[BrownieDude]

As long as they don't do any dangerous spots being thrown off the side I see no reason not to go the top.

Last one to go to the top was Jericho/HHH right?

[INVINCIBLE]

Monday Nitro
Chris Benoit vs. Owen Hart
A Tribute to Owen Hart

This is a match that a wrestling purist can watch over and over again. Bret Hart and Chris Benoit were both very close with the late Owen Hart and this was their way to pay homage to his memory. The crowd was quite good during the match and played to Owen and to the match

As for the in ring action. It was the usual formulaic Benoit match and it was the usual formulaic Bret match. But for once, the lack of a change was the best part of the match. Bret and Benoit wrestled the same style and resorted to some Owen Hart type moves (tombstone for e.g.) and the crowd ate it up. The start and finish of the match were the most exciting parts. Some of the middle parts of the matches lagged but it can looked at as foundation for the finish. Both men worked over each other's backs. Psychology was great but storytelling wasn't as...

The emotion of the match was toned down way too much and it affected the storytelling. Bret Hart and Benoit both should've let themselves loose but I do understand they had to tone it down to deliver what they did in the ring. This match could've been the greatest match of all time but for a few reasons, it wasn't. CLASSIC

****1/4

[I luv Mickie James]

As long as they don't do any dangerous spots being thrown off the side I see no reason not to go the top.

Last one to go to the top was Jericho/HHH right?

Yes it was, that was a "darn" good match too - ****1/4

Edit - Invincible good review and I agree with your rating.

[Andy3000]

Originally Posted by crippler_crossface

Wrestlemania 19 - Stone Cold Steve Austin vs The Rock

This is actually just the second time I've ever watched this match. First of all I've gotta say the wrestling in this one doesn't hold a candle to their spectacular WM 17 performance. The sequences, the false finishes, the selling, the drama and the length given to develop a unique story were all much better in that encounter. However this match is still special in its own right for these factors:

Match took a slightly different approach with Rocky as the jealous heel, working over the knee because he knows a different game plan is needed because his past approaches against Austin have been unsuccessful. The story was different this time around. It was all about Rocky trying to break his voodoo against Austin and come out of his shadow, as if this one accomplishment of beating Austin at WM meant as much to his career as anything. Finally, the fact that the Rock went over which was much needed and really felt like the perfect ending to an epic feud.

It still made Austin look strong because it took 3 Rock Bottom's to get him down, which was sweet irony as well - nice psychology. The chemistry is there as usual and take 3 of the Rock/Austin rivalry was just as exciting as their previous feuds - two of the greatest of all time settling their score once and for all at such a grand occassion makes the match feel special and meaningful to watch.

However they just weren't as crisp with each other this time, it defintiely went at a slower gear and it felt like what they were capable of doing in this match was definitely limited/restricted compared to their past encounters. The first section of the match is just a lot of striking, a bit of working over the leg and the last section is just the usual overbooked overuse of finishers and opponents finishers, which wasn't at as frantic of a pace this time or didn't feel as special - made the match seem a little too basic and formulaic IMO. That's why I honestly couldn't see mself going above this rating, but the feud, finale and emotion just make it scrape the **** mark for me.

****

Absolutely agree with this! One of the reasons I have it at that level is that it's clearly Austin's swansong as an active wrestler, but, like you mentioned, the storytelling, psychology, in ring moveset etc. just wasn't to the same standards of their Wrestlemania 17 match. Quite a few people have this as the better match, but I most definitely prefer their previous effort. Great review

Invincible, I'd maybe go ****1/2 for Bret/Benoit, but I agree with your review for the most part otherwise. Good stuff.

Just about to go watch/review Bret v Perfect from 'Slam 91 (which I was intending on doing last night, but I watched Rambo I instead ) followed by the Flair/Brody 2/3 falls match from '83 (all the Brody talk has convinced me to dig out my Brody comp).

[louballer5588]

Random ratings

Trips/Cactus Raw '97 - *** 1/2
Foley/Funk Raw '98 - *** 3/4
Austin/Love Over the Edge '98 - **** 1/4 (MOTY)

[craigdanbeaton]

Originally Posted by louballer5588

Random ratings

Trips/Cactus Raw '97 - *** 1/2
Foley/Funk Raw '98 - *** 3/4
Austin/Love Over the Edge '98 - **** 1/4 (MOTY)

Someone's watching the Foley DVD....

Um my ratings

Hunter Hearst Helmsley/Cactus Jack - ****
Foley/Funk - ***3/4
Austin/Love - ****1/2

[- AF -]

Randy/Foley - Backlash - ****
Edge/Mick Foley - Mania - ****1/2

[Yon]

Hunter Hearst Helmsley/Cactus Jack - *** 3/4
Foley/Funk - *** 3/4
Austin/Love - ****

[Undertaker777]

Foley/Funk - ***3/4
Austin/Love - ****1/2

[-Mystery-]

Originally Posted by McQueen

I'm glad I got people talking about Bruiser Brody in here lol. I think if he wasn't murdered he would have ended up in WWF for a while even though he probably would have been a pain in the ass for Vince. But Brody made a lot of money for a lot of people so I could have definately seen a Hogan/Brody niether man refuses to job program in the WWF in the early 90's. I think Carlito's dad might have been in on his murder as well (at least aware something was going down). From what i've read on that situation it seems really fishy (why would someone ask for a meeting in a shower and bring a knife with?) and Colon and Huertas (Invader his killer) we're probably threatened by a non native being so popular in the territory and the rumor that Brody was heavily investing in the territory as well.

Oh and on topic, I think a Batista DVD set is the last thing i'd want to spend money on.

Yeah, the whole incident is fishy including what happened after Brody was stabbed. There's a youtube video where Atlas tells his story about what happened to Brody and according to him after Brody was stabbed, he (Atlas) pulled Brody from the shower and lied him on the floor then everyone carried on about their business. Nobody but Atlas stayed by Brody's side through the whole ordeal. He said everybody else was just lacing up their boots and getting ready to wrestle while Brody lied their dying. Not to mention he says the ambulance took 2 hours to get to Brody.

The story gets stranger after they get to the hospital. Atlas says that the doctors told him that Brody was stabilized and that Atlas could go home. Then, after Brody died, Atlas found out that some "security" men came into the hospital and told the doctors to quit operating on Brody.

It's a crazy story from Atlas (which I surprisingly believe). However, even Atlas' story gets fishy when there comes a point in the video where he talked about how he gave a report to the police about the incident then says the next thing I know Huertas is acquitted. Left me going WTF. Like Atlas claims to have been Brody's side through the whole incident but he doesn't remember to follow up on the police report or subsequent court case?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=hA6fEGwRxro