WWF RAW 11/13/2000

Written by: Adam King

WWF RAW IS WAR
Monday, November 13th, 2000

Live from the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH

List of WWF Champions at the time:
●  WWF World Heavyweight Champion: Kurt Angle (10/22/2000)
●  WWF Intercontinental Champion: Eddie Guerrero (9/04/2000)
●  WWF World Tag Team Champions: Bull Buchanan & The Goodfather (11/06/2000)
●  WWF European Champion: William Regal (10/16/2000)
●  WWF Hardcore Champion: Steve Blackman (9/24/2000)
●  WWF Women’s Champion: Ivory (11/02/2000)
●  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 to the show. JR mentions Rikishi and Triple H are both nursing injuries and not scheduled to be here tonight. If you say so, JR.

~ Things kick off with WWF Champion Kurt Angle making his way to the ring for our leadoff promo. Angle gets on the mic and says he enjoys the reputation as the fighting-est WWF Champion of all time and that’s why he challenged the Undertaker at Survivor Series, to prove that he’s the superior athlete by defeating him. Angle adds that tonight he’s accepted a challenge from someone who thinks he can beat him with one armed tied behind his back. Angle says his thickheaded opponent needs to be taught another lesson and hopes Taker is watching. On that note out comes…Crash Holly, who has his arm tied behind his back.

• WWF World Heavyweight Title: Kurt Angle © vs. Crash Holly (w/Molly Holly)

So our world champion is opening the show in a rematch from Heat since Crash was Angle’s mystety opponent last night. Angle beats Crash down to start and works over his free arm with an armwringer then hits a fireman’s carry while keeping the hold on. Angle stomps Crash down in a corner then poses to the crowd while Crash manages to free his arm and hits a clothesline. Crash whips Angle into an elbow but Angle comes back with a German suplex. Angle lays the boots to Crash and follows up with a suplex then pummels Crash in a corner but Crash manages to reverse positions and gets some kicks in. Crash goes for a whip, Angle reverses him into a corner and charges but eats a boot. Crash comes out but runs into a powerslam and Angle then whips Crash and hits an elbow. Angle goes for a back suplex but Crash flips out of it and Angle goes for the ropes but knocks Molly off the apron. Crash nails Angle with a DDT but only gets a two count. Crash whips Angle but lowers the head and Angle kicks the face. Crash tries to leapfrog over Angle but Angle catches him into a face-first slam then slaps on an anklelock and Crash quickly submits. (2:54) As it should be. Sad that Crash is so far the only person Angle has been able to beat decisively since winning the title.*

Angle refuses to let go of the hold at first but eventually does then brings a chair in the ring and whacks Crash in the back with it. Suddenly Hardcore Holly makes his surprise return as he charges in the ring and chopblocks Angle then wails away on him, looking for revenge for Angle for breaking his arm five months ago. However Edge and Christian also run out and start beating down Hardcore but if that wasn’t enough The Undertaker joins in and clears the ring of Edge & Christian. Angle pops Taker with a right hand but Taker no-sells it and grins so Angle decides to bid a retreat while Taker stares at him from the ring.

~ Backstage Test and Albert are arguing on which one has to team with Kane tonight so Trish Stratus suggests they flip a coin to decide this issue. The coin is flipped and Test wins the toss so he gets to team with Kane. However Test is not happy about this and Albert wishes him luck as we go to commercial.

~ Back from break we get a replay of the WWF Title match and Hardcore Holly’s return. We then find Edge, Christian & Kurt Angle meeting witho Mick Foley in his office (which is in a ticket booth) and complaining about Hardcore and The Undertaker interfering in Angle’s match. Christian even asks if this is the WWF, or the World What the Heck More Interference Federation. That’s a good question, actually. Angle adds it would be a scandal if some Checzekslovakian ran in during his wrestling match at the 1996 Olympics. Foley decides the solution is to book them in a six-man tag match with the Undertaker and the Hollys tonight.

