Welcome to the latest edition of our WrestleMania Rewind series, written by yours truly, exclusively for everyone here at SLTD Wrestling. The aim of WrestleMania Rewind is to review every WrestleMania in roughly 2,000 words. Click here to read the series so far.
Today’s stop on our magical tour sees us go back to March 28th 1999 for the 15th instalment of the WrestleMania franchise, in front of just over 20,000 fans in Philadelphia. There were 10 matches on the card, ably described for us at home by Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler. Without any further ado, let’s get straight to the action!
Match 1: Triple-Threat Match for the WWF Hardcore Championship – Al Snow vs Hardcore Holly vs Billy Gunn (c)
Before long, the action ends up outside. Gunn gets launched into the ringsteps. Snow wails on Holly and Gunn with a hockey stick, bringing weapons into play. Snow has the best of things for long spells. Gunn takes Holly out with a chair and drills Snow through a table. Gunn hits the Fame Asser on Snow with the aid of a chair. Holly breaks the pin with a chair, then covers Snow for the win.
Opinion: There were 2 pinfalls in this match. The one Holly broke up, and the one that got him the win. It was a great way to get the crowd pumped up for the show. We all love a bit of violence!
Match 2: WWF Tag-Team Championship Match – Test & D’Lo Brown (w/Ivory) vs Owen Hart & Jeff Jarrett (c) (w/Debra)
D’Lo and Jeff start off, but there are quick tags to Owen and Test. Test gets a 2-count off a powerbomb. D’Lo breaks up a Sharpshooter attempt. The champs land a double-team clothesline. D’Lo starts taking care of business and gets a 2-count off his Sky High. The women argue outside, distracting the ref. D’Lo sets up for his finisher, but Owen comes off the top rope and lands a dropkick, allowing Jarrett to get the pin to retain the titles.
Opinion: It was OK, but it didn’t really mean anything. It’s a shame to think that just a few short weeks later, Owen Hart tragically passed away. Thank the Lord this wasn’t his lasting Mania memory.
Match 3: Brawl 4 All – Butterbean vs Bart Gunn
Butterbean wins courtesy of a couple of big right hands after around 35 seconds.
Opinion: Harmless, but not WrestleMania worthy.
Match 4: Mankind vs “The Big Show” Paul Wight
***The winner of this match becomes the referee of the WWF Championship match***
It’s not long before they’re fighting outside. Mankind goes for the double-arm DDT, but Show rams him into the ringsteps and starts dominating. Mankind ducks a right hand, and keeps trying to cinch the Mandible Claw in, but Show manages to avoid it. Show lands a couple of chair shots outside and gets DQ’ed after chokeslamming Mankind through 2 chairs in the ring.
Opinion: It was OK. Made Show look dominant and, although he lost, Foley didn’t look like a winner after the beating he took. Sensible booking…
Match 5: 4-Way Elimination Match for the WWF Intercontinental Championship – Road Dogg (c) vs Val Venis vs Goldust vs Ken Shamrock
All four men brawl before it settles down to Shamrock and Dogg. Dogg floors Shamrock with a dropkick and tags Goldust, while Shamrock tags Venis. Goldust gets a 2-count from a slam. Venis counters the Curtain Call into a spinebuster for 2. Venis gets another couple of 2s from a top rope bulldog and a PerfectPlex. They both go down after DDTs from Shamrock and Dogg.
Dogg’s in, but Venis lands a couple of clotheslines. Dogg lands the Shake, Rattle and Roll on all three of them. He kicks out of a back suplex from Venis at 2. Shamrock’s in and puts Venis in the AnkleLock, but he gets to the ropes. Venis and Shamrock get counted out when they brawl up the aisle. Dogg rolls through a powerslam to retain his title.
Opinion: It might have seemed like a weird combination, but the story actually intertwined really well. Shamrock’s sister had been associated with both Venis and Goldust, and Dogg beat Venis for the Intercontinental Championship a couple of weeks before Mania. Good stuff.
Match 6: Kane vs HHH
HHH comes through the crowd and low-blows Kane to get the early advantage. They brawl at ringside. Kane misses a clothesline and hits the ringpost before HHH sends him into the steps. HHH is in control until Kane crotches him on the ringside barrier. Kane’s in control now, using his power. He’s all over HHH and gets a 2-count off a legdrop.
