WrestleMania XX
New York City, NY
Madison Square Garden
March 14, 2004
In the lead up to Wrestlemania XXX, I decided to rewind the clock back 10 years and watch one of my all-time favorite Wrestlemanias. To me, this is one of the rare A+ Manias.
Early 2004 was a really memorable time, in a really good way for me, and I loved the build and hype leading up to this card. The only big disappointment at the time was how little the WWE played up the 20 year significance. With the benefit of hindsight, I’m glad they didn’t do too much more. With the endless nostalgia and part-timers that have been shoved down our throats in recent years, this event featured just the right amount of past greats, with greater focus on current day stars, matches, and feuds. I loved it live, and I’ve come to love it even more with subsequent viewings. This was one of the first DVD sets the WWE released, something they have excelled at over the years, and it was packaged beautifully, along with a disc of extras and bonus matches.
The biggest nostalgia related thing WWE did for this event, which has become one of the great traditions of the past 10 years, was introduce the Hall of Fame ceremony. Previously the WWF had several crappy Hall of Fame ceremonies, in association with King of the Ring, and outside of WWF Magazine, they weren’t really hyped or mentioned.
We kind of overlooked how monumental this Hall of Fame idea was and had no idea how big it would become. I bought the standalone Hall of Fame DVD when it came out later that year (all proceeding years would include the Hall of Fame with the WrestleMania DVD set). It was an extremely unique thing for the WWE to do, and they inducted some of the all time greats in 2004 – guys like Jesse Ventura, Bobby Heenan, Greg Valentine, Sgt. Slaughter, JYD, Tito Santana, etc. – true WWF superstars. What was even more amazing was seeing these guys at WrestleMania 20. It had been years since some of these stars were last seen in the WWF and it was awesome to see the WWE pay tribute to them. In recent years the Hall of Fame has become super political, inducting guys that had nothing to do with the WWF/E (Verne Gange?!? Mil Mascaras?!?) or guys who didn’t need to be inducted right away (Edge, Michaels, Guerrero, Austin), but it’s great how faithful they were in honoring their own greats at these early 20s Manias.
All memories aside, this is a really outstanding top to bottom wrestling card. I’ve always been a pretty big fan of 2003 and early 2004 WWE, and loved the main event pushes of wrestlers like Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero. There was a renewed emphasis on matches, championships, and great workrate – factors which define this era, and really impress me now that I’m so much more of a fan of that great style of wrestling. Sadly, this event has become bittersweet. We all know the fate of Benoit and Guerrero, and just a few months after this card they would no longer be on top, ever again. It’s amazing to see two greats reach the top of the mountain, and finally get rewarded for years of dedicated hard work.
Anyway, on to the event itself!
I really liked that they went back to MSG for Mania 20, just like 1 and 10. It’s the perfect setting for a show of this historical magnitude, and the building just feels electric throughout this card. The set is really awesome too. At the time, I was wondering if they were going to go with a similar opening double XX set of doors, just like at Mania 10, but instead they created an awesome NYC cityscape as a new entrance. Those return of the doors would have been f’n cool though.
The show begins with the Harlem Boys Choir singing America The Beautiful. They probably should have had a bigger name with the choir, but still, it was nice to see this tradition continued in a classy way.
1) John Cena pinned WWE US Champion the Big Show to win the title at 9:13 with the FU after hitting the champion with a pair of brass knuckles
Man, what a way to kickoff WrestleMania 20! It was the launch of a new superstar who seemed primed to be the main event star of the next 10 years. No young star was hotter than Cena at the beginning of 2004. After missing Mania 19 due to injury, Cena makes his Mania debut in the most memorable way possible – first by getting a good power match out of the Big Show, then FU’ing him to a massive pop to win the US title, back when it still meant something. Cena was pegged to be the future of the company, but no one was quite sure just how big his star would get. The match itself is believable power match, and one of Show’s better PPV outings. Cena was still a heelish thug and does one of his trademark insult raps before the match, which gets over huge with the fans. Too bad this Cena has never come back.
2) WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Rob Van Dam & Booker T defeated Mark Jindrak & Garrison Cade, the Dudley Boyz, and Rene Dupree & Rob Conway at 7:55 when RVD pinned Conway with the Five Star Frog Splash after Booker hit the scissors kick
The first of two Tag Team Title four-ways. I’m really happy that they found spots for so many wrestlers on this show. I’m a big fan of these multi-team matches, and the tag team roster was considerably impressive in 2004. This match is all action, and each wrestler gets a turn to get in some good stuff. The champs go over big in the end, which was the right move as the it keeps the electric crowd happy. Really fun match.
3) Christian pinned Chris Jericho at 14:56 with a roll up and using the tights for leverage after Trish Stratus accidentally raked Jericho in the eyes; after the bout, Trish slapped Jericho and left ringside with Christian
I forgot just how damn great this match is. I would maybe put it in my top 10, or close to my top 10 favorite Mania matches of all time. I loved the feud and there’s an excellent video package before the match summarizing the entire storyline, which began with Christian and Jericho making a bet on Stratus over a loonie. Jericho ended up falling for Trish, which enraged jealous Christian and cause him to turn his back on his best friend. I love how in-depth the storylines were for the mid-card feuds at this time. The match itself is phenomenal – two amazing workers who know each other’s moves perfectly. This action is fluid and intense, and greatest of all was the shock ending when Trish Stratus suddenly turns on Chris Jericho and helps Christian win. Christian was awesome as the dick heel, especially as he grabs Trish by the hair and makes out with her at the entrance way. So awesome.
4) WWE IC Champion Randy Orton, Ric Flair, & Batista defeated the Rock & Mick Foley in a handicap match at 17:09 when Orton pinned Foley with the RKO as Foley prepared to apply the Mandible Claw
Here’s a match I hated for years. I was so disappointed by the fact that it wasn’t Orton vs Foley, one on one, as had been built for months. That match would have to wait for another month, and instead we get the rest of Evolution and the Rock thrown into this. The Rock, despite doing a HILARIOUS interview backstage before the match (where he called Rosey and the Hurricane, Grimace and Hamburglar), didn’t bring that much heat to the match. I thought he seemed out of place in this feud and was added to late into the build. What also bugged me was that it was a handicap match. Why have Flair in the match? Or why not add a third wrestler to Rock N’ Sock? It was a small point, but I thought it weakened the match. Watching this now, I actually enjoyed the match for what it was. It was a good performance by Foley, who did a good job despite looking rusty, since it had been 4 years since he last wrestled, and you could tell he was holding back on that something extra. I enjoyed the teamwork of Evolution, especially their dick attitudes and the way they disrespected Foley and Rock throughout. Evolution winning bugged me so much at the time, but really it makes a ton of sense. The WWE was doing the right thing at this time by giving the young stars the needed wins, and in hindsight you could tell they were building Orton up for something big later in the year. This was Randy and Batista’s Mania debuts, and just like Cena, you could tell they were already heading in that superstar direction.
After this match they did a nice individual introduction for each member of the Hall of Fame Class of 2004. It was cool seeing greats like Valentine and Ventura get huge pops from the fans. It really seems ridiculous now that they induct guys like Carlos Colon and pretend to be a “wrestling” hall of fame. Why not just induct your own talent? It’s ridiculous that guys like the Honky Tonk Man and Ravishing Rick Rude aren’t in it, but Nick Bockwinkle is.
