WWF Survivor Series 2000

After spending most of 2000 on the shelf recovering from real-life neck surgery, Survivor Series 2000 saw the return of Steve Austin to the WWF main event scene to target the man who took kayfabe responsibility for his absence (in an angle involving Austin getting hit with a car a year earlier), Triple H.

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Opening Six-Person Tag Team Match: Trish Stratus and T&A v Molly Holly, Crash Holly, and Steve Blackman: Albert starts with Steve Blackman, and a big criss cross exchange ends with Albert missing a blind charge. Crash Holly tags in with a flying bodypress for two, but he gets clotheslined coming out of the ropes, and Trish Stratus tags. She tries to blow Crash low, but he sidesteps, and she nails Albert instead. Hey, at least someone got blown. Molly Holly tags in, so Trish lures her into a chase, and tags Test. He stares her down, but she's smart enough to pass back to Holly - who hits a rana for two. Test blasts him with a visually impressive big boot coming off the ropes, and tags Albert for a double-team flapjack. T&A work Holly over, but Trish misses an elbowdrop, and Crash tags Molly to show her how to hit an elbowdrop. She does it twice to make sure the message is received properly, as the four-men start brawling on the floor. In the chaos, Trish manages to bulldog Molly for two, but gets caught with a flying sunset flip at 5:03. No classic, but energetic, and had boobies. ½*

Survivor Series Elimination Match: Degeneration-X v The Radicalz: DX was already effectively dead by this point - this is essentially the wake. Billy Gunn starts with Perry Saturn, and gets destroyed in the corner, but misses a blind charge, and gets leveled with a lariat. Chyna tags to help Billy with a double-team suplex, and she powerslams Saturn for two. Flapjack sets up the Handspring Elbow, but Perry counters into a German suplex, only to be countered with a DDT for two. That triggers an eight-way brawl, and Eddie Guerrero wallops Chyna with his Intercontinental title belt for Perry to pin at 2:32. Jesse James (having a mid-career crisis, and becoming a rapper in an attempt to try and stay relevant) runs in with a bodyslam on Saturn for two, but he gets caught with a release side suplex, and Eddie tags in with a slingshot somersault senton. The Radicalz destroys James in the corner, so he tries coming back to dancing punches - only for Eddie to dropkick his leg, and tag Dean Malenko. The Radicalz destroy the knee, but Eddie gets caught on the top rope, and James superplexes him off to get to Billy. He hilariously tries to dive into the opposing corner to fight the Radicalz four-on-one, but gets destroyed. He has better luck with Eddie one-on-one, however, and an inverted DDT finishes him at 6:02. Dean Malenko goes with K-Kwik (Jesse James' new tag partner with the rap gimmick), but Dean railroads him into the home corner, and tags Chris Benoit. K-Kwik tries a headscissors takedown and a Japanese armdrag, but he gets caught with a German suplex at 7:18. In comes James, but Benoit also has the presence of mind to immediately railroad him into the corner for some three-on-one fun, and Malenko slams him for two, followed by a Northern Lights Suplex from Saturn at 8:49. Gunn heads in, but again makes the mistake of trying to trade-off with the entire team by himself, and gets destroyed. I guess he figured Eddie was their weak-link. With no one to tag to save his dumb ass, the Radicalz have a field day (not literally - there was no giant tent game like in third grade), but a miscommunication allows Gunn to blast Malenko with the Fameasser at 10:58. Thoroughly sick of him, the Radicalz start double-teaming, and Saturn hooking Gunn's leg from the floor during a suplex allows Benoit to topple him for the pin at 12:41.
Survivors: Chris Benoit and Perry Saturn
This was an interesting match, if only because DX had become so irrelevant, and were badly exposed by the superior Radicalz. Everyone had moved on anyway, as James had a new gimmick, Gunn wasn't 'bad ass' anymore, and the audience didn't care. This was just the last desperate gasp before the mid-2000s revival when Shawn Michaels returned a few years later. * ½

