World Wrestling Federation presents Metal
Date: 6/30/2001
From: New York, NY
Matches:
1.) K-Kwik defeated The Inferno Kid
2.) Raven defeated Low Ki
3.) Jerry Lynn defeated Essa Rios
4.) Crash & Hardcore Holly defeated Funaki & Taka Michinoku
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Kwik head scissors and clotheslines Kid in the opening moments of the match for a two count. Kwik punches Kid into the corner and hits a running clothesline. Kwik connects with a flatliner for a near fall. Kid stops Kwik with a powerbomb for a near fall. Kid delivers a forearm drop for a two count. Kid puts a top wrist lock on Kwik, but doesn’t get a submission. Kwik fights free with right hands, but Kid drives Kwik down to the mat midsection first for a near fall. Kid stomps Kwik in the corner. Kwick goes to the top rope hitting a missile dropkick. Kwik forearm smashes Kid and continues with right hands. Kwik does a cartwheel and heel kicks Kid. Kwik covers, but Kid kicks out at two. Kwik hits a front suplex and picks up the win. (*. Kwik had a better flow in this match than he tends to have. Kwik might be fighting for his life with the inclusion of WCW and ECW wrestlers slowly trickling into the promotion.)
2.) Ki starts off quick with a handspring kick into the corner and stomps Raven. Ki misses a Phoenix Splash, but lands on his feet. Raven kicks Ki and drop toe holds Ki into the ropes. Raven catapults Ki over the ropes to the floor. Raven ducks a clothesline and tosses Ki over the top to the floor. Raven knee lifts Ki off the apron to the floor. Raven side Russian leg sweeps Ki into the barricade. Raven strikes Ki in the corner several times to keep control. Raven kicks Ki, but Ki responds with a jump kick and a springboard kick to knock Raven to the mat. Ki delivers an elbow drop a couple of times. Ki covers for a two count. Ki kicks Raven in the midsection a few times. Raven forearms Ki to the mat. Ki nails Raven with a somersault kick and continues to kick Raven in the corner. Ki pulls Raven to the top turnbuckle and sits Raven on the turnbuckle while delivering strikes. Raven shoves Ki off and clotheslines Ki while Ki attempted a cartwheel kick. Raven blocks a few kick attempts in the corner and sends Ki chest first into the corner to deliver a clothesline and knee lift. Raven bulldogs Ki out of the corner and plays to the crowd. Raven spikes Ki with the DDT to pickup the win. (**. An enjoyable encounter with Ki coming across as a wild man. Raven seems to be getting quite popular with the crowd.)
3.) Lynn dropkicks Rios from behind off the apron to the floor. Lynn rolls Rios back into the ring, but Rios gets a few strikes in. Lynn elbows Rios coming off the ropes and taunts Rios. Rios arm drags Lynn, but Rios keeps control with an arm bar on the mat. Lynn knee lifts Rios against the ropes, but Rios dropkicks Lynn to the floor. Rios tries for a slingshot, but misses and lands on his feet on the floor. Lynn strikes Rios several times on the apron before attempting a suplex. Lynn hits a tilt a whirl backbreaker for a two count. Lynn stomps Rios on the mat. Lynn rams Rios into the corner and hits a running clothesline to send Rios to the mat. Lynn locks in a bow and arrow submission, but Rios breaks free and almost gets a pin. Lynn tries for a tilt a whirl, but Rios counters with a rollup for a two count. They mess up a spot and Lynn elbow drops Rios on the back. Lynn rams Rios into the corner. Lynn rolls Rios up out of the corner for a two count. Rios drives Lynn down with a back suplex. Rios strikes Lynn and backdrops Lynn coming off the ropes. Rios clotheslines Lynn and delivers an elbow strike. Rios kicks Lynn a few times and springboards off the ropes to hit a powerslam for a near fall. Rios nails Lynn with a clothesline. Rios climbs to the top rope missing a moonsault, but lands on his feet. Lynn strikes Rios from the apron and goes to the top, but is crotched by Rios. Rios punches Lynn and tris for a hurricanrana, but Lynn holds onto the ropes. Lynn manages to hit the tornado DDT to win the match. (*1/2. This felt like it was toned down quite a bit compared to what both men are capable of. I think it’s great that Lynn picked up a win in MSG.)
4.) Taka and Hardcore kickoff the main event. Hardcore shoulder blocks Taka, but Taka responds with a spinning heel kick. Hardcore hits a butterfly suplex followed by a delayed vertical suplex. Crash tags into the match and hits a top rope crossbody for a two count. Taka eye rakes Crash and Funaki tags in. Crash hip tosses and clotheslines Funaki. Crash hits a standing hurricanrana and strikes Funaki. Funaki dropkicks Crash coming off the ropes for a two count. Funaki punches Hardcore on the apron and delivers a jawbreaker to Crash. Funaki connects with a neckbreaker for a two count. Funaki and Crash collide on stereo clothesline attempts. Hardcore tags into the match and drops Funaki with several right hands. Hardcore dropkicks Funaki coming off the ropes. Hardcore kicks Funaki between the legs while over the top rope. Hardcore hits the Falcon Arrow for a two count. Funaki gets a backslide for a near fall. Hardcore plants Funaki with the Alabama Slam to pickup the win. (*. There was zero heat for this one. The Holly’s may be better off working as a team if they look to get any momentum to succeed in the WWF similar to their run in ’99.)
Final Thoughts:
While Raven/Ki was a fun match for what it was, I was equally disappointed by Lynn/Rios. Thus, this week is a average show, leaning towards a thumbs down overall.
Thanks for reading.