The first McMahon Monday starts with McMahon-a-mania, McMahon in every corner! This was the Attitude Era so strap in. At the Royal Rumble in January, Mick Foley brought out his Hardcore alter-ego Cactus Jack, to face Triple H in a Street Fight. He was still unsuccessful in taking H's WWF Championship even with help from The Rock. Later that night The Rock was left at the end of the Royal Rumble with The Big Show, where they tried and failed to go over at the same time. Due to wrestling magic, this granted them a match at the next month's No Way Out to see who would receive the WWF Championship Wrestlemania main event. In that night's main event Mick Foley put his career on the line against Triple H for another chance at the championship inside Hell in a Cell.
The Big Show and Triple H won their respective matches, but The Rock got a rematch against the Big Show with Shane McMahon as the special guest referee on Raw (14th March). As Shane double-crossed The Rock, Mr. McMahon returned to Raw. Of course on Smackdown Shane McMahon added his horse into the title race anyway to make it a triple threat. Linda McMahon then added Mick Foley into the match, making a joke of wrestling retirements once more and completing our McMahon in every corner elimination match.
*BEFORE THIS MATCH WAS RIKISHI & KANE VS. ROAD DOGG & X-PAC, After the match, a man in a chicken suit came out with Too Cool and danced with Rikishi as Kane looked on. The man in the suit was supposed to be Pete Rose, but it was a decoy and the real Pete Rose tried to attack Kane from behind with a baseball bat but is disarmed by Rikishi. Kane chokeslams Pete Rose before he suffers the humiliation of Paul Bearer crotch-chopping over him and a stinkface from Rikishi.
Kevin Kelly is with The Rock before the main event. The Rock shushes him and lets the fans cheer for him. The Rock has waited 12 months for this match and tonight it will be worth the wait. This takes us to Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler on commentary. They show us the stars in attendance including Michael Clark Duncan and Screech from `Saved by the Bell'. Mick Foley enters the match first, lead by Linda McMahon. The Big Show and Shane O'Mac enter next, Big Show in his `Big Nasty Bastard' shirt. Being 5'9 it doesn't have the same effect if I wear it. The Rock makes his way with Mr. McMahon and the reaction is deafening. Lawler picks The Rock due to the Boss being in his corner, Vince's walk is surely one of confidence. Triple H's questionable music plays the Championship Power Couple to the ring, with Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley being the new WWF Women's Champion. JR reminds us elimination only occurs on pinfall or submission, what more would you expect? Vince's face mirrors that of every father that has seen his teenage daughter dressed up for a night out, so he distracts himself by saying Triple H won't leave with his belt.
TRIPLE H © VS. THE ROCK VS. BIG SHOW VS. MICK FOLEY (Fatal Four Way Elimination - WWF Championship)
WWF Wrestlemania 2000 (2nd April 2000)
After a bit of jaw-jacking Foley and Triple H pair off, with Foley getting the first shot in. The Rock jumps Big Show, backing him into a corner but Big Show gets a shot in and works The Rock across the ring. Foley backs Triple H into the corner but Triple H counters with knees to the gut as his wife cheers him on from ringside. Foley walks into a right hand by Triple H and for some reason, it was quite comical to me, I need to find a gif of it or someone that can make one. Mick Foley fires off his piston right hands in the corner, dropping Triple H and follows up with his running knee. Big Show headbutts The Rock out of the corner and chokes him with a boot. Big Show clocks Triple H and Foley, knocking them down with a double clothesline. Triple H is backed into the corner with a headbutt, The Rock eats a right hand. Mick Foley takes the first wrestling move of the match with a scoop slam by Big Show before he tosses Triple H halfway across the ring. The Rock is sent off the ropes and runs into a Gorilla press slam. Triple H meets the same fate as he gets to his feet.
Mick Foley almost gets the jump on Big Show but takes a headbutt to the face for his troubles, knocking him back into the ropes. Big Show chokes The Rock in the corner with his knee. Mick Foley has recovered because you know, he's Mick Foley..... Using the distraction to try and suffocate Big Show from behind and ride on his back, Mick Foley may not be a giant but he's not a junior heavyweight either, being billed at 287lbs for this match. Big Show falls back onto Mick Foley as all the McMahons look concerned at ringside. The Rock goes after Big Show with right hands but runs into a sidewalk slam. Triple H dives off the middle rope into a chokeslam but Mick Foley intercepts with a kick below the belt. Mick Foley gets in right hands, Triple H lends an assist and The Rock makes it a triple team. It takes a clothesline from all three opponents to knock Big Show off his feet and the smug look off Shane McMahon's face.
