World Wrestling Federation – WrestleMania 17 – 1st April 2001
I’ve not watched this show in full for well over a decade. It’s acknowledged by many as one of the greatest professional wrestling shows of all time, WWE’s finest hour on pay-per-view, and the end of the Attitude Era. To this day, this show remains the benchmark against which all subsequent WrestleMania’s are compared. Even if, upon reviewing today, I find that it doesn’t hold up as you might expect – it won’t change the fact that this became one of the most influential and fondly remembered World Wrestling Federation events ever. The main event sees Steve Austin return to Texas to challenge The Rock in a No DQ WrestleMania 15 rematch for the WWF Championship. The card underneath that is stacked. And I mean seriously STACKED, not like today when they cram as many workers onto the card as possible. The line-up is really outstanding. Triple H has his first crack at ending the ‘Streak’ when he faces Undertaker. There are multiple titles on the line including perennial rivals the Dudleyz, the Hardyz and Edge & Christian bringing their seminal TLC creation to the grandest stage of them all. The McMahon family implodes as Vince faces his son Shane, with all manner of characters at ringside. Speaking of all manner of characters, we also have a host of legends wheeled out for the Gimmick Battle Royal. It’s going to be a wild night. Jim Ross and Paul Heyman await us in Houston, TX’s Astrodome.
Chris Jericho vs William Regal – WWF Intercontinental Title Match
We saw Y2J regain his IC Title from Chris Benoit at Royal Rumble, and having fended off all comers for that belt the following month at No Way Out he found himself with a new enemy in the build-up to Mania – the WWF Commissioner. Regal has held World Wrestling Federation gold before, and would love to reclaim some hardware tonight whilst beating down the brash and outspoken Canadian. If we learned anything from this feud is that you ‘cannot besmirch the Commissioner’s tea’.
Hot start from Jericho, who drives Regal out of the ring with a spinning heel kick – then flies straight at him with a pescado. Early Walls Of Jericho attempt is blocked with some vicious forearm strikes, before the Commissioner drives him shoulder-first into the ringpost. WRISTLOCK SUPLEX! Regal is picking apart the arm now, taking Jericho down by the arm twice then clinging to an overhand wristlock. Jericho tries a desperate Lionsault but only makes matters worse as he gets knees right in his chest and shoulders. HEAD DROP GERMAN NAILED! If that wasn’t enough, William then exposes the metal turnbuckle ring and repeatedly shoves Y2J’s shoulder into it. A weary Jericho barely makes it to the second rope to execute a missile dropkick, and he soon collides with the ringpost again as he attempts a flying forearm on the Englishman. Regal climbs up the ropes for a BUTTERFLY SUPERPLEX! The champion doesn’t have much left, and sees the Walls Of Jericho COUNTERED to the Regal Stretch! Somehow Jericho makes the ropes…so Regal puts a boot straight through his shoulder! With one last burst of energy Jericho hits the Lionsault to retain at 07:07
Rating - *** - In seven minutes there really wasn’t much more these guys could do. They had an awesome little match, with Regal looking superb as the aggressor targeting the shoulder and Jericho playing the babyface in peril to a tee. It is sometimes tough to elicit responses from stadium crowds like this, but they were getting plenty of heat on what was, for them, a pretty basic match. Some of the suplexes Regal busted out were just awesome though.
The new ‘owner’ of WCW – Shane McMahon – arrives in a limo. In the APA office Bradshaw is psyched to perform in the Astrodome and issues a rallying cry to Faarooq and Jacqueline.
Goodfather/Val Venis/Bull Buchanan vs Acolytes/Tazz
This one reeks of cramming guys onto the card for the sake of it (heaven forbid Bradshaw miss a WrestleMania pay-off). I don’t recall the issue between them, although presumably it was something like RTC disliking the APA’s drinking and fighting.
Jacqueline storms the ring early to hit a DDT on Steven, and the match actually gets underway with Buchanan hitting a rope run diving clothesline. Tazz saves with an exploder suplex on Bull, only for the former ECW Champion to be dragged into the Right To Censor corner. Goodfather hits him with the Ho Train…then misses a Vader Splash allowing Tazz to make the tag to Bradshaw. Faarooq soon joins him for a double spinebuster on Venis…before Bradshaw gives him a massive back superplex. Goodfather and Bull drop JBL with a double powerbomb…which he no sells moments later to duck another Ho Train and level Goodfather with the Clothesline From Hell for the win at 03:54
Rating - * - I didn’t like this match much, but to focus on the positives, it was non-stop action from bell to bell and most of it was extremely stiff and very well executed. Bradshaw looked hugely motivated and didn’t seem to be holding anything back on his opponents.
