WRESTLEMANIA X-7 vs. WRESTLEMANIA X-8?

[Guest EI Cubano]

Hey, this started in another thread but since it's more or less a fresh topic I figured "what the hay, let's start fresh over". Basically when you have a forum chalk full of rasslin fans debate over the best blank ever are going to arise. A top issue of debate is always best PPV ever with WMX-7, WMX-8 and the Bash 89 always being top choices. While comparing NWA 89 to WWE 2002 is too "apples and oranges" for my liking, it more or less comes down to the past two Wrestlemania's taking eachother on for the top slot. I am so overwhelmingly jacked for SummerSlam and the card is so good from top to bottom that I truly believe it may be capable of taking the top spot, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

 

Anyway, I seemed to have created quite the ruckus when I claimed I found WMX-8 to be more enjoyable than X-7 and what I simply mean is this. If I don't take the time to add Keith's star ratings together for every match and then divide the total by ñ, but simply look back at how much I enjoyed the 3 and a half hours of each show while they occurred, I came out of WMX-8 more pumped than I have ever been about a show. I am a bigger mark for entertainment than workrate these days, and I no doubt think that WMX-7 may have had better worked matches on the card, but Rock/Austin was done before and I personally thought that Vince McMahon's ridiculous over involvement as well as the failed attempt to turn Steve Austin heel in his own home region made the main event a little flat. Hogan/Rock WAS the very definition of a dream match in every way possible and, along with WM3, one of the two single most historic and memorable matches in WWE/WWF history. Sure HHH/Jericho sucked ass but no worse than HHH/Taker sucked the year before, another opinion many will prolly disagree on. Anyway, arguing over favorites is silly because no one throwing star ratings my way is going to make me change my mind and me bantering like the fool that I am certainly won't change yours. By the way, since we are talking about this, I did a long write up on WMX-8 that I don't believe ever saw the light of day on the Smarks due to the server being down at the time and then the 411 switch over. A little more clarification on my opinion....

 

It is 1:30AM Eastern Standard Time as I write and we are roughly two hours removed from one of the greatest installments of Wrestlemania in the events eighteen year history. The World Wrestling Federation had high hopes for tonight's event and promised it to be "history in the making" and they certainly delivered on that statement this evening.

Wrestlemania X-8 brought 68,000 fans to the Toronto Skydome and the night's eleven matches kept the record crowd on the edge of their seats for the duration of the evening.

I watched tonight's pay-per-view at A.J.'s Sports Bar in Tallahassee as always and the crowd tonight was the largest that I have ever seen for a show at the bar. Fifty fans were even turned away because the maximum capacity had been filled. About four hundred fans were in attendance this evening and the crowd was so unbelievably rowdy and just ecstatic to be watching the show that it really made me realize why I love wrestling so much. The level of excitement for the Hogan/Rock showdown was unlike anything that I have ever seen in my three years of watching pay-per-views in public venues and the match brought out the mark in me for the first time in ages. Unfortunately, the next 24 hours will probably see dozens of net writers huddle around their computers in a piping-hot fit because the dream match garnered so much attention. My opinion? Fuck Armbars, the hell with psychology and leave planchas entirely out of the mix. The goal of the WWF is to create matches that draw not only money but attention from the mainstream. The WWF aims to rekindle nostalgia and imagination in fans who have long since stopped watching the WWF and in that task the federation had overwhelming success this evening. I heard the phrase "old school vs. new school" dozens of time tonight and saw an excitement in the eyes of fans that the WWF has been sorely missing for quite some time now.

For all of the "smart" fans who bitch and moan month in and month out that the WWF doesn't give you what you want I've got news for you, I don't blame the WWF. NOTHING is ever good enough for you and nothing can EVER be done to make you happy. The WWF brought in Ric Flair, put the title on the internet's darling Chris Jericho and now people are just finding other things to complain about. Sure, I do my fair share of criticizing as well but I at least take the time to appreciate the good which dominates the WWF product. A large percentage of "smart" fans sit by their televisions on Monday evenings like a pack of coyotes ready to pounce at the first sign of something that they don't approve of or don't yet understand because the storyline has not yet climaxed. When your glass is always going to be half empty maybe you shouldn't even bother drinking the juice in the first place.

The point I am trying to make is this; If you didn't enjoy a single second of Wrestlemania, thought that the encounter between Hulk Hogan and the Rock sucked and are asking yourself "who booked this crap", then maybe it is time for you to start channeling your energy into something you actually enjoy and stop wasting away precious moments of your life on a hobby you no longer enjoy. The truth of the matter is that 90% of the WWF audience most likely loved Wrestlemania and if you are in that 10% than maybe instead of pinning the problem on the WWF, you should stop and gaze in the nearest mirror.

Well, not that we have that out of our system, the results for Wrestlemania X-8...

