Royal Rumble 2000

  ROYAL RUMBLE 2000

- One of my top 10 PPVs of all time, possibly even no. 1 (Editors note - no. 1 may be a stretch too far)

- January 23rd 2000,  New York. (MSG)

Kurt Angle Vs. TBA

 Angle says if NY waited for Knicks to win a title we'd be waiting forever, to be fair 15 (22!) years later and he's not wrong so far (I will have to edit this every year they don't win). The TBA (To Be Announced) turns out to be Taz to a pop. Taz backdrops Angle to the outside where Kurt suplexes him in the entrance way. Overhead release belly-to-belly by Angle but Tazz responds with one of his own but off the top rope. Bridged german gets Angle 2. Couple of nice suplexes by Taz then a T-Bone suplex leads to the Tazmission. Angle doesn't tap as he gets choked out. *** - Short but sweet, in the time they were given you couldn't expect much more, got the point across of Taz being a badass. WWF should've booked him like this more.

Tag Team Tables Match - Dudleys Vs. Hardyz
 Both teams must be put through a table via offensive manoeuvres. Bubba cuts a cheap heat promo pre-match he references a baseball player but that goes right over my head. Bubba Bomb to Jeff then he gets a table. Matt moves a table to save Jeff. Chairshot to Bubba, then Jeff runs across guardrail but Bubba throws a table at him. Double superplex to Bubba but D'Von moved the table saving Bubba, but he does get eliminated when Matt goes up a ladder after putting Bubba on a table and leg drops him through as Jeff comes literally out of nowhere to splash him aswell, that was an awesome camera angle. 'Holy Shit' chant. Matt legdrops himself through a table as D'Von moves then Jeff just flings himself through a table also missing D'Von, that was insane by Jeff, neither are eliminated though. Matt gets powerbombed through a table so now it's Jeff and D'Von left. Dudleys beat on Hardyz in entranceway as Bubba sets up 4 tables. Jeff and Bubba fight above the entranceway where Jeff uses a chair to knock Bubba off the top and through the 4 tables, I loved that when I watched the PPV live, then cause Jeffs a crazy bastard he Swantons off the entrance putting D'Von through a table. **** Awesome, best tables match ever for me. Some of the chairshots were sick which I find hard to watch due to concussions etc. This match along with Hardyz v Edge/Christian ladder from No Mercy '99 were the prototypes in a way for the TLC matches.

Mae Young wins a swimsuit contest, this is 12 words to long. (Editors Note - This segment is what put Channel 4 off renewing their WWF Deal which ran until December 2001 PPV and so because of this I couldn't watch WWF/E PPVs after Vengeance 2001) (well I saw SummerSlam 2002 as I was budgie sitting and HIAC 2013 was shown in a pub but prior to the Network these were my last live PPVs)

Coach is at WWF New York, i'm pretty sure this is his debut. He's almost crushed by the fans.

Intercontinental Title - Hardcore Holly Vs. Chris Jericho (c) Vs. Chyna (c)
 Y2J and Chyna were co IC champions as they pinned each other in a match, I had to go to twitter to remember why Hardcore was in the match cause I couldn't remember, he was in a match V Chyna that Jericho interfered in.
 Holly pushes Chyna down and beats on Jericho, dropkick by Holly. Hurricanrana is countered to a Walls Of Jericho but Chyna breaks it up. Holly, Chyna fight on outside as Y2J crossbodys over onto them. Handspring elbow by Chyna. Holly gets a chair cause you know he's Hardcore but Chyna dropkicks it in his face. Seem to be in slow motion as Chyna punches Y2J. Pedigree to Hardcore gets 2. Chyna crotches both of them up top, I expected a Tower Of Doom spot there. Chyna superplexes Holly but he cradles her for 2, you dont see that spot often. Chyna does Walls Of Jericho to Holly so Y2J bulldogs her and gets 3 via Lionsault. Jericho is undisputed IC champion. **1/2 - I wasn't feeling it., seemed to me like they were going through the motions, probably to help Chyna.

