Written by: Adam King
WWF RAW IS WAR
Monday, November 20th, 2000
Live from the TD Waterhouse Center in Orlando, FL
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 with clips pf the “shocking” ending to the Steve Austin/Triple H match at the pay-per-view. Jim Ross then welcomes us to the show along with Jerry “The King” Lawler.
~ Things kick off with Stephanie McMahon making her way to the ring dressed in black to address us on the mic. Stephanie says it’s a miracle that Triple H survived Steve Austin’s assault last night and the crowd boos this news. Stephanie says Triple H is at home under a doctor’s care and asked her to come to Raw tonight to speak on his behalf. Stephanie says Triple H suffered multiple contusions, concussions and mental trama among other injuries (as the crowd chants for Austin) and because of that, Triple H now understands his issues with Austin has to end. Thus Stephanie apologizes to Austin on Triple H’s behalf saying he doesn’t hold anything against him. Stephanie says she’s been gone the past few weeks because the two are trying to have a baby together and have a new appreciation for life. Stephanie pleads wtih Austin to end their feud and before long Austin thankfully comes out to the ring to spaure us from Stephanie’s bad mic skills. Austin grabs a mic and starts by telling Stephanie it’s a miracle he doesn’t give her the Stunner right now. Austin says he enjoyed dropping Triple H from the forklift and is only sorry he didn’t do it over and over. Austin also feels sorry Triple H is in the hospital instead of the morgue and that Stephanie isn’t picking a casket. Austin says he has a message for Triple H, and turns to the camera and flips him the bird. Stephanie starts crying as Austin makes fun of the baby the two would have, particularly the size of its nose. Austin then gets in Stephanie’s face ordering her to tell Triple H it’s not over by a long shot and Stephanie flees the ring in tears while Austin shows no remorse. Isn’t it interesting how Stephanie didn’t say anything about her partnership with Kurt Angle?
However we’re not done as Chris Benoit comes out to the ramp for some reason. Benoit gets on the mic and says Austin has proven he’s good with a forklift and a Stunner, offering a sarcastic clap. Benoit then says he’s faced Austin in the ring and thus far hasn’t seen anything impressive so he challenges him to a straight-up wrestling match tonight, offering to teach Austin what wrestling is since he’s the best technical wrestler and will never be proven wrong. Austin says he isn’t at the top of the technical wrestler list but is the top-rated beer drinker in the WWF and with the fans’ encouragement, Austin accepts Benoit’s challenge and grabs a beer before departing. Kind of a weird transition from one thing to another but whatever.
~ We then cut to the back and find Stephanie sobbing as she climbs into her limo and drives off. JR tries to sell it as Austin “going to far” which would hint at a heel turn but I don’t think it went anywhere.
- WWF Tag Team Titles: Bull Buchanan & The Goodfather © (w/Steven Richards) vs. The Dudley Boyz – “Titles vs. Tables”
Basically if the Dudleys win they get the titles but if they lose they’re banned from using tables ever again. Buchanan and Goodfather come out first and get on the mic promising to end the tables for the fans’ own good while the Dudleys come out with a table in hand. The RTC guys work the Dudleys over in the corners and go to whip them into each other but the Dudleys counter with a do-si-do and clothesline both their opponents. Bubba slams Buchanan and hops to the middle rope but Goodfather distracts him and Buchanan punches him below the belt. Buchanan throws Bubba to the mat and applies an arm wringer then tags in Goodfather and both men ram Bubba shoulder-first into the turnbuckles. Goodfather nails Bubba from behind then Buchanan wraps Bubba’s arm around the ringpost while Goodfather works it over. Goodfather then holds Bubba’s arm while Buchanan comes off the top with an axehandle. Goodfather whips Bubba and slaps on a sleeperhold and Bubba begins to fade as the referee checks the arm. It drops once, twice, but Bubba