Top Ten Thursday: Survivor Series Teams

With all of the build and hype being done on WWE television for Team Cena vs. Team Authority at the upcoming Survivor Series Pay-Per-View, it made me think about doing this top ten. Stephanie McMahon says she wants Team Authority to be the greatest team in Survivor Series history, but they have a long way to top these teams. An honorable mention goes out to Team Smackdown in 2005 and Team Savage in 1987 but they had weak links in Bobby Lashley and Jim Duggan.

10. Team Miz in 2010

We're focusing on the team on the right here. Team Miz. The Miz was in the midst of a huge run towards the WWE Title and put together a team of future stars. Dolph Ziggler, who would become a two time World Champion and Jack Swagger, a one time World Champion, would get eliminated. Miz would survive along with future multi-time World Champion Sheamus and Drew McIntyre. It was clear that the WWE had big plans for all of them and while most never panned out, this was an extremely talented team. 

9. The Shield and The Real Americans in 2013

Jack Swagger makes the list again but man, this team was loaded. Granted, the opposing team is not full of slouches. The Brotherhood, Rey Mysterio and the Usos are all talented guys. The heels though, are on another level. Swagger is talented and Cesaro, while void of a personality, can go with the best of them and nearly never has a bad match. Then there's the Shield. Seth Rollins is the current Money in the Bank holder and the future of the WWE. Dean Ambrose is arguably the most entertaining part of the WWE currently. Roman Reigns is possibly the company's next mega star. The Shield was something special and the Real Americans were a badass team. Roman Reigns would be the sole survivor and eliminate four of the five opponents and kick start his uber push.

8. The Teamsters in 1994

Diesel was the key player in 1995 for the WWF but in order to get there, he had to turn face on Shawn Michaels. That would happen during this Survivor Series match against Razor Ramon's "The Bad Guys." The team was very good as we all know how impressive Diesel and Shawn were, but it also had Owen Hart, in the midst of a fantastic 1994, and solid workers like Jeff Jarrett and Jim Neidhart. The team dominated until Shawn pissed off Diesel, leading him to chase Shawn to the back. The rest of the team followed and all got counted out. It was a dumb ending but was the first big step in Diesel's rise to the top. He would win the WWF Title days later in fact.

7. The Hulkamaniacs in 1989

This was a damn good team. First, you had THE GUY in the 80's, Hulk Hogan. That is enough to pretty much guarantee that the team would not lose but the rest of the team is excellent. Demolition is one of the best tag teams that I can remember and Jake Roberts is one of the best guys to never win the World Title. The surprising thing is that this team went on in the mid-card and, while Hogan being the sole survivor was predictable, it made sense.

6. The Radicalz in 2000

As a team at Survivor Series they weren't very successful but they have to be near the top in pure talent. While Perry Saturn and Dean Malenko may not have had big time careers in the WWF but they could be counted on for good matches. Chris Benoit, before his 2007 debacle, was one of my favorite wrestlers of all time. The man made it to the top of the company in 2004 and the same goes for Eddie Guerrero. A fantastic team of talent even though they lost when they teamed up in 2000.

5. The Warriors in 1990

I truly miss the late 80's and early 90's when Survivor Series was totally focused on the elimination matches. In 1990, the then WWF Champion, The Ultimate Warrior put together a team of "warriors" and it was a fitting name. Kerry Von Erich was highly touted and the Legion of Doom were also known as the Road Warriors, so they fit in for sure. The team was impressive and they opened the show, with Warrior being the sole survivor. He would go on to the "Grand Finale" match which featured all of the night's survivors and survive then too, along with Hulk Hogan.

4. Edge, Christian and the Hardy Boyz in 1999

One month removed from turning themselves into superstars, Edge, Christian and the Hardy Boyz would join forces at Survivor Series. After they stole the show at No Mercy, people were foaming at the mouth to see these guys on the same team. While they didn't really deliver, the obvious talent and chemistry is there. I feel that the WWF missed the boat by having them lose to The Hollys and 2 Cool. Terrible booking move as they could've capitalized on the momentum that these guys had. Oh well, it didn't bite them in the end as the four guys went on to have successful careers.

3. Team Austin in 2003

2003 featured Team Austin vs. Team Bischoff as the two men ran Raw together. Before we get into the key moment of the match, let's talk about the team. The Dudley Boyz are the most decorated tag team in history. That's a good start right there. Next up, Rob Van Dam and Booker T are two guys who would win World Titles and can always be counted on to deliver. Then, you have Shanw Michaels, quite possibly the greatest performer in the history of pro wrestling. The key point is that Shawn Michaels was left alone against Christian, Chris Jericho and Randy Orton. Michaels put on one of the greatest performances of his career as he rallied and nearly won before falling to an RKO. Go out and see this match because Michaels is phenomenal.

2. Team WWF in 2001

The Alliance vs. The WWF storyline was poorly done as the WWF guys dominated. I'd like to point out that at WWF Invasion a few months earlier, there was a ten man tag with two great teams. Austin, Angle, Jericho, Undertaker and Kane against Booker, The Dudley Boyz, DDP and Rhyno. Good stuff. Here, Team Alliance disappointed due to Shane McMahon being on the team. I love Shane, but he's the clear weak link. Team WWF was badass though. Big Show was the worst member, and was eliminated first. But then you have the top guy at the time, The Rock, the hottest rising star in Chris Jericho and then the Brothers of Destruction. Team WWF would win a great 45 minute bout as The Rock survived for Team WWF.

1. Team DX in 2006

Only one team on this list completed the rare clean sweep at Survivor Series and it was these guys. For good reason too. DX features two of the greatest Superstars in WWE history and the Hardy Boyz are one of the best teams ever. CM Punk, the fresh act, was the wild card in this match but he proved he belonged. The match had fun moments like Mike Knox being eliminated within seconds and Shawn MIchaels asking "who was that guy?" The other team consisted of Randy Orton, Edge, Knox, Johnny Nitro and Gregory Helms. Team DX annihilated them and rightfully so. There has never been a greater group of talent on one team.

Main Event Report 11-4-14

I was more excited for this episode of Main Event than I have been for pretty much any other and you'll find out why later. The show opened with Stardust taking on Jey Uso. It was cool to see them in singles matches since they've had about a million tag team matches. This one got about five minutes and was decent but unspectacular and Jey wins with a superkick. The show picks up when Natalya tries to tell Tyson Kidd how much she loves him backstage, but he has his headphones on under his hoodie and fakes like he was listening. Tyson is great.

