The Event Center: Wrestlemania 19 Review

The Event Center: WWF Wrestlemania XIX

Introduction:
Hello everyone and welcome back to the Event Center. So, since it is Wrestlemania season I figured we would do another one. We are going to head back to 2003 and check out Wrestlemania 19. I haven’t seen this show in a long time and after looking over the card and match time it looks like a really good show top to bottom. I remember getting the show live on pay per view and really enjoying pretty much all of it outside of a couple of things. It should be interesting to see what I think about it all these years later. So without further ado lets get this thing going.

Event Information:
Date:March 30th, 2003
Location: Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington
Attendance: 54,097
Main Event: WWE Championship Match: Kurt Angle (c) vs. Brock Lesnar

Sunday Night Heat Recap:
Before we get to the show opening just want to make a quick comment on what happened during Sunday Night Heat. They had a tag team title match between Chief Morley/Lance Storm vs. Kane/RVD where Morley and Storm retained the tag team titles after the Dudleys turned heel and helped Morley and Storm keep the tag titles. John Cena also came out and destroyed Fabulous and Jay-Z with a brilliant rap. Other than that it was just a bunch of hype so lets get to the main show.

Show Opening:

Show opens up with an awesome video package with all the main event guys talking about the importance of Wrestlemania. We hear from Angle, Austin, Taker, Brock, Booker, and others. They show highlights of past Mania’s as well such as Mania 1 and 3. Towards the end they discuss the importance of their individual matches as they continue to show highlights from past Mania’s. Pretty awesome opening there. One of the best. We get some Limp Bizkit music plus the pyro as we head into Safeco Field. What an excellent venue and it looks awesome setup as a wrestling arena. One of my favorite venues ever for a Wrestlemania and I am pumped they are going to more and more baseball fields for shows.

Jim Ross leads us in and he is pumped up. He lets us know that he is just as excited today as he was back in 1993 for Wrestlemania 9. Lawler points out Ross’s John Wayne cufflinks that he busts out every Mania. Ross sends it down ringside to Michael Cole and Tazz to kick this one off. And since I am watching the Network version and it appears they have cut out Ashanti signing America the Beautiful. Probably didn’t want to pay her for it. Anyways, Cole sends it up to the ring where we are starting off with the Smackdown Cruiserweight Championship.

Pre-Match Thoughts:
This feud was based off the Cruiserweight Title, duh, and Matt trying to get under the 220 weight limit. Shannon Moore was helping Matt get under the weight limit so he could actually defend his title against Rey at Mania. Really not much else to this one but it should be a great opener because both of these guys can go at this point in their careers.

Match 1: WWE Cruiserweight Championship: Matt Hardy (c) vs. Rey Mysterio Jr.

The Matt Hardy V1 graphics are awesome and I figured I would get that out of the way first. This match starts off hot with Matt trying to get the upper hand early but Rey is ready for all of it and he ends up nailing Matt with a beautiful cork screw plancha on to both Matt and Shannon Moore. Rey continues the quick pace with a leg scissor takedown off the middle rope and then a spinning wheel kick. Rey goes for a sunset flip power bomb off the apron but Matt holds on and Shannon ends up interfering and nailing Rey in the gut to prevent the move from happening.

Matt keeps control with some nice offense until he goes for a splash on the middle rope but Rey moves out of the way. We get some more back and forth action as Rey goes for some more high flying but Matt ends up blocking it into the Side Affect for a 2 count. Matt is doing a good job of staying one move ahead of Rey here. Matt goes for a shoulder block in the corner but Rey moves out and Matt smacks the post.

Rey then hits a springboard butt drop and some more highflying moves including a tornado DDT that leads to a near fall. Rey gets Matt in position for the 6-1-9 but Shannon trips Rey up and Matt nails Rey with the Twist of Fate for a 2 1/2 count. Matt is livid that Rey got out of that one. Matt puts Rey on the top rope and he goes for the Splash Mountain Bomb off the rope but Rey reverses it into a hurricanrana for a 2 count again. Shannon gets blasted by Matt and then Rey hits Matt with the 6-1-9. Rey goes for the West Coast Pop but Matt moves out of the way and then Rey ends up on the shoulders off Matt and he just drops down and gets the 1-2-3 ala Bret vs. Owen. Matt cheats by holding the bottom rope. Your winner and still WWE Cruiserweight Champion….Matt Hardy!!!

Recap:
This was a really good fast paced opener. It’s a shame it got roughly 6 minutes so they could have time for a shitty Limp Bizkit concert. Anyways, Matt and Rey worked awesome here and they did really well with the time they had. The ending was a little surprising but was good for me. Just a really good quick match that really got the crowd going early.

They head to the back where a limo pulls up and out steps the Miller Lite CatFight Girls. They get in an argument over Hogan/McMahon or Rock/Austin.

They show highlights of what happened to Nathan Jones during Sunday Night Heat. Big Show and A-Train left Jones laying in the bath room after Nunzio lured him in there.

We get the Limp Bizkit concert for the Undertaker entrance.

Pre-Match Thoughts:
The feud between Undertaker and Big Show started the Smackdown after No Mercy when the Big Show attacked the Undertaker after Undertaker gave props to Lesnar for their match they had at No Mercy. Undertaker then had a match with Big Show at No Way Out in which Taker won. After the match Big Show, with the help of A-Train, attacked the Undertaker. Nathan Jones came out and helped out the Undertaker and thats pretty much what led us to this match here at Wrestlemania.

