Wrestlemania 22: A Retrospective Look

[Dagger Dias]

This is the 22nd of 29 topics looking back on previous Wrestlemania events. Every couple of days I have been submitting a new one and will continue until all of the past Wrestlemania events have been discussed, leading up to the big day in April where Wrestlemania 30 will take soon.

This thread will be for discussing.... Wrestlemania 22!

Wrestlemania 22 took place on April 2, 2006. It was held at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. There were 17,159 fans who attended the event. Here are the results of the matches from this show:

0. Viscera last eliminated Snitsky to win. The other participants were: Eugene, Goldust, Tyson Tomko, Rob Conway, Lance Cade, Trevor Murdoch, Matt Striker, Super Crazy, Psicosis, Funaki, Steven Richards, Johnny Nitro, Joey Mercury, The Road Warrior, William Regal, and Simon Dean in an 18-man Interpromotional battle royal as the Dark match (09:01)

1. Big Show and Kane (c) defeated Carlito and Chris Masters in a tag team match to retain the World Tag Team Championship (06:42)

2 Rob Van Dam defeated Shelton Benjamin, Ric Flair, Finlay, Matt Hardy and Bobby Lashley in a Money in the Bank ladder match (12:14)

3. John "Bradshaw" Layfield (with Jillian Hall) defeated Chris Benoit (c) in a singles match to win the WWE United States Championship (09:48)

4. Edge (with Lita) defeated Mick Foley in a hardcore match (14:36)

5. The Boogeyman defeated Booker T and Sharmell in a handicap match (03:43)

6. Mickie James defeated Trish Stratus (c) in a singles match to win the WWE Women's Championship (08:48)

7. The Undertaker defeated Mark Henry in a casket match (09:28)

8. Shawn Michaels defeated Mr. McMahon in a No Holds Barred match (18:22)

9. Rey Mysterio defeated Randy Orton and Kurt Angle (c) in a triple threat match to win the World Heavyweight Championship (09:19)

10. Torrie Wilson defeated Candice Michelle in a playboy pillow fight (03:54)

11. John Cena (c) defeated Triple H by submission in a singles match to retain the WWE Championship (22:02)


Now, here are some discussion questions concerning the event:

What was your favorite match on this show, and why did you like it the most? What about the worst match of this show, why did you like it the least?

If you could change a few things about Wrestlemania 22, what would it be and why?

You may only use wrestlers who were available at the roster at that time or make changes that could have realistically taken place in April 2006. Please keep in mind the situations going into the show such as who could actually have been pushed into a title match, or what songs existed back then if you wanted to change the show's theme music, and so forth.

You may only discuss Wrestlemania 22 in this thread. The remaining Wrestlemania events will be getting their own retrospective threads shortly, any posts regarding other events will be considered spam and you risk getting an infraction.

An additional note on Chris Benoit, please keep comments on him limited to the match from this show. There's more than enough topics on him elsewhere in this section.

Discuss!

 

[Wolf Pac]

1) MNM (c) vs. Paul London & Brian Kendrick for the WWE Tag Team Titles

Let these two teams open the show instead. Much better than Show & Kane vs. Carlito & Masters.

2) Carlito (c) vs. Chris Masters for the WWE Intercontinental Title

Have Carlito win back the IC Title from Flair on Raw, and move down Carlito's face turn a month earlier by having Masters turn on Carlito after a tag team match and then go on to challenge for the IC belt.

3) Rob Van Dam vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Ric Flair vs. Finlay vs. Matt Hardy vs. Big Show vs. Kane in the Money In The Bank Match

Replace Bobby Lashley with Big Show & Kane. Show and Kane would feud the following month, so just start building the cracks in their team in this match. Also, the Money in the Bank match started out with 6 guys at Wrestlemania 21 and then WWE extended it to 8 guys at Wrestlemania 23. How about inbetween the two Mania's, they extend it to 7 guys at this Mania and at future Mania's & MiTB PPV's, eventually to 9 and 10 guys.

