WrestleMania XV

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

WrestleMania XV

March 28, 1999

First Union Center

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

News & Notes: After St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, The Rock demanded a rematch with Mankind. Mick needed a week to recover from the Last Man Standing fight, but Rocky wanted his shot that night. HBK granted The Rock’s request, but he made it a Ladder Match. Mankind seemed to have the advantage until Paul Wight appeared. He grabbed Mankind and chokeslammed him off the ladder. This allowed Rocky to climb and reclaim his WWF Title. Now The Rock faces Stone Cold Steve Austin in the main event of WrestleMania.

In other news, Jim Ross returned with a chip on his shoulder. He said they took him off of TV because of a Bell’s Palsy attack. Since they wouldn’t let JR do commentary, he built his own announce desk. Ross placed it in front of Cole and Lawler and spoke over them. JR also brought Dr. Death with him as backup. Meanwhile, the Public Enemy arrived in the WWF. They started trouble with the Brood, so Gangrel and company kidnapped Rocco. The Brood strung him up backstage and gave him a bloodbath. But that wasn’t the Public Enemy’s only worry. They wrestled the Acolytes. Faarooq and Bradshaw beat the crap out of them because PE wanted to change the outcome of the match. Finally, strange vignettes aired for a character named Beaver Cleavage. It’s Headbanger Mosh in a lewd parody of Leave it to Beaver. This doesn’t last long.

Boyz II Men open the show by singing “America the Beautiful.” They are from Philly, but I swear I heard boos. Philadelphia boos anyone! I liked their version of the song. It sounded good.

Then they show the opening video. Freddie Blassie speaks about time and mortality. Some moments transcend fate and defy time. Gods among men crafted these to echo through the ages. They were born of will and christened by blood. It stands as a testament of the strong and mighty. These are deities who defy their own mortality. They forge an indelible imprint on the annals of time. Though they thrill and inspire us, they also make us angry. But this is their night to make the ultimate sacrifice. It’s their chance for divinity. Welcome to the showcase of the immortals!

Michael Cole welcomes everyone to WrestleMania. It’s the granddaddy of them all and it will shape the lives of heroes! Cole also says there is no love in the air for the WWF’s most anticipated match. Stone Cold battles The Rock for the WWF Title. Lawler believes there is nothing left to say, so let’s get it on!

Then Al Snow, Hardcore Holly, and Billy Gunn arrive for the first bout. Gunn tries to do his shtick, but Al Snow jumps him.

Triple Threat Match for the Hardcore Title: Hardcore Holly vs. Al Snow (w/ Head) vs. Billy Gunn (c)

Notes: Bob Holly used his newfound success to shed his old image. Now he calls himself Hardcore Holly. Meanwhile, Al Snow and Road Dogg both wanted to regain the title. Holly tried to save Snow from Road Dogg’s beating, so Dogg invited them to fight in the parking lot. This led to Snow & Holly vs. the Outlaws. However, Snow and Holly fought each other after a miscommunication. Then things took an unexpected turn. They swapped the feuds! The Outlaws’ rivals teamed to face them. It was Holly & Venis vs. Dogg & Gunn. Val scored an upset pin on Dogg, so Road Dogg challenged him for the IC belt and won! Billy Gunn followed his partner’s lead and wrestled Holly for the Hardcore gold. He was victorious. Later, Dogg and Gunn met in a title vs. title bout. Snow and Goldust interrupted to protect their respective championship shots.

The Match: Al Snow fights off Gunn and Holly and stomps them. Then the fight spills outside. They use camera cables, the barricade, and the steps. Holly suplexes Snow on the floor, but Gunn attempts to piledrive Holly. Snow stops it. Afterward, Al introduces a hockey stick and a tray of drinks to the action. Gunn breaks the stick on Snow’s back, so Al answers with a low blow. Next, Al breaks a broom and wields it as a weapon. He then takes a chair from Gunn and nails a double jump wheel kick. Al tries to do the same to Holly and misses. After some fighting outside, Snow decks both men with Head. He then grabs a table. It backfires. Gunn hip tosses Snow onto the plunder and gives him a Fameasser on a chair! When Gunn covers Snow, Holly whacks Billy with a chair and steals the pin.

