Source: Orlando Sentinel
Professional wrestling’s showcase event, WrestleMania 24, has come and gone, but more than a few moments will remain with fans who descended upon Central Florida from around the world. Here are a few highlights from the WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Saturday, WrestleMania on Sunday and Raw on Monday — moments that will be remembered by many for years to come.
The Fall Guy — Shelton Benjamin was once again the star of the Money in the Bank Ladder Match — not because he was the one to retrieve the briefcase but because of the brutal bumps he took during the match. His head-first fall from the top of a 12-foot ladder inside the ring onto another ladder draped between the ring apron and the ringside barricade is the stuff that ladder legends are made of. He landed back-first on the ladder, which snapped and landed with a thud on the ground of the Florida Citrus Bowl.
The Surprise — Few thought Randy Orton would defend his WWE title vs. John Cena and Vince McMahon’s son-in-law, Triple H, but he did. (For the record, he guaranteed victory during a news conference Saturday.)
The Man — “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair was, hands down, the star of WrestleMania Weekend. On Saturday, he was the first active inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame and was presented by Triple H. It was apparent that emotions were high for the 16-time world heavyweight champion as he was on the verge of tears when talking to the media that afternoon, during a lengthy standing ovation from the Amway Arena crowd and throughout his acceptance speech that evening. On Sunday, his WrestleMania match, a loss to Shawn Michaels, ended his legendary career. The ‘WrestleMania Moment’ came when Michaels stood in the corner of the ring and said, ‘I’m sorry, I love you,’ before delivering a superkick to Flair’s chin. After the three-count, Michaels hugged Flair, gave him a kiss on the forehead and left the ring immediately so the spotlight was all Flair’s.On Monday, ‘The Nature Boy’ addressed the Raw crowd and was given a grand in-ring send-off from The Four Horsemen, many notable opponents from his career including Ricky ‘The Dragon’ Steamboat, his family, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon and world heavyweight champion Undertaker. Then, every WWE wrestler emerged from backstage, walking to ringside so they, too, could thank him.
The Show-stopper — It was a mismatch from the start as 440-pound Big Show faced welterweight boxer Floyd Mayweather. When Show went on the rampage, though — tossing around the boxer’s entourage like rag dolls — it got interesting.
The Rock’s Smackdown — Dwayne Johnson’s first WWE appearance in years came when he presented his father, Rocky Johnson, and his grandfather, Peter Maivia, for induction into the Hall of Fame. While the wrestler-turned-actor gave the crowd — and his former peers — the verbal jabbing that they expected, it was a gnat that interrupted Ata Johnson’s eloquent speech about her father that got the smackdown. The Rock walked over to the podium and took care of business for his mother in what just might be the final WWE ‘match’ of his career.
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