WWF Smackdown 11/9/2000

Written by: Adam King

WWF SMACKDOWN
Thrusday, November 9th, 2000

Taped (11/7) from the Reunion Arena in Dallas, TX

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)

~ Smackdown comes on the air with highlights from Raw including Triple H’s “shocking” revelation. After the intro Michael Cole welcomes us to the show along with Jerry “The King” Lawler and they hope Triple H will explain his actions from Raw tonight. Also tonight The Undertaker, Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho and Kane with fight to determine the next #1 contender.

~ Things kick off with Triple H making his way to the ring with some remixed music and some loud boos from the fans. Triple H gets on the mic and starts by asking where the cheers are before asks the jeering fans if he makes them sick. Once the fans respond Triple H says the feeling is mututal that he got sicker and sicker everytime their cheered him. Triple H addresses the Steve Austin hit-and-run by first asking who could get into a car and run him down then answers the question by bringing out “the man who danced his way to the bank”, Rikishi. Rikishi joins Triple H in the ring and gets on the mic, proudly saying he did it and liked it and describes how he got his big break by pressing the gas pedal and running Austin down. Rikishi then admits the Rock was just an excuse and he doesn’t care about him, calling him another joke who can never be a part of his family the way Triple H is. Triple H claims the fans are upset because nobody saw that he could come up with such an elaborate plan. Triple H then says he was the one who gained the most from Austin’s absence since held the WWF Title longer than anyone else, married the boss’ daughter and pratically ran the WWF. Triple H feels in his eyes, a child could see that he was the mastermind, yet the fans were too stupid to see it. Triple H decides to show Austin what he means by showing the various ambushes and swerves from the past weeks on the OvalTron, repeating that each time Austin never saw it coming. Triple H finishes by saying whenever he and Austin get in the ring together he will never see it coming. Okay, so we’re just supposed to forget that Triple H and Rikishi were feuding for much of the year and that Rikishi stood by Rock during his intense battles against Triple H for the WWF Championship?

Once Triple H finishes, Commissioner Mick Foley comes out to the stage with a mic for his response. Foley tells Triple H three weeks ago they shared a high five together and last week they laughed together. Foley tells Triple H that despite him ending his career, he and the fans were beginning to like him but once he hit Austin with the sledgehammer on Raw, it was a slap in the face to him and the fans. You don’t know how rigt you are, Foley. Foley adds if Triple H can fool him, Austin, Rock and the fans, then congradulations are in order. Foley then announces he’s made a pair of matches for Survivor Series and tells Rikishi he better start caring about The Rock since he’s his opponent at the pay-per-view. Foley then gives Triple H the grand prize by booking him against Steve Austin before announcing that Triple H and Rikishi will team together against Austin and the Rock tonight. Foley tells them to have a nice day but Triple H interupts his exit saying they will have a nice day. Triple also says he and Rikishi are going to make sure Austin and Rock have a memorable day and we finish this segment after 18 minutes.

• WWF Intercontinential Title: Eddie Guerrero © (w/Perry Saturn & Terri) vs. “The One” Billy Gunn (w/Chyna)

So the bookers realized “Billy G.” was a stupid nickname for Billy Gunn and gave him a much better-sounding one and some new theme music. Also this was the match that was supposed to happen at No Mercy if not for Eddie’s injury. Billy attacks Eddie as he climbs in the ring and whips him into a backdrop then whips him into a corner and hits a one-handed press slam. Eddie begs him off but Billy isn’t having it and continues his assault. Eddie bails out to the floor but Chyna pops him in the head with a forearm and throws him back in the ring. Billy whips Eddie back and forth between the corners and connects with a Stinger splash then hits the Rocker Dropper. Billy covers Eddie as the referee counts 1..2..3 but sees Eddie’s foot on the ropes and waves off the pinfall. Billy hits the jackhammer when Saturn comes in and attacks him, dawing a DQ to save the title. (1:33) Eddie totally got destroyed in there and needed Saturn to bail him out. DUD

Billy and Saturn duke it out while Chyna comes in to even the odds and goes after Eddie. However Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko also come out and lay in a 4-on-2 beating with Benoit putting Chyna in the Crossface. Malneko has Billy in a chinlock forcing him to watch Chyna tap out when Road Dogg tries to make the save but Saturn takes him out as well. Eddie talks smack at Billy and even kisses Chyna as the The Radicalz are standing tall. So I guess the DX/Radicalz feud is going to continue, just without Triple H. Why are Road Dogg and Billy buddies again all of a sudden when Road Dogg kicked him out of DX?

