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+