WWF Heat 8/20/2000

Written by: Bob Colling

World Wrestling Federation presents Heat
Date: 8/20/2000
From: Worcester, MA

Matches:
1.) WWF Light Heavyweight Champion Dean Malenko defeated Essa Rios to retain the title
2.) D’Lo Brown & Chaz defeated Al Snow & Just Joe
3.) Bull Buchanan & The Goodfather defeated Test & Albert
4.) Kurt Angle defeated Matt Hardy

Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Last night on Jakked, Essa Rios cost Dean Malenko a match against WWF European Champion Perry Saturn. That has led us to this showdown.

2.) Rios slides into the ring and is met with a few kicks. Malenko drops Rios gut first to the mat and continues to deliver stomps. Malenko drives Rios down to the mat with a back suplex. Malenko works over Rios, but Rios comes off the ropes to dropkick Malenko to the floor. Rios hits a twisting crossbody to the floor! Rios continues to beat on Malenko with strikes and sends Malenko shoulder first into the ring steps. Rios tries for a cover, but Malenko kicks out at two. Rios stomps on Malenko in the corner and gets a rollup out of the corner for a two count. Rios clotheslines Malenko. Malenko side slams Rios to counter a head scissors out of the corner attempt. Malenko takes Rios over with a snap suplex for a two count. Malenko continues to work over Rios with stomps in the corner. Malenko chokes Rios some more in the corner. Rios is backdropped to the apron and met with a forearm. Malenko and Rios trade strikes on the middle rope, but Malenko shoves Rios to the floor. Rios avoids a baseball slide, but hits the apron face first. Malenko attempts a suplex, but Rios counters with a rollup for a two count. Rios sits Malenko on the top turnbuckle and catches Malenko with a slam to counter a crossbody. Malenko counters a hurricanrana, but Rios lands on top. Malenko counters with the Texas Cloverleaf to win the match. (**. A decent match, but I’m getting rather disappointed with Rios in his last few appearances. It feels like he’s not designed to shine and is just being fed to various wrestlers. I’ve really enjoyed his work previously, it’s a big disappointment for me.)

3.) Backstage, Al Snow is hanging upside down with Head when Just Joe enters the scene. Joe says he heard D’Lo Brown and Chaz were talking about Al Snow and Head. Snow wants D’Lo and Chaz to know they will wrestle D’Lo and Chaz. Snow says he will team with Joe to take them on but Joe doesn’t seem all that interested in that. But, Joe goes off and tells Lo Down.

4.) Chris Jericho makes his way out on the aisle way to cut a promo. Jericho notes that he’s been beaten up on a nightly basis lately. Jericho knows that the fans were worried and concerned for him. Jericho knows the fans have said that he should just quit before he gets killed. However, Jericho can’t do that. Jericho says getting hit various weapons makes you feel freaky and wacky. He’s feeling unhinged and unscrewed at this point. Jericho says that Chris Benoit gets to meet him in a best two out of three falls match at SummerSlam. Jericho says their issues will continue on well past SummerSlam. Jericho is always going to be coming after Benoit. Jericho promises that Benoit will be greeted by his grandchildren, who are all missing one tooth, on his deathbed and he’ll come after him. Their issue will never end!

5.) Backstage, Kurt Angle is interviewed. Angle says he has integrity and proceeds to explain the word piece by piece. Angle has so much integrity because he has gold medals. Angle says he’s going to teach Matt Hardy the three I’s tonight.

6.) Prior to the next match, D’Lo Brown cuts a promo saying that they’re here to wrestle Snow and Joe, who are untalented fools.

