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WrestleMania XX

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WrestleMania XX
File:Logo-wm20.jpg
PromotionWorld Wrestling Entertainment
DateMarch 14, 2004
CityNew York City
VenueMadison Square Garden
Attendance20,000
Buy rate1,000,000 buys
Pay-per-view chronology
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Backlash 2004

WrestleMania XX was the twentieth WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view poduced by World Wrestling Entertainment. It took place on March 14, 2004 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The event was the third WrestleMania at Madison Square Garden but the fourth to take place in the New York metropolitan area (following WrestleMania I, WrestleMania 2, and WrestleMania X). The celebrated return grossed more than $2.4 million in ticket sales, making the Pay-Per-View the highest grossing event ever for WWE at Madison Square Garden. A sold-out Madison Square Garden was filled with more than 20,000 people from 16 countries, 48 states. Fans from more than 90 countries watched the televised event.

WrestleMania XX celebrated the 20th anniversary of the first WrestleMania. Billed as The Road to WrestleMania XX, the buildup to the event began almost immediately following the previous year's event. It was a joint-promotion PPV event, featuring wrestlers from both the RAW and SmackDown! brands. The tagline for WrestleMania XX was Where It All Begins...Again. The theme song for WrestleMania XX was "Step Up" by Drowning Pool. The song for the recap video was "Touche" by Godsmack.

The commentators for RAW were Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler. The commentators for SmackDown! were Michael Cole and Tazz. The Spanish commentators were Carlos Cabrena and Hugo Savinovich. Howard Finkel did the ring annoucing for the RAW bouts and Tony Chimel did the same for the SmackDown! matches.

Match results

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, which shocked Cena as very few people had ever done that before. Cena wrapped his chain around his fist and prepared to hit Big Show with it, but the referee saw the chain and ordered him to dispose of it. Cena, after mocking the ref, threw the weapon and it landed at the other side of the ring. While the ref was retrieving it to clear the ring, Cena grabbed one of his brass knuckles, 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 and clutched the title, with the crowd's approval.
One of many WrestleMania XX posters released by WWE
This was a match in which anyone could tag anyone, even a member of an opposing team. Whoever scored the first pinfall or submission would win the match for his team, and the champions did 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 Scissors Kick on Conway and Van Dam followed with the Five-Star Frog Splash for the pinfall.
Christian defeated Jericho thanks to interference by Trish Stratus, who turned on Jericho after the match.
File:Rockbatista.jpg
The Rock battling Batista in their handicap match
Evolution won the match when Orton pinned Foley following an RKO.
Mean Gene Okerlund introduced the 2004 Hall of Fame inductees: Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, Tito Santana, John "Big John Studd" Minton, Harley Race, Pete Rose (celebrity inductee), Don Muraco, Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, Sylvester "Junkyard Dog" Ritter, "Superstar" Billy Graham, Sgt. Slaughter, and Jesse "The Body" Ventura.
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. SmackDown's Sable & Torrie Wilson defeated RAW's Stacy Keibler & Miss Jackie via pinfall on Jackie.
Two randomly chosen wrestlers start the match. When one is eliminated, he is replaced immedately with another wrestler. The current champion (Chavo Guerrero) enters last. The winner is the WWE Cruiserweight Champion.
Último Dragón and Shannon Moore started.
Shannon Moore was eliminated and replaced by Jamie Noble.
Último Dragón 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, Akio was unable to complete, so Tajiri was replaced by Cruiserweight Champion Chavo Guerrero.
Chavo Guerrero pinned Rey Mysterio with help from his father, Chavo Guerrero, Sr., to win the Cruiserweight Open and retain the Cruiserweight title.
As an aside, when Último Dragón 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.
The Undertaker returns as the Deadman.
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 Austin, Hulk Hogan, and Bret Hart as the match disintegrated into a mess. Lesnar was visibly disturbed by the crowd reaction (he was walking out on a multimillion dollar contract) and gave the middle finger to the crowd at the end of the match, while Goldberg seemed mildly amused (he worked his one-year term but did not seek an extension). Goldberg got the win with the Spear and Jackhammer. When the match was over, Lesnar stuck up the middle finger to the sold-out crowd of Madison Square Garden, and to Stone Cold as well in response to the chants of booes to Lesnar. After the match, Austin delivered Stone Cold Stunners to both men to the cheers of the crowd.
Scotty 2 Hotty & Rikishi defeated Basham Brothers, World's Greatest Tag Team( Shelton Benjamin and Charile Hass)and APA via pinfall from Rikishi on Danny to retain.
If Molly Holly loses, she must shave her head. Victoria defeated Molly Holly to retain the Women's Championship. After the match, Molly tried to run, but Victoria slammed her head on the barber's table, strapped her in the chair, and shaved her hair off. The head shaving took a while longer than expected and the scene was cut to the Eddie Guerrero vs. Kurt Angle build up video for the next match. Interestingly enough, Angle's entrance took place while Molly's shaving continued.
Eddie and Kurt traded the momentum back-and-forth with many amateur moves and holds. Both men were able to get their signature suplexes (Kurt's German and Eddie's Three Amigos). 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. 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.
This was the return of The Undertaker in his "Deadman" gimmick from his 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 at the Royal Rumble through various video clips proclaiming that he would return. When he did, it was a dominating victory for Taker. His entrance was complete with torch-wielding druids, vintage entrance theme and the return of Paul Bearer. After a Tombstone Piledriver to Kane, Undertaker became 12-0 at WrestleMania.
File:Benoit and Guerrero celebrate at WrestleMania XX.jpg
Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero celebrate their wins at WrestleMania XX
The match started with all three men in a chopping war, and exchanging holds. It was mainly between Benoit and Michaels. Early in the match, Michaels connected with a moonsault off the top turnbuckle to the outside on Triple H and Benoit. Benoit was able to connect with a Diving Headbutt later on HBK. The challengers had taken turns with German Suplexes back and forth. The move is generally done by Benoit, but Michaels nailed one in a form of mockery. This led to a chorus of booes from the crowd. Triple H managed to break both men significantly. Afterwards Michaels was busted open when he collided with the ring post, by a catapult from Benoit after a failed attempt to apply the Sharpshooter, and later Triple H and Michaels threw Benoit through the Spanish announcement table. Michaels and Triple H fought in and out of the ring, busting open Triple H in the process. Triple H connected with the Pedigree and went for the pin, then out of nowhere Benoit breaks the count at two. Michaels tries Sweet Chin Music on Benoit but was thrown out of the ring. With Michaels out of the way, Triple H attempts to lock in the Pedigree but Benoit countered it into his Crippler Crossface, forcing Triple H to tap out and thus winning the World Heavyweight Championship. After the match, friend and WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero celebrated with Benoit in the ring to close the show.

