Nickrj’s rant for Wrestlemania XVI
This is the last show that I have so this is the last rant that I’m going to do for awhile. If I find more tapes that I don’t have it’ll be probally from before 1998 (The era I like better) which are harder to find. Anyone who wants to help me, E-mail me at Nickrj@aol.com and we’ll try to make a deal
Live from the Arrowhead Pond on April 2nd 2000. The 2nd Wrestlemania there in 5 years and one of 6 venues to host more than one Wrestlemania. Lillian Garcia (The ring announcer on Raw Is War) kicks off things by singing our national anthem.
Your hosts are Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler
Ice T accompanies the faces and they do a rap. Brown starts with the Bull and gets some right hands but Bull blocks a roll up and Brown hits a spinning heel kick. Godfather comes in and he hits a slam and a double team by the faces. Godfather misses an elbow and Boss Man comes in and Godfather works on him. Brown is back in and he gets in trouble but he comes out and does the 10 punch count on Bull. Bull hits an inverted top rope clothesline however and a slam. Bull takes Brown across the 2nd rope and Boss Man gets 2. Boss Man gets a big boot and Bull gets a nice fameasser for 2. Brown is thrown to the outside and Boss Man drops him on the rail. Brown continues to take punishment by the two officers. Bear hug by Bull. Brown gets out but runs into an elbow. Brown with some right hands but Boss man catches him and hits a backbreaker for 2. Bull comes in and hits a 2nd rope axhandle. Back breaker by Bull and he goes to the top but the Godfather crotches him and Brown hits a top rope hurricurana. Godfather gets the hot tag and he hammers on both officers. He hits the Ho Train on the Boss Man and Brown goes to the top and Bull pushes him but he gets nailed. Brown hits a drop kick but takes a Boss Man Slam and Bull hits the top rope legdrop for the pin at 9:05 Okay match but not the best opener *1/2
This match is a first for the WWF. There is a 15 minute time limit and there could be as many falls (title changes) in this match as possible (and falls count anywhere). The winner will be the one who has the title at the end wins it. The participants are Tazz, Viscera, The Mean Street Posse, (Pete Gas, Rodney, Joey Abs) Hardcore Holly, Kaientai, (Taka Michinoku and Sho Funaki) The Headbangers, (Mosh and Thrasher) The Acolytes, (Farooq and Bradshaw) and Crash Holly(Champion) onto the match.
Everyone brawls on each other as Tazz hits his suplex on Crash for the pin at :26 to become the new champ now everyone will try to pin Tazz. Tazz gets caught by Viscera and is rammed into the post and powerslammed for the pin at 1:00 for Viscera. These guys are using objects and everything to pound on these guys while Vis is using a cookie sheet but the Posse work him over. Bradshaw nails him with a traffic sign as Crash is busted open. Vis uses his cookie sheet to keep control. Bradshaw is nailing everyone with a baking sheet but is nailed by Tazz. Hardcore Holly almost pins Viscera as does Mosh. Vis really nails Thrasher with a sheet!! Vis goes to the top and is caught by the Acolytes and slammed. Farooq breaks a 2X4 and Bradshaw his a flying tackle and both Kaientai get the cover but Funaki is on it first so he pins Viscera at 7:51. Taka starts chasing him to the back and Funaki is pounded by the Posse and Rodney pins him at 8:19. Joey Abs pins Rodney at 8:33. Thrasher throws Joey into the garage door and he gets the pin at 8:42. They go back out towards the ring now. Pete Gas uses a fire extinguisher on Thrasher and gets the pin at 9:29. Tazz brings Gas back into the ring and Gas is busted completely open. Tazz hits a suplex on the floor and gets the pin at 10:17. Hardcore throws Tazz into the steps and almost pins him. Mosh almost gets the pin on Tazz after hitting him with the baking sheet. The Hollys now double team Tazz in the ring but Hardcore nails Crash with the trash can lid and Tazz does the same. 2 minutes to go now. Tazz hits his suplex on Crash. Hardcore hits a powerslam for 2 and Crash almost gets a pin as well. Dropkick by Hardcore gets 2. Tazz gets his suplex though. Crash hits Tazz with a pin and pins him at 14:23. Tazz gets the Tazzmission though. Hardcore hits Tazz with a jar of candy and Hardcore gets the pin at 14:59 although it looks like Crash got his shoulder up. Anyways this was a very unique matchup ***1/4.
Test and Albert (with Trish Stratus) VS Head Cheese (Al Snow and Steve Blackman)
Snow wants a good gimmick for Steve so he introduces some guy in a cheese costume. This is pretty much infuriating Blackman some more. Test starts with Blackman as JR’s mike goes out. Snow comes in and they make a wish. Test is hammering on Snow now. Albert comes in and he hits a running knee and Test with a big boot for 2. Snow hammers on Albert now and hits an enzuguri for 2 as JR’s mike comes back. Blackman comes back in and hits a shoulderblock. He trips Albert and Snow comes in and hits a fameasser but is nailed by Test. Test is dropped to the outside and Head Cheese double teams Albert now. Snow with a suplex and some kicks and he nails Test. Blackman with a headbutt for 2. Trish starts to go after the cheese guy. Snow comes back in and hits a forearm shot from the top. Albert starts to fight back and hits a double arm suplex and Test gets the tag to no reaction and he hammers on both Head Cheese. 4 man brawl erupts and T & A hit a double powerbomb on Snow for 2. Snow hits an asai moonsault on Albert outside as Head Cheese hit their finisher but Albert makes the save and hits a Tiger Bomb on Snow and Snow is knocked to the outside. Albert slams Blackman and drops Test on him but Snow makes the save. Albert hits a press slam on Blackman and Test hits a top rope elbow for the pin at 7:05. Pretty boring * Afterwards Snow brings the cheesy guy in the ring and apologizes to Blackman and they double team the cheese guy and they hit the backbreaker/top rope legdrop finisher.
Triple Threat Ladder Tag Team Title Match: The Dudley Boyz VS The Hardy Boyz VS Edge and Christian
6 man brawl to start. Dropkick by Chrisian on Matt Hardy. Edge with a spinning heel kick on D-Von Dudley. Bubba Ray pounds on Jeff Hardy but Jeff hits a corkscrew but is dropped on his face. Bubba hits a full nelson into an atomic drop. Christian gets the ladder in the ring under the tag team belts. Edge gets another ladder and they are set up in the corners and the Dudley’s are getting hammered with the ladders. Matt hits an elbow on D-Von on the ladder. Jeff hits a DDT on Bubba. Jeff goes to the top but misses a 450 splash and hits the ladder. Bubba hits a senton on the ladder into Jeff. Edge drives a ladder into another one onto Matt’s stomach. Bubba has a ladder around his neck and he nails the opponents with it but E&C hit a double drop kick onto the ladder into Bubba. Then they drop D-Von into the ladder in the corner. Christian climbs the ladder on the ropes and hits a cross body on Matt and Bubba on the outside!! Jeff climbs the ladder in the ring but is speared by Edge!! Edge climbs the ladder now but is caught and powerbombed by Matt. Matt climbs the ladder now but is tossed off by D-Von. D-Von climbs the ladder but is caught by Christian with the ladder. Bubba low blows Christian and 3 ladders are set up in the middle and Bubba hits a 3-D from the top of the ladder!! Matt and Jeff hit a double drop on the top of the ladders on Bubba!! E&C double superplex D-Von from the top of the ladders! My what sick bumps they are!! Two ladders are now set up in the ring and the Hardys and E&C climb them but the Hardy’s drop E&C off them. The Dudleys are back in the ring now. Crowd wants to see tables! Everybody’s up on ladders now. Christian and Jeff are fallen off the ladder and onto the floor and the others are dumped off as well! The Dudleys are left in the ring. They sandwich Christian with the ladders and hit the 3-D on Edge. They go to the outside and grab some tables and the crowd pops for it! The Dudleys set up a ladder on top of two ladders to try and help them get the titles. The Hardys catch them though. The Dudleys set up 2 more tables in the ring. Bubba brings in a fourth and sets it on the outside. Bubba takes apart the Spanish announce table. Bubba hits a top ladder splash on Jeff thru a table in the ring as Bubba power bombs Matt thru another table. Jeff gets a ladder thrown in his face. Bubba grabs a longer ladder and sets it in the aisleway and grabs another table and sets it by the aisleway ladder. Jeff is set up on the table but Christian hits Bubba with the bell and Jeff puts Bubba on the table and he climbs the ladder and hits A SWANTON BOMB ON BUBBA THRU THE TABLE!! “Holy Sh*t!” chant for that!! D-Von slams Christian and climbs the ladder with the table on it but Matt hits the Twist Of Fate on D-Von and he and Christian climb the ladder but Edge is back in the ring and climbs the ladder too and he throws off Matt onto another table and E&C grab the belts to win the tag team titles at 22:29. Wow what an awesome ladder match. This one might rank up there with the Wrestlemania X ladder match *****
