The Year in PPV- 2011, Part II

The momentum shifts completely with 2 of the year's worst shows, and 2 of the year's best shows...


5. Over the Limit

It's shows like this that are part of the reason I don't miss Over the Limit. After the opening bout between R-Truth and Rey Mysterio, which was pretty solid and helped progress Truth's development as a heel, you can skip about the next 4 matches because they absolutely DON'T MATTER. These matches either don't get out of the starting blocks before they end, end with DQ finishes, or in the case of Sin Cara and Chavo Guerrero stink up the joint with its sloppy and botched ring work (one of the biggest problems with Sin Cara in 2011).

After you've skipped the meaningless midcard, we have a mixed bag of main events. First, we have a phenomenal encounter for the World Heavyweight Championship that highlights Randy Orton's fantastic feud with Christian. At this stage in their feud, it was purely out of competition, which created a setting where the crowd was able to root for both men. Then, we had a "Kiss My Foot" match between Jerry Lawler and Michael Cole. Remember what I said about this gimmick in my 1995 review? How it was completely embarrassing to watch? Add Michael Cole to that and you have a disaster. Thank God it was brief and it gave the fans a payoff they had wanted to see for a while. Finally, John Cena defended the WWE Championship against The Miz in an "I Quit!" match. This main event was ok, but it was in a very tough spot. It had to not only follow a classic World Heavyweight Championship match, but it also had to follow a travesty of a match featuring King and Cole. By this point, the crowd was at the point where they didn't care since it was quite obvious who would win.

Skip It


6. Capitol Punishment

As if the last show wasn't embarrassing enough. In our nation's capital, Washington D.C., the WWE actually put on a handful of really solid PPV bouts, but the problem was in the attempt to try and convince the fans that President Barack Obama was going to make an appearance. I just wanna get one thing clear: the picture on the poster looked more like Obama than they guy they brought out. It was an absolutely awkward in-ring promo to see. I get there is some self-awareness in what they were trying to do, but for God's sake this was just sad. Heck, Obama's at least put his face on other WWE products, like Tribute to the Troops and even Monday Night RAW when he was running for candidacy in 2008. So, why bother with this fake? If you couldn't book Obama, just accept it. It didn't need to be a political satire show to be entertaining, just let the wrestlers do their thing.

Like I said, there are some good matches with solid build up. Kofi Kingston and Dolph Ziggler open the show for the United States Championship and they've had so many matches together they can entertain us in their sleep. Then, Alex Riley has the biggest moment in his career by facing his former mentor The Miz in his hometown to a HUGE ovation (seriously, he could have really been someone special had they booked him consistently). Like Kingston and Ziggler, CM Punk and Rey Mysterio had faced off so many times they can put on a quality match together without even trying. Randy Orton and Christian continued their World Heavyweight Championship feud, with Christian recently turning on Orton and turning heel in the process. Their chemistry is still off the charts even with this change in storytelling and just like at Over the Limit, they have the best match on the card. This night, while it is often forgotten, should be recognized as the culmination of R-Truth's heel run, as he had a main event match challenging John Cena for the WWE Championship. I think it's the underwhelming quality of this main event that also hurts this show (especially since it had to follow that atrocious Obama angle), with Truth doing about 80% of the ring work, only to come up short in the end (who didn't see that coming?). The culmination should've ended with at least a short run with the title, and since it didn't, this show really isn't worth remembering.

Skip It


7. Money in the Bank

"Magical" seems like an appropriate word to describe this night in Chicago. As if the show needed the boost in energy this smart mark crowd usually generates, but it works in all the right places. Even the Diva's title match with Kelly Kelly and Brie Bella, and the big man's showdown with Big Show and Mark Henry, matches no one should really care about are made more important thanks to the crowd. But now it's time to focus on the Money in the Bank ladder matches, both of which offer something different. The RAW ladder match featured Rey Mysterio, Alex Riley, R-Truth, Jack Swagger, Evan Bourne, Alberto Del Rio, Kofi Kingston, and The Miz. While it lacks in some quality spots, and a VERY predictable winner, it makes up for it with a lot of star power to generate crowd responses. SmackDown put on a much better ladder match with Kane, Wade Barrett, Sin Cara, Sheamus, Justin Gabriel, Daniel Bryan, Heath Slater, and Cody Rhodes opening the show with a match that could have easily stolen the show on any other night (it's at least my top 3 Money in the Bank ladder matches of all-time). Even a World Heavyweight Championship match between Randy Orton and Christian (where Orton could lose the title via disqualification) wasn't what the crowd cared about.

Ironically, on a night about Money in the Bank, the audience could care less over who won the briefcases, as all of Chicago's focus was on one man: CM Punk. After shocking the world with a Pipe Bomb promo weeks prior on RAW, Punk made it well known that if he won the title he was letting his contract expire the same night and leaving the company with their top prize. To make matters worse, if Punk prevailed, Mr. McMahon vowed to fire John Cena for losing the belt. Add that the show was in Punk's hometown, and you have a recipe for some combustible elements. The crowd was very solidly for Punk and heavily booing Cena out of the building (possibly the hardest I've ever seen him booed). This is definitely one of the era's most defining matches that left the Chicago crowd full of suspense, as they smelled the possibility of a Chicago Screwjob taking place at the hands of Mr. McMahon and John Cena. As a fan at the time, there was so much buzz surrounding this match, that whatever the outcome was, I knew this was going to be a memorable match for years to come. I wasn't wrong.

Highly Recommended


8. SummerSlam

If you thought Money in the Bank was a game changer, you haven't seen anything yet. SummerSlam takes what Money in the Bank established and alters it even further. The show starts with a fun six-man tag with R-Truth, The Miz, and Alberto Del Rio (PAY ATTENTION TO THESE THREE) taking on Rey Mysterio, John Morrison, and Kofi Kingston. This felt like a nice throwback to the classic multi-man tag matches during the early days of SummerSlam. Then we get some good matches in the form of Sheamus taking on Mark Henry (this was more important in establishing their star power than the actual quality of ring work), and Daniel Bryan going against Wade Barrett. Even the Diva's match has some intrigue thanks to the development of Beth Phoenix wanting to take the Diva's title from Kelly Kelly and establishing credibility to the division instead of having it run by "Barbie dolls." Then things really started to cook with the two main events.

Randy Orton sought to get his World Heavyweight Championship back from Christian by winning it in a No Holds Barred match. I've heard a lot of people say this match felt reminiscent of an Attitude Era classic and it's easy to see why. They take full advantage of the amount of spots and weapons they use to tell a story and with their chemistry, it's a fitting conclusion to their rivalry on PPV. If that wasn't enough, by the time we get from Money in the Bank to SummerSlam we have TWO WWE Champions. After CM Punk left with the title, Mr. McMahon was ready to fire John Cena, until he was interrupted by Triple H. The board named him COO of the company and relieved McMahon of his duties. Then, a tournament was held to crown a new champion, which was won by Rey Mysterio. Triple H then gave Cena his rematch clause against Mysterio and he won the belt back. Then Punk returned, declaring himself the true champion. So, with Triple H as guest referee, Punk and Cena stepped in the ring again to declare an undisputed WWE Champion at SummerSlam. The magical moment isn't quite as there as it was at Money in the Bank, but they still put on a great main event. And once their match is over...insanity ensues for the remainder of the year.

Highly Recommended


Thoughts: It's easy to say that CM Punk, Christian and Randy Orton's feud, and even Mark Henry's dominance, single handedly saved this year from sheer disaster. After Over the Limit and Capitol Punishment killing any momentum that Extreme Rules salvaged, a change needed to be made. It took some great competition from Captain Charisma and the Viper, the World's Strongest Man inducting opponents in the Hall of Pain, and some Pipe Bombs dropped from the Best in the World, but you finally had a product that had fans interested in the WWE again. And things were about to get even crazier, as the landscape was about to shift even further to close the year.

