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Jeff Harris

Main

BLAH

WWF JUDGMENT DAY 2000

  • We come to you live on May 21, 2000 in the Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky.

  • Hosts are Jim Ross and Jerry "the King" Lawler.

  • In the back, we see Vince McMahon talking about the Fac-gime. He says this is their night of celebration. Vince then sends WWF Hardcore champion, Gerald Brisco, on a coffee run. Brisco leaves with his orders.

  • In the halls, the Headbangers try to get the drop on Brisco and steal his title.

  • The Heart Break Kid, Shawn Michaels is walking down the halls in his referee attire for the night.

  • Kurt Angle, Edge, and Christian vs. Too Cool in a six-man tag team match. Angle makes his entrance first. He says he started getting extra attention from teen girls after he joined Edge and Christian. They say that he is now "all that". Angle introduces his "all that" partners, Edge and Christian. For tonight's five-second pose, the trio poses as a redneck jug-playing band. Too Cool enters the ring. Pier-six brawl, the bell rings, and match starts.

    Rikishi whips his opponents into the corner. Grandmaster Sexay gets a big thump on Edge, and Scotty gives one to Christian. Kurt escapes one from Rikishi. Heels regroup, and Edge starts things off with Sexay. They lockup. Edge pushes off a side-headlock and gets a shoulder block from Sexay. Sexay goes for a backdrop suplex, and Edge flips over. Sexay manages an enziguri kick. Head to the turnbuckle sets Edge up for a missile drop kick off the second rope. Tag to Scotty. Double-back hair takedown and elbow drop by the dancers. Edge gets a cheap shot into Scotty and tags Christian. Full-arm dragon twist by Christian. Scotty flips and reverses it into a side-headlock. Christian pushes it off and gets a shoulder block. Scotty goes for a hiptoss, but Christian blocks it and goes for one. Scotty flips out of the hiplock and ducks a clothesline. Vertical suplex by Scotty. Scotty moon walks allowing Chris to get the back hit. Scotty stomps a mud-hole into Christian after an assist by Sexay. Edge gets put into the opposite corner, and the fools double-whip Christian into him. Double-clothesline to Christian and now its Sexay and Christian. I don't think Sexay was tagged in. Sexay drop toeholds Edge into Christian's groin. Sexay starts dancing, and his pants fall down. I think then, Scotty makes fun of the size of Sexay's package. Christian gets the back hit and stomps on Sexay's back.

    Christian tries to do the Too Cool dance, and Sexay sneaks in a tag to Rikishi. Big rights to Christian. Edge runs in but gets decked. Christian tags Kurt. Fatu sees this and hiptosses Kurt into the ring. Irish-whip and Rikishi ducks. Kurt goes for a sunset flip. Fatu misses his sit-down butt splash and gets sent to the corner of opposition. The heels work over Rikishi. Tag to Christian. Rikishi comes back with some rights. Tag to Scotty. Irish-whip by Rikishi to Christian, and Scotty nails a double-handed face-buster. Angle sneaks in a lariat to stop the worm. Christian and Edge take their licks to Scotty. Edge stays in without tagging. Tag to Kurt and he chokes Scotty on the ropes. Head to the turnbuckle, and Scotty gets a boot choke. Cross-corner whip sends Scotty down. Vertical suplex by Angle gets 2. Tag to Christian. Cross-corner whip by Christian. Christian charges but gets a dropkick. Christian gets a right in and goes for a power-bomb. Scotty blocks it and lifts Christian up like a power-bomb and drops him on the ropes.

    Here comes the hot tag. Tag to Rikishi, and Christian tags in Edge. Rikishi cleans house. The heels get stacked in the corner and get a big thump from Rikishi. Rikishi gives Edge and Christian a clothesline before they topple down. Angle gets the most disgusting, sick move ever, the stink-face. Rikishi goes for the Rikishi driver on Edge. Christian blocks it, and Rikishi gets a double-DDT from Christian and Kurt. Rikishi just pops up and clotheslines both men. Edge comes in and gets the spear on Rikishi. Edge goes for the worm. Scotty intercepts Edge with a double-handed face-buster and gets the worm. Sexay gets a super kick on a charging Angle, and then Angle gets the worm from Scotty.

