31 Manias in 31 Days: Rewriting Wrestlemania XVI

[LODemolition]

The next installment in my "Rewriting WrestleMania" series takes us back to the year 2000, where WrestleMania revisited the Arrowhead Pond just 4 years after holding WM12 there. With 2 cornerstones of the company, Steve Austin and The Undertaker, out due to injury, it would have been tough to create a great card. However, they could have done much better than they did. This Mania card was awful. It's easily in my worst 5 Manias of all-time. It really was just a mess. There were no 1-on-1 matches, which is a huge pet peeve for me. Here's the results.

April 2, 2000
Arrowhead Pond (Anaheim, CA)

Big Boss Man & Bull Buchanan def. D-Lo Brown & The Godfather w/ Ice-T

Hardcore Battle Royal:

Hardcore Holly was the final winner in the Hardcore Championship Battle Royal that also included Tazz, Kaientei, Mean Street Posse, The Headbangers, Viscera, The Acolytes and Crash Holly to become Hardcore Champion

Test & Albert w/ Trish Stratus def. Al Snow & Steve Blackman, w/ Chester McCheeserton

World Tag Team Championship Ladder Match:

Edge & Christian def. the Dudleys and Hardy Boyz to become new champions

Catfight:

Terri def. The Kat

Too Cool & Chyna def. The Radicalz

Intercontinental and European Championship Triple Threat Match:

Chris Benoit pinned Chris Jericho to win the Intercontinental Championship; Chris Jericho pinned Chris Benoit to become European Champion; Kurt Angle was never pinned but lost both titles

Kane & Rikishi def. Road Dogg & X-Pac

Fatal Four Way Elimination WWE Championship Main Event:

Triple H w/ Stephanie McMahon def. The Rock w/ Mr. McMahon, Mick Foley w/ Linda McMahon and Big Show w/ Shane McMahon to retain



*Rewriting WrestleMania XVI*


1. WWF Hardcore Championship: Tazz def. Crash Holly (c)

The hardcore battle royal was somewhat entertaining, but if I remember it included 14 or 15 pinfalls. Enough is enough after a while. I'd have preferred just a straight up 1 on 1 match between 2 of the best in the division.

2. 8-Man Tag Team Elimination Match: The Radicalz (Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko & Perry Saturn) def. Rikishi, Kane & Too Cool
*Benoit and Guerrero are the last 2 surviving elimination*

While I debated on this one for a while because it was tough for me to take Benoit out of the triple threat with Angle and Jericho, I really would have liked to see all of The Radicalz compete together. I would have had Benoit and Guerrero be the last 2 standing.

3. WWF Women's Championship: Lita (c) def. Chyna

I would have always liked to see these 2 compete in a WrestleMania match. I think this would have been better for Chyna than taking on The Radicalz in the 6-person tag.

4. WWF Tag Team Championship Triple Threat Ladder Match: Edge & Christian def. The Dudleys (c) and The Hardy Boyz

The only match I would not change on this card. This was the beginning of a great, entertaining string of gimmick matches in the tag team division where each one was better than the last.

5. Mick Foley def. The Big Show

No way would I have had these 2 in the main event. Possibly Foley, but definitely not Big Show. Most would say "Why put them against eachother in consecutive Manias?", but I actually booked them differently for WM15.

6. Intercontinental Championship 2 out of 3 Falls Match: Chris Jericho def. Kurt Angle (c)

For starters, I wouldn't have had Angle also hold the European Title heading into Mania. The booking of the match was just strange, with the 1st fall being for the IC Title and the 2nd for the Euro. Here, I'd just have a simple 2 of 3 falls for the IC belt and Jericho win the 3rd fall in a match that would have still stolen the show.

7. WWF Championship: The Rock w/ Vince McMahon def. Triple H (c) w/ Stephanie McMahon

Not only should The Rock have gotten a 1 on 1 with Triple H here, but he should have walked out champion in my opinion. It was a bad ending to a bad card to see Triple H retain despite taking on 3 contenders. They fixed it a month later by having The Rock go over Triple H at Backlash, but we all know it should have happened on the biggest stage of all.