7.) Brown and Chaz go on the attack to start the match with Snow and Chaz staying in the ring. Chaz drops Snow over the top rope throat first and continues with stomps. Chaz misses a clothesline and Snow delivers a hip toss to gain control. Snow hits a jawbreaker and wants to tag in Joe, but Joe isn’t interested in tagging in. Chaz gets caught by Snow in the corner and Snow hits a face buster for a two count. Joe wants the tag now with Chaz being controlled. Joe hits a leaping clothesline and taunts the crowd. Joe gets met with a dropkick by D’Lo and a scoop slam. Brown tosses Joe to the mat gut first, which was an awkward spot. Chaz hits a leg drop off the middle rope and nearly wins the match. Chaz drives Joe down with a vertical suplex and stomps in the corner. Joe goes chest first into the corner and collides heads with Chaz. Chaz falls onto Joe’s groin in another awkward spot. Snow and D’Lo get tags with Snow cleaning house. Snow savant kicks Chaz and backdrops Brown. Snow kicks Chaz in the corner and Joe drops Brown with a kick. Snow spikes Chaz with the Snow Plow. Saturn runs down and crotches Snow on the top turnbuckle. Chaz hits a superplex and Brown hits the frog splash to win the match. (*1/4. There were many awkward spots mostly by Joe and Chaz, who are two of the weaker workers that WWF has at this point. Lo Down needed a win to stay relevant. They just need a win over an establish team.)

8.) Steven Richards grabs Trish Stratus on the floor and takes her up the aisle way. Test and Bull brawl on the floor while Goodfather shoulder blocks Albert in the ring. Albert clotheslines Goodfather followed by a butterfly suplex. Test tags in and back elbows Goodfather to the mat. Bull gets tagged in, but Test hits a full nelson slam for a two count. Test stops Bull with a neckbreaker. Bull drives Test down with a back suplex. Bull works over Test with right hands and stomps in the corner. Goodfather delivers a big boot coming off the ropes. Goodfather works over Test with right hands in the corner. Goodfather slams Test followed by an elbow drop for a two count. Bull enters and strikes Test a few times followed by a clothesline. Bull scoop slams Test and attempts a splash off the middle rope, but Test got his foot up. Albert gets the tag and hits the Baldo Bomb on Bull! Albert drops Goodfather with a bicycle kick. Albert splashes Bull and Test delivers a big boot for a two count. Goodfather brings Test to the floor and they brawl. Albert press slams Bull, but Richards enters to superkick Albert allowing Bull to pin Albert! (*1/2. These are the kinds of wins that I’m expecting RTC to rely on moving forward.)

9.) Angle knee lifts Hardy to start the main event and delivers several right hands in the corner. Matt fights back with right hands to drop Angle to the mat. Matt sends Angle into the corner and gets an inside cradle for a two count. Angle clotheslines Hardy as we see HHH and Shane McMahon watching the match. Angle fights back with strikes and backdrops Hardy over the top to the floor. Angle follows up with strikes on the floor. Angle backdrops Hardy on the floor, but Hardy’s legs hit the ropes and plants Angle with a DDT for a two count. Matt heads to the top rope, but Angle cuts Matt off with right hands. Matt shoves Angle off the middle rope and manages to hit a middle rope leg drop for a two count. Matt comes off the ropes and Angle hits a snap overhead belly to belly suplex. Angle stomps away on Matt in the corner. Angle crotches Matt on the top rope and puts Matt in a tree of woe. Lita hits a top rope hurricanrana with the referee distracted. Matt goes for the cover, but Angle kicks out at two! Matt spikes Angle with a tornado DDT for a two count. Matt hits a top rope moonsault for a two count. Angle ducks a right hand and hits a German suplex, but Lita broke the pin from the floor. Angle grabs Lita and is slapped. Matt tries for the Twist of Fate, but Angle sends Matt into Lita and Lita falls off the apron. Angle and Matt collide with clotheslines as Stephanie McMahon comes out and kicks Lita on the floor. Stephanie sends Lita into the ring steps, too. Stephanie tosses Lita on the announcers table several times head first. Angle decks Matt with the WWF Women’s Championship and hits the Olympic Slam to win the match. (**1/4. Well, the segment with Stephanie attacking Lita actually added to the match. I’m not sure if I like that Angle needed the interference and title shot to defeat a guy like Matt Hardy here. Angle is a great wrestler and simply beating Matt because he’s a better wrestler would have been ideal.)

Final Thoughts:
A couple of entertaining matches this week and I’m glad Kurt Angle made an appearance.

Thanks for reading.