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Revision as of 04:15, 27 June 2006 by Jud93m3nt (talk | contribs) (→Match Results)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)| WrestleMania 22 | |||
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| Promotion | World Wrestling Entertainment | ||
| Date | April 2, 2006 | ||
| City | Chicago, Illinois | ||
| Venue | Allstate Arena | ||
| Attendance | 17,159 | ||
| Buy rate | 900,000 buys | ||
| Pay-per-view chronology | |||
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WrestleMania 22 was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event that took place on April 2, 2006 in the Allstate Arena in the Chicago, Illinois suburb of Rosemont. 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 metropolitan area after WrestleMania 13 and the second portion of WrestleMania 2.
WrestleMania 22 was the highest grossing one-day event in the Allstate Arena's history, generating $2.5 million USD in ticket sales. Approximately 17,159 people from 16 countries and 43 states attended the event, while millions more watched in more than 90 countries. The event was also broadcast live to United States military personnel around the world by the Armed Forces Television Network. According to WWE, 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 was Big Time, while the theme song was "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.
WrestleMania 22 was a joint-promotion pay-per-view event, featuring wrestlers from both the RAW and SmackDown! brands of WWE. The commentators for the RAW brand were Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler, with Joey Styles also providing commentary for the hardcore match between Mick Foley and Edge, and the commentators for the SmackDown! brand were Michael Cole and Tazz. Optional Spanish commentary for both brands was provided by Carlos Cabrera and Hugo Savinovich. The ring announcer for the RAW bouts was Lilian Garcia, while Tony Chimel performed the duty for the SmackDown! matches
Match Results
- DVD release: 18-man interpromotional battle royal
- From the RAW brand: Eugene, Viscera, Goldust, Gene Snitsky, Tyson Tomko, Rob Conway, Lance Cade, Trevor Murdoch, and Matt Striker.
- From the SmackDown! brand: Super Crazy, Psicosis, Funaki, Steven Richards, Johnny Nitro, Joey Mercury, Road Warrior, William Regal, and Simon Dean.
- This match was held prior to the live pay-per-view broadcast. Viscera won the match, with Gene Snitsky the runner-up.
- For the World Tag Team Championship: Kane and Big Show (c) defeated Carlito and Chris Masters. (6:42)
- Kane and Big Show won by pinfall after Kane chokeslammed Carlito. Carlito and Masters argued after the match over an earlier miscommunication.
- The victory marked Big Show's first win at WrestleMania in his seventh appearance.
- Money in the Bank ladder match: Rob Van Dam (RAW) defeated WWE Intercontinental Champion Shelton Benjamin (RAW), Ric Flair (RAW), Finlay (SmackDown!), Matt Hardy (SmackDown!) and Bobby Lashley (SmackDown!) (12:20)
- Rob Van Dam won by climbing a ladder and taking possession of the briefcase hanging above the ring after knocking over another ladder upon which Benjamin and Hardy were fighting. As a result, Van Dam was guaranteed a match for the WWE Championship at any time within the following year, up to and including WrestleMania 23 on April 1, 2007.
- Josh Matthews interviewed "Mean" Gene Okerlund. During the interview, Randy Orton interrupted and insulted Okerlund for becoming a Hall of Famer purely on the basis of his career as an interviewer. Batista then appeared and reminded 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 class of 2006: "Mean" Gene Okerlund, "Sensational" Sherri, Tony Atlas, Verne Gagne, William "Refrigerator" Perry and The Blackjacks. The seventh 2006 inductee to the Hall of Fame, Bret Hart, did not attend WrestleMania as per his earlier statements . The eight inductee, the late Eddie Guerrero, was represented by his wife Vickie, who was escorted out to the stage by Guerrero's nephew Chavo.
- For the WWE United States Championship: John "Bradshaw" Layfield (with Jillian Hall) defeated Chris Benoit (c) to become the new United States Champion. (8:21)
- Layfield pinned Benoit after flipping him over during a Crossface and holding onto the middle rope.
- Hardcore match: Edge (with Lita) defeated Mick Foley. (14:37)
- Edge pinned Mick Foley after spearing him off the apron and through a flaming table on the outside.
- Edge's WrestleMania streak improved to five wins and zero losses.
- Goldust gave Booker T advice relating to his match against The Boogeyman, and a promotional video for Backlash 2006 played.
