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WRESTLING COLUMNS
Wrestlemania XX Feedback
March 2004
Brad Dykens wrote:
Now that Wrestlemania is in the books, I have to say that I am 100% impressed by the attitude the WWE took towards Wrestlemania this year. It was totally refreshing that, besides the "first push" of the first fourth generation McMahon, the McMahon Family managed to stay completely out of the spotlight and Vince showed some class for a change with his "thank you" speech. I was impressed that they paid tribite to the Hall of Fame inductees. I was impressed with Molly Holly "taking one for the team". I have to give it up for my fellow Canadians, Chris Jericho, Christian & Trish Stratus for pulling off a respectable performance. I was impressed with the NYC fans, being brutally honest towards Brock Lesnar & Bill Goldberg. I was also impressed that every title didn't chance hands, two championships changed and that is cool because the more titles that change, the less important they seem. I have to give Triple H credit (yes mark it on the calander) for "doing the right thing" for a change, but all I can say is "don't screw it up Trip". I was most impressed by the finale, with Eddy Guerrero & Chris Benoit capping off the pay per view with a celebration, signifying the change in product direction for the company. The only complaint I had was the way they used Bobby Heenan but that's a minor issue..
NWA4LIFE wrote:
This Wrestlemania was a great start to a great era in wrestling. Finally Benoit wins the title after a great match congrats to all three of them and congrats to Triple H it must have been hard for him to tap at the biggest stage of them all. I wasn't disappointed by the Taker return it was like a Deadman for the new milenium. Great match with Angle and Eddie, a great finish one of the greatest I have ever witnessed. And how can I forget the Benoit and Guerrero moment in the end that left me teary eyed. Great fan reaction to the Lesnar vs Goldberg match wich was horrible. I didn't expect that from Lesnar. Well those are my thoughts.
Hatchet wrote:
Wrestlemania 20 was the wrestlemania id have to say. i liked how they put the most boring match with big show and cena first because i was really looking forward to that match. the cruiserweight battle royal was unbeleivable, but i thought Funaki and Akio could have more of a bigger part. Also seeing Undertaker back as the dead man but dead as when he was buried was sweet. the main event was pretty shirt, but bloody as hell, and both 4 team tag team matches were great. the best though was Austin stunning both Lesnar and Goldberg, cause they both suck. Also i feel bad about Ultimo Dragon slipping because it was his first wrestlemania, and had to of been embarassing. but great matches none the less, and i knew that would happen with christian and jericho , how trish went to the peep side.
Bill Yankowy wrote:
Hey this is Bill Yankowy and I thought that Wrestlemania XX was one of the best shows I have ever seen. They had matches that could very well be match of the year candidates. The only bad thing about the entire show was GOLDBERG VS. BROCK LESNAR!! But the way JR stayed professional shows you how good of an announcer he truly is. I loved the way that Eddie Guerrero stayed the champion and Benoit finally becoming the champion was a great moment for all wrestling fans. In conclusion, this might be early to say but I think this was the greatest Wrestlemania show of all time!!!
Demihate wrote:
Overall, i was underwhelmed with what was given to us this year. The card, i
thought, was a great line up, but i was disappointed with a lot of the matches.
My main gripe was that with all the people employed by the WWE, their big
"Deadman Return" angle, was a new hat, not even the same one he had back in the
day. I disliked the cruiserweight match, even though all of them (Bar Akio and
funaki (sidenote - i hope he was payed a lot for that embarassment) who never
really entered). It was too short, and i don't think Chavo gets away with
cheating like Eddie, he just annoys me, more than HHH cheating does. Brock and
Goldberg's match was a travesty, Brock is a great wreslter and i hope he
realises later he is not a football player and comes home. The main event made
the whole night, i was exstatic when Benoit won, and I am a long time fan of all
three of them, a very very good match, one of my all time favourite, of any fed.
Without this match, i would have been livid at the WWE, and demmanded a refund,
and I didn't even pay (live in the UK). I feel sorry for anyone who did,
especially those who payed the whole $50. All that said, i did enjoy the PPV,
it just wasn't as much as I expected, or was led to expect, seems they may be a
little too good at hyping.
Seref Isler wrote:
I have seen a lot of WWE Action but I have to say that honestly this Wrestlemania definitely beat them all. I was getting sick of having to deal with storylines even in pay-per-views but I was very glad when I saw that this Wrestlemania was exactly what it was supposed to be: Wrestling.
Ultimo Dragon's slipping TWICE and Austin getting hit by a beer can made me laugh. However, Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar - what the hell was that? It took them 10-15 minutes to get the first move going. And after that it was F-5, spear, jackhammer slam and the match was over. I don't agree too much with fan's chant but Lesnar's attitude towards the fans who brought him there was certainly rude. It was plain rude.
