WrestleRant
  • Home
  • Columnist Corner
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • WRR
  • Audio
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • About
    • Contact

Columnist Corner

WrestleMania Recall, Match #21: Evolution vs. The Rock 'n' Sock Connection, WrestleMania 20

3/11/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Here on WrestleMania Recall, I will be ranking my top 31 favorite matches in WWE WrestleMania history. A new installment will be posted every day in the month of March, culminating with my No. 1 favorite match on Thursday, March 31st, mere days before WrestleMania 32. Each article will offer an in-depth look at each match and an analysis of why it is among my favorites.

As I mentioned in my article highlighting Chris Benoit vs. Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels earlier in the week, watching WrestleMania 20 in its entirety on the WWE Network was a draining experience. At five hours long, you'll find yourself constantly zoning in and out. The fact the undercard wasn't overly exciting didn't help matters, with the exception of this matchup pitting Randy Orton, Batista and Ric Flair against Mick Foley and The Rock in a 3-on-2 Handicap match.

​While browsing the wide selection of WrestleMania matches available on onDemand three years ago, I came across this contest for the low price of $1.99, and after having already seen everything else they had to offer, I decided to give it a purchase. And I'm glad I did, because as you can tell from its placement on its list, it has become a WrestleMania guilty pleasure of mine. Not for its amazing in-ring action, but rather for its incredible entertainment value.

Almost one year ahead of WrestleMania 20, Orton disrespected Foley by spitting in his face and punting him in the skull down a flight of stairs. Orton issued an Intercontinental Championship opportunity to Foley shortly thereafter which Foley no-showed and The Legend Killer taunted him on Raw for weeks. That culminated in Foley's in-ring return in the 2004 Royal Rumble match where he tossed out Orton and rekindled their rivalry heading into WrestleMania 20.

But at last check, Foley was outnumbered four-to-one. Orton had his Evolution stablemates backing him up, and even while Triple H was busy with Chris Benoit and Shawn Michaels, Batista and Flair were there to ensure Orton always had the upper-hand over Foley. That was, however, until The Rock returned to Raw in mid-March and leveled the playing field, immediately laying waste to Evolution and setting the stage for one last Rock 'n' Sock Connection reunion on the grand stage.

On a show riddled with undercard fodder, this match tends to get lost in the shuffle, but it's more than worthy of a watch. Foley has gone on the record in the past in saying that it wasn't one of his finer performances (which is why he felt the need to redeem himself with that Hardcore match the following month at Backlash), but in my opinion, he didn't look nearly as deplorable as he did four years earlier at WrestleMania 2000. Meanwhile, Rock held his own and didn't look out of place despite not wrestling since Backlash 2003.

Rock and Ric Flair seldom crossed paths in WWE, but whenever they did, it was pure gold. That was evident in this matchup with both men mocking the other's signature gestures and putting their own little twist on it. Flair attempting to do the People's Elbow was especially entertaining. They found just the right groove to make this more than a standard Handicap tag team match; it was fun from start to finish that succeeded in what it set out to do: putting Orton over.

All of Evolution benefited from the victory, but Orton was the star WWE was looking to strap the rocket to at that time as Intercontinental Champion. In hitting the RKO on Mrs. Foley's baby boy out of nowhere and scoring the three count, it was evident that he was on the verge of super stardom as a singles star, and that was further solidified with his aforementioned Hardcore match with Foley at Backlash. What more could you ask for from a hidden gem at WrestleMania?


SEE ALSO: "WrestleMania Recall, Match #22: The Dudley Boyz vs. The Hardy Boyz vs. vs. Edge and Christian, WrestleMania 2000"
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.


    Categories

    All
    #AskGSM
    Battle Of The Belts
    Cruiserweight Classic
    Halftime Heat
    Hidden Gems
    Lists/Rankings
    Mae Young Classic
    Mixed Match Challenge
    News
    NJPW
    NWA Shockwave
    Opinion
    Previews
    Retro Reviews
    Reviews
    RJ's Two Cents
    Satire
    SummerSlam Recall
    The Deadly Draw
    Tribute To The Troops
    Women's Eliminator
    Worlds Collide
    WrestleMania Recall
    WWE Draft
    WWE Starrcade


    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010

    RSS Feed

©2023 WrestleRant. All Rights Reserved.
  • Home
  • Columnist Corner
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • WRR
  • Audio
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • About
    • Contact