The Best and Worst Moment of WrestleMania 20
WWE billed WrestleMania 20 under the tagline, “Where it all begins again.” It was sensible enough for a show that was returning to WWE’s roots in Madison Square Garden—the previous site of the original WrestleMania and WrestleMania 10. Here the company was financially secure on the heels of the Monday Night War, but also in a position such that it was forced to do something different. Steve Austin had worked his last match the year before, and The Rock was clearly only back part-time.
Meanwhile, even the next wave of stars had fizzled. Brock Lesnar and Goldberg were each working their last match with the company that night. WWE opted to take a chance on Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero on top—a pair of stars smaller and more technically styled than the average face of the company. This article takes a look back at the best and worst of WrestleMania 20.
Best Moment: Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero celebrating
The No Way Out PPV to precede WrestleMania 20 saw Eddie Guerrero pull off one of the biggest and best received upsets in WWE history when he pinned Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship. At ‘Mania, Latino Heat did the unlikely in going on to successfully defend the title against no lesser star than Kurt Angle.
The champ had a fun inter-brand moment backstage in which he psyched up real-life friend Chris Benoit before he went on to challenge Triple H and Shawn Michaels for the World Heavyweight Championship. Both men were victorious and enjoyed one of the ultimate feel-good moments in WWE—particularly for hardcore fans who had appreciated Benoit and Guerrero for years before they got their opportunities.
Naming this celebration as the best moment of WrestleMania 20, and indeed one of the greatest moments in WrestleMania history, wouldn’t have been so controversial a year out from when it happened. The moment lost some of its luster for how bittersweet it felt after Guerrero passed away and Benoit's murder cum suicide case.
It’s fair for fans to reject this moment in hindsight given all the baggage it now carries. The way Benoit’s life ended will always tarnish his legacy, but in isolation, the scene of confetti raining around him and Guerrero remains special.
Worst Moment: Goldberg and Brock Lesnar don’t know what to do
When an inter-branded match between Goldberg and Brock Lesnar took shape for WrestleMania 20, it felt like it could be pretty special. Here were two all-time great powerhouses, both over with the fans, and Lesnar’s freakish athleticism had already helped him deliver some very good matches.
Goldberg’s WWE contract was running out, though. Meanwhile, Lesnar shocked the world in his choice to leave the company despite being built as its top star.
The smart crowd in New York was savvy to the match’s context and proceeded to vocally reject both performers as their match began. The two didn’t know what to do with the odd reaction and hesitated, looking at one another as the crowd grew even louder. Thirteen years later, these two would deliver the really fun smash mouth sprint that this match probably should have been. Instead, we got one of the most awkward WrestleMania encounters ever.