Here’s Part 19 of our WrestleMania Retrospective series, looking back at past WrestleMania events as we march towards WrestleMania 29 on April 7th
WrestleMania X-8 (2003)
Tagline: Dare To Dream
Sponsor: Snickers Cruncher
Date: March 30, 2003
Venue: Safeco Field, S eattle, Washington
Attendance:Â 54,097
The Undertaker’s Streak: 11-0 (Def. Big Show & A-Train)
WrestleMania XIX was the nineteenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was presented by Snickers Cruncher and took place on March 30, 2003 at Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington. The event was the first WrestleMania held in the state of Washington, and the first Wrestlemania to use the WWE name.
WrestleMania XIX was the first WrestleMania to be promoted under the WWE name and the first to have taken place after the WWE Brand Extension. It was a joint-promotion pay-per-view event, featuring performers from the Raw and SmackDown! brands. The tagline for WrestleMania XIX was “Dare To Dream”. The official theme song for the event was “Crack Addict” by Limp Bizkit. Limp Bizkit performed the theme song live, as well as “Rollin’ (Air Raid Vehicle)” during The Undertaker’s entrance.
The main match on the SmackDown! brand was Kurt Angle versus Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship, which Lesnar won by pinfall after executing an F5. The main match on the Raw brand was the third Wrestlemania meeting between The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin.The predominant match on the Raw brand was for the World Heavyweight Championship between Triple H and Booker T, which Triple H won by pinfall after performing a Pedigree. Other matches on the undercard included Shawn Michaels versus Chris Jericho, Hulk Hogan versus Vince McMahon in a Street Fight.
The Undertaker
At WrestleMania XIX, The Undertaker was orignally involved in a tag team match with Nathan Jones against the team of The Big Show and A-Train. It was then announced that The Undertaker would have to face both Show and Train in a Handicap match. Both Show and Train had the advantage of The Undertaker in the beginning of the match, however late into the match, Jones entered the match and attacked Show, which allowed The Undertaker to deliver a Tombstone piledriver on A-Train into a successful pinfall, thus The Undertaker won the match and remained undefeated at WrestleMania.
Hogan vs McMahon
The secondary feud on the SmackDown! brand was between Hulk Hogan and Vince McMahon. One month prior at No Way Out, during a match between Hogan and The Rock, McMahon came down to the ring, only to distract Hogan, which allowed the referee, Sylvan Grenier to give The Rock a chair, which Rock used to hit Hogan and pin him for the win. After No Way Out, McMahon proclaimed that Hulkamania was dead and proclaiming a new ‘mania; McMahonamania. On the March 6 episode of SmackDown!, Hogan informed McMahon that Hulkamania was not dead and that McMahon had nothing to do with creating it. McMahon informed Hogan that he did not hate Hulkamaniacs or Hulkamania, but he hated Hogan. He then told Hogan that he hated him for leaving WWE (then known as the WWF) for Ted Turner’s WCW and for testifying against him in the steroid trial in the 1990s. McMahon proceeded by challenging Hogan to a match at WrestleMania where if Hogan lost, he would have to retire from professional wrestling. Hogan accepted his challenge later that night. Two weeks later on the March 20 edition of SmackDown!, McMahon and Hogan had a contract signing for their match at WrestleMania. As Hogan was preparing to sign the contract, McMahon attacked with a steel chair from behind. Shortly afterward, McMahon hit Hogan several times with the chair in the head, causing him to bleed. McMahon then signed the contract and forced Hogan to sign with his blood.