I am starting to see that WWE is starting to put more on the shoulders of younger wrestlers which is great. For a long time, they were playing too much with older classics such as Austin, Undertaker, Kane, Hogan, HHH, HBK. Now I can see that the company is shifting towards Guerro, Benoit, Rey Mysterio, RVD and so forth. Another thing that I realised in this pay-per-view is that McMahon has realised that no one is interested in him and his family wrestling so he didn't get involved really in any of the storylines or matches. Furthermore, him saying Thanks to the fans; him with Shane and his grandchild was very touching. It showed that the new generation of wrestlers were begining to take over the company which is "where it all begins again." Especially him with his grandchild and him saying thanks to the fans reminded me that he himself is also human and has emotions - unlike the character we see on RAW and SmackDown!.
I was thinking Benoit would capture the gold in his hometown of Edmonton, Alberta which is where Backlash PPV is held. I was surprised that he got it but I agree that he didn't fake-cry. He really finally deserved all that his efforts paid off. He deserved the belt more than anyone and everyone here in Toronto where I watched the PPV jumped up when HHH tapped out.
After a disastrous few months, WWE is back on the right track and I am very happy to see this.
Karl Dixon wrote:
Molly: Molly was 'funny' with a skullet? Maybe instead of thinking someone looks 'funny' we should aplaud Molly for actually putting the business before herself, and NOT reigning on a stipulation (Nash/Jericho Hair VS Hair, 'New' RAW announcers etc.) Seeing Molly go bald brought back memories of when 4Horsemen shaved Eric Bischoff in 1998. Molly and Eric are the only people I can think of who whent bald for the business, and not because they were balding.
Chris Benoit: Speaking of the 4Horsemen, lets touch on Chis Benoit. Beniot wasn't held down in WCW. He was red hot in 1996-1998 with the 4Horsemen, one of the most elite factions in wrestling history. And lets not forget his carrer making 'Best Of Seven' with Booker T. In fact, hadn't Beniot just won WCW's Heavyweight Title before he jumped ship, because he was afraid of Sullivan depushing him because he was with Sullivan's 'Woman'? So Beniot took his own success in WCW, and started again in WWF/E, and it's taken him four years to get back to the top of the mountain, and many say that's only because the WWE are going with a more 'wrestling' approach right now.
Eddie: Eddie was made one of the standout Cruiserweights, and people STILL talk about his '97 clash with Misterio. Although it ultimately diluted the '...World Order' name, the Latino World Order was an amusing gimmick and was given alot of air time on WCW TV. His subsequent feud with Misterio and Kidman was equally as heated. If anywhere, Eddie was held down in WWE, Mamacita anyone?
Captain Howdy wrote:
I loved Wrestlemania and I thought that it truely was one of the best. I for a couple years now have pretty much hated wwe and almost everything about it. For me Wrestlemania turned over a leaf. I loved the US title match and thought that Cena's rap at the begining was great. I thought that all though I do love RvD I was hoping the Dudly Boyz would win but it was still a good match. Christian vs. Chris Jericho was the first thing that really made me say WOW wwe really does have some good talent and was my third favorite match of the night. I was scared for life when I saw the segment in the closet but the Brain's reaction was funny as hell. I thought the Rock n Sock match was good but I dont like the Rock do that was pretty bad. I LOVED the playboy match. Any match that shows Jackies ass is GREAT. The CW open was good but it really made me mad that Paul London wasn't in it and that Chavo won. The Goldberg Lesnar was one of the worst matches I've ever seen but the crowd was funny. IMO I thought the Smackdown Tag Team match was bad. If Jesse The Body runs 4 pres I'll laugh. I'm glad Molly got her head shaved.Eddie vs. Angel was AWESOME it was a true wrestleing match with a great end. Underatker vs. Kane was my favorite match and I think it was worth all the hype. I not really on this site but on several others people were mad cause they said that Undertaker came back as the badass necasue he was in the tank top ans stuff but thats what he was buried in so I can understand it. I thought that the main event was great and HHH selled good which was truely shocking. I give it a 9 out of 10
Jennifer Sutton wrote:
IMO...it was NOT a WM caliber ppv. There was only ONE super match and that was Angle/Guerrero. the 3 way w/HHH/Micheals/Benoit was pretty good too...only because Benoit won. The best moment in the whole ppv though was the very end when Eddie came out to congratulate Benoit...truly one of WWE's best moments.
