WWF WrestleMania X-7
WWF WrestleMania X-Seven (4/1/2001)- Houston, TX
WWE INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE MATCH: Chris Jericho(c) vs. William Regal- 5.75/10
A decent opener with a good story told in Regal working over Jericho’s shoulder, but the finish felt like it came out of nowhere.
THE APA BACKSTAGE- Farooq and Jacqueline want to relax, drink beer and smoke cigars, but Bradshaw is nervous because this is his big homecoming and he cut this fantastic promo to them on how historic the Astrodome is and big WrestleMania is. Great stuff.
TAZ & THE APA (w/Jacqueline) vs. RTC (w/Steven Richards)- 2/10
A perfect example of a match that really didn’t need to be on the card. This would have been a perfect match for the Sunday Night Heat right before the show, but because of its short length and lack of significance just felt like it was eating up time on this show.
STEPH, TRISH, & LINDA BACKSTAGE- this was when Linda was comatose and in the wheelchair and Trish was wheeling her around. Steph said that Vince would kick Shane’s ass, then treated Trish like a servant.
TRIPLE THREAT MATCH FOR THE WWF HARDCORE TITLE MATCH: Raven(c) vs. Kane vs. Big Show- 7.25/10
One of the most creative matches ever. They made fantastic use of both the triple threat and hardcore rules, as well as their surroundings. They did a great job of creating this unique atmosphere that managed to both feel like a dangerous, wild street fight and be just pure fun to watch.
KURT ANGLE & E&C BACKSTAGE- good stuff from all three guys.
WWF EUROPEAN TITLE MATCH: Test(c) vs. Eddie Guerrero (w/Perry Saturn)- 5.75/10
Perry Saturn is wearing a fuzzy white hat and Hulk Hogan’s facial hair. JR referred to the hat as â€"borderline ridiculous.†It was more than borderline.
Decent wrestling and a good story of Eddie needing outside help to be able to take it to Test.
MICHAEL COLE INTERVIEWS MICK FOLEY- decent
KURT ANGLE vs. CHRIS BENOIT- 8/10
Kurt cut a fun heel promo before the match.
With these two involved, I don’t have to tell you how great the wrestling was. Instead, I’ll tell you how great the storytelling was. You could listen to this on mute, with no noise from the announcers or the crowd, and the moment Kurt throws that punch, you’ll know that the game has changed.
REGAL FINDS KAMALA & KIM-CHEE IN HIS OFFICE- funny.
KURT ANGLE PROMO- good heel stuff. Then Benoit jumped him from behind and put him in the Crippler Crossface.
WWF WOMEN’S TITLE MATCH: Ivory(c) vs. Chyna- no rating. Good segment.
Yes, it was very short, and yes, after Ivory's initial burst of offense, it was a complete and total squash, but I’m calling it a good segment instead of a dud because after months of Ivory running her mouth then running away like a chicken-sh*t heel, it felt damn good to see Chyna just plain kick Ivory's a**.
STREET FIGHT WITH MICK FOLEY AS SPECAL GUEST REFEREE: Shane McMahon vs. Vince McMahon (w/Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley)- 7/10
This match had a real "this is a fight, not a wrestling match" atmosphere to it that just fit perfectly. The action was good, the intensity was great, and they did a fantastic job of incorporating everyone into the match. This was the perfect way to wrap this angle up. Everything that needed to happen happened. Trish got her revenge on Vince and Steph, Linda got her revenge on Vince, Foley was used perfectly, and Shane won.
KEVIN KELLY INTERVIEWS THE HARDY BOYZ- great promo.
TLC MATCH FOR THE WWF WORLD TAG TEAM TITLES: The Dudley Boyz(c) vs. The Hardy Boyz vs. Edge & Christian- 9.5/10!
AMAZING match with tons of cool stuff, which really just left you with a sense of wonder. I really liked the interferences by Spike, Rhyno, and Lita. They really added to the match, without making too much of an impact as to take the focus away from the people in it (aside from Rhyno pushing the ladder over at the end, but that just helped to get Rhyno over as a tough SOB).
WWF FAN AXXESS VIDEO PACKAGE- awesome, aside from Kane talking out of character. That just sounded so wrong.