Trish Stratus wheels the sedated Linda McMahon down a corridor, where Stephanie is waiting. She gives her mother a disingenuous greeting, and gives Trish some busy work to do
Raven vs Kane vs Big Show – WWF Hardcore Title Match
At the last ppv we saw Raven actually lose his Hardcore Title to Big Show, so somewhere in the following few weeks he has won it back. Sadly for him his assignment for WrestleMania is surviving these two mammoth opponents.
Raven jumps Kane with a few weapon shots, getting the match underway before Big Show even makes his entrance. By the time he makes it down the lengthy entrance ramp Kane has Raven hoisted above his head to PRESS SLAM him to the floor! Show scoops him up to attempt the Final Cut…but Kane dives at him with a top rope lariat to the floor. The fight spills into the crowd with the two big men fighting each other whilst Raven mysteriously vanishes. He reappears as we go backstage, sadly for him the Big Red Machine no sells a shots with a street sign and tosses him through a wall. Show tries to padlock he and Raven inside a maintenance area...only for Kane to rip the door off! He throws poor Raven through a window, and seconds later is thrown through a door himself by Show. The two monsters crash through a (presumably temporary) wall, as Raven tries to flee in a golf cart. Big Show hops on the back of the cart, whilst Kane hops in another golf cart and RUNS RAVEN OVER! This oddball match continues with Show tossing Raven into a beverage table, then having a trash bin thrown straight into his spine by Kane. The three men return to the arena, brawling on the stage. Kane boots both Show and Raven off the stage, through a piece of the set…then dives after them with a manic elbow drop. Kane wins at 09:18
Rating - ** - This was as bizarre a WrestleMania match as you’re likely to see. At times it was a bit silly, but I really don’t think you can deny it was an entertaining spectacle. The best part about being backstage was that you could hear everything they were saying. From Raven cussing and screaming in terror, to Big Show’s super angry ‘CHOKESLAM ON THE FLOOR’ shouting. JR and Heyman also did a fine job commentating on what was an entirely unconventional contest. I wish they’d have booked a better finish though – half the crowd didn’t even realise what had happened.
In his locker room Kurt is watching footage of Chris Benoit making him tap to the Crossface on Raw. Edge & Christian want to plan a victory celebration with him…but he’s not interested
Jimmy Snuka is in a crowded WWF New York, and The Coach catches up with some Australian fans
The Rock arrives to an audibly mixed reception from the Texas fans
Test vs Eddie Guerrero – WWF European Title Match
After failing to win back the Intercontinental Championship last month, tonight Eddie looks to regain his European Title instead. This came about after Eddie did a terrible job refereeing a non-title encounter between Test and X-Pac on Raw (apparently). Perry Saturn accompanies Eddie.
Test quickly drills Guerrero with the gutwrench powerbomb for 2. Next he press slams him into the turnbuckles, drawing another nearfall. Guerrero has a super rana blocked allowing Test to hit a HUGE diving reverse elbow from the top. Eddie ducks the on-rushing Test…and he gets his boot caught in the ropes as he spills over them. Saturn takes some cheap shots, as the ref struggles and very obviously can’t free Test from the ropes. The match grinds to a halt as the referee, Saturn and Eddie all have to help hoist the European Champion free of the ropes! Guerrero is a pro though, immediately attacking the leg that was trapped and making it part of the match. He rides Test in a sleeper hold and with a weakened leg the champ has no choice but to collapse to the canvas. He finally hits back with a tilta-whirl slam, but again his leg gives out from under him! TILTA-WHIRL LIGERBOMB! Test is suitably beaten up that he can’t cover right away. Guerrero blocks the full nelson slam with a low blow…and in sneaks Saturn for the Moss Covered Three Handled Family Gredunza! Brainbuster follows from Eddie, only for Test to evade the Frog Splash and deliver the Pumphandle Slam for 2. Test lays out both Eddie and Perry with Big Boots (laughably selling his leg an hour later)…but is distracted by Dean Malenko as Guerrero levels him with the title belt! Eddie wins at 08:30
Rating - *** - Even with Test’s unfortunate ensnarement in the ropes, this was actually much better than I remember. Test put in a hell of an offensive performance, executing all his signature spots with a real snap and aggression. In response he got vintage Guerrero – who showed what a pro he was by dealing with the unfortunate rope mishap and actually making the match better as a result of it. In the end Eddie lied, cheated and eventually stole his first WrestleMania victory.
