WWF Smackdown 9/14/2000

Written by: Adam King

WWF SMACKDOWN
Thursday, September 14th, 2000

Taped (9/12) from the America West Arena in Phoenix, AZ

List of WWF Champions at the time:
●  WWF World Heavyweight Champion: The Rock (6/25/2000)
●  WWF Intercontinental Champion: Eddie Guerrero (9/04/2000)
●  WWF World Tag Team Champions: Edge & Christian (6/25/2000)
●  WWF European Champion: Al Snow (8/31/2000)
●  WWF Hardcore Champion: Steve Blackman (8/21/2000)
●  WWF Women’s Champion: Lita (8/21/2000)
●  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.

~ Things kick off with Commissioner Mick Foley hitting the ring and getting on the mic to begin the opening promo. Foley reminds us of becoming the Commissioner after Vince McMahon left to become a genetic jackhammer and that people may think he has absolute power and doesn’t answer to anybody but he does answer to the fans. Foley then hypes the Rock/Undertaker/Kane/Chris Benoit and Triple H/Kurt Angle matches he made for Unforgivenbut feels the participants of those matches can’t keep their hands off each other before the pay-per-view. Foley fears all six men would tear each other apart which would force him to put Al Snow in the main event so he’s come up with a plan to make sure they all make it toUnforgiven. Before Foley can tells us what it is, the Rock comes out to the ring with a mic and starts with the usual before agreeing with Foley that he is indeed a targeted man going intoUnforgiven. Rock brings up Foley’s concerns about his safety before telling him he doesn’t care what he thinks then demands Foley bring out Taker, Kane and Benoit so he can lay the Smackdown on all of them. Foley responds to that by showing Rock’s conversation with Undertaker from Raw on the OvalTron and points out Taker’s look which he says is the same look Taker had when he threw him off the Hell in a Cell in 1998. On that note the Undertaker makes his way out and gets on the mic as well saying just because he and the Rock aren’t friends doesn’t mean he’s going to take him out. Taker adds he and Steve Austin aren’t friends but that doesn’t mean he ran him down with a car either. Taker says he’s the kind of guy that gets what he wants and Rock has something he wants. Rock and Taker stand face to face, with Foley trying to tell them to wait until Unforgiven. Chris Benoit then comes out to join the conversation with a mic, telling Foley his master plan sucks. Benoit shows the tag match from Raw pointing out he pinned Taker, yet he got a fatal fourway as a reward. Benoit calls himself the better wrestler of the four participants until either Taker or Rock prove him wrong. Not surprsingly Kane comes out to the stage to complete the circle and also gets on the mic saying he’s not interested in proving Benoit wrong, but proving everyone who call him a monster right.

Foley tries to get back on track with his plan but Kurt Angle comes out with a mic to prolong this segment. Angle says WWF championships can be won and lost, but Olympic gold makes you a winner for life. Angle then says the WWF Title situation pales in comparison to the health of Stephanie McMahon after she was brutally attacked by Triple H, even showing a clip from Raw to prove his point. Angle says he can control himself before Unforgiven, unlike Triple H and right on cue Triple H charges out looking to get a piece of Angle. However Foley holds Triple H back then tells all six men they will get a chance to destroy each other at Unforgiven. Foley then ensures they won’t destroy each other tonight by forcing them to team up in a series of matches. Foley first books Triple H and Angle together against T&A then teams Kane and Benoit against the Acolyes in an ‘Acolytes Rules’ match, which he says means anything goes, and finally Foley pairs The Rock and The Undertaker together against the Dudley Boyz in a Tables match. Foley also decress that anyone who gets physical with his partner during his match will be pulled from the pay-per-view. Angle says that fine but feels there should be a rule forbiding any physical contact between spouses since that could lead to trouble. Angle then walks off while and Triple H has to be held back again when Kane and Benoit suddenly double-team Rock. Taker decides to excuse himself from this confrontation and walks up the aisle but stops and reluctantly heads back to the ring for the save. Taker throws Benoit through the ropes then walks off again while Kane chokeslams Rock and leaves him laying as we go to commercial. And again I wonder why they have to do these 20-minute interview segments.

~ Back from break we get a replay of The Undertaker coming to the Rock’s aid but leaving him against Kane.

