GCB's WWF (2001)

[GCB]

SUNDAY MAY 20, 2001
Sacramento, California​

Spoiler

SINGLE FALL MATCH
RAVEN def. VAL VENIS
(via pinfall)

SINGLE FALL TAG TEAM MATCH
HOLLY COUSINS def. KAIENTAI
(via pinfall)​

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SINGLE FALL MATCH
WILLIAM REGAL def. RIKISHI
(via pinfall)

Making his pay-per-view return once again as a fan favourite, Rikishi manages to deliver the Stink Face - as promised - to the WWF’s Commissioner and almost makes him vomit in the process. However, despite this, Regal manages to hit a low blow before dropping the Samoan with the Regal Cutter for the 3 count.

2 OUT OF 3 FALLS MATCH
KURT ANGLE def. CHRIS BENOIT
(2-1) to regain his gold medals

After their clashes at WrestleMania and Backlash failed to resolve their issues, Angle and Benoit meet for the third consecutive pay-per-view, this time with Angle’s Olympic gold medals - in the possession of Benoit for the past month - on the line. The first fall goes the way of Benoit as he uses the Angle Slam for the 3 count but then, in the second fall, Angle survives the Crossface to lock in the Ankle Lock for a submission to level things up. That means that we head into a final fall, a ladder match, with the gold medals awaiting the victor. In the end, Angle’s buddies, Edge and Christian, race out into the arena to knock Benoit off the ladder and this allows Angle to climb up and retrieve his medals.

WWF HARDCORE CHAMPIONSHIP
HARDCORE TRIPLE THREAT MATCH
RHYNO (c) def. BIG SHOW & TEST
(via pinfall) to retain the WWF Hardcore Championship

Rhyno continues his impressive run as the WWF Hardcore Champion as he manages to hit the Gore to Big Show, through a trash can, and picks up the 3 count to retain the title.

WWF WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP
SINGLE FALL MATCH
CHYNA (c) def. LITA
(via pinfall) to retain the WWF Women’s Championship

After suggesting that the competition in the womens’ division was lacking in recent weeks, Chyna puts the title on the line against her friend, Lita. Although the challenger puts up a valiant effort, she is unable to find a way to put Chyna down for the 3 count. In the end, with Eddie Guerrero watching on, Chyna hits a Military Press Slam to pin Lita and retain the gold.

WWF INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP
CHAIN MATCH
KANE def. TRIPLE H (c)
to become the new WWF Intercontinental Champion

In a brutal battle for the Intercontinental Championship, Triple H targets the injured arm of the Big Red Machine throughout and it looks as if he is going to retain his title. However, Kane shows his tenacity to remain in the fight and turns the tables. The WWF Champion, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, heads out to try and help HHH out but he makes a huge error when he crashes a steel chair into the head of The Game. This allows Kane to get the pinfall and become the new champion!

TAG TEAM TURMOIL
APA def. THE RADICALZ
APA def. DUDLEY BOYZ
X-FACTOR def. APA
X-FACTOR def. HARDY BOYZ
CHRIS BENOIT & CHRIS JERICHO def. X-FACTOR
CHRIS BENOIT & CHRIS JERICHO def. EDGE & CHRISTIAN
to become the #1 contenders for the WWF Tag Team Championships

With the right to challenge “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Triple H for the WWF Tag Team Championships on the line, the APA get off to a fast start as they win the first two falls. First up, a Clothesline from Hell from Bradshaw puts away Dean Malenko before the second fall is interrupted by the Holly Cousins interfering as their feud with the Dudley Boyz continues with D-Von Dudley going through a table on the outside of the ring. This allows the APA to defeat Bubba Ray in the ring but the APA’s run ends in the third fall as the presence of Albert allows X-Pac and Justin Credible to defeat them. X-Factor are then victorious again against the Hardy Boyz, a double superkick to Matt Hardy proving pivotal. Next out is Chris Jericho as he looks to deny Edge and Christian; he introduces his partner and it is Chris Benoit to the surprise of everybody. Benoit and Jericho defeat X-Factor to set up the final fall against Edge and Christian and the anger of Benoit over their interference in his match with Angle earlier in the night means that he is fired up. In the end, Jericho and Benoit lock in their submission moves to their opponents and this proves enough for a double submission and means that they will be the next challengers for the Tag Team Championships.

WWF CHAMPIONSHIP
NO DISQUALIFICATION MATCH
“STONE COLD” STEVE AUSTIN (c) def. THE UNDERTAKER
(via pinfall) to retain the WWF Championship

After screwing up earlier in the night, Austin is then forced to face Undertaker in a No DQ match in the main event as Undertaker threatens Commissioner Regal into removing all rules. Intent on revenge for Austin’s treatment of his wife last week, Undertaker takes the fight to Austin but has to put up with Vince McMahon interfering from the announce table. When this fails, Triple H heads out - despite being angry at Austin for his earlier screw-up - and uses the sledgehammer to strike Taker in the head. This allows Austin to get a cover over Taker and retain the title although Kane attempts to make the save. The pay-per-view closes with Vince, Austin and HHH heading out “victorious” to the anger of Undertaker in the ring.​

 

[Order]

Great to see this GCB. I look forward to seeing what you do. Loved this period as I was 11 and falling in love with wrestling so very interested to see what you do.

