Unforgiven 2001

WWE Unforgiven 2001

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

Unforgiven

September 23, 2001

Mellon Arena

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

News & Notes: Here’s the usual rundown of extra storylines. Austin developed a new quirk since SummerSlam. He punctuated every sentence with the word “what” to be obnoxious. Something tells me this won’t go away anytime soon. Elsewhere, the DDP/Taker feud culminated with a fight between DDP and Sara. Taker chokeslammed Page and Sara pinned him! Meanwhile, Stasiak kept trying to impress Austin. Stacy Keibler joined his cause, and they tried to prank Angle. Shawn put a bucket of rancid milk over a door, but it fell on Debra! Then Stasiak attempted to make up for it by bringing Austin coffee. It burned Steve’s mouth, so he threw the coffee into Stasiak’s face. And finally, Tazz continued his defiant streak. The lack of respect pushed him to the brink, so Shane and Booker fought Tazz in a Handicap Match. However, Tazz still helped Austin attack Angle.

I also want to point out one more thing. This was the first PPV after the 9/11 attacks. The WWF held a special live Smackdown three days later. They had the Superstars and WWF employees share their thoughts, concerns, and condolences. During this broadcast, Stephanie McMahon infamously compared the tragedy to her dad’s steroid trial. This wasn’t her brightest moment.

The opening video of WWE Unforgiven 2001

Jennifer Holliday sings “America the Beautiful” before they play the opening video. It focuses on Angle vs. Austin and The Rock vs. Booker T & Shane McMahon. Austin is dangerous and psychotic, but Kurt will show him how stone cold he can be! However, Austin won’t forgive Angle for humiliating him. He is proud of the fact he tried to break Kurt’s neck, so Angle says Austin won’t receive any forgiveness. Meanwhile, the Rock says Booker T and Shane will have to forgive him for sticking his boots up their candy asses. This night belongs to the Rock! The WWF presents Unforgiven, as well as some frightening images of Austin’s screaming face.

Now fireworks explode while JR welcomes everybody to the PPV. They will decide seven championships tonight on one of the most emotional nights they have ever experienced. While Ross and Heyman discuss the card, the teams arrive for the first contest.

The Dudley Boyz vs. The Hardy Boyz vs. Big Show & Spike Dudley vs. The Hurricane & Lance Storm - WWE Unforgiven 2001

4-Way Elimination Match for the WWF Tag Team Titles: The Dudley Boyz (c) vs. The Big Show & Spike Dudley vs. The Hurricane & Lance Storm vs. The Hardy Boyz

Storyline: Austin encouraged the Alliance to be heroes, so Helms became a superhero named the Hurricane. The transformation was complete with a costume, face paint, and a cape! However, his supposed heroic antics pissed off the Hardys, Spike, and the Big Show. First, Ivory helped Hurricane take Matt Hardy’s Euro title, so Hurricane said he struck a blow for truth, justice, and the European way. Then Hurricane angered Spike by hitting on Molly and offering her a spot as his sidekick. Big Show aided Spike, so Hurricane fought him. Hurricane’s powers couldn’t vanquish Big Show, but Storm saved the Hurricane. Lance thought he was mocking superheroes, but Helms truly believed he was one! This annoyed Storm. Meanwhile, the Dudleys earned a WWF tag championship opportunity and won the belts with KroniK’s aid. Once they announced this bout, the Dudleys put some of their upcoming opponents through tables.

The Match: Hurricane knocks Matt Hardy down and poses, but Matt mocks him. Then Bubba low-bridges Jeff to help Storm and Hurricane seize control. They plant Spike with a Samoan Drop/neckbreaker combo before Hurricane dons his cape for a flying crossbody. Eventually, Big Show tags and cleans house before everyone does dives. When Show tries to join the party, the Dudleys stop him. Nevertheless, Show eliminates Storm and Hurricane after catching Lance for a chokeslam. Next, Matt and Spike exchange pin attempts until Matt blocks a Dudley Dog. The counter allows Matt to score a Twist of Fate to oust Spike and Big Show.

