by Christopher Robin Zimmerman WrestleLine/WrestleManiacs I GET LETTERS: Josh fills in the holes from last week: "...then how you kissed my lips. . . (audio replaced - video replaced - wonder what he's saying - clearly not TV-PG and PTC-friendly - so why have it on SmackDown!?)..." well, he said "You kissed my lips... you kissed my neck... you kissed my (points to the crotch) well, we're not gonna go there. You did, but we're not." and "santa had a hell of a sleigh ride that night, but nothing like the ride she got" (or something along the lines of that anyway) good ol' family friendly X-pac Yee-hawr! A LITTLE BIT MORE FAMOUS: I'd like to thank Greg Dillard for booking me on The EDGE earlier today - it was a lot of fun and the half hour just FLEW by. I would have hyped the appearance in the Monday reports but I wasn't completely sure I was going to have finished my civic obligations to Santa Clara County by then and didn't want to set everybody up only to have to no-show. Anyway, the show is archived, so if you're interested in hearing me talk about myself (mostly) AND if you can get the blasted RealPlayer to work without crashing your computer (hint: lots of virtual memory), you might want to give it a listen (I'm 32 minutes in, until the end of the show). KINGS UPDATE: 28-16, 6GB (the Blazers? Wow!) and still in third - The road may be unkind, but darned if they're not .500 on this trip and still in the same spot as before! Also, keep in mind that the Sacramento Kings - the Sacramento Kings - will be on NBC every Sunday* they have a game from now until the end of the season! *(except the Laker game - sorry) VINCE McMAHON ON THE LAST WORD: Geez, did Jim Rome come off like a huge hypocrite or WHAT? Two segments with Vince McMahon (this first of which he [Rome] seemed to spend in almost total confusion) doing anything he could to avoid confrontation, and then for his "final take" he went OFF about how awful pro wrestling was and how he hated it. Good night now! Not that it wasn't a little cheesy for McMahon to try to sneak in an XFL mention into EVERY answer, but at least I can understand WHY he'd want to do that...more on the XFL down there. (Where?) (You know where.) You are watching U... One GIANT TV-PG-DLV World Leader Attitude - WWF! LAST MONDAY: Four men, one great big new angle Opening Credits It's the pyro! WE ARE ON TAPE 3.2.99 from the Joe in Detroit, MI (taped 1.2) and leave us not tarry, it's promoin' time CACTUS JACK, CHRIS BENOIT, DEAN MALENKO, PERRY SATURN & EDDY GUERRERO walk down the aisle as Jack's music plays. Jack's wearing a WWF New York hockey jersey which is remarkably flannel-free. Looks like they'll let Cactus speak for them again tonight: "Well, Detroit...look who Cactus Jack decided to bring with him! Eddy Guerrero! Perry Saturn! Dean Malenko! And Chris Benoit! And they are here tonight, not as members of the WWF, but simply as my guests, but we're going to attempt to change all that tonight! You see, and this goes out to you, Triple H, we had you in the middle of the ring flat on your back, and we chose to leave! Why? Because these four great athletes are not after your blood (at least not yet) - you see, they're after contracts. To fully understand what's going through their minds right now, you have to know the mindset in Atlanta, Georgia where they used to work. There's a simple saying there that says keep your mind shut, check your pride at the door, and sit back and collect a fat paycheque." [Sign in crowd: "Will the last WCW employee please remember 2 turn off the lights before u leave"] "Well, that's not good enough for these four men - because wrestling is a hell of a lot more than just a paycheque for every one of them. What they want is to take on the best, and the only place to do that is in the WWF! More importantly, I know it's their desire to perform in front of the WWF fans. And maybe most important of all, I think they knew deep down in their hearts, no matter how good they were, no matter how good their matches were, that they were not - quite - old enough