 

[GCB]

Great to see this GCB. I look forward to seeing what you do. Loved this period as I was 11 and falling in love with wrestling so very interested to see what you do.

Glad to have you on board, mate. The BTB will actually start following Summerslam so I'm recapping the PPVs to that point, starting with King of the Ring.

SUNDAY JUNE 24, 2001
East Rutherford, New Jersey​

Spoiler

SINGLE FALL TAG TEAM MATCH
APA def. EDGE & CHRISTIAN
(via pinfall)

Following their Judgment Day loss to Benoit and Jericho in Tag Team Turmoil, Edge and Christian would suffer a concerning losing run over the next couple of weeks - both in singles action and tag team competition. Both Edge and Christian would be defeated in Round 1 of the King of the Ring tournament and they would lose a #1 contender match against the Holly Cousins before they would suffer a humiliating loss against Kaientai. With tensions rising between the two Canadian brothers, the APA would step in and try to take their minds off of their worries with beer and cards in the APA office. However, this would see Edge and Christian lose again as the APA would defeat them in the card game and take their money for good measure. Angered by the APA’s cheating, Edge and Christian would attack Faarooq and Bradshaw and this would set up a match here on HEAT. Unfortunately for the Canadians, their losing streak would extend another night as Bradshaw would hit the Clothesline from Hell to Christian for the 3 count.​

= = = = = = = = = =

KING OF THE RING SEMI FINAL
SINGLE FALL MATCH
CHRIS JERICHO def. TEST
(via submission) to qualify for the King of the Ring Final

The King of the Ring tournament would kick off with Kurt Angle, the 2000 King of the Ring, arrogantly claiming that he would enter again and be the first man to ever repeat. However, Angle was also having issues with the WCW Owner, Shane McMahon, who had interrupted his gold medal reenactment on RAW before being hit with an Angle Slam off the top of the medal stand. Shane would take revenge in Round 1 of the King of the Ring tournament as he would use a lead pipe to the head of Angle to hand victory to Chris Jericho and end Angle’s hopes early. Following his victory over Angle, Jericho would then face William Regal - after he defeated Matt Hardy in Round 1 - and would use the Walls of Jericho to earn a submission victory over the Commissioner and secure a Semi Final spot at the pay-per-view. After Test defeated Edge and Bradshaw defeated Christian in Round 1, Test would then secure his Semi Final place against Jericho by defeating the big Texan with a flying elbow. This would mean that Jericho would face Test in the opening match of the King of the Ring PPV and we would see a hard-fought battle between the two to kick off the show. Test would come close to victory with both the flying elbow and the Pumphandle Slam but Jericho would survive to hit the Lionsault for the 3 to secure a place in the Final.

KING OF THE RING SEMI FINAL
SINGLE FALL MATCH
ROB VAN DAM def. RHYNO (c)
(via pinfall) to qualify for the King of the Ring Final

On the other side of the draw, we would see a surprise debut in Round 1 as the former ECW Television Champion, Rob Van Dam, would compete against the 1999 King of the Ring, Billy Gunn. In an impressive performance, Van Dam would hit his 5-Star Frog Splash to defeat Gunn and set up a Round 2 match with Albert after he beat Faarooq in Round 1. Unfortunately for Albert, his size would not be enough to overcome RVD though and he would also be defeated by the Frog Splash as Van Dam secured a Semi Final spot. After defeating Jeff Hardy in Round 1, the WWF Hardcore Champion Rhyno would face Rikishi in Round 2 after the Samoan disposed of X-Pac. Despite suffering the embarrassment of the Stink Face, Rhyno would manage to hit the Gore to Rikishi and earn himself a victory as well. With Jericho awaiting the winner in the Final, Rhyno - Hardcore Champion and former ECW Champion - would face Van Dam in the second match of the pay-per-view. With both men’s careers intrinsically linked to ECW and hardcore wrestling, it was interesting to see the two battle in a single fall match but Rhyno would struggle most with it as he twice looked to resort to weapons. In the end, Van Dam would utilise his high-flying style to put Rhyno on his back and hit the Frog Splash for victory to set up Jericho vs. Van Dam in the Final.

WWF EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP
SINGLE FALL MATCH
WILLIAM REGAL def. MATT HARDY (c)
(via pinfall) to become the new WWF European Champion

After defeating Hardy in Round 1 of the King of the Ring, Commissioner Regal would correctly identify that he was now the number one contender of the WWF European Championship and he booked the match for King of the Ring. Coveting the title of his home continent, Regal would make illegal use of a pair of brass knucks - stashed in his tights - to knock Hardy cold behind the referee’s back before hitting the Regal Cutter for a 3 count to become the champion.

