As seen in my reviews of the Royal Rumble and No Way Out, the WWF was en fuego to open the new millennium. The Rock was blossoming into a bone fide megastar, the tag division was in the process of producing three of the greatest dual acts in wrestling history (Edge and Christian, the Hardy Boyz, and the Dudley Boyz), the midcard had been bolstered by WCW defectors like Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit, and Eddie Guerrero, not to mention the recent arrival of Kurt Angle, and the WWF Championship opened the year with two frenetic and enthralling title contests between champion Triple H and challenger Cactus Jack, the unhinged alter ego of Mick Foley that brought a new level of violence to the Attitude Era. The table was set for what would surely be one of the most stacked WrestleMania cards ever, capped off with Triple H, now solidified as a truly monstrous top heel, facing off with the Royal Rumble winner, The Rock. The path to the mecca of pro wrestling seemed simple enough, just let these two titans go at it and watch the cash roll in, but if you've known Vince McMahon for any length of time, you know the term "simple" doesn't exist in his booking vocabulary. Instead, why not toss Foley and Big Show in there, even though Mick had supposedly retired after losing in Hell in a Cell, and let's just turn it into a soap opera all Vince and his darling family, that's what everyone was clamoring for, right? The kicker in all of this is that, in theory, I actually really like the fatal four-way as a 'Mania main event. Triple H had been in conflict with all three men over the past few months, they all had a good reason to go after him, and Vince exercising his kayfabe muscle to force the man who beat him at Armageddon to defend against all of them at once sounds very intriguing. Even better, the match would be contested under elimination rules, meaning there was no reason for the three challengers to go after each other, as they could all just gang up and eliminate Triple H before moving on to fight each other. But adding each McMahon into the mix made it plainly obvious that the actual match no longer mattered. It all eventually just comes back to the McMahons, who were guaranteed to win no matter what, since they were each cornering one competitor, so if you don't like them, tough sh**. Alright, let's just review this abomination before Vince finds some reason to release every member of my family.
- WrestleMania 2000 comes to you from the Arrowhead Pond (now the Honda Center) in Anaheim, California, previously the site of WrestleMania 12 and Royal Rumble 1999. Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler are on the call.
- Our opening contest is the first of many tag matches throughout the night, as D'Lo Brown and The Godfather square off with the Big Boss Man and Bull Buchanan. Even though both of these teams don't have a ton of history, they are clad in matching gear, which I always appreciate for a tag matches, it's a great show of unity and camaraderie. This wasn't anything special as an opening match to a WrestleMania, though Brown and Buchanan both impress with their athleticism, the latter especially putting on quite a show. Bull chains together a springboard clothesline out of the corner and an axe kick to help in the beatdown on D'Lo, getting a decent pop from the clearly impressed crowd. Later in the match, after a Godfather hot tag, the faces take back control, D'Lo getting his turn to shine with a top rope hurricanrana. Godfather appears to have Boss Man on the ropes after connecting with the Ho Train, but falls prey to a Boss Man Slam. Buchanan is tagged in and finishes Godfather off with one heck of a top rope diving leg drop, putting an emphatic statement on the win.
- The Hardcore Championship title picture has gotten even more chaotic lately with the addition of the "24/7 Rule", forcing champion Crash Holly to defend his gold at all time, resulting in some wacky pre-taped vignettes where Crash fought off challengers in a wide variety of settings, including an amusement park. On this night, Crash defends in an actual match, a Hardcore Battle Royal, where he would have to defend against 12 men (his cousin Hardcore, Bradshaw, Faarooq, Taka Michinoku, Funaki, Tazz, Viscera, Rodney, Pete Gas, and Joey Abs), where a 15 minute time limit would be instituted, pinfalls would count anywhere, and whomever was champion at the end of those 15 minutes would get to walk out with the title. This is the very definition of a "garbage brawl", with weapon shots aplenty and very few booked spots, leaving the crowd to slip into a lull as they grew increasingly bored with watching guys hit each other with baking trays. Nobody looks particularly good here, but Tazz comes across the absolute worst. He gains a couple pinfalls over the course of this match, and down the final stretch, he keeps trying to pin other competitors, which is wholly unnecessary as he's the current champion and only needs to avoid being pinned. Way to make your much ballyhooed new signing look like a complete dolt, guys. Tazz plays an integral role in the finish, where he has the Tazmission applied on Crash, the current champion, only for both men to be brained by Hardcore with a jar of candy, the glass shattering and flying everywhere. Hardcore then covers Crash, and seemingly is going to get a three count before referee Tim White stops counting, then time expires. We've got an Anaheim Screwjob on our hands, everyone. Apparently, White was supposed to be in the middle of his count when the clock ran out, so Crash could retain despite being beaten. But White got into the count a second too early, and this incident occurred in the days before referees would call matches legitimately, so White, knowing that Hardcore wasn't meant to be winning, stopped himself from counting and turned the ending into an absolute clusterf***. Hardcore is awarded the title afterward, and I just have to say, the WWF got super lucky a mess like this was reserved for a match very few people genuinely cared about, or else this could've been so much worse.
