WWE Unforgiven 1999
I was gonna cover a classic Extreme Rules PPV next, but I forgot we still have Stomping Grounds after Blood Money, so with a spin of the wheel, I'm doing Unforgiven 1999. This PPV occurred during the ref strike of '99, and featured a 6-pack challenge in the main event, along with a few more, er.... goodies, if you will. So let's get to it.
We have our opening video package highlighting the competitors in the 6-Pack Challenge, from the buildup to this particular match to the history between each of them, before going to the arena, live from the Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. Of course, J.R. and the King are on commentary for the show, who hype the main event before showing us footage of the strike earlier in the day, then onto our first match.
Val Venis vs Steve Blackman
Pre-Match Notes & Thoughts: Val seems to have stolen Blackman's duffel bag of martial arts weapons, and King suggest they're actually "tools of Val's trade" because of course he does. Brooklyn Brawler is acting as the scab referee for this match. Val gets the mic from Fink and does his usual shtick, saying the remnants of Hurricane Floyd are still within North Carolina, because he was blown from one end of the state to the other. Blackman makes his way out and wastes no time with a kick to the midsection and some right hands to kick things off.
Val reverses a whip off the ropes, Blackman slides between the legs, Val ducks a spin kick and drops Blackman with a clothesline. Blackman in the corner face first, right hands and stomps by Val before choking Blackman with his boot. Blackman reverses a whip into the opposite corner and follows with a monkey flip attempt, but Val pushes him off. Val tries for an elbow drop but Blackman moves, then knocks Val out of the ring with a dropkick.
Val avoids a baseball slide and gets a right hand in, Blackman face first off the apron before being sent back in the ring. Blackman with a side kick to the midsection as Val climbs onto the apron, then lifts Val up for a suplex only to crotch him on the top rope. Atomic drop by Blackman, then gets pulled through the ropes by Val back to the outside.
Boots to the head by Val then drops Blackman face first on the barricade. Blackman reverses a whip into the steps sending Val crashing. Blackman scoops up Val and rams him back first into the ringpost, then sends him back in the ring. Blackman with the cover, Brawler with a slow count and a near fall. Val whipped hard into the corner, then the opposite one, working the back. Val fights back with quick forearms, goes off the ropes but gets caught in a backbreaker by Blackman. Blackman with a snap suplex and a rear chinlock.
Val fights back up to his feet, elbows his way out, off the ropes, kick to the midsection as Blackman bends over and drops him with a clothesline. Right hands by Val, Blackman off the ropes into an elbow and an elbow drop. Blackman sent off the ropes only for Val to follow with a knee to the ribs, then again, and a side Russian leg sweep in the middle of the ring. Val does his hip swivel, cover but Blackman kicks out.
Mounted right hands by Val but Blackman gets some right hands in, Val reverses a whip and Blackman hits a crossbody, but Val rolls through for a cover, but Blackman kicks out again. Val off the ropes, but Blackman catches him with a spinebuster, jacknife pin but it's a near fall. Val reverses a whip into the corner and follows with a clothesline then a bulldog. DDT by Val before he goes up top and nails the Money Shot to get the win in 6:32. Not a bad opener to the show.
Val grabs Blackman's bag of weapons and slides back in, goes to use a kendo stick but Blackman with a spin kick to the back to cut him off. Blackman with the kendo stick with a vicious shot to the head, breaking the kendo stick and knocking out Val. Brawler calls for help and doctors come down to the ring as we get a replay of the shot. Blackman argues with the doctors but a security guard intervenes and takes Blackman down. Blackman makes his exit with his bag in tow and Val eventually comes to.
To the back, Cole is in the locker room with Big Show ahead of the 6-pack challenge tonight. Cole asks where Taker is, who had been Show's tag partner previously. Show asks if Cole has taken a stupid pill today. Show says last time he checked the roster Taker wasn't on it, and he is. He says he's had all the tough love and hard knocks, and he has a killer instinct in him that nobody can compare with. There's no way he's leaving tonight without the title. He calls Cole a monkey and leaves. Well that was... something.
Up next, the European title is on the line. We get Cole voicing over Henry and D'Lo's friendship, helping Henry work out and lose weight. Henry turned on D'Lo the previous month at Summerslam, costing him his European title against Jarrett. Jarrett then hands the title over to Henry on Raw for... reasons. Henry says D'Lo wouldn't have lasted this long in the WWF without him.
Go to the back where Lilian is joined by Henry, accompanied by two ladies. Henry tries to make a move on Lilian, she slaps him in the face. and he heads to the ring. We see the ref strike still on going outside, before we go to the arena for our next match.
European Championship: "Sexual Chocolate" Mark Henry (c) vs D'Lo Brown
Pre-Match Notes & Thoughts: Henry takes the mic from Fink and says there's not gonna be a European Championship match tonight. He tells the girls to go start the car, the crowd gets a loud D'Lo chant going. Henry says he'd normally go through with this match, but he claims that after the slap, something in his head popped, thinks he has a "braineurysm" or something. He says he'll do it another time, but D'Lo comes out and stops him from leaving, right hands in the aisle way back and forth. D'Lo face first off the barricade, then whipped face first into the ring post. Henry back in the ring and the match is started, Tom Pritchard acting as head scab referee.
Henry tries to take advantage as D'Lo climbs onto the apron, but rolls over the ropes and over Henry, off the opposite ropes and slips behind Mark, clubbing blows to the back. Henry reverses a whip off the ropes, goes to press slam D'Lo but he slips out, and hits what looks like a Sky High, but Henry kicks out. D'Lo with a snapmare, up to the second rope with an ax handle, cover and a near fall.
Henry stumbles to the cover and D'Lo charges, but Henry lifts and drops him face first on the top turnbuckle. D'Lo draped over the middle rope, Henry charges but hangs himself on the top rope. D'Lo off the opposite ropes and launches himself over the ropes onto Henry. Back in the ring, D'Lo up top with a crossbody, cover and a kick out.
Henry pulls D'Lo back on an irish whip and pulls him up in a gorilla press, bringing him back down into his arms for a slam, hooks the leg but D'Lo kicks out. Henry with a scoop slam, tauning D'Lo to get back up and nails a clothesline before posing to the crowd. Henry pulls D'Lo down into a rear chinlock. D'Lo almost passes out but fights back up, elbows out, off the ropes but gets caught and sent back. D'Lo draped on the middle rope again and Henry launches onto him, sending them both out of the ring.
D'Lo press slammed just barely and launched face first off the steel steps before being rolled back in. D'Lo tries to build momentum and comes off the ropes, but Henry takes him down with a clothesline. D'Lo sent off the ropes and caught, but sends Henry tumbling to his back for a cover and a near fall. Henry reverses a whip off the ropes and follows with a scoop slam, a leg drop and a leg hook for another near fall.
Henry gets D'Lo in the corner with shots to the midsection, D'Lo whipped chest first into the opposite corner and Henry follows with a splash. D'Lo hoisted up top before an inverted scoop slam, Henry hooks the leg but D'Lo kicks out. D'Lo sent off the ropes but slips through Henry's legs, back up for a hurricanrana taking Henry down.
Pritchard with the 10 count, they get back up by 6, D'Lo with some rights, Henry reverses a whip off the ropes, D'Lo ducks a clothesline and comes off the ropes with a clothesline of his own. Heel kick by D'Lo, followed by his patented leg drop, cover and another near fall. Henry whips D'Lo into the corner and follows with a splash. He starts a 10 punch, gets cocky doing D'Lo's taunt only to be taken out with a sitout powerbomb. D'Lo goes up top and hits the Lo Down to win the title in 9:12. Another alright match.
D'Lo celebrates as Henry makes a quick exit and we go to replays.
To the back, Cole is with the Acolytes. Cole says people think they may have met their match with the Dudleyz, and Bradshaw pipes in, saying that people hope so. They sent one team packing from ECW (Public Enemy?), and tonight they're gonna destroy those Boyz. Farooq thinks people only think they met their match because one is black and one is white, but that's where the match begins and ends, and tonight in front of millions of people, they're gonna see they're no match for the Acolytes. There's a commotion heard and we see around the corner the Holly Cousins are fighting with Chaz over abuse allegations I guess.
Go to Lilian who's with Debra and Miss Kitty. She brings up Debra's past with Jarrett, and that their business relationship is seemingly over. She says even though they have had their differences, the first time Jarrett laid his hands on her was the last. Jarrett comes into shot to interrupt and asks if that was a threat, and tells her to stay out of his business and takes Miss Kitty with him.
We go to footage from Smackdown where Chyna saved a stagehand from Jarrett's Figure 4, smacking Jarrett in the head with a frying pan, then proceeded to put a dress on him, plus remove his trunks and put them on.
Intercontinental Championship: Jeff Jarrett (c) (w/ Miss Kitty) vs Chyna
Pre-Match Notes & Thoughts: Chyna still using HHH's music, and I think it's Harvey Whippleman as scab referee for this match. Jarrett wastes no time stomping away as Chyna slides in to start this match.
Chyna draped over the middle rope to choke, Jeff off the opposite ropes to launch himself onto Chyna, only to hang himself up. Jeff sent off the ropes now only to reverse, but Chyna takes him down with a shoulder tackle. Jarrett sent off the ropes again, slides through the legs but gets caught with a clothesline. Jarrett whipped into the corner, Chyna follows but gets caught with an elbow. Jarrett up to the middle rope, comes off for an ax ahandle but Chyna gets a low blow in, then clotheslined over the ropes to the floor.
Jeff trip Chyna up after she wastes too much time, pulling her crotch first into the ring post. Jeff pulls her to the floor before sending her face first off the steps. Jeff breaks the count then sends her face first into the ring post, then tells J.R. to get back in the kitchen before sending Chyna back in the ring. Jarrett up top with a crossbody, cover but Chyna powers out.
Chyna reverses a whip off the ropes, Jarrett ducks an elbow and nails a dropkick. Chyna face first off the turnbuckle now, whipped into the opposite corner and flips over to the apron, ducks a clothesline and nails one of her own. Chyna goes up top but Jarrett cuts her off before nailing a superplex, inside cradle but Chyna kicks out. Chyna with shots to the midsection, Jarrett whipped into the corner, Chyna charges but Jarrett moves. Jarrett wrings the arm and climbs the middle rope with a DDT of sorts.
Moolah and Mae Young are front row as Jeff sends Chyna into the corner, but she reverses a whip into the opposite one, only for Jarrett to catch and try and launch himself up and over Chyna, but she stops herself and sends him chest first into the corner. Jeff hoisted up onto her shoulders and nails an electric chair to start the 10 count.
Chyna off the ropes at 4 but Jarrett catches her in a sleeper. Chyna almost passes out, but she fights her way back to her feet, elbows free, off the ropes but Jarrett catches her again, only for her to turn it into a suplex. 10 count starts again, Jarrett up first and goes for a right hand, but she catches it, sending him off the ropes for a powerslam, cover and a near fall.
