Written by Adam King
WWF SMACKDOWN
Thursday, January 20th, 2000
Taped (1/18) from the Civic Center in Providence, RI
List of WWF Champions at the time:
WWF World Heavyweight Champion: Triple H (1/03/2000)
WWF Intercontinental Co-Champions: Chris Jericho & Chyna (12/30/1999)
WWF World Tag Team Champions: The New Age Outlaws (11/08/1999)
WWF European Champion: Val Venis (12/12/1999)
WWF Hardcore Champion: Test (1/17/2000)
WWF Women’s Champion: The Kat (12/12/1999)
~ Smackdown comes on the air with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon addressing the rest of DX. Triple H praises the Outlaws for destroying the Acolytes on Raw and rewards them with the night off. The DX’ers celebrate until Triple H tells X-Pac he doesn’t get the night off but will instead face Test. X-Pac protests until Triple H explains the winner of his match gets the #30 slot in the Royal Rumble match and once he beats Test he’ll be a shoo-in to win the title shot. Triple H then says Cactus Jack is not here tonight due to a “family illness” but feels he’s just scared of him. Stephanie tells her comrades they need to make this a night to remember.
~ We then get the intro with Michael Cole welcoming us to the show along with Jerry “The King” Lawler.
~ Things kick off with The Big Show coming to the ring to a chorus of boos and “Rocky” chants. Show gets on the mic and asks if he should start off by apologizing for not being what the fans want. Show adds maybe he should apologize for something he’ll can’t be or never will be, and that is The Rock. Show chastises the fans for booing him when he takes time from his family to shake their hands and sign autographs. Show says he knows why the fans boo him and why no one in the locker-room likes him and decides to tell us. Show claims it’s because no one else can be a 7′2″ 500-pound giant and the dominating force in the WWF. Show mentions the fans chanting for The Rock and asks if they think he’s going to win the Royal Rumble. Show says for Rock to win the Rumble he has to get past him and feels no one will stop him this Sunday. Show says he will be the one to win the Rumble, go onto Wrestlemania and get back his WWF Title. Show calls Rock out to settle the score and almost on cue Rock comes out to the stage with a mic. Show mentions the Rock chanting for him as the People’s Champion, saying he can have the people. Rock does his “Finally..” bit calling Show one of the most amazing physical specimens the WWF has ever seen yet wants to understand why a 7′2″ 500-pound former WWF Champion is whining about the fans booing him. Rock tells Show when he insults the People’s Champion, he insults the people and that leaves him with two choices. Rock says he could go into the back and wait until Sunday to eliminate him from the Rumble or he could also come down and inhale the fan’s electricity before beating Show all over Providence. To think all Show did was say he didn’t like Rock calling him a jabronie yet that’s enough to turn him heel.
Rock starts to walk down as Show awaits him when Kane emerges from the back along with Tori. Tori gets on the mic and says huge egos are running amok on Smackdown after what Rock and Show said. Tori mentions there are 28 other people capable of winning the Rumble and feels Kane will be the winner. Kane and Tori start walking down when Triple H and Stephanie come out to join the discussion. Triple H gets on the mic and says he hates egomaniacs with Rock and Show always putting themselves over. Triple H reminds them their goal is to win the Rumble so they can face him for the WWF Title at Wrestlemania but says the winner of the Rumble will be in for a long night of disappointment on April 2nd because he’s going to leave Wrestlemania the way he came in, as WWF Champion. Triple H then tells the three of them he and Stephanie can accommodate their desire to fight tonight by booking Rock, Kane and Show in the first-ever triple-threat, over the top-rope lumberjack match which he says will have 27 men surrounding the ring as they try to throw their opponents over the top rope. Yes I know that would be conflicting stipulations but whatever. Triple H adds the winner of this match doesn’t get a ticket to Wrestlemania. Rock starts talking trash at Triple H when Show goes out and attacks Rock from behind. Show and Kane then start going at it when Rock grabs a chair and nails both of them with it. Rock then walks off with the chair as Kane and Show are left laying on the floor.
