WWF Smackdown - 13/01/00

WWF Smackdown - 13/01/00

- A recap video from the last episode of RAW is shown, showing the key points of the main event.

- We get the usual opening video.

- We are in Chicago Illinois for tonight's show.

- HHH and Stephanie make their way to the ring. "Asshole" chant as is the custom. Steph is on the mic and says she wants to clear up a misunderstanding. Crowd are really laying into them both, she can't even speak. She says that no WWF superstars will be leaving. She says they are confused that anyone would threaten to leave and that they are just and fair. She states only one McMahon runs this company now, and that is her. HHH gets the mic. He says after Monday he feels the need to apologise. He says he isn't apologising to the fans or the superstars who threatened to leave. He does apologise to DX however. He says it was all about tough love, and he wants to right the wrong. Tonight he will show them how sorry he is. He puts the New Age Outlaws in a handicap match against Bradshaw with No DQ. If Farooq interferes they lose their tag title shot at the Rumble. He also puts them in another handicap match against Farooq, again it's no DQ and if Bradshaw interferes they lose their title shot. He says himself and Xpac will face The Big Show and The Rock. He starts to talk about Mick Foley. He says he beat him on Monday night. He says at the Rumble he will beat Foley more than anyone has ever beat him before. He knows Foley is here and he calls him out to fight right now. Foley gets a great pop. Unfortunately it is the fake Mankind. He apologises for HHH being the best wrestler ever. HHH says he is the most pathetic person he has ever seen. The real Foley comes out to break up the parade. He says he has had enough. Big "Foley" chant. He asks HHH what more he wants from him. He reels off all the things HHH did to him. He says Mankind is entertaining, a good author and one tough S.O.B. However, he says Mankind is not ready to face HHH at the Rumble. Foley says the fans deserve a substitute on that match. His substitute is Cactus Jack! He takes off his white shirt to reveal a Cactus Jack shirt. Crowd are going apeshit for this. He gets in the ring and beats the hell out of HHH. Fake Mankind hits Jack and it has no effect. He throws Fake Mankind out the ring. He hits him with a baseball slide over the announce table. He jumps off the apron with the steel chair right into his face. He tells HHH to look into his eyes and realise that he will tear HHH apart in New York City. He says he will take the WWF title. Bang Bang!

Pretty legendary opening segment as Foley brings back his Cactus Jack persona. It really set the stage well for the Rumble.

- We look back at what happened moments ago.

Match #1
WWF Tag Team Champions The New Age Outlaws vs Bradshaw

OH YOU DIDN'T KNOW. Dogg hits the catchphrases. Bradshaw throws powder in Dogg's face to start and sends Ass over the steps. Huge big boot for Dogg and he gets clotheslined over the top. He sends him over the announce table. Ass sent headfirst into it too. He tosses the steel steps into the ring. He goes for a piledriver on the steps but Dogg hits him with a chair and Ass escapes. Ass with the steps into Bradshaw's head. They stomp him down. Bradshaw gets whacked into the steps again. Chairshot by Dogg. Bradshaw tries a comeback but gets a DDT from Road Dogg. Ass with some pretty pathetic looking punches. Dogg gets a chair kicked into his head. Mr Ass goes for a crossbody in the corner but Bradshaw catches him. Dogg hits Bradshaw with the chair and Ass lands on him for the 3 at 2:59.

More of an angle than a match. 1/4*

- Coach interviews The Rock. This should be good. Rock starts with the usual. Coach goes to ask a question and is immediately interrupted. Rock asks Coach who he is. Coach tells him his name is Jonathan Coachman. Rock welcomes him to The Rock's show. I think this was Coach's debut. Coach says his friends call him Coach and Rock cracks a joke about coaching a little girls team. Coach asks him how he feels about teaming with Big Show. Rock says it doesn't matter as long as he gets HHH. Rock does say however what better partner could he have than the 7 foot Big Show. Rock has a question for Coach: How did he come up with the nickname Coach? He goes to answer and of course it doesn't matter etc. Rock finishes with the usual.

Match #2
Too Cool and Rikishi vs Crash Holly, Hardcore Holly and Al Snow w/ Head

Snow takes 4 millenniums to get to the ring. Hardcore starts with Sexay. Shoulderblock by Holly. Sexay replies with his own. Inverted atomic drop and a clothesline for Holly. Arm drag by Sexay. Hardcore tags in Crash and he gets hiptossed. Sexay with a sit out powerbomb. Scotty tags in. Shoulderblock by Scotty. Nice pumphandle suplex by Scotty. Scotty with the bulldog and it's Worm time. The Worm hits. Snow grabs Scotty's leg and pulls him out. Into the steps and he is shoved back in. Hardcore tags in. Suplex by Holly. He goes up top and gets a boot to the face on the way down. Hot tag time and Rikishi is in. Rikishi is destroying Crash. Nice flapjack into a cutter. Kick for Snow. Hardcore with a dropkick. Rikishi no sells and hits a belly-to-belly. Rikishi Driver will get 3 at 4:15. Snow beats The Holly's after the match with Head again. This storyline is pretty funny with Snow constantly being on losing teams but never actually being pinned. Too Cool dance of course after the match.

