No Mercy 2000

Legacy Review

No Mercy 2000

October 22, 2000 from the Pepsi Arena in Albany, NY

Commentary: Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler

A note that's probably not of interest to anyone but me: this is the first PPV to be held in this arena since the legendary 1992 Royal Rumble, the greatest Rumble match ever, when it was still known as the Knickerbocker Arena. There's been lots of house shows and weekly TV here but this is the first PPV since then.

Dudley Boyz Invitational Gauntlet Tables Match- Five teams will compete in this match, two at a time, and the only way to win is to put just one of your opponents through a table, not both. The Dudleyz were good sports and put themselves into the random draw for spots rather than just saying it's their match and they'll come out last. The opening two teams are Too Cool and Lo Down, the rather recent pairing of the increasingly irrelevant (and expanding sideways, not that I'm in a place to criticize that) D'Lo Brown and Chaz, formerly known as Mosh of the Headbangers. Every team the whole match brings a table to the ring with them. BYOT. Jump start with an extended brawl around the two tables in the ring. Sexay hits his dropkick off the second rope. Scotty gets set on a table then Lo Down immediately forget about him, choosing to use the other table as a swinging weapon on both Too Cool guys instead. After some suplex fights Scotty low blows Chaz with a table. Brown hits his spinebuster on Sexay. Chaz and Scotty fight up top. Scott punches Chaz off and Chaz goes through a table. For good measure on the other side Sexay dodges a Brown frog splash and Brown also goes through a table. Pause for replays and the tables to be cleaned up, then the next team is Tazz and Raven. Raven made his shock WWF debut at Unforgiven, where he and Tazz paired up as ex-ECW guys. They set a table up on the floor. Too Cool uses the opening to baseball slide them. Raven gets placed on a table. Scotty sets up on the apron to put Raven through it. Tazz hooks the Tazzmission on Scotty before he can! Sexay makes the save. Back on the floor Sexay sets Raven up for a powerbomb off the apron potentially through the table, but Sexay kicks the table and it prematurely breaks! "You fucked up" chant for that one. Scotty does the Worm under the other table set up in the ring onto Raven. The ECW guys come back and double suplex Sexay through the table, eliminating Too Cool. Next up are the guys that put this whole match together, the Dudley Boyz. Also ex-ECW guys. As soon as they hit the ring the brawl is on. I'm far from an expert on ECW, but I'm sure these guys all crossed paths at some point over there. Bubba Bomb on Tazz. Raven takes the Whazzup drop. Get the tables! Well, that is the whole point of the match. Tazz gives Bubba Ray a half and half suplex. Raven and D'Von have an ugly collision into the corner at the same time. Tazz gets set up. D'Von hits a legdrop off the top putting Tazz through the table and they're done. The final entrants are the Right to Censor team of the Goodfather and Bull Buchanan. The RTC guys get the quick brawl edge. Two tables get set up in the ring. D'Von and Goodfather have a very long brawl all over the floor. In the ring Bubba Ray ducks and Buchanan takes ref Jack Doan out with a clothesline. Bubba Ray powerbombs Buchanan through one of the tables, but Doan is still out. Goodfather comes in with a chair and nails Bubba Ray with it. He puts Bubba Ray onto the table wreckage and pulls Buchanan out. Doan comes to, sees Bubba Ray on table remains, and calls for the bell. The RTC's siren plays and Fink calls them the winners. BUT WAIT. Another ref runs in and explains to Doan what happened. Doan orders the match to restart. D'Von dodges a Goodfather no hoes train. 3D through the table! Now the match is over. The Dudleyz *finally* get their first win on PPV since FEBRUARY. In a match of their own creation, I sure hope so. The match itself wasn't that great. Most of the teams involved other than the Dudleyz didn't look very sure of themselves working a match like this. *1/4

Rikishi stares at us through the camera, then turns and walks through a door with his sledgehammer. That's right, we're at "I DID IT FOR THE ROCK". Rikishi turned heel by admitting that he was the one that ran Austin over a year ago, and he did it for the Rock because WWF hated Samoans or something. Goofing around with Too Cool most of the intervening year was also all part of the plan I guess. He's also temporarily taken the sledgehammer gimmick away from Triple H.

