King of the Ring '01

Legacy Review

King of the Ring '01

June 24, 2001 from the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, NJ

 

Commentary: Jim Ross and Paul Heyman

 

After holding the largest ever King of the Ring tournament in 2000 with a 32 man field, this year went back to 16 entrants with only the semifinals and finals taking place on the PPV. The four semifinalists are all heels and even all from the same loose stable of friends. On top of that, three months after the purchase of WCW WWF is finally starting to lay the groundwork for the coming Invasion angle, and a lot of that prep work will continue tonight. I should also note this is the first PPV after Triple H suffered his major quad injury on Raw, which forced a quick revamp of the ongoing Two Man Power Trip angle.

 

Tonight features another absolute killer stage, with the giant electric chair style KOTR throne. BANG! Yo it's me, it's me, it's DDP. The newly arrived to WWF DDP interrupts the show right as it starts, coming in through the crowd. He recently revealed himself as the one stalking Undertaker's wife Sara and taking voyeuristic videos of her. Certainly a weird way to go with DDP, and it's sadly an accurate early indicator of how the whole Invasion angle is going to go. DDP says that he's only shown the PG part of his collection so far, he's still holding back the, er, good stuff. He says he'll be front row for Raw tomorrow night, and shows of the "Make me famous" sign that he'll have. He then takes a seat ringside tonight. He's getting choice tickets quicker and easier than Green Tee douche. Look, he may be a nice guy, I don't know, but I get damn sick of seeing his face and stupid shirt plastered front row center every single PPV. We then go to commentary and Heyman stirs the invasion pot more, saying there's "rumors" that both Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit are negotiating with WCW and could take the WWF Championship with them should one of them win it tonight.

 

Semifinals: Kurt Angle def Christian in 8:51- Angle's in for a busy night tonight. Prior to tonight he defeated Hardcore Holly and Jeff Hardy while looking to become, per official WWF canon at the time, the first ever back to back and even first ever two time KOTR winner. Of course Bret Hart won the last pre-PPV KOTR tournament in '91 then the first one on PPV in '93 so he was already there, but the pre-PPV tournaments were still being erased from history at this point. On top of his tournament pursuit, Angle also has a Street Fight scheduled with Shane McMahon later tonight. Christian defeated Kane and Raven to get here. Christian jumps Angle as soon as he gets in the ring and stomps him down in the corner. Big pickup and takedown toss from Angle in response. He takes his turn to stomp Christian down in the corner. Bret bump in the corner from Angle and Christian hits a swinging neckbreaker for 2. Angle rolls through a Christian sunset flip and tries for the ankle lock. Christian fights free. Belly to belly suplex from Angle. A pretty big "Let's go Angle" starts up in the crowd. Angle seems almost surprised by it. He and Christian go back and forth through some of the usual ringside brawl stuff. Christian goes up top. Angle pushes him off and Christian FILES into the barricade! Cover by Angle for 2. Gutwrench suplex from Angle. Back suplex for 2. He cuts off a Christian comeback with a knee to the gut, setting off more "Let's go Angle" chants from the New York adjacent crowd. Regular suplex for 2. Flash small package from Christian for 2. They seem to have a disagreement over what to do next so Angle hits another suplex for 2. Christian comes back with a leg lariat to some boos. Shane McMahon comes out with a shirt showing off the new WWF-style WCW logo. It's a damn sight better than the giant oval and two wings WCW had been using their last couple of years. Angle goes up top, jaws at Shane, then goes for the moonsault! Christian dodges! Half nelson cradle for 2. Neckbreaker from Christian for 2. Angle goes for a German suplex. Christian reverses and uses that to hook up for the Unprettier. Angle ducks down and slaps on the ankle lock! Christian literally crawls over the ref to get to the ropes. Angle uses that to go for the Angle Slam. Another reversal by Christian into an Unprettier attempt, and this time it hits! Shane pulls Christian out of the cover! What? Christian doesn't know what's going on. Angle grabs him, hits the Angle Slam, and gets the win. Best guess, Shane wanted Angle to have to wrestle another match before their match to wear him down more. The match itself was fine for the short time and overbooking. Another counter filled stretch run shows where Angle's general match style is going. **1/2

 

In the back, Austin doesn't believe Vince was being serious when he said he wouldn't be here tonight because Vince is such a kidder. Then, Austin's reaction when Coach asks him about the Benoit/Jericho taking the title to WCW rumors is absolutely priceless. It's almost like he's debating with himself to leap into one of his ECW era promos running down Bischoff.

 

Back to the Taker/DDP situation with a full video recap of all the voyeur happenings so far. Then Heyman interviews DDP for DDP's second time on the mic already tonight. While he's talking, we see voyeur video of DDP in a restaurant having breakfast or lunch or something. DDP is not amused, going full hypocrite.

 

Nearly 30 minutes into the show, we've had one sub 10 minute match so far. PPV or Raw? 

 

Semifinals: Edge def Rhyno in 10:20- The first semifinal was one half of E&C facing one of their longtime buddies, now the other half takes on another more recent friend. Edge defeated Test and Perry Saturn to get here, while Rhyno beat Tazz and another new WWF arrival, Tajiri. Staredown and jawing after the bell. Rhyno spits his gum at Edge! Back and forth slugfest. Leg lariat from Edge. Big chop in the corner. Rhyno responds with a back elbow and his own chop. Edge backdrops him over the top but Rhyno lands on the apron. Edge maneuvers Rhyno into the turnbuckle and dropkicks him down to the floor. Their turn to do some floor brawling. Edge crotches Rhyno on the barricade then clotheslines him off. Rhyno hot shots Edge in the aisle onto the barricade. Rhyno goes in and takes a middle turnbuckle pad off. Not a top one. Interesting strategery, let's see how it pays off. Well, as soon as Edge gets back in the ring Rhyno whips him into that corner and Edge goes chest first into the exposed buckle, so pretty well I guess. Rhyno targets Edge's now hurt ribs. Snap mare into a bodyscissors. After a near fall Edge manages to back elbow out. Falcon arrow style slam from Rhyno. Big splash off the top rope! Edge kicks out! Edge manages to lift Rhyno and hot shot him on the top rope. Inverted atomic drop and clothesline. Neckbreaker from Edge. Top rope fight. Sunset bomb from Edge! Rhyno kicks out. Rhyno gets a spinebuster and sets up. GORE AND SPEAR AT THE SAME TIME! Great collision and both guys are down. Rhyno drapes an arm over for 2. Cradle from Edge for 2. Edge dodges another Gore and Rhyno goes into the exposed buckle! Edgecution! Edge gets the win! Pretty good stuff. They're clearly setting Edge up as the sympathetic babyface for the final with the hurt ribs, but given their reactions to the semifinal matches I think the crowd's going to have other ideas. **3/4

 

Jericho goes full politician giving a bunch of non-answers to Tazz's questions about the WCW rumors. 

 

WWF Tag Team Championship: The Dudley Boyz (c) def Spike Dudley and Kane in 8:24- Spike (who's also in a relationship with Molly Holly right now) got tired of being bullied by his big brothers so he challenged them for the tag titles. Kane, who's also the Intercontinental champion still, is his mystery partner for tonight. The Dudleyz had just defeated the Two Chrises, with an assist from Austin, for the tag titles on the SD before this show. Spike charges in and immediately gets beat down. Kane saves him with a double clothesline. Settle in with Spike and Bubba Ray. Spike hits a hurricanrana and ground and pounds Bubba Ray some. Bubba Ray presses Spike up, holds him forever, then tosses him into Kane. Kane catches him and tosses him back into Bubba Ray! Spike gets a 2 count off that cover. Big boot from Kane. Bubba Ray quickly backs off and tags. D'Von runs into a Spike drop toe hold. Kane no sells D'Von punches and powerslams him. Big elbow drop for 2. D'Von leapfrogs over Spike and tweaks his knee on the landing. Supposedly. He doesn't really take much advantage, he just pulls Spike down. I guess it doesn't take much since it's Spike. The Dudleyz start pounding away on little brother Spike. Back suplex/legdrop double team. Kane breaks the pin up. BIG Bubba Ray backdrop of Spike. Spike barely works over Bubba Ray for a sunset flip, then dodges a butt splash counter. Bubba Ray monkey flips Spike all the way across the ring. Sit out powerbomb from Bubba Ray for 2. Spike dodges D'Von's headbutt off the second rope. Tag to Kane. Hot tag run on both Dudleyz. Back suplex on Bubba Ray for 2. Powerslam for 2. D'Von was late breaking that up and I don't think Bubba Ray kicked out at all, it was hard to tell from the camera angle. The crowd boos it. Kane clears the ring out and Spike wants back in. Kane tags him in, then lifts Spike up and tosses him down onto both Dudleyz! Clothesline off the top on Bubba Ray from Kane and Spike covers for 2. Dudley Dog on Bubba Ray! D'Von does break that pin up in time. The Dudleyz double suplex Kane and give him the Whazzup Drop, heel style with no Whazzup. Missile dropkick on them both from Spike. D'Von counters a Dudley Dog. 3D on Spike! The Dudleyz get the pin to retain! Pretty solid placeholder match with Spike selling like a champ the whole way. I don't think anyone thought there was a serious possibility of a title change here. **

 

After the bell D'Von gets a table out. Kane comes in, powerbombs D'Von, then chokeslams Bubba Ray through the table and carries Spike out.

 

Christian visits Edge in the locker room and seemingly buries the hatchet on the arguments they'd been having during the tournament, wishing him luck in the final. After that we get more voyeur cam shots of DDP, doing the dastardly deed of......walking to his car in the parking lot, getting in, backing out safely and driving off at a reasonable speed. James Nguyen loves that shot (deep cut for my fellow Rifftrax fans).

 

King of the Ring Finals: Edge def Kurt Angle in 10:20- Edge is selling the ribs as he walks to the ring. Angle takes a mic, apologizes to Edge for getting mad at him last week, says he doesn't want anything to get in the way of their friendship, and offers a handshake that Edge takes. Angle then says he still has a Street Fight later tonight, there's no way Edge can win anyway because he's hurt, and because they're friends just forfeit now and let Angle rest up. Edge says no. With his fist. Flapjack from Edge. Commentary, as they have been all night, quickly start talking about DDP again as Angle stomps Edge down in the corner. Leg lariat from Edge. Angle belly to bellys Edge over the top rope to the floor! Edge gets whipped into the stairs. Back suplex back in for 2. Regular suplex for 2. Angle slows things down/saves himself for later with a chinlock. He cuts off Edge's comeback with knees to the ribs and sets him up top. Edge fights Angle off and tries to roll over Angle to roll him up but can't pull it off right and has to do it in stages. Another Angle belly to belly for 2. Back to the chinlock that goes all the way to arm drops. Edge fights back up but Angle momentum tosses him over the top back to the floor. He drops Edge ribs first on the barricade. Angle goes up top but Edge dropkicks him down crotch first. Top rope hurricanrana from Edge! Arm drape for a long 2. On knees slugfest. Clotheslines from Edge. He dodges an Angle dropkick, slingshots him into the corner, and cradles Angle for 2. Angle goes for the Angle Slam. Edge counters into an Edgecution attempt. Angle counters that into the ankle lock! Edge uses that, cradles Angle, and gets 2. Edge drops Angle with a modified Edgecution. He covers, but Christian runs out, distracting the ref. Angle rolls Edge up for 2. Angle ducks and Edge clotheslines the ref. Ankle lock! Edge taps, but the ref is out. Shane is in the ring. Spear on Angle! Edgecution! Edge covers and wins the crown! That does get a decent pop so the crowd went along after all. Edge would turn out to be a good KOTR winner, but it wouldn't be apparent for a while as he's still a good 4-5 years away from hitting main event level. It's not an instant catapult. That match, for whatever reasons, didn't come together well at all even before yet more overbooking kicked in. They definitely have better matches in them, as they'll prove down the road. Once again the King of the Ring tournament feels like something being done by rote because they have to rather than something that's getting the attention it deserves, which is why this will be the next to last one on PPV until the Triple H/TKO era and the next to last regularly scheduled annual one. *3/4

 

Back to DDP looking for hidden cameras all around the crowd. Cut to the back, where Coach is congratulating Edge on his KOTR win, the closest we'll get to any kind of coronation ceremony. Christian then comes in and insists he was only trying to help. Edge won so he isn't bothered. Elsewhere, Angle wants to murder Shane and insists no WCW wrestlers get involved in their match or Vince will make sure there's hell to pay.