    Christian gets the ring bell and whacks Rikishi with it. Edge covers. Sexay climbs to the top. Guillotine leg drop to Edge! Fatu covers. 1...2...NO! Wait-a-minute, ref counts to 3 anyway! What the hell was that?! Too Cool are declared the winners at 9:47.

    **1/4. Damn they screwed that finish up really good. Edge clearly got the shoulder up before three. Anyway, soon the WWF would start to shove Angle down our throats even more, and even as WWF champion. Angle is a weak world champion and the title suffers from that. Edge and Christian lose their tag team titles to Too Cool eight days later on RAW. They would go on to win the belts 6 more times. Rikishi now gets a totally undeserved high spot on the card because he is the Rock's cousin. And Too Cool? They aren't doing too much now, no pun intended. After the match, Too Cool does their traditional dance.

  • Michael Cole interviews Shawn Michaels in the back. Cole asks if HBK will call the main event down the middle. HBK says he will and the rumors on the internet aren't true. At least, that's what he implied.

  • Now we get some clips from Sunday Night Heat. We see Eddy Guerrero and Chyna arrive, and are greeted by Dean Malenko. Dean comes in and tells Chyna to stay out of the match later. Perry Saturn meets up with Dean. Saturn tells Dean to kiss the butt of the winner later, himself.

  • Triple Threat Match for the WWF European Title. "The Former Man" Eddy Guerrero© w/ Chyna vs. Dean Malenko vs. Perry "now lazy-boy" Saturn. Chyna comes down to ringside, ignoring Dean's advice. Saturn and Eddy start brawling. WWF Light-heavy weight champion Dean Malenko comes in. Bell rings and match starts.

    Dean and Saturn double-team Eddy. Saturn climbs up top. Back-breaker by Dean to Eddy. Dean holds Eddy on the knee, and Saturn delivers a flying knee drop. Dean and Saturn shake hands. Saturn whips Eddy to the corner and gives Eddy a running reverse-elbow and follows it up with a lariat to Dean for 2. Dean with some rights, irish-whip, and a leg lariat on Saturn. Rights by Dean and he goes for an irish-whip. Saturn pulls Dean in a fireman's carry into a pancake-slam. Eddy charges Saturn. Saturn with a military press into a slam. Dean and Saturn go for a neck-breaker combination backdrop on Eddy, but he blocks it and low-blows both men. Eddy cleans house with forearm shots. Whip and a body shot to Saturn. Gut shot to Dean. Knuckle-lock into a springboard frankensteiner by Eddy. Saturn reverses a whip from Eddy, but gets a frankensteiner as well. Eddy sends Saturn into the corner into Dean.

    Saturn reverses a second whip, and Dean goes for a back body drop. Eddy turns it into a spinning head scissors, but then Dean turns it into a sideslam. Dean covers, and Saturn breaks it with a double-axehandle. Saturn whips Eddy to the corner and charges. Eddy gets a reverse-elbow and goes to the second rope. Tornado DDT! Eddy covers, and Dean pulls him off after a two-count. Eddy reverses an Irish-whip and ducks. Dean gets a kick in to set up Eddy for a sit-down tiger driver for 2. Dean goes for a power-bomb, and Eddy reverses it into a sunset flip. Dean rolls out of it and goes for the Texas cloverleaf! Dean breaks it to clothesline an incoming Saturn. Eddy reverses a cross-corner whip and crotches Dean on the top rope.

    Eddy goes up top for a super-plex. Saturn stops it and puts Eddy on his shoulders. Saturn drops Eddy on the ropes, and then gives Eddy an over the head belly-to-belly suplex. Saturn goes for a supler-plex, but Dean blocks it and turns it into a front-vertical suplex. Eddy goes for a frankensteiner on Dean, but Dean turns it into what I think was supposed to be a super-gut buster. It looked botched. Saturn kicks Dean to the outside and climbs up to the top rope. Decent frog splash by Saturn. Funny how Eddy once perfected that move and now he hardly ever does it. Dean breaks the cover. Saturn gets a double-leg takedown into a Texas cloverleaf on Dean. Eddy grabs Saturn to break the hold and gives him a brain-buster suplex. Dean breaks the cover and applies the rings of Saturn to Perry. Eddy runs off the ropes with a dropkick on Dean to break it. I get it they are trading finishers!