Concluded in Part III...


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The Year in PPV- 2011, Part I

2011 is considered a very important year in the PG Era, at least from the summer onward. The obvious element this year will best be remembered for is that it gave CM Punk that main event push he had deserved for quite some time. And, while I will be talking about that in depth in parts 2 and 3, there should also be some acknowledgement towards some good character development throughout the year to wrestlers that are NOT named John Cena and Randy Orton.

Here is a list of some of the main event talent that received extra attention in 2011: The Miz, Sheamus, Christian, Mark Henry, Big Show, Alberto Del Rio, the tag team division, the Divas division, and even R-Truth. Fast forward 3 years and these superstars aren't exactly running the main event scene, but this was definitely a refreshing environment that helped distance the constant need to shove Cena and Orton in our faces. Not to mention, there are a lot of good wrestling matches throughout the year as well, so let's not wait any longer.

Things get underway in 2011 with the biggest Royal Rumble match in history...


1. Royal Rumble

I understand that a LOT of the talent needed to be saved for the Rumble match, but with only 3 other matches on the card, there was a lot to be desired. The show kicks off the right way with a World Heavyweight Championship match pitting Edge against Dolph Ziggler. As an added stipulation, Edge would lose the title if he was caught using the Spear. I wish this feud wasn't a throwaway here, as they had some good chemistry and it could have started earlier or continued on, as long as it meant Edge and Ziggler could have continuously good matches with each other. The Miz and Randy Orton had a match for the WWE Championship that was pretty forgettable up until the end, which set a lot of the WrestleMania landscape into motion. The Divas match was thrown together during the show, so there really isn't a need to talk about it when the company doesn't even have any faith in their division to build up the title match prior to the show.

This is the first (and so far only) Royal Rumble match to feature 40 superstars. On paper, it sounds great to have a longer Rumble match. But there needs to be two things in order for it to work: a roster that can keep the audience interested, and match quality that causes the time to fly by. Sadly, both aren't present here. There are a handful of surprises that work, and the gang warfare between the New Nexus and the Corre works out well at the beginning (but goes ineffective once the match begins), but this could have easily been trimmed down to a traditional 30 man Rumble and it would've worked so much better. In fact, let me just quickly name off 10 superstars this match didn't need (Zack Ryder, Yoshi Tatsu, Chavo Guerrero, JTG, Chris Masters, Tyler Reks, Vladimir Kozlov, R-Truth, Hornswoggle and Tyson Kidd). If they would have eliminated a lot of the jobber spots from the match, the star power and pacing would have been far more superior. Here, it just looks like a failed experiment to make an already important match even more important.

Recommendation


2. Elimination Chamber

Let's get one thing out of the way: the in-ring segments are PAINFUL....and that's all thanks to Trish Stratus. Her promo for being a Tough Enough trainer was just uncomfortable and her teased in-ring return was heavily botched thanks to the heeled boots she was wearing. WEAK. Moving on, I really enjoyed the detail they gave in setting up the World Heavyweight Championship match for WrestleMania. After an opening bout between Alberto Del Rio and Kofi Kingston, we had the Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight title (Edge vs. Kane vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Wade Barrett vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Big Show). This Chamber match seems to be a favorite of the PG Era, and it's easy to see why. We have Big Show seeking revenge on Barrett for all of the Corre's antics against him, we have Drew McIntyre performing some really powerful spots and has the crowd behind him (such a missed opportunity), we have Kane laying waste to everything in his path (duh), and Rey and Edge having a competitive match with each other from start to finish. Then, once the match is over, Del Rio makes his presence felt, only for the World Champion to be saved by a returning friend who also wanted revenge on Del Rio. And just like that, you have a main event set for WrestleMania. Expertly done and a great example of why I love this time of year.

After a match for the Tag Team Championships (Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov vs. Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel so really...who cares?), it was time to set up the WWE Championship match for WrestleMania. In one of the most emotional WWE title matches in some time, Jerry Lawler challenged The Miz for the belt. Add to the fact that Lawler's mother passed away a week before the match, and Michael Cole (the thorn in the King's side) has been annoyingly biased towards Miz for months, and you have a formula for a match where majority of the audience wants the King as WWE Champion (even if it were for a day and Miz were to win it back the next night on RAW.....it would have worked....should have just given King the moment for crying out loud). Finally, RAW held a Chamber match to determine the number one contender for the WWE Championship (John Cena vs. R-Truth vs. Randy Orton vs. John Morrison vs. Sheamus vs. CM Punk). Go ahead...guess who won this match. I'll give you three guesses...and you'll only need one. Still, the match has great spots from Morrison, continues Punk's feuds with Cena and Orton, and features some interference from the anonymous RAW General Manager. It's a fine Chamber match, but definitely not one of the all-time greats, nor is it better than the one SmackDown put on earlier that night.

Mild Recommendation


3. WrestleMania XXVII

How can a show considered a disaster have so many hidden gems on the card? A lot of people are quick to point at the flaws with Mania XXVII, but I have a soft spot for it. Sure, the show has a really rushed 8-man tag match and an intergender tag match that features Snooki from the Jersey Shore, both are too short and feel out of place for WrestleMania. Yes, the show has a painfully long "clash" between Jerry Lawler and Michael Cole that is so bad even Stone Cold Steve Austin as guest referee can't salvage it. Granted, the anticipated United States Championship match (Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan) was moved to the dark match, which later turned into a battle royal won by the Great Khali (*sighs*). And admittedly, the main event just didn't click (I'll get to that a little later), but what about all the good stuff that happened on the card.

There are at least three gems on the card I wish people discussed more when it comes to modern Mania classics. The Rey Mysterio vs. Cody Rhodes match showcases a bitter feud and some good in-ring psychology revolving around knee braces and facial masks, and the Randy Orton vs. CM Punk match had great build up and star quality to give higher value to this upper midcard feud. I really enjoy both matches and they deserve more attention from the fans, at least offering more variety than the countless Undertaker and part timer matches we've been getting the last few years at Mania.

There's plenty of memorable moments on this show, starting with the obvious focus of the show: The Rock returning to host WrestleMania. His presence is felt in an electrifying opening promo and various backstage segments. It was painfully obvious from his return that he and John Cena were gonna clash down the road, and it's this payoff that makes the main event almost worth it. Cena challenged The Miz for the WWE Championship and while their match is awful (something just seemed really off about their ring work), the ending at least sets up some important stuff down the road for The Rock and Cena. The two matches this show will mostly be remembered for are the World Heavyweight Championship match between Edge and Alberto Del Rio and the No Holds Barred match between Triple H and the Undertaker. Edge/Del Rio is memorable thanks to it being Edge's last match ever (didn't know that at the time, but it's quite the end to a career) and Taker/Triple H is memorable because....need I say more (there's a moment where Triple H was so close to ending the Streak that I nearly pissed myself in excitement...true story)?

Mild Recommendation


4. Extreme Rules

Now THIS is what I'm talking about. After an underwhelming WrestleMania, and following the draft special the previous week on RAW, Extreme Rules comes along and puts on a fantastic show to tease the changing landscape of the WWE for the rest of the year. Many Mania feuds came to an end on this evening, including Randy Orton and CM Punk's which culminated in a last man standing match, as well as Rey Mysterio and Cody Rhodes ending their rivalry in a falls count anywhere match. Both these matches do a really fine job at ending their respective rivalries, yet they won't be what this night is remembered for. Even some of the throwaway matches don't hinder the momentum of this night. Not even the WWE Championship main event (a steel cage match between The Miz, John Cena, and John Morrison) isn't what's important about this edition of Extreme Rules.

