[2000-03-20-WWF-Raw] HHH vs The Rock vs Big Show

[Loss]

Setup for this match is interesting, as they do the planned main event of Wrestlemania two weeks ahead of time on the Chicago Raw. I think trying that now would be a dead giveaway an angle was coming to change the main event, but I suppose these were slightly simpler times. Match isn't anything special (although as a sports entertainment spectacle it's *****) but it is well laid out to give Chi-Town fans heart attacks, but WOW is it super heated. The key here is the post-match angle, where Linda McMahon adds Mick Foley to the main event. It didn't bug me so much that he came out of retirement at the time, but it did bug me that it was for such a lame match. A McMahon in every corner! Regardless of all of that, this segment is really hot and I can't deny that the match's spectacle exceeds its quality in a way that not acknowledging that is unfair. ***1/2

 

EDIT TO ADD: Before anyone asks, the difference between this type of great spectacle and something like Hogan-Andre not being a match and would even call *** at all is that this match I don't see as actively bad so much as just there.

[soup23]

All of this set up was a ton of fun. Vince's shocked face coming out was A+. The match itself is kind of a backdrop to get to the real main event 13 days away but everythng has been pretty focused since Jan 10 going that way so it doesn't feel like we just sort of through stuff at the wall until we hit our Mania main event. Foley coming back really pissed me off at the time just based on the personifications that Foley was my guy and the overweight hard worker that had made good and made the viewer trust his word. This felt like a strange carny stunt from his persona up to this point. Linda is still so wooden in her delivery. The pop Foley got from coming back was larger than i remembered and as a standalone moment it was a lot of fun that made me look forward to the Mania match. ***1/2