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+ 

Spring Stampede '99

Legacy Review

Spring Stampede '99

April 11, 1999 from the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, WA

 

Commentary: Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan and Mike Tenay

 

This is a bit of a strange location for what's always been a western/ranch themed PPV. When I think of stampeding cattle the Pacific Northwest is not what comes to mind. Tonight features the PPV debut of WCW's new, and final as their own company, logo. It's supposed to be a large vertical "c" with w's on either side of it, but I've always seen it as a giant oval flanked by a couple of small wings. Any resemblance to real letters is purely coincidental. In other words, I'm not a fan.

 

Juventud Guerrera def Blitzkrieg in 11:11- Blitzkrieg had recently debuted for WCW, getting his first big break at a fairly young age (mid 20s) after getting a few years of experience on the indys. The winner of this match gets a Cruiserweight title shot tomorrow night on Nitro. Code of Honor handshake to start even though Juvy's still mostly a heel, at least as far as the crowd is concerned. Lockup and hammerlock exchange. Standing switches. Juvy gets a drop toe hold into a cradle for 2. Blitzkrieg counters that into a reverse ankle lock. Another Juvy cradle for 2. Blitzkrieg complains to the ref about a mask pull. Both guys swap headlocks into a long speed run that leads to a bunch of flippy counters ending with Blitzkrieg hitting a backbreaker for 2. Chop exchange. Juvy gets a flying headscissors. Blitzkrieg shows he watched some classic Great Muta tape by hitting a corner handspring elbow. He follows up with mounted punches. After landing on the apron after a backdrop attempt Juvy pounds Blitzkrieg on the top turnbuckle from the apron. Springboard missile dropkick that connects on the side of Blitzkrieg's head! He rolls out to the floor. Juvy over the top rope tope suicida! Back in Juvy hits a brain buster for 2 and hooks on a surfboard. Blitzkrieg spins out of it into a cover for 2! Very nice. Kick combo from Blitzkrieg. A dropkick sends Juvy through the ropes to the floor. Blitzkrieg goes up top, but Juvy gets out of the drop zone. Blitzkrieg resets on another corner, comes down....right into a Juvy shotgun dropkick counter on the floor! Back in Blitzkrieg counters a tiltawhirl attempt into a Japanese armdrag. Juvy quickly powders again. Blitzkrieg crazy springboard moonsault to the floor! After a counter sequence in the ring Juvy hits a reverse DDT for 2. They both go up top and are clearly trying for something big, but Juvy looses both his footing and his grip and they end up collapsing back down to the mat. They did save it about as well as they could have. Blitzkrieg goes up top and tries a phoenix splash/sky twister press that misses. Juvy tries for the Juvy driver. Blitzkrieg counters with a small package for 2. They both go up top again and Blitzkrieg muffs what I think was supposed to be a hurricanrana for 2. Again they both go up top. Juvy counters, hooks up, and hits an avalanche Juvy driver! That most definitely gets the pin. Really good stuff, though I don't think quite as good as the reputation this match has built up over the years, especially with those fluffs down the stretch. I think everyone was just amazed a borderline great match could still happen in WCW. Despite his obvious potential this would be Blitzkrieg's only PPV match. He'd only stay with WCW until October then quietly retire early. This is just me making assumptions so don't take it as anything close to gospel, but I assume his heart just wasn't in it. If his Wiki page is to be believed, he's since worked as a computer technician and as a registered nurse not too far away from my neck of the woods, by Texas standards, in Austin. ***3/4

 

Hardcore Match: Bam Bam Bigelow def Hak (w/Chastity) in 11:33- The former ECW guys are still going at it. I'm thinking this is part of WCW laying the groundwork to start up their own Hardcore title after seeing the success WWF was having with their hardcore division, which would happen during the summer. Bigelow comes out with the mandatory cart of goodies but Hak tries to stop it in the aisle and that's where we begin. They brawl up to the western town dressed stage area. Hak gets a table out from under the stagecoach that was covered in hay! That's forward planning. He sets Bigelow up on the table and climbs the stagecoach. It's wobbly, but he hangs on. He splashes Bigelow through the table! While they recover Chastity is emptying Bigelow's cart out, throwing it all in the ring. Bigelow hits Hak with a piece of the broken table as they start fighting back toward the ring. Hak takes a crazy upside down bump into the cart. Bigelow gets a crutch and hits some shots with it before they get in the ring. As they both lay in some shots Tony decides to expose the whole game by saying those thin aluminum trash cans don't hurt any. Hak gets another table out and props it up between the ring and guardrail. Big trash can shot on Hak. Tony tries to reverse himself by claiming he meant the cans don't hurt "as much" as other objects. Bigelow gives Hak shots with a cookie sheet, broom, and salad bowl. They decide to actually try a wrestling move with a suplex fight, but Hak's knee gives out midstream. He goes out and gets a ladder. Bigelow tries to use it but Hak dropkicks it into him. He drops the ladder on Bigelow, goes up top, and swantons the ladder while it's on Bigelow! Bulldog into the ladder! Hak gets yet another table out. And a section of guardrail. That's new. Who knew they kept a spare section of guardrail down there for emergencies? While that's going on Chastity has to go over and fix the other table that had been propped up because it had fallen down. Hak sets the ladder up and tries to climb it. It's wobbly as all hell, barely holding upright, and Hak has to pretty much flop himself down through the table on the floor. Bigelow sets the ladder up in one corner and the guardrail piece in the other. Hak gets whipped into the ladder. Bigelow gets set up on the guardrail piece propped against the ropes. Hak goes up top and comes down with a legdrop. Bigelow moves and Hak ledgrops the guardrail! They pause for a bit to give Chastity time to get in with her signature fire extinguisher. It won't go off! Bigelow gets a hold of it and sprays Chastity out of the ring. Hak uses the distraction to whack Bigelow with *his* signature weapon, the kendo stick. Kendo assisted Russian leg sweep into the guardrail piece! Both guys climb up top. Bigelow hooks Hak up and hits an avalanche Greetings from Asbury Park through the table! That gets the pin! Fun match, way better than the three way they had with Raven at Uncensored. This one was much more than just hitting each other in the head over and over again. ***

 