Jeff reverses a whip off the ropes, tries for a hurricanrana but she catches him with a sitout powerbomb, pin attempt but Jarrett kicks out. Chyna off the ropes for a hurricanrana but gets nailed with a powerbomb. Jeff goes for the figure 4 but Chyna pushes him off and out of the ring. On the outside, Chyna with right hands and sends him into the steps. Chyna takes a chair and cracks Jarrett over the back. She sets the chair up and lifts Jarrett, sending him face first into the chair. Jarrett with a thumb to the eye, only to be backdropped onto the announce table, before being sent back in the ring.
Chyna goes for a Pedigree but Jeff trips her up and catapults her into Harvey in the corner for a ref bump. Jarrett gets his guitar from Kitty and gets ready to use it, but Moolah and Mae jump the barricade and get some shots in, then actually hit a double suplex. Jeff sent off the ropes only to nail them both with a clothesline, sending Lawler into hysterics. Jarrett kicks Mae in the ribs, then Mae, then kicks them both out of the ring. Debra makes her way down now as Jarrett kicks as Mae, she pushes Kitty down and gets in the ring. Jarrett goes to lock in the figure 4, only for Debra to smash the guitar over his head and make a quick exit. Chyna comes to, makes the cover, Harvey comes to and makes the count, giving her the IC championship in 11:52.
Oh wait, Pritchard rushes to the ring and shows Harvey the footage of Debra's interference. So despite the low blow and the use of the chair, the decision is reversed, and Jeff retains the championship. Chyna lays into Pritchard in the corner obviously pissed, then a low blow for good measure. Chyna nails a Pedigree before her music hits and she makes her exit.
We go to footage from Heat where Cole caught up with Austin backstage, who asks about his impact in the main event. Austin says the impact will be a new WWF Champion, and then he walks off.
The Dudley Boyz vs The Acolytes
Pre-Match Notes & Thoughts: Mae and Moolah are helped tothe back as Dudleyz make their way out. Bubba gets the mic from Fink, and stutters his way to saying Charlotte sucks. He asks D-Von if the fans are making fun of him, and although D-Von says no, the crowd emphatically say yes. He tosses the mic to D-Von, their ass belongs to the Dudley Boyz. He says remember that thou shall not steal, kill and most of all, mess with the Dudleyz. Acolytes come out and Dudleyz waste no time going after them as the bell rings. For whatever reason, regular official Jimmy Korderas is officiating this one, which for a referee striking for unsafe working conditions, this seems like the wrong match to come off the picket line for.
Bradshaw pulls D-Von out and they fight on the outside, while Bubba and Farooq start in the ring, right hands on Bubba in the corner hammering away. Bubba reverses a whip into the opposite corner and connects with a running splash, followed by a suplex. Scoop slam by Bubba, off the ropes for a splash but Farooq gets the knees up. Bradshaw tags in as they send Bubba off the ropes, lifting and dropping him to the mat. Bubba sent off the ropes into a big boot by Bradshaw, an elbow drop and a near fall.
Bubba face first into the corner, whipped into the opposite and Bradshaw follows but Bubba cuts him off with an elbow. Right hand and another scoop slam, Bubba up to the second rope and lands a senton bomb, cover and a kick out. Bubba back up to the second rope but Bradshaw climbs up and nails a superplex, cover but D-Von breaks it up. Bradshaw tackles Bubba through the ropes to the outside.
Bubba blocks an attempt by Bradshaw to slam him face first off the apron, slap to the face and chest, but Bradshaw reverses a whip into the steps. Back in the ring, cover by Bradshaw but Bubba kicks out. Bradshaw calls for the Clothesline from Hell, but Bubba ducks and hits a belly to belly slam, cover and a near fall.
D-Von tags in with some right hands, Bradshaw reverses a whip off the ropes, D-Von ducks under a big boot and comes off the opposite ropes and takes him down with a shoulder block. Off the ropes again for a swinging neckbreaker, hook the leg but Bradshaw kicks out. Bradshaw reverses a whip off the ropes and catches D-Von in his arms for a fallaway slam. Farooq tags in, hooks the leg for a near fall.
D-Von sent off the ropes into a powerslam, hooks the leg for another near fall. D-Von lifted up for a Dominator but D-Von slips out and nails a DDT. D-Von crawls for a tag as Bradshaw is tagged in, cutting him off with knees and right hands, then a scoop slam. Bradshaw off the ropes and misses an elbow, D-Von tags in Bubba. They nail what I guess is an early 3D, but is more like a double team back suplex, Bubba makes the cover as Farooq goes after D-Von but Bradshaw kicks out.
D-Von and Farooq on the outside, D-Von reverses a whip into the steps, before he goes up top. Bubba nails a powerbomb and D-Von follows with a diving headbutt, hooks the leg but Bradshaw kicks out. D-Von isn't the legal man anyways. D-Von back up top but Farooq crotches him, Bubba after him while Bradshaw hits a back suplex off the top. Farooq face first off the steps, Bradshaw makes the cover but D-Von gets the shoulder up.
Bubba back in with a bulldog, D-Von makes the cover as Farooq goes after Bubba but Bradshaw kicks out. D-Von sends Farooq off the ropes to hit a proper 3D, so I guess the earlier call was a botch. Bradshaw nails Bubba with a Clothesline from Hell as he gets back up. Stevie Richards appears out of nowhere dressed like an Acolyte and UPN painted on his chest, and nails D-Von with a superkick behind the ref's back, Farooq pins D-Von and gets the win in 7:29. Eh,this wasn't all that great.
Stevie starts to celebrate but Farooq looks on confused as he tries to shake hands. He nails Stevie with a Dominator instead, then Bradshaw nails a powerbomb. Farooq shakes the limp hand before they leave the ring. We go to replays as scabs check on Stevie and we head to the back.
We see Luna in the hallway on her way to her upcoming match, only for Ivory to come from behind and nail her with a trash can to start our next match.
Hardcore Match for the Women's Championship: Luna Vachon vs Ivory (c)
Luna send Ivory into the wall a couple times before throwing a TV at her but Ivory moves out of the way. Luna shoves her head in a nearby bucket of ice, then Ivory tries to throw it back but it misses completely. Right hands by Ivory before slamming Luna's face against an equipment case. Luna drags her into an office, putting Ivory's head in a photocopier and press it down, squishing Ivory's head.
Luna slams a phone into her head as they leave, and tries to throw it at her but Ivory ducks. Ivory tries to throw a chair but misses. Ivory sent face first into a door, then another. Ivory manages to dump Luna head first into a garbage can and then... dumps it over, OK. Ivory tries to pin her but Luna isn't even on her back so Whippleman doesn't make the count.
Ivory whipped into a metal gate, then tossed onto some boxes. Luna with a forearm across the chest before climbing on top of a forklift, splash onto Ivory for a cover, but Ivory kicks out. Ivory with a box to the back, then Luna with... something to the head of Ivory. Luna tries to swing a dustbin at Ivory's head but it smashes into pieces against an equipment case, so she chokes her with the handle instead. Ivory's shoulders were down on top of the case, but it only gets a one count.
Luna face first off another case, then another. Tori appears out of nowhere at Ivory goes to swing a pole at Luna, stopping the attack. Tori swings but Ivory ducks. Right hands and knocks her into an open case. Ivory with the pole to the ribs of Luna, then across the back, hooks the leg and gets the win in 3:38, although Luna does get her shoulder up just barely after the count. Wow, what a mess.
We get a couple seconds of Ivory celebrating before we cut to Lilian, who's with Mae and Moolah, and she gives them good advice, to stay out of Jarrett's business. Moolah says he better stay out of theirs. Ivory comes up and interrupts as Mae goes to talk and starts to talk some trash before Moolah clobbers her and takes her to the floor. Officials break it up before we go to our next match.
Tag Team Championship: Edge & Christian vs The New Age Outlaws (c)
Pre-Match Notes & Thoughts: E&C were originally supposed to face the Rock and Sock Connection, but the Outlaws reunited on the recent episode of Smackdown to take those titles, which is why we have this match now. Road Dogg had just returned after being taken out by Jericho for 5 weeks, and Billy's coming off a failed single's run. Billy takes a while to come out while Road Dogg does his shtick. Jimmy Korderas acting as referee once again.
Edge and Billy start things out with a lock up, Billy pushing Edge into the corner, then spins and gets Billy in the corner, forced to celebrate from the ref's 5 count. Another lock up and an arm wringer by Edge, wrenching down on the arm and reversed by Billy into a side headlock. Billy sent off the ropes only to get Edge with a shoulder block, Billy off the ropes and leaps over Edge rolls toward him, off the opposite ropes, Edge leapfrogs, off the opposite ropes again, Edge rolls back through Billy's legs who goes off the ropes again into a few hip tosses and a grounded side headlock.
Billy pulls them both back up and nails a side suplex. Roadie tagged in with a kick to the midsection, another arm wringer into a roll up and a near fall. Side headlock on Edge who pushes to his corner, tags in Christian as he sends Roadie off the ropes into a pair of dropkicks by Christian. Arm drag and an armlock to keep up the offensive, then an arm wringer as Roadie gets back up, only to reverse into one of his own, then another by Christian, but Roadie gets in some right hands. Christian sent toward the ropes by the Outlaws' corner, Billy gets a handful of hair and Christian goes after, giving Roadie the chance to nail a boot to the face.
Billy back in now, they send Christian off the ropes into a pair of elbows to the midsection, then ax handles to the back as he doubles over. Billy follows with a modified camel clutch for a few moments before sending the point of his elbow into Christian's forehead.
Roadie back in, Christian whipped into the corner, rebounding into a press slam by Billy who drops him ribs first on Roadie's knee, cover but Christian kicks out. Christian sent off the ropes who kicks Roadie as he doubles over, then whips him back to the mat. Edge tagged in who nails a dropkick and knocks Billy off the apron. Roadie sent off the ropes and ducks a clothesline, following up with his trademark punches, off the ropes with a knee to the chest. Roadie goes to cover but Christian stops it before a count can even begin.
Christian provokes Billy causing the referee to go and argue with him, giving E&C the opportunity to toss Roadie out. Christian slides out as Edge continues the ref distraction, whipping Roadie into the steel steps. Edge out now as Christian goes back on the apron, Roadie back first into the apron, then a second time, before returning to the ring. Christian tagged back in, Roadie positioned with his back to the ring, as Christian launches off of Edge with a splash. Christian conitnues on the back with a back breaker, a cover and a near fall, followed by a rear chinlock.
Roadie fights his way back up and elbows his way out, goes off the ropes, ducks a pair of elbows and take each other out with crossbodies, beginning the 10 count. Edge gets tagged in first and knocks Billy off the apron before a tag can be made, Billy slides in causing a ref distraction, allowing more E&C double team in their corner. Edge chokes in the corner before tagging in Christian, sending Rodie off the ropes into a nice sidewalk slam/inverted DDT combo. Christian goes for the pin but Billy breaks it up at the one count. Edge tagged in again with kicks to the midsection and back, choking him across the middle rope. Roadie whipped into the opposite corner, dropping to the mat.