Michael Cole wants to know if Mick Foley can be an impartial referee given his history with Vince McMahon. Mick confirms, and cheap pops the crowd for kicks
Steve Austin arrives – to a bigger pop than Rock got.
Kurt Angle vs Chris Benoit
By this point Kurt had started to realise that he was a freaking awesome wrestler, and certainly wasn’t shy about pointing it out. He’d also started tapping people out with his vaunted Anklelock. It put him in the crosshairs of the Crippler – who’d made a living calling himself the ‘best technical wrestler in the WWF’ and tapping people out with his own devastating submission move. They were natural adversaries, and paired off in what should be one of the outstanding contests of the evening.
Oh sh*t, they go straight to the canvas and run through a fantastic grappling exchange. Kurt clearly wants to use his amateur experience to control Benoit, but is frustrated as the Canadian continually finds a counter to whatever he throws at him. In quick succession both the Anklelock and the Crossface are blocked, leading to a total stalemate as we enter the fourth minute of the match. Kurt leaves the ring, with Paul Heyman pointing out that Benoit has started outwrestling the former Olympic Gold Medallist. It leads to a change in strategy as the former WWF Champion lunges into the ring and punches the Wolverine in the face. He turns it into a brawl (another great call by Heyman), taking the fight outside to start battering Benoit against the announce tables and steel steps. That sufficiently softens the Crippler up and allows Angle to bring him back into the ring for a succession of suplexes and nearfalls. A series of crisp belly to belly suplex variants seems to render Benoit completely motionless. He tries to retaliate with a knee to the abdomen but has been visibly slowed by the relentless assault from Kurt. Superplex scores for Benoit…leaving both athletes out the canvas struggling for breath. ROLLING GERMANS! COUNTERED TO THE ANKLELOCK! BENOIT COUNTERS TO HIS OWN ANKLELOCK! CRIPPLER CROSSFACE! COUNTERED TO A CROSSFACE BY ANGLE! In escaping that Benoit inadvertently knocks the ref over…and he makes Kurt tap to the Crossface seconds later – with no referee to see it. ANGLE SLAM! FOR 2! Kurt scales the ropes…but sails into Benoit’s knees as he attempts the moonsault. FLYING WOLVERINE! They go to the mat again, with Kurt rolling up Benoit using the tights to win it at 14:02
Rating - **** - A superb wrestling match, and one of the highlights of the show. These guys would progress to have even better matches against each other, but in many ways this is the one that set the blueprint they’d continue to follow in their greatest encounters. Their styles are slightly different, but both want to prove their superiority on the mat, then use their amazing technical abilities to counter whatever their opponent tosses their way. The idea that these guys were extremely evenly matched continued throughout this one, building to that amazing counter sequence at the end. Admittedly the finish sucked a little steam out of it, but ultimately this was still a stellar match
Commissioner Regal tries to return to his office after losing his match earlier…and finds Kamala and Kim Chee in there. Kamala prances around on his desk, then steals a picture of the Queen
Kevin Kelly tries to interview Kurt Angle…but Benoit attacks Kurt backstage and makes him tap to the Crippler Crossface (again).
Ivory vs Chyna – WWF Women’s Title Match
This one has been building up for months. Right To Censor injured Chyna’s neck with a spike pildriver, causing her to miss significant ring time. She returned at Royal Rumble 2001 to challenge Ivory for the Women’s Title – without medical clearance and against doctors orders. It ended in tragedy again as she apparently suffered another traumatic neck injury attempting her signature Handspring Elbow strike. Ivory proclaimed that she was the one who put Chyna out of the WWF, and she wasn’t seen for several weeks. Eventually the 9th Wonder Of The World returned, and has beaten Ivory up twice on television in the lead-in to this show. If it’s a fair fight there’s only one winner, but people are still wondering exactly how healthy Chyna’s neck truly is.
