WrestleMania 22

WrestleMania 22
File:WM22wwelogo.jpg
Promotion	World Wrestling Entertainment
Date	April 2, 2006
City	Chicago, Illinois
Venue	Allstate Arena
Attendance	17,155
Pay-per-view chronology
← Previous No Way Out 2006 Next → Backlash 2006

WrestleMania 22 was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event, which took place April 2, 2006 in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Illinois at Allstate Arena. It was the twenty-second annual WrestleMania pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment, and the third to take place in the Chicago, Illinois area (along with WrestleMania 13 and a portion of WrestleMania 2). WrestleMania 22 was the highest grossing one-day event in the Allstate Arena's history, grossing $2.5 million in ticket sales. ^[1] More than 17,155 people from 16 countries and 43 states attended WWE's annual live event and pay-per-view pop culture extravaganza, while millions more watched in more than 90 countries. The event also was broadcast live to U.S. troops around the world by the Armed Forces Television Network.

WWE claimed that tickets for the event sold out in less than two minutes after going on sale at 10:00 A.M. (CDT) on October 12, 2005.

The tagline for WrestleMania 22 is Big Time, based on the event's main theme song, "Big Time" by Peter Gabriel. Secondary themes for the event include "I Dare You" by Shinedown, "Baby Hates Me" by Danko Jones and "Save Me Sorrow" by Bullets and Octane.

Jim Ross called the RAW matches alongside Jerry "The King" Lawler and Michael Cole called the SmackDown! matches alongside Tazz. Joey Styles provided commentary for only one match, the Hardcore match between Mick Foley and Edge.

A post-game show was broadcasted live after WrestleMania 22 on WWE.com. It was hosted by RAW and SmackDown! announcers, which featured live Superstar interviews, highlights and more.

The WrestleMania 22 Event will be on DVD to be released on May 23, 2006.

Results

• For the World Tag Team Championship: Kane and Big Show (c) def. Carlito and Chris Masters
  • Kane and Big Show won after Kane chokeslammed Carlito. Carlito and Masters argued after the match.
• NOTE - this is Big Show's first win at Wrestlemania, in his seventh appearance.

• Interpromotional Money In The Bank Ladder Match: Rob Van Dam (RAW) def. WWE Intercontinental Champion Shelton Benjamin (RAW), Ric Flair (RAW), Finlay (SmackDown!), Matt Hardy (SmackDown!), Bobby Lashley (SmackDown!)
  • Early on, Flair injured his back/leg after Matt Hardy superplexed him off the ladder. The referee checked on him and gave an "X" signal (although the injury was apparently a work). Flair did return later on in the match, but he had a noticeable limp.
  • Rob Van Dam won by knocking over Benjamin and Hardy who were on another ladder. He then reached up and grabbed the briefcase. As a result, Van Dam is guaranteed a title match against the WWE champion, whoever it may be, at any time within the following year, up to and including WrestleMania 23 on April 1, 2007.

• Interlude – Josh Matthews interviewed "Mean" Gene Okerlund. Randy Orton insulted Okerlund for becoming a Hall of Famer simply because he was an announcer. Batista then showed up to remind Orton that whoever left WrestleMania with the World Heavyweight Championship was just holding it until he returned, which he hinted would be soon.

• Howard Finkel introduced the WWE Hall of Fame 2006 class: Okerlund, "Sensational" Sherri, Tony Atlas, Verne Gagne, William "the Refrigerator" Perry and The Blackjacks. Bret Hart – who was not present at WrestleMania, as per his earlier statements ^[2], ^[3] – was also honored. The late Eddie Guerrero was represented by his wife Vickie who was escorted out to the ring by Eddie's nephew Chavo Guerrero.

• For the WWE United States Championship: John "Bradshaw" Layfield def. Chris Benoit (c) to become the new United States Champion.
  • JBL pinned Chris Benoit after flipping him over during a crossface and holding onto the bottom rope.
  • By winning the US Title JBL has become the 6th WWE Grand Slam Champion

• Hardcore match: Edge def. Mick Foley
  • Joey Styles was introduced to announce the match.
  • Edge pinned Mick Foley after a spear off the apron through a flaming table on the outside.
  • Edge's Wrestlemania streak improved to 5-0.

• Interlude - Goldust advised Booker T for his match against The Boogeyman, and a promo for Backlash 2006 played.

• Handicap match: The Boogeyman def. Booker T and Sharmell via pin.
  • Boogeyman pinned Booker T after kissing Sharmell with worms in his mouth, then chokebombing Booker.

• For the WWE Women's Championship: Mickie James def. Trish Stratus (c)
• Mickie worked on Trish's left leg for a considerable amount of time with numerous holds and attacks
• Trish was able to counter a Mickarana attempt into a wicked Sit Out Powerbomb
• Mickie grabbed Trish in the vaginal area in order to break free from a Stratusfaction attempt.
• After botching a Stratusfaction attempt, Mickie James used the Mick Kick to defeat Stratus for her first WWE Women's Championship. This ended Trish's extensive reign as champion of one year, 3 months.

