(CSI) The Classic Paper Review - Vol XI – Wrestlemania Favourites

[The Maz]

Vol XI – Wrestlemania Favourites

Ladies and Gentleman, my name is Mazza and welcome to the 11th edition of The Classic Paper Review. Well today it seems I have a new audience so I guess a little more of an introduction is necessary. As the extremely witty column name suggests, my columns are usually a review of a Pay-Per-View from yesteryear. Now as this is my first ever column on the Main Pages of Lords of Pain, I have decided to super-size this idea somewhat. I have gone, hat in hand, to the extremely talented “Main Pagers” and asked them to tell me what their favourite Wrestlemania match of all time is. Luckily for me, they did not dismiss me as some crazy guy and I actually got a very interesting selection of answers. So today, The Classic Paper Review will be looking at some of LOP’s favourite Wrestlemania matches.

There is actually something else that I have yet to mention about this column. Not only does it mark my first main page appearance but it is also my column for the final of the CSI Tournament which is currently taking place in the LOP forums. So in the name of trying to earn some brownie points, I have also asked the CSI judges to nominate their favourite matches. In the final, this double duty pulling column will be going up against a familiar name to most of you in Sean Taylor. Sean’s columns have become a must-read for me and his series The History Of: Wrestlemania has been hitting our screens at a frantic pace. As a fellow historian, I have a great deal of respect for Sean and his work so it really is a shame that I will have to crush him in this final. It’s no secret that Mr Taylor loves his karaoke nights and I have a few suggestions of songs for him once the final is over. “Loser” by Beck, “Crying” by Roy Orbison, “It’s Over Now” by 112 and the classic “End of the Road” by Boyz II Men would all be great choices. The final will see Mazza create history and Sean become history. You see, I had to get to this final the hard way by actually fighting my way through the first two rounds whilst Sean was relaxing. This tournament is mine to win and I ask, no I urge Sean’s first post-tournament column to be titled The History Of: Mazza’s CSI Win. There goes the bell so it is time for everybody to take your seats because school is in session.

Here we are once again on the road to Wrestlemania. This is always the most exciting time of the year for wrestling fans, marks and smarks alike. Since Vince McMahon risked it all in bringing us the very first Wrestlemania on the 31st March 1985, we have been treated to a massive selection of memories, moments and matches. There have been so many in fact, that it is very hard for me to decide which of these matches has been my favourite over the years so I thought I would give an elite team of columnists the headache of choosing for me. I would like to thank everybody who contributed a match to this column and I just hope I will do your favourite matches justice. So it is now time to sit back and relax as the Classic Paper Review brings you twelve of the greatest Wrestlemania matches.

MANIA FAVES

Ricky Steamboat (With George Steele) defeated Randy Savage (With Miss Elizabeth) in 14:35 to win the Intercontinental Championship
(Nominated by DaveyBoy, LOP Main Page Legend, from Wrestlemania 3)
In November 1986, Ricky Steamboat was counted out in a match for Randy Savage’s Intercontinental Championship. Following the match, Savage continued the attack on Steamboat, crushing his larynx with the ring bell. The Dragon returned two months later to prevent George Steele suffering the same fate as him at the hands of the Macho Man. A match for the Savage’s IC title was soon signed for Wrestlemania 3. As both men come down the long aisle, there seemed to be a sense of anticipation in the massive crowd. There was feeling that something special was going to happen and that would turn out be a massive understatement. Savage starts out by moving Elizabeth away from her admirer, George Steele. Both men assume their roles as a heel and a face perfectly as Savage uses dirty tricks and Steamboat uses his signature deep arm drags and arm bars. Savage soon goes after the throat that he had injured months earlier as he takes control of the action. Steamboat eventually takes control to massive crowd approval and we actually see him “skin-the-cat”, some eight years before Shawn Michaels made the move famous. Savage takes charge again as the action spills to the outside and Macho Man uses some of his classic high flying arsenal. We have a flurry of two counts from Savage before the momentum swings back to The Dragon in a back-and-forth match. Steamboat in turn unleashes his arsenal of moves for another series of two counts. We then get a ref bump and Savage hits a top rope elbow and then gets the ring bell and once again goes to the air but Steele makes the save by pushing him off. Savage then goes for a scoop slam but Steamboat holds on to roll him up for the victory as the crowd goes nuts. This match was years ahead of its time and set the standard for the Intercontinental Champions who would follow in Savage and Steamboat’s footsteps. For the techies amongst us, I would say that many great matches the “accessor” method to try and copy the format of this classic. The action, the storytelling and the psychology were all absolutely top-notch here and that is why the contest does not seem outdated in the slightest, some 22 years later.
CPR Rating: 10