 

WWF Light Heavyweight Championship: Jeff Hardy (c) def X-Pac in 7:10- First time in forever the Light Heavyweight title is being defended on PPV, and probably only because they're trying to set up as an equal to WCW's much more prestigious Cruiserweight title for whenever the inevitable title unifications happen. During entrances JR advertises the next PPV as Fully Loaded, which has been the July PPV the last few years. That will change before the show actually happens. Quick armdrag from Pac as the crowd gets into an "X-Pac sucks" chant. Pac works around Hardy to take him down again and rides all over him. Speed run and Hardy gets a Japanese armdrag into an ARMBAR. A flying headscissors sends Pac out to the floor. Hardy walks the barricade and dives on Pac! Back in Hardy goes for a crazy corkscrew that Pac sidesteps and Hardy splats on the mat. Guess it's been to pacey for Pac because he goes to an abdominal stretch with the usual rope leverage. The ref catches him and Hardy reverses. Pac hiptosses him over the top to the floor! Springboard crossbody to the floor from Pac. The crowd is not appreciative. Leg lariat from Pac back in for 2. Chinlock with a huge "X-Pac sucks" chant. Slugfest that Hardy wins. Another leg lariat from Pac for 2. Corner kick combo from Pac and Hardy is down in the drop zone. The bronco buster is thankfully dodged. Shotgun dropkick from Hardy. Slingblade! Legdrop to the gut. Pac tries to leapfrog in the corner but Hardy doesn't duck and they have an AWFUL collision in the corner. Cue the "You fucked up" chants from the smart/smark fans. Hardy recovers to hit Whisper in the Wind for 2. Crossbody off the top, but Pac rolls through it for 2. Hardy takes the shirt off and hits mounted punches. Pac counters that into the X-Factor! Ref Jack Doan counts 3, then quickly corrects himself because Hardy's foot was on the rope. Pac tries another X-Factor. Hardy counters with a jawbreaker! He goes up top but Pac crotches him. Hardy fights Pac off. Swanton Bomb! He gets the pin to retain! Fine Raw match. **1/4

 

Cut to Commissioner Regal's office, where he and Tajiri are discussing the "fantastic" KOTR tournament. Austin storms in, says he can't get a signal on his 2001 cell phone, and demands to use Regal's phone to call Vince. After having to identify himself by full name, he tells Vince in a near panic Jericho and/or Benoit are going to defect to WCW if they win the title. Regal gets on the phone to confirm, then Austin tells Vince to get his damn driver and get over here now.

 

Back, again, to DDP. We get another video of DDP getting OUT of his car and opening the trunk! Some real spicy stuff they're catching DDP doing. DDP's had enough. He gets in the ring and demands Taker show up. Another video of DDP WALKING BACKSTAGE! Scandalous! The camera turns around and no surprise it's Sara that's been taping DDP to get revenge. She says it's time for DDP to be made famous and Taker makes his entrance. Taker takes his sweet time slowly meandering down the ring, then putting his gloves on, and finally gets in the ring. This non-match brawl goes on about as long as a regular match would have, but let me sum it all up for you- all Taker. Despite DDP hitting a low blow and chairshots, Taker shrugs it all off and dominates DDP while Sara records it on her camera. DDP eventually runs away through the crowd. Pretty much how their entire feud will end up going. DDP couldn't even get any other WCW wrestlers to help him.

 

Street Fight: Kurt Angle def Shane McMahon in 25:58- WCW owner Shane decided to pick a fight with Angle for reasons I really can't fathom. He didn't even offer Angle a spot in WCW and got turned down, just decided to attack him. At least it finally got the whole Invasion angle going. Angle drops his medals down on the floor, charges in and tackles Shane! Angle rides Shane with a waistlock amateur style then hits a back suplex. Knees to the gut from Angle. Shane grabs a leg and hits a sort of dragon screw, then a Japanese armdrag. He then decides to mocking ride Angle a bit in the ring and then runs out to the floor. Angle is furious, getting into referee's position in the ring and demanding Shane get in and wrestle him. Angle's also bleeding, likely from the cut on the lip he got in the Edge match. As soon as Shane touches Angle, Angle takes him down. He pounds away with forearms on Shane's back. Gutwrench suplex. Ripcord belly to belly. It actually looks like Angle's bleeding from somewhere above his eye too. Another belly to belly. He tries a cradle that Shane fights, so Angle shows Shane just how superior he is on the mat by riding all over him. Again Angle gets in referee's position. Shane's a lot more cautious this time. He flips the script by kicking Angle right in the gut. Flying back elbow and clotheslines from Shane. Angle gets a waistlock takedown. He goes for a German but Shane runs him around the ring and sends him out to the floor. Again Angle is pissed. Shane leads him in a chase all around the ring, then hops on the barricade and comes down with a back elbow. Shane gets on the barricade behind English commentary. He leaps over commentary with a clothesline onto Angle! Shane goes under the ring and gets his trusty kendo stick, allowing JR to get out the "Legal as a headlock" line. Shane goes to town on Angle with the kendo. Both guys take post shots and Shane clotheslines Angle over the barricade. Shane continues to have the edge in the ringside brawl category. After a rough tackle into the steps where Shane looks legit spent he gets Angle in the ring and covers. Angle does an amazing bridge on his neck as a kickout. Three times, despite Shane's big splash and elbow drop to counter. Now Shane goes under the ring and gets trash cans, lids, and a plank of wood. And a handicap parking sign, which is what he hits Angle with first. A sign shot to the face only seems to fire Angle up. Shane ducks an enzuguri and puts an ankle lock on Angle! Angle kicks Shane in the head to get free. Rock style spinny DDT from Shane. Speaking of Rock, Shane puts on a Sharpshooter that might be even worse than Rock's. Angle crawls and gets to the ropes, but Shane pulls him back to the middle. Instead Angle gets the kendo stick and whacks Shane with it to get free. Shane dodges kendo swings and pummels Angle with quick jabs. Dancing straight right for 2. Trash can shot to Angle's head. Another to the gut. Shane puts the can on Angle and goes up top. He goes for the shooting star press, but Angle dodges and all Shane hits is trash can! That gets a "holy shit" chant. Just wait, folks. Angle drapes an arm over for 2. Angle goes for the Angle Slam. Shane grabs the ropes to counter, so Angle dumps him down to the floor. Angle knocks Shane up the aisle toward the stage area. Shane counters and hits Angle with a suplex on the floor. Slugfest in front of the stage. Angle runs Shane into one of the giant throne legs. Angle sets up another belly to belly. He tosses Shane into the stage on one of the plexiglass "KOR" logo panels, but the glass doesn't break! Another go. Shane goes through the glass this time into the stage! "Holy shit" chant two. Now Angle's bleeding from his arm and Shane has several cuts on his face from the glass. Angle sets up again inside the stage. Another belly to belly and again the glass doesn't break and Shane falls on his head! Both Angle and the ref clearly check on Shane. Let's try again. THE GLASS DOESN'T BREAK AGAIN! Japanese glass. Angle says screw it, grabs Shane, and just tosses him face first through the glass! Angle covers but it's not falls count anywhere. I think both guys are legit spent at this point. Angle's bleeding on both arms and staggers over to get an anvil case. He drags Shane up, puts him on the case, and starts to roll him to the ring! Genius. No, intelligence. Three I's. Angle drags Shane's bloodied carcass into the ring. Cover. Shane kicks out! Angle loads up a trash can lid shot. Low blow from Shane. He nails Angle with the lid! Shane hits an Angle Slam! One arm cover. Angle kicks out! Angle goes for the ankle lock. Shane tries to fight it, so Angle slingshots him into the corner and Shane ends up draped over the top rope. Angle gets the board of wood and hits Shane with it. Then he props the board on the top rope, climbs on top of it, hooks Shane up....AVALANCHE ANGLE SLAM! HUGE pop from the crowd and another "holy shit" chant for that. Angle crawls over, gets an arm over, and gets the pin! Fantastic match. Everyone remembers the glass panels in the stage that wouldn't break, and in this case that refusal to break only added to this match's mystique rather than took away from it, but there's a lot more going on than that. It does go on too long, they could have cut 10 minutes off and given that to the tournament matches and it wouldn't have lost anything, but that's more nitpicking than a major criticism. This match also went a long way toward establishing Angle's street cred for lack of a better term, earning respect from the fans and continuing his very clear upward trajectory at this point of his career. ****

 

Shane gets carried out by the refs to a nice ovation for putting on that show but then manages, barely, to walk out on his own the last little bit. Elsewhere, Austin goes out back to check if Vince is here. Still nope. Steve "Brooklyn Brawler" Lombardi tells Austin there's no more time, his match is now.

 

Triple Threat Match for the WWF Championship: "Stone Cold" Steve Austin (c) def Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit in 27:50- This likely would have been a four way with the issues between Austin and Trips continuing before Trips' injury. It's also about this point that it really became clear that, as shocking as it was on the night at Wrestlemania, Austin's heel turn was not a good long term move. Jericho's got his new tweaked "ball through tunnel" entrance that he'll carry the rest of his run up to his first Fozzy hiatus, my personal favorite of Jericho's entrances. Austin keeps looking behind him on his entrance, seeing if Vince is there. He keeps stalling so the Chrises attack him on the floor. Austin tries to escape through the crowd and gets tracked down. The Chrises continue to beat Austin around the ringside area. Austin manages to backdrop Jericho on the floor, then attacks Benoit getting back in the ring. Chops from Austin as Jericho runs back in to make it 2 on 1 again. Double chops from the Chrises on Austin. Flying forearm from Jericho and he covers. Benoit pulls him off, showing the first disagreement in a match only one guy can win. After an Austin flurry he gets knocked between the Chrises as they get on the same page again. Austin ducks a Jericho heel kick and Benoit takes it! Jericho helps Benoit up....then attacks him! While that's going on Austin takes a top turnbuckle pad off, then joins Jericho in stomping Benoit down. Austin tries for the Thesz press but Jericho counters it into a Walls attempt! Benoit runs in, breaks it up, and back suplex dumps Jericho over the top to the floor. Benoit goes for the crossface! Austin quickly gets to the ropes before it's on. Benoit snap suplex. Austin momentum tosses Benoit out to the floor. He gets the belt, sticks it in Benoit's face and says "That'll never be yours!" in between stair shots. We get a shot of Jericho still down on the floor and see he's bleeding. His head had a glancing blow on the apron on the way down when he was dumped out, clearly he hit pretty hard because he's bleeding from the side of his head somewhere. While Austin's pounding on Benoit, Benoit gets a counter cradle for 2. Jericho finally slowly pulls himself back up on the apron. As soon as he's up Austin tosses Benoit into him, knocking him back down to the floor! Austin double middle finger to Benoit, kick wham no Benoit pushes out and Austin runs into Hebner, knocking him down. Benoit hits a Stunner! Cover but Hebner is still down. He recovers to count but Austin kicks out. Benoit goes out and gets the belt. Belt shot on Austin. Another cover with a slow count. Jericho breaks the pin up. He tosses Benoit out and they slug it out on the floor. Post shot for Benoit. Jericho runs in and covers Austin for 2. Big chops from Jericho. Austin tries to get Jericho into a Boston crab. Jericho pushes off the mat to power Austin off. Now Jericho goes for the Walls but Austin gets to the ropes. Suplex from Jericho for 2. Spinebuster from Austin. He gives Jericho some knees to the gut and hits a Russian leg sweep for 2. Sleeper from Austin. Jericho back suplexes out. On knees chop and punch exchange. Jericho gets momentum with a flying forearm and clotheslines. Benoit finally gets back up on the apron, and Jericho instantly springboard dropkicks him back to the floor! Bulldog on Austin. Lionsault! Austin gets his knees up! Jericho fights off a Stunner but Austin comes off the ropes with a Thesz press. Benoit brings a chair into the ring. Austin ducks and Benoit hits Jericho with it! Stunner on Benoit! Benoit falls back out to the floor. Austin covers Jericho instead for 2. He sets Jericho up top and superplexes him. Another setup and TWO superplexes on Jericho! Cover for a long 2. Let's go for three. Benoit runs in and cuts it off. ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLING GERMANS on Austin! And he doesn't stop at three! Four! Five! He goes for six but Austin low blows him to get free. Jericho fights Austin over into the Walls! Benoit puts the crossface on at the same time! Austin taps! Hebner forces the Chrises to break their holds. He says no decision because they both had holds on. Bad reffing. Austin tapped. He should be out of the match, and Benoit and Jericho should go one on one to determine the final winner. Jericho charges but Benoit wraps him up in the crossface! Jericho fights out and goes for the Walls. Benoit fights out of that. Huge chop exchange. Snap suplex from Benoit. Meanwhile, Austin has another chair. Benoit baseball slides it into Austin! Benoit hooks up for another suplex. Jericho lifts him up and drops him to the floor, but while doing that he snapped his own throat over the top rope. Someone comes in through the crowd. IT'S BOOKER T! BOOKER T IS HERE! He attacks Austin! Scissors kick! Commentary calls Booker the WCW Champion. He was the reigning champion when WCW sold so at least they're keeping that continuity. He suplexes Austin through the Spanish announce table! Security runs in to take Booker out. Meanwhile, Benoit is rolling Germans Jericho. Jericho counters and gets the Walls on! Benoit manages to get to the ropes. He runs Jericho's shoulder into the post. Another counter sequence and Benoit gets a slam. He goes up top. Jericho slams him off Flair style. Bulldog. Lionsault! Barely, that was a long leap. Jericho covers for 2. Jericho tries to Cactus clothesline Benoit but neither pull it off well and they both kind of flop over to the floor. Jericho takes the Spanish announce table cover and hits Austin with it. He leaves Benoit on the floor and decides to roll Austin back in instead. Jericho goes up top. Moonsault! Benoit pulls him out of the cover. Benoit hits the headbutt off the top rope! Jericho pulls Hebner out to save the pin! Benoit back superplexes Jericho! Again all three guys are down, with Benoit completely motionless on the mat. Austin slowly crawls over, covers Benoit, and gets a pin for a rather anticlimatic finish to retain. It turned out Benoit reaggravated an old neck injury on the landing from that back superplex, the latest in a spate of injuries or other issues (Eddie Guerrero) for higher end guys on the roster that would cause him to miss the entire next year, not coming back until after the first brand split draft. That was a good match for sure, but considering who was in there it was also a bit of a letdown. Like the previous match it was probably too long, a lot of the first half of the match felt much more like marking and killing time rather than really digging into it. Plus, again, the overbooking, which stems from two different problems: Austin's ill-conceived heel turn, and trying to get the Invasion story going from a lot of wrong directions. ***1/2