The next scheduled match is the APA and women's champ Lita teaming against T&A and Trish Stratus in an intergender match. The whole thing got started when T&A got involved in one of the APA's backstage poker nights, but didn't have the money to cover their losses so instead they offered up Trish in a round of strip poker. Trish also lost, and while the APA were admiring their winnings (understandable) T&A attacked them. Why Lita's hooked up with the APA, search me. Probably because she was already feuding with Trish I'd guess.

Lita is the first to come out for the match. The APA's music hits but no one shows up. We cut to the back and T&A is working them over backstage. Lita runs back to help but T&A block her at the entrance stage. Trish then runs in and jumps her from behind, then kicks her down the aisle. Bulldog from Trish in the ring. T&A set up to do more damage but the Hardyz run in to save Lita. The match never started since the APA never came out to the ring.

Edge and Christian are once again using food poisoning as an excuse, this time for not entering themselves into the Dudleyz' table gauntlet. They wish the Conquistadors luck tonight and also make a whole lot (I mean a LOT) of nuts jokes that might amuse a 7th grader. Not their best work.

 

Steel Cage Match: Chris Jericho def X-Pac in 10:40- During his prematch promo Jericho straight up says he hopes this feud can end. One he's right, and two I wish he had that kind of self awareness today, insisting on hanging on full time years past the point he needed to stop. Of course it's also AEW's fault for constantly continuing to put titles on him at 54 years old. He's also far from the first person to do it. Pac's finally out of DX colors and into the black, silver and red he'll keep for a while. DX is essentially dead, it's just no one will admit it yet. Just like Jericho's full time career in 2024. Jericho baseball slides Pac through the door! They do the generic ringside brawl while the crowd gets the mandatory "X-Pac sucks" chant in. Jericho dodges a running chairshot. After he gets in Pac slams the door into his face, then he gets in himself. Escape only rules tonight by the way. Pac hits some corner chops and already goes for the door. Jericho grabs his leg. Pac swings around and gives him a reverse enzuguri. Back kick on Jericho against the ropes. Pac goes to climb. Jericho springboard dropkicks him down! Suplex from Jericho and Pac gets thrown into the cage. Misdirection bulldog. Jericho uses a corner whip reversal to leap on the ropes and climb. Pac quickly follows. Jericho kicks Pac down and hits a missile dropkick off the top rope. A Lionsault attempt is countered. Pac goes for the door again. Jericho stops him, but this time he takes some cage shots. Pac charges and Jericho backdrops him upside down onto the cage! Pac is still up first and back on Jericho. Spinning heel kick. Pac covers but it's escape only. Corner kick combos and the shitty bronco buster hits to boos. Another climb attempt. Jericho uses the cage to lift Pac up from the top rope and powerbombs him back down! Pac gets run into the cage again. He wants a time out but gets a clothesline instead. Jericho climbs. Pac grabs his leg. Jericho hangs onto the cage top and tries to fight but Pac gets him down into the top rope. Again Pac goes for the door. When Jericho stops him he takes the conveniently placed chair and nails Jericho with it. This time Pac climbs. Jericho follows and they're both on the top of the cage. Jericho tries to put the Walls onto Pac on the cage top! Pac low blows and Jericho falls all the way down into the ring! Pac starts to climb down. He stands on top of the door. Jericho dropkicks the cage, sending Pac crotch first onto the door! Jericho walks out and wins! Again, Jericho dragged Pac to a reasonably good match. I like how the high spots using the cage gradually escalated throughout the match, it's well structured in that sense. ***

Edge and Christian may have had the nuts jokes, but there's seriously been like 80 low blows or crotchings on the top rope/cage already in this show, and we're only two plus matches in.

Commish Mick Foley is in his makeshift office for the night. Rikishi comes in and demands to know where Austin is. Foley promises Rikishi that if Austin doesn't make it in time he'll award the match to Rikishi by forfeit, but also tells Rikishi he better get dressed and watch out because Austin is always closer than you think.

Another "card subject to change" moment here. Originally Eddie Guerrero was going to defend the Intercontinental title against the freshly returned from injury Billy Gunn. Yes, we're getting another Billy Gunn singles push and it's going to go about as well as the last one did. However, Guerrero recently got injured on weekly TV. Nothing long term, but enough to keep him out of tonight's match. During Heat before the PPV the match was changed to Gunn and Chyna, who'd by now dumped Guerrero and had paired up with Gunn (professionally), against the Right to Censor team of Steven Richards and Val Venus.

