Full WWE Confidential Results - 3/22/03 (Looking back at WrestleMania)

Reported by Matt Riggs of WrestleView.com
» On Tuesday, March 25, 2003 at 6:29 PM EST

Apologies for the late report.

Full WWE Confidential Results – 3/22/03
Hosted By: Mean Gene Okerlund
Reported By: Matt Riggs

Mean Gene welcomes everyone to the show, he talks about how thrilled it was for him to be in the ring with the Hulkster on Smackdown this past Thursday after all of these years. First up, Gene talks about how WrestleMania came about originally. He says that it is hard to believe that it has been 19 years.

MARCH 31, 1985: THE BIRTH OF WRESTLEMANIA

Gerald Brisco says the first suggestion of WrestleMania was in Stamford, CT when Vince McMahon brought it up in a meeting with George Scott. He says he kind of thought that Vince may be able to pull it off. Bruce Prichard says he didn’t work here when WrestleMania I took place. When he first heard the idea, he thought it was crazy and the worst idea he had ever heard. He didn’t like any aspect of it, especially mixing actors with wrestlers. Brisco explains the process of closed circuit television back in 1985. Prichard says he hated the idea, but did pay to see it on closed circuit television. Brisco says he was promoting the event at a venue in Miami, FL when he saw 15,000 people come in to watch. He said it only got bigger and better after that up and to what we have now. Bobby “The Brain” Heenan says that as the weeks drew closer, the excitement did as well. He talked about how Vince was really determined to bring his vision to life. He says other promoters will say that they had the same idea, but Heenan questions why didn’t they try it the way he did then. Heenan says that it was amazing. The Brain talks briefly about the WrestleMania I celebrities. Heenan says that night he went up to Vince with a beer and said, “Here is to WrestleMania 2,” he said, “What do you mean WrestleMania 2?, “Heenan replied, “Here is to WrestleMania 102!” and they toasted. Jimmy Snuka says that WrestleMania I was the best highlight for him knowing all of the people that were there from Ali, Mr. T, Piper, and Hogan and so on. He said that feeling will never be duplicated, just knowing he was there at the beginning that started it all. Footage is shown of Hulk Hogan pinning Mr. Wonderful from WrestleMania I.

-A WrestleMania XIX commercial airs

-A WrestleMania to the 3rd Degree airs

WrestleMania Retro: Shawn Michaels

Michaels talks about his WrestleMania XII entrance where he rode down from the ceiling. He talks about how is entrance was, and he says that he did it once before during the day. He says that Vince did it once during the day, and that Vince would never ask anyone else to do something that he wouldn’t do. Footage is shown of Vince doing it. He said it was quick, and happened really fast, and he enjoyed doing it.

Gene talks about Shawn Michaels, and this leads to the Shawn Michaels-WrestleMania Legacy Video.

-WrestleMania Moment: WrestleMania XIV – March 1998: Gennifer Flowers interviewing The Rock.

Gene talks about the prominent roles that celebrities have played at WrestleManias over the year. He mentions Ray Charles, Cyndi Lauper, Run DMC, and more. He mentions that Fred Durst and Limp Bizkit will be at WrestleMania XIX. His personal favorite celebrity was Pamela Anderson, (oddly, because when that WrestleMania happened, Okerlund was in WCW).

WRESTLEMANIA CELEBRITIES

Jericho thinks that when WrestleMania started, wrestling was like the red headed stepchild of the sports world, but when celebrities got involved, it made it more mainstream and helped everyone realized how it was really the premiere of sports entertainment. Undertaker and Shawn Michaels say similar things. Ric Flair says that many celebrities have tied themselves to WrestleMania because of how popular it is. Jericho says that where there was such a variety of different celebrities, examples given were Liberace and Muhammad Ali and Cyndi Lauper. Jesse “The Body” Ventura says the celebrities brought elegance to it, and it makes it feel more mainstream. Bobby Heenan says he was like most of the wrestlers that didn’t think it was right to have Mr. T and Liberace there, especially having T in the main event with Hulk Hogan. Brisco agreed with Heenan, and says he couldn’t believe how the celebrities overshadowed most of the stars back then. Prichard says the celebrities did exactly what they were supposed to; they opened outside eyes to the business. Footage is shown of various celebrities from various WrestleMania’s, with a Gorilla Monsoon introduction here goes the list: (For reference purposes, I’m going to put the WM they were at in parenthesis, and I’m doing these off my head if there is an error, I apologize in advance) Burt Reynolds (X), Alice Cooper (III), Mary Hart (III), Ice-T (XVI), Marla Maples (VII) Donald Trump (IV,V,VII), Elvira (II), Willie Nelson (VII). Shawn says his favorite WrestleMania celebrity was Willie Nelson. The list continues: Vanna White (IV), Tommy Lasorda (II), Susan St. James (II), Salt-n-Pepa (XI), Michael Clarke Duncan (XVI), Morton Downey, Jr. (V), Mike Tyson (XIV), Ozzy Osbourne (II), Steve Allen (VI), Robin Leach (IV), Reba McEntire (VIII). Flair remembers trying to get her to ride Space Mountain. More: Alex Trebek (VII), Saliva (XVIII), My favorite, Bob Uecker (III, IV), Pamela Anderson (XI), Ray Charles (II), Pete Rose (XIV). Undertaker enjoyed the Pete Rose/Kane involvement prior to their match WrestleMania XIV. Matt Hardy did too. Lawrence Taylor (XI), Prichard says he really respected the business and had a lot of fun doing it. Brisco talks about Pat Patterson training Taylor. Motorhead (XVII), William “Refrigerator” Perry (II), Aretha Franklin (III), Jenny McCarthy (XI), Little Richard (X). Michaels says that they add to the excitement but at the end it all comes down to the performers.

