Hazed and Confused: A Look Back Pt 2

Welcome back to Hazed & Confused and the second part of this look back at Wrestlemania XX. If you havent read the first part, then I suggest you do before carrying on.


MATCH SEVEN

We're then shown a video package for the next match, which sees a rare Bob Holly Main Event push as he lost to Brock Lesnar at the Royal Rumble. Brock then taunted Goldberg, came down during the Rumble, gave Goldberg the F5, caused him to be eliminated.
The next month at No Way Out, Goldberg interferes in Lesnar's match, causing him to lose the WWE Championship to Eddie Guerrero.
Add on top of that some bad blood between Lesnar and Special Guest Ref Steve Austin and you have on paper what could be a match of epic proportions.

Unfortunately that is not the case here. The story has been told so many times, so here’s the quick run down: Goldberg is on his way out due to his contract expiring the day after the show. They decide to spend a couple months building up towards the last great dream match of Goldberg vs. Lesnar. Lesnar gets tired of the wrestling life and asks Vince for his release less than two weeks before the show. It’s agreed that Wrestlemania will be his final match. Just about everyone in Madison Square Garden knows that neither guy will be employed with the WWE the next day.

The crowd completely craps on both guys for having what should have been a pure epic and making it a meaningless waste of time because they’re both bailing on the company.
Chants of “YOU SOLD OUT!” “HEY, HEY! GOODBYE!” “WE WANT DOINK!” and many more are heard during this “match”.

Anyway, how boring is this match? Summed up its lots of no-selling and boring power moves. A big pile of nothing happens for at least ten minutes. Then some boring tie-ups and the entire Garden falls asleep watching this crap-fest.
To finish up this abomination, Goldberg misses the Spear, gets hit with the F5 and kicks out. He gets the Spear again, then delivers a Jackhammer to win.
Lesnar gets up and is obviously affected by the crowd’s negative response. He seriously looks like he’s holding back tears. He flips off the crowd, flips off referee Steve Austin and gets a Stunner for his troubles. Goldberg comes back in to celebrate with Austin and gets Stunnered too.
One of the potentially biggest matches of all time and in the end the only one left looking good is the goddamn referee.

Vince McMahon comes out at the top of the entrance ramp to thank everyone in attendance and watching for making Wrestlemania what it has become.


MATCH EIGHT

This is the second Tag Team title match of the night and another Fatal Fourway.
Rikishi and Scotty 2 Hotty will be defending the WWE Tag Team Championship against the World’s Greatest Tag Team (Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas), the Basham Brothers (Danny and Doug Basham) and the APA (Farooq and Bradshaw).

This one is considerably better than the other tag title match. Lots of double-team work from the WGTT, like Shelton bodyslamming a Basham onto Haas’ knee. Or when Scotty skins the cat and re-enters the ring, he’s caught by the legs and the WGTT do that leapfrog-landing-on-the-suspended-opponent’s-back move they always seemed to do.
Shelton’s momentum takes a nosedive when he tries to German suplex Rikishi. Rikishi bumps him with his butt and sends him flying back. Haas tries to help, but receives the Stinkface
The ring begins to fill up as the match goes on, which is right around when the APA remember that they’re supposed to be wrestling. One of the Basham's gets the Clothesline from Hell, but Bradshaw is taken out before he can capitalize. Rikishi sits down on Doug (or is it Danny?) and gets the pin.
This is more quick paced than the other tag match, with no real pause in the action.

Next we have Jesse Ventura in the ring babbling on about something or other, interviews Donald Trump in the audience and then says he'll be the US President in 2008.... And we all know how that one worked out for him.


MATCH NINE

For reasons that are not really explained and that I cant really remember, in the next match if Molly Holly loses, she will have her hair shaved off..... So we all know where this ones going.

Molly takes on the reigning Women's Champion Victoria for the title.
Unfortunately, I fell asleep during this match and really couldnt be bothered to go back and watch it again. All you need to know is that Victoria won and Molly got her head shaved up on the stage.

We then go to a promo video for the upcoming match between Eddie Guerrero and Kurt Angle.


MATCH TEN

This match is for the WWE Championship and as the challenger, Kurt Angle, comes out we see that Victoria is STILL shaving Molly's head on the stage.

The flow of the match is really good. It starts off with mat wrestling with neither man getting the upper hand. Eddie starts to out-wrestle Angle a bit and the aggression builds up. With that upward aggression comes more impact. It all builds up. While Eddie is able to beat Angle at his own game early on with mat wrestling, Angle is able to use Eddie’s lucha game against him by side-stepping a top-rope attack to the outside and forcing Eddie into the guardrail. It gets increasingly intense, including a part where Eddie starts taking Angle’s punches head-on and gets angrier and angrier.

They each make three attempts at their respective finishers. Eddie misses his first try at a Frog Splash. His second try is busted when Angle pops up, jumps to the top rope and suplexes Eddie into the ring. Angle later tries an Angle Slam, which is reversed into a DDT, making him prone enough that Eddie can get the Frog Splash. Only gets a two-count.

