Rewrite WrestleMania

[Max Power]

I think a lot of you are being harsh on Jericho. Rather than kicking him out of the title match, I'd just re-book the weeks leading up to the event and keep Steph away from the feud. Jericho was coming off a pretty good programme with Rock at the turn of the year. Yes it all went to pot in January and February, but that's the only point of the thread - to rebook it. Maybe refer to the matches they had in 2000, reference the Title Change That Never Was and the Last Man Standing match. Maybe a lot of this is referencing the past, but with the face/heel dynamic switched, I think it would have been interesting.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

Austin speaks about that on JR's podcast. Pretty much says his head wasn't where it should have been in the last few years of his career. 2002 might have been Austin lowest paid year in the business since his first few years. He threw away a monster pay day with Hogan (Hogan complained about his payoff for WM X8, so can you imagine how shit the Hall vs Austin match would have got?) and they froze his royalties and all his pay from June onwards. And considering how much he was still bringing in in merch (especially with the "What?" thing), I bet his lost out on a good 7 figures.

 

Hogan vs Austin wouldn't have been very good. Austin says so on JR's podcast. I remember William Regal saying the same thing. Their styles from a pacing standpoint, to how they sell, to their comebacks cant be more different. I'd have loved to have seen Austin of 2001 wrestle Hogan of 89. You might get something like the Stan Hansen/Hogan match, where they are working super hard and kicking lumps out of each other would have been excellent. But Hogan at 50 and Austin on his last legs would have had to use so many short cuts. It would have hurt Austin more as well, since he prefers to go 100mph with his fists and brawling and all that. Seeing Austin doing tests of strength and getting whipped with a weight lifting belt would have been surreal.

[ShortOrderCook]

Undertaker vs Flair is the main thing i'd have wanted to keep but I've had to sacrifice it for other ideas. I've changed most of the card only keeping Triple H vs Jericho, which I didn't really want to but I think Triple H returning to win the Rumble was right and Jericho was only just into his reign, so this is the best option I was left with. Besides, it could have been great and they had plenty of history to build upon. So I've had the build up play out very differently without any Lucy stuff.

 

 

 

 

Kane, Tazz and Spike Dudley vs Booker T, Test and William Regal

 

Tazz and Spike were tag champs at No Way Out and successfully defended against Booker T and Test. This is admittedly a bit of a 'get them all on there' scenario. Tazz and Spike obviously dropped the belts to Billy and Chuck between No Way Out and 'Mania, i'd have had them cost the belts by this lot. I'd never have had the Regal-Edge feud so Regal never picks up the IC title. Here, he's with T and Test from their previous Alliance errr...alliance and Regal being their commish. Tazz and Spike keep getting done over and recruit the Big Red Monster for some help. There was also that bit with Tazz and Regal after Regal kissed McMahons ass, which could have been built upon. Kane, Tazz and Spike go over.

 

 

Intercontinental/European Title 4 Way Ladder match

 

Edge vs Jeff Hardy vs Christian vs Matt Hardy

 

As mentioned, i'd have never had Edge vs Regal happen. Instead, The Hardyz began to tease a split and Matt heel turn in December, but it was bailed on. I'd run with it and have Matt dispose of Jeff in December with Lita turning heel and joining him. Matt goes on to face Edge for the IC title at Royal Rumble and dethrones him. Christian was doing a losing streak angle at the time, but i'd have that end before 'Mania (maybe at No Way Out) with him taking the Euro title from DDP. Jeff returns in the run up to 'Mania. The two titles were unified a few months later as it was, so i'd move that forward a few months with these guys battling it out with ladders at 'Mania once again but this time with the significance of it being singles titles and all of them out on their own now being emphasized. Edge goes over and unifies the belts.

 

 

Kurt Angle vs Ric Flair

 

Flair returned after Survivors and Angle turned back heel being presented as Vinces guy. Flair was feuding with McMahon and Angle had just been having issues with Trips. Wouldn't be too difficult to write and could have been absolutely blinding at the time. Don't think they actually faced until 2005.

