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WWE Survivor Series 2000

by Samoa Rowe

November 19, 2000

-From Tampa, FL. Our hosts are Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler.

Test, Albert, and Trish Stratus vs. Steve Blackman, Crash Holly, and Molly Holly

I was watching WWF pretty religiously at the time and I have NO recollection of this feud. Blackman dukes it out with Albert, knocking him down with a leg sweep. Crash flies into Albert’s arms but Blackman drop-kicks him into a cover attempt. Albert punches down Crash and tags in Trish, who miscues a low blow on her own guy. Molly tags and chases Trish into the protection of Test. Crash nails a hurricanrana on Test for 2, but Test halts the momentum with a big boot. Trish makes a blind tag and misses an elbow drop on Crash. Molly is in and dominates Trish. Test and Albert help Trish turn it around, and Crash and Blackman have to save her from an Albert press slam! The men brawl on the floor, leaving Trish to hit a sloppy bulldog for 2. Molly comes back with a sunset flip for the win at 5:01. Weird opener here that was too fast paced and short to be boring, *.
Winners: Molly Holly, Crash Holly, and Steve Blackman

-Christian and Edge try to weasel out of helping Kurt Angle in his match with the scary Undertaker. Angle isn’t buying it.

-Tiger Ali Singh, D’Lo Brown, and Chaz are not allowed into the building because they’re not on the list.

-Road Dogg and K-Kwik cut a simply terrible rap on their way to the ring. I think Dogg was released almost immediately after this event, and K-Kwik would just float around until being quietly released the following spring. That would lead to them reunited in TNA as 3 Live Kru, and I kind of hate myself for remembering all of this.

Classic Survivor Series Match:
THE ONE Billy Gunn, Chyna, Road Dogg, and K-Kwik vs. The Radicalz (Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko, and Perry Saturn, with Terri Runnels)

I’m going to have the Radicalz’ theme in my head for the rest of the day. Gunn locks up with Saturn and tags in Chyna for a double suplex. Chyna completely dominates Saturn and I die a little inside. DDT by Chyna on Saturn leads to the match breaking down. Eddie clocks Chyna with the IC title and Saturn pins her at 2:30. Saturn fights off Road Dogg with a suplex and tags in a fresh Guerrero. Road Dogg’s jabs are cut off with an Eddie drop-kick to the knee. Road Dogg comes back with a superplex on Guerrero. Gunn tags but stupidly charges into the Radicalz corner and has to fight his way out. Gunn finishes Eddie with an inverted DDT at 6:00. Malenko storms the ring and sprints through a sequence of counters with K-Kwik. Benoit tags but eats a K-Kwik heel kick and head scissors takedown. Benoit’s German Suplex finishes K-Kwik at 7:20. The Radicalz isolate Road Dogg until Saturn eliminates him with a suplex at 8:46. Gunn is all alone against Benoit, Malenko, and Saturn! Gunn gets a hope spot when Saturn unwittingly super kicks Benoit at ringside, leading to Gunn finishing Malenko with the Fame-asser at 10:55. Benoit and Saturn urgently try to finish Gunn, as Benoit delivers the diving head butt. Benoit reverses a suplex and Saturn holds Gunn’s leg down for the pinfall at 12:38. How sad that the Radicalz had to cheat to beat BILLY GUNN in a handicap match situation. Complete middle of the road match here, as the Radicalz had a lot of dead weight to deal with, **.
Survivors: Chris Benoit and Perry Saturn

-The Rock arrives and refuses to speak with Lillian Garcia.

-Chris Jericho promises to beat Kane. In case you’ve forgotten, this was an insta-feud stemming from Jericho accidentally spilling coffee on Kane. And they dragged this feud out for two months, meaning 8 episodes of Raw and 8 episodes of Smackdown!

Chris Jericho vs. Kane

They slug it out in the early going, with Kane winning the exchange. Jericho quickens the pace with a baseball slide drop-kick, but catches his foot on the top rope in a dive. Kane drives Y2J into the ring steps. Jericho hangs Kane on the rope and nails the springboard drop-kick. Jericho drop-kicks the steps into Kane’s head, but Kane counters a cross body with a power slam. Kane takes control and sets a deliberate pace. Kane exposes a steel turnbuckle, but Jericho blocks. Jericho crotches Kane on the top rope, but the superplex is blocked. Jericho counters Kane’s flying clothesline with a drop-kick! Jericho makes a comeback, complete with a missile drop-kick. Jericho shoves Kane into the exposed turnbuckle for a close roll-up. Jericho applies the Walls and they fight over it for over a minute. Bulldog by Jericho, but Kane counters the Lionsault! Kane finishes with the choke slam at 12:32. This was slow and disjointed at times, but I was rooting for Jericho by the end of it, **.
Winner: Kane

-Terri Runnels informs the Radicalz that Triple H wants to meet with them later. Benoit laughs it up like a super-villain, which is pretty unsettling in retrospect.

