King of the Ring 2000

(All screen captures are the property of World Wrestling Entertainment)

King of the Ring

June 25, 2000

Fleet Center

Boston, Massachusetts

News & Notes: After Judgment Day, Vince said he fired Undertaker for walking out on him last September. However, Taker revealed Linda signed him to a new contract. To make matters worse, the Rock picked off members of the McMahon-Helmsley faction and put Triple H through the announce table. Then Taker terrorized the faction on his motorcycle, so Vince put him in a match with Shane, but it was an ambush. Next, Kane returned. He attacked members of the faction backstage and swiped Triple H’s title. This led to more problems. Hunter and the McMahons made three #1 Contender contests without consulting each other, and Taker, Kane, and Rock won all three! To fix this, Vince made them fight each other for a shot. Rock succeeded, but Taker cost him the bout with an errant chair shot. Now Rock, Taker, and Kane fought among themselves until Linda appeared.

Linda suggested a six-man tag. She encouraged Rock, Taker, and Kane to put aside their differences and face Triple H, Vince, and Shane. The problem was, they still couldn’t get along. Even Kane and Undertaker were at odds because both wanted the gold. So an overconfident Triple H increased the stakes. He said if his opponents prevailed at the PPV, the winner of the fall would receive a title shot. But if they lost, Triple H would face the King of the Ring in July. Afterward, the faction had Bull Buchanan lure Taker away from the arena and blackmailed Kane into fighting Rock. They took a picture of Kane without his mask and threatened to expose him if he didn’t cooperate. Unfortunately, the picture didn’t turn out. So Kane and Rock fended off the faction. Plus, Linda had one more surprise, but I’ll explain it before the main event.

I also have a few extra storylines to discuss. People complained about Stephanie not defending her Women’s belt, so she created a battle royal. Lita won, but Stephanie and Tori screwed her out of the championship. Then Angle helped Steph defeat Lita in a rematch. Elsewhere, the Radicalz continued imploding. Dean abandoned Saturn during a match to accept some of Godfather’s hoes. This turned Dean into a ladies’ man and he teamed with the Godfather. Dean helped Godfather with his ongoing issues with D’Lo. In other news, Kat and Terri continued their squabble. They arm wrestled each other. Later, Kat beat Terri in a mixed tag with Lawler’s help. Meanwhile, we have Al Snow. He tried to be serious for Blackman, but it made him snap again. And finally, Boss Man and Bull are no longer a team. Bull took exception when Boss didn’t save him from a loss.

The King of the Ring is serious business. It has a fabled history and heralded past. Kings became champions, and champions became legends. Now eight men are on the verge of superstardom, but only one will become the king. Then there is the WWF title, which is the most important thing in Triple H’s life. Will his opponents get sucked in by the divide-and-conquer strategy? There are six men and only one championship. Who wants it more?

Fireworks explode as JR welcomes everybody to the Fleet Center. While JR and King discuss the main event, Rikishi enters the arena. He carries the Intercontinental title on his shoulder. Rikishi defeated Chris Benoit for the belt, but Benoit ruined his celebration with a chair and the Crossface. JR says winning the gold might be the worst thing that could have happened to Rikishi. Is Benoit here to win the tournament or seek revenge?

Quarterfinals: Rikishi vs. Chris Benoit

Storyline: Benoit reached this point by defeating Road Dogg and X-Pac, but he had other issues along the way. First, Benoit fended off Val Venis, Jericho, and Hardcore Holly. Holly went crazy with a chair to get a title opportunity, but he couldn’t capture the belt. Plus, Benoit displayed a new attitude. He attacked his opponents after matches because he felt like it. Meanwhile, Rikishi advanced with wins over Shane McMahon and Scotty 2 Hotty. The victory over Shane earned him a DX beating. To make matters worse, Rikishi engaged in a war with Val Venis, but I’ll explain that later. However, not everything was bad for Rikishi. Benoit defended his gold against him, and Rikishi became the Intercontinental champion! Afterward, Benoit hit Rikishi with a chair and put him in the Crossface.

