Written by: Bob Colling
World Wrestling Federation presents Heat
Date: 3/26/2000
From: Milwaukee, WI
Matches:
1.) Val Venis defeated Gangrel
2.) Taka Michinoku & Funaki defeated Hardy Boys
3.) The Acolytes fought Steve Richards & Essa Rios to a no contest
4.) Tazz & Chris Jericho defeated Edge & Christian
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Venis hammers away on Gangrel but gets cut off with a clothesline. Venis gets back in control with right hands in the corner. Venis misses a splash and Gangrel connects with a vertical suplex and scoop slam. Gangrel comes off the ropes but runs into a clothesline. Venis knee lifts Gangrel in the midsection several times followed by a side Russian leg sweep. Venis hammers away on Gangrel with right hand after doing a taunt. Gangrel tosses Venis over the top to the floor. Venis punches Gangrel coming off the apron and rams Gangrel into the guard railing. Gangrel drops Venis throat first over the top rope to get control. Gangrel brings Val back into the ring with a suplex for a two count. Gangrel continues to work over Val’s back with strikes. Gangrel drives Venis down to the mat with a backbreaker. Venis boots Gangrel in the corner followed by right hands. Val counters a backdrop attempt with a neck breaker. Venis elbows Gangrel and delivers a knee drop for a two count. Gangrel atomic drops Venis but runs into a spine buster. Val heads to the top rope and hits the Money Shot for the win. (*1/2. A decent opening match, but there just wasn’t much here to be entertained with. Val is enjoyable to watch when he gets some time to work.)
2.) Backstage, Stevie Richards runs into Lita and Essa Rios and tells them that he signed himself Rios in a match against the APA. Richards is paying the APA to protect themselves from the APA to win by count out. He thinks this is a great idea to become the best tag team in history.
3.) Earlier today, Coach sat down with the Hardy Boys and the team of Edge and Christian. Jeff talks about being in tag matches and won them recently. Matt also notes that they beat Edge and Christian in a ladder match and beat the Dudley Boys in a tables match. Christian seems to be offended about the Hardy Boys putting themselves over. Edge is tired of listening to them talk about themselves and they walk off.
4.) Funaki and Jeff start the tag match with Funaki sending Jeff into the middle rope. Funaki runs the ropes and is clotheslined by Jeff. Matt comes off the middle rope to deliver a leg drop for a two count. Matt chops Funaki in the corner several times. Funaki stops Matt with a quick DDT and tags in Taka. Matt drop toe holds Taka into the corner and drops Taka throat first across the top rope before hitting a back suplex. Matt gets a two count after a standing fist drop. Jeff gets tagged in and they send both men into the corner where Jeff his Poetry In Motion. Funaki backdrops Jeff to the floor and Taka takes Jeff out with a springboard moonsault to the floor. Taka tags out to Funaki and Taka delivers a dropkick to Jeff as Funaki had a chin lock. Jeff misses a splash in the corner and Funaki delivers a bulldog. Taka tags back in and works over Jeff with stomps and strikes in the corner. Funaki tags back in and Jeff sends them into each other. Jeff kicks both Funaki and Taka down before tagging in Matt. Matt cleans house with a scoop slam and power bomb. Matt drives Funaki down with a Razors Edge sit down power bomb. Matt hits the Twist of Fate on Funaki and a Swanton Bomb by Jeff. Edge distracts the referee and Christian hits the Un-Prettier on Jeff allowing Funaki to pin Jeff! (**. I enjoyed the action and the win for Funaki and Taka is completely unexpected.)
5.) Backstage, Stevie Richards is with the APA and says that it’s a lot of money but thinks it is worth it. Richards walks away happy with the deal.
6.) The Kat makes her way down to the ring to cut a promo. Kat says she has a problem with Terri. Kat says that Terri thinks she is real anxious for some television time. She calls out Terri to talk to her face to face. Terri makes her way out to confront Kat, but stays at the top of the aisle way. Kat issues a challenge to Terri for a cat fight at WrestleMania. Terri walks down to the ring and says there are many different kind of cats. Terri gets in the ring and tells Kat that she bites. Kat tells Terri that she sucks. Terri rips off Kat’s shirt and walks out of the ring.
7.) Backstage, Stevie Richards goes to give APA the money, but there is a sign that says they are gone to buy beer. Richards is happy because now he won’t have to pay them and he’ll still get a victory if they are gone.
8.) The referee makes a count for the APA, but they make their way down much to the surprise of Richards and Rios. Stevie actually has similar gear to Rios for the match. APA waste no time beating on Richards as Rios goes to the pron. Rios hits a top rope cross body, but the APA don’t stay down. Rios dropkicks APA, but they get up again. Richards is sent to the floor as Faarooq clotheslines Rios and Bradshaw hits Richards and Rios with a steel chair. Faarooq decks Richards and Bradshaw power bombs Rios. Faarooq plants Richards with a spine buster. They don’t go for the cover and instead just walk out of the ring leaving them laying.
9.) Edge and Jericho start the main event tag team match. Edge backs Jericho into a corner but cleanly breaks away. Jericho shoulder blocks Edge and chops Edge a few times. Edge ducks a clothesline and kicks Jericho. Edge stomps away on Jericho in the corner. Jericho runs into a big boot and Edge comes off the middle rope with a dropkick. Edge and Christian hip toss Jericho for a two count. Christian works over Jericho with a chop in the corner but Jericho comes back with a bulldog out of the corner. Jericho tags in Tazz who works over Christian with strikes. Tazz clotheslines Christian followed by an exploder suplex. Edge tags in and Tazz is driven down to the mat with a double flapjack. Edge tags in Christian and Christian rams Tazz into the corner. Tazz boots Christian and hits a leg trapped overhead belly to belly suplex. Edge and Jericho get tagged in with Jericho cleaning house with clotheslines. Jericho has the Walls go Jericho on Edge but Christian makes the save. Christian and Tazz fall to the floor as Tazz had the Tazz Mission on. Jericho power bombs Edge twice, but Christian punches Jericho on the springboard attempt. Jericho kicks out and Tazz yanks Christian off the apron. Edge gets punched by the Hardy Boys and Jericho gets the win with a springboard moonsault. (**. The interference by the Hardy Boys was obvious, but the action was okay for what it was.)
10.) Next weeks episode is just a recap for WrestleMania. Heat returns to its usual format on April 9th.
Final Thoughts:
A decent episode with a couple of fun matches taking place. A lot of focus on in-ring lately for Heat, which is always a good thing.
Thanks for reading.