World Wrestling Entertainment – WrestleMania 19 – 30th March 2003
People remember WrestleMania 17 as one of the greatest pay-per-views of all time. People remember WrestleMania 18 for Rock/Hogan. For whatever reason, WrestleMania 19 just doesn’t seem to have the historical significance and resonance of it’s two predecessors and never seems to be remembered with quite such fondness. In this review I’ll discover whether that’s justified or not. From memory I really enjoyed the show, and the card is absolutely spectacular, so my hopes are high. Our main event is the WWE Championship dream match pitting Kurt Angle against Brock Lesnar. The former has such a severe neck injury he risks paralysis by competing, whilst the latter is making his Mania debut in the main event. There are some heavy-duty ‘special attraction’ matches on the undercard too. The two men who built WrestleMania, Vince McMahon and Hulk Hogan, compete in a ’20 years in the making’ Street Fight. There’s also the third instalment in the Rock/Austin WrestleMania trilogy and Shawn Michaels’ return to WrestleMania, facing Chris Jericho. The World Heavyweight, Cruiserweight, Women’s and (WWE) Tag Titles are also on the line…plus Undertaker in perhaps the worst match in the history of ‘the Streak’. Jim Ross, Michael Cole, Tazz and Jerry Lawler welcome us to Seattle, WA.
Ashanti opens the show with a robotic and rather soulless rendition of ‘America, The Beautiful’. Thankfully the hype video package is packed full of emotion and sincerity as WWE’s top stars talk about why WrestleMania is such a special night.
Matt Hardy vs Rey Mysterio – WWE Cruiserweight Title Match
We saw the Sensei Of Mattitude become Cruiserweight Champion at No Way Out. Since then he has somehow kept his weight down to retain his title, and now faces his designated #1 contender. That is Rey Mysterio (competing in what appears to be a purple gimp suit), who makes his WrestleMania debut tonight.
Shannon Moore, Matt’s follower, tries to distract Rey before the bell…but it backfires as Mysterio dives at both of them with a corkscrew pescado. Hardy clings to the ropes trying to block an attempted sunset flip bomb off the apron, and is rescued by Shannon who levels the challenger with a superkick. In fact, Moore gets involved again seconds later by throttling Rey in the ropes. Twist Of Fate blocked at this point, but the Side Effect isn’t. ‘I love latex…I’m still trying to figure out this whole teabagging thing’ – Michael Cole. He seriously said that. In the ring Mysterio gets a nearfall with the springboard seated senton…before Shannon trips him as he sets up the 619. Twist Of Fate nailed – for 2! Hardy tries an avalanche Razor’s Edge but sees it countered to a mid-air hurricanrana. More Shannon interference can’t prevent a 619! West Coast Pop DUCKED and Hardy grabs the ropes to steal a shady victory at 05:39
Rating - ** - Some decent action, but they got screwed for time so didn’t really have license to do all that much in there. The persistent Shannon Moore interference became particularly irksome, and the lousy finish didn’t help either. Mysterio still produced some exciting moments, and it feels like a shame he didn’t get the belt here. It would have been a popular start to the show, and Hardy’s V1 gimmick really deserved to be used much higher up the card than Cruiserweight Title matches.
Hot girls wearing minimal clothing arrive. Apparently they are the Miller Light ‘catfight girls’.
