Thanks to former WWE creative team member Seth Mates for sharing some thoughts on the tenth anniversary of one of the most memorable WrestleManias of all time: 2002’s WrestleMania X8 (during the time period I personally feel the WWF jumped the shark, although Seth and I will have THAT debate in the future)…
Make sure to follow Seth on Twitter where he’ll be live-tweeting tonight’s big event: @SethMates. Of course, do this simultaneously while you follow OUR live updates as well!
I worked backstage at WrestleMania X8 doing live stories for WWF.com (wasn’t WWE for another month) and compiling information for WWE and Raw Magazine articles. For the 10th anniversary of the show, Inside Pulse asked me to compile 10 quick, random memories from that day:
1. Interviewing Stone Cold Steve Austin early in the day — We were working on a special issue of WWE Magazine on the Undertaker and I asked Steve for some comments. He was happy to share, and I thanked him and asked if he’d be available after his match for our usual WWF.com write-up. He said sure.
2. Not interviewing Stone Cold Steve Austin later in the day — Approached him after the Hall match and he said he’d rather not talk.
3. Watching Rock-Hogan with Shane McMahon (then my boss) on the arena floor — We were directly to the left of the stage (if you’re looking at it from the ring) and both of us were marking out from the sheer marvel of it all.
4. Ken Shamrock watching backstage with the boys — he had the coolest sideburns ever.
5. Interviewing Lita after her match — If memory serves, it was the match right after Rock-Hogan, so the crowd was burned out and all Lita heard was a few idiots in the front row calling her a really disgusting name. So the whole interview was her complaining about those fans. Never made it to the site.
6. Watching HHH practice the Pedigree on Steph on crash pads early in the day — was Jericho even in this match?
7. RVD wins the IC Title — and then not another IC Title match at WrestleMania for seven years. And then three more years after that.
8. Arn Anderson asking me early in the day to get him a WrestleMania shirt — which I did, and it’s the one he wears for his run-in during Flair-Taker.
9. Interviewing Taker after he went 10-0 — and thinking, “Wow, that’s a pretty impressive streak.”
10. Interviewing Rock right after he fought Hogan — Not a humblebrag my friends … this one is a straight-out brag.
Enjoy the show!
Seth Mates can be found on Twitter, offering up a mix of memories from his time at WWF.com and working on the creative team, as well as thoughts on the current product. Follow him @SethMates.