Scotty Riggs def Mikey Whipwreck in 7:03- Been a while since we've seen Riggs on PPV. He has a new gimmick now, essentially a poor man's Narcissist Lex Luger or Dashing Cody Rhodes. Whipwreck still has no music. Lockup and Riggs gives Whipwreck a mocking soft slap in the corner. Armdrag from Riggs. Drop toe hold and he walks over Whipwreck. Frustrated Whipwreck gives him a couple of not at all soft slaps. He pounds Riggs in the corner. Flying back elbow and clothesline. A dropkick sends Riggs flopping to the floor. Guillotine legdrop on the apron from Whipwreck. He does a plancha into a hurricanrana on the floor! Riggs avoids another apron legdrop attempt. He knocks Whipwreck off the apron into the guardrail. Arrogant one finger cover in the ring for 1. A "boring" chant echos across the arena in response to Riggs' scintillating offense. Whipwreck gets a boot up in the corner. Shotgun dropkick off the second rope for 2. Russian leg sweep for 2. Whipwreck gets a hurricanrana but Riggs has a foot on the rope on the cover. Both guys hit the ropes, duck clothesline attempts, and Riggs hits a flying forearm that was his finisher now for the pin. *1/2

 

Konnan def Disco Inferno in 9:17- This all started as a fight over self-made music videos. I'm not kidding. Konnan takes the mic after Disco's entrance to run down his attire and calls him a "straight up strawberry". I was in my late teens at this time so I was pretty up on most of the lingo, but that one means nothing to me. I think Konnan was just making shit up out of thin air. When he turns to give the mic back Disco attacks from behind. Corner stomps and Disco does Konnan's own rolling clothesline as well as he can. Konnan works around to hit a bulldog. Basement dropkick. Mounted punches and mudhole stomps from Konnan. Tony: "He's literally stomping a mudhole in Disco!". LITERALLY. Konnan runs into a Disco back elbow. He knucklelocks Disco and does the lucha rope run up and toss with it. Another back elbow from Disco and he does some dancing. More dancing into a swinging neckbreaker. Konnan blocks a hiptoss so Disco clotheslines him instead. Elbow drop off the second rope for 2. Speed run and Konnan gets a hiptoss. Disco gets back up and tosses him out to the floor. I haven't mentioned it yet, but those floor mats are absolutely filthy tonight, like they haven't been washed in months. I guess money is starting to get tight. Disco gets run into the post, but five seconds later he's back on offense in the ring. Man, Disco has zero interest in selling tonight. Setup slam. Konnan dodges another second rope elbow and hits the rolling clothesline. After a series of counters Konnan's cradle DDT hits! Disco kicks out! Another Disco swinging neckbreaker for 2. After another long series of counters Konnan gives Disco his own Last Dance cutter for the pin! Pretty much what you'd expect from these two, but that stretch run wasn't too shabby. 3/4*

 

WCW Cruiserweight Championship: Rey Mysterio Jr (c) def Kidman in 15:32- Mysterio was the one to finally bring the improbable long (by this title's standards) reign of Kidman to an end on Nitro a couple of weeks ago. This is Kidman's rematch. Since Mysterio won the title an extra, and to me completely unnecessary, bit has been added to this: these two are now the tag team champs after upsetting Benoit and Malenko on another recent Nitro. Both guys are faces on top of being tag champ partners so Code of Honor handshake to start. Basic speed start. Kidman dodges a springboard moonsault and hits a forearm. Mysterio responds with his own forearm. They knucklelock and go into a crazy sequence flipping over each other all over the ring. Mysterio gets a flying headscissors. Kidman one ups with a slingshot flying headscissors. He backdrops Mysterio to the floor. Plancha! Kidman wheelbarrows Mysterio into the guardrail, then hops over to hit a legrop over the guardrail. They go back in just so Mysterio can flying headscissors Kidman back out again. He goes for a moonsault off the apron but Kidman catches him! Mysterio uses the guardrail to hit a flying headscissors, but accidentally legit whacks his head against the stairs on the way down. Springboard butt splash from Mysterio coming back in for 2. Lionsault for 2. Kidman catches Mysterio and hits a running powerbomb. Backbreaker. Sit out powerbomb for 2. He slides Mysterio back out to the floor. SSP off the apron! Kidman hurt his knee on the landing, but that doesn't go anywhere. Powerslam from Kidman back in. He tries coming off the top rope but Mysterio counters with a dropkick. He sets Kidman up top and bulldogs him off the top for 2. Spinning heel kick. Kidman gets a backdrop counter. Another powerslam for 2. Kidman hooks up a very unusual for these guys chinlock as commentary notes how methodical the match has gotten. I think Mysterio got knocked loopy when he hit his head on the stairs and they've both been fighting through it. Mysterio 360 clotheslines Kidman to the floor and hits a springboard senton. Now Mysterio tries coming off the top in the ring but Kidman counters with a clothesline. After another chinlock Mysterio hits a hurricanrana for 2. Now Mysterio goes for a chinlock. Kidman dodges and Mysterio goes shoulder first into the post. Mysterio does Kidman's faceplant counter to a pop up. Pedigree from Kidman. They both go up top and Kidman hits a sunset bomb for 2. Another bulldog off the top from Mysterio, the full version this time. That was a new finisher that he used to win the title. Slow cover and Kidman kicks out. Kidman hits a regular bulldog for 2. Mysterio hits a guillotine legdrop off the top. Moonsault for 2. Now Kidman does the pop up into a faceplant counter. He goes up top but Mysterio crotches him. Hurricanrana off the top! That gets Mysterio the pin to retain. Tried and true. This wasn't a bad match by any means, but it wasn't up to the standard you'd expect from these two. I think they were pressing to try to top what Juvy and Blitzkrieg did in the opener and in the end were trying too hard. Not to mention Mysterio likely getting messed up by that hit on the stairs. After that it devolved into a lot of spot, rest, spot, rest without anything to put it all together. **3/4

 

Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko (w/Arn Anderson) def Raven and Perry Saturn in 14:11- This was supposed to be for the tag titles before the aforementioned title drop on Nitro just before this show, a move I really don't understand. Speaking of things I don't understand, Saturn is teaming back up with Raven after the wars they had back in the Flock days. No explanation is given. "Because shut up" I guess. Like bloody Ishizu, never explaining anything. Saturn and Raven come out with a table and set it up ringside. They're faces now by the way, and after Ric Flair's turn at Uncensored (more on that later) the Horsemen are once again heels. After some stalling Benoit and Saturn start. Cautious lockup and they go into a bunch of standing switch counters that end up dumping Saturn out to the floor. He fights both Horsemen off on the floor, then Raven and Saturn double team Benoit in the ring. Front suplex/splash off the top rope combo. Drop toe hold/elbow drop combo. Benoit dropkicks Raven to the floor, where Malenko and Arn attack him. Now it's the Horsemen's turn to double team. Double spinebuster on Raven and they make a wish on him. Malenko suplex for 2. Raven gets a small package, but ref Lil' Naitch's back is turned so there's no count. That kicks off a thread that runs the whole match, commentary questioning Naitch's impartiality because of his new relationship with Big Naitch Flair. It never goes anywhere in this match, but it is good setup for later. Benoit his a back suplex and short clothesline. Raven gets caught in the wrong corner to stay in peril. Eventually he gets a boot up in the corner and hits a clothesline. Tag to Saturn. He's got shots for everyone until Malenko puts him down with a straight right hand. Raven gets Malenko up and Saturn hits him with a doomsday device crossbody. Saturn hooks up for the DVD but Benoit cuts it off. Malenko dropkicks Saturn into a Benoit German suplex! Very nice. Benoit fights off a Raven Evenflow attempt and both tumble out to the floor. Malenko gets the cloverleaf on Saturn. Saturn fights over and gets a rope break. DVD on Malenko! Benoit breaks the pin up with the headbutt off the top rope! Arm drape cover from Malenko for 2. Now Saturn goes in peril as Benoit hits chops and a backbreaker. Horsemen double teams follow. Malenko hooks on a sleeper with a full grapevine when Saturn drops down. Raven runs in but Benoit runs him off. Malenko still lets go. Benoit hits a northern lights suplex for 2. Saturn gets a desperation sunset flip on Benoit but Malenko breaks it up. Back suplex from Saturn on Malenko and tag to Raven. He 360 clotheslines Malenko out. Someone puts a chair in the ring. Raven sets it up and drop toe holds Benoit into it. Meanwhile, Malenko's set up on the table on the floor. Saturn comes off the top, but Malenko dodges and Saturn goes through it. Malenko throws the chair into Raven's face. Raven hits the Evenflow! Arn comes in and puts the chair over the back of Raven's head. Benoit headbutt off the top into the chair! Insane. Malenko covers and gets the pin. Rock solid tag stuff that should have been for the titles. ***1/4

 

Tournament Final for the Vacant WCW United States Heavyweight Championship: Scott Steiner def WCW World Television Champion Booker T in 15:57- Just last month these two were wrestling for the TV title, won by Booker. Now they're in the finals of the tournament to crown a new US champion after Scott Hall was stripped by WCW President Flair. It's tempting to say it was because Hall was off on a rehab trip again, but it was actually a foot injury that would keep him out until October. Steiner's jawing with all the humanoids ringside when the bell rings. And quite a while after. When he finally gets in he and Booker jaw and shove. Booker takes some light swings and Steiner hides in the ropes. Then Steiner hops back out and leaps OVER THE BARRICADE to shout at some more fans. This is stalling as a high art. When they finally lock up Booker gets a quick waistlock takedown. Steiner fights on top during some grappling and forearms Booker in the back of the head. Speed run and Booker hits a dropkick. Armdrag and Steiner rolls out to the floor. Another lockup and Steiner hits some hard shots in the corner over the ref. Booker ducks a clothesline and hits a flying forearm. Hook kick and he tosses Steiner out again. Clothesline off the apron. He knocks Steiner around the guardrail. Back in Steiner wants a time out. Booker is disinclined to acquiesce. Means no. He stays on the attack with some ground and pound. Corner clotheslines. Mounted punches. Steiner uses that to lift Booker up, drop him on the top rope crotch first, and punch him down to the floor. Now it's Steiner's turn to knock Booker around ringside, including a couple of light chairshots. Clothesline, elbow drop and Steiner does some mocking pushups. Corner beatdown and Steiner pie faces the protesting ref. Backbreaker for 2 while the crowd chants something like "asshole" but I'm not sure what it is. Big belly to belly suplex and arrogant one knee cover for 2. Steiner flat tackles the ref for not counting 3. Straight on Greco Roman Nut Punt from Steiner, almost mocking the ref to DQ him. He hooks on a bear hug. Booker ties to power out, so Steiner switches to an overhead belly to belly that just about drops Booker on his head. Booker slips out of a suplex attempt and hits a DDT! Ripcord knee and swing kick from Booker. Clotheslines. He goes for a tackle and Steiner pulls the ref into the middle of it! Dead ref. Booker hits the scissors kick. Flapjack. Spinaroonie! Harlem side kick, but there's no ref to count. Booker picks the ref up, which only allows Steiner to hit him again! Booker hits a spinebuster and goes up top. Steiner hits the ropes to crotch him. Top rope Frankensteiner! Now he drags the ref up and helps him count. Booker still kicks out! Steiner gets some knucks or a spike out of his tights. Booker ducks a shot with it and hooks up for a suplex. Steiner hits him in the throat with the spike to counter! Steiner drags the ref back in, covers, and gets the pin. That worked really really well. Yeah, Steiner's heel antics were a bit much, but it works in context of his character and is a big reason he's gotten as hot as he is. Winning the US title at this point for him only feels like a box check stepping stone to bigger things. Booker continues to show how great he's gotten too. He won't be far behind. ***1/2

 

Goldberg def Kevin Nash (w/Lex Luger and Elizabeth) in 7:44- Goldberg is finally getting a chance to avenge his one and only loss at the hands of Nash (and a Scott Hall provided cattle prod) at Starrcade. After a long lockup Nash swings Goldberg into the corner and his his corner knees. Corner boot choke. And there's the elbow. Another boot choke. Two minutes in and the whole match has been in one corner. Elizabeth hops on the apron so Nash can low blow Goldberg. Short clothesline for 2. He whips Goldberg around the corners and hits a side suplex for 2. Goldberg ducks a big boot and hits a flying elbow for his first offense of the whole match. Suplex from Goldberg. He ducks Nash swings and hits a superkick. Nash leaps over a spear attempt and Goldberg spears the ref. That was such an obvious set up with the ref standing where he was. Luger hops on the apron with a chair and hits Goldberg with it. The straps are down. Goldberg low blow! Ref is still down. Luger comes in and gets big booted back out. Spear on Nash! Jackhammer. Done. The Goldberg formula to a T, but the crowd is still eating it up. Match is nothing special, but it deserves a bump for WCW era Nash jobbing clean as a sheet for once as Goldberg gets his revenge. *3/4

 

They use the show's TV commercial as the hype video for the main event. That's cost cutting. Hey, no Buffer! What a relief. After four intros from him there might have been five minutes left for the match. To set this up, Flair won the World title from Hogan at Uncensored, which normally would have been a very good thing, but it also came with one of the most ill-conceived and badly executed double turns ever. Since then Flair has been a heel and pretty much taken over Bischoff's old role as the power mad evil WCW President (he also won the right to be President "for life" when he won the World title), while Hogan is slowly creeping back to the return of the red and yellow we'll be seeing later in the year. Pretty much the opposite of what anyone outside WCW's booking committee wanted.

