Dean Malenko vs. Scotty 2 Hotty (WWF Backlash 4/30/00)

This review was commissioned by blatantlywhite over on my Ko-fi account.

Beneath the McMahon-Helmsley main event drama and the Canadian Chrises workrate offerings, the WWF in the 2000 still had something like this to demonstrate the depth of its roster. Of note too is that Malenko and Scotty are wrestling here for the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship, a title that secretly carries with it a long and prestigious history, having been contested primarily in Japan and Mexico and held by the likes of Perro Aguayo, Villano III, and even Ultimo Dragon as part of his Mone-esque J-Crown. In 97, the title would officially be revived as part of the WWF proper, as something of an undercard achievement for the ever expanding roster. 

At this point of the rivalry, these two have already traded the belt a couple of times. Scotty interrupted Malenko’s reign with a brief 8-day title run of his own before Malenko snatched the title back with the help of the ropes on the Smackdown before the pay-per-view.

Here on the second match of the card, these two put on what I can only describe as pitch perfect midcard wrestling. It’s not too grand so as to overshadow or disrupt anything else going on in the card, but all of it just functions so goddamn well together that one can’t help but be drawn in to its fairly humble greatness.

This is about as straightforward a dynamic as it gets–a cold, focused grappler takes on an exuberant and popular challenger, and it all works. The initial Scotty 2 Hotty babyface shine of working circles around Malenko is a delight to behold and makes me curse the brilliant minds at the WWE who decided that babyface shines were no longer cool some time in the 2010s or so. Malenko’s transition into the heat rules as well with a well-timed and solid feeling lariat cutting off Scotty on the apron. 

I’d hope for a little more urgency in Malenko’s heat segment as he picks apart Scotty’s leg, but as a bit of contrast to Scotty’s more vibrant energy it still functions well here. Malenko’s never too dry so as to make the match boring, and Scotty’s leg selling and sympathetic Steamboat rule application ensures that there’s still enough color to make this match stand out. His leg selling is strong enough during the heat and his first attempted comebacks that I do wince just a little when he puts his whole weight on the worked over left leg to hit The Worm later in the match. 

But even that can’t take too much from something so solidly built. There’s some great hope spots in there like Scotty nailing The Worm, a few well-timed pinfall attempts, and even the satisfaction of the referee catching Malenko trying to use the ropes to pay off the angle from Smackdown. All of it makes that out of nowhere super DDT to close things out all the more shocking and exciting too, a final bit of escalation to get the champion the win just when it might have all started crumbling around him.

A neat little thing, easy to watch, easy to love.

Rating: ***¾