    Eddy tries to cloverleaf Dean, but Saturn pushes Eddy into a small package by Dean for a 1 count. Eddy causes Saturn to fall outside. Backdrop suplex by Dean to Eddy, and Dean goes upstairs. Cruddy big splash by Dean. Dean breaks the cover to intercept Saturn. Dean goes for a backdrop suplex on Eddy. Then Saturn comes from behind and grabs Dean. DOUBLE-BACKDROP SUPLEX!!! Neato spot. Saturn rolls outside and Chyna whacks him with her rose bouquet. Eddy gets on the apron and goes for a sunset flip on Dean. Malenko blocks it by holding the ropes. Dean grabs Chyna's bouquet, but then Chyna trips Dean. Dean hits the bouquet face-first. Mahistrol-cradle by Eddy. Dean's shoulders aren't down. Ref is going to count anyway. One...two...three. Dammit Dean's shoulders weren't down! Eddy retains his title at 7:58.

    ***. Chyna's bouquet had a metal rod in it. Dang, two messed up, screwy finishes in a row. Anyway, good match for these three given the time limit and all. But I was a bit upset by the botched spots and shortness of the match. Seems Eddy and Dean are never going to have great matches again. We see the instant replay so the whole world can clearly see that Dean's shoulders were not down.

  • Now we get a clip of Brisco winning the hardcore title from Crash Holly on the last edition of Smackdown!

    -Brisco is hiding in the bathroom.

  • Now we get a video package of the Shane McMahon and Big Show feud.

  • We get to see Shane warming up in the back.

  • Anything goes, falls count anywhere match: Shane McMahon vs. The Big Show. Shane enters first. Show comes in, and Shane goes for a plancha and gets caught by Show. Bell rings, match starts.

    Show rams Shane's back into the ring post. Show does it again and tosses Shane into the ring steps. The Big Nasty Bastard tosses the top of the steps off. Shane gets a scoopslam on them. Show punches Shane over the security wall. Shane gets up and Show lifts him up into a military press. Shane gets tossed into the ring, and here comes Show. Show starts kicking Shane down at the butt. Big Show hooks Shane's arm and gives him a clothesline. Irish whip and a standing side kick by Show. Show calls for the choke slam, but Big Bossman comes in and beats down Shown with his night-stick.

    Show comes back with some head butts, and Shane rolls out of the ring. Bossman gets a power bomb from Show. Show kicks Bossman out and here comes Test and Albert, chairs in hand. Show punches the chairs into their faces. Trish Stratus runs and gives Show a low-blow. Show picks her up, and Trish gets thrown to Test and Albert to the outside. Show follows Shane to the entrance way and tosses Shane into some fence on the Judgement Day set. Show rips off a piece of the set and goes for Shane. Shane starts hanging by the set and kicks Show down by the head. Test and Albert lay a beat down on Show. Shane with a splash and cover for 2.

    Show comes back and beats down all three men. Test and Albert get tossed into the fence, and Show tries to grab Shane who is climbing up the set. Bull Buchanan comes in and beats down Show with his nightstick. Shane climbs down and pushes a speaker onto Show's leg. Shane covers. One...two...three. Shane wins it at 7:15.

    DUD. Nothing match here. Post match, some officials help walk out the Big Show, and he leaves in an ambulance. Show spends a few months rehabilitating and comes back only to turn heel and join Shane again. The WWF for once finally realized how much Paul Wight sucks and how lazy he is. So, they sent him to the WWF training camp in Ohio where he was until January.

  • Brisco takes refuge with some referees. He starts to take a nap and the refs try to get the drop on him and steal his title. Brisco wakes up and storms out.

  • In the back we see Hunter Hearst Helmsley chatting with Shawn Michaels. HHH wants to know what is up with Hickenbottom's shorts. Hunter says, "It looks like you're smuggling bananas in those things." Ummmm...okayyy. Moving right along.