 

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- With all the emphasis on non-match segments this felt as much like a good episode of Raw as a PPV. Still, nothing in the ring was truly horrible and the last two matches delivered to one degree or another so all in all it's a pretty decent show. Poorly booked King of the Ring tournaments were pretty much the norm by this point so expectations were never too high there to begin with, which is why they were about to be put on the shelf for a long while. This would be the last "normal" WWF PPV for a while as the Invasion angle kicked in fully after this, and the warning signs are already all over the place as to how that would end up going.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: B- 

Slamboree '99

Legacy Review

Slamboree '99

May 9, 1999 from the TWA Dome in St. Louis, MO

 

Commentary: Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan and Mike Tenay

 

Along with the new WCW logo introduced last month we also have a new logo for Slamboree. That's going to be common as we get into WCW's final stretch, they spent a lot of time and effort trying to update their overall visual look while the rest of the company collapsed around them. "Lipstick on a pig" wouldn't be the worst analogy.

 

Triangle Match for the WCW World Tag Team Championship: Raven & Perry Saturn def Billy Kidman & Rey Mysterio Jr (c) and Dean Malenko & Chris Benoit (w/Arn Anderson) in 17:28- Maskless ReyRey is also still the Cruiserweight champ. He's wearing his farmer overalls tonight. Looks like it's three in, three on the apron rules for this one as Kidman, Saturn and Malenko start with the two faces ganging up on the heel Horsemen. Until Kidman dropkicks both Malenko and Benoit to the floor, then Saturn clotheslines him. Saturn belly to belly tosses Kidman over the top rope to the floor! DAMN. Mysterio quickly goes out to check on him. The Horsemen double team Kidman with the dropkick/German suplex combo. Raven suplexes Benoit. Mysterio comes in with a springboard dropkick on both guys. Flying headscissors on Benoit as we go into some crazy back and forth three way stuff. Mysterio takes a hard Bret bump in the corner and tags out. Kidman and Benoit team up to take Raven out, then Benoit chops Kidman out of his boots and gives him the ol' snot blow. Sit out powerbomb from Kidman. He comes off the top with a headbutt that I think Benoit dodges but it's badly timed. Benoit crossface on Kidman! Raven quickly breaks it up. Now Flock 2.0 team up on Benoit with a front suplex/splash off the top combo. Mysterio does a fancy leap to LAND on the top rope after being lifted by Malenko, then hits a moonsault onto him! Benoit pulls Malenko out to the floor while the other two teams brawl. Smart. Saturn does a sloppy dive onto (somewhat) everyone on the floor. In the ring Benoit suplexes Raven and hits the headbutt off the top. Saturn gets in to break the pin up. The Horsemen isolate Saturn in the ring while keeping everyone else out. That is some genius Brain Busters/classic Four Horsemen style tactics that I absolutely detect Arn Anderson's influence in. Short clothesline from Benoit that Saturn 360 sells. Double suplex on Saturn. Double flapjack on Mysterio. Kidman manages to reverse a Benoit corner whip into a Bret bump and hits him with a clothesline. He tries the same with Saturn, but Saturn ducks the clothesline and superkicks Kidman. He places Kidman on the top rope, then springboards up, dives and tackles him down to the floor! Like anytime Saturn does that move that could have gone very badly. Benoit also does a springboard dive to knock Saturn off the apron. Northern lights suplex in the ring from Benoit on Saturn for 2. We hear a loud guardrail crash but don't see who went into it. ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOLING GERMANS on Saturn with a bridge on the third. Kidman breaks the pin up. Malenko tries a cloverleaf on Saturn but Saturn rolls him up for 2. The Horsemen keep Saturn and Kidman in peril. Malenko powerbomb on Kidman for 2. Benoit snap suplex on Saturn. Kidman tries to cover Saturn and Benoit doesn't like that at all. Dragon suplex on Kidman! Malenko pops up Kidman, but Kidman turns it into a dropkick! Saturn gives Benoit a Russian leg sweep. Tag to Raven. He gives Benoit a trio of suplexes for 2. Again Saturn and Kidman team up on Benoit. Mysterio tags in but quickly gets knocked around by Benoit. Kidman clothesline off the top on Benoit. Mysterio follows with a flying headscissors on Saturn. Kidman counters a Malenko powerbomb into a sunset flip for 2. Mysterio gives Raven the shitty bronco buster. Hurricanrana on Benoit for 2. They try that again on Saturn but Saturn counters with a powerbomb! Kidman does his usual powerbomb counter into a faceplant on Saturn for 2. Kidman running bulldog on Raven. Arn decides to get in and plants Saturn with the World's Greatest Spinebuster. Someone with a Sting mask comes in and pulls Kidman off the top rope. Raven hangman's DDT on Kidman. Malenko has Saturn in a cloverleaf, but the ref counts Raven pinning Kidman to win the titles! Sting mask off and of course it's Kanyon. We really are getting the Flock back together. Fun opener, but a bit too chaotic at times and, as usual when WCW tried to get clever with tag match finishes, a sloppily executed ending, though I've seen much worse. ***1/4

 

Konnan def Stevie Ray (w/Vincent and Horace Hogan) in 6:10- Lord what did we do to deserve this. And for the second time on PPV! These two already had a shitfest with each other at World War 3 last year. I'm assuming Ray is still the leader of NWO Black & White for what that's worth, it's like the C or D team at this point. I couldn't give two shits about what Konnan has to say on the mic, so I'm just going to mention that his jersey is made by Starter, who were a great jersey and general licensed sports apparel company back in the day. Ray backs Konnan into the corner and gives him the absolute worst knees to the gut I've ever seen. The punches are a bit better. Konnan dodges in the corner and hits some mounted punches. He floats around Ray's shoulders to hit a bulldog and follows up with a basement dropkick for 2. Vincent distracts and Ray hits a superkick. Konnan gets tossed out and the goons on the floor lay into him. Konnan's gloves are off. What does that mean? Likely, absolutely nothing. But I bet you didn't know that. Clothesline from Ray back in. Snap mare/elbow drop combo for 2. Konnan fights out of a chinlock, comes off the ropes, Ray grabs him, and takes I kid you not THREE swings to put Konnan down again. I wasn't sure if they were wrestling or about to start dancing. MOAR CHINLOCK! Ray cuts a comeback off with a back elbow. Suplex for 2. Setup slam. Ray comes off the second rope and misses Konnan's raised boot by a mile but sells it anyway. Konnan hits the rolling clothesline. The jersey is off! I guess that's the equivalent of the straps are down. They do the thing that must happen in any truly shitty match, completely screw up a leapfrog spot. Konnan faceplants Ray and punches Vincent off the apron. Horace trips Konnan and Ray dropkicks him. Rey Mysterio runs in and fights off Vincent and Hogan, then goes up the top rope, all while Ray was standing in the ring with Konnan hooked up doing nothing but waiting for him for a solid 30 seconds. Mysterio comes off the top onto Ray, Konnan rolls Ray up, and gets the pin. A shit match at World War 3, a shit match here. I sense a trend. If anything this one might have been worse. DUD

 

Backstage DDP and Bam Bam Bigelow say hi. Commentary notes they're both from the Jersey shore. 

 

Hardcore Match: Bam Bam Bigelow def Brian Knobbs in 11:29- WCW continues to low key lay the groundwork to introduce their Hardcore title. Knobbs recently returned to WCW as a solo act following the retirement of his longtime Nasty Boys partner Jerry Sags, and being a Friend of Hogan meant there'd always be a spot on the card for him somewhere. Both guys come out with no music. Knobbs' gear is exactly the same as his tag team days, only difference is it says just "Nasty" now with no "Boys". Commentary says this is also falls count anywhere. Bigelow comes out with the usual cart of goodies and tosses a bunch in the ring before we get going. He's got a traffic cone. I guess it's never a good night unless you get a traffic cone. Knobbs goes on the attack first with tray and cookie sheet shots. Now it's trash can time. Bigelow knees a can into a charging Knobbs, then hits an almost Greetings from Asbury Park for 2. Big cookie sheet shot on Knobbs. Bigelow hits the headbutt off the top rope for 2. Knobbs is up with a sheet shot, followed by a chairshot. Can assisted big splash for 2. Bigelow low bridges Knobbs out to the floor and the chair nearly flies into the first row. Stair shot for Knobbs and he has the absolute weirdest facial expressions after. Is he in pain or blowing hair out of his face? Return stair shot for Bigelow. Another chairshot. Bigelow uses the round tray as a shield to block another can shot, then whacks Knobbs with it. Can lid cymbals on Knobbs' head. Shot with a fresh cookie sheet, a LOUD one that has commentary in stitches. Knobbs fights back with lid shots. He runs Bigelow into the cart and it crunches. Bigelow dodges a charge and Knobbs really crunches the cart throwing himself into it. The back and forth plunder brawl continues on the floor before they work their way up the stage area. Knobbs gets run into the internet interview area. They go to the side and find the classic not at all only set up for this match merch stand. Knobbs gets ANOTHER trash can and whacks Bigelow with it. Real diminishing returns on that, it's time to find something different. He tosses Bigelow through the curtain and gives away the fact there's a ton of tarped off empty seats over there. Now Knobbs brings a ladder in. Hey, it's something different. He drops it on Bigelow a couple of times. The second time Bigelow had his leg up like he was trying to block it or something and his leg took the brunt of the ladder. That was NOT smart on Bigelow's end. Knobbs sets Bigelow up on the table and climbs up the stands. Elbow off the stands! It's so dark we can barely see but it looked like he overshot. Commentary certainly says so. Bigelow suplexes Knobbs into the table! Cover for the pin! Sloppy as hell and it could have used a lot more variety, but they managed to get it to a somewhat decent place by the end. *3/4

 

WCW World Television Championship: Rick Steiner def Booker T (c) in 11:08- Rick recently returned from injury and immediately got into a feud with Booker for the TV title, I guess because his brother was a champion too. I think Rick is supposed to have turned heel but he's still gladhanding the fans on his entrance. Booker wants ref Nick Patrick and his new giant mustache to check Rick, then they bark at each other a bit before locking up. Rough lockup, corner break, and they shove. Another lockup and another cautious rope break. Rick hits some punches and a belly to belly suplex, followed by a couple of Steinerlines. Booker rolls out for a think. This is where muddled storytelling hurts a match. The fans are completely checked out because the heel/face lines are so messed up and unclear, and there's not nearly enough else in there to overcome that. Off a rope run they have an ugly midring collision. Rick recovers to drop an elbow for 2. Another speed run and Booker hits a hook kick. Kick combo and Rick slowly flops out of the ring, then takes his sweet time getting back in. Booker dodges in the corner and hits a slam. Back elbow for 2. Another hook kick. Hot shot from Rick and 360 Steinerlines Booker to the floor. Rick gives him a guardrail shot. German suplex from Rick back in for 2. He gives Booker some shots across the head and hooks on a chinlock. Booker goes to a rope break to get out. More pounding down in the corner. Snap mare/elbow drop from Rick for 2. Booker gets a back elbow in the corner as the crowd is just comatose. Rick goes right back to pounding him down in the corner. From the corner camera we can clearly hear Booker say "Choke me". Rick does. Booker comes back with a suplex but Rick again blows it off and goes right back on offense. Rick makes Booker take absofrigginglutely forever to fight out of a chinlock, then positions himself badly and Booker whacks him right in the forehead with a forearm coming off the ropes. Scissors kick and spinaroonie that finally gets a small reaction from the crowd. Spinebuster. Missile dropkick! Here comes Scott Steiner! Booker fights him off, but that lets Rick Steinerline him from behind for 2. Booker whips Rick into Scott and gives Rick the Harlem side kick for 2. Scott trips Booker from the floor. Rick bulldog off the top! He gets the pin and wins the TV title! Rick looks blown up as he takes the belt and quickly leaves. That was flat, dull, and lifeless with Rick hardly able to do anything and Booker badly phoning it in before the overbooking and run to the end finally gave it a small bit of zest. I don't get the booking call either but it's end of life WCW, that's normal. *

 

Afterward Rick is in the back looking for Scott, apparently upset that Scott interfered in his match. He runs into Scott's ex Buff Bagwell instead and wishes him luck against Scott later. I have no freaking clue what's going on with Rick, it's like they can't decide if he's a heel or a face so they went with "most confusing tweener ever" possible instead. 