~ Back from break we get an exterior shot of the Civic Center. Cole and Lawler then start talking about the WWF’s last visit to Providence, even showing the Acolytes’ bar fight at the Friendly Tap from three months ago on Raw.
X-Pac vs. Test – Non-Title Match
Winner gets the #30 spot in the Rumble and Test is still wearing the faceguard. Both men lockup to start and Test shoves X-Pac down to the mat. X-Pac gets in some shots then slips off the faceguard and pops Test in his exposed face. X-Pac goes for a whip but Test reverses and hits an elbow then clotheslines him over the ropes. X-Pac hops on the apron and spits in Test’s face, prompting Test to go out after him. Test chases after X-Pac but X-Pac throws him into the ring steps and rolls him back in the ring. X-Pac lays the boots to Test and both men exchange punches. Test gets the advantage and whips X-Pac, hitting a spinning sidewalk slam for a two count. Test whips X-Pac into a corner and charges but eats a boot. X-Pac comes out but runs into a big boot. Test climbs to the top for the elbow when The New Age Outlaws run out to ringside and Road Dogg gets the referee’s attention while Billy Gunn pulls Test onto the turnbuckle. Test tumbles back into the ring and X-Pac follows up with the X-Factor for the pin. (2:09) Thus X-Pac will be the last man to enter the Rumble. *
~ Back from break DX celebrates X-Pac’s win as X-Pac tells the Helmsleys he finally believes in them. The Outlaws then decide to head out and find something to do in Providence on their night off. Triple H tells X-Pac he’s a lock to win the Rumble and that it could be the two of them at Wrestlemania.
~ Backstage Al Snow is walking with Steve Blackman, who’s apparently going to team with him tonight. Blackman warns Snow if he hits him with Head, his skull will be split, not just his personality. Snow says this isn’t the Kansas City baggage claim and the aggression level is way too high. Snow then tells Blackman he could be the perfect partner he’s been looking for since his last partner (Mick Foley) had three personalities while Blackman doesn’t have any. Blackman takes offense to that remark and warns Snow he’s treading. Yes folks, it begins.
Kurt Angle & The British Bulldog vs. Al Snow & Steve Blackman
Bulldog helped Angle beat Blackman on Raw so we have this match. Angle gets on the mic and talks about having to face a mystery opponent at the pay-per-view. Angle says the country would be devastated if his unbeaten streak would come to an end on Sunday then adds he didn’t know the names of his opponents in the Olympics but won gold nevertheless. Angle also says some American towns like Providence make the worst towns in England look good and suggests if Providence follow his three ‘I’s it could pull itself out of its depression. Angle charges at Blackman to start but Blackman sidesteps and hammers him while Snow holds him. Blackman stomps Angle down and chokes him with his boot then goes for a whip but Angle reverses. Blackman ducks a clothesline but Angle elbows the knee before hitting a belly-to-belly suplex. The Bulldog tags in and whips Blackman into an elbow then goes for another whip. Blackman reverses Bulldog into a corner and charges but eats a boot and Bulldog scoops Blackman up. Bulldog goes for the running power slam but Snow pulls Blackman off and Blackman hits a bicycle kick. Blackman then climbs to the top and hits another kick and gets the three just like that. (1:12) Don’t know why they went with a squash. Snow tries to celebrate but Blackman wants none of it while Angle blames Bulldog for giving up the pin. I always though Snow and Blackman were an underrated duo as you’ll see in the coming weeks. DUD
~ We now get clips of the attempted preview of the Miss Rumble competition from Raw.
~ The Hardys are shown walking to the ring along with Terri as we go to commercial.