4) JBL (c) vs. Chris Benoit vs. Booker T for the WWE United States Title

Put The Boogeyman in some backstage segment instead. He was just awful in the ring and Booker deserved much much better on this PPV. Throw Booker into the US Title match to mix things up and make it more interesting. Have JBL beat Benoit on Smackdown for the title with help from Booker, and Benoit & Booker, entitled to rematches for the belt, cash in their rematch clauses for Wrestlemania.

5) Edge vs. Mick Foley in a Hardcore Match

6) Bobby Lashley vs. Mark Henry

A black Brock Lesnar vs. Big Show match. Lashley was the new kid, getting all the hype, the big breaks and the opportunities. Henry was the 10 year veteran, who had been held back for most of his career. Henry could show jealousy and resentment over Lashley's big push, and try to take him out for good. Lashley throwing Henry around the ring, would be a sight to see.

7) Trish Stratus (c) vs. Mickie James for the WWE Womens Title

8) Randy Orton vs. Rey Mysterio

Keep this feud and use Mysterio eliminating Orton in the Rumble match as the reason behind this feud, but cut out the Eddie storyline. I have to agree with everyone when they say that was tasteless and unneccesary. I understand the WWE wanting to gain a lot of heat for Orton, but a man has passed away, leave it alone. No need to go that far.

9) Shawn Michaels vs. Vince McMahon in a No Holds Barred Match

10) Kurt Angle (c) vs. The Undertaker for the World Heavyweight Title

Move their classic match from No Way Out to Wrestlemania, and instead of Angle getting the pin in the Triangle Choke/Jacknife Pin position, just have Angle submit to the Triangle Choke before the referee counts the 3 for Taker. Would be an awesome moment after the match if they teased the Streak finally being dead, by having the fans and the announcers believe that Angle didn't submit, until the ring announcer declares The Undertaker as the winner and the new champion. Another change I have in mind here is Taker winning this year's Royal Rumble match and letting him win it again next year, giving Taker 2 back-to-back Rumble wins and putting him in the group of guys to win multiple Royal Rumble matches.

11) Torrie Wilson vs. Candice Michelle in a Playboy Pillow Fight

Piss break, and lets us get ready for the main event.

12) John Cena (c) vs. Triple H for the WWE Title

 

[The Fabulous Rougeau's]

This Mania is nothing more than average for me. My favorite match and I'm guessing most peoples favorite is Edge/Mankind. Just a great match and a good moment for Edge who just months earlier got his first taste of the main event life with his WWE Title run.

As for changes, the big one I would make is to have Taker v Angle for the World Heavyweight Title. They teased it big time at the Rumble, seemed like it was destined to happen, but then they switched it up. From what I have read it seemed as though Taker was cool with Angle ending the streak but WWE got nervous and changed things up.

I would keep HHH v Cena for the WWE Title but would have had HHH beat Edge for the title and than Cena beat HHH at Mania so when they come back to Cena and Edge they could use the fact Cena has never beaten Edge in the build. Rey and Orton would than face each other over Eddie's legacy and money in the bank, Edge/Mannkind and Vince/Shawn would remain the same to round out the important Mania matches.

 

[shooter_mcgavin]

I understand that a lot of people wanted Undertaker vs. Angle to be at WM22 rather than No Way Out though I always felt Taker and Angle was set at No Way Out so that Angle can have a strong title defense going into WM. Considering Angle won the title in a Battle Royale and only defended it against Mark Henry, successfully defending it against Taker was a good way to give him momentum for WM22.

I was fine with Randy Orton vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Kurt Angle at WM22. The build up was actually very good and I am one of those that said Rey Mysterio would have been Champion eventually regardless if Eddie passed away or not. Of course Eddie's passing probably accelerated that but I never doubted Rey would get the World title eventually.

 

[Aquaman6686]

BIG improvement over WrestleMania 21. There's a few things I'd change:

1 - Remove the Playboy Pillow Fight. It's pointless.

2 - I would have booked Benoit/JBL as the secondary SmackDown main event instead of Undertaker/Henry. Nobody bought into Mark Henry as a serious threat to The Streak, and with good reason. That match should have taken place earlier in the show, and Benoit/JBL should have taken place later.

