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Post by darbicus on Dec 14, 2022 4:38:01 GMT 1
WWF Royal Rumble January 21, 2001 New Orleans Arena New Orleans, LA
*The Dudley Boyz [Bubba Ray & D-Von Dudley] d. Edge & Christian by Pinfall to Win the World Tag Team Titles The Dudley Boyz had earned a tag title shot the previous month at Armageddon, while Edge & Christian had regained the tag titles in a triple threat match involving Kane & The Undertaker as well as the thrown together team of Steve Austin & Triple H. Edge & Christian controlled the match early on, isolating D-Von and working over an injured shoulder for much of the match. However Bubba made the tag in from D-Von and cleaned house, single handedly taking out the champions. The referee was initially distracted by Edge in the closing moments, allowing Christian to try and nail Bubba with a title belt, but Bubba hit a Bionic Elbow instead on Christian, KO'ing him. The Dudleys then teamed up to hit the "Wassup" Headbutt on Edge before finishing him off with the 3-D to win the Tag Team Titles.
*Dean Malenko d. Jeff Hardy w/Matt Hardy by Submission to Retain the Light Heavyweight Title The night after Armageddon Jeff Hardy had defeated Dean Malenko to become the Light Heavyweight Champion, only for the Man of 1,000 holds to regain the title on the episode of Raw right before the Royal Rumble, leading to this rubber match for the belt. Hardy's high flying offense contrasted with the ground and pound efforts put forth by Malenko, but ultimately cost the Daredevil, as Malenko got his knees up when Jeff attempted a Swanton Bomb. Malenko then followed up with a double underhook backbreaker and then locked in the Texas Cloverleaf to pull out the victory and retain the title.
*Chris Jericho d. Chris Benoit in a Ladder Match to Win the Intercontinental Title Chris Jericho earned a title shot against his longtime rival Chris Benoit after defeating Rikishi in a match on Raw. In that match on Smackdown, Benoit lost to Jericho via disqualification, thus keeping the belt. Jericho ran afoul of Commissioner Regal when requesting a rematch, but ultimately Benoit would grant him one in defiance of Regal, stating his desire to earn Jericho's respect once and for all. Benoit even allowed Jericho his choice of match, which Y2J chose a Ladder match. Both men gave it everything they have, with the closing moments featuring Jericho locking Benoit in the Walls of Jericho. Eventually Benoit was tied up in the ropes, allowing Jericho the time he needed to climb the ladder and grab the IC title. After the match, Jericho and Benoit shook hands with one another, mutual respect having finally been earned.
*The Rock d. Kurt Angle by Pinfall to Win the WWF Championship After defeating Rikishi at Armageddon, The Rock set his sights on regaining the WWF Championship. He defeated Steve Austin and Triple H in a #1 contenders match on Raw, and then was forced to team with Angle for a match against the two for the tag titles that ended in an all out brawl. Angle for his part had grown confident as champion, saying that nobody could beat him. He accentuated this when he attacked The Rock on an episode of Smackdown, forcing him to tap out to the Ankle Lock to the surprise of many. Going in hurt, The Rock was initially targeted by Angle, who went after the taped up ankle. The Rock however perservered and was able to block Angle's attempt at the submission hold several times. In the end, the referee went down and Angle managed to nail The Rock with the WWF Title belt, but that only elicited a two count. Suddenly from out of the crowd came Steve Austin, who hit a Stunner on Angle with the ref still down and The Rock unaware. This led to The Rock hitting a People's Elbow on the Olympic Hero and then pinning him, regaining the WWF Championship.
*Ivory d. Lita in a Strap Match to Retain the Women's Title After Lita's DQ victory the previous month, a rematch was set for the Royal Rumble, this time with a Strap match stipulation. However the numbers game of Right to Censor came into play, as Warrington and Bull Buchanan took out the Hardy Boyz backstage. This allowed Sean Morally to interfere and help Ivory pick up the pinfall victory to retain the title. In the aftermath, RTC attempted to hit Lita with a Spike Piledriver, only to be chased off by the returning Chyna, who came out of the crowd and saved Lita from the same fate that befell her a few months earlier.
*Stone Cold Steve Austin Won the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match The star power behind the Royal Rumble match was the big story, as was the fact of Stone Cold Steve Austin's seemingly having lost a step since his return in September, having lost matches to Kurt Angle, The Rock, Triple H and Kane in recent months (albeit often with outside interference). Triple H, The Undertaker, Kane and Rikishi were all in the match as well. Early on in the match Raven (who came in at #2 alongside Tazz at #1) was eliminated by Kane, with Crash Holly coming in from outside the Rumble and pinning the prone Hardcore Champion to escape with the belt. One notable spot involving Triple H was the surprise return of his former henchman, The Big Show, who immediately targeted The Game (after Triple H feigned excitement for him being there, teasing a return to their previous alliance) before eliminating him from the match. In the end, the match came down to Austin and Kane, with the Big Red Machine having survived from near the beginning. It looked as if Kane would win, but Austin hit two Stone Cold Stunners out of nowhere to stagger the Demon and then eliminated him, winning his record third Royal Rumble match and punching his ticket to Wrestlemania. Austin then celebrated to end the show.