-William Regal comes to the ring and makes fun of the Florida crowd for failing to properly elect a new president. Regal has more to say, but Holly’s music interrupts him.

European Championship:
William Regal © vs. Hardcore Holly

Hot start with both men exchanging strikes. Regal throws Holly into the turnbuckles and wrenches his previously broken arm into the ring post. Regal continues targeting the softened up arm of Holly. Regal does the royal wave while stretching the arm. Holly survives a cross arm breaker and delivers a cross body. Blind low blow by Regal, who then ties Holly in the ropes. Holly kicks himself to freedom and makes a comeback with running clotheslines. Holly drives Regal into the steps and clocks him with the European title for the DQ loss at 5:48. Nobody really wants to be European Champion anyway. Strangely one-sided match here, with a dead crowd and cop-out finish, *.
Winner via DQ: William Regal

-Trish Stratus chats with WWF Champion Kurt Angle backstage. Angle points out that tonight is the official start of Year Two for his legacy. Trish hits on him, but he’s too oblivious to figure it out.

The Rock vs. Rikishi

This feud is stemming from Rikishi running over Steve Austin on the orders of Triple H, which Rikishi claims he “Did it for da Rock.” The Rock sprints into the arena and unloads on Rikishi! The referee prevents Rock from using a chair, allowing a Rikishi super kick! Rikishi dishes out some methodical offense, Rock shows some fire, but Rikishi cuts the comeback short with a sidewalk slam. They brawl to the floor with Rikishi in the driver’s seat. The referee goes down when Rock is whipped into him. Rikishi grabs a sledgehammer and prepares to commit a homicide, but Rock catches him with the Rock Bottom! Rikishi recovers and retakes control with a series of head butts. Samoan Drop by Rikishi and the Butt Bomb, but Rock kicks out! Rikishi embarrasses Rock with the Stink Face (to fantastic crowd heat). Rock pops up with a clothesline but they both go down. Spinebuster by Rock, who stumbles into position for the Peoples’ Elbow! Rock makes sloooow cover but still wins at 11:21. The lava-hot crowd saved this one from being a complete wash, *½.
Winner: The Rock

-Rikishi isn’t taking this burial lying down and drops Rock with a super kick and trio of Banzai Bombs. Rikishi returns to dish out a fourth Banzai Bomb and to signal another month in the main event scene.

-Stone Cold Steve Austin arrives at the building.

-Triple H is hanging out with the Radicalz when Mick Foley interrupts. Foley says the Radicalz are banned from ringside for HHH’s match with Austin, which is also now No Disqualifications. Triple H is disturbingly okay with this news.

Women’s Championship:
Ivory © vs. Lita

Lita is smarting from a recent attack and charges into the ring for a hot start. Lita delivers a hip toss and enziguri. Ivory slaps the face and blocks a roll-up, prompting a hard clothesline from Lita. Ivory turns it around, choking Lita with her boot. Lita got busted open by one of Ivory’s shots. Steven Richards shows up at ringside and Lita catches him and Ivory with a flying cross body. Another cross body in the ring by Lita only gets 2. Richards pulls Ivory out of the way of the Litasault! Ivory swings the Women’s title, but Lita ducks and nails a suplex. Lita strips to her bra for the Litasault, but Ivory blocks with the title! Ivory steals the win at 4:54. This was so, so very sloppy, ¾*.
Winner and still Women’s Champion: Ivory

-Jonathan Coachman is waiting outside The Rock’s locker room for an update on Rock’s injuries.

-Chris Jericho ambushes Kane with a steel chair. Seeing as Jericho lost fair and square earlier, this doesn’t make him look good. Referees run in to separate them and this feud lives for another month.

-Kurt Angle cuts a promo before his match. He asks for a moment of silence so we can all reflect on our favorite moments from his first year in the WWF. He would ask for a vote, but since they’re in Florida, he doesn’t want them to blow it. He starts listing off his accomplishments but gets cut off by Undertaker’s embarrassing Kid Rock entrance music.

