Nitro: Oct. 8th
Mike Tenay and Scott Hudson usher in another jam-packed Nitro with a rundown of the night’s big matches: Chavo Guerrero squaring off in a grudge match against Jerry Lynn, Mike Awesome taking on Booker T, DDP facing Flair, and, starting off the show, RVD and the Impact Players in six-man tag action against Kronik and Dean Malenko.
The six-man tag starts off as a melee, with Kronik and Malenko cleaning house on the Fringe group. The Fringe come back and, through cheating and the help of Lita, manage to turn the tide in their favor, until Lita is dragged away kicking and screaming by Molly Holly, Stacy Keibler and Torrie Wilson. Cameras follow Lita being dragged through the halls and thrown out into the night, revealing WCW’s newest strike against the Lunatic Fringe: the group is locked out of the arena, with security stationed at the door, a checklist in hand of all of Heyman’s followers. Heyman complains and argues with the security guard, who radios into someone, while the action inside continues, with the IP losing steam as they wait for the help that never arrives. Kronik take advantage and squash their smaller rivals, while Malenko gets the drop on a confused and frightened RVD and sinks in the Texas Cloverleaf. Kronik nails both Players with High Times, and the win, pinfall or submission, is academic. Arn comes out and adds insult to injury by informing the defeated Fringe team that the Impact Players will defend the WCW Tag Titles against Kronik, while RVD will get a special challenge; a triple threat, one fall for each title, with Malenko being WCW’s representative.
Another stinging defeat follows the tag match for the Fringe, when Jerry Lynn drops a DQ loss to Chavo Guerrero. Chavo dominates Lynn, showing a ruthless side of himself never before seen that takes Lynn totally off his game. When nothing he can do stops Chavo’s onslaught, Lynn takes the easy way out and blasts the ref, drawing the DQ, and heading for the hills. Unfortunately, it is announced later on that the following week, Lynn will have nowhere to hide in a steel cage rematch.
Flush with his companies victories over the Fringe, Arn strolls to the locked security door to meet with the Fringe. He finds a predictably irate Heyman, screaming and sweraing while his charges mill around, complaining about the cold. When Heyman sees Arn come through the door, he charges over like a bull, his face red as a tomato. “What in the hell do you think you’re doing keeping us out here?” he bellows.
“It’s real simple, Paul; this is a wrestling company, not a hotel. The Dudleys are WWF Champions, not WCW. Same with Rhyno. And we don’t have Tommy Dreamer, or Steven Richards, or Saturn scheduled-“
“I don’t care!” Heyman screams. “We’re not animals! This is inhuman!”
“No, Paul, this is business. And if you don’t have business at a WCW event, you’re not welcome at a WCW event. I can’t put it any simpler then that.”
“Well, what about Jericho? Is he in the building? He seems to go wherever he wants, so why can’t we?”
Heyman makes a move for the door, trying to catch Arn off-guard; the security guard catches Heyman and puts him back. “As a matter of fact,” Arn says without missing a beat, “Chris Jericho is not here tonight. I spoke with him personally, and he informed me he would not be in attendance. So, the answer is still no. But nice try.”
Heyman stomps away and screams like a banshee, throwing his hands in the air and walking in circles. Finally, he composes himself, straightens his tie, and approaches Arn again. “Fine, if you won’t let my boys in to grab a bite to eat and a cup of coffee to warm their bones, at least let me in.”
Arn raises an eyebrow. “For what?”
“I have business in there!”
“Not with me, you don’t. Not with any of my boys.”
“Oh, but that’s where you’re wrong, Arn. You see, Arn,” Heyman says, slipping an arm around Arn’s shoulders, “one of”-Paul removes his arm briefly to make quotation marks in the air-“‘your boys’ is no longer proud to wave the WCW banner. One of ‘your boys’ isn’t too happy he got passed over for a title shot in favor of a guy who has’t wrestled regularly in a year, and is over 50 years old. One of ‘your boys’ is tired of languishing on what he thinks is a dying show, and is looking to make a switch. I need to get in there so I can help counsel this disgruntled employee of yours towards the right decision.”
“And I suppose the right decision would be the Fringe?”
“Now, now, you know better, that’s privileged information. A client has privacy rights, and I can’t go violating those! So, as you can see, I have a valid reason for entering, so if you’d just-“
Arn shoves Paul’s arm off his shoulder. “I don’t think so.”