~ Cameras are in the parking garage waiting for the arrivial of Steve Austin and The Rock as we go to commercial.

~ Back from break Edge and Christian find Commissioner Mick Foley in his office (which is in the kitchen) and complain about the Dudley Boyz getting a Tag Team title match tonight when they had an agreement with The Right to Censor for the first title shot if they helped them win the belts. Foley tells E&C the RTC doesn’t make the deals around here; he does, thus the Dudleys get the title shot. Foley has also decided to put Edge and Christian in a match with the Hardy Boyz.

~ Out in the arena Chris Jericho comes out to the ring since we need more talking time. Jericho gets on the mic and talks about Kane’s remarks on Raw saying he’s relieved his problems with him didn’t revolve around coffee. Jericho calls it perplexing and unsettling that Kane is jealous of him being one of the pretty people. Jericho feels Kane is selling himself short, that his look could be a fashion trend and even put together a presentation to show Kane how pretty he can be. First Jericho shows a picture of a male model on the Ovaltron before putting a Kane mask over the face. Jericho then pulls up a picture of George W. Bush and Al Gore calling them colorless and dull before giving both of them a Kane mask saying that would be a political party anyone would go to. Next Jericho shows a picture of Britney Spears and deicdes to give her the Kane look as well, claiming Britney’s next hit could be “Oops, I Did It A-Kane”, Jericho says the Kane could could also work on classic photos using the Mona Lisa as an example, then tells Kane he could be pretty as he shows him on the cover of People magazine with a smile on the mask. Jericho wraps up by saying that everyone has their pretty sides and their dark sides and that he has a monstrous side as well, that he enjoyed trying to decapitate Kane with the steel steps. Jericho says once he becomes #1 contendor, they can exchange beauty tips because Kane will never be the same again.

~ Lillian Garcia is shwon in the garage watching a limo arrive as we go to commercial.

~ Back from break we get footage of Kurt Angle coming out of the limo during the break and seeing Lillian Garcia assumes she’s there to get comments from him. Lillian explains she was actually was waiting for The Rock or Steve Austin and Angle calls her conduct unprofessional, even accusing her of ‘hanky-panky’. Lillian is offended as Angle walks off in a huff.

• The Hardy Boyz (w/Lita) vs. Edge & Christian

We finally get our second match after 20 minutes and it’s yet another match in this series. E&C go to meet the Hardys on the ramp and Matt whips Christian into the ringsteps while Edge throws Jeff in the ring. Jeff attacks Edge as he climbs in then goes for a whip, Edge reverses him into a corner and Jeff runs up the turnbuckles for the Whisper in the Wind but Edge ducks it. Edge rams Jeff shoulder-first into the ringpost then draws Matt in to distract the referee while Christian wrap’s Jeff’s arm around the turnbuckle. Edge throws Jeff back in then tags in Christian to take over and Christian hits a gutbuster. Christian puts Jeff’s arm between his shins and wrenches the arm then applies an armbar. Edge tags back in and slams Jeff then applies another armbar but Jeff fights out of it and hits a dropkick. Christian climbs to the top rope and goes for a crossbody but misses Jeff and hits Edge. Jeff lunges across the ring and manages to tag in Matt and Matt takes it to both men, hitting a clothesline on Edge and a neckbreaker on Christian for a two count. Matt blocks a kick and sets Edge up for the Twist of Fate but Christan pulls him back to the mat. Christian covers Matt but Jeff makes the save and Edge charges at him but sails out to the floor after Jeff pulls down the top rope. Lita then gets on the apron and dives off for a huricanrana on Edge. In the ring Christian tries to scoop Matt up but Matt counters into the Twist of Fate. Jeff climbs to the top rope and follows up with the Swanton Bomb for the three. (3:44) Solid match but nothing we haven’t seen before between these two teams. **½

~ The participants of the Four Corners match are shown heading to the ring separately as we go to break.

