The 2001 WWF PPV Collection

[Guest undisputedjericho]

OK, so starting Sunday, I've been watching the entire WWF 2001 Pay-Per-View collection (In order, of course) One per night. I've had to borrow a few because my collection isn't complete. (Invasion, Unforgiven, No Mercy, Vengeance) Here are my star ratings thus far, and check back for more as I continue the marathon. Ask away at my reasoning for ratings you feel are too high or too low.

 

Royal Rumble; January 21; New Orleans

Edge & Christian vs. Dudley Boys (Tag Title Match) **

Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit (Intercontinental Title; Ladder Match) ***1/2

Chyna vs. Ivory (Women's Title) 1/2*

Kurt Angle vs. HHH (WWF Title) **

2001 Royal Rumble (Final Four: Steve Austin, Kane, The Rock, Billy Gunn) ****

Overall: Thumbs in the middle, leaning up

 

No Way Out; February 25; Las Vegas

Raven vs. Big Show (Hardcore Title) DUD

Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit vs. Eddie Guerrero vs. X-Pac (Intercontinental Title) ***

Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley vs. Trish Stratus: **1/2

Steve Austin vs. HHH (2/3 Falls Match) ***3/4

Jerry "The King" Lawler vs. Steven Richards: 1/2*

Edge & Christian vs. Dudley Boys vs. Undertaker & Kane (Tag Team Titles; Table Match) 1/2*

Kurt Angle vs. The Rock (WWF Title) **

Overall: Thumbs in the middle

 

WrestleMania X-7; April 1; Houston

Chris Jericho vs. William Regal (Intercontinental Title) **3/4

Tazz, Bradshaw & Faarooq vs. Val Venis, Bull Buchanan & The Goodfather: 1/2*

Raven vs. Kane vs. Big Show (Hardcore Title) **3/4

Test vs. Eddie Guerrero (European Title) **1/2

Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle: ****

Chyna vs. Ivory (Women's Title) DUD

Vince McMahon vs. Shane McMahon (Street Fight) ***

Edge & Christian vs. Dudley Boys vs. Hardy Boys (Tag Team Titles; TLC II) ****1/2

Gimmick Battle Royal: *

The Undertaker vs. HHH: ***

Steve Austin vs. The Rock (WWF Title; No DQ) ****

Overall: Thumbs up

 

Backlash is tonight.

[Guest Askewniverse]

What did you feel was wrong with the Rock-Angle match from NWO? I thought that it was a decent match.

[Guest CanadianChick]

***1/2 for the Ladder match at RR, but **** for the main event? I thought the ladder match was MUCH better than the main event.

[Guest Dynamite Kido]

***1/2 for the Ladder match at RR, but **** for the main event? I thought the ladder match was MUCH better than the main event.

I agree CC

[Guest TheZsaszHorsemen]

Austin/HHH was **** at least.

[Guest DeputyHawk]

I think Rock-Angle from No Way Out was much higher than **. Why so low?

[The Dames 0]

I agree. Rock/Angle from NWO was at LEAST ***1/2 and the Ladder Match from Royal Rumble was the best match on that card.

 

Dames

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

Seeing the No Way Out star ratings made me assume this was from someone who is harder on matches, but then the WM17 ratings (especially for TLC 2 and Taker/HHH - I like TLC2 but Taker/HHH is one of the most boring matches that people seem to throw praise on in history) confused me. To each his own, though.

 

This is why I can't do stars.

[Guest bob_barron]

Royal Rumble; January 21; New Orleans

 

Edge & Christian vs. Dudley Boys (Tag Title Match) **

 

This match was tag team formula at its finest- The Dudleyz showed they could work a great tag match, all the usual spots were done and it did its job.

 

Too low.

 

Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit (Intercontinental Title; Ladder Match) ***1/2

 

Ummm are you kidding me?

 

Chyna vs. Ivory (Women's Title) 1/2*

 

Too high.

 

Kurt Angle vs. HHH (WWF Title) **

 

This match is criminally underrated- way too low.

 

 

No Way Out; February 25; Las Vegas

 

Raven vs. Big Show (Hardcore Title) DUD

 

Why DUD? It was the perfect way to kick off the show, Raven bumped like a madman and it was all action.

 

Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit vs. Eddie Guerrero vs. X-Pac (Intercontinental Title) ***

 

Again- Four gus working their assess off here, tons of near falls and tease spots, the three consecutive Walls of Jericho and this match is only 1/2* more then the chick match.

 

 

Steve Austin vs. HHH (2/3 Falls Match) ***3/4

 

You can feel the hatred these two have for each other in this match. Two guys beating the hell out of each other for 45 minutes- MOTYC city.

 

Kurt Angle vs. The Rock (WWF Title) **

 

One of Angle's best matches ever- and it only rates **? Why the hate for No Way Out? It's the second best PPV of 2001 and you rate it- THUMBS IN THE MIDDLE? Riiiiiiiiiiight.

