John Cena Def John Bradshaw Layfield for WWE Undisputed title
Let the new era begin.
After more than nine months and nearly 300 days as WWE Champion, the historic reign of JBL finally ended at the hands of John Cena at WrestleMania.
JBL, who had overcome every obstacle and every Superstar put in his way since July, couldn’t defeat the athletic, hungry and determined Cena on this night.
Cena mounted a flurry of offense late in the match, connecting with an FU and recording the three-count he waited his whole life for.
Cena had a sluggish start to the match as JBL dominated the action, hitting a crushing spinebuster, a short-arm clothlesline and a superplex from the top rope. JBL even tossed a reeling Cena out of the ring.
But Cena would recover nicely, ultimately winning his first WWE Championship and defeating JBL, who had earlier guaranteed victory.
Batista Def Triple H for World Heavyweight Title
Batista gained all the experience he could from Evolution. Then, he destroyed it.
Triple H’s former protégé ended The Game’s 10th world championship reign Sunday at STAPLES Center, winning the World Heavyweight Championship with a crushing Batista Bomb.
The Cerebral Assassin controlled much of the epic WrestleMania main event, exhausting his arsenal of offense and leaving it all in the ring. After involvement from Evolution’s Ric Flair, Triple H pulled out all the stops – using a low blow and a foreign object to set up his patented finisher.
Not on this night.
Batista remarkably powered out of the Pedigree, then reversed it into a jaw-dropping modified slam. It was something Triple H never expected, and it took the wind right out of him.
The Animal then caused Evolution to crumble before the sold-out crowd with his punishing sit-down powerbomb in the center of the ring. A bloodied Triple H couldn’t kick out, as the torch passed to RAW’s dominant new star.
Undertaker Def Randy Ortan
Make it 13-0.
Undertaker’s unprecedented WrestleMania record remained intact on Sunday night in Los Angeles, as the legend buried “The Legend Killer” with a vicious Tombstone.
Randy Orton entered the match with great confidence, refusing to succumb to Undertaker’s psychological warfare. He even concocted a mind game of his own, picking a moment for his father, “Cowboy” Bob Orton to get involved. Evoking his own Hall of Fame WWE career, the elder Orton smashed Undertaker with the cast on his arm. “Cowboy” Bob then pulled his son atop Undertaker, but the Phenom miraculously kicked out.
The momentum swung, and the Deadman seemed poised for victory when he hoisted Randy for a chokeslam. But the third-generation Superstar had the move perfectly scouted, reversing it into the RKO. But again, somehow, Undertaker willed his way out of the pin.
An increasingly frustrated Orton then tried to turn the tables by using Undertaker’s finisher against him. But when “The Legend Killer” lifted Undertaker up for a Tombstone, the Deadman used the momentum to reverse the move into a Tombstone of his own. The crushing impact was too much for Orton, and Undertaker improved his epic WrestleMania record:
Kurt Angle def HBK
When Kurt Angle was representing the United States and winning a gold medal at the 1996 Olympics, he claims he couldn’t escape the imposing shadow of Shawn Michaels.
Nine glorious years later, all of that changed. Mr. WrestleMania tapped out.
After weeks of mocking HBK’s career on SmackDown! and a pair of brutal surprise attacks on RAW, Angle finished the job Sunday when a marathon ankle lock finally forced Michaels to give in.
The seeds of this rivalry were officially planted at the Royal Rumble, when HBK eliminated Angle only to have the enraged Olympic Champ re-enter the ring and dismantle Michaels with an ankle lock.
The match featured both Superstars at their best. Angle connected with a ferocious suplex and worked HBK over with some painful mat maneuvers.
Angle worked mercilessly on HBK’s back, ramming Michaels into the ring post with an angle slam and then avoiding an HBK elbow drop from the top rope as Michaels landed hard on his back.
HBK would come back with a corkscrew moonsault off the apron, sending both legends onto the announce table.
HBK would go on to hit an elbow drop and began to warm up the band for Sweet Chin Music, only to have Angle reverse the famous move into an ankle lock. HBK escaped a pair of ankle locks and then kicked out of the angle slam.
A frustrated and bleeding Angle then went for the kill with a moonsault, only to have HBK crawl forward, sending Angle crashing to the mat. Angle then connected with an Angle slam from the top rope with HBK amazingly escaping again.
HBK would finally hit Sweet Chin Music, but Angle, not to be outdone, barely kicked out. With both men exhausted, Angle somehow managed to apply the ankle lock one last fateful time for the victory.
6 Man Ladder Match
It’s “Money in the Bank” for Edge.
With Chris Benoit inches from victory, Edge blasted him off a ladder with a steel chair, then climbed his way to an opportunity at the World Heavyweight Championship any time in the next 12 months.
