The Shimmy 7.09.07: Making Up Lost Time (Part One)- 1999
Posted by Andy Clark on 07.09.2007
We're gonna rank 'em like it's 1999! The Shimmy begins it's retrospective look at some of the best WWE matches over the last eight years by starting with one of the most unusual years in recent memory.
Welcome, everyone to Monday Morning Shimmy! I hope you've all had a restful week and are ready to Shimmy along to another column. You know, one of the things I enjoy doing every year is making my year end best matches list. I like being able to rank the better matches of the year, and if I have the ability, to go back and watch them. I started writing regularly for 411 on January 1, 2006. As such I was only able to give my views on my favorite matches from 2005 and 2006. Over the next few weeks I intend to rectify that by looking back at the ten best WWE matches from the years where I wasn't writing for 411. 1999 was my first full year as a wrestling fan so that's where we will begin this week. As many of you know 1999 wasn't the greatest year for in-ring action so this list will probably pale in comparison to some of the ones that will follow.
10. 1 Contender's, Steel Cage Match (Corporation Banned): Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Mr. McMahon (St. Valentine's Day Massacre)
I recently watched this match again and I've got to say, it's not much of a match. Really it's just a 20-minute ass kicking for Mr. McMahon from Stone Cold Steve Austin. Still, as far as ass kickings go this was right up there. If this were any other year this match wouldn't have sniffed the top ten, but in some ways it is indicative of 1999. This was a perfect storyline match, the ultimate confrontation between Austin and McMahon. This was probably the peak of their feud and not only did it provide some memorable moments on its own, it helped pave the way to WrestleMania XV. For his part Vince did a great job of getting his ass kicked and he even took that big bump off the top of the cage through the announce table. I was actually almost more impressed with his falling from a hanging position over the top of the cage down into the center of the ring. This match also featured the debut of Big Show who looked like a beast even if it was in accidentally giving Austin the victory. This was a big time match that is historical if nothing else.
9. No. 1 Contender's, Fully Loaded Strap Match: The Rock vs. Triple H (Fully Loaded)
This was not your regular Strap Match as it was won by pinfall, not by touching all four corners. This was the breakout performance for Triple H that would send him off on his Road to SummerSlam (although that road would take a slight detour). WWE was trying to get Triple H over as a main event threat (funny thought now, isn't it?) and The Rock was the guy they used to do the trick. Man did The Rock lose a lot in those days. I don't remember too much from this match specifically other than the clip they used to have on the "Don't Try This At Home" video of The Rock being choked by the leather strap. Triple H and The Rock always seemed to bring out the best in each other and there will be even more instances of that next week when I talk about the year 2000.
8. CEO of WWE, Handicap Ladder Match (Corporation Banned): Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Mr. McMahon & Shane McMahon (King of the Ring)
Initially I had no intention of including this match on the list. In fact I normally completely disregard this match despite it being the main event of the second PPV I ever ordered. But while I was watching the McMahon DVD to catch up on the McMahon-Austin Cage Match and another match that is further on this list I stopped and watched this one. This is another match that wouldn't come close to a Top Ten any other year and I don't think Dave Meltzer even has the thing rated at three stars. But this is my list dammit, and I think it was a fine little ditty. They managed to squeeze more blood out of the McMahon vs. Austin stone with this one and Shane McMahon helped add to the mix. They really tried to get over the Ladder Match concept and it's weird to think that these three men (maybe not Shane) were in a Ladder Match. This match also created the most needless and unimportant "never explained" question in "Who raised the briefcase?"
The Rock and Mick Foley (then as Mankind) had a lot to live up to following their I Quit Match at the previous month's Royal Rumble. They also had to exist on the same card as the Austin-McMahon Cage Match which really overshadowed everything. These two men more than took the spotlight back by beating the everloving hell out of each other. To my knowledge this was the first Last Man Standing Match in WWE history and these two men made sure it was a good one. Unfortunately this match also created the often duplicated double KO spot that has been copied as recently as this year's Backlash PPV. Still, that ending shouldn't take away from what was an otherwise great Attitude Era brawl.
