WrestleMania XX was the twentieth WWE WrestleMania event, which took place on Sunday, March 14, 2004 in New York, New York at the world-famous Madison Square Garden. The tagline for WrestleMania XX was Where It All Begins...Again.
In celebration of the 20th incarnation of the event, WWE returned to the city and arena where the first Wrestlemania took place.
The buildup to Wrestlemania XX began almost immediately following the previous year's Wrestlemania XIX. Billed as The Road to WrestleMania XX, advertising for the 20th
WrestleMania ran often during WWE shows and PPV events.
Wrestlemania XX was a joint-promotion PPV event, featuring wrestlers from both WWE RAW and Smackdown! In fact, in a first during the "Brand
Extension" storyline, WMXX featured cross-promotional matches, in which wrestlers from both "promotions" fought each other.
Card and Results
The Big Show (C) versus John
Cena
The Big Show controlled most of the match with his superior power. Cena managed to come back and hit the FU, but Big Show
kicked out. Cena wrapped his chain around his fist and prepared to hit Big Show with it, but the referee caught it and threw it
out of the ring. While the ref's back was turned, Cena grabbed one of his brass knuckles and nailed Big Show in the head with it,
stuffed the knuckles in his shorts pocket and hit the FU for the pinfall victory. Cena won his very first title in WWE.
Result: Cena by pinfall, new WWE United States Champion.
Booker T and Rob Van Dam (C) versus Garrison Cade and Mark Jindrak versus The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von) versus La Resistance (Rene Dupree and Rob Conway)
This was a match in which anyone could tag anyone, even a member of an oppoing team. Whomever scored the first pinfall or
submission would win the match for his team, and the champions do not have to be involved in the decision for the belt to change
hands.
On more than one occasion, the referee lost control of the match as all eight men battled each other outside the ring. Booker
T and Van Dam retained the championship when Booker T hit the Axe Kick on Conway and Van Dam followed with the Five-Star Frog
Splash.
Result: Van Dam over Conway by pinfall, still World Tag Team Champions
Christian defeated Jericho thanks to interference by Trish
Stratus.
Result: Christian by pinfall
3 on 2 Handicap Match (RAW)
The Rock 'N' Sock Connection (The Rock and
Mick Foley) versus Evolution (Randy Orton, Batista, and Ric Flair)
Randy Orton gets the surprise pin on Foley with the RKO.
Result: Orton over Foley by pinfall
Hosted by Mean Gene
Okerlund
Inductees: Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, Tito Santana, John "Big John Studd"
Minton, Harley Race, Pete Rose (celebrity inductee), Don Muraco, Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, Junkyard Dog, "Superstar" Billy Graham, Sergeant Slaughter, and Jesse "The Body" Ventura.
Playboy Evening Gown Match
Torrie Wilson and Sable versus Stacy Keibler and Miss Jackie
Before the match got underway, Torrie Wilson, Stacy Keibler and Sable voluntarily stripped down to their bra and panties. Miss
Jackie teased doing the same, but eventually had to be "persuaded" to do so by the other divas.
Result: Everyone wins!
Cruiserweight Open (SmackDown!)
Rules: Two randomly chosen wrestlers start the match. When one is eliminated, he is replaced immedately with another wrestler.
The current champion (Chavo Guerrero, Jr.) enters last. The winner is the WWE Cruiserweight Champion.
Ultimo Dragon and Shannon Moore started. Shannon Moore was eliminated
and replaced by Jamie Noble. Ultimo Dragon was eliminated and replaced by Funaki. Funaki was eliminated and replaced by
Nunzio. Nunzio was eliminated and replaced by Billy Kidman.
Jamie Noble was eliminated and replaced by Rey Mysterio. Billy Kidman was eliminated and
replaced by Tajiri. Tajiri was eliminated and replaced by Akio. Akio was eliminated and replaced by by Cruiserweight Champion Chavo Guerrero, Jr.
Chavo Guerrero, Jr. defeated Rey Mysterio to win the Cruiserweight Open and retain the Cruiserweight title.