Trivia

  • To date, this is the only 5-Hour Wrestlemania broadcast.
  • This was the first WrestleMania to charge $49.95
  • This was the first time the WWE United States Championship was defended at a WrestleMania.
  • This was the first time the World Heavyweight Championship was defended in the main event and also the first time that any World Title changed hands by submission in the main event.
  • This was the first WrestleMania to have a Triple Threat Match for a World Championship.
  • Eddie Guerrero's win marked just the seventh time a World Champion successfully defended his championship at WrestleMania, the first two being Hulk Hogan, followed by Yokozuna (though he would lose it in a later match that night), Diesel and twice by Triple H.
  • The handicap match was The Rock's last WrestleMania appearance and last match to date.
  • Goldberg's and Brock Lesnar's match were their last match to date in the WWE.
  • The Undertaker's undefeated WrestleMania streak became 12-0 after pinning Kane in their second WrestleMania encounter (first being WrestleMania XIV). Kane lost both times. Incidentally, the first time it took 3 "Tombstone Piledrivers" while this time it only took one to finish off Kane.
  • Randy Orton, John Cena, Batista, Rene Dupree, Rob Conway, Mark Jindrak, Garrison Cade, Goldberg, Ultimo Dragon, Shannon Moore, Nunzio, Jamie Noble and Billy Kidman all made their in-ring WrestleMania debuts.
  • This was the first WrestleMania to feature RAW vs. SmackDown! matches since being split into two brands.
  • This WrestleMania has the most title defenses, with 7 (United States, Women's, Cruiserweight, WWE Tag Team, World Tag Team, WWE and World Heavyweight titles). The Intercontinental Title was the only title not defended on this WrestleMania since Intercontinental Champion Randy Orton competed in the handicap match.
  • This was the first WrestleMania to feature cross-promotional matches, in which wrestlers from both brands fought each other.
  • This was the first time that The Tag Team Titles from both brands are defended in one night and at a WrestleMania and also at a fatal four way tag team match.
  • For the first time ever, Mick Foley and The Rock teamed up at WrestleMania.
  • This was Kane's first WrestleMania without his mask
  • The main event was given the Match of the Year 2004 award by Pro Wrestling Illustrated.
  • This is the first WrestleMania to have a main event end by submission.
  • Near the end of the Goldberg vs Lesnar match a Hulk Hogan impersonator in the nosebleeds managed to get nearly the entire crowd focused on him instead of the match. This lead to many of the fan members noticeably turning their heads to the upper right of the tv screen and as well as "popping" for him and starting many "Hogan" chants. The crowd's attention would remain on the man until redirected to the match by a Goldberg Spear.
  • This was the first time Shawn Michaels was in the main event since WrestleMania XIV against Steve Austin
  • The only wrestler at WrestleMania XX that competed at WrestleMania X, also held in Madison Square Garden, was Shawn Michaels, who failed to defeat Razor Ramon for the WWE Intercontinental Championship in a ladder match at WrestleMania X.
  • This WrestleMania, along with the proceding two, would all take place from the three locations that hosted WrestleMania 2, New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles (This one from New York, WrestleMania 21 from Los Angeles, and WrestleMania 22 from Chicago).
  • This marked Rey Mysterio's second WrestleMania appearance. Coincidentally, he was wrestling for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship, the same title he wrestled for against Matt Hardy at WrestleMania XIX. He went into both matches the challenger, and came out the loser.

References

Template:WrestleMania

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