3 - The Triple Threat Match for the World Heavyweight Championship should have gone on last. I'm not a fan of Rey Mysterio, but HE won the Royal Rumble, not Triple H, therefore his title match should have gone last. With VERY rare exceptions like HBK retiring at WrestleMania 26, the Royal Rumble winner's title shot should ALWAYS close the show.

4 - Kurt Angle or Randy Orton should have won the Triple Threat. Mysterio was never over as a legitimate main eventer, and the crowd booed him out of the building all match long. They popped alright for the title change, simply because it's a big deal to see a World Championship change hands, but there were a LOT of boos mixed in with the cheers even there. Mysterio winning was a huge mistake.

 

[Pedigree1]

WM22 was a okay wrestlemania. I personally would have had,Angle go over in the triple threat match,i think he deserved that much. We can all pretty much agree the only reason why Rey won,was because of Eddie's unfortunate passing. Rey was riding a huge wave of emotion and that carried over big time.

Undertaker should have faced Angle that match would have been epic. They could have rematched at NWO,but the Mark Henry Taker match was well,not one of the best ever. I also agree remove that pointless Pillow Fight match,what the hell was the point in that one?

The Cena match,was pretty good but the outcome was obvious. The entrance that Triple H did though,his King of Kings thing was pretty awesome though. I would have also had Carlito go against Chris Masters for the IC title,that needed to happen IMO..

 

[The_Juicer]

For some odd reason, I always really enjoyed the HBK vs. Vince match. Michaels coming off that insanely tall ladder was awesome.

 

[MCMG]

I wasn't crazy about this Mania. It was a decent event but nothing special for a Wresltlemania. Money in the Bank, HBK/Vince and the hardcore match delivered. Entertaining stuff no doubt. I also LOVED RVD winning as it meant he was getting his push.

Rey winning the title was a great moment but there will always be the feeling he didn't belong. Orton and Angle could have had a classic. Boogyman, awful. JBL/Benoit match, poor. Having Mark Henry face the Undertaker wasn't great but there weren't many options.

I loved the HHH vs Cena match. It was one of the first instances where the crowd began hating Cena and it was a fantastic main-event. Triple H putting over Cena was just another pivotal point in his career and it was a terrific match.

 

[Sexcellence of Sexecution]

I agree this was an average WrestleMania, there was some stuff I really liked but they definitely made a few bad calls as well.

As for what worked, my favorite match was Edge vs. Foley, but I also want to give a shout out to the Women's Title match. The build was great, the crowd was really into, and the match seemed like it actually mattered. I would definitely say that Trish vs. Mickie was the best women's match in WrestleMania history, and it's not even close. The main event was also the right call, and I though Cena and Triple H delivered a solid match. The atmosphere was incredible and the right man won. The mildly homoerrotic match between HBK and Vicne was also pretty good, and giving RVD the MITB briefcase was the right call. Speaking of MITB, seeing a 60 year old man suplexed off a ladder really personifies everything the wrestling business is about.

There were two main things about this WrestleMania that didn't work: the World Title match and the Undertaker match. The only reason Mysterio was given the Title is because of Eddie Guerrero's death, and the fans in Chicago knew it. Rey was actually getting heat in the match, which for me completely tarnishes what was intended to be a "feel good" WrestleMania moment. Also, it should be mentioned that the triple threat match was 9 minutes long. For a World Title match at WrestleMania, especially one between three great workers, that's completely ridiculous. Undertaker vs. Mark Henry was also pretty bad, and adding the bells and whistles of a casket match didn't do anything to make it better.

The solution is fairly obvious. You do Undertaker vs. Kurt Angle, Streak vs. Title, for your SmackDown main event. Mysterio and Randy Orton can then face each other one-on-one, preferably with a storyline that doesn't involve the tasteless exploitation of the death of a former employee. Another option would be to scrap the HBK/Vince match, and have an interpromotional match between HBK and Orton or HBK and Mysterio. I don't think anyone could argue against either of those matches being WrestleMania worthy. I also liked the previous suggestion of Booker T vs. Benoit vs. JBL for the US Title. Booker T vs. Boogeyman could easily be scrapped and would save time that you could add on to your World Title match.

 

[The Perfect Max]

In my opinion, the last great WrestleMania. I remember after the show had finished, I just sat there and said "wow" because it was one hell of a show packed with so much action. Not the greatest ever, but one of my favourites.