Matt Hardy (w/Jeff Hardy & Terri Runnels) vs. D’Von Dudley (w/Bubba Ray Dudley)
Cole announces these two teams will fight in a tag team tables match at the Royal Rumble. Matt attacks D’Von as he charges into the ring and goes for a whip, D’Von reverses and leapfrogs over Matt but Matt kicks him and hits a neck breaker for a two count. Matt goes for a whip; D’Von reverses him into a corner and charges but eats an elbow. Matt slams D’Von to the mat then hops to the middle rope and hits an elbow drop for a two count. Matt chokes D-Von then whips him into the opposite corner and charges at him but D’Von sidesteps. Matt lands on his feet on the turnbuckle but D’Von clubs him in the back and hits a neck breaker. D’Von goes for a whip; Matt reverses him into a corner and charges at him. D’Von backdrops Matt over the ropes but Matt lands on his feet and knocks D’Von down. Matt climbs up and hits a split-legged moonsault for a near fall then goes for a suplex. D’Von counters into his own suplex but Matt floats over and hits the Twist of Fate. Matt covers but Bubba pulls Matt out of the ring and throws him into the steps for the DQ. (1:42) Not enough time to really go anywhere. *½
Jeff charges at Bubba but gets dropped onto the barricade. Bubba grabs a chair and whacks both Hardys with the chair then knocks out the referee for good measure. D’Von hammers Matt up the ramp as Bubba sets a pair of tables up next to the stage then goes up and sets Matt up for a power bomb as Terri pleads with them not to go through with it. Before Bubba can do anything Jeff runs up with a chair and waffles both Dudleys with it then knocks Bubba off the stage right through both tables below! Bubba is out as Jeff sets of a third table by the stage and places D’Von on it. Matt then leaps off the stage and leg drops D’Von through the table!! The Hardys then pose on the stage while the Dudleys are left laying in a heap. At least the post-match was good enough to set up their tables match.
~ We now find the Outlaws enjoying their night off by paying a visit to the Friendly Tap. The duo head in and find some of the patrons cheering for them as they settle in at the bar. And I bet we’ll be seeing the Acolytes drop by real soon as we go to commercial.
~ Back from break we get a replay of the Hardys putting the Dudleys through tables. We also get a shot of Bubba Ray busted open as he has an odd look in his eyes.
~ Backstage Crash Holly is complaining to Hardcore Holly about having no competition tonight. Hardcore says he has his own problems with having Chris Jericho and Chyna as teammates then tells Crash to go find his own competition and kicks him out of the room. Hardcore shoves Crash out the door right into Viscera who just happens to be walking by. Crash talks smack to Viscera’s face and challenges him to a match, with Viscera accepting.
Chris Jericho, Chyna (w/The Kat) & Hardcore Holly vs. Too Cool & Rikishi Phatu
This match might have something to do with Chyna and Hardcore saving Jericho from an IC title loss to Rikishi on Raw. After five of the six participants come out, Jericho enters last with the belt and gets on the mic. Jericho compares the collection of people in the ring to the Cantina scene from Star Wars, saying we have two Vanilla Ice wanabees, a freak of nature and her Mini-Me buddy, a bleached-blond buffoon and a really fat guy in a diaper. Jericho adds after he becomes undisputed IC Champion he won’t have to worry about any of them again. Grandmaster Sexay starts off with a headlock on Hardcore but Hardcore shoves him into the ropes. Sexay hits a shoulder block then comes off the ropes but runs into a dropkick. Hardcore whips Sexay but Sexay slides under him and hits a forward leg sweep then spits at Jericho. Sexay starts busting a move but Jericho tags in and clotheslines him then whips him into a corner. Jericho charges but eats a boot and Sexay hops to the middle rope and hits a bulldog. Scotty 2 Hotty tags in and immediately does the Worm then whips Jericho into the ropes. Jericho connects with a flying forearm and follows up with a double under hook backbreaker. Jericho slams Scotty to the mat and goes for the Lionsault but Scotty gets the knees up to block it. Scotty tags in Rikishi who clotheslines Jericho then whips him and hits a Samoan Drop. Hardcore comes in but gets Samoan Dropped as well and Chyna comes in but Rikishi scoops her up. Jericho breaks up Rikishi’s piledriver attempt and Too Cool joins in with everyone going at it. Chyna hits a low blow on Scotty while Hardcore backdrops Sexay over the ropes to the floor. Hardcore, Chyna and Jericho triple-team Rikish in a corner as the referee tries to break it up but can’t get the three of them to stop so he calls for the bell. (2:32) Fun match but again way too short. Hardcore then turns around and clotheslines Chyna before Jericho gets in a shot on him. Jericho turns into a super kick from Rikishi who also hits the super kick on Hardcore. Rikishi then plants Chyna with a belly-to-belly suplex and drags her to a corner. Rikishi climbs up the ropes when it looks like Jericho is going to make the save with a chair. Instead Jericho clocks Hardcore with the chair and Rikishi hits the Banzai Drop on Chyna! Jericho grabs the IC belt and walks off but does grimace at what he sees in the ring. **
~ We cut back to the Friendly Tap and find some patrons telling the Outlaws how they’re going to beat the Acolytes. The bartender expresses his doubts saying the Acolytes might win the belts and the Outlaws take offense at that. Road Dogg breaks a bottle on the bartender’s head and the Outlaws throw him out of the building. The Outlaws then decide to have fun as the patrons invite them to a game of pool which they accept.