Paul Heyman explains that Chyna has signed a clause preventing her from suing Ivory if she breaks her neck tonight. The compromise being that RTC are banned from ringside. Ivory blasts Chyna in the neck with her belt before the bell even rings…and goes to work pummelling it with punches and stomps. This time Chyna dusts those strikes off and seems completely healthy as she stomps a hole in the reigning Women’s Champion. She nails a massive stalling powerbomb and has the match won but opts to pull Ivory off the canvas for further punishment. A press slam wins it at 02:38
Rating - N/A - It was a necessarily swift and brutal conclusion to this feud. The pay-off to this storyline was Chyna beating the crap out of Ivory, which is exactly what we got. The crowd were into it, and the whole match was short enough that it didn’t drag the show down either. WWF tried to use the ‘neck injury’ as a way of explaining Chyna’s permanent move to the women’s division, whilst Chyna herself protested it and viewed it as a demotion. She’d hold the belt for a couple of months before vacating it and quietly leaving the company…
Vince gets Trish to confirm that she has doubled up Linda’s medication, and prepares to leave for the ring with Stephanie. He tells Michael Cole that he is going to shock the world tonight just like his son did by buying WCW last week.
Shane McMahon vs Vince McMahon – Street Fight
If you remember, this match is the culmination of months of storyline. Vince demanded a divorce from Linda, then had her sedated and placed in a care home whilst he began an affair with Trish Stratus. Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley was initially furious at this affair, but came on board after proving her dominance over Trish with a victory at No Way Out. However, after weeks of degrading and very public Vince/Trish skits (including making out with her in front of his own sedated wife) Shane McMahon made a return to the company to stand up for his mother. He challenged his father to a WrestleMania Street Fight, and then threw a massive middle finger up to Vince by stealing the purchase of WCW from under his nose during the historic Raw/Nitro simulcast. Mick Foley, still pissed at Vince for firing him as Commissioner, will be the guest referee…and we’re promised that Trish and Linda (in her wheelchair) will come out to the ring at some point too.
Shane gives a pre-match shout-out to some WCW stars in a private box. Rather embarrassingly it’s a basically empty box, although you can see Bill Demott, Stacy Keibler, Mike Awesome, John Laurinitis and Lance Storm. Vince gives him a slap in the face to get the fight started. Shane drops him with a spear…prompting Stephanie to crawl into the ring and protect him. Despite a slap from his sister, and a swollen eye from one of Vince’s right hands, Shane has no issue taking the fight to the outside and levelling his father with a metal sign. He scores with a diving clothesline off the guardrails then pulls out a kendo stick to continue the beating. Mr McMahon is seemingly unable to respond and positioned on the Spanish announce table following a shot with a TV monitor. Shane climbs the ropes…but Stephanie drags Vince out of the way at the last second as he dives for a TOP ROPE ELBOW DROP THROUGH THE ANNOUNCE TABLE! With Shane now incapacitated Trish Stratus wheels the sedated Linda McMahon down the aisle. TRISH SLAPS VINCE! STEPHANIE AND TRISH BRAWL! Trish has apparently had enough of being a skivvy for the McMahons! Mick Foley tries to separate them…and gets slapped by Stephanie! Trish and SMH fight up the aisle…leaving Vince alone with his unresponsive wife until Mick tells him to back off. Vince NAILS Foley with some brutal unprotected chair shots, and the crowd goes BALLISTIC as he tosses Linda into the ring and sets her up in a chair in the corner. He tosses garbage cans into the ring and takes pleasure in wearing Shane out with them in front of his own mother. LINDA RISES FROM HER CHAIR! SHE KICKS VINCE IN THE GRAPEFRUITS! Foley batters him into the corner with the running knee strike, as Shane positions a trash can on top of him. Shane climbs the opposite turnbuckles. TRASH CAN VAN TERMINATOR NAILED! Shane beats his father at 14:12
Rating - **** - It was pure pantomime, but unashamedly entertaining for the duration. The massive live audience was whipped into a frenzy as months of storyline all came together for one utterly chaotic climactic sequence. The opening brawl was decent, but from the moment Shane went through the table and Trish brought Linda out the place was molten. There were so many terrific moments to talk about – from Trish dumping Vince, Linda’s legendary rise from the chair, Shane’s amazing Van Terminator (in the larger WWF ring, not RVD in an ECW ring remember), Mick’s revenge on Vince etc. It won’t win any workrate awards, but this was WWF sports-entertainment at its finest.
