The Year in PPV- 1997, Part III

The year comes to a close with arguably the most controversial moment in wrestling history...


9. Ground Zero: In Your House

The opening match with Goldust and Brian Pillman is very heated, and blurs the line between storyline and reality. The match had the stipulations that if Pillman won, he would have Marlena's services for 30 days. Sadly, this is Pillman's last PPV match, as he would pass away from an undetected heart condition just hours before the Badd Blood PPV. His Loose Cannon gimmick was so over with the fans (mainly due to his controversial statements) that it's a real shame that it had to come to an end so sudden, since this was arguably the highest point in his career. Another storyline fans were interested in was the fate of Stone Cold Steve Austin's title reigns. Thanks to his injury at SummerSlam, he had to vacate both the Intercontinental AND WWF Tag Team Championships (which he held with Dude Love). Of course, Austin wasn't going to go down quietly, and made his presence felt in the four corners elimination match to crown the new Tag Team Champions. This really helped shape the Austin we know and love, as he had no problem delivering Stone Cold Stunners to anybody in his way, including officials.

One of the most important matches of the night was a battle of patriotism for the WWF Championship that saw Bret Hart (a proud Canadian) defend his title against The Patriot (obviously, a symbol for the United States). Although The Patriot's tenure with the WWF was short, this match is a pretty solid effort from both men. Everyone wanted to see the tension between Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker come to a boil in their match, and that's just what we got. The match was all about Taker wanting to destroy Shawn, and all Shawn wanted to do was get out of there.

Mild Recommendation


10. One Night Only

For some reason, the full three-hour show of One Night Only is not on the WWE Network. Instead, we have a condensed 2-hour Coliseum Home Video version that cuts out three matches. This wouldn't be a problem if one of the matches cut wasn't the WWF Championship match between Bret Hart and the Undertaker (seriously, how did Coliseum Home Video not think we deserved to see that match?). Thankfully, this match has been released on a handful of DVDs about Bret and Taker's respective careers, so it's not totally lost footage.

*The Three-hour version is now available on the WWE Network.

There's not a whole lot to write about on the show other than that. The two matches that stuck out revolved around the two main members of D-Generation X. Hunter Hearst Helmsley put aside his feud with Mankind and focused his attention on Dude Love (see what I did there?) in the show's opening match. But the biggest attraction of the evening came when hometown favorite, The British Bulldog, defended his European Championship against Shawn Michaels. The crowd is fully invested in everything going on (thanks to Bulldog's popularity there), and Michaels shows why he's one of the best performers of all time, as he does everything in his power to piss them off.

Mild Recommendation


11. Badd Blood: In Your House

As I said earlier, Brian Pillman was supposed to wrestle Dude Love on this night (with Goldust handcuffed at ringside to prevent interference), but he passed away earlier during the day. Having that in mind, most of the show is left with a very somber tone. Even when the show has The Legion of Doom against The Nation of Domination, the crowing of a new Intercontinental Champion (with a little help from Stone Cold Steve Austin), and a tag team match with four mini competitors, there is that uneasiness that I could even feel within the commentary that it was very hard to stay focused after the knowledge of Pillman's death was announced right before the PPV began.

Thankfully, there is one match on the show that was able to demonstrate that the show must go on, as this show also marked the debut of one of WWE's most famous match gimmicks: Hell in a Cell. This variation of a Cage match with a roof was developed to keep D-Generation X from interfering in Shawn Michael's match with the Undertaker (and also preventing Shawn from escaping). The two are able to blend a bloody brawl at the hands of Taker, with great in-ring wrestling from Michaels, and the result is a fantastic debut for the match that was able to tell a great story. The Hell in a Cell isn't the ONLY important debut of the night, because after months of speculation, Kane (with Paul Bearer at his side) finally debuted and made his presence felt as he stood in the ring with his long lost brother, the Undertaker. As if that wasn't enough, the match was also to determine the number one contender for the WWF Championship, meaning the winner would go on to face Bret Hart at Survivor Series (I think we all know where this is going).

Recommended


12. Survivor Series

I'm not going to pretend that the undercard isn't important. Including Kane's PPV debut match against Mankind, an Intercontinental Championship match between Stone Cold Steve Austin and Owen Hart, and a LOT of traditional Survivor Series elimination matches, the entire PPV undercard is already worthy of a solid recommendation. But let's be honest, they are definitely NOT the reasons why this Survivor Series is remembered.

It's very possible that this Survivor Series features the most controversial moment in WWE history: the WWF Championship match between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels. The match is also known as the Montreal Screwjob, and while I won't give away what happens, I will say that it led to arguably one of the most important moments in wrestling history: the birth of the Mr. McMahon character. On top of all that, the match itself is actually really good (shame since fans usually just remember it for the ending). It's definitely a match every fan needs to see and is a great finale to a very memorable Survivor Series in Montreal.

Highly Recommended 


13: D-Generation X: In Your House

The PPV lives up to its name in providing main event matches for both Shawn Michaels and Triple H. Shawn had to defend his WWF Championship against Ken Shamrock (I'm still really surprised that never went anywhere after this show), and Triple H fought Sgt. Slaughter in a Boot Camp match. I was pleasantly surprised at the effort put into the Boot Camp match. From the backstory of Sgt. Slaughter's glory days, to the amount of time Triple H spends getting beat up by Slaughter, to Chyna's role in the match, to the overall violence given to a midcard main event. I wish this match was talked about more often, because I think it really helped Triple H as a mainstay performer, and good for building up Commissioner Slaughter as an authority figure.

