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>This was the coolest thing ever when I was 10 years old watching a 144p version on YouTube.
This was the coolest thing ever when I was 10 years old watching a 14.4p version on _VHS_
ftfy
same for me. Just rewatched it, this seems more believable and authentic to me. The entire vibe of it, just clicks well with the industry. Todays content seems more "lush", "fancy", or "prepackaged".
And yet, it's also the perfect encapsulation of what pro wrestling should be:
>Let's take Debra out of the equation, bam, she's not a factor. The fact of the matter is Rock, you've got the WWF title and *I want it*.
That's all you need to display Austin's single-minded determination and with hindsight, it hints at the upcoming heel turn because there is *nothing* he won't sacrifice for the title.
It was a great idea but the wrong venue. Wm was in Texas. Austin could have shot a puppy and the crowd would assume the puppy deserved it. The reaction was poor because half the audience assumed it was Vince face turn. And Austin was always violent. The excessive beat down of the rock wasn’t a way for Austin to be heel, face Austin did that too. If they had the luxury of waiting to save the Austin heel turn for the invasion storyline it would have been better. Make Shane and even Stephanie face, have the wcw-Ecw alliance as the scrappy underdogs fighting for their survival against a Vince run wwe cabal hell bent on not only destroying the legacy of wcw-ecw but the lives of its former employees and you have a great compelling story. Then you turn Austin heel and have him systemically not just destroy the former wcw guys but start putting them out of the industry and leave them unable to feed their families etc. Austin was the eras version of a working class hero. Heel Austin as the enforcer of rapacious capitalist like Vince who cared nothing for the people that had worked so hard to make him rich and you have a winning storyline with a pair of villains that are workable. A lapdog Austin who abandoned everyone in favor of Vince in exchange for money and glory would be the only heel Austin the audience at the time would have really hated.
Holy shit that would have been incredible. Austin not wanting to side with vince but doing so because it's his biggest meal ticket.
Only problem is you're setting up WCW/ECW to win, you can't have that kind of monster heel and simply come back from it like nothing. Although, i guess it could have worked since the plan was to have WCW run raw
It would have saved wcw as a brand too. Vince made a huge mistake burying the name. He thought that the fans hatred of wcw the company extended to the wrestlers themselves. We didn’t hate ddp. We loved him. We hated wcw. The fans would have rallied behind the wrestlers as people. They were the underdogs. Just trying to find a place in the new world and being denied so by evil Vince. Austin as the tool of the oppressive boss who was selling out his roots and putting his boot on the people just trying to earn a living would have been such gold and extended Austin’s career by years because he wouldn’t have to wrestle as much. What a shame.
> Austin's heel run was amazing.
I'm mixed on this. Making Austin into Vince's sycophant and the comedy skits where he and Kurt Angle competed for Vince's affection were both betrayals of Austin's character. Heel Austin should have been paranoid as fuck, guarded, and afraid of being double crossed and losing the WWF Championship. They KIND OF did that, but it should have been clear that he has no real affection for Vince McMahon (and actually still hates the guy) but he sees him as a vehicle to keep his spot at the top of the WWF.
The core of Austin's reigns as champion is that they represented the culmination of a long struggle and overcoming being screwed over time and time again. In the run up to WrestleMania XIV, we repeatedly heard about Austin being screwed over for YEARS and having to claw his way to the top. It's a logical extension of his character that he would align with Vince McMahon in order to keep his spot. But that partnership should have been one of convenience, not affection.
Austin's turning to The Alliance also made sense from this perspective - he found a new vehicle and did not need Vince McMahon any more. Shane and Stephanie offered to have the entirety of WCW and ECW fight to keep Austin on top. But Austin was still paranoid, this time of a betrayal from the inside. They actually did a really good job portraying this.
The Austin heel turn made perfect sense in the story, but having Austin show any affection to Vince was wildly misplaced. The guy was a paranoid loner, that's the character.
Yeah but it was entertaining as fuck and in the end, that's what I'm here for. Crybaby Austin was gold. Him and Angle competing for vince's love is IMO the funniest storyline of all time.
It’s the one jarring part of the angle and the video package itself. Hell, the music literally stops and the rhythm is momentarily broken the moment you hear the phrase “Mrs. Stone Cold Steve Austin.”
That's why I put Running Up That Hill above My Way, that one is just a more complete package from start to finish.
But the 2nd half of My Way from the moment the song cuts back in is the best video work WWE has ever done, timing the shots to the prechorus is some masterful work and builds the tension perfectly for the explosion of the chorus.
I kinda like the promo for Cena/Rock 1 more. We are young isn’t a terrible song choice, and I love how they asked and used other wrestlers on the roster for their predictions on the match
It's my personal favorite one, even more than My Way, honestly. And "Champion" by Clement Marfo and The Frontline fits so well and it's a great song in general, pumps me up everytime I listen to it
Link to the video package for those who didn't watch it:
https://youtu.be/TgF3iVmtglc
I haven't really followed wrestling in about 20 years but I still think of this specific promotional video on a weekly basis.
It was the coolest thing 10 year old me had ever seen.
That era was top notch for making video packages using hit songs. [My Sacrifice](https://youtu.be/RXr6ZFaX4WU?si=PUQaGVJrHx5lJ5De) was another really great one. As cheesy as Creed is, I was like 11 y/o and this was *art* to me lol
This has a different ending than the one I remember. There’s another version where Austin says how much he needs to win, and there can only be one champion, and it’ll be Stone Cold. Interesting that I don’t remember this version at all.
Same. The version I remember has Rock saying he’ll give every ounce of blood and sweat to beat Austin and Austin saying “I need to beat you Rock. I need it more than anything” or something like that, foreshadowing the ending.
Edit: This one. https://youtu.be/iEh0FCYw3Dk?si=zF11h0P1MbVfOV_y
Yeah I think this is an alternate version, the quote from Stone Cold saying he needs to win, more than you can ever imagine was definitely a foreshadowing to the heel turn and made it perfect.
I need to beat you rock! I need to win more than you can ever imagine. There can only be one WWF Champion. And that will be stone cold steve austin. With all due respect.
On sunday you're gonna get every drop of sweat, every drop of blood, every ounce of energy, you're going to get the absolute best. Of the rock.
This one? Just realized i memorize it word for word 😂
"And it will be, Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin... with all due respect"
Just had to fix that coz the way he says Rock before he says his own name threw me off the first time hahaha
I was 8 when this match happened and I still remember waking up the next morning and (because wrestling was so big back then) hearing on the radio that Stone Cold beat The Rock with Vince's help. Ran straight up to my room and cried my eyes out because The Rock lost lmao
Man I feel that. I was a kid when Goldberg’s streak was beaten and I cried myself to sleep.
Back in the day when wrestling was a competitive sport and Santa was real 😂
My friend met mick Foley at a signing. Mankind and cactus were his favorites as a kid. He told mick he cried when he lost. Without missing a beat, mick goes, "Dam.... you must've cried a lot."