 

Gorgeous George (w/Team Madness) def "Lil' Naitch" Charles Robinson (w/Ric Flair and Asya) in 10:39- Flair continues to be the power mad evil president of WCW in the same vein that Bischoff was, and has referee Charles Robinson in his pocket, like Bischoff did Nick Patrick. The difference is Robinson bore an uncanny resemblance to Flair, and was soon dubbed "Lil' Naitch". Team Madness leader Randy Savage offered this match as "my woman against your woman". Robinson comes out with the full Flair robe, strut, all of it. The robe says "Little Nature Boy". Heenan: "Now you know how Flair looked when he was four years old". George has a cheerleader thing going on with her gear and I'm here for it. Savage knew how to pick them, I'll give him that. After Flair gives Savage's other women, Medusa and Miss Madness, his hotel room number Robinson takes the mic and gives a passable Flair promo. Robinson's got full Flair gear on in all black, and even has "CR" on the boots and tights. This is incredible. He does all the usual Flair prematch routine while strutting around. It's hard to take George seriously because she won't stop smiling. Robinson gives her a bit of Slick Ric. George ducks a lockup and Robinson loses his temper. Savage gets on the apron to distract Robinson and George grabs an arm wringer! And Robinson is selling it to the cheap seats just like Flair! Robinson reverses and cranks on George's arm. Another reversal with more great Robinson selling. They roll through some hammerlock reversals. George hooks on a full neslon! Robinson gets free and she snap mares him! During a meeting she shoves Robinson into Flair! Flair and Savage both get in and tease going at it while Robinson freaks out on the floor. Lots of stalling follows with George getting impatient. Flair gets a chair and gives it to Robinson. Miss Madness comes over to take it away. Robinson picks her up and slams her on the floor! What the hell even is this match. Whatever it is it's nowhere near boring. Robinson gets into it with the ref in the ring. The ref shoves Robinson and he bumps off it just like Flair off Tommy Young! Meanwhile all of Team Madness is over with Miss Madness, who's apparently hurt. As George gets back in the ring Robinson attacks her and chokes her on the ropes. More choking on the mat. Chops! And strut! George pulls him back into the corner and chops him! Corner whip and ROBINSON DOES THE FLAIR FLIP ONTO THE APRON! He ducks a clothesline and runs up to the top rope on the other side. George grabs him and slams him off! Yup, he really is Flair. Clothesline from George! FREAKING FLAIR FLOP FROM ROBINSON! Oh man this is amazing. Flair's reaction to it from the floor is almost as good too. George covers for 2. Robinson begs off Flair style. George gives him a weak toss out of the corner. Another corner charge and Robinson dodges. Asya pulls George out and cranks on her leg. Medusa comes over to make the save. Robinson gets George in the ring and hooks on a stepover toe hold. Kneebreaker! FIGURE FOUR! George reverses it! Asya distracts the ref and Flair comes in to get Robinson free. Savage then runs in and pushes Flair back out. Savage low blows Robinson and slams him. He's all set up. George goes to the second rope and drops a Savage elbow! Cover and George gets the pin! Now, is this the type of match you'd normally want to put on a PPV? Nope. Was George ready for prime time? Also nope, though she did hit all her marks well and didn't have any major gaffes. But my word that was so much fun, thanks to Robinson and his absolute dedication to his Flair impersonation. I am going to be a bit biased here because, despite all the stupid crap he's done and said late in life, Flair is still my favorite wrestler of all time. Mileage will definitely vary, but for me this match is such a blast to watch and that overcomes its many other faults to at least make it average on balance. **1/2

 

WCW United States Heavyweight Championship: Scott Steiner (c) def Buff Bagwell in 7:11- Bad news for all the Scott/Buff shippers out there, there's been a tiff and a breakup. Bagwell is supposedly a face now but the crowd knows better. Bagwell jumps before the bell and knocks Scott around while Scott still has the belt on. Swinging neckbreaker. While the ref's taking the belt away Scott goes right to the low blow. Then he follows it up with a full Greco Roman Nut Punt right in front of the ref. Clothesline/elbow drop combo. He lifts Bagwell up and runs him upside down into the corner, then tosses him to the floor. Bagwell takes the usual ringside knockaround. Back in Bagwell gets tied in the tree of woe. Scott gets jawing with the crowd, allowing Bagwell to snap him over the top rope. Scott brushes it off and runs Bagwell into the turnbuckle. Scott stays in control with a bunch of bland offense. Double underhook powerbomb and arrogant cover for 2. Belly to belly suplex. Scott goes out and gets a chair. Bagwell ducks a wild swing and clotheslines the chair into Scott. Comeback punches and dropkicks. Inverted atomic drop. Scott pulls the ref in and he gets squashed. Bagwell decides what the hell, I'll use the chair. Rick Steiner runs in and tells Bagwell do something else. Bagwell gets on the top rope. Rick hits him off it with the chair! Finally some clarity, even if it was obviously going this way. Scott hooks on the Steiner Recliner and Bagwell submits. The Steiner Brothers are back together. 1/2*

 

Now for, as WCW was advertising it, our TRIPLE main event. 

 

For the Presidency of WCW: "Rowdy" Roddy Piper def "Nature Boy" Ric Flair (w/Arn Anderson and Asya) by DQ in 12:10- To sum this up as succinctly as I can, Flair and Piper seemed to be in a contest to see who out outcrazy the other the most and it ended up with Flair in a literal mental hospital. I'm not kidding. It's Lost in Cleveland but even more off the rails. Flair's wearing blue trunks and black boots tonight, matching Piper. Before the bell Flair calls in Lil' Naitch, now back in his ref gear, then fires the regular referee. Not kicks out. Fires. Flair gets in Piper's face and gets slapped with a classic over the top Flair sell. Chops from Piper in the corner. Backdrop. Flair rolls out and limps halfway up the aisle to think. Piper spits at Flair as he gets back in. Lockup and they trade chops in the corner again. Piper starts laying in the crazy boxing punches. Flair Flop! That one was super delayed. Flair's trying to top Lil' Naitch. Piper chases Flair in the aisle and chops him some more. Flair runs back in the ring and begs off. Piper responds with the old two finger eye poke. Mounted punches. Flair Flop 2. Straight up low blow from Flair. I'd say Naitch won't do anything, but it's been months since any WCW ref has had any issue with a low blow. They're practically legal now. Flair slowwwwwwwly drags Piper up and tosses him out to get pounded on by Arn. Arn then offers to be a nice guy and tells Naitch he's rolling Piper back in. Asya comes in the ring and knees Piper in the nuts. Now this is getting ridiculous. Flair meanders around a bit and covers Piper for 2. Piper fires back with chops so Flair eye pokes him. Another backdrop from Piper, but he collapses from either his bad hip or too many nut shots. Arn gets some more shots in. Piper wobbles back up and we have a slug/chopfest. Flair's the one known for his chops, but Piper's thrown at least 10 for every one of Flair's in this match. It's all he's frakking doing. Flair Flip! He falls all the way down to the floor. After Piper knocks him around the floor Flair begs off in the ring again. Off the ropes and midring collision. Flair grabs Piper's leg and starts going to work on it. Figure four. Piper fights and reverses it. Flair releases and tosses Piper out again. This time Piper takes Arn out. Holy shit Piper actually got over for a sunset flip. Never would have guessed that. Flair wanders around the ring with Piper grabbing onto his trunks so everyone can see his exposed ass, then punches free. Piper blocks a hiptoss into a backslide. Naitch lets himself be distracted so he doesn't have to count. Figure four counter into a small package and again Naitch doesn't count. Flair goes up top just so he can be slammed off. Piper hooks on a figure four. Flair says "Yes I give up" but Naitch says no. Arn comes in and attacks Piper to break it up. Piper sleeper on Arn. Flair attacks from behind, but Piper gets the sleeper on him! Asya gets in and saves Flair. Piper stalks her, kisses her, then puts the sleeper on her. Naitch goes all the way and pulls Piper off. Piper decks him. Flair gets his knucks out and decks Piper with them, covers, and gets a pin. What an absolute mess. That was total junk even minus the overboo.....oh wait here comes Bischoff. Speaking of overbooking. We're kicking into overoverbooking. Bischoff says he's screwed a lot of stuff up but he's not screwing this up. He says Piper won the match and Flair can "bite me"! Bischoff and Piper hug as Flair flips out. Then Piper gets the mic and tells Flair "YOU'RE FIRED!". Bischoff then tells the truck to cut Flair's mic off. So, Bischoff just walks in and changes the match result because he feels like it? What's his official role supposed to be on screen anyway? Heenan: "I don't know what to make of this". Shoot comments for the win. If it was a mess before, it's a massive car wreck with car pieces, body parts and intestines strewn all over the road now. Only in end of life WCW can you put the greatest of all time in a match I have to do this for, but it earned every last bit of it........MINUS FIVE STARS

 

The best Ric Flair match tonight was from a referee impersonating Flair. Wrestling is weird sometimes. 

 

Sting and Goldberg no contest in 8:17- This is, surprisingly, not their first matchup. Sting unsuccessfully challenged Goldberg for the World title on Nitro the previous September. During entrances Tony is still trying to figure out what the hell happened the last match. Good luck with that. Commentary says this match was made by Flair as a way to keep Sting and Goldberg apart when they were starting to form a team, which has *way* more logic than anything that happened in the last match. Sting's got white boots or boot covers on and it really stands out against his usual black. Lockup and Goldberg goes right on the attack. Sting comes off the ropes and it looks like Goldberg's going to powerslam him, but Sting doesn't get the memo and kind of flops over Goldberg's back down to the mat. For fuck's sake this isn't going to do anything to save the show is it. Goldberg drags Sting back up, holds him by the arms for a bit, then they straight up repeat the spot with Goldberg hitting the powerslam this time. Sting gets 360 clotheslined to the floor. No one looks happy about what just transpired. At all. Sting takes a walk around the ring that's probably a legit cooldown. Reset lockup, let's try this again boys. Sting ducks a big boot and hits a dropkick. Now he 360 clotheslines Goldberg to the floor. Goldberg does the classic Undertaker land on his feet bit. Another reset lockup. Sting tries a hiptoss. Goldberg fireman carries him over into a cross armbreaker. Then they just lay there. Sting rolls over and gets a foot on the rope. Sting comes off the ropes with a kick and faceplants Goldberg with Goldberg looking like he has no idea what's happening. Off the ropes again Sting dropkicks the knee Goldberg has a brace on and starts working on it. He hooks on a Boston crab, but has trouble holding his balance and needs the help of the ropes. Once Sting gets it fully on Goldberg easily powers out. Sting gets back on the knee. He's been on the receiving end of this plenty he should know how it works. But then Sting says screw it and hooks on a headlock instead. Suplex from Sting. Goldberg pops right back up and suplexes Sting for 2. Ugly swinging neckbreaker from Goldberg. Sting dodges a charge in the corner, goes up top and hits a clothesline. Stinger Splash! Another! He goes for three. Goldberg catches and plants him. Wait, here comes Bret Hart, and he has a chair. Bret hadn't been seen on PPV for months, I think at least partially because of injury but I'm sure booking stupidity played a role in that too. Bret tosses the ref away and whacks Goldberg in the head with the chair, then starts laying into Goldberg's bad knee. The ref calls for the bell, throwing the match out. The Steiners then come out and attack Sting, then Goldberg. The Steiners' beatdown goes on so long TV cuts away from it for the main event video package while it's still going. The only positive thing I can say about this match is it's better than the last one. DUD

