31 Manias in 31 Days: Rewriting Wrestlemania XX

[LODemolition]

Today's installment of my "Rewriting WrestleMania" series takes us back to the WrestleMania that WWE will never acknowledge again due to the terrible crimes that Chris Benoit committed. This Mania was a big step down from WM19 in my opinion, and it's too bad. They could have really delivered an epic card with the roster that was available at the time to them. Goldberg vs Lesnar is one of the dullest, most boring matches of all-time and the Madison Square Garden crowd was not shy about letting them know it. MSG hosted it's 3rd WrestleMania on the 20th anniversary of the event. Here are the results.

March 18, 2004
Madison Square Garden (New York City, NY)



United States Championship:

John Cena def. Big Show to become new champion


Fatal Four Way World Tag Team Championship Match:

Booker T & Rob Van Dam def. La Resistance, Mark Jindrak & Garrison Cade and the Dudleys to retain

Christian def. Chris Jericho w/ Trish Stratus

Handicap Match:

Randy Orton, Batista & Ric Flair def The Rock & Mick Foley

Evening Gown Match:

Sable & Torrie Wilson def. Stacy Keibler & Miss Jackie

Cruiserweight Open:

Ultimo Dragon def. Shannon Moore; Jamie Noble def. Ultimo Dragon; Jamie Noble def. Funaki; Jamie Noble def. Nunzio; Billy Kidman def. Jamie Noble; Rey Mysterio def. Billy Kidman; Rey Mysterio def. Tajiri; Chavo Guerrero w/ Chavo Classic def. Rey Mysterio to retain

Goldberg def. Brock Lesnar (Stone Cold was special guest referee)

Fatal Four Way WWE Tag Team Championship Match:

Scotty 2 Hotty & Rikishi def. Basham Brothers, World's Greatest Tag Team and APA to retain

Women's Championship Hair Match:

Victoria def. Molly Holly to retain

WWE Championship Match:

Eddie Guerrero def. Kurt Angle to retain

Undertaker w/ Paul Bearer def. Kane

Triple Threat World Heavyweight Championship Match:

Chris Benoit def. Triple H and Shawn Michaels to become new champion


*Rewriting WrestleMania XX*


1. United States Championship: John Cena def. Big Show (c)

There are only 3 matches I would keep the same and this is one of them. Cena was over big with the crowd back then and crowning him new US Champ to start the show was a great move.

2. Rey Mysterio def. Christian

While I liked the Christian/Jericho match and feud, I'd have taken Jericho in another direction and put Mysterio in this spot instead of the Cruiserweight Title open. Mysterio picks up the win in a hard-fought battle.

3. WWE Tag Team Championship Fatal 4-Way: APA def. Booker T & RVD (c), The Dudleys, and The World's Greatest Tag Team

Not only was it ridiculous for them to have 2 sets of tag team titles, but they had 2 fatal 4-way matches. That's just overkill. I could understand maybe if the tag team division was on fire at the time, but most of them were mediocre at best. Faarooq and Bradshaw become new champs here.

4. Ric Flair def. Mick Foley

I went back and forth a lot between this and Foley vs Orton, but finally settled on this since Orton and Foley's feud should have really been wrapped up by this point. I hated The Rock & Sock Connection vs Evolution match personally. I always hate to see handicap matches at WrestleMania.

5. Batista def. Goldberg

With Goldberg leaving the company after this event, shouldn't he have lost? It's kind of tradition to go out with a loss. Why reward him with a win over Lesnar? No way would I keep that match the same as it was horrible from start to finish. Even Austin as guest ref couldn't save it. I'd have an up and coming Batista send Goldberg packing.

6. Intercontinental Championship: Randy Orton (c) def. Chris Jericho

It bugs me that Orton didn't defend the IC Title at WM20. I'd put him up against Jericho and retain it. Jericho fits here because if he wasn't a legend at the time, he was at least the winningest IC Champ. Randy was the "Legend Killer", and adds another victim to the list.

7. Undertaker w/ Paul Bearer def. Kane

While I usually hate rematches, if there's anyone that deserved another shot at The Streak, it was Kane. There's nothing I'd change about this since Kane was clearly one of Taker's best feuds, if not the very best.

