WWE WrestleMania XIX (video Game)
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WrestleMania XIX was a 2003
professional wrestling Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to Real life, real- ...
pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program ...
(PPV)
event Event may refer to: Gatherings of people * Ceremony, an event of ritual significance, performed on a special occasion * Convention (meeting), a gathering of individuals engaged in some common interest * Event management, the organization of eve ...
produced by
World Wrestling Entertainment World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
(WWE). It was the 19th annual WrestleMania and took place on March 30, 2003, at
Safeco Field T-Mobile Park is a retractable roof ballpark in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the home stadium of the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball and has a seating capacity of 47,929. It is in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood, near the w ...
in
Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is the List of municipalities in Washington, most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the List of Unit ...
, becoming the first WrestleMania held in the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...
. WrestleMania XIX was the first WrestleMania to be promoted under the WWE name after the promotion was renamed from World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in May 2002, making this the first WrestleMania of the Ruthless Aggression Era. It was also the first WrestleMania to take place after WWE introduced the
brand extension Brand extension or brand stretching is a marketing strategy in which a firm marketing a product with a well-developed image uses the same brand name in a different product category. The new product is called a spin-off. Organizations use this ...
in March 2002, in which the roster was divided beween the Raw and
SmackDown! ''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE. It airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on USA Network in the United ...
brands; the event was held for wrestlers from both. The marquee match from the SmackDown! brand, which was the main event, saw
Brock Lesnar Brock Edward Lesnar ( ; born July 12, 1977) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and former Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist, Amateur wrestling, amateur wrestler and professional American football player. As a ...
win the
WWE Championship The WWE Championship, also referred to as the Undisputed WWE Championship since April 2024, is a men's professional wrestling world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, defended on the SmackDown bran ...
from defending champion
Kurt Angle Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9, 1968) is an American retired professional wrestler and amateur wrestling, amateur wrestler. He first earned recognition for winning a Wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 100 kg, gold me ...
. The marquee match from the Raw brand was the third and final WrestleMania bout between The Rock and
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin Steve Austin (born Steven James Anderson and later Steven James Williams; December 18, 1964), better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American media personality, actor, producer and retired Professional wrestling, profes ...
(after 15 and X-Seven), which The Rock won, marking Austin's final match before his retirement from in-ring performance due to injuries sustained in previous years (although Austin would return for a one-off main event match against
Kevin Owens Kevin Yanick Steen (born May 7, 1984) is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Kevin Owens. As of April 2025, he is on hiatus due to a neck injury. Steen began his ...
19 years later at
WrestleMania 38 WrestleMania 38 was a 2022 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming supercards, event produced by WWE. It was the 38th annual WrestleMania and took place as a two-night event on Saturda ...
). The other primary match from the Raw brand saw
Triple H Paul Michael Levesque (; born July 27, 1969), also known by the ring name Triple H, is an American business executive and former professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he serves as its chief content officer. Levesque began his wres ...
retain the World Heavyweight Championship against
Booker T Booker T or Booker T. may refer to * Booker T. Washington (1856–1915), African American political leader at the turn of the 20th century ** List of things named after Booker T. Washington, some nicknamed "Booker T." * Booker T. Jones (born 194 ...
, while other matches on the
undercard In sports, a card lists the matches taking place in a title match combat-sport event. Cards include a main event match and the undercard listing the rest of the matches. The undercard may be divided into a midcard and a lower card, according to ...
included
Shawn Michaels Shawn Michaels (born Michael Shawn Hickenbottom on July 22, 1965) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he is the Senior Vice President of Talent Development, Creative, and oversees the creative aspects of th ...
defeating
Chris Jericho Christopher Keith Irvine (born November 9, 1970), better known by the ring name Chris Jericho, is an American-Canadian professional wrestler, rock musician, and actor. As a wrestler, he has been signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) , where he ...
in his first WrestleMania since
WrestleMania XIV WrestleMania XIV, also promoted as WrestleMania dX raided, was a 1998 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF; WWE as of 2002). It was the 14th annual WrestleMania and took place on March ...
in 1998,
Hulk Hogan Terry Gene Bollea (; born August 11, 1953), better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE as a brand ambassador. Known for his flamboyance and massive physiq ...
defeating Mr. McMahon in a street fight billed "20 Years in the Making", and
The Undertaker Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965), better known by his ring name the Undertaker, is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Calaway ...
defeating the team of
Big Show Paul Donald Wight II (born February 8, 1972) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under his real name of Paul Wight. He is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) f ...
and
A-Train is a series of business simulation video games developed and published by Japanese game developer Artdink in Japan. The first game in the series was published in 1985. The first release in the United States was ''Take the A-Train II'', publis ...
in a
handicap match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick, gimmick matches" in the Glossary of professional wrestling terms, jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick m ...
. A record-breaking 54,097 fans from all 50 states and numerous countries around the world at Safeco Field resulted in ticket earnings of $2.76 million. The official theme song for the event was "
Crack Addict "Crack Addict" is a song by Limp Bizkit written and recorded in 2002, and produced by Al Jourgensen. The song samples Spoonie Gee's 1979 single, "Spoonin' Rap". Production Originally recorded for Results May Vary, the song was even rumored to b ...
" by
Limp Bizkit Limp Bizkit is an American nu metal band from Jacksonville, Florida. Its lineup consists of lead vocalist Fred Durst, drummer John Otto (drummer), John Otto, guitarist Wes Borland, turntablist DJ Lethal and bassist Sam Rivers (bassist), Sam ...
, who appeared at the event to perform the song; the band also performed their song "
Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle) "Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle)" is a song by the American rap rock band Limp Bizkit from their album '' Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water''. It was released as the second and third single simultaneously, along with "My Generation", ...
" during The Undertaker's entrance.


