Well, we all remember that around this time last year, the WWF held a little card called WrestleMania X-Seven, that some hailed as the best pay-per-view EVER. (What?) EVER! So, I thought I'd review the card and offer my opinions on it's historical greatness, then we can all bitch about how crappy the WWF is now. Who's with me? Now, which matches are significant?
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WRESTLEMANIA X-SEVEN (4/1/01; Live from the Astrodome)
IC TITLE: Chris Jericho (c) def. William Regal
The Feud: Eh...kinda crappy, led to that assinine Duchess of Queensbury crap at Backlash. The matches (except Backlash) were good, though.
One Year Later: Jericho is the Undisputed Champion, wrestling in the co-main event. Regal is finally IC Champion.
Significance: Not much. Jericho was over, and was used to tap the hot crowd. Still, this match started his year of greatness...so it can't be all bad.
Tazz/APA vs. Right to Censor (Richards/Goodfather/Buchanan)
The Feud: APA were drunken fighters, RTC were angry protesters. Tazz was just around with nothing to do. More of a blow-off of the RTC/King feud that never got off the ground. A trainwreck...
One Year Later: RTC is gone and forgotten, Tazz is doing even worse than he was last year, and the APA are still fighting for the Tag Titles.
Significance: None.
HARDCORE TITLE: Kane def. Raven (c) & the Big Show
The Feud: Raven was trying to hold onto his title against two MONSTERS. Not much of a feud...but good matches.
One Year Later: Raven's MIA (HWA), Big Show's just around, and Kane's facing Kurt Angle at WrestleMania.
Significance: Not much, but at least it was a fun brawl.
EUROPEAN TITLE: Eddy Guerrero def. Test (c)
The Feud: Eddy wanted the title, Test tried to survive the Radicalz' assault...sorta.
One Year Later: Eddy's gone, and Test isn't even on the card.
Significance: While a damned good showing, since nothing amounted of it, it's a pointless match. None!
Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit
The Feud: Thrown together before WrestleMania to give both guys something to do, this feud morphed into one with great matches, good promos, and silly storyline ideas...but it was still fun!
One Year Later: Angle's buried under the nWo and Big Three (after a title reign), and Benoit's still healing after his neck injury.
Significance: This match showed that these guys could play with the big boys (well, we already had been shown Angle could...), and it lead to two big pushes later on in the year. While both guys are glassceilinged now, this match is damned significant.
WOMEN'S TITLE: Chyna vs. Ivory
The match sucked. The feud sucked. Nothing came of it. Chyna dragged Ivory down. She's gone, Ivory's on Excess. We're all happy. Leave it alone.
STREETFIGHT: Shane McMahon vs. Vince McMahon
The Feud: Shane bought WCW. Vince was angry. Violence and the InVasion ensued.
One Year Later: Vince is poisioning the WWF, and Shane is MIA.
Significance: High. Led to the craptacular InVasion, tons of midcard burials, and other stuff. Still, it was the springing point for dozens of things, and that's what a WrestleMania match should do.
TLC3: Edge/Christian def. Hardyz & Dudleyz (c)
The Feud: All three teams STILL didn't like each other...so...they fought! Oh, and it lead to Spike Dudley and Rhyno entering the WWF.
One Year Later: Edge & Christian are broken up, both fighting at WrestleMania (against others). Hardyz & Dudleyz are STILL FEUDING. AFTER THREE YEARS!
Significance: TLC matches are a lot like Pop Music. They're fun to look at, fun to listen to, but there's no real value to them. They're just fluff. No significance.
GIMMICK BATTLE ROYAL
Uh...well, at least nobody died. And it was better than Chyna/Ivory.
Undertaker def. Triple H
The Feud: Trips had beaten everyone, 'cept the Taker. So, they fought!
One Year Later: Trips is facing the Champ, Taker's facing The Man. Not bad...
Significance: Not much. Just the token Undertaker win, that's all.
WWF TITLE: Stone Cold def. The Rock
The Feud: Weeks of angry, angry bitterness and infighting that led to one of the better main events ever! Also led to the whole InVasion crap...and the super-cool Heel Austin! And Heel Angle! And...not much else, sadly.
One Year Later: The Rock's facing Hogan, Stone Cold's taking on the Bad Guy, Scott Hall. Both are still at the top.
Significance: See the "The Feud" section? Read it. This is a damned significant match just because of the Heel Turn by Austin, and the half-year of cool stuff afterwards. Although the WWF dropped the ball with no Rock/Austin return match, it's still Rock/Austin II: Electric Boogaloo, and that's that, jack!
So, what do I think about WrestleMania X-Seven? Three significant matches. WrestleMania X had three (Ladder Match, Owen/Bret, Bret/Yokozuna). Best ever? I'm undecided. Give me another year...*snicker*
Holden: Judging by the buzz, that movie's gonna make some serious bank. Jay: What buzz? Holden: The internet buzz. Jay: What the f*ck is the internet? [Holden (Ben Affleck) & Jay (Jason Mewes) in Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back]
Have to disagree with your assessment on Tazz. He did get a reign as Tag Team Champion that lasted about two months longer than anyone expected him too. Granted he's not doing anything at this moment, but he's hardly worse off.
One of these days I'll come up with a sig that does not suck.
The Austin heel turn was "a good idea at the time". Hell - I was hoping for it myself b/c there wasn't much else he could do as a face anyway at the time. But the sheep didn't appreciate it sadly.
It's ironic (and weird) that in 2001 that the biggest feud was Heel Austin vs. Face Angle. Two botched turns at war. :)
I thought Wrestlemania matches were supposed to wrap up feuds rather than create new ones. Or at least I think that is how it should be. The culmination of all the feuds going on.
Have to agree with you 100% on the TLC match though.
"It is a strange fate that we suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing...such a little thing." -Boromir
I think it was one of the best WMs of all time, if not the best. The only 2 things I would change is take out the women's match and make VKM stay in the back during the main event. I truly hated his interference.
January 4th 1999 - The day WCW injected itself with 10 gallons of Liquid Anthrax...AKA...The day Hogan "Defeated" Nash to win the WCW title in front of 40,000.
Okay this takes the WWE Hall of Fame and makes it nothing but a joke ... http://www.nytimes.com/ 2004/03/02/sports/baseball/ 02ROSE.html?ex=1078808400& en=5e2ed913d73b738a& ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE