Written by: Adam King
WWF RAW IS WAR
Monday, August 14th, 2000
Live from the Providence Civic Center in Providence, RI
List of WWF Champions at the time:
● WWF World Heavyweight Champion: The Rock (6/25/2000)
● WWF Intercontinental Champion: Val Venis (7/06/2000)
● WWF World Tag Team Champions: Edge & Christian (6/25/2000)
● WWF European Champion: Perry Saturn (7/23/2000)
● WWF Hardcore Champion: Steve Blackman (6/29/2000)
● WWF Women’s Champion: Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley (3/30/2000)
● WWF Light Heavyweight Champion: Dean Malenko (4/27/2000)
~ Raw comes on the air and goes right to the intro with Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler welcoming us. After that we get highlights of the tag team match on Smackdown continuing the Triple/Kurt Angle/Stephanie saga. Yes, they did indeed put the video package that ususally starts off the shows after the opening for whatever reason. JR then runs down tonight’s card which includes Val Venis defending the Intercontinential Title against Chris Jericho, the Undertaker facing Chris Benoit and Rikishi taking on Road Dogg & X-Pac in a handicap match.
~ Things kick off with Kurt Angle making his way to the ring to make sure we still have our opening talkathon. Angle gets on the mic and says he’s glad to be in Rhode Island, which the rest of the country feels is a nothing state. Angle then brings up Triple H abandoning him in their match last Thursday, calling it gutless, cowardly and just plain wrong. Angle wants to know why Triple H never liked him since the day he came to the WWF, especially after Triple H tried to sabatoge his undefeated streak and never gave him a title shot when he was WWF Champion. Angle figures Triple H is jealous of him because he did things in a short time that took Triple H years to accomplish. Angle explains that in just his first nine months in the WWF he’s held titles and won tournaments among other things while Triple H’s first nine months in the WWF saw him fighting “hog pen matches” and stuff like that. Ouch! Angle calls Triple H bitter and jealous and that it pains him to see his good friend Stephanie saddled with such a loser. At this point Triple H finally storms out to the ring ready to give Angle a physical rebuttal when Shane McMahon quickly slides in and tries to keep them separated. Shane takes the mic and says their bickering is killing Stephanie especially after she nearly took a Rock Bottom on Thursday. Shane claims Stephanie is becoming more and more traumitized and doesn’t even know if she’s going to be here tonight. Shane chastises Triple H for leaving his tag team partner and tells Angle that he’s wrong for calling Triple H a loser. Shane assures each man that the other is okay before asking them to focus on The Rock and the WWF Championship. Almost on cue Commissioner Mick Foley decides to make his way to the ring and try to stir things up on the mic. Foley commends Shane for trying to pull the family together and admits Triple H and Angle need to work together. Foley says they will do just that tonight, right here in Providence, when they take on The Rock and the Dudley Boyz. Shane calls it unfair that his pals have to go at it 3-on-2 so Foley decides to add Shane to the match as their partner then warns Triple H and Angle not to walk out of the match or they’re out of the WWF Title match at SummerSlam. Foley then leaves while saying have a nice day as Shane continues to try and keep Triple H and Angle apart.
~ Backstage we find Chris Benoit arriving at the building but can’t seem get the dressing room door to open. Benoit knocks on the door when it suddenly opens and Chris Jericho leaps out at Benoit and pounds away on him. Jericho continues wailing on Benoit when a bunch of referees try to pull him off as we go to commercial.
~ Back from break we get a replay of Chris Jericho jumping Chris Benoit and getting in his shots before SummerSlam. We then find Benoit tearing through the backstage area searching for Jericho. Shane catches up to Benoit and desparately tries to get him to focus on the Undertaker tonight but Benoit doesn’t want to hear about it.
~ Elsewhere we find the Kaientai duo paying the Acolytes a visit with Funaki telling Taka Mickinoku this is a bad idea. On Heat last night Taka and Funaki tried to hire the Acolytes but their check bouced and they’re in the doghouse with them. Taka and Funaki apologize to Bradshaw and Faarooq for the bad check and want to make it up to them by taking them out for some drinking at a nearby bar. Bradshaw and Faarooq chuckle but decide to take them up on their offer and Bradshaw even knows just the place. Since this is Providence I bet you can guess the name of that bar and what usually happens there.
- Eddie Guerrero (w/Chyna) & Steve Blackman vs. T & A (w/Trish Stratus)
Eddie’s still after Val Venis who ambushed Blackman after a successful Hardcore Title defense on Smackdown, but since Val is busy with his IC title match later, his pals Test and Albert will have to do. Or something. Test pounds on Blackman to start and whips him into a corner but eats an elbow. Blackman hits a thrust kick followed by a clothesline then goes out and grabs his weapons even though this isn’t a Hardcore rules match. Test pulls Blackman onto the apron but Blackman snaps his neck on the ropes. Blackman heads in and tags Eddie who slings himself over the ropes into a hilo. Eddie goes for a whip but Test reverses it and Albert kicks him from behind. Test follows it up with a tilt-o-whril slam then tags in Albert and the two of them whip Eddie into a corner. Test whips Albert into an Avalanche on Eddie and follows up with a big boot. Albert hits a backbrearer then holds on and hits a second backbreaker followed by a press slam and Blackman breaks up the pin. Eddie tries to fight back but Albert just shrugs off his blows then whips him when Eddie dropkicks him away. Eddie dropkicks Albert’s knee and tags in Blackman while Test also tags in but Blackman greets him with a kick. Albert comes in but he eats a thrust kick then Blackman dropkicks Test and nails Albert with a roundhouse kick. Eddie then climbs to the top rope and nails Albert with a missile dropkick that sends him rolling out to the floor. Blackman takes Test down with the pump kick as we see Albert has a kendo stick from Blackman’s bag in hand. Chyan tries to warn the referee about Albert but ends up distracting him from seeing Blackman covering Test. Albert whacks Blackman with the stick and Test gets the three with Eddie a second too late to make the save. (2:35) Didn’t really do it for me, mainly because it was too short to really go anywhere. *
~ Outside we find Kurt Angle holding an umbrella as a limo pulls up and it just happens to be Stephanie McMahon arriving. Angle plays the gentlemen for Stephanie, opening her door, offering her his umbrella and even carrying her bags for her. Angle also thanks Stephanie for coming back to his side on Smackdown, calling her a true friend and giving her a kiss on the cheek. We then cut backstage to find Triple H watching this on a monitor and getting real unhappy as we go to commercial.
~ Back from break we get a replay of Kurt Angle greeting Stephanie and Triple H nearly exploding at the scene. We then find Stephanie walking in the back when Triple H comes up and confronts her about her “friend” Kurt Angle who just happened to be outside waiting for her while he was in the back where he feels he should be. Triple H then reminds Stephanie how she left his side on Smackdown and went back to the ring to check on her friend, plus he had to come back out and help her only to get chokeslammed and Rock Bottomed for his troubles. Stephanie is on the verge of tears and suggests she should just leave and Triple H thinks that’s a good idea.
~ Out in the arena Steven Richards leads the Right Censor to the ring for the next match but first gets on the mic. Richards claims the Right To Censor are not the only ones who are working to protect the children of America, claiming there are other groups out there who know what’s best for the children, even if the fans do not. Richards says the RTC will fight the good fight until laws are passed to curtail the sexuality and violence of the WWF. Richards mentions they’ve challenged the Hardy Boyz and Lita, fearing children will emluate this “unwholesome” trio and even shows a clip of Lita from last night on Heat to demonstrate his point before proclaiming “No more!!”