The Match: They trade chops and punches until Rikishi scores a Samoan Drop. This makes Benoit regroup, so Rikishi follows him and rams Benoit into the steps. Back inside, Benoit lands a German suplex after two tries. When it only gets a two, Benoit argues with the ref. Now Benoit throws more strikes and hooks Rikishi in a standing Crossface. Rikishi escapes, but Benoit avoids a corner squash and knocks Rikishi to the mat. There, Benoit puts the Crossface on Rikishi, yet Rikishi reaches the ropes. This frustrates Benoit. He grabs a chair and whacks Rikishi to cause a DQ.

Thoughts: What we got was good. I liked the intensity. The problem is, this was disappointing. I wanted a longer bout between these two. They have had some great TV encounters. But I understand. There are a lot of contests on this PPV, so some of them needed to be short. This served its purpose. They set up Rikishi’s story for the night.

Winner: Rikishi (by DQ) (3:25)

Benoit continues hitting Rikishi with the chair and puts him in the Crossface. The officials rush to the ring to save Rikishi, but they have trouble. Then Benoit releases the hold, but he climbs and performs a flying headbutt to Rikishi’s shoulder before another Crossface. Finally, Benoit ceases his attack and leaves, so everyone checks on Rikishi.

Next, they show a clip of Linda McMahon from Heat. She says she is going to do something she should have done a long time ago. Linda will confront her husband. Meanwhile, in the McMahon-Helmsley faction’s locker room, Triple H tells Vince not to lose his cool. Vince questions this. Why would Linda make him lose his cool? Triple H and Shane say he overreacts every time she shows up. Then Vince admits she gets under his skin sometimes, but he always puts her in her place. He promises to keep his cool, despite what she said. In fact, you can call him Joe Cool. As Vince leaves the room, Shane says Vince won’t be able to do it.

Elsewhere, Michael Cole asks Benoit to explain why he threw away his chance to become the King of the Ring. Benoit spells it out for him. The world knows he is the greatest technical wrestler in the WWF’s history. Now they learned he does what he wants when he wants, and no one can stop him.

Quarterfinals: Val Venis (w/ Trish Stratus) vs. Eddie Guerrero (w/ Chyna)

Storyline: Val got here by beating Al Snow and Jeff Hardy, but that’s not the only story. Trish Stratus had her eyes on Val, so she became his manager. This caused a change in attitude for Venis. After Rikishi gave Trish a Stink Face, Val sought revenge. He bloodied Rikishi with a chair and the ring bell, so Rikishi threw Val off the stage and performed a big splash onto him! This led to another wild brawl where Val bashed Rikishi’s head with a monitor. Meanwhile, Eddie reached this point with victories over Matt Hardy and Chyna! The latter almost resulted in a breakup, but Eddie bought Chyna a puppy to smooth things over. Later, Val Venis attacked Eddie with Boss Man’s nightstick. He wanted to soften Eddie up before this quarterfinal encounter.

The Match: They exchange strikes and tumble outside. Val drops Eddie on the barricade before rolling him back inside. Then they scuffle on the top rope until Eddie lands a superplex. This allows Eddie to lock Val in a surfboard stretch, but Venis breaks free with an eye rake. Now Venis uses a bending backbreaker, yet Eddie also escapes. Afterward, both men evade and counter the other’s finisher. Plus, Val can’t get a three even with his feet on the ropes. Later, they head to the top again. This time, Eddie hits a Frankensteiner, so Trish distracts the ref to save Val. It causes a fight with Chyna. Val tries to stop it, so Chyna decks him, and Eddie rolls Val up for two. Finally, Val pins Eddie with a fisherman’s suplex.

Thoughts: This was a decent short match. They packed enough cool moves and storytelling into it to make this enjoyable. However, the crowd didn’t agree. They focused more on Chyna and Trish, which is a shame. The fans seem unsure about Val’s heel turn, and Eddie is still a tweener. So the audience didn’t know how to react.

Winner: Val Venis (8:04)

Backstage, Patterson tries to choose an outfit for the Evening Gown Hardcore Match. Nothing looks good. One dress is so big he says it would fit the Undertaker. Another selection reminds him of his grandmother’s clothes. Then there’s a miniskirt. Pat asks if the skirt belongs to Michael Jackson. When he sees a feather boa, Pat wonders how many chickens died to make the thing. Pat says he must look sexy because he’s the champion! Julie the seamstress says she is no miracle worker.