 

Four Corners Match for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship: Diamond Dallas Page def "Nature Boy" Ric Flair (c), Sting and Hollywood Hogan in 17:27- We've got a couple of returns in this match. First, Sting is wrestling his first PPV match since Halloween Havoc last year. He's also back to classic Crow Sting, no more Wolfpac colors. Second, Randy Savage is making his return in this match as the special guest ref, and he's got the recently debuted Gorgeous George (female version) with him. We're at the kickoff of the Team Madness era. Hogan's still draped in NWO colors but he's clearly acting more face-like as he was at Uncensored. Quick pair offs with swaps after the bell. Hogan 360 clotheslines Flair to the floor. Sting tries to get DDP in the Scorpion Death Lock early but DDP grabs the ropes before it's fully on. Swinging neckbreaker on Sting from DDP for 2. Sting fights off an early Diamond Cutter attempt and hits a clohtesline. Meanwhile, Hogan and Flair are brawling halfway up the aisle. Clothesline off the top from Sting. Stinger Splash! Cover, but Flair breaks it up as he and Hogan return to the ring. Hogan clotheslines DDP while Sting slams Flair off the top rope. Now DDP and Sting go to the floor while Flair and Hogan fight in the ring. Flair chops. Hogan tries to get weightlifting belt shots in. Backdrop and clothesline on Flair from Hogan. Corner clothesline. Flair Flop! I should point out that Flair's wearing rare uncoordinated gear tonight, red trunks with black boots and kneepads. Hogan no sells more Flair chops. Mini Hulk up. Point! Three punches. Big boot. While that's happening Sting's getting DDP in the Scorpion. Hogan legdrop! Sting lets DDP go to break up Hogan's cover. DDP and Sting go to the floor again while Flair chop blocks Hogan and starts softening the knee up. Figure four! Sting and DDP are still wrapped up with each other on the floor. Hogan fights and reverses the hold on Flair. Now DDP gets in and breaks it up. Flair fights off a Cutter but DDP 360 clotheslines him out. DDP then puts Hogan in the post wraparound figure four! Sting eventually breaks it up. Hogan's knee is gone. The trainers run in to check and carry Hogan out because he can't put any weight on the knee. Any more doubt about Hogan being face again? Now Bischoff makes his way out to check on Hogan. The match continues in the ring with Sting and Flair doing their thing and DDP chilling in the corner letting them go at it. The Pete Dunne strategy. Always smart. Flair and Sting are doing their usual match formula, but man it's so good to see. A window to a bygone and better era. Corner whip and Flair Flip! Sting clotheslines him on the apron. Then DDP runs up and clotheslines Sting for 2! Slam/elbow drop combo from DDP for 2. DDP tries to keep Flair out of the ring but Flair eye rakes him. Discus clothesline on Flair from DDP for 2. Savage is counting old school slow. It's a bit jarring, but it's consistent for everyone. Corner elbows on Sting from DDP. Another Stinger Splash on DDP! DDP squeaks out of a press slam and tries the Cutter! Sting fights it off and faceplants DDP. Flair tries to interject himself and gets tossed to the floor again. DDP reverses a Sting tombstone and plants him! Flair breaks the pin up and tosses DDP over the top to the floor. Sting places Flair up top. Superplex! Slow Sting cover for 2. Back suplex from Flair. Flair hooks on a sleeper. DDP comes in and puts a sleeper on Flair! Sleeper daisy chain! Sting drops a jawbreaker and all three guys are down. DDP and Flair team up on Sting with jabs and chops. Sting starts hulking up off it. Double clothesline from Sting! He pummels both guys over and over. Stinger Splash on Flair! Scorpion! DDP breaks it up. Sting gets out of a DDP suplex and hits him with the Scorpion Death Drop! Flair pulls him off and drops a couple of knees in the groinal area. Figure four on Sting. Sting fights, hulks up, and rolls over to the ropes. Savage drags Flair back to the middle of the ring. Then he goes up top. Savage elbow onto Flair! The follow up is a bit confusing as to what exactly he was trying to accomplish. DDP ducks a Flair chop and hits the Cutter! DDP pins Flair and wins his first ever world title! Damn, that was a moment that deserved so much more of a build up. Not just in the match, but over the past weeks and months. It's totally out of nowhere, but it's also so well deserved. Of course, being end of life WCW they'll find a way to fuck it up royally. The win doesn't get much of a pop, I think the crowd was too shocked to react properly to it because, again, it was completely out of nowhere. But that was a very fun match, mostly well worked by everyone. It was a relief that Hogan didn't make the big hero return at the end of the match. ***1/2

 

OVERALL SHOW GRADE- Here you have it ladies and gentlemen, probably the last halfway good PPV WCW ever put on. Like DDP's title win, it comes out of nowhere as WCW had already been putting pure crap on PPV for nearly a solid year. Nothing on this show is going to make any best of lists, but there's quality matches to be found throughout and DDP's first world title win is a nice cherry on top. This is the kind of show WCW could have built off of to reset, reboot and revitalize the company, but sadly it wasn't to be.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: B

Backlash '01

Legacy Review

Backlash '01

April 29, 2001 from the Allstate Arena in Chicago, IL

 

Commentary: Jim Ross and Paul Heyman

 

A new day has dawned in the world of professional wrestling. WWF has purchased WCW. The Attitude Era came to an unofficial close at the spectacular Wrestlemania X7, the culmination of one of the greatest three month stretches in WWF/E PPV history. Now comes what's next. WWF was still figuring out exactly how, and how much, they were going to use the WCW name and talent so it will still be a while before they start getting worked into everything.

