Chris Jericho: I Don’t Think Vince McMahon Felt I Was Ready For The Main Event Of WrestleMania 2000
Chris Jericho talks about the original plans for WrestleMania 2000.
WrestleMania 2000 was headlined for the first time ever by a WWE Championship match that was not just a one-on-one match. the main event would see Triple H defend his title against Mick Foley, The Rock, and Big Show. The added caveat to this match was that there was a McMahon in every corner.
While this was the main event of WrestleMania 2000 and it plays into what was happening the previous two months on WWE television, Mick Foley is not featured on the poster for WrestleMania 2000, with his three opponents that evening. Chris Jericho is.
The original plan for the main event was Chris Jericho as one of the participants in the Fatal 4-Way, but he was replaced by Mick Foley when Vince McMahon decided that Mick Foley deserved the prestige of a WrestleMania main event.
Speaking on the Kurt Angle Show, Chris Jericho recalled the original plans, believing that Vince McMahon probably felt he wasn’t ready for that spot at the time, and what Mick Foley said about what he was paid for that WrestleMania match.
“The original plan for that match was Hunter, Rock, Big Show, and Jericho. If you think I’m just saying that because I heard rumors or someone told me, they actually made promotional pieces for the match. I was never officially told I was in the match, but why would I be (in the promo material) if it wasn’t true? There was a billboard on Sunset Boulevard with the picture and I remember seeing it and going, ‘Wow, that’s cool I’m on that.’ Then they started talking about the four-way and I thought, ‘I have to be in it.’ I think Vince didn’t have the belief in me to put me in that spot yet, so he brought Mick back. It was after Mick retired. Mick told me Vince offered him enough money to pay his kid’s college educations, so he came back,” said Jericho.
Jim Ross, who was the head of talent relations at the table has also spoken about this proposed original match. Read his comments at this link.
Elsewhere in this interview, Chris Jericho talks about what did happen that night, a 2-Fall Triple Threat for the WWE Intercontinental and European Championships. Read more here.
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