WrestleMania X-Seven

(All screen captures are the property of World Wrestling Entertainment)

WrestleMania X-Seven

April 1, 2001

Reliant Astrodome

Houston, Texas

News & Notes: This will be a long one, so I will only cover some extra storylines in this intro. As I mentioned in my No Way Out review, Lawler quit the company out of protest because they fired the Kat, so the WWF replaced him on commentary with Paul Heyman! This pissed off some ECW stars because they didn’t know ECW folded. However, Heyman helped many of them get jobs with the WWF in the following weeks. Meanwhile, X-Pac and Justin Credible added Albert to their ranks and named themselves X-Factor. They feuded with the unlikely duo of Grandmaster Sexay and Steve Blackman. This team formed after Angle broke Scotty 2 Hotty’s ankle. To everyone’s surprise, Sexay convinced Blackman to dance. And finally, the XFL continued its season. They tried to boost ratings by going into the cheerleaders’ locker room, and they had a coach feud with Jesse Ventura.

I should also point out an interview that happened before this PPV. Bob Costas sat down with Vince McMahon to talk about the XFL. It didn’t go well. Costas’ questioning irked McMahon, so he became a little heated. The WWF took shots at Costas on TV for the next few weeks.

The opening video features footage of people watching past WrestleManias in implausible places. They view clips of historic Mania moments while Freddie Blassie offers his narration. We see Liberace dancing with the Rockettes, Hogan slamming Andre, the Warrior winning the title, Yokozuna becoming champion, and HBK fulfilling his boyhood dream. Freddie calls this an enthralling legacy. These moments resound through the ages, and they captivate the hearts of the entire world! This is a night that carries us back to the enchanting world of our youth. It’s a spectacle that rejuvenates our spirit. Welcome to WrestleMania. This is the showcase of the immortals and a celebration of life!

Once the intro ends, “My Way” by Limp Bizkit plays and fireworks explode. Jim Ross welcomes everyone to WrestleMania 17. He says there are over 60,000 fans in the Astrodome for the greatest sports entertainment spectacular of all time! JR doesn’t have the words to describe the atmosphere, but Heyman does. Paul E. calls this a special night. He never had the privilege of attending a WrestleMania, so he can’t wait for this showcase of the immortals. Then JR and Heyman discuss the card while Jericho arrives for the first contest.

Intercontinental Title Match: Chris Jericho (c) vs. William Regal

Storyline: McMahon rewarded Regal for his loyalty by giving him a chance to become the commissioner. Regal squashed Al Snow’s campaign and won the role. Once he began the Regal Regime, William promised to work tirelessly for the fans, but Jericho didn’t buy it. He called Regal Vince McMahon’s castrated puppet. Jericho vowed to embarrass Regal for his Jerichoholics, so Regal punished Chris with handicap fights against the RTC and the Dudleys. However, Jericho retaliated by pissing in Regal’s tea. When Regal unknowingly drank it, the prank infuriated Regal enough to book himself against Jericho for Jericho’s Intercontinental title. Later, Regal gave himself a warm-up match against Molly Holly! Doink the Clown was in the crowd, and he attacked Regal during the contest, but it was Jericho in disguise! Finally, Regal hit Jericho’s shoulder with a fire extinguisher during a tag encounter and made him tap to the Regal Stretch.

The Match: They trade forearms and kicks until Regal regroups. Then Jericho does a slingshot crossbody and drops Regal on the barricade before nailing a flying back elbow inside the ring. When Jericho looks for the Walls of Jericho, Regal shoves him away and sends him shoulder-first into the post! Now Regal targets the injured shoulder. Plus, Regal raises his knees on a Lionsault and lands a release German. He even exposes a turnbuckle and rams Jericho’s shoulder into it. Jericho tries to rally with an enziguri and a dropkick, but Regal answers with a super butterfly suplex! Another Jericho comeback ends because of Chris’s hurt shoulder, so Regal puts him in the Regal Stretch. After Jericho gets a rope break, he avoids a Regal Cutter and sends William into the uncovered turnbuckle. This allows Jericho to score a bulldog, a suplex, and a Lionsault for the three.

Thoughts: This was a strong opener. They paced it well, and I liked Regal’s intensity and psychology. I also appreciated Jericho’s selling. My only gripe is the ending was a little abrupt and weak, but it didn’t ruin this.

Winner: Chris Jericho (7:40)

Afterward, a limo arrives at the building. It has a license plate that says, “WCW1.” Shane McMahon gets out of it and heads to the locker room.