8. WWE Championship: Eddie Guerrero (c) def. Kurt Angle

Here's the 3rd and final match I'd keep the same. A great match between 2 great wrestlers. No reason for change. I loved the ending also, with Eddie tricking Kurt by slipping out of his boot while in the ankle lock.

9. Shawn Michaels def. The Rock

One of the all-time dream matches for most people, the only chance it had to actually happen was at WM19 or 20, and I chose 20 to make it happen since I had Rock face Taker and Shawn in the triple threat main event at WM19 vs Jericho and Angle. The Rock in a handicap match against Evolution was a waste I think. He could've been in a much higher profile contest against Shawn Michaels. Shawn wasn't misused at WMXX, being in the main event, but he also didn't need to be. Triple H and Benoit could have gone 1 on 1 or someone else could've been the 3rd man as I'll show you below. I think Shawn and Triple H going against eachother had been done a little too much by this point. I'd have much rather seen this one. It could arguably even gone on last.

10. World Heavyweight Championship Triple Threat: Chris Benoit def. Brock Lesnar (c) and Triple H

I think they should have gotten the absolute most possible out of Brock Lesnar before he left, the same way they are going into WM31. I won't argue with anyone who says it should have been just Triple H and Benoit, because that match would have been fine too and I nearly booked it that way myself. But why not have Lesnar head into Mania 20 as World Champ? Yes, everyone knew his contract was up and he had 1 foot out the door, but with a triple threat, you still could have flipped a coin with who would have won between Hunter and Benoit. Again I'll say that the Lesnar/Goldberg match was God awful. This would have been a huge step up. I'd have kept the finish the same, with Benoit forcing Triple H to tap in the crossface, then celebrating with Guerrero to close the show. Even with it being a moment in WWF/E history that the company would like to pretend never happened, at the time it was terrific. I don't think they should regret the decision because at the time nobody could have known what a piece of garbage Benoit would turn out to be. At the time it was a great sight, seeing 2 amazingly gifted wrestlers hold the championships and show that it's not always about promos and gimmicks. Wrestling still mattered on this night.


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

 

[zhaff2004]

Boy oh boy, this was one of the biggest cock-ups WWE made in a long time. The card was good but it had the potential to be legendary. Here is how it goes down for me:

United States Championship:

John Cena def. Big Show to become new champion

NO chance of changing this match, it was great, helped elevate Cena and his rap at the beginning was gold.


World Tag Team Championship Match:

Evolution (Flair and Batista) defeated Booker T and RVD to become the new champs.

Simple booking, heels cheat to go over. Frees up Orton, Foley and Rocky for bigger things.

Orton defeats Cactus Jack to retain the IC strap in a hardcore match.

Move their match from Backlash forward by a month and let them settle it on the grandest stage of them all.

Evening Gown Match:

Sable & Torrie Wilson def. Stacy Keibler & Miss Jackie. This match will be needed after the previous match to cool the crowd down.

Cruiserweight Open:

Ultimo Dragon def. Shannon Moore; Jamie Noble def. Ultimo Dragon; Jamie Noble def. Funaki; Jamie Noble def. Nunzio; Billy Kidman def. Jamie Noble; Rey Mysterio def. Billy Kidman; Rey Mysterio def. Tajiri; Chavo Guerrero w/ Chavo Classic vs. Rey Mysterio to retain

Thought about changing this to be just Rey v Chavo, but this lets more guys get involved at mania so leave it as it is. Let Rey go over though.

Undertaker defeats Goldberg

This should've happened. Even without the benefit of hindsight, this really really should've happened. If taker were able to, let him settle the rivalry with Kane at the Rumble. This would have been huge. Bill it as WWE's streak (Taker at mania) vs WCW's streak (Goldberg's 150 odd wins). It would be massive. It also solves the problem of the shit show that was lesnar and goldberg. Taker would be there and ensure Bill did the job properly. Also, this will be the 1st and ONLY time in Goldberg's career where he loses a match clean. Yep, he's never ever lost cleanly in his career.

Fatal Four Way WWE Tag Team Championship Match:

APA def. Basham Brothers, World's Greatest Tag Team and 2 Hotty & Rikishi and to become new champs.

Start the rise of JBL with this. Having JBL turn on Farooq later on in the year whilst they are champs makes it more meaningful.

The Rock defeats Shawn Michaels with Austin as The Special Ref.