The Ultimate Warrior defeated Hulk Hogan in 22:51 to win the WWF Championship
(Nominated by SUPERFAN!), LOP Main Page Columnist, from Wrestlemania 6)
The sixth edition of Wrestlemania would see the first face versus face to headline the event. Hulk Hogan was the established WWF Champion and the standard bearer in the industry. The Ultimate Warrior was the charismatic and eccentric new superstar who was Intercontinental Champion and on a roll. Hogan versus Warrior was teased as the two biggest names in the company had a brief meeting in the 1990 Royal Rumble match and eventually this big money match up was signed. The pretender to the throne comes out first to a big pop which is bettered by Hogan’s entry. The match starts out with both men taking turns in winning battles of strength. This goes on for a good few minutes but they do a great job of keeping the crowd involved before we finally get some real action as Warrior clotheslines Hogan to the outside. The Hulkster lands on his knee and sells this injury as both babyfaces get a little dirty with Hogan eventually taking control of a very slow paced match. Hogan cinches in a head lock but Warrior fights out before a double clothesline sees both men down. When they are back up, Warrior has a rush of adrenaline and nails a series of clotheslines to take control before locking in another rest hold in the form of a bear hug. Hogan eventually breaks loose and we are soon treated to the first ref bump of the column. With no referee, both men hit moves that keep their opponent down for three. Hogan and Warrior battle for prominence once more and Warrior hits the gorilla press and big splash but Hogan kicks out and Hulks up. Hogan nails the big boot but Warrior moves as he goes for the leg drop and hits the big splash once again as the ref counts to three just before Hogan can kick out. After the match, Hogan presents Warrior the title and they hug. This is really hard match to rate. The in-ring work was dreadful despite quite a good finish. The psychology and the story telling was average but this was truly history in the making with a white hot crowd who were really into the face versus face dynamic which was a rarity at the time. The true epicness of the occasion was like a polymorphic algorithm, preventing the virus that was the awful in-ring action from being detected by the smark inside us. In the end though the big match feel and the poor wrestling on show cancelled each other out and has convinced me to give this match an average rating.
CPR Rating: 7

Jake Roberts defeated Rick Martel in 8:34 in a Blindfold match
(Nominated by Sean Taylor, CSI Finalist and LOP Main Page Columnist, from Wrestlemania 7)
In 1989, highly successful tag team wrestler Rick Martel adopted a gimmick where as a perfume spraying cocky heel called “The Model”. Arguably the biggest feud of his career started after he sprayed his perfume known as “Arrogance” into the eyes of Jake “The Snake” Roberts on an episode of the Brother Love Show on 6th October 1990. The story went that this blinded Jake for several weeks and at Wrestlemania 7, the stipulation was made that the two men would fight blindfolded. Before the match we have a typically chilling promo from Roberts before both men have bags placed over their heads. Obviously the stipulation meant the match started off slowly but the crowd are white hot in trying to direct Roberts to Martel. For the first few minutes the wrestling interaction between the two is limited to an odd lucky move as they touch but the strength of the contest is watching Martel, and particularly Roberts, play the crowd. Somehow the “action” goes to the outside where Martel has a chair and he backs into the ring post. Thinking it is Jake, he levels the ring post with the chair. This helps Jake find him and pull him back into the ring but it is Martel who gets the upper hand and locks in his signature Boston Crab. Jake powers out and Martel walks into a DDT for the victory. With the blindfolds off, Jake gets his revenge by smashing the bottle of “Arrogance” and introducing Martel to his snake, Damien. A lot of people do not rate this match highly and if you have a preference for the actual fighting, that is understandable. For me though, the playing of the crowd was just as entertaining. Heel or face, Jake Roberts could work a crowd like nobody else could and his involvement in this match that was thankful kept quite short, made it a successful one for me. I would not like to see these matches very often but if it is once in a blue moon with the right men involved, Roberts and Martel proved it can work.
CPR Rating: 7.5

Randy Savage (with Miss Elizabeth) defeated Ric Flair (with Mr. Perfect) in 18:05 to win the WWF Championship
(Nominated by Ripper, LOP Main Page Columnist, from Wrestlemania 8)
The build up to this match stemmed from WWF Champion Ric Flair claiming that he dated Savage’s wife and valet, Miss Elizabeth, before the couple got together. In the build up to the bout Flair showed photos of himself and Liz. A pre-match interview has Mr. Perfect and Flair hiding a poster which they claimed was a centrefold of Elizabeth and they promised to show it later on. Flair comes down first and an intense Savage, without Elizabeth, runs to the ring, desperate to get his hands on Flair. Flair tries to run but Savage catches him in the aisle before Perfect drags Savage to the ring and a little bit of order is restored. It is not long until they are outside again and Flair takes control of the match. Flair works methodically over Savage’s lower back and gets a host of two counts whilst never forgetting to incite the crowd. The Macho Man finally gets back into contention and the pace of the match and crowd pick up steam. The action spills over to the outside once more as Flair gets busted open. Back in the ring, Savage hits his flying elbow from the top rope but Perfect breaks up the count. Savage goes after Perfect and in the commotion, Perfect passes Flair an illegal foreign object which may have been a roll of coins. Flair nails Savage with this and passes it back to Perfect but can only get a two count. The dirty tricks come in to play again as Flair distracts the referee and Perfect nails Savage with a chair. At this point Elizabeth makes her way to the ring as officials (including a very fresh looking Shane O’Mac) try to talk her out of it. In the ring, Flair locks in the figure-four leg lock which Savage eventually manages to turn over. Flair continues to work over Savage whilst taunting Liz but out of nowhere, Macho Man manages to roll the Nature Boy up with a handful of tights for the victory. After the match, an angry Flair kisses Elizabeth and gets a slap for his troubles. Savage and Flair continue to go at it but they are eventually kept apart by officials before Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth can finally celebrate the victory. These two legends of wrestling put on a great show here and despite there being nothing wrong with the match, for me there just lacked a little something to stop it being remembered as one of the greatest Wrestlemania matches ever.
CPR Rating: 8.5