 

WCW World Heavyweight Championship: Kevin Nash def Diamond Dallas Page (c) in 18:23- Buffer's back after taking last month off. He instantly starts making up for lost TV time. Like the last match this is face vs face, at least at the start, but there's not a lot of respect being shown at the start. Basic speed start with Nash fighting off an early Diamond Cutter attempt and back elbowing DDP to the floor. Tenay goes WAY back and mentions that these guys were tag partners in WCW nearly a decade ago. Nash's Vinny Vegas days. DDP does some dodge and punch on Nash. Nash says screw this and gives DDP a knee to the gut. DDP grabs the ropes off a whip and bails to the apron. Nash runs up and knocks him off with DDP flying into the guardrail! Back in Nash gets DDP in the corner and lays in his usual corner knees and elbows. Every time he takes longer and longer on the "frame it" part before hitting the elbow. DDP fights off of Nash's shoulders and starts pounding on him in the corner. Nash grabs a goozle so DDP kicks him right in the nads. They go a long way to make it clear Nick Patrick didn't see, but again WCW refs stopped caring about that months ago. Guess that also means DDP's going to the heel tonight. Now he cuts one of the top turnbuckle pads off. Then he points it out to Patrick to hit Nash with the mic! Cover for 2. Nash pulls DDP into the exposed buckle! Nash slowly drapes an arm over and covers for 2. Slufgest. DDP sends Nash 360 to the floor, then poses for the crowd and gets booed. DDP's heel work is working. Baseball slide from DDP. Diamond Cutter on the floor! Well by the logic established by WCW Nash should be done, that has always been a move of instant death, and it was on the floor. DDP then puts a leg over Nash and wants a count, thinking it's falls count anywhere. Why the hell would he ever think that? He drags Nash's carcass into the ring. Cover with rope leverage. Nash kicks out! Elbow drop to Nash's gut. Yes it was the gut, not lower. Then another one that might have been lower. DDP then starts working on Nash's knee. After some post shots on the knee Nash pulls DDP into the post. DDP is still the first one back on offense. Nash slowly starts slugging back. High knee. Corner clothesline. Snake eyes into the exposed buckle! Big boot. He's actually still selling the knee. Jackknife! Randy Savage comes in and attacks Nash! The bell rings for a DQ. Savage gets the belt and nails Nash with it, then leaves him laying. Bischoff is out again. He has security escort Savage out, then goes to Patrick and says he doesn't care what Ted Turner or a bunch of other namedropped execs think, they can call him on Monday, this match will continue until there's a finish. They're trying so hard to make this look like it's a real shoot and none of it is working. Patrick rings the bell to restart. DDP hits a Russian leg sweep for 2. He maneuvers around Nash's swings to hit a clothesline for 2. DDP hooks on a modified sleeper. Nash fights out and puts on his own sleeper. DDP jawbreakers out for a long 2. He goes out and gets a chair. Nash ducks and DDP hits the ropes, rebounding the chair into his face. Nash covers for another long 2. Nash gets the chair but DDP low blows him and covers for 2. He big boots the chair into DDP's face. The exhausted straps are down. Jackknife. Nash covers and gets the pin to win back the title he let himself be Fingerpoked of Doom out of barely six months ago. Well, it wasn't completely awful. DDP slipped back into his old heel personal very smoothly, and as usual in DDP matches the layout for the most part was good. The whole Savage attack and Bischoff restart was so pointless though. Would someone in WCW literally die if they actually let one PPV main event be interference free? *1/2

 

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- You knew after they actually managed to put on a halfway decent PPV the previous month they had to make up for lost time. We're right back to the inevitable late WCW downhill slide, and that slope is only going to get steeper. But, I will give this one a very tiny bump in the final grade just because this is the show with the Lil' Naitch match.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: D

Judgment Day '01

Legacy Review

Judgment Day '01

May 20, 2001 from the ARCO Arena in Sacramento, CA

 

Commentary: Jim Ross and Paul Heyman

 

It's still years before Extreme Rules debuts as a PPV, but this is definitely Gimmick Match Night. The hourglass trons are really cool, even if they are just cutout overlays on the regular screens. The embedded lights in the stage are different too, in a very good way. The more I see them during the show the more I like them. The next 4-5 years are going to be the peak in WWF/E production design.

 

William Regal def Rikishi in 3:56- The "Rikishi as a top heel" experiment has officially been ditched after flopping harder than LeBron James in a playoff game and he's right back to being a popular curtain jerker. After the bell Rikishi attacks early and goes for a quick stinkface. He gets his ass in Regal's face, but Regal hits him somewhere we can't see because of the camera angle to get him back off. Now Regal pounds Rikishi on the ropes and tells ref Teddy Long the equivalent of "I have until five, sunshine". Yes, Regal was one of the men that trained Bryan Danielson. Regal tries a sunset flip and dodges the butt splash counter. Wave! European uppercuts from Regal. We get a replay to get a better look at the low blow from Regal that cut the stinkface off. Rikishi reverses a corner whip and hits a clothesline to come back. Legdrop. Corner avalanche and Regal is down in the drop zone again. Stinkface to make the crowd happy. It's an extra length one too. Regal rolls out of the ring dry heaving in disgust as he gives us some classic disgusted Regal facial expressions. If I thought of a shortlist of wrestlers that consistently had the best facial expressions, the first two guys I'd probably think of are Regal and Minoru Suzuki. Superkick from Rikishi. Regal dodges a Rikishi dodge in the corner. Regal's bleeding on his forehead, not sure how that happened. I don't think it was the stinkface, Rikishi's ass isn't THAT powerful. Regal hits the clutch neckbreaker and it's suddenly over. A Raw match on PPV, but a nice rehab win for Regal after coming up short in his Jericho feud. 3/4*

 

Kurt Angle picks Edge & Christian's brains about "this ladder thing". Christian: "Falling off sucks. Don't do it." 

 

Three Stages of Hell Match for Kurt Angle's Medals: Kurt Angle def Chris Benoit in 23:58- This new Three Stages of Hell thing worked fantastically for Triple H and Austin at No Way Out, so why not bring it back again to wrap up another of the hottest feuds of the year so far, with two guys that always deliver in the ring. It's a two out of three falls match, but with each fall having a different stipulation. Angle's medals are also on the line in this match after Benoit recently appropriated them and started stashing them, er, down the front of his tights. I'd ask for new medals.

FIRST FALL (pinfall only)- Angle's got his point up and pyro blast entrance now! We continue to slowly creep closer and closer to peak Angle. Next step will be losing his hair. As Benoit is removing the medals from his tights Angle jumps him. Benoit Bret bump and Angle does his own rolling Germans! All three hit. Then he says "That's it" like Benoit and goes up top. He tries the flying headbutt! Benoit dodges! BENOIT HITS AN ANGLE SLAM! That gets a quick pin! So much for Angle's promise that this won't get to the last fall, now he needs it to.

SECOND FALL (submission only)- Benoit immediately hooks on the crossface after getting the pin. No rest period tonight. Angle crawls over and gets a rope break, then bails to the floor. Benoit gives him the usual ringside knockaround with a couple of stair shots. Angle ducks a chop and sends Benoit crotch first into the post. Back in Angle tires for an ankle lock and Benoit immediately scrambles to the ropes. Drop toe hold and another ankle lock attempt. They go into a great series of counters where Benoit tries for an ankle lock, then gets in position for the crossface again. Angle gets a rope before it's on. They go into some back and forth slugging and Angle pounds Benoit down in the corner. Suplex from Angle. Ripcord belly to belly suplex. Angle goes for it again and Benoit counters into another crossface attempt. Angle gets the ropes, and stays on them when Benoit tries to switch it to a cross armbreaker. Clothesline from Benoit. Another ankle lock attempt is cut off with a rope break. Angle counters a Benoit knee with a roll up attempt, but no pins in this fall. Benoit hits a snap suplex. Angle gets Benoit up for a hot shot. Benoit gets Angle down into a high angle Boston crab, but can't hold onto it and has to let go. Benoit powers Angle into a figure four! Angle rolls over to get to the ropes. Kneebreaker from Benoit. He starts working on Angle's knee. Another kneebreaker into a dragon screw. Angle manages to toss Benoit out to the floor to get some space. More back and forth slugging in the ring. Benoit hits a DDT. Angle gets an Angle Slam! The ankle lock is on! Benoit taps!

THIRD FALL (ladder match)- Ref Jack Doan takes Angle's medals and puts them on the hook that a title belt would normally be on in a ladder match. Benoit gives Angle some chops on the floor and a post shot. Angle whips Benoit into the stairs. Angle ignores the official ladder set up in the aisle and takes a much smaller ladder out from under the ring. He sets it up and he's miles away from the medals! Way way too short a ladder. Benoit comes back in and knocks him off. He tosses Angle over the barricade into the crowd, then brings the official ladder into the ring. Angle comes in and pulls him down off it. Another suplex from Angle. He runs the ladder into Benoit's gut. Benoit ducks and Angle tosses the ladder like a javelin into the aisle! Everyone in the first five rows duck, that was close. Angle also get backdropped out to the floor. Benoit runs the ladder into Angle. Another Benoit climb attempt. Angle straight low blows him and pulls him back down. He sets the ladder up in the corner and runs Benoit into it. Benoit slingshots Angle into the ladder! Bret bump from Angle and more chops from Benoit. Another whip toward the ladder but Angle climbs up it this time! Benoit says fine and pulls the ladder and Angle back down, squashing Angle under the ladder. Single German suplex from Benoit. He wedges the ladder into the ropes in the corner. Angle whips Benoit into it, then resets the ladder straddled in the ropes. He suplexes Benoit onto the ladder! Benoit goes to the floor and snaps the ladder up into Angle's face! Benoit starts setting up the ladder on top of Angle. You can clearly hear Angle say "Other way" and Benoit moves the ladder around. With Angle under the ladder Benoit starts to climb. Angle tips it over from the mat and knocks Benoit down! Benoit gets the crossface on! Angle taps but it doesn't matter, it's a ladder match. Edge and Christian run in and pull Benoit out to the floor. While Benoit's tied up with them Angle climbs and gets the medals to win! This was more or less the end of their feud for now. They would have one more match on Raw, a steel cage match, then take a break from each other for a while. As always from these guys it's good, but I wouldn't include this among my favorite Angle/Benoit matches. I think it goes without saying a ladder match wasn't in their wheelhouse though they tried their best, but the submission only fall that *is* their wheelhouse also felt like they were trying or were forced to do it more Generic WWF Style rather than what would really work for them, which gave it a bit of a "square peg/round hole" feel. Not a big fan of the interference finish there either. So far their Wrestlemania X7 match is still their best, but they will be topping that in give or take 18 months. ***1/2

 

Undertaker interrupts Commish Regal getting stitches from an incompetent wanker of a doctor and DEMANDS he make tonight's main event No Holds Barred. Regal says fine because you don't say no to the Undertaker.

 

From WWF New York, Jerry Lynn wonders why he's not on the PPV defending the Light Heavyweight title. Because it's the Light Heavyweight title, son. His whole "Am I a good enough champ for you, JR?" rant feels a little shooty but I've got nothing factual to back that up. 

 

Triple Threat Match for the WWF Hardcore Championship: Rhyno (c) def The Big Show and Test in 9:15- Big Show/Test is the feud going on here, the champ and the title are pure hanger ons. This is at the point where Rhyno was becoming a pretty big internet darling among the few hardcore online fans that hadn't watched much ECW. Test attacks Show before Rhyno even makes his entrance. Rhyno gets the top piece of the stairs in the ring, then helps Test out beating down Show. Show double clotheslines them both and tosses Rhyno to the floor. Test low bridges Show out. Test and Rhyno gang up on Show again on the floor. After tossing Show into the barricade Test takes a shot at Rhyno and they go at it. Show knocks both guys over the barricade into the crowd. Crowd brawl time. They fight into one of the tunnels under the stands and through to the back. Test gets whipped into a pillar and does a crazy goofy delayed sell off it. Test then chokes Show with a large hose of some kind. Rhyno runs a bunch of anvil cases into them! More three way brawling further into the arena bowels. Rhyno makes a dent in a wall. Show sets up to chokeslam Test onto a stack of pallets but Rhyno cuts it off. Both guys unload with punches and Show falls onto the pallets. Test and Rhyno brawl away from him and back into the arena proper, eventually back ringside. Rhyno gets some toys from under the ring, a trash can and a couple of lids. Test gives him a lid shot before he can do anything. Rhyno DDTs Test onto the lid for 2. More lid shots for Test as Show makes his way back in. Chokeslam on Rhyno! Test big boots Show for 2. GORE on Show! Test whacks Rhyno with a lid and covers him for 2. Now Test brings a fire extinguisher into the ring and cuts off a Show chokeslam by spraying it in his face, then covers for 2. Test moves the stairs Rhyno brought in at the start into the middle of the ring. Rhyno swings a trash can into Test, taking him out. He tosses the can to Show, runs up the stairs.....GORE GORE GORE! Rhyno gets the pin to retain! That was OKish with a nice finish, but felt twice as long as it really was. *3/4

 

Regal is outside Austin's locker room working up the courage to tell Austin his match is No Holds Barred now. Come on, like Austin ever cared about that. He'd probably be happy.

