With WWE’s immaculate growth over the years, entertainment wrestling has changed the landscape for pay-per-view events, which attracts a huge number of viewers. Thanks to its emotionally gripping storylines and its star appeal, it celebrates one of the greatest PPV events, the WrestleMania. Each year, this exclusive PLE not only delivers jaw-dropping moments but also surpasses the fans’ expectations by bringing in some of the biggest names together under the same roof.
The 14th edition had set great expectations for the fans, as it was supposed to be a ‘big one.’ The company, which had some years, started to attract wrestling enthusiasts as it started to pick up business, kicking off the Attitude Era. Additionally, it started to show signs of maturity from The Rock and Triple H, where both showed signs of becoming main event names that would attract a huge crowd.
However, going to the event was a huge disaster because the event featured mediocre matches, which one looked forward to. The entire event was rated 6.78 on Cagematch.net, making it one of the most forgettable editions of the PPV.
1) 15-Man Tag Team Battle Royal
Winner: The Legion of Doom
The PLE kicked off with a 15-team Battle Royal, where chaos followed the match as 30 men were in the ring all at once. In the 8:19 minutes, Legion of Doom steamrolled their adversaries in the squared circle as fans chanted their name, where other tag teams did not have any chance of winning against them.
2) Light Heavyweight Championship: Taka Michinoku (C) vs. Aguilla
Winner: Taka Michinoku
Another issue was how quickly the matches ended, where the match between Taka Michinoku vs. Aguilla for the Light Heavyweight Title ended at only 5:57 minutes. The two cruiserweights featured high-flying action, leaving the fans impressed.
Despite their limited time, the crowd stood at their feet and praised the two, especially Aaguilla, who put his body on the line despite being only a 19-year-old.
3) European Championship: Triple H (C) vs. Owen Hart
Winner: Triple H
Next followed the match for the European Champion, where Owen Hart challenged Triple H for his title. The match was pre-determined because the challenger entered the match with an injured ankle, but that didn’t stop him from going all out. The two put on a show as they hit each other with every possible move in their arsenal.
The WWE Universe started to chant Hart’s name as he attempted to have some momentum, launching a flurry of movements at the Cerebral Assassin, even countering his Pedigree to lock him in a Sharpshooter. However, Chyna’s interference and a low blow to Owen Hart helped the champion to capitalize, giving him a Pedigree and concluding the match at 11:29 minutes.
4) Mixed Tag Team Match: Marc Mero & Sable vs. Goldust & Luna
Winner: Marc Mero and Sable
The Mixed Tag Team Match between Marc Mero & Sable vs. Goldust & Luna was another wild match, where the crowd was ignorant as the men started the match. However, they went wild as the two women entered the ring.
The four participants went in and out of the ring, tagging their partners as they kept the momentum flowing, which ultimately favored Sable, as she hit Chyna with a TKO of her own and covered her for the win.
5) Intercontinental Championship: Dwayne Johnson vs. Ken Shamrock
Winner: The Rock
Another iconic match in The Brahma Bull’s career that helped him to become one of the greats of WWE. The match between him and Shamrock was a major one, where the challenger was blinded by rage, as he had originally won the title at the 1998 Royal Rumble PPV. Sadly, the referee reversed his decision after he found brass knuckles.
One of the intriguing stipulations of the match was that Johnson had to win the match in a fair and square manner. This led to the former UFC member bring the fight to the Brahma Bull, as he destroyed his opponent, even making him tap out with an ankle lock in just four minutes.
Post-match, the new Champion attacked the members of the Nation of Domination, taking care of each of them. In the process, he took out three referees as well, which again reversed the decision, leading to The Rock becoming the champion once again.
6) World Tag Team Championship: Cactus Jack & Terry Funk vs. New Age Outlaws
Winner: Cactus Jack & Terry Funk
The battle for the Tag Team gold was not an easy one to win for the challengers because it was a Dumpster match. Hence, when they knew they were going against Jack and Funk, they knew that they would wake up sore the next morning.
The challengers found creative ways to punish Road Dogg and Billy Gunn, hitting them with every item they could find. From using the trash can lid to executing moves on a forklift, the match soon transitioned into a brutal and hardcore war, making the two factions use every object as a weapon.
The match concluded at 10:01 after the champs were put inside the dumpster, with Funk using the forklift to seal the lid and becoming the new champs.
7) The Undertaker vs. Kane with Paul Bearer
Winner: The Undertaker
One of the many Kane vs. The Undertaker matches that was supposed to get the fans chanting “This is awesome,” approving of the match as the two Titans fight inside the ring for the very first time. However, The Big Red Machine physically overwhelmed The Phenom as they took their fight outside the ring.
That was just the beginning because Kane continued to keep his brother down as he was distracted by Paul Bearer. He looked to finish things off early, but The American Badass kicked out of two. The Undertaker decided to make a comeback as he started to get all offensive, as he gave one move after the other to set up for the Tombstone Piledriver.
Taker hit the finisher to Kane, but he managed to get his shoulder up right after the three count. The streak was now 7-0, with the match concluding at 16:58 minutes.
8) WWE Championship: Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Shawn Michaels, with Mike Tyson as special ring enforcer
Winner: Stone Cold Steve Austin
Despite WM14 being a mediocre event, it marked the beginning of the Austin Era. The match held high tension as three combustible elements were together in the ring, which was going to make Austin the new face of the company.
But his opponent, Shawn Michaels, was a problem to deal with because of his temper tantrums and how he would go off-script, which would only benefit himself. Additionally, he had horrendous back pain after landing awkwardly against The Undertaker at the Royal Rumble. This was evident because he was crying out in pain as he executed each move to defend his title.
The match reached its climax, where the referee was knocked out, Michaels went for his Sweet Chin Music, and Austin ducked and went for his stunner. The Champ avoided it and again went for the kick, only to be countered with Tyson counting to 3 and raising Austin’s hand to be the new champion.
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