For the 20th anniversary of his crowning achievement, Vince McMahon has gone all out to try and build as much hype as possible. For most of last year, the sign displaying the WrestleMania 20 logo has been hung at every pay-per-view, which was an odd sight when the show itself was many months in the future, but it did create that constant reminder of something great on the horizon. Vince shelled out the big bucks for a spot at Madison Square Garden, which allowed him to really bring out that deep-buried nostalgia in many a lapsed wrestling fan, tying the promotion of this show into the history of the WWE at MSG, including the first WrestleMania back in '85. There were two huge world title matches booked, plus a bevy of intrigue across the card, with the most fan interest surrounding the return of The Undertaker, and how he would be presented, as well it was obvious that he would be back in his "Deadman" persona, the theatrics of the gimmick could be far greater than most remembered, given how much the company had grown in the years since he began his biker phase. Almost the entire roster was booked to appear this year, plus a whole host of returning legends to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, but the one attraction Vince refused to rely on were celebrity appearances, which I am very appreciative of. The strength of the WWE at the moment are the active competitors, and there was more than enough hype created from the matches on offer to convince any fan to plop down some hard-earned cash. Tonight, at WrestleMania, it all begins again, on a night where history will be written and icons will be immortalized.
- WrestleMania 20 comes to you from the world-renowned Madison Square Garden, a venue with a long and storied past in the WWE, having played host to many defining moments throughout the past five decades. Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler are on the call for Raw, while Michael Cole and Tazz represent SmackDown.
- Our opening contest is for SmackDown's United States Championship, as Big Show defends the gold against John Cena. This is the first and last pay-per-view title defense in Big Show's US title reign, as this match solely exists to really begin Cena's push to the stratosphere, with Show here to be slain at the hands of the WWE's newest hero. Cena puts in a solid effort here, keeping the pace high and selling well for Show's offense, though the champion is badly out of shape and is extremely limited as a result. They work their way through a basic repertoire of big man spots for Show, with Cena attempting to scrap at every opportunity. Cena manages to rally after fighting out of a Cobra Clutch, lifting Big Show up for an F-U, but Show powers out at the count of two, much to the shock of the crowd, and I'm with them, I can't believe that spot was booked for a near fall. Cena needs one more shot to deal the finishing blow, and slyly distracts the ref, sliding his steel chain across the ring, then nailing Show with a pair of brass knuckles with the official's back turned. One more F-U does it, as John Cena gets his first of many singles titles to come. It's a monumental win for Cena, a huge building block for his career, and a great way to open the show, giving the crowd a big win to go wild for, even if the match was nothing special.
- Raw's World Tag Team Championships are on the line in a fatal four-way match, with the makeshift team of Booker T and Rob Van Dam defending against the Dudley Boyz, La Resistance, and Mark Jindrak and Garrison Cade. The champions do have a brief period of entertaining work against Bubba Ray and D-Von, but this match is otherwise just a lot of busy work, without many highlights. Rob Conway stops the Dudley Boyz from getting a 3D, and takes the pin after an Axe Kick and Five-Star Frog Splash from Booker and RVD, as the champions retain.
- Jonathan Coachman was deployed by Raw GM Eric Bischoff earlier in the night to attempt to locate The Undertaker for vague reasons, and while he was unsuccessful in his task, he did manage to encounter Bobby Heenan and "Mean" Gene Okerlund, who are busy in a makeout session with the Fabulous Moolah and Mae Young. Heenan is terrific in this skit, especially the ending where Mae drags him back into their private room, and he pretends to beg for mercy while also shutting the door, classic stuff.
- Chris Jericho is now a full-fledged babyface as a result of his infatuation with Trish Stratus, which led Christian to break up their team, attacking Jericho backstage and putting Stratus in the Walls of Jericho, seemingly out of jealousy. Even though Jericho's actions during this storyline have placed him in a sympathetic light, it doesn't seem like this crowd has fully bought into him as a heroic character just yet, though Christian's cheap tactics during this match do help build support for Jericho, Christian really is the best. The action is fairly standard given both men's abilities, with a good build towards the finish. Christian gets a near fall with a perfectly executed reverse DDT off the middle rope, while Jericho almost steals it after countering a diving crossbody into a pinfall. Christian tries to force Jericho to tap with a Texas Cloverleaf, but Jericho takes control after applying the Walls on the outside, and landing a top rope double arm suplex. The crowd is fully dialed in when Trish runs out, and Christian, ever the bastard, grabs her by the hair to pull her into the ring and shove her to the mat. After Jericho gets some spaced, he check on her in concern, only for Trish to lash out, apparently not realizing which man is behind her, and that surprise shot to the jaw allows Jericho to be rolled up and pinned by Christian. Jericho, distraught after losing his chance at revenge, then has his heart completely shattered thanks to two vicious slaps by Stratus, and Christian plants his former partner with the Unprettier. This storyline didn't quite work for me at times, as Jericho just couldn't believably sell the more mushy segments with Trish, but setting him up as a vengeful babyface is a lot more up his alley, and the pairing of Trish and Christian is immediately dynamite, you can tell that Trish is relishing the opportunity to do something new after years of being a bland pretty girl.