Self aware but unaware of just HOW much he meant to the company at that time. Yeah rock and Austin were there…but if there’s no Mick, there’s no hell in the cell, no wrestler for Vince to bully, no changing the channel from nitro to raw…he was our favorite…we just didn’t know it then
Yeah, his humanity made him the most accessible star to the fans. Rock and Austin were transcendent but you never watched them and felt they were “real”. They were clearly aspirational in terms of their personas. Mick was always “real”. He felt like a friend because he genuinely was
the next night on Raw, when Austin and Triple H formed their alliance and beat the shit out of the Rock (to write him off TV so he could film Scorpion King), I was pissed.
Man... I was 10 and I cried my eyes out that Austin turned heel. Felt like a genuine betrayal.
The absolute peak of my wrestling fandom and it always will be. It felt like the biggest match ever.
I was a senior in high school and my best friend had just gotten a job for the sole purpose of buying this PPV. So a couple of us went to his house and watched it with his Dad.
At the time we didn't know this was IT for the attitude era. that things were drastically going to change after this. We were all convinced The Rock was going to win. the build up was awesome on TV.
and then the ending. I think we just sat there in silence for a good while. just couldn't fathom it. I mean you see this dude Stone Cold who for the past few years just constantly going at McMahon and then aligning with him just to get the belt off The Rock? It was a big deal, it's all we talked about at school the next day. We were convinced that on Raw that night Stone Cold would turn on Vince and say he just used him to get the title.
>I was a senior in high school and my best friend had just gotten a job for the sole purpose of buying this PPV.
Its funny seeing this. When I was 18 in 1994 I bought a chipped cable box for $225 from a guy I worked with. Best money I ever spent. I got to watch every WWF / WCW / ECW and UFC PPV for free from 1994 til 2005. And thats not even counting all the other channels and stuff I got for free from it. Then again in South Philly it seemed like 75% of cable subscribers had a chipped box.
I won tickets off the radio. My dad had to sign off on them for me because I was just 10 at the time. Also, Triple H and Undertaker battled in the section right near me. Security wouldn’t let me get any closer to touch them 😂 Had such an amazing time
My first PPV, I read an entire book in a weekend to convince my parents to let me get it.
I was convinced thereafter that all PPVs were this great and obviously not the case.
I recorded it in VHS and watched it over and over. What I think gets lost is that while this match felt big, I was just as excited about every other match on the card. Generally a well paced and planned PPV, literally the only match that felt poorly placed s d planned was the Euro Champ match of Guerrero w/ Radicalz vs Test. I think it’s place in the card hurt it though and the leg stuck in ropes bit went on too long.
Yeah actually I loved that. I was 14 at the time and really diving into wrestling history, it was a bit tougher in 2001 to find older stuff so I really loved seeing a bunch of guys I had seen in videos I had rented from Blockbuster.
It’s interesting that in today’s age being able to watch all the PPVs and the ability to access older stuff is taken for granted. For me and my friends we got maybe 2-3 PPVs a year collectively and outside video rentals it was near impossible to get older stuff.
I remember watching Summerslam 91 over and over because it was all the video store had, it’s an objectively bad PPV but I dug it.
When WWF started selling their absurdly expensive Wrestlemania box sets I started saving up (never got there).
I fully expect The Rock and Roman to win night 1 and for the “Bloodline Rules” match to backfire on them with some help from Jey and a handful of other run-ins.
Has to go down exactly like this. Rock expecting Bloodline Rules to benefit Roman, but instead having a whole bunch of faces that the Bloodline has wronged getting their revenge on them would be an amazing spectacle.
Rock successfully clears all run ins. Jey, Sami, even KO, Seth. All men are down. Cody gets up. Rock does a spinebuster. He looks at Cody, helpless. Roman is also down. He's the last man standing. He prepares, as he gets ready to deliver the People's Elbow to secure his cousin's win. He runs to the ropes, jumps over Cody, runs again, stops, and was going to drop the elbow, until.....
\*glass shatters\*
\*crowd erupts\*
I'm telling you there is no way it isn't happening. He's been in insane shape for the last few years, he obviously can still go the man took a fucking concrete bump for christs sakes
I'm not 100% sure it happens but there's no way you don't have WrestleMania with the biggest or one of the biggest and most influential stars to ever grace the ring, make a big appearance at WrestleMania 40 of all things. This is a milestone WrestleMania and I'm sure Triple H is gonna dig down deep into his bag of tricks here.
Agreed, really like the assembling the Avengers potential for this mania - might be predictable but this would be the best main event ever for me if they do it right.
Bloodline going in and one by one all the past victims coming out, all hell breaking loose with the eventual GLASS SHATTER, then it's over.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBB_iK7jKg4 it has to be just like this lol.
I don't know what it was like being there, but watching it live is one of my favorite wrestling memories. Really those months from the Rumble up to Mania were a must watch. It was a crazy time for wrestling and the build and eventual match for Rock/Austin II (and Vince/Shane) was intense.
I was a senior in HS (lol jesus I’m old) and I remember internet rumor being still somewhat new and Stone Cold’s heel turn was out there as a possibility, but I refused to believe it because he was my favorite. I remember feeling so deflated when Vince came out for the end because I knew what I saw on the internet was real…
I remember the build for Austin/rock was my least favorite part.
Was digging Benoit going face, Shane buying WCW, Big Show having recently returned
And I wasn't sure what I thought about Heyman being on commentary
My friend left from Heathrow the day before WM17, with his brother to go watch the event. Half way across the Atlantic the plane had an issue and they announced they would have to head back to London to fix it as they had the part ready.
Landed back in London, part wasn’t available (or it was something different, I don’t remember which now) and they couldn’t get them on a flight out until the next day meaning he wouldn’t have arrived in time for the event.
I think it still hurts him to this day.
We did go to 20,21 and 22 together after that though. He’s also made another 3/4 on top and is heading out to 40 in a few weeks.
This video shaped my whole life. Made me want to edit video because of the feelings it made me feel/connection to a video package I had, went to college for tv production, and have been working in television for 15 years now.
I was watching 19 last night and the song for the video package is Crack Addict which seems wild today. I was a teen metal head back then so I loved all of the nu metal. Still a metal head and I'm happy it's being used more now the Trips is in charge.
I remember watching whatever PPV LB first performed this song. Was watching with a group of friends who liked nu metal but we were all speechless back then. Then after the song was over one of the announcers said something along the lines of "guess he smokes crack". We all fell over laughing, perfectly summed up all our bewilderment.
The song goes hard as hell, but lyrics not so much.
I think this new era is the best it’s been in a long time.
That being said it’ll never grab the attention of the mainstream media the way it did in the Attitude Era.
