WrestleMania 23
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| WrestleMania 23 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| File:WrestleMania 23huge.jpg | |||
| Promotion | World Wrestling Entertainment | ||
| Brand(s) | RAW SmackDown! ECW | ||
| Date | April 1, 2007 | ||
| City | Detroit, Michigan | ||
| Venue | Ford Field | ||
| Attendance | 80,103 | ||
| Pay-per-view chronology | |||
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WrestleMania 23 was the twenty-third annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by World Wrestling Entertainment. It took place on April 1, 2007 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. The event was the first WrestleMania at Ford Field, but the second to take place in the Detroit metropolitan area (following WrestleMania III, where a reported record-setting 93,173 fans filled the Pontiac Silverdome in 1987). A Ford Field record 80,103 fans attended.
WrestleMania 23 was a joint-promotion pay-per-view event, featuring performers from the RAW, SmackDown!, and ECW brands. The tagline for was All Grown Up. The official theme song was "Ladies and Gentlemen" by Saliva. The secondary theme song was "The Memory Will Never Die" by Default.
Tickets for the event went on sale on November 11, 2006. As of February 15, 2007, ticket sales for WrestleMania 23 stand at approximately US$5 million, with more than 63,000 tickets sold.[1] This makes WrestleMania 23 the highest-grossing pay-per-view in WWE history as well as the highest-grossing event in professional wrestling history, shattering the previous record of US$3.9 million held at WrestleMania X8.[2]
Matches
- Dark match: Ric Flair and Carlito defeated Gregory Helms and Chavo Guerrero in a Tag Team Lumberjack match
- Mr. Kennedy defeated Edge, CM Punk, King Booker (w/Queen Sharmell), Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, Finlay and Randy Orton in a Money in the Bank ladder match (19:10)
- Kennedy grabbed the suitcase to win.
- Edge's Wrestlemania record became 5-1, ending his Wrestlemania winning streak.
- The Great Khali defeated Kane (5:31)
- Khali pinned Kane after a Two-Handed Chokeslam.
- Chris Benoit defeated Montel Vontavious Porter to retain the WWE United States Championship (9:19)
- Benoit pinned MVP after a Diving Headbutt.
- Howard Finkel introduced the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2007:
- "Good Ole J.R." Jim Ross, Jerry "The King" Lawler, Nick Bockwinkel, Mr. Fuji, The Wild Samoans (Afa and Sika). The Sheik was represented by his wife and "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig was represented by his wife and children.
- The Undertaker defeated Batista to win the World Heavyweight Championship (15:47)
- Undertaker pinned Batista after a Tombstone Piledriver.
- The Undertaker came out to "O Fortuna" with druids surrounding him.
- The ECW Originals (Tommy Dreamer, Sabu, The Sandman and Rob Van Dam) defeated The New Breed (Elijah Burke, Marcus Cor Von, Matt Striker and Kevin Thorn) (w/Ariel) (6:26)
- Van Dam pinned Striker after a Five-Star Frog Splash.
- Bobby Lashley (w/Donald Trump and Tara Conner) defeated Umaga (w/Vince McMahon and Armando Estrada) (w/Steve Austin as Special Guest Referee) in a Hair vs. Hair match
- Lashley pinned Umaga after a Stunner from Austin and a Spear from Lashley.
- During the match, Shane McMahon interfered on Umaga's behalf.
- After the match, Trump and Lashley shaved Vince bald.
- Lumberjill match for the WWE Women's Championship: Melina (c) vs. Ashley Massaro
- Lumberjills: Victoria, Layla, Jillian Hall, Candice Michelle, Kelly Kelly, Trinity, Torrie Wilson, Brooke, Michelle McCool and Mickie James.
- WWE Championship: John Cena (c) vs. Shawn Michaels
Other on-screen talent
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Notes
- Soul legend Aretha Franklin performed "America the Beautiful" at the start of the event, reprising her role from twenty years earlier at WrestleMania III.
- Slick, The Fabulous Moolah, Mae Young, Ricky Steamboat, Jimmy Hart, Irwin R. Schyster, Dusty Rhodes, Sgt. Slaughter, Gene Okerlund and Gerald Brisco appeared backstage dancing with Eugene, Cryme Tyme and Extreme Exposé (Kelly Kelly, Brooke Adams and Layla El).
- Celebrity guests in attendance for WrestleMania 23 included: Aretha Franklin, Donald Trump and Miss USA 2006 Tara Conner (for the Hair vs. Hair match), Miss USA 2007 Rachel Smith, Miss USA 2000 Lynnette Cole, and Thomas Hearns.
References
- ^ "WWE's WrestleMania 23 Breaks Record, Tops $5 Million In Ticket Sales". Retrieved February 15.
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