Match 2: Undertaker vs. Big Show/A-Train

Limp Bizkit sings Rollin’ before Undertaker comes out for his match. The crowd is absolutely DEAD for Limp Bizkit and then they hear Undertaker’s bike and they go nuts for him. Pretty hilarious if you ask me. This one starts off fast as well with Big Show trying to attack Taker from behind but Taker is ready for it and Show goes flying over the top early. A-Train comes in and gets caught with a chokeslam right away and Taker nearly gets the win before Big Show pulls Taker out of the ring at 2 1/2.

Taker fends off both guys with the soup bowl rights and lefts as Big Show gets flustered and tags in A-Train. Taker bringing it at Mania with a leap frog, hip toss, and old school in succession. Taker gets caught up with Big Show and then gets dropped with the Derailer by A-Train. Show and Train work the chest and mid-section area of Taker with work on the outside and then the decapitator on the bottom rope.

Show goes for the choke slam but Taker gets out of it into a Fujiwara arm bar on Big Show. Taker then starts working the arm of A-Train until Big Show drops a big ass leg drop to regain control of the math. Show and Train take turns getting Taker in the abominable stretch because both are blown up and can’t do shit else. I feel for Taker having to be in this match at Mania, what garbage. Taker stops the momentum with a side suplex on A-Train but it’s not for long as Big Show nails Taker from the back and then a clothesline from A-Train for a 2 1/2.

Taker and A-Train exchange some lefts and rights and then Taker drops A-Train with the jumping DDT for a 2 1/2 count. Taker has finally had enough and decides to take out both guys with big clotheslines in the two corners. Taker hits the flying clothesline on Big Show and then gets dropped with the bicycle kick by A-Train. Big Show drops Taker with the chokeslam and then Nathan Jones comes out and drops Big Show with a big ass spinning wheel kick. Jones gets in the ring and drops the A-Train with a big boot and then Taker drops him with the Tombstone for the 1-2-3. Your winner and still undefeated at Wrestlemania….The Undertaker!

Recap:
This match was kind of shitty for the most part. Nathan Jones not being in it kind of sucked but Taker did his best to get something out of Show and A-Train here. Taker really looked good but his opponents just do nothing for me and never really did. Thank goodness WWE realized the importance of Taker’s undefeated streak and took advantage later on down the line but it’s a shame they didn’t do it here because a nice Taker match here would have been pretty nice.

They go to the back where the Miller Lite Catfight Girls meet up with Stacy Keibler and Torrie Wilson. They say Torrie looked great in Playboy and that Stacy is a marketing genius and one of the girls says she loves Testicles.

They show us what happened during the WWF Tag Team Title Match from Sunday Night Heat.

Pre-Match Thoughts:
Trish and Victoria were feuding dating back to Survivor Series and continued that feud leading into Wrestlemania. Victoria was jealous of Trish’s good lucks and her being hand picked as the chosen one. They had a lot of brawls and hardcore type matches so they could add another dynamic to Trish’s character. Jazz returned a little before Mania and went after Trish, whom she got injured by 9 months prior, so she got thrown into the match. So here we are with the triple threat Women’s title match at Wrestlemania.

Match 3: WWE Women’s Title Triple Threat Match: Victoria (c) vs. Trish Stratus vs. Jazz

A theme here at Wrestlemania 19, these matches are starting fast and furious with Jazz dumping Victoria to the outside and quickly going after Trish. Jazz then gets a beautiful looking submission move on Trish before she breaks free and drops Victoria on the outside again. Trish gets back up and drops Jazz with a Thesz press and some right hands. Victoria pulls Trish off the apron and then throws Jazz to the outside until she throws Trish back in and then nails her with a front flip leg drop to the inside. That was a pretty sweet move there.

Jazz and Victoria then work together and work over Trish with a double shoulder breaker. Victoria and Jazz go at it and Victoria drops Jazz with a power slam for a 2 1/2 count. Jazz picks up Trish and drops her with a nice power slam move but Trish gets out at 2 1/2. Jazz then nails Victoria with a vicious open hand slap and then Trish rams their heads together. Trish then works over both of them until Victoria grabs her and Jazz goes for a spin kick but Trish moves out of the way and she drops Victoria.

We get a Chick Kick and then the hand stand head scissors by Trish. She then kicks Victoria to the outside and Jazz gets the half Boston Crab on Trish in the middle of the ring. Trish nearly gets to the rope but Jazz ends up turning it into the STF. Victoria distracts the ref and Richards comes in and throws Jazz to the outside. Jazz gets Trish in the standing chicken wing and then Victoria ends up going for the moonsault on Jazz but she misses.

Richards comes in with a chair and tries to hit Trish with it but he ends up hitting himself after it bounces off the rope. Trish hits Stratusfaction on Richards but Victoria goes for Widow’s Peak and Trish gets out of it and ends up dropping Victoria with the Chick Kick for the 1-2-3. Your winner and new WWF Women’s Champion….Trish Stratus!!!

Recap:
This was a solid women’s match right here. All three ladies looked pretty good and the mistakes were at a minimum. Jazz was really good here and controlled the majority of the match. All three women had their moments to shine and they all delivered. Not a overly great match but not a bad one either. Good stuff here.

