Re-Do: Wrestlemania XV

Wrestlemania XV Re-Do Review



I've been putting this one off for some time, but now that we're on the Road to Wrestlemania 30, it's time to review the final 15 events I've yet to re-do or review. Besides, I need something to distract me from WWE's current booking decisions, even if it's a Vince Russo show. How sad is that? Anyway is this show still a booking nightmare from wrestling's past? Let's find out.


                                                                                                                                                          


(Freddie Blassie's introduction is the classiest thing on this show. Then again when does wrestling really have any class?)



Boys 2 Men are here to sing America the Beautiful . Something felt missing here .


(Doesn't really matter, it only lasted two minutes anyway. Still don't know why I feel the need to review Wrestlemania song performances)


Al Snow vs Hardcore Holly vs Billy Gunn : Hardcore Match
This is for the Hardcore championship . We are told that this is Snow's first Wrestlemania , but I'm not sure about the other guys . This was entertaining enough . Hardocore Holly regains his title by pinning Al Snow . **

(Ah yes the highly prestigious Hardcore Title. The Title was only about five months old at this point and already it didn't mean a thing. This was just like most other hardcore matches at the time, except no one left the arena. Pretty entertaining, but really forgettable. *1/4)



D-Lo Brown & Test vs Owen Hart & Jeff Jarrett 
Tag titles on the line . This would be both Owen and Jeff's finally Wrestlemania appearances . Owen would have his life taken away only a month later . Jeff picks up the victory after a flying dropkick to D-Lo . *1/2


(D-Lo and Test were paired up randomly on Heat just for this match, so there was no build up at all. The match was way too short and nothing memorable happened in it. If you have a bad match with Owen, then you're doing something wrong. *)


Butterbean vs Bart Gunn : Boxing Match
Well this turned out to be a bad idea didn't it ? It made all wrestlers involved in the Brawl for All look like weaklings . Butterbean wins by knockout after about 30 seconds . DUD . The knockout looked awesome though .


(Nothing to really re-do here. It is still a DUD match, but it's funny to watch the knockout. This is probably the last time Bart Gunn was seen in the WWE)


The Big Show vs Mankind 
The winner of this match would go on to referee the main event of the night . Pretty sure Mankind punctured a lung and gave himself some internal injuries when Show landed right on top of him . Mankind wins by DQ after being chokeslammed on two chairs which is kind of retarded since Show already hit him with chairs and the ref did nothing . 1/2*


(Poor Foley. He went from having a great series of matches for the WWE Title with the Rock to battling for the right to referee a match. Who's idea was this? Well Russo's I guess. Surely you could have had them fighting over something else. This wasn't as bad as I remebered, but it was still quite bad. The DQ finish is still dumb as well. *)


Mankind couldn't ref later on because he was taken to hospital .

Road Dogg vs Val Venis vs Ken Shamrock vs Goldust : Elimination Match 
A strange collection of wrestlers here . IC title is on the line . For some reason it's a tagging in and out match . Shamrock and Venis are both eliminated by countout . Road Dogg counters a powerslam into a pinfall to rertain his title . **1/4


(Here we have the poster boys for the Attitude Era's mid-card. It does seem strange that they had the tag in and out rules. Could have been a lot more fun with all four guys in the ring. Not a bad match actually, but it was something you could have easily seen on Raw. That seems to be a running theme with this show. **)


Triple H vs Kane
A lot of fire in this storyline . HHH caused a fireball to damage Chyna's eye and he also blew a flamethrower into Kane's face dressed as Goldust . Before the match , a chicken attacks Kane and it ends up being Pete Rose . We all know how that ends . Kane wins by DQ after Chyna hits him with a chair . **

(What a weird storyline this was with fireballs and flamethrowers galore. At least it made more sense than the Katie Vick story. Only a year later HHH would find himself in the main event and would never seem to leave it again. This ended with the second betrayal of the night, and it wouldn't be the last. Pretty solid match up until the finish with Kane looking particularily motivated. **1/2. Match of the night so far)



Vince announces that he's the guest referee for the main event .

Sable vs Tori
Women's title up for grabs here . Tori looks like something from a 60's sci-fi movie . This was pretty bad . Sable retains with a powerbomb . Really botched match . DUD .


(Still shit. That's all I have to say about that. DUD)




You can easily tell that Vince Russo got his slimy hands all over this show .


(What made it obvious? The double turns? The TV quality matches? Matches ending with DQs?)


Shane McMahon vs X-Pac
This is for the European title . I would put this as the second best match on this night even if that's not saying a lot at all . Shane retains after X-Pac is pedigreed by HHH . Another big twist ! **1/2 . At least it led to HHH becoming the Game .

(And now we come to our third and final turn of the night as HHH turns on X-Pac. There's just way too much stuff happening in this show. This was quite the fun match, as most Shane McMahon matches are, even if it was way overbooked. **1/2)


Undertaker vs The Big Boss Man : Hell in a Cell
Here we are , the worst Hell in a Cell match in history . Luckily the other Cell match at Wrestlemania is a classic . This feud definitely did not warrant a Cell match . Both guys were heels so I don't know how this would work . Good god this was so boring . I think the only time the fans cheered was when it ended . Taker wins with a tombstone . DUD  The Brood comes down on top of the Cell and hands Taker a noose with which he hangs Boss Man .


(Two heels going against each other is risky and can be done well, just look at the Shield vs The Wyatt Family. But this is probably the worst heel vs heel match ever. Why was the Cell even needed? Just an insanely boring match here. DUD)


Stone Cold vs The Rock : No DQ
The saving grace of the show . If this wasn't here it would be the worst Wrestlemania of all time . I've got the Austin/Rock Wrestlemania matches at the same ratings as the HHH/Taker matches . I would still put this feud ahead of that one . This match was great . Mankind comes back out later in the match as the referee . Austin wins the championship after a huge stunner to the Rock . ****


(Thankfully the saviour of this show has finally arrived, although I don't think even Taker vs HBK at Mania 25 could save this show. This is probably the worst of the Austin/Rock Mania matches, but it's still awesome on it's own. ****)




3/10 . Wow this Wrestlemania sucked . I'd definitely put it in the bottom 3 of Wrestlemania's .


(2.5/10. Actually this might just be the worst Wrestlemania ever. I've still to get to 9 and 11, but so far this is easily the worst with only the Austin/Rock match being above average)