Overview

WrestleMania XX was the twentieth edition of WWE’s annual marquee pay-per-view and took place on March 14, 2004, at Madison Square Garden in New York. Held as a cross-brand event, the card included performers from both the Raw and SmackDown! rosters. Promoted with the tagline “Where it all Begins... Again,” the show used Drowning Pool’s “Step Up” as its official theme and featured a secondary theme by Godsmack. The event marked the promotion’s return to a historically important arena and was presented as a major moment in WWE’s calendar year.

Background and significance

By 2004 WWE was operating a brand split that divided talent between two weekly programs; WrestleMania XX collected top stars from both brands for several high-profile matches. The choice of Madison Square Garden was symbolic: this venue had hosted multiple early WrestleManias and other landmark shows in the company’s history. The New York metro return was billed as a homecoming and drew a large international crowd. Reported ticket revenue and a sold-out arena made the event one of the most commercially successful WWE shows held at that location up to that time.

Card, main matches and outcomes

The card was built around two primary world-title matches in addition to significant grudge encounters. On the Raw side the World Heavyweight Championship was contested in a Triple Threat match involving champion Triple H, Shawn Michaels and Chris Benoit. In that match Chris Benoit forced Triple H to submit to the Crippler Crossface and left Madison Square Garden as the new World Heavyweight Champion. For SmackDown!, Eddie Guerrero and Kurt Angle clashed for the WWE Championship; Guerrero captured the title after a decisive roll-up (small package) finish. Another major attraction was the returning Undertaker defeating Kane, a match that furthered a long-running storyline between the two brothers.

Match highlights and presentation

  • Triple Threat (World Heavyweight Championship) – Triple H (c) vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Benoit; Benoit won the title.
  • WWE Championship – Kurt Angle (c) vs. Eddie Guerrero; Guerrero won via small package.
  • The Undertaker vs. Kane – The Undertaker returned and defeated Kane following a Tombstone-style finish.

Matches combined storyline culmination with athletic performances. Several bouts were intended to settle long-running rivalries, while others were structured to elevate certain wrestlers into new main-event roles. The event was produced for a global pay-per-view audience and also received attention in press and wrestling media coverage.

Reception and legacy

WrestleMania XX is remembered for its intimate setting at a packed Madison Square Garden and for title changes that reshaped WWE’s championship scene in 2004. The evening’s outcomes influenced subsequent television storylines and pay-per-view bookings. Critical and fan reactions were mixed on individual matches but broadly positive about the spectacle and the return to a historic venue. International viewership came from many countries and the show contributed to the ongoing commercial prominence of WrestleMania as WWE’s flagship annual event.

Further information and references

For more detailed match listings, historical context and official materials, consult the following resources: