WWF WrestleMania X8

WrestleMania X8 was an interesting one for me, as I had completely checked out as a fan over the summer of 2001, and pretty much ordered it strictly out of tradition – which dated back to my first pay per view ‘Mania in 1995. I remember being quite disappointed with the show at the time – one notable exception – though I’m excited to rewatch with over ten years of perspective.

For the WWF, this was the first WrestleMania truly promoted after the end of the Monday Night Wars (you can’t count X-7, as they had only bought WCW, like, the week before), and also the last promoted under the ‘WWF’ banner – which they would change later that spring. Despite having won the war, much of the reason I remember being let down by this show in 2002 was lack of any truly great cross promotional showdowns – again with one very notable exception. This was also the first WrestleMania to truly start the now overdone strategy of selling the show on the brand name over the card – a lot of the promotion focusing less on matches or feuds, and more on the fact that those matches would be taking place at WrestleMania.

From Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler – a group of my friends among the near seventy thousand fans at SkyDome.


Opening WWF Intercontinental Title Match: William Regal v Rob Van Dam: They waste no time slugging it out at the bell, and Van Dam catches him with a spinkick and a standing moonsault. Blind charge misses, however, so Regal tries to blast him with a pair of knux - only to get spinkicked again. Five Star Frogsplash splats, however, and Regal gets a series of two counts off of it. RVD still catches him with a bodypress for two, and a backslide for two, so Regal suplexes him to shut his face. Well executed neckbreaker gets two, and a double-underhook powerbomb gets two. Another, but Van Dam railroads him into the corner, and monkey flips him out. Another spinkick, but Regal counters into a brutal looking half-nelson suplex. Van Dam wisely rolls to the floor to catch a breather after that, but Regal's right after him - only to run into yet another spinkick, and get Frogsplashed at 6:20. They tried to pack a lot into the few minutes they had, and while there was some nice, hard hitting spots from Regal, Rob's tendency to do showy flips really hurt the match. * ½

WWF European Title Match: Diamond Dallas Page v Christian: Page stupidly charges in to the high-ground holding Christian, and gets predictably stomped. He recovers with a gutbuster, and a Cactus-clothesline allows him to ram Christian into the rail a couple of times. Back inside for a ten-punch, but Christian counters with a stungun, and dumps him off of the apron into the rail. Inside, Christian with an abdominal stretch, but Page gets uppity, so he drops him with an inverted DDT to the knee for two. To the top rope, Page slams him off, and hits a discus punch to set up a sit-out powerbomb for two. Diamond Cutter, but Christian counters into an inverted DDT for two. He's shocked he didn't get the fall off of it, and while he regroups, Page stuns him with the Cutter to retain at 6:10. Well paced, but not well worked, and total TV booking. ¾*

WWF Hardcore Title Match: Maven v Goldust: Maven is best known as the winner of the WWF's first Tough Enough reality show contest, and to say no one cared about him would be grossly (almost criminally) understating the case. Goldust doesn't care, either, jumping him on his way into the ring, and hitting a clothesline off of the ring apron. Hardcore cookie sheet gets involved, and a slingshot onto the hardcore trashcan - but Maven dodges, and whacks Goldust with it. Maven with an inside cradle for two, but Goldust gives him a neckbreaker, and a forward falling suplex. He finds a hardcore shovel next, but apparently beating a guy with a metal shovel isn't hardcore enough, so he goes back to the trashcan. Double knockout off of a dueling trashcan bit, and Spike Dudley sees an opening, runs in, and pins champion Maven at 3:17 to win the title. This began a series of silly bits that ran for the rest of the show, where Hurricane, Molly Holly, and Christian all won the title in various goofy backstage bits, until Maven pinned Christian to end up champion again. I was sick of this title/gimmick in 2002, and revisiting it did nothing for me. DUD