 

Elsewhere, Lita is posing for the male teenage fans watching along with the Hardyz. Eddie Guerrero walks in and offers Lita some advice because no one knows Chyna better than him. Lita says thanks but she's got this. She and Matt are all over each other, clearly their relationship is on screen canon now. Also, I know I did the big song and dance about Guerrero's last PPV match and subsequent temporary WWF departure on the last show but I promise, that all really does happen after this. Go back to my Insurrextion '01 review for the details because I'm not repeating it all here.

 

We cut back to Austin's locker room and, as I predicted, he doesn't give a shit if it's No Holds Barred or not. 

 

WWF Women's Championship: Chyna (c) def Lita in 6:30- Lita gets a pretty damn big pop, particularly among the women. I think it's bigger than Chyna's but it's close. Chyna has peacock feathers now. Might be a bit too on the nose given her purported real life attitude at this point. Code of Honor hug after the bell as this is a face vs face mutual respect let's see who's better match. Heyman wants to see more hot girl on girl hugging action. Chyna easily wins a lockup. Lita ducks under into a waistlock and tries to pull Chyna into the corner, with Chyna pulling up short in a "nah, I don't feel like doing that" way. Lita escapes a Chyna press into a sunset flip for 2. Chyna asks Lita to help her up, and like a fool Lita does. Chyna pulls her into a small package for 2. Straight punch from Chyna. Heel for the match established. She kicks Lita around the ring and hits a clothesline. Short clothesline for 2. Leaping DDT from Lita and she does some ground and pound. Clothesline off the second rope for 2. Lita floats over Chyna in the corner and cranks on Chyna's arm. Chyna straight shoves her away but Lita gets right back on the arm. Chyna forearms her down. Swinging neckbreaker from Chyna. Powerslam for 2. Press slam. Arrogant slow cover and she pulls Lita up at 2! That gets her booed. Lita hooks on a cross armbreaker! Chyna slowly fights it and eventually counters with a headscissors. Guerrero shows up at the stage area, watching the match. Lita fights and gets a rope break. Chyna goes to the '80s women's wrestling hair toss. She hooks up for a powerbomb. Lita counters into a cradle for 2! Chyna fights out of a Twist of Fate hookup. The powerbomb hits, and Chyna covers for the pin. Afterward everyone is good sports and they hug it out. Yeah, that was fine. It was well laid out, there was clearly thought put into it which is more than you could say for a lot of recent women's matches, and they both worked it well. **1/4

 

That would turn out to be Chyna's final match with WWF. This is one of those situations where there's as many stories as the people telling them, so I'll stick to the basic known facts. Even though that was her last match she wouldn't officially leave the company until November, reportedly all due to a contract dispute. The women's title would also be held in limbo off TV during that time. After leaving WWF Chyna would branch out into ventures other than wrestling of.....various kinds. Amazingly, she did actually wrestle a tour for usually no women allowed New Japan in the fall of 2002. Her only other post-WWF wrestling appearance besides that is her 2011 TNA stint and probably the less said about that the better. In my opinion, it's a good thing for the overall women's division that Chyna left. Since she had been wrestling the men for so long, even being IC champion, it was hard to find any woman that could give her believable competition. With her gone, the door was open for the Trish Stratus/Lita led renaissance the division would have the next few years where women's wrestling would start to get taken a bit more seriously. For a time.

 

Backstage, Angle is celebrating his victory. He tells Michael Cole that tomorrow night on Raw there'll be a full reenactment of his original Olympic medal ceremony. He then walks by Edge & Christian and thanks them for their help. After he leaves Edge says finally Operation "never have to hear Kurt bitch about his medals again" is complete. Ha!

 

In the back Vince rallies the Two Man Power Trip for their matches tonight. Trips assures him they're set to go. A bad choice of camera angles in that shot, it gives away the game that their "locker room" is clearly a set and not a real room. 

 

Chain Match for the WWF Intercontinental Championship: Kane def Triple H (c) (w/Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley) in 12:24- The Two Man Power Trip defeated the Brothers of Destruction for the tag titles at Backlash, so now the BOD are going after the TMPT's individual titles to try to get revenge. This is essentially a strap match, just with a chain instead of a strap. Similar to the Sting/Nikita Koloff Russian chain match at Great American Bash '91, just without a specifically Russian chain. Never did find out what made that particular chain a Russian chain. Anyway. HHH jumps Kane from behind with the chain before it's attached and immediately goes after Kane's still hurt arm. Post and stair shots for the "broken" arm. Chairshot to Kane's back for good measure. And there's one on the arm. HHH rolls Kane back in the ring and ties the chain to his bad arm, then puts the other end on himself. Kane takes the opening to slug back, then whips the chain onto HHH's back. HHH uses the chain to crank more on Kane's hurt arm. Double ax handle with the chain off the top rope for 2. So this is pin to win, not touch four corners. Check. HHH uses the chain to pull Kane arm first into the stairs. He gets a chair, but Kane uses the chain to pull HHH into the ring apron with the chair. HHH is busted open. Kane pummels HHH on the stairs with the crowd really going nuts for it. Back in HHH tries to beg off but Kane stays on him. He wraps the chain around HHH's face and yanks back. HHH starts doing his patented wobbly selling. Kane wraps the chain over the ropes and hangs HHH on the floor. He goes up top but HHH uses the chain to jerk him back down. I'm not saying "jerk him off" like JR seemed to love to. Kane takes over again on the floor and punches HHH over the barricade into the crowd. HHH uses the chain to pull Kane's bad arm into the barricade. He gets on top of the barricade. Kane slams him off back to the floor! Back in HHH does a facebuster as well as he could, the chain got in the way. Clothesline with the chain. Kick wham HHH goes for the Pedigree. Kane counters out and drops the chain right in HHH's crotch. Steph looks devastated. Kane goes up top and hits a clothesline with the chain. Chokeslam! Here comes Austin! He runs into a Kane big boot and Kane tosses him right back out. HHH uses that opening to low blow Kane. Austin comes from behind with a chair. He swings at Kane, but they're all so close together he hits HHH instead! Kane punches Austin out, covers HHH, and gets the pin to win the title! HUGE pop for Kane's win. This is his first singles title win since his cup of coffee with the WWF Title in that screwy disputed title angle Russo cooked up in the fall of '98. HHH would never dabble in anything as lowly as the IC title again. That was a pretty fun match. I like how it embraced a lot of '80s NWA gimmick match brutality more than the usual WWF style. Wish Kane's bad arm had played more in the latter part of the match though. ***

 

Chris Jericho promises that his surprise partner tonight is a real "party animal".

 

Elsewhere, HHH is FURIOUS at Vince that Austin screwed up.

 

Tag Team Turmoil Match- We've got seven teams total in this gauntlet, with the winners getting a tag title shot. Opening up is the APA taking on the Radicalz, with Terri. As soon as the Radicalz hit the ring it's on. Saturn gives Faarooq a belly to belly suplex. Ref Mike Chioda physically SHOVES Bradshaw back into his corner. Damn, that's death wish stuff. Malenko leg lariat on Faarooq for 2. Saturn/Faarooq double clothesline. Malnko and Bradshaw both run in. Saturn gives Bradshaw a t-bone suplex, but runs into a Faarooq spinebuster that gets a pin. Next out are the Dudley Boyz, along with Spike. Bradshaw says screw your posing, we're fighting. Faarooq is a bit more reluctant but eventually attacks Bubba Ray too. Faarooq powerslam on D'Von for 2. Both teams go back and forth with nothing bad but nothing too interesting happening either. Bubba Ray avoids a Clothesline from Hell to side suplex Bradshaw for 2. Bradshaw catches D'Von and gives him a fallaway slam. Big boot from Bradshaw. Bubba Ray breaks the pin up and everyone's in the pool again. Doomsday device from the Dudleyz on Bradshaw. Whazzup Drop on Faarooq. Get the tables time. The Hollys run in. Hardcore Alabama Slams D'Von through the table! Bradshaw gives Bubba Ray the Clothesline from Hell and the APA advance again. The next team is not the Hollys as they're not in this match at all, but X-Factor along with Albert. Once again the APA jump before the bell. Pac gets Faarooq with a swing kick. Big backbreaker from Faarooq for 2. Bradshaw continues the punishment on Pac. Credible tags in, bounces off Bradshaw and gets thrown out. Big brawl on the floor. Albert big boots Bradshaw. Bradshaw powerslams Credible back in and tags. Credible doesn't seem sure what to do so Faarooq muscles him up and slams him. Legdrop off the second rope for 2. While trying to fallaway slam Pac Bradshaw gets tripped by Albert, who holds his foot to allow Pac to pin him. Wrestlemania 5 finish. Next out are the Hardy Boyz plus Lita. What do you know, another jump start. It's the Hardyz jumping this time. Pac pulls the top rope down to send Jeff crashing to the floor. Jeff gets crotched on the post, then Albert presses him back in. Bronco buster on Jeff. Jeff gets a double dropkick on XF. Tag to Matt for a hot tag run. Poetry in Motion on Pac. Jeff Swanton Bomb! Albert interferes again so Jeff gives him a big dive. Credible superkicks Matt, Pac covers and the Hardyz are gone. Jericho's music hits. He's alone, but motions for someone to come out. It's Chris Benoit! The old rivals have united! The Canadian Chrises! Chrisi? Yet another jump start. They pummel XF around. Jericho tries to plancha Albert but gets caught and posted. That allows XF to isolate Benoit, who's already worked a 20+ minute match tonight, in their corner. Jericho gets back in his corner bleeding from the mouth a little. Benoit gets a sunset flip on Credible for 2 but XF quickly get him in peril again. Benoit dodges the bronco buster and tags Jericho. Missile dropkick on Pac for 2. Pac ducks a flying forearm and Chioda gets wiped out. Albert pounds Benoit down on the floor while XF double superkick Jericho. The substitute ref runs in for 2. Benoit saves Jericho from an XF double team. Albert gets double suplexed, then the Canadians double suplex Credible onto him. Double submission holds! Crossface on Credible, Pac in the Walls. They both tap! Does that count as two wins? The final team in the match are Edge & Christian. One last jump start. After the initial brawl E&C double hot shot Jericho to get him in peril. Standing dropkick from Edge for 2. Jericho gets a back elbow and chops on Jericho. Christian counters with a reverse neckbreaker for 2. E&C sucker Benoit in to keep up the double teams. Jericho dodges a Edge dropkick. Flash Lionsault! Edge gets his knees up! Jericho dodges E&C's Poetry in Motion. Tag to Benoit. Snap suplex on Christian. Big German with a bridge for 2. Edge comes from behind and drops Benoit and it's DONNYBROOK time. Benoit fights off a superplex and Christian takes a doomsday device dropkick for 2. Edge posts Jericho's shoulder, then counters a Benoit crossface wrap up attempt with a DDT. E&C go out and get chairs. The Chrises baseball slide into them! They go for a conchairto on Christian. Edge breaks it up and Christian rolls Benoit up for 2. Now Jericho breaks up a conchairto attempt on Benoit. Crossface on Christian! Christian taps! The Canadian Chrises get the tag title shot! Most of the match was decentish, but they definitely saved the best for the end. If they'd given most of this time for a straight E&C vs Benoit and Jericho match it might have been a classic. ***1/4

 

Jericho and Benoit would end up cashing in their title shot the next night on Raw in what would be one of the greatest matches in not just Raw, but all regular TV history, with Jericho and Benoit winning the titles. But, it was also the match where Triple H destroyed his quad. He'd miss the rest of the year, cutting the Two Man Power Trip angle short and causing him to miss the entire Invasion angle. His career was even in question for a time it was so bad. He was also arguably never the same after that injury. At the very least it took him several years to get back to close to the level he had been at before, wrestling performance wise. He did finish the damn match though. As you do.

