WWF 2000 Raw, Smackdown & PPV review thread

[Crippler]

WWF SMACKDOWN 04/27/2000
Charlotte Colliseum in Charlotte, NC​

List of WWF Champions at the time:
● WWF World Heavyweight Champion: Triple H (1/03/2000)
● WWF Intercontinental Champion: Chris Benoit (4/02/2000)
● WWF World Tag Team Champions: Edge & Christian (4/02/2000)
● WWF European Champion: Eddie Guerrero (4/03/2000)
● WWF Hardcore Champion: Matt Hardy (4/24/2000)
● WWF Women’s Champion: Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley (3/30/2000)
● WWF Light Heavyweight Champion: Scotty 2 Hotty (4/17/2000)

Eddie Guerrero & Chyna vs. Val Venis & Essa Rios (w/Lita)
This resulted from all parties getting involved in the Eddie/Val match on Raw. Val and Rios double-team Eddie to start while Chyna goes to chase after Lita on the floor but Rios stops her and Chyna and Rios head to the corners leaving Val and Eddie to go at it. Val goes for a whip and Eddie reverses it and leaps over a baseball slide but Val comes back with a clothesline. Val press slams Eddie and goes for another whip but Eddie grabs the ropes to block it then nails Val with a standing enzuigiri. Eddie looks to tag in Chyna but Val pulls him away into a Blue Thunder powerbomb and Chyna breaks up the pin. Val comes off the ropes but Eddie counters with a tilt-o-whirl backbreaker and this time makes the tag to Chyna. Chyna comes in but runs into a drop topehold and Val tags in Rios but Rios runs into a drop toehold himself. Chyna hits an elbow and tags Eddie then slams Rios and holds hm down while Eddie slings himself over the ropes into a hilo. Eddie draws Val in to distract the referee while he and Chyna whip Rios into a corner and Eddie hits a forearm before Chyna follows up with the handspring elbow. Eddie suplexes Rios right onto his head but only gets a two count. Eddie goes for a whip, Rios reverses it and Eddge goes for another suplex but this time Rios flips out of it. Rios locks knuckles with Eddie and runs up the ropes then springs off the top rope into a huricanrana. Val tags in and both men whip Eddie and Rios holds his feet up while Val flapjacks Eddie onto them for two. Eddie starts fighting back and hits a European uppercut then goes for a backslide but Val counters and hits a clothesline. Val whips Eddie but Eddie comes back with a sloppy huricanrana and both men start crawling to their corners. Lita hops on the apron and distracts the referee while Chyna gets the tag and takes it to both Val and Rios but the referee orders Chyna back out since he missed the tag. Val plants Eddie with a spinebuster and Rios climbs to to the top rope and hits a moonsault on Eddie that gets the pin while Val holds Chyna back to prevent the save. ** Good tag match to start us off. After the match Val and Chyna duke it out on the floor while Lita climbs to the top and hits her own moonsault on Eddie. Rios and Lita work Eddie over but Chyna whips Val into the steps and scares both of them from the ring. Rios may have pinned Eddie tonight, but will he be able to get the duke for the title on Sunday?

Outside we see the DX Express pulling up to the building and the McMahon-Helmsley Regime starts filing out. However Vince McMahon admits he didn’t enjoy the bus ride as much as the others as they all head inside. We also get a shot of The Rock making his way somewhere as we go to commercial.

Back from break we get a ‘Stone Cold Strikes’ clip, this time of Austin’s monster truck limo in January 1999 on Heat.

The Rock makes his way out to the ring and is going to kick off the long talking segment for once. Rock starts off with the usual and describes going through everything the McMahons threw at him to get to Backlash. Rock points out there’s one more night for the Regime to do damage and asks what kind of match they have for tonight, even offering a few suggestions. Rock then calls Triple H and the rest out to face him, telling them to just bring it. It doesn’t take long for Triple H to lead the Regime out to the stage but X-Pac is still absent to be with his family. Triple H gets on the mic first and praises Rock for his ideas saying they have been thinking of a way to destroy him again. However Triple H says he’s beaten Rock up so many times recently that it’s starting to get a little boring and redundant so he suggests they wait until Sunday for one last beating. Triple H tells Rock he looks stressed out so he offers him the night off because he will be taking it easy tonight as well. Triple H says he and the rest of DX will be relaxing tonight except for Road Dogg who will be taking on Christian later. Triple H also warns Edge not to get involved in the match or else he and Chrisitan will be stripped of the tag team titles. Vince takes over the mic and talks about being excited for Backlash and promises there won’t be an Earl Hebner situation because Shane will be the guest referee in the title match (for the second year in a row). Vince claims Rock called them out because he’s worried about whether he can trust Steve Austin to be in his corner. Rock responds to that by saying he recently talked with Austin and suggests Austin maybe didn’t want to wait until Backlash but may in fact be making a special appearence tonight! Vince responds by accusing Rock of being a liar, claiming Austin doesn’t have the courage to show up here tonight. Rock guarantees Austin is here tonight just like he guarantees he will walk out of Backlash as the WWF Champion and finishes with the usual. We finish with Vince looking just a little worried about Rock’s guarantee.

Back from break we find The Rock outside the building climbing into his limo and driving off somewhere. Elsewhere the DX Regime walks up to the DX Express finding a pair of Stone Cold foam fingers on the windshield. Naturally everyone assumes The Rock is behind the prank and wave goodbye to him before heading back inside.

WWF Light Heavyweight Title: Scotty 2 Hotty © vs. Dean Malenko
Cole says this rematch was scheduled for Backlash but with their rivalry so hot they decided it can’t wait. Especially after Malenko attacked Scotty on Heat following a three-way match. Malenko blindsides Scotty during his entrance and goes right to work on him, stomping him down in a corner. Malenko whips Scotty into an elbow and continues his assault then whips Scotty and hits a knee to the chest. Malenko whips Scotty again and goes for another knee to the chest but Scotty rolls him up getting a two count. Malenko hits a clothesline followed by a back suplex then hammers away on Scotty and whips him into a corner. Malenko clotheslines Scotty and sets him on the top rope then climbs up for a superplex but Scotty blocks it and fights Malenko off to the mat. Scotty connects with a missile dropkick but is too hurt to make the cover. Scotty fights back and whips Malenko into a corner then charges at him and eats a boot. Scotty ducks a clothesline and Scotty grabs a waistlock when Malenko breaks it and goes for a suplex but Scotty counters into a rollup for two. Scotty whips Malenko into a backdrop then goes for a whip but Malenko counters and whips him into a corner. Malenko charges at Scotty but Scotty sidesteps him and hits the bulldog then follows up with the Worm. Malenko pulls Scotty by the thighs through the ropes but Scotty lands on his feet then climbs back on the apron and shoulderblocks Malenko through the ropes. Scotty flips himself back in the ring going for a Sunset Flip but Malenko sits down on Scotty’s sholders while grabbing the ropes and gets the three to regain the belt! The now two-time champion takes the belt and walks off leaving Scotty frustrated in the ring. ** Another good encounter between these two but why couldn’t they save the title change for the pay-per-view.

We then find the Helmlseys and the rest of the Regime enjoying some light banter while sitting in the DX Express. As they’re talking Triple H’s pager goes off and when he finds it says '316' he scoffs at that suspecting the Rock. Vince looks at the pager and is confident Steve Austin isn’t here but still has a funny feeling about tonight.

Backstage Hardcore Holly finds Crash moping around saying he’s upset about losing the Hardcore Title on Monday. Hardcore assures Crash he’ll get a chance to regain his belt on Sunday but Crash doesn’t seem to believe him. Hardcore tells Crash he’s no less of a man just because he lost the title, can’t get a girl and plays with Beanie Babies.

T & A (w/Trish Stratus) vs. Crash & Hardcore Holly

[video=youtube;xPIY8GwdDYQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPIY8GwdDYQ[/video]

Hardcore and Test lock up to start and Test shoves Hardcore down but Hardcore comes back with his shots. Hardcore goes for a whip but Test counters it and hits the full nelson slam then kicks him down in a corner. Test whips Hardcore into the opposite corner and charges but eats a boot and Hardcore stomps him down. Hardcore whips Test into a corner and hits a clothesline followed by a second clothesline that gets a two count. Crash tags in and climbs to the top rope for an axe handle then gets in his shots on Test and goes for a whip. Test reverses Crash into a corner and charges but Crash sidesteps him then hits a tornado DDT for a near fall. Crash comes off the ropes and goes for a huricanrana but Test catches him into a powerbomb that gets two. We get a shot of Trish looking on at the match but also find the Dudleys looking on at Trish from the back. Back in the ring Albert tags in and throws Crash across the ring then goes for a big splash but Crash avoids it. Hardcore gets the tag and hammers Albert with right hands then whips him and hits the dropkick for a near fall. Hardcore hits a suplex then starts to head out to the apron but Crash stops him wanting to finish Albert himself and Hardcore reluctantly makes the tag. Crash climbs to the top rope and goes for a flying splash but misses it and Hardcore comes in and yells at Crash for messing it up. Hardcore turns as Test nails him with a boot to the face while Albert press slams Crash to the mat. Test climbs to the top rope and hits the flying elbowdrop on Crash for the pin. *1/2 Fun for what it was. The Hollys leave the ring with Hardcore blaiming Crash for the loss while Trish and her men pose on the ramp. Suddenly the Dudleys come out brandishing chairs and lay out Test and Albert then Bubba grabs Trish by the hair and throws her in the ring. D’Von slides in a table as well and sets it up then hands Trish over to Bubba on the middle rope. Bubba looks to finally put Trish through a table and goes for the superbomb but just before he hits it Trish suddenly kisses Bubba and causes him to stop. The crowd boos and D’Von his not happy with this just as Test comes in and nails D’Von with the big boot. Test pulls Trish off the mesmerized Bubba and Albert grabs him and chokebombs him through the table.

Backstage Triple H, Stephanie, Shane and Tori try to calm Vince down while Vince insists that he is calm and knows Steve Austin isn’t here. Vince decides to have everyone search the building just to be on the safe side and Triple H goes along with it, taking Stephanie and Tori with him. Vince and Shane head out in the opposite direction when Vince thinks he sees something moving behind a nearby curtain. Vince moves Shane into position for an ambush then pulls the curtain back and Shane attacks what turns out to be a cardboard cutout of Austin. Vince and Shane are not happy with this game and walk off as we go to commercial.

Back from break Stephanie is walking by herself when she gets startled by Kurt Angle appearing out of nowhere. Angle asks Stephanie if he can miss Raw since he’s been invited by Steven Spielberg to the premiere of Gladiator and Stephanie says it’s okay. Stephanie then asks Angle if he’s seen Austin around and Angle mentions how he never met Austin but hasn’t seen him. Angle then brings up another favor from Stephanie who quickly agrees to it and Angle seems pretty happy about it.

Chris Jericho & Tazz vs. Chris Benoit & Perry Saturn
All four men go at it to start and Jericho knocks Benoit through the ropes then attacks Saturn as Tazz heads out. Jericho chops Saturn against the ropes then goes for a whip and Saturn reverses it but Jericho kicks the face. Jericho comes off the ropes but runs into a flapjack and Saturn whips Jericho but Jericho slides under him puts Saturn in the Walls of Jericho. Benoit tries to come in to make the save but Tazz cuts him off and Saturn starts tapping out but the referee is too busy getting Tazz back out to the corner to notice the submission. Benoit nails Jericho with his IC belt then pops Tazz off the apron and Saturn covers Jericho but Tazz saves it. Saturn whips Jericho but Jericho comes back with a flying forearm then crawls to his corner and tags in Tazz. Tazz whips Saturn and goes for a belly-to belly suplex but Saturn fights out of it and applies an armwringer. Tazz counters that into a Northern Lights Tazplex but Benoit breaks it up with a legsweep to the feet. Saturn hits an exploder suplex then tags Benoit in and Benoit whips Tazz into an elbow and that gets a two count. Benoit follows up with a snap suplex for another near fall then tags Saturn back in and holds Tazz on his knee while Saturn climbs to the top rope and connects with a flying kneedrop on Tazz for a near fall. Saturn tags Benoit back in and whips Tazz into a corner then Benoit in turn whips Saturn into a lariat on Tazz. Benoit slaps Tazz in the Crossface and Tazz tries to hold on when Jericho dropkicks Benoit’s head to break it. Bernoit whips Tazz into a corner and goes for a German suplex but Tazz fights out of it and clotheslines him. Jericho gets the tag and pounds away on Benoit then whips him and hits an elbow and pops Saturn off the apron. Jericho comes off the ropes with the bulldog on Benoit and covers him but Saturn makes it back in for the save. Tazz goes to put the Tazzmission on Saturn but Saturn takes both Tazz and himself through the ropes to the floor. Jericho and Benoit exchange shots and Benoit goes for a whip but Jericho reverses him into Saturn on the apron. Benoit is down in the ring and Jericho connects with the Lionsault and gets the win. ** Another good tag match. Jericho has beaten Benoit which means he won't be able to at the PPV or will he?

Backstage Shane is calling Triple H over to him as he points out some empty beer cans outside a dressing room. Shane charges into the room and crashes into something when Triple H follows and finds Shane in a pile of cans. Triple H helps Shane up but Shane is mad that he’s been handed another red herring as we go to commercial.

Road Dogg vs. Christian
Road Dogg comes out alone as Cole explains Tori was asked to stay in the back after what Christian and Edge did to her on Raw. Christian comes in through the crowd but Road Dogg meets him at ringside and the two of them go right at it. Road Dogg goes for a suplex but Christian counters with a suplex onto the barricade then heads in the ring. Road Dogg climbs onto the apron but Christian hits a baseball slide that knocks Road Dogg back off to the floor. Christian then springs over the ropes and connects with a plancha on the floor and throws Road Dogg in the ring then covers him for a two count. Road Dogg works Christian over in a corner but Christian reverses positions. Christian whips Road Dogg into a corner and Road Dogg gets the feet up but Christian slides under to the floor and trips Road Dogg. Christian climbs to the top rope and leaps off but Road Dogg clotheslines him down. Road Dogg sets Christian on the top rope then goes up but Chrsitian fights him off and hits a tornado DDT. Road Dogg whips Christian but Christian comes back with a bodyblock then hits a front slam for a two count. Christian whips Road Dogg into a corner and charges at him but eats a boot. Road Dogg floats over Christian and plants him with the pump-handle slam and there’s the three just like that. Road Dogg decides he’s not done yet and throws Christian into the ringpost then knocks down the referee. Road Dogg continues assaulting Christian then pulls him out to the floor and whips him into the ringsteps. A bunch of referees come out to separate the two but Road Dogg shoves one of them aside. Finally the referee announces he’s revesing the decision and awarding the match to Christian. oad Dogg storms off in frustration while the referees help Christian to the back. *1/2 I wan't a fan of the booking.

Backstage The McMahons and Helmselys try to regroup when Tori runs up to them saying she’s found Steve Austin. Tori leads the group over to a door that has Austin’s theme song playing behind it so the gang readies for an ambush. Vince opens the door and Triple H and Shane charge into the room … only to find a boombox playing the CD. Triple H smashes up the boombox in response and Shane starts getting tired of this as we go to commercial.

Rikishi & The Big Show vs. Kurt Angle, The Big Bossman & Bull Buchanan
Angle first gets on the mic and says people think he hates Big Show when he in fact feels sorry for him. Angle says Show is an impressive 7′ athlete but lets his talent go to waste just like the Charlotte Hornets who aren’t going anywhere. Angle then promises to beat some sense into Show at Backlash. Bossman and Buchanan decide to let Angle start by throwing him into Show and Show responds with a headbutt. Bossman and Buchanan turn and double-team Show and Buchanan heads out to fight with Rikishi on the floor, taking him out with the ringsteps. Bossman works Show over in the ring when Angle and Buchanan join in for a triple-team and Bossman sets Show up for an Axe kick from Buchanan. Angle tees off on Show before Bossman and Buchanan whip him but Show comes back and clotheslines both men. Show nails Angle and Bossman with boots and Buchanan bails to the floor but Rikishi hits him with the steps. Rikishi throws Buchanan back in and Show superkicks him into a corner allowing Rikishi to do the stinkface. Buchanan is reeling when Show grabs him and chokeslams him to put this match away. Rikishi then gives Show some shades for the post-match dance when Bossman attacks them with the nightstick. Angle tees off on Show and Bossman and Buchanan double-team Rikishi when the Acolytes arrive for the save and clear out Bossman and Buchanan and chase them to the back. Angle also decides to depart and after that Rikishi stops Show from leaving the ring and now they proceed with the post-match dance. DUD Waste of time.

Backstage we see a suspicious-looking character in the men’s room so Triple H and Shane rush in and attack him but quickly discover it’s not Steve Austin. The guy explains he works at the arena but Shane tells him he’s fired and sends him on his way, again coming up empty as we go to commercial.

Back from break Steve Blackman is preparing for a match when Al Snow comes in waving a Kleenix as a white flag saying he wants the get back together with him. Blackman refuses, not wanting to deal with his crazy antics while Snow claims he can be serious. Blackman tells Snow no one can take him seriously when he talks to a wooden head then insists he wants no part of him anymore and storms off, leaving Snow behind to reflect on his words.

WWF Hardcore Title: Matt Hardy © vs. Jeff Hardy
On Raw Jeff had Crash Holly beaten for the Hardcore Title only for Matt to steal the cover so here we are. Also Cole announces the Hardys have been added to the Hardcore Title match at Backlash along with the Hollys, Tazz and Saturn. Jeff comes out first followed by Matt who’s wearing the belt and carrying a garbage can full of plunder. Matt starts off by offering Jeff a choice of weapon but Jeff declines, wanting this to be a scientific match. However Matt doesn’t agree with that idea and whacks Jeff twice with a trash can lid and covers him for two. Matt wedges a cookie sheet in a corner and goes to whip Jeff into it but Jeff reverses and sends Matt into the sheet then clocks him with the trash can lid for his own two count. Jeff hits a suplex then climbs to the top rope with a broom and connects with a broomstick legdrop for two. Perry Saturn makes his way out to ringside as Jeff goes out and throws a fire extinguisher in the ring then climbs back in but Matt greets him with the lid. Matt whips Jeff into a corner and Jeff flips up the ropes then Matt then drops Jeff off the turnbuckle into the garbage can and dropkicks it. Matt sets the can with Jeff in it on the mat then climbs to the top rope and connects with a moonsault right onto the trash can for a two count as Hardcore Holly comes out. Matt charges at Jeff but Jeff tosses Matt through the ropes and both Hardys go out and each bring a ladder in the ring. However Jeff drops his ladder and dropkicks Matt’s into his face. Now Tazz is coming out as Jeff sets one of the ladders up and slams Matt to the mat then climbs to the top rope and leapfrogs over the ladder connecting with a guillotine legdrop on Matt but only gets two! Jeff hits Matt with the extinguisher and climbs the ladder when Matt climbs the other side but Jeff shoves him off. Matt comes back and sprays Jeff with the extinguisher then throws the can at him knocking him off the ladder onto Tazz and Saturn on the floor. The three of them start fighting as Matt climbs to the top rope and takes Saturn out with a clothesline while Hardcore and Tazz start to duke it out nearby. Matt throws Jaff back in the ring and covers him but Crash Holly comes in the ring and breaks up the count. Crash wallops Matt with a trash can then covers him and gets the three to take back his title. If my count is correct this marks Crash’s sixth title win in just two months. Crash then grabs the belt and takes off leaving the rest of his opponents in the dust. Pretty fun match with some nice spots that mainly served as the hard sell for the six-way match at the pay-per-view. **

Backstage Vince tries to calm the rest of the DX Regime down saying he doesn’t want anyone else getting spooked when a delivery guy comes up saying he has something for Vince outside. Vince figures Austin may be setting them up and takes Triple H and Shane out to investigate only to find a cement mixer waiting to be poured into a Corvette. Vince realizes Austin could have baited them to get back in the building so they rush back in as we go to commercial.

Back from break Jim Ross is talking with someone on a cell phone about Sunday when Vince and the others appear. Vince asks JR if he’s talking to Austin but JR insists he was talking to his cousin who’s coming to the pay-per-view then suggests Vince and the others are just a little paranoid. Vince responds by saying there’s a reason for that.

The Godfather (w/the ladies) vs. Steve Blackman
This match is going on so late in the go-home show for the pay-per-view? Blackman nails Godfather from behind to start and stomps him down in a corner. Blackman goes for a whip, Godfather reverses and Blackman ducks a clothesline but misses a spin kick and Godfather knocks him down. Godfather slams Blackman and hits a legdrop then charges at him but Blackman stops him with a thrust kick. Blackman whips Godfather into a corner and dropkicks him from behind then whips him again but lowers the head and Godfather kicks the face. Godfather whips Blackman into a boot then hits a clothesline and slams him to the mat. Godfather readies for the Ho Train but Al Snow comes in dressed up exactly like Blackman and nails Godfather with a pair of nunchucks and there’s your DQ. Snow then heads back up the ramp while Blackman nails Godfather with the pump kick. DUD Another waste of time but i guess this was Al's way of trying to get back with Blackmen so it kinda does serve a purpose.

Backstage Vince tries to rally the DX Regime together when they hear a rattling sound coming from his bag. Shane thinks it’s a recording but when he goes to investigate the bag he finds a snake and everyone is sent scattering.

Outside a limo pulls up and The Rock makes his return to the building as we go to commercial.

Triple H leads the Regime back out to the ring to take up the rest of the TV time with a promo. Shane gets on the mic first and talks about being sick of all these games then tells Austin if he is indeed here tonight to come out so the McMahons can welcome him back to the WWF. Ausitn fails to show up so Vince takes the mic and offers to face Austin himself while everyone else leaves the ring. Vince continues to dare Austin to come out to the ring asking where his guts are but Austin still doesn’t show up. Triple H takes his turn on the mic saying he’s already sick of Austin after just one day back and demands he come out but once again nothing happens. Triple H smirks and says either Austin isn’t here at the building or maybe he’s a chicken but he knows The Rock is at the buidling. Triple H says he changed his mind about tonight, that he and Rock don’t have to wait until Sunday then calls him out before calling him a chicken as well. The Rock does make his way out to the stage and Triple H looks ready to go at it but Rock gives him his hand to talk to. Rock says he’s been watching the Regime getting paranoid and confused all night long and has been enjoying it. Rock reminds everyone of his guarantee and says he doesn’t dress like Austin, talk like Austin or even look like him, but he knows someone who does. Rock points at the OvalTron and sure enough Steve Austin appears on it. Austin says he’s heard the Regime’s looking for him then says he’s in the parking lot after being in and out of the building all night long. Austin mentions the speculation of who’s side he’ll be on at Backlash before saying he’s going to be on his own side as always. Austin then offers a demonstration for the Regime and talks about how a lot of people are good at construction while he’s been good at tearing stuff up. Austin says he wants to show off his toy to anyone looking to get their hands on him as he jumps into a crane with ‘Austin Deconstruction’ on the side and a freeway barricade hanging from it. We then get a shot of the DX Express just before Austin drops the barricade right onto it causing the bus to explode! Austin warns that same thing will happen to anybody who messes with him at Backlash then gives us the bottom line and departs. We then get one more look at the flaming ruins of the DX Express before and that's how Smackdown goes off air.

[video=youtube;11ck2Nyc_bs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11ck2Nyc_bs[/video]
FULL SEGEMENT

Overall: The in-ring action was solid for the most part and many of the matches did their job in polishing up the undercard. The search for Steve Austin was fun, well fun for me IDK about the rest of you. The payoff was pretty AMESOME, even though having Austin appear tonight instead of waiting until the pay-per-view does seem a little like hotshotting, as does having two titles change hands before they’re defended on the supercard. But still good edition of Smackdown to send us on to Backlash. 7/10.

 

[Crippler]

WWF BACKLASH 2000
MCI Center in Washington, DC​

List of WWF Champions at the time:
● WWF World Heavyweight Champion: Triple H (1/03/2000)
● WWF Intercontinental Champion: Chris Benoit (4/02/2000)
● WWF World Tag Team Champions: Edge & Christian (4/02/2000)
● WWF European Champion: Eddie Guerrero (4/03/2000)
● WWF Hardcore Champion: Crash Holly (4/27/2000)
● WWF Women’s Champion: Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley (3/30/2000)
● WWF Light Heavyweight Champion: Dean Malenko (4/27/2000)

[video=youtube;TSDsrFvC-sU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSDsrFvC-sU&list=PL249BD432773E366E&index=1&feature=plpp_video[/video]

Things kick off with…Debra coming out to the ring to serve as the guest ring announcer for the opener, making her first WWF appearence since last November.

WWF Backlash 2000 - WWF Tag Team Titles: Edge & Christian vs. X-Pac & Road Dogg (w/Tori)
Debra is your special guest announcer, slurring through the intros. Vicodin and Texans don't mix. The DX’ers come out first and as usual Road Dogg delivers his rhyming on the mic promising to win the titles. E&C then appear while JR takes a moment to mention that Steve Austin has not yet arrived to the building. Edge locks up with X-Pac to start and X-Pac goes into a headlock when Edge powers out of it into a wristlock but X-Pac uses the ropes to flip into an armdrag. Both men lockup again and Edge applies a headlock, X-Pac shoves him into the ropes but Edge hits a shoulderblock. Edge comes off the ropes and X-Pac leapfrogs him but Edge hits a spinning heel kick and X-Pac angrily rolls out to the floor. Road Dogg tries to settle his partner down and X-Pac climbs back in the ring and spits into Edge’s face before tagging in Road Dogg. Both men feel each other out before Road Dogg gets in the first shots then whips Edge but misses a clothesline and Edge hits the headscissors. Edge follows up with a clothesline before he tags in Chrsitian and whips Road Dogg into a corner. Edge drops to the mat and Christian launches off him into the crossbody on Road Dogg then throws Road Dogg to the mat and tees off on him before covering for a two count. Road Dogg jabs the eyes then tags in X-Pac who exchanges punches with Christian. X-Pac whips Christian and comes off the ropes himself but runs into a powerslam. Christian throws X-Pac into a corner then goes up and hits the count-along punches. Road Dogg comes over and rams Christian into the top rope and X-Pac comes out with a clothesline. X-Pac throws Christian through the ropes to the floor and Road Dogg whips him into the steps. X-Pac throws Christian back in the ring and Road Dogg covers him for a two count without a tag. Road Dogg applies a front facelock, trying to keep Christian from tagging out as Christian inches his way toward his corner. X-Pac distracts the referee just as Christian makes the tag to Edge and the referee and the referee orders Edge back out while the DX’ers double-team Christian in a corner. Tori chokes Christian from the floor setting him up for the Bronco Buster from X-Pac. Road Dogg tags in and snapmares Christian to the mat then kicks him in the back twice for a near fall. Road Dogg applies a chinlock and Christian fights out of it then comes off the ropes but Road Dogg hits the juke ‘n’ jive punches, including the big right. Road Dogg follows up with the shake, rattle ‘n kneedrop but Edge breaks up the pin. Christian starts fighting back and whips Road Dogg but both men hit each other with crossbodies. X-Pac comes in to keep Christian from reaching his corner and the referee orders him back to his corner, allowing Edge to climb to the top rope and hit a diving headbutt on Road Dogg. Edge pops X-Pac through the ropes while Christian covers Road Dogg but only gets two. X-Pac tags in and both DX’ers go for a suplex but Chrisitan flips out of it into a double Slop Drop then manages to make the hot tag to Edge. Edge takes it to both men and goes to whip X-Pac who reverses it and goes for a leapfrog but Edge catches him into a powerbomb. Road Dogg saves it and sets Edge up for a pump handle slam when Christian pulls him off looking for the Unprettier but Road Dogg shoves him into a spin kick from X-Pac. Edge spears Road Dogg but Tori hops on the apron and grabs Edge by the hair, holding him for X-Pac. X-Pac charges at Edge with a right hand but Edge ducks and X-Pac nails Tori. Edge rolls X-Pac up but only gets a two count and Road Dogg goes out to the apron and hits a pescado on Christian on the floor before he can nail Tori with the Slop Drop. In the ring X-Pac hits the X-Factor on Edge and covers him but the referee is distracted on the floor when Christian brings the ring bell in the ring and cracks X-Pac in the head with it! Christian covers X-Pac and gets the three to retain the titles. ***1/2 Excellent, hot opener.

Backstage we find a limo pulling up to the building and The Rock comes out.

WWF Light-Heavyweight Title: Dean Malenko vs. Scottie II Hottie
So even though Malenko already regained the title on Smackdown we still get this nice rubber match. Scotty comes out first to a great reaction and even dances with Lillian Garcia before Malenko makes his way out to some great heel heat. Scotty gets in the first shots and works Malenko over in a corner then whips him into an elbow and whips him again into a backdrop. Scotty hits a clothesline for two count then goes for another whip, Malenko counters and goes for a powerbomb but Scotty coutners that into an armdrag and hits a dropkick for another two count. Scotty goes for a whip, Malenko reverses him into a corner but Scotty lifts himself over him and hits a suplex. Scotty moonwalks across the ring but that allows Malenko to nail him from behind. Malenko goes for a whip, Scotty reverses him into a corner and goes for a monkey flip which Malenko counters with an Atomic Drop but Scotty blocks it and pops Malenko with a right hand. Scotty whips Malenko then comes off the ropes looking for the bulldog but Malenko cuts him down with a clothesline. Scotty crawls out to the apron but Malenko rams him into the turnbuckle then goes out and rams Scotty into the apron before throwing him back in the ring. Malenko props Scotty in a corner and kicks away at his knee but Scotty reverses and unloads on him. The referee tries to separate them then Malenko dropkicks Scotty in the knee. Malenko then works over Scotty’s knee with a standing anklelock and series of elbowdrops then goes out and wraps Scotty’s leg around the ringpost twice. Malenko goes back in and applies another standing leglock and Scotty tries to counter with an enzuigiri but Malenko ducks it and elbowdrops the bad knee. Malenko follows up with a kneedrop then goes into a grapevine and tries to use the ropes for leverage but the referee catches him and orders a break. Malenko kicks away at Scotty’s bad leg then follows up with a kneebreaker when Scotty comes back with and enzuigiri. Scotty starts to fight back and goes for a whip but Malenko reverses him hard into the turnbuckles then slams his knee into the mat. Malenko hits a baseball slide into Scotty’s knee then drapes it over the ropes and kicks at it. Malenko goes for a spinning toehold but Scotty kicks him into the ringpost and rolls him up for a two count. Malenko hits a clothesline and goes back to kicking at the knee then goes for a whip. Scotty goes for a kick but Malenko drives him through the ropes and both men are down on the floor. Malneko starts to climb back in but Scotty pulls his leg and drops him onto the apron. Scotty climbs to the top rope but Malenko cuts him off then goes up and hits a superplex. Scotty ducks a right hand and gets a backslide for a two count then Malenko takes Scotty down and goes for the Texas Cloverleaf but Scotty rolls him up for another near fall. Malenko whips Scotty into the corner and goes for a suplex but Scotty somewhat counters it. Malenko attempts a powerbomb but Scotty floats over and hits the bulldog follwed by the Worm … but hops on the bad knee to do so. Oops. Malenko rolls Scotty up with his feet on the ropes but the referee sees it and orders a break. Malenko goes for a suplex when Scotty floats over into a waistlock but Malenko reverses into his own waistlock and hits a Tigerbomb that gets a two count. Malenko whips Scotty into a corner but eats a boot and Scotty comes out but runs into a powerslam for a near fall. Scotty suplexes Malenko over the ropes but ends up hot shoting himself as well. Malenko climbs up to the top but Scotty cuts him off. Scotty goes up and goes for a superplex but Malenko reverses it in mid-air into an implant DDT!!! Scotty is pretty much dead now as Malenko covers for the pin. **** The finish was awesome as was Malenko's legwork. Scottie screwed it up by just going through with his moves anyway, but that only knocks off a bit. This would be the peak of the title before Dean was relegated to Heat.

We then get an odd clip of some girls singing a creepy song as the screen says “Judgment Day is comingâ€. I’m assuming they’re advertising the next pay-per-view or something.

Backstage we find Vince McMahon conversing with the Stooges, who we haven’t seen in a while, as Triple H and Stephanie look on. Vince asks Gerald Brisco and Pat Patterson if they’re with him and the two pledge their loyalty. Shane McMahon then comes in with a freshly pressed referee shirt as Vince tells everyone it’s “all hands on deck†tonight no matter what. I wonder what that means.

The Acolytes vs. The Big Bossman & Bull Buchanan
Bossman and Buchanan meet the Acolytes on the floor but Bradshaw and Faarooq get the advantage and Faarooq rams Bossman into the steps. Bradshaw dukes it out with Buchanan in the ring and whips him into a boot. Bradshaw works Buchanan over in a corner and hits a DDT then climbs to the top rope and connects with a flying shoulderblock for a two count. Bradshaw whips Buchanan but lowers the head and Buchanan rolls over him and hits a clothesline. Bradshaw takes Buchanan down and hits a neckbreaker then rams him into Faarooq’s boot before tagging him in. The Acolytes double-team Buchanan before Faarooq whips him but Buchanan runs up the turnbuckles and hits a sloppy flying clothesline. Bossman tags in and hits a pair of clotheslines then applies a headlock but Faarooq counters it with a suplex. Faarooq comes off the ropes with a shouldertackle followed by a clothesline for a two count. Faarooq throws Bossman through the ropes and Bradshaw rams him into the steps and works him over on the floor. Bradshaw tosses Bossman back in the ring then tags in and and goes for a whip but Bossman reverses it. Bradshaw clubs him in the back and throws him back out to the floor and Faarooq and rams Bossman into the barricade before throwing him back in. Bradshaw covers Bossman but Bossman gets is foot on the ropes. Faarooq tags in and whips Bossman into a corner then charges but Bossman sidesteps him and comes off the ropes with a forearm. Buchanan tags in and slams Faarooq to the mat then follows up with an elbowdrop. Buchanan beats on Faarooq in his corner and Bossman tags in to get in a few shots. Buchanan tags back in and pops him with a right hand then applies a front facelock. Faarooq inches toward his corner and tags in Bradshaw but the referee misses it and orders him back out. Even though they already did the fake hot tag in the previous tag match. Bossman and Buchanan double-team Faarooq and Buchanan whips him into a clothesline but Bradshaw breaks up the pin. Buchanan applies a chinlock then comes off the ropes but runs into a spinebuster. Faarooq manages to tag in Bradshaw and Bradshaw whips Buchanan into an elbow. Bradshaw goes for a whip, Buchanan reverses it but Bradshaw hits a flying shoulderblock. Bossman comes in but Faarooq knocks him through the ropes to the floor. Bradshaw DDT’s Buchanan then climbs to the top but Bossman grabs his leg allowing Buchanan to go up and hit a superplex for a two count. Buchanan whips Bradshaw into a corner and charges but Bradshaw sidesteps him and connects with the Clothesline from Hades. Bossman saves it when Faarooq comes in and throws Bossman back out to the floor while Bradshaw stomps Buchanan down in a corner. Faarooq goes out when Bossman nails him with his nightstick then hops onto the apron annd clocks Bradshaw as well. Buchanan climbs to the top and connects with a scissors kick on Bradshaw than finally ends this. * This bout was pretty boring and the crowd couldn’t care less about it.