 

The big news coming out of WM X7 was not just Austin winning the WWF Championship back, it was Austin turning heel and allying with eternal enemy Mr. McMahon in his desperation to win the title back. Since WM, Austin and another former adversary, Triple H, buried the attempted vehicular homicide hatchet and formed a Mega Powers style superteam known as The Two Man Power Trip. Trips' win over Austin at No Way Out in February played no small part in that, giving Austin some newfound respect for Trips. To fully cement the new unit as the men running the WWF, Trips has won the Intercontinental title since WM. Also of note, the Rock is now away filming his first movie, The Scorpion King. Rock in Hollywood? That'll never last.

 

X-Factor def The Dudley Boyz in 8:00- This is a six man match, with Spike Dudley joining his semi-cousin brothers whatever, against the unit of X-Pac, Justin Credible and Albert. X-Factor charge in on their entrance and we get the usual jump start brawl. Albert quickly gets isolated. The main Dudleyz double suplex him and Spike follows up with a double stomp off the top rope. The Dudleyz then press Spike down onto Pac and Credible on the floor. Things settle in with Credible getting knocked around all the Dudleyz and Spike trying for a couple of quick pins before Credible's size proves too much for him. Albert TOSSES Spike out of a Dudley Dog attempt! Credible hits a powerbomb for 2 while the Chicago crowd serenades Pac with a big "X-Pac sucks" chant. Spike dodges a Credible slide in the corner, sending Credible nuts first into the post, and tags out. D'Von tackles Pac but takes a shot in the back from Albert from the apron. Pac hits a swing kick, then distracts ref Teddy Long while the other two crotch D'Von on the post. Albert slingshots him into the ropes. Pac decides to kill the pace with a chinlock even though there's two other guys to tag out to if he wanted a rest. D'Von fights out but gets cut off with a leg lariat. Credible tries some jabs in the corner. D'Von jabs better. Side slam from Credible. Albert gets a delayed double underhook suplex. D'Von gets a double clothesline on Pac and Credible and tags out to Bubba Ray. Hot tag run from Bubba Ray. He hits a side suplex on Pac and covers. Albert tries to break the pin up but ends up splashing Pac. DONNYBROOK! Credible takes the Whazzup Drop. Get the tables! Albert cuts that off. An isolated Bubba Ray gets avalanched in the corner by Albert, then double superkicked by Pac and Credible, and Pac covers to get the pin. After the bell X-Factor try to beat the Dudleyz at their own game by putting Bubba Ray through the table. Instead, Spike and D'Von make the save and Pac takes a 3D through the table. Decent formula tag opener. **1/4

 

A limo arrives backstage and the Duchess of Queensbury emerges from it. WWF Commish William Regal comes out to greet her and makes sure her security knows to protect her from all the American plebs out there tonight. She'll be involved in his match tonight but I'll get into the details later. I don't know who came up with the "Duchess"'s costume, but it looks more pre-revolution French than anything English. After that we get a quick highlight from Heat of Jerry Lynn defeating Crash Holly for the Light Heavyweight title. Yes that was still around.

 

WWF Hardcore Championship: Rhyno (c) def Raven in 8:11- A battle of former ECW champions here, perfect for the hardcore division. Raven's turned face since WM and gets pretty good support in hardcore fan Chicago. His shopping cart of goods is more conventional than usual tonight, except for the big raven sitting on the end that I assume is more ornamental than practical. Rhyno charges at the bell but gets drop toe holded into Raven's signature stop sign. Quick cover for 2. Running trash can shot for 2. Rhyno hits a huge running corner shoulderblock and gets his own can shot in. He running kicks the can into Raven's face! That sends him down to the floor. Cover on the floor for 2. Rhyno takes a bit to reposition the stairs and puts Raven on a chair. He runs off the stairs, but Raven dodges and Rhyno crashes into the chair. Raven then hits a diving clothesline off the stairs for 2. They go back in the ring just so Raven can jab Rhyno back down to the floor. Rhyno pulls Raven into the post and gives him a trash can lid shot. Raven gets whacked with one of the barricade "keep off" signs. Rhyno lifts the shopping cart up, hits Raven with it, and tosses it into the ring! That's different. Raven gives Rhyno another drop toe hold into the cart. He goes to town on Rhyno with shots from a handicap parking sign and a no parking sign. STIFF shots too. Surprised Chicago of all places isn't chanting ECDub for that. Raven whips out some wrestling moves with a corner clothesline/bulldog combo for 2. He gets a can for another shot, but Rhyno has the cart ready too. Raven jabs the cart and it falls onto Rhyno! Cover for 2. Raven rolls the cart into Rhyno. Rhyno gets in a shot with the handicap sign for 2. Can shots on Raven. Rhyno sets up. Raven dodges and Rhyno's Gore sends him INTO the cart! Nicely done. Kitchen sink shot from Raven! Always need the kitchen sink in these matches. Classic. Cover. Rhyno kicks out! That would have been a very believable finish. GORE! Rhyno covers and gets the pin to retain! It started really good, then they had a hard time holding that momentum for a while, but the stretch run was also pretty good. ***

 

Small recap of Vince getting revenge on new WCW owner Shane for beating him at WM by putting him in a match with Big Show tonight. We then get the full clip from Smackdown of Shane reading "Shane and the Beanstalk". Guess someone was really proud of it. It's fine. Elsewhere, Austin arrives and accosts Kevin Kelley. I regret to inform you we're also in the period where Debra played Austin's wife on screen. I never understood why they did that. After that Coach corners the Duchess and tries to get her to spill the beans on what the actual rules are for the next match. Before she can answer Regal interrupts and tells him to bugger off.

 

