WrestleMania XIV

Legacy Review

WrestleMania XIV

March 29, 1998 from the FleetCenter in Boston

 

Commentary: Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler

 

The Attitude Era is now in full swing. Most people say this show is the start of it, but I made my case why I think Wrestlemania 13 the year before is the true start and we're now getting into the full meat of it. On paper, considering the current roster, this is a pretty good looking card and the first Wrestlemania card in a while to really look like WRESTLEMANIA.

After a really good intro video highlighting the tradition of Wrestlemania, in contrast to WWF's current era of stars, there's no pyro to start and we jump right into intros for the first match.

#1 Contender's Tag Team Battle Royale- Most of the 15 participating teams are already at ringside. The Nation of Domination team of Faarooq and Kama Mustafa get their entrance right as the show starts. After that is the introduction of the "mystery team" in this match, the Legion of Doom in their new guise as LOD 2000 with much upgraded entrance gear, new hairstyles, and Sunny as their manager in an outfit that leaves very little to the imagination. I'm not complaining. They'd been holding Sunny back from managing for over a year because she always overshadowed the guys she managed, but I guess they figured LOD were popular enough that wouldn't be a problem. In contrast to their new gear Hawk has his old school facepaint on. This was a pretty big shock because last we saw LOD they were fighting with each other and everyone assumed they'd broken up. This is when one member is eliminated their partner is also out rules, but they're not adhered to very well, almost as if WCW was putting this match together. The winner gets a tag title shot at next month's PPV, Unforgiven: In Your House. The bell rings and the huge brawl is on. I'm not going to get into huge detail on this, it's a battle royale filled with jobbers. They do start eliminations quickly though, which I appreciate. One of the members of Los Boriquas seems to get hurt for real right at the start, so Savio Vega gets dumped early so he can help his partner to the back. Jim Cornette and Sunny jaw at each other. Barry Windham, who's not in the match, runs in and eliminates Chainz solely so his partner Bradshaw would also be eliminated. Why Bradshaw was partnering with Chainz in the first place, you've got me. One historical note: Brian Christopher is partnering with Scott Taylor on a major show for the first time. Taylor would later change his name to Scotty 2 Hotty and the team would become Attitude Era staple Too Cool. The final four teams are Skull and 8-Ball from the Disciples of Apocalypse, the Godwinns, the New Midnight Express (Bob Holly and Bart Gunn), and the LOD. The LOD and Godwinns renew their feud. Henry Godwinn eliminates one of the DOA guys. They run back in and dump Phineas, but at the same time Hawk eliminates Henry so they're gone no matter what. The Godwinns attack LOD with their buckets after. The Midnights take advantage and try to dump Hawk but nothing doing. Animal comes in with clotheslines and a powerslam, and the LOD dump both Midnights on either end of the ring to win. Not much going on here but the crowd is still nuts for the LOD no matter how bad they've gotten in the ring as they get late in their careers. 1/2*

We get footage of some of the various events that took place around Boston during Wrestlemania weekend. No Axxess, yet.

 

WWF Light Heavyweight Championship: Taka Michinoku (c) def Aguila in 5:57- Aguila is only 19 years old here and just starting his career out. He gets a jobber entrance which doesn't bode well for his chances. They go right into speed mode with Aguila hitting a Japanese armdrag, flying headscissors and spinning heel kick. Taka goes to the floor and Aguila baseball slides him. Asai moonsault! Apron suplex standoff. A Taka dropkick sends Aguila to the floor. Taka hits his springboard dive to the floor. Corner running elbow back in and basement dropkicks from Taka. Aguila backdrops Taka back to the floor. Taka goes up top. Aguila springboard armdrags him off. Some more lucha style armdrags sends Taka out again. Aguila corkscrew plancha! Back in Taka misses a corkscrew off the top. Aguila moonsault for 2. Hard elbow from Taka. They have a fight up on the ropes. Taka tries a splash but Aguila gets his knees up. Springboard hurricanrana from Aguila. Taka hits a missile dropkick. He goes for the Michinoku Driver. Aguila escapes, tries for a hurricanrana but Taka blocks it into a powerbomb. Taka misses a moonsault. Aguila magistral cradle for 2. He comes off the top but Taka dropkicks him in midair! Michinoku Driver! It's over. It's more of a spotfest than the usual Taka match, probably thanks to Aguila still being so young. Definitely more lucha than Japanese style. **3/4

