When I first saw Austin/HHH at NWO, I thought it was the proverbial shiznit and I had no problem rating it ****+, but I rewatched it today, and it doesn't hold up at all. It comes off as another standard WWE main event brawl, and since then, the WWE has made the barbed wire 2x4 and sledgehammer pretty much meaningless throw-away weapons that they break out in any HHH match that needs a gimmick weapon spot and will pop the crowd.
My new rating for the 3 Stages of Hell? ***1/2. Its a good, but not great match.