WWF in 2000...

[JoeDirt 0]

I was looking through some old show listings from 2000 WWF stuff tonight. It's the year that's hailed by most as being the best in WWF history as far as good angles and good matches go. Aside from old PPVs I own on tape or DVD, I realized I haven't seen ANY of these TV episodes and matches since they aired (except the big 5 vs. 5 RAW tag match that got a ton of hype) and so I was wondering...has anyone watched WWF 2000 TV stuff lately and does it hold up to the test of time?

[Just John 0]

Well, ppv events are typically what define a year as far as wrestling goes. Shows like the Rumble, NWO, Backlash, Judgment Day, Fully Loaded, and Summer Slam all hold up today.

 

I'd say most of the free tv is probably fine. I remember there were a lot of surprisingly good matches from that time period like HHH/Taka, HHH/Rikishi, That 10-man, etc. Plus E/C were being funny every week, along with Angle, Crash, Big Show, the hardcore division, and so on. The acquistion of the Radicals and Jericho made for a sick midcard, and the ME scene was solid. The storylines were really good for most of the year (up until about when Rikishi was revealed as the driver), so I imagine Raw and SD were good on a week to week basis for most of the year. I doubt many individual shows were truly special, but if we saw something of that quality in place of Raw next week, smarks would be going crazy.

[Masked Man of Mystery 0]

Trips was also having nice TV matches with undercarders who were supposed to job, but he let them get int some offense, especially Al Snow, who had more near falls than anyone in one match, I think. Wish I could remember the time frame though

[CanadianChris 0]

I think so. I just got through rewatching Hard Knocks and Cheap Pops, and they had most of the stuff from the HHH/Cactus Jack feud from the start of the year, and it was all excellent. I have the HHH/Jericho title match on my computer, and it's timeless.

 

And there was so much more fantastic TV that I remember, with Edge/Christian/Angle, Eddy and Chyna, the love triangle...I can't remember so much consistently great TV. It was even better than 1997 (which had superb stuff in the main event, but not much underneath). I can't watch 1997 shows today without FFing through most of the filler -- I can pop in a show from 2000 and generally be entertained throughout.

[BHK 0]

Trips was also having nice TV matches with undercarders who were supposed to job, but he let them get int some offense, especially Al Snow, who had more near falls than anyone in one match, I think. Wish I could remember the time frame though

 

 

October 21ST 1999 Smackdown.

[JN News 0]

2000 was pretty damn good, until the very minute that Stephanie McMahon was handed the book.

[cabbageboy 0]

I have never had the fondness for 2000 that I do for 1998. For all the talk about the WWF in 2000, there was a lot of ultra bad booking that I think bit the company in the ass years later. HHH's ungodly push was at its peak in 2000, some guys like Jericho, Benoit, and Angle were pushed some, but then depushed and it ended up never quite getting them as over as they could have been.

 

And let's face it, the 2nd half of 2000 was pretty hideous. Rikishi as the driver who ran down Austin? Right To Censor being pushed? The whole Steph/HHH/Angle angle tanking around September? Oh, and how about the Rock winning the title at KOTR in a 6 man tag by pinning Vince so Lord Helmsley didn't have to job.

[Just John 0]

I agree with not giving guys proper pushes. They really missed the boat with Jericho who was super over at the time. I mean, Rocky didn't need the title during the summer (it actually got in the way more than anything), and it really could've moved Jericho to the next level. Angle's title run was botched horribly, as I don't think he had more than 3 clean wins during his run.

 

When exactly did Steph get the book? I'm guessing September or so, because that's when the company went into a lull until the 01 Rumble. The last 3.5 months were marked by the non-finish to the Kurt/HHH feud, the aforementiond poor Angle title reign, Rikishi as the driver, HHH no-selling death, and the 4 very lackluster ppv's.

 

Doesn't change the fact that January-May was awesome, and June-August was well above average overall.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

I'm not sure when exactly she got the book, but I think Survivor Series was the first full show that she wrote.

[death_by_burrito 0]

Who was all in that big 10 man tag match?