Next up is a pretaped interview from the Rock focused on what he would do if he was president. Or "ruler". Telling homeless people he doesn't give a damn if they live in Maytag or Frigidaire boxes, just stay off the lawn of the Rock's palatial estate is my favorite answer. The less said about who's conducting the interview the better. Rock continues to improve each and every time out there.

 

WWF European Championship: Triple H (c) (w/Chyna) def Owen Hart in 11:29- When Owen Hart returned a month after the Montreal Screwjob it looked like he'd get a revenge feud with Shawn Michaels, but got shuffled down into a feud with his DX teammate Triple H instead. They've traded the European title back and forth a couple of times during the feud, with Trips winning it back on Raw a couple of weeks before this. HHH gets a live band playout for his entrance, but only an instrumental version of the DX theme, no lyrics. Because she's gotten so involved in matches there's an extra stipulation that Chyna will be handcuffed to longtime DX adversary Commissioner Slaughter. Needless to say Chyna is not happy with this arrangement, but Slaughter sneaks a cuff on her wrist while her back is turned. Owen jumps as soon as he hits the ring. Backdrop and clothesline. Mounted punches. Hurricanrana for 2. HHH gets a back elbow counter. Owen goes to the floor. Slaughter holds Chyna back. HHH comes off the apron but Owen runs him into the guardrail. Back in he goes for the Sharpshooter. HHH eye rakes out. Facebuster. Big clothesline from HHH and he stomps Owen down in the corner. Owen ducks a clothesline but HHH hits him with a high knee on the other side for 2. Suplex. Owen slugs back. HHH gets a boot up in the corner and hits a DDT for 2. Finally he kicks Owen's bad ankle that DX had hurt in prior weeks (commentary had been wondering why he hadn't gone for that already) and starts picking it apart. JR says Owen's cast on that ankle came off "literally this morning". Owen tries to fight back but HHH stays on it. After a corner whip reversal HHH gets a boot up again, but this time Owen anticipates it, slides under, and crotches HHH on the post. That'll give you a negative attitude. Owen missile dropkick for 2. Snap belly to belly for 2. Spinning heel kick for 2. HHH does a .5 Trips flip and Owen nails him with the enzuguri. But that hurt his ankle again. He slowly crawls over to cover and HHH just kicks out. HHH blocks a hurricanrana into a powerbomb for 2. Owen crossbody off the top for 2. HHH goes for the Pedigree. Owen counters and tries for the Sharpshooter again. HHH pushes out, which backs Owen into the corner, then he flops down on HHH's crotch. That'll give you a real negative attitude. Another slow cover for 2. HHH goes for the Pedigree again. They roll through a couple of counters and Owen gets the Sharpshooter hooked on! Chyna helps HHH with the last few inches to get to the ropes, handcuffs or no handcuffs. Owen pounds HHH down on the mat and gets a warning from the ref. Chyna throws powder in Slaughter's face! Low blow on Owen! Kick wham Pedigree! That gets the pin. Once the cuffs are off Chyna takes Slaughter out. Good match, but it felt slightly off in parts, mostly in the first half, and the whole hurt ankle angle never went anywhere. ***

 