- Trish Stratus recently made her debut on WWF programming, looking for a new team to manage, aligning with Test and Albert to form the team of T & A, the world's most obvious bit of innuendo. The pair steamroll the odd ball partnership of Steve Blackman and Al Snow on this show, in a match that never really got going and was overshadowed by Jim Ross' malfunctioning headset, which resulted in Lawler calling part of the match solo. Test's diving elbow drop for the win looked great, and Albert's power offense was as crisply executed as ever, but that's about all the positives I can offer on this one. After the match, Blackman and Snow beat up their new mascot, Chester McCheeserton, a small man dressed as a hunk of cheese to play off the duo's "Head Cheese" moniker. I'm not sure what the point of any of this was, especially the post-match beatdown which made these two supposedly lovable faces look like total a-holes.
- The Hardy Boyz, Dudley Boyz, and Edge and Christian had been absolutely thrilling WWF audiences with their daredevil stunts and spot-filled hardcore wars, and they look to elevate their games in a triangle ladder match for Bubba Ray and D-Von's tag team titles. This match was all action for over 20 minutes, easily the best match on this show and likely one that would rank extremely highly for me as one of the best in WrestleMania history. These six guys go right at it from the start, with Bubba quickly hitting a Bubba Bomb to Jeff Hardy, who attempts to get his revenge a few minutes later by crashes into a ladder attempting a 450 Splash. Bubba keeps up the punishment by driving a ladder into Jeff with a diving senton splash, then sends everyone flying by doing the Terry Funk spot where he stuck his head in between the rungs of a ladder and started spinning. Edge and Christian, feeling lonely, get their opportunity to do some spots, driving D-Von into a ladder in the corner with a double flapjack, then Edge dives off the top rope to hit a Spear to Jeff on a ladder, a spot that would be repeated to every greater effect the following year. That move alone brought the crowd to their feet, but they just keep going with even more insanity. Matt lifts Edge off a ladder to hit a crucifix powerbomb, Bubba pulls Christian's leg out from under him to send him flying so Bubba can land a big cutter, and the two Hardys take flight to crush Bubba, pummeling him with a tandem splash/leg drop combo. Bodies are just flying everywhere at this point, D-Von taking a double superplex off the top of a ladder, and Jeff and Christian taking a nasty fall, shoved off the top of two ladders all the way down to the floor, and the crowd just flips out. An even bigger reaction comes for a 3-D by the Dudleys, and the fetching of multiple tables. D-Von dives onto Jeff, laying prone on a table, and Bubba absolutely destroys Jeff with a powerbomb through a table on the outside of the ring. Jeff tries to do his barricade tightrope act, and gets an effing ladder thrown at his face. Bubba sets up a ladder and another table on the ramp, but Jeff has recovered, and pulls off one of the standout moments in his career, diving off the ladder to hit a Swanton Bomb through Bubba and the table. That was a very risky move to attempt, given how thin the carpet on the floor was, but Jeff landed it perfectly, and created an all-time visual in the process. Edge, Christian, and Matt Hardy are the only three left standing, and they all scale to the top of a ladder contraption in the ring, with a table serving as a platform for securing the titles. Matt, outnumbered, is shoved off the table by Edge, crashing through a table down below, completely enveloped in shards of lumber as the two Canadians secure victory. Man, that was a stupendous showing, a strong contender alongside the TLC matches these three teams would be involved in as one of the greatest tag matches in all of wrestling. You can't ask for much better than this.