Backstage Matt Hardy is talking to Jeff Hardy about the six-way hardcore match, saying that despite being brothers they may have to fight each other out there. Matt says they’ll work together but if it comes down to the two of them he’s not holding anything back. Jeff says likewise, especially after Smackdown, and they touch fists to complete their understanding.

Elsewhere backstage Crash is polishing his Hardcore title when Hardcore comes in and tells Crash that despite being cousins he’s going to enjoy beating him up. Crash asks why they can’t work together so it comes down to just the two of them and offers a hand but Hardcore slaps him and scoffs at his idea.

JR and Lawler mention that Steve Austin still has not arrived at the building yet. JR suggests maybe the traffic is bad after a big parade today.

WWF Hardcore Title: Crash Holly vs. Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Hardcore Holly vs. Perry Saturn vs. Tazz
Someone has to pin Crash, or Crash has to pin someone else for the match to end. Saturn attacks Crash on the ramp to start us off and throws him in the ring then hits a back suplex. Hardcore breaks up the pin then powerbombs Crash and covers him but Matt Hardy breaks it up. Matt covers Crash but Saturn pulls him off and beats on him while Jeff takes his turn covering Crash but Tazz breaks that up. Tazz hits a Northern Lights suplex on Crash but Saturn makes the save. Crash bails out to the floor and runs toward the entrance but everyone chases him down. Crash tries climbing up one of the hanging hooks on the entrance set but Matt climbs up behind him and stomps Crash in the face, nearly causing him to fall off to the ground. Crash is pulled down to the ground by the others but Matt dives off and wipes all of them out. Hardcore rams Matt into one of the hooks while Saturn drops Crash onto another, breaking a piece off it. Matt and Saturn go at it when Jeff uses one of the blades to swing himself into a huricanrana on Saturn. Matt brings Crash back in the ring and Jeff takes Crash down by the legs while Matt climbs to the top and the Hardys hit a combo legdrop. Tazz clocks both Hardys with a trash lid so Matt pounds on Tazz before he and Jeff whip him into a corner. Matt drops to the mat and Jeff leaps off him into the Poetry in Motion on Tazz. Jeff brings a chair in the ring but Tazz clotheslines him onto it. Saturn clotheslines Tazz with a 2×4 then applies a submission move on Crash but Tazz breaks it up with a boot. Tazz covers Crash but Saturn breaks it up then suplexes Crash and Tazz whips Crash into a clothesline. Matt tries to steal the cover but Tazz breaks it up. Matt works over Tazz in a corner while Hardcore waffles Crash with a road sign. Saturn breaks up the pin and connects with a spinkick but Hardcore breaks his cover. Crash rolls out to the floor but Saturn goes out and beats him down. The Hardys pound on Tazz and Matt slams Crash to the floor but only gets a two count. Jeff takes his turn covering Crash but Hardcore makes the save and suplexes Crash to the floor. Tazz holds Crash while Saturn comes off the apron with an elbow. Saturn whips Matt into the barricade while Hardcore goes for a cover but Jeff pulls him off. Crash craws in the ring and Tazz goes for a whip but Crash reverses and hits a dropkick for a two count. Saturn whips Crash but lowers the head and Crash gets a Sunset Flip but Tazz breaks it up. Jeff chokes Crash with an extension cable and Hardcore whips Crash with the extension cord when Saturn goes for the cover but Hardcore pulls him off. Tazz takes out the Hardys with the road sign and Hardcore covers Crash but Saturn breaks it up. Hardcore chokes Crash on the middle rope but Saturn comes up and suplexes Hardcore but Tazz breaks up that cover and pops Saturn through the ropes. Tazz lays the boots to Crash and hits a suplex but Hardcore makes the save. Matt brings a pair of baking pans in the ring and the Hardys lay out everyone else. Jeff hits an Arabian facebuster on Crash with the baking pan but Matt breaks it up and covers Crash himself but Hardcore breaks that up. Tazz chokes Matt with the extension cord while Jeff slams Crash to the mat. Jeff slings himself into a springboard moonsault but Saturn interupts the count. Saturn slings himself into a splash but Hardcore and Tazz both make the save. Tazz chokes Jeff with the core while Hardcore sets Crash on the top rope then goes up and hits a superplex. Both Hardcore and Tazz try to make the cover but break it up while Saturn drills Crash with a brainbuster but Tazz makes the save so Saturn throws him through the ropes. Hardcore brings a chair in and nails Crash with the Hollycaust on the chair but Matt breaks up that cover. Jeff brings a ladder in and the Hardys clothesline Hardcore with it and also take down Saturn and Tazz. The Hardys prop the ladder in a corner and whip Hardcore into it before Matt clotheslines him over the ropes. Matt hits the Twist of Fate on Crash while Jeff climbs up the ladder and hits the Swanton Bomb. Matt tries to steal the cover just like on Raw but this time Jeff pulls him off and the Hardys start going at it until Tazz clotheslines both of them. Tazz grabs Crash in the Tazzmission but Saturn whacks him with a stop sign. Tazz is down while Saturn covers Crash but Hardcore pulls him out of the ring to the floor. The Hardys each climb to the top rope and take out Hardcore and Saturn with pescados. All four men are down on the floor while in the ring Crash manages to drape an arm over Tazz and gets the three to retain! Crash crawls out of the ring with the belt while everyone else is left laying. ** The usual clusterfuck of a PPV hardcore match.

Backstage Johnathan Coachman interviews Shane McMahon on being the guest referee for the main event suggesting ther might be a conflict of interest. Shane claims he’s going to be impartial and promises to call the WWF Championship match down the middle while keeping a straight face. Like we haven’t heard that before.

A video package is shown highlighting the Kurt Angle/Big Show feud.

Kurt Angle vs. The Big Show
Angle comes out with a mic and says he has a lot in common with Washington becasue he’s honest like Abe Lincon when he says Big Show is a disappointment and waste of talent. Angle then rips on the crowd for re-electing Marion Berry and having liars and cheaters for leaders before claiming to be the only hero the fans have left. Suddenly … “Real American†fires up and Show comes out dressed up as Hulk Hogan, with a yellow outfit and boots and even a bald hair piece! The “Showster†poses just like Hogan then gets on the mic and cuts a Hogan-esque promo. Angle attacks Show from behind to start but Show shrugs his blows off and starts Hulking up. Show hits the three rights then whips Angle into the big boot and follows up with the legdrop but only gets a two count. Show whips Angle but misses a clothesline and Angle chopblocks the knee. Angle works over Show’s knee then drapes it on the ropes and sits down on it. Angle goes for a spinning toehold but Show kicks him away then sheds the hairpiece, telling Angle the fun is over. Show throws Angle into a corner and hits the giant chop then whips him into the opposite corner and elbows him. Show hits a short-arm clothesline then follows up with a chokeslam and just like that it’s over. The match itsself was nothing but a squash but seeing Show as Hogan was hilarious and needs to be seen, so we’ll split the difference. DUD

A video package is shown highlighting the Dudley Boyz/Test & Albert feud. After the clip Michael Cole asks Trish Stratus who she really feels about Bubba Ray Dudley. Oddly ebough Trish talks in a bubbly tone and not her normal voice as she claims Bubba is not afraid to express his true feelings. Trish says most men around her bottle up their frustrations until they explode then says Bubba will find out exactly how she feels later.

Elsewhere Bubba Ray Dudley is watching the interview on a monitor when D’Von comes along to get Bubba pumped up. However Bubba is again mesmerized by Trish so D’Von chastises Bubba for losing foucs and tries to snap him out of it.

T&A (w/Trish Stratus) vs. The Dudley Boyz
TRISH IS LOOKING CRAZY HAWT HERE, AND YOU KNOW WHAT THE CRAZY THING IS SHE WOULD GET HOTTER YEAR-BY-YEAR, but that's for another thread. Anyway, The Dudleys attack Test and Albert from behind to start and quickly gets the advantage. Bubba goes out an chases Trish around the ring but Test cuts him off with a clothesline. In the ring Albert works D’Von over then whips him but D’Von ducks a clothesline and gets in his shots. D’Von tries to whip Albert but Albert holds onto the ropes to block it. D’Von eventually gets Albert off the ropes and Albert reverses it but D’Von hits a clothesline for a two count. Bubba tags in and chops Albert then whips him into a flying lariat before yelling at Trish, threatening to get her. Bubba hits a trio of elbowdrops for a two count but Albert starts fighting back until Bubba rakes the face and chops Albert in his corner. D’Von tags in and helps Bubba hit a double suplex then draws Test in to distract the referee. Bubba sets Albert up while D’Von climbs up and hits the headbutt to the groin for a two count. D’Von goes for a whip but Albert reverses it and hits a bicycle kick. Albert whips D’von into a corner and Test whips Albert into an Avalanche then Test does something the camera misses and covers him for a two count. Test rams D’Von into a turnbuckle repeatedlty then whips him but D’von hits a flying shoulderblock. D’Von goes for a whip but Test reverses and Albert nails him from the apron. D’Von snaps Albert on the top rope but turns into a gutwrench powerbomb from Test. Test hammers away on D’Von and chokes him with his boot then tags Albert in and both men whip D’Von into an “around the world†slam for a two count. D’Von fights back and goes for a whip, not seeing Test making a blind it, and Albert reverses and hits a powerslam. Albert press slams Test onto D’Von but Bubba breaks it up. Test and Albert double-team D’von then Test whips D’Von into an elbow. Test whips D’von again but misses a clothesline and D’Von hits a neckbreaker. D’Von crawls over and tags in Bubba but the referee gets distracted by Albert and misses it. Albert takes over without a tag and whips D’Von into a bodyblock then gets in a shot on Bubba on the apron before slingshoting D’Von into the middle rope. Bubba breaks up the pin but Test tags in and whips D’Von into a clothesline for a two count. Albert tags in and whips D’Von into a corner then charges but eats an elbow. D’Von hops to the middle rope and gets a Sunset Flip but only gets a two count. Albert hits a butterfly powerbomb for his own two count then climbs to the middle rope but Bubba gets his attention allowing D’von to get in a shot. D’von climbs up and hits a superplex then crawls over and makes the hot tag to Bubba. Test also tags in but Bubba takes it to him then whips Albert into a corner and clotheslines him before planting Test with a Samoan Drop. Albert saves it and D’von throws him through the ropes and the Dudleys hit a double neckbreaker but only get two. Albert throws D’Von through the ropes then hits the chokebomb on Bubba while Test climbs to the top and goes for the flying elbowdrop but D’Von pulls Bubba out of the way. Bubba covers Test but only gets a two count and D’von throws Albert through the ropes again. D’Von whips Test while Bubba moves into position for a 3D when Trish hops on the apron and gets Bubba’s attention, leaving D’Von hanging. Test DDT’s D’Von then connects with the big boot on Bubba and scores the upset. After the bell Bubba gets up and takes Test out with his Diamond Cutter while D’Von whips Albert and the Dudleys hit a 3D. Bubba then grabs Trish by the hair and sends D’Von out to bring a table in the ring. D’von sets the table up when Trish kisses Bubba again but Bubba tells Trish not this time and drags her to the corner. Bubba hops on the middle rope before D’von passes Trish to him and Bubba finally superbombs her through the table!! Bubba has the euphoric look but that soon morphs into an evil grin. A swarm of EMTs come out to load Trish onto a stretcher and wheel her out to an ambulance in the back. Trish is then loaded in and Test and Albert ride with her to the hospital.*1/2 The match was okay i was gonna bump it up another 3/4 of a star for Trish but my brain woun't allow it.

As the ambulance drives off, a 1957 Chevy pulls into the garage and inside we find Eddie Guerrero and Chyna dressed up since they just came from a prom. One of the referees tells Eddie he’s late and his match is about to start now. Eddie wants time to change but the referee warns him to go to the ring now or forfeit his title. So Eddie drives his car into the arena and right up to the ring then tries to shed his tuxedo as hightlights of his feud with Essa Rios are shown.

European Title: Eddie Guerrero (w/Chyna) vs. Essa Rios (w/Lita)
Eddie has shed his shirt and cumerbund but is still wearing his pants, shoes and bowtie. Eddie dropkicks Rios from behind to start and pounds on him then whips him into a sidekick. Eddie whips Rios again and goes for a gutwrench slam but Rios lands on his feet and hits his own gutwrench backbreaker. Eddie rams Rios into a turnbuckle and hits a back suplex followed by an over-the-shoulder armdrag. Eddie works over the arm when Rios fights back and locks knuckles then runs up the turnbuckles but slips off the ropes. So Rios recovers with an armdrag and hits an elbowdrop then whips Eddie into another armdrag. Eddie rolls out to the floor when Rios goes for a plancha over the ropes but Eddie sidesteps it and Rios splats onto the floor. Eddie throws Rios into the ringsteps before rolling him back in the ring and slamming him to the mat. Eddie goes out to the apron and slings himself into a hilo on Rios then throws him through the ropes. Chyna gets in a shot on the floor before throwing Rios back in and Eddie goes for a whip but Rios reverses and hits a dropkick. Rios climbs to the top rope and connects with a missile dropkick but only gets a two count. Rios applies a headlock but Eddie counters with a jawbreaker then goes for a powerbomb but Rios counters that into an amrdrag. Eddie comes off the ropes and Rios hits a monkey flip but Eddie nearly lands on his head. Rios charges but Eddie sends him through the ropes and Chyna nails Rios with a forearm on the floor. Eddie slings himself into a plancha on Rios then rams him into the apron. Eddie sets up for a powerbomb on the floor when Lita climbs to the top rope but Chyna shoves her off onto the announce table. However this distracts Eddie long enough for Rios to counter with a backdrop. Rios climbs onto the apron and hits an Asai moonsault that sends both of them onto the announce table. Rios throws Eddie back in the ring then climbs to the top and hits a missle dropkick and Eddie rolls back out to the floor when Rios leaps over the ropes into a cannonball on Eddie! Rios throws Eddie back in the ring and climbs to the top but Chyna causes him to straddle the turnbukcle. Eddie goes up and hits a superplex but both men are down and Rios drapes an arm for a two count. Rios goes for a suplex but Eddie flips out of it and hits a brainbuster. Eddie climbs to the top rope looking for the Frogsplash but Rios runs up and armdrags him off to the mat. Rios climbs to the top again and goes for a mmonsault but Eddie gets the knnes up to block it. Eddie then hits a spinning Gory Special and that gets the three. fter the match, Lita strips Chyna and runs off with her dress. Chyna is irate at first but decides she's got it and must, therefore, flaunt it. *** A bit sloppy in spots but still a good match.

Backstage Johnathan Coachman interviews Triple H askying why he’s so confident about his title defense against The Rock. Triple H says it’s because he’s that good and promises to prove it to the Rock and the world once again. Coach then turns to Vince McMahon, asking about his surprise tonight. Vince mentions everyone is surprised that Steve Austin is not here tonight and claims he heard Austin may be having transportation problems and may not make it at all.

Elsewhere Michael Cole interview Chris Benoit about his Intercontinential Title defense against Chris Jericho, who he mentions feels he should be champion. Benoit reminds Cole who is holding the gold then brings up Jericho comparing him to a robot, saying unlike a robot he has emotions. Benoit says he’s going to enjoy expressing his emotions all over Jericho and that he knows what he’s going to do to Jericho and will take pleasure in it.

Intercontinental Title: Chris Benoit vs. Chris Jericho
Jericho comes out first and gets on the mic talking about Ben-oyt taking offense to his comments. Jericho tells Benoit that Washington is full of emotionless drones called politicans and promises to veto Benoit’s IC title reign. Both men lockup to start and jockey for position, eventually tumbling through the ropes to the floor. Benoit slaps Jericho as the referee tries to get them back in the ring and once they go in Jericho takes Benoit down with a headlock. Benoit counters with the leg scissors and does his own headlock takedown. Jericho counters that with his own headscissors and we have a stalemate. Benoit takes Jericho down but the legs but Jericho counters into a rollup and Benoit and Jericho exchange pinfall counters. Both men then exchange stiff chops until Benoit rakes Jericho’s face and whips him into a corner. Benoit charges but Jericho sidesteps him and trips him with a drop toehold. Jericho unloads on Benoit then stomps him in the head and hits a forearm. Jericho goes for a whip but Benoit reverses him into a corner and hits a German suplex. Benoit holds on and hits a second German then goes for a third but Jericho holds onto the ropes so Benoit suplexes Jericho over the ropes. Benoit then dives through the ropes but Jericho sidesteps him and Benoit splats on the floor! Jericho moves the steps into position then goes for a whip but Benoit reverses it. Jericho hops over the steps but Benoit responds by dropkicking the steps into Jericho’s knees. Both men roll back in the ring and Benoit covers Jericho but only gets a two count. Benoit whips Jericho into a knee then follows up with a gutbuster. Benoit whips Jericho into a corner then stomps him down while trash-talking him. Jericho fights back and whips Benoit looking for a dropkick but Benoit holds the ropes to fake him out. Benoit catapults Jericho into a corner and suplexes him onto the ropes then hits a snap suplex for a two count. Benoit whips Jericho and knees him in the chest and both men exchange shots when Benoit whips Jericho into an Abdominal stretch. Benoit pounds Jericho in the ribs but Jericho fights out of it and comes off the ropes with an elbow. Jericho connects with the Lionsault but can’t immediately cover Benoit and only gets a two count as a result. Benoit chops Jericho in a corner and stomps him down then goes for a whip but Jericho reverses him into the opposite corner. Jericho charges but eats a boot and Benoit comes out but runs into a spinning heel kick. Jericho gets in some shots but misses a right hand and Benoit chops him in a corner again. Benoit goes for a whip but Jericho reverses it then comes off the ropes with the bulldog for a near fall. Jericho lands his own chops and goes for a whip, Benoit reverses but Jericho rolls him up for a two count. Benoit goes for a suplex but Jericho blocks it and suplexes him onto the top rope. Benoit goes out to the apron when Jericho goes for the springboard dropkick but Benoit swats him away. Benoit climbs to the top rope but Jericho bumps his legs, causing him to straddle the turbuckle. Jericho goes up and hits a back superplex but Benoit shifts positions and Jericho takes the worst of it. Benoit covers Jericho for a two count then whips Jericho looking for a gutwrench, Jericho counters into a backslide attempt but can’t get Benoit over. Jericho hits a powerbomb but holds on for a second powerbomb then goes for the cover when Benoit counters it into the Crippler Crossface! Jericho tries to hold on and manages to inch over and put his feet on the bottom rope. Benoit goes for the Crossface again but Jericho fights out of it into the Walls of Jericho! However Benoit is also able to reach the bottom rope. Jericho goes for a whip when Benoit reverses it and Jericho goes for a flying forearm but Benoit ducks and Jericho wipes out the referee. Benoit goes out and brings his IC title belt in then waffles Jericho with it. Benoit revives the referee before he covers Jericho .. but only gets a two count!! Benoit is shocked as he suplexes Jericho onto the title belt then climbs to the top rope again. Benoit goes for the diving headbutt when Jericho holds the belt up to block it but the referee then disqualifies Jericho for using the belt! Ross and Lawler are puzzled until they see the replay. Bad finish to this match, but it would set up another good match at Judgment Day. ****1/4 Still an excellent match from these guys like you’d expect, though I still have to deduct a half-point for the DQ.

[video=youtube;WP0eljhypDw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP0eljhypDw&list=PL249BD432773E366E&index=17&feature=plpp_video[/video]

The McMahon-Helmsley Regime start filing out to the ring for the main event. But first Vince gets on the mic and tells the fans to look into their event programs, pointing out the line “The card is subject to changeâ€. Vince then proceeds to announce that Steve Austin will NOT be here tonight.

WWF Heavyweight Title: Triple H (w/Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley & Vince McMahon) vs. The Rock
The big question here is whether or not A) Austin will even show up, and B) whether Rock can trust him. Vince announces that Austin categorically will not be showing up. Shane McMahon is your special referee for the second year in a row. Rock and Triple H have a staredown to start before going right to work exchanging punches when Triple H gets the advantage with a knee to the chest. Triple H pummels Rock in a corner and Rock starts to fight back and goes for the Smackdown but Triple H throws him into a corner. Rock drops Triple H with a right hand and follows up with two more shots before hitting an elbow. Rock whips Triple H but misses a clothesline and Triple H goes for a Pedigree already but Rock counters with a backdrop. Rock stomps Triple H down in a corner but Shane forces him back allowing Triple H to come back with a neckbreaker. Triple H goes for a headlock but Rock counters with a suplex. Rock comes off the ropes but Triple H throws him over on the other side. Triple H goes out and throws Rock into the ringsteps then drops him on the announce table before heading back in the ring. Vince throws Rock into the ringpost before rolling him back in and Triple H embraces Shane before covering Rock for a two count. Triple H stomps Rock down in a corner but Rock starts to fight back until Triple H hits a knee. Triple H whips Rock and hits the high knee for a fast two count then unloads on Rock and hits a suplex followed by a kneedrop for a two count. Triple H covers Rock twice more but Rock kicks out each time. Rock fights back and goes for a whip but Triple H reverses and applies a sleeper. Rock begins to fade and Shane checks the arm, and it drops twice, but Rock keeps it up the third time. Triple H puts his feet on the ropes for leverage while Shane ignores it and Rock begins to fade again. Rock eventually fights out of the hold and comes off the ropes but runs into a clothesline for a near fall. Vince yells at Shane to count faster as Triple H works Rock over in a corner then climbs up but Rock drops him onto the turnbuckle. Rock goes for a whip, Triple H reverses and both men clothesline each other. Both men are down as Shane beings to count and tries to revive Triple H at the same time. Rock tries to get to his feet when Vince hops on the apron and clocks Rock with the WWF title belt and Triple H covers him while Shane quickly counts but only gets two! Triple H hammers Rock in a corner when Rock reverses positions and unloads on him, this time hitting the Smackdown. Rock goes for a whip, Triple H reverses him into a corner but Rock comes out with a clothesline. Rock slings Triple H over the ropes then goes out and clotheslines him on the floor. Rock rams Triple H into the announce table before throwing him back in the ring. Rock whips Triple H but lowers the head and Triple H hits the facebuster. Rock comes back with a DDT and covers him but Shane refuses to count the pin. Rock yells at Shane and decks him over the ropes when Triple H knocks Rock out to the floor as well. Triple H goes out and whips Rock into the ringsteps then Shane helps him clear off the Spanish table. Triple H rolls Rock onto the table and sets him up for a Pedigree but Rock counters with a low blow then sets him up for a Rock Bottom. Shane climbs onto the table to stop him so Rock grabs Shane and Rock Bottoms both men through the table!! Rock throws Triple H back in the ring while Shane is left in the table wreckage. Rock moves in on Triple H when Vince nails Rock from behind and taunts him. Rock is up and goes after Vince when Triple H low blows him from behind and hits the Pedigree. However Shane is still out on the floor and can’t count so Vince calls for another referee and Geral Brisco and Pat Patterson come out in refere shirts. Triple H covers Rock and Patterson counts but only gets two! Patterson and Brisco then double-team Rock and a massive beatdown ensues. Triple H tees off on Rock when Stephanie passes a chair to Vince and Vince whacks Rock in the face. Triple H sets Rock up for one last Pedigree when…the glass breaks!! The crowd goes insane as Steve Austin walks down the ramp with a chair in hand! Triple H goes out to meet Austin in the aisle but Austin takes him out with the chair!! Brisco and Patterson go out after him but Austin clocks them with the chair as well. Austin goes in the ring and whacks both Vince and Shane when Triple H comes back in but Austin gets in another shot with the chair! Austin then departs the ring while Linda McMahon makes her way out with Earl Hebner! Stephanie tries to stand in Linda’s way but Linda shoves her down while Triple H readies a chair in the ring. Triple H takes a swing but Rock catches him with the spinebuster. Rock follows up with the People’s Elbow then covers Triple H as Hebner comes in and counts 1..2..3 and it’s over! The Rock wins his 4th WWF Championship and Triple H is finally dethroned! Rock celebrates the win while the McMcahon-Helmsley regime slinks away in defeat. ****

Austin comes back out towing what’s left of the DX Express to the ring. Austin heads in the ring and tosses a beer to Rock and the two of them share a few cold ones then toast the WWF Championship belt as Backlash goes off the air.Awesome main event with plenty of drama and action throughout and Rock and Triple H continued to show the great chemistry they have with each other. While it was a little over-the-top it’s still a well-done bout that finally gave us the happy ending we should have gotten at Wrestlemania.

Overall: Without a doubt one of the best pay-per-views of 2000, basically what Wrestlemania should have been a month earlier. Most of the matches were superbly done and offer something for everyone with only a couple of clunkers on the card plus a lot of the newcombers got to really show their stuff in the ring. The main event delivered on all fronts and gave the fans the happy ending they’ve been waiting to see, Rock finally regaining the title and Triple H getting his just desserts at least for now. Add in a crowd that was hot for most of the show and you have a highly recommended supercard. I can honistly say this is the best top-to-bottom PPV since Canadian Stampede in '97. 8/10

 

[Crippler]

WWF RAW IS WAR 05/01/2000
Baltimore Arena in Baltimore, MD​

List of WWF Champions at the time:
● WWF World Heavyweight Champion: The Rock (4/30/2000)
● WWF Intercontinental Champion: Chris Benoit (4/02/2000)
● WWF World Tag Team Champions: Edge & Christian (4/02/2000)
● WWF European Champion: Eddie Guerrero (4/03/2000)
● WWF Hardcore Champion: Crash Holly (4/27/2000)
● WWF Women’s Champion: Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley (3/30/2000)
● WWF Light Heavyweight Champion: Dean Malenko (4/27/2000)

The Dudley Boyz vs. T&A
Before either team comes out Edge & Christian make their way out and join the announcers for commentary. Also JR reports Trish Stratus isn’t with her charges tonight since she’s off recovering from being put through a table last night. Test and Albert rush the ring and go right to work with Albert tossing Bubba Ray over the ropes. T&A whip D’Von into a corner and Test whips Albert into an avalance on D’Von then follows up with a boot. Test stomps D’Von down in a corner and hip tosses him across the ring as E&C talk about using “insider lingoâ€. Test whips D’Von but D’Von hits the jumping elbow then tags in Bubba and Bubba chops Test in a corner. Both men exchange punches but Bubba is able to get the advantage then goes for a whip but Test reverses him into a corner. Test eats a boot and Bubba hops to the middle rope and hits a clothesline but Albert breaks up the pin. Bubba hits a suplex then draws Albert in to distract the referee and sets Test up while D’Von climbs to the top rope and hits the headbutt to the groin. Bubba whips Test into his corner but Test pops D’Von to draw him in while he whips Bubba into his corner. Albert comes in and helps Test whip Bubba and drop him to the mat then takes over on Bubba without a tag. Albert whips Bubba and hits a bodyblock then slingshots him into the middle rope before Test tags back in and whips Bubba into a big boot. Albert tags back in and whips Bubba into a corner then goes for the Avalanche but Bubba sidesteps him and hits his Diamond Cutter. Both men crawl to the corners and Albert tags in Test while Bubba tags in D’Von who takes it to both men. D’Von whips Test into Bubba then comes off the ropes and hits a jumping clothesline on Test for a two count. D’Von nails Albert with a jumping elbow and the Dudleys plant him with a double neckbreaker. Test works on D’Von and goes for a whip but the Dudleys plant him with the 3D just as E&C decide this is their cue for a run-in. Edge distracts the referee and Albert pulls Bubba out of the ring while Christian drills D’Von with the Tomikaze. Christian then puts Test on top of D’Von and the referee turns around and counts the pin. * The Dudleys fall to 0-2 against Test & Albert. Wasn’t that bad of a match, actually, until it broke down.

Backstage we find the McMahon-Helmsley Regime making their way to the ring as we go to commercial.

Triple H leads the rest of the Regime to the ring so we can get our talking segment. Triple H (with his arm in a sling) gets on the mic and asks if the fans are happy that he’s no longer WWF Champion then says the Rock should be the happiest man in the world since he defeated the best there is to take the title. However Triple H claims Rock isn’t as proud as we’d think because he knew he couldn’t get the job done by himself, pointing out he had help from Steve Austin, Linda McMahon and Earl Hebner. Triple H tells Rock to shine up the belt and enjoy being WWF Champion while he can because he is on borrowed time. Triple H says once his separated shoulder heals up he will beat the Rock down and take back his rightful championship. Triple H then turns to JR and brings up how he shouted ‘Game Over’ last night saying the Game is only beginning. Stephanie takes the mic and talks about how she loves Triple H who valiantly defended the title like no one else. Vince gets his turn and says Austin is not scheduled to be here tonight but promises bad things if he does show up. Vince mentions his wife Linda showing up at Backlash then goes into how he would never hurt a hair on her head unlike Triple H. Vince also brings up Linda reinstating Earl Hebner and promises to deal with Hebner as soon as he reports to duty. Vince then goes back to Rock and says history will be made with Rock tonight and it will be made inside a steel cage. We sat through a 13-minute interview segement just to learn a cage match is going to be held tonight and they don’t even announce the opponent?

We cut to the parking garage and find Crash Holly pulling up as a parking attendant checks for his name on a list. Once that’s cleared up Crash heads out to get his gear from the car trunk but then sees referee Teddy Long nearby. Crash realizes what’s happening just as the parking attendant attacks him and tries to pin him for the Hardcore Title but Crash kicks out at two. Crash dumps the attendant in his car trunk then grabs his bag and makes his escape.

The Hardy Boyz vs. Too Cool
Too Cool is whole again with Gradmaster Sexay returning from knee surgery. Scotty 2 Hotty makes his way out with Grandmaster Sexay who’s making his return from knee surgery. Matt and Scotty lock up to start and Scotty goes into a headlock when Matt shoves him off into the ropes when Scotty leapfrogs over Matt and grabs a waistlock Matt counters with a suplex but Scotty flips out of it and hits his own back suplex then kips up and moonwalks to his corner to tag Sexay in. The Too Cool guys bust a move then come off the ropes and throw Matt to the mat before following up with a double elbowdrop. Sexay sets Matt on the top rope but Matt comes back and drills Sexay a tornado DDT before tagging Jeff in. Jeff hops to the top rope and backflips over Sexay to the mat and Sexay gets a headlock when Jeff shoves him off but Sexay comes back with a shoulderblock. Sexay comes off the ropes and Jeff leapfrogs over him and goes for a monkey flip but Sexay counters it and lifts Jeff up into the Stroke. Sexay goes for a whip but Jeff reverses him into a corner and charges but Sexay backdrops him over the ropes. Jeff lands on his feet and pulls Sexay down by the hair then springs off the top rope into a moonsault for a two count. Sexay jabs Jeff in the eyes and tags in Scotty then sets Jeff up for a front flip legdrop from Scotty and Scotty goes for the cover but Matt makes the save. Sexay knocks Matt through the ropes and whips Jeff into a corner then comes off the ropes and hits the bulldog. Sexay readys for the Worm but Matt stops that with a neckbreaker and that gets major jeers from the crowd. Matt drops Sexay on the top rope then tags Jeff back in and climbs the ropes as they do their combo legdrop. Jeff goes for a whip but Scotty counters and tosses Jeff over his head onto the ropes and both men are down. Both men then start crawling to their corners and Matt tags in Jeff while Scotty makes the hot tag to Sexay. Sexay takes it to both Hardys with slams then hops to the middle rope and hits bulldogs and Matt and Jeff. Sexay covers Matt but Jeff saves it and the Hardys both whip Sexay into a corner and Matt drops to the mat while Jeff launches off Matt for the Poetry in Motion. Scotty comes in but the Hardys whip him into a corner too. Matt drops to the mat and Jeff readies for the move again but Sexay stops that by grabbing him by the hair. Jeff knocks Sexay off the apron then slings himself over the top rope into a pescado on Sexay on the floor. Meanwhile Matt is left hanging by his brother when Scotty bulldogs him and this time connects with the Worm. Jeff comes back in and Scotty goes for a whip but Jeff reverses it and Matt nails Scotty with the Twist of Fate. The Hardys turn toward Sexay and Matt sets him up for the Twist of Fate whille Jeff climbs to the top rope looking for the Swanton Bomb but Sexay shoves Matt into the ropes bumping them and causing Jeff to straddle the turnbuckle. Jeff tumbles to the floor while Sexay nails Matt with a superkick and grabs the pin. ** Pretty fun tag match with the Hardys playing the subtle heels. Scotty and Sexay celebrate by donning the shades and proceeding with the post-match dance.

Backstage Vince McMahon is conversing with the Stooges when he asks them to bring Earl Hebner in to see him. Gerald Brisco asks Vince if he wants Hebner on a silver platter but Vince tells him and Pat Patterson to just go get him.

Backstage the Stooges present Earl Hebner to Vince who in turn dismisses them to speak with Hebner alone. Once Brisco and Patterson have left the room Vince gives Hebner a tongue-lashing asking who does he think he is, claiming if it wasn’t for Linda reinstating him last night then Triple H would still be WWF Champion tonight. Hebner says he just wants his job but Vince warns him not to get involved in his business again before sending him out.

The Kat & Jacqueline vs. Terri Runnels & Ivory
Ivory nails Jackie from behind to start and whips her but Jackie comes back with a crossbody for a two count. Ivory snapmares Jackie to the mat but Jackie hits an armdrag then whips Ivory in a corner and hits a monkey flip. Terri breaks up the pin and Jackie whips Ivory back into the corner and but this time Ivory hits a headscissors. Ivory whips Jackie but lowes the head and Jackie puts her in a backslide but Terri again comes in for the save. Jackie works Ivory over in a corner when Terri shoves Jackie from behind but Jackie turns and glares at her. Kat comes in and throws Terri through the ropes then chases her up the ramp and catches her near the stage. The two ladies then roll back down the ramp to ringside and the referee heads out to try and separate them. Back in the ring Ivory shoulderblocks Jackie in a corner and hits a bulldog then whips her back into a corner. Ivory goes for another bulldog but Jackie throws her off and both make the tag to their respective partners. Terri takes Kat down and the two starts cat fighting again but Kat chokes her in a corner when Ivory comes in but Jackie intercepts her. Jackie and Kat both whip Ivory and Terri into each other then go for covers but only get two. Ivory tells the referee about something Jackie did while Kat bodyslams Terri and covers her but Ivory elbowdrops Kat for the save. The referee then has words with Ivory while Terri covers Kat but Jackie elbowdrops Terri to break that pin. Jackie then rolls Kat onto Terri and Kat is able to get the pin. DUD After the match the four ladies continue to go at it until Jackie and Kat manage to stand tall in the ring. Was somewhat decent when Jackie and Ivory were in there but then it had to focus on the other two ladies.

Backstage Vince meets with the rest of DX as Road Dogg and X-Pac demand another shot at the tag team titles after the way Edge & Chrsitian spilled their blood last night. Vince assures them they’ll get another shot but it won’t be tonight because it’s family night and he needs them to defend DX’s honor. Vince says Raod Dogg has a special assignment then asks X-Pac to defend Stephanie’s honor against Chris Jericho. Road Dogg and X-Pac seem happy with their marching orders tonight and head out as we go to commercial.

Back from break Earl Hebner gets a special intro as he heads to the ring to officiate the next match.