Mixed Tag Team Mach: "Marvelous" Marc Mero and Sable def The Artist Formerly Known As Goldust and Luna in 9:11- This whole crazy feud is vintage Russo. Mero had turned heel because he got sick of Sable upstaging him and treated her like shit. He paired up with TAFKAG for reasons and they got along OK (JR's line was "the two most insecure men in the WWF"), but Luna and Sable didn't. Their constant fighting eventually made Mero and Goldust turn on each other. Basically everyone is a heel in this match except Sable, and the crowd is bonkers for her, wanting her to finally turn on Mero. Normal mixed tag rules here, men vs men and women vs women. The guys start as Goldust jumps before the bell. Mero counters with a flying headscissors and clothesline. Goldust scurries away to make a tag. Luna is all fired up....until Mero tags Sable in, then she runs. She goes all around the ring and tags right back out to huge boos. Mero backdrop on Goldust. He tags Sable in. Sable holds the top rope to get her leg up enough to give Goldust a sort of superkick. Luna still won't get in. Mero goes into boxing punches on Goldust. Goldust gets a boot up in the corner and a clothesline. He drops Mero over the top rope. Luna gets a shot in. Mero crossbody for 2. Midring collision. Tags. Sable takes Luna down! Ground and pound. Corner kicks. She pops Goldust on the apron. Sable clotheslines Luna and Luna sloooooowly with difficulty gets 360 and over. The guys go out and Mero whips Goldust into the steps. He goes for a splash back in but Goldust gets his knees up. Sable distracts the ref, inadvertently, and Mero takes advantage for a low blow. He goes for the TKO. Goldust counters into a DDT for 2. Mero escapes a Curtain Call attempt and hits a kneelift. He goes up top and whips out the old Mero moonsault (barely) for 2. Mero's offense had become much more grounded due to injuries, he hadn't done that in a long while. Goldust hits a back elbow. He goes up top but Mero falls into the ropes to crotch him. Mero hurricanrana! Luna gets a kick in from the apron. They try a double team but Goldust takes Luna out and Mero gets a roll up for 2. He barely gets Goldust up for the TKO and hits it. Luna breaks the pin up. Sable tags in and covers Goldust. Luna tries a splash off the top, but Sable moves and she splashes Goldust! Sable hits a powerbomb! Luna kicks out! Luna's pissed and attacks. Sable weathers the storm, gets Luna up, and hits the TKO! That gets the pin! The crowd goes nuts for that, but the long hoped for Sable breakup from Mero will have to wait for another night as they leave together after the win. That was way better than it had any right to be and the crowd was into it the whole time. Sable certainly looked green as hell in her first proper match, but she hit her big moves right when she had to. **1/2

Tennessee Lee (formerly Col. Robert Parker in WCW) is in the ring and brings out his client Jeff Jarrett, as well as special celebrity guest Gennifer Flowers. No idea who she is? Not surprised if you weren't old enough to live through it and remember. I'll just say she's one of Bill Clinton's women and leave it at that. She's the special guest ring announcer for this next match. That whole little bit was totally pointless but at least it was short.

 

WWF Intercontinental Championship: The Rock (c) (w/The Nation of Domination) def Ken Shamrock by DQ in 4:49- Shamrock has been trying to wrest the IC title from the Rock for months, and most of the time Rock Honky Tonk Manned his way out by getting DQ'd, so tonight the DQ rule has been waived and Rock can lose the title on a DQ. Shamrock does the Ultimate Warrior run down the aisle and it's on. Rock ducks an elbow and clothesline but eats a kick. 360 clothesline. Rock tries to walk but Shamrock chases him. Slugfest on the aisle. Rock gets a corner whip reversal back in. Shamrock pops out with clothesline. He goes ground and pound and sort of starts to snap but holds it in. Rock uses his tights to pull Shamrock to the floor. The Nation goons manage to stay out of it thanks to the DQ rule. Setup slam back in and Rock hits the still unnamed People's Elbow for 2. Shamrock uses momentum to toss Rock over the top. Clothesline on the floor. Shamrock gets a chair. Uh oh. The ref tries to take it away. Shamrock tosses the ref down! Rock gets the chair and whacks Shamrock with it right in the face! Cover for 2. Shamrock hits a back elbow and a sort of dropkick. Powerslam for 2. The ankle lock is on! Rock taps! Shamrock finally wins the title! After the bell the Nation guys try to jump but Shamrock belly to belly suplexes them all, even Mark Henry. The ankle lock is back on. Faarooq comes out. He starts to get in the ring, stops.....he flips Rock off and leaves him to die! Big story culmination there. A gaggle of refs finally get Shamrock off. Shamrock snaps and belly to bellys the plant indie wrestler refs and officials. While that's going on the Rock gets taken out on a stretcher. The real refs and officials come in. After a discussion, and Fink doing a very rare Lillian botch (think the mic fritzed), it's announced that the decision has been reversed and Rock wins by DQ! An enraged Shamrock charges up the aisle, dumps Rock off the stretcher, and tosses him around the band area before dropping the belt on him and leaving. As a general rule you want definitive finishes on the biggest show of the year, but I'll be damned if this doesn't work good. They knew Rock was finally starting to get real traction and wisely wanted to keep going with it. This is totally in character for him, and it kept in Shamrock's character as a wild loose canon that could barely control himself. The match was as good as could be with them having to rush it for all the postmatch stuff to fit in. **