Production


Background

WrestleMania is considered
World Wrestling Entertainment World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
's (WWE) flagship
professional wrestling Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to Real life, real- ...
pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program ...
(PPV) event, having first been held in
1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a n ...
. It has become the longest-running professional wrestling event in history and is held annually between mid-March to mid-April. It was the first of WWE's original four pay-per-views, which includes
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...
,
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by the world's largest professional wrestling promotion, WWE. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's second biggest event of the year behind th ...
, and
Survivor Series Survivor Series, branded as Survivor Series: WarGames since 2022, is a professional wrestling event produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving ( ...
, referred to as the "Big Four", and was considered one of the "Big Five" PPVs, along with
King of the Ring King and Queen of the Ring, formerly and still commonly known as simply King of the Ring, was a professional wrestling event produced by WWE, a Connecticut-based professional wrestling promotion. The event was established in 1993 and originally c ...
until its discontinuation after 2002. WrestleMania XIX was held on March 30, 2003, at
Safeco Field T-Mobile Park is a retractable roof ballpark in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the home stadium of the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball and has a seating capacity of 47,929. It is in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood, near the w ...
in
Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is the List of municipalities in Washington, most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the List of Unit ...
. It was the first, and to date, only WrestleMania held in the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...
. WrestleMania XIX was the first WrestleMania promoted under the WWE name, following the company being renamed from World Wrestling Federation (WWF) to WWE in May 2002 following a lawsuit from the
World Wildlife Fund The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is a Swiss-based international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It was formerly named the ...
over the "WWF" initials. It was also the first WrestleMania to be held under the company's original
brand extension Brand extension or brand stretching is a marketing strategy in which a firm marketing a product with a well-developed image uses the same brand name in a different product category. The new product is called a spin-off. Organizations use this ...
that began in March 2002, which split the roster between the Raw and
SmackDown! ''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE. It airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on USA Network in the United ...
brands, where wrestlers were exclusively assigned to perform on their respective shows; WrestleMania XIX featured wrestlers from both brands. It was also the first WrestleMania to feature the World Heavyweight Championship that was introduced for Raw in September 2002 after the
WWE Undisputed Championship The WWE Championship, also referred to as the Undisputed WWE Championship since April 2024, is a men's professional wrestling World championship (professional wrestling), world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American profe ...
became exclusive to SmackDown! and truncated to WWE Championship. A documentary entitled ''The Mania of WrestleMania'' was filmed live during the event and released the following year. It was the first sole production from
WWE Films WWE Studios Inc. (formerly known as WWE Films) is an American film studio owned by the professional wrestling promotion WWE, a division of TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. WWE Studios movies frequently ...
. WrestleMania XIX also marked the first time that production equipment was suspended from the underside of Safeco Field's roof (while in the closed position) with WWE suspending their lighting truss system from it.