~ We then get footage of Eddie Guerrero driving in his car someplace earlier today. Maybe we’ll find out what his destination is later on.

• The Acolytes vs. Chris Benoit & Kane – “Acolyte Rules” Match

The Acolytes enter first followed by Benoit who slides in the ring and tries to fight both guys by hismelf but Bradshaw and Faarooq quickly double-team him. The Acolytes whip Benoit and plant him with a double spinebuster when Kane finally makes his way out. Kane exchanges punches with Bradshaw and knocks him through the ropes while Faarooq continues his assault on Benoit until Kane clubs him in the back. Bradshaw pulls Kane out to the floor and hits some chops then grabs the ringbell but Kane clotheslines him. Faarooq sets Benoit up for the Dominator but Benoit slips out and hits a German suplex then holds on for a second German suplex and follows up with a third. Benoit goes for a whip, Farrooq reverses but Benoit comes back and slaps on the Crossface. Bradshaw rams Kane into the ringsteps then goes in and breaks up the submission before powerbombing Benoit. Kane pulls Bradshaw out of the ring and rams him into the ringpost while Faarooq whips Benoit and hits a spinebuster. Kane saves it up then whips Faarooq into a corner and hits a bacbreaker. Kane clotheslines Bradshaw but then sees Benoit walking away from the ring and stares at his partner abandoning him allowing Bradshaw to club him from behind. As Benoit watches from the stage, both Acolytes beat down Kane and whips him but Kane comes back with a clothesline on both men. Kane clotheslines Bradshaw over the ropes then whips Faarooq into a big boot and has words for Benoit. Kane turns around just as Bradshaw comes off the top with a flying shoulderblock and the Acolytes hit a double powerbomb. Bradshaw moves in when Kane grabs him by the throat looking for a chokeslam but Faarooq chopblocks the back of the knee. Bradshaw connects with the Clothesline from Hades and both Acolytes cover Kane for the pin.(3:45) Benoit grins but that quickly fades as Kane sits up and goes out after him. *½

~ Backstage Triple H barges into Mick Foley’s office, complaining about being forced to team with Kurt Angle saying he can’t get in the ring with Angle without tearing him apart after what happened to Stephanie on Raw. Foley tells Triple H he’s sick of Angle too but still threatens to cancel his match if he gets physical with Angle. Foley tells Triple H he wants him to tear Angle apart but must wait until Unforgiven because he wants to referee that match. Foley says maybe he’s to blame for his marital problems but it has to be this way because he said so and Triple H storms out of the office as we go to commercial.

~ Back from break we get an exterior shot of the building and an update on the Chyna/Eddie Guerrero relationship with clips from the past weeks shown. We then get footage of Eddie trying to get into the Playboy mansion earlier today looking to have an audience with Hugh Hefner. Eddie drives up to the building in his car and knocks on the door and once a bouncer answers the door Eddie demands to talk to Hefner about ‘mommy’s’ pictures coming out in Playboy. The bouncer doesn’t know who Eddie means and doesn’t budge when Eddie continues to demand he get Hefner. Eddge then starts ranting on running short on time and not being able to handle Chyna being shown in their magazine. The bouncer radios for security so Eddie calls him out and promises those pictures won’t be coming out. A security guy appears ordering Eddie to leave and Eddie cries that he has until the 25th to take care of this thing. Eddie then charges for the door but gets pushed back by the guards and locked out so he departs in a huff.

~ Back at the arena Chyna is upset after seeing Eddie’s latest antics so she packs her gear and begins to leave. Kevin Kelly asks Chyna about her relationship with Eddie coming to an end but Chyna blows him off. Geez, Kevin, you think she really wants to talk to you after seeing what her man did? Cole mentions Chyna was scheduled to join them later but it’s obviously not going to happen now.

~ Back from break Steven Richards leads the Right to Censor to the ring, along with new member Val Venis. Richards has a mic and mentions all the talk of who ran down Steve Austin, blaming him for the moral demise of the WWF but claimimg the RTC had nothing to do with it. Val takes the mic to explain why he joined the RTC and says he wasn’t brainwashed like everyone might think. Val says there was something missing from his life and he didn’t know what it was until he met Richards. Val says Richards had him look back at the things he did to be popular and win gold and he’s not proud of his actions. Val adds he was asked if the choices he made helped him become a better person or the world be a better place. Val claims the RTC helped him see turning your back on the ills of the world is wrong and not selective censorship. Val pledges to stand by his RTC brethern and fight against violence, vulgarity and scantily-clad women and proclaims the WWF will change whether it likes it or not.

