JR is quick to introduce us to the next match between “The American Bad Ass”, The Undertaker and a member of The Un-Americans, Test. We see a package that shows us different symbols of American Patriotism before it is interrupted by The Un-Americans. They tell us that “The world hates America and we hate America”. Storm tells us that the upside down flag represents the upside down values and beliefs of American society. I don’t really recall this angle as a kid, but Storm’s mic work in this promo is great. Test enter the arena first and is waving the inverted American flag. And receiving some good heat for doing so. The crowd explodes as The American Bad Ass enters next and is on his Harley. Taker enters the ring and goes right for Test, who is quick to exit. Undertaker pumps the crowd up before Test rejoins him in the ring.

The bell sounds and Test comes out on top after the usual collar and elbow tie-up. He whips Taker into the ropes but the big man leapfrogs Test and takes him down with an arm drag. Test lands some knee strikes and sends Taker into the ropes again. This time The Undertaker goes sky-high to hit a diving lariat. The shoulder of Test gets worked some more before Taker leads him to the corner by the hand. The Undertaker begins to climb the rope to hit his signature, Old School. For those that don’t recognize the name, this is where The Undertaker tight ropes across the top rope to deliver a strike. Test stops this move by shoving the ref into the ropes and causing Taker to fall, spread eagle, onto the top rope.  Test then knocks Taker off the apron and into the security wall. Test is quick to join him on the outside and this leads to Taker being whipped into the ring stairs. Test returns him to ring and unloads with a series of blows. The crowd “BOOS” Test as he continues to whoop Taker’s ass around the ring. An armbar is applied next and this is when we see Taker start to successfully rally. After he escapes the hold he delivers a side suplex to Test and the momentum is beginning to shift. Taker tries to drop an elbow but Test avoids it and is quick to return to his feet. Test whips Taker into the ropes but Taker comes back hit and hits the running DDT. He goes for the cover but only gets the two. This time when Taker leads Test to the corner for the Old School it is successful. A snake eyes in next from The Undertaker but when he goes for the big boot, Test ducks it and hits one of his own. Test goes for the pump handle slam but Taker escapes with a backslide. The Undertaker grabs Test by the throat to go for the chokeslam, but Test escapes with some elbow to the side of Taker’s head. He tries to hit Taker with a big boot of his own but it is ducked under. This time when The Undertaker grabs Test by his throat, the chokeslam is successful. Undertaker raises his hand next and is setting up The Last Ride when we see Lance Storm And Christian come sliding into the ring. Taker makes quick work of the Tag Champs by hitting them both with some shy-high chokeslams. They slide from the ring, but Test comes from nowhere to hit Taker with a brutal big boot. He goes for the cover and the top comes off the building when Undertaker kicks out. Test leaves the ring to grab a chair, but when he returns with it, Taker sends it right back into his face with a big boot. This sets up The Tombstone and the three count for The American Badass. The Undertaker leaves the ring after the match and gets an American Flag from a fan. He climbs the turnbuckles and raises Old Glory high above his head. The flag is returned to the fan and Taker rides his bike back up the ramp. As good as this match was, it just maybe the worst on the card. That isn’t meant to sound like at slight on the match, its just the fact that the card is so strong. I wouldn’t skip this one but if you had to choose the least appealing match on the card, this would be it. Match Time:8:18

Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler introduces us to the video package for the next match. It shows the build-up to the relationship of Shawn Michaels and Triple H. It starts in their Degeneration-X days and leads us into this event. The video shows some of the best of their D-X days, and is really well put together. It builds to one of the greatest betrayals of all-time, when Michaels finally returned to the WWE after four long years he would be greeted with a Pedigree from his former best friend. Kids of today have Seth Rollins ambushing his fellow Shield members but I will always think of this as my favorite betrayal. There is a cool line where Hunter says “I used Shawn Michaels to get to the top just like he used me to stay on the top”. This is the best put together package on the show and is must see stuff. It ends with Bischoff setting up the Unsanctioned Street Fight between the former friends.

The crowd is going nuts when The Heart Break Kid, Shawn Michaels enters for his first match in over four years. Shawn went on to start his own wrestling training center and promotion while he was away. Most people don’t know that he did have one match for his promotion, Texas Wrestling Alliance, in April of 2000. The most famous man to come from his school is probably Daniel Bryan. He enters with some glitter cannons exploding around him and this is pretty cool stuff here. JR mentions here that Shawn is the first ever Grand Slam Champion. When Triple H enters he is welcomed with a unified “BOO” from the fans. Shawn is laying across the ring ropes and giving H the “Come Hither” finger. When Triple H is in the ring Michaels is quick to attack him with right hands and soon after that the bells sounds. Michaels proves he still has some agility early when he leapfrogs Triple H and then send him through the ropes to the outside. Michaels is quick to join him on the outside with a crossbody plancha. After this Shawn is checking under the ring for some weaponry. He throws a trashcan into the ring but the delay allows Triple H to land a knee and re-enter the ring first. Shawn hits Triple H in the head with a trash can lid before he lifts himself over the top rope and flips into the ring. The Showstopper still has it. The trashcan is dented over Hunter’s head, and the crowd is pumped as Michaels is tunin’ up the band early. Triple H ducks under the superkick though and hits Michaels with a brutal backbreaker. This allows Triple H to go on the offensive and he does so by targeting the back of Shawn. If you don’t recall, the injured back is what caused Michaels to leave the WWE in the first place. An Irish whip to the turnbuckle brings Shawn to his knees and this is a perfect time for a “Crotch Chop” into his face. After some more blows to the back Hunter goes for the pin but Shawn is able to kick-out. This enrages Hunter, who leaves the ring to grab a chair. He returns with it and continues to work the back of HBK, this time with the chair. The crowd is absolutely quite as Triple H controls the fight.