Feel free to comment and/or post your rewritten WrestleMania XVI.

 

[HBKperfect23]

Hardcore title: taz vs Saturn

Too cool vs T and A

The Radicals (Eddie and Malenko) vs D-X (XPac and Road dog)

Big Show vs Kane

Mick Foley vs Al Snow. Give Al a little heel run. This match could have been awesome

Euro title/IC title: Chris Jericho vs Chris Benoit vs Kurt Angle. Keep this the same but give it some more time.

Triangle ladder match: same

Divas match. Keep it the same I guess. This is the piss break

Triple H vs the Rock WWF title

 

[Aquaman6686]

This show was SO bad. I only want to mention the one change I'd make, and that is to move Chris Jericho to the main event match. Make Angle/Benoit a one-on-one 2-out-of-3 Falls Match like the OP said (but I would still have both belts on the line, with Benoit winning one and Angle retaining one) and have Jericho take Mick Foley's spot in the main event. But I've always said that Triple H retaining was the right move to make and I'd still have him retain. The "babyface overcoming the odds" is how WrestleMania ends 9 out of 10 times. Sometimes the heel walking out with the title is the right move to make, and this was one of them. Triple H retaining the WWE Championship was the right way to go.

 

[Cub McCallister]

This could of been one of the best wrestlemania's of all time had it been done right and done properly I was looking forward to the main event but they changed it to the fatal 4 way which wasn't so bad but mick foley should of stayed retired in my opinion, if they weren't going to let him win the big one, I'd make some big changes to the card with the exception of 1 or 2 matches:

1) Big Bossman & Bull Buchanon Vs Godfather & D'Lo Brown Vs T & A Vs Headcheese Vs The Acolytes Vs The Headbangers Vs Kai En Tai
Tag Team Turmoil Number 1 Contenders Match. This would be better than the opening tag match and put all the tag teams together with the Acolytes getting the win and moving on to feud with E & C.

2) Crash Holly (C) Vs Perry Saturn Vs Taz Vs Hardcore Holly Vs Viscera Vs Mark Henry
Six Pack Challange Match Hardcore Title. Have Perry Saturn win the title here by pinning Hardcore or Taz and change it from the Battle Royal.

3) Jacquline (C) Vs Lita Vs Ivory
Triple Threat Woman's Title Match. Replace the cat fight with this match instead it would be much better and have Jacquline retain.

4) Esse Rios (C) Vs Dean Malenko
Light Heavyweight Title Match. Give Rios a Mania moment here and have Malenko go over in a hard fought match giving the Radicalz two titles already.

5) Rikishi & Too Cool Vs X-PAC & The New Age Outlaws
Six Man Tag Match. Change the six man tag match to this match instead and have Too Cool go over here instead and have Gunn injure himself at Mania.

6) Val Venis (C) Vs Eddie Gerrerro Vs The British Bulldog
Triple Threat European Title Match. Keep the title on Venis going into Mania and make this a 3 Way Dance with Eddie going over and winning the title.

7) Kane Vs Big Show
Number 1 Contenders Match. Add this to the match and have Kane and Show both get counted out and become co-number 1 contenders to the Wwf Title.

8) The Dudley Boyz (C) Vs Edge & Christian Vs The Hardy Boyz
Wwf Tag Team Title 3 Way Ladder Match. Stays the same, can't change a classic.

9) Kurt Angle (C) Vs Chris Jericho Vs Chris Benoit
Triple Threat Intercontinental Title Match. Stays the same except its a 1 fall match for the IC title with Benoit going over and having all 4 members of the Radicalz walking out with gold.

10) Triple HHH (C) Vs The Rock
No Dq WWF Title Match. This should of happened instead and have Rock go over and win the title to end Mania.

