WrestleMania 21 - Shawn Michaels Vs. Kurt Angle

WrestleMania 21 - Shawn Michaels Vs. Kurt Angle
 HBK eliminated Angle from the Rumble so Kurt came back and dumped him out, I've never understood how that's legal but what are you gonna do. Also Kurt said that whilst he won Olympic gold in '96 all people spoke about was HBK at 'Mania 12, I remember him singing a variant of HBKs theme as well on SMACKDOWN! This is the first ever match between the pair. HBK slaps Angle then they trade nice mat wrestling, HBK has a side headlock and not even a suplex breaks his grip. 'Lets go Angle' 'Lets go Michaels' chants. Hip toss into a short arm scissors by Michaels after Kurt broke out of a waist lock Backslide by HBK gets 2 then he has Angle down again with a side headlock as HBK continues to out wrestle Kurt. HBK kicks free of an Ankle Lock then clotheslines Angle ringside but when there HBK is Angle Slammed into the ringpost, smart considering his back history. Back in now and Kurt gets 2 off a suplex as he is taking control of the match, two overhead belly-to-belly suplexes get Angle another 2 count. Punches are traded until Angle clotheslines HBK after he is slapped. Michaels misses a big elbow after he knocks Kurt off the top but manages to avoid an AngleSlam with an armdrag. Crossbody to the outside by HBK, he seemed to slip as he jumped. Kurt tries a german off the apron, that would of been sick, but he gets lowblowed, leading to the HBK springboard crossbody but the announce table doesn't break, that must be disheartening for wrestlers. Forearm, kip up by HBK as they're back in-ring now, he heads up top again and hits the elbow this time, he's tuning up the band but Angle blocks it, Ankle Lock is applied. AngleSlam counters another Sweet Chin Music but it only gets 2. Moonsault misses allowing HBK a breather as he heads up top but Angle recovers and hits a top rope AngleSlam for 2, great nearfall. Kurt trash talks HBK now but out of nowhere, BOOM! Sweet Chin Music connects and Kurt is out of it. Michaels struggles to his feet then Kurt recovers like a horror villain and grabs the ankle, HBK desperately tries to break the Ankle Lock but Kurts grapevines it and HBK taps at 27:25. ***** - After watching this for the first time in awhile it may be my fave 'Mania match. Just get the DVD and sit back/admire this match. I think a match is memorable when a big name taps out. They had 3 matches in '05, all available on DVD but this one was the best. 

WrestleMania X - Bret Hart Vs. Owen Hart

WrestleMania X - Bret Hart Vs. Owen Hart
 This review is out of context of the PPV as it's from Brets DVD but i'll explain anyway. Bret and Lex Luger won the Royal Rumble, Lex won a coin toss enbaling him a shot at Yokozuna first, which he would lose, and Bret faced Owen Hart first on the night before facing Yokozuna in the main event, you follow? This match isn't random though as Owen was the only Hart eliminated at Surviovor Series '93 (Vs. HBK and his knights) then at Rumble he officially turned heel on Bret.  MSG loves Bret, except for the kid he gives his glasses to as he looks angry, must be an Owen fan. Owen kips out of a headscissors and poses. Waistlock takedown by Owen but Bret manages to use his momentum to send Owen through the ropes, heel slap by Owen, I mean he slapped him like a heel not that he slapped Brets heel. Nice counters on the mat, hair pull by Owen into a wristlock. Armdrag into an armbar by Bret following a 2 off a roll up. Monkeyflip and clothesline sends Owen ringside. Shoving contest starts then ends with Bret slapping Owen. Crucifix gets 2 and Bret now has an armbar. Heel kick by Owen is proceeded with kicks sending Bret ringside where Owen slams him into the ringpost. Inring Bret breaks a camel clutch but gets belly-to-bellied. Bridged german gets Owen 2, bret gets his own 2 off a small package. Jumping tombstone but Owen misses a follow up splash, Undertaker must've seen that ta home and saved it for 'Mania 26. Bret is fighting back now, backbreaker followed by an elbow drop gets 2. Owen hits a pattented enziguri, he tries to follow it with a Sharpshooter but Bret manages to stop it. Bret dives over the top rope but hurts his knee giving Owen an easy target, he mocks a limping Bret then applies an indian deathlock/figure four type move. Legwhip leads to a proper figure four. Bret busts out an enziguri, not sure i've seen him do one before, a bulldog and piledriver both get 2. Owen sucsessfully applies the Sharpshooter, I thought Bret was tapping for a moment but he was drumming up crowd support, he manages to counter the Sharpshooter to one of his own. In the corner now as Bret goes for a victory roll but Owen counters it mid roll and pins Bret down for 3 at 20:20 Owen wins! ***** - The best opener in 'Mania history and I dont see it being topped (Editors Note - maybe HHH/Bryan). Smart booking aswell as Bret won the title later in the night and by virtue of this win Owen was a credible contender. The match itself was great as you had the technically sound stuff and psychology ala NWA with the leg.