I will say it's pretty intriguing that the two matches involving D-Generation X are not what the D-Generation X PPV is most known for. Aside from the crowning of the first Light Heavyweight Champion (in a match between Brian Christopher and Taka Michinoku), the show is best known for the Intercontinental Championship match between Rocky Maivia and Stone Cold Steve Austin. These guys had great matches together, but that's not what this match is about (in fact, this match is short and kinda underwhelming considering it's a Rock/Austin match). This match will always be known as the match where Austin drove to the ring in his pickup truck and used it to dispose of The Nation of Domination, which makes for an awesome moment but certainly not a classic match for the Intercontinental title.

Recommended


Final Thoughts: In conclusion, the year closed out with the first Hell in a Cell match, the debut of Kane, the rise of D-Generation X, the fall of the Hart Foundation, the birth of Mr. McMahon, and flashes of the future megastars Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock would become. Needless to say, these are some of the most influential PPV events in wrestling history. The beginning and middle of 1997 are both solid enough, but I definitely recommend the last few shows of the year as they got progressively better and maintained a chain of overall quality.


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The Year in PPV- 1997, Part II

As the year 1997 continues to develop, so does the attitude...


5. In Your House 15: A Cold Day in Hell

This edition of In Your House offers a bit more quality than expected. Continuing the feud between Ahmed Johnson and The Nation of Domination, Ahmed got a crack at Crush, Savio Vega, and Faarooq in a gauntlet match that showed the dominance of the group, but also Ahmed's resilience. It's easy to see how the crowd could be behind a guy like Ahmed Johnson during this time period thanks to matches like this. There's also a match between Mankind and Rocky Maivia that is pretty much just filler, but the crowd reactions in cheering the heel Mankind over Rocky Maivia was an example of a change in attitude amongst the fans in what they wanted (which would eventually lead to Maivia evolving into The Rock). Ken Shamrock also makes his in-ring PPV debut, to much fanfare, against Vader in a No Holds Barred Match. The match is a fitting debut for his character, and also shows that the company was ready to invest time in Shamrock, as they were looking for another main event babyface.

The main event for the WWF Championship saw Stone Cold Steve Austin challenge the Undertaker, in a pretty good outing from these two, while also carrying the continuity of Austin's feud with The Hart Foundation. That's one of the things I liked best about this time period, as opposed to how feuds go nowadays, and that's through its continuity. Thanks to beating Bret Hart, Austin became number one contender but was still feuding with Hart. Little touches like that really help the matches and feuds seem larger than life. Modern feuds only last as long as the PPVs, and then superstars move on elsewhere, it's a bit too structured for my taste, but I digress.

Recommended


6. King of the Ring

The biggest story of the PPV is the King of the Ring Tournament, and it is used to build up two superstars: Mankind and Hunter Hearst Helmsley. The two offer a very large culture clash (Helmsley being the Connecticut blueblood, and Mankind being a disfigured outcast) and their match is solid, but needs some trimming in time (helps the match flow at a better pace). At this point, Helmsley had scratched and clawed for a year, paying his dues as punishment for an earlier stint he pulled in Madison Square Garden (the Curtain Call) with the Kliq (Shawn Michaels, Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall to be exact). Equally as important, Mankind had come into his own through championship matches against Undertaker and Shawn Michaels, so he showed he could be a mainstay in the main event. In this instance, the match helped elevate both men (Helmsley remained a textbook heel, and Mankind was now being put over as a sympathetic face).

There's also a WWF Championship match with the Undertaker defending his title against Faarooq. The match should've been the culmination of The Nation of Domination, but it ended up being more focused on Undertaker's feud with Paul Bearer. Their match is solid, but it doesn't really go anywhere, so it's lost in history. Also, it has an ending that might make NO SENSE AT ALL to first time viewers, so it's explained briefly in my review of the next show. The big highlight of the show is the match between Shawn Michaels and Stone Cold Steve Austin (who were co-holders of the WWF Tag Team Championships). This is the kind of match I wanted to see from these two: a flamboyant showman against a no-nonsense brawler. These two have an insane amount of chemistry together in this showdown, it's just a shame how it ended.

Mild Recommendation 


7. In Your House 16: Canadian Stampede

This really feels like a two match show, so let's just talk about those matches. The WWF Championship was put on the line by Undertaker against Vader, as Taker's feud with Paul Bearer continued. From what I could gather, the original match was supposed to be Taker against Ahmed Johnson, who joined The Nation of Domination (SWERVE!), which makes sense considering how the King of the Ring PPV ended. Things were going pretty well in connecting the dots, but an unfortunate injury left Johnson unable to compete at the show. This could've been a really cool showdown had things gone as they were planned, but instead Taker's match with Vader is pretty forgettable.

In probably the most Canadian moment in wrestling history (apologies if Canadians disagree), The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart, Owen Hart, Jim Neidhart, Brian Pillman, and The British Bulldog) squared off in a ten-man tag match against Stone Cold Steve Austin, Goldust, Ken Shamrock, and The Legion of Doom. This match is really about perspective in where you stood on this feud. If you were a fan of The Hart Foundation, then this is a spectacular moment that celebrates the legacy of the Hart family, and if you disliked The Hart Foundation, get over it and appreciate this moment. Other than this match, the rest of the show is fairly forgettable.

