30 Week Journey: Wrestlemania XIX (2003)

The Lapsed Fan’s 30-week WrestleMania journey reaches stop No. 19 this week, as the WWE invades Safeco Field in Seattle for a show full of forks in the road for a host of key performers, including Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, and Brock Lesnar.

Hosts Jack Encarnacao and JP Sarro go deep on a show remembered for its behind-the-scenes drama as much as its in-ring drama, which was considerable. Get Lapsed on the following:

- The worm turns on Triple H, as he builds up Booker T as a proud challenger who must stand up for himself in the face of implied racism … and then pins him clean, and hard

- Lesnar’s ill-fated leap, and why he just had to hit the F5 afterwards

- Austin’s final match, and why his paranoia, pain, and panic nearly kept him from getting into the ring

- Limp Bizkit, and the moment Fred Durst has to ask the crowd, “Are you awake yet?”

- The first “dual-brand” Wrestlemania, and other distinctions without a difference

- Mysterio’s WM debut

- Shawn Michaels’ WM return

- The best version of Rock’s entrance theme

- Hogan v. Vince, a storyline that evoked Vince’s steroid trial, how it miscast Hogan’s actual testimony

- Vince peeks over the apron

All that and so much more, including excerpts from a recent chat with Jim Ross about being side-by-side with Austin during his meltdown and Dave Meltzer on what lingers from this show. The 30-week freight train keeps on rolling!