wrestling / Video Reviews
Before the Network: WWE Judgment Day 2000
Loading...I was THRILLED when this match turned up on the RANDOM GENERATOR as this is a PPV that I have very fond memories of. 2000 is my favorite year in WWF history, and also the year I started following wrestling. I was not a fan at the time of the original airing of this PPV but when I viewed it on tape (I would say around 2002) for the first time I fell in love with the main event. I got my first summer job that year, just so I could purchase the complete 2000 Raw, SmackDown and PPV library on VHS tapes. The money I spent on those tapes would have probably purchased a year and a half of the WWE Network in modern times. If this is your first time reading than I will warn you that this is not a traditional play-by-play, as at this point there are enough of those out there. This is probably my 4th or 5th time watching this show in full, but first in over 5 years.
The opening video package explains all the things that can happen in one hour, as tonight’s main event is the second ever (televised) 60 minute iron man match between The Rock and Triple H.
After the opening video package there is a backstage segment with Mr. McMahon giving the clan a pep talk. McMahon sends Brisco to retrieve coffee. In the hallwway Brisco is jumped by The Headbangers who are looking to claim Brisco’s Hardcore title via the 24/7 rule. We get no closure though as we see Shawn Michaels walking in short shorts and then cut to Kurt Angle’s music.
MATCH #1: Team ECK (Edge, Christian & Kurt Angle) vs Too Cool & Rikishi
WHAT I REMEMBER: I remember that all of these acts were huge at the time. Kurt Angle reminded me the instant he started talking pre-match just how much of a nerd he was at the time, and he did it gloriously. The 5 second pose here is one that has lived on in my head more than any other too as the three dress as ‘The Jug Band’. By the time I started watching 6 months later, WWE had ruined Rikishi and he never recovered which is a damn shame.
MATCH THOUGHTS: During the first edition of BTN I did a lot of talking about who was still wrestling for WWE, with a show that is over 16 years old I don’t think we will find many on this show. Christian edges out the two members of Too Cool by a month for the man to most recently compete in a WWE ring with a match in March 2014. Too Cool did compete on the first ever live WWE Network special with NXT Arrival though, which is cool for the context of this series. Funny/oddball moment of the match was when Sexay was dancing and “lost his britches” as JR put it, exposing his “tightie whities”. The crowd was SO HOT for Rikishi at the time, chanting for the big man to get the tag during the midway point of the match. The crowd continued to be hot for everything Rikishi did and loved the stink face. Christian hit Rikishi with the ringbell but the referee was still distracted as Sexay hit the leg drop off the top to Edge. Sexay rolled Rikishi onto Edge to give the funky trio the victory.
RESULT: Too Cool & Rikishi by pinfall @ 9:46
RATING NOW: ***
RATING THEN: ***1/2
Definitely not a ***1/2 match but I can see where I would have been coming from at the time. This was a very hot opener and a lot of fun, which means it did exactly what it needed to.
MATCH #2: European Title – Eddie Guerrero (c) vs Dean Malenko vs Perry Saturn
WHAT I REMEMBER: At this point The Radicalz were basically dissolved but from they were on-and-off so it is hard to really remember. This title never meant a damn thing but this was probably the year it got the most play in the storylines. Speaking of meaningless titles, Malenko was also currently in the middle of his lengthy Light Heavyweight title reign.
MATCH THOUGHTS: Before the match there was a segment from Heat shown with Eddie & Chyna arriving. Malenko and Saturn showed off their lack of charisma with a brief interaction. Guerrero is the last of the three men to compete in a WWE ring in 2005 as Malenko would retire from active competition the following year and Saturn just faded from WWE TV after the invasion. Guerrero was met with a good amount of cheers, while Saturn & Malenko came out to a whole lot of nothing. Malenko hit Guerrero with the top rope gutbuster, which many have tried but still no one has done better than Dean. Chyna hit Saturn accross the face with her roses and knocked him out, she tried the same with Dean but he revered her effort. Dean would fall onto the roses though and allow Eddie to get the rollup. Guerrero revealed after the match that there was a led pipe inside.
RESULT: Eddie Guerrero by pinfall @ 7:57
RATING NOW: ***
RATING THEN: ***
A fast and furious three way match that kept things moving on this show. If they had been given 5 more minutes there is no doubt they could have hit ****.