 

 

You need to watch No Way Out again

[Guest BionicRedneck]

Edge & Christian vs. Dudley Boys vs. Hardy Boys (Tag Team Titles; TLC II) ****1/2

 

Steve Austin vs. The Rock (WWF Title; No DQ) ****

 

You suck.

[Guest MrRant]

I also would like to say you suck. I was AT NWO 2001:

HHH vs. SCSA was ****-**** 1/2

Rock vs. Angle was *** 1/2 - ****

Trish vs Steph was *** and one of the best women's matches I have seen.

 

The whole card was solid (except UT/Kane vs Dudleyz vs. E/C,)

[Guest BionicRedneck]

I would agree with his assesment of HHH/Austin actually. Austin had half a dozen better matches than that in 2001 alone. Austin wasn't at anywhere near a 100% and HHH isn't nearly good enough to carry someone for 45 minutes. The brawling was so light and sloppy at the beginning and although it picked up, it is one of the most overrated WWE matches ever.

[Guest JaKyL25]

Royal Rumble; January 21; New Orleans

Edge & Christian vs. Dudley Boys (Tag Title Match) **

About right I'd say.

 

Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit (Intercontinental Title; Ladder Match) ***1/2

You're insane. Arguably the best WWE ladder match ever.

 

Chyna vs. Ivory (Women's Title) 1/2*

What exactly warranted that 1/2*? The thankfully short length?

 

Kurt Angle vs. HHH (WWF Title) **

I agree with Barron, this match is criminally underrated by many. Take out the catfight in the middle and it's a **** semi-classic.

 

2001 Royal Rumble (Final Four: Steve Austin, Kane, The Rock, Billy Gunn) ****

About right. This was an EXCELLENT Rumble. The only one I remember being truly in doubt about who was going to win the whole way through since '97.

 

Overall: Thumbs in the middle, leaning up

Thumbs WAY up for me.

 

No Way Out; February 25; Las Vegas

Raven vs. Big Show (Hardcore Title) DUD

Eh, I'd go as high as **. Fun brawl.

 

Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit vs. Eddie Guerrero vs. X-Pac (Intercontinental Title) ***

***1/2 at least.

 

Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley vs. Trish Stratus: **1/2

About right. Who would have guessed?

 

Steve Austin vs. HHH (2/3 Falls Match) ***3/4

I called this the MotY when it happened, but time has not been kind. Still **** though.

 

Jerry "The King" Lawler vs. Steven Richards: 1/2*

I remember this match happening, but that's all I remember.

 

Edge & Christian vs. Dudley Boys vs. Undertaker & Kane (Tag Team Titles; Table Match) 1/2*

This should have been at least ***, but you're right, it sucked.

 

Kurt Angle vs. The Rock (WWF Title) **

I find this to be the oddest rating of all of yours. Besides the run-in (which didn't affect anything anyway), what's not to love? ***3/4 at least.

 

Overall: Thumbs in the middle

THUMBS. WAY. UP. Practically ANY other year and this would have been the PPV of the year. Unluckily for No Way Out '01, it had to be followed by...

 

WrestleMania X-7; April 1; Houston

Chris Jericho vs. William Regal (Intercontinental Title) **3/4

About right, maybe a little too high. Should have been better.

 

Tazz, Bradshaw & Faarooq vs. Val Venis, Bull Buchanan & The Goodfather: 1/2*

Don't remember anything much about the match.

 

Raven vs. Kane vs. Big Show (Hardcore Title) **3/4

I'd go ***. One of the highlights of the Hardcore Championship. Fun fun stuff.

 

Test vs. Eddie Guerrero (European Title) **1/2

Someone get Test out of that damn rope! Roughly agreed on the rating.

 

Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle: ****

I say ****1/4, but that's me. Such a great match.

 

Chyna vs. Ivory (Women's Title) DUD

Agreed.

 

Vince McMahon vs. Shane McMahon (Street Fight) ***

Agreed. Like the Hardcore title match, it's not great, but it's damn fun to watch.

 

Edge & Christian vs. Dudley Boys vs. Hardy Boys (Tag Team Titles; TLC II) ****1/2

PALES in comparison to the infinitely superior TLC 1. WAY too many spots for spots sake. There are too many moments in this match when some people are doing nothing but setting up later spots for no kayfabed reason when they COULD be going for the belts. ***1/2, and that's just for the spots themselves.

 

Gimmick Battle Royal: *

I wouldn't go that high, unless you're giving it a star for Heenan. He still had it.

 

The Undertaker vs. HHH: ***

**1/2. I never saw the big deal about this. OMG he chokeslammed him onto some stuff! OMG he kicked out of a sledgehammer shot to the HEAD! I don't buy it in the slightest.

 

Steve Austin vs. The Rock (WWF Title; No DQ) ****

Heck, I'd go a little higher. Brilliantly layed out, and the most perfect match of the old WWE-style brawling main events.