Kane v Kurt Angle: Angle blasts Kane with the ring bell as he sets off his pyro, and German suplexes him when Kane tries to fight back. Kane tries a backelbow and a chokeslam to come back, but misses a blind charge, and gets overhead suplexed. Pair of lariats allow Kurt to choke away, and a side suplex gets two. Angle with a front-facelock, but Kane fires back with a sidewalk slam - only to get caught in the rolling German suplexes for two. Flying clothesline, but a second try gets him decked on the way down for a double knockout. Slugfest goes Kane's way, and a big boot sets up a backdrop. Cross corner clothesline and a tilt-a-whirl powerslam get two, and a chokeslam for two. Tombstone, but Kurt counters by tugging at the mask, and an Angle-slam gets two. Anklelock, but Kane doesn't know the meaning of the word 'submission' (to be fair, he doesn't know the meaning of a lot of words), and counters into an enzuigiri. To the top for a flying clothesline, but Kurt runs the ropes, and hiptosses him off to set up another Angle-slam, but Kane counters into a chokeslam - only to get countered into a cradle to give Kurt the pinfall at 10:43. Angle was one of the best wrestlers in the world at this point, but was completely wasted here, just going through the motions in a total TV match just here to give both guys something to do. ¾*

No Holds Barred Match: The Undertaker v Ric Flair: Though mentioned in passing before, this was the first year 'the Streak' was an actual selling point for the match - though nowhere near the level it would build into a few years later. They waste no time with staredowns, going right into a brawl, and spilling to the floor - where Flair takes control, until ‘Taker posts him. Back inside, Flair botches the Flair Flip, but manages it on the 2^nd try, and eats boot. Kinda weird to think he seemed like he was finishing his run then (not even being able to pull off moves named after him, and all), and he’s still going today. Flair does a noteworthy bladejob (which is... why I’m noting it), and ‘Taker hits a superplex for two. Odd transition there, as UT actually physically put him on the top for the superplex, when it looked like he was supposed to end up there on his own, but another attempt at a Flair Flip failed. Leaping elbowdrop misses, and Flair chops away, but ‘Taker no sells, and it’s ropewalk time - only for him to get slammed off by the man who knows more about that than anyone. More chopping, but ‘Taker with a sidewalk slam for two. Big boot misses, and they end up on the floor, with Flair using a piece of ‘Taker’s motorcycle as a weapon. Back in, Flair gets the Figure Four, but ‘Taker chokeslams him to break for two. Undertaker decides to abuse the referee (‘cause that’s the appropriate response when you fail – beat on someone smaller than you who had nothing to do with it), and turns his attention back to finishing Flair with the motorcycle pipe, but Arn Anderson runs in out of nowhere with a spinebuster, giving Flair a two count. Undertaker grabs poor Arn (who actually bothers to blade), but Flair saves with a chair. It doesn’t last long, however, and it’s Last Ride powerbomb time. They botch it, however, but they cover nicely by saying Flair was ‘countering’ it, and the Tombstone finishes him properly at 18:47. This could have stood to shave ten minutes off (trimming all of the punchy-kicky stuff I glossed over, that made up a good bulk of the match), but a decent brawl, otherwise. * ½

Edge v Booker T: Booker calls him a 'sucka' during the staredown, and it's on - both guys trading closed fists at the bell. Criss cross allows Edge a dropkick, and cutter for two, but he gets stungunned coming out of the ropes again. Booker with a roundhouse kick for two, and a clothesline puts Edge on the outside for an axehandle off of the apron. Inside, Booker with a missile dropkick for two, and a whiplash slam for two. Back up top, but Edge crotches him this time, and brings him down with a sloppy rana. Spinheel kick and a pair of clotheslines, but the Edge-O-Matic only gets two. Flying spinheel kick for two, and a slingshot into the post - but a blind charge follow-up misses. Booker with another roundhouse kick, and the axe kick gets two. Another attempt at a kick sees Edge counter into a DDT (stopping to hilariously mock the spin-a-rooni in the process) for the pin at 6:33. Hey, the parade of TV matches continues! Both guys worked hard here, but it was sloppy, and disjointed. ¾*

Steve Austin v Scott Hall: Austin gets right to stomping a mud hole, and unloads on Hall with a series of chops in the corner. Thesz Press and Austin takes him into the corner to feed him about two dozen helpings of turnbuckles. Scott wisely bails to regroup, but Austin runs out after him, and rams him into the steps before he can catch his breath. Inside, Hall returns fire with  some nice chops of his own, and whips Austin into a turnbuckle Kevin Nash exposed for him (Kevin Nash? Exposing someone? Oh, how the tables have turned!). Pair of cross corner clotheslines set up a blockbuster for two, and a short-clothesline gets two. Sloppy spinebuster turns the tide for Austin, and the Stunner looks to finish - but Kevin Nash pulls the referee out at two. He heads in to beat Austin proper, but Steve Stuns them both, and gets a dramatic two count when another referee runs in. Nash gets involved again, allowing Hall the Edge - but Steve counters by backdropping him to the floor. Meanwhile, the nWo conditioned crowd has all turned their attention to the entrance area waiting for someone to run in, but no one does - instead Hall catching Austin with a Stunner for a dramatic two count. Another try, but Austin reverses, and finishes Hall with two well-sold Stunners at 9:53. Austin was terribly unhappy in this feud, and it came through in his performance - just sort of going through the motions, and the crowd reacting accordingly. ½*

