Written by: Bob Colling
World Wrestling Federation presents Heat
Date: 12/24/2000
From: Charlotte, NC
Matches:
1.) Val Venis defeated K-Kwik
2.) Faarooq defeated Albert
3.) WWF Light Heavyweight Champion Dean Malenko defeated Matt Hardy
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Venis gets in Kwik’s face to start the match and backs away. Venis works over Kwik in the corner with strikes. Kwik rams Venis into the corner face first. Venis knee lifts Kwik and runs into a drop toe hold. Venis rams Kwik into the corner head first and stomps away on Kwik in the corner followed by a choke. Kwik clotheslines Venis a few times. Kwik dumps Venis over the top to the floor. Kwik does a split and takes Venis out with a suicide dive over the top to the floor. Kwik rolls Venis back into the ring, but Venis drags Kwik back to the floor and delivers a few strikes. Kwik sends Venis into the ring steps shoulder first. Kwik covers Venis and gets a two count. Venis counters a hurricanrana by hitting a powerbomb for a two count. Kwik sends Venis hard into the corner and both men struggle to their feet. Kwik hammers away on Venis and drops Val with right hands followed by a backdrop. Kwik head scissors Venis for a near fall. Venis eye rakes Kwik and tries for a suplex, but Kwik counters with a few strikes and sits Venis on the top turnbuckle. Kwik hits a top rope hurricanrana and gets a two count. Kwik has Venis over the shoulder, but Venis sends Kwik into the corner chest first and hits a fisherman suplex for the clean win. (*1/2. Kwik didn’t look bad in there at all and displayed some decent offensive spots. Venis winning clean is the best outcome and needed to happen. There’s no need to protect Kwik at this point.)
2.) Backstage, Lita enters a room and Dean Malenko is wrapped up in Christmas lights. Malenko says he’s proud of Lita and gives her props for her lingerie performance on RAW. Malenko loved it and Lita says it was all for her. They are standing under mistletoe. Lita punches Malenko on the jaw and Malenko seems to actually like it.
3.) Tazz is standing in the ring and he’s all about Christmas, yet again. Tazz is going to read the Night Before Christmas, the Brooklyn version. Santa ends up coming out after Tazz recites his story. Santa tosses toys to the crowd. Tazz wonders if he has any gifts from Santa this year. Santa whacks Tazz with the gift bag and hits a bulldog. It’s Scotty 2 Hotty! Hotty proceeds to hit the Worm!
4.) Backstage, Matt Hardy is telling Lita that Dean Malenko is nothing but trouble. Lita has Malenko right where she wants him. Lita is fine with losing a few battles to win the war. Matt tells Lita that she’ll take care of Malenko and wants Lita to take care of herself. Lita asks to let her handle this and walks off. Matt tells Jeff that she wasn’t helping the issue. Jeff thinks that Matt is a little jealous. Matt considers Lita her friend and he likes her. Tonight, Matt is going to take care of Malenko and make sure he’s out of the picture.
5.) Faarooq hammers away on Albert, but Albert comes back with a shoulder block. Albert misses a clothesline and Faarooq works over the knee. Faarooq counters a press slam landing on top for a two count. Albert knocks Faaroow to the floor where Test beats on Faarooq. Albert keeps control with stomps in the corner. Albert shoulder rams Faarooq in the corner followed by a bicycle kick for a two count. Albert scoop slams Faarooq and delivers a big splash for a two count. Faarooq plants Albert with a spinebuster. Bradshaw rams Test into the guard railing. Faarooq blocks a chair and plants Albert onto the chair with a DDT for the win. (1/2*. The finish was a little clunky. I wasn’t really fond of this by any means either.)
6.) Matt tells Malenko that he’s had enough of him and Malenko blows a kiss to Lita. Matt takes Malenko down with right hands and a backdrop. Matt drops Malenko with a right hand and more strikes in the corner. Matt sends Malenko hard back first into the corner. Matt goes to the floor and grabs the championship. Matt tries to deck Malenko with it, but the referee stops him. Malenko works over Matt with rights and stomps in the corner. Malenko hooks Matt hitting a vertical suplex for a two count. Malenko continues to work over Matt with strikes in the corner. Matt hammers away on Malenko in the corner, but Malenko stops Hardy with an eye rake. Malenko keeps Hardy down on the mat with a chin lock. Malenko knee lifts Hardy coming off the ropes and rams Hardy face first into the corner. Hardy plants Malenko with a back suplex. Hardy hammers away on Malenko, but is met with an elbow strikes. Hardy crotches Malenko on the top turnbuckle. Hardy hooks Malenko and hits a superplex! Hardy pulls Malenko up at two on the cover attempt. Hardy clotheslines Malenko and comes off the middle rope to hit a leg drop. Hardy pulls Malenko up again at two. Hardy goes for the Texas Cloverleaf and has it locked in. Hardy lets go to punch Saturn. Lita and Terri brawl on the floor. Malenko gets a rollup on Hardy with his feet on the ropes to win the match! (*1/2. They were telling the story of Matt wanting to get revenge and that ended up costing him. This was largely just Matt in control before costing himself the match. The action was okay, but nothing all that great.)
Final Thoughts:
Kind of an underwhelming episode this week for Heat. I can appreciate that they promote the lesser feuds on Heat.
Thanks for reading.