WrestleMania XIX

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

WrestleMania XIX

March 30, 2003

Safeco Field

Seattle, Washington

News & Notes: Chief Morley took Regal’s place as Storm’s partner since Regal sustained a concussion at No Way Out. Plus, Morley suspended the Dudleys because they helped Lawler defeat him. Spike and D-Von couldn’t overturn the suspension, so the Dudleys begrudgingly sided with Morley to regain their jobs. They aided Storm and Morley in beating Kane & RVD on the pre-show. The Dudleys hated their decision, but they had families to feed. In other news, John Cena called out Brock Lesnar for injuring him. He insulted Brock through freestyle raps. John even challenged the rapper Fabolous to a rap battle for Mania, but WWE backed out of the agreement when Fabolous got arrested. Meanwhile, Goldust returned to TV after his electrocution. The incident somehow gave him Tourette Syndrome. It amused and horrified other superstars. (This is WWE’s idea of Tourette Syndrome, which is tasteless and silly.)

Elsewhere, Teddy Long complained about WWE relegating Rodney Mack to Heat. He said the man was holding them back because they didn’t want them to hurt those pretty white boys. He and Rodney were just too tan for the man! Then we have Brian “Spanky” Kendrick. He wanted a full-time contract, so Stephanie told him he would get one if he lasted five minutes with Kurt Angle. Kurt toyed with him, but Brian lost with two seconds left. However, Kendrick earned his spot when he pinned Shannon Moore with Rey’s help. Next, Torrie Wilson landed a Playboy deal, much to Nidia’s chagrin. Nidia and Noble stormed the mansion to protest and were kicked out. WWE also held a PPV with Girls Gone Wild. Test flirted with a few too many women during the promotion for the event, putting a strain on his relationship with Stacy.

I have one last piece of news before we begin. Orton and Batista suffered injuries, so the Evolution storyline hit a snag.

The PPV: Dubbed dramatic music accompanies footage from past WrestleManias while superstars speak about Mania’s importance. Hogan reminisces about slamming Andre. Angle, Taker, Austin, and Lesnar compare the granddaddy of them all to the World Series and Olympic tournaments. It’s a fever and an adrenaline rush. The Rock says you can feel it, but it’s also intangible. There’s an x-factor. Then, Taker says this is your time to shine and make this mean something. Jericho agrees. This is his biggest chance to leave his mark on history. For the Rock, this is culminating his hard work and sacrifice. He wants to be the best in the industry. As for Angle, this is the most important match of his thirty-year life. His opponent, Brock Lesnar, speaks of a favorite moment that has yet to come. And Austin says tonight means everything to him.

Next, “Crack Addict” by Limp Bizkit plays while fireworks explode. JR welcomes everybody to WrestleMania XIX. This is Ross’s 10^th Mania, and he’s as excited as he was in 1993. Jim even wore his lucky John Wayne cufflinks, which he does for every Mania. After discussing the card, JR sends things down to Tazz and Michael Cole. Tazz calls the event wicked humongous. (Did they cut out “America the Beautiful”? JR mentions the performance, but it’s not on the network.)

Now, it’s time for Rey Mysterio vs. Matt Hardy for the Cruiserweight Title. Rey wears a Daredevil-inspired costume. Meanwhile, here are your Matt Facts for the evening. This is Matt’s 4^th WrestleMania, and he often wonders how they did Mania without him.

Cruiserweight Title Match: Matt Hardy (c) (w/ Shannon Moore) vs. Rey Mysterio

Storyline: Mysterio defeated Shannon Moore, and Rey won a #1 contender’s contest against Noble and Tajiri. Meanwhile, Matt successfully defended the Cruiserweight Title in a rematch with Kidman. Later, Matt issued an open challenge to any cruiserweight except Mysterio. Brian Kendrick, in a Pittsburgh Penguin costume, answered the call. When Kendrick almost succeeded with Sliced Bread #2, Matt got himself counted out. Afterward, Rey praised Kendrick for his performance. Rey liked Brian and helped Kendrick beat Shannon Moore to get his WWE contract. This led to Rey & Kendrick vs. Matt & Shannon, but Matt pinned Kendrick to win. Then Moore distracted Rey so Matt could give him the Twist of Fate.