Christian tagged in once more, Roadie whipped into the opposite corner chest first, Christian launches off of Edge again but Roadie knocks him out of the air with a right hand. Edge cuts off further offense as Christian recovers, they send Roadie off the ropes again, try for a double flapjack, but gets countered into a double DDT, starting another 10 count. Roadie finally gets the hot tag, dropping both. Christian taken down with a powerslam coming off the ropes, a cover but Edge breaks it up.
Roadie comes in and knocks Edge down in the corner, while Billy goes for a suplex, only for Christian to slip out and nail a reverse DDT. Roadie ducks a clothesline and sets up for a pumphandle slam, but Christian fights out. The Brood all of a sudden show up at ringside while the ref is checking on Billy, they pull Christian out while Edge hits a spear on Roadie. Meanwhile, Jeff takes Edge down with a missile dropkick, and Billy nails the Fame Asser to retain the titles in 11:08. Started out slow, but things picked up and turned into a pretty good match.
The Brood make a quick escape while E&C chase after, Outlaws celebrate in the ring. We go to replays as they make their exit.
We go to footage from Smackdown, where British Bulldog, the special guest referee, cost Rock the win over HHH in a Brahma Bullrope Match. Then we go to the locker room, where Lilian is joined by Bulldog and HHH. Bulldog says Rock was getting too cocky and needed to be brought down, and he was the man to do it. Lilian asks for a follow up on their relationship from HHH, who says not to worry about it, that you get the job any way you can. He says they're both gonna go out there and do their own job, and when it's over, he'll walk out the new champion, then walk out.
We cut to Cole who's with Boss Man, who says he doesn't regret killing, cooking, and making Al eat his dog Pepper. He says Cole's gonna regret it if he asks another dumb question like that, and that he'll shove his nightstick right up his ass. He says he's spent his whole adult life dealing with people inside of cages, and it'll be no different tonight, whether there are dogs or not. It's gonna be a night no one will ever forget, especially Al. Well, he wasn't lying.
Back to the arena, the Cell is being lowered, while the crew begin assembling the cage around the ring for our next match. Cut to the back once more where Lilian is with Al, who has Help Me written backwards on his forehead. He says tonight, for everything Boss Man has done to Pepper, for the memory of Pepper, he's gonna be all over Boss Man's "fat, donut eating ass" like a one-man crime spree, and ends it by calling Boss Man a fat, worthless son of a bitch, then walks off.
Kennel from Hell Match for the Hardcore Championship: Al Snow (c) vs The Big Boss Man
Pre-Match Notes & Thoughts: So this match. Good lord. We have your old school, blue bar steel cage surrounding the ring, and then a Hell in a Cell surrounding that. At ringside, some rottweilers, who are supposed to be intimidating, but really do nothing the whole match. All they have to do win the match is escape both cages. The crew are still in the middle of assembling the cage as Al makes his way out, with a duffel bag of weapons in hand. Boss Man makes his way out and enters the Cell, and the bell is rung to start the match, despite the fact the rottweilers haven;t come out yet.
Boss Man walks around to the other side of the ring and tries to enter through the door but Snow takes him out with a dropkick through the ropes, then his own nightstick across the back. Al slides back in and shuts the door, doing everything he can to keep Boss Man out, while the dogs are led to the Cell, walking around the outside. Boss Man paces around ringside as Al continues to keep him out and the dogs are finally brought in, Boss Man finally climbs up the side of the cage, but Al tries to send him back down, pulling the head of a shovel out of his bag. Boss Man maneuvers himself to the corner of the cage and Al climbs the turnbuckle, only for Boss Man to send him face first into the cage. Right hands back and forth before Boss Man pulls Al over the cage and Al nearly falls to the floor, but he hands on.
Boss Man climbs in now and knocks Al down to the floor, who runs to avoid the dogs. He decides to climb the Cell wall instead, using the ceiling to get back to the cage wall, but Boss Man meets him with right hands. Boss Man joins him up on the ropes to nail a suplex, sending the both back to the mat to properly start this match.
Boss Man empties Al's bag and sends Al face first into the cage, then again. Boss Man hits Al with some kind of stick and Al is busted open. Shovel head to the head of Al, then again, and Boss Man goes for it again, but Al is out of it, so he just shoves him down. Boss Man grabs a pair of pliers and climbs the cage, and he tries to cut his way through the roof of the Cell, and manages to rip a corner of one of the panels. Al gets backup and breaks another stick over Boss Man's back, but he fights back and nails Al with the pliers.
Pliers to the ear of Al as Boss Man pulls him back to his feet, then nails him with the pliers again. Boss Man pulls a bag of powder from his pocket, but in typical fashion, it's sent back in his face. Al breaks another stick over Boss Man's head and busts him open, jamming the jagged end of the stick into the cut now. Snow grabs the shovel again and cracks him across the back, then sends him face first into the cage.
Al now grabs the pliers and tries to remove the rope from one of the corner but Boss Man fights back, only to be sent into the cage again. Al sticks Boss Man's hand through the cage trying to get a dog to bite it but no use. Boss Man takes him down with a knee to the head.
Boss Man with the shovel now across the back of the head and Al drops like a bag of dirt, then another shot to the back of the head. Boss Man stomps away before going to the corner, where I guess Boss Man attached a pair of handcuffs, cuffing Al. Boss Man celebrates prematurely and starts to climb the cage, aiming to escape through the whole he made, but Al breaks the cuffs and shakes the cage, causing Boss Man to fall and crotch himself on the top rope.
Al pulls Head out of his bag and nails Boss Man in the head with it. Al makes the climb now while Boss Man climbs the opposite side, but Al escapes first to retain the title in 11:42. I'm actually gonna defend this match, because despite the fact that it's got this ridiculous stipulation, the action wasn't too bad. It did go a bit too long, especially for a Hardcore Title match. The crowd sure weren't into it.
Al leaves smiling while Boss Man drops back into the ring. He makes his exit while avoiding the rottweilers and runs to the back, with the dogs in tow.
Cut to the back where Cole is with Mankind ahead of the 6-pack challenge, and Cole brings up that the man he considers his best friend, Rock, will also be in the match. Mick says if the opportunity presents itself, he'll look up at the crowd, at the dozens (and dozens!) of Mankind's fans all chanting the name of the greatest tag team in WWF history, Rock and Sock, and proceed to do what he does best, which is lay the smacketh down on Rock's candy ass, then asks not to tell Rock he said that.
Back to the arena, the crew is still disassembling the cage as we head into our penultimate match of the evening.
Chris Jericho (w/ Curtis Hughes) vs X-Pac
Pre-Match Notes & Thoughts: With Shamrock injured by Jericho, this match was changed to Jericho vs X-Pac earlier in the night on Heat. Lawler spends time making fun of Moolah and Mae's age, saying they could take the cage down faster than the crew and calls them antiques. Jericho gets on the mic, who welcomes the crowd to Charlotte is Jericho. He says not only is he there to save the WWF or Charlotte, he's there to save this boring, brutal PPV by giving them what they really, truly wanted to see, which is Y2J. He says it's fine if X-Pac is foolish enough to take Ken "Scamrock's" place, because Jericho will just have to end his career tonight too, because that's what all the Jerichoholics came to see. Head scab Tom Pritchard here to officiate this match.
Quick chain wrestling to start it out, then some back and forth offense before a slap each. Jericho retaliates some chops and some elbows against the ropes, Pac reverses a whip off of them, Jericho ducks a clothesline and goes for a victory roll, but Pac hangs onto the top rope, misses a spinning heel kick and Jericho takes him down with a clothesline. Pac lifted for a suplex only to be dropped ribs first on the top rope.
Right hands and chops in the corner by Jericho, Pac whipped into the opposite corner and Jericho goes after, only for Pac to move and follow with some kicks to the chest and head, setting up for the Bronco Buster but Jericho rolls out in time. Pac follows and chases Jericho around the corner back in, but Chris stomps away before he can do anything. Pac sent off the ropes, leapfrogs over Jericho and tries for an X-Factor, but Jericho slams him down to the mat. Jericho goes for the Walls early but Pac rolls out and sends Chris back to the outside, Pac following with a springboard crossbody on top of him.
Hughes levels Pac with a clothesline right in front of the referee, and all he gets is a stern warning, because... reasons. Pac sent face first off the steps a couple times by Jericho, then a suplex onto the floor before going back in. Jericho up top with a missile dropkick, cover and a near fall, before applying a rear chinlock, then into a surfboard.
Pac fights his way back up and gets out with some elbows, off the ropes but gets caught in a scoop slam backbreaker kind of move, then a knee to the chest. Scoop slam by Jericho, followed by a slingshot splash from the apron, hooks the leg but Pac kicks out. Chris goes back on the offensive with a snapmare and another rear chinlock.
Pac again fights his way back to his feet, elbows free, goes off the ropes into an elbow from Jericho and follows with a Lionsault. He gets in a flurry of right hands instead of trying for the pin, then the cover but Pac kicks out. Chops in the corner, but Pac fights back with right hands, only to tumble out to the apron. Jericho knocks him off with a springboard dropkick out of the corner.
Hughes with a right hand while Pritchard argues with Jericho before sending him back in. Crowd is chanting something, but I can't tell what, they've been anti-Pac all match.
Pac whipped into the corner and Jericho follows, only to get a boot to the face, then another. Pac sent off the ropes, ducks a clothesline and nails a spinning heel kick. Pac gets in some right hands and another spinning heel kick. Jericho reverses a whip off the ropes and Pac dives through the opposite ones to take out Hughes. Springboard clothesline, Pac with a cover and a near fall.
Kicks in the corner and another spinning heel kick to set up for a Bronco Buster again, but Jericho gets the boot up for a low blow, again no DQ for whatever reason. Jericho to the second rope and connects with a senton bomb, hooks the leg but Pac kicks out. Jericho nails a double arm backbreaker, then goes to the top rope, but Pac cuts him off, then hits a superplex, gets his hand on Jericho's chest but he gets the shoulder up.
Jericho sent off the ropes, ducks the clothesline, Pac jumps up but gets nailed with a powerbomb, then another. Jericho with the cover but Pac gets the shoulder up. Pac whipped into the corner and Jericho follows but gets hung upside down, allowing Pac to hit the Bronco Buster. Hughes jumps in and clocks Pritchard, then takes Pac down with a clothesline. Him and Jericho stomp away and now the bell is rung for a DQ in 13:09, giving X-Pac the victory. Not a terrible match, despite the baffling job by Pritchard.
Road Dogg runs down to even the odds, who has his own issues with Jericho. Jericho tips over the steps in frustration as he and Hughes make their escape and Road Dogg checks on X-Pac.