- Mick Foley's feud with Randy Orton draws in several of the biggest names in the industry here for a WrestleMania match, as The Rock returns to reform The Rock 'n' Sock Connection with Foley, while Orton has the numbers advantage, teaming with Ric Flair and Batista of Evolution. Everyone gets an opportunity to shine in this one, particularly Flair and Rock, as two icons of the business have some fun copying each other to the delight of the crowd. Rock breaks out a strut early on, and Flair attempts to get revenge late in the match, attempting his own version of the People's Elbow, only to be stopped after a Rock kip-up. Batista and Orton do most of the busy work during an extended beatdown of Foley, before getting launched around by Rock during a hot tag. Evolution use the numbers game to their advantage the entire way, but can't get the win with their shenanigans, as even Flair distracting the referee by grabbing a chair and Batista entering illegally to plant Rock with a Batista Bomb isn't enough to do it. Foley attempts to finally get one up on Orton after months of being tormented, as Mick lands a double arm DDT, before preparing to put the cocky youngster away with the Mandible Claw. But the emergence of Mr. Socko spells Foley's demise, as Orton drops him with an RKO for a sudden win. Considering Foley and Orton still had another clash left to go, it's a bit of a curious decision to have him lose so convincingly, but I can't blame the booking team for protecting Orton, he is the future after all.
- Gene Okerlund returns to introduce the 2004 WWE Hall of Fame class, a stacked field that consists of Big John Studd, Don Muraco, Greg Valentine, Harley Race, Jesse Ventura, Junkyard Dog, Sgt. Slaughter, Superstar Billy Graham, Tito Santana, Bobby Heenan, and the celebrity inductee, Pete Rose. The Hall of Fame hadn't added any new members since 1996, and it's safe to say that it returned with a bang here, that is a lot of big names, both in the WWE and elsewhere.
- The only natural way to follow up the honoring of so many wrestling legends is with a Playboy Evening Gown match, where Torrie Wilson and Sable of SmackDown defeat Miss Jackie and Stacy Keibler of Raw. By far the highlight of this nonsense was Stacy's cartwheel, eye-catching in every sense of the term, as well as Michael Cole's best one-liner ever, where he notes that Jackie having removed her heels now gets her close to Tazz's height, brilliant.
- The cruiserweight competitors of SmackDown get some representation is what's called a "Cruiserweight Open", where two men start, with eight others surrounding the ring, and once a competitor is eliminated, the next man enters according to a random drawing. This is fast-paced and contains a ton of highlights, not a shock considering all the athletes involved. Shannon Moore misses a twisting moonsault and gets pinned by Ultimo Dragon's Ultimo DDT, and Dragon then lights up Jamie Noble with kicks before being choked out. Noble crushes Nunzio with a gorgeous diving flipping senton, which results in the Italian being counted out, and Billy Kidman then gets involved, landing a springboard Shooting Star Press onto both men, which draws holy sh** chants from the crowd, and likely didn't feel great for Kidman, who smacked heads with Noble. A top rope BK Bomb from Kidman, executed to perfection, ends Noble's night, and Kidman then falls to former tag partner Rey Mysterio and a Sunset Flip Powerbomb off the top rope. Rey's feud with Tajiri continues, also getting Akio, an ally of Tajiri, into the mix, as Tajiri accidentally mists Akio, and Rey rolls Tajiri up. Akio is out because of the mist, so it's now down to another clash between Mysterio and Cruiserweight Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr.. Yet again, Chavo Sr. is the difference maker, as he intervenes to save his son after a West Coast Pop, and takes a flipping plancha by Rey in return. The elder Chavo recovers in time after Chavo Jr. blocks a sunset flip, as they hold hands for extra leverage so Chavo Jr. can retain. I would've loved a lot more time for this, but I'm glad the cruiserweights weren't completely forgotten, and they did what they could to get a reaction.