6. No Holds Barred Match (No. 1 Contender vs. Marriage Annulment): Triple H vs. Mr. McMahon (Armageddon)
Would you have ever thought that Vince McMahon would make three appearances on this list? I checked this match out again this week and I had forgotten just how good it was. Triple H was in the midst of his do-no-wrong IWC worship phase and he was obviously the top heel in the business. It was both strange and refreshing to see Vince play the role of face in a match like this. Both men took some pretty stiff shots at one another and you've got to wonder if some of that was legit or if they were just making it look good. It's a shame the Mr. McMahon death angle is over because this match provides even more evidence of Triple H attempting to perform homicide as he tries to run McMahon over with a car. The only bad thing about this match, and it's really not even bad, is that you could see the Stephanie heel turn coming from a mile away. I wasn't even that "smart" at the time and I still knew it was coming.
This was one of the most painful nights of the Foley family's life. For Mick it was physical pain, for the rest of his family it was emotional. I wonder which one was worse? As scary as it probably was for his children to see their Daddy get destroyed I would have to imagine taking ten unprotected chairshots full force to the head would have to be the more painful experience. Sometimes I wonder if this match would be as famous as it is if we hadn't seen that footage from Beyond the Mat of the little Foley children crying as ringside. Childhood traumatism or not this is still a great match. Hell, you could probably just watch those ten chairshots by themselves and give the match a few stars. The Rock and Mick Foley really put together some great stuff during their feud and in my mind this was their best effort as opponents.
4. Greenwich Street Fight, Love Her or Leave Her Match: Shane McMahon vs. Test (SummerSlam)
I wasn't sure if I wanted to put this match this high on the list, but when I compared it to some of the other matches on here I figured I may as well. You really could make a pretty good Shane McMahon DVD set one day. At WrestleMania XV Shane shocked the world by having a pretty entertaining match with X-Pac (ironically enough it was Test that was interfering on Shane's behalf at WrestleMania). Here Shane shocked the world even more by having one hell of a Street Fight with Test, Greenwich style. To his credit this was probably one of Test's best matches of his career and this match probably could have put him in line for a big push. Some people will probably have some issues with me putting this match this high but I think it is well deserved.
This was the main event of my very first PPV and I loved it. Of course I wasn't happy with the conclusion as Stone Cold Steve Austin would not only beat my hero The Rock to reclaim the title but he would also embarrass Mr. McMahon. I knew it was coming, though, so it was OK, plus the shocking defection of Triple H earlier in the night made me feel a little bit better. The Rock and Stone Cold always managed to put together some great stuff, even more so than Rock-Foley and probably even better than Rock-Triple H. Come to think of it, The Rock probably doesn't get the credit he deserves for being such a great wrestler. This is the first of three WrestleMania meetings between these two icons and this is generally regarded as the second best of the three. I think this match really helped start the trend of the "WrestleMania finish" of kicking out of multiple finishers and even stealing your opponent's finishing move to try and get the job done.
When I first started writing this column this was the only match on here that I hadn't seen. I was planning on relying on the opinions of my fellow columnists to properly place this match where it belonged. Normally I wouldn't want to do that but I figured with a year like 1999 everyone should pretty much be on the same page in terms of what the good matches were. Fortunately shortly before I wrote this portion of the column I found the match on Dailymotion.com and had the chance to see it for myself. This probably was the second best match of 1999 and even better than their WrestleMania encounter a month before. The thing I liked is that there was nonstop action from bell to bell. Plus, who doesn't like The Rock doing his own commentary? And filming his own match on top of that? It really shouldn't come as a surprise that The Rock and Stone Cold could put together a great match but it's good to see that they can still go full boar away from the bright lights of WrestleMania.
1. Terri Invitational Tournament, Match 5, Ladder Match: The Hardys vs. Edge & Christian (No Mercy)
The Ladder Match DVD was really the impetus for this whole nostalgia kick I've been on so it was definitely fun to go back at watch this match again. I hadn't seen it since its first airing and I was wondering if I would still find it as entertaining after all the stuff I've seen since. While this isn't of the same caliber of any of the TLC Matches (and most will probably rank the Triangle Ladder Match at WrestleMania 2000 higher than this one although I wouldn't) it is still damn good and it's fun to think about how revolutionary this match was. A lot of people say the same thing about the first Shawn Michaels-Razor Ramon Ladder Match, and in my opinion this one holds up better than that one does even if the one does benefit from the added legacy of it being at WrestleMania at Madison Square Garden for the Intercontinental Title instead of being at No Mercy in Cleveland as part of the T.I.T. These four men did some absolutely crazy stuff in there and it's even crazier to think that this was the first time it was done. In the Ladder Matches of today there is some precedent with some spots so you know it can be done; these guys didn't have that luxury. This is a great match that everyone needs to see once. This is perhaps the one truly legendary match from 1999.