WWF Tag Team Title Four-Corners Elimination Match: Billy and Chuck v The APA v The Dudley Boyz v The Hardy Boyz: Saliva play the Dudley's down live, but the only thing that made me salivate during all this is the presence of Stacy Keibler. Everyone jumps the champs on the way in, and the dusts settles on Chuck Palumbo starting with Bradshaw - and getting destroyed. Faarooq tags in to have his way with the champ, but misses a blind charge, and gets double-teamed in the corner. Billy Gunn tries the Fameasser, but telegraphs it (move than usual) and gets powerslammed by Faarooq before scrambling to tag D-Von Dudley. The match completely falls apart there, as everyone starts missing cues, and the Dudley's put Bradshaw out of his misery with the Dudley Death Drop at 3:25. That brings in the Hardy's, and of course, that brings in a bunch of tables from the Dudley's in response. Stacy tries to calm them down by literally bending over, but Jeff Hardy spanks her for her troubles. Of course, today, only Danny Ocean gets to do that, but this was still 2002. The Dudley’s and Hardy’s desperately try to recreate some of their memorable spots from the various TLC matches, but fail miserably - plodding around like this is their first match. Not even with each other... as in, their first match period. Bubba Dudley ends up missing a 2^nd rope senton on Matt Hardy, and Jeff gives him a Swanton Bomb to send the Dudley's home at 11:49. That leaves the champs, and the Hardy's try flying around with various springboards, but Billy bashes Jeff with the title belt, and Chuck pins him at 13:51 to retain. DUD - only saved from negative stars by a few nice Hardy Boyz spots.

Hollywood Hulk Hogan v The Rock: Despite being a mega-heel, Hogan gets a HUGE nostalgia babyface pop on the way in - to the point where even he looks shocked. Big staredown to start, and the crowd looks about ready to riot in support of Hogan - both guys not sure what to make of it. They milk it for a while (if you look closely, you can see the gears turning in Hulk's head), and when Hogan overpowers him out of the initial lockup, the place explodes like he just slammed Andre the Giant. Hollywood side-headlock, and Hogan hitting a simple shoulderblock draws another earth shaking ovation. Rock comes back with a jumping clothesline out of a criss cross, and slugs Hogan to the floor. Rock follows with a clothesline as he regroups, and another clothesline on the way back in sets up the Rock Bottom - but Hogan elbows free. Hogan with a series of elbowdrops, and a cross corner clothesline to set up a side suplex for two. Abdominal stretch into a rollup for two, and a ten-punch count, but Rock counters into a series of chops - only to get chokeslammed when charging out of the corner. Hogan chokes him with his wrist tape, but the crowd still loves him, and he wins a slugfest by dumping Rocky to the outside. Inside, another slugfest ends with the referee getting bumped, and Rock's spinebuster sets up a Sharpshooter - but the referee isn't there to see Hogan tapping out. Rock breaks the hold to go revive him, allowing Hulk to blow him low, and hit his own Rock Bottom for a dramatic two count. Hogan takes off the weightlifting belt for a couple of licks, but walks into a DDT out of the ropes, and Rock returns the favor with the belt. Rock Bottom, but it only gets two, 'cause Hogan's HULKING UP!! Fists of Fury! Big Boot! Legdrop! Two?!? The crowd nearly has a heart attack, so Hogan tries another big boot/legdrop, but misses the legdrop, and takes another Rock Bottom. Rock adds another for good measure, and the People's Elbow seals the deal at 16:23. Afterwards, a battered Hogan offers Rocky his hand, and they embrace before posing together - the crowd losing their minds. This was a 'WrestleMania Moment' - not a great wrestling match by any means, no, but an amazing roller coaster ride. Watching live, I was practically yelling at the TV cheering for Hogan, and even my friends there in Toronto (all of us who had spent the last few years absolutely hating Hogan) were won over. It still remains one of the longest sustained pops I have ever heard, it still remains fun over ten years later, and all that was missing was 'Real American' blaring in the background during the finale. The WWF knew it, too, and Hogan would bring back the yellow-and-red act shortly after - taking it all the way to the World title the next month at Backlash. I also saw him doing his nostalgia act live at a TV taping that April, and I'm pretty sure I lost a significant amount of hearing because the place got so batshit crazy. *