Kevin Kelly catches up with the Hardyz at Axxxess – with TLC2 being the topic of discussion
Triple H and Undertaker are going through their warm-ups
Dudley Boyz vs Hardy Boyz vs Edge & Christian – WWF Tag Title TLC Match
This is the third time these three teams have come together in this environment. Last year the Dudleyz entered a Triangle Ladder Match defending their titles, but wound up losing them to Edge & Christian. They met again at Summerslam 2000 in the first ever TLC Match, and again it would be E&C emerging victorious. Since then the Hardyz took the belts from Edge & Christian in a Steel Cage at Unforgiven 2000, E&C concocted the devious ‘Los Conquistadors’ plot to get them back again, and as recently as January we had the Dudley Boyz defeating E&C to win back the belts for themselves. All three teams had stated going into this it was going to be the conclusion to their epic trilogy, so will want to pull out all the stops to top their previous two encounters. By this point all three teams had seconds as well. Obviously Lita was part of Team Xtreme, but former ECW stars Rhyno and Spike Dudley had also debuted – with the Man Beast becoming some kind of hired gun for E&C whilst Spike was obviously at the side of his half brothers. I believe all three had been mysteriously written out in the build up…
There is no love lost for Edge & Christian, with the Dudleyz teaming up on Christian as the Hardyz drag Edge out of the ring. Poetry In Motion on the Dudleyz! That’s all the time E&C need to bring a ladder into the fray and level all four opponents with it. Matt climbs for the belts, but it’s far too early and he is dragged down by Edge who springboards off a chair into a big clothesline. MISSILE DROPKICK from Jeff knocks Edge off the ladder in turn! The Hardy Boyz climb up ladders on opposite sides of the ring for a massive interpretation of their splash/leg drop combo. WASSUP HEADBUTT OFF A LADDER by the Dudleyz! Edge is draped on a table…and Jeff is lifted up to be POWERBOMBED through both him and the wood! Bubba and D-Von set up a four table stack in the aisle, as in the ring the Hardyz have set up three ladders side by side. All six men climb for the belts! CHRISTIAN GETS SHOVED TO THE FLOOR! BUBBA AND EDGE FALL OFF THE TOP TOO! The bump Bubba Ray took on that was massive, and was barely even acknowledged! Spike Dudley does a run in! ACID DROP OFF A LADDER FOR EDGE! ACID DROP OFF THE APRON AND THROUGH A TABLE FOR CHRISTIAN! Rhyno is in too! GORE ON BUBBA RAY! GORE THROUGH A TABLE ON MATT! The Man Beast sets up a ladder for Edge…but just as he looks set to win Lita runs in to save the match. FLYING HEADSCISSORS ON RHYNO! And Spike hits Rhyno with such a brutal chair shot that he knocks Edge off the ladder and into the ropes! DOOMSDAY DEVICE on Rhyno by the Dudleyz! As Lita MURDERS Spike with a chair! 3-D ON LITA! Jeff Hardy has pulled out a colossal ladder, and positioned both Spike and Rhyno on tables underneath. SWANTON BOMB THROUGH THE TABLES! Despite having three ladders already in the ring, E&C decide they want the mega-ladder in the ring as well! D-Von and Christian start to climb, so Matt moves the ladder! They fall…and Jeff tries to walk a ladder tightrope across the ring to the belts. The ladders give way under him, but somehow he makes it to the belts…then hangs there unable to pull them down! EDGE CLIMBS THE MASSIVE LADDER AND SPEARS HIM INTO THE MAT! Matt Hardy and Bubba climb the mega ladder going for the belts. RHYNO SHOVES THEM OFF THE LADDER THROUGH THE TABLE STACK ON THE FLOOR! He then legitimately starts carrying Christian up the ladder to grab the belts at 15:41
Rating - ****1/2 - I love this match, I really do. But I honestly believe it is the worst of the trilogy (including the Mania 16 Ladder Match). Of course it’s still absolutely incredible, with some jaw-dropping stunt bumps and perhaps THE iconic TLC spot – Edge’s uber-Spear to Jeff as he hangs above the ring. A great match, and a wonderful conclusion to this amazing rivalry – which to this day is an all-time great tag team feud in the WWF/E. However, I can’t get away from the fact that the multiple run-ins tarnished it a bit. Rhyno and Spike did provide some great spots, but it felt like Rhyno was basically a third member of Edge & Christian’s team from the moment he arrived, and the match lost some of it’s gloss as a result. And harsh as it is, the Edge/Jeff Spear spot would have been significantly more incredible if Jeff had just been able to keep his balance on those ladders as he walked across the ring towards the belts on them. I read somewhere that he was devastated about that semi-botch, so you really have to feel sorry for him. Regardless, this is still a phenomenal offensive display and still considered one of the best matches in WrestleMania history (even above the significantly better Triangle Ladder Match from WrestleMania 16).