keeps it up a third time and counters the hold with a suplex. Bubba manages to tag in D’Von while Goodfather also gets the tag but D’Von whips him and hits the jumping elbow. D’Von whips Goodfather again into a forearm then pops Buchanan on the apron and hits Goodfather with a neckbreaker. D’Von covers when Buchanan breaks up the pin and the RTC guys whip D’Von into the ropes but D’Von manages to clothesline both men. D’Von covers Goodfather but Buchanan again makes the save so Bubba clotheslines Goodfather over the ropes. Buchanan sets D’Von on the top rope then goes up for a superplex but Bubba cuts him off then sets Buchanan on his shoulders and D’Von comes off the top with the Dudleyville Device. Richards hops onto the apron but the Dudleys sling him in the ring and throw him back out. Goodfather goes for a whip but D’Von reverses and the Dudleys hit the 3D! D’Von covers Goodfather and the referee counts 1..2..but Richards pulls D’Von out of the ring and rams him into the apron intentionally getting his boys DQ’ed. (4:20) Pretty pedistrian match with a stupid cop-out ending, rather than having the Dudleys win the titles. *½
Richards celebrates with the belts when Bubba brings him in the ring by his tie and slams him to the mat then sets him up while D’Von climbs to the top rope and connects with the “Wassup” headbutt. The Dudleys then go out and slide a table in the ring then set it up. I guess technically they won the match thus they get to keep using tables. Bubba hops to the middle rope as D’Von passes Richards to him and Bubba superbombs him through the table and Richards is pretty folded up. The Dudleys walk off victorius even though they failed to get the titles.
~ Backstage Michael Cole interviews Chris Jericho about teaming with the Rock against Rikishi and Kane tonight. Jericho tells Cole to please shut up then addresses Kane, thanking him for everything he taught him including how to go through a plate glass window and a announce table. Jericho adds he decided to teach Kane some things after their match, such as how to get rammed into a steel door, beaten with a 2×4, and get close to steel pipes. Jericho promises Kane’s lesson in violence won’t end tonight and may never end as we go to commercial.
~ Back from break Kevin Kelly is standing outside The Rock’s door waiting to interview him.
~ Elsewhere T&A and Trish Stratus are admiring the makeover they gave the Acolytes’ office when William Regal comes in. Test tells Regal they don’t serve tea and crumpets here but Regal tells them he has a hardcore match with Hardcore Holly tonight and wants protection. Test and Albert are a little confused until Regal points out their T&APA shirts and so they finally realize what he wants and take the job. Regal thanks them while calling Trish “comely”.
~ Elsewhere Hardcore is watching the deal go down on a monitor when
Crash walks up and offers to watch his back, which doesn’t make Hardcore feel any better.
~ Kevin Kelly then interviews the Rock on the tag match saying he’s surprised to see him standing after last night. Rock starts with his “Finally” bit and says he beat Rikishi last night in the ring 1-2-3 but still isn’t satisfised. Rock says with every Banzai Drop and sledgehammer shot he doesn’t want Rikishi to bring it, he’s going to bring it to Rikishi instead. Rock says that the tag match isn’t about winning or losing and promises to hit the Rock Bottom on Rikishi and leave him laying just like he did to him the past week. Rock finishes by saying everyone all over the world will smell what he’s cooking.
~ Back from break we find several members of the XFL Orlando Rage in the crowd tonight.
~ Backstage Michael Cole interviews Earl Hebner about the Kurt Angle/Undertaker match last night. After showing still photos of the finish Cole asks Hebner why he didn’t count the pin and Hebner simply says he saw the man Taker covered wasn’t Kurt Angle so he couldn’t count the pin. Yeah, I think you do have to pin your actually opponent and not a lookalike. Hebner then departs, upset over the insinuation he was part of yet another Survivor Series screwjob. Unnecessary segment but it only took a couple of minutes so no harm done.