Chris Jericho vs. X-Pac (w/Tori)
X-Pac comes out sporting a bandage on his forehead from the bell shot last night and starts having words with Hebner who fires back. Jericho gets on the mic to do his greeting then talks about X-Pac coming out to defend Stephanie’s honor, using the word in different ways then spelling it out before going into his usual description for Stephanie. Both men lockup to start and Jericho applies a headlock then goes into a hammerlock but X-Pac fights him off and hits a shouldebrlock. X-Pac comes off the ropes but runs right into a Japanese armdrag and Jericho chops X-Pac down. X-Pac rolls out to the floor but Jericho nails him with a baseball slide then rams him into the steps before tossing him back in the ring. Jericho climbs up to the top rope but X-Pac kicks out Jericho’s leg causing him to straddle the turnbuckle. X-Pac goes up for a superplex when Jericho blocks it and fights X-Pac to the mat then goes for a missile dropkick but X-Pac swats Jericho away. X-Pac lays the boots to Jericho and kicks him down in a corner setting then goes for the Bronco Buster but Jericho dodges and X-Pac ends up straddling himself on the turnbuckles. Jericho fights back and knocks X-Pac down with a forearm then whips him into a corner but eats an elbow. Jericho sets X-Pac up for the bulldog then goes for the ropes again but Tori grabs his ankle from the floor allwoing X-Pac to nail Jericho from behind. X-Pac whips Jericho but Jericho comes back with a forearm that gets two. Jericho whips X-Pac and lowers the head but X-Pac misses the spinkick and Jericho hits a powerbomb then holds on for the second powerbomb. Jericho connects with the Lionsault and covers X-Pac but Tori distracts Hebner from seeing it so Jericho knocks her off the apron with the springboard dropkick. X-Pac comes back with the spinkick then hits the Bronco Buster as we see the cut on his head has opened up. Hebner pulls X-Pac off Jericho and X-Pac shoves him but Hebner shoves X-Pac down and calls for the bell. ** Jericho then puts X-Pac in the Walls of Jericho when Road Dogg comes in to make the save for his buddy then gets in Hebner’s face. However Hebner shoves Road Dogg down as well and chases him out of the ring as a number of other referees pour in to keep this situation from escalating further.

We then see the newly-crowned WWF Champion The Rock finally arriving an hour late as we go to commercial.

Back from break The Rock makes his way out to the ring to do his first promo as a four-time WWF Champion. Rock says he made a guarantee and delivered on his word last night at Backlash but says he wasn’t the only one to keep a promise and gives props to Steve Austin for coming through for him. Rock then addresses what Triple H and the McMahons said about him earlier and tells all them to know their roles before calling them out. Triple H and the McMahon clan quickly make their way out to the stage and Vince gets on the mic saying history will be made because Rock will have the shortest WWF Title reign in history. Even though it’s already too late for that since Andre the Giant and Yokozuna both held the title for only a few minutes each. Anyway Vince announces Rock will defend the WWF Championship tonight in a steel cage match … against his son Shane. Triple H is surprised by this annoucement as Vince adds the only way to win the match is to escape from the cage so Rock won’t have to worry about Shane pinning him or making him submit to become champion. Rock responds by saying it won’t be the shortest title reign ever but it will in fact be the longest night in Shane’s life then finishes with the usual. Meanwhile Triple H doesn’t seem happy Shane is getting a shot at his title ahead of him.

Back from break Triple H is talking with Shane in the stairwell about the way the main event is being set up. Triple H tells Shane he’s confident he’ll win but it’ll result in him carrying around the championship that belongs to him. Shane feels it doesn’t really matter since the title will be in the Regime’s posession anyway but Triple H says it matters to him.

Out in the arena Edge & Christian head out to the ring but come down the ramp and not through the crowd, pretty much resuming their heel turn. Edge gets on the mic and assures the fans they’re not turning their backs just because they came out the normal way. Edge says he and Christian are willing to pose for 5 seconds so those with flash photography can snap a picture, thus beginning their tradition of 5-second poses. Once E&C do their pose Christian takes the mic and mentions an open challenge they’ve issued for their tag titles tonight. E&C await any challengers when out comes Rikishi … followed by the Big Show, who’s dressed just like Rikishi, complete with a wig similar to Rikishi’s hairstyle and sumo garb with ‘SHOWKISHI’ written on it.

WWF World Tag Team Titles: Edge & Christian © vs. Rikishi Phatu & “Showkishiâ€
E&C rush the ring and try to double-team Show but Show takes both of them out with headbutts. Show whips Edge into a corner and whips Christian into Edge then follows up with a splash on both of them. Rikishi tags in and takes it to E&C then knocks their heads together before whipping Edge into a corner then whipping Christian into Edge and dropping him with a right hand. Edge comes out looking for a Sunset Flip but can’t get Rikishi over and Rikishi goes for the sit-down splash but Edge rolls out of the way. Christian follows up with a dropkick to the face and works him over while Edge dropkicks Show off the apron. E&C double-team Rikishi and come off the ropes but Rikishi clotheslines both of them. Show tags back in and headbutts Edge and nails Christian with a short-arm clothesline then turns and tosses Edge across the ring. Show press slams Chrsitian onto Edge and Edge bails out to the floor while Show whips Christian into a boot. Show grabs Christian for a chokeslam but Edge brings the bell in and clocks Show in the head with it for a DQ. After the match Rikisih nails Edge and Christian with superkicks then he and Show drag them to the opposite corners and climb the ropes looking for Banzai Drops. E&C quickly roll out to the floor and head up the ramp but Road Dogg and X-Pac jump them and toss them back in the ring. Rikishi and Show whip E&C into opposite corners then each does the butt splash and the Stinkface on them. E&C then depart while Rikishi and Show don the shades and commence with the post-match dance. At least the crowd was into all of it. DUD!

Back from break Triple H is complaing to Stephanie about how Shane is going to leave here with his WWF Title. Triple H wants to know where Vince is coming from and Stephanie suggests Vince wants to see who the better man is.

WWF European Title: Eddie Guerrero © (w/Chyna) vs. Essa Rios (w/Lita)
And here’s another match from last night’s pay-per-view that we’re getting for free. Lita comes out with Rios wearing Chyna’s prom dress that she took from her after the match last night. Lita and Rios even imitate Chyna and Eddie as their opponents come out not looking like they appreciate that. Eddie wails away on Rios to start and whips him into a tilt-o-whirl backbreaker then goes for another whip but Rios reverses it and leapfrogs over Eddie. Rios monkey flips Eddie into the ropes then chagres at him when Eddie backdrops him over the ropes but Rios lands on the apron and gets in his shots. Rios locks knuckles with Eddie then runs up to the top rope and leaps off connecting with a huricanrana. Rios hitsh his own tilt-o-whril backbreaker for a two count then hits a Frankensteinr for another near fall. Rios then takes Eddie and himself over the ropes with a headscissors and Eddie quickly heads back in the ring while Chyna comes over and decks Rios then drops him on the apron before throwing him back in the ring. Eddie goes for a whip, Rios reverses him into a corner but eats an elbow. Eddie goes for a tornado bulldog and Rios blocks it but Eddie comes back with a modified Gory Special and that gets the pin. Lita goes in to tend to Rios but Chyna dropkicks them from behind then reclaims her dress from Lita. *

Back from break we find Earl Hebner trying to get some coffee when Tori ends up spilling it on him. Hebner complains about the coffee burining him but Tori says she was getting tea and that accidents happen.

WWF Intercontinential Title: Chris Benoit © vs. Tazz
Tazz first gets on the mic talking about Benoit always walking around as if the world owes him something then promises to turn Benoit’s frown upside-down because the mood is about to change. Benoit quickly gets the advantage to start and goes for a whip and Tazz reverses it but Benoit slides under him and hits a snap suplex followed by a backbreaker for a two count. Benoit goes for a whip but Tazz reverses it and grabs him for a suplex but Benoit fights out of it. Tazz comes back with a Northen Lights Tazplex for a two count. Tazz hits a clothesline for another near fall then goes for a whip but Benoit counters with a knee to the chest. Both men exchange chops and Benoit gets the advanatge but Tazz nails him with a forearm as Perry Saturn comes out. Tazz has words with Saturn but Benoit plants him with a Fisherman’s suplex and gets the quick pin. After the match Tazz goes out to the floor and starts fighting with Saturn when Hardcore Holly makes his way down the ramp and watches the two of them duke it out. Hardcore goes in the ring and lays out Benoit with the Hollycaust then heads out to the apron and takes out Tazz and Saturn with a flying clothesline and walks off. Seems like Hardcore is sending a message to someone. DUD!!! It was like a minute long C'MON.

Backstage Earl Hebner is having a conference with the other referees when Triple H walks up behind him and stares him down. Triple H then lets Hebner leave and the rest of the referees scatter as well.

Backstage Michael Cole interviews Crash Holly asking if his constant 24/7 Hardcore Title defenses are getting to him and Crash denies it but then accuses Cole of looking at him funny as if he’s plotting to take his title. Crash admits everybody seems to be out to get him when Steve Blackman flies in with a garbage can shot on Crash. Blackman then pulls a nearby referee in as he covers Crash for a two count and looks like we have a title match…

WWF Hardcore Title: Crash Holly © vs. Steve Blackman
Blackman fights with Crash out to the arena and goes for a whip but Crash reverses him into the barricade. Crash grabs a kendo stick but Blackman takes it from him then breaks it in half and works Crash over with the pieces. Blackman throws Crash in the ring and pulls out a baking sheet then whips Crash and nails him with the sheet. Blackman cracks Crash in the head with the sheet for a two count then whips him into a kick. Crash rolls out to the floor when Blackman goes out and goes for a whip but Crash reverses him into the ringsteps. Crash pulls out a trash can lid and waffles Blackman with it then tries to flee into the crowd when the Ravens players start attacking him. Johnathan Ogden shakes Crash around and covers him but another Raven (I forget who) tosses him aside to go for the pin. Crash kicks out and takes off with Blackman behind him and … I guess that’s all we’re getting. 1/2* The usual TV Hardcore non-finish match.

The Rock is shown heading to the ring for the main even as we go to commercial.

Steel Cage Match for the WWF World Heavyweight Title: The Rock © vs. Shane McMahon (w/Triple H, Stephanie & Vince)
The only way to win this match is escape only, no pinfalls or submissions. Shane comes out first with the rest of the crew … followed by Gerald Brisco and Pat Patterson wearing referee shirts. As the cage lowers Triple H gives Shane some advice and Patterson heads in to act as the referee for this match while Brisco is apparently going to be the outside ref. Rock makes his way out and starts heading toward Vince and Triple H but Brisco orders him to get in the cage. Once Rock goes in the cage Patterson gets his attention while Shane tries to quickly climb up the cage wall but doesn’t get far when Rock catches him and pounds away on him. Rock whips Shane into an elbow then whips him into a corner and follows up with a clothesline. Patterson again tries to distract Rock while Shane crawls toward the door and Vince tries to pull Shane through it. However Rock engages Vince in a tug-of-war and manages to pull both Shane and Vince in the cage. Rock gets in some shots on Vince until Patterson pulls him off Vince allowing Triple H and Brisco help Vince out to the floor. Shane makes another run at the door but Rock cuts him off and slams him with a London Bridge. Rock goes for a whip but Shane reverses it and hits a jumping elbow, finally getting in some offense. Shane hits a clothelsine then chokes Rock on the mat and hits a forearm to the back. Shane then distracts Paterson while Triple H and Vince grab a stick and poke Rock through the cage with it. Shane starts shuffing around while getting in some jabs but Rock puts a stop to that with a DDT. Rock starts climbing up the cage wall but Triple H jabs him with the stick causing him to fall back off to the mat. Triple H pokes at Rock once more but Rock grabs the stick and pulls it into the cage then breaks it on Shane’s back. Rock throws Shane into the wall repeatedly then works him over in a corner and caps off with the Smackdown. Patterson nails Rock form behind but Rock shrugs it off and turns toward Patterson when Shane clotheslines him from behind. Shane starts climbing up and reaches the top of the cage but Rock catches him and rams him into the light rig. Shane is out as Rock starts his climb to the top but Patterson pulls Rock back by the ankle and hits a low blow. Rock straddles himself on the ropes and is down while Patterson tries to shove Shane over the top to the floor for the win. Rock recovers and pulls Patterson down then throws him into the wall and takes him out with a Rock Bottom. Shane then starts moving again but Rock grabs him by the hair and pulls him off the top back into the cage then nails the People’s Elbow. Rock starts heading out the door but Brisco slams it into Rock’s head. Triple H then goes into the cage himself and hammers Rock with right hands then throws him into the wall. Triple H tees off on Rock as the fans chant “We want Austin!†but JR says there’ll be no Steve Austin tonight. Suddenly Earl Hebner makes his way out and Brisco tries to stop him but Heber responds by ramming him into the wall. Triple H desparately tries to drag Shane through the door but Henber slams the door on Triple H to stop that. Rock plants Triple H with a spinebuster then climbs over the top and drops down to the floor for the win. **1/2 You know what this was better then i expected it to be, it was entertaning with the usual good bumping from Shane. Hebner presents Rock with the belt while Vince is furious his plan has been foiled and Raw goes off air.

Overall: Most of the matches had already been done before in recent months (with two rematchs from the pay-per-view the night before) and only the main event and the Hardys/Too Cool bout were really worthwhile. There wasn’t much in the way of angle progression either, making it look like the WWF is just trying to get things settled before building toward Judgment Day which they only had three weeks to do. 5/10

 

[Crippler]

WWF SMACKDOWN 05/04/2000
Richmond Colliseum in Richmond, VA​

List of WWF Champions at the time:
● WWF World Heavyweight Champion: The Rock (4/30/2000)
● WWF Intercontinental Champion: Chris Benoit (4/02/2000)
● WWF World Tag Team Champions: Edge & Christian (4/02/2000)
● WWF European Champion: Eddie Guerrero (4/03/2000)
● WWF Hardcore Champion: Crash Holly (4/27/2000)
● WWF Women’s Champion: Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley (3/30/2000)
● WWF Light Heavyweight Champion: Dean Malenko (4/27/2000)

Smackdown comes on the air with clips of The Rock surviving the cage match with his title intact on Raw.

Things kick off with Richmond’s own Earl Hebner getting a special intro as he officiates our first match tonight. And you can already tell the evening won’t end well for Hebner since bad things often happen to certain people in their hometowns (i.e. Jim Ross).

WWF Intercontinential Title: Chris Benoit © vs. Chris Jericho
I guess this is a make-up for their match at Backlash having an unsatisfying finish. Benoit and Jericho stand nose-to-nose and Benoit slaps Jericho in the face but Jericho slaps him back so Benoit takes Jericho down by the legs and unloads on him. Both men end up rolling out of the ring to the floor then climb back in the ring and Benoit hits a clothesline. Benoit whips Jericho but Jericho comes back with a forearm then unloads on Benoit and both men exchange chops. Jericho gets the advantage by raking the face and goes for a whip, Benoit reverses it but lowers the head and Jericho clubs the back and powerbombs him. Jericho then goes for the Lionsault but Benoit is back up and pulls Jericho off the ropes with a German suplex. Benoit holds on for a second German suplex then holds on for a bridge suplex but only gets a two count. Benoit follows up with a gutbuster then stomps Jericho down in a corner when Hebner pulls him off Jericho so Benoit has words with him. Benoit chops Jericho and goes for a whip but Jericho reverses him into a corner. Jericho charges but eats a boot and Benoit comes out but runs into a spinning heel kick that gets a two count. Benoit chops Jericho down and works him over in a corner with chops as he starts bleeding from the nose. Benoit whips Jericho into the other corner and charges but eats an elbow and Jerihco hops to the middle rope and connects with a missile dropkick. Both men start exchanging punches when Jericho gets the advantage and hammers Benoit with kneelifts then comes off the ropes with the bulldog for two. Jericho chops Benoit against the ropes and goes for a whip and Benoit counters into another gutbuster attempt but Jericho counters that into a rollup for a two count. Benoit comes back and hits a back suplex then climbs up to the top rope but Jericho bumps the ropes causing Benoit to straddle the top turnbuckle. Jericho climbs up after Benoit but Benoit fights him off to the mat then leaps off going for a Sunset Flip. Jericho rolls through it and goes into the Walls of Jericho when Benoit tries to counter it into the Crossface but Jericho is able to keep Benoit from locking it in. Benoit suplexes Jericho over the ropes to the floor and Hebner tries to keep Benoit from going out to the floor but Benoit argues with Hebner before shoving him and Hebner shoves Benoit back. Benoit shoves Hebner through the ropes while Jericho brings the IC belt in the ring and clocks Benoit with it. Jericho connects with the Lionsault and Hebner counts the three for the win and Jericho’s third IC Title! So the inital match ended inconclusively, and after a four-day wait Jericho gets his win, Not quite their pay-per-view epic but still another good battle between the two greats. ***

Backstage a pair of limos arrive and the McMahons, DX, and the Stooges all file out of them and head inside. Vince says tonight is going to be a fun evening as we go to commercial.

Back from break Vince McMahon leads the McMahon-Helmsely Regime out to the ring for our promo segment. Vince gets on the mic first and talks about being in Richmond, a town he says contains so much historical significance such as being the home of Jefferson Davis, serving as the captial of the Confideracy and the location of Patrick Henry’s famous speech. Vince also says Richmond has been known for his corrupt city council and not coincidently is also the home of referee Earl Hebner. Vince decides since this is Hebner’s hometown then it’s only fitting that he should compete in his first match tonight, and should Hebner refuse he will be in breach of contract meaning he’ll be fired and this time stay fired. However Vince says Hebner won’t have to be in the ring all by himself since he’ll be teaming up with The Rock in a handicap match against X-Pac, Road Dogg and Triple H. It gets better as Vince announces the WWF Championship will be on the line as well and Rock will lose the title if either he or Hebner get pinned. Vince finishes up by saying Richmond will see more history made with the crowning of a new WWF Champion. You’ll notice Vince didn’t say if any member of DX could win the title by scoring the pin, not that it matters anyway.

Back from break we get footage of Edge and Christian trying to clean the pores on their faces earlier today. Christian wants to make Rikishi pay for the stinkfaces he gave them on Raw with Edge blaming him for losing to cover of “Tiger Beatâ€.

Eddie Guerrero & Chyna vs. Essa Rios & Lita
This match is the result of Lita and Chyna disrobing each other over the past few days. Eddie presents Chyna with some roses but Rios snatches them away from her and gives them to Lita. Eddie responds to that by getting in the first shots on Rios then whips him and hits a tilt-o-whril backbreaker. Eddie follows up with a back suplex then tags Chyna in and both of them naill Rios with a double brainbuster. Eddie whips Rios and Chyna trips him with a drop toehold then holds him while Eddie dropkicks him in the face. Chyna kicks at Rios then slams him to the mat while Eddie tags in and slings himself over the ropes into a hilo. Rios starts to fight back and goes for an enzuigiri when Eddie ducks it but Rios backflips out of it to his feet and hits an elbow. Rios dropkicks Chyna off the apron and Lita comes over to get in a few stomps on Chyna then quickly backs away. Rios whips Eddie and hits a powerslam for a two count then goes for another whip, Eddie reverses it and goes for a backdrop but Rios lands on his feet and hits an armdrag. Rios then distracts the referee while Lita chokes Eddie on the rope from the floor and slaps him in the face. Rios goes for a whip but Eddie reverses it and connects with a jumping elbow then makes the tag to Chyna. Eddie holds Rios over his shoulder while Chyna hops to the middle rope and hits an elbow to the chest. Chyna whips Rios into an elbow then comes off the ropes but she and Rios end up clothelsining each other. Lita starts begging Rios for a tag and once she gets it Lita climbs to the top rope. However Chyna bumps the ropes caussing Lita to straddle the turnbuckle then Chyna powerbombs her off the top rope. Eddie and Rios go at it on the floor while Chyna whips Lita and press slams her to the mat then covers her with one foot on the chest for the pin. *1/2 Match was okay while the men were in there but I didn’t really like seeing Chyna squash Lita like that.

We then get footage of Kurt Angle attending the premiere of Gladiator in Los Angeles last Monday with Josh Olson & Pete Licata who won some sort of contest. After that Angle talks with Lillian Garcia backstage about how great the movie was. Angle then talks about how he loves gladiator movies then says he and his friends are having a gladiator movie party soon and invites Lillian to join them and bring a friend. Angle then walks off while Lillian just shakes her head in disbelief at Angle probably not knowing what he just said.

Kurt Angle vs. Hardcore Holly
Angle first gets on the mic and says whenever he hears the word ‘hardcore’ he thinks of hardcore pornography. Angle also suggets the state motto should be changed to ‘Virginia is for lovers, who aren’t in the same family.’ Hardcore then gets on the mic and tells Angle that neither he nor the fans care anything about his philosophy then says Virginia may be for lovers but isn’t a place for 30-year-old virgins about to get beaten up. Hardcore goes right to work on Angle and goes for a whip, Angle reverses it but Hardcore hits a shoulderblock. Hardcore comes off the ropes and Angle leapfrogs over him but Hardcore powerbombs him for a two count. Hardcore whips Angle and clotheslines him in a corner then whips him but Angle throws him through the ropes. Angle goes out after Hardcore on the floor and goes for a whip but Hardcore reverses him into the steps then goes for another whip but Angle reverses him into the ringpost. Angle throws Hardcore back in the ring and hits a belly-to-belly suplex for two then whips Hardcore but lowers the head and Hardcore kicks the face. Hardcore clubs Angle in the back repeatedly and follows up with a suplex but Angle shoves him into the ropes. Hardcore comes back and Angle leapfrogs him but apparently lands awkwardly and is down on the mat clutching his knee. Hardcore kicks at Angle’s injured knee when the referee pulls him away so Hardcore has words with the referee before shoving him. The referee shoves Hardcore back … right into a German suplex from Angle that gets the pin. Angle celebrates the win while showing no signs of a hurt knee but Hardcore cuts it short with a dropkick. Hardcore then brings a chair in the ring and drills Angle onto it with the Hollycaust. * Fun for 2 minutes.

Rikishi and his rear end start heading to the ring for a handicap match as we go to commercial.

Edge & Christian © vs. Rikishi Phatu
After E&C come out Christian gets on the mic and announces their faces are 100% clear of Rikishi’s rear while Edge promises to make Rikishi rue the day he disgraced the faces that the people love. E&C try to rush Rikishi to start but Rikishi hits both of them with a pair of cdouble clotheslines. Rikishi whips Edge into a corner then whips Christian into Edge before hitting the running butt splash on both of them. Christian manages to crawl away but Edge slumps down on the mat and Rikishi gives him his second stinkface. Rikishi then scoops Christian up for the sit-down piledriver but Christian slips out of it while Edge spears Rikishi. E&C double-team Rikishi and both hit running headbutts and Christian covers Rikishi but Rikishi powers out of the pin. E&C both dropkick Rikishi through the ropes and Edge follows up with a baseball slide then goes out and holds Rikishi for Christian who springboards over the ropes with the plancha. Christian drops down to the floor while Edge launches off him looking for the crossbody but Rikishi sidesteps it and Edge flies into the ringpost. Rikishi nails Christian then rolls back in the ring just before the referee finishes the 10 count to take this match. Chrisitan goes back in the ring and attacks Rikishi from behind then sets him up for another spear from Edge. Christian then holds Rikishi while Edge brings the bell in the ring but Too Cool come out for the save before he can use it. Grandmaster Sexay kicks the bell in Edge’s face and Rikishi whips Christian into a bulldog from Scotty 2 Hotty. Scotty hits the Worm on Christian and E&C depart while the Too Cool trio do the post-match dance. 1/2*

[video=youtube;PPqo8ipgf_c]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPqo8ipgf_c[/video]

The Hardy Boyz vs. T & A
Matt Hardy and Albert lockup to start and Albert forces Matt into a corner but Matt manages to slip out of it. Albert charges at Matt but Matt trips him with a drop toehold then goes into a headlock. Albert tries to counter it and Matt keeps the hold on but Albert eventually shoves him off into the ropes and hits a shoulderblock. Matt starts fighting back and goes for a whip and Albert reverses it but Matt slides under the ropes to the floor. Albert goes out and chases after Matt who tags Jeff on his way back in the ring before Albert corners him and stomps him down. Jeff nails Albert from behind and the Hardys whip Albert into the opposite corner then Matt drops to the mat while Jeff hits the Poetry in Motion but Albert powers out of the cover. Jeff comes off the ropes when Albert presses him up for a slam but falls down instead while Jeff lands on his feet and dropkicks the face. Albert whips Jeff into his corner and Jeff knocks Test off the apron when Albert charges at Jeff for the Avalance but Jeff sidesteps and hits the count-along punches. Albert interupts it attempting a powerbomb and Jeff tries to counter into with huricanrana but can’t get Albert over and Albert plants Jeff with a sit-down powerbomb. Matt makes the save but Test comes in for a double-team then both men Jeff and hit a tilt-o-whirl slam. Test takes over and hits the Full Nelson slam for a two count then Albert tags in and pummels Jeff in a corner with kicks and punches. Albert whips Jeff into another corner but Jeff runs up the ropes and connects with a corkscrew moonsault. Both men are down and they crawl to the corners and Albert tags in Test while Jeff makes the hot tag to Matt. Matt pulls Test down by his hair and hits a neckbreaker and Albert comes in but Matt catches him with a DDT. Matt hits Test with the Twist of Fate but Albert makes the save and all four men start going at it in the ring. Albert sends Jeff through the ropes while Test whips Matt into a corner and Albert pops him with an uppercut. Test then goes for the pump-handle slam when Jeff holds onto Matt’s leg from the apron to prevent the move but Albert knocks Jeff off the apron and Test hits the move. Test covers Matt but the referee is too busy getting Albert out of the ring, allowing Jeff to climb to the top rope and hit the Swanton Bomb on Test to break up the pin. Jeff then keeps Albert at bay while Matt is able to cover Test and grab the pin for his team. After the match Albert decides to be a sore loser by tossing Jeff through the ropes and helping Test double-team Matt. Albert hits the Torture Rack slam and Test climbs to the top rope and connects with the flying elbowdrop on Matt for good measure.*1/2 It was a goof effort by all for but it just didn't click.

Backstage Johnathan Coachman interviews Earl Hebner about having to wrestle in the main event tonight and Hebner says he’s a referee, not a wreslter, yet he’s being forced to go get beaten down in the ring or lose his job. Coach reminds Hebner if he gets pinned he’ll cost The Rock the WWF Title and Hebner says he’ll feel awful about it then asks how will he be in any condition to do his job and make a living for his family after tonight.

Back from break The Big Show makes his way to the ring dressed up not unlike the Berzerker. Show gets on the mic and calls himself “Shonan the Barbarian†then says he will crush his enemies under his feet.

Shonan The Barbarian†vs. Bull Buchanan
Buchanan rushes the ring with an extendable baton and works Show over with it then spits in his face. However Show shifts into his big nasty mode and levels Buchanan with a clothesline then whips him into a corner and clotheslines him. Show stomps Buchanan down before tossing him over the ropes then goes out and drops him on the barrciade. Show tosses Buchanan back in the ring and chokeslams him then grabs Buchanan by the neck and hits a second chokeslam. Show clears Buchanan out to the floor then poses before heading to the back and I don’t believe this was an actual match. DUD/UGH/WASTE OF TIME

Backstage Vince McMahon invites Earl Hebner into his office and says he hopes there’s no hard feelings between them, that he has to do what he has to do. Vince tells Hebner he hopes he doesn’t get hurt or lose The Rock’s WWF Championship but regardless of what happens everyone will know Hebner tried his best then wishes him luck in the match.

Back from break we find Crash Holly about to head out since he doesn’t have a scheduled Hardcore Title defense tonight. However Crash walks by some giant inflatable playsets and decides he can’t resist taking a peak without considering it might be a trap. Crash peers inside an inflatabale house when Dean Malenko appears and shoves Crash inside the house then heads in with referee Jack Doan in tow and it looks like Crash has a title defense after all.

WWF Hardcore Title: Crash Holly © vs. Dean Malenko
Malenko covers Crash on the airbag floor but only gets a two count then trips Crash with a drop toehold. Crash comes back with a dropkick but misses a splash and Malenko goes for an elbowdrop but he misses that and Crash hits a jawbreaker. Crash manages to escape from the house but Malenko chases after him out into the arena. Crash rolls Malenko up on the floor for two as they reach ringside and Malenko whips Crash into the steps before throwing him and a trash can in the ring. Malenko sets the can up in a corner and goes to whip Crash into it when Crash reverses it but Malenko stops himself. Crash charges at Malenko who backdrops him over the ropes but Crash lands on his feet on the apron. Crash climbs to the top rope and kicks the can out of Malenko’s hands but Malenko cuts Crash off then climbs up and hits a superplex as Perry Saturn makes his way out to the ring. Malenko covers Crash but Saturn pulls Malenko out of the ring then goes in looking to get the title for himself and drills Crash with a brainbuster. Malenko pulls Saturn off Crash and the two start arguing with each other then exchange shoves. Suddenly Crash nails Malenko with a trash can bumping Saturn through the ropes then covers Malenko and gets the pin once again dodging a bullet. through the ropes then covers Malenko and gets the pin once again dodging a bullet. (2:40) Not much of a match but had its funny moments in the beginning. Crash grabs his belt and dashes off while Malenko and Saturn start going at it with each other and it looks like more trouble in the Radicals’ ranks. *

Backstage The Big Show meets with Shane McMahon asking about what he thinks of his latest antics this week but Shane responds by walking away from Show and making a face as we go to commercial.

Back from break we get footage of Shane continuing his conversation with the Big Show during the break after he started to walk off. Shane turns back and tells Show he let him down at Wrestlemania after he tried to make him somebody. Shane reminds Show he gave him a shot to be WWF Champion but was embarrassed after Show was the first man eliminated. Shane brings up Show wanting to go out on his own and entertain the public but claims all he is doing is acting like a fool. Shane calls Show a pathetic, pea-brained, unnmotivated waste of oxygen and claims no one will ever care about him because he doesn’t deserve it. Shane then walks off leaving Show on the verge of tears.

Elsewhere Kevin Kelly interviews The Rock and Earl Hebner suggesting the McMahons are putting the screws to him now. Rock admits the decked is stacked against him and he loses the WWF Title whether he or Hebner get beaten but that’s not happening tonight. Rock mentions what Vince said about Patrick Henry before saying instead of liberty he wants DX rolled up in a ball so he can stuff it somewhere and finishing with the usual.

We then see the McMahon-Helmsley army heading to the ring for the main event as we go to commercial.

WWF World Heavyweight Title: The Rock © & Earl Hebner vs. D-Generation X (w/The Regime)
Hebner comes out with the Rock but has that “deer in the headlights†look. Rock starts off with Road Dogg who constantly dares Hebner to come in allowing Rock to get in the first shots. Rock whips Road Dogg into a corner but eats an elbow and Road Dogg charges out but runs into a clothesline. Rock hits a series of elbows but Road Dogg jabs the eyes to get the advantange then brings Rock to his corner then tags X-Pac in for a double-team. Road Dogg taunts Hebner to come in and help Rock but Hebner stays out while X-Pac chops away on Rock. Rock goes for a whip and X-Pac reverses it but Rock hits a tilt-o-whirl slam. Rock then covers X-Pac when Road Dogg tries to make the save with an elbowdrop but nails X-Pac instead. Triple H comes in and clotheslines Rock to stop that rally then tags in to take over on Rock with his good arm. Triple H stomps Rock down in a corner but Rock switches position and hammers Triple H then hits the Smackdown. Rock holds Triple H for Hebner to get in a shot then takes off Triple H’s sling and works over the bad arm. Rock applies an armwringer then goes for a whip but Triple H reverses it and X-Pac kicks Rock from behind. Rock decks X-Pac off the apron but Triple H comes back with a neckbreaker. X-Pac tags in to take over and kicks away on Rock’s ribs when Hebner actually comes in but the referee tries to get him back out. While Hebner argues with the referee Triple H helps X-Pac choke Rock on the ropes then hits a forearm. X-Pac chokes Rock then draws Hebner in to distract the referee while Vince and X-Pac double-team Rock. Triple H tags in and pounds on Rock with a series of rights then tags Road Dogg in and Road Dogg slams him before hitting the shake, rattle ‘n kneedrop for a two count. X-Pac tags back in when Rock rallys back and comes off the ropes but runs into a heel kick. X-Pac clotheslines Rock over the ropes and Triple H pounds on Rock on the floor then throws him into the ringpost. The DX’ers taunt Hebner to come in and Hebner decides against it and tries backing away but Triple H cuts off his escape and tosses him in the ring. Road Dogg and X-Pac have Hebner cornered when Rock pulls Triple H off the apron and clotheslines him. Rock then goes in and takes it to the DX’ers before knocking X-Pac over the ropes with the Smackdown. Rock drills Road Dogg with a DDT when Shane runs in the ring but Rock takes him out with the spinbuster. The Stooges hop on the apron but Rock dispatches the two of themas well. Chris Jericho comes out and attacks Triple H but Vince goes over and decks Jericho. Rock stomps Road Dogg down as X-Pac brings a chair in the ring but Hebner low blows X-Pac and Rock plants him with the Rock Bottom and gets the three to retain. *3/4 main event that was way overbooked in the end but they wisely limited Hebner’s participation, though this means Rock was able to beat three men almost single-handedly again.

After the match Rock and Hebner celebrate the win but Triple H nails Rock from behind and helps the DX’ers triple-team him. Road Dogg and X-Pac then hold Rock up while Triple H clocks Rock in the head with the championship belt. Hebner tries to escape but Vince and Shane grab him and force him to watch Triple H give Rock the Pedigree before tossing him in the ring. Road Dogg keeps Rock at bay while Triple H knocks Hebner out with a right hand and pounds on him as we see Hebner bleeding from the mouth. Triple H and X-Pac hold Hebner for a chair shot from Road Dogg then drives him into the chair with a Pridgree. Rikishi makes his way out to the ring and takes out everyone his sees but gets overwhelmed by the numbers. Big Show then comes out and takes out the Regime with headbutts when Shane leaps on his back and brings him down with a sleeper. Rock tries to fight back but Triple H low blows Rock to stop that rally then low blows Show and DDT’s him. The Dudley Boyz now make their way out with a table in hand and clear the Regime from the ring and Triple H’s crew departs to the ramp while the faces are left standing tall. ikishi notices the Stooges are still at ringside so he goes out and tosses both of them in the ring. Show headbutts Pat Patterson and Bubba chokes him down in a corner while Rikishi gives him the Stinkface. D’Von sets the table up and hands Gerald Brisco over to Bubba so he can superbomb him through the table. Finally the EMTs make their way out to ringside and load the fallen Hebner onto a stretcher then wheel him to the back with Rock walking beside him as Smackdown goes off air.

Overall: The opener was good with a nice surprise title change but after that none of the other matches could follow it, plus there was little in angle progression. Unfortunately at this time the McMahon-Hemlsely Regime was starting to resemble the nWo more and more with each passing show as evidenced by the overbooked main event and long closing segment that we’ve seen on many a Nitro. So other than the Benoit/Jericho opener there’s nothing really worth seeking out here. 4/10.