• Rikishi & Too Cool (w/Mandy & Victoria) vs. The Right to Censor (w/Steven Richards)

Cole menitons Grandmaster Sexay needed 14 stitches after Eddie hit him with his Intercontinential belt on Raw. Bull Buchanan pounds on Scotty 2 Hotty to start and whips him but Scotty comes back with a forearm for a two count. Scotty goes for a whip when Buchanan reverses him into a corner then charges and Scotty sidesteps him but Buchanan hits a clothesline. Val tags in and whips Scotty into a corner then hits a clothesline followed by a suplex for a two count. Val whips Scotty him into a corner and charges but eats a double boot and Scotty comes out with a clothesline. Rikishi tags in and hits a pair of clotheslines when Buchanan and the Goodfather come in but Rikish takes them both out then plants Val with a Samoan Drop. Rikishi clotheslines both Buchanan and Goodfather then Rikishi whips Val who tries to counters with a Sunset Flip but Rikishi hits the sitdown splash. Sexay tags in and climbs to the top rope then connects with the Hip Hop Drop on Val. Buchanan breaks up the pin and Rikishi hammers him in a corner when Goodfather comes up form behind but Rikishi catches him with a superkick. Rikishi whips Buchanan into a corner then whips Sexay into a butt bump before hitting a clothesline. Scotty comes off the ropes with the buldlog on Buchanan then follows up with the Worm. Rikishi brings Richards in the ring and whips him into a corner then hits the running butt charge. Richards slumps to the mat and Rikishi finally gives him the long-delayed Stinkface. Buchanan and Goodfather pull Scotty and Sexay out of the ring and the four of them duke it out on the floor. Rikishi watches from the ring when Eddie Guerrero sudenly runs in and sprays mace in Rikishi’s eyes. The blinded Rikishi covers his eyes as he rolls out to the floor while Eddie goes out and stomps away on him. Scotty tries to bring Eddie in the ring but Val clubs him from behind and hits a Blue Thunderbomb for the three. (3:47) Eddie continues to work Rikishi over on the floor and throws him into the ringsteps for good measure. *½

~ Backstage Trish Stratus gets Test and Albert ready for their match against Triple H and Kurt Angle, emphasizing how they have a shot to beat a 4-time WWF Champion and an Olympic gold medalist. Albert pledges to take their gold and their pride and Trish promises to take care of Stephanie if she interferes.

• Triple H & Kurt Angle vs. T&A (w/Trish Stratus)

