From & Courtesy of WWE.com:
Loudmouth proves to be Mr. Money in the Bank!
On SmackDown, Mr. Kennedy warned WWE fans to get ready to call him “Mr. Money in the Bank.” At WrestleMania 23, before a record-setting 80,103 WWE fans inside Detroit’s Ford Field, the loudmouth backed up his strong words, doing what his seven other Money in the Bank Ladder Match opponents — King Booker, Edge, Finlay, Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, Randy Orton and CM Punk — couldn’t. He climbed the ladder, grabbed the briefcase and won a future title opportunity any time over the next 365 days.
The eight Raw, SmackDown and ECW participants would each make a worthy bid during the Money in the Bank contest, and the screaming Ford Field crowd seemed divided over who to cheer for loudest. However, almost universal fear and concern erupted moments after Jeff Hardy — at his brother Matt’s urging — threw himself from the top of a ladder to the outside floor, crashing onto WrestleMania’s first-ever Money in the Bank winner, Edge. Dropping more than 20 feet down, the force of Jeff’s fall actually broke the ladder beneath Edge in half, practically destroying both men. Neither Jeff nor the Rated-R Superstar — who before this match had gone 5-0 at WrestleMania, and 3-0 in WrestleMania ladder-related matches — would be able to continue following the carnage; in fact, Edge would immediately be stretchered out by medics. His condition currently remains unknown.
Finlay nearly made himself a fighting Irishman in the Bank after catching Matt Hardy with a Celtic Cross onto one ladder. Unfortunately, the move also incapacitated the Belfast brawler, who’d require more than a little help from Hornswoggle to grab the case. Suddenly, Kennedy climbed an adjacent ladder to stop the little guy short, then squashed him in half with a top-rung plunge that earned massive cheers throughout Ford Field. Moments later, Kennedy would continue hearing those growing cheers as he used another ladder to crack a climbing CM Punk in the mouth, sending him to the outside, then as he claimed the briefcase, and its contents, for himself.
Backstage, Mr. Kennedy would congratulate himself for winning a truly wild eight-Superstar contest, then had some words of advice for all World Champions: For the next 12 months, “You better grow eyes in the back of your freakin’ head…. Thank God nice guys finish last. Thank God I’m not a nice guy. Thank God I’m Mr. Kennedy! And thank God I’m ‘Mr. Money in the Bank!’”
Pausing briefly, the loudmouth Superstar then ended his interview with Todd Grisham with a definitive “Bank!”
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John Cena defended and defeated Shawn Michaels....
After months of anticipation, weeks of cooperation and hours of speculation…ladies and gentlemen, The Champ is still here.
For the second consecutive year, John Cena walked into WrestleMania as the WWE Champion. And in a result correctly chosen by 59% of WWE fans polled in an AT&T Mobile poll, Cena defeated Shawn Michaels in Detroit to walk out with the gold for the second year in a row.
From the moment The Champ entered Ford Field, it was obvious that his A-Game was in full effect. In a scene reminiscent of his unforgettable gangster entrance last year in Chicago, Cena entered Ford Field by driving a Mustang down through the loading dock and crashing through the glass set. It was an impressive sight, even if it did nothing to turn the favor of the raucous capacity crowd of 80,103 that was clearly in favor of HBK.
It didn’t faze HBK any, as Michaels clearly had a game plan, focusing on Cena’s knee and dominating the early portion of the match. However, an errant charge led Michaels head-first into the steel ringpost, busting him open and giving Cena an opening to get back into the match. Unfortunately, just seconds after, Sweet Chin Music intended for The Champ instead nearly took the head off of referee Mike Chioda.
As both men lay prone on the mat, the fans rallied behind a bloodied HBK. But in a move that is quite uncharacteristic of the challenger, he tosses aside the top level of the steel ring stairs and delivered a vicious piledriver that bounced Cena’s head off the bottom level.
Things always look darkest before the dawn; unfortunately for HBK, WrestleMania wasn’t the dawn of a new championship reign, as Cena somehow kicked out of Michaels’ pinfall attempt. The challenger then threw his entire arsenal at Cena, but the resilient champion stood tall.
In a furious final few minutes, both men hit the other with their signature maneuvers, with Cena applying both the FU and STFU in an attempt to claim victory. They both staggered to their feet, and somehow, Cena was able to take HBK down with a second STFU. Left in the middle of the ring with nowhere to go, the challenger was forced to tap out, ending the instant WrestleMania classic in favor of the champion.
Following the bout, Cena sat in the middle of the ring and stared at the WrestleMania logo, nearly in tears after realizing what he had just done. He then dedicated the match to his father, saying “this one’s for you, dad,” before holding the WWE Championship in the air. But when he tried to shake HBK’s hand, the sullen challenger simply walked away; instead, he was given a salute from Cena in a show of respect.
When WWE.com caught up with the champion moments later, he was still emotional.
“The past two years have been very difficult for me, because even with all the momentum I have, I always go into the big one as the underdog,” he said. “I’ve been in a lot of situations where people don’t even want to see my face, but I’ve never told anyone to not be themselves. Even if the crowd reaction isn’t what I want, I’m still me. I am who I am and there’s only one me.”
As for the match, The Champ was surprised at the attack Michaels threw at him.
“It’s difficult enough when you have a veteran like HBK, with six weeks of mental torture to live through,” he continued. “Coming out like he did, I didn’t expect that at all. God, it shook me up, but once I got in my groove…I don’t mean to sound cocky, but once that steamroller gets going, nothing stops it.”
WrestleMania is All Grown Up, and with perhaps one of the signature victories on his resume coming at Ford Field, The Champ is now truly All Grown Up himself.
“I’ve seen a lot of stuff in my life; stared down the barrel of a loaded gun, seen children born and people married, but I always managed to keep it together,” he said, nearly in tears. “I’m the last guy to break down, but tonight I couldn’t help it. I thought about watching WrestleMania 20 years ago with my dad in that shack in West Newbury, and it hit me all at once.”
Both Cena and Michaels are men that should never be underestimated, counted out or considered defeated until their opponent is declared the winner. At WrestleMania 23, John Cena ended up as the better man, and because of that, The Champ is still here.
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The Undertaker had a 100% 'effort' to defeat Batista
Tonight at Ford Field, the Undertaker did the unbelievable by taking his undefeated WrestleMania streak to 15-0. Not only did he break his own record, but he also captured his first World Heavyweight Championship by delivering a Tombstone Piledriver to Batista for the win.
With so much on the line, it seemed like The Deadman would do anything to ensure a win, even before he stepped out into the arena. Preceded by 24 druids with flaming torches, Undertaker’s unmistakable form emerged from the smoke, and more than 80,000 WWE fans erupted for The Phenom.
Batista took an early lead in the match when he speared Undertaker right out of the gate. The Animal fought Undertaker out of the ring, and executed a running power slam off one of the announce tables onto another. The Phenom was clearly stunned, but managed to hang on through several pin attempts and continued to fight back.
Having been victorious through 14 previous WrestleManias, Undertaker knows a thing or two about surviving, and used it to his advantage. The Phenom benefited from the situation, and was able to turn the match around with the Last Ride. After an exchange of several devastating attacks, including a Batista Bomb, Undertaker sealed his victory with a Tombstone Piledriver to keep his WrestleMania streak alive.
The Undertaker (SmackDown!)
Batista (SmackDown!)
Rey Mysterio (SmackDown!)
Kane (ECW)
Mark Henry (SmackDown!)