WWF TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS
TAG TEAM TABLES MATCH
DUDLEY BOYZ (c) def. HOLLY COUSINS
to retain the WWF Tag Team Championships

After Jericho and Benoit defeated Austin and Triple H the night after Judgment Day on RAW to become the new WWF Tag Team Champions, a potentially career-threatening neck injury for Benoit meant that Jericho was forced by Commissioner Regal to defend the titles against the Dudley Boyz. As you would expect, this proved to be a fruitless task and Jericho would come up short, the Dudleys would hit the 3-D to once again become the WWF Tag Team Champions. With their issues with the Holly Cousins continuing to escalate at Judgment Day, the Dudleys’ first defence would be scheduled against Crash and Hardcore at King of the Ring - but there would be no Spike or Molly at the pay-per-view after they walked out on their families to go on a holiday until their issues were resolved. The match between the Dudleys and the Hollys would be scheduled as a Tables Match; Hardcore would put D-Von through the table with an Alabama Slam to give the challengers the advantage. However, Crash would then be hit with a Bubba Bomb through the table to even things up before a 3-D to Hardcore through the table would see the Dudleys retain the titles.

WWF LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
SINGLE FALL MATCH
JEFF HARDY (c) def. X-PAC
to retain the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship

After his brother lost the WWF European Championship earlier in the night, the pressure was on Jeff to pull out a victory and restore some pride to the Hardy name as he faced X-Pac. With the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship on the line as well, Jeff and X-Pac would battle it out and both men would come close to victory on several occasions. X-Pac would hit the X-Factor and seemingly had the match won when the referee counted 3 but Jeff’s foot was on the ropes in the nick of time; the referee would wave off the 3 and Jeff would then manage to take X-Pac down with a Whisper in the Wind followed by a Swanton Bomb for 3. However, X-Pac’s foot would also be on the ropes - but the referee would miss it and declare Jeff the victor. A controversial victory for Jeff but he would retain the title here tonight.

KING OF THE RING FINAL
SINGLE FALL MATCH
CHRIS JERICHO def. ROB VAN DAM
(via submission) to become the 2001 King of the Ring

Two crowd favourites would then battle it out in the King of the Ring Final with the two showing respect for each other from the outset. With the King of the Ring title on the line, both men knew that a victory in this match would be huge for their career - as it has been for many others such as Austin, Triple H and Kurt Angle - and would give it everything. A topsy-turvy encounter would see both men coming closer and closer to victory until Van Dam would attempt a Frog Splash. Jericho would get his knees up at the last second before locking the Walls of Jericho on Van Dam and forcing him to tap out in the centre of the ring. The 2001 King of the Ring would be Chris Jericho and it appeared that his career was about to skyrocket!

STREET FIGHT
KURT ANGLE def. SHANE McMAHON
(via pinfall)

WWF CHAMPIONSHIP
4-WAY ELIMINATION MATCH
“STONE COLD” STEVE AUSTIN (c) def. KANE (c), TRIPLE H & THE UNDERTAKER
to retain the WWF Championship

With Vince McMahon desperately trying to keep the fragile relationship between “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Triple H in tact following the loss of the Intercontinental and Tag Team Championships in the space of twenty four hours, Linda McMahon - the CEO of the WWF - would stir things further by naming HHH as one of the three challengers for the WWF Championship at King of the Ring in an Elimination Match. Initially, Vince would appear to have the two of them persuaded to work together to ensure Austin retained the gold but when HHH walked out on Austin in a tag team match vs. the Brothers of Destruction on RAW, Austin’s trust in his partner disappeared completely. At King of the Ring, Austin and Hunter would work together in the early stages of the match and this would prove pivotal in the elimination of Kane; he would be the first eliminated after HHH hit a Pedigree to the Big Red Machine. As it looked as if Taker would face a handicap situation though, HHH would look to roll Austin up for a pin and this would cause their relationship to disintegrate completely. From this point, it was a hard-hitting triple threat and HHH would be the next man eliminated as he would fall to the Last Ride. Triple H’s anger was off the charts with his elimination and Austin would take advantage of the chaos to hit a Stunner to Taker and retain the title. Once again, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin would manage to leave a pay-per-view with the WWF Championship still over his shoulder but the issues between him and HHH appear to be irreparable as we move into the summer here in the WWF.​

 

[GCB]

SUNDAY JULY 22, 2001
Cleveland, Ohio​

Spoiler

SINGLE FALL MATCH
BILLY GUNN def. ROAD DOGG
(via pinfall)