- Hardcore Holly vs. William Regal © – Non-Title Hardcore Match
Regal gets on the mic and starts talking about the Orlando Rage XFL team then claims American football isn’t real football when Hardcore interupts him yet again. Hardcore charges in the ring with a kendo stick but Regal attacks him as he comes in and breaks the kendo stick over his back. Regal stomps Hardcore out of the ring and the two fight on the floor and brawl their way near the stage. Hardcore sprays Regal with a fire extinguishe and rams him into an anvil case as we get a quick shot of Steve Blackman watching this match from the back. Hardcore brings Regal backstage but Regal throws him into a stack of boxes. Hardcore grabs a trash can and waffles Regal with it but Regal grabs a leather strap and whips Hardcore with it. Regal throws Hardcore into a rack but Hardcore rams Regal into a pair of tables. Hardcore rams Regal into a metal case then grabs a TV camera and bashes Regal with it for a two count. Hardocre throws Regal into a truck when Test and Albert appear and beat Hardcore down. T&A throw Hardcore into a metal garage door and Albert follows up with an Avalanche then Regal cracks him in the head with a 2×4 and that’s enough for the pin. (2:59) Nothing to really see here. Regal slips away when Blackman and Crash run out and attack Test and Albert with trash can lids but T & A go through the garage door and make their escape in a golf cart. *
~ Chris Jericho, Kane, Rikishi and The Rock are all shown heading to the ring as we go to commercial.
~ Back from break Tiger Ali-Singh and Lo Down are shown arriving at the building and going through the security entrance but are detained by the guard. Tiger and the others complain but the guard says they’re not on the list and throw them out. I’m sure there’s a point to these sketches but I’m just not sure what it is.
- The Rock & Chris Jericho vs. Rikishi & Kane
Rock and Jericho both rush the ring and waste no time going at it with their respective opponents. Rock knocks Rikishi through the ropes with the Smackdown while Jericho works over Kane in a corner but Kane comes back and drops Jericho with a right hand. Kane does the same to Rock then whips him into a corner but Rock comes back out with a clothesline. Rock turns and dares Rikishi to come in but Rikishi backs off the apron so Rock turns back to Kane and eats a right hand. Now Rikishi tags in and stomps away at Rock’s injured chest then slams him and hits a headbutt. Kane tags back in to take over when Rock starts fighting back and comes off the ropes, Kane scoops him up but Rock floats over him and hits a Russian legsweep. Jericho tags in and kicks Kane down in a corner then goes for a whip. Kane reverses Jericho into the opposite corner and charges but eats a boot and Jericho comes out but runs right into a clothesline. Kane whips Jericho and lifts him up but Jericho dropkicks him away then comes off the ropes with a spinning heel kick for a two count. Jericho goes for a whip, Kane reverses but lowers the head and Jericho kicks the face but runs right into a big boot. Rikishi tags in and gets in his shots then whips him. Jericho goes for a hiptoss but not surprisingly Rikishi blocks it and drops him with a right hand. Rikishi taunts Rock before hitting a backbreaker on Jericho. Jericho fights back with hcops and comes off the ropes but runs into a superkick. Kane tags in and hits a delayed press slam then draws Rock in to distract the referee while Kane and Rikishi double-team Jericho. Rikishi comes in without a tag and whips Jericho into a sleeperhold. Jericho fights out of the hold but Rikishi pulls him back into it by the hair. Jericho tries to counter with a suplex but can’t get Rikishi up so Jericho shoves Rikishi into a corner and gets a rollup for a near fall. Jericho goes for a Walls of Jericho but can’t seem to turn Rikishi over and Rikishi kicks him away. Rikishi whips Jericho into a corner and goes for the running butt splash but Jericho sidesteps it and hits a dropkick then crawls over and makes the hot tag to Rock. Kane tags in and Rock wails on him then goes for a whip, Kane reverses but Rock hits a DDT. Rock pops Rikishi off the apron then whips Kane and hits a spinebuster. Rock goes for the People’s Elbow but Rikishi trips him from the floor. Kane grabs Rock by the throat for a chokeslam but Jericho climsb to the top and breaks it up with a missle dropkick. Rikishi nails Jericho with a superkick then works Rock over while Jericho brings a chair in the ring and whacks Kane in the head with it behind the referee’s back. Jericho knocks Rikishi through the ropes while Rock plants Kane with a Rock Bottom for the win. (8:29)Pretty fun match there. **½
After the bell Jericho continues attack Kane while Rock goes after Rikishi on the ramp and brings him back in the ring then plants him with a spinebuster. Jericho puts Kane in the Walls of Jericho while Rock slaps the Sharpshooter on Rikishi. Jerihco then hits the Lionsault on Kane and Rock lays out Rikishi with a Rock Bottom for good measure.