Meanwhile, in the APA’s office, Faarooq and Jackie smoke cigars while Bradshaw paces back and forth. He asks about Tazz’s whereabouts, so Faarooq says Tazz is doing thug things. Faarooq and Jackie tell Bradshaw to relax, but he can’t. Don’t they know where they are? This is the Astrodome! Bradshaw reminisces about watching the Oilers and Nolan Ryan. He also mentions rodeo stars and references Houston Wrestling. The speech is so good it fires up Faarooq and Jackie. They’re ready to kick some ass!

This leads to the entrances for the APA & Tazz vs. the RTC. Steven Richards has a mic. He tries to tell the fans what disgusts the RTC, but Tazz interrupts him. Then the APA joins him. JR says Bradshaw and Jackie are from Texas, so Heyman asks why anyone would be proud of that. He says if the Alamo had a backdoor, Texas would be in Mexico. While he says this, the teams brawl outside the ring.

The Acolytes & Tazz (w/ Jacqueline) vs. The Right to Censor (The Goodfather, Val Venis, & Bull Buchanan) (w/ Steven Richards)

Storyline: The RTC hasn’t had a good month. First, they implied Val Venis slept with the Kat, so they tortured him until he begged for forgiveness. Then in-fighting began after a few miscommunications, but Richards restored some order. After all, they had to band together because the APA wanted revenge for the attack at the strip club. Furthermore, Tazz started trash-talking the RTC on commentary, so they confronted him. This led to Tazz losing his cool and attacking Steven Richards. He put him in the Tazmission during an encounter. After the incident, Richards threatened Tazz. It caused a melee between Tazz and the RTC, so the APA came to the rescue. Later, Tazz defeated Venis in a Lumberjack Match with the APA’s help. Tazz returned the favor when the RTC interfered in the APA’s next contest. However, the RTC beat up the APA and Tazz.

The Match: Once the chaos subsides, Bull and Faarooq officially begin the fight. Bull nails his springboard clothesline, but Faarooq answers with a powerslam. Tazz also gives Bull a t-bone suplex, but Bull responds with a big boot and pulls Tazz into the RTC corner. Now Venis does a Russian leg sweep before Goodfather uses a back suplex and the Ho Train. Plus, they give Tazz an awkward Irish whip when Tazz stumbles. Afterward, Goodfather’s missed Vader Bomb leads to Bradshaw’s tag. Bradshaw cleans house with a backdrop, a big boot, and a fallaway slam before the APA does a double spinebuster. This causes a brawl, and Faarooq takes Bull outside. While this happens, Bradshaw scores a back superplex on Venis. Finally, Bull briefly returns for a powerbomb before scuffling with Faarooq again. With Bull gone, Bradshaw evades another Ho Train and ends it with the Clothesline from Hell.

Thoughts: This was short and forgettable. It wasn’t bad, but they had some shaky moments. With that said, I liked a few spots and the finish, so it had some redeeming qualities.

Winners: The APA & Tazz (3:56)

Trish wheels Linda down a hallway until she meets Stephanie. After admonishing Trish for being late, Steph greets her mother. She says she knows Linda is proud at least one of her kids turned out right. Then Stephanie shows off her Daddy’s Girl jumpsuit before telling Trish to prepare for Vince’s post-match celebration. He wants champagne and strawberries. Plus, Stephanie tells Trish to crush the ice with her hand and a spoon. Trish agrees to Stephanie’s wishes, so Steph says she will see Trish out there later.

Triple Threat Match for the Hardcore Title: Kane vs. Raven (c) vs. The Big Show

Storyline: Molly Holly finally unmasked Raven’s ninja to reveal Tori underneath the hood! With his ninja compromised, Raven dismissed Tori and focused on winning some gold. He failed to capture the European or Intercontinental belts, but he continued to try. Meanwhile, the Undertaker had a scheduled shot at Big Show’s Hardcore title. Before the bout, Triple H attacked Taker, and Kane came to his brother’s aid. Unfortunately, Big Show ambushed Kane and chokeslammed him on a table. Then Show kept attacking Kane on Hunter’s orders, so Kane cost Big Show his Hardcore championship! Show lost it to Raven! Since they couldn’t stop fighting, Regal booked Kane vs. Big Show for Mania. Next, a blinded Raven beat up Regal during a Hardcore contest. This pissed Regal off, so he added Raven to Kane vs. Big Show and put Raven’s belt on the line!