- The Hardy Boyz & Lita vs. Bull Buchanan & The Goodfather (w/Steven Richards) – 3-on-2 Handicap Match
Matt and Jeff beat the RTC’ers in a straight-up tag match last night on Heat so they decided to have this semi-rematch with Lita legally involved. The Hardys and Lita rush the ring and go right to work on the RTC’ers as the referee tries to establish order and the action settles down to Jeff and Goodfather in the ring. Goodfather whips Jeff but Jeff fakes him out then nails Richards with a dropkick through the ropes. Goodfather chases Jeff back in as Jeff tags in Matt and both Hardys whip Goodfather into a double elbow then hit their combo move and Matt covers for a quick count. Matt tees off on Godfather with rights and goes for a whip but Godfather counters into a short-arm clothesline. Buchanan tags in but Matt trips him with a drop toehold then tags Jeff. Buchanan drops Jeff over the ropes then distracts the referee while Goodfather drops Jeff face-first onto the apron before rolling him back in. Buchanan pummels Jeff in a corner then tags Goodfather in and the RTC’ers whip Jeff and hit a double boot. Goodfather drops Jeff with a right hand and stomps him then chokes him with his shoe while holding the ropes and follows up with a back suplex that gets a two count. Buchanan tags in to take over on Jeff and whips him into a press slam then whips him into a corner and clotheslines him. Bichanan whips Jeff the other way and charges at him but Jeff sidesteps him and makes the tag to Matt. Goodfather also gets the tag when Matt gets in his shots and goes for a whip, Goodfather reverses but Matt comes back with a flying forearm. Matt and Jeff whip Goodfather into a corner and Matt drops down while Jeff connects with Poetry in Motion. Jeff backdrops Buchanan over then ropes then climbs to the top rope and connects with an axehandle on him. In the ring Matt wails on Goodfather in a corner but Buchanan makes it back in and nails Matt from behind. The RTC’ers whip Matt and go for a double suplex but Matt counters with DDTs and all three men are down. Matt gets to his feet but staggers into his corner where Lita tags herself in for the first time in this match. Buchanan rolls out to the floor while Lita climbs to the top rope and connects with a moonsault on Goodfather. Lita climbs to the top rope a second time then turns and nails Buchanan with a flying crossbody on the floor. Lita then tries to get to her feet when Richards comes up and takes her out with the Stevenkick. Richards rolls Lita’s lifeless form back in the ring and Goodfather hits a shoulderbreaker for the pin. (5:00) As usual Richards declares this outcome acceptable. Okay through unmemorable tag match and I guess Lita was in there just so the Hardys wouldn’t have to job. *½
The Hardys are still fighting with Buchanan and Goodfather when Edge and Christian run in brandishing chairs looking to give Lita the chair sandwich Jeff suffered recently. E&C swing the chairs but Matt comes in and pushes Lita out of the way causing the chairs to hit each other. Edge then stomps away on Matt and shoves him into Christian who nails him with an Unprettier onto the chair. E&C then have parting words with the fallen Matt Hardy before departing the ring with their chairs in hand.
~ We then cut over to the nearby Friendly Tap and find the Acolytes enjoying some drinks with Taka and Funaki. Taka suggests they drink sake next and Bradshaw misunderstands so Faarooq has to educate his partner on what it is. Bradshaw then balks at drinking something warm so he orders more cold beer and some kamikazes for their pals. Since it is The Friendly Tap we now count down the minutes before the bar fight breaks out.
~ Back at the building we find Stephanie about to tearfully climb into her limo when Shane catches up to her and tries to convince her to stay. Stephanie sobs her own husband doesn’t want her here so she’s leaving and Shane continues to plead with her but her mind is made up so she heads in the limo and drives into the night.
~ Back from break we get a replay of The Hardys and Lita losing their match and getting jumped by Edge & Christian. E&C then make their way back out to the ring proudly showing off their title belts and chairs which they sit down on. Edge gets on the mic and talks about actions speaking louder than words then asks the fans to now hear their words. Edge says he and Christian are having a sitdown strike protesting the unfair treatment from the Hardys and Dudleys after they put them through tables on Smackdown while Mick Foley did nothing about it except eat cotton candy and scratch himself backstage. Christian takes the mic and says he and Edge aren’t moving until Mick Foley serves them a big bowl of justice soup. Mick Foley comes out to the stage and gets on the mic talking about how the hurtful things E&C said about him. Foley brings up what E&C did to the Hardys, the Dudleys, Kane, Dean Malenko and what they almost did to Lita. Foley admits he did sit back while the acts of heinosity were going on and has made a decision the two might like. Foley tells E&C at SummerSlam the Hardys and Dudleys can’t interfere in their title defense with tables and ladders and E&C are happy … until Foley mentions they’ll be in a match with the Hardys and the Dudleys involving tables and ladders. Foley warns E&C to bring the chairs because it will be a “TLC” match at Summerslam: Tables, Ladders and Chairs. Foley then says “Tables, Ladders & Chairs, oh my!” and starts up a chant the fans pick up on while E&C are furious.