for WCW! So Triple H, they came here on Monday night as my guests, and they did not start at the very bottom; no, they had the testicular fortitude - to take on the very best. Now we're asking you simply to show us that same fortitude - come out here, and we'll have one hell of a gala contract signing! Now, if you don't, well, what the five of us are prepared to down is turn SmackDown! into a two hour long sitdown - we'll pull up five chairs, and we'll proceed to bored the hell out of the American public. The choice is not up to me, so Triple H, the ball truly is in your court." As they set up some chairs, the music plays - but it's the theme D-GENERATION X (with Stephanie Ono & Tori) and there they are. "Cactus, let's face it. If I really felt like it, I would walk down this ramp, beat all your asses, and throw you in the back myself - or, I could snap my fingers like that and twenty security guards - ARMED security guards - could walk to that ring, round up all your little asses, and throw you out of the building - all except for you, see because you four are trespassing right now. You don't belong here; you've got no contract. But we're out here...we're out here because you want to come out here and talk about competition - that we're afraid of competition. Cactus, YOU of all people should know better than that. DX, if nothing else, THRIVES on competition - that is what we are about! Competition! We gravitate towards it! It is what we are made of! It is what runs in our blood! It is what we are about!" "Now the four of you may have been hotshots where you came from, but here in the World Wrestling Federation, you have to PROVE who you are, you have to EARN your striples. And quite frankly, based upon your actions Monday night, you're not *worthy* to compete in the World Wrestling Federation. Triple H and I had a conversation assessing your skills and quite frankly - don't get me wrong, you're not bad - but you guys are simply - average. You're average!" "Average, that's a good way to describe all of you, average. But I'll tell you what. In the name of fairness - because that's what the McMahon-Helmsley Era is all about, fairness - SHUDDUP! You guys wanna come in here, and you want to play games? You want to rise to the top - well, tonight you're gonna get your chance. Tonight we're gonna give you a little tryout. Not a contract but a one-day permit. Tonight, In That Very Ring, you guys are gonna get your chance. It's gonna start with you, Dean Malenko, because you will step into the ring with possibly the fastest man alive - X-Pac. [Why is Tori so happy if X-Pac's the "fastest man alive?" Get me?] Perry Saturn, Eddy Guerrero, you two are on deck - you will face THE greatest tag team of all time...the greatest World Wrestling Federation tag team champions of all time - the NEW - AGE - OUTLAWS. And Chris Benoit, the last time I saw you, you were the big fish in your small pond, standing in the middle of that ring, holding a shiny belt - the standard bearer. Well, tonight, if it comes to that - you, Chris Benoit, will get into the ring with the World Wrestling Federation's standard bearer. You will step into the ring against the mesauring stick here in the WWF. You will step into the ring against The Game. You will step into the ring against the World Wrestling Federation champion - BUT, I don't think it'll ever get to that, because you see there are rules to this little tryout. You see, contracts are on the line. Now, if you can win two matches tonight out of those three, the four of you will get your contracts. But Chris Benoit, I don't think you and I will ever step into the ring, because he is gonna take Malenko apart, and they are gonna take Saturn and Guerrero apart." "Triple H, one last thing - that sounds great because all these men want is one opportunity, but I know the way DX works - they like to travel like a family, so just to make sure that everything is on the up and up, and there is no outside interference, I'm going to be watching from backstage. And I'm going to have a 2x4, and