EARLIER TONIGHT – Big Show and A-Train take Nathan Jones from behind in the showers. You read that right
SIDENOTE – Jones, a massive Australian signed presumably entirely because of his intimidating look, was supposed to be Undertaker’s tag partner in a match tonight. But his performances on TV and live events were SO bad that the decision was made to give him the hook. His career never recovered…
Undertaker vs Big Show/A-Train
Since Nathan Jones has been rendered unable to compete it means the Phenom has one of the toughest tests of his Streak to date. Currently at 10-0, he now stands across the ring from two massive individuals determined to end it at all costs. Taker is played to the ring by Limp Bizkit, with Fred Durst and a bunch of dancing girls leading him to the ring. Any one of them would probably be as much use as a replacement tag partner as Jones…
Undertaker looks more muscular than I’ve ever seen him. He tries to snatch an early win by Chokeslamming A-Train though, of course, Show is in prime position to break the count. Baldo Bomb (Derailer) scores soon after though before Train sends Taker out of the ring so Big Show can smash him into the guardrails. Back in the ring Taker counters Show’s Chokeslam into a Fujiwara armbar, and slaps Albert into a cross armbreaker when he tries to help. The massive crowd has been bored into silence as the huge Show-Train team take turns applying abdominal stretches. Undertaker with punch flurries to both opponents but is simply unable to overcome the numbers. Big Show lands a Chokeslam – then turns and runs up the aisle as he spots Nathan Jones coming to the ring. Nathan hits a spin kick on him and watches as Taker defeats A-Train with the Tombstone at 09:44. The Streak is 11-0
Rating - DUD - Show and Taker had an almost miraculously decent match at No Way Out, but sadly lightning didn’t strike twice. To be fair to Nathan Jones, this match would hardly have been any worse if he was in it. It certainly would have meant we didn’t get the endlessly annoying ‘Undertaker is Superman and fights off everyone’ act for almost ten minutes. A serious candidate for The Streak’s worst match, and something you can skip right over unless you’re a big Limp Bizkit fan.
The Miller Light girls happen upon Stacy Keibler and Torrie Wilson. Apparently during WrestleMania weekend Stacy and Torrie have nothing better to do than stand around corridors looking at Torrie’s Playboy pictures…
Victoria vs Trish Stratus vs Jazz – WWE Women’s Title Match
We know the history between Victoria and Trish, which goes all the way back to Victoria’s debut last year. She eventually defeated Stratus for the Women’s Title in a violent Hardcore Match at Survivor Series and has held the belt ever since. Tonight she faces her old nemesis again, but also has the additional task of fending off another former champ in Jazz. Apparently Jazz has been on the injured list for the best part of a year, so this is a huge way to make her return to ppv.
Where are Tatu to play Victoria out? Jazz attacks both opponents before the bell in an act typical of her combative attitude. MutaLock on Trish…who escapes and squashes her with a Thesz press. Victoria returns to proceedings with a slingshot somersault leg drop across Trish’s face for 2. Double shoulderbreaker on Stratus as the two heels briefly join forces in an attempt to neutralise her. Michinoku Driver on her by Jazz gets 2…and she then levels the champ with a spinning heel kick as well. Headstand frankensteiner by Trish, who is unaware that Jazz is poised right behind her to apply an STF. Bitch Clamp next…before Vic saves with a superkick. MOONSAULT misses for the champion! Steven Richards (Victoria’s boyfriend/valet) accidentally hits HIMSELF with a steel chair, then gets taken out with a Stratusfaction. Chick Kick on Victoria! Trish wins at 07:18
Rating - ** - There was a Women’s Title triple threat at Armageddon 2002 which I gave a ‘DUD’ to because I felt that the three women were rushing around, trying to fit too much in and botching too much as a result. Thankfully tonight they slowed it down, calmed it down and concentrated on executing things correctly rather than cramming in as many spots as they possibly could. As a result it wasn’t necessarily the most exciting Women’s Title match you’ll ever see, but it was solid enough and nobody looked like they were going to cripple themselves. Jazz was the star of the show as she hit hard, broke out some big spots, nice submissions and looked particularly crisp in everything she did.
The Rock tells Coach how hurt he felt when ‘the people’ turned their backs on him. He’s here to accomplish the one thing he’s never done before – a WrestleMania victory over Stone Cold.
Team Angle vs Los Guerreros vs Chris Benoit/Rhyno – WWE Tag Title Match
The downside of having the likes of Austin, Rock and Hogan back on ppv is that it means guys like Benoit and the Guerreros, who worked so hard to stimulate a recovery for the company without them in late 2002, get stiffed way down the card in a pretty meaningless tag match. To see someone like Benoit, who produced an all-time classic at the Royal Rumble, and someone like Eddie, who was getting ridiculously over with the charming cheater gimmick, in filler bouts is a shame. Thankfully everyone in this is talented enough that, even with the feeble time allowance they’re sure to get, this will be a fun watch. Rhyno is fresh back from neck surgery and had been tossed into a flimsy alliance with Benoit – based on the fact they were both popular but creative had nothing for them.