5) Torrie Wilson & Sable defeated Stacy Keibler & Jackie Gayda in a Playboy Evening Gown Match when Torrie pinned Jackie with a roll up at 2:41; prior to the bout, all four women disrobed to their bra and panties
Holy f’n shit this was hot! I remember secretly thinking it was great at the time, but since I openly complained about the divas I couldn’t admit how great this was. Keibler and Gayda are smoking, and Wilson and Brock Lesnar’s wife aren’t so bad either. At Sable’s suggestion, they strip out of the evening gowns and down to their bra and panties. It was a fun distraction and much better than a Mountain Dew commercial. Tazz’s commentary during this match is laugh out loud hilarious, but secondary to the hotness in the ring.
6) WWE Cruiserweight Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr. (w/ Chavo Guerrero Sr.) defeated Nunzio, Shannon Moore, Rey Mysterio, Sho Funaki, the Ultimo Dragon, Jamie Noble, Billy Kidman, Tajiri, and Akio in a gauntlet match at 10:38; Dragon pinned Moore with the Asai DDT at 1:18; Noble defeated Dragon via submission with a guillotine; Noble pinned Funaki with an inside cradle; Nunzio was counted-out at 4:15; Kidman pinned Noble at 6:08; Mysterio pinned Kidman at 7:35; Mysterio pinned Tajiri at 8:38; Akio couldn’t pariticpate after Tajiri accidentally blew mist into his face; Chavo pinned Rey by holding onto Chavo Sr. outside the ring
Another great multi-man match at this Mania. Unfortunately this isn’t given much time, but they pack a ton of action into it regardless. The Smackdown cruiserweight scene was excellent throughout 03, but it was starting to run it’s course by this point. Billy Kidman almost kills himself with a botched shooting star to the floor. It’s a really scary looking spot, and Kidman seems to be in rough shape after. The best laughs of this match come from Chavo Classic on the outside. He was a hilarious sidekick for his son, and I enjoyed his antics over the next few months. The ending comes quick as Chavo sneakily beats Mysterio to retain. Too short to be anything great, but entertaining and fun nonetheless.
7) Bill Goldberg pinned Brock Lesnar at 13:48 with the spear and Jackhammer; after the bout, guest referee Steve Austin hit the Stunner on Lesnar before doing the same to Goldberg
This is one of the rare times, prior to the past couple years, that a crowd hijacks a live PPV match with smark chants. Word got out before the show that Lesnar and Goldberg were both leaving the company after this night. What should have been an intense power battle (that had three months of solid build), ended up being a complete stinker that was only memorable for the crowd booing both wrestlers, chanting, and singing “Nananana”. Even Austin is cracking up, and he gets the biggest cheers of the match. I remembered this being somewhat better, but wow does it actually suck. Tons of stalling, non-action, and long restholds sap the energy of the crowd. It goes on forever, and eventually Goldberg wins for no real reason. The highlight comes after the match when Austin first stuns Lesnar, then in the surprise of the night, stuns Goldberg too! Huge pop for Austin for that hilarity.
Vince McMahon comes out to do a short speech next, completely out of character, simply thanking the fans for making Wrestlemania what it is. Seems like it was done on the fly.
8) WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Rikishi & Scotty 2 Hotty defeated the Acolytes, Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas, and Doug & Danny Basham when Rikishi pinned Danny with a sit-down splash at 6:05
The second fatal four way of the night isn’t as good as the first, and isn’t all that memorable. No matter how many times I’ve seen this show, I forget that the Bore-shams were even in this match. Lots of fast paced action and some cool moves, but it never really settles into much of a match. Still, it’s good to see all these teams featured at Wrestlemania.
Another quick segment follows as Jesse the Body Ventura (with his hilarious black beard) comes out to a big pop to interview Donald Trump in the front row. It’s cool how they actually had some of these former Wrestlemania personalities on the card, and it was good that they were used in a subtle way. Jesse says his famous line about a wrestler being in the White House, which lead to nothing, despite the speculation at the time that Jesse would attempt to run for President.