Backstage Interview: The Rock

Coach asks the Rock how excited he is for Wrestlemania. Coach says there are 54,000 people but the Rock cuts him off and says the same people that booed him at Wrestlemania last year and the same people who booed the Rock who sang and gave a concert of a lifetime. The Rock says that he is a sellout because he has sold out this and every Wrestlemania he has been in. Rock says the people have hurt the People’s Champ and tonight he could care less about the people. Rock says he is here for one reason only and that is to fulfill his destiny of beating Stone Cold Steve Austin at Wrestlemania.

Rock says this is the holy grail and the one thing the Rock has never done. He says it consumes him and he thinks about it all the time and this is everything to the Rock. Rock says the first two times they fought Austin got the win. Rock says the one thing he learned from Hollywood is that act 1 and act 2 don’t matter. Rock says the only thing that people remember is act 3 because it is the climax and the grand finale. Rock says it is the ending of the greatest rivalry this industry has ever seen.

Rock says that Steve Austin is going one on one with the jabroni beating, pie eating, not afraid to sweat not afraid to bleed, gonna beat that bald headed bastard guaran-damn-teed. Rock says then he would have done it all…..finally…..finally.

Pre-Match Thoughts:
Team Angle won a #1 contenders match against Chris Benoit and Edge. Edge got injured at some point and ended up needing neck surgery so Benoit found himself a new partner in Rhyno. Team Angle ended up taking advantage of the match with Los Guerreros and won the tag team titles from them. Los Guerreros got their rematch and Benoit gets his shot at redemption in this 3 way dance for the tag team titles.

Match 4: WWE Smackdown Tag Team Title Match: Team Angle (c) vs. Los Guerreros vs. Chris Benoit/Rhyno

And the theme of the night continues with all 6 men in the ring going at it as soon as the bell rings. Match gets under control with Chavo and Charlie Haas starting off. Chavo starts off with a big back drop and a belly to back suplex and he follows that up with a big time drop kick as Haas tags in Benoit. Eddie gets tagged in and Chavo drops him with a belly to back suplex and Eddie hits Benoit with the tope into the ring.

Benoit and Eddie go at it until Benoit tags in Rhyno as they start slugging it out. Rhyno drops Eddie with a nice running power slam and gets the 2 1/2 count. Benjamin gets tagged in and Rhyno meets him right away with some right hands. The action is fast and furious with a lot of quick tags and nobody staying in longer than a minute or two. Benjamin tags in Haas as they hit a double drop kick on Rhyno and they get a 2 count before Chavo breaks up the pin.

Benoit gets tagged in and he comes in and lays in some brutal sounding chops to Haas and he follows those up with a snap suplex for a 2 count. We get some suplexes and near falls before Benoit tags Rhyno in again. Benjamin gets tagged back in by Haas and he comes in and slugs it out with Rhyno again. Rhyno hits a big time spear in the corner on Benjamin and he gets a 2 count out of it. Benjamin tags in Eddie and he squares off with Rhyno. Eddie hits a beautiful drop kick as he suckered Rhyno in for a test of strength. That was such an awesome looking drop kick.

Eddie gets driven into the corner as Benoit tags back in. He comes in and nails Eddie with nasty sounding chops but Eddie turns it around and drops Benoit with a back suplex on to the neck of Benoit. Eddie then goes up to the top rope but tags to much time and Benoit catches him and hits a super plex off the top rope. Benoit then throws Eddie into the ropes and throws him in the air and gets him right into the crossface but Haas breaks it up quickly. Eddie ends up getting the advantage with a brain buster for a 2 count but Haas breaks it up again.

All hell is breaking loose as all 6 guys start coming in and out but Benoit ends up catching Chavo with the rolling germans. Benoit got 4 of them this time but Benjamin gets tagged in and he comes in and drops Benoit with a side kick for a 2 1/2. Eddie and Benoit clunk heads and knock each other out. Benjamin goes for the cover but Eddie comes off the top with the Frog Splash to break up the pin. Chavo tags in as he and Charlie Haas go at it. Haas hits a nice release German but Rhyno ends up dropping him with a Gore and then he drops Chavo with the Gore as well. Shelton sneaks in and gets the 1-2-3 for Team Angle. Your winners and still WWE Smackdown Tag Team Champions….Team Angle!!!

Recap:
This match was really good. It started off fast and never really stopped. All 6 guys delivered the goods and took advantage of the small time they head in the ring. It’s a shame some of these matches early on were rushed because of the matches that went on last. They should have cut some of the times in some of the other matches and gave these a little more time but all these guys took advantage of the short time they had. Just a solid tag team match with 6 guys that can really go. Kudos to them.

They head to the back again where Stacy Keibler & Torrie Wilson are with the Miller Lite Catfight Girls again. The Girls were going over how excited they were for being at Mania. Stacy and Torrie start arguing over who is responsible for the birth of Wrestlemania, Hulk Hogan or Vince McMahon. The Catfight Girls start arguing the same thing. One of the girls says lets settle this in the ring and the other argues with settling it in bed.

They show a highlight video on the feud between Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho.

