What an up and down year 2003 was on PPV (and TV too for that matter, but that’s not what I’m discussing here lol). Half of it was awesome. The other half, dreadful. SD = awesome. Raw = ARRGGGHHHH.
PPV Wrestler of the Year
A difficult decision this time around. 00, 01 and 02 all had that ONE GUY who absolutely dominated the top 10 matches list. This time around it is FAR more varied, which makes for interesting viewing. Just look at the list of guys who make up the top 10 matches:
Angle
Cena
Undertaker
Big Show
Eddie
Benoit
Lesnar
Jericho
HBK
Rock
Austin
Rhyno
Tajiri
A who’s who of wrestling in terms of “big names”, plus an appearence from Tajiri who absolutely deserves to be right up there with the best of the best and Rhyno who, while underrated a great deal, was definitely more of a surprise than anything but certainly a welcome one.
Narrowing it down to who was involved in the most matches out of the top 10, both Angle and Lesnar tied at 3 each, with 2 of the matches being against each other. So, to try and seperate them, I ignored those matches and looked at the remaining match for each of them against different opponents. Angle had the NM match with Cena, and Lesnar the NM match with Undertaker, and the Undertaker match is just ahead of the Cena match for me so I’m naming LESNAR the PPV Wrestler of the Year! Not only does he have those 3 top 10 matches, but he was the winner of the RR as well as having a fun match with Show on the same PPV, then a GREAT stretcher match with Show at JD too. But it was close!
PPV Match of the Year
Steve Austin Vs The Rock from WrestleMania 19 gets the nod for me. My favourite match between the two (and their best imo, beating out WM 17), which such a great story to it, and wonderful performences from both men, especially THE ROCK who was the driving force behind it being so good, which places it as Rock’s #1 performence ever for me and also his greatest match. Overall though, the top 10 features some really great matches, BUT is a step down from the last 3 years. 00, 01 and 02 have a much stronger top 10 list, with all 3 years having a couple of matches at ****3/4 and/or *****, something 2003 failed to achieve. Honestly, I blame RAW 
. If Raw hasn’t have been so damn awful outside of a couple of matches, maybe 03 would have produced some better quality shit!
PPV of the Year
Since I’d already done my RR and WM reviews before starting this yearly PPV project, the PPV of the Year was set in stone a long time ago, and it didn’t get dethroned! WrestleMania 19, at a wopping 29.5 on the CAL SCALE is the clear #1 PPV of the year, and so far the #1 PPV of all time! Doubt it is going to be beaten either, certainly not by WWE, anyway.
As for other PPV’s in 2003, there is a clear trend of SD only PPV’s = GREAT, Raw PPV’s = AWFUL, and Dual Branded PPV’s = in the middle. Raw gave us the current BOTTOM TWO PPV’s of all time with Insurrextion and Unforgiven, both being in the MINUS points on the CAL SCALE. SD gave us the #2 and #3 PPV’s of the year with Vengeance and No Mercy, with Vengeance placing currently in the top 5 PPV’s of all time list.
Overall, 2003 on PPV was a big step down from previous years, all thanks to the Raw side of things dragging everything down.
2003 PPV’s on the CAL SCALE:
WrestleMania XIX – 29.5
Vengeance – 23.5
No Mercy – 21.5
SummerSlam – 17
Armageddon – 10
