Doubleshot: 2-in-1 Wrestling Reviews
March 2001 – Wrestlemania vs. Greed
Featuring Mark Adam Haggerty & Gary Mastriano
Welcome to the official premier of Doubleshot, the twice-monthly once-over of some of the best, the worst, and the wildest events in sports entertainment. I’m Mark Adam Haggerty joined as always by Gary Mastriano as we get set to discuss the dueling pay-per-view events that made March 2001, perhaps one of the most explosive months in professional wrestling history. I’ll kick things off talking about WCW Greed, followed by Gary’s thorough examination of Wrestlemania 17. Could WCW’s final attempt at drawing a big-money audience even compete with what’s been called “the greatest Wrestlemania of all time?” We’ll find out in this week’s edition of Doubleshot!
“If it’s professional wrestling, it’s gotta’ be GREED!”
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty
Growing up in New Jersey and living just a quick train ride from Madison Square Garden, I was definitely more inundated with the WWE product than I ever was with WCW. Therefore when the Turner extension of Crockett Promotions collapsed, I felt little sympathy and instead rejoiced for the home team. Fast forward fourteen years to where I’m twice as old at 28, and presumably twice-the-wiser. In 2015 I’m far more concerned with what goes on between the ropes than I am with what happens on the mic, and thanks to the WWE Network I’ve been able to discover a litany of new moments to treasure from the early days of WCW up until its final hour. Today I’m taking a look at the very last pay per view from WCW, the aptly named Greed. World Championship Wrestling had started straying from its usual set of monthly event titles, and along with January’s Sin, Greed was to be the dawning of a new day in WCW. In fact the plans to reboot the company were much larger than one pay-per-view and didn’t even include a March event. But the decision makers demanded a final show and thus Greed was born, perhaps serving as the final nail in the proverbial coffin for WWE’s longtime rival.
Once the show hit the air live from the Jacksonville Coliseum, Tony Schiavone proceeded to introduce audiences to the newest tradition in World Championship Wrestling, “Welcome to the first ever Greed!” Alongside Scott Hudson, the perpetual voice of WCW Schiavone wished everyone a belated Saint Patrick’s Day on this March 18th and the show was off and running.
Opening Contest
Kwee Wee vs. Jason Jett
So if you aren’t aware of who Kwee-Wee is, that’s perfectly fine. A Cruiserweight during the dying days of WCW, Kwee-Wee wore loose fitting pink pants and styled his hair in sort of a vertical blowout. His opponent is Jason Jett, an equally unknown yet radically less ridiculous competitor. The match is in Kwee-Wee’s favor for much of the onset until Jett earns the upper hand and delivers an onslaught of impact moves along with an inventive submission described by Hudson as a “pendulum surfboard.” The two battle what becomes a series of reversals that culminate atop the turnbuckle for a suplex reversed into a powerbomb reversed into a hazardous release-hurricanrana that drops both men square in the center of the ring. Various pin attempts on both sides until Kwee-Wee finds himself on the floor; Jason Jett makes a play to the audience, letting them know that he’s going to “play possum.” As Kwee-Wee makes it back into the ring, he goes for an ill-fated high risk maneuver that’s well-scouted by the well aware Jason Jett. Jett lifts Kwee-Wee for the “Crash Landing,” his throwaway suplex finishing move. 1-2-3 and Jason Jett picks up the victory.
Winner: Jason Jett – 12:17
Rating: 2 ½ Stars
Cruiserweight Tag Team Finals
Elix Skipper & Kid Romeo vs. Rey Mysterio Jr. & Billy Kidman
It’s the final match in the tournament to crown the first ever WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Champions. Only eight days before the company closes, might as well outfit some new guys with some new leather straps. Out first is “Primetime” Elix Skipper who’s teaming with the sensational Kid Romeo against Rey Mysterio sans the mask alongside a much trimmer-than-recent Billy Kidman. Phenomenal contest featuring four high-caliber talents, and yes I’m including the lesser-known Kid Romeo in that lineup. The first thing I noticed was the uncanny teamwork on display from two teams that are comprised of singles competitors. I wish the cruiserweight tag division had the chance to get up and running because some of the double team offense in this match was faster and more fluid than the stale heavyweight tag title scene during the same event. The action in the ring soon spilled onto the floor and down toward the entrance way, where the team of Skipper and Romeo were met with twin cross body attacks courtesy of Mysterio and Kidman. The match returns to the ring where the heels take control before the match turns into utter tornado pandemonium once again and is soon punctuated by a springboard shooting star press by Kidman to his opponents on the outside. Amidst the madness, Rey and Romeo are left alone in the ring. The usual array of rope tricks and high flying tactics win Rey the advantage for a moment, but the future WWE World Champion is soon caught midway through an Asai moonsault and driven head first into the mat by Kid Romeo. He goes for the pin, and we have our inaugural WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Champions.