Royal Rumble Entry/Exit Order (2:00 Intervals)
1. Tazz
2. Raven
3. Hardcore Holly
4. Bad Ass Billy Gunn
5. Kane
- Raven Eliminated #1 by Kane
6. Bull Buchanan
- Hardcore Holly Eliminated #2 by Kane
- Bull Buchanan Eliminated #3 by Kane
7. "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka
- Bad Ass Billy Gunn Eliminated #4 by Tazz
8. Steven Richards
- "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka Eliminated #5 by Kane
9. Faarooq
10. Bradshaw
- Steven Richards Eliminated #6 by Bradshaw
11. Al Snow
12. The Honky Tonk Man
- The Honky Tonk Man Eliminated #7 by Kane
13. "The Lethal Weapon" Steve Blackman
- Tazz Eliminated #8 by Faarooq
14. Triple H
- Al Snow Eliminated #9 by Triple H
15. Scotty 2 Hotty
16. Perry Saturn
- Faarooq Eliminated #10 by Triple H
17. Test
18. The Big Show
- Triple H Eliminated #11 by The Big Show
- The Big Show Eliminated #12 by Kane
19. The Undertaker
- Bradshaw Eliminated #13 by The Undertaker
20. The Godfather
21. Stone Cold Steve Austin
- Perry Saturn Eliminated #14 by Stone Cold Steve Austin
- "The Lethal Weapon" Steve Blackman Eliminated #15 by Stone Cold Steve Austin
22. Albert
23. X-Pac
- Test Eliminated #16 by Albert
24. Eddie Guerrero
- Scotty 2 Hotty Eliminated #17 by The Undertaker
- The Undertaker Eliminated #18 by Kane
25. Rikishi
- The Godfather Eliminated #19 by Eddie Guerrero
26. Sean Morally
27. K-Kwik
- K-Kwik Eliminated #20 by Kane
28. D'Lo Brown
29. Haku
- D'Lo Brown Eliminated #21 by Rikishi
30. William Regal
- Albert Eliminated #22 by Haku
- Haku Eliminated #23 by Rikishi
- Sean Morally Eliminated #24 by Stone Cold Steve Austin
- X-Pac Eliminated #25 by Eddie Guerrero
- William Regal Eliminated #26 by Rikishi
- Rikishi Eliminated #27 by Kane
- Eddie Guerrero Eliminated #28 by Stone Cold Steve Austin
- Kane Eliminated #29 by Stone Cold Steve Austin
Off-Camera Title Changes
January 22: Haku d. Crash Holly for the Hardcore Title
February 8: Raven d. Haku for the Hardcore Title
February 8: Perry Saturn d. Raven for the Hardcore Title
February 8: Haku d. Perry Saturn for the Hardcore Title
February 12: Albert d. Test for the European Title
February 12: Justin Credible d. Haku for the Hardcore Title
February 15: Crash Holly d. Justin Credible for the Hardcore Title
February 15: Justin Credible d. Crash Holly for the Hardcore Title |
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Post by darbicus on Dec 15, 2022 4:44:33 GMT 1
Note: As The Kat was never hired in this universe, Jerry Lawler never leaves the WWF during 2001.
WWF No Way Out February 25, 2001 Thomas & Mack Center Paradise, NV
*Eddie Guerrero d. Rikishi by Pinfall Stemming from their interactions in the Royal Rumble match, Eddie Guerrero and Rikishi engage in a brief feud. The big samoan dominated the match for the most part, shutting down most of Guerrero's offense and slowing down the match in the process. Guerrero managed to take out Rikishi's legs at one point, locking in a modified Figure-4 submission that nearly got the victory. However a Side kick from Rikishi put Eddie back on his heels and nearly ended the match. Rikishi went for his sitout Piledriver finisher, cockily carrying a seemingly unconscious Guerrero on his shoulder, but Latino Heat pushed out of the hold and rolled up Rikishi from behind for the sudden win, bolting out of the ring before Rikishi could exact a measure of revenge against the former IC Champion.
*Jerry Lynn d. Dean Malenko by Pinfall to Win the Light Heavyweight Title Light Heavyweight Champion Dean Malenko made an unannounced appearance on the show, claiming to be the greatest Light Heavyweight in the World and issuing an open challenge to anyone who thinks they can take him on. To the surprise of everyone, former ECW champion (and a former Light Heavyweight Champion, for that matter) Jerry Lynn appeared, answering the challenge. In a highly competitive, back and forth match, Lynn stunned the Iceman by pinning him after hitting a Cradle Piledriver, winning the Light Heavyweight Title in his first official match back with the WWF.
*X-Factor [X-Pac, Albert & Justin Credible] d. Too Cool [Grandmaster Sexay & Scotty 2 Hotty] & Test by Pinfall X-Pac had formed a new alliance consisting of himself, Albert (who had turned on Test in the breakup of their team) and the debuting Justin Credible. Calling themselves X-Factor, the trio had pledged allegiance to themselves and no one else as they sought to dominate the WWF. Teaming against Test and Too Cool, X-Factor were able to isolate Grandmaster Sexay and control much of the match, right until Test got in the ring and began dominating. At one point, Test hit Justin Credible with his Big Boot, knocking him out. In the melee, Crash Holly came from the back with his own referee, taking advantage of the 24/7 rule of the Hardcore Title and pinning Justin Credible to regain the title. In the ring however, the distraction caused by this caused X-Pac to throw powder in the face of Test, blinding him. This allowed Albert to hit the Baldo Bomb on his former partner and big up the win for his team.
*Edge & Christian & The Dudley Boyz [Bubba Ray & D-Von Dudley] Wrestled to a No Contest After losing the tag team titles to the Dudley Boyz at the Royal Rumble, Edge and Christian immediately cashed in a rematch clause for No Way Out. However complicating matters were The Hardy Boyz, who were also itching for a chance to regain the World Tag Team Titles as well, with the team having earned victories over the other two teams in recent weeks. The Hardys were at ringside, along with Lita, watching the match proceed. Edge & Christian cheated to take control of the match early on, only for Bubba Ray to get the hot tag and make a comeback. When Edge and Christian powdered to the outside to take a breather, they got into a fight with the Hardys, which later expanded to include the tag team champions, forcing the referee to throw the title match out.
*Chris Jericho d. Haku by Pinfall to Retain the Intercontinental Title Chris Jericho had begun a feud with Commissioner William Regal since the Royal Rumble, causing the Commissioner to make it his personal mission to get the Intercontinental Title off of Y2J. To this order, he made several matches with the odds stacked against Jericho, the latest being a title defense against the returning Haku. However, Jericho was able to fight off Haku and beat him after hitting him with a Missile Dropkick.
*Steven Richards & Ivory d. Jerry "The King" Lawler & Chyna by Pinfall Chyna had been attempting to goad Ivory into a title match, seeking revenge for the near career ending injury she had sustained back in November. Ivory however had been steadfast in denying her request, until Jerry Lawler offered a mixed tag match. He would team with Chyna and if they won, then Chyna would receive a title shot. If Right to Censor won, though, then Lawler would give up his position on commentary to Steven Richards. Lawler and Chyna dominated the match for the most part, but things took a turn for the worst when Bull Buchanan got involved, hitting both Chyna and Lawler with the Women's Title Belt to knock them both out, allowing Richards to pin The King and banish him from WWF Television (though that would be later undone by Linda McMahon).
*The Rock d. Triple H by Pinfall to Retain the WWF Championship In what was billed as the "final chapter" of their lengthy rivalry, The Rock and Triple H fought once more for the WWF Championship. Like most of their confrontations over the past several years, this was very evenly matched, though Triple H surprisingly seemed to have the upper hand towards the end of the match. However, all of that changed when The Big Show made his arrival to the arena, distracting Triple H and allowing the People's Champion to hit The Game with a Rock Bottom to pick up the victory.