The Match: Kane press slams Raven onto Show when Big Show arrives. He also gives Show a flying clothesline before they chase Raven into the crowd. This leads to fighting backstage where they dent a wall. Then Show drops Kane on a pallet and takes Raven into a janitor’s cage. He attempts to lock the door to keep Kane out, but Kane rips off the door. Once they break free, Kane tosses Raven through a window! Not to be outdone, Show rams Kane into a door and they smash through a wall.

While this happens, Raven tries to escape in a golf cart, but he crashes when Big Show jumps on the back. Now they scuffle around equipment cases and a drink table before the action returns to the arena. They fight on the set, and Show presses Raven over his head, but Kane kicks them. This sends Show and Raven crashing into a pit on the side of the stage, so Kane does a guillotine leg drop onto Show and pins him.

Thoughts: This was good fun. They used enough unique locations and gimmicked weapons to make it interesting. Plus, this contained some highly amusing moments. I like hardcore matches where they cause chaos and destruction. It sets the tone for the division. (On a side note, Raven came close to cutting off the PPV feed. When he crashed the golf cart, he ran over a cable that carried the signal. This could have caused a disaster.)

Winner: Kane (New Champion) (9:28)

Backstage, Angle watches footage of Benoit making him tap out to the Crossface. Edge and Christian enter the room, and they want to discuss their celebration plans for later, but Angle ignores them. He would rather wax philosophical. If you make someone tap out, but it wasn’t an official match, did it really happen? When Edge and Christian respond by saying whatever, Kurt dismisses them by loudly saying thank you. He continues to mutter to himself while Edge and Christian leave.

Meanwhile, they show Jimmy Snuka at WWF New York. Plus, Coach interviews a fan from Australia. She says this is her first event, so Coach asks her if it is what she expected. She says no. This is better than she expected! Then her friends join her for an Aussie chant. Elsewhere, the Rock enters his locker room to get ready.

Afterward, Eddie Guerrero and Perry Saturn arrive ahead of Eddie’s match. Saturn wears an amusing fuzzy hat. It looks like a lampshade.

European Title Match: Eddie Guerrero (w/ Perry Saturn) vs. Test (c)

Storyline: Issues arose between Eddie and Benoit after the Four-Way at No Way Out. They tried to settle their differences, but everything fell apart. The Radicalz labeled Benoit as a traitor. Then Benoit faced them in a gauntlet, which Eddie won with the Radicalz’ help. Afterward, the Radicalz plotted against Benoit, but he took them out one-by-one and defeated Eddie in a rematch. Later, Eddie asked Regal for another shot at Benoit, but Regal told him to move on to better things. He offered Eddie a chance at Test’s European belt. After all, Regal wanted revenge on Test. Unfortunately, Jericho ruined the contest to get back at Regal. Nevertheless, Eddie challenged Test to another encounter at Mania. Once Test accepted, Eddie refereed Test vs. X-Pac. Eddie screwed with Test throughout the fight, and Albert helped X-Pac win. Guerrero attacked Test after the bell.

The Match: They exchange punches while Test tosses Eddie around the ring and powerbombs him. Next, Test blocks a superplex and nails a flying back elbow. When Test charges at Eddie for more, Guerrero low-bridges him, and Test’s foot gets caught in the ropes! It takes a while to free him, but Eddie targets the leg when Test escapes. He also locks Test in a sleeper hold, which he releases after Test slumps to the mat. Next, Test rallies with tilt-a-whirl moves and a full nelson, but Eddie throws a low blow. Eddie even distracts the ref so Saturn can give Test the Moss-Covered Three-Handled Family Gradunza. Eddie’s brainbuster follows, but he has to roll through a missed Frog Splash. Now Test lands a pumphandle powerslam, so Saturn and Malenko interfere. This distracts the ref and allows Eddie to clock Test with the belt to win.

Thoughts: This wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t overly thrilling. Then they had the awkward minute where Test got caught in the ropes. However, I will credit Eddie for shifting the focus to working on Test’s leg after the incident. That was a smart move, and it bumps this match up a notch for me.

Winner: Eddie Guerrero (New Champion) (8:32)

Now Michael Cole interviews the special referee for Vince vs. Shane. Cole asks if Mick Foley can be impartial after everything Vince did to him. This offends Mick. Is Cole implying he can’t be fair because Vince humiliated him and fired him from the commissioner’s job? In the interest of fairness, Foley promises to call it right down the line! With that said, Foley almost walks away, but he returns to get a cheap pop. Mick says he will do it right here in Houston, Texas!

Elsewhere, Steve Austin enters his locker room and sits down.