around that 2x4 I will wrap about five pounds of grade A, industrial-strength, razor-sharp barbed wire. And I am literally BEGGING you to give me a reason to come down here and use it. Bangbang!" Tonight, Triple Threat - Tazz, Rock and Angle! Big Show and Rikishi Phatu! And... In the locker room, all the women of the WWF are arguing to Patterson & Brisco. Patterson: "Just shaddup for a minute! I know that Harvey is a man--" Young: "He is not a man! He's a hemale--" and she's cut off. Anyway, Brisco holds out the straws for the women to draw. Jackie draws the short straw, then everybody argues a bit, a scuffle breaks out, Jackie chairs Luna, Young and Moolah molest Patterson (make your own joke), and why would BB want to wrestle for the title in her EMT getup anyway? I'm so confused. "Get these broads out of here!" You're right, Pat - you're so so right. "The Rock Says...." is a #1 bestseller - but don't let that stop YOU from buying a copy! "Bad Attitude" week means lots of cross-promotion on UPN next week - yup, yup. Moments Ago, they drew straws - go figure, Jackie gets the short straw yet again. Mae Young expresses her desire to be the Women's Champion to Mark Henry - she KNOWS she can beat Harvey! "You don't need to think about fighting - you pregnant with our love child!" I'm gonna go barf. Henry says to take her mind off not getting the title shot, he's got lots of BABY STUFF to give to her. Shoot me now. THAT SLUT CHYNA (and her - ahem - Bazooka) are out. Must be time for another IC match! phonefree.com presents No Way Out - 27 February! CHRIS THURSDAY JERICHO (with That Slut Chyna) v. GANGREL (presented by White Wolf - with Luna Tunes & PPV hype) for the Interchrisinental Championship - "Welcome to Detroit is Jericho! And as the undisputed Intercontinental champion, and the Ayatollah of Rock and Rollah, I wanna thank someone, and that someone is you, Chyna - I wanna thank you for watching my back and I wanna thank you for proving to Y2J and to all of the Jerichoholics here tonight and watching at home that you, too, are one BAD MAMMA JAMMA." Chyna smiles and they high-five. When exactly did them being friends start making sense, anyway? Luna still holds her head from the chairshot - sell it, baby! Sell it! Slugfest before the bell - Jericho takes him to the corner and kicks away. Into the opposite corner, feet up, Jericho ducks and chops, and chops, and chops. Off the ropes, heel kick, Irish whip into the corner, but Gangrel sidesteps it and Jericho goes to the outside. Luna over, Chyna over before anything bad happens - but Gangrel takes him behind her back. Back in the ring, off the ropes with the elbowdrop, there's another - kickout at 1. Right, right, right, right, right, off the ropes, Jericho takes him over the top rope to the floor. Gangrel back in - right from Jericho, off the ropes, gutshot, bulldog off the ropes. Into the ropes again, reversed this time, flying jalapeno from Jericho for 2. Into the ropes again, reversed, Gangrel held on and there's a side Russian legsweep - 2 count. Jericho turns it into the corner, foot up, Gangrel with a Sunset flip, Jericho rolls through and goes for the Walls of Jericho - Luna climbs to the top, but Chyna is over to crotch her (I guess - Luna falls VERY SLOWLY to the top turnbuckle). Gangrel finally taps. (2:41) Yeah, they're sure chummy now - BUT WHY?? Clips from last Sunday's Halftime Heat - JR's sitdown with Steve Austin - isn't this like the third time we've seen it? This time "pissed" gets bleeped because we're TV-PG. Cactus Jack offers advice to Dean Malenko - keep an eye on Tori. Malenko tells his mates he won't let them down Tori, meanwhile, is with X-Pac - and - they're - WALKING! Wahoo! My first "MT2K" ad! All the excitement of MONSTER TRUCKS for the new millennium! Here's another look at that Newsweek cover - Newsweek.com has the text online, in case the magazine's already sold out at your local newstand, by the way X-PAC (with Tori) v. DEAN MALENKO - Let Us Take You Back to Last Week where we learned about the X-Pac/Tori Xmas