The Match: Rey sends Matt outside for a corkscrew plancha. Then he makes Matt regroup after a headscissors and a wheel kick. When Rey seeks a sunset bomb off the apron, Moore stops him. The interference allows Matt to drop Rey on the barricade and land the Ricochet. Next, Matt and Shannon choke Rey while Matt fends off pin attempts and reversals. Matt even catches a leaping Rey with the Side Effect before putting him in a standing surfboard. Once Rey escapes, he evades Matt’s charge and nails a springboard seated senton. A springboard crossbody, a headscissors, and a tornado DDT follow, but Shannon trips Rey when he tries a 619.

Matt seizes the opening, giving Rey the Twist of Fate, but he only earns two! Since that doesn’t work, Matt looks for a second-rope splash mountain bomb. Rey turns it into a hurricanrana, so Shannon places Matt’s foot on the ropes during the cover. Mysterio has enough. He grabs Shannon, and Matt charges at Rey. Unfortunately for Matt, Rey moves, and Matt crashes into Shannon. Now, Rey takes Matt down for a 619 and the West Coast Pop. Matt ducks the latter and bounces Rey, but Rey lands on his shoulders for a victory roll. Hardy counters and hooks the ropes to get a three.

Thoughts: This contained solid action, but they overused Moore’s involvement, especially for such a short bout. It became excessive. Plus, this felt like it was in fast forward. They had little time, so this was decent but forgettable.

Winner: Matt Hardy (5:37)

Backstage, a limo arrives carrying the Miller Lite Cat Fight Girls. (They were from a Super Bowl ad. WWE wanted to capitalize on their popularity.) We don’t learn their names until later. The unnamed girls talk about the action and drama of WrestleMania, but they argue about which match is more important. Is it McMahon vs. Hogan or Austin vs. the Rock?

Then we see a clip from Heat. The FBI lured Nathan Jones into a bathroom, where Big Show and A-Train jumped him.

Afterward, Chimel introduces WWE’s favorite band in the world, Limp Bizkit. They perform “Rollin’”. Fred Durst flips off the fans and tells them to get the hell up. During the performance, the Undertaker arrives on his motorcycle. He rides to the ring with an American flag behind him. Cole says Taker’s nephew is in the Army and is serving in the Iraq War. While Taker hugs Fred Durst, Chimel announces this is now a handicap fight because of the attack on Nathan Jones. Cole thinks this puts Taker’s undefeated streak in jeopardy. Worse yet, A-Train spits on Taker’s bike when he arrives. He uses this as a distraction so Big Show can ambush Taker, but it fails.

Handicap Match: The Undertaker vs. The Big Show & A-Train

Storyline: The Undertaker called out A-Train for his actions at No Way Out, but A-Train brought Heyman with him. Heyman and Train distracted Taker, and Big Show jumped him, so Nathan Jones saved Taker from their attack. As a result, Taker took Jones under his wing and trained him, but he learned Nathan was a little strange. He liked to hang out in dark rooms because they reminded him of prison. Taker also had issues controlling Jones’ anger. Nathan roughed up Palumbo backstage, angering the FBI. Meanwhile, Taker wrestled A-Train. Big Show ambushed Taker to cause a DQ, so Jones intervened again. Later, Heyman asked Big Show and Train to soften up Benoit and Rhyno for Team Angle. Nathan targeted Big Show during the bout, and Taker joined the fight. Lastly, on Heat, the FBI lured Nathan into a trap. Big Show and A-Train beat Jones up in a bathroom.

The Match: Taker chokeslams A-Train, but Big Show pulls Taker away. Then Taker fends them off in their corner. He does Old School to Train and knocks Show off the apron, but A-Train surprises Taker with the Derailer. Now, Train throws Taker outside, where Big Show runs him into the post and the barricade. Back inside, Train gives Taker the Decapitator (a catapult against the bottom rope). Taker rallies with a Fujiwara armbar and a cross armbreaker on both men, but Big Show stops him with a leg drop. Afterward, Show and Train take turns locking Taker in an ab stretch until he reverses it.

