Slobberknocker Central Monday Night Recap #266 December 18th, 2000 The Opening Word: Again, this week there's not much worth talking about, so let's get right to the shows ... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- WCW Monday Nitro: Live/Taped: Live. Length: Two Hours. Location: Richmond, Virginia. Hosted By: Tony Schiavone, Scott Hudson & Mark Madden. HOUR ONE: - Ric Flair pimps for WCW, saying they're back, that Starrcade was one of the best ever, etc. He announces a match tonight between Buff Bagwell and Goldberg, and sets up our first MYSTERY of the night by saying he'll announce Scott Steiner's next PPV opponent (or opponents) at some point in the show. The January PPV has been changed from "Souled Out" to "Sin". I'm surprised Jeff Jarrett didn't run in and guitar Flair. - Still photos from the PPV are shown. - SHANNON MOORE vs. SHANE HELMS Mild praise from the announcers for these two, Madden saying they're the best cruiserweights in WCW, Schiavone calling the Ladder Match at the PPV a "plethora of highspots." Hudson comes the closest to praise, saying Ladder Matches sometimes steal the show (without actually admitting that this most recent one did--so people say, I didn't see it myself). Madden keeps calling Helms "HB2K", which makes no sense (sure, compare him to someone who never wrestled in WCW), and gives away who's going to win this match. Sure enough, Helms scores the pin following a backbreaker. Okay match, but nothing special. Crowd reaction was "eh." Helms is now the #1 contender to the Cruiserweight Title. Chavo Guerrero, Jr. then runs in and attacks both. General Rection yells at Cpl. Cajun, pointing out what a creep Chavo is. So when Lash turns on Rection and joins Chavo, we're supposed to be upset because ...? Rection's coming off as the heel here. - Scott Steiner & Midajah come out. Steiner badmouths Ric Flair, saying the CEO is trying to screw him. Flair comes out--says he's just trying to book Steiner against strong opponents. Flair announces that at Sin Steiner will face two opponents in a three-way match. One of the PPV opponents will be chosen following a series of matches tonight: two singles matches to determine winners who will square off later in the show. The other PPV mystery (mystery, MYSTERY, MYSTERY!!!) opponent is someone Flair has hired. He too will appear on the show later. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DON'T CHANGE THE CHANNEL! We have MYSTERY OPPONENTS. And maybe some wrestling. - Another paid announcement by Jimmy Hart. These are getting more elaborate each week. Not only does Hart have his own theme song ("I Knocked Out Andy Kaufman"), he also has his own onscreen graphic logo. - Mean Gene interviews Buff Bagwell and Lex Luger. Bagwell makes fun of Goldberg's book. Steiner then barges in, rattled, asking for help in learning who the mystery opponent is. - MENG (w/ Kwee Wee & Paisley) vs. TERRY FUNK Funk appears on the giant screen and calls Meng to the back. Meng obliges, and the two battle their way from there back out to the ring. I'm not sure Schiavone is doing the company any favors by talking about how broken-down Funk is, and how the doctors have told him to retire and such, all while we can see Funk can barely walk, let alone wrestle. Funk avoids being put through a table. Meng then slaps on the Tongan Death Grip, and has the match won, but Crowbar comes out and nails Meng in the back of the head with a wrench. Funk falls on top of Meng and gets the pin. Crowbar then challenges Funk to a Hardcore Title rematch at Sin. - Steiner accosts Jarrett, asking him who the MYSTERY OPPONENT can be. - Mean Gene interviews Big Vito. For weeks these guys were feuding with no mention of them being brothers. Then they introduce the sister Maria, saying at one point she was dating Reno, then that she was Reno's sister. They finally clarified the angle by saying Reno and Vito were brothers, and that they suddenly patched up things between them. Then, maybe two weeks later, Reno "turns" on Vito by paying Kronik to beat the two of them up. That's some marvelous storytelling there. - Crowbar tells "That 70's Guy" Mike Awesome that he's dumping the 70's gimmick, and that he and Daffney suggest Awesome do the same. Awesome doesn't seem inclined to do so, no doubt pissing off the twenty or thirty people who actually saw Starrcade and thought Awesome had shed the gimmick there. - Holy crap--they actually mention that they will be preempted the next two weeks. - LANCE