Meanwhile, Coach interviews Rikishi. He asks if Rikishi is ready to face Val Venis after what he has been through. Rikishi says what he went through is nothing compared to what he’ll do to Val. Rikishi also says, “Is the big man able? Oh yeah. I’m looking forward to it. Right!” (I can’t describe the way he said the word right, but it amused me.)

Quarterfinals: Crash Holly vs. Bull Buchanan

Storyline: Crash blamed the APA for losing his Hardcore title, so he picked a fight. He goaded Bradshaw and Faarooq by spilling beer on them. It didn’t end well for little Elroy. But not everything went poorly. Crash advanced in the tournament. He beat Albert with a handful of tights. Then Crash faced his own cousin, but the Stooges interfered. Brisco decked Crash with a 2×4 so he could pin him for the Hardcore belt. This gave Crash a DQ win and pissed off Hardcore Holly. As for Buchanan, he got this far with wins over Blackman and Saturn. Plus, Bull tried one more time to work with Boss Man. The McMahon-Helmsley faction wanted them to take out Undertaker in a handicap contest, but Boss Man abandoned Bull.

The Match: Bull shoves and throws Crash, but he keeps coming back for more. Even a press slam, backbreakers, and a big boot can’t get the job done. Next, he tries strikes, choking, and brawling around the ring, yet Crash fights back. Crash rolls him up for two, but Bull answers with a flapjack. Now Buchanan attempts a scissor kick. It misses, and Crash scores an inside cradle for the three!

Thoughts: I liked the outcome and Crash’s antics, but the rest was dull. Bull’s arsenal isn’t interesting enough to control most of a bout. This was mostly punches and kicks. It made the crowd restless.

Winner: Crash Holly (4:07)

Vince barges into Linda’s dressing room. He calls her his meddlesome wife and lists all the decisions she made over the last few months. But what brings her to Boston? Linda says she is here to ask what Vince will do about the six-man main event. Will he face them man-to-man, or will he make it twelve against three like he did on Smackdown? Vince admonishes Linda for questioning his intestinal fortitude. Does she think they can’t do it on their own? It was Linda’s idea to add the championship provision. That’s why Vince is confident. He says the Undertaker, Kane, and the Rock will fight among themselves. That’s on Linda’s head. Therefore, Vince promises there won’t be any interference, and they will be victorious. With that said, Vince thanks Linda for coming and leaves.

Back in the arena, Kurt Angle arrives for his match with a mic in his hand. He says this is a special night for the Olympic hero. Kurt will do something no Boston sports team could do because they suck. He promises to bring home the big one. It’s true! Or as the people in Boston would say, “It’s true. I’m fat and unemployed, so bring me a beer!” When he finishes, Jericho joins him. He tells Kirk Angel not to sell himself short. Kurt is already a king in the mind of the Jerichoholics. He’s the king of goofy ring attire, nerds, and thirty-year-old virgins. And he’s a royal pain in the ass. Jericho says that’s true and calls Angle jerky.

Quarterfinals: Kurt Angle vs. Chris Jericho

Storyline: Jericho advanced with victories over Test and Edge. Plus, his issues with Triple H and Stephanie grew worse. Linda booked Jericho as a surprise opponent for Hunter. Jericho insulted Stephanie and tried to put her in the Walls, so Triple H attacked him. Stephanie also cost Jericho a match against Bull after Jericho spat water in her face. Later, Jericho pissed off Hardcore Holly again. Holly challenged Triple H, but Jericho hit both men with a chair. This led to Jericho vs. Hardcore, which Steph attempted to ruin, but she failed. Elsewhere, Angle defeated Bradshaw and Bubba Ray to get here. Next, he helped Stephanie with Lita, so Stephanie hugged him. This annoyed Triple H. Despite this, Steph continued supporting Angle. She wished Angle luck in the tournament. However, Angle said he looked forward to taking Triple H’s title after he wins. The statement shocked Stephanie.