Triple H comes out without Stephanie McMahon who’s probably recovering from her accidental abuse on Raw. Angle comes out next and he and Triple H get in each other’s face as their opponents make their entrance. Angle wants to start and Triple H is only too happy to let him, just as Albert nails him with a clothesline. Albert presses Angle up when Angle slips out and attempts a German suplex but can’t seem to get him up. Albert elbows Angle away then comes off the ropes but Angle trips him with a drop toehold and applies a front facelock. Albert easily lifts Angle up and shoves him into a corner then hammers Angle with shoulderblocks as Triple H watches with a smile and even applauds the big man. Albert stomps Angle down before tagging in Test and both men whip Angle and connect with a double elbow. Angle crawls over to his corner and slaps Triple H to tag him in and the two of them exchange angry words. Angle then dares Triple H to hit him and Triple H turns away as Test nails him with a kick. Test goes for a whip but Triple H reverses it and hits the high knee followed by a suplex. Triple H slaps Angle for a tag and Angle goes in while exchanging more words but Test hammers him with some right hands. Test goes for a whip but Angle reverses and hits an overhead belly-to-belly suplex then works Test over in a corner. Angle calls for a boot from Triple H who sets his foot up as Angle goes for a whip but Test reverses it and sends Angle into the boot. Angle shoves Triple H off the apron and Triple H charges in ready to strike Angle but holds back. Test nails Triple H with a forearm before tagging in Albert and Albert whips Triple H into a corner but Triple H comes out and hits a neckbreaker. Triple H goes for a whip, Albert reverses it but lowers the head and Triple H hits the facebuster. Triple H goes for the ropes but Trish trips him up from the floor and Triple H stares at Trish but turns and runs into a bicycle kick from Albert. As Albert tags in Test, Stephanie McMahon makes her way down to ringside and Angle grins for some reason. In the Triple H goes for a whip but Test reverses and hits a gutwrench powerbomb for a two count. Test stomps Triple H down in a corner but Triple H starts to fight back and decks Albert off the apron. Albert comes in and clubs Triple H from behind and Test plants him with a sidewalk slam. T&A whip Triple H into a corner and Test slings Albert into an Avalanche then readies himself for a big boot when Stephanie grabs onto Test’s leg. Trish pulls Stephanie to the floor so Angle goes out and chases Trish away. Albert goes to ram Triple H into Test’s big boot but Triple H ducks it and nails Test with a clothesline then knocks Albert through the ropes. Triple H looks over and sees Angle helping Stephanie up on the floor so he pulls Angle onto the apron and rears back to punch him in the face but manages to stop himself. Angle tries goading Triple H into socking him one as Triple H struggles with not losing his pay-per-view match. Suddenly Test comes up and nails Triple H with the full nelson bomb and gets the three for the upset! (5:49) Test finally gets a pin over Triple H, even though Triple H already killed off his heat a week ago. Stephanie tends to Triple H while Angle walks off smiling even though Test saved their match at Unforgiven. **

~ Backstage Mick Foley is doing some welding in his office when Tazz comes in saying he wants out of the WWF and demands his unconditional release. Foley instead decides to show him his upcoming children’s book but Tazz isn’t impressed and insists he wants out of his contract because he sick of Foley and everything else. Foley tells Tazz he kids around with him because he likes him, probably the only person that does, so he decides to offer Tazz another match with Jerry Lawler at Unforgiven. Tazz refuses, feeling someone’s going to interfere and cheat him out of the victory again. Foley then promises they can’t touch each other until the match and Tazz finally relents and accepts the match. Foley then puts on his metal welder’s mask and does a Darth Vader impression before Tazz departs.

~ Back out in the arena Cole and Lawler buzz about the latest addition to the pay-per-view with Lawler saying if Tazz wants another shot at him, he’ll gladly give it to him.

~ Back from break we get a replay of Triple H and Angle nearly going at it in their tag team loss.

~ Edge and Christian make their way to the ring to no doubt promote the pay-per-view. Christian gets on the mic and says must be nice to have some winners in Arizona after enduring their sports teams. Edge takes the mic and says the two of them had nothing to do with Steve Austin’s hit and run last November and if they had a time machine, they would go back and stop it from taking place. Christian points out they do have a time machine and after they beat the Hardys yet again at Unforgiven, they can bring the Hardys of the future back to see if they learned how to talk. Christian then claims to have the Hardys from the year 2050 and decides to bring them out and on that note two old short people dressed as the Hardys come out to the ring with “Matt” wearing glasses and “Jeff” sporting blond hair. Edge asks how they feel, and “Jeff” says “Too extreme” before coughing. Christian asks “Matt” if they still spell things with z’s, and “Matt” says he’s cold and hungry. Edge wants to practice the spear just as Lita’s music hits … and an old woman dressed at Lita comes out instead. Christian makes fun of “Lita” about time beating her down and “Lita” simply says she likes prunes. Chrsitian says time travel rules as he and Edge want to spear the future Hardys and Lita. However Mick Foley comes out to the stage and says that was awesome but he knows those people in the ring aren’t the real Hardys of the future. Foley says if they were, they would mention how they fought E&C at Unforgiven in a steel cage, which does not make E&C happy. Foley then says he may cause a rip in the space-time continuum but decides to bring out the Hardys and Lita of the present. The real Matt and Jeff charge the ring with Lita right behind them and go at it with Edge & Christian. The Hardys stomp Christian down in a corner and Edge goes for a spear but they drop him on the tunrbuckle. Lita comes in and helps the Hardys take out E&C out with a triple suplex.