The Ladder Match moved at a frenzied pace and exceeded all expectations – with one breathtaking moment after the next. The five other combatants didn’t even wait for Kane to reach the bottom of the entrance ramp before they attacked him and each other, and the speed and brutality of the match only escalated from there, literally.
Chris Jericho did the first ladder damage, catapulting one end into the jaw of Christian. Y2J then dissected his other opponents, showing that he was a huge threat a match that was his idea to begin with.
But Chris Benoit gained the momentum with a massive German suplex to Jericho that sent the ladder flying out of the ring. The Crippler then locked in the Crossface on Edge and Kane before being cut down with a ladder to his already stitched-up face.
Edge & Christian showed shades of their tag-team days, hitting a ladder sandwich (a la the Conchairto) to Kane. Christian would also nearly claim victory thanks to “Problem Solver” Tyson Tomko, who hoisted “Captain Charisma” on his shoulders and lifted him atop a ladder and almost to the briefcase hanging from the rafters.
Shelton Benjamin showed extreme ingenuity, applying his signature moves to the ladder. Benjamin dragon whipped one opponent through a ladder, then hit a crushing T-bone suplex off of it to another competitor. In a wild Ladder Match highlight, Benjamin ran up one ladder to the peak of the other, hitting a clothesline that sent Jericho careening to the mat.
The Crippler showed great courage and drive by delivering a diving headbutt off of a ladder onto Kane, busting open his cut and 25 stitches while grasping at his shoulder and arm, which were demolished by a ladder attack from Kane. But remarkably, Kane would sit up, shake it off and proceed to near the briefcase himself.
Ultimately, Edge’s obsession with the World Heavyweight Championship proved his greatest asset. He speared everyone in sight, and he capitalized on the damage done by others to seize his chance to scale the ladder and cinch the briefcase. When Edge smashed Benoit with a steel chair off the ladder, The Crippler was left in a broken state on the mat. And with the other combatants distracted or too battered to intervene, Edge had a clear path to victory – and a chance to face the World Heavyweight Champion when he sees fit.
Women's Championship -Trish Stratus Def Christy
Despite training from William Regal, Tajiri and Lita, nothing could adequately prepare Christy for a match with six-time Women’s Champion Trish Stratus.
The feisty Playboy cover girl did everything she could to stay with Stratus, using her new arsenal of kicks and creative pinning predicaments. She even managed to connect with a reverse Twist of Fate, earning a near fall.
But in the end, Trish was just too much. She picked Christy apart, then KO’d her with the Chick Kick. Lita looked on with disappointment as Trish mocked her injury.
Akebono def Bigshow , In sumo Style match
Big Show had never been in a Sumo Match before. And his inexperience clearly hurt him.
Akebono, a former Grand Champion, defeated Show at WrestleMania, using his experience and savvy to toss Show out of the circle and ultimately the ring.
After a long standoff to start the match, Show held his own for a few minutes, even lifting the giant Akebono off his feet, before Akebono was able to gain some leverage and send 493 pounds of Big Show flying.
Big Show and Akebono exchanged a respectful handshake after the match as Show was humble in defeat.
Rey Mesterio Def Eddie Guererro
Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero might be WWE Tag Team Champions together. They might even be good friends.
But on Sunday night, the two Latino legends faced each other one on one at WrestleMania 21.
And in the end, Mysterio reversed a huricanrana and sat down for the historic and stunning pin, as Eddie and Rey shared a respectful handshake after the match.
The opening match of the night brought the sellout crowd to its feet as it featured two of WWE’s most entertaining Superstars. Since both SmackDown! Superstars know each other so well, the momentum went back and forth.
After a furious start, Latino Heat connected with Three Amigos twice but then missed with a Frogsplash.
Meanwhile, Mysterio, after missing with his first attempt at the 619, connected on his second try, only to have Guerrero escape a cover.
Chavo Guerrero actually planted the seeds for this match over the last few weeks. Chavo teased Eddie that Mysterio had been stealing Latino Heat’s spotlight for some time now. He even brought up the fact that at last year’s WrestleMania Eddie was WWE Champion.
Piper's pit
Roddy Piper said he had to meet the man many consider the meanest S.O.B. in the history of WWE. And after his long-awaited Piper’s Pit at WrestleMania 21, Piper surely won’t forget the historic encounter.
To start, Piper greeted Austin with a slap that Austin quickly returned. After Piper told Austin that the Rowdy one was WWE’s original rebel, Austin insulted Piper.
Suddenly, SmackDown!’s Carlito made a surprise visit, claiming nobody wanted to see the uncool duo of Piper and Austin.
Piper would go on to take Carlito’s trusty apple and spit it back into the face of Carlito. After Carlito attacked Piper, Austin came in for the save, eventually hitting Carlito with a Stone Cold Stunner and sending him over the top rope.
Stone Cold Steve Austin and Piper then celebrated by drinking beers in the ring, only to have Austin then hit an unsuspecting Piper with a Stunner before leaving.