 

Video recap for the main event showing how completely off the rails this feud has gone. All you should need is Austin vs Taker, who have probably faced each other in more PPV main events than anyone ever to this point, with honorable Taker trying to get newly psychotic heel Austin to snap back to his senses, but it became about Austin calling in a false car accident report involving Taker's then wife Sara and took off from there.

 

Vince's music his and he joins commentary for this match. 

 

No Holds Barred Match for the WWF Championship: "Stone Cold" Steve Austin def The Undertaker in 23:06- WWE must have gotten the rights for the Limp Dick Bizkit version of Biker Taker's music since the last time I ran through these shows, I remember it being edited out a lot more previously. Taker comes out sans bike for no reason given. Taker jumps Austin in the aisle and it's on. Typical brawl around the stage and ringside area with Taker in full control. Taker takes his headband off and tosses it at Vince. He climbs on the Spanish announce table and walks the barricade to hit Austin with old school. Not as impressive as walking the ropes. Austin gets in the ring for about a second then bails toward the stage again. Taker follows and stays in complete control. Austin takes a fire extinguisher shot. Taker rolls Austin into the ring and brings a chair in. Austin finally gets some shots in and gives Taker a swinging neckbreaker. He starts targeting Taker's knee. Taker dodges a chairshot in the corner. Flying clothesline. Tombstone and Stunner attempts are both countered and Taker hits a big boot for 2. Back to the floor. Taker decides to stalk Vince and Austin uses that opening to attack. He posts Taker's knee and clips it on the floor. Austin muscles Taker down in the ring and works on the knee some more, and throws in a Greco Roman Nut Stomp for good measure. Things get grounded for a while with Austin cranking on Taker's knee and Taker unsuccessfully trying to eye gouge out. Eventually Taker fights back and hits a corner clothesline, with both guys having to navigate the chair getting into the corner. Then he tosses Austin right back outside again. Taker sets up the English announce table. Chokeslam through the table! Taker chases Vince off and drags Austin back into the ring. Cover for 2. Austin wants a time out but Taker doesn't care. Slam/elbow drop combo for 2. We've spent a whole two minutes in the ring so Austin voluntarily rolls out this time to try to get some space. He gets Taker with a monitor shot, then rolls in the ring to soak in some boos and take one of the top turnbuckle pads off, which ends up never going anywhere, it's never used. Taker's busted open. Austin sees and knocks him around ringside some more. Slugfest back in. Austin his the Thesz Press, soaks more boos in, and covers for 2. Austin takes issue with Hebner's count. Taker tries to jump and Austin low blows him with another cover for 2. Sleeper from Austin. Taker back suplexes free. Austin gets the chair and whacks Taker with it. He doesn't cover, he wants Taker to get back up. Middle finger from Taker! Kick wham Stunner! Taker kicks out! More chairshots from Austin. Taker counters with a low blow. Chokeslam! Chairshots for Austin! Here comes HHH with Mr. Sledgehammer. Taker cuts him off with a chairshot! Another one for Austin. Cover. Vince was supposed to break it up but he's late so Austin kicks out too. Taker pounds Vince down in the corner. Austin swings the chair and accidentally hits Vince! Taker hooks up for the Last Ride. HHH sledgehammer shot! Kane's pyro and music hits, but Austin covers and Hebner counts 3 anyway. Think they had a lot of timing issues there. It's by no means a bad match, but even though we're now post-Attitude Era it's still every Attitude Era main event overbooked brawl, with more time spent outside the ring than in it and about 20 low blows, that we've seen a hundred times to this point with nothing special to distinguish it. They did get going a bit better for the stretch run though. **3/4

 

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- Nothing awful nothing great makes for a perfectly average show. We're still in the period where most everything going on is a placeholder before they get the Invasion angle going so there's not much in the way of long term relevance either other than I guess Chyna's last match, especially with Triple H's injury the next night and the Two Man Power Trip getting cut short before whatever proper ending they had in mind for it. If any.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: C+

Insurrextion '01

Legacy Review

Insurrextion '01

May 5, 2001 from Earl's Court Exhibition Centre in London

 

Commentary: Michael Cole and Paul Heyman

 

Once again WWF is holding two UK exclusive PPVs this year, and once again this spring one is taking place just six days after Backlash. The show opens with Commissioner Regal in his office on the phone with Kurt Angle, telling him to get his arse to the arena right now because his match has been changed. Not just Angle's, but Regal's and everyone else's. The whole card's been thrown in a blender and randomly redrawn. Vince then storms into Regal's office FURIOUS about all these card changes. Regal says it wasn't his idea, it was Linda's. Vince demands that there's no other changes, it stops right now. Linda then comes in behind him and, as women do, insists she's instantly made everything better. After Linda leaves Vince throws a major wobbly. He even knocks Regal's tea set off his desk. 300 years ago that would start a duel.

 

Also, the unbelievable irony of Vince McMahon being furious about last second changes being made. 2001 Vince, meet 2016ish Vince.

 

Eddie Guerrero def Grandmaster Sexay in 4:30- The UK really is 6 months behind, Too Cool (or a part of them) is still getting show opening pops here. After being red hot the first half of 2000 they've pretty much vanished from major cards by now. We've got Lillian Garcia handling the ring announcing tonight instead of usual UK announcer Tony Chimel, one of Lillian's first major show appearances. Guerrero jumps from behind as the bell rings. Snap mare and standing boot wash. Guerrero puts Sexay's sunglasses on, mocks him a bit, then tosses them into the crowd. Counter powerslam from Sexay. Dancing and dropkick off the second rope. Guerrero powders and Sexay hits a modified baseball slide. He decides to dance some more and Guerrero gets him from behind again. Guerrero then decides to do some mocking dancing to rile the crowd up. Sexay rolls him up from behind for 2. Slide under and Sexay hits an enzuguri. Big backdrop. Clothesline. Hot shot into the corner. Guerrero does some serious over the top wobbling into a superkick for 2. Sexay goes for a powerbomb but falls down on his arse when he lifts Guerrero up. Good lord. I thought Guerrero was the one on drugs. Up top and goggles on. Guerrero dodges the hip hop drop. He goes up top and Sexay recovers to give him the Flair slam off. Corner dodge and Sexay goes crotch first into the corner. Guerrero cradles him, gets his feet on the ropes for extra leverage and gets the pin. Guerrero was trying, but less than 5 minutes and with Sexay, he's not that much of a miracle worker. *1/2

 

This would end up being Guerrero's last WWF match on a major show for nearly a year as his personal demons hit full force. In late May he'd be sent to rehab for a painkiller addition, then later in the year right as he was working warm up matches on the house show loop to come back he got a DWI and was released. He'd spend some time bouncing around the indys after that, even working with a very young CM Punk in IWA Mid-South, where he also reunited with Rey Mysterio Jr. In early 2002 he worked New Japan's Hyper Battle tour, where he joined the top post-NWO Japan heel faction Team2000 and got a singles win over young Katsuyori Shibata before returning to WWF in April. On the plus side for him, he missed the whole Invasion angle.

 

The Radicalz def The Hollys in 5:37- This is scheduled to be a six person mixed tag match with Terri and Molly Holly in it. Saturn's raided Buff Bagwell's silly hat closet again. Again, Buff's never going to wear them on WWF TV. Terri takes Lillian's mic and says this won't be a mixed tag because she can't find wrestling boots her size in England. Why do you not bring your gear with you? Everyone jumps when the Hollys get to the ring with Molly and Terri slapping each other in the ring. Molly giant swing on Terri! Saturn and Hardcore then slug it out in the ring. Back suplex from Hardcore for 2. Jawbreaker from Saturn as things start to settle in. Dropkick from Hardcore. He sets Saturn up on the ropes and kicks him in the "lower abdomen". Belly to belly suplex from Saturn on Crash and he tags out to Malenko. Malenko runs right in to a Crash drop toe hold. Powerslam from Crash. Saturn clotheslines Hardcore from the apron to get him in peril. Brain buster from Saturn for 2. I should note that Molly is on the apron ready for a tag, while Terri is managing from the floor instead. T-bone suplex from Saturn and he goes up top. Hardcore dodges the elbow. He gets Saturn up for what looks like should be an Alabama Slam, but instead he just drops Saturn over his back like a backdrop. Tag to Crash. Saturn hits a clothesline to kill the hot tag run. Crash fights off a superplex and hits a horrible flying headscissors off the top for 2. That was more Saturn's fault than Crash's. Bulldog from Crash. Terri gets in to break the pin up and she and Molly get into the mandatory cat fight while Heyman calls Terri's skirt "tremendous wrestling attire". Behind that Saturn hits the moss covered three handled family gredunzle (a perfectplex) on Crash and gets the pin. Pretty big mess but they kept it moving at least. *3/4

 

Video package of Regal doing media hits and a meet and greet in his home country, where he's a bit more well received than in the US.

 

The next match was originally scheduled to be Big Show vs Test, but Test had already been ruled out due to being legally murdered by Show backstage on Smackdown a couple of weeks prior. Show makes his entrance, takes a mic, and demands the coward Test come out and raise his hand. Test's music hits and he comes out in street clothes, clearly walking hurt. He takes his shirt off and his ribs are taped up. A fight ensues and Test tries his best but Show dismantles him again. It's only a fight by the way, there's no match bell. More refs come out and shoo Show away, then help Test out of the ring. Show brags a bit more on the mic, says hit my music and leaves. When he's halfway up the aisle the APA's music hits! Here comes Bradshaw!

 

Bradshaw def The Big Show in 3:20- They slowly brawl back and forth down the aisle, and the bell rings when they get in the ring. Side suplex from Show. Big chop. Cole doesn't have his frying pan references down yet. Meanwhile emergency services are out for Test. Both guys dance around a bit on whip blocks and Show hits a corner clothesline. Bradshaw dodges an elbow drop. Tackle off the top rope. Show goozle. Bradshaw hooks the top rope to block the chokeslam, so Show punches him over the top rope instead. Clothesline on the floor. Show gets a chair and tosses the ref aside. Then he decides he's not done with Test yet, headbutting him from behind and rolling him in the ring. Test boots the chair into Show's face! Bradshaw Clothesline from Hell! That gets the pin. Ugly combination of overbooking and a very slow motion improv match. 1/4*

 

Fatal Four Way Elimination Match: Edge & Christian def The Hardy Boyz, The Dudley Boyz and X-Factor (w/Albert) in 13:20- Something got cut out, we have a hard cut to the Dudleyz' entrance when two of the other teams are already out. The Dudleyz' graphic also says "with Spike Dudley" and Spike is nowhere to be seen. Maybe he's under the ring in Little People Land. Matt Hardy is still the reigning European champion as these teams start to branch off into singles competition. I'll never understand the thinking behind not defending the European title on a UK show. Shane unretired the damn thing just to defend it on a UK show a couple of years ago for frak's sake! After lots of posturing Bubba Ray and Credible start with some back and forth slugging. Upside down corner bump from Credible and Bubba Ray hitosses him. After a slam Credible bails, tagging the first person he sees, which happens to be Matt. Christian also decides to tag himself in on Bubba Ray. Christian and Matt roll through some of the basics with Christian hitting a dropkick and mocking the Hardyz' pose. Diving clothesline from Matt. Jeff tags in and the Hardyz trap Christian in their corner. Edge tags in and Jeff hits a crossbody for 2. Edge has quickly had enough and tags Pac in. Flying headscissors from Jeff. The Hardyz double team Pac for 2. Pac feigns a bum knee for ref Tim White as his teammates crotch Matt on the post. Bronco buster from Pac. Matt fights off a double team and double clotheslines X-Factor. Tag to Jeff. Double dropkick. Crotch legdrop on Pac. The Hardyz hit Poetry in Motion as we go full on DONNYBROOK! Pac dodges another Poetry in Motion. Twist of Fate from Matt on Pac! Albert comes in and accidentally splashes Pac! Swanton bomb from Jeff, he pins Pac and X-Factor are out. Christian blocks Jeff's Twist of Fate attempt on Edge, hits the Unprettier, and just like that the Hardyz are also gone. The remaining teams pair off and E&C get whipped into each other. Double flapjack on Christian. D'Von powerslam for 2. Edge uses D'von's mounted punches on Christian to snap him over the top rope. Christian hits a neckbreaker as D'Von goes in peril. Edge standing dropkick for 2. E&C do some classic keeping D'Von in peril stuff. D'Von fights off an Edge superplex attempt and hits a clothesline off the top. Christian distracts White and we get the phantom tag spot. Backbreaker from Christian for 2. After a couple of comeback cut offs D'Von hits a reverse DDT and gets the tag for real. Bubba Ray knocks both E&C around. Bubba Bomb on Christian. Edge takes the Whazzup Drop. Get the tables time. They avoid an E&C baseball slide attempt and hit them with the table. Edge saves Christian from a 3D. Rhyno runs in! GORE on Bubba Ray! Edge covers and gets the pin! Perfectly fine all around. **1/2

 

Rhyno sets the table up in the ring. Spike comes up out of Little People Land and has Dudley Dogs for everyone. Rhyno takes a 3D through the table to send the crowd to the next match happy. It never mattered how much the Dudleyz lost, they could just put a guy through a table after the match and everything was good again.