 

Overall: Thumbs up

 

You bet your sweet bippy. Best PPV of all time!

[Guest BionicRedneck]

The Undertaker vs. HHH: ***

 

**1/2. I never saw the big deal about this. OMG he chokeslammed him onto some stuff! OMG he kicked out of a sledgehammer shot to the HEAD! I don't buy it in the slightest

 

I agree. That match was nothing. The big spot with the chokeslam was utterly ridiculous. The ref bump was absurd (he stayed down for about four years). It was like *1/2 of some shit. I never, ever understand peoples love for this match.

[Guest bob_barron]

Jericho got hurt in the middle of the Wrestlemania match- That's why they had to go home early and the quality of the match suffered

[Agent_Bond34 0]

Chyna vs. Ivory (Women's Title) DUD

That is being very generous.

[Guest hosserific]

i agree with you on most....especially X7 which i feel was the greatest wrestlemania of all time.

 

ps. why is armando benitez your icon?

[Guest hosserific]

another thing, you say your watching one every night......dont you have stuff to do at night?

[Guest JaKyL25]

Honestly, what stuff could he be doing at night that would overrule those 3 awesome PPVs above?

 

Now when he gets to, say, Judgment Day, then you might have a point. Still, it must be done.

[Guest bob_barron]

Judgement Day 2001 kicks ass.

 

It's the only time in Regal's WWF tenure that he bled from the forehead

[Guest JaKyL25]

Call me crazy, but "Blading + Stinkface" doesn't seem like the healthiest of concoctions...

[Guest caboose]

As much as soem of your ratings are messed up, the one I must really question is Austin-Rock at WM X-7.

 

Only ****? Are you crazy?

 

That match is the very definition WWF Attitude. The story of the match was more than a typical story. The match told the story of 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin's WWF career. Even the finish which a lot of people hold against the match, I consider to the perfect ending. So what if the turn didn't work. The finish perfectly demonstrated why Austin turned.

[Guest Army Eye]

Wow, NWO 2001 is one of my favorite PPVs ever. Thumbs in the middle!!!?! I'm stunned.

[Guest The Hamburglar]

This man is on heavy grade crack. Angle has had precisely one match in his career I'd consider to be objectively better than the No Way Out match with Rock, and thats the Rumble match this year. For my part, I actually prefer the Rock match. The four-way at NWO is also ridiculously under-rated, it was a fast-moving sprint featuring three awesome wrestlers and X-Pac. It had Eddy doing that SICK running neck-snap thing to Benoit. The assessment of the Benoit-Jericho ladder match is laughable, seeing as it was one of the stand-out matches of that year. And really, as great as X-7 was, neither TLC2 or indeed Benoit-Angle 1 came close to the epic masterwork that was Rock-Austin. These are simply three of the best PPVs I've ever seen, and haven't really been bettered since. Summerslam 02 and Wrestlemania 19 came close, but the early 2001 PPVs have the added advantage of the stories leading into the matches not sucking balls.

[Guest BionicRedneck]

Call me crazy, but "Blading + Stinkface" doesn't seem like the healthiest of concoctions

 

It dont matter to Regal, he is the baddest motherfucker in town~!!

[Guest bob_barron]

I don't think Regal gigged to be honest with you.

 

I fail to see the point of blading in a three minute curtain jerker match.

[Guest JaKyL25]

I don't think Regal gigged to be honest with you.

 

I fail to see the point of blading in a three minute curtain jerker match.

<<Points up towards Bionic Redneck's post>>

 

No, actually I have no clue what happened. I haven't seen the match since last year, so I just assumed that it was blading.

 

For what it's worth, what caused hardway bleeding in a 3 minute curtain-jerking match anyway?

 

Now that I think about it, blading right before a stinkface would sure be a good rib though.

[Lil' Bitch 0]

I'm still peeved NWO 2001 was never released on DVD. Anybody got a copy of the Angle / Rock match?

[Guest JaKyL25]

I have a copy on my tape of the PPV, and the match itself IS available on DVD, on The Rock: Just Bring It!. It's really the only worthwhile exclusive thing on that DVD though.

 

Because of the whole WWF/WWE thing, and the idiotic necessary editing of the scratch logo, now the PPV will probably never be released on DVD. Shame.

[Guest bob_barron]

I don't think Regal gigged to be honest with you.

 

I fail to see the point of blading in a three minute curtain jerker match.

<<Points up towards Bionic Redneck's post>>

 

No, actually I have no clue what happened. I haven't seen the match since last year, so I just assumed that it was blading.

 

For what it's worth, what caused hardway bleeding in a 3 minute curtain-jerking match anyway?

 

Now that I think about it, blading right before a stinkface would sure be a good rib though.

He got rammed into the steps really hard.

 

Just go to ebay and look for No Way Out- it shouldn't be too hard.