Now it's time for our main event. This build up has actually been going on for a few good months, going back to July at Fully Loaded. Vince was ousted from power when Austin beat Taker in a First Blood Match, leaving Shane and HHH basically taking over. Trips would come up short at Summerslam, where Mankind won his last WWF Title, but took Austin out in the process in a post-match attack. HHH would win his first world title the next night on Raw with help from referee Shane. He's gone on a rampage with his sledgehammer, attacking his opponents throughout the weeks leading up to the PPV. Austin would assault HHH and even ram his truck into an ambulance, which Trips was trapped inside, leading to him pressing assault charges on Austin.
Then, of course, after HHH bullies Linda, he goads Vince into a match with his WWF Title on the line, which a bloodied Vince would with help from Austin. Now at this point, the 6-pack challenge was already set, and with the stipulation from Fully Loaded in place, Vince was forced to vacate the championship. Austin tried to get Vince to put him in his place, revealing that he was the only person who could give Vince his power back. However, with HHH threatening to sue, he'd get the spot instead, with the caveat that Austin would be the enforcer for this match, and would get a shot at the title the following month. In all honesty, I don't know how the other 5 got in this match, unless HHH's sledgehammer attacks were the catalyst. It seems Fear Factory and System of a Down provided the background song for this package, but that's obviously been dubbed over with some generic music on the Network.
I think I got everything out of that video package, but with that being said, let's go to the match.
6-Pack Challenge for the Vacant WWF Championship: The Big Show vs The British Bulldog vs Mankind vs Kane vs Triple H vs The Rock, Special Enforcer: Stone Cold Steve Austin
Pre-Match Notes & Thoughts: Bulldog out with his traditional tights rather than the jeans looks he'd soon go with. He only just returned to WWF a few weeks prior, beating Boss Man for the Hardcore Title, only to hand it to Al Snow immediately afterwards. Mankind and Kane get nice pops from the Charlotte fans. Kane was apparently in an Inferno Match on the previous episode of Smackdown. Fink announces Chyna accompanying Trips, but she's nowhere to be seen. He was made to run a 5 match Gauntlet on Smackdown, of which he had to win 3 just to keep his spot in this match.We get a loud Rocky chant as Trips makes his way out. Crowd with a thunderous pop for Rock as he comes out. Show and Bulldog the only ones who haven't won a WWF Title as of yet, although Show would win the title in a couple months. Austin of course acting as outside enforcer, in case the referee, once again Jimmy Korderas, gets taken out or needs another set of eyes. He decides to join commentary for the time being. Rather than your standard 6-Pack Challenge rules, they've decided to go with a tag in/tag out system, with Rock and Bulldog starting out as decreed by Vince, after what happened on Smackdown in the Bullrope Match.
Bulldog immediately goes for a clothesline but Rock ducks and follows with some right hands, sending Bulldog into Mankind's corner, whipping him into the opposite corner and nailing a clothesline of his own. More right hands in Mankind's corner, but Bulldog takes Rock down with a clothesline, then tags in Trips. Right hands on Rock now, draping him over the middle rope before some kicks in the midsection, even knocking Kane off the apron. Rock reverses a whip off the ropes and connects with a clothesline. Trips sent off the ropes now, but Trips ducks an elbow, comes off the opposite ropes and gets launched up, dropping throat first on the first set of ropes. Rock hooks the leg for a near fall.
Rock with more right hands, but Kane tags himself in, Rock getting in one more right on Trips before making his exit. Kane with some rights now before a two-handed choke, then sends Trips down to the mat. Kane with a scoop slam, comes off the ropes and misses an elbow drop. Rights by Trips before having an Irish whip reversed on him off the ropes, into a powerslam. Kane knocks Show off the apron before he goes up top, only for Show to launch him off to the mat. Trips tags in Mankind, who then knocks him down with a right before trying to go for Kane again, before Mick comes back with some rights of his own. He gets Trips down in the corner to set up and connect with a running knee, only for Kane to take advantage with a clothesline. Kane with the cover and a kick out.
Kane with right hands against the ropes, sends Mick off the ropes, who kicks Kane in the midsection as he bends over. Mick with some right hands trying to mount an offense. Off the ropes with kicks to the midsection, but Show catches him and pulls him to the corner to tag in. Show with clubbing forearms and elbows to the back and neck. Kane fights back with right and kicks to the face and midsection. Show reverses a whip off the ropes and catches Kane for a backbreaker, working the back a few moments before pushing Kane off.
Show talks some trash toward Rock before delivering another elbow to Kane, then sends him off the ropes, but he ducks a clothesline and tries to take Show down with some clotheslines of his own. He does land an enziguri, but it only sends Show stumbling back against the ropes, allowing Bulldog to tag himself in. Kane finally takes Show out with a dropkick, sending him over the ropes to the floor.
Bulldog with a chop block to the back of the knee and some clubbing blows, but gets an Irish whip reversed on him and into a big boot. Show comes back in and takes Kane out with a boot of his own. I guess Show tagged himself in off camera, while Mick tags himself back in off of Kane. Mick with right hands now but Show with clubbing blows again. Bulldog tags himself back in again, Show argues with the ref while Mick goes after Bulldog. He tags in Rock who goes after him, and Mick is sent tumbling to the outside.
Rock with right hands in Trips' corner, then sends him face first into the opposite corner, only for Bulldog to nail a low blow. Mick should be the legal man right now, but whatever. Bulldog hits a suplex before going to tag in Mick, who refuses and doesn't tag, but... goes in anyways, and then tags in Kane, what was the point of that exactly?
Rock with rights before being sent off the ropes, Kane catches him, possibly for a Tombstone but Rock slips out and hits a Russian leg sweep, hooks the leg for a near fall. Rock comes off the ropes only to be caught for a sidewalk slam. Kane goes for a clothesline but Rock ducks and lays in more rights, then sends Kane face first into Mick's boot. Rock tags Mick in who gets some rights, sends Kane off the ropes for a clothesline but he ducks, then attempts a chokeslam only to get a low blow, allowing Mick to nail a piledriver, a cover and a kick out.
Kane tags Trips in who goes right after Mick with a kick to the midsection and some rights, sending Mick out, who then pulls Trips under the ropes and sends him face first off the steps. They fight up the aisle, sending Trips into the barricades. Mick tries for a suplex but Trips reverses for one of his own. Rock decides to join in and runs down, nailing Trips with a clothesline, then a low blow. Kane joins in now who goes after Rock with a right hand, then Show and Bulldog.
Show takes Bulldog down with a headbutt, Rock sends Kane's face off a technician's table(?), while the other 4 fight back to ringside. Mick reverses Trips' whip into the steel steps, while Show sends Bulldog and Rock sends Kane into barricades. Mick brings the steps down across Trips' back, then nails a piledriver on the bottom half. Kane and Rock are still fighting at ringside while Bulldog and Mick slip back in the ring.
Bulldog with rights in the corner, while Rock gets whipped by Kane into the other set of steps. Show has stepped back on the apron, while Mick reverses a whip into the corner, turning Bulldog upside down in the process. Mick holds Bulldog while he waits for Rock to climb back on the apron and tag in and drops Bulldog with a right hand, while Mick goes back to the apron. Rock back after Bulldog with kicks to the midsection before a right on Show, even goes so far to mock him, but Trips tags himself in as Rock backs into his corner, getting a right before Rock goes to the empty corner.
Kane steps in now for... reasons, and the striking referees for whatever reason are seen walking down to the ring. Kane sent off the ropes into a big boot, but sits up while Show talks some trash to Rock. Kane sends Show into Mick's corner and delivers some more rights, then tags Mick in. Mick with rights on Show now but then gets pie faced out of the corner. Mick sent off the ropes into an elbow to the face, meanwhile the referees at ringside are yelling at Korderas in the ring, but I can't make out what they're saying.
Show takes Mick out with a headbutt, another club to the back and a scoop slam. Show off the ropes and a jumping elbow, hooks the leg but Rock breaks it up. Mick slips through Show's legs and tags Rock in, gets his rights in and tries to take him down with some clotheslines, and succeeds on the third, hooks the leg but Trips breaks it up. Trips rolls Rock out and Trips joins, only to be sent face first off the announce table. He takes Austin's beer and spits it in Trips' face, before they trade rights. Rock rakes the eyes before sending Trips back in and... tags Kane in from outside? Is that allowed? I guess so.
Kane sends Trips into Mick's corner, who tags himself in, Kane with more rights on Mick, who's sent off the ropes, but hits Kane with a DDT. Kane sits up and crawls to Show's corner, who tags himself back in while Mick tries for a sleeper, but Kane nails a Tombstone. Kane tries to pin Mick, not realizing he's been tagged out, and Show comes behind and tosses him out. Show goes for a chokeslam, while Kane climbs the top rope and takes Show out with a clothesline, sending him rolling out of the ring.
Bulldog enters the ring and nails Kane with a powerslam, who tries to exit but Trips' catches him and nails a Pedigree. Rock with rights on Trips, sending him out of the ring. Mick hits Rock with a double arm DDT before he calls for Mr. Socko, getting Rock with the Mandible Claw. Rock catches him by surprise and nails the Rock Bottom, gets the arm over but Trips breaks it up. Show back in with some headbutts for Rock and Trips, clotheslines Kane out of the ring. Bulldog from behind but gets scoop slammed and rolled out of the ring. Show nails Mick with a chokeslam, makes the cover, Korderas goes for the count but gets yanked out by the other referees, which actually gets a pop from the crowd, and go nuts when they all start to gang up on him.
This is Austin's cue to leave commentary and do his job as enforcer, knocking the referees on their asses. Don't think this is gonna help their strike for "unsafe working conditions". Back in the ring, Trips sends Rock off the ropes, who ducks a clothesline and nails a DDT. Rock hooks the leg, Austin rushes into the ring to count but Trips kicks out. Bulldog tries to slide in with a chair but Kane pulls him out, while Rock sends Trips reverses a whip off the ropes and connects with the high knee.
Trips stomps away in the corner, right hands on Rock, goes to whip Rock but he pulls him back and connects with a Rock Bottom. Rock connects with the People's Elbow, hooks the leg, but Show yanks Austin out and grabs him by the throat, while Bulldog comes in with the chair and cracks Rock over the head. Austin low blows Show. Austin back in, he takes the chair from Bulldog and nails him in the head with it, while Trips nails Rock with the Pedigree to seal the victory, and regain his championship in 20:29. This started out slow, and they really didn't follow the tag in/tag out rule, and was a bit of a mess, but honestly a fun match. Kinda made Vince winning that title a waste of time though, and I don't really get why the other refs got involved, or why they had this ref strike angle in the first place.
Austin reluctantly hands him the title but Trips refuses to get his hand raised, talks some trash and of course, gets nailed with a Stunner. Austin celebrates with some beers in the corner and on his way up the aisle, as is tradition, and we go to replays and the PPV goes off the air.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Honestly a pretty good PPV. The only real stinker was the Women's Title match, but what can you do.
As for an aftermath, there's not a whole lot to say that I haven't already written. No Mercy is the next PPV, and I already covered that one not long ago, so that's all that really needs to be said. The only thing I can say is the referee strike would end the next night on Raw after successful negotiations I guess. Based on a WWE.com article, this actually set a precedent for giving fines for assaulting referees, so I guess there's that.