- Just a few months ago, the prospect of a match between Brock Lesnar and Goldberg would've been nirvana for most wrestling fans, but this showdown has been dramatically altered by real-life circumstances. It was common knowledge that Goldberg had only signed a one year deal last year, and without news of an extension, it was safe to say that this would be his swansong, with the younger Lesnar claiming a big scalp on the Grandest Stage of Them All. But Brock, already exhausted with the hectic travel schedule required in the WWE, decided a few weeks prior to this night to bail on his wrestling career in hopes of pursuing his football dreams, suddenly leaving this match in an awkward spot. Neither man would be sticking around afterward, and the fans were furious, letting their voices be heard in what turned out to an absolute trainwreck. Brock and Goldberg are both serenaded with chants of "you sold out" and singing of "na, na, na, hey, hey, hey, goodbye", and both men, either by design or by audible, elect to put the least amount of effort possible, posing and refusing to engage with each other while the crowd grew even rowdier. Legitimately, I think the four women in the Evening Gown match tried harder than this, and they literally didn't need to do anything than just stand around to get cheered. The list I have written of actual moves in this match is miniscule, an embarrassment considering it went over 13 minutes. The crowd loudly boos Brock kicking out of a Spear, which is hilarious, they so badly wanted this match to just be over with, the ultimate sign of disrespect. Goldberg trades back by kicking out of an F-5, no reaction to that, and they finally just end this misery when Brock eats a second Spear and a Jackhammer. The crowd even boos Goldberg celebrating with Steve Austin, who refereed the match, as even just drinking beers is enough to draw serious heat. At least the crowd gets to have some fun when Austin Stunners both Lesnar and Goldberg, which honestly should've just happened at the start of this mess, this was the very definition of failing to read the room
- Following that up with a segment where Vince McMahon makes an appearance to thank the fans for making all these years of WrestleMania possible was some wonderful irony, but I can't imagine he was that upset about the crowd hijacking we just witnessed, he was likely also ready to move on from Brock and Goldberg.
- SmackDown's WWE Tag Team Championships are also on the line in a fatal four-way, because this company has the creativity of granite, with Rikishi and Scotty Too Hotty retaining their gold against the APA, Basham Brothers, and World's Greatest Tag Team. I thought this was the better of the two four ways, which isn't saying much, though the sequence near the end after Bradshaw is tagged in was very fun. He goes on a good run, nailing Rikishi with a Clothesline From Hell, before tossing Doug Basham onto Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas with a fallaway slam over the top rope. Rikishi recovers to plant Bradshaw with a Samoan Drop, then drops all of his weight onto Danny Basham's chest to pin him.
- One of the more infamous stories in women's wrestling surrounds Molly Holly, who was so frustrated over the company's lack of commitment to putting a legitimate women's match on this card that she agreed to get shaved so they would have a good reason to book one. Molly gets her wish, as she wrestles Victoria in a short match for the latter's Women's Championship, losing after attempting Victoria's Widow's Pique and getting pinned by a backslide. Molly is forced into a shearing by being bound into the barber's chair by some leather belts, I like how something as simple as a haircut needed to be kinky if it involved women, there's no subtlety about why they're on the roster at all. It really does suck for Molly that she needed to sacrifice her hair for this match, that should've never been neccessary, and I'd love to say it was worth it, but the only highlight of the match was a botched sunset flip powerbomb off the top rope, and the crowd weren't even remotely interested in the haircutting, it's all so tragic.
- After three very inconsistent hours of wrestling, it's finally time to dig into the good stuff, as the WWE Championship is on the line, with Eddie Guerrero defending against Kurt Angle. Eddie's clash with Brock at No Way Out would be hard to top in terms of both action and emotional investment, and while this didn't have the compete outpouring of love that one had for the ending, it was absolutely terrific once it got going. They did spend perhaps a little too long doing chain wrestling, but these two can wrestle with the kind of speed and technique that very few ever could. I loved the sequence where Angle attempts to stop Eddie on the top rope, getting knocked down and scrambling right back up, only to be thwarted again by Eddie, who can't connect with the Frog Splash. Cole and Tazz play up the finishing nature of that move, which leads to a dramatic near fall late in the match, where Angle barely beats the three count after taking a Frog Splash. Eddie has two breath-taking Angle Slam counters to execute in this match, with the first being a picture-perfect armdrag, and the second where he wiggles free of Angle's grip, swivels around, and seems to break every bone in Angle's head and neck with a truly devastating DDT. How Kurt still had a neck after that is a question I will never be able to answer. Angle's path to victory centers around the Ankle Lock, and that's where the final drama ends up. After taking that Frog Splash, Kurt plays possum, applying that Ankle Lock, and Eddie draws every bit of emotion out of the crowd, teasing a tap that no one in the building wants to see. Eddie manages to propel Angle to the floor to a big pop, but it seems as if the damage is already severe, as the champion unties his boot, looking to alleviate the pressure on that limb. Angle spots this, and Eddie appears to be dead meat, letting out an audible "oh sh**". But it's another of Eddie's clever tricks, as when Kurt gets the Ankle Lock in again, Eddie pushes on his own leg, and the boot pops free, causing a mystified Angle to abandon all good sense and run right into a small package, with Eddie just managing to hook the bottom rope for extra leverage. I really love intelligent babyfaces, seeing Cena outsmart the referee in the opener was entertaining, and this was even more so. Eddie thinking on the fly and finding a way to win despite being in trouble just makes him so much easier to care about as a fan, as you know he's always got a chance no matter the situation. What a guy.
