Here’s Part 16 of our WrestleMania Retrospective series, looking back at past WrestleMania events as we march towards WrestleMania 29 on April 7th
WrestleMania 2000 (2000)
Tagline: First Ever Fatal Four Way
Sponsor: M&Ms Crispy
Date: April 2, 2000
Venue: Arrowhead Pond, Anaheim, California
Attendance: 18,034
The Star-Spangled Banner: Lilian Garcia
The Undertaker’s Streak: 8-0 (Did not compete)
WrestleMania 2000 (chronologically known as WrestleMania XVI) was the sixteenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). It was presented by Snickers and took place on April 2, 2000 at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California.
The main event was a four-way elimination match for the WWF Championship involving reigning champion Triple H, The Rock, Mick Foley, and The Big Show, which Triple H won after last eliminating The Rock. Main matches on the undercard included a triangle ladder match for the WWF Tag Team Championship involving Edge and Christian, The Hardy Boyz, and The Dudley Boyz, and a two-fall triple threat match for the WWF Intercontinental and European Championships involving Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho, and Chris Benoit.
Many critics site this as one of the worst WrestleMania’s of all time, with only the Tag team Ladder Match getting excellent reviews. The only one-on-one match w was a Cat fight between Terri and The Kat.
The second main feud heading into the event was between Edge and Christian versus The Hardy Boyz (Matt and Jeff Hardy) versus The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von) for the World Tag Team Championship in a Triangle Ladder match. On the January 17 edition of Raw, Jeff Hardy was scheduled to face Bubba Ray Dudley in a match. The match saw Jeff pinning Bubba Ray after delivering a Swanton Bomb. After the match, the Dudley’s attacked the Hardy Boyz, in which they powerbombed Matt on top of a table. On the January 20 edition of SmackDown!, Matt was placed in a match again D-Von Dudley. The win was given to Matt, after a disqualification took place. Jeff and Bubba Ray made their way to the ring, in which both teams began brawling against one another. Bubba Ray prepared to powerbomb Matt into a table, that was set up by the Dudley’s. Bubba Ray, however, was hit by Jeff with a chair, causing him to fall onto the tables. The Hardy’s then set up a table of their own and put D-Von on it, and Matt proceeded to perform a legdrop on D-Von through the table. At the Royal Rumble, the Hardy’s defeated the Dudley’s in a tag team tables match. The following night after the Royal Rumble, the Dudley’s showed respect towards the Hardy’s in which they would help them defeat the New Age Outlaws for the World Tag Team Championship. In return, the Hardy’s would have to grant the Dudley’s a title shot at the Tag Team Championship. During the tag title match, the Dudley’s stopped the three count, after the Hardy’s had the match in their favor and allowing the Outlaw’s to retain the titles. After the match, the Dudley’s then went onto perform the 3-D on them.
In The WWF Tag Team Championship triangle ladder match involving The Hardy Boyz, Edge and Christian, and champions The Dudley Boyz . Edge and Christian first gained the advantage after Edge climbed the top rope and speared Jeff, who was climbing a ladder. Edge and Christian were then given consecutive 3-D’s by The Dudley Boyz. The Dudley Boyz then brought tables into the ring and onto ringside, where D-Von splashed Jeff through a table in the ring, while Bubba powerbombed Matt through another at ringside. The Hardy Boyz would then retaliate after Jeff delivered a Swanton bomb off a ladder onto Bubba, through a table. As Jeff did so, Matt climbed a ladder, along with Edge and Christian, who pushed Matt off the ladder through a table. The situation allowed Edge and Christian to reach and grab the championship belts that were hung from the rafters, thus gaining their first ever the Tag Team Championship.
Before the main event of WrestleMania 2000, the tag team encounter between Kane and Rikishi against D-Generation X (X-Pac and Road Dogg). Shortly into the match Rikishi delivered a Diamond cutter onto X-Pac, which proceeded into Kane delivering a Tombstone piledriver into a pinfall for the win. The San Diego chicken came out to celebrate with Kane and Rikishi. Thinking that it was Baseball great Pete Rose, Kane went to attack the chicken. While the real Pete Rose came into the ring, with a baseball bat. Rikishi took the bat out of Rose’s hand, to allow Kane to give a chokeslam by kane, followed by a Rikishi Stinkface.