9) WWE Women’s Champion Victoria pinned Molly Holly at 4:56 by reversing a neckbreaker submission hold into a backslide; due to prematch stipulations, Molly had her head shaved bald after the bout
One of my favorite matches and moments from the card that often gets completely overlooked. I think it’s great that they had two women’s matches on this event – one for the eye candy, and one based on a real feud. Molly is gorgeous during this era, and I’ve always been a big fan. Lawler is still making dumb 2002 jokes about Molly’s granny panties (remember that angle lol), but despite the asinine commentary, the action is pretty good. I like that they filled the show with some of these shorter matches, featuring a lot more talent. The finish isn’t spectacular, but the aftermath is great, with Victoria truly shaving Molly bald.
10) WWE World Champion Eddie Guerrero pinned Kurt Angle at 21:30 with an inside cradle and using the ropes for leverage after avoiding the ankle lock by unlacing his boot
Wow, just wow – this match is an instant classic, and completely underrated compared to the main event. Angle and Guerrero were a huge part of the wrestling revolution on Smackdown, and really delivered in the ring during the late 02-mid 04 era. Two of the absolute best on top of their game. We get a 20 minute masterpiece of back and forth wrestling, and a really clever finish that sees Guerrero outsmarting Angle in the end. At the time the finish seemed so surprising, as I remember thinking Angle would be winning the belt, but Guerrero finds a way to steal the win, and continues on as the champ.
11) The Undertaker (w/ Paul Bearer) pinned Kane with the tombstone at 6:56
Matt’s crapped all over this match for years, but I love it. I totally bought into the return of the deadman Undertaker. I remember hearing rumors at least two years prior that the Undertaker was going to go back to his original gimmick, and I just couldn’t wait, because of how much I hated Rollin’ Rollin’ and Booger Red. Sure Taker’s hair wasn’t long enough, and he didn’t completely have the gimmick down yet, but this was fucking awesome just the same. The music, the entrance, the mystique – it was all back. The match was secondary to the spectacle, but it wasn’t actually too bad. One of the better Kane-Taker matches, and the Undertaker wins convincingly in the end. I was afraid the gimmick would be dropped shortly, but he rode forward with it for another 10 plus years.
12) Chris Benoit defeated World Heavyweight Champion Triple H and Shawn Michaels to win the title at 24:07 when Triple H submitted to the Crippler Crossface; after the bout, WWE World Champion Eddie Guerrero came out to congratulate Benoit
What more can be said about this classic? In early 2004 I was shocked Chris Benoit won the Rumble, and even more shocked that he challenged Triple H, rather than go for the obvious Smackdown title. I was immediately pissed when Shawn Michaels inserted himself into the match, as it was a see-through ploy. I loved Benoit at the time, and thought for sure he would be screwed over by Michaels and HHH and I bitched and complained about this all the way up to bell time. All my doubts and fears were erased as these three tore the house down in MSG. It was literal edge of your seat excitement, as the match beautifully laid out situations where any one of the three could win. Michaels bled a sick amount – just a disgusting amount of blood – and Triple H wasn’t far behind. This just added to the intensity and insanity of this triple threat. As it wore on, it looked more and more like HHH was going over, but in the shock of shocks, he taps out to Chris Benoit! The crowd had been solidly behind Benoit, even booing Michaels, and go absolutely bananas for the finish. It’s one of the greatest endings in Wrestlemania history, especially as Benoit cries real tears and Eddie Guerrero comes down to celebrate with his best friend. Despite how great this all is, it’s now tainted with a horrible dark shadow. It’s hard to enjoy the moment when you think about what Benoit would do a few short years later. Was his mind already ruined at this point? The wrestlers who knew him best like Chris Jericho and Hardcore Holly say no, it wasn’t, that Chris Benoit only changed following the death of Eddie Guerrero. We’ll never really know, so it’s best to enjoy this moment thinking about Chris Benoit the wrestling character – not Chris Benoit the real life piece of garbage. In the context of the world of wrestling, this is one of the greatest endings to a Wrestlemania ever.
the RepoDan Wrestling Institution 