[JST 0]

Who was all in that big 10 man tag match?

 

I wanna say Triple H, X-Pac, Road Dogg, Dean Malenko, Chris Benoit

 

VS

 

Too Cool, Rikishi, The Rock, Cactus Jack.

 

Correct if wrong.

[The Decemberists 0]

I'm not sure when exactly she got the book, but I think Survivor Series was the first full show that she wrote.

 

Steph's first decision as head of creative - or whatever it's called - was making Rikishi the man who ran over Austin, so from that Raw onwards I think it's all Steph written, or Steph approved.

[CanadianChris 0]

Who was all in that big 10 man tag match?

 

I wanna say Triple H, X-Pac, Road Dogg, Dean Malenko, Chris Benoit

 

VS

 

Too Cool, Rikishi, The Rock, Cactus Jack.

 

Correct if wrong.

Stick Saturn in instead of Road Dogg and you've got it.

[haws bah gawd 0]

Anyone remember HHH vs Rikishi for the title on Smackdown? I want to say this happened in early 2000. I can't give the match enough love. HHH was still a GOD in the ring at this time, and he carried Rikishi so well you would've thought you would see a new world champion at any given moment. HHH had another match with TAKA in early 2001(?) that was booked so well it looked like TAKA FUCKING MICHINOKU was about to become the world champion. I think 2000/early-mid 2001 WWE still holds up very well.

[cawthon777 0]

I think the TV holds up well. The matches weren't nearly as long as they are now and there were more than a few main events that went to no contests (which I hate) but the entire roster was well built at that time, from Triple H and Rock all the way to Crash Holly and Steve Blackman.

[ZGangsta 0]

Yeah I think 2000 holds up really well. It's the best year that I ever watched at least. Sure there was some crap after Steph got the book, but compared to what's been put out in the last 4 years, even that stuff is golden. I'd say everything from the buildup to Royal Rumble 2000 to WM17 (which was April 2001) was an amazing period. Sure there was some bad stuff, but the amount of great storylines and amazing wrestling in that period is mind-blowing. Plus the WWF could actually do good comedy then and they let the wrestlers do their own promos.

Was No Way Out (Austin/HHH 2/3 falls) in 2000 or 2001?

[Just John 0]

HHH/Austin 3 stages of hell was in 01.

[BigDawgCarl 0]

98 had the best year of TV by far, but 2000 had very good PPVs (not counting WM) and very good TV (w/o Austin btw). Trips became a legit main eventer, and The Rock became the #1 star in all of sports entertainment. Damn, I look back and wish it was just Triple H vs. The Rock @ WM, Show & Foley (not to mention the McMahons) made the ME forgettable.

[Guest Heel Heat]

I have never had the fondness for 2000 that I do for 1998. For all the talk about the WWF in 2000, there was a lot of ultra bad booking that I think bit the company in the ass years later. HHH's ungodly push was at its peak in 2000, some guys like Jericho, Benoit, and Angle were pushed some, but then depushed and it ended up never quite getting them as over as they could have been.

 

And let's face it, the 2nd half of 2000 was pretty hideous. Rikishi as the driver who ran down Austin? Right To Censor being pushed? The whole Steph/HHH/Angle angle tanking around September? Oh, and how about the Rock winning the title at KOTR in a 6 man tag by pinning Vince so Lord Helmsley didn't have to job.

 

 

Whether you liked RTC or not it was a hot angle that gave a few midcarders a chance to shine. I remember seeing the RTC vs. The Dudleys at a taping in 2000 and it was a hot match, a lot of good spots and drama.

I think that H pushed Rock out of the way of a moving vehicle once b/c he Rock always got him over, i was at an MSG house show once at the height of the Corporation and DX era. The main event was H vs. Rock for the title, H pinned Rock after one of the Stooges (i think or it might have been Shane) botched interfering on Rocks behalf, crowning H as the new champ at a house show, people lost it! So Vince comes out and reverses the decision and forces the match to restart, then has the rest of the Corporation come out and aid Rock in getting the win. One of my favorite Rock/HHH moments. Anyway point being is that The Rock constantly put H over, even when Rock was in the main event and H was in the upper midcard.