*Kurt Angle d. Stone Cold Steve Austin in a 3 Stages of Hell Match After Stone Cold Steve Austin had cost Kurt Angle the WWF Championship at the Royal Rumble, both the Olympic Hero and the Texas Rattlesnake were looking to settle their differences once and for all. WWF Chairman Vince McMahon agreed to make the match a 3 Stages of Hell match, a 2 out of 3 Falls match where each fall had a separate stipulation. The first match was a Submission Match, per the request of Kurt Angle, but this backfired on the Olympic Hero as Austin managed to get Angle to submit to a Million Dollar Dream of all things, earning the first fall. Angle would win the 2nd fall, which was a No Holds Barred match per Austin's request, after hitting a top rope Angle Slam through a table. The final fall was a Last Man Standing match, in which both men beat each other senseless. The end came when both men simply collapsed after hitting each other with a chair shot over the head, with Angle barely getting up at the count of 9 to claim victory over the Rattlesnake, to the surprise of many.
Off-Camera Title Changes:
March 1: Chris Benoit d. Albert for the European Title
March 1: Justin Credible d. Crash Holly for the Hardcore Title
March 1: Al Snow d. Justin Credible for the Hardcore Title
March 5: Raven d. Al Snow for the Hardcore Title
March 8: The Hardy Boyz d. The Dudley Boyz for the World Tag Team Titles
March 12: Edge & Christian d. The Hardy Boyz for the World Tag Team Titles
March 15: Rikishi d. Chris Benoit for the European Title
March 15: "The Lethal Weapon" Steve Blackman d. Raven for the Hardcore Title
March 15: Justin Credible d. "The Lethal Weapon" Steve Blackman for the Hardcore Title
March 15: Crash Holly d. Justin Credible for the Hardcore Title
March 29: Kane d. Crash Holly for the Hardcore Title |
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Post by darbicus on Dec 15, 2022 23:31:00 GMT 1
Note: I've gone back and forth on how to do this, and have decided that I simply won't have an Invasion angle. I can't come up with a way to make it seem new and refreshing compared to other fantasy rebookings out there, while also maintaining it as something that would have been close to real life. So, as a result, while WCW's closure will be acknowledged on TV at times, and WCW talent will be filtered into the company over the course of the coming years, it will not be a straight-up "Invasion" angle. No ECW invasion either.
WWF Wrestlemania X-Seven April 1, 2001 Reliant Astrodome Houston, TX
*Chris Jericho d. William Regal by Submission to Retain the Intercontinental Title The feud between Chris Jericho and William Regal reached its highpoint, after weeks of stunts by Jericho (including surreptitiously peeing in a cup of the Commissioner's tea) had led to Regal vowing to defeat the IC Champion. Regal took advantage of a knee injury that Jericho had sustained on the go-home episode of Raw, working over the leg and hoping to defeat the young upstart with his technical skill. However Jericho was able to counter that and turned the tables on Regal, defeating the Commissioner with the Lion Tamer (the more painful version of the Walls of Jericho), besmirching Regal by making him tap out in the center of the ring.
*Jerry "The King" Lawler & The APA [Bradshaw & Faarooq] d. The Right to Censor [Steven Richards, Charles Warrington, Bull Buchanan & Sean Morally] by Pinfall After a week off commentary (replaced by Steven Richards), Jerry Lawler was reinstated by Linda McMahon. When Richards complained and threatened to sue for contract breach, Lawler put up his career in general against the entire RTC in a 4 on 3 Handicap Match. It was only after Richards agreed that he learned that the Right to Censor's existence as a stable would also be on the line, and that The King's partners would be the APA. Despite having a numbers advantage, the Right to Censor failed to capitalize and the match ended with The King hitting a Piledriver on Richards himself, pinning the Censor and forcing the group to disband permanently.
*Tommy Dreamer d. Kane, Raven, Perry Saturn, Crash Holly, Hardcore Holly, Test, Justin Credible, Al Snow & Steve Blackman in a Hardcore Invitational Battle Royal to Emerge as the Hardcore Champion After months of the Hardcore Title hot potatoing at WWF events, an attempt to crown a new champion definitively would happen in a 10 man Hardcore Invitational Battle Royal. The match would last 15 minutes, with falls against the champion counting as championship reigns themselves. The champion at the end of 15 minutes would be the definitive Hardcore Champion (though this part of the storyline would be forgotten, as the 24/7 rule would be reinstated after Backlash). Kane began the match as Hardcore Champion, but was quickly beaten by a huge beatdown followed by a Big Boot by Test. From there, Test was pinned by Steve Blackman, Perry Saturn, Al Snow, Raven, Crash Holly, Hardcore Holly, Justin Credible, Raven, Kane, Steve Blackman, Al Snow & Crash Holly in that order. Raven scored the penultimate pinfall for the match and was running through the back trying to elude Kane, only to run into his old nemesis from ECW (and the surprise tenth entrant into the match) in Tommy Dreamer, who hit a Spicolli Driver on the champion and pinned him to become Hardcore Champion.
*Rikishi d. Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero & Albert w/X-Pac in a Fatal Fourway Match to Retain the European Title Chris Benoit had defeated X-Factor member Albert for the European Title shortly after No Way Out, only to drop the title to Rikishi two weeks later. Rikishi was still embroiled in his feud with Eddie Guerrero, leading to this fatal fourway match for the European Title. Albert dominated early on, relying on help from his X-Factor teammate X-Pac in the process. However both of them would be taken out by a suicide dive from Guerrero to the outside. Benoit and Rikishi then worked over each other for a time, before Eddie stopped Benoit from winning with a Frogsplash onto a prone Rikishi, who was locked in the Crippler Crossface. Eventually Guerrero got caught with a Baldo Bomb from a returning Albert. Albert then nearly got locked in a Crossface from Benoit, only for Rikishi to hit a running splash on them both, squashing them flat. Rikishi then hit a Rikishi Driver to Benoit to pick up the win and retain the title.
