WWF Unforgiven (September 2000)

From Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Your Hosts are Jim Ross, Michael Cole, and Jerry Lawler.

Opening Eight-Man Tag Team Match: Right to Censor v The Dudley Boyz and The Acolytes: The Goodfather starts with D-Von Dudley, with Dudley using his speed advantage to control early on. Bubba Dudley tags in to keep it going with a side suplex for two, but walks into a backdrop, and Bull Buchanan tags in. I've forgotten how annoying (in a bad way) RTC were. I mean, on the surface, putting a bunch of stale gimmicks left over from 1998 into a fresh scenario seems like a good idea, but only Stevie Richards got anything out of it, with Venis and Godfather going from 'stale' to 'irrelevant,' and Buchanan kinda getting shoehorned in with them despite still having a chance to get over with his original gimmick. Plus, dressing them like a bunch of orderlies didn't help anyone. D-Von ends up in the heat segment, but Venis misses an elbow to allow the tag back to Bubba, and we have a brawl! Dudley's look to finish with an electric chair/flying clothesline combo on Venis, but Goodfather superkicks Bubba, and Val scores the fall at 5:45. A bunch of quick tags and a short runtime helped this stay moving, but it was nothing worth putting on pay per view, that's for sure. ½*

Strap Match: Tazz v Jerry Lawler: Weird blue/gold color combo for the King tonight. It doesn't look 'weird,' I guess, just not one of his usual choices - especially during the WWF run. His best was the original blue/white/gold trim combo, by the way. Tazz kicks his ass with the strap early, and hits a head-and-arm suplex before taking it out to the floor to abuse him in front of JR. Lawler returns fire with the strap on the floor, and he hits the Piledriver on the way back in. Tazz completely no-sells it, so King does it again - also no-sold. Third one is no-sold, but it ends up having a delayed effect, with Tazz flopping to the mat after standing back up. Cute. Jerry tries pulling him to the corners, but onto gets two, so he tries turning the strap into a noose, and dragging him the rest of the way. Unfortunately for him, Raven pops out of the crowd (making his WWF debut), hits a DDT, and Tazz slaps on the Tazzmission for the submission at 5:04. Nothing match, but this was the perfect match/town for Raven to debut in. *

WWF Hardcore Title Open Invitational: Steve Blackman v Saturn v Test v Crash Holly v Al Snow v Funaki: The idea here is that the match lasts ten minutes, and the title can change multiple times. Whoever is champion at the end of the ten minutes takes the belt home. Everyone tries attacking Blackman on the floor, and Test gets the best of it with a gutwrench powerbomb on him for two. Everyone trades moves for some two counts (with the poor referee having to carry the title belt with him through every count), and Snow takes everyone out with Head. Funaki nails Blackman with a flying bodypress for two, and everyone ends up on the floor for a dog pile sequence. Test blasts Blackman with a big boot, but Holly dives onto him to get the pin off of it, and win the title at 3:53. He tries hightailing it out of the arena, but Saturn blasts him with a trashcan as he does, and quickly pins him in the aisle to win the title at 4:07. Everyone follows over for a brawl at the entrance set, and it spills into the crowd. Hey, whatever. I hate those bits, but I prefer they get them out of the way in these meaningless Hardcore matches rather than wasting fifteen minutes of each main event on it, ala 1999. And even in these matches, it kind of kills things, because it's entertaining when it's spot-spot-spot, but watching six guys wander around the area trading worked punches isn't. Back into the ring, Blackman dismantles Saturn with his kendo sticks and wins the title back at 9:02. With under a minute remaining, everyone tries to gang up on Blackman, but he manages to evade them until time expires at 10:00. Not really a proper match, this was basically just a bunch of spots in train wreck fashion. Not boring, but not wrestling either. ½*