Shawn finally slows him when he sneaks a roll-up pin in but the effort doesn’t last long and Triple H hits him with a facebuster. Triple H DDTs Shawn onto the chair before he makes a cover, but Shawn still kicks out. This is when we start to see some blood flow from the face of Shawn Michaels. Triple H takes Michaels own belt off of him and beats him with it. He then wraps it around his fist to enhance his punches. After some blows to the head, Triple H leaves the ring to look for some more weapons under the ring. When he finds his sledgehammer the crowd explodes. Shawn stops the attack with some punches and the official removes the hammer. The attack doesn’t last long though and Hunter is soon stretching the back of Shawn again. When Triple H uses the top rope for leverage it pisses the ref off, and he and Triple H exchange words. The distraction allows Shawn to get a few punches in but once again Hunter stops his attack. Triple H then puts Shawn of the top rope and is quick to join him. They trade some punches and the crowd is on their feet when Shawn knocks Triple H to the mat. It appears as we are going to see an elbow drop from Michaels, but Triple H kicks the official into the ropes. This, in turn, knocks Michaels from the top rope and leaves him in a tree-of-woe. Triple H is quick to get the chair and hit the lower back of HBK. Triple H sets the chair up and drops Shawn onto it and the backbreaker crushes the chair. Brutal stuff here. Triple H goes for the cover, but Shawn kicks out. He goes for the cover twice more but Shawn still kicks out. Triple H stomps the chair flat and proceeds to sidewalk slam Michaels onto the chair. Shawn manages to kick-out of three more cover attempts and the Coliseum is shaking with “HBK” chants. Triple H is visibly pissed now and he attempts to give Shawn a Pedigree onto the chair. Shawn hits a low blow though and is able to stop the finisher. Both men take a moment to return to their feet but Triple H has the chair. Shawn hits the Sweet Chin Music and this sends the chair into the face of Triple H. And the crowd is going bonkers. This seems to have taking all Shawn’s energy and both men lay prone on the mat for a moment. When Triple H rolls over we can see some serious color on his face, as the blood is just a leaking. The both make it to their feet and Shawn unloads some left hands. A flying forearm is next, and when Shawn Michaels nips up the place explodes. He sends Triple H sky-high with a back body drop and when he hit Hunter with a chairshot, the fans come unglued. Shawn sends Triple H toppling over the top rope and when he hits the floor he catches his head on the security wall.

Shawn joins him on the outside, and after a few shots to the head with the trashcan lid, he beats Hunter with the leather belt. At this point you can see a large pool of blood were Hunter is laying and this dude is leaking some serious blood here. The fans unleash some “we want tables” chants here but aren’t rewarded. Instead, Shawn takes The King’s shoe and beats Hunter with it. To which King replies “a heel for a Heel”. I thought this was cool as this is more of a behind the scenes term and wasn’t really used on TV. Shawn runs all the way around the ring to deliver a bulldog onto the ring steps. Shawn goes under the ring and comes out with a ladder. At this point the “HBK” chants can be heard again. Michaels doesn’t climb the ladder, though, and instead rams it into the head and midsection of Triple H. The ladder is leaned against the ring ropes and Shawn then catapults Triple H into it. Shawn returns Triple H to the ring and attempts the cover. The crowd counts along but are forced to stop before three when Hunter kicks out. Shawn then leaves the ring to grab the ladder but Triple H baseball slides and sends it into the face of Michaels. Hunter returns Shawn to the ring but climbs to the top turnbuckle instead of resuming his attack. Shawn is quick to meet him up there and superplexs Triple H back into the ring. Shawn goes for the cover, but Triple H isn’t done yet. When they return to their feet Shawn comes off the rope, but Triple H is quick to meet him with another facebuster. Another cover attempt for Triple H and another kick out for Shawn Michaels. Triple H again leaves the ring and this time he comes back with the ring steps. But Shawn hits a drop toe hold and this bounces Hunter’s face off the steps. A clothesline over the top rope is next, and when Hunter goes over the top rope he lands right on the ladder. Ouch. Shawn now takes this moment to get a table from under the ring and the crowd is popping. He sets the table up as Triple H slowly walks toward him. After a fire extinguisher to Hunter’s face, he is lying on the table as Shawn enters the ring to climb to the top turnbuckle. Shawn comes flying off the top rope and they both crash through the table. The crowd rewards them with some “Holy Shit” chants for this. They return to the ring, but Shawn has the ladder. He quickly starts to climb it and comes of it to deliver an elbow “right to the heart of The Game.” The crowd is going nuts as Michaels is tuning up the band. But Triple H catches the foot and goes for the Pedigree. Shawn pulls Hunter’s legs out and rolls him up. The ref counts the three and so do the fans. Wow. What a finish. After the match Triple H attacks Shawn Michaels with the sledgehammer and he gets some serious heat for this from the fans. The doctors come out and Shawn Michaels is stretchered to the back. This may just be the greatest return match ever, in the history of Professional Wrestling. If you have the option, after you finish my article of course, go watch this match. For two guys just returning to the ring, one after four years away, this match is straight fire. Match Time:27:50

Pages: 1 2 3 4