WrestleMania XX
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WrestleMania XX was the twentieth WWE WrestleMania event, which took place on Sunday, March 14, 2004 in New York, New York at the world-famous Madison Square Garden. The tagline for WrestleMania XX was Where It All Begins...Again.
In celebration of the 20th incarnation of the event, WWE returned to the city and arena where the first Wrestlemania took place.
The buildup to Wrestlemania XX began almost immediately following the previous year's Wrestlemania XIX. Billed as The Road to WrestleMania XX, advertising for the 20th WrestleMania ran often during WWE shows and PPV events. The theme song to this event was "Step Up" by Drowning Pool.
Wrestlemania XX was a joint-promotion PPV event, featuring wrestlers from both WWE RAW and Smackdown! In fact, in a first during the "Brand Extension" storyline, WMXX featured cross-promotional matches, in which wrestlers from both "promotions" fought each other.
Card and Results
WWE United States Championship Match (Smackdown!)
The Big Show (C) versus John Cena
The Big Show controlled most of the match with his superior power. Cena managed to come back and hit the FU, but Big Show kicked out. Cena wrapped his chain around his fist and prepared to hit Big Show with it, but the referee caught it and threw it out of the ring. While the ref's back was turned, Cena grabbed one of his brass knuckles and nailed Big Show in the head with it, stuffed the knuckles in his shorts pocket and hit the FU for the pinfall victory. Cena won his very first title in WWE.
Result: Cena by pinfall, new WWE United States Champion.
Fatal Four Way World Tag Team Championship Match (RAW)
Booker T and Rob Van Dam (C) versus Garrison Cade and Mark Jindrak versus The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von) versus La Résistance (Rene Dupree and Rob Conway)
This was a match in which anyone could tag anyone, even a member of an opposing team. Whoever scored the first pinfall or submission would win the match for his team, and the champions did not have to be involved in the decision for the belt to change hands.
On more than one occasion, the referee lost control of the match as all eight men battled each other outside the ring. Booker T and Van Dam retained the championship when Booker T hit the Scissors Kick on Conway and Van Dam followed with the Five-Star Frog Splash.
Result: Van Dam over Conway by pinfall, still World Tag Team Champions
Christian versus Chris Jericho (RAW)
Christian defeated Jericho thanks to interference by Trish Stratus, who turned on Jericho during the match.
Result: Christian by pinfall
3 on 2 Handicap Match (RAW)
The Rock 'N' Sock Connection (The Rock and Mick Foley) versus Evolution (Randy Orton, Batista, and Ric Flair)
Randy Orton gets the surprise pin on Foley (who was signalling for the Mandible Claw) with the RKO.
Result: Orton over Foley by pinfall
Interlude: WWE Hall of Fame Inductees
Hosted by Mean Gene Okerlund
Inductees: Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, Tito Santana, John "Big John Studd" Minton, Harley Race, Pete Rose (celebrity inductee), Don Muraco, Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, Junkyard Dog, "Superstar" Billy Graham, Sergeant Slaughter, and Jesse "The Body" Ventura.
Playboy Evening Gown Match
Torrie Wilson and Sable versus Stacy Keibler and Miss Jackie
Before the match got underway, Torrie Wilson, Stacy Keibler and Sable voluntarily stripped down to their bra and panties. Miss Jackie teased doing the same, but eventually had to be "persuaded" to do so by the other divas.
Result: Torrie Wilson over Miss Jackie by Pinfall.
Cruiserweight Open (SmackDown!)
Rules: Two randomly chosen wrestlers start the match. When one is eliminated, he is replaced immedately with another wrestler. The current champion (Chavo Guerrero, Jr.) enters last. The winner is the WWE Cruiserweight Champion.
Ultimo Dragon and Shannon Moore started. Shannon Moore was eliminated and replaced by Jamie Noble. Ultimo Dragon was eliminated and replaced by Funaki. Funaki was eliminated and replaced by Nunzio. Nunzio was eliminated and replaced by Billy Kidman. Jamie Noble was eliminated and replaced by Rey Mysterio. Billy Kidman was eliminated and replaced by Tajiri. Tajiri was eliminated and replaced by Akio. Akio was eliminated and replaced by by Cruiserweight Champion Chavo Guerrero, Jr.
Chavo Guerrero, Jr. defeated Rey Mysterio to win the Cruiserweight Open and retain the Cruiserweight title.