Match if the night goes to both John Cena (c) vs. Triple H for the WWE Championship, and for some crazy reason, Mr. McMahon vs. Shawn Michaels. You cannot deny it was one hell of a match from an entertainment point of view. That elbow drop from the top of the ladder was brilliant. Of course, Edge vs. Mick Foley was awesome too. They pushed themselves too far, but it created lasting memories, specifically the table spot. The Money in the Bank ladder match was good as well. Not as good as 2005's though.

The Casket Match made little sense to me. I think I would have had Kurt Angle vs. The Undertaker instead. It looked like the direction they were going in. It didn't even need to be for the title. And Booker T should have faced The Boogeyman alone. This was the weak point to the show. JBL (c) vs. Cheis Benoit was just not what I was expecting from these two. Kind of made sense I suppose though.

Overall, a damn good show. The pluses majorly outweighed the negatives, and WrestleMania 22 will always remain one of my go-to WWE DVD's.

 

[Cub McCallister]

This could of easily been one of the best wrestlemania's of all time but some of the matches were just terrible in my opinion, I would of made the following changes such as:

1) MnM (C) Vs London & Kendrick Vs The Mexicools Vs Regal & Taylor
Wwe Tag Team Titles Four Corners Elimination Match. This would be a nice opener with some good spots with MnM retaining the titles.

2) Rob Van Dam Vs Matt Hardy Vs Shelton Benjamin Vs Ric Flair Vs Rey Mysterio Vs Bobby Lashley
Money in the Bank Ladder Match. I would of taken out Finley and put Mysterio in there.

3) Chris Benoit (C) Vs Booker T Vs JBL
Triple Threat United States Title Match. I'd have Jbl winning the title here

4) Trish Stratus (C) Vs Mickie James
Women's Title Match. (stays the same).

5) Edge Vs Mick Foley
Hardcore Match. (Stays the same)

6) Shawn Michaels Vs Eddie Guerrero
This would of been an epic match if Eddie was still alive and I think try would of built towards this match and it would of stolen the show

7) Batista (C) Vs Randy Ortan
World Heavyweight Title Match. I would of done this match instead with Ortan going over by winning a tournament like cena did in 05.

8) Kurt Angle Vs Undertaker
Streak Match. I would of had this at mania instead with Kurt coming over to smackdown to challenge taker and would of been a month later instead of it being at No Way Out

9) Kane & Big Show (C) Vs Carlito & Masters Vs Cryme Time Vs Cade & Murdoch
World Tag Team Titles Four Corners Elimination Match.

10) John Cena (C) Vs Triple HHH
Wwe Title Match. I would keep this the same except have Hunter win the rumble and go onto mania but keep cena as the underdog champion.

That is my card for mania and I think it could of been one of the best had these matcha taken place.

 

[Rocky84]

I actually tuned back in around this time. This was around the time when Raw was going back to USA and Hogan called out with Austin on the first episode (and then tuned back out once I found out this match wasn't going to happen ever). I remember loving Mickie James right from her debut...guess I wasn't the only one with the huge reaction from the crowd she was getting...they were booing Trish like crazy.

A few things stuck out at me. I was immediately pissed when Rey was inserted into the Angle-Orton match. I remember reading at the time that Angle felt the same way and wanted a traditional Mania match with Orton.

I originally was anticipating Batista vs Cena for this year, but with him getting hurt, HHH vs Cena wasn't a bad alternative.

My favorite match was Mickie vs Trish...Mickie's ass was practically out the entire time. Yum! And the other was HHH vs Cena. Was really shocked Cena was able to make the Game tap...I was pissed that this still up and comer was able to get the win in that fashion.

I did not like the triple threat. From the start I didn't and the match itself was incredibly short. In retrospect I guess Rey deserved it, but damn, at the time I couldn't understand why they ruined something so perfect with Randy and Kurt.

Also didn't like how they were using a great like Flair in a MITB match. Kinda disrespectful imo.

I would've still changed a few things about this card....