*Rob Van Dam w/Paul Heyman d. Tazz by Pinfall Shortly after No Way Out, Paul Heyman had surprisingly made his way onto WWF television, offering his managerial services as Tazz's agent in the WWF. Tazz initially seemed to agree, only to dupe Paul Heyman and choke him out with the Tazzmission. Heyman swore revenge by bringing in a "Paul Heyman Guy" and "the hottest free agent in wrestling" in the form of Rob Van Dam. RVD made his in-ring debut at this show, and showcased his high flying offense to an excited crowd. Tazz tried to ground RVD with several suplexes, but RVD eventually hit a variety of kicks to the face and then polished off the Human Suplex Machine with a 5 Star Frogsplash for the win.
*The Big Show d. Triple H w/Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley by Pinfall Since his return at the Royal Rumble, The Big Show had sought revenge against his former associate Triple H, and was looking to prove that he was his own man. This despite the edict from Commissioner Regal that Big Show was unable to lay a hand on Triple H unless it was in an official match, under penalty of being fired. Big Show's mere presence had cost Triple H the WWF Title at No Way Out, leading to The Game demanding a match with him at Wrestlemania. Triple H ambushed The Big Show as he was making his entrance, catching the Giant off guard and starting the match with him injured. However Triple H could only work over the big man for so long before The Big Show came back. Stephanie attempted to get involved, slapping the Big Show in the face, but was nearly Chokeslammed for her troubles. Triple H then attempted to hit Big Show in the back of the head with the handle of a sledge hammer that Big Show had broken earlier in the match, only for Show to duck and for The Game to hit his wife instead. Big Show then hit Triple H with a Chokeslam to pick up the victory.
*Edge & Christian w/Rhyno d. The Dudley Boyz [Bubba Ray & D-Von Dudley] w/Spike Dudley & The Hardy Boyz [Matt & Jeff Hardy] w/Lita in a TLC Match to Retain the World Tag Team Titles The tag title carousel involving Edge & Christian, The Dudley Boyz and The Hardy Boyz had continued since No Way Out, with the Hardys defeating the Dudleys, only to drop the belts (via a debuting Rhyno) to Edge & Christian the following week on Raw. This led to a rematch of the previous summer's groundbreaking TLC match being made at Wrestlemania, though with the additions of Lita, Rhyno and the Dudley's "little brother" Spike being added to the mix on the outside. The match, like the one the previous summer, was a spotfest, ending with the iconic spot of Edge spearing Jeff Hardy off of the belts from the top of a ladder. In the end, Rhyno was able to keep The Dudleys from winning the belts, goring Bubba and D-Von through separate tables, which allowed Christian to retrieve the titles and retain them after a hard fought match.
*Mick Foley d. Vince McMahon in a Non-Sanctioned Street Fight Since gaining Commissioner Foley's resignation after Survivor Series, Vince McMahon had once again returned to unbridled power in the WWF (though, surprisingly, not with as much impunity as he had before) and had delegated abuse of that power to Commissioner Regal among others. However he took every opportunity to defame Foley's accomplishments in the WWF, going so far as to claim he would "scrub" Foley's WWF title reigns from the official title's history. Eventually, Linda McMahon returned to the WWF shortly after No Way Out, reminding Vince that she was the CEO of the company and that his insults of a close personal friend of hers had upset her. So much so that she allowed Foley the chance to get some personal revenge by taking on Vince in a Non-Sanctioned Street Fight. For his part McMahon promised he would have a plan to take care of Foley, and that plan involved Edge, Christian and Rhyno jumping the former commissioner from behind as he made his entrance. This allowed Vince to control much of the match, but Foley eventually fought back, despite being busted open. Foley pushed through pain and mangled Vince McMahon with steel chair shots and barbed wire, winning the match after delivering an elbow from the second rope with a barbed wire wrapped two by four to the Chairman through a table.
*The Undertaker d. Kurt Angle by Pinfall Despite defeating Steve Austin at No Way Out, Kurt Angle found himself without an opponent at Wrestlemania. Angle, continuing his streak of "doing the impossible", vowed to end the Undertaker's Wrestlemania Undefeated Streak and make the Phenom tap out in the middle of the ring. For a while it looked as if The Olympic Hero would do just that, controlling the match and using a submission style that The Deadman wasn't used to facing. At one point, Angle had Undertaker trapped in the Ankle Lock, and it appeared as if Undertaker would finally tap out, but he made one last ditch push for the ropes and forced the hold to break. Eventually Angle grew desperate from his inability to put away the Undertaker after a back and forth sequence, and abandoned his ground game for an attempt at a Moonsault. Undertaker however caught Angle instead and delivered a Tombstone Piledriver to pick up the win and keep his undefeated streak in tact.
*Chyna d. Ivory by Pinfall to Win the WWF Women's Title After months of seeking vengeance against the Right to Censor and Ivory in particular, Chyna finally got her hands on the Women's Champion and manhandled her, easily defeating Ivory in a glorified squash match and gaining the Women's Title.
*Stone Cold Steve Austin d. The Rock by Pinfall to Win the WWF Championship In the build to their epic encounter, Austin made clear that he was desperate to regain the WWF title and would stop at nothing to ensure that was the outcome, as the two biggest stars in the business engaged in a tangled battle of onesupmanship as they tried to gain each other's respect and the WWF Championship. Austin made clear his desperation when he attacked The Rock before the Great One had even finished his entrance, hitting him with two Stunners early on that The Rock still kicked out of. What followed was a back and forth match (made a No Disqualification Match by Vince McMahon on the episode of Heat right before Wrestlemania, as an ominous bit of foreshadowing) with numerous near falls from both men. The match finally came to an end when The Rock kicked out of a third Stunner and Vince McMahon made his way to ringside. Austin looked at McMahon, who tossed a steel chair into the ring with a smirk on his face. Austin fought with himself, but he nearly got caught with a Rock Bottom during his indecision. Austin fought out and hit a Stun Gun on The Rock across the top rope before picking up the chair and plastering The champion with a shot across the head. He then pelted the Rock with several more chairshots as Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler looked on with disbelief. Austin pinned the Rock to become WWF champion, before shaking the hand of his longtime rival Vince McMahon, as Jim Ross announced that Austin had sold his soul to Satan himself for the WWF Title.
Off-Camera Title Changes
April 2: Rob Van Dam d. Chris Jericho for the Intercontinental Title
April 5: Rhyno d. Tommy Dreamer for the Hardcore Title
April 26: Jeff Hardy d. Rhyno for the Hardcore Title |
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Post by Ryan Kelman on Dec 16, 2022 0:49:34 GMT 1
I don’t blame you for not doing the Invasion. It’s been done to death.