Duchess of Queensbury Rules Match: William Regal def Chris Jericho in 12:34- The first of two WM rematches tonight. This feud was over the IC title before Trips needed it to give the Two Man Power Trip thing a boost. Duchess of Queensbury Rules is a riff on boxing's Marquess of Queensbury Rules, which largely still govern organized boxing to this day. Except in this case neither Regal or Her Grace have been forthcoming on what these rules actually are. After his entrance Regal brings the Duchess out. Jericho is over like Grover in Chicago. Lockup! Both guys take cheap shots on the corner break. Commentary makes it clear again that no one knows the rules while both guys go through a nice basic start sequence. Regal tries to momentum toss Jericho over the top but he lands on the apron, hops up the ropes and comes down with a double ax handle. A dropkick sends Regal out to the floor. After a bit of typical floor knockaround Regal sideswipes a Jericho missile dropkick attempt back in. Suplex from Regal for 2. High knees to Jericho's face. Wave! European uppercuts. After a corner whip reversal Regal gets a boot up and goes to the second rope. Jericho dropkicks him, climbs up, and hurricanranas him back down. Chops from Jericho. Flying forearm. Jericho counters a sleeper slam attempt and hits a bulldog. Lionsault! He covers, but the bell rings before a count even starts. Here comes the rules shenanigans. Fink announces the time limit for round 1 is over. While Jericho's protesting Regal rolls him up for 2. Jericho hits a clothesline. He comes off the second rope but Regal catches his legs and slingshots him into the ropes. German suplex with a WICKED 180 sell from Jericho! Regal Stretch! Jericho fights and gets a rope break. Another hard Euro uppercut. Jericho counters another German attempt with a roll into the Walls! Regal taps out! Bell rings, music plays. It's over. Wait, no it's not. Fink announces according to Her Grace you can't win by submission. Jericho's had enough and walks out toward the Duchess, then cuts off a Regal ambush attempt. Regal hits Jericho with the Duchess' scepter! Ref Tim White understandably calls for the bell. But, now the Duchess says there's no DQ. That's three false bells. Regal rolls Jericho back in and covers. Jericho kicks out! More Euro uppercuts. Back elbow from Regal. Double underhook suplex for 2. Jericho manages to get an enzuguri counter. Stand up slugfest. Jericho kicks Regal down in the corner. Corner clothesline. He goes for the Walls, but then remembers that he can't win by submission AND there's no DQ, so he stomps Regal's nuts instead! Baseball slide from Jericho and Regal ends up face first in the Duchess' lap! That's a protocol violation. Jericho takes out the security goons and rolls the Duchess into the ring. Walls on the Duchess! Regal comes in with a chairshot! More chairshots. Cover and Regal gets the pin. That was OK but a bit of a mess. They were never going to top Lance Storm and his Canadian rules with the constant rule shifting gimmick, and even outside that they weren't going nearly as good as their WM match. **1/2

 

30 Minute Ultimate Submission Match: Chris Benoit def Kurt Angle- The second WM rematch tonight. After a battle of submission holds build, Angle grabbed a handful of tights to get a roll up pin on Benoit at WM. That won't happen tonight. This is essentially a 30 minute Ironman match, the difference being the only way to get a fall is by submission. JR says there'll be a 30 second rest period between falls.

FIRST FALL- Lockup! Rough but clean corner break. The Chicago crowd is pretty hot for this one. Time for some mat wrestling. I'm not going to get deep into the technicalities or hold by hold of this opening sequence as it's all very realistic, amateur style, but very crisp and really good. Angle has to fight off a couple of crossface attempts and has a think on the floor after each one. Very nice little touch from him, shaking his arm off after each one. Their mat exchanges get so intense they fall to the floor while still grappling. Benoit gets the crossface on Angle on the floor! Angle taps! But it doesn't count because it's on the floor! Benoit is not happy about that. Angle teases coming in with a chair but ref Mike Chioda eventually convinces him to put it down. He really takes his time coming back in while holding his arm the whole time. While Benoit's focused on that Angle gets a takedown and wraps Benoit up in a legbar! Benoit taps! It's a quick 1-0 to Angle with 23:27 left.

SECOND FALL- They do hold to the rest period with bells to end and start it, but the clock continues to run during it. Benoit fires off some chops. Angle goes back to the knee. Chop block! Another one! He goes for a third. Benoit counters into a crossface try! Angle blocks that. Benoit flips Angle around into a cross armbreaker! Angle taps! Back to even with 21:54 left.

THIRD FALL- Benoit fires off chops after the bell, then runs Angle's shoulder into the post. Takedown into another armbreaker. Angle rolls over into the ropes. Shoulderbreaker from Benoit. Angle takes a couple of corner Bret bumps, then hangs onto the ropes. While trying to pull him off Benoit knocks Chioda down. Angle uses that opening to take the chair he placed earlier and whack Benoit with it! The ankle lock is on and Benoit taps! 2-1 Angle with 19:40 left.

FOURTH FALL- Angle dodges around Chioda to get some stomps in during the rest period. After the bell Angle works Benoit around into a crossface! Benoit taps again, to his own hold this time! 3-1 Angle with 18:55 left.

FIFTH FALL- Angle switches gears into some more high impact offense, starting to go into clock killing mode with a lead. Benoit grabs the rope off a whip then backdrops Angle over the top to the floor. Post shot for Angle and he backs up almost into the camera. Big chops from Benoit on the floor. Whip reversal and Benoit goes into the stairs. Angle hooks the ankle lock on the floor! Benoit taps but again it doesn't count. Guess they're even on floor falls now. Angle rolls Benoit back in as we hit halfway. Angle tries for an armbreaker again. Benoit tries to power Angle over but can't. Another push and he gets a rope break. Angle hooks on an abdominal stretch! Classic. Benoit reverses it. Angle hiptosses out of that, but Benoit uses that to get another armbreaker on! Angle gets to the ropes. Benoit ripcords Angle's arm and hooks on a Sharpshooter! Again Angle gets a rope break. Angle goes for a German. Benoit rolls around into a Liontamer style half crab, cranking Angle's back hard! Angle taps! Lead is down to 3-2 with 11:52 left.

SIXTH FALL- Angle rolls to the floor as soon as the rest period ends. After a chase Benoit eventually tracks him down on the floor. Angle still tries to play keepaway, then catches Benoit coming back in. 10 minutes left. Benoit gets some shots in. Angle goes to the desperation eye rake and tosses him out. Now Angle tries to keep Benoit outside. When Benoit gets back in Angle hits a suplex. Drop toe hold from Angle. He tries for the ankle lock but Benoit quickly grabs a rope. Angle suplexes Benoit on the floor. Benoit fires back with more chops and Angle goes to another eye rake. Back in the ring Benoit grabs a kick and gives Angle a dragon screw! He tries an ankle lock but Angle gets a rope break. Angle dodges a dropkick attempt and wraps up a kind of reverse bow and arrow. He transitions into a straight chinlock. In Japan that'd be a rear choke so that works here. Chioda goes to arm drops and Benoit stays up at 3 right as we hit 5 minutes left. Angle's pretty effectively played prevent defense so far. He keeps the chinlock on and wraps Benoit's leg up. Benoit tries to back elbow out but Angle won't release. Finally Benoit gets back to his feet and jawbreakers out. Running clothesline from Angle. Belly to belly suplex. A second. 3 minutes left as Angle is really parking the bus now. Benoit reverses a corner whip into another Angle Bret bump. ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLING GERMANS! He hits two. Angle tries to counter the third. Benoit ducks and gets a leg takedown. Angle counters that. Benoit counters the counter and gets the ankle lock on! Angle taps out to his own hold! It's tied 3-3 with 2:07 left.