That's my card there is 1 more match added to it and there are a few triple threat matches here but it's the biggest stage of them all and crown new champions, it could of been a great card.

 

[Mac]

WWF Championship Match- Triple H (c) vs The Rock

This should've been the main event in the first place. That fatal fourway was non sense. I'd also make this an iron man match as an ode to Bret/Shawn from 4 years prior that took place in that very same venue. And I'd definitely have The Rock win the belt here.

X Pac vs Kane

This had been built up for months and the blow off should've happened here instead of at No Way Out a month prior.

Rikishi vs Big Show

They ended up feuding a month later. I'd just have started this feud a month earlier and have them face each other at WM.

Everything else I'd keep the same. Outside of those pointless tag matches I'd just throw those teams in the hardcore battle royal.

 

[LODemolition]

Yeah, I'll never get why it wasn't just Triple H and The Rock 1-on-1 other than they wanted to get all 4 of the McMahons involved in the main event.

Rock and Hunter had such a great rivalry, beginning with DX vs The Nation, then their matches for the IC Title, and finally for the WWF Championship. This WrestleMania was their chance to have that rivalry come to it's peak, it was the next best thing to Rock and Austin at the time.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

Such a disappointing WrestleMania despite the huge array of talent that WWE had on the roster at that time. There are a few changes I'd make to the card though.

1. WWF European Title: Val Venis vs Tazz

I'd have taken the European Title off Kurt Angle in the run up to Wrestlemania, had Jericho screw him out of it the week before on Raw in a match with Val Venis, adding more heat to their feud and giving the European Title its own match at WrestleMania, with Tazz defeating Venis to become the new Champion.

2. Street Fight- Kane vs X-Pac

The culmination of their feud should have been at Wrestlemania, simple as. And it should have been a brutal street fight, with Kane going over after a Tombstone on the steel steps.

3. WWF Intercontinental Title- Kurt Angle v Chris Jericho v Chris Benoit

Just have it as a single fall for the IC title, and have it go longer. I'd still have Angle lose the title though, but I can't decide as to whether the winner should be Benoit or Jericho.

I'd have replaced Chyna with Rikishi in the 6 man tag-team match against The Radicalz, removed the worthless guys like Viscera, The Posse etc from the Hardcore Title match, and I'd have kept the main event as it was- however, I wouldnt have had Big Show eliminated so quickly.

 

[MWRedskins]

ok, i will put my rewrites in bold under the original match.

Big Boss Man & Bull Buchanan def. D-Lo Brown & The Godfather w/ Ice-T
i wouldn't have this match personally, but if they had to have this match, then keep it short and have it painless, but i would put a women's match here or a light-heavyweight title match.

Hardcore Battle Royal:
i know many hated it, but i only hated the ending. the match should've went like it did, only have Hardcore Holly have it towards the end, then have Crash win it back, then have Tazz lock on the tazzmission and win the title. it would've given Tazz a Wrestlemania moment and would've had him leading the hardcore division.

Test & Albert w/ Trish Stratus def. Al Snow & Steve Blackman, w/ Chester McCheeserton
ugg, again, i wouldn't have this match and replace it with something else. i guess to make it more interesting, they should've 1) had a title shot on the line and 2) give HeadCheese a better manager.

World Tag Team Championship Ladder Match:
if it isn't broke then dont fix it. i liked everything about this match, so dont change ONE thing.

Catfight:
again, dont have the match. make other matches longer.

Too Cool & Chyna def. The Radicalz
get Chyna and Dean Malenko out of this match, have Two Cool vs. Saturn and Eddie, have Dean face Essa in the opener, then have Chyna vs. Lita or another woman instead of that catfight match.