Pre-Match Thoughts:
This match all started with Chris Jericho saying that Shawn was his childhood hero. Jericho went on a crusade to try and accomplish everything that Shawn has done in his career. Shawn started this off by dropping Jericho with some Sweet Chin Music on Raw. Jericho then wanted to be #1 in the Rumble but Vince gave that spot to Shawn and when Jericho got in the Rumble he low-blowed Shawn and ended up dumping him early on. They continued to feud after the Rumble until Jericho finally challenged Shawn to a match at Wrestlemania and Shawn accepted so here we are.

Match 5: Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho

The little things at the start of this match that they did were just awesome. Jericho coming out to hardly any pyro where Shawn comes out with blasters down the ramp, his normal in ring pyro, plus the pyro behind the Safeco sign. It’s complete opposites and you can tell it is getting under the skin of Jericho. The little things like that go a long way in building a dramatic match and getting heat. Well done to both guys. Also, Shawn’s pyro here is some of the best and a lot of that has to do with it being inside Safeco Field. Great looking visuals here.

We get a feeling out process with take downs and very quick rest holds until Shawn gets bored and lays on the top rope as if Jericho needs to do better. Some more feeling out as they exchange takedowns and kick outs until we get a stand off. Enough of the feeling out as Jericho slaps Shawn and then Shawn returns the favor with a right hand and then throws Jericho to the outside. Shawn goes for a plancha but Jericho moves out of the way and Shawn ends up stopping himself by rolling back into the ring and he eventually ends up hitting Jericho with a baseball slide.

Jericho gets the upper hand with a roll through on a cross body off the top rope by Shawn and he follows that up with a spinning leg kick. Jericho goes for his running bulldog but Shawn reverses it by throwing him into the turnbuckle. Shawn then gets Jericho in the figure four leg lock in the middle of the ring. Shawn continues to work the left leg of Jericho until Jericho ends up kicking Shawn off of him and right into the steel post shoulder first. Jericho tries to throw Shawn out but Shawn skins the cat and hits Jericho with a head scissor take down to the outside followed by a plancha.

They brawl on the outside as Shawn goes for a drop kick but Jericho blocks it and gets Shawn in the Walls of Jericho on the outside. Jericho then picks up Shawn and rams him back first into the post a few times as Jericho gets the control and starts to work over the back of Shawn. Jericho continues to work the back with a belly to back suplex and then a delayed vertical suplex. In the meantime Jericho is talking shit to Shawn saying that he is better than him. We get the cocky pin after a backbreaker. Such a heel move but it’s so awesome. Jericho then drives the knee in the back of Shawn while pulling on the neck.

Shawn breaks free and ends up hitting Jericho with a nice looking delayed DDT as both guys are laid out. Shawn gets dropped with the flying forearm as Jericho does a nip-up to get back to his feet. Jericho then does the Shawn pose but Shawn ends up doing a nip-up of his own and then floors Jericho with some right hands once Jericho realizes Shawn is back on his feet. That was a pretty damn cool sequence there. Awesome stuff from these two.

Shawn hits the flyin forearm, nip-up, atomic drop, and then a back body drop as Shawn starts to feel it. Shawn catches Jericho coming in and then he goes up to the top rope and hits a moonsault for a 2 3/4 count. They then exchange near falls 4-5 times until Jericho rolls out and goes for the Walls of Jericho on Shawn but he blocks it. Jericho hits a northern lights suplex but Shawn kicks out and then Jericho goes for another pin but Shawn pulls himself up and bridges out of it but Jericho ends up hitting Shawn with the forearm to slow it down here.

Jericho hits the bulldog and the Lionsault on Shawn and takes a little bit of time to go for the cover but Shawn kicks out at 2 1/2. Shawn ends up going for a hurricanrana but Jericho catches him and gets him into the Walls of Jericho. Jericho goes for the Walls again but Shawn rolls up Jericho for a 2 count. Jericho then hits a double under hook back breaker on Shawn. Jericho ascends to the top rope and hits a spinning elbow off the top rope. Jericho then gets in the corner and starts tuning up the band for some Sweet Chin Music and he nails Shawn with it for a 2 1/2 count.

Both guys exchange some rights and lefts as well as some kicks until Shawn attempts the Walls of Jericho but instead goes for a sling shot right into the post on Jericho. Shawn ends up getting put on the top rope as Jericho goes for a belly to back suplex but Shawn counters it in mid-air into a cross body for another near fall. Shawn heads to the top rope to go for his elbow but Jericho kicks the ref into the ropes and ends up racking Shawn on the top rope. Jericho then climbs to the top rope and goes for a superplex but Shawn throws him off and ends up hitting Jericho with the big elbow.

Shawn gets right back up and starts tuning up the band himself for Sweet Chin Music but Jericho dunks out of the way and Jericho ends up getting Shawn into the Walls of Jericho for the third time. Shawn nearly gets to the ropes but Jericho pulls him back into the middle of the ring but Shawn finally gets to the ropes anyways. Jericho gets frustrated but when he comes after Shawn he gets dropped with Sweet Chin Music but Jericho ends up kicking out at 2 1/2.

Shawn kicks whipped into the corner and does his flip up and back over gimmick. Jericho then grabs Shawn and goes for a belly to back suplex but Shawn rolls out of it and ends up rolling up Chris Jericho and gets the sneaky 1-2-3 for the win. Your winner by pinfall….Shawn Michaels!

After the match Shawn offers his hand as a sign of respect. Jericho avoids the hand shake and ends up hugging Shawn instead. When they release the hug Jericho ends up kicking Shawn right in the nuts. Jericho then catches Shawn as he collapses. Jericho then flips off the fans as he heads towards the back. Shawn really sold that low blow there and it looked like it damn near killed him.

