Wrestlemania Count-Up – Wrestlemania XIV (2015 Redo): Time To Play The Game
IMG Credit: WWE
Wrestlemania XVI
Date: April 2, 2000
Location: Arrowhead Pond, Anaheim, California
Attendance: 19,776
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler
One last note: this show marks the return to the 3+ hour shows after years of under three hours.
Lillian Garcia sings the heck out of the National Anthem, as she always does.
Earlier today, the referees held a conference with all the participants in the hardcore battle royal. The title had been defended 24/7 with title matches taking place at any given time and in any given place. For tonight though, the rule is only enforced for the fifteen minute time limit. After that time comes to an end, the last person to pin the champion leaves with the title.
Hardcore Title: Hardcore Battle Royal
Tazz, Crash Holly, Hardcore Holly, Viscera, Joey Abs, Rodney, Pete Gas, Taka Michinoku, Funaki, Thrasher, Mosh, Faarooq, Bradshaw
Rating: D+. Well that certainly happened. This really needed to have about five minutes cut out as you can only get into people hitting each other with the same weapons for so long (a lesson they would take two years to learn). The rapid fire title changes and stuff like the Posse trading the title was fine but this started dragging in the middle. Crash would get the title back the next night to fix the error at the end.
Long Axxess video.
D-Von Dudley thinks this ladder match is another way for the WWF to hold the Dudleyz down. Bubba, still with a thick southern accent, promises to take Wrestlemania and the ladder match to a new level of violence. His stutter kicks in right before he can drop an F bomb.
Tag Team Titles: Edge and Christian vs. Hardy Boyz vs. Dudley Boyz
Instead of climbing though, both challenging teams put a ladder over a Dudley in the corners, only to have the Hardyz take out Edge and Christian. Jeff puts Bubba on the ladder but Bubba avoids the 450 for the first big crash. Bubba one ups Jeff by putting the ladder onto Jeff and hitting his middle rope backsplash with his own head crashing into the ladder.
Christian puts a ladder on Matt so Edge can ride another ladder down to crush Matt. With everyone else down, Bubba puts a ladder around his own head and spins around to blast everyone not named D-Von in the face. Edge and Christian dropkick the ladder to take over though before nailing D-Von as well. Christian dives off a ladder to take out Matt and Bubba, leaving Edge to spear Jeff off a ladder.
Now we start the tradition of the huge ladder, which is set up on the floor and is almost as high as the ones in the ring. Jeff is laid out in front of it but Christian hits Bubba in the head with the bell, allowing Jeff to go for a climb. With nothing to lose (save for most of the bones in his spine), Jeff Swantons off the ladder for one of the biggest crashes ever up to this point. The wide shot makes it look even better and the fans are rightfully stunned.
Back in the ring, Christian and Matt climb onto the scaffold but Edge shoves Matt off and through the last table in the ring. The table almost explodes as Matt crashes through it and the fans are fired up all over again as Edge and Christian pull down the titles for their first championship at 22:25.
JR and Lawler rave about the ladder match.
Terri Runnels vs. The Kat
Mae gives Moolah a Bronco Buster post match and Kat strips Terri.
Wrestlemania XVII will be in Houston.
The Radicalz (minus Chris Benoit) are ready for the six person tag but Eddie is too busy checking his hair to impress Chyna.
Too Cool (Grandmaster Sexay and Scotty 2 Hotty, formerly Too Much) and Chyna are ready too.
Radicalz vs. Too Cool/Chyna
Saturn (barely) hits a top rope elbow but Eddie gets superplexed, finally allowing the hot tag to Chyna. House is quickly cleaned and a double low blow gets rid of Saturn and Malenko. Chyna is barely able to powerbomb Eddie so she grabs him between the legs and gorilla presses him while trying to keep the side of her tights from splitting any further. A quick sleeper drop puts Eddie away at 9:39.
Rating: C-. Watchable but mostly average match with the fans only caring about Eddie vs. Chyna, which was quite the hot story around this time. Things would pick up even more the next night as Chyna suddenly fell for the Latino Heat and hooked up with Eddie for months. This was an acceptable use of ten minutes, if nothing else as a way to advance the Eddie vs. Chyna story.
Some fans won a trip to Wrestlemania.
Earlier tonight, Kurt Angle beat up Bob Backlund for suggesting that he defend both titles. This goes nowhere.
Angle asks for some extra security for his victory celebration and offers the guard autographs if he does it. Smug Angle was pure gold and one of the most genuinely hilarious characters the company has ever had. He was such a goofy dork but he sold the whole thing as well as anyone could have done. The in ring abilities made it even better but the character made Angle greater than anything he did in a match.
Intercontinental Title/European Title: Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit vs. Chris Jericho
X-Pac/Road Dogg vs. Rikishi/Kane
Rikishi is finally in his most famous gimmick and near his highest popularity. Kane has the always awesome inverted color scheme for his attire and Paul Bearer in his corner. X-Pac and Road Dogg, the once again heel DX, have Tori (now a hot valet) with them. Tori left Kane for X-Pac and this is the result with the many showdowns coming later. Kane goes after Tori to start and Road Dogg gets an early Stink Face.
Rock talks about going through everything in the last year to get back to Wrestlemania to reclaim his title. All the chokeslams, all the Mandible Claws and all the Pedigrees are worth it because he has one more shot to become champion. This is the intense Rock and it works almost as well as the funny version. He skips the eyebrow though.
Martin Short, Michael Clarke Duncan and French Stewart are here.
Again no official recap, but HHH retired Foley, Rock won the Rumble and Show proved that he really won the Rumble.
WWF World Title: Mick Foley vs. Big Show vs. The Rock vs. HHH
Ratings Comparison
Original: D+
2013 Redo: D+
2015 Redo: D
Hardcore Battle Royal
Original: C+
2013 Redo: B-
2015 Redo: D+
Original: F
2013 Redo: D-
2015 Redo: F
Edge and Christian vs. Dudley Boyz vs. Hardy Boyz
Original: B+
2013 Redo: A-
2015 Redo A-
The Kat vs. Terri Runnels
Original: F
2013 Redo: N/A
2015 Redo: N/A
Radicalz vs. Too Cool/Chyna
Original: D
2013 Redo: D+
2015 Redo: C-
Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle vs. Chris Jericho
Original: A
2013 Redo: B+
2015 Redo: B
Rikishi/Kane vs. D-Generation X
Original: D+
2013 Redo: D
2015 Redo: D
HHH vs. The Rock vs. Big Show vs. Mick Foley
Original: D+
2013 Redo: D+
2015 Redo: C+
Overall Rating
Original: D
2013 Redo: D
2015 Redo: D+
Not much changes in a few years.
And the 2013 Redo:
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