16 Man Interpromotional Battle Royal (changed from 18)

Big Show & Kane (c) vs Carlito & C. Masters- Tag Titles

MITB (8 man instead of 6):
RVD, Mysterio, Shelton, J. Nitro, M. Hardy, Regal, Finlay, M. Henry

Bobby Lashley vs JBL (c) (w/ Lilian) -US Title

Chris Benoit vs Ric Flair

Edge (w/ Lita) vs Mic Foley- Hardcore Match

King Booker (w/ Sharmell) vs The Undertaker

Mickie James vs Trish Stratus (c)-Diva's Title

HBK vs Vince- Street Fight

Randy Orton vs Kurt Angle (c)- World Title

Torrie Wilson vs Candice Michelle- Playboy Pillow Fight

HHH vs John Cena- WWE Title


Like someone else said, put Boogeyman in a backstage skit.

 

[The Brain]

If Batista didn't get injured and Eddie Guerrero was still alive this could have been one of the best manias ever. It was still a fun show and despite a somewhat weak build it was a pretty strong mania. Edge vs. Foley and HBK vs. Vince were both great but my favorite match was John Cena vs. Triple H. This was a big main event. I think it could have used a little more of a storyline but the big names were there, the match was very good, and the crowd was hot. Cena had been on top for a year but a submission win over HHH at mania put him at another level. As for my least favorite match, does that stupid pillow fight count? If not that Booker T & Sharmell vs. The Boogeyman would be my choice. Boogeyman was interesting for a very short period of time but the gimmick wore off quickly.

I like to keep things realistic so I won't use Batista or Guerrero in my changes. I would have had Kurt Angle vs. Randy Orton one on one. I didn't buy into the triple threat and I think a singles match would have worked better. We know Rey Mysterio was in the match and won the title as somewhat of a tribute to Guerrero. I just didn't see the need for that. I would have had Mysterio vs. Chris Benoit. If they wanted to honor Guerrero Mysterio and Benoit should have just agreed to a match and dedicated it to Guerrero. I think a great match dedicated to their friend's memory would have been tribute enough. This would mean JBL would need a new opponent. Bobby Lashley would have worked. Since I'm pulling Lashley out of MITB I would put Booker T in his spot and just left Boogeyman off the card. I would also scrap that pillow fight to allow more time for the more important matches.

I know a lot of people wanted Kurt Angle vs. The Undertaker here and that would have been my choice too if Batista was aroung to wrestle Randy Orton. Unfortunately it just wasn't meant to be. As far as what really happened, it would have been nice if they skipped the pillow fight to give more time to the triple threat.

 

[LODemolition]

This WrestleMania had it's moments, but for the most part it fell flat in my opinion. It kind of ended a streak of 5 straight WM's (17-21) that were held in very high regard. This one was a step or two down. My favorite match has to be the first one that comes into my mind when I hear "WrestleMania 22", which was Edge vs. Mick Foley in the hardcore match. Edge spearing Foley through a burning table was obviously a "holy shit" moment. I also liked Benoit vs. JBL in the US Title match. The ending was very different, with JBL rolling over Benoit while hooked in the Crippler Crossface, holding onto the middle rope for leverage and getting the pin. So here's the changes I would make.

1. Women's Title: Trish Stratus (c) vs. Mickie James

No reason for a change here. I always liked Mickie James and was glad to see her win the title on the grand stage.

2. Money in the Bank Ladder Match: RVD vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Matt Hardy vs. Finlay vs. Kane vs. Big Show vs. Mark Henry vs. Carlito

I would've still let RVD win, just with different participants. Flair was like a fish out of water in this style of match and Benjamin should've been defending the IC Title. This was the 2nd year in a row he was IC Champion and competing in the MITB match. Ridiculous booking if you ask me. People expect to see the titles defended at WrestleMania. I'd put Kane and Big Show in this match even if they were tag team champions though. The tag team division was just a mess in this era.

3. IC Title: Shelton Benjamin (c) vs. Booker T

Booker T should've had a better match booked for himself than a handicap match vs The Boogeyman. I don't know what they were thinking here, honestly.

4. US Title: Chris Benoit (c) vs. JBL

Enjoyed this match. I leave it just the same.

5. Hardcore Match: Mick Foley vs. Edge

Perfectly done. Stays the same.