Recap:
This was a damn good match and arguably the best one on the card. Only one that really comes close is Austin/Rock but that one was good for other reasons. The story told through the feud and throughout this match was just top notch and Jericho played his part perfectly. He was always good as the jealous chaser and this match and feud is no exception. He hated everything that Shawn did with his entrance, in the ring, and everything else. Both guys really told an excellent story and captivated you throughout the entire match. Just a really great match by two really great wrestlers and it is one that you must watch at least once. Really really good stuff here.

They head to the back where Sylvan Grenier goes into Mr. McMahon’s office.

Tony Chimmel announces a new Safeco Field attendance “record”.

Limp Bizkit is back for another song that is getting no reaction. Crowd cheers when it’s over probably because it’s over.

Match 6: Catfight: Stacy Keibler vs. Torrie Wilson vs. Kitana Baker vs. Tanya Ballinger

Torrie starts this one off by taking off her shirt and then ripping off Stacy’s top. Torrie then rolls up Stacy and starts spanking her bare ass. The Catfight girls are on their knees in the bed ripping the tops off of each other until Torrie joins in. Coach ends up falling down and Torrie and Stacy roll over on top of him. All four of them then drop Coach’s pants and ends up getting rolled up and pinned by Stacy Keibler to end this atrocity.

They show a highlight video on the feud between Triple H and Booker T.

Pre-Match Thoughts:
This all started when Booker T won a battle royal to become the number one contender. They then turned this into a race feud and Booker T got super over because of it. Triple H made comments that people like Booker don’t become World Champions and that he will never be one. They also brought up Booker’s past and called him a common street thug and that his type will never be champion. This all lead to the match that we have now. Booker got super over and Triple H used common stereotypes to progress this feud. One can only imagine how this one turns out.

Match 7: WWE World Heavyweight Championship: Triple H (c) vs. Booker T

We get the nice stare down with Nick Patrick going over the rules. Booker tells Hunter that his punk ass is in trouble as the bell rings and we get this one started. I already can’t stand Lawler’s commentary here. The whole racial overtones over this feud and in this match are a joke even for 2003. Both guys exchange chops in the corner as they have a short feeling out period here. Triple H heads up to the top rope but Booker catches him and arm drags him off the top rope and this sends Hunter to the outside where Booker goes out after him. Booker rams Hunter head first into the post as this one starts to pick up the pace a little bit here.

Booker goes for the spinning leg kick but Hunter blocks and ends up backdropping Booker to the apron but Booker hangs on. Hunter then throws Booker into the post as Hunter gets control of the match. Hunter drops Booker with a neck breaker and this gets him a 2 count. Booker ends up getting dropped with the Arn Anderson spine buster as he was just about to regain control of the match. Hunter then lays in a vicious sounding clothesline to Booker in the corner for another near fall. That sounded brutal as hell.

Booker reverses a suplex into a DDT and then both guys exchange rights and chops until Booker hits Hunter with a side kick and a sidewalk slam. Booker follows that up with a nice forearm for another near fall. Booker hits the ropes and Hunter hits the high knee for a 2 1/2 count on Booker. Booker gets dropped with the knee to the face but when Hunter hits the ropes Booker catches him and drops hi with a spine buster. Back to the corner and back to the chops we go. That is all this match is.

Hunter goes to the middle rope and goes for an ax handle but Booker catches him with a nasty looking drop kick that nearly got him the victory. Booker goes for the scissor kick twice and both times Hunter moves out of the way. On the second one Booker goes flying to the outside and once out there Flair grabs him and drops him knee first on the steel steps. Booker gets back in the ring and Hunter gets him in the Indian Death Lock in the middle of the ring. It’s a sweet looking move if you ask me. Hunter then stands up and rolls over and applies all of the pressure on the legs of Booker T. A really great submission move here.

Hunter continues to work the knee and when he tries to whip Booker into the corner Booker just collapses and doesn’t even make it to the corner. Hunter goes for the pedigree but Booker reverses it and Hunter ends up kicking Booker into the ref but he doesn’t go down. Booker then gets another roll up for a 2 1/2 count. Back to knee we go for Hunter but it doesn’t take long for Booker to hit a flying elbow followed by the scissor’s kick for a 2 3/4 count. Booker heads to the top rope but Flair goes after him and Booker drops him with a right hand. This allows Triple H to get up and go for a superplex but Booker blocks it and ends up pushing Hunter off the top rope.

Booker then hits the Harlem hangover on Booker T and he landed right on Hunter’s head. That didn’t look good at all. Booker goes for the cover and Flair puts Hunters foot on the rope to break up the pin. Booker tries to hit the ropes but he falls down again and this time Hunter grabs him and drops him with the Pedigree. Hunter crawls over the pin and gets the 1-2-3. Your winner and still World Heavyweight Champion….Triple H!!!

Recap:
What to say about this match. I remember being invested in this match because of how over Booker T was during this build up. The way the built it up it almost felt like Booker was going to get the title and they were going to wrap this up with a positive ending. Boy was I wrong then. Hunter’s soul purpose during this match was to destroy any and all momentum Booker T had. He trashed WCW on the build up, they brought in race and made him look completely inferior to Hunter, and he put on a boring ass match that the fans wouldn’t remember. What a joke. This match is the epitome of what was wrong with Triple H and WWE at the time and it’s sad someone like Booker T had to be at the brunt of this shit. Fuck this guy seriously. The guy never wanted to do the job when it mattered but he sure as hell is just fine doing it now since everyone knows he’s there just to do the job.