  • We get a video package of the feud between "The Crippler" Chris Benoit and Y2J, Chris Jericho. It is mostly shots of their submission moves. Anyway, two days after their super disappointing finish to their match at Backlash, Jericho defeated Benoit for the Intercontinental Title at the Smackdown! tapings. Then, Benoit won the title back from Jericho at RAW only six days later. At the next Smackdown! tapings, Benoit announced that he and Jericho are going to have a submission match at Judgment Day.

  • Submission match for the Intercontinental Title: "The Crippler" Chris Benoit vs. Y2J, Chris Jericho. We get some footage of Hardcore Holly demolishing Benoit's left knee with a chair on the last edition of Smackdown! Former two-time Intercontinental champion, Chris Jericho, enters first. Benoit enters with his left knee braced. The bell rings, and the match starts.

    The combatants circle the ring and lockup. Ross admits Benoit has the better submission hold. They tie up in the corner, and the ref breaks it up. They lockup and Benoit gets Jericho on the ropes. Knee to gut shot, forearm shot, and a gut kick by Benoit. Big chop to Jericho. Head to the turnbuckle and another chop by Benoit. Irish-whip by Benoit, but Jericho ducks under him. Gut shot, and Jericho runs off the ropes and nails a face-crusher on Benoit. Knee-to-head shots and Jericho chops Benoit in the corner. Cross-corner whip, and Jericho gets an armbar submission on Benoit.

    Benoits rolls out of it. Gut shot, and Benoit goes for a tombstone. Reversal by Jericho. Another reversal by Benoit, and he hits a shoulder-breaker on Jericho's left shoulder. Benoit climbs to the top rope. KAMIKAZE HEADBUTT! Benoit hit Jericho's left shoulder again. Sitting abdominal stretch by Benoit. Jericho gets up to a vertical base and punches out. Double-leg takedown, and Jericho goes for the Liontamer! Benoit is able to spin out of the hold! Cool spot. Jericho ducks a running clothesline and comes off the ropes with a running reverse elbow to Benoit. Benoit climbs up on the apron, and Jericho nails a top-rope springboard dropkick. It is much better than the sissy second-rope version he does now.

    We get a quick shot of Val Venis in the back, watching the match on a monitor. He squares off with the winner tomorrow night on RAW. On the outside Benoit reverses a whip, and Jericho hits the ring steps left shoulder first. Alright! We have psychology! Benoit stands up the top layer of the steps and grabs Jericho. Jericho picks Benoit up and drops his braced knee on the steps. Almost like an atomic knee-breaker. Stomps to Benoit's head, and Benoit's head gets slammed to the ring steps.

    Back in. Gut shot and the double-underhook back-breaker to Benoit. Jericho covers Benoit for a pin, but he can't win like that. The Canadians get into a nasty chop fest in the corner. Jericho stops it with some shots to the head. Cross-corner whip and a blind-charge by Jericho. Benoit moves, and Jericho's left shoulder hits the post. Benoit unties the top turnbuckle pad to expose the steel bolt. Benoit hooks Jericho's arm and starts to slam his left shoulder to the exposed bolt. The Crippler kneels down and locks up Jericho's bad left shoulder. Jericho gets up to a vertical base. Forearm shots and an armdrag takedown by Jericho. Benoit rolls right back up. Another nasty chop fest. Benoit wins it with some gut shots and a nice snap suplex. Scoopslam by Benoit and a kneedrop to Jericho using the knee brace. Big short-arm clothesline by Benoit sets up the cross arm-breaker submission. Jericho maneuvers toward the ropes and hooks them with his legs.

    Now we see Hardcore Holly watching the match on a monitor. Gut shots by Benoit, and Jericho goes to the corner. Benoit misses a running knee lift, and his bad knee hits the exposed bolt in the corner. Big pancake slam by Jericho. Jericho slams Benoit's knee to the canvas. Benoit goes for some kicks, but Jericho grabs one and hits a dragon screw leg whip. Mounted punches by Jericho, and he rips off Benoit's knee brace. Jericho starts whipping Benoit's exposed knee with the brace. He puts the brace on his arm. Flying forearm to Benoit. Jericho with a spinning-toehold, but Benoit kicks Jericho off. The Ayatollah comes back with a dropkick to Benoit's bad knee. Lion-sault by Jericho! Pickup by Jericho, and he drapes Benoit over the outside of the ropes. Jericho debuts his on the ropes Lion-tamer! It almost looks like a Tarantula submission hold. Funny how this match is supposed to have rope breaks, and both Benoit's arms and legs are touching the ropes. Yet, the ref doesn't call for a break.