WWF Tag Titles - New Age Oulaws (c) Vs. Acolytes
 NAOs penultimate PPV together (this was written pre their brief comeback whenever that was, 2014?), the tag division was transitioning from NAO, Acolytes to Hardyz, Dudleyz, Edge & Christian.  Acolytes dominate from the off. Fallaway Slam to Billy and a powerslam to Dogg. Faarooq gets shake rattle and rolled by Dogg. Billy misses a splash and gets spun about 1080' by a Clothesline From Hell. Ref Bump! then X-Pac runs in after Dogg gets double powerbombed and heel kicks Bradshaw who gets Fame-Assered by Billy for 3. * Shortened due to time constraints, I dont necessarily want to see APA/NAO but i'd rather see more of this than Mae Young.

WWF Title - Street Fight - Cactus Jack Vs. Triple-H (c)

 My fave match of all time (Debatable actually; this is maybe my sentimental favourite due to watching it at the time, whereas my actual favourite is possibly Savage/Warrior from Mania VII. This is still up there though regardless). Mankind was fired by McMahon-Helmsley regime as he lost a pink slip on a pole match with Rock, on the first RAW of the new millennium HHH won WWF title off Big Show, a mercy killing for that title reign really. Rock along with the WWF roster demanded Foley be re-hired. This led to a 6 man tag on RAW is WAR where Mankind got his bottom kicked. On SMACKDOWN! Mankind transitioned to Cactus Jack and thus here we are.

 Trash talking to start then punches are traded then Cactus neckbreakers HHH on the outside. HHH has a chair in the ring and dares Ccatus to enter, of course he does and gets a chair upside his head. Cactus backdrops HHH into the crowd where they fight back to the entrance way, Cactus sets up wooden pallets and suplexes HHH onto them causing a pretty bad gash/hole in HHHs leg. There's a 'Boring' chant, either due to the fact fans cant see them or they're idiots. Cactus does his corner knee into the ring steps which looked sick. Cactus goes under the ring and brings out a 2-by-4 in barbed wire, HHH lowblows him though and gets some shots on him with the 2-by-4. Earl Hebner gives the 2-by-4 to Spanish announcers, he got serious heel heat for that. Cactus gets it back though, well I say it but it's a rubberised ringer or something. HHH gets in the face and is busted bad, Cactus doesn't help matters by pushing it into HHHs head over the top rope. On the announce table HHH backdrops Cactus but the table doesn't break properly. Back in as Pedigree is countered into a slingshot then HHH is bulldogged onto the 2-by-4. Cactus clothesline sends them ringside but he gets hiptossed into the ringsteps, that must've hurt his leg. HHH targets Cactus' knee, then handcuffs him, like Rock did Foley at the previous Rumble, Cactus gets some offence using his legs, head and mouth. HHH hits Cactus in the back and part of the chair breaks off, thankfully the chairshots aren't as sick as Rocks were but then again they were fucking sick I find them hard to watch, speaking of Rock he appears and knocks down HHH then Cactus gets uncuffed. HHH is piledriven on announce table but it doesn't break. Cactus goes under the ring again and produces a bag of thumbtacks but it backfires as he is backdropped onto them. One of my fave childhood memories now as HHH Pedigrees Cactus but it gets 2, I as a big Foley fan thought he'd go on to win it here, HHH ups the ante by Pedigreeing Ccatus into thumbtacks for 3. ***** - It's not my favourite match for nothing. This will never be topped for me (about that) as it's not only fantastic but I like it for sentimental reasons, Royal Rumble 2000 was the 1st PPV 10 year old me stayed up till 4am or so to watch. This elevated HHH to proper maineventer, something his Stone Cold feud didn't do .... unsurprisingly.

Royal Rumble Match - When me and my mate talk wrestling in the pub, I badmouth this match as it was too predictable, but i'll review it neutrally. Also earlier on Rock said he might win if he gets past Crash Holly and Headbanger Mosh.