Winner: Skipper & Romeo – 13:46
Rating: 3 Stars
Shawn Stasiak vs. Bam Bam Bigelow
We’re first privy to the beautiful Stacy Keibler, who’s appearing under her real name rather than her former alias “Miss Hancock.” She introduces the individual whom she declares “The Mecca of Manhood”—Shawn Stasiak. Stasiak enters the arena and proceeds to insult his opponent Bam Bam Bigelow, as well as the fans in Jacksonville. Stacy and Shawn throw numerous 8″x10” photographs of Stasiak into the crowd, and are soon interrupted by the legendary “Beast from the East.” Stasiak works this match just the way any squirrelly heel should, always escaping to the outside so as to avoid confronting the tattooed head butt of Bigelow. Bam Bam dominates the match, minus a few lucky shots from Stasiak. Almost as soon as Stasiak begins to mount a formidable offense, Bam Bam returns fire with more shots to weaken the man formerly known as “Meat.” Bigelow hits the flying head butt and signals for the “Greetings from Asbury Park.” Just as Bam Bam is ready to finish Stasiak, Stacy Keibler climbs to the apron in an attempt at distracting the Beast. Sean Stasiak seizes the opportunity and a can of hairspray from the diabolically clever Keibler, temporarily blinding Bam Bam Bigelow and winning the match with a hangman’s noose neck breaker. A terrible match with enough star power to keep me from hitting fast forward.
Winner: Shawn Stasiak – 5:55
Rating: 1 ¼ Stars
Backstage, the newly crowned cruiserweight champions are still celebrating their historic win over Rey Mysterio and Kidman and are just now getting around to strapping the belts around their waists. But whereas 99.9% of professional wrestlers have no trouble in accomplishing this rather mundane task alone, Kid Romeo and Elix Skipper insist upon helping one another. In fact they insist on doing a whole lot of touching. This makes me wonder what kind of program was to develop between these exceptionally talented cruiserweights, considering Romeo’s South Beach gimmick and their apparent common penchant to embrace.
Team Canada (Lance Storm & Mike Awesome) vs. Konnan & Hugh Morrus
WCW’s Team Canada is comprised of several villainous wrestlers, some of which were even born right here in America. Tampa’s own Mike Awesome is one such individual whose imposing ring presence is the perfect addition to Lance Storm’s technical workrate. Storm takes the microphone and utters his timeless catchphrase, “If I can be serious for a minute.” Storm and Awesome are getting set to deal with a personal problem, but the next thing on Team Canada’s agenda are the tag team title belts, according to Lance Storm. They ask that the Canadian national anthem be played and demand the audience stand to show their respect. Rather than “O’ Canada,” the fans in Jacksonville instead hear the hideous laughter of a perennial mid-carder, signaling the arrival of both Hugh Morrus and Konnan. As the music began to play in lieu of Storm’s request, Scott Hudson said the whitest thing in history: “This must be some Puff Daddy remix.” While Hudson was being hip, Schiavone was overselling the significance of Bill Demott, referring to him as, “The legendary Hugh Morrus.” The match begins with utter chaos but pandemonium soon gives way to a match with Team Canada on the offensive. These were perhaps four of the best workers on the entire roster at this time, every movement was well choreographed without losing any semblance of spontaneity. But much the same as many matches on the card, the contest never hit that climactic point of urgency that makes for dramatic professional wrestling. The end came when Morrus’s high risk offense put him in the trajectory of Mike Awesome’s most dreaded weapon—the Awesome Bomb. Morrus was drilled into the canvas and Team Canada won the contest.
Winner: Team Canada – 11:28
Rating: 2 Stars
Backstage once again and we see the Rhodes boys, Dusty and Dustin getting set for their tag team encounter with Ric Flair and Jeff Jarrett. Dustin insists on getting ready for the match and strategizing, but the only strategizing Dusty plans on doing involves 240 burritos—his secret weapon in the upcoming, “Kiss My Ass Match.” Elsewhere members of the Magnificent Seven are working on Buff Bagwell’s “Ric Flair documentary,” interviewing Rick Steiner about his match with Booker T later in the night. I would have liked to see the footage Buff compiled while shooting that documentary as it was of course scrapped days later when Vince McMahon took over the promotion.
WCW Cruiserweight Championship
Chavo Guerrero Jr. (c) vs. Shane Helms
It should come as no surprise that Chavo Guerrero and Shane Helms put on what was undoubtedly the match of the night for the WCW Cruiserweight Championship. The cruiserweight division is one of the defining elements that made World Championship Wrestling recognizable, whose legacy can be traced back to the days of Flyin’ Brian Pillman and his light heavyweight battles with Jushin Thunder Liger. So it was only fitting that this last WCW pay-per-view feature two of the most talented in-ring performers at the time, competing for perhaps the most prestigious junior heavyweight belt in American wrestling. Shane recently split from his Three Count “bandmates,” Shannon Moore and Evan Karagias and had debuted a solo hip-hop themed gimmick dubbed the “Vertebreaker.” Vertebreaker was also the name of Helms’ crippling finishing hold, a modified back to back double underhook piledriver that he hoped would earn him a victory over the tenacious Chavo Guerrero Jr. The match spills onto the outside, prompting Chavo to execute a beautiful cross-body frog splash onto the floor, showcasing the veteran grace of the young Guerrero at just 30 years old. The tactful rookie from North Carolina was not to be outdone, coaxing the cruiserweight champion into a lengthy bout of chain wrestling ending with Helms on the offensive. Pragmatic execution gave way to innovative submissions by Chavo Guerrero, placing Shane Helms in a precarious spot far away from becoming the new champion. In a moment where confidence gave way to hubris, “Sugar” Shane was able to get the upper hand on Chavo, leading to a death-defying Vertebreaker and a final decision in favor of Helms. Shane Helms would go on to be the final WCW Cruiserweight Champion ever, bringing the title with him to WWE TV in the coming weeks.