Chris Jericho v Kane: Chris goes right at him with closed fists, but loses the slugfest when Kane blasts him with a kneelift. He takes Jericho into the corner for some abuse, but misses a charge, and gets dropkicked to the floor. Chris with a baseball slide to stagger him, and he flies out with a plancha to flatten him - but Kane just keeps coming. He rams Jericho into the steps and guardrail, so Chris tries a springboard dropkick to turn the tide. He dropkicks the stairs into Kane's face to make sure the message was received, but Kane isn't too quick, and counters a flying bodypress with a powerslam for two. Flapjack takes the pep out of Chris' step, but he still manages to block a side suplex. He doesn't have as much luck dodging a clothesline, and Kane plants a big boot on him. Hangman's neckbreaker, but Chris makes the ropes to break, so Kane tears the top turnbuckle pad off. Both men block rams into it, so Kane settles for blasting him with closed fists, and chokeslamming him over the top, onto the floor. He press slams Chris back in, but gets crotched on the turnbuckle as he tries a flying clothesline, but Jericho's attempt at a top rope rana get countered with a shove. Kane completes the flying clothesline, but Chris is all fight, and dropkicks him on the way down, then adds a seated dropkick. Missile dropkick completes the dropkick exhibition for two, so he follows by ramming Kane into the exposed buckle for two. Walls of Jericho, but Kane struggles, and makes a rope break. Chris drags him back to center ring to reapply, but Kane manages to block, so Jericho bulldogs him. Lionsault, but Kane catches him in a chokeslam, and gets the pin at 12:33. Whoa, I don't remember this match at all from 2000, but it was surprisingly good - well paced, well worked, psychologically sound, and fun. ** ¾

WWF European Title Match: William Regal v Hardcore Holly: Holly wisely dodges Regal's attempt at locking up with a series of right hands, but it only takes so long before Regal takes him down to the mat - in an armbar after ramming the limb into the ringpost. Holly tries to fight up to a vertical base, but Regal swats at the bad arm, and takes him back to the mat in an armbreaker. Holly makes the ropes to force a break this time, and bails to the floor to break the momentum. Regal drags him back in for an overhead wristlock, so Holly throws a desperation bodypress for two, before Regal grabs the arm again. Frustrated, Holly drops to the floor again, but this time returns with the title belt, and gets himself disqualified at 5:47. Short, but psychologically sound stuff, with nice selling from Holly throughout. ** ¼

The Rock v Rikishi: Before Triple H took responsibility for orchestrating the attack on Steve Austin that (kayfabe) put him out of action for most of the year, Rikishi stepped forward and claimed he 'did it for The Rock' in order to get rid of Austin, and make room for his fellow Samoan in the main event. Rock doesn't appreciate it, however, and charges in with a flurry of fists, but an attempt at using a chair gets broken up by the referee, and Rikishi uses the distraction to unload a savate kick. Legdrop leaves the Rock leveled, and Rikishi plods around with forearm shots before hitting a sidewalk slam for two. Rock manages to dodges a blind charge to put the action on the floor, but Rikishi rams him into the timekeepers table out there, and slams him onto the guardrail. The referee goes down during a whip into the post, but Rikishi gets the best of it, and finds Triple H's sledgehammer hidden under the ring. Rock blocks a swing with it into the Rock Bottom for a dramatic two count as the referee recovers, and then regroups with fists of fury. Rikishi responds with a headbutt, and drops Rock like a Samoan to set up a buttsplash for two. Rikishi with an avalanche to set up the Stinkface, but Rock fires out of the corner with a lariat (sold with an impressive somersault by Rikishi) in response. Both guys reach their feet for a slugfest, and Rock counters another savate kick with a spinebuster slam, then drops the People's Elbow for the pin at 11:18. Rikishi was very slow and plodding, but Rock sold well to try and make him look like a threat, and the match didn't overstay its welcome. * ½

WWF Women's Title Match: Ivory v Lita: Ivory was doing the prudish 'right to censor' gimmick, and a feud with Lita was a natural fit, since Lita dressed like a slut. And God bless her. She goes right after the champ at the bell, and hits an enzuigiri early, but Ivory blocks a German suplex. Ivory dominates her in the corner (yeah baby), and a pair of elbowdrops get two, as we see Lita's bleeding - something you rarely see in Diva's matches, though this was unplanned, hardway blood. Not unlike a period. Lita comes back with a headscissors takedown, and a brutal rana gets two, so Ivory claws at the gash. It spills to the floor for Lita to hit a flying bodypress, and another one on the way back in gets two. Flying moonsault, but Ivory's fellow censor Steven Richards pulls her out of the way, and the distraction allows Ivory to retain at 4:53. Kept short, and a good effort, though both were noticeably sloppy at points. ¼*

