WrestleMania X8
WrestleMania X8 | |||
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Promotion World Wrestling Federation | | ||
Date | March 17, 2002 | ||
City | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | ||
Venue | SkyDome | ||
Attendance | 68,237[1] | ||
Buy rate | North America: 860,000[2] | ||
Tagline(s) | Icon vs. Icon The Absolute Best Ever The One and Only[3] | ||
Pay-per-view chronology | |||
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WrestleMania chronology | |||
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WrestleMania 18 (stylized as WrestleMania X8) was the 18th annual
This WrestleMania would be Hulk Hogan's first WrestleMania appearance in nine years, and his 10th overall. He competed in the first nine WrestleMania events, main eventing eight of those nine (an all-time record) (WrestleMania IV would be the only non main event pay-per-view for Hogan). After WrestleMania IX, Hogan left the WWF in late 1993, and signed with rival company WCW in 1994.
Eleven matches were contested at the event.
Production
Background
Storylines
The main feud built up in the lead to the event pitted The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin against the New World Order (Hollywood Hogan, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall) with the main attraction being promoted as The Rock vs. Hollywood Hulk Hogan, billed as an Icon vs. Icon, face of the company generational match.
The Rock's involvement with the nWo started after his win over
The secondary
Another major feud for WrestleMania X8 was the rivalry between The Undertaker and the WWF co-owner, Ric Flair. The feud started over The Undertaker's ambush on The Rock during the buildup to No Way Out, with Undertaker giving The Rock a chokeslam and a Tombstone Piledriver onto a car. Shortly afterward, Ric Flair openly detested The Undertaker's actions. At the No Way Out event, Flair interfered with Undertaker's match against The Rock, finally hitting Undertaker with a lead pipe to aid The Rock in victory.[9] Far from pleased over this result, The Undertaker challenged Flair to a match at WrestleMania. Flair refused, stating that he is an owner and no longer a wrestler. However, Undertaker tried to convince Flair by attacking select members of Flair's friends and family. Following a match on the February 25 episode of Raw, Flair's friend Arn Anderson was ambushed by The Undertaker during his road agent duties. The Undertaker followed this the following week by attacking Flair's son David, threatening that the rest of Flair's children would follow. Upon this attack, Flair accepted the match on the March 7 episode of SmackDown!. Later that night, the two ended up brawling into the audience, resulting in Flair punching out a fan by accident. As a result, Flair was arrested to Undertaker's delight. On the March 11 episode of Raw, Flair's rival co-owner Mr. McMahon asked for an emergency board meeting with the WWF board of directors citing that Flair's attack of a fan was unacceptable and that either he or Flair should have absolute authority and power over the company. With Flair still keen on taking on Undertaker at WrestleMania, CEO Linda McMahon had no choice but to give Vince total control over the company. Despite this, Linda also stated that the ownership situation would also be reviewed after WrestleMania with a final decision. To add further insult, Mr. McMahon booked David Flair in a match against The Undertaker on the March 14 episode of SmackDown!. The Undertaker almost gave David a Last Ride, but was stopped by Ric Flair who saved his son with some steel chair shots.
Event
Role: | Name: |
---|---|
Commentators | Jim Ross |
Jerry Lawler | |
Carlos Cabrera (Spanish) | |
Hugo Savinovich (Spanish) | |
Interviewers
|
Jonathan Coachman |
Michael Cole | |
Lilian Garcia | |
Ring announcer | Howard Finkel |
Referees | Mike Chioda |
Jack Doan | |
Brian Hebner
| |
Earl Hebner | |
Jacqueline | |
Jim Korderas
| |
Teddy Long | |
Nick Patrick | |
Chad Patton | |
Charles Robinson | |
Mike Sparks | |
Tim White
|
Before the pay-per-view event aired began, Mr. Perfect, Lance Storm and Test faced Rikishi, Scotty 2 Hotty and Albert in six-man tag team match on Sunday Night Heat. Rikishi won the match for his team after pinning Mr. Perfect following a Banzai Drop.
