No Mercy 2000

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

No Mercy

October 22, 2000

Pepsi Arena

Albany, New York

News & Notes: For once, I don’t have any extra storylines to discuss. The episodes of TV after Unforgiven focused on the main feuds. So with that said, let’s get into the review.

We see Stone Cold Steve Austin walking through a dark alley while dogs bark in the background. He says Rikishi nearly ended his life and career. Rikishi ran over him like a dog and then ran away, but paybacks are a bitch! Tonight, Rikishi will look into Austin’s eyes and know this is the worst night of his life. Austin will compress ten months of frustration into the biggest ass-whipping ever because he is one pissed-off son of a bitch. He promises to stomp a mud hole in Rikishi and walk it dry, and there will be no remorse or mercy. Rikishi is a dead man!

After the video, JR welcomes everyone to No Mercy. They are awaiting Stone Cold’s arrival. He will meet Rikishi in a No Holds Barred fight. Then they show footage of the fans at WWF New York before the Fink introduces the opening contest. It’s the Dudley Boyz Invitational Tables Match. They held a coin toss to determine the two starting teams out of five. When you put someone through a table, you eliminate both men. The first two pairings are Too Cool and Lo Down.

Participants: The Dudley Boyz, Too Cool, Lo Down, Tazz & Raven, and The Goodfather & Bull Buchanan.

The Dudley Boyz Invitational Tables Match

Storyline: Raven explained his partnership with Tazz. He says Tazz is the only one in the WWF who understands his pain. In between bouts of self-pity, Raven helped Tazz win matches and antagonize Lawler. They also pissed off the Dudleys when Raven attacked Bubba to give Tazz a victory. Meanwhile, Lo Down had issues with the Hardys because D’Lo gave Lita a Sky High during a mixed tag. Plus, Lo Down lost to the Dudleys in a Tables Match. Then there’s the RTC. Goodfather and Bull also lost a tables encounter with the Dudleys, so they jumped them afterward. And as far as the Dudleys, they competed in a Tag Team Battle Royal for a title shot. They appeared to have it won when they eliminated Los Conquistadores, but the referees missed it. Los Conquistadores screwed them out of the victory.

The Match: They brawl and set up tables. Then they trade low blows and fight on the top rope. Scotty shoves Chaz onto one table while D’Lo crashes on the other with a missed Lo Down. Raven and Tazz appear next. Tazz scores suplexes on Sexay until Sexay recovers and tries an apron bomb. His feet break the table, but they say it doesn’t count. However, Tazz and Raven double suplex Scotty on a table. Now we get the Dudleys. Bubba gives Tazz a Bubba Bomb, and they do the Wassup Drop on Raven. This leads to a guillotine leg drop that drives Tazz through a table. The RTC enters last, and they wipe out the ref by accident. Bubba powerbombs Bull on a table, but the unconscious ref misses it. So Bull hits Bubba with a chair and places him on the broken table as the ref wakes up.

The RTC appears to win, but another ref explains what happened. They restart the bout, so Goodfather attempts the Ho Train. He misses, and the Dudleys give him a 3D on a table.

Thoughts: This was a fun way to open the show. It’s something different from the normal opener. They kept the action flowing and never let it drag, and the fans loved it. This accomplished everything it needed to do.

Winners: The Dudley Boyz (12:18)

Backstage, Trish gets ready. She looks into a mirror and says the plan is falling into place. Speaking of falling into place, Test asks if those are going to fall out, as he points at her cleavage. Albert tells him not to say that like it’s a bad thing. He says let them fall out. Trish agrees. Whatever falls out, falls out. After all, they wouldn’t want to distract the Acolytes. Would they? This makes T&A laugh as they leave the room.

Elsewhere, Rikishi waits for Stone Cold’s arrival with a sledgehammer in his hand. JR says Rikishi promised to run over Austin until he’s roadkill, but where is Austin?