Paul’s face flushes, his eyes going steel cold. “I have been more then patient with your crap, Anderson. Now either you let me in, or- Hey, wait a second!”
Arn ignores Paul’s fading voice as he steps through the door and closes it behind him, trapping Paul on the outside. Paul tries yelling for Arn, but gets nothing but his own voice echoed back. When more screaming and pounding get him nowhere, Heyman drops back and gets on his cell phone as the segment goes to commercial.
Booker heads to the ring, but before Awesome is introduced, Booker grabs a mic. “Last week, that pudgy sucka, Paul Heyman, he came to me and told me the Lunatic Fringe was the place to be. Ya know somethin’, WCW is the only home the Bookerman has ever known. Were it not for WCW, Booker T wouldn’t be a four-time, four-time, four-time, four-time WCW Champion! WCW is the only home I wanna know … but it’s awful hard, knowing WCW allowed that sucka-ass fool The Rock to compete for our main belt!” The crowd gives Booker a negative reply to his dissing of the respected champ. “And then, instead of giving me a rematch, they give the shot to Ric Flair! And now I-” The crowd boos even more at the disparaging of Flair. “As I was sayin’, now I gotta win back my belt in a fatal four-way, with Rock, Flair, and Diamond Dallas Page! Maybe Heyman was right … maybe WCW needs the Bookerman more then the Bookerman needs WCW. All I can tells you is that come No Mercy, it don’t matter who Booker T is with, cause Booker T will be the five-time, five-time, five-time-, dive-time, FIVE-TIME WCW Champion! Now can you dig that … sucka?”
Booker fuels his irritation and disappointment into his match, but finds himself at odds with Mike Awesome’s determination to prove his worth to Arn and the WCW brass. The frustration in Booker visibly multiplies as every for-sure finishing blow he hits only gets long two-counts from the former WWF Champion. But Awesome finds himself fighting the same problem: a fiercely determined opponent, desperate to prove something with a victory. After an Awesome Bomb, Awesome goes for a frog splash, but Booker moves out of the way and Awesome eats mat. An attempt to follow-up with a Harlem Hangover comes up empty for Booker, but a second try at the frog splash doesn’t, and Awesome earns a hard-fought victory. When Awesome leaves the ring in triumph, Booker snaps and destroys the ringside area, throwing the stairs, tearing apart the announcers’ table and throwing chairs.
The black cloud of Booker’s tirade hangs over the main event for the evening, Flair’s match against his fatal four-way opponent, DDP, especially in light of DDP’s run-in with Paul Heyman the previous week. Flair talks to DDP off-mic, but DDP ignores Flair’s inquisitions and gets to the business of the match. Like Awesome/Booker, the two are evenly matches in their determination and desire to win, if for nothing else then the bragging rights going into Unforgiven. But Booker’s bitterness compels him to approach the ring, a steel chair in hand … and right behind Booker is Heyman. Booker slides into the ring as Flair and DDP trade blows, winding up the chair to strike Flair in the back. Heyman slides in behind him and grabs hold of the chair. Booker turns to see Heyman the anchor weighing down his arms and starts to argue. Flair manages to drop DDP and, along with the ref, approaches Booker and Heyman; Flair issues a string of curses at the both of them. But taking his eye off DDP proves the mistake, as DDP rolls him up with a schoolboy, and the ref, seeing the pinfall attempt, counts the three. Heyman drops out of the ring, smiling, arms out in a sort of full-body shrug, while DDP and Booker regard both Heyman and each other with suspicion … and Flair watches all three, the horror of the situation evident on his face.
Smackdown: Oct. 11th
To avoid another embarrassing lockout like the one on Nitro, the Fringe arrive at the arena early and wait for the WWF to join them. The frustration on the faces of the WWF people betray a copycat ploy was in the works. The failure causes Regal to adjust the evening’s match docket, but sticks it to the Fringe by stacking the heavy-hitters against them; Kane teams with The APA against The Dudleys and RVD (a preview of RVD’s second opponent for the triple threat at No Mercy), The Undertaker gets Dreamer, Angle gets Tazz, and in the main event, Austin challenges Rhyno for the WWF Title.