STORM (w/ Major Gunns) vs. REY MYSTERIO, JR. (w/ Tygress) Okay, so we know neither of these guys will be Steiner's PPV opponent. Mysterio is selling the beating he took at the PPV, and falls fairly easy prey to Storm's Canadian Mapleleaf. Madden "borrows" Bret Hart's catchphrase to praise Storm. Any complaints above aside, this was easily WCW's most coherent and best wrestled hour in ages. HOUR TWO: - MIKE AWESOME vs. Gee, who do you suppose is going to win this one (and beat Storm later tonight)? I'm betting on the guy who interfered in last night's main event, immediately establishing that he'd be in the next PPV main event. Yup ... Jarrett, guitar shot, ref goes blind and doesn't see guitar pieces all over, Jarrett covers for the pin. Decent match, just *no* drama whatsoever. - Jarrett tells Steiner that he didn't admit to him he was in the tournament tonight because if he had Flair would have taken him out of it. - Another Glacier promo plays. Cut to Norman Smiley, who gets all excited by the idea of Glacier returning. Whatever. - Mean Gene interviews Shane Douglas, who brings in Kronik and challenges the MIA to a six-man match on Thunder. - Flair talks to the MYSTERY OPPONENT on the phone. - ERNEST "THE CAT" MILLER (w/ Miss Jones) vs. ALEX WRIGHT This comes about because the Cat can't stand Wright's dancing, or something. The match itself lasts forever, with the Cat eventually winning with the Feliner. He and Miss Jones then do the James Brown gimmick. - A limo pulls up carrying the Natural Born Thrillerz. - Steiner's looking for the MYSTERY OPPONENT, and Elix Skipper just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. - Mike Sanders leads the Thrillerz to the ring. Sanders talks forever, but says nothing of substance. Ric Flair comes out and announces that there will be a tag team battle royal on Thunder, with the winner getting a shot at the Tag Titles at Sin. The focused, intense show of Hour One has been replaced with a disorganized mess this hour. - GOLDBERG vs. BUFF BAGWELL No match to speak of. Bagwell tries to run away, luring Goldberg into an attack by Lex Luger. The Sarge then makes the save, and the ref just gives Goldberg a DQ win (putting the streak at 32-0). - LANCE STORM (w/ Major Gunns) vs. JEFF JARRETT We're just settling into a nice match when Jarrett hits the Stroke out of nowhere and gets the pin. Here comes Steiner. He demands to know who the MYSTERY OPPONENT is. He heads backstage to terrorize people and find Flair. He spots Flair at the end of a long hallway and gives chase. As he reaches the door he's suddenly attacked by a masked man. Schiavone starts yelling the man is wearing a straight jacket, though it's really just a black coat with white straps. The masked man, shorter than Steiner by a few inches, lays in a few shots before being pulled away by security. The show ends following a cutaway from this to a Sin promo. - This Wednesday: Tag Team Battle Royal. Douglas & Kronik vs. MIA. - Next week: Nitro won't be on. Comments: If it seems like WCW did a lot of hype for Sin tonight it's because there's only one more Nitro on TNT before that PPV. Nitro will be preempted next Monday and the week after as well, with no Tuesday make-up shows. Thunder, I'm not sure what the plan is for that show, but I know at least one of them in the next few weeks will be a "Best of 2000" show. Don't bother analyzing a tape of the show to figure out who the masked man is. Obviously Steiner's PPV opponent will be whoever WCW wants it to be, regardless of who they had under the mask tonight. My guess, based on the size and build of the person, is that it was Konnan or the Sarge under the mask, and you know they're not going to be in any PPV main events any time soon. I'd bet on Dustin Rhodes, just because his name his been floating around lately. As is often the case this was a show with a bad hour and good hour, though this time the bad hour wasn't nearly as bad as it usually is. Just boring. Overall I'd actually credit WCW with putting on a good show this week. I know ... shocking. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- WWF RAW is WAR: Live/Taped: Live. Length: Two Hours+. Location: Greenville, South Carolina. Hosted By: Jim Ross & Jerry "The King" Lawler. WWF RAW: - Recap of the ongoing Evil Vince McMahon storyline. - Vince McMahon heads to the ring. He explains that his "inappropriate" reaction to the news of Linda McMahon being hospitalized was brought on by the stress of the moment. He was really crushed by the news, and blames this whole situation on WWF commissioner Mick Foley, and his daughter Stephanie McMahon. He says he was wrong to drag Linda's name through the mud, but in the process of saying this repeats all of the bad things he said about her last Thursday. To show that he's sensitive to her condition he announces that he will temporarily halt his divorce proceeding against her. He then cues up a video showing family pictures of himself, Linda, and the children in happier times. The clip ends with a photo of Vince & Linda inside a heart. Out comes Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley. She calls Vince vile, disgusting, and a "mean old bastard!" Vince, angry, says if he hadn't married Linda following that date in the back seat of his '69 Chevy Impala, Shane McMahon would have been a bastard. Settle in, folks--here comes Kurt Angle. Angle says this family infighting has to stop. He can't believe the amount of disrespect being shown. Vince, brandishing his cane, thinks Angle is talking about him. It turns out, though, that Angle means Stephanie. He can't believe she would talk to her father that way. Now Mick Foley comes out. Long story short, Foley says Vince is scum and Angle is a kiss-ass. Angle tells Foley that if he was his wife he'd follow Vince's lead and ask for a divorce. Foley scores a lot of points with the fans making fun of Angle wanting to be Foley's wife. Foley books Angle in a title defense against Vince for later in the show. Very long segment (22 minutes or so), but a very good one nonetheless. - Matt Hardy pumps Jeff Hardy up for his match against Chris Benoit. - CHRIS BENOIT vs. JEFF HARDY Right away it's apparent this is going to be an awesome match. Then, out of nowhere, at about the three minute mark, Benoit slaps on the Crippler Crossface for the win. Criminally short, and a waste at a chance to put on a memorable match. Vince and Angle are talking backstage when McMahon gets this look in his eye. "Vince McMahon: Two-Time WWF Champion!" Angle suddenly looks nervous. - Angle asks Edge & Christian to try and talk Foley out of going through with the match. - Chyna has been hospitalized as a result of the piledriver she received last week. Michael Cole then interviews Billy Gunn, who vows revenge on the RTC. - Edge & Christian ask Foley to cancel Vince's shot at Angle's title. Foley instead would rather hear the two do their kazoo gimmick. They get angry and dump a table, so Foley says if they want to be taken seriously, fine--they can defend their Tag Team Titles tonight against the Rock & Undertaker. - RIGHT TO CENSOR vs. THE DUDLEY BOYZ/"THE ONE" BILLY GUNN The crowd was really into this one, doing a "we want tables!" chant which, if it was any louder, would have been heard on the space station. Ivory tries to interfere on behalf of the RTC and Gunn drags her into the ring. He then sets her up for a piledriver--payback for what happened to Chyna--but Val Venis comes in and hooks Gunn in a Fisherman Suplex, which scores the pin. Angle, Edge & Christian are now all depressed that they have to defend their titles tonight. The Undertaker ... the Rock ... NEXT! - McMahon tries to sell Angle on the old Kevin Nash finger-poke to the chest plan, but Angle refuses to lay down for Vince. Not a lot of wrestling this hour, but it was very strong from a storyline perspective. WWF WAR ZONE: - EDGE/CHRISTIAN vs. THE ROCK/THE UNDERTAKER Fairly formulaic match, with things leading up to a heat segment on the Undertaker. Christian gets a near fall following a shot with the title belt, but the Undertaker kicks out (launching Christian several feet in the air). The Rock is tagged in. A house afire, he knocks Christian out of the ring, gives Edge a Samoan Drop, then a Rock Bottom, then a People's Elbow, and covers for the pin. New World Tag Team Champions! A good main event-caliber match with tremendous crowd heat. - Lawler does a shameless plug for Lugz boots, saying he wants a pair of them for Christmas. - Vince stops by commissioner Foley's office and thanks him for booking him against Angle ... by slapping him across the cheek! Foley, coolly, tells him to come by later and try that again. - Vince checks out his pythons in the mirror. - CHRIS JERICHO vs. PERRY SATURN (w/ Terri Runnels) This one never really gets on track, Jericho blowing a Lionsault attempt. The Walls of Jericho get a quick submission win for Y2J. Terri sacrifices herself to distract Jericho, as Benoit and Dean