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Post by darbicus on Dec 16, 2022 5:49:42 GMT 1
I don’t blame you for not doing the Invasion. It’s been done to death. Thats the main reason. For those curious, the "Invasion" I would have run with would have been a pseudo brand split with some incursions from one side or the other, with ECW acting as a third independent brand. It would have culminated in a winner take all Wrestlemania, with the WWF (renamed WWE the next night on Raw) prevailing, with ECW still existing as an early form of NXT. More in line with tge original intentions of the angle. One change I intend to keep is the use of Sting in the early brand split days. He was close to signing in early 02 IRL, but chose not to due to how the WCW guys had been treated. Since my rebooking will treat them better, I suspect hed be more open to signing. |
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Post by darbicus on Dec 17, 2022 0:52:36 GMT 1
WWF Backlash April 29, 2001 Allstate Arena Rosemont, IL
*Rhyno d. Jeff Hardy w/Matt Hardy by Pinfall to Win the Hardcore Title Since coming into the WWF as the hired gun of Edge & Christian, Rhyno had been a dominant force. He had won the hardcore Title (which still had its 24/7 rule suspended for the time being) shortly after Wrestlemania, only dropping it in an upset to Jeff Hardy on the episode of Smackdown right before Backlash. However the Daredevil couldn't keep his momentum or the title for long, as Rhyno won the belt back by Goring Jeff through a table in the backstage area.
*Val Venis d. Steven Richards by Pinfall With the Right to Censor formally disbanded, the man formally known as Sean Morally was "tempted" back to the "darkside" by The Godfather, renouncing his censorship identity and resuming his previous identity of Val Venis. This brought him into conflict with his former leader Steven Richards, who still sought to stamp out immorality in the WWF. However The Big Valbowski resumed his winning ways, defeating the former leader of Right to Censor with the Moneyshot.
*William Regal d. Chris Jericho in the Duchess of Queensbury Rules Match After losing to Chris Jericho at Wrestlemania, Commissioner William Regal sought to make Jericho's life miserable at every turn. At first he interfered to ensure that Jericho lost the Intercontinental Title to Rob Van Dam, and then he put Jericho in a special "Duchess of Queensbury" rules match, where only Regal knew what the rules of the match were. Despite this handicap, Jericho still controlled the match, only to be frustrated whenever the titular Duchess (actually Dave Taylor in drag) would insert a new rule to thwart Y2J. Eventually Jericho himself went after the Duchess, only to be hit with a pair of brass knuckles from Regal (which the Duchess declared to be legal) to score the pinfall victory.
*Rob Van Dam w/Paul Heyman d. Jerry Lynn by Pinfall to Retain the Intercontinental Title After winning the Intercontinental Title in only his second night in the WWF, RVD suddenly faced a challenge from his old ECW rival, Light Heavyweight Champion Jerry Lynn. The two had a highly competitive match, reminiscent of their encounters in ECW, with only Van Dam's title on the line. In the end, RVD pinned his longtime rival with a 5 Star Frogsplash to retain the Intercontinental Championship.
*Edge & Christian d. The Dudley Boyz [Bubba Ray & D-Von Dudley] w/Spike Dudley in a Tables Match to Retain the World Tag Team Titles After unexpectedly winning the TLC match at Wrestlemania, Edge & Christian claimed that they were done with both the Hardy Boyz and the Dudley Boyz. This was apparently news to the Dudleys, as they continued to attack Edge & Christian in the weeks that followed, attempting to put them through tables. This led to a Tables Match at Backlash for the tag titles. The Dudleys appeared to have the match won when they put Christian through a Table with a 3-D, but the referee missed it due to a distraction from, surprisingly enough, Vince McMahon's stooge Pat Patterson. This allowed Edge to clear away the debris and evidence and the match to go on. The Dudleys looked to finish the match a second time, when they were both attacked by Rikishi of the Sindicate, who proceeded to drill both men through a table, technically giving a win to Edge & Christian. After the match Rikishi gave a knowing look to Christian, while Edge looked on somewhat perplexed.
*Molly Holly d. Chyna, Ivory, Trish Stratus, Lita & Jacqueline in a Six Pack Challenge for the WWF Women's Title In a surprise additional match, Chyna held an open invitational six pack challenge for her Women's Championship, which was answered by most of the female competitors in the company. In the end, Molly Holly shocked everyone by pinning Jacqueline and becoming the women's champion (Note: This was added because of Chyna's departure from the company around this time, and to keep the Women's Title in play).
*Kurt Angle d. Chris Benoit by Pinfall Despite not making The Undertaker tap out at Wrestlemania, Kurt Angle still claimed to be the greatest technical wrestler in the WWF today. This drew the ire of the Rabid Wolverine Chris Benoit, who claimed he was the greatest submission specialist. To prove his point, Benoit would corner Angle on two separate occasions prior to Backlash, forcing him to tap out to the Crippler Crossface. Angle and Benoit were thus set to have a match at Backlash. Benoit controlled the early part of the match, when Angle wasn't powdering to the outside to try and break up the pace of the match. Angle took advantage though when he caught Benoit coming in after the Wolverine was chasing him around the ring, beginning to work over Benoit's ankle. Angle locked in an ankle lock, but Benoit was able to get to the ropes, pushing Angle away which caused him to bump into the referee. Benoit then locked Angle in the Crossface, which caused Angle to visibly tap out, but the referee to miss it. When Benoit went over to check on the ref, Angle used a takedown to blindside Benoit, using the ropes for added leverage on the roll up to pick up the pinfall victory, hightailing it out of the ring before Benoit could get revenge.
