Wrestlemania 25 Review

You can’t have everything go right. Take for instance the poorly planned and executed Diva Battle Royal at Wrestlemania 25 whereas numerous past female wrestlers hopped into the ring with little fanfare. Without help from the announcers, no one would have known Molly Holly was in there. Add that to an embarrassing finish and you’re left with a terrible match that never should have made live TV.

It’s a shame too, because the Divas followed a thrilling, energetic ladder match, filled with amazing spots from all involved. Why would the WWE set the stage with something that spectacular and kill the momentum with the Diva match? We’ll never know.

As a whole, Wrestlemania 25 was a solid effort, if failing to rank amongst the best the company has done. Undoubtedly Shawn Michaels incredible brawl with the Undertaker stole the show, giving fans everything pro wrestling is known for. It told a story, provided intense action, false finishes, and showed respect between both men.

A surprise came in the form of Ricky Steamboat, who despite not being in the ring for the better part of a decade, drew a deserving chant from the crowd, “You still got it.” That statement couldn’t have been truer as he battled Chris Jericho, along with limited aid from Roddy Piper and Jimmy Snuka.

The two main events were somewhat flat, including a triple threat between John Cena, Big Show, and Edge. A fair, involving match without much to remember it by still has more going for it than Triple H and Randy Orton, with a sluggish, dull finish. Both men are capable of more, and that’s what fans expect. [xrr rating=4/5 label=Event]

WWE went hi-def around a year ago, but their equipment doesn’t translate well to Blu-ray. This 1080i presentation is notably digital, with a fake sheen that hardly looks natural. Yes, sharpness is high, but detail is flat, and ghosting is evident throughout. Artifacting is kept to a minimum, mostly noticeable when excessive flash bulbs go off.

Color is bright and strong, as is the contrast. There is depth to the image; the mass of fans sitting opposite the camera is maintained beautifully, aiding this effect. Still, the entire thing looks too unnatural and fake to impress. [xrr rating=3/5 label=Video]

Delivered in compressed Dolby Digital, we encountered a glitch with this disc. Initially, it booted into a stereo mix, standard 2.0. When sources were switched briefly on the receiver and we came back, it turned into a full Dolby 5.1 effort. It happened upon reboots of the disc as well.

Regardless, the track is lively considering all it can offer is ambient crowd noise or music. Commentary cleanly comes from the center, and immersion in the arena is high. Loud bumps in the ring fill the sound field, and various entrance themes deliver a decent low-end thump. [xrr rating=4/5 label=Audio]

As has been the case for a few years, the Hall of Fame Induction ceremony resides on a second disc. Even if you tuned in on USA, much of it was edited for time, and it’s worth watching those same inductees a second time to see all of it. It also contains highlights from all prior Wrestlemanias. The first disc holds a tag team title match between Carlito & Primo against John Morrison & The Miz. Why this didn’t make the live card is anyone’s guess. [xrr rating=3/5 label=Extras]

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