Result: Guerrero by pinfall, still WWE Cruiserweight Champion
As an aside, when Ultimo Dragon made his ring entrance, he
immediately slipped and fell down on the stage. This rather embarrassing moment was covered up by a wide-angle shot on the DVD
release of the event.
Goldberg (RAW) vs. Brock Lesnar (SmackDown) (Interpromotional)
Special referee Stone Cold Steve Austin
During this entire match, both Goldberg and Brock, both scheduled to leave WWE after the event, were booed, heckled and jeered
by the New York crowd, who even began chanting for Hulk Hogan as the match
disintegrated into a mess. Lesnar was visibly disturbed by the crowd reaction (he was walking out on a multimillion dollar
contract) while Goldberg seemed mildly amused (he worked his one-year term but did not seek an extension). After what seemed like
an eternity, Goldberg got the win with the Spear/Jackhammer. After the match, Austin delivered Stone Cold Stunners to both men to
the cheers of the crowd.
Result: Goldberg by pinfall
Rikishi and Scotty
2 Hotty (C) versus Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin versus Danny and Doug Basham versus APA (Bradshaw and Faarooq)
Result: Rikishi over Danny Basham by pinfall, Rikishi and Scotty still WWE Tag Team Champions
Interlude
Jesse "The Body" Ventura conducted a short interview with Donald Trump, who was sitting in the audience, about Trump supporting Ventura
financially if Ventura ran for President in 2008.
Victoria (C) versus Molly Holly
Stipulation: If Molly Holly loses, she must shave her head.
Victoria defeated Molly Holly to retain the Women's Championship. After the match, Victoria dragged an "unconscious" Molly to
a barber's chair and shaved her head. She awoke, then ran away in shame.
Result: Victoria by pinfall, still WWE Women's Champion
Eddie Guerrero (C) versus Kurt Angle
Match history
This feud began shortly after Eddie Guerrero began encountering
serious jealousy-related conflicts in his teaming with his nephew, Chavo. Kurt Angle interjected himself, saying he
refused to stand by and watch one of the greatest tag teams in WWE history fall apart. He
told them to do the right thing and shake hands, and both men did so, although it was clear they still didn't fully trust one
another.
Later that evening on SmackDown!, Los Guerreros went after the WWE Tag Team Championship, then held by The Basham Brothers.
The Bashams cheated to win by pinning Chavo, who was immediately thrown from the ring. Then The Bashams, along with their
Amazonian manager Shaniqua, proceeded to beat the crap out of Eddie. Chavo
grabbed a steel chair and looked like he was about to intervene, but instead sat down with a deranged look on his face and
watched the beating unfold. Afterward, Chavo made Eddie believe he was going to help him up, but instead Chavo spat in his face
and assaulted his uncle.
This led to a match between the Guerreros at the 2004 Royal
Rumble, which was won by Eddie Guerrero - but because Eddie was participating in a singles match at the Rumble, he was unable
to participate in the actual Royal Rumble match itself. Kurt Angle, meanwhile, entered at #19 and, as it turned out, was the final wrestler
eliminated from the ring. Chris Benoit, then with SmackDown!, won the Royal
Rumble.
Benoit promptly left the brand and joined RAW to compete for that brand's World Heavyweight Championship instead of SmackDown's WWE Championship. This left SmackDown without a #1 contender, so General Manager Paul Heyman, to appease his boss Vince McMahon, ordered a SmackDown-exclusive battle royal to determine who would get a WWE Championship shot
against Brock Lesnar at No Way Out in February.
Prior to the Rumble match, Eddie Guerrero was attacked backstage by an unknown assailant, speculated to be Chavo Guerrero, Jr. and Chavo Classic. Eddie's ability to compete in the match was seriously in question.
Kurt entered the match at #1, and Eddie, noticeably hobbling, entered at #13. As it turned out, these two men would be the
last men remaining, and Eddie Guerrero scored the improbable upset by eliminating the four-time former WWE Champion. Kurt's
reaction upon losing was legitimate anger and frustration, in contrast to the friendly demeanor with which he'd outwardly treated
Eddie in recent months.