*The Sindicate [Stone Cold Steve Austin, Triple H & Rikishi] w/Vince McMahon d. The Brothers of Destruction [Kane & The Undertaker] & The Big Show by Pinfall At Wrestlemania, Stone Cold Steve Austin had done the unthinkable and turned heel against The Rock, aligning himself with his long hated rival Mr. McMahon in order to win the WWF Championship. The next night on Raw, Austin turned up dressed in a suit and tie, looking completely unlike the Texas Rattlesnake that people had been accustomed too the previous few years. Austin justified his actions, saying that when he said he would do anything to become WWF Champion, he meant it, and that aligning himself with McMahon in a "marriage of convenience" was a small price to pay to get to the top of the mountain. He then solidified his heel turn later in the night when he attacked The Rock during a match between The Great One and Triple H, joining with The Game (and later European Champion Rikishi) to form the Sindicate, a mafia inspired group under the direction of Vince McMahon. This trio quickly ran afoul of the Brothers of Destruction, who challenged them to a tag match at Backlash. McMahon initially made it a 3 on 2 Handicap Match, which eventually became a six man tag once The Big Show joined forces with the Phenom and his brother. The Sindicate controlled the match for the most part, with Austin only getting involved when the advantage suited him. Undertaker made a comeback against Austin, only to have it snuffed out by Triple H. This all changed once Big Show got into the match, as he cleaned house with the Babyfaces, leaving the Sindicate to have to regroup on the outside. The referee was dragged outside by Vince McMahon, who proceeded to be attacked by Kane and The Undertaker, as Triple H and Rikishi also fought the Brothers of Destruction. Inside The Big Show stood with Austin, who pled with the Giant for mercy. Big Show looked like he would hit Austin with a Chokeslam, when he was taken out at the knees by Christian with the edge of a steel chair. With the Giant down to one knee, Edge and Christian took their chairs (Edge somewhat reluctantly) and performed a Con-Chair-To on the Big Show. This let Austin hit the Giant with a Stone Cold Stunner to KO him and pick up the victory as a substitute referee came in and counted the fall. After the match, the Sindicate, Edge & Christian bolted out of the ring celebrating (though Edge still appeared to be somewhat conflicted) while Kane and Undertaker tended to their fallen comrade to close the show. |
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Post by darbicus on Dec 17, 2022 22:52:31 GMT 1
WWF Insurrextion May 5, 2001 Earls Court Exhibition Center London, England
*Eddie Guerrero d. Perry Saturn w/Terri Runnels by Pinfall In a standard match, Eddie Guerrero defeated his former Radicalz teammate Perry Saturn by pinfall with a Frogsplash. This match is notable for being Guerrero's last appearance before entering rehab in late May 2001, though he would return in early 2002.
*Raven & Tori d. Crash & Molly Holly by Pinfall Tori had made her return to the WWF and had immediately targeted Women's Champion Molly Holly, while simultaneously also pairing up with Raven. In this mixed tag match, Tori and Molly were kept apart for the most part as Crash and Raven fought against each other, with Raven eventually scoring the pinfall with the Evenflow DDT.
*Chris Jericho d. William Regal in a 2 out of 3 Falls Match William Regal looked to put his feud with Chris Jericho to bed in his own home country, facing off against Y2J in a 2 out of 3 Falls match. Regal took the first fall through his usual underhanded tactics, using the ropes for leverage to score a quick pinfall on Jericho. He then worked over Jericho's previously injured neck in an attempt to set him up for the Regal Stretch. However Jericho fought back and evened the score after hitting a Lionsault on Regal. The two then continued to fight back and forth until Jericho reversed a suplex attempt by Regal into a pinning combination that gave his the third and decisive fall in a hard fought match.
*Edge & Christian d. X-Pac & Albert w/Justin Credible by Pinfall to Retain the World Tag Team Titles The previous week at Backlash, Edge & Christian had been indoctrinated into the Sindicate after helping the group win the six man tag match. However, Edge hadn't been told by Christian of the deal to join the group, and appeared a bit reluctant to do so (though ultimately he went along with Christian's advice). They defended the tag titles in a rare heel vs. heel matchup against X-Factor members X-Pac and Albert. Despite the latter's size advantage, Edge and Christian were able to successfully fend off the trio, with Edge pinning X-Pac after hitting a Spear on him for the victory.
*Rhyno d. Tommy Dreamer by Pinfall to Retain the Hardcore Title In a standard Hardcore Match, Rhyno was able to defeat Tommy Dreamer following a Piledriver through a table.
*Rob Van Dam w/Paul Heyman d. Matt Hardy w/Lita by Pinfall to Retain the Intercontinental Title In a standard title defense, Rob Van Dam continued his undefeated streak as Intercontinental Champion, pinning Matt Hardy following a 5 Star Frogsplash.
*The Undertaker & The Big Show d. Triple H & Rikishi by Pinfall The Sindicate continued to try and deal with their trio of enemies, specifically The Brothers of Destruction and The Big Show. With Kane receiving a WWF Title shot at this event, The Undertaker was left to team with The Big Show against Triple H and Rikishi. Surprisingly the Giant and the Phenom were able to work well together, but were tripped up when Undertaker seemingly tweaked his knee following a big boot attempt on The Game. Triple H then zeroed in on The Undertaker's injury, attempting to cripple the Deadman. Big Show eventually made the hot tag from Undertaker and cleaned house of The Sindicate. Big Show picked up the victory for his team after hitting Rikishi with a Chokeslam, pinning the European Champion.
*Kane d. Stone Cold Steve Austin by Disqualification [Austin Retains the WWF Title] Since turning heel Stone Cold Steve Austin had adopted a more submission based wrestling style, including largely abandoning his trademark "Stone Cold Stunner" (though he would still occassionally use it) finisher for the more subdued "Stone Cold Sleeper", a take on the old Million Dollar Dream. It was this subdued style that Austin used to try and take out the Big Red Machine Kane, but the Demon wasn't falling for the tactics. Austin barely was able to hold back the tide of Kane, eventually resorting to a blatant low blow followed by a chair shot to stop him, resulting in a DQ win. The Sindicate (minus Edge) then came out and attacked Kane, only to be chased off by Undertaker and Big Show to close out the night.
Off-Camera Title Changes:
May 7: Test d. Rikishi for the European Title
May 7: Spike Dudley d. Rhyno for the Hardcore Title
May 7: Bubba Ray Dudley d. Spike Dudley for the Hardcore Title
May 7: Rhyno d. Bubba Ray Dudley for the Hardcore Title
May 10: William Regal d. Test for the European Title
May 10: Bradshaw d. Rhyno for the Hardcore Title
May 17: Tommy Dreamer d. Bradshaw for the Hardcore Title
May 17: Rhyno d. Tommy Dreamer for the Hardcore Title |
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Post by darbicus on Dec 19, 2022 2:27:45 GMT 1
Note: Triple H's quad injury still takes place in this timeline, though his return will be slightly ahead of schedule from his actual return in the original run.