I will never understand why they would build something up to an apex just to take a right turn instead of going with what they should have gone with. It’s like they don’t want to make stars or make others top guys because the top guys feel threatened. I will never understand that about this business and it is a conversation to have at a different time. However, if you ever want to know what is wrong with this business then look no further than this build and this match.

They show a highlight video on the feud between Hulk Hogan and Vince McMahon.

Pre-Match Thoughts:
This feud and story writes itself over the years. Vince felt betrayed by Hogan for testifying against him in the steroids trial. Vince also felt resentment for Hogan leaving him to go to WCW and trying to put him out of business. Hogan is in it because he feels like he was the one who created Hulkamania and he is the one who is responsible for all of this. Both men can’t be right so they decided to settle it in the ring. On paper it sounds awesome seeing these two go at it but in reality theres no way they can do anything thats worth seeing at this point in their careers.

Match 9: 20 Years in the Making: Hulk Hogan vs. Vince McMahon

So the first 4-5 matches start fast and furious and the next 3 start with a stare down. Vince slaps the shit out of Hogan and then Hogan tackles and starts laying in the right hands to Vince. That looked terrible. Hogan and Vince take turns with control by doing some right hands and kicks but not much else. These dudes can barely move to be honest. Vince works the arm with knees to the shoulder blade and then ramming the arm into the steel post. We then get a test of strength of here and Vince is absolutely jacked. Vince gets bored with the test of strength and ends up tossing Hogan to the outside.

Vince continues to work the arm until he grabs a steel chair and tries to blast Hogan with it but Hogan gets out of the way and now Hogan takes control and rams Vince into the post. Hogan then picks up the chair and blasts Vince with the unprotected chair shot. How freaking dumb of anyone to take one of those. And now Vince is busted open as Hogan lays in the right hands to get that blood flowing. Back to the outside we go as Hogan picks up another chair and he blasts Vince in the back a few times with the chair. Hogan goes for another shot but Vince ducks and Hogan blasts Hugo with the chair and he does a blade job and is busted open. Vince stops Hogans momentum with a low blow and now it’s Hogans turn to take the unprotected chair shot.

How could anyone think it is a good idea to take these chair shots? Anyways, Vince gets under the ring and pulls out a ladder. What the hell can these two old shits do with a ladder? Vince then clears off the Spanish announce table as Vince sets up the ladders in between the two announce tables. Vince then drops Hogan with the television monitor and lays him out over the table. Vince then climbs up the ladder and mocks Hogan before sending him through the table with a leg drop off the ladder. What a sweet spot for an old guy. Vince’s head takes a thud off the ground so that can’t be good.

Both guys get in the ring and McMahon goes for the pin but Hogan kicks out. Vince goes for it again and again Hogan kicks out. Vince then gets under the ring and grabs a steel pipe. Vince does this sadistic smile as he pulls himself up over the apron. He looked scary as hell and Tazz on commentary mocks the Shining and says “Heeeeeres Vince!” Classic shit there.

Vince gets in the ring and goes to use the pipe but Hogan drops him with a low blow. Then some random person gets in the ring with a trench coat and hat on. They take off the gear and it’s none other than RODDY PIPER! Piper then picks up the pipe and stands in the middle of Vince and Hogan as he sells it up as to who he is going to hit. Piper then takes the pipe and blasts Hogan with it and lays him out. Piper then gives the f-u symbol and walks off as the crowd boos the shit out of him. Vince crawls over to Hogan and goes for the cover but Hogan gets the shoulder up at 2 1/2.

Vince goes to grab the pipe again but Brian Hebner stepped on the pipe and stopped Vince from using it. This pisses Vince off and he throws Hebner out of the ring. Vince then calls for his ref to come out, Sylvan Grenier, and he takes out another ref on his way to the ring. Vince then drops Hogan with the pipe again and then drops the Hogan leg drop. Hogan kicks out and he starts to hulk up much to the disbelief of McMahon.

Hogan lays in some right hands to Vince and then he goes after Grenier and tosses him to the outside. Vince goes for right hands but Hogan blocks him and hits him with 3 right hands, big boot, and the leg drop x3. Hogan goes for the cover and gets the 1-2-3. Your winner by pinfall….Hulk Hogan!

After the match Hogan is posing in the ring and Shane McMahon ends up walking down to the ring. Shane wants to get into the ring to check on his dad and Hogan gladly lets him into the ring to check on him. Shane lifts up the head of Vince and Vince flips off Hogan.

Recap:
If you were expecting a classic then you will be disappointed. However, if you are in it for more than that then you wouldn’t be disappointed. The story that led up to this match as well as the brutality of this match really delivered. The interference by Piper was a nice touch that I forgot about but even back then it was a pleasant surprise. Vince doing the leg drop off the ladder through a table is damn impressive for his age. Hogan couldn’t do much but he did what he could and the story that was told was pretty good.

They show a highlight video of the feud between Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock.