WWF Axxxess highlights next. All the superstars are happy, fans are happy too. The Rock asks little children if they like pie.
Jim Ross and Paul Heyman continue their awkard, overly personal bickering before handing over to Howard Finkel who announces a record attendance for the Astrodome – then brings out Gene Okerlund and Bobby Heenan to replace them on commentary for the next match.
Gimmick Battle Royal
Mean Gene gets a great pop for his return, and he leads a host of famous gimmicks from the past to the ring. The participants are the Bushwackers, Duke Droese, Iron Sheik, Earthquake, The Goon, Doink The Clown, Kamala, Kim Chee, Repo Man, Jim Cornette, Nikolai Volkoff, Michael Hayes, One Man Gang, Gobbly Gooker, Tugboat, Hillbilly Jim, Brother Love and Sgt. Slaughter.
We get underway with Repo Man getting dumped in the first few seconds. Gooker follows him next, with Tugboat and Earthquake soon joining him. Kamala tosses his own trainer Kim Chee out. One of the Bushwhackers, Duke Droese and Cornette are gone seconds later. Okerlund and Heenan’s commentary is awesome by the way. The Goon and Volkoff are next out, followed by Bushwhacker Butch. Kamala eliminates Doink to SERIOUS heat! The Ugandan Giant gets rid of One Man Gang as well, and looks set to win until Slaughter sneaks up behind him to eliminate him. Iron Sheik tips out Slaughter and Hillbilly Jim in quick succession to win at 03:03
Rating - N/A - I’ll take this over a Divas Battle Royal or some kind of mass Bra and Panties outing as a popcorn match at any time. Mean Gene and The Brain were on fire, with even JR and Heyman loudly chuckling at their constant jokes. Some of the returning stars were received better than others, and I’m not sure many people really wanted Iron Sheik to win – but this was still an entertaining way to kill ten minutes and chill the crowd out after TLC2.
Sergeant Slaughter gives Sheik the Cobra Clutch, drawing a huge ‘USA’ chant from the crowd.
Motorhead take their position to play Triple H to the ring…
Triple H vs Undertaker
The build for this one was, for a time, refreshingly simple. HHH bragged about beating all the top guys in the WWF, bringing out the Undertaker to point out that he’s never beaten him. Alas serious promotion went out the window and the classic WWF hype machine interfered, meaning we got multiple assaults, fake police skits, motorcycles being trashed and an oddball restraining order filed by Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley (which led to Kane nearly throwing her off a balcony). Nonetheless, Undertaker is undefeated at WrestleMania, and makes his return having missed last year
Taker picks a fight with HHH during his own entrance, bashing him through a second Spanish announce table in the process (and that’s before the match actually starts). The opening couple of minutes are as one-sided as it gets as the Deadman crushes Hunter at every turn and no sells any offence he dares to throw back his way. Finally The Game delivers a serious strike as he counters the ‘Old School’ rope walk with a top rope armdrag…and quickly snaps up to deliver a neckbreaker for 2. That’s clearly the body part he wants to target as he drives elbows and knees to the same body part before nailing another neckbreaker variant seconds later. He goes for a sledgehammer but has it grabbed out of his hands by the referee as he swings it. Pedigree blocked…with a catapult which slingshots Helmsley straight into referee Mike Chioda. The Phenom gets a 2 from the semi-conscious official after hitting a Chokeslam…and is so pissed off with his slow count that he DECKS Chioda! With no official to oversee things, the two men immediately leave the ring to brawl – with Undertaker BACK DROPPING Triple H over the rails and into the front row. We go all the way through the crowd, right the way up to the sound and lighting gantry. HHH grabs a chair and swings away at Taker’s fallen body like a mad man…only for him to shake them off and CHOKESLAM HIM OFF THE GANTRY! Since they didn’t show the crash mats and minimal drop on the original shot it looks amazing. EMT’s try to tend to HHH, as Undertaker hops the scaffold for a MACHO ELBOW DROP! Again, an awesome visual even though it looks like backyarders taking bumps on their parents’ bed. Undertaker beats Hunter all the way back to the ring (where the ref still hasn’t moved), and goes for the sledgehammer. At the last moment HHH saves his skin with a low blow…but flies too close to the sun and has his head kicked off as he tries to bash the American Badass with the weapon instead. Triple H actually tries to TOMBSTONE Undertaker…COUNTERED TO THE TOMBSTONE by Undertaker! With Mike Chioda still down he sets up the Last Ride. HHH grabs the sledgehammer, and blocks it with a MID-AIR SLEDGEHAMMER SHOT! FOR 2! Taker is bleeding but still in the fight, although only barely as HHH punches him as many times in that bloody face as possible. LAST RIDE NAILED! Undertaker takes the victory and goes 9-0 at Mania in 18:19