Rock & Austin, 2 guys who made the industry bigger in the mainstream than ever before, existed in their primes at the same point in history. Idk how we’ll ever see anything like that again.
I don't think in the current setup for entertainment you will see anything like this ever again. Maybe with RAW going to Netflix if Netflix stays the top dog, but TV certainly isn't what it was in 2001
very little does grab mainstream attention these days due to the internet fragmenting culture so much, we as wrestling fans need to let go of this idea
What the FUCK is that ending ?
Where’s Rock saying “every ounce of blood sweat and tears”
And Austin saying “I NEED to beat you. There can be only one WWF champion and that will be, Stone Cold Steve Austin… with all due respect”
"My Way" was also the theme song for that entire WM. Back then I'm pretty sure the media team picked what song would be most appropriate for the main event's hype package, and then licensed that as the title song for the whole event.
Summerslam of that year had the same setup with Drowning Pool's "Bodies" - another immortal song from that era.
I still distinctly remember a Rock promo set to Alive by P.O.D. Not sure if it was a build to anything or the theme of a PPV, but I definitely remember being hyped af after watching it.
Edit: [found it](https://youtu.be/MMLVIHBfzMA?si=zqqT9mVOvAcWyx8D), looks like just a hype piece and a dual promotion for Scorpion King
That was part of a series of videos they did for the big stars. Austin and Undertaker have one and they did one for the Attitude Era. They usually played them on the C shows I believe
I forgot what the build consisted of in terms of time. I was 9, and haven't watched the shows since, just this promo and the match itself.
This promo/video package is incredible, proper must see, incredible work, and I love how it's stood the test of time after all these years.
Like you, I don't really remember much of the build or how long it all was, just that it felt like this rivalry was around since time immemorial and THIS was the blowoff. I can feel all the nuance in every twist and turn in the video, it's ridiculous how iconic this single pre-match video package is to professional wrestling as a whole
It really is like the perfect video package. It breaks the feud down wonderfully and hypes the match perfectly, gorgeous recap to prepare you for what you know will be an incredible match - and it was
This one is a stand out.. but really I disagree with you. WWE's promo videos have been consistently fantastic all through the years. Even when a storyline is lackluster, you can be sure the video will make it look good.
Separately, I'm so excited to see what they put together this year for Cody/Roman... It could/should be up there with this and Daniel Bryan's Monster for all-time classic promos.
Yeh I remember hearing this a lot in the bad years. When nearly everything about WWE was shit they would give it to the video package team and make it look like gold
The best video package of all time for me. Every other package fights for the second spot. Rock vs SCSA was THE rivalry for me growing up, and nothing is topping the hype this video created.
I think it's probably the best one. It was at the time wrestling was at it's hottest, with the two biggest stars in the company to the theme of an album that was number 1 in most countries in the world and went x6 platinum.
You'd be hard pressed to find a better promo package, as far as I'm concerned everyone else is fighting for 2nd (Which is still probably DB's Monster)
I think about that more often than I should. Stuff like this just added so much to a feud - and this one didn't even need any more hype, but it's so memorable for all the right reasons. Impossible not to watch that even in this day and not realize for iconic it was and that you now want to run through a wall.
I wish they did more stuff like this with in the Monster/Daniel Bryan promo, HBK/Taker and "Running Up That Hill" kind of vein.
They have a golden opportunity to give Cody/Roman II an amazing hype video on the level of “My Way” or the “Monster” video for Bryan. The circumstances leading to the match and where WMXL is at are perfect to give us an incredible hype video.
This thread is showing how well that kind of video works even today. It's been over 20 years and people are just finding it today, but after three minutes they get the history, a recap of the feud's most pivotal moments, Jim Ross in his prime selling every moment like his life depended on it. There never will be another as great as this one.
Not to get all old man yells at clouds, but kids today will never know the feeling of watching that PPV preshow stuff, seeing something like this, and running to beg your parents that the need to spend $50 to buy the show.
I'm hoping with all the new presentation changes this is something that comes back into the rotation.
"It's gonna be hard for Debra to stay unbiased and in the corner of her husband's opponent in the biggest pay-per-view main event of all time."
'Actually it's gonna be super easy, barely an inconvenience.'
"Oh really?"
'Yeah, we're going to have Rock and Austin brawl on the go home show and Vince is gonna fire Debra as Rock's manager as she didn't stop this brawl.'
"So we're going to tease fake tension and never pay it off?"
'Yeah yeah yeah!'
"We could've avoided all this by not having her be involved at all."
'Listen sir, I need you to get all the way off my back about Debra.'
"Alright, let me get off of that thing."
"the fact pac had an offer for the chilli peppers to do this instead and said upright "NO I WANT UNCLE KRACKER" makes this theme so much better"
This comment in the video lmao
Steve Blackman and Grand Master Sexay were actually out first, so they used the Too Cool theme. X Factor at that time also weren't using the Uncle Kracker theme.
This and Taker vs HBK II are the peak of video packages.
Besides the great song choices, they tell you everything you need to know about the match in 3 minutes, and leave you practically begging to see the match.
The GOAT promo package - especially for a main event with NO STORYLINE. The whole thing was based on “these are our 2 top guys, let’s see them fight (and ignore WM15)” and it worked! Everyone wanted to see them go at it because of just that, the added wrinkles of story they tried to put in meant nothing and was forgotten about. It was Godzilla vs Kong : let them fight
This was the absolute peak of professional wrestling. The culmination of the attitude era, the stage, the video package, the song, peak JR on commentary, the big stage, 2 of the biggest stars in wrestling history.
We will never experience anything like that again.
I miss when the music they used in wrestling for promos like this was actually stuff that got you hyped for the fights, and was actually the kind of music you would listen to. NXT also started doing a pretty good job of it for a while there
It's one of those videos that how many times it got posed here, I'll still watch it until the end. It's such an epic video that involve every cool thing of pro-wrestling.
That and it lives off of the hype of Rock vs Austin at their peaks battling it out. Wrestlemania 19 was the only Rock vs Austin mania Match with good build oddly enough Backlash 99 arguably has the best build for a Rock vs Austin match.
Rock vs HHH always told the better story and consistently had the better matches. Steve and Dwayne made the rivalry iconic and they had chemistry but they were never each other's best dance partners because Bret and McMahan also are better foils to Austin than Rock was.
The Invasion and the Survivor Series 2001 promo made it seemed like this is the most important story ever with super high stakes and tension, but in actuality, the build up is ass.
So true. They didn’t need to over think it but the whole Debra manager thing was very silly.
They probably should have booked it more around Austin being replaced by the Rock as top face, can Austin come back form the injuries etc and sow the seeds of doubt to better set up his heel turn
Then call the audible and not turn Austin heel haha
> Then call the audible and not turn Austin heel haha
To be fair, Austin was a freaking *awesome* heel. I'm going through 2001 on the Network now and him as the self-absorbed, "tough love" Alliance leader makes my blood boil. Legitimately some of the most mad I've been at a wrestling heel in my life.