Well that's all for this week. Next week I'll tackle 2000. I had planned on doing two years a week but it looks like one year at a time is the way to go. I hope you all enjoyed this trip down memory lane, and as always thoughts are both welcomed and appreciated.
PPV in Review: Vengeance
After all the hubbub the past few weeks I really don't feel like doing this at this point. Short and sweet: I liked the gimmick, but overall it was disappointing. Having the legends and the clips of old champions was cool and I'd like to see them do this again next year with a better card. The two main title matches were the saving grace of the show and the Edge-Batista match had one of the best non-finishes I've seen in a long time. A lot of people didn't like it but I thought it was smart. There were some small things I liked like Umaga getting cheered and Rick Martel looking awesome even as an old man. Ultimately forgettable but nothing too offensive.
Andy Enjoyment Index:
1) WWE Title Match
2) World Heavyweight Title Match
3) Cruiserweight Title Match
4) World Tag Team Title Match
5) Intercontinental Title Match
------------------------6) WWE Tag Team Title Match--------------------
7) ECW World Title Match
8) United States Title Match
9) Women's Title Match
Andy! Andy! At Last You Have Some Feedback!
Kidmane has a question about HBK's hair:
This is Kidmane chiming in from India. I was reading your Shawn Michaels Report card and I agree with it for the most part. However one little tidbit that caught my attention was this from the first ever Elimination Chamber match:
The real story here was Shawn Michaels winning a World Championship for the first time in four years. It's a shame Michaels had that lame ass haircut (which he even mentions in his autobiography) as it takes away from the visual of him with the big gold belt.
Now as I am in India, I cannot get my hands around his autobiography. I am really interested in knowing what prompted HBK to get such a stupid haircut or if it was just a freak accident at the ole hair salon. Could you please type out the part from the book where he talks about that hair cut. It would be much appreciated.
Thanks and keep up the good work.
I never got around to looking up the exact quote from his autobiography, but the story was that he basically wasn't expecting to be called back to TV anytime soon and had just gotten a short haircut so he wouldn't have to mess with the long hair while at home. WWE called him up shortly thereafter and asked him to participate in the Elimination Chamber. If I remember correctly he had to have some tights put together at the last minute as well, so he didn't quite have the look he was going after.
Michael Flake has a different take on Chris Benoit's legacy:
The bottom line about Benoit's in-ring legacy is that he was the World Champion for 5 months in 2004 and was WCW World Champion for 1 night in 2000. The rest of the time he fought for mid-card titles, i.e. I-C, World T.V., and U.S. championships most of his career. He had a fine career, but he doesn't have the legacy of the Rock, Austin, HHH, Kurt Angle, Jeff Jarrett, or Shawn Michaels. He just wasn't good enough on the Mic to carry a company. Twenty years from now when new fans look at the Title history of World championships, Benoit will be noticed but 5 months in 2004 doesn't make him a legend. Pro Wrestling is not about in-ring ability (if you didn't know), it's about talking people into the arena and doing well enough in the match to keep the people coming back. Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan are the greatest wrestlers of all time and it really has nothing to do with what they did in the ring. Benoit's in-ring ability couldn't convince enough people to buy the PPVs or go to the arenas to carry the company. He certainly would have been champion more than once if that had been the case. He was going to be ECW champion, but I guess we know why that didn't happen.
John Cena has been the dominant champion for over two years now. Is that because his in-ring ability is better than Benoit's? Hell no. John Cena is a legend already and Benoit simply isn't. Remember, asses in the seats. All the GHB and steroids couldn't do that for Benoit. That Wrestlemania XX match that you love so much. Let's just say Shawn Michaels was there for a reason. Benoit vs. HHH just couldn't cut it and Shawn is the true legend that makes everyone look good.
As for your being bored on 9/12/01, you have real class.
We differ on the stance of Benoit's legacy, but that's OK. In my eyes, and the eyes of many others, Chris Benoit is the greatest pure wrestler in the history of this business. Is he a superstar the caliber of Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, or John Cena? Certainly not. But that in-ring greatness makes him a legend of a different kind. As for my comments on my "boredom" on 9/12, I probably phrased that poorly and you were right to call me on it. What I meant by my comments is that after a full day of all the news media, all the talking heads, all the video clips, all the same news running on loop over and over again by the end of the day you almost became desensitized to it. The same thing happened to me with the Benoit situation. After a while it just becomes another news item, sterilized of the emotion that made it so powerful in the first place.
