Pro Wrestling Love Vol. 14: Best WWF Matches of Attitude Era 1998-2001 (Steve Austin, The Rock, Mick Foley)

Hey Yo Stud Muffins & Foxy Ladies,

Pro Wrestling Love vol. 14:

The Greatest Matches of WWF 1998-2001

Objective:  Break up the Greatest Match Ever Project (hosted at gwe.freeforums.project.net) into more manageable chunks to help me build my Top 100 List for the project.

Motivation: Contribute to the discussion around these matches to enrich my own understanding of pro wrestling and give a fresh perspective for old matches and even hopefully discover great pro wrestling matches that have been hidden by the sands of time.

Subject: This fourteenth volume of Pro Wrestling Love begins the Top 12 countdown of the best matches to take place in the World Wrestling Federation from 1998-2001. To me, this is the Attitude Era, I think some people would tack a year on at the beginning and end, but I would argue 1997 and 1998 are two very distinct landscapes. The year 1997 had Bret Hart & Shawn Michaels as the focal point and both were gone in 1998. In 1998, Stone Cold Steve Austin won the title and never looked back. The year 2001 saw WWF buy their competition, WCW and it also Austin’s last full time year. The year 2002 feels like more of a transition year and the first year where they really tried to capitalize on nostalgia with first the New World Order and then Hulk Hogan.   You can revisit past Pro Wrestling Love Volumes at ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com. You can check out the full version of these reviews in ProWrestlingOnly.com by going to the forums and finding the folders associated with the date of the match.

The Unholy Alliance

The Greatest Match of World Wrestling Federation 1998-2001

#6. WWF World Tag Team Champions Steve Austin & Triple H vs 

Chris Benoit & Chris Jericho RAW 5/21/01

One of the best tag team matches in the history of WWF during the electric Stone Cold 2001. I understand why Austin and everybody is down on this run because people didn’t want to see Austin as a heel, but fuck it I love it. I loved the paranoid lunatic character in and out of the ring. He reminded me of 1997 Macho Man just an absolute Wildman. The World’s Most Dangerous Man. He is the one who sets the tone for the match. Everybody has to raise their energy level to match Austin’s. Because of that this match was just dripping with urgency. Austin made Benoit & Jericho earn that shine. I have covered late 90s WCW and WWF at this point and conspicuous by his absence on these lists is Jericho. Besides the Fall Brawl match with Eddie, Jericho has not had many stand out moments. Here Austin & HHH let Jericho shine. However, that being said Benoit was the star of his team. His chop exchanges with Austin were badass. I loved the mid-match climax with Benoit hitting a superplex and then applying Crossface, only for HHH to save and hit Benoit with a chair. It was interesting that Benoit was the face in peril. I think he is a better seller than Jericho, but he is undoubtedly a better hot tag also. The fourth man, HHH did a great job contrasting from Austin’s desperate psycho maniac by being a cowardly, weasly heel. They complemented each other so well.  Benoit was great vacillating between selling and hope spots. I loved that they used the false tag to great effect here. Austin is totally out of control and throws Benoit back in for the Pedigree! But there’s no ref and Jericho finally gets involved with a missile dropkick. Austin is wild-eyed and beside himself. Jericho hot tag is great; I really like the Thesz Press into the Walls of Jericho. This is the famous HHH blows out of his quad match. In an incredible feat of manliness, finishes the match out. He even takes the Walls of Jericho on the announce table. Wow! Great finish stretch that is total chaos. Diving headbutt! Stunner! Lionsault! Benoit tackles HHH! Urgency and energy was perfect! The pacing and escalation were incredible! One of the best tag team matches in WWF and one of the best RAW matches of all time.

