Pre-show The event was marked with a
Rage Party the preceding evening at the
Pennsylvania Convention Center, playing on the tagline of the event, much like
Fan Axess that would come in later years. It included music from
Isaac Hayes,
Big Pun, and the
Cherry Poppin' Daddies. During the
Sunday Night Heat pre-show,
Jacqueline pinned
Ivory after a back suplex. After the match,
Terri Runnels burned her cigar into Ivory's cheek. The second
Heat match saw a 21-man battle royal match with the last two competitors becoming a tag team for the evening to face the Tag Team Championship holders. In the event,
D'Lo Brown and
Test were the last two, still fighting without realizing the match was over when
Droz and
The Godfather eliminated each other.
Preliminary matches The inaugural WrestleMania Hardcore Championship match began with Al Snow striking Billy Gunn as he tried to make a
pre-match speech. With Gunn in the corner, Snow fought with Hardcore Holly outside the ring, wrapping his neck in cable but, after some fighting from Gunn, Holly was able to
suplex Snow. After Gunn again interjected himself, Snow was able to go underneath the mat to find some weapons including a
Philadelphia Flyers hockey stick much to the delight of the crowd. The match ended when Gunn put Snow through a table in the corner, originally intended for Gunn and then used the
Fameasser on Snow, driving him into a chair on the mat. As the referee counted, Holly struck Gunn with a weapon, quickly covering Snow to steal his second championship reign. had his third WrestleMania
WWF Tag Team Championship match The Brawl For All match began with the two meetings in the middle, Gunn running into some blows from Butterbean. The two traded punches, neither man managing to contact properly until Butterbean shook Gunn with a left-hand jab followed by a right hook which stunned Gunn allowing Bean to corner him, giving him another right hook which knocked him down. Gunn immediately came back upon his knees but took advantage of the eight seconds before standing up fully. As the fight resumed, Butterbean jabbed Gunn to the body and followed with a clean overhand right which sent Gunn back to the canvas, giving Butterbean a victory via knockout. This was followed with an appearance from
the San Diego Chicken, who mocked special referee
Vinny Pazienza and was punched to the floor for it. This was in hopes of setting up an angle between Williams and Gunn, and to continue building Williams as a credible midcarder. However, because of Gunn being released, their feud instead carried over to
All Japan Pro Wrestling in the early 2000s, where in Japan the Brawl For All was better received. Next up was the match between
Mankind and the
Big Show, where the winner would earn the right to officiate the WWF Championship match later in the evening. As Mankind entered the ring he was immediately
headbutted out, but as Big Show followed him out, Mankind slammed Show's head into the steel steps. He then tried a
double-armed DDT into the steps but was shoved over the steps falling backward. Show dominated Mankind in the ring afterward, using his sheer size to punch and throw Mankind, with Mankind eventually being tied up in the ropes, which allowed him to back body drop Show out of the ring. Mankind then took out Mr. Socko, a smelly gym sock, and stuffed the foul-smelling sock into the Big Show's mouth with the
mandible claw three times. The third claw came with a
low blow, for which Mankind was not disqualified. When Show stood back up, he had Mankind on his back with the sock in his mouth and jumped backward so that his entire body landed on Mankind, breaking up the hold. As the two recovered, Show kicked his opponent out of the ring, grabbing a steel chair and thrusting it into Mankind's chest then hitting it over his back. Big Show threw that chair and another in the ring, setting them both in seated positions and
Show Stopping Mankind through the middle of them. At this point
Earl Hebner finally decided to disqualify Big Show, with Show taking out his anger by attacking Mankind more with the chair. Mr. McMahon made his way to the ring afterward, berating Big Show for risking the WWF Championship match at which point Show grabbed him by the throat. He then thought better of it and released him, only to be met with another tirade from McMahon and a slap, causing Show to punch McMahon and knock him out. Triple H also tried to ambush Kane by coming through the crowd while all eyes were on the stage entrance, hitting Kane out of the ring and then throwing him into the ring post and whipping him into the steel steps. Kane then picked Triple H up and straddled him on the crowd barrier, pushing him into the
