The 2000 Fully Loaded was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It was the third annual and final Fully Loaded and took place on July 23, 2000, at the Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas. In 2001, Fully Loaded was replaced by Invasion, which was then replaced by Vengeance in 2002.
The main event was a standard wrestling match for the WWF Championship. The Rock defended the title against Chris Benoit. The match stipulated that if The Rock was disqualified, he would lose the title. He was disqualified, albeit controversially, and as a result, Benoit won; however, WWF Commissioner Mick Foley overturned the decision and restarted the match, resulting in The Rock pinning Benoit after a Rock Bottom to retain the title.
The undercard featured Triple H versus Chris Jericho in a Last Man Standing match, The Undertaker versus Kurt Angle, Val Venis versus Rikishi in a Steel Cage match for the WWF Intercontinental Championship, Edge and Christian versus Acolytes Protection Agency (Faarooq and Bradshaw) for the WWF Tag Team Championship, Eddie Guerrero versus Perry Saturn for the WWF European Championship, Tazz versus Al Snow, and The Hardy Boyz (Jeff Hardy and Matt Hardy) and Lita versus T & A (Test and Albert) and Trish Stratus in a mixed tag team match.
Production Background Fully Loaded was first held as the 23rd In Your House pay-per-view (PPV) event in July 1998; In Your House was a series of monthly professional wrestling PPV shows first produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) in May 1995. The "In Your House" branding was retired following February 1999's St. Valentine's Day Massacre: In Your House event as the company moved to install permanent names for each of its monthly PPVs. Fully Loaded then returned in July 1999 as its own PPV event. The third Fully Loaded event took place on July 23, 2000, at the Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas.
Storylines Fully Loaded featured professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing feuds, plots, and storylines that were played out on Raw is War and SmackDown!—World Wrestling Federation's (WWF) television programs. Wrestlers portrayed a villain or a hero as they followed a series of events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.
The main rivalry heading into the event was between The Rock and Chris Benoit over the WWF Championship. At King of the Ring, The Rock won the title from Triple H in a six-man tag team match when The Rock and his partners The Undertaker and Kane defeated the McMahon-Helmsley Faction (Triple H, Vince McMahon and Shane McMahon). On the July 3 episode of Raw is War, WWF Commissioner Mick Foley announced that The Rock would defend the title against Shane McMahon later that night. The Rock defended the title against McMahon in the main event, which was interrupted by Benoit who attacked The Rock during the match. The next week on Raw is War, The Rock and Benoit competed in a singles match. Although Benoit seemingly won the match after McMahon's interference, the referee Earl Hebner disqualified Benoit due to McMahon's interference. On the July 13 episode of SmackDown!, Foley forced Benoit to wrestle Eddie Guerrero and Chyna in a handicap match. Benoit lost by disqualification again and attacked Hebner, causing The Rock to offer Benoit a WWF Championship shot at Fully Loaded.
Another predominant rivalry heading into the event was between Triple H and Chris Jericho. At King of the Ring, Jericho had kissed Triple H's storyline wife Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley as an act of humiliating her, though Stephanie's interference had ended up costing Jericho the King of the Ring tournament quarter-final match against Kurt Angle. The following night on the June 26 episode of Raw is War, Jericho had a match against X-Pac, who was a member of Triple H's faction D-Generation X and was accompanied by Stephanie, who had sought revenge against Jericho for the previous night. X-Pac defeated Jericho after interference from both Stephanie and Road Dogg and afterwards, Jericho was attacked by X-Pac and Road Dogg, enabling Stephanie to get her revenge and humiliate Jericho by slapping him in the face and kicking him in the groin. Later on that night, Jericho retaliated by costing Triple H a triple threat match against The Rock and Kurt Angle. On the June 29 episode of SmackDown!, Triple H demanded that Commissioner Mick Foley make a match between himself and Jericho that night. Commissioner Foley responded by making a six-man tag team match, pitting Triple H and his DX teammates Road Dogg and X-Pac against Jericho and the Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley), which DX won. On the July 3 episode of Raw is War, Foley announced that Jericho and Triple H would wrestle in a match at Fully Loaded. On the July 10 episode of Raw is War, Jericho had a match against Road Dogg, with the former defeating the latter. This led to tension within DX backstage, culminating in a match between Triple H and X-Pac. Near the end of the match, Jericho had come out to attack Triple H, but unbeknownst to him, the entire scenario was an elaborate trap set by Triple H and DX, which led to Jericho being attacked and injured. A week later on the July 17 episode of Raw is War, Foley, at the demand of Jericho, had made Jericho and Triple H's upcoming match at Fully Loaded a Last Man Standing match. Also from within the same night near the end of the main event tag team match between Triple H and Kurt Angle against The Undertaker and Kane, Jericho had unexpectedly appeared while being constantly held back by a large group of WWF referees and officials. Jericho's appearance had cost Triple H the match, soon leading to Jericho attacking Triple H before being stopped and restrained by both the referees and officials.