Rob Van Dam defeated William Regal for the WWF Intercontinental Championship:

In the early course of the match the fans are loudly vocal in their approval of RVD who misses the Five Star Frog Splash early in the match. William Regal returned to offense and connected with a half-nelson to belly-to-back suplex that saw Rob land with his full body weight on his neck and fold over the top of his head. The move looked as though it could have legitimately killed RVD. The obligatory wacky brass knuckle mishap spot works against Regal who is hit with the Frog Splash for the win by Rob Van Dam who is your new IC champion, a reign which I see lasting a very long time.

Diamond Dallas Page defeated Christian to retain the European Championship:

As I stated in my Wrestlemania preview, no one expected anything out of this match and it certainly was a pleasant surprise for most as the two put on a short yet fun match that saw each man fight out of each other's finisher with DDP hitting a diamond cutter at the end to pin Christian cleanly. Could this be the beginning of a push for DDP? While I was initially less than thrilled at the prospect of my personal favorite active member of the WWF roster jobbing to DDP, Christian is actually kind of getting a push of sorts with all of his losses. The "frustrated former tag team wrestler who can't seem to find a formula that works" is actually somewhat compelling and it should work out nicely when Christian finally does find what it takes to succeed.

Maven retains the Hardcore Title after a somewhat humorous string of events:

The match begins with Maven entering the ring to what has got to be the best theme song in the WWF. Goldust has a plethora of what his father would call "plunder" and it is all spray painted gold. After some brawling Spike Dudley charged the ring and pinned Maven for the Hardcore title. Before he can even recover Crash Holly chases him out of the ring and through the crowd. In the backstage area the Hurricane swings across the set on a rope in a truly hilarious scene and covers Spike for the three count. The central theme of the match from this point on is that the wrestler holding the title is trying to creep out of the building without any other wrestlers seeing them and taking the 24-7 rule into consideration. This concept is tremendously well booked (yes, I did say that) and effective in getting people onto the card who otherwise didn't have a spot. The Hurricane hides behind a shade while the Godfather and his hoes convene in the dressing room. While one of the hoes takes her top off the camera pans back to show Shane Helms with goofy face paint peering at the woman with his entire head over the shade. Hilarious! Mighty Molly appears, points towards the "Hurricave" and when Helms looks she plants him in the back of the head with a frying pan and wins the hardcore title. While trying to escape the building, Molly meets a swinging door courtesy of Christian and he makes the three count. Christian gets two inches away from his get away car, holds the title in the air and is blindsided by Maven who pins him and takes off in the getaway car as the new hardcore champion, further solidifying Christian's character as the guy who always manages to screw up a can't lose situation.

Many of you probably think I am crazy for enjoying the hardcore match so much, but given the option between this creatively booked match and Raven with a shopping cart full of props, I think the first is a little less played out.

Kurt Angle defeated Kane:

This match was much better than I was expecting and Kurt Angle proved once again to be the best pure wrestler pound for pound in the world, and he did so in a spiffy new pair of tights. Kurt Angle was insanely over with the people in my bar and the crowd in Canada once again proving that he gets a better face reaction as a heel than he does when he plays the part of the babyface. Angle worked the Angle lock on Kane and connected with an incredible top rope Olympic Slam that had to be seen to be believed. The end of the match came with Angle using the ropes for leverage to get the three count on Kane.

The Undertaker defeated Ric Flair:

The Undertaker rode to the ring on his motorcycle as customary and "The Nature Boy" styled and profiled down the lengthy Toronto walkway in one of his trademark robes. Flair showed remarkable agility for a man his age and worked very well with the Undertaker. The match seemed a bit long but was well paced. Both men bladed and the highpoint of the match occurred when the Taker was running the ropes and Arn Anderson appeared out of nowhere, caught the Undertaker in full running momentum and PLANTED him with a picture perfect spinebuster. This worked the crowd into a frenzy which culminated in Flair locking the Undertaker into a figure four leglock. The match continued and at damn near the thirty minute mark, the Undertaker drove Ric Flair to the mat with a tombstone piledriver and got the clean three count. These two men put on one hell of a match and regardless of how you fell about the outcome, they should be commended for their efforts.

Edge defeated Booker T:

This match had the unenviable position of following a Ric Flair/Undertaker clinic that had the fans on the edges of their seats for 28:20 (Pwtorch) of non stop adrenaline. While this match was solid, the only thing that really stood out was the dueling Spinarooni's that Booker and Edge partook in. Edge caught Booker in his inverted DDT for the win and gave the babyface Edge a victory in his home country.