Royal Rumble – 7.5
Judgment Day – 5
Survivor Series – 5
Backlash – 5
No Way Out – 4
Bad Blood – 1
Insurrextion – -0.5
Unforgiven – -1
Total – 127.5
2003 PPV compared to 2000, 2001 and 2002:
The Image is too large to fit so here is a link to it instead 🙂
2003 PPV Matches Ranked:
The Dudley Boys Vs Rodney Mack & Christopher Nowinski – NO – -1 (Bad Blood)
Scott Steiner Vs Test – NO – -1 (Bad Blood)
Christian Vs Booker T – NO – -1 (Bad Blood)
La Resistance Vs RVD & Kane – NO – -1 (Bad Blood)
Molly Holly Vs Ivory – NO – -1 (Armageddon)
Lita Vs Molly Holly – NO – -1 (Survivor Series)
Dawn Marie Vs Torrie Wilson – NO – -1 (Royal Rumble)
Test Vs Scott Steiner – NO – -1 (Unforgiven)
Gail Kim & Molly Holly Vs Trish Stratus & Lita – NO – -1 (Unforgiven)
The Coach & Al Snow Vs Jerry Lawler & Jim Ross – NO – -1 (Unforgiven)
Trish Stratus Vs Jacqueline Vs Victoria Vs Jazz – NO – -1 (Judgment Day)
Mr America Vs Roddy Piper – NO – -1 (Judgment Day)
Test & Scott Steiner Vs La Resistance – NO – -1 (Judgment Day)
Trish Stratus Vs Jazz – NO – -1 (Insurrextion)
Test Vs Scott Steiner – NO – -1 (Insurrextion)
Jazz Vs Trish Stratus – NO – -1 (Backlash)
Steve Austin Vs Eric Bischoff – NO – -1 (No Way Out)
Hulk Hogan Vs The Rock – DUD – 0 (No Way Out)
Maven Vs Matt Hardy – DUD – 0 (Armageddon)
Triple H Vs Scott Steiner – DUD – 0 (No Way Out)
Triple H Vs Goldberg – DUD – 0 (Unforgiven)
The Dudley Boys Vs La Resistance – DUD – 0 (SummerSlam)
Triple H Vs Scott Steiner – DUD – 0 (Royal Rumble)
The Basham Brothers Vs Los Guerreros – 1/4* – 0 (Survivor Series)
Christian Vs RVD Vs Chris Jericho – 1/4* – 0 (Unforgiven)
Triple H Vs Kevin Nash – 1/4* – 0 (Judgment Day)
Kane Vs Rob Van Dam – 1/4* – 0 (SummerSlam)
Kurt Angle, Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Hass Vs Brock Lesnar & Chris Benoit – 1/4* – 0 (No Way Out)
The Dudley Boys Vs Christopher Nowenski, Rodney Mack & Teddy Long – 1/2* – 0 (Insurrextion)
Goldberg Vs Triple H – 1/2* – 0 (Survivor Series)
Vince McMahon Vs Hulk Hogan – 1/2* – 0 (WrestleMania XIX)
Shane McMahon Vs Kane – 1/2* – 0 (Survivor Series)
Shane McMahon Vs Eric Bischoff – * – 0 (SummerSlam)
The Rock Vs Goldberg – * – 0 (Backlash)
Christian Vs Booker T – * – 0 (Insurrextion)
Billy Kidman Vs Matt Hardy – * – 0 (No Way Out)
Chris Jericho Vs Jeff Hardy – * – 0 (No Way Out)
Shawn Michaels Vs Randy Orton – * – 0 (Unforgiven)
Shawn Michaels, Kevin Nash & Booker T Vs Triple H, Ric Flair & Chris Jericho – * – 0 (Backlash)
Kane & RVD Vs The Dudley Boys – * – 0 (Backlash)
Chris Jericho Vs Goldberg – * – 0 (Bad Blood)
Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, John Cena, Bradshaw & Harcore Holly Vs Brock Lesnar, The Big Show, A-Train, Nathan Jones & Matt Morgan – * – 0 (Survivor Series)
Torrie Wilson Vs Sable – * – 0 (Judgment Day)
La Resistance Vs The Hurricane & Rosey Vs Lance Cade & Mark Jindrak Vs Val Venis & Lance Storm Vs The Dudley Boys Vs Scott Steiner & Test Vs Batista & Ric Flair – * – 0 (Armageddon)
Kane Vs Shane McMahon – *1/4 – 0 (Unforgiven)
Kane & RVD Vs L Resistance – *1/2 – 0.5 (Insurrextion)
Triple H Vs Kevin Nash – *1/2 – 0.5 (Insurrextion)
Rikishi Vs Sean O’Haire – ** – 0.5 (Backlash)
Vince McMahon Vs Zach Gowen – ** – 0/5 (Vengeance)
Brock Lesnar Vs John Cena – ** – 0.5 (Backlash)
The Dudley Boys Vs William Regal & Lance Storm – ** – 0.5 (Royal Rumble)
Victoria Vs Trish Stratus Vs Jazz – ** – 0.5 (WrestleMania XIX)