Thoughts: Hardcore matches are fun when they venture out and use the space. This one stayed in the ring. Plus, they didn’t give them enough time to do much with it. It was mindless weapon attacks until the finish. Also, they shouldn’t have swapped Gunn and Road Dogg. Russo changed the booking because someone leaked the plans to the dirtsheets. Who cares? He worried too much about a tiny portion of the audience.

Winner: Hardcore Holly (New Champion) (7:06)

Next, they recap what happened on Heat. They held a battle royal to determine Jarrett and Owen’s opponents. The final two men received a tag title shot. It came down to D’Lo Brown and Test. Owen and Jarrett jumped them before they realized they won.

Cole says the tag champs decided when this match would happen. They didn’t want D’Lo and Test to rest. D’Lo and Ivory enter first. Ivory has a bandage on her face because Terri burned her with a cigar. Then Test joins D’Lo and they argue. While this happens, Jarrett and Owen arrive with Debra. She wears a blazer over a white bikini. Ivory can’t believe her eyes.

Tag Team Title Match: Jeff Jarrett & Owen Hart (c) (w/ Debra) vs. D’Lo Brown & Test (w/ Ivory)

Notes: Jarrett and Owen pissed off most of the tag division. They claimed they beat everyone, so they called for more competition. This led to matches with Triple H & X-Pac, Public Enemy, and the Brood. The latter earned Debra a bloodbath. Meanwhile, they also dealt with a vengeful D’Lo Brown. He wrestled Jarrett and Owen in handicap and singles bouts. D’Lo then dressed as the Blue Blazer and cost Jarrett a victory. But that wasn’t D’Lo’s only issue. PMS antagonized Brown and Ivory. Terri even burned Ivory with her cigar. Poor D’Lo has too many enemies, and Mark Henry is out with an injury. D’Lo’s only hope of beating Jarrett and Owen was a battle royal on Heat. The final two men would receive a tag title shot. It came down to D’Lo and Test, so Brown must overcome a hostile partner to win the belts.

The Match: D’Lo and Test jump them and knock Owen outside. Brown uses strikes and a hip toss. Test nails a powerbomb. He continues with a pumphandle slam, but Owen escapes and does an enziguri. Then D’Lo saves Test from a Sharpshooter. D’Lo tags, but Jarrett stops him with a knee to the back. This allows Jarrett and Owen to double-team D’Lo. Test berates Brown for getting in trouble. Jarrett and Owen do a double clothesline and a wishbone. But D’Lo avoids more clotheslines and takes them down. He follows with a leg lariat and a Sky High to Jarrett. Owen breaks up the pin, so Test brings him to the floor. While he’s there, Debra argues with Ivory as PMS joins the party. It distracts Test. D’Lo tries to powerbomb Jarrett, so Owen hits him with a missile dropkick. Jeff flips D’Lo into a jackknife pin for the three.

Thoughts: It was too short and pointless to be good. The action was fine, but no one cared. This is their biggest show. Why did they put a random team in this spot? It felt like a throwaway match on RAW. This doesn’t help Jarrett and Owen. They defeated a makeshift team and weren’t the focus.

Winners: Jeff Jarrett & Owen Hart (3:58)

PMS leaves as Test argues with Ivory. D’Lo confronts Test, so they brawl into the aisle. Jimmy Korderas breaks up the fight.

Next, they hype the Brawl for All contest between Butterbean and Bart Gunn. Bart says Butterbean is a tough fighter. He respects him. Then Bart guarantees an exciting fight. He claims it will be hard-hitting. They won’t dance around. It will be a slug-fest. We then hear comments from boxing insiders and sparring partners.