Steve Austin pinned Scott Hall:

In this relatively forgettable match it was glaringly obvious by Austin's mannerisms that he felt as though he didn't belong in the mid-card of Wrestlemania. Both men worked hard but the match seemed like more of a Smackdown match than the co-main-event of the greatest event of the year. Kevin Nash was very involved in the match and at one point blatantly dropped a cartoonish elbow on the referee, a scene which I found to be quite humorous. The content ended with Steve Austin clearing Nash out of the ring, hitting a Stunner on Scott Hall, kicking him in the midsection and hitting yet another Stunner which Hall sold as though he was wearing a pair of Nickelodeon Moon Shoes®. A relatively underwhelming finish to a match that no one seemed very confident with.

Billy & Chuck retained the World Tag Team Championship in a Four-Corners match with the Hardy Boyz, the Dudleyz and the A.P.A.

The Dudleyz walked to the ring while Saliva played some generic quasi-metal song that used the words "Toronto" and "Wrestlemania", the highlight being a little dance by Stacy Kiebler that I would be more than happy to watch again...SEVEN HUNDRED TIMES. Your typical non-stop action match between the teams with D-Von Dudley taking a particularly nasty head first bump through a table outside the ring. Billy & Chuck retain in a good move by the WWF to keep the momentum alive of the only team in the federation who has any these days.

The Rock defeated Hulk Hogan:

Without any reservations, I can honestly call March 17,2002's encounter between Hulk Hogan and the Rock the most epic battle that the WWF has seen in 15 years. This match had ungodly amounts of expectations to live up to and it surpassed all of them. Congratulations to Pat Patterson, Hulk Hogan and the Rock for building a match that will go down in the history as one of the most memorable matches in World Wrestling Federation history.

The fans gave Hulk Hogan a tremendous babyface reaction that seemed to visibly hit an emotional chord in Hogan who soaked in the moment. The Rock came down the aisle to an enormous pop accompanied by a chorus of boos from the traditionally anti-Rock Canadian crowd.

As the two stood center ring, a buzz of excitement filled the Toronto Skydome and my sports bar erupted. After finally locking up, Hulk Hogan threw the Rock to the mat and busted an old school Hogan pose which had people jumping out of their seats. As the match progressed the crowd seemed to shift more and more in favor of Hogan. Midway through the match the Rock caught Hogan with a Rock Bottom. At 2.999999, Hogan kicked out and "hulked up", a motion which had the grown men around me marking out like kids and the entire bar in a near riotous fit of excitement. Hogan battled back and delivered a big boot and the leg drop to the Rock who kicked out and set the crowd into another explosion. The Rock moved out of the way of a second leg drop attempt and hit Hogan with two consecutive Rock Bottoms. The Rock played dead for a few second before kipping to his feet and delivering the "People's Elbow" to Hogan and getting the three count for the victory in one of the most heated matches of all time.

After the match the two icons shook hands. Afterwards the nWo turned on Hogan who was aided by the Rock. Both men walked back to the ramp together and the crowd continued to go "bananas".

Jazz defeated Trish Stratus and Lita to win the WWF Women's Championship:

Honestly I don't remember a hell of a lot about this match yet something tells me you don't really care anyway. Jazz won the encounter somehow.

Triple H defeated Chris Jericho to win the WWF World Heavyweight Championship:

Not the ideal choice to close Wrestlemania in my opinion and it was evident by the crowd filing out of the Sports Bar and the SkyDome midway through. Their was no way anything could top the match between the Rock and Hulk Hogan and the crowd was so exhausted from not only the emotional roller coaster that the dream match was, but the fact that they were in the 4th hour of live action. Chris Jericho worked Triple H's leg for the first fifteen minutes of the match but in the end it was Helmsley hitting the pedigree on Jericho to win the World Heavyweight Championship. The fatigued crowd tried to conjure up SOME enthusiasm for the title change, but in the end the match came off as something that shouldn't have closed the greatest spectacle in Sports-Entertainment.

 

Well, There you have it. I believe I was about 75% accurate in my Wrestlemania predictions. Regardless, the show was one of the most memorable in Wrestlemania history and I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did.

 

Eight GILLION words later, which event do you think was better and why?

[Guest kane3212321]

I liked Rocky vs. Hogan, but like Austin vs. Rock a lot better as a match and I liked the mid and lower card better in X-Seven. Not one of the matches in X-8 held my attention except for Rocky and Hogan

[Guest Grenouille]

My vote goes to X7, but X8 was still an awesome show in opinion. I suppose it comes down to the main event. Personally I found Austin-Rock to be better than HHH-Jericho, which was very anticlimactic and had a finish that came out of nowhere.

[Guest myburninghammer]

I rewatched X-7 a few weeks back and to me it just feels like the apex, the pinnacle of the late 90s wrestling/sports entertainment boom rolled into one package, whereas X-8 is just apathy in motion and shampoo feuds (assuming there was even a reason given...). I think you can nitpick some things about X-7 (the finish to Angle/Benoit and Chyna come to mind), but the overall package--from the wrestling, to the crowd, to the look of the Astrodome--is just about the best delivery of a pro wrestling event I've ever seen. It's really the WWE's greatest moment.