The Match: They exchange strikes until Angle scores a belly-to-belly, but Jericho fights back. Jericho hits a missile dropkick, facebuster, and Lionsault. When Chris covers, Angle gets a foot on the ropes. Afterward, he rolls to the apron, so Jericho performs his triangle dropkick. Next, Angle tries to slow things with a chinlock, but Jericho escapes and lands an underhook backbreaker. This still can’t keep Angle down. He answers with suplexes and heads to the top. Jericho meets him and does a Frankensteiner. Chris also evades an Olympic Slam and puts Angle in the Walls, but Stephanie interferes. She distracts the ref, so he misses a tap out. Plus, Angle knocks Jericho into the ref. Stephanie tries to deck Jericho with the Women’s title, but she hits Kurt by mistake! While Angle is down, Jericho kisses Stephanie. However, this allows Kurt to nail an Olympic Slam for the win.

Thoughts: This was a good mix of hard-hitting action and storyline developments. They kept a nice pace for a short bout, so it never lost the fans’ attention. Plus, this was the first contest to wake up this mild crowd. They liked Jericho.

Winner: Kurt Angle (9:50)

Shane tells Vince to get ready for their match. He also berates his dad for not keeping his cool. Why did he tell Linda there wouldn’t be any interference? Shane wants to do what they did on Smackdown. Vince says he will get ready in a moment, and he kept his cool. Either way, it won’t matter. Vince says Rock, Taker, and Kane couldn’t even order a lunch together, so where is Shane’s confidence? He tells Shane to remember his last name. Shane says his confidence isn’t the problem. He is worried about Triple H. Vince admits this is a good point.

Meanwhile, Mick Foley and Ivory are at WWF New York. Ivory tends the bar while a now short-haired Foley speaks with JR. JR asks how the party is going. Mick has trouble hearing Ross, so he doesn’t answer that question. Instead, Mick says he’s looking at different things since his career ended. In fact, Mick has a business meeting in Connecticut tomorrow. However, he heard WWF New York was the place to be. Plus, the fans love his new haircut! Now Ross brings up Hell in a Cell. Mick says he can’t remember most of it, but he hopes someone will have a memorable night tonight. Next, Lawler cracks a joke about Mick’s hair, but Mick can’t hear him, so JR ends the interview.

Afterward, Edge & Christian enter the arena. Christian greets all their fans in Beantown. He says the city has good sports memories, so it was difficult to choose a five-second pose. But they settled on a classic one. Edge removes his jacket to reveal a Mets jersey, and Christian dons a Red Sox uniform. They reenact the Bill Buckner play, which draws boos from the crowd.

Four Team Elimination Match for the Tag Team Titles: Edge & Christian vs. Too Cool (c) vs. The Hardy Boyz (w/ Lita) vs. T&A (w/ Trish Stratus)

Storyline: Edge & Christian met Kid Rock’s sidekick Joe C. backstage, but they insulted him. So Joe C. cost Edge & Christian the tag titles against Too Cool. He smacked Christian in the balls with a hockey stick. Afterward, Edge & Christian got revenge. They shoved Joe in a trash can and whacked it with a chair. Then Edge & Christian tried to endear themselves to the faction to get a title shot. (They couldn’t agree on what to call them. Is it the faction or the regime? They settled on fact-gime.) Elsewhere, the Hardys feuded with T&A after T&A used Trish’s boot to steal a victory. Plus, the Hardys saved Lita from an angry Essa Rios, so she joined their feud with T&A. This led to altercations between Lita and Trish. Also, Too Cool landed on T&A’s bad side after Rikishi gave Trish the Stink Face.

The Match: Jeff Hardy evades Albert’s press slam attempts until the Hardys double-team him. This doesn’t last. T&A ends it with a double gorilla press. Then Test and Matt can’t hit their finishers because Lita and Trish interfere and start fighting. Now Test grabs Lita, so she slaps him, and Matt hits a Twist of Fate. When Matt covers, Albert breaks it up. This allows Test to nail a pumphandle powerslam. The chaos distracts the ref, so Jeff gives Test the Swanton Bomb to eliminate T&A. Once they’re gone, Scotty does some dancing before Edge & Christian faces off with the Hardys. They attack Jeff on the floor, but Lita gives Edge a hurricanrana. Matt also scores another Twist of Fate. However, Edge shoves Jeff off the top rope, and Christian pins Matt after an Unprettier.