Winner: Shane Helms – 13:57
Rating: 4 Stars
The Ric Flair documentary continues backstage with “Double J” and the “Nature Boy” preparing for their no holds barred battle with the Rhodes family in just under an hours’ time. Buff should perhaps put the camerawork on hold for a moment as his title match with the WCW Tag Team Champions is up next. Meanwhile the challenger for the US World Heavyweight title is on hand to deliver the most stereotypically 90s rap promo in the history of 2001 professional wrestling. This must be where Scott Hudson is learning how to be cool, because Booker T not only says, “Save the drama for your mama,” but also delivers a nice, “Don’t hate the player, hate the game.” Now, before anyone starts firing away with, “Those were his catch phrases!” No they were not. While Google can’t tell me where the ‘Player’ line originated, I can tell you that there was an episode of the Jamie Foxx Show in 1997 called, “Save the Drama for Your Mama.” That was 1997; back when nobody let Booker T on the mic for fear that he’d call Hulk Hogan the “n-word” again. Moving on.
WCW Tag Team Championship
Sean O’Haire & Chuck Palumbo (c) vs. Lex Luger & Buff Bagwell
Could this even be called a match? Lex Luger and Buff Bagwell make their way to the ring at their own leisure, in no way prepared for any sort of athletic interaction. Once inside the ring both Lex and Buff cut unbelievably hilarious promos where Lex insists, “Buff is the Stuff.” This event took place mere days before the fall of WCW, so I have to assume a main event level talent such as Lex Luger was aware of the impending fate of the company. So what better way to say goodbye to the only promotion willing to outfit you with their world title belt, than to cop out of your final moment in the spotlight—bravo Lex Luger. As funny as “The Total Package” was, I would have much preferred to see Lex show up in peak condition one last time, without a “bro-stitute” like Bagwell reaping the rewards of someone else’s career. The members of the Magnificent Seven are soon interrupted by the Tag Team Champions, a team that was soon demolished once they debuted in the WWE—the duo of Sean O’Haire and Chuck Palumbo. At the time I was a WWE fan who watched Nitro on a delay and read what I could at the newsstand, so I’ll always remember “The Natural Born Thrillers” as the powerful yet agile tag team who took over the pages in the final issues of WCW Magazine. The tag team champions O’Haire and Palumbo make short work of the Monday Night War veterans Luger and Bagwell, performing a double Swanton attack into a double cover. The ‘Thrillers retain the titles and subsequently invade the WWE as champions.
Winner: O’Haire & Palumbo – :54
Rating: 1 Star
Chris Kanyon vs. Ernest “The Cat” Miller
Believe it or not both of these dynamic individuals went on to enjoy brief stints as WWE Superstars, but not without first becoming WCW household names. The late Chris Kanyon had become involved in some sort of love-triangle involving Ernest “The Cat” Miller and his valet Miss Jones. Or at least that’s the way it would appear, as Kanyon’s infatuation with Jones seemed to be his only Achilles heel in this alteration with the “world karate champion.” As an outsider watching this match out of context, I had trouble understanding who was playing what role—heel or babyface? Kanyon broke the cardinal rule of “Bros before Hoes,” when he turned on his friend M.I. Smooth, otherwise known as Ice Train. Still in attendance, however not alongside Kanyon, Smooth would instead stand in support of Ernest Miller. The brawling would soon segue into blatant chicanery when Ms. Jones hit the apron, directly interfering in the match and thus getting an accidental boot on behalf of the Cat in the process. With the distraction in place, Kanyon would now have time to hit the “Flatliner” face plant on Miller. However it was M.I. Smooth who would turn the tables once more, coming to the Cat’s aid and helping the former uh—nothing champion, Ernest Miller never won anything—get the victory! Serious side note though, he was Eric Bischoff’s son Garrett’s karate instructor and Bischoff was like, “Hey I’m sort of in the business of hiring my friends for more money than their worth, is that something you’d be interested in?” He did appear in the 2008 Oscar-nominated film “The Wrestler” alongside Mickey Rourke, so that’s something to be proud of.
Winner: Ernest “The Cat” Miller – 10:31
Rating: 1 ¾ Stars
Once again in the dressing room the dastardly duo of Buff Bagwell and Lex Luger seemingly implode following their disastrous loss to The Natural Born Thrillers. Speaking of imploding, a certain “American Dream” is set to explode in just a short while as Dusty Rhodes is hard at work devouring 240 burritos.
US World Heavyweight Championship
Rick Steiner (c) vs. Booker T
I feel like if I’m going to make fun of Booker T for his outdated catchphrases, I’d be out-of-line had I failed to mention Rick Steiner’s, “You want some, come get some; if you don’t like me, bite me!” Geeze Louise, those two lines are the cat’s pajamas—absolutely absurd. I admire the way in which WCW remained faithful to the United States championship over the years, always presenting it as a near-main event level title without allowing it to fall into the wrong hands. Rick Steiner is dedicated to defending his championship regardless of what obstacle may lay before him. The intensity of Steiner comes face to face with the bravado of the former WCW World Champion, “You think you can take my belt,” Rick asked? “You ain’t takin’ shit!” And the match is underway. The initial interplay involves the two veterans colliding in a series of no holds barred shots around the ringside area, until finally the action is contained within the squared-circle. Rick Steiner might go forever overlooked as the “other Steiner,” but only a week removed from his 40th birthday in 2001, the United States champion still looked as good as he did in 1983. Steiner continued his reign of domination on the former Harlem Heat member with a catastrophic double under hook powerbomb, rattling Booker and leading to a near-three count. Managing to thwart each of Booker’s advances, Steiner remained in control by implementing an arsenal of ground-based choke-holds, until the tragically titled “ghetto blaster” bought Book’ enough time to catch up to the Dog Faced Gremlin. In a moment of spontaneous action, Booker’s educated kick missed Steiner and instead found the face of referee Mickie Jay. Steiner would then capitalize on Booker’s concern for the referee, delivering a textbook German suplex, but the referee was in too much pain to make the count. As victory was within sight for the current title holder, Steiner’s rival Shane Douglas made a surprise appearance from the audience and attacked Rick with his right arm, sealed inside a rock-solid plaster cast. Steiner fell into the clutches of Booker T and his Rock Bottom knock-off, “The Bookend.” By this point, Mickie Jay was back in action and able to count the pin fall for the final WCW US World Heavyweight Champion in history—Booker T!