In the Street fight between Hulk Hogan and the WWE Chairman, Vince McMahon, at WrestleMania XIX, Both Hogan and McMahon tested each other’s strength in the beginning of the match, until McMahon tossed Hogan onto ringside. Hogan then countered a chairshot by McMahon into several of his own, that caused McMahon to bleed from the head. Late into the match, Roddy Piper interfered in the match as he hit Hogan with a pipe. Hogan however, later retaliated by hitting McMahon with a Big boot into a Leg drop and successfully pinned McMahon, thus Hogan won the match
Rock VS Austin III
The main feud on the Raw brand was between The Rock and Steve Austin. On the February 20 edition of Smackdown!, The Rock returned to WWE after a six month hiatus from wrestling (since SummerSlam). On that evening, he was in a confrontation with Hulk Hogan before their WrestleMania X8 rematch at No Way Out. At the No Way Out event, The Rock defeated Hogan with the help of Vince McMahon. On the following night’s edition of Raw, The Rock returned to the Raw brand in a 20-man Battle royal that would determine the opponent for the World Heavyweight Championship. Rock however, was unable to win after he was eliminated by Booker T; after the match, Rock criticized Steve Austin for being chosen as the Superstar of the Decade by the WWE fans in January, beginning the feud between Rock and Austin. The following week on Raw, Austin, who was on a long hiatus before returning that previous Sunday at No Way Out, made his WWE television return, as he cut a promo about the WWE fans, before he was interrupted by Rock, who challenged him to a match at WrestleMania because The Rock, himself, was obsessed of not beating Austin at a WrestleMania event by the time they fought at WrestleMania XV and X-Seven during a four year span. As soon as the challenge was made, Raw General manager, Eric Bischoff, announced that the following week on Raw, Rock would face Booker T in a match, and if he won, he would have the choice to face either Austin or Triple H at WrestleMania. On the March 10 edition of Raw, Rock, with Bischoff’s approval, announced that he would pick his own opponent for later that night, which turned out to be The Hurricane, in hopes for Rock to gain an easy victory. However, Austin made his way down the entrance ramp, which distracted Rock and allowed Hurricane to Roll up Rock into a successful pinfall, which made the Austin-Rock match at WrestleMania official. On the March 24, and final edition of Raw leading into WrestleMania, Austin was banned from entering the arena that night. He managed to enter the arena and attack Rock, however, before Rock fled the ring.
In the encounter of The Rock and Steve Austin At WrestleMania XIX, the match began with Austin and Rock brawling in the ring, which ended up at ringside. Throughout the match, Rock worked over Austin’s leg, which included Rock applying a Sharpshooter on Austin. Rock then began to taunt Austin, as he put on his vest and imitated his taunts, which led to The Rock running into a Rock Bottom by Austin. Rock then retaliated by hitting Austin with a Stone Cold stunner. After he failed to pin Austin with the People’s elbow, Rock then hit Austin with three Rock Bottoms that led to the Rock successfully pinning Austin, thus The Rock won the match.
Y2J vs HBK
A smaller feud, also from the Raw brand was between Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels. When Michaels was a guest on Jericho’s in-ring show The Highlight Reel, Jericho claimed he had idolised Michaels from a young age and that he had been his inspiration to become a wrestler. The feud had been ongoing for some time with Jericho sabotaging Michaels in the Royal Rumble after Michaels received the #1 entry which Jericho wanted to enter. The feud would be settled as the two would face each other in a match at the pay-per-view.
The fifth match was the encounter of Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels. Jericho had the advantage over Michaels in the beginning of the match, as he early on applied the Walls of Jericho onto Michaels. Late into the match, Michaels attempted to hit Jericho with Sweet chin music, however, Jericho countered it into a Walls of Jericho. After Michaels freed himself from Jericho’s submission hold, Jericho attempted a suplex that Michaels countered into a roll-up that gave Michaels a successful pinfall, thus Michaels won the match.
Triple H Vs Booker T
Another feud on the Raw brand was between Triple H and Booker T, with the two feuding over the World Heavyweight Championship. Triple H won the title three months prior at Armageddon by defeating then-champion Shawn Michaels in a 3 Stages of Hell match. Since that event, Triple H had fought Scott Steiner during the following two pay per view events for the World’s title. First was at the Royal Rumble, where Triple H got himself disqualified when he nailed Steiner with the Sledgehammer but retained the title. Then at No Way Out, he defeated Steiner by Pinfall to retain the title. On the February 24 edition of Raw, Booker won a 20-man Battle royal by last eliminating The Rock to become the number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania. On the March 3 episode of Raw, World Champion, Triple H, cut a controversial promo on Booker T. Triple H downplayed Booker T’s WCW success, pointing out that the WCW Championship had been held by non-wrestlers like Vince Russo and actor David Arquette calling WCW and its title “a joke”. He implied that Booker T, as a convicted criminal, would never win a world championship in WWE, although this is often misconstrued, as a racist promo, as he claimed “people like you” were not championship material. However this misunderstanding may have been intentional by Triple H knowing the heat he would generate. In the Wrestlemania XIX press conference Michael Cole questioned Triple H as to whether he had cut a racist promo, Triple H confirmed this was not the case and was indeed referring to Booker’s criminal past. A week later, Booker got revenge by attacking Triple H in the bathroom, laying him out. On the March 24 episode of Raw, Booker T & Goldust defeated Triple H & Ric Flair in a Tag team match.