 

While commentary's hyping up the next match Right to Censor's music hits. It's just Steven Richards and Ivory coming out, I'm honestly not sure if anyone else is still in the group or not. They don't have much time left anyway, the one note gimmick got old months ago. Richards runs the country down for the entire idea of Page 3 Girls. Which, I don't think he's totally wrong there, but that's Europe for you. Kids seeing nudity is OK, but any kind of violence in media under 18 or even 21 is verboten. Richards says he has Regal's permission to cancel, or "censor", the scheduled women's battle royale. Card subject to change. Richards then calls out all the scheduled battle royale participants one by one. All three of them. No wonder they had to cancel it. Jacqueline, Trish Stratus, and Lita. The three of them team up to strip Ivory down to her bra and granny panties, then use Trish's (very formidable) feminine wiles (which she does NOT sound at all comfortable doing) to sucker Richards into a kick squire in the nuts, a pantsing and a moonsault from Lita. End scene.

 

Two out of Three Falls Match: Chris Benoit def Kurt Angle in 14:23- Crazily enough this is the second straight year these two are wrestling on this show, but last time was just a one off and now it's a full blown upper midcard feud. Since Backlash, Angle's argument to continue the feud is Benoit tapped out after the bell in their Ultimate Submission match, and therefore he won. He even whipped out the Olympic rulebook to back it up, saying OT should have started immediately per IOC rules and not after the ref called for it. In response, Benoit's has stolen Angle's medals. He does not, however, come out wearing Angle's medals. Shame. Angle's got much more peak Angle style gear on tonight, not just a US flag variation. 

FIRST FALL- Lockup! Tim White has to force a corner break. Another lockup and Benoit works into an armdrag, kicking off a chain mat wrestling sequence. Angle back elbows Benoit in the corner to ramp things up. Another lockup and Angle gets a fireman's carry takedown. More mat grappling and Benoit gets in position to almost gets the crossface on. Angle gets out of bounds and slides to the floor to think. Leg takedown from Angle back in and he works into ankle lock position. Benoit uses that to flip him back down to the floor. Now Angle's frustrated and he takes his time coming back in. When he does he gets nose to nose with Benoit. Benoit blocks a punch and pounds away on Angle. Angle rolls under for a roll up attempt, much like how their Wrestlemania match ended. Benoit rolls through that to try the crossface again! Angle gets another rope break and goes out again. Benoit chases and Angle attacks as he gets back in. Corner hot shot from Angle. Suplex for 2. Ripcord belly to belly suplex. A second. Benoit reverses a whip and hits his own snap belly to belly. Chop time. Snap suplex. Rollover! Benoit's doing the three amigos! That wasn't a Eddie Guerrero signature thing yet, it's actually a shout out to Benoit's mentor, the UK's own Dynamite Kid. On the third suplex lift Benoit drops Angle on the top rope. More chops. Angle Bret bumps into ROLLLLLLLLLLING GERMANS. All three hit. Benoit goes up top and the headbutt hits! Pin and the first fall goes to Benoit.

SECOND FALL- White wants Angle to get to his feet before we continue. Angle uses that to attack Benoit from behind. Benoit gets whipped into the stairs. Angle sets Benoit up top. Super belly to belly! That gets a 2 count. Back suplex for 2. Benoit gets a boot up in the corner but runs into another belly to belly for 2. Angle goes for another back suplex. Benoit twists into a cover for 2. Flash small package from Benoit for a long 2. They trade back and forth punches and chops in the corner. Benoit starts kicking Angle's knee. Angle goes to the desperation eye rake. Kick wham DDT from Benoit. Angle uses a whip reversal to hook up for the Angle Slam. Benoit slips free and hits more chops. Another Bret bump from Angle and MORE ROLLING GERMANS. All three hit again! Angle is mush. Benoit goes up top again. Angle dodges the headbutt! Drop toe hold into the ankle lock! Benoit reverses and hooks the crossface on! Angle does a nice rolling escape. Another small package from Benoit! That gets the pin for two straight falls to win! Perfectly average Benoit/Angle match, which on a normal scale is still really freaking good. Most of the match they rolled through their usual stuff that was second nature to them by this point, but they still found spots here and there to throw a few new riffs in, especially down the stretch. ***3/4

 

After the match Benoit reveals he wrestled the whole match with Angle's medals down the front of his tights. Ew. I'd petition the IOC for new medals.

 

Backstage the Two Man Power Trip and Steph treat Debra like their waitress, which upsets her. Seems perfectly natural to me. Then again, she'd be the type of waitress that forgets your order as soon as she walked away and you'd ask for someone else anyway.

 

They use the same video package as Backlash for the Jericho/Regal match, then show highlights of their Backlash match after. Before the match the completely made up just for tonight "Queen's Cup" gets a spotlight ringside. It's almost exactly the same design as the Stanley Cup, just smaller and much cheaper looking. I'd be shocked if it survived the night.

 

"Queen's Cup": Chris Jericho def William Regal in 14:47- I get Regal is a natural heel, but having him both as a heel and against an extremely popular face on a UK show is a bit of a weird choice. The crowd atmosphere for this match isn't what you'd expect it to be, like they're not sure who they really want to go for. Lockup! They both grab arm wringers and roll through some fancy World of Sport style escapes. Jericho ends that with a punch. Reset lockup and now we get hammerlock exchanges. Jericho back elbows out and hits the jets. Regal tries to flip him over the top rope but Jericho lands on the apron, goes up top, and hits an ax handle. Regal dodges a baseball slide attempt but Jericho lands on his feet and hits some chops on the floor. Crossbody off the top back in from Jericho for 2. Regal hits the brakes on a corner whip and tries to work around Jericho into a roll up. Jericho counters that around into a Walls attempt! Regal fights being rolled over and punches free. He tosses Jericho's shoulder into the post. Regal's starts picking it apart but it's quickly forgotten about. Heyman points out there's a giant bruise on Regal's leg, and yes there is. I didn't catch where he might have hit to get that. Regal gets on the second rope and waves, allowing Jericho to dropkick him. Hurricanrana off the top from Jericho! All night Cole has been calling flying headscissors hurricanranas, and now he calls this a flying headscissors. Clearly he's still learning. Regal dodges a dropkick, grabs Jericho's legs and slingshots him into the ropes. German suplex from Regal that Jericho does a full 180 sell of. That didn't come off nearly as good as previous matches. Regal waves again and even struts a bit. Double knee to Jericho's face. Regal hooks on a modified cobra clutch. Or chinlock according to Cole. Jericho tries to escape so Regal uses his arm to pull him into a back elbow. He gives Jericho some shots on the apron as they go back to the floor. Jericho takes a post shot. European uppercuts back in. Jericho gets a sunset flip for 2. Clothesline from Regal to put Jericho back down. Back to the cobra clutch. Arm drops and Jericho fights back up. Backdrop. Roll up for 2. Regal wobbles Jericho with another back elbow and ties him up in the ropes to pound away on him. After getting Jericho free Regal hits a suplex for 2. Now Regal puts on a partial Regal Stretch. Jericho slugs back again. Enzuguri from Jericho. Clothesline. Missile dropkick off the second rope for 2. Flying forearm. Regal ducks a bulldog attempt. Jericho resets and hits it this time. Lionsault! Regal gets his knees up! Back suplex from Regal for 2. Jericho blocks another German attempt and rolls Regal into the Walls! Regal taps! Well, that was a letdown for sure. Very limp and lifeless and not up to either guy's standard. I think they would have been better off if they'd fully embraced where they were and had a more UK style match, they were certainly capable, but WWF didn't play that game back then. **

 

After the bell Regal takes the Stanley Cup Queen's Cup and attacks Jericho with it, destroying it as is wrestling tradition. I wonder if they even bothered to bring it back for weekly TV after this, I don't remember.

 

To set up the main event, after his heel turn at Wrestlemania Steve Austin has joined forces with both Vince and Triple H, forming a superteam known as the Two Man Power Trip. It's arguably the biggest team up in WWF star power wise since the Mega Powers, just as heels instead of faces. Austin won the WWF Title at WM, then soon after Trips won the Intercontinental title to give them both gold. Then at Backlash, they defeated the Brothers of Destruction to win the tag titles and hold all the major titles in their unit.

 

Handicap Match for the WWF Championship: The Undertaker def The Two Man Power Trip (w/Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley) in 17:12- Taker agreed to this handicap match as a way to try to get revenge on both guys. The rules are only Austin's WWF Title is on the line here, and to win it Taker has to pin or submit Austin, not HHH. I think you and everyone else could see where this was going. Austin's got a pretty good run of partially healed cuts over his left eye here. It's said it was caused by Taker, but I don't remember if it's something that really happened during one of their brawls or cover for something else. They look like pavement or concrete scrapes to me. Maybe Austin wrecked another four wheeler (see Wrestlemania 41). Taker grabs a chair on his entrance and brings it in the ring. The TMPT stall on the floor and try to get an opening. HHH gets in and attacks Taker from behind, and the bell rings to get us started. Quick double beatdown of Taker in the corner. Austin does the mudhole stomps. Taker ducks a double clothesline (catching his head on Austin's arm going by) and double clotheslines the TMPT. Side suplex on Austin. Goozle! HHH pulls Taker down to the floor. Floor brawl time. Taker knocks HHH up the aisle before Austin finally runs in to make the save. Taker backdrops Austin on the ramp. Now Taker pounds HHH back down the aisle to ringside. Bad night for HHH so far. Taker clears the announce table off. HHH attacks Taker and gets him back in the ring before anything else can happen there. Backdrop from Taker and he hits old school for 2. "VINTAGE Undertaker!". Thanks Cole. They have an awkward exchange off the ropes that ends with Taker hitting a DDT. Austin comes back in to save the pin. Hebner makes Austin get on the apron to tag in. HHH then does tag him in as we start to get a bit more order. Thesz Press from Austin. He starts hitting the elbows until Taker goozles him. HHH makes the save again. Taker and HHH clothesline each other. Steph starts to get in but Hebner stops her. Austin gets a chair and whacks Taker with it. Steph flailing her arms at Hebner like she's trying to slap him is freaking hilarious. HHH covers Taker for 2. Austin tags back in as we do a bit more lip service to rules. Austin works Hebner to let HHH pound Taker on the floor. Austin covers but Taker keeps kicking out. Tag to HHH. They do back and forth sluggy stuff until HHH hooks on a sleeper. Taker goes down and HHH gets some extra rope leverage. Arm drops and Taker grabs HHH's hair to pull back up. Flying clothesline from Taker. Austin tags in and puts on his own sleeper. Taker quickly escapes and hooks a sleeper on Austin. Austin back suplexes out. Once again the TMPT stay in control. Back elbow from HHH. He goes up top but comes down right into Taker's outstretched boot. I mean, right into it. There was literally nothing else he was going for there. Tag to Austin. Taker starts slugging back on him. Corner clotheslines on both TMPT guys. Taker punches them both 360 over the top to the floor. HHH is chokeslammed into the announce table! Cole acts like he's never seen that before in his life. Back in Austin goes for a Stunner. Taker fights it off and hits a big boot. He goes for a chokeslam. Austin low blows him to get free. Then they go back around and this time Taker hits the chokeslam. But no cover. Shit, Taker is bleeding from somewhere around his ear. Gushing blood almost. I think Austin might have caught him there with one of his knee braces to cut him open. Taker is clearly loopy because you can hear HHH shouting "COVER HIM!" to him. Taker finally does and HHH makes the save. HHH hooks up for the Pedigree. Taker counters and slingshots HHH into Austin. Facebuster from HHH. Clothesline. Here comes Vince. You knew it was coming. He comes in with a chair. Taker ducks and HHH takes the shot. Chokeslam on Vince! Chokeslam to HHH! Taker pins HHH to win the match, but that doesn't get him the title. Taker then chokeslams Austin for the hell of it, and gives all three guys chairshots. Decent enough house show style main event. **1/2

 

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- As usual, it's a middling UK house show on PPV with zero long or even medium term repercussions. The only halfway worthwhile match is Benoit/Angle, and they have much bigger and better matches elsewhere. It does get a small bump by being one of the few big shows to see the Two Man Power Trip angle before Trips' major quad injury cut it short.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: D+