WWF WrestleMania XV Results
March 28, 1999
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (First Union Center)
Results by: Mike Tedesco of Wrestleview.com
Philadelphia’s own Boyz II Men are in the ring and sing a nice rendition of “America The Beautiful.”
A video package narrated by “Classy” Freddie Blassie kicks off the show, talking about how the legends we will see tonight will never let us forget them.
Mike’s Thoughts: Great opener for this WrestleMania. The Boyz II Men song was great and that video package from “Classy” Freddie Blassie… that’s the stuff of legends. One of the best video packages WWF/E ever produced.
We go live into the First Union Center in Philadelphia to see a big pyrotechnics display. Michael Cole and Jerry “The King” Lawler welcome us to the show.
WWF Hardcore Championship
Al Snow w/ Head vs. Hardcore Holly vs. “Badd Ass” Billy Gunn (c)
Before the match starts, Billy Gunn goes to cut a promo but Al Snow attacks him from behind. Holly quickly attacks Snow from behind. Gunn and Holly send Snow into the ropes for a double-team back elbow. Holly turns on Gunn and kicks him. Holly sends Gunn into the ropes and turns him inside out with a clothesline. Snow takes Holly down and stomps him. Snow goes back and forth kicking Gunn and Holly before getting out of the ring. Snow brings Holly out of the ring, bounces him off the commentary table, and whips him with a camera cable. Gunn goes outside and clubs Snow down. Snow reverses a whip into the steps, and Gunn hits the stairs hard. Holly attacks Snow and sends him into the barricade. Holly suplexes Snow on the floor.
Gunn attacks Holly and Snow. Holly quickly cuts Gunn off, but Snow takes him down. Snow goes under the ring and pulls out a hockey stick. Snow hits Holly and Gunn with the stick. A “Let’s go Flyers” chant picks up. Snow grabs a tub full of Gatorade bottles and hits Holly with it. Gunn quickly grabs it and hits Snow in the head with the tub. Gunn grabs the hockey stick and snaps it off Holly’s back! Snow has a broom. In the ring, Gunn hits Holly with the broken edge of the stick. Snow quickly low blows Gunn with the broom and breaks it. Snow goes back and forth hitting Holly and Gunn with the broken broomstick. Snow sends Holly into the ropes and takes him down with the broomstick. Gunn grabs a chair, but Snow wipes him out with the broomstick. Snow grabs the steel chair and hits Gunn and Holly in the midsection with it. Snow uses the chair to jump into Gunn in the corner. Holly avoids a Snow avalanche in the corner. Gunn sends Holly out of the ring shortly after. Gunn and Holly get back in the ring, and Snow gives them both Head.
Snow goes under the ring and pulls a table out from under it. Snow sets the table up in the corner. Holly avoids a whip into the table and clotheslines Snow. Gunn blasts Holly in the head with the chair out of nowhere before slamming Snow through the table in the corner. Gunn celebrates big time. Gunn grabs Snow and hits a Fame-ass-er on the chair. Gunn covers, but Holly hits him in the back with the chair. Holly covers Snow for the win.
Winner by Pinfall and new WWF Hardcore Champion: Hardcore Holly
Mike’s Thoughts: Fun hardcore match to kick off the show. They didn’t completely overdo it with weapons and there seemed to be some structure to the match. The finish was a little anticlimactic, but that’s ok. One of the more untraditional matches to ever kick off a WrestleMania.
Footage is shown from Sunday Night Heat of D’Lo Brown and Test winning a Battle Royal for an opportunity at the WWF Tag Team Championship on WrestleMania. They were attacked from behind by champions Jeff Jarrett and Owen Hart.
WWF Tag Team Championship
D’Lo Brown and Test w/ Ivory vs. Owen Hart and Jeff Jarrett (c’s) w/ Debra
D’Lo Brown and Test are not getting along at the start of the match. Brown and Test double-team Hart and Jarrett to start the match. Test hits Hart with a big boot and clotheslines him over the top rope. Brown punches Jarrett in the corner before sending him into the ropes. Jarrett ducks a clothesline and shoulder blocks him down. Jarrett hits the ropes, but Brown hits him with a hip toss. Brown connects with a clothesline and celebrates. Brown sends Jarrett into the ropes for a jumping forearm. Jarrett reverses a whip to the corner and charges, but Brown back elbows him.
