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WrestleMania XXV (also marketed as "The 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania") was the twenty-fifth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was presented by the National Guard and took place on April 5, 2009, at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. The event featured talent from all three WWE brands: Raw, SmackDown, and ECW.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=WWE Pay-Per-Views To Follow WrestleMania Formula )〕 It was the second WrestleMania to be held in Houston, with the first being WrestleMania X-Seven at the Reliant Astrodome, which was held in 2001.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=WrestleMania X-Seven )〕 Eight matches were held on the event's card, which featured a supercard, a scheduling of more than one main bout. The first of these matches was a singles match for the WWE Championship that featured the champion, Triple H, defeating Randy Orton to retain the title. The second was a Triple Threat match for the World Heavyweight Championship, which saw John Cena defeat the champion, Edge, and the third participant in the match, The Big Show, to win the championship. The third main event was The Undertaker versus Shawn Michaels. Featured matches on the undercard included Jeff Hardy versus Matt Hardy in an Extreme Rules match, Chris Jericho versus the team of Roddy Piper, Ricky Steamboat and Jimmy Snuka, and the annual Money in the Bank ladder match. Tickets for the event commenced sale to the public on November 8, 2008. For the third consecutive year, WrestleMania broke the record for the highest-grossing pay-per-view in WWE history, grossing US$6.9 million in ticket sales, which included fans from all 50 U.S. states, 24 countries, and seven Canadian provinces.〔 WrestleMania XXV generated approximately 960,000 pay-per-view buys, grossing $21.0 million in revenue. The event pumped an estimated $49.8 million into the local economy and generated $5.7 million in local tax revenue, equating to 600 full-time jobs for the area. With an attendance of 72,744, it is the 8th largest attendance in WrestleMania history. == Background == WrestleMania featured professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds, plots, and storylines that were played out on ''Raw'', ''Friday Night SmackDown'', and ''ECW on Sci Fi''—World Wrestling Entertainment's (WWE) primary television programs. Wrestlers were portrayed as either a villain or a hero as they followed a series of events that built tension, and culminated into a wrestling match or series of matches.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Live & Televised Entertainment of World Wrestling Entertainment )〕 The event featured wrestlers from WWE's Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brands—a storyline division in which WWE's employees are assigned to a television program of the same name.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=WWE Launches ECW As Third Brand )〕 At No Way Out, Shawn Michaels defeated John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) in a match with the added stipulation that if JBL had won, he would have become the owner of Michaels' name and likeness. On the February 16 episode of ''Raw'', Michaels challenged JBL to a match, with the winner advancing to WrestleMania to challenge The Undertaker to attempt to end his undefeated streak at the event.〔 On the February 23 episode of ''Raw'', Michaels defeated Layfield, but it was later announced that another competitor would stand in his way to prevent him from advancing to the show in the form of Vladimir Kozlov, who also made a challenge to The Undertaker;〔 the two wrestled the following week on ''Raw'' with Michaels defeating Kozlov, and earning his match with The Undertaker.〔 On the following week's episode of ''Raw'', The Undertaker and Michaels defeated Kozlov and JBL in a tag match. After the match, Michaels attacked The Undertaker. The pair played mind games with each other over the following weeks. The predominant rivalry for, not only the Raw brand, but the entirety of the show was a confrontation over the WWE Championship, rooted at the 2009 Royal Rumble pay-per-view event in January by Randy Orton winning the Royal Rumble match, a match with thirty participants that sees the competitors eliminated by being thrown over the top rope and hitting the floor. Per the traditional stipulation of the match, Orton was given the opportunity to choose to wrestle for the WWE, World Heavyweight, or ECW Championship at WrestleMania. Simultaneously, Orton began to assault the McMahon family, the owners of the WWE. During this conflict, Orton punted both Vince and Shane McMahon (father and son, respectively) in the head as well as performing his signature maneuver, the RKO on Stephanie McMahon (Vince's daughter), which enraged the WWE Champion (and Stephanie's real-life husband) Triple H. On the March 2 episode of ''Raw'', Orton was convinced by Triple H to use his title opportunity in a match for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania. The following weeks saw Triple H attack Orton both backstage and at his house. In retaliation, Orton attacked Triple H's wife Stephanie McMahon. As a result, Triple H recruited his brother-in-law and father-in-law, Shane and Vince McMahon respectively. Following the main event of the March 2 episode of ''Raw'', SmackDown general manager Vickie Guerrero announced that her storyline husband, Edge, would defend his World Heavyweight Championship against Big Show at WrestleMania.〔 A contract to be signed to make the match official was intended to be held on the following episode of ''SmackDown''; however, John Cena, from whom Edge won the World Heavyweight Championship at the previous month's pay per view, No Way Out (in the Elimination Chamber match), interfered with the signing before whispering a message in Vickie's ear prompting the signing to be canceled. On the March 9 episode of ''Raw'', Vickie announced to the surprise of Edge and The Big Show that Cena would be in the match making it a Triple Threat match, a standard wrestling match involving three wrestlers that is won after one wrestler scores a decision. It was soon revealed that the match would involve the new challenger based on Cena extorting Guerrero with footage of the general manager having adulterous relations with The Big Show. On the March 16 episode of ''Raw'', Edge, his wife Vickie Guerrero and Vickie’s lover Big Show were set to confront John Cena. Due to Cena revealing the affair between Vickie and Big Show, much to the chagrin of all three. As a