Intro:
WrestleMania XIV was held on March 29, 1998, at the Fleet Center in Boston, MA. The main event featured special enforcer Mike Tyson outside the ring for the Shawn Michaels vs Steve Austin battle. This was Mike Tyson’s first PPV event since biting Evander Holyfield’s ears a few months earlier.
Bret and Shawn:
Several months earlier, Shawn won the world title in the infamous Montreal Screwjob. Shawn’s time at the top didn’t last long due to a back injury he suffered at The Royal Rumble when he landed improperly on The Undertaker’s coffin. After suffering the back injury in January, he didn’t wrestle until this match and this would be Shawn’s last match for over four years.
Mike Tyson:
A few months earlier, Mike bit pieces of Evander Holyfield’s ear. The segments featuring Mike on RAW helped turn the tide of the battle against WCW. In these segments, Mike made it appear that he was going to align with Shawn Michaels. A few days prior to the event, at a big outdoor event in Boston to promote the event, Mike Tyson humiliated Austin.
The Match:
Shawn Michaels fought a courageous match. His back pain was very noticeable during the match but he fought through it. The match ended with Steve Austin winning the match. Afterwards, Mike Tyson took off his D-X (Shawn Michael’s group) shirt to reveal a Steve Austin shirt. When Shawn confronted Tyson about this, he knocked out Shawn with a right to the face.
A Strange Sibling Rivalry:
For almost a year, Paul Bearer had been threatening The Undertaker with a secret. It turned out that Kane and The Undertaker were half brothers (Paul Bearer was Kane’s dad) and The Undertaker had accidentally killed his parents by starting a fire. Kane was severely burned and had to wear a mask and was unable to talk. It appeared that the brother’s had made peace with each other until Kane burned The Undertaker alive in the same coffin that derailed Shawn Michael’s career.
Kane vs The Undertaker:
This match is most known for what happened prior to it. Pete Rose, as ring announcer, started insulting the Boston sports fans. Kane came to the ring and gave Pete the tombstone. For the next two WrestleMania’s, these two had similar encounters. The match between brothers was won by The Undertaker. These two would go on to become friends and enemies seemingly a dozen of times and this feud has been on and off again for almost a decade.
The Aftermath:
With the notoriety the Tyson appearance gave them and the new tone of the product, the WWF would take the lead in The Monday Night Wars. With Shawn Michaels gone, Austin’s nemesis became Vince McMahon, the other man involved in the Montreal Screwjob. Shawn’s D-X group would go onto great things with new leader Triple H. With the Rocky Maiva gimmick a distant memory, The Rock was soon to become a main eventer.
Random Facts:
- This is the first WrestleMania to feature the scratch logo which must be blurred out due to the settlement with the World Wildlife Fund.
- This is the only WrestleMania that is not available on DVD without the blurred out logo.
- Shawn Michaels would make his next WrestleMania wrestling appearance at WrestleMania XIX. He would return to the ring at SummerSlam 2002.
Match Results:
- Tag Team Battle Royal: LOD 200 won last eliminating The New Midnight Express
- Light heavyweight title: Champ Taka Michinoku beat Aguila
- European Title: Champ Triple H beat Owen Hart. Chyna & Sgt. Slaughter were handcuffed together out side the ring.
- Marc Mero & Sable beat Goldust & Luna
- I-C Title: Champ The Rock beat Ken Shamrock by reverse decision when Ken Shamrock refused to break the ankle lock after the match
- Dumpster Match for Tag Team Title: Cactus Jack & Terry Funk beat champs Billy Gunn & Jesse James. The title was later held up because they weren't thrown in the proper dumpster.
- The Undertaker beat Kane
- WWF Title: Steve Austin beat Shawn Michaels to win the title. Mike Tyson was special enforcer outside the ring.