 

Dumpster Match for the WWF Tag Team Championship: Cactus Jack and Chainsaw Charlie def The New Age Outlaws (c) in 10:01- So what is a Dumpster Match? Well, it's exactly like a Casket Match except it's a dumpster instead of a casket, and the dumpster had two lids instead of one. This stip came about from the famous moment on Raw where the Outlaws tossed Jack and Funk off the stage in a dumpster, giving JR one of his greatest "THERE'S HUMAN BEINGS IN THERE GODDAMMIT" moments. As soon as Dogg's usual promo is over we're fighting on the floor. Jack runs Dogg into the dumpster then hits him with a running knee against it. Dogg fights being put inside. Jack whacks him with what I think is a cake pan. There's a whole kitchen set of baking pans down there. Jack sets up for a dive off the apron. Gunn uses a baseball slide to push Dogg out of the way and Jack crashes into the dumpster! Very well done. Funk gets backdropped from the ring into the dumpster! Dogg Russian leg sweeps Jack against the dumpster. Funk gets out. The heels smash the lids down on both Jack and Funk's heads. Repeatedly. Jack's in. Gunn rips Funk's shirt off and chops him. Funk is in. One lid is shut. Jack just stops the second one being closed. Mandible Claw on Dogg! And Gunn! Dogg gets dragged into the dumpster. Cookie sheet shots fly for everyone. They actually get in the ring for a second with both Jack and Funk hitting neckbreakers. Jack hits Gunn with the Cactus Elbow using a cookie sheet. Funk DDTs Dogg on a cookie sheet in the ring. Jack gets a ladder out from under the ring and sets it up inside. He climbs. Gunn climbs on the other side and they slug it out on the ladder. Dogg whacks Funk, who falls backward into the ladder, knocking it over and knocking both Jack and Gunn off it into the dumpster! Gunn powerbombs Funk into the dumpster. Jack is out and the Outlaws drag him all the way past the stage to the back. TV goes into some replays of the big ladder spot while they try to find a camera backstage. We're back to Gunn and Dogg knocking Jack around backstage with lots of noisy things falling. Jack comes back with chairshots to both heels. Double underhook DDT to Dogg on a wooden palette! A palette that's attached to a forklift. Jack tosses Gunn on top of Dogg while Funk hops on the controls and raises the palette up. Wait, there's a dumpster back here! Funk uses the forklift to dump Gunn and Dogg into it! Jack closes the lids and it's over! For good measure Funk blocks the lids from reopening with the palette. New champs! Very innovative and fun plunder brawl and a very clever finish. ***1/4

It would turn out that finish was too clever for its own good. The next night on Raw Jack and Funk were forced to relinquish the titles because they didn't put the Outlaws in the legal dumpster. The title change did stay on the books however. The same teams had a rematch in a steel cage later that night, won by the Outlaws for their second title win.