Laura Nunez has her thoughts on my Benoit column:
You have no idea how much your recent column on 411 made me feel better. When I read the many news stories after the tribute show a week ago, many different emotions flooded into me. Confusion, sadness, disbelief, anger, and shock hit me all at one time. I can't say that I am not unaffected by the death of three people. Death is not a concept or thing that affects me so deeply because I view it as just a stage of life but this has. Perhaps it is because of how I viewed Chris Benoit. To me, he was an idol and an inspiration. He was one of the greatest entertainers I have come across during my life. I feel anger towards many, the organization and so many fans as well, for what they are doing to the memory of such a great wrestler like
him. Chris Benoit always gave his everything in any match he was in.. He bled more than blood in his time as a wrestler. And for who? He did al of
this for us, his fans. The same fans who are now easily disregarding his memory as if he was nothing to all of us. They are simply erasing him. If things happened as the media are making it seem, I am not saying that it was the right course of action. But how is it fair to disregard the memory of such a great entertainer like Chris Benoit simply because of that? It does not change everything he did and gave for his fans. While I am still shocked and deeply saddened about what all this has done and can possibly do to the sport, I will always see this man as my idol. Chris Benoit was such an amazing professional wrestler and I will always give him the immense respect that he has earned in the ring, even if no one else decides to.
I'm glad you were pleased with it, Laura. Almost all the e-mail I got was positive and I'm happy about that.
Danvy Vo joins in as well:
I read your article, and I have to agree with you that it deeply saddens me that esp. the WWE is quick to distance themselves from the Benoit tragedy. The man had a great career with them but they made an about face and no one can find a mention of him in the
industry. I support you in that you want to honor Benoit in ring career and hope that you do get that report card out pretty soon.
As angry as I was with WWE, I understand their position. Still, between this and the way they tucked their tails between their legs with the Muhammad Hassan incident and you've got to question those almighty grapefruits of Vince McMahon. I guess its easy to hold your ground when you're a cultural phenomenon like the Attitude Era, but things are different now and Vince has to be more conservative.
Trish Latiolais also has her thoughts:
Hey Andy -- here are my thoughts -- I just entered this onto my myspace account as a blog -- what do you think?
The whole thing is just unbelieveable! The links in the killings of the Benoit Family and the death of Sherri Martel are most definitely noteworthy and should be investigated. They are all linked in some way to Kevin Sullivan and the significance of this is undeniably huge!
Why didn't Chris leave a suicide note? What's the significance of his altered Wikipedia page prior to the police finding the bodies? The idea that Chris was also murdered has been weighing on me since this horrible tragedy occurred. What is wrong with everyone who knew him well...the people he worked with for 20 years...why isn't anyone stepping up to the plate and demanding a further investigation? The WWE has closed the book on Chris Benoit and I believe it's because they all, in their hearts, know what happened and they are fearful for themselves. Fearful for their own lives. I believe that in their hearts they all have a feeling of what happened and know that they could endanger themselves and their own families if they expose it.
Anyone who has followed the life and career of Chris Benoit even just by watching wrestling on Monday nights has got to think that this is out of character for him. Take a look at Wikipedia's page on Kevin Sullivan...now take a look at Nancy Benoit's page on the same website. Now think about it...
Here's a former pro wrestler now Christian minister's theory:
http://www.johnnyleeclary.com/benoitmurdered.htm
I DO believe in Chris Benoit and his innocence! I don't believe that he murdered his wife and child and I don't think he took his own life either! Hopefully...one day soon...Chris Benoit's name will be cleared and he'll be remembered the way he should be...as a great professional wrestler and a normal guy who loved his family.
Those are my thoughts -- I just can't seem to let it go. I wonder if the police will ever investigate Kevin?
Kind Regards
I appreciate your kind words, thank you. Unfortunately by this point I don't really believe in Chris Benoit's innocence. Believe me, I would like nothing more than to see his name one day cleared, but right now I just don't think it will happen. I don't think it's fair to point the finger at Kevin Sullivan in all this. It's been ten years since their separation and his involvement here would just be way too Hollywood.
The Shimmy Likes It Raw!
What's on tap for tonight's show?
Bobby Lashley vs. King Booker; This was supposed to be Lashley & Cena vs. Booker & Kennedy. Since this match is opening the show I have a feeling we'll see Cena and Kennedy both interfere and we'll end up with that tag match anyway.
And that's it for this week. Next week I'll look at my Top Ten WWE Matches of 2000 and hopefully respond to more of your e-mails. Until then, don't die. Clark…out.