#5. WWF World Heavyweight Champion “Stone Cold” Steve Austin vs Dude Love 

Over The Edge 1998

WWF Match of the Year, 1998

One of those matches that was great before the bell even rung. There are too many funny lines from Pat Patterson as he was introducing Gerry Brisco, Vince McMahon, Dude Love and even his non-introduction of Stone Cold. For me, it was the advertising of Brisco Bros Body Shop in Tampa to a live audience in Milwaukee and a national audience on PPV with Pat punctuating that it was worth the drive. It was just so absurd. 

Austin is on trial in McMahon's trumped up kangaroo court. He has to deal with McMahon as the referee, the rules changing mid-match, Patterson & Brisco at ringside and eventually McMahon doing what we all expected: refusing to count. All the while, Foley and Austin are having the Attitude Era Brawl for the ages. Once, the Dude applies his Mandible Claw this match is kicked into overdrive and never looks back. Stone Cold is so cool isnt he. He just has so much energy. You cant your eyes off of him when he is making a comeback. There is so much vim & vigor behind it. What's surprising is he even kept up with Foley in the crazy bump scorecard. Foley had that nutty bump off the guardrail and then the Cactus Elbow from the car to the concrete, but Austin was bumping all over those cars especially the one where Foley shoves him off the Stunner was crazy. I think demolition derby with their bodies and the cars still holds up. It is the best use of a set ever. It feels organic. So many of the "toys" in other matches feel planted. This was just the set and they started taking bumps on the set. I loved McMahon during this section every two count, he was either pissed or relieved depending on who was kicking out. I cracked up seeing Brisco behind the action with the ring bell ready to ring it at a moment's notice. I loved Austin's mini-comeback after blading. Like he was so enraged that he was bleeding that he was really going to whoop ass only to have Foley back drop him out of a piledriver. The Cactus Elbow eats nothing but pure concrete. It was great that headed home soon after this. Patterson trips up Austin and this gives Dude Love a couple nearfalls based off the exposed top turnbuckle and a steel chair. However when Austin kicks a chair into Dude Love's face, McMahon is worried. Austin hits a home run swing on the cranium of Mrs Foley's Baby Boy. But McMahon refuses to count and then Foley accidentally cracks McMahon in the skull with the chair. Then the fireworks really go off. STUNNER! Mike Chioda 1-2-Patterson pulls him out and decks him! The fix is in! MANDIBLE CLAW! Patterson in 1-2-Taker pulls him out and Taker sends PAT PATTERSON STRAIGHT TO HELL Chokeslam through the announce table. Brisco tries his hand, but bad idea, Gerry. Taker takes the reincarnated Jim Thrope & our friend, Gerry Brisco and SENDS HIM STRAIGHT TO HELL! STUNNER! Austin pulls McMahon over and takes his hand and makes him count the three! Best overbooked finish ever! Before I forget, I gotta give a shoutout to this crowd. They ruled. They loved Stone Cold so much and were behind 100% from the beginning to the end of the match. The Stunner was so over. This is such an overbooked masterpiece and really shows what pro wrestling can do better than pretty much any other form of entertainment in terms of absurd drama. 

#4. WWF World Heavyweight Champion “Stone Cold” Steve Austin vs Kurt Angle Summerslam 2001

As a huge WCW fan, I was hopeful for the impending invasion and asked my parents to buy this PPV. At this point, Vince realized WCW was sorely lacking in starpower and wanted to keep Austin as a heel so he switched Austin over to WCW. They made it work from a kayfabe perspective. Austin’s switch is really logical from a paranoid psychopath’s perspective. Vince’s hug of Angle is enough to drive the insecure Austin over the edge because he thought he was going to be replaced. Even though as a 12 year old I knew the end was nigh for WCW and that invasion would be watered down, I was happy I ordered this PPV because this match was one of the best matches I have ever seen in my life up to that point. I did not order many PPVs and this was before the DVD box sets that started coming out in 2003 and before Youtube in 2006. So it was a real treat to watch a real instant classic.