A clip was shown of Brisco pinning a sleeping Crash Holly to win the Hardcore title on the previous SmackDown. Then in current time Brisco saw himself in the bathroom mirror and punched it, still funny to me.
MATCH #3: Falls Count Anywhere Match – Big Show vs Shane McMahon
WHAT I REMEMBER: I remember that this match features one of Shane McMahon’s big spots off of something very tall. The promos by Shane leading into the match were very entertaining, especially the nursery tale “which way did he go?”. Show had been hugely entertaining between Mania and now, showing his comedic side by dressing as other pop culture icons and former talent. Shane however did not find it funny.
MATCH THOUGHTS: We finally have a match that features a semi-active WWE competitor with The Big Show. Shane went balls out right off the bat and tried attacking Show as he came to the ring. Show caught Shane and slammed him all around the outside of the ring to the admiration of the fans. Big Show tossing Shane over his head and into the ring is still impressive. After Show dominated Shane for the first few minutes, Big Boss Man ran to the ring and started to attack with the knightstick. Once Show fought off Bossman, out came T&A with chairs; both men ate the chairs via Big Show fist. Huge props to Trish Stratus for taking a chokeslam over the top rope from Big Show onto T & A outside of the ring. Show looked like a monster here by fighting off T & A and Shane at the titan tron area as they all used their surroundings to take him down. Finally Bull Buchanan attacked with a knightsick to give Shane the edge. Shane then pushed a sound box on Big Show’s leg and smashed a cylinder block over his head for the three count. I now realize it was the following year that Shane took the big dive to finish Show.
RESULT: Shane McMahon by pinfall @ 7:12
RATING NOW: **
RATING THEN: *1/2
A very hard match to rate as it was more of a 7 minute beat down. The rating may not be high by my enjoyment level on the match was very high. Sometimes it is not just about the wrestling, but about the story and they told a very fun one here.
Backstage Brisco asks a couple referees if he can rest with them. Right when he closes his eyes they go to pin him, but he wakes up.
MATCH #4: Intercontinental Title Submission Match – Chris Benoit (c) vs Chris Jericho
WHAT I REMEMBER: These rivalry was one of the best of 2000, which had a lot of great ones. Benoit had only been with the company for a few months but was quickly establishing himself as a big time player. This would be the third PPV in a row that these two would be in the same match as each other (four if you count their match at Insurrextion). Off the top of my mind, I remember this being the best of their 2000 encounters.
MATCH THOUGHTS: 16 years later and Jericho is still with WWE and still putting on great matches, thank God for DDP Yoga. Huge Y2J chant breaks out right at the start as Jericho is insanely over at the time and was being primed for a brief main event feud with Triple H. The two utilized the ringsteps for the beat down early on as JR reminds us the only way to win is by submission, so there is no dq. We see Hardcore Holly looking on as he feels he should be a future contender, I like that as Holly was always a guy I enjoyed. jericho used Benoit’s knee brace against him as he whipped Benoit like a government mule. Jericho controlled most of the match but Benoit eventually used the brace to Jericho’s head. Benoit then locked in the crossface for over a minute, leaving Tim White no choice but to call for the bell as Jericho had passed out.
RESULT: Chris Benoit by TKO @ 13:27
RATING NOW: ****
RATING THEN: ****1/4
I did not love the finish, or the fact that Jericho controlled so much of the match. But, I could watch these two wrestle every day and not grow tired of it. The finish showed Jericho’s fighting spirit, the two would top this next January in a ladder match.
In the back Brisco finally had coffee for the McMahon’s when he is again attacked by The Headbangers but they could not decide who would get the pin and he got away. I loved these segments.
MATCH #5: Table Match – The Dudley Boyz vs Road Dogg & X-Pac
WHAT I REMEMBER: The Dudleyz enjoyed putting people through tables. I mean really there is not a whole helluva lot more to say. Also X-Pac & Road Dogg were no Road Dogg & Billy Gunn in the tag team department.