Winner: Booker T – 7:31
Rating: 2 ¾ Stars
The Magnificent Seven has been the most visible entity in backstage shenanigans this evening and once again the cameras head toward the dressing room where Road Warrior Animal is screaming for help, and screaming at the floor where his fellow stablemate Buff Bagwell is laid out unconscious. Lex Luger appears on the scene to ascertain that Animal is responsible for whatever happened. Animal argues that he wants to find “this guy” as bad as anybody, which makes me wonder where that angle was going? Let’s examine the members of the Magnificent Seven for a Moment: Ric Flair, Jeff Jarrett, Rick and Scott Steiner, Lex Luger, Buff Bagwell, and Road Warrior Animal. By this point Hulk Hogan was gone, Macho Man was gone, Nash had taken his ball back to Detroit. There was only one man left on the WCW roster with enough star power to take down each member of the Magnificent Seven, a man who had been feuding with Lex and Bagwell just two months earlier—Bill Goldberg. The formerly undefeated world heavyweight champion was out for surgery following a questionable loss to “Totally Buffed” at Sin earlier that year. Of course Creative scrapped the surprise attack storyline due to the demise of WCW, but I’m willing to bet it was Goldberg that attacked Buff Daddy at Greed, and Road Warrior Animal just one week before.
“Kiss My Ass” Match
Dusty & Dustin Rhodes vs. Ric Flair & Jeff Jarrett
Dusty Rhodes is an exemplary figure in the wrestling industry having sold-out arenas from Texas to New York City. The “son of a plumber” was an especially vital cog in the intricate machine of World Championship Wrestling from its infancy with Jim Crockett to its last night in Panama City Beach, Florida. He headlined Starrcade and invented The Great American Bash—and Dusty Rhodes goes out in a “Kiss My Ass” match where he prepared by eating 240 burritos. Never mind forcing the man to wearing polka dots, he made it work! This was far more humiliating than anything Vince McMahon ever did, and he did it to himself. What can be said about this match? It featured two of the biggest stars in NWA/WCW history, alongside two of the most revered talents of the 1990s in Dustin Rhodes and Jeff Jarrett. But when it came down to it, this was a match about people farting on one another, and isn’t that what really killed WCW? Ric Flair flat out refused to compete in the match, and then joined Jeff Jarrett halfway through only to finish the fight in less than ten minutes when Dusty Rhodes proceeded to humiliate the highly decorated “Nature Boy.” This must have really sucked for Jeff Jarrett who left one company after losing his championship in a “Good Housekeeping Match” to a woman, only to finish his tenure with another by kissing Dusty Rhodes’ ass.
Winner: Dusty & Dustin Rhodes – 9:58
Rating: 2 Stars
WCW World Heavyweight Championship
Scott Steiner (c) vs. Diamond Dallas Page
The inclusion of internationally renowned ring announcer Michael Buffer has always given WCW’s main events a sense of importance. Even in matches such as this, Buffer commands respect for the bout by captivating crowds with a trademark tambour in every word he says. The competitors in contention for the world heavyweight title this evening are both fine wrestlers capable of working within their means but neither DDP nor Scott Steiner were ever quite capable of exceeding expectations. Like almost every other match that came before it, the main event makes use of the ringside surroundings, but these two combatants take it further—into the audience. It’s at this point that Tony Shiavone decides to remind the crowd that this is a falls count anywhere match. Steiner pulls a crutch from the crowd that according to Scott Hudson was stolen from a young child in a DDP shirt. The action soon makes its way back to the ringside area where this hardcore collision decelerates to a slow-paced battle of rest holds. Hudson continues to sell this spectacle as the WCW’s “last chance against the tyrannical reign of Ric Flair and the monstrous Scott Steiner.” Leading into their battle, Steiner has been responsible for defeating everyone from Goldberg to Kevin Nash, with Diamond Dallas Page next on his list of former champions to retire. Steiner raised Page for the running power slam but was reversed, shoved into the turnbuckle and caught by the “Diamond Cutter” on the rebound. Page covered Scott for the win, but referee Nick Patrick was interrupted mid-count when former US Champion and brother to the world title holder Rick Steiner emerged to save Scott’s title. Steiner pulled Patrick from the ring, but was soon met by Diamond Dallas Page who leapt over the top rope and onto the ‘Gremlin below. So much for DDP not exceeding expectations, huh? Back inside the squared-circle, DDP’s on the offense and looking for his fourth WCW title, until the raucous pandemonium catches Patrick off guard, giving Steiner the opportunity to hit Page with the belt. DDP’s face erupted from the artery, blood flowing from his head into his hair as Steiner made the cover just in time for Nick Patrick to regain his senses. Your winner and still the WCW World Heavyweight Champion—“Big Poppa Pump” Scott Steiner.