Justin Gabriel gets the jobber entrance as he's already in the ring for the next match. Out comes Curtis Axel and I guess he had to wait for Ryback to come back before he could work again even though they aren't teaming. After about four minutes, Axel gets the win but I don't see this going anywhere for him in the long run. Now, onto the reason I was excited. Sami Zayn tweeted that he was going to be on Main Event! We get a video package to hype him up before he faced Tyson Kidd. Everything about this match worked. Tyson was in full heel mode, celebrating little moves or making Natalya kiss him mid match. Sami was awesome as he got the crowd behind him and they loved this match. It got twelve or so minutes and Kidd won with a rollup and a handful of tights. The match was great and Tyson celebrated like he won a World Title. Go out of your way to see this, it's exactly how I like to see NXT get their shine.

The final match on Main Event was a throwback of sorts. The WWE billed it as "Bray Wyatt in action", like they used to in the 90's when a star was clearly going to win a match against a jobber. The jobber tonight was Sin Cara as Bray was allowed to win an extended, dominant squash. I enjoyed it as it was a nice call back to the old days and it was good to see Bray, or any Wyatt Family member, work a match again actually.

Overall, another solid episode of Main Event that is worth watching. The first two matches were decent, Sami Zayn and Tyson Kidd were great and Bray's squash made a lot of sense. I'd give this show a 7/10.

Raw Report 11-3-14

Raw got off to an exciting start as "No Chance in Hell" hits to a huge pop. Vince McMahon, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon show up to greet the Buffalo crowd. I love seeing Mr. McMahon but as I expected, this wasn't going to be an earth shattering appearance. It was partly based on hyping the free month of the WWE Network, with the hashtag #FreeFreeFree being promoted. This was anticlimactic even though he announced that Team Authority vs. Team Cena would have a stipulation added. If Team Authority loses, they must be no more. Stephanie looked nervous, Triple H seemed okay with it. This was alright but ended abruptly and Stephanie's awful dress was distracting in a bad way.

Dean Ambrose's theme hit and I was hoping for something exciting between Ambrose and The Authority/Mr. McMahon. Instead, Vince shook Ambrose's hand and it leads to Ambrose vs. Cesaro. We also got a backstage segment where Vince said he had faith in Triple H and Stephanie but they reacted very nervously. Because both guys can flat out go, Cesaro and Ambrose put on a hell of a match, but it suffered from the same problem that a lot of matches on TV do. We've seen it before. A lot. Even this past Friday. Bray appears on stage in his rocking chair but does nothing of note. Ambrose goes after him after the match but his signature hits and suddenly he's gone. So the live crowd just watched him get up and walk away? This feud has underwhelmed so far. It's another Bray feud that makes no sense.

More from The Authority as they discuss how they need to have the strongest Survivor Series team possible. That'll be tough with the current roster. Trips want to call Randy Orton but Stephanie doesn't think it's a good move. Back to the ring, Jimmy Uso of Total Divas fame goes one on one with The Miz. The Miz has gone from Intercontinental Champion, to United States Title contender to a tag team, so I fully expect a Tag Team Title shot soon. I actually love the idea of Miz and Mizdow in the tag team division and Miz wins here while Mizdow continues to be awesome.

So, it was announced that after Raw tonight, exclusively on the WWE Network, Sheamus defends the United States Championship against Rusev. However, with the limited roster, Sheamus competes on Raw as well. He takes on Tyson Kidd, which instantly gets me enthralled in this because Kidd is fantastic. But, everything was wrong with this. Sheamus should've squashed someone to look strong like Rusev, heading into the Title match. Instead, Kidd went toe to toe with him and won via countout. I didn't see the point in this. Kidd could've done this against someone else. Sheamus kicks Kidd post match, so nobody will remember the countout anyway. Bad booking of two talented guys who should have gone against other people.

One thing that the WWE has had serious issues with it over the past few years is the booking of the mid-card champions. Dolph Ziggler comes out and gets Authority treatment as Triple H, Stephanie, Corporate Kane, Seth Rollins and the Stooges came to address him. They tempt him to join Team Authority because they want the best possible team. That makes Dolph seem like a big deal for sure. They claim that if Team Cena wins, Cena will take all of the credit and Dolph will get none. It's a good point and Dolph was great at selling how he contemplated this. He stands up to them and is made to defend the IC Title against Seth Rollins. They had a great sixteen or so minute match that stole the show for me and it ends via disqualification when Randy Orton appears with an RKOOUTTANOWHERE! Great job done here with Dolph and the IC Title. I hope it continues.

Randy Orton and Triple H have an intense segment where Orton demands a match with Seth Rollins. He threatens to join Team Cena so Triple H gives him the match and tells him to get it out of his system. He cuts a good promo about needing the "Viper" that he faced for years in the past. Good stuff. We get that strange "eyes" promo and it seems like it's Luke Harper which is interesting. Titus O'Neil is in the ring and it's time for DA BIG GUY. I'm still not the biggest Ryback fan but he does well in this role. He beats Titus and the Authority is shown scouting him. Another small thing that helps pump up a guy like Ryback. Renee Young, in her infinite perfection, interviews Big Show who will face Mark Henry later. He also says he'd join Team Cena if offered the chance.

The Authority scouts this match as well but they could have just put on the WWE Network and watched one of the 3,550 Mark Henry/Big Show matches from the past few years. Show beats the hell out of Henry and tries to make him submit to his new submission move. Henry ends up hitting the World's Strongest Slam but it's not strong enough to end it, and Henry nails him with the steel steps for the DQ. Meh. I've seen it before. Kane is sent to talk to Mark Henry about joining Team Authority. I could see Henry and Show joining this match for sure.

Divas time as Nikki Bella goes one on one with Emma. The match was there as it wasn't anything special but the commentary was what we needed to pay attention to as AJ Lee was on it. Nikki wins and orders Brie to slap AJ. AJ retaliates by laying out Brie and chases Nikki up the ramp. I guess Nikki/AJ is up next. It's strange to see the Divas on so late in the show. I guess with Total Divas on hiatus, no need for a bunch of Divas match. Also, before the match, Renee interviewed the Bellas and Erick Rowan interrupted to touch Renee's hair and call her pretty. Rowan got game.

We see a strange vignette of Xavier Woods. I guess the Speed Force team with Big E and Kofi Kingston has been scrapped because now we see him playing James Brown or something. I wanted to see Speed Force dammit, they could help the tag division. Rusev is out to pull double duty like Sheamus and this was done right. He completely squashes Zack Ryder and Sheamus should've done something similar earlier. Stephanie approaches them about joining Team Authority and Lana says they need to consider it to find out which side Putin is on. At least they're making Team Authority vs. Team Cena seem like a big deal. Fernando of Los Matadores then beat Stardust. No idea at all why. I guess Los Matadores get the next shot? Whatever.