Mild Recommendation


8. SummerSlam

Here's a SummerSlam that is full of star power and important matches. Mankind and Hunter Hearst Helmsley open the show with an entertaining Steel Cage match (I kinda miss the big blue bars), The Legion of Doom offered some stiff punishment to The Godwinns, and Los Boricuas (Savio Vega's new group) battled The Disciples of Apocalypse (Crush's new group) in a battle of gang warfare, only to have The Nation of Domination make their presence (and dominance) felt. The feuds involving The Hart Foundation continued in singles competition, with each match having a very unique stipulation. Brian Pillman fought Goldust in a match where if he lost, he would have to wear one of Marlena's dresses. The British Bulldog defended his European Championship against Ken Shamrock in a match where if he lost, he would have to eat an entire can of dog food.

Stone Cold Steve Austin challenged Owen Hart for the Intercontinental Championship in a match where if he lost, he would have to kiss Owen's backside. This was a very well done match, until the ending. Thanks to a botched tombstone piledriver, Austin legitimately broke his neck but proceeded to finish the match (a true act of one tough son of a "you know what"). The main event is what fans really wanted to see, though, as Bret Hart challenged the Undertaker for the WWF Championship in a match where if Hart lost, he would never be allowed to wrestle in the United States again. To add to the stakes, Shawn Michaels (whom Bret had real life heat with at the time) was the guest referee and needed to make sure Bret wasn't screwed out of winning the title (HOLY IRONY), because if he showed any bias towards Undertaker winning, he would be unable to wrestle in the United States as well. When the stakes are THIS HIGH for a match, it's bound to deliver, and it absolutely does as a main event.

Highly Recommended


Thoughts: With this batch of PPVs, there is a well-defined aspect of continuity and character development in specific characters and feuds, most notably the feud between Austin and The Hart Foundation, Mick Foley and Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Undertaker and Paul Bearer. The only thing that hasn't aged well is the stuff with The Nation of Domination (primarily when Los Boricuas and The Disciples of Apocalypse were formed), which isn't that bad of a casualty so it's no major loss.

Concluded in Part III...


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The Year in PPV- 1997, Part I

While it might not appear so on the surface, 1997 was one of the most important years in WWE history because of its long-term effects on the business. What started out as another average year during the era of the New Generation became injected with a strong amount of dysfunction and attitude. Thanks to the rising stock of Stone Cold Steve Austin, the formation of D-Generation X, and a change in character for Bret Hart, a new era was on the horizon for the WWF.

Of course, the year is still full of many cringe worthy moments that were common for the New Generation. By the time the attitude was introduced, the company was wisely focusing more on what was controversial and less on what was cartoony. This year was also used to bring newer superstars to the roster. Future main event superstars like Triple H and The Rock would be utilizing the midcard throughout the year and their performances have aged well due to their future star power.

So let's not wait any further. This is the year 1997...


1. Royal Rumble

Apart from a six-man tag involving Mexican wrestling stars (I'm assuming in an attempt to please the San Antonio crowd), this show actually has pretty solid feuds used throughout. The opening match between Hunter Hearst Helmsley and Goldust for the Intercontinental Championship is very solid and was a great way to help carry Helmsley's momentum as a potential top heel while also humanizing Goldust by showing his compassion towards Marlena. The feud between Ahmed Johnson and The Nation of Domination was white hot at the time (compare their push to that of The Shield or The Wyatt Family, but they didn't get a face response from the crowd), so much so that fans couldn't wait for Ahmed to get his hands on Faarooq. The Undertaker and Vader had a fine big man encounter, but it's nothing to write home about, then came that six-man tag, and then it was time for the Royal Rumble match.

One thing I liked about the Rumble match was that it utilized many of the superstars that wrestled earlier in the show (allowing their feuds to continue through this match), but also put some major focus on stars like Bret Hart and Stone Cold Steve Austin as obvious favorites to win the match. The conclusion is controversial (especially since the winner did NOT receive his number one contender's spot at WrestleMania) but led to one of WrestleMania's most important showdowns (which I will talk about very soon). Shawn Michaels returns as the prodigal son in his hometown as San Antonio to challenge Sycho Sid for the WWF Championship. It's obvious who's going to win, but it's still a good main event as the crowd is 100% invested in the outcome and I always enjoy a feelgood victory for The Heartbreak Kid.

Recommended 


2. In Your House 13: Final Four

This is my first In Your House PPV under the two-hour format, and I must say that I actually really enjoyed it. The In Your House PPV's are a little more breezy in having less matches, but those matches feel important being on PPV, and the two-hour length makes the bigger shows of the year (Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, King of the Ring, SummerSlam, and Survivor Series) feel even more important because they have an extra hour. Looking back on this show so many years later, it is interesting to see guys like The Rock and Triple H wrestling for the Intercontinental Championship as Rocky Maivia and Hunter Hearst Helmsley. It's also great to see how the early days of the Nation of Domination were handled by having them on display primarily in six-man tag matches, very similar to how The Shield and The Wyatt Family have been booked in recent memory.

After Shawn Michaels "lost his smile," the WWF Championship was vacated and put on the line in this Four Corners Elimination Match between Bret Hart, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Vader, and the Undertaker. While the rules seemed a little strange (elimination occurred via pinfall, submission, or throwing them over the top rope), it's great that they used two of the bigger feuds going on to put importance on the title, while also building Sycho Sid as an extra factor, as the winner would defend the championship against Sid the next night on RAW.

