King of the Ring 2000

King of the Ring 2000 was the eighth annual King of the Ring professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Federation (WWF). The event took place on June 25, 2000 at the Fleet Center in Boston, Massachusetts.
The main event was a six-man tag team match between McMahon-Helmsley Faction (Triple H, Vince and Shane McMahon) and the team of The Rock, Kane and The Undertaker. Triple H's WWF Championship was defended in the match. Rock pinned Vince to win the title. The undercard featured the 2000 King of the Ring tournament, won by Kurt Angle. The 2000 edition was the largest King of the Ring tournament, with 32 competitors taking part.
Other matches featured on the undercard included a three-on-two Handicap Tables Dumpster match between Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von) and the team of D-Generation X (Road Dogg and X-Pac) and Tori, a Hardcore Evening Gown match for the WWF Hardcore Championship between champion Pat Patterson and challenger Gerald Brisco and a Four corners elimination match for the WWF Tag Team Championship between champions Too Cool (Grand Master Sexay and Scotty 2 Hotty) and the challenger teams of Edge and Christian, Hardy Boyz (Matt and Jeff) and T & A (Test and Albert).
==Background==
King of the Ring featured professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing feuds, plots, and storylines that were played out on Raw is War and SmackDown—World Wrestling Federation's (WWF) television programs. Wrestlers portrayed a villain or a hero as they followed a series of events that built tension, and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.
The pay-per-view event featured the annual King of the Ring single elimination bracket tournament. The qualification for the tournament started on the May 29, 2000 edition of Raw is War, with Rikishi and Bull Buchanan defeating Shane McMahon and Steve Blackman respectively. The qualification continued on the June 1 edition of SmackDown, as Kurt Angle defeated Bradshaw and Crash Holly defeated Albert. On the June 4 edition of Sunday Night Heat, Chyna and Val Venis defeated The Godfather and Al Snow in respective matches to qualify for the tournament. On June 5 edition of Raw is War, the WWF Intercontinental Champion Chris Benoit and Hardcore Holly qualified by defeating Road Dogg and Faarooq respectively. On the June 8 edition of SmackDown, Chris Jericho defeated Test and the WWF European Champion Eddie Guerrero defeated Matt Hardy to qualify for the King of the Ring tournament. On June 11 edition of Sunday Night Heat, Bubba Ray Dudley and Perry Saturn defeated Big Bossman and D-Von Dudley in respective matches to qualify for the tournament. On the June 12 edition of Raw is War, X-Pac qualified for the tournament by defeating Dean Malenko and Jeff Hardy qualified by defeating Christian. The qualification for the tournament ended on June 15 edition of SmackDown!, as Edge defeated one half of the WWF Tag Team Champions Grand Master Sexay and the other half of the WWF Tag Team Champions Scotty 2 Hotty defeated D-Lo Brown. On the June 18 edition of Sunday Night Heat, the tournament started as Bull Buchanan defeated Perry Saturn and Val Venis defeated Jeff Hardy. On June 19 edition of Raw is War, the tournament matches continued as Kurt Angle defeated Bubba Ray Dudley, Chris Benoit defeated X-Pac, Eddie Guerrero defeated Chyna, Chris Jericho defeated Edge, Rikishi defeated Scotty 2 Hotty and Crash Holly defeated Hardcore Holly.
The main rivalry heading into the event was between McMahon-Helmsley Faction (Triple H, Vince and Shane McMahon) and the team of The Rock, Kane and The Undertaker. At Judgment Day, Undertaker returned to WWF with a new biker gimmick after an eight-month groin injury and attacked Triple H during an Iron Man match between Rock and Triple H for the WWF Championship. As a result, Rock was disqualified and Triple H won the match 6-5. On the June 1 edition of SmackDown!, Rock, Kane and Undertaker won qualifying matches to qualify for a WWF Championship title shot at King of the Ring. On the June 12 edition of Raw is War, WWF CEO Linda McMahon announced that at King of the Ring, Rock, Kane and Undertaker would team up to wrestle Triple H, Vince McMahon and Shane McMahon in a six-man tag team match. On June 15 edition of SmackDown!, a stipulation was added into the match that if Triple H's team won, Triple H would defend the title against the winner of the King of the Ring tournament at Fully Loaded but if any person from Rock's team got the pinfall, he would win the title. On the June 19 edition of Raw is War, an additional stipulation was added into the match that if a member of Rock's team got the pinfall at King of the Ring, he would become the new WWF Champion.