Pre-Match Thoughts:
Again this is another match that writes itself. Austin came back after leaving for 7 months and the Rock challenged him. Rock wanted to avenge his 2 losses at Wrestlemania at the hands of Austin. Nothing more to it than that. This is pretty much the culmination of one of the greatest rivalries of all time so it should definitely be a classic. This is the match that sold me on this show way back when and I am sure it is going to deliver one more time.

Match 10: Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. The Rock

Another stare down to start this one off but the crowd is super pumped for this one. Austin starts this one off early with the big time right hands and then he ends up going for the Stunner rather quickly but the Rock slides out of the ring. Austin doesn’t take long to go out after him and drops Rock with a clothesline on the outside. They brawl around the outside of the ring and are all over the place. Austin hits the Rock with a clothesline, drops him across the barricade, and then whips him into the steel steps viciously before sending him back into the ring.

Austin works the lower back with a side suplex and then some irish whips into the corner before Austin drops him with a clothesline and chokes him across the middle rope. Austin is hashing out with the ref when the Rock chop blocks Austin from behind to get control of the match. Rock continues to work the leg with another chop block, kicks to the leg, and wrapping the knee around the ring post. Austin ducks early so the Rock kicks him in the chest and the kicks him in the knee and drops Austin. Rock then points his finger at his head as if he is a genius and it was hilarious looking. Great shit from the Rock here.

The Rock then puts Austin in the sharpshooter and believe it or not it wasn’t all that bad. Rock then works the leg around the post again before picking up Austin’s vest and putting it on. Rock gets in the ring and they both get laid out with a double clothesline as the ref counts them down. Both guys get up and Austin gets the upper hand with the Lou Thesz press and some piston like right hands. Austin then drops a nice looking elbow drop for the first 2 count of the match. Austin then stomps a mud hole on the Rock in the corner until they both get up and Rock ends up hitting a flying clothesline on Austin and he follows that up with a nip up.

When the Rock turns around Stone Cold hits the Rock with the Rock Bottom and he gets another 2 count. Austin goes for the Stunner but the Rock catches the boot and ends up dropping Austin with his own Stone Cold Stunner. The Rock goes for the cover but only gets a 2 count. Rock starts laying in the right hands before he spits on it and goes for the big one but Austin ducks and ends up dropping the Rock with a nice looking Stunner that the Rock damn near flips out of the ring for. Austin goes for the cover and gets a 2 1/2 count there.

The Rock ends up hitting a low blow on Austin and then he gets up and does the People’s Elbow on to Austin but Austin moves out of the way and he gets up and goes for another Stunner but the Rock pushes him off and hits him with the spine buster and then the People’s Elbow for a 2 1/2 count. Austin staggers to his feet and the Rock catches him and drops him with the Rock Bottom for a 2 3/4 count this time. Rock gets up and waits for Austin to get up again and again the Rock drops Austin with the Rock Bottom and again Austin kicks out. We are going for this for a third time and this time the Rock hits the Rock Bottom and gets the 1-2-3. Your winner of the match….The Rock!

After the match you can clearly see the Rock talking to Austin and thanking him for everything. The Rock celebrates with his family ringside as he heads out. WWE then gives Austin the recognition he deserves and lets him get that standing ovation for what would be the last time. Great reaction from the crowd as well.

Recap:
What can you say that was a classic. Not a wrestling clinic but the story that was written made this must watch tv. This is the match that made me buy the show and it didn’t disappoint at all. Both guys went out and gave it their all and put in a really good match that was on par with all their other work. Not going to lie but I got goosebumps watching it over again because of the fact that this was the culmination of something special and it would really be the last time that we would ever have something like this where to mega stars were in the company at the same time and had their careers parallel each other. This was the culmination of all of that and they went out with a bang. The amazing part about this match is the fact that the crowd was so invested in it after following Hogan/Vince. That tells you all you need to know about how much respect and admiration these guys had. Kudos to both of these guys for going out there and putting on a show one last time.

They show a highlight video of the feud between Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar.

Pre-Match Thoughts:
Brock Lesnar ended up winning the Royal Rumble and got his title match with Angle at Wrestlemania. Leading up to the match at Mania they had quite a few in ring confrontations that led to Angle not getting touched by Lesnar. Lesnar had to go through a gauntlet to get his hands on Angle but after he beat Team Angle, Heyman got Angle disqualified. They then did the switch with Angle’s brother and Angle got the quick pin on him. They then hyped up the NCAA records and the Olympic gold Medals and their collegiate wrestling background. They also made it to where if Angle gets counted out, DQ’ed, or anything else then he would lose the title.

Match 11: WWE Title Match: Kurt Angle (c) vs. Brock Lesnar

We get one last stare down as the main event of Wrestlemania 19 is upon us. Match starts with some head locks and chain wrestling on the ground to where it’s almost like a feeling out process. We get some more chain wrestling and head locks as both guys continue to feel each other out. More of the same until Angle hits a knee to the midsection and goes after the injured ribs of Lesnar. They continue to trade moves until Lesnar drops Angle with a power slam for a 2 count.

Lesnar ends up going for a clothesline but Angle drops him with a release German suplex but when Angle turns around Lesnar drops him with a clothesline. Angle was about to whip Lesnar but he lets go and ends up drops Angle with a press slam while Tazz calls him the “vanilla gorilla.” Too bad that nickname didn’t stick. Angle ends up getting Lesnar in the corner and hits him with a release German right into the turnbuckle. That looked freakin awesome. What a move by Angle there.