• Chris Jericho & Steve Blackman vs. Kane & Test (w/Trish Stratus) – Hardcore Tag Team Match

Last week Jericho interfered in Kane’s Hardcore TItle match plus T & A still have some issues with Blackman which sets this match up. Also it’s Hardcore rules but Blackman’s title is not on the line. Once Kane comes out Jericho goes and attacks him on the ramp while Blakcman and Test are content to watch. Kane fights Jericho down the ramp and rams him into the apron but Blackman nails Kane with a baseball slide. Jericho and Blackman double-team Kane and ram him into the ringsteps then throw him back in the ring. Jericho and Blackman whip Kane who goes for a double clothesline and catches Blackman but Jericho ducks it. Kane grabs both men by the throat but Blackman kicks at the knees to escape the chokeslam. Kane hammers Jericho and throws him through the ropes. Test finally enters the ring brandishing a road sign but Blackman counters with an armdrag then grabs the sign and whacks Test with it for a two count. Jericho and Kane are going at it on the outside and Kane drops Jericho on the barricade. Test charges at Blackman in a corner but eats an elbow and Blackman comes out but runs into a big boot. Blackman rolls out to the floor while Kane throws Jericho in and he and Test doubel-team him in a corner. Test whips Jericho into a corner and hits a clothesline then Kane whips him and drops him to the mat. Blackman trips Test from the floor and pulls him by the leg into the ringpost. Kane tries to bring a kendo stick in the ring but Jericho snaps his neck off the top rope then connects with a springboard shoulderblock that knocks Kane off the apron. Blackman brings his fighting sticks in and works Test over with them then hits the stick-assisted suplex. Kane breaks up the pin when Jericho brings a trash can in and repeatedly nails Kane in the head with it but Kane doesn’t go down. So Jericho grabs the can and goes for a whip, Kane reverses but Jericho connects with a flying trash can to the head for a two count. Test nails Blackman with a short-arm clothesline and Kane nails Jericho with a big boot. Test readies a trash can lid for Blackman while Kane goes to chokeslam Jericho but Jericho snatches the lid from Test’s hand and waffles Kane in the head. Test grabs the kendo stick and swings it at Jericho but misses him and nails Kane. Blackman nails Test with a superkick while Jericho connects with a Lionsault on Kane for the win. (3:58) Some fun stuff for the most part. After Jericho and Blackman leave the ring, Test blames Kane for the loss and even shoves him. Not a smart move as Kane chokeslams Test in response before setting off his pyro. **

~ Backstage we see a limo pull up and Chris Benoit and the Radicalz are climbing out along with Terri Runnels. The five of them start heading somewhere as we go to commercial.

~ After the commercial break the Radicalz are now making their way to the ring. Chris Benoit gets on the mic and says there was a time when he didn’t get along with Triple H but now respects him after seeing what kind of man he truly is. Benoit admits it takes more than being the best technical wrestler to get ahead in the WWF. Benoit says he and his comrades all knew it so that’s why they reformed their stable then came up with a great gameplan by teaming up with Triple H. Benoit shows footage on the TitanTron of them attacking Steve Austin and the Rock on Smackdown, feeling that with Triple H on their side, they now outnumber and outclass guys like Austin and The Rock. Benoit dares anyone who doesn’t like what he’s saying to come out and prove them wrong. Eddie Guerrero takes the mic and says he and Triple H were both smart enough to kick Chyna to the curb then warns “Cheap-acita” and Billy Gunn to stay out of their way or get beaten down. Terri Runnels takes the mic and mentions that she’s invested in the McMahon-Helmsley family. Dean Malenko also takes the mic and adds in his two cents demanding respect when he’s cut off by Commissioner Mick Foley who comes out to the stage. Foley reminds us he brought the Radicalz into the WWF only to have then turn on him then imitates Triple H by saying “I-ah never-ah saw-ah this-ah coming!” Foley says he had to take it back then but things are different now that he’s WWF Commissioner and proceeds to book the Radicalz in a eight-person match against Billy Gunn, Chyna, the Rock & Steve Austin. The Radicalz protest while Foley simplys says “Have a nice day!” and walks off. Now this was just a feeble way to explain this sudden alliance. So the Radicalz suddenly like Triple H just because he turned heel? Even though Triple H and Benoit had a heated feud just one week prior? I though “heels liking each other” went out with the 80′s. This totally ruined any chance of Benoit and friends getting over as a powerful force on their own.

~ We cut backstage to find Kane attacking Chris Jericho, throwing him into a garage door and across a table. Several officials try to break it up but Kane shoves them aside then throws Jericho right through a glass window! Just like The Big Show did to The Rock back in February. Sgt. Slaughter yells for help as we go to commercial.

