Former WWE Referee Reveals How He Was Hand-Picked By Shawn Michaels For His WrestleMania 25 Match
On April 5, 2009, The Undertaker competed against Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 25. In what has been argued to be the greatest match in WrestleMania history, the two battled for over 30 minutes at the Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. Unfortunately, for HBK, Undertaker came out victorious and was able to continue his legendary undefeated streak.
At WrestleMania 25, Marty Elias had the pleasure to be a part of that match as the referee. However, he was not the person who was originally assigned to it. Elias revealed who the original person was supposed to be on a recent episode of Pancakes and Powerslams.
"The referee assignments came out and Charles Robinson was assigned that match," said Elias. "I went to Shawn, we were in San Antonio, Texas, his hometown, and I went to him very casually and I said, 'Shawn, I don't have your match at WrestleMania. It would have been great, but maybe next year.' But I knew what he was going with next year and I was hoping that I was going to be able to get this match. So, he says, 'what do you mean you don't have this match?' I said, 'I don't have your match. Charles was assigned the match.'
"So, the next day, we were in Corpus Christie, Texas, and Shawn and I dressed together. And he goes, 'I talked to John. You have my match at WrestleMania.' [I thought], whoa, okay. What was I gonna say to Shawn Michaels? No? So that's how it happened. I've apologized up and down to Charles Robinson for that, but at the same time, I wasn't being vindictive. I wasn't being anything, or trying to be malicious or a backstabber, or nothing like that. It was just friends having a conversation, and that was it. And that's how it happened, that's how it came to be."
Elias feels that WWE may have Undertaker and HBK face each other again at WrestleMania 35, and he would love to be a part of it again.
"It's the 10-year anniversary. You wanna give somebody the rubber match? And, if it happens, it would be an honor," Elias said. "Just think; getting those three original guys in the ring again. If that match was created once, what's not to say that it can't happen again, to some extent?"
As previously reported, Michaels is coming out of retirement for one more match, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The plan is for Michaels to return at the next Saudi Arabia event on November 2, in a tag team match.
You can hear the full interview below.
Source: Pancakes and Powerslams