Long beforeWWEhad billion-dollar streaming and media rights deals, the company had to get creative with advertising its pay-per-views. This included using its wrestlers in eye-catching commercials. And to this day, few stand out quite likethe series of ads WWE ran ahead ofWrestleMania 21in 2005.
With WrestleMania taking place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles that year, WWE decided tocenter the presentation around Hollywood. The commercials recreated various iconic movie scenes, only with the dialogue tweaked to pertain to wrestling and the actors being replaced by WWE Superstars. This included “Stone Cold” Steve Austin recreating Russel Crowe’s “My Name is Gladiator” monologue fromGladiator, The Undertaker portraying Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry, and a bunch of wrestlers taking a shot at Robert De Niro’s “You Talking to Me?” line fromTaxi Driver. And with the ad campaign turning 20 this yearahead ofWrestleMania 41, it’s time to take a look back at one of WWE’s most creative endeavors of the 2000s.
Which WrestleMania 21 Movie Parody Was The Best?
You Can’t Handle The Truth
It’s honestly hard to pick just one. Austin’s promo was so well done, WWE made sure to open the pay-per-view with the clip. TheTaxi Driversegment let Dave Bautista show glimpses of his abilities as a comedic actor (which came in handy during his run as Drax The Destroyer in the Marvel Cinematic Universe). And Triple H’s portrayal of Mel Gibson inBraveheartis good for a laugh, especially when Ric Flair pops up at the end.
But none quite matchedthe energy of John Cena and JBL performing the climactic scene fromA Few Good Men. This was long before Cena’s acting career truly took off. And while JBL is a bit stiff, it’s incredible to see two hulking wrestlers deliver their version of Aaron Sorkin’s dialogue and actually pull it off.
This is also the ad that has the most connection to what will transpire atWrestlemania, where Cena and JBL would square off for the WWE Championship. The skit references their feud, including the repeated interferences from JBL’s “goons”.
What Happened at WrestleMania 21?
This Wound Up Being A Pivotal WrestleMania
With the Attitude Era firmly in the rearview, WWE would spend the early 2000s trying to determine its future direction. That wouldn’t fully take shape untilWrestleMania 21,which crowned two new world champions in Cena and Batistawhile also elevating the likes of Edge - the first winner of the Money in the Bank Ladder Match - and Randy Orton - who failed to end The Undertaker’s undefeated WrestleMania streak. Those four menwould help define the WWE’s main event scenefor the next two decades.
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It also has what’s regarded as one of the best in-ring WrestleMania matches of all time: Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels. So, while it doesn’t usually land in the conversation of “Best WrestleManias,” history has proven it to be one of the most important inWWEhistory. These ads stood the test of time not only because of their great production values, but for their good writing and standout performances from both legends and up-and-coming stars.