In the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XIX, match between Booker T and the champion, Triple H (HHH). The match began with Booker in control of the match over HHH, however, Ric Flair, who was at ringside in HHH’s corner, tossed Booker’s knee into the ringside steel steps. The attack allowed HHH to work over Booker’s leg, as he applied various submission holds onto Booker’s leg including the Indian deathlock. Booker however retaliated and took control of the match; after he hit HHH with a Harlem legdrop, Booker grasped his knee in pain, which allowed HHH to recover and hit Booker with a Pedigree into a successful pinfall, thus Triple H won the match and retained the World Heavyweight Championship.
Angle vs Lesnar
The main feud heading into WrestleMania on the SmackDown! brand was between Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar, with the two feuding over the WWE Championship. Angle won the title three months prior at Armageddon by defeating then-champion The Big Show with Lesnar’s help. At the Royal Rumble in January, Angle defeated Chris Benoit to retain the WWE Championship, and Lesnar won the Royal Rumble match to become number one contender to the WWE Championship at WrestleMania when he last eliminated The Undertaker. The following month at No Way Out, Lesnar and Benoit defeated Team Angle (Kurt Angle, Shelton Benjamin, and Charlie Haas) in a Handicap match. During that Pay Per View, Edge was supposed to team up with Lesnar & Benoit to wrestle Team Angle in the scheduled Six Man Tag team match but Edge was attacked backstage and it was announced he could not participate in the match. On the March 6 edition of SmackDown!, Lesnar defeated Paul Heyman in a Steel cage match to earn a championship match against Angle the next week. The next week on SmackDown!, Angle defeated Lesnar to retain the WWE Championship. Before the match began, Kurt, who was “praying” in the corner, switched with his brother Eric. Lesnar then came out and the match began. Shortly after the match began, Benjamin and Haas came to the ring and distracted Lesnar, which gave Eric time to switch back with Kurt. As Lesnar regained his focus, Kurt was able to pin him with a small package for the win. The following week on the March 20 edition of SmackDown!, SmackDown General Manager Stephanie McMahon told Angle that if he tries to get himself disqualified or if his brother, Benjamin, or Haas try to interfere in their match at WrestleMania, he would lose the title.
The main event was a WWE Championship match between Brock Lesnar and the champion, Kurt Angle, with the stipulation that there would be no Champion’s Advantage (in other words, the title could change hands on a disqualification or a count out). The match began with Lesnar and Angle wrestling back and forth, until Angle countered a shoulder block into a German suplex. Lesnar would then attempt to retaliate by attempting to F-5 Angle, however, Angle countered it into an Ankle lock, that Lesnar was able to escape out of. As Lesnar escaped, Angle would attempt to deliver an Angle slam, however, Lesnar countered it into an F-5. Instead of covering Angle, Lesnar climbed to the top rope and hit a botched Shooting star press on Angle, which Angle covered for by going for the pin attempt and getting a two count. After Lesnar kicked out, Angle picked up Lesnar only to be hit with another F-5, Lesnar then successfully pinned Angle, winning the match and the WWE Championship.
WrestleMania XIX Results
Sunday Night Heat Rikishi, Scotty 2 Hotty, and Albert defeated Mr. Perfect, Lance Storm and, Test Six-Man Tag Team match with Jacqueline as the Special Guest Referee
• Heat – Lance Storm and Chief Morley (c) (with Dudley Boyz) defeated Kane and Rob Van Dam[4] Tag team match for the World Tag Team Championship.
• Matt Hardy (c) (with Shannon Moore ) defeated Rey Mysterio Singles match for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship
• The Undertaker defeated Big Show and A-Train
• Trish Stratus defeated Victoria (c) (with Steven Richards) and Jazz Triple Threat match for the WWE Women’s Championship
• Team Angle (Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas) (c) defeated Los Guerreros (Eddie and Chavo Guerrero) and Chris Benoit and Rhyno Triple Threat tag team match for the WWE Tag Team Championship
• Shawn Michaels defeated Chris Jericho Singles match
• Triple H (c) (with Ric Flair) defeated Booker T Singles match for the World Heavyweight Championship
• Hulk Hogan defeated Vince McMahon
• The Rock defeated Stone Cold Steve Austin
• Brock Lesnar def. Kurt Angle(c) Singles match for the WWE Championship with the added stipulation that Angle would lose the title if he were counted-out or disqualified.