Mild Recommendation


3. WrestleMania 13

For a lot of people, WrestleMania 13 is a one match show and pretty forgettable, but I will argue that there are at least one or two more significant WrestleMania moments this show offers that people don't give credit for. One of those moments is a solid grudge match between Hunter Hearst Helmsley and Goldust. The biggest factor heading into the match was how the recently debuted Chyna would help Helmsley, and the match itself is actually really good thanks to the chemistry between Helmsley and Goldust. One of the moments on the show I will defend the most is the Chicago Street Fight between The Nation of Domination (Faarooq, Savio Vega, and Crush) and Ahmed Johnson and The Legion of Doom (Hawk and Animal). There's a lot going on, but it is a great deal of entertainment and helped pave the way for a lot of the Hardcore Championship matches during the Attitude Era.

There is some pretty brutal matches on the card though, especially the Intercontinental Championship match between Rocky Maivia (seriously Rock....a match THIS bad at WrestleMania?) and The Sultan (Rikishi for those who didn't know). This was right around the time fans started booing the ultra babyface Maivia, but they weren't invested in The Sultan either, so they just stopped caring when this match took place. The biggest offense on the show, sadly, is the main event for the WWF Championship between Sycho Sid (good Lord) and the Undertaker (in his sixth WrestleMania match). Everyone talks about how Sid crapped his pants during this match (I guess you can play a game where you can try and spot the moment) and how boring the match actually is, so I won't drag those complaints out too much. The only saving grace in this match is Shawn Michaels on commentary, and Bret Hart coming out on 3 occasions during the match to vent his frustrations on Sid, Taker, and Shawn.

Speaking of Bret, he's involved in the most memorable moment on the show and one of the most important matches in wrestling history as he fought Stone Cold Steve Austin in a submission match. Not only does the match feature one of the most iconic images in company history (Austin bleeding and refusing to submit to Bret's sharpshooter), but also features the greatest double turn in wrestling history. When the match was over, Bret Hart (at one point, the company's golden boy) was now being booed out of the building by the Chicago crowd, who in turn applauded Austin (who had been gaining momentum as a heel) for his efforts during the match. There's also a lot of buzz surrounding Ken Shamrock as the guest referee, and the Chicago fans really eat up every moment of this war between two of wrestling's biggest icons that was a pivotal moment in constructing the Attitude Era.

Mild Recommendation


4. In Your House 14: Revenge of the 'Taker

You would think that with a title like that, that the main focus would be on the Undertaker (I mean, he was the WWF Champion after all). However, there is a much larger focus on the feud between Stone Cold Steve Austin and Bret Hart's rivalry that continued from WrestleMania (it was even the main event). Their match is more focused on Austin being attacked earlier in the evening, and whether or not he would show up for their match. This setup for this match was a great way of working the double turn that both Austin and Hart had at WrestleMania, as Hart was becoming more of a traditional heel in his actions and through his words, while fans were able to rally behind Austin and his anti-establishment attitude (something they really didn't have with a company babyface up to this point).

The WWF Championship match is the brightest spot on this PPV (but that's not saying too much), as Undertaker defended his title against Mankind. These two continue to show that they are capable of good matches together, and a lot of setup is placed in this match between Undertaker and Paul Bearer that would carry on for the rest of the year. The rest of the show, however, is a collection of forgettable championship matches (thanks to their endings) and a ridiculous match between Jesse James (the future Road Dogg) and Rockabilly (the future Mr. Ass), even if it is fun seeing these guys battle each other before they became The New Age Outlaws.

Skip It


Initial Thoughts: Things definitely seemed to be a bit rocky as this year began. There are obvious stars present, including the development of Austin as a babyface, but with Shawn Michaels "losing his smile," the main event was definitely lacking that spark. Because of that, there's a larger amount of midcard matches and feuds that are heavy in these PPVs. The company only had a few ideas that were compelling to the entire audience, so a lot of their creativity was invested in those ideas alone. Thanks to the heel turn of Bret Hart, gang warfare was on the horizon: between The Hart Foundation (representing Canada) and Austin and the rest of the WWF superstars (representing the United States).

Continued in Part II...


All rights and images are copyrighted and owned by World Wrestling Entertainment

The Year in PPV- 2000, Part III

As the year 2000 closes, it was finally revealed who ran over Stone Cold Steve Austin...


11. No Mercy

It was RIKISHI!?!?!? WHAT!?!?!? In all seriousness, I know he "did it for The Rock," but this is one of the weakest reveals EVER. What didn't help Rikishi in getting over as a heel was that they still made him wrestle in a THONG. He wore leather pants as his street attire, so why couldn't he wear those as a heel? I know it sounds strange to say the key to success is pants (especially in wrestling), but we should at least be able to take a bad guy seriously, and we can't do that if he's wrestling in a thong (that's why we never saw a World title run for Naked Mideon). I can barely call his No Holds Barred match with Stone Cold Steve Austin an actual match. It's more of a brawl but is serviceable in Austin getting his revenge.

Sorry, went on a rant there. Anyways, the other main events involve top tier talent delivering solid wrestling matches. The first was Chris Benoit's match with Triple H, which did a lot of what the match at Fully Loaded did for Chris Jericho in allowing Benoit to be seen as a legitimate threat in the main event picture, or at the least could cut it with the main event talent like Triple H. The main event saw Kurt Angle challenge The Rock for the WWF Championship. Based on their personalities, a classic match is guaranteed, until the ending (SERIOUSLY, RIKISHI!?!?!). There's also a lot of entertainment in the midcard, including a Steel Cage match between X-Pac and Chris Jericho, a Dudley Boyz Invitational Tables match, and The Hardy Boyz putting their WWF Tag Team Championships on the line against the mysterious duo of Los Conquistadores (I freaking love Edge and Christian).