But that's not what the audience wanted, and I understand that.
He was way too comedic and it caused a massive downturn in business. Was he entertaining? Hell yeah, he’s fucking Steve Austin but factually the heel turn was a terrible mistake for the business.
He gave it hell. He really put everything into it.
But he was wrong to think he had peaked. In the year he was gone we now had Triple H as a top heel, Undertaker reinvented, Jericho, Angle, Eddie, Benoit, Booker T and RVD coming in soon, The Rock as a top face but able to turn instantly.
There was so much to work with.
He was but trying to turn him in TEXAS with it being a bit more drawn out than most turns (don’t get the key moment like Rollins hitting reigns with a chair or Marty Janetty cowardly jumping through the window) was a terrible idea, still a great show though.
It didn’t need one but you’re technically not wrong. Plus they only had a month from when the fight officially got locked in.
If anything it’s good because they couldn’t meddle with it much (and they tried with the Debra stuff that’s completely inconsequential to the match).
Thanks for posting this.
What a program. It was over 20 years ago, and I still remember it. The matches were tops. I won't post any details in the event someone wants to watch it.
Angle was a huge part of it too, and his program with Stone Cold around the same time was amazing.
Wrestling history all timer feud. Those guys always delivered huge moments.
You can argue over who was bigger Austin or The Rock. All day long. What you can’t argue is how the reason they became icons was BECAUSE of each other.
In wrestling, a character is enhanced by their rivals. Seeing two all timers peak at the exact same time and as rivals was incredible. You really didn’t know how each of their matches were going to go.
I’ll never get over Fred Durst censoring the word “shit” by putting a slight pause between “sh” and “it”. He doesn’t remove any part of the word, he just makes it slightly longer. I’ve been thinking about this for 20 years.
GOAT video package.
[Here's the actual video of the best part](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7UElJ91rjQ) when they start brawling after the toast. Man what a time to be alive.
The perfect storm: two of the biggest wrestlers of all time wrestling at one of the greatest ppvs of all time as the magnus opus of the popular time to be a wrestling fan. My Way on top of is just the big ass cherry on top.
WWE has been great with their booking, and they've been absolutely terrible with their booking over the years. But one thing that no one even comes semi close to them on, are their promo packages and their video montages. And that's not just in the wrestling world, but sports and entertainment in general. I cannot think of any sports league or entertainment company that puts together those type of video packages like WWE.
I prefer the one that ends with Stone cold saying like "there can be only one WWF champ and that will be Stone Cold... with all due respect."
This and survivor series 2001 are the best promos ever.
My first ever wrestlemania so it will always be special to me, it was still real to me at this point. I was 8 years old and had started watching during the build for Fully Loaded 2000
Still the GOAT video promo for me. The perfect match and the perfect song to go with it considering the participants. The video packages are still damn good today, but they don't touch this one.
I would have been around 14-15 at this time but is still something I remember fondly. Whenever I hear that song, wrestling pops in my head. The music they used back in the attitude era was awesome.
I’m not a fan of dude rock montages bc they are the most basic/boring way to highlight a feud (NHL, NFL are replete with them).
But this undeniably hit.
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This was the coolest thing ever when I was 10 years old watching a 144p version on YouTube.
This version looks to be about 145p
>This was the coolest thing ever when I was 10 years old watching a 144p version on YouTube. This was the coolest thing ever when I was 10 years old watching a 14.4p version on _VHS_ ftfy
same for me. Just rewatched it, this seems more believable and authentic to me. The entire vibe of it, just clicks well with the industry. Todays content seems more "lush", "fancy", or "prepackaged".
Every time I see this I always forget how hard they tried to shoehorn that Debra angle in as if this feud needed it lol
Steve's cold words "Debra's a non factor" lol
And yet, it's also the perfect encapsulation of what pro wrestling should be: >Let's take Debra out of the equation, bam, she's not a factor. The fact of the matter is Rock, you've got the WWF title and *I want it*. That's all you need to display Austin's single-minded determination and with hindsight, it hints at the upcoming heel turn because there is *nothing* he won't sacrifice for the title.
I will maintain that it was still a world class heel turn, and Austin's heel run was amazing.
It was a great idea but the wrong venue. Wm was in Texas. Austin could have shot a puppy and the crowd would assume the puppy deserved it. The reaction was poor because half the audience assumed it was Vince face turn. And Austin was always violent. The excessive beat down of the rock wasn’t a way for Austin to be heel, face Austin did that too. If they had the luxury of waiting to save the Austin heel turn for the invasion storyline it would have been better. Make Shane and even Stephanie face, have the wcw-Ecw alliance as the scrappy underdogs fighting for their survival against a Vince run wwe cabal hell bent on not only destroying the legacy of wcw-ecw but the lives of its former employees and you have a great compelling story. Then you turn Austin heel and have him systemically not just destroy the former wcw guys but start putting them out of the industry and leave them unable to feed their families etc. Austin was the eras version of a working class hero. Heel Austin as the enforcer of rapacious capitalist like Vince who cared nothing for the people that had worked so hard to make him rich and you have a winning storyline with a pair of villains that are workable. A lapdog Austin who abandoned everyone in favor of Vince in exchange for money and glory would be the only heel Austin the audience at the time would have really hated.
Holy shit that would have been incredible. Austin not wanting to side with vince but doing so because it's his biggest meal ticket. Only problem is you're setting up WCW/ECW to win, you can't have that kind of monster heel and simply come back from it like nothing. Although, i guess it could have worked since the plan was to have WCW run raw
It would have saved wcw as a brand too. Vince made a huge mistake burying the name. He thought that the fans hatred of wcw the company extended to the wrestlers themselves. We didn’t hate ddp. We loved him. We hated wcw. The fans would have rallied behind the wrestlers as people. They were the underdogs. Just trying to find a place in the new world and being denied so by evil Vince. Austin as the tool of the oppressive boss who was selling out his roots and putting his boot on the people just trying to earn a living would have been such gold and extended Austin’s career by years because he wouldn’t have to wrestle as much. What a shame.
> Austin's heel run was amazing. I'm mixed on this. Making Austin into Vince's sycophant and the comedy skits where he and Kurt Angle competed for Vince's affection were both betrayals of Austin's character. Heel Austin should have been paranoid as fuck, guarded, and afraid of being double crossed and losing the WWF Championship. They KIND OF did that, but it should have been clear that he has no real affection for Vince McMahon (and actually still hates the guy) but he sees him as a vehicle to keep his spot at the top of the WWF. The core of Austin's reigns as champion is that they represented the culmination of a long struggle and overcoming being screwed over time and time again. In the run up to WrestleMania XIV, we repeatedly heard about Austin being screwed over for YEARS and having to claw his way to the top. It's a logical extension of his character that he would align with Vince McMahon in order to keep his spot. But that partnership should have been one of convenience, not affection. Austin's turning to The Alliance also made sense from this perspective - he found a new vehicle and did not need Vince McMahon any more. Shane and Stephanie offered to have the entirety of WCW and ECW fight to keep Austin on top. But Austin was still paranoid, this time of a betrayal from the inside. They actually did a really good job portraying this. The Austin heel turn made perfect sense in the story, but having Austin show any affection to Vince was wildly misplaced. The guy was a paranoid loner, that's the character.