Storylines

The main
feud A feud , also known in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, private war, or mob war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially family, families or clans. Feuds begin ...
heading into WrestleMania on the SmackDown! brand was between
Kurt Angle Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9, 1968) is an American retired professional wrestler and amateur wrestling, amateur wrestler. He first earned recognition for winning a Wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 100 kg, gold me ...
and
Brock Lesnar Brock Edward Lesnar ( ; born July 12, 1977) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and former Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist, Amateur wrestling, amateur wrestler and professional American football player. As a ...
, with the two feuding over the WWE Championship. Angle won the title three months prior at
Armageddon Armageddon ( ; ; ; from ) is the prophesied gathering of armies for a battle during the end times, according to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. Armageddon is variously interpreted as either a literal or a ...
by defeating then-champion
Big Show Paul Donald Wight II (born February 8, 1972) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under his real name of Paul Wight. He is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) f ...
with Lesnar's help; Lesnar had lost the title at
Survivor Series Survivor Series, branded as Survivor Series: WarGames since 2022, is a professional wrestling event produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving ( ...
in November 2002 after his agent,
Paul Heyman Paul Heyman (born September 11, 1965) is an American professional wrestling manager, former executive, promoter, and commentator. He is signed to WWE as the on-screen manager of Seth Rollins, Bron Breakker, and Bronson Reed, and is widely regard ...
, betrayed him and assisted Big Show in winning the match. On the episode of ''
SmackDown! ''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE. It airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on USA Network in the United ...
'' immediately following Armageddon, Angle revealed that he too had taken on Heyman as his agent, and together they would ensure Lesnar never received an opportunity to regain the WWE Championship. Lesnar responded by brutally attacking Angle at the end of the show, injuring Angle's knee. At the
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...
, Angle faced
Chris Benoit Christopher Michael Benoit ( ; May 21, 1967 – June 24, 2007) was a Canadian Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He worked for various pro-wrestling promotions during his 22-year career, but is notorious for Chris Benoit double-murd ...
for his championship, while Lesnar was forced to wrestle Big Show for a spot in the
Royal Rumble match The Royal Rumble match is a professional wrestling match based on the classic battle royal match in which a number of wrestlers (traditionally 30) aim at eliminating their competitors by tossing them over the top rope, with both feet touching the ...
, which guaranteed the winner a shot at his brand's championship at WrestleMania. Angle defeated Benoit by submission to retain his title. Lesnar defeated Big Show, despite interference from Heyman, to win his way into the Royal Rumble, which he entered at number 29 and won after last eliminating
The Undertaker Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965), better known by his ring name the Undertaker, is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Calaway ...
. The following month at No Way Out, Lesnar and Benoit defeated Team Angle (Kurt Angle,
Shelton Benjamin Shelton James Benjamin (born July 9, 1975) is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler. , he is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of The Hurt Syndicate and is one-half of the AEW World Tag Team Champ ...
, and
Charlie Haas Charles Doyle Haas II (born March 27, 1972) is an American Professional wrestling, professional and former Amateur wrestling, amateur wrestler. He is best known for his time in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) from 2000 to 2009 and Ring of H ...
) in a
handicap match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick, gimmick matches" in the Glossary of professional wrestling terms, jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick m ...
. During No Way Out,
Edge Edge or EDGE may refer to: Technology Computing * Edge computing, a network load-balancing system * Edge device, an entry point to a computer network * Adobe Edge, a graphical development application * Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed by ...
was supposed to team up with Lesnar and Benoit to wrestle Team Angle in the scheduled six man tag team match, but Edge was attacked backstage and it was announced he could not participate in the match. In reality, Edge had suffered a severe neck injury prior to the event, and needed time off for surgery. On the March 6 episode of ''
SmackDown! ''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE. It airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on USA Network in the United ...
'', Lesnar defeated Heyman in a
steel cage match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick, gimmick matches" in the Glossary of professional wrestling terms, jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick m ...
to earn a WWE Championship match against Angle. On the March 13 episode of ''SmackDown!'', Angle defeated Lesnar to retain the WWE Championship. Before the match began, Kurt, who was "praying" in the corner, switched places with his brother
Eric The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, Eirik, or Eiríkur is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization). The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-N ...
. Lesnar then came out and the match began. Shortly after the match began, Lesnar nailed the imposter with an F-5 and attempted a pinfall. Lesnar then broke his own pinfall attempt after quickly realizing that his opponent in the ring was not Kurt Angle. Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas then came to the ring and distracted Lesnar, which gave Eric time to switch back with Kurt. As Lesnar regained his focus, Kurt was able to pin him with a