Another major rivalry heading into the event was between Too Cool (Grand Master Sexay and Scotty 2 Hotty), Edge and Christian, Hardy Boyz (Matt and Jeff) and T & A (Test and Albert) over the WWF Tag Team Championship. On May 29 edition of Raw is War, Too Cool defeated Edge and Christian to win the WWF Tag Team Championship. Edge and Christian invoked their rematch clause for the titles. T & A and Hardy Boyz were feuding at the time, and were added into the tag title match, making it a Four corners elimination match at King of the Ring.
On June 19 edition of Raw is War, Pat Patterson and Gerald Brisco interfered in a King of the Ring tournament match between WWF Hardcore Champion Crash Holly and Hardcore Holly. Hardcore was disqualified after Brisco hit Crash twice with 2x4 and by the 24/7 rule, pinned Crash to win the Hardcore Championship. After returning to backstage, Patterson blinded Brisco by tossing a champagne in his head and pinned him via 24/7 rule for the Hardcore Championship. On June 22 edition of SmackDown!, WWF Chairman Vince McMahon announced that Patterson would defend the title against Brisco in a Hardcore Evening Gown match at King of the Ring.
At Judgment Day, D-Generation X (Road Dogg and X-Pac) defeated Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von) in a Double Tables match. On June 19 edition of Raw is War, Dudley Boyz cost X-Pac, a King of the Ring tournament match against the WWF Intercontinental Champion Chris Benoit. As a result, DX and Tori demanded a match against Dudley Boyz. The WWF Chairman Vince McMahon announced that at King of the Ring, DX and Tori would wrestle Dudley Boyz in a Handicap Tables Dumpster match at King of the Ring.
==Event==
Before the event aired live on pay-per-view, a live edition of Sunday Night Heat was held featuring several matches. The first match of the pre-show was a standard wrestling match in which Hardcore Holly defeated Gangrel. In the second match, Mideon defeated Mosh. In the third match, Essa Rios defeated Stevie Richards. The main event was a tag team match in which The Acolytes (Faarooq and Bradshaw) defeated Perry Saturn and D'Lo Brown after Faarooq pinned Saturn.
===Preliminary matches===
As the show concluded, the first match that was aired live on pay-per-view was a King of the Ring tournament quarter-final match between Rikishi and Chris Benoit. Rikishi dominated most of the match until Benoit started using submission maneuvers. He applied his finishing move, a Crossface which he called Crippler Crossface on Rikishi. Rikishi caught hold of the ropes. Benoit released the hold but hit Rikishi with a steel chair and was disqualified. However, Benoit continued to attack Rikishi with the chair and applied another Crippler Crossface on Rikishi. Next match in the quarter-final was between Eddie Guerrero and Val Venis. Guerrero and Venis got momentum over each other in the match. In the closing moments of the match, Venis tried to hit a Diving Splash, which he called Money Shot on Guerrero but Guerrero blocked the move. Venis' valet Trish Stratus jumped on the apron, prompting Guerrero's valet Chyna to prevent Stratus from interfering. Venis took advantage and pinned Guerrero with a Bridging Fisherman's Suplex.
The quarter-final continued pitting Bull Buchanan against Crash Holly. Buchanan dominated most of the match and due to his bigger size, Buchanan easily performed his moves on Holly. Buchanan tried to finish Holly with a Scissors Kick but Holly ducked the move and pinned Buchanan with a roll-up to win the match. The final match in the quarter-final was between Kurt Angle and Chris Jericho. Jericho dominated earlier part of the match until Angle got the momentum. Angle continued to perform his moves on Jericho until Jericho regained momentum. In the closing moments of the match, Angle tried to perform an Olympic Slam, which he calls Angle Slam on Jericho but Jericho avoided the move and applied an Elevated Boston Crab which he calls Walls of Jericho on Angle. The WWF Women's Champion Stephanie McMahon interfered in the match and distracted the referee. Angle tapped out to Walls of Jericho but the referee was distracted. Jericho released the hold and knocked out the referee. Stephanie tried to hit Jericho with the Women's Championship belt but Jericho ducked and Angle was hit instead. Jericho kicked Stephanie but Angle got advantage and hit an Angle Slam on Jericho for the victory.
