Wrestlemania 20: A Retrospective Look

May 2024 ยท 6 minute read
Mania 20 was an interesting event. it definitely had a ton of hype, justifiably so, and most of the matches had a really good build, but there were too many letdowns inside the ring for me to love this night.

in the Mania 17 thread, i rebooked very little, but Manias 18 & 19 got switched around a lot so that those 2 events, along with this one, would be overall more rounded out. that said, here is what my Mania 20 would look like...

US Title: Big Show vs. John Cena. i loved this match. the build was simple and logical, the pre-match rap with Cena was enjoyable and the match was good. i've always felt that both of these guys were/are hugely underrated when it comes to their actual in-ring skills and this match straight up worked for me. it was a great debut for Cena, winning a title in the opening match on the biggest stage.

IC Title: Orton vs. Foley. this match happened one month later at Backlash but should have happened here. this feud was told perfectly outside the ring and their confrontation at the Rumble sold this match. why it was pushed back makes sense in that it got Flair, Batista and the Rock on the card, but they could have all been on the card in other ways even if the handicapped match isn't penciled in. Orton/Foley one-on-one in a Legend Killer vs. Hardcore Legend Street Fight. book it. and not at Backlash.

Women's Title: Victoria vs. Molly Holly. actually really enjoyable so i'd leave it exactly as is. the match wasn't the greatest i've seen from women's wrestling, but it is certainly a standout moment with Molly Holly getting her head shaved. i'd keep it on the show because i think these two ladies, both personally and professionally, earned the right to do something memorable and they accomplished that well.

Tag Team Titles: Unification Match. simply put, the tag team division wasn't what it was even just a year or two prior to this event. and 2 matches featuring 8 "teams" was a bit much for me. lots of teams were being thrown together, split apart, on their way out of the company, etc. i'd make this a 4 Corners Elimination Match with the four best teams available. i'm honestly not sure who that even was at this point but i'll do my best here; APA vs. Dudley Boys vs. World's Greatest Tag Team vs. Basham Brothers. World's Greatest Tag Team unifies the titles and so earns their name on this night.

Cruiserweight Title: many have suggested Rey vs. Chavo one-on-one and i definitely see the value there. these two had a pretty great feud a few years later and i really enjoyed their matches, specifically their "I Quit" Matches. given that this is Mania and these two had some amazing history/chemistry together, i'd make this a ladder match. it'd be pretty appropriate given that it's 10 years after the infamous HBK/Razor ladder match, also at MSG. so this would be my switch from the Cruiserweight Battle Royal we got.

Y2J vs. Christian stays exactly as is. this was a really enjoyable feud and build up. the turn from Trish was totally unexpected (at least i didn't expect it) and i was thrilled to see Christian get a big solo win here. their Steel Cage and Ladder Matches later in the year were also amazing.

Goldberg vs. Lesnar was horrible in execution. and to be totally honest, i wasn't too impressed with the idea even on paper. i totally get the idea; both of these guys were physical beasts with an undefeated streak as part of their gimmick, and both had arguably the most impressive rookie years in the history of professional wrestling. also, both guys had pretty sweet finishing maneuvers. but i would have scrapped this match entirely. especially since the WWE knew that both guys were on their way out.

instead i'd have Taker vs. Lesnar. i know we're getting this match at Mania 30, but it's 10 years too late in my opinion. Lesnar destroyed Taker for over a year. i'd switch up the Survivor Series storyline and have Lesnar help McMahon bury Taker instead of Kane. this sets up the return of the Dead Man seeking revenge on the guy that buried the Biker. Taker gets a big win as Lesnar heads out.

and then i'd have Goldberg vs. Batista vs. Kane. Kane and the Animal are also pretty physical beasts in their own rights and they would need a match. all 3 of these guys had history leading up to Mania; Batista "injured" Goldberg for Triple H and Kane fought Goldberg in a Triple Threat Match that saw Goldberg lose the World Title. throw these 3 guys into a match and have either Batista or Kane win as both are sticking around after the night is over.

World Title #1: Angle vs. Guerrero. i loved this match and i loved their feud all around. the only thing i'd change is the build. Angle would win the World Title from Lesnar at the Rumble in their final match together. Guerrero then walks into Mania as the challenger and wins the World Title for the first time at Mania, as opposed to winning it at a lesser ppv after outside interference. make Guerrero's first and only World Title win more meaningful on this stage instead.

World Title #2: Triple H vs. HBK vs. Benoit. absolutely perfect. this is one of the best matches in Mania history. or just history period. don't change a thing about it. the build and the match were epic in every way. one of the most incredible Mania moments of all time as the show closes with Benoit and Guerrero celebrating their respective World Title wins. so richly deserved.

Hogan vs McMahon. Street Fight. i moved this up a year. i totally loved this match and the build was so personal and was so deep in its history. i just always felt that this match would have been better, and certainly more poetic, if it happened on the 20th anniversary instead of the 19th, and in the exact same arena where both WrestleMania and Hulkamania were born. so same match and same build, just bumped up a year.

that leaves Austin and Rock. i had Austin vs. Goldberg at Mania 19 as Austin's last match. since he's not gonna wrestle again but should still be on the card, i'd have a Piper's Pit segment with these two icons as the guests. 3 of the best talkers in all of sports entertainment going at it on the microphone for 10 or so minutes. it'd just be flat out enjoyable in every way.

Mania 20 had some very bright spots, but it was a little too hit and miss for my preference.

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