small package In professional wrestling, a pin is a move where a wrestler holds an opponent's shoulders to the mat in an attempt to score a fall. A pinfall is a common victory condition, where the attacker pins an opponent and the referee makes a three count ...
for the win. The following week on the March 20 episode of ''SmackDown!'', SmackDown! General Manager
Stephanie McMahon Stephanie Marie McMahon Levesque ( ; ; born September 24, 1976) is an American businesswoman and retired professional wrestler. She is known for her various roles within WWE between 1998 and 2023. The daughter of Vince McMahon, Vince and Lind ...
told Angle that, at WrestleMania, if he tried to get himself disqualified, counted out or if Benjamin, Haas, Heyman, Eric or anyone tried to interfere in their match on Angle's behalf, he would lose the title. The main feud on the Raw brand was between The Rock and
Steve Austin Steve Austin (born Steven James Anderson and later Steven James Williams; December 18, 1964), better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American media personality, actor, producer and retired Professional wrestling, profes ...
. On the February 20 episode of ''SmackDown!'', The Rock returned to WWE after a six-month hiatus from wrestling (his last appearance being at
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by the world's largest professional wrestling promotion, WWE. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's second biggest event of the year behind th ...
the previous August). On that evening, he was involved in a confrontation with
Hulk Hogan Terry Gene Bollea (; born August 11, 1953), better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE as a brand ambassador. Known for his flamboyance and massive physiq ...
before their
WrestleMania X8 WrestleMania X8, also known as WrestleMania 18, was a 2002 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It was the 18th annual WrestleMania and took place on St Patrick’s Day on Ma ...
rematch at No Way Out, officially turning heel in the process. At No Way Out, The Rock defeated Hogan with the help of Mr. McMahon. On the February 24 episode of '' Raw'', The Rock moved to the Raw brand and competed in a 20-man battle royal that would determine the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. The Rock, however, lost after he was eliminated by
Booker T Booker T or Booker T. may refer to * Booker T. Washington (1856–1915), African American political leader at the turn of the 20th century ** List of things named after Booker T. Washington, some nicknamed "Booker T." * Booker T. Jones (born 194 ...
. The Rock would go on to criticize Austin for being chosen as the "Superstar of the Decade" by the WWE fans in January, beginning the feud between them. On the March 3 episode of ''Raw'', Austin, who had left the company during the summer of 2002 before returning at No Way Out, made his WWE television return. As Austin was cutting a
promo PROMO (Promoting Missouri) is a Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territ ...
, he was interrupted by The Rock, who challenged him to a match at WrestleMania, with Rock admitting he was obsessed with not beating Austin at a WrestleMania event, since The Rock had lost their two previous encounters at
WrestleMania XV WrestleMania XV was a 1999 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It was the 15th annual WrestleMania and took place on March 28, 1999, at the First Union Center in Philadelp ...
and X-Seven, respectively. As soon as the challenge was made, Raw General Manager
Eric Bischoff Eric Aaron Bischoff (born May 27, 1955) is an American television producer, Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Booker, professional wrestling booker, promoter, and performer. He is best known for serving as Executive Producer and later Sen ...
announced that the following week on ''Raw'', The Rock would face Booker T in a match, and if The Rock won, he would have the choice to face either Austin or challenge
Triple H Paul Michael Levesque (; born July 27, 1969), also known by the ring name Triple H, is an American business executive and former professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he serves as its chief content officer. Levesque began his wres ...
for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania. On the March 10 episode of ''Raw'', The Rock, with Bischoff's approval, announced that he would pick his own opponent for later that night, which turned out to be The Hurricane, in hopes for The Rock to gain an easy victory. However, during the match, Austin made his way down the entrance ramp, which distracted The Rock and allowed The Hurricane to roll up The Rock into a successful pinfall, thus making the match between Austin and The Rock at WrestleMania official. On the March 24 episode of ''Raw'', Austin was banned from entering the arena, as The Rock proceeded to perform the first ever "Rock Concert" that night. However, he managed to enter the arena and attack The Rock during the segment before The Rock fled the ring. The secondary feud on the SmackDown! brand was between
Hulk Hogan Terry Gene Bollea (; born August 11, 1953), better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE as a brand ambassador. Known for his flamboyance and massive physiq ...
and Mr. McMahon. One month prior at No Way Out, during a match between Hogan and The Rock, McMahon came down to the ring, only to distract Hogan, which allowed the referee, Sylvan Grenier, to give The Rock a chair, which The Rock used to hit Hogan and pin him for the win. After No Way Out, McMahon proclaimed that Hulkamania was dead and proclaiming a new 'mania; "McMahonamania". On the March 6 episode of ''SmackDown!'', Hogan informed McMahon that Hulkamania was not dead and that McMahon had nothing to do with creating it. McMahon informed Hogan that he did not hate the Hulkamaniacs or Hulkamania, but that he hated Hogan. McMahon then told Hogan that he hated him for leaving WWE (then known as the WWF) and signing with
Ted Turner Robert Edward Turner III (born November 19, 1938) is an American entrepreneur, television producer, media proprietor, and Philanthropy, philanthropist. He founded the CNN, Cable News Network (CNN), the first 24-hour United States cable news, ...
's
World Championship Wrestling World Championship Wrestling (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of National W ...
(WCW), and for testifying against him in the infamous steroid trial in the 1990s. McMahon proceeded to challenge Hogan to a Street Fight at WrestleMania where, if Hogan lost, he would have to retire from