This leaves Too Cool and Edge & Christian. Scotty and Sexay hit double-team moves until Christian cheap shots Scotty. After mocking Grandmaster’s dance, Edge & Christian land double headbutts. They continue the attack, but Sexay makes a hot tag. He cleans house, whips Edge and Christian into each other, and performs a sit-out bomb on Edge. It doesn’t last because Edge & Christian give Sexay a double flapjack. They even mock the Worm, so Scotty stops this and shows them how it’s done. With Edge down, Sexay hits the Hip Hop Drop, but Christian decks him with a tag belt after two tries. It’s enough for the win.

Thoughts: This was a solid tag bout. They gave every team a chance to shine. Plus, I liked the antics of Edge and Christian. Their attempt at a double Worm amused me. This was entertaining and enjoyable. On a side note, I’m glad Too Cool had a run with the belts, but I wish it was longer.

Winners: Edge & Christian (New Champions) (14:11)

Cole interviews Crash Holly. He laughs and asks Crash if he can believe he’s in the semifinals. Crash asks him what’s so hard to believe about it. He held the Hardcore belt for a long time until those dirty old men took it! He’s sick of their dresses, mascara, and makeup! They will get theirs! As far as Kurt Angle, he’s in big trouble, mister! When Crash says this, Lawler wonders what Crash would know about big.

Next, they replay Benoit’s attack on Rikishi before Rikishi enters the arena. He favors his injured arm, and JR notices this. Ross says Rikishi isn’t at 100%. They also show clips of Rikishi’s battles with Val Venis.

Semifinals: Rikishi vs. Val Venis (w/ Trish Stratus)

The Match: Rikishi throws strikes until Val regroups, but Rikishi follows him. He rams Val into the steps multiple times and prevents him from getting away. Back inside, Rikishi nails a corner squash, but Val kicks Rikishi when he ducks. This leads to an armbreaker by Val before he focuses on the injured limb. Val drives Rikishi’s arm into the post and the turnbuckle. He also scores a DDT and heads to the top, but Rikishi rises. This shocks Val, yet he jumps anyway. Rikishi catches him and lands a belly-to-belly for the victory.

Thoughts: This did what it needed to do, but it was short and forgettable. It’s fine. They have a much better encounter at the next PPV. Plus, I understand why they kept this short. Rikishi still needs to wrestle another bout.

Winner: Rikishi (3:15)

After the bell, Trish jumps on Rikishi’s back. He slams her to the mat and attempts the Rikishi Drop, so Val gives him a low blow. Then Venis throws the steps into the ring and grabs a chair. He places Rikishi’s arm against the metal and smacks it with the chair. Once he does his damage, Val leaves.

Elsewhere, Coach interviews Gerald Brisco. Coach says Brisco must have mixed emotions. He could regain his Hardcore title, but he must do it in the first Hardcore Evening Gown Match. Coach laughs when he says this, so Brisco asks him what is so funny. He has to go out there in a dress! His only emotion is revenge. When Coach says that isn’t an emotion, Brisco tells him to shut up and listen. Patterson stole his belt under the guise of friendship. Now Pat will find out he is all man. As he says this, an assistant brings Brisco his dress. He asks if Gerald wants the regular panties or the crotchless ones. Brisco snatches the dress and storms out of the room.

Semifinals: Kurt Angle vs. Crash Holly

The Match: Crash surprises Angle with a headlock and shoulder block. Crash also scores a powerslam, but Angle answers with a capture suplex. Then he takes Crash to the corner for strikes and choking before grabbing a chinlock. Next, they tussle in the corner again and exchange punches. Crash gets another flurry. He nails a backdrop, corner clothesline, and missile dropkick. However, Angle ends the rally with a hotshot and pins Crash after an Olympic Slam.