Bret Hart defeated Steve Austin in 22:05 in a Submission match with Ken Shamrock as special guest referee
(Nominated by Dr. Monkey, LOP Main Page Columnist, from Wrestlemania 13)
Hart versus Austin from Wrestlemania 13 will go down in history as a match that changed the face of wrestling and bought Stone Cold to the forefront of the business. After leaving the company for a few months, Bret Hart returned to find the new WWF was being headlined by a group of degenerates and a man who seemingly respected nothing and nobody. Steve Austin had been taunting Hart even before he returned and challenged the Hitman to a match at the 1996 Survivor Series. Hart won this match and a couple of months later at the Royal Rumble, Hart eliminated Austin from the match. The referees however did not see this and Austin came back in to eliminate Hart. At In Your House 13, Hart won the vacant WWF Championship but the next night on Raw he lost the title to Sycho Sid thanks to interference by Stone Cold. This rivalry had become so intense, they would be put in a submission match at Wrestlemania, with a person dubbed “The World’s Most Dangerous Man”, UFC legend Ken Shamrock, being responsible for officiating. The heel Austin and the face Hart both come out to mixed reactions although as it should be, the fans still seemed in favour of the Hitman before the start. A Lou Thesz Press by Austin starts the brawl as the two men trade blows and they battle on the outside. The early pace is frantic as the two men brawl through the crowd using anything and everything that comes to hand as a weapon. By the time they get back to the ring, Hart is in control and the crowd is beginning to turn in Austin’s favour. Bret starts to work on the leg of Austin in a methodical heel-like fashion. More heel tactics take over as Hart locks in the figure-four leg lock around the ring post. Austin is a long way from being ready to submit yet so Hart introduces a chair which Austin utilises to a tremendous pop from the crowd. Austin is now aggressively in control and he leaves his comfort zone to go for a submission with a Boston Crab. He then tries his hand at a Sharpshooter but the now seemingly heel Hart counters with a poke to the eye. The match becomes a brawl on the outside once again and Austin gets busted open. Hart really starts to get aggressive now and works Austin’s legs with a chair. The tide turns once again as Austin tries to choke Bret out with some cables but Hart escapes the move by hitting Stone Cold over the head with a ring bell. Hart then manages to lock in the Sharpshooter as we get the infamous sight of Austin in the hold with his face a crimson mask. Two minutes later, Stone Cold passes out and Shamrock calls for the bell, despite Austin never submitting. To compound his heel turn, Hart attacks an unconscious Austin before Shamrock makes the save. The match was a great brawl in its own right without the added attractions of the double turn and the storyline. Not only was this an important match in wrestling history, it was also a great match that is well deserving of the accolades it receives.
CPR Rating: 9.5

Triple H (With Stephanie McMahon) defeated The Rock (With Vince McMahon), Mick Foley (With Linda McMahon) and The Big Show (With Shane McMahon) in 36:28 in a Fatal Four-Way Elimination match to retain the WWF Championship
(Nominated by sheepster, CSI Judge and Former LOP Main Page Columnist, from Wrestlemania 16)
At the beginning of 2000, the McMahon-Helmsley Regime was in full effect. Mick Foley was the main focus of WWF Champion HHH and his wife Stephanie McMahon’s abuse of power and this led to a Street Fight at the Royal Rumble and a Hell in a Cell match at No Way Out. Both of these memorable hardcore matches were won by the Game and as a result of the cell match, Foley was forced to retire. On the other side of things, The Rock had won the Royal Rumble amid controversy by last eliminating The Big Show with Show claiming that Rocky’s feet hit the floor before his. A match was held between the two at No Way Out to decide who would be number one contender at Wrestlemania with The Big Show winning due to interference from Shane McMahon. The Rock, with the backing of Vince McMahon, regained his rightful place in the match and to make it a McMahon in every corner, Linda bought Mick Foley out of retirement to realise his dream of headlining a Wrestlemania. The match starts off with Foley pairing off with The Game and The Rock battling Show but it soon turns into a free-for-all with The Big Show dominating his competition. With Show controlling all 3 men, they decided to work together to eliminate the alpha male but this breaks down and Foley is soon working over Hunter on the outside with a chair. As The Big Show comes off the ropes, Foley nails him with the chair which leads to a Rock Bottom and our first elimination. In the ring, Triple H tries to make an allegiance with The Rock and Foley but he ends up being double teamed by the Rock and Sock Connection. This alliance continues until Rocky inadvertently hits Foley with the ring bell whilst aiming for Hunter. More weapons come into play and eventually we see the arrival of Mr Socko as Foley locks in the Mandible Claw on The Game. He then pushes Hunter into a shot with the title belt by Rocky but as he sets up for The People’s Elbow, Foley locks the claw in on The Rock. It is now every man for himself and Foley gets a two count on Rocky with a double arm DDT. We suddenly get an impromptu unholy alliance as Hunter and Foley work over The Rock. It all goes a bit pair shaped here as Triple H sets the Rock up on the announce table. Foley goes to the tope rope but falls short of his target and hits his head. Hunter then takes two attempts to make sure the Rock goes through the sturdy table before bringing Foley back into the ring. Hunter hits a Pedigree but Foley kicks out at two. A frustrated Game nails Foley with a chair and hits a second Pedigree onto the chair and we are down to Triple H versus The Rock. Mick is leaving the arena to a standing ovation when he decides to come back to bust The Game open with a 2x4 wrapped in barbed wire. The Rock comes back in to make the cover but can only get a two count. With The Rock in control, the action spills to the entrance way and through the crowd. Hunter takes charge again as they arrive at ringside and nails a piledriver on the ring steps but back in the ring, The Rock kicks out. We then get a sequence of countered finisher attempts but they are soon back fighting amongst the fans. With Hunter now firmly in control, Vince takes out his son-in-law but Shane returns to take out his dad and hits Vince with a monitor. Vince fights back but gets hit with a chair and Paterson and Briscoe take their boss to the back. In the ring, Hunter nails Rocky with 2x4 in barbed wire before Rock hits a Rock Bottom. With both men down, Shane gets in the ring with a chair but Vince comes running back out. He knocks Shane out of the ring and in a big swerve, nails Rocky with a chair with a sadistic look on his face. Stephanie’s facial expression of shock and approval is priceless but The Rock kicks out two to a massive response from the crowd. Unfazed, Vince nails a second chair shot and Triple H becomes the first heel to leave Wrestlemania as WWF Champion. The crowd seem ready to riot and are throwing things into the ring as Vince and Stephanie hug. Shane comes in to confront his dad but Rocky comes back and hits Rock Bottoms on both male McMahons. Stephanie then gets in his face and slaps him and she also gets Rock Bottomed and then tastes the People’s Elbow as an exclamation mark. This match often gets a rough deal but we saw absolutely everything. Hunter re-wrote the heel handbook in 2000 and it made for a great main event. I am in the minority of fans who like fatal four-way elimination matches and both Foley and Show added a lot to this match. The back and forth swerves made this highly exciting to the bitter end and as always, the chemistry between Rocky and Hunter made this a highly enjoyable, if at times a little clustered, main-event.
CPR Rating: 9.5