professional wrestling Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to Real life, real- ...
. Hogan accepted his challenge later that night. Two weeks later on the March 20 episode of ''SmackDown!'', McMahon and Hogan had a contract signing for their match at WrestleMania. As Hogan was preparing to sign the contract, McMahon attacked Hogan with a steel chair from behind. Shortly afterward, McMahon hit Hogan several times with the chair in the head, causing him to bleed. McMahon then signed the contract and forced Hogan to sign with his own blood. Another feud on the Raw brand was between Triple H and Booker T, with the two feuding over the World Heavyweight Championship. Triple H won the title three months prior at
Armageddon Armageddon ( ; ; ; from ) is the prophesied gathering of armies for a battle during the end times, according to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. Armageddon is variously interpreted as either a literal or a ...
by defeating then-champion
Shawn Michaels Shawn Michaels (born Michael Shawn Hickenbottom on July 22, 1965) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he is the Senior Vice President of Talent Development, Creative, and oversees the creative aspects of th ...
in a 3 Stages of Hell match. In the months following, Triple H wrestled
Scott Steiner Scott Rechsteiner (born July 29, 1962), better known by the ring name Scott Steiner, is an American professional wrestler. Steiner is perhaps best known for his time in World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and has also wrestled for Jim Crockett ...
during the following two pay-per-view events for the World Heavyweight Championship. First was at the
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...
, where Triple H got himself disqualified in order to retain the title when he nailed Steiner with the
sledgehammer A sledgehammer is a tool with a large, flat, massive, often metal head, attached to a long wooden or solid handle. The long handle is combined with a heavy head which allows the sledgehammer to pick up momentum during a swing and applying a large ...
. Then at No Way Out, he defeated Steiner by
pinfall In professional wrestling, a pin is a move where a wrestler holds an opponent's shoulders to the mat in an attempt to score a fall. A pinfall is a common victory condition, where the attacker pins an opponent and the referee makes a three count ...
to retain the title. On the February 24 episode of ''Raw'', Booker T won a 20-man battle royal by last eliminating The Rock to become the number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania. On the March 3 episode of ''Raw'', Triple H cut a somewhat controversial promo on Booker T. Triple H downplayed Booker T's WCW success, pointing out that the
WCW World Heavyweight Championship The WCW World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship originally used in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and later, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It was the original world title of ...
had been held by non-wrestlers like Vince Russo and actor David Arquette, calling WCW and its title "a joke". He then implied that Booker T, as a convicted criminal, would never win a world championship in WWE, telling Booker T that "people like him" could never be World Heavyweight Champion. In the WrestleMania XIX press conference, Michael Cole (wrestling), Michael Cole questioned Triple H as to whether or not his promo was racially insensitive. Triple H confirmed this was not the case and was indeed only referring to Booker T's criminal past and nothing more. On the March 10 episode of ''Raw'', Booker T got revenge by attacking Triple H in the bathroom, laying him out. On the March 24 episode of ''Raw'', Booker T and Goldust defeated Triple H and Ric Flair in a Professional wrestling match types#Tag Team match, tag team match with Booker T pinning Triple H. Another feud from the Raw brand was the rivalry over the WWE Women's Championship (1956–2010), Women's Championship. The champion Victoria had captured the title from Trish Stratus at
Survivor Series Survivor Series, branded as Survivor Series: WarGames since 2022, is a professional wrestling event produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving ( ...
. The next month at Armageddon, Victoria defeated Stratus and Jacqueline in a Professional wrestling#Triple Threat match, triple threat match to retain the Women's Championship. Stratus and the returning Jazz had a match on ''Raw'' to determine who would challenge Victoria for the title at WrestleMania. During the match, Victoria entered the ring and hit both women with the title belt, earning a double disqualification. It was then announced that Victoria would defend the title against both Stratus and Jazz in a triple threat match at the event. Yet another feud from the Raw brand was between
Chris Jericho Christopher Keith Irvine (born November 9, 1970), better known by the ring name Chris Jericho, is an American-Canadian professional wrestler, rock musician, and actor. As a wrestler, he has been signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) , where he ...
and
Shawn Michaels Shawn Michaels (born Michael Shawn Hickenbottom on July 22, 1965) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he is the Senior Vice President of Talent Development, Creative, and oversees the creative aspects of th ...
. After Michaels lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Triple H at Armageddon, he appeared in an in-ring segment with Jericho, during which Jericho stated that Michaels was washed up. After mocking Michaels and threatening to attack him, Jericho turned around into a superkick. When Michaels was a guest on Jericho's in-ring show ''The Highlight Reel'' the following month, Jericho claimed he had idolized Michaels from a young age and that he had been Jericho's inspiration to become a wrestler, even going so far as to emulate Michaels in his early professional years. Jericho then stated that he doesn't need to look up to Shawn Michaels anymore, and that he has far surpassed Michaels in terms of success. At the Royal Rumble, Michaels and Jericho entered the Royal Rumble match at #1 and #2, respectively. Jericho eliminated Michaels from the Royal Rumble match, after a sneak attack from behind. Michaels returned later in the match and attacked Jericho out of revenge, helping to lead to his elimination. The two agreed to meet at WrestleMania XIX in a match.