Thoughts: There wasn’t much to this, but it was fine. I appreciate how they gave Crash enough offense to look like he had a slim chance. But it was a decisive enough victory to make Angle seem strong.

Winner: Kurt Angle (3:58)

They show footage from a house show at MSG. Lawler interviewed his good friend, Donald Trump. King asked Donald about his favorite superstar. Trump says other than Lawler he likes the Rock.

Afterward, Cole interviews Kane. He says Kane will team with the Rock and Undertaker, but it’s about the title. Kane says his brother and the Rock need to understand something. This has always been about one thing, and that is becoming the WWF champion.

Next, Coach gets the Undertaker’s response. Taker says it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out Kane wants the title. And Kane is no brain surgeon. They want the most coveted prize in the game, but Taker didn’t come to Boston to lose.

Now it’s time for the Hardcore Evening Gown Match. Brisco and Patterson arrive wearing dresses and wigs. Lawler says Pat looks like Moolah. While he says this, Pat throws candy into the crowd. He pulled it from his bra. Plus, Pat pushes a shopping cart full of weapons, but they are pillows and teddy bears. Then Pat tells Brisco he looks like an old drag queen, but he reminds him they are friends. If Brisco wants the title so badly, he’ll lie down and let Gerald pin him. Brisco falls for it, so Pat gives him a low blow.

Hardcore Evening Gown Match for the Hardcore Title: Pat Patterson (c) vs. Gerald Brisco

Storyline: Crash kept coming after Brisco to get his Hardcore championship. It took two tries, but Crash succeeded when Patterson hit Brisco by mistake. Crash was so happy. He almost drove off with the title still on the roof of his car! Later, the Stooges searched for Crash in New York. They couldn’t find him, despite Chioda’s help. While they looked, Crash met Shaft. (It was Samuel L. Jackson in character.) He hired him for protection, so Shaft attacked the Stooges! Next, Brisco interrupted Crash vs. Hardcore. He recaptured the gold after using a 2×4 on Crash. Patterson and Brisco celebrated backstage, but Pat smashed a champagne bottle on Brisco and pinned him! Now Patterson hid from Brisco by dressing in drag and entering the women’s locker room. So Brisco donned a dress to go after him. When Vince stumbled upon this nonsense, he booked this bout as a punishment.

The Match: Pat spanks Brisco and knocks him into the corner. Then he peels a banana and shoves it in Gerald’s mouth. He also rips off Brisco’s wig and pulls out a maxi pad! Pat shoves it into Brisco’s face. Next, Pat lifts his dress to reveal silk underwear, and he prepares for a Stink Face. Brisco throws a low blow to stop it. Now Gerald pushes Pat into the corner, does a war dance, and performs a Bronco Buster. This leads to both men choking each other with the wigs and dresses. Thankfully, Crash Holly interrupts to end the madness. He rips off Brisco’s dress, smacks Pat with a trash can, and covers Pat to regain his title!

Thoughts: This was awful, but they kept it short. Plus, Crash arrived at the right time. The fans were becoming restless and fed up with this. They popped when Crash arrived. So at least the outcome was good.

Winner: Crash Holly (New Champion) (3:07)

Crash runs for his life after the bell. JR is thankful Crash ended this nonsense. However, Brisco jumps on Patterson and they scuffle again. Ross begs the truck to cut to a shot outside the building. He gets his wish.

Backstage, Bubba Ray spray paints a table while D-Von testifies. He says DX will find out why thou shall not mess with the Dudleys. Then Bubba moves to reveal he painted Tori’s name on the table. Bubba tells D-Von not to worry. He wrote her name all over it!

During the entrances, JR explains the rules. The Dudleys must put all three opponents through tables to win, but DX has to put the Dudleys in a dumpster and close the lids to be victorious.

