After months of diddering about within the WWF, the Alliance was starting to look less like an Invasion of WCW and ECW superstars to me, and more like a massive heel stable just there to tease the audience with old memories of WCW and ECW and how much the WWF sucks.
Before going on match by match analysis, I have to sum up Paul Heyman. Not just for this event, but since he first joined the WWF as color commentator alongside Jim Ross, he has been one of the absolute best commentators I have ever heard. His mocking of JR and imitating him is ripe and hilarious, his comments, ranging from coy to innocent to downright brutal, are fun to hear and he really absorbs himself fully into the job of commentating. He was a fantastic commentator and one of the absolute best I've ever heard.
WWF European Championship
Christian (C) vs Al Snow
This match was far from horrible but I had a hard time getting in to it. Al Snow is notorious for being made fun of by Mick Foley constantly, and his minimal pushing in the WWF makes it even harder to find genuine Al Snow fans. This match was a good one, certainly beyond the caliber of WWE matches today. (6/10)
Tajiri vs William Regal
This one had a rapidly quick pace, for the reason that it was hardly longer than an average Raw or Smackdown match. Literally only 3 minutes, which saw Regal start bleeding from the mouth, then powerbomb Tajiri and Torrie Wilson after the match was over. (6/10)
Unification Match
WCW United States Championship and WWF Intercontinental Championship
Edge vs Test
Edge did his best, but Test is not a great wrestler to watch. This match wasn't so much a dud, but it was not great, and not worth the 11 minutes it was given. (4/10)
Unification Cage Match
WCW Tag Team Championship and WWF Tag Team Championship
The Dudley Boys vs The Hardy Boys
With these two teams in a cage match on the biggest night of the storyline, you have to expect wonders. The first few minutes were somewhat dull, despite the lively pace the Hardys and Dudleys kept up, but as soon as they started ditching the tag team stipulation and fighting Tornado style, it became one of those great classic matches that saw high spot after high spot, and ended with heartbreak as the winning side took a high risk and blew it, and lost the match for his brother. (10/10)
Immunity Battle Royal
Billy Gunn, Bradshaw, Faarooq, Lance Storm, Billy Kidman, Tazz, Albert, Perry Saturn, Raven, Diamond Dallas Page, The Hurricane, Funaki, Chavo Guerrero Jr, Hugh Morrus, Spike Dudley, Shawn Stasiak, Crash Holly, Steven Richards, Tommy Dreamer, Chuck Palumbo, Test, Justin Credible all participated.
Like any Battle Royal, it was quick, and sometimes painful to watch. But like any Battle Royal, it delivered what it promised, and the surprise end saw the loser of a previous match come up the winner. (6/10)
Winner Take All Classic Survivor Series Match
The Rock, The Undertaker, Kane, Chris Jericho, The Big Show, Team WWF vs Team Alliance, Shane McMahon, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, Booker T, Rob Van Dam
This match was given 45 minutes, and was everything the WWF was about. It had decent wrestling, including some great wrestling by RVD and Jericho, great power wrestling by The Big Show, Kane, and The Undertaker, and amazing technical, brawling, and extreme athleticism and charisma by the rest. The entire affair was like a 45 minute drama, with different phases going along, starting with Shane McMahon breaking up every WWF pinfall attempt, to the intense drama of the last minutes. This was everything any WWF fan could ask for in a match. Epic is fitting for this match, and the absolutely perfect send-off to the last great WWF storyline. It's obvious who's going to win, but the action and drama is so palpable, you'll find yourself on edge when The Rock is on the brink of losing the match for the WWF, and leaping to your feet when The Rock pins Austin. It's simply a classic. (10/10)
The end of the war is here, and what a splendid send-off it is. While the final battle was most billed and hyped up (deservedly so) the other matches were worthy of viewing, and the cage match could have been a main event in its own right. |
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