– Firstly, I’d like you all to check out The National, an Indie rock band from here in Cincy who has emereged as a top on the Indie circuit, and made one of 2005’s best albums, Alligator. And you know it takes a lot for ME to enjoy new music these days.
The NeelDown: WWF No Mercy 2001
– From St. Louis, Missouri
– Hosts are Jim Ross and Paul Heyman
The Hardy Boyz v. Lance Storm & Hurricane – WCW Tag Team Championship
Hurricane uses superheroics against Matt to start but Jeff comes in and he gets worked over with a nice double suplex. Storm gets a blind tag and he and Hurricane get the double-team neckbreaker. Jeff comes in off a semi-hot tag but Ivory gets involved to take him out. Hurricane looks like he’s going for a suicide but Matt knocks him down. In true The Tick & Arthur fashion, sidekick Mighty Molly helps him recover and he crossbodys everybody to the outside. Back in Storm dropkicks Jeff for two. Hurricane comes in and gets a backbreaker for two. Jeff gets the Poetry in Moonsault for a double-KO, then makes the hot tag to Matt who cleans house via illegal double teams that count anyway. Matt gets the second rope legdrop for two. Meanwhile, things get messy when Molly and Lita go at it, a bunch of moves hit, and things clear up with Matt getting the Twist of Fate setting up the Swanton for the win. Pretty good until the clustered ending. **1/2
Winner: The Hardy Boyz
– Micahel Cole gets the honor of putting on Vince’s coat. Vince says the next time he drops his jacket he’s going to drop him. Unfortunately, the jacket was never dropped again.
Pop Quiz v. Kane
JR comments that both of these are “great young studs.” No wonder he marks out for all of the Hogan comebacks. Kane wins out the slugfest to start and presses Test to the floor. Out of desperation, Test grabs the DEADLY RING BELL and wacks Kane with it. Somehow, the ref missed it all. JR thinks it was because he was looking at Paul E’s cap. Replay sees the ref is watching it and is begging Test not to use it. Oy. Test gets a suplex back inside that Kane no sells, but Test is able to come back and get a couple of sideslams, but misses the flying elbow. Kane gets some usual stuff off of that for two. Sideslam gets two. Things go outside again where Kane sloppily Kane eats post. That gets two. Big boot misses, Chokeslam doesn’t. Remarkably, Test kicks out. Test gets a flying clothesline and Pumpehandle, but as we all know Kane won’t sell. Test gets frustrated and gets a chair, and Kane DROPKICKS it into his face (!) and goes to use it but the ref grabs it, Kane gets angry at grabs the ref, allowing Test to lowblow him then get the big boot for the win. Better than I expected, but still boring. **
Winner: Pop Quiz
Stacy Keibler v. Torie Wilson – First Ever Lingerie Match
What’s funny is, they have been building this feud up for a while, and looking at the video package they act like it is some kind of big serious match, although they make it lingerie just to prove what kind of a joke it is. Torrie tries some dreaded women’s stuff to start, but Stacy uses cartwheels to look impressive. Torrie does her usual shitty job of executing sloppy moves and things turn into a catfight. Torrie botches her 294th career move by getting a horribly sloppy handspring elbow for the win. This was just what I thought it would be, which is -*
Winner: Torrie Wilson
– Christian tries avoiding future face pops by bashing Mark McQuire and the Cards.
Christian v. Edge – Intercontinental Championship ladder match
Christian jumps Edge to start but gets backdropped. Christian decides to bail but gets hit with and dumped into the crowd. They brawl to a spacious area where Christian gets the upperhand but gets backdropped back over the barricade to ringside. Edge catapults him into a ladder, then bridges the ladder between the barricade and steps, but Christian flapjacks him onto it. They balance on top of it, where Christian’s legs fall through getting him crotched. That didn’t look pretty, even with a cup. Christian tries climbing for the belt but Edge knocks the ladder over, Christian jams it into him in the corner. Edge snapmares him into the ladder in a good-looking spot. Christian whips him into the corner ladder and gets a backbreaker. Guillotine into the ladder by Christian. They set up deuling ladders and both climb, and Edge gives him the Edge-O-Cution from the ladder. Christian comes back with one of his own, then goes out and gets TWO chairs. Edge shoves one in his face, then goes out and gets a third ladder, and sets it up across the two chairs. He lays Christian on it, then gets a top rope splash onto it. Edge climbs one of the ladders that’s still set up in the middle, but Christian knocks him off using the third ladder as a weapon. Christian climbs, but Edge knocks him off with a top rope Spear. Memo to Edge, nothing compares to the WM17 Spear. They go back up, but the ladder teetors over so they fall to the outside. Christian makes it back to climbing first, as Paul plays Robert Plant saying that he’s climbing the stairway to heaven. Edge comes in and goes low, then gets a conchairto as Christian is on top of the ladder, then pulls down the IC title. Too slow with not enough fast-paced action to make it great, but no knocking the effort, and a handful of good spots with the ladder. ***1/2
Winner: Edge
– To WWF New York we go where Spike Dudley drinks his brother troubles away.