    Benoit unhooks his arms and punches and kicks Jericho off. Jericho kicks at Benoit's legs. Benoit goes for an enziguri, but Jericho ducks. Benoit ducks a clothesline and applies a full nelson into a waistlock. German suplex! Benoit holding onto the waistlock, GERMAN SUPLEX! Jericho escapes a third one, and they get into a brawl. Jericho goes after Benoit's knee, and Benoit goes after Jericho's shoulder. Jericho takes Benoit down and goes for the Lion-tamer again. Benoit flops around and grabs his knee brace. He whacks Jericho in the head with it to escape the hold. Now Benoit with the Crippler-crossface! Jericho tries to get out, but Benoit lets go and pulls him into the middle of the ring and reapplies it. Benoit lets go again and whacks Jericho's shoulders. This time Benoit reapplies it with his hands on Jericho's throat like a choke-hold. Fans cheer Jericho on for a baby-face comeback buts its no use. Jericho just passes out! Benoit wins via TKO submission at 13:26.

    ****. Initially, I was pretty disappointed with this match. My expectations were pretty high, and I was expecting it to go over at least 15 minutes. Not exactly the five-star classic I was expecting. Overall, the Jericho and Benoit feud has been disappointing in the WWF. Due to the WWF wrestling style, they clearly hold back a bit in the ring sometimes. Benoit loses the title a few weeks later, and moves higher up on the card to feud with the Rock for the world title and essentially becomes his b***h. Jericho remains over enough to be a world champion, but the bookers bury him anyway so they can push weak, overrated champs like Kurt Angle.

  • We get a promo for the June pay-per-view, King of the Ring. This pay-per-view pretty much ended a streak of pretty good WWF pay-per-views. However, I didn't like Backlash that much, but that is just my opinion.

  • We see the Headbandgers going after Brisco more. Why won't the WWF kill the Hardcore title already? The title is completely useless and the 24-7 gimmick is ridiculous. The title is a complete joke. The way it is used in the weeks after this pay-per-view proves it.

  • Cole interviews Brisco. Brisco says being the Hardcore champion is making him a wreck. THAN JUST DROP THE DANG TITLE YOU NUMBSKULL!!!!! Behind Brisco, some concession workers plot to fight him. Brisco catches wind of this and beats them down.

  • The Rock is talking business with Shawn Michaels in the back. Rock tells Michaels to call the match right down the middle or else.

  • Tables Match: Road Dogg and X-pac with Tori vs. The Dudley Boyz. This table match has elimination rules, unlike the usual "first team to put another through a table wins" nowadays. However, the teams can tag in and out unlike the table match at the Royal Rumble 2000. We see clips of Tori putting the Dudleyz through a table after a big splash on the last RAW. D-von tells Buh-Buh Ray they will make her testify. The currently fired druggie, Road Dogg cuts his crappy pre-match promo. Dudleyz come out with a table in hand. They rush the ring. Tables surround the ring as well. Why is this match the semi-main event? Bell rings, and the match starts.

    D-von and Road Dogg start it up. Flying shoulder block and a spinning reverse elbow by D-von. Dogg gets D-von in the corner and tags X-pac. flying shoulder block to X-pac, and a tag to Buh-Buh. Right by Buh-Buh, but X-pac gets a roundhouse kick in. Buh-Buh misses a body avalanche in the corner but gets a boot on X-pac. Second-rope clothesline by Buh-Buh. Scoopslam sets up the Dudleyz diving headbutt by D-von. Roadie comes in, and he gets one too. DX tries to get the Hell out of Dodge, but the Dudleyz drag them back into the ring. Now its Road Dogg and D-von. Roadie stomps on D-von. Tag to X-pac. Jumping back kick sets up the bronco buster. Tag to Roadie, and he gives D-von a boot choke. Front-facelock to D-von. D-von gets up to a vertical base and makes a blind tag to Buh-Buh. The referee didn't see it. Tag to X-pac. Irish- whip and a leg lariat to D-von. Tag to Roadie. D-von ducks a double-clothesline and hits a double-clothesline on DX. D-von tags in Buh-Buh Ray, and he cleans house. Irish-whip and a sideslam to X-pac. Full-nelson bomb to Roadie. Samoan drop to X-pac, and Buh-Buh calls for some tables! They stand tables up in opposite corners.

