7 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE WrestleMania 23
1. The Champ Is Here
In the years that followed the understated-but-enjoyable headliner between John Cena and Shawn Michaels, there was the suggestion that 'HBK's post-match glare towards 'The Champ' was far closer to shoot than work.
Much as his DX comrade had in kayfabe a year earlier, Michaels later went on record as saying he thought Cena 'wasn't very good' during his initial stewardship of Monday Night Raw, and he was still guilty of crimes against selling here despite all the time spent by Shawn smashing his leg to pieces.
Crucially, all the tension revolved around who might actually win the match. Shawn's surprise place in the slot resulted in a groundswell of support for him getting one more run with the WWE Title, even though succumbed to the STFU like just about everybody else that year.