Following his loss to Rob Van Dam in Round 1 of the King of the Ring, Billy Gunn’s attitude took a turn as he began to show a more aggressive, ruthless side to him. This change in his nature would be identified by the returning Road Dogg who attempted to reason with his former partner and convince him to reform their team. Unfortunately for fans of the New Age Outlaws, Billy would reject this opportunity and suggested that he had moved on from carrying Road Dogg’s “useless ass”. Unsurprisingly, this would not sit well with the Dogg and the two of them would face each other on HEAT to kick off Badd Blood. Gunn’s aggressive nature would extend to his former partner but Road Dogg would manage to get the upper hand and hit the Pumphandle Slam. Before he could make the cover though, Big Show - a man who has teamed with Gunn on a couple of occasions recently - would appear and distract Road Dogg. Billy would take advantage to take down Dogg before hitting the Fame Asser for the 3 count. Following the match, Big Show and Billy would deliver a beating to Road Dogg as Gunn would emphatically reject the idea of the New Age Outlaws reforming for good.​

= = = = = = = = = =​

WWF INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP
SINGLE FALL MATCH
ALBERT (c) def. EDDIE GUERRERO
(via pinfall) to retain the WWF Intercontinental Championship

Following King of the Ring, issues between the WWF Commissioner and European Champion William Regal and the Brothers of Destruction would result in Kane being forced to defend the Intercontinental Championship against Albert. Regal - guesting at the announce desk - would hit Kane right in his injured arm with a steel chair before overruling the referee’s attempt to disqualify Albert; Regal would then use the brass knucks to punch Kane square in the jaw. This would allow Albert to strike with the Baldo Bomb and secure his first Intercontinental Championship, an upset victory. As part of the ongoing issues between the Hardy Boyz, their acquaintance Eddie Guerrero and X-Factor, Albert would be booked to defend the Intercontinental Championship at Badd Blood against Guerrero, a match that would open the show. Unfortunately for Guerrero, Albert would take him down with a big boot to the jaw before hitting the Baldo Bomb to retain.​

WWF HARDCORE CHAMPIONSHIP
HARDCORE RULES MATCH
ROB VAN DAM def. RHYNO (c)
(via pinfall) to become the new WWF Hardcore Champion

At King of the Ring, Rhyno and Rob Van Dam competed in a non-hardcore match in the Semi Finals, a match that saw Van Dam emerge victorious before he was defeated by Jericho in the Final. The two former ECW stars would then escalate their issues as Van Dam would make a challenge to Rhyno for the Hardcore Championship with the match booked for Bad Blood. With Paul Heyman watching on from the announce desk, Rhyno’s impressive run as champion seemed set to continue but Van Dam would show his trademark resilience to remain in the fight. In the end, Van Dam would position Rhyno on a table and hit the 5-Star Frog Splash through it. With a pinfall amongst the debris on the smashed up table, Van Dam would become the new Hardcore Champion and end Rhyno’s almost three month reign with the “gold”.​

SINGLE FALL MATCH
THE UNDERTAKER def. WILLIAM REGAL (c)
(via pinfall)

After King of the Ring, Undertaker’s anger at the way he was defeated by Austin spilled over when he was denied a rematch for the WWF Championship by the Commissioner, William Regal. Looking to abuse his power as normal, Regal would target Undertaker and his brother, Kane, over the next week or so and this would see Regal cost Kane the Intercontinental Championship. Regal would also mastermind a 7-on-2 handicap match: Kane and Undertaker against X-Factor, Kurt Angle, Edge, Christian and himself which, despite a brave fight against the numbers, the Brothers of Destruction would lose. To make matters worse, not only would Taker suffer the embarrassment of being pinned by Regal, his brother Kane would be ruled out of action for a number of weeks as his arm injury finally got the better of him. In Kane’s absence, Regal would continue to make life difficult for Taker but this would backfire when Linda McMahon ordered him to face Undertaker at Badd Blood. At the PPV, Undertaker would string out the beatdown but would deliver a devastating Last Ride to secure the 3 count.​

SINGLE FALL 6-PERSON TAG TEAM MATCH
HARDY BOYZ & LITA def. X-FACTOR & IVORY
(via pinfall)

With Albert defeating Eddie Guerrero to retain the Intercontinental Championship earlier in the night, the other members of X-Factor and Team Xtreme would face each other in a 6-Person Tag. With Ivory recruited to join X-Pac’s faction after the demise of the Right to Censor, she would be the third member of their team. The match would also feature the new Light Heavyweight Champion, X-Pac, after he defeated Jeff Hardy to win the gold last week on SMACKDOWN. Albert would make an appearance to shove Jeff off the top rope as he looked to hit the Swanton but Eddie Guerrero, angry at his loss to the big man, would come and take him out with a steel chair! This would allow Matt to hit the Twist of Fate to Justin Credible, Jeff would finally deliver the Swanton to X-Pac and Lita would hit her top rope Moonsault to Ivory for the 3 count.​