Formula 6 man tag, but still pretty fun. *

- Backstage with DX. They notice Xpac isn't there.

- Video of Cactus Jack in Japan is played, with him getting hit with flaming bits of wood and the like.

Match #3
Gangrel w/ Luna vs Test

Test gets a good pop. He could have been pretty big if they used him right. Test with a shoulderblock. Gangrel gets his feet up on a corner charge. Nice belly-to-belly suplex by Gangrel. Test tossed outside. Luna with a few cheapshots. Scoop slam and 2 elbows gets 2 for Gangrel. Test fights back and hits a big boot. Gutwrench powerbomb but Luna distracts the ref. Gangrel with a small package for 2. Gangrel with an elbow and he has his feet on the ropes for a 2. Test with a huge full nelson suplex. Luna pulls the ref out. Luna clotheslines the ref while Test hits Gangrel with a belly-to-belly. Luna jumps on Test's back and he attempts to spank her(!) Gangrel cheapshots him and the ref calls for the DQ at 2:37. Luna slaps Test after and she gets a pumphandle slam. Test slams Gangrel and hits an elbow from the top. Test wins by DQ.

Meh. 1/2*

- Backstage with Chyna and Y2J. Chyna says she isn't upset about the match on Monday. She wants to let bygones be bygones. Jericho agrees.

- We look back at earlier with the Cactus Jack reveal.

Match #4
The Hardy Boyz w/ tits vs WWF Hardcore Champion The Big Bossman and Prince Albert

Bossman and Albert look pissed with each other before the match. Albert and Jeff start. Albert is just destroying Jeff with punches and chokes. Jeff slips out of a powerslam and tags in Matt. Double synchronised elbows gets 2. Albert with a military press into dropping Jeff on the rope. Albert hits a nice modified Canadian backbreaker of some sort. Bossman in. He just tosses Matt across the ring. He drops the leg across the back of the head while he is on the second rope. Bossman goes out and grabs Terri but Jeff saves her. Back in, Bossman goes for a powerbomb and Matt slips out into the Twist Of Fate. Hot tag and here comes Jeff. Dropkick and Albert accidentally charges Bossman in the corner. Poetry In Motion for Bossman and Albert but Bossman catches him and slam Jeff down. Bicycle kick hits on Matt but they argue and Jeff dropkicks Bossman into Albert. Jeff then rolls up Bossman from behind for the 3 at 3:24. Bossman attacks the Hardy's after and runs after Albert. They start beating each other on the outside. Hah, some refs come down and Bossman just takes one of their heads off with an uppercut. They eventually get split up.

- Earlier tonight, Big Show talks to Lilian about his match later. Show was unhappy with Rock on Monday after he said he would win the rumble. He says he will be professional tonight, but he dislikes The Rock.

- Backstage with Chyna and Tori. Chyna says they need to talk.

Match #5
Kurt Angle and Steve Blackman vs Edge and Christian

Edge and Steve start off. Edge with a dropkick after a sequence of reversals. Blackman shoves Edge down and hops up top. He missed an elbow and gets dropkicked again. Christian in. Christian leaps off Edge's back and hits a forearm for 2. Blackman tags in Angle. Christian with a hiptoss and a dropkick. Christian gets sent into the ring post. Blackman attacks Christian outside. Angle shoves him back in. Snap suplex gets 2. He locks in the CHINLOCK OF DEATH. Christian fights back up. Reverse DDT by Christian after Angle tried the Olympic Slam. Hot tag and Blackman and Edge are in. Huge bicycle kick by Blackman. Val Venis appears on the titantron. He distracts Blackman and that allows Christian to hit a missile dropkick and Edge rolls him up for 3 at 3:37.

Match was fine. *1/4

- Chyna is with Tori. Chyna tells Tori Jericho fantasises about her all the time. Tori leaves disgusted.

(I should point out at this point my version of the show has a Slim Jim commercial in it. Sadly only Macho Man's voice is heard but oh well.)

- More highlights of Cactus Jack, this time from his dumpster match with the New Age Outlaws.

Match #6
WWF Tag Team Champions The New Age Outlaws vs Farooq

OH YOU DIDN'T KNOW. AGAIN. Farooq interrupts the catchphrases. You bastard! Farooq eats boot on a corner charge but he is rolling. Powerslam for Mr Ass and spinebuster for Dogg. Mr Ass with a back suplex. Farooq shoulderblocks both of the Outlaws. Dogg escapes from a powerbomb and Mr Ass hits a jackhammer. Goldberg: GIMMICK INFRINGEMENT. EPILEPTIC KNEEDROP OF DEATH and a double cover gets 3 at 1:15? Someone actually got pinned by the EPILEPTIC KNEEDROP OF DEATH!? Weird. Bradshaw runs out with a lead pipe and cleans house.

The match was a DUD of course, but hey, remember when WWE actually spent time building tag team feuds? Now they just alternate it between random midcarders and some combination of The Nexus.

(Same Slim Jim commercial btw.)

- Backstage with DX, again no Xpac.