Mean Street Posse who were at ringside, picking him up again to ram his back into the steel post three times. Back inside the ring, Kane dominated Helmsley with his rough fighting style, using his foot to choke Triple H and knocking him down with clotheslines and punches until Triple H gained momentum from a reversal, smashing Kane's face into his knee. Kane was allowed time to recover when Triple H was distracted by Chyna coming to ringside. Triple H tried to
Pedigree Kane as he stood up, but failed while Chyna pushed the steel steps into the ring. Kane picked them up and ran into Triple H, who used the turnbuckle to swing his feet up and kicked them back into Kane, causing Kane to stagger backward and drop them before smashing his face into the steps from a
drop toe-hold. Triple H then clotheslined Kane out of the ring, following himself and attempting to Pedigree Kane on the steps but was
backbody dropped. When they made it back into the ring, Kane chokeslammed Triple H while Chyna entered the ring with a steel chair, telling Kane she wanted to attack Triple H, but as Kane turned, Chyna hit him with the chair, causing him to corner her but again was hit with the chair, this time by Triple H, who followed it up with a Pedigree onto the chair. Chyna and Triple H celebrated the reunion of D-Generation X afterward. suffered at the hands of myriad
run-ins in his match The Women's Championship match began with Tori taking her time to enter the ring, Sable grabbing her hair when she finally did and tossing her back out. Tori regrouped outside and pulled Sable out by her legs, ramming her face into the apron and the barricade. She was whipped into the barrier herself and as she recovered, Sable performed a
crossbody from the outside apron. Sable continuously assaulted Tori while down on the mat, but Tori delivered two vicious clotheslines to the corner on Sable, then attempted a
sunset flip pin which began a series of pinning reversals ending in a stalemate. Afterward Tori tried a running attack on Sable but took out referee Jimmy Korderas unwittingly. Sable then tried to perform her
Sable Bomb but Tori jumped out of it. As she tried to perform her own powerbomb, a muscled woman, later identified as
Nicole Bass, came into the ring to
gorilla press slam Tori. This allowed Sable to Sable Bomb Tori and pin her to retain the championship. Before X-Pac could make his way to the ring,
Pat Patterson and
Gerald Brisco attacked him from behind. This ambush backfired, however, as X-Pac easily overcame them before running into the ring, with Shane McMahon fleeing. Shane eventually made his way to the ring and was punched into the corner, escaping a
Bronco Buster when Test pulled him out of the ring. Shane tried to escape once again, but X-Pac chased him and threw him back into the ring, only to be struck down by Test and then have his crotch rammed into the ring post. When he returned to the ring, Shane
scoop slammed him and attempted a
Corporate Elbow, with X-Pac sitting up just before the end, but he was brought back down with a low blow as referee
Mike Chioda was distracted by Test. Shane continued to push the disqualification boundaries by whipping X-Pac with his belt several times before being back body dropped out of the ring, recovering only to be met with a flying crossbody. The Mean Street Posse tried to restrain X-Pac, but he fought back only to be floored by Test. After a superplex, the attempted pinfall was broken up by Test, causing referee Mike Chioda to eject him from ringside. X-Pac then whipped McMahon with the belt before roundhouse kicking him into the corner and performing the Bronco Buster. When Chioda checked on McMahon afterward, Test struck X-Pac with the championship belt, but by the time McMahon covered him he managed to kick out. Test tried to interfere once again, but took a Bronco Buster too. Triple H and Chyna then came to the ring to pull Test out. But as McMahon was floored by an
X-Factor, Chyna distracted the referee to allow Triple H to Pedigree X-Pac and cover him with Shane, turning
heel and allowing Shane to retain the title. The New Age Outlaws ran to the ring and brawled with Triple H and Test until the lights went out and Kane's music began to play. By the time the lights came up, The Corporation had fled the ring. Originally
Mean Street Posse was supposed to face the rest of
DX in a Greenwich Street fight with the match set in the Mean Streets of
Greenwich but the match never aired.