Kurt Angle up to this point was kind of a dopey heel that thanks to his Olympic credibility had enough to hang in the main event with HHH and The Rock. Now that he was babyface and defending the honor of the WWF, he needed to shed that image and become an asskicking hero. This match is how you make a star. Angle came out of this match looking like a million bucks and one tough son of a bitch. Austin was an unhinged, reprehensible bully. Austin cheated like a muthafucka for the while match I do want to point that Austin got no real reaction during his entrance. It was eerie, the biggest star in wrestling history was being treated like a vanilla midcarder. I think fans were really struggling with Austin’s new character they still loved him, but hated his actions. The first Stunner and not a peep! Is it the fact they are in California (notoriously quiet wrestling crowds). Regardless, I was loving all this.  Austin was a cheater, psycho, a coward and a bully all wrapped up into one awesome heel package. The blood in this match maybe the best use of blood in wrestling. I think blood can enhance but here it was invaluable in getting over Angle’s struggle over to reclaim the World Championship for WWF. It was a full crimson mask. This was not the dopey clown that was a bumbling idiot in love with Stephanie or wearing little cowboy hats. THIS WAS A MAN! The crowd does become more invested in Angle as Austin beats the holy hell out of the bloody Austin. My favorite moment is when Angle applies the Anglelock outside the ring as Austin is trying to escape over the barricade and has a crazed look in his eye as he drags Austin back in the ring. He is trying to out-crazy Austin. This is the best example of babyface fire from Angle as he is throwing Austin all over the place and hitting a beautiful moonsault. The Million Dollar Dream was a ballsy move by Austin to slow the match down at a such a fever pitch, but Angle was so over at this point that crowd was still super into it. It was a chance for the heel to sap the energy of the runaway freight train babyface. Trade Stunner and Angle Slam down the stretch. Austin nails the ref to escape with the belt. The finish and a pedestrian beginning keep this from going any higher on my list and this will probably just miss my  overall Top 100. Still this is a classic and two great performances coming together in a badass match that features great babyface/heel dynamics.

#3. WWF World Heavyweight Champion “Stone Cold” Steve Austin vs Chris Benoit Smackdown 5/31/01

They are in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Chris Benoit’s hometown. This has the feeling of the old touring NWA Champion facing the hometown hero. However unlike Flair or Race, Austin is a completely different beast. He is a psychopathic, paranoid champion. Austin just like Flair or Race knows how to shine up a babyface. He is wildly flailing around as Benoit does what Benoit does best kick ass. I love that Benoit went for the Crossface not once, not twice, but thrice early in the match. It shows he is looking for the win early and often. In a match of this magnitude, there is no reason to use anything but your best weapon, but it is still too early and Austin still has strength and wits about him. Benoit is applying the full court press suffocating Austin. Austin is great tumbling and stumbling all around ringside. Austin is able to stymie Benoit because Benoit has injured ribs, but just like the Russians at Stalingrad Benoit just keeps marching forward. Benoit ends up eating the championship belt on a diving headbutt and he has a cut under his eye. Always disturbing to watch. Benoit kicks out! Big pop and this is the big transition. Austin goes for the heat-seeking Sharpshooter to big boos. When Benoit breaks and applies his own, the crowd pops huge! I love pro wrestling! Austin’s trick knee acts up and rears up and whacks Benoit in the balls. Austin needed that shortcut. Huge “Lets Go Benoit” chant. Superplex after a ballshot bums me out. I hate when the ballshot is not respected. The Crossface outside the ring! Austin’s selling is impeccable. Then in the spot of the match Austin hits the nastiest front suplex on Benoit on the announce table on the injured ribs. Huge Austin Sucks chant! Austin is trash talking Benoit while kicking ass. Great heat segment. Until the Rolling Germans, ten of them and Austin wants a timeout. The finish is the best they can do. They wanted to keep the title on Austin. So they let Benoit beat the shit out of Vince with a chair and then Austin gets the cheap rollup. It tugs on all the same strings as a touring NWA champion, but I thought this was a totally fresh take updated for 2001. The crowd is tremendous! One of the best WWF TV matches in history and a perfect confluence of characters, story and location.