Intercontinental and European Championship Triple Threat Match:
again, if it isn't broke, dont fix it. the only issue i had with this match is Jericho's European Title run lasted one day

Kane & Rikishi def. Road Dogg & X-Pac
ok, get Road Dogg and Rikishi out of this match, have the match as X-Pac vs. Kane, their final encounter. if Kane loses, he leaves WWE and make their match a street fight or something and have Kane finally get his payback on X-Pac, then have Pete Rose come out and get what he usually gets. as for Road Dogg, have him in the Hardcore battle royal OR have him attempt to screw Kane only to get his as well. as for Rikishi, i will get to him next.

Fatal Four Way Elimination WWE Championship Main Event:
here's how i would've booked this. have Big Show vs. Rock at Backlash end with Big Show getting help. they can have Shane help him. then do what they did with Big Show vs. Rock, have Vince return, have Triple H try to confront him only to run into Rikishi then have Vince help Rock and have the main event set up as Rock vs. Triple H w/Steph in his corner and have Rikishi vs. Big Show w/Shane and in the main event, have Shane get involved only to have his dad cost him that and have Rock finally win, then at Backlash, have Triple H win the title back with Vince turning heel.

 

[MMK]

Too Cool & Rikishi def Mean Street Posse

4 Corners Tag Team Elimination Match
Bradshaw and Faarooq def Test & Albert, Big Bossman & Bull Buchanan, D-Lo Brown & The Godfather

Handicap Match
Kane & ??? def X-Pac & New Age Outlaws
(Kane's mystery partner could be one of two people. Either the Undertaker returns to save his brother from a D-X beatdown, or it's Mankind- a former partner of Kane who was recently run out of the wwf by DX's leader Triple H.)

WWF Hardcore Title Scramble Match:
Perry Saturn def Tazz, Hardcore Holly, Crash Holly, Al Snow, Steve Blackman

WWF Lightheavyweight Championship
Dean Malenko def Essa Rios w/Lita

European Championship
Eddie Guerrero def Chris Jericho
(Chyna interferes, costing Jericho the title. This very scenario occured the night after Mania, but I would have had it take place at the event itself)

Intercontinental Championship
Chris Benoit def Kurt Angle
(After the match, all 4 Radicalz celebrate holding up their individual championships. Benoit the IC champ, Guerrero the Euro champ, Saturn the hardcore champ, and Dean the LHW champ.)

World Tag Team Championship Ladder Match:
Edge & Christian def. the Dudleys and Hardy Boyz

Undertaker def The Big Show
(They were tag team partners in late 99. Have Big Show turn on Taker and put him on the shelf for a few months. Undertaker returns at Mania, back to his babyface roots. No evil ministry Taker. And certainly no god awful biker Taker. Just the classic deadman persona.)

WWE Championship Main Event:
The Rock w.Mankind def Triple H w.Stephanie
(Put the recently retired Mankind in the corner of his Rock'nSock connection tag team partner. He's still involved in the story but not in the match. Also, Rock wins the WWF Title from Triple H. No McMahon family reunion. Give the Rock a big Mania win, something he had never had up to this point.)

 

[Josh Henry]

Alternative WrestleMania Card

1. T&A vs. The Acolytes, The Radicalz, Too Cool, The Big Boss Man & Bull Buchanan, The Godfather & D’Lo Brown, The Headbangers, Head Cheese - #1 Contender Tag Team Turmoil

2. Chris Jericho vs. Kurt Angle (c) vs. Tazz vs. Chris Benoit – 4 Corner Elimination Match for the WWF Intercontinental Title

3. Hardcore Holly vs. Crash Holly (c) – WWF Hardcore Title

4. Chyna vs. Stephanie McMahon - WWF Women’s Championship

5. Edge & Christian vs. The Dudley Boyz (c) & The Hardy Boyz – WWF Tag Team Titles Triangle Ladder Match

6. Eddie Guerrero vs. Rikishi - European Title

7. Kane vs. X-Pac - Steel Cage

8. Big Show vs. Shane McMahon

9. The Rock vs. Triple H (c) – WWF Championship Special Referee Mick Foley