WWF Smackdown 5/18/2000

written by Adam King

WWF SMACKDOWN
Thursday, May 18th, 2000
Taped (5/16) from the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, MI

List of WWF Champions at the time:
WWF World Heavyweight Champion: The Rock (4/30/2000)
WWF Intercontinental Champion: Chris Benoit (5/08/2000)
WWF World Tag Team Champions: Edge & Christian (4/02/2000)
WWF European Champion: Eddie Guerrero (4/03/2000)
WWF Hardcore Champion: Crash Holly (5/15/2000)
WWF Women’s Champion: Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley (3/30/2000)
WWF Light Heavyweight Champion: Dean Malenko (4/27/2000)

~ Smackdown comes on the air and goes right to the intro with Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler welcoming us. Of course Cole reminds us we’re just 72 hours away from Judgment Day and the 60-minute Iron Man match.

~ Things kick off with the McMahon-Helmsley Regime heading to the ring en masse to start us off with talking time. Stephanie gets on the mic first and addresses Chris Jericho, promising to make him sorry for disparaging her name by booking him and any partner of his choice against Chris Benoit and Hardcore Holly tonight. Shane takes the mic and says he’s not 100% physically but will still meet The Big Show in the no-DQ match Sunday. Shane says he’s not backing out of the match despite being hurt but is instead getting pumped about the showdown. Shane then shows a clip of Show tossing him into the TitanTron on Monday, putting over Show’s superhuman strength. However Shane claims he’s no mere mortal himself and promises to rip Show’s heart out on Sunday like a ferocious lion. Shane then decides that, in addition to their match on Sunday, Shane wants to face Show one-on-one tonight as well. Vince seems taken aback by his son’s determination but Triple H and the other DX’ers wish him luck in that match. Triple H takes his turn on the mic and shows his own clip from Raw, this one of The Rock putting him through the table. Triple H calls it sickening the way fans revel in his anguish then promises to make sure Smackdown will end differently. Triple H then goes into the hard sell for the Iron Man title match, talking about battling to get the most falls in one hour to take the gold, whether they are pin falls, submissions, count outs or DQs. Triple H also explains if the 60 minutes ends in a tie The Rock will retain the title. And I imagine Bret Hart was wishing he had that rule in his match. Anyway Triple H he feels that’s not going to happen, that Judgment Day won’t have a happy ending and he will regain the title because he is that dang good. Vince gets his turn on the mic and talks about how his wife Linda McMahon has made some popular decisions lately, her latest being appointing Shawn Michaels as the special referee for this Sunday. Vince questions Linda’s wisdom in that since Michaels did create D-Generation X and has a history of volatile behavior. Vince tells Michaels that everybody hopes he uses good judgment as he officiates the championship match, or else. Vince also says the only way Rock will remain champion is if he makes a deal with the devil who Vince claims is unavailable. Vince finishes up by booking The Rock against The Dudley’s in a special handicap, lumberjack tables match tonight.

~ Back from break we find Crash Holly visiting the Acolytes and complaining about his 24/7 Hardcore title defenses before saying he desperately needs a nap. Crash offers to pay the duo a wad of cash just to watch over him for one hour and once he produces the bills Bradshaw and Faarooq accept the offer and allow Crash to curl up in a corner.

Kurt Angle vs. Scotty 2 Hotty
They’re trying to build the Sunday’s six man tag match up by having them pair off in singles matches, with these two up first. Angle first gets on the mic and talks about how he thought he saw every wrestling hold in the Olympics but has since discovered the most insulting move to all wrestlers in history, that being the Worm. Angle adds if he used the Worm in the Olympics the U.S. would finish behind Guam leaving no hero to cheer for. Both men lockup to start and Angle goes into a waist lock but Scotty fights out of it and hits a shoulder block. Scotty comes off the ropes and Angle leapfrogs over him but Scotty hits a suplex then kips up and moonwalks. Angle charges at Scotty when Scotty sidesteps then charges himself but Angle backdrops him over the ropes. Scotty lands on his feet on the apron then trips Angle on the floor and pulls him by the legs into the ring post. Scotty climbs up to the top rope and connects with a missile dropkick but only gets a two count. Scotty whips Angle into a corner and charges but Angle sidesteps and Scotty runs his shoulder into the post. Angle follows up with a suplex for a near fall then whips Scotty but both men end up clotheslining each other. Scotty starts fighting back and whips Angle into a jumping elbow then whips him again and hits a backdrop. Scotty whips Angle into a corner and comes off the ropes with the bulldog then follows that up with the Worm. Angle rolls out to the floor to regroup but Scotty brings him back in the ring. Scotty then jumps on Angle’s back going for a victory roll but Angle sits down on the shoulders and that gets the pin. (3:08) Could have been better but still a decent match. **

~ Backstage the Acolytes continue with their poker game while Crash is snoring nearby.