WGTT aren’t shy in their first WrestleMania – as they enter the ring last but waste no time picking a fight with all four opponents. Los Guerreros start the most confidently though, with Chavo taking it to Haas then Eddie getting the better of Benoit. The Wolverine and the Man Beast start isolating Charlie, but their inexperience as a team shows as Haas is able to force his way into a position closer to his partner for a tag. Benoit gives Eddie a SNAP superplex – and it’s clear this match is pretty much six guys riffing without anything planned. Haas dives in to break up an attempted Crippler Crossface and inadvertently sets up a brainbuster by Eddie for 2. ROLLING GERMANS from Benoit to Chavo! In the midst of the Germans he made a blind tag to Shelton though…and he sneaks in to cave Chris’ face in with a superkick. FROG SPLASH by Eddie to break up the pin! Charlie hits a sweet German on Chavo, but turns into the GOOOOOOOOORE! GORE FOR CHAVO TOO! Eddie drags Rhyno out of the ring…just as Shelton (the legal man) sneaks in to pin Chavo at 08:46
Rating - *** - Not a lot of forethought or planning had gone into this match. It was clear that these six backed themselves to be able to fill nine minutes just by throwing spots around – and to be honest they were right. Their job was to be entertaining without stealing the show and they definitely delivered a match to that brief. The biggest credit has to go to Haas and Benjamin who, in their first WrestleMania, looked completely at ease working with veterans like Benoit and Los Guerreros.
The f*cking Miller Light girls are on my screen again. Stacy and Torrie try to give them a history lesson on WrestleMania but wind up bickering amongst themselves whether it was Hogan or Vince who ‘created’ the event. ‘Can we get back to wrestling now?’ – JR
Chris Jericho vs Shawn Michaels
In the era that brought us Katie Vick, this feud was refreshingly pure and uncompromising. One of Jericho’s inspirations to get into wrestling was Shawn Michaels. He wanted to get into the business so he could ‘be like HBK’, and was flattered when people compared his skills to a younger Shawn. But times have changed, and now he wants to be the ‘first Chris Jericho’, not a ‘new HBK’. He has become obsessed with proving himself to be more charismatic and a better wrestler than Shawn. That was the motivation behind wanting to win the Rumble from #1 just like Shawn did in 1995, and what motivated him to sneak attack Shawn with a chair during that match when he wasn’t able to. Since then they’ve sparred verbally, traded assaults, hit each other with finishers and bloodied each other up. But at it’s heart this is about two guys who see who the better wrestler is on the biggest stage of them all. Simplicity at its finest. This is Michaels’ first Mania since losing the WWF Championship to Steve Austin at WrestleMania 14. He’ll want to deliver a performance befitting the occasion.
