April 2nd, 2000 from Anaheim, California
Attendance: 19.776
Buys: 824,000
Lilian Garcia sings us in then the opening video focuses more on McMahons than the actual wrestlers they represent. (Be more surprising if it was the other way around to be honest)
Godfather/D'Lo Brown (w/ Ice-T) Vs. Bossman/Buchanan
2 of these never did Mania again, unsure of Bull as he may of been in RTC match at 17 or was it Stevie/Good/Val? This would be strictly pre-show territory today or not even booked at all (I'd go for the latter as doubt these guys bar maybe D'Lo would be hired these days). From Mr. T to Ice though I prefer A Cup Of, still got it, yep I've started watching Happy Days recently (But not now so can't remember this reference but I think it was something Ralph would say). JR says Bossman met Bull in Atlanta, so that's where he went after Truth Commission. D'Lo does some dodging then heel kicks bull. Splash then a leg drop as D'Lo/Godfather where apparently an urban Hardyz. Bull impresses with his agility for a man his size by leaping to the top and clotheslines D'Lo who is then Scissor Kicked for 2 as he's been isolated. Bearhug is applied I believe Mr. Kayfabe Double A called that the most boring move ever, got to agree with The Enforcer there. Bull hits a Scissor Kick off the top for 3, for some reason I neglected to note who took the fall. ** - Sound tag strategy but boring when used by these guys, average at best.
Tim White explains the Hardcore Rules to the participants on HeAt, there's that many it resembles an NFL huddle.
Hardcore Free For All - Hardcore Title
Goes for 15mins and whoever has the belt at the end of that time is the winner, Tazz, Viscera, Joey Abs, Rodney, Pete Gas, Hardcore Holly, TAKA, Funaki, Mosh, Thrasher, Faarooq, Bradshaw and Crash Holly (c) are in this, I nearly spat my coffee out when I realised Headbangers made a PPV in 2000 I'd of bet $1,000,000 that they didn't (Being british I wouldn't lose that much these days as a cool 1 mil in $ is about £6.78 post Brexit). Most of these never made another Mania appearance and Crash's one was only running in after Spike in 2002 unsure on Hardcore and Viscera as they may of been in 23s ECW tag match but don't think they were. I'm typing this up out of my review book and unfortunately at that time I declined to review the action as it's just fighting around ringside and backstage but I did write the order of the title changes so here goes - Viscera - Funaki - Rodney - Joey Abs - Thrasher - (a bloody) Pete Gas - Tazz - Crash, then the controversial ending as you see Hardcore apparently wasn't meant to get 3 but Tim White counted 3. Someone screwed up. Don't know what to give it really so **. 9 never made a Mania appearance again, 10 if you base it on matches as stated Crash does a run-in at 18. I base it on matches so 10 as i'm not counting X-Pac either.
We see WWF Axxess and I think this is the first Axxess as 99 had the Rage Party. Of note HBK, Austin and Taker were at Axxess but not Mania itself.
Blackman tells Al Snow not to do something stupid. (Should of told him to wrestle a good match on the night instead)
Head Cheese (w/ Chester McCheeserton) Vs. T&A (w/ Trish)
Head Cheese Vs. T&A were these names done by sophomores? (Did Vince Russo leave potential tag names around Titan Towers in 99 that someone stumbled upon?) It's amazing how much Trish improved through the 2000s I would lean towards giving her 'Most Improved' of the 00s award but someone on Twitter mentioned Angle which is a good shout. Two of these never did Mania again. JRs headsets gone out, wish i'd though of that .... still got it (Don Most getting more promotion than the wrestling man!). Al Snow is double teamed but he does soon get 2 on Albert off an enziguri. Good lord Steve Blackman did a diving headbutt I can picture security backstage holding Benoit back. Crowds dead. JR uses his this match sucks code of 'Bowling Shoe Ugly' what has he got against bowling shoes I demand their union sue him. Head Cheese Decapitation gets 2 on Test. An elbow from the top gets Test 3 on Blackman. Post match - Al and Steve attack Chester. *1/2 - Boring and honestly *1/2 seems generous.
Kat is naked backstage but we get some strategically placed items.