Rating - *** - This was comfortably Undertaker’s best singles match since his return last year. He broke out his working boots for WrestleMania and worked a really dynamic and fast-paced brawl with Triple H (who really was at the very peak of his powers as a worker by this point). Admittedly I think the production/editing guys screwed them over by showing the crash pads they landed on during the big centrepiece bumps (the first angle they used when Taker tossed HHH off the gantry looked amazing), but this was still a strong semi-main event. They were extremely believable and it never felt dull at any point in it’s 18+ minutes of ringtime.
The Coach chats to a rather dazed and sweaty competition winner as the ring is cleared ahead of the main event. The Rock walks down a corridor looking pumped…as in his locker room Steve Austin stares at himself in the mirror before turning to leave. Great shot…
The Rock vs Steve Austin – WWF Title Match
This was the main event people wanted for Mania from months out. They teased confrontations at Rebellion, Armageddon and Royal Rumble…but it was only at No Way Out when we finally got this match confirmed. Austin memorably won the 2001 Royal Rumble to book his place, but Rock had to go into last chance saloon – taking the WWF Championship back from Kurt Angle at the February ppv. The build-up between the last pay-per-view and this one was decidedly mixed. They tried to put Debra in the picture, but she was such a liability as a performer they canned her again. That sucked, but some of the promo work between them was incredible. The super-intense sit-down interview between the two features heavily in the pre-match hype video is some fantastic work. Austin said there that he needs to beat Rock more than he 'could ever imagine’. That would foreshadow events to come…
Austin is raucously cheered as he launches into a volley of punches before the bell, and immediately makes a grab for Rock’s title belt – looking to whack him with it. Rocky fights him off with a neckbreaker…before both the Rock Bottom and the Stunner are countered in quick succession! Electrifying first minute of action there! The defending champion bashes Stone Cold’s head into the announce table, to almost no effect with Austin bouncing back up to deliver more right hands then start raking his knee brace across Rock’s face. He chokes the People’s Champion in the ropes next, once again showing a frenzied desire to win the title tonight. He exposes the turnbuckle bolt but doesn’t get a chance to use it as Rocky hits him with a belly to belly suplex for 2. Austin LEVELS Rock with the ring bell, busting him open. Such is Steve’s crazed state, he randomly threatens the timekeeper then rams Rock’s head into JR and Paul E.’s table with such force that it legitimately gives way. The crowd are loudly booing every offensive move Rock attempts now, even though Austin is the one using the ‘heel’ tactics.
With Austin angrily threatening Earl Hebner for no real reason, Rock shoots out of the corner to hit a big clothesline…and the fans absolutely HATE IT. He bashes Austin’s face into the exposed turnbuckle, giving him colour…and it’s immediately exacerbated as Rock pastes him with the bell for 2. They go to the floor simply to beat the sh*t out of each other. There aren’t many elaborate spots to speak of – just two guys punching, kicking, biting, scratching and fighting for all they’re worth. Once again it’s Stone Cold who ups the ante as he grabs one of the TV monitors and takes Rocky’s head off with it. STUNNER COUNTERED TO A SHARPSHOOTER! Shades of Austin/Bret as Rock cranks on the hold and blood pours down Austin’s face! Stone Cold rakes the eyes to escape then locks in the TEXAS CLOVERLEAF! And when Rock escapes that Stone Cold simply kicks him in the balls. He puts a Sharpshooter on Rock and flips off Hebner, refusing to break it even though the champ is in the ropes. MILLION DOLLAR DREAM! These are increasingly desperate measures Austin is reaching to in order to win here.
