Survivor Series 2000: A Big-Four Show That Never Finds a Big-Four Gear

The opener is energetic but barely has time to establish itself. Test and Albert use their size to control the Hollys, while Crash and Molly provide the speed that keeps the match moving. The finish arrives once Molly and Trish become legal and Molly catches her with a diving sunset flip. At just over five minutes, the match functions as a crowd warmer rather than a developed pay-per-view attraction.

The first elimination match has enough talent to be better than it is. Eddie Guerrero's belt shot eliminates Chyna early, and the Radicalz gradually turn the numbers advantage into control. Billy Gunn provides the babyface comeback by eliminating Guerrero and Dean Malenko, but Chris Benoit and Perry Saturn eventually double-team him and survive. The twelve-minute runtime keeps the action moving but prevents several eliminations from feeling important.

The match is built around obvious physical contrast. Jericho uses speed and repeated attempts at the Walls of Jericho, while Kane absorbs the offense and waits for a power opening. Jericho sends Kane into an exposed corner and nearly steals control, but the Lionsault attempt becomes the finish when Kane catches him by the throat and hits the Chokeslam. The match is solid, though the chemistry never reaches the level of the feud's better ideas.

Regal attacks Hardcore Holly's injured arm and gives the match a clear target, but the five-minute runtime makes the strategy feel like setup rather than a full story. Holly becomes frustrated, strikes Regal with the championship belt and is disqualified. He continues the assault after the bell. The angle may extend the feud, but the pay-per-view match provides almost no satisfaction.

Rock and Rikishi have the card's clearest conventional singles story. Rikishi attacks Rock's injured chest and repeatedly uses his size to keep the former champion from building momentum. The referee bump and attempted sledgehammer shot add Attitude Era clutter, but the match returns to the wrestlers quickly enough. Rock survives the splash, regains control and wins with the People's Elbow before Rikishi attacks him after the bell with repeated Banzai Drops.

Lita's visible facial bleeding gives the match an intensity the runtime cannot. She attacks with urgency and earns a strong crowd response, but Steven Richards repeatedly interferes on Ivory's behalf. Lita eventually goes for the moonsault, only for Ivory to use the championship belt while the referee is occupied. Ivory retains in under five minutes. The effort is memorable; the match structure is not.

Angle spends much of the match trying to survive Undertaker's size and eventually targets the leg to create an opening. Edge and Christian interfere early and are ejected, allowing the match to settle into a more focused title defense. The finish is the memorable part. Undertaker pulls a man from beneath the ring, hits the Last Ride and appears to have the championship won, but the referee realizes the man is Eric Angle. The real Kurt attacks from behind and steals the pin.

This is the match that most naturally fits the event's identity. Eliminations come quickly but remain easy to follow, and the existing tag rivalries give every combination a reason to matter. Jeff Hardy survives a late run that sees Christian and The Goodfather eliminated, leaving Jeff as sole survivor. The post-match table spots give the babyfaces an additional celebration without changing the clean elimination result.

Austin and Triple H wrestle less like competitors than characters in a revenge movie. Chairs, announce-table violence and backstage brawling dominate the twenty-five minutes, and the feud's hatred is easy to understand. The problem is the finish. Triple H retreats to a car, The Radicalz become involved, and Austin eventually appears in a forklift, lifts the vehicle and drops it from a great height. The match ends as a no contest. The visual is unforgettable, but the wrestling audience has been asked to invest in a main event that never actually resolves.