- While all focus was on the return of The Undertaker, Kane did get a classic moment before their match, as the LED screens on the set that display the New York City skyline now display the buildings aflame, a brilliant bit of visual storytelling that did far more to present Kane as a monster than any violent rampage every could. The Undertaker's entrance was fairly standard, albeit a big deal, considering it was the first time it had been seen for 5 years. Having Paul Bearer back was a nice touch, and Undertaker re-established himself with a comprehensive win over his brother. 'Taker and Kane never did have a classic match together, their brawling styles never meshed well, and at least whomever booked this match seemed to have the understanding that a long, competitive match wouldn't go over well in front of a tired crowd that just wanted some classic Undertaker domination. Kane gets one brief chance at victory after landing a Chokeslam, but completely gives up on winning to laugh instead, which costs him dearly when Undertaker draws on his supernatural powers to begin no-selling, and Kane then falls to a Tombstone Piledriver.
- Main event time, as Chris Benoit looks to fulfill his 18-year dream of finally becoming world champion, challenging Triple H and Shawn Michaels for the gold. It's such a shame that this is a forgotten WrestleMania main event nowadays, because my goodness, it was a barnburner, easily one of my favorite 'Mania closers. These three just go and go and go, and it's almost impossible to recap here, just go and watch it. All three men are consistently involved for pretty much the entire match, there's only a few times where you get more of a singles match, and the drama stays high throughout, as every move seems designed to win it, and each man comes close to doing so on multiple occasions. Benoit is a monster here, poor choice of words on my part, but it's damn accurate, I loved the spot where he just wails away on Triple H to prevent an escape of his triple Germans. Michaels breaks up the Crippler Crossface, which draws some heat, and then it proceeds to go nuclear when he does a German to Benoit, interesting to see Shawn working a bit more heelish for the first time since his return, and it makes sense, as everyone standing in the way of Benoit was going to get booed, so you might as well lean into it. More drama ensues as Benoit lands his diving headbutt, and several close calls follow in the minutes afterward, as Triple H takes Sweet Chin Music, only to be saved when Benoit pulls him out of the ring, and Triple H then stops Michaels from tapping to the Crossface, smartly grabbing his former best friend's hand, great spot. An unholy alliance forms when Michaels and Triple H share a look, then combine to suplex Benoit through the Spanish announce table, and the crowd erupts. That union leads to yet another battle between Shawn and Hunter, which the latter almost wins with a Pedigree, but Benoit returns for the save. The crowd then see the most horrifying possibility possible present itself, as Triple H attempts a Pedigree on Benoit, only for Benoit to counter into a Sharpshooter, which is greeted with a tidal wave of approval. The whole word would love a tap here, but Michaels, in the highlight of the match, runs in to nearly shatter Benoit's jaw with a Sweet Chin Music. It all comes down to this, as Benoit ducks a second Sweet Chin Music, lifting Michaels to the floor, and Triple H again can't get the Pedigree, as Benoit snatches the leg and transitions into the Crippler Crossface. Time stands still as Hunter desperately flails at the ropes, but the champion is powerful, and rolls Benoit into a backslide. But in the moment of the year, Benoit rolls through himself, keeps the Crossface in, and Triple H taps. For the third time in as many months, the audience is electrified at the end result of a WWE pay-per-view, as another new world champion is crowned.
- The show closes with one of the most famous celebrations in history, as Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit, having somehow both found their way to the top, hug it out while holding their hard-earned world titles. Confetti falls, Jim Ross puts over the moment as only he can, bringing up both men's history, and that's the way WrestleMania ends. It's perhaps the most bittersweet moment in all of wrestling, considering how unlikely Guerrero and Benoit were to have this kind of success on this level, and also considering what was to come for both men, both of whom will forever be defined by tragedy.
7/10
2004 Average: 8 (Down from 8.33)
WrestleMania 20 follows in the same formula of the Royal Rumble and No Way Out before it, a very flawed show that featured a historic moment to close out the night. Ultimately, this show's greatest failing was in just how much was stuffed into it, with tons of fluff across these 4 and a half hours. The two world title matches were both classics, and that's enough to get this an excellent score by my standards, but I can't recommend watching this show in it's entirety, it can be a bit of a chore to get through at times, largely thanks to Brock and Bill. Congratulations to anyone that managed to make it through this entire review, this was a long one, and I certainly appreciate your support.
Next time on Henry's Pay-Per-View Reviews: Backlash 2004, featuring a WrestleMania main event rematch, plus a violent street fight between Randy Orton and Mick Foley's heinous alter ego, Cactus Jack. See you soon.
- Henry
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