After WrestleMania, Edge shocked the world by announcing that he had to retire (wrestling your last match by retaining the World title at Mania is a pretty sweet way to go out if you ask me). A ladder match was held to determine the new World Heavyweight Champion. In one corner, Alberto Del Rio, who was already scheduled to face Edge at Extreme Rules in said ladder match. In order to determine who would replace Edge, a battle royal was held on SmackDown, which was won by Edge's best friend Christian. So, it's Christian vs. Del Rio, ladder match to determine the World Heavyweight Champion. Just watch this match and enjoy the moment. A moment that fans never thought they were ever gonna see, and a moment that sealed this evening as one worth remembering.

Highly Recommended


Initial Thoughts: The first couple of shows in this year definitely felt like the scraps of 2010. The big problem with this year, apart from the obvious amount of "Mild Recommendations" I gave them, is the primary focus on only handling proper booking in the main event picture. Obviously, stars like Orton, Cena, and Edge remain constant, but I was really impressed with the focus on Del Rio and Miz in the World Title picture. So many other ideas fall to the wayside though, including the New Nexus and the Corre, consistent booking for John Morrison, Dolph Ziggler, Daniel Bryan, and Sheamus, and the Divas division (that should come as no surprise though). However, things were definitely in the midst of a HUGE change coming within the next few months that would permanently change the landscape of the era.

Continued in Part II...


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The Year in PPV- 1995, Part II

Let's see if the WWF could screw up the rest of 1995 by going to the biggest party of the summer...


6. SummerSlam

From top to bottom, there are a lot of matches on this SummerSlam card, but that doesn't mean all of them are quality. Of those worth mentioning, there is an opening bout of Hakushi vs. the 1-2-3 Kid in a fun high flying match, a Women's Championship match between Alundra Blayze vs. Bertha Faye which is worth watching simply because at the time it was a women's equivalent to Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant, Bret Hart vs. Isaac Yankem, DDS, which is important only to see how Glen Jacobs was saddled with a ridiculous gimmick before being Kane, and Barry Horowitz vs. Skip, which had the fans rooting for Horowitz who was finally starting to win some matches (he is one of the most famous jobbers in history after all).

The main event saw Diesel defend his WWF Championship against Mabel. If you want to know why I thought it didn't work for Mabel, I refer you to my previous review of King of the Ring. If you want to know I think it didn't do any favors for Diesel, keep reading and I'll explain in my review of In Your House 4. Needless to say, this match also didn't win the crowd over thanks to the match that went on right before it. In a rematch from WrestleMania X, Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon fought in another epic ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship. The debate still rages on over which of their matches was better, and I tend to side with this one on actual in-ring work (the botched ending notwithstanding), while loving the Mania X match for the grand spectacle and moment that was created. For that, this is worth a look so you can decide for yourself which you enjoy more.

Mild Recommendation


7. In Your House 3: Triple Header

Surprisingly, this edition of In Your House has some lengthy matches attached. Bret Hart fought Jean-Pierre Lafitte, the British Bulldog fought Bam Bam Bigelow, and Razor Ramon fought Dean Douglas. Each of these matches went over 10 minutes and showcased the talent of the upper midcard, but history isn't too kind to remember most of the gems from the In Your House franchise.

The match that had everyone's attention on this evening was a match that saw the WWF and Intercontinental Champions take on the Tag Team Champions in a match where the winning team would take home all the titles. The match was originally supposed to see Diesel and Shawn Michaels take on Yokozuna and Owen Hart, but Owen was nowhere to be found throughout the show, leaving Yokozuna, Mr. Fuji, and Jim Cornette struggling to find a suitable replacement for Owen. By the end of the evening, they found their replacement in the British Bulldog, but that didn't mean Owen wouldn't make his presence felt during the match. His involvement led to a very controversial finish that eventually led to this match being useless. Knowing that in context, that kind of sucks because this match has arguably the biggest stars at the time all competing in one main event, which is pretty exciting, and there is quality ring work and a lot at stake, and then it's completely useless?!?! What a shame.

Skip It


8. In Your House 4: Great White North

The most memorable moment from this PPV is the controversy surrounding the Intercontinental Championship. Dean Douglas was originally supposed to challenge Shawn Michaels for the title, but Michaels came out to vacate the belt after he was declared unable to compete. Douglas was awarded the title, but then had to immediately defend the belt against Razor Ramon. With all that confusion, it's no wonder why it had everyone's attention. Nowadays fans would be salivating over the idea that the Intercontinental Championship was stealing attention away from the WWE Championship (c'mon Ziggler...you can do it).

I will say the concept for the main event feud was at least interesting, it just didn't go anywhere. After turning on Diesel in a tag team match, the British Bulldog set his sights on the WWF Championship. It's very simple but effective storytelling, and had they actually carried out their feud for more than this PPV we could've seen a very competitive rivalry play out between the two. For what they have here, it's a fine encounter, but still follows the pattern of "insert random feud for Diesel." In an attempt to build up Diesel by having him take on whoever challenges him, it actually damages any momentum for getting him to that Hulk Hogan level the company wanted for him because he didn't have any long term feuds. Heck, even Shawn (the potential for his greatest rivalry) became his ally after their WrestleMania match. Sure, Diesel's title reign had longevity, but I really believe he needed just one really good long term feud to establish credibility to his title reign.

Skip It


9. Survivor Series

Nowadays Survivor Series is such a forgettable show (not every time, but most), that it is really bizarre to say that it was always such an entertaining show back in the day and 1995 is no exception. It goes without saying that the traditional Survivor Series elimination tag matches are always pretty entertaining, as is the case with The Bodydonnas (Skip, Zip, Rad Radford, and the 1-2-3 Kid) vs. The Underdogs (Marty Jannetty, Hakushi, Bob Holly, and Barry Horowitz), The Darkside (the Undertaker, Savio Vega, Fatu, and Henry Godwinn) vs. The Royals (Mabel, Jerry Lawler, Hunter Hearst Helmsley, and Isaac Yankem, DDS), and a match of teams captained by Bertha Faye and Alundra Blayze and filled with Japanese women wrestlers.

This Survivor Series also has the PPV debut of Goldust, which is always entertaining to see how androgynous he was in the beginning and evolving to just being the Bizarre One. We also have a Survivor Series elimination match that tried to shake things up by creating teams that mixed up the heels and faces. On one side it was Shawn Michaels, Ahmed Johnson, Sycho Sid, and the British Bulldog, and on the other side it was Owen Hart, Razor Ramon, Yokozuna, and Dean Douglas. This was a very entertaining concept that never made it to another Survivor Series, which is a shame since it creates tension among the teams and leads to some fun spots and storytelling. The main event saw a great no disqualification match for the WWF Championship between Diesel and Bret Hart. In terms of the WWF, this was the birth of the table spot, and things definitely get physical between the Hitman and Big Daddy Cool. Kevin Nash normally has a reputation for not having the greatest of matches, but I think he just needs the right opponent, and Bret Hart is definitely one of those opponents that Nash had tremendous chemistry with.

Highly Recommended


10. In Your House 5: Seasons Beatings

Finally, we have an In Your House that offers a bit of variety throughout the evening. The show actually boasts two in-ring segments that are actually worth talking about. The first is a musical performance from Jeff Jarrett for his new single Ain't I Great, which actually proved to be a lot of fun if you can embrace how goofy the future founder of TNA used to be. There's also a moment of Savio Vega and Santa Claus distributing toys to the crowd, only for Ted DiBiase to come out and try to interfere. What transpired next was a moment so goofy and over the top that only the Million Dollar Man could make it work and look diabolical.