Handicap Tables/Dumpster Match: Road Dogg, X-Pac, & Tori vs. The Dudley Boyz

Storyline: The Dudleys and Too Cool defeated DX and T&A, and the Dudleys danced with Too Cool. Plus, the Dudleys stopped DX from walking out on a fight against Taker. On top of this, the Dudleys cost Road Dogg his chance in the tournament, so DX did the same to D-Von. Later, Linda made Vince and Shane fight the Dudleys in a Tables Match. DX interfered and let Tori drive Bubba through another table! But this wasn’t enough. DX also brought back the dumpster. They threw the Dudleys into it and shoved it off the stage! Now the Dudleys sought revenge. They ruined X-Pac’s tournament hopes, so DX went to Mr. McMahon. Vince booked this contest in the interest of fairness. Finally, Tori escaped the Dudleys’ grasp again, and Bubba lost his cool. Tony Chimel annoyed Bubba when Tony’s mic didn’t work, so the Dudleys put him through a table.

The Match: The Dudleys control things with strikes until X-Pac scores a heel kick. Then Pac stomps D-Von’s face against the dumpster lid. Yet the Dudleys rally and D-Von tags Bubba. Now Bubba lands a Bubba Bomb and side slam. Next, the Dudleys perform Wassup Drops to Dogg, Pac, and Tori! This makes DX retreat, but the Dudleys chase them. When they return, DX rams the Dudleys’ heads against the dumpster. They even place them inside and close the lids, but the ref is checking on Tori. While DX complains, the Dudleys sneak out the side doors. This allows them to surprise DX with chair shots and set up tables. They powerbomb Road Dogg on a stack of tables and superplex X-Pac onto another. Tori is next, but she hides in the dumpster! DX uses the opening to attack with chairs and close the Dudleys in the dumpster!

Thoughts: They kept this fun and exciting. It also told a good story. I enjoyed this, and so did the crowd. This was the loudest they’ve been all night. The only thing I disagree with is the winners, but this was still good.

Winners: Road Dogg, X-Pac, & Tori (9:45)

DX celebrates and almost leaves, but Road Dogg wonders where Tori is. As he says this, the Dudleys emerge from the dumpster with Tori in their grasp. DX returns, but the Dudleys give them 3Ds. This allows Bubba to take Tori to the corner, and he almost licks her. While this happens, D-Von gets the table with her name on it, and Bubba finally puts her through it with a superbomb! The crowd explodes while Bubba goes into his euphoric trance.

Meanwhile, Cole interviews Kurt Angle. He says Kurt is one win away from becoming the first King of the Ring in the new millennium. It could be the biggest moment of Angle’s career. Kurt says Cole doesn’t know what this tournament means and what it did for the winners in the past. This is the most important tournament in the world, so he has to win it! Rikishi is great, if you like dancing and putting butts in people’s faces. After apologizing for his French, Angle vows to take Triple H’s title. He also says the party is over for Rikishi, and that’s true.

Coach gets Rikishi’s response. Jonathan says Angle isn’t taking Rikishi seriously. Rikishi says he wouldn’t go through everything he did if the King of the Ring wasn’t important to him. Captain America needs to realize this. Plus, Rikishi says, “All the Wheaties in the world won’t stop me from backing that ass up. Right!” (He did it again! Why does Rikishi say the word right in such a weird way?)

Finals: Kurt Angle vs. Rikishi

The Match: They brawl in the aisle to start. Then Angle can’t slam Rikishi, so Rikishi knocks Angle into the corner and looks for a Stink Face. Angle blocks it with a low blow. Now Angle takes him outside and aggravates the shoulder injury by sending him into the steps. Rikishi rallies, but he is working with one good arm. He scores a Samoan Drop and a Rikishi Cutter, but he can’t hook the leg and only gets a two. However, he gets Kurt in the corner again and does a Stink Face. Despite this, Angle surprises Rikishi with the Olympic Slam, but it only gets another two! Afterward, Kurt attempts a sunset flip. Rikishi sits on him, yet Kurt kicks out! This leads to fighting on the top rope. Angle struggles, but he powers Rikishi over with a super belly-to-belly for the win.

Thoughts: They knew this would be short, so they packed it with good storytelling and a nice finish. The super belly-to-belly was impressive. Plus, I liked the nearfalls toward the end. This was everything it needed to be.

