RAW Is War - January 24th 2000
- We are a day removed from the Royal Rumble, live from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
- HHH and Stephanie come out to start the show. Nice touch as he limps around the ring, still selling the street fight. Steph tries to speak and gets huge heat. Generic hype job from her. The crowd hit the "slut" chants. HHH gets the mic after some rambling from Steph. HHH says he isn't here to put Cactus over, but he is the most sadistic freak he has ever faced. He says he left a lot of things in New York, but not his WWF Title. He says he sunk to a new low last night, and he liked it. He starts to talk about Wrestlemania and the crowd chants for The Rock. He tells Rock to get into the best shape he can for 'Mania. He is interrupted by The Big Show. Show gets the mic and says he never got a rematch from HHH. He says Rock robbed him of his Rumble win last night. He says Rock's feet hit the ground first. Therefore, Show asks for a favour from HHH: if he can prove Rock's feet hit the ground first, he wants a match with The Rock for the right to face HHH for the Title. HHH says he can have the match if he shows proof. The Rock comes out to a huge pop. He tells HHH his days as champion are numbered. He tells Show it doesn't matter if his feet touched the ground first, all that matters is that he is going to Wrestlemania. HHH proposes that himself and Show team up to take on The Rock and a partner of his choosing. If Rock can't find a partner, it will be a handicap match.
- Tonight, Kane faces X-Pac and the New Age Outlaws defend the tag titles against The Hardy’s.
- Backstage with Crash and Hardcore Holly. Hardcore goes into the women’s locker room and brings out Chyna. She tells him to respect people. Hardcore cheapshots Chyna and Jericho runs up and makes the save. The refs break it up. Crash starts laughing and Hardcore hits him.
- We find out after the break that Jericho faces Hardcore Holly tonight for the intercontinental title.
- Al Snow and Steve Blackman talk backstage. Snow puts a cape on Blackman, then a wig. Blackman takes it off so Snow gives him some cheese to take out there. He wants to be called Head Cheese but Blackman refuses again. He shows him Hungry Hungry Hippos and says they could be called Head Games. Cute.
- Match #1
Edge and Christian vs. Al Snow w/ Head and Steve Blackman
Snow and Edge start. Sign: My dad is fat. They trade arm drags and dropkicks. Snow tags in Blackman and Edge hits an inverted atomic drop. Christian tags in and works the arm. Crowd chants Head Cheese as they do a nice sequence that ends with Blackman being thrown out of the ring. Christian hits a springboard crossbody to the outside. Edge and Snow brawl while Blackman hits a facebuster on the steel steps. Back in, Blackman stomps away on Christian. Snap suplex by Blackman. He tells the crowd to stop chanting Head Cheese. He slams Christian but misses a Vader Bomb attempt. Edge tags in and goes to work on Head Cheese. Snow makes a blind tag and Blackman holds Christian in a backbreaker while Snow hits a top rope leg drop in a nice double team. Christian and Blackman brawl outside and the ref rings the bell at 3:33 for....no reason whatsoever. They are saying Edge is injured. Oh give me a break. Who would believe this? B.B comes down and tries to give Edge mouth to mouth and he is helped up.
What the fuck kind of finish was that? Either have Snow pin Edge and then do the injury bullshit or don't do it at all. Don't have a 3 minute match and then end it for...no reason in particular. This gets 1/2* and likes it.
- Jericho is walking backstage. Holly/Y2J is next.
- Crash and Hardcore are backstage. Crash storms off and Hardcore is alone.
Match #2 WWF Intercontinental Championship match
Hardcore Holly vs. WWF Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho
Jericho sprints down and they brawl to start. Big Y2J chants. Chyna comes down to ringside as Jericho lays in some kicks. They chop the shit out of each other. Jericho hits a bulldog for 2. They are just beating the shit out of each other. Holly goes for a powerbomb and gets 2. He drops an elbow but Chyna grabs the leg on a second attempt. He goes out and kicks her in the face. He grabs a chair but Jericho stops him and sends him into the steps. He grabs the chair but Holly makes him drop it. They brawl some more and Holly hits a dropkick. Jericho is tied in the ropes. Chyna gets in the ring behind the refs back and hits a Pedigree on the chair. She moves the chair out of the ring and Jericho hits the Lionsault for 3 at 3:44.
Was actually something a little different as they put on a decent little brawl. *1/2
- Hardy’s are interviewed by Cole. Dudley’s interrupt and say they will get revenge on the Hardy’s. They grab the Hardy’s and say if they win the title, The Dudley’s want the first shot.
- Match #3
Too Cool vs. Crash Holly and Viscera w/ no crowd reaction
Crash starts with Sexay. Sexay hits a flapjack and a DDT. Cute moment as he dances and turns around to get thrown about 10 feet into the air. Sunset flip attempt almost leads to Sexay being crushed. He tags in Scotty and picks him up for a Samoan drop. Crash goes up top and falls off, so Viscera is just all "fuck it" and Samoan drops Scotty anyway. Crash tags in and hits a Frankensteiner for 2. Viscera back in but he misses a corner splash. Scotty tries to climb on his shoulders but gets hit with a sit out powerbomb. He misses a splash and Sexay tags in. Crash tries another Frankensteiner and gets powerbombed. Too Cool dropkick Viscera and hit a double bulldog. Scotty calls for The Worm and hits it. They grab Crash and hit their leg drop bearhug thing. Sexay goes for a cover but Viscera legdrops Sexay and pins him for 3 at 3:22. Funny moment as Crash runs into Viscera's arms after the match.
Horrible match, but a few fun comedy moments keep it from being a dud. 1/4*
- Recap video of X-Pac and Kane's friendship and then subsequent rivalry.