A lot of fans remember the Hog Pen match between Henry Godwinn and Hunter Hearst Helmsley for being a lot of fun, probably boosted in popularity nowadays for the sheer embarrassment of seeing the future Cerebral Assassin participate in this concept. But the true reason to see Seasons Beatings is for the rematch people had been waiting since SummerSlam 1992 to see: Bret Hart vs. the British Bulldog. This time, it's for the WWF Championship, this time there is a definite heel and face established, and this time it gets BLOODY. What's beautiful about this match is that it builds off their SummerSlam match, but there's no need to compare the two. Both are different types of matches, and in my opinion, both are equally great for different reasons. SummerSlam had a more iconic moment, but I love the Seasons Beatings match for its brutal physicality.

Recommended


Final Thoughts: As you can see, they had something near the end of the year. Once they embraced the roster they had and put some of those goofy gimmicks to the wayside, they let the physicality speak for itself. Those last few shows had some great matches and more than one moment that defined the shows as classics. They definitely opened the door wide open for some potential heading into 1996, but there were still some flaws in the design showing. For starters, they needed some more big name superstars towards the main event. They also needed to drop the cartoon characters they had on the roster. And finally, with WCW starting Monday Nitro in the fall of '95, the WWF needed that right spark to win the Monday Night Wars. As history would prove, the WWF got their butts kicked in '96 and '97, so it took a while for those changes to happen. Still, the potential was there for a change to happen sometime in the near future.


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The Year in PPV- 1995, Part I

1995 is not a year I was too fond to watch on the WWE Network. When most people discuss worst years in the company's history, 1995 finds its way near the top choices alongside 1993. With a roster that had Shawn Michaels, Razor Ramon, Diesel, Bret Hart, Yokozuna, Owen Hart, and the Undertaker...where could they go wrong? The problem was with one thing: booking. At a time when WCW was providing higher quality matches on a weekly basis, WWF was relying on characters and so many of them had gimmicks that were too cartoony for older fans to get into. A year from this point, the nWo would begin in WCW and become the biggest thing in wrestling. In 1997, D-Generation X and Stone Cold Steve Austin would both show signs of how the Attitude Era would begin. For the attitude to develop, their needed to be a breaking point where fans had had enough. With years like 1995, it's easy to see that they wanted the new generation to be injected with some attitude.

One interesting thing to note about 1995 is that it was the beginning of the WWF's PPV expansion. For years, the WWF had 4 PPVs a year: Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and Survivor Series. In 1993, King of the Ring was added to the calendar, and now 1995 takes it to the next level by introducing the concept of the In Your House PPV. The best way to summarize the early years of In Your House was that they were 2 hour PPVs spaced between the Big 5 shows throughout the year. Are they the greatest things out there? No. But each does have at least one or two special moments to offer, and hey, they're two hours so they're easier to blow through on the WWE Network.

So let's head to the Royal Rumble to see how 1995 got started...


1. Royal Rumble

The Royal Rumble gets kicked off with an appearance by Pamela Anderson. At the time, she was one of the biggest names on TV thanks to Baywatch, and here she has promised to escort the winner of the Rumble match to the main event of WrestleMania. Naturally, they show tons of promos where the wrestlers are salivating over her presence, but she's not the only celebrity to make an impact on this show (watch the WWF Tag Team Championship match to see what I mean). On top of that, we have an excellent Intercontinental Championship match between Razor Ramon and Jeff Jarrett, and an epic contest of Diesel vs. Bret Hart for the WWF Championship that ends poorly but extends existing rivalries, so it's forgivable. It's a really good thing this midcard is excellent, because it makes up for what the main event lacks.

Here we have my nomination for the absolute WORST Royal Rumble match EVER! There are only a handful of legitimate main event talent thrown in this match and about 90% of the Rumble is filled with jobbers and some of the most ridiculous gimmicks of the decade. On top of that, in this match they had competitors entering every 60 seconds (the fastest in any Rumble match), which would work if there was a fast and furious work ethic on the roster, but it translated out more to cramming a 60 minute match down to 30. It's the shortest 30-man Rumble match we've seen, and it might be best to keep it that way. Even superstars like the British Bulldog, Owen Hart, and Lex Luger couldn't save this from being a stinker. The only man in the match that makes this worth watching is Shawn Michaels. Thanks to his performance in the Rumble match, we have the "Shawn Michaels rule" for having both feet touch the floor, as well as being the first man to enter first in the Rumble and walk out victorious.

Mild Recommendation


2. WrestleMania XI

For years, I called WrestleMania XI my least favorite Mania. Is it the all-time worse? Probably not, but it is the one I enjoy watching the least and here's why. They had the roster. They had the talent. The matches that were booked sounded good on paper. How do you screw up Mania so badly? The "I Quit" match between Bret Hart and Bob Backlund could've been a masterpiece like their Survivor Series match in 1994, but it's an absolute disaster. Lex Luger and the British Bulldog could've were over enough as a tag team to either challenge or defend the WWF Tag Team Championships, instead of opening the show in a throwaway tag squash match. The Intercontinental Championship match could have showed a great contest between Jeff Jarrett and Razor Ramon had it not been for the ending. And the Undertaker could've taken on anyone else in the Million Dollar Corporation and it would've been better than his match with King Kong Bundy.

With so much crap on one show, is there anything redeeming about it? Well, I guess there was some build up on who Owen Hart would select as his tag partner to challenge the Smoking Gunns for the WWF Tag Team Championships. As you can see in the picture, his decision had a BIG impact on the match's result. Diesel and Shawn Michaels had a match for the WWF Championship that has grown in popularity over the years, and had it been the main event it at least could have ended with a solid match. That isn't to say the match with Lawrence Taylor and Bam Bam Bigelow isn't entertaining, but it belongs nowhere near the main event. It should have been a upper midcard main event attraction thanks to Taylor's celebrity involvement, but that's it. And that really sums up the problem with this show. With so much focus on the "A-list" celebrities (seriously, I'm sure they were big in the '90s, but their star power hasn't aged gracefully at all), and little focus on the solid roster of talent they had, you have the result of a WrestleMania that was lacking in direction for putting on a quality show. Still, I'll slap a "mild recommendation" on this, since it's one of those train wreck shows you need to see to believe.

Mild Recommendation


3. In Your House

The first In Your House PPV gets off on the right foot thanks to an opening contest from Bret Hart and Hakushi that is usually referred to as one of the best matches from the In Your House franchise. After that, not much is memorable on the card. This will become pretty repetitive on most of the In Your House PPV reviews since the shows are best known for about one or two moments on each show. Here, it's the opening match for quality and historical value.

A handful of the matches capitalized on the post-Mania feuds and rivalries, like Bret's feud with Jerry Lawler and Razor Ramon's feud with Jeff Jarrett and the Roadie. A lot of build up was on the main event match for the WWF Championship. In a battle of the big men, Sycho Sid challenged Diesel for the title, but the match is insignificant to Sid's career. Rather, it's his live screw up during his promo that is more synonymous with his career (you know...the one where he asks Jim Ross if he can start over, with J.R. replying that they're live). Classic Sid mediocrity at its finest. Still, you can see that there was effort in making Diesel a fighting champion and trying to build Sid up as a legitimate threat for the title...so give them a C- for overall quality: that being a B for the concept, and a D+ for the actual execution.

Skip It


4. King of the Ring

This year's King of the Ring tournament had some big names attached, including Yokozuna, the Undertaker, and Shawn Michaels. Just thinking of the idea that Shawn and Taker could have been the tournament final and they weren't blows my mind. What an opportunity they had, they just didn't know it. Watching it, it's obvious they were building Savio Vega up in this tournament as the underdog, and Mabel as the definitive favorite. Sadly, that's the tournament final, and sadly Mabel won King of the Ring. Not Shawn Michaels. Not the Undertaker. Not even Yokozuna. Mabel...from Men on a Mission...won the King of the Ring tournament, and became the number one contender for the WWF Championship. Had they repackaged Mabel...it could have worked, but they still had him wearing the purple and gold and keeping his previous affiliation with Men on a Mission part of the storyline...with the only difference in his character being that he was a heel. Can you see where the problem was? Because I sure can.