- Following that up would be quite the task, but I have confidence in Terri Runnels and The Kat to put on an absolute mat classic in their "Catfight", which was somehow the only singles match on this card. Lots of women falling over other and clothes ripping in this one, with Terri winning after interference by her manager, the Fabulous Moolah. Mae Young then gives Moolah the Bronco Buster, so all's well that ends well.
- Too Cool and the Radicalz met in some fantastic matches in 2000, with both factions proving to be great foils for each other. We get another iteration of their conflict here, as Grandmaster Sexay and Scotty Too Hotty team up with Chyna to battle Radicalz members Eddie Guerrero, Perry Saturn, and Dean Malenko. This wasn't anything special as far as match quality goes, with a few decent double team moves and crowd work, the biggest highlight being Scotty's double Worm to Saturn and Malenko, which got a massive pop. The story told between Eddie and Chyna is very well executed, with Eddie drawing so much heat for just being a total pest, bailing each time he's faced with comeuppance. It all sets up well for Eddie to get trounced by Chyna late in the match, as the "Ninth Wonder of the World" bulldozes all three heels. Malenko and Saturn take a double clothesline and a double low blow, Eddie gets powerbombed, and put to rest with a sleeper slam. The ending stretch between Eddie and Chyna was more than a little awkward, as Chyna's gear was starting to fall apart and her range of movement was limited as a result, but she pushed through that admirably to look as dominant as possible. The dynamic between Eddie and Chyna would continue to evolve in the months to come, as the two formed a fondly remembered duo that greatly elevated both of their careers.
- Kurt Angle has wasted no time since signing with the WWF in late '99, quickly picking up both the European and Intercontinental Championships, establishing himself as a vain, self-righteous heel with unlimited potential. Angle, Chris Benoit, and Chris Jericho all make their WrestleMania debuts, squaring off in a triple threat match where both belts would be at stake in two separate falls, the first determining the Intercontinental Champion and the second granting the European gold. The potential of seeing these three midcard workhorses in a WrestleMania match seemed like a dream come true to me, and while all three still had some growing to do as performers, and the crowd weren't totally into a straight up wrestling match in a time where that was a rarity, but this was still a good watch. Lots of suplexes and hold trading in this one, with Angle put in a difficult position as he looked to fight off two hungry challenger. Kurt appeared to have a retention on the cards after laying Benoit out with a dropkick into the corner and locking in the Crossface Chickenwing (he had been mentored in storyline by Bob Backlund) on Jericho. But Benoit recovered, and smartly tossed Angle into the crowd, giving him the time he needed to hit a diving headbutt on Jericho, becoming Intercontinental Champion in the process. From there, this match really kicked into high gear, as all three men pulled out all the stops to try and gain the second fall. Angle missed a moonsault, and Benoit just about saved Kurt by breaking up Jericho's Liontamer. In an impressive show of strength, Jericho managed to deadlift Angle off the mat to hit a powerbomb, but Benoit did him one better with the triple German suplexes. Jericho wiped out Tim White with a flying forearm, and he and Benoit each traded submissions with the official down, Jericho tapping to the Crippler Crossface though of course, it didn't count. After a belt shot from Angle to Jericho, Benoit ended up in position to hit another headbutt, this time to Angle, but the champion rolled out of the way, and that proved to be a costly mistake. With Angle still recovering and Benoit down, Jericho took advantage of the moment to nail the Lionsault to Benoit, winning the European title. I love the story of Angle losing both belts without being pinned, and him dropping these two midcard titles would set him up for a push straight to the main event scene.