A cheap shot by Big Show and a clothesline from A-Train leads to taunting. A-Train slaps Taker and yells at him, but Taker fires back with a jumping DDT. Corner clotheslines, a big boot, and a jumping clothesline follow. Unfortunately, A-Train cuts off Taker’s comeback with a bicycle kick, and Big Show scores the chokeslam. Before Show can cover, he spots Nathan Jones! Show meets Jones in the aisle and eats a spin kick for his trouble. A-Train covers Taker while this happens, but Taker kicks out. Finally, Jones enters the ring and nails A-Train with a big boot. The attack allows Taker to Tombstone Train for the victory.

Thoughts: This was okay. The long abdominal stretches dragged it down, but I enjoyed Taker’s comebacks. However, this was basic and unremarkable. I’m glad they removed Jones from the match, but part of me wanted to witness the potential train wreck. (Yes, I intended that pun.) You could tell the Nathan Jones experiment wouldn’t succeed. They didn’t pull him because of injury. WWE did it because he performed so poorly in training.

Winner: The Undertaker (9:42)

Meanwhile, the Cat Fight Girls meet Stacy and Torrie. They all say they love each other. Then the girls tell Torrie she looked awesome in Playboy. Plus, they think Stacy is a marketing genius. They love testicles! Stacy says she has a new marketing idea that will blow them away, so she invites the Cat Fight Girls to follow her and Torrie.

Afterward, JR wishes the troops well before they recap the World Tag Team Title match from Heat. JR wants to know why the Dudleys are helping Morley and Storm when they don’t want to do it. (I’m pretty sure the Dudleys already explained why.)

Triple Threat Match for the Women’s Title: Trish Stratus vs. Victoria (c) (w/ Steven Richards) vs. Jazz

Storyline: Jazz wrestled Jacqueline the night after No Way Out, and the lights went out. When they came back on, Trish was in the ring. She attacked Jazz, so Victoria intervened and took a Chick Kick for her troubles. This resulted in Jazz & Victoria vs. Trish & Jacqueline. Trish defeated Victoria to win, which earned her a #1 contender’s encounter against Jazz. However, Victoria clocked them with the belt to cause a no-contest. Afterward, Trish teamed with Jazz to wrestle Victoria and Steven Richards, but Jazz abandoned Trish. Victoria pinned Trish, and Richards tried to DDT her, so Jeff Hardy saved Trish. Then Jeff kissed Trish, leaving her conflicted. Nevertheless, Trish and Jeff faced Victoria and Richards. Trish beat Victoria and was about to kiss Jeff, but Jazz jumped Trish from behind.

The Match: Jazz jumps both women and targets Trish. Then Jazz and Victoria attack Trish. Jazz uses a bridging neck crank, and Victoria nails her slingshot leg drop, but they break up each other’s pins. An argument ensues, yet they still give Trish a double shoulderbreaker. Now, Jazz decks Victoria, who responds with a powerslam. Trish keeps capitalizing on their fighting with pin attempts and a Chick Kick, but Jazz plants Trish with a sit-out powerslam. Again, Victoria interrupts the cover, but she holds Trish for a Jazz’s kick. The tactic backfires.

Trish floors Victoria with a handstand headscissors, but Jazz locks Trish in a half crab and turns it into an STF. Sensing trouble, Victoria distracts the ref so Richards can break the hold. Once Trish escapes, she runs Victoria into Jazz and rolls her up. Victoria reverses with a handful of tights but only earns two. Next, Jazz puts Victoria in an elevated chickenwing and drops her. A moonsault follows, but Jazz misses it. When Jazz recovers, she charges at Victoria, who awkwardly backdrops Jazz over the ropes. Meanwhile, Richards wants to hit Trish with a chair but smacks himself when the chair rebounds. Trish dispatches Steven with the Stratusfaction, but Victoria attacks Trish and tries the Widow’s Peak. Trish evades it and wins with a Chick Kick.

Thoughts: This was good. Plus, the crowd reacted well to it, especially the finish. They provided them with little time, but they used what they had wisely. Everyone did great and crafted a decent story. I enjoyed this.