#2. WWF World Heavyweight Champion The Rock vs “Stone Cold” Steve Austin – Wrestlemania XVII

WWF Match of the Year, 2001

I watched this match last night not expecting it hold up even though I have watched many times of the year. I thought I had just got caught up in all the hoopla and the spectacle, but nope this is a badass match and definitely one of the greatest matches to take place in pro wrestling history. The year 2001 was "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's reaffirmation that he was one of the greatest wrestlers to ever live. He burned out in a short amount of time, but by God did he burn bright. I am surprised in my previous reviews (I watched a lot of these matches two years ago) that I did use the term "Perpetual motion" because that to me sums up Stone Cold's 2001. He was perpetual motion. But it was not wasted motion or excessive motion. It was always motion with purpose and with urgency. The difference between urgency and desperation is a fine line and this match Stone Cold Steve Austin crossed the line into desperation. That in my mind is the difference between a babyface and a heel. To me, Austin's real value was always turning himself up to eleven. In 2001, I think this was something he was struggling with personally. Was he as good as he once was? Would he be as over? Did he take what he had to be The Man? Especially given how hot The Rock was. He was not coming back to a company that was hurtin'. He was not coming back to a company that desperately needed a top babyface they had The Rock. You bet your ass, Steve Austin the person had some doubts about himself. I think it was genius to turn this into a storyline because it was so believable. But do it in a way that is so pro wrestling. Take something thats a seven and dial it to an eleven by getting Mr. McMahon involved and that heinous attack at the end with a steel chair to really sell it. To me it was not just smart booking, it was smart in-ring storytelling. Thats what puts this match over the top. Every plot point in this match fuels Steve Austin's insecurities and self-doubt until it explodes into that fiery rage of the heinous steel chair attack on The Rock's prone, limp body. Honestly, no matter who is opponent was on this night would have taken a backseat to the drama of Stone Cold character, but I thought this was The Rock's best performance as a babyface and as a wrestler. I really enjoy the Rock. I dont think he is a great wrestler and I dont he is a bad wrestler. He is kind of strange because he feels so different and has become so successful at not being a wrestler, which is so odd. Here, Rock really shows that babyface fire. I love his reactions to Stone Cold's jaw jacking and flipping him off. He was matching Stone Cold's energy and thats what this match needed. I loved the jumpstart to the match. Austin jumps The Rock it is a borderline sneak attack because the Rock has barely taken off the championship belt. It is gamemanship. It is an unwritten rule that you sort of look your opponent in the eye and lock up. Austin is a desperate man and desperate men do desperate things. Austin proves that by picking up that championship belt and trying to nail The Rock. Austin is not a confident man. Also, I love the drama swirling around this match being changed to a No DQ match at the last second. Austin is perpetual motion in this match both on offense and bumping & selling. He wrestles this match huge remember this is at the Astrodome. The culmination of all his hard work. Taking WWF from almost going bankrupt to their first Dome show since 1992. Watch him go for that patented FU elbow. He is out of control but everyone wait at the top can see him throw his body around. I love those big Arena Rock motions. There is a part where he is taking Rock's offense and he is doing the best discombobulated selling you will ever see. Just flailing all over the place. Another moment that just dawned on me was he took a suplex he pops up to keep fighting because that's his nature, but then all the pain stuns him up against the ropes. I love that delayed register. More people need to use that. It makes sense when you first get hit, it is kinda rush and you wanna fight back. Then like a wave it crashes over you. Also, the transitions in this match are just money. They all happen because the wrestler in control takes their eye off the prize. Austin is fiddlefucking trying to get the turnbuckle pad off and Rock knocks his ass down. The Rock is jawjacking with the ref and Austin blasts him with the ring bell. They pull out all the stops here too. Double juice, lots of great throwbacks to Austin/Bret. I love the Sharpshooter sequence because they are both bleeding, but notice the little things. Austin needs to use the ropes to break the hold. Rock can break the hold with his strength. Thats the difference between a heel and babyface. People forget often that one of the main reasons a heel becomes a heel is becomes he realizes he is not good enough to best the babyface. Thats what is happening in this match. Austin was worried that he was not good enough but as the match progresses it is becoming more and more evident that this is not just a cause for concern, but actually the truth. Thus he has to resort low down, cheap tactics to win. Thats how you become a heel. The Rock hits the Stunner and this draws out Vince McMahon. It is clear that Austin at least wanted to try to win this fight on his own, but now the situation is getting too dire. McMahon who has a lot invested in Austin is out to insure that he wins. Austin is not too proud to beg. There are so many great moments in the finish stretch of this. McMahon's face after he pulled the Rock off Austin after Rock had Austin pinned from the People's Elbow and that famous McMahon gulp that leads to the chase scene that ends in a Austin steal of a Rock Bottom. The slow realization that Austin and McMahon have joined forces. Jim Ross was so crucial here because he is Steve's best friend. You can actually listen to him go through through five stages of grief as he is witnessing what is happening. You can see Austin become more and more unhinged with each kickout. The Stunner and kickout was especially good. The Rock is valiant here and comes close with a Rock Bottom, but the odds were too stacked against him. I think what makes this finish so good. It is one extra Stunner that does the Rock in or one extra chair shot. Austin goes ballistic in a way that you never see a wrestler go. Wrestlers usually one chair shot. If it is multiple, there is a pause in between swings. They need to line up make sure they hit the right spot, the opponent has to brace himself. There was none of that here. Austin was in a frenzy. He saw red. It is not singular climax we are so used to seeing wrestling. It is about the journey of the character, Stone Cold Steve Austin, as you can watch him lose all grip on his own sanity. So powerful. Then of course the moment none of us believe we would see, the anti-establishment asskicker shaking the hand of Corporate Satan. Desperate men do desperate things. 

