World Wrestling Federation presents Heat
Date: 8/26/2001
From: Denver, CO
Matches:
1.) Albert defeated Hugh Morrus
2.) Chuck Palumbo & Sean O’Haire defeated The Hollys (Crash & Hardcore Holly)
3.) Spike Dudley defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr.
4.) Lance Storm defeated Scotty 2 Hotty
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Tajiri arrives to WWF New York as he’ll be the special guest on the program this week.
2.) Morrus controls Albert with a headlock at the start of the match. Neither man budges on a shoulder block. Albert decks Morrus with a clothesline and a right hand. Albert continues with a bicycle kick for a two count. Albert shoulder blocks Morrus, but misses a bicycle kick. Morrus powerslams Albert for a two count. Morrus splashes Albert in the corner followed by a back suplex for a two count. Morrus overhand chops Albert in the corner and blocks a splash with a big boot and elbow. Albert kicks Morrus and delivers the Baldo Bomb for the win. (*. You’d honestly never realize that Morrus was a former WCW United States Champion judging by how he’s booked in the WWF. I wish he’d get a better opportunity.)
3.) Backstage, Tajiri is reading the RAW magazine and he’s looking at pictures of the females when William Regal comes in and scolds Tajiri. Regal looks at the pictures and he’s sweating looking at the pictures.
4.) Palumbo and Hardcore kickoff the tag match. Hardcore backs Palumbo into a corner, but Palumbo staggers Hardcore with strikes. Palumbo shoulder blocks Hardcore a few times. Hardcore decks Palumbo with a clothesline. Hardcore pummels Palumbo over the back and slaps Palumbo several times. Crash heads to the top rope hitting a crossbody for a two count. Crash strikes Palumbo, but Palumbo manages to hit a powerbomb. O’Haire tags into the match and Crash is double team hip tossed across the ring. Hardcore stops the cover. O’Haire prevents Crash tagging out and kicks Crash in the corner. Palumbo tags back into the match and kicks Crash in the ribs. Palumbo continues with a vertical suplex for a near fall. O’Haire tags back into the match and kicks Crash to the mat. O’Haire keeps a chin lock on Crash as Hardcore gets the crowd behind Crash. Palumbo returns to the match and stomps Crash on the mat. Palumbo decks Crash with a clothesline for a two count as Hardcore makes the save. Palumbo strikes Crash in the corner and O’Haire returns to the match hitting a snap suplex for a near fall. Palumbo keeps control with a strike, but runs into a boot in the corner. Crash plants Palumbo with a tornado DDT out of the corner. Hardcore and O’’Haire get tagged in with Hardcore cleaning house. Hardcore kicks Palumbo over the ropes and dropkicks O’Haire. Holly covers, but Palumbo breaks the cover. Crash tags into the match and hits a top rope hurricanrana. Crash rams Palumbo into the corner. Palumbo nails Hardcore with a superkick and drops Crash over the ropes. O’Haire clotheslines Crash for a two count. Crash drives O’Haire down with a facebuster. Palumbo punches Crash from the apron and that allows O’Haire to pin Crash for the win. (*1/2. This got a decent amount of time, but it didn’t hold my interest very well. It felt like the crowd wanted the finish to be the clothesline, but they extended it for the usual cheap finish for the heels.)
5.) William Regal and Tajiri join Al Snow and Michael Cole at their desk. They are doing commentary for the next match.
6.) Chavo works over Spike with strikes to the back to kickoff the match. Chavo chops Spike to the mat, but Spike dropkicks Chavo. Spike hip tosses Chavo and hits a hurricanrana. Chavo drops Spike throat first over the top rope. Chavo sends Spike into the ring post. Chavo stomps Spike in the corner and sends Spike chest first into the corner before hitting a back suplex. Chavo stomps Spike on the mat a few times. Chavo drives Spike down with a backbreaker for a two count. Chavo clubs Spike over the back and continues to deliver strikes in the corner. Chavo stomps Spike in the corner to keep control of the bout. Spike head scissors Chavo through the ropes to the floor. Spike double stomps Chavo on the floor. Spike shoulder rams Chavo from the apron, but is met with a clothesline. Chavo elbow drops Spike and drops Spike over the ropes. Chavo springboard leg drops Spike over the top rope for a near fall. Chavo sends Spike into the corner, but Spike battles back with the Dudley Dog to win the match. (*1/2. It was mostly one-sided with Chavo gaining the advantage throughout until the quick move and pin by Spike. It was a decent match, but nothing all that entertaining.)
7.) Scotty avoids Storm’s attack on the floor with a right hand. Hotty head scissors Storm and delivers a superkick for a two count. Hotty sends Storm into the corner, but Storm avoids Hotty. Hotty strikes Storm and catapults Storm into the corner for a near fall. Storm nails Hotty with a seated dropkick. Storm works over Hotty in the corner with right hands. Storm connects with a dropkick for a two count. Storm sends Hotty into the corner, but is met with a boot. Hotty missile dropkicks Storm from the middle rope. Hotty knocks Storm to the mat with strikes and a backdrop. Hotty bulldogs Storm and hits the WORM. Hotty drops Storm over the top rope from the apron. Hotty heads to the top rope and sunset flips Storm, but Storm counters with the Maple Leaf submission to pickup the win. (**. Not too bad of a match. Storm is fantastic and is another guy completely underused in the WWF at this point.)
8.) Footage of Triple H appearing on WWF Excess is shown. HHH joked about not hugging Trish Stratus because last time it got him in trouble. HHH talked about his rehab. Trish Stratus and Coach are hosting the show, by the way. HHH showed his scar, which is quite large. HHH says his goal is to be WWF World Champion again and he will only get in the ring at 100% and will be better than he was before. HHH shows off his body and tells Coach he’ll only look better when he gets back.
9.) Backstage, William Regal is reading and eating cookies. Tajiri walks into the scene and yells that the cookies are Debra’s. Regal says he’d never eat her cookies and they walk off.
10.) William Regal and Tajiri join the show on the stage for an interview. The fans are cheering for Regal, which Snow notes it is weird to see. Cole asks why Regal made the match between Austin and Jericho on Smackdown for the WWF World Championship. Regal honestly thought that Kurt Angle should have been the champion at SummerSlam, but he was screwed. Regal says it was his way of showing that Austin can’t have it his way every time, but Austin go through with a cheap victory. Snow asks about Rock winning the WCW World Championship at SummerSlam. Tajiri does a Rock impersonation to get a laugh. Regal says he’s proud of Tajiri. Regal says being WCW champion is a tremendous accomplishment and he’s looking forward to the future for the WWF.
11.) Al Snow and Michael Cole talk about Kurt Angle and how Angle should be the champion. This is a lead-in for footage from RAW where Kurt Angle used a milk truck on the Alliance to ruin Austin’s Appreciation Night.
Final Thoughts:
The tandem of Regal and Tajiri is quite entertaining. There wasn’t much here in terms of wrestling, so it’s probably a skippable episode overall.
Thanks for reading.