Afterward, Kurt Angle arrives for his contest against Chris Benoit. As an Olympic hero, Kurt represents all fifty states, but he is not a fan of Texas. After all, they’re missing forty-nine stars from their flag! However, having his match in Houston makes him glad because he can illustrate a point. Even these bull-riding, beer-bellied Texas heehaws know he never has and never will tap out to Benoit. Kurt also tells everyone to lose the cowboy hats. They aren’t seven years old anymore! Heyman agrees with this sentiment. He tells JR to lose the hat. Heyman can’t imagine someone broadcasting WrestleMania while wearing a hat!

Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit

Storyline: Angle’s loss at No Way Out pushed him over the edge. He vowed to snap the Rock’s ankle, and he broke Scotty 2 Hotty’s ankle! Later, Angle convinced Regal to give him another shot at the Rock, and Angle hooked Debra in the anklelock! Next, Angle and Regal recruited Benoit to help take out Rocky. This led to Angle, Benoit, & Regal vs. The Rock & Jericho. Angle and Benoit put the Rock in a combined Crossface and anklelock, but Rocky escaped. Afterward, Angle said he enjoyed working with Benoit, but his backhanded compliments and inability to remember the name of the Crossface insulted Benoit. Worse yet, Kurt abandoned Benoit during a tag contest, so Benoit answered Kurt’s call for a Mania opponent. They argued over who was the better technical wrestler and made each other tap to their finishers, but Kurt denied he tapped out.

The Match: The action starts with some amateur mat wrestling. Angle keeps avoiding the Crossface until he loses his cool. Once Kurt snaps, he takes Benoit outside and rams him into everything. Back inside, they exchange strikes and suplexes. Kurt lands a belly-to-belly while Benoit scores a snap suplex, a superplex, and rolling Germans. Plus, they steal each other’s submission holds to no avail. Benoit shoves Angle away, but Kurt clips the ref, and the official misses Angle tapping out to the Crossface! This causes an argument between Benoit and the ref, so Angle gives Benoit an Olympic Slam. It only gains two! Now Benoit raises his knees on Angle’s moonsault and does the flying headbutt, which gets two! When Benoit goes for more, Kurt uses a low blow. This doesn’t prevent Benoit from rolling him up, but Angle reverses it with a handful of tights for the three.

Thoughts: I loved the story they told with this. It started slowly, but they ramped up the intensity at a good pace. I also liked how they stole each other’s submissions, and I’m even fine with the finish. This isn’t the end of the feud, so it’s a nice way to keep it going.

Winner: Kurt Angle (14:10)

Cole tries to interview Regal as he leaves the trainer’s room, but Regal chastises Cole for asking if he’s okay. Before Regal can say anything more, he discovers Kamala and Kimchee in his office! Kamala stands on Regal’s desk and holds Regal’s prized photo of the queen! He rubs it on his belly, so Regal calls Kamala a heathen and tells him to get down. While Regal says this, Kimchee tells William to rub the moons on Kamala’s belly. Regal has none of this nonsense. He tells them to bugger off.

Next, they show footage of WWF Superstars visiting Fort Hood. They took the private jet there earlier in the day. The Undertaker, Angle, Bradshaw, Jackie, Lita, and Trish greeted the soldiers. The troops even dedicated a marching cadence to the Undertaker. Meanwhile, Angle donned a helmet, but Taker took it from him. Also, the crowd booed Angle, which he didn’t understand. Later, they presented everyone with a plaque, but Angle requested a gold medal instead.

Speaking of Angle, Kevin Kelly interviews him backstage. He says Kurt has to respect Benoit after their grueling war, but Kurt disagrees. He proved he is the best wrestler in the WWF, so he doesn’t have to respect anybody! As Angle says this, Benoit attacks him from behind and puts him in the Crossface. Kurt taps out again while the officials try to pry Benoit off him. Heyman loves this.

Now it’s time for Ivory vs. Chyna. Ivory arrives alone because they banned the rest of the RTC from ringside. JR mentions Chyna signed a hold harmless agreement, which means she can’t sue Ivory if she gets injured again. When Chyna joins her, Ivory hugs her championship and begs Chyna not to take it, but this is a ruse. Ivory clocks Chyna with the belt behind the ref’s back!