SINGLE FALL MATCH
CHRIS JERICHO def. KURT ANGLE
(via disqualification)

Chris Jericho’s coronation as the 2001 King of the Ring would be interrupted by the former king, Kurt Angle, on RAW as he claimed that Jericho was unfit to be crowned. Reminding Jericho that his Round 1 victory over him was tainted thanks to Shane McMahon’s interference, Angle arrogantly suggested that he would have been King of the Ring for the second successive year had Shane kept his nose out of his business. Unsurprisingly, Jericho was not in agreement and would offer to prove that he was the better man by facing Angle any time. That match would be set for Badd Blood and the two of them would seek to gain the upper hand in the run up to the event; Angle would injure Jericho’s knee with a steel chair shot on the final RAW before Badd Blood and would follow that up by locking in the Ankle Lock in a tag match on SMACKDOWN. Refusing to release the hold, Angle would further injure the knee and ankle of Y2J. At Badd Blood, Angle would look to exploit the injuries that he had caused but Jericho would show incredible tenacity to remain in the fight and keep breaking free of Angle’s attempted use of the Ankle Lock; Jericho would even kick out of the Angle Slam as the Olympians frustrations grew. When Jericho would stun Angle with a Lionsault before locking in the Walls of Jericho, Angle would be forced to scramble for the bottom rope to escape. Outside the ring, Angle would then deviate from his usual wrestling style and would grab the ring bell to clock Jericho square in the side of the skull to knock him cold. Although this would give the referee no choice but to disqualify Angle, this would appear to not bother him as he would then lock Jericho in the Ankle Lock again for over a minute. Angle would then wrap a steel chair around Jericho’s injured ankle and would leap off the middle rope to stomp through Jericho’s ankle and causing what appeared to be a serious injury. Medics would have to carry Jericho out of the arena as a result and Angle would watch on with a smirk on his face, his point apparently proven that he was the better man and the true king of the WWF.​

WWF TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS
TLC MATCH
DUDLEY BOYZ (c) def. EDGE & CHRISTIAN
to retain the WWF Tag Team Championships

As a reward for their support in the 7-on-2 handicap match with Undertaker and Kane, Commissioner Regal would hand Edge and Christian a completely undeserved #1 contender status for Badd Blood. However, the losing streak of the former Tag Team Champions would continue as they would fail to get revenge on the APA in either tag or singles competition. In the end, thanks to Regal, Edge and Christian would get a win over Kaientai and would follow this up with a win over the APA. However, the Dudley Boyz would be scathing about Edge and Christian’s right to challenge for the titles but Regal would again abuse his power when he booked Edge vs. D-Von Dudley and said that the winner would choose the match type. Illegal interference by Christian, unseen by the referee, would allow Edge to hit the Edgeocution DDT to D-Von and win the match; Edge and Christian would select a TLC match for their title shot, a match that has seen them have the upper hand over the Dudleys in the past year. At Badd Blood, we would see the usual carnage but with just two teams, the stakes were higher with less competitors around to save the titles. Edge would spear D-Von off the ladder but Bubba Ray would respond by hitting a Bubba Bomb from halfway up the ladder. When Bubba and Christian were sent crashing through stacked tables at ringside, it appeared that Edge would be able to retrieve the titles but the Dudleys would ironically use a double chair shot, a conchairto, to deny him. This would allow Bubba to drag the belts down and would see the Dudleys retain the titles even in Edge and Christian’s chosen match.​

WWF WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP
SINGLE FALL MATCH
CHYNA (c) def. JACQUELINE
(via pinfall) to retain the WWF Women’s Championship

With Chyna’s dominance of the women’s division continuing, the next woman to step up and challenge her would be Jacqueline. With Chyna vowing to quit the WWF if she ever lost the WWF Women’s Championship, some fans were beginning to lose patience with her seemingly arrogant dismissal of the other women in the WWF. However, she would extend her winning run at Badd Blood as she would slam Jacqueline to the mat for the 3 count.​

WWF CHAMPIONSHIP
HELL IN A CELL
“STONE COLD” STEVE AUSTIN (c) def. TRIPLE H
(via pinfall) to retain the WWF Championship