Cat Fight: The Kat (with Mae Young) VS Terri (with The Fabulous Moolah)
Val Venis is the special referee here. The first woman to throw her opponent out of the ring and to the floor will be the winner. Shovefest and Terri gets a spear and Val has to take him off and he kisses Terri drawing the ire of Kat so he kisses Kat too. Terri throws the Kat around by the hair but Kat gets a spear and Mae jumps on the apron and Kat throws Terri out but Val didn’t see it and Terri nails Kat from behind and slaps her. Moolah and Mae are in the ring now and Mae grabs Terri but Val grabs her and he kisses Mae as Kat throws Terri out of the ring but again Val didn’t see it and Moolah pulls Kat out of the ring and Venis sees Terri and Terri wins the match at 2:25. What a mess this match was -* Mae then shoves everyone and she hits a bronco buster on Moolah (my god! What did Vince do to this woman?) and Kat trips Terri and this is just too confusing to call.
Ad for Wrestlemania X-Seven live from the Houston Astrodome on April 1st 2001!!
Six Person Tag: Too Cool and Chyna VS The Radicals (Eddie Gurrerreo, Dean Malenko and Perry Saturn)
Eddie starts it with Scotty 2 Hotty. Scotty gets a Monkey flip and a tilt a whirl backbreaker. Chyna gets the tag and Eddie bails out of. Dean Malenko gets in and takes a clothesline. Dean hits a big boot but is nailed by Scotty. Grandmaster Sexay comes in and they hit a double suplex and he a Chyna get into it. Sexay slams Malenko and Eddie comes in and takes a back suplex. Sexay goes to the top but Perry pushes him off. Saturn gets the tag now and he kicks away at Sexay and tags Malenko. Double clothesline and Eddie gets the quick tag now. Eddie hits a suplex and gets kicked in the face. Scotty gets the tag and is dropped on the top rope. Back suplex by Eddie and a slingshot something. :/ He goes after Chyna now and rams him to the turnbuckle. Sexay suplexes Eddie to the outside. 4 man brawl now erupts and Scotty sets up for the WORM OF DOOM and he hits it on both Dean and Perry. Eddie tries to hang on to the ref and then to Chyna. Saturn comes in now and hits a kick on Scotty. He hits a top rope flying elbow on Scotty and Eddie comes on top but is crotched and Scotty hits a superplex. Chyna gets the hot tag and she hammers on all 3 radicals. Handspring elbow to Saturn and to Malenko. Double low blow but she’s nailed by Eddie. Chyna comes out of a powerbomb and hits one of her own on Eddie. He grabs Eddie’s crotch and hits a press slam. Sleeper hold by Chyna into a neckbreaker and she gets the pin at 9:38. Good match ***1/4
IC and European Two Fall Triple Threat Match: Kurt Angle (both title holders) VS Chris Jericho VS Chris Benoit
The first fall will be for the IC title of Angle’s. Benoit attacks Angle from behind. Jericho clotheslines both men and chops Angle and hits a clothesline. Jericho comes out of a suplex and sends Benoit to the outside. Benoit comes back but Jericho hits a missle dropkick on both men and a baseball slide on Jericho. Jericho is dropped on the steps though and Angle hits a belly to belly for 2. Benoit gets a 2 count as well. Jericho and Benoit get into a slugfest and Jericho gets a face smasher but he is sent off the top rope and face first into the announce table. Benoit gets a back suplex for 2. Jericho gets back in and kicks Angle and hits a 2nd rope missle dropkick for 2. Benoit hits a backbreaker on Angle. Angle hits a suplex on Benoit for 2. Jericho hits a bulldog on Angle for 2. Benoit and Jericho go at it again. Angle hits a back suplex on Benoit though but Jericho breaks up the count with a 2nd rope elbow. Jericho with a camel clutch on Benoit and he nails Angle. Jericho with a vertical suplex on Angle and Benoit almost gets 3. Angle runs into a boot but hits a belly to belly for 2. Benoit blocks a roll up and almost gets 3 on Jericho. Angle hooks the cross face chicken wing on Jericho! Benoit makes the save with a baseball slide and he tosses Angle out and into the crowd. Benoit goes to the top and hits the falling headbutt on Jericho and he pins him to win the IC title at 7:54.
