World Wrestling Entertainment Presents Wrestlemania 23: Main Event Preview

Twenty years ago, Hulkamania was running wild. There wasn't a sole on the planet who didn't know the significance of the colors red and yellow. 20 years ago the professional wrestler turned icon, the Immortal Hulk Hogan, did the impossible when he scoop slammed the 500 plus pound Andre The Giant to a thunderous ovation. 20 Years ago, the World Wrestling Federation proudly presented the third edition of its then newest experiment in "Wrestlemania", Pro Wrestling's equivalent to the Super Bowl or the World Series. Hulk Hogan body slammed and leg dropped his way to victory that night, and 20 years later, Vince McMahon and his World Wrestling Entertainment empire continue to body slam their way into our living rooms.

World Wrestling Entertainment, though alive and kicking, has undergone some significant changes since the days of Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, and Macho Man Randy Savage. The most considerable change would most probably be the WWE's adoption of three separate brands of entertainment, dividing their roster accordingly. The three brands - RAW, SMACKDOWN, and ECW - will all be represented at Wrestlemania, and in the first two's cases, so will their Heavyweight Titles.

At the present time, all three brands or divisions of the WWE are represented by their own Heavyweight Champion. Interestingly enough, each Champion is a "face" or a "good guy", and each is a general new comer or future prospect to the squared circle. In the events' main event, Dave Batista, SMACKDOWN's World Champion, will be defending his title against the Undertaker, a star who's no stranger to Wrestlemania, currently defending a 14-0 record. RAW's World Champion John Cena will be defending his WWE Heavyweight Title against the Heartbreak Kid, Shawn Michaels, another ring veteran. The interesting thing about these two main events is that all four men, Champions and challengers, are "good guys" and have fan support going in. Instead of the good vs. evil concept often used in wrestling, WWE is forcing their fans to decide between past and future in the two events.

While ECW's Heavyweight Title won't be defended at Wrestlemania, the belt's current holder will be in action in perhaps the most hyped match on the card. Bobby Lashley will represent business mogul Donald Trump against Umaga who'll be representing WWE Chairmen Vince McMahon. The stipulation for the match sees the loser's backer - Trump or McMahon - being shaved bald. The special referee for the match is none other than Stone Cold Steve Austin - perhaps the most popular superstar in recent wrestling history.

Many feel that this triple main event doesn't live up to the hype set by the past Wrestlemania events. This feeling comes with the mixed reaction pertaining to Cena, Batista, and Lashley as the company's current representatives. While all three superstars have a strong fan base, many feel that they shouldn't be headlining Wrestlemania. There are also a lot of old school fans who wouldn't want to see Cena or Batista pin ring veterans HBK or Undertaker respectively. In Lashley's case, it is obvious that the McMahon-Trump storyline is being done to get publicity for both Trump's "The Apprentice" and Wrestlemania itself, but also to get Bobby Lashley over with the fans. Unfortunately, fans aren't pleased with the "Battle of the Billionaires" being built up more than the title matches, and Umaga vs. Lashley isn't a very promising match to begin with.

Regardless of what people feel about the event's card, Wrestlemania always makes their matches, regardless of how they appear on paper, look like gold. There is just something about the atmosphere at WWE's biggest annual event that makes you forget about your gripes with the matches themselves. On that note, I would like to thank World Wrestling Entertainment for those four hours where I'll once again be a fan before a critic.