WrestleMania Retro: Big Show

Big Show says that WrestleMania is what you work the whole year for, and compares Hogan, Austin, and Rock’s accomplishments. He says the first WrestleMania he saw was III. He was an Andre The Giant fan. He said the feel at XVI, when he was in the main event was amazing.

Okerlund talks about legendary WWE press conferences, he especially mentions XI’s with Lawrence Taylor and XIV’s with Mike Tyson. He then brings us to coverage of this year’s WrestleMania press conference from New York, this past Tuesday.

WRESTLEMANIA PRESS CONFERENCE

Footage is shown. Stephanie and Eric Bischoff talk about the energy and excitement in the air. The Coach introduces the Miller Lite Cat Fight Girls. Vince says, “This is gonna be fun!” Hogan, Kurt, Triple H, Bischoff, Austin, and Booker T talk about how important WrestleMania is. Austin says this one is very special for him because he didn’t think he was going to be here for it. Stephanie says that WrestleMania always has a special place in her heart. She mentions that every year something special happens. Vince says that each WrestleMania has its own personality. Triple H and Booker talk about their match first. Austin and Rock talk about their match next. Kurt and Brock are up next. Kurt says he and Brock are the best two athletes there. Stephanie says that the most interesting thing to happen at the press conference was the obvious comments from Hulk Hogan and Vince McMahon; she said she is baffled by their twenty-year history. Vince says that there is real tension between he and Hogan, and he is going to have fun in their match. Hogan says that Vince doesn’t look like he is so sure he should he knows what he has gotten himself into. Stephanie can’t wait to see what happens in the ring at WrestleMania.

WrestleMania Retro: Spike Dudley

He said it is “the show” and is where everyone wants to be. He says he didn’t get to see WrestleMania I, but his first one was WrestleMania II. He goes through memories of the matches.

Mean Gene talks about March 29, 1987, WrestleMania III. He says on that day it was like the earth stood still for a brief moment as Hulk Hogan and Andre The Giant faced off in front of a record-breaking crowd of 93,000 people at the Pontiac Silverdome.

WRESTLEMANIA III

Prichard says he remembers when he heard that the Silverdome was where WrestleMania II was set to take place and he thought Vince had lost his mind. Brisco says he couldn’t believe it, how many people were there. Shawn says that this WrestleMania was much bigger than the prior two WrestleManias. Prichard says Hulk and Andre was the match, like an Ali/Frasier that everyone wanted to see. Matt Hardy says that match set the caliber at how big a WrestleMania main event should be. Brisco said the curiosity was just there, wondering what could if anything could Hogan do to Andre. Andre The Giant and Bobby Heenan are shown entering the Silverdome for the match. Heenan says when he was walking out, it never hit him that 93,000 were watching him, what hit him was that millions were watching at home. He was thinking about the television audience and the fact that he was in the main event and part of history. Footage of Heenan entering the ring is shown. Real American cues, as Hulk Hogan’s entrance is shown. Jesse Ventura said to himself, that still today, WrestleMania III is the greatest WrestleMania ever. He mentions that with that attendance record they outdrew the Rolling Stones and The Pope. Flair talks about they were the two biggest stars in the sport at that particular time. Jericho said he kind of thought Hogan was going to win, but didn’t know how. It shows the closing moments of the match, when Hogan clotheslines Andre down. Heenan tries to get Andre up, while Hogan hulks up. He then body slams Andre and leg drops him to get the win.

-Big Show will be on Hollywood Squares all this week and they show footage of him behind the scenes. Henry Winkler talks about meeting Show during filming of The Water Boy, and how funny he really is. Small clips from Show’s performance are shown.

Gene closes the show, saying that next week we will continue looking back at WrestleMania and that he will have a special guest in the studio with him for next week’s show. That guest is non-other than, Jimmy “The Mouth of the South” Hart.