Chris Jericho v X-Pac: X-Pac charges right at him, but loses a collar-and-elbow lockup, and Jericho takes him down with a shoulderblock. X-Pac tries a standing side-headlock, but a reversal sequence ends in Jericho creaming him with chops. X-Pac dodges a charge to allow some lightning kicks, but the bronco buster is blocked with a lariat, and followed with a spinheel kick. Springboard dropkick, but X-Pac has it scouted, and shoves Jericho as he springboards - knocking him out of the ring and into the rail. X-Pac follows with a somersault plancha, and he keeps Chris on the floor with a baseball slide. Jericho fights his way in, so X-Pac punishes him with a spinheel kick of his own for two, and hooks a chinlock. Chris fights out and tries a bulldog, but X-Pac has that scouted as well, and turns it into a sleeper. Nice sequence there. Jericho reverses, but X-Pac is ready with a side suplex for a quick escape - getting two. With Jericho worn down, X-Pac manages the bronco buster, but he showboats on the middle rope, and gets powerbombed down. Chris with a jumping forearm for two, and he beats him into the corner for a bronco buster of his own! He has tasted his own medicine, and it is BITTER! Leapfrog in the corner ends with the X-Factor for two, but a dropkick gets countered into the Walls, but X-Pac escapes, and hits nice spinkick for two. 2^nd rope dropkick, but Jericho counters into the Walls for the win at 9:04. Not an all-time classic, but quite good, as seeing X-Pac actually WORKING for a change was refreshing. ** ½

WWF Tag Team Title Cage Match: Edge & Christian v The Hardy Boyz: No tags in this, and it's either pinfall, submission, or both teammates escaping for the win. Big brawl to start, of course. The Hardy's control with double-teams early on, and powerbomb Christian into the wall of the cage. Jeff Hardy goes to the top of the cage for a Swanton onto Christian, but Edge shoves him off, with Jeff trying to hang on, but ending up falling to the floor. Edge spends too long gloating, and gets crotched on the top rope by Matt Hardy, and Christian takes the Twist of Fate for two. He climbs, and makes it to the top, but gets suplexed down by both champions for two. Now in control, E&C do some double-teaming of their own, so Jeff tries getting back in - the champs cutting him off each time by knocking him off the cage, with Jeff taking his usual crazy bumps. Finally, Jeff beats up the referee to get the door key, and tries getting in that way, but Christian slams the door in his face, and brings a chair into things. They beat Matt bloody, but Matt ducks the conchairto, and makes the climb. E&C hustle to stop him at the top of the cage, as Jeff initializes plan b: find a ladder! He swats Christian off the cage with it to even the score, as Edge bulldogs Matt off the top rope. Jeff uses the ladder to climb back into the cage (now far enough from the cage wall that Edge can't knock him off), and Matt side suplexes the champ to set up a flying moonsault from Jeff - off the top of the cage! That takes both Edge and Matt out (and Jeff, for that matter), so Christian tries climbing the ladder back in - only for Lita to show up, and rana him onto the floor off of it! In the ring, a recovering Edge throws a chair into Jeff's face and climbs, but the Boyz follow, and hit a conchairto of their own at the top - Edge falling back, and the Hardy's climbing down for the titles at 13:35. This one has gotten completely lost in the shuffle of their TLC matches, but it's one hell of a tag team cage match - loaded with great spots and bumps, as well as a creative way of cutting the ring in half. *** ½

WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Eddie Guerrero v Rikishi: Eddie gets freaked out by Rikishi's bare ass, and tossed around early - launched out of the ring for a shot into the steps. Eddie decides to take a walk, but Chyna wants him to act like a man. Well, she'd be the expert. Look how she butched up the Helmsley guy she used to manage. When he refuses, she forces him back in, and Rikishi is ready with a backdrop. Pair of corner whips and a cross corner clothesline set up the stinkface, but now Chyna changes her mind, and pulls him out of the ring. Man, there's a way to book cowardly heels, and then there's just making them look weak. Rikishi goes out to protest Chyna's interference in his sexual harassment efforts, and Eddie is on him with a dive. Frogsplash on the way back in, but Rikishi rolls out of the way, and avalanches him in the corner. Flapjack cutter and a Samoan drop set up a banzi drop, but Chyna runs in to break the count. She tries begging off, but Rikishi sees through her crocodile tears, and superkicks her - getting disqualified in the process at 6:02. I like how they're trying to sell Chyna as this poor helpless woman all of a sudden, despite the fact that she's held more Intercontinental Titles than Rikishi has. Rushed match with a bad finish, too - though better than wasting fifteen minutes, and then doing that lame finish. ½*