I guess Fernando's win really means nothing because on Smackdown, The Usos gets a Tag Team Title shot inside of a Steel Cage. Should be good. Main event time as Seth Rollins faces Rand Orton. The crowd seemed tired by this point but the guys put on a good match. Seth wins with a backslide so it keeps Orton strong. After the match, there's tension but Orton shakes hands with the Authority. Seth apologizes but eats an RKOFROMOUTTANOWHERE! Orton goes for the Punt but Triple H stops him, leading Orton to punch him. This leads to the Authority beating him to the point where there was actually blood. ATTITUDE ERA IS BACK GUYS! Seriously, good way to turn Orton and continue to build Seth. Kane trips in the end, stealing the show.

After the show, on the WWE Network, Rusev beat Sheamus to win the United States Title. I'm all for this as it makes sense to have Rusev as US Champion since it will gain him more heat. Sheamus hasn't been doing anything with the belt anyway. The show itself tonight earns a good score. It had some blood, no John Cena, solid matches, good angle advancement and built towards Survivor Series well. That's all I want from my three hours. 7.5/10.

Through the Years Reviews: WrestleMania XIX

WrestleMania XIX
March 30th, 2003 – Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington – Attendance: 54,097

Going off of memory, WrestleMania XIX is my favorite WrestleMania of all time. There are some other greats, including everyone's favorite, X-Seven, but this one is the one I consider the best. Now, I haven't seen it in a long time so I'm interested in how it holds up over time. We all know the story. Brock/Angle, HBK/Jericho, Austin/Rock, McMahon/Hogan and more. I am so pumped to finally get this going.

The opening video package is the usual fluff as it discusses how important WrestleMania is and what it means to all of these superstars. We get some Limp Bizkit playing as they have the official theme song of WrestleMania. Safeco Field looks gorgeous for this. Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler welcome us to the show before throwing it to Smackdown commentary team Michael Cole and Tazz.

WWE Cruiserweight Championship
Matt Hardy (c) w/ Shannon Moore vs. Rey Mysterio
Look at the Cruiserweight Title being defended at WrestleMania. Nowadays, you'll be lucky to get any mid-card title on the show. Matt Hardy is appearing in his fourth WrestleMania, and he often wonders how they did WrestleMania without him. Shannon Moore distracts Rey Mysterio at the bell, but Rey dodges Matt's attack and sends him outside before hitting a corkscrew press onto him. A reverse hurricanrana gets two and he tries a sunset flip to the outside but Moore levels him. Cole attempted to call the sunset flip a spinebuster. Moore continues to get in cheap shots behind the referee's back. Because he is V1, Matt calls for the 61V9, but Rey dodges. He counters the Twist of Fate into a rollup for two. Matt catches Rey with the Side Effect in an innovative way in the corner for two before going to a rest hold. Cole and Tazz as discussing latex and tea bagging as Rey hits a springboard cross body for a near fall. A flying head scissors and DDT get another near fall. 619 time but Moore trips up Rey again, allowing Matt to hit the Twist of Fate. Rey kicks out to my surprise and Matt is livid. V1 sets up Rey on the top and goes for a huge Razor's Edge but Rey counters into a big hurricanrana! He covers but Moore puts Matt's foot on the bottom rope. Rey hits the 619 but misses the West Coast Pop. He tries a victory roll but Matt counters and grabs the ropes for leverage to retain.

Winner and Still WWE Cruiserweight Champion: Matt Hardy in 5:37
Too short but man, this was tremendous while it was going. Fast paced and high octane, with a bunch of shenanigans in a good way. ***1/4

A limo pulls up and it's the Miller Lite Catfight Girls! I forgot about this awfulness. They argue about the bigger match, Hogan/Vince or Austin/Rock. Yea, let's not count the WWE or World Title matches. 

We are taken to a video from Sunday Night Heat where Nathan Jones was taken out by Big Show and A-Train. He was supposed to be The Undertaker's partner in the upcoming match. The Fink introduces WWE's “favorite band in the whole world” as Limp Bizkit. That's a sad statement even though I have my fair share of Limp Bizkit on my iPod. He plays out The Undertaker.

A-Train and The Big Show vs. The Undertaker
Before the bell, A-Train spits on The Undertaker's motorcycle because he's an idiot. Big Show tries a sneak attack and it fails because he's too big to sneak up on anyone. A-Train runs in right into a Chokeslam but Show makes the save. I would've been perfectly okay with Undertaker winning that fast. Things calm down to a tagging format for the team with the advantage. For those who don't remember, Nathan Jones was so bad that the WWE didn't want him in the ring so they went with this handicap match idea. A-Train hits the Baldo Bomb and Show drives Undertaker into the ring post outside. ShowTrain starts to tag in and out and work over the Undertaker for a while. Undertaker counters the Chokeslam into a Fujiwara armbar, which was badass. A-Train breaks it but ends up in an armbar too. Show breaks the short lived rally by the Deadman and applies an abdominal stretch. A-Train comes in and takes over the abdominal stretch so Undertaker, wanting in on the fun, counters into his own abdominal stretch. It must hurt these guys as not one of them has abs. Undertaker rallies with about fifteen clotheslines in the corner before hitting his big running clothesline on Show. A-Train hits the BROGUE KICK, I mean bicycle kick to stop him. Show hits the Chokeslam but Nathan Jones has to make a Charles Robinson like run in, from deep and spin kicks Show. A-Train covers Undertaker, who kicks out on his own, without Jones' help. He enters, hits a big boot on A-Train and Undertaker hits the Tombstone as the Streak reaches 11.

Winner: The Undertaker in 9:42
I wish this got less time. It was boring and shouldn't have come close to ten minutes. It was slow and I didn't care much for it. *

More from the stupid Miller Lite Catfight girls as they run into Stacy Keibler and Torrie Wilson. They discuss Torrie's Playboy and Test's “testicles”. They then show a recap of Heat, where Lance Storm and William Regal retained their World Tag Team Titles against the Dudley Boyz.

WWE Women's Championship
Victoria (c) w/ Steven Richards vs. Jazz vs. Trish Stratus
As this starts, my girlfriend asks who came out and I just say “the greatest diva of all time”. Just from that, she knew it was Trish Stratus. The dubbed over “All the Things She Says” still depresses me. They knock Victoria out of the ring and Jazz pounds away on Trish, using an interesting looking submission. Trish hits a Lou Thez Press, RIGHT HANDS RIGHT HANDS, THE RATTLESNAKE STRIKES, before Victoria pulls her outside. She goes in just to go outside as all three girls are brawling there. Back inside, Victoria hits a front flip leg drop but Jazz cuts off the pin and hits a leg drop of her own. Victoria stops that pin and they decide to double team Trish. They do a strange double back breaker before fighting each other. Victoria hits a powerslam but Trish does a nice bridging pin for two. Lawler calls Trish a “quarter among pennies” in the ring, which is mean. Victoria is at least a nickel. Powerslam type move from Jazz gets two because Victoria breaks things up. DOUBLE NOGGIN KNOCKER as Trish bashes the heels into each other. A spin kick from Jazz takes out Victoria by mistake and Trish rolls up Jazz for two. Chick Kick connects only for the Champion to break it up. Handstand hurricanrana from Trish now as she is making the face run. She kicks Victoria outside and Jazz puts her in the half Boston crab which she turns into an STF that is still a thousand times better than Cena's. Steven Richards tosses Jazz and breaks the hold behind the official's back. Trish rolls up Victoria, exposing her butt for two. Glam Slam of sorts by Jazz, which leads to Victoria kicking her. The Champ misses a moonsault but knocks Jazz outside. Richards tries to interfere with a chair but misses and hits the ropes, rebounding into his face. Trish hits him with Stratusfaction and Victoria goes for the Widow's Peak but Trish counters and hits the Chick Kick to win.