Next was a Four corners elimination match for the WWF Tag Team Championship as the champions Too Cool (Grand Master Sexay and Scotty 2 Hotty) defended the titles against Edge and Christian, Hardy Boyz (Matt and Jeff) and T & A (Test and Albert). T & A was the first team to get eliminated when Matt Hardy pinned Test after Jeff Hardy hit Test with a High Angle Senton Bomb, which Jeff calls Swanton Bomb. The match went back and forth until Christian eliminated Hardy Boyz by pinning Matt after hitting him with an Inverted Double Underhook Facebuster which Christian called Impaler. The match was left between Too Cool and the team of Edge and Christian. Too Cool dominated the challengers and seemed to have the match won when Sexay hit Edge with a Diving Leg Drop which he called Hip Hop Drop and tried to pin Edge but there was no referee present. Christian took advantage and smacked Sexay with the ring bell, allowing Edge to pin Sexay for the Tag Team Championship.
After the tag team title match ended, the semi-final round of the King of the Ring tournament took place with Rikishi taking on Val Venis. Venis dominated the match by working on Rikishi's shoulder that was injured during Rikishi's match against Chris Benoit earlier in the night. Venis injured Rikishi's arm and continued to damage the arm until Rikishi performed a Belly-to-Belly Suplex on Venis and pinned him for the victory. After the match, Venis' valet Trish Stratus tried to attack Rikishi but Rikishi countered her attacks. Venis low blowed Rikishi and attacked his injured arm and shoulder with a chair before leaving. The next match in the semi-final was between Kurt Angle and Crash Holly. Angle dominated the match and pinned Holly after an Angle Slam to advance to the final round.
===Main event matches===
The seventh match of the event was a Hardcore Evening Gown match for the WWF Hardcore Championship between champion Pat Patterson and challenger Gerald Brisco. Brisco brought a 2x4 to the ring while Patterson brought a teddy bear to the ring. Patterson suggested that he would lay down for Brisco so that Brisco could pin him for the title. Brisco agreed but Patterson started attacking Brisco. Brisco performed a Bronco Buster on Patterson in the corner. Crash Holly interfered in the match and attacked Brisco with a trash can. Holly used the 24/7 rule and pinned Patterson to win the Hardcore Championship. As a result, the match resulted in a no contest.
The eighth match was a three-on-two Handicap Tables Dumpster match pitting Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von) against D-Generation X (Road Dogg and X-Pac) and Tori. The match started in the ring but the action would move outside the ring. Dudley Boyz dominated most of the match by knocking out Road Dogg through a table. X-Pac battled Bubba Ray with some quick moves but D-Von suplexed X-Pac over the top rope onto the table. Tori hid in the dumpster. Dudley Boyz began chasing Tori until DX took advantage by attacking Dudley Boyz with chairs. Dudley Boyz were shoved into the dumpster and Tori closed the lids of the dumpster. As a result, DX and Tori won the match. After the match, Dudley Boyz came out of the dumpster and pulled Tori out of the dumpster. DX tried to save Tori but Dudley Boyz hit a Death Drop which they call 3D on X-Pac. Road Dogg was also hit with a 3D. D-Von brought a table and set it in the ring. Bubba Ray caught Tori and powerbombed her through the table.
Next was the final round match of the 2000 King of the Ring tournament pitting Kurt Angle against Rikishi. Rikishi dominated most of the match by using his power moves against Angle. Angle took advantage of Rikishi's injuries and focused on his injured arm and shoulder. Angle slammed Rikishi into the steel steps outside the ring and threw Rikishi into the ring. As Angle returned to the ring, Rikishi hit Angle with a Samoan Drop, a Neckbreaker and a Stink Face but was unable to defeat Angle. Angle performed an Angle Slam on Rikishi but got a near-fall. Rikishi hit Angle with a Savate Kick and climbed to the top rope. Angle attacked Rikishi and hit him with a Belly-to-Belly Suplex from the top rope to win the 2000 King of the Ring tournament.