WWF Judgment Day May 20, 2001 ARCO Arena Sacramento, CA
*William Regal w/Tajiri d. Test by Submission to Retain the European Title Test had dethroned Rikishi as European Champion, but quickly dropped the belt back to the Sindicate when Commissioner William Regal won the following episode of Smackdown. In this title rematch, Test dominated the commissioner for the most part and would have had the match won, but inadvertantly caught the referee after hitting Regal with his Big Boot finisher. As Test checked on the referee, Regal's "personal assistant" Tajiri got into the ring and sprayed Green Mist into the eyes of the former Champion. He then put Regal on top of Test, which counted as a pinfall after the referee came to. After the match, Regal looked on dumbfounded as Tajiri simply smiled at him.
*X-Pac w/Albert & Justin Credible d. Jerry Lynn to Win the Light Heavyweight Title Light Heavyweight Champion Jerry Lynn had issued an open challenge for Judgment Day, an open challenge that was answered by X-Factor's leader X-Pac. The two wrestlers had known each other from their early days on the independent circuit, and thus had a highly competitive match. X-Pac hit a Bronco Buster and went for his facebuster finisher, but Lynn was able to counter and hit a Cradle Piledriver. However Justin Credible distracted the referee, preventing the pin. Lynn then dove over the top rope and took out both Credible and Albert on the outside, but walked right into a Facebuster as he came back into the ring, allowing X-Pac to pick up the victory.
*Molly Holly d. Tori by Pinfall to Retain the Women's Title In a standard title defense, Molly Holly defeated Tori after hitting her with the Molly-Go-Round finisher for the pinfall victory.
*Kanyon Emerged With the Hardcore Title in a Bar Room Brawl Invitational Bradshaw had regained the Hardcore Championship on the episode of Sunday Night Heat leading into Judgment Day (as the 24/7 rule was quietly reinstated), and challenged anyone who wanted to try and take him on in a "Bar Room Brawl Invitational", as he and his tag team partner Faarooq would be present all night in a local Sacramento bar. Throughout the course of the night, individuals such as Raven, Steven Richards, Crash Holly & Perry Saturn took shots at defeating Bradshaw in the bar, but all failed. At the end of the night, the bar's owner (who had been seen from behind in the background) was paid by Bradshaw and Faarooq for the damage to his bar...only for the bar owner to smash a glass mug over Bradshaw's head and then crack a pool cue across the head of Faarooq. He then removed his hoodie, revealing former WCW star Chris Kanyon, who had been lying in wait all night. Kanyon pinned Bradshaw and became Hardcore champion, running out of the bar as quick as he could.
*Triple H w/Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley d. Chris Jericho by Pinfall Chris Jericho's feud with William Regal had expanded into a feud involving the entire Sindicate, partially due to his continued jabs at the daughter of Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley. That made Vince turn Triple H on Jericho (despite the fact that Triple H appeared to be eyeing challenging Steve Austin for the WWF Title, at least behind the scenes). The match between Jericho and Triple H was similar to their previous encounters, but ended in a far different fashion, as Triple H tore his quadricep muscle during the course of the match. Rikishi came out from the back to attack Jericho while the referee tended to Triple H, who then got up and hit a Pedigree on Jericho to score the pinfall, before being helped to the back by Rikishi and WWF officials.
*Rob Van Dam w/Paul Heyman d. Matt Hardy & Jeff Hardy w/Lita in a Triple Threat Match to Retain the Intercontinental Title Rob Van Dam had entered into a feud with both of the Hardy Boyz, defeating them in individual matches. Eventually Paul Heyman challenged the pair to a triple threat, attempting to sew distrust between the brothers by saying that their cohort Lita was in a relationship with both of them behind the others back. This duplicity backfired, and the Hardys double teamed RVD throughout much of the match, before turning to each other to fight. Eventually though, Matt hit a Twist of Fate on Jeff, nearly picking up a win before RVD broke up the pin with a Rolling Thunder. He then jumped to the top and hit Matt with a 5 Star Frogsplash to win the match and retain the title.
*The Brothers of Destruction [Kane & The Undertaker] d. Edge & Christian w/Rikishi by Pinfall to Win the World Tag Team Titles Edge & Christian, thanks to their help to the Sindicate at Backlash, had joined the elite group, although it was mostly at Christian's insistence rather than Edge. However, this put them in direct competition with the Brothers of Destruction, who targeted them for the tag team titles. While Edge & Christian had the Sindicate's enforcer Rikishi in their corner, they were unable to beat Kane and The Undertaker, succumbing to a double chokeslam from the Brothers after Christian inadvertently hit Edge with a tag title belt.
*Kurt Angle d. Chris Benoit in an Ultimate Submission Match to Retain his Olympic Gold Medals After cheating to beat Chris Benoit at Backlash, the Rabid Wolverine sought a rematch with Angle, going so far as to steal his Olympic Gold Medals from him. Angle then agreed to an Ultimate Submission match in an attempt to get them back. The match would last 30 minutes and the only way to win would be to score submissions. Benoit made Angle tap within 2 minutes of the match, hooking him in the Crossface almost immediately. Angle though evened the score when he duplicated the hold on Benoit, forcing him to tap to his own finisher. The back and forth continued until late in the match when it was tied at 3 falls a piece. Angle then locked Benoit in a final Ankle Lock and grapevined the leg in the center of the ring, forcing Benoit to tap a final time with less than ten seconds on the clock to pick up the win and retain his Gold Medals.
*Stone Cold Steve Austin d. The Big Show in a No Disqualification Match by Pinfall to Retain the WWF Championship The Big Show had won a triple threat match against both Kane and The Undertaker to earn a title shot at the Texas Rattlesnake, and then goaded Austin by calling him a coward into agreeing to make it a No Disqualification match, ensuring that Austin could duck his way out of the contest. With Kane and The Undertaker taking up residence at the entryway to ensure that the Sindicate stayed out of the match, Austin was left to the mercy of the Giant, but surprisingly was able to use a technical wrestling style, working over the Big Show's knee to try and chop the giant down to size. Big Show made several comebacks though and wouldn't be put away, tossing Austin aside after the champion tried to put him down with a Stone Cold Sleeper. Big Show eventually hit a chokeslam and looked to have the match won, but William Regal sent Taijiri through the crowd to break up the pinfall. With Christian, Rikishi and Regal also attacking the Brothers of Destruction, surprisingly it was Kurt Angle who came through the crowd and belted Big Show with the WWF Title belt. Austin looked at the man who had tried to run him over a year and a half earlier, as Angle simply smiled and then ran off, before Austin took advantage and pinned The Big Show to retain the title.