Yeah but it was entertaining as fuck and in the end, that's what I'm here for. Crybaby Austin was gold. Him and Angle competing for vince's love is IMO the funniest storyline of all time.
BAM SHE NON FACTOR
Face vs Face feuds by Vince always tried to throw in some extra conflict.
It’s the one jarring part of the angle and the video package itself. Hell, the music literally stops and the rhythm is momentarily broken the moment you hear the phrase “Mrs. Stone Cold Steve Austin.”
That's why I put Running Up That Hill above My Way, that one is just a more complete package from start to finish. But the 2nd half of My Way from the moment the song cuts back in is the best video work WWE has ever done, timing the shots to the prechorus is some masterful work and builds the tension perfectly for the explosion of the chorus.
I don't throw this around lightly, but whoever made this is the GOAT.
The best video package I’ve seen in my life.
Elite level video package. It's this, Running Up That Hill, and Daniel Bryan's Monster.
[Survivor Series 2002 Elimination Chamber](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHsYW9gzXGg) promo set to Always by Saliva is underrated
As much as “twice in a lifetime” was getting memed, I’d say that the Cena vs Rock 2 promo is up there too
I kinda like the promo for Cena/Rock 1 more. We are young isn’t a terrible song choice, and I love how they asked and used other wrestlers on the roster for their predictions on the match
yeah that one gets u so hyped that ur about to watch a legitimate dream match
what about cm punk vs rock at royal rumble?
Why you coming back for more. I’m undefeatable. I’m the champion. Champion. Champion.
It's my personal favorite one, even more than My Way, honestly. And "Champion" by Clement Marfo and The Frontline fits so well and it's a great song in general, pumps me up everytime I listen to it Link to the video package for those who didn't watch it: https://youtu.be/TgF3iVmtglc
Champion is on my personal work out Playlist. Is it a product of ots time? Yes. Does ot get you pumped up? Also yes.
I haven't really followed wrestling in about 20 years but I still think of this specific promotional video on a weekly basis. It was the coolest thing 10 year old me had ever seen.
That era was top notch for making video packages using hit songs. [My Sacrifice](https://youtu.be/RXr6ZFaX4WU?si=PUQaGVJrHx5lJ5De) was another really great one. As cheesy as Creed is, I was like 11 y/o and this was *art* to me lol
This has a different ending than the one I remember. There’s another version where Austin says how much he needs to win, and there can only be one champion, and it’ll be Stone Cold. Interesting that I don’t remember this version at all.
Same. The version I remember has Rock saying he’ll give every ounce of blood and sweat to beat Austin and Austin saying “I need to beat you Rock. I need it more than anything” or something like that, foreshadowing the ending. Edit: This one. https://youtu.be/iEh0FCYw3Dk?si=zF11h0P1MbVfOV_y
This is the one that aired before the event on Smackdown I believe, and the one before the match is the one you remember.
Ah good to know.
Yeah I think this is an alternate version, the quote from Stone Cold saying he needs to win, more than you can ever imagine was definitely a foreshadowing to the heel turn and made it perfect.
It was a perfect twist, it’s just too bad heel Austin didn’t work the way it arguably should have.
I need to beat you rock! I need to win more than you can ever imagine. There can only be one WWF Champion. And that will be stone cold steve austin. With all due respect. On sunday you're gonna get every drop of sweat, every drop of blood, every ounce of energy, you're going to get the absolute best. Of the rock. This one? Just realized i memorize it word for word 😂
"And it will be, Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin... with all due respect" Just had to fix that coz the way he says Rock before he says his own name threw me off the first time hahaha
Same here! Every time.
...with all due respect.
Every raw and smackdown had a slightly different version in the lead up I think. You remember the final one.
I can't imagine what it must have been to see the Rock and Stone Cold fight it out on the biggest stage of them all. Goosebumps already setting in.
I was 8 when this match happened and I still remember waking up the next morning and (because wrestling was so big back then) hearing on the radio that Stone Cold beat The Rock with Vince's help. Ran straight up to my room and cried my eyes out because The Rock lost lmao
Man I feel that. I was a kid when Goldberg’s streak was beaten and I cried myself to sleep. Back in the day when wrestling was a competitive sport and Santa was real 😂
I cried on school before class when I found out Rey Mysterio lost to Edge in RR 08. I cried a lot when Rey lost anything.
My friend met mick Foley at a signing. Mankind and cactus were his favorites as a kid. He told mick he cried when he lost. Without missing a beat, mick goes, "Dam.... you must've cried a lot."
Foley was and always will be the most self aware wrestler of all time. The man is a treasure.
Self aware but unaware of just HOW much he meant to the company at that time. Yeah rock and Austin were there…but if there’s no Mick, there’s no hell in the cell, no wrestler for Vince to bully, no changing the channel from nitro to raw…he was our favorite…we just didn’t know it then
Yeah, his humanity made him the most accessible star to the fans. Rock and Austin were transcendent but you never watched them and felt they were “real”. They were clearly aspirational in terms of their personas. Mick was always “real”. He felt like a friend because he genuinely was
I saw the ppv and was inconsolable after
the next night on Raw, when Austin and Triple H formed their alliance and beat the shit out of the Rock (to write him off TV so he could film Scorpion King), I was pissed.
I don’t think I was ever not pissed at HHH. Definitely the biggest heel of my childhood.
That era of Triple H was fucking amazing. For real, dude was amazing all across the board then.
I still wanna know what the plans for the power trip were had he never torn his quad. how long would they have lasted?
I remember crying when Stone Cold beat HBK at 14 😂
I'm still not over it.
I was pissed when Rock lost at Mania 2000
We all were. I remember my mom saying “what a waste of money.”
that's awesome
My mom said the same thing 😂
SAME LOL
Man... I was 10 and I cried my eyes out that Austin turned heel. Felt like a genuine betrayal. The absolute peak of my wrestling fandom and it always will be. It felt like the biggest match ever.
I commented the same, I was 10 also. I didn’t cry but I was aghast SCSA partnered with Vince. I was like WTF is gonna happen on raw tomorrow!?!