As a final note, with a total runtime of 2:38:21, there was a total 1:35:11 of wrestling.
We have our opening video package highlighting the competitors in the 6-Pack Challenge, from the buildup to this particular match to the history between each of them, before going to the arena, live from the Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. Of course, J.R. and the King are on commentary for the show, who hype the main event before showing us footage of the strike earlier in the day, then onto our first match.
Val Venis vs Steve Blackman
Pre-Match Notes & Thoughts: Val seems to have stolen Blackman's duffel bag of martial arts weapons, and King suggest they're actually "tools of Val's trade" because of course he does. Brooklyn Brawler is acting as the scab referee for this match. Val gets the mic from Fink and does his usual shtick, saying the remnants of Hurricane Floyd are still within North Carolina, because he was blown from one end of the state to the other. Blackman makes his way out and wastes no time with a kick to the midsection and some right hands to kick things off.
Val reverses a whip off the ropes, Blackman slides between the legs, Val ducks a spin kick and drops Blackman with a clothesline. Blackman in the corner face first, right hands and stomps by Val before choking Blackman with his boot. Blackman reverses a whip into the opposite corner and follows with a monkey flip attempt, but Val pushes him off. Val tries for an elbow drop but Blackman moves, then knocks Val out of the ring with a dropkick.
Val avoids a baseball slide and gets a right hand in, Blackman face first off the apron before being sent back in the ring. Blackman with a side kick to the midsection as Val climbs onto the apron, then lifts Val up for a suplex only to crotch him on the top rope. Atomic drop by Blackman, then gets pulled through the ropes by Val back to the outside.
Boots to the head by Val then drops Blackman face first on the barricade. Blackman reverses a whip into the steps sending Val crashing. Blackman scoops up Val and rams him back first into the ringpost, then sends him back in the ring. Blackman with the cover, Brawler with a slow count and a near fall. Val whipped hard into the corner, then the opposite one, working the back. Val fights back with quick forearms, goes off the ropes but gets caught in a backbreaker by Blackman. Blackman with a snap suplex and a rear chinlock.
Val fights back up to his feet, elbows his way out, off the ropes, kick to the midsection as Blackman bends over and drops him with a clothesline. Right hands by Val, Blackman off the ropes into an elbow and an elbow drop. Blackman sent off the ropes only for Val to follow with a knee to the ribs, then again, and a side Russian leg sweep in the middle of the ring. Val does his hip swivel, cover but Blackman kicks out.
Mounted right hands by Val but Blackman gets some right hands in, Val reverses a whip and Blackman hits a crossbody, but Val rolls through for a cover, but Blackman kicks out again. Val off the ropes, but Blackman catches him with a spinebuster, jacknife pin but it's a near fall. Val reverses a whip into the corner and follows with a clothesline then a bulldog. DDT by Val before he goes up top and nails the Money Shot to get the win in 6:32. Not a bad opener to the show.
Val grabs Blackman's bag of weapons and slides back in, goes to use a kendo stick but Blackman with a spin kick to the back to cut him off. Blackman with the kendo stick with a vicious shot to the head, breaking the kendo stick and knocking out Val. Brawler calls for help and doctors come down to the ring as we get a replay of the shot. Blackman argues with the doctors but a security guard intervenes and takes Blackman down. Blackman makes his exit with his bag in tow and Val eventually comes to.
To the back, Cole is in the locker room with Big Show ahead of the 6-pack challenge tonight. Cole asks where Taker is, who had been Show's tag partner previously. Show asks if Cole has taken a stupid pill today. Show says last time he checked the roster Taker wasn't on it, and he is. He says he's had all the tough love and hard knocks, and he has a killer instinct in him that nobody can compare with. There's no way he's leaving tonight without the title. He calls Cole a monkey and leaves. Well that was... something.
Up next, the European title is on the line. We get Cole voicing over Henry and D'Lo's friendship, helping Henry work out and lose weight. Henry turned on D'Lo the previous month at Summerslam, costing him his European title against Jarrett. Jarrett then hands the title over to Henry on Raw for... reasons. Henry says D'Lo wouldn't have lasted this long in the WWF without him.
Go to the back where Lilian is joined by Henry, accompanied by two ladies. Henry tries to make a move on Lilian, she slaps him in the face. and he heads to the ring. We see the ref strike still on going outside, before we go to the arena for our next match.
European Championship: "Sexual Chocolate" Mark Henry (c) vs D'Lo Brown
Pre-Match Notes & Thoughts: Henry takes the mic from Fink and says there's not gonna be a European Championship match tonight. He tells the girls to go start the car, the crowd gets a loud D'Lo chant going. Henry says he'd normally go through with this match, but he claims that after the slap, something in his head popped, thinks he has a "braineurysm" or something. He says he'll do it another time, but D'Lo comes out and stops him from leaving, right hands in the aisle way back and forth. D'Lo face first off the barricade, then whipped face first into the ring post. Henry back in the ring and the match is started, Tom Pritchard acting as head scab referee.
Henry tries to take advantage as D'Lo climbs onto the apron, but rolls over the ropes and over Henry, off the opposite ropes and slips behind Mark, clubbing blows to the back. Henry reverses a whip off the ropes, goes to press slam D'Lo but he slips out, and hits what looks like a Sky High, but Henry kicks out. D'Lo with a snapmare, up to the second rope with an ax handle, cover and a near fall.
Henry stumbles to the cover and D'Lo charges, but Henry lifts and drops him face first on the top turnbuckle. D'Lo draped over the middle rope, Henry charges but hangs himself on the top rope. D'Lo off the opposite ropes and launches himself over the ropes onto Henry. Back in the ring, D'Lo up top with a crossbody, cover and a kick out.
Henry pulls D'Lo back on an irish whip and pulls him up in a gorilla press, bringing him back down into his arms for a slam, hooks the leg but D'Lo kicks out. Henry with a scoop slam, tauning D'Lo to get back up and nails a clothesline before posing to the crowd. Henry pulls D'Lo down into a rear chinlock. D'Lo almost passes out but fights back up, elbows out, off the ropes but gets caught and sent back. D'Lo draped on the middle rope again and Henry launches onto him, sending them both out of the ring.
D'Lo press slammed just barely and launched face first off the steel steps before being rolled back in. D'Lo tries to build momentum and comes off the ropes, but Henry takes him down with a clothesline. D'Lo sent off the ropes and caught, but sends Henry tumbling to his back for a cover and a near fall. Henry reverses a whip off the ropes and follows with a scoop slam, a leg drop and a leg hook for another near fall.
Henry gets D'Lo in the corner with shots to the midsection, D'Lo whipped chest first into the opposite corner and Henry follows with a splash. D'Lo hoisted up top before an inverted scoop slam, Henry hooks the leg but D'Lo kicks out. D'Lo sent off the ropes but slips through Henry's legs, back up for a hurricanrana taking Henry down.
Pritchard with the 10 count, they get back up by 6, D'Lo with some rights, Henry reverses a whip off the ropes, D'Lo ducks a clothesline and comes off the ropes with a clothesline of his own. Heel kick by D'Lo, followed by his patented leg drop, cover and another near fall. Henry whips D'Lo into the corner and follows with a splash. He starts a 10 punch, gets cocky doing D'Lo's taunt only to be taken out with a sitout powerbomb. D'Lo goes up top and hits the Lo Down to win the title in 9:12. Another alright match.
D'Lo celebrates as Henry makes a quick exit and we go to replays.
To the back, Cole is with the Acolytes. Cole says people think they may have met their match with the Dudleyz, and Bradshaw pipes in, saying that people hope so. They sent one team packing from ECW (Public Enemy?), and tonight they're gonna destroy those Boyz. Farooq thinks people only think they met their match because one is black and one is white, but that's where the match begins and ends, and tonight in front of millions of people, they're gonna see they're no match for the Acolytes. There's a commotion heard and we see around the corner the Holly Cousins are fighting with Chaz over abuse allegations I guess.
Go to Lilian who's with Debra and Miss Kitty. She brings up Debra's past with Jarrett, and that their business relationship is seemingly over. She says even though they have had their differences, the first time Jarrett laid his hands on her was the last. Jarrett comes into shot to interrupt and asks if that was a threat, and tells her to stay out of his business and takes Miss Kitty with him.
We go to footage from Smackdown where Chyna saved a stagehand from Jarrett's Figure 4, smacking Jarrett in the head with a frying pan, then proceeded to put a dress on him, plus remove his trunks and put them on.
Intercontinental Championship: Jeff Jarrett (c) (w/ Miss Kitty) vs Chyna
Pre-Match Notes & Thoughts: Chyna still using HHH's music, and I think it's Harvey Whippleman as scab referee for this match. Jarrett wastes no time stomping away as Chyna slides in to start this match.
Chyna draped over the middle rope to choke, Jeff off the opposite ropes to launch himself onto Chyna, only to hang himself up. Jeff sent off the ropes now only to reverse, but Chyna takes him down with a shoulder tackle. Jarrett sent off the ropes again, slides through the legs but gets caught with a clothesline. Jarrett whipped into the corner, Chyna follows but gets caught with an elbow. Jarrett up to the middle rope, comes off for an ax ahandle but Chyna gets a low blow in, then clotheslined over the ropes to the floor.
Jeff trip Chyna up after she wastes too much time, pulling her crotch first into the ring post. Jeff pulls her to the floor before sending her face first off the steps. Jeff breaks the count then sends her face first into the ring post, then tells J.R. to get back in the kitchen before sending Chyna back in the ring. Jarrett up top with a crossbody, cover but Chyna powers out.
Chyna reverses a whip off the ropes, Jarrett ducks an elbow and nails a dropkick. Chyna face first off the turnbuckle now, whipped into the opposite corner and flips over to the apron, ducks a clothesline and nails one of her own. Chyna goes up top but Jarrett cuts her off before nailing a superplex, inside cradle but Chyna kicks out. Chyna with shots to the midsection, Jarrett whipped into the corner, Chyna charges but Jarrett moves. Jarrett wrings the arm and climbs the middle rope with a DDT of sorts.
Moolah and Mae Young are front row as Jeff sends Chyna into the corner, but she reverses a whip into the opposite one, only for Jarrett to catch and try and launch himself up and over Chyna, but she stops herself and sends him chest first into the corner. Jeff hoisted up onto her shoulders and nails an electric chair to start the 10 count.
Chyna off the ropes at 4 but Jarrett catches her in a sleeper. Chyna almost passes out, but she fights her way back to her feet, elbows free, off the ropes but Jarrett catches her again, only for her to turn it into a suplex. 10 count starts again, Jarrett up first and goes for a right hand, but she catches it, sending him off the ropes for a powerslam, cover and a near fall.
