Here’s Part 22 of our WrestleMania Retrospective series, looking back at past WrestleMania events as we march towards WrestleMania 29 on April 7th
WrestleMania 22 (2006)
Tagline: Big Time
Sponsor: Snickers
Date: April 2, 2006
Venue: Allstate Arena, Rosemont, Illinois
America the Beautiful: Michelle Williams
Attendance: 17,159
The Undertaker’s Streak: 14-0 (Def. Mark Henry)
WrestleMania 22 was the twenty-second annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was presented by Snickers and took place on April 2, 2006 at the Allstate Arena in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Illinois.
The event was a joint-promotion pay-per-view (PPV) featuring performers from the Raw and SmackDown! brands. There were two main events which were the main matches for each brand. The main match on the Raw brand was John Cena versus Triple H for the WWE Championship, which Cena won after forcing Triple H to submit to the STF.The predominant match on the SmackDown! brand was a Triple Threat match for the World Heavyweight Championship between champion Kurt Angle, Rey Mysterio, and Randy Orton. Mysterio won the match and the World Heavyweight Championship after pinning Orton following a 619 and a West Coast Pop.Featured matches on the undercard included a No Holds Barred match between Shawn Michaels and Vince McMahon, a Casket match between The Undertaker and Mark Henry, a WWE Women’s
Championship match between Mickie James and Trish Stratus and an interpromotional Money in the Bank ladder match featuring six participants.
WrestleMania 22 was the third WrestleMania to take place in the Chicago metropolitan area (following WrestleMania 2, and WrestleMania 13). Tickets sold out in under two minutes, grossing US$2.5 million for the event, making it the highest grossing one-day event at the Allstate Arena.
Shawn Michaels vs Vince McMahon
Another primary feud from Raw was between Shawn Michaels and Vince McMahon. On the December 26th edition of Raw, McMahon and Michaels had words ending with McMahon threatening that he could screw HBK just like he did Bret Hart anytime he wanted. During the following couple of weeks on Raw, Vince has inflicted some humiliation on Shawn Michaels esp.on the January 23rd edition of WWE Raw when it was between Shawn Michaels and Shelton Benjamin with Mr.McMahon
declaring that if Shawn Michaels were to lose, he would also lose his spot in the Royal Rumble match. Shawn Michaels won the match and kept his spot in the Rumble but a few moments later, Vince met Shawn backstage then stated that lady luck was on his side. He also said that he wanted to turn back the clock to the days of sex, drugs, & rock n’ roll then he asked Shawn to join him but got turned down, however, and Vince last stated that HBK’s luck would run out at
the Royal Rumble. At the Royal Rumble, during the Royal Rumble match, Vince distracted Michaels as his music started to play. During that time, Shane McMahon, who was not an official entrant in the match, eliminated Michaels after attacking him from behind. One month later, on the February 27 edition of Raw, Shane hit Michaels with a steel
chair and forced him to “kiss” Vince’s ass, thus joining Vince’s “Kiss My Ass Club.” Vince then announced that he and Michaels would face off against each other at WrestleMania. On Raw two weeks later, Vince forced Michaels to take a public drug test all due to Michaels being deceived and drugged by Vince’s daughter, Stephanie McMahon on the March 6th edition of Raw. During the test, however, Michaels threw his urine on both Vince and Shane. Later that night, Michaels faced off against the Spirit Squad in a Steel Cage match. The Spirit Squad won the match by pinning Michaels after Shane interfered and slammed the cage door on Michaels. After the match, Shane continued attacking Michaels, causing him to bleed in the process, and executed a Coast 2 Coast. At Saturday Night’s Main Event,
Michaels faced off against Shane in a Street Fight. Near the end of the match, Shane locked Michaels in the sharp shooter, and Vince ordered the match to end. Vince screwed Michaels, claiming he submitted to the move, and declared Shane the winner via submission. On the March 20 edition of Raw, Vince announced that his match against Michaels at WrestleMania would now be a No Holds Barred match.
The Undertaker vs Mark Henry
One of the featured matches on the undercard was a Casket match between The Undertaker and Mark Henry. On the March 3 edition of SmackDown!, Undertaker challenged Kurt Angle for the World Heavyweight Championship. During the match, after Undertaker executed a Tombstone piledriver, Henry came out and attacked Undertaker, causing the match the end via disqualification. Undertaker won the match, but since a championship cannot change hands via countout or disqualification, he did not win the title. The following week, on SmackDown!, Undertaker challenged Henry to a Casket match at WrestleMania. On the March 18 edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event, Henry, along with his manager Daivari, called out The Undertaker. Undertaker came out, accompanied by Druids carrying a casket, and the two started attacking each other. Shortly after, Undertaker performed a chokeslam, followed by a Tombstone piledriver, on Daivari on the casket.
In the Casket match between The Undertaker and Mark Henry, The Undertaker took the advantage and hit Henry with a Last Ride. While Henry was out of the ring, Undertaker hit him with a suicide dive over the top rope. Undertaker then performed a Tombstone Piledriver on Henry and pushed him into the casket to win the match and improve his WrestleMania record to 14–0.
