[the frenchise]

@Choketodeath
About that match JBL/Hardy... I'm not a big fan of backstage dirtsheets but i remember that this "squash" happened as a punishement to Hardy because he fucked up during undertaker reurns ( survivor series 2005 epic beard). He was supposed to take the tombstone and left the ring. Regal took the tombstone instead.
Maybe it's bullshit, but that would explain that stupid match after the awesome feud Hardy/edge.

Btw thanks for the review. I am probably going to watch that Hiac match again now!

[Obfuscation]

Yeah, do it. Undertaker vs Orton HIAC rules. One of my personal favorites, too.

Taker's chair shot to Orton to commence the BLOOD is the tops. Orton's selling of it like he just got shot in the head with a metal paintball is up there with one of my favorite sells. PUTTIN' IT OVER THE TOP.

[Christian Louboutin]

WWF Wrestlemania X-Seven - WWF World Heavyweight Title: The Rock vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin

This right here is why i love WRESTLING. The reaction Austin gets here is absolutely insane, and they should have just called off the heel turn based on this reaction alone, or at least delay it until they were out of Texas. The Rock gets booed out of the building, and the crazy thing is it only got worse for him a year later in Toronto. I think what's most impressive about the match to me was it never slowed down. Neither guy stopped. It was full of action with memorable moments happening all the time. There wasn't a point in the match where you could say it was boring or slow. It didn't get boring ever. It continued to flow from the minute the bell rang until the match was over. I thought each guy was phenomenal, which is no surprise when you're talking about guys that are the caliber of Austin and Rock. I don't know if Rock was ever better than his performance here. His chemistry with Austin was always amazing. They had several good matches before this, no doubt. It's just that this one went up another level. His bumping was phenomenal and the heart he showed in kicking out after all the big moves made him a tougher guy in the eyes of the fans. He took a beating, yet he kept on coming. The work Austin did here was the real story. He was, simply put, a machine. There was nothing flawed in his performance. The crowd was cheering him, but he wrestled as aggressively and as viciously as the best heels of any generation. The facial expressions he used when he couldn't pin were great. I loved how he sold the Rock's late kick out by yelling "Shit!" repeatedly because he was frustrated that he couldn't put him away. You could look in his eyes to see the emotion. And the story of Austin drifting into his new paranoid heel persona was top notch. Even with the overbooked finish this was still a flat-out awesome battle with non-stop action and drama and some great stuff from both guys. ***** Best WrestleMania main event ever.

Post-match, VINCE AND AUSTIN FUCKING SHAKE HANDS AND DRINK TOGETHER! JR loses it on commentary in an awesome soundbite, and Heyman calmly says that Austin sold his soul to Satan himself for the WWF Title, and brings up Austin saying "I need to beat you, Rock. I need it more than anything in the world. More than you could ever know." Austin has finally given in, 3 years after the original offer of doing things the easy way or the hard way.

[Choke2Death]

Originally Posted by the frenchise

@Choketodeath
About that match JBL/Hardy... I'm not a big fan of backstage dirtsheets but i remember that this "squash" happened as a punishement to Hardy because he fucked up during undertaker reurns ( survivor series 2005 epic beard). He was supposed to take the tombstone and left the ring. Regal took the tombstone instead.
Maybe it's bullshit, but that would explain that stupid match after the awesome feud Hardy/edge.

Btw thanks for the review. I am probably going to watch that Hiac match again now!

Ah, wouldn't have noticed a difference since Matt Hardy was being jobbed out anyways before it. The one backstage story from that time I am aware of is the Taker/Bob Orton hepatitis C drama. Glad neither Taker nor Randy were affected by Bob's blood. While we're on the topic of Taker's returns, how many has he had? Just from watching 2003-2005, I've lost count of how many times he went absent or was written out and returned later.

First it was the Big Show chokeslam down the stage from late 02, then the FBI assault during his match with Cena after WM, then Kane burying him alive then after Judgment Day 04, he was gone until the JBL feud after which he was around most of the time until after WM21 where he went absent until June after that Orton "killed" him at least twice with the burning casket writing him off until SVS.

And Orton's selling is fucking AWESOME!

[BANKSY]

Kurt Angle vs Chris Benoit WrestleMania 17
★★1/2
Kurt Angle vs Chris Benoit - 30 Minute Ultimate Submission Match - Backlash 2001
★★★3/4

Kurt Angle vs Chris Benoit - 2 Out Of 3 Falls - Judgment Day 2001
★★★★

Kurt Angle VS. Chris Benoit Cage Match RAW 2001
★★★3/4

Unforgiven 2002 - Kurt Angle vs Chris Benoit
★★★1/2

Kurt Angle vs Chris Benoit - Royal Rumble 2003
★★★★1/2

[FluxCapacitor]

Wrestlemania 17 - **
Backlash 2001 - ***
Judgement Day 2001 - ***
Raw Cage Match - ** 3/4
Unforgiven 2002 - *** 1/4
Royal Rumble 2003 - **** 1/2

Consistent, but often overrated, series. I much prefer the Jericho/Benoit series, tbh, despite the RR 03 match being the second WWE MOTY, behind Lesnar/Show JD.

[BANKSY]

Yeah I have to agree their series is overrated. Although they did produce a classic at RR 03 they never really reach the heights you expect.

[The Beast Incarnate]

TIM WHITE.

Still haven't watched a single DVD that I got for Christmas, really have no idea where to start unfortunately.... Might as well rewatch Trips-Lesnar and see is it as awesome as I once thought it was, and watch Christian-Cody from NWO for DA LOLZ

HAPPY BOXING DAY

[Brye]

Benoit/Angle series:

Wrestlemania 17 - ***
Backlash 2001 - ***1/4
Judgement Day 2001 - ***1/4
Raw Cage Match - *1/2
Unforgiven 2002 - ***1/2
Royal Rumble 2003 - ****

It's all generally entertaining stuff other than the cage match which I don't care for. I'm a little surprised they didn't have a singles match at any point from '03 to '06.

[Choke2Death]

They had another singles match shortly after RR 03 but nothing big or memorable.

Wrestlemania X7 - ***1/4
Backlash 01 - ****
Judgment Day 01 - ***
Raw Cage 01 - ***1/2
Unforgiven 02 - Need to rewatch
Royal Rumble 03 - *****

Also finally got around to watching the first ever HIAC match. ****1/2 for it. Match was rather basic for the most part until the end which was AWESOME. lol @ HBK assaulting the cameraman.