Now we get Lita’s entrance. However, the Acolytes don’t appear when their music plays. They cut to the back to show T&A attacking the APA. They push a filing cabinet onto Bradshaw and smash Faarooq’s knee with an equipment case. Lita runs to help, but T&A meets her in the aisle.

Six-Person Intergender Tag Match: The Acolytes & Lita vs. T&A & Trish Stratus

Storyline: Lita found herself in a feud with Jackie over the Women’s title, so Jackie recruited Lo Down to help her. Jackie also jumped Lita backstage, and they had a wild brawl. Once Lita took care of Jackie, she defended her belt against Trish. During the bout, T&A interfered. Test powerbombed Lita to cause a DQ. The Hardys couldn’t save her because an angry Stone Cold attacked them earlier, so the APA rescued her. They did this because the Acolytes and T&A had their own issues. T&A lost a card game to the APA, but Albert was out of money, so they invited Trish to play Strip Poker as a compromise. As Trish removed her last article of clothing, T&A jumped the Acolytes and beat them up. Then, on Heat, Trish asked Foley to book T&A vs. The Acolytes, but he created this mixed tag instead.

The Match: Trish jumps Lita from behind, and T&A rolls her into the ring. When Trish joins her, she gives Lita a bulldog. Next, Albert slingshots Lita into the bottom rope before they hold Lita down on the mat. While this happens, the Hardys run to the rescue. They fend off T&A and make them retreat, so the referee declares this a no contest.

Thoughts: This wasn’t a match, but I liked the storytelling. I enjoyed the attack on the Acolytes. They made T&A and Trish look vicious. Plus, this puts sympathy on Lita and builds the Trish/Lita rivalry. They accomplished their goal, so I can’t fault it.

Winners: No Contest (N/A)

Lilian interviews Edge & Christian. She says they complained of food poisoning earlier, but they look fine now. Christian says they thought it was their nuts, which confuses Lilian. Edge explains they went to the movies last night and ate popcorn and peanuts. They thought it gave them food poisoning, but fear not. Their nuts are safe for consumption! Christian says Edge was blowing chunks earlier while he held Edge’s nuts. But it’s okay. There were no nuts in his chunks. Edge says he’s better than ever. In fact, he can whip out his nuts right now! With that said, Edge grabs a bowl of nuts and offers some to Lilian. He says if she wants some, they will be backstage cheering for Los Conquistadores later. After he says this, Christian says their nuts rule. Edge and Christian high-five as they leave the room, and Lilian tries not to laugh.

Meanwhile, Rikishi still waits for Stone Cold. He moved to the parking lot, but Austin still hasn’t arrived. Lawler says Austin is chicken, which offends JR.

Next, Jericho arrives for his Cage Match with X-Pac. Jericho says he and X-Pac have fought for so long he doesn’t even remember why they hate each other. Maybe it is X-Pac’s greasy hair, outdated crotch chop, and comme ci comme ça ring gear, but it doesn’t matter. The fans want to see it end in this fifteen-foot high steel cage! Or, as Jericho calls it, the Y-2-Jail. Jericho promises no one will ever hear the words D-Generation X or X-Pac again.

Cage Match: Chris Jericho vs. X-Pac

Storyline: Jericho and X-Pac had a First Blood Match after Unforgiven. X-Pac busted a bottle over Jericho’s head and rubbed the broken glass on his forehead to win. Undeterred, Jericho scored payback with the nunchaku and the Walls of Jericho. Later, Jericho and X-Pac would cost each other chances at the Intercontinental and European belts. But this wasn’t X-Pac’s only worry. Billy Gunn returned, and he wanted revenge on DX for kicking him out of the group. Gunn targeted X-Pac and attacked him multiple times. X-Pac called Gunn out because of this, but it was a trap. Eddie Guerrero jumped Billy from behind. This led to X-Pac vs. Gunn, but it didn’t last. Jericho interrupted the fight and brawled with X-Pac.