Mild Recommendation


12. Survivor Series

You know it's pretty bad when majority of the midcard is higher quality than the THREE main events for the show. The Survivor Series elimination matches are quick, but also a lot of fun and showcase the WWF's overabundance in tag teams. The Radicalz (Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Perry Saturn, and Dean Malenko) had an entertaining match against a revamped (and discount) D-Generation X (Road Dogg, Billy Gunn, Chyna and K-Kwik). The Dudley Boyz teamed up with The Hardy Boyz (AWESOME) against Edge and Christian (who already REEK OF AWESOMENESS) and the Right to Censor (Bull Buchanan and The Goodfather). There's also a pretty good (I'd almost call underrated gem) match between Kane and Chris Jericho that all started over spilled coffee (I never said the story was good).

As I said earlier, three main events were advertised for this show (which would lead into a MASSIVE main event for Armageddon). The Rock squared off against Rikishi, which was pretty forgettable. Kurt Angle defended his WWF Championship against the Undertaker, which was also forgettable outside of the ending (but Angle did that better in his 2003 match with Brock Lesnar). Stone Cold Steve Austin sought to get revenge on Triple H for organizing the hit and run at the previous year's Survivor Series. Their No Disqualification match is known for its ending more than anything else, as the rest of the match is your standard brawl.

Skip It


13. Rebellion

I'm starting to think that the WWF should have just dropped the Insurrextion and Rebellion shows and made one of their annual shows emanate from the UK instead. How bad would it have been for for King of the Ring or Fully Loaded to be in the UK if it meant that we didn't get filler shows like Insurrextion? Seriously, British fans (and fans around the world for that matter) deserve shows where the matches and superstars involved are at top notch quality. Luckily, Rebellion is not a train wreck in comparison to other UK shows, but still lacks historical significance.

Between Survivor Series and Armageddon, Rebellion is actually a pretty satisfying filler show thanks to its entertaining roster. The personalities involved are all able to work off one another to do storytelling that is by the books, but still allows matches to flow naturally and feel satisfying for the most part. The main event between The Rock, Rikishi, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Kurt Angle for the WWF Championship was pretty fun thanks to the outside interference from Edge and Christian (friends with Angle) and the Radicalz (feuding with Austin).

Mild Recommendation


14. Armageddon

The year comes to a close with one of the biggest main events in wrestling history. After so many rivalries were interlocking in booking, Commissioner Mick Foley (once again, THANK YOU MICK!!!) decided to have Kurt Angle put the WWF Championship on the line in a 6-Man Hell in a Cell Match against The Rock, Triple H, Stone Cold Steve Austin, the Undertaker, and Rikishi. Rikishi withstanding, this match features 5 of the greatest superstars in WWE history and that match itself is entertaining from beginning to end. It's bloody, there are great spots, and there's really a sense that anyone could walk away with the title and EVERYONE could leave the match with serious injuries. It's a match that lives up to the name of the show, as fans were in attendance for a match that felt like Armageddon was taking place before their eyes.

In history's eyes, this is a one-match show, but that doesn't mean there aren't some fun matches on the undercard. One of my personal favorites is the Last Man Standing match between Kane and Chris Jericho (one that many fans agree is the match where their feud finally clicked), but there is also a lot of fun in the six-person intergender match between Team Xtreme (The Hardy Boyz and Lita) and The Radicalz (Perry Saturn, Eddie Guerrero, and Dean Malenko), a Fatal 4-Way match for the WWF Tag Team Championships (Edge and Christian vs. The Dudley Boyz vs. The Goodfather and Bull Buchanan vs. Road Dogg and K-Kwik) and a well wrestled match for the Intercontinental Championship between Billy Gunn and Chris Benoit. The undercard offers some variety, but there was only one match on the minds of every fan that night and that was the Hell in a Cell, and rightfully so.

Recommended


Final Thoughts: My final thoughts are going to be brief at the risk of sounding like a broken record. Yes, some booking decisions might seem out there nowadays (Rikishi in particular), but the year 2000 can boast to featuring one of the most stacked rosters of all-time, and offering a great amount of comedic and serious storytelling, some of the most hardcore moments in company history, and doing the number one thing any year in wrestling history should be striving towards: entertaining the fans consistently throughout the year. I strongly recommend checking out the year 2000 in its entirety on the WWE Network, you won't be disappointed.


All rights and images are copyrighted and owned by World Wrestling Entertainment

The Year in PPV- 2000, Part II

The year 2000 continues with a LOT of quality shows...


6. Judgment Day

With only six matches, Judgment Day doesn't look too promising on paper. However, there is some really good stuff on the card. The Radicalz clash for the European Championship in a Triple Threat between Eddie Guerrero, Perry Saturn, and Dean Malenko, The Dudley Boyz looked to put X-Pac and Road Dogg (and Tori) through some wood in a Double Tables match, Shane McMahon hopes to defeat Big Show in a Falls Count Anywhere match (I'm serious), and Too Cool fought Edge, Christian, and Kurt Angle in a very entertaining opening match (I LOVE the Five Second Pose for this match). If that doesn't have you interested, then check out the Submission match between Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho for the Intercontinental Championship, as it is quality wrestling at its finest between one of wrestling's greatest pure wrestlers (Benoit) and one of sports entertainment's greatest entertainers (Jericho).

