The Attitude Era remains one of the finest periods in wrestling history. It was juvenile, daring, and beautifully unpredictable. Each week of programming brought with it new developments and surprises that threw conventional rules out of the window, one of the many reasons why it remains so memorable.
This period saw larger-than-life stars emerge in the form of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Triple H, and Kurt Angle – all of whom are still remembered fondly today. They wouldn’t get away with half of the stuff they did back then today, which is arguably the best thing about that era. Pretending wrestlers had literally died to drive home storylines or spraying the entire arena with beer from a truck drove into the arena are examples of wild happenings that we don’t see anymore. But one match stands out above many others, and it wouldn’t be the same without Limp Bizkit. That’s not a sentence I ever expected to write.
Wrestlemania X-Seven is hailed by many as the greatest of its kind, and I have to agree. It’s filled with so many wonderful matches. Edge and Jeff Hardy made history with a legendary ladder match while Shane McMahon took on his own father in a brutal street fight. These are just some of the bouts that are fondly remembered from Wrestlemania X-Seven. It’s not my personal favourite, but in terms of hype and build-up, it’s almost unbeatable. The show had an electric pace, seldom giving the viewer room to breathe as each new showdown erupted.
But I’m here to talk about one match: Stone Cold vs The Rock. The hype surrounding this match was magnetic. Two titans going up against one another, putting everything on the line as they fought for the imaginary stakes that made wrestling entertainment so ludicrously immersive. As excellent as the match itself is, it wouldn’t be the same without the video package that preceded it.
Limp Bizkit were huge back in 2001, so their certified banger My Way was used as the track to chronicle the rivalry between our two superstars before the violence truly kicked off. If you’re unfamiliar with wrestling video packages, they are essentially a short way of telling the story thus far while establishing the magnitude of the match, and how each participant would do everything it takes to win.
The beauty of this match is that it wasn’t just about the WWE Championship, it was about the personal circumstances that underpinned the two men’s rivalry. It’s stupid as hell, and that’s why I love it, but as a younger viewer I completely bought into these two sweaty men fighting over personal turmoil that could only be resolved with a three-count on the canvas.
My Way’s hauntingly slow opening verses teased the events that preceded this rivalry, before pausing completely to let these athletes speak for themselves. Then it returns, the bridge accompanying The Rock and Stone Cold as they ambush one another in the ring, playing dirty in a way that shows this won’t be a fair fight. Innocent bystanders are even caught in the brawl, but that doesn’t matter, the two only have eyes for each other.
The People’s Champion lurking behind The Texas Rattlesnake, standing ominously in wait until he turns around only to execute a stolen finisher on his unsuspecting opponent. With Stone Cold left on the canvas, The Rock walks away with his title intact, stopping on the entrance ramp to raise his eyebrow as the show closes. Stone Cold doesn’t back down, deciding to meet The Rock in the ring one last time before Wrestlemania begins.
He offers him a beer, a signature gimmick of the Texan wrestler, but to his dismay, The Rock throws it aside, spilling a mixture of alcohol and bubbles in his face. This is the last straw, and as the final chorus of Limp Bizkit’s seminal tune kicks into gear, so does a fistfight to end all fistfights. It’s glorious, an explosion of anticipation that was finally going to be executed upon, and there could only be one true victor. It’s a cheesy sentiment, but they don’t make them like this anymore.
The match itself concludes in a heel turn (that’s wrestling lingo for turning bad) that would shake the industry for years to come, and things would never be the same again. However, such a development doesn’t take away from the majesty of this meeting, and how Stone Cold and The Rock made history that will be referenced far into the future. As luck would have it, it’s Wrestlemania week right now, so what better time to honour one of the all-time greats?
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Jade King is one of the Features Editors for TheGamer. Previously head of gaming content over at Trusted Reviews, she can be found talking about games, anime and retweeting Catradora fanart @KonaYMA6.
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