Jeff reverses a whip off the ropes, tries for a hurricanrana but she catches him with a sitout powerbomb, pin attempt but Jarrett kicks out. Chyna off the ropes for a hurricanrana but gets nailed with a powerbomb. Jeff goes for the figure 4 but Chyna pushes him off and out of the ring. On the outside, Chyna with right hands and sends him into the steps. Chyna takes a chair and cracks Jarrett over the back. She sets the chair up and lifts Jarrett, sending him face first into the chair. Jarrett with a thumb to the eye, only to be backdropped onto the announce table, before being sent back in the ring.
Chyna goes for a Pedigree but Jeff trips her up and catapults her into Harvey in the corner for a ref bump. Jarrett gets his guitar from Kitty and gets ready to use it, but Moolah and Mae jump the barricade and get some shots in, then actually hit a double suplex. Jeff sent off the ropes only to nail them both with a clothesline, sending Lawler into hysterics. Jarrett kicks Mae in the ribs, then Mae, then kicks them both out of the ring. Debra makes her way down now as Jarrett kicks as Mae, she pushes Kitty down and gets in the ring. Jarrett goes to lock in the figure 4, only for Debra to smash the guitar over his head and make a quick exit. Chyna comes to, makes the cover, Harvey comes to and makes the count, giving her the IC championship in 11:52.
Oh wait, Pritchard rushes to the ring and shows Harvey the footage of Debra's interference. So despite the low blow and the use of the chair, the decision is reversed, and Jeff retains the championship. Chyna lays into Pritchard in the corner obviously pissed, then a low blow for good measure. Chyna nails a Pedigree before her music hits and she makes her exit.
We go to footage from Heat where Cole caught up with Austin backstage, who asks about his impact in the main event. Austin says the impact will be a new WWF Champion, and then he walks off.
The Dudley Boyz vs The Acolytes
Pre-Match Notes & Thoughts: Mae and Moolah are helped tothe back as Dudleyz make their way out. Bubba gets the mic from Fink, and stutters his way to saying Charlotte sucks. He asks D-Von if the fans are making fun of him, and although D-Von says no, the crowd emphatically say yes. He tosses the mic to D-Von, their ass belongs to the Dudley Boyz. He says remember that thou shall not steal, kill and most of all, mess with the Dudleyz. Acolytes come out and Dudleyz waste no time going after them as the bell rings. For whatever reason, regular official Jimmy Korderas is officiating this one, which for a referee striking for unsafe working conditions, this seems like the wrong match to come off the picket line for.
Bradshaw pulls D-Von out and they fight on the outside, while Bubba and Farooq start in the ring, right hands on Bubba in the corner hammering away. Bubba reverses a whip into the opposite corner and connects with a running splash, followed by a suplex. Scoop slam by Bubba, off the ropes for a splash but Farooq gets the knees up. Bradshaw tags in as they send Bubba off the ropes, lifting and dropping him to the mat. Bubba sent off the ropes into a big boot by Bradshaw, an elbow drop and a near fall.
Bubba face first into the corner, whipped into the opposite and Bradshaw follows but Bubba cuts him off with an elbow. Right hand and another scoop slam, Bubba up to the second rope and lands a senton bomb, cover and a kick out. Bubba back up to the second rope but Bradshaw climbs up and nails a superplex, cover but D-Von breaks it up. Bradshaw tackles Bubba through the ropes to the outside.
Bubba blocks an attempt by Bradshaw to slam him face first off the apron, slap to the face and chest, but Bradshaw reverses a whip into the steps. Back in the ring, cover by Bradshaw but Bubba kicks out. Bradshaw calls for the Clothesline from Hell, but Bubba ducks and hits a belly to belly slam, cover and a near fall.
D-Von tags in with some right hands, Bradshaw reverses a whip off the ropes, D-Von ducks under a big boot and comes off the opposite ropes and takes him down with a shoulder block. Off the ropes again for a swinging neckbreaker, hook the leg but Bradshaw kicks out. Bradshaw reverses a whip off the ropes and catches D-Von in his arms for a fallaway slam. Farooq tags in, hooks the leg for a near fall.
D-Von sent off the ropes into a powerslam, hooks the leg for another near fall. D-Von lifted up for a Dominator but D-Von slips out and nails a DDT. D-Von crawls for a tag as Bradshaw is tagged in, cutting him off with knees and right hands, then a scoop slam. Bradshaw off the ropes and misses an elbow, D-Von tags in Bubba. They nail what I guess is an early 3D, but is more like a double team back suplex, Bubba makes the cover as Farooq goes after D-Von but Bradshaw kicks out.
D-Von and Farooq on the outside, D-Von reverses a whip into the steps, before he goes up top. Bubba nails a powerbomb and D-Von follows with a diving headbutt, hooks the leg but Bradshaw kicks out. D-Von isn't the legal man anyways. D-Von back up top but Farooq crotches him, Bubba after him while Bradshaw hits a back suplex off the top. Farooq face first off the steps, Bradshaw makes the cover but D-Von gets the shoulder up.
Bubba back in with a bulldog, D-Von makes the cover as Farooq goes after Bubba but Bradshaw kicks out. D-Von sends Farooq off the ropes to hit a proper 3D, so I guess the earlier call was a botch. Bradshaw nails Bubba with a Clothesline from Hell as he gets back up. Stevie Richards appears out of nowhere dressed like an Acolyte and UPN painted on his chest, and nails D-Von with a superkick behind the ref's back, Farooq pins D-Von and gets the win in 7:29. Eh,this wasn't all that great.
Stevie starts to celebrate but Farooq looks on confused as he tries to shake hands. He nails Stevie with a Dominator instead, then Bradshaw nails a powerbomb. Farooq shakes the limp hand before they leave the ring. We go to replays as scabs check on Stevie and we head to the back.
We see Luna in the hallway on her way to her upcoming match, only for Ivory to come from behind and nail her with a trash can to start our next match.
Hardcore Match for the Women's Championship: Luna Vachon vs Ivory (c)
Luna send Ivory into the wall a couple times before throwing a TV at her but Ivory moves out of the way. Luna shoves her head in a nearby bucket of ice, then Ivory tries to throw it back but it misses completely. Right hands by Ivory before slamming Luna's face against an equipment case. Luna drags her into an office, putting Ivory's head in a photocopier and press it down, squishing Ivory's head.
Luna slams a phone into her head as they leave, and tries to throw it at her but Ivory ducks. Ivory tries to throw a chair but misses. Ivory sent face first into a door, then another. Ivory manages to dump Luna head first into a garbage can and then... dumps it over, OK. Ivory tries to pin her but Luna isn't even on her back so Whippleman doesn't make the count.
Ivory whipped into a metal gate, then tossed onto some boxes. Luna with a forearm across the chest before climbing on top of a forklift, splash onto Ivory for a cover, but Ivory kicks out. Ivory with a box to the back, then Luna with... something to the head of Ivory. Luna tries to swing a dustbin at Ivory's head but it smashes into pieces against an equipment case, so she chokes her with the handle instead. Ivory's shoulders were down on top of the case, but it only gets a one count.
Luna face first off another case, then another. Tori appears out of nowhere at Ivory goes to swing a pole at Luna, stopping the attack. Tori swings but Ivory ducks. Right hands and knocks her into an open case. Ivory with the pole to the ribs of Luna, then across the back, hooks the leg and gets the win in 3:38, although Luna does get her shoulder up just barely after the count. Wow, what a mess.
We get a couple seconds of Ivory celebrating before we cut to Lilian, who's with Mae and Moolah, and she gives them good advice, to stay out of Jarrett's business. Moolah says he better stay out of theirs. Ivory comes up and interrupts as Mae goes to talk and starts to talk some trash before Moolah clobbers her and takes her to the floor. Officials break it up before we go to our next match.
Tag Team Championship: Edge & Christian vs The New Age Outlaws (c)
Pre-Match Notes & Thoughts: E&C were originally supposed to face the Rock and Sock Connection, but the Outlaws reunited on the recent episode of Smackdown to take those titles, which is why we have this match now. Road Dogg had just returned after being taken out by Jericho for 5 weeks, and Billy's coming off a failed single's run. Billy takes a while to come out while Road Dogg does his shtick. Jimmy Korderas acting as referee once again.
Edge and Billy start things out with a lock up, Billy pushing Edge into the corner, then spins and gets Billy in the corner, forced to celebrate from the ref's 5 count. Another lock up and an arm wringer by Edge, wrenching down on the arm and reversed by Billy into a side headlock. Billy sent off the ropes only to get Edge with a shoulder block, Billy off the ropes and leaps over Edge rolls toward him, off the opposite ropes, Edge leapfrogs, off the opposite ropes again, Edge rolls back through Billy's legs who goes off the ropes again into a few hip tosses and a grounded side headlock.
Billy pulls them both back up and nails a side suplex. Roadie tagged in with a kick to the midsection, another arm wringer into a roll up and a near fall. Side headlock on Edge who pushes to his corner, tags in Christian as he sends Roadie off the ropes into a pair of dropkicks by Christian. Arm drag and an armlock to keep up the offensive, then an arm wringer as Roadie gets back up, only to reverse into one of his own, then another by Christian, but Roadie gets in some right hands. Christian sent toward the ropes by the Outlaws' corner, Billy gets a handful of hair and Christian goes after, giving Roadie the chance to nail a boot to the face.
Billy back in now, they send Christian off the ropes into a pair of elbows to the midsection, then ax handles to the back as he doubles over. Billy follows with a modified camel clutch for a few moments before sending the point of his elbow into Christian's forehead.
Roadie back in, Christian whipped into the corner, rebounding into a press slam by Billy who drops him ribs first on Roadie's knee, cover but Christian kicks out. Christian sent off the ropes who kicks Roadie as he doubles over, then whips him back to the mat. Edge tagged in who nails a dropkick and knocks Billy off the apron. Roadie sent off the ropes and ducks a clothesline, following up with his trademark punches, off the ropes with a knee to the chest. Roadie goes to cover but Christian stops it before a count can even begin.
Christian provokes Billy causing the referee to go and argue with him, giving E&C the opportunity to toss Roadie out. Christian slides out as Edge continues the ref distraction, whipping Roadie into the steel steps. Edge out now as Christian goes back on the apron, Roadie back first into the apron, then a second time, before returning to the ring. Christian tagged back in, Roadie positioned with his back to the ring, as Christian launches off of Edge with a splash. Christian conitnues on the back with a back breaker, a cover and a near fall, followed by a rear chinlock.
Roadie fights his way back up and elbows his way out, goes off the ropes, ducks a pair of elbows and take each other out with crossbodies, beginning the 10 count. Edge gets tagged in first and knocks Billy off the apron before a tag can be made, Billy slides in causing a ref distraction, allowing more E&C double team in their corner. Edge chokes in the corner before tagging in Christian, sending Rodie off the ropes into a nice sidewalk slam/inverted DDT combo. Christian goes for the pin but Billy breaks it up at the one count. Edge tagged in again with kicks to the midsection and back, choking him across the middle rope. Roadie whipped into the opposite corner, dropping to the mat.
