- I'll bring back a classic. Hopefully the .gifs and images still work.
One of my reviews (a rarity), hope you enjoy it.
Wrestlemania 17
- Wrestlemania X-Seven was the seventeenth annual Wrestlemania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). It took place on April 1, 2001 at the Reliant Astrodome in Houston, Texas.
- A record-breaking attendance for the Reliant Astrodome of 67,925 resulted in gross receipts of 3.5 million dollars,
- The tagline for Wrestlemania X-Seven was "Houston... We Have A Problem". The official theme song for the event was "My Way" by Limp Bizkit.
- The event starts off with flashbacks of previous Wrestlemania. The main two highlighted stars are Hulk Hogan and Shawn Michaels, we see various moments from Hogan’s past, and Tyson/HBK and that iconic boyhood dream clip of Michaels winning his first title
- The version I’m listening too has ‘Adrenaline Rush’ as the theme, and I’m pretty sure I’ve heard this on TNA before. Jim Ross and Paul Heyman are on commentary. I personally loved this commentary combination.
‘The biggest Wrestlemania of all time” – Jim Ross
I know they say that every year, but obviously this turned out true this year. Onto the matches:
-
Sunday Night HEAT match
X-Factor (Justin Credible and X-Pac) (w/Albert) defeated Steve Blackman and Grand Master Sexay
X-Pac pinned Blackman following an X Marks the Spot at 2:46.
Didn’t think you cared
1)
Intercontinental Title
William Regal Vs Chris Jericho (c)
Obviously this is a great starter match for this Wrestlemania. William Regal is renowned as phenomenal in the ring, and so is Jericho.
The crowd really got this started well. William Regal was very heavily booed, and Chris Jericho was given a fantastic pop.
The back story to this was the ‘Regal Regime’, Regal had become WWF Commissioner, and Jericho came out and told him too ‘Shut the hell up’. Jericho was put in a handicap Tables match against the Dudley’s, and a handicap match against Right Too Censor.
One of my very favourite segments was Regal’s face after Jericho took a wiz in William’s tea.
Jericho was in the midcard, well, at the very top of it at this point, and Regal was used far better at this time than he has been in the last few years.
There are lots of good counters in this match. It’s just what you would call a fun wrestling match. Jericho had an injured left arm, and Regal worked on this well. The crowd was really into this, like I said earlier.
Jericho pinned Regal after a Lionsault at 7:08 to retain the Intercontinental Championship. Fun opener, just what you would hope for, and expect. I think they hit the nail on the head having this open the card.
***
- Shane McMahon arrives at the arena in a Limo
- We see the APA with Jacqueline. Early signs of JBL’s great mic skills here. He gets the group pumped up for their match.
2)
Tazz and The APA (Bradshaw and Faarooq) (w/Jacqueline) vs The Right to Censor (The Goodfather, Val Venis and Bull Buchanan) (w/ Steven Richards)
Something about RTC’s extremely annoying theme music flashes me back to my childhood. Probably from playing WWF Smackdown! Know Your Role on the Playstation.
Stevie Richards tries to talk too the crowd, but Tazz’s music immediately interrupts. My first thought was ‘God, Tazz looks tiny’, both in height, and well, weight.
This match was a bit, ‘meh’. The crowd was up for this, as they were for every match. One of the great things I remember about this event.
Sensibly, they kept this short. It’s sort of a match you’d see in the middle of an edition of RAW, but it’s certainly okay.
Bradshaw pins The Goodfather after a Clothesline From Hell at 3:53.
Exactly what I expect it to be. I actually mildly enjoyed it. The crowd really marked for JBL.
*3/4
- We see Trish wheeling around a half dead looking Linda McMahon. Stephanie talks too her, slagging her off. Stephanie looks pretty great here. She gives Trish the low down on how to crush ice.
3)
WWF Hardcore Championship
Kane Vs Raven (c) Vs Big Show
They built Raven up as the real underdog for this match here. Obviously Kane was still a very credible monster, and the Big Show is… The Big Show. There was never really a chance he would win, at least from my perspective.
Raven brings down a trolley full of ‘treats’ down to the ring.
Kane was using his far better older theme music here. He’s pretty massively over; the crowd gave him an enormous pop.