As if the tournament wasn't bad enough, we have to endure a "Kiss My Foot" match: a match where if you lose the match, you must kiss your opponent's foot. Not only is this match gimmick absolutely ludicrous, but it also features two of the all-time greats in Bret Hart and Jerry Lawler being subjected to a stipulation that is so embarrassing that it lands in the "so bad, it's good" category. The main event also saw Diesel team with Bam Bam Bigelow to take on Sycho Sid and Tatanka, but by the time we got to it, the show's momentum is straight up GONE. There is nothing this main event could have done to get the audience to care. And why should they? Shawn didn't win King of the Ring, even worse...Mabel did, and their golden boy Bret Hart was in the middle of the ring with his foot in Jerry Lawler's mouth. THIS. SHOW. SUCKED!

Skip It


5. In Your House 2: The Lumberjacks

Here we have a much better concept for the Diesel/Sycho Sid rivalry: a gimmick match. As you can tell by the show's title, the main event is a Lumberjack match, which opens up a handful of opportunities for the shortcomings in their match quality (particularly on Sid's part) to be overshadowed by the concept of the match stipulations. There's an exceptionally entertaining part of the match where Diesel goes airborne, something that he wasn't well-known for doing....ever in his career (with quads that fragile, it's easy to see why). Is it the best match in either Sid or Kevin Nash's careers? Absolutely not, not even close. But it's still fun and improves where their match at the first In Your House PPV left off.

Like the last In Your House (and pretty much EVERY In Your House show), the midcard is fine, but there should be significance on one match in particular. That match is for the Intercontinental Championship and saw Jeff Jarrett square off against Shawn Michaels. Whether or not it was planned this way, the crowd was fully invested in this match and showed they were fully behind Shawn to win the Intercontinental Championship. It's glimpses like this that you can clearly see that the fans wanted Shawn as the next face of the company. Wouldn't it have been so much better if he had won King of the Ring? We will never know.

Mild Recommendation


Initial Thoughts: It's easy to see that the first half of 1995 was the Shawn Michaels and Diesel show, and how could it not be? Even with Razor Ramon being a constant staple of the midcard at the time, the Kliq was running wild on booking and the crowd was firmly behind them. Guys like Bret Hart, Lex Luger, and the British Bulldog felt absolutely wasted during this time, and some of the main eventers being groomed (Sid and Mabel specifically) weren't exactly striking the chord with the fans that the company had intended. The In Your House shows were also an interesting concept that was introduced, but would need some fine tuning if it wanted to be a permanent part of the PPV lineup. Would anything change in the second half of 1995?

Concluded in Part II...


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The Year in PPV- 1998, Part III

The year 1998 comes to an end with an electrifying shakeup to the main event scene...


9. Breakdown: In Your House

Following SummerSlam, the WWF headed to Canada for a show full of filler (see the pattern yet?) and a handful of memorable matches with big name superstars. The opening match is a short but sweet encounter between two of Canada's greatest wrestlers, Edge (in his first PPV singles match) and Owen Hart. Not only do they open the show to a warm reception, full of back and forth momentum, but we also get a surprise performance from a certain superstar that would become very integral in Edge's career.

The show boasts TWO Triple Threat main events between 6 of the biggest names of the year. The show's actual main event saw Stone Cold Steve Austin defend the WWF Championship against Kane and the Undertaker. The match is alright, with a lot of focus on how Kane and Taker were both working for Mr. McMahon and were not going to allow Austin to walk away with the title. If you are looking for something a little more unbiased though, check out the Triple Threat cage match between The Rock, Mankind, and Ken Shamrock. The match was to determine the number one contender for the WWF Championship, and I find it fascinating how the crowd can alter the course of history. On this night, it seemed as if fan favorite Ken Shamrock was being booed for his efforts, the underappreciated Mankind was being cheered for putting his body on the line, and mega-heel The Rock was being cheered as the favorite to win the match and a sign that the People wanted him as their champ.

Recommendation


10. Judgment Day: In Your House

After having his WWF Championship taken away from him, Stone Cold Steve Austin found himself in a tense situation by being the guest referee in the match to crown the new champion. Austin not only had to ref the match between Kane and the Undertaker, but if he did not crown a new champion, he would be fired. I will say that of the Kane/Taker matches from this year, this is their worst. Something about adding the title to it and putting Austin at the side felt wrong. Their other matches capitalized on their lengthy feud, but this had Austin/McMahon written all over it with the Brothers of Destruction acting as pawns or puppets for that feud to add something "fresh" to the feud.

This night also featured Christian's PPV match debut, a bizarre feud where Val Venis (the babyface) is having an open affair with Goldust's wife Terri (I have no idea how the crowd could cheer for that garbage), and an Intercontinental Championship match between Ken Shamrock and Mankind that is memorable thanks to its ending. Honestly, the matches on this show aren't bad, but the entire show just feels like a HUGE transitional PPV between the events of Breakdown and Survivor Series that it has a tough time standing out on its own.

Recommendation


11. Survivor Series

Now we're coming to something REALLY good: the Deadly Game tournament. After all the shenanigans revolving around the WWF Championship, Mr. McMahon vacated the belt and put it on the line at the Survivor Series in a 14 man elimination tournament. The tournament was centered on some of Mr. McMahon's darlings (Mankind, Ken Shamrock, Big Boss Man, Kane, and the Undertaker) getting as much help as possible, while keeping the fan favorites (Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock) as down and out as possible.

There are two other matches on the card, a Women's Championship match of Jacqueline vs. Sable, and a Triple Threat match for the WWF Tag Team Championships with the New Age Outlaws, the Headbangers, and D'Lo Brown and Mark Henry, but really who cared about those on this night? The tournament final tells the perfect story of a McMahon favorite against a fan favorite, and thanks to a throwback to the previous year's Survivor Series, an incredible double turn takes place to close the night: with a new sentimental fan favorite and an absolutely detestable Corporate Champion.

Recommendation


12. Capital Carnage

Once you make it past some of the random matches, this show is actually pretty solid for a UK event. Of course, NO match is of historical significance, but at least they keep the show entertaining and it goes by pretty quickly. One match that's worth mentioning is a mixed tag between Sable and Christian against Marc Mero and Jacqueline. This was Mero's last PPV match with the company, and I would just like to take this time to acknowledge him as a character during this time. The feud between him and Sable lasted for most of the year and Mero isn't a bad in-ring performer, which would certainly label him as an underrated performer of the era.

In a match for....well, nothing...Stone Cold Steve Austin, Mankind, Kane, and the Undertaker gave the UK fans a fun Fatal 4-Way to end the night. Since summer booking surrounded these four, I'm surprised we never got this match on a bigger stage. Naturally, these guys aren't the most technically sound in the world so prepare for 15 minutes of fists and slams. Also, because they're in the UK, they throw British celebrity Vinnie Jones into the mix...because...Britain.

Recommendation


13. Rock Bottom: In Your House

It's a good thing the crowd was invested, because this feels like a pretty poor way to end the year. Most of the show is full of filler matches, and of course because it's an Attitude Era crowd, they make every wrestler feel like a main eventer. There's a "Strip Tease" match that's worth mentioning between Goldust and Jeff Jarrett, which is made memorable thanks to Debra and Shawn Michaels (gotta love anything involving Commissioner Michaels, proof that you should never give a D-Generate power...eh Triple H?), a WWF Tag Team Championship match between the New Age Outlaws and Ken Shamrock and Big Boss Man, and a WWF Championship match between The Rock and Mankind.