Edge and Christian defeated The Dudley Boyz and The Hardy Boyz in 15:53 in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match for the WWF Tag Team Championship
(Nominated by SkittleZ, LOP Main Page Columnist, from Wrestlemania 17)
These three teams stole the show at Wrestlemania 16 in a triangle ladder match. The success of this led to a rematch titled TLC (tables, ladders and chairs) at SummerSlam 2000. However this was still not enough and Wrestlemania 17 would see Edge and Christian, Matt and Jeff Hardy and the WWF Tag Team Champions, Bubba Ray and D-Von Dudley go at it in TLC II, and this time each team would bring a friend with them. The action starts and the first ladder does not take long to make an appearance as E&C take out The Hardys and the Dudleys. The spots and action come thick and fast and if I were to describe them all, it would be a column in itself. The Dudleys are soon standing tall in the ring and Bubba calls for the tables. The first table spot sees Bubba powerbomb Jeff through Edge and a table. Soon there are three ladders set up under the titles and all six men battle away at the top of them but the ladders are pushed down and all the participants are on the mat. We then get our first special appearance as the Dudley’s little brother Spike enters the fray to take out Edge and Christian. E&C’s associate Rhyno soon comes down to even up the odds as he takes out both Dudleys and Jeff. Edge climbs for the titles but Matt’s girlfriend Lita essentially makes this a 9-person match by, in a Freudian slip by Good Old JR, “jerking Edge off” the ladder (pure commentary gold). The match starts to get very clustered as men (and woman) are getting taken out left, right and centre. At this time Jeff brings out the BIG ladder and hits a Swanton through Spike and Rhyno who are set up on tables below. Amazingly Jeff is back up quickly and soon finds him self hanging along side the titles trying to take them down. In the corner of the ring though, Edge is at the top of the BIG ladder and hits Jeff with a sick spear from the ladder to the floor in a moment which is truly deserving of a “Holy Shit” chant. Matt and Bubba now jockey for position at the top of the ladder but Rhyno pushes it over and both men crash through a mountain of tables that is set up on the outside. With Jeff out from the spear and Matt and Bubba in a pile of wood, D-Von makes a final desperate attempt at the belts. Edge however holds him down as Rhyno gives Christian a boost up and Captain Charisma retrieves the titles. This match was definitely a spot lover’s dream come true with action coming from all angles. These three teams really set the standard for a new generation of ladder matches as Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon had done seven years early. One question would be how does this compare to their match a year earlier or the Money in the Bank matches that would grace Wrestlemania a few years later, but that is a question for another day.
CPR Rating: 9

