In the build-up to WrestleMania 32, the Flickering Myth writers look back at previous installments of the ‘Showcase of the Immortals’…
The Card:
The Godfather & D’Lo Brown vs. Big Bossman & Bull Buchanan
WWF Hardcore Title Match: Tazz vs. Viscera vs. Pete Gas vs. Rodney vs. Joey Abs vs. Hardcore Holly vs. TAKA Michinoku vs. Funaki vs. Mosh vs. Thrasher vs. Bradshaw vs. Faarooq vs. Crash Holly (Hardcore Battle Royal)
Steve Blackman & Al Snow vs. T&A w/Trish Stratus
WWF Tag Title Match: Edge & Christian vs. The Hardy Boyz vs. The Dudley Boyz (Triangle Ladder Match)
Terri Runnels w/The Fabulous Moolah vs. The Kat w/Mae Young (Cat Fight)
Eddie Guerrero, Perry Saturn & Dean Malenko vs. Too Cool & Chyna
IC Title Match: Kurt Angle vs. Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit
WWF European Title Match: Kurt Angle vs. Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit
X-Pac & Road Dogg w/Tori vs Rikishi & Kane w/Paul Bearer
WWF Title Match: Mick Foley w/Linda McMahon vs. The Big Show w/Shane McMahon vs. The Rock w/Vince McMahon vs. Triple H w/Stephanie McMahon (Fatal 4-Way Elimination Match)
Lows:
Let’s face it; women’s wrestling has never been given a fair chance at WrestleMania. As of this writing, no women’s match has ever been given more than ten minutes in a WrestleMania ring (although the smart money is on that changing at WrestleMania 32). This isn’t to say there haven’t’ been any entertaining women’s matches, but the good ones are sadly outnumbered by a lot of terrible matches.
This is one of those terrible ones…
Like offensive levels terrible.
The ‘Cat Fight’ between Terri Runnels and The Kat is neither wrestling, nor entertainment. Reviewing this ‘match’ would be a waste of all our time, so instead I’m going to relay the events as they happened, so you can make your own mind’s up. And remember, this is actually what happened:
- Special Guest Referee Val Venis starts the match.
- The Kat & Terri begin to grapple.
- Terri kisses Venis
- The Kat kisses Venis.
- Mae Young (a 77-year-old woman) climbs the apron and attempts to show her breasts
You know what? I’m going to stop there; it only gets worse from that point onwards.
Highs:
There is some great action to enjoy for much of this show, but there are two matches that stand head-and-shoulders above the rest. One is a perfect exhibition from three technically-supreme wrestlers, while the other is a symphony of destruction by three tag teams with a death-wish.
The three-way feud between Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit was beautifully constructed. In the short time he’d been on the roster, Angle had managed to accumulate both the Intercontinental and European Championships, declaring himself the first ever ‘Eurocontinental Champion’.
At ‘Mania, both of those titles would have to be defended in a triple threat match. There would be two falls in this match; whoever won the first fall would leave with the IC title, while the second fall would earn the European belt. All three men were incredible talents, and arguably three of the best technical wrestlers to ever step foot in a WWE ring, so frankly the more falls the better.
The masterstroke here was that Angle would lose both of his titles in one night, without ever being pinned.
Elsewhere on the WrestleMania 2000 card, we witnessed an exhilarating volume of the greatest tag-team saga in wrestling history. If Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon gave the ladder match the ultimate debut at WrestleMania X, then the Hardys, Dudleys, Edge and Christian would certainly take things up a rung (You’re Welcome!).
In a world where ‘TLC’ and ‘Money in the Bank’ are annual pay-per-views (and the multi-man ladder match has become a semi-regular ‘Mania staple), it’s easy to forget just how innovative this match was. These three teams (whose average age was still frighteningly low) would perform death-defying spots, the likes of which were never-before seen in the WWE.
Overview:
People often underestimate WrestleMania 2000, but from a strictly in-ring perspective, it was pretty solid. When fans nostalgically hark back to the Attitude Era, they tend to focus on the memorable storylines and larger-than-life character. What they often neglect to mention is just how good the quality of wrestling was, and WrestleMania 2000 is a prime example of just that.
In addition to the two classic, show-stealing matches I’ve already mentioned, this card has several other matches where the technical ability is noteworthy. The opening tag team bout really set the pace for the rest of the event, while the new acquired Radicalz were able to off their years of experience in their 6-Man Tag match. Even the main event had some exciting action, before the McMahons got involved at the end and made the whole thing a bit rubbish.
Some of the booking decisions may have been a little off-the-mark, but the action between the ropes makes this one worth a revisit.
Jackson Ball – Follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn
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