Story, followed by Kane walking away...and we haven't seen him since. I should have noted by now Tori's top is DX neon green, yup. Malenko has THEME MUSIC? We look backstage to see Jack and friends looking on on the monitor. Feeling out process. Lockup, side headlock from X-Pac - wrenching it in. Off the ropes, knockdown by X-Pac. Crotch chops all around. Lockup, chain wrestling, into a takedown by Malenko, front face, reversed, chain, off the ropes, Malenko knocks him down. Off the ropes, over, under, heel kick by Malenko. X-Pac with a gutshot - putting him in the corner, reversed on the way out, running into a boot, Malenko with a powerslam for 2 - DX also watches a monitor. Into the corner, reversed, Malenko comes out and into a spinning heel kick. Pair of elbows to the back of the head. Shots are traded - off the ropes, X-Pac lifts him up and lets him fall for 2. Rear chinlock by X-Pac. Malenko trying to turn into it - and he's to his feet. Elbowing out - hold broken, Malenko catches the spinning heel kick attempt and hits a Dragon screw legwhip! X-Pac is up first - kick to the back of the head - there's the trifecta in the corner. Time for the broncobuster? Nope - Malenko's out of the way and X-Pac is a little tender. Malenko hits Iblockyourpunchyoudon'tblockmine - again - into the corner, followed up with a lariat. Vertical suplex - just barely out after 2. Malenko shoots him into the corner, he goes up and over, gutshot, X Factor attempt is blocked - there's the Tejas cloverleaf!! But X-Pac reaches the bottom rope. Tori up on the apron, averting the watchful eye of referee "Blind" Tim White - X-Pac with a low blow...and the X Factor. 1, 2, 3. Sigh. (4:07) When I'm looking at Tori's nipples, my gaze is diverted from her face, right? Mizark Henry presents Mae Young some Preparation H. I don't think that'll stop the burning *I'm* feeling watching these vignettes... Mankind takes Manhattan! Then he gives it back! Rock on Voyager - that should hurt THUNDER! ratings, right? X-Pac is congratulated back in the DX locker room - "I beat him, I'm not even tired," he says, while sucking wind. Triple H goes to remove his boots - he won't need to be wearing 'em. Big Show interrupts the proceedings and delivers the videotape - it's that camera angle we've been waiting to see for, like, a week and a half. It definitively shows Rock's feet hitting first. Triple H says, all right, Freddie Mercury, you got your match. And now WE have a #1 Contender's Match for No Way Out. JACQUELINE v. HARVEY WIPPLEMAN for the Women's Championship - Did he and Moolah break up? Lawler: "I can understand why he would want to dress in drag, but why would he want to be Women's Champion?" "Cut the music! I'M Harvey Wippleman! The World Wrestling Federation Ladies' Champion! The reason I'm the Women's Champion - there's not a woman in the World Wrestling Federation that can beat me - there's not a woman in the WORLD that can beat me, 'cause I'm all man! I'm fixin' to show you what a man can do - ugly!" Wippleman removes his shirt - Jacqueline calmly spears him, right and lefts and rights, kick, scoop slam, elbowdrop, 1, 2, 3, thank you and good night. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a new Women's Champion. (:17) For an encore, she pulls off his pants. Wippleman takes a quick hike up the ramp in his drawers and tube socks. Say, that Jackie's sure got some big knockers, don't she? I smell a challenge from Luna coming....? KEVIN "NAILZ" KELLY stands with the Rock. You don't need ME to tell you what happens next. I WILL say, however, that "shut up juice" is a ripoff of "Happy Gilmore's" "warm glass of shut the hell up" (stolen most recently by Brian Adams, don'cha know) and thus, not nearly as funny. Rock actually breaks into blithering idiocy, but the crowd still hears the word "candyass" at the end of it, though, and makes noise. ...PN! Mark Henry presents Mae Young some Oil of Olay - to prevent stretch marks. KURT ANGLE (with TV-PG-DLV ratings box) v. TTAAZZ v. LA ROCA in a Triple Threat Match - "Now I realise a lot