As good as Austin was, nothing was going to touch this match. 

#1. WWF World Heavyweight Champion Triple H vs Cactus Jack 

Royal Rumble 2000 Street Fight

WWF Match of The Year, 2000

It feels wrong that Stone Cold did not secure the top spot. Six out of the seven top matches from this era feature Steve Austin. He is the biggest star of the era and the best wrestler of the era. Yet, I couldn’t pull the trigger. There is no doubt that this is not just the best match of this era, but one of the best matches of all time.

Is there anyone better at selling Mick Foley's transformation into Cactus Jack than HHH? He knocked it outta the park in 1997 and again in 2000. I had never seen the video package before the match and it really shows how well the WWF was clicking at the time. It can be stated enough how important Mick Foley was to that roster. He was just so damn loveable in a way that Austin and Rock could never be. He was the underdog that everyone could rally around. He was also sadistic enough to be used to cement championship reigns (Taker 1997, Austin 1998, Rock 1999 and HHH 2000). Undoubtedly, HHH needed more help than the rest of those wrestlers who grew organically from a groundswell of support. HHH was the first of many artificially pushed wrestlers, which is now the commonplace in the WWE. He was also an interesting experiment in pushing a heel hard as a mainstay in the main event besides one off stints with Superstar Graham and Yokozuna, the WWF had never attempted before. It was an innovative paradigm shift that I think was worth the experimentation even if not everyone agrees with the results. There was no better wrestler to cement the position of the new ultimate bad guy than the ultimate underdog, Mankind. After HHH fired Mankind and then was forced to reinstate when presented with a locker room walkout, he beat the living shit out of Mankind. Only for Mankind to announce, Triple H would instead be facing Cactus Jack and that angle looked red hot with HHH selling fear perfectly and Cactus opening a can of whoop ass.