Shawn’s entrance is insane. He looks so calm and confident too, which carries into the opening minutes of the match as he calmly outwrestles the hyped up and tense Jericho repeatedly. It’s only when he makes an error (trying a classic flying crossbody) that Y2J finds a way into the match. Chris has a vintage HBK move scouted…but moments later Michaels shows he’s done his homework too as he counters Jericho’s facebuster to crotch him in the turnbuckles. He skins the cat for a headscissors and then chases Jericho to the floor with a pescado! WALLS OF JERICHO ON THE FLOOR! That’s all punishment to Shawn’s back, with Chris obviously aware of it as he scoops him up to slam his spine into the ringpost. The assault on the back continues once they return to the ring – with a barrage of suplexes coming HBK’s way. Even when Jericho is pausing for breath he does so with chinlocks and knees driven into the small of the back. And when Michaels does eventually drop Jericho with a DDT it actually does so much damage to his own injury that his opponent is up before him. Jericho feels confident enough to start mocking Shawn’s signature poses…and doesn’t see him nip up from behind to land a flying forearm. MOONSAULT PRESS! Michaels kicks away from the Walls, before being driven onto his back again with a northern lights suplex. LIONSAULT gets 2! WALLS OF JERICHO! Once again Michaels escapes, so Jericho instantly floors him again with a double underhook backbreaker. SWEET CHIN MUSIC ON SHAWN! FOR 2! Out of nowhere he hits back with a springboard crossbody as well. Jericho goes for broke on his spinal assault – and hauls HBK to the top rope, before Michaels COUNTERS a back superplex. The ref is kicked into the ropes to crotch Shawn as he thinks about the top rope elbow drop. Superplex blocked…TOP ROPE ELBOW DROP! SWEET CHIN MUSIC…DUCKED…WALLS OF JERICHO AGAIN! Huge pop for Shawn getting the ropes! SUPERKICK from Michaels to leave both men down. Neither of them are steady on their feet, but it’s Jericho up first to whip Shawn SPINE FIRST into turnbuckles! Michaels collapses…THEN ROLLS JERICHO INTO A PIN! IT’S OVER! He kept Y2J down for three, so wins the match at 22:33
Rating - **** - A match of genuine high quality, which Jericho still fondly talks about as one of his favourites from his whole career. You get an idea of just how good Michaels is simply from his entrance. Where most look tense, focused and barely crack a smile as they enter the huge stadium for this massive event – Shawn skipped out with a grin on his face. He took misfiring pyros in his stride, he cracked jokes with fans…and even sung along with his entrance theme. He was a man completely at home on the grandest of stages and completely confident in his ability to deliver the goods. Once again he was on top form – selling like a champ for Jericho, making him seem like a serious threat before rallying to score the popular victory. I also loved the finish, because it’s desperate and sudden nature really put over the extent of the beating Y2J had delivered to Shawn’s suspect back. Wrestling (and losing) this match with Michaels made Jericho look twice as threatening as he had at any point during his Undisputed Title reign. In fact, Jericho himself looked like a different performer to the one we saw through most of 2002. He was motivated, in a feature match at WrestleMania and unburdened by ridiculous overbooking which pretty much derailed his career over the past year. An awesome performance from both, where they both come away looking like a million bucks – and it came damn close to being a genuine showstealer.
Shawn is still selling the back whilst he celebrates, and the two share a heartfelt hug. It’s quite clear that the emotion on Jericho’s face is completely genuine as he fights back tears. He gets his heat back by kicking Shawn in the balls…
Evil Canadian referee Sylvain Grenier jauntily enters Mr McMahon’s office…
COMING SOON – ‘The man everyone wants to see’, Goldberg, is on his way to the WWE
Limp Bizkit perform the WrestleMania theme to a thoroughly bored 54,097 wrestling fans.
More Miller Light girls crap now…as Coach brings them out to a bed set up on the stage for a special WrestleMania pillow fight. Stacy and Torrie soon follow them demanding to get in on the action. Everyone fights down to their underwear. And by everyone I also mean Coach. Unfortunately
SIDENOTE – I understand it’s WrestleMania – but couldn’t they have put most of this Miller Light girls crap on Heat to let something like Hardy/Mysterio or the Tag Title Match have even a couple more minutes?
Triple H vs Booker T – World Heavyweight Title Match
At the time people were all over this feud. It was perfectly justifiable of WWE to bring up Booker’s troubled, felonious past in order to present him as a role model, and something for other troubled young people to aspire to be by turning their lives around. They then went and took a bad-taste dump all over it in the horrendously racist way HHH dealt with it. It was barely even mentioned that Booker was a wrestler. As soon as Hunter called him a ‘common street thug’ and said ‘someone like you’ could never be World Champion the IWC was in outrage – with good reason. Compared to HHH raping a mannequin corpse it was nothing but after watching Booker wade through WWE political sh*t for two years following his move from WCW – seeing his big shot at WrestleMania weighed down by endless ‘Booker is a black ex-con’ jokes was genuinely distressing. It served to enforce racial stereotypes rather than break them down – which is entertaining in no way whatsoever. Coming on the back of Hunter’s appalling matches with Steiner the Game could really use a strong performance.