~ Backstage Triple H is pacing in his lockerroom when Shane comes in griping about the match Mick Foley just made but Triple H tells Shane he doesn’t care about that. Triple H talks on them having to team up with Kurt Angle for the six-man tag, feeling he’s tried to keep the peace with Angle but can’t and even blames him for Stephanie leaving the building crying. Triple H wants to finish this thing with Angle tonight but Shane tries to calm him down saying they can work this out. Shane then mentions he needs to head out to be in Chris Benoit’s corner but will talk to Angle before their match.
~ We then find Undertaker riding through the backstage area on his way to the ring as we go to commercial.
~ Back from break Shane is walking with Chris Benoit to the ring while trying to calm Edge & Christian down. Shane assures E&C they’ll get this whole ‘TLC’ thing taken care of later then gives them the rest of the night off.
- The Undertaker vs. Chris Benoit (w/Shane McMahon)
Apparenlty Taker is still on his revenge tour against Shane’s buddies for Kane getting chokeslammed through the stage two weeks ago, and after he eliminated the Big Show last week I guess Benoit’s next on his hit list. hane gets Taker’s attention as Benoit tries to attack him from behind but Taker catches him with a right hand. Taker works Benoit over in a corner then whips him into the opposite corner and charges at him but eats a boot. Benoit whips Taker into the corner and kicks away at him but Taker throws him in the corner and gets his shots. Taker whips Benoit into the opposite corner and clotheslines him then plants Benoit with a sidewalk slam. Taker misses an elbowdrop and Benoit goes for a whip which Taker reverses but Benoit rolls under a big boot and dropkicks Taker in his hurt knee. Taker grabs Benoit’s leg but Benoit comes back with an enzuigiri then climbs to the top rope and hits the diving headbutt already so not surprisingly only gets a two count. Benoit is shocked the headbutt failed and goes for a whip when Taker reverses it and grabs him by the throat but Benoit kicks at Taker’s knee to escape the chokeslam. Benoit comes off the ropes but runs into a big boot. Taker whips Benoit and hits a back drop then follows up with a vicious clothesline and looks to finish this. Taker sets Benoit up for the Last Ride but Shane flies in with a chair and whacks Taker in the back for a DQ. (2:54) Because we just can’t let Benoit go over Taker so we have to use this finish to bail him out. This was actually a solid match for the time it lasted. **
~ Shane flies at Taker with a chairshot to the head then stomps on him while Benoit slaps him in the Crossface. Suddenly the pyro erupts as Kane makes his return from injury so Shane and Benoit quickly flee from the ring. After Shane and Benoit depart Kane helps Taker up .. then grabs him by the throat and chokeslams him! Kane then picks Taker back up and chokeslams him a second time, this time sending him clear through the ring! Kane asks his fallen brother “How’s it feel?” then climbs on Taker’s motorcycle and rides it up the ramp. Now this heel turn made no sense, but with the Big Show demoted to the fat farm I guess the bookers needed a heel to stand in against Taker so Kane was drafted.
~ Back from break we get a report from Michael Cole who’s at the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles. Cole talks about the WWF’s non-partisan campaign to get the fans registered to vote so they can elect the President. Cole says The Rock and Chyna will open the Wednesday session and mentions Linda McMahon is also in attendance.
~ Next we get several replays of Kane’s sudden heel turn and his chokeslam of Undertaker through the ring. We then find Taker holding his left arm in pain while vowing to get even with Kane as the EMT’s check him out.
~ Elsewhere Shane and Benoit chuckle at Taker’s problems when Kurt Angle appears so Shane turns to confront him about the way he looks at Stephanie. Shane accuses Angle of interfering in her marriage to Triple H and Angle is shocked and yells at Shane for questioning his integrity then decides he needs to be alone and walks off.