Surprisingly, a PPV that's named after The Rock doesn't have him in the main event. Instead, we have Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. the Undertaker in a Buried Alive match. The winner would be able to compete in the 1999 Royal Rumble match. I've never been a big fan of the match gimmick myself, but Austin and Taker are able to do a fine job of making the fans go home happy, so I guess that's where it counts right?

Recommendation


Final Thoughts: Simply put, the Attitude Era is all style and very little substance. The audience was more focused on the character gimmicks and the strength of the feuds, they didn't care if they couldn't put on 5-star classics. A lot of the main event matches also have a specific outline (which I highlighted in my Over the Edge review) and have the most overbooked moments of the nights, but those are what get the loudest receptions. So, if you are judging shows on match quality, you should probably pay attention to my recommendations. But, if you are all about crowd reactions and gimmicky characters, you're probably going to enjoy the year as a whole...which is a perfect summary of how I feel about this overrated Era. I'm more of a Ruthless Aggression guy myself.


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The Year in PPV- 1998, Part II

1998 continues with some of the most definitive matches of the Attitude Era...


5. Over the Edge: In Your House

The match for the WWF Championship between Stone Cold Steve Austin and Dude Love is often looked at as the prototype for how many Attitude Era matches were executed in match structure, pacing, and of course being overbooked. This match is near perfection in storytelling. We have Mr. McMahon serving as guest referee, Pat Patterson ringside as guest ring announcer, and Gerald Brisco ringside as guest timekeeper, all there to make sure Austin did not walk away with the belt. Austin had an equalizer in the Undertaker who made his way to the ring before the match began to serve as the guest enforcer. From there, it's an all out war between Austin and Dude Love to see who would leave the arena with the strap. There's blood, there's brawling around the arena, there's bodies going through the announcers' tables. It's a thrilling main event that had fans on the edge of their seats and is one of the most defining matches of the year and of the era.

Outside of the Austin/Dude Love match, the rest of the show is pretty forgettable. There are a few matches that have a solid concept behind them, like D-Generation X (Triple H, Billy Gunn, and the Road Dog) facing off against the Nation of Domination (Owen Hart, D'Lo Brown, and Kama Mustafa), or The Rock defending his Intercontinental Championship against Faarooq in a match that could bring closure to their rivalry, yet even these matches don't stay in the annals of WWE history among fans. Is the problem with the Austin/Dude Love match that it was so anticipated and remembered that it completely overshadows the card? That's a consequence I'm willing to accept as long as it means I can continue to watch that epic match as many times as I'd like.

Mild Recommendation


6. King of the Ring

After seeing some great King of the Ring PPVs that focused on the actual tournament, I'm not the biggest fan of how the show was formatted these last few years where only the semi-final and final round matches are featured. 1998 serves as a minor exception but not because of the actual King of the Ring tournament. Sure the semi-finals give us two MMA style fighters (Ken Shamrock and Dan Severn) and two superstars that would be considered entertainers (Jeff Jarrett and The Rock) to give two distinct types of a potential winner. Looking at the names, it's pretty obvious which two were going to make it to the finals, which I actually find disappointing because I like a few surprises thrown my way, which would further my statement of why I enjoy having more of the tournament on the card.

The show has two very memorable main events, with the show's actual main event being Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Kane in a First Blood match for the WWF Championship. That match itself is just alright, mainly remembered for some historical importance and of course the continuing rivalry between Austin and Mr. McMahon, but there's one match on this card that changed the history of wrestling forever. The Hell in a Cell match with Mankind and the Undertaker is a match that every wrestling fan should see once, but don't be expecting a five star classic. Admittedly, this match is pretty sloppy towards the second half, but it's those two really big spots (you'll know them when you see them) and Mick Foley's never say die attitude that make this match the classic it is.

Mild Recommendation


7. Fully Loaded: In Your House

Once again we have a show where the first half is all filler and the strength of the main events carry it forward. For sheer shock value, they have an infamous bikini contest involving Sable and Jacqueline, complete with Jerry Lawler on epic perverted commentary as the master of ceremonies. We have some mystery surrounding the main event for the WWF Tag Team Championships on whether or not the Undertaker and Stone Cold Steve Austin will be able to function as a team and take the belts from Kane and Mankind. And for a unique match type, we have Ken Shamrock face Owen Hart in the infamous Hart family Dungeon with Dan Severn as guest referee. All of these are fun matches but there's an overall spark that's lacking on making this show stand out.

The best match on the card is the 2 out of 3 falls match for the Intercontinental Championship. Before they were clashing over the WWF title in 2000, The Rock and Triple H were young leaders in the middle of an epic gang war between the Nation of Domination and D-Generation X. This match is not their greatest encounter in this feud (we'll save that for the next show), but it is certainly worth a look to see the efforts these future megastars to break through the glass ceiling. The match has excellent storytelling over how much they wanted to defeat the other and win the Intercontinental Championship. The only downside to the match is that it should have been for both the Intercontinental and European Championships. On the build up to this show, Triple H lost the European title to D'Lo Brown thanks to The Rock. This match could've been much more epic had it been a unification match.

Mild Recommendation


8. SummerSlam

During a big boom in the Attitude Era like this, the WWF needed to delivery with a great SummerSlam, and that's just what they did. No surprise, it's in Madison Square Garden, and once you look at the card it's pretty easy to see why so many enjoy this show. This show has a lot of variety, from a European Championship match (D'Lo Brown vs. Val Venis), to a 4-on-3 handicap match (Kaientai vs. the Oddities), to a hair vs hair match (X-Pac vs. Jeff Jarrett), to Edge's PPV debut (teaming with Sable against Marc Mero and Jacqueline), to a UFC inspired Lion's Den match (Ken Shamrock vs. Owen Hart), and a handicap no disqualification match for the Tag Team Championships (Mankind vs. the New Age Outlaws).

Then things really start to heat up with a ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship. This is referred to as the match that launched The Rock and Triple H as the future of the company and it's easy to see why. These guys go above and beyond to keep the crowd entertained and it's a fitting way to bring their rivalry to a close (at least for the time being). Then, it was time for an epic main event, where all you needed to sell the match was to say: Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. the Undertaker for the WWF Championship. While it is no technical masterpiece, the crowd is invested all the way through, and the match actually puts the underlying connections to the Austin/McMahon feud to the side. It wasn't about that on this evening. It was just about two of sports entertainment's biggest icons clashing for the richest prize in the business, and they did not disappoint.

Highly Recommended


Thoughts: I'm surprised to say this, but the MVP of this section of PPVs is Mick Foley. He found himself involved in epic matches with Austin, Taker, and teaming with Kane that all showed him put his body on the line to make the fans happy. Also, Rock and Triple H put on solid performances in their feud, and of course, the Austin and McMahon rivalry was the most must-see moments during this time, so it's easy to see where the appeal was with the main event players. However, majority of the shows are crammed with forgettable midcard filler. The crowd is still fully invested in the midcard wrestlers, but it can't cover up the fact that those matches haven't aged the greatest in long-term history. But did the WWF have to rely on solely the main eventers to finish off the year strong.

Concluded in Part III...


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The Year in PPV- 1998, Part I

Here we have a year that I'm sure many of you have been waiting to hear my thoughts about: 1998. This is one of the most popular years during arguably the most popular era in wrestling history. Look at the stars: you've got Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Kane, the Undertaker, Mick Foley, Goldust, Ken Shamrock, and so many more all competing on one roster at a time. That's a big plus for this time period. Are there any drawbacks? Surprisingly, there is one pretty big gripe I have with this era that would put it in the "overrated" category and that's in actual match quality. While there are tons of iconic matches during this era, they are very formulaic and are far from technical masterpieces. But we will get to that when we get to it.