Afterward, they show Isaac Hayes and the Mean Street Posse in the crowd. They mug for the camera while the Fink introduces the special referee. He is the Pazmanian Devil, Vinny Pazienza. We also meet the judges. They invited Kevin Rooney, Chuck Wepner, and Gorilla Monsoon. This is sadly Gorilla’s final public appearance before his death. The fans give him an ovation. Next, the competitors and their trainers arrive. Finkel calls Bart Gun the Hammer. Cole mentions this is the city where Gunn won the Brawl for All.

Brawl for All Match: Butterbean vs. Bart Gunn

Notes: Bart Gunn returned to TV only to hear his former partner trash-talking him. Hardcore Holly called him weak, so Gunn challenged him for the Hardcore Title. During the bout, a masked man attacked Bart. We later learned it was Dr. Death Steve Williams. Jim Ross told Steve to jump Bart as punishment for the Brawl for All. Ross was sick of Bart bragging about beating Williams. Then the WWF announced Bart would face Butterbean at WrestleMania. They implied JR set up the fight to humiliate Gunn. Butterbean didn’t appear on TV. They hyped this contest with video packages.

The Match: Butterbean throws hard left hands. Bart only lands a few punches before Bean knocks him down. Gunn rises at eight, but Bean knocks him out cold with a right hand.

Thoughts: This was embarrassing and pointless. Bart Gunn won the Brawl for All almost a year prior. They put him in this position to humble him for knocking out Steve Williams. It’s petty. This is why you don’t do shoot fights in a pro-wrestling environment. People get upset when they don’t get the desired outcome.

Winner: Butterbean (0:35)

The San Diego Chicken then runs to the ring. He dances and fakes Vinny Pazienza out with a handshake. The chicken then mocks Vinny and pats him on the butt. Vinny decks him with a playful right hand and does a crotch chop. This doesn’t stop the chicken from taunting him.

Afterward, they recap an incident from Heat. Big Show waited for Austin to arrive only for Mankind to jump him. They brawled while Austin entered the building behind them. Wight missed his chance.

This leads to a Mankind promo. Kevin Kelly says Mankind wanted to be part of the main event. The opportunity knocked, so Mankind answered. Tonight, he must go through an out-of-control Big Show to referee Austin vs. The Rock. Mankind says he jumped every hurdle Vince put in his way. He tried to play nice, but Big Show will get an angry young man. Mankind tells Wight to try to have a nice day.

Winner will be Referee for the Main Event: Mankind vs. The Big Show

Notes: Vince appointed Paul Wight as the referee for Austin vs. The Rock. Since Wight cost Mankind his title, Mick wanted to take Wight’s role as an official. Mankind even offered to referee a match between Rock and Wight. It was a setup. Rock and Wight beat Mick up. Foley still sought the job, so McMahon made him jump through hoops. Mankind had two chances to earn the right. He wrestled Taker and then Austin. Mankind won the former by DQ and the latter by count out because of Wight’s botched interference. Vince berated Wight for his incompetence. Then Vince announced Mankind must defeat Wight at Mania to become the ref. Afterward, Vince gave Wight another chance to prove himself. Wight (now known as Big Show) faced Austin. Stone Cold pinned him after chair shots and a Stunner. Big Show then waited for Austin on Heat, but Mankind jumped him.

The Match: Mankind tries in vain to knock Big Show down, but Show sends him to the floor. There, they trade punches and Mankind attempts a Double-Arm DDT. Big Show blocks it and shoves Mick over the steps. Back inside, Show does chops and punches in the corner. He also lands a Russian Leg Sweep, but Show tumbles outside on a missed clothesline. Next, Mankind grabs multiple Socko Claws. Show breaks them with punches and headbutts until Mankind uses a low blow. He secures another claw only for Big Show to lift him on his back and fall on him. Then Show hits Mankind with chairs. Hebner warns him, but Show ignores it. He sets up two chairs and chokeslams Mankind onto them! Hebner calls for the bell.

Thoughts: Big Show is still adjusting to the WWF style, so this was awkward. Mick bumped well for him, but the action was slow. The finish was the only interesting part. It puts sympathy on Mankind, but they made Big Show look like a fool.

Winner: Mankind (by DQ) (6:50)

Big Show continues hitting Mankind with a chair and then almost leaves. However, Vince appears and tells him to get back into the ring. He chastises Big Show for his mistake. Vince doesn’t care about Mankind, but Show might have ruined Vince’s plans! Show tries to leave again, so Vince calls him a nobody. Big Show almost chokeslams Vince for the slight. He reconsiders it, but Vince can’t help himself. He tells Show to belittle himself and then slaps him! Big Show retaliates with a punch to Vince’s head. Cole calls it the second knockout of the night. As Show leaves, he yells at the Stooges. Patterson and Brisco help Vince to his feet while they place Mankind on a stretcher.

Then the Stooges lead Vince backstage. They ask what he will do about the referee situation for the main event. Vince promises to think of something. But first, he wants the cops to arrest the Big Show for assault!

Next, we get the entrances for the Intercontinental Title match. Road Dogg says there is no brotherly love tonight. He also asks for someone to roll this dog a bone. Val Venis is next. He promises the ladies the Intercontinental belt won’t keep his pants on. Then Goldust arrives with the Blue Meanie and Ryan Shamrock. Meanie sticks his tongue out at Ryan.

Four Corners Elimination Match for the Intercontinental Title: Road Dogg (c) vs. Goldust (w/ The Blue Meanie & Ryan Shamrock) vs. Ken Shamrock vs. Val Venis

Notes: Ryan Shamrock caused chaos in the IC Title picture. First, Val dumped her after she almost cost him a victory. So Billy Gunn picked her up next, but Ryan went with a surprising choice instead. Venis wrestled Goldust and Shamrock in a Triple Threat. During the bout, Goldust distracted Ken by making out with Ryan. This didn’t sit well with Goldust’s newest ally, The Blue Meanie. He helped Goldust win a match and joined forces with his former rival. Meanie called Goldust his mother. However, Meanie grew jealous of Ryan. He even challenged her to a fight. These shenanigans infuriated Ken Shamrock. Then Road Dogg entered the fray by defeating Venis. Dogg defended the belt against Shamrock on Heat. Goldust and Meanie interrupted the contest.

The Match: Everyone brawls until Shamrock and Dogg are in the ring. When Goldust enters, he gives Ken a spinebuster. Venis tags and does the same to Goldust. Val then blocks Goldust’s superplex and lands a super bulldog. Afterward, Val and Goldust collide. Venis lands on his crotch. While they’re dazed, Ken and Dogg give both men DDTs. This leads to Road Dogg’s return. He does Shake, Rattle, & Roll to Goldust and Ken. Dogg also drops Venis with a pumphandle slam. Later, Val escapes Ken’s anklelock and heads outside. Ryan distracts her brother, so Val jumps him. They brawl down the aisle and the ref counts them out. A furious Shamrock hits belly-to-belly suplexes on everybody and leaves. Goldust recovers, but Ryan trips him by accident. While he argues, Dogg charges at him. Goldust does a powerslam, but Dogg turns it into a pin.

Thoughts: Switching Road Dogg and Gunn killed the heat for this bout. The fans didn’t care about it. They reacted to the finish, but that’s it. Plus, they were lazy with the eliminations. It felt like filler.

Winner: Road Dogg (9:47)

Meanie and Goldust yell at Ryan and tell her to get lost. Lawler wants to console her. He says she got dumped again! Then Goldust hugs the Meanie as they leave.

Meanwhile, the cops arrest the Big Show. They load him into a squad car while Show gives them some attitude. He calls one cop Bob Newhart. Then Show says someone hands them a badge and they think they have some stroke. Cole can’t believe they arrested him.

Next, they recap the Triple H/Kane feud. Cole calls it emotional. Everyone played with fire. It left Chyna and Kane burned. Kane showed surprising compassion and emotion.

