9 Ups & 2 Downs From WWE WrestleMania X-Seven

1. Going On Last

Stone Cold Steve Austin's heel turn wasn't included in the Downs for this article because - within the context of the time, at least - it appeared welcome. 'The Rattlesnake' later admitted himself that he wished he'd called an audible and swerved on new ally Vince McMahon, but then with hindsight the entire industry would be unrecognisable from how it looks today.

With that accounted for, to the rest of the match - a glorious, grizzly, end-of-a-generation match. This, more than some of the most spectacular feasts of action on the card, was the biggest love letter to the industry that birthed it. Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock were - more than any of the many that filled the card to bursting - the living breathing embodiments of the wildest era in company history, their talents underpinning their main event runs more than others that relied on smoke and mirrors.

They weren't concerned about popping the boys because they'd become men. Austin had reversed a nosedive and to rocketstrap the entire organisation, but Rock wasn't content to just be a co-pilot. Such incredible shared equity at the top of the card was the stuff Vince McMahon could ordinarily only dream of, but when he did make it a reality, WrestleMania X-Seven was the only stage big enough. By siding with the Boss after years of fighting his good fight, Austin's character came painfully full circle just as the organisation began a gentle climbdown from its apex.