The Match: Jericho gives X-Pac a baseball slide at the door, and they brawl around ringside with a chair. Chris tries to drag him inside, but X-Pac slams the door on Jericho. With Jericho dazed, X-Pac throws chops and kicks. Then momentum shifts back and forth and they stop escape attempts. Jericho goes for the Lionsault, so X-Pac raises his knees. However, Chris recovers and backdrops X-Pac into the cage wall. Unfazed, X-Pac fires back with a Bronco Buster before they scuffle on the top rope. This time, Jericho scores a superbomb. X-Pac wants a timeout. He doesn’t get it, but Pac stops Jericho from leaving with a chair and climbs the wall. Nevertheless, Jericho meets him and puts X-Pac in the Walls on top of the cage! Now X-Pac breaks free and knocks Jericho down. As Pac climbs out, Jericho crotches him on the door and leaves the cage.

Thoughts: This was okay. They did a few cool spots, and I liked the ending, but the rest wasn’t as exciting. I’m not a fan of escape rules in cage matches. The point of a cage is to lock two men inside so they can fight to the finish.

Winner: Chris Jericho (10:40)

Meanwhile, Steve Blackman does a martial arts demonstration at WWF New York. Lawler points out he’s shirtless in the restaurant, and JR tells everyone not to try this at home.

Backstage, we see Foley in his office. He sings to himself until Rikishi barges into the room. Rikishi asks about Austin’s whereabouts. Mick says he knows Stone Cold, and he wouldn’t miss this match. However, if Austin doesn’t arrive in a few minutes, he will declare Rikishi the winner by forfeit. With that said, Mick tells Rikishi to get dressed. Austin is always closer than you think. Rikishi leaves, but he mutters, “Yeah, right.”

Next, Coach interviews Chyna and Mr. Ass. He says Gunn had a planned Intercontinental title shot against Eddie Guerrero, but Eddie suffered an injury. Chyna sarcastically says poor little Eddie hurt his leg. His day is coming, and they will be close and intimate, but it won’t be what Eddie thinks. Her fist will get intimate with his crotch! After she says this, Gunn addresses the Right to Censor. He says they made the biggest mistake of their lives by helping that rat. Tonight, he will introduce them to the most beautiful thing in the WWF and Mr. Ass. Gunn promises they will destroy those two dweebs. (Gunn called Chyna a thing. You would think she wouldn’t like that.)

This leads to the entrances. Richards has a mic. He says they do what they do for the majority, not the minority. The Right to Censor would never think of putting their hands on a woman unless it was necessary. And it is necessary for them to smash the vile, disgusting sleaze, Chyna, and her rectally obsessed friend, Mr. Ass. This is for everyone’s good!

The Right to Censor (Steven Richards & Val Venis) vs. Chyna & Mr. Ass

Storyline: The RTC took offense to Chyna’s issue of Playboy, so Eddie defended her. Plus, Chyna wrestled Richards and pantsed him in front of everybody. Next, the RTC burned copies of Playboy and continued antagonizing Chyna. This led to Chyna & Eddie vs. the RTC. During the bout, Gtv showed footage of Eddie taking a shower with Victoria and Mandy. A distraught Chyna cried while the RTC beat up Eddie. Then Chyna broke up with Guerrero, and Billy Gunn told him to leave her alone, so Eddie attacked Gunn. Later, Eddie mocked Chyna and accused her of being Billy Gunn’s lover. This resulted in a confrontation between Eddie and Chyna, but the RTC interrupted them. Eddie choked Chyna with a crutch while the RTC attacked her and Gunn. Foley had booked Guerrero vs. Gunn. However, Eddie suffered an injury in a match with Jericho, so we got this instead.