    Outside, Roadie whips D-von into the ring steps, and he sets up a table. He brings D-von up the steps. Pump-handle slam through the table eliminates D-von. Buh-Buh gets the drop on Roadie and bites his forehead. X-pac puts D-von in a corner table and goes for the bronco buster. Buh-Buh gives him a back-hair takedown. Buh-Buh sets up a table. X-pac whips him, but Buh-Buh gets the pickup and Buh-Buh bombs X-pack through the table. X-pac is now eliminated. Buh-Buh and Roadie get into a slugfest. The referee tries to break it up, but he gets double-armdrag through a table in the corner. Buh-Buh gives Roadie a DDT. Brisco makes his way out to the ring. Dudleyz stand up a table and give Roadie the 3-D through the table! The ref is knocked out, so the Dudleyz can't be declared the winners.

    Brisco pulls Road Dogg outside of the ring. Buh-Buh grabs Tori, and D-von sets up a table for her. Brisco stops Buh-Buh from giving Tori a Super-Bubba-bomb. X-pac climbs to the top rope. Super-X-factor through the table! Buh-Buh Ray is eliminated. DX wins the match at 10:56.

    *3/4. Nothing special here. After the match, the Dudleyz 3-D Gerald Brisco through a table. The Dudleyz continue their feud with DX through the next pay-per-view and lose again.

  • Now we get a clip with some Kid Rock playing in the background. Hmmmm...

  • Next up is a video package of the HHH feud with the Rock.

  • 60 minute Iron-Man match for the WWF Title: Hunter Hearst Helmsley vs. The Rock© with Shawn Michaels as the special guest referee. For those who do not know, the match will go an entire 60 minutes. Either combatant can gain a fall via pin-fall, submission, knockout, disqualification, or count-out. There will be no overtime. If the match ends in a draw the champion will retain his title. HBK comes out first to a nice pop. Fink announces HHH as the WWF champion when he enters. Moron. HHH enters with Vince, Shane, and Stephanie trailing behind. HHH tells them to go to the back because he wants to beat the Rock on his own. A clean WWF main event with a clean finish? No way. The McMahon's leave, and the Rock enters. HBK calls for the bell, and the match starts.

    Some trash talking and a big stare-down to start. Shove by Rock and they lockup. They break it and lockup again. Tie-up into the corner followed by a shove-fest. Lockup into a side-headlock by Rock. Knee shot by HHH into an over-the-head wristlock. Ross and Lawler say the longest match HHH and the Rock ever had in their careers was thirty minutes. They mean the best two of the 3 falls match from Fully Loaded '98, which ended in a 30 minute draw. However, the longest match HHH and Rock were ever in before this was the main event at Wrestle Mania 16. Eat that Ross and Lawler!

    HHH is winning a test of strength, but Rock rises up and reapplies a side-headlock. HHH pushes it off, and Rock gets a shoulder block on HHH for 2. Another big shoulder block gets 2. Rock runs off the ropes and flips over HHH's leg into a schoolboy roll-up for 2. HHH regroups outside. The Game goes back in. Side-headlock by HHH, Rock pushes it off, but gets a shoulder block. Leapfrog and a right by Rock. HHH rolls outside. Back in. Lockup into a side-headlock by Rock. HHH pushes it off but misses a leapfrog. Right by Rock, and HHH gets his head slammed to the corners. Cross-corner whip by Rock. HHH answers with a reverse-elbow and a nice lariat. Full-arm dragon twist by HHH, and he works on Rock's left arm. Rights by HHH and an armbar. Rock punches out, Irish-whip, and he ducks. Single-arm DDT by HHH gets 2. Armbar reapplied to Rock's left arm. Rock rises up and punches out. HHH gets a kick to the head and runs off the ropes. Wait, Rock with a Rock-bottom! Cover, 1...2...3! Rock gets the first fall at 10'45".