In one last attempt to keep their team together, Vince McMahon would summon Triple H and Steve Austin together to try and talk some sense into them. However, this would end with an exasperated Vince booking the two of them to face each other at Badd Blood, one-on-one, to settle their differences once and for all. From Vince’s point of view, this would allow them to get it out of their systems and then resume their partnership but it did not appear that Austin or Hunter shared that view. Frequent attacks on each other would continue until Vince would lose patience and order the two of them to cut it out; Austin would respond by dropping Vince with a Stunner to the delight of the crowd. With the match set to be a Hell in a Cell match thanks to Linda’s tinkering from the WWF offices, Vince would side with his son-in-law following the Stunner and would urge Triple H to finish the problem and bring the WWF Championship back under the control of the family. With Vince backing him up, HHH would begin to punish the Rattlesnake as his support from the WWF fans was reestablished. By the time Badd Blood arrived, the stakes were higher than ever and we would see a brutal encounter inside Hell in a Cell. With blood pouring down their faces, the two top stars in the WWF would attempt to destroy each other and the action would escape the cell thanks to Vince McMahon. He would attempt to open the door to pass Triple H his trusted sledgehammer but Austin would interject and would escape the cell to attack Vince. The two warriors would battle around the stage area as they attempted to finish each other off but it would be HHH who, after dragging Austin back to the cell, would hit a Pedigree to seemingly win the gold … but then Shane McMahon would appear! He would crash the sledgehammer into the spine of the Game, to the delight of the crowd, before beating the hell out of his father who was still ringside. Unaware of Shane’s interference, Austin would drag HHH up and hit the Stunner to get the 3 count and retain the title. What on earth was Shane McMahon thinking here tonight at Badd Blood?​

 

[GCB]

SUNDAY AUGUST 19, 2001
San Jose, California

WWF CHAMPIONSHIP
SINGLE FALL MATCH
“STONE COLD” STEVE AUSTIN (c) vs. THE ROCK

Following the Hell in a Cell match with Triple H at Badd Blood, it would come as no surprise that Vince McMahon’s attempts to bring the WWF Champion “Stone Cold” Steve Austin back into the fold would be unsuccessful. In fact, Austin would indicate to Vince that all he wanted to do was be the WWF Champion and that, in his opinion, the partnership between them had run its course. This would not sit well with Vince who would warn Austin that he could make life very difficult for him if he didn’t consider his decision carefully. When Austin dropped Vince with a Stunner to confirm his decision, the Owner of the WWF would angrily react by announcing a lifting of the suspension against The Rock and booking Austin vs. The Rock at Summerslam. Whilst Austin’s actions in recent weeks have seen him receiving cheers again from the WWF fans, The Rock would be in no mood for respect when he returned to the WWF the following week. He would return to the WWF and tell Austin that he didn’t give a damn whether he had ended his partnership with Vince, he wanted revenge for WrestleMania. The popularity of The Rock, combined with Austin’s refusal to apologise for his previous actions, would see the fans siding with him in the main.

However, the overriding feeling would be excitement for what would be guaranteed to be one of the greatest Summerslam main events ever. A WrestleMania rematch, two of the greatest WWF Champions of all time and emotions running high: The Rock out for revenge over Austin for his actions at WrestleMania, Austin grappling with his own mind and how far he would be willing to go to once again retain the title. Although Austin would inform the world that he would not resort to the tactics he used at WrestleMania, Rock would refuse to trust him and would suggest that he was coming to Summerslam and would fight dirty if he needed to. On the final RAW before Summerslam, Rock would return to the ring in a handicap tag team match as he would be forced to team up with Austin to face Triple H, Big Show and Billy Gunn. The Great One would look in amazing in-ring shape as he dropped both Show and Gunn with the Rock Bottom before intimidating HHH into walking out of the match! However, a blind tag from Austin would see the Rattlesnake enter the ring to hit Gunn with a Stunner for the 3 count, a move that would not sit well with the #1 contender. As Austin would glare at the retreating HHH, The Rock would stalk the WWF Champion … and then dropped Austin with the Rock Bottom as well!

The match that we’ve been waiting for almost five months for is here - a WrestleMania rematch between the WWF Champion “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and The Rock. Although Austin insists that he will not resort to his WrestleMania tactics again, there is no doubt about it that The Rock has no trust in the Rattlesnake. What will Austin be willing to do in order to retain the WWF Championship this time? Or will we see The Rock make a triumphant return to the ring by finally defeating Austin on the big stage to become the WWF Champion?

AMBULANCE MATCH
SHANE McMAHON vs. TRIPLE H

After defeating Vince McMahon at WrestleMania to avenge his mother, Shane McMahon has continued to be involved in WWF matters despite his purchase of the WCW. At Backlash, in a Last Man Standing match, Big Show was unable to exact revenge for Vince as Shane managed to overcome the 500-pound giant. At King of the Ring, despite a defeat, Shane’s performance in a Street Fight against Kurt Angle only served to highlight his guts and determination further. And then, at Badd Blood, Shane would surprise the world by interfering in the Hell in a Cell and attacking Triple H to cost him the WWF Championship. So what was Shane’s motivation for that? He would reveal that on SMACKDOWN by accusing Vince McMahon of doing all he could to prevent him from resurrecting the WCW - intimidating potential sponsors and television companies to keep WCW off the airwaves. Suggesting that Vince is running scared of Shane and the potential of WCW, Shane would inform Vince that he would keep interfering in WWF main events until WCW was able to rise up and challenge once again.