This leaves the Hardys and Dudleys. The Hardys use Poetry in Motion on Bubba, but they can’t do the same to D-Von. A cheap shot lets the Dudleys regain the momentum. They cause a ref distraction and give Jeff the Wassup Drop. Plus, Bubba brings Jeff outside and whips him into the steps. Back inside, Jeff ends the onslaught with a Whisper in the Wind and tags Matt. He hits the Side Effect, a DDT, and a backdrop. The Dudleys regroup, but Matt lands a moonsault and the Drop Shot. A cover follows, but Bubba pulls Matt off the pin, and the Dudleys nail the 3D. As they cover, Jeff breaks it up with a Swanton. Unfortunately, this distracts the ref, so Bubba does the Bubba Bomb on Matt. D-Von pins him for the three.

Thoughts: This was a lot of fun. Matches like this are in danger of being too long, but they kept this at the perfect length. The beginning was about comedy and character building, while the second part settled into a traditional tag contest. They structured it well.

Winners: The Dudley Boyz (14:22)

RVD talks to Stephanie McMahon - WWE Unforgiven 2001

RVD arrives and looks around before Stephanie greets him. She wishes him luck tonight, which RVD finds funny. Then Steph offers her services. She wants to support him in any way. He can name it. RVD says he has it covered. He’s the whole damn show. However, she can help him with one thing. He can’t find a dressing room to contain his superstar status. Stephanie jokes there isn’t such a thing, but she tells Rob to choose the biggest dressing room he can find. Rob likes the sound of this, so promises to take out Jericho for her.

Kurt Angle's mother, Jackie Angle - WWE Unforgiven 2001

Back in the arena, Michael Cole interviews Kurt Angle’s family. He starts with Kurt’s mom, Jackie Angle. The idea of Kurt winning the WWF title in his hometown makes her ecstatic. She says he puts his heart and soul into everything, especially the people of Pittsburgh. Jackie believes Kurt will win the belt like he did his medals. Next, Cole discusses Kurt’s history of neck issues with his brother Dave. Austin injured Kurt’s neck on Smackdown, and they didn’t medically clear him to wrestle, but Regal agreed to allow the match to happen. Is this the right decision? Dave thinks so because Kurt won the gold with a broken neck. After Dave says this, Cole calls the night exciting. Dave can’t hear him over the rowdy fans.

Perry Saturn vs. Raven - WWE Unforgiven 2001

Perry Saturn vs. Raven (w/ Terri)

Storyline: Regal tried to quell the Moppy situation by giving Saturn a fake Moppy, but Saturn knew the difference. He attacked Tajiri with the mop and yelled Moppy’s name. Later, Saturn received a ransom note asking for $100,000, but Saturn wondered where he would get the money. He tried to find the kidnapper instead, so Hurricane told him it was Matt Hardy. Once Saturn realized Hurricane was using him, Perry beat up Matt and Hurricane. Finally, Terri revealed she had Moppy. She was with Raven backstage, and they had a wood chipper. Raven threw Moppy inside. The machine jammed, so Raven just shrugged his shoulders while Saturn cried. Meanwhile, Raven sought Austin’s blessing to face RVD for his Hardcore title. Austin didn’t want the Alliance fighting, but Raven eventually got his match. However, Saturn ruined it. Raven gave Saturn the Raven Effect in retaliation.

The Match: Saturn makes Raven regroup with strikes and a springboard dropkick. When Saturn chases Raven, Terri distracts Perry. This allows Raven to nail a baseball slide and a Russian leg sweep into the barricade. Now Raven subdues Saturn with a bulldog, a Cobra Clutch, and a knee lift. He also knocks Saturn off the apron until Perry answers with a hotshot and a slingshot sunset flip. Raven blocks the latter, but Saturn continues with suplexes and a springboard attack. This leads to scuffling on the top rope, and Raven blocks a Frankensteiner before nailing a diving clothesline. A sunset flip follows, but Saturn rolls through it and catapults Raven into the corner. With Raven dazed, Saturn gives a thumbs-up to Moppy’s ghost and ends it with the Three-Handled Family Gradunza.