Event


Sunday Night Heat

Before the event aired live television, live on
pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program ...
, Kane (wrestler), Kane and Rob Van Dam faced Val Venis, Chief Morley and Lance Storm (with The Dudley Boyz, (Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley)) for the World Tag Team Championship (WWE, 1971–2010), World Tag Team Championship on ''WWE Heat, Sunday Night Heat''. At the end, while the referee was distracted, the Dudleyz performed the Professional wrestling double-team maneuvers, 3D (Dudley Death Drop) on Storm. After which, Bubba dropped an elbow on Van Dam, allowing Storm to pin (professional wrestling), pin Van Dam, thus Storm and Morley retained the titles.


Preliminary matches

As the event began, Ashanti (singer), Ashanti sang a rendition of "America the Beautiful", which has since been omitted from DVD and streaming releases. In the first match that aired, Rey Mysterio faced Matt Hardy for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship (1991–2007), WWE Cruiserweight Championship. The match began with back and forth action between the two, until Hardy performed a ''Cutter (professional wrestling)#Twist of Fate, Twist of Fate'' for a near-fall. Mysterio retaliated by delivering a ''Professional wrestling attacks#Tiger feint kick, 619'' on Hardy. But as Mysterio delivered a West Coast Pop, Hardy ducked into a Pin (professional wrestling)#Roll-up, roll-up that saw Hardy use the ring ropes for leverage and successfully pin Mysterio, thus Hardy retained the Cruiserweight Championship. In the next match,
The Undertaker Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965), better known by his ring name the Undertaker, is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Calaway ...
and Nathan Jones (wrestler), Nathan Jones faced
Big Show Paul Donald Wight II (born February 8, 1972) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under his real name of Paul Wight. He is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) f ...
and
A-Train is a series of business simulation video games developed and published by Japanese game developer Artdink in Japan. The first game in the series was published in 1985. The first release in the United States was ''Take the A-Train II'', publis ...
in a tag team match. Earlier in the night on ''Sunday Night Heat'', Jones was attacked and beaten down by the Nunzio (wrestler), FBI. It was then announced that The Undertaker would have to face both Big Show and A-Train in a
handicap match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick, gimmick matches" in the Glossary of professional wrestling terms, jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick m ...
. Both Big Show and A-Train had the advantage over The Undertaker at the start of the match; however, late into the match, Jones appeared and attacked Big Show, allowing The Undertaker to deliver a ''Piledriver (professional wrestling)#Tombstone piledriver, Tombstone Piledriver'' on A-Train for a successful pinfall, thus The Undertaker won the match and remained undefeated at WrestleMania. In the third match, Victoria (wrestler), Victoria, Jazz (wrestler), Jazz and Trish Stratus fought in a Professional wrestling match types#Basic non-elimination matches, triple threat match for the WWE Women's Championship (1956-2010), WWE Women's Championship. Throughout the match, Jazz and Victoria would double-team Stratus and Stevie Richards, Steven Richards, who was at ringside in Victoria's corner, would frequently intervene in the match. As Jazz was thrown over the top rope onto ringside, however, Richards came in the ring with a steel chair and tried to hit Stratus with it, but missed, causing the chair to bounce off the ropes into his face, allowing Stratus to perform the Professional wrestling holds, ''Stratusfaction'' on him. Victoria went for the ''Neckbreaker#Gory neckbreaker, Widow's Peak'' on Stratus, who countered with a Professional wrestling strikes, ''Chick Kick'' to Victoria to win the match and the women's title, tying The Fabulous Moolah's record of four title reigns. The next match was a triple threat WWE Raw Tag Team Championship, WWE Tag Team Championship match between the teams of Rhyno and
Chris Benoit Christopher Michael Benoit ( ; May 21, 1967 – June 24, 2007) was a Canadian Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He worked for various pro-wrestling promotions during his 22-year career, but is notorious for Chris Benoit double-murd ...
, Los Guerreros#World Wrestling Entertainment, Los Guerreros (Chavo Guerrero Jr., Chavo and Eddie Guerrero), and the champions, Team Angle (
Shelton Benjamin Shelton James Benjamin (born July 9, 1975) is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler. , he is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of The Hurt Syndicate and is one-half of the AEW World Tag Team Champ ...
and
Charlie Haas Charles Doyle Haas II (born March 27, 1972) is an American Professional wrestling, professional and former Amateur wrestling, amateur wrestler. He is best known for his time in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) from 2000 to 2009 and Ring of H ...
). Rhyno delivered a ''Professional wrestling attacks#Spear, Gore'' on Chavo, but Benjamin tagged himself into the match and pinned Chavo, to win the match and retain the Tag Team Championship. In the fifth match,
Chris Jericho Christopher Keith Irvine (born November 9, 1970), better known by the ring name Chris Jericho, is an American-Canadian professional wrestler, rock musician, and actor. As a wrestler, he has been signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) , where he ...
faced
Shawn Michaels Shawn Michaels (born Michael Shawn Hickenbottom on July 22, 1965) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he is the Senior Vice President of Talent Development, Creative, and oversees the creative aspects of th ...
. Jericho had the advantage over Michaels at the start of the match, as he applied the ''Boston crab, Walls of Jericho'' onto Michaels early on. Later in the match, Jericho hit Michaels with a Sweet Chin Music for a near fall. As Michaels attempted ''Superkick, Sweet Chin Music'' once again, Jericho countered into the ''Walls of Jericho''. After Michaels escaped the hold, he hit Jericho with another Sweet Chin Music for a near fall. Later, Jericho attempted a suplex that Michaels countered into a roll-up giving him the successful pinfall victory. After the match, Jericho offered to shake Michaels's hand and they hugged before Jericho attacked Michaels with a low blow. Before the next match begun, a fatal four-way pillow fight (hosted by Jonathan Coachman) took place between Stacy Keibler, Torrie Wilson, Tanya Ballinger, and Kitana Baker. The match went to a no contest when all four women teamed up, pulling down Coachman's pants and pinning him.