This leads to Kane’s entrance, but the San Diego Chicken jumps him from behind! Kane removes the chicken’s head to reveal—Pete Rose! Kane rolls Pete into the ring and gives him another Tombstone. He then sets off his pyro. The officials help Rose out of the ring while Triple H’s music plays. However, Hunter jumps out of the crowd and nails a low blow!

Kane vs. Triple H

Notes: Triple H and X-Pac wrestled Kane & Shane on RAW. During the action, Kane and Hunter brawled to the back. Then X-Pac faced Chyna. Triple H helped Pac win by giving Chyna a Pedigree. Later, Kane lost an Inferno Match to Taker, so Vince had enough. Vince put Kane in a bout with Austin. If he lost, Vince would return Kane to the asylum and fire Chyna. The contest ended with no winner because Big Show screwed it up. They kept their jobs and called Triple H out. During the brawl, Kane shot a fireball at Hunter. He struck Chyna by mistake! Triple H knew Kane meant it for him. Hunter demanded a fight with Kane. He got Taker in disguise instead. Despite the setback, Hunter scored revenge. Kane had an encounter with Goldust, but it was Hunter in the costume. He burned Kane with a flamethrower.

The Match: Hunter throws punches in the corner and backdrops Kane over the ropes. They scuffle on the floor and send each other into the barricade, steps, and table. This continues as they shove, ram, and crotch each other on the barrier. Then Kane tosses Triple H onto the Mean Street Posse’s laps. Back inside, Kane nails strikes and whips Hunter around the ring. He also knocks Helmsley outside and lands a pescado! But Hunter answers with a face crusher and a high knee. This draws out Chyna. She puts the steps into the ring. Triple H kicks them into Kane’s face and does a drop toe hold on them. After more brawling on the floor, Kane performs a chokeslam in the ring. However, Chyna has a chair and wants to hit Hunter. She enters the ring, swings the chair, and decks—Kane! The ref calls for the bell.

Thoughts: It started slowly and turned into something decent. I don’t mind the storyline aspects, but the finish was disappointing. This is the first half of another Russo swerve. The second part comes later. That’s fine for TV, but it’s a letdown on PPV.

Winner: Kane (by DQ) (11:33)

Kane almost attacks Chyna, but he backs down. Hunter uses the opening to give Kane more chair shots. He then hits a Pedigree on the chair. Chyna jumps into Hunter’s arms and they hug. Lawler calls her a two-faced she devil, but it delights Cole. He says DX reunited. Blood was thicker than money.

Kevin Kelly tries to clarify the referee situation for the main event. He says they took Mankind to a hospital. Before Kevin says more, Vince McMahon wanders into the shot. He claims he has the best-looking referee shirt in the business. Therefore, he is the special ref for Austin vs. The Rock! Cole and Lawler can’t believe it.

Sable then arrives for the Women’s Title match. She takes a mic and says, “This is for all the women who want to be me and the men who came to see me!” Sable asks if the fans are ready for The Grind. She does a dance while the fans cheer. This leads to Tori’s entrance. She wears an airbrushed body suit.

Women’s Title Match: Sable (c) vs. Tori

Notes: Sable’s attitude changed after she appeared in Playboy. Kevin Kelly interviewed Sable to celebrate her accomplishment. The obsessed fan interrupted, so Sable called her a wannabe. She had security remove her. But Sable invited her back the following week. We learned the fan’s name is Tori. She sang Sable’s praises, only for Sable to call her pathetic. Luna came to Tori’s defense, but Tori helped Sable beat Luna up! This led to Luna vs. Tori. It ended in a DQ, and Luna choked Tori out. Sable didn’t help. She taunted Tori and walked away. Tori had enough. She wouldn’t live in Sable’s shadow anymore. Tori challenged her to a match at Mania. Later, Sable wrestled Ivory. PMS ruined the bout. Tori then attacked a distracted Sable, but Sable fended her off and mocked Tori again.