MATCH THOUGHTS: The Dudleyz recently left WWE after a very disappointing one year return, but at this time these guys were over and delivering. Table matches often have different rules, this one is elimination rules. They are also using traditional tag team rules to start, which is just dumb in a match with these rules. The fans care more about letting X-Pac know he sucks than anyone else in this match. Outlaws got a lot of double team maneuvers in behind the referee’s back, which again is not needed as Lawler pointed out that there are no dq’s in this match either. Once Bubba got the hot tag things broke down and tags were no longer needed, the boys brought the wood into the ring. Road Dogg put D-Von though a table on the outside via pumphandle slam, but D-Von doesn’t have to leave. Bubba dropped Pac through one with a powerbomb and then it was sudden death. Road Dogg and Bubba got pissed with referee Mike Chioda and teamed up to throw Chioda into a table, which brought out the star of the night.. GERALD BRISCO. The Dudleyz hit the 3D to Road Dogg but Brisco pulled Dogg out before the ref could wake up. Bubba tried to put Tori through a table but was stopped by Brisco. X-Pac then delivered an X-Factor off the top to Bubba through the table as Briscoe woke up Chioda.
RESULT:Road Dogg & X-Pac @ 10:56
RATING NOW: **
RATING THEN: **
While I get the psychology of giving the heels the heat segment, there was no real reason it needed to be down with traditional rules in a match that was no dq. I actually expected my previous rating to be higher than it was. This was your standard tag match on Raw with a cool finish but nothing else happening. My least favorite match of the night.
A mysterious vignette aired. King and Lawler speculate what it could mean, by this point everyone on the internet knew it was for the return of The Undertaker.
MAIN EVENT – WWF Title Ironman Match – The Rock (c) vs Triple H
WHAT I REMEMBER: These two should have main evented WrestleMania two months earlier in a singles match, instead that happened at Backlash and was great. They then followed that up with this match that for years I proclaimed my all time favorite match. Triple H was on a roll in 2000, by this point he had headlined every PPV of the year and had some very memorable contests. It has been a long while since I watched it and I can not wait to see what I think now.
MATCH THOUGHTS: Shawn Michaels is the guest referee in his short shorts. HHH sends Shane, Stephanie and Vince to the back before the match, stating he wants to do it “all by himself”. The first iron man match from 1996 with Shawn and Bret is one that I have watched countless times, but never been able to enjoy the way I want to. These guys did the opposite of that match, with lots of brawling and even taking things up the ramp. At the halfway point HHH led Rock 2-1 and there was talk about how both had now passed their longest career match. This has always bothered me as HHH’s longest match to this point was at Armageddon 1999 with Mr. McMahon, not the Fully Loaded 1998 30 minute draw with The Rock. HHH pulled out a piledriver to get his third fall and the fans were tarting to get pissed as Triple H pulled away. We finally get some slow down at around the 40 minute mark when HHH locks in a LONG headlock that nearly leads to another fall for the challenger.
Triple H used some strategy to award The Rock a tying 3-3 fall when HHH hammered Rock with chair for the DQ. Triple H followed that up with a pinfall to put HHH right back up 4-3 and now Rock is a little more worn down, good planning by The Game. Triple H took his fifth fall with the sleeper hold of doom as Rock was bleeding like a stuffed pig. With 10 minutes to go The Rock is now down 5-3. 2000 was a year that the tables really had a mind of their own (see SummerSlam) and that led to one nasty looking bump with 4 minutes to go. Rock hit HHH with a pedigree on the commentary table for it to barely budge, this led to Rock taking a fall by count out as Triple H is bleeding like crazy. At the 58 minute mark Rock finally hits a People’s Elbow to tie things at 5-5. By this point the McMahon family and DX had come to ringside and things got crazy. The mysterious video package from earlier hit as all of Triple H’s friends and family beat down Rock. Out came The Undertaker, ON A MOTOR CYCLE!! The crowd was going crazy as Taker took out every member of HHH’s posse. The clock was on the screen until the 4 second mark when someone in production realized this was not going to finish in time and took it away. Shawn finally calls for the bell for a DQ fall for Triple H because of interference by Undertaker AFTER the buzzer has gone off.
RESULT: Triple H 6-falls-to-5 at 1:00:08
RATING NOW: ****1/4
RATING THEN: ****3/4
I have always been stingy on giving out ***** and I am glad I recognized the last time that this was not a ***** encounter. Both guys worked really hard and told a great story but the chaos of the last 2 minutes was garbage, as was the timing issue. The match should have ended in a draw. Certainly not a match that has held the test of time quite as well as I would like to think it has.
Overall for the show here is the THEN & NOW.
AVERAGE RATING THEN: 3.166
AVERAGE RATING NOW: 3.041
Not a large change, but I expected higher.
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