Test and Hart tag in. Hart punches Test, but Test kicks him and hits a gutwrench powerbomb for a near fall. Test goes for a pumphandle slam, but Hart slides off and hits an enzuigiri. Hart goes for a Sharpshooter and locks it in, but Brown punches Hart down. Brown tags in and punches Hart down. Brown connects with a scoop slam and drops a leg. Brown applies a side headlock, but Hart whips him off. Jarrett knees Brown in the back, so Brown punches him off the apron. Hart wipes Brown out with a spinning heel kick before hitting a gutwrench suplex. Jarrett tags in. Hart and Jarrett send Brown into the ropes for a double-team clothesline. Jarrett puts Brown on the ropes and splashes him. Hart tags back in. Brown ducks a double-team clothesline and clotheslines them both down. Brown hits them both with scoop slams and punches. Jarrett reverses a whip and goes for a dropkick, but Brown counters into a sit-out powerbomb. Hart breaks up the pin, so Test attacks him from behind. Ivory pulls Debra off the apron, and they argue. In the ring, Brown sets up for a powerbomb, but Hart hits him with a missile dropkick. Jarrett immediately follows up with a jackknife pin for the win!
Winners by Pinfall and still WWF Tag Team Champions: Owen Hart and Jeff Jarrett
Jacqueline and Terri Runnels of P.M.S. run down to try and keep Ivory and Debra from fighting. Test gets in Ivory’s face and blames her. Brown and Test begin arguing and brawling.
Mike’s Thoughts: Good tag team match while it lasted. I really liked the tag team of Jeff Jarrett and Owen Hart. It’s bittersweet watching this because it’s Owen’s last appearance on a WrestleMania show (his 10th overall appearance) and knowing less than two months after this match was over he would breathe his last on that fateful day in Kansas City. It bums me out that I’m done recapping Owen Hart matches on WrestleMania. So smooth in the ring. He’s still missed to this day.
Video Package: Bart Gunn vs. Butterbean in the Brawl for All
Isaac Hayes is shown at ringside enjoying the action. The Mean Street Posse (Rodney and Pete Gas) are shown at ringside as well.
Vinny Pazienza is introduced to be the referee for this Brawl for All match. Kevin Rooney and Chuck Wepner are introduced as two of the judges. Finally, Gorilla Monsoon is introduced to a HUGE ovation.
Brawl for All
Butterbean vs. Bart Gunn
Guest Referee: Vinny Pazienza
Butterbean and Gunn go face-to-face, and Vinny Pazienza explains the rules. The bell rings, and this fight begins. Butterbean immediately rocks Gunn with some jabs and body shots. Butterbean hits him with a big right hand that takes his legs from him and follows up with two more right hands that connect with no issue. Gunn goes down and Pazienza is counting. Gunn gets to his feet before being counted down. Butterbean immediately pounces with a jab and a devastating right hand for an absolutely all-time BRUTAL knockout!
Winner by Knockout: Butterbean
Bart Gunn’s trainers immediately run over and hit him with the smelling salts to try and wake him up. That was absolutely nasty. Butterbean celebrates in the ring. Gorilla Monsoon is visibly concerned for Gunn and holds his wrist.
As Butterbean leaves the ring and Gunn gingerly leaves (he looks absolutely lost), the San Diego Chicken runs down and starts dancing around Vinny Pazienza. Pazienza wipes him out with an uppercut.
Mike’s Thoughts: The Brawl for All… what an unbelievable mess. If you’ve seen the Dark Side of the Ring episode about this, you know the story. Just an unmitigated disaster of a brain dropping from Vince Russo that saw so many guys get legitimately injured. Bart Gunn was never supposed to emerge the winner, but he did so his big reward? Butterbean at WrestleMania. Unreal. The guy could have been killed the way his head hit those ropes going down. I don’t care how many weeks of training Bart Gunn did. He had no business being in the ring with Butterbean. Absolutely embarrassing. Then to send the San Diego Chicken out there for no reason really put the icing on what was a complete and total debacle. The only thing of note is this is the final appearance of Gorilla Monsoon before his death in October 1999. What a way to go out with this.
Footage is shown of Big Show and Mankind brawling backstage during Sunday Night Heat. While they were brawling, Stone Cold Steve Austin entered the building without issue.
Kevin Kelly interviews Mankind about facing Big Show. Mankind says he’s tried to play nice, but now he’ll see an angry Mankind. Try to have a nice day.
“The Big Show” Paul Wight vs. Mankind
The winner of this match will be the referee for the WWF Championship match later tonight.