Zack Gowen Vs Matt Hardy – ** – 0.5 (No Mercy)
Rico Vs Goldust – **1/4 – 1 (Insurrextion)
Goldberg Vs Kane Vs Triple H – **1/2 – 1 (Armageddon)
John Cena & The FBI Vs Chris Benoit, Rhyno & Spanky – **1/2 – 1 (Judgment Day)
Vince McMahon Vs Stephanie McMahon – **1/2 – 1 (No Mercy)
Rob Van Dam & Kane Vs William Regal & Lance Storm – **1/2 – 1 (No Way Out)
APA Vs The Basham Brothers – **1/2 – 1 (No Mercy)
Billy Gunn Vs Jamie Noble – **1/2 – 1 (Vengeance)
Sable Vs Stephanie McMahon – **1/2 – 1 (Vengeance)
The Big Show Vs Rey Mysterio – **3/4 – 1 (Backlash)
The Undertaker Vs The Big Show & A-Train – **3/4 – 1 (WrestleMania XIX)
Chris Jericho Vs Christian Vs Booker T Vs Val Venis Vs Goldust Vs Lance Storm Vs RVD Vs Kane Vs Test – *** – 2 (Judgment Day)
The Dudley Boys Vs La Resistance – *** – 2 (Unforgiven)
Ric Flair Vs Shawn Michaels – *** – 2 (Bad Blood)
Bradshaw Vs Farooq Vs Shannon Moore Vs Doink the Clown Vs Brother Love Vs Nunzio Vs Matt Hardy Vs Chris Kanyon Vs Danny Basham Vs Doug Basham Vs The Easter Bunny Vs Sean O’Haire Vs John Hennigan Vs Orlando Jordan Vs Funaki Vs Los Conquistadores Vs The Brooklyn Brawler Vs Johnny Stamboli Vs Chuck Palumbo Vs Matt Cappotelli Vs Spanky – *** – 2 (Vengeance)
The Undertaker Vs Vince McMahon – *** – 2 (Survivor Series)
Chris Jericho & Christian Vs Trish Stratus & Lita – *** – 2 (Armageddon)
The Undertaker Vs A-Train – *** – 2 (SummerSlam)
The Big Show Vs Brock Lesnar – *** – 2 (Royal Rumble)
Mark Henry Vs Booker T – ***1/4 – 2 (Armageddon)
Shawn Michaels Vs Batista – ***1/4 – 2 (Armageddon)
Chris Benoit Vs Kurt Angle – ***1/4 – 2 (Royal Rumble)
Team Angle Vs Eddie Guerrero & Tajiri – ***1/4 – 2 (Judgment Day)
Matt Hardy Vs Rey Mysterio – ***1/2 – 3 (WrestleMania XIX)
Brock Lesnar Vs The Big Show – ***1/2 – 3 (Judgment Day)
Triple H Vs Randy Orton Vs Goldberg Vs Shawn Michaels Vs Kevin Nash Vs Chris Jericho – ***1/2 – 3 (SummerSlam)
Triple H Vs Kevin Nash – ***1/2 – 3 (Bad Blood)
Eddie Guerrero Vs The Big Show – ***1/2 – 3 (No Mercy)
A-Train Vs Chris Benoit – ***1/2 – 3 (No Mercy)
30 Man Royal Rumble Match – ***3/4 – 4 (Royal Rumble)
Rey Mysterio & Billy Kidman Vs The World’s Greatest Tag Team – ***3/4 – 4 (Vengeance)
Shawn Michaels, Booker T, RVD & The Dudley Boys Vs Mark Henry, Randy Orton, Christian, Chris Jericho & Scott Steiner – ***3/4 – 4 (Survivor Series)
RVD Vs Randy Orton – ***3/4 – 4 (Armageddon)
Team Angle Vs Los Guerreros Vs Rhyno & Chris Benoit – ***3/4 – 4 (WrestleMania XIX)
Team Angle Vs Los Guerreros – ***3/4 – 4 (Backlash)
Triple H Vs Booker T – ***3/4 – 4 (WrestleMania XIX)
Brock Lesnar Vs Kurt Angle Vs The Big Show – ***3/4 – 4 (Vengeance)
Tajiri Vs Rey Mysterio – ***3/4 – 4 (No Mercy)
Kurt Angle Vs John Cena – ***3/4 – 4 (No Mercy)
The Undertaker Vs The Big Show – ***3/4 – 4 (No Way Out)
Kurt Angle Vs Brock Lesnar – **** – 5 (WrestleMania XIX)
Eddie Guerrero Vs Chris Benoit Vs Rhyno Vs Tajiri – **** – 5 (SummerSlam)
Brock Lesnar Vs The Undertaker – **** – 5 (No Mercy)
The Undertaker Vs John Cena – **** – 5 (Vengeance)
Chris Jericho Vs Shawn Michaels – ****1/4 – 6 (WrestleMania XIX)
Eddie Guerrero Vs Chris Benoit – ****1/4 – 6 (Vengeance)
Brock Lesnar Vs Kurt Angle – ****1/2 – 7 (SumerSlam)
The Rock Vs Steve Austin – ****1/2 – 7 (WrestleMania XIX)
Sunday August 31st 2014, we’ll start with 2004 PPV Rambles! The first one up is Armageddon!