GIMMICK BATTLE ROYALE- oodles of fun.
I have heard a rumor that the reason the Iron Sheik won instead of Sgt. Slaughter was because he told them he wasn’t physically healthy enough to go over the top rope and down to the floor. If this is true, I have to applaud him for coming up with the most creative excuse I’ve ever heard for getting out of doing a job.
THE UNDERTAKER vs. TRIPLE H- 8.25/10
Great live performance by Motorhead, and a HUGE pop for the Deadman in his home city.
An absolutely awesome brawl with great weapon use and one of those nearfalls that makes you bite on it no matter how many times you’ve watched the match or how well you know your history. Yes, the referee was out for ten minutes (and that’s not an exaggeration) after his bump, but that felt like a minor issue because the way they did the bump (Taker gave him an elbow drop to the back of the head) really sold just how much these two men wanted to kill each other. Many people have asked why they didn’t just make this a No DQ’s match if they were going to do all of this brawling and weapon use, but I think the idea that they knew it wasn’t a No DQ’s match but they fought like it was a street fight really helped to sell the hatred. As I said: You cannot watch this match without thinking that these are two men who want to kill each other.
NO DISQUALIFICATIONS MATCH FOR THE WWF WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE: The Rock(c) vs. â€"Stone Cold†Steve Austin- a PERFECT 10/10!
Austin, as you might expect, got an absolutely THUNDEROUS pop in his home state. Rocky got a huge pop, too, but nothing tonight compared to Austin’s. Not even Taker’s. The No DQ’s stip was added as a surprise to everyone. By the end of the night, we’d find out why.
Remember what I said about Triple H and Undertaker having an awesome brawl? Well this match was about five levels above that! They brought the hate, they brought in the intensity, they brought (and spilled) a lot of juice, and when combined with a white-hot crowd on the biggest stage of them all for the biggest prize in the WWF, it made for an absolutely incomparable atmosphere.
In my first viewing o this match many years ago, I had given it a 9.75/10, a rating I reserve only for matches that would have been perfect 10s, if not for one or two things that kept them from being truly perfect. The thing that held this match back was the rope breaks. There are no disqualifications after all, so why should anyone be afraid of not breaking a hold? The answer, of course, is that they weren’t. You might not be able to be disqualified for not breaking a hold, but that doesn’t change the fact that putting your opponent in a hold when he is in the ropes is an illegal maneuver, and therefore cannot be used to win the match. Therefore, if you want to actually win, you need to break the hold and do something else.
More interestingly, though, was the fact that Rock broke the hold right away when Austin got to the ropes, just like a good babyface would, while Austin… well…
The most beautiful thing about his heel turn is that it really began right when the match started. Austin, the babyface in his own home state, NEVER ONCE played to the crowd. Rock played the traditional structural role of babyface the whole time, and treated the referee with respect most of the time. Austin, on the other hand, flipped the referee off, kept a hold on even though Rock was in the ropes (not a DQ, but still theoretically illegal), raked Rocky’s eyes, and was the first to introduce weapons into the match. He was a heel all along… we just couldn’t possibly have known that except with hindsight.
The sight of Stone Cold Steve Austin and Vince McMahon working together (and especially shaking hands and drinking beer together at the end) was utterly reality jarring, to the point that once the alliance was revealed, you knew that it was too big for Austin to not win… but then The Rock kicked out. And he kept kicking out. And each time you thought this had to be the end, he would kick out, to the point where you started to doubt the Stone Cold victory that seemed inevitable just a few minutes ago... and then Austin just shut him down with perhaps the most vicious and brutal and aggressive barrage of chairshots wrestling has ever seen, and you knew there was no way he was getting up. An amazing rollercoaster of a match with an even more amazing atmosphere. Perfect.
An absolutely awesome show from the WWF. With the exception of the six-man, all of the matches felt big, and, perhaps with the exception of the opener, everything delivered what it needed to. With the one-two punch of the TLC match and the main event, this is already one of the best WrestleManias of all time, and the GREAT action up and down the card, buts it over the top as probably the best of all-time. It had title changes, turns, fun moments, blow-away action, stories being resolved, and babyfaces getting their revenge. THIS is what WrestleMania should be.
