WWF WrestleMania XV, Ragin' Climax - March 28, 1999
Hosted by Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler, and Jim Ross
Live from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
[big thanks to Joe de Leon]
• Boyz II Men kicked off the show by singing "America The Beautiful," with fireworks setting off in the end. ... There was a WrestleMania XV introduction piece with Freddie Blassie doing the voice-over.
• Triple Threat Match: Hardcore Holly defeated Billy Gunn and Al Snow, to become the new Hardcore Champion.
- Hardcore Holly was completely booed by the crowd, but Billy Gunn and Al Snow received big pops. As Gunn was doing his introduction, he was interrupted by attacks from Snow and Holly. All three superstars immediately began to brawl on the outside of the ring. Snow brought out a hockey stick and used it on his two opponents. Snow also brought out a bucket of drinks and ice. A broomstick was also brought into the match. Snow used a chair to do a leg dive onto Gunn in the corner. Snow later used Head on both Gunn and Holly. Head "told" Snow to bring in a table. Snow ended up being the one tossed into the cornered table, after Holly was clocked with a chair. Gunn nailed the head of Snow into a chair with the Fame-Asser (Rocker Dropper). When Gunn made the pin, he was nailed from behind with a chair, courtesy of Holly. With Gunn knocked out, Holly took the opportunity to make the pin on Snow for the win.
• Backstage, Brian Collard of The Home Shopping Network plugged the WWF merchandise special that would take place following the PPV. He did it for a second time later in the show.
• Jeff Jarrett and Owen Hart (w/Debra) defeated Test and D-Lo Brown (w/Ivory) with a Missle Dropkick by Jarrett, to retain the Tag Team Titles.
- Ivory was wearing a band-aid on her cheek as a result of the cigar burn suffered from the hands of Terri Runnels the previous hour on Sunday Night Heat. D-Lo Brown and Test, who both won the Battle Royal on HEAT to earn their Tag Team Title shots, began to argue before the match even started. Debra was wearing a a bikini covered with an opened coat. At one point during the match, Owen Hart had Test locked in the Sharpshooter, but D-Lo made the save. D-Lo later nailed Hart with the Sky-High, but Jarrett made the save. As Debra and Ivory argued on the outside of the ring, with PMS in the picture and Test playing the peacekeeper, Hart and Jarrett finished off D-Lo with a Missle Dropkick. At first, D-Lo had the win, but the referee was distracted by the argument on the outside. Following the match, Test argued with Ivory, which caused D-Lo to attack Test.
• Isaac Hayes and The Mean Street Posse, better known as the friends of Shane McMahon, were shown in the crowd.
• Brawl For All: Butterbean defeated Bart Gunn.
- Vinny Pazenzia was the Guest Referee. The outside judges were Kevin Rooney, Chuck Wepner, and Gorilla Monsoon. Butterbean and Bart Gunn also had their own trainers. Butterbean amazingly knocked out Gunn two consecutive times in the first round for the win (there are three rounds). The second punch by Butterbean was really powerful. Following the match, a feathered chicken walked into the ring and got onto Pazenzia's nerves. Pazenzia knocked the chicken out with a punch.
• Backstage, Kevin Kelly interviewed Mankind about his upcoming match with Paul Wight for a Guest Referee spot in the Heavyweight Title main event between The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin.
• Mankind defeated Paul Wight by Disqualification, to earn the Guest Referee spot in the main event.
- Paul Wight dominated in the beginning. Mankind was tossed backwards into a staircase. Mankind shoved Mr. Socko down the throat of Wight twice, but Wight countered both times. A lot was taken out of the Wight the third time he received Mr. Socko. Wight brought in a steel chair and nailed Mankind with it. After Wight chokeslammed Mankind onto two chairs that were next to each other, Mankind took the win by Disqualification. Following the match, Vince McMahon made his way down, questioning Wight. McMahon started to get onto Wight. Wight was about to chokeslam McMahon, but decided not to. McMahon told Wight not to make anymore mistakes. McMahon started to point his finger in the chest of Wight. McMahon slapped him, and Wight responded to a punch. Pat Patterson and Gerald Brisco made their ways down to help McMahon to the back. In the backstage area, Brisco and Patterson asked McMahon what he was going to do. McMahon said he would have the Wight arrested for assault. Mankind was placed on a stretcher. Michael Cole noted that he had never seen Mankind stretchered in his previous after he hadn't took any serious bumps, like in his match with Wight. Mankind was apparently takent to the hospital.