~ We then cut back to the arena and find the Acolytes watching the Outlaws on a monitor. Faarooq wonder if they’re being made fun of and Bradshaw asks him if he’s thirsty. Faarooq suggests they get some drinks and they then start to head off as we go to commercial.
The Big Bossman vs. Prince Albert
As Bossman comes out they show Albert costing him the Hardcore Title to Test on Raw. Albert comes out with a mic and talks about all the Bossman has taught him as his mentor. Albert promises the student will teach the mentor as he charges in the ring. Bossman gets in the first shots and goes for a whip but Albert reverses it and hits a body block. Albert lays the boots to Bossman and chokes him then whips him but Bossman bails out to the floor. Bossman goes to pull Albert out of the ring but Albert kicks him into the announce table. Albert scoops Bossman up and rams him into the ring post then rolls him back in and covers him. Bossman gets his foot on the rope to break the pin then jabs the eye and hits a thrust chop. Bossman whips Albert into a clothesline then works him over and goes for another whip. Albert reverses Bossman into the opposite corner and hits an Avalanche then slams him on the mat. Albert slingshots Bossman into the middle rope and Bossman rolls out to the floor. Albert follows Bossman out as the referee tries to break it up but Albert shoves him into Bossman who in turn tosses the referee aside, causing him to throw this one out. (2:03) Both men are still going at it and Albert whips Bossman into the barricade. Bossman backdrops Albert over the barricade and waffles him with a chair. Both men continue to go at it as a swarm of referees try to break it up. Nothing match as you might expect. DUD
~ Back from break we get a replay of The Rock, Big Show and Kane going at it earlier tonight. Lillian Garcia then interviews The Rock on facing Show and Kane in the over-the-top lumberjack match. Rock says his opponents are a large statuesque retard who can’t understand a word, and Kane. Rock says it doesn’t matter who his opponents are, they don’t have the Rock Bottom or People’s Elbow. Rock adds his opponents will never have the Rock’s fans chanting his name if you smell what he’s cooking.
Crash Holly vs. Viscera
Viscera’s entrance gets interrupted by the orange glow and voice saying “The mood is about to change”. Perhaps the mystery will finally be solved this Sunday. Crash strolls in the ring and Viscera easily tosses him over the ropes to the floor. Crash comes back in and tees off on Viscera but Viscera head butts him down then he shoves him through he ropes. Crash holds on and rolls right back in then goes for a whip, Viscera reverses and Crash goes for a body block but just bounces off. Crash comes off the ropes but runs into a spinning heel kick from Viscera. Viscera whips Crash back and forth between the corners and goes for a splash but Crash sidesteps it. Crash hits a dropkick and kicks at Viscera then hits a tornado bulldog but only gets a two count. Crash climbs to the top rope and hits a missile dropkick that staggers Viscera but he doesn’t go down. Crash dropkicks the leg then springboards off the ropes but Viscera catches him into a Samoan Drop. Viscera goes for a splash but misses and Crash goes for a whip. Viscera reverses it but Crash slides under him and mule kicks him in the back of the leg. Crash leaps on Viscera’s back but Viscera spins Crash around into a power bomb then kills him with the big splash and it’s over. (2:37) Total squash but a very entertaining one. *
~ We then get clips of Dr. Lloyd Youngblood’s press conference about Steve Austin’s surgery on Raw. Cole announces he had an interview with Austin which will be broadcast on RadioWWF this Saturday.
