SCOTT HALL VS STEVE AUSTIN

   Before the match, WWF Hardcore Champion, The Hurricane is shown backstage. Jonathan Coachmancatches up with him and asks why he was with Godfather’s escorts. Since when were they called that!? Anyway… The Hurricane doesn’t like what Coach is implying but reiterates that he’s the hardcore champion before Mighty Molly appears. She tells Hurricane they have to go somewhere and blindsides him with a frying pan to the back of the head. Well, we’ve all been there, anyway Mighty Molly pins and wins the Hardcore Championship under the 24/7 rules. JR throws us to the build-up to Steve Austin vs. Scott Hall, beginning of course with the nWo  debuting the previous month. Austin kidnapped Scott Hall, also beating him down in the ring and spray painting 3:16 on Hall’s back after (uncomfortably, in hindsight) the two sharing a beer. Scott Hall did smash a cinder block on Austin’s leg though, so it wasn’t one-sided.

  Steve Austin makes his way out first, JR says he only lost once and that was his legendary submission match at WrestleMania 13. Scott Hall enters with Kevin Nash, and the nWo entrance is always awesome to me. The entranceway at the Toronto Skydome is really long though, so these take a while.

Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler are on commentary for this match. The Fink is our ring announcer.

 

SCOTT HALL VS. STEVE AUSTIN

WWF WrestleMania 18 (17^th March 2002)

 Steve Austin starts the match with right hands and stomps in the corner before Hall can even take his vest off.

  Scott Hall is sent across the ring into a back elbow, then meets the turnbuckle, Steve Austin chops him in the corner and gets cut off with a thumb to the eye. Scott Hall connects with right hands, but the irish whip is reversed. Hall ducks the back elbow but is taken down with the Lou Thesz press, Austin hits the falling elbow drop and they go back to the corner so Austin can send Hall’s head into the top turnbuckle as the fans chant “What?” Steve Austin flips the bird at the referee and sends Hall off the ropes. Scott Hall takes a breather outside to take his jacket off as Steve Austin runs around ringside to knock down Nash. Scott Hall is sent into the announce table before Austin connects with more chops. Steve Austin sends Hall into the ring steps then brings it back in the ring. Scott Hall is sent off the ring but Austin ducks too early, Hall kicks him and knocks Austin down with a clothesline for a nearfall.

  Scott Hall keeps Austin on the ground with boots and shoves him across the ring. Scott Hall hits an overhand chop and a knife edge one for good measure in the corner as JR’s telling us Kevin Nash removed a turnbuckle pad off-camera. Steve Austin switches positions with Hall and connects with right hands, along with more “What?” chants. Scott Hall reverses an irish whip sending Austin into the exposed turnbuckle, Scott Hall shoves Austin out of the ring and keeps the referee occupied as Kevin Nash connects with some right hands on the floor. Scott Hall gets in a shot of his own before bringing it back to the ring. Scott Hall sends Austin from corner to corner and follows him with clotheslines before lifting Austin for the Fallaway Slam, Scott Hall covers but Austin kicks out at 2. Steve Austin is sent across the ring, he counters a hip toss but Scott Hall blocks his attempt also and knocks Austin down with a clothesline. Scott Hall covers 1, 2, no! Kevin Nash ells the referee that it was 3 from ringside, but he doesn’t change his mind. Scott Hall chokes Austin over the middle rope, giving a chance for Nash to get another cheap shot in from the floor as he takes the warning.

  Scott Hall stomps on Austin for as long as he can get away with and draws the referee away for another nearfall as JR is calling bullshit on commentary. Steve Austin reverses an irish whip and catches Hall with a spinebuster leading to a double-down. Austin’s legs have turned to jelly, but he gets to his feet so Scott Hall can pepper him with right hands. Scott Hall backs into the ropes for a run-up and is caught with a Stunner. Austin slowly covers but Kevin Nash runs around ringside and drags the referee out of the ring at 2. Kevin Nash knocks the referee down and JR is really losing his shit. Nash almost falls getting into the ring, but he knocks Austin down with right hands and tells Scott to get a chair. Nash was holding Austin for too long, Steve Austin cuts off Hall with a chair and mule kicks his way free from Nash. Stunner to Hall! Stunner to Nash! JR getting confused with excitement!

  Steve Austin covers but there’s no referee. Jack Doan sprints down to the ring and starts counting as Austin has a visual 6 COUNT! But Kevin Nash flattens him with an elbow drop. Steve Austin clotheslines Nash out of the ring, Scott Hall sets up the Hall’s Edge but is follows Nash over to the floor. A group of referees including Teddy Long come out to the ring to eject Kevin Nash, where the fuck were they 2 ref bumps ago? Anyway, Austin connects with right hands before sending Hall into the ring, Scott Hall blocks the Stone Cold Stunner and sends Austin into the corner with the exposed turnbuckle. Scott Hall hits the Stunner and covers, Tim White crawls over slowly and starts to count but Stone Cold kicks out. Scott Hall goes for another Stunner but Austin sends him into the exposed turnbuckle.

  Steve Austin hits two “WrestleMania Stunners” (as called by Jim Ross) for the win

WINNER: STEVE AUSTIN

This was a solid effort and the crowd were into everything Stone Cold did. Jim Ross repeatedly calling it a “handicap match” got old quickly, we got the point pretty early. There were a couple of clunky moments and the Stone Cold vs. The Rock trilogy means it’s it’s fighting for a top 5 Austin WrestleMania matches out of 8, but it was still decent. [**½] 5/10