• Four-Man Elimination: Road Dogg defeated Val Venis, Goldust (w/The Blue Meanie and Ryan Shamrock), and Ken Shamrock via Pinfall, to retain the Intercontinental Title.
- Michael Cole noted the stipulations of the Four-Man Elimination match were that two superstars were inside the ring and the other two in the corner would have to be tagged in to enter. All four superstars drew numbers prior to the match to see who would start it off, which was Road Dogg and Ken Shamrock. As the match went back and forth, Shamrock had Val Venis locked in the Ankle Lock, but Venis made it to the ropes. Venis and Shamrock brawled through the aisle and were counted out. Although Shamrock was eliminated, he gave belly-to-belly suplexes to Goldust and RD. Goldust was tripped either purposely or accidently by Ryan Shamrock, which let RD roll him up from behind for the pin. Goldust yelled at Ryan in the end. She was apprently dumped again, which made The Blue Meanie very happy.
• On the outside of the arena, Paul Wight was arrested by Philadelphia police (independent workers). He was placed in a car and hauled out of the arena.
• Big Punisher was shown in the crowd.
• Kane defeated Triple H by Disqualification.
- Before the match, the feathered chicken attacked Kane from behind. Kane took off the chicken's mask, and it was Pete Rose. Rose wanted revenge after Kane attacked him at last year's WrestleMania XIV. Kane once again Tombstoned Rose. Kane awaited Triple H's entrance, but Triple H came in through the crowd. Triple H low-blowed Kane for an early advantage. Both superstars mainly brawled on the outside of the ring in the beginning of the match. As Triple H took the advantage, Chyna made her way down to the ring. Triple H set up Kane for the Pedigree, but Kane was able to counter. Chyna threw one-half of a staircase into the ring. Triple H blocked a staircase shot by Kane, kicking the case right into Kane's face. Kane was also tripped on the staircase. Triple H wanted to Pedigree Kane onto a staircase on the outside of the ring, but Kane flipped Triple H over onto the mat. Chyna asked Kane to let her hit Triple H with a chair. She surprisingly hit Kane with the chair instead, which caused a Disqualification. Triple H followed with two hard chairshots and a Pedigree onto the chair. Chyna and Triple H hugged after the match, meaning Chyna was back in D-Generation X.
• Backstage, Kevin Kelly announced Paul Wight nor Mankind could officiate the Heavyweight Title main event between The Rock due to the arrest and a trip to a hospital due to an injury. Vince McMahon walked into the picture and announced he would be the Guest Referee of the match.
• Sable defeated Tori with the Sable Bomb, to retain the Women's Title.
- Tori rammed Sable's face into the apron and baracade. Sable later came back on top, and at one point, did a flying dive onto Tori to the outside of the ring. Tori started to choke Sable and throw a few punches. Sable and Tori exchanged pinning combinations. The referee was accidently knocked out after Tori dived onto him. Sable set up the Sable Bomb, but Tori countered with one of her own. Nicole Bass made her first appearance by entering the ring and powerslamming Tori. Sable smiled at Bass, as Bass left the ring. Sable then nailed Tori with the Sable Bomb for the win.
• Backstage, Kevin Kelly interviewed D-Generation X about X-Pac's upcoming European Title match with Shane McMahon. Each DX member was happy Chyna was back.
• Shane McMahon (w/Test) defeated X-Pac via Pinfall, to retain the European Title.