 

 

WWF Tag team title Hardcore Triple Threat match

 

Billy and Chuck vs The Dudley Boyz vs The APA

 

Billy and Chuck take the belts in the run up from Tazz and Spike. APA won a tag turmoil at No Way Out eliminating Billy and Chuck last, so there's stuff there. The Dudleyz were still relevant at the time and one of the most over tag acts and now had Stacy with them. The combination of Dudleyz with Stacy and APA against the homoerotic Billy and Chuck in a hardcore match environment, a style Billy and Chucks opponents were famous for would have been fun I think. Billy and Chuck somehow scrape away a victory. I'd leave the Hardcore title off the card so this fills that gap.

 

Undertaker vs Rob Van Dam

 

They faced at Vengeance for the Hardcore belt I think, but it still would have felt relatively fresh and would have made a suitable WrestleMania match. I'd have the idea that the winner could go on to challenge for Undisputed title emphasized. RVD had been mixing it up in the WWF title scene late the year previous and was still very much over. He was arguably above IC title level and this could have gone a long way to keeping him there. Undertaker goes over in a close fought thing, ideally doing a lot for Van Dam but, y'know Streak and that.

 

WWF Undisputed title match

 

Chris Jericho vs Triple H

 

As mentioned i'm keeping this, almost reluctantly. But i'd change the build up in some way and wouldn't have it go on last. Triple H wins the belts and following WrestleMania goes into an angle where it's teased through the summer that he's incahoots with Hall and Nash and going to become a part of the nWo.

 

 

Womens title Match

 

Lita vs Trish Stratus

 

Fuck Jazz, she was shit. These two deserved to face off against each other in a singles at the big dance. As mentioned i'd have had Lita turn with Matt in the big Team Extreme split. When Matt takes the IC title at the Rumble she can pick up the Womens belt in some sort of multi match and drop it Trish in Toronto here.

 

 

Biggest Fucking Match Ever

 

nWo - Hollywood Hogan, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash vs The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin

 

Very different to your usual kind of WrestleMania main event, but these are very different circumstances. It's not ideally what i'd like, but the Hogan nostalgia run was inevitable. And this could be a decent way to end the show when they were having a bit of a restart shortly after anyway. Obviously, I wouldn't have had this match happen on the go-home Raw either. In the match Hogan is kept out of it for ages, the fans are going nuts for him and desperate to see him get in there. He gets in, does some of his bit and the fans lose their shit. But he's listening to the crowd. Hall and Nash revert to some dirty tactics and eventually Hulk sees the light and in a sort of reverse of his famous heel turn in forming the nWo he turns back face here to end the nWo. Show ends with Hogan shaking Rock and Austins hand and beers and posedowns. Although possibly just beers from Austin and leaving the ring for Rock and Hogan to pose teasing that he doesn't trust Hogan just yet and a potential future match.

[PSF]

I think the only thing I would change is Angles match. It was a complete copy of a previous match they had had already. Hennig would have been the perfect opponent for angle on this show.

 

Probably would have changed the result of the main, with Hhh picking up the win in the cell at the next show.

[Bugsey713]

Undisputed Title

 

Austin V HHH

 

Id have Austin beating Jericho at No Way Out and HHH still wins the Rumble and they have an almost WMX7 build with their history together and both come in as faces but its teased in the build up that HHH has Hall, Nash and X-Pac backing him up and during the match HHH gets more and more agressive. Austin retains, next night on Raw the Kliq destroys him and at Backlash HHH takes the title.

 

Icon V Icon

 

Rock V Hogan

 

Id leave that as it was minus Hall and Nash coming out after. Next night on Raw Id set up Rock+Hogan V The Outsiders for Backlash.

 

Undertaker V Ric Flair

That was great so Id leave that as it was.

 

4 way Elimination Tag Title match

 

Booker T+Test (Champs) V APA V Tazz+Spike V The Outsiders

Booker+Test win the titles at No Way Out so Tazz+Spike are due a rematch, APA won a #1 contenders match at No Way Out and The Outsiders are there because Vince says so. Booker+Test get eliminated first by Tazz, APA are out next by Nash and that leaves the little guys against the mighty Outsiders. After a heroic fight Hall kills Spike with the razors edge to win the titles.