Women’s Title Match: Chyna vs. Ivory (c)

Storyline: Ivory fended off the challenge of Lita after Lita beat Molly in a #1 Contender contest. This made Ivory confident until Cole informed her about some rumors. They said Chyna was going to return and face Ivory for her Women’s title at Mania! Ivory didn’t believe him at first, but she warned Chyna not to do it. Then Ivory mocked Chyna. She brought a cardboard cut-out to the ring and pretended to interview it. Ivory said she would face Chyna as long as Chyna signed a waiver. Chyna couldn’t sue Ivory if she injured her again. Thinking Chyna wasn’t there, Ivory ripped up the cut-out and gave it a piledriver. However, the real Chyna attacked Ivory and signed the agreement! Later, Vince booked Trish vs. Ivory in a Bra & Panties Match. Ivory tried to refuse, but Trish started the fight, and Chyna helped her rip off Ivory’s clothes!

The Match: Ivory stomps on Chyna’s neck before dropping elbow drops and throwing wild punches. After taunting the crowd, Ivory tries a kick, but Chyna catches it. Now Chyna throws Ivory around the ring and nails a powerbomb. But when she covers Ivory, Chyna pulls her up for more! A gorilla press follows. This time, Chyna casually covers Ivory for the three.

Thoughts: This was short and a little messy, but they accomplished their goal. The problem was, I’m not sure Chyna was a good fit for the women’s division. She certainly didn’t want to be in it. Chyna preferred to compete with the men.

Winner: Chyna (New Champion) (2:38)

Vince is backstage with Linda, Trish, and Stephanie. He says people get excited around WrestleMania, so Vince makes sure Trish doubled Linda’s medication tonight. Trish assures him she did, so Vince asks if she knows when to bring Linda to ringside. He wants her to wait until Shane is down. Trish says she understands. Before Vince can say anything else, Michael Cole enters the room. He wants Vince’s thoughts about the shocking development of Shane buying WCW. Vince says if Cole wants shocking, he’ll get shocking. He guarantees it!

This leads to Shane’s entrance. He wears a custom WrestleMania jersey. On the back, it says, “Vince, we have a problem!” Once Shane arrives, he gives a shout-out to his WCW boys in the skybox. We see a shot of Storm, Awesome, Jindrak, Morrus, Chavo, Stasiak, Sanders, Stacy, and Johnny Ace. Shane also introduces the special ref, Mick Foley. (On a side note, they originally planned to involve the WCW stars, but Stasiak spoiled the plans on a radio show. They scrapped the idea because of this blunder.)

Street Fight: Shane McMahon vs. Mr. McMahon (w/ Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley)

Storyline: Vince & Trish vs. Regal & Stephanie turned out to be a sham. Mr. McMahon grew tired of playing with his toy. Vince, Regal, and Stephanie humiliated Trish with a mop and bucket full of muck. However, Trish begged for forgiveness, so Vince made her strip, crawl around, and bark like a dog. With Trish submissive, Vince openly carried on the affair in front of catatonic Linda. This was too much for Shane. He returned and attacked his father before challenging him to a match at Mania. Vince accepted, and he told Shane he’d never forgive Linda for giving birth to him! Then Shane bought WCW, which sent Vince into a fury. He blamed his attorney for the mess. To make matters worse, Foley revealed he and Linda signed a stack of mysterious documents before Vince fired Foley. Mick used one to make himself the referee for this contest.

The Match: Shane gets the better of Vince in a strike exchange, so Stephanie slaps Shane and runs. Then Shane and Vince brawl outside. Shane uses a metal sign, a Kendo stick, and a monitor to knock Vince onto the Spanish announce table. With Vince prone, Shane attempts a flying elbow from the top rope, but Stephanie pulls her dad to safety and Shane crashes! Now Trish brings Linda into the arena and goes to help Vince to his feet. In a shocking twist, Trish slaps Vince! This causes a catfight with Stephanie, and Trish chases Steph to the back.

Once they leave, Vince spots Linda and calls her a bitch. He threatens her, so Foley steps in between Vince and Linda and tries to move Linda out of the way. When Foley turns his back, Vince knocks Mick out with a chair. This allows Vince to bring Linda into the ring and sit her in the corner. He wants her to watch what he does to Shane. Next, Vince collects trash cans. He smashes Shane with two of them and grabs a third. As he lifts it over his head, Linda rises from her chair to a monster pop! Vince turns to see her, and Linda kicks Vince in the balls. Plus, Foley punches Vince into the corner and does a running knee. Afterward, Shane places a can against Vince and nails a cost-to-coast dropkick for the win.

Thoughts: I loved this. This was great wrestling drama and storytelling at its peak. Also, that finish was nice, even though Shane ripped the move off from RVD. I only have one minor gripe. Mick Foley doesn’t know how to stay out of the camera shot as a ref. It’s a tiny quibble, and it doesn’t ruin an otherwise amazing encounter.

