Gimmick Some (Wrestlemania) Lovin': Spring BROKEN Edition

Wrestlemania I happened in 1985. Wrestlemania 25 happened in 2009. Being the 25th Wrestlemania and the 25th anniversary are two different things, folks. @Wrestlemaths

Houston, We Have a Spectacle

It's easy to forget that anything not involving Shawn Michaels or The Undertaker happened that April night in Houston, TX, mostly because everything on this show had to compete with what many call one of the single greatest matches in Wrestlemania, and WWE, history: part one of The Deadman and the Heartbreak Kid's two-part Wrestlemania saga.

The one from this show takes the number one spot in WWE's 100 Best Matches to See Before You Die; its sequel (which fits the criteria of this feature, and may show up here soon) took the number 13 ranking.

However, Wrestlemania 25 featured its fair share of quality wrestling and great surprises, from CM Punk's second (and final) Money in the Bank win to Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat setting the gold standard for earning "You still got it!" chants at the Grandaddy of 'Em All (Santa Clara, take note, please).

Rey Mysterio and JBL got less than a half a minute bell-to-bell, but the moment itself was a fantastic sendoff for the Texan and, ignoring the "Miss Wrestlemania" Battle Royal won by Santina Marella, nearly everything on this show got favorable reviews (although, as many have pointed out, not having Taker and Shawn close the show put a serious damper on the two world title matches at the end).

Like the movies opening the same weekend as Black Panther, the matches on this card get very little love after the fact because of their proximity to greatness and, admittedly, this is my first foray into intentionally watching anything other than WWE's favourite match of all time.