Just in case you forgot that Booker was arrested when he was a kid, Jerry Lawler is here to remind you about 64 times. Inside the ring he starts strongly, picking up where he left on Raw the previous week – a night in which he both defeated HHH and left him a bloody mess. Lawler is as unrelenting with his racist jokes as Booker is with his assault to the champion and Triple H has to brain him against the ring steps simply to get a few moments to collect himself. Once the Game takes control the match instantly slows to a more sedate pace. He doesn’t do anything amazing but dominates with basic wrestling holds as he looks to wear his emotional and erratic opponent down. His wrestling ability is also shown as he continually counters Booker’s signature moves – like the Ghetto Blaster with a sleeper hold and the flapjack with a facebuster for 2. Harlem Sidekick ducked as well, causing Booker to fall out of the ring where Ric Flair strikes with a SHINBREAKER on the ring steps. It opens up a serious injury to T’s leg, which Helmsley instantly capitalises on with an Indian deathlock. Soon Booker can’t even walk and is even selling his leg as he attempts desperation pinfalls. Pedigree blocked…into the GHETTO BLASTER! But his leg is too injured to cover! Eventually he climbs towards the ropes, socking Flair to the ground on his way! HOUSTON HANGOVER NAILED! And once again he can’t cover! Both men crawl to their feet only for Booker’s leg to give way under him again. PEDIGREE! HHH wins at 18:46
Rating - *** - Compared to the snap, urgency and speed of Michaels/Jericho this was like watching a couple of slugs in the ring…and Lawler’s commentary was so bad I genuinely had to reach for the mute button. Despite that, however, this actually wound up being a pretty decent match. In an era where HHH seemed more concerned with piling on as much muscle as possible no matter how much it impacted his mobility and wrestling ability, he provided a timely reminder that he is still a hell of a story teller inside the ropes. The whole match made perfect sense – from Booker’s hot start, to HHH working a slow pace against a hot-headed foe, to the brilliantly sold attack on Booker’s knee. It never felt exciting, but I’m a sucker for a well told story and this was really good. After the Steiner suckfests it was a welcome return to form for HHH just when it felt like we were all starting to get sick of him
Hulk Hogan vs Vince McMahon – Street Fight
This is billed as ‘Twenty Years In The Making’, and if Hogan loses he will be forced to retire. That doesn’t make total sense since he tried to voluntarily retire last year – only to be stopped by Vince – but we’ll run with it. That night on Smackdown Hulk said his sole ambition left in wrestling was a fight with Mr McMahon. When he returned in 2003, with a new contract and fully healed from Brock Lesnar’s assault, he made a beeline for the chairman once again. This time Vince put The Rock between himself and the Hulkster. Their rematch was set for No Way Out – which Rock won thanks to Vince and an elaborately orchestrated screwjob. After weeks of mocking, weeks of bloody assaults and weeks of being told that Vince ‘created Hulkamania’, Hogan will be desperate to get some revenge.