Mankind gets in the ring and immediately start throwing punches at Wight. Mankind hits the ropes and hits a running forearm. Mankind tries for a clothesline, but Wight doesn’t go down. Mankind hits the ropes again, but Wight big boots him down. Wight head-butts Mankind, sending him out of the ring. Mankind attacks Wight coming out of the ring and rakes the eyes. Mankind tries to bounce him off the steel steps, but Wight blocks it. Mankind punches away at him a few times and bounces him off the steps twice. Mankind goes for a Double Arm DDT, but Wight pushes him backward over the steel steps! Wight gets Mankind in the ring and viciously chops the chest. Wight chops away at him and floors him with a club. Wight hits a face-buster over his name before hitting a Russian Leg Sweep. Wight goes for a clothesline against the ropes, but he goes over when Mankind moves.
Mr. Socko comes out, and Mankind locks on the Mandible Claw as Wight gets in the ring. Wight punches him away, but Mankind comes off the ropes and reapplies the Mandible Claw. Wight punches him down, but Mankind comes back with the Mandible Claw. Wight won’t go down, so Mankind low blows him to bring him down to a knee. Mankind holds it on, and the crowd chants, “Foley.” The referee checks Wight’s arm, but it doesn’t go down. Wight gets up with Mankind on his back and absolutely FLATTENS him by jumping back on him! Wow!
Mankind writhes in pain on the mat, and Wight kicks him in the chest before knocking him out of the ring. Wight goes outside and kicks Mankind in the ribs. Wight grabs a steel chair and hits Mankind in the ribs with it before bending it over his back. Referee Earl Hebner warns Wight that he’ll be disqualified if this continues. Wight sets up two chairs seat to seat and Chokeslams Mankind through them! The referee calls for the bell.
Winner by Disqualification: Mankind
Mankind will be the referee for the main event of WrestleMania 15. Big Show is livid.
Vince McMahon comes out and looks upset. McMahon yells at Earl Hebner and then gets in the ring. He starts to berate Big Show and telling him he needs to control his temper. McMahon says he could have cost him the WWF Championship. Big Show starts to walk away, but McMahon turns him around and warns him not to make that mistake at WrestleMania. Big Show grabs McMahon by the throat and lifts him up for a Chokeslam, but he thinks better of it and puts him down. McMahon says Big Show is too damn hot tempered. McMahon gets in his face and slaps him, so Big Show immediately knocks him out with a big right hand! Big Show angrily walks off as The Stooges come out and help McMahon to the back. Mankind is brought out on a stretcher.
Backstage, Gerald Brisco and Pat Patterson sit Vince McMahon down. McMahon wants a mobile phone so he can call the cops. He wants that big son of a bitch arrested for assault right now!
Mike’s Thoughts: This wasn’t a good match at all, but the punishment Mick Foley took throughout was brutal. That backpack slam Big Show gave him looked incredibly nasty. The rest wasn’t good and the finish was dumb. The post-match, on the other hand, was great. I loved Vince McMahon coming out and the ring mics picking up him berating Big Show. That was super fun and the quintessential Vince during the Attitude Era. I wish the Vince character kind of stayed like that rather than morphing into the cartoon it has become today.
WWF Intercontinental Champion Road Dogg makes his way to the ring and goes through his entrance schtick. Val Venis makes his entrance and says this belt will never keep his pants on.
WWF Intercontinental Championship – Four Corners Elimination
The Road Dogg (c) vs. Val Venis vs. Goldust w/ The Blue Meanie and Ryan Shamrock vs. Ken Shamrock
The bell rings, and all four competitors start brawling. Shamrock elbows Goldust down and hits a hurricanrana. Shamrock then goes to Venis and starts attacking. Shamrock and Dogg give Venis a double back elbow. Shamrock then attacks Dogg and stomps him down in the corner. Shamrock whips him hard into the corner, and Dogg goes down hard. Shamrock clubs Dogg and whips him hard into the corner again. Goldust and Venis are on the corners. Apparently you need to be tagged into this elimination style match. Dogg fights back and dropkicks Shamrock down. Goldust tags in and gives Shamrock a spinebuster. Goldust punches away at Shamrock and hits a diving clothesline. Venis blind tags in on Shamrock and stomps away at him. Goldust then gives him a release back suplex for a two count. Goldust gets out of a powerslam and goes for a Curtain Call, but Venis flips through it. Venis hits a spinebuster for a near fall. Venis sends Goldust into the ropes, but Goldust attacks the neck and hits a clothesline for a two count. Goldust puts Venis on the top rope and tries for a superplex, but Venis punches him down. Venis hits a super bulldog for a near fall. Venis hits a fisherman’s suplex for another two count. Venis punches Goldust to the corner before having a whip reversed. Venis and Goldust clunk heads. Venis then falls forward onto Goldust’s groin! Goldust gets up, and Shamrock DDTs him. Dogg gets in the ring and DDTs Venis. Referee Tim White starts counting them down, but Goldust crawls over and covers Venis for a near fall. Shamrock angrily shouts that it was a three count.