- The story of Kane and X-Pac's unlikely friendship leading into a bitter blood feud where X-Pac stole everything that mattered away from Kane, including his girlfriend, Tori, had stretched for a while by this point, and finally gets wrapped up in the fourth and final tag match of the night. Kane and Rikishi clean house with X-Pac and Road Dogg, winning in just 4 minutes, with Kane securing the ultimate revenge on his two former allies, as help from Paul Bearer allowed Tori to take the Stinkface, and one Tombstone Piledriver completely flattened X-Pac for the finish. I can't say this was a great match, but it was a cathartic payoff to months of feuding, and X-Pac's great bumping and selling really put Kane's power over. After the match, Too Cool run down to celebrate with Rikishi, and they're joined by the San Diego Chicken, which JR and Lawler immediately surmise is Pete Rose, after the stunt he pulled on Kane last year. The Chicken gets in on the post-match dancing celebration, which Kane was polite enough to not interrupt, before then applying a chokehold on the Chicken. It's a ruse, though, as Rose sneaks in from behind brandishing a baseball bat, only to be thwarted by Rikishi. Rose takes another chokeslam, and the Stinkface. I'm glad that Rose is such a great sport to allow himself to be humiliated time and time again, and the trilogy of his WrestleMania appearances were all entertaining and unique in their own way.
- Main event time, as it's the fatal four way for the WWF Championship, with a McMahon in each corner. Wisely, the decision is made for Big Show to be the first man eliminated, as even in the less than 5 minutes he was in this match, Show manages to get completely out of breath. I thought the booking of Show was smart here, as he dominates early, which leads to the other three men ganging up to try and take him out. Foley and Triple H each hit a running clothesline, before Rock finally sends Show crashing to the mat with his clothesline, and that got a great pop. A simple piece of booking, sure, but it's extremely clever, as Rock will be the face of the company and needs to be presented as a threat at all times. Rock also gets to eliminate Show, albeit with help from Foley, who smacks Show in the back with a chair to set up the Rock Bottom. After Show is eliminated, the match begins to meander, as all three guys need to fill a lot of time, with 15 minutes until the next elimination. The Rock n' Sock Connection rekindle their alliance for a bit, before Triple H manages to escape Foley's barbed wire 2x4 with a low blow. Foley then turns on Rock, applying the Mandible Claw and almost taking the "People's Champion" out in two very narrow near falls, the first after a clothesline and the second after the double arm DDT. Rock is really good at adding drama to those near falls, and had the crowd convinced he was in genuine trouble. Unable to get the job done on his own, Foley does the unthinkable and aligns with Triple H, his mortal enemy. Foley wants to put Rock through the Spanish announce table, but comes up short on an attempt to do it with a diving elbow drop, smashing his midsection into the table, ouch. Triple H gets the job done by leaping from the English announce table to hit an elbow drop, then turns his attentions to Foley, ready to end this partnership. One Pedigree isn't enough to put Foley away, but a chair shot to the skull and a second Pedigree on the chair is, as Foley has his dreams crushed by "The Game" one more time. A big final showdown between Triple H and The Rock could be great to have here, but the finale of WrestleMania is reserved for the McMahons. The two competitors do get in a big spot each, Triple H hitting a piledriver on the steps and Rock trading back with a suplex through the English announce table. Vince and Shane McMahon then take over the spotlight, taking some shots at each other, with Shane gaining the upper hand, busting his father open with a TV monitor. The match does provide a brief bit of drama when Rock fights off both Triple H and Shane to nearly win it with a Rock Bottom, but if you think a wrestling move delivered by a wrestler will end this wrestling match, you're sorely mistaken. Instead, Vince returns to betray his own man, blasting Rock with a couple chair shots that hand the victory over to Triple H. Rock does at least get some of the shine, hitting each McMahon with a Rock Bottom and ending the night with a People's Elbow to Stephanie, which the crowd loved, but it just sucks that the main event of WrestleMania was technically won by Vince, who did what Triple H couldn't and delivered the final blow.
6/10
As a WrestleMania, this was nothing special, with a mediocre undercard that wouldn't have looked out of place on an episode of Sunday Night Heat, and a main event that dragged for way too long and failed to produce a decisive finish. If this were shortened and given a name other than "WrestleMania", it would be excusable, but giving it the prestige and honor that comes with that title means expectations will naturally be much higher. Outside of the triangle ladder and a few fun moments sprinkled throughout the night, WrestleMania 2000 never came close to the lofty heights it had the potential to reach.
If you're interested in my takes on what came in the two months that followed this show, you can read my reviews of Backlash and Judgment Day.
Next time on Henry's Pay-Per-View Reviews: King of the Ring 2000, where Triple H teamed up with Shane and Vince McMahon to take on The Rock and the Brothers of Destruction. See you soon.
- Henry
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