Eddie went on to defeat Brock Lesnar at No Way Out to win the WWE Championship, while Kurt scored the victory in a
triple-threat match against John Cena and The Big Show to win the right to face Eddie at WrestleMania XX.
But not long afterward, Kurt's true motivations were revealed when he attacked Eddie during a title defense against Chavo. It
turns out that in reality, Kurt was working to deliberately break up the Guerreros and get them to fight each other at the
Rumble, preventing Eddie from entering the Royal Rumble Match. But after Benoit's defection meant a second Rumble for
SmackDown-only superstars, Kurt had been the one to attack Eddie backstage, in an unsuccessful attempt to stop him from
competing.
Later, when Eddie won the WWE Championship, Kurt Angle felt he had no choice but to take action in front of the cameras. Eddie
Guerrero, Kurt said, is a former drug addict, and therefore had no business being WWE Champion. In addition, Eddie was notorious
for "lying, cheating and stealing" his way to victory, and the fans loved him for it. Therefore, Kurt felt that for the good of
the company, he had to restore the belt to a man who would give it honor and integrity once more - namely, himself.
Of course, Kurt has an on-camera reputation for being duplicitious, so it's just as likely that Kurt simply wanted the
WWE Championship, and was willing to go to any means to win it
without Eddie getting in his way.
Later, SmackDown! general manager Paul Heyman demanded that Eddie Guerrero issue a public apology for his behavior, and Eddie
refused. Heyman yelled, "I wish I was in a position to slap some sense into you myself!" Eddie retorted, "You couldn't beat me if
I had both hands tied behind my back!" So Heyman booked himself in a match against Eddie in which the champion's hands would be
handcuffed behind his back. Despite this handicap, Eddie Guerrero used his legs to beat the crap out of Paul Heyman, who
retreated - but Kurt Angle arrived on the scene, and beat the living daylights out of the defenseless WWE Champion.
Match results
Eddie and Kurt traded the momentum back-and-forth. Eddie hit his signature Frog Splash, which only earned a near-fall, and on
multiple occasions Eddie was able to escape Kurt's devastating Ankle Lock.
Late in the match, Eddie escaped the Ankle Lock, knocking Kurt Angle to the ringside floor in the process, and began unlacing
his boot, seemingly to massage it. Kurt got up, his face a mask of rage, prompting the still-down Eddie to exclaim, "Oh, shit!"
Eddie then made a beeline for the ropes, but Kurt was faster, and he trapped Eddie in the Ankle Lock. Eddie tried desperately to
kick his way out of it with his free foot, and in the process his boot came off, as he'd intended. The distraction enabled Eddie
to roll his opponent up for the pinfall, and Eddie Guerrero retained the WWE
Championship.
Result: Guerrero by pinfall, still WWE Champion
The Undertaker (SmackDown!) versus Kane (RAW) (Interpromotional)
This was the return of The Undertaker in his old gimmick from his Dead Biker gimmick after he was "buried alive" by Kane at Survivor Series
2003. The Undertaker began to play mind games with Kane starting in January through various video clips proclaiming that he would
return. When he did, it was a dominating victory for Taker, a star many times over, and did very little to help Kane's
career.
On the other hand, The Undertaker's entrance, complete with torch-wielding druids, vintage entrance theme and the return of
Paul Bearer, stands as one of the most memorable moments of WrestleMania
XX.
Result: Undertaker by pinfall
Triple H (C) versus Shawn Michaels versus Chris Benoit
Chris Benoit forced Triple H to submit to his Crippler Crossface finisher, winning the World Heavyweight Championship. After
the match, friend and WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero celebrated with Benoit in the ring to close the show.
Result: Benoit over Triple H by submission, new World Heavyweight Champion
External links
WWE WrestleMania XX history page (http://www.wwe.com/shows/wrestlemania21/history/wmxx/)
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