The Importance of…03.13.09: Wrestlemania XVII

Posted by Mike Chin on 03.13.2009

More than a few of us would argue that Wrestlemania XVII was the greatest Wrestlemania of all time. But, looking back, what made it important? Plus, thoughts on the rumored diva battle royal at Wrestlemania XXV.

Chinterrogation
Quick notes on the past week in wrestling

Call me crazy, but I'm excited about the rumored diva battle royal at Wrestlemania. And not just for pervy reasons--I think this has the potential to be a really fun match, not so different from the gimmick battle royal at... you know, Wrestlemania 17. No, it won't be resemble anything good from a technical standpoint, but this is all about nostalgia. And with that in mind, I'm really hoping WWE have the class to include not only its own stars of the past (Trish Stratus, Lita and Sunny are toward the top of my list...), but outsiders as well. Missy Hyatt and Beulah McGillicutty come to mind as some off-beat choices I'd be really excited to see. Even more interesting would be the inclusion of some of the old cast-offs like Alundra Blayze or even Chyna. I'm not holding my breath, but such additions would absolutely take a fun concept up to the next level, to become aspectacle that's truly worth remembering.

On to our regular column...

By 2001, Wrestlemania was thoroughly established as the biggest show on the wrestling calendar—a time when stars would be made, memorable moments would happen, and the fans would, more often than not, get their money's worth for watching. In 2001, WWF went a long way toward reinventing Wrestlemania. Rebounding off of the relatively unmemorable Wrestlemania XVI, the company went on to put on what was quite arguably the greatest Wrestlemania—if not the great show—of all time in Wrestlemania XVII.

Wrestlemania XVII was headlined by a red hot match up of The Rock against Steve Austin. This marked a rare occasion when the exact same two performers would headline a second ‘Mania, and yet, the match felt as fresh as the first contest. Perhaps it's because the two had not squared off for years. Perhaps it's because they went into this show with somewhat redefined characters—the company's two biggest faces, going head to head. Perhaps it's the fact that these two men had an absolutely incomparable ability to work a crowd from the mic perspective, and good enough in-ring skills to back up what they had to say. Roll all of this into one program, set a montage of it to Limp Bizkit's "My Way or the Highway" and you had one of the most anticipated Mania main events ever. And what's more, the match delivered—full of action, drama, and an unthinkable finish as Stone Cold not only turned heel, but aligned himself with his arch-rival, Mr. McMahon. But more on that later.

There was much more to Wrestlemania XVII than a marquee main event. After all, this card also featured TLC II—one of the greatest ladder matches of all time between three of the greatest teams of all time in Edge and Christian, the Hardys and the Dudleys. From Edge's spear off a ladder, to one of Jeff Hardy's greatest dives, this was an insane spotfest, featuring a group of guys who were talented enough to work the spots around a coherent match. What's more, each team's mascot get involved as Spike, Lita and Rhyno got mixed up in the action, providing additional drama, and keeping the frenetic pace of the match up while the participants got to steal a few breathers. Simply awesome stuff.

From the ultimate ‘hardcore'-style match, to best in pure wrestling, Wrestlemania XVII also featured a fine showing between Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle. While the two had better matches, this one was nothing to sneeze at, and demonstrated that without stipulations or plunder, two of the business's great athletes and storytellers could put on a fantastic traditional performance.

Of course, some performers needed a little plunder to get along. While I'm not the biggest fan of the sort of insane overbooking many associate with the Attitude era, the Shane McMahon-Vince McMahon showdown may have been a perfect example of how to make overbooking work for you. While not awful performers, neither McMahon was about to put on a technical classic. However, given the right stipulations and the right supporting cast, they put on one hell of a memorable performance. There was Mick Foley, the crowd pleasing legend, there to keep things honest. There was Trish Stratus, long abused by Vince, and worse off yet, Linda McMahon, in a comatose state. And then there was manipulative, jealous Stephanie McMahon, there to cheer on her father. What followed was one of the wildest spectacles in wrestling history with swerves galore, as Trish stood up for herself against Vince and Steph, Linda got the last laugh on her husband, and Shane-O-Mac debuted his coast-to-coast move to put his father down for good. All of this against the back drop of not only a family feud, but a titanic struggle for power as Shane had, kayfabe, just purchased WCW out from under his dad's nose.

Let's not forget that this show also featured the fun of the gimmick battle royal and the Big Show-Kane-Raven hardcore title match, plus a wild marquee brawl between Triple H and The Undertaker, and the climax of programs between Chris Jericho and William Regal, and Chyna and Ivory. When it came to blow-offs, big moments and matches that delivered, this show was absolutely unparalleled.

And so, we return to the closing image of this show—Steve Austin and Vince McMahon toasting one another, beers and championship gold in hand. In this moment, the WWF was capping off not just a great show or a great year, but a great era for the company. In winning the Monday Night Wars—buying WCW—the WWF had won, and the Attitude Era was all but finished. And so, there Austin and McMahon stood, iconic figure and owner, celebrating not only in kayfabe, but no doubt in reality, because they had won the greatest victory possible—that for supremacy in the wrestling world. In a card full of marquee match-ups, and outstanding drama, it's hard to think of a more fitting way to cap it all off. From a kayfabe perspective, this is an aberration, as one of the strikingly few unhappy endings to a Wrestlemania. But in reality, this probably ranks as high as any Hogan title celebration, or Benoit and Guerrero embrace as one of the most fitting and fulfilling moments in wrestling history. For that point alone, there's no denying that this was one of most important Wrestlemanias ever.

That's all for this column. Next week, The Importance of… continues its road to Wrestlemania. We take a look at the importance of Wrestlemania XX. See you in seven.