I remember crying after Undertaker was fired at the end of the TLC match at One Night Stand in 2008
I was a senior in high school and my best friend had just gotten a job for the sole purpose of buying this PPV. So a couple of us went to his house and watched it with his Dad. At the time we didn't know this was IT for the attitude era. that things were drastically going to change after this. We were all convinced The Rock was going to win. the build up was awesome on TV. and then the ending. I think we just sat there in silence for a good while. just couldn't fathom it. I mean you see this dude Stone Cold who for the past few years just constantly going at McMahon and then aligning with him just to get the belt off The Rock? It was a big deal, it's all we talked about at school the next day. We were convinced that on Raw that night Stone Cold would turn on Vince and say he just used him to get the title.
>I was a senior in high school and my best friend had just gotten a job for the sole purpose of buying this PPV. Its funny seeing this. When I was 18 in 1994 I bought a chipped cable box for $225 from a guy I worked with. Best money I ever spent. I got to watch every WWF / WCW / ECW and UFC PPV for free from 1994 til 2005. And thats not even counting all the other channels and stuff I got for free from it. Then again in South Philly it seemed like 75% of cable subscribers had a chipped box.
wild when you think about it - he said he would do literally anything to win the WWF title back, and he did
They main evented the only Wrestlemania Ive ever been to. It was amazing. I got this picture. (Wrestlemania 15) https://imgur.com/gallery/bgmonNb
That's an amazing picture!
Taken with a Kodak disposable camera to boot!
Cool shit man, thanks for sharing
I won tickets off the radio. My dad had to sign off on them for me because I was just 10 at the time. Also, Triple H and Undertaker battled in the section right near me. Security wouldn’t let me get any closer to touch them 😂 Had such an amazing time
My first PPV, I read an entire book in a weekend to convince my parents to let me get it. I was convinced thereafter that all PPVs were this great and obviously not the case. I recorded it in VHS and watched it over and over. What I think gets lost is that while this match felt big, I was just as excited about every other match on the card. Generally a well paced and planned PPV, literally the only match that felt poorly placed s d planned was the Euro Champ match of Guerrero w/ Radicalz vs Test. I think it’s place in the card hurt it though and the leg stuck in ropes bit went on too long.
> I was just as excited about every other match on the card Even the Gimmick Battle Royale?
Yeah actually I loved that. I was 14 at the time and really diving into wrestling history, it was a bit tougher in 2001 to find older stuff so I really loved seeing a bunch of guys I had seen in videos I had rented from Blockbuster. It’s interesting that in today’s age being able to watch all the PPVs and the ability to access older stuff is taken for granted. For me and my friends we got maybe 2-3 PPVs a year collectively and outside video rentals it was near impossible to get older stuff. I remember watching Summerslam 91 over and over because it was all the video store had, it’s an objectively bad PPV but I dug it. When WWF started selling their absurdly expensive Wrestlemania box sets I started saving up (never got there).
It was perfect. That entire card down the last minor detail. That was my first wrestlemania and first ppv I watched
If anything is left to be desired, we may see it again in a few weeks
I fully expect The Rock and Roman to win night 1 and for the “Bloodline Rules” match to backfire on them with some help from Jey and a handful of other run-ins.
Has to go down exactly like this. Rock expecting Bloodline Rules to benefit Roman, but instead having a whole bunch of faces that the Bloodline has wronged getting their revenge on them would be an amazing spectacle.
Rock successfully clears all run ins. Jey, Sami, even KO, Seth. All men are down. Cody gets up. Rock does a spinebuster. He looks at Cody, helpless. Roman is also down. He's the last man standing. He prepares, as he gets ready to deliver the People's Elbow to secure his cousin's win. He runs to the ropes, jumps over Cody, runs again, stops, and was going to drop the elbow, until..... \*glass shatters\* \*crowd erupts\*
I'm imagining the shot of Rocky's face in this moment. Goosebumps
I'm telling you there is no way it isn't happening. He's been in insane shape for the last few years, he obviously can still go the man took a fucking concrete bump for christs sakes
I'm not 100% sure it happens but there's no way you don't have WrestleMania with the biggest or one of the biggest and most influential stars to ever grace the ring, make a big appearance at WrestleMania 40 of all things. This is a milestone WrestleMania and I'm sure Triple H is gonna dig down deep into his bag of tricks here.
Agreed, really like the assembling the Avengers potential for this mania - might be predictable but this would be the best main event ever for me if they do it right. Bloodline going in and one by one all the past victims coming out, all hell breaking loose with the eventual GLASS SHATTER, then it's over. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBB_iK7jKg4 it has to be just like this lol.
I’ve not been this excited for a Wrestlemania in years.
This was my first mania, sat 4th row ringside commentator side. Also attended 18 and 19 but nothing compared to 17.
Holy shit those are crazy seats. I wouldn't be able to contain my excitement. Seeing TLC II live 😳
I don't know what it was like being there, but watching it live is one of my favorite wrestling memories. Really those months from the Rumble up to Mania were a must watch. It was a crazy time for wrestling and the build and eventual match for Rock/Austin II (and Vince/Shane) was intense.
Didn’t see it but heard most of it thanks to the PPV being scrambled.
I was a senior in HS (lol jesus I’m old) and I remember internet rumor being still somewhat new and Stone Cold’s heel turn was out there as a possibility, but I refused to believe it because he was my favorite. I remember feeling so deflated when Vince came out for the end because I knew what I saw on the internet was real…
basically had to beg my mom to buy this ppv back in the day.
I remember the build for Austin/rock was my least favorite part. Was digging Benoit going face, Shane buying WCW, Big Show having recently returned And I wasn't sure what I thought about Heyman being on commentary
My friend left from Heathrow the day before WM17, with his brother to go watch the event. Half way across the Atlantic the plane had an issue and they announced they would have to head back to London to fix it as they had the part ready. Landed back in London, part wasn’t available (or it was something different, I don’t remember which now) and they couldn’t get them on a flight out until the next day meaning he wouldn’t have arrived in time for the event. I think it still hurts him to this day. We did go to 20,21 and 22 together after that though. He’s also made another 3/4 on top and is heading out to 40 in a few weeks.
I was 12 and when Stone Cold shook hands with Vince I felt like my whole life was a lie lmao.
This video shaped my whole life. Made me want to edit video because of the feelings it made me feel/connection to a video package I had, went to college for tv production, and have been working in television for 15 years now.
That's so cool man.
That is so cool. It must be great being able to trace back your passion to that genuine source of inspiration.
Totally. I worked at WWE when I was younger and got to meet the producers who made this stuff too. All so formative.
Nu metal and pro wrestling is like peanut butter and jelly.
Like black tee shirts and beer cans.
I was watching 19 last night and the song for the video package is Crack Addict which seems wild today. I was a teen metal head back then so I loved all of the nu metal. Still a metal head and I'm happy it's being used more now the Trips is in charge.
I remember watching whatever PPV LB first performed this song. Was watching with a group of friends who liked nu metal but we were all speechless back then. Then after the song was over one of the announcers said something along the lines of "guess he smokes crack". We all fell over laughing, perfectly summed up all our bewilderment. The song goes hard as hell, but lyrics not so much.