WrestleMania 3 - Hulk Hogan Vs. Andre The Giant

WWF Championship - Hulk Hogan (c) Vs. Andre The Giant (w/ Bobby Heenan)

Video plays of the build to the match, they were friends then Andre ripped Hogans cross and vest off on Pipers Pit and demanded a title shot, when people talk of heel turns this isn't mentioned much but it did lead to the Match Of The Century. Gene gets a word with Hogan. Bob Uecker is ring announcer and Mary Hart is time keeper. Trash is hurled during Andres entrance. Gorilla fires off the 'Irresistable force meets the immovable object' line. Hogan goes for a slam early but falls and Andre seems to get 3. Clubbing blows by Andre who then slams Hogan twice. Booty bash and headbutt in the corner follow. Hogan fires shots off but Andre boots him down then a bearhug lasts a while, Hogan's powering up and he punches free, couple of shoulderblocks follow but Andre boots Hogan who falls ringside. Hogan removes a mat but when he goes for a piledriver he is backdropped, sort of. Crowd are pumped for the Hulk up, The Slam Heard Round The World as Andre is slammed! Legdrop follows for 3 at 12:00. *** - Technically it wasn't great but who cares, this is what Sports Entertainment is all about. You need to see this at least once, the Slam is a true WrestleMania moment.
 

Great American Bash 1996 - Chris Benoit Vs. Kevin Sullivan

Falls Count Anywhere - Chris Benoit Vs. Kevin Sullivan
- Part of IV Horsemen Vs. Dungeon Of Doom. Anderson was apparently on the verge of joining the DOD or something, also Nancy Sullivan, Kevins wife, would later marry Chris Benoit and i'm sure everybody knows how that ended, RIP Nancy.
Start in the aisle way trading chops, eye pokes etc. they both look pissed. They fight in the crowd through to the backstage area and into the toilets where Kevin slams Benoits head in the toilet door, Schiavone: 'He's gonna pin him near the commode'. Double foot stomp by Kevin on the bathroom floor 'There's a lady in the mens bathroom!' Toilet papers are thrown on Benoit. They trade punches back in the crowd and Benoit goes down the stairs then Kevin throws him down some more, that must've been painful. Back ringside now and Kevin throws a chair at Benoit but he is soon thrown into the crowd so Benoit gets a table, it is soon placed over the turnbuckle like a platform from which Benoit superplexes Sullivan for 3. ****1/2 Post match Benoit slaps Sullivan until Arn Anderson comes out pulls him off put then beats on Sullivan to a pop. Awesome especially for 1996, innovative for the time. This match might be thrown in with the WWF Hardcore matches of late 90s but this was the prototype for them matches. Of course Kevin Sullivans wife Nancy would soon become Nancy Benoit, Sullivan booked his own divorce some say.

(This PPV is on YouTube but it's in 2 parts and splits this match but it's well worth watching)

WrestleMania 13 - Stone Cold Vs. Bret Hart

Submissions Match - Stone Cold Vs. Bret Hart
 Stone Cold has a glass screens that smashes upon his entrance, that was cool. Ken Shamrock is special ref. Austin tackles Bret and they trade punches on the mat, this is going to be a brawl. They're fighting in the crowd after Hart is clotheslined off the guardrail. Cant really see what's happening but Austin gets backdropped when going for a piledriver. Back ringside now as Hart is whipped into the steps, Austin grabs one set then Bret kicks steps into his leg and Austins knee looks like it bends awkward as he goes down as if it was trapped. In the ring Bret hits a neckbreaker and targets Austins knee that's braced. Stunner out of nowhere as Lawler says that if Hart is KOd then he cant quit, hmmmmm. Bret busts out the tingpost figure four as crowd goes apeshit, now a chair is placed around Austins ankle, the same way Batista broke Goldbergs ankle, but as Bret heads up Austin recovers and cracks him with the chair. Suplex and elbow by Austin as JR gets shots in at WCW 'this isn't about posing and covering baldspots.' Chicago crab is applied but Bret wont quit, he rakes the eyes as Austin goes for a Sharpshooter, Bret losing to the Sharpshooter, ha .... oh wait. Austin is whipped ringside cracking his head on the guardrail, he's busted bad. Bret attacks the cut with multiple, JR 'Hart has been waiting for WrestleMania, was this the match he wanted? Who knows' was that a thinly veiled nod to the rumoured Hart/HBK match that never transpired, at least at 'Mania? Chair to the knee by Hart but austin manages to avoid the Sharpshooter. Hart does his corner bump then gets a mudhole stomped in him, a superplex is followed by choking Bret with a cord but Bret manages to hit him with the ringbell leaving Austin easy prey for the Sharpshooter, now we get the (in)famous image of Austin screaming with blood pouring down his face, he doesn't tap but does pass out from the pain at 22:05. Hart attacks him after the match until Ken throws him down, the double turn is complete and the Austin Vs. Hart Foundation angle is around the corner. ***** - Fantasticlly booked match, my favorite Austin 1-on-1 match. Very, very good brawl mixed with psychology. A top WrestleMania match.