Next up is a long recap of the Undertaker/Kane saga. After months of teasing Kane made his big debut at Badd Blood in October and cost Taker the first Hell in a Cell match to Shawn Michaels. Kane repeatedly tried to get Taker to fight him but Taker steadfastly refused to fight his own brother. Around the first of the year Kane appeared to accept that and even indicated he might be back on Taker's side.....until he cost Taker his title match at the Royal Rumble, also against Shawn Michaels, then lit the casket Taker was in on fire. After Taker came back from the dead (again) he was finally ready to fight his own flesh and blood. They spent the rest of the time before WM throwing lightning bolts at each other. Over the top, but being Taker and Kane it worked.

Before the match Pete Rose comes out to be the special guest ring announcer. Yes, I'm sure you know what's coming. First Rose builds some heat up for himself by running down the Red Sox, who can't win a World Series, and throws out a lot of Billy Buckner jokes. Man, it's been nearly 20 damn years since the Curse was broken, and the Sox have won three more titles since then. It's almost hard to remember back to when the Curse was still a thing. Kane comes out, sees Rose, scoops him up and Tombstones him! The tradition begins. Afterward Taker gets his full druid special entrance.

 

The Undertaker def Kane (w/Paul Bearer) in 17:05- Taker and Kane go nose to nose in an iconic image. Taker gets the first shot. Kane slowly backs up but otherwise is unfazed. Kane gets a back elbow and they go back and forth in the corner. Short clothesline from Kane. Taker tries a crossbody but Kane catches him and drops him upside down in the corner. Taker's being manhandled in a way he never has before, even with all the superheavyweights he spent years wrestling. Corner whips with Taker absolutely flying into the buckles. Taker gets draped across the top rope and Kane hits a fistdrop off the top. The beatdown continues. Taker works his way up into an electric chair position but Kane drops him. They go outside and Taker gets dropped on the guardrail. Kane drops the steps on him. Bearer gets some cheap shots in. Kane suplexes Taker off the apron back in. Taker hits a clothesline out of the corner. Kane with a choke slam! He covers but pulls Taker up at 2, wanting to inflict more punishment. Taker fights out of a chinlock. The comeback is cut off with a Kane clothesline. Another chinlock. Taker slowly works up and drops Kane on the top rope. A big boot sends Kane off the apron but he lands on his feet. Taker goes for his over the top tope! Kane dodges and Taker CRASHES INTO THE SPANISH ANNOUNCE TABLE! Savinovich down! Kane hits a clothesline off the top back in and covers for 2. Back and forth slugging. Taker scoops! Kane reverses! Tombstone! Taker kicks out! Taker punches finally start to stagger Kane. A clothesline puts Kane down for the first time all match. Scoop. Taker Tombstone! Kane kicks out! Huge legdrop from Taker. A second Tombstone! Kane BARELY gets a shoulder up again! Taker clothesline off the top rope. A THIRD Tombstone! Kane finally can't get back up and Taker wins! A pissed of Bearer throws a chair in after the bell. He gets in the ring. Taker sees him and down goes Bearer! Kane whacks Taker with the chair, Tombstones him on it, and leaves. This was a heavyweight fight for the ages. Two guys throwing the biggest haymakers, no one staying down for long, fantastic storytelling. Even without the postmatch angle Kane lost nothing in defeat as Taker had to almost literally murder him to keep him down for a 3 count. This is easily the first truly good match of the Streak. Taker goes to 7-0 at WM. ***1/2

 