WWF Title Match: Kurt Angle v The Undertaker: Angle stalls on the floor as Undertaker (and his insane snakeskin pants) hold the high ground. 'Taker makes it more fun by bringing a chair in - and handing it to Angle. That backfires, but it does get the match started, which was the ultimate goal since you can't win the title without the champion in the ring. Angle unloads on him in the corner, but walks into a big boot, and 'Taker hits a legdrop for two - stopping the count. Elbowdrop gets two - again stopped by Undertaker. Ropewalk forearm, but Angle bails to the floor as 'Taker tries a chokeslam, killing the momentum. Kurt lures him into a chase out there, but his attempt to jump Undertaker on the way back into the ring get him bitch slapped. Angle regroups with a German suplex for two, and he clotheslines his challenger to the outside. He dives after him with an axehandle off of the apron, but 'Taker catches him in a bearhug, and rams his back into the post a couple of times. Inside, 'Taker pounds the back, but twists his leg in the ropes as he tries for another big boot, and Angle wastes no time pouncing on it. Undertaker tries closed fists to sway the momentum back in his favor, but Angle keeps firing off relentless shots at the leg, so 'Taker counters with an armbreaker. Edge and Christian run out to distract the referee while Angle taps out, so 'Taker regroups with a chokeslam - only for Kurt to kick at the leg, and sweep him into a leglock. 'Taker fights free, but stops to head out and slap Edge and Christian around before coming back in with a chokeslam. Unfortunately, his plan to keep E&C out of things backfires, as the referee is busy forcing them away from ringside, and isn't there to count the fall. The ref makes it back to count two, and 'Taker is pissed at him - though, really, he brought it on himself. Undertaker with a Russian legsweep for two, so Kurt rolls to the outside again to break the momentum, and sweeps 'Taker off of his feet from the floor - bashing the knee against the ring apron. Inside, Kurt hooks a figure four, but 'Taker struggles, and manages to reverse the hold until Angle grabs the bottom rope to break. Undertaker with a powerslam for two, but a second try is countered into a ringpost figure four. 'Taker with a desperation stungun for two, but a Tombstone gets blocked with the ropes, so 'Taker shoves him to the floor. Angle crawls under the ring to hide, but 'Taker pulls him out, and hits the Last Ride - only for the referee to stop counting at two, noticing that it's Kurt's brother Eric Angle in the ring. An already annoyed Undertaker fails to notice he powerbombed the wrong man, and interrogates the referee in the corner - missing Kurt popping out from under the ring, and rolling the challenger up to retain at 16:03. This was a brilliant bit of psychology, as Angle knew he was overmatched and overpowered going in (illustrated by Undertaker dominating with power offense), so he tried cutting him down to size with legwork, he tried to have pals Edge & Christian run interference, but at the end of the day his best insurance policy was his blood. ** ½

Survivor Series Elimination Match: Edge and Christian and Right to Censor v The Dudley Boyz and The Hardy Boyz: Bull Buchanan starts with Bubba Dudley, and unloads on him in the corner with forearms, but eats boot on a blind charge, and Dudley drops an elbow for two. Tag to D-Von Dudley with a pair of diving shoulderblocks for two, so Bull blasts him with a big boot, and tags the Goodfather. D-Von ends up in the wrong part of town to take a four-on-one beat down, but he manages to catch Christian with an inverted DDT to allow the tag to Matt Hardy. He's a house of arson, and an eight-way brawl doesn't take long to break out - the entire heel team getting DDT'd by the Boyz. Matt looks to finish Edge with a flying legdrop, but Val Venis runs in, and Edge hits the Edge-o-Matic on Matt at 4:00. The remaining Boyz work Edge over, but he manages to sneak off a tag to Christian, and D-Von goes home after an Impaler at 5:09. After some debate, Bubba decides to go next, and makes the best of it by pitching Christian into the lights with a backdrop. Jeff hits a slingshot moonsault for two, but misses a blind charge, and gets thrown under the bottom rope, into the ringpost. Buchanan drags him in for a press slam, but misses a blind charge, and Bubba's a house of arson! He destroys the entire heel side, and manages to pin Buchanan when Edge accidentally spears him in the chaos at 7:33. Full-Nelson bomb quickly follows to get rid of the disoriented Edge at 8:01, and the four remaining men brawl. Goodfather gets the best of it with a Death Valley Driver on Bubba, and Jeff's all alone at 8:42. He gets double-teamed, but manages to post Christian, and hit a Swanton Bomb to eliminate him at 9:41. Goodfather gets good and pissed, but misses an avalanche, and Jeff hooks the leg for the final fall at 10:06.
Survivor: Jeff Hardy
Really direct, accelerated match here - certainly not poorly worked, but lacking flow, with everyone just running in to add a thought, then tagging out. ¾*