 

Womens Title

 

Trish V Lita w/ Matt Hardy

 

Trish comes in as champ, Lita having just helped Matt turn on Jeff earlier heels it up and beats Trish.

 

6 man IC/Euro Title Unification Ladder Match

 

Edge (IC champ) V Christian (Euro champ) V Kurt Angle V Kane V William Regal V DDP

Basically a MITB match with Edge winning.

 

Chris Jericho V RVD

 

Having lost the Undisputed Title to Austin, Jericho is majorly pissed and starts abusing everyone. Seeing how popular RVD is Jericho attacks him, RVD misses 2 or 3 weeks of tv returns at the go home Raw and sets up the match. Jericho wins by submission.

 

No DQ Losing team disbands

 

Hardy Boyz V Dudley Boyz

 

A big blow off to the era of these tag teams, typically great Dudleys and Hardys match with Matt and Lita dumping Jeff off a ladder and walking out on him leaving the Dudleys to hit 3D.

[ratedrpoed]

Not much i would keep the same, nothing felt big except Rock/Hogan.

I like some of the ideas posted already.

 

Rock vs Hogan

 

Angle vs Mr. Perfect

 

HHH vs Flair

 

Austin vs Nash

 

All 1st time matches like it should be at WM, especially back then when there were several chances to do so.

 

Undisputed Title - Jericho vs Taker (would have to turn Taker face for this but couldn't think of anything better after matches above)

 

IC Title - RVD vs Edge

 

Un-Americans Christian, Test, Regal & Storm (start stable early ) vs Kane, APA & Booker T.

 

Tag Titles - Dudleyz vs Hardyz (Maybe do a Table/Ladder match or something lol, no E&C so no use for chairs + could add Sexy Dad's idea of losing team must disband)

 

Women's Title - Trish vs Lita (no offence to Jazz but these 2 deserved a 1 on 1 WM match with each other)

 

& Add a Hardcore/European Title unification battle royal.

[King Pitcos]

Icon V Icon

 

Rock V Hogan

 

Id leave that as it was minus Hall and Nash coming out after. Next night on Raw Id set up Rock+Hogan V The Outsiders for Backlash.

Rock was already gone filming by Backlash.

 

Fuck Jazz, she was shit.

She really was. I'd have had Stephanie replace her, though. A strong heel to give hometown babyface Trish someone to play off, and put Lita in there to do a couple of sequences with Trish to limit Steph's involvement (although Stephanie did have a good singles match with Trish once). With me switching HHH vs Jericho to HHH vs Austin and Jericho vs Flair, it removes Steph from involvement in those... And it'd be an easy enough transition for her to go from the wedding vows/breakup thing to talking daddy into giving her an easy women's title win.

 

I really like the idea of HHH vs Austin having the "are the Kliq on HHH's side?" element.

[Bugsey713]

Icon V Icon

 

Rock V Hogan

 

Id leave that as it was minus Hall and Nash coming out after. Next night on Raw Id set up Rock+Hogan V The Outsiders for Backlash.

Rock was already gone filming by Backlash.

 

 

Shit I forgot that. Right then have either Edge or RVD step and save Hogan from a kicking off the Outsiders on Raw. Not quite as huge as Rock+Hogan but it keeps Hogan in a major program until he gets his nostalgia title run.

[Shane O' Mac Version 2]

This is difficult, I enjoyed Wrestlemania X-8, it wasn't perfect by any means but I liked a lot of it as it was.

 

Main Event-Icon vs. Icon

The Rock vs. Hollywood Hulk Hogan

 

I'm not going to fuck with this classic, everything stays the same but it goes on last. I'm really glad they recognised their mistake there when they booked Rock vs. Cena 1.

 

WWF Women's Championship

Stephanie McMahon

[Killjoy_Gee]

This is difficult, I enjoyed Wrestlemania X-8, it wasn't perfect by any means but I liked a lot of it as it was.