result, Guerrero arranged a match pitting Edge against Cena with herself serving as a special guest referee. With all that misdirected hostility focused on Cena, who could not touch Vickie lest he sacrifice his World Title Match at WrestleMania, a lopsided confrontation seemed inevitable. As Edge and Cena battled, Big Show lumbered down the ramp toward the ring. When he arrived, Edge joined him in tying Cena up within the ring ropes. Fittingly, each drove their anger in his direction: Edge speared him, Vickie slapped him and Big Show drove his meaty fist into Cena’s ribs several times before clocking him in the jaw. But that proved only to be the entrée. It was Edge who then speared Big Show and thus delivered him his just deserts. The fifth annual Money in the Bank ladder match was announced for WrestleMania XXV on the February 23 episode of ''Raw''. In this match, a certain amount of participants (eight for this year with differing amounts from other years) from all three WWE brands compete to retrieve a briefcase that is suspended above the ring with a cable by climbing a ladder. The briefcase holds a symbolic contract which the holder would be able to exchange for a WWE, World Heavyweight, or ECW Championship match at any time or location of his choosing up until one year. To participate in the match, a wrestler had to first qualify for it by winning a match; this process began on the February 23 episode of ''Raw'', in which CM Punk qualified by defeating The Miz and John Morrison in a Triple Threat match. The following week of ''Raw'' saw Kane defeat Rey Mysterio and Mike Knox in another Triple Threat match.〔 The following night on ''ECW'', Mark Henry qualified for the match by defeating Santino Marella. Both Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP) and Shelton Benjamin qualified for the match on the March 6 episode of ''SmackDown'' by defeating Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy in respective singles matches.〔 On the March 9 episode of ''Raw'', Kofi Kingston qualified by defeating Chris Jericho.〔 Christian qualified the following night on ''ECW'' by winning a battle royal when he last eliminated Chavo Guerrero. Finlay was the final wrestler to qualify for the match when he defeated The Brian Kendrick on the March 13 episode of ''SmackDown''. Over the following weeks, the participants competed in eight-man tag team matches and an eight-man battle royal. The buildup to WrestleMania XXV also included a rivalry between brothers Matt and Jeff Hardy. During Jeff's match against Edge at the Royal Rumble for the WWE Championship, Matt came down to the ring, appearing to help his brother. Instead, Matt turned on Jeff by hitting him with a steel chair, costing Jeff the match and his WWE title. After losing his Money in the Bank qualifying match to MVP on the March 6 episode of ''SmackDown'', Matt interfered in Jeff's qualifying match later that night by punching Jeff's opponent, Shelton Benjamin, disqualifying Jeff from the match.〔 A week later, Matt provoked Jeff even further by referring to Jeff's recent accidents, including Jeff's incident at the night of Survivor Series where he was found unconscious in a hotel stairwell (which caused him to be removed of the WWE title match and being replaced by Edge at that event), the recent account of a someone driving Jeff off the road, and the misfiring of the pyrotechnics in his entrance. Matt then talked about the real-life fire to Jeff's house a year prior, causing the death of his dog, Jack. This ultimately led to Jeff retaliating against his brother after weeks of passive resistance. Later that night, it was announced that Matt and Jeff would wrestle each other at WrestleMania〔 with a subsequent announcement a week later declaring the match to be held under Extreme Rules, which would allow for the combatants to use weapons without being disqualified. On the January 23 episode of ''SmackDown'', WWE Tag Team Champions The Colóns—(Primo) and (Carlito)—defeated World Tag Team Champions, John Morrison and The Miz in a tag team match. After their loss, Miz and Morrison proceeded to harass their defeaters on their weekly Internet show, the ''Dirt Sheet'', as well as profess the brothers' impotence towards their associates, The Bella Twins. The two teams wrestled again on the February 13 episode of ''SmackDown'', with the winning team earning a date with the Bellas. Miz and Morrison won the rematch and the date. The two teams continued their feud in the coming weeks, and while the initial focus of the feud was the competition for the Bella Twins, the feud took on a dual purpose as each team successfully defended their respective titles in subsequent matches with both teams retaining their respective belts; it was announced on the March 17 episode of ''ECW'' that the WWE and World Tag Team titles would be unified at WrestleMania into what would be called the "Unified WWE Tag Team Championship". At the 15th Screen Actors Guild Awards, actor Mickey Rourke, who gained critical acclaim at the time for his role in the film ''The Wrestler'', had announced he would be competing at WrestleMania, specifically targeting Chris Jericho. The announcement led to a storyline confrontation between the two on ''Larry King Live'', which showed signs of second thoughts from Rourke. On January 28, it was announced Rourke's spokesperson that the actor would not compete at the event, but would still be in attendance. Jericho's narrative subsequently evolved towards one of the themes from ''The Wrestler'', which was the respect for older wrestlers after their careers start to decline, of which Jericho disapproved. On the February 9 episode of ''Raw'', Ric Flair appeared to protest Jericho's tirades, professing that the wrestlers should be respected, as they had paved the way for the future generations to make a living, leading to a heated exchange between the two. Over the coming weeks, Jericho was confronted by a number of legends including Roddy Piper,〔 Ricky Steamboat,〔 and Jimmy Snuka on an episode of ''Piper's Pit'' hosted by Jericho himself.〔 Each confrontation resulted in Jericho viciously attacking each respective wrestler. The following week, Jericho challenged Flair to a match. Although Flair declined (honoring his retirement from active competition), he offered to be in the corner of Piper, Steamboat, and Snuka for their challenge against Jericho in a handicap match. Jericho accepted the challenge, but subsequently attacked and bloodied Flair. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「WrestleMania XXV」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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