Thoughts: This contained fine but forgettable action. The problem was, the fans couldn’t care less. They were silent for this. Why would they? This is an absurd storyline. The sad part is, I know these two can have a better encounter. They had good ones in WCW.

Winner: Saturn (5:07)

Lilian Garcia interviews Christian - WWE Unforgiven 2001

Backstage, Lilian interviews Christian. She asks him if a shot at the Intercontinental title was worth disintegrating his relationship with Edge. Christian says so many people came close to fulfilling their hopes and dreams only to fail miserably, and those people are filling this arena. Tonight, Christian will prove something he has known his whole life. He is superior to Edge! Then Christian says everyone is talking about Angle winning the title, but who cares? Everybody will remember Unforgiven as the night Christian won the Intercontinental championship. So was this worth it? You’re damn right it was!

This leads to the entrances for that encounter. Christian has his awesome opera theme, but Edge also received new music. He uses “Never Gonna Stop” by Rob Zombie. The graphic mistakenly calls it “The Sinister Surge”, but they got it confused with the album’s name, which is “The Sinister Urge”.

Edge vs. Christian - WWE Unforgiven 2001

Intercontinental Title Match: Christian vs. Edge (c)

Storyline: Christian attempted to match Edge’s accomplishments by going for the European and WCW titles. He failed in both instances. Christian also annoyed Edge by getting him into fights he didn’t want, but this didn’t stop Edge from aiding his brother. The problem was, Christian’s frustrations peaked when he didn’t capture the WCW belt. Christian attacked Edge and gave him a one-man Conchairto! At last, Christian was on his own. He labeled it the greatest night since he left Canada and moved to Florida. Then Christian accused Edge of stealing his spotlight for his entire life. Christian called him bitter and jealous. Edge didn’t even try to help him win the Euro or WCW gold, so Christian wanted Edge’s championship. Later, Christian tried to take Tajiri’s U.S. title, but Edge returned and went after Christian. Christian retaliated by trying to cost Edge a win over Kanyon. It backfired.

The Match: Christian jumps Edge, but he regroups when Edge scores a flapjack. This leads to fighting around the set and ringside. Back inside, Christian lures Edge into a trap and yanks him down by the hair. He also nails a powerslam and a backbreaker, but Edge responds with a Russian leg sweep. Now Edge fakes Christian out with a top rope move and lands a German suplex before we get a double down. Once they recover, Edge returns the favor and tosses Christian by his hair. Afterward, a series of counters ends with the Edge-O-Matic. Edge also crawls underneath the ring to surprise Christian with a flying crossbody. Sensing trouble, Christian grabs two chairs. Both men attempt one-man Conchairtos, but the ref stops them. As the official removes one chair, Christian uses the other for a low blow and pins Edge for the three!

Thoughts: I liked this. It wasn’t flashy, but they told a nice story. They saved the bigger stuff for their next encounter, which is a good thing. This isn’t a feud that should end after one contest. The only issue was the mild crowd. They have made little noise on this show.

Winner: Christian (New Champion) (11:53)

Coach interviews the Brothers of Destruction - WWE Unforgiven 2001

Coach tries to interview the Brothers of Destruction, but an impatient Undertaker tells him to get on with it. Undeterred, Coach says KroniK has a chance for revenge on behalf of Steven Richards. Taker says revenge is fine, but he is hot. This isn’t because KroniK beat them up for the past three weeks. They can handle that. What makes him hot is Steven Richards talking about Taker ending the RTC. No one wants to think about that! Then Richards brought in KroniK. Taker calls them muscled-up statues. They saw what KroniK can do when they attack from behind, so let’s see what happens when they look into the eye of the dragon! Taker says the muscles are fine, but they will take a muscle-bound man and drop his face in the sand. With this said, Taker tells Kane to roll.