WWF Championship: "Stone Cold" Steve Austin def "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels (c) (w/Triple H and Chyna) in 20:08- Mike Tyson is the special guest enforcer for this match, and openly on the side of DX. Shawn is coming in with a legitimately hurt back from hitting it on the casket in his match at the Rumble and is just trying to gut through it before what's expected to be a long recovery. This is also the official finale for the greatest wrestling title belt ever made, the winged eagle, after almost exactly 10 years of service. The Attitude Era modified winged eagle will take over after this show. Full on Austin pop in Boston, while Shawn is not liked in Boston at all. Shawn gets a live play in of the DX theme for his entrance. Shawn dances around at the start trying to annoy Austin. Not sure how smart that is. Austin lets him know he's number one with both hands. Shawn ducks lockups and hits jabs. Austin charges and Shawn runs around the ring and back in. Austin nails him with a hard forearm followed by buckle shots. Shawn tries to get away again but Austin grabs his tights and we get the mandatory late '90 Shawn ass exposure. Austin backdrops Shawn over the top rope and down onto HHH! HHH attacks Austin from behind and runs him into the guardrail. That pisses ref Mike Chioda (working his first WM main event with Hebner in the hospital) off. He has a word with Fink, and Fink announces that HHH and Chyna are OUTTA HERE! While they're arguing Shawn hits a double ax handle off the apron. Austin takes HHH out as he's leaving! Shawn clotheslines him from behind. He grabs a cymbal from the band area and throws it on Austin. Austin gets whipped into the dumpster from the tag title match. They work their way back to the ring. Shawn comes off the top rope but Austin catches him. Shawn flip in the corner at 150 MPH! That was nuts. Inverted atomic drop from Austin. Austin hits his old WCW finisher, the stun gun, for 2. Shawn slips out of a Stunner attempt. Austin punches him off the apron and Shawn falls onto the main announce table. Vintage Austin elbows back in for 2. Shawn jawbreakers out of a chinlock. Shawn tries to post Austin's knee but Austin pulls him into the post. Shawn backdrops Austin over the guardrail into the crowd! Bell shot from Shawn! At this point it becomes clear how bad Shawn's back is bothering him. He's visibly fighting it and will continue to do so the rest of the match. He keeps Austin grounded back in to try to preserve his back for later in the match. After a snap mare Shawn really winces, cranks his back and shouts "Damn it!". Gut stomp and Shawn flips the crowd off. Austin takedown! He pummels Shawn! Shawn gets tossed over the top to the floor. He gets Austin down and this time successfully posts his knee, then starts picking it apart. Austin pushes Shawn into the corner and rolls him up for 2. Shawn gets back on the knee. Austin goes outside to try to get some space. Shawn baseball slides him into the announce table! Tyson throws Austin back in. Austin argues with Tyson about that and Shawn clips his knee. Figure four! Serious rope leverage from Shawn and he gets some near falls. Austin drags Shawn to the middle of the ring away from the ropes, a nice and smart reversal of what usually happens, and reverses it. Shawn lets go. Quick Austin punches. Post slingshot for 2. Shawn hooks on a sleeper. Austin backs him into the corner, but Chioda gets squashed in the mix and is down. Austin drops Shawn on the top turnbuckle. Corner mudhole stomp. Backdrop. Shawn hits the flying forearm. Kip up! Top rope elbow. The band tunes up. Austin ducks the superkick! Shawn escapes the Stunner again! Another superkick duck. Kick wham Stunner! Tyson comes in and counts 3! Austin wins the title! It was a fast count but whatever. During his celebration Austin offers Tyson an Austin 3:16 shirt and Tyson accepts. Shawn gets up and is not happy with Tyson. Tyson decks Shawn! There's a handful of matches you can point to in WWF/E history that are without question era changing matches. This is one of them. The match itself doesn't quite get up to great but Shawn did the best he could with the condition he was in. In the immortal words of JR, the Austin era has begun. ***3/4

Shawn would end up officially retiring after this match, losing over 4 years of his career to the back injury before returning for Summerslam 2002. Of course during that time he was able to fix himself emotionally and spiritually, so in the end it was probably a plus. He'd also still make semi-regular appearances on TV in other roles in the intervening time as well. Meanwhile, the following night on Raw Triple H would assume official leadership of DX while bringing in new members: the New Age Outlaws, and the returning Sean Waltman as X-Pac, formerly the 1-2-3 Kid in New Generation era WWF and NWO member Syxx in WCW.

 

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- There's no single match that will blow you away or make any all time great WM matches lists, but there's consistent quality top to bottom from a period not generally known for in-ring quality. Add in the historical significance of the last two matches, and you've got a damn solid Wrestlemania.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: B