Written by: Kevin Kildenberger
HHH and Steph are having a wrestlers meeting and informing everyone that Vince and Shane are not here. They are not happy. HHH promises that though they had to assert themselves on RAW but will be fair. Some deserve a push and those who have had things handed to them on a silver platter will no longer get that. Steph tells Mankind that he gets to fight Al tonight. I missed what was said to the Rock….Oh well.
Bossman and Albert come out and discuss what they did to Show. Jericho interrupts and informs them how damn boring they are and that they cannot say anything entertaining. He talks about his IC belt and how he should enter the ring and destroy both Ayatollah style. He gets in and goes after PA!
Match 1: Chris Jericho (c) v. Prince Albert
They are going at it and of course Chyna comes out. Prince is stomping a hole in Jericho and HHH and Steph are watching in the back, and when they pan to back to the match Jericho is hammering him and he gets a two count. PA is down and it is Walls time. Bossman is on the apron and PA gets the nightstick but Chyna nuts him and Jericho uses it on PA and finishes him with a Lionsault.
**
Steph who is wearing a leather skirt is plotting with HHH. Test is facing someone….Steph and HHH are arguing after the break. He does not trust Test and she knows him, and he wants her to sit back and drink some champagne but she refuses and leaves.
Match 2: Kurt Angle v. Test
They go at it. Test gets the upperhand with a swinging neckbreaker and then a sideslam. Steph comes down and that distracts Test who is rolled up and nearly pinned. Test slams him but Angle mounts a comeback and pounds him in the corner. He suplexes him and gets two. Angle runs him over and is booed by the crowd and that irks him. He whips Test into the corner and off the rebound Test strikes with a leg sweep. Angle charges into a forearm. He reverses a whip but he lowers his head and gets powerbombed. Angle is slammed with one hand and then he mounts and pounds him in a corner. Steph demands that the bell be rung because she claims he is cheating by using a closed fist. Test is not happy….
**1/2 Good match actually. Angle advancement.
He is backing her up the ramp and she eggs him on and DX blindsides him. Test is out cold.
After the break he is being carted off. HHH and Steph stop them and then inform Briscoe and Patterson they are facing the Outlaws. Test is not happy.
Match 3: Matt Hardy v. Jeff Hardy
They are going at it. Working the arm at first and then it slowly escalates into slams and punches. After a series of roll ups Jeff kicks him to the floor and then suicide dives on top of him. Back in the ring Jeff gets two. Matt comes back with a front suplex and now he gets two. Jeff is placed up top but Jeff pushes him off and hits the senton bomb and he gets a near fall. They counter out of moves, Matt’s piledriver is blocked and turned into a Russian sweep. Jeff goes up top and misses the 450, lands on his feet and holds his leg. Matt takes him down and gets the win.
*** Good stuff.
Tori is bitching to Steph and HHH. Steph challenges her tonight.
Posse are with them and are doing some plotting…..
Match 4: Tori v. Stephanie
Steph has the mic and talks about humiliating Tori. They pan to the back and Kane is getting mauled by the Posse. Tori turns to leave and Steph informs her that she is facing Pac. She backs up but is tossed into the ring by Steph. Tori spits in his face but is shoved down. Bronco Buster! It is over.
NR.
Posse are told to beat it and are not happy.
Snow is talking to someone in the DX locker room.
Match 5: Mankind v. Al Snow
They are pummeling each other inside the ring and out. Falls Count Anywhere and Al blasts him with a cake pan and now a garbage lid over and over. Al chokes him out and brings him back into the ring. He misses with a sign and is crushed with a DDT. Socko Time! Mankind takes too much time and gets dropped. He is slumped in the corner and Al puts on a bowling shirt and has a ball but he is grabbed and hammered. Now Al is slumped in the corner and Mankind rolls the ball into him! Back on the floor and Mankind is belting him with the trash lid. Al rakes his eyes and now they are in the back of the stage area. They are in the back just wailing on each other with punch after punch. They are by the DX locker room and Al gets tossed out of it and Mankind gets the win! They were in the there….
*** Another good match.
Rock was the one in the locker room.
Brisco and Patterson are talking themselves up for their tag title match.
Match 6: Edge v. Christian
The strange symbol on the screen again…..
Outlaws are not too pleased about their tag match. They sit and eat. I guess they are not too unhappy.
They start slow too and now pick up speed. Christian gets two after a suplex but runs into a boot. They tussle and Edge misses a spear in the corner. Now Christian hooks him but is shoved into the corner. Edge though is placed up top and Christian attempts a superplex but is dumped off and now Edge connects with a flying crossbody but Christian ends up on top getting two. Now they roll each other up and it randomly ends….I guess Edge won and they hug.
**1/2 Not bad.
Posse are trying to leave and told to get back in the ring and face the Acolytes or they are fired.
Match 7: Acolytes v. Posse
Match is already over. Acolytes destroy them and then continue to do so after the match.
*1/2 Extra half for giving the Acolytes a nice squash. Fans love it.
Match 8: Too Cool v. Hardcore and Crash Holly
Rikishi and Viscera are on the respective teams. Okay….watching football game. Damn Fantasy team. Cool started strong but Hardcore suplexes him and here comes Viscera. Viscera destroys Scotty and now Hardcore continues that punishment. He slams him and now the match breaks down and all six are going at it. Viscera and Rikishis are in the ring pounding each other. Rikishi rocks him and then has Hardcore set up but Viscera nails him but Viscera hits his own man and he leaves and Hardcore is squashed and finished.
**
Too Cool dances.
Outlaws are preparing for their match and talking plans.
Match 9: Brisco and Patterson v. Outlaws (c) for WWF Tag Titles
Brisco and Patterson use powder. They then hammer them! Road Dogg is in the Crab and Gunn is in the Figure Four! They escape. Now the Outlaws go to work. In fairly short order it is over.
*
Match 10: Big Show (c) v. Rock for WWF Title
HHH makes it a Lumberjack match. Heels are the Jacks. HHH and Steph are in a lounge chair chilling.
Show whipshim into the corner but Rock turns the tide and unloads on him. Show wallops him and down goes the Rock. Rock Russian sweeps him down and get two. They battle each other and Show is clotheslined over the top rope and pummeled by the Jacks. Show is DDT’d after he gets back in and now some Jacks get on the apron and distract him. Still he hits the Rock Bottom and now he is swarmed and mauled. He is rolled back into the ring. Show goozles him and chokeslams him! Now Show is pullled out and pummeled. The match breaks down. Mankind comes down with weapons and attacks the Lumberjacks. Rock has a baking pan and he unloads on everyone too. Viscera is clubbing the Rock but he is Rock Bottomed and the heels flee. HHH and Steph are angry…..
** Way to make Show look weak….Not good.
***1/2 Despite making Show look like a chump the overall show was again solid. It seems that the WWF is on the cusp of something, now they just need to not fuck it up. It is clear that Steph and HHH are softening up their own and DX’s enemies and trying to break up friendships etc….Makes for some interesting booking but it can be taken too far down the road when you have tag teams fight each other etc. But for now it works.