Regal starts off with a message for the “insurgents” (as he calls them) within the company, warning them that their divisive actions and attitudes would not be tolerated, and, as a result, all insurgents will be kept off the show tonight as punishment (without pay, he adds gleefully). Regal’s announcement is met with harsh criticism from the crowd, but Regal shows no care or concern for the people … until Jericho strolls out and joins him in the ring. Regal blanches as Jericho gets right in his face, silent but as serious as a heart attack. Regal starts to stutter and try to come up with something to say, but all he gets out are random letters. Jericho cuts off the stammering with a stiff slap across the jaw that sends Regal to his knees. Alternating of shock, fear and rage flash across Regal’s face, but Jericho’s is a mask of stone. “Edge and Matt and Jeff and their friends, they aren’t the problem,” says Jericho. He points his bat in Regal’s face; “You are the problem. You and Austin and Undertaker and Angle and all your cronies. Every one of them has put 110% of their efforts in doing right by this company and fighting proudly for the WWF name, but if they don’t do it your way, they’re traitors. Meanwhile, you guys keep coming up empty against these ‘enemies’, but somehow, you come out smelling like a rose.” Jericho gets down on his haunches; Regal scurries back into the corner, but Jericho follows him and gets back down on his level. “Lemme make myself perfectly clear, Willie: this ends tonight. You’re afraid of the Fringe taking over? You’re afraid of WCW taking over? This is the hostile takeover you shoulda been
watching out for. Starting tonight, your reign of terror over the WWF superstars is done. I’m leading this war, and the firts thing I’m doing? Austin’s little match tonight against Rhyno … I’ll be refereeing that.” Jericho stands upright and walks off, leaving a quaking Regal on the mat in the corner.
The news of Jericho’s confrontation spreads through the locker room like wildfire, furthering the divide between the loyalists and the separtists. The APA vow to exterminate Jericho and his buddies “for free”, while Edge & Christian and their brethren vow to build on Jericho’s bold proclamation. Their first strike is against the APA, during their six-man tag with Kane against the Fringe trio of RVD and the Dudleys. Kane has the match well in hand, dominating the smaller RVD with a power-based offense, and helping the APA with out-brawling the Dudleys. The sight of Edge & Christian coming down to ringside sends the crowd into a frenzy; the masters of the Con-chair-to lay in wait at the end of the aisle, poised like tigers ready spring at a gazelle. When the match breaks down into a melee, they spring into action, taking out everyone with chairs. Christian pins Bubba Ray Dudley and Edge goes down for a phony three-count, which the crowd counts along with. Before more loyalists can run over Edge & Christian, they high tail it to safer parts.
The anti-establishment backlash continues when Undertaker, getting ready for his match, winds up jumped and beaten by an angry mob led by Jericho. ‘Taker is bound, dragged into the parking lot and tossed in the trunk of a car. Jericho walks up to the driver, the Big Show, and gives him a nod and a clap on the shoulder. “Make sure he gets the treatment he deserves, Show,” says Jericho.
In the ring, a bandaged and bruised Dreamer gets a count-out victory, of which Heyman is quick to gloat about. “Ya see? This is why I hired this man!” he proclaims. “Austin? Beat his ass into the ground. Undertaker? Too scared to show up! The WWF’s biggest stars are dropping like flies, and half of their own roster hates those guys anyway! All there’s left to do is for the Innvator of Violence to finally rid the world of that pathetic piece of garbage, Rav-“
“Tommy …” says a familiar voice, echoing through the arena. “The so-called Innovator Of Violence. Brought to the WWF to persecute a broken, washed-up, pathetic piece of garbage called Raven.” Raven’s face, bathed mostly in shadows and obscured by what looks like a cyclone fence, fills the TitanTron. “How pathetic could I be if it took you almost three years to pin me in ECW? How innovative could you be since you pinned me with a DDT? Do you want to know what true innovation is, Tommy? You see, Tommy, Commissioner Regal thought a Last Man Standing match would settle our differences, but I declined and took it up with Linda McMahon. Linda McMahon wants this over, Tommy, and she gave me a blank check. And I filled that blank check, Tommy, and I cashed it … do you know what I got for my money? A Hell In A Cell, wrapped in barbed wire.” The crowd, Heyman and the announcers gasp; Tommy’s only response is his eyes growing wider. “Weapons, all around the ring; canes, shovels, sledgehammers, screwdrivers … everything I could think of, Tommy, it’s inside the cage. And the man who can’t answer a 10 count is the winner; the ref cannot stop the match under any circumstances, and if there is a tie, the match is restarted. How’s that for innovation, Tommy? Does that excite you, Tommy? Because it makes me sick. I got in this business to wrestle, Tommy; I got in this business to be World Champion. I never meant for things to get to this point. Because this isn’t about winning anymore, Tommy. You’ve pushed me farther then I ever wanted to go with another human being. I don’t intend on walking out of No Mercy, Tommy; I fully intend on spending weeks in the hospital. I know going in that I will lose blood, break bones, tear flesh and muscle … I may never walk again after next Sunday. My career as a wrestler will very likely be over next Sunday. But it’s a small price to pay, Tommy, for what I’m going to do to you. Make no mistake, Tommy; what I have planned for you would be considered attempted murder if it weren’t inside the wrestling ring. I may not walk away from next Sunday, Tommy, but you … you’ll be lucky to ever walk again.” The camera pans back; wherever Raven is, he is already inside the hellish structure, his hands gripping the barbed wire steel mesh of the cell’s walls … and bleeding … and he is smiling. “My hell on earth will be being trapped in the broken, crippled body I will inherit next Sunday, knowing I had to inflict such unspeakable things on a human being. Your hell on earth … will be knowing it was Raven who orchestrated your demise, inside my innovation of violence. Quoth the Raven, nevermore!”