The Match: Tori hesitates to enter the ring. When she does, Sable shoves her into the ropes. Then they fight to the floor and whip each other into the barricade and the apron. Sable does a crossbody off the ring and rolls Tori inside. Tori rallies with clotheslines and punches. Next, Sable reverses a whip, but Tori surprises her with an awkward sunset flip. However, Sable turns it into a jackknife pin. When Tori bridges out of it, they collapse. Afterward, Tori wipes out the ref on a missed crossbody. Sable attempts a Sable Bomb, but Tori counters and almost lands on her feet. As this happens, Nicole Bass runs to the ring and press slams Tori. Bass tells a confused Sable to pin her. Sable grabs Tori and nails a Sable Bomb for the win.

Thoughts: It was awkward and messy. They had no chemistry. Tori wrestled for years in Japan, but even she looked lost in this bout. It wasn’t all Sable’s fault. At least they kept it short. Also, Nicole Bass’s debut got almost no reaction. It all fell flat.

Winner: Sable (5:06)

Kevin Kelly is with X-Pac and DX. He says X-Pac’s chances increased because Chyna came home. Triple H says DX is one big house again. They are stronger than ever. Shane better bring everything he has because X-Pac will hand him his shiny corporate ass. X-Pac tells Shane to get ready for pain.

This leads to Shane’s entrance. He brings Test with him. The Mean Street Posse cheers for their childhood friend. Then we see Shane’s special baseball jersey for this bout. It has the numbers 1-2-3 on the back. Next, X-Pac arrives, but the Stooges jump him. X-Pac fights them off when Patterson hits Brisco by accident. Pac then charges to the ring, so Shane bails.

European Title Match: Shane McMahon (c) (w/ Test) vs. X-Pac

Notes: Shane only agreed to the tag match against Triple H & X-Pac on one condition. X-Pac had to put his European Title on the line. Once Kane and Hunter brawled to the back, Shane pinned Pac with Chyna’s aid. He won the Euro gold! Shane celebrated with champagne. He then defended the belt against Gillberg and the Stooges dressed as the LOD. We also met Shane’s childhood friends, The Mean Street Posse. (This is Rodney, Pete Gas, and Willie Green. Joey Abs comes later.) They said Shane never lost a fight on the mean streets of Greenwich. X-Pac challenged Shane for Mania. However, Shane made him face Chyna for the right. Pac succeeded with Hunter’s help. Later, X-Pac went after Shane backstage. The Mean Street Posse jumped Pac while Shane escaped in a car.

The Match: Shane leads X-Pac on a chase until Shane eats a heel kick. But Shane does it again. This time, Test crotches X-Pac on the post. Shane capitalizes with strikes. He even tries a Corporate Elbow. It misses. However, Shane throws a low blow and whips Pac with Test’s belt. X-Pac takes the fight outside again only for the Posse to grab him. He fights them and deals with more Test interference. X-Pac thwarts Test and grabs the belt. He avenges the earlier whipping. X-Pac also lands a Bronco Buster, but Test decks him with the European Title. Next, Shane misses his own Bronco Buster and X-Pac does one to Test. This draws out Hunter and Chyna. Hunter pulls Test out of the ring while Chyna occupies the ref. It allows Hunter to enter the ring and—give X-Pac a Pedigree! He drags Shane onto Pac for the pin.

Thoughts: This was good fun. I liked the storytelling. Plus, Shane looked great for someone who didn’t wrestle often. I’m even fine with the Triple H swerve. This begins his rise to the top. DX ran its course. It was time for a change.

Winner: Shane McMahon (8:41)

Cole can’t believe Triple H and Chyna screwed X-Pac and joined the Corporation! The Outlaws storm to the ring, but Hunter and Test jump them. They stomp Road Dogg and Gunn in the corners until Kane’s music plays. He walks to the ring, so the Corporation retreats. Kane chases them backstage while the Outlaws check on X-Pac. Road Dogg hears Lawler say this finished DX. He corrects him. Road Dogg says they will finish Triple H.