The entire evening was building towards the Iron Man match for the WWF Championship between The Rock and Triple H. The Iron Man match is a gimmick that is hit or miss for many fans. If they can keep the crowd entertained for the entire duration, then the match is easy to sit through, but if it has its share of boring spots, then it becomes a chore to watch. This match finds its way in between. If you can make it through the first half (which only has a few falls), then the rest of the match will be worth the effort because The Rock and Triple H really put everything they have on the table to make their clash for the title memorable. Also, Shawn Michaels is the guest referee (which is always a fun time for me to watch), so there was a lot of speculation of whether or not he would be impartial.

Mild Recommendation


7. King of the Ring

I won't pretend that this PPV is perfect, it's far from it, but I do like the storytelling that is told in one particular aspect: the King of the Ring tournament. More than one story is told, making it less predictable on who would win it. There were favorites heading in like Kurt Angle, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, and Chris Jericho, but also unorthodox stories like Rikishi (who was battling through injuries inflicted from post-match beatdowns throughout the night) and Crash Holly (who was sought as the ultimate underdog and wanted to prove his legitimacy). All of the tournament matches are entertaining, and many are even well-wrestled, including a Quarter-Final match between Angle and Jericho (that could've been a GREAT Finals match). Since the name of the PPV was the good part of the show, then it warrants enough of a recommendation from me.

That being said, there is some VERY bad stuff on the show too, particularly an Evening Gown match for the Hardcore Championship between Pat Patterson and Gerald Brisco (you heard that correctly). It's one of those "so bad it's good" train wreck matches that must be seen to be believed. The main event was an overbooked six-man tag match for the WWF Championship that saw Triple H, Shane McMahon, and Mr. McMahon defend the belt against The Rock, Kane, and the Undertaker. If Rock, Kane, or Taker won, the scorer of the pinfall would've won the belt, but any of Triple H's teammates could've won the match to keep the belt on The Game. It's very convoluted, but it's still entertaining to see these six elements work off each other.

Mild Recommendation


8. Fully Loaded

Like the earlier PPVs of the year, this show promotes a lot of variety and a lot of that is due to a lot of gimmicks that are put on the matches. It actually reminds me a lot of the RAW Roulette gimmick (the layout is very similar aesthetically), which allows for some very entertaining contests, including a Steel Cage match between Val Venis and Rikishi for the Intercontinental Championship, and a six-person mixed tag match between Test, Albert, and Trish Stratus against The Hardy Boyz and Lita.

The PPV really earns its namesake though thanks to the promotion of three star studded (or fully loaded) main events. The first was a match between Kurt Angle and the Undertaker, which was a very important match for the recent King of the Ring winner (Angle) as it showed that he deserved to be in the ring with one of the most respected names in wrestling history in Undertaker. Chris Benoit hoped to win the WWF Championship from The Rock in a match where Rock could lose the belt on disqualification. Unfortunately, they never really had a long lasting feud or matches with each other (which is a shame, because they had solid chemistry and the feud had fans invested), but this is a great match to main event the show. The show is stolen by Chris Jericho and Triple H, who had a phenomenal Last Man Standing match that was all about respect. This match was more to make a star out of Jericho, while not deteriorating from Triple H's momentum, and it works tremendously (I told you these guys could have good matches together).

Highly Recommended


9. SummerSlam

We have yet another variety show from the WWF, this time it's for the biggest party of the summer, SummerSlam. There is a lot of filler on this PPV, but also enough quality to warrant this show by many fans as one of the best overall SummerSlams in history. The Hardcore Championship match between Steve Blackman and Shane McMahon has one of the most famous bumps (maybe fall is more accurate) in wrestling, and is also proof that Shane McMahon was a very underrated wrestling talent (he knew how to bring the pain, but knew how to take a beating even better). Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho also continue their rivalry (easily the year's best rivalry in terms of match quality) in an impressive 2 out of 3 falls match, that shows just how evenly matched the two were with tons of momentum shifts and near falls.

Thanks to Commissioner Mick Foley (THANK YOU MICK FOLEY!), Edge and Christian were forced to defend their WWF Tag Team Championships against The Hardy Boyz and The Dudley Boyz in the first Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match. The wrestling industry (particularly the backyard wrestling industry) owes a great deal of gratitude towards this match and these three teams. They completely steal the show with the TLC match and raised the already high standard that they set at WrestleMania 2000 with the Triangle Ladder match (although, that is still my favorite of their matches together). The main event saw the WWF Championship defended in a Triple Threat between The Rock, Kurt Angle and Triple H. The main focus of the match was the intense rivalry between Angle and Triple H over the affection of Stephanie McMahon, that unfortunately makes The Rock (and the WWF Championship) seem like an afterthought. Even worse, thanks to an infamous botch at the Spanish Announcer's Table, Kurt Angle is taken out of commission for most of the match, leaving Triple H and The Rock to improvise (by this time, they could do matches together in their sleep).

Highly Recommended


10. Unforgiven

A lot of the matches here are really built up to be a big deal. Considering that there is an eight man tag, a Strap match, a tag team Steel Cage match, a hardcore invitational, AND an appearance from Stone Cold Steve Austin, and we haven't even gotten to the main event matches yet, you know this show's gonna be an excellent effort from the company. The most heated rivalry on this show is between Triple H and Kurt Angle, who fought in a no disqualification match with Commissioner Mick Foley as guest referee. While their feud over Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley might have seemed goofy and similar to a soap opera love triangle, this match certainly reminded fans of how tough both of these men were in the ring.

