On this episode of Tales from the Attitude Era, former WWE writer Tommy Blacha and Rob Pasbani recap WWF King of the Ring 2000 from the Fleet Center in Boston. The guys discuss the marathon weekend that started with a house show at Madison Square Garden featuring a surprise appearance by Donald Trump and Melania Trump. Tommy Blacha shares what the atmosphere was like backstage during the peak of the Attitude Era and why the \"home court\" advantage of the Garden always brought out the best in the roster.
The discussion dives deep into the tournament bracket that saw Kurt Angle ascend to the throne after a series of competitive matches against Chris Jericho and Rikishi. We break down the logic behind the early exits of Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero, and why the creative team chose a story-heavy path for the finals. Plus, we look at the polarizing main event where The Rock captured the WWF Championship by pinning Vince McMahon, and whether that finish helped or hurt the title's prestige in the long run.
In this episode, we also discuss:
- The logic behind the changing format of Sunday Night Heat.
- The infamous Pat Patterson vs. Gerald Brisco evening gown match for the Hardcore Championship.
- Edge and Christian trolling the Boston crowd with a New York Mets jersey.
- Tori taking a massive powerbomb through a table at the hands of the Dudley Boyz.
- Rikishi’s incredible performance as the \"beaten down\" underdog of the tournament.
- Tommy Blacha’s response to Dave Meltzer’s 1.75-star rating of the main event.
0:00 - Intro
1:10 - Memories of Donald Trump at the Garden House Show
3:30 - House Shows vs. TV Tapings
7:40 - Sunday Night Heat’s Changing Format
10:40 - The Fast Pace of the Tournament Quarterfinals
12:30 - Could a Round-Robin Tournament Work in WWE?
17:20 - Rikishi vs. Chris Benoit: Building the Underdog Story
20:00 - Val Venis vs. Eddie Guerrero: A Rare Clean Finish
23:20 - Pat Patterson and Gerald Brisco Prep for Drag
27:40 - Kurt Angle vs. Chris Jericho: The Best Match of the Night?
30:00 - Edge and Christian Mock Boston with the Mets Jersey
32:45 - Four-Way Tag Team Elimination Match Breakdown
38:00 - The Semi-Finals: Rikishi Perseveres
43:20 - The Infamous Patterson vs. Brisco Evening Gown Match
50:20 - Dudley Boyz vs. DX: Tables, Dumpsters, and Tori
57:50 - The Finals: Kurt Angle is Crowned King
1:00:00 - Main Event: The Rock Pins Vince McMahon for the Title
1:01:30 - Analyzing Dave Meltzer’s Harsh Review of the Finish
1:08:40 - Final Thoughts and Looking Ahead to Raw
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