Winner and New WWE Women's Champion: Trish Stratus in 7:17
Personally, I would've swapped this with the Cruiserweight Title length wise. However, we were treated to a solid Divas match with the right outcome. **1/4

Jonathan Coachman interviews The Rock, who is in full dick heel mode. God I loved this Rock. He promotes the match, hypes the rivalry and is overall, just great. 

WWE Tag Team Championship
Team Angle (c) vs. Chris Benoit and Rhyno vs. Los Guerreros
I will forever love Team Angle and would've given anything to see Angle & Benoit against them. Chavo works over Charlie Haas early and the tags are coming quickly. Chavo hits a back suplex and Eddie front flips in onto Chris Benoit. Benoit fires back with stiff chops and Rhyno gets the tag. Shelton Benjamin tags in and goes toe to toe with Rhyno, even taking him down with a back elbow. Team Angle hit a double dropkick and man, they are crisp in the ring. They surprisingly decide to focus on Rhyno, who will play face in peril I guess. Or he's not, as Eddie and Benoit quickly end up as the legal men. Tazz states that VIVA LA RAZA means Frog Splash, which is obviously incorrect. Benoit hits a big suplex from the top but Benjamin breaks the count. Benoit pops up Eddie and catches him in the Cripple Crossface, which is so badass it's not even funny. Chavo comes in and eats rolling German suplexes, though Chavo tags in Shelton midway through. Benoit signals for the end but gets kicked in the chest by Shelton. Shelton goes for a cover but Eddie breaks it with Frog Splash, which was sweet. Chavo tags himself in and is tossed by a Haas belly to belly. He doesn't get time to celebrate as he is hit with a GORE! Chavo eats one too but Eddie pulls him out. Shelton covers Chavo and steals it.

Winners and Still WWE Tag Team Champions: Team Angle in 8:48
Really good triple threat tag team match. I wish Team Angle didn't have to steal the win, but it made sense. All guys worked hard and got the crowd more into it than I expected. ***

Backstage, Stacy Keibler and Torrie Wilson get into a small argument, as do the Miller Lite Catfight girls. This is quickly getting awful.

Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels
The storyline and build up to this match is great and re-told in a fantastic video package. Heading into this match, it was always a dream match of mine. If you haven't been following my reviews, this is Shawn Michaels' first WrestleMania since his return. After a short sequence at the start, Shawn relaxes in the corner to a big pop. What follows is another sequence that ends in a stand off and Jericho is getting frustrated. Shawn tries a leap frog but Jericho doesn't go under and instead slaps Shawn. OH NO HE DIDN'T! Shawn knocks him outside and hits a baseball slide. Shawn does a cross body off the top but Jericho rolls through for a near fall and hits a spinning heel kick. Time to work the leg as Shawn comes back with the figure four and a knee breaker. He tries the Figure Four again but Jericho throws him into the post. He goes to send Shawn out, but he goes all 1995 and skins the cat, bringing Jericho outside. They fight in the aisle and Jericho puts on the Walls outside, getting back in at the count of eight. Jericho wisely targets the back, driving it into the ring post. As Shawn tries to get back in, Jericho hits the springboard dropkick. Back suplex from Jericho who shouts “IM BETTER THAN YOU!”Vertical suplex follows for two. COME ON BABAY pin obviously gets two. Shawn counters a back body drop with a big DDT and commentary is doing a great job of building the story of Chris trying to prove he's better than his idol. To continue the STORYTELLING, Jericho hits a flying forearm and nips up just like Shawn. He steals Shawn's taunt as HBK nips up and hits a flying forearm of his own. Shawn hits a moonsault onto a standing Jericho for a long two. We get a series of pin attempts until Jericho tries the Walls but it's blocked. He does manage to nail the Lionsault but can't pin quickly so only gets a two. Shawn is back up and tries a hurricanrana but Jericho reverses into the Walls! Shawn reaches the ropes but eats a backbreaker for his troubles. Jericho goes up top with a flying back elbow and starts to tune up the band. STORYTELLING! He actually hits it and covers for two and the crowd is shocked. Shawn rallies with a cross body and right hands. He hits a slingshot for two and Jericho goes back to the lower back. He attempts a top rope back suplex but Michaels counters with his third cross body and both men are down. Shawn wants to do the elbow but Jericho bumps the referee into the ropes to crotch HBK. Superplex is also countered into a front suplex and the elbow connects! Shawn tunes up the band now but Jericho ducks and locks in the Walls! The crowd is going berserk! Michaels reaches the ropes and Jericho is livid. He charges at Shawn right into the Superkick! They get up together and we get the Shawn corner bump. Shawn reverses a back suplex into a rollup and gets the three!

Winner: Shawn Michaels in 22:34
Tremendous match. Both guys looked great and I remember people freaking out because Chris Jericho lost, myself included, but this was fine. Jericho made a mistake and Shawn Michaels capitalized. Fine storytelling and great action. ****1/2

Shawn Michaels offers a handshake after the match and, a crying Chris Jericho hugs him instead. He then kicks Shawn in the nuts! HEEL TACTICS!

Sylvan, in his referee's outfit enters Mr. McMahon's office. CONTROVERSEY! Tony Chimel announces a new Safeco Field record attendance of 54,097. Limp Bizkit now performs “Crack Addict”.

Jonathan Coachman brings out the Miller Lite Catfight Girls onto the stage. There is a bed for them to fight out, but Stacy Keibler interrupts. Side note, Coach looks like a doofus in his Mariner's jersey. Stacy wants to join, but before she can, Torrie Wilson enters. Torrie joins in and removes her and Stacy's top before spanking her. You know what, I'm not even gonna do play by play. There are tits and ass everywhere. It doesn't belong on WrestleMania but no guys complained.