~ Back from break Chyna makes her way to the ring by herself and gets on the mic announcing a change made to the pay-per-view. Chyna says there won’t be a triple threat for the European Title on Sunday but instead Eddie Guerrero will defend the title against the winner of the next match one-on-one. Chyna proceeds to bring out Saturn and Malenko while making fun of them before introducing Eddie as the special referee.

Perry Saturn vs. Dean Malenko – #1 Contender’s Match
Malenko and Saturn are distrustful of Eddie at first but do eventually lockup with Malenko getting a headlock. Saturn whips Malenko and Malenko hits a shoulder block but Saturn comes back with a leg sweep. Saturn applies a headlock and Malenko tries to counter into a wristlock when Saturn goes into a hammerlock but Malenko counters that with a Fireman’s carry. Malenko goes into an arm bar when Saturn tries to go for a whip but Malenko reverses it and Saturn gets him with a Sunset Flip. Both men go back and forth countering covers then stand nose-to-nose when Malenko offers a hand. Saturn responds by jabbing Malenko’s eyes and whipping him and Malenko attempts a crucifix pin. Saturn tries to counter that into a press slam but Malenko lands on his feet when Saturn grabs a waist lock but Malenko fights out and rolls him up for a two count. Malenko stomps Saturn then goes for a whip, Saturn reverses looking for a dropkick but Malenko fakes him out. Malenko then goes for the Texas Cloverleaf but Saturn grabs the ropes then tosses Malenko through the ropes. Malenko climbs on the apron but Saturn goes out and trips Malenko into the apron before throwing him back in. Saturn clotheslines Malenko for a near fall then hammers him with rights while Eddie demands he back away but Saturn refuses to listen. So Eddie shoves him from behind and Saturn turns toward Eddie who’s ready to go but doesn’t see Malenko grabbing his Light Heavyweight belt. Malenko clocks Saturn in front of Eddie and Eddie allows Malenko to covers Saturn for the pin but grabs the belt himself and waffles Malenko with it. Both Malenko and Saturn are out as Eddie calls for the bell and Chyna declares this match is a draw. (3:43) Chyna says as a result it will be a triple threat match for the European Title at the pay-per-view after all then tells both men good luck before she and Eddie depart while both Eddie’s opponents are left laying. NR

~ Back from break we get an exterior shot of the Joe Louis Arena as Cole buzzes about the handicap main event.

Christian vs. Grandmaster Sexay
Christian knocks Sexay through the ropes as he does his posing then goes out and attempts a whip on the floor but Sexay reverses it. Christian stops himself before hitting the ring steps then turns and drops Sexay onto the steps. Sexay comes back and crotches Christian into the post before throwing him back in the ring. Sexay hits an Atomic Drop followed by a clothesline for a two count then applies a headlock. Christian shoves him off into the ropes when Sexay hits a shoulder block then comes off the ropes and Christian leapfrogs over him but Sexay hits the Stroke. Sexay busts a move then goes for a splash in a corner but Christian sidesteps it and hits him with a Slop Drop. Christian lays the boots to Sexay and whips him into a power slam for a near fall. Christian whips Sexay into a corner but Sexay springs off the ropes into a cross body for two. Sexay applies an arm wringer when Christian reverses it and Sexay reverses back into his hold but Christian hits a Russian leg sweep. Christian hits a neck breaker and kicks Sexay in the back then chokes him in a corner and hits a backbreaker that gets a near fall. Christian slams Sexay to the mat then sets him on the top rope and goes up but Sexay fights him back down and hits a bulldog. Sexay goes for a whip, Christian reverses but Sexay hits a power bomb for a two count. Sexay goes for a whip, Christian reverses him into a corner and charges but Sexay stops him with a super kick. Sexay climbs to the top rope looking for the Hip Hop Drop but Christian stops him and throws him to the mat. Christian gets an O’Connor roll but Sexay counters into a rollup and grabs the tights for the pin. (4:33) Another solid match in this series. Cole claims Christian went for the tights first which makes it okay but I didn’t see anything like it on the replay. Anyway that’s one win for Team Rikishi and one win for Team ECK, so it’s up to Edge and Rikishi to break the tie. **½