~ We then find Edge pacing around in the back thinking about something as we go to commercial.
~ Back from break we get a reminder of the Halftime Heat special on January 30th.
Edge vs. Gangrel (w/Luna Vachon)
Before the match they show clips of Edge & Christian’s match with The Godfather & D’Lo Brown on Raw. Cole mentions Edge is rumored to be judging the Miss Rumble competition along with Fred Blassie. Both men lockup to start and eventually end up in a corner where the referee forces a break. Gangrel cheap shots Edge and pounds on him in the corner then goes for a whip but Edge reverses him into a corner and hits a backdrop. Edge connects with a heel kick then whips Gangrel and goes for a neck breaker but Gangrel counters into DDT. Edge counters that into a Russian leg sweep then whips Gangrel and readies himself for the spear. Gangrel bails out to the floor so Edge leaps over the ropes and hits a cross body on the floor. Edge rolls Gangrel back in the ring when Luna comes over and whispers in his ear. Lawler feels Luna his trying to plead her case with Edge since he is (allegedly) judging the competition. Some of the other WWF women come out also wanting to plead their cases while the referee is counting. Edge seems confused as if this is the first he’s heard of the rumor and tries to climb back in the ring. However Mae Young comes out and kisses Edge causing him to get counted out. (2:13) Edge rolls into the ring but the ladies are right back on him so he quickly bails out to the floor. Not sure what the point of this was. DUD
~ We then find the Acolytes arriving at the Friendly Tap and announce their presence to everyone. The two of them take their seats as the rest of the patrons clear out knowing what’s coming up. As the Acolytes talk we see the Outlaws in the background plotting with their friends in the pool room as we go to commercial.
~ Back from break we find the 27 lumberjacks filing out to ringside for the main event.
~ But first we cut back to the Friendly Tap to find the Acolytes enjoying their beer and smoking cigars. Bradshaw notices the bartender seems to have disappeared and decides to serve himself another round. Bradshaw hops over the bar when he spots the Outlaws in the pool room and sarcastically points them out. The Acolytes act like a couple of crazy fans as they approach the pool table and laugh at them. The Outlaws’ friends tell they have their backs as Bradshaw asks how they are at two-stepping. The Outlaws strike and the patrons try to help them out only for the Acolytes to start attacking them. Road Dogg and Billy Gunn quickly scamper out of the bar as the Acolytes finish off the patrons. They soon notice the Outlaws have slipped out before saying they should get their numbers and hang out more often. Faarooq then points out a neon Boston Red Sox sign which Bradshaw smashes with a chair. Don’t quite know the story behind that.
The Rock vs. Kane (w/Tori) vs. The Big Show – Over the Top Rope Lumberjack Match
There’s still 25 minutes in the show yet they’re doing the main event now. Plus lumberjacks are normally supposed to throw you back into the ring if you’re thrown out. So if the object is to toss your opponents over the top rope, what are lumberjacks supposed to do? I know there’s a reason for them to be out there but I imagine it doesn’t involve the match. Anyway Show goes for a right hand to start but misses and Rock unloads on him. Kane and Show double-team Rock in a corner until Show shoves Kane aside so Kane attacks him. Show comes back with a head butt but misses a right hand and Kane hammers him in a corner. Kane goes for a whip but Show reverses him into a DDT from Rock. Rock hammers Show in a corner and hits the Smackdown, nearly knocking him over the ropes. Rock and Kane try to dump Show over the ropes but Show fights them off with head butts. Rock and Kane both whip Show but Show takes them both out with a double flying clothesline. Kane hits an enzuigiri on Show and Rock drives Show into the mat then goes to whip Kane but Kane reverses and hits a big boot. Kane beats on Rock in the corner but unsuccessfully tries to get him over the ropes. Kane turns and attempts to whip Show but Show reverses Kane into a power slam. Rock tries to whip Show but Show tosses him over the ropes and Rock manages to land on the apron and roll back in the ring. Rock hammers Show with clotheslines while Kane climbs to the top rope and hits the flying clothesline on Rock. Kane scoops Rock up but Rock floats over him and hits a Russian leg sweep. Rock sets Show up for a Rock Bottom but Show blocks it and choke slams him over the ropes to eliminate him. (3:17) Show choke slams Kane then looks over and exchanges words with Rock who comes back in. Rock plants Show with a Rock Bottom before Kane clotheslines Rock back out over the ropes. Show charges at Kane but Kane backdrops him over the ropes for the win. (4:09) And now all the lumberjacks start pouring into the ring and a massive brawl breaks out to do the hard sell for the Rumble. The crowd chants “Rocky!” even though Rock is nowhere to be found as we go to commercial. *½
~ Back from break Triple H exchanges goodbyes with X-Pac and Stephanie hugs him as he departs. You know that leaves Triple H with no one to help him if something should happen…
~ We then get a replay of the over-top-rope match that broke out into a Royal Rumble preview.
