10 Times Unlikely Wrestlers Stole The Show

4. Scotty 2 Hotty - Backlash 2000

ronda rousey stephanie mcmahon
WWE.com

The arrival of the Radicalz faction, in parallel with the meteoric and slow rises of Kurt Angle and Chris Jericho, respectively, changed the game. The WWF was no longer merely the most entertaining wrestling show on Monday nights. The WWF also boasted the best wrestling, a metric of not inconsiderable importance to the pendulum that swung north and, in turn, obliterated the south.

Shedding the dancing goof stigma for one night only, the lowly Scotty 2 Hotty wrestled Dean Malenko for the lowly Light Heavyweight Championship in the best match of the highest-drawing B-level PPV in history. It was an A+ performance, one that outclassed a murderer's row of great little hands and gigantic household names in The Rock, Triple H, Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero. This was no carry job, either: Scotty levelled up to his technical expert of an opponent by smoothly reversing his powerbomb into an arm drag and flooring him with a nice snap dropkick. This performance didn't betray his character. He didn't just cosplay as a serious wrestler. As he kipped up after his shine, he moonwalked across the canvas, entertaining and impressing the crowd, who in turn turned up the heat, knowing they were witnessing something special.

Showing savvy, showmanship and guts, with a great sell-job of the knee, this was a multi-faceted and excellent performance from a one-dimensional act.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!