Steve Austin defeated The Rock in 28:06 in a No Disqualification match for the WWF Championship
(Nominated by Xanman, CSI Judge and LOP Main Page Columnist, from Wrestlemania 17)
At Wrestlemania 15, Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock battled in the first of their 3 Mania match-ups. On that day, Rocky was the heel and Austin the face with Stone Cold coming out on top. Fast forward two years and with the Monday Night Wars over, these two men are by far and away the most popular babyface’s in professional wrestling. After Stone Cold had won the 2001 Royal Rumble and the Rock had defeated Kurt Angle for the WWF Championship a month later at No Way Out, the scene was set for Rock-Austin II. In the build up to the match, Austin’s wife Debra was forced to become the Rock’s manager. After she ended up on the receiving end of a Kurt Angle ankle lock, Austin proceeded to Stunner The Rock and the tension between the two would build up on the road to Wrestlemania 17. The pre-match video package alone had me hyped up to watch this match. Before the match started it was announced that the match had been made a no disqualification bout. The Texan crowd is definitely pro-Austin but the Rock still gets a fair pop. The match starts out as a slugfest. The pace is frantic and the crowd is hot. With the added stipulation, the two men are soon fighting outside and into the crowd. When they get back in the ring, Austin takes control of the match as the action finally slows down a little. The Rock fights back to cheers which are quickly drowned out by boos which inspire Rocky to get a little hardcore on the outside. The brawling action goes back and forth and the heat for The Rock grows louder every time he mounts some offence. A busted open Rocky seems to feed off crowd and starts to adopt a heel persona in the ring and busts Austin open with the ring bell. Ring posts, barricades, tables and monitors all come into play and eventually The Rock locks in a Sharpshooter but Austin reaches the ropes before locking in one of his own. The Rock breaks the hold but soon Stone Cold goes old school by locking in the Million Dollar Dream which Rocky counters into a pin attempt. The Rock then hits a Stunner for a two count before Vince McMahon makes his way to ringside. In the ring, The Rock hits the People’s Elbow but McMahon breaks the count. Rocky chases after McMahon but walks into a Rock Bottom by Austin which gets a very long two count. A countered Stunner attempt sees a ref bump and Austin nails a low blow before calling Vince into the ring with a chair. Stone Cold holds The Rock as McMahon nails him with a chair as the previously pre-Austin crowd are now chastising their fellow Texan and The Rock kicks out at two to a chorus of cheers. A frustrated Austin goes for the chair again but walks into a Rock Bottom and The Rock gets his hands on Vince before he in turn walks into a Stunner from Austin. Rocky kicks out at two to an absolutely amazing pop as the crowd have well and truly turned. Stone Cold then nails Rocky with a sick sounding chair shot to the head but once again The Rock kicks out. Austin then proceeds to annihilate The Rock with a multitude of chair shots and 3 seconds later, he is the new WWF Champion and Rocky is officially screwed for the second year in a row. Austin and McMahon celebrate by sharing a beer over The Rock’s prone body and when Rocky finally gets up, Austin knocks him down again with his newly acquired gold. I hope Mr Orton and Mr Levesque take a good look at this match before their encounter this year as this was absolutely awesome. This was as good a brawl as you could hope to see and added to the chemistry the two had together, the storytelling and the swerve of the century, this match could receive no other rating than the highest possible.
CPR Rating: 10

The Rock defeated Hollywood Hulk Hogan in 16:23
(Nominated by T.O., CSI Judge, from Wrestlemania 18)
At No Way Out 2002, The Rock approached Hulk Hogan, who had recently returned with the nWo, to get an autograph for his son. Hogan proceeded to insult The Rock and the next night on Raw, The Brahma Bull challenged The Hulkster to a match at Wrestlemania 18. Hogan accepted and the nWo continually attacked The Rock on the road to Wrestlemania. Before the match, Hogan tells Hall and Nash that he wants to go out on his own and when he does come out, he does so to a massive ovation. The Rock gets a mixed, but loud reaction and the two face-off with the Canadian fans absolutely on fire. Hogan gets the better of the early lock-ups but all the time the two great showmen are playing the crowd, who are more than happy to oblige. Whenever The Rock gets in some offence, it is met by a chorus of boos and any counter by the Hulkster is met by cheers. Even Hogan’s nWo heel tactics are met by extreme pops. The pace of the match is generally slow but the action is kept fresh enough and the wall of noise is enough by itself to keep people on the edge of their seats. After a ref bump, Rocky locks in the Sharpshooter. Hogan gets to the ropes but The Rock pulls him back into the middle as Hulk taps whilst a “Rocky Sucks” chant rings out. With the ref still down, Rock breaks the hold and Hogan lands a low blow and a Rock Bottom but by the time the referee is able to count, he can only get to two. Both men then take turns on whipping each other with a belt before Rock nails his own Rock Bottom. Hogan kicks out at two and Hulks-up as the noise reaches a crescendo but the legendary big boot/leg drop combination can only get a two count. The Rock dodges a second leg drop attempt and nails two Rock Bottoms and a People’s Elbow to get the victory. Post match the men shake hands and Hall and Nash take exception to this and attack The Hulkster. The Rock regains his face pops by making the save and he and Hogan clear house before posing together in a bona fide Wrestlemania moment. Although there was nothing all that special in terms of in-ring action, there was a constant chill down my spine when watching the match. These men played the crowd like nobody else and that led to one of the most memorable matches in wrestling history.
CPR Rating: 9.5