WWE INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE MATCH: Chris Jericho(c) vs. William Regal- 5.75/10
A decent opener with a good story told in Regal working over Jericho’s shoulder, but the finish felt like it came out of nowhere.
THE APA BACKSTAGE- Farooq and Jacqueline want to relax, drink beer and smoke cigars, but Bradshaw is nervous because this is his big homecoming and he cut this fantastic promo to them on how historic the Astrodome is and big WrestleMania is. Great stuff.
TAZ & THE APA (w/Jacqueline) vs. RTC (w/Steven Richards)- 2/10
A perfect example of a match that really didn’t need to be on the card. This would have been a perfect match for the Sunday Night Heat right before the show, but because of its short length and lack of significance just felt like it was eating up time on this show.
STEPH, TRISH, & LINDA BACKSTAGE- this was when Linda was comatose and in the wheelchair and Trish was wheeling her around. Steph said that Vince would kick Shane’s ass, then treated Trish like a servant.
TRIPLE THREAT MATCH FOR THE WWF HARDCORE TITLE MATCH: Raven(c) vs. Kane vs. Big Show- 7.25/10
One of the most creative matches ever. They made fantastic use of both the triple threat and hardcore rules, as well as their surroundings. They did a great job of creating this unique atmosphere that managed to both feel like a dangerous, wild street fight and be just pure fun to watch.
KURT ANGLE & E&C BACKSTAGE- good stuff from all three guys.
WWF EUROPEAN TITLE MATCH: Test(c) vs. Eddie Guerrero (w/Perry Saturn)- 5.75/10
Perry Saturn is wearing a fuzzy white hat and Hulk Hogan’s facial hair. JR referred to the hat as â€"borderline ridiculous.†It was more than borderline.
Decent wrestling and a good story of Eddie needing outside help to be able to take it to Test.
MICHAEL COLE INTERVIEWS MICK FOLEY- decent
KURT ANGLE vs. CHRIS BENOIT- 8/10
Kurt cut a fun heel promo before the match.
With these two involved, I don’t have to tell you how great the wrestling was. Instead, I’ll tell you how great the storytelling was. You could listen to this on mute, with no noise from the announcers or the crowd, and the moment Kurt throws that punch, you’ll know that the game has changed.
REGAL FINDS KAMALA & KIM-CHEE IN HIS OFFICE- funny.
KURT ANGLE PROMO- good heel stuff. Then Benoit jumped him from behind and put him in the Crippler Crossface.
WWF WOMEN’S TITLE MATCH: Ivory(c) vs. Chyna- no rating. Good segment.
Yes, it was very short, and yes, after Ivory's initial burst of offense, it was a complete and total squash, but I’m calling it a good segment instead of a dud because after months of Ivory running her mouth then running away like a chicken-sh*t heel, it felt damn good to see Chyna just plain kick Ivory's a**.
STREET FIGHT WITH MICK FOLEY AS SPECAL GUEST REFEREE: Shane McMahon vs. Vince McMahon (w/Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley)- 7/10
This match had a real "this is a fight, not a wrestling match" atmosphere to it that just fit perfectly. The action was good, the intensity was great, and they did a fantastic job of incorporating everyone into the match. This was the perfect way to wrap this angle up. Everything that needed to happen happened. Trish got her revenge on Vince and Steph, Linda got her revenge on Vince, Foley was used perfectly, and Shane won.
KEVIN KELLY INTERVIEWS THE HARDY BOYZ- great promo.
TLC MATCH FOR THE WWF WORLD TAG TEAM TITLES: The Dudley Boyz(c) vs. The Hardy Boyz vs. Edge & Christian- 9.5/10!
AMAZING match with tons of cool stuff, which really just left you with a sense of wonder. I really liked the interferences by Spike, Rhyno, and Lita. They really added to the match, without making too much of an impact as to take the focus away from the people in it (aside from Rhyno pushing the ladder over at the end, but that just helped to get Rhyno over as a tough SOB).
WWF FAN AXXESS VIDEO PACKAGE- awesome, aside from Kane talking out of character. That just sounded so wrong.