Brian Bertrand wrote:
I was also one of the impressed crowd. The event was a hell of a night for both brands from intro to ending it was all very good. The only complaint that I had was that the Lesnar/Goldberg match was very dissappointing. Too much hype, very little preparation. I was glad that John Cena won the US title because Big Show is getting more and more boring every week. The greatest match for me was the Undertaker/Kane match. The card was great and full of surprises. Another WrestleMania in the history books and one that I will most certainly remember for a long time.
Joe Pisaturo wrote:
Wrestlemania XX was both refreshing and suffocating at the same time. The
women's matches and the tag title contests were boring and stale, seemingly
acting as filler to space out the big matches. The only redeeming quality of the
woman's matches was the entertainment value found in the shaving of Molly
Holly's head. The Cruiserweight Open could have been so much better if it was
given more time and if the finish didn't directly involve Chavo Sr. The
Goldberg/ Lesnar match was nothing more than one sick joke that got taken too
far.
However, lots of things were done right. The McMahon family decided to do the
right thing and stay off the screen, the Hall of Fame ceremony didn't intrude
into the matches like it had the possibility of doing, and Triple H had the
courage to tap out in one of the biggest matches of the year in the grandest
wrestling event since the first Wrestlemania. Kurt Angle and Eddie Guerrero put
on a solid technical match, and John Cena finally got the U.S. title, a belt he
has deserved for a long time. It's unfortunate that he won it the way he did,
but hopefully later title defenses will make up for that.
Lastly, I'd like to say that although I haven't been pulling for a Benoit title
victory as much as the rest of the wrestling fan world, I'm glad that the title
is on someone who can give it some credibility and make it look like more than a
showpiece. WWE hasn't left old habits just yet, but they are on the right track,
and I couldn't be more excited.
Brandon Gordon wrote:
Being this is my first Mania scince WM XIV, it was almost perfect, Cena winning the US title put a good start for the night. The Big Show wasn't half bad in the match. Both Tag Team four ways show the hard work put in the wrestles. I don't feel that Booker and RVD need the titles. The Playboy match was good for the horney guys and the Women's title match had been very well paced. Plus Moll's a baldie now. The Tish heel turn was executed perfectly but makes little sense since Christan beat her down just weeks before mania.
Flair and Rocky were deffantly on their game in the 3 on 2 and Orton did a great RKO, popping up from the ground. The curserwight open was awesome (even though Akio and Funaki got shafted) and Taker's back. Both world title matchs were awesome and I'm glad Triple H sold the crossface, it really does showhis true character.
Overall aside from the blemish that was the Brock Goldberg match, I enjoyed Wrestlemania this year and it deserves a Great rating from me
Chris Vargas wrote:
I thought Wrestlemania was good...it was okay...I felt that the Triple threat
match was good, but I feel that Shawn Michaels should have won, because it was
Wrestlemania 20. It would have been great to see him win one more time I mean
Chris Benoit is a great wrestler, but sometimes he can be boring with his
matches, but other than that I am very proud of Benoit, he showed he can hang
with the big boys...Also The Eddie and Angle match, I was hoping to see Angle
win, but Eddie did a very good job, and it was a very good match!!! WOW!! The
Undertaker and Kane match...Though Taker looked like his Bad Ass gimmick with a
black hat I think his return was great!! I have to give it up to Molly, SHAVING
her head!! TRISH STRATUS, I've always loved her but i got bored with her because
they kept her a face too long, when she turned on Chris Jericho at WMXX, i loved
her even more!! One last thing...The Tag matches werent all that, Bill Goldberg
and Brock waste of time...CENA did a great job!!!
Sam Tindall (long time OWW supporter) wrote:
I enjoyed WMXX as all of them I've seen, but I thought all the matches sucked with the exception of Taker/Kane and The Triple Threat. I love Chris Benoit and I'm glad he won. Same with Taker and his return. Otherwise, it was sad to see Lesnar leave with suck a disaster for a match. Why? Probably because Goldberg is a fag, but otherwise the other matches seemed okay. The women's Championship was boring and only reason it stood the test of time was because of the shaving. I think at least one of the tag titles should have switched, not both retained. What was up with TWO fatal four ways? Sad. Not as good as the last three, definatly. WMX-Seven is my favorite and it kicked WMXX in the ass.
Phoenix8887 wrote:
I was all in all impressed with the PPV, espicially the end result of the Main Event. I was a bit dissapointed with the Undertaker look, but I was absolutly amazed when the whole arena and the Press Box (A local Sports Bar) were absolutly silent during the Undertaker's entrance. It doese show that in my view that Undertaker can still make an entrance and leave a crowd in awe.