Then they recap the Ministry/Corporation feud. Taker says he owns the keys to Vince’s heart and soul. He can take anybody at any time. Vince called his bluff, so Taker sent McMahon cryptic and symbolic warnings. Later, he strapped Boss Man to the symbol, so Vince had Taker arrested. Taker retaliated by invading Vince’s home. He burned his symbol on Vince’s lawn. Taker also implied he would give Vince’s daughter the father-figure she never had.

During Taker’s entrance, Cole says the Undertaker answers to a higher power. The police arrested him for his cause, but it didn’t stop him. Lawler even compares Taker to Lucifer. Once the competitors arrive, the officials lock the cell’s door. Paul Bearer asks why.

Hell in a Cell Match: The Undertaker (w/ Paul Bearer) vs. Big Boss Man

Notes: The Undertaker terrorized the Corporation, Vince, and even Vince’s family. He promised to drag Vince to hell with him. Taker sent Vince a mysterious note. Paul Bearer also delivered a teddy bear to Vince. Taker lit it on fire during the Inferno Match with Kane. The symbolic gesture horrified Vince. Boss Man targeted Taker, but the Ministry strapped Boss to the symbol. Vince called the cops and had Taker arrested. So Taker retaliated by trespassing at the McMahon mansion. He burned his symbol on the lawn. Afterward, Taker said, “Soon I will take her!” We didn’t know who he meant, but Vince did. A distraught Vince begged Kane for help, only to discover it was Taker in disguise! Finally, on Heat, the Ministry jumped Boss Man, and the Brood gave him a bloodbath.

The Match: They trade strikes until Boss Man nails a swinging neckbreaker. Taker keeps rising, so Boss Man stomps him. Then they fight to the floor and ram each other into the cage wall. (Cole worries they will catch their fingers in there!) Boss gains the advantage and cuffs Taker to the cell. He uses the nightstick until the cuffs break. Taker is bleeding, but he throws punches and chair shots. He follows with a jumping clothesline and tries Old School. Boss Man crotches Taker and shoves him against the cage. This leads to more traded strikes and a Taker low blow. Taker ends it with a Tombstone after two tries.

Thoughts: This was dull. The fans expected the chaos and brutality of previous cell matches. They got a boring brawl instead. The crowd turned on it and booed. Plus, this was heel vs. heel, so they already didn’t care. They wasted a Hell in a Cell stipulation on this.

Winner: The Undertaker (9:46)

Taker motions toward the ceiling, and the Brood repels onto the cell. They break a hole in the roof and lower a noose into the ring. The Undertaker wraps it around Boss Man’s neck as Paul Bearer takes the cell controls. He lifts the cage, and it raises the Boss Man with it. Boss Man hangs from the noose while Lawler calls for help. Cole keeps asking if this is symbolic.

Then Cole recaps the WrestleMania Rage Party as if nothing happened. They show clips of the festivities. Big Punisher, Isaac Hayes, and the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies performed. We see clips of the Stooges trying to sneak inside using a horse costume. Meanwhile, Mankind performed a little stand-up routine. Later, Rock and Austin confronted each other. Even the Undertaker crashed the fun. He threatened Vince.

Next, Cole introduces Jim Ross to do commentary for the main event. The fans give him an ovation. Once JR takes his seat, the Fink welcomes the special referee, Vince McMahon. Vince lied. He didn’t have a great referee shirt. He wears a sleeveless sweatshirt. But it doesn’t matter. HBK appears and taunts Vince. He tells McMahon to read the rule book. Only the commissioner can appoint a special referee. So he tells Vince to take his Jack LaLanne body and get the hell out of there. Also, Shawn bans the Corporation from ringside. However, he might allow Vince. Shawn says if the Corporation breaks his rules, he’ll fight Vince out back.