World Heavyweight Championship
Triple H (c) w/ Ric Flair vs. Booker T
For those who don't know the story, Triple H constantly put down Booker T on the Road to WrestleMania for his past, which involved him going to jail. Booker tells Hunter that his “punk ass is in trouble” before the bell. HHH pulls a Flair and climbs up top when he should know that he won't hit a move from there, so Booker brings him down hard. Booker stays in control after that, which is surprising as I figured Triple H would be the one in control. HHH knocks Booker outside because he must know that I expected more from him. He hits a neckbreaker in the ring and begins to work as his cerebral assassin pace. I always liked how Triple H picks apart someone. He hits an impactful clothesline in the corner for two. The two men trade shots in the middle of the ring and Booker breaks out of a suplex before hitting a big DDT. He nails a heel kick and sidewalk slam for two. As he goes for the Scissors Kick, HHH catches him in a sleeper hold and after Booker breaks it, he eats the high knee. Booker manages to connect with a big kick but only earns two. A second Scissors Kick attempt also fails as Booker gets caught on the top rope. This allows Ric Flair to hit a knee drop onto the steel steps. This would make more sense if HHH had worked Booker's leg throughout the match. Now, Triple H chooses to apply a modified Indian deathlock and Booker eventually reaches the ropes. HHH goes for the Pedigree but it's blocked and a rollup gets Booker two. Third time is the charm as Booker strikes with the Scissors Kick but is too hurt to cover. HHH kicks out and Flair tries to interfere but eats a right hand. Booker knocks HHH off the top and Flair takes another right hand. Harlem Hangover is hit and the crowd pops hard! He covers but Flair places HHH's foot on the ropes. Booker tries another Scissors Kick but his leg gives out, allowing Trips to plant him with the Pedigree. He takes forever to cover, yet still wins.

Winner and Still World Heavyweight Champion: Triple H in 18:45
Really solid bout but the outcome was dumb. Booker T should have won and maybe Triple H wins it back like months later. Anyway, the actual work was good but the ending was super anti-climatic. ***

Street Fight
Hulk Hogan vs. Mr. McMahon
Vince McMahon slaps Hulk Hogan right at the start, causing Hogan to charge him and pound away. Mr. McMahon is in better shape than Hogan and clotheslines him down. He blatantly chokes Hogan before delivering jabs to the ribs and face, knocking Hogan down. He then decides to drive his knees into Hogan's arm on the mat, but it looks pitiful. The arm work continues as he drives it into the corner a few times. Vince uses a test of strength with Hogan and Hogan rallies behind all of the HULKAMANIACS but Vince kicks him low and tosses him outside. Vince flexes and grabs a chair but misses, allowing Hogan to level him with it. He is bleeding like a stuffed pig as Hogan fires away on him. Hogan tries another chair shot but hits Hugo, the Spanish commentator! This allows Vince to strike a chair and Hogan is busted open now. Mr. McMahon has the balls to bring out a ladder as he places Hogan on the announce table. He mocks Hogan before leaping off with a leg drop. I'll give Vince this, the man has guts. He brings Hogan in and covers for two. Vince goes under the ring to get a steel pipe and delivers an awesome image of his bloody face with a sadistic look. Hogan retaliates with a desperation low blow. Suddenly, someone in a hood gets in the ring and it's Roddy Piper. WRESTLEMANIA 1 LIVES ON! He spits on Hogan, kicks Vince and then lays out Hogan with a pipe. He leaves, Vince covers and Hogan kicks out! Vince tries the pipe again but Brian Hebner stops him, so he gets thrown by Vince. It's a Street Fight you idiot. Things brings out crooked reg, Sylvan. Vince hits the Leg Drop and it's HULK UP time! Hogan does his usual thing, kicking out Sylvan in the process before hitting the big boot and the Leg Drop. 1-2-3 and it's over.

Winner: Hulk Hogan in 20:47
This was better than it had any right to be. Both guys bled crazy and told a good story which is all you could ask of them. ***1/4

Shane McMahon surprisingly walks out to the ring and Hulk Hogan takes off his belt like he's gonna take Shane to the woodshed. He just stares at Hogan and gets in the ring as Hogan leaves. He checks on his dad, who flips the bird at Hogan because Vince McMahon is a tremendous heel.

The Rock vs. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin
The idea that the Rock has done everything except beat Stone Cold at WrestleMania should make for great storytelling. After a fist fight, Austin tries a Stunner but Rock blocks and takes a breather. Austin catches him and pounds away outside. Back inside, Austin hits a back suplex and seems to be working Rock's back. Rock wisely takes out the leg and now takes control. He continues to work the leg and applies the Sharpshooter. Man, Rock always had an odd looking Sharpshooter. Rock breaks it and goes outside to put on Austin's best. Austin nails him once he gets inside and we get the classic double clothesline spot. Austin gets hot and drops the elbow on Rock for two. It's fantastic that Rock is still wearing the vest. Austin stomps a mudhole in him as the crowd chants “WHAT” with each stomp. Rock hits a clothesline and nips up, but taunts right into a Rock Bottom from Austin! That only gets a two so Austin tries the Stunner but Rock blocks and hits one of his own! This is great considering how well they know each other. It only gets a near fall and leads to Austin hitting the Stunner that Rock oversells as always but he kicks out too! Behind the referee's back, Rock hits a low blow and claps for himself before pointing to his head because he's so smart. God, I love Hollywood Rock. He misses the People's Elbow, blocks a Stunner and hits a Spinebuster. He tries again and nails the People's Elbow this time but Austin gets his shoulder up. Rock connects with the Rock Bottom and Austin somehow kicks out again! He signals for the Rock Bottom but Austin elbows out, only to get hit with it anyway, but he kicks out! The crowd is stunned. Rock holds Austin and hits a third Rock Bottom to finally wrap this one up.

Winner: The Rock in 17:55
The only WrestleMania trilogy ends in another classic. This would turn out to be the last match of Austin's career and he went out with a bang. I loved this. ****1/2

The Rock sits by Steve Austin after the match and tells him something. We would learn on Rock's DVD that he thanked him for everything. Nice moment. Austin gets his time to walk to the back and celebrate his career with the unknowing fans.

