REVIEW

TV Review: WWE Wrestlemania 22

Written by Matt Paprocki
Published April 03, 2006

What a night for the WWE. This year's Wrestlemania reminded us all why we pay extra for the event. Unforgettable spots were so numerous, they could open RAW tomorrow night using nothing but clips from this pay-per-view. Its few downers were in no way enough to ruin the night, and the impressions left by some of the insanity will take years to slip from our minds.

The opening tag team title match featuring champions Kane and Big Show taking on Carlito and Chris Masters wasn't especially different from something you'd see every week on RAW, but the right match to start things off. Kane's leaping clothesline, Big Show's double suplex, a little comedy, and a well-sold Masterlock was enough to get the crowd moving, aside from a few missed shots. The champions would retain, and Masters would find himself dissatisfied, even though he cost them the match by missing Kane during a risky top rope maneuver.

At this point, the status of the Spanish announcing table is: Standing.

A six-way ladder match was a high point for the crowd, screaming for Rob Van Dam to come away with the victory, and he rightfully earned it. While the wrestlers weren't the first thing to come to mind for a ladder match (Finley, Lashley, Benjamin, Hardy, RVD, and Ric Flair), they performed admirably. Ric Flair sold an injury early, only to come back to an explosion from the crowd.

Camera work here was awful, missing an amazing move by Shelton Benjamin jumping from nowhere only to somehow stick himself on a ladder like nothing had happened. They also missed an RVD leap involving a chair that was nearly suicidal. Right before RVD nabbed the suitcase to guarantee him a World Title match sometime in the next year, Matt Hardy and Shelton Benjamin took a dip off a ladder from inside the ring, and Hardy's head disgustingly clipped the apron during his plummet. Again, the camera barely caught what was one of the best bumps of the night. Still, the overall match provided enough chaos and solo spots to satisfy.

Spanish Announce table status: Still standing.

JBL and Chris Benoit clashed in a mildly exciting match, easily the most technical of the night. JBL's entrance stole the show, hydraulically raising the entire entrance ramp to make room for his limo to drive underneath. There were multiple triple suplexes here, and some brutal clotheslines. It was fairly uneventful, though enough to keep the crowds spirit up after JBL came away with a cheap win.

Spanish Announce table status: Still standing.

Mick Foley and Edge put on the first of two show-stealing bouts. The first major spot of the match came as Edge attempted his spear, only to find out the hard way that Foley had wrapped razor wire around his midsection. Edge's arm ripped open, spewing blood. The two insane combatants went back and forth, beating each other with barbed wire, cooking sheets, and eventually a reversal by Foley to drop Edge onto a pile of tacks. Those tiny metal objects would stick in his body for the remainder of the bout.

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Matt Paprocki is the former reviews editor for Digital Press, a video game website with an appreciation for the retro side of the industry. The deep game collection which spans nearly 30 systems and 2,000 games line his walls for research purposes. Matt strives to bring credibility to video game journalism, and take it in a new direction to aid the industry in becoming respected with all forms entertainment media. He currently freelances for GameArgus.com and MultiPlayerGames.com.
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TV Review: WWE Wrestlemania 22
Published: April 03, 2006
Type: Review
Section: Video
Filed Under: Video: Comedy, Video: Action, Video: Performing Arts, Video: Sports, Video: Television
Writer: Matt Paprocki
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#1 — August 20, 2007 @ 00:53AM — John

Wrestlemania 22 was one of the greatest nights in wwe history. Up to this point no Wrestlemania was able to top Wrestlemania 17, but I think Wrestlemania 22 surpased it.

The highlights of the night were the spear to Mick Foley threw a flamming table, Shawn Michaels hitting an elbow from a 20 ft ladder onto Vince and John Cena making the Game tap out. This Wrestlemania definately lived up to all the hype.

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