Malenko ruin in. Malenko puts Jericho in the Texas Cloverleaf, and Benoit hits the headbutt off the top. This all seems to be building to a Jericho/Eddie Guerrero match, after Guerrero returns from a pulled hamstring. Vince is oiling up his guns when Trish Stratus comes in. Trish likes take-charge kind guys. Vince likes her large breasts. There's your new Mrs. McMahon, kiddoes. Stone Cold Steve Austin's shadow enters the building. - Faarooq & Bradshaw tell someone (off camera) that tonight is a one-night only deal unless they can prove themself. Pan over to reveal Jacqueline, who tells them to shut up and asks for a beer and a light for her cigar. - WILLIAM REGAL vs. STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN Regal gets his bumps in, but it's a no-brainer that Austin's going to eventually get the win with the Stunner. Uh-oh--ref bump. Regal brings in his European Title belt, but Austin catches him with the Stunner. Cover, but the groggy ref sees the belt still in the ring, thinks Austin used it, and DQ's him, giving Regal the win. Austin drops the ref with a Stunner, throws a can of beer at Regal, then pours out another on the unconscious referee. - Edge & Christian get pissed at Angle for only thinking about himself. They walk out on him. - ACOLYTE PROTECTION AGENCY/JACQUELINE vs. T&A/TRISH STRATUS The women start out, and end up going the distance, as the guys brawl outside the ring. Off a whip into the ropes Jackie does a leapfrog, then hits a float over DDT and the pin. That was, err, umm, whatever. Angle begs Foley to call off the match, but Foley says he can't because he called his wife and she's excited about seeing the match. Angle says he won't forget this. - Lita models lingerie at WWF New York. Dean Malenko is shown watching on a monitor. - Michael Cole gets comments from Vince McMahon. - Kurt Angle ... next! - Foley tells Debra that this match is a great idea. - They show a clip from the 1996 Royal Rumble of Jake "the Snake" Roberts clearing the ring of wrestlers with his giant snake. - Foley replaces Lillian Garcia for the introductions for the main event. He brings out Angle first, making fun of the wife bit from earlier, and Angle's Olympic medals. Vince is introduced as the billionaire with a net worth with more zeroes than at an Angle family reunion. VINCE MCMAHON vs. KURT ANGLE Angle is yelling at Foley when Vince comes up from behind and takes him down with a sloppy suplex. McMahon slides from the ring, grabs a mic, and says he--a former state wrestling champion--just took down the Olympic medal winner for two points. And it was so easy. McMahon then wheels around and bashes Foley in the head with the microphone! Angle joins in laying the boots into Foley. McMahon grabs a chair. Foley is rolled into the ring, where the beating continues. Foley goes after McMahon, but Angle levels the commissioner with a chairshot to the back. Here come Edge & Christian, carrying chairs as well. They waffle Foley with the Conchairto (which, thankfully, only gives the illusion making contact with Foley's head). Foley comes up with blood dribbling down his forehead. Stephanie McMahon runs in waving a piece of paper. "Stop beating on Mick Foley," she cries. She announces that because her mother Linda has been ruled mentally unfit, the WWF Board of Directors (huh?) has named ... Vince McMahon ... "*my Daddy!*" ... solely in charge of the WWF. That, friends, is a SHOCKING SWERVE. As his first act back in charge he inform Foley that his services will no longer be required. "You're FIRED!" Vince shakes hands all around, then heads up the ramp with Stephanie. On the stage he turns and tells Foley, "one more thing, Mick Foley: Merry Christmas!" - This Thursday: Nothing announced. - Next week: Nothing announced. Comments: Vince should have said "have a nice day!" I'm not sure what I think of this angle yet, but overall I thought this was one of the best RAW's in months. The Attitude is back. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Bottom Line: No Nitro next week, so I think I'll save some talk about the WWF until then. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Slobberknocker Central" and "Monday Night Recap" are copyright 2000 by John Petrie, and all opinions expressed therein are his own, and not those of "USLink". Check the "Slobberknocker Central" main page for info on how to receive the "Recap" free via E-Mail every week. Volume One, Number 266 of the "Monday Night Recap", December 18th, 2000.