The main event was a six-man tag team match between McMahon-Helmsley Faction (Triple H, Vince and Shane McMahon) and the team of The Rock, Kane and The Undertaker for Triple H's WWF Championship. The stipulation was that the person whoever got the pinfall at the end of the match would be the WWF Champion. The match went back and forth with Rock's team working on Shane in the beginning. Triple H would later tag in and would battle all the three opponents. The match continued with both teams battling on each other. In the closing moments of the match, Rock tried to hit Triple H with an Elbow Drop, which Rock called People's Elbow but Kane attacked Rock. Kane hit Triple H with a Reverse Belly-to-Belly Piledriver which he calls Tombstone Piledriver and tried to pin Triple H but Undertaker attacked Kane with a chair. Undertaker chokeslammed Shane from the top rope onto the announce table. In the ring, Rock hit Vince with a Rock Bottom and pinned Vince to become the new WWF Champion.
==Aftermath==
By winning the King of the Ring tournament, Kurt Angle's main eventer push started. After getting his first WWF Championship title shot in a Triple Threat match against The Rock and Triple H at SummerSlam, Angle defeated Rock for his first of four WWF Championships at No Mercy.
At King of the Ring, Val Venis injured the WWF Intercontinental Champion Rikishi, starting a rivalry between the two. On July 6 edition of SmackDown!, Rikishi lost the WWF Intercontinental Championship to Venis after Tazz interfered and attacked Rikishi with a television camera. At Fully Loaded, Venis defeated Rikishi in a steel cage match to retain the title.
After King of the Ring, Team Xtreme (Matt, and Jeff Hardy and Lita) continued to feud with T & A (Test and Albert) and Trish Stratus. At Fully Loaded, Team Xtreme defeated T & A and Stratus in a mixed tag team match when Lita pinned Stratus after a moonsault.
==Results==
*KOTR Quarter-Final: Rikishi defeated Chris Benoit (3:25)
*KOTR Quarter-Final: Val Venis (w/ Trish Stratus) defeated Eddie Guerrero (w/ Chyna) (8:04)
*KOTR Quarter-Final: Crash Holly defeated Bull Buchanan (4:07)
*KOTR Quarter-Final: Kurt Angle defeated Chris Jericho (9:50)
*Edge and Christian defeated Too Cool (Grand Master Sexay and Scotty 2 Hotty) (c), The Hardy Boyz (Matt and Jeff) (w/Lita), and T & A (Test and Albert) (w/Trish Stratus) in a Four Corners Elimination match to win the WWF Tag Team Championship (14:11)
**Matt pinned Test after Jeff hit a Swanton Bomb. (3:41)
**Christian pinned Matt after an Impaler (7:55)
**Edge pinned Sexay after Christian hit Sexay with a tag title belt. (14:11)
*KOTR Semi-Final: Rikishi defeated Val Venis (3:15)
*KOTR Semi-Final: Kurt Angle defeated Crash Holly (3:58)
*WWF Hardcore Champion Pat Patterson fought Gerald Brisco to a no-contest in a Hardcore Evening Gown match (3:07)
*Crash Holly defeated Pat Patterson to win the WWF Hardcore Championship
*D-Generation X (Road Dogg and X-Pac) and Tori defeated The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von) in a Handicap Tables Dumpster match (9:45)
*KOTR Final: Kurt Angle defeated Rikishi to win the King of the Ring tournament (5:56)
*The Rock, Kane, and The Undertaker defeated Triple H, Vince McMahon, and Shane McMahon (17:54)
==Tournament brackets==
The tournament took place between May 29 and June 25, 2000. 
==Other on-screen talent==
;Commentators
*Jim Ross
*Jerry Lawler
*Carlos Cabrera
*Hugo Savinovich
;Interviewers
*Michael Cole
*Jonathan Coachman	
;Ring announcer
*Howard Finkel
;Referees
*Jack Doan
*Jimmy Korderas
*Mike Chioda
*Teddy Long
*Chad Patton
*Earl Hebner
*Tim White
==See also==
*List of WWE pay-per-view events
*WWE Event History
*King of the Ring
==DVD release==
* King of the Ring 2000 on DVD
==External links==
* King of the Ring 2000 at CAGEMATCH.net
* King of the Ring 2000 at Online World of Wrestling
* on WWE Network
Category:World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view events
Category:King of the Ring
Category:2000 pay-per-view events
Category:Tournaments
Category:Professional wrestling tournaments
Category:World Wrestling Entertainment tournaments
Category:Events with Evening Gown matches
Category:Events with Table matches
Category:Events with Handicap matches