Main event matches

The next match was a World Heavyweight Championship match between
Booker T Booker T or Booker T. may refer to * Booker T. Washington (1856–1915), African American political leader at the turn of the 20th century ** List of things named after Booker T. Washington, some nicknamed "Booker T." * Booker T. Jones (born 194 ...
and
Triple H Paul Michael Levesque (; born July 27, 1969), also known by the ring name Triple H, is an American business executive and former professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he serves as its chief content officer. Levesque began his wres ...
. The match began with Booker T in control of Triple H, however, Ric Flair, who was at ringside in Triple H's corner, threw Booker T's knee into the steel steps. The attack allowed Triple H to work over Booker T's leg, as he applied various submission holds onto Booker T's leg, including the Professional wrestling holds#Indian deathlock, Indian deathlock. Booker T retaliated and took control of the match; after he delivered a Professional wrestling aerial techniques#Somersault leg drop, Harlem Hangover leg drop, Booker T grasped his knee in pain, which allowed Triple H to recover and perform a ''Facebuster#Double underhook facebuster, Pedigree'' to win the match and retain the World Heavyweight Championship. The seventh match was a Hardcore wrestling, street fight between
Hulk Hogan Terry Gene Bollea (; born August 11, 1953), better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE as a brand ambassador. Known for his flamboyance and massive physiq ...
and the WWE Chairman, Mr. McMahon. Both Hogan and McMahon tested each other's strength in the beginning of the match, until McMahon threw Hogan out to ringside. Hogan then countered a folding chair#Professional wrestling, chairshot by McMahon into several of his own, that caused McMahon to bleed profusely from the head. Late into the match, Roddy Piper made a shocking appearance as he interfered in the match and hit Hogan with a Pipe (material), pipe. Hogan however, recovered and delivered a Professional wrestling attacks#Big boot, big boot and three Leg drop, running leg drops to McMahon to successfully pin him and win the match. The next and final match on the
undercard In sports, a card lists the matches taking place in a title match combat-sport event. Cards include a main event match and the undercard listing the rest of the matches. The undercard may be divided into a midcard and a lower card, according to ...
, was the encounter of The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin. The match began with Austin and The Rock brawling in the ring, which ended up at ringside. Throughout the match, The Rock worked over Austin's leg, which included applying a Sharpshooter (professional wrestling), Sharpshooter on Austin. The Rock then began to constantly taunt Austin, as he put on his vest and imitated his taunts and mannerisms, which led both to use their finishers with unsuccessful pin attempts. Austin performed the Stunner (professional wrestling), Stone Cold Stunner on The Rock for a near-fall, much to Austin's dismay. After he failed to win with the People's Elbow, The Rock then performed two Professional wrestling holds, Rock Bottoms on Austin for two near-falls. The Rock performed a third Rock Bottom on Austin, winning the match. After the match in the ring, Rock privately thanked Austin for helping him in his career. This was Austin's last match until
WrestleMania 38 WrestleMania 38 was a 2022 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming supercards, event produced by WWE. It was the 38th annual WrestleMania and took place as a two-night event on Saturda ...
in 2022. In the Card (sports)#Main event, main event,
Brock Lesnar Brock Edward Lesnar ( ; born July 12, 1977) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and former Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist, Amateur wrestling, amateur wrestler and professional American football player. As a ...
faced
Kurt Angle Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9, 1968) is an American retired professional wrestler and amateur wrestling, amateur wrestler. He first earned recognition for winning a Wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 100 kg, gold me ...
for the
WWE Championship The WWE Championship, also referred to as the Undisputed WWE Championship since April 2024, is a men's professional wrestling world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, defended on the SmackDown bran ...
, where if Kurt Angle was Professional wrestling#Disqualification, disqualified or Professional wrestling#Countout, counted out, he would lose the title. The match began with Lesnar and Angle chain-wrestling back and forth, until Angle countered a shoulder block into a Suplex#German suplex, German suplex. Lesnar would then attempt an ''Facebuster#Red Wedding, F-5'' on Angle, but Angle countered it into an ''Professional wrestling holds#Ankle lock, Ankle Lock'' that Lesnar was able to escape out of. As Lesnar escaped, Angle would hit an Angle Slam for a near fall. As he attempted another ''Professional wrestling throws#Olympic slam, Angle Slam'', however, Lesnar countered into an ''F-5'' for a near-fall. Lesnar performed another ''F-5,'' and instead of Pin (professional wrestling)#Cover, covering Angle, Lesnar climbed to the top rope and massively botched a ''Professional wrestling aerial techniques#Shooting star press, Shooting Star Press'' on Angle, which Angle covered for by pinning Lesnar for a near-fall. After Lesnar kicked out, Angle picked up Lesnar only to be hit with a third ''F-5''. Lesnar then successfully pinned Angle, winning the match and the WWE Championship. After the match, Angle and Lesnar shook hands and embraced as the show came to a close.