- Handicap match: The Boogeyman defeated Booker T and Sharmell. (3:53)
- The Boogeyman pinned Booker T after kissing Sharmell with worms in his mouth, then chokebombing Booker T.
- For the WWE Women's Championship: Mickie James defeated Trish Stratus (c). (8:49)
- Mickie James defeated Stratus by pinfall following a Mick Kick to win her first WWE Women's Championship.
- 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 defeated Mark Henry. (9:26)
- Undertaker Tombstoned Henry (after powerbombing him and diving over the top rope and the casket and landing on Henry, standing outside of the ring), then rolled him into the casket to secure his WrestleMania winning streak at 14-0.
- No Holds Barred match: Shawn Michaels defeated Vince McMahon. (18:26)
- Michaels executed a diving elbow drop off a twenty foot high ladder and through a table upon which McMahon was lying (with a garbage can covering his head). Michaels then hit McMahon with the Sweet Chin Music before pinning him.
- During the match, both the Spirit Squad and Shane McMahon interfered on McMahon's behalf.
- Michaels made several D-Generation X gestures during the match, including the "crotch chop". When asked during the post-game show whether he might have "gone too far" during the match, Michaels replied that it had felt good, and he would not have minded being more violent, as he was bored with being a "goody two shoes".
- SmackDown! main event Triple Threat match for the World Heavyweight Championship: Rey Mysterio defeated Randy Orton and Kurt Angle (c). (9:17)
- Rey Mysterio pinned Randy Orton following a 619 and a West Coast Pop.
- Prior to the match, a video clip was shown recounting how the feud between Orton, Mysterio, and Angle came about. The WrestleMania 22 theme song, I Dare You by Shinedown, played in the background.
- Mysterio's entrance music was performed live by P.O.D.
- Upon winning the title, Mysterio became the shortest and lightest World Heavyweight Champion in WWE history. He was also the first Mexican American and the first masked wrestler to win the title.
- Following Mysterio's victory, Vickie Guerrero and Chavo Guerrero came to the ring to celebrate with him.
- Playboy pillow fight: Torrie Wilson defeated Candice Michelle. (3:57)
- Wilson defeated Michelle by pinfall using a roll-up.
- Candice Michelle used scissors to cut Torrie's outfit, enabling her to remove it. No pillows were actually used in the course of the match.
- RAW main event for the WWE Championship: John Cena (c) defeated Triple H. (22:01)
- John Cena won by submission with the STF-U, retaining the WWE Championship.
- Before the match, Jim Ross noted that the Chicago fans would likely cheer for Triple H due to them being "traditional" wrestling fans.
- Cena's entrance was preceded by a video clip highlighting 1920s and 1930s gangsters from Chicago, and a car driven by wrestlers dressed as gangsters that drove to the ring. One of the gangsters was played by CM Punk in his debut on WWE pay-per-view.
- Triple H appeared on stage wearing a Norse king's outfit, sitting on a throne while "King of Kings" by Motörhead played. After he stood up, his normal theme, "The Game" (also by Motörhead), played.
- The audience booed Cena during the match, directing chants at him such as "Cena sucks", "You can't wrestle", and "Fuck you Cena". There were several chants in favor of Triple H as well.
- Like fellow D-Generation X alumnus Shawn Michaels, Triple H performed a crotch chop during the match.
Trivia
- WrestleMania 22 marked the first WrestleMania not to feature the winner of the Royal Rumble in the final match of the night 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 WrestleMania XII, WrestleMania XIX, WrestleMania XX and WrestleMania 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 had two alternate logos released before the third and final logo was decided. The first and second were similar to that of WrestleMania 21 and were released in promotional vidoes and advertisements. The third and final logo released is the first since WrestleMania XV to make use of the classic font from the first fifteen WrestleMania events.
- 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 WrestleMania V, WrestleMania XI and WrestleMania 2000. More WrestleMania events have been held on April 2 than on any other date.
- Every match with male competitors featured at least one former WWE Champion, WCW World Heavyweight Champion or (WWE) World Heavyweight Champion.
- This WrestleMania, along with the preceding two, would all take place from the three locations that hosted WrestleMania 2, New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles (This one from Chicago, WrestleMania XX from New York, and WrestleMania 21 from Los Angeles).
- WrestleMania 22 was the first WrestleMania to feature a casket match, and the second WrestleMania in a row to feature a Money in the Bank ladder match.
- Michelle Williams from Destiny's Child opened the show by performing America the Beautiful, a tradition for Wrestlemania.