World Wrestling Federation presents Metal
Date: 2/24/2001
From:
Matches:
1.) Perry Saturn defeated James Grizzly
2.) K-Kwik defeated Derek Stone
3.) Taka Michinoku & Funaki defeated Matt Murphy & Steve Thunder
4.) WWF European Champion Test defeated Essa Rios
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Grizzly gains control on Saturn with a hammerlock, but Saturn elbows free and hits a clothesline in the corner. Saturn continues with strikes and chops followed by knee strikes. Grizzly kicks Saturn and delivers a clothesline. Grizzly continues with a gut wrench suplex for a two count. Grizzly ducks a clothesline, but Saturn avoids a rollup and sends Grizzly to the floor. Saturn drops Grizzly over the apron face first. Saturn sends Grizzly into the ring steps shoulder first before returning to the ring. Saturn leaps off the top to hit a flying clothesline. Saturn hooks Grizzly and hits a brainbuster and kisses Terri. Saturn locks in a neck vice, but Grizzly doesn’t submit. Grizzly runs off the ropes and is met with a forearm strike. Saturn continues with a swinging neckbreaker for a two count. Saturn hits a side suplex, but Grizzly delivers a jawbreaker and a flapjack. Grizzly tosses Saturn overhead with a suplex. Grizzly heads to the top rope hitting a crossbody for a two count. Saturn hits an overhead belly to belly suplex. Saturn follows up with a clothesline and hits the Death Valley Driver for the win. (**. Grizzly made this a little competitive and his offense was enjoyable for what it was. Saturn beating the crap out of people on Metal is becoming a highlight of the show whenever he’s booked on it.)
2.) Stone controls Kwik with a side headlock and delivers a shoulder block. Kwik hip tosses and arm drags Stone a few times followed by a dropkick to send Stone to the floor. Kwik dives over the top to the floor to take Stone out with a crossbody. Kwik rolls Stone into the ring and yanks Stone off the ropes to get a two count. Kwik continues with an arm drag and keeps arm control on the mat. Stone clotheslines Kwik in the corner to gain the advantage. Kwik pulls himself up in the corner and leaps off the top to hit a missile dropkick as Stone mocked Kwik’s dancing. Kwik punches Stone several times and drops Stone to the mat. Kwik backdrops Stone coming off the ropes and hits a leaping forearm smash for a two count. Kwik avoids a clothesline and hits a heel kick for a two count. Kwik avoids a slam attempt and drives Stone down with a sit out front suplex. (*. The crowd is dead for Kwik, which bums me out because Kwik is a good performer.)
3.) Funaki and Thunder kickoff the match. Thunder dropkicks and clotheslines Funaki in the opening moments of the match. Funaki delivers a kick to stagger Thunder and Taka tags in. Thunder hip tosses Taka and Murphy comes off the top to deliver an axe handle. Murphy backdrops Taka coming out of the corner for a two count. Murphy maintains control and tags in Thunder. Taka is met with a double hip toss and elbow drop leading to a near fall. Taka nails Murphy with a spinning heel kick after Funaki delivered a knee strike from the apron. Funaki holds Murphy to allow Taka to hit a dropkick. Funaki punches Murphy several times. Funaki comes off the ropes to bulldog Murphy and Taka tags back into the match. Taka punches Murphy into the corner and delivers several strikes. Taka snapmares Murphy and delivers a kick to the head. Murphy gets a two count after a sunset flip, but Taka delivers a dropkick and tags Funaki back into the match. Murphy plants Taka with a powerbomb. Funaki and Thunder get tagged in with Thunder cleaning house with clotheslines and scoop slams. Thunder sends Funaki into the corner, but is met with a running knee strike. Taka plants Thunder with the Michinoku Driver and wins the match. (**. Murphy and Thunder seem to be quite green since they were heavily focusing on working the arm to fill time for the match. I was surprised by Thunder getting the hot tag at the end to get some extra shine before the finish. It wasn’t too bad of a match.)
4.) Test sends Rios into the corner and delivers a few strikes before tossing Rios off the middle rope to the mat. Test nails Rios with an elbow strike, but Rios bails to the apron. Test grabs Rios, but Rios drops Test over the top rope throat first. Rios delivers several strikes, but Test hits a sit out powerbomb. Rios kicks Test to avoid a backdrop, but Test hits a tilt a whirl slam for a near fall. Rios avoids Test in the corner, but Test nails Rios with a big boot. Test plants Rios with the pumphandle slam for the win. (*. Test dominating is fun, but it’s a shame it has to be against Rios of all people.)
Final Thoughts:
An average episode for Metal this week, but not as good as it was last month. It’s clear that the lower card acts don’t seem to really connect well with the audience.
Thanks for reading.