    1-0

    HHH rolls outside. Rock follows and slams HHH's head on the security wall. Rock whips HHH to the steel entrance way. HHH reverses a pickup, and Rock gets a snake-eyes on the security wall. HHH misses a knee lift and hits the wall. Rock rolls back in, and HHH is on the apron. Right hand and an outside in vertical suplex by Rock gets 2. Rock stomps on HHH's left knee and he starts to wrap it around the ring post. Rock pulls HHH out. Pickup and Rock drops HHH's left knee on the ring steps. Back in. Rock kicks at HHH's knee. HHH reverses a whip and gets a clothesline from the Rock. Spinning-toehold into the figure-four! Looks a lot better than the crappy one Rock did to Benoit on the last RAW before the pay-per-view. HHH's shoulders go down. One...two...no. Again, one...two...no. HHH tries unsuccessfully to turn it over. He tries it again...and he gets it turned over! They roll into the ropes, and the hold breaks. They roll outside. HHH reverses a whip and clotheslines Rock. They fight into the crowd. HHH back drops Rock back to ringside.

    Back into the ring they go. Vertical suplex by HHH. HHH runs out of the corner with an elbow drop. One more time, and HHH covers for 2. Another cover gets 2. HHH drives the knee in Rock's ribs. Another cover for 2. Lateral press gets 2. Rock tries to kick back at HHH's knee and charges, but HHH just tosses him to the outside. HHH rolls outside and breaks the count. Rock whips HHH's knees to the steps. Back in. Rock drops a knee to HHH's left one. Rock starts to elbow drop HHH's left knee, and he applies a leg grapevine. HHH gauges Rock's eyes to break it. Pickup and an atomic knee-breaker by Rock. Spinning-toehold by Rock, but HHH kicks him off. Gut shot and a PEDIGREE! Cover, 1...2...3! HHH gets a fall at 25'30".

    1-1

    HHH gives Rock a blatant choke. Rights by HHH, but Rock reverses a whip. Wait, inside-cradle by HHH! 1...2...3!!! HHH gets another fall at 26'30".

    1-2

    Rock comes back with some rights, but HHH tosses him out. They fight to the set. Rock whips HHH into it and gives him a clothesline. HHH comes back with a vertical suplex on Rock to the floor. They get up. HHH grabs Rock. No, Rock with a backdrop suplex on the floor! Rock whips HHH off the apron. Back body drop by Rock to the floor! Back in. Hard rights by Rock. HHH comes back with a chin-breaker. Gut shot to Rock and a pile driver! Cover, 1...2...3!!! HHH gains another fall at 32'24".

    1-3

    HHH gets Rock in the corner and stomps a mud-hole into him. Michaels breaks it, and Rock blasts out of the corner with a clothesline to HHH. HHH reverses a whip, and reverse-elbow gets 2. The Game climbs up top. Rock gets up, hooks HHH's arm, and drags him off. Rock answers a cross-corner whip with a reverse-elbow. Mahi-cradle by Rock! 1...2...NO! Man, Rock hasn't done that one in years. Rock ducks a clothesline, but gets a knee lift from HHH. That gets 2. HHH reverses a whip and applies a sleeper-hold. Rock goes down. HBK checks the arm. It goes up after 2. HBK kicks HHH's legs off the ropes, and the Game is peeved. HHH goes for another sleeper, but Rock turns it into a belly-to-belly suplex. Rock drapes an arm over HHH for 2. Rock goes for a float-over DDT, but he slips right off. He manages to counter with a DDT. Cover, one...two...three. Rock gains a fall at 40'36".

    2-3

    The combatants roll outside. Rock gives HHH a snake eyes on the time-keeper's table. HHH goes for a chair, but HBK grabs it and puts it on the ring apron. Rock whips HHH into the ring steps. HHH whips Rock to the security wall, but Rock comes back with a swinging neck-breaker. Back in. HHH grabs the chair and whacks the Rock with it. That is a disqualification for HHH, and Rock gains a fall at 43'43".