Angle heads to the outside and continues to work the lower back of Lesnar. Angle continues to work the lower back and midsection with a side suplex, kicks, and another suplex that gets a 2 count. Angle then locks in a free style bow and arrow to continue to work the mid-section of Lesnar. Angle continues with a rear chin lock until Brock gets to his feet and rams Angle into the corner two times. Angle then picks up Lesnar and hits him with an over head belly to belly suplex. Angle ends up sending Lesnar to the outside by hitting him with a knee to the back twice. They get back in the ring and Angle ends up charging at Lesnar but Lesnar catches him and drops him with a beautiful looking spine buster.

Lesnar gets control of the match with a flying forearm, a kick to the head, and then some shoulder blocks in the corner. Brock then catches Angle and hits him with a couple of release over head belly to belly suplexes for a 2 count. Angle ends up reversing another belly to belly into four German suplexes onto Lesnar. Angle goes for the Angle slam but Lesnar reverses it. Lesnar then goes for the F-5 but Angle lands on his feet and ends up getting a single leg and goes right into the Ankle Lock.

Angle tries to hit another knee to the back but Lesnar ends up back dropping Angle over the top rope and to the floor. Angle did a complete front flip and damn near landed on his feet when going to the outside. Lesnar goes for the short arm clothesline but Angle ducks and ends up hitting the release German suplex that Lesnar does a complete back flip on. That was freaking insane.

Angle then gets Brock up and he drops him with the Angle Slam for a 2 count. Brock gets up and Angle goes for another Angle Slam but Brock turns it into a roll up for a 2 count. Angle gets right up and Brock drops him with the F-5 for another near fall. Brock goes to pick up Angle but Angle was playing possum and ends up getting Lesnar in the Ankle Lock. Brock tries to get the ropes but Angle pulls him to the middle of the ring and lays down on the hold to prevent Lesnar from being able to crawl to the ropes but Brock gets to the ropes anyways. Brock goes for the F-5 again but Angle rolls him up for a 2 1/2. Angle goes for the Angle Slam but Brock rolls out and picks up Angle for another F-5. Angle is laid out in the middle of the ring as Brock heads up to the top rope and goes for his Shooting Star Press. Lesnar totally misses and jacks his shit all up.

Angle quickly rolls up Lesnar but he only gets a 2 1/2 count. Angle picks up Lesnar but Lesnar ends up picking up Angle and drops him with a 3rd F-5 and this time he goes for the cover and get the 1-2-3. Your winner and NEW WWE Heavyweight Champion….Brock Lesnar!!!!

After the match Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar embrace with a hand shake and a hug.

Recap:
This was one hell of a match and it is a shame that Lesnar missed the Shooting Star because if he would have nailed that and the match ended like it should have then it would be a memorable moment for the ages. Since he missed it it kind of changes things but man what a freakin move by a guy that size. Also, what a great match this one. Both guys showed off their real wrestling ability and showed off their greatness in that aspect. The suplexes and the amount of punishment both guys gave each other was awesome. The fact that Angle took some of the moves he did with the injuries that he had is ridiculous but he is a true champion and a pros pro. Also, kudos to both of these guys who had to follow Rock and Austin and they delivered like the majority of this show.

Show Closing:

The show ends with them playing another Limp Bizkit song as they show highlights of the entire show.

Final Thoughts:
So, there you have it with Wrestlemania 19. This is one of my favorite Wrestlemania’s and it has been a long time since I watched it and needless to say I wasn’t disappointed. The top matches delivered and the undercard, even though they didn’t get a lot of time, put on a heck of a show as well. They opened up with a fast paced cruiserweight match and it felt like the show never slowed down from there. They had a few stinkers, like the 2 Limp Bizkit concerns/Miller Lite Cat Fight Girl segment/Taker match, but other than that this show was excellent.

The last 5 matches of the card were all built perfectly, for the most part, and the matches themselves delivered all in different ways. You can expect certain things from certain matches and if you go in with those specific expectations then you won’t be disappointed. The only match I had a major issue with was the Triple H/Booker T match because of the build. The build made you really get behind Booker T and Triple H essentially took it upon himself to totally kill all momentum Booker got. Booker went from a title match at Mania to a tag title match in 2 pay per views. That tells you all you need to know about what Triple H accomplished on this night.

The rest of the matches were very good to excellent and were awesome to enjoy again. Shawn/Jericho was the match of the night as far as in ring work goes. Vince and Hogan had such a great story that you didn’t really care how the match went, you just wanted to see Hogan rip McMahon to shreds. Then you had the culmination of one of the greatest feuds of all time in the Rock and Stone Cold that didn’t disappoint. Then Lesnar and Angle, two guys you wouldn’t think would main event the show, go out and put on a wrestling clinic. If only Lesnar would have hit that Shooting Star Press, people would still be talking about that match to this day if he had done that.

As you can see this is one of the more complete Wrestlemania’s of all time and arguably a top 5 Wrestlemania of all time. It is definitely in my top 5 and one that I can enjoy year in and year out. Just a really great show all around and one that is worth checking out. Anyways, thanks again for reading this episode of the Event Center. This is stop 3 out of 5 as we head down this Road to Wrestlemania. Next up on the list is Wrestlemania 23 so look out for that one soon. Thanks again and I will catch you all later.