Reception

The event received highly positive reviews from various websites and wrestling publications. John Powell of Canadian Online Explorer's professional wrestling section rated the event a perfect score of 10 out of 10 stars, which was a higher rating than the WrestleMania X8, previous year's event. The main event between Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle for the WWE Championship was rated the highest with a score of 9 out of 10 stars, the match between The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin was rated 8 out of 10 stars, the match between Booker T and Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship was rated 7.5 out of 10 stars (although the finish was generally frowned upon), the match between Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho was also rated 7.5 out of 10 stars and the Street Fight between Vince McMahon and Hulk Hogan receiving the lowest rating of 4 out of 10 stars. He also noted that "it was the WWE slugging homeruns last night at WrestleMania XIX. Criticized for not making the most of the talent it has, the WWE had all the bases covered and proved that if the entire organization puts forth the effort, they can deliver a superior sports entertainment product" and further claimed that "WrestleMania XIX was not only a outstanding show but it will surely go down as one of the best WrestleManias ever". In 2019, Troy L. Smith of ''The Plain Dealer, cleveland.com'' released a list of the "50 Greatest Wrestling Pay-Per-Views of All Time" from every professional wrestling promotion in the world, with WrestleMania XIX ranked at number eight. Most of the critics rated Jericho vs. Michaels as the match of the night. Kazuchika Okada stated that he "learned so much from that match." Jericho reported that Michaels viewed it as the best match of the night and a "five-star match". Jericho himself called it "one of the best matches in Mania history."


Aftermath

On the ''SmackDown!'' after WrestleMania, SmackDown! General Manager
Stephanie McMahon Stephanie Marie McMahon Levesque ( ; ; born September 24, 1976) is an American businesswoman and retired professional wrestler. She is known for her various roles within WWE between 1998 and 2023. The daughter of Vince McMahon, Vince and Lind ...
announced that
Kurt Angle Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9, 1968) is an American retired professional wrestler and amateur wrestling, amateur wrestler. He first earned recognition for winning a Wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 100 kg, gold me ...
suffered a pulled hamstring and a neck injury, while Lesnar suffered multiple concussions. She later announced that a tournament would take place to determine the number one contender to Lesnar's WWE Championship at Backlash (2003), Backlash. On the April 17 episode of ''SmackDown!'', John Cena would become the number one contender after he defeated
Chris Benoit Christopher Michael Benoit ( ; May 21, 1967 – June 24, 2007) was a Canadian Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He worked for various pro-wrestling promotions during his 22-year career, but is notorious for Chris Benoit double-murd ...
in the tournament's final match. At Backlash (2003), Backlash, Lesnar defeated Cena to retain the WWE Championship. Lesnar would then feud with
Big Show Paul Donald Wight II (born February 8, 1972) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under his real name of Paul Wight. He is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) f ...
, as he defeated him at Judgment Day (2003), Judgment Day to retain the WWE Championship in a Professional wrestling match types#Container-based variations, stretcher match. Lesnar would, however, lose the WWE Championship to a returning Angle at Vengeance (2003), Vengeance in a Professional wrestling match types#Basic non-elimination matches, triple threat match that also involved Big Show. Lesnar then regained the WWE Championship from Angle on the September 18 episode of ''SmackDown!'', in an Iron Man match winning the match 5 falls to 4. On the April 3 episode of ''SmackDown!'', enraged by his loss at WrestleMania, Mr. McMahon indefinitely suspended
Hulk Hogan Terry Gene Bollea (; born August 11, 1953), better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE as a brand ambassador. Known for his flamboyance and massive physiq ...
with pay and forced him to sit out the remainder of his WWE contract as a part of their storyline. On the May 1 episode of ''SmackDown!'', "Mr. America" (Hogan under a mask) made his debut on ''Piper's Pit'', where McMahon promised to prove Mr. America was actually Hogan. Also involved in the feud was Zach Gowen, a one legged wrestler who was brought into the feud by Mr. America. After multiple failed attempts to prove Mr. America was Hogan, however, McMahon finally succeeded on the July 3 episode of ''SmackDown!'', after he aired footage of Mr. America unmasking after the televised broadcast and revealing himself to be Hogan. He then announced that Hogan was fired from WWE. On the ''Raw'' after WrestleMania, Stone Cold Steve Austin was fired from the WWE in storyline by Professional wrestling authority figures#General Managers, Raw General Manager
Eric Bischoff Eric Aaron Bischoff (born May 27, 1955) is an American television producer, Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Booker, professional wrestling booker, promoter, and performer. He is best known for serving as Executive Producer and later Sen ...
due to "medical reasons". Austin was later re-hired a few weeks later by WWE CEO, Linda McMahon, however, as Raw's Co-General Manager, along with Bischoff. Later that night, The Rock hosted "Rock Appreciation Night", where he taunted Austin for getting fired and proclaimed he was leaving WWE, as he had nothing left to accomplish, and because the fans did not appreciate him anymore. Bill Goldberg, Goldberg would officially make his WWE debut by interrupting The Rock, telling him "You're next!", which led to Goldberg Professional wrestling attacks#Spear, spearing The Rock. On the April 14 episode of ''Raw'', The Rock would accept the challenge made by Goldberg, which he had previously rejected a week earlier, meaning the two would wrestle each other at Backlash. At Backlash, Goldberg successfully pinned The Rock. After the match, once the show was off the air, The Rock gave a farewell speech in which he stated that he was officially taking a sabbatical from professional wrestling.


Results


References


External links


The Official Website of WrestleMania XIX
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wrestlemania 19 2003 in Seattle WrestleMania Professional wrestling shows in Seattle 2003 WWE pay-per-view events March 2003 in the United States