It’s almost like a pop that Jeff Hardy gets at the moment. The crowd was that into the event, everyone got really cheered, or really booed. Well, except Raven.
It’s a three way gut check here. Raven got the match started before Show even came down to the ring. Show gets a mixed reaction, and then the action gets underway.
This was one of my favourite matches a kid, they go backstage, Raven gets thrown through a window, thrown over a table full of food. Generally, both the monsters go after the smaller man, Raven.
There was of course them getting on carts, which I enjoyed. Kane chased after the pair with the ref on the back.
This is one of the most enjoyable matches you’ll see. Maybe because it was at this event, but nevertheless, I relished this match as a child.
Kane won after a leg drop off the stage to Show at 9:19. New champion!
***1/2
Some may say that’s high, but I love this match. This is why the Hardcore title should return.
- Edge and Christian (In stupid glasses), go backstage and talk to Kurt Angle, mocking him for tapping out. Of course, Kurt denies ever tapped, as it wasn’t in a match.
- We see Snuka, and Coach interviewing some fans. He looks mighty young here.
- More importantly, The Rock has arrived with the title! Mixed reaction, mostly cheers.
4)
WWF European Title
Test (c) Vs Eddie Guerrero
Perry Saturn accompanied Eddie down to the ring; he looks like Hulk Hogan with that stupid moustache. Test got a pretty (nothing more) reaction here.
One of the better matches too involve Test. I never really liked the guy.
It’s a pretty enjoyable match, not suprising when you have Eddie Guerrero in here, who was brilliant at this time; I think from 97-01 he was pretty damn great in the ring.
Test pulled off good power moves, something I don’t think he did enough of most of the time.
We got a new champ here, not suprising as Eddie was a huge prospect.
Eddie pinned Test after laying him out with the title at 8:30 to win the belt.
Pretty solid here, if not spectacular.
***
As you can see, the event has got off too a very solid start. However, from here onwards, it’s simply phenomenal!
5)
Chris Benoit Vs Kurt Angle
Arguably, or more than likely, unarguably, the two best technical wrestlers of this decade
go at it, for what I can remember, as the first time.
Kurt Angle hadn’t been in the WWF for too long, but his abilities made him very credible and the WWF new this. Kurt was built up as the man who made people tap, but didn’t tap himself. Kurt was saying the exact same thing pre and post their Royal Rumble 2003.
Chris Benoit was using his older theme music here, and it really fitted his ‘Crippler’ gimmick. Obviously we all know what happened to Benoit, so I’m not going to go on about Chris because you all know how good he was.
It’s a shame, because we’ve lost Kurt as well, he does jack all good in TNA.
Benoit said he was the best Technical wrestler, but it was Kurt Angle dominating most of the chain wrestling in this match. The crowd respected both men’s abilities.
This is an entertaining encounter. Neither men were at their peak at this stage, although both could still pull off brilliant matches at will.
They would go on to have better matches, but too have a match like this in the midcard shows you how good the WWF was in 2001.
The first half of the match was better, and I liked the sudden ending, it was good for Kurt, as the heel.
Angle defeated Benoit with a roll-up at 14:02. He used the tights for leverage.
****
You could argue a bit higher, or lower for this, but I think **** is what this match deserves.
- Michael Cole tries to interview William Regal, but he has had his office invaded. I think by two members of the Gimmick Battle Royal. Heyman’s reaction said it all, just a disgusted shake of his head.
- Interview with Kurt Angle, claiming that he is the best. Benoit comes in and puts the Crossface on Kurt. This was great for both men, as Chris deserved this after losing.
6)
WWF Womens Championship
Chyna Vs Ivory (c)
The 9th Wonder of the world has a broken neck. We see the build up video of her getting a piledriver from the Right to Censor, breaking her neck.
Squash job with an inevitable winner, as RTC were banned from ringside.
Good job keeping this short, the crowd was pretty into Chyna here. She came out in a hideous disco like attire and was a bazooka that fired fireworks.
Chyna wins after a Military Press and then a drop on Ivory at 2:39. New champion!
3/4*
Didn’t go on long enough to deserve a star, then again, which was for the best, gave more time for the classics coming up. Who would stop Chyna now?
