100 Greatest WWE Matches Of All Time (Ranked)
97. Dean Malenko vs. Scotty 2 Hotty (Backlash 2000)
Some of the most unassuming matches turn out to be cherished undercard gems. This delightful little showdown for the old WWF Light Heavyweight Title left many stunned with its quality. However, anyone who had watched Dean Malenko's body of work in WCW could've told you exactly what he was capable of. Toss in deceptive workhorse Scotty 2 Hotty and you had a recipe for Cruiserweight fun few had circled as must see going into the pay-per-view.
In fact, let's be honest about something straight away: This might well have been one of several matches on the Backlash undercard that most fans figured would act as the ideal excuse for a bathroom break. Instead, people were glued to the ring as Malenko and Scotty put together something the entire Light Heavyweight division could be proud of.
Dean knew how to do that after years of turning heads on Nitro. An awful lot of folks seemed to forget that Scotty had cut his teeth as a solid worker long before he was spiking his hair, dancing and tearing it up as part of the ridiculously-over Too Cool. When asked to go, he could go! The result was an essential match that earned rave reviews for both men.
No, this didn't lead to anything bigger for the Light Heavyweight Title or Malenko as ringleader, but at least he and Scotty can look back on the time they held their own on a jam-packed card stacked with top names like Chris Jericho, Kurt Angle, Triple H, The Rock and even Steve Austin's pay-per-view comeback.