[Guest Kahran Ramsus]

I didn't even like X-8, let alone think that it was one of the best PPVs ever.

[Guest GameCop]

Hey, this started in another thread but since it's more or less a fresh topic I figured "what the hay, let's start fresh over". Basically when you have a forum chalk full of rasslin fans debate over the best blank ever are going to arise. A top issue of debate is always best PPV ever with WMX-7, WMX-8 and the Bash 89 always being top choices. While comparing NWA 89 to WWE 2002 is too "apples and oranges" for my liking, it more or less comes down to the past two Wrestlemania's taking eachother on for the top slot. I am so overwhelmingly jacked for SummerSlam and the card is so good from top to bottom that I truly believe it may be capable of taking the top spot, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

 

Anyway, I seemed to have created quite the ruckus when I claimed I found WMX-8 to be more enjoyable than X-7 and what I simply mean is this. If I don't take the time to add Keith's star ratings together for every match and then divide the total by ñ, but simply look back at how much I enjoyed the 3 and a half hours of each show while they occurred, I came out of WMX-8 more pumped than I have ever been about a show. I am a bigger mark for entertainment than workrate these days, and I no doubt think that WMX-7 may have had better worked matches on the card, but Rock/Austin was done before and I personally thought that Vince McMahon's ridiculous over involvement as well as the failed attempt to turn Steve Austin heel in his own home region made the main event a little flat. Hogan/Rock WAS the very definition of a dream match in every way possible and, along with WM3, one of the two single most historic and memorable matches in WWE/WWF history. Sure HHH/Jericho sucked ass but no worse than HHH/Taker sucked the year before, another opinion many will prolly disagree on. Anyway, arguing over favorites is silly because no one throwing star ratings my way is going to make me change my mind and me bantering like the fool that I am certainly won't change yours. By the way, since we are talking about this, I did a long write up on WMX-8 that I don't believe ever saw the light of day on the Smarks due to the server being down at the time and then the 411 switch over. A little more clarification on my opinion....

 

It is 1:30AM Eastern Standard Time as I write and we are roughly two hours removed from one of the greatest installments of Wrestlemania in the events eighteen year history. The World Wrestling Federation had high hopes for tonight's event and promised it to be "history in the making" and they certainly delivered on that statement this evening.

Wrestlemania X-8 brought 68,000 fans to the Toronto Skydome and the night's eleven matches kept the record crowd on the edge of their seats for the duration of the evening.

I watched tonight's pay-per-view at A.J.'s Sports Bar in Tallahassee as always and the crowd tonight was the largest that I have ever seen for a show at the bar. Fifty fans were even turned away because the maximum capacity had been filled. About four hundred fans were in attendance this evening and the crowd was so unbelievably rowdy and just ecstatic to be watching the show that it really made me realize why I love wrestling so much. The level of excitement for the Hogan/Rock showdown was unlike anything that I have ever seen in my three years of watching pay-per-views in public venues and the match brought out the mark in me for the first time in ages. Unfortunately, the next 24 hours will probably see dozens of net writers huddle around their computers in a piping-hot fit because the dream match garnered so much attention. My opinion? Fuck Armbars, the hell with psychology and leave planchas entirely out of the mix. The goal of the WWF is to create matches that draw not only money but attention from the mainstream. The WWF aims to rekindle nostalgia and imagination in fans who have long since stopped watching the WWF and in that task the federation had overwhelming success this evening. I heard the phrase "old school vs. new school" dozens of time tonight and saw an excitement in the eyes of fans that the WWF has been sorely missing for quite some time now.

For all of the "smart" fans who bitch and moan month in and month out that the WWF doesn't give you what you want I've got news for you, I don't blame the WWF. NOTHING is ever good enough for you and nothing can EVER be done to make you happy. The WWF brought in Ric Flair, put the title on the internet's darling Chris Jericho and now people are just finding other things to complain about. Sure, I do my fair share of criticizing as well but I at least take the time to appreciate the good which dominates the WWF product. A large percentage of "smart" fans sit by their televisions on Monday evenings like a pack of coyotes ready to pounce at the first sign of something that they don't approve of or don't yet understand because the storyline has not yet climaxed. When your glass is always going to be half empty maybe you shouldn't even bother drinking the juice in the first place.

The point I am trying to make is this; If you didn't enjoy a single second of Wrestlemania, thought that the encounter between Hulk Hogan and the Rock sucked and are asking yourself "who booked this crap", then maybe it is time for you to start channeling your energy into something you actually enjoy and stop wasting away precious moments of your life on a hobby you no longer enjoy. The truth of the matter is that 90% of the WWF audience most likely loved Wrestlemania and if you are in that 10% than maybe instead of pinning the problem on the WWF, you should stop and gaze in the nearest mirror.