The 20-megaton bombshell of the Hell On Earth match sends a bolt of panic through the Fringe. Unfortunately, it is nothing the WWF can take credit for, and find themselves still struggling with an uphill fight to get any traction. The WWF sees that with Angle’s match against Tazz, as Tazz comes out with nearly half the Fringe roster for moral support. Mike Awesome tries to intervene, but is kept at bay by the army of warriors on the arena floor, and given a stern beatdown as well. But with their focus on keeping Awesome from getting anywhere, the group forgets about the match, and Angle takes advantage of a Tazz mistake to take to the air and hits the Angle Slam for a decisive victory. Angle makes a break for it after the victory is announced, lest he incur the wrath of Heyman’s collective bunch of thugs. Tazz grabs a microphone and demands a rematch on the next Smackdown, under submission rules, which Angle is all too happy to accept. Heyman dares Angle to up the ante and put his title shot on the line; Angle counters that, should he win, the Fringe will be banned from ringside at Unforgiven, on punishment of the stripping of the WWF Title from Rhyno. Heyman doesn’t hesitate to accept the offer.
Before the main event can begin, Austin finds Jericho in the back halls. Austin buries a finger in Jericho’s chest, his lip turned up in a snarl. “You don’t make the damn rules round here, son,” Austin says.
Before Austin can say anything else, Jericho slaps Austin’s hand away. Austin looks from his hand to Jericho’s eyes, his own eyes burning with hatred. Jericho disregards it. “You don’t either, boy. Not anymore.” Austin seethes a moment, then springs at Jericho; Jericho moves out of the way. When Austin turns back around, Jericho slams Austin back against the wall, one arm across Austin’s throat, speaking through clinched teeth. “You wanna screw with me, Austin? You wanna prove you’re the man to lead this company? Save it for No Mercy, and you can try your damndest to beat that into me. I promise you, you won’t get the job done, cause you can’t the job done anymore, Steve.” Austin tries to squirm out of the hold; Jericho punches Austin in the gut, then presses harder on Austin’s throat and leans in so close, his and Austin’s nose tips touch. “Just keep trying my patience tonight, Austin. Just keep on doing what you’re doing, and see how long it takes me to count to three.” Jericho releases the hold, and Austin collapses to his knees, gasping for breath. Jericho squats down and says in Austin’s ear; “Snap to it, soldier. You’re up next.”
The entire match, Austin spends with one eye on Rhyno and one on Jericho, but never making an overt move against him; in fact, whenever Jericho steps in with a five-count or to stop the use of closed fists, Austin breaks almost immediately, but not without a hateful glare thrown Jericho’s way. Likewise, with Jericho’s wrecking ball attitude towards all people Fringe-associated and zero tolerance for shit, Rhyno gives Jericho a wide berth too. In Austin, Rhyno has his hands full with an opponent of just as much piss and vinegar as himself, and just as much of a sadistic meanstreak. But Rhyno’s tenacity and brute strength overwhelm Austin, and, right before Rhyno can unleash the Gore, Austin bails. Jericho scoops up his bat and circles around Austin, ordering him back in the ring; Austin considers it a moment, knowing he can’t compete with Jericho’s bat, but frustrated with an opponent who won’t stay down for anything or anyone. Finally, without another viable option, Austin gets back in the ring, and reverses a Gore into a Stunner … but only gets two. Austin jumps up and screams at Jericho about it being a slow count; Jericho lets Austin blather on for a few moments until Austin shoves Jericho. Jericho shoves Austin back, right into a schoolboy by Rhyno, but Jericho signals for the disqualification. Both Austin and Rhyno are up to protest the decision; Jericho starts to leave, but Austin pulls him back and argues. Jericho asks for a mic and says; “I told you not to provoke me, Austin. You pushed me. I won’t stand for your crap anymore. If you wanna blame someone for not beating that stump-dumb human wall over there, look in the mirror.”