Angle then keeps trying to get the ankle lock on. The first time he gets it, Eddie reverses it into a Victory Roll. The second time he tries it, Eddie rolls forward and Angle is thrown out of the ring. Eddie begins to undo his laces and loosens his boot. The commentators suggest it’s to relieve swelling. Angle gets back to his feet and sees Eddie clutching his ankle in a prone position. Angle comes in, applies the ankle lock and becomes confused when Eddie’s boot comes off in his hand. He turns around and runs right into a roll-up pin that wins the match for Eddie. Such a brilliant ending and really plays into Eddie's “Lie. Cheat. Steal” gimmick.


MATCH ELEVEN

We're shown a video that takes us back to Survivor Series and how this feud started with Kane burying Undertaker alive. It then shows us the various “mind games” against Kane, hinting that The Undertaker is still alive and will be returning to take his revenge on his brother.
What's good and people forget about this, is that Kane carried and built up this whole angle on his own.

The WWE were so secretive on how the Undertaker was going to appear in his comeback that even the teaser graphic for the match shows a giant cross in place of his photo. Kane comes out with the fake NYC buildings behind him all on fire. Paul Bearer comes out soon after to a HUGE reaction from the crowd, yelling at Kane, “You’re no son of mine!”

Undertaker has his lengthy intro and comes in as a hybrid of his classic look and his biker look. Kane keeps screaming that Undertaker is not real and even slowly edges closer and closer to touch him and see if he’s imagining him or not. Undertaker explodes on him. Lots of great energy between the two that makes this infinitely better than their first match at Wrestlemania 14. A lot of this has to do with Kane’s performance. Undertaker tries for Old School, but Kane grabs him by the throat. Undertaker strangles Kane back and we have ourselves a choke war.
Kane wins and does a chokeslam. He celebrates and gloats to the crowd, apparently forgetting that his brother likes to sit-up if you don’t pin him immediately. Undertaker does sit up and Kane gets scared. This leads to the best moment of the match. Undertaker throws Kane across the ropes and ducks down for a backdrop. Kane kicks Undertaker in the face instead. Undertaker stands right up and stares Kane right in the eye. Kane gives this nervous smile and shrugs, as if saying, “Oops, my bad!” Undertaker then goes mental on Kane, chokeslams him and finishes him with a Tombstone.
As if this match was going to end any other way.


MATCH TWELVE

This is our Wrestlemania XX Main Event, and everything started back at the Royal Rumble.
The championship match between HHH and HBK ended in a double knock-out, with HHH retaining the title. Chris Benoit won the Royal Rumble itself to guarantee himself a title match at Wrestlemania.
Benoit, despite being on Smackdown, decided to take on HHH from Raw. HBK then took it upon himself to sign into the match as well making it a triple threat.

Shawn comes out first, followed by Benoit, who are then joined by the current World Heavyweight champion, Triple H.
The crowd is solidly behind Benoit from the start, even with chants of “LETS GO BENOIT!!” ringing out before the match even starts.
The match begins with Michaels and Benoit arguing over who gets to beat up Triple H. Michaels takes a swipe at Benoit and is taken into a Crippler Crossface. Of course, that move doesn’t work as well when you have a third man in there to break the hold.
It turns into a series of pairings. Benoit vs. Michaels, Triple H vs. Michaels, Benoit vs. Triple H. The Triple Threat psychology is top notch. When Michaels is dealing with Triple H, he does a kip-up, right as Benoit runs over and clotheslines him out of the ring. Benoit delivers three German suplexes to Triple H and goes to the top for a headbutt. While Benoit’s perched, Michaels comes back and crotches him on the top rope.

An attempt by HHH to Pedigree Michaels on a table turns into a double vertical suplex on Benoit through another table. That puts Benoit out of commission. Michaels and Triple H brawl, with Triple H busted open. Triple H hits the Pedigree and Benoit gets the save out of nowhere. He puts Triple H in a Sharpshooter and almost gets him to tap… right until getting Sweet Chin Music in the face.
Benoit kicks out from the pin attempt. Michaels tries another superkick, but Benoit evades it and launches him out of the ring. He walks right into Triple H, who sets him up for a Pedigree. Benoit twists out of it and locks on the Crippler Crossface. Triple H struggles with it and even tries to reverse it by flipping over, but all he does is force himself into the middle of the ring with Benoit not letting go. After a tense moment of suffering and the crowd going completely insane when Triple H finally taps and everyone watching explodes with delight that Benoit has won THE main title.

To end the show, Benoit celebrates his win and it’s well-deserved. As he steps down from the corner post, he turns around to see Eddie waiting for him with his own title in hand. The two long time friends embrace and celebrate in the ring as it rains confetti. A lot of people say that this is the best ending to a Wrestlemania and Id be a fool to disagree with them, though unfortunately events in the future do tarnish some peoples views on this.

So, after a four and a half hour event I was quite happy re-watching this show and it is one of my favourite Wrestlemania's out of all twenty six. The show ends with the usual highlight video of the nights events.

Well, that about wraps up this lengthy edition of Hazed & Confused, hopefully I shall be back again soon, health permitting. I hope that you've enjoyed this look back at Wrestlemania XX and I may do another look back at another PPV next time.

Thank you for reading and good night.

Comments

1. Comment #1

   Any Comments Please....

   Posted by Angel Of Desire on Friday, July 16, 2010

2. Comment #2

   My first Wrestlemania that I had watched, was great reading this article and being able to remember all the great action, Very nice summary. Thanks

   Posted by Factor of Libertas on Saturday, July 17, 2010

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