Michael Cole, with a voice rapidly deserting him, does an excellent job framing the twenty year feud between the two men in just seconds. Slow motion spear from the Hulkster to get us started, then he mounts the Chairman on the mat in something Tazz generously describes as ‘ground and pound’. In fact, the commentary is far more interesting than the match early on. Now Michael Cole is outlining how Vince’s ‘cut-throat business skills’ will help him tonight. Is he going to buy shares in Hulkamania or something? He does some cut-throat business working over of the arm – and actually follows it up with a Greco-Roman knucklelock. After a couple of minutes in the Hogan staple ‘test of strength’ spot the fight spills to the outside where, to his credit, McMahon is still working that arm. Hulk isn’t too interested in selling it though as he uses the bad arm to pose to the crowd before levelling the boss with a chair. Vinny blades for that which the live crowd really like. Hilariously Hogan actually knocks out one of the Spanish announcers (Hugo Savinovich) with a wayward chair shot too! HUGO IS BLEEDING! Vince opens up a ladder between the two announce tables, then climbs it! LEG DROP OFF THE LADDER THROUGH THE TABLE! Both the wrestlers are bleeding copiously but Mr McMahon is well in charge now – and advances on Hogan with a metal pipe in hand. Hulk knocks him down with a low blow. RODDY F’N PIPER IN THE RING! He hates both of them! PIPE TO THE HEAD OF HOGAN! Referee Brian Hebner tries to get Vince to show some mercy on the fallen Hulkster so gets assaulted too. Naturally Sylvain Grenier is out here soon afterwards to replace him. LEG DROP by Vince gets 2! If you were in any doubt as to how much the live crowd were enjoying this – the place goes INSANE when Hogan begins Hulking up. BIG BOOT! ROLLING LEG DROPS NAILED! Hogan wins at 20:48
Rating - **** - This gets 4* on the same ‘wrestling sucked but it was entertaining as hell’ scale as Vince/Shane from Mania 17 and Rock/Hogan from Mania 18. Considering how old and limited these two are, it’s actually pretty incredible they got by with as little overbooking and smoke/mirrors tactics as they actually did. For the vast majority of the time they relied on their own bodies, plentiful bleeding and good old fashioned intensity – and to the surprise of most it worked. It wasn’t pretty (the first five minutes are so ugly only good commentary saved their asses) but the live audience was with them every step of the way. The random knock-out of Hugo Savinovich was super-entertaining, and Roddy Piper’s appearance was simply delicious. Overall this was light years better than it had any right to be.
Shane McMahon makes only his second televised appearance since the end of the Invasion angle as he comes out to check on his father during Hogan’s celebrations.
SIDENOTE – Whilst Austin knew this would most likely be his last match, other than telling a few close friends, he didn’t really let many other people know. Jim Ross obviously knew, which makes his job calling the match extremely tough. From memory I think Rock knew as well, though that one I’m not 100% on so don’t email me if I’m wrong!
The Rock vs Steve Austin
Stone Cold made his long-awaited return to the company last month at No Way Out. Despite his return and his eagerness to make amends for the acrimonious way he left things in 2002, he soon realised he was simply coming back to go out the right way. If you’ve seen the ‘Mania Of WrestleMania’ film you’ll know that his neck was in a seriously bad state. He was so worked up about it, and so anxious that he couldn’t deliver a good performance in what (he had already decided) would be his final match that he actually wound up spending most of the preceding night in a Seattle hospital with heart problems thinking he was going to die. The kayfabe premise is brilliant in its simplicity – with Rock wanting to beat Austin at Mania since it’s the only thing he he’s failed to do in his career (having previously lost to the Rattlesnake at Mania’s 15 and 17). Austin, who was buried by Rock after he walked out in 2002, wants to make amends and deliver a kick-ass performance to prove he’s as good now as he’s ever been. Can Rock avenge those losses? Can Austin cement his return with a third Mania victory over his greatest rival? And will Stone Cold’s neck survive ‘one more round’ (as his vest says).