 

Right to Censor def "Mr. Ass" Billy Gunn and Chyna in 7:10- Gunn and Good Humor Venus start. It's the white pants. Venus gets the early edge before Gunn hits a clothesline, slam and kneedrop. Back and forth slugging in the corner. Off a corner whip Venus falls to the floor. Chyna comes down and whips him into the stairs. Back in Venus gives Gunn a hot shot. Richards tags in but runs into a press slam. Tag to Chyna. She tosses Richards around by his tie. The RTC try to double team but Chyna avoids it. Corner dodge and Gunn runs his shoulder, which is what he had injured, into the corner. Venus quickly gets on it and the RTC pick it apart. Richards hooks on an ARMBAR. Oh for frak's sake, they actually do arm drops off the armbar. Gunn fights back and hits a DDT, with the bad arm of course. Tags on both sides. Clotheslines from Chyna. The handspring elbow hits. Low blow from Chyna on Richards and Gunn hits the Fameasser. Chyna swinging neckbreaker on Venus. The Goodfather and Buchanan run in. Gunn goes to the floor to fight them off. Chyna hooks Venus up for the Pedigree. Eddie Guerrero runs in, nails Chyna with the Loaded Roses of Massive Heft +1, drapes Venus over, and the RTC get the win. *

Steph comes into Triple H's locker room and asks again if she can be ringside for his match. Trips says emphatically no, not with someone like Benoit. Steph says OK and gives him a tape of Benoit's crossface that he might find interesting. She leaves to go help her business partner Kurt Angle get ready for his match. That's right, the whole love triangle from Summerslam has ended up as one giant detente with Steph still with Trips in marriage, but also managing Angle. Trips says Angle better protect her tonight or else. There's a noticeable change in their chemistry versus their previous work, a pretty good indicator the real life dating has begun.

 

No Holds Barred: "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Rikishi no contest in 10:30- Awfully early on the show to have this. This is Austin's first official match in nearly a year. Commentary says before the match Austin still hasn't arrived at the arena. Apparently Rikishi getting dressed for the match included putting on a muumuu. He demands Foley come out and keep his forfeit word. Foley does make his way out. We get a lot of weird close ups of both the wrestlers and a long one of commentary, a sure sign that something is being set up. Before Foley can say anything....glass shatter! Crappy new Austin music! Austin drives up to the arena in his truck, straight into the back, into the arena and all the way up to his front bumper almost touching the ring! The bell rings as Austin hops out and attacks Rikishi. He runs Rikishi into the truck, then the door into Rikishi. Rikishi gets tossed over the Spanish announce table. Austin chokes him with a headset cord. Barricade hop and the crowd brawl is on. Rikishi gets the edge thanks to a drink in Austin's face. On the way back down Austin takes his first bump back, practically throwing himself over the arena wall separating the bowl from the floor. Austin hooks up for a piledriver but Rikishi backdrops him onto the concrete. Austin takes his belt off and starts whipping Rikishi with it. He goes under the ring and finds a bullrope of all things. What would the ring crew need with that? Rikishi tries to get some space by tossing Austin over the Spanish announce table, but Austin comes right back down with a clothesline off the table. He gets in the ring and chokes Rikishi with the rope. Rikishi swings at Austin with one of the Spanish announce table monitors and hits a superkick. He gets a chair. Austin dodges a chairshot, takes the chair, and goes to town on Rikishi with it. While passing commentary he grabs JR's hat and puts it on! More chairshots. Rikishi's busted open. Now Austin gets the sledgehammer. He swings but Rikishi dodges, putting sledge dents into Austin's truck. Austin opens up the tailgate and whacks Rikishi with it. Another chairshot puts Rikishi in the truck bed. Tailgate closed, Austin gets in, pops open a beer, backs up and drives off. Short drive because he stops again right outside the arena. Good thing too, because between the busted headlight and the two giant holes in the windshield I don't think that thing is street legal. He gets Rikishi out and the beatdown continues. When Rikishi's where Austin wants him he gets back in the truck. He backs up. Spins the tires. Austin's going to ram Rikishi with the truck! He takes off.....and runs right into a police car crossing his path! That was a legit hit with Austin really in the truck too, no faking there. Pissed Austin backs the truck up and hits the cop car again! Every police car in the Albany PD speed into the area. The cops all get out and arrest Austin. Well, he'd been back a whole month so an arrest was probably overdue. The bell did ring to start the match but never to end it so count whatever point as the end. Still, it was way more an angle and crazy beatdown than an actual match so trying to rate it is pointless. It wasn't mind blowing but it got its point across, and Austin was probably still getting fully back in ring shape. NR

For those of you that missed the last five minutes, we get the full replay of it all.