The actual pay-per-view started with a live performance of "
The WWF European Championship match between the champion Diamond Dallas Page and Christian followed. Christian executed a neckbreaker on Page and[14] Page performed a roll-up on Christian but neither man scored a pinfall. Page won the match after a Diamond Cutter on Christian.
The
Next,
After that,
In the sixth match,
Next,
After that, a
Next,
In the penultimate match Jazz defended the WWF Women's Championship in a triple threat match against Trish Stratus and Lita. Near the end of the match, Trish attempted a Stratusfaction but Lita threw her out of the ring.[14] With Lita by the corner, Jazz followed and delivered a fisherman superplex, allowing her to pin Lita and retain the title.[13] At the parking lot, Christian was getting ready to leave the stadium in a taxi. However, Maven pulled Christian out and quickly pinned him to win the Hardcore Championship. Maven then hopped into the taxi and left, leaving him the final Hardcore Champion of the night.[13]
In the main event, Chris Jericho defended the Undisputed WWF Championship against Triple H. For his entrance, Triple H had Drowning Pool perform their version of his theme song, "The Game", live.[12] With Triple H's leg bandaged, both Jericho and Stephanie McMahon gave numerous shots at the leg during the match. Triple H outsmarted the two by dodging Jericho's attack, causing him to collide with Stephanie, who was standing on the apron.[14] Outside the ring, Triple H went for the Pedigree on Jericho through an announce table but Jericho countered into a back body drop through the Spanish announce table. Stephanie tried to hit Triple H with a chair when referee Earl Hebner interceded. Stephanie pushed Hebner aside but was met by a Pedigree from Triple H. Jericho then struck Triple H in the head with the chair while Hebner was attending to Stephanie for an unsuccessful pinfall attempt. Jericho then tried a Pedigree on Triple H, but the latter reversed it into a catapult into the turnbuckle. Triple H executed the Pedigree on Jericho and pinned him to win the title.[13]
Reception
WrestleMania X8 was met with a generally positive critical reception. Writing for
According to Chris Jericho, he tried to not be the last match of the card despite being the Undisputed Champion. According to him, the true main event was Rock vs. Hogan and Triple H and he could not follow that match.[18] The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan match would go on to be well praised over the years as one of the most iconic wrestling matches ever, as well as being named Pro Wrestling Illustrated's match of the year 2002.[19][20] Mike Chioda expressed his thoughts on the match, stating, "Did I know it was gonna be so legendary back then? Hell no, I didn’t know. I didn’t know a few years later. We thought something was gonna at some point top that, and I don’t think at some point since 2002, since Rock and Hogan, has really topped that."[21] Cody Rhodes considers it the greatest match ever.[22]
Aftermath
After WrestleMania, the WWF board of directors made their final decision over the control of the company. Due to the conflicts between Mr. McMahon and Ric Flair making bad business, Linda McMahon proposed a
Triple H's feud with Stephanie would conclude on the March 25 episode of Raw when he defeated her and Chris Jericho in a triple threat match for the Undisputed WWF Championship. By pinning her, Stephanie was forced to leave the WWF in accordance with the match stipulations. Triple H's feud with Jericho would continue with Jericho and The Undertaker interfering with Triple H's championship match at Backlash against Hollywood Hulk Hogan and costing him the Undisputed WWF Championship.[23] Triple H would finish his feud with Jericho in a Hell in a Cell match at Judgment Day and challenged The Undertaker for the Undisputed WWE Championship at King of the Ring, but lost after interference from the returning Rock.
Until the brand extension separated both parties, The Rock and Hollywood Hogan feuded with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, with the latter two having had expelled Hogan from the nWo. On the final SmackDown! before the brand extension, the team of Rock, Hogan and Kane defeated Nash, Hall and new nWo member X-Pac in a six-man tag match. The Rock left shortly after the WWF draft for three months to go on a media tour to promote his movie, The Scorpion King.
Stone Cold Steve Austin no-showed the following two weeks, claiming to be burned out. When he returned, on the April 1 episode of Raw, the show was centered on which brand he would choose. Both McMahon and Flair would attempt to win his signature, with Austin eventually choosing the Raw brand. After being drafted to Raw, Austin would get himself involved in the feud between The Undertaker and Ric Flair, fighting Undertaker at Backlash for an Undisputed WWF Championship shot, which he would lose.[23] The storyline itself evolved into a feud between Austin and Flair, with the nWo's involvement on Flair's behalf.