No Disqualification Match: Triple H v Kurt Angle: Mick Foley acts as the special guest referee for this. HHH's ribs are heavily taped going in, and Angle quickly takes advantage of them, but runs into a high knee, and a backelbow. Backdrop over the top rope, and HHH follows for a shot into the steps. He preps the announce table, but Angle manages to whip him into the rail before he can use it, and hits a clothesline, but takes a spear on the way back in. Hunter stomps a mud hole in the corner, but a 2^nd rope axehandle is blocked with an overhead suplex, and Kurt stomps the ribs. German suplex gets two, as we get some nice close-ups of young, HOT Stephanie McMahon. I mean, she's not ugly today either, but in 2000, she was hotter than anyone on the Divas roster today - with the possible exception of Eva Marie. Kurt with a snap suplex for two, but a big slugfest ends in HHH hitting a neckbreaker. High knee sets up a snap suplex and a kneedrop for two, but a cross corner whip gets reversed, and Hunter takes his over the top bump off of it. Kurt follows for a suplex on the floor, but it gets reversed, and Hunter tries a Pedigree onto the announce table, but ends up getting belly-to-belly suplexed through the Spanish one! Great, visually impressive bump there, too. Inside, Kurt goes after the ribs in pretty dull fashion (would a submission hold have killed you, Kurt?), and hits a belly-to-belly superplex for two. He finally breaks the punch-kick pattern with an abdominal stretch, as Stephanie begs Foley to stop the damn match! I should note that Angle has a really weird method for applying the hold where he essentially cups HHH's ass with his hand, but then his style of training DID descend from the Greeks, so I guess that's no surprise. HHH doesn't appreciate it and hiptosses free, but the ribs prevent him from capitalizing, and Kurt drops a series of elbows onto them. Flying moonsault, but Hunter rolls out of the way, and hits a kneeling facebuster. Pedigree, but the ribs act up, and he can't properly execute it, then can't cover. Stephanie comes in to check on him, and decides to blow Kurt low while she's there - Hunter finishing with another Pedigree at 17:23. Stephanie's reaction to it all is just brilliant, too. This feud was a highlight of 2000, but the matches surprisingly didn't deliver - despite Triple H being at his absolute peak as a worker. It wasn't a BAD match, just disappointing. * ½

Main Event: WWF Title Fatal Four-Way Match: The Rock v The Undertaker v Kane v Chris Benoit: First fall wins. I don't have high hopes for this considering that half of the guys in it were terrible in 2000, but if Benoit is allowed to do his thing in the ring, and they don't rely too much on chaotic brawling, we have a chance. They go right into chaotic brawling, however, with Kane and Undertaker trading off in the ring, and Rock battling Benoit on the floor. At least send the big slugs to the floor and leave Rock/Benoit the ring, dummies. Kane with a flying clothesline onto his kayfabe brother for two, but he walks into the jumping clothesline for two. They trade dance partners to give us Rock/Kane in the ring, and Rock drops him like a Samoan for two, but walks into a running powerslam for two, and gets choked on the mat. Undertaker press-slams Benoit on the rail, and comes in with a sidewalk slam on Rocky for two. Ropewalk forearm, but Rock pulls him down, then DDTs Kane - but the referee is down, so no count. 'Taker uses the opportunity to whack Rock with a chair, but takes a shot from Benoit in return, and Chris scores the pin at 7:00. Oh, but wait, Commissioner Foley comes down and alert the referee that 'Taker's foot was on the ropes, so the match continues. God, no wonder the guy went bonkers! How many times did that happen to him in 2000? Hilarious bit, as Foley takes the title belt away from him in the aisle, and Chris turns to see all three guys marching up the aisle towards him like they're on a movie poster. That leads to a brawl by the entrance area, with everyone taking turns launching Benoit into the set before turning on each other. Back to the ring, Rock catches Benoit with a belly-to-belly suplex for two, but walks into the three-alarm rolling Germans for two. Side suplex sets up a flying headbutt for two, but he ends up in his own Crossface hold. Undertaker breaks it up, but takes a chokeslam from Kane - who promptly takes a spinebuster from the champ. People's Elbow, but Benoit cuts him off with a lariat, and Undertaker gives Rocky the Last Ride for two - saved by Kane. Benoit takes them both out with a chair and slaps the Crossface on Rock, but the champ hangs on until 'Taker saves. Chokeslam for Benoit, but Kane breaks up the count, and Rock capitalizes by Bottoming Benoit to retain at 16:04. Meh. Not dull, but not what I'm looking for in a world title pay per view main event. *

BUExperience: A couple of good matches on the undercard (notably the very good tag title cage match), but the top matches just don’t deliver. I expected not to fall in love with the main event, but had the HHH/Angle match lived up to expectations, it might have saved the show.

As is, *