~ Backstage The Acolytes are still playing cards while Crash snoozes nearby when they get a visit by Bobcat, the Godfather’s woman who pinned Crash for the Hardcore title on Raw. Bobcat points out Crash sleeping on the floor then grabs a chair just as referee Terry Long comes in behind her but Bradshaw puts a stop to that and sends back her out the door making sure Crash’s sleep his not disturbed.

~ Out in the arena Val Venis comes out to the ring and gets on the mic but doesn’t do his “Hello Ladies” thing, instead claiming that lately he’s been held back by the most repressive regime in history, the McMahon-Helmsley Faction. Val says for weeks he’s been showing up only to constantly get told “we just don’t have any plans for you right now” so from now on he’s making his own plans. Val then mentions how he held the Intercontinental Title last year and decides to challenge whomever is the IC Champion after Judgment Day to defend the title against him on Raw. Naturally the current champion Chris Benoit makes his way out and gets on the mic to answer Val’s challenge. Benoit says there’s no doubt he will remain champion after Sunday and tells Val tough break on being passed over but does accept his challenge on Raw. However Benoit then suggests the two of them have their match right now but before anything happens Chris Jericho makes his way out and gets on the mic to offer his thoughts on the subject. Jericho tells “Ben-oyt” there may be a roadblock on his plans to retaining the IC title in the form of the Walls of Jericho. Jericho adds the Crippler will be Crippled after Sunday and thus it will be him defending the title against Val on Raw. However Hardcore Holly comes out to add his two cents and tells Val if anyone deserves a title shot it should be him so Jericho ends this discussion by choosing Val as his partner for the tag match and decides to start things off right now.

Chris Jericho & Val Venis vs. Chris Benoit & Hardcore Holly
Jericho goes out to meet Hardcore and the two fight on the floor while Val and Benoit duke it out in the ring. Val whips Benoit who slides under him but Val spins him around into an Atomic Drop then hits a clothesline. Benoit chops back and goes for a whip but Val reverses it into a power slam. Val covers Benoit but Hardcore comes in to save it so Val knocks Hardcore back through the ropes. Val sets Benoit up for a suplex but Benoit hits his own suplex. Benoit chops Val in a corner and whips him but Val kicks the face and both men end up clotheslining each other. Jericho gets the tag form Val and takes it to both opponents then comes off the rope with a bulldog on Benoit. Jericho goes for a whip, Benoit reverses it but Jericho connects with an elbow and follows up with the Lionsault. Hardcore breaks up Jericho’s cover but Val comes in and clotheslines Hardcore and himself over the ropes. Benoit hammers away on Jericho but Jericho takes him down by the legs and goes into the Walls of Jericho. However Hardcore grabs a chair and whacks Val on the floor and goes in and nails Jericho with it for a DQ. (2:17) Match could have been good but was chaotic, but then it was over too quickly. Hardcore turns and hits Benoit with the chair then hammers his knee with it and caps off with a knee breaker. Hardcore then departs and Benoit his screaming while holding his knee as the EMTs come out to tend to him. *½

~ Back from break we get a replay of Hardcore Holly hitting everyone with a chair and attacking Chris Benoit’s knee. We then see the EMTs working on Benoit’s knee as Cole asks how this incident now affects the submission match.

Rikishi (w/Too Cool) vs. Edge (w/Christian & Kurt Angle)
Christian comes out wearing a Red Wings jersey and gets on the mic saying they hate disappointing the fans so Edge unveils their latest 5-second pose, the NHL’s Greatest Moment Ever. Christian dons a goalie’s helmet while Edge reveals an Avalanche jersey and takes a hockey stick form Angle then hits an imaginary puck between Christian’s legs while Christian just looks down and watches it go by. Rikishi hammers Edge with right hands to start and whips him into a corner then hits the running butt splash already. Edge slumps to the mat and Rikishi moves in for a stink face but Edge slips on Christian’s goalie helmet to block it. Edge laughs at Rikishi then charges at him but Rikishi hits a Samoan Drop then takes the helmet for himself. Rikishi looks to drag Edge into a corner but Angle and Christian come in and that’s it for this one. (1:13) Scotty 2 Hotty and Grandmaster Sexay also come in and all six men go at it to finish the hard sell for their match. Eventually Rikishi and friends clear their opponents from the ring and commence with the post-match dance. However the Too Cool trio turns their backs to Team ECK who come back in and ambush them from behind. Angle and friends then mock them with their own dancing before the faces recover and chase them off. NR

~ We get a shot of the Acolytes still playing cards while Crash is still out of it as we go to commercial.