Christian tagged in once more, Roadie whipped into the opposite corner chest first, Christian launches off of Edge again but Roadie knocks him out of the air with a right hand. Edge cuts off further offense as Christian recovers, they send Roadie off the ropes again, try for a double flapjack, but gets countered into a double DDT, starting another 10 count. Roadie finally gets the hot tag, dropping both. Christian taken down with a powerslam coming off the ropes, a cover but Edge breaks it up.
Roadie comes in and knocks Edge down in the corner, while Billy goes for a suplex, only for Christian to slip out and nail a reverse DDT. Roadie ducks a clothesline and sets up for a pumphandle slam, but Christian fights out. The Brood all of a sudden show up at ringside while the ref is checking on Billy, they pull Christian out while Edge hits a spear on Roadie. Meanwhile, Jeff takes Edge down with a missile dropkick, and Billy nails the Fame Asser to retain the titles in 11:08. Started out slow, but things picked up and turned into a pretty good match.
The Brood make a quick escape while E&C chase after, Outlaws celebrate in the ring. We go to replays as they make their exit.
We go to footage from Smackdown, where British Bulldog, the special guest referee, cost Rock the win over HHH in a Brahma Bullrope Match. Then we go to the locker room, where Lilian is joined by Bulldog and HHH. Bulldog says Rock was getting too cocky and needed to be brought down, and he was the man to do it. Lilian asks for a follow up on their relationship from HHH, who says not to worry about it, that you get the job any way you can. He says they're both gonna go out there and do their own job, and when it's over, he'll walk out the new champion, then walk out.
We cut to Cole who's with Boss Man, who says he doesn't regret killing, cooking, and making Al eat his dog Pepper. He says Cole's gonna regret it if he asks another dumb question like that, and that he'll shove his nightstick right up his ass. He says he's spent his whole adult life dealing with people inside of cages, and it'll be no different tonight, whether there are dogs or not. It's gonna be a night no one will ever forget, especially Al. Well, he wasn't lying.
Back to the arena, the Cell is being lowered, while the crew begin assembling the cage around the ring for our next match. Cut to the back once more where Lilian is with Al, who has Help Me written backwards on his forehead. He says tonight, for everything Boss Man has done to Pepper, for the memory of Pepper, he's gonna be all over Boss Man's "fat, donut eating ass" like a one-man crime spree, and ends it by calling Boss Man a fat, worthless son of a bitch, then walks off.
Kennel from Hell Match for the Hardcore Championship: Al Snow (c) vs The Big Boss Man
Pre-Match Notes & Thoughts: So this match. Good lord. We have your old school, blue bar steel cage surrounding the ring, and then a Hell in a Cell surrounding that. At ringside, some rottweilers, who are supposed to be intimidating, but really do nothing the whole match. All they have to do win the match is escape both cages. The crew are still in the middle of assembling the cage as Al makes his way out, with a duffel bag of weapons in hand. Boss Man makes his way out and enters the Cell, and the bell is rung to start the match, despite the fact the rottweilers haven;t come out yet.
Boss Man walks around to the other side of the ring and tries to enter through the door but Snow takes him out with a dropkick through the ropes, then his own nightstick across the back. Al slides back in and shuts the door, doing everything he can to keep Boss Man out, while the dogs are led to the Cell, walking around the outside. Boss Man paces around ringside as Al continues to keep him out and the dogs are finally brought in, Boss Man finally climbs up the side of the cage, but Al tries to send him back down, pulling the head of a shovel out of his bag. Boss Man maneuvers himself to the corner of the cage and Al climbs the turnbuckle, only for Boss Man to send him face first into the cage. Right hands back and forth before Boss Man pulls Al over the cage and Al nearly falls to the floor, but he hands on.
Boss Man climbs in now and knocks Al down to the floor, who runs to avoid the dogs. He decides to climb the Cell wall instead, using the ceiling to get back to the cage wall, but Boss Man meets him with right hands. Boss Man joins him up on the ropes to nail a suplex, sending the both back to the mat to properly start this match.
Boss Man empties Al's bag and sends Al face first into the cage, then again. Boss Man hits Al with some kind of stick and Al is busted open. Shovel head to the head of Al, then again, and Boss Man goes for it again, but Al is out of it, so he just shoves him down. Boss Man grabs a pair of pliers and climbs the cage, and he tries to cut his way through the roof of the Cell, and manages to rip a corner of one of the panels. Al gets backup and breaks another stick over Boss Man's back, but he fights back and nails Al with the pliers.
Pliers to the ear of Al as Boss Man pulls him back to his feet, then nails him with the pliers again. Boss Man pulls a bag of powder from his pocket, but in typical fashion, it's sent back in his face. Al breaks another stick over Boss Man's head and busts him open, jamming the jagged end of the stick into the cut now. Snow grabs the shovel again and cracks him across the back, then sends him face first into the cage.
Al now grabs the pliers and tries to remove the rope from one of the corner but Boss Man fights back, only to be sent into the cage again. Al sticks Boss Man's hand through the cage trying to get a dog to bite it but no use. Boss Man takes him down with a knee to the head.
Boss Man with the shovel now across the back of the head and Al drops like a bag of dirt, then another shot to the back of the head. Boss Man stomps away before going to the corner, where I guess Boss Man attached a pair of handcuffs, cuffing Al. Boss Man celebrates prematurely and starts to climb the cage, aiming to escape through the whole he made, but Al breaks the cuffs and shakes the cage, causing Boss Man to fall and crotch himself on the top rope.
Al pulls Head out of his bag and nails Boss Man in the head with it. Al makes the climb now while Boss Man climbs the opposite side, but Al escapes first to retain the title in 11:42. I'm actually gonna defend this match, because despite the fact that it's got this ridiculous stipulation, the action wasn't too bad. It did go a bit too long, especially for a Hardcore Title match. The crowd sure weren't into it.
Al leaves smiling while Boss Man drops back into the ring. He makes his exit while avoiding the rottweilers and runs to the back, with the dogs in tow.
Cut to the back where Cole is with Mankind ahead of the 6-pack challenge, and Cole brings up that the man he considers his best friend, Rock, will also be in the match. Mick says if the opportunity presents itself, he'll look up at the crowd, at the dozens (and dozens!) of Mankind's fans all chanting the name of the greatest tag team in WWF history, Rock and Sock, and proceed to do what he does best, which is lay the smacketh down on Rock's candy ass, then asks not to tell Rock he said that.
Back to the arena, the crew is still disassembling the cage as we head into our penultimate match of the evening.
Chris Jericho (w/ Curtis Hughes) vs X-Pac
Pre-Match Notes & Thoughts: With Shamrock injured by Jericho, this match was changed to Jericho vs X-Pac earlier in the night on Heat. Lawler spends time making fun of Moolah and Mae's age, saying they could take the cage down faster than the crew and calls them antiques. Jericho gets on the mic, who welcomes the crowd to Charlotte is Jericho. He says not only is he there to save the WWF or Charlotte, he's there to save this boring, brutal PPV by giving them what they really, truly wanted to see, which is Y2J. He says it's fine if X-Pac is foolish enough to take Ken "Scamrock's" place, because Jericho will just have to end his career tonight too, because that's what all the Jerichoholics came to see. Head scab Tom Pritchard here to officiate this match.
Quick chain wrestling to start it out, then some back and forth offense before a slap each. Jericho retaliates some chops and some elbows against the ropes, Pac reverses a whip off of them, Jericho ducks a clothesline and goes for a victory roll, but Pac hangs onto the top rope, misses a spinning heel kick and Jericho takes him down with a clothesline. Pac lifted for a suplex only to be dropped ribs first on the top rope.
Right hands and chops in the corner by Jericho, Pac whipped into the opposite corner and Jericho goes after, only for Pac to move and follow with some kicks to the chest and head, setting up for the Bronco Buster but Jericho rolls out in time. Pac follows and chases Jericho around the corner back in, but Chris stomps away before he can do anything. Pac sent off the ropes, leapfrogs over Jericho and tries for an X-Factor, but Jericho slams him down to the mat. Jericho goes for the Walls early but Pac rolls out and sends Chris back to the outside, Pac following with a springboard crossbody on top of him.
Hughes levels Pac with a clothesline right in front of the referee, and all he gets is a stern warning, because... reasons. Pac sent face first off the steps a couple times by Jericho, then a suplex onto the floor before going back in. Jericho up top with a missile dropkick, cover and a near fall, before applying a rear chinlock, then into a surfboard.
Pac fights his way back up and gets out with some elbows, off the ropes but gets caught in a scoop slam backbreaker kind of move, then a knee to the chest. Scoop slam by Jericho, followed by a slingshot splash from the apron, hooks the leg but Pac kicks out. Chris goes back on the offensive with a snapmare and another rear chinlock.
Pac again fights his way back to his feet, elbows free, goes off the ropes into an elbow from Jericho and follows with a Lionsault. He gets in a flurry of right hands instead of trying for the pin, then the cover but Pac kicks out. Chops in the corner, but Pac fights back with right hands, only to tumble out to the apron. Jericho knocks him off with a springboard dropkick out of the corner.
Hughes with a right hand while Pritchard argues with Jericho before sending him back in. Crowd is chanting something, but I can't tell what, they've been anti-Pac all match.
Pac whipped into the corner and Jericho follows, only to get a boot to the face, then another. Pac sent off the ropes, ducks a clothesline and nails a spinning heel kick. Pac gets in some right hands and another spinning heel kick. Jericho reverses a whip off the ropes and Pac dives through the opposite ones to take out Hughes. Springboard clothesline, Pac with a cover and a near fall.
Kicks in the corner and another spinning heel kick to set up for a Bronco Buster again, but Jericho gets the boot up for a low blow, again no DQ for whatever reason. Jericho to the second rope and connects with a senton bomb, hooks the leg but Pac kicks out. Jericho nails a double arm backbreaker, then goes to the top rope, but Pac cuts him off, then hits a superplex, gets his hand on Jericho's chest but he gets the shoulder up.
Jericho sent off the ropes, ducks the clothesline, Pac jumps up but gets nailed with a powerbomb, then another. Jericho with the cover but Pac gets the shoulder up. Pac whipped into the corner and Jericho follows but gets hung upside down, allowing Pac to hit the Bronco Buster. Hughes jumps in and clocks Pritchard, then takes Pac down with a clothesline. Him and Jericho stomp away and now the bell is rung for a DQ in 13:09, giving X-Pac the victory. Not a terrible match, despite the baffling job by Pritchard.
Road Dogg runs down to even the odds, who has his own issues with Jericho. Jericho tips over the steps in frustration as he and Hughes make their escape and Road Dogg checks on X-Pac.
Now it's time for our main event. This build up has actually been going on for a few good months, going back to July at Fully Loaded. Vince was ousted from power when Austin beat Taker in a First Blood Match, leaving Shane and HHH basically taking over. Trips would come up short at Summerslam, where Mankind won his last WWF Title, but took Austin out in the process in a post-match attack. HHH would win his first world title the next night on Raw with help from referee Shane. He's gone on a rampage with his sledgehammer, attacking his opponents throughout the weeks leading up to the PPV. Austin would assault HHH and even ram his truck into an ambulance, which Trips was trapped inside, leading to him pressing assault charges on Austin.