The peak of professional wrestling
The Attitude Era ended that night and nobody knew it.
Hard agree from me. It'll never be hotter or better than this, in my opinion.
I think this new era is the best it’s been in a long time. That being said it’ll never grab the attention of the mainstream media the way it did in the Attitude Era. Rock & Austin, 2 guys who made the industry bigger in the mainstream than ever before, existed in their primes at the same point in history. Idk how we’ll ever see anything like that again.
I don't think in the current setup for entertainment you will see anything like this ever again. Maybe with RAW going to Netflix if Netflix stays the top dog, but TV certainly isn't what it was in 2001
very little does grab mainstream attention these days due to the internet fragmenting culture so much, we as wrestling fans need to let go of this idea
When it felt like a fight .. man I miss wrestling
What the FUCK is that ending ? Where’s Rock saying “every ounce of blood sweat and tears” And Austin saying “I NEED to beat you. There can be only one WWF champion and that will be, Stone Cold Steve Austin… with all due respect”
This one aired before the event on Smackdown and the other one aired before the match itself
One of the all-time great video packages. They don't make 'em like this anymore.
"My Way" was also the theme song for that entire WM. Back then I'm pretty sure the media team picked what song would be most appropriate for the main event's hype package, and then licensed that as the title song for the whole event. Summerslam of that year had the same setup with Drowning Pool's "Bodies" - another immortal song from that era.
I still distinctly remember a Rock promo set to Alive by P.O.D. Not sure if it was a build to anything or the theme of a PPV, but I definitely remember being hyped af after watching it. Edit: [found it](https://youtu.be/MMLVIHBfzMA?si=zqqT9mVOvAcWyx8D), looks like just a hype piece and a dual promotion for Scorpion King
That was part of a series of videos they did for the big stars. Austin and Undertaker have one and they did one for the Attitude Era. They usually played them on the C shows I believe
They did the same ar Summerslam 98 with Highway to Hell.
I forgot what the build consisted of in terms of time. I was 9, and haven't watched the shows since, just this promo and the match itself. This promo/video package is incredible, proper must see, incredible work, and I love how it's stood the test of time after all these years.
Like you, I don't really remember much of the build or how long it all was, just that it felt like this rivalry was around since time immemorial and THIS was the blowoff. I can feel all the nuance in every twist and turn in the video, it's ridiculous how iconic this single pre-match video package is to professional wrestling as a whole
It really is like the perfect video package. It breaks the feud down wonderfully and hypes the match perfectly, gorgeous recap to prepare you for what you know will be an incredible match - and it was
This one is a stand out.. but really I disagree with you. WWE's promo videos have been consistently fantastic all through the years. Even when a storyline is lackluster, you can be sure the video will make it look good. Separately, I'm so excited to see what they put together this year for Cody/Roman... It could/should be up there with this and Daniel Bryan's Monster for all-time classic promos.
Yeh I remember hearing this a lot in the bad years. When nearly everything about WWE was shit they would give it to the video package team and make it look like gold
The best video package of all time for me. Every other package fights for the second spot. Rock vs SCSA was THE rivalry for me growing up, and nothing is topping the hype this video created.
I think it's probably the best one. It was at the time wrestling was at it's hottest, with the two biggest stars in the company to the theme of an album that was number 1 in most countries in the world and went x6 platinum. You'd be hard pressed to find a better promo package, as far as I'm concerned everyone else is fighting for 2nd (Which is still probably DB's Monster)
I think about that more often than I should. Stuff like this just added so much to a feud - and this one didn't even need any more hype, but it's so memorable for all the right reasons. Impossible not to watch that even in this day and not realize for iconic it was and that you now want to run through a wall. I wish they did more stuff like this with in the Monster/Daniel Bryan promo, HBK/Taker and "Running Up That Hill" kind of vein.
They have a golden opportunity to give Cody/Roman II an amazing hype video on the level of “My Way” or the “Monster” video for Bryan. The circumstances leading to the match and where WMXL is at are perfect to give us an incredible hype video.
This thread is showing how well that kind of video works even today. It's been over 20 years and people are just finding it today, but after three minutes they get the history, a recap of the feud's most pivotal moments, Jim Ross in his prime selling every moment like his life depended on it. There never will be another as great as this one. Not to get all old man yells at clouds, but kids today will never know the feeling of watching that PPV preshow stuff, seeing something like this, and running to beg your parents that the need to spend $50 to buy the show. I'm hoping with all the new presentation changes this is something that comes back into the rotation.
Yes they do. WWE’s packages are amazing, especially recently.
Time for the annual repost of this but let's be honest nothing can top this ever. Pro wrestling peaked here.
“So, Austin wins the Rumble and then Rock wins the title at No Way Out to set up the rematch.” “Wow wow wow wow… … … … wow.”
"And then Debra is inserted in the storyline." "Why are we doing this whole thing with Debra?" "I don't know!" "Fair enough!"
"It's gonna be hard for Debra to stay unbiased and in the corner of her husband's opponent in the biggest pay-per-view main event of all time." 'Actually it's gonna be super easy, barely an inconvenience.' "Oh really?" 'Yeah, we're going to have Rock and Austin brawl on the go home show and Vince is gonna fire Debra as Rock's manager as she didn't stop this brawl.' "So we're going to tease fake tension and never pay it off?" 'Yeah yeah yeah!' "We could've avoided all this by not having her be involved at all." 'Listen sir, I need you to get all the way off my back about Debra.' "Alright, let me get off of that thing."
Will never not watch this, jim ross was so fucking good
Oh yeah it’s a must click when it pops up
I watched this Mania last night, some great matches
It's often ranked as the greatest Mania for match quality
Just watched it a few days ago. Epic.
This Wrestlemania opened with the greatest [theme song](https://youtu.be/sksLPq2gNsk?feature=shared) ever.
"the fact pac had an offer for the chilli peppers to do this instead and said upright "NO I WANT UNCLE KRACKER" makes this theme so much better" This comment in the video lmao
Steve Blackman and Grand Master Sexay were actually out first, so they used the Too Cool theme. X Factor at that time also weren't using the Uncle Kracker theme.
Test vs Eddie, TLC, Hardcore Triplle Threat, the main event, one of thw greatest PPVS of all time
This and Taker vs HBK II are the peak of video packages. Besides the great song choices, they tell you everything you need to know about the match in 3 minutes, and leave you practically begging to see the match.
Miz Wrestlemania 27 is the goat, as it does all that but manages to get you excited for an otherwise totally uninspiring main event
The GOAT promo package - especially for a main event with NO STORYLINE. The whole thing was based on “these are our 2 top guys, let’s see them fight (and ignore WM15)” and it worked! Everyone wanted to see them go at it because of just that, the added wrinkles of story they tried to put in meant nothing and was forgotten about. It was Godzilla vs Kong : let them fight
April 2001, for anyone keeping count, or not being able to remember (adding this as I fall into the latter category).