 

Main Event-Icon vs. Icon

The Rock vs. Hollywood Hulk Hogan

 

I'm not going to fuck with this classic, everything stays the same but it goes on last. I'm really glad they recognised their mistake there when they booked Rock vs. Cena 1.

 

WWF Women's Championship

Stephanie McMahon

[andrew "the ref" coyne]

I remember, really distinctly, hoping for The Rock's WCW Championship run to accumulate towards the return of Ric Flair, so that we could get Ric Flair vs. The Rock for the WCW World Title.

 

This bit of fantasy booking came to me prior to the unification of the titles and the nWo coming in. But you may remember around that time The Rock had the WCW Championship and the Alliance was struggling to relinquish it from him. My hope was that this would lead to Shane McMahon signing up "the one man who truly symbolises what that title means" and thus bring back Flair to take the belt of The Rock.

 

Overall I enjoyed WM18, but yeah it could of been better. Personally I think it was a shame that WCW was killed off so brutally earlier that year, as mania would of been a great time to bring in a few bigger WCW related names.

[tiger_rick]

Assuming I get free reign here and I don't actually have to talk Austin into facing Hogan!

 

In the build-up I'd switch the undisputed title to The Rock at the Royal Rumble and move Jericho into a feud with The Undertaker. I'd also have kept the Flair/McMahon feud running so that at WrestleMania, it's McMahon's Outsiders vs. Flair's pick of WWE guys in a battle for control.

 

IC title - Rob Van Dam vs. William Regal

Hardcore title - Maven vs. Goldust

Battle for control - Kurt Angle & Kane (w/ Ric Flair) vs. Scott Hall & Kevin Nash (w/ Vince McMahon)

Womens title - Jazz vs. Trish Stratus vs. Lita

The Undertaker vs. Chris Jericho

Edge vs. Christian (Piss break)

Undisputed title - The Rock vs. Triple H

Tag titles - Billy and Chuck vs. The Dudleys vs. The Hardyz vs. APA

Main Event - Steve Austin vs. Hulk Hogan

[AshC]

Flair/Undertaker and Hogan/Rock are two of the most perfect WrestleMania matches of modern times, so I'd be keeping them for sure. Love the Angle vs Perfect idea. They teased Austin vs Perfect for a bit too, didn't they? That would have been ace, though I can't imagine Austin would have been up for it at that point.

[The Cutting Edge]

Since most of the best predictions have been done I'll try something different

 

Hogan vs The Rock as was

 

WWF Undisputed Title

 

Jericho © vs HHH vs Austin vs Angle

 

I know most dont like multiman matches at Mania but it wouldnt go on last anyway, these four had seperate matches at No Way Out so would be linked, heaps of history to work in and HHH and Austin never did anything after trips injury so that could be interesting, Steph can flirt between Y2J and Angle but not pick a side, lots and lots could be done here

 

WWF Tag Team Titles

 

Hardy Boyz with Lita vs Outsiders with X-Pac

 

Dunno if Nash was injured or why he didnt wrestle (in real time I wouldve gone with Nash vs Kane)

 

Womans Title

 

Lita vs Trish

 

IC Title

 

RVD vs Mr Perfect

Perfect wins the gold one last run etc

 

Edge vs The Undertaker

 

Hardcore shitfest

 

Bunch of guys like Snow, Venis, Godfather, Crash etc

 

No 1 contender for Tag Titles/Show opener

 

Dudleys vs APA vs Billy & Chuck vs Tazz & Spike

 

Pre show

 

Euro Title

 

DDP © vs Christian

[Vamp]

I'd keep the card the same but brighten up the building with nicer colours and better lighting, always thought the show looked rather dark and murky for some reason. I'd possibly change the set too.

 

I like 18, both the Flair and Hogan matches are cracking. The main is dribble though. The problem with it isn't the storyline but that neither man was really the man at that point. Triple H was the second tier and Jericho always feels like he's batting well above average when he's holding the belt. I'm tempted to say I'd jiggle it about to put Austin in there somehow. Although Jericho still shouldn't be in a mania main event.