finally finished it!!! Here’s my scatty as fuck (drunk) notes:
vengeance 2001
despite definitely watching this ppv, I do not remember Ric Flair here.
I also don’t remember these jobber teams, (Granted Test & Christian becomes the Un-Americans) but remember the break up of better teams being why I fucked off. Why is the worm so over? Do tags not matter? Bit of a „lol“ match.
Top promo from Regal OF COURSE.
LOVE that „pillock“ is over. There’s a small but audible crowd who are behind Regal. Quite liked the match but I guess maybe not as amazing as expected.
Kurt Angle giving Flair the big one, yaaaas
It’s fucking weird in 2017 seeing pre-broken matt hardy try and cut babyface promos
It’s kinda funny that the hardy boyz music just carries on for both entrances.
Hardyz match is kinda meh, it’s alright but they’re weirdly sloppy with each other for actual brothers.
The Rock’s a cunt as usual, WHY DOES HE LEAVE HIS OWN DRESSING ROOM?! Trish is way better than him.
Stacey Kiebler is still an absolute babe. Kane and The Big Show a decade ahead of the Authority… Jerry Lawler is such a creep tho.
OMG the „acting“ in the Lita apologising to Matt bit.
OK the build for Taker/RVD is awesome, I do not remember Taker turning heel here but maybe that’s because I’d clocked out on him already. State of RVD’s theme here. The match is a good laugh tho. BOOGER RED FS. RVD is the only “Invasion” lad on this PPV a month removed from the end of that storyline.
The state of Jerry during the women’s match (which is ok but obvs kinda bollocks)
LOL Rikishi is back!!! Face now tho right?
So while the rest of the show is kinda bollocks, fuck man, the main event build and storyline is SO GOOD.
Love the way Austin and Angle go at it impassioned after their year build, J.R with some excellent calling too highlighting Austin’s psychology. GREAT build to the finish. What a goddamn match.
I love Trish Stratus, she had to put up with so much shite in her time and she was always such a pro about it. While this is a bit of a weird scene it’s during Test’s year where he can’t be fired and is very much the heel in the situation so I can deal with it.
LOVED the small section of „Rocky Sucks“ chants and the total bewilderment oft he rest of the crowd. That table spot is pretty rough eh. Fair fucks to Jericho not only finishing the match but DOING THE SECOND MATCH IMMEDIATELY AFTER but he’s probably a wee bit concussed. The crowd are a bit knackered after Austin vs Angle. It’s quite funny J.R gives out about Jericho „Showboating“ when doing the People’s Elbow but is fine with The Rock doing it… which Jericho no sells anyway to cheat to win, lol. Bit annoying Jericho isn’t allowed to go over clean but he’s the heel so whatever
So the finale. I love Jericho’s reaction when Austin’s music pretty much immediately hits after Jericho’s won. It makes no kayfabe sense for the bell to ring after everyone’s had a go at interfering (JUST MAKE IT NO DQ) but whatever. Enjoyed Austin barely selling his own finisher, meanwhile, Jericho makes his move applied to him look painful (though he might just be trying to get Austin off him). It is genuinely awesome they put the title(s) on Jericho who was the clear “underdog” going in, but god the booking is so dumb. Just put your new champ over fs. Although I always liked Jericho and remember thinking at the time it was a cool moment, I also knew I was starting to lose interest (I tapped out at Wrestlemania X-8) but the booking got so repetitive and stupid while it tried to hang on to the attitude era.
Overall: pretty typical PPV of the time, bollocks undercard, GREAT main event. Although Angle/Austin is easily the match of the night, it’s cool that Jericho battled his way to a very unexpected win, his first (proper) title reign which would end disappointingly only a few months later… but that’s a tale for another time.