Provided Rocky was willing to work with Shawn, this was the match to do. Toss Austin in there as a ref, playing on how he beat HBK at 14 to launch the attitude era and his historic rivalry with the rock and you have something special in the making. The buildup will be gold. The match ends with a heel rock beating austin, then getting stunned out of the WWE.

Women's Championship Hair Match:

Victoria def. Molly Holly to retain

Leave it as it is.

World Heavyweight Championship Match:

Benoit defeats HHH via submission to become the new WHC.

The Rumble winner goes one-on-one with the champ. The way it's supposed to be.

Chris Jericho w Trish defeats Kane

Do the whole Kane stalker angle, where kane is tormenting trish for weeks only for her to be saved by a heel Jericho. Jericho turns face, saves the damsel in distress and beats the demon.


WWE Championship Match:

Eddie Guerrero def. Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar to become the new WWE champion.

Have the show end with the wwe strap, Guerrero wins, celebrates with Benoit in the ring. If Brock wants to throw a hissy fit, we still get Guerrero and Angle to put on a clinic.

 

[MMK]

WRESTLEMANIA 20

WWE Championship
Eddie Guerrero def Shawn Michaels
This is a match that simply should have happened at some point. I have Shawn vs Rock at WM19, so I could slot Shawn vs Eddie at 20. Eddie vs Angle could still happen sometime down the line but I would have preferred to see Eddie vs Shawn. Also, I would have had Shawn enter as Champion so that Eddie's triumphant climb to the top took place at Mania instead of No Way Out. Shawn beating Brock for the title a few months earlier, lets say The Rumble, would have been fine. I also like the idea of real life best friends Eddie and Benoit facing off against real life best friends Hunter and Shawn. PPV still ends the same with Benoit and Eddie celebrating with their respective titles.

World Heavyweight Championship
Chris Benoit def Triple H
I would have preferred a straight up singles match as opposed to the triple threat.

The Streak
The Undertaker def Goldberg
Goldberg, a man whose own undefeated streak was his rise to fame, attempts to be the man to finally put and end to The Undertaker's wrestlemania winning streak. Putting Goldberg and Lesnar against each other was a disaster as fans knew both men were leaving the company. To fix this I separate the two men into two separate matches. First, I had Goldberg debuting at Mania 19 and facing Austin in Stone Colds final match which opens the door for Goldberg vs Undertaker at WMXX.
Goldberg: "My undefeated streak is the most impressive in wrestling history. And yet all I ever hear is how unbeatable the Undertaker is. Undefeated at Wrestlemania. I was undefeated for 173 straight matches. But I guess because it wasn't in WWE it doesnt count in some peoples eyes. Taker...my streak came to an end....and now...yours.... is NEXT!"

The Animal vs The Beast
Batista def Brock Lesnar
Brock passes the torch to Batista as WWE's new resident monster.

The Rock & Hulk Hogan def Randy Orton & Ric Flair
I thought about going with Orton vs Rock straight up with Rock passing the torch to Orton, but the temptation to include Flair and Hogan was too great. I'd have Orton and Rock trade insults on RAW over how Orton is delusional in thinking he is a greater 2nd generation wrestler than the Rock. Orton and Flair double team Rock on an episode of Raw, only to have Foley make the save and thus set up the tag match. But Orton takes Foley out with an injury shortly before Mania leaving Rock on his own. Or so it seems. At Mania, Rock reveals his new partner and its non-other than Hulk Hogan. Hogan should have been involved in the 20th anniversary of Mania, especially since it was back at the Garden. Whether its Orton vs Rock, a battle of 2nd generation wrestlers, or Flair vs Hulk, a mania match that we missed out on 10 years earlier, or the legend killer vs the legend himself Hulk Hogan, or Rock vs Flair, the jabroni-beating, pie eating, trailblazing, eyebrow raising People's champ The Rock vs The Stylin', profilin', limousine riding, jet flying, kiss-stealing, wheelin' n' dealin' son of a gun Ric Flair, this match works on a multitude of levels.

