Attendance: 16,504
Buys: 420,000
WWF had a good run on PPV in 2000 until the previous months KOTR, will Fully Loaded rebound here or keep the down trend going?
Test & Albert, Trish Stratus Vs. Hardyz/Lita
Albert has the upper hand Vs. Matt but when Test is in he is knocked off the top and Matt hits a leg drop. Lita tags in when Trish is in but she goes and tags Albert in. Poetry in motion and a double suplex to Albert then Hardyz and Lita suplex Test and Trish, crowd are on fiy-ah as the tops are removed. Albert does a double underhook suplex on Jeff, who fights out of a Pump Handle Slam when Test is in but Test is soon in control. Matt tags in after Test misses an elbow but he gets Pump Handle Slammed. Lita tornado DDTs Test then a crossbody to the outside on Albert, she gets 2 off a hurricanrana on Test but her momentum is stopped by an Albert cheapshot then Test Powerbombs her and Trish bulldogs her, weird watching Trish before she was good. Lita gets the 3 via moonsault at 13:11. PM - Trish whips Lita as T&A attack Hardyz, jeez sore losers much? ***1/2 - Damn good opener where something was always happening meaning it was never boring. Thoroughly enjoyable.
Edge tells Commissioner Foley that Christian has food poisoning.
Tazz Vs. Al Snow
Al starts better until Tazz rakes the eyes, superkick by Snow. Tazz hits a Brooklyn Slam (I hate when people explain something which can come across as patronising but I shall explain anytime someone uses Hardcore's Alabama Slam I put there place in place of Alabama) out of the corner. Snow registers a 2 after a leg drop and moonsault from the top. Snow gets head, oi-oi, but
Tazz chop blocks him. Me tinks there's a boring chant, fans spirits may of been buoyed by that opener. Snow does his underhook headbutts but Tazz hits a suplex. Snow tries to roll to avoid Tazzmission but Tazz keeps it locked in and Al taps at 5:21. *1/2 - Short and inoffensive but on the flip it did feel HeAt level and not PPV worthy. I seem to remember Al wrestling at I think Unforgiven 2003 in a match to announce RAW or something but I can't think of any other PPV appearance after this bar a make up the Rumble numbers one. (Did he even have one of them?)
We hear Christian being sick then someone annoys HHH by sending Stephanie flowers, the card makes it sound like Angle did it .... for The Rock. (Longish time wrestling fans will get that reference, hard to believe was 16 years ago, but it would of made more sense had Rikishi sent the flowers, I swung for a homer and got a ball to the noggin)
European Title - Eddie Guerrero (c) (w/ Chyna) Vs. Perry Saturn (w/ Terri Runnels)
You know when you buy something and get something with it that you don't necessarily want well that's how I think WWF felt with Saturn and to an extent Malenko when they got Benoit and Guerrero from WCW (Not even Dean's fantastic Backlash showing saved him, show me anyone not named Benoit and maybe Angle, though not 100% there based on 2000 Angle, who could take Scotty 2 Hotty to a **** match). Eduardo is in complete control including hitting a slingshot senton and a top rope hurricanrana. Saturn does hit a powerbomb but after a tornado DDT by Eddy the top of Saturn's head is cut. Eddie does a brainbuster and annoyingly Saturn is soon back up, at least sell for a little bit. Chyna and Saturn break the announce table, you may of heard about that in Jericho's book. Perry elbow drops Eddie's back for .... 3? Huh? at 8:10. ** - Meh, average, you get the message i'm sure.
Christian is found pouring water into a toilet to simulate the sound of being sick, weird camera angle. Mick says the Tag Title match is on.
WWF Tag Titles - Edge/Christian (c) Vs. Acolytes
Cheap heat promo by the Champions, JFK would've killed himself had he spent five more minutes in Dallas. Bradshaw comes out and says about Edge and Christian cutting a cheap heat promo and then he goes and cuts a cheap yay for the local city promo, pot-kettle-black, though this may be Bradshaw's best promo though that's like saying you're Cleveland Browns best ever player (Without the initial JB or ON). Poetry in motion w/ a splash but Bradshaw catches Christian and hits a fallaway slam. Acolytes in control, Powerbomb to Edge as there's a 'USA' chant. Bradshaw is playing face-in-peril, E&C go for a double superplex but are pushed down. Faarooq in, Spinebusters and Clotheslines From Hells all round but the Acolytes win the match via DQ, but not the titles, as Edge uses a blatant belt shot at 5:28. *1/2 - I don't like Lame-O, as E&C would say, endings, kind of pointless really. (Doesn't that sum up the Acolytes perfectly though)
Backstage Angle attacks Takers knee with a wrench.
IC Title - Steel Cage - Val Venis (c) (w/ Trish) Vs. Rikishi
Val tries to leave early but Rikishi throws him down. Val gets some shots in on the legs then throws Kishi into the cage but is soon being beat down in the corner but a low blow avoids the Stinkface then he sends Kishi about 1080' with a clothesline. Val is nearly out of the cage but Kishi pulls him back in. Val is cut from the cage. Samoan drop, running butt bump and a bonzai drop but Val gets his foot on the rope. Rikishi goes to leave but Trish channels Terry Gordy to stop him. The Money Shit gets 2. Hereeeeee's Lita with a belt and she whips Trish, I half expect the ref to make it a tag match, 10 seconds to guess who it is. Val is down, taking the ref out, and we get the move of the PPV as Rikishi goes all Superfly and splashes Val off the cage, put a folk in Val he is done! Rikishi goes to leave but Tazz hits him with a camera and Val gets the 3 at 14:08. *** - I am tempted to go 1/2 more but that ending man, urgh. The first 14 minutes were good and fair does to Val showing nerves of steel taking that dive from Kishi. (Possibly does deserve that 1/2 even with the ending, when/if I re watch I shall have a think about it)
Harvey Whippleman takes HHH to Kurt's room where we hear a scuffle then Jericho comes out and HHH is shown laid out. Then in the ring Shane McMahon calls out The Rock, who agrees with Dallas that Shane's a pussy. Benoit is on the titantron and he's cut up Rocks clothes. Diving Headbutt to the Leopard Print, my gawd!
