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http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/sports/columnists/detore/s_185418.html

Lesnar overshadows 'Wrestlemania'

By Rennie Detore

TRIBUNE-REVIEW

Sunday, March 21, 2004 

Every wrestler tries to steal the spotlight at "Wrestlemania." This
year, Brock Lesnar did just that but not for the right reasons.

Six days prior to the biggest event in WWE history, word leaked that
Lesnar had decided to leave the company. In recent months, Lesnar had
been unhappy with the overwhelming travel schedule. He even bought a
$400,000 private plane to help ease his problem but that didn't
suffice.

Lesnar also said he'd like to pursue a career in the NFL, a dream of
his since he was a child. Because he's from Minnesota, Lesnar said a
tryout with the Vikings would be a logical choice.

Chalk Lesnar's decision up to fatigue, homesickness or the
impetuousness of youth, but the 26-year-old's departure from WWE
couldn't have come at a more inopportune time, leading up to
"Wrestlemania XX" and his subsequent match with Bill Goldberg.

Lesnar inadvertently took all of the emphasis off last Sunday's
pay-per-view and put it squarely on his 6-foot-4, 280-pound shoulders.
The buzz heading into "Wrestlemania XX" should have been about Chris
Benoit chasing the WWE Heavyweight title or Eddie Guerrero trying to
defend his newly won WWE World title.

Instead, the focus followed Lesnar and his match with Goldberg -- who
would win and how the New York City crowd would react to Lesnar's
departure.

Fans at Madison Square Garden pelted Lesnar with "You Sold Out" and
"Hey, Hey, Hey, Goodbye" chants to the point that they ironically
shared something in common with Lesnar -- burnout.

The crowd had little left for Guerrero, Angle, Benoit, Triple H or
Shawn Michaels after an overwhelmingly negative response toward Lesnar
and his surprising decision to leave behind millions of dollars for a
long-shot attempt at NFL stardom.

Chances are, once Lesnar takes some much-needed time off, he'll be
back before his 27th birthday.

The Lesnar debacle aside, "Wrestlemania XX" still featured a few
notables, both good and bad.

The Good 


Benoit wins World Title: The majority of talk heading into
"Wrestlemania XX" was that Triple H was going to retain the "Raw"
world title last Sunday, then drop the belt to Benoit in a one-on-one
match next month at "Backlash." Instead, WWE and Triple H opted to "do
the right thing" and give Benoit a much-deserved championship victory
and celebration at the company's biggest event ever.
Who could have predicted that Guerrero and Benoit -- two superstars
forever trapped in mid-card purgatory -- would close "Wrestlemania XX"
as WWE's two world heavyweight champions? That should say something
about WWE and the upward direction the company recently has taken.


New talent emerges (and so does smart decision making): Vince McMahon
certainly had to feel the temptation to put over established stars
such as Mick Foley, The Rock and Chris Jericho. Instead, McMahon opted
to truly stand behind the "Wrestlemania XX" tagline: "Where it all
begins ... again."
Randy Orton pinned Foley; Jericho lost to Christian and would-be
accomplice Trish and, surprisingly, The Rock remained silent.

Orton and Christian may not be overwhelming breakout stars yet, but
pins over Foley and Jericho, respectively, at "Wrestlemania" certainly
won't hurt their chances of achieving that goal.

The Bad 

n Cruiserweight invitational: The match showed two things: 1. WWE
actually employs several talented cruiserweights. 2. WWE still doesn't
care about those several talented cruiserweights. The invitational
seemed terribly rushed, with little emphasis given to the supporting
cast behind Rey Mysterio and Chavo Guerrero Jr.

The Undertaker: Tough to place this in with "the bad," but wasn't it a
bit disappointing to see 'Taker return looking more like the "American
Badass" character, only with a goofy hat and a returning, plump Paul
Bearer? If they want him to play the "Dead Man," then why not complete
the 360-degree cycle and deck Mark Calloway out in his retro
Undertaker garb.

Too many matches: Wrestlers certainly appreciate a spot on the card
but two four-way tag-team title matches is too much, not to mention
that none of the eight teams are extremely over with the WWE audience.
End notes 

Ron Simmons was released from WWE on Thursday. ... Kurt Angle will
have tests done on his neck after experiencing tingling in his
extremities. No timetable has been set for his return.

Rennie Detore's Pro Wrestling Insider appears Sundays in the
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review


--- Internet Rex 2.29