Why This PPV Is Still WWE's Best

Highlights

• WrestleMania 19 featured iconic matches with stars like Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, and Brock Lesnar.
• Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho was a beautifully wrestled match with technical brilliance.
• Brock Lesnar's victory over Kurt Angle marked the start of a new era in WWE history.

When talking about the best WWE PPV of all time, there are several top contenders that fans throw out as suggestions. More often than not, it is WrestleMania 17 that gets the consensus for best show. However, when looking at the full card and comparing it to WrestleMania 19 two years later, there is a big case to be made that the 2003 event, which included Steve Austin vs The Rock for the lats time, and Brock Lesnar vs Kurt Angle for the WWE Championship is actually WWE’s best.

There are certainly parallels between the two shows, but it must be said that WrestleMania 19 has a more consistent card and some incredible matches, not to mention a great atmosphere, putting WWE firmly into the Ruthless Aggression Era.

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WrestleMania 19 Started Off With An Exciting Cruiserweight Championship Match

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WrestleMania 19 began with Matt Hardy defending the Cruiserweight Championship against Rey Mysterio in a super fun match which was fast-paced, full of excitement, and one of the most perfect openings to a WrestleMania card. An opening match should be all about getting fans pumped up and excited, and this was a great way to do that. The following bout was the show’s only poor match, as The Undertaker took on A-Train and Big Show in a handicap match. The action itself was fine, but it didn’t come close to many of Undertaker’s other matches. At least he had a very memorable entrance though!

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Next up was one of the best women’s matches in WrestleMania history prior to the women’s revolution in the mid 2010s, as Trish Stratus took on Jazz and Victoria in a strong match that for once didn’t make the women’s division look like afterthoughts and weak. A triple threat tag team match for the WWE Tag Team Championships was up next, which was a great and exciting encounter. Sure, it may not have been at the level of the TLC matches at WrestleMania in the match, but it was still exciting, chaotic, and got several talented names on the card. The first portion of WrestleMania 19 was arguably on par with WrestleMania 17 overall.

WrestleMania 19 Was Main Evented By Brock Lesnar And Kurt Angle

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• WrestleMania 19 had some of WrestleMania’s most memorable matches
• Steve Austin & The Rock completed their story at this show
• Brock Lesnar won the WWE Championship in the main event

WrestleMania 19 really kicked into gear with Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho, which is one of the most beautifully wrestled matches in WWE history, and is one that should always be in the conversation for best WrestleMania matches ever. It was a wonderful match with technical brilliance, a lot of story, and a post-match turn that shocked everyone and made Jericho look great, even in defeat. WWE followed up with a match which is perhaps the biggest question mark if you’re going to call this the best show of all time, and that was Triple H vs. Booker T. The match itself was strong, but the finish and choice of winner was a major mistake, robbing fans of a great crowning moment. Everything from there continued the good form of WrestleMania 19.

Hulk Hogan vs. Vince McMahon was a wonderfully chaotic car crash of a match, which was the definition of sports entertainment. It was bloody, brutal, and it made the best use of a version of Hulk Hogan who wasn’t necessarily all that good anymore. McMahon and Hogan, for two older individuals, had a memorable match that was a lot of fun. The Rock and Steve Austin followed this up by completing their WrestleMania trilogy with yet another fantastic match showcasing their chemistry and making the most out of their rich history together. This would be Austin’s last match for 19 years, and it was a wonderful way to bow out. Both of these men felt larger than life going into this one, and the crowd ate everything up.

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The main event was a hugely important match, as it firmly ushered in a new era of WWE. The company was already one foot into the Ruthless Aggression Era, but the main event between Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle really helped WWE put both feet in and exit the Attitude Era in the best way possible. Lesnar and Angle showcased their great chemistry once again with a great wrestling match full of big moves and moments. Lesnar’s iconic Shooting Star Press botch elevated the match, and seeing the younger star emerge victorious in the main event of the biggest show was a wonderful way to close out the night.

WrestleMania 19 Is WWE’s Best Pay-Per-View Show Ever

Stars Like Hulk Hogan, Triple H, Chris Jericho, And Shawn Michaels Had Matches

WrestleMania 19 is a show that may not have had matches as breathtaking as some other events, but when it comes to consistent quality all throughout the event, nothing WWE has produced has come close. WrestleMania 17 might’ve had higher highs but it also had lower lows, as 19 just had an extra dose of spectacle and grandeur, with that being due to the setting, production, and more.

The star power was off the charts with names like Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, The Rock, Brock Lesnar, The Undertaker, Kurt Angle, Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho, Triple H, and more, and the match quality was mostly great too. The show flowed very well, it had good pacing, and it felt more and more stacked as the night went on. It may certainly be a controversial view to some fans, but WrestleMania 19 is the best WWE PPV ever.