The Match: Venis and Gunn trade strikes until Val regroups. Then Richards tags once Gunn is down, but Billy tags Chyna. She slings Steven around by his tie and shoves Venis off the apron. Plus, Chyna dropkicks Richards into Val. Now Gunn returns, but he crashes shoulder-first into the corner. The RTC targets the injury. They work on Gunn’s arm and make frequent tags. This lasts until Billy nails a DDT and tags Chyna. She cleans house and does a handspring elbow and low blow to Richards. It opens the door for a Fameasser on Steven before Chyna scores a neckbreaker. Unfortunately, Goodfather and Bull interfere. The chaos distracts the ref while Chyna attempts a Pedigree on Venis, so Eddie Guerrero appears. He decks Chyna with a loaded bouquet, and Venis covers for the victory.

Thoughts: This is another one that was okay, but not great. They progressed the feud, so that’s fine. But it’s a contest you will forget by the end of the show.

Winners: The RTC (7:10)

Backstage, Stephanie comes to talk with Triple H. She wishes him luck and asks if there’s a slight chance he will allow her to accompany him to ringside. She doesn’t like Benoit and wants to help Hunter win. Triple H says they went over this a million times. The answer is still no, especially with Benoit. Hunter doesn’t want her to get hurt. Stephanie says she thought that was the case, so she gives Hunter a tape. She says it’s clips of Benoit applying the Crossface. Steph claims there is some interesting stuff in there. Then she says she has to go attend to some business. Hunter asks if it’s Kurt Angle’s business, and Stephanie says yes. She has to help him get ready for his match. Hunter tells her to inform her business partner he will put him out of the business for good if something happens to her.

Now Rikishi enters the arena with the sledgehammer in his hand. He says he knew Austin wouldn’t show up. Rikishi claims Austin won’t face the man who ran him over because he’s scared. So Rikishi demands Foley come out there and declare him the winner. Mick answers the call while JR worries about Austin’s whereabouts. Before Mick can speak, Austin’s music plays, and he drives his damaged truck to the ring.

No Holds Barred Match: Rikishi vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin

Storyline: Austin went on a rampage to find his assailant, so Foley suspended him. Then Mick continued his investigation until he discovered the shocking truth. A comment by Grandmaster Sexay made Mick realize the culprit was Rikishi. He admitted it was true, but Rikishi said he did it for the Rock. Rikishi claimed the WWF always held down Samoans, so he wanted to help Rock succeed, but the Rock didn’t want this kind of help. Afterward, Austin wanted to run down Rikishi. The cops and Foley talked him out of it, and Mick tried to separate Austin and Rikishi until the PPV. However, Rikishi lured Austin to the parking garage and attempted to run him over again! Later, Rikishi smashed Austin’s truck with a sledgehammer. Then Rikishi tricked Austin into leaving the arena. While he was gone, Rikishi threatened JR with the sledgehammer, but Foley stopped him.

The Match: They brawl around the truck, and Austin hits Rikishi with the door. Afterward, the fight heads over to the announce tables and into the crowd. When they return to ringside, Austin uses a belt and some rope on Rikishi. He whips and chokes Rikishi until Rikishi swings a monitor at Austin. Rikishi also throws a sidekick and grabs a chair. His swing misses, so Austin gets the weapon and bloodies Rikishi. Now they head back to the truck. This time, Austin slams the tailgate on Rikishi and tosses him into the bed. Austin gets into the driver’s seat and drives outside the arena. When they get to the parking lot, Austin drags Rikishi to a rock wall and looks to ram his truck into him. Before he can do it, a cop car blocks his way. Austin smashes into it twice, so the policemen arrest him.

Thoughts: This was a nice intense brawl until the ending. I got it, and it made sense, but it still disappointed me. The problem is, they spent the entire build saying everything would be legal in this match. They gave the fans the wrong impression. Given what happens at the next PPV, this becomes inconsistent. Why do the cops step in sometimes, but not at other times?

Winner: No Contest (10:30)

Afterward, they put Austin in the back of a police car while EMTs help Rikishi and the driver of the cop car Austin rammed. They show replays of the carnage. JR and King admit Austin went too far.