of you are upset at me - and are very angry - and I don't blame you, I don't blame you. And it's all because Your Olympic Hero has suffered his very first loss last Monday night at the hans of the Rock...and it's okay, and I'm glad I'm here in this town, because if there was ever a town that could relate to losing - it's Detroit, Michigan. It's true, it's true! Whether it be jobs at the factories, or even the Stanley Cup playoffs last year, you people have had your share of setbacks and losses. But the good news is, unlike THIS town, your Olympic hero will bounce back, overcome adversity, and be your champion once again...I promise. Thank you." Tazz out next - and right into the ring - they're not going to wait for the Rock! Tazz all ove rhim, exchanging blows, Angle in control, in the corner, Angle putting the boot under Tazz' chin. Referee "Blind" Earl Hebner finally forces the break - and now the Rock finally gets in the ring, right at the top of the hour. Rock all over Angle - clothesline. One for Tazz as well - there's a punch to the jimmy for Tazz. Right, right, off the ropes, Angle revereses, and then he hits a belly-to-belly suplex. Angle kicking away - Tazz pulling him aside so HE can kick away. A little cooperation? Angle runs at Tazz, who ducks, then hits a T-bone Tazzplex on Angle. Rock with a clothesline on Tazz, then sending Angle over the top rope to the floor - and following. Angle's head meets the barricade - but Tazz is also out, there's a series of rights on Rock, head to the apron. Shot for Angle for good measure. Rock's head taken (sorta) to the STEEL steps. Angle striking from behind. Right, right, Tazz over the barricade and Angle follows. Back and forth we go - and now the Rock is over to join them. Rock takes control - double noggin knocker - Tazz back over - Angle back over as well. Rock back over to continue the punishment. Right to Tazz, off the ropes, reversed, Rock collides with Angle (who flies off the apron), and there's a Northern Lights suplex with a bridge for 2. Right to Rock's head - whips is reversed, Rock holds on and he's ready to hit the uranage, but Angle is back in with a shot to the Rock. Clothesline for the Rock, going for one for Tazz, but there's the "chokeout" on Angle! Rock breaks it up. Tazz knocks him down - cover - 1, 2, Angle breaks it up. Angle puts Rock in the corner and kicks away, now punching, now back to the doubleteam, well, very shortly as Angle is working on Tazz instead. Firing away with rights - turning to the Rock, but reversed in the corner. Rock punching away, kissing the right, ducking Tazz' attack and floating over into the DDT. Spinebuster for Angle, Rock Bottom for Tazz, Rock Bottom for Angle, 1, 2, WELL IT'S A BIG SHOW come out to pull Rock out of the ring. As they brawl on the outside to be joined by some more REFS, Angle's apparently fallen with an arm over Tazz - 1, 2, 3 (5:04) but our attention is turned to the outside where Rock is caught in ahhhhhhTHECHOKESLAAAAAAMonthefloor! Let's play HIS music instead! He's the Big Show - he's a new haircut kinda guy... Triple H will appear Monday on UPN's "the Urkle show" - of course, it airs the same time as RAW so that seems kinda pointless Let Us Take You Back to Moments Ago - Rock Bottom, cover, Show pulls him out We cut to Guerrero & Saturn trying to stay focused in their big match - suddenly, Saturn turns to Guerrero and says "wait a minute - aren't you one of those lousy rotten stinkin' filthy animals?" NEW AGE OUTLAWS v. PERRY SATURN & EDDIE GUERRERO in a nontitle match - I don't know about you, but I'm rather looking forward to Shane Douglas coming out in his "Revolution" T-shirt with THREE names covered in electrical tape instead of just Benoit's. Looks like they're gonna spell it "Eddie," too. Oh well. Same music as Malenko came out? Guerrero and Ass start. Lockukp, to the corner, clean break? Nope. Kick, right, right, right from Ass. Into the opposite corner, Guerrero ducks and puts Gunn in the corner and punches away, there's an elbow. Uppercut. DX looks on from their