Rhyno grabs Jericho and tries whipping him into the corner, but Jericho puts on the brakes before he hits the turnbuckles. Rhyno, too busy setting up the Gore, doesn’t notice and charges; Jericho turns, sees Rhyno coming and swings. The bat explodes on the head of Rhyno, and the Man-Beast drops to the ground like a stone in a lake. Austin, in total shock, just stares as Jericho drops to the floor and walks off, never taking his eyes off Austin … and smiling.
Nitro: Oct. 15th
The final Nitro before No Mercy gets off to a hot start with RVD issuing an open challenge to defend the US Title against any and all comers in WCW. Not one or two but three people answer his challenge: Hugh Morrus, Mike Sanders and Shawn Stasiak. RVD tries to beg off his multitude of challengers, but Arn comes out with a better idea: a gauntlet match. RVD protests, but Arn insists, and the threat of being stripped of the US Title is enough to convince RVD. Arn springs another surprise on RVD, bringing out Malenko as the special referee for the matches, but this time, RVD keeps his mouth shut and gets to defending the title. Stasiak is the first in line and gives RVD a good fight, but falls quickly to the Five-Star Frog Splash. RVD doesn’t even have time to catch his breath before Malenko calls in Sanders. RVD is too busy arguing to notice Sanders, and gets caught in a roll-up, escaping at 2 and 7/8ths. Sanders takes RVD for a long 7 minutes, unloading an offensive cannon on the US Champ. It is only by way of a fluke backslide that RVD is able to put away Sanders, and by then, he is spent. But Morrus is in the ring and on the attack just that quick, overpowering RVD with his size and strength. RVD tries to bail, but Malenko grabs RVD by the hair and tosses him back in the ring and orders him to continue. It takes everything RVD has to mount any kind of offense, but with a tank nearly on empty after two opponents, Morrus is too much to bear. RVD finds his way out when he takes an opening to riddle Morrus with his fast kicks, only to land wrong on a spinning jump kick. RVD tries to stand, but collapses, and Malenko has no choice but to call the match, and putting Malenko’s US Title shot in jeopardy.
But even more disturbing then the thought of the cancellation of the US/IC Title match is the controversy surrounding Booker T and DDP. Upon hearing Booker T has arrived in the arena, Flair and Arn go to his dressing room to confront him. Booker sees them coming and slams the door shut. A check on DDP gets them another locked door, and a sinking feeling that the unity in WCW is coming undone.
The steel cage rematch between Chavo and Lynn adds an element of brutality to an already explosive match; both men end up with blood on their face from face-to-face meetings with the steel. Lynn manages to hit Chavo with the cradle piledriver, but his sadistic need to punish Chavo with a second proves his mistake, and Chavo mounts the comeback and wins with a top-rope brainbuster. A singles victory over Justin Credible by Bryan Clarke adds to the momentum for WCW, keeping the Fringe, at least on one battleground, at arm’s length. And while he is still considered persona non grata among WCW’s locker room, Mike Awesome’s challenge to Tazz gives the company another front through which a blow can be struck at Heyman’s collective.
As well, the Big Show’s appearence strikes at WCW’s other hostile rival, the WWF. “Two years ago, The Undertaker thought I needed to learn a lesson,” says the Big Show. “He took me to the middle of the desert and left me there to die. For two years, I have wanted revenge. This past Monday, I got my opportunity. With the help of Chris Jericho and his friends, I got my hands on The Undertaker, and I drove him out to the middle of nowhere. I beat him until he couldn’t open his eyes or lift his arms, and then I dumped him in the middle of a barren wasteland and left him to rot! The Undertaker likes to say he makes people famous … well, I’m the most famous person he’s ever encountered. I’ll go down in history as the man who took down The Undertaker, and this Sunday, at Unforgiven, I’ll make it permanent!”