 #1 D'lo Brown, #2 Grand Master Sexay JR: 'Some say GMS got a bad break at birth' not much happens beyond a hurricanrana by Sexay #3 Mosh TAKA Michinoku and Funaki (Kaientai) run out but get tossed. #4 Christian not much happens and no one is yet eliminated #5 Rikishi, I smell eliminations. Goodbye Mosh, Christian, 'Kishi no sells a D'lo leg drop, Rikishi Driver (Greetings From Asbury Park if your a WCW fan) then D'lo is gone. #6 Scotty II Hotty he, GMS and 'Kish are allies they start dancing until Rikishi turns on the pair and dumps them, Scotty, Sexay gone. #7 Steve Blackman he gets some offence for a few seconds but a 'Kishi Driver ends his night, Blackman gone. #8 Viscera these two actually paired up at Armageddon 1999, belly-to-belly by Vis then a legrop but he misses a cornersplash and gets superkicked then shouldertackled over, Viscera gone. #9 Big Bossman but he doesn't get in with Rikishi until #10 Test fights him into the ring. #11 British Bulldog nothing noteworthy happens #12 Gangrel, Kaientai run in again but are soon tossed out, TAKA lands on his face getting injured and giving Jerry Lawler joke material all night. #13 Edge he staves off elimination by poking Bulldogs eyes but nothing much else happens. #14 Bob Backlund, he was running for congress or something at this time. Everyone teams to dump Rikishi, crowd boo that. #15 Chris Jericho who dropkicks Backlund out, he then leaves through crowd. #16 Crash Holly who gets spanked by Edge who himself is almost eliminated soon after. #17 Chyna she goes for Jericho and suplexes him out but Bossman then eliminates her, Chyna, Jericho eliminated. #18 Faarooq is here but gets attacked by Mean Street Posse and dumped by Bossman, Faarooq gone. Test sits in the corner. #19 Road Dogg who pummels Test until he gets lowblowed, Crash is almost eliminated. #20 Al Snow Road Dogg eliminates his fellow Dog Bull #21 Val Venis Funaki runs in again but gets tossed, which segues to a replay TAKAs elimination. Road Dogg employs a strategy Albert Einstein would've been proud of and hangs onto the bottom rope. #22 Prince Albert as Edge is eliminated by Val Venis, I think Bossman has fell asleep in the corner. #23 Hardcore Holly 9 people in the ring but not much happening. #24 The Rock to a pop, but he only eliminates Bossman via a spit punch then Al Snow attacks him via had a brief 'feud' in late 99. #25 Billy Gunn who goes for Rock. Crash is dumped by Rock. #26 Big Show I sense eliminations Gangrel, Test are eliminated. #27 Bradshaw Mean Street Posse attack him but he cleans house but Bradshaw gets eliminated via New Age Outlaws. #28 Kane Venis goes for Kane cause he's an idiot but gets chokeslammed over goodbye Venis. #29 Godfather he should have Royal hoes for the Rumble, Funaki is thrown out one last time. #30 X-Pac Godfather is dumped by Big Show, Al Snow via Rock. Billy eliminated Dogg but Kane then eliminates Billy. NAO attack Kane which distracts the ref so they dont see X-Pac get eliminated by Rock so he sneaks back in. FINAL FOUR - Kane enziguris Big Show then slams him down. X-Pac dumps Kane. Big Show press slams X-Pac out. Rock spinebusters Show, Peoples Elbow but about 10 seconds later Show is up and Chokeslams Rock. Show puts Rock on his shoulders then goes to dump him but Rock 'skins the cat' and Big Show is eliminated. The Rock wins. *** There was usually something happening but it was generally punch, punch, kick. I liked Road Doggs tactics. It was the best Rumble in a while, (well in a year, I think 98s might of been better) but that's not saying much at all. It was pointless anyway as at No Way Out Big Show beat Rock to go to WrestleMania but that itself got turned into a Fatal 4 Way.

Rumble 2000 stats -

Test lasted longest at 26:55

Faarooq was shortest at 0:29

Rikishi had most eliminations with 7

18.5 / 30 - Solid thumbs up for Rumble 2000, 13 years on and it's still a fav PPV of mine. The rating may of been higher had they not done the swimsuit stuff and given more time to NAO v Acolytes. 

HHH v Cactus is a must see in my opinion and I still think highly of the Tables match.