~ Back from break we get a replay of Kane throwing Jericho through a window as we then see the EMTs trying to bandage Jericho’s bloody arms.

• The Dudley Boyz vs. Tazz & Raven

Raven starts off against D’Von and gets in the first shots then goes for a whip but D’Von reverses and hits a spinning elbow. Tazz comes in but runs into a flying forearm. Raven shoves D’Von into his corner and D’Von fights out of it then takes a swing at Tazz but misses and Raven hits a clothesline for a two count. Tazz tags in and both men whip D’Von repeatedly into their corner. Tazz pummels D’Von in the corner when Raven tags himself in and Tazz isn’t happy with that. However the smoke from the pyro is talking a while to clea rout and as a result it’s really hard to see this match with all the smoke from the pyro. It’s almost like the infamous Fog Bowl between the Eagles and the Bears. Anyway Raven works D’Von over in their corner then whips him into the opposite corner and hits a clothesline followed by a running bulldog for a two count. Raven moves in with D’Von surprises him with a rollup for a near fall. Tazz tags in and whips D’Von into a clothesline then covers but Bubba Ray breaks up the pin. Tazz tells Raven to get in there as he makes the tag. D’Von whips Raven into a corner and charges but eats a boot and Raven snapmares him to the mat and hits several elbowdrops. Tazz tags back in and he and Raven both charge forward but D’Von ducks and Tazz and Raven clothesline each other! Tazz and Raven start arguing about their miscue allowing D’Von to make the tag to Bubba and Bubba clotheslines both men. Bubba throws Tazz through the ropes then whips Raven and plants him with a sidewalk slam. Bubba sets Raven up while D’Von climbs to the top rope but Tazz nails Bubba from behind. Bubba comes back and slams Tazz then sets him up while D’Von climbs to the top again and this time hits the “Wassup” headbutt. Bubba sends D’Von out for a table but Raven nails D’Von with a baseball slide then goes out and throws D’Von into the barricade. Tazz plants Bubba with a T-Bone Tazplex as Raven tries to slide a table in the ring but one of the table legs gets caught in the ropes. Eventually Tazz gets the table set up in a corner while Raven brings D’Von back in the ring. Raven goes for a clothesline but misses D’Von and ends up nailing Tazz. Bubba tosses Raven through the ropes and D’Von whips Tazz into a 3D for the pin. (5:03) Another okayish match, thought the smoke certainly made it a spectacle. **

The Dudleys celebrate their win and depart without using the table while Raven argues with Tazz about the loss. Raven eventually takes a swing at Tazz who ducks it and Tazz ends up suplexing Raven through the table. I guess this’s it for their tag team and thus we’re not getting that Jerry Lawler/Al Snow vs. Tazz/Raven match.

~ Backstage we see Michael Cole getting ready to talk with Tiger Ali-Singh and Lo Down who recently formed their partnership that went nowhere. Elsewhere another limo pulls up and The Rock comes out as we go to commercial.

~ Back from break we find the Radicalz in their lockerroom complete with a fruit spread but Malenko isn’t happy. So Benoit decides to order some food while reminding his partners not to forget what tonight is all about.

~ Elsewhere Michael Cole is about to get comments from Tiger Ali-Singh when The Rock walks by so Cole ignores Singh and chases after Rock to interview him instead. Geez, talk about being dissed. Anyway Cole mentions the eight man tag and Rock says the Radicalz stuck their noses where they didn’t belong. Rock mentions Rikishi isn’t here tonight so he decides to use the Radicals to send a message to him. Rock says since they’re so close to the holiday season he promises gifts for everyone. Rock says he’s giving Chris Benoit a pair of wolverine parts, he’s giving Dean Malenko six inches (“no, not there!”) to make him a 5’2″ champion, he’s giving Perry Saturn a slap to straighten out his googly eyes and giving Eddie Guerrero a sombrero, donkey and a hot bottle of tequila. Rock also promises to have something special for Rikishi at Survivor Series.

~ Still elsewhere Kurt Angle is complaining to Edge and Christian about having to wrestle twice tonight. E&C both work out a battle plan where they will take out the Hollys leaving the Undertaker for Angle but Angle bemoans the fact that either way he ends up facing ‘Taker. So E&C try to cheer him up by playing Crash Holly’s theme music on the kazoo but Angle doesn’t appreciate it and dismisses his pals.