dressing room. Into the corner, but Ass boosts him over his head and onto the turnbuckle. Right hand by Ass, Saturn in - press slam - crotch chops all around - armwringer on Guerrero, tag to Dogg. He gets jiggy with the kick to the gut. Kick, kick, kick, right. Crotch chop to Saturn, who fails to get in the ring. Into the corner, Guerrero up and over, Saturn with a clothesline from the apron. Guerrero stomping away. Tag to Saturn. Suplex onto the arm and an armbar - Dogg grabs the rope. Right hand. Saturn places him up on the top - on the second rope - Dogg punches away and sends him back to the centre - high crossbody, but Saturn rolls over and tries the Rings of Saturn! Mr. Ass breaks it up with a kick. Both men tag. Ass sidesteps a dropkick and flails with rights to both men. Saturn taken off the ropes, elbow takes him to the outside. For Guerrero, Ass has a gutshot and ait's jackhammer time. Warming up the leg for the Fame'Asser - and he hits it! Saturn breaks up the count. There's a (Exploder?) suplex from saturn on Gunn and here's a frog splash from Eddie! 1, 2, Dogg pulls out referee "Blind" Jack Doan! Saturn in now - he and Ass go over the top rope to thr floor. Dogg, meanwhile, covers a motionless Guerrero and there's a 1, 2, 3. (4:28) Guerrero is holding his left elbow (eww) and from what we've heard elsewhere on this site, it's bad enough to keep him out for at least four months. I'm pretty bummed. Earlier today, the big press conference at WWF New York - the WWFE announced the formation of the XFL - in which we ask the question, has Vince McMahon lost his ever-lovin' mind? Ask the stockholders - WWF Entertainment stock closed at all-time lows (12+) Thursday. No word yet on whether or not Cameo Kneuer has been hired to participate in XFL telecasts yet, nor whether the football players will take on the wrestlers in a worked tug-o-war with the debuting Bill Alfonso as referee (on the take from Ted DiBiase) - wow, did I just release a flood of memories there or what? As for this XFL thing, remember well that the WBF lasted almost two years before finally disappearing - I'm sure it'll take AT LEAST that long to kill THIS thing off. I'll probably jump on the bandwagon of folks who think this is a bad idea, but I'm not gonna go all the way to root AGAINST it, either. More on this in the future...I'm sure... "WrestleMania 2000" for the N64 ad Oh man! Mankind eats ravioli! WWF.com - over twenty million hits a week! "Moments Ago" footage, from a couple grisly (but not too grisly, thankfully) angles, we see and hear Guerrero's elbow snap Back in the DX dressing room, Triple H says he's feeling magnaminous, he's gonna give Benoit a match with him anyway. Time now for the Blackman and Snow show! "C'mon, you said you'd do it, so just do it!" "No, no - there is no way you're getting me to do this tonight-" "Look, looklooklook you made the bet - if we didn't get beat by the Outlaws, you'd do it, so come on!" "You're not gonna convince me to do this - there, there is no way..." "Fine - I guess your word means NOTHING - I guess you have no HONOUR - I guess--" "All right, all right - but I cannot believe I am about to do this." "You're gonna be happy, your'e gonna - you're gonna think this is SO cool - this is SO cool - see?" Blackman emerges wearing a giant cheesehead. "That is terrific! Al Snow - and Steve Blackman...the Lethal Cheddar!" Blackman works on counting to ten, 'cause you can just SENSE the FURY...well, I mean, I'm ASSUMING - hell, why ELSE would he be counting? SmackDown! is brought to you by MILK - Got milk? THQ's WrestleMania 2000 for the N64, and phonefree.com! HOLLY COUSINS (with Scale Holly) v. HEAD CHEESE (with Head - and Cheese) - if nothing else, it's worth it just to see Blackman wearing that huge cheese on his head. SOMEBODY vidcap that for my page, PLEASE. Hey, Snow's wearing his "Snow Man Cometh" tights! How old are THOSE? Crash attacks Snow before the bell, Snow quickly takes command of the situation. Hung out to dry on the top rope, shot for Hardcore while Blackman works his extremely cool "drop him from the apron to the STEEL steps" spot on Crash. 