MONEY IN THE BANK
Chris Jericho/ Christian/ Kurt Angle/ Booker T/ Rob Van Dam/ Kane
Jericho came up with the MITB concept, so I feel he should have won the inaugural MITB match. This match also pays homage to the classic ladder match between Shawn and Razor held 10 years earlier at MSG.
Following his victory, the next night on RAW, during a joint promo from Benoit and Eddie, Jericho interrupts and talks about how the three of them came up threw the ranks together and he's so proud that both of the are not on top of the mountain. "But for one of you, your dream is about to become a nightmare. I've held both those titles and I plan on holding one of them AGAIN. In fact I am the first man to unify both those titles and become the first undisputed champion in wrestling history just as I am the first man to be crowned mr.money in the bank."
A few months later Jericho turns heel by cashing in on either Eddie or Benoit. I lean towards Eddie as I think it would get more heal heat on Jericho. And I liked Orton winning the title from Benoit. So I wouldnt want that to change.

US Championship
John Cena def Big Show

World Tag Team Titles
La Résistance (Grenier, Dupree, Conway) def The Dudley Boys (Bubba, Dvon, Spike)
Just to differentiate the two tag team championships they had going at this time I would have had one of the titles be a six man tag championship with the Freebird rule being in place.

WWE Tag Team Titles
Haas and Benjamin def Bradshaw and Faarooq
(Bradshaw turns on Faarooq after the loss)

Crusierweight Championship
Rey Mysterio vs Último Dragón
No idea who wins, but a straight up one on one match between these two would have been much better than the cruiserweight invitational idea they went with that year.

Trish Stratus & Lita def Victoria & Molly Holly
Trish as a heel and Victoria as a face just never worked quite as well for either of them. Trish is a natural face just as Victoria was perfect as the resident psycho diva. I opt for a tag match between the best four women on the roster as opposed to the hair vs hair match.

20 Man Battle Royal
Scott Steiner, Test, A-Train, Rhyno, Mark Jindrak, Sean O'Haire, Matt Morgan, Matt Hardy, Shannon Moore, Hurricane, Billy Kidman, Billy Gunn, Rikishi, Scotty-2-Hotty, Chavo, Tajiri, Jamie Noble, Garrison Cade, Doug & Danny Basham
(Winner? Sean O'Haire. Why was that guy not a star in WWE? In fact I would have had him in Evolution. Triple H as World Champ. Orton as IC Champ. Batista & O'Haire as Tag champs. But obviously its too late for that now.)

 

[MC_Live]

Some of you are taking some real liberties with the brand split at this point. Anyway... This is the first WrestleMania to happen when I was a fan, so this is a sentimental favorite of mine. Three of my all time favorite matches are from this show. So there's not a lot I would change, but some-

1) John Cena def. Big Show (c)- United States Championship
This is a big moment for Cena, and although not a classic, it's an entertaining opener. And I used to know the rap Cena did before the match word for word. Nothing to chane here

2) RVD & Booker T (c) def. The Dudleyz, Lance Storm & William Regal, and La Rèsistance
I liked the idea of a multi team match. I almost did a triple threat tag team match, but I thought it would be better to have a four way since I'm keeping the main event. I remember reading on Lance Storm's blog that he thinks he and Regal (I think that was his partner at the time) may have been more deserving of a Mania match than Cade and Jindrak, so that's the only change I would make.

3) Christian def. Chris Jericho
I think this match is so under rated. Loved the feud, loved the match. Keep everything as is, especially the Trish heel turn.

4) Evolution def. Rock n' Sock Connection
While I am tempted to take the guys from this match and make singles matches, I think the Foley Orton match at Backlash is a classic, and this helped make the build to that match perfect. So as far as I'm concerned, keep it as is.

5) Torrie Wilson & Sable def. Stacey Keibler and Miss Jackie- Playboy "Evening Gown" Match
I would be inclined to cut this. But the image of Sable and Torrie in Lingere is one of my greatest childhood memories (given I was too young to see the playboy pics). So I leave it in, cause I can.

6) Chavo Guerrero (c) w/Chavo Sr. def. Rey Mysterio- Cruiserweight Championahip Lumberjack Match
I feel this match would be better served as a one on one match, since this was the only segment of the Open match they did that really had any emotional involvement. Chavo still leaves as champ, I just make it one on one. The other guys can be lumberjacks, and do some cool spots to get them on the show.

