At the time, Triple H became the first defending heel WWF Heavyweight Champion to walk out of WrestleMania with his title intact. The event was 'Mania 2000, the 16th iteration of the infamous event, and 'The Game' was joined by Mick Foley, The Big Show and The Rock in the main match. The bout had periods of excitement, but the bulk of the card didn't feel WrestleMania-worthy. Only Kurt Angle vs. Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit and a Triple Threat Ladder Match for the WWF Tag-Team Title had a grand feel to them. The other matches felt like throwaway matches only there to fill time. No Way Out 2000, held on February 27 had a much better feel to it. It does owe a lot to the main event, but there were other good points. Angle vs. Jericho, Edge and Christian vs. The Hardy Boyz and The Big Show vs. The Rock were all entirely watchable matches. Undoubtedly, the main event Hell In A Cell war between Triple H and Cactus Jack took the proverbial biscuit. It was just a thing of beauty, perfectly summing up why there was such a buzz about the WWF during the 'Attitude' Era. Mick Foley, as Cactus Jack, delivered one of his best performances, but the retirement angle booked afterwards was ruined by his appearance at WrestleMania.
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.