~ Back from break we find Lillian Garcia still waiting in the garage for Austin or The Rock to arrive. Why are the top starts always so tardy to the shows anyway?

• The Undertaker vs. Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit vs. Kane – Four Corners #1 Contender’s Match

The winner of this match gets Kurt Angle for the WWF Championship at Survivor Series. Yea, they just threw some guys in a contender’s match because they don’t have time to build a proper feud after the most likely challenger (Triple H) suddenly turned heel and is in another storyline. Kane comes out after the other three men when Jericho jumps him on the ramp but Kane gets the advantage and throws Jericho in the ring. Benoit whips Jericho and connects with an elbow then hits a back suplex followed by a backbreaker for a two count. Benoit goes for a whip but Jericho comes back with a spinning heel kick then hits a clothesline for a clothesline for a two count as we get a quick shot of Angle watching on a monitor in the back. Jericho chops Benoit and whips him but both men go for crossbodies and collide in mid-air. Kane tags in and Jericho hammers way on him then goes for a whip but Kane reverses it and scoops Jericho up. Jericho slips out and shoves Kane into the corner then comes off the ropes for the bulldog but Kane stops that with a clothesline. Kane beats Jericho down in a corner then throws him across the ring and hits a short-arm clothesline followed by an elbowdrop. Kane whips Jericho into a corner and charges but eats a boot. Jericho hops to the middle rope and connects with a dropkick then follows it up with the Lionsault. Jericho covers Kane but Benoit climbs to the top rope and breaks up the pin with the diving headbutt. Kane goes for a whip but Jericho ducks a clothesline and tags in Benoit. Kane drops Benoit with a right hand and pops him with an uppercut then goes for a whip but Benoit counters into a neckbreaker. Benoit goes for a whip but Kane reverses it and drops Benoit to the mat for a two count. Kane whips Benoit into a big boot but misses an elbowdrop and Benoit whips him into a corner and hits a back suplex. Kane sits right up so Benoit comes off the ropes but Kane catches him into a powerslam. Kane covers Benoit but Jericho saves it and Kane backs into the Undertaker who tags himself in. Taker hammers Benoit in a corner then whips him into the opposite corner and charges but eats a boot. Benoit goes for a whip, Taker reverses him into a corner and Benoit staggers into a powerslam. Jericho breaks that pin up and Taker drops him with a right hand as Benoit tags in Kane. Taker and Kane have a staredown when Kane suddenly brings Jericho in the ring and for some reason the referee considers that a tag. Taker hammers Jericho and whips him but lowers the head and Jericho kicks the face. Jericho comes off the ropes and Taker grabs him by the throat when Benoit comes in so Taker nails him with a big boot, releasing Jericho in the process. Taker throws Benoit over the ropes while Kane comes in and chokeslams Jericho. However Taker manages to chokeslam Kane then hits the Last Ride on Jericho and gets the three count. (6:36) So it’s going to be Angle vs. The Undertaker at Survivor Series. Okay stuff there but I don’t see why Taker had to win the shot. Then again he was the only one not involved in an angle so it’s almost by default.**

~ Lillian Garcia is still waiting in the garage as another limo pulls up and this time the Rock comes out. Lillian tries to get his thoughs on teaming up with Steve Austin but Rock just walks by her without saying a word.