 

[Crippler]

WWF RAW IS WAR 05/08/2000
Nassau Colliseum in Uniondale, NY​

List of WWF Champions at the time:
● WWF World Heavyweight Champion: The Rock (4/30/2000)
● WWF Intercontinental Champion: Chris Jericho (5/04/2000)
● WWF World Tag Team Champions: Edge & Christian (4/02/2000)
● WWF European Champion: Eddie Guerrero (4/03/2000)
● WWF Hardcore Champion: The British Bulldog (5/06/2000)
● WWF Women’s Champion: Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley (3/30/2000)
● WWF Light Heavyweight Champion: Dean Malenko (4/27/2000)

Things kick off with Edge and Christian making their way out to the ring accompanied by the Acolytes for some reason. Christian gets on the mic and explains he and Edge have thrown out an open challenge for a tag team title match tonight so they’ve hired the Acolytes to make sure no other teams interfere and cost them their belts. Edge takes the mic and says the fans in Long Island aren’t the best-looking people so he and Christian have decided to satisfy the fans’ appetite for beautiful faces by giving them a six-second pose. Once they get the pose out of the way Edge turns to the Acolytes and asks them to stay sober enough to help them out as they await their challengers. However Bradshaw takes the mic saying he and Faarooq aren’t sober right now and offers to give them a 100% refund while Faarooq says there won’t be any remonse when they beat them, deciding to accept the challenge for themsleves.

WWF World Tag Team Titles: Edge & Christian © vs. The Acolytes
The Acolytes pound on E&C and Bradshaw clotheslines Edge over the ropes then heads out while Christian jabs Faarooq in the eyes. Christian goes for a whip but Faarooq counters into a powerslam for a two count. Faarooq rams Christian into Bradshaw’s boot then tags in him and whips Chrsitian into a double shoulderblock. Bradshaw whips Christian who goes for a crossbody but Bradshaw catches him and hits the fallaway slam. Bradshaw whips Christian again but doesn’t see Edge making a blind tag and Christian bails out to the floor Edge climbs to the top and hits a missile dropkick. Edge whips Bradshaw but lowers the head and Bradshaw clubs the back then works him over in a corner and whips him into a shoulderblock. Faarooq tags back in and drops Edge with a right then whips him but lowers the head and Edge hits a DDT. Faarooq manages to tag Bradshaw back in and Bradshaw hits a back suplex but Christian breaks up the cover. Bradshaw whips Edge but lowers the head and Edge hits a swinging neckbreaker then tags Christian back in and E&C hit a double suplex followed by a double headbutt. Christian covers but Bradshaw powers out of it so Christian goes for a whip but Bradshaw reverses him into a corner and charges at him only to eat a boot. Christian hops to the middle rope and leaps off but Bradshaw cuts him down with a clothesline in mid-air. Christian tags in Edge while Bradshaw tags in Faarooq and Faarooq hammers away on Edge with clotheslines. Bradshaw comes in and whips Christian who ducks a clothesline but runs into a spinebuster from Faarooq. Edge hops to the middle rope and leaps off but both Acolytes catch him and plant him with a spinebuster. The referee orders Bradshaw out of the ring while Christian brings the ring bell in and nails Faarooq with it. Bradshaw then grabs the bell and clocks Edge and Christian with it but ends up getting his team DQ’ed. * Boring with not much going on. After the match E&C quickly grab their belts and depart while Bradshaw throws the bell at the referee in frustration. However the Big Bossman and Bull Buchanan run in and take out the Acolytes with Bossman’s nightstick, showing that feud’s still going on. Bossman chokes Faarooq out while Buchanan climbs to the top and hits Bradshaw with the guillotine legdrop.

We next get a recap of the various individuals who got involved in the main event last Thursday on Smackdown. That’s followed by a shot of Vince McMahon and the rest of the crew preparing to head out to the ring as we go to commercial.

Triple H leads the McMahon-Helmsley army out to the ring for our marathon promo segment. Triple H takes the mic first and brings up the vicious beating Earl Hebner received on Smackdown before saying the WWF has been flooded with well-wishes to Hebner. Triple H then says Hebner has not been able to respond to them with his broken jaw wired up and fingers broken and his eyes swollen shut. Triple H says Hebner could have avoided all of that had he stayed out of the Regime’s business but he just had to be the hero. Triple H also shows clips of Hebner getting destroyed on the TitanTron saying that’s what happens to all who cross them. Triple H then addresses his upcoming title rematch with Rock at Judgement Day saying everyone will know the truth and this time it’ll be just the two of them with no Steve Austin, Linda McMahon or Earl Hebner around. Triple H then proposes he and Rock up the ante to separate the men from the boys by challenging him to a 60-minute Iron Man match where whoever gets the most falls in one hour wins the title. Triple H tells Rock to look inside himself and see if he can put it all on the line and hang with him for one entire hour. Triple H says Rock won’t be able to go the distance with him because he is the future champion and is that damn good. Vince takes over the mic and starts to say something about tonight but gets interupted by Chris Jericho’s entrance. Jericho comes out to the stage with a mic and does his intro then apologizes to Vince for beating him up on Thursday calling it an instict just like Shane being a word that rhymes with ‘wussy’ and Stephanie being a bottom-feeder. Vince tells Jericho there’s nothing to stop them from beating him up and the group starts to head out to do just that when the Dudleys, Rikishi and the Big Show come out and join Jericho on the stage so Triple H and the others think better of it. As the DX’ers back away into the ring Vince gets back on the mic and offers a rebuttal to what Jericho said about him then decides to make him pay by booking him to defend the Intercontinential Title against Kurt Angle tonight, making a guarantee that Jericho won’t leave this building with the IC Title around his waist. Shane takes the mic and addresses Big Show’s actions on Thrusday after he gave him a hard answer to his question. Shane tells Show he’s been acting like a fool with all his characters and they’re going to somehow settle this thing tonight. Vince then books the Dudleys in a tables match against Gerald Brisco while Rikishi gets to face Pat Patterson. Say what? Vince admits the matches are unusual and crazy but says everyone will once again know of his superior mental acumen. Jericho and his group depart while the Stooges are worried about their matches tonight as we finally end this segment.

WWF Intercontinential Title: Chris Jericho © vs. Kurt Angle
Angle first gets on the mic and says he’s honored the Regime picked him to take the IC belt from Jericho and that he’s also honored to defend Stephanie’s honor because she has class unlike the Long Island fans. Angle finishes by telling Jericho when he insults Stephanie he insults everything that is good about society today. Both men lockup to start with Angle applying a headlock and Jericho shoves him off but eats a shoulderblock. Angle comes off the ropes and Jericho leapfrogs over him and hits an elbow then whips him and hits a chop. Angle rakes the face for the advantage and pummels Jericho in a corner then goes for a whip, Jericho reverses but Angle drops Jericho onto the turnbuckles. Angle charges at Jericho but gets backdropped over the ropes and Jericho knocks Angle off the apron with the springboard dropkick. Jericho goes for a baseball slide and misses Anlge but still throws him into the ringsteps before tossing him back in the ring. Jericho climbs to the top rope but Angle cuts him off then climbs up himself and hits a belly-to-belly superplex for a two count. Angle pounds Jericho down in a corner and chokes him with his boot then hits a suplex for another near fall. Angle applies a modified chinlock with a grapevine but Jericho is able to fight out of it then comes off the ropes and hits a butterfly backbreaker for two. Jericho goes for a whip but Angle counters it with a Fireman’s carry that gets him a near fall. Angle goes for a whip, Jericho reverses him into a corner and charges but eats a boot and Angle comes out but runs into a spinning heel kick. Jericho goes for another whip and Angle reverses it when Jericho comes back with a flying forearm. Jericho comes off the ropes and hits Angle with a bulldog for a two count. Jericho goes for a whip, Angle reverses and Jericho kicks the face but runs into an overhead belly-to-belly throw. Angle hits a back suplex then celebrates before going for the Olympic Slam but Jericho lands on his feet and takes Angle down by the legs then puts him in the Walls of Jericho and Angle taps! ** Good match with a surprising clean finish. Still it seems early for Jericho to call it a night, plus what about Vince’s guarantee?

Backstage Shane McMahon watches the match on a montior and is disgusted that Jericho somehow survived when The Big Show suddenly bursts into the room and grabs Shane by the neck looking to finish him off for good. Shane desparetly tells Show that what he said earlier didn’t mean he wanted a one-on-one confrontation with him then claims he said all that stuff about Show on Smackdown to get him angry and bring his killer instinct back out. Shane says now that Show is back to his old form he wants to give him an Intercontinential match with Jericho later. Shane pumps Show up before he gets a call on his cell phone and Show seems to believe him as he heads out. Well that apparently explains why Jericho went on so early instead of last.

Eddie Guerrero © (w/Chyna) vs. The Godfather (w/the ladies)
Godfather gets on the mic to do his thing then tells Chyna she was smoking after Lita disrobed her at Backlash and offers to replace his women if Chyna joins his group. Chyna responds by smacking Godfather with roses and Godfather is not happy with that when Eddie dropkicks him from behind to start us off. Eddie goes for a whip but Godfather grabs the ropes to block it then hiptosses Eddie across the ring and whips him into a boot. Godfather whips Eddie into a corner and stomps him down before choking him then slams him twice and whips him into a backdrop. Eddie begs Godfather off then tries to flee the ring with Chyna trying to oull him out to the floor but Godfather grabs him by the legs and we have a human tug-o-war. Godfather wins that match and headbutts Eddie below the belt then follows up with the Ho Train in a corner. Chyna hops on the apron and Godfather starts having words with her before taking a swing at her and missing. Suddenly D’Lo Brown runs in and plants Godfather with a Sky Hi behind the referee’s back then quickly departs. Eddie climbs to the top rope and connects with a missile dropkick that gets him the pin. DUD Eddie tried but it’s still a match involving The Godfather.

The Dudleys are shown heading to the ring with a table in hand as we go to commercial.

The Dudley Boyz vs. Gerald Brisco
The Dudleys come out first and set up their table at ringside. Brisco then makes his way out to “Real American” and gets on the mic announcing he has two partners before Test & Albert appear so we now have…

The Dudley Boyz vs. Test, Albert and Gerald Brisco
The Dudleys go meet Test and Albert in the aisle and pair off with D’Von dropping Test onto the barricade. Brisco comes over when D’Von scoops him up and looks to put him through a table but Test makes the save. Test throws D’Von in the ring and he and Albert whip him into a corner then Test whips Albert into an Avalance and Albert rams D’Von into a boot from Test. Everyone else then heads out because we apparenlty need tags in a no-DQ match. Test whips D’Von when D’Von fights back and comes off the ropes but runs right into a spinning sidewalk slam. Test tags Brisco in when D’Von rakes his face then turns and tags Bubba in but Bubba runs into a drop toehold. Brsico hits an elbowdrop followed by a running legdrop then goes for a whip but Bubba reverses it into a slam. Bubba draws Test in and sets up Brisco while D’Von climbs to the top rope and hits the headbutt to the groin. D’Von goes for a whip but Brisco reverses it and Albert trips D’Von allowing Brisco to hit a butterfly suplex! Test tags in and whips D’Von into a clothesline then stomps him down in a corner and chokes him with a boot. Albert tags in and takes over on D’Von then whips him into a corner and goes for an Avalanche but eats a boot. D’Von hops to the middle rope and hits a flying clothesline then makes the tag ot Bubba while Albert tags in Test. Bubba takes it to both Test and Albert then hits Test with a Saoman Drop and Albert with his Diamond Cutter. Brisco comes in but Bubba hits a hiptoss and tosses Brisco over the ropes then brings their table in the ring. Albert goes out after Bubba on the floor while Test whips D’Von and boots him down before setting the table up then sets D’Von up for a pump-handle slam through the table. However D’Von is able to slip out of it and whip Test as Bubba come back in and the Dudleys hit the 3D through the table for the win. * I guess the Dudleys finally get one back on T & A. After the match Brisco comes back in the ring for whatever reason and Bubba grabs onto him ready to do nasty things but Brisco waves for some help and sure enough Road Dogg, X-Pac and Tori all charge out to the rescue. Road Dogg nails D’Von with the pump-handle slam while Tori gets in Bubba’s face and slaps him on the cheek. Bubba grabs Tori by the hair in response but X-Pac breaks it up with a low blow followed by the X-Factor while Brisco slides another table in the ring. X-Pac places Bubba on the table then Brisco climbs to the top rope and manages to splash Bubba through the table!!

Chris Jericho and The Big Show are shown heading to the ring for the next match as we go to commercial.

WWF Intercontinential Title: Chris Jericho © vs. The Big Show (w/Shane McMahon)
Jericho tries to get in the first shots and goes for a whip but Show counters it with a short-arm clothesline. Show kicks Jericho through the ropes then goes out and headbutts him before throwing him back in the ring. Jericho comes back with a baseball slide then slings himself over the ropes for a plancha but Show catches him and tosses him over the ropes back in the ring. Show climbs back in himself and hits a giant chop in a corner then whips Jericho into the other corner but misses a splash. Jericho climbs to the top and hits a missile dropkick then follows up with the Lionsault but Show powers out of the cover. Show drops Jericho with a press slam and readies for the chokeslam when a replay of Show’s earlier conversation with Shane pops on the TitanTron. However it continues pass the break and show Shane talking on his phone about how he has brainwashed Show and had Show’s brain lobotmized and shrinkwrapped before making fun of him. Back in the ring Show is not happy with this and glares back at Shane before storming out of the ring after him. Shane quickly bolts up the ramp to the back with Show right behind him and Jericho escapes with a countout victory. 1/2* Nonetheless Jericho retains the IC title for the second time tonight and Vince’s guarantee is again denied. This of course raises the question of who played the clip and I don’t think they ever answered it.

We then cut backstage and find Shane deparately trying to get away from Big Show who’s right on his heels. Shane eventually reaches a limo then jumps in the driver’s seat and peels out into the night leaving Show behind.

Backstage Vince and Stephanie watch this go down with Vince claiming this is the first time Shane drove himself. Stephanie points out Jericho is still Intercontinental Champion and thus feels Vince’s guarantee won’t take place. Vince tells Stephanie not to worry before announcing a third IC Title defense for Jericho tonight, this time against Chris Benoit.

Too Cool vs. The Big Bossman & Bull Buchanan
Buchanan locks up with Scotty 2 Hotty to start and forces him into a corner then pummels him with kidney shots. Scotty slips out of there and gets in his shots when Buchanan dumps him over the ropes. Scotty lands on his feet on the apron and snaps Buchanan on the ropes then climbs to the top rope and hits a flying crossbody for a two count. Scotty tags Grandmaster Sexay and the Two Cool guys throw Buchanan to the mat for the double elbowdrop. Buchanan rakes Sexay’s face before tagging Bossman in and Sexay goes for a whip but Bossman reverses it. Sexay blocks a hiptoss and counters into a neckbreaker then comes off the ropes but runs right into a boot. Buchanan tags in then runs up the ropes and hits the springboard clothesline followed by an axe kick for two. Buchanan slams Sexay to the mat then hops to the middle and leaps off but Sexay gets the feet up to block him and Buchanan tags in Bossman while Sexay tags Scotty. Scotty takes it to both men with punches and dropkicks then comes off the ropes with a crossbody and Bossman catches him but Sexay dropkicks them over for two. Scotty and Sexay DDT Buchanan then Sexay sends both Bossman and himself over the ropes with a crossbody. Buchanan whips Scotty into a corner and goes for a splash but misses and Scotty comes back with the bulldog then connects with the Worm. Bossman nails Scotty from behind and helps Buchanan double-team him. Bossman whips Scotty and hits the Bossman slam but the referee is too busy getting Buchanan out of the ring to see the cover. Sexay climbs to the top rope and connects with the Hip Hop Drop on Bossman to break up the pin then rolls Scotty on top of Bossman and that scores the pin. * Mehhhh!! The Too Cool guys don’t get a chance to celebrate when Bossman and Buchanan work them over after the bell. Suddenly the Acolytes run in the ring looking for revenge and chase them out of the ring and up the ramp. That leaves Too Cool alone in the ring and of course they commence with the post-match dance.

Backstage we find Dean Malenko and Perry Saturn arguing about their recent issues with Malenko saying they’re even after he cost Saturn a match last night on Heat. The two continue to exchange heated words when Chris Benoit comes in telling his pals to stop fighting and shape up, reminding them they came into the WWF together and suggesting they put their problems on the back burner. Eddie Guerrero then comes in the picture and tells Malenko in his annoying fake accent that he knows Malenko has been a little frustrated and claims Chyna may know someone that she can hook him up with. Eddie then tells Saturn he’s just as talented as them and suggests he be nice to Malneko who may grant him a title shot. Saturn storms off with the others behind him while Eddie takes a moment to admire himself in his title belt.

The Hardy Boyz vs. Dean Malenko & Perry Saturn
The Radicals attack the Hardys during their posing to start the match and all four guys pair off in the corners. Malenko and Saturn try to whip Matt and Jeff respectively but Jeff reverses Saturn into a right hand from Matt. The Hardys clothesline Saturn over the ropes and Jeff heads to the corner while Matt takes over on Malenko. Matt goes for a whip, Malenko reverses it but Matt kicks the face then turns and pops Saturn back off the apron. Matt slams Malenko to the mat then tags Jeff in and the Hardys both climb to the top rope and connect with the Event Omega. Jeff covers Malenko when Saturn pulls the referee out of the ring. Both Hardys whip Saturn into a corner and Matt drops to the mat allowing Jeff to go for the Poetry in Motion but Saturn catches him into a powerbomb. Saturn sets Jeff up as he and Malenko hit a Total Elimination-like move and Malenko covers him for a two count. Saturn tags in and helps Malenko whip Jeff into a double elbow then rams Jeff upside-down into the turnbuckles and sets him on the top rope. Saturn goes up but Jeff fights him off and connects wtih a corkscrew moonsault. Matt and Malenko both get the tag and Matt takes it to the Radicals before whipping Malenko into a backdrop. Matt dumps Saturn over the ropes and Jeff then runs across the barricade and hits a flying clothesline on Saturn. Matt slams Malenko to the mat then climbs to the middle rope and hits an elbowdrop. Jeff climbs to the top rope while Matt goes for a Twist of Fate but Malenko counters into a neckbreaker while Saturn shoves Jeff onto the ropes. Malenko applies the Texas Cloverleaf on Matt while Saturn sets Jeff up for a suplex but Jeff floats over him and gets a waistlock. Saturn elbows Jeff away but that causes Jeff to stumble into Malenko breaking his hold. Malenko then holds Jeff as Saturn goes for a superkick but Jeff escapes causing Saturn to nail Malenko by mistake. The referee tries to get Saturn out while Jeff climbs to the top rope and hits the Swanton Bomb on Malenko and Matt scores the three. *1/4 Match was okay but felt too rushed and needed a few more minutes. The Hardys depart while Saturn and Malenko argue about who messed things up when Malenko shoves Saturn. Eddie Guerrero and Chyna run out to play peacemaker when Saturn decks Eddie and Malenko pops Chyna. Saturn and Malenko continue to try and get at each other as a swarm of referees try to keep them apart.

We cut backstage and get a low-angle shot of Rikishi doing swats in preparation for his match next. Elsewhere Pat Patterson is also getting ready while asking Gerald Brisco if Vince has anything in store for him as well. Brisco says Vince has ordered him not to interfere in the match and Patterson is not happy as we go to commercial.

Patterson also comes out to “Real American” when Vince McMahon and Gerald Brisco appear on the stage and Vince gets on the mic announcing Patterson didn't ask for any help but he is getting some backup anyway. Vince brings Road Dogg and X-Pac out as Patterson’s partners and we have another surprise handicap match.

Rikishi Phatu vs. Pat Patterson, Road Dogg & X-Pac – 3-on-1 Handicap Match
Patterson tries to cheap-shot Rikishi to start us off but Rikishi no sells it and backs Patterson in a corner. The DX’ers then slide in the ring but Rikishi catches them with right hands then knocks their heads together and follows up with a double clothesline. Rikishi whips Road Dogg into a corner then whips X-Pac into Road Dogg and hits the running butt splash on both DX’ers. X-Pac comes back and nails Rikishi with the spinkick then Road Dogg hits a forearm, X-Pac hits a running legdrop and Road Dogg adds in the shake, rattle n’ kneedrop. Patterson then tags in and climbs to the top rope but Rikishi cuts him off causing him to straddle the turnbuckle. Rikishi takes out the DX’ers with superkicks then whips Patterson into a corner and hits the butt charge. Rikishi decks Road Dogg but X-Pac hits Rikishi with a spinning heel kick and the DX’ers double-team him. Road Dogg and X-Pac then hold Rikishi while Patterson brings a chair in the ring and whacks Rikishi with it for a DQ. After the match X-Pac headbutts Rikishi below the belt before he and Road Dogg set him in position in a corner for something. Patterson tells Rikishi it’s his turn then disrobes … sorry, I can’t finish this segment. All I’ll say is that involved dirty drawers so you might be able to guess what happened. Too Cool come out to make the save but the damage is done in more ways than one. DUD!

Back from break we get clips of Chris Benoit taking Tazz out last night on Heat by slamming his arm with a car door, putting him on the shelf for at least six weeks. After the clip Michael Cole interviews Chris Benoit backstage asking if he’ll do the same thing to Chris Jericho later. Benoit responds by saying he doesn’t care how many matches Jericho had or how many excuses he can throw his way, the IC title belongs to him and that what he plans on doing to Jericho can’t be put into words. Benoit then shows off a shiner he claims Jericho gave him on Thursday and promises nothing will stop him from getting payback.

Elsewhere Kevin Kelly interviews Chris Jericho about having an unprecedented thrid IC Title defense in one night, asking if he’s exhausted. Jericho admits the DX Regime has certainly put him through a lot tonight. Jericho mentions Vince’s guarantee about him then claims he has a sense of clarity about three things in his head; that Shane is a (rhymes with) wussy, Stephanie is a brutal bottom-feeder and Vince has a very small unit.

Elsewhere Shane McMahon makes his return to the building as the limo driver and security guy greet him. Shane chews out the driver for not having the limo ready saying he’s never had to ride in the front of one before. Shane then asks the two of them if the Big Show is still around and they tell him it’s all clear.

WWF Intercontinential Title: Chris Jericho © vs. Chris Benoit
After two IC title defenses already, does anyone really think Jericho has a chance of surviving this one? Before either man appears Triple H comes out and announces himself as the outside troubleshooting referee which pretty much answers that question. Jericho then makes his way to the ring for the third time tonight while trying to act like he’s really fatigued. Jericho gets the early advantage with a drop toehold then works Benoit over in a corner with chops and kicks. Jericho whips Benoit into the opposite corner and eats a boot then goes for a heel kick but Benoit ducks it and hits a chop. Benoit whips Jericho but Jericho comes back with a forearm and tees off on Benoit with rights then goes for a whip. Benoit reverses it and Jericho hits an elbow then goes for the Lionsault which misses but Jericho still lands on his feet and connects with a spinning heel kick. Benoit rolls out to the floor to regroup before climbing on the apron when Jericho goes for the springbard dropkick but Benoit shoves him off the top rope and into the barricade. Benoit throws Jericho into the ringsteps and hits a snap suplex onto the floor before rolling him back in the ring. Benoit whips Jericho into a clothesline and stomps away at him then hits a back suplex that gets a two count. Benoit follows up with a backbreaker for a near fall then snapmares Jericho to the mat and applies a chinlock. Jericho fights out of it and exchanges shots with Benoit then whips him for a dropkick but Benoit fakes him out and hits an elbowdrop. Benoit catapults Jericho into the tunbuckles then chops away on him and stomps him down. Referee Mike Chioda orders a break then pulls Benoit off Jericho but Benoit shoves Chioda down in response. Triple H comes in the ring and argues with Benoit while shoving him … but then tuns and knocks Chioda out then tosses him over the ropes, making himself the official referee for this match. Benoit turns back to Jericho, just as he comes off the top rope with a missle dropkick and gets a two count. Jericho rolls Benoit up for another two count but Benoit comes back with a Northern Lights Suplex for a two of his own. Benoit hits a German suplex then holds on for a second German suplex but Jericho blocks a third German. Benoit clubs Jericho and goes for a suplex but Jericho rolls through it and goes right into the Walls of Jericho. Benoit tries to reach the ropes when Stephanie makes her way out to ringside and Triple H heads over to talk with Stephanie on the apron and doesn’t see Benoit tapping out behind his back. Jericho lets go of the hold and stomps away at Triple H who knocks him right into the Crossface from Benoit. Triple H checks on Jericho then quicky calls for the bell even though it didn’t look like Jericho actually gave up. Regardless of what happened Benoit gets the win and regains the IC title after just four days. **1/2 Match was solid but it didn't have the feel like it was a Jericho/Benoit match i guess they were saving it for the PPV in 2 weeks.

Benoit takes his belt and Triple H stomps away on Jericho while the rest of the Regime make their way out and Vince watches his crew give Jericho a world-class beating. Triple H caps it off with the Pedigree then holds Jericho for Stephanie to slap him and Shane even gets in a shot as Vince brings in a chair. I should mention the crowd is dead becasue they know The Rock and Steve Austin aren’t here to save the day. Vince readies a swing with the chair when The Dudleys, The Big Show, Rikishi and Too Cool charge in to make the late save. The group clears the Regime from the ring and stands tall while Triple H and company retreat back up the ramp. JR feels the guys in the ring may have just committed career suicide as Raw goes off the air.

Overall: Horrible Raw, just awful with The Rock off for the week filming scenes for The Mummy Returns Chris Jericho should have gotten his chance to be the top babyface in Rock’s absence with his own big victory against the Regime. Instead Jericho was set up to be screwed over in the end, plus at the time there was no other big babyface to save the day, just a bunch of midcarders. The rest of the card wasn’t much to look at except for Jericho/Angle which was rendered meaningless, plus there were a few bad segments. They didn’t even mention the British Bulldog winning the Hardcore Title at the Insurextion show two days prior. 4/10 I only give this 4 bacause of the Benoit/Jericho match and HHH's promo without those two this show would be a DUD.

 

[Crippler]

WWF SMACKDOWN 05/11/2000
Colliseum in New Haven, CT​

List of WWF Champions at the time:
● WWF World Heavyweight Champion: The Rock (4/30/2000)
● WWF Intercontinental Champion: Chris Benoit (5/08/2000)
● WWF World Tag Team Champions: Edge & Christian (4/02/2000)
● WWF European Champion: Eddie Guerrero (4/03/2000)
● WWF Hardcore Champion: The British Bulldog (5/06/2000)
● WWF Women’s Champion: Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley (3/30/2000)
● WWF Light Heavyweight Champion: Dean Malenko (4/27/2000)

Things kick off with the Dudley Boyz making their way to the ring for our opening match. Biut first Gerald Brisco comes out to Hulk Hogan’s theme and gets on the mic saying he has something to show everyone. Brisco points to the OvalTron as footage of him splashing Bubba Ray Dudley through a table on Raw are shown and claims he did it single-handedly because he’s a great wrestling champion and an advocate for women’s rights. Brisco then brings out Test & Albert as well as Trish Stratus, making her return after a long recovery from being put through a table at Backlash. As the four of them head down the ramp Shane McMahon then decides to appear and offer his thoughts on the mic, saying he shares Brisco’s sentiments about women’s rights after all the ladies the Dudleys have put through tables. Shane claims his siter Stephanie could have been a victim herself so he stands by his hero Brisco and the two hug.

The Dudley Boyz vs. T & A (w/Trish Stratus)
this is the fourth time in three weeks these two teams have done battle. Test pounds on D’Von to start and whips him into a boot. Test goes for another whip when D’Von reverses it and goes for a hiptoss but Test counters with a neckbreaker. Test whips D’Von again but D’Von counters it and whips Test then leapfrogs over him before connecting with a shoulderblock. Bubba tags in and elbows Test in the head then goes for a whip, Test reverses him into a corner and charges but eats a boot and Bubba comes out with a clothesline. Bubba whips Test but Test comes back with his own clothesline when whips Bubba and hits the Full Nelson slam. Albert tags in and whips Bubba into a bodyblock then whips him into a corner and charges for the Avlanache but Bubba cuts him down. Bubba draws Test in then sets Albert up while D’Von climb to the top rope and hits the headbutt to the groin. D’Von takes over without a tag and goes for a whip but Albert reverses it and Brisco grabs D’Von’s ankle from the floor. D’Von decides to chase after Brisco on the floor but Brisco leads him right into a clothesline from Albert who then rolls him back in. Test takes over without a tag and beats D’Von down in a corner then whips D’von into the other corner and charges at him but eats a boot. D’Von climbs to the middle rope and gets a Sunset Flip for a two count then comes off the ropes but runs into a sidewalk slam. Test climbs to the top rope and goes for the flying elbow but misses and Bubba and Albert both get the tag. Bubba nails Albert with a pair of clothesines then hits a Samoan Drop and covers him. Test tries to break it up with an elbowdrop but ends up nailing Albert by mistake. Bubba goes to whip Test when Test reverses it but Bubba comes back with his version of the Diamond Cutter. Brisco hops on the apron and Bubba pops him off when Trish comes over but Bubba grabs her by the hair. Albert charges but Bubba sidesteps and sends him into Trish, knocking her off the apron into Brisco’s arms. The Dudleys nail Albert with a modified 3D and Bubba covers him but Shane pulls the referee out of the ring. D’Von goes after Shane on the floor while Test climbs to the top rope and hits Bubba with the flying elbowdrop. Albert then drapes an arm over Bubba as the referee heads back in to count the three. * Not a bad match but it is starting to get repetitive seeing this match, especially since the Dudleys have yet to get a pinfall over them. Suddenly The Big Show comes charging down the ramp and Shane tries to flee in the ring but Show catches him. Show then goes in and grabs Shane by the throat but Test nails Show from behind to break up the chokeslam. Test comes off the ropes but runs right into a chokeslam while Shane is able to slip out of the ring.

Back form break we get a replay of Big Show nearly destroying Shane with Test taking the bullet for him. We then find Show rampaging through the back trying to find Shane while throwing various objects around.

WWF Intercontinential Title: Chris Benoit © vs. The Godfather
Now this is a switch, two matches taking place without a McMahon-Hemlsmely talking segment in between them. Godfather makes his way out first and gets on the mic to do his usual spiel but gets cut off by Benoit’s entrance. Benoit goes right to work on Godfather and goes for a whip, Godfather reverses it but Benoit rolls under a boot. Godfather starts fighting back then whips Benoit into a corner and charges at him but Benoit sidesteps him and hits a Northern Lights suplex for a two count. Benoit comes off the ropes but runs into a powerslam for a near fall. Godfather throws Benoit across the ring and whips him into a boot then slams him to the mat. Godfather tosses Benoit through the ropes then goes out and throws Benoit into the steps before tossing him back in the ring. Godfather hits a back suplex then climbs the ropes looking for the Vader splash even though Benoit’s halfway across the ring. Not surpsingly Godfather misses and Benoit quickly slaps on the Crossface forcing Godfather to give it up. After the match Michael Cole heads in the ring to interview Benoit about the way he regained the IC Title on Raw, bringing up how Chris Jericho never tapped out. Benoit threatens to put Cole in the Crossface (oh, please do it, Chris!) then admits Jericho didn't tap out or say “I Quit” in their match. However Benoit claims Jericho was unable to because once the Crossface was locked in, Jericho’s body went numb from the paralyzing pain it inflicts. Benoit adds Jericho had only one hope so Triple H did the only merciful thing he could by calling the match off. Benoit then decides to offer Jericho one more oppertunity for his Intercontinential Title at Judgment Day, only it will be a submission match. 1/2* A little too much offense from Godfather for my tastes, they should have just let Benoit go out and dismantle him.

Back from break we find Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho duking it out in the parking lot while a swarm of referees appear but can’t seem to keep these two from tearing at each other. I guess this means Jericho accepts the challenge.

Triple H leads the McMahon-Helmsley Regime out to the ring as we finally get to our promo segment. Pat Patterson gets the mic first and talks about being proud of what he did on Raw as he unfortunately shows footage of it. Patterson then says he has permission to book a match for tonight and decides to have a six-man elimination match pitting Triple H, Road Dogg & X-Pac against Rikishi and Too Cool. Shane then takes the mic and makes fun of The Big Show searching around for him asking “which way did he go”. Shane tells Show he’s right here and decides to book himself a match for tonight by putting Show in a handicap tables match against the Dudley Boyz, even though they already wrestled. Triple H takes his turn on the mic and claims a lot of people were surprised that The Rock didn’t show up on Monday but he wasn’t. Triple H claims Rock knew that he was going to challenge him to an Iron Man match and was too scared to answer it, even coming up with a flimsy excuse about going to Morocco to film some scenes for The Mummy 2. Triple H says Rock may be scared but the two will be face-to-face on Raw and he will have to answer the challenge. Triple H says Rock may be in great shape and electrifying but he will never be as conditioned an athlete as him, that the world will see how truly good he is as he regains the WWF Championship at Judgement Day. Vince then takes the mic and talks about how the McMahon-Hemlsey Regime didn’t act fairly to Chris Jericho on Raw. Vince explains that life is simply not fair and even go through a long list of examples to help demonstrate his point. Vince finishes his long tirade by urging the fans to own up to the philosophy that life sucks and then you die! That interview went just 10 minutes but the half that saw Vince talking of it didn’t even seem to have a point.

Backstage Eddie Guerrero and Chyna are playing rock-paper-scissors to decide who gets to face whom tonight but the two keep throwing ‘rock’. Chyna suggests they flip a coin but when Eddie tosses it in the air it just disappears. Chyna then decides to just take on Dean Malenko while Eddie faces off with Perry Saturn and the two head out.

The Judgment Day promo with the creepy girls is shown but ends with the phrase ‘his judgment day is coming’.

Back from break we get clips of Dean Malenko and Perry Saturn’s issues on Raw leading to the Radicals’ split.

WWF Light Heavyweight Title: Dean Malenko © vs. Chyna
In a funny moment Lawler compares Chyna to Yoko Ono for breaking up the Beatles and Cole thinks he’s refering to Yokozuna. Chyna and Malenko exchange words to start while Eddie Guerrero makes his way out to ringside to get involved. Malenko offers a hand and when Chyna moves in to shake it Malenko goes for a kick but Chyna blocks it and spins him around into a clothesline. Chyna whips Malenko into a backdrop then comes off the ropes and Malenko goes for a hip-toss but Chyna counters with a neckbreaker for two. Chyna hits the handspring elbow in a corner then goes for a powerbomb and Malenko counters with a backdrop. Chyna tries to go into a Sunset Flip but Malenko counters that with a right hand and stomps Chyna down in a corner before choking her with his boot. Malenko follows up with a backbreaker then bends Chyna over his knee but doesn’t get the submission from her. Malenko goes for a whip, Chyna reverses him into a corner and Malenko lifts himself up and over with the ropes but lands on a mule kick below the belt. Chyna drills Malenko with a DDT then whips him into a corner and goes for the handspring elbow again but this time Malenko pulls the referee in the way to take the hit. The referee is out as Malenko comes out of the corner but he and Chyna clothesline each other. Eddie decides to get involved but Perry Saturn makes hs way out to ringside and flapjacks Eddie onto the steps. Saturn goes in and grabs Malenko … but then lets go of him and drills Chyna with a brainbuster. Saturn heads back out of the ring and Malenko covers Chyna and gets the pin to retain. * Malneko did his best to carry Chyna but it was still a fairly boring match.