~ Backstage we find Kurt Angle arriving with some guy who looks like him as we go to commercial.
~ Back from break we get an exterior view of the TD Waterhouse Center.
JR mentions that in addition to Austin/Benoit, Molly Holly will challenge Ivory for the Women’s title.
~ Out in the arena Kurt Angle comes out to the ring with his look-alike that the Undertaker almost pinned last night. Angle gets on the mic and starts talking about how every year at Survivor Series something screwy goes down such as the Bret Hart incident in Montreal and Steve Austin getting run down. Angle also mentions a new champion being crowned every year but he avoided the screwjob and that for once “the good guy” retained the title. Angle then proceeds to introduce his “twin” as his older brother, Eric Angle, who he claims was going to surprise him by hiding under the ring before coming out and celebrating his win. Angle says it wasn’t their fault Taker pulled him out of the ring and gave him The Last Ride. Angle says he retained the title and promises to remain champion for a long, long time. Wouldn’t you know it Undertaker comes out and shakes his head before making his way to the ring. Angle sacrifices Eric by shoving him in Taker’s way and Taker takes him out with a chokeslam. Taker then hammers way on Angle and pops him through the ropes and then beats him up the ramp to the stage. Taker then grbas Angle and chokeslams him off the stage through a table below! Taker looks out at Angle in a heap and casually heads to the back as we go to commercial. Can’t they just one time not make Angle look like such a joke champion?
~ Back from break we get a replay of Undertaker taking out the Angle brothers as well as footage of the EMTs trying to scoop up what’s left of Angle from the floor during the break.
~ Backstage Taker pays a visit to Commissioner Mick Foley and demands he pay up. Foley doesn’t understand until Taker reminds him he made him famous by throwing him off the Hell in a Cell and Foley can’t argue with that. Taker demands the Angle brothers in a handicap match and Foley says it may very well be a handicap match after what Taker did to the two of them. Foley tells Taker he has to check on their medical codition but will take it under advisement. Taker warns Foley to make it happen or Deadman Inc. will go into business for itself.
- Road Dogg, K-Kwik & Billy Gunn vs. Eddie Guerrero, Perry Saturn & Dean Malenko (w/Terri Runnels)
Road Dogg & K-Kwik once again do their rapping intro and still don’t get much of a response. As the Radicalz file out Eddie rushes the ring and goes right after Billy. Billy whips Eddie and goes for a tilt-o-whirl slam. Eddie lands on his feet and comes off the ropes but Billy leapfrogs him and this time hits the tilt-o-whirl slam. Billy whips Eddie into a corner and hits a one-armed press slam then tags in Road Dogg who follows up with the shake, rattle ‘n kneedrop for a two count. Eddie whips Road Dogg but Road Dogg hits the juke ‘n jive punches then goes for the big right when Malenko comes in but he gets nailed with the big right. Road Dogg drops Eddie with a right hand but Saturn nails him with a superkick. Eddie tags in Maleno and both men whip Road Dogg and hit a double elbow for a two count. Malenko works Road Dogg over then whips him into a corner and hits a clothesline followed by a snapmare. Saturn tags in and lays the boots to Road Dogg then htts a back suplex. Saturn whips Road Dogg into a corner but eats a boot and Road Dogg comes out but Saturn hits knees to the face. Saturn sets Road Dogg on the top rope then goes up and goes for a superplex but Road Dogg shifts in mid-air and lands on top of him. Saturn tries to prevent a tag but Road Dogg kicks him away and tags in K-Kwik. K-Kwik tees off on Saturn and caps off with a discus punch then whips him and hits a hurcanrana. K-Kwik goes for another whip, Saturn reverses but K-Kwik comes back with the headscissors. K-Kwik follows up with a gourdbuster but Eddie breaks up the pin and everyone starts going at it. K-Kwik hammers Saturn in a corner when Terri comes in and pulls him off allowing to Saturn nail him from behind. Saturn tosses K-Kwik through the ropes when Billy tosses Terri into Saturn’s arms. Saturn sets Terri down when Billy drills him with the Rocker Dropper. K-Kwik climbs to the top rope and connects with a Firebird splash on Saturn for the pin. (4:11) Pretty much a ‘feh’ match. The Radicalz sure have a hard time winning matches, don’t they? *½