An even bigger pop for the crowd is the return of The Rock, a defacto face to the crowd for his respect of the WCW Title and the duties of being the champion. Rocky faces and defeats Mark Jindrak, but sends the young star off with a handshake, and pumps up the crowd with the promise to do the WCW Title justice come Sunday.
But the blight of the DDP/Booker still mars the positive outlook, and their tag match against O’Haire & Palumbo only fuels the fire when Heyman comes down to ringside. Booker and DDP pay him no mind, but it’s all but impossible for O’Haire and Palumbo to suspect the worst, that two of their most beloved and prominent figures have sold out. The weight of such a possibility puts O’Haire and Palumbo off their game, and Booker & DDP take advantage of it for the win. Heyman makes a big show of giving the thumbs-up to DDP and Booker, and applauds them exuberantly as they have their arms raised in victory.
With DDP and Booker stuck in the public eye, Flair and Arn take the opportunity to confront them in the ring. Both are hesitant to speak, but Heyman is more then willing to put his two cents in. “I think the two of you need to head back to the locker room and leave these two alone!” cries Heyman. “They have done nothing to deserve your scrutiny or your persecution!”
“You got no business here,” says Arn coolly. “I want you to take your carcass out of my ring, and take your low-down, rotten snakes in the back with you.”
“Oh, but I do have business here, Arn! I have a vested interest in this. The outcome of this represents a lot of hard work and money on my part, so I have every right in the world to stand here!”
Flair steps forward, his demeanor calm, but, in a way, saddened, like a disappointed father. “Guys,” he says, addressing Booker and DDP directly, “if there is something I’ve done, or Arn has done, that has offended you or made you felt like your contributions to World Championship Wrestling weren’t appreciated, I apologize. It was never the intent to overlook or insult-“
“Well, you did that,” snaps Heyman.
Flair looks at Heyman, and his face floods with red; his words come out in the drawn-out, one-word-at-a-time style synonymous with Flair when he is angry. “Was I talking to you? I don’t think so! I don’t think so! Why don’t you shut your big yap and walk your fat ass to the back and let WCW handle its own business?”
The music of The Rock breaks in. There is no fanfare or posturing by The Rock; dressed in his street clothes, Rock walks with a purpose into the ring, the WCW Title dangling from his hand. Heyman is almost apoplectic. “And what do you call this? How is he letting WCW handle its own bus-“
Heyman’s speech is cut off by The Rock getting right in his face, leaning down over him like a falling tree. Heyman gulps for a second and tries to stammer out a word, but gets drowned out by the People’s Champ. “The Rock is telling you, The Rock is begging you, The Rock will pay you to know your role and shut your mouth!” The crowd bursts like a balloon, but Rock is on a roll. “You come out here, you come out on Nitro, not even your show … say, whatever happened to your show? Oh, that’s right, your piece of crap company went bankrupt! You come out here on Nitro and you say”-Rock drives his voice up as high in the octave range as it will go-“‘I have a right to be here! I have business here!’ The only thing you got business with is a treadmill, since your fat ass spends so much time at the buffet! The Rock says none of that don’t matter, though, because the bottom line-“
“The bottom line is that this isn’t none of your damn business either!” says DDP. “I don’t care how much respect you show for Lou Thesz or Gene Kiniski or Harley Race; you wearing that belt, our belt is a spit in the face to each and every one of us. When Arn agreed to let you fight Booker T, WCW was poisoned. You ask everybody in the back how they feel about The Rock being our champion. You ask them how they feel when we’re trying to rebuild WCW and we gotta do it in his shadow!”
Flair tries to interject, but Booker jumps right in. “And while you’re at it, why don’t you ask how it feels to be passed over for your title shot so it can go to some old man who ain’t wrestled in months!”
Flair can only shrug, totally taken aback. “Booker, buddy, I’m sorry … I-“
“Stuff it, Ric,” DDP says. “Take your old, decrepit ass outta here and-“
Rock gives DDP a small but noticeable push. DDP looks at him, not saying a word. Without warning, DDP reaches out, grabs Flair and hits the Diamond Cutter. Rock reacts by swinging at Booker; three rights stagger Booker, but when Rock goes back for his trademark spit-punch, Booker feints, comes under the arm and puts Rock on the mat with a sudden Book-End. The crowd is aghast at the scene before them, and the ramifications for the fatal four-way and beyond … but, to add more fuel to the fire, Booker and DDP ignore Heyman’s cheers and offers of congratulations and leave the ring. Heyman stands in the middle of the ring, with Rock and Flair laying on the mat, writhing in pain, as confused as anyone else in the building.