KroniK vs. The Brothers of Destruction - WWE Unforgiven 2001

WCW Tag Team Title Match: The Brothers of Destruction (c) vs. KroniK (w/ Steven Richards)

Storyline: Kane had a staph infection in his elbow after SummerSlam, so the Undertaker flew solo for a few weeks. While this happened, Steven Richards appeared and helped Test defeat Taker. Cole interviewed Richards while Steven fled the building, and Richards challenged Taker to a fight. He blamed the Undertaker for causing the RTC’s demise. When Undertaker faced Richards, KroniK attacked. They tipped over Taker’s bike and gave him High Times. Later, KroniK ruined the Undertaker vs. Booker T. This time, Taker tried to give Richards the Last Ride, but KroniK put Taker through the announce table. Next, Kane returned, and the Brothers defended the WWF tag titles against the Dudleys. KroniK cost the Brothers the WWF gold, so Shane rewarded KroniK with a shot at the WCW tag belts.

The Match: The teams exchange strikes, takedowns, and big boots before Adams nails a backbreaker on Kane. Then Kane answers with a neckbreaker and a shoulderbreaker. Taker adds Old School and a cross armbreaker, but KroniK takes control through double-teaming. The Undertaker tries to stop this by bringing the fight outside, so Clark gives him a diving shoulder tackle off the apron. Now Adams subdues Taker with a chinlock until he escapes and scores a DDT. This leads to Kane’s tag. He fends off KroniK with clotheslines, kicks, and a side slam, but a brawl erupts. Taker and Kane stave off Richards’ interference. Unfortunately, things become awkward because KroniK isn’t in position. Kane lands a flying clothesline after waiting for Adams, and Taker chokeslams Clark for the victory.

Thoughts: This was terrible. Taker had to yell spots at KroniK because they weren’t feeding for his offense. The action already wasn’t great, but it became progressively worse. With that said, I think Taker overreacted a little. He yelled so loudly the front row knew he wanted Adams to feed and cut him off. (On a side note, they sent KroniK to developmental because of this mess. Clark balked at the demotion and quit the company, so this was it for KroniK.)

Winners: The Brothers of Destruction (10:21)

After the bell, Richards tries to ambush Taker with a chair only to get caught. He begs off until he realizes Kane is behind him. Steven turns and yells, so Kane grabs him for a chokeslam. While this happens, Taker glares at the stage to show his displeasure to Vince.

Shane McMahon and Booker T backstage - WWE Unforgiven 2001

Meanwhile, Booker stares at his hand while Shane motivates him. He says they will bring the WCW title home to the Alliance tonight. Booker says he can dig that, but then Tazz interrupts them. He calls this a huge night. The WCW championship could end up around the waist of either Booker or Shane. With that said, Tazz mentions he talked to Stephanie. She says she beat the Rock, so it would be sad if they couldn’t do it. Booker says, “Tell me you didn’t just say that!” Tazz smirks, so Shane tells him to leave. Shane assures Booker they will defeat the Rock.

Chris Jericho and Stephanie McMahon backstage - WWE Unforgiven 2001

Speaking of Stephanie, she discovers RVD’s location and approaches his dressing room. Steph knocks, but RVD doesn’t answer, so she speaks to him through the door. She says tomorrow is her birthday. RVD could give her a present by destroying Jericho. Steph promises to make his time in the Alliance pleasurable if he does. As she says this, Jericho walks up behind her with a grin. He asks her how old she will be. Is it 37 or 38? Stephanie says she will turn 25, but Jericho says he was asking about her age, not the number of men she slept with this week. Then Jericho gets an idea. They can throw her a party on RAW. He would provide the cake and balloons, but it seems she has the balloons covered. Jericho wishes her the breast of luck and pats her on the cheek before leaving.