Winner: Trish Stratus (New Champion) (7:17)

Coach asks the Rock if he’s excited to be in front of all these people, but the Rock silences him. Rocky says these are the same people who booed him at last year’s Mania and booed his rock concert. They call him a sell-out, and they’re right. He has sold out every Mania he has been in. Since the people hurt him, he is only here to fulfill his destiny. Austin defeated him on two occasions, which ate him alive. However, Hollywood taught the Rock that no one cares about the first two acts. They only care about the third act. This is the closing chapter of the industry’s greatest rivalry. The Rock says he’s not afraid to sweat or bleed. He guarantees he will beat that bald-headed bastard to finally do it all. Then he repeats the word “finally” and walks away.

Triple Threat Match for the WWE Tag Team Titles: Team Angle (c) vs. Chris Benoit & Rhyno vs. Los Guerreros

Storyline: Lesnar told Benoit to watch his back after what happened to Edge, but Benoit assured him he had a friend. That friend was the returning Rhyno! Benoit and Rhyno defeated Team Angle in a non-title encounter, which earned them a #1 contender’s bout with Los Guerreros. However, Team Angle attacked everybody to cause a no-contest. (Hold on. They did this same thing with the Women’s Championship!) Afterward, Steph told Team Angle they would face both teams. This led to Haas and Benjamin wrestling all four opponents individually. Benjamin fought Benoit and then Chavo. Haas met Rhyno before battling Eddie. Only Rhyno couldn’t score a clean victory over them because Haas caused a DQ. Meanwhile, Los Guerreros also had a brief feud with the FBI after their cheating angered Nunzio. Eddie and Chavo received help from Rikishi, who was feuding with Nunzio’s crew.

The Match: After an opening brawl, Los Guerreros take control of Benoit and Rhyno with frequent tags, suplexes, and a slingshot senton. Then Benjamin tags, and Team Angle double-teams Rhyno and trades suplexes with Benoit. When Eddie returns, he suckers Rhyno in with a test of strength only to dropkick him. Benoit punishes Eddie for this with a superplex. He adds a gorilla press into a Crossface, but Haas breaks up the hold and their pin attempts. Next, Chavo enters and fends off Team Angle until Benoit does rolling Germans.

What they don’t notice is that Shelton makes a blind tag. He superkicks Benoit, but Eddie won’t leave. Eddie still fights with Benoit and collides with him, so Shelton sends Eddie to the floor and gives Benoit a leg drop. As Shelton covers, Eddie interrupts it with a Frog Splash. Now, Chavo tags himself in when Benoit comes near. Chavo takes a suplex from Haas and a Gore from Rhyno. Rhyno even Gores Haas, so Eddie pulls Rhyno outside. While they tussle, Benjamin pins Chavo for the three.

Thoughts: This was good fun. They kept it flowing and never let it drag. Everyone shined, and the crowd reacted well to the big spots. But the best part was the referee remembered the legal man, which factored into the finish. It’s a simple detail, but I like it.

Winners: Team Angle (8:48)

Elsewhere, Torrie takes a picture of Stacy and the Cat Fight Girls. Then Stacy tells them to thank Mr. McMahon because Mania was his grand vision twenty years ago. Torrie corrects Stacy after hearing what she says. She says Hulk Hogan made Mania what it is. An argument ensues until Stacy shoves her hand in Torrie’s face and says, “Whatever.” Once they leave, the Cat Fight Girls continue the disagreement. However, one of them can’t say Hogan’s name. She keeps calling him “Hulk Holgan”. They want to settle their dispute but argue about where to do it. Will the fight happen in the ring or in a bed? Lawler wants to know what they mean.

Now, it’s time for Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels. Lawler says cameras are filming for WrestleMania the Movie, so he wonders if Jericho wants to become a Hollywood star. Meanwhile, Shawn Michaels fires confetti guns during his entrance, but two don’t work. Shawn shrugs it off, which is a testament to his growth. The old Shawn would have thrown a fit.

Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho

Storyline: Jericho’s issues with Test continued. Chris screwed with Test and Stacy’s relationship. Plus, Jericho and Christian threatened Stacy with a chair. They cuffed Test to the ropes and made him watch Jericho put Stacy in the Walls, so Test ruined Jericho’s chances at winning the #1 contender’s battle royal. Afterward, Jericho defeated Test, and he and Christian tried to give Stacy a Conchairto. Shawn Michaels and Jeff Hardy intervened, but Jericho attacked Shawn when he arrived. He bloodied Michaels with the chair and challenged him to a match at Mania. Later, HBK blindsided Jericho with Sweet Chin Music and accepted the challenge. Jericho told Shawn he used to idolize him and model himself after him, but he thinks he’s better than Shawn. Chris said he became the backbone of WWE while Shawn sat at home for years. Then Jericho slapped Shawn, so Shawn returned the slap.

The Match: They begin with chain wrestling, which surprises Lawler. Shawn gains the advantage and flusters Jericho with crossbodies and a baseball slide. Jericho tries to answer with knockdowns, chops, and choking, but Shawn shoves him into the corner and puts him in a Figure Four. After reversing the hold, Jericho blocks another one and sends Shawn into the post. He throws Michaels over the ropes, but Shawn skins the cat and pulls Jericho outside with a headscissors. A slingshot crossbody follows before they brawl. Unfortunately for Shawn, Jericho catches a dropkick and locks him in the Walls on the floor. He even rams Shawn’s back into the post and nails a triangle dropkick. Now, Jericho focuses on the back with suplexes, a backbreaker, and a rear chinlock. Shawn escapes and scores a DDT, but Jericho rises first.

The problem is that Jericho wastes time mocking Shawn’s mannerisms, so Shawn rallies. He does a jumping forearm, a backdrop, and a moonsault. A crucifix comes next, which results in an exchange of pin attempts. Jericho grows frustrated when a Lionsault and the Walls aren’t enough. So, he uses an underhook backbreaker and a flying back elbow before tuning up the band. Jericho performs Sweet Chin Music, but it only earns two! Shawn almost returns the favor, but he can’t secure the Walls. However, Shawn reverses Jericho’s back superplex in mid-air! When they return to the top, Shawn knocks Jericho down and lands a flying elbow. A missed superkick leads to the Walls, but Shawn secures a rope break. So, Jericho argues with the ref and eats a superkick when he turns around. Shawn’s slow cover gets two, but Shawn counters a back suplex into a roll-up for three.

Thoughts: This was great. They built the drama slowly and told an amazing story. I liked how they stole each other’s finishers. Also, the ending makes it seem like Shawn squeaked out a victory instead of outright beating him. So, Jericho doesn’t look weak in defeat. They filled it with enough nearfalls and close finishes to let both men shine.

Winner: Shawn Michaels (22:34)

Jericho cries while Shawn celebrates. When Shawn sees him, he offers a handshake, but Jericho hugs him instead. Then Jericho kicks Shawn in the nuts and shoves him onto the mat. The fans boo as Jericho flips them off and leaves. JR calls his actions sad, but Lawler understands Jericho’s frustrations. Jericho waited years for this, and it didn’t turn out how he wanted.

Meanwhile, we see Sylvain Grenier in a referee shirt. He knocks on Mr. McMahon’s door and enters with a smile. In the arena, Chimel announces a new Safeco Field attendance record of 54,097 fans.

WWE’s favorite band is back to perform the PPV theme, “Crack Addict.” Fred Durst asks everyone if they are ready to rumble. (Somewhere, Michael Buffer calls his lawyers.) Plus, he asks the crowd if they are awake. The performance is fine, except the guitarist drowns him out at one point. That might be a good thing.

Next, Coach hosts the Cat Fight. We learn the Miller Lite girls’ names. Tanya Ballinger is the blonde, and Kitana Baker is the brunette. Coach explains the rules. They will fight on the bed but can only use the pillows. He won’t allow metallic objects. Before they begin, Stacy and Torrie interrupt them and turn it into a Fatal Four-Way. After all, they can’t do this without a Playboy cover girl. Torrie removes Stacy’s top and rolls her up for a spanking while the Miller girls tussle on the bed. Coach says this is out of control, so the girls roll over him! They also pull Coach’s pants down, and Stacy rolls him up while Torrie counts to three. I guess this means Stacy wins.