Winner: Shane McMahon (14:11)

The WCW stars applaud while Shane hugs his mother. JR says Shane, Linda, and Trish duped Mr. McMahon for the second time in seven days. Heyman doesn’t like this.

Next, they show an interview from Axess. Kevin Kelly talked with the Hardys about TLC II while the Hardys signed autographs. Matt said they created TLC along with the Dudleys, Edge, and Christian. They wanted to walk out with the titles, but this went above and beyond championships. After everything Edge, Christian, and Rhyno did to them, this had to end at Mania. Once Matt finished, Jeff spoke next. While Kevin asked Jeff about the elements of danger, I swear Jeff drew a penis on the photo he signed. Jeff said their matches always involved elements of danger. He even promised to go into this match like it was his last.

Meanwhile, Triple H and the Undertaker warm up for their encounter.

TLC II for the Tag Team Titles: Edge & Christian vs. The Dudley Boyz (c) vs. The Hardy Boyz

Storyline: Matt’s new relationship with Lita caused some friction between the Hardy Boyz, but this didn’t stop them from winning the tag team championship! Christian had vowed revenge on the Dudleys because they injured Edge at No Way Out, so Christian cost the Dudleys the titles against the Hardys. He also ruined their rematch, but D-Von pinned Christian to get another chance. However, Edge & Christian screwed with the Dudleys’ flight plans and stole their spot! Edge & Christian took the tag gold from the Hardys with the help of a debuting Rhyno! When the Dudleys finally arrived at the arena, they demanded their promised opportunity, so Regal relented. The Dudleys beat Edge & Christian for the belts with the assistance of little Spike Dudley! This only pissed off Edge, Christian, and Rhyno. They had Rhyno gore Spike through a table. He even gored Lita.

The Match: Everybody brawls. The Dudleys give Christian a double flapjack. Then the Hardys nail the Dudleys with Poetry in Motion. And Edge & Christian do ladder clotheslines. Next, they try to climb before the Dudleys give Edge a Wassup Drop and introduce tables. They place Edge on one and powerbomb Jeff onto him! Plus, they set up a double stack of tables outside. More climbing ends with everyone going down, so Spike, Rhyno, and Lita interfere. Spike gives Edge and Christian Dudley Dogs, Rhyno hands out gores, and Lita does a flying hurricanrana to Rhyno! The intervening parties even fight with each other until the teams take them out. Now Jeff gets a huge ladder and wipes out Rhyno and Spike with a Swanton!

With them down, Edge and Christian take the giant ladder into the ring. This leads to Christian and D-Von dangling from the hooks again. They fall when Matt moves the ladder, and Jeff attempts to walk across the top of the other ladders. The final ladder falls, but Jeff climbs back up. Jeff hangs off the belts while trying to move the ladder with his feet, but this is a mistake. Edge climbs the enormous ladder and leaps off it to spear Jeff Hardy! This takes them out, so Matt and Bubba climb, but Rhyno tips them over onto the stacked tables! This leaves only Edge, Christian, and D-Von. Edge grabs D-Von’s leg to stop him while Rhyno puts Christian on his shoulders and lifts him up the ladder to capture the gold.

Thoughts: This was absolutely amazing. They somehow topped the previous TLC. Adding Rhyno and Spike helped. I like how each team has their third member now. It added to the presentation. Then we had some of the iconic spots. Edge spearing Jeff from the ladder is legendary.

Winners: Edge & Christian (New Champions) (15:50)

Now they show another video about Axess before Fink announces the attendance record. He says there are 67,925 fans in the Astrodome, and this is a legitimate number for once. The fact they didn’t have to inflate it speaks volumes about how hot the company was at this time.

Next, it’s time for the Gimmick Battle Royal. Mean Gene and Bobby the Brain Heenan are here to do commentary. Heenan calls Okerlund Tony, so Gene wonders if he’s joking with him. Bobby also claims it will be WrestleMania 38 before the Iron Sheik reaches the ring.

Participants: The Bushwhackers, Duke the Dumpster Droese, The Iron Sheik, Earthquake, The Goon, Doink the Clown, Kamala, Repo Man, James E. Cornette, Nikolai Volkoff, Michael P.S. Hayes, One Man Gang, The Gobbledy Gooker, Tugboat, Hillbilly Jim, Brother Love, and Sgt. Slaughter.

