World Wrestling Insanity: The Jamie Kennedy Experiment: Five Great Pay-Per-Views

The Jamie Kennedy Experiment: Five Great Pay-Per-Views

By Jamie Kennedy
Nov 15, 2009 - 10:07 AM

Ladies and gentlemen! Hello and welcome to a new concept for the ever-branching JKE articles. We have my dedicated columns that focus on only one solid subject and also my seemingly popular “Mat Mumblings” series that leads to my hotmail in-box filling up more and more with each passing week! (really very much appreciated to be getting any sort of mail outside of my regular “en1arg3 ur peni5!” ones.. A genuine thank you to each and every person who emails. I take great pride in attempting to reply to you all in some form, even if it is just to get a little chatter going about the wonderful world we watch known as pro wrestling!) This week I introduce a new premise for “The Jamie Kennedy Experiment” which shall be brought out of the closet any time the notion hits me or I find something particularly interesting to write about. Top 5's! Really rather simply put, I will choose a category and list my top 5 items within that category while attempting to explain just why they are there! This time out I have chosen Pay-Per-Views, those wonderful big-time-feel events which have in the past raked in so much cash for WWE, WCW and any other wrestling promotions. So without further ado, let's get the ball rolling and we'll see if any of my personal favourites match any of yours.

In no particular order...

WWF Wrestlemania VI - “The Ultimate Challenge!”

To many, this may seem like a strange choice. On paper it certainly appears to be an enjoyable card but upon watching the event, there are no real “5 Star Classics” which jump out at you and become immediately re-watchable. Sure, we all thought for definite that “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan vs. Dino Bravo would be a technical masterpiece and most fans of the time were aching in anticipation of watching their dollars waste away as “Rhythm & Blues” (The Honky Tonk Man & Greg Valentine) performed their latest “hit single” for our very pleasure on PPV. However, there's not really one match on this stacked card which leaps out from a technical wrestling standpoint. The closest we likely get to awesome in-ring action is the relatively short tag fare featuring “The Rockers” battling “The Orient Express”.

So why you ask is this PPV on here if nothing really stands out from a wrestling perspective? It's actually the overall atmosphere of the show which grabs you by the short and curlies and doesn't let go until Hogan is handing his WWF Title belt to the newly crowned champion “The Ultimate Warrior” and the tape stops rolling. The anticipation which is built up over the course of the event for the showdown between “The Hulkster” and “The Warrior” is immense and even announcer Gorilla Monsoon seems to be genuinely excited by it! There is no doubt about it, this one is a special PPV which fully captures 'Golden-era' WWF. Well worth a watch if you're curious as to how tame early 90's WWF action really could be in comparison to some of the wild brawls which would be taking place years later.

WWF Over The Edge 1998

No this is not the event which saw the tragic death of one Owen Hart, this is almost exactly one year prior and watching the show (which Owen wrestles on) and knowing his fate just one calendar year later can send a chill up your spine.

Much like Wrestlemania VI, this PPV doesn't have a great deal of spectacular bouts on it but for me it will always hold a special place. This tape was bought during my own 'Golden era'. The golden era of VHS wrestling tape buying that is, when my grandmother would purchase a WWF videotape of her grandsons choice on many an occasion. Fond, fond memories are recollected of sitting watching the crazy action unfold before my eyes and cheering on “Stone Cold” Steve Austin to defeat Dude Love against all the odds and retain his WWF Title. Shivers were sent up my very spine when Jim Ross declared Austin the “toughest son of a BITCH” he had ever seen and cheers were raised when Steve himself used Vince McMahon's hand to count the 3.

Aside from that main event, it's classic “Attitude” era WWF all the way as DX battle “The Nation” and a young “The Rock” takes one more stride towards superstardom with a suitably charismatic performance. This PPV still gets Mr. Kennedy's adrenaline flowing (No not THAT Mr. Kennedy!).

WWF Wrestlemania XVII

It was always safe to say there would be a few Wrestlemania's on this list but hey, it's not my fault some of them have been absolute classics. It's fair to say that this one is perhaps my very favourite Pay-Per-View of all time and I know I'm far from alone with that statement. Seeing “The Rock” square off with “Stone Cold” with both men in their primes would be worth the price of admission alone but we also get some high-flying, bone-breaking action with the first ever “Tables, Ladders & Chairs” (OH MY!) match and also a dramatic street fight between family members as Vince McMahon faces his own son Shane.

It's not just the quality of the wrestling on display here but nobody does over-the-top drama like WWF/WWE in the wrestling world. Nobody ever has been able to quite match the production levels they have exhibited in the modern era and perhaps no-one ever will be able to. For me personally, this event effectively pulls the curtain down on the “Attitude” era and there is no better way to do it. This writer does not believe he will ever tire of revisiting this tape and getting that old familiar excitement. Further proof that Wrestlemania is the biggest series of events to ever grace this wonderful business.

ECW Barely Legal

What is it with me and events which don't exactly feature stunning wrestling matches!? Where are all the ROH PPV's which have consistently showcased hard-hitting matches choc-a-bloc full of storytelling and passion I hear you sob!? The thing is, all these events I've listed thus far have been notable for more than just matches. The feel or aura surrounding most of them is undeniably special and means they can be watched time and time again to recapture the magic without really being taken aback by any specific bout.

Extreme Championship Wrestling nearly made it. Perhaps they were living on borrowed time since the start and really made it further in the wrestling world than they ever should have but if that is the case, it really just shows you how much drive, determination and love Paul Heyman had for his troops who would literally break bones for the benefit of entertaining the bloodthirsty ECW crowds. Their very first PPV was a landmark occasion for the Philadelphia-based company and looking back on it now – you wonder how the hell they managed to make it to PPV. The production values are average and the action on hand isn't exactly mind-blowing. What makes this a special show is the love and admiration the audience and performers shared alike. They were all really trying and it comes across. This is yet another tape which I can look back on fondly with a smile on my face. A classic example of a group with the right attitude giving a niche market exactly what it wants.

WCW The Great American Bash 1990

If ever I loved a Pay-Per-View for just one match, it was this one. Sting defeating Ric Flair with a small package counter of an attempted Figure-Four Leg Lock will forever be one of my favourite moments on any wrestling Pay-Per-View. The fact is meant he was the new NWA World Heavyweight Champion makes it even better! This bout is legendary in my own mind and I'm sure in the minds of many a wrestling fan. Classic Flair as he begs off, attempts all his dirty tricks and yet still get beat by the better man. I love it.

Couldn't really find much else on this tape which I could watch time and time again but god dammit the main event just makes me happy to be a wrestling fan. The crowd, the performance, the drama. All of this and more run together to make one hell of a professional wrestling experience. I wish this PPV had just been these guys going at it for 3 hours. Now THAT would be something to behold.

There you have it. Obviously I had to really whittle that list down and eliminate quite a few events from it! Sadly some of these shows were also mega-awesome and would deserve a place on a separate list. Please do get in touch with me with your thoughts, I'd be delighted to hear if you agree with any of my favourites and also be thrilled to read some of your own personal best PPV's from down the years. You can reach me at – jamiekennedy@live.com Go on, give me a little message. Even if it is just to berate me or challenge me to a cage match at the next Pay-Per-View.. TAKE IT HOME!