 

WWF European Championship: William Regal (c) def Naked Mideon in 6:02- Dear lord, they really put Naked Mideon on PPV. Right. Mideon started showing up on weekly TV wearing nothing but a fanny back, boots and a lot of pixellation (and a thong because he wasn't ACTUALLY naked in the arena). Somehow this also turned him face. On the plus side, Regal is back with WWF after a long stint in rehab and a last dalliance with end of life WCW, this time to stay. They wasted little time in getting the European title on the perfect man for it. Before the match Regal takes the mic and says he had words with Foley and demanded that Mideon show a modicum of class and put some damn clothes on for this match. Foley agreed. Mideon comes out wearing a Taker shirt with the sleeves cut off and snap on pants that clearly won't stay on the whole match. Lockup! Regal tries to make Mideon wrestle with some arm wringers. Speed run and Mideon hits a hiptoss and clothesline. He teases taking the shirt off, getting that classic disgusted Regal look. European uppercut and headlock from Regal. Drop toe hold. Mideon gets a back elbow and slam, followed by an awful dropkick. Regal gets a boot up in the corner and runs Mideon's shoulder into the post. He works Mideon over on the apron. Wave to the crowd! Classic Regal. Regal barely backdrops Mideon over the top to the floor. The shirt is off! Back in Mideon hits a corner clothesline. Regal gets a suplex for 2 and grounds Mideon. After getting tossed out Mideon finds his fanny pack under the ring. When he gets back in, the pants are off and the pixels are on. Then to add even more onto it Mideon kisses Regal! Channeling Goldust I guess. Backdrop from Mideon. He goes up top but Regal crotches him on the turnbuckle. With zero protection. Regal starts to put the Regal Stretch on, realizes what that would entail and decides that's too much, and instead hits a neckbreaker to get the pin. Whatever the insane gimmicks, it's still Mideon and not even Regal was going to drag anything decent out of him. Total oil and water match. DUD

Earlier on Heat Angle presented an "interview" with the Rock where all of Rock's answers are edited clips from other interviews made to look bad. Many current mainstream media journalists are taking notes. Toward the end we see Rock in his dressing room disgustedly turning it off. We then cut to Kevin Kelley interviewing Los Conquistadors. Their English not so good, all they can say is "si" and "dos".

 

WWF Tag Team Championship: Los Conquistadors def The Hardy Boyz (c) in 10:58- Recently on weekly TV Edge and Christian lost a "last shot" opportunity at the tag titles while the Hardyz were still champions. Coincidentally, almost immediately after Los Conquistadors made their triumphant return to the WWF after over a decade away. The gag, of course, being that EVERYONE knew it was Edge and Christian. Conquistadors do their silly march to the ring and then do a bunch of rolls after getting in, then hop out to have a word with Spanish commentary. Matt and Uno (Christian) start. Uno does a bunch of dodging and rolling, but rolls right into a Matt clothesline. Matt goes right for the mask and Uno rolls out. Tag to Dos (Edge). Fortunately it's easier than expected to tell them apart thanks to their difference in height and body type, and Edge's mask is tied much looser in the back for reasons we'll see later. Blind Hardyz tag and Jeff hits a clothesline. Flying headscissors and shotgun dropkick from Jeff. Dos gets some shots in to come back. Uno blind tags in but the Conquistadors run into each other. Dos gets clotheslined 360 to the floor. Jeff flips out of an Uno backdrop. Hardyz double elbow drop and senton for 2. Poetry in Motion hits on Uno. Dos runs in and gets drop toe holded into Uno. Again the Hardyz go for the mask. Uno makes the save and the Conquistadors hit a double dropkick. They load up for a dive. The Hardyz outmaneuver it and the Conquistadors run into each other again on the floor. Jeff goes for Uno's mask again. Dos grabs him and slides him into the post. Lots of generic offense follows from the Conquistadors. Uno tries to slingshot Jeff, but he goes right onto Dos and almost pins him. Powerslam on Jeff for 2. Dos setup slam and he goes up top. Jeff dodges a senton. Tag to Matt. Matt hot tag run. DONNYBROOK! Jeff does his running barricade dive on Dos. Uno springboard dive onto Jeff! Matt dives onto all three but mostly hits Jeff. Back in Matt gets hit with a reverse DDT. Jeff hits a swanton bomb to break the pin up. Matt Twist of Fate on Dos! Instead of covering he goes for the mask again. He manages to get it off.....and there's a backup mask on under the main mask! Matt fell victim to one of the classic blunders. Uno grabs Matt, hits the Unprettier, and Los Conquistadors get the pin to win the tag titles! They grab the belts and do their silly march right back out. The match is fine. Like with other times using a similar angle Edge and Christian had to work a very generic match to keep with the gimmick. And what commitment. They were always doing the little march and keeping right in line with all the right mannerisms. While the match isn't much, it is a very fun angle. **1/4