Rob Van Dam vs. Chris Jericho - WWE Unforgiven 2001

Hardcore Title Match: Rob Van Dam (c) vs. Chris Jericho

Storyline: Rhyno failed at SummerSlam, so Stephanie set her differences with Test aside and sent him after Jericho. Test wrestled Jericho, and Rhyno interfered to give Test a win. Meanwhile, RVD developed a rivalry with Austin when their egos clashed. Austin liked RVD’s boldness, but they couldn’t get along. Then Austin said he would fight the next Alliance member who entered the room. RVD walked in, so he received a non-title contest, and Angle helped RVD defeat Austin! Later, Angle fought RVD for the Hardcore belt. Kurt won, but Austin hurled both men off the stage. RVD crawled over and covered Angle to regain the championship. Afterward, RVD asked Austin why he threw him. Austin claimed he was only trying to land him on top of Angle so he could get the victory. Finally, RVD offered his help to a dejected Stephanie. She told him to take out Chris Jericho.

The Match: An exchange chain wrestling and pin attempts culminate with a stand-off. Then they trade kicks and takedowns until Jericho tumbles outside on a missed triangle shoulder block. Now RVD misses his barricade wheel kick, and Jericho fetches a ladder. They suplex each other onto it before they avoid moonsaults. More ladder antics follow, and Jericho hurls a chair at RVD’s head. This allows Jericho to put Rob in an inverted Walls atop the ladder. Once Van Dam escapes, he avoids Jericho’s attack. Chris crashes on the barricade, but he whacks RVD with a chair when Rob dives! Chris even uses a Fujiwara armbar and more chair shots, so Stephanie runs to the ring and grabs the chair. When she does this, Jericho swings at her, but he misses. RVD seizes the opening. He ends it with a Van Daminator and the Five Star.

Thoughts: This started awkwardly, but they pulled it around by the finish. They did enough hard-hitting offense and high spots to make you forget the shaky start. Better yet, this got one of the best reactions of the night. Nevertheless, Jericho hated this. He said in his book he didn’t enjoy working with RVD because he stiffed him with a few kicks.

Winner: RVD (16:33)

Shane McMahon talks with Booker T before their match - WWE Unforgiven 2001

Backstage, Booker practices calling himself a six-time WCW champion. Shane enters the room and tells Booker to stay focused. It doesn’t matter if it’s Booker or Shane as long as the WCW title comes home to the Alliance. Booker says he has Shane’s back if Shane has his. Then Booker leaves. Once he’s out of earshot, Shane says, “Shane-O-Mac, WCW champion!” He likes the sound.

The Rock vs. Booker T & Shane McMahon - WWE Unforgiven 2001

Handicap Match for the WCW Title: The Rock (c) vs. Booker T & Shane McMahon

Storyline: The Rock dressed a little person as Booker to mock him after SummerSlam. This made Tajiri and the Big Show laugh at Booker, so Booker unleashed his frustrations on them. Then Shane and Booker sent Rhyno after the Rock. They helped Rhyno beat the Rock, so Rock cost Booker a win over Angle. Later, Shane said he had jurisdiction over the WCW title, so he booked Rock against himself and Booker for the PPV. Once they created this encounter, Stephanie teamed with Test against the Rock in a Handicap fight. The Rock won, but Stephanie wanted a rematch, much to Shane’s chagrin. This time, Shane and Booker attacked the Rock and let Stephanie pin him! Finally, Rock and the APA faced Booker, Test, and Rhyno in an Elimination contest. It came down to Booker and Rock, but Booker got himself counted out and retreated.

The Match: Shane keeps breaking up the Rock’s pins until Rock goes after him. Then Booker uses a cheap shot before he and Shane double-team the Rock. Rock fires back with a belly-to-belly and a Sharpshooter on Shane, but Booker breaks it up. Now Shane low-bridges the Rock, and Booker beats him up on the floor. He whiffs on a chair shot, but Booker sends Rock into the post and does a Spinaroonie. He also takes Rock to the announce table only for the Rock to rally. Sensing trouble, Shane grabs the WCW belt. He clocks Booker by accident, but Shane makes up for it by decking the Rock. Nick Patrick sees this and does nothing.

