Published 18:28 IST, June 9th 2020
Jim Ross reveals Vince McMahon forget to book Undertaker vs Triple H for WrestleMania 17
The iconic match between Undertaker and Triple H almost didn’t happen because WWE CEO Vince McMahon forgot to put their names on the WrestleMania 17 match card.
The Undertaker and Triple H faced each other in a thrilling encounter at WrestleMania 17 which 'The Phenom' ended up winning to extend his iconic WrestleMania streak. However, the iconic match almost didn’t go through because WWE CEO Vince McMahon forgot to put Undertaker vs Triple H on the WrestleMania 17 match card until the last minute. While speaking on his Grilling JR podcast, Hall of Famer Jim Ross revealed that Vince McMahon added the Undertaker vs Triple H match to the card after he pinpointed the mistake to the WWE CEO.
"I was trying to manage the entire roster, so I look at the card and I say, 'Well, it's a hell of a card, Vince, but we got two guys that aren’t booked that need to be booked.' 'Who?' 'Undertaker and Triple H.' 'Oh goddamn. They both deserve to be at WrestleMania'."
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Jim Ross said that the creative team at WWE made the card and presented it to Vince McMahon, which he was set to approve. Jim Ross revealed that Vince McMahon was very busy in the WrestleMania preparations, which is why he was not able to see the mistake. Jim Ross added that he admired the way McMahon handled the entire situation. He did not waste time and began rectifying the problem, the Hall of Famer recalled.
Jim Ross said that both Undertaker and Triple H worked hard for their feud, which is why Vince McMahon happily included them in the match card. "They worked their a** off, they've been great soldiers, they've been great team-mates, they've done great. So they got booked," said Jim Ross. According to reports, Vince McMahon also included the match on the card because the Undertaker vs Triple H bout was bound to attract a huge crowd.
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WrestleMania 17 throwback
WrestleMania 17 was universally loved by both fans and critics. The main event saw The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin go at it, which received 10 out of 10 stars from several wrestling critics. The TLC match between The Hardy Boyz, Edge and Christian, and The Dudley Boyz also received a perfect rating. Apart from these iconic matchups, Undertaker vs Triple H and Kurt Angle vs Chris Benoit were also hailed by critics. The PPV was so incredible that it was awarded “Best Major Show for 2001” by Dave Meltzer’s WON.
Updated 18:28 IST, June 9th 2020