The Best and Worst Moment of WrestleMania 24
WrestleMania 24 emanated from Orlando, and there was more than a little magic in the air for the prospect of Ric Flair’s retirement match, a celebrity match pitting Floyd Mayweather Jr. against The Big Show, and a returning John Cena in the WWE Championship picture after his surprise entry and victory in the Royal Rumble. The show also boasted a Money in the Bank Ladder Match, a sleeper classic of a main event between The Undertaker and Edge, and a fun Belfast Brawl between Dave Finlay and JBL. This article takes a look back at the best and worst moments from the show.
Best Moment: Shawn Michaels says, “I’m sorry, I love you.”
Ric Flair is widely regarded as one of, if not the single greatest wrestler of all time. In a storyline reportedly pitched by Steve Austin, Flair wrapped up his in ring WWE career with a match that wrestler’s wrestling angle. He worked his way through the roster, with the stipulation from Mr. McMahon that the next time he lost, his career was over.
Flair beat a variety of opponents, including MVP, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. McMahon himself, and even made reigning WWE Champion Randy Orton tap out in a tag match right before ‘Mania. But for the biggest show of the year, Flair challenged his successor to the best in-ring performer crown, Shawn Michaels.
WWE told a lovely story of Michaels not wanting to retire a friend and guy he had looked up to, while Flair felt insulted at the assumption HBK would win. It was one last great Flair match, and one of the best entries in a distinguished catalog of performances from Michaels at The Showcase of the Immortals. The finish was unforgettable for how unique and emotional as it was—an incredibly rare instance of a man telling his opponent he loves him in a wrestling ring, and doing so right before he nails his finisher.
Worst Moment: Botched Batista Bomb
The inter-brand hoss war between Batista and Umaga at WrestleMania 24 was fine for what it was—two big men (and big stars) wailing on each other, hitting their signature spots, and going home inside ten minutes. It was never going to be a classic, but it would have been just fine as a spectacle, were it not for its sloppy finish.
Batista went for the Batista Bomb and, to be fair, it was a testament to both his strength and Umaga’s agility that they even could realistically go for it. Nonetheless, The Samoan Bulldozer proved a bit too heavy, leading to a fumbled power bomb attempt that looked bowling shoe ugly. The best news was that neither men got injured on the spot.