Why Wrestlemania 17 is My All Time Favourite Mania Event

Throughout the year’s fans have witnessed some truly amazing Wrestlemania events. Twenty-twenty celebrates thirty-seven yeas of the PVV also known as the biggest Wrestling event on the calendar. Now, of course there have been a fair share of disappointing Mania shows and we all as fans have our favourites and least favourites but a Mania PPV that standouts the most for me personally was number seventeen. A highlight for many of the WWE Universe the two thousand and one edition of the biggest wrestling event of the year was a stacked card that catered to everyone and in today’s blog post I’m going to be discussing just what made Wrestlemania seventeen my personal favourite.

Using the Arena

Wrestlemania seventeen was held at the Astrodome in Huston, Texas with a staggering sixty-seven plus thousand fans in attendance. Now, Mania always promises special entrants, live performances and an incredible stage but what we often don’t see is the arena used during match-ups. Wrestlemania is the one time we see fans remain in and around the ring but never branch out, however, back in two thousand and one the WWE were able to use the Astrodome in full giving the PPV an edge no other Mania event has had since and prior. From the Hardcore championship triple threat between Raven, Big Show and Kane to Triple H vs The Undertaker, the arena played a key part in adding even more entertainment factor to these bouts. The hardcore triple threat match had some fantastic spots that saw the action head backstage where we saw Raven go through glass, Big Show and Kane go through doors and walls and creative antics that catered to the Hardcore titles name. As for Taker and Triple H, there action heading into the audience and the action saw there was pretty awesome and again added to the mania feel. A recent comparison to make to what we saw here was Shane vs The Miz last year.

Chyna wins the Women’s Championship

I have always been a huge fan of Chyna (and I wait to see her inducted into the Hall of Fame!) and one of the biggest moments of her career was defeating Ivory at Wrestlemania seventeen to win the WWE Women’s Championship. The match, of course, was very short and looking at it now is a prime example of how little time the female talent was given during this era, however, there is no taking away how big of a moment this was for Chyna, a historic win for the ninth wonder. The crowd reaction also spoke volumes as to just how popular Chyna was with the WWE Universe.

TLC Arrives at Wrestlemania

The Dudley Boyz vs Edge and Christian vs The Hardy Boyz at Wrestlemania seventeen remains one of my all-time favourite matchups. A TLC bout that was right up my street this match had everything you could have asked for and more. To this day, the spots we saw throughout the bout remain classics and we still talk about moments such as that spear and the huge table spot and tag team encounters are compared to what these men brought to the division. The intense, brutal, and physical match up raised the bar and showed the world just how phenomenal tag team wrestling could be. This was a showcase of the best of the best and goes down as an iconic match, an all-time great and a favourite for many fans.

An Intense Night for the McMahons

I don't know about you but I loved everything the WWE/WWF were doing when it came to how the McMahon family were creatively used during this era and the one on one match between Shane and Vince McMahon was for me a big highlight of the evening. The backstory and build were just fantastic and re-watching this as an adult there is an even stronger understanding of just how cool and special this match was. We had some brilliant spots that went down as classic wrestling/WWE moments and the involvement of everyone who was apart of this angle was incredible and this overall was one of my favourite storylines heading into Mania of all time. From Linda and Trish to Stephanie's position within the storyline, everything tied together so nicely in this match and of course, despite his loss, Vince still had a big night ahead with more to come in the main event in yet another classic wrestling moment.

Technical Wrestling on Show

Wrestlemania seventeen really did have a bit of everything, something for everyone and that’s an element I personally love in any wrestling event. From the hardcore brutality to the simple classic matchups to the technical pure wrestling bouts like the opening contest between Regan and Jericho and Benoit and Angle provided. These matches ensured there was a balance on the night that catered to every kind of fan. The first contest of the evening was a nice simple match that showcased the old school, technical British style Regal possessed, and the hybrid talents owned by Jericho. Other matches on the night highlighted submissions and even Lucha Libre and looking back these matches were able to still stand out on a night that had bouts full of explosive moves thanks to where they were placed on the night, the length of the match and the build.

Rock vs Austin

The Rock vs Austin rivalry will forever be one fans talk about. To this day almost twenty years later we still sit and discuss what these two provided in the ring and in a storyline and their encounter at Mania seventeen is still one of my personal all-time favourite matches. It was yet another bout that had everything! The rivalry was incredibly personal and the action itself was brutal and massively physical from the offset. The blood added to the intensity and barbaric nature but also the desperation within both men to leave Mania seventeen as world champion. The crowd reaction, length of the bout and the outside involvement at the hands of Vince McMahon was just incredible. While I enjoyed so many matches on this card this was the one that just had so many twists, a great storyline/build and outstanding in-ring action throughout.

A Battle Royal to Enjoy

Most Mania events will book at least one Battle Royal on the card but the gimmick Battle Royal we saw during Wrestlemania seventeen standouts as a special one. There was a clear theme here and reason behind it, pure entertainment. With some of the best gimmicks and all time faves this was a brilliant way to keep fans entertained during the middle of the evening, add some fun and light-hearted action to the card and it was simply fun to watch. It was cool to see some classic characters all in the ring and for there to be this unique bout on booked for an evening that was jam packed full of intense competition and rivalries.

I think its safe to say that for many Wrestlemania seventeen was their favourite. A night that made history, set the bar and created wrestling classics. There of course, have been many other amazing Mania events and so I would love to know what makes the list for you! Be sure to leave a comment below or tweet me over at @TezangiVictoria telling me what your all time favourite Wrestlemania is!

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