Was it just me, or did they muck up Chyna’s music? It seemed to jump at the end after she had won the title.
- Trish, Linda, Steph and Vince backstage, talking about how Vince will immobile Shane and Linda will be down at ringside. Michael Cole (ugh) talks to Vince about the match.
7)
Street Fight
Vince McMahon Vs Shane McMahon
This was such a great feud. I’ll give you the lowdown. Vince wants a divorce with Linda. Trish becomes involved with Vince, even kissing Vince right in front of Linda. Linda had lost her mind.
Shane had enough, and stuck up for his mum. Shane ‘WITH THE RIGHT HANDS ON HIS OLD MAN~11~!!!’. Shane challenges Vince at Wrestlemania. Vince announces he will be buying wCw at Wrestlemania. However, Shane beats him too it and buys wCw.
Shane showing up on Nitro is one of the most iconic moments in Wrestling history, and the true closing to the Monday Night Wars.
The crowd booed the wCw stars at ringside, unsurprisingly.
Mick Foley is the referee, and comes down to the ring. Foley gets a reasonable, but nothing more, pop from the Texas crowd. Remember last year, Foley was brought back for the main event which Triple H (what a surprise) last year at ‘Mania.
This wasn’t a fight, it was a war. Shane dominated Vince, until he laid him down on the announce table, went for a move and Steph moved him out of the way.
Trish turned on Vince as well, leading to a strap match with Steph the following night on RAW.
Shane came back after Linda got out of her wheelchair, which the crowd went insane for, and punted Vince in the grapefruits. One of the biggest crowd reactions, ever.
After an absolute brawl and n a’ half, and Shane’s first ever Coast to Coast,
Shane pinned his old man at 14:12.
The storytelling helped a match that far surpassed all my expectations. An absolutely classic match I could watch again and again.
****
Another incredibly enjoyable match on the card. I think this rating is absolutely fair, as this was storytelling and brawling at its very best. Definitely a **** match, in my opinion.
- We see Triple H pumping himself up, and Taker warming up.
8)
World Tag Team Titles
Tables, Ladders & Chairs II
The Dudley Boyz (c) Vs Team Xtreme Vs Edge & Christian
All three teams were cheered, and that’s not a surprise. This was an absolute classic of a gimmick match.
I prefer this too TLC I, but many disagree.
The Dudley Boyz were defending the Tag Titles. D-Von certainly looks a lot slimmer. Christian has long hair. What was Matt Hardy wearing?
The match started with wrestling, but it didn’t take long for the chairs too come in. all 3 teams worked brilliantly as tag teams, and also they worked well with their opponents, which is the key too a great match.
The crowd chanted for tables, and they certainly got them. All 3 teams were over, but unsurprisingly The Hardyz were a bit more over than the other team.
Team Xtreme gave us the spots, the wild crazy moves. The Dudley Boyz gave us the tables, the brawling, working with the weapons a lot. Edge & Christian gave us the pure wrestling, and the teamwork.
I could go on about this match for a long time, as it had everything. My favourite spot was Edge spearing Jeff Hardy off the ladder. An absolutely iconic moment, especially for a 10 year old boy. It was when I first became an Edge fan.
Just one of the many great matches these team had.
Rhyno, Spike Dudley and Lita all interfered. I marked when Lita threw her top into the crowd. There’s also when Matt and Bubba going through the tables on the outside. Another great moment too set up the finish.
Rhyno helped Edge and Christian win by climbing a ladder and retrieving the belts at 15:42 after a lot of false finishes. New Champions!
I’d have liked 5 more minutes, but this was just an absolutely brilliant encounter.
****1/2
I thought about going a 1/4* higher, but I think my rating is fair. It’s certainly at the higher end of the spectrum for the rating I gave it.
- They announce 67,925 fans at the arena. It looks like a lot more though, Man Utd get over 70,000 a week. The crowd cheer when it’s announced it’s a record attendance.
9)
Gimmick Battle Royal
Just a bit of light hearted, nostalgic fun here.
Mean Gene Okerlund & Bobby ‘The Brain’ Heenan are on commentary for this.
