10 Things You Didn't Know About WWE In 2000

5. The Radicalz Were Hired As Main Event Talent

BeFunky_theradicalz Coming into the fold right at the start of 2000, the general consensus surrounding Perry Saturn, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko is that they'd all been held back in WCW, and the WWF would know how to best use them. Upward mobility was considered more readily available for hard-working, talented wrestlers in the WWF of 2000, something which may surprise fans today, who realise that certain stars are doomed to be mid-card level, regardless of skill. Incredibly, Guerrero and Benoit, who would both go on to become WWE World Champions, weren't the only members of The Radicalz considered to be main event level players. Both Saturn and Malenko were at one point firmly in plans to become fixtures at the top of the cards. As mentioned earlier, the promotion were desperately seeking new stars who could tide them over until both Steve Austin and The Undertaker were fit and healthy, and in The Radicalz, it was felt there were four hungry young performers who could step up. Of course, neither Saturn or Malenko would come anywhere close to a sustained main event run, but it's cool to think that this is how they were initially perceived.
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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.