SEVENTH FALL- Benoit goes back to the leg. Chop block. Angle hides in the ropes. One minute left. Another German from Benoit. Angle grabs the ropes and hits a low blow behind Chioda's back. Angle tries and tries to get the ankle lock on but Benoit keeps scrambling into the ropes. Back suplex from Angle. Ankle lock! But Benoit holds on the last 10 seconds and time expires! Benoit did tap but it was after time ran out. Angle thinks he's won. Fink announces it's a tie, but Chioda has rules the match will continue in sudden death overtime. Precedent set by the Bret Hart/Shawn Michaels Ironman match.

SUDDEN DEATH OT- Despite his frustration Angle gets right back on the attack. Another belly to belly. Angle lets the crowd distract him. Benoit uses that to push Angle into the corner. Angle counters on the mat and puts a mat cravat on. He tries to use the ropes but Chioda catches him. Benoit gets the crossface on! Middle of the ring! Angle taps! Benoit gets the OT win 4-3! Really good stuff, but not quite great. There's nothing wrong with the wrestling, both guys worked hard and effectively, but for some reason it didn't come together as well as their WM match did. I think part of the problem is structural, mainly having so many falls in only a 30 minute match, especially so many of them frontloaded. I think if they'd either done fewer falls and waited until after halfway to start having them, or had basically the same match but over 60 minutes, it would have come off a bit better. But not to worry, as these two were still just getting started with each other in a feud that will be going off and on for almost the next two years. ***3/4

 

Last Man Standing Match: Shane McMahon def The Big Show in 11:55- Shane comes out with his "Shane and the Beanstalk" book. Instead of getting in the ring he leads Show in a chase while slipping a chair inside the ring. He then goes under the ring. Show paws around trying to find him, but Shane comes out the other side with a kendo stick and whacks Show with it. He hits show with the book! Shane tries coming off the barricade with the kendo but Show catches him in a goozle. Shane tries to use the kendo to counter but instead Show uses it to pull him into a clothesline. He presses Shane back in the ring. Shane gets the chair he planted and goes to town on Show with it, including multiple headshots. While Show's down Shane goes under the ring again and pulls out a bag. He takes a mask out, puts it on, then gets the good old ether soaked rag. Shane hops on Show's back and tries to smother him with it. While watching Show sloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooowly go down I have a thought: what Shane, or any wrestler trying to use an ether rag, needs instead is some of that instant knockout gas every single villain in '60s Batman seemed to have. That'd put anyone down for a 10 count. Ref Jack Doan is also covering his face the smell is so powerful which is a nice touch. Finally Show works his way all the way down and Doan starts counting. Vince runs in, gets the chair, and nails Shane in the back with it. He takes the chair, the bag, and leaves. Show is up at 7. Shane is clearly down for good but Show pulls him back up and tosses him into the corner. Side suplex. Shane uses the ropes to pull himself up at 8. Show puts him on the second rope and tosses him off it. Diving clothesline. Another count and Show pulls Shane up at 8. Chokeslam. Again Show pulls Shane up at 8. He puts Shane in a torture rack. Now Test runs in. He kicks Show down and pounds away on him. Show tosses Test out and knocks him around on the floor. Test hits Show with another of the keep off signs. Show tosses Test into some of the stage scaffolding. Now Shane comes up and attacks show with yet another keep off sign. They go behind a curtain and Show comes out wielding a pipe. Shane goes into dodge mode trying to avoid it. He starts climbing up the stage scaffolding. Uh oh, we've seen this before. Show starts to climb after him. Test thankfully comes up to stop him. No way was Show getting far up that without causing some kind of massive balance issue. Test pounds Show down with another metal sign and sets him up for Shane. Shane is all the way at the TOP of the stage. Even higher than he was at Summerslam, at least eyeballing it. SHANE LEAPS OFF THE STAGE DOWN INTO SHOW! That was clearly wood he fell into too, not at all a soft landing. As the ref counts Test tries to maneuver the crane camera over, then tries to prop Shane up on it but Shane's not cooperating, so Test ends up just lifting Shane on his shoulder as Show is counted down. Messy finish, and pretty terrible run-in filled match that the only real goal of was to have Shane do a fall even higher than Summerslam. Thankfully this would be the end of that as they realized there's no way they could go any higher without serious risk of injury. 3/4*

 

Vince is in the back with Trips and Steph, which I have only two observations of. First, don't give Steph exposition. Second, Vince says the line "I only have one son now, and his name is Triple H". Oh how that line unintentionally resonates in wrestling history now.

 

Triple Threat Match for the WWF European Championship: Matt Hardy (c) def Christian and Eddie Guerrero in 6:37- Now that the series of classic Hardyz/Dudleyz/Edge & Christian extreme matches is pretty much done and they were all made stars in them the team members are starting to branch out into singles competition. Matt upset Guerrero for the European title on the SD before this show. But he wasn't the first Hardy to hold singles gold. That was Jeff, who got a one week cup of coffee with the IC title by upsetting Triple H on Raw before dropping it back the next week. The heels gang up on Matt to start out with and literally slide Matt out of the ring. Christian then jumps Guerrero from behind. Would have expected that to be the other way around. Powerslam from Christian for 2. Guerrero counters a pop up with a hurricanrana. Matt and Guerrero fight over who gets to superplex Christian. Guerrero then lifts Matt on his shoulders. Christian tries a doomsday device but Matt ducks and victory rolls Guerrero for 2. He hooks Guerrero up for a Twist of Fate but Christian cuts it off with a clothesline. Back suplex from Guerrero on Christian. He drop toe holds Christian and goes for a surfboard. Matt sunset flips Guerrero as a counter, but they roll too far and end up tangled in an ugly heap on the ropes. Guerrero goes out to the floor. Matt diving clothesline on Christian for 2. Guerrero pulls Matt out. Christian baseball slides both of them. Christian tries to backdrop Matt against the apron, but Matt uses the ropes to do a neat handstand bounce off and then DDTs Christian on the floor. Guerrero gives Matt a couple of brain busters back in and covers. Matt kicks out! Matt backdrops Guerrero and off comes the shirt. He goes up top. Guerrero fights up with him, but Christian grabs Matt's pants to block a hurricanrana. Christian goes up top but Matt drops him down onto Guerrero. Double clothesline on both from the top rope. Christian accidentally crossbodys Guerrero. Matt tosses Christian out and hits a legdrop off the second rope on Guerrero for 2. Edge runs in and spears Matt on the floor! Guerrero tosses Christian out and covers Matt for a LONG 2. Now Jeff Hardy runs in. As he and Edge fight Christian hits Guerrero with the Unprettier and covers. Jeff swanton bomb on Christian! Matt gives him a Twist of Fate and gets the pin to retain! Perfectly fine, no more, no less. **1/2