WWF Women's Title Triple Threat Match: Jazz v Lita v Trish Stratus: This is the perfect spot on the card for this, as the crowd is just done after the last match (some literally - hitting the concession stands), and this is a perfect breather. Even Trish Stratus - covered head to toe in the maple leaf - can't get a pop. Both girls gang up on Jazz right away (not racism - she's the champion, after all), but Jazz butterfly suplexes Lita to slow them down. Trish bulldogs Lita for two, but gets fisher(wo)man's suplexed by Jazz for two. They run the 'spot, other competitor breaks up the fall' routine for a bit, until Jazz finishes Lita with a superplex at 6:16. Everyone worked hard, but this just didn't work. ¼*

Main Event: WWF & WCW Unified World Title Match: Chris Jericho v Triple H: Jericho had unified the WWF and WCW World Titles in December in a Triple Threat match with Steve Austin and The Rock - another of the missed opportunities during the Invasion, as nothing seemed more logical than building to a WWF guy and a WCW guy battling to unify them on the grandest stage. Triple H has his shitty band du jour (Drowning Pool) play him out live, but Jericho could care less - going right after Hunter's bad leg. He gets backdropped for his troubles, but HHH stupidly uses the bad leg for a high knee, and Jericho returns the backdropping favor - dropping him to the floor off of it. He tries a flying bodypress out after him, but Hunter catches him from the apron, and launches him into the rail. Suplex on the floor, and he heads for the Spanish announce table - only for Chris to kick at the leg. Inside, Jericho works the part, but Hunter counters into a Figure Four until wife Stephanie McMahon (aligned with Jericho at this point) breaks it up. HHH brings her in for a Pedigree, but Jericho's right there with a missile dropkick to break it up, and he posts the knee for being a wife beating asshole. Ringpost figure four gets broken up by the referee, and Jericho wastes no time hooking a leglock instead - only to get shoved off into the post. HHH neckbreaker and a lariat for two, but he again makes the mistake of using the knee, and pays for it. He still manages a spinebuster slam for two, but a cross corner whip gets reversed, and Hunter goes crashing over the top off of it. Jericho decides to get crazy by hooking the Walls of Jericho on the announce table, but HHH powers out before he can lock it on, and tries the Pedigree - only to get backdropped from the English announce table through the Spanish one. Inside, Jericho throws in a Lionsault for two, and shows signs of frustration as he unsuccessfully tries for the Walls again - Hunter powering into the Pedigree, but getting reversed into a proper Walls of Jericho. HHH struggles for the ropes, and now openly frustrated, Jericho goes for a chair - only to have it kicked back in his face. HHH DDT onto it gets two, so Stephanie tries to finish him with it herself - only to get Pedigreed for her troubles. The distraction allows Jericho to bash him with the chair (way to take one for the team, Stephanie!), but it only gets two. Jericho Pedigree, but Hunter counters into a slingshot, only for Jericho to springboard off of the 2^nd rope - and right into the Pedigree to give Triple H the victory at 18:40. Psychologically sound, and the match of night, but the crowd was totally wasted after Rock/Hogan (some likely actually wasted), and they couldn't draw the reaction they needed - both men since openly admitting they wish they hadn't gone on last. **

BUExperience: No wonder I was disappointed with this RAW is Pay Per View in 2002. Rock/Hogan is pretty much the definition of ‘epic,’ and the show was certainly successful (while not as commercially successful as the year before, X8 pulled in some of the promotions best numbers – especially to that point), but it’s not enough to warrant sitting thorough this underwhelming mess. Hogan’s face turn succeeded in briefly getting me back into the product (Hogan alone responsible for the last wrestling t-shirt I ever bought, and my attendance at a live show), but as a show it just doesn’t work – filled with TV matches, long breaks to watch random bands perform, and totally falling apart by the time it gets to the main event. DUD