Next, it’s time for William Regal’s European championship defense. Regal says he is the goodwill ambassador, so he was looking forward to defending his belt for his friends in Albany. Then he found out his opponent is Naked Mideon! Regal says Mideon is fouler than a box of frogs, so Regal told Foley to make Mideon wrestle in the proper ring attire. You can’t run naked all willy-nilly in the streets! That may be fine in an impoverished town like Albany, but he won’t let it besmirch his title reign! Once Regal finishes his tirade, Mideon arrives in a t-shirt and track pants.

European Title Match: William Regal (c) vs. Naked Mideon

Storyline: Regal tried to enlighten the fans by reading Shakespeare in the ring, but he received a Stunner from Austin for his trouble. Next, Regal wrestled Crash Holly and won. Afterward, Mideon streaked through the arena, which made Regal sick. But this wasn’t Regal’s only problem. Regal heard Al Snow represented Europe as the European champion, so he joined commentary to observe this. What he found horrified him. Al’s costumes and antics disgusted Regal. The worst offense came when Snow thought Hong Kong was part of Europe. Regal eventually had enough and attacked Snow, so Al returned the favor. This led to Regal vs. Snow for the European belt, and Regal won! Later, Regal defended the gold against Snow and Saturn. He made Al tap to the Regal Stretch.

The Match: They exchange wristlocks, headlocks, and shoulder blocks until Mideon regroups and removes his shirt. This disgusts Regal, but he continues. Now Mideon fires back with strikes and a headbutt, but Regal answers with a butterfly suplex. With Mideon down, Regal grabs a chinlock and grinds his forearm into Mideon’s face. Once he wears him down, Regal tosses Mideon outside. The ref admonishes Regal, which causes an argument. While this happens, Mideon enters the ring and rips off his pants! (They pixelate Mideon’s lower half on the network.) Mideon kisses Regal and punches him before climbing the turnbuckles. However, Regal crotches him, and Mideon falls. This opens the door for a Regal Stretch, but Regal is too disgusted to complete it. He finishes Mideon with the Regal Cutter instead.

Thoughts: This was bad, which disappoints me. I like Regal, but Mideon isn’t good. Based on the build, this should have been Regal vs. Snow. It would have had more heat because of the storyline. The crowd didn’t care about this until Mideon got naked. Even then, they only reacted to Mideon’s nakedness, before returning to their apathy.

Winner: William Regal (6:02)

Afterward, they show what Kurt Angle did on Heat. Angle told everyone he would interview the Rock, but it was a sham. Angle used clips from old Rock promos. He edited them to make the Rock look bad. Angle made it seem like Rock admitted to being an accomplice in Rikishi’s hit-and-run. He also depicted the Rock as remorseless and cold about Austin’s fate. Next, Angle edited the clips to have Rocky say the people don’t want him to beat Angle. Plus, Kurt added amusing sound effects to mock the Rock. Finally, Angle showed a replay of his Olympic Slam on the Rock. The Rock supposedly suffered multiple injuries from it. Meanwhile, the real Rock watched the segment on a TV backstage. He turned it off and walked away.

Now Kevin Kelly interviews Los Conquistadores. They will take on the Hardy Boyz for the tag titles. Los Conquistadores respond to this comment by saying, “Si, señor.” Undeterred, Kevin says they have never faced the Hardys, so what will they do if they encounter nerves or hesitation? Instead of answering, Los Conquistadores say, “Si, señor.” Since they aren’t cooperating, Kevin brings up the persistent rumors about their identities. So Los Conquistadores yell, arriba, and walk out of the room.

Tag Team Title Match: Los Conquistadores vs. The Hardy Boyz (c)

Storyline: Foley booked the Hardys vs. Edge & Christian in a Ladder Match after Unforgiven. If Edge & Christian lost, they wouldn’t get any more shots as long as the Hardys were champions. The Hardys won, so Edge & Christian tried to cost the Hardys their belts in the following weeks. After this didn’t work, a mysterious new team appeared. They wore gold bodysuits and masks and called themselves Los Conquistadores. Los Conquistadores kept interfering in the Hardys’ matches, so the announcers suspected it was Edge & Christian in disguise. Edge & Christian denied this. They even met with Los Conquistadores backstage to prove it wasn’t true. Then Los Conquistadores won a battle royal to earn a title shot. Since Edge & Christian weren’t busy, Foley wanted to add them to the Dudleys’ invitational. Edge & Christian used the old food poisoning excuse to get out of it.