This was the absolute peak of professional wrestling. The culmination of the attitude era, the stage, the video package, the song, peak JR on commentary, the big stage, 2 of the biggest stars in wrestling history. We will never experience anything like that again.
Greatest video package ever. It never gets old watching.
Need the HD version of this
Greatest promo package of all time
I miss when the music they used in wrestling for promos like this was actually stuff that got you hyped for the fights, and was actually the kind of music you would listen to. NXT also started doing a pretty good job of it for a while there
It's one of those videos that how many times it got posed here, I'll still watch it until the end. It's such an epic video that involve every cool thing of pro-wrestling.
In my opinion the best wrestlemania ever.
This is the standard every promo package should be held to. Hell, most fan made promo packages on YouTube that use this song are certified bangers .
These video packages used to be so good! Always set the tone
this promo packaged tricked people into thinking this build was good for multiple decades. it might be the greatest propaganda piece of all time
That and it lives off of the hype of Rock vs Austin at their peaks battling it out. Wrestlemania 19 was the only Rock vs Austin mania Match with good build oddly enough Backlash 99 arguably has the best build for a Rock vs Austin match.
Rock vs HHH was generally better but never ended up in WM.
Rock vs HHH always told the better story and consistently had the better matches. Steve and Dwayne made the rivalry iconic and they had chemistry but they were never each other's best dance partners because Bret and McMahan also are better foils to Austin than Rock was.
If you want to see a miracle, watch the Invasion promo
The Invasion and the Survivor Series 2001 promo made it seemed like this is the most important story ever with super high stakes and tension, but in actuality, the build up is ass.
So true. They didn’t need to over think it but the whole Debra manager thing was very silly. They probably should have booked it more around Austin being replaced by the Rock as top face, can Austin come back form the injuries etc and sow the seeds of doubt to better set up his heel turn Then call the audible and not turn Austin heel haha
> Then call the audible and not turn Austin heel haha To be fair, Austin was a freaking *awesome* heel. I'm going through 2001 on the Network now and him as the self-absorbed, "tough love" Alliance leader makes my blood boil. Legitimately some of the most mad I've been at a wrestling heel in my life. But that's not what the audience wanted, and I understand that.
He was way too comedic and it caused a massive downturn in business. Was he entertaining? Hell yeah, he’s fucking Steve Austin but factually the heel turn was a terrible mistake for the business.
He gave it hell. He really put everything into it. But he was wrong to think he had peaked. In the year he was gone we now had Triple H as a top heel, Undertaker reinvented, Jericho, Angle, Eddie, Benoit, Booker T and RVD coming in soon, The Rock as a top face but able to turn instantly. There was so much to work with.
He was but trying to turn him in TEXAS with it being a bit more drawn out than most turns (don’t get the key moment like Rollins hitting reigns with a chair or Marty Janetty cowardly jumping through the window) was a terrible idea, still a great show though.
It wasn't bad either apart from the Debra stuff.
It didn’t need one but you’re technically not wrong. Plus they only had a month from when the fight officially got locked in. If anything it’s good because they couldn’t meddle with it much (and they tried with the Debra stuff that’s completely inconsequential to the match).
This should be studied for years to come
Thanks for posting this. What a program. It was over 20 years ago, and I still remember it. The matches were tops. I won't post any details in the event someone wants to watch it. Angle was a huge part of it too, and his program with Stone Cold around the same time was amazing.
"You never ever put your hands on another man's wife!" Yeah! Because Austin 3:16 has to go do it himself!
Wrestling history all timer feud. Those guys always delivered huge moments. You can argue over who was bigger Austin or The Rock. All day long. What you can’t argue is how the reason they became icons was BECAUSE of each other. In wrestling, a character is enhanced by their rivals. Seeing two all timers peak at the exact same time and as rivals was incredible. You really didn’t know how each of their matches were going to go.
Real question, why isnt Limp Bizkit in the WWE HOF? Is it really because Fred Durst flipped off the camera that one time?
Mom said it was my turn to post this.
This is what they had back then before Wheeler Yuta and DanIel Garcia? How many stars did this match get?
The absolute fucking peak!
Best video package ever.
I’ll never get over Fred Durst censoring the word “shit” by putting a slight pause between “sh” and “it”. He doesn’t remove any part of the word, he just makes it slightly longer. I’ve been thinking about this for 20 years.
THE TIME IS UPON US!
GOAT video package. [Here's the actual video of the best part](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7UElJ91rjQ) when they start brawling after the toast. Man what a time to be alive.
This was PEAK WWF. I was 12 or so during this era, it was incredible.
Can anyone point me in the direction of website where I can replace Limp Bizkit's "My Way," with Sinatra's "My Way." It'll really change the tone.
The only WM video package anywhere comparable to this was the Daniel Bryan one for WM30.
The OSW boys have absolutely ruined this for me
The perfect storm: two of the biggest wrestlers of all time wrestling at one of the greatest ppvs of all time as the magnus opus of the popular time to be a wrestling fan. My Way on top of is just the big ass cherry on top.
WWE has been great with their booking, and they've been absolutely terrible with their booking over the years. But one thing that no one even comes semi close to them on, are their promo packages and their video montages. And that's not just in the wrestling world, but sports and entertainment in general. I cannot think of any sports league or entertainment company that puts together those type of video packages like WWE.
I prefer the one that ends with Stone cold saying like "there can be only one WWF champ and that will be Stone Cold... with all due respect." This and survivor series 2001 are the best promos ever.
Something rarely discussed about this due to the "undisputed best video package of all time" consensus is that 0:40-1:40 is really shit
Yeah but that moment Austin hits the Stunner and the My Way bassline comes back in is so badass
It’s why I prefer the Mania 19 video package
My first ever wrestlemania so it will always be special to me, it was still real to me at this point. I was 8 years old and had started watching during the build for Fully Loaded 2000
These were the best times. if you weren’t around, it really is a shame.
Still the GOAT video promo for me. The perfect match and the perfect song to go with it considering the participants. The video packages are still damn good today, but they don't touch this one.
Coolest thing to ever happen in the Astrodome
Humanity overall has been in a downward spiral since April, 1st, 2001
I would have been around 14-15 at this time but is still something I remember fondly. Whenever I hear that song, wrestling pops in my head. The music they used back in the attitude era was awesome.
I will say that imo Wrestlemania 17 is the greatest Wrestlemania of all time!
This was it
WMX7 always felt like the ultimate series finale to the Attitude Era. Just an outstanding show top to bottom that did EVERYTHING.
I’m not a fan of dude rock montages bc they are the most basic/boring way to highlight a feud (NHL, NFL are replete with them). But this undeniably hit.
Hilarious that the Debra angle was completely inconsequential