However, Triple H’s anger at Shane costing him the WWF Championship would mean that the “Boy Wonder” had a target on his back. The Game would finally get his hands on his brother-in-law on RAW and would leave him a bloody mess, much to the amusement of Vince and Shane’s sister, Stephanie. Demanding the chance to put an end to him once and for all, Triple H would be booked in an Ambulance Match with Shane for Summerslam by Vince. Vowing to cripple Shane and leave WCW without an owner to resurrect them, The Game would be very clear in his intentions. However, Shane would laugh off Triple H’s claims and suggest that he had proved that he had the guts to survive. Suggesting that he was confident of shocking the world at Summerslam by defeating HHH, Shane would threaten that he would then shock the world by leading the WCW back to the top of the wrestling business.

Does Shane McMahon have any chance of surviving the match with Triple H at Summerslam? As he gets set to face his brother-in-law in what is sure to be a brutal Ambulance Match, Shane’s determination to be a constant thorn in the side of Vince McMahon, his family and the WWF shows no sign of letting up. However, he is in the ring with perhaps the most ruthless and uncaring member of the WWF roster and there is no doubt that Triple H’s anger at Shane costing him the WWF Championship will only make things worse for Shane. Can HHH avenge the actions of Shane at Badd Blood and put Shane out of action for good?

STEEL CAGE MATCH
CHRIS JERICHO vs. KURT ANGLE

Whilst Chris Jericho may have been victorious at Badd Blood, it was Kurt Angle who would be left standing tall after he caused an injury to the new King of the Ring. With Angle’s new ruthless side proving to be as dangerous as his wrestling abilities, the Olympian would declare to the world that he had proven beyond all doubt who the true king of the WWF was. For Jericho, the injuries sustained at Badd Blood would keep him out of action for a number of weeks but the tenacious Canadian would make his return the week before Summerslam during a RAW match between Angle and Scotty 2 Hotty, a man that had been out of action himself as a result of Angle’s vicious nature. Racing down to make the save as Angle threatened to break the leg of Scotty, Jericho would drive Angle out of the ring before making a challenge for Summerslam. The challenge would be for the two of them to fight inside a steel cage with the only way to win being escaping the cage and Angle, intent on finishing Jericho once and for all, would accept.

Can Kurt Angle continue to prove himself to be one of the dangerous men in the WWF by defeating Jericho at Summerslam? Or will Jericho, his King of the Ring victory dismissed as phony by the Olympian, prove that he is indeed the King of the Ring?

WWF INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP
SINGLE FALL MATCH
EDGE (c) vs. CHRISTIAN

After failing to regain the WWF Tag Team Championships at Badd Blood against the Dudley Boyz, the signs of tension between Edge and Christian became more and more apparent afterwards. With Christian blaming the loss on his brother, William Regal would look to placate the two men by handing Christian the chance to prove himself deserving of gold in a match with Albert for the WWF Intercontinental Championship. Unfortunately for Christian, Albert’s power would prove too much to overcome and he would be defeated by the Baldo Bomb on RAW. Three nights later on SMACKDOWN, Albert would challenge Edge but this would backfire as Edge would put on the performance of his life to hit the Edgeocution DDT to the 300-pounder to become the new Intercontinental Champion. Would the title win for Edge inspire an upturn in form for the two Canadians? On RAW, they would pick up victory in a 2-on-3 handicap match vs. X-Factor with Edge once again on fire as he would put away Justin Credible with his DDT for the win. A rematch with Albert for the title followed and Edge would retain once again … but in a way he never could have imagined. Seething with jealous rage, Christian would wrap a steel chair around the back of his brother’s head - causing a DQ - before using a second chair to deliver a single-man conchairto. Since that night, nobody has seen or heard from Edge other than confirmation to William Regal that he will be at Summerslam to defend the Intercontinental Championship against Christian. For Christian, he would explain to the WWF fans that he was sick and tired of carrying Edge, sick and tired of putting up with him screwing everything up and the straw that broke the camel’s back would be seeing him pose with the Intercontinental Championship, a title that he deserved much more. That would be borne out by the upturn in Christian’s results as he defeated both Hardys as well as Road Dogg in the days that followed.

The challenge has been accepted: Edge and Christian, so long one of the most successful tag teams that the WWF has ever seen, fighting against each other with the Intercontinental Championship on the line. How will Edge react when he sees his brother at Summerslam for the first time since he turned on him a few weeks ago? As for Christian, there appears to be no remorse for his actions and he seems intent on proving that he is the better brother. Can he live up to his promises, embarrass his brother again and become the Intercontinental Champion for the first time?