Winner: Scott Steiner – 14:14
Rating: 2 ¾ Stars
Final Thoughts
When the dust had settled and Greed was at an end, so too was the historic lineage of NWA and WCW. For a final show I would have hoped for more, but that’s what the final Nitro in Panama City aimed to be, a “Night of Champions,” so it was dubbed which saw Booker T capture the WCW World title from the villainous Scott Steiner. The business-as-usual booking had been abandoned on that final night in Florida, so as absurd as Greed was, it wasn’t the last hurrah and therefore has to be judged just as any other pay-per-view event. Like many WCW shows from the late ‘90s and early 2000s, the highlights came from the midcard matches most notably the cruiserweight title bouts, both the singles match between Chavo and Helms, as well as the finals of the cruiserweight tag tournament. It was matches such as these that went on to help inspire TNA and its X Division the following year, and I think any fan of modern day wrestling might enjoy seeing some of the early ‘Impact Players’ like Elix Skipper in his ‘rookie year.’ Overall not a fantastic show minus the aforementioned bright spots; with ten matches, the average score was around two and a half stars.
“Where it All Begins, and Ends, Again… for real…”
Written by Gary Mastriano
Writing a review of Wrestlemania 17 is an extremely daunting task. I am not going to lie- I have been putting off this review for a few weeks. How can one rate and review what is unanimously viewed at the greatest Wrestlemania of all time, and arguably the single best wrestling card in history. To have this be the first review in our Doubleshot look back at WCW vs WWF PPVs is even more daunting. To start at the end of an era is extremely awkward. And believe me, this is the end of an era. Wrestlemania 17 has an heir of celebration more than any other event put on by Vince and Co. And why not? He won. He took out his biggest competition after a heated rivalry that produced the most financially successful era in pro wrestling history.
The celebration starts right from the insanely good opening video package, a theme you will see throughout the night. As the video package subtly tells us- this is it folks. People around the world are watching Wrestlemania tonight. All eyes are on the WWF. Even homeless couples will be watching this event from the back of their broken down car in a junkyard… somehow. Wrestlemani 17 would go on to be the 5th most purchased PPV of all time. It had almost 100,000 more buys than the ‘Mania’s immediately before and after it. Clearly this was the apex of Pro Wrestling’s salad days.
I would be short sighted if I failed to mention what took place just a few short days before Wrestlemania 17- the Purchase of WCW by Vince McMahon. While I won’t go into the historical immplications of that event, I will mention that it is something that hangs very awkwardly over the entirety of Wrestlemania 17. It always seems to steal the attention from the card itself. I have always wondered if Vince should have saved that announcement for the night AFTER Wrestlemania 17. If creative was so set on turning Stone Cold heel (more about that decision later), than what better celebration would Vince have on Raw the next night having finally tamed his two biggest enemies- Stone Cold Steve Austin and WCW? Well anyway- on with the show:
WWF Intercontinental Championship
Chris Jericho (c) vs. William Regal
I have already documented my huge man crush on Chris Jericho in other columns. It was a great move to have him start the show. Jericho was red hot as a face, and about to enter the finest year of his first run in WWE. Before the year was up Jericho will have won the WCW title, and go onto defeat Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock in the same night. I have always believed whoever’s music you hear first at a Mania will go onto to do big things (ie Cena at Mania 20). The opening contest is almost as important as the main event. This match between Jericho and Regal, while a little too short to be considered a classic, is a terrific match that often gets lost on a stacked card. It is worth a rewatch for sure. Jericho picks up the victory, via Lionsault, which was surprising to me because I never considered that as finishing move.
Winner: Chris Jericho – 7:08
Rating: 3 Stars
Tazz & the APA vs. Right to Censor
Tazz and the APA defeat Right to Censor in 3:52
Tons of talent litter this match. Seriously every wrestler in this match could go, including the underrated Bull Buchanon. What should have been a hard hitting smash mouth match turns out to be… a hard hitting smash mouth match. Very odd booking for Tazz and he plays the face in peril the majority of the match until getting the hot tag to the APA for the win. Did WWF just not know what to do with Tazz? He gets the first huge pop of the night. The WHAT IF scenario’s with Tazz are endless in WWE. While this may have been a throwaway match at Mania 17, it is a match that shows how deep the roster was at the time. Right to Censor would be a huge faction if they debuted in 2014, while here they are just relegated to fodder for the incredibly over APA.
Winner: Tazz & the APA – 7:08
Rating: 2 ½ Stars
WWF Hardcore Triple Threat Match
Kane vs. Raven (c) vs. Big Show
Man this was a weird match. What was Raven doing here? When did Raven arrive in the WWF? Did he ever wrestle another match other than this one? Sorry if I don’t remember, but some parts of this era of WWF are hazy to me. My initial interest was waning at the time, and I honestly stopped watching altogether for a while after Mania 17. Some cool moments highlight this match- the glass window spot was cool. Kane legit ran over Raven’s leg. And give it to Paul Heyman on commentary (more on him later I promise) with the funniest line of the night- “Peach Snapple, that’s my favorite kind!” This match was basically Raven getting his ass kicked for 10 minutes and Kane and Big Show trading off who was dealing the punishment. A very unique match up that spent too much time in the backstage area and not enough time in the ring.
Winner: Kane – 9:17
Rating: 2 Stars
We get a few backstage segments including Kurt Angle hamming it up with Edge and Christian. These guys were just gold together. Jimmy Snuka’s at WWF New York. No one cared about Jimmy Snuka in 2001, 2015, or 1985. Sorry. And finally a shot of the Rock “arriving” to the arena. I recall WWE doing a ton of these “arriving” moments- in fact they do one later with Austin, and did one at the start of the show with Shane. I have never been a fan. Do you want me to believe that they started the show without the WWF Champion even being present? And that there are no penalties for being late to work in WWF? Wouldn’t the Rock want to be on time for the biggest match of his career?
WWF European Championship
Test (c) vs. Eddie Guerrero
Test never really seemed like he fit in with the WWF/WWE. Of course everyone knows that he was a bodyguard for Motley Crue before being recruited to join the WWF, but I am no sure he belonged. He wasn’t offensive in the ring and was a part of some pretty high profile programs. I am not sure if I imagined this or not- but did Test REALLY date Stephanie McMahon? Like in real life? I don’t know why I thought I heard that somewhere. Eddie does what Eddie usually does in this match- puts on solid match with whoever he is in there with. Saturn does what Saturn does best- creeps around awkwardly on the outside of the ring. Half a star because I miss the European title.
Winner: Eddie Guerrero – 8:30
Rating: 2 ½ Stars
Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit
Kurt Angle. Chris Benoit. Two of the greatest in ring performers of all time. I wonder if we will ever see two wrestlers with as much intensity as these two in the same company at the same time. I have always preferred Angle out of the two. Not only do I think he’s the better wrestler (and slightly better human being… only slightly though) he also had SO much more personality than Benoit. This match was built all around their respective submission holds. Paul Heyman kicked us off with a terrific line about this match- “I am as excited for this match as a man can be with his clothes on.” With these guys together in a ring, you know what you are going to get. Pure athleticism from two masters of sports entertainment. The match starts off exactly how you would expect it to, with mat wrestling and early submission teases. Benoit starts to get the upper hand in these exchanges, so Angle turns this into an Attitude era brawl with some stiff right hands, a table spot, and an Irish whip into the steps. Angle gains the upper hand and then this match turns into a suplex fest, from the two masters of the move. Angle and Benoit trade each other’s finishers in a preview of tonight’s main event. Heyman sums it up- “I have never in my life seen a better display of hold and counter hold in my life.” A ref bump proves to be important as Angle taps while in the crossface. Once the ref is back up (rather quickly) the action picks up even more. Benoit blocks Angle’s moonsault (I feel there should be an entire column dedicated to the beauty that is a Kurt Angle moonsault). Benoit connects with the headbutt, but Angle rolls him up with a handful of tights to score a win with a great piece of storyline. Neither man looked weak, and Angle’s heel character got more dastardly. JR sells the match by saying “this is not the end of this rivalry.” And he was right. This wasn’t the last match these two would have, nor was it the best. That distinction goes to their Royal Rumble match a few years later. As it is, this match is a great 4 star match between two ring generals that could have benefited from a few more minutes as well.
Winner: Kurt Angle – 14:04
Rating: 4 Stars
WWF Women’s Championship
Chyna vs. Ivory (c)
Again I cannot talk about how cool Right to Censor was. Ivory was the perfect female member of the group and worked so well as a heel. I really enjoyed her mannerisms during her entrance. She really sold the “better than you” female heel. Chyna comes out shooting a bazooka…? Great psychology in this match, with Ivory focusing on Chyna’s “injured” neck early on until Chyna takes complete control and squashes Ivory for the remainder of the match. Chyna even picks Ivory up after a huge power bomb only to embarrass her more by casually pinning her. I get the appeal of Chyna as the 9th Wonder of the World, and she deserves her kudos for the surprisingly solid in ring work she did with Chris Jericho and Eddie Guerrero, but Ivory deserved better than this.
Winner: Chyna – 2:39
Rating: 1 Star
Street Fight w/ Mick Foley as Referee
Vince McMahon vs. Shane McMahon
Another terrific video package sums up the feud… Seeing Shane show up on Nitro was so surreal and completely AWESOME that it added another layer to what was already a heated feud. Shane comes out first to the familiar sounds of No Chance in Hell sporting a Mania 17 jersey with “Vince we Have a Problem” on the back. Remember when Shane used to have customized shirts like that? That was really really cool. Shane shouts out to his new WCW employees. The crowd has NO IDEA how to react to the WCW guys. Shane is the face in this feud, as the son standing up to his father, but are we supposed to like the WCW employees? Aren’t they the enemy? Again some confusing booking with the WCW angle. Clearly the WWF wasn’t sure how to handle the purchase yet, and thinks are awkward accordingly.
As for the match, it is exactly what you would expect if you have ever seen a Shane or Vince match. Shane brings the high spots, Vince gets his ass kicked. And everyone here plays their part to the T. Trish as the scorned mistress finally turning on Vince was a great moment. Stephanie plays it up as the Billion Dollar Princess Daddy’s girl character that she had perfected by then. And what can be said about Linda? For someone with no acting/wrestling experience or training, she does a great job being completely catatonic. I don’t think anyone gives her enough props for being able to sit still without blinking or moving. And my God that pop she gets when she sits up in the corner. Seriously if you want to hear a GIGANTIC POP, watch that moment on YouTube. Or better yet- watch this match. It is so silly and over booked and fun.
