10 Things You Learn Binge Watching Every WWE SmackDown From 2000
2. The Radicalz Start Was Baffling
Snagging four nifty workers from your main competition in one fell swoop was a lay up for the WWF. They brought in Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Perry Saturn and Dean Malenko as a collective, and slapped The Radicalz name on them. Mick Foley was also their best bud and rolled out the welcome mats.
On 3 February, Triple H agreed to give these Radicalz WWF contracts (they already had them?) if they could win two of their three matches that night. The group lost all three; X-Pac beat Malenko, New Age Outlaws beat Guerrero and Saturn, and Hunter beat Benoit. It was an inauspicious start to life in the WWF, let's be real about it.
Benoit and Guerrero would settle down eventually, but this should’ve been a warning sign for Malenko and Saturn that the grass wasn't necessarily greener. Unlike Tazz, the federation did make this group of WCW rebels look like they weren't good enough to cut it in the big leagues.
Triple H even said as much during his scathing promo.