This match was one of my favorites growing up, but I have not watched it probably 4 or so years. It holds up in a big way and it remains one of the best 2000s WWF/E matches of I have ever seen. Upon this viewing, I realized that was HHH's performance not Cactus' that makes this match so incredible. Don't get me wrong when you have a match as excellent as this one, both wrestlers are wrestling at a very high level. The way Cactus was wrestling, so aggressive, so sadistic, so forward, he could have easily heeled himself. HHH sold, bumped and stooged his way to one of the best heel performances ever. It was as if the Creature of the Black Lagoon was unleashed upon the most vile, reprehensible human. Normally, you would feel sympathy for HHH, but not in this case because he was so cowardly after he had been such a prick to Cactus. In a lot of ways this match reminded me of the Foley/Orton match, but what makes this one better is HHH's performance in ensuring Cactus is always 100% the babyface. In fairness, I think the Orton match did exist to set up Orton's face turn in August of 2004. I love the beginning shine of the match where Cactus just kicks HHH's ass for a good 10-15 minutes. There is a great moment where HHH swings the ring bell wildly and then runs for the high ground of the ring with a chair. You can sense his fear. Foley just shakes off the bell shot and then takes a wicked chair shot to the face and shakes off that. It is that horror movie moment when HHH realizes he will not be able to keep the incensed monster down. He is selling and bumping the whole way for Cactus. The Barbed Wire 2x4 was an excellent climax to the babyface shine. It got a great pop, it was a great escalation in violence, it allowed for a mini battle over an item within the larger scheme of the match. There was drama over who would score the big blow and then HHH bled buckets. Cactus getting the nearfall off the bat shot to the face was excellent. I thought it was a little weak that they did the back drop off the piledriver and instead of going to heat segment they regressed back to the barbed wire bat, which seemed like a step backwards instead of forward. Cactus took his two usual, nasty, nasty, nasty knee related bumps into the steps and HHH went to town driving the barbed wire bat into the knee. HHH's staggered selling never relented and he looked someone trying to survive by any means necessary rather than a proud champion exactly as a heel should be. I liked the handcuffs in this match because it actually set up for a really nice run of hope spots: headbutt to the balls and biting HHH in the cut. If you did not believe it before, you did now Catcus Jack hates this muthafucka and will do everything in his power to hurt and maim him. The Rock was definitely necessary and a perfectly acceptable way to get the handcuffs off Jack. The thumbtacks was another great way to escalate the violence. Stephanie was effective in distracting Cactus long enough for HHH to back drop Cactus into tacks so not a clean victory. The first Pedigree kickout was HUGE! Really put Cactus and the match over. Pedigree onto the tacks still after the six times I have seen it makes me cringe, grimace and a little queasy. Helmsley retained the championship, but it was a Pyrrhic victory as he is stretctered out only to have Cactus catch up to him and slam him back out.

I think the one misfire was that they should have had Stephanie or someone physically interfere to set up the rematch, but still Cactus did get his heat back and HHH looked like he was barley alive by the end of it so it is a small critique.

Overall, holy shit, this was fucking awesome. Even better than I remember it, which was just a violent street fight. It is so much more. It builds so well to the mid-match climax of the barbed wire bat then to the handcuffs and finally to the finish with thumbtacks. The characters are perfect. Cactus is a crazed monster that is always moving forward whether it is being slammed with a chair or handcuffed. He was out to destroy HHH. That's the difference between the bump machine of the early 90s and this Cactus, who has matured as a performer. He did not have this match by himself like he did with Sting. His bumps made sense, but more importantly he was out to hurt HHH and win the match. HHH knocked it out of the park in this one as he gave one of his best heel performance. He looked completely overwhelmed by the all out assault of Cactus. He was sold it like he shit a brick and he tried to hide behind weapons, but nothing was doing for him until he got a lucky break using Cactus' own momentum into the steel steps and then following that right up. Cactus took the vast majority of the match, but HHH earned his stripes by taking this beating. The heat segment was great and still featured a bunch of hope spots. The finish was a perfect climax to the his violent masterpiece. Holds up 100% and this match is HHH's and Mick Foley's best match.