Winner: Shane McMahon – 14:12
Rating: 3 Stars
TLC 2 for the WWF Tag Team Championship
The Dudley Boyz (c) vs. The Hardy Boyz vs. Edge & Christian
This match is kind of the elephant in the room when discussing Wrestlemania 17. IGN lists this match #5 on their all- time Wrestlemania matches, and WWE.com ranked it in their top 20 matches ever. I don’t think I am going to go that far, as super insane spot fests aren’t always for me. Don’t get me wrong- I’m not going to hate on this match. Sure it is pretty much 15 minutes of spots with no psychology in between, but it sure is fun as hell. I have always preferred my gimmick matches with a little bit more eb and flow and purpose (see Shawn Razor ladder match, Shawn Taker Cell match, Shawn Jericho ladder match, Shawn Michaels in any gimmick match ever). However one cannot deny how impressive this match is. Who can forget the great moments like Jeff’s suicide dive off of the gigantic ladder? How about Edge’s spear off the ladder to Jeff Hardy? Or the multiple run ins from Spike Dudley, Rhino, and ultimately Lita that led to some great moments. The exciting conclusion comes when Matt Hardy and Bubba Ray fall through 19 tables stacked high on the outside of the ring in a completely insane spot. Everyone in this match put their bodies on the line to put on a classic that pretty much defined each of their careers afterwards. Other than Edge, I don’t think anyone involved in this match has ever stepped out of the shadow of this match. Pure insanity in a gimmick match that hasn’t been topped since, despite multiple attempts, that spawned its own PPV.
Winner: Edge & Christian – 15:47
Rating: 4 Stars
The Gimmick Battle Royal
Duke the Dumpster Droese is honestly one of my all-time favorite wrestlers. The New Generation has always been my favorite era of wrestling and the goofy gimmick that came along with it were awesome. This match, while unnecessary, was super fun and goofy. Great to see a lot of fun gimmicks. More of WWF celebrating their past. Having Mene Gene and Bobby Hennan call the match was an absolute treat. I’ve said it before, but it needs repeating- Bobby Hennan is the SINGLE GREATEST COLOR COMMENTARTOR OF ALL TIME. Fans of today’s product will never be able to appreciate how incredible Hennan was. Imagine if Paul Heyman had a bit more comedy in his promo style- that’s Hennan. Hennan’s cracks on Sgt Slaughter are worth the price of the PPV (or $9.99 for the Network) alone. The Gimmick Battle Royal sums up a lot of what was great about Wrestlemania 17. For all the seriousness of matches like Austin vs Rock and the McMahon family drama, the WWF could still have fun. Was this the only match that Michael Hayes ever wrestled at Wrestlemania? I could be wrong about that, but that would be an interesting fact. And I tell you what—Droese looks like he could still go.
Winner: The Iron Sheik – 3:07
Rating: 2 Stars
The Undertaker vs. Triple H
This was one of my favorite matches for a long time. Time hasn’t been fair to this match, especially after these two men topped it 10 and 11 years later, but for a long time this stood as one of my top 5 matches of all time. This was, by far, the best match of Undertaker’s career up to this point. Undertaker never had a great in ring performance before the switch to the Biker Taker gimmick. This was also the first time I can remember Taker’s undefeated streak being mentioned as well. Triple H was on the tail end of the single best heel run in company history from 1999-early 2001.
It’s interesting to note that this feud was very similar to the one they would have 10 years later at Wrestlemania 27- Triple H claimed he had beaten everyone there is to beat, except the Undertaker. Motorhead plays a live version of the best theme song in wrestling and out comes Helmsley. Limp Bizkit ushers in the American Badass, and shit is about to go down. Houston’s own Undertaker takes it to Triple H early on the outside. All bets are off in this one, as the action spends little time in the ring. The first great spot happens when Taker lifts HHH up for a monstrous back body drop. A ref bump leads the action to the outside again and into crowd. A lot of brawls during the attitude era spilled into the crowd, but I cannot think of one as memorable as this. The sigh of Triple H and the Undertaker battling on a lighting structure amongst 65,000 is as iconic as they com 28:07 e. Taker chokeslamming Trips right into the crowd is hokey when you see the pads the Hunter lands on, but at first viewing, it is an amazing moment. The action eventually finds its way back to the ring, where the equalizing sledgehammer is brought into play. Triple H goes for a tombstone pile driver, but it is reversed by Undertaker, but unfortunately the referee is still down. A sledgehammer shot by Triple H during a last ride leads to an incredibly close 2 count. Trips fights a bloodied Dead Man into the corner, which leads into a Last Ride for the finish.
Upon viewing this match again for the first time in a while, I can say that it still holds up. It is nowhere near as good as their second and third Wrestlemania chapters, but it is a great semi-main event to this card. Triple H showed once again his versatility by being able to go into an all-out brawl with the Undertaker. Both men seemed incredibly motivated to steal the show. This match, like this overall card, never slows down to breathe. It is incredible that these two would go on to get even better and produce two better matches than this 10 years later.
Winner: The Undertaker – 18:57
Rating: 4 ½ Stars
No Disqualification Match for the WWF Championship
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin vs. The Rock (c)
A few months ago Steve Austin did a running commentary of this match on his podcast. If you haven’t listened to it yet I strongly recommend it. The amount of insight he provides is amazing. Austin says going into this match that he was more confident than he had ever been. He describes how he and Rock constructed the match. How they called it on the fly. And his only regret of his career being the ending of the match. I highly recommend giving it a listen.
Much has been made of the pre match video package featuring Limp Bizkit’s My Way. Many have called it the greatest video package of all time. It would be hard to argue that. WWE consistently produces terrific video packages, and this one is near the top of the list.