We then cut to a local tavern called Pauli G’s and find The Big Bossman and Bull Buchanan paying a visit there and bullying a pair of bar patrons off their seats so they can sit in their place. Gee, I wonder who else is going to show up.

We then get footage of Edge and Christian earlier today talking about a nearby soda machine containing Edge cola. Christian asks why they don’t have ‘ Christian Cola’ and Edge suggests it’s on its way. A young fan comes up asking for an autograph and E&C are happy to comply … before they charge five dollars for it. Another fan asks for a picture with them and E&C agree to that. They ask Kevin Kelly to snap the photo for them while they pose with the fan but just before Kevin hits the button E&C step in front of the guy, blocking him out. The two then demand 10 dollars for the photo and the fan coughs it up even though he’s not even shown in the picture. Kevin asks the champs what they’re doing and Edge and Chrsitian claims they’re just trying to get close to their fans. Christian then calls the people of New Haven simple and Edge adds it’s the easiest money the two ever made. Funny stuff as E&C have really embraced their new heel roles.

Edge & Christian make their way to the ring for the next match but first decide to get on the mic. Edge says they know what the fans all came to see so he and Christian decide to get the 5-second pose out of the way. After that Edge says he and Christian know the fans repect them, unlike the other guys in the back who look at them with envy. Christian then says there is one guy that shows them the respect they deserve and brings out … Kurt Angle. Angle takes the mic saying he does respect Edge and Christian and that he used to think maple syrup and Michael J Fox were the only good things that came out of Canada. Angle calls E&C role models for everyone and that he has no better partners to help him avenge his loss on Raw. Angle adds once he and his buds get their revenge the three of them will make this twisted world right once again. And thus Team ECK is born.

The Hardy Boyz & Chris Jericho vs. Kurt Angle, Edge & Christian
Seems like a slight step back for Jericho, going from being the focus of Raw to a mid-card six-man tag. Matt Hardy and Edge lockup to start and Matt goes into a headlock, Edge shoves him off into the ropes but Matt hits a shoulderblock. Matt comes off the ropes and kicks Edge’s face but Edge comes back with a right. Edge comes off the ropes and Matt hot shots him on the top rope then hits a back suplex before tagging Jeff in. The Hardys whip Edge into a corner and Matt drops to the mat allowing Jeff to connect with Poetry in Motion. Jericho comes in and bulldogs Edge then Jeff goes for a whip, Edge reverses it but Jeff dropkicks him away. Jeff comes off the ropes but Edge hits a front faceplant then tags in Christian who takes over. Christian hits a snap suplex but holds on for a second snap suplex then holds on again and hits a gourdbuster. Angle tags in and hits his suplex before tagging Edge back in and Edge slams Jeff to the mat. Edge climbs to the top rope and leaps off but Jeff catches him with a dropkick in midair then crawls to his corner and tags in Jericho. Christian also gets the tag but Jericho takes it to him and Edge with forearms then pops Angle off the apron. Jericho chips Christian and goes for a whip, Christian reverses it but Jericho comes back and hits a powerbomb. Jericho holds on for a second powerbomb but Edge nails Jericho from behind then tosses him through the ropes. Chris Benoit suddenly comes out and clotheslines Jericho on the floor before tossing him back in the ring and Edge follows up with a spear on Jericho. Chrsitian covers Jericho but only gets two and Jericho tags in Matt while Angle also gets the tag but Matt nails Angle with a clothesline. Jericho goes after Benoit and attacks him on the stage and a bunch of referees try to break up the fight. In the ring Matt sets Angle up for the Twist of Fate when Angle counters it into a Northern Lights Suplex but Jeff climbs to the top rope and breaks it up wtih a Swanton Bomb. The referee gets Jeff out while Matt goes for the Twist of Fate again but Christian nails Matt with the ringbell and Edge grabs Jeff’s ankle from the floor to prevent the save while Angle covers Matt and gets the three. ** Angle then heads up the ramp and helps Benoit with a double-team on Jericho before the referees pull them off. Fun six-man tag for what it was, and effective in establishing Angle’s partnership with Edge and Christian which would lead to many memorable moments down the road.

Back from break we find Angle celebrating the win along with Edge & Christian by throwing water all over the backstage area.

WWF Hardcore Title: The British Bulldog © vs. Hardcore Holly
So the WWF is finally acknowledging the Bulldog’s title win six days after the fact and they even show footage from the UK Insurrextion show of his victory over Crash Holly. Both men lockup to start, Hardcore applies a headlock, Bulldog shoves him away but eats a shoulderblock. Hardcore tosses Bulldog through the ropes then goes out and nails Bulldog with a tray of Gatorade bottles. Hardcore throws Bulldog into the ringsteps and goes for a whip but Bulldog reverses him into the ringpost and tosses him back in the ring. Bulldog brings a broom in the ring but Hardcore breaks it over Bulldog’s back then works him over with the broken broom handle. Hardcore brings a tollbox in and nails Bulldog with it but Bulldog grabs a tool from the box and jabs Hardcore in the chest and head. Bulldog hits Hardcore with the box itself and follows him out to the floor when Hardcore grabs a fire extinguisher and sprays Bulldog with CO2. Hardcore rolls Bulldog back in the ring and whips him into a dropick but here comes Crash Holly down the ramp with another referee. Hardcore to the floor when Crash whacks him with a trash can lid. Crash goes in and nails Bulldog with it then covers him to regain the title thanks to the 24/7 rule. Again. Crash takes off with the title (his seventh) while Hardcore brings a chair in the ring and drills Bulldog with a Hollycaust into the chair. This was the end for The British Bulldog, as he would have a few more appearences on Heat before departing the WWF for good. DUD!

We cut back to Pauli G’s and find The Big Bossman and Bull Buchanan sitting at the bar enjoying their drinks. Someone wants the TV changed to Smackdown so he can see the Acolytes and Buchanan gloast about beating them up. The guy mentions him and Bossman running from the Acolytes on Monday and the two of them don’t appreciate that and look ready to go at it with him when the bouncer jumps in and diffuses the situation.

The Big Show vs. The Dudley Boyz
The Dudleys come out with a table in hand and set it up on the floor as Cole mentions their alliance with Show but I guess business is business. Show starts off with headbutts and punches to Bubba but D’Von interupts and the Dudleys double-team Show then whip him looking for a double clothesline. However Show breaks it and grabs both men by the necks but before he can hit the chokeslam the Dudleys kick him below the belt and follow up with a double suplex. The Dudleys continue double-teaming Show when Shane McMahon makes his way out to the stage to observe. Show headbutts Bubba away and attempts to chokeslam D’Von but Bubba nails Show from behind for the save. The Dudleys go for another whip but Show slings them into each other and clotheslines both Dudleys down. Show takes it to the Dudleys and whips D’Von into a corner then whips Bubba into D’Von and hits a butt bump. Show press slams D’Von and chokeslams Bubba then brings the table in the ring and sets it back up in a corner. Show headbutts Bubba onto the table then climbs to the second rope but D’Von cuts Show off with a low blow and the Dudleys pull Show off the ropes with a 3D through the table for the win. After the match The Dudleys then depart the ring afterwhich Shane heads in and trash talks Show before getting a piece of him. However Bubba and D’Von watch this go down on the OvalTron so they head back to slide a second table in the ring but before they can set it up Road Dogg and X-Pac jump them from behind and beat them down. The DX’ers roll the Dudleys back in the ring before X-Pac goes in and takes Bubba out with the X-Factor then hits the Bronco Buster on D’Von. The DX’ers then hold them for a slap from Tori and Shane joins them for a pose in the ring before leaving the Dudleys and Show laying as we go to commercial. DUD!

Backstage Bradshaw is playing cards in the Acolyte’s office when Faarooq talks about not beliving what’s on TV as he brings in a protable monitor that shows The Big Bossman and Bull Buchanan at Pauli G’s. Bradshaw chuckles at what he’s watching while Faarooq asks his partner if he feels like a drink and they head out.

WWF European Title: Eddie Guerrero © (w/Chyna) vs. Perry Saturn (w/Dean Malenko)
Cole says Saturn is hoping to finally win gold in the WWF. I though he briefly held the Hardcore Title a month ago. Anyway Eddie goes right to work on Saturn and kicks him down in a corner but Saturn comes back by jabbing the eye. Saturn misses a right hand and Eddie shoves him into the turnbuckles and follows up with a back suplex. Eddie goes out to the apron and slings himself over the ropes into a hilo on Saturn then whips him into a corner. Eddie charges but Saturn tosses him over his head onto the turnbuckles then clotheslines him. Saturn unlaods on Eddie and slams him then climbs the ropes looking for the Vader splash but Eddie gets the knees up to block it. Saturn plants Eddie with a flapjack and Eddie fights back but Saturn trips him into the ropes with a drop toehold. Saturn goes for a whip but Eddie reverses it and connects with a jumping elbow. Eddie whips Saturn into a corner and charges but eats a boot. Saturn hops to the top rope but Eddie goes up and hits a huricanrana for two. Eddie goes for a whip, Saturn reverses it and Eddie goes for another hurcarnana but Saturn catches him into a powerbomb. Saturn then climbs to the top rope and connects with the flying elbowdrop on Eddie but only gets a two count. Malenko and Chyna both hop on the apron and the referee argues with Malenko while Chyna has her roses in hand. Saturn goes for a brainbuster but Eddie floats over and drives him into Chyna who whacks him with the roses. Saturn is out and Eddie covers him when the referee turns around to count the three. ** Good solid action, though I’m sure a few more minutes would have helped. Eddie and Chyna celebrate the title defense as we see a little metal wand hidden among the roses.

We then cut back to Pauli G’s just as the Acolytes arrive and spot The Big Bossman and Bull Buchanan at the bar. Bradshaw and Faarooq get their rivals’ attention and Buchanan resonds by suggesting they all let bygones be bygones. Buchanan and Bossman suddenly break some beer bottles over their heads and the fight is on. Faarooq and Bossman fight behind the bar with Faarooq throwing a box at Bossman. Bradsahw breaks a bottle on Buchanan then throws some guy out of his way into the restroom but Buchanan comes back and rams him into the jukebox. Faarooq beats Bossman down with a bar stool and a case of bottles while Bradshaw spears Buchanan through a door. The Acolytes then break a pool cue and a broom over their backs and leave them laying on the floor, finally settling their issue, I guess.

Back at the arena Rikishi and Too Cool are shown getting pumed for the main event before they head to the ring. We also see Triple H leading the Regime (with Pat Patterson still showing his dirty laundry) as we go to commercial.

Elimination Match: Rikishi & Too Cool vs. Triple H, Road Dogg & X-Pac (w/Stephanie & Tori)
Grandmaster Sexay starts off with Road Dogg and bust a move prompting Road Dogg to dance a little himself but Sexay isn’t amused and goes to work. Sexay goes for a running bulldog but Road Dogg counters it with a suplex then whips Sexay into a corner and charges but eats a superkick. Sexay climbs to the middle rope and hits a missle dropkick then tags Scotty 2 Hotty in and the Too Cool guys throw Road Dogg to the mat. Rikishi tags in and hits a legdrop then drags Road Dogg to a corner and climbs up looking for the Banzai Drop but Road Dogg avoids it. Sexay gets in a shot on Road Dogg before Rikishi tags Scotty in the take over on him. Scotty applies an armwringer but Road Dogg jabs his eyes then brings him to the DX corner and tags X-Pac in. X-Pac wrenches Scotty’s arm when Scotty goes for a whip, X-Pac reverses it but Scotty hits a shoulderblock. Scotty comes off the ropes and X-Pac leapfrogs over him when Scotty stops then goes for an O’Connor roll but X-Pac grabs the ropes to prevent it. Scotty moonwalks across the ring and pops X-Pac with a right hand then whips him but X-Pac comes back with the spinkick then whips him into a corner but eats an elbow Scotty whips X-Pac into a corner and comes off the ropes with the bulldog then readies himself for the Worm but Road Dogg comes in to prevent it. Road Dogg goes for a whip but Scotty reverses it and hits the bulldog on him. Triple H then comes in but Sexay cuts him off with a superkick while Scotty is able to hit the Worm this time on Road Dogg. Scotty covers Road Dogg but Triple H pulls Scotty off him out to the floor promting Rikishi to go after Triple H. In the ring and Sexay works over X-Pac in a corner while Road Dogg plants Scotty with the pump-handle slam. Road Dogg covers Scotty but the referee is too occupied with the brawl on the floor to see it and count the pin while Sexay quickly climbs to the top rope and connects with the Hip Hop Drop on Road Dogg to break up the cover. Sexay covers Road Dogg but X-Pac comes back in and spinkicks Scotty then drills him with the X-Factor. Road Dogg covers Scotty again and this time the referee sees it and counts the three for the first elimination. (4:06) Triple H throws Rikishi into the steps while Sexay tries to fight off both Road Dogg and X-Pac in the ring. Sexay looks to knock the DX’ers heads together but Triple H makes it back in the ring and low blows Sexay then drills him with the Pedigree and there’s the three to make the match 3-on-1 now. (4:31) Rikishi is now on his own against Triple H, Road Dogg and X-Pac and they dare him to come in and face them. Rikishi takes it to all three men at first with right hands and plants Road Dogg with a Samoan Drop then turns and hits his version of the Diamond Cutter on X-Pac. Rikishi whips X-Pac into Road Dogg in a corner then whips Triple H into the DX’ers and goes for the running butt splash but Triple H pulls the referee in his place and he takes the hit along with the DX’ers. Triple H goes for a whip and Rikishi reverses it but lowers the head and Triple H sets him up for the Pedigree but Rikishi counters it with a backdrop. Rikishi scoops Triple H up for the piledriver but X-Pac kicks him low for the save. The DX trio triple-team Rikishi before Triple H kicks him down in a corner and X-Pac hits the Bronco Buster. Suddenly the Dudleys charge in the ring and plant Road Dogg with the 3D then nail X-Pac with a 3D as well. Rikishi starts fighting back against Triple H and knocks him through the ropes then goes out knocks Triple H over the announce table. Rikishi heads in the ring and sits on both Road Dogg and X-Pac as the referee finally revives and counts a pin on both DX’ers and just like that we’re all square at 1-on-1. (7:29) It’s down to just Rikishi and Triple H while the Dudleys depart the ring having accomplished their mission. Rikishi gets in a shot then whips Triple H but lowers the head and Triple H comes back with the facebuster. Triple H stomps Rikishi down and chokes him with his boot as Pat Patterson comes out with the dirty drawers. Triple H shoves Rikishi to the apron then distracts the referee while Patterson rubs his drawers in Rikishi’s face. Triple H charges at him but Riksihi clotheslines him down then brings Patterson in the ring and headbutts him. Rikishi then grabs Patterson’s dirty laundry and rubs it in Triple H’s face before following up with a superkick. Stpehanie comes in and gets in Rikishi’s face when Patterson nails Rikishi from behind with a double sledge but that causes Rikishi to squash Stephanie in a corner. Rikishi turns his attention toward Patterson and headbutts him down in another corner and gives him the stinkface. Rikishi moves in to do the same to Stephanie but Triple H is back up and stops him then hits the Pedigree to get the final elimination. **1/2 Fine main event but a little rushed plus way too much involement from Patterson. Crowd came alive for the last few minutes, though. Stephanie breathes a sigh of relief at her close call and the Hemleys celebrate as the show goes off air.

Overall: None of the matches really stood out, thought there was some slight build toward the Judgment Day card. Plus for the third straight show the DXWo triumphed in the end, sending the crowd home unhappy once again, and none of the guys from Raw save for the Dudleys made a dent against them. The only real lasting development was Angle joining forces with Edge & Christian and that would result in some good stuff down the line. The one thing that really puzzles me is why they would give the belt to Rock if they knew he was gonna be off shooting the Mummy Returns. Why not have him HHH the champ going into Judgment day then losing it or retaining it then eventully losing it @ King Of The Ring. Anyway not that good of a show 4/10.

 

[Crippler]

WWF RAW IS WAR 05/15/2000
Gund Arena in Cleveland, OH​

List of WWF Champions at the time:
● WWF World Heavyweight Champion: The Rock (4/30/2000)
● WWF Intercontinental Champion: Chris Benoit (5/08/2000)
● WWF World Tag Team Champions: Edge & Christian (4/02/2000)
● WWF European Champion: Eddie Guerrero (4/03/2000)
● WWF Hardcore Champion: Crash Holly (5/11/2000)
● WWF Women’s Champion: Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley (3/30/2000)
● WWF Light Heavyweight Champion: Dean Malenko (4/27/2000)

WWF Commissioner Shawn Michaels coming out for the first time since the first official Smackdown episode last August! Michaels gets on the mic and starts off by introducing himself to the new fans that have come along since he retired. Michaels says a number of things have recently gone on in the WWF but admits has hasn’t been doing his job very well and didn’t punish people as he should have done because he’s had other things on his mind lately such as his wrestling academy, his own wrestling promotion in Texas, and his wife and newborn son. Michaels feels he should be punished for the McMahon-Helmsley Regime coming to pass since he’s the guy that got the wheels started back in August after superkicking Rock on the Smackdown premiere. After showing footage of that and his celebration with Triple H, Michaels announces he’s decided to step down as WWF Commissioner. Before Michaels can say anything else Vince McMahon makes his way out to the ring sporting a huge grin on his face and gets on the mic talking about the great footage we just saw. Vince mentions not inviting Michaels here tonight but Michaels explains he was invited to the building by CEO Linda McMahon and Vince doesn’t seem too happy about it. Michaels says he has two announcements, the first being Linda has appointed him as the official WWF spokesperson. Michaels then mentions the Iron Man Match this Sunday, pointing out Triple H claiming how everyone’s afraid of it. Michaels reminds Vince he’s the only guy in the WWF who’s gone 60 minutes so he’s going to be the special referee for the match. Vince is taken aback before reminding Michaels of the resiliency he once possessed in his days as WWF Champion. Vince then asks if Michaels is still up to the task now while jabbing him with his finger and Michaels responds by shoving Vince down to the mat. Michaels then departs to the back with Vince glaring at him from the ring as we go to commercial.

Back from break we get a replay of Shawn Michaels’s confrontation with Vince McMahon before we get footage of Michaels leaving the building in his limo during the break just as another limo makes its way in. The DX crew then files out of the limo with Road Dogg and X-Pac wondering if it was Shawn Michaels they just saw but the Hemlseys scoff at that idea. Suddenly The Big Show walks up to them looking for Shane McMahon then peeks in the limo but doesn’t find him while the DX’ers assure him Shane will be arriving soon.

The Dudleys make their way to the ring before we cut back and find Al Snow and Steve Blackman who puts over Snow’s new serious attitude while expressing his gratitude that Head Cheese is now behind them. Snow mentions he no longer carries Head around and brings up Blackman’s affinity for cheese which Blackman denies. Snow then starts meditating before heading out to the ring and apparently there’s still some tension between them.

The Dudley Boyz vs. Al Snow & Steve Blackman
JR announces the Dudleys will face Road Dogg & X-Pac in a tag-team tables match at the pay-per-view. Snow and D’Von lockup to start and D’von gets a hammerlock but Snow reverses it into his own hammerlock. D’von fights out of that and goes into a headlock and Snow shoves him into the ropes but eats a shoulderblock. Snow starts blocking D’Von’s shots and hits a discus punch as we see Road Dogg, Tori and X-Pac on the ramp watching the action. Snow hammers D’Von with kicks and whips him but D’Von comes back with a spinning elbow. Bubba tags in and gets in his shots then goes for a whip but Snow reverses it and hits a backdrop followed a clothesline. Blackman tags in for a double-team then goes for a whip but Bubba reverses it and ducks a roundhouse kick. Blackman comes back with a series of kicks then comes off the ropes but runs right into a sidewalk slam. Bubba draws Snow in and sets Blackman up while D’Von climbs to the top and hits the headbutt to the groin. D’Von takes over with out a tag and goes for a whip but Blackman reverses and Snow pulls D’Von out to the floor then drops him on the ramp with the bdoy scissors. Snow tosses D’Von back in the ring then helps Blackman whip him but D’Von comes back with a clothesline on both men. Bubba gets the tag and takes it to both men with clotheslines then backdrops Snow and drops Blackman with a back suplex. D’Von tags in and helps Bubba whip Snow but Blackman crosses in front of him and nails Bubba with dropkick. Bubba then climbs out through the ropes and Blackman goes after him while Snow hammers D’Von with knees. However the match starts breaking down here as both men seem indecisive and lost. Show then goes for a whip but D’Von reverses it and the Dudleys hit the 3D for the win. D’Von celebrates when Blackman nails him with the pump kick but Bubba dumps him over the ropes to the floor. The DX’ers then charge in the ring and X-Pac low blows Bubba then follows up with the X-Factor. Road Dogg knocks D’Von through the ropes then rolls Bubba out to the floor before setting a table up nearby. X-Pac rolls Bubba onto the table while Road Dogg climbs onto the apron but Tori begs him to let her do this. Road Dogg obliges so Tori climbs up to the top rope and splashes Bubba through the table. 1/2* Pretty Boring

Back from break we get a replay of Tori splashing Bubba Ray Dudley through a table to set up their match Sunday. We then find D’Von trying to snap Bubba out of his trance saying Tori’s sins won’t go unpunished at Judgment Day.

Stephanie McMahon comes out to the stage and gets on the mic and starts off by giving props to Tori for standing up against Bubba Ray Dudley and putting him through a table then then brings up how she herself was almost degraded last Thursday when Rikishi attempted to give her the stinkface. After showing footage of the near-miss on the TitanTron Stephanie thanks Triple H for saving her from the most repulsive move in the WWF. Stephanie says Rikishi’s opponent for tonight also feels the same way when Kurt Angle comes out. Stephanie looks to embrace Angle but settles for a handshake instead and departs, planting the seeds. Angle then takes the mic saying he’s sickened by the stinkface and wonders how it got started. Angle figures that rubbing someone’s rear into another’s face might be an acceptable greeting in Samoa, or Cleveland but regardless it it not a sanctioned wrestling moves and therefore doesn’t belong in the ring.

Kurt Angle vs. Rikishi
On Heat Angle cost Rikishi’s buddies Too Cool a tag title match against his new pals Edge & Christian so JR announces a six-man tag has been signed for the pay-per-view. Also by this time the ‘Phatu’ was dropped form Rikishi’s name even though it still appears in his video. Rikishi gets in the first shots when Angle comes back and tries to scoop Rikishi up but can’t get him off his feet. Rikishi easily slams Angle to the mat and hits a legdrop then whips him. Angle then goes for a Sunset Flip but can’t get Rikishi over and Rikishi goes for the sitdown splash but Angle manages to avoid it. We then find Pat Patterson flanked by Edge & Christian on the stage and Rikishi looks over and sees Patterson taunting him. Rikishi whips Angle into a corner and squashes him and Angle slumps down to the mat in position for a stinkface. Rikishi starts moving in when Edge & Christian charge the ring for the save and there’s your DQ. Rikishi is able to fight E&C off then whips Angle into a corner, Edge into Angle and Christian into both guys before hitting the running butt splash on all three. Too Cool then run in, knocking Patterson down on the way and Rikishi and his pals clear their pay-per-view opponents out of the ring before commencing with the post-match dance. DUD! I’m sure these two could have a solid match if the WWF will just let them.

Backstage we find The big Show pacing around the garage still waiting for Shane McMahon to arrive at the building as we get a clip of Shane getting himself a piece of Show on Smackdown after the Dudleys put him through a table.

WWF Hardcore Title: Crash Holly © vs. The Godfather
Godfather comes out to his normal theme instead of the Ice T remix but still does his usual speil on the mic. Crash comes out and slides some plunder in the ring before Godfather stomps away at him to start us off. Godfather whips Crash and hits a shoulderblock then whips him again and this time connects with a big boot. Godfather grabs a broom and whacks Crash in the face then slams him to the mat but misses an elbowdrop. Crash starts fighting back and goes for a whip but Godfather tosses him over the ropes. Godfather goes out and whips Crash into his scale then drops him onto the barricade before throwing him back in the ring. Godfather hits a powerslam then goes for the Ho Tran but Crash grabs a stop sign and uses that to block him. D’Lo Brown then runs in the ring and nails Crash then climbs to the top rope and hits the Lo Down on Godfather. D’Lo plants Crash with the Sky Hi then covers him trying to win the belt for himself but Godfather breaks it up. D’Lo works over Godfather when Godfather backdrops him over the ropes and they duke it out on the floor. However one of Godfather’s ladies (reportedly known as Bobcat) covers Crash in the ring as the referee counts the three for a title change! (2:34) Bobcat celebrates becoming the first female to win the title when Crash rolls her up and gets the three to regain the belt after just 16 seconds. (2:50) The now eight-time champion grabs the belt and takes off while Godfather takes issue with the lady trying to steal his title. The 24/7 thing was quickly becoming a joke by this time and it would only get worse from here. DUD!

The Helmsleys are shown heading to the ring with Vince McMahon in tow, signaling more promo time is near. We also see Big Show still waiting for Shane’s arrival but starting to get impatient as we go to commercial.

Back from break Triple H, Stephanie and Vince hit to the ring because just two promo segments aren’t enough. Vince gets on the mic first announcing that Shawn Michaels has left the building while saying it’s a good thing he did. Vince next brings up The Rock returning and announces he will be in action tonight against another champion, Chris Benoit, just to make sure he doesn’t have any rust. Vince even decides to make it a submission match then questions whether Rock ever won by submission while Triple H suggests Rock may not know any moves. Uh, didn’t Rock actually win his first WWF Championship at the 1998 Survivor Series by using the Sharpshooter? Anyway Triple H takes the mic demanding Rock come out to answer his challenge for an Iron Man Match this Sunday then decides to help him understand exactly what he’s in for in the match to make sure there’s no excuses. Triple H says this is a match nobody wants to touch because very few men have the ability to go an entire 60 minutes. Triple H claims that he has that ability before asking Rock to look inside himself and see if he can say the same thing. Triple H also says once the dust settles one man will walk away the undisputed WWF Champion and that will be him. Triple H then addresses Shawm Michaels acting as the special referee, mentioning the past the two of them share but warns Michaels to call the match the way it should be officiated or else Michaels won’t even have a future. Eventually The Rock makes his way out to the stage to offer a counterpoint and starts off with the usual “Finally†intro. Rock brings up Triple H running his mouth for a week during his absence before formally accepting the challenge. Rock then claims Triple H is eating himself up deep inside over the fact that as good as he is, The Rock is simply better. Rock also brings up Shawn Michaels being the guest referee for the Iron Man match but smells a rat in this whole setup since the last time he, Michaels and Triple H were in the ring together Michaels cost him the WWF Title. Rock then gives his warning to Michaels to call the match down the middle threatening to do something with his boot. Rock turns his attention to his match tonight telling Vince he can throw anything at him and he’ll still get the job done. Rock says one hour won’t be long enough for everything he wants to do to Triple H this Sunday and finishes it up. I guess we should be lucky they only used 10 minutes to hype the pay-per-view and set up tonight’s main event.

The Judgment Day promo is shown saying “his†judgement day is coming but now has Kid Rock music as well. :hm:

Hardcore Match: Chris Jericho vs. Hardcore Holly
Lawler suggests Hardcore softening Jericho up before the pay-per-view must be a favor for Chris Benoit in return for Benoit softening The Rock up for Triple H on Sunday. Both men exchange shots to start and Jericho forces Hardcore into a corner before taking him down by the legs. The two continue throwing punches and the referee tries to separate them but all three tumble through the ropes. Jericho soon gets the advantage with chops and goes for a whip but Hardcore reverses him into the ringsteps. Jericho trips Hardcore into the steps with a drop toehold then grabs a chair and takes a swing but misses and Hardcore clotheslines Jericho down. Hardcore connects with his own chop before throwing Jericho back in the ring then picks the chair up but Jericho knocks it into his face with a baseball slide. Jericho goes back out and chokes Hardcore with a TV cable then dumps him over the barricade and the two brawl in the crowd. Hardcore backdrops Jericho back over the barrier to ringisde then grabs a leather strap and whips Jericho with it. Hardcore finally throws Jericho back in the ring then climbs to the top rope with a metal trash can in hand and leaps off but Jericho dropkicks the can into his face. Jericho clocks Hardcore in the head with the can then goes for the Walls of Jericho when Benoit comes in and pulls Jericho off, putting him in a Dragon sleeper. Jericho is flailing his arms around trying to hold on while the referee just stands there unable to do anything about it. Hardcore brings the chair in the ring and swings it at one of them but Benoit shoves Jericho right into the shot. Benoit then departs the ring having accomplished his mission while Hardcore collects the pin. *1/2 kay match but not much different from the usual hardcore fare.

Backstage a limo pulls into the garage but Big Show stops it and forces the door open thinking Shane’s in there. However Show drags out some guy instead of Shane then start yelling about where Shane can possibly be.

Back from break Shane McMahon makes his way out to the ring. Shane gets on the mic and asks someone to tell Big Show where he is so Show can stop asking which way did he go. Shane then addresses the fans calling him a (rhymes with) wussy by saying he is just that, a quick, ferocious jungle cat and even refers to himself as Simba (which Lawler quickly wears out). Shane then challenges Show to face him in a no-disqualification match at Judgment Day, claiming that after Show is beaten and lying on the canvas the only question left in his head is which way did Shane go. Almost on cue Show comes out to the stage with a jovial expression on his face as he grabs a mic to offer his rebuttal. Show tells Shane that he just made his day with that challenge because he doesn’t have to hunt him down anymore and now he has Shane right where he wants him. Show promises to end a few of Shane’s lives at the pay-per-view then decides he doesn’t want to wait and starts heading out. Shane bails out of the ring begging Show off before informing him he has a special handicap match tonight. Shane brings Test & Albert out as his opponents and we go into…

The Big Show vs. T & A (w/Trish Stratus, Gerald Brisco & Shane McMahon)
Show locks up with Test to start and easily shoves him down and Test gets in his shots but runs into a boot. Show follows up with a clothesline then hits a giant chop in the corner before tossing Test across the ring. Test tags in Albert who hesitates before heading in and Show works him over then whips him into a powerslam. Show grabs Albert for a chokeslam but Test saves it with a chopblock and they double-team Show in a corner. Both men whip Show into a corner and Test whips Albert into an Avalanche on Show then connects with a boot. Test and Albert follow that up with a double suplex and Test goes for the cover but Show powers out of the pin and Albert tries covering Show but he gets tossed off as well. The two of them try whip Show into a corner again and Test whips Albert for another Avalanche on Show but this time Show sidesteps him then clotheslines Test down. Show plants Albert with a sidewalk slam then turns to Test and chops him before whpping him into a corner and clotheslining him. Show stomps Albert down in a corner but doesn’t see Trish passing a chair to Test and Test readies a swing but Show punches it into his face. Show turns back and plants Albert with a spinebuster then sets Albert up for a powerbomb when Trish comes in and slaps Show. So Show grabs Trish by the neck but Brisco comes in and gets in Show’s face before he can chokeslam her so Show chokeslams Brisco instead. Shane then comes in and whacks Show from behind with the chair and that draws a DQ. Show is unfazed by the chairshot so Shane flees from the ring with Show chasing right behind him but Show grabs him on the stage and tosses him into the wwf.com logo on the TitanTron! Test and Albert come up trying to come to Show’s aid but Show fends them off with headbutts then departs. * Another boring/waste of time.

Back from break we get a replay of Show tossing Shane into the screen as Lawler worries about “Simba’s†condition for the rest of the evening.

Eddie Guerrero & Chyna vs. Perry Saturn & Dean Malenko
Malenko and Saturn may have patched up their differences but JR announces they’ll both challenge Eddie for the European Title at Judgment Day. Saturn goes after Eddie to start and suplexes him over the ropes before he and Malenko circle around Chyna who tries to fight them both off. Chyna clotheslines Malenko but Saturn comes back with a clothesline on her and he and Malenko double-team Chyna. Malenko hits a backbreaker then holds Chyna on the knee while Saturn climbs to the top rope for a double-team move but Eddie recovers and shoves Saturn off to the floor. Malenko pops Eddie off the apron when Chyna comes back with a forearm then works him over in a corner. Chyna whips Malenko into the other corner and follows up with the handspring eblow before tagging Eddie in. Malenko tosses Eddie over his head but Eddie dropkicks Saturn then turns and hits Malenko with a back suplex. Eddie whips Malenko into a jumping elbow then goes out to the apron but Saturn pulls Eddie off to the floor and holds him in a full nelson while Malenko nails Eddie with a baseball slide. Saturn tosses Eddie back in the ring and hits a series of knees before Malneko tags in and whips Edide into a corner. Malenko hits a gutbster then o goes for a gut-wrench when Eddie counters into a rollup for two. Malenko clotheslines Eddie back and tags Satun in for some double-teaming and Eddie starts fighting back but Saturn stops that rally with a flapjack. Saturn slams Eddie to the mat then climbs to the top rope and connects with the elbowdrop but only gets two. Saturn rams Eddie into the turnbuckles then sets him up a superplex but Eddie throws him down to the mat and follows up with a huricanrana. Chyna gets the tag and whips Satun into a clothesline then clotheslines Malenko and whips Saturn into a powerslam before whipping Malenko into a Fireman’s carry slam. Saturn nails Chyna with a sledge and both men whip her but Chyna kicks Saturn’s face and DDT’s Malenko. Eddie and Chyna work over their opponents in opposite corners when Eddie looks to whip Saturn into Chyna but Saturn reverses it and Eddie bumps into Chyna who, not seeing who it is, kicks Eddie below the belt. Saturn drills Eddie with a brainbuster and Malenko holds Chyna back while Saturn gets the pin. Saturn and Maleno walk off with the win while Chyna is confused at what just happened. ** Decent match, especially the parts where Chyna wasn’t involved.

Backstage Edge & Christian talk about all the money they made from the stupid kids when Michael Cole walks up asking E&C why put up their titles in a three-way match. Christian claims he and Edge are fighting champions and Edge says this is also about the fans in Cleveland before saying the two of them have a special surprise for them.

WWF World Tag Team Titles: Edge & Christian © vs. The Hardy Boyz vs. The Acolytes
E&C come out first and get on the mic talking about their latest 5-second pose: an Indians relief pitcher. Edge pantomines throwing a pitch at a batter before he and Christian watch the game-winning home run fly by. The Hardys come out next followed by the Acolytes and those two start off while E&C just sit back and watch. Faarooq clears Jeff out of the ring while Matt goes to whip Bradshaw but Bradshaw reverses it and hits a boot. Bradshaw elbowdrops Matt and covers him but Christian saves it and Edge slaps Bradshaw’s back to tag in. Edge clotheslines Matt but Bradshaw breaks up the pin and the Acolytes double-team Edge while Matt departs. The referee tries to get the Acolytes out while Matt tags in Jeff. The Hardys both whip Edge into a corner and Matt drops to the mat while Jeff connects with the Poetry in Motion on Edge for a two count. Jeff comes off the ropes but Edge toses him over his head onto the ropes and Jeff tumbles through them. Edge tags Christian and slams Jeff to the mat and the two both hit headbutts but Christian only gets a near fall. Christian whips Jeff into a corner but eats a boot and Jeff climbs to the top rope and hits a corkscrew moonsault. Jeff and Christian both tag in their partners and Matt nails Edge with a neckbreaker then dropkicks Bradshaw. Jeff slings himself over the ropes into a pescado on Bradshaw but the Acoyltes work Jeff over on the floor. Matt hits Edge with the Twist of Fate and covers him but the referee is too distracted with the brawl outside to count. The referee eventually turns around to make the count but Matt pulls himself off Edge and argues with him for whatever reason. Christian comes in and nails Matt with the Tomikaze then Edge manages to cover him to grab the pin. * Da FUCK MAN, only 2 and a half minutes. After the match Edge then takes off for the back while Christian is left behind asking why his partner is in such a hurry then sees himself on the TitanTron and smiles while showing off the belts, going with the flow.