Kent McClintock wrote:
Well now that I have seen all 20 wrestlemania's I can say that in my opinion wrestlemania 20 was the worst wrestlemania of all time. How can I say this??? let me explain & give you the facts. first, This was the first wrestlemania that not 1 single chair was used at all. not one single sneak attack took place. They inducted PETE ROSE into the hall of fame!!!! Yeah they inducted a baseball player into a wrestling hall of fame who has never even wrestled a single match in his life!!! & he got inducted into the hall of fame by getting his ass kicked by kane??? If all it takes to get into the hall of fame is to get your ass kicked then they might as well induct everybody who's ever been in the WWE!!!! For me the most disappointing moment of Wrestlemania was the Undertakers entrance. You see for weeks prior to wrestlemania they were hyping up his return with all kinds of super-natural phenomenons like the ring moving & Kane getting rained on. After seeing that stuff I expected the undertaker to have some kind of super-natural type of entrance. It was a huge disappointment to see the Undertaker just "walk" out to the ring. My question is this, Why did the WWE hype up the undertakers return like it was gonna be some kind of super-natural phenomenon & go to all of the effort & spend all the thousands of dollars they did to make his return the most anticipated return in the history of the WWE just to have him walk out like a normal person???? Another thing that I think tarnished this wrestlemania was when they made it look like Bobby "The Brain" Heenan & "Mean" Gene Okerland were "making out" with "Fabulous" Moolah & Mae Young, What a degrading way to use two legends!! I also find it very difficult to take Chris Beniot & Eddie Guerrero as serious champions when you think about the tarnished past that they both have, After all they have been nothing but mid-carders most of their careers. The only problem with the Eddie-Angle match is that it was too short. The Beniot-Michaels-HHH match had one major problem, Shawn & HHH were doing most of the work, every time Chris tried to fight with either Shawn or HHH they would just push him to the side & Chris even got knocked out for about 10 minutes of the match. Because Shawn & HHH did most of the work that made me feel that beniot didn't really "earn" the title. The Rock "n" sock vs Evolution match didn't live up to the hype that it was given & wasn't intense as it should have been when you consider the caliber of talent that was involved in this match. I didn't think there would be a winner because I figured that this match would get way too far out of control & I didn't see Vince pushing one team more than the other. Another thing that could have been done to make wrestlemania better is to do away with the evening gown match & the Molly-Victoria match and instead have a 20 women Bra & Pantie battle royal including all the women on the WWE roster and bringing back for this match Sunny, Chyna, The Kat & even include Stephanie McMahon!!!! WHOA!!! That match would be every man's dream. There was 3 problems that ruined the Goldberg-Lesnar match, 1. Considering how good these guys were supposed to be, the match just wasn't long enough. 2. Steve Austin. Anybody knows that Austin will do what ever he can to shine in the limelight, in this case it was giving Goldberg & lesnar a stone-cold stunner. They should have had a mystery referee that wouldn't get physically involved in the match. 3. the biggest thing that ruined the match is the fact that everyone knew that it was Goldberg & lesnars last match, that fact alone took all the fun, anticipation & enjoyment out of the match. It also appeared to me that Goldberg & lesnar were wrestling like they didn't care about the match & just wanted to get it over. The one thing that could have made the two fatal four way tag-team matches better would have been to make them both TLC matches. The Cruiserweight Open could have been better if there were more high-risk maneuvers in the match. The Christian vs Chris Jericho match should ha
TrsBryn4 wrote:
WrestleMania without a shadow of a doubt was one of the greatest of all time and it was well worth every pennie. But the highly of the night was when Benoit finally got what he deserved in becoming the new World Heavyweight Champion. The Goldberg vs. Lesnar match was by far "the worst yet hyped match" on the card. I was really disappointed in both men. This match did not live up to the hype. It was great seeing Angle/Guerrero in a WrestleMania Classic. Top to Bottom it kept interest, and I am looking forward to L.A. next year (the site of WrestleMania 21)!
Kerry Roche wrote:
I thought Wrestlemania was mostly great, but I do have a gripe about one thing: the Undertaker/ Kane match. Yes, it was great that the Taker finally returned, but couldn't the match have been a little more interesting? I mean, a few punches and a Tombstone isn't exactly the best revenge against a 'monster' who buried him alive. Think about it: that match could have been something far more twisted, evil, hardcore, bloody, or just plain beyond imagination. Maybe I'm a little too fond of steel cages/ hardcore matches/ bloodbaths/ inferno matches/ anything brutal, but an opportunity to put on a great, possibly legendary, showdown went to waste that night. That's my two cents. Other than that I was pretty happy with what happened. Interesting look for Molly, I say "well done" to her.
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