Result: Guerrero by pinfall, still WWE Cruiserweight Champion
As an aside, when Ultimo Dragon made his ring entrance, he immediately slipped and fell down on the stage. This rather embarrassing moment was covered up by a wide-angle shot on the DVD release of the event.
Goldberg (RAW) vs. Brock Lesnar (SmackDown) (Interpromotional)
Special referee Stone Cold Steve Austin
During this entire match, both Goldberg and Brock, both scheduled to leave WWE after the event, were booed, heckled and jeered by the New York crowd, who even began chanting for Hulk Hogan as the match disintegrated into a mess. Lesnar was visibly disturbed by the crowd reaction (he was walking out on a multimillion dollar contract) while Goldberg seemed mildly amused (he worked his one-year term but did not seek an extension). After what seemed like an eternity, Goldberg got the win with the Spear/Jackhammer. After the match, Austin delivered Stone Cold Stunners to both men to the cheers of the crowd.
Result: Goldberg by pinfall
Fatal Four Way WWE Tag Team Championship Match (SmackDown!)
Rikishi and Scotty 2 Hotty (C) versus Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin versus Danny and Doug Basham versus APA (Bradshaw and Faarooq)
Result: Rikishi over Danny Basham by pinfall, Rikishi and Scotty still WWE Tag Team Champions
Interlude
Jesse "The Body" Ventura conducted a short interview with Donald Trump, who was sitting in the audience, about Trump supporting Ventura financially if Ventura ran for President in 2008.
WWE Women's Championship Hair Match (RAW)
Victoria (C) versus Molly Holly
Stipulation: If Molly Holly loses, she must shave her head.
Victoria defeated Molly Holly to retain the Women's Championship. After the match, Molly tried to run, but Victoria slammed her head on the barber's table strapped her in the chair and shaved her head. She awoke, then ran away in shame.
Result: Victoria by pinfall, still WWE Women's Champion
WWE Championship Match (SmackDown!)
Eddie Guerrero (C) versus Kurt Angle
Match history
This feud began shortly after Eddie Guerrero began encountering serious jealousy-related conflicts in his teaming with his nephew, Chavo. Kurt Angle interjected himself, saying he refused to stand by and watch one of the greatest tag teams in WWE history fall apart. He told them to do the right thing and shake hands, and both men did so, although it was clear they still didn't fully trust one another.
Later that evening on SmackDown!, Los Guerreros went after the WWE Tag Team Championship, then held by The Basham Brothers. The Bashams cheated to win by pinning Chavo, who was immediately thrown from the ring. Then The Bashams, along with their Amazonian manager Shaniqua, proceeded to beat the crap out of Eddie. Chavo grabbed a steel chair and looked like he was about to intervene, but instead sat down with a deranged look on his face and watched the beating unfold. Afterward, Chavo made Eddie believe he was going to help him up, but instead Chavo spat in his face and assaulted his uncle.
This led to a match between the Guerreros at the 2004 Royal Rumble, which was won by Eddie Guerrero - but because Eddie was participating in a singles match at the Rumble, he was unable to participate in the actual Royal Rumble match itself. Kurt Angle, meanwhile, entered at #19 and, as it turned out, was the final wrestler eliminated from the ring. Chris Benoit, then with SmackDown!, won the Royal Rumble.
Benoit promptly left the brand and joined RAW to compete for that brand's World Heavyweight Championship instead of SmackDown's WWE Championship. This left SmackDown without a #1 contender, so General Manager Paul Heyman, to appease his boss Vince McMahon, ordered a SmackDown-exclusive battle royal to determine who would get a WWE Championship shot against Brock Lesnar at No Way Out in February.
Prior to the Rumble match, Eddie Guerrero was attacked backstage by an unknown assailant, speculated to be Chavo Guerrero, Jr. and Chavo Classic. Eddie's ability to compete in the match was seriously in question.
Kurt entered the match at #1, and Eddie, noticeably hobbling, entered at #13. As it turned out, these two men would be the last men remaining, and Eddie Guerrero scored the improbable upset by eliminating the four-time former WWE Champion. Kurt's reaction upon losing was legitimate anger and frustration, in contrast to the friendly demeanor with which he'd outwardly treated Eddie in recent months.