The Match: The Hardys do some chain wrestling while trying to remove the masks. They also double-team Los Conquistadores and hit Poetry in Motion. After another failed unmasking, Uno rams Jeff into the post. Now Los Conquistadores use frequent tags and ref distractions to control the action. Plus, Uno locks Jeff in a chinlock. Once Jeff escapes, Uno misses a twisting senton. This leads to Dos and Matt tagging. The Hardys land a double flapjack, and Jeff gives Uno a clothesline off the barricade. So Dos ends Jeff’s rally with a triangle jump plancha. Matt answers with a plancha of his own, but he takes out Jeff by accident. Back inside, Dos scores a reverse DDT on Matt, but Jeff stops the pin with a Swanton! This allows Matt to remove Uno’s mask only to discover another one underneath! During the confusion, Dos hits an Unprettier for the win.

Thoughts: Most of this was dull. The storyline and the finish were amusing, but everything else fell flat. Edge and Christian had to wrestle a different style, so we didn’t see the usual exciting stuff. I wanted to like this, but it wasn’t great.

Winners: Los Conquistadores (New Champions) (10:58)

Outside, they show tow trucks taking Austin’s truck and the damaged police car away. Lawler calls Austin’s truck evidence. It’s an assault vehicle!

Meanwhile, Triple H watches the tape Stephanie gave him. It shows the clip of Benoit putting him in the Crossface on RAW. Hunter spots something that makes him grin, so he nods and leaves the room. JR wonders what he saw.

Triple H vs. Chris Benoit

Storyline: Triple H continued dealing with Kurt Angle, but a new problem arose. Hunter cost Benoit a chance at the WWF title, so Benoit headbutted Stephanie! Since Steph kept getting hurt, Hunter forbade her from coming to the ring with him. He called her a liability. Later, Steph disobeyed him, and Benoit threatened Steph. The distraction cost Hunter a #1 Contender shot against Angle, so Hunter yelled at her again. As a result, Stephanie managed Kurt Angle instead. Meanwhile, things escalated between Benoit and Hunter. Benoit bloodied Triple H with a chair and put him in the Crossface. Plus, Benoit pinned Hunter during a tag match after a brawl between Jericho and X-Pac crotched Hunter on the top rope. A furious Triple H wanted Benoit, so Foley booked this encounter. Finally, Benoit hooked Hunter in another Crossface after a Four Corners contest.

The Match: After a long lock-up, Hunter targets Benoit’s leg. He uses the apron, the post, and shinbreakers to wear him down. Then Hunter does a bridging deathlock. Once Benoit escapes, they scuffle on the floor, and Benoit sends Hunter into the post. Now Benoit picks a body part. He goes after Hunter’s shoulder. Benoit puts a hammerlock on Triple H and drops him on his arm with suplexes. He also locks Hunter in an armbar and a cross armbreaker. Benoit even nails a flying headbutt to the shoulder, but it isn’t enough. More back-and-forth action follows until Benoit places Hunter in two Crossfaces. This draws Steph to the ring, and she slaps Benoit. Next, Hunter and Chris do a series of counters. This time, Triple H throws a low blow while Stephanie distracts the ref. It opens the door for a Pedigree and the three.

Thoughts: This was really good. The bout had a great ebb and flow. It mixed technical wrestling with storytelling. Plus, I enjoyed the finish. Benoit didn’t look bad in defeat, and they furthered the Stephanie storyline.