Big Show gets stomped on the mat by all three until Triple H gets bored, cutting off Mick Foley. They exchange right hands and a Cactus Clothesline takes them to ringside. The Rock goes back to right hands in the corner. An irish whip is reversed and he runs into a crappy big boot. Mick Foley has a chair on the floor, ramming it into Triple H's midsection. The Rock has picked up some momentum in the ring, so Shane trips him from ringside. Shane gets on the apron to argue with the referee and eats a right hand from Rocky for his troubles. Foley hits Big Show over the back with the chair from ringside and he stumbles into a Rock Bottom. The Rock eliminates Big Show to the delight of the crowd. They politely wait for a gang of referees to escort Shane and Big Show to the back, with Shane's family mocking him waving goodbye. It's the second time in 6 months he's been in the main event of a Big 5 and that could be a sign he isn't wanted there.
Back in the ring, Triple H is trying to form an alliance with Mick Foley. Foley refuses and says mano y mano y mano. Triple H asks The Rock to form a temporary team, saying get Foley out of here and we can go one on one like it should be. The Rock seems to agree to the idea quickly but double-crosses Triple H! The Rock n Sock Connection stomp the champ on the mat as Stephanie looks on in shock. They do the to me-to you right hands double team before sending him off the ropes into a double clothesline. Mick Foley throws Triple H through the ropes and The Rock follows as Foley seems to be directing him. Triple H starts to fight back against Rocky as they get near the announce tables so Foley blindsides him and the champion gets double-teamed again. The Rock leaves Foley to it and Triple H gets the advantage, but an irish whip is reversed and he runs into a clothesline by The Rock. Mick Foley throws the ring bell to his temporary partner and holds Triple H in place, but Triple H ducks last second, so The Rock hits Foley! The Rock turns around into a clothesline and sent into the steps.
Linda McMahon cheers on Mick Foley from her corner but as we see the replay, or in this case hear he could think it's his own mother shouting him encouragement. After the replay we see The Rock getting dropped ribs first onto the security wall. Mick Foley has a 2x4 wrapped in barbed wire, and the second Triple H realises this he loses three pounds. Quickly followed by him scarpering into the ring, ending up stuck in the corner with Foley and the barbed wire stalking him. Triple H ducks the swing and low blows Foley, with the 2x4 landing at ringside. Triple H grabs it and drives it into Foley's abdomen before The Rock is able to cut him off and it lands on the arena floor again. The Rock lays in right hands but an irish whip is reversed, sending him over with the 2x4. Triple H turns around into a double-arm DDT by Foley! Mick Foley brings out Mr. Socko and applies the Mandible claw but as Triple H fades, The Rock slides into the ring with the belt, Mick Foley releases the hold and The Rock decks Triple H with his own title. Mick Foley interupts the People's Elbow attempt with a Mandible claw on The Rock, dropping him to a knee, Triple H hits both opponents with a low blow, leaving all three men down.
Triple H is back on his feet first and he meets The Rock in the corner with right hands as Vince McMahon seems to be bringing a chair from ringside to his guy, sliding it into the ring. The Rock gains the advantage with rights of his own, Triple H reverses an irish whip but The Rock explodes out of the corner with a clothesline, only to turn into another by Mick Foley. Mick Foley gets a nearfall on The Rock. The Rock tries to bounce back with another clothesline but Foley ducks, hitting another double-arm DDT for a close 2. Mick Foley grabs the chair but runs into The Rock's boot. Mick Foley tries to reverse an irish whip but gets pulled into a DDT but Triple H breaks up the pin and knocks The Rock down with a clothesline. Triple H and Mick Foley work together, stomping The Rock on the mat. Triple H brings him to his feet, sending him off the ropes into a punch to the gut followed by a knee lift by Mick Foley, who gets another nearfall on The Rock. They hit a double suplex on The Rock and Triple H gets a knee drop for a close nearfall of his own. Foley knocks The Rock out of the ring and follows, with Triple H not far behind.