JR keeps catching himself referring to Austin’s career in the past tense, but otherwise does a hell of a job covering up what most be an extremely emotional match for him too. Austin goes for the Stunner in the first minute so Rock bails…but the Rattlesnake is so pumped he simply sprints down the aisle after him to continue the assault. He is relentless, repeatedly having to be dragged back by Earl Hebner as he chokes at ‘the Scorpion King’. Rock adopts a different strategy and starts going after Steve’s bum knees – drilling one of them into the Smackdown announce table. Scorpion King Deathlock applied on the hapless Rattlesnake, who has famously fallen victim to this same hold from the likes of Bret Hart at WrestleMania’s past. Rock is now so dominant he opts to leave the ring and put on Austin’s ring vest. It’s actually hard to tell whether Steve is selling his leg, or he is simply clutching at them because of the leg issues his neck injury was causing by this point. Somehow he rallies with a Thesz press, then picks his opponent up for a ROCK BOTTOM! STUNNER BY THE ROCK! Both men down! STONE COLD STUNNER! GETS 2! Rock’s response is to whack his opponent in the balls…but the People’s Elbow misses! Stunner…COUNTERED TO THE PEOPLE’S ELBOW! ROCK BOTTOM! Austin grabs at his neck in pain but still kicks out. ROCK BOTTOM AGAIN! STILL 2! One final time Rock coils behind Stone Cold. A THIRD ROCK BOTTOM! Finally Rock gets his win at 17:53
Rating - **** - I adored this match live, not knowing the full extent of Austin’s issues, and watching it back it’s still a spine-chillingly great match. It’s not a technical classic, and never reaches the levels of brilliance their era-defining WrestleMania 17 clash did – but as a way to end the career of arguably the WWE’s greatest star it was an absolute joy. The finisher-heavy sequence at the end is different to anything they’d done in their previous two WrestleMania matches, and it had the place going nuts. The drama of the three Rock Bottoms that it took to finally put Austin down was unparalleled, particularly when you watch it back knowing you are watching the slow death of Austin’s career. Ultimately watching this back is a seriously joyful experience. You know Austin is struggling, you know he’s in pain and you know he spent all night before it in hospital. But you also know this is exactly how he’d want to go out. He isn’t making a big fuss about his retirement. He’s simply in the ring, on a huge stage at WrestleMania, producing a killer match and paying a final debt by putting Rock over – where Rock had stared at the lights so influentially for him before. This was exactly how Austin wanted his career to end, and for that this match is SO good.
Rock and Austin sit in the ring talking to each other after the bell. It’s at this point smarter members of the audience may start to realise that Austin could be on his way out. Rock himself has tears in his eyes as he celebrates, embraces his family then walks out. Austin eventually limps up the ramp after him, getting a standing ovation
SIDENOTE – It’s not a great night for the WWE and neck injuries. Stone Cold was retiring thanks to his neck problems. Edge was missing the show altogether having just had neck surgery. Benoit and Rhyno were teaming up in their first WrestleMania back from their neck injuries. And in the main event, Kurt’s neck was seriously bad. He’d been told that one wrong move or one bad landing could leave him paralysed. Referring once again to ‘The Mania Of WrestleMania’, you’ll see him absolutely agonising over his decision to go through with this match. Personally he is desperate to be in the main event as WWE Champion. But he is terrified of Lesnar – and simply doesn’t know how such a massive and powerful individual will react to being in such a high profile situation for his first ever WrestleMania. In the ring with an opponent he fears won’t protect him, and weighed down by doubt as to whether his own ambition and desire to entertain may leave his wife and daughter with a handicapped husband/father – he really wasn’t in a great shape to compete in this match…
Kurt Angle vs Brock Lesnar – WWE Title Match
Angle regained the WWE Championship at Armageddon – thanks to Brock Lesnar, who interfered to help him beat the Big Show. The condition for that assistance was that Kurt would give him a title shot. But with the belt round his waist, Kurt reneged on his promise and denied us the dream showdown between these two elite level amateurs now showing their skills in professional wrestling. Having refused to defend the belt against him under any normal circumstances – Brock’s only shot was to enter the Royal Rumble and win...which he did. Lesnar won the Rumble (last eliminating his great rival the Undertaker) and despite all the hurdles placed before him, he would now get the chance to win back the title he was screwed out of at Survivor Series. If anyone (i.e. Team Angle or Heyman) interfere on Kurt’s behalf, or if he tries to get counted out or disqualified, Lesnar will win the title by forfeit.