Winner: Kurt Angle (King of the Ring) (5:56)

Backstage, Vince hypes up Shane and Triple H before the main event. Triple H tells Joe Cool not to let Linda back him into a corner, but Vince says no one is in a corner. They are heading to a victory because their opponents can’t get along. He doesn’t care what his wife said. Then Shane tells everyone to have a deadly focus, and they head to the ring. We also see Rock, Taker, and Kane preparing for the bout. Meanwhile, Kurt Angle watches them on a monitor and enjoys a carton of milk.

6-Man Tag Match for the WWF Title: The Rock, Undertaker, & Kane vs. Triple H (c), Vince McMahon, & Shane McMahon (w/ Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley)

Storyline: Linda made the faction fight surprise opponents, so Vince said two could play that game. First, he had Taker arrested because Taker stole a car to chase after Bull Buchanan. Then Vince ordered Kane to face Benoit, and Rock wrestled Angle. It led to another ambush on Rock and Kane, so Linda had enough. She changed the stipulation for the PPV. Now Triple H’s WWF title was on the line! However, Vince said Rock, Taker, and Kane needed to earn the right in handicap fights. They all succeeded, much to Triple H’s dismay. It seemed the faction was imploding. Vince lost his cool and demanded they do this six-man on Smackdown. But it was a trick. Vince kept adding more competitors to the bout until they overwhelmed Rock, Taker, and Kane. Triple H and Shane attacked the Rock, and Vince gave Rock a People’s Elbow before pinning him!

The Match: Shane and Kane begin, and Shane tries to stick and move, but Kane crushes his hand. Then he tosses Shane around the ring with ease, but the Rock tags himself in. Hunter distracts Rocky, which allows Shane to attack. He mocks the Rock’s punches and pays for it. Now Taker tags in and lands a chokeslam and DDT, but Rock and Kane break up pin attempts. This delights Vince. He says he was right all along. His glee is short-lived because Kane and Taker attack the McMahons and brawl down the aisle with them. While this happens, Triple H scores a Pedigree, but Rock kicks out! (It looked like Vince missed his cue to break it up.)

Taker and Kane return to the apron, but Rock refuses to tag. So the McMahons make frequent tags and hold Rocky for attacks. Vince even slaps Kane to lure him into the ring for a distraction. Later, the Rock rallies, but Shane breaks up a pin. When this happens, Taker and Kane brawl with the McMahons again. Meanwhile, Rock nails a spinebuster and attempts a People’s Elbow, but Kane chokeslams him! (Lawler thinks this is Vince’s master plan.) Hunter gives Kane a thumbs up. So Kane stares at him before giving Hunter the Tombstone! When Kane covers, Taker pulls him outside and hits Kane with a chair. He also chokeslams Shane from the ring to the announce table! But the Rock is still down. Vince wants to do the People’s Elbow to him. As Vince runs the ropes, Rock pops up and nails a Rock Bottom for the win.

Thoughts: This was good fun, and it had a hot finish. Plus, the chokeslam from the ring to the announce table looked impressive. I also liked Shane’s antics, so this was an enjoyable main event. It did a nice job of setting up the storylines going forward. Now Triple H has a reason to be upset.

Winners: The Rock, Undertaker, & Kane (Rock is the new champion.) (17:54)

While the Rock celebrates, Lawler says he hopes Linda is happy about this. Triple H reacts with rage as he watches Rocky lift the title. He throws a fit and heads backstage. JR says Joe Cool lost the title for his son-in-law. Meanwhile, the Undertaker gets on his bike. He looks at the Rock and says Rocky owes him one. Once Taker leaves, Rock waits for Vince to stand and decks him with the belt. Then Rock poses with his foot on Vince’s chest.

The Good:

• The main event.

• The finals

• Jericho vs. Angle

• The Four Team Elimination Match.

• The Dumpster/Tables contest.

The Bad:

• The Hardcore Evening Gown Match.

Performer of the Night:

I have to give it to Kurt Angle. This was his night, plus he did some impressive stuff.

Final Thoughts:

This was another fine PPV. Other than the Evening Gown contest, this was highly enjoyable. It didn’t have any classic matches, but it contained good storytelling and character work. Plus, they had a fun main event.

Thank you for reading. My next review is WCW’s Bash at the Beach 2000. Look for it next Sunday!