[BigDawgCarl 0]

I agree wholeheartedly, the last half of 2000 was teetering on the line of wrestlecrap. I think you can pinpoint the slide right at the debut of RAW on TNN. That's when things started to drop slowly but surely.

 

Isn't it funny that, with the FULL exception of the Halloween show, RAW on USA has been very consistent?

 

But like someone said earlier in this thread, I'm very fond of everything that happened in 1998 after WM14, and also 97 just for Bret/Austin and Bret/Shawn which made for excellent TV.

 

Another thing, wasn't the State College RAW where Jericho won the belt from HHH but it was quickly overturned in 2000? One of my favorite RAW moments ever.

[cabbageboy 0]

I've also never cared either way about the Jericho/HHH phantom title switch. Mainly because I have an aversion for all Dusty Finishes. In the end, Jericho just jobbed and it was forgettable.

 

The thing that sticks out to me most about 2000 is that the heels just dominated the faces and it seemed like the faces just NEVER got the big blowoff. Rock/HHH? Just petered out, never a real resolution. You could say SS 2000 but then things were shifting towards HHH/Angle. The Rock was champ but had nothing to do.

 

I might open up a can of worms with this, but I think 2001 is easily superior to 2000. Sure, the Invasion is widely considered a flop but I think overall the action was superb that year.

[Masked Man of Mystery 0]

I LOVE early 2000 because Austin wasn't in the main event stinking up things with his horrible match formula. I also have to note that I have been watching a large amount of 2002 PPVs and it was a good wrestling year, if not a good angle one

[Just John 0]

I remember Vengeance 02 was a surprisingly good show. Other than that, though, there isn't much to write home about until the end of the year. The SD side really heated up with the "SD 6" and Survivior Series was a great show, but I don't remember much else of note. I know the Rumble, Mania, Judgment Day, and KOTR were not good at all. Another thing I remember was the weeks and weeks worth of boring Austin vs. NWO storylines with Bradshaw thrown in there.

 

Ric Flair: Tonight, in the main event, it will be the NWO vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin...

*Crowd pops*

Ric Flair: ... And Bradshaw!

*Silence*

[Kizzo 0]

I'm not sure when exactly she got the book, but I think Survivor Series was the first full show that she wrote.

 

Chris Kreski lost control of the creative team in October 2000(but remained with the company til early 01)......that's when she got control of the creative team...

 

I don't know what Vince was thinking about when he demoted Kreski...

[Masked Man of Mystery 0]

I remember Vengeance 02 was a surprisingly good show. Other than that, though, there isn't much to write home about until the end of the year. The SD side really heated up with the "SD 6" and Survivior Series was a great show, but I don't remember much else of note. I know the Rumble, Mania, Judgment Day, and KOTR were not good at all. Another thing I remember was the weeks and weeks worth of boring Austin vs. NWO storylines with Bradshaw thrown in there.

 

Ric Flair: Tonight, in the main event, it will be the NWO vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin...

*Crowd pops*

Ric Flair: ... And Bradshaw!

*Silence*

Mania and King of the Ring had good, if not great undercards

[Just John 0]

All I remember from KOTR was that god-awful HHH/UT main event. And I thought Mania 18 was boring throughout.

[cabbageboy 0]

I'm confused, how did we start talking about 2002?

 

That KOTR show was such a debacle I think it killed it as a PPV. That and the split. What I remember was that I was so pissed that they had Lesnar win it over Van Dam (and yeah, I knew they'd do it beforehand, but it still pissed me off). I still think that was the single dumbest 1 match booking decision of the post Invasion era. It gave Brock way too much too soon, and started the career burial of RVD that has taken him until this year to recover.

[BigDawgCarl 0]

I LOVE early 2000 because Austin wasn't in the main event stinking up things with his horrible match formula. I also have to note that I have been watching a large amount of 2002 PPVs and it was a good wrestling year, if not a good angle one

 

You deserve X-Pac heat for saying that.