Main Event: No Disqualification Match: Steve Austin v Triple H: Austin's good and pissed about that whole 'attempted vehicular homicide' thing, and runs right in with a flurry of fists. Backelbow and an elbowdrop have Hunter struggling to maintain a vertical base, which Austin assists by bashing his head into the turnbuckles. HHH with an eye rake to slow down Dr. Steve, but Austin fires back with a kneelift, and starts unloading on Hunter's back. HHH tries countering a backdrop with a kneelift, but Austin shifts into the Thesz press to block, and they spill to the floor as Steve mounts him with punches. Over to the entrance set, they do the usual whips and throws into various pieces of steel (with Austin dominating), but Hunter reverses a suplex in the aisle. Back to ringside, HHH whips Austin into the steps, but Steve reverses a whip into the timekeepers table, and bashes his brains in with a TV monitor - busting HHH open. Austin finds the cooler full of beer in the rubble of the timekeepers table, but makes sure to rescue a can before smashing it over HHH's head. Satisfied, Austin sits on the ring steps and pops a beer, before hitting HHH with the can. There's recycling, but that's just ridiculous. Austin grabs the ring bell as he rolls HHH into the ring, but Hunter dives at him, and they get into a schoolyard style slugfest on the mat. HHH takes control with a low blow, but Austin just keeps coming with the Stunner, so Hunter counters into a neckbreaker. HHH starts targeting the bad neck, and smashes it into the ringpost for two. Swinging neckbreaker gets a series of two counts, but Austin manages a spinebuster slam during a criss cross - only to miss the 2^nd rope pointed elbowdrop, and get stomped in the corner. Back to the floor, HHH tries the Pedigree onto the ring steps, but Austin counters with a backdrop - right through the announce table. Austin slams him in the rubble before rolling him back in, leaving HHH cowering in the corner. Austin responds by stomping a mud hole, and hits the Stunner... but stops before covering. He decides to get some revenge by putting HHH out of action, and grabs a chair to wrap around his ankle, but the referee protests. Austin compromises by wrapping it around HHH's neck instead, but Hunter bails to the floor as Steve perches on the 2^nd rope. They brawl up the aisle and through the curtain into the backstage area, where HHH manages to whip him neck first into a crate. Austin responds by breaking a Powerade machine with Hunter's body, so The Radicalz pop out and beat Steve down, four-on-one. That allows HHH to sneak away, and he jumps into a car outside the building as Austin gets destroyed. A gaggle of WWF Officials finally pull the Radicalz off, but Benoit shows the killer instinct, and keeps brawling with Austin all the way into the parking lot - Hunter hiding in his car. Austin gets rid of him and commandeers a forklift, picking up HHH's car, and dropping it some twenty feet - leaving it upside-down and crushed as the show goes off the air 25:00 into the match, the official call a no contest. Well, he wanted revenge, what’s better than exposing Triple H’s horrible acting ability? Really great, intense, exciting brawl before the action movie ending, but even that was well done for what it was. ***

BUExperience: This was much better than I remembered it, or than its reputation would lead you to believe. Sure, there are no blow away great matches, but the card is solid top-to-bottom, and the main event is intense – a combination I prefer to one really fantastic match surrounded by two hours of DUDs. ***