The participants; [size=”1”]
- Bushwhacker Luke
- Bushwhacker Butch
- Duke Droese
- Iron Sheik
- Earthquake
- The Goon
- Doink The Clown
- Kamala
- Kimchee
- Repo Man
- Jim Cornette
- Nikolai Volkoff
- Michael Hayes (Freebirds, was in MVP’s V.I.P. lounge a while back)
- One Man Gang
- Gobbly Gooker (Remember it hatching at Survivor Series?)
- Tugboat
- Hillbilly Jim (Good pop)
- Brother Love
- Sgt. Slaughter (Better Pop) [/size]
The Iron Sheik won the match. Slaughter then came in and put him in the Cobra Clutch.
*
Heenan then bluffs handshakes, which was pretty funny.
10)
Triple H Vs The Undertaker
We saw Motorhead perform Triple H’s theme, and The American Bad Ass came down to the ring on his motorcycle, much like… Chuck Palumbo!
The feud came about after Triple H came to the ring and announced that he hadn’t beaten everyone there is too beat. Taker took offence to this.
The feud continued and William Regal ended up granting a match at ‘Mania after Kane held Stephanie in mid air and threatened too drop her.
This is my favourite, and in my opinion, the best, Taker Wrestlemania match.
The two had a real hatred for each other (Storyline wise) and it helped the chemistry and storytelling in the match.
The match goes too the outside quite quickly, and this turns into an absolute slobber knocker. My favourite moment is when Taker chokeslam’s Trips off the set too the ground.
There were lots of false finishes too; I thought Taker’s streak was over after Trips nailed him with the sledgehammer.
As you most probably know,
Taker won the match, and it was after a Last Ride at 18:17.
Taker wins his 9th straight Wrestlemania match, and the streak continues.
****1/4
A brilliant contest. I know some people whine about the ref bump, but that doesn’t overshadow what is an all out war and an enticing match.
11)
WWF Championship
No Disqualifications
The Rock (c) Vs Stone Cold Steve Austin
Arguably the biggest and most important match in history. It’s certainly top three, with Hogan/Andre (Wrestlemania III) and Hart/Michaels (Survivor Series 1997).
This symbolized the end of the attitude era, although for me I see it ending when 2001 closed, as it my favourite year for wrestling.
The hype video for this, with the ‘My Way’ theme told the story majestically, it’s by far my favourite video package of all time.
Just a shame I’ve got ‘Adrenaline Rush’ going over it instead on my DVD anthology.
The Rock won the title at No Way Out, and Stone Cold won the right to fight him after winning the Royal Rumble match, again.
This would be the second time these two headlined Wrestlemania, and it wouldn’t be the last either. Not really a surprise, as they were definitely the two biggest stars.
The Texas crowd was behind Austin, although The Rock had his fair share of fans.
Lots of false finishes in the match…
Particularly for Stone Cold, who ‘needed’ the title, so desperately. He couldn’t keep his opponent down and begin to get frustrated.
Stone Cold then did the unthinkable and aligned himself with ‘The Devil.
Rocky’s face said it all…
The match is famous for Austin hammering The Rock with the chair, here’s an example…
However, The Rock could only stay down for so long. Such great storytelling. Such great chemistry. Such a fitting Wrestlemania main event.
Stone Cold won the match at 28:16 after hammering The Rock with the chair. New Champion!
The crowd still cheered Austin, regardless. The fact is, he had the title.
****3/4
I pondered on a rating for ages, and this is just entertainment at it’s absolute finest. I was absorbed, I was enthralled, and I changed my mind. The in-ring action was awesome, and it was the greatest heel turn in history, and one of the best stories ever told in one of the best rivalries ever held. Simply sublime stuff from Rocky, Austin and the WWF.
Conclusion
The best and most entertaining show of all time, bar none. So many brilliant matches, so brilliantly entertaining, this is ‘wrestling’ or ‘sports entertainment’ at its peak. The whole card is worth a watch, and most of the matches were fantastic. This is the Attitude Era through and through with one of the greatest main events in history. If you haven’t seen this, you need too. I mean, you really need too. I also think if you don’t have this on DVD, you need to have it. It’s a historic event I have (and will continue too) watch over, and over, and over again.
10/10 – Without any shadow of a doubt.
Thanks for reading
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