~ We then check back at the Friendly Tap and find Taka and Funkai completely drunk and getting a little rowdy. Some of the patrons threaten to beat them up but the Acolytes stand up for their new buds and change their minds. Bradshaw then suggests to Taka that he buy the patrons a round of kamikazes.
~ Back in the arena we see some WWF officials trying to repair the ring as we get yet another replay of the chokeslam. JR mentions Tazz will be in action in the next match but Lawler says he won’t be here as we go to commercial.
~ Back from break we find Lawler has left the announce table after Mick Foley asked him not to be at ringside, especially after it was announced on Heat that Lawler will square off against Tazz at SummerSlam.
- Tazz vs. Crash Holly
This match was supposed to happen on Smackdown but didn’t since Tazz was too busy duking it out with Lawler. Tazz makes his way out first but decides to head over to the announce table and get in JR’s face again asking where his buddy’s at while calling him “numbface”. Tazz tells JR that he’s going to get him when Crash comes out and rams Tazz into the table then rolls him in the ring to start the match. Tazz greets Crash with a right hand and stomps away at him then goes for a whip but Crash reverses it and hits a jumping forearm. Crash then climbs to the top rope and connects with a missile dropkick for a two count. Crash goes for a whip, Tazz reverses him into a corner and Crash tries to lift himself up but Tazz cacthes him and hits a whiplash slam. Tazz chokes Crash on the mat then whips him and slaps on the Tazzmission for the win. (1:10) Yup. NR
With that sqaush done Tazz heads back out and continues chewing out JR, saying they have unfinished business and even takes his cowboy hat. Ross tries to stand up to confront Tazz but gets shoved back down. Tazz stands over JR when Jerry Lalwer runs back out to save his partner and starts going at it with Tazz. The referees quickly come out to separate the two of them while JR is begging Lawler to break Tazz’s jaw.
~ Backstage we find Kurt Angle talking to himself, not happy with Shane McMahon questioning his integrity and wondering who says a guy and a girl can’t be just friends and why there has to be sexual tension between them. Just Joe then comes in and tells Angle that he’s heard that someone wants to meet him in the parking lot in a half hour. Angle asks Joe to tell Triple H and Shane he’ll be waiting right here for them with his medals but Joe says it’s not them. Joe says he doesn’t know who’s issuing the challenge, he’s just passing along the information he currently has.
~ Back from break JR thanks Lalwer for sticking up for him and Lawler assures his pal he doesn’t owe him anything. Lawler mentions Tazz being thug life born and thug life bred but he might be thug life dead come SummerSlam.
- Rikishi vs. Road Dogg & X-Pac – Handicap Match
The DX’ers come out first and due their usual thing on the mic while mentioning Tori who has yet to return. Rikishi takes it to both guys to start with right hands but the DX’ers regroup and double-team Rikishi in a corner. Rikishi shoves them both away then whips X-Pac who goes for a Sunset Flip but can’t get Rikishi off his feet. Rikishi looks for the sitdown splash but Road Dogg interupts it with a shot from behind and the DX’ers take over. Road Dogg and X-Pac each clothesline Rikishi down in a corner and X-Pac follows up with the Bronco Buster. Road Dogg hits the juke ‘n’ jive punches but Rikishi ducks the big right and Road Dogg nails X-Pac by accident. Rikishi decks Road Dogg and works X-Pac over but Road Dogg stops it and helps X-Pac hit a clothesline. The DX’ers then both apply a nerve hold and Rikishi starts to fade as the referee moves in to check the arm. The arm drops once, twice, but stays up the third time and Rikishi gets to his feet and fights out of the hold. Rikishi knocks the DX’ers heads together and clotheslines them then plants Road Dogg with a Samoan Drop. Rikishi decks X-Pac and whips him into Road Dogg in a corner then hits the running butt splash on both of them. Rikishi superkicks X-Pac down while Road Dogg slumps to the mat so Rikishi gives him an extended stinkface. And while this is going on we find X-Pac watching this from the floor and getting a huge laugh out of it. Eventually X-Pac comes in and Rikishi grabs him but turns to stop Road Dogg from sneaking up behind him. That allows X-Pac to hit a spinkick and the DX’ers pile on Rikishi and hold him down for the three. (3:41) It may have taken two men to beat one man but it’s still Rikishi jobbing to DX. Road Dogg and X-Pac continue stompling away on Rikishi when the Too Cool guys run out to make the save and clear them from the ring. Scotty and Sexay proceed with the post-match dance with Rikishi even though he lost. *
~ We then head back to the Democratic National Convention where Michael Cole is standing with Linda McMahon who announces since they’ve started their voting campaign last week they’ve already registered 10,000 new voters. Linda urges the fans watching to register to vote at wwf.com or at live events so they can Smackdown Their Vote!