With the Rock down, Shane attempts the flying elbow, which misses. This opens the door for Rock’s double clothesline and a DDT, but Shane stops him and tries the People’s Elbow. As Shane hits the ropes, Rock kips up and gives him the Rock Bottom. A spinebuster on Booker follows, but Test jumps the Rock. Thankfully, Bradshaw chases him into the crowd. Meanwhile, Nick Patrick rolls Rock inside and tells Booker to cover. This draws Chioda to the ring. He pulls Shane outside and brawls with Patrick. While this happens, Rock blocks a Book End and nails the Rock Bottom. Hebner arrives to count the three.

Thoughts: The SummerSlam match was fun, but this was sad. Booker T failed with a one-man advantage and a crooked ref. Worse yet, they couldn’t even let Shane eat the loss. It would have set up a storyline for Booker T. He could have held it against Shane. In two months, the WWF took their two biggest WCW names (DDP and Booker) and cut them off at the knees.

Winner: The Rock (15:24)

William Regal talks to Tajiri and Torrie Wilson - WWE Unforgiven 2001

Regal asks a bandaged Tajiri if he’s sure he wants to face Rhyno after what Austin did to him. Tajiri says yes, as Torrie Wilson enters the room. Torrie tells Tajiri it’s time for his match, but Regal says he’s thinking of banning all parties from ringside. She begs him to reconsider. Torrie promises she won’t get involved. She only wants to be there for Tajiri. Then Tajiri says something in Japanese, so Torrie agrees with him. Regal can’t believe they like each other, but he tells them to run along.

Stacy Keibler admires some guy's clean-shaven face at WWF New York - WWE Unforgiven 2001

Next, they go to Stacy Keibler at WWF New York. She admires some guy’s clean-shaven face before saying he isn’t the only one who shaved today. They show a clip of Stacy shaving her legs in the bath, which excites Heyman. He says he wants to marry Stacy right now, so JR asks if he’d forgo the prenup. Heyman says, “Only if she’s Jewish.” (On a side note, they used Sunny’s old theme during this segment.)

Rhyno vs. Tajiri - WWE Unforgiven 2001

U.S. Title Match: Rhyno vs. Tajiri (c) (w/ Torrie Wilson)

Storyline: Torrie Wilson asked to join Regal’s administration, but Regal didn’t want an Alliance member on his staff. However, Torrie got her wish when she kissed Tajiri. He let her accompany him to his matches, but her attempts at help did more harm than good. Then Tajiri teamed with Big Show for a tag title shot. Tajiri accidentally blinded Big Show with the mist, and Show knocked Torrie off the apron. The distraction cost them the victory. Later, Tajiri faced Kanyon for the US title and became the champion, despite Torrie’s botched interference. The mishaps convinced Shane that Torrie would turn on Tajiri when the time was right, but this didn’t happen. As a result, Austin publicly chastised Torrie. When Tajiri and Angle came to save her, Austin accused her of setting him up. Meanwhile, Shane gave Rhyno this shot because he gored Tajiri on the stage.

The Match: Tajiri sends Rhyno outside for a dropkick and an Asai Moonsault, but this hurts his ribs. Now Rhyno fends off kicks and attacks Tajiri’s injury. He nails a powerslam, which appears to knock Tajiri out cold. It’s a ruse. Tajiri rolls Rhyno up for two, but Rhyno uses a belly-to-belly and puts Tajiri in a chinlock. Once Tajiri escapes, he scores a hurricanrana and a handspring elbow. When Tajiri tries more, Rhyno plants him with a spinebuster and targets the ribs again. This concerns Torrie, so she distracts Rhyno and leads a chase. Unfortunately, Torrie trips and Rhyno looks for a Gore, but Tajiri stops him with a kick to the face! He follows with an octopus stretch and the Tarantula before throwing a buzzsaw kick. It misses, and Rhyno lands a suplex. This opens the door for the Gore and the three.