    3-3

    HHH throws away the chair. He rolls up Rock by the legs, and he puts his legs on the ropes for extra leverage. 1...2...3! Now HHH gets a fall at 44'10".

    3-4

    You see HHH gave up a fall, got it back, and he made Rock weaker in the process. HHH is a technical genius! Rock is busted wide open from that chair shot. Irish-whip and a sleeper-hold by HHH. Rock goes down. HBK checks the arm. It goes up before 3. Rock fights up to a vertical base. Rights by Rocky, but HHH reapplies the sleeper-hold. Rock goes down. HBK checks the arm again, and it goes down 3 times!!! ROCK WENT TO NIGHTY-NIGHTVILLE! HHH gains a fall at 47'28".

    3-5

    Michaels makes HHH break the hold. Rock doesn't sell it very well as he soon pops up and gives HHH some rights. HHH gets a whip to the corner and flips over to the ground! He hit a camera man on the way down too. Rock brings HHH back in. HHH with a gut shot and a DDT for 2. Game climbs to the top-rope but gets crotched. Rock goes for a super-plex, but HHH punches him off. Rock goes for it again, and he hits a second-rope super-plex! Rock is barely able to cover HHH for a two count. Reverse-elbow by Rock. Rights by Rock, and he clotheslines HHH out. Double-leg takedown and HHH gets catapulted into the ring post! HHH reverses a whip to the ring steps. HHH puts Rock on the table and goes for a Rock-Bottom. Rock elbows out and gives HHH a Pedigree!!!!! Table didn't give! Rock rolls back in, and HHH is now busted open. Michaels counts HHH out, and Rock gets a fall at 56'08".

    4-5

    Oh wait, here come the McMahon's. Guess it isn't a WWF pay-per-view without a screwy main event. HHH barely makes it to the ring to beat a second count-out. Rock gets a clothesline and a DDT. Shane comes in, but Rock knocks him down. He clocks Vince down too. Spine-buster to HHH! Here comes the People's Elbow! Rock covers, 1...2...3! Rock ties the falls at 58'03".

    5-5

    Shane pulls HBK out of the ring. HBK knocks Vince and Shane out. Here come Road Dogg and X-pac to the ring. Rock clocks down Road Dogg and gives HHH a Rock-Bottom. HBK tries to come back in, but Rock accidentally knocks him off the apron. X-pac and Road Dogg are ganging up on the Rock. HBK doesn't see any of this. Vince and Shane come in to help out. Wait, there are those weird girls and that Kid Rock music on the Titan Tron! Wait a minute, it's the UNDERTAKER! Undertaker comes in and destroys DX and the McMahons. Undertaker goes for a choke slam on Stephanie, but HHH stops it. Now HHH gets a choke slam! Undertaker sets HHH up for a Tombstone pile driver. HBK comes in and tells him not to do it. There is the bell to end the match, and Undertaker tombstones HHH. What the hell is going on? Michaels goes outside of the ring and whispers something to Fink. Howard announces that HHH gains one more fall via disqualification, therefore the match AND the title! So HHH gains the last fall at ?????. I think WWF would say 59'59, but it was probably really 60'10.

    5-6

    ****1/4. Damn what a horrible finish to a great match. I was really surprised by the effort both men gave, especially the Rock. I am taking off half a point because of that piss-poor, ridiculous finish. HBK apparently lost track of time because he threw away his ear-piece during the match or something like that. The next night the WWF tried to play off the mistake by saying HBK dq'ed the Rock because of the choke slam to HHH, which Ross says HBK did see. Lawler said after the match it was because of the tombstone, but that happened after the final bell.

    OVERALL: Well, other than all the messed up screwy finishes, a very solid WWF pay-per-view. I think the only match with a clean finish was the submission match. Anyway, in the coming weeks WWF got very repetitious and over-confident which led to the horrible pay-per-view, King of the Ring 2000. Then the Foley Era started and the WWF jammed out one more, great pay-per-view with Fully Loaded 2000. Everything sunk from there in my opinion. Summerslam 2000 was ok, but that show started giving hints of WWF getting lazy with the product. Anyway, I highly recommend this show, especially to pure-wrestling fans because this show has plenty of it.

    Jeff Harris
    from the ezboard

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