Well, not that we have that out of our system, the results for Wrestlemania X-8...

Rob Van Dam defeated William Regal for the WWF Intercontinental Championship:

In the early course of the match the fans are loudly vocal in their approval of RVD who misses the Five Star Frog Splash early in the match. William Regal returned to offense and connected with a half-nelson to belly-to-back suplex that saw Rob land with his full body weight on his neck and fold over the top of his head. The move looked as though it could have legitimately killed RVD. The obligatory wacky brass knuckle mishap spot works against Regal who is hit with the Frog Splash for the win by Rob Van Dam who is your new IC champion, a reign which I see lasting a very long time.

Diamond Dallas Page defeated Christian to retain the European Championship:

As I stated in my Wrestlemania preview, no one expected anything out of this match and it certainly was a pleasant surprise for most as the two put on a short yet fun match that saw each man fight out of each other's finisher with DDP hitting a diamond cutter at the end to pin Christian cleanly. Could this be the beginning of a push for DDP? While I was initially less than thrilled at the prospect of my personal favorite active member of the WWF roster jobbing to DDP, Christian is actually kind of getting a push of sorts with all of his losses. The "frustrated former tag team wrestler who can't seem to find a formula that works" is actually somewhat compelling and it should work out nicely when Christian finally does find what it takes to succeed.

Maven retains the Hardcore Title after a somewhat humorous string of events:

The match begins with Maven entering the ring to what has got to be the best theme song in the WWF. Goldust has a plethora of what his father would call "plunder" and it is all spray painted gold. After some brawling Spike Dudley charged the ring and pinned Maven for the Hardcore title. Before he can even recover Crash Holly chases him out of the ring and through the crowd. In the backstage area the Hurricane swings across the set on a rope in a truly hilarious scene and covers Spike for the three count. The central theme of the match from this point on is that the wrestler holding the title is trying to creep out of the building without any other wrestlers seeing them and taking the 24-7 rule into consideration. This concept is tremendously well booked (yes, I did say that) and effective in getting people onto the card who otherwise didn't have a spot. The Hurricane hides behind a shade while the Godfather and his hoes convene in the dressing room. While one of the hoes takes her top off the camera pans back to show Shane Helms with goofy face paint peering at the woman with his entire head over the shade. Hilarious! Mighty Molly appears, points towards the "Hurricave" and when Helms looks she plants him in the back of the head with a frying pan and wins the hardcore title. While trying to escape the building, Molly meets a swinging door courtesy of Christian and he makes the three count. Christian gets two inches away from his get away car, holds the title in the air and is blindsided by Maven who pins him and takes off in the getaway car as the new hardcore champion, further solidifying Christian's character as the guy who always manages to screw up a can't lose situation.

Many of you probably think I am crazy for enjoying the hardcore match so much, but given the option between this creatively booked match and Raven with a shopping cart full of props, I think the first is a little less played out.

Kurt Angle defeated Kane:

This match was much better than I was expecting and Kurt Angle proved once again to be the best pure wrestler pound for pound in the world, and he did so in a spiffy new pair of tights. Kurt Angle was insanely over with the people in my bar and the crowd in Canada once again proving that he gets a better face reaction as a heel than he does when he plays the part of the babyface. Angle worked the Angle lock on Kane and connected with an incredible top rope Olympic Slam that had to be seen to be believed. The end of the match came with Angle using the ropes for leverage to get the three count on Kane.

The Undertaker defeated Ric Flair:

The Undertaker rode to the ring on his motorcycle as customary and "The Nature Boy" styled and profiled down the lengthy Toronto walkway in one of his trademark robes. Flair showed remarkable agility for a man his age and worked very well with the Undertaker. The match seemed a bit long but was well paced. Both men bladed and the highpoint of the match occurred when the Taker was running the ropes and Arn Anderson appeared out of nowhere, caught the Undertaker in full running momentum and PLANTED him with a picture perfect spinebuster. This worked the crowd into a frenzy which culminated in Flair locking the Undertaker into a figure four leglock. The match continued and at damn near the thirty minute mark, the Undertaker drove Ric Flair to the mat with a tombstone piledriver and got the clean three count. These two men put on one hell of a match and regardless of how you fell about the outcome, they should be commended for their efforts.

Edge defeated Booker T:

This match had the unenviable position of following a Ric Flair/Undertaker clinic that had the fans on the edges of their seats for 28:20 (Pwtorch) of non stop adrenaline. While this match was solid, the only thing that really stood out was the dueling Spinarooni's that Booker and Edge partook in. Edge caught Booker in his inverted DDT for the win and gave the babyface Edge a victory in his home country.