Smackdown: Oct. 18th
With the card set for No Mercy, the final Smackdown before the event is about one thing for the WWF: keeping together and not imploding. But with the Fringe keeping them on the ropes, and a gathering insurrection in the company, achieving anything of promise is a seemingly impossible task.
Right off the bat, the insurrectionists, led by Jericho, flex their collective muscle, getting a WWF Tag Title shot for Edge & Christian against The Dudleys. Heyman doesn’t make the same mistake twice, though, and pulls the WWF Title off the table for an encounter between Rhyno and Jericho. Nevertheless, the prospect of Jericho, with his laundry list of defeated opponents in both the Fringe, WWF and WCW, facing off against the reigning WWF Champion fills the insurrectionists with hope that Jericho can validate their movement with a victory where others failed. For the loyalists, Jericho’s opportunity is a looming earthquake that threatens to level the foundations of their oppressive reign.
Kane & Undertaker (back from his sojourn in the wastelands, and looking none the happier for it) get a warm-up for their respective matches at Unforgiven in a no-DQ rematch against The Hardys. Once again, the strength and experience of the Brothers Of Destruction give them an edge, but the no-DQ ruling allows for the Hardys to utilize hardcore tactics to even the odds. But all the trash can lids and tables can’t stop the angry titans from laying waste to the young daredevils, and a Last Ride through a table puts an end to the match. Still, like last time, the Hardys pull themselves to their feet and dare the brothers to bring the pain again.
A promo runs on the TitanTron, the pained face of Raven filling the screen. “They’re calling this match the ‘Hell On Earth’ match, Tommy.” Raven pushes his hair out of his face, revealing cold, unfeeling eyes. “This Sunday, Hell will be unleashed. Do you really realize exactly what’s in store this Sunday? Do you think it’s going to end with a DDT or a Dreamer Driver? You may be the Innovator Of Violence, but Tommy, you lack the sick, depraved, bottomless hole in your soul to really understand what this Sunday is all about. You lack that hole in your heart … you still have the little angel on your shoulder that tells you to stop. Mine left me years ago, Tommy. That’s why I found it so easy to torment you for years. That’s why I don’t think either of us walking away from this match. Because, if you really intend on beating me, if you really want to give Paul his money’s worth, you will have to get down on my level.” Raven inches closer to the camera. “But when you’re stuck facing a man who has no bottom, no limit as to how low he will descend to destroy his opponent, and you are someone burdened by the weight of conscience, how can you possibly hope to survive? That is what you face, Tommy; you face the prospect of turning to the most sour, black, rotten part of your soul and plunging into its never-ending darkness, and not look back … and not be afraid to be swallowed by that darkness. You have to do that to defeat me … and I have a head start, Tommy. I have a head start that’s years long. You won’t catch up in one night, Tommy … you won’t catch up, and I will bury you alive in that black hole. Quoth the Raven, nevermore!”
With Heyman and Spike at ringside, and the APA at the announce booth, Edge & Christian find themselves with enemies on all sides as they take on The Dudleys. Heyman’s machinations make sure the match is fought under “extreme” rules, giving the Dudleys the license to maim and cheat their way to retention of their belts, and the match is barely begun before Spike is causing problems. Chairs and tables, a harkening back to the TLC match at WrestleMania 17 only months before (seemingly, years), are brought into the match to tear the challengers apart, but Edge & Christian refuse to lose. When Spike tries to hit a Dudley Dog through a table on Christian, though, the tide finally turns as Christian throws Spike into Bubba, and then delivers a spear into D-Von. The tag brings in Edge, who cleans house, including launching Spike over the top rope like a frisbee. Heyman watches in horror as Edge cleans house, and Christian comes back in to help Edge steal the 3-D to drive D-Von through a table. Bubba gets hit with an Unprettier onto a chair, and Edge and Christian make simultaneous pins for the victory and the WWF Tag Titles. Heyman can only stand, slack-jawed at his own plan backfiring, while the APA remain expressionless. The unexpected victory throws a monkey wrench into the Tag Title defense at No Mercy, but (with the consent of Jericho’s contingent) Commissioner Regal solves the issue by keeping the original match of The APA vs. The Dudleys and adding Edge & Christian for a triangle match.