Then, of course, after HHH bullies Linda, he goads Vince into a match with his WWF Title on the line, which a bloodied Vince would with help from Austin. Now at this point, the 6-pack challenge was already set, and with the stipulation from Fully Loaded in place, Vince was forced to vacate the championship. Austin tried to get Vince to put him in his place, revealing that he was the only person who could give Vince his power back. However, with HHH threatening to sue, he'd get the spot instead, with the caveat that Austin would be the enforcer for this match, and would get a shot at the title the following month. In all honesty, I don't know how the other 5 got in this match, unless HHH's sledgehammer attacks were the catalyst. It seems Fear Factory and System of a Down provided the background song for this package, but that's obviously been dubbed over with some generic music on the Network.
I think I got everything out of that video package, but with that being said, let's go to the match.
6-Pack Challenge for the Vacant WWF Championship: The Big Show vs The British Bulldog vs Mankind vs Kane vs Triple H vs The Rock, Special Enforcer: Stone Cold Steve Austin
Pre-Match Notes & Thoughts: Bulldog out with his traditional tights rather than the jeans looks he'd soon go with. He only just returned to WWF a few weeks prior, beating Boss Man for the Hardcore Title, only to hand it to Al Snow immediately afterwards. Mankind and Kane get nice pops from the Charlotte fans. Kane was apparently in an Inferno Match on the previous episode of Smackdown. Fink announces Chyna accompanying Trips, but she's nowhere to be seen. He was made to run a 5 match Gauntlet on Smackdown, of which he had to win 3 just to keep his spot in this match.We get a loud Rocky chant as Trips makes his way out. Crowd with a thunderous pop for Rock as he comes out. Show and Bulldog the only ones who haven't won a WWF Title as of yet, although Show would win the title in a couple months. Austin of course acting as outside enforcer, in case the referee, once again Jimmy Korderas, gets taken out or needs another set of eyes. He decides to join commentary for the time being. Rather than your standard 6-Pack Challenge rules, they've decided to go with a tag in/tag out system, with Rock and Bulldog starting out as decreed by Vince, after what happened on Smackdown in the Bullrope Match.
Bulldog immediately goes for a clothesline but Rock ducks and follows with some right hands, sending Bulldog into Mankind's corner, whipping him into the opposite corner and nailing a clothesline of his own. More right hands in Mankind's corner, but Bulldog takes Rock down with a clothesline, then tags in Trips. Right hands on Rock now, draping him over the middle rope before some kicks in the midsection, even knocking Kane off the apron. Rock reverses a whip off the ropes and connects with a clothesline. Trips sent off the ropes now, but Trips ducks an elbow, comes off the opposite ropes and gets launched up, dropping throat first on the first set of ropes. Rock hooks the leg for a near fall.
Rock with more right hands, but Kane tags himself in, Rock getting in one more right on Trips before making his exit. Kane with some rights now before a two-handed choke, then sends Trips down to the mat. Kane with a scoop slam, comes off the ropes and misses an elbow drop. Rights by Trips before having an Irish whip reversed on him off the ropes, into a powerslam. Kane knocks Show off the apron before he goes up top, only for Show to launch him off to the mat. Trips tags in Mankind, who then knocks him down with a right before trying to go for Kane again, before Mick comes back with some rights of his own. He gets Trips down in the corner to set up and connect with a running knee, only for Kane to take advantage with a clothesline. Kane with the cover and a kick out.
Kane with right hands against the ropes, sends Mick off the ropes, who kicks Kane in the midsection as he bends over. Mick with some right hands trying to mount an offense. Off the ropes with kicks to the midsection, but Show catches him and pulls him to the corner to tag in. Show with clubbing forearms and elbows to the back and neck. Kane fights back with right and kicks to the face and midsection. Show reverses a whip off the ropes and catches Kane for a backbreaker, working the back a few moments before pushing Kane off.
Show talks some trash toward Rock before delivering another elbow to Kane, then sends him off the ropes, but he ducks a clothesline and tries to take Show down with some clotheslines of his own. He does land an enziguri, but it only sends Show stumbling back against the ropes, allowing Bulldog to tag himself in. Kane finally takes Show out with a dropkick, sending him over the ropes to the floor.
Bulldog with a chop block to the back of the knee and some clubbing blows, but gets an Irish whip reversed on him and into a big boot. Show comes back in and takes Kane out with a boot of his own. I guess Show tagged himself in off camera, while Mick tags himself back in off of Kane. Mick with right hands now but Show with clubbing blows again. Bulldog tags himself back in again, Show argues with the ref while Mick goes after Bulldog. He tags in Rock who goes after him, and Mick is sent tumbling to the outside.
Rock with right hands in Trips' corner, then sends him face first into the opposite corner, only for Bulldog to nail a low blow. Mick should be the legal man right now, but whatever. Bulldog hits a suplex before going to tag in Mick, who refuses and doesn't tag, but... goes in anyways, and then tags in Kane, what was the point of that exactly?
Rock with rights before being sent off the ropes, Kane catches him, possibly for a Tombstone but Rock slips out and hits a Russian leg sweep, hooks the leg for a near fall. Rock comes off the ropes only to be caught for a sidewalk slam. Kane goes for a clothesline but Rock ducks and lays in more rights, then sends Kane face first into Mick's boot. Rock tags Mick in who gets some rights, sends Kane off the ropes for a clothesline but he ducks, then attempts a chokeslam only to get a low blow, allowing Mick to nail a piledriver, a cover and a kick out.
Kane tags Trips in who goes right after Mick with a kick to the midsection and some rights, sending Mick out, who then pulls Trips under the ropes and sends him face first off the steps. They fight up the aisle, sending Trips into the barricades. Mick tries for a suplex but Trips reverses for one of his own. Rock decides to join in and runs down, nailing Trips with a clothesline, then a low blow. Kane joins in now who goes after Rock with a right hand, then Show and Bulldog.
Show takes Bulldog down with a headbutt, Rock sends Kane's face off a technician's table(?), while the other 4 fight back to ringside. Mick reverses Trips' whip into the steel steps, while Show sends Bulldog and Rock sends Kane into barricades. Mick brings the steps down across Trips' back, then nails a piledriver on the bottom half. Kane and Rock are still fighting at ringside while Bulldog and Mick slip back in the ring.
Bulldog with rights in the corner, while Rock gets whipped by Kane into the other set of steps. Show has stepped back on the apron, while Mick reverses a whip into the corner, turning Bulldog upside down in the process. Mick holds Bulldog while he waits for Rock to climb back on the apron and tag in and drops Bulldog with a right hand, while Mick goes back to the apron. Rock back after Bulldog with kicks to the midsection before a right on Show, even goes so far to mock him, but Trips tags himself in as Rock backs into his corner, getting a right before Rock goes to the empty corner.
Kane steps in now for... reasons, and the striking referees for whatever reason are seen walking down to the ring. Kane sent off the ropes into a big boot, but sits up while Show talks some trash to Rock. Kane sends Show into Mick's corner and delivers some more rights, then tags Mick in. Mick with rights on Show now but then gets pie faced out of the corner. Mick sent off the ropes into an elbow to the face, meanwhile the referees at ringside are yelling at Korderas in the ring, but I can't make out what they're saying.
Show takes Mick out with a headbutt, another club to the back and a scoop slam. Show off the ropes and a jumping elbow, hooks the leg but Rock breaks it up. Mick slips through Show's legs and tags Rock in, gets his rights in and tries to take him down with some clotheslines, and succeeds on the third, hooks the leg but Trips breaks it up. Trips rolls Rock out and Trips joins, only to be sent face first off the announce table. He takes Austin's beer and spits it in Trips' face, before they trade rights. Rock rakes the eyes before sending Trips back in and... tags Kane in from outside? Is that allowed? I guess so.
Kane sends Trips into Mick's corner, who tags himself in, Kane with more rights on Mick, who's sent off the ropes, but hits Kane with a DDT. Kane sits up and crawls to Show's corner, who tags himself back in while Mick tries for a sleeper, but Kane nails a Tombstone. Kane tries to pin Mick, not realizing he's been tagged out, and Show comes behind and tosses him out. Show goes for a chokeslam, while Kane climbs the top rope and takes Show out with a clothesline, sending him rolling out of the ring.
Bulldog enters the ring and nails Kane with a powerslam, who tries to exit but Trips' catches him and nails a Pedigree. Rock with rights on Trips, sending him out of the ring. Mick hits Rock with a double arm DDT before he calls for Mr. Socko, getting Rock with the Mandible Claw. Rock catches him by surprise and nails the Rock Bottom, gets the arm over but Trips breaks it up. Show back in with some headbutts for Rock and Trips, clotheslines Kane out of the ring. Bulldog from behind but gets scoop slammed and rolled out of the ring. Show nails Mick with a chokeslam, makes the cover, Korderas goes for the count but gets yanked out by the other referees, which actually gets a pop from the crowd, and go nuts when they all start to gang up on him.
This is Austin's cue to leave commentary and do his job as enforcer, knocking the referees on their asses. Don't think this is gonna help their strike for "unsafe working conditions". Back in the ring, Trips sends Rock off the ropes, who ducks a clothesline and nails a DDT. Rock hooks the leg, Austin rushes into the ring to count but Trips kicks out. Bulldog tries to slide in with a chair but Kane pulls him out, while Rock sends Trips reverses a whip off the ropes and connects with the high knee.
Trips stomps away in the corner, right hands on Rock, goes to whip Rock but he pulls him back and connects with a Rock Bottom. Rock connects with the People's Elbow, hooks the leg, but Show yanks Austin out and grabs him by the throat, while Bulldog comes in with the chair and cracks Rock over the head. Austin low blows Show. Austin back in, he takes the chair from Bulldog and nails him in the head with it, while Trips nails Rock with the Pedigree to seal the victory, and regain his championship in 20:29. This started out slow, and they really didn't follow the tag in/tag out rule, and was a bit of a mess, but honestly a fun match. Kinda made Vince winning that title a waste of time though, and I don't really get why the other refs got involved, or why they had this ref strike angle in the first place.
Austin reluctantly hands him the title but Trips refuses to get his hand raised, talks some trash and of course, gets nailed with a Stunner. Austin celebrates with some beers in the corner and on his way up the aisle, as is tradition, and we go to replays and the PPV goes off the air.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Honestly a pretty good PPV. The only real stinker was the Women's Title match, but what can you do.
As for an aftermath, there's not a whole lot to say that I haven't already written. No Mercy is the next PPV, and I already covered that one not long ago, so that's all that really needs to be said. The only thing I can say is the referee strike would end the next night on Raw after successful negotiations I guess. Based on a WWE.com article, this actually set a precedent for giving fines for assaulting referees, so I guess there's that.
As a final note, with a total runtime of 2:38:21, there was a total 1:35:11 of wrestling.
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