~ Back form break Gerald Briscoe brings Kid Rock’s little buddy Joe C to the Acolytes thinking he’s some little kid who wants to meet them but Joe C responds with some bleeped-out words for Briscoe. Joe C then greets his friends and invites them to join him at a bar. Bradshaw is hesitant but Faarooq points out Crash’s hour is up so he and Bradshaw depart with Joe C giving Briscoe some parting bleeps. Of course Crash is still asleep through all this and unaware he’s been left vulnerable to a pin fall.

The Big Show vs. Shane McMahon
Show comes out ready to go but Shane gets on the mic claiming he’s misplaced his gear but says he’ll be ready on Sunday. Shane then claims his speed makes Show look like the Big Slow before deciding to put Show in a gauntlet match instead. Shane brings out Test & Albert at his first two opponents but Show is able to fights them off with head butts before he slams both men to the mat in succession. Albert nails Show from behind then he and Test whip Show but Show connects with a clothesline on both of them. Show tosses Test over the ropes and takes Albert out with a choke slam Shane is not happy with this turn. Shane then brings The Big Bossman and Bull Buchanan out as the next team while Show awaits them in the ring when Test chop blocks Show’s knee to bring him down. Test and Albert help out with a 4-on-1 beating on Show and Bossman and Buchanan whip him but Show clotheslines Test & Albert then clothesline both of them down too. Shane tells Show he’s not quite done just yet and brings out more back-up in the form of Road Dogg & X-Pac. The six men swarm all over Show in the ring and work him over but Show is able to send all of them flying away. Show takes out everyone he sees with head butts and punches then knocks Test and Albert’s heads together. Show grabs X-Pac by the throat but before he can hit the choke slam Shane whacks him in the back with a chair. That turns the tide as Buchanan nails Show with an axe kick, Road Dogg hits the juke ‘n jive punches and X-Pac follows up with an X-Factor into the chair. Shane then claims he’s going to choke slam Show and T & A hold Show up while Shane stands on the chair and grabs Show by the neck as T & A lift both of them up and drop them for the pin. (3:48) Everyone in the ring celebrate the win with Test and Bossman even parading Shane around on their shoulders. NR

~ Back form break we get a replay of Shane pinning Show after “choke slamming” him with a lot of help from his friends. Surely this means Show is getting his revenge on Sunday, right?

~ Backstage we find Gerald Briscoe asking referee Jim Korderas to make his count quietly as a mouse and you can guess what’s next. Sure enough Briscoe creeps into the Acolytes’ office with Korderas and finds Crash still soundly asleep in the corner. Briscoe puts a finger on Crash and nearly wakes him up but tries again and Korderas counts a silent three for the pin, making Briscoe the Hardcore Champion! Briscoe quietly celebrates and tries to leave with the belt but Korderas accidentally kicks a chair over waking Crash up. Crash finds his belt missing and Korderas nearby then realizes what just happened as Briscoe tries to make his escape. Crash chases after Briscoe who makes his way to the ring to celebrate but Crash has him cornered and a match is on.

WWF Hardcore Title: Gerald Briscoe © vs. Crash Holly
Briscoe tries to flee the ring and Crash is able to cut off his escape but Briscoe drops him with a right hand and hammers away on him. Crash starts fighting back and stomps Briscoe down in a corner then goes out and brings several weapons in the ring. Briscoe heads out and tries to flee into the crowd but Crash catches him and throws him into the post. Crash tosses Briscoe back in the ring and breaks a broom over his back then turns and finds Pat Patterson making his way down the ramp. This allows Briscoe to nail Crash from behind with a trash can then he and Patterson set Crash in a corner. Briscoe heads out with the belt in hand while Patterson drops his pants looking to give Crash a stink face. Fortunately Crash stops Patterson with a kick below the belt then jabs him with the broom handle in the rear. Crash leaves Patterson reeling in the ring as he chases after Briscoe to the back. First Bobcat, now Briscoe, this is why the 24/7 rule really needed to be killed off by now.