~ Back at the building Triple H is preparing for the main event when he gets a visit from Just Joe who tells him that someone wants to meet him in the parking lot in 10 minutes but he can’t really say who it is. Triple H threatens Joe but then figures Stephanie must be coming back to the building even though Joe can’t confirm it. Looks like Triple H didn’t watch the monitor when Joe was delivering the same type of news to Kurt Angle earlier.
~ Back from break we find Kurt Angle in the parking lot waiting for the mysterious someone to meet him.
- WWF Intercontinential Title: Val Venis © (w/Trish Stratus) vs. Chris Jericho
Does anyone else have a feeling that Chris Benoit is going to come out and cost Jericho the title? Both men lockup to start, Val gets a headlock and Jericho shoves him into the ropes but eats a shoulderblock. Val then comes off the ropes but Jericho leapfrogs over him and hits a flying forearm then gets in his shots. Jericho goes for a whip, Val reverses but Jericho works him over with chops then stomps him down in a corner. Jericho goes for another whip, Val reverses him into the opposite corner and charges at him but eats an elbow. Jericho comes out when Val slaps on a sleeper but Jericho shoves him into the ropes and gets his own sleeper which Val counters it with a Blue Thunderbomb. Val pounds on Jericho and nails him with his own chops in a corner then hips Jericho hard into the other corner and follows up with a delayed vertical suplex that gets a two count. Val puts Jericho in a modified Camel Clutch then sits down on him and whips him but Jerihco fakes him out and hits an enzuigiri. Jericho goes for a whip, Val reverses it but Jericho comes back and kicks the face. Jericho charges at Val and gets backdropped over the ropes but lands on his feet. Jericho climbs to the top rope hits a flying elbow for a near fall then whips Val into a corner but Val trips him into the turnbuckles. Val clotheslines Jericho in the corner and goes for a back suplex but Jericho flips out of it and hits the bulldog. Jericho hits the Lionsault and seems to have the title won but here’s Chris Benoit to run in and ruin it for him. Jericho pulls himself off Val and starts duking it out wiht Benoit promting the referee to call for the bell. (3:56) Match was okay but predictable. Plus Val’s IC title run was dying at this point since not even Trish could get him any heat from the crowd. **
Jericho clotheslines Benoit and puts him in the Walls of Jericho but Val comes back in to make the save then departs the ring. Benoit crotches Jericho on the top rope then continues stomping away at him. The referees come in to try and break it up but Benoit shoves them away while continuing his assault on Jericho. Benoit starts to leave … but then runs back in the ring and flapjacks Jericho before slapping on the Crossface. Benoit eventually releases the hold then gets in one more stomp on Jericho’s lifeless form as he heads out.
~ Out in the garage Triple H and Kurt Angle meet up and start accusing the other of calling them out to fight it out. The two of them look ready to go at it .. but then quickly separate when a limo arrives and nearly runs them down. Triple H and Angle head over to see who’s in the limo as we go to commercial.
~ Back from break we get a replay of a limo breaking up Triple H and Angle’s latest attempt to duke it out. We then see the limo is still in the garage but Triple H and Angle are inside it meeting with the mystery person.
~ We check back in at the Friendly Tap and find Funaki passed out on a table while Taka is completely soused so Bradshaw suggests it’s time for them to leave. Taka agrees then tries to get Funaki up to head out but unfortuantley Funaki ends up blowing chunks on the Acolytes before falling over. Taka realizes what he just did when sure enough the Acolytes start beating up the Kaientai guys and destroying some of the bar in the process.
