WrestleMania. The biggest show of the year. It never disappoints. Not even in an otherwise disappointing year, does it? 1998 Wasn't a disappointing year however and WrestleMania XIV while maybe not as flawless as WrestleMania X-Seven was still a memorable PPV that's worth revisiting even after 20 years. Let me tell you why.
Sure, not everything on the card was memorable. I doubt that many people will remember the Nr. 1 contender tag team battle royal (which the returning LoD eventually won). I know I didn't. Same goes for the following Aguila vs Taka Michinoku light heavyweight title match despite some impressive high flying moves of both young men. The crowd's fascination of Sable hitting Luna with a TKO in their match with Goldust and Marc Mero is also hard to understand these days since we actually see high-class women's wrestling week in week out.
The rest of the card was pure class, however. I vividly remember hardcore heroes Cactus Jack and Terry Funk aka Chainsaw Charlie capturing the tag team titles from the New Age Outlaws in the first ever dumpster match. Gunn and Roaddogg being put in the container with a forklift by Funk really was a memorable WrestleMania moment if you ask me. Triple H defending his European Championship versus Owen Hart was another great match. Their whole feud had been met with big fan reactions and this match was no different. Some tremendous wrestling was shown by both athletes. Especially Owen impressed with a missile dropkick, suplex, enzuigiri combination. What a competitor he was. Next in line was the intercontinental championship match between the Rock and poor Ken Shamrock who eventually got disqualified once again. Not before another display of sheer energy by those two textbook athletes. Another Mania moment I won't forget: Shamrock suplexing officials over several minutes following the match.
The first part of a double main event was the long-awaited clash of Undertaker and Kane. The feud between those two 7 foot monsters has always been a fan favorite. While maybe not an all-time classic, the match didn't disappoint. It probably mainly served to get Kane over in retrospect, but it was still impressive. Despite lots of tombstones and chokeslams (one from Kane on baseball legend Pete Rose) by both men, Takers leap over the top rope and into a breaking announcement table surely was the coolest moment of the fight. After that, the pinnacle of the night was finally there when the sound of breaking glass set the arena on fire with Austin's road to the World Championship finally coming to an end. The one thing in his way, however, was the showstopper himself: the Heart Break Kid Shawn Michaels. And that guy was not going to surrender the belt without a fight. And what a fight it was. Two top class performers delivered a very intense high energy match. When Stone Cold eventually countered HBK's sweet chin music with the stunner the people had their champion and everyone went crazy including 12 years old me. Special enforcer Mike Tyson knocking out Shawn Michaels in the aftermath of the match was another WrestleMania moment you surely won't easily forget. I know I haven't.
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