6. Rey Mysterio vs. Randy Orton

I would've put these guys in a 1 on 1 match, with their feud being so personal back then. No title at stake, just a battle between them alone. I'm sure we would've seen Batista vs Orton, probably for the WHC, if he hadn't been injured at the time.

7. World Heavyweight Championship: Kurt Angle (c) vs. The Undertaker

I wasn't a fan of the triple threat between Angle, Mysterio and Orton at all. And I didn't care for Taker's casket match with Henry either. So I kill 2 birds with 1 stone here and put Angle vs. Taker in what I'm sure would've been a classic. I thought about putting Angle vs Michaels in a rematch from WM21, but I can't say I disagree with the booking of Shawn vs Vince for this Mania.

8. No Holds Barred Match: Shawn Michaels vs. Vince McMahon

While at this time it was getting a bit stale seeing Vince compete at WM and losing each time to his foe, I have to say this was one of his better matches, so I'll keep it the same. Even though I was very tempted to put Angle vs Michaels on the card again. If Eddie were still alive, I think we would've definitely seen one of the greatest matches of all-time between him and Shawn here.

9. WWE Championship: John Cena (c) vs. Triple H

I have no problem with this match either. I would've definitely had Triple H win the Rumble though instead of Mysterio back in '06.

 

[Dagger Dias]

This show overall was a step down from Wrestlemania 21, but still a good show. My least favorite match was the Boogeyman match. I never liked him and this match shouldn't have taken place, in fact I like it even less now than I did 8 years ago. Favorite is Edge VS Foley. That was an awesome hardcore match and was so well done. A close 2nd for me is the main event between Cena and Trips, it had two of my favorites facing each other and really cool entrances.

The main change I would make is removing the Boogeyman match and instead adding Booker to the World Heavyweight Championship match making it a Fatal Fourway. He would win this match too, instead of Rey. Booker is the one who ended Rey's useless reign so I'd prevent it from happening by just skipping straight to Booker as World Heavyweight Champion at Wrestlemania 22. There's more changes that could be made but I honestly don't have that big of an issue with anything else on this card.

 

[Mac]

What was your favorite match on this show, and why did you like it the most? What about the worst match of this show, why did you like it the least?

My favorite match was Edge/Mick Foley with HHH/Cena as a close 2nd. I liked it because it was entertaining and was a fun brawl. This match put Edge over as a major player.

My least favorite match was the evening gown match. It was just pointless. The triple threat match could've used the time that that match got.

I wouldn't change much about this show, I thought it was a really good show. But if I had to make some changes I would scrap the evening gown match and the Booker/Sharmell vs Boogeyman match. The other matches on the card were good.

 

[Elchicano15]

I actually thought this was a solid show. The saving grace of it were matches such as Foley/Edge (my favorite match of the night). HBK/VKM. I actually liked both their perfromances, MITB with RVD winning it, the women's title match was one of the best women's matches I've ever seen,and Cena/Triple H. The crowd loved it and ate it up. What's funny is I guess this was a time when people were already getting sick of Cena. There's one fan I can actually pick out in the crowd, that attended some manias year after year. I spotted him in 21 at Hollywood and he's wearing a "Chain Gang" shirt, then the next year at 22 he's booing the hell out of Cena. LOL

I was actually fine with Rey winning the World Heavyweight championship. It kind of brought a little closure with the recent passing of Eddie. Many would believe he wasn't over enough to be a believable champion but it helped him later on in the future. He's still quite over with the kids, and he's the longest lasting participant in a Royal Rumble match.

I would possibly knock Boogie man off the card and throw Booker T into the U.S Title match to make it a triple threat. WWE looked like they were giving him a push in 2006 by making him king and later world heavyweight champion and he was a member of the Smackdown Roster. Maybe I would give Boogie Man some kind of backstage segment. He's kinda old so his mobility wasn't all that great. Another thing I would change is that Bret Hart got comfortable with appearing for the H.O.F segment. I like Bret Hart as much as the next guy, but he should have showed up. He was the headliner of that class of 2006. He eventually later on started to become comfortable showing up at other WWE tapings so he should have been there, or have a representative like his kids be a part of the segment.