~ We cut back to Michael Cole who apologizes to Tiger Ali-Singh for cutting him off then tries to get comments from them. However Tiger is again interupted by an enraged Chris Jericho who demands to know where Mick Foley is but Cole doesn’t know. Jericho wants to face Kane at Survivor Series so he can chop him down. Well, it’s not like anybody really cared about Tiger or Lo Down anyway so no big loss.

~ The Undertaker and the Holly clan are both shown heading to the ring as we go to commercial.

• Kurt Angle, Edge & Christian vs. The Undertaker, Crash & Hardcore Holly (w/Molly Holly)

So for the second time tonight the WWF Champion is in action, only with his pals against a makeshift team. Yet for some reason JR is already proclaiming that Angle will lose the title at the pay-per-view. Hardcore starts things off by bringing Angle in the ring the hard way and all six men are going at it before it settles down to Hardcore and Angle. Hardcore works Angle over in a corner then drapes Angle on the top rope and kicks him in the chest. Hardcore goes for a whip, Angle revereses him into a corner but runs into a clothesline for a two count. Hardcore goes for a whip when Angle counters into a back suplex then whips Hardcore but lowers the head. Hardcore hits his own suplex then whips Angle and hits a dropkick. Undertaker tags in and Angle immediately bails out of the ring, tagging Christian in along the way. Christian is heasitant at first but Taker misses a right hand and Christian lands a series of shots. Taker grabs Christian by the throat and throws him into the corner before working him over. Taker then throws Christian into his team’s corner and dares Angle to tag in but Angle refuses and hops off the apron. So Edge tags in instead and Taker grabs him in an armwringer then tags in Crash while holding the arm and Crash comes of the top rope with an axehandle on the arm. Crash snapmares Edge to the mat and dropkicks him in the back of the head. Crash whips Edge into a corner and Edge backdrops him over the ropes but Crash lands on his feet on the apron and pulls Edge down by the hair. Crash climbs to the top rope and connects with a missile dropkick for a two count. Crash comes off the ropes and floats over Edge but Edge slings Crash through the ropes. Edge distracts the referee while Christian lays the boots to Crash in the floor and rams him into the apron. Edge suplexes Crash back in the ring then tags Christian who whips Crash into a powerslam for a two count. Christian chokes Crash on the mat then snapmares him and kicks him in the back. Angle tags in and hammers Crash in a corner then hits a snap suplex and tags Edge in. Crash fights back and comes off the ropes but runs into an Edge-o-matic. Christian tags in and sets Crash on the top turnbuckle then goes up looking for a superplex but Hardcore shoves Christian off the ropes and Crash connects with a flying clothesline. Both men crawl to their corner and Christian tags in Angle while Crash makes the tag to Taker. Taker hammers way on Angle and whips him into a corner for a clothesline then whips him again into a big boot. E&C come in but Taker grabs Edge by the throat before hitting a boot on Christian and passing Edge over to Edge off to Hardcore for a back suplex. Crash knocks Christian through the ropes while Hardcore clotheslines Edge over the ropes when Angle plants Taker with a belly-to-belly suplex in the ring. Angle goes for the Olympic Slam but Taker counters it and hits the chokeslam then follows up with the Last Ride that gets the three. (6:46) So Taker dominated Angle and pinned him just six days before their showdown. How are we supposed to belive that Angle will stand a chance at the pay-per-view? Angle should have pinned one of the Holly cousins because he needed the momentum more. **

~ Steve Austin is shown arriving at the building an hour late as we go to commercial.

~ Back from break the Hardys and Lita are walking backstage when Lt. Commissioner Debra runs into them saying they’ll face the Right To Censor in a six-person tag match later tonight. However Debra adds that both the Women’s Title and the Tag Team Titles will be on the line in the match and Matt says this might be a good night for Team Xtreme as they walk off.

~ Out in the arena Steve Austin hits the ring to take up some time on the mic. Austin starts off by saying he’s choosing his words carefully, because in his head they’re all four letter ones. Austin says he came to the arena tonight looking for Triple H only to learn that he was at home with a back injury. Ausitn says tht’s too bad because they could have finished things right then and there but now Triple H has to sit at home and wait until Survivor Series to settle things. Austin mentions what Triple H said about never seeing it coming before telling him he’s going to see everything Sunday. Austin mentions how Triple H took a year out of his life and became the dominat force in the WWF. Austin says he could have run Triple H over with a car or run his car over with a monster truck or even went to Triple H’s home and beat him up there, but all those would have been all too easy. Austin promises to destroy Triple H at Survivor Series before throwing his microphone at Lawler and departing. Short promo but not one the crowd was all into for some reason.