Winner: Triple H (18:44)

Meanwhile, an out of breath and sweaty Edge & Christian congratulate Los Conquistadores. They claim they ran to the store when they saw Los Conquistadores win. While they were there, they got champagne for themselves and Coronas for Los Conquistadores. Edge toasts to their victory and says they will have a title match tomorrow. Then Edge says, “Viva la Essa Rios!” Lawler says seeing is believing, but JR doesn’t sound convinced.

Now it’s time for the main event. During the entrances, the Fink announces this is a No Disqualification Match. This surprises JR, but someone in his headset confirms the change. When the Rock arrives, he glares at Stephanie, so she tells him to focus on Angle.

No DQ Match for the WWF Title: Kurt Angle (w/ Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley) vs. The Rock (c)

Storyline: Angle forgave Stephanie for kicking him in the balls. He thought she did it out of fear of her husband. Then Steph stopped the Rock from using a chair on Angle during a match. The interference allowed Angle to pin the Rock. This led to the aforementioned #1 Contender bout. When Stephanie helped him again, Kurt asked her to accompany him on a regular basis. Stephanie agreed because Hunter pushed her away. Triple H reluctantly accepted this, but he warned Angle. If Stephanie got hurt, he would come after him. Afterward, Steph interfered in Angle’s matches and joined an attack on the Rock. Later, a Four Corners contest ended with Angle and Hunter locked in submissions, but a conflicted Steph didn’t know who to help.

The Match: Stephanie taunts the Rock while he and Angle brawl around ringside and through the crowd. They even head to the set and almost break it. During the melee, a light falls on Rock’s leg. As they move down the aisle, Rock attacks Angle with a cardboard cut-out of himself. Now they return to the ring. Rock targets the leg and secures a Sharpshooter, but Steph distracts the ref so he doesn’t see Angle tap. When Angle escapes, they scuffle by the announce tables. Soon Stephanie hands Angle the title belt, and he decks the Rock. It isn’t enough. Afterward, they trade suplexes before Kurt misses his moonsault. When Rock attempts the People’s Elbow, Stephanie stops him, so Rock gives her the Rock Bottom!

This draws out Triple H. He beats up Angle, gives Rock the Pedigree, and carries Stephanie backstage. Once he’s gone, Angle crawls over to the Rock and gets a two. When Rock recovers, Kurt leads him on a chase until a bandaged Rikishi appears! Rikishi jumps Kurt and rolls him inside for a Rock Bottom. Rock is slow to cover, so it only gets two! Since it didn’t work, Rikishi interferes again, but he keeps hitting the Rock by mistake! This allows Kurt to give Rikishi and Rock Olympic Slams, and Angle covers Rock for the victory.

Thoughts: This was good. Yeah, they had a lot of interference, but it fit the storyline well. Plus, they kept this exciting, and the fans reacted well to it. Also, it’s nice to see Angle get the big win. This has been a great year for him.

Winner: Kurt Angle (New Champion) (21:45)

Angle rolls out of the ring to celebrate. When Hebner hands him the gold, Kurt cries and holds it above his head. JR says this makes him sick. Rikishi cost the Rock his title! As he says this, Kurt kisses the belt and leaves. Meanwhile, the Rock yells at Rikishi. He tries to apologize, but the Rock isn’t listening. Then they show a replay of Angle’s celebration, and we can see a booger hanging out of his nose!

The Good:

• Angle vs. Rock

• Triple H vs. Benoit

• The Tables Invitational

• Edge & Christian’s antics

The Bad:

• Regal vs. Mideon

• Some of the matches disappointed me

Observations:

• The sound mixing was terrible on the network version. I could barely hear the commentators.

Performer of the Night:

I’m giving it to Kurt Angle. This was his big night, and he did great in the main event. He also had that great fake interview with the Rock.

Final Thoughts:

This wasn’t a bad show, but it didn’t click with me until the last two contests. Much of this fell a little flat. I didn’t dislike it, but this wasn’t one of my favorite PPVs of the year. With that said, the event contains enough good moments and action to be a decent watch.

Thank you for reading. My next review is WCW’s Halloween Havoc 2000. Look for it next Sunday!