 

Triple H def Chris Benoit in 18:44- This got started when Benoit headbutted Steph, then later cost HHH a #1 contender's match. Benoit's glee at hurting, and being slapped by, Steph is more than a little uncomfortable today. With apologies to Jericho and Eddie Guerrero, this is probably the two best in-ring workers in the company at the time going at it. Anyone still doubting HHH needs to go back and look at his record in one on one PPV matches this year. There's a lot of snowflakes. Nice pop for HHH, followed by a "Triple H" chant after the bell. After the whole love triangle soap opera and the start of this Benoit feud he's turned face, for now. Lockup! Rough corner jockeying and Benoit gets the first shots in. HHH quickly attacks Benoit's knee. As far as I know Benoit didn't come in with a bad knee, this might be what HHH saw on the tape. He ducks a Benoit enzuguri attempt and plants the knee. Post shot for the knee. HHH clips the knee. Benoit tries to fight back on the mat but HHH shrugs it off and stays 100% focused on that knee. Kneebreaker. While going for a second one Benoit tries a sunset flip counter but HHH rolls through it. Drop toe hold and HHH goes to the classics playbook with an Indian death lock. Then he shows he's been watching Japanese tape by hooking on a Mutalock! It wasn't often, but every once in a while he'd drop this stuff in and it's always appreciated. Benoit ducks a clothesline and manages to dump HHH to the floor but also goes over himself. On the floor Benoit slingshots HHH into the post. Stairs shot for HHH and Benoit shakes the knee off. Back in Benoit hits some chops. Armbar slam on HHH and Benoit posts that shoulder. Now he has a target. HHH also has a hell of a wedgie. That's more than I needed to see. Hammerlock back suplex from Benoit for 2. Northern lights suplex for 2. He's still shaking the knee off. Big clothesline. HHH rolls out and lures Benoit into a stairs shot. Benoit hot shots HHH onto the English announce table! Snap suplex back in for 2. Benoit hooks on a modified armbar for a bit, then tries for a cross armbreaker. HHH locks his fingers to fight it off and Benoit lets go. Another hammerlock back suplex and Benoit says that's it. Headbutt off the top rope onto the bad arm! As usual Benoit's slow to get up after hitting that and HHH manages to grab him into a desperation small package for 2. HHH counters a suplex attempt into an inverted suplex! He slugs back and hits the high knee. Neckbreaker for 2. HHH hits a superplex. Slow cover for 2. He tries for the Pedigree. Benoit backdrops out. RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRROLLING GERMANS! HHH fights out after two. Benoit ducks a clothesline and hits a dragon suplex! HHH just gets a foot on the ropes! Another dragon suplex for 2. HHH hits the facebuster. Benoit gets the crossface on! HHH isn't quite laying flat and manages to fight back up. Another one possibly from the tape study. Benoit pounds him back down and gets HHH fully horizontal this time. HHH manages to fight up again and counters the crossface into a DVD! Very nice. Steph runs out. She slaps Benoit! Kick wham Pedig....no, Benoit counters out and tries for the crossface. Another counter into a Pedigree attempt, and another counter into a crossface attempt. This is great stuff. Steph has Chioda distracted, so HHH hits a low blow! Pedigree! It's over! Steph walks away looking very pleased with herself. Another fantastic 2000 HHH wrestling, I stress wrestling, match, taking nothing away from Benoit who was on as always. ****1/4

Edge and Christian celebrate with whoever they hired to put the Los Conquistadors outfits on after the match. E&C say they can't wait for Conquistadors' first defense, which will be tomorrow night on Raw against....Edge and Christian! It would turn out that the Hardyz would end up winning the titles back the next night thanks to more Conquistadors shenanigans.