Dogg punches away at Venis and chops him. Venis sends Dogg to the corner and hits a corner clothesline. Venis sends him to the corner again and clotheslines him. Venis goes for a bearhug, but Dogg punches out. Dogg hits him with Shake, Rattle, and Roll before telling Goldust to “suck it.” Dogg punches Goldust down before knocking Shamrock down and hitting a knee drop. The crowd cheers him on. Venis attacks Dogg from behind and hits a back suplex for a near fall. Dogg hits a pumphandle slam on Venis, and Shamrock clubs him from behind to tag himself in. Shamrock quickly applies an Ankle Lock to Venis. Venis screams in pain, but he makes it to the bottom rope. The referee has to pull Shamrock off him. Venis hits a back body drop over the top rope on Shamrock. Ryan Shamrock comes over to her brother and yells at him. Venis hits Shamrock with a baseball slide and punches him up the entranceway. Both men get counted out.
Ken Shamrock and Val Venis have been counted out.
Shamrock gets in the ring and is furious. He attacks Dogg and Goldust, giving them belly-to-belly side suplexes and leaving the ring. Goldust gets up and covers Dogg for a near fall. Goldust hits the ropes, and Ryan Shamrock grabs his feet. Goldust is confused. Road Dogg slams Goldust and covers him for the win.
Winner by Pinfall and still WWF Intercontinental Champion: Road Dogg
Goldust angrily berates Ryan Shamrock. The Blue Meanie joins in and yells at her as well. Shamrock sadly walks away.
Mike’s Thoughts: The guys all worked hard in this, but it just never clicked. Typical crappy Attitude Era special match rules. Took away a lot. The Goldust character by this point was way out of control, which also took away from this. Some cheap eliminations and random moves strung together made this not so awesome.
We go outside the arena to see a team of police officers arresting “The Big Show” Paul Wight. Wight gets in the squad car with no issue.
Footage is shown of Kane accidentally hitting Chyna with a fireball a few weeks ago on Monday Night RAW. Triple H then hit Kane with a flamethrower last week.
As Kane makes his entrance, the San Diego Chicken runs down and ambushes Kane. Kane quickly stops him and rips off the head to reveal Pete Rose! Kane gets the former Philadelphia Philly in the ring and gives him a Tombstone Piledriver! Referees help Rose away.
Kane vs. Triple H
Kane waits for Triple H to make his entrance. Triple H comes in through the crowd unbeknownst to Kane, sneaks up behind him, and gives him a low blow. Triple H punches him to the corner and punches away at him. Kane throws him off, but Triple H quickly gets up and punches away at him again. Kane big boots him back and charges, but Triple H gives him a back body drop over the top rope. Kane lands on his feet, pulls Triple H out of the ring, and punches him. Triple H avoids one, and Kane hits the ring post hard. Triple H then whips him hard into the steel steps. Triple H gets in the ring and taunts the crowd. Kane gets on the apron, but Triple H hits him with a high knee to knock him into the barricade. Triple H sends Kane into the barricade again before bouncing him off the commentary table. Triple H gets him in the ring and punches before having a whip reversed on him. Kane big boots him down before throwing him hard out of the ring.
Triple H tries to pull Kane out of the ring, but Kane kicks him away. Triple H quickly bounces Kane off the barricade before climbing the steps. Kane grabs him by the throat and crotches him on the barricade before punching him into the laps of the Mean Street Posse. The Posse throws Triple H back to ringside. Kane lifts Triple H up and drives him into the ring post a few times. Kane gets Triple H in the ring and uppercuts him down. Kane whips him hard into the corner, and Triple H collapses down. Kane uppercuts Triple H in the corner before punching him down. Kane chokes him against the ropes before Referee Teddy Long tells him to get off. Kane kicks Triple H in the corner and uppercuts him. Kane whips Triple H hard into the corner before uppercutting him down. Kane hits a leg drop on Triple H for a near fall. Kane sends him into the ropes, but he lowers his head and eats a kick. Kane immediately responds with a clothesline. Kane bounces Triple H off the top turnbuckle before whipping him hard into the corner. Triple H boots him back and lays some right hands in. Kane then tosses him over the top rope again. Kane backs up and hits Triple H with a running plancha! Kane puts him in the ring and goes to the top rope. Triple H quickly gets up and hits an arm drag off the top rope!