A third predominant rivalry heading into the event was between The Undertaker and Kurt Angle. On the July 3 episode of Raw is War, Angle helped his Team ECK teammates Edge and Christian in retaining the WWF Tag Team Championship against The Undertaker and Kane, by attacking The Undertaker and getting them disqualified. After the match, he apologized for hurting The Undertaker. The following week, an enraged Undertaker challenged Angle to a match, but Angle proposed the match to take place at Fully Loaded and escaped on a scooter. This made an official match between the two at Fully Loaded.
At King of the Ring, Edge and Christian defeated defending champions Too Cool (Grand Master Sexay and Scotty 2 Hotty), The Hardy Boyz (Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy) and T & A (Test and Albert) in a Four Corners Elimination match to win the WWF Tag Team Championship. On the July 10 episode of Raw is War, Edge and Christian were scheduled to defend the Tag Team Championship against the APA (Faarooq and Bradshaw), but they got themselves out of the title match when Christian faked that he was sick. Edge agreed to compete in a singles match against Bradshaw, which Edge won. On the July 13 episode of SmackDown, Edge once again refused to defend the Tag Team Championship against the APA, as Edge claimed that he had been injured after being attacked by The Rock. As a result, Faarooq and Christian competed in a singles match, which Faarooq won, but after the match, Edge and Christian attacked Faarooq. On the July 17 episode of Raw is War, the WWF Commissioner Mick Foley announced that Edge and Christian would defend the title against the APA at Fully Loaded.
At King of the Ring, the Hardy Boyz and T&A competed in a Four Corners Elimination match for the WWF Tag Team Championship, won by Edge and Christian. On the July 2 episode of Sunday Night Heat, T&A and their valet Trish Stratus defeated the Hardy Boyz and their valet Lita in a six-person elimination tag team match. The next night on Raw is War, Lita and Stratus managed their respective clients Jeff Hardy and Val Venis in a match, which Venis won after interference by Tazz. This continued as the Hardy Boyz and T&A continued to interfere in each other's matches while Lita and Stratus also continued their rivalry, leading to a six-person tag team match between the teams of T&A and Stratus and the Hardy Boyz and Lita at Fully Loaded.
At King of the Ring, Rikishi defeated Val Venis in the semi-final round match of the King of the Ring tournament. After the match, Venis attacked Rikishi, further injuring him. On the July 6 episode of SmackDown!, Venis defeated Rikishi after interference by Tazz to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship. Venis and Rikishi competed in several matches against each other, leading to a Steel Cage match between the two for the Intercontinental Championship at Fully Loaded.
On the July 17 episode of Raw is War, Dean Malenko challenged Jacqueline and Ivory and offered to defend the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship, but Chyna answered the challenge instead and Eddie Guerrero managed her. During the match, Malenko's Radicalz teammate Perry Saturn interfered by attacking Guerrero, causing Chyna to leave the ring and check on Guerrero. She got counted-out. As a result, Malenko retained the title. On the July 20 episode of SmackDown!, Guerrero defeated Malenko and Saturn in a Triple Threat match to retain the WWF European Championship. After the match, Saturn attacked Guerrero. On the July 23 episode of Sunday Night Heat, WWF Commissioner Mick Foley announced that Guerrero would defend the European Championship against Saturn at Fully Loaded.
Event + Other on-screen personnelRole:Name:English commentatorsJim RossJerry LawlerSpanish commentatorsCarlos CabreraHugo SavinovichInterviewerLilian GarciaMichael ColeRing announcerHoward FinkelRefereesMike ChiodaJim KorderasEarl HebnerJack DoanChad PattonTim WhiteTheodore Long
Preliminary matches The first match was a six-person mixed tag team match pitting Team Xtreme (Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy and Lita) against T & A (Test and Albert), and Trish Stratus. T & A dominated the earlier part of the match by using their size, and strength against Team Xtreme, until Team Xtreme took control of the match by using their speed, and high-flying moves. The match went back, and forth, as both Lita and Stratus were tagged into the match on numerous occasions. Team Xtreme started dominating the match when Jeff performed a Swanton Bomb on Test, and Matt performed a DDT on Albert. Lita was then tagged in, who hit numerous maneuvers on T & A, until Stratus was tagged in. She hit several moves on Lita, until Lita finished Stratus with a superplex and performed a Litasault to win the match. After the match, T & A attacked the Hardy Boyz while Stratus whipped Lita with her leather belt.
The second match was a standard wrestling match between Al Snow and Tazz. Snow dominated the earlier part of the match by hitting several moves on Tazz before going for Head. Tazz took advantage of the situation and attacked Snow's left knee and injuring it. Tazz focused on Snow's injured leg and continued to attack it throughout the match. Tazz proceeded by suplexing Snow, and tried to apply a Tazzmission, but Snow countered it. However, Tazz applied the Tazzmission again to Snow, forcing him to tap out.