Royal Rumble 2003 - WWE Title - Kurt Angle (c) Vs. Chris Benoit

WWE Championship - Kurt Angle (c) Vs. Chris Benoit
 Kurt won the belt at Armageddon from Big Show, also this review isn't in context of the PPV as I'm just doing this match for this blog. Team Angle are banned from ringside by the ref. Kurts knee is braced. Even start as nobody gets the better of the other until benoits shoulder is rammed into the ring post, suplex gets Angle 2. Chops by benoit, now they're fighting on the apron, jesus Benoit DDTs Angle on the apron Kurts egg head may of cracked but he manages to roll away when Benoit goes for a Diving Headbutt. Sharpshooter is applied but Kurt gets a rope break. Release belly to belly by Kurt allowing him a breather, then he does a snapmare into a rearchinlock with bodyscissors. Benoit armdrags free but Angle fires back with another belly to belly, then a back suplex. Double clothesline spot has both men down. Chops, shoulderblock then a german by Benoit, Angle does a waistlock reversal allowing him to hit his own german but Benoit counters and does another german on Angle, Benoit goes up top but Kurt hits his running top rope suplex. Crossface is applied, now an Ankle Lock which Angle counters to his own Ankle Lock and that's countered to a Crossface which Kurt AngleSlams out of for 2. Ankle Lock is rolled through by Benoit, victory roll gets 2 and again they trade germans, jesus Angle does a 180' from a german leaving him open to a Diving Headbutt which Benoit hit about 3/4 of the ring away. AngleSlam gets 2, crowd are white hot for Benoit's kick out there. Crossface is again applied but again countered to an Ankle Lock which Benoit valiantly tries to break but Angle keeps his grip and benoit taps at 19:47. ***** - (possibly) the best wrestled WWE Title match in it's 11 year history. Just fantastic, Benoit gets a, rightfully deserved, standing O from Bean Town. The fact that this followed Steiner/HHH makes it even better.

WrestleMania 3 - Randy Savage Vs. Ricky Steamboat

Intercontinental Title - Randy Savage (c) (w/ Liz) Vs. Ricky Steamboat (w/ George Steele)

  Here is the best WWF match of the 80s and possibly 'Mania history. Savage injured Steamboats throat with a ringbell, also George is obsessed with Liz or something. We get promos from the pair 'History beckons the Macho Man'. Savage bails ringside to move Liz. Couple of armdrags by Ricky, Savage misses a corner splash so Steamboat targets his arm. Savage elbows Rickys throat then knees it when he has Steamboat in the ring. Soon Randy is tied in the ropes allowing Ricky some freeshots. Armdrag by 'Boat as the pace picks up, he skins the cat when Randy tries to toss him but Savage clotheslines him over again. Double Axe Handle connects then Randy hits one in the ring, running elbow gets 2 as does a hotshot, suplex by Macho who is in control, Savage cuts short a Steamboat comeback and hits a gutwrench for 2. Ventura calls for a DQ when Savage is backdropped over, this is WrestleMania not Starrcade Jesse. Brainchop gets 3 but Savage's foot is on the rope, multiple chops follow, sunset flip gets 2 as does a jacknife cover. Savage took a swing at Dave Hebner then, speaking of Hebner he is down when Ricky is whipped into him, Ref Bump! Savage lands the Big Elbow but there's no referee, he goes ringside to get the bell but George Steele pushes him off, Savage goes for a scoopslam but Steamboat gets an inside cradle for 3 at 14:35. Savage has his head in his hands as he leaves. ***** - WWFs best match of the 80s, some may say ever. Ohhh Yeaaaah!!!!