~ Back from break Cole and Lawler are talking when Tazz comes out and sits behind the announcers’ table. Tazz throws popcorn at Cole and Lawler while holding up signs saying “Thug Life Dead”. Lawler gets annoyed but Cole reminds him they can’t touch each other before Unforgiven. The Hardys and Lita stand tall in the ring while Edge and Christian beat a quick retreat.

• WWF Hardcore Title: Steve Blackman © vs. Perry Saturn (w/Terri Runnels)

Throughout this match Tazz continues to taunt Lawler, trying to goad him into a fight. Saturn charges at Blackman on the floor but Blackman gets in some shots and throws him in the ring. Saturn dives over the ropes at Blackman but gets hit with a trashcan lid in midair. Blackman pulls out his fighting sticks from under the ring and works Saturn over with them then sets Saturn up for a stick-assisted slam when Terri jumps on his back. Blackman moves Terri onto his knee up for a spanking but Saturn nails him from behind with a STOP sign. Saturn throws Blackman into the crowd then comes off the barricade with a trashcan lid to the head. Blackman fights back and launches off the barricade hitting a pump kick but is holding his knee. Blackman throws Saturn and some weapons in the ring then wedges a trash can in a corner betwen the ropes. Blackman goes for a whip and Saturn reverses him into the can but Blackman stops himself. Saturn dropkicks Blackman into the can and follows up with a Northern Lights suplex for a two count. Saturn throws Blackman through the ropes and Terri holds him while Saturn follows up with an Asai moonsault. Saturn throws Blackman back in the ring then climbs to the top rope with another trashcan and leaps off but Blackman kicks the trashcan into his chest and covers for the three count. (2:51) Tazz yuks it up and displays his sign before he smacks Cole with it and Lawler looks ready to go but Cole has to hold him back. The stuff from Tazz took all the attention from this match, but then again there really wasn’t much else from the usual spots. *

~ Backstage Kevin Kelly interviews The Undertaker about the animosity between him and The Rock and Taker says he and Rock aren’t friends and don’t even like each other but that won’t stop him from being a professional and getting the job with the Rock tonight, as long as Rock doesn’t p(*bleep*) him off.

~ Back from break Tazz is ordered out of the crowd by Jim Dotson and Tazz throws his popcorn at Lawler and laughs in his face but Lawler doesn’t bite.

• The Hardy Boyz (w/Lita) & Chris Jericho vs. X-Pac, Edge & Christian

X-Pac and friends come out first and wait for their opponents when Jericho’s music plays. However Jericho and the Hardys come in through the crowd and attack their opponents from behind. The Hardys go at it with Edge and Christian while Jericho dukes it out with X-Pac on the ramp before they join the fray in the ring. Jericho continuers working X-Pac over when Christian interupts him and whips him but Jericho comes back with a flying forearm. Jericho chops Christian in a corner but Christain reverses positions and lands his own chops. Christian goes for a whip but Jericho reverses it and comes off the ropes with a bulldog. Jericho tags in Matt and slams Christian while Matt hops to the middle rope and hits a guillotine legdrop. Matt scoops Christian up but Christian floats over him and rams Matt shoulder-first into the ringpost. X-Pac tags in and kicks Matt down in a corner then hits the Brocno Buster and even poses on the turnbuckles. Edge tags in and sets Matt onto the top turnbuckle then goes up but Matt fights him off. Edge throws Matt off the top rope to the mat when Lita trips him from the floor and pulls him by the legst into the ringpost. Both men crawl to their corners and Edge tags in X-Pac while Matt manages to tag in Jericho. X-Pac goes for a kick but Jericho blocks it and spins him around into a clothesline. Jericho goes for a whip, X-Pac reverses but misses a spinkick and Jericho takes him down looing for the Walls of Jericho. Edge breaks it up but Jeff leaps to the top rope and connects with a corkscrew moonsault on both men that’s refered to as the “Whisper in the Wind”. E&C whip Jeff but Jeff ducks a double clothesline and hits a dropkick on both men. Jericho clotheslines Edge over the ropes while the Hardys whip X-Pac into a corner and Matt drops to the mat while Jeff connects with the Poetry in Motion. Matt whips Christian into a corner and Jeff hits the Poetry in Motion on him as well. Matt lays out Christian with the Twist of Fate and Jeff climbs to the top and hits the Swanton Bomb. However Edge pulls Matt out of the ring while X-Pac comes in and nails Jeff with the X-Factor for the pin. (3:53) Fun match for what it was even though it’s X-Pac getting the pin yet again. **

~ The announcers start plugging the Smackdown Challenge and show comments from fans before announcing that 60,000 new voters have been registered on wwf.com. Still no word from George Bush and Al Gore on appearing on Smackdown, though.