~ Backstage Kevin Kelly is standing outside The Rock’s door waiting to interview him just as Gerald Briscoe runs by.

~ Back from break we get a replay of Shawn Michaels being named the guest referee for the Iron Man match on Raw. After that Kevin Kelly interviews The Rock for his thoughts on his big match asking if he thinks Triple H has a plan. Rock puts a rhyme talking about Shawn Michaels making all the calls when DQ’s and count outs now count as falls. Rock mentions the last time he, Triple H and Michaels were in the ring together Michaels cost him the WWF Title so he warns Michaels that he never forgets, just like he’s never forgotten all the different matches he and Triple H had. Rock says the Iron Man is the one match they haven’t done and Triple H will get every ounce of sweat for one hour. Rock says he’s walking out of Judgment Day still WWF Champion before finishing up with the usual conclusion.

~ Back from break the DX Regime start leading the lumberjacks to the ring with Road Dogg & X-Pac carrying a table and they’re soon joined by T & A, Big Bossman & Bull Buchanan, The Stooges and the McMahons all carrying tables out.

The Rock vs. The Dudley Boyz – Handicap Lumberjack Tables Match
Not sure how this match is supposed to work, not that it’s going to matter anyway. Rock starts off with Bubba Ray Dudley who gets in the first shots and goes for a whip but Rock reverses it and hits an elbow. Rock whips Bubba and Test and Albert grab Bubba’s legs from the floor getting his attention while Rock clotheslines over the ropes. The lumberjacks swarm all over Bubba before throwing him back in and Rock hammers away at Bubba and goes for a whip. Bubba reverses it and plants Rock with a sidewalk slam then tags D’Von in and sets Rock up while D’Von climbs to the top rope and hits the head butt to the groin. D’Von whips Rock but Rock ducks an elbow and starts fighting back before clotheslining D’Von over the ropes. Bubba comes in but Rock tosses him over the ropes and the lumberjacks descend on both Dudley’s on the floor. Triple H hops on the apron and Rock decks him but X-Pac pulls Rock out to the floor and he gets beaten on. Rock and the Dudley’s are all tossed back in the ring and all three look at each other coming to the same idea. Vince suddenly looks worried on the ramp when Rock and the Dudley’s charge out going after the lumberjacks. Bossman holds Rock for a nightstick shot from Buchanan but Buchanan misses Rock and nails Bossman instead. Rock takes Buchanan and Bossman out with the nightstick when Triple H comes up but Rock tees off on him and rams Triple H into the barricade. The Dudley’s suplex Albert on the ramp and Bubba places Test on a table while D’Von climbs to the top and drives Test through the table with a plancha. Rock chokes Triple H with a TV cable when the DX’ers come to his aid but the Dudley’s pull them in the ring. Rock comes back against Triple H on the floor and rams him into the announce table then punches him low. The Dudley’s have set the tables up and Bubba places X-Pac on one of them then climbs up to the middle rope but Tori stops Bubba with a low blow allowing X-Pac to drive him through a table with a super X-Factor. X-Pac then comes to Road Dogg’s aid against D’Von and the DX’ers power bomb him through the other table. Briscoe and Patterson slide another table in the ring and set it up before Triple H tosses Rock in there as well. Rock tries fighting back against everyone he sees and even drives Buchanan through a table with the spine buster. Rock then tees off on Triple H and sets him up for a Rock Bottom through a table but X-Pac breaks it up and nails Rock with the spin kick. Triple H sets Rock up then hits his own version of the Rock Bottom through a table! (6:48) Vince gets on the mic and proclaims DX the winner and the heels stand tall on the ramp as we fade to black. NR

Conclusion: And there’s your go-home show for Judgment Day. They went lighter on the talking and had more in-ring action with a couple of solid bouts but most of the matches either had screwy finishes or no finishes at all just to polish up angles for the pay-per-view. Plus with the way DX dominated The Rock, Big Show and The Dudley’s on this program you’d think some of them would get their revenge on the super card. So I’d say this show was slightly better than Raw but still thumbs down.