- The Mean Street Posse cheered on Shane McMahon throughout the match. Before the match, Gerald Brisco and Pat Patterson tried to attack X-Pac near the entrance-way, but ended up attacking themselves. Jerry Lawler said, "Can't they do anything right?" Shane tried to walk out in the beginning, but X-Pac brought him right back in. Test threw X-Pac's groin area into the turnbuckle on the outside of the ring. Shane took the advantage and at one point went for a Corporate Elbow, but missed. Shane was once again on top once he low-blowed X-Pac as Test distracted the referee. Shane used Test's waist belt on X-Pac. As both went to the outside of the ring, The Mean Street Posse tried to hold back X-Pac, but X-Pac knocked them all out. Test continued to get involved, helping out Shane throughout. X-Pac slapped Shane a few times with Test's belt and executed the Bronco Buster. As the referee was distracted by the condition of Shane, Test entered and clocked X-Pac with the European Title belt. Shane went for a pin, but X-Pac kicked out at the last second. Shane wanted to execute his own version of the Bronco Buster, but missed. Test once again entered, but X-Pac took him down. Triple H and Chyna made their ways down to the ring. X-Pac nailed Shane with the X-Factor, but couldn't make the pin because the referee was distracted by Chyna. Triple H entered the ring and surprisingly Pedigreed X-Pac. Triple H placed Shane's hand over X-Pac for the pin. Triple H and Chyna joined The Corporation. Following the match, Triple H, Chyna, and Test worked as a team to attack X-Pac. The New Age Outlaws ran in to the aid of X-Pac, but were out-numbered. Kane made his way down for revenge on Triple H, but couldn't catch up to him nor any of The Corporation members. Road Dogg said, "That son of a bitch. That jackoff (Triple H) is finished."
• Hell in the Cell: The Undertaker (w/Paul Bearer) defeated The Big Bossman with the Tombstone.
- The Undertaker had a new variation of entrance music with voice-overs. He was wearing a cape and new attire. The match, at first, was a brawl inside the ring. The Big Bossman handcuffed The Undertaker to the cage, but as The Undertaker fell, the handcuffs "broke." The Undertaker and Bossman were busted open at this point. The Undertaker later finished off Bossman with the Tombstone. Following the match, The Brood came down from the cieling to the top of the cage with cablewires. The Brood busted open a section of the top of the cage and threw down a noose of a rope. The Brood went back up. The noose was wrapped around the throat of Bossman by The Undertaker and the cage was lifted by Paul Bearer. Bossman was hung.
• No Disqualification: Stone Cold Steve Austin defeated The Rock with the Stunner, to become the new Heavyweight Champion.
- Michael Cole introduced Jim Ross, who would call the match with Jerry Lawler. Ross respectively tipped his hat to Cole as they both walked opposite ways. Guest Referee, Vince McMahon, was introduced to the ring, who was followed by a surprise appearance by Shawn Michaels. The crowd chanted, "HBK." Michaels said we couldn't have a WrestleMania event without him. Michaels said he was disappointed he had to buy a ticket to get in, but he wouldn't hold it against McMahon. Michaels noted that he was the only one who could appoint someone to officiate a match. Michaels told McMahon to leave and not to let the door hit his ass on the way out. Michaels also announced The Corporation was barred from ringside. McMahon left and an original WWF referee would call the match. The Rock was back to his original attire. Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock took it into the crowd on both sides. The Rock choked Austin with a cable. They took it down the aisle, where The Rock flipped over Austin, causing Austin's knee to hit the steel support that held up the lighting. Austin threw The Rock into the steel WrestleMania XV logo near the entrance-way. The Rock suplexed Austin onto the floor. At the announcer's table, The Rock threw water into Austin's face. After two attempts, Austin put The Rock through the Spanish announce table. Austin returned the water. The Rock nailed Austin with the Rock Bottom, but Austin kicked out of the pin. The referee took a chairshot after The Rock put him in the way. After The Rock beat down Austin with a chair and went for a pin, Austin kicked out again. Referee Tim White made the replacement of the injured Mike Kiona. After Austin kicked out of yet another pin, The Rock decided to give the referee the Rock Bottom. Austin nailed The Rock with the Stunner. Referee, Earl Hebner, made his way down for the pin, but The Rock kicked out at the last second. McMahon made his way down, and Austin flipped him off. McMahon entered the ring and knocked out the referee. McMahon and The Rock teamed up to beat down Austin. Mankind, who was favoring his arm, made his way down to become the new referee and Ross said, "He checked himself out of the hospital or something (after the injury)." Mankind knocked out McMahon and started to officiate the match. The Rock missed the Corporate Elbow. The Rock went for the Rock Bottom, but Austin countered with the Stunner for the win. McMahon was basically crying. Austin drank beers to celebrate, along with referee Earl Hebner. As Austin walked to the outside of the ring, he was confronted by McMahon. McMahon yelled at Austin, saying the belt was his. Austin punched out McMahon and nailed him with a Stunner. Austin gave McMahon another beer bath.