Back from break Vince McMahon is getting Chris Benoit pumped up when Michael Cole requests an interview and first asks Benoit what he and Vince were talking about but Benoit rightfully tells Cole that it’s none of his business. Cole reminds Benoit on facing Rock tonight while mentioning people claim he shouldn’t be Intercontinential Champion. Benoit points out he is IC Champion despite what they say and also posesses the most devistating submission hold ever. Benoit says what he does to The Rock tonight will be a sample of what he does to Chris Jericho at the pay-per-view then asks how many submission holds the Rock has. When Cole can’t answer Benoit says “exactly†and departs.

Non-Title Submission Match: The Rock © vs. Chris Benoit
Triple H and Stephanie come out to the stage and Rock stares back out at them, allowing Benoit to attack Rock from behind and stomp him down while The Hemlsleys come down the ramp. Rock starts to fight back but Benoit stops that rally with a gutshot and takes him down with a Dragon legwhip. Benoit then attempts to go into a STF but Rock tries to block it and manages to grab the rope for the break. Benoit slams Rock’s knee into the mat then comes off the ropes but Rock comes back with a DDT. Rock goes for a whip and Benoit tries to counter it but Rock hits an armdrag takeover into a Fujiwara armbar. Benoit manages to maneuver his foot on the bottom rope so Rock pounds away on Benoit then goes for a whip but Benoit reverses it and hits a knee to the chest as Vince McMahon now makes his way down to ramp to ringside. Benoit hits a snap suplex followed by a back suplex right on Rock’s head then puts him in the Sharpshooter but Rock grabs the ropes for the break. Benoit goes for a whip but Rock reverses it and clotheslines him down. Benoit whips Rock into a corner and hits a German suplex followed by a second but Rock prevents a third. Benoit tries to get Rock down for the Crossface but Rock fights out of it and plants him with the Rock Bottom. Both men get to their feet but Rock gets the advantage and works Benoit over, capping off with the Smackdown. Benoit fights back with chops and goes for a whip but Rock reverses and catches Benoit into the spinebuster then slaps on an ugly Figure Four. Benoit is screaming in pain when Stephanie hops on the apron and distracts the referee from seeing Benoit tap out while Triple H comes in and drags Benoit to the ropes. The referee turns around and sees Benoit holding the ropes so he orders a break and Rock is not happy with it. Triple H hops on the apron again and Rock decks him back off but walks right into the Crossface from Benoit. Vince then revists Montreal yet again by calling for the bell and claiming Benoit made Rock submit for the win. ** Solid match as Rock and Benoit are starting to work well together but a proper submission match needs better psychology than that, not to mention more time.

Triple H heads in the ring and helps Benoit double-team Rock but Rock somehow fights back against them. Vince starts to head in the ring as well but Rock stares him down Vince decides to back away. Vince heads up the ramp when Chris Jericho comes out to block Vince’s retreat and backs him up so Rock pulls him onto the apron. Triple H nails Rock from behind but Jericho heads in the ring and goes after Triple H to even up the odds. Triple H sets Jericho up for the Pedigree but Jericho comes back and puts Triple H in the Walls of Jericho. Benoit goes for a whip but Rock counters that into the Rock Bottom while Triple H is tapping out like mad. Road Dogg and X-Pac in to bail out their leader and stomp away at Rock and Jericho. Now the Dudleys are coming in the ring with a table in and Bubba handles the DX’ers while D’Von sets it up. Jericho and the Dudleys clear Benoit and the DX’ers out to the floor leaving Rock and Triple H in the ring and the two go back and forth before Rock hits Triple H with a Rock Bottom through the table! Rock poses over the fallen Triple H with the belt in hand as the shot goes off the air.

Overall: Well if you want some good wrestling matches this show is not for you, prob because we only have a week left for Judgement Day this was the show so this show is completely focused on hyping the pay-per view. The matches were all used to advance angles and nothing more, though the main even and the Chyna/Eddie vs. Radicals match were at least decent. Plus there was way too much talking from the McMahons, though that’s no surprise there. The only good part was Shawn Michaels’ appearence and how they worked his past with Triple H and the Rock nicely into his role as the referee for the Iron Man match. 3/10.

 

[Crippler]

WWF SMACKDOWN 05/18/2000
Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, MI​

List of WWF Champions at the time:
● WWF World Heavyweight Champion: The Rock (4/30/2000)
● WWF Intercontinental Champion: Chris Benoit (5/08/2000)
● WWF World Tag Team Champions: Edge & Christian (4/02/2000)
● WWF European Champion: Eddie Guerrero (4/03/2000)
● WWF Hardcore Champion: Crash Holly (5/15/2000)
● WWF Women’s Champion: Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley (3/30/2000)
● WWF Light Heavyweight Champion: Dean Malenko (4/27/2000)

Things kick off with the McMahon-Helmsley Regime heading to the ring en masse to start us off with talking time. Stephanie gets on the mic first and addresses Chris Jericho, promising to make him sorry for disparaging her name by booking him and any partner of his choice against Chris Benoit and Hardcore Holly tonight. Shane takes the mic and says he’s not 100% physcially but will not back out of his no-DQ match with The Big Show on Sunday. Shane says he may be hurt but he’s also getting pumped about the showdown then shows a clip of Show tossing him into the TitanTron on Monday, putting over Show’s superhuman strength. However Shane claims he’s no mere moral himself and promises to rip Show’s heart out on Sunday like a ferocious lion. Shane then decides that, in addition to their match on Sunday, Shane wants to face Show one-on-one tonight as well. Vince seems taken aback by his son’s determination but Triple H and the other DX’ers wish him luck in that match. Triple H takes his turn on the mic and shows his own clip from Raw, this one of The Rock putting him through the table. Triple H calls it sickening the way fans revel in his anguish then promises to make sure Smackdown will end differently. Triple H then goes into the hard sell for the Iron Man title match, talking about battling to get the most falls in one hour to take the gold, whether they be pinfalls, submissions, countouts or DQs. Triple H also explains if the 60 minutes ends in a tie The Rock will retain the title. And I imagine Bret Hart was wishing he had that rule in his match. Anyway Triple H he feels that’s not going to happen, that Judgement Day won’t have a happy ending and he will regain the title because he is that dang good. Vince gets his turn on the mic and talks about how his wife Linda McMahon has made some popular decisions lately, her latest being appointing Shawn Michaels as the special referee for this Sunday. Vince questions Linda’s wisdom in that since Michaels did create D-Generation X and has a history of volatile behavior. Vince tells Michaels that everybody hopes he uses good judgment as he officiates the championship match, or else. Vince also says the only way Rock will remain champion is if he makes a deal with the devil who Vince claims is unavailable. Vince finishes up by booking The Rock against The Dudleys in a special handicap, lumberjack tables match tonight.

Back from break we find Crash Holly visiting the Acolytes and complaining about his 24/7 Hardcore title defenses before saying he desparately needs a nap. Crash offers to pay the duo a wad of cash just to watch over him for one hour and once he produces the bills Bradshaw and Faarooq accept the offer and allow Crash to curl up in a corner.

Kurt Angle vs. Scotty 2 Hotty
They’re trying to build the Sunday’s six man tag match up by having the participants pair off in singles matches, with these two up first. Angle first gets on the mic and talks about how he thought he saw every wrestling hold in the Olympics but has since discovered the most insulting move to all wrestlers in history, that being the Worm. Angle adds if he used the Worm in the Olympics the U.S. would finish behind Guam leaving no hero to cheer for. Both men lockup to start and Angle goes into a waist-lock but Scotty fights out of it and hits a shoulderblock. Scotty comes off the ropes and Angle leapfrogs over him but Scotty hits a suplex then kips up and moonwalks. Angle charges at Scotty when Scotty sidesteps then charges himself but Angle backdrops him over the ropes. Scotty lands on his feet on the apron then trips Angle from the floor and pulls him by the legs into the ringpost. Scotty climbs up to the top rope and connects with a missile dropkick but only gets a two count. Scotty whips Angle into a corner and charges but Angle sidesteps and Scotty runs his shoulder into the post. Angle follows up with a suplex for a near fall then whips Scotty but both men end up clotheslining each other. Scotty starts fighting back and whips Angle into a jumping elbow then whips him again and hits a backdrop. Scotty whips Angle into a corner and comes off the ropes with the bulldog then follows that up with the Worm. Angle rolls out to the floor to regroup but Scotty brings him back in the ring. Scotty then jumps on Angle’s back going for a victory roll but Angle sits down on the shoulders and that gets the pin. *1/2 Could have been better but still a decent match.

Backstage the Acolytes continue with their poker game while Crash is snoring nearby.

Back from break Chyna makes her way to the ring by herself and gets on the mic announcing a change made to the pay-per-view. Chyna says there won’t be a triple threat for the European Title on Sunday but instead Eddie Guerrero will defend the title against the winner of the next match one-on-one. Chyna proceeds to bring out Saturn and Malenko while making fun of them before introducing Eddie as the special referee.

#1 Contender’s Match: Perry Saturn vs. Dean Malenko
Malenko and Saturn are distrustful of Eddie at first but do eventually lockup with Malenko getting a headlock. Saturn whips Malenko and Malenko hits a shoulderblock but Saturn comes back with a legsweep. Saturn applies a headlock and Malenko tries to counter into a wristlock when Saturn goes into a hammerlock but Malenko counters that with a Fireman’s carry. Malenko goes into an armbar when Saturn tries to go for a whip but Malenko reverses it and Saturn gets him with a Sunset Flip. Both men go back and forth countering covers then stand nose-to-nose when Malenko offers a hand. Saturn responds by jabbing Malenko’s eyes and whipping him and Malenko attempts a crucifix pin. Saturn tries to counter that into a press slam but Malenko lands on his feet when Saturn grabs a waistlock but Malenko fights out and rolls him up for a two count. Malenko stomps Saturn then goes for a whip, Saturn reverses looking for a dropkick but Malenko fakes him out then goes for the Texas Cloverleaf. Saturn grabs the ropes for the break then tosses Malenko through them and Malenko climbs on the apron but Saturn goes out and trips Malenko into the apron before throwing him back in. Saturn clotheslines Malenko for a near fall then hammers him with rights while Eddie demands he back away but Saturn refuses to listen. So Eddie shoves him from behind and Saturn turns toward Eddie who’s ready to go but doesn’t see Malenko grabbing his Light Heavyweight belt. Malkeno clocks Saturn in front of Eddie and Eddie allows Malenko to cover Saturn for the pin … before he grabs the belt himself and waffles Malenko with it. Both Malenko and Saturn are out as Eddie calls for the bell and Chyna declares this match is a draw. Chyna says as a result it will be a triple threat match for the European Title at the pay-per-view after all then tells both men good luck before she and Eddie depart while both Eddie’s opponents are left laying. DUD!

Christian vs. Grandmaster Sexay
Christian knocks Sexay through the ropes as he does his posing then goes out and attempts a whip on the floor but Sexay reverses it. Christian stops himself before htting the ringsteps then turns and drops Sexay onto the steps. Sexay comes back and crotches Christian into the post before throwing him back in the ring. Sexay hits an Atomic Drop followed by a clothesline for a two count then applies a headlock. Christian shoves him off into the ropes when Sexay hits a shoulderblock then comes off the ropes and Christian leapfrogs over him but Sexay hits the Stroke. Sexay busts a move then goes for a splash in a corner but Christian sidesteps it and hits him with a Slop Drop. Christian lays the boots to Sexay and whips him into a powerslam for a near fall. Christian whips Sexay into a corner but Sexay springs off the ropes into a crossbody for two. Sexay applies an armwringer when Christian reverses it and Sexay reverses back into his hold but Chrsitian hits a Russian legsweep. Christian hits a neckbreaker and kicks Sexay in the back then chokes him in a corner and hits a backbreaker that gets a near fall. Christian slams Sexay to the mat then sets him on the top rope and goes up but Sexay fights him back down and hits a bulldog. Sexay goes for a whip, Christian reverses but Sexay hits a powerbomb for a two count. Sexay goes for a whip, Christain reverses him into a corner but Sexay stops him with a superkick. Sexay climbs to the top rope looking for the Hip Hop Drop but Chrstian stops him and throws him to the mat. Christian gets an O’Connor roll but Sexay counters into a rollup and grabs the tights for the pin. Another solid match in this series. Cole claims Christian went for the tights first which makes it okay but I didn't see anything like it on the replay. Anyway that’s one win for Team Rikishi and one win for Team ECK, so it’s up to Edge and Rikishi to break the tie. **

Backstage The Acolytes are still playing cards while Crash snoozes nearby when they get a visit by Bobcat, the Godfather’s woman who pinned Crash for the Hardcore title on Raw. Bobcat points out Crash sleeping on the floor then grabs a chair just as referee Terry Long comes in behind her but Bradshaw puts a stop to that and sends back her out the door making sure Crash’s sleep his not disturbed.

Val Venis comes out to the ring and gets on the mic but doesn't do his “Hello Ladies†thing, instead claiming that lately he’s been held back by the most repressive regime in history, the McMahon-Helmsley Faction. Val says for weeks he’s been showing up only to constantly get told “we just don’t have any plans for you right now†so from now on he’s making his own plans. Val then mentions how he held the Intercontinental Title last year and decides to challenge whomever is the IC Champion after Judgment Day to defend the title against him on Raw. Naturally the current champion Chris Benoit makes his way out and gets on the mic to answer Val’s challenge. Benoit says there’s no doubt he will remain champion after Sunday and tells Val tough break on being passed over but does accept his challenge on Raw. However Benoit then suggests the two of them have their match right now but before anything happens Chris Jericho makes his way out and gets on the mic to offer his thoughts on the subject. Jericho tells “Ben-oyt†there may be a roadblock on his plans to retaining the IC title in the form of the Walls of Jericho. Jericho adds the Crippler will be Crippled after Sunday and thus it will be him defending the title against Val on Raw. However Hardcore Holly comes out to add his two cents and tells Val if anyone deserves a title shot it should be him so Jericho ends this discussion by choosing Val as his partner for the tag match and decides to start things off right now.

Chris Jericho & Val Venis vs. Chris Benoit & Hardcore Holly
Jericho goes out to meet Hardcore and the two fight on the floor while Val and Benoit duke it out in the ring. Val whips Benoit who slides under him but Val spins him around into an Atomic Drop then hits a clothesline. Benoit chops back and goes for a whip but Val reverses it into a powerslam. Val covers Benoit but Hardcore comes in to save it so Val knocks Hardcore back through the ropes. Val sets Benoit up for a suplex but Benoit hits his own suplex. Benoit chops Val in a corner and whips him but Val kicks the face and both men end up clotheslining each other. Jericho gets the tag form Val and takes it to both opponents then comes off the rope with a bulldog on Benoit. Jericho goes for a whip, Benoit reverses it but Jericho connects with an elbow and follows up with the Lionsault. Hardcore breaks up Jericho’s cover but Val comes in and clotheslines Hardcore and himself over the ropes. Benoit hammers away on Jericho but Jericho takes him down by the legs and goes into the Walls of Jericho. However Hardcore grabs a chair and whacks Val on the floor and goes in and nails Jericho with it for a DQ. Hardcore turns and hits Benoit with the chair then hammers his knee with it and caps off with a knee-breaker. Hardcore then departs and Benoit his screaming while holding his knee as the EMTs come out to tend to him. 1/2* Match could have been good but was chaotic, then it was over too quickly.

Back from break we get a replay of Hardcore Holly hitting everyone with a chair and attacking Chris Benoit’s knee. We then see the EMTs working on Benoit’s knee as Cole asks how this incident now affects the submission match.

Rikishi (w/Too Cool) vs. Edge (w/Christian & Kurt Angle)
Christian comes out wearing a Red Wings jersey and gets on the mic saying they hate disappointing the fans so Edge unveils their latest 5-second pose, the NHL’s Greatest Moment Ever. Christian dons a goalie’s helmet while Edge reveals an Avalanche jersey and takes a hockey stick form Angle then hits a imaginary puck between Christian’s legs while Christian just looks down and watches it go by. Rikishi hammers Edge with right hands to start and whips him into a corner then hits the running butt splash already. Edge slumps to the mat and Rikishi moves in for a stinkface but Edge slips on Christian’s goalie helmet to block it. Edge laughs at Rikishi then charges at him but Rikishi hits a Samoan Drop then takes the helmet for himself. Rikishi looks to drag Edge into a corner but Angle and Christian come in and that’s it for this one. Scotty 2 Hotty and Grandmaster Sexay also come in and all six men go at it to finish the hard sell for their match. Eventually Rikishi and friends clear their opponents from the ring and commence with the post-match dance. However the Too Cool trio turn their backs to Team ECK who come back in and ambush them from behind. Angle and friends then mock them with their own dancing before the faces recover and chase them off. DUD!

We get a shot of the Acolytes still playing cards while Crash is still out of it as we go to commercial.

Back form break Gerald Brisco brings Kid Rock’s little buddy Joe C to the Acolytes thinking he’s some little kid who wants to meet them but Joe C responds with some bleeped-out words for Brisco. Joe C then greets his friends and invites them to join him at a bar. Bradshaw is hesitant but Faarooq points out Crash’s hour is up so he and Bradshaw depart with Joe C giving Brisco some parting bleeps. Of course Crash is still asleep through all this and unaware he’s been left open to be pined.

The Big Show vs. Shane McMahon
Show comes out ready to go but Shane gets on the mic claiming he’s misplaced his gear before promising to be ready on Sunday. Shane then claims his speed makes Show look like the Big Slow before deciding to put Show in a gauntlet match instead. Shane brings out Test & Albert at his first two opponents but Show is able to fights them off with headbutts before he slams both men to the mat in succession. Albert nails Show from behind then he and Test whip Show but Show connects with a clothesline on both of them. Show tosses Test over the ropes and takes Albert out with a chokeslam Shane is not happy with this turn. Shane then brings The Big Bossman and Bull Buchanan out as the next team while Show awaits them in the ring when Test chopblocks Show’s knee to bring him down. Test and Albert help out with a 4-on-1 beating on Show and Bossman and Buchanan whip him but Show clotheslines Test & Albert then clothesline both of them down too. Shane tells Show he’s not quite done just yet and brings out more back-up in the form of Road Dogg & X-Pac. The six men swarm all over Show in the ring and work him over but Show is able to send all of them flying away. Show takes out everyone he sees with headbutts and punches then knocks Test and Albert’s heads together. Show grabs X-Pac by the throat but before he can hit the chokeslam Shane whacks him in the back with a chair. That turns the tide as Buchanan nails Show with an axe kick, Road Dogg hits the juke ‘n jive punches and X-Pac follows up with an X-Factor into the chair. Shane then claims he’s going to chokeslam Show and T & A hold Show up while Shane stands on the chair and grabs Show by the neck as T & A lift both of them up and drop them for the pin. Everyone in the ring celebrate the win with Test and Bossman even parading Shane around on their shoulders. DUD!

Back form break we get a replay of Shane pinning Show after “chokeslamming†him with a lot of help from his friends.

Backstage we find Gerald Brisco asking referee Jim Korderas to make his count quietly as a mouse and you can guess what’s next. Sure enough Brisco creeps into the Acolytes’ office with Kroderas and finds Crash still soundly asleep in the corner. Brisco puts a finger on Crash and nearly wakes him up but tries again and Kroderas counts a silent three for the pin, making Brisco the Hardcore Champion! Brisco quietly celebrates and tries to leave with the belt but Korderas accidentally kicks a chair over waking Crash up. Crash finds his belt missing and Korderas nearby then realizes what just happened as Brisco tries to make his escape. Crash chases after Brisco who makes his way to the ring to celebrate but Crash has him cornered and a match is on.

WWF Hardcore Title: Gerald Brisco © vs. Crash Holly
Brisco tries to flee the ring and Crash is able to cut off his escape but Brisco drops him with a right hand and hammers away on him. Crash starts fighting back and stomps Brisco down in a corner then goes out and brings several weapons in the ring. Brisco heads out and tries to flee into the crowd but Crash catches him and throws him into the post. Crash tosses Brisco back in the ring and breaks a broom over his back then turns and finds Pat Patterson making his way down the ramp. This allows Brisco to nail Crash from behind with a trash can then he and Patterson set Crash in a corner. Brisco heads out with the belt in hand while Patterson drops his pants looking to give Crash a stinkface. Fortunatley Crash stops Patterson with a kick below the belt then jabs him with the broom handle in the rear. Crash leaves Patterson reeling in the ring as he chases after Brisco to the back.

Backstage Kevin Kelly is standing outside The Rock’s door waiting to interview him just as Gerald Brisco runs by.

Back from break we get a replay of Shawn Michaels being named the guest referee for the Iron Man match on Raw. After that Kevin Kelly interviews The Rock for his thoughts on his big match asking if he thinks Triple H has a plan. Rock puts a rhyme talking about Shawn Michaels making all the calls when DQ’s and countouts now count as falls. Rock mentions the last time he, Triple H and Michaels were in the ring together Michaels cost him the WWF Title so he warns Michaels that he never forgets, just like he’s never forgotten all the different matches he and Triple H had. Rock says the Iron Man is the one match they haven’t done and Triple H will get every ounce of sweat for one hour. Rock says he’s walking out of Judgment Day still WWF Champion before finishing up with the usual conclusion.

Back from break the DX Regime start leading the limberjacks to the ring with Road Dogg & X-Pac carrying a table and they’re soon joined by T & A, Big Bossman & Bull Buchanan, The Stooges and the McMahons all carrying tables out.

Handicap, Lumberjack. Tables Match: The Rock vs. The Dudley Boyz
Not sure how this match is supposed to work, not that it’s going to matter anyway. Rock starts off with Bubba Ray Dudley who gets in the first shots and goes for a whip but Rock reverses it and hits an elbow. Rock whips Bubba and Test and Albert grab Bubba’s legs from the floor getting his attention while Rock clotheslines over the ropes. The lumberjacks swarm all over Bubba before throwing him back in and Rock hammers away at Bubba and goes for a whip. Bubba reverses it and plants Rock with a sidewalk slam then tags D’Von in and sets Rock up while D’Von climbs to the top rope and hits the headbutt to the groin. D’Von whips Rock but Rock ducks an elbow and starts fighting back before clotheslining D’Von over the ropes. Bubba comes in but Rock tosses him over the ropes and the lumberjacks descend on both Dudleys on the floor. Triple H hops on the apron and Rock decks him but X-Pac pulls Rock out to the floor and he gets beaten on. Rock and the Dudleys are all tossed back in the ring and all three look at each other coming to the same idea. Vince suddenly looks worried on the ramp when Rock and the Dudleys charge out going after the lumberjacks. Bossman holds Rock for a nightstick shot from Buchanan but Buchanan misses Rock and nails Bossman instead. Rock takes Buchanan and Bossman out with the nightstick when Triple H comes up but Rock tees off on him and rams Triple H into the barricade. The Dudldeys suplex Albert on the ramp and Bubba places Test on a table while D’Von climbs to the top and drives Test through the table with a plancha. Rock chokes Triple H with a TV cable when the DX’ers come to his aid but the Dudleys pull them in the ring. Rock comes back against Triple H on the floor and rams him into the announce table then punches him low. The Dudleys have set the tables up and Bubba places X-Pac on one of them then climbs up to the middle rope but Tori stops Bubba with a low blow allowing X-Pac to drive him through a table with a super X-Factor. X-Pac then comes to Road Dogg’s aid against D’Von and the DX’ers powerbomb him through the other table. Brisco and Patterson slide another table in the ring and set it up before Triple H tosses Rock in there as well. Rock tries fighting back against everyone he sees and even drives Buchanan through a table with the spinebuster. Rock then tees off on Triple H and sets him up for a Rock Bottom through a table but X-Pac breaks it up and nails Rock with the spinkick. Triple H sets Rock up then hits his own version of the Rock Bottom through a table! vince gets on the mic and proclaims DX the winner and the heels stand tall on the ramp as Smackdown goes off air. *1/2 I guess IDK.

Overall: This was a typical go-home show for a WWF PPV. They went lighter on the talking and had more in-ring action with the matches lasting about 2 minutes long. And you can tell a PPV was coming up because most of the matches either had screwy finishes or no finishes at all just to polish up angles for the pay-per-view. Plus with the way the Heels dominating The Rock, Big Show and The Dudleys on this program you’d think some of them would get their revenge on the supercard. So I’d say this show was slighty better than Raw but still a pretty boring show. 4.5/10

 

[The Cork]

Notorious WCW, this is a good thread, and Ima let you finish, but Judgment Day was one of the greatest PPVs of all time!

Also, how gay was Benoit's promo at Backlash : "I'm gonna enjoy expressing my emotions all over Chris Jericho" add a no homo on the end of that shit son.

 

[Crippler]

Notorious WCW, this is a good thread, and Ima let you finish, but Judgment Day was one of the greatest PPVs of all time!

Also, how gay was Benoit's promo at Backlash : "I'm gonna enjoy expressing my emotions all over Chris Jericho" add a no homo on the end of that shit son.

If my memories correct it is in the top 10 I'm about to watch it soon so hopefully he holds up. As for that Benoit promo is was borderline horrible.

 

[Crippler]

WWF JUDGMENT DAY 2000
Freedom Hall in Louisville, KY​

List of WWF Champions at the time:
● WWF World Heavyweight Champion: The Rock (4/30/2000)
● WWF Intercontinental Champion: Chris Benoit (5/08/2000)
● WWF World Tag Team Champions: Edge & Christian (4/02/2000)
● WWF European Champion: Eddie Guerrero (4/03/2000)
● WWF Hardcore Champion: Gerald Brisco (5/18/2000)
● WWF Women’s Champion: Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley (3/30/2000)
● WWF Light Heavyweight Champion: Dean Malenko (4/27/2000)

[video=youtube;1IST0i0Fd7I]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IST0i0Fd7I&list=PLA2B10B5687E5ECB9&index=1&feature=plpp_video[/video]

Backstage we find Vince McMahon adressing the McMahon-Helmsley Regime, getting them pumped up for tonight. Gerald Brisco shows up wearing the Hardcore Title and Vince demands to know where he was but Brisco claims he has some errands and that Pat Patterson missed his plane. Vince then sends Brisco out to fetch coffee for everyone. Vince gets Road Dogg and X-Pac excited for the tables match against the Dudleys then turns to Shane who’s confident about beating the Big Show. Vince then talks to Triple H about the Ironman match when he hear sounds of a scuffle off camera.

We cut to the hallway and find Gerald Brisco being attacked by the Headbangers and stuffed into a room.

Elsewhere Shawn Michaels is shown walking through the back in his referee gear ready to officiate the main event. He sure got dressed early.

Kurt Angle makes his way to the ring but first decides to cut a promo on the mic and says ever since he’s been hanging with Edge and Christian he’s been getting extra attention from teenage girls who now consider him “all thatâ€. Angle gives the girls a warning in the form of a nursery rhyme before bringing out Edge and Christian. Christian takes the mic and says it’s great to be in “Lou-is-ville†and that he, Edge and Angle have a treat for all the fans. Edge then unveils their latest 5-second pose, which he calls “The Jug Band†and the three of them then dress up as hillbillies with straw hats and handkerchiefs and crude instruments.

Kurt Angle, Edge & Christian vs. Rikishi Phatu & Too Cool.
Too Cool and Rikishi dance in the ring when Team ECK attacks them from behind to jump-start the match but Rikishi and his buddies get the advantage. Rikishi whips Angle into a corner then whips Edge into and Angle then whips Christian into Edge. Scotty 2 Hotty hits a butt bump on Christian to send him rolling to the floor and Grandmaster Sexay hits his butt bump on Edge to send him out as well. Rikishi looks to squash Angle with the butt splash but Angle bails out to the floor and Team ECK try to regroup. Edge comes back in and locks up with Sexay when Sexay applies a headlock and Edge shoves Sexay into the ropes but Sexay hits a shoulderblock. Sexay comes off the ropes and slides under Edge then goes for a suplex but Edge flips out of it. Sexay comes back with an enzuigiri then hops to the middle rope and connects with a missile dropkick. Scotty tags in and both men throw Edge back to the mat and hit a double elbow. Edge jabs Scotty’s eye to stop thier momentum then tags in Christian and Christian applies an armwringer but Scotty flips out of it and gets a headlock. Christian shoves Scotty into the ropes but Scotty hits a shoulderblock then comes off the ropes and goes into a series of moves capping off with a suplex. Scotty kips up before moowalking into a corner but that allows Christian to nail Scotty from behind. Christian whips Scotty into the other corenr but Sexay lays across the ropes to block Scotty and Scotty comes back against Christian. Scotty looks to whip Christian into the corner and Edge lays across the ropes like Sexay did but Scotty reverses direction back into the corner while Sexay kicks the prone Edge onto the top rope. Edge slumps down in a corner and the Too Cool guys whip Christian into a butt charge on his partner. Scotty and Sexay hit Christian with a double clothesline and Sexay trips Edge, causing him to headbutt Christian below the belt. E&C roll out to the floor while Sexay dances in the ring but ends up losing his pants! Sexay fixes his clothing malfunction but Christian nails him from behind and lays the boots to him. Christian mocks Sexay’s dancing but doesn't see him tag Rikishi in and Rikishi hammers Christian with several hard rights. Edge comes in but Rikishi fights him off prompting Angle to come in as well. Rikishi whips Angle but lowers the head and Angle goes for a Sunset Flip but can’t get Rikishi over. Rikishi goes for the sitdown splash but Angle avoids it and works Rikishi over in his corner. Angle then distracts the referee while E&C double-team Rikishi and Christian tags in but Rikishi fights out of the corner then tags in Scotty. Rikishi whips Christian and Scotty comes off the ropes with the bulldog then goes for the Worm but Angle interrupts him with a clothesline. Christian unloads on Scotty and chokes him then Edge comes in without a tag and stomps him. Edge hits a forearm and tags Angle who chokes Scotty on the middle rope and pounds him down in a corner. Scotty reverses positions and gets in his own shots but Angle jabs the eyes to stop that. Angle whips Scotty hard into the other corner then hits a suplex for a two count. Christian tags in and whips Scotty into a corner then chagres but eats a double boot. Christian goes for a powerbomb but Scotty counters and flips Christian into a Stun Gun on the ropes. Both men are down and Christian tags in Edge while Scotty makes the hot tag to Rikishi. Rikishi takes it to all three men with clotheslines and headbutts then whips whips Angle, then Edge, then Christian into a corner and hits the butt charge on all three men. Rikishi clotheslines Edge and Christian as they come out then gives Angle the Stinkface. Rikishi sets Edge up for the sit down piledriver but Christian breaks it up and he and Angle DDT Rikishi. However Rikishi pops right up and clotheslines both of them when Edge then spears Rikishi and this time Rikishi stays down. Edge mocks Scotty by doing the Worm dance but Scotty bulldogs him down and show him how to do the Worm properly. Sexay ducks a clothesline from Angle and superkicks him allowing Scotty to hit the chop on him. Rikishi scoops Edge up when Christian brings the ringbell in and waffles Rikishi with it. Edge covers Rikishi but the referee is too busy trying to get everyone else out of the ring while Sexay climbs to the top rope and hits the Hip Hop Drop on Edge. Rikishi covers Edge and Angle tries to make the save but is a second too late as Rikishi gets the three. Rikishi and Too Cool then cap off the victory with their post-match dance. *** doesn't come easy but non-stop entertainment, non-stop comedy, non-stop great action all around with a magnificent crowd and this was just booked tremendously.

Backstage Michael Cole interviews Shawn Michaels on where he stands as the referee for the Ironman match, especially after he met with both the Rock and Stephanie earlier on Heat. Michaels claims he was just talking to some old friends and was hired by Linda McMahon to do a job. Cole next brings up his friendship with Triple H and Michaels says he’s going to call it down the middle. Cole also mentions the internet rumors of Michaels being jealous of the Rock’s success and Michaels responds by saying if “it’s on the internet it’s got to be trueâ€.

We also get footage of Eddie Guerreron nearly getting into it with Dean Malenko and Perry Saturn earlier on Heat.

European Title, Triple Threat: Eddie Guerrero © (w/Chyna) vs. Dean Malenko vs. Perry Saturn
Chyna has her bushel of roses with her while Malenko has his Light Heavyweight Title which is not on the line. Malenko and Saturn double-team Eddie to start and beat him down then Malenko holds Eddie on his knee while Saturn climbs up and hits a kneedrop. Malenko and Saturn shake hands then lay the boots to Eddie before Saturn whips Eddie into a corner. Malenko whips Saturn into a splash on Eddie but Saturn turns and clotheslines Malenko down for a two count. Malenko and Saturn start going at it and Malenko whips Saturn into a spinning heel kick. Malenko goes for another whip but Saturn counters into a spinning flapjack. Saturn press slams Eddie and goes for a suplex but Malenko blocks it and Malenko sets Eddie up for his own suplex when Eddie kicks both men below the belt. Eddie takes it to both men when whips Saturn and hits a leg lariat. Eddie locks knuckles with Malenko then runs up the ropes and hits a huricanrana. Eddie tries to whip Saturn and Saturn reverses it but Eddie hits a huricanrana on him. Eddie shoves Saturn into Malenko in a corner then tries to whip Saturn into him. Saturn reverses Eddie into Malenko who attempts a backdrop, Eddie counters it with the headscissors but Malenko blocks that into a slam. Saturn breaks up the pin and pops Malenko then whips Eddie into a corner and charges but eats an elbow. Eddie hits a tornado DDT on Saturn but Malenko pulls Eddie off and tees off on him. Malenko goes for a whip and Eddie reverses it but Malenko kicks the face and hits a Tigerbomb that gets a two count. Malenko attempts a powerbomb and Eddie counters it into a Sunset Flip but Malenko counters that into the Texas Cloverleaf. Saturn tries to make the save but Malenko sees it and cuts him off with a clothesline. Malenko hammers Eddie then goes for a whip but Eddie reverses him into a corner and sets him on the top rope. Eddie goes up for a superplex but Saturn stops him and drops Eddie on the top rope which also causes Malenko to straddle the turnbuckle. Saturn hits Eddie with a belly-to-belly suplex then goes up but Malenko throws him down to the mat. Eddie goes back up but Malenko counters it into a gutbuster from the top. Saturn superkicks Malenko then climbs to the top and hits the Frogsplash on Eddie. Malenko breaks up the pin and Saturn responds by putting him in his own Texas Cloverleaf. Eddie breaks it up and drills Saturn with a brainbuster then covers him but Malenko throws him off Saturn. Malenko puts Saturn in the Rings of Saturn but Eddie breaks that up with a dropkick Eddie then goes for his own Texas Cloverleaf on Malenko. Saturn breaks it up but knocks Eddie into a rollup by Malenko which Saturn breaks up as well. Saturn pops Malenko then tees off on Eddie but misses a right hand and sails over the ropes. Malenko suplexes Eddie then climbs to the top and hits a splash. Malenko goes over to stop Saturn from making the save but Eddie nails him from behind. Malenko grabs Eddie for a suplex but Saturn grabs Malenko and ends up suplexing both men!! Saturn goes out to the floor when Chyna nails him with the roses, knocking him out. Eddie rolls out to the apron and slings himself into a Sunset Flip but Malenko holds onto the ropes when Chyna hops on the apron brandishing the roses. Malenko blocks it and grabs the roses out of her hand but Chyna trips Malenko from the floor, causing him to hit his head on the roses. Eddie then rolls Malenko up with a La Magistral and gets the pin to retain. Eddie then takes apart the roses to reveal a lead pipe hidden in there. ***1/2 Good stuff from these three guys, but after this match Eddie would move on to bigger things while Malenko and Saturn would be pushed to the back burner.

