WWE WrestleMania 17 Review - April 1, 2001

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho def. William Regal

Without watching the video package, all I know about the build for this bout was that Jericho at one point pissed in Regal's coffee. Riveting stuff, I know. Don't let that distract you from this being a good opener, though. Both guys were more than reliable in the ring and it was a fine way to ensure the Intercontinental Championship was defended at WrestleMania. This wasn't a barn burner by any means, but it's a solid enough start to the show.

The APA and Tazz def. Right to Censor (The Goodfather, Val Venis and Bull Buchanan)

This could have happened on any ordinary Raw or SmackDown, but I can't complain too much because it was a serviceable six-man tag team match that got all six guys on the card. At under four minutes, it didn't overstay its welcome, and Bradshaw got to pick up the pinfall win for his team in his home state. My only takeaway was that Tazz was criminally underutilized in WWE prior to his career-ending injury, though I'm not too shocked that his size was what held him back.

Kane def. Big Show and Kane in a Hardcore Triple Threat Match to Win the Hardcore Championship

Although this felt like a random use of Kane and Big Show at WWE's premier pay-per-view, they actually excelled in the extreme environment. This was a really fun Triple Threat where they made the most of the stipulation by taking their fight to the backstage area and getting creative with some of the spots. I also appreciated that they ended on a high note with Kane jumping off the stage on top of Big Show on the side. I tend to forget how much of a beast Kane was back then until I see stuff like this.

Eddie Guerrero def. Test to Win the European Championship

The European Championship was pretty much pointless for its entire existence, but it did get guys on major pay-per-views that may not have had a spot on the show otherwise. This was one of those instances. Both guys had potential and thankfully Guerrero was eventually able to realize his. Unfortunately, Test is a sad case of what could have been. At any rate, this was an average outing for what it was.

Kurt Angle def. Chris Benoit

This was when the show started to pick up. You were never going to get anything less than a great wrestling match from Angle and Benoit and it was the perfect match to do on a show that had a little bit of everything. They were clearly capable of better, mind you, but what we got from them here was still strong. Angle winning in fluky fashion allowed the feud to continue.

Chyna def. Ivoy to Win the WWF Women's Championship

This was a story that had been building for a while with the endgame being Chyna giving Ivory her comeuppance and beating her for the WWE Women's Championship. Needless to say, that was accomplished here. It wasn't much of a match at all, but it was pretty much what it needed to be with Chyna essentially squashing Ivory in a matter of minutes and winning as she should have.

Shane McMahon def. Mr. McMahon in a Street Fight (Mick Foley Served as Special Guest Referee)

This match (if you can even call it that) is a guilty pleasure of mine and arguably my favorite from WrestleMania 17. I know that might be a hot take, but it's sports-entertainment at its most ridiculous. The McMahon family drama was tired even by this point, but everyone wanted to see Vince get his ass kicked and it happened here from at least four different people (Shane, Foley, Trish Stratus and even his wife Linda). The pop for Linda standing up from the wheelchair is especially hilarious. It's such an entertaining, chaotic train wreck from start to finish.

Edge & Christian def. The Dudley Boyz and The Hardy Boyz in a TLC Match to Win the WWF Tag Team Championship

If Vince vs. Shane was a train wreck, then this was a demolition derby. The other two Triangle Ladder/TLC matches were also excellent, but to me, this is the best one of the bunch. They made outstanding use of the stipulation and the spots are obviously insane. The crowd treated this like the spectacle that it was. Edge and Christian winning all three matches these teams had together on major stages was quite the endorsement, even though they went their separate ways by the end of the year.

The Iron Sheik Won the Gimmick Battle Royal

I'm well aware that this is a terrible Battle Royal, and I have no idea why they wasted so much time on the entrances alone (you'd think this was 2026 WWE!), but admittedly, it was cool to see so many old gimmicks brought back in one match. Plus, it was kept short and sweet, so I have no complaints, not to mention getting Bobby Heenan back on commentary for one night alongside Gene Okerlund was awesome.

The Undertaker def. Triple H

Triple H's in-ring peak was 2000 and early 2001 right before he tore his quad. Their later matches at WrestleMania 27 and 28 were more "cinema," but this was way better wrestled and better paced. Interestingly, Undertaker's undefeated streak at WrestleMania was mentioned a few times, but the story was more so about Triple H proving himself against the standard bearer of WWE. It was strange that the referee was out for so long and that they were able to take their fight to ringside for several minutes, but that's my only nitpick. This is a terrific match.

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin def. The Rock in a No Disqualification Match to Win the WWF Championship

In many ways, this was the peak of the Austin vs. Rock rivalry, so that combined with the all-timer of a video package make this the best of their three 'Mania matches for my money. The atmosphere in the Astrodome was incredible and their chemistry was fantastic as always. My only issue with it is the ending. Mr. McMahon joining forces with Austin (thus turning Austin heel) should have been a big deal, and it was, but the execution was far from ideal. They dragged out the finish with the constant chair shots for what felt like forever and it didn't have as much of an impact as it should have. Part of that is also knowing how the follow-up was a failure.

Overall Show

I mentioned this while discussing Angle vs. Benoit, but WrestleMania 17 is the ultimate variety show in my opinion. You get some above-average wrestling, craziness, star power, culmination of stories, memorable moments, and more. Even as someone who isn't as fond of the Attitude Era as most, I can confidently say that WrestleMania 17 remains the greatest ever. The Attitude Era arguably died on this night and the product was never the same, so its historical significance is massive as well.

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