WrestleMania 19:
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WWE. Date: March 30, 2003.
Venue: Safeco Field. Seattle, Washington.
Attendance: 54,097.
WrestleMania 19 was one of the most star-studded editions of The Show of Shows. It was the first ‘Mania to be promoted under the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) banner, advertised as a co-promotion between the RAW and SmackDown brands.
WM 19 boasted several main-event caliber matchups with Hulk Hogan beating Vince McMahon in a street fight, Triple H defending his WWE Heavyweight Championship (RAW brand) against Booker T and Kurt Angle losing his WWE Championship (SmackDown brand) to WrestleMania debutante Brock Lesnar.
WM 19 also featured the last official WWE match of ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, who would retire after the event owing to the nagging injuries he’d accumulated throughout his career. The company lost a big-time Superstar in Austin but gained another box-office attraction in Brock Lesnar.
It’s essential to note that although Lesnar would play a huge role in the WWE after Wrestlemania 19, his pro-wrestling career saw a long hiatus after the following ‘Mania (Wrestlemania 20).
Besides, the event also featured a highly-entertaining matchup between Chris Jericho and ‘The Heart Break Kid’ Shawn Michaels. WrestleMania 19 truly was a crossroads event for the WWE.