1, 2, Hardcore breaks it up. Big-time "head cheese" chant. Off the ropes, collision, tag to Blackman. Open shot. And again, and a kick. Backbreaker across the knee. Stomp, elbowdrop, karate thrust, "Head-Cheese" chant with a Goldberg cadence. Tag to Snow - they make a wish. Crash's head taken to the buckle - into the opposite corner, Holly up and landing in a headscissors - he drops down and takes Snow's head to the bottom turnbuckle. Hot tag to Hardcore! Cleaning house on both men - Best Dropkick in the Business to Blackman - powerbomb to Snow - Blackman breaks it up. Hardcore going up top - Snow crotches him, right, second rope - top rope - SUPERPLEX! Snow rolls over - Crash breaks the count. Blackman in and making short work of Crash, throwing him outside. Snow takes Hardcore off the ropes, reveresed, up and over, gutshot, up for the Snowplow, but Crash comes off the top with a splash to the back of his cousin - but Snow rolls it over in the follow-through and there's a pin! (3:08) Post-match, Hardcore packs quite a wallop on his cousin by way of assigning blame. Big roundhouse kick to the face - into the STEEL steps - we cut to Yowza! It's Rikishi Phatu's ass! And it's doing squats! The Slam of the Week is Buh-Buh Ray powerbombing one Hardy through another - and three tables - from Monday night - a highlight which made it to "The Last Word" tonight on FOX Sports Net "Bad Attitude" Week promo - boy I'll be glad when it's over - yeah yeah, Triple H & Urkel - Rock & Seven, got it - Hardcore Holly in a movie, fine - next Here's a look at the outside of the World-Famous Joe Louis Arena - it's one massive wall there, yup. At this point I usually make a Derrick May reference to look hip, so consider it made. I'll ALSO mention that I need to drop about a hundred bucks at the AUX/88 website some day Oh boy! Mark Henry presents Mae Young with ... a breast pump! It just gets FUNNIER and FUNNIER! (Those of you who find THIS funny while finding Steve Blackman wearing cheese NOT funny should be off reading someone else's SmackDown! report, by the way) RIKISHI PHATU (with Too Cool) v. WELL IT'S A BIG SHOW - Phatu sends Too Cool back, as he is wont to do. Let Us Take You Back to Earlier Tonight when the Big Show had a boy howdy for the Rock out on the floor - camera angle indicates Rock landed in a non-convincing manner. Sign in crowd: "NICE HAIR (queer)" - now that's uncalled for. You wouldn't say that about BUFF, would you? Ha! Phatu strikes first, but the headbutt turns the tide, well it's a big right, off the ropes, reversed, Samoan Drop from the Samoan! Armdrag! Right, right, into the opposite corner, fat ass splash. Belly-to-belly (sorta)! Off the ropes, and there's a big legdrop. 1, 2, Show puts up a shoulder. Superkick is swatted away - got him in the choke - ahhhhhTHECHOKESLAAAAAM - but his back hurts. Cover is a little slow - 1, 2, KICKOUT! Show is incredulous that somebody would kick out of it, so he goes outside and grabs a chair. Back in the ring, Phatu superkicks the chair - Show shakes it off and WHACKS him. Referee "Blind" Teddy Long calls for the bell (DQ 1:58) TOO COOL is out, almost immediately Too Cool tastes ahhhhhhTHECHOKESLAAAAAAM - and now LA ROCA is out and punching away - kiss that right, Rock! WHACK! Rock puts the chair down - and hits Rock Bottom! Play his music! The usual suspects are out to bring things up and as Rock exits the ring, it's commercial time... Aw, shucks, no People's Elbow tonight. Oops, shouldn't jinx myself - we've got about a half left, don't we... How many invasions by Mankind can Manhattan take? All that overstuffed ravioli is gonna KILL somebody! Let Us Take You Back to Moments Ago as Big Show wielded the chair - then Rock wielded the chair - then Rock hit that uranage he's famous for. DX talks up Triple H Your hosts are a pair of kings, MICHAEL KING COLE & JERRY LAWLER. Eddie Guerrero is in the hospital with a dislocated elbow. Speaking of hospitals, those Damn Dudleys have been putting a