• Interlude - Vince McMahon and his family "prayed". McMahon told God that he would send his favorite wrestler, Shawn Michaels, to "the fiery depths of hell".

• Casket match: The Undertaker def. Mark Henry.
  • Undertaker Tombstoned Mark Henry (after powerbombing him and diving over the top rope, over the casket onto Henry), then rolled him into the casket to secure his WrestleMania winning streak at 14-0.

• No Holds Barred match: Shawn Michaels def. Vince McMahon
  • Michaels hit a super flying elbow drop through a table off a twenty-foot ladder, elbowing Vince McMahon with a garbage can over his head, then hit the Sweet Chin Music for the pin, thus winning the match.
  • Early in the match, the Spirit Squad interfered on McMahon's behalf, but Michaels quickly got the upper hand (with the Squad's microphone).
  • Michaels made several D-Generation X signs during the match, including the crotch chop.
  • When asked during the post-game show whether or not he might have gone too far during match, Michaels answered that it felt good and he would not have minded being more violent as he claimed to be bored with being a "goody-two-shoes".

Rey Mysterio winning the World Heavyweight Championship.

• SmackDown! main event Triple Threat match for the World Heavyweight Championship: Rey Mysterio def. Randy Orton and Kurt Angle (c).
  • A video clip was shown recapping how the feud of Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio, and Kurt Angle came to be. The theme song of I Dare You by Shinedown was playing in the background.
  • Rey Mysterio's entrance music was performed live by P.O.D.
  • Rey Mysterio's win followed a 619 and West Coast Pop to Randy Orton.
  • Rey Mysterio became the shortest, lightest, and first Mexican-American wrestler to ever become World Heavwyweight Champion.
  • After Rey Mysterio won, Vickie and Chavo Guerrero came out to congratulate him on his win.

• Playboy Pillow Fight: Torrie Wilson def. Candice Michelle via pin.
  • Candice Michelle used scissors to cut Torrie's outfit and take it off.
  • Torrie won after a rollup.
  • No pillows were really ever used.

• RAW main event for the WWE Championship: John Cena (c) def. Triple H
  • Before the match, Jim Ross noted that the Chicago fans would probably be cheering for Triple H due to them being "traditional" wrestling fans.
  • Cena's entrance was preceded by a video clip highlighting 1920's and 1930's gangsters from Chicago.
  • Independent wrestling star and current Ohio Valley Wrestling performer CM Punk made an appearance as one of the gangsters riding the 1930's car during Cena's entrance.
  • Triple H appeared on stage wearing a Norse king's outfit, sitting on a throne with music by Motörhead. After he got off the throne, his normal theme played.
  • John Cena won by submission with the STF-U, retaining the WWE Championship, to become only the fifth man to retain the WWE Championship at WrestleMania. The audience booed Cena during much of the match, directing chants at him such as "Cena Sucks" and "Fuck You Cena". There were several chants in favour of Triple H.
  • Triple H also did a D-Generation X crotch chop during the match, just like Shawn Michaels did in his match.

The return of DX?

At WrestleMania 22, both Triple H and Michaels performed a taunt called the "crotch chop," long associated with the now-defunct stable, during their respective matches. Many people now speculate that D-X will reform

Trivia

• WrestleMania 22 marked the first WrestleMania to not feature the winner of the Royal Rumble in the main event since WrestleMania XV in 1999.
• WrestleMania 22 marked the second WrestleMania at which Kurt Angle lost a title (three titles in total) despite not being pinned or made to submit.
• WrestleMania 22 was the fourth consecutive (and fifth overall) WrestleMania at which the WWE Intercontinental Championship was not contested. The title was similarly not contested at XII, XIX, XX and 21.
• WrestleMania 22 marked the first defense of the World Tag Team Championship in a traditional two on two tag team match since WrestleMania XV.
• WrestleMania 22 is the first WrestleMania since WrestleMania XV to utilize the font from the first fifteen WrestleMania events in the event's logo.
• WrestleMania 22 was the second WrestleMania in which the main event ended via submission, after WrestleMania XX. In both cases, Triple H was the wrestler who submitted.
• WrestleMania 22 was the fourth WrestleMania to air on April 2, after V, XI and XVI. More WrestleMania events have been held on April 2 than on any other date.
• WrestleMania 22 was the sixth consecutive WrestleMania where the winner of the Royal Rumble successfully won the World Championship.
• WrestleMania 22 marked the second time in a row that a wrestler (Rey Mysterio) won a WWE championship after opening the show a year prior with a win. (John Cena did the same thing at WrestleMania 21 winning the WWE Championship after opening WrestleMania XX against The Big Show, winning the United States Championship)
• WrestleMania 22 is the third straight WrestleMania featuring the RAW championship match as the main event.

References

1. ^ WrestleMania 22 is Highest Grossing One-Day Event Ever at Allstate Arena
2. ^ Hitman has his day
3. ^ Bret Hart opens up

External links

• The official WrestleMania website
• WrestleMania 22 at IMDb