The Dudley Boyz v. Big Show & Tajiri – WWF Tag Team Championship
Bubba jumps Tajiri to start and tags in D’Von who gets a kick for two. Show comes in to slowly dominate for a while and get an ASS CLOBBER in the corner. I just said in the KOTR review that I hadn’t used the AC in a while, and here it is again! Tajiri gets a nice cannonball senton to the Dudz on the outside. Meanwhile JR informs us that Tajiri is also very smart, and has a degree in economics. Possibly the most random commentary ever. Dudz get a flapjack and continue to isolate Tajiri. Wazzup Headbut hits while the ref is distracted. Tajiri gets the hot tog to Show who cleans house until he gets chopblocked. Tajiri blind tags himself in and gets the Tarantula and handspring elbow. Now just teach Torrie how to execute that, Taj. Show is back to Chokeslam Bubba but the ref pretends he has an eye problem, so Rhino runs in and GOAR GOAR GOARs Show. Tajiri gets the Buzzsaw Kick on D’Von, but the slow count lets D’Von kickout. 3D ends things, evening the score for the Alliance. Decent match due to Show being isolated and unable to slow it down, but still nothing to remember. **1/4
Winners: The Dudley Boyz
Booker T v. Undertaker
Booker jumps him outside to start but Taker wins the slugfest back inside. Booker gets a clothesline and pounds away, but misses a charge, and UT goes to working on the arm. He continues that by going Old School. We go outside where Booker goes in ontrol and tries using the bell like Pop Quiz did earlier, but the ref stops it and Taker dumps him into the crowd. Back at ringside Taker eats post, and Booker capitalizes with a Missile Dropkick for two. Sidewalk slam gets two. Paul calls the Spinaroonie the most electrifying move in sports entertainment, although gets fooled since Booker decided not to do it. Neckbreaker by Booker gets two. Spinning heel kick gets two. There should be an extra button available that types “gets two” for you in matches like these, with UT. I guess now would be a good time to bring out the Underseller persona. So after all that setup for Taker’s big comeback, Taker hammers away and gets the legdrop for two. Oh, but that’s not all! Booker comes back with a spin kick and gets the spinaroonie. Taker climbs back in but falls victim to the Scissor Kick, but UT gets the ropes. Booker goes low to block the Chokeslam, but Taker comes back with the Last Ride for the win out of nowhere. This match sucked for a lot of reasons, like how we saw Taker go to new territories by selling most of the whole thing just to come back and get the Powerbomb to make the whole thing forgettable. *3/4
Winner: The Undertaker
The Rock v. Chris Jericho – WCW Championship
They exchange headlocks to start and Rock works over the arm. Jericho gets a couple of armdrags and then returns the favor by working his arm. Nobody does it better with the knees than the WWF, says JR. I’m sure Trips loves that line. Jericho hammers away but misjudges a whip and Rock gets on him with mounted punches. Jericho counters a Rock Bottom and goes for the Walls but Rock quickly gets the ropes. Springboard dropkick sends Rock to the floor, then gets the reverse elbow from the top back inside for two. Rock decides to use some of his own chops, but Jericho comes back with a dropkick for two. Rock seems to finally turn the advantage, but gets hung on the ropes. Jericho goes up but gets crotched, and Rock gets a superplex. Samoan Drop gets two, then Jericho gets tossed. They fake a table spot then head back in Rock gets a couple of close falls. Rock tosses him again, but again just rolls him back in … for two. Rock goes to a dreaded reverse chinlock. Jericho fights out but misses a dropkick and gets catapulted into the corner then clothesline. Jericho blocks a second superplex and gets the missile dropkick, man that looked good, for a double-KO. Jericho gets a pair of shoulderblocks then a running neckbreaker and ranna for