Clips are shown of Gerald Brisco taking the Hardcore Title from Crash last Thursday on Smackdown. We then find Brisco hiding out in the restroom looking out for anyone trying to ambush him when he suddenly looks at the mirror and gets spooked by his reflection. Brisco then punches the mirror and ends up hurting his hand.

[video=youtube;JO4g5LnELJY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JO4g5LnELJY&list=PLA2B10B5687E5ECB9&index=5&feature=plpp_video[/video]

Falls Count Anywhere: The Big Show vs. Shane McMahon
Shane starts off by diving over the ropes but Show catches him and rams him into the ringpost twice. Show tosses Shane into the ringsteps then steps on his hand and clotheslines him over the barricade. Show brings Shane back over the barricade and press slams him over the ropes into the ring then goes in and works him over with kicks. Show hits a headbutt and whips Shane into a boot then readies for a chokeslam when The Big Bossman suddenly runs in the ring and nails Show in the knee with his nightstick. Bossman works over Show’s knee with the nightstick then comes off the ropes but Show blocks another shot and hits a headbutt. Show dispatches Bossman with a powerbomb when Test and Albert then run in brandishing chairs but Show punches the chairs into their faces. Trish Stratus runs in and hits a low blow but Show no-sells it and press slams her onto her charges on the floor. Show gets another shot on T&A then stalks after Shane who’s crawling up the aisle toward the stage but Show catches Shane and throws him into the entrance set. Show pulls off a piece of the set and looks to finish off Shane with it but Shane jumps up and grabs the bottom of the TitanTron and uses it to dropkick Show. Albert comes over and kicks away at Show while Test grabs the set piece and drops it on him. T&A continue to work over Show and Shane instructs them to move Show into position while he places the set piece on an anvil case and rams it into Show. Shane covers but Show powers out and fights back against Test, Albert and Shane. Test charges at Show with a concrete block but Show cuts him off with a kick then throws T&A into the set. Show sees Shane climbing up the set and grabs his ankle when Bull Buchanan comes out and beats down Show with a nightstick. Buchanan chokes Show while Shane pushes a speaker-case onto Show’s leg, pinning him to the floor. Buchanan holds Show down while Shane brings out a cinder block and breaks it on Show’s head then covers him to get the upset. Buchanan helps Shane to the back while a number of referees and officials free Show’s leg and help him into a waiting ambulance in the back. Show is crying about his leg being broken as the ambulance drives away.** This was good enough for what it was, with some crazy bumps by Shane. My guess Shane had to win, because this was an excuse to take Show off TV for a time.

Backstage Gerald Brisco heads into the referees’ locker room where Jack Doan and another referee are talking and asks them if he can rest. The two invite Brisco to take a seat and relax and Brisco talks about everyone coming after his Hardcore Title when he begins to nod off. The referees start to move in but Brisco suddenly jolts awake and accuses them of trying to win his title then rambles at them and storms off.

Shawn Michaels having a conversation with Triple H about what he’s been up to since disappearing from the WWF in August. Triple H also makes a comment about Michaels’ referee shorts.

[video=youtube;k4zLW7oe1hw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4zLW7oe1hw[/video]

Intercontinental Title, Submission Match: Chris Benoit vs. Chris Jericho
So after switching the IC title back and forth here’s the rubber match. You can tell Jericho is serious about this match because he doesn't do his mic work, plus Benoit has a brace on the knee Hardcore Holly attacked with a chair on Smackdown. Both men lockup to start and end up in a corner where the referee forces a break. Both men lockup again and Benoit forces Jericho against the ropes and unloads on him with chops. Benoit whips Jericho but Jericho slides under him then comes off the ropes and hits the bulldog. Jericho hits his own chops in a corner and whips Benoit in a corner then goes into a Fujiwara armbar. Benoit rolls out of it and scoops Jericho up in a tombstone position, Jericho manages to reverse it into his own Tombstone but Benoit reverses back into a shoulderbreaker. Benoit climbs to the top rope and hits the diving headbutt on the injured shoulder then applies a triangle chinlock. Jericho fights out of it and takes Benoit down by the legs then goes for the Walls of Jericho already but Benoit spins his way out of it. Jericho hits an elbow and Benoit rolls out to the apron when Jericho hits the springboard dropkick, sending him to the floor. We then get a quick shot of Val Venis watching this match in the back, having challenged the winner to a title match on Raw tomorrow. Jericho goes out and chops Benoit then goes for a whip but Benoit reverses it and sends Jericho shoulder-first into the ringsteps. Benoit sets up part of the steps but Jericho comes back and nails Benoit with a kneebreaker onto the steps. Benoit is clutching his knee as Jericho stomps on him and rams him into the steps. Jericho rolls Benoit back in the ring and hits a butterfly backbreaker then covers him when the referee reminds him it’s submissions only. Both men exchange chops and Jericho gets the advantage and whips Benoit into a corner. Jericho charges but Benoit sidesteps and Jericho runs his bad shoulder into the ringpost. Benoit slightly undoes a turnbuckle pad to expose the steel bolt then rams Jericho shoulder-first into the bolt twice. Benoit applies a kneeling armbar but Jericho counters the move with an armdrag and the two of the exchange chops again. Benoit gets the advantage and hits a snap suplex then slams Jericho to the mat and hits a kneedrop to the bad shoulder. Benoit hits a short-arm clothesline and slaps on a cross armbreaker but Jericho manages to inch over and reach the bottom rope. We then see Hardcore Holly also watching this match in the back, having his own interest in the title. Benoit hammers Jericho into a corner and goes for a running knee but Jericho sidesteps him and Benoit runs his bad knee into the exposed bolt. Jericho hits a flapjack then slams Benoit’s knee into the mat and Benoit fights back but Jericho hits a legwhip and tees off on Benoit. Jericho manages to take off Benoit’s knee brace and hammers Benoit’s knee with it then slips the brace on his arm and hits a forearm with it. Jericho starts to go for a Figure Four when Benoit kicks him away but Jericho dropkicks Benoit’s bad knee then hits the Lionsault right on the knee. Jericho then manages to put Benoit in a Walls of Jericho around the ropes! Benoit manages to fight out of the hold and rolls back in the ring but Jericho kicks at the knee. Jericho ducks an enzuigiri but Benoit rolls back to his feet and hits a German suplex but holds on and hits a second German. Benoit holds on for a third but Jerihco blocks it so Benoit clubs in the back and attempts an armbar. Jericho kicks at Benoit's knee and goes for the Walls of Jericho and Benoit tries to fight it when he grabs his knee brace and clocks Jericho in the face with it. Benoit the puts Jericho in the Crossface and Jericho tries to reach the ropes but Benoit drags Jericho to the center of the ring and puts on the Crossface a second time. Jericho manages to slip out of it but Benoit puts on a third Crossface, this time under Jericho’s chin. Jericho tries to hold on eventually passes out and the referee decides that’s it and calls the match. Benoit doesn't immediately let go but soon releases Jericho is out cold hobbles away with the belt while Jericho gets to his feet. ****1/4 These two never cease to amaze me. The psychology by Jericho with all the innovative offense was beautifully executed to Benoit`s knees, awesome story telling with awesome counters. Benoit's movement, and game plan to hurt Jericho's left shoulder which helped determine the finish was amazing. A Classic and a truly underrated gem! Just add it to all the other incredible material these guys had in 2000.

We get a recap of the Headbangers attacking Gerald Brisco at the start of the show. Michael Cole then interviews Gerald Brisco on being the Hardcore Champion and Brisco says everyone from his children to his employees at his body shop are trying to beat him. As Brisco rambles on, a pair of concession vendors walk up in the background and they wave a referee over. Brisco soon notices the vendors talking and starts beating on them.

The Rock is talking with Shawn Michaels on his referee duties warning him to call the match right down the middle or else he’ll take it out on him and won’t even need 60 minutes against him. DREAM MATCH

Tag Team Table Match: Road Dogg & X-Pac (w/Tori) vs. The Dudley Boyz
They show Tori putting Bubba through a table on Raw. If I recall correctly, she actually had to do that spot twice because the table wouldn't break. To win one team must put both members of the other team through tables. The DX’ers come out first and Road Dogg does his thing on the mic. The Dudleys then rush the ring but the DX’ers bail out to the floor as we see a number of tables around the ring. Road Dogg starts off with D’Von Dudley and gets in the first shots the whips him but D’Von ducks a clothesline and hits a shouldertackle. D’Von whips Road Dogg into a corner and Road Dogg staggers out into a spinning elbow. X-Pac tags in and whips D’Von but D’von hits a shouldertackle on him as well. Bubba tags in and whips X-Pac but X-Pac ducks a right hand and hits a spinkick. Why are they doing tags anyway since table matches were no-DQ? X-Pac goes out to the floor for a table but Bubba cuts him off and throws him back in the ring then chops X-Pac in a corner. Bubba whips X-Pac into the opposite corner and Bubba goes for a splash but X-Pac sidesteps him. X-Pac charges eats a boot and Bubba hops to the middle rope and hits a flying clothesline. Bubba draws Road Dogg in and sets X-Pac up while D’Von climbs to the top and hits the headbutt to the groin. Road Dogg comes in but Bubba slams him and sets him up for another headbutt to the groin. The DX’ers and Tori try to walk out of the match but the Dudleys go out and stop their escape. D’Von rolls Road Dogg back in while Bubba pops X-Pac with a right hand. Bubba then stares at Tori and salivates at the though of putting her through a table. In the ring D’Von goes for a whip but Road Dogg reverses and X-Pac kicks him from the apron. D’Von nails X-Pac but X-Pac holds D’Von down while Road Dogg straddles him in the ropes. X-Pac tags in and kicks D’Von down then hits the Bronco Buster. Road Dogg tags in and he and X-Pac choke D’von with their boots. Road Dogg draws Bubba in and distracts the referee while X-Pac chokes D’Von. Road Dogg then applies a front facelock, keeping D’von from tagging in Bubba. Yeah, there doing a “face-in-peril†spot in a NO-DQ MATCH. D’Von inches to his corner and tags in Bubba but the referee didn't see it and orders Bubba back out while DX does some double-teaming. X-Pac tags in and whips D’Von into a spinkick and both DX’ers whip D’von but D’Von clothslines both of them then makes the tag to Bubba. Bubba decks Road Dogg then whips X-Pac into a sidewalk slam. Bubba plants Road Dogg with a Full Nelson bomb then hits Road Dogg with a Samoan Drop. The Dudleys slide in three tables and prop two of them in the corners then D’von goes back out to the floor but Road Dogg whips him into the steps. Road Dogg sets up a fourth table then drives D’Von through it with the pump-handle slam for the first score. Bubba go out and pounds on Road Dogg while talking trash at him then brings Road Dogg onto the apron and chokes him. X-Pac brings D’Von back in the ring and sets him against one of the tables for a Bronco Buster but Bubba pulls him down by the hair. Bubba sets up another table when X-Pac nails him from behind and Bubba goes for a whip. X-Pac reverses and goes for a leapfrog but Bubba catches him and powerbombs him through the table, leaving Road Dogg and Bubba to settle the match. Road Dogg hits the juke ‘n jive punches but misses the big right and both men exchange punches. The referee tries to stop them so Road Dogg and Bubba both sling the referee through a table!! Bubba DDT’s Road Dogg while D’von sets up a table when we see Gerald Brisco coming out for no reason. Road Dogg goes for a whip but D’von reverses and the Dudleys hit a 3D through a table but the referee is out and didn't see it, thus the match continues. Brisco helps Road Dogg out of the ring while Tori goes in and yells at Bubba for some reason then goes for a slap. However Bubba blocks it and grabs her while D’Von slides in another table and sets it up. Bubba hops to the top rope and D’Von passes Tori to him. Bubba readies to superbomb Tori through the table when Brisco comes in and punches Bubba below the belt. Brisco helps Tori to safety while X-Pac goes up and hits an X-Factor from the top through table which the referee does see and thus the DX’ers get the win. The DX’ers help Tori out of the ring while Brisco taunts Bubba, not seeing D’Von get to his feet and D’Von nails Brisco from behind. D’Von brings another table in the ring and sets it up and the Dudleys drive Brisco through it with a 3D. ** This was exactly as good as I and everyone else thought it would be.

The Judgment Day promo with the creepy girls chanting nursery rhymes is shown when it goes into a Kid Rock song as the message “His Judgment Day is here†appears on the screen. JR and Lawler then speculate what that message means. Just a suggestion, guys, but maybe it means someone’s coming back, perhaps in the main event even. :hm:

[video=youtube;RlYIeipMQUM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlYIeipMQUM&list=PLA2B10B5687E5ECB9&index=3&feature=plpp_video[/video]

WWF Heavyweight Title, Iron Man Match: The Rock vs. Triple H
Shawn Michaels is the referee and the most falls in one hour wins the title, but unlike Wrestlemania XII there will be no overtime; should the match end in a tie the Rock retains. Triple H comes out with Stephanie, Shane and Vince but gets on the mic and asks them to leave, wanting to do this himself. Vince and the others are hesitant but they do depart, leaving Triple H on his own. Rock makes his way out next and stands nose-to-nose with Triple H as the match begins. The crowd is ELECTRIFIED as two of the best in the business if not the two best were face to face at the beginning of the one hour main event!

Both men lockup to start and after jockeying for position they break before locking up again and Rock forces Triple H into a corner. They go back and forth in a corner before they break and both men exchange shoves and have a staredown before they lockup again. Rock applies a headlock when Triple H eventually counters into an overhead wrist-lock and forces Rock down to the mat. Rock powers back up and goes back to the headlock and Triple H shoves Rock into the ropes but Rock hits a shoulderblock for a two count. Rock comes off the ropes with another shoulderblock for another two count. Rock comes off he ropes again and rolls Triple H up for another near fall and Triple H bails out to the floor to catch his breath. Michaels begins the 10 count when Triple H eventually climbs back in and applies a headlock. Rock shoves Triple H into the ropes but Triple H hits a shoulderblock then comes off the ropes but Rock leapfrogs him and pops him with a right hand. Triple H again rolls out to the floor when Michaels begins the 10 count and Triple H climbs onto the apron but Michaels still counts, showing he’s being impartial tonight. Triple H goes in and after some hesitation locks up again and the crowd is getting a little impatient. Rock applies a headlock and Triple H shoves him into the ropes then goes for a leapfrog but Rock fakes him out and drops him with a right hand. Rock rams Triple H into a pair of turnbuckles then whips him into a corner and charges but eats an elbow. Triple H comes out with a clothesline then wrenches Rock’s arm and wraps it around the top rope twice. Triple H drops Rock with a right hand and applies a standing armbar, Rock fights out of it and whips Triple H but Triple H hits an armbar takedown for a near fall. Triple H goes back to the armbar as we’re about 10 minutes into the match but Rock gets to his feet and backs Triple H into a corner then tees off on him. Rock whips Triple H but lowers the head and Triple H kicks the face. Triple H comes off the ropes but Rock catches him with a Rock Bottom that gets the pin for the first fall. (The Rock 1 | Triple H 0 @ 10:43)

Triple H bails out to the floor to regroup but Rock goes out after him and rams him into the barricade. Rock brings Triple H up the aisle when Triple H goes for a whip but Rock reverses him into the guardrail. Rock scoops Triple H up but Triple H floats over Rock and drops him onto the barricade. Triple H goes for the high knee bur Rock sidesteps and Triple H runs his knee into the barricade. Triple H rolls Rock back in the ring but Rock greets him with a right hand on the apron and suplexes him back in the ring for a two count. Rock goes out and wraps Triple H’s leg around the ringpost twice then rams it into the apron. Triple H goes out to the floor when Rock hits a kneebreaker onto the steps. Both men roll back in the ring and Triple H begs off but Rock pulls him off the ropes with a London Bridge. Rock kicks away at the knee and goes for a whip, Triple H reverses but Rock knocks him down then applies a Figure Four! Triple H tries to hold on while screaming in pain but does not give up the fall and avoids his shoulders falling to the mat twice. Triple H manages to turn the hold over but Rock turns it back and both men then grab the rope to force a break. Triple H rolls out to the floor but Rock goes out and rams him into the announce table. Rock goes for a whip but Triple H reverses him into the barricade and Rock walks into a clothesline. Triple H throws Rock over the barricade then brawls with him through the crowd when Rock fights back but Triple H backdrops him over the barricade back to ringside. Triple H throws Rock back in the ring and kicks him in the ribs then hits a suplex and follows up with a pair of elbowdrops but only gets two. Triple H tries forcing Rock down to the mat repeatedly but can’t get the three. Triple H hammers Rock in a corner but Rock kicks at Triple H’s bad knee to stop that. Rock comes off the ropes but Triple H throws him over the top then goes out after him. Triple H goes for a whip but Rock reverses him knee-first into the ringsteps. Rock rolls Triple H back in the ring and goes for a whip but Triple H holds onto the ropes so Rock drapes Triple H’s leg on the rope and kneedrops the bad knee. Rock drops a pair of elbows to the knee then applies a grapevine looking for a submission. Triple H kicks his way out of the hold and lands a pair of right hand but Rock comes back with another kneebreaker. Rock goes for another Figure Four but Triple H kicks him into the ringpost then hits the Pedigree and takes the second fall to tie it up (The Rock 1 | Triple H 1 @ 25:26)

Triple H sees Rock is still down and chokes him on the mat but Michaels pulls Triple H off. Triple H lands a pair of shots then goes for a whip, Rock reverses it but Triple H rolls him into a cradle and gets the three to take the lead (The Rock 1 | Triple H 2 @ 26:25). Finding himself trailing, Rock starts to fight back but Triple H pulls him by the tights through the ropes. Triple H goes out and rams Rock into the barricade then drops him with a right hand. Rock wanders up the ramp to the stage where Triple H nails him from behind. Triple H goes for a whip but Rock reverses and sends Triple H into the entrance set then follows up with a clothesline as Michaels tries to get them back in the ring. Rock goes for a suplex but Triple blocks it and hits his own suplex onto the floor as we reach the halfway mark. Both men start to head back to the ring when Triple H grabs Rock from behind but Rock counters that with a suplex on the ramp. Rock whips Triple H into the apron and Triple H staggers into a backdrop. Michales then takes a moment to tell JR there won’t be any b.s. double count outs since it wouldn't affect the score anyway. Rock throws Triple H back in the ring and lays the boots to him then caps off with a right hand. Triple H comes back by jabbing the eyes and goes for a whip, Rock reverses but lowers the head and Triple H hits the facebuster. Triple H then drills Rock with a piledriver and gets the pin for the third fall (The Rock 1 | Triple H 3 @ 32:31)

Triple H is up by two falls as he stomps Rock down in a corner when Rock comes out with a clothesline. Rock goes for a whip but Triple H reverses it and hits an elbow for a two count. Triple H climbs to the top rope but Rock catches him and armdrags him off to the mat. Rock hammers Triple H and goes for a whip, Triple H reverses him into a corner and charges but eats an elbow and Rock rolls him up in a La Magistral for a near fall. Rock comes off the ropes but Triple H hits the high knee for his own near fall. Both men exchange punches and Rock gets the advantage and goes for a whip but Triple H reverses and slaps on a sleeper-hold and Rock begins to fade. Michaels checks the arm and Rock keeps it up but Triple H puts his feet on the ropes for leverage. Rock starts to fade but again comes back so Triple H puts his feet on the ropes again but this time Michaels sees it and kicks them off. Triple H argues with Michaels but that allows Rock to stage another rally. Rock goes for a whip, Triple H reverses and applies another sleeper but Rock counters this one with a belly-to-belly suplex for a two count. Rock goes for a whip, Triple H reverses it but Rock floats over him and slips off before hitting a DDT that gets the pin to cut the lead to one. (The Rock 2 | Triple H 3 @ 40:33) Both men roll out to the floor and Rock rams Triple H into the steps then drops him onto the timekeeper’s table. Triple H rams Rock into the table then grabs a chair and readies swing but Michaels takes the chair away and sets it on the apron. Rock comes back and whips Triple H into the steps then goes for another whip but Triple H reverses him into the barricade. Triple H goes for a backdrop but Rock counters with a neckbreaker then throws him back in the ring. However Triple H then grabs the chair and whacks Rock with it, getting himself DQ’ed and tying the score. (The Rock 3 | Triple H 3 @ 43:44)

Despite getting the fall Rock is still down from the chair shot so Triple H covers him with his feet on the ropes and gets the pin to retake the lead. (The Rock 3 | Triple H 4 @ 44:11) Michaels then checks on Rock and finds him busted open from the chairshot. Triple H lays the boots to Rock then whips him and applies another sleeper. Rock begins to fade as Michaels checks the arm and it drops once, twice but Rock keeps it up. Rock starts to fight out of the hold and comes off the ropes but runs into another sleeper and Rock begins to fade again. This time doesn't answer the arm check and is rendered unconscious, one of the rare times a slepperhold works. In any case Triple H takes the seventh fall and goes back up by two. (The Rock 3 | Triple H 5 @ 47:30) So you see, Triple H sacrificed a DQ to weaken Rock for two quick falls. GENIUS!!!!!

Triple H still has the sleeper on. Michaels tells Triple H to break the hold but Triple H refuses so Michaels pulls Triple H off Rock by the hair. Triple H shoves Michaels but he shoves back and Michaels and Triple H exchange words when Triple H backs down. Rock starts fighting back again and whips Triple H into a corner and Triple H tumbles over the ropes, taking out a cameraman along the way. Rock throws Triple H back in the ring then hammers him in a corner when Triple H comes back with a DDT but only gets a two count with 10 minutes left. Triple H climbs to the top rope but Rock bumps the ropes, causing Triple H to straddle the turnbuckle. Rock then goes up but Triple H fights him off and headbutts him to the mat. Rock goes up again and hits a superplex and both men are down. Rock manages to drape an arm over Triple H but only gets two with 8 minutes left. Rock whips Triple H and hits an elbow then clotheslines him over the ropes. Rock goes out and rams Triple H into the steps with 7 minutes left then takes him down and catapults him into the ringpost. Rock goes for a whip but Triple H reverses and sends Rock into the steps with 6 minutes left. Triple H clears off the announce table then places Rock onto it with 5 minutes left. Triple H goes up and sets Rock up for a Rock Bottom but Rock fights out of it and hits his own Pedigree onto the announce table which doesn't break!! Rock rolls back in the ring and Triple H is down as Michaels counts but Triple H doesn't make it back in and gets counted out, pulling Rock to within one fall. (The Rock 4 | Triple H 5 @ 56:04) Rock just needs one more fall to tie it with 4 minutes to go but we then see the McMahons making their way down the aisle. Triple H is still out in the floor as Michaels starts counting again but this time Triple H barely makes it back in before the count with 3 minutes left. Rock wails on Triple H in a corner and hits the Smackdown then goes for a whip but Triple H reverses him into a corner. Rock comes back out with a forearm and goes for a whip, Triple H reverses but Rock ducks a clothesline and hits a DDT. Vince and Shane try to come in but Rock nails them both on the apron then turns and plants Triple H with a spinebuster. Rock follows up with the People’s Elbow and gets the pin to pull even (The Rock 5 | Triple H 5 @ 58:04)

However Shane pulls Michaels out of the ring but Michaels drops him with a right hand and decks Vince as well, leaving Rock and Triple H in the ring. Road Dogg and X-Pac come out to the ring but Rock is able to fight them off at first. Rock goes for a whip but Triple H reverses him into Michaels, knocking him off the apron. Rock hits Triple H with the Rock Bottom but the DX’ers and Shane head in and start ganging up on Rock. Suddenly the Judgment Day promo fires up on the TitanTron saying “he’s here†and out rides … THE UNDERTAKER!! The crowd goes insane as the Undertaker rides out to the ring on a motorcycle, making his return since September. Triple H nails Rock with the Pedigree when Taker climbs in the ring and starts taking out the whole Regime as the remaining seconds tick off. Taker chokeslams Shane when Vince nails Taker from behind but Taker no sells it and drops Vince with a right hand. Taker chokeslams X-Pac and nails Road Dogg when Stepahnie gets his attention so Taker grabs her for a chokeslam as well. Before he can hit it Triple H breaks it up so Taker turns and chokeslams Triple H as Michaels recovers on the floor. Taker then scoops Triple H as Michaels tells him to stop but Taker goes ahead and drills Triple H with the Tombstone just as the time expires (or somewhere around there). However Michaels announces he’s awarding a DQ decision to Triple H for Taker’s interference on Rock’s behalf. That means Triple H gets the final fall at the end of the hour and thus has won the title for a fourth time! (The Rock 5 | Triple H 6 @ 60:00) Once the dust settles Rock is frustrated at that last-minute decision and the crowd voices their displeasure as well. Taker also vents his frustration as he chases Michaels to the back while Vince and the DX’ers help the new champion to the back and cheer in triumph as the show goes off the air.

****3/4 It would be 5 if it wasn't for the last 2 minutes. But yeah this is a hell of a match the first 58 minutes Rock and Triple H blew all their doubters away with a well-paced contest that had some good moves (some we almost never see from them) and sequences as well as great psychology, especially from The Rock. although Taker’s return was a nice surprise the crowd went nuts for, but still an overall great example of a proper ironman match.

Overall: HOLY FUCKING SHIT THIS IS A GREAT SHOW. FUCK ME. Another excellent supercard from the WWF’s last golden age. While there were only six matches this is a case of quality over quantity. The main event rocked and for the most part was what the Shawn Michaels/Bret Hart Ironman should have been, though that’s just my opinion. The two other title matches and six-man opener were great bouts as well, plus the tables match and Shane/Show matches don’t hurt the card too much. Still with all the great action and a hot crowd to boot you have one of the top pay-per-views of 2000 I put this over Backlash and i loved Backlash. 9/10.

 

[Chris]

Kudos for doing play-by-play for that whole fucking Iron Man Match.

 

[Crippler]

Kudos for doing play-by-play for that whole fucking Iron Man Match.

Once you break it down fall-by-fall it's easy plus when i watched it, it didn't feel like 60.

WWF RAW IS WAR 05/22/2000
Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN​

List of WWF Champions at the time:
● WWF World Heavyweight Champion: Triple H (5/21/2000)
● WWF Intercontinental Champion: Chris Benoit (5/08/2000)
● WWF World Tag Team Champions: Edge & Christian (4/02/2000)
● WWF European Champion: Eddie Guerrero (4/03/2000)
● WWF Hardcore Champion: Gerald Brisco (5/18/2000)
● WWF Women’s Champion: Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley (3/30/2000)
● WWF Light Heavyweight Champion: Dean Malenko (4/27/2000)

Things kick off with a jubilant Vince McMahon making his way to the ring and getting on the mic for our gabfest. Vince says Judgment Day is a day where the world ends and everyone is rewarded or punished for the way they lived. Vince then claims the Regime must be living their lives properly because it was judged last night and justly rewarded. Vince adds the Regime had the biggest celebration party ever after the show last night so the crew might be late arriving tonight. Vince brings up Road Dogg & X-Pac defeating the Dudleys at their own game and Shane McMahon beating Big Show single-handedly before bragging about how proud he is of Triple H for recapturing the WWF Championship, proving he is indeed The Game. Vince claims Rock tried to enlist The Undertaker feeling he needed the help but Triple H still prevailed despite the odds. Vince mentions how Taker walked out on his contract some months ago so if he shows up here the marshals will arrest him. Vince then claims Rock may not show up at all, that he may not be willing to appear before everyone a defeated man. Vince says if Rock does show up he’ll have to face Road Dogg, X-Pac, Shane and Triple H in a 4-on-1 handicap match. Vince finishes by saying last night they took the title from Rock, and tonight they’ll take what’s left.

JR and Lawler then discuss the controversial ending to the Iron Man Match as stills are shown of Taker’s interference. JR feels Shawn Michaels saw Taker chokeslamming Triple H before time expired and that’s what led to the DQ call but Lawler says Michaels missed the chokeslam and DQ’ed Rock because of the Tombstone after the time expired.

[video=youtube;CEnSuTTiXgI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEnSuTTiXgI[/video]

Back from break we get an exterior shot of the arena before a replay is shown of Rock beating down Vince. We then get a shot of Rock pacing around in the parking lot, perhaps waiting for the rest of the Regime to arrive.

The Hardy Boyz vs. T & A (w/Trish Stratus)
Trish comes out with a mic and makes fun of the girls liking the Hardys’ rainbow hair and high-flying moves. Trish says the girls may like the Hardys but she doesn't and promises her men will take care of the boys. Matt and Jeff go right to work on T & A and double-team Test in a corner before doing the same to Albert. The Hardys whip Albert into a double-elbow then hit their combo move before Matt leaves Jeff to take over. However Test get the advantage with a boot and stomps Jeff in a corner. Test whips Jeff into the other corner and charges but Jeff trips him into the turnbuckles with a drop toehold. Jeff tags Matt in and takes Test down while Matt climbs to the middle rope and the Hardys hit the combo legdrops for a two count. Matt goes for a whip, Test reverses and Trish grabs Matt’s leg allowing Albert to clothesline him from the apron. Test tags Albert in and the two whip Matt into a double 360 flapjack before Albert takes over on Matt. Albert whips Matt and hits a shoulderblock then sets Matt up for a powerbomb but Matt is able to slip out of it. Matt sets Albert up for the Twist of Fate but Albert drives him into a corner to prevent it then hits a giant swing, getting himself dizzy in the process. Test gets the tag and clotheslines Matt before tagging Albert back in and the two whip Matt for the double flapjack again, only this time Matt lands on his feet and comes back with a DDT on both guys. Jeff gets the tag then springs off the top rope and connects with a corkscrew moonsault on Test and Albert. Jeff dropkicks Albert to the floor then goes to whip Test who reverses it but Jeff hits Albert with a baseball slide. Test charges at Matt but gets backdropped over the ropes while Jeff slings himself into a plancha on Albert. Matt nails Test with his own pescado on the floor. Trish tries to get involved but Matt shoves her down so Trish shoves Matt into the steps and ringpost. In the ring Albert whips Jeff into a corner and goes for the Avalanche. However Jeff sidesteps it causing Albert to knock his head into the post. Jeff climbs to the top rope and connects with the Swanton Bomb and covers Albert but Trish distracts the referee from making the count. Test climbs to the top himself and hits Jeff with the flying elbowdrop then puts Albert on top for the pin. *3/4 Pretty solid match for 4 minutes.

Backstage we find The Rock still waiting patiently for the Regime to arrive as we go to commercial.

WWF European Title: Eddie Guerrero © (w/Chyna) vs. D’Lo Brown
Pretty weird that D’Lo is getting a title shot when we've barely seen him over the past few weeks. Both men lockup to start and D’Lo gets an armwringer but Eddie flips out of it into his own arm wringer. D’Lo counters into a headlock and Eddie shoves him into the ropes but D’Lo comes back with a shoulderblock. D’Lo comes off the ropes and Eddie leapfrogs over him then comes off the ropes himself but runs into a heel-kick. D’Lo whips Eddie and hits him with a sidewalk slam then gives him some words before slamming him to the mat. D’Lo springs off the middle rope into a moonsault but misses and Eddie comes back with a European uppercut. Eddie goes for a whip, D’Lo reverses it and lifts him up but Eddie dropkicks him away. Eddie whips D’Lo into a corner and charges at him but D’Lo tosses him over his head onto the turnbuckles. D’Lo hits the Sky Hi powerbomb but then looks out to the stage and sees The Godfather and friends making his way down the ramp. That distraction allows Eddie to recover and Eddie hits a Frankensteiner and hooks the leg for the pin. * Nice match but it really needed and deserved more time. After the match The Godfather charges in after the match but D’Lo greets him with several shots. D’Lo goes for a whip but the Godfather reverses D’Lo into a corner and hits the Ho Train followed by the Death Valley Driver. Sad part is I don’t think they ever had a proper blow-off to this feud. Not that anybody even cared anyway.

Backstage a limo pulls into the parking lot and Gerald Brisco comes out to greet Road Dogg, X-Pac and Tori and warn them about what The Rock’s been up to. Road Dogg and the others just brush Brisco off but don’t notice Rock creeping up behind them. Rock lays out Road Dogg and X-Pac with a metal bar then tosses the two of them into a semi-trailer and gets in a few more shots before closing the trailer door.

Back from break we get a replay of The Rock taking out two of his scheduled opponents for the hanidcap match. Lawler reports Rock may have jammed the lock on the trailer door so Road Dogg and X-Pac may not make the match.

Kurt Angle, Edge & Christian vs. Rikishi & Too Cool
Angle comes out with a Reggie Miller jersery and gets on the mic saying the New York Knicks are going down … in the NBA Finals after they first get past the Pacers. Christian (wearing an Indiana college jersey) takes over the mic and says basketball in Indiana is famous for choking, whether it’s the Pacers in the NBA playoffs or Bob Knight choking his players. Edge unveils their 5-second pose tonight, “The Big Chokeâ€, where he chokes Christian while wearing a familiar sweater. Team ECK head out to meet their opponents on the ramp and all six men go at it and brawl their way to ringside. Rikishi and Christian climb in the ring and Christian goes for a whip but Rikishi reverses it into a Samoan Drop. Scotty 2 Hotty tosses Angle in the ring and Rikishi hammers away on him but Angle rakes the eyes to get the advantage. Angle then tries to scoop Rikish up but ends up hurting his back while Rikishi has no problem getting his slam off. Rikishi whips Angle into a corner and hits the running butt splash just as the Too Cool guys toss Edge in the ring. Edge begs Rikishi off when Scotty and Grandmaster Sexay hit a double Atomic Drop from behind and follow up with a double DDT. Scotty hits Edge with a butt bump in a corner followed by Sexay’s bump and Rikishi caps it off with the stinkface. Scotty and Sexay cliothesline Edge over the ropes when Christian comes in but runs into a double flapjack. Scotty sets Christian up with a suplex while Sexay climbs to the top rope and connects with the Hip Hop Drop. Sexay covers Christian but Angle whips Rikishi into the ringsteps then heads back in and barely makes the save. Angle sets Sexay up for a suplex but Scotty interrupts it with a bulldog. Scotty readies himself to deliver the Worm but Edge clocks him in mod-move with one of the tag title belts and Angle rolls him up for the pin. *1/2 PPV match was way better.