As you’d expect we go straight to the mat where they go hold for hold, with neither man able to gain a real advantage. In a non-kayfabe sense, Angle is an absolute general here, calling spots and walking his inexperienced opponent through a seriously intense but largely safe opening few minutes. Next the champ starts working Brock’s injured ribs (they’d been a problem since Hell In A Cell last year – long term booking) – dishing out the first German suplex of the contest. Brock incredibly muscles back into the contest with a press slam…but takes another boot to the ribs right after that. GERMAN SUPLEX INTO THE TURNBUCKLES! Angle continues with an assortment of suplexes to inflict more punishment on the ribs, before applying a snug rear choke with the leg contorted to stretch out the midsection. That’s floated into a modified crossface and the light starts to fade on Lesnar’s title challenge. Even when he escapes Angle is already poised and ready to drop him once more with a belly to belly suplex. It’s raw power that finally brings Lesnar back into the match and Angle is repeatedly driven onto his mangled neck with spinebusters and suplexes. ROLLING GERMANS BY ANGLE! Olympic Slam countered…F-5 countered…ANKLELOCK! FLOATED TO A HALF CRAB TO PUNISH THE RIBS! BACK DROP TO THE FLOOR by Lesnar to escape! Kurt charges back in and hits a FACE DROP GERMAN for 2! ANGLE SLAM! STILL 2! BROCK HITS THE F-5…FOR 2! LEG GRAPEVINE ANKLELOCK! This is how Kurt beat Benoit at the Rumble! Somehow Lesnar kicks Kurt away (doing more damage to his neck in the process). F-5 AGAIN! Brock has it won, but for some reason he’s heading towards the turnbuckles! You can already see that Angle is too far away for this spot btw. BOTCHED SHOOTING STAR PRESS MIS SES! HE LANDS ON HIS FACE! Brock is out on his feet…but somehow scoops Kurt up for ANOTHER F-5! New champion at 21:07
Rating - ****1/2 - It really is a shame Brock messed up the Shooting Star, because this was a classic mat-based main event which now largely goes unforgotten as a result. Brock has an awesome SSP, and had plenty of experience executing the move. However, the occasion and physical/emotional fatigue of working a 20+ minute match against a guy who he was terrified of injuring clearly got the best of him. He was too far away from the start – meaning he concentrated too much on getting the distance across the ring, rather than on rotating in the air. Many of his fellow pros said that it was only his huge neck that saved him from a serious injury here. From a kayfabe perspective, messing it up actually made sense though. Kurt had destroyed his ribs all match in a quite incredible performance from the Olympian. Considering his own injury problems, the way Angle called this match is quite remarkable. You can hear him barking spots almost constantly, but I’m perfectly ok with that when it means they produce a brilliant technical wrestling match where I was entertained and Kurt didn’t suffer any more than he needed to. An awesome main and a reminder of exactly why Kurt Angle deserves recognition as one of the greatest pro wrestlers of all time.
Brock gets a big pyro/ticker tape celebration for his title win, but looks like he doesn’t have any clue what’s going on. He’d need medical attention after the show obviously – and was actually joined by Kurt who pretty much collapsed as the adrenaline wore off and had to be rushed for emergency treatment as well.
Tape Rating - **** - One of the best WrestleManias ever. The first hour of the show is pretty forgettable, and the Miller Light girl skits are annoying. But all the ‘serious stuff’, i.e. all the big matches that they’d spent time promoting, delivered in spades. Michaels/Jericho was stunning, Hogan/Vince was bloody and better than you’d ever imagine, Rock/Austin provided a fittingly emotional conclusion to their WrestleMania trilogy, Kurt and Brock produced an absolute classic in the main event…and even HHH/Booker (which was much-maligned at the time for the racial undertone to the feud, and decision not to put Booker over) was actually a pretty decent match. Critics always refer to this one as an outstanding show, but history never seems to remember it too fondly. The likes of Austin, Hogan, Rock (and even Vince and HHH) were very much on their way out. Meanwhile the ‘next generation’ – Cena, Batista, Orton, Mysterio, Guerrero and Edge are either not on this card, or barely featured. It falls in that unfortunate middle ground where all the Attitude Era guys’ best days were in the past, but none of the new guys were quite coming through. Still a great show, which you really should check out if you’d forgotten how good it is.
Top 3 Matches
3) The Rock vs Steve Austin (****)
2) Shawn Michaels vs Chris Jericho (****)
1) Kurt Angle vs Brock Lesnar (****1/2)