- We go to WWF New York as Coach tries to speak. I can't understand a word he says thanks to the crazy drunken fans.
Match #4
Kane w/ Tori vs. X-Pac
Xpac uses his speed early on but gets nailed with a lariat. Kane brawls in the corner and hiptosses him away. He gets a boot to the face on a corner charge but powerslams Xpac. Xpac hits a spinning heel kick but Kane sits up. He throws Xpac outside and the cameraman takes a tumble. He beats down Xpac outside. Xpac reverses a slam attempt and sends Kane into the steps. Xpac grabs Tori and forces himself onto her. Kane goes to comfort her and Xpac grabs a chair for the DQ at 2:57.
More of an angle than a match. 1/2*
- Kane and Tori go into HHH's office and demand Xpac. They say he left already.
Match #5 WWF Tag Team Championship match
WWF Tag Team Champions the New Age Outlaws vs. the Hardy Boyz w/ Terri
Brawl to start. Ass starts with Matt. The Dudley’s make their way down to ringside. Ass hits a splash in the corner. Dog tags in. The Dudley’s grab a table from outside the ring. Ass tags back in and hits a Jackhammer. Dogg tags in. He beats up on Matt some more and tags in Ass. More slow brawling. Dogg tags back in. Matt is getting torn apart here. They try and copy the Hardy’s by attempting Poetry in Motion but Matt dropkicks Dogg in mid air and hits a tornado DDT on Ass. Matt makes the hot tag to Jeff. It turns into a brawl. Matt hits the Twist of Fate and Jeff hits a Swanton. The Dudley’s pull the ref out of the ring and beat Jeff down. They hit the 3D on Jeff. Matt gets one as well. They bring in a table. Terri tries to stop them and they grab her. Bubba powerbombs Terri through a table and the bell finally rings at 5:22. I'm guessing it was a no contest. She gets stretchered out.
Match was just an excuse to have the Dudley’s murder Nipples, but it made the feud very personal. 3/4*
- Kurt Angle comes out on stage and has a mic. He says what just happened is bad, but that getting choked out by Tazz at the Rumble was worse. He says Tazz used an illegal hold, but he doesn't blame Tazz because he is uneducated and a street thug. Tazz comes out. Tazz doesn't even say anything; he just locks in the Tazzmission. Angle tries to fight out of it but he can't and eventually passes out. The refs eventually prise Tazz off. Man, they really put Tazz over huge when he first arrived. As you'll see however, the bookers got some new toys to play with the week after this show and Tazz was forgotten.
Match #6
The Godfather and D'lo Brown w/ Ho's vs. the Acolytes
Godfather and Bradshaw start. They brawl for a while. Godfather hits a clothesline and his spinning legdrop. D'lo tags in. He gets kicked in the face and Farooq tags in. D'lo hits the calf kick and his legdrop for 2. Farooq hits a spinebuster. Bradshaw tags in. They hit a double shoulderblock. Farooq tags in. D'lo hits Sky High and tags in Godfather. He takes them both down and hits a slam on Farooq. He goes for the Ho Train and hits it. He goes for a pin and Bradshaw interrupts it. D'lo tags in. Bradshaw makes a blind tag and hits the Clothesline From Hell for 3 at 3:44.
Match was fine. *
- Backstage with the divas. We are crowning the Miss Rumble winner tonight. What was last night then? I thought Mae won?
- All the participants come down from last night. Some dudes in the crowd have "Mae Young" written on their chests in black marker. Now that's dedication. Mae is announced as the winner and everyone boos. Cute. King: "At least those flowers are not wilted, unlike your puppies". Ouch. Mae says the other divas have fake boobs and it leads to a brawl. The refs come down to break it up. That was fucking stupid. Mae starts to strip again and Mark Henry reaffirms his status as the Greatest Man Who Ever Lived by stopping her from showing more.
- Hype video for The Big Show.
- Backstage with HHH and Show. They vow to "eat Rock up". That doesn't sound gay at all.
Match #7
WWF Hardcore Champion Test vs. Big Bossman
They brawl to start. Someone runs down with a nightstick and the match is thrown out at 0:24. The man is Stevie Richards, who is dresses as Test. Test hits a Pumphandle Slam on Richards and goes up top. He comes off with his elbow.
No match. DUD
- We get an update on Terri. They tell us she might be hurt. Well gee, thanks guys!
Match #8
The Rock and Mystery Partner vs. Triple H w/ Stephanie McMahon Helmsely and The Big Show
The mystery partner is revealed as Rikishi. Show and Rock start. Show dominates early on with headbutts and elbows. He slams Rock but misses an elbow. Rock fights back but gets powerslammed. HHH tags in. He lays in kicks in the corner. Rock hits a DDT out of nowhere for 2. Show tags in. He misses a corner charge and Rikishi tags in. He runs the ass splash in the corner and then superkicks him. HHH distracts Rikishi and that allows Show to hit him with a sidewalk slam. HHH tags in. HHH works him over for a while. He hits the facebuster. He charges at Rikishi and gets hit with a very sloppy Samoan drop. Show and Rock tag in. He lays the Smackdown and DDT's him. HHH gets a spinebuster. He tries to hit Show with a Rockbottom but HHH low blows him behind the refs back. The NAO run down and attack Rikishi for the DQ at 4:18. Road Dogg and Stephanie give them some chairs. Cactus Jack runs down and they clear HHH and Show out of the ring.
Ok main event, but it seemed way too short. It's understandable though given HHH got put through hell at the Rumble and couldn't do much out there. *1/2
Wrestling wise, this show sucked. Not one match I would call good, and some of them actively sucked. Storyline wise, lots of things got moved forward at least. Hopefully the January 27th episode of Smackdown is better. See you then!