Triangle Ladder Match - Dudleyz (c) Vs. Edge & Christian Vs. Hardyz
Triangle is the name used as TLC was born for the SummerSlam encounter. Nowadays ladder matches a lot of time feature spots pretty cliched now but this is what started it all so things may seem common place here but this is where they first happened like how Benoit/Sullivan at GAB 96 was pretty groundbreaking, at least for WCW/WWF, but over time got thrown in with the matches that followed when it was really the birth point. Not only did all of these appear at Mania again they had the same match a year later. I have noted the moves on show and feel it should be done it bullet point form if not for the space it would take up. Jeff does a 450' but hits a ladder as Bubba moves. Edge rides a ladder onto a sandwiched Matt. Bubba does the ladder spin bit. Christian leaps off a ladder onto Matt and Bubba who are ringside. Edge Spears Jeff off a ladder, a year later they'd one up themselves as Edge Speared Jeff from the heavens at 17. Christian is Bubba Cuttered off a ladder. Hardyz hit their splash/leg drop onto Bubba but do it off of ladders. D-Von is superplexed off a ladder by E&C. All six are on ladders now as Jeff and Christian are pushed over the top rope, i'd hate to do that. Bubba and Michael Clark Duncan, RIP, exchange words at ringside. Dudleyz place
a table across two ladders, that becomes important later. D-Von goes to headbutt Jeff through a table but he moves but Bubba makes amends by powerbombing Matt off the SAT and through a table. Bubba sets a huge ladder in the aisle but Christian lays him out on a table and Jeff kind of Swantons Bubba through it, it was 5% on Bubba 95% onto the floor, I think that's the one where backstage clip reveals he hurt himself on it. Matt and Christian are on the table platform the Dudleyz made earlier, that's got a ring of Blue Peter to it, and Matt is flipped off it through a table by Edge who along with Christian pulls down the Tag Titles. **** - This and the TLC I and II were **** affairs but I do have to ask was it worth it when you consider the problems most suffer now from these type of matches almost feel guilty for liking it. This blew my mind when I saw it then I recovered and it got re-blown when I saw the SummerSlam re-match which incidentally is my fave of the trilogy involving these tandems. (SummerSlam - WM 17 - WM 16)
Special Ref/ Val Venis - The Kat Vs. Terri Runnels
Basically a two women battle royal as first to throw opponent out wins. A buffer match for fans to get their jaws back in place and me to have my cereal as I don't review stuff like this. Terri won.
Advert for WM 17 plays then we see Eddy, Dean and Perry converse as do Chyna and Too Cool.
Radicalz Vs. Too Cool/Chyna
Fair to say Benoit was earmarked for success already over the other three, you know when you buy something and you get something free with it that you generally just toss aside well that's how I think WWF felt about Saturn and to an extent Malenko when they got Benoit and Guerrero from WCW. Too Cool are proof that Vince still had that Midas touch in 2000 as they didn't amount to much in 1998 when they were funnily enough called Too Much, 3 of these appeared at a subsequent Mania but Perry gets the Crash Holly treatment as he was only Eddies corner man at X7 though his hat from then holds a special place in my heart. Sexay and Chyna suplex Dean. Eddie cheapshots Chyna but Sexay suplexes him to outside. Double Worm to Perry and Dean. Scotty superplexes as Eddie as Dean wonders of how to counter such a maneuver, see Backlash 2000 for the answer and cause that PPV is brilliant. Chyna goes all Great Muta. Testicular Claw, which is mive that finished Mankind at No Mercy 1999 and also move 539 of Deans 1000. Sleeper Style DDT gets Chyna 3 on Eddie, as stated earlier this is being typed from a review already penned so I can't remember how the hell a Sleeper DDT works, unless I genuinely misnamed it. **1/2 - It was one of them matches which isn't great but by no means bad, good filler if you will.
Shane bigs up Big Show.
IC/Euro - Chris Benoit Vs. Chris Jericho Vs. Kurt Angle (c and c)
Kurt holds both belts and the first fall is for the IC Title and second is for the European Title. All three made Mania appearances again well 18-20 had at least one of these in the main event. We see Angle attack Bob backlund on HeAt as he's the reason both belts are being defended. Benoit stops Jericho hitting his springboard dropkick. Angle flapjacks Y2J onto the ring steps but he responds in the ring with a double underhook backbreaker. They take turns breaking pins up. Jericho gets 2 on Angle off a bulldog. Benoit wins the IC Title with a Diving Headbutt and I love it as he straight away goes for the pin again to try and claim the European strap but Angle manages to break that one up. I thought we were getting their take on the Tower Of Doom spot as a german and belly-to-back off the top was on the cards but alas no. Benoit breaks up the Walls on Angle. Jericho reverts to his Dubya-Cee-Dubya days with a double powerbomb on Angle. Benoit hits rolling germans on Jericho and bridges the third one but it only gets a 2 count. Ref Bump as Jericho forearms Tim White who doesn't then see Jericho tapping to the Crossface, Jericho recovers and applies the Walls but Angle hits him with a Title. Benoit misses a Diving Headbutt and Jericho Lionsaults a wounded Benoit for the 3 count and the European Title. Angle is protected as he loses both belts but neither fall and Benoit is shown some respect as he had both titles won when he made Jericho tap but the ref was down. *** Okay triple threat, not fantastic or ground breaking but certainly not bad either. Was it as good as it could've been? I'm not sure. In the extras the three of them provide commentary on the match separately with Kevin Kelly. Nice protection of Angle as well as he loses both belts but no falls, I think Jericho lost his the next night on RAW when Chyna helped Eddie, if not on the following RAW it certainly happened prior to Backlash.