WWE Championship
Kurt Angle (c) vs. Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar has the honor of main eventing his first ever WrestleMania, just less than a year after his debut. I expect mat wrestling and they deliver, trying to one up each other in the early stages. Our first near fall comes a few minutes in after a Brock powerslam. Angle ducks a clothesline and hits a massive German suplex but Brock pops up and takes him down. Tazz calls Brock the “Vanilla Gorilla” as he press slams Angle. I hope it's because Brock is white and not vanilla in wrestling lingo. Angle hits a sick German into the turnbuckle. Seriously, it was badass. Angle's like a shark smelling blood as he targets to target Brock's back. Angle goes to a rear naked choke to wear down the challenger. Brock is turning purple like he does two minutes into all matches in 2014. After a long time, Brock breaks the hold but Angle doesn't let up, hitting a belly to belly suplex. Angle charges at Brock but gets caught in a spinebuster that would make Double A proud. He hits the first flying forearm that I've ever seen him hit before driving his shoulder into Kurt in the corner. Brock hits two belly to belly suplexes in a row but his third is reversed into rolling German suplexes from Kurt. Four of those earn a hand from the crowd who is appreciating this show of work. Angle Slam is blocked and Kurt counters the F5 into the Ankle Lock! How you ask? BECAUSE HE'S KURT FREAKING ANGLE! He turns it into a half crab but Brock makes it to the ropes. Brock sends Kurt over and out hard, buying himself some time. It doesn't matter because when Angle gets in he hits a release German suplex! He just tossed a man of Brock's size. Angle Slam is hit but Brock kicks out. Brock hits the F5 but Kurt becomes the first man to kick out of it. Ankle Lock gets applied and Kurt locks it in, but Brock drags him and gets to the ropes. I've never seen anyone do that. Angle does a small package for two and Brock retaliates with a second F5! Instead of pinning, Brock climbs to the top even though Kurt is far away. He goes for a damn Shooting Star Press but misses and lands terribly on his face. His SSP is one of the most impressive looking ones ever. Angle covers for two and he picks Brock up, only to be hit with a third F5! Brock drapes an arm over and gets the three.

Winner and New WWE Champion: Brock Lesnar in 21:07
My goodness, these two went at it. No nonsense, just let the two best wrestlers go in the ring and wrestle. They did that and put on a great show. ****1/4

Brock Lesnar looks absolutely dazed after the Shooting Star Press. Kurt Angle raises his arm in a show of respect.

Overall: 10/10. Perfect. I've only give out two perfect 10s before this and those were for WrestleMania X-Seven and SummerSlam 2002. This was just as good. The only match that you can skip is the Undertaker handicap match. Everything else is good to great. Shawn/Jericho, Angle/Brock and Austin/Rock were all phenomenal. The Cruiserweight Title match was great but short, the Women's Title was good, Tag Titles were good, the World Title was really good and Vince/Hogan was better than I expected. Four hours of fun and you should go out of your way to see this show. Tremendous.

NXT Report 10-30-14

NXT got off to an interesting start with something we don't see often; a tag team battle royal. It involved Enzo Amore and Big Cass, Wesley Blake and Buddy Murphy, The Vaudevillains, The Ascension and Tye Dillinger and Jason Jordan. I've heard that Dillinger and Jordan have gotten World's Greatest Tag Team chants I guess because one is white and one is black. Anyway, them and Team Thick were out first as expected. Enzo and Cass went out next leaving the Ascension and the Vaudevillains. Hideo Itami came out to distract the Ascension, allowing the Vaudevillains to eliminate the former Champions and earn an NXT Tag Team Title shot. What followed was Itami taking yet another beating from The Ascension. I have to admit, this is getting old quickly.

BADA BING, HOTTEST CHICK IN THE RING! I don't particularly agree but Carmella stepped into the ring with Emma for her second match. I feel so bad for Emma because the girl can flat out go in the ring but she's "graduated" from NXT to jobber. I knew it would be tough for her gimmick to get over on the main roster, but they did nothing to help it get over. Anyway, this was a solid women's match and Carmella won with her surprisingly impressive submission. There's potential there, but she does play her character very well.

Speaking of the women of NXT, Bayley got a short interview where she said that since Sasha Banks wants to bring Becky Lynch, who turned on her, she's going to bring a friend too. Charlotte. The woman who first turned her back on Bayley. Congrats to Bayley who is solidifying my remark last week that she is the Sting of NXT. Bull Dempsey, who has never impressed me much, beat Justin Gabriel. To continue the theme of relatively short matches, Baron Corbin beat Tony Corbin in 19 seconds. The fans actually counted the seconds which was awesome. My main problem with Baron Corbin is that we don't know exactly why he's a "different breed" but at least they addressed it here by saying that he wins and then leaves before talking to anyone. It's not a great reasoning, but it's something.

Hideo Itami cut a short promo backstage stating that he's bringing a "friend" to NXT next week. Aww yeah, this is about to get good. The Legionnaires exploded as Sylvester Lefort took on Marcus Louis, who is upset that he looks like a mini Kane. Louis beat Lefort up and then finished him off quickly. Neither guy is that good and I wouldn't be surprised if they were involved in the next round of budget cuts. The main event featured Sami Zayn taking on Titus O'Neill as part of his road to redemption. The match was really good as Titus dominated and Sami is great at playing the face in peril. He rallied and eventually took home the big win. Tyler Breeze showed up and cut a perfectly in character promo about how Zayn needs to beat him for once to get a title shot and that will happen next week.

Too many short matches tonight for me to fully enjoy the broadcast. The main event was good and the tag battle royal was decent. Not my favorite episode of NXT, so it gets a 5/10. However, next week is shaping up to be phenomenal. Itami brings a friend and if Zayn/Breeze is anything like it was at TakeOver, it will be fantastic.

Through the Years: No Way Out 2003

No Way Out 2003
February 23rd, 2003 – Bell Centre in Montreal,Quebec, Canada – Attendance: 15,100

Following a Royal Rumble that saw Brock Lesnar earn a shot at the WWE Title at WrestleMania, he began his feud with Kurt Angle on the road to No Way Out. On the Raw side of things, Triple H would continue his feud with Scott Steiner despite their terrible match at Royal Rumble. I remember WrestleMania XIX being one of, if not my favorite WrestleMania of all time so I hope that the final Pay-Per-View before it can be somewhere near as good. Also, after months away, two of the biggest stars in history, The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin return to Pay-Per-View on this show.

Raw commentary consists of Jonathan Coachman and Jerry Lawler while the theme song of this show is the awesome “Bring Me To Life”.

Chris Jericho vs. Jeff Hardy
Embroidered in a feud with Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho had him barred from ringside for this match. It may be a play by the WWE to protect HBK since this is the first Pay-Per-View in Montreal since the infamous screwjob in 1997. A nice wrestling sequence opens things until Jericho slaps Jeff disrespectfully. Because we're in Canada, the crowd is really behind Jericho even though he's in full heel mode. Jeff hits a slingshot moonsault for a near fall to get his first offensive outburst. He misses his guardrail spot, allowing Jericho to take control. Jeff's paint is all over his shirt and Jericho's face. I would be pissed. Jericho misses a tackle in the corner but it doesn't faze him much. Fans are fully in Jericho's corner as Jeff gets his knees up on a Lionsault. Jeff misses an enziguri and gets put into the Walls of Jericho but he reaches the ropes. Jeff connects with a hip toss off the top and removes his shirt, causing adolescent Canadian females to lose their minds. He nails the Swanton Bomb but Jericho gets his foot on the ropes. He goes for the Walls but it gets countered into a small package for two. Jeff nails a dropkick and neckbreaker before climbing up top again. This time, it fails as he misses the Swanton. Jericho scores with the Lionsault but only gets two. Sleeper Drop from Jericho but it only earns a near fall, even though he used the ropes for leverage. Jeff goes for a top rope hurricanrana but it's reversed into a second rope powerbomb! Jericho locks in the Walls and, despite his best efforts, Jeff has to tap out.