Mick Foley holds The Rock in place for some stiff rights by Triple H but gets sent into the steel steps, knees first as The Rock reverses an irish whip, then brings Triple H over to the Spanish Announce Table. The Rock chokes Triple H with a cable but Mick Foley drives the steps into The Rock as JR tries to disciplin Stephanie McMahon for disrespecting her mother, King says she's the Women's champion so she can do what she wants. Triple H sets The Rock up on the table as Mick Foley climbs to the middle rope. Mick doesn't jump far enough and just crashes into the table! He mentioned on his “Hardcore Legend: Greatest Hits & Misses” DVD that he injured his ribs and his knees with that, but still made the family trip to Disneyland. Back to the match Triple H tries to put The Rock through the table but it still doesn't collapse. The third elbow drop from the security wall finally puts the table down. We see a replay of Mick Foley ramming himself into the announce table again as Triple H gets himself and Foley back into the ring. Triple H hits a Pedigree 1, 2, no! Triple H swings a chair at Foley's head before hitting a second Pedigree on top of it to eliminate the Hardcore Legend. Mick Foley leaves the ringside area with Linda McMahon to a standing ovation.
Mick Foley walks back! Foley isn't done! Mick Foley grabs the barbed wire 2x4 and hits Triple H over the head with it before finally leaving the match. The Rock slowly crawls over for the cover but only gets a 2 count. The Rock knocks Triple H down with right hands, Triple H tries to clothesline but it's ducked and Rock sends him over to the floor with a clothesline of his own. The Rock takes it up to the stage and hits a suplex on the floor. Triple H is sent into the stage and knocked down with a clothesline before The Rock takes it into the crowd. Triple H turns the tables somewhere in there, but charges at The Rock and gets sent over the security wall to ringside. Triple H gets sent into the time keepers table and The Rock picks up the ring steps. The Rock walks into a chair shot by Triple H, knocking him down beneath the steps. Triple H carries on swinging the chair at the steps. Triple H hits a piledriver onto the base of the steps and rolls The Rock in the ring. Triple H covers 1, 2, 2.5, NO!
They exchange right hands on their feet, with The Rock getting the advantage, Triple H tries an irish whip but it's reversed and he is caught in the Rock Bottom but elbows his way free. Triple H attempts a Pedigree but The Rock counters with a backdrop over the top rope. The Rock sends Triple H back into the crowd and up the bleachers. Triple H turns the tables and sends The Rock back over to ringside before throwing a fan's hat on the floor before running into a spinebuster. The Rock brings Triple H over to the English announce desk and suplexes him through it. Triple H is able to throw The Rock back into the ring and goes after Mr. McMahon, Vince sends Triple H into the ringpost as Shane McMahon is seen sneaking down the entranceway. He attacks Vince and it looks terrible, but it seemed to impress Steph. Vince McMahon retaliates, beating Shane towards the entranceway. Shane McMahon hits his father with the chair! In a funny moment Michael Clarke Duncan, in the crowd flinches from Shane O'Mac.
Pat Patterson and Gerald Brisco assist their bleeding boss to the back. I almost forgot there was a match going on, but The Rock hits Triple H with more right hands in the corner. Triple H tries to reverse an irish whip and gets dragged into a DDT for a close nearfall, with a tilt-a-whirl slam getting another. Triple H is sent off the ropes but counters with the knee smash sending The Rock back into the corner. Triple H hits him with the 2x4 wrapped in barbed wire. Triple H attempts a Pedigree but The Rock trips him as Shane gets in the ring with a chair and Triple H is catapulted into Shane and stumbles back into a Rock Bottom! Vince charges down the ring as Shane stands over them with the chair and jabs his son in the cock. Vince waves Shane over the top rope with what I think are supposed to be punches. Mr. McMahon hits The Rock with the chair and Triple H slowly crawls over to cover as Vince asks for the belt, but THE ROCK KICKS OUT! Vince McMahon gets angry and lays in another chair shot, finishing off The Rock.
WINNER: TRIPLE H (STILL WWF CHAMPION)
Almost 20 years on and I'm still not sure how to feel about this match. The opening portion got Big Show a pay day before Mick Foley got one hell of a showing for his (at the time) final Wrestlemania match and in the en,d it came down to Triple H and The Rock, the match we wanted to see since Royal Rumble. That's when the McMahon involvement became a bit too much. Vince McMahon turning on The Rock and the ending felt flat to me. I don't mind that the heel won, and they had to give a reasonable explanation I guess but this wasn't a main event for the biggest show of the year in my eyes. – WORKRATE: 3/5 PERSONAL ENJOYMENT 2/5 OVERALL 5/10
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