During the match at WrestleMania 22 Shawn was about to perform Sweet Chin Music on McMahon, but instead he got a trash can and a table. He put McMahon on a table and put a trashcan over McMahon’s head. Michaels then climbed on the top of the ladder and executed a diving elbow drop. Michaels then hit McMahon with Sweet Chin Music and pinned McMahon to win the match.
Edge Vs Foley
At WrestleMania 21 there was a hardcore match between Edge and Mick Foley. Near the end of the match, Foley had Edge in control and pulled out a table. Lita then hit Foley in between the legs with a barbed wire bat and lit the table which then allowed Edge to perform a spear on Foley through the ring ropes through the flaming table on the outside. He then pinned Foley for the victory. The fifth match was a handicap match where Booker T and Sharmell faced The Boogeyman. Boogeyman executed a Falling Chokebomb on Booker and pinned him to get the victory. The sixth match was a Divas match between Trish Stratus and Mickie James for the WWE Women’s Championship. At the end of the match, Mickie hit a Mick Kick on Trish’s head which knocked out Trish, allowing Mickie to win the match and the WWE Women’s Championship.
Hall of Fame
Howard Finkel introduced the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2006. First of all, he announced that Bret Hart would not be coming to attend the event because he did not feel comfortable. “Mean” Gene Okerlund, “Sensational” Sherri Martel, Tony Atlas, Verne Gagne, William “The Refrigerator” Perry and The Blackjacks (Blackjack Mulligan and Blackjack Lanza) attended the class while Eddie Guerrero was represented by his wife Vickie Guerrero who was supported by Eddie’s nephew Chavo Guerrero.
Kurt Angle vs Rey Mysterio and Randy Orton
The predominant feud on the SmackDown! brand was between Kurt Angle, Rey Mysterio, and Randy Orton over the World Heavyweight Championship. Mysterio won the 2006 Royal Rumble match, last eliminating Orton, to earn a World Championship match at WrestleMania.At No Way Out, Orton defeated Mysterio to win his WrestleMania 22 world championship match. Five days later, on the February 24 edition of SmackDown!, SmackDown! General Manager Theodore Long announced that the World Heavyweight Championship match at WrestleMania 22 would be a Triple Threat match involving Mysterio, Orton, and champion Angle. The match that followed was the Triple Threat match between Kurt Angle, Rey Mysterio and Randy Orton for the World Heavyweight Championship. During Mysterio’s entrance, P.OD. performed Mysterio’s music entrance live. At the end, Mysterio performed a 619 on Orton followed by a West Coast Pop for a successful pinfall victory. As a result, Mysterio
became the new World Heavyweight Champion. After the match, Mysterio celebrated with Chavo and Vickie Guerrero. The tenth match was a Playboy pillow fight between Torrie Wilson and Candice Michelle. Wilson pulled Candice’s dress and pinned her with a roll-up to get the victory.
Triple H vs John Cena
The main feud heading into WrestleMania on the Raw brand was between John Cena and Triple H over the WWE Championship. After failing to win the Royal Rumble match, Triple H participated in the 2006 Road to WrestleMania Tournament, where the winner would become the number-one contender to the WWE Championship at WrestleMania. In the final match of the tournament, held on the February 20 edition of Raw, Triple H faced Rob Van Dam (RVD) and The Big Show in a Triple
Threat match. Triple H won the match after pinning RVD following a Pedigree. The main event was for the WWE Championship between champion John Cena and Triple H. Triple H came out to the ring on a throne dressed as a Conan the Barbarian-type king, while Cena came out with a tommy gun and was accompanied by a
group of “gangsters” in a 1940s Chicago-era vehicle. The match was evenly matched with both men getting the advantage over each other. Triple H tried to perform a Pedigree, but it was countered by Cena into an FU. After Triple H kicked out of a two-count, Cena locked him into the STF. Triple H got to the ropes and went for another Pedigree, but was countered into the STF again by Cena. Triple H tapped out, and as a result, Cena retained the WWE Championship.
WrestleMania 22 Results
Dark Viscera won by last eliminating Snitsky. an 18-man Interpromotional battle royal
• Big Show and Kane (c) defeated Carlito and Chris Masters Tag team match for the World Tag Team Championship
• Rob Van Dam defeated Shelton Benjamin, Ric Flair, Finlay, Matt Hardy and Bobby Lashley Money in the Bank ladder match
• John “Bradshaw” Layfield (with Jillian Hall) defeated Chris Benoit (c) Singles match for the WWE United States Championship
• Edge (with Lita) defeated Mick Foley Hardcore match
• The Boogeyman defeated Booker T and Sharmell Handicap match
• Mickie James defeated Trish Stratus (c) Singles match for the WWE Women’s Championship
• The Undertaker defeated Mark Henry Casket match
• Shawn Michaels defeated Vince McMahon No Holds Barred match
• Rey Mysterio defeated Randy Orton and Kurt Angle (c) Triple Threat match for the World Heavyweight Championship
• Torrie Wilson defeated Candice Michelle Playboy pillow fight
• John Cena (c) defeated Triple H via submission[2][20] Singles match for the WWE Championship