Mark Calaway Vs. Kurt Angle
Kurt is KOTR and Bikerman is coasting since '99. Angle trashed Calaway's bike and attacked the knee on SMACKDOWN! and earlier tonight, will Mark sell it? Calaway rides down during Angle's entrance and is in control from the off though there's been no bell yet. When they get in the ring Kurt gets in a couple of shits (I assume/hope that's a typo) but is soon big booted and suplexed. Wrench to the knee by Kurt, maybe now it'll be sold, but Calaway still has the advantage. Knee shots by Kurt as the crowd shouts 'Kurt Sucks' prompting Jerry to shout 'Kurt Does Not Suck' which makes JR chuckle. Kurt has *gasp* sustained offence. Chokeslam by Bikerman rendering Kurt's work pointless and to add insult to injury it's finished with a Last Ride at 7:34. * - Basically an extended squash which is something a man in Kurt's position shouldn't be put in. If the knee had been sold then maybe i'd of bumped it. (After 6 years Taker finally started trying and they had a corker at No Way Out 2006) (Wait i've already added comments? this is a directors cut of a directors cut i've gone all Blade Runner up in here!)
Last Man Standing - Triple-H Vs. Chris Jericho
The second of the triple main events, Tazz/Snow may of been the first one. Jericho has taped ribs, DDP should sue for gimmick infringement. Jericho is on top, hits his second rope dropkick and a spinning back elbow off the top. HHH sends Jericho ringside and hotshots his ribs on the barricade, this is followed by mid-section work by HHH which gets a thumbs up from me and probably a shake of the head from Bikerman. Usually a abdominal stretch gets a tut from me but it makes sense here, Jericho hip tosses out of it. HHH blocks the Lionsault by putting his knees up. Jericho does a crotch chop but Hunter is all oh no you didn't and does the Pedigree, Jericho is up at 9 as HHH lies across the tope rope. HHH gets shots in with a chair and tries a chair assisted Pedigree but is lowblowed. Jericho may of sent HHH's mind to JR Ewing's office with a chair shot that busts HHH bad. Jericho is on top, bulldog on the chair then HHH does his whipped over the top spot. They do a double TV monitor bit and are both up at 9. Jericho applies the Walls and doesn't break it when HHH makes the ropes, Walls to Stephanie now. HHH misses with a Sledgehammer shot and Jericho has it and gets HHH in the mid-section. They do a back suplex through the table which if I remember right was called on the fly due to Chyna breaking the other table earlier, the one they originally planned to use, HHH is up at 9 but Jericho is down for the count at 23:08. **** - Some people may not like the slow pacing, especially Hunters early offence, but I enjoyed the match as a whole.
WWF Title - The Rock (c) Vs. Chris Benoit (w/ Shane McMahon)
Benoit has one of Rock's torn shirts on. Benoit gets a cheap shot in as Shane causes a distraction but soon Rock is on top. Gutwrench gutbuster by Benoit as he is getting a foot in the match, when the challenger heads up top he is crotched and back superplexed back to ring level. Benoit registers 2 counts from a belt shot and a snap suplex but then runs into a powerslam which gets the Champion a 2 count. Shane gets involved a couple of times, he low bridges Rock to outside and later hits a couple of clotheslines at ringside after Rock applies a figure four after a leg whip. Not sure if Rock meant to powerbomb Chris and fell backwards or was actually going for a hotshot but that's what he does. Chris hits the Swan Dive for 2 then Rock blocks Chris' punches and hits his own then a Peoples Elbow only gets 2 after a spinebuster. Shane uses a chair to wipe out Earl Hebner then when he comes to Rock has the chair, Crossface to Benoit as Earl calls for the bell at 19:29 and awards Chris the Title via DQ due to him thinking Rock hit him with the chair but Commissioner Foley comes out and restarts the match, Rock has been busted open by Shane. Germans get Benoit 2 then he applies the Crossface but Rock gets a rope break, he tries for another but is Rock Bottomed for 3 at 2:39. ***1/2 - I enjoyed it even with the silly(ish) DQ stuff for the original ending to the match. I seem to remember Shane trying to unite HHH/Angle over the fact they hated Rock had the championship but that ploy failed to as Rock retained at SummerSlam. (He did try to get their focus on Rocky but the Angle/Steph stuff vetoed that heading into the 'Slam)
20 / 40 - .500 may seem average but rather than an average PPV where every match has the same score we have a PPV with some cracking matches and a few short duds, nothing is actively bad. I have read some observations that the veterans all beat the newcomers in the three main events but that's misleading really as giving Benoit the title would've been a mistake at this point in time so Rock kind of had to go over but in the mean time Benoit was given a respectful match he didn't look out of his depth at the main level, HHH didn't necessarily have to win the LMS match as Jericho did have more to gain but again Jericho looked HHH's equal before going down and lets not forget had an injury going in which almost saves face in a way however the Kurt/UT match/squash was unforgivable, not to be dramatic or anything, it's not just the fact Angle, the man who won KOTR last month and would be in the Title match the next month, lost it's the way he lost that was bad. The PPV delivers in four matches here - the last two matches, the IC and the opener based on these matches and the fact that the rest is short inoffensive stuff Fully Loaded 2000 gets a big thumbs up from me.
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