We continue theroad to WWE Wrestlemania 28, with 37days and counting. We all know by now that on April 1st in Miami, The Rock will take on John Cena in thatmatch that was announced a year ago. Also, we do really in fact know thatwe are going to see The Undertaker goingagainst Triple H with that storied Wrestlemania undefeated streak on the line. Itjust don’t get any more violent then Hellin a Cell, the battleground for the third Wrestlemania match between TripleH and the Undertaker. Chris Jericho andCM Punk battle over who is the best in the world for the WWE Championship. Theyhave had many encounters before, but this should be the one that we’ve beenwaiting for. And last, the 2012 RoyalRumble winner Sheamus will challenge Daniel Bryan for the World HeavyweightTitle. That is your officially announced WWE Wrestlemania 28 card, althoughthere will be more matches announced.
Let’s dial back the waybackmachine to March 28th 1999for Wrestlemania XV. It was in the middle of the Attitude Era and where thestoryline writing was vintage Vince Russo. After several months, Stone Cold Steve Austin was ready totake back what he felt was his. The WWF Championship held by Vince McMahon’scorporate champion, The Rock. It wasin Philadelphia and it was going to be rocking.
TheRock versus Stone Cold Steve Austin…Need I Say More
WWF Wrestlemania XV was reallythe show that exposed the weakness in Vince Russo’s crash TV booking style in abig way. Where it was expected that Billy Gunn would go for theIntercontinental Title and the Road Dogg would go for the Hardcore Title, butthey swapped champions with Billy Gunn winning the Hardcore Title and Road Doggwinning the Intercontinental Title. Which made no sense. Then Chyna turningbabyface and then heel in the same night. Then again, we had Butterbeanknocking Bart Gunn straight to All Japan, after Bart Gunn won the Brawl forall.
Yet, among all of the Russorificinsanity, there was Stone Cold Steve Austin against the Rock. Stone Cold in1999 was molten hot. He was the man, the top babyface, and the Rock was withouta shadow of a doubt, the top heel. The stage was set for Wrestlemania XV.Everyone remembers the beer bath that Stone Cold gave Vince McMahon, ShaneMcMahon, and the Rock right before Wrestlemania XV.
Vince McMahon tried to stack thedeck, by getting Paul Wight(the future Big Show, then known under his realname) as the referee, as his corporate giant enforcer but Mankind stepped in.Mankind defeated Big Show via disqualification in a match where the winner wasthe special guest referee. Mankind was injured. Vince McMahon tried to inserthimself to screw Stone Cold, but WWF Commissioner Shawn Michaels(no stranger toWrestlemania in his own right), put the ixnay on that one.
Stone Cold vs. the Rock atWrestlemania XV was the first part of a trilogy of Pay Per View Matches thatdefined the Attitude Era. Their match at Backlash 1999 one month later washighly overlooked and in 2003 after the end of the Attitude Era, they revisitedthe feud in Austin’s final match. And naturally the match at Wrestlemania X-7was the symbolic end for the Attitude Era for reasons that will be clear when Idiscuss that match in the coming weeks.
No Holds Barred, as were most ofAustin’s matches during this area. Stunners were survived, as were RockBottoms, and referees went flying everywhere. Vince McMahon tried to interfere,but Mankind survived. After avoiding the People’s Elbow, Stone Cold Stunnerconnects and for the third time, Austin is the WWF Championship. Out of thethree Attitude Era main events(Mania XV, Backlash 1999, and Mania X-7), thismight have been the lesser of the three, but as a part of the trilogy, itestablished the formula, that would really lead to the capper of the AttitudeEra two ears ladder.
WWEWrestlemania 28 is 39 Days Away, April 1st 2012 from Miami Florida.
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