 

No DQ Match for the WWF Championship: Kurt Angle (w/Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley) def The Rock (c) in 21:45- Commentary is surprised by the no DQ stip so I guess that's a last second addition. After a bit of staredown Steph gets on the apron to distract and Angle attacks. He punches Rock down to the floor and gives him a chairshot. No DQ. Rock comes back in the ring with a clothesline. Samoan drop for 2. Angle rolls out and walks all the way to the stage while we see HHH in the back watching it all closely. Rock runs up the aisle with a clothesline. He tosses Angle through the entrance stage! Both directions! Whip reversal and Rock goes into a box/light stack. Rock grabs a full size cardboard cutout of himself that someone in the crowd brought, puts it over Angle and punches it! Back in Angle stomps Rock down in the corner and Steph gets a choke in. Rock dodges in the corner and Angle knees the turnbuckle. Rock crotches Angle on the post despite Hebner's objections. Chairshot to Angle's knee. Rock hits a dragon screw and puts on, in its first ever PPV appearance, the World's Shittiest Sharpshooter. Angle's tapping out but Steph's on the apron again keeping Hebner occupied. Rock stares Steph down. She says something to him and Rock chases her. They go through the ring and Rock runs right into an Angle belly to belly suplex. More brawling beatdown from Angle. Flying forearm for 2. He grounds Rock with a chinlock. As we do the arm drops Steph is on screen as much, if not more than, the wrestlers. Rock fights up and momentum tosses Angle to the floor. Angle drops Rock on the barricade. Rock tosses Angle into the stairs. Angle gets bounced off the announce table and Rock gives him a water spit. As they get back in Steph gets the belt and puts it in the ring. Rock ducks an Angle belt shot. He hooks up for the Rock Bottom. Angle escapes and this time hits the belt shot! Cover. Rock kicks out! Angle gets crotched on the top rope and Rock hits a superplex. Arm drape over for 2. There's a bit of blood, it looks like Angle's cut open over his eye but the way the blood moves as the match goes it's hard to tell. Huge German suplex from Angle. He goes up top again. The moonsault misses! Still a thing of beauty though. Rock hits the spinny DDT with some extra spin for 2. Snap belly to belly from Rock. Spinebuster! Before he can go any further Steph gets in the ring. Rock Bottom on Steph! Elbow pad off! Angle just cuts off the People's Elbow. He was a bit late there. HHH comes out. He attacks Angle! Pedigree on Rock because why not. HHH carries Steph out. Angle covers after he's gone to massive boos. Rock kicks out! Angle tries to get some space by going to the floor but Rock follows him every time. Now Rikishi is out, with a massive head bandage and his face covered in dried blood. Angle decides to attack first. Rikishi tosses him back in the ring. For the Rock. Rock does the corner smackdown punches beatdown. Angle manages to get a low blow. Rock Bottom! Rock's slow to cover and Angle kicks out! Rikishi gets in the ring. He tries to squash Angle in the corner, but Rock gets in the way because he never wanted Rikishi's help and they both get it. Angle ducks a Rikishi superkick and Rock gets it! Rikishi is pissed at himself. He tries again. Angle dodges the superkick and hits the Angle Slam! That was nifty. Angle Slam on Rock! Angle gets the pin and wins his first world title! In contrast to the boos after HHH's interference, there was most definitely a crowd "1-2-3" count along with that and a bit of a pop. I think that speaks to general feeling on having Rikishi shoehorned into all of this. Angle is in tears celebrating by the stage while Rock is shocked and furious at Rikishi. End show. There is so much wrong with this match. Angle continues to work, or is being forced to work, a nothing but brawling style that is not where his strengths are. Most of the match was about Steph more than it was the wrestlers. Having Rikishi involved in this at all is stupid and unnecessary (as was Rikishi's whole heel turn as history will show) and was a whole new layer of overbooking onto something that was already overbooked. And yet......somehow it works pretty well in the end despite all that. It helps that Rock is going at about 110% speed nearly the entire match, he was working his ass off and looked as good as he ever has. He and Angle also clicked right away. Great chemistry between two great wrestlers can overcome almost anything. ***1/2

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- Before the last two matches this felt more like a Raw than a PPV, albeit one with less promo time. Those last two matches delivered however. Angle's first WWF Title win is a big moment historically, even though it will be one of those infamous half assed first title reigns that's focused more on other people than the champion. Much like what Chris Jericho will go through almost exactly a year later.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: B-