Kane sends HHH outside, and soars over the top rope, landing a shoulderblock on the outside. HHH then armdrags Kane off the top rope and takes Kane down again with a high knee. Chyna comes out. Kane counters a Pedigree with an elbow. The steps come into play, and HHH drop toe-holds Kane into them. There’s more brawling at ringside before Kane chokeslams HHH. Chyna whacks Kane in the back with a chair to cause the DQ.
Opinion: Not for the first time in this series, the DQ finish frustrated the life out of me. They could’ve done it the same way, but with Chyna low-blowing Kane and HHH hitting the Pedigree. Oh, and by the way, these early Manias show what HHH’s size was pre-“juice”.
Match 7: WWF Women’s Championship Match – Sable (c) vs Tori
Not a great match, but thankfully, it’s a short one. Sable lands a crossbody on the outside. They exchange 2-counts off bridge pins. There’s a ref bump and HHH comes out…whoops, I mean Nicole Bass. She press-slams Tori and Sable hits the Sable-Bomb to get the win.
Opinion: Sable should never have been a wrestler. WWF could have used her in different roles, like as a manager/backstage interviewer. Not a great match, although Sable was over like crazy, as usual!
Match 8: WWF European Championship Match – Shane McMahon (c) (w/Test) vs X-Pac
Pac goes for the Bronco Buster early, but Test pulls Shane out of the way. Test crotches Pac on the ringpost behind the ref’s back. Shane’s in control now and whips Pac with Test’s belt. Pac gets back into it with a top rope superplex for 2. Pac returns the favour with the belt and whips Shane with it.
He’s able to hit the Bronco Buster. Test hits Pac with the title behind the ref’s back and Shane gets a 2. HHH and Chyna come out. Pac hits the X-Factor on Shane. Chyna distracts the ref, allowing HHH to hit X-Pac with the Pedigree! Shane covers Pac to get the win and retain his title.
Opinion: It was a really enjoyable match. Despite not being a trained wrestler, Shane McMahon was a terrific performer.
Match 9: Hell in a Cell Match – Big Boss Man vs The Undertaker (w/Paul Bearer)
Taker rocks Boss Man with a series of lefts and rights, and gets an early 2-count off a clothesline. Boss Man gets one of his own from a neckbreaker. The structure’s then used as a weapon by both men. Boss Man cuffs Taker to the cell, and wails on him with the nightstick. The cuff breaks, freeing Taker. Taker brings a chair into play and wallops Boss Man with it.
Taker gets a 2-count from a flying clothesline. Boss Man crotches Taker on the top rope before he sends him crashing into the cell. Boss Man fights out of one Tombstone, but Taker gets the win with a second.
Opinion: Not a bad match, but not great by any stretch of the imagination. The crowd was dead for most of it.
Match 10: No DQ Match for the WWF Championship – The Rock (c) vs Steve Austin
Rock sends Austin outside early, and into both announce tables. Austin returns the favour and sends Rock outside, and they brawl through the crowd, up the entrance ramp. Rock backdrops Austin on the lighting rig. Austin sends Rock into the WM logo. Back at ringside, Austin elbow drops Rock on the announce table, and a second one sends Rock through it. He sends Rock into the steel steps.
Out of nowhere, Rock gets a 2-count from a Rock Bottom. Rock brings a chair into the ring. Austin grabs it first, but blasts the ref with it! Rock lands a swinging neckbreaker, then wears out Austin’s knee with the chair. Austin kicks out of a chair shot to the head at 2. Rock’s dominant now, and uses a chinlock. Austin fights up, but only into a Samoan Drop and Rock gets another 2.
Rock then Rock Bottoms a second referee and walks into a Stunner! He kicks out at 2. Vince causes a distraction. Rock low-blows Austin and Vince wipes out a THIRD referee. Mankind comes out. Rock kicks out of an inside cradle at 2. Rock lands a second Rock Bottom, but misses the People’s Elbow and Austin hits the Stunner to win.
Opinion: A great match that kickstarted their WrestleMania rivalry. Terrific stuff and the entertainment of pro-wrestling at its best. It felt real and intense as if it was a fight, and that’s what makes it one of their best matches together.
Summary: The Austin/Rock match speaks for itself, but other than that, the only match worth checking out is the Kane/HHH one, even with the crappy finish. Too many of the matches were throwaway and didn’t mean anything. The show was built around Austin/Rock, and while that delivered, not a lot else did.
Hopefully, you enjoyed that quick look back at WrestleMania 15. Leave your comments/feedback via the usual channels, and join me again tomorrow to revisit WrestleMania 2000!
SLTD Wrestling's resident Scottish Nightmare. Some of my content may not be suitable for younger readers or those who are easily offended!
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