~ Backstage Mick Foley is pricking his finger on his cactus when Edge and Christian come in. Christian feels they overstepped their boundaries by interfering in Undertaker’s match last night and Foley agrees wholehartedly as Edge mentions no one has heard from Kalama after Taker put him in a casket. Christian says they want to apologize to Taker and brings out an urn which they want Foley to deliver as a peace offering. Foley disgrees and instead decides to put the two of them against Taker in a handicap match. E&C are disappointed even as Foley assures them Taker will make them famous.
- WWF Women’s Title: Ivory © vs. Molly Holly
Just a few weeks into her WWF career and Molly is already getting a Women’s title shot. Chyna comes out and joins the announcers for commentary, which is weird because I though Chyna wasn’t interested in wrestling women. I should also mention Ivory is wrestling in pants instead of a skirt. Molly starts off with a drop toehold then applies an arm wringer while wrenching the arm. Molly rolls Ivory up in a La Magistral for a two count. Ivory applies a Full Nelson and Molly slips out of it but Ivory hits a facejam and rams Molly repeatedly into a turnbuckle. Ivory whips Molly into a corner and comes off the ropes going for a bulldog but Molly shoves her off. Molly climbs to the top rope and connects with a flying crossbody but only gets a two count. Molly chops Ivory and Ivory begs off before throwing her through the ropes. Ivory takes a swing at Molly but Molly snaps her neck on the top rope. Suddenly Trish Stratus comes out and DDT’s Molly onto the floor then throws her back in the ring and Ivory covers for the three. (1:34) Looked like it was going to be good until the run-in cut it short. *
~ Backstage Undertaker walks out of his lockerroom and finds the urn sitting outside his door as well as a note attached to it from Edge & Christian congradulating him on a decade of awesomeness. Taker says someone’s messing around in his yard before tossing the urn in a nearby trash can. Don’t know what to say about that.
- The Undertaker vs. Edge & Christian – Handicap Match
E&C do paper-rock-scissors to decide who starts and the lot falls on Christian who offers a hand but Taker responds with a short-arm clothesline. Taker boots Edge and drops Christian with a right hand. Edge gets in some offense in a corner but stops to celebrates, allowing Taker to throw him into the corner and hammer away on him. Christian nails Taker from behind and goes for a whip but Taker reverses him into a corner. Taker then scoops Christian onto his shoulder but Edge spears Taker and Christian falls on top for a two count. E&C lay the boots to Taker and double-team him in a corner then whip him and hit a double clothesline. Christian chokes Taker on the mat and E&c double-team him in a corner again. Edge hammers Taker in a corner with shoulderblocks but Taker starts to fight back. Taker grabs Christian by the throat but Edge nails him from behind. E&C whip Taker but lower their heads and Taker clubs Christian in the back. Edge comes off the ropes for a spear but Taker throws Edge right into Christian. Taker throws Edge over the ropes then hits the Last Ride on Christian for the win. (2:42) So Taker not only makes the WWF Champion look bad but also gets to single-handedly squash the top heel tag team as well. Edge comes back in but Taker takes him out with a chokeslam for good measure. DUD
~ Backstage the Radicalz are getting Chris Benoit fired up for his match with Steve Austin. Eddie Guerrero tells Benoit to take Austin out “Chris Benoit”-style while Malenko assures Benoit they have his back should Austin try something like he did at the pay-per-view. Benoit simply says “Austin’s done” and departs as we go to commercial.
