Wrestlemania Count-Up – Wrestlemania XVI (2015): Where It All Begins. Again.
IMG Credit: WWE
Wrestlemania XIV
Date: March 29, 1998
Location: FleetCenter, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 19,028
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler
Tag Team Battle Royal
Los Boricuas (Vega/Perez), Los Boricuas (Estrada/Castillo), Truth Commission (Recon/Sniper), Bradshaw/Chainz, Nation of Domination (Brown/Henry), Nation of Domination (Faarooq/Mustafa), Legion of Doom 2000, Quebecers, Rock N Roll Express, Headbangers, Too Much, Disciples of Apocalypse, Steve Blackman/Flash Funk, Godwinns, New Midnight Express
Ever the poor sports, the Godwinns come back in with their metal buckets to knock the LOD silly and give the Express a chance. Animal rolls under the ropes to the floor, leaving Hawk to beat up both goons on his own. Animal comes back in to clean house and the Express is clotheslined out to give LOD the win at 8:13.
Kevin Kelly and Honky Tonk Man tell us to CALL THE HOTLINE!
Clips of various media appearances that took place in Boston over the recent days. This would become a Wrestlemania tradition and always made the show feel more important.
Light Heavyweight Title: Taka Michinoku vs. Aguila
Michinoku is defending and won the inaugural title late last year. Aguila is better known as Essa Rios and slaps hands with the champion to start. A quick spinwheel kick sends Taka out to the floor and Aguila follows him out with a moonsault to the outside. Taka kicks him outside as well and nails his signature running springboard dive to take over again.
European Title: HHH vs. Owen Hart
Hart starts fast and scores with some early clotheslines and right hands in the corner followed by a standing hurricanrana for two. So much for the leg being badly damaged but he does seem a bit ginger. HHH sends him to the floor but Slaughter stops Chyna from interfering. Back in and a poke to the eye breaks up the Sharpshooter to give HHH control.
Rating: B. What a difference a year makes with HHH as he went from a slow, boring match with Goldust to a really good, fast paced match here with Owen. I never quite got why Hart kept losing and losing to HHH as you would think they might want to go somewhere with him as the last remaining Hart. At least he was a good opponent for HHH and we got a good match here.
Marc Mero/Sable vs. Luna/The Artist Formerly Known As Goldust
Mero celebrates like he got the pin in a perfect character move.
Intercontinental Title: Ken Shamrock vs. The Rock
Rock is defending and the leader of the Nation of Domination. He actually gave Shamrock a title shot back at the Rumble where Shamrock got disqualified and the feud has continued from there. This included Rock BLASTING Shamrock in the face with a chair a few weeks back on Raw in a shot that would probably get him fired today. Rock has the Nation in his corner, minus Faarooq who Rock took the leadership from. If Rock gets disqualified here, he loses the title.
Tag Team Titles: Cactus Jack/Chainsaw Charlie vs. New Age Outlaws
In Your House XXI ad.
We recap Undertaker vs. Kane and this is going to get a bit complicated. Paul Bearer had promised to destroy Undertaker and revealed that Undertaker had a brother named Kane, who had been horribly burned in a fire as a child, a fire that Bearer claimed Undertaker set. During the first Hell in a Cell match, Kane actually debuted and laid out Undertaker, seemingly setting up their first match. However, Undertaker vowed to his parents that he would never fight his brother.
Undertaker vs. Kane
They stare each other down and Undertaker hammers away to almost no effect. A big toss by the throat sends Undertaker into the corner but Kane charges into a boot to the face. Undertaker charges into a Tombstone attempt but gets dropped on his head in the corner. Kane knees Undertaker down in the corner before draping him ribs first across the top rope.
Bearer comes in for some cheap shots, allowing Kane to lay Undertaker out with a chair and another Tombstone. Kane and Bearer leave but Undertaker sits up again.
Another Attitude spot, but this time with some legends talking about how amazing their days were. In their time, there were no flashing lights or moonsaults, no walking the top rope or pyrotechnics. Today though, the legends are the ones cheering. Another outstanding ad here as you can see that everything is changing.
We recap Austin vs. Michaels, which translates to a video on Mike Tyson, who is the real star of this show and the reason it was such a big deal. This is one of the best celebrity investments in company history and made the match.
WWF World Title: Steve Austin vs. Shawn Michaels
JR gets the famous line with “The Austin Era has begun!” Michaels is ticked off at Tyson and takes a swing, earning him a right hand to the jaw to knock Shawn out cold. Confetti falls and the highlight package takes us out.
There are better Wrestlemanias out there but this one was the right show at the right time with the right ending. The memorable moments here are memorable for a reason and the show holds up today for all the right reasons. This show launched the WWF into its second great era and they never looked back. Well not for a few years at least.
Ratings Comparison
Tag Team Battle Royal
Original: D-
2013 Redo: D
2015 Redo: D+
Taka Michinoku vs. Aguila
Original: D+
2013 Redo: B
2015 Redo: B-
HHH vs. Owen Hart
Original: B-
2013 Redo: D+
2015 Redo: B
Marc Mero/Sable vs. The Artist Formerly Known As Goldust/Luna Vachon
Original: C
2013 Redo: C
2015 Redo: C
The Rock vs. Ken Shamrock
Original: C+
2013 Redo: C-
2015 Redo: D+
New Age Outlaws vs. Cactus Jack/Chainsaw Charlie
Original: C+
2013 Redo: C
2015 Redo: B
Kane vs. Undertaker
Original: D+
2013 Redo: C-
2015 Redo: D+
Steve Austin vs. Shawn Michaels
Original: B+
2013 Redo: B+
2015 Redo: A-
Overall Rating
Original: B+
2013 Redo: B
2015 Redo: B
That’s a lot more all over the place than usual, even by my standards.
And the 2013 Redo:
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