~ We then cut over to WWF New York and find Al Snow and Head interviewing some of the fans in attendance.
~ Back at the building JR reports Undertaker has been hospitalized after getting chokeslammed through the building.
~ Out in the garage Triple H and Angle both exit the limo with long faces and they’re followed by … Vince McMahon! Vince tells the two of them when his baby girl Stephanie calls him on the phone crying, that’s when he has to step in. Vince warns Triple H and Angle not to traumatize Stephanie again or neither one of them will even be in the WWF. Vince then wishes them luck in the six-man tag and asks them to look after Shaen before he departs in the limo. Fortunately this would only be a cameo for Vince and he wouldn’t be back full-time (yet).
~ The Dudleys and The Rock are shown making their to the ring for the main event as we go to commercial.
- The Rock & The Dudley Boyz vs. Triple H, Kurt Angle & Shane McMahon
Triple H starts off with D’Von and gets in the first shots but D’Von fights back and whips him into a corner then hits the jumping elbow. Bubba Ray tags in to take over and whips Triple H into a backdrop then follows up with a clothesline that gets a two count. Triple H comes back and hits a neckbreaker. Shane tags in and clotheslines Bubba then goes for a whip but Bubba counters it into the Full Nelson bomb. Rock anxiously gets the tag but Shane dives over to his corner and makes a tag to both Triple H and Angle. The two of them then argue on which one of them is going in when Rock tells both of them to “Just Bring it”. Angle decides to go in for his team but Rock wails away on him with rights then whips him and hits an elbow. Rock whips Angle into a corner and clotheslines him but Angle does something we miss to get the advantage. Angle goes for a whip but Rock counters into a Russian legsweep for a two then rams him into D’Von’s boot. D’von tags in and goes for a whip but Angle reverses it and D’Von falls out after Triple H pulls down the top rope. Triple H tosses D’Von into the steps before throwing him back in the ring and Angle hits a suplex for a near fall. Triple H tags in and stomps D’Von down in a corner then whips him into a clothesline before tagging in Shane. Shane shuffles around while hitting D’Von with jabs then comes off the ropes but D’Von hits a flying clothesline. Both men are down and crawl to their corners and Shane tags Angle while D’Von makes the hot tag to Rock. Rock takes it to Angle and Triple H with right hands then hits Angle with a Samoan Drop and DDT’s Triple H. Rock brings Shane in the ring the hard way and works him over in a corner then caps off with the Smackdown. Angle nails Rock from behind and goes for a whip but Rock counters with an overhead belly-to-belly throw. Rock covers when Triple H saves it so Bubba comes in and slams Triple H but Triple H’s boot nails the referee. Bubba then sets Triple H up while D’Von climbs to the top rope and connects with the “Wassup” headbutt. The Dudleys head out to set a table up at ringside while Rock continues to stomp Angle down in a corner. Shane nails Rock from behind but Rock no-sells it and throws him over the ropes, offering him to the Dudleys. Bubba sets Shane up for a powerbomb through the tables but Edge & Christian come out brandishing chairs and nails D’Von from behind. Bubba turns around to see what’s happenening and suffers a double chairshot. Rock sees what E&C did and goes out after them when Shane blindsides him and rolls him back in the ring. Shane charges at Rock who catches him looking for a Rock Bottom but Triple H comes in and makes the save. Triple H and Angle double-team Rock then Angle hits the Olympic Slam and Triple H caps off with the Pedigree and that’s the match. (~7:00) Shane then raises Triple H and Angle’s arms as they seem to have put aside their differences, at least for now. The trio continue beating on Rock and fans are throwing garbage in the ring as the show fades to black. **½
Conclusion: Okay show for the most part. On one hand the in-ring action wasn’t much to look at as the show was a little heavy on the talking segments, especially in the first hour. On the other hand, most of the segments did do their job in building up the SummerSlam card, and the only real negative was Kane’s non-sensical heel turn. Plus it was starting to seem like the SummerSlam main event was more about the Triple H/Angle storyline and less about Rock defending his title. So once again a decent show angle-wise but those more interested in the matches need not apply.