lot of people in them lately... Let's Take a Special Video Look at the Damn Dudley Boyz' reign of terror - and furniture Meanwhile, Mae Young is feeling something kick - no, wait, it's gas. Here's a wacky facial expression from Lawler - isn't it wacky? Surely the wackiness of it all is WACKY! I'm about ready to get a little wacky myself - and WHACK somebody - 'cause it's WACK - okay - I'm better now - phew Triple H & Stephanie - are - WALKING! Benoit has "nothing to lose!" Umm, WWF Super Bowl Pregame ad - 'cause we can't have enough fart noises this segment I've heard next week is Bad Attitude week - if ONLY I knew what that meant! It's all part of "No Ordinary February" - the Rock DARES you not to watch! Call it what you want - *I* prefer the old name - "Sweeps month pandering" MILK! presents the Smack of the Night - X-Pac taking down Dean Malenko with a low blow and X Factor TREBLE H (with Stephanie Ono) v. CHRIS BENOIT in a nontitle contest to unofficially unify the WCW & WWF titles - I can only PRAY we're lucky enough to get Stephanie to take third headset for this matchup. Triple H is apparently The Game (what game? Chutes and Ladders?) for taking on Benoit despite the fact that this match is essentially meaningless. Sounds like Benoit's got the same music we've heard twice earlier. Benoit wearing his "CRIPPLER" tights. H giving the bad mouth, and Benoit looking up to him. Lockup, finally, to the corner, switch, reversed back, clean break, referee "Blind" Earl Hebner shouting a lot. Lockup again, into the corner, semi-clean break - shove, shove back. Benoit blocks a punch and puts him down with one punch. H charges - Benoit quickly puts him in the Crossface - or attempts to, anyway - H goes outside. Benoit parting the ropes for H but he's taking a powder. Back in, boot to the gut, right hand, right, kick, right, right, Benoit chops back, H punches, Benoit chops, chop, kick, off the ropes, big elbow, snap suplex. H rolls out, Benoit hits a baseball slide dropkick. Outside the ring, there's a kick, chop, right hand, but H manages a drop toehold on the charging Benoit right into the STEEL steps. Let's give it a Double Feature! Now H whipping Benoit into the steps, shoulder first. Rolled back in the ring, head to the corner, kicking away, 5, 6, 7, 8, blatant choke, Hebner forces the break, H gives Hebner a shove. Benoit with an elbow, chopping back, punches, off the ropes is reversed, duck, duck, high knee from H, cover for 2. Lawler mentions Benoit never lost the Championship down in Atlanta. Head into the buckle, Benoit puts H's head in the buckle right back. Chop, punch, H takes control, Benoit coming back, punches, chop, off the ropes, lariat, belly-to-back suplex (or, if you're Cole, a "takedown") - cover - 2. Into the corner sternum first, German suplex - Benoit holding on - there's 2 - going for 3 - and got it! Benoit puts his thumb across his throat but we cut to a shot of Stephanie. Benoit climbing to the top! But H throws Hebner into the ropes and Benoit gets crotched. Right hand from the Champ, climbing to the second rope - SUPERPLEX! 1, 2, no! Right hand by H - into the corner, gutshot as he comes out - Pedigree time! No, Benoit counters into a double leg - catapult - right into Hebner! Crippler Crossface is locked in - and Triple H is tapping! Unfortunately, Hebner didn't see it - he's out - also unfortunately, Benoit didn't know Hebner was out. H lunging at him - he's got the Crippler Crossface on again! But this time H can grab the bottom rope. Off the ropes, Triple H hits a facebuster. But Benoit hits a clothesline as he runs at him - TOP ROPE HEADBUTT! Benoit covers - Hebner with his trademark slow count - 1.......2........NO! Crowd booing bigtime. There's a low blow, and there's a Pedigree. 1.....2.....3. (9:03) It's a clean sweep for DX - and it only took HOW many Golotas? Still, even with three losses...they didn't look THAT bad, even as they all jobbed. We'll have to see how it continues Monday - 'cause the credits are up and we are out! Christopher Robin Zimmerman
www.CRZ.net