Main event matches The Hell in a Cell match began with Big Boss Man punching The Undertaker into the corner until he ducked out and returned the same. Although Boss Man was able to deliver a
swinging neckbreaker, Undertaker took control again throwing Boss Man into the cell. Boss Man reversed an Irish whip and threw Undertaker into the cell too, handcuffing one hand to the chain fence. Boss Man taunted Undertaker's lack of control before striking him repeatedly with his
night stick causing Undertaker to fall to the floor and rip the handcuffs, though Boss Man carried on using the nightstick and
cut Undertaker open. Undertaker fought back by grabbing Boss Man at the throat and throwing him back into the fence again, striking him with a chair and running Boss Man face-first into the chain fence with a
fireman's carry. As the two returned to the ring Boss Man tried to clothesline Undertaker but he ducked and performed a
leaping flying clothesline of his own before going
Old School, ultimately falling into the ropes. The two began a fistfight in the middle of the ring with Undertaker failing a tombstone piledriver attempt, but successfully performing it seconds later and pinned him afterward. Undertaker stood up and looked to the heavens with his hands upwards, signaling
The Brood to descend onto the roof of the cell. They cut open the roof of the cell and passed through a noose, securing the other end to the top of the cell. The Brood then ascended back into the rafters as Undertaker put the noose around Boss Man's neck, with Paul Bearer causing the Cell to rise and take a hanging Boss Man with it. Over the years, this post-match segment has been seen as highly controversial, and has been subsequently edited off of various home video releases, as well as on
Peacock and
Netflix. After the match, a video package of the
Rage Party was shown while Boss Man was taken down and carried off on a stretcher. and
Stone Cold Steve Austin had a match at WrestleMania XV,
WrestleMania X-Seven and
WrestleMania XIX Before the main event,
Michael Cole announced
Jim Ross returning to call the match. Mr. McMahon then came to the ring to declare himself as the special guest referee, but was instantly confronted by WWF Commissioner
Shawn Michaels, who explained that only the commissioner is entitled to appoint a referee for WrestleMania, ordering McMahon to the back and barring all members of The Corporation from ringside. The main event began with the two wrestlers insulting each other before Austin threw the first punch, The Rock instantly returning. The majority of the early part of the match took place outside the ring, with Austin being choked with a T-shirt before the action spilled into the crowd. When Rock threw Austin back into the ringside area, he choked him with some cable and took him up the entrance ramp, but Austin fought out of his grasp and threw him into the steel barriers, trying to piledrive him but being backbody dropped so that his knee landed onto light support girders. Rock picked up Austin and threw him into the WrestleMania XV sign but Austin reversed and threw Rock into the sign instead, before dragging him back towards the ring and having a suplex reversed on the concrete walkway. Rock then tried to throw Austin back through the crowd at ringside, spitting water in his face, but Austin took control and put him onto the Spanish announce table, performing two elbow drops to break the table and then spat water into Rock's face. Austin threw his opponent into the ring, celebrating to the crowd. But when he entered the ring, Rock sprang up and nailed Austin with a
Rock Bottom, following with an unsuccessful pinfall. This would mark the first time that any competitor had kicked out of the Rock Bottom. The Rock grabbed a chair, but Austin took it from him, Rock blocked the oncoming chair shot by pulling referee Mike Chioda in front of him, who took the chair shot. winning the
WWF Championship Rock then caught Austin by surprise with a swinging neckbreaker, taking the chair and driving it into Austin's back several times. After another pin attempt, with
Tim White now officiating, Austin still kicked out and Rock used a
sitting chin hold to subdue him. After holding him for some time, Austin slowly stood up, elbowing Rock and attempting a running attack but was taken out with a
Samoan drop, which Austin again kicked out of. The Rock took his frustration out on White, Rock Bottoming him, which gave Austin the time to recover and nail the champion with a
Stone Cold Stunner, with
Earl Hebner eventually coming in to officiate but only counting to two before Rock kicked out. Mr. McMahon then came to the ring, distracting Austin while The Rock low-blowed him; the two men kicking away at Austin in the corner and punching Hebner when he tried to stop them. As the two double-teamed Austin, Mankind came running to the ring in his referee's uniform, throwing McMahon straight out the ring and taking over as referee. Austin tried a roll-up pin, following up with a
Lou Thesz Press but Rock soon took the advantage with another Rock Bottom. With Austin in the middle of the ring, The Rock tried the
Corporate Elbow, but Austin moved out of the way at the last second. Rock caught Austin's foot and spun him around, trying to Rock Bottom him again but Austin elbowed him away and delivered a Stunner, finally securing a pinfall and winning the WWF Championship. ==Reception==