Kane misses an avalanche in the corner, and Triple H starts punching away at him. Kane reverses a whip, misses two clotheslines, and Triple H hits him with a facebuster. Triple H then wipes him out with a flying knee to the face. Chyna all of a sudden makes her way to the ring. Her eye looks fine. Triple H looks confused. Kane goes for a Tombstone Piledriver, but Triple H slides off. Triple H goes for a Pedigree, but Kane gets out and drops an elbow. Chyna takes the top half of the steel steps and slides them into the ring. Kane sits up and grabs the steel steps. Kane charges, but Triple H boots the steps into his face. Triple H then hits a drop-toe-hold into the ring steps! Triple H clotheslines Kane out of the ring and punches away at him. Triple H goes for a Pedigree on the steps outside, but Kane gives him a back body drop off the steps to the floor!
Kane gets Triple H in the ring and grabs him by the throat. Kane hits a huge Chokeslam. Chyna gets on the apron with a steel chair. She wants to hit Triple H with it. Chyna then hits Kane in the back with the steel chair! Teddy Long calls for the bell!
Winner by Disqualification: Kane
Kane looks conflicted as he stares at Chyna. Triple H hits Kane from behind with the chair before giving him a chair shot to the head! Triple H then Pedigrees Kane on the steel chair. Triple H and Chyna embrace to a HUGE ovation! Chyna is back in D-Generation X! They walk off. Kane sits up and angrily walks to the back.
Mike’s Thoughts: This was just a complete nothing of a match. They had absolutely no chemistry together, there was no structure to the match… it was just random stuff being done to pass time until it was time for Chyna to come to the ring. The reuniting of Triple H and Chyna post-match was well done and hearkened back to the Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth reuniting at WrestleMania VIII… only not as good.
Kevin Kelly is backstage talking about who will be the guest referee for tonight’s main event. Big Show has been arrested and Mankind has been brought to the hospital. Vince McMahon walks up and says he has the best looking referee shirt. McMahon says he’ll be the guest referee! McMahon says, “No more controversy!”
Rapper Big Punisher is shown in the crowd.
WWF Women’s Champion Sable makes her way to the ring. This is for all the women that want to be her and the men that came to see her. Are the boys ready for the grind? Sable gyrates her hips.
WWF Women’s Championship
Sable (c) vs. Tori
Before the match begins, Sable scares Tori back. Tori tries to get in the ring, but Sable kicks her in the ribs. Sable gyrates some more as Tori looks worried about getting in the ring. Sable gyrates again in the ring. Tori gets in the ring, and Sable bounces her off the ropes. Sable kicks away at the chest before throwing her out of the ring. Sable saunters around the ring. Tori pulls her out of the ring and bounces her off the apron and barricade. Tori chops the chest before Sable reverses a whip into the barricade. Sable hits a wild cross-body block off the apron. Sable puts Tori in the ring and kicks her in the ribs. Sable gyrates before Tori forearms her down. Tori hits some awful looking punches before hitting a clothesline in the corner a few times. Sable reverses a whip into the corner. They embarrassingly fumble through a bridge into a pin spot. Tori eventually accidentally hits Referee Jimmy Korderas with a cross-body block. Sable goes for a Sable Bomb. Tori is supposed to land on her feet, but she just falls. Tori punches her back.
Nicole Bass all of a sudden gets in the ring and grabs Tori. Bass hits a press slam Tori down and tells Sable to cover her. Sable looks pleased and hits Tori with the Sable Bomb for the win.
Winner by Pinfall and still WWF Women’s Champion: Sable
Mike’s Thoughts: This was flat out HORRIBLE. There’s nothing else to say about it. It has to be one of the worst WrestleMania matches of all time. Absolutely brutal to watch. They could do nothing right.
The reunited D-Generation X is shown backstage. X-Pac looks super serious. Triple H says DX is whole again and the European Title is coming with them. They don’t care if Shane is the boss’ son. He’s getting his ass handed to him. X-Pac tells Shane to get ready for some pain.
WWF European Championship
Shane McMahon (c) w/ Test vs. X-Pac
As X-Pac makes his entrance, Patterson and Brisco attack him from behind. Patterson accidentally punches Brisco, and X-Pac takes Brisco down. McMahon quickly gets out of the ring and looks worried. Test stands by McMahon’s side.
The bell rings, and McMahon cautiously approaches the ring. X-Pac is fired up. McMahon slowly gets in the ring before bailing when X-Pac charges him. McMahon runs around ringside and gets in the ring. McMahon leap frogs X-Pac and gloats. X-Pac immediately spin kicks him down. X-Pac kicks him down in the corner. X-Pac goes for a Bronco Buster, but McMahon gets out of the ring. McMahon goes to leave, but X-Pac stops him. McMahon gets in the ring and distracts the referee. Test attacks X-Pac and drives him groin-first into the ring post! X-Pac gets in the ring before being counted out.