Gimmick Battle Royal

Storyline: There’s not much to say here. They announced this as a special attraction. Then the Bushwhackers appeared on Heat. They prepared for the battle royal by eating some sardines and licking Lilian’s face! Later, Cole interviewed some WWF Legends, who were sitting in WWF New York. Captain Lou Albano, Afa, and Freddie Blassie gave their predictions. Freddie thinks the Iron Sheik will win. Afa picked Kamala. And Lou said Hillbilly Jim is his favorite.

The Match: The Repo Man, Gooker, and Tugboat are the first three out. Then Kamala dumps Quake while Cornette and Brother Love fight in the corner. This doesn’t last long because Hillbilly Jim tosses Cornette. While outside, Cornette tussles with a Bushwhacker. Meanwhile, the Goon tumbles over the ropes, and Slaughter dumps Volkoff. Kamala does the same to Doink before Gang ousts Hayes. Once they are gone, Kamala eliminates Gang only for Slaughter to send Kamala packing. Sarge even gets Brother Love, but Hillbilly Jim surprises Slaughter. Before Jim can do anything more, the Sheik sends Jim to the floor to win.

Thoughts: This was silly fun. They used it as a buffer between two intense contests, so it was a nice cool-off match to keep the fans from getting tired. This served its purpose fine. (On a side note, Sheik won because he couldn’t take any bumps.)

Winner: The Iron Sheik (3:50)

While Sheiky Baby celebrates, Sgt. Slaughter enters the ring and puts him in the Cobra Clutch. Once he’s out, Slaughter releases him while his music plays. Meanwhile, Heenan acts like he’s going to shake Gene’s hand, but he keeps pulling it away. Gene tells Bobby to get his hand out of his pocket.

They are Motörhead, and they’re going to kick your ass! Lemmy and company are here to perform a live version of “The Game” for Triple H’s entrance. It’s a pretty good performance if you ignore the fact Lemmy forgets half the words. I still enjoyed it. Once they finish, the Undertaker arrives on his motorcycle. He drives so fast, I expected him to hit the ring. (On a side note, JR mentions the Undertaker is 8-0 at WrestleMania. Is this the first mention of the streak?)

The Undertaker vs. Triple H

Storyline: Triple H couldn’t believe he wasn’t in the Mania main event after defeating Austin. He said he beat everyone there is to beat in the WWF, so he deserved a shot. However, these comments drew the Undertaker’s ire. Taker said Helmsley never defeated him. Later, Hunter jumped Taker backstage, tipped the motorcycle onto Taker’s leg, and pinned him under a chair. He threatened to cripple Taker, so Taker terrorized Triple H and Stephanie in their limo the next week. As a result, Stephanie took out a restraining order against Taker. Since there were no restrictions on Kane, Taker had Kane threaten to throw Steph off a balcony until Regal gave him a match with Triple H. Hunter retaliated by having Taker arrested twice for violating the restraining order. Triple H also trashed Taker’s bike with his sledgehammer and threw it off the stage, so Taker jumped Hunter during Axess.

The Match: A wild brawl around ringside doesn’t take long to break the makeshift Spanish announce table. Back inside, Taker scores corner clotheslines and goes for Old School, but Triple H pulls him off the ropes! Now Hunter uses neckbreakers before fetching his sledgehammer. Chioda stops this, but the ensuing chaos leaves the ref dazed. When Chioda is slow to count after a chokeslam, Taker beats him up out of frustration. This allows Hunter and Taker to fight into the crowd. They head to the tech area and climb the scaffold. Hunter uses a chair on Taker, but Taker chokeslams Triple H off the scaffold! He even drops an elbow onto him from the structure!

EMTs try to help Hunter, but Taker attacks them. He has more in store for Hunter. Taker drags him back to the ring and picks up the sledgehammer, but Hunter throws a low blow to stop him. With Taker stunned, Hunter charges at him with the hammer, only to eat a big boot. After a strike exchange, Hunter tries to give Taker the Tombstone, but Taker reverses and hits the move. Unfortunately, the ref is still down. Taker shakes him before attempting the Last Ride on Hunter. As Taker lifts him, Hunter grabs the hammer and nails Taker in the head. This leaves Taker bloody, so Hunter punches the cut. It leads to corner punches, but Taker turns this into a Last Ride for the three.

Thoughts: This was great. They incorporated intensity, nice spots, and some good false finishes. I only have two small gripes, but they aren’t game-breaking. (Yes, that was an intentional pun.) First, the replay kind of ruined the chokeslam off the scaffold. The alternate camera angle showed the obvious crash pad. And the second gripe is the ref was out for so long it became comical. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this. (On a side note, they used a rubber-headed sledgehammer, but the wood broke through the head and cut Taker open. They didn’t mean to have blood.)

