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Welcome to our coverage of Wrestlemania 23. We will be updating this page throughout the show with results from the show, so check back throughout the evening for updates.
Wrestlemania 23 opened with a video montage of past Wrestlemania logos and clips from those events. They showed Vince McMahon welcoming fans to Wrestlemania III at the Silverdome, then switched to a live shot of Ford Field. They continued to play the Wrestlemania III audio of Vince's introduction, which led to Aretha Franklin singing "America The Beautiful". Aretha, accompanied by a choir, sang while a montage of clips of WWE stars with troops overseas was shown. Fireworks went off at the end.
A video package focusing on the "All Grown Up" theme for Wrestlemania was shown. Pyro went off, and WWE Hall Of Famers Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler welcomed us to the show. They immediately put over that there were more fans at Ford Field tonight than there were when the Superbowl was held there (of course, that is due to floor seating). The Smackdown and ECW announce teams were then given their chance to welcome us to the show.
Money In The Bank ladder match for a guaranteed future title match: Edge vs. CM Punk vs. King Booker vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Ken Kennedy vs. Matt Hardy vs. Fit Finlay vs. Randy Orton
Each wrestler had a separate entrance and each wrestler's entrance was accompanied by their respective brand's announcers talking about the participant. Jeff Hardy, then King Booker with Sharmell, then Fit Finlay, then CM Punk, then Ken Kennedy (who had his mic on the stage to introduce himself), then Matt Hardy, then Randy Orton, and finally Edge. All the announcers are going to call this match together. There were several ladders set up in the aisle, and all around ringside on the floor.
At the start, everyone stared at the briefcase, then some wrestlers ran to the floor to get ladders, while others began brawling. A group of them fought on the floor and Finlay, yes, Finlay, jumped off the top rope onto the pile. In the ring, Edge went for the case, but Matt Hardy pulled him down. They went to the floor. Orton and Finlay climbed the ladder together, and then tipped over. Jeff went to climb up, but Kennedy pulled him down. Booker reached under the ring and pulled out a stepladder. CM Punk ambushed him and then began using the stepladder as a weapon until Edge got a hold of it and threw it in Punk's face. Punk was busted open. Edge bridged a ladder between the rail and the ring apron and went to suplex Punk in it, but Punk reversed it and suplexed Edge on the floor.
In the ring, Booker gave Orton a spinebuster, Kennedy a superkick, then Punk and Finlay spinebusters. Booker did a spinarooni, then was squashed between ladders by the Hardys. Matt gave Edge a Side Effect. The Hardys set up some ladders for the "Mercury face crusher spot" on Edge. Finlay shoved Jeff off the ropes to the floor to break it up, and Edge suplexed Matt onto a ladder. Kennedy got in and knocked Edge out, then pounded on Matt. Kennedy put Matt on a ladder and went for the Kenton Bomb, but Matt moved out of the way and Kennedy crashed. Jeff gave Kennedy a Swanton Bomb. Matt and Jeff then hit Finlay with a ladder, then knocked Orton off the apron with it. They hit Booker with the ladder as well, then set it up. The Hardys climbed a ladder, then punched it out at the top of the ladder over who would win, until Finlay knocked down the ladder, sending them into the ropes.
Finlay knocked down Booker and Punk, then picked up a ladder, but Edge speared him. Edge gave spears to everyone else in the match (including Orton), until CM Punk leapfrogged him and Edge hit the corner hard. Punk then took a ladder and did the Terry Funk whirly bird spot. He hit a bunch of participants, but then Edge speared him and Punk went down, with the ladder catching some people on the way down. Edge set up a huge ladder, and went to climb up, but Orton toppled it and Edge fell to the floor. Jeff Hardy gave Orton a gourdbuster, then set up the huge ladder again. On the floor, Matt put Edge on the ladder that was bridged between the apron and railing. Jeff looked to be deciding between the briefcase and killing Edge. Jeff decided on the latter, jumping off the ladder and legdropping Edge through the bridged ladder and to the floor. Yes, I said through, as the ladder broke in half. Jeff and Edge were laid out on the floor and stretchers were brought out.