The main feud heading into WrestleMania was between Triple H, The Rock, Mick Foley, and The Big Show, with the four feuding over the WWF Championship. At the Royal Rumble two months prior, The Rock won the Royal Rumble match to become the number one contender to the WWF Championship at WrestleMania by last eliminating The Big Show, and Triple H defeated Cactus Jack (Mick Foley) in a Street fight to retain the WWF Championship. The proceeding month at No Way Out, The Big Show defeated The Rock to gain entry into the WWF Championship match at WrestleMania. Also at the event, Triple H defeated Foley in a Hell in a Cell match to retain the WWF Championship. Per the pre-match stipulation, Foley had to retire from professional wrestling. On the March 13 edition of Raw is War, The Rock managed to win back his title shot by defeating The Big Show with help from a returning Vince McMahon, thus making the WWF Championship match a Triple Threat match. Then, the following week, after Triple H retained his title against both The Rock and The Big Show, Linda McMahon came out announced that he would be defending his belt in a Fatal Four-Way match against not only The Rock and The Big Show, but also Mick Foley.
The main event was a WWF Championship four-way elimination match involving The Big Show (with Shane McMahon), Mick Foley (with Linda McMahon), The Rock (with Vince McMahon), and the defending champion, Triple H (with Stephanie McMahon). In the beginning of the match, Show press slammed Triple H and Rock; however, all three competitors then attacked Show. The situation allowed The Rock to eliminate Show, after delivering a Rock Bottom into a pinfall. After the elimination, Foley delivered a double arm DDT on Triple H. Though, Triple H retaliated as he performed two consecutive Pedigrees, and hitting Foley with a steel chair into a pinfall, thus Foley was eliminated. After Foley was eliminated, The Rock and Triple H brawled in and out of the ring with neither superstar gaining the advantage over one another. Although, Triple H gained the advantage when Vince hit The Rock with a steel chair two consecutive times, thus turning Vince heel. The attack with the steel chair allowed Triple H to pin The Rock to retain the WWF Championship. After the match The Rock gave the Rock Bottom to Vince, Shane and Stephanie McMahon, before giving Stephanie a People’s Elbow.
The Undertaker
After SummerSlam (1999), The Undertaker suffered a groin tear and was seen limping in several matches. He avoided competing in wrestling matches in the following weeks, instead tyrannically ordering The Big Show to fight all his battles and oblige all his many wishes. To compensate for his lack of physical action, Undertaker became more vocal on the mic, often making smart-aleck remarks and performing commentary at the announcer’s table.
In an angle that occurred in September 1999 on SmackDown!, Undertaker was fired by Mr. McMahon in a backstage interview when he refused to participate in a casket match against Triple H. In actuality, Undertaker went on a four month hiatus from WWF in order to treat his groin injury.
In January 2000, one month before a scheduled return at the Royal Rumble, he tore a pectoral muscle. He would remain out until May 200, missing WrestleMania 2000
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Also absent from WrestleMania 2000 was Stone Cold Steve Austin. When Survivor Series 1999 rolled around, Triple H was the WWF champion. Austin was booked into a Triple Threat match for the Championship against Triple H and The Rock. However, Austin was run down by a car in the parking lot. What followed was neck surgery by Dr. Lloyd Youngblood and a nine-month rehabilitation. Stone Cold Steve Austin would at the end of April 2000, at backlash assisting The Rock in defeating Triple H To win the WWF Championship.
WrestleMania 2000 Results
• The Big Boss Man and Bull Buchanan defeated The Godfather and D’Lo Brown (with Ice-T and The Godfather’s hos). Tag team match 09:05
• Hardcore Holly won by last defeating Crash Holly (c).[Note 1] Hardcore battle royal for the WWF Hardcore Championship 15:00
• T & A (Test and Albert) (with Trish Stratus) defeated Head Cheese (Al Snow and Steve Blackman) (with Chester McCheeserton).
• Edge and Christian defeated The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von) (c) and The Hardy Boyz (Matt and Jeff). Triangle Ladder match for the WWF Tag Team Championship. 22:29
• Terri Runnels (with The Fabulous Moolah) defeated The Kat (with Mae Young). Catfight with special guest referee Val Venis
• Too Cool (Grand Master Sexay and Scotty 2 Hotty) and Chyna defeated The Radicalz (Eddie Guerrero, Perry Saturn and Dean Malenko). Six-person intergender tag team match
• First fall: Chris Benoit defeated Kurt Angle (c) and Chris Jericho.
Second fall: Chris Jericho defeated Kurt Angle (c) and Chris Benoit. Two-fall Triple Threat match for the WWF Intercontinental (first fall) and European Championships (second fall)
• Rikishi and Kane (with Paul Bearer) defeated D-Generation X (X-Pac and Road Dogg) (with Tori).
• Triple H (c) (with Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley) defeated The Rock (with Vince McMahon), Mick Foley (with Linda McMahon) and The Big Show (with Shane McMahon). Four-Way Elimination match for the WWF Championship