two. That was a pretty sweet sequence. Jericho slips out of back suplex and gets a Jericho Bottom then the Lionsault for two. Jericho goes to the WRATH OF BULLDOG then tries the People’s Elbow, but it misses, and Rock locks in the Sharpshooter but Jericho escapes and rolls out, where Rock threatens Hector and the boys. Rock Bottom through the Spanish table. Jericho blocks yet another Rock Bottom back inside, but runs into a spinebuster setting up the People’s Elbow, but Jericho counters it by grabbing the legs and turning it into the Walls of Jericho. Stephanie runs out and slides a chair in the ring so Jericho is forced to break. That gives Rock a DDT, then he gives Stephanie a Rock Bottom. Jericho gives him the Breakdown on the chair for the win, giving him the WCW title. Once again we bring out the Pink Floyd reference here with yet another screwy finish with a McMahon interference, but oh well. Well, just like all of theirs, this was an awesome match, and without a doubt an 01 MOTYC. ****1/2
Winner: Chris Jericho
Steve Austin v. Kurt Angle v. Rob Van Dam – WWF Championship
While Austin and RVD bicker to start, Angle sneaks in and Germans both of them, but he ends up getting stomped out by them. RVD stops to taunt so Angle sneaks in and gives him a Russian leg sweep. Austin stomps everybody, yawn. Angle blocks the Stunner and turns it into the Ankle Lock but RVD breaks it up. RVD gets a spin kick and mule kick on Austin and Angle. Rolling Thunder on Angle gets two. Angle gets tossed again. It’s almost as if Angle has no relevance since the whole buildup to this match was the RVD-Austin Alliance relationship, with Vince in the limousine. Anyway, Austin uses the KNEE BRACE OF DEATH to pound on RVD, but Angle makes another return appearance, only to get backdropped back out. Angle comes back in and returns the favor to Austin, but Austin pokes the eye then slingshots Angle into the post. RVD takes some leg shots into the post, and the Angle-Austin brawl spills into the crowd. They go back to ringside where RVD hits them with a top rope senton. Know what would have made that so much sweeter? If he would have did it into the crowd where they just were, to bring back ECW shades. Back in RVD goes for a kick but Angle catches it, then delivers a belly to belly. More awesomeness from Angle. Angle gets his moonsault but Austin sneaks in the pin for two. Angle tries to get rid of Austin with a sleeper, but Austin gets out and tries a Stunner, Angle blocks and tries his own, but Austin blocks, and they collide for a double-KO. RVD tries the 5* but both men roll out of the way. This time he didn’t even HAVE to choose like before. Stunner on Angle, RVD breaks it up. Split-legged moonsault on Austin, Angle breaks it up. Angle Slam on RVD, Austin breaks it up. Austin gets dumped for the forty-third time in this match, and they go the announce table, where Austin tries a piledriver but Angle backdrops out of it, where the table doesn’t break. Out strolls Vince McMahon to peer at the action. Back inside RVD gets a heel kick and goes up for the Frog Splash, but Angle runs up and gets a super belly to belly suplex. Austin sneaks back in and gets the Stunner on Angle, but Angle does the smart thing of falling outside. So now he has to go to RVD, and Vince wacks Austin with a chair. That leaves RVD to HIT the Frog Splash, but Angle is back right in time to break up the pin. Rolling Germans on RVD, FOUR to be exact, and then the Angle Slam, but Shane McMahon comes out, breaks up the pin, and tosses Angle. Vince tackles Shane over the announce table. Meanwhile we have Austin Stunnering RVD to retain the title. It sure is nice to see Austin go over again, huh? At least Kurt got to be on the tape cover. This is one of those matches that you really enjoy, yet all the annual McMahon interference holds down the rating. I still enjoyed it enough, plus with the awesome from Angle. ****
Winner: Steve Austin