Winner: The Undertaker (18:27)

Now it’s time for the main event. They show the Rock walking backstage while Austin stares into a mirror. Then we get the iconic “My Way” promo video. Once this ends, the Fink introduces the contest. He says there will be no disqualifications. This shocks JR. He asks when they added this stipulation.

No DQ Match for the WWF Title: Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. The Rock (c)

Storyline: After the Rumble, Austin told Rock to stay healthy, and the Rock told Austin to be ready. However, the peaceful camaraderie wouldn’t last. Debra stepped down as Lt. Commissioner to manage again, so Vince made her manage the Rock! This put Austin in a tough spot. He supported his wife, but he knew Vince was manipulating them. Then Austin had to save Debra from Rikishi’s Stink Face and Angle’s anklelock, so he held the Rock responsible. Austin gave Rock two Stunners. Rock retaliated by interfering in Austin’s match with Angle, and he gave Austin a Rock Bottom and a Stunner! Later, JR interviewed both men. Austin told Rock he needed to beat him and needed to be champion more than anything the Rock could imagine. Sensing trouble, Vince relieved Debra of her duties and tried to protect his Mania main event, but Rock and Austin brawled.

The Match: Austin misses a belt shot before they trade strikes. Then they attempt their finishers, but they fail. This leads to some short crowd brawling before they return. Now Austin removes a turnbuckle pad, but the Rock takes Austin outside. This backfires on the Rock because Austin busts him open with the bell. The announce table also collapses under the Rock’s weight, so they head back inside. When they arrive, the Rock fights back and returns the favor with the bell, which leaves Austin bloody. He even uses the exposed buckle and the ring post.

Next, they exchange Sharpshooters. When those don’t work, Austin busts out the Million Dollar Dream. The Rock turns it into a pin, but it only gets two. Afterward, the Rock hits Austin with the Stunner, but this only earns two! While this happens, Vince McMahon appears, much to everyone’s confusion. He pulls the Rock off of a pin after a People’s Elbow, so Rocky chases Vince and runs right into a Rock Bottom by Austin! Since it isn’t enough, Austin throws a low blow and asks Vince for a chair. Austin holds Rocky for Vince’s chair shot, which still garners a two. Rock rallies with a Rock Bottom, but Vince distracts Hebner. This pisses off the Rock. He pulls Vince over the ropes, but Austin seizes the opening for a Stunner. Another kick-out infuriates Austin. He takes the chair and wails on Rocky before pinning him for the victory.

Thoughts: This was easily my favorite of the Rock/Austin matches. The intensity and the crowd reaction put this one over the top of their other meetings. With that said, turning Austin heel was a mistake. The fans didn’t want it. I understand Austin felt stale and wanted a change, but this turned off a lot of the audience. Many people point to this as the reason they stopped watching. Don’t get me wrong, we see some entertaining moments during Austin’s heel run, but it wasn’t good for business.

Winner: Stone Cold Steve Austin (New Champion) (28:08)

Austin gets in Vince’s face, but then he shakes his hand. JR says Austin is shaking hands with Satan himself! He can’t believe this is happening. Heyman says Austin sold his soul for the WWF title. As they say this, Austin shares a beer with Mr. McMahon. They drink over the Rock’s fallen body, which makes JR curse. He says they might as well urinate on Rocky. When the Rock stirs, Austin nails him with the belt. Ross says he thought he knew Austin, but he was wrong.

The Good:

• The main event.

• TLC II

• Triple H vs. Taker

• Benoit vs. Angle

• Shane vs. Vince

• The Hardcore title match.

The Bad:

• APA & Tazz vs. the RTC

Observations & Extra Notes:

• They renamed Rhino to Rhyno for trademark purposes, so I’m surprised they didn’t change Spike’s name to Spyke Dudley.

• Jericho was the only champion to retain their title on this show.

Performer of the Night:

I’m giving it to everyone in TLC II. They all put their bodies on the line for our entertainment, and it was great.

Final Thoughts:

This was easily the best Mania in years, if not the greatest of all time. It contained so many memorable moments and matches. Plus, they paced the show perfectly. Having stuff like the Gimmick Battle Royal to provide the fans a breather was a smart idea. This was a four-hour show, but it didn’t feel like it. Mania 17 is a must-watch for a wrestling fan.

Thank you for reading. My next review is Backlash 2001. Look for it next Sunday!