Winner: Chris Jericho in 12:59
Solid opening contest. The crowd was hot, the right guy went over and it was a good performance from both guys. ***

After the match, Chris Jericho refuses to break the Walls. Forget what I said about Shawn Michaels being protected earlier as he comes to the rescue to a ton of heat. Christian comes out but ends up eating Sweet Chin Music as Shawn Michaels stands tall. 

Cutting backstage, Kurt Angle is prepping Team Angle for their big match. It's fantastic how all three guys have titles. A limo arrives and I can only assume that it's nWo or whatever hot angle Nitro has running right now. Wait, this is not Nitro? Oh, it's Evolution in the limo. As they walk in, the camera catches Stone Cold's pickup truck.

World Tag Team Championship
Lance Storm and William Regal (c) vs. Kane and Rob Van Dam
What the hell is going on with the World Tag Team Titles? I've seen them go from Jericho and Christian, to Booker and Goldust to Storm and Regal to the Dudley Boyz and back to Storm and Regal. And that's just over the last two Pay-Per-Views. Coachman says that RVD made his debut against Goldust at last year's No Way Out, which is so incorrect it's crazy. Lance Storm and Rob Van Dam kick things off and it's the athletic showcase you'd expect and one that ECW fans enjoyed. Regal comes in and eats a monkey flip before Kane gets tagged. Kane works over the heels for a bit. RVD goes for Rolling Thunder but Storm rolls outside, so Kane launches RVD out and onto him. RVD goes high risk again but it fails as he's knocked outside. This allows the Champions to pick him apart with suplexes and multiple near falls. RVD manages to make the hot tag and Kane hits a flying clothesline and beats up on both Champions. Storm tries to remove Kane's mask in foreshadowing to later in the year. This leads to RVD tagging in, but with Kane's mask moved to the side, he can't see and he Chokeslams RVD. This allows Storm to steal the win.

Winners and Still World Tag Team Champions: Lance Storm and William Regal in 9:20
Your basic tag team match. They used tag formula but it wasn't anything special. However, I give points for the creative ending. **1/2

Rob Van Dam gets to his feet and is not happy with Kane after the match. Kane is the Big Red Apologetic Machine but RVD walks off. Josh Matthews, with his ridiculous haircut and earring, interview Matt Hardy. Matt stops the interview to talk trash to Jeff who walks by. Jeff, unhappy with this, slaps him. I feel like Matt remembered that and held onto it until 2009 leading to their WrestleMania XXV match. Or not. I'm a firm believer in long term booking.

WWE Cruiserweight Championship
Billy Kidman (c) vs. Matt Hardy w/ Shannon Moore
Michael Cole and Tazz are the Smackdown commentary team if you didn't know. Matt is annoyed by snow and ice and he also takes hot tea with milk and sweetener. God I miss Matt Facts. Matt gets the early upper hand and does some jumping jacks because the story leading into this was that Matt had to work out hard to make the weight for this match. Matt gets Kidman on the apron and whips him into the corner which looked cool. Side note, I miss the love that the Cruiserweight Title got from 2002-2003. Version 1 applies a cross arm choke to wear down the Champion. Kidman counters the Side Effect in a cool way with a rollup for two but Matt gets back on the offensive instantly. I like the idea that Matt, being a bigger cruiserweight, would focus on wearing down the smaller guys. Matt counters a sleeper hold into a the Ricochet, which is a back suplex into an elbow. Kidman catches a break with an enziguri. He connects with the D-Lo Brown Sky High because YOU BETTER RECOGNIZE, but only gets two. Matt hits the “AHHHH” second rope leg drop for another near fall. The Champion blocks the Twist of Fate, hits a big dropkick and dives to the outside. A Shannon Moore distraction allows Matt to hit the Side Effect, but it only earns a near fall. Kidman hits the BoDog, kicking Moore in the process. He goes for the Shooting Star Press but misses as Matt rolls out. Twist of Fate hits, and Kidman sells like his neck broke, but he kicks out. I didn't expect that. They fight up top and Matt falls to the mat, but before Kidman can capitalize, Moore grabs his foot. This allows Matt to climb up and hit a top rope Twist of Fate to end it!

Winner and New WWE Cruiserweight Champion: Matt Hardy in 9:31
Solid match but the crowd wasn't as into it as I hoped. A better reaction from the crowd would've made this much better. **3/4

Stephanie McMahon and EMTs are running backstage because Chris Benoit and Brock Lesnar found their partner for tonight, Edge, knocked out cold. CONTROVERSY!

Big Show w/ Paul Heyman vs. The Undertaker
In the pre-match video package, The Undertaker has a line saying “Be a man and fight me.” The delivery is tremendous. Undertaker goes after Brock on the outside with SOUPBONES! Show rams him into the post but Taker comes back with the guillotine leg drop on the apron. Undertaker brings a chair into the ring but Show punches him down. If this was present day, Undertaker would be knocked out. The former Tag Team Champions go toe to toe and Undertaker stupidly tries a slam, leading to Show landing on him for two. Show works him over, Undertaker gets in some offense, but falls victim to a power move from Show. Wash, rinse, repeat. Undertaker blades for some reason and Michael Cole says that the fans are silent because they can't believe what is happening to Undertaker. No Michael, they're quiet for another reason. Taker tries a Chokeslam and it fails so he goes with Old School instead. With Brian Hebner not looking, Undertaker hits a low blow and a DDT for two. Undertaker continues to look like a buffoon by calling for the Last Ride. News flash, YOU CANT LIFT HIM! Show hits Snake Eyes but when he tries the Tombstone, Undertaker counters into the Dragon Sleeper. A-Train tries to get involved but gets taken out with Undertaker's impressive leap to the outside. Show nails the Chokeslam but Undertaker turns Show's poor pin attempt into a triangle choke! Show is forced to submit.

Winner: The Undertaker in 14:08
This got too much time and The Undertaker looked dumb throughout. The finish was creative though, so points for that. *3/4

The Undertaker goes to attack with a steel chair after the match, but A-Train lays him out. We cut away to find out that Edge was taken out of the arena on a stretcher during the previous match and the upcoming contest will still happen. Michael Cole, in his infinite wisdom, asks “How is this match going to on?”

Eric Bischoff and Chief Morley discuss his match with Steve Austin backstage until Mr. McMahon comes in and says that nobody is allowed to interfere in the match. If anyone gets involved, he'll fire them on the spot. 