As soon as Austin’s music hits, the crowd becomes unglued. Another gigantic pop from the 65,000 Houston fans. JR delivers one of my all-time favorite lines calling Austin a “folk hero”. Rock hits the ring second, as a champion always should. JR makes me feel bad about myself by reminding me that Rock is only 28 years old at the time of this match, headlining his third Wrestlemania. Overachiever.
When looking back at this match, the conclusion shouldn’t have been such a surprise. Austin wrestles the entire match as a heel. I understand the storyline that he needs to win the match and the title back so desperately. But Austin is the constant aggressor. Rock is almost always the face in peril, while he clearly isn’t the fan favorite here in Houston. Austin even jaws off to the referee when things aren’t going his way. Rock continues to preserve even when all of his offense is booed by the crowd. Such amazing character work done by both men.
Rock is busted open early as much of this match spills outside. The ring bell plays a significant part of the match when both Rock and Austin’s faces are painted on it. Both men also taste the exposed turnbuckle, which leads to Austin being busted open. One thing to remember about this match- it isn’t pretty. Austin and Rock create a brutal masterpiece. This is the best brawl match the Attitude era ever produced. My favorite spot of the match comes when Austin tries to apply the million dollar dream. That call back was incredible. Rock sloppy delivery of the sharpshooter has never bothered me either. Both spots should be commended for their relationships to Austin’s Wrestlemania 13 match with Bret Hart, arguably the match that kick started the Attitude era. Only fitting the Attitude era would come to close in almost a full circle fashion.
Now let’s talk about the finish. Turning Austin heel wasn’t a terrible move. It made sense to the character’s journey. Austin had missed almost a year due to injury, during which he saw the Rock climb to the top of the card and take his spot. Austin’s road to redemption had to go through the Rock. And he would do whatever it took to get there. It made sense. Now I am not sure it was the wisest business decision knowing that the Rock was leaving. Essentially there was no number 1 face anymore, with Austin as a top heel, along with Triple H and Kurt Angle right behind him. WWF would try the Invasion angle to mixed results, but one can only wonder how much of that was affected by Austin’s heel turn. It also probably wasn’t wise to turn Austin heel in Houston, where he was the “folk hero” JR spoke of. Again, I think turning Austin heel was a GOOD move, but the WWF probably wanted more of a reaction than they received.
One thing that has always bothered me about this match is Vince’s involvement. I have no problem with him being involved in the finish, he should have. Austin and the Rock were his two greatest adversaries and it is just right that he shows up. However the timing of Vince’s involvement is strangely paced. First he shows up and just stands around a bit. Than he saves Austin after the People’s Elbow. We should have seen kick to the gut, stunner, new champ. Instead we get an awkward 5 minutes of uncertainty. Instead of one shocking heel turn, we get an awkward slow turn, ref bump, and endless chair shots before it’s over. Steve Austin says he regrets turning heel that night. He wishes he would’ve just called an audible and stunned Vince. I am not sure that was the right move either. Just a spot of Austin selling his soul. I don’t think this takes away much from the match, but I do wish it was a clean and obvious heel turn, instead of being a little bit over booked at the end.
As it stands this match is a classic. There have been better matches at Wrestlemania, but this the best final match ever. No one deserved to headline the biggest Wrestlemania ever, or put an end to the attitude era, more than Austin and the Rock. Of their many encounters, and 3 Wrestlemania matches, this is easily the best. It is the darkest, hardest hitting, most brutal title match I can ever remember at Wrestlemania. Part of me wants to knock the awkward ending, but every single moment leading up to the ending is so perfect that it is impossible not to rate this match as five star match.
Winner: Steve Austin – 28:07
Rating: 5 Stars
Final thoughts
Wrestlemania 17 will forever be known as one of the best wrestling cards of all time. Looking at the roster and matches shows how stacked WWF was at the time. After the purchase of WCW, Wrestlemania 17 was Vince McMahon pounding his chest in victory. He had won the Monday Night Wars. He had the top two stars of all time headline a titanic card. He even went out and produced a memorable event that will stand the test of time. I can’t decisively call Mania 17 the greatest Mania of all time. I think Mania 19, 22, 24, and 28 can each make an argument for that title. But from top to bottom Wrestlemania 17 delivers. Every person contributes and plays their part perfectly. The video packages are second to none. Every talent seems hungry to prove themselves, especially in light of the coming uncertainty and arrival of WCW talent. And enough cannot be said for the commentary work of JR and Paul Heyman. They sold every match as being important and delivered the best play by play/color commentary for a single event I have ever heard. You can have you iconic JR calls all you want, for my money this was the best work he ever did. And Heyman shows that he is truly one of a kind. Wrestlemania 17 has a few flaws, namely the awkward ending and the strange timing of the WCW purchase hanging over it. It sometimes feels like there is too much going on, and everything is a little too rushed. However it is a great call back to the older Mania cards, with 11 matches and little to no filler. It will certainly be interested recounting our steps through the WWF and WCW PPV history to see how we got to this point- the true highpoint in professional wrestling history “Where it All Begins, and Ends, Again.”
Ladies and gentlemen that’s it for our premiere edition of “Doubleshot: 2-in-1 Wrestling Reviews.” Join us next time as Gary and I head back to 1995 before the Monday Night War had even started. Until then my name is Mark Adam Haggerty alongside Gary Mastriano, reminding you to keep checking out Cheap-Heat, your number one source for original columns, countdowns and coverage of the wide world of professional wrestling.