WWF Championship:
Kurt Angle © vs. The Undertaker

Undertaker is wearing goofy sparkly pajama pants and no one seems bothered by it except me. Angle stalls for time before the match, prompting Taker to grab a chair and offer it to Kurt. Undertaker then stupidly turns his back to remove his jacket and Angle swings it! The match finally begins with Angle dishing out rapid attacks. Taker turns it around with a flurry of strikes. Taker delivers Old School, but Angle rolls to ringside. Angle returns and sneaks in a German suplex! Taker catches Angle at ringside and drives him into the ring post. Taker hangs himself up on the ropes, allowing Angle to capitalize. Taker applies an armbar when Edge and Christian run in to stop the referee from seeing Angle tap. Angle grounds Undertaker for some punishment. Taker escapes a leg lock and finds time to beat up Edge and Christian. Angle eats the choke slam but the referee is slow to count due to E&C. Angle goes to work on Taker’s leg, but Taker reverses a Figure Four. Power slam by Taker gets 2, but Kurt reapplies the Figure Four around the ring post. Angle throws a low blow that the referee somehow didn’t see, despite looking right at them. Kurt blocks the Tombstone, but gets knocked off the apron. Angle hides under the ring and Taker pulls him out for the Last Ride. It would be over, but the referee notices that it isn’t Kurt, but an imposter (so lame). Kurt sneaks in for the quick roll-up to win at 15:58. If the goal was to make Kurt look like a joke, then mission accomplished. Another overly long and drawn out Undertaker singles match, *.
Winner and still WWF Champion: Kurt Angle

-Kurt Angle rushes to the parking lot and peels out of the arena.

Classic Survivor Series Match:
Edge, Christian, Bull Buchanan, and Goodfather (with Val Venis) vs. The Dudley Boyz and the Hardy Boyz

Buchanan kicks things off against both Dudleyz. Goodfather tags and clubs away on D-Von. Christian tags but suffers an inverted DDT from D-Von. Matt cleans house in the ring, planting Edge for 2. The match breaks down with only 3 minutes gone for a quadruple DDT spot. The Hardyz unveil Dudley colors and dominate until Val Venis interferes. Edge plants Matt for the elimination at 4:00. D-Von drops E&C with clotheslines, but Buchanan cheap shots, allowing Christian’s Unprettier for the pin at 5:09. Bubba tries to make quick work of Christian, setting him up for Jeff’s springboard leg drop. Jeff gets driven into the ring post and gets isolated by RTC, but Bubba gets a hot tag. Edge accidentally spears Buchanan, allowing a Bubba pinfall at 7:40. Bubba finishes Edge at 8:05 with a Bubba Bomb. Dudley gets double teamed and suffers a Goodfather Samoan Drop for the elimination at 8:40. Jeff Hardy is alone against Christian and Goodfather! Jeff survives long enough to pin Christian with a Swanton Bomb at 9:45. Val Venis botches his interference and Jeff finishes Goodfather at 10:03. Oddly booked match, and another dull outing in an evening full of them, **.
Survivor: Jeff Hardy

-Right to Censor swarms over Jeff, prompting the Dudleyz and Matt Hardy to make the save and clear the ring. They get in all the crowd-pleasing spots that the match was lacking and they put Val Venis and Steven Richards through tables.

-Triple H confirms his orders with the Radicalz, despite them not being able to come to ringside. J.R. and King have NO IDEA what this could mean.

No Disqualifications:
Triple H vs. Steve Austin

This is a heated showdown between two world class workers, so what can possibly go wrong? Austin opens a can of whoop-ass in the early going. HHH saves himself with a thumb to the eyes, but Austin delivers a knee lift to continue the assault. Austin directs the brawl towards the stage. Austin lifts up a metal set piece but HHH blocks and shifts the momentum. They brawl through the tech area and briefly go behind the curtain. They head back to the entrance aisle, where Triple H reverses a suplex. The brawl returns to ringside and they take turns dishing out punishment in typical SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT fashion. Austin bloodies HHH’s forehead and celebrates with a Steve-weiser. They enter the ring and HHH evens the odds with a low blow. HHH counters the Stunner with a neck breaker and takes control. Triple H takes advantage of Austin’s neck problems, but this match is starting to feel endless. Austin counters a Pedigree on the steps with a back drop through the announce table. Back to the ring, Austin blocks a low blow and nails the Stunner! Rather than go for the pin, Austin grabs a chair and wraps it around HHH’s neck. Triple H rolls to the floor and the brawl heads backstage. Austin whips HHH into a soda machine when the Radicalz swarm him! HHH tries to flee the arena in a car, much like Kurt Angle did earlier. Austin fights off the Radicalz and disappears into the parking lot. HHH is waiting to run over Austin and orders Benoit to find him. Austin suddenly appears in a forklift and lifts Triple H’s car into the air. Triple H pleads for mercy, but Austin drops the car 30 feet to the ground. Austin wins via first degree murder at 25:08. The match was a hot mess, with an endless brawl and a ridiculously phony conclusion, DUD.
Winner: Steve Austin

Final Thoughts: Worst Survivor Series ever? Probably. What’s even worse is that the WWF was having a banner year in 2000, so this show sticks out like a sore thumb. Speaking of thumbs, mine is way down.

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