McMahon clubs away at X-Pac before kneeing away at him in the corner. McMahon knees him some more and slaps him in the face. McMahon hits a scoop slam and goes for the Corporate Elbow, but X-Pac moves. Test distracts the referee, and McMahon low blows him. McMahon takes Test’s leather belt and viciously whips X-Pac with it. McMahon charges, but X-Pac gives him a back body drop over the top rope. McMahon takes a flat back bump on the floor! X-Pac floors him with a plancha. The Mean Street Posse grabs X-Pac, but X-Pac punches them off! X-Pac puts McMahon in the ring, and Test clotheslines X-Pac on the floor. Test gets X-Pac in the ring.
McMahon drops an elbow and goes to the second rope. McMahon hits a diving elbow drop before going to the top rope. X-Pac sweeps the feet and crotches him. X-Pac hits a superplex and tells McMahon to “suck it.” X-Pac covers, but Test pulls him out of the ring. Test charges, but X-Pac sidesteps him to send him into the steel steps. X-Pac grabs the leather belt and whips McMahon’s back before whipping the chest! X-Pac then spin kicks him down in the corner. X-Pac connects with a Bronco Buster. The referee checks on McMahon. Test gets in the ring and clobbers X-Pac with the European Championship. McMahon crawls over and covers, but X-Pac kicks out. McMahon chokes him in the corner and goes for a Bronco Buster, but X-Pac moves. Test gets in the ring, but X-Pac kicks him down. X-Pac then hits Test with the Bronco Buster.
Triple H and Chyna make their way to the ring. X-Pac hits McMahon with the X-Factor, but Chyna is on the apron distracting the referee. Triple H gets in the ring and gives X-Pac a Pedigree! Triple H pulls McMahon onto X-Pac, and the referee counts the three!
Winner by Pinfall and still WWF European Champion: Shane McMahon
Test holds up X-Pac while Triple H unloads on him with punches. The New Age Outlaws run down, but Triple H and Test dispatch of them quickly. The lights go out. The fans are chanting, “HBK.” Instead Kane’s music hits, and he comes down to the ring. Kane attacks, but Triple H, Test, and Chyna escape. The New Age Outlaws help X-Pac up.
Mike’s Thoughts: Effective heel turn for Triple H and Chyna. They definitely had a roller coaster night. The post-match reuniting and being fan favorites and then being heels by the end. Good stuff. The match with Shane McMahon and X-Pac wasn’t much technically (this is before Shane became the daredevil), but it was well laid out and decent.
Video Package: Undertaker vs. Big Boss Man in a Hell in a Cell Match
Hell in a Cell
Big Bossman vs. The Undertaker w/ Paul Bearer
The bell rings, and they stand across the ring from each other. Bossman punches away at Undertaker in the corner before talking some trash. Undertaker turns Bossman around and punches away at him. Undertaker whips him hard into the corner, but he runs into an elbow. Undertaker quickly clotheslines him down for a two count. Undertaker sends him into the ropes, but Bossman counters with a swinging neckbreaker for a two count. Undertaker sits up, so Bossman boots him in the head. Undertaker sits up again, blocks a kick, and takes him down before punching away at him. Undertaker kicks Bossman back into the cell wall before slamming him into it a few times. Bossman reverses a whip into the wall. Bossman takes some handcuffs and punches Undertaker in the head with them. Bossman handcuffs Undertaker to the wall of the Hell in a Cell structure. Bossman grabs his nightstick and hits Undertaker with it. As Undertaker goes down, the handcuffs break. Bossman hits Undertaker with the nightstick and chokes him with it. Undertaker is busted open.
Undertaker soon grabs him by the throat and pulls him face-first into the cell. Undertaker whips him hard into the wall. Undertaker goes under the ring and grabs a steel chair. Paul Bearer talks trash to Undertaker. The crowd has been silent throughout this match. Undertaker smashes the chair off Bossman’s back before driving him headfirst into the cage. Bossman is busted open. Undertaker gets him in the ring, but Bossman pokes him in the eye. Undertaker hits a leaping lariat for a near fall. Undertaker grabs the arm and climbs to the top rope before walking on it. Bossman crotches him and sends him into the cage wall. Bossman gets him back in the ring and punches him back. Undertaker responds with some right hands. Bossman punches Undertaker down to his knees, so Undertaker low blows him. Undertaker goes for a Tombstone Piledriver, but Bossman slides off. Bossman sends him to the corner, but Undertaker pops out and hits the Tombstone Piledriver for the win.