World Title Match: Triple H (c) (w/ Ric Flair) vs. Booker T

Storyline: Booker eliminated the Rock to win a #1 contender’s battle royal, but this didn’t impress Triple H. He said people like Booker didn’t deserve to be champions. They should dance and entertain everybody instead. Booker said there was more to him than being an entertainer. He had a criminal past, but rose above it to reach this level. Flair interrupted Booker’s heartfelt promo and told him he was only qualified to drive their limo and carry their bags. So Booker decked Flair and searched for Hunter. He found him in a bathroom. Hunter threw money at him and told him to fetch a towel, so Booker scuffled with him. Later, Hunter mocked and attacked Goldust when Goldust stood up for Booker. Plus, Hunter defeated Goldust after Orton took Booker out with a crutch. However, Booker and Goldust wrestled Hunter and Flair, and Booker pinned Hunter.

The Match: They fight in the corners until Booker makes Hunter regroup after a super arm drag. Fighting on the outside follows. They ram each other into the post and the steps, and Hunter scores a neckbreaker and a spinebuster. Then Booker answers with a DDT, a leg lariat, a side slam, and a jumping forearm. He even breaks a sleeper hold, but Hunter nails a high knee and a facebreaker. Undaunted, Booker fires back with his spinebuster and dropkicks Hunter when he dives at him. Unfortunately for Booker, he tumbles to the floor on a missed sidekick. Hunter distracts the ref so Flair can give Booker a shinbreaker on the steps.

Now, Hunter targets the leg with an Indian Deathlock, which JR loves. Booker secures a rope break, but Triple H continues his attack. It causes Booker to collapse on an Irish whip. Booker keeps trying to rally with pin attempts, so Hunter shoves him into the ref and kicks Booker’s knee. Nevertheless, Booker hits a desperation scissors kick, but his slow cover only gets two. Afterward, Booker climbs to the top. He fends off Flair and Hunter before performing the Hangover. The problem is, he lands right on Hunter’s head! Flair puts Triple H’s foot on the ropes to save him. Finally, Booker tries another scissors kick. He collapses, and Hunter Pedigrees him. Twenty-three seconds pass before Hunter drapes an arm over Booker for the victory.

Thoughts: Booker T should have won the match, given how they built the storyline. I agree with that criticism, but I will call one longstanding critique into question. The Hangover probably concussed Triple H. They bought him time for the closing moments of this encounter. The Pedigree was the only major spot he did after the Hangover. I don’t think he meant to take so long to cover Booker. That was legitimate sluggishness. As for the rest of the bout, it was good, but not great. I don’t know if the concussion changed their original plans.

Winner: Triple H (18:45)

Street Fight: Hulk Hogan vs. Mr. McMahon

Storyline: Vince and Sylvain Grenier mocked Hogan with a video called The Screwing of Hulk Hogan. The video showed what happened at No Way Out and included footage of Hogan telling Steph he wanted to wrestle Vince. Vince said he would never forgive Hogan for testifying against him and leaving for WCW. He said he created Hulkamania, and anyone could have played the part. Hogan couldn’t believe Vince thought he was merely the right gay guy at the right time. (He might have flubbed that line. Or did he?) Vince agreed to face Hogan after more insults, but only if Hogan put his career on the line. Then Vince claimed Hogan was an ingrate, forcing him to destroy his creation. Later, they held a contract signing. Vince ambushed Hogan with a chair and made Hogan sign the contract with his blood.

The Match: They brawl and choke each other until Vince targets Hogan’s arm. He puts Hogan in a knucklelock and keeps kicking him in the gut when he tries to rally. Eventually, Vince sends Hogan outside. He rams Hogan into the barricade and post before grabbing a chair. Vince’s chair shot strikes the post when he misses, so Hogan steals it and busts Vince open. Hogan goes for more, but Vince ducks, and the strike catches poor Hugo! The mistake allows Vince to throw a low blow and return the favor with the chair, which bloodies Hogan. Now Vince fetches a ladder and clears the Spanish table. He decks Hogan with a monitor. The blast knocks Hogan into position, and Vince does a leg drop off the ladder onto Hogan!