Shawn Michaels defeated Chris Jericho in 22:33
(Nominated by Hustle, LOP Main Page Columnist, from Wrestlemania 19)
2008 saw Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho entertain the world with their feud which was the highlight of WWE programming throughout the year. However their first feud happened 5 years early and started with Y2J’s admiration for the Heartbreak Kid. Jericho wanted to follow in HBK’s footsteps by winning the Royal Rumble as the first entrant in the match. On the 13th January 2003, Jericho won a match that would let him choose his number. He chose number one only to find out that Michaels had already been given the spot. Jericho settled on being the second entrant and eventually eliminated Michaels, only for HBK to have a hand in Jericho’s elimination. At Wrestlemania 19, Jericho finally got the chance to prove that he had surpassed his idol. As Shawn makes his entrance he lets off what I can only describe as really big party-poppers into the crowd as Jericho looks on in disgust. The match starts out with some nice counter wrestling as the action goes back and forth. Y2J eventually takes charge by locking in the Walls of Jericho on the outside and starts to finally get the quiet crowd involved. A confident Jericho soon mimics HBK by hitting a flying forearm and kick up. As he does a signature Michaels pose, HBK does his own kick up and starts to build momentum. We are soon back to where we started off as the two men start to counter wrestle again leading to a series of two counts before Jericho hits the Lionsault for a very long two. He soon locks in the “Walls” once again but Michaels gets to the ropes. Y2J’s next attempt at copying Shawn sees him tune up the band and hit Sweet Chin Music but again HBK can kick out and Jericho gets frustrated. Michaels soon takes control once again and as he goes for a top rope elbow, Jericho kicks the referee into the ropes causing HBK to have an awkward landing. Michaels however is undeterred and tunes up the band. Jericho ducks the superkick attempt and once again puts The Show Stopper in the “Walls”. Michaels again reaches the ropes and Jericho’s frustration almost reaches tantrum level as he walks into a superkick. Michaels however is slow to make the cover and can only get a two count. The finish comes as Jericho attempts a back suplex. Michaels manages to land on his feet and roll Y2J up for the victory. After the match, Michaels offers to shake a distraught looking Jericho’s hand. The men hug before Jericho kicks Michaels in the groin and spits on him before leaving. This was a very high quality match during a very well worked feud. That said, as well as these guys did here, there just seemed to be a little something missing to make this one of the greatest ever Wrestlemania matches. The crowd were not very vocal here and Jericho did a better job of generating heel heat than Michaels did of hyping up the fans in attendance. Still a very solid performance all round.
CPR Rating: 8.5

Chris Benoit defeated Triple H and Shawn Michaels in 25:10 in a Triple Threat match for the World Heavyweight Championship
(Nominated by JoeyShinobi, CSI Final Judge and LOP Main Page Columnist, from Wrestlemania 20)
Smackdown superstar Chris Benoit won the 2004 Royal Rumble match and decided to move to Raw for his title shot to challenge World Heavyweight Champion, Triple H. Hunter had retained his title at the Rumble following a draw in a Last Man Standing match with Shawn Michaels. At the contract signing for the match between Benoit and Triple H, Michaels attacked Benoit and signed in his place as he had unfinished business with The Game. After numerous failed attempts to make the Wrestlemania 20 main event a one-on-one match, it was eventually made a triple threat match. We start out with Benoit and Michaels taking turns at going at the champion before they have a counter wrestling sequence. It is every man for himself in the early stages of the match and a nice spot sees HBK hit a moonsault, taking out both Hunter and Benoit on the floor. The action is a nice mixture of one-on-one action and three man sequences as they all showcase their talents. Benoit takes control of the bout and a Crossface on Hunter is broken up by Michaels before HBK himself kicks out a two following a diving headbutt. The crowd are really starting to get into the action now and they are well and truly behind Benoit. It is soon Benoit’s time to stop the Showstopper as he breaks up a pin attempt following Hunter tasting Sweet Chin Music. Benoit then puts the Crossface on HBK but as Michaels’ hand is coming down to tap, The Game grabs it to save his title. We get a Degeneration X reunion for the next big spot as Shawn and Hunter suplex Benoit from one announce table through another. With Benoit out of commission, HBK and Triple H continue their rivalry and with both men busted open, The Game hits a Pedigree but Benoit makes the save out of nowhere. Benoit then locks in the Sharpshooter on Hunter and it really looks as if The Game is ready to tap when Michaels returns to give Benoit a dose of Sweet Chin Music which once again can only get a two count. A “Benoit” chant starts as Michaels tunes up the band. HBK goes for his finisher one more time but Benoit ducks and dumps Shawn over the top rope. The Rabid Wolverine turns around into a Pedigree attempt but reverses it into a Crossface and Triple H struggles to break the hold but eventually has to tap out. We then get the famous Wrestlemania moment celebration as Benoit’s long time friend and WWE Champion, Eddie Guerrero, joins him in the ring as confetti rains down. This was a very strong main event for Wrestlemania which left nobody looking weak and gave Benoit the title win he deserved. Benoit’s emotional journey to become World Heavyweight Champion on the biggest stage of them all was a great back drop to the action in the ring but this still falls just a little short of the very best for me.
CPR Rating: 9