This leads to Rock and Austin’s entrances. JR calls The Rock a 27-year-old prodigy. Lawler thinks he’s a better champion than the beer-swilling idiot, Steve Austin. Speaking of Austin, he arrives without his vest. Austin wears a t-shirt instead. (Steve had a fight with his wife and stormed out of the house without the vest in his bag.) When Steve enters the ring, The Rock blocks him from posing on the turnbuckles. Austin has enough and throws punches.

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

Notes: Big Show’s repeated botched interference made The Rock paranoid. He thought Show was helping Austin. Vince assured him Big Show was there to prevent Austin from regaining the title. But Austin stirred the pot. He implied Show was on his side. Vince wanted Rock to get his head on straight. He had Rocky and Show team against Austin and Mankind. During the fight, Austin put Rock through the announce table. This increased The Rock’s worries. Rocky’s anxiety drew Boss Man’s ire. They almost came to blows until the Ministry arrived. Rock and Big Show fended them off. Then, on RAW, Austin interrupted The Rock’s promo in a beer truck. He used a fire hose to spray the Corporation with beer! An irate Vince booked Austin vs. Big Show, but Austin won. Finally, on Heat, Vince turned this into a No DQ bout.

The Match: They brawl around the arena and the entrance. Rock drops Austin on the floor. Austin recovers and whips Rock into the Mania sign. Afterward, they return to ringside and Austin puts Rock through the announce table. But Rocky lands a Rock Bottom in the ring. It only gets two! Austin then wipes out the ref with an errant chair shot. When Tim White arrives, Rock uses a chair, chinlocks, and a Samoan Drop. They don’t work, so a frustrated Rock gives White the Rock Bottom. Austin nails a Stunner as Hebner arrives. It gets two. This draws out Vince. He clocks Hebner and joins Rocky in stomping Austin. So Mankind returns and takes over as ref. Austin rallies with a Thesz Press only to eat another Rock Bottom. However, Rock misses the elbow. It leads to traded finisher attempts until Austin scores a Stunner. Foley counts the three.

Thoughts: This was a fun brawl. I don’t always like crowd fighting, but they kept it interesting. The finish was a little overbooked. However, I still enjoyed it. The loud fans helped. It was exciting chaos. Rock and Austin have better matches, but this was still great.

Winner: Steve Austin (New Champion) (16:52)

Vince buries his face in his hands while Austin celebrates with beers. Lawler calls it a black day, but JR loves it. He says Vince reaped what he sowed. JR also mocks Lawler for asking if Vince is alright. After a minute, Austin almost leaves, but he returns for more beers. Even Earl Hebner shares some brews. Vince has enough. He confronts Austin in the aisle. McMahon says that’s his belt! Austin feigns handing it to him, but he punches Vince instead. He rolls McMahon into the ring for a Stunner. Austin then pours beer on McMahon and poses with a foot on his chest.

The Good:

• The main event was great.

• X-Pac/Shane was good fun.

• The Pete Rose stuff was funny.

The Bad:

• That awful Hell in a Cell Match and the aftermath.

• Switching Billy Gunn and Road Dogg’s feuds for no reason.

• Butterbean/Bart Gunn.

Observations:

• If only HBK can appoint the special ref, the entire Mankind/Big Show feud made no sense.

• They made Big Show look foolish during his first month in the company.

• They edited it out of the network version, but Cole spoiled the main event during the live PPV. He accidentally said fans could see the new WWF champ on the Home Shopping Network the next day.

Performer of the Night:

I’m giving it to The Rock and Austin. They had the best match of the night and saved this event from being disappointing. I’ll also give an honorable mention to Shane McMahon. He did great in his first big showcase.

Final Thoughts:

It’s a two-match show. Rock vs. Austin and X-Pac vs. Shane were the only good bouts. Everything else ranged from bad to mediocre and flat. Strange booking decisions plagued the PPV. It’s not only the Road Dogg/Billy Gunn stuff. They also threw together a makeshift team for their tag title bout. This is their biggest show, but most of this felt like an extended RAW. It’s a step down from last year’s WrestleMania.

Thank you for reading. My next review is WCW’s Spring Stampede ’99. Look for it next Sunday.