The 2000 Royal Rumble was the first Royal Rumble to take place in the new millennium. WWE's roster was stacked but Steve Austin and The Undertaker were still on the shelf, and they made their in-ring returns respectively in the fall and spring. Furthermore, the 2000 Royal Rumble was jam-packed as there were three championship matches on the card, a memorable debut, and the Royal Rumble match headlined the show.
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This was the official start of the road to WrestleMania 16, and wrestlers were looking to make a statement by jostling for positions for WrestleMania season. The 2000 iteration of the Royal Rumble was superb, and there were several facts on the show that some members of the WWE Universe have forgotten about.
10 Tazz Makes His WWE Debut
Kurt Angle boasted a two-month unbeaten run, and he was looking to continue his successful run of matches without a loss at the Rumble. The Olympic Gold Medalist had a mystery opponent, and it was none other than Tazz.
Tazz was competing in front of his hometown fans in New York and he received a huge ovation. This was arguably the best moment of Tazz's WWE career. Tazz dominated proceedings, and he dented Angle's unbeaten record, by putting him away with the Tazzmission.
9 The Hardys Won The Inaugural Tag Team Tables Match
The Hardy Boyz and The Dudley Boyz made history as the first two teams to compete in the first-ever tag team tables match. To be victorious, you had to put both members of the respective teams through tables. As expected, the Hardys and the Dudleys knocked it out of the park in a fast-paced match.
The Hardys put Bubba Ray through the table on the outside with Matt executing a leg drop whilst Jeff performed a splash. Several sickening chair shots to the head were dished out throughout the match, but in the closing stages, Jeff connected with a Swanton Bomb off the balcony on D-Von to secure the victory.
8 Mae Young Won The Miss Rumble 2000 Swimsuit Contest
Away from the in-ring action, there was the Miss Rumble 2000 Swimsuit contest. The judges were comprised of Sgt. Slaughter, Tony Garea, Johnny Valiant, Freddie Blassie, The Fabulous Moolah, and Andy Richter.
The contestant featured Ivory, Terri, Jacqueline, Barbara Bush, Luna Vachon, and the WWE Women's Champion The Kat. Whilst, the judges were deliberating to choose their winner, Mae Young appeared and participated. She undressed, and she was the winner with her partner Mark Henry coming down the aisle to cover her up.
7 Chris Jericho Becomes The Undisputed Intercontinental Champion
Chris Jericho and Chyna were co-Intercontinental Champions but there was a triple threat match including Hardcore Holly, where the winner would be crowned as the Undisputed Intercontinental Champion. Their triple threat match was nothing special, but it was a watchable contest.
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Jericho cinched in the Walls of Jericho on Holly but the Ninth Wonder of the World broke it up. Chyna executed the Pedigree on Holly, and Jericho executed a crossbody on Chyna. Ultimately, Jericho gained sole ownership of the Intercontinental Championship after he connected with a Lionsault on Chyna.
6 The First Royal Rumble To Be Held In Madison Square Garden
There is something special when fans and wrestlers enter the hallowed halls of Madison Square Garden. The 2000 edition of the Royal Rumble was the final of WWE's traditional "Big Four" events to be staged in MSG. WWE has a rich history in MSG which is seen as the mecca, and it was a no-brainer for the Rumble to be held in MSG. The likes of Edge, Chris Jericho, and Chyna among others were involved in the 2000 Royal Rumble match.
The first WrestleMania and WrestleMania 10 were held in MSG. A trio of SummerSlams and the 1996 Survivor Series were held inside Madison Square Garden. This wouldn't be the final Royal Rumble to be held in MSG as the 2008 Royal Rumble was also held there.
5 Triple H Retains The WWE Championship In A Violent Street Fight
Triple H defended the WWE Championship against Cactus Jack in a Street Fight. Unquestionably, this was the match of the night, and they stole the show in a violent Street Fight with the Game showing the world why he was the top heel in the company.
Their match is an instant classic and it's still spoken about highly to this present day. Triple H overcame a lot of adversity as he had a chunk of wood etched into his leg. The Rock got involved in proceedings by attacking Triple H, and thumbtacks were laid in the ring. It took a couple of Pedigrees for Triple H to get the job done, and the second Pedigree was directly on the thumbtacks with the Cerebral Assassin retaining the WWE Championship over Cactus Jack, who had a refusal to stay down.
4 Too Cool Danced
The trio of Rikishi, Scotty 2 Hotty, and Grandmaster Sexay was one of the most popular trios in the Attitude Era. Rikishi had a consistent outing in the Royal Rumble match, but it was time to put the serious looks away for one groundbreaking moment.
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Rikishi was on a rampage, but he momentarily halted his dominance by dancing in the ring with Scotty 2 Hotty and Grandmaster Sexay. This was a fantastic moment, but playtime was over as Rikishi eliminated both men after they danced. Before the new entrant made their way towards the ring, Rikishi continued to dance on his lonesome.
3 The First Royal Rumble Match In 11 Years To Feature No-One Going Over The 30-Minute Barrier
Royal Rumble matches are known for longevity, and there's always at least one competitor who has a memorable run lasting a long time. However, for the first time since the 1989 Royal Rumble, no competitor cracked the 30-minute barrier.
The WWE Hardcore Champion Test was the 10th entrant, and he was the iron man of the Royal Rumble match. He lasted 26 minutes before his quest of headlining WrestleMania 16 was curtailed by the eventual runner-up Big Show.
2 X-Pac Was Eliminated Twice
D-Generation X's X-Pac had the luxury of becoming the 30th entrant in the 2000 Royal Rumble match. Hanging around the WWE Champion Triple H had its perks, but it wasn't a special performance from X-Pac who failed to capitalize on his spot as the final entrant in the Royal Rumble match.
He managed to eliminate his rival Kane, and X-Pac was eliminated by The Rock but the referee failed to spot it as they were focused on a brawl on the outside. X-Pac's luck ran out as he was removed from the Rumble for a second time by Big Show.
1 The Rock Won The Royal Rumble Match
Business picked up when The Rock entered the Royal Rumble match as the 24th entrant. The former WWE Champion was seeking a spot in the main event of WrestleMania 16 to challenge for the WWE Championship.
There wasn't much star power in this Rumble, and it was Rock's rumble to lose. He only needed 15 minutes to eliminate Boss Man, Crash Holly, Al Snow, and Big Show to become one of the youngest Royal Rumble match winners at the age of 27.