• WWF World Tag Team Titles: The Goodfather & Bull Buchanan (w/Steven Richards & Ivory) © vs. The Dudley Boyz

Ivory gets D’Von Dudley’s attention allowing Buchanan to get in the first shots. Buchanan whips D’Von into a corner and charges but eats an elbow and D’Von comes off the ropes with a flying forearm. D’Von lands some shots until Buchanan rakes the eyes. Buchanan whips D’Von into his corner and distracts the referee while Richards and Ivory to pull D’Von into the ringpost. Buchanan tags in Goodfather and whips D’Von into a kick to the chest followed by a boot to the face. Goodfather whips D’Von and hits a shoulderblock followed by a back suplex for a two count. Buchanan tags in and helps Goodfather whip D’Von into a double kick then throw him to the mat. Buchanan stomps D’Von and goes for a whip but both men slam each other to the ground. Both men crawl to their corners and Buchanan tags in Goodfather while D’Von tags in Bubba Ray. Bubba lands a pair of clotheslines on Goodfather and follows up with a sidewalk slam then puts him on his shoulders while D’Von climbs to the top rope and hits the Dudleyville Device. Bubba covers Goodfather and the referee counts 1..2..but Buchanan breaks it up. D’von comes in and goes for a whip, Buchanan reverses but D’Von slides under the ropes then and snaps Buchanan’s neck on the top rope. Bubba slams Buchanan and sets him up while D’Von climbs to the top rope and hits the “Wassup” headbutt. D’Von goes out for a table when Richards runs at him with one of the tag belts but D’Von ducks it while Goodfather gets some shots on Bubba. D’Von is back in and the Dudleys whip Goodfather and hit the 3D! Bubba covers Goodfather for the belts but Ivory distracts the referee from making the count while Richards pulls D’Von out of the ring and the two start fighting on the floor. Suddenly Val Venis runs in and clocks Bubba with the tag title belt then rolls Goodfather onto him before the referee turns around and counts the pin. (4:13) Well that was an overbooked mess. Sad that with all the talented tag teams at the time, Buchanan and Goodfather are the ones who get to wear the belts. *

~ Steve Austin is shown arriving at the bulding as we go to commercial. You mean he’s just now showing up with much of the show done with?

~ Back from break Kurt Angle is heading to the ring and is not in a good mood as he gets on the mic. Angle starts off by saying all the fans in America owe him an apology since he’s been saying for what a crummy guy Triple H is for months but nobody listened. However Angle does agree with Triple H that the fans are gullible after the recations they gave him over the summer and with Triple H out of the picture, the fans need someone new to cheer for and it’s not The Rock or Austin. Angle says he’s the only one the the fans can trust and that won’t turn his back to them. Angle says the fans in Dallas need a new hero because the Cowboys call themselves America’s team which would fit if America was comprised of criminals, miscreants and mediocre football players. Before long the Undertaker comes out to the ramp with a mic to build heat for the title match that was just made. Angle yells at Taker for interupting his interview time and disrespecting the WWF Champion but Taker calls Angle “golden boy” and asks him if he knows where he’s standing. Taker tells Angle he’s standing in his yard and that he (Taker) is the dog that runs the yard. Taker tells Angle that at Survivor Series he’ll be the first casulty of Deadman Inc.

~ Back from break Steve Blackman is heading to the ring for the next match. But first we cut to the back to find Kevin Kelly interviewing Crash Holly and Mona the woman who helped him on Raw who introduces herself as his ‘cousin’ Molly Holly. Crash says he has no problem fighting Test and Albert but can’t fight Trish Stratus so he brought Molly to the WWF to take care of Trish.