Winner by Pinfall: The Undertaker
The Undertaker motions to the ceiling. The Brood lowers from the ceiling! Gangrel, Edge, and Christian land on the roof of the Hell in a Cell structure and kick a whole into one of the panels. They drop a noose through the hole in the cage! The Brood straps themselves back into the harnesses and go up to the ceiling. Edge gets stuck and is suspended in mid-air for a bit. Paul Bearer is shown at the controls and lifts the cage up. The noose is around Bossman’s neck and he is hung above the ring!
Mike’s Thoughts: That was absolutely putrid. God awful. Forget Sable vs. Tori. This is the worst WrestleMania match of all time. This was another level of god awful. It’s still embarrassing to watch 21 years later. A disaster from top to bottom.
Video Package: The WrestleMania Rage Party
Michael Cole is in the ring and he announces that Jim Ross will announce the main event of the evening. JR comes out to a great reception and takes his place at the commentary table.
Howard Finkel announces the special guest referee for the match, Mr. McMahon. McMahon makes his way to the ring and looks very confident.
All of a sudden, Shawn Michaels’ music hits. Michaels comes out to a HUGE ovation. The WWF Commissioner gets in the ring and claps McMahon on the shoulder. An “HBK” chant picks up. Michaels says we just can’t have a WrestleMania without the Heartbreak Kid. Michaels is disappointed he had to buy a ticket to get in tonight, but he won’t hold it against McMahon. It’s time to get down to business. McMahon needs to read the rulebook. Michaels knows McMahon is a busy man, but he needs to prioritize. Had he taken the time to read the rulebook, it states that there is only one man that can appoint an official at WrestleMania. That one man… is not Vince McMahon. Michaels gives the people one guess as to the one guy that gets to make that decision. The crowd knows it’s HBK. Michaels gloats over that. Michaels tells McMahon to take his Jack LaLanne physique, get the hell out of here, and don’t let the door hit him in the ass on the way out. Michaels says The Corporation is barred from ringside. If he sees one of their narrow asses breaking this sheriff’s rules, he and McMahon will have a fight out back. Anytime McMahon wants to try him, just let him know. Michaels tells McMahon to “hit the bricks.” Michaels escorts McMahon to the back.
WWF Championship
The Rock (c) vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin
The Rock won’t let Austin go to all four corners of the ring for his entrance, so they start trading punches to start the match. Rock sends Austin out of the ring hard, rips off Austin’s t-shirt, and chokes him with it. The crowd is absolutely buzzing for this, the first time tonight they’ve truly been alive. Rock gets Austin in the ring and punches him down. Austin punches Rock back, but Rock rakes the eyes. Austin reverses a whip and sends Rock over the top rope. Austin puts Rock into the crowd and punches him around. Austin knocks him over a barricade and hits a sledge to the back to send Rock back to ringside. Austin punches him from behind and sends him back into the crowd. Austin stomps him, but Rock makes a comeback and clotheslines him back to ringside. Rock chokes Austin with a camera cable before walking him up the entranceway. Austin reverses a whip into a barricade and clotheslines him hard on the concrete! Austin sends him into the barricade again and punches him. Austin goes for a piledriver, but Rock gives him a back body drop onto a steel light trellis. Austin’s knee hit hard!
Rock gets him up, but Austin punches him before sending him into a boom camera. Austin takes him down and stomps the groin. Austin chokes him with a camera cable, but Rock punches out. Austin reverses a whip into the huge WrestleMania steel staging. Austin brings him down the entranceway toward the ramp, but Rock stops him and gives him a suplex on the concrete! Rock brings Austin back to the ringside area and bounces him off the steel steps. Rock takes a sip of water and spits it in Austin’s face. Austin fights back and drops him face-first on the barricade. Austin bounces him off the commentary table and lays him out on it. Austin jumps off the barricade with an elbow drop, but the table doesn’t break. Austin tries again and finally breaks the table. Austin takes a swig of water and spits it in Rock’s face.
Austin gets Rock in the ring, but Rock gets out. Rock pulls him down and bounces the injured knee off the ring post. Austin soon fights back and whips him hard into the steel steps. Austin stomps Rock and puts him in the ring. Austin grabs him, but Rock surprises him with a Rock Bottom for a near fall! Rock cannot believe it. Rock goes outside and grabs a steel chair. Rock gets in the ring, but Austin kicks him. Austin grabs the chair and swings, but he ANNIHILATES Referee Mike Chioda with a chair shot to the head when Rock pulls him in the way. Rock follows up with a swinging neckbreaker on Austin. Referee Tim White runs down to check on Chioda. Austin goes for a Stone Cold Stunner, but Rock pushes him off and hits a back elbow. Rock takes the steel chair and slams it on Austin’s knee before driving it into the joint a few times. Rock then cracks Austin in the head with the chair and covers. Tim White gets in the ring and counts, but Austin kicks out. Rock clotheslines Austin for a two count. Rock applies a chin lock, but Austin fights up. Rock clotheslines him down and spits at the crowd. Rock goes back to the chin lock. The referee checks on Austin’s arm, but it doesn’t go down a third time. Austin fights up, punches out, ducks a clothesline, but he runs into a Samoan Drop from The Rock for a near fall. Rock is furious with the referee’s count, so he hits him with a Rock Bottom! Austin immediately hits Rock with a Stone Cold Stunner, but there’s no referee! Earl Hebner runs down, but it took too long and The Rock kicks out!