 

[workhorse]

Thoroughly enjoyed this show and have had the DVD since it came out. Pretty top-notch card top-to-bottom and a great Chicago crowd made this event pretty awesome.

If I were booking, I would've made a few changes:

-Big Show & Kane (c) vs Carlito & Chris Masters for the World Tag Team Championships
As is.

-Money in the Bank
As is.

Chris Benoit (c) vs Booker T vs JBL for the WWE United States Championships
Booker T and Boogeyman is not Mania worthy.

-Edge vs Mick Foley in a Hardcore Match
One of my favourite matches ever.

-Trish Stratus (c) vs Mickey James for the WWE Women's Championship
As is.

The Undertaker vs Kurt Angle
Cutting Boogeyman vs Booker means this would've gotten about 15-17 minutes, which would've been enough to tear the house down.

Shawn Michaels vs Vince McMahon in a No Holds Barred Match
As is

Randy Orton (c) vs Rey Mysterio for the World Heavyweight Championship
Rey took over the #1 Latino spot when Eddie passed so I think it's fair and was a good enough story to have him win the title. He and Randy basically feuded all the way from the Rumble so it's not like much would change. I'd scrap the Playboy Pillow Fight (yeah I know), so this match could have around 15 minutes.

John Cena (c) vs Triple H for the WWE Championship
As is.

 

[Judah's Lion]

Mania 22 was pretty excellent and seems to get the "love it or hate it" type of review. personally, i loved it and feel it is very underrated. as others have said, considering the passing of Eddie Guerrero, the injury of Batista and the release of Jericho, there were some pretty big Mania names missing from this card, so there were some gaps left in the talent pool. still, pretty stacked roster and great effort for this event.

Women's Title: Mickie vs. Trish is perfect as is. this match got months of build and delivered in the ring. this felt a bit like a "passing of the torch" moment also with Trish dropping the belt to the newly debuted diva in Mickie James.

IC Title: i'm a fan and believer in defending the belts on ppv, especially the big 4 ppv events. if there's another story to be told, so be it, but that wasn't the case here. i'd have Carlito defend against Chris Masters. this was another feud that was brewing and building for months and led to a match one month later. move Carlito's face turn up a month, give him the IC Title and have this match here instead.

US Title: Bobby Lashley vs. Mark Henry. i liked this match as suggested by another poster but make it for the US Title. Lashley would hold the belt shortly after this event anyway, so let him win it prior to this stage and defend against a strong challenger to make his undefeated streak up to this point a bit more impressive. nobody bought Henry ending the Streak anyway.

Tag Team Titles: in my Mania 20 thread, i unified the Tag Titles there since the division was lacking strong teams. i've always liked Kane/Big Show as a team and don't have anything better for them, so they can still defend the belts here. maybe do a David and Goliath storyline and have Paul London/Brian Kendrick challenge. Kane/Big Show can still win since Goliath hardly ever beats David in the world of professional wrestling. or in the Bible. but i digress.

MITB: RVD vs. Flair vs. Benjamin vs. Matt Hardy vs. Booker T vs. Finley vs. Benoit vs. Orton. i know that there are some big name changes in this one but i'll explain. Flair was actually in a neat storyline at this time. it was the whole "can he do it one more time?" deal and especially after his TLC Match for the World Title on Raw against Edge, i thought Flair had a real shot of winning this match and cashing in the briefcase to win that big gold belt one last time. believe it or not, he was my dark horse to win this thing. Orton, having lost his shot at the World Title at the Rumble by being eliminated last enters this match to try to win his title shot another way. and Benoit goes in here, not because i disliked his match with JBL, but because i have other plans for JBL and would love to see Flair and Benoit mix it up. maybe even feud later on in the year. and Booker T gets in on this match to tease his later alliance with Finley which happened around King of the Ring time. he deserved a match that mattered and Boogey deserved to be in a backstage segment that didn't bury a Hall of Famer.

Hardcore Match #1: Edge vs. Mick Foley. loved this match. great brawl with incredible visual images. just spectacular match. i'd have preferred a bit of a better build to this match but that's just me being nit-picky. it really was phenomenal inside the ring and stole the show.