The main event was completely full of talent, as The Rock, Kane, Chris Benoit, and the Undertaker all fought for the WWF Championship in a Fatal 4-Way match. Every competitor offered something different in terms of fighting styles (Benoit with more technical wrestling, Kane as a monster powerhouse, Taker as an imposing brawler, and Rock as a charismatic showman), and the title really seemed to be hanging in the balance for anyone to seize the opportunity.

Highly Recommended


Thoughts: There's so much quality in this chunk of PPVs that I don't even know where to begin. I guess a good place to start is in character growth, and we definitely got that through Kurt Angle, Eddie Guerrero, and surprisingly a lot of the tag teams. Also, every show provided many great matches and moments, while also made storytelling in the ring look easy. The only issue that comes from a string of momentum like this is to keep it up, so let's see if they could do it as the year was coming to an end.

Concluded in Part III...


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The Year in PPV- 2000, Part I

When I first started subscribing to the WWE Network, there was really only one place I wanted to start in terms of binge watching a year of PPVs: the year 2000. With 30 years of PPVs available (not counting ECW or WCW), I bet many are wondering why I would choose that year overall as one I was looking forward to most. The answer is very simple: variety. These shows during the year offer an insane amount of star power and top quality matches. Some of the best storytelling in wrestling history takes place during this year, along with a plethora of hardcore matches, one of the most iconic tag team divisions in company history, and even a fair share of comedic matches meant to purely "entertain" the fans.

Also put into perspective that this year was very important for newer talent to break through into the main event, since Stone Cold Steve Austin spent most of the year on the injured list. Guys like The Rock and Triple H stayed atop the main event scene, newer stars like Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero made their presence felt in their early WWF careers, and even a legend like the Undertaker needed to reinvent himself with a new gimmick to stay relevant atop the WWF food chain. With so many all-time favorites featured in this year, it's no wonder why so many fans are fond of this year. So let's begin the year 2000... 


1. Royal Rumble

The year 2000 gets started in a HUGE way with one of the greatest overall shows I've ever seen in my life. Does that mean every match is a five star classic? No, but there is a TON of variety throughout the show that makes this show feel like a big deal. From Tazz's debut against Kurt Angle, The Hardy Boyz vs. The Dudley Boyz in the first ever elimination tables match, to the Miss Rumble 2000 bikini contest (proceed with caution. YOU WILL SHUDDER!!!), and even short but sweet title matches for the Intercontinental (Chris Jericho vs. Chyna vs. Hardcore Holly) and Tag Team (The New Age Outlaws vs. The Acolytes) Championships. Those matches build up an already stacked midcard, and then it's time for the WWF Championship match. In one of the bloodiest matches I've ever seen, Triple H and Cactus Jack leave it all on the line in a gruesome Street Fight in front of an energized Madison Square Garden crowd (gotta love a good MSG show).

I will say that the Royal Rumble match is lacking a little star power, and EVERYONE knew who was winning the Rumble, but I'm ok with it since the company gave the fans what they wanted. The fans knew who it needed to come down to: Big Show and The Rock in a modern day Andre the Giant meets Hulk Hogan encounter. The finish of the match is one of the most memorable endings in Rumble match history, and gets the Road to WrestleMania off on a very high note.

Highly Recommended


2. No Way Out

When it was time to sit back and reflect on my viewing experience for this show, I honestly had difficulty remembering a lot of what happened. A lot of the midcard is basic PPV filler for stars who were preparing to work bigger programs heading into WrestleMania. Don't get me wrong, there are some very well done matches, particularly a six-man tag match between Too Cool (Rikish, Scotty 2 Hotty, and Grand Master Sexay) against The Radicalz (Chris Benoit, Perry Saturn, and Dean Malenko), that are able to save this show from obscurity. One of the best wrestled matches of the evening was actually the opening contest for the Intercontinental Championship between Chris Jericho and the European Champion Kurt Angle. I'm not sure why Angle's title wasn't on the line, but based on the action displayed here, I think they missed out on a great unification match that could've been saved for WrestleMania.

Speaking of WrestleMania, the two main events are focused on setting up the main event for the WWF Championship at WrestleMania 2000. Thanks to the controversial finish of the Royal Rumble match, The Rock (whose feet actually hit the ground first) defended his number one contender's spot against Big Show (who technically should've won the Royal Rumble match). The main event saw Triple H put the WWF Championship on the line against Cactus Jack inside Hell in a Cell, with an added stipulation that if Cactus Jack lost, he would have to retire. I've often called this match underrated in terms of greatest Cell matches, but it's nowadays getting the recognition it deserves. It combines a bloody spot fest with tremendous storytelling and delivers it in a fast paced environment. And the ending of this match is the definition of iconic, and will leave first-time viewers (and even a lot of repeat viewers) in complete shock.

Recommended


3. WrestleMania 2000

It's easy to see why this is the WrestleMania that is known as the one with all the tag matches. On a WrestleMania card with 9 matches, only 1 is a traditional "one on one match" and FIVE of the matches are tag team matches. There are three that are complete filler (Big Boss Man and Bull Buchanan vs. The Godfather and D'Lo Brown, T & A vs. Al Snow and Steve Blackman, and D-Generation X vs. Kane and Rikishi) and really feel like odd choices for matches to take place on the grandest stage of the year. There is a fairly entertaining six-person intergender tag match between The Radicalz (Eddie Guerrero, Perry Saturn, and Dean Malenko) against Too Cool (Scotty 2 Hotty and Grand Master Sexay) and Chyna, but it's still pretty forgettable on the side of history.

