG SHOW in sumo attire! Gasp! I almost puked, three times. :(

John Cena captures the WWE Championship from John Bradshaw Layfield
A lot of peculiarities happened in this contest. 1. Orlando was sent to the back after JBL's entrance. 2. Cena got his ass WHOOPED for the bulk of the contest. 3. The finish seemed to not be very graceful, a duck of the clothesline from hell, one FU, and a 3 count? Something else must have occurred that stunned JBL so he wouldn't be able to kick out after that sequence of events, I don't believe the finish of this match was scripted properly.

Be that as it may, WWE has listened to the chain gang, and put the leader of the pack on the top of the mountain with the gold. Now, all I am waiting to see is WWE come out with a John Cena Word life WWE title belt, just like the US title spinner belt, and totally send me in to convulsions, me being the belt collector that I am. Anyway, Cena took a pounding in this match, but it appears he came out of it unscathed, and a hell of a lot richer, with a lot more gold for his bling bling collection. Congratulations to John Cena on winning the WWE title at Wrestlemania.

AND, congratulations to John Bradshaw Layfield for doing the impossible, for turning his career as a tag team specialist to the top heel of a brand of WWE, and holding the title for as long as he did, props need to go out to him as well.

WWE Hall Of Fame Class of 2005
Was anyone else discouraged by the fact that allegedly Spike TV only telecast two inductions, that of Piper and Hogans? What happened to the rest of the individuals that were inducted? All of them deserve their moment in the sun. All I can ask of each of them is, can I borrow their diva escorts?

Batista over Triple H to win the World Heavyweight Championship
My friend Barry, who was with us for Wrestlemania said it best, "Ric Flair is going to be sixty years old, and he is either going to be crippled or dead from the bumps he takes all the time." He's right. Flair's gotta get the hell out of dodge before he kills himself.

Did Trips cut himself too far or was it just me?

Did Dave seem a trifle bit nervous at the beginning of this contest? I think so. Anyway, the contest was intense, phyiscal, and turned ultra brutal after Triple H got busted open like rotted fruit. The blood spilled like a broken glass of sangria, and it was ugly to see. Helmsley took the best of Batista's power, and Batista seemingly took all the cheap shots Flair and Triple H could dole out, but when the dust settled, Batista still had something left in the tank when the Game was spent. Ball game over, Batista is the new top dog on Raw.

Motorhead seemingly has lost a step or two in two years since singing Triple H to the ring, haven't they?

It will be extremely interesting to see how this all pans out tomorrow night on Raw with the new champion, and the fallout from Triple H losing. I expect a rematch out of Triple H pretty soon, and more than likely, Edge will take his shot at the title come Backlash. Anyway, Batista will more than likely keep himself on top of the mountain for the forseeable future, probably until the eventual rematch with the Game. That'll be when the real test for the Animal will come in to play.

Again, I did this from memory because I had some thoughts I wanted to get out in the open. A few days down the line, I'll submit more post Wrestlemania thoughts. For now, drop me a line at palace@wrestleview.com., if you want to debate me on these issues. I'll resee the show, and come back in a few days with more post Wrestlemania 21 thoughts.

Anyway, lastly, WWE finally has seen the future.

And their names are Dave Batista, Randy Orton & John Cena.

More when i see the replay of Wrestlemania 21. Kimosabe, SUMO!?!?!?