Kurt Angle defeated Shawn Michaels in 27:25
(Nominated by Degenerate, CSI Final Judge and Former LOP Main Page Columnist, from Wrestlemania 21)
Like many a Wrestlemania match, the build up for Shawn Michaels versus Kurt Angle started at the Royal Rumble. Raw’s HBK eliminated Smackdown’s Angle from the match and an incensed Kurt brutally attacked Michaels in retaliation. Shawn challenged Kurt to a match at Mania the night following No Way Out and the two were generally kept apart (despite Angle attacking Michaels to accept the challenge) in the build up to Wrestlemania 21. We start out with a little trash talk before Michaels slaps Angle in the face and that kick starts a mat wrestling masterpiece. The early going sees HBK wrestle Angle’s style as he continually goes for submission holds and we see Angle fail with numerous counter attempts. The Hollywood crowd are split and despite being the heel, the chants for Angle are slightly louder. The action eventually breaks down to the outside and Kurt takes control of the action following an Angle Slam into the ring post. We see Angle use his mat prowess and an array of perfectly executed suplexes as he wears down The Show Stopper. The action soon becomes a lot less technical as the two men begin to brawl. They go to the outside and big spots are teased before Michaels hits a moonsault from the ring apron, onto Angle who is on the announce table. With both men selling the spot, they make it back in the ring and trade blows once again. Michaels gets the better of things and hits Angle with his signature moves but when he goes for Sweet Chin Music, Kurt catches his foot and hooks in the ankle lock. Michaels makes the ropes to a ripple of boos and some very well worked sequences sees Kurt land an Angle Slam with HBK kicking out at two. Angle then misses an absolutely picture perfect moonsault attempt and then HBK goes to the top himself. Kurt goes up to meet him and hits an Angle Slam from the top but a resilient Michaels amazingly kicks out at two. Angle is now pissed and he picks up Michaels by the neck and tells him his days are done but HBK hits the superkick out of nowhere. Michaels is hurt and takes his time to make the cover allowing Kurt to kick out in the nick of time. As both men are getting back to their feet, Angle once again cinches in the ankle lock. Michaels tries a number of counters but Angle refuses to let go until eventually he locks HBK down with a grapevine. With nowhere to go, Michaels only has one option and after what seems like an eternity, Mr Wrestlemania taps out. Wow, I wonder what HBK marks thought of that moment?

Originally Posted by Degenerate

When HBK tapped out to Kurt, there was nothing I could do but to wipe my tears and feel proud of my man Shawn. I was certain I had just witnessed one of the most awesome battles in Wrestlemania history, and although I wish we could say that Michaels was the victor of that bout, the fact remains that he gave it his all and proved again why he's Mr. Wrestlemania. Oh, and fuck Kurt, that bastard.

Errr, okay, thanks for that Deg and let me say (or try to say) this... Su amor homosexual para Shawn Michaels es apenas patético. After the match both men left to a standing ovation which really was testament to the clinic that they put on. Maybe the storyline could have been a little better here but the action had everything and the counter wrestling was on a par with when the Hart brothers opened, and stole the show eleven years earlier.
CPR Rating: 10

THE VERDICT

Well there you have it. That was just a few people’s ideas of the greatest Wrestlemania matches. There are definitely some highly memorable classics that did not make the cut here. Notable matches include Brock Lesnar versus Kurt Angle, Mick Foley versus Edge, Macho Man versus The Ultimate Warrior and Owen Hart versus Bret Hart. I have to say though, at the end of the day, this was a pretty comprehensive selection.

There are a number of men who made this list more than once. Triple H, Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin and Randy Savage all made two appearances each on this list but top billing goes to two men who the world would love to see get it on in the ring, probably more so than Hogan and Austin. The Rock and Shawn Michaels both had three appearances in this column but when you consider the fact that the Heartbreak Kid’s classics against Razor Ramon (Ladder Match at Wrestlemania 10), Bret Hart (Ironman match at Wrestlemania 12) and Ric Flair (Wrestlemania 24) did not make the cut, it clearly shows that Shawn is worthy of the nickname Mr Wrestlemania. Conspicuous by his absence here is a man that has won a total of sixteen matches at the event. It is interesting that despite the streak and having a string of very good (and some straight up terrible) matches that The Undertaker did not make it. Wrestlemania 25 will see the The Deadman go one-on-one with Mr Wrestlemania in both men’s home state. Could 2009 be the year where The Undertaker finally gets to have a genuine Wrestlemania moment? I really hope so and with the way the card is shaping up, this match could well be the one that people remember for years to come.

That brings me to the end of my little column. It really has been fun to watch all of these matches again despite being time consuming. I guess now I can finally find the time to upgrade my PSP filmware so I can play some Smackdown versus Raw. I hope you have all enjoyed these classic moments in Wrestlemania history and as always, feel free to feedback in the forums or via e-mail at maz_rusti@yahoo.co.uk. Mi nombre es Mazza y usted ha estado leyendo la Revisión de Papel Clásica.

['Plan]

To borrow briefly a catchphrase...here comes the pain! You brought it Mazza and you brought it all. This was awesome. There's not a lot of constructive crit I can leave you as really...well...there's not much, if anything, to crticise. It was a bloody good read and very well written and comprehensive piece. Seanny T is gonna have one hell of a nightmare coming up with something that can best this here but if he does, damn, he'll have done well.

Good luck in the CSI! As I said there's not much I can say other than "Yeah, this was frikin' awesome" so...yeah. Oh. But I'm offended at Rock/Austin being given a ten. It's nowhere near the same level as Savage/Steamboat and Angle/Michaels. Nowhere near!!! Grrrrrrrrrrr.

[Martin Riggs]

Legend!

Excellent column, which is becoming something of a norm for you! Really really solid stuff here, loved the spanish, points in the bag, if i do say so myself!

Congrats and good luck!

[SkittleZ]

Ummm so yeah...

You're a fucking beast, Mazzaball!

Given your gimmick/style, excellent idea my friend (reminds me of something I would come up with).

Since the start of the New Year, you've been on fire and this was no exception.

You've got Sean T on the ropes!

[Kano]

Mazza, there is only one word that can desribe this my friend, well two.

Pure Awesome

[Leonard]

Again, Mr. Mazza, an incredible read. I enjoyed reading your thoughts on these classic WrestleMania bouts.

What more can I say?