WrestleMania X8 was the last WrestleMania held before the introduction of the brand extension on March 25, which split the roster between the Raw and SmackDown! brands, where wrestlers were exclusively assigned to perform.[24] It was also the last WrestleMania held under the WWF name, as the company was renamed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in May.[25][26]
Results
No. | Results Undisputed WWF Championship 18:41 | | |||||
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See also
References
- ^ a b c d "WrestleMania X8". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
- ^ "WWE Pay-Per-View Buys (1993-2015)". Wrestlenomics. 25 March 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "WrestleMania X8 poster". CompleteWWE.com. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
- ^ Abreu, Donnie (2002-03-17). "WrestleMania X8 Sets Revenue, Attendance Records". WWE. Archived from the original on 2007-02-03. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
- ^ "Axxess kicks off WrestleMania weekend". SLAM! Sports. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "WrestleMania 29 press conference brings WWE to Radio City Music Hall". WWE. Archived from the original on April 7, 2013. Retrieved March 31, 2014.
... WWE's flagship event lights up MetLife Stadium ... WrestleMania
- ^ Ian Hamilton. Wrestling's Sinking Ship: What Happens to an Industry Without Competition (p. 160)
- ISBN 9781439193211.
At the time, SummerSlam was one of WWE's "big five" Pay-Per-Views (Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, King of the Ring, and Survivor Series were the others), ...
- ^ a b c d Powell, John. "nWo returns at No Way Out". SLAM! Sports. Archived from the original on 2012-07-19. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Powell, John. "Royal Rumble 2002 results". SLAM! Sports. Archived from the original on June 30, 2012. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b c d "WrestleMania X8 results". CompleteWWE.com. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Gramlich, Chris (2002-03-18). "Hogan passes torch at WrestleMania". SLAM! Sports. Archived from the original on 2012-07-31. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
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: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b c d e f g h "Old vs. new at WrestleMania". SLAM! Sports. 2003-03-18. Archived from the original on 2012-06-30. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "WrestleMania X8 results". Gerweck. Archived from the original on 2008-03-24. Retrieved 2008-03-03.
- ^ "World Wrestling Entertainment Releases WrestleMania: The Complete Anthology DVD Box Set". WWE. Archived from the original on 2008-05-16. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
- ^ "Hulk Hogan: I Changed Rock Match On The Fly". Fighting Spirit Magazine. 2013-03-20. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
- ^ Powell, John. "Old vs. new at WrestleMania". Archived from the original on June 30, 2012. Retrieved 2010-12-25.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Chris Jericho TALKS Disappointment With WrestleMania X8 Main Event". YouTube.
- ^ Lealos, Shawn S. (April 28, 2020). "Icon vs. Icon: The Incredible Story of The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan". CBR.
- ^ "PWI Awards". Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Kappa Publishing Group. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
- ^ Saptarshi Sinha (March 11, 2023). "Mike Chioda On The Rock vs. Hollywood Hogan At WrestleMania X8". eWrestlingNews. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
- ^ Rhodes, Cody [@CodyRhodes] (July 14, 2018). "Hogan vs Rock. I don't trust anybody who says otherwise. (Also, I answer this every time we do one of these ha)" (Tweet). Retrieved Feb 3, 2024 – via Twitter.
- ^ a b Powell, John. "Backlash 2002 results". SLAM! Sports. Archived from the original on July 22, 2012. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
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: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "WWE Entertainment To Make RAW and SMACKDOWN Distinct Television Brands" (Press release). WWE. March 27, 2002. Archived from the original on April 17, 2010. Retrieved April 5, 2012.
- ^ "World Wildlife Fund and Titan Sports, Inc. legal settlement". Contracts.onecle.com. January 20, 1994. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
- ^ "World Wrestling Federation Entertainment Drops The "F" To Emphasize the "E" for Entertainment". WWE. Archived from the original on January 19, 2009. Retrieved August 28, 2008.