WrestleMania 13

Now while he had displayed flashes of personality in 1997 in D-Generation X, and had an excellent Cactus Jack match on the September 22nd of Raw, do not forget before all this, even though he was a pivotal part of the original D-Generation X, he was just standing next to Shawn Michaels.

It all came together massively though on that Raw after WrestleMania 14 when Shawn Michaels did go away to sort out his back problem.

'Cause Triple H came to the ring, said that Shawn Michaels had screwed D-Generation X up.

He was gonna take the reins when he employed The New Age Outlaws and brought X-Pac back from WCW, and you can see all of this happen in real time.

It's when The Rock rolled his eyes as Farooq went on and on in a backstage segment.

But actually I think there's one that kinda submits it all.

'Cause many people will tell you that it all clicked for The Rock when he was interviewed by Jennifer Flowers in a pre-taped interview at WrestleMania 14.

His line that he'd probably be a hung jury if you spell what The Rock is cooking is something that a 14-year-old would say.

In Your House 13, Final Four.

Speaking about, well, I don't know if I would call this a classic show of any sort, Kate, but certainly maybe an important show, maybe to some a very well-remembered show because this is the prelude to WrestleMania 13.

And Bret Hart versus Steve Austin meet along with The Undertaker and Vader in a fatal four-way match.

Along with that, well, it is 1997.

Mania 12 is the new benchmark.

And I think we're entering an era now, knowing what we've got with Mania 13, with Brett versus Stone Cold.

I think we've entered an era of, like, I think it's going to be good for a little bit here.

It's at least palatable.

I want to watch Mania 13 tonight.

I'm excited for it.

That's where I'm at.

But I will give the extra star for a matchup that I feel deserves to be in that upper echelon.

Before that, it was Austin, Bret from WrestleMania 13.

Then, like, what, 20-something years later, it's Okada and Omega IV from Dominion 2018.

Uh, Ospreay and Omega from Wrestle Kingdom 17, and then Bryan and Ospreay from Dynasty 2024, and then this one.

backstage area.

I mean like Steve and Sean for their entrances for like Mania 13 where Steve just pops around the

corner but it was more so it was kind of that similar sort of vibe but also character arc of like yeah yeah it is more

believable that these people would show up for their big rival and in some cases big friends because like if the the zack and will stuff was no presenters they hate each other they were just both amazing wrestlers and different styles that were coming up at the same time and that was the rivalry like it's believable that friends and enemies would show up to see if this guy either did the business or choked at the final hurdle.

God damn it.

It's a little bit like Austin comes back from WrestleMania 13 and he's like, I didn't say I quit because he bled the fuck out.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I did a whole-ass segment on it, uh, as part of the mail bag.

Tops for me is the Steve Austin turn at WrestleMania XIII 'cause the impact of that...

I mean, first of all, it was a badass moment in that match.

It was a badass turn, but the impact of that one turn alone outweighs any of the other ones that have ever been done.

And if you do it really well, you could do both.

Like you think about, uh, Brett and Stone Cold at WrestleMania 13, uh, You know what I mean? Like there's the fit.

And I don't know if he means like what sequence in the ring constitutes a good finish.

I think those are few and far between.

Again, WrestleMania 13 is one you can remember.

Everybody knows what happens there, right? Got the sharpshooter.

You got Austin passing out from the blood.

So there you have a conclusive finish.