• Steve Blackman & Crash Holly (w/Molly Holly) vs. T&A (w/Trish Stratus) – Hardcore Tag Team Match

Test and Albert are sporting APA T-shirts with “T&” masking taped on by hand. T&A double-team Blackman until Crash and Molly finally come out to join him. Test goes out to the floor but Crash waffles him with a trash can lid then goes in the ring and nails Albert with the lid. Blackman takes the lid and whips Albert then whacks him in the knee with the lid. Blackman and Crash take turns hitting Albert with trash can lids until Test pulls Crash out of the ring and drops him into the barricade. Test nails Blackman from behind and he and Albert whip Blackman into a corner then Test whips Albert into the Avalanche on Blackman and follows up with a gutwrench suplex. T&A stomp Blackman out of the ring when Crash tries to clothesline both men but just bounces off. Crash comes off the ropes but T&A pick him up and drop him. Test and Albert double-team Crash when Molly comes in and hits Albert with a lid but doesn’t faze him. T&A intimdate Molly before Trish sprays her with a fire extinguisher and throws her through the ropes. T&A both choke Crash in a corner when Blackman comes back in with his bag of tools and pulls out the sticks. Blackman works Albert over with the sticks before doing the same to Test and hitting the stick-assisted suplex. Blackman covers Test but Albert saves it then tosses Blackman over the ropes and goes out after him. Crash drills Test with a jumping DDT then comes off the ropes but runs into a big boot. Test climbs to the top rope but Molly bumps his legs, causing him to crotch the top turnbuckle. Trish comes in swinging a trashcan lid but Molly ducks it then takes the lid and clobbers Trish. Molly then goes up and hits a sweet huricanrana on Test. Molly passes a kendo stick to Crash who hops off the middle rope and nails Test in the head with it for the win. (3:43) Okay then. *

~ Backstage Kevin Kelly is standing outside the Rock’s door looking to interview him as we go to commercial.

~ Back from break Kurt Angle is trying to leave the arena when Lt. Commissioner Debra runs up and tells him she and Foley were watching him earlier and know how greatly unappreciated he is. Debra says they arranged a special title defense for him on Sunday Night Heat against a “deserving opponent”. Angle wants to know who his challenger is but Debra won’t tell him just yet. Angle accuses Foley of taking his frustrations out on him since he couldn’t cut it as a legit champion annd promises says he’s ready for this mystery opponent before departing. If you’re wondering the “deserving opponent” would turn out to the be Crash Holly.

~ Elsewhere Kevin Kelly interviews the Rock about tonight’s events. Rock addresses Triple H’s claims of being so smart saying it doesn’t take brains to ambush somebody then also addresses Rikishi’s comments saying they are related, just not genetically. Rock says the law of the jungle will take over in the tag team match before rambling about his horns.

~ Steve Austin is shown heading to the ring for the main event as we go to commercial.

• Steve Austin & The Rock vs. Triple H & Rikishi

We only have about three minutes of airtime left so I’m not expecting much from this main event. After Triple H and Rikishi come out, Rock rushes the ring and goes right after Rikishi before Austin joins him and hits a Lou Thesz Press on Triple H. Austin tees off on Triple H while Rock does the same to Rikishi when …. Chris Benoit and Perry Saturn run in the ring? They’re soon followed by Eddie Guerrero and Dean Malenko as they go after Austin and Rock! Huh? Triple H and Rikishi bail from the ring while the Radicals double-team Austin and Rock. Eventuallly the good guys come back and clear the ring and the Radicals form a wall between the two sides on the ramp as Triple H and Rikishi watch from the stage. Rock wants to go after them but Austin holds him back and flips them the double bird and we have a standoff as Smackdown fades to black.

Conclusion: Just when the booking at this time couldn’t get any wackier, it got wackier in a subpar episode of Smackdown as the writers didn’t seem to have a clue as to what they were doing. So we’re supposed to believe that Triple H and Rikishi’s issues for much of the year were just an act, even when Triple H was suffering stinkfaces from Rikishi. Plus we now have Benoit and the Radicalz suddenly getting involved and helping Triple H out with no rhyme or reason. And once again the world champion continues to be an afterthought as he gets his pay-per-view challenger from a thrown-together contender’s match. Not to menton the other head-scratching stuff on this show. The matches weren’t anything interesting and we didn’t even get a real main event plus there was a little too much talking, but at least we finally have some matches booked for Survivor Series just 10 days from the event. But as far as this show is concerned it’s the second straight thumbs down.