~ Out in the arena The Helmsleys come out to the ring to take up the rest of the time with a promo. Cole reminds us of the special RadioWWF show this Saturday with Triple H as his co-host. Triple H gets on the mic and talks about Rumbles past and the devastation unleashed at them. Triple H mentions last year’s Rumble where two best friends beat each other up before showing the Rock/Mankind “I Quit” match, pointing out the chair shots Rock gave Mankind. Triple H mentions what wasn’t shown was Mick Foley’s wife and children were sitting in the front row. Triple H says Foley’s children were crying as their father was beaten down and destroyed by the Rock because they realized Daddy was a loser and a failure. Triple H also says Foley’s wife was acting for the love of their children because she hates him. Triple H warns Foley not to bring his children to New York City or let them watch the pay-per-view because what the Rock did last year will be nothing compared to what he does to Foley on Sunday. Triple H promises to beat and bloody Foley worse than he’s ever been and love every second of it. Triple H says he will revel in every drop of blood from Foley’s head and every tear his kids shed.
To the surprise of no one Cactus Jack comes out to the stage showing he is in the building after all. Cactus gets on the mic and admits Triple H is right, that his children did suffer at last year’s Rumble. Cactus says they don’t need to see anymore so they will not be at MSG or sitting in front of the television. Cactus says Triple H has it wrong, that he’s not worried about them seeing what Triple H does to him. Cactus says what he’s worried about is his children seeing what he does to Triple H. Cactus says he doesn’t want his children’s innocent eyes to see how violent their father can be, he doesn’t want his son and daughter to see all the bloodshed that will take place, and he doesn’t want them to look in their daddy’s eyes and realize he will be loving it. Cactus tells Triple H he believes what he’s saying about this year being worse than last year yet he’s going to show up with a few surprises and he’s not talking about a garbage can or street sign. Cactus promises he’s going to bring sharp metallic objects down on Triple H with great vengeance and turn him into the world’s largest pin cushion at MSG as Triple H gets nervous. Cactus says his children are watching Smackdown and he doesn’t want to deprive them of a little action so he decides to give them a preview of what the world will be seeing in the street fight on Sunday. Triple H goes out to meet Cactus on the floor but Cactus gets the advantage and rams him into the ring steps. Cactus beats Triple H down then grabs a chair and swings it but misses and hits the steps. Triple H tries to escape through the crowd but Cactus cuts him off and the two exchange blows. Cactus gets the advantage but Triple H rams him into the announce table and grabs a chair. Triple H whacks Cactus onto the table with the chair then goes up and sets Cactus up for a Pedigree but Cactus counters it with a low blow then pile drives Triple H into the table, which doesn’t break! Cactus grabs a chair and whacks Triple H in the head with it, busting him open off camera. Cactus climbs into the ring and poses with the belt while Triple H is left laying at ringside as we fade to black.
Conclusion: As you can see this was a total go-home show as it was entirely focused on putting the finishing touches on the Royal Rumble. The in-ring action wasn’t anything stellar but the matches and segments did their job in building the undercard, and the last segment was really effective in building up the street fight. If you don’t mind the lack of quality matches then this was a decent way to head into the pay-per-view.