Hardcore Match #2: HBK vs. Vince McMahon. another great Mania match from Mr. WrestleMania himself. loved the story that was being told over the past several months and the story that would play out over the next several months with the reforming of DX. great match with even better psychology. two masters of the facial expressions and "little things" at their best on the biggest stage. perfect as is.

World Title #1: JBL vs. Rey Mysterio. i'm okay with Rey winning the World Title here. i know many will argue that he got it solely cuz of Eddie's untimely passing and that'll be debated forever. but i'm okay with a feel good moment. call me crazy. Rey winning was a good moment for me but against JBL would have tied in a lot nicer to the legacy of Eddie Guerrero i think. a bit nicer than an otherwise pretty random Triple Threat Match at least. JBL as the "American Hero" that he claimed to be and Rey coming out in the very proud Mexican American feathered headdress would have been more fitting i think. and give them more than 25 seconds (more on that in Mania 25). Rey wins the World Title here in Eddie's honor. the Triple Threat, which was an enjoyable match, although short, could be saved for another ppv.

World Title #2: Cena vs. Triple H. like Brain, i thought this was a great match with little to no build. the names sold the match and the in-ring work has let it stand the test of time. these two (of the greatest and most underrated, IMO, ring technicians) told a great story and gave a great match. to those that say Triple H never puts anyone over, i say look at Mania 20-22. he tapped out twice and was pinned clean in the middle of the ring, all three times with the World Title on the line and all three to different opponents. again, kinda like Edge/Foley in that i wished for a better build, but i will not complain about the action between the ropes.

the Streak: Taker vs. Angle. this didn't need to be for the World Title as the Streak was already becoming its own entity. and it was so heavily suggested at the Rumble. i'd have Angle lose the World Title to JBL at the Rumble and have Taker return, as he did. the story for the Streak really told itself even with the match we got (the forgettable Casket Match with Henry) and Taker/Angle never looked better than at No Way Out a month prior. make that match for this stage where it so richly deserved and rightfully belonged.

lots of changes, i know, but i still loved the Mania 22 we got. i'd just have preferred getting some of the matches and moments we got surrounding Mania (No Way Out, Backlash, King of the Ring, etc) to have happened on the Grandest Stage Of Them All instead.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

A so-so Wrestlemania for me.

Edge VS Foley is the best match of the night. It's a brutal and vicious war, and that horrified look on Edge's face after the match is priceless. Taker VS Henry had a dull and forgettable build, and the Casket match was weak. MITB was solid, and RVD winning felt like a surprise, because I was sure they were going with Lashley in that match. I didn't care for the tag team match with Kane and Big Show VS Carlito and Chris Masters, and the women's matches on the card are like night and day, with Trish and Mickie having the good match, but the Playboy pillow fight with Torrie and Candice was awful.

Shawn VS Vince was a lot of fun, and the match delivered, because Vince was supposed to take a savage beating for humiliating and tormenting Shawn. Plus, the big elbow drop off of the ladder is a thing of beauty. I didn't have a big problem with the match quality for the WHC triple threat, but Mysterio winning to complete the tribute to Eddie stuff was a foregone conclusion.

Triple H VS Cena was a solid main event, but I never bought into the possibility of Triple H winning the title. All in all, Edge VS Foley is a must-see match, and you had the foreshadowing for the DX reunion with the series of crotch chops from Shawn and Triple H, but the show is forgettable overall.

If I could change a few matches around on this card, I would start with Taker VS Henry. Make it Taker VS Angle, because from what I remember, Taker subliminally challenged Angle at Royal Rumble (the entrance with the white horses, the chariot, and the lighting) in 2006. Orton VS Rey is a one on one match for the WHC, because with all the heat and bad blood between Rey and Randy, Angle felt like a third wheel in the match.

 

[klunderbunker]

This is the Wrestlemania that I always forget about. There really isn't much memorable going on here as HHH vs. Cena is a good but not great match and the rest is just kind of there. Edge vs. Foley is a great and wild brawl, but other than that there isn't much to talk about with this show. The triple threat where Eddie won the title (I said that correctly) always felt like it was missing ten minutes or so but it still worked well enough. Overall it's good but almost totally forgettable.