GIMMICK BATTLE ROYALE- oodles of fun.
I have heard a rumor that the reason the Iron Sheik won instead of Sgt. Slaughter was because he told them he wasn’t physically healthy enough to go over the top rope and down to the floor. If this is true, I have to applaud him for coming up with the most creative excuse I’ve ever heard for getting out of doing a job.
THE UNDERTAKER vs. TRIPLE H- 8.25/10
Great live performance by Motorhead, and a HUGE pop for the Deadman in his home city.
An absolutely awesome brawl with great weapon use and one of those nearfalls that makes you bite on it no matter how many times you’ve watched the match or how well you know your history. Yes, the referee was out for ten minutes (and that’s not an exaggeration) after his bump, but that felt like a minor issue because the way they did the bump (Taker gave him an elbow drop to the back of the head) really sold just how much these two men wanted to kill each other. Many people have asked why they didn’t just make this a No DQ’s match if they were going to do all of this brawling and weapon use, but I think the idea that they knew it wasn’t a No DQ’s match but they fought like it was a street fight really helped to sell the hatred. As I said: You cannot watch this match without thinking that these are two men who want to kill each other.
NO DISQUALIFICATIONS MATCH FOR THE WWF WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE: The Rock(c) vs. â€"Stone Cold†Steve Austin- a PERFECT 10/10!
Austin, as you might expect, got an absolutely THUNDEROUS pop in his home state. Rocky got a huge pop, too, but nothing tonight compared to Austin’s. Not even Taker’s. The No DQ’s stip was added as a surprise to everyone. By the end of the night, we’d find out why.
Remember what I said about Triple H and Undertaker having an awesome brawl? Well this match was about five levels above that! They brought the hate, they brought in the intensity, they brought (and spilled) a lot of juice, and when combined with a white-hot crowd on the biggest stage of them all for the biggest prize in the WWF, it made for an absolutely incomparable atmosphere.
In my first viewing o this match many years ago, I had given it a 9.75/10, a rating I reserve only for matches that would have been perfect 10s, if not for one or two things that kept them from being truly perfect. The thing that held this match back was the rope breaks. There are no disqualifications after all, so why should anyone be afraid of not breaking a hold? The answer, of course, is that they weren’t. You might not be able to be disqualified for not breaking a hold, but that doesn’t change the fact that putting your opponent in a hold when he is in the ropes is an illegal maneuver, and therefore cannot be used to win the match. Therefore, if you want to actually win, you need to break the hold and do something else.
More interestingly, though, was the fact that Rock broke the hold right away when Austin got to the ropes, just like a good babyface would, while Austin… well…
The most beautiful thing about his heel turn is that it really began right when the match started. Austin, the babyface in his own home state, NEVER ONCE played to the crowd. Rock played the traditional structural role of babyface the whole time, and treated the referee with respect most of the time. Austin, on the other hand, flipped the referee off, kept a hold on even though Rock was in the ropes (not a DQ, but still theoretically illegal), raked Rocky’s eyes, and was the first to introduce weapons into the match. He was a heel all along… we just couldn’t possibly have known that except with hindsight.
The sight of Stone Cold Steve Austin and Vince McMahon working together (and especially shaking hands and drinking beer together at the end) was utterly reality jarring, to the point that once the alliance was revealed, you knew that it was too big for Austin to not win… but then The Rock kicked out. And he kept kicking out. And each time you thought this had to be the end, he would kick out, to the point where you started to doubt the Stone Cold victory that seemed inevitable just a few minutes ago... and then Austin just shut him down with perhaps the most vicious and brutal and aggressive barrage of chairshots wrestling has ever seen, and you knew there was no way he was getting up. An amazing rollercoaster of a match with an even more amazing atmosphere. Perfect.
An absolutely awesome show from the WWF. With the exception of the six-man, all of the matches felt big, and, perhaps with the exception of the opener, everything delivered what it needed to. With the one-two punch of the TLC match and the main event, this is already one of the best WrestleManias of all time, and the GREAT action up and down the card, buts it over the top as probably the best of all-time. It had title changes, turns, fun moments, blow-away action, stories being resolved, and babyfaces getting their revenge. THIS is what WrestleMania should be.