Vince McMahon says tonight he'll make it right, hmmm foreshadowing are we Vinnie?, then HHH is angry in his locker room but being around Stephanie would probably make Buddists angry.
X-Pac/Road Dogg (w/ Tori) Vs. Rikishi/Kane (w/ Paul Bearer)
X-Pac and Kane had been rivals since the break up of their team in late 1999 but how Rikishi fits in this I can't remember. Kane appeared at subsequent Manias whilst the others did not (Either I wrote this ages ago or forgot about Mania 30 but Road Dogg wrestled there). Kane grabs Tori but X-Pac makes the save. Stink Face to Road Dogg. DX leave but are caught in the aisle. Bronco Buster to Rikishi. Flapjack into a Diamond Cutter lays out X-Pac and Rikishi busts out a WrestleMania roll to tag in Kane. X-Pac avoids a Stink Face but Tori doesn't and Kane pins X-Pac after a Tombstone. Must note I met Rikishi at Wales Comic Con in 2014 and will meet X-Pac if I go this November. Post match a San Diego Chicken runs down, JR says it's Pete Rose, it dances with Too Cool and Rikishi as Kane and Paul Bearer look on then Pete Rose runs down with a ball bat but is Chokeslammed and Stink Faced as this drew a line under both of Kane's rivalries with X-Pac and Pete Rose. Kane wouldn't appear on PPV again until the WWF Title 6-Man tag at KOTR 2000. ** - Meh.
Rock is interviewed by Kevin Kelly.
WWF Title - Triple-H (c) (w/ Stephanie) Vs. The Rock (w/ Vince) Vs. Big Show (w/ Shane) Vs. Mick Foley (w/ Linda)
Rock won the Rumble on a controversial finish then Big Show won the WM Title Shot off Rock at No Way Out thanks to Shane then it got made into a triple threat and then Linda appeared on RAW and put Mick Foley, who was retired by HHH at No Way Out into the main event so we could have all McMahons involved. The build up made it seem like the four wrestlers were the cornermen, not the last time Stephanie would overshadow a Mania main event. I love HHHs My Time theme, Big Show goes through his power repertoire early as he is on top. Foley stops HHH getting Chokeslammed then all three team up on Big Show, weird seeing Rock and HHH team up. Foley uses a chair on Show then Rock Rock Bottoms Show eliminating him from the match already. HHH tries to form an alliance with Foley then with Rock but it backfires as Rock and Sock beat on Hunter. Foley gets the Barbed Wire 2-by-4 but HHH disarms him and uses it on him. Mick fires back with a Double Arm DDT and now Sockos here, Mandible Claw leaves HHH easy prey for a title shot. Peoples Elbow is signalled but Mandible Claw is applied. Double Arm DDT on Rock gets a 2 count. Foley and HHH team up on Rock but can't put him away, Rock is laid on the announce table as Mick comes off the middle rope for an elbow drop but misjudges it and bounces off the announce table as he came up short, I had to pause the DVD as I had tears from laughing though being a Foley fan I did feel bad, HHH elbows Rock through the table himself. Foley is Pedigreed but it only gets 2, good near fall there, HHH swings a chair like a ball bat then kind of Pedigrees Foley on a chair and Mick Foley is gone leaving it Rock Vs. HHH, nice pop as Foley leaves he then sees HHH on the titantron so goes back and hits him with the Barbed Wire 2-by-4. Rock has the ring steps but HHH blocks it with a chair, like a lethal Rock-Paper-Scissors or Roshambo. Rock is piledrivered onto the ring steps, bit of a quick recovery from that as soon a Rock Bottom and a Pedigree are avoided. After some fighting in the crowd then Vince attacks HHH but Shane attacks Vince which cuts him. Back to Rock/HHH now. Vince swerves and hits Rock with a chair then does it again and HHH pins Rock to retain the title, the first heel to do so. Rock comes back to cut through the McMahons, big pop for Rock Bottom to Stephanie then he Peoples Elbows her, I assume this was to hope fans forget the fact HHH retained. *** - For me the match dipped after Foley's elimination as the crowd fighting felt unnecessary and the Vince, Shane stuff brought the match to a stand still and it did drag towards the end. Not bad but disappointing and the result ends a subpar Mania on a low, you can justify it by mentioning the following PPV Backlash where Rock won the title and I believe got a good buyrate but that doesn't effect this match itself.
20 / 40 - The PPV was subpar so .500 may seem okay but 10 of the *s came from three matches on a eight match card which says how bad the rest was. I would give this a thumbs down as the main event and triple threat are good but not must see and the Triangle Match while good aswell is overshadowed by it's predecessors so thumbs down here from me. I'd recommend watching the PPV that follows this as there Rock wins the WWF Title, Tag Title match is good and Dean drags Scotty II Hotty to a near classic. 21 of these never wrestled at Mania again.
Thumbs down.
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