Eddie went on to defeat Brock Lesnar at No Way Out, thanks to RAW's Goldberg with the spear, Eddie hit the Frog Splash to win the WWE Championship, while Kurt scored the victory in a triple-threat match against John Cena and The Big Show to win the right to face Eddie at WrestleMania XX.
But not long afterward, Kurt's true motivations were revealed when he attacked Eddie during a title defense against Chavo. It turns out that in reality, Kurt was working to deliberately break up the Guerreros and get them to fight each other at the Rumble, preventing Eddie from entering the Royal Rumble Match. But after Benoit's defection meant a second Rumble for SmackDown-only superstars, Kurt had been the one to attack Eddie backstage, in an unsuccessful attempt to stop him from competing.
Later, when Eddie won the WWE Championship, Kurt Angle felt he had no choice but to take action in front of the cameras. Eddie Guerrero, Kurt said, is a former drug addict, and therefore had no business being WWE Champion. In addition, Eddie was notorious for "lying, cheating and stealing" his way to victory, and the fans loved him for it. Therefore, Kurt felt that for the good of the company, he had to restore the belt to a man who would give it honor and integrity once more - namely, himself.
Of course, Kurt has an on-camera reputation for being duplicitious, so it's just as likely that Kurt simply wanted the WWE Championship, and was willing to go to any means to win it without Eddie getting in his way.
Later, SmackDown! general manager Paul Heyman demanded that Eddie Guerrero issue a public apology for his behavior, and Eddie refused. Heyman yelled, "I wish I was in a position to slap some sense into you myself!" Eddie retorted, "You couldn't beat me if I had both hands tied behind my back!" So Heyman booked himself in a match against Eddie in which the champion's hands would be handcuffed behind his back. Despite this handicap, Eddie Guerrero used his legs to beat up Paul Heyman, who retreated - but Kurt Angle arrived on the scene, and proceeded to beat up the defenseless WWE Champion.
Match results
Eddie and Kurt traded the momentum back-and-forth. Eddie hit his signature Frog Splash, which only earned a near-fall, and on multiple occasions Eddie was able to escape Kurt's devastating Ankle Lock.
Late in the match, Eddie escaped the Ankle Lock, knocking Kurt Angle to the ringside floor in the process, and began unlacing his boot, seemingly to massage it. Kurt got up, his face a mask of rage, prompting the still-down Eddie to exclaim, "Oh, shit!" Eddie then made a beeline for the ropes, but Kurt was faster, and he trapped Eddie in the Ankle Lock. Eddie tried desperately to kick his way out of it with his free foot, and in the process his boot came off, as he'd intended. The distraction enabled Eddie to roll his opponent up for the pinfall, and Eddie Guerrero retained the WWE Championship.
Result: Guerrero by pinfall, still WWE Champion
The Undertaker (SmackDown!) versus Kane (RAW) (Interpromotional)
This was the return of The Undertaker in his old gimmick from his Dead Biker gimmick after he was "buried alive" by Kane at Survivor Series 2003. The Undertaker began to play mind games with Kane starting in January through various video clips proclaiming that he would return. When he did, it was a dominating victory for Taker, thanks to the Tombstone Piledriver, Undertaker was now 12-0 at Wrestlemania.
On the other hand, The Undertaker's entrance, complete with torch-wielding druids, vintage entrance theme and the return of Paul Bearer, stands as one of the most memorable moments of WrestleMania XX.
Result: Undertaker by pinfall
World Heavyweight Championship Triple Threat Match (RAW)
Triple H (C) versus Shawn Michaels versus Chris Benoit Early in the match, Michaels connected with a moonsult off the top rope to the outside on Triple H and Benoit. Then Michaels was buted open with a ring post shot, and Triple H and Michaels threw Benoit though the spanish anouncement table. Then, Michaels and Triple H fought in and out of the ring, busting open Triple H in the process. Triple H connected with the Pedigree and went for the pin, then out of nowwhere Benoit breaks it up at 2. After Michaels was thrown out of the ring, Benoit forced Triple H to submit to his Crippler Crossface finisher, winning the World Heavyweight Championship. After the match, friend and WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero celebrated with Benoit in the ring to close the show.
Result: Benoit over Triple H by submission, new World Heavyweight Champion
- This is the first time in Wrestlemania history that a World Title was decided in a triple threat match and changed hands by a submission.
External links
WWE WrestleMania XX history page (http://www.wwe.com/shows/wrestlemania21/history/wmxx/)