2nd fall is now for the European title and Angle is hot now. Angle hits a suplex on Benoit. He slams Benoit and Jericho crotches him on a moonsault attempt. Jericho is also crotches by Benoit and Benoit hits a back superplex on Jericho and Angle misses a top rope moonsault. Angle almost gets a pin on Benoit and Jericho almost pins Angle. Jericho hooks the Walls Of Jericho but is nailed by Benoit. Benoit kicks away on Jericho and Angle is clothesline and Jericho hits a spinning heel kick on Jericho. Jericho hits a double power bomb on Angle but sees Benoit and is Belly to Back suplexed 3 times for 2. Benoit with a German suplex for 2. Jericho inadvertanly nails the ref and Benoit hooks the Crossface and Jericho’s tapping out but there’s no ref. Jericho hooks the Walls of Jericho but Angle comes in and nails Jericho with the title. The ref is up and Benoit pulls Jericho out of the ring. Benoit hits another back suplex and he goes to the top and misses the diving headbutt. Jericho hits the springboard moonsault for the pin on Benoit at 13:35 to win the European title! Angle has lost both titles although he was never pinned! Good matchup between this threesome ***3/4
Tori slaps Paul before the match and a 3 man brawl to start as Kane grabs Tori but X-Pac makes the save as Rikishi hits an avalanche on Road and a STINK BOMB OF DOOM. Tori is caught in the ring now and she bails out of there. DX tries to leave but no such luck. X hits a spinning heel kick on Rikishi and the Bronco Buster. Dogg gets the tag and he starts jabbing at Rikishi. He hits a shake rattle n Knee drop. X is back in and hits some kicks and Rikishi hits a face slam and tags Kane who hammers on both of DX. Backdrop on X and he knocks Dogg out. Kane with a corner clothesline and Rikishi is in and Paul sends Tori in the ring who is thrown into the corner by Kane and Rikishi hits the STINK BOMB OF DOOM on her. Kane hits the Tombstone on X for the pin at 4:16. Match was shortened due to time constraints but it was still an okay one **. Too Cool comes down to the ring and the crowd wants to see them dance and the San Diego Chicken comes in and JR and King think it’s Pete Rose. The Chicken dances along with Too Cool and Rikishi. Kane is watching the Chicken in the corner thinking it’s Rose as well. Kane goes after the Chicken and beats up on him but Pete Rose comes from behind with a bat but it’s stolen and Rose is chokeslammed. You’re 0 for 3 at Wrestlemanias Pete. Rikishi then does another STINK BOMB OF DOOM on Pete.
WWF Title Fatal Four Way Elimination Match: Triple H
(with Stephanie McMahon Helmsley) VS The Big Show (with Shane McMahon) VS Mick
Foley (with Linda McMahon) VS The Rock (with Vince McMahon)
What a story leading into this one. Linda brought Mick Foley back into the WWF for this one time opportunity at winning the WWF title at Wrestlemania. 4 man brawl to start with Rock VS Show and Foley VS H. Mick hits a running knee in the Game while Show is choking the Rock and he nails both Mick and Triple H. Show slams Foley and tosses Triple H around and he hits a press slam on the Rock and on H. Mick takes a headbutt from the big man and Show chokes on Rock but is caught by Mick and Mick is backslammed. Rock starts fighting back on the Show but takes a sidewalk slam. He catches Triple H and almost hits the Chokeslam but Mick hits a low kick. All 3 men hammers on Show now. They all clothesline the Show and kick away on him but then Mick and H go at each other and they clothesline each other to the outside. Rock takes a big boot from Show as Mick hits a chair on H. Shane grabs the leg of Rock and is nailed for it as Mick nails Show with a chair and Rock hits the Rock Bottom to pin the Big Show at 4:41. Could’ve listened to Procession by the Moody Blues in that same time frame but it was a surprise to see the Big Show eliminated first and quickly.