Match #7
The Godfather and D'lo Brown w/ Ho's vs The Headbangers w/ no bra thank Christ

D'lo looks completely ridiculous. Another #13 vignette is shown on the titantron before the match. Hmmm, how odd, the guy speaking has a New York accent. The Royal Rumble is in New York City, Madison Square Garden no less. I wonder who this could be!? Anyway, Godfather is on the mic and asks the Headbangers what the deal is with them. Mosh says they look better than the Godfathers "Trolls" do. The Ho's leave the ring. Mosh attacks D'lo and we are underway. D'lo leaps up top and hits a crossbody. 2 calf kicks connect. Godfather tags in. Mosh escapes a kick and tags in Thrasher. Godfather with comical looking punches. Seriously, they looked fucking awful. Lariat and scoop slam for Godfather. 360 leg drop and tag in to D'lo. Double suplex hits. Mosh distracts D'lo and Thrasher tosses him outside. Mosh attacks and throws him back in. Tag to Mosh and a double flapjack. Mosh misses a corner charge and a back suplex connects for D'lo. Hot tag to Godfather. Thrasher in as well. Slam for Mosh. He gets clotheslined out. Ho Train time for Thrasher. D'lo tags in and hits the Lo Down for 3 at 3:06. The Ho's come in after and celebrate.

Formula tag match. Nothing bad, nothing particularly good. 3/4*

- Backstage with Coach interviewing Rock and Show. Show tells Rock to stay out of his way. Show leaves. Rock says Show is not and will never be the People's Champion. He promises to layeth the smacketh down on their candy asses. If you smell etc

- Another look at Cactus Jack. It shows a handicap match against Terry Funk and Viscera. Lots of chair shots and garbage can shots. How the hell is Mick Foley not dead? Seriously, it amazes me.

Match #8
Kane w/ Tori vs WWF Co-Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho

Jericho has a mic. He tells Kane he has no problem wrestling him. He says Tori is a liar and that Chyna is manipulating Kane. Jericho tells Kane Tori is unattractive and you would have to be retarded to like her. This is hilarious. He is digging a pretty big hole for himself. He basically keeps insulting Tori and then states "NO I DIDN'T MEAN THAT" and then goes on to something else. Pretty funny stuff. Kane begins with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Chyna is seen backstage laughing. Jericho gets his feet up on a corner charge. Flying forearm by Jericho but he gets powerbombed hard to the mat. Clothesline from the top by Kane. He rolls outside. Kane leaps off the steps but misses. Kane tosses Jericho back in. Jericho snaps Kane's neck on the top rope and hits a springboard dropkick. Baseball slide misses and Kane hits an uppercut. Kane has the steps but they miss. Drop toe hold by Jericho and Kane hits the other set of steps. Back in, missile dropkick hits. Walls of Jericho attempt but Chyna comes down to distract him. Kane grabs Jericho and hits the chokeslam. Tombstone is signalled and that gets 3 at 3:22. Kat runs down afterwards and grabs the IC title belt.

Match was decent. *1/2

- HHH and Xpac backstage. Xpac is skeptical of HHH.

- WWF Slam of the Week shows the Pedigree through the table from RAW on Monday.

Match #9
WWF Champion Triple H w/ Stephanie McMahon Helmsley and Xpac vs The Rock and The Big Show

HHH has a mic. He guesses Rock will walk out after Show because of his ego. Show interrupts HHH with his music. HHH was right then. HHH and Show start. Show overpowers HHH. HHH fires back but gets headbutted. HHH is sent into the buckle and straight into a sidewalk slam. Show refuses to tag Rock. Xpac tries to attack Show but gets caught. Show charges them both in the corner and tosses them both across the ring. Show again ignores Rock. HHH with the facebuster. Show with a powerslam. Show signals for the chokeslam but Rock blindtags. Show is pissed. Rock lays the smackdown on HHH and Xpac. Xpac tossed out. Spinebuster for HHH. People's Elbow is interrupted by an Xpac chairshot while Show inadvertently distracted the ref. Pac tags in. Bronco buster is cut off by a huge lariat. Spinning heel kick gets 2 for Xpac. HHH tags in. HHH chokes Rock in the corner. Rock begins the comeback. Double clothesline and both men are down. Show goes to shout at Xpac and moves accidentally when Rock wants the tag. HHH drops some elbows. Xpac tags in. Big chops hit. Kicks in the corner floors Rock. HHH back in. Nice suplex for 2. Rock hits a DDT out of nowhere. Show refuses the tag and drops off the apron. He distracts the ref and HHH hits a low blow and the Pedigree for 3 at 6:27. After the match Show hits a chokeslam on The Rock.

OK main event. A strong heel turn for Show and some decent action. **

Have to say, pretty meh episode in all honesty. Pretty dull wrestling all around save for 1 or 2 matches and some of it was pure filler. Also way too many tag matches for my liking. I recommend the opening segment however, as it was a great moment to see Foley bring back the Cactus Jack gimmick. Main event was fine as well. Recommend you avoid a majority of the midcard matches though. See you soon for the January 13th HeAT.