Rock manages to roll out of the hold…AND HIT A STUNNER! The Astrodome goes batsh*t and JR screams that Rock can’t beat Austin, in Texas, with his own move! Vince McMahon, Austin’s mortal enemy for so many years, is making his way down the aisle. In the ring Rock hits a spinebuster, limping into a battle-weary PEOPLE’S ELBOW…only for Mr McMahon to break the fall! Rock tries to chase Vince…sprinting straight into the ROCK BOTTOM by Austin! Stunner blocked, knocking Earl Hebner out of the ring at 24 minutes. The deranged Stone Cold punches Rock in the balls and instructs Vince to bring a chair into the ring. He hauls Rock up and feeds him into a violent chair shot from the owner of the company. Austin goes berserk when Rock still manages to kick out! ROCK BOTTOM! And now Vince is distracting the ref so Rock can’t win! STONE COLD STUNNER! ROCK KICKS OUT! CHAIR SHOT! TWO COUNT! Austin has snapped now…and he DESTROYS Rock with the chair. We’re talking 15+ chair shots, and he finally wins the WWF Championship at 28:06
Rating - ****1/2 - Although I can’t quite give it 5*, this seriously is one of the greatest pieces of story-telling genius ever produced by the WWF. It was the pinnacle of Austin’s career, the end of the Attitude era and the culmination of 3+ years of main event angles. Stone Cold was the archetypal anti-hero, his war with Vince McMahon is stuff of legend and, in many ways, is the angle which put WWF into an unassailable position during their war with WCW. But by 2001 we were two or more years past Austin's peak. Austin had sustained serious injuries, both to his knees and his neck. There were younger workers doing incredible business whilst he was away, meaning he wasn’t essential to the company anymore. Hell, at Backlash 2000, just over a year ago, he’d actually been wheeled out to HELP his long-time rival The Rock against Triple H. He said it himself – he needed to beat Rock more than we could ‘ever imagine’. He was in his hometown, fighting for the WWF Championship against a younger, better looking and potentially even more charismatic champion – so had everything to prove, and all the pressure heaped on his shoulders. The way he wrestled the match was a perfect reflection of that, and perhaps the single greatest in-ring performance of Austin’s entire career. He jumped Rock during his entrance, he cheated, he used weapons, he broke out old moves…and finally he sold his soul to his greatest enemy. He admitted defeat in the war with Vince – and waved the white flag by asking him for his help to beat The Rock. Fantastic, epic, amazing story-telling.
Austin shakes hands with Mr McMahon, then they share a beer – drinking to the demise of the Attitude Era and celebrating the end of one of the hottest periods in professional wrestling history. He belts Rock once more, with HIS championship belt before walking out
Tape Rating - ****1/2 - Genuinely one of the best wrestling shows of all time. There is some filler on here for sure, but there were so many great matches and so many legendary figures in WWF history at the very top of their game. Austin, Rock and HHH (the three greats of the era) were at their best. You had the ‘TLC six’ ending their trendsetting, spotfest dynasty, one of the most memorable ‘sports-entertainment’ matches ever in Vince/Shane, Benoit and Angle setting the template for their incredible future rivalry, the likes of Jericho, Regal and Guerrero tearing it up in unappreciated little undercard matches, Chyna finishing one of the hottest storylines of her historic career, the comical Gimmick Battle Royal…it genuinely was a show to cater for all tastes – ending with one of the best WWF Championship matches of all time. Plenty has been written about this show, and by now I’m sure the majority of the wrestling fan populous has seen it. Regardless, it’s still an outstanding ppv which, nearly fifteen years later, is still a pleasure to watch.
Top 3 Matches
3) Kurt Angle vs Chris Benoit (****)
2) Dudley Boyz vs Edge & Christian vs Hardy Boyz (****1/2)
1) The Rock vs Steve Austin (****1/2)