~ Back from break Lillian Garcia interviews The Rock, asking if he can trust The Undertaker. Rock says the Undertaker shouldn’t worry about p*****g him off because he’s already p’o’ed. Rock says he has no problem with the match tonight but feels he can’t trust the Undertaker as well as Kane, Benoit, the cameraman, a woman offscreen, and not even Lillian. Rock then asks Lillian if she likes pie before doing his “If you smell…” bit.

~ Back from break the clip of Steve Austin getting ran over by a car at last Novemeber’sSurvivor Series is shown as Cole and Lawler say Austin has given the person responsible 10 days to come forward. The announcers add if said person doesn’t confess then Austin is going to begin his interrogation at Unforgiven.

• The Rock & The Undertaker vs. The Dudley Boyz – Tables Match

It has not been a good night for the Unforgiven main eventers and it’s up to these two to avoid a sweep. The Rock starts off with Bubba Ray Dudley who tells him to worry about Taker and not him before they lockup. Rock gets the advantage and goes for a whip, Bubba reverses Rock into a corner but Rock comes out with a clothesline. Bubba knees Rock in the chest and chops him in a corner but Rock reverses and gets in his shots before hitting the Smackdown. Rock tags in Taker to take over and Taker whips Bubba into a corner and hits a clothesline. Taker grabs Bubba’s arm and walks the top rope before clubbing Bubba in the back. Taker hits a clothesline and D’Von comes in but runs into another clothesline. Bubba gets in some shots and chokes Taker in a corner then whips him into the opposite corner and hits a splash followed by a suplex. D’Von tags in and whips Taker into a spinning elbow then whips him again into a corner and charges but eats a boot. Taker comes out with a clothesline then tags in Rock and Rock whips D’von but D’Von comes back with a flying forearm. D’Von tags in Bubba and the Dudleys whip Rock into a double elbow before knocking Taker off the apron. D’Von goes out and rams Taker into the ringsteps while Bubba lays the boots to Rock. Bubba then slams Rock and sets him up while D’Von climbs to the top rope and hits the “Wassup” headbutt. The Dudleys bring a table in the ring but Taker kicks it in their faces and Rock and Taker get in their stomps. Taker props the table in a corner and Rock tries to whip D’von into it but Bubba knocks D’Von down to save him. Rock brings another table in which he and Taker set up before they clothesline both Dudleys but D’Von comes back with a low blow on Taker. Rock sets Bubba up for a Rock Bottom through a table but D’Von moves it out of the way so Taker suplexes him. Taker grabs D’Von by the throat, looking to chokeslam him through one of the tables while Rock also goes to whip Bubba but Bubba reverses it and Rock bumps into Taker causing him to drop D’Von. Rock grabs Bubba for another Rock Bottom but D’Von saves him and Bubba clotheslines him over the ropes. Taker takes down both Dudleys and calls for the Rock to get back in the ring but turns around and the Dudley hit him with a 3D through a table for the win! (6:31) And thus the Unforgiven main eventers go 0-3 tonight. Okay main event for the most part. **

The Dudleys walk off celebrating their huge win while Rock tries to recover on the floor. Rock heads back in the ring when Taker grabs him and chokeslams him through the other table! Taker then rides out on his motorcycle and stops on the stage with Rock glaring at him from the ring as the show goes off the air.

Conclusion: And the WWF continues coasting toward Unforgiven with yet another middle-of-the-road episode that was mainly focused on polishing up the pay-per-view and not much else. All the matches weren’t much other than the Hardys’ six-man tag and were mostly used to advance the main pay-per-view angles. Plus it may be just me but it just seems weird to have all six Unforgiven main eventers lose their matches on the show. At times this felt like it should be the go-home show for the pay-per-view, only it’s a week too early. So other than Test getting a pinfall over Triple H there isn’t much to see here.