~ Back from break they show a repeat of the video package that opened the show as well as Steve Austin’s confrontation with Stephanie McMahon earlier.
~ Chris Benoit then comes out to the ring for the main event but first gets on the mic and says whoever wanted to see “Ausitn 3:16″ will be disappointed tonight because the fans are going to get Benoit 101 School of Wrestling and Austin is going to fail. Austin is then shown heading to the ring as we go to commercial.
- Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Chris Benoit
So here we are, the first-ever one-on-one meeting between these two guys. Both men lockup to start and Austin goes into a waistlock and slams Benoit to the mat. Benoit applies a hammerlock but Austin counters into a headlock then takes Benoit down by the leg and goes into a front facelock. Benoit fights out it and goes for a whip but Austin reverses and hits a hiptoss followed by an armdrag into an armbar. Austin drives his knee into the elbow then goes into a wristlock and Benoit tries to reverse it but Austin reverses it back. Austin trips Benoit by the leg and floats over into an armbar then kneedrops the arm. Benoit works Austin over in a corner but Austin reverses positions and gets in his own shots. Austin whips Benoit into the opposite corner but Benoit comes back with a back suplex then hits a backbreaker for a two count. Benoit stomps Austin down in a corner then whips Austin into the opposite corner but Ausitn comes back and wrenches his arm. Austin scoops Benoit up but Benoit counters and falls on top of Austin for a two count. Benoit hits a clothesline and stomps him down in a corner before choking him with his boot then hits a snap suplex for a near fall. Austin rolls out to the floor then trips Benoit and looks to pull him into the ringpost but Benoit pulls is legs in driving Austin into the post instead. Benoit goes out and rams Austin into the ringsteps then into the announce table before tossing him back in the ring. Benoit whips Austin hard into a corner then climbs to the top rope and connects with the diving headbutt to the back but only gets two. Benoit goes for a whip but Austin reverses and applies a sleeperhold. Benoit shoves Austin into the ropes and hits an elbow for another near fall. Benoit goes for a whip but Austin reverses him into a corner and hits a spinebuster. Benoit goes for a whip, Austin reverses but Benoit rolls under a clothesline. Austin gets in some shots then whips Benoit into a Lou Thesz Pess and unloads on him. Benoit counters into a pin. Austin rolls out of it into his own cover but Benoit counters that and manages to slap on the Crossface! Austin tries to hold on and manages to inch over and grab the bottom rope. Benoit lays the boots to Austin then starts arguing with the referee when Austin starts to fight back. Benoit stops that and throws Austin shoulder-first into the ringpost then hits a German suplex followed by a second German suplex. Benoit goes for a third German but Austin fights out of it and the two exchange punches. Benoit misses a right hand and Austin hits the Stunner and grabs the three. (8:35) Pretty good main event there. Benoit brought it as always and Ausitn held up his end by showing he still had some wrestling ability left. I’m sure there are some that had an issue with Benoit jobbing cleanly to Austin after the anticlimnatic finish but it didn’t hurt him that much. ***
Conclusion: A rather so-so follow-up to a disappointing pay-per-view. Most of the matches were forgettable except for the great main event and the solid tag match at the end of the first hour. The rest of the show consisted of a lot of talking and some silly segments, especially the stuff with Austin and Stephanie as well as the Angle brothers and Undertaker. Basically this felt like a placeholder as not much was really advanced and with Armageddon (the following pay-per-view) just three weeks away that’s not a good sign. The Austin/Benoit match is the only real reason to check this show out, otherwise nothing to really see here.