Triple H tries to bribe the Rock and Mick Foley now. Rock nails H and he and Mick double team on the Game. Double clothesline and Mick tosses H outside. They double team Triple H outside the ring now. Mick grabs the ring bell and tosses it to Rock and Rock inadvertently nails Mick with the bell and Rock is thrown into the steps. H drops Rock on the rail as Mick grabs his 2X4 with barbed wire. He misses with it and H hits a low kick. H has the wire and nails Mick with it but he’s nailed by the Rock. Rock is thrown to the outside almost into the barbed wire. Mick hits a double arm DDT on H and grabs Mr. Socko. He hooks the Mandible Claw but he lets go and lets Rock nail Triple H with the WWF title. Rock sets up the People’s Elbow but Mick gets the Mandible claw on Rock drawing some heat and Triple H gets a double low blow. Crowd’s chanting “Rocky!” Game hammers on Rock now as Vince grabs a chair. Rock hammers on H now and hits a clothesline but is nailed by Mick for 2. Mick starts hammering on Rock now and hits a double arm DDT for 2. Mick grabs a chair now but is kicked in the face by Rock and Rock hits a DDT for 2. Mick and H now double team Rock and draw some heat in the process. Mick gets a kneelift for 2. Double suplex followed by a knee drop by H for 2. Rock is thrown to the outside. Mick and H continue to double team the Rock. Mick is thrown knee first into the steps and Mick has the steps and hits Rock with it. Linda and Stephanie get into it now. Rock and H are on the Spanish announce table as Mick goes to the 2nd rope and he tries to Triple H but lands face first on the table. Triple H and Rock are on top of the table and they break it. Triple H sets up the pedigree and hits it on Mick for 2 drawing a big pop! H shoves the ref down and whacks Mick with a chair and he hits another pedigree on the chair and he pins Mick at 19:41 deflating the crowd as Mick’s career is now over. Mick gets a standing ovation from the crowd as he and Linda leave but he comes back one more time and hits Triple H with the barbed wire. Down to the Rock and Triple H now.
Rock almost gets a 3 count. They slug it out as Triple H has busted open. Rock clotheslines H out and he takes him down the aisleway. Rock blocks and reverses a suplex on the aisleway. Triple H is thrown to the steel support in the entry way and is clotheslined. They go back towards the ring now and go thru the audience. H is backdropped onto the floor. Rock hits H on the Timekeepers table and he takes the steps and H hits a few chairshots. Triple H hits a piledriver on the steps. Shades of Shawn Michaels on the Undertaker 5 years ago at Badd Blood. Triple H gets 2. They slug it out now and Rock almost hits the Rock Bottom and Triple H almost hits the Pedigree but is dropped over the top rope. Rock knocks Triple H into the audience and they go thru the crowd again. Rock is thrown back towards the ring however. H is thrown into the rail and Rock hits a spinebuster. Rock takes H over to the English announce table and he suplexes him thru it! H drops Rock on the steps and Vince starts hammering on the Game as Shane comes back out and nails Vince and he hits him with a TV monitor. Vince is back up and he’s angry and he nails Shane and Vince is busted open now. Shane hits a low blow however and Shane whacks him over the head with a chair. Pat Patterson and Gerald Brisco come out to help Vince to the back. Rock hammers on Triple H now and he hits a DDT for 2. Rock hits a tilt a whirl powerslam for 2. Triple H hits a facebuster though and grabs the wire and hits Rock with it. Shane is in the ring but the Rock slingshots H into Shane and he hits the Rock Bottom on H. Vince comes back in the ring to stop Shane from using a chair and he knocks him out of the ring. Vince grabs the chair now and he nails…The Rock?! Stephanie’s in shock. Triple H gets a cover for 2!! Vince grabs the chair again and hits Rock over the head with it and Triple H gets the pin at 36:28 to retain. Long match but there was plenty of good wrestling and drama throughout. ****. Even more shocking is Stephanie hugging his father. Rock gets the last laugh though as he hits the Rock Bottom on Shane, Vince and Stephanie
Summary: This was a pretty damn good Wrestlemania.
Not a great one like the next year but it certainly was good! RECOMMENDED