Steve Austin pinned Scott Hall:

In this relatively forgettable match it was glaringly obvious by Austin's mannerisms that he felt as though he didn't belong in the mid-card of Wrestlemania. Both men worked hard but the match seemed like more of a Smackdown match than the co-main-event of the greatest event of the year. Kevin Nash was very involved in the match and at one point blatantly dropped a cartoonish elbow on the referee, a scene which I found to be quite humorous. The content ended with Steve Austin clearing Nash out of the ring, hitting a Stunner on Scott Hall, kicking him in the midsection and hitting yet another Stunner which Hall sold as though he was wearing a pair of Nickelodeon Moon Shoes®. A relatively underwhelming finish to a match that no one seemed very confident with.

Billy & Chuck retained the World Tag Team Championship in a Four-Corners match with the Hardy Boyz, the Dudleyz and the A.P.A.

The Dudleyz walked to the ring while Saliva played some generic quasi-metal song that used the words "Toronto" and "Wrestlemania", the highlight being a little dance by Stacy Kiebler that I would be more than happy to watch again...SEVEN HUNDRED TIMES. Your typical non-stop action match between the teams with D-Von Dudley taking a particularly nasty head first bump through a table outside the ring. Billy & Chuck retain in a good move by the WWF to keep the momentum alive of the only team in the federation who has any these days.

The Rock defeated Hulk Hogan:

Without any reservations, I can honestly call March 17,2002's encounter between Hulk Hogan and the Rock the most epic battle that the WWF has seen in 15 years. This match had ungodly amounts of expectations to live up to and it surpassed all of them. Congratulations to Pat Patterson, Hulk Hogan and the Rock for building a match that will go down in the history as one of the most memorable matches in World Wrestling Federation history.

The fans gave Hulk Hogan a tremendous babyface reaction that seemed to visibly hit an emotional chord in Hogan who soaked in the moment. The Rock came down the aisle to an enormous pop accompanied by a chorus of boos from the traditionally anti-Rock Canadian crowd.

As the two stood center ring, a buzz of excitement filled the Toronto Skydome and my sports bar erupted. After finally locking up, Hulk Hogan threw the Rock to the mat and busted an old school Hogan pose which had people jumping out of their seats. As the match progressed the crowd seemed to shift more and more in favor of Hogan. Midway through the match the Rock caught Hogan with a Rock Bottom. At 2.999999, Hogan kicked out and "hulked up", a motion which had the grown men around me marking out like kids and the entire bar in a near riotous fit of excitement. Hogan battled back and delivered a big boot and the leg drop to the Rock who kicked out and set the crowd into another explosion. The Rock moved out of the way of a second leg drop attempt and hit Hogan with two consecutive Rock Bottoms. The Rock played dead for a few second before kipping to his feet and delivering the "People's Elbow" to Hogan and getting the three count for the victory in one of the most heated matches of all time.

After the match the two icons shook hands. Afterwards the nWo turned on Hogan who was aided by the Rock. Both men walked back to the ramp together and the crowd continued to go "bananas".

Jazz defeated Trish Stratus and Lita to win the WWF Women's Championship:

Honestly I don't remember a hell of a lot about this match yet something tells me you don't really care anyway. Jazz won the encounter somehow.

Triple H defeated Chris Jericho to win the WWF World Heavyweight Championship:

Not the ideal choice to close Wrestlemania in my opinion and it was evident by the crowd filing out of the Sports Bar and the SkyDome midway through. Their was no way anything could top the match between the Rock and Hulk Hogan and the crowd was so exhausted from not only the emotional roller coaster that the dream match was, but the fact that they were in the 4th hour of live action. Chris Jericho worked Triple H's leg for the first fifteen minutes of the match but in the end it was Helmsley hitting the pedigree on Jericho to win the World Heavyweight Championship. The fatigued crowd tried to conjure up SOME enthusiasm for the title change, but in the end the match came off as something that shouldn't have closed the greatest spectacle in Sports-Entertainment.

 

Well, There you have it. I believe I was about 75% accurate in my Wrestlemania predictions. Regardless, the show was one of the most memorable in Wrestlemania history and I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did.

 

Eight GILLION words later, which event do you think was better and why?

 

 

AMEN! I couldn't have said it better myself!

 

Not only that X7 had a hell of a lot better matches, even the TLC my favorite, dude X8 was freakin phat! But I still like X7 better, and Rock Vs. Austin Was Awesome! I mean look at the ratings here! We have Scott Keith, who owns this forum, by the way who gave it a freakin thumbs in the middle for X8 and thumbs up for X7! Now I accknowledge your essay, but you really didn't have to write all of that. I mean we don't really care what you say, we only care what scott keith says, no offense of course, JK!