In the ring, Orton gave Matt an RKO, then gave one to Finlay, and one to Kennedy. Orton set up a ladder began to climb up. Punk used another ladder to knock Orton down. Punk set up another ladder, so there were two ladders side by side. Edge was stretchered out. Orton and Punk fought it out on the two ladders. Orton gave Punk an RKO off the ladder, hurting himself as well. Booker came in and started to climb, but Orton got up and stopped him. Orton went for the Ladder RKO on Booker as well, but Booker blocked it and gave Orton a Bookend off the ladder. Booker started to climb, but Matt Hardy came up the other side of the same ladder and slugged it out with him. Sharmell ran in and pulled Matt down. Matt threatened to give her the Twist Of Fate, so Booker gave up grabbing the briefcase to save her. Booker came down, and Matt grabbed him and hit the Twist Of Fate. Finlay, who was bleeding, was crawling back into the ring.
Matt was climbing a ladder, so Finlay toppled it down. Finlay then gave Hardy the Celtic Cross onto a ladder that was laying in the ring. Finlay, holding his back from the move, was having trouble climbing the ladder. Hornswoggle, to a pop, came in and began to climb the ladder. Kennedy came in, kicked Finlay, then got up on the other ladder. Hornswoggle punched him, which made Kennedy mad. Kennedy gave Hornswoggle a somersault Samoan Drop off the ladder. Finlay picked up a ladder and threw it at Kennedy, hitting him in the face. Finlay started to climb another ladder, but CM Punk gave it a springboard dropkick to knock him off. Punk set up a ladder and started to climb. He got a hand on the case, but Kennedy came up the other side of the ladder. They slugged it out, and Punk shoved Kennedy off the ladder. Kennedy picked up another ladder and used it to knock Punk off. Kennedy climbed up and grabbed the briefcase at the nineteen minute mark.
Winner: Ken Kennedy.
Finlay was shown helping Hornswoggle up on the floor.
They showed a video package on The Condemned premiere.
Todd Grisham interviewed Ken Kennedy, who said that any champion in WWE should "grow eyes in the back of their freakin' head". Kennedy said that nice guys finish last, and that he isn't a nice guy. Kennedy said he is Mr. Kennedy, and he is Mr. Money In The Bank.
Kane vs. The Great Khali
Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler are the lucky announcers for this one. Kane didn't have his hook with him. Kane was shoved down on the initial lockup, then went down on a shoulderblock attempt. Kane went for a whip, and Khali tossed him to the floor. Kane yanked Khali throat first across the top rope as he got back into the ring, but Khali took him down with a clothesline, then slammed Kane. Khali applied a nervehold, then hit some forearms to the back and some elbows in the corner. Khali choked Kane. Kane battled back with some punches, but Khali just shoved him away. Kane charged and hit a clothesline, then went to the top rope and hit a clothesline, but Khali still didn't go down. Kane hit a big boot to the face, and Khali fell back and got tied up in the ropes. Kane hit a series of right hands. Kane went under the ring and pulled out his hook. Khali was freed by the referee. Kane got in the ring, but Khali hit some punches and Kane's hook ended up being hooked on the top rope.
They exchanged punches, and Khali got the better of it. Khali ripped the pad off of a turnbuckle. While the referee cleared the stuffing out of the ring, Kane used the chain on his hook to crotch Khali. Kane then bodyslammed Khali for a two count. Kane called for a chokeslam. Khali grabbed Kane by the throat as well. Kane punched free, but then walked into Khali's double handed chokeslam. Khali stood on Kane's chest for the three count at the five minute mark.
Winner: The Great Khali.
Khali choked Kane with the chain from the hook for a while before walking off.
Coverage continued on the next page.
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