WrestleMania 21 marked a generational shift, yet its main events disappointed critics and fans.
In short: Held in 2005 at the Staples Center, WrestleMania 21 was a historic turning point for professional wrestling. It cemented the rise of new superstars like John Cena and Batista, yet the event is remembered for a stark contrast between its critically acclaimed undercard and its underwhelming, flat main event title matches.
WrestleMania 21, promoted as WrestleMania Goes Hollywood, took place on April 3, 2005, in Los Angeles. The event was a massive commercial success, selling out the Staples Center in under one minute—the fastest sell-out in company history at the time—and drawing a record attendance of 20,193 people. Beyond the arena, it reached millions of viewers across 190 countries. The production leaned heavily into its cinematic theme, featuring elaborate parody trailers of famous films like Pulp Fiction and Taxi Driver starring WWE talent.
The card is best remembered for the debut of the Money in the Bank ladder match, a high-stakes concept where the winner earned a future championship opportunity. This match, alongside the technical masterclass between Kurt Angle and Shawn Michaels, remains the event's legacy. The Angle-Michaels bout was later named the 2005 Pro Wrestling Illustrated match of the year and is frequently cited as one of the greatest matches in the history of the sport. Conversely, the Sumo match between Big Show and Akebono is widely regarded as one of the worst in wrestling history.
The main events—Batista versus Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship and John Cena versus John 'Bradshaw' Layfield for the WWE Championship—were intended to establish a new era of stars. While both men won their respective titles, critics felt the matches lacked the drama and intensity of the undercard. John Powell of Canadian Online Explorer noted that the transition of power felt like it arrived with a whimper rather than a bang. Despite this, the event successfully launched the careers of Cena, Batista, and Randy Orton as permanent main-event players, fundamentally altering the landscape of the promotion for years to come.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: WrestleMania 21
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