• WWF Women’s/Tag Team Titles: Ivory © and Bull Buchanan & The Goodfather © vs. Lita and The Hardy Boyz

Basically if the Hardys pin the tag champs they regain the tag titles but if Lita pins Ivory she gets the Women’s title. And I guess the woemn can only pin each other and same with the men. JR mentions Steven Richards is over at WWF New York while Val Venis is noticeably absent. The Hardys and Lita don’t wait for the bell as they attack the RTC’ers on the ramp. Goodfather rams Matt into the apron while Buchanan whips Jeff into the steps then tosses him in the ring to officially start the match. Buchanan hits an armbar takedown before tagging Goodfather in and both guys ram Jeff into the turnbuckles. Goodfather wraps Jeff’s arm around the ropes and chokes him with his boot then whips him into a corner and goes for the Ho Train but Jeff sidesteps him. Jeff looks to tag in Matt but Lita takes the tag herself and Matt expresses his shock at her. Goodfather looks ready to go at it while Ivory tags herself in as well. Lita clotheslines Ivory and her across the ring then unloads on her. Lita goes for a whip but Ivory reverses and hits a clothesline. Ivory lays the boots to Lita and scoops her up but Lita counters into an inverted DDT. Lita climbs to the top rope and connects with the moonsault then covers Ivory but Goodfather pulls Lita off and plants her with a sidewalk slam. Ivory crawls over and covers Lita but only gets a two count. Buchanan tags in and grabs Lita by the hair but Lita escapes with a mule kick below the belt. Lita tags in Matt who climbs to the top rope and connects with a flying clothesline on Buchanan. Jeff and Lita knock Goodfather and Ivory off the apron before Jeff slings himself over the ropes for a pescado on Goodfather. In the ring Matt goes for a whip, Buchanan reverses him into a corner but eats a double boot while Lita climbs to the top rope and hits Buchanan with a huricanrana. Matt hops to the middle rope and hits the guillotine legdrop on Buchanan then covers him but Goodfather again makes the save. Goodfather beats on Matt and goes for a short-arm clothesline but Matt ducks and sends Goodfather through the ropes. Buchanan goes for a clothesline but Matt ducks it and hits the Twist of Fate. Lita spears Ivory while Jeff tags in and connects with the Swanton Bomb off the top rope! Jeff covers Buchanan and the referee counts 1…2…but Goodfather pulls the referee out of the ring and decks him, drawing an intentional DQ to save both titles. (3:56) And thus the RTC’s reigns continue. *½

Matt attacks Goodfather on the outside then drops to the floor so Jeff can hit the Poetry in Motion. The Hardys and Lita lay the boots to Goodfather when here comes Val Venis for a 4-on-3 beatdown. Buchanan whips Matt into a clothesline from the Goodfather while Val throws Jeff in the ring then whips him into a corner then hits a splash followed by the Blue Thunderbomb. Buchanan hits Matt with a belly-to-belly suplex and Ivory chokes Lita down a corner before hitting a DDT for good measure.

~ Backstage we find Billy Gunn talking to Chyna about the match later, saying the Radicalz’s first mistake was interfering in his IC Title match last week and their last mistake was putting their hands on Chyna. Chyna is looking for revenge on Chris Benoit for putting the Crossface on her and Billy asks Chyna to leave Eddie Guerrero for him and they start to head out as we go to commercial.

~ Back from break we see the Radicalz get some real food delivered to them and Malenko and Saturn clear some space by tossing the fruit platters behind them. Benoit is talking on the phone to someone, saying everything is going the way they planned. Gee, I wonder who could possibly be on the other side of that conversation.