Let's not waste any more time, let's begin looking at the year 1998...


1. Royal Rumble

With the exception of a very bizarre tag team match featuring lucha libre midgets, the Royal Rumble not only kicks off the Road to WrestleMania properly, but also sets the status quo of many aspects of the Attitude Era. A rivalry between Vader and the newly dubbed Artist Formerly Known As Goldust which started near the tail end of '97 came to an end through a thoroughly entertaining opening contest, the Legion of Doom challenge the New Age Outlaws for the Tag Team Championships in what many could consider a dream feud in tag team wrestling, and The Rock defends his Intercontinental Championship against Ken Shamrock. All these matches have a big fight feel and draw great responses from the crowd, but the match many fans were looking forward to was Shawn Michaels vs. the Undertaker in a Casket match for the WWF Championship. This match is memorable for two reasons. The first is how it ends and the second is that Shawn Michaels suffers his (at the time) career ending back injury by landing on the casket during the match.

Do you remember the gang warfare stables in 1997? Well a lot of that carries into the Royal Rumble match, leaving the match feeling cluttered with too many spots given to the Nation of Domination and the Disciples of Apocalypse. There are a ton of stars in this Rumble though, including Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Owen Hart, Ken Shamrock, Vader, Goldust, Mankind, Cactus Jack, Dude Love (you read those last three correctly), and many more. Also keep notice of Mike Tyson in the audience, as he will be an integral part in the Road to WrestleMania. He's such a good fan, who cares if he thinks Austin's name is "Cold Stone?" He's having a fun time, and it shows all over the Rumble match in keeping the fans entertained.

Recommended


2. No Way Out of Texas: In Your House

There was usually a filler show sandwiched between the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania PPVs for many years called No Way Out. There were tons of occasions where No Way Out surpassed expectations and actually made the show seem crucial to the Road to WrestleMania. This...is not one of those times. I'm not even entirely sure how this could come after a solid Royal Rumble and before one of the most memorable Manias of all-time but it does. No Way Out of Texas really feels like the booking scraps on 1997 because of some of the gimmicks that are used (not sure if the WWF had the Godwinns and the Quebeckers in mind when they were developing the Attitude Era) and it's really off putting when you know what changes will be happening within the year.

The only few matches that matter are the last three. If you're gonna watch any of this show start with the 10-man War of Attrition match, which saw Ken Shamrock, Ahmed Johnson, and the Disciples of Apocalypse (Chainz, Skull, and 8-Ball to be specific) go against the entire Nation of Domination. Then there's the match between Kane and Vader, which is definitely no technical masterpiece but is certainly enjoyable if you appreciate the ring-work of both big men. In what could have saved the entire show, the non-sanctioned 8-man tag team ends up being another misfire on the card. Thanks to his back injury suffered at the Royal Rumble, Shawn Michaels was pulled out of the team of Triple H and the New Age Outlaws (in what would've been an amazing tie-in to the next incarnation of D-Generation X) and replaced by Savio Vega (what a waste of a mystery partner). Then they had this team face Stone Cold Steve Austin, Owen Hart, Cactus Jack and Chainsaw Charlie. This match isn't actually bad, but it's sorely missing the presence of a great in-ring performance from the Heartbreak Kid.

Skip It


3. WrestleMania XIV

Here we have what many consider to be the quintessential WrestleMania for the Attitude Era. What is it about this show is able to resonate with the fans all these years later? Well, I think it's obviously in a lot of the performers used and some of the long-term effects of the matches, but there's also something to be said about the pacing and structure of the show. The show begins with a tag team battle royal What could have originally been a pre-show match is boosted with energy with the arrival (and return) of one of the greatest tag teams in wrestling history. Then, this Mania hooks you in with high quality, fast paced action courtesy of the Light Heavyweight Championship match between Taka Michinoku and Aguila.

Once the audience is warmed up, they are sent tons of midcard main events with some of the top tier superstars. Triple H defends the European Championship against Owen Hart in a true gem of a WrestleMania match, a mixed-tag team match sees Sable and Marc Mero battle Luna and the Artist Formerly Known as Goldust, The Rock puts his Intercontinental Championship on the line against a very motivated Ken Shamrock (don't expect this one to be too long), and Cactus Jack and Chainsaw Charlie hope to get revenge on the New Age Outlaws (for pushing them off the RAW stage in a dumpster) by taking their WWF Tag Team Championships in a dumpster match (oh, the irony).

The entire night has been building towards two blockbuster main events. The first one was between the Undertaker and Kane. It was their first time facing each other in a match, which is incredible since the feud had started all the way in the summer of 1997. Nearly 9 months of buildup and the fans FINALLY got to see the pay off and the match actually lives up to the hype. Add onto the fact that we have an iconic celebrity WrestleMania moment involving Pete Rose and Kane. But if we want to talk important celebrity moments, look no further than the main event. The two biggest attitudes in the WWF fought for the company's top prize when Shawn Michaels defended the WWF Championship against Stone Cold Steve Austin. And to make matters even more interesting, Mike Tyson, who aligned himself with D-Generation X, was named the special outside enforcer. The match is not the greatest since Michaels was suffering from his back injury and Austin was still showing signs of his reconstructed neck surgery, but it's still an important match to watch for the passing of the torch moment. Shawn would spend the next four years away from the ring and Stone Cold would reign supreme as "the man," in one of the Attitude Era's top defining moments.

Highly Recommended


4. Unforgiven: In Your House

Off the heels of an amazing WrestleMania, transition into the Attitude Era became much smoother. By the time Unforgiven rolled around, there was so much audience investment in all the acts and makes each match feel important. That's one of the things I really love about the Attitude Era is the fan participation. Not every match was great and not every gimmick was a home run, but the fans made it feel that way. Why do I bring this up? It is through this show that we get the first major PPV appearance of the legendary rivalry between Stone Cold Steve Austin and Mr. McMahon. McMahon hated that a man like Austin was walking around with the WWF Championship and representing the company he owns in such a poor way, that he was determined to have anyone else hold the title. Even Dude Love, who returned and turned his back on his former partner Austin all because McMahon is the man who signs his checks. Austin wanted revenge, Dude Love and McMahon wanted the title. What more needs to be said about storytelling?

This show will best be remembered for hosting the first ever Inferno match, a match where the ring is surrounded by fire and in order to win you must set your opponent on fire. What sick superstars would go to such extreme lengths to win a match and actually set someone on fire? You guessed it: Kane and the Undertaker in an attempt to bring their bitter and personal feud (would I dare call their rivalry...heated) to a close. Unforgiven feels a lot like a precursor to Backlash by having many matches be the results of the fallout of WrestleMania, which isn't bad, but a lot of feuds also carry over to the next PPV which in hindsight makes this show feel more transitional than you'd expect.

Mild Recommendation


Initial Thoughts: So the year is off to a pretty good start thanks to some good minor shows and one of the best Manias of all-time. The star power is definitely there and there have been plenty of memorable feuds on display, but I personally haven't been wowed by many matches at this point. Even some of the main events at WrestleMania are good solely on storytelling. The cookie cutter formula of Attitude Era matches will definitely be discussed within the next 2 parts, as for right now the era was just getting established and the types of matches were not the usual yet.

Continued in Part II...


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The Year in PPV- 1993

1993 really could be considered the first full year of the New Generation because of its focus on building the new talent roster. The Ultimate Warrior had parted ways with the company (again), Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair were both on their way out, and Randy Savage was mainly being used on commentary. It was time for new stars to emerge. Superstars like Bret Hart, Yokozuna, the Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Razor Ramon, Lex Luger, and even a tag team like the Steiner Brothers all had opportunities in 1993 to break through the glass ceiling and define themselves as the pioneers of the next era. So why do many fans not look fondly at a year like 1993 and consider it one of the worst years in WWE history?