Vince rolls him inside, but Hogan kicks out! So Vince searches for a new weapon. He finds a lead pipe and rises, grinning maniacally. But before Vince can use it, Hogan nails a low blow. While this happens, a man in a trench coat enters the ring. It’s Rowdy Roddy Piper! He spits on both men and grabs the pipe. After telegraphing the swerve for ages, Roddy clocks Hogan. He leaves, but Vince’s cover only earns two! Vince goes for the pipe again. This time, Brian Hebner stops him, so Vince takes him out and calls for Grenier. Sylvain has to fend off Mike Sparks but reaches the ring as Vince gives Hogan a leg drop. When Vince covers, Hogan hulks up! He attacks Vince and throws Sylvain to the floor. A big boot and three leg drops secure Hogan’s victory.

Thoughts: This was good, bloody fun. They structured this perfectly and filled it with crazy spots and nice visuals. It was everything a Vince vs. Hogan fight should have been. I don’t like either man personally, but I’ll give them props for doing this at their age.

Winner: Hulk Hogan (20:47)

While Hogan celebrates and poses, Shane McMahon comes to the ring. Hogan spots him and removes his weight belt, but Shane assures Hogan that he’s there to check on his dad. A wary Hogan stares at Shane while he holds the ropes open for him, but Shane is telling the truth. Hogan leaves peacefully, so Shane attends to Vince.

Now, it’s time for the Rock vs. Steve Austin. Austin had a health scare before this event. He spent the night in the hospital because he thought he was having a heart attack. Austin took this as a sign that he should retire, so this ended up being his final match until WrestleMania 38. He wears a vest with the letters “OMR” on the side. They stand for “One more round”.

The Rock vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin

Storyline: Vince let the Rock move to RAW because the Rock defeated Hogan. Bischoff banned Austin from the building and put Rock in the #1 contender’s battle royal, which Booker won. The Rock didn’t earn a title shot, so he wanted something else. He challenged Austin because he never beat him at Mania. Meanwhile, Bischoff attempted to have wrestlers ambush Austin and had a rematch with Steve. Stone Cold succeeded, despite Rocky’s interference, but the Rock attacked Austin. All the while, Rock developed a mini-feud with the Hurricane, who didn’t like Rock’s new attitude. Austin helped the Hurricane pin the Rock! Later, Austin held up the show to call out the Rock. Bischoff kicked him out of the building, but Austin stayed in the parking lot. So, Bischoff set up speakers so Austin could hear Rock mock him with a live rock concert. Austin crashed it with Hurricane’s help.

The Match: They brawl until Rocky bails to avoid a Stunner. Then Austin meets him in the aisle, and they scuffle around the barricade, the announcer’s table, and the steps. The chaos causes an argument between Austin and Hebner, so Rock chop blocks Austin inside and outside the ring. Now, the Rock uses the post, the mat, and the apron to wear down Austin’s leg before putting him in a Sharpshooter. Austin secures a rope break, but Rock rams Austin’s knee into the post again. Hoping to add insult to injury, the Rock dons Austin’s vest, but this backfires. The disrespect lights a fire under Austin.

They go down to a double clothesline before Austin scores a Thesz Press. An elbow drop and mudhole stomping follow. Rock fires back with a jumping clothesline and kips up, but he wastes time and eats a Rock Bottom from Austin! It only gets two, and Rock returns the favor with a Stunner. When that also gains two, Austin nails the Stunner. This still can’t finish it, so Austin shoves Hebner. The outburst allows Rock to throw a low blow. He misses the first People’s Elbow, but Rock avoids a Stunner, ditches the vest, and lands the move on the second try. The elbow and two Rock Bottoms result in more kick outs! Finally, Rock ends it with a third Rock Bottom.

Thoughts: This dethroned Backlash ‘99 as my favorite Rock/Austin encounter. It wasn’t as flashy or dramatic as their other meetings, but this one had a satisfying finality. Hindsight and retrospect provided another layer. So, the complete picture makes this better.