Thoughts: What they did was nice, but I wanted more. It felt like they had to cut time off of this because other bouts went long. They also might have wanted to play into the storyline about Tajiri’s injured ribs. Either way, this left me unsatisfied.

Winner: Rhyno (4:50)

Kurt Angle vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin - WWE Unforgiven 2001

WWF Title Match: Kurt Angle vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin (c)

Storyline: The Alliance held an Austin Appreciation Night after SummerSlam, but Angle crashed the party. He pulled up in a milk truck and gave the Alliance a milk bath! Austin retaliated by swiping Kurt’s gold medals after a tag match. Then Austin threw the medals into a river! Later, the Alliance rewarded Austin for his actions with a new pickup truck, but Angle stole it. He kidnapped Austin, blindfolded him, and took him to a bridge. Kurt threatened to throw Austin into the river, so Austin apologized and begged for mercy. Plus, he agreed to a rematch. However, Angle still shoved Austin into—a kiddie pool. Afterward, Austin retaliated. He gave Angle two piledrivers on the concrete! Even the Alliance seemed bothered by Austin’s behavior, but he said he did it for them. Finally, Austin tried to break Tajiri’s neck, but Angle returned from the hospital and saved him.

The Match: They brawl in and out of the ring, and Austin hesitates to do a Stunner, so Angle does the Thesz Press! Then the action heads to the set, where Angle hurls Austin off the ramp. Back at ringside, Kurt rams him into the post and pulls up the mats, but neither man can hit a piledriver. Now they fight around the announce table until Austin gains the advantage. He drapes Kurt on the table and brings him inside to work on his neck. Austin uses strikes and a chinlock, but Angle answers with rolling Germans. Unfortunately, the neck issues limit him to three.

This leads to fighting on the top rope, and Kurt reverses a superplex, but Austin throws a low blow. Nevertheless, Angle returns the favor and gives Austin the Stunner! It only gets two before Austin counters the Angle Slam into his own version! Austin follows with a piledriver after three tries, but this also earns a two! Since this doesn’t work, Austin looks for a Stunner. When he goes for the kick, Kurt catches it and puts Steve in the anklelock. Austin taps out, despite having his hand under the ropes.

Thoughts: This was great. I like the SummerSlam bout more, but this contained nice intensity and storytelling. My only gripe is the finish. They had Austin tap out with his hand under the ropes so they could do an immediate rematch. Austin quickly regains the belt, which hurts Angle more than it helps him. (On a side note, Angle winning wasn’t the original plan. They changed it after 9/11. Vince wanted to give the fans a feel-good ending with an American hero.)

Winner: Kurt Angle (New Champion) (23:54)

Kurt Angle celebrates his WWF title win - WWE Unforgiven 2001

Kurt’s family enters the ring and lifts him onto their shoulders while Kurt raises the belt. While this happens, the WWF Superstars join him. They shake his hand before Angle hugs his wife, Karen.

The Good:

  • The main event

  • Edge vs. Christian

  • RVD vs. Jericho

  • The opener

The Bad:

  • KroniK vs. The Brothers of Destruction

Performer of the Night:

I gave it to Angle last time, so I’ll pick Austin this time. Austin might not have liked this heel run, but he played the character well. His descent into madness was a highlight of this era.

Final Thoughts:

This PPV contained good action, but it also held one of the worst matches ever and some poor booking choices. Plus, other bouts disappointed me. This also suffered from a mild crowd, but this was understandable. People had bigger things on their minds than a wrestling event. I can only consider this a decent show with these things in mind.

Thank you for reading. My next review is No Mercy 2001. Look for it next Sunday!


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I write a blog where I chronologically review all pre-network PPVs from the WWF/WWE, WCW, & ECW.

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