7) Goldberg def. Brock Lesnar w/ Special Ref Steve Austin
Yes, hindsight is 20/20. Yes, given how disasterous this turned out to be, they should have done anything else. But realistically, that was a bit of a freak anomaly. If I was the booker in 2004, not looking back 11 years later, I still would have made this match, because it was probably a big draw for casual fans. Just maybe instead of taking 5 minutes to get to the action, have this one start hot. Start it immediately and just let these two beat the crap out of each other for 8 minutes or so. Then Austin stunners both men out of the company.

8) Rikishi & Scotty 2 Hotty (c) def. The World's Greatest Tag Team- WWE Tag Team Championship
No need for two 4 way tag matches. I went back and forth on what to do to this one. I almost had this be APA vs. WGTT, but both teams would break up in the weeks following Mania, which I would leave as is because it gave us JBL and singles Shelton Benjamin. With that in mind, I would just let 2 Cool retain 2 on 2, and dance afterwards.

9) Victoria (c) def. Molly Holly- Woman's Championahip vs. Hair
If I were to cut a match, this one would be close to the chopping block. But I actually think it's a decent match, and if I'm not cutting anything else, I might as well keep this.

10) Undertaker def. Kane
Great story leading to the return of the Deadman after Kane burried American Badass Taker alive. Like much of the card, they would have benefitted from more time. But whatever, keep the Streak alive here. Just move it up one match sooner.

11) Eddie Guerrero (c) def. Kurt Angle- WWE Championship
I love this match. Great wrestling, great psychology, great finish. I am not a huge fan of having anything after World Title Matches, except World Title matches. I guess it was done to make sure the crowd gets proper rest, but I don't think that would have been a problem on this show. So just switch the Streak match and the WWE Championship match.

12) Chris Benoit def. Shawn Michaels & Triple H (c)- World Heavyweight Championship
As tragic as everything with Benoit is, and as much as it sucks that WWE can never acknowledge this on TV again, this was one of my all time favorite matches. Benoit tragedy aside, this is a fantastic match. And Benoit hugging Eddie is one of the greatest WrestleMania moments of all time. Love the match. Love the moment after. So why change anything? Leave it just as.

If there were anything else to do to this mania, probably cut one of the Divas matches and one of the tag matches. Other than that, if not just for sentimental value, I would leave this card they way I booked it.

 

[Judah's Lion]

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 two 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 by lastly eliminating the APA. this can then lead to Bradshaw turning on Farooq.

Cruiserweight Title: Rey vs. Chavo, one-on-one. definitely 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 got this match at Mania 30, but it was 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. the Animal is also a pretty physical beast in his own right and he would need a match. both these guys had history leading up to Mania; Batista "injured" Goldberg for Triple H. throw these 2 guys into a match and have Batista win as he is sticking around after the night is over. build him up as the new resident monster. however, mad props to MMK that suggested Taker/Goldberg in a battle of the Streaks and Batista/Lesnar in an Animal vs. Beast Match. both are great ideas.

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 back 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 back 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.

how about a brand supremacy triple threat match with Booker T (WCW) vs. RVD (ECW) vs. Kane (WWF)?

also just thought of some rewrites for some above-posted match ideas as I've been thinking of Manias 17-21. Angle vs. Benoit for the World Title, Eddie vs. HBK for the other World Title, and then Triple H vs. Flair as Evolution starts to fall apart early. those aren't the most thought-thru ideas but there they are.

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

 

[Rocky84]

Chris Benoit vs Chris Jericho (c) w/ Trish Stratus: World Title

-two good friends since their youth in the Hart dungeon. Now they both main event a Mania together for the title. Even though Jericho loses he still goes in as champ and in the last match the way he got in Mania 18 (which I took away in my previous re-write). I like Jericho with Trish too...playing the villain of course.

Shawn Michaels vs The Rock

-epic battle that never happened...a shame.

Goldberg vs The Undertaker

-Loved someone else's idea of Goldberg playing the heel type (since the crowd would already boo since they knew he was leaving) and calling out the Undertaker so he could break his streak the way someone broke his.

Kurt Angle vs Eddie Guerrero (c): WWE Title

-perfect build up and match...keep the same.


Booker T vs Triple H

- same premise as their Mania 19 match but maybe Booker costs Hunter the title after all the mocking HHH did to him for not being championship material.