--Leonard

[TheMonkeyBoy]

1word

Brilliant

[NightofDay]

This CSI final reminds me of Austin/Rock in a way. You love both guys but you don't know who to cheer for. Both of you thoroughly deserve to be in this spot right now and Mazza, you're going to give Sean a hell of a run for his money.

Awesome idea and I like how you invited fellow Main Pagers and columnists alike (face it you know you're getting on the Main Page soon!). If Sean can beat you, kudos to him. But kudos to you for pulling out your finest work yet. And you made it your entry for COTM too! Smug little bastard you are.

[Hustle]

That Hustle guy is spectacular.

Damn fine work here, if I may say so myself. Even if I may not, it's too late, as I just said it.

Reading your work is a joy, and I thank you for letting me be a part of it, albeit a teeny tiny part.

I like that you add personality to your calls. It's definitely better to be Jim Ross than Michael Cole, who is so scripted and boring that even Matt Hardy looks down on him.

Again, really good stuff here, and good luck.

[The Maz]

Interplantinental - Thanks alot Plan, there were a few things I was fretting about before posting but I think it all turned out okay. I do suggest you give Rock-Austin II another watch though. I was not sold on it before watching but there are a hell of a lot of similarities between this and Hart-Austin, with the turns etc. I think it was one hell of a main-event despite being primarily a brawl.

J-Boom - Thanks for the kind words. The Spanish had me really desprate for a while and I reached out to a Gloria Estefan CD I had lying around. Thankfully I didn't need it as I couldn't work out how I could fit the phrase "Come shake your body baby do the conga" into the column, maybe if the Boogeyman made it!

His Royal Fruitiness - Glad you liked it. I was slightly worried about going back to basics after showing my range but there is still at least one more column to write in this final.

Kano/Len/Monkey Jr - I used to hate this short feedback but know I take it as a major compliment as sometimes I find myself not being to say much on a really good column. I hope that was the case here. Thanks guys.

NOD - Imagining the words "smug little bastard" in a Scottish accent was awesome. As I say, this was really time consuming with the long matches involved. I figured my CSI work helped me win CotM so why not double them up. I am not thinking about a main page spot yet though, just trying to get some decent columns out.

The Artist Formerly Known as Hustle - First of, are you getting you username back any time soon. Just seems strange. Positive feedback like this is always an honour from as good a writer as you. Now it is out of the way, I can go and check out the latest edition of PCIPRN

[cicero]

Really great read, though I was surprised by the relativley poor formatting and particluary with the 'too long by far' paragraphs. Still, excellent work.

[Roger Murtaugh]

Awesome job here, Maz. It was neat to see the variety of matches people came up with and the fact that you took the time to re-watch these matches is just a testament to how hard a worker you are.

I think the main ratings I didn't agree with with the four way (HHH, Rock, Big Show, Foley) Hogan vs Rock, and Roberts vs Martel matches. I haven't seen the four-way in a few years but I do remember being somewhat disappointed with the result. Hogan vs Rock had a great atmosphere to it but the match itself was just ok in my opinion. Martel and Roberts did the best they could but blindfold matches just aren't good. At least it was fairly short.

It's work like this that proves that you are simply a machine and may be next to impossible to knock out of this tournament.

[James_A]

Mazza, your innovativeness and creativity within the realm of reviewing PPV matches never cease to amaze me. Like everyone said, this was terrific and definitely showed anybody who doubted you, that you are not in the finals of this tournament by accident. I do agree with cicero that the giant paragraphs are a bit much on my eyes. But overall, an epic effort my friend

[The Maz]

Don Cici - First off, if you ever indent feedback to my column again I will be forced to whack you (no masterbation). I hate the paragraph lengths here but I tried cutting it up and it looked worse. Having to put all the back story in as well as the matches being generally very long made it a bit of a visual nightmare. Normally the matches I have more to say on would be cut up with photos but unfortunately that was a no-no here. Still easier than not being able to say wrestling though.

Doc M - It was a hell of a job to review all these as I actually have found that typing in full as I watch is a lot better than taking notes (I can't understand my own writing at times!). The 4-way is definatley worth another watch as is it was one of the two big surprises for me in how good it was. The Blindfold match and Rock-Hogan is a lot more down to what you actually want from a match. Anyone else but Jake and the blindfold match would be comparable to Gonzales-Taker when it comes to stinkers. Rock-Hogan is just one of those matches that gives me goosebumps. Rocky was phenominal in his reactions to Hogan and it is no surprise why he is pretty much the only wrestler to have semi-decent success in Hollywood. Glad you enjoyed and I look forward to stepping outside my confort zone again for the next column to see if I can keep the "machine" ticking over.

Jimmay - Thanks Jimmy, I try to keep a little bit of me to stop it being a straight-up play-by-play. Hopefully I can continue to keep the CPR fresh but changing it up every now and again. See feedback to cicero for the ugly long paragraphs.

[ca$hmoney]

Mazza,

This was an epic column. I didn't have a problem with the lenghts as it really gave an in depth look into each match. I loved the idea of asking other MP guys for their matches.

Great job and good luck!

[Cult Icon]

this is outstanding work mazza. daveyboy like if you will, thats how good it is. i sadly havent gotten to read any of your other work yet, but this is absolutely great work. im going to now go and watch the fatal fourway from wrestlemania 2000 due to this review lol.

cant say enough. great job and good luck with csi