• WWF European Title: William Regal © vs. Road Dogg

Road Dogg guest hosted Heat last night and also got a new running buddy who we’ll meet in a moment. Regal gets on the mic greets the fans before pointing out the presidential election is in a tie and suggesting the answer to this problem is for America to have a monarchy, that a king or queen would be better instead of a president who will turn out to be a lying philanderer. Road Dogg comes in and gets on the mic tells Regal that tonight’s not a monarchy, but anarchy. Both men lockup to start and Road Dogg applies a headlock, Regal counters into a wristlock but Road Dogg goes back into a headlock. Regal shoves Road Dogg into the ropes but Road Dogg hits a shoulderblock then comes off the ropes and hits a hiptoss followed by a series of armdrags. Road Dogg goes for a whip but Regal counters with an European uppercut. Regal stomps Road Dogg before hitting a suplex for a two count then goes for the cover two more times but doesn’t get the three. Regal knees Road Dogg in the head repeatedly and clubs him in the back of the head. Regal scoops Road Dogg up but Road Dogg counters into a rollup for a near fall. Regal hits a kneedrop to the back and applies a modified Crossface. Regal pops Road Dogg with a forearm and beats him down in a corner then whips him but lowers the head and Road Dogg kicks the face. Road Dogg lands the juke ‘n jive punches then follows up with the Shake, Rattle ‘n’ Kneedrop for a two count. Suddenly out comes Road Dogg’s new pal K-Kwik, who you may recognize as Ron “R-Truth” Killings in his first WWF run. K-Kwik heads in and nails Regal in the head with a microphone, getting Road Dogg DQ’ed. (2:41) Now why did K-Kwik do that when Road Dogg was in control of the match? this bout looked like it was going somewhere when it was cut off by an ending made no sense. *

Regal is seething at K-Kiwk for his intrusion as he leaves with the belt. You’d think Road Dogg would be mad as well since K-Kwik ruined his title shot. Instead K-Kwik gets on the mic and tells Road Dogg it’s time to get rowdy so they start rapping. And the sad part is this gets verylittle reaction from the crowd. We also cut to the back and find Mick Foley and Debra busting a move. Doesn’t Road Dogg care that his partner just cost him the European Title? Let’s just move on.

~ Back from break Michael Cole interviews Austin about the eight-person tag match and Austin says if it’s him and the Rock he knows they’ll tear it up. However Austin says he has a funny feeling in his gut that something isn’t right.

~ We cut over to WWF New York and find Steve Richards holding a rally to convert the masses. Richards is preaching the RTC way but gets nothing but jeers from the crowd.

~ Backstage Mick Foley is with Debra talking about matchmaking for the pay-per-view. Foley mentions the three matches we already got for Survivor Series: Triple H vs. Steve Austin, The Rock vs. Rikishi and Kurt Angle vs. The Undertaker for the WWF Championship. Foley decides to give Chris Jericho his match with Kane at the pay-per-view and also books Crash Holly, Molly Holly & Steve Blackman vs. T & A and Trish Stratus. Debra gives matchmaking a shot by giving Lita her Women’s Title rematch against Ivory. Finally Foley adds a Survivor Series match pitting the Hardys and Dudleys against Bull Buchanan, The Goodfather, Edge & Christian. Foley then rubs his head between two stuffed puppy dolls. Nothing like throwing the pay-view-card together just six days before the event, no?

~ The various participants for the main event start heading for the ring as we go to commercial.

• Steve Austin, The Rock, Billy Gunn & Chyna vs. The Radicalz (w/Terri Runnels)

After the Radicalz are in the ring, Billy and Chyna come out but don’t wait for their partners and rush the ring. Of course they quickly get beaten down until Rock charges in the ring with Austin right behind him. The good guys eventually clear three of the Radicalz out of the ring before each taking a turn on Perry Saturn. Austin takes over on Saturn and whips him into a corner and Saturn staggers into a clothesline. Austin grabs the legs and stomps Saturn in the chest then tags in Billy who whips Saturn into a gutwrench slam for a two count. Billy goes for another whip but Saturn counters with an exploder suplex. Malenko tags in and whips Billy then connects with a spinning heel kick. Malenko goes for another whip when Billy reverses him into a corner and Malenko lifts himself up and Billy catches him. Malenko floats over him but Billy elbows Malenko away and whips him into the corner then hits a press slam for a two count. Saturn tags back in but runs right into a powerslam. Rock gets the tag and unloads on Saturn then whips him into a Samoan Drop for a two count. Rock goes for a whip but Saturn reverses and Chris Benoit nails Rock from the apron. Rock takes a swing at Benoit but misses and walks into a superkick from Saturn for a two count. Saturn chokes Rock on the middle rope, then distracts the referee while Malenko and Eddie work him over. Austin gets in a shot on Malenko before being ordered back to his corner while Saturn hits Rock with a suplex for qa near fall. Rock for a two count and Rock starts to fight back and comes off the ropes but runs into an elbow and Saturn pops him through the ropes. Saturn distracts the referee while Benoit chops Rock on the floor then tosses him back in the ring. Benoit tags in and chops Rock in a corner then hammers him with punches and kicks. Saturn tags back in when Rock again starts to fight back but Satrun stops it with a knee to the chest. Saturn goes into a waistlock but Rock fights out of it and hits the Rock Bottom! Rock covers Saturn but Benoit makes the save. Eddie tags in and tanuts Chyna and Billy but that allows Rock to charge out of the corner with a forearm.