WWF TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS
SINGLE FALL TAG TEAM MATCH
DUDLEY BOYZ (c) vs. BROTHERS OF DESTRUCTION

After retaining the WWF Tag Team Championships against Edge and Christian at Badd Blood, the Dudley Boyz would be irritated once again by the return of Spike Dudley - with his girlfriend, Molly - to the WWF. Bubba and D-Von would issue Spike with an ultimatum to stop seeing Molly and would threaten consequences should he refuse. When Spike did indeed refuse, it would lead to Bubba and D-Von beating the hell out of Spike - to the dismay of the fans - and he would be hit with a 3D. The following week, when looking for revenge, the Dudleys would get their hands on Molly and Spike would be forced to watch as Bubba powerbombed her through a table. Showing guts to look for revenge, Spike would attack his brothers a week later but would wind up hurt when he would be hit with a 3D on the metal staging area before being tossed off the stage and through a table for good measure.

However, when Bubba and D-Von bragged that no team dared to face them for fear of the same thing happening to them, the Dudleys would be in for a huge surprise when Kane and The Undertaker, the Brothers of Destruction, would head out. Challenging the champions to face the big dogs in the yard rather than their runt brother, Taker and Kane would be named #1 contenders after a victory over Big Show and Billy Gunn, much to the frustration of the Dudleys.

Will Bubba Ray and D-Von be able to live up to their words and retain their titles at Summerslam? Or will Undertaker and Kane prove that the Dudleys are simply bullies unable to play with the big dogs? Who will leave Summerslam as the WWF Tag Team Champions?

WWF HARDCORE CHAMPIONSHIP
HARDCORE SCRAMBLE MATCH
ROB VAN DAM (c) vs. CRASH HOLLY vs. HARDCORE HOLLY vs. RHYNO vs.
ROAD DOGG vs. RAVEN vs. TAZZ vs. TOMMY DREAMER
(10-minute time limit)

Since defeating Rhyno at Badd Blood to become the new WWF Hardcore Champion, Rob Van Dam has been willing to defend the gold against anybody wanting a shot at it. With the hardcore division continuing to be as competitive as ever, William Regal would announce a Hardcore Scramble Match featuring former Hardcore or ECW Champions, a ten minute match where the man who ends the match as champion would leave Summerslam with the title belt.

Can the new fan favourite, RVD, prove once more that he is the new king of the hardcore division here in the WWF? Or will a former champion dethrone Van Dam and prove themselves to be the top dog?

WWF EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP
SINGLE FALL MATCH
WILLIAM REGAL (c) vs. RIKISHI

There have been tensions between the WWF Commissioner, William Regal, and Rikishi for a number of months now, starting back when Rikishi refused to side with Mr. McMahon on RAW and chose to superkick Regal in the jaw instead. At Judgment Day that followed, Rikishi managed to deliver the Stink Face to Regal but would lose the match to the Regal Cutter, injuring his shoulder in the process. On his return, Rikishi would immediately call out Regal for a rematch and the “fighting commissioner” - according to Paul Heyman - would book the match for Summerslam for the European Championship.

Can Rikishi take revenge on Regal and take away his precious European Championship? Or will Regal use his usual shenanigans to take another victory over the big Samoan?

WWF WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP
LADDER MATCH
CHYNA (c) vs. LITA

Frustrated at the lack of competition in the women’s division, Chyna’s arrogance has started to rub the fans the wrong way in recent weeks and even led to her suggesting that losing the title would see her retire from the WWF. A Battle Royal would be held to determine the challenger for the title at Summerslam and it would see Lita, who lost to Chyna at Judgment Day, earn the right to challenge again when she eliminated Ivory. After coming close to defeating Chyna a couple of months ago, Lita would confidently talk of giving it all she had and would say that she believed that she could win. However, this would not sit well with Chyna who would attack Lita from behind and powerbomb her through the announce desk at ringside. Mocking Lita’s chances of victory at Summerslam, Chyna would challenge Lita to choose any match she wanted for the title bout; Lita would respond by selecting a ladder match.

Can Chyna prove beyond a doubt that she is unbeatable by taking Lita out in her own chosen match? Or will Lita, cheered on by the WWF fans, somehow find a way to defeat the Ninth Wonder of the World and force her into retirement?

SINGLE FALL TAG TEAM MATCH
BIG SHOW & BILLY GUNN vs. HARDY BOYZ

Since forming their tag team over the past month, Big Show and Billy Gunn have brought out the best in each other and will be looking to continue their momentum against the Hardy Boyz at Summerslam. Can the Hardy Boys use their experience to stem the momentum of Big Show and Billy Gunn? Or will the recently-formed team continue their roll by taking down one of the top teams in the WWF?

WWF LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
SINGLE FALL MATCH
X-PAC (c) vs. SCOTTY 2 HOTTY

After defeating Justin Credible on Sunday Night HEAT the week before Summerslam, the returning Scotty 2 Hotty would earn himself a shot at the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship held by X-Pac. Can Scotty continue his successful return to the ring following injury by capturing the Light Heavyweight gold? Or will X-Pac be able to overcome the challenger and continue his reign as champion?​