 

Anyways I like your opinion keep up the good work! I bet your grammar teacher gave you an A+! Adios Vatos!

[Guest bob_barron]

Hey Jay!!!

 

I own both on DVD and I loved both-

 

My X-7 star ratings-

Y2J v. Regal- **1/2

6-man- *1/2

Kane v. Show v. Raven- *1/2

Eddy v. Test- ***

Angle v. Benoit- ****1/2

Chyna v. Ivory- DUD

Vince v. Shane- ***1/2

TLC2- *****

Gimmick- DUD

Taker v. HHH- ***1/2

Rock v. Austin- *****

[Guest Shaved Bear]

i'd go with X-7 it was great all the way through, too bad the singer from motorhead forgot the lyrics

[Guest RickyChosyu]

X7. Better work-rate, better atmosphere, and more consistency. Angle/Benoit had an incredible feel to it, one that I haven't seen for many American matches since, and the TLC II delivered in every way you could ask from it. Austin/Rock was as a good main event as I've ever seen, and even though they didn't succesfully turn Austin heel, they still pulled out one incredible match that stayed enoyable with the sound turned off (*hint hint* unlike Rock/Hogan).

 

X8 was fine and good, there just wasn't anything on there I would ever want to watch again, including Rock/Hogan. The best match on there was probably Regal/Van Dam, which says a lot about the show's quality. The two matches that ended the show were just horrible, too.

[Guest cabbageboy]

Well it depends. With WM 17 I came out of it feeling confused and even a bit sullen. The final match was so awesome that to have the kind of lame finish it did just hurt the show badly.

 

WM 18 left me feeling really good after I saw it. The wrestling may not have been as good overall but the show gave me a buzz that WM 17 just didn't.

[Guest SlowChemical6]

I sat ringside for both, and I can tell you that X-7 was considerably better. First off, the Astrodome is a much cooler venue than the SkyDome.

 

The sunlight seeping through the Astrodome's translucent panels for the first few matches and the colored spotlights that were shone onto the interior of the dome created a really, really awesome visual. The set for X8 was a lot more elaborate, but X-7 had a pretty damn sweet set itself. SkyDome, with the roof closed, is gloomy...even with all of those yellow and purple lights.

 

As far as match quality? Not even close. X-7 killed X8. Steve Austin vs. The Rock was probably the greatest match that I have ever seen live...and I've seen a lot of matches live. It even beat seeing the first two TLC matches, the street fight between Cactus and HHH, and Hell in the Cell III between Cactus and HHH.

 

Crowd? Houston was consistently hot all night long. We were especially hot for Austin and Rock. Toronto went absolutely ape-shit for Rock and Hogan, but we were pretty quiet for the rest of the night and damn near dead silent for the main event. I remember the guy sitting behind me compared it to a morgue. Still, that had to be the most amazing crowd reaction for a match in the history of WWE. I doubt that there will ever be a crowd that hot again. Trust me, the DVD does NOT do it justice!

 

And finally, Fan Axxess for X-7 was an hour longer and it just seemed to be better than Axxess for X8. Axxess for X8 fun, but they kinda killed it by cutting it an hour short and the WWF.com booth was sorely, sorely missed this year.

[Guest Nevermortal]

X-7 is most definitely the better one.

 

X-8 is the epitome of a one match show.

[Guest bob_barron]

X-8-

 

Regal v. RVD- ***

DDP v. Christian- **3/4

Maven v. Goldust- DUD

Kane v. Angle- ***1/4

Taker v. Flair- ****

Edge v. Booker- **1/2

Hall v. Austin- **

4-way- 1/4*

Hogan v. Rock- **** (yea I marked out hardcore)

Lita v. Jazz v. Trish- *

HHH v. Y2J- ***1/2

 

Both great shows but X-7 was leaps better

[Guest Mulatto Heat]

The WWF aims to rekindle nostalgia and imagination in fans who have long since stopped watching the WWF and in that task the federation had overwhelming success this evening.

In retrospect, this route wasn't exactly roses for the WWF/E when they went down it, was it.

 

I also liked this line:

 

The obligatory wacky brass knuckle mishap spot works against Regal who is hit with the Frog Splash for the win by Rob Van Dam who is your new IC champion, a reign which I see lasting a very long time.

[Guest midnight_burn]

I probably prefer X-7 over X-8. I enjoyed just about every match from Wrestlemania 17, an excellent main event, TLC2, Benoit/Angle and a number of other matches ranging from decent to great.

 

For Wrestlemania 18, i liked much of it, but other than Hogan/Rock everything following Taker/Flair other than the backstage hardcore bits I didn't really enjoy that much.

 

I liked both events, but overall i'd have to say Wrestlemania X-7 is my favourite.

[Guest Olympic Slam]

I really didn't like X-8 at all. With the exception of Rock/Hogan, there wasn't any match on there that seemed all that special. Kane vs. Angle? Edge vs. Booker? Regal vs. RVD? Isn't Wrestlemania supposed to be the big blow off PPV where big feuds are ended or advanced even further? Those match-ups felt like just total filler. Most of the matches weren't that great either, I guess it's fitting that Hogan v Rock will be the match remembered as everything else was just as underwhelimg. Everything just seemed so blah....

 

I haven't seen X-7 in full since it aired in 2001 so I don't have an opinion outside of my original which was less than enthusiastic.

[Guest Dangerous A]

Sorry Cubano, X-7 was better. The undercard is what gives it the nod for me. It was a better paced show for me as well. Start with a slightly disappointing, yet solid IC opener go through the motions some, hit a solid **** effort from Angle and Benoit, go through the motions again, hit an incredible TLC match, hit the comedy battle royal, then a well built feud with Taker and HHH, culminating with a ****3/4 match with Rock and Austin.

 

X-8 was just average all the way through to a white hot Rock/Hogan match, slept through the womens match, and culminating to a disappointing HHH/Jericho match.

 

Myburninghammer hit it on the head when he said X-7 seemed like the pinnacle of sports entertainment from 98-2001. X-8 was a 1 hit wonder.

[Guest bob_barron]

About HHH v. Y2J-

 

I watched the match a couple months ago and really enjoyed it- The match is better when I watch it on its own instead of as a whole card.

 

Lita totally killed the womens match by being on drugs and blowing anything and everything

[Guest SlowChemical6]

I think that X8 could have been considerably better if they had:

 

a ) Put Rock and Hogan on last, because that match just drained us.

 

b ) Cut the live band performances and given more time to the matches.

 

c ) Had a better tag team match. Maybe TLC?

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

Euck, X8 sucked. I was there, and I still thought it sucked. Hogan/Rock MADE the event anything to be talked about. Bad Hype, bad match-making... It felt like a glorified Raw.

[Guest SlowChemical6]

I thought that The Undertaker vs. Ric Flair also "made" X8. That was one HELL of a match. It definitely exceeded all of my expectations. I don't see why everybody overlooks it. Think about it...The Undertaker and Ric Flair. That's a dream match. And not only was it a dream match, it was actually a really GOOD dream match. Unfortunately, I think that this is gonna be one of those deals when it takes 5-10 years for people to wake up and recognize it as a "WrestleMania moment".

[Guest Rabbi_wilson13]

I was at X-7 as well and it was leaps and bounds better than X-8.

 

You guys are letting out Undertaker/HHH, which was one of the matches where the crowd was strictly for one wrestler. They were kinda split during Rock/Austin, but everything the UT did, then that finish...awesome.

 

Benoit/Angle rocked, even with the crazy finish, and Rock/Austin was just great, great wrestling.

[Guest Fook_Hing_Ho]

X-7 is miles better than X-8.

 

X-8 had one match that had people's attention, and subsequent viewings just make you realize how bad it is. Sure, the first time I marked out like everyone else, but when I watched Rock/Hogan a few more times, I just felt bored. Plus, most of the other matches of the evening were too predictable: HHH/Y2J, Edge/Booker, and Taker/Flair to name a few.

 

With X-7, even though it happened 18 months ago and I've watched it a million times, I can still get into the matches and enjoy them thoroughly. With a ***** match and two ****3/4 matches, I doubt they'll ever top this show.

[Guest bob_barron]

Taker v. Flair was tremendous-

 

My friends still talk about me going crazy for AA's run in

[Guest SlowChemical6]

That was an awesome moment. I marked way out.

 

"SPINEBUSTER, BAH GAWD!!!"

[Guest bob_barron]

Bottom line-

Both great shows but X-7 is the best WWF PPV ever

[Guest Shaved Bear]

X was better than X-7, two ***** on a single show

[Guest SlowChemical6]

A top issue of debate is always best PPV ever with WMX-7, WMX-8 and the Bash 89 always being top choices.

 

Hmm...I wasn't aware that X8 was in the Top 3. I thought that Canadian Stampede and WrestleMania X were held more highly.

[Guest Olympic Slam]

That was an awesome moment. I marked way out.

 

"SPINEBUSTER, BAH GAWD!!!"

I don't get the appeal of Flair vs Taker it was just two guys punching each other for a very.....very....long time. But hey, if that's you're thing then cool.

 

I marked big for the spinebuster as well.

[Guest bob_barron]

X was better than X-7, two ***** on a single show

X-7 IMO has two ***** matches and also has good->>>>>>great stuff like Angle v. Benoit, Vince v. Shane and HHH v. Taker.

 

Canadian Stampede only has four matches so I wouldn't consider it for best WWF PPV ever