Let's start by seeing how the momentum of 1993 is established at the Royal Rumble...


1. Royal Rumble

The midcard for the Royal Rumble this year is highlighted by an Intercontinental Championship match featuring Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty. The heated feud between the former Rockers is one of the strongest moments of the year and it's great to see one of their matches featured on a PPV, especially when you bring Shawn's former manager Sensational Sherri into the picture. Another great match on the card was the WWF Championship match between Bret Hart and Razor Ramon. At this point in history, it's refreshing to see a PPV title match contested between two young stars of the era. There's no Hogan, Savage, Warrior or Flair in this match, just an opportunity for Hart and Ramon to go out there and prove they were the future of the company, and two of the New Generation's defining characters.

The Royal Rumble match is hit or miss. The 66 minute match length definitely feels accurate, but not in a good way. There are many times where the match is lacking star quality to carry the time between entrants, so the match tends to drag. There are still a handful of superstars that have a chance to shine, including Bob Backlund defying the odds and lasting for over an hour of the match, Mr. Perfect and Ric Flair bringing their feud into the match, Randy Savage entering at number 30, and of course, Yokozuna entering at number 27 and laying waste to everything in his path. This Royal Rumble match is historically significant because it is the first Rumble match where the winner would challenge the WWF Champion in the main event of WrestleMania.

Mild Recommendation


2. WrestleMania IX

If you know any of the controversy surrounding how bad this show is, you might be disappointed that I'm actually going to talk about what's worth watching on the show. Not every match on the show is as bad or poorly booked as everyone says. The show opens with a fantastic Intercontinental Championship match between Shawn Michaels and Tatanka, followed by a fun tag team match with the Steiner Brothers and the Headshrinkers. And, considering the size difference in the two competitors, Bret Hart and Yokozuna actually have a really good match for the WWF Championship. Had that been the match that ended the night, everything would have been fine, but history proves that even in 1993, fans were left upset when a surprise challenger made his presence felt to close the night.

Add an abysmal match between the Undertaker and Giant Gonzalez (easily Taker's worst match at Mania), an underwhelming clash with Lex Luger and Mr. Perfect, a lengthy Tag Team Championship match between Money Inc. and the Mega-Maniacs (Hulk Hogan and Brutus Beefcake) with a cheap ending, a thrown together match between Razor Ramon and Bob Backlund, and a match with Doink the Clown and Crush that has one of the goofiest endings to a WrestleMania match that I've ever seen, and you can start to see where fans have problems with the show. In many ways, this show is considered an absolute disaster and is usually near the top of the list when people discuss the WORST WrestleMania of all-time. For me, there have been worse ones that have bored me and astounded me with its mediocrity. But I get a kick out of WrestleMania IX in a train wreck sort of way. I know majority of the show sucks and the toga party gimmick is ridiculous, but I can appreciate some of the gems on the card and the WWF's ambition to create an aesthetically unique show for Caesar's Palace, with the WWF superstars serving as modern day gladiators.

Mild Recommendation


3. King of the Ring

King of the Ring became the WWF's fifth annual PPV and lasted from 1993 to 2002. The inaugural King of the Ring show is actually pretty positive, but that's only based on the gimmick of the King of the Ring tournament itself. Like the Royal Rumble PPV, the show is a make or break depending on how the titular match gimmick is handled. So, even though Hulk Hogan defends the WWF Championship against Yokozuna, Shawn Michaels defends his Intercontinental Championship against Crush, or the Smoking Gunns and the Steiner Brothers face the Headshrinkers and Money Inc., they aren't what majority of the crowd tuned in to see.

The King of the Ring Tournament featured 8 competitors, with the intended goal that the winner of the tournament would have wrestled 3 matches in one night to be declared King of the Ring. The picture used should give a good idea of who makes it to the finals. Bam Bam Bigelow defeated Hacksaw Jim Duggan very quickly to advance and thanks to two competitors reaching a time limit draw, received a BYE in the semifinals and went straight to the final match. Bret Hart, on the other hand, would have to defeat Razor Ramon, Mr. Perfect, AND Bam Bam Bigelow if he wanted the crown. Each match is wrestled differently and this night is a testament to why Bret was the Excellence of Execution, to have three great matches, with three different wrestling styles, against three unique competitors.

Recommended


4. SummerSlam

Very rarely do I see a SummerSlam that offers absolutely nothing in terms of historical importance. But that is the case with the 1993 SummerSlam, which is one of the worst SummerSlam PPVs I've seen since starting this blog. Most of the matches are too short to  mean anything and some (particularly the Rest in Peace match between the Undertaker and Giant Gonzalez) can't even rely on match quality to compensate for the match length.

The biggest bonehead move of the night was the booking around the WWF Championship match. After bodyslamming the champion Yokozuna on the USS Intrepid, Lex Luger shed his Narcissist ways and become a patriotic hero for the fans. Complete with a countrywide tour on the Lex Express (yes...that's the name of his tour bus), the man who could've potentially been the next Hulk Hogan for the WWF should have been primed to win the WWF Championship. Without spoiling too much, history shows that Luger never won the belt in his time with the WWF. Winning the belt at SummerSlam could've been a career defining moment for Luger, but with how the actual match turned out, they missed a HUGE opportunity to create an amazing moment.

Skip It


5. Survivor Series

Ignoring the atrocious match of the Four Doinks (Men on a Mission and the Bushwhackers) vs. the Headshrinkers, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Bastion Booger, the rest of Survivor Series is actually very good. The elimination matches are reduced to four-on-four to make up for a lack of quality characters and it works well in favor by producing quicker paced matches. The main event saw the All-Americans (Lex Luger, the Undertaker, and the Steiner Brothers) take on the Foreign Fanatics (Yokozuna, Ludvig Borga, Crush, and Quebecker Jacques), and one of the greatest feuds of the New Generation was ignited in a match that saw the Hart Family (Bret, Owen, Bruce, and Keith) face Shawn Michaels and His Knights (Blue, Red, and Black). By the way, if any of you think I'm referring to the Bret Hart/Shawn Michaels rivalry, boy are you in for a surprise.

There are actually some solid underrated gems on this card too. In terms of the elimination matches, I really enjoyed the opening match that saw Razor Ramon, Randy Savage, Marty Jannetty, and the 1-2-3 Kid fight Diesel, Rick Martel, Adam Bomb, and Irwin R. Schyster. It does a solid job of getting the crowd warmed up, plus I love the opportunity of seeing some future Kliq and nWo members in their younger years. There's also an odd match in the middle of the card featuring wrestlers from Jim Cornette's Smokey Mountain Wrestling. The SMW Tag Team Championships are on the line between the Rock n Roll Express and the Heavenly Bodies and it's just very strange to see this territory represented on a WWF PPV. Still, it's a fun bonus for an overall memorable Survivor Series.

Recommended


Thoughts: So what went wrong with 1993? It seemed to have all the star power it needed, and most of them can pull out good matches, so where was the issue? I think part of the problem was that a lot of the changes were happening rapidly and so I don't think the year and era were launched properly in terms of the booking, nor were they initially well received by the fans. By the time the era was ending in 1997, the WWF had their act together and were able to emphasize a lot of star power in each of the divisions. Many would probably say Bret Hart's booking was well-done, and I think that is only credible through his match quality, as his feud with Jerry Lawler actually removed him from his main event spot. In my opinion, Yokozuna was the best booked star of the year, thanks to his dominant win at the Royal Rumble, becoming a two-time WWF Championship by defeating Bret Hart and Hulk Hogan, and being a monster heel Champion to close out the rest of the year.


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