Winner: The Rock (17:55)

After the match, you can see the Rock thanking Austin and telling him he loves him. Then, the Rock poses in the corners and celebrates with his family in the crowd. Once he leaves, they play Austin’s music while Steve limps up the ramp. He raises his middle fingers before leaving.

WWE Title Match: Brock Lesnar vs. Kurt Angle (c)

Storyline: Lesnar beat Haas and Benjamin, which earned him the right to face any member of Team Angle in a cage. He chose Heyman! Better yet, Stephanie said Brock would get a championship shot on Smackdown if he won. Brock succeeded, despite Angle’s interference, and received his chance. However, Kurt used the old Eric Angle switcheroo to pull a fast one on Lesnar. (They almost did a title switch because of Kurt’s neck issues, but he did the surgery after Mania.) An angry Lesnar gave Eric an F5 into the post afterward. Kurt called Lesnar a disgrace and called Brock out for an apology. He got Stephanie. She said Kurt would lose his gold at Mania if he tried any shenanigans. Then Lesnar arrived, but Eric and Kurt broke his ribs with a chair. Lastly, Kurt ambushed Lesnar with a 2×4 while Cena distracted Brock.

The Match: They start with mat wrestling, takedowns, and knockdowns until Brock scores a powerslam. Then Angle regroups when Brock shakes off a German suplex and clotheslines him. Now, Kurt uses a different tactic. He leads a chase and attacks Brock’s ribs when they enter the ring. Angle takes a press slam, but he responds with German suplexes. One of them sends Lesnar into the turnbuckles, and he falls outside. Kurt follows him. He rams Brock into the barricade and apron before locking him in a rear naked choke with a bodyscissors. Eventually, Brock breaks it by driving Kurt into the corner, but Angle answers with a belly-to-belly and a running knee to the ribs. When Kurt charges in for more, Brock surprises him with a spinebuster. Plus, Lesnar drives Kurt into the corner and does two belly-to-belly suplexes. They only earn two, so Kurt performs rolling Germans.

Kurt and Brock can’t hit an F5 or Angle Slam, but Kurt hooks an anklelock. Once Brock escapes, Kurt keeps charging at him until Angle nails a release German and Angle Slam. This still isn’t enough, which frustrates Angle. He goes for more, but Brock counters an Angle Slam and gives Kurt the F5. This time, Kurt kicks out! Brock seeks a second one, but Kurt reverses it into an anklelock. Brock reaches the ropes despite Kurt’s leg grapevine. A series of reversals ends with another F5, but he doesn’t cover him. Brock climbs the turnbuckles instead. He attempts a Shooting Star Press from too far away and lands on his head! Lesnar somehow kicks out! Finally, Kurt pulls Brock to his feet, but Brock kicks him and wins with a third F5.

Thoughts: That was an unfortunate finish, but the rest was quite good. They tried to build to a nice crescendo. If Brock had landed that SSP properly, this would have been great. (He pulled off perfect Shooting Star Presses in OVW. That’s why he wanted to do it here.) Nevertheless, I have to give them extra points for recovering from the botch. Coupling that with Kurt’s physical condition, you can’t fault this too much. Both men worked through adversity.

Winner: Brock Lesnar (New Champion) (21:08)

Brock looks dazed after the match. He can’t even stand, so Kurt helps him to his feet and gives him a handshake and a hug. Fireworks explode as the show ends.

The Good:

• The main event

• Rock vs. Austin

• Michaels vs. Jericho

• Vince vs. Hogan

• The WWE Tag Title match

• Trish vs. Victoria vs. Jazz

The Bad:

• The Cat Fight Girls stuff

• Limp Bizkit’s performances

Performer of the Night:

Picking someone proved difficult because so many people on this show deserved it. In the end, I went with a tie between Lesnar and Angle. Kurt worked through a broken neck, and Brock almost killed himself, but completed the match.

Final Thoughts:

This was a great WrestleMania. Most of the card delivered, and the bouts that fell short weren’t bad. The catfight stuff and the Limp Bizkit songs brought this down a notch, but I understand why they included those. You need cooldown segments between big matches on a four-hour show. I only wish they had chosen something else, but I still enjoyed this PPV.

Thank you for reading. My next review is Backlash 2003. Look for it next Sunday!