Handicap Match
Brock Lesnar and Chris Benoit vs. Team Angle w/ Paul Heyman
So, Brock Lesnar and Chris Benoit were given the opportunity to pick a new partner but they decided they're better off alone. Benoit starts with Shelton Benjamin and they got through a wrestling sequence with Benoit winning out. Charlie Haas gets the tag and Benoit beats him up for a while. Brock gets the tag and crowd gets pumped. Brock is in control until a Kurt Angle distraction seems to turn the tide. Brock doesn't care though as he just counters Haas and continues to pound on him. A well placed kick from Benjamin takes down Brock, so Angle tags in now that the Beast is wounded. He applies a rear naked choke for a long time until Brock uses the corner to break the hold. Both guys make the tag, bringing in Benoit and Benjamin. Benoit works the hot tag stuff, snap suplexing Haas onto Benjamin before hitting a German on Angle and three on Shelton. Benoit signals for the headbutt but Angle runs up the corner and hits a big belly to belly. THE STRAPS ARE DOWN but Lesnar grabs him in a choke hold until Benjamin breaks that. Haas connects with a gorgeous belly to belly suplex on Benoit for a near fall. Angle gets the tag and works the mat, wearing down Benoit. I sense a Brock hot tag coming soon. Benoit rallies and fires away with chops until Angle this a German suplex. Haas and Benjamin hit their tag finisher and despite me being a HUGE fan of theirs, I never knew the name of the move. It earns them two as Benoit continues to fight back. Lesnar gets the hot tag and he seriously suplexes everyone across the ring, even tossing Haas into the corner like he weighed nothing. Benjamin knocks Brock outside as Benoit makes the blind tag. Benoit gets caught in the Ankle Lock but reverses into the Crippler Crossface. Back into the Ankle Lock, then back into the Cross face. Team Angle breaks the hold but Haas ends up in the Crossface. Benjamin breaks it and Brock knocks him outside. Brock hits the F5 on Kurt as Haas ends up tapping to the Crossface.

Winners: Brock Lesnar and Chris Benoit in 13:19
Really good stuff. I enjoyed it throughout, though I thought Brock would get the pin heading into WrestleMania. ***1/2

World Heavyweight Championship
Triple H (c) w/ Ric Flair vs. Scott Steiner
Triple H talks about going 30 minutes with Scott Steiner at the Royal Rumble. They actually went 18 but it felt like 120. Who thought they should get a rematch? Commentary instantly discussed how there are a lot of Triple H supporters in the crowd. Seriously, it's like 80/20. Steiner targets Triple H's injured left leg in the early stages. He applies a Figure Four, so Ric Flair cries gimmick infringement and rakes him in the eyes behind the referee's back. Steiner takes him out at ringside to a chorus of boos. We even have “Steiner sucks” chants. As Triple H pounds on Steiner, we have “Boring” chants ringing out. This is brutal. The Steiner comeback draws boos and a HHH neckbreaker gets cheers. HHH BLATANTLY uses the ropes for leverage on a pin and gets caught. He shoves Earl Hebner, and because we're in Montreal, gets a huge pop for that. Hebner shoves back and man, I used to hate when he would do that. Steiner goes back to hitting belly to bell suplexes. Steiner Recliner gets locked in, so Flair calls out Randy Orton and Batista. Steiner takes them out, which looks awful. HHH sets up for the Pedigree to cheers but Steiner stops it. Can this just end? Steiner continues to toss around guys that are far more talented than him. HHH lays out Steiner with the World Title as Hebner ejects Evolution. Steiner kicks out to everyone's dismay. Pedigree is hit and it's thankfully over.

Winner and Still World Heavyweight Champion: Triple H in 13:01
That was slightly better than their Royal Rumble debacle until the ridiculous overbooked finish. Hated this. DUD

Eric Bischoff vs. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin
Apparently, Eric Bischoff is an eighth degree black belt. I had no clue that was even possible. Bischoff tries to forfeit but that obviously isn't happening. Austin attacks to make the bell ring as commentary discusses how Bischoff fired Austin in WCW because he wouldn't be anything more than a mid-carder. The crowd is molten hot for Austin as he stomps like seven mud holes in Bischoff. Bischoff gets in a kick that has zero effect on Austin. Austin hits a Stone Cold Stunner but picks up Bischoff's arm when he covers. He tells the referee that Bischoff kicked out on his own which was funny. A second Stunner and Bischoff is made to kick out again. He hits a third and it's over.

Winner: “Stone Cold” Steve Austin in 4:26
It was what it was. This was meant to entertain the fans and it was a huge squash as it should have been. SQUASH

Jim Ross damn near has a heart attack while shouting “STONE COLD! STONE COLD!”

“Hollywood” Hulk Hogan vs. The Rock
The Rock is in full “Hollywood” Rock mode, which was one of my favorite things of all-time, despite it being short lived. He has the extremely drawn out elaborate entrance and it's glorious. Rock tries a sneak attack but Hogan catches him in the act. Rock mocks him and decides to chill outside. He stalls for a bit until Hogan gives chase and falls for Heel Tactic #4 as Rock attacks once he slides inside. Sylvan, future member of La Resistance, is the referee for this match. Hogan hits his 80's offense until Rock hits a Rock Bottom from out of nowhere. Hogan kicks out and Rock puts on Hogan's bandana. I feel that Rock's heel run here was just him having a blast. He takes off the weight belt of doom and whips Hogan with it. Rock hits a DDT and kips up before smelling what he's cooking. Sharpshooter gets applied, drawing boos because Montreal doesn't like mockery. Hogan gets to the ropes and Rock brings in a chair. Hogan gets it from him and when Sylvan takes the chair, Rock hits a low blow. Spinebuster is hit and Rock nails the People's Elbow before hopping up and hitting a second, this time posing like Hogan. Hogan powers out because he's Hulking Up. This leads to the big boot and Leg Drop but the lights go out during the pin. When they come back on, Sylvan is knocked out. Vince comes out to “you screwed Bret” chants, while Sylvan proves to not be knocked out as he slides the chair to Rock. Rock lays out Hogan and hits the Rock Bottom. Sylvan shoots up and counts the three.

Winner: The Rock in 12:20
Did not have the magic of their first encounter and was relatively dull. The saving grace of the match was Rock's heel tactics as he was entertaining as hell. **

Vince McMahon celebrates with The Rock and Sylvan before they leave and he reveals a Hulkamania shirt under his suit. It says Hulkamania Sucks on it. 

Overall: 4/10; Weak. I was very disappointed with this show. The only matches really worth checking out are the handicap match and the opener, and neither was that great. Everything else is forgettable. Not the best show heading into WrestleMania. Rock/Hogan was nowhere near the level of their WrestleMania match the year before and we got another dud from Steiner and Triple H. Not recommended.