Chyna asks to tag in and Rock obliges and Chyna hits a clothesline on Eddie. Chyna lands some forearms then whips Eddie and hits a neckbreaker followed by the handspring elbow in a corner. Malenko comes in and Chyna sets him for a DDT but Eddie interupts with a clothesline. Billy comes in but the referee orders him out as Eddie lays the boots to Chyna then snapmares her and grinds his foot on her face. Eddie works Chyna over in his corner then draws Billy in to distract the referee for some double-teaming. Austin runs over and pulls Saturn off the apron then throws him across the announcers’ table and into the steps while flipping Benoit off. In the ring Eddie whips Chyna and hits an elbow then hits a back suplex for a near fall. Saturn tags in and drills Chyna with a brainbuster for a two count. Saturn goes for a whip but Chyna reverses and plants him with a flapjack. Malenko tags in and pummels Chyna in a corner and at this point if you listen you can hear Earl Hebner very audibly say “five minutes”. Malenko hits a snapmare before tagging in Eddie who slings himself over the ropes into a hilo. Eddie pops Chyna with a European uppercut then goes for a whip but Chyna reverses into a sleeperhold. Eddie tries to counter with a back suplex but Chyna flips out of it and hits a DDT. Chyna drapes an arm over Eddie but Saturn saves it so Billy comes in with a clothesline on Saturn. The referee tries to get Billy out, allowing Benoit to get in some shots on Chyna and the match starts breaking down. Rock comes in and knock Benoit over the ropes with the Smackdown then goes out and starts fighting with Benoit as they make their way up the aisle to the back. Meanwhile Austin and Billy are taking care of Saturn and Malenko on the floor. Austin gets back in the ring and goes at it with Eddie, stomping him down in a corner. Chyna whips Malenko into the steps and Austin hits the Stunner on Eddie to get the three. (11:00) They tried to recreate the epic feel of the 10-man tag in Dallas and didn’t quite succeed. The long heat segment on Chyna didn’t help matters either. Still a fun main event for the most part. **½

However we cut to the back to find Rock and Benoit still going at it, probably not aware the match is over. Rock rams Benoit into the interview set then into some pipes and a Pepsi machine then whacks him with a trash can. However Benoit manages to come back and rams Rock into a concrete wall. Benoit then starts waving to somebody off in the distance and a black car appears with Rikishi leaning out of the windown holding a sledgehammer. Once the car drives by (with Triple H behind the wheel) Rikishi nails Rock right in the chest with the hammer and sends him flying. Rock is writhing in pain on the floor as Rikishi climbs out with Triple H and tells Rock he can expect more of the same at Survivor Series. Rikishi and Triple H then peel off in the car while Rock is left laying as Raw goes off the air.

Conclusion: Better show than the pervious week but that doesn’t mean I’m calling it a good show, mind you. The in-ring action was okay for the most part with a solid main event but once again the show had a disjointed feel to it do to the baffling booking. I mean the Radicalz suddenly like Triple H just a week after feuding with him? The Survivor Series card gets thrown together with six days to go? Road Dogg and K-Kwik rapping? Plus it seemed around this time the WWF was redeveloping its hiearchy from 1999. Guys like Benoit, Jericho, Eddie and others who were enjoying nice pushes through much of 2000 were now getting shunted down in the midcard and forced to look up to Austin, Rock, Triple H and Taker who took back their places in the spotlight. Even world champion Kurt Angle wasn’t immune to this shift as he wrestled twice in the first hour then was barely mentioned again in the show. Not to mention his pay-per-view opponent made him look like a chump. So while this show doesn’t get the full thumbs down treatment it’s still another step in the WWF’s downward slide.