Batista vs Brock Lesnar

-would've loved to have this math back when these guys were at their biggest. Like two monsters battling.

Mic Foley vs Ric Flair: Street Fight

-this would be a bloody battle no doubt about it.

Randy Orton (c) vs John Cena (c): Intercontinental Champion vs US Champion

-great time for these two to have a Mania match...when they were both better to watch than they are now.

Rey Mysterio vs Billy Kidman(c) vs Ultimo Dragon vs Tajiri: Cruiserweight Title

- better than the open...some of the best cruiser-weights of all time.

Big Show & Kane vs APA vs The Dudley's: Extreme Rules for the Tag Titles

- better than the crap tag matches they really had

Victoria vs Molly Holly: Women's Title

-keep the same

Christian vs RVD

-solid match

 

[MMA Mark]

HHH(c) < Benoit - WHC title
Lesnar(c) < Eddie > Angle - WWE title
Orton(c) > Foley (Hardcore match) - IC title
Show(c) < Cena - US title
Dudleys(c) < Haas & Benjamin(c) - Tag titles unification
Trish(c) > Sable - Women's title
Cruiserweight Open - CW title (Mysterio wins)
Rock vs HBK - Austin as referee (flip a coin)
Taker > Kane
Goldberg < Batista
20-Man Battle Royal (RVD, Booker, Jericho, Christian could all win)

 

[Mac]

World Heavyweight Championship- Triple H (c) vs Chris Benoit

This should've been a one on one match. Benoit still goes over.

Dream Match- Shawn Michaels vs The Rock

This was the first realistic time that this match could've happened. They knew the Rock was going to be able to perform at WM that year. So why not give us this match.

Street Fight- Randy Orton vs Mick Foley

I would've bumped up their Backlash match a month earlier.

Kane vs Goldberg

I would've built this up for a few months leading up to this match.

Undertaker vs Brock Lesnar

Taker gets his first win over Brock.

Cruiserweight Championship Match- Chavo Guerrero (c) vs Rey Mysterio vs Billy Kidman vs Tajiri vs Ultimo Dragon vs Jamie Noble

Scrap the the CW open and just do a six pack challenge.

World Tag Team Championship Match- Booker T/RVD (c) vs Ric Flair/Batista vs The Dudleys

With the Evolution/Rock n Sock connection match scraped, I'd put Ric and Batista in the tag match.

I'd have Eddie win his first World title at this Mania. Angle comes in as the champion after beating Brock a month earlier at No Way Out. Eddie wins a tournament to earn this title shot.

Besides that everything else remains the same.

 

[NegativeFeedback]

1. John Cena def. Brock Lesnar (c) for the WWE Championship

Cena wins the Rumble and Benoit keeps the title until Mania. Benoit and Eddie were over yeah, but they were clearly not planned to be long-term main eventers. Benoit was a non-main eventing champ a la Punk and ended up going back to the midcard right after dropping the title. Cena was over, on the rise, and a fresh face to take on Brock. A lot of people knew Brock was out the door, and while that might make the match predictable, it would still get a LOT of people on Cena's side since he's going up against the one who's abandoning them. Cena wins and becomes a fresh face at the top of the brand. He should never have become what he is today, having the whole company revolve around him, but he definitely deserved a push at the top.

2. Shawn Michaels def. The Rock

If The Rock wanted to come back, WWE should have had a much better match-up planned for him. Taking on HBK in a dream match would have been perfect. Rock should do the job here since it was Shawn who is going to stick around, but if it wasn't so sure at the time that Rock wouldn't be seen again for 8 years, then I can see why they would give Rock the win and build to a potential rematch.

3. The Undertaker def. Goldberg

Goldberg's return was rather underwhelming. Instead of going ahead with Goldberg beating Triple H and turning face at Survivor Series, they should've called an audible and turned him heel. Have Goldberg interfere in Taker's match and help Vince bury him alive. People wonder why this happened, but then Vince interferes in the main event and helps Goldberg win the title. Goldberg has a monster heel run before dropping the title on Raw when Taker's gong hits.

4. Christian def. Chris Jericho (c) for the World Heavyweight Championship

This match becomes infinitely higher profile with the title being on the line. They get far more time and put on an amazing match, but the Trish heel turn still happens and Christian steals the win. Christian becomes a chickenshit champion and ends up dropping the title to The Undertaker who is effectively on Raw after the Goldberg feud.