There is one historical tag match involving three teams, as The Dudley Boyz defended their WWF Tag Team Championships against The Hardy Boyz and Edge and Christian in the first ever Triangle Ladder match. These teams would go on to have 2 more ladder match encounters (that also feature tables and chairs), but my favorite is right here in the match that allowed these guys to shatter the glass ceiling that tag team wrestling and ladder matches had established. While on the subject of extreme matches involving tag teams, the Hardcore Championship was defended in a "battle royal" that featured a lot more tag team competitors. Crash Holly defended his title against The Mean Street Posse (Joey Abs, Rodney, and Pete Gas), The Acolytes (Bradshaw and Faarooq), The Headbangers (Mosh and Thrasher), Kai En Tai (Taka Michinoku and Funkai), Viscera, Hardcore Holly, and Tazz in a match that is a lot of fun, but is also a pretty big mess (especially with the botched ending).

Kurt Angle was forced to defend both his European and Intercontinental Championships in a two-fall Triple Threat against Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho. These three performers were making their WrestleMania debuts, and the match is fine, but I think is boosted by fans given the popularity of all three wrestlers. It's not to say that the match is bad, but it definitely deserved more time for these guys to have something monumental. To me, the match ended before they could even get out of first gear. The main event of this show is also a mess, as the WWF Championship was on the line in a Fatal 4-Way elimination match with a McMahon in each corner. Triple H (with Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley in his corner) defended the title against Mick Foley (with Linda McMahon in his corner), Big Show (with Shane McMahon in his corner) and The Rock (with Vince McMahon in his corner). Really, Foley should have stayed retired, Big Show could've been in the hardcore battle royal, and the main event should have been the match we got at the NEXT PPV. The ending also feels like something we would see on an episode of Monday Night RAW, not WRESTLEMANIA. This WrestleMania just feels like a big waste of time.

Skip It


4. Backlash

This PPV is collectively a much better show than WrestleMania. There's a lot more variety to be had, thanks to great wrestled matches (Chris Benoit vs. Chris Jericho for the Intercontinental Championship), high flying matches (Eddie Guerrero vs. Essa Rios for the European Championship), combinations of the two (Dean Malenko vs. Scotty 2 Hotty for the Light Heavyweight Championship), hardcore matches (Crash Holly vs. Hardcore Holly vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy vs. Perry Saturn vs. Tazz for the Hardcore Championship), and even comedic matches (Kurt Angle vs. Big Show, who was dressed as Hulk Hogan).

The most important part of Backlash is that it gave us the WrestleMania match we SHOULD have had: Triple H vs. The Rock, one on one, for the WWF Championship. With Shane McMahon as guest referee, the deck looked stacked against The Rock, but he had one thing ready to combat the McMahon-Helmsley era: STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN! For the first time since he was run down at Survivor Series the previous year, fans were ecstatic to see the Texas Rattlesnake return to PPV and wondered what kind of an impact he would leave during the WWF Championship match. Of course the match is overbooked, but it's also a textbook example of storytelling with the proper payoff and makes me wish that THIS was the main event of WrestleMania 2000.

Highly Recommended


5. Insurrextion

If you recall some of my previous comments about UK PPVs (see Insurrextion 2002), I think the benefit of the doubt could be given to this show in saying that it probably wasn't that great overall, but there was a lot that entertained me. Watching Big Show dress up as Showkishi and team up with Rikishi against the Dudley Boyz is hilarious enough, but then to see Showkishi, Rikishi, Too Cool, AND the Dudley Boyz do the Too Cool dance at the end is something needed to be seen to believe. To look at that comedic match and immediately have Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle follow it up really paints that variety show essence that these 2000 PPVs have been like. Also put some championship matches on the card like Edge and Christian vs. The Hardy Boyz for the Tag Team Championships, Eddie Guerrero vs. Chris Jericho for the European Championship, and The Rock defending the WWF Championship against Triple H and Shane McMahon in a triple threat and you have the makings for a memorable PPV. So why isn't it that memorable?

At the end of the day, the most entertaining quality of the PPV is that it has a very stacked roster of talent on the card, but that's as far as it goes. While the main event match and some matches on the undercard are solid enough, there isn't any real historical value to the show. But if you're the type of fan that enjoys personality over wrestling quality, then this could very well be a good PPV for you to watch. It's also just interesting to see how international PPVs differ with traditional American shows in what the crowds like, most notably through a Hardcore Championship match between Crash Holly and hometown favorite The British Bulldog.

Mild Recommendation


Initial Thoughts: I think a lot of the year's earlier success can be chalked up to the shows offering variety and also having a very stacked roster of superstars. However, I'm a bit disappointed that the only setback was its biggest show of the year, but apart from that, we've already had iconic and revolutionary matches that really foreshadow things to come while also retaining the status quo. I like to think that it's a transitional period between the Attitude Era and Ruthless Aggression Era, in which wrestlers were able to wrestle great matches AND have outrageous characters. Things look pretty bright, and I'm hopeful that they can only get better (or at the very least, stay constant).

Continued in Part II...
 

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