Frootbrute

Wrestlemania 2000 was definitely a misfire during a very hot time for the WWF with no single matches and a really weak main event. However, the next month was the terrific Backlash 2000, and the main event of that event including the ending with Stone Cold returning to lay waste to the McMahon Helmsley regime was so perfectly booked, I almost wonder if that was the original plan for WM but Austin wasn't fit to perform, hence the 4 way mess we did get with heel HHH going over. Does anyone know if this was the case or did they just want a bigger buyrate for the april PPV?

Either way, a card resembling more closely the Backlash 2000 one would have made for a sure fire top tier mania, this is a card I rebooked for another thread.

WRESTLEMANIA 2000

WWF Title: Triple H w/McMahons vs The Rock
Rock gets his big Mania title win and avenges Foley's retirement.

Kane and Rikishi vs DX

IC Title: Chris Benoit vs Chris Jericho

Kurt Angle vs Big Show
Showster coming out to real American here would be one of the funniest moments in Mania history.

Tag Team Titles Triple Threat Ladder Match: Dudley's vs Hardyz vs Edge and Christian

European Title: Eddie Guerrero vs Val Venis w/ Special Ref Chyna

These two both had similar lothario gimmicks and could have had a solid match. Chyna is made ref as both could have been making unsuccessful advances towards her leading up to this, and she could join Eddie afterwards

Women's title bra and panties match: The Kat (c) w/Mae Young vs Terri w/Fabulous Moolah

Hardcore Title Six Man Challenge: Crash Holly (c) vs Hardcore Holly vs Tazz vs Al Snow vs Steve Blackman vs Perry Saturn

Would probably be a pretty cool hardcore brawl with a lot less filler than the overstuff battle royal we did get.

Light Heavyweight title: Dean Malenko vs Essa Rios w/Lita

This match gets all the titles on the ppv and both men always had nice chemistry. Malenko taps Rios in a short match for the win.

16 man tag team battle royal: Too Cool vs The APA vs Test and Albert vs Godfather and D'lo Brown vs Big Bossman and Bull Buchanon vs Viscera and Mideon vs Kai en Tai vs Headbangers

What do you all think of these two shows?

Patrick Bateman

WM 2000 was a let down, except for the main event.

holt_hogan

He wasn't fit at all. Rock was originally scheduled to get the strap at WM but they waited until Backlash and that main event, title change and Austin appearing to get a high buy-rate.

Austin only appeared at Backlash and then disappeared again until September 2000 when he made his proper return and they started the who ran over Austin storyline.

I haven't seen or read the reason behind Austin's temporary appearance at Backlash 2000 but I do have a theory. In January of 2000 JR did a piece for MNR interviewing Austin at his home and seeing how his recovery was going. In that interview Austin promised the fans he'd be back within 3-4 months.

I think his appearance at Backlash was likely down to a number of factors, but this promise that Austin made and wanting to keep was a large part of why he was on Backlash.

He wasn't ready to return even at that stage in April, his rehab went on for a further 5 months before making his full return.

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Defei

The reason is both you stated. Austin wasn't fit + bigger buyrate for Backlash. They wanted the top babyface Rock to win the strap in a top face vs top heel one on one match instead of a four way at mania. Backlash was perfect PPV all around.

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Frootbrute

I can definitely see Austin was far from 100 percent from the way he was moving at that show, so it does make sense that they wanted to wait. It was a great moment regardless. Shame Rock missed out on a Wrestlemania title win all the same, he's had his fair share of classic moments on the stage though

ShowStopper '97

That WM main event was just a clusterfuck of a situation. A 4 way main event at WM? Really?

Hawksea

And a fuck up finish too. No wonder the trash in the ring afterwards.

Rock316AE

It was a combination of over-protection on heel HHH(the most protected heel of all time during that time), along with two returns. Which is why Rock/HHH never had a final and true payoff. 4 Way for WM16 was fine, Rock not going over as the Top babyface was a ridiculous decision. The actual 4 way match was great in quality.

HankHill_85

Save for the 3-team ladder match (technically the first TLC before it got the gimmicky name), WM 2000 was an absolute bust. The absence of Austin and Taker loomed HUGE over that PPV.

It didn't help matters that the main event was officially set only 6 DAYS before.

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the modern myth

They a great roster at the time. They could've booked a great Wrestlemania. The problem was that there were too many multi-man matches. It just made the main event feel less special when every other match on the card was wrestled under multi-man rules. Personally, I'd have opted for: Triple H (WWF Champion) vs The Rock vs Mick Foley; Kurt Angle (IC Champion) vs Chris Benoit; Eddie Guerrero (European Champion) vs Chris Jericho; Kane (Hardcore Champion) vs Big Show; the Triangle Ladder Match; Dean Malenko & Perry Saturn vs DX.

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