 

All Titles on the Line: The Two Man Power Trip (w/Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley) def WWF Tag Team Champions The Brothers of Destruction in 25:02- If either Taker or Kane get the win they'll win the title of whoever they got the decision on. HHH gets a definite pop in Chicago. Not huge, but undeniably there. Austin jaws with fans sitting on the aisle all the way down. He's got red on his knee braces tonight. That won't last. Kane is coming in with a heavily taped up hurt elbow thanks to HHH and Austin. JR mentions it might be elbow bursitis, which makes me laugh just because if I ever had a player injured in NCAA Football 12 it was almost always elbow bursitis. Everyone in that game had weak elbows. The heels stall on the floor before and after the bell trying to find an opening and take their sweet time about it. HHH gets in the ring and gets punched right back out. After a bit the BOD finally hop out and jump Austin and HHH in the aisle to kick off an extended floor brawl. Austin and Taker get in the ring, then swap out for Kane and HHH. Kane double hand chokes and drops both guys. After that we settle in with Kane and HHH in the ring. Corner clothesline from Kane. HHH hits the high knee and targets Kane's bad elbow for the first time. Clothesline from Kane and both sides tag. Austin quickly bails when he sees Taker and begs off in the corner. He's giving it all to try to make this heel thing work, I'll give him that. Taker uses that to stomp a mudhole in him. Austin gets an eye rake and some corner shots. Corner elbows from Taker and he whips Austin over and over from buckle to buckle. Austin gets on his knees and offers a handshake. Taker thinks about it, then offers a boot in Austin's face instead. Kane wants to tag in. Taker's very reluctant, because of the hurt elbow, not because they're about to start trying to kill each other again (yet), but does tag. Austin wrings Kane's bad arm and hits a short clothesline. Kane gets the message and tags back out. Taker takes control again and hits old school on both HHH and Austin. The TMPT try to walk again. Kane goes out and runs them over in the aisle. Back in HHH breaks up a Last Ride attempt on Austin and they trap Taker in their corner. The next few minutes the TMPT do a great job of keeping Taker isolated with the ring not just cut in half, but keeping Taker in their quadrant near their corner at all times. Eventually Taker tries to fight out but runs into HHH's facebuster. Off the ropes again Taker hits a leaping DDT. But he refuses to tag Kane. Austin tags in and hits a clothesline. Thesz Press and elbow drops. Taker counters the third one with a goozle! HHH runs into a big boot. Double goozle! Austin and HHH kick free. Taker comes off the ropes and all three clothesline each other. Kane uses that to tag himself in. Big boots on HHH and Austin. HHH gets 360 clotheslined to the floor. Side suplex on Austin. Clothesline off the top rope. HHH goes up top and gets slammed off Flair style. Goozle on Austin. HHH hits Kane's bad elbow to finally break his momentum. An armbar slam from Austin puts him down properly. Quick tags from TMPT as they work on Kane's elbow. HHH snaps it over the top rope and Austin gives it a chairshot on the floor. HHH hooks on an ARMBAR. Kane tries to swing back but HHH jerks his arm. Austin lays in some ground and pound. Kane reverses it but HHH comes in to make a save. Now it's Austin's turn for an ARMBAR. He gets free from a Kane scoop and pushes him arm first into the corner. HHH hooks on a top wristlock. Kane punches and HHH goes 360 over the top! He slowly crawls for a tag. HHH pulls Taker down off the apron, allowing Austin to continue punishing Kane. Side suplex from Austin. HHH comes off the top rope but Kane gets a boot up. Austin tags in and tries a sleeper on Kane. Kane side suplexes out but still can barely even start moving toward his corner for a tag. HHH tags in and works on Kane's knee a bit. That was a bit awkward. Pedigree! But HHH doesn't cover. Instead he tags Austin in, and he covers. Taker breaks it up. That didn't make much sense either. Taker chokeslams Austin! Steph gets on the apron and bugs the hell out of Hebner. Hebner shoves her back down to the floor! Kane covers Austin for 2. Enzuguri from Kane on HHH. Hebner also took a glancing blow in that exchange. Tag to Taker! He goes absolutely nuts in an extended hot tag run on both guys. A big boot knocks Austin out of the ring. Last Ride on HHH! But Hebner won't count! He was shaking off getting hit earlier and didn't see the tag! Taker gets pissed and knocks Hebner out of the ring. Austin gets Taker with a low blow. Stunner on Kane! Taker and Austin take their fight to the floor, and eventually all the way into the crowd. Meanwhile HHH has one of the tag belts. Kane kicks the belt into HHH's face! Steph gets in the ring. KANE BIG BOOTS STEPH! What a sell she did on that too. Perfection. Now Vince runs in (for the second time tonight) with HHH's trusty Mr. Sledgehammer. Kane goozles Vince. HHH gets the sledge and hits Kane in the arm with it. Another sledge shot to Kane's head for good measure. HHH might have gotten a pop on his entrance but he's getting booed out of Chicago now. Vince drags Hebner up, we get the slow count, and HHH gets the pin! The Two Man Power Trip now have all the major gold in the company. This is HHH's first tag title win, which gives him the Triple Crown of the classic top titles and makes him just the second WWF/E Grand Slam winner ever after Shawn Michaels. Like most matches tonight, this was solid but not much more. It had plenty of energy, but threatened to lose its place several times down the stretch. I'm also never, ever a fan of having singles titles up for grabs in tag matches. **3/4

 

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- We're now firmly on the downturn after one of WWF's hottest periods ever. It didn't help that there was no one to push them to be better now, which will be a recurring problem for the next 20+ years. Still, most everything tonight fell into the solid/decent range, both match and angle wise. It's hard to judge just how well the Two Man Power Trip angle really worked because it'd be cut short late the next month due to HHH's major quad injury.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: B-