5. Playboy Evening Gown Battle Royal

If they're going to cross-promote with Playboy, they might as well throw all the divas in here instead of a select few. Sable would win since she was on Playboy of course.

6. Rob Van Dam def. Booker T to become #1 Contender to World Heavyweight Championship

Both are still tag team champions, but they both start gunning for the World title. After losing a 3-way #1 Contender's match to Jericho, they both blame each other, but they keep it respectable. RVD acts like the irrational one, teasing a heel turn. He demands a title shot at Mania and Bischoff tells him he'll have to go through Booker T, which he does. RVD's victory here and previous teases will make people think Jericho will retain to take on a heel RVD, but RVD stays a face and Booker T ends up turning heel and costing him his title match at Backlash.

7. Triple H def. Chris Benoit

Benoit would eliminate all of Evolution in the Rumble, sparking a controversy between them. Things would escalate with Evolution invading Smackdown and attacking Benoit, Eddie, Cena and the rest. Eventually, they would return the favor on Raw and Benoit would challenge Triple H to a Mania match. This isn't hindsight talking with Triple H going over, but there are far too many faces going over on the show and some heel needs to win. Triple H is an established heel and is going to regain the title later in the year so he makes the most sense. I still have Benoit in a high-profile main event slot at SummerSlam, but Eddie (who will beat Angle, who beats Cena for the title) will retain.

8. Mankind def. Randy Orton (c) for the Intercontinental Championship

Mick Foley would don the mask of Mankind one more time to take on Randy. I know that WWE should be concerned with building new stars, but Mankind beating Orton after months and months of berating would be the perfect Mania moment. Cactus Jack could drop the title back at Backlash and Randy can begin his face turn momentum towards SummerSlam, where he beats Undertaker cleanly for the World title in a huge upset.

9. Rey Mysterio def. The Big Show for the United States Championship

Big Show makes fun of Rey for dropping the CW title and Rey hits him with the 6-1-9. The feud starts up and it's billed as a David vs. Goliath story. Rey ends up getting the huge win and a solid push.

10. Kane def. Shane McMahon

I would've held out on their No Way Out match and done it here. This would eventually lead to Kane taking on Undertaker at Backlash. There was no need for a Mania rematch, but the brotherly feud was properly revived.

11. Too Cool def. The APA, The World's Greatest Tag Team and Evolution (Batista & Flair)

After Evolution invaded Smackdown to attack Benoit, they also scuffled with Too Cool. When the F4W is announced, Evolution ends up taking out the Basham Brothers and stealing their spot. Too Cool retain the titles though and Evolution ends up losing every single one of their matches at Mania.

12. Kurt Angle def. Eddie Guerrero to become #1 Contender to the WWE Championship

This match still happens, but their feud is personal and doesn't include the title. A week or two before the PPV, Heyman announces there will be a #1 Contender's match to combat the one booked for Raw. Angle, who already has a match booked with Eddie, wins a battle royal to become one of the participants, with Eddie winning a 2nd battle royal later in the night. Angle wins here to set him up as an opponent for Cena.

 

[Josh Henry]

I think this is the best rebooked Card

1. John Cena d. The Big Show – WWE US Title

2. Rey Mysterio d. Chavo Guerrero (c) w/ Chavo Classic, Billy Kidman, Tajiri, Ultimo Dragon, & Jamie Noble – WWE Cruiserweight Title 6 Way Tornado Style Elimination Match

3. Christian d. Chris Jericho

4. Randy Orton (c) d. Mick Foley – Intercontinental Title Hell In A Cell Match

5. The World’s Greatest Tag Team, Too Cool (c), The Bashams and The APA d. Booker T & RVD (c), Cade & Jindrak, The Dudley Boyz and La Resistance – WWE Tag Team & World Tag Team Unification Eight Team Elimination Match

6. The Rock d. Ric Flair

7. Trish Stratus d. Victoria (c) – WWE Women’s Title Hair vs. Hair Match

8. Eddie Guerrero (c) d. Kurt Angle & Brock Lesnar – WWE Title Triple Threat

9. The Undertaker d. Goldberg

10. Chris Benoit d. Triple H (c) & Shawn Michaels – World Heavyweight Title Triple Threat