Mr. McMahon starts making his way down to the ring. Austin grabs a steel chair and flips off McMahon. Rock low blows Austin before he can hit him with the steel chair. McMahon gets in the ring and punches Hebner down. McMahon and The Rock double-team Austin with stomps in the corner. All of a sudden, Mankind runs down to make the save! Mankind is holding his ribs in pain. Mankind grabs McMahon and punches him down before stomping him out of the ring. Austin school boys Rock for a near fall. Austin soon catches Rock with a Thesz Press before dropping an elbow. Austin sends Rock into the ropes, but he lowers his head and eats a kick. Rock clotheslines Austin and hits another Rock Bottom. Rock gets to his feet and sets up for the Corporate Elbow, but Austin moves! Rock blocks a kick and tries for a Rock Bottom, but Austin fights out. Austin floors Rock with the Stone Cold Stunner for the win!
Winner by Pinfall and new WWF Champion: Stone Cold Steve Austin
Mr. McMahon is disgusted at ringside with the result and looks stunned. Mankind holds up the WWF Championship as Austin poses for the crowd. Mankind holds Austin’s arm up in victory and presents the WWF Championship to him. McMahon looks like he’s in tears at ringside. Austin has some beers tossed to him and he drinks them in celebration.
Austin goes to leave the ring, but he throws the WWF Championship back into the ring and poses once again. Austin drinks a beer with Earl Hebner. Hebner gets on the turnbuckles and drinks a beer! Austin toasts the WWF Championship. McMahon looks absolutely furious as he is leaving the ringside area.
Austin gets out of the ring, and McMahon calls him a son of a bitch. McMahon yells that it is his belt and Austin doesn’t deserve it. Austin punches McMahon and puts him in the ring before hitting him with a Stone Cold Stunner! Austin calls for more beers and dumps one on McMahon’s head. Austin puts a boot on McMahon’s chest and raises his arms in victory.
Video Package: WrestleMania XV highlights end the show
Mike’s Thoughts: Wow – I remember that match being a lot better than it actually was. It wasn’t a bad match by any stretch, it just wasn’t at all what I remembered. It felt like they were relying on a lot of smoke and mirrors to get through it when both guys are more than capable of having one hell of a match. This was a really good – not great – main event and it was the only thing the crowd got into the entire evening, but the overuse of the referee bumps got a little old, as did the constant fighting out in the crowd and the stage area. The end result was what everyone wanted and the crowd ate up everything Austin was serving them. That’s most important at the end of any WrestleMania.
Overall, this was not a good WrestleMania at all. Aside from the main event (and maybe X-Pac vs. Shane), everything else was mediocre to downright awful with two matches vying for worst in Mania history. They also had to contend with a dead crowd that wasn’t into anything that was going on even though this was the height of the Attitude Era. Just a huge disappointment until the main event and the end.
Well that’s my take on WrestleMania 15. What were your thoughts? Did you watch it live? Did you actually attend the show? What are your memories? Let me know. See you for the next retro recap.
Quick Match Results
— Hardcore Holly def. Al Snow and “Badd Ass” Billy Gunn to win the WWF Hardcore Championship
— Owen Hart and Jeff Jarrett def. D’Lo Brown and Test to retain the WWF Tag Team Championship
— Butterbean def. Bart Gunn via KO in the Brawl for All
— Mankind def. “The Big Show” Paul Wight via DQ
— Road Dogg def. Val Venis, Goldust, and Ken Shamrock in a Four Corners Elimination Match to retain the WWF Intercontinental Championship
— Kane def. Triple H via DQ
— Sable def. Tori to retain the WWF Women’s Championship
— Shane McMahon def. X-Pac to retain the WWF European Championship
— The Undertaker def. Big Bossman in a Hell in a Cell Match
— Stone Cold Steve Austin def. The Rock to win the WWF Championship
E-Mail – mike@wrestleview.com
Twitter – @MikeTedescoWV
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