Even with the belts around the waist of supposed insurgents, the morale booster is incredible for the WWF, and the effects are immediately visible. When Angle comes to the ring for his submission match against Tazz, he is more spirited then anyone in the WWF has been in months. When the match begins, he shows a new level of enthusiasm and aggression, countering Tazz’s every move with smart, amateur-based mat wrestling. Even when he is on the defensive, Angle is dictating the pace of the match, making Tazz work for every move, suplex and counter he can land. When Tazz lands suplexes, Angle is right back up in the fight, ready to hit one of his own in reply. It takes a low blow to finally stop Angle’s freight train of offense, but no matter how much offense Tazz unloads upon the Olympian, none of his submission moves get a peep from Angle. When Tazz finally goes for the Tazzmission, Angle reverses it into an Angle Slam, turning the tide back in his favor. Tazz tries to stop it, but Angle cannot be stopped, and soon enough, the Ankle Lock is on. Tazz holds out as long as he can, but the pain becomes too much to bear, and the WWF finds itself on a roll with Angle’s submission victory over Tazz … and the even more positive news of a guaranteed interference-free WWF Title match in 3 days.
Rhyno stomps to the ring, his confidence from his recent track record only exceeded by his manic edge, ready for his confrontation with Jericho. The clash of the two aggressive superstars marks as one of the most physical matches in Smackdown’s history, with both men looking to not just win but cripple his opponent on the way to No Mercy. Rhyno’s strength advantage gives Jericho his strongest test in months, but Jericho’s speed and experience allows him some advantage in return. But what neither can expect or counter is the intrusion of Steve Austin, who stomps down to ringside with an obvious chip on his shoulder. The ref tries to hold Austin back, but Austin shoves the ref out of the way and blasts Jericho with a vicious-looking Stunner. Austin gives Jericho a couple of birds and drops out of the ring, walking back to the aisle … until he stops and looks back and sees why the bell hasn’t rung: Jericho kicked out. Austin stomps back to the ring, but Rhyno blocks him from attacking Jericho. Austin tries for a Stunner, but gets pushed into the ropes and cut in half with a Gore. Rhyno celebrates his taking down of Austin by posing, but neglects to keep his eye on the wily, and recovering Jericho, who hits a bulldog. Jericho wastes no time in bouncing off the ropes and hitting a crisp Lionsault, getting him the three-count and giving Rhyno his first loss since winning the WWF Title. Heyman, up on the stage, is sheet-white, his jaw almost on the floor with horror at seeing his unbeatable monster beaten … while Austin, having rolled out to the floor, looks up at Jericho … a man on a mission who claims to be on a mission to bring the WWF back to glory and flush out the poison … a man who has just beaten the monster no one else in the WWF could touch … a man he will meet in three days, in a match where, very likely, the fate of the company will hang in the balance.
To be continued …
Firstly, condolences to the family and friends of Chris Candido.
I suppose you can see why this thing took four weeks, right? The next one will probably be just as big.
Kurtis does the news in Wrestling.
Hatton has The Rabble.
Hevia does The Crucifix.
Eric always brings the goods.
Gordi is glad to be a fan. Good for him. No, really.
Torreano is paying tribute to Dangerfield. God bless ya, Brad. We miss ya, Rodney.
Coates watched Waterworld for you. The least you can do is read his column to ease his suffering.
We got a kick-ass forum you should’ve joined by now. Talk about this column. Talk about other columns, play with others in interactive games; gadzooks, man, there’s just no end to the fun there!
Oh, and in the long layoff, I managed to do something to keep me occupied.
And a quick yo to Bonto (sorry for the oversight!) and Gohan, and a special thanks to Josh Leeman for hooking me up.
Two more chapters to go with this absolutely sprawling arc, and then … you’ll see.
But what of Month 6? Have DDP and Booker sold their souls to Heyman? And what if one of them wins the WCW Title? Can The Rock preserve WCW’s honor while being a WWF man? Can Austin keep his stranglehold on the WWF, or will Chris Jericho topple the tyranny? Can Angle do what Austin, The Undertaker and Kane were unable to do and take back the WWF Title? Is Tommy Dreamer rapidly approaching his doomsday, or has Raven given the Innovator Of Violence the ultimate playground in which to live up to his moniker? The penultimate chapter looms closer …