Backstage we find The Rock still waiting for Shane and Triple H to show up.

Back from break we get a look at Linda McMahon and Kane on the cover of Business Week.

Backstage another limo pulls up and Shane McMahon excitedly climbs out of it and jogs into the building. Gerald Brisco tries to tell Shane what’s been going down tonight but Shane just brushes him off like the others.

Shane is now making his way to the ring no doubt to brag about his own big victory at the pay-per-view. Shane gets on the mic and makes fun of beating The Big Show and putting him in the hospital, even narrating a series of stills shown on the TitanTron. Shane demands everyone now refer to him as “Shane, The Giant Killer†then claims that the same thing would happen if Show miraculously walked out and climbed in the ring tonight. Shane’s entrance starts playing him out but is quickly cut off by The Rock’s music as Rock makes his way to the ring. Shane tells Rock this thing doesn't concern him but Rock drops him with a right hand and stomps him out to the floor. Rock then tosses Shane over the barricade and brawls with him through the crowd and out an exit tunnel.

Back from break we get a replay of Rock taking out Shane which leave Triple H 1-on-1.

WWF Intercontinential Title: Chris Benoit © vs. Val Venis
On Smackdown Val challenged the winner of the pay-per-view match to a title shot tonight so here we are. Benoit comes out with a brace still on his knee while Val forgoes the intro for the ladies, showing he’s serious tonight. Both men lockup to start and Benoit gets the advantage with chops but Val stops that with a knee to the chest and Val gets in his own chops. Val whips Benoit who rolls under a clothesline but Val gets in a kick to the chest. Val whips Benoit again and connects with an elbow that gets a two count then works Benoit over in a corner. Val whips Benoit into the opposite corner and hits a back suplex for a near fall. Val whips Benoit once again and this time Benoit bails out to the floor to regroup but Val goes out and clotheslines him. Val throws Benoit back in the ring and stomps him down and chokes him with the boot. Val whips Benoit but Benoit reverses him hard into a corner and follows up a snap suplex that gets a two count. Benoit plants Val with a back suplex that also gets a near fall but Val pulls Benoit through the ropes by the tights. Val goes out and hits Benoit with chops then drops him on the barricade. Val goes for a whip but Benoit reverses him into the steps then rams him into the barrier and tosses him back in. Benoit pounds on Val when Val comes back by kicking at the bad knee but Benoit trips him into the turnbuckles. Benoit whips Val but lowers the head and Val kicks the face then whips Benoit into a corner but eats a boot. Benoit comes out and runs right into a powerslam but both men are down and Val can’t cover him immediately. Both men exchange punches and Val gets the advantage then comes off the ropes and hits a shoulderblock. Val follows up with an elbowdrop and a kneedrop that gets a two count. Val tosses Benoit across the ring and clotheslines him in a corner then plants him with the Blue Thunderbomb but that only gets a two count. Val hooks Benoit’s arms and goes for a butterfly suplex but Benoit blocks it and comes back with a clothesline. Benoit stomps Val in the head then comes off the ropes but Val catches him with a spinebuster. Val then climbs to the top rope but Benoit pulls the referee into the ropes causing Val to straddle the turnbuckle. Benoit climbs to the top rope himself and hits Val with a superplex and both men are down on the mat again. Suddenly Hardcore Holly comes in with a chair in hand and whacks Benoit with it to end this one. Hardcore turns and nails Val with the chair then leaves both of them laying, showing he isn't playing favorites. Hardcore heads up the ramp when Chris Jericho’s entrance starts playing and Hardcore stands ready with the chair. Instead Jericho comes up from behind with his own chair and blasts Hardcore with it, leaving him laying as well. *** A damn good match which was nearly ruined by a bad finish.

Backstage we find Gerald Brisco waiting for the Helmlseys to arrive, hoping he gets to them before The Rock does.

The Dudley Boyz vs. The Big Bossman & Bull Buchanan
Bubba Ray and Buchanan lockup to start then break before locking up again. Bubba goes into a headlock, Buchanan shoves Bubba into the ropes but Bubba comes back with a shoulderblock. Bubba comes off the ropes and Buchanan goes for a hiptoss but Bubba blocks it and hits a back suplex. Bubba whips Buchanan into a backdrop then draws Bossman in and clotheslines him down. Bubba slams Buchanan to the mat and sets him up for D’Von who climbs to the top rope and hits the headbutt to the groin. D’Von takes over on Buchanan without a tag and goes for a whip but Buchanan reverses it while Bossman makes a blind tag and nails D’Von with a boot. Bossman works D’Von over in a corner and chokes him but D’Von starts fighting back. D’Von goes for a whip but Bossman reverses him into a corner and splashes him then hits an uppercut. D’Von rally's again and goes for the ropes but ends up tumbling out to the floor after Buchanan pulls down the bottom rope. Bossman and Buchanan both slide out to the floor and double-team D’Von before tossing him back in the ring. Buchanan covers D’von without a tag for a near fall then whips him and hits an axe kick. Buchanan slams D’Von and chokes him on the ropes before tagging Bossman and whipping D’Von into a double shoulderblock. Bossman hits a forearm to the back followed by a knee-lift then whips D’von and plants him with a spinebuster. However Bubba comes in and saves it which prompts Buchanan to also come in and toss Bubba over the ropes. Buchanan goes out to duke it out with Bubba on the floor while Bossman whips D’Von and connects with a boot. D’von suddenly whips Bossman when Bubba makes it back in and the Dudleys hit the 3D for the pin. The crowd is a bit disappointed they didn't get any tables broken. * That was way too long and only saved by the Dudleys being so over at this point.

Backstage Gerald Brisco is still pacing around in the parking lot waiting in the for the Helmsleys to arrive.

A furious Crash Holly storms into the Acolytes’ locker room and rambles on how they failed to protect him on Smackdown so he demands a refund citing breach of contract. Bradshaw and Faarooq stare at Crash dumbfounded before deciding to offer him a lollipop instead of his money back. Crash slams it down on the table threatening to take his anger out on both of them but the Acolytes just laugh it off. However Crash takes a can and pours beer all over Bradshaw’s head then departs. Bradshaw is now sufficiently angered and takes off after Crash while Faarooq asks him to remember Crash is just a boy.

Back from break Gerald Brisco calls Triple H on his cell phone and tries to warn him abut The Rock but the connection breaks up so he throws his phone down to the floor.

Crash Holly vs. Bradshaw
Crash brings a shopping cart full of plunder to the ring then attacks Bradshaw as he slides in and breaks a 2×4 over his back. Crash whips Bradshaw but lowers the head and Bradshaw clubs Crash in the back, ending his offense for the match. Bradshaw smacks Crash with a 2×4 piece then hammers him with a trash can and lid. Bradshaw chops Crash down before bringing him out of the ring and throwing him into the timekeeper’s table. Bradshaw grabs a chair and cracks Crash with it then tosses him back in the ring and continues his assault. Bradshaw hits a series of forearms to the face followed by an elbowdrop then caps it off with a powerbomb. Bradshaw then lifts Crash up again for a second powerbomb when Crash slips out of it but Bradshaw nails Crash with the Clothesline from Hades and it’s emphatically over. DUD! Waste of the peoples time.

Backstage yet another limo pulls into the building and Triple H and Stephanie finally make their appearance this evening. Gerald Brisco comes out to tell The Helmsleys what The Rock’s been up to and they actually decide to listen to him.

Back from break Gerald Brisco continues getting the Helmsleys caught up as they head into their dressing room. After learning everything The Rock did to the Regime Triple H says if Rock’s looking for him he’s not hard to find. Triple H then decides to find Rock himself and everyone heads out … just as Rock emerges from a nearby dark corner.

JR and Lawler again talk about the ending of the Iron Man match as they show stills. We then get a taped interview Michael Cole had with Shawn Michaels last night after the show for his thoughts on the controversy which resulted in his best friend Triple H winning the title. Michaels says he’s a human being and called the match down the middle the best he could but apparently that isn't good enough for everyone. Cole then brings up the rest of the Regime interfering in the last few seconds of the match with the score tied at 5-5. Michaels says after he got knocked out of the ring he saw Undertaker interfering on Rock’s behalf so there’s the DQ. Michaels then says he’s sick and tired of people always coming down on him every time he’s asked to do a job. Make your own jokes, people. Michaels adds he’s been in the WWF longer than any other wrestler on the roster yet he still can’t make anyone happy. Michaels finishes by saying he called the match the way he saw it and if everyone doesn't like it, that’s just too bad. Isn't this like how he turned Heel in '97

Backstage Essa Rios is having fun with The Godfather and his women before they head out for the next match. Rios walks through a door with a lady on each arm but Lita appears and doesn't seem too happy by her man straying. Rios just shrugs it off and Lita acts cool with it but still has a scowl on her face as we go to commercial.

The Godfather (w/the ladies) & Essa Rios (w/Lita) vs. Dean Malenko & Perry Saturn
Lita is still not happy with Rios’ antics earlier while Malenko and Saturn seem to be having their own issues. Godfather does his thing on the mic then turns and offers Malenko one of his women to take the night off. Malenko tells Godfather he wants two women and departs the ring with them leaving Saturn to fend for himself. Saturn nails Rios from behind to start us off and pounds him down in a corner then hits an Exploder suplex. Saturn goes for a whip, Rios reverses it but lowers the head and Saturn hits a kneelift followed by a clothesline. Saturn whips Rios again but this time Rios comes back with a spinnning heel kick. Godfather tags in and whips Saturn into an elbow then whips him again and clotheslines him down. Godfather follows up with a running legdrop and connects with the Ho Train in a corner. Rios tags in and climbs to the top rope for a moonsault but Lita shoves Rios’ legs dropping him on the turnbuckle. Saturn then drills Rios with a brainbuster to score the pin. Lita walks back up the ramp satisfied as what she did and it looks like a Lita/Rios split is in the works, which would lead to big things for one of them. DUD Match.

Backstage we find the Helmsleys and Gerald Brisco searching various rooms for The Rock as we go to commercial.

The Rock makes his way to the ring and I guess we’re getting a promo instead of an actual main event. Rock gets on the mic and says Triple H brought it to him at the pay-per-view in the form of the rest of the DX Regime. Rock says after he battled Triple H for an hour, Triple H may have walked out WWF Champion but he didn't truly beat him. Rock advises Triple H to enjoy the WWF Title while he can before making a promise to become champion once again. Rock also addresses The Undertaker’s return during the match saying Taker did the right thing but at the wrong time. Rock then laughs at Vince’s plan to finish him off by throwing him in a handicap match after he went an hour last night, mentioning how he eliminated Vince, Road Dogg, X-Pac and Shane earlier, which of course leaves himself and Triple H. Rock says he could have beaten Triple H in the dressing room but decided to wait now that it’s down to one-on-one. Rock calls Triple H out and sure enough the Helmsleys appear on the stage with Triple H holding the title belt up high. Triple H gets on the mic and gives Rock his props for going the entire 60 minutes, saying they both lit the world on fire. Triple H then tells Rock when the dust settled he was the one who took home the title because Rock couldn't hang. Triple H says on their judgment day last night Rock was punished and he was rewarded because he is that darn good. Rock dares Triple H to “just bring it†and Triple H slowly makes his way in the ring as the crowd gets all excited. Once Triple H climbs in the two start exchanging shots but Rock gets the advantage and hits the Smackdown on him. Rock whips Triple H into a corner and clotheslines him down when Road Dogg and X-Pac suddenly run in. Rock is able to fight the three DX’ers off when Shane makes his way in but Rock is able to knock him down as well. Gerald Brisco then helps Vince in the ring when Rock grabs him for a Rock Bottom but Vince falls over to the mat so Rock tries again and hits Vince with a proper Rock Bottom. However Rock starts getting overwhelmed by the numbers against him and Triple H tees off on Rock while the DX’ers bring the ringsteps in the ring looking to finally finish Rock off for good.

At that point the Judgment Day promo pops up again and The Undertaker appears on the stage on his motorcycle as his Kid Rock theme plays. Taker walks down the ramp as the The Regime stands ready then charges up one at a time but Taker dispatches them and drops Vince with a right hand. Taker then hops on his bike and rolls down the ramp teasing running over Vince but the DX’ers pull him away to safety. Taker rides around the ring and chases the DX’ers to the back leaving Rock and Triple H still fighting in the ring. Triple H has Rock down and sets him up for a Pedigree onto the steps but Rock is able to counter with a backdrop. Rock clotheslines Triple H over the ropes then goes out and rams him into the bell on the timekeeper’s table. Rock turns and clears off the announce table but Triple H clocks him with the bell then brings him onto the table. Triple H sets up for a Pedigree through the table but Rock low blows him then Rock Bottoms him through the table. Triple H is out as Rock heads in the ring while pulling off his shirt but has trouble getting his fist through the sleeve. After cutting away for a second Rock now has the shirt off and stands tall in the ring as Raw goes off air.

Overall: Well coming off a top 10 PPV this was not the best of shows to follow it. The in-ring action wasn’t much and there wasn’t anything that started the build to King of the Ring but it was still mostly entertaining with a good Benoit/Val match. The last segment, however, was well done as the crowd was alive for Rock and Triple H battling again and Undertaker throwing his hat into the war which helped freshen up that storyline. 5/10.

 

[Crippler]

WWF SMACKDOWN 05/25/2000
Evansville, IL​

List of WWF Champions at the time:
● WWF World Heavyweight Champion: Triple H (5/21/2000)
● WWF Intercontinental Champion: Chris Benoit (5/08/2000)
● WWF World Tag Team Champions: Edge & Christian (4/02/2000)
● WWF European Champion: Eddie Guerrero (4/03/2000)
● WWF Hardcore Champion: Gerald Brisco (5/18/2000)
● WWF Women’s Champion: Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley (3/30/2000)
● WWF Light Heavyweight Champion: Dean Malenko (4/27/2000)

Smackdown comes on the air with a recap of Rock and Undertaker taking apart the DX Regime on Raw.

[video=youtube;9Qi4dj4qW3o]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Qi4dj4qW3o[/video]

We cut back to the arena just in time to see Vince wearily coming out to the ring. Vince gets on the mic and chews out the cops for failing to protect him, reminding them they have a job to do and asking if they’re armed. Vince then calls Taker out to the ring and it isn't long before the Kid Rock theme fires up and Taker walks out to the ring to stand face-to-face with Vince. Vince asks Taker who he thinks he is and if he thinks this is a game, saying he could have been really injured before telling Taker he’s going to pay a hefty price tonight. However Vince says he wants to get something off his chest first and tells Taker he enjoyed him costing The Rock the WWF Championship at Judgment Day with his interference, even though Triple H would have beaten Rock regardless. Vince continues to call Taker the reason Rock is no longer champion and warns him not to turn his back to Rock. Vince then brings up how Taker appeared on Raw, reminding Taker of walking out on him last September and doesn't a have a WWF contract as a result. Vince says unlike Monday he’s ready for him tonight then accuses Taker of trespassing and orders the cops to arrest him. Taker takes the mic from Vince and asks him if he ever talks to Linda anymore because she signed him to a new fat contract before Judgment Day, lots of years and lots of zeroes, meaning Vince gets to pay him lots of money for the pleasure of beating him up. Vince is less than thrilled with the news but then orders the cops to arrest Taker for attempted vehicular homicide while jabbing one of them with his finger. The cop responds by saying if he arrests Taker he’ll also have to arrest Vince for assaulting an police officer. I don’t believe that’s how it works but whatever. The cop then tells Vince work out his problems on his own and the cops leave the ring. Vince yells at the cops for deserting him … before realizing he’s now been left alone in the ring with Taker. Taker dares Vince to attack him then grabs him by the throat looking for a chokeslam. Shane comes in and nails Taker with a chair to make the save but Taker no-sells it and the McMahons flee from the ring as Taker stands tall.

Back from break we get a replay of Shane saving Vince from an Undertaker chokeslam.

Edge & Christian then come out to the ring as Cole mentions they've issued an open challenge for their tag titles. Edge gets on the mic and mentions their challenge to any team they haven’t beaten but feels the problem is they've beaten everybody. Christian agrees there’s no competition for them and the two suggest other teams they could face like Kaientai, the Headbangers and even the Moon-dogs. Eventually Eddie Guerrero and Chyna come out to apparently accept their challenge and E&C look a little flabbergasted but take their positions for the match.

WWF World Tag Team Titles: Edge & Christian © vs. Eddie Guerrero & Chyna
Eddie starts off with Edge grabs a waistlock then hits a snapmare then twists his foot into Eddie’s nose. Chyna tags in and the two of them hit a double suplex then Eddie whips Edge into a clothesline by Chyna. Chyna slams Edge to the mat and holds him down while Eddie slings himself over the ropes into a hilo on Edge. Christian taunts the fans allowing Eddie to knock him off the apron to the floor. Eddie hits a suplex for a two count then goes for a whip but Edge reverses and Eddie tumbles out to the floor after Christian pulls down the top rope. Christian drops Eddie onto the barricade and rolls him back in the ring and Eddie and Edge exchange shots and Eddie getting the advantage. Edge rakes the face and hits a dropkick then tags in Christian who hits a backbreaker. Christian chokes Eddie on the mat then draws in Chyna while Edge comes in and gets a shot. Christian goes for a powerbomb but Eddie floats over him into a Sunset Flip, Christian rolls out of it but Eddie hits a neckbreaker. Christian tags Edge while Eddie tags in Chyna and Chyna takes it to both men. Chyna powerbombs Christian but Edge nails her from behind. Edge whips Chyna and goes for the headscissors but Chyna counters into a powerbomb. Christian breaks up the pin and the referee keeps Eddie from coming in when Chyna hits a low blow on both men. Chyna then hits the handspring elbow on Christian in a corner and looks to do the same on Edge but Edge cuts her off with a spear. Eddie hammers Edge in a corner but Christian throws him through the ropes then he and Edge hit Chyna with a double suplex. E&C double-team Chyna as the referee tries to break it up but Edge shoves the referee away and that causes a DQ. Eddie comes back and beats Edge down in a corner while Christian brings in one of the tag belts and takes a swing at Chyna but misses. Eddie grabs Chyna from behind and helps Chyna kick Christian and Edge away and the champs clear out of the ring while Eddie and Chyna stand tall. ** Fun match for what it was, though I don’t see why Chyna couldn't have taken a pinfall.

Backstage Crash is in the Acolytes’ office shaking up their beer cans in frustration when Bradshaw and Faarooq come in and find him. Bradshaw threatens to beat Crash up but Faarooq feels Crash learned his lesson on Raw and Crash pretends to agree with him. Faarooq tries to tell Crash a story but Crash responds by spraying the beer can he was shaking all over Faarooq and running away. Faarooq gets furious and storms off while Bradshaw laughs at him and opens another beer can. However Bradshaw finds Crash shook that one up as well and tells Faarooq to murder him as we go to commercial.

Back from break Vince McMahon is angrily pacing around his office as Shane and Gerald Brisco try to calm him down. Vince orders Brisco to go to the back of the building and tell him when The Rock arrives. Brisco starts to head out when Shane asks him to look out for the Undertaker as well.

Faarooq (w/Bradshaw) vs. Crash Holly
So Faarooq gets his turn to destroy Crash. Bradshaw joins the announcers for commentary while bringing out a six-pack. Crash rushes out with a garbage can and a 2×4 and breaks it over Faarooq’s back on the floor. Crash runs through the ring and leaps off the steps but Faarooq catches him into a powerslam on the floor. Faarooq throws Crash in the ring along wiht a garbage can and lid. Crash swings the lid but misses and Faarooq hits a spinebuster before throwing him through the ropes. Faarooq goes out and sets up for a Dominator through the table but Bradshaw tells him the beer’s out there so Faarooq sets Crash down and clotheslines him. Faarooq throws Crash in the ring and hits a Dominator onto the trash can for the convincing three. DUD!

Backstage Gerald Brisco is shown waiting for The Rock in the garage as we go to commercial.

Back from break a limo pulls up and Gerald Brisco goes up to meet whoever it is. However instead of the Rock, Triple H comes out with Stephanie. Brisco tells Triple H what happened earlier and Triple H demands to see Vince.

Chris Jericho vs. Val Venis vs. Hardcore Holly
The winner of this match gets an Intercontinential title shot on Raw. Jericho comes out first and gets on the mic talking about this match deciding a #1 contender then says he’s still the “Ayatollah of Rock and Roll-ah†but is interrupted by Hardcore’s entrance. Hardcore and Jericho start us off before Val can make his way out and once Val enters he helps Jericho stomp Hardcore down in a corner. Val and Jericho take turns hitting chops then whip Hardcore into a corner and hit a double flapjack. Val covers Hardcore when Jericho pulls him off and goes for the cover himself but Val pulls Jericho off and the two of them start going at it when Hardcore nails both of the from behind. Jericho tumbles through the ropes while Hardcore hits Val with an Atomic Drop followed by a clothesline then turns and knocks Jericho off the apron. Hardcore powerbombs Val and covers him but Jericho makes it back in for the save. Jericho chops Hardcore in a corner then whips him into the opposite corner and charges but eats a boot. Hardcore comes out but runs into a drop toehold and Jericho tees off on Hardcore when Val stomps Jericho in the head. Val tosses Jericho through the ropes when Hardcore goes to whip Val but Val reverses and hits a Fisherman’s suplex. Jericho saves the match again then pulls Val out to the floor and throws him into the barricade. Jericho hits some chops on Val but Hardcore nails Jericho with a baseball slide. Hardcore and Val exchange punches and Hardcore gets the advantage then goes for a whip but Val reverses him into the ringpost. Jericho comes back with a clothesline on Val then hits some knee lifts before throwing him back in the ring. Jericho kicks Hardcore then climbs to the top rope and hits a missile dropkick on Val for a two count. Jericho chops Val into a corner when Hardcore clubs him from behind. Jericho and Hardcore exchange shots but Hardcore rakes the eyes and chops him in a corner. Val comes up from behind and suplexes Hardcore but only gets a two count. Jericho hits a vertical suplex on Val then does the same to Hardcore and covers but Val saves it and throws Jericho into a corner. Val and Hardcore double-team Jericho when Val throws Hardcore across the ring then whips Jericho. Hardcore readies a clothesline but Jericho ducks it and springs off the middle rope into a crossbody on Hardcore. Val tries to break it up with an elbow but misses Jericho and hits Hardcore. Jericho drops Val on the top rope with a Stun Gun but Hardcore nails him from behind and whips him. Jericho hits Hardcore with a forearm then bulldogs Val and knocks him off the apron with the springboard dropkick. Hardcore connects with his own dropkick then whips Jericho but misses a right hand. Hardcore leaps up but Jericho catches him and drapes him into a Walls of Jericho around the ropes. Strangely the referee asks Hardcore if he wants to submit, ignoring that they’re in the ropes. Before Hardcore can submit Val nails Jericho with a guillotine legdrop to break the hold. Val whips Jericho into a corner and hits a clothesline followed by the Blue Thunderbomb but only gets two. Val whips Jericho and goes for a legdrop but Jericho holds onto the ropes to fake him out and connects with the Lionsault. Jericho covers but Hardcore breaks it up with a legdrop from the top then covers Val himself and gets the three for the title shot. *** Hardcore gets his shot on Monday against either Chris Benoit or Kurt Angle who will square off for the IC strap later. Good work from all three guys involved.

Backstage Triple H and Stephanie are meeting with Vince and Shane about what the Undertaker did earlier and Vince claims he’s fine now then promises they’ll get even with Taker later. Gerald Brisco then comes in and tells Vince The Rock will be arriving shortly and Triple H offers to take Rock. Vince asks Triple H to calm down, saying he doesn't want to anger Rock then decides to handle Rock himself as we to commercial.

[video=youtube;9MA6oBXyQHI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MA6oBXyQHI[/video]

Back from break we get a replay of Vince giving Rock the night off and getting boxed in the ear in response.

Matt Hardy (w/Jeff Hardy) vs. Essa Rios (w/Lita)
Rios and Lita have apparently patched things up after their spat on Raw. Or have they? Both men lockup to start and Rios forces Matt into a corner then goes for a whip but Matt reverses him into the opposite corner. Rios slings himself over the top rope to the apron and shoulderblocks Matt trough the ropes then locks knuckles and climbs to the top rope hitting a huricanrana. Rios hits a spinning heel kick that sends Matt rolling out to the floor then leaps over the ropes with a somersault senton. Rios rolls Matt back in the ring and covers for a two count then whips Matt into a corner and charges at him. Matt sidesteps Rios who lands on the middle rope but Matt nails him from behind and hits a crucifix bomb. Matt lands some shots followed by a discus punch then clotheslines Rios over the ropes. Matt goes out after Rios and winds up but Rios holds Lita in front of him like a shield and Matt stops himself. Rios suddenly shoves Lita into him then goes for a whip but Matt reverses and sends him into the ringsteps. Matt throws Rios back in the ring then whips him into a corner and charges but eats an elbow. Rios climbs to the top rope and connects with a moonsault but only gets a two count. Rios charges but Matt tosses him into the ropes, knocking Lita off the apron. Matt hits the Twist of Fate on Rios and that gets the pin. The Hardys start to leave while Lita is down on the floor when Rios goes out and throws her back in the ring. Rios powerbombs Lita then climbs to the top rope and hits a moonsault, ending their association. The Hardys then come back out and beat down Rios to keep him from doing further damage and Jeff whips Rios into a backdrop from Matt over the ropes. Matt goes out and holds Rios up while Jeff leaps off the apron with a forearm. The Hardys then help Lita out of the ring and carry her to the back, planting the seeds for their friendship. This would also be the end of Essa Rios’ push as he’d be relegated to the weekend shows for the rest of his WWF run. 1/2* Only thing people remember is the post match stuff

Backstage Vince is meeting with the rest of the clan while still reeling from his encounter with The Rock. Vince says he’s glad Rock is gone then tells the others they now have to get rid of the Undertaker tonight. Triple H suggests they find someone who could look Taker in the eye and take him down, someone of Taker’s stature to get the job done. Triple H then suggests they could use a giant killer and all eyes turn toward Shane who seems hesitant but with Triple H and Vince’s encouragement Shane takes up the challenge.

Too Cool & The Dudley Boyz vs. Road Dogg & X-Pac (w/Tori) and T & A (w/Trish Stratus)
Test starts us off by working Scotty 2 Hotty over in a corner then whips him into the other corner. Scotty lifts himself up with the ropes and Test catches him on his shoulder but Scotty is able to slip out of there. Scotty goes for a whip, Test reverses it but Scotty hits a dropkick. Grandmaster Sexay tags in and both Too Cool guys throw Test to the mat and hit a double elbowdrop. Test comes back and pounds on Sexay then throws him into his corner and tags in Road Dogg. Albert and Road Dogg double-team Sexay in their corner then Road Dogg whips him into another corner and charges but eats a boot. Sexay hops on the middle rope and hits a dropkick for a two count. Sexay hits an Atomic Drop then comes off the ropes but Tori grabs his leg from the floor and Albert clotheslines Sexay from the apron. Albert tags in and press slams Sexay to the mat then tags in X-Pac who kicks Sexay down in a corner then chokes him with his boot. X-Pac goes for the Bronco Buster but Sexay avoids it and X-Pac straddles the turnbuckle. Sexay manages to tag in Bubba Ray Dudley and Bubba takes it to all his opponents and plants X-Pac with the full nelson bomb. D’Von tags in and helps Bubba whip Road Dogg looking for a clothesline but T&A pulls them both out of the ring. Scotty comes in and bulldogs Road Dogg then follows up with the Worm. Sexay climbs to the top and hits the Hip Hop Drop on Road Dogg but the referee is too distracted to count. X-Pac backdrops Scotty over the ropes then breaks up the pin. Bubba slams X-Pac to the mat and sets him up while D’Von climbs to the top and hits the headbutt to the groin. Test and Albert come in and Bubba goes for a whip but accidentally whips Albert into the referee. Road Dogg knocks Bubba through the ropes to the floor and Trish and Tori run away from him. T&A work over Sexay while Road Dogg plants Scotty with a pump handle slam. However Rikishi makes his way to the ring and takes out Road Dogg with a superkick. X-Pac comes off the top but Rikishi catches him and throws him into a corner where Rikishi hits the running butt charge. X-Pac staggers into a 3D from the Dudleys and Bubba covers X-Pac as the referee revives for the three. The Dudleys finally get one back on the DX’ers. Chaotic but find eight-man tag and the crowd was rocking’ for it. Rikishi and Too Cool then invite the Dudleys to join them for the post-match dance. **

Backstage Triple H gets Shane fired up for his match with the Undertaker, reminding him how he took out The Big Show at Judgment Day so surely he can beat Taker tonight. Triple H tells Shane he’s going to be the man who buried the Undertaker and Shane seems to buy into it.

WWF Intercontinential Title: Chris Benoit © vs. Kurt Angle
As Angle makes his way out he gets on the mic and says he had a realization on Monday, that preaching about abstinence and posing with friends is fun but he’s an Olympic medalist who set goals for himself. Angle says it’s been too long since he had championship gold and tells the people they will remember this night when he wins the IC Title. Benoit is still sporting the brace on his knee. Both men lockup the start and Angle hits an armdrag then takes Benoit down with a waistlock and hammers him in a corner. Both men exchange shoves and Benoit gets in some shots then goes for a whip but Angle reverses and hits a belly-to-belly suplex. Benoit rolls out to the floor but Angle brings him back in and elbows him in the neck. Benoit hits a chop followed by a series of kicks and goes for a whip but Angle counters with a backdrop. Angle hits a clothesline for a two count then works Benoit over and whips him into a corner. Angle charges but eats an elbow and Benoit stomps Angle in the head then hits a snap suplex for a two count. Benoit whips Angle into a corner then hits a series of chops and kicks but the referee reprimands benoit, allowing Angle to come out and hit a takedown. Benoit chops Angle but Angle comes back with a Fireman’s carry for a two count. Angle throws Benoit with a hiplock takeover for another two count then goes for a whip but Benoit reverses and hits an elbow for a near fall. Benoit whips Angle and hits a clothesline but still only gets two. Benoit looks for a short-arm clothesline when Angle ducks it into a waistlock but Benoit fights out of it and hits a bridge suplex for two. Benoit climbs to the top rope but Ange runs up and hits a belly-to-belly suplex off the rope. Both men are down as Hardcore Holly comes out with a chair in hand just like on Raw. Hardcore goes in and clocks Angle with the chair, getting Benoit DQ’ed. Hardcore readies the chair but Benoit cuts him off then takes the chair and nails Hardcore. Benoit tells his fallen challenger he’ll see him on Monday and walks off with his title intact. **1/2 Good match despite the finish but the crowd wasn't into it much since it was heel vs. heel.

Al Snow (w/Steve Blackman) vs. Bull Buchanan (w/The Big Bossman)
Snow starts off with a hammerlock which he turns into a arm-wringer when Buchchan shoves Show into the ropes and Snow hits a shoulderblock but doesn't budge him. Snow comes off the ropes with a crossbody but Buchanan catches him and slams him to the mat. Buchanan whips Snow for a boot but Snow blocks it and elbows the leg. Snow dropkicks Buchanan in the knee and kicks away at it then climbs to the top and hits a crossbody for a two count. Snow goes for a whip, Buchanan reverses him into a corner and charges but eats a boot. Buchanan charges again when Snow sidesteps him but Buchanan runs up the ropes and springs off with a clothesline. Buchanan uppercuts Snow then chokes him in a corner twice and Snow fights out of there but Buchanan stops. Buchanan whips Snow looking for a press slam when Snow slips out and rolls Buchanan up but Bossman distracts the referee from making the count. The referee finally turns around to count but only gets one. Snow charges at Buchanan but Buchanan backdrops him over the ropes. Buchanan brings Snow onto the apron but Snow snaps his neck on the top rope then rolls over him back in the ring. Snow comes off the ropes but Buchanan drops him to the mat and follows up with a legdrop. Buchanan drops Snow with a right hand then distracts the referee while Bossman gets in a shot. Buchanan chokes Snow on the mat and Snow rolls out to the floor but right in front of Bossman who throws him into the post. Buchanan comes off the apron with an axehandle then rolls Snow back in the ring and hammers him in a corner. Buchanan whips Snow into the opposite corner and goes for a running boot but Snow sidesteps and Buchanan catches his leg on the top rope. Snow connects with a savant kick then beats Buchanan down in a corner when Bossman manages to draw Blackman in the ring, getting the referee’s attention. Snow tries to come off the ropes but Bossman nails him from behind with his nightstick and Buchanan follows up with an axe kick that ends it. Blackman climbs in but Bossman takes him out with the nightstick as well and the two exchange high fives as they depart the ring. DUD Boring match which had no busy on the Show.

Backstage Vince is getting Shane pumped up to meet the Undertaker. Shane promises to get even for what Taker tried to do to Vince earlier and requests no interference, saying he’s going to do this on his own. After Shane departs, Vince complements Shane’s courage as we go to commercial.

Back from break we get a replay of the Undertaker chasing Vince with the motorcycle at the top of the show. Shane then comes out to the ring and gets on the mic saying despite what the crowd is chanting he’s been dominating in the WWF. Shane tells Taker it’ll be his Judgment Day after he took out The Big Show at the pay-per-view and shows footage on the OvalTron of him dropping the speaker on Show’s leg claiming he did it on his own. Shane then shows a clip of him hitting Show with a cinder-block and pinning him for the three before warning Taker to stay in the back because he doesn't want any of him. Taker doesn't listen to Shane’s warning as he rides down to the ring on his motorcycle.

The Undertaker vs. Shane McMahon
Shane hops around looking ready to go but Taker doesn't seem amused by this. Eventually Taker gets tired of Shane’s hopping and drops him with a right hand then grabs Shane by the neck and throws Shane into a corner. Taker pummels Shane and caps off with a right hand then whips him and hits the chokeslam. Road Dogg, X-Pac and Triple H run in but Taker is able to take them down one at a time when Vince, Stephanie, Tori and Brisco also come out. Taker grabs Triple H by the throat for a chokeslam but X-Pac breaks it up and the DX’ers triple-team Taker in a corner while Vince climbs in and directs traffic. The Rock then comes out to turn the tide and is able to take out Road Dogg and X-Pac while Taker takes it to Triple H and the McMahons. Rock plants Road Dogg with a Rock Bottom and throws X-Pac over the ropes then he and Taker take turns hitting Triple H. Rock knocks Triple H out of the ring with the Smackdown while Taker drills Shane with a Tombstone. Triple H tries to come in but Rock knocks him off the apron and for the second time this week the Regime is forced to retreat. Taker chases the whole crew up the ramp with his motorcycle leaving Rock to stand tall in the ring as Smackdown goes off air.

Overall: Quite the fun episode of Smackdown this time around. The in-ring action was solid enough with the IC Title match and triple-threat as the highlights and there was also some nice angle progression, incluing the Hardys starting their friendship with Lita. Taker’s injection in the war against the Vince and Co' also helped freshen up the angle since they’ve been forced back not once but twice this week. 6/10