Off-Camera Title Changes:
May 21: Kurt Angle d. Rob Van Dam (& Chris Benoit & Chris Jericho) in a Fatal Fourway Match to Win the Intercontinental Title
May 28: The Dudley Boyz d. The Brothers of Destruction to Win the World Tag Team Titles
May 28: Crash Holly d. Kanyon to Win the Hardcore Title
May 28: Tommy Dreamer d. Crash Holly to Win the Hardcore Title
May 31: Chris Benoit initially defeats Stone Cold Steve Austin for the WWF Championship, but the decision is overturned by Commissioner William Regal on a technicality. However a returning Shane McMahon, on directive from his mother Linda, fires Regal as Commissioner and assumes the job himself, ordering the title vacated and a rematch to be held that night, which Austin won.
June 4: Kanyon d. Tommy Dreamer to Win the Hardcore Title
June 4: Rhyno d. Kanyon to Win the Hardcore Title
June 7: Spike Dudley d. X-Pac to Win the Light Heavyweight Title
June 7: Tommy Dreamer d. Rhyno to Win the Hardcore Title
June 11: X-Pac d. Spike Dudley to Win the Light Heavyweight Title
June 14: Kanyon d. Tommy Dreamer to Win the Hardcore Title
June 18: Chris Benoit & Chris Jericho d. The Dudley Boyz to Win the World Tag Team Titles
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Post by darbicus on Dec 20, 2022 4:40:45 GMT 1
Note: After this event (or rather, the Raw after this event), Chris Benoit will suffer a broken neck, which puts him out of action until next year.WWF King of the Ring June 24, 2001 Continental Airlines Arena East Rutherford, NJ
*Spike Dudley d. X-Pac w/Albert by Pinfall in a King of the Ring 1st Round Match In the build to the King of the Ring tournament, Spike Dudley and X-Pac had traded the Light Heavyweight Championship between the two of them, though in this case the championship was not on the line. Despite having Albert in his corner for the match, X-Pac was stunned again by Lil' Spike Dudley, as the runt of the Dudley litter caught X-Pac off guard with his Dudley Dawg finisher and advanced to the semifinals of the King of the Ring.
*Kurt Angle d. Bradshaw by Submission in a King of the Ring 1st Round Match Kurt Angle had been trying to ingratiate himself into the Sindicate since Judgment Day, despite Steve Austin's misgivings (given that Angle had been the man to run down Austin in 99). To try and prove himself, Angle vowed to become the first man to win the King of the Ring tournament in back to back years. He started off strong, defeating Bradshaw with an Ankle Lock to advance to the Semifinal Round.
*Chris Jericho d. Christian by Submission in a King of the Ring 1st Round Match Edge and Christian were both looking to make their mark in the King of the Ring tournament, with both men given the ultimatum to stop Chris Jericho from winning the tournament by Vince McMahon. Christian was up first (much to his delight, as he sought to separate himself from Edge by advancing first in the tournament), but Christian quickly found himself overwhelmed by Y2J, who finished off the former tag team champion with the Walls of Jericho.
*Edge d. Raven by Pinfall in a King of the Ring 1st Round Match In the most standard of all the 1st Round King of the Ring matches, Edge defeated Raven by pinfall after hitting him with a spear.
*Rob Van Dam & Rhyno w/Paul Heyman d. The Hardy Boyz [Matt & Jeff Hardy] w/Lita by Pinfall The feud between Rob Van Dam and The Hardy Boyz had continued, despite RVD losing the Intercontinental Title to Kurt Angle in a Fatal Fourway match a few weeks earlier. In order to counter the Hardys as a tag team, Paul Heyman brought in another "Paul Heyman Guy" to team with Rob Van Dam in the form of Rhyno. Despite having never teamed together before, Rhyno and Van Dam proved to be a formidable combination, and defeated the Hardys in a bit of an upset after Rhyno hit a Gore to Matt Hardy as he was distracted by Jeff's well being at ringside following a mistimed Poetry in Motion from the brothers. After the match, Jeff tried to apologize to Matt for the miscues between them, but Matt shrugged him off and walked away frustrated.
*Kurt Angle d. Spike Dudley by Pinfall in a King of the Ring Semifinal Match In the first semi-final match, Spike Dudley was clearly the underdog against the Olympic Hero Kurt Angle. Despite this, Spike gave Angle everything he could handle, and at one point it appeared that Spike would score the biggest upset in many years in the WWF, hitting Angle with the Dudley Dawg, but it only garnered a two count. In the end, Angle hit an Angle Slam to score the pinfall and advance to the finals.
*Chris Jericho d. Edge w/Christian by Pinfall in a King of the Ring Semifinal Match Chris Jericho's quest to become King of the Ring met its second Sindicate member in the form of Edge, who was accompanied to ring by his tag partner Christian. In contrast to Jericho's match with Christian, Edge put up more of a fight, and nearly had the match won after hitting an Edgecution DDT. As Jericho battled back, Christian attempted to interject himself, accidentally tripping Edge as he attempted to rebound off the ropes. Edge stopped briefly to argue with his partner, and then turned right around into Jericho's Breakdown Legsweep, which picked up the victory and advanced Y2J to the finals.
*Shane McMahon d. William Regal w/Tajiri in a New York Street Fight Commissioner William Regal had been throwing his weight around in recent weeks, no more so than on an episode of Smackdown in Chris Benoit's hometown of Edmonton. Benoit had apparently won the WWF title from Stone Cold Steve Austin, only for the decision to be overturned by Regal, who refused to order a rematch. However at that moment, he was overruled by a returning Shane McMahon, who under orders from Linda, fired Regal as Commissioner and installed himself in the same role. In response, Vince McMahon (who was in and out on WWF television, engaging in a semi-secret affair with his new personal assistant Dawn Marie) put Regal against Shane in a New York Street Fight. Shane's unorthodox wrestling style put the more refined Regal at a disadvantage, but Regal also had the advantage of his own personal assistant, Tajiri, who turned the tide with the Green Mist spit in the face of Shane. The younger McMahon battled back though and eventually hit a Coast to Coast on Regal to pick up the win.
*The Dudley Boyz [Bubba Ray & D-Von Dudley] d. The Brothers of Destruction [Kane & The Undertaker] in a Tables Match The Dudley Boyz had turned heel by attacking The Brothers of Destruction at the behest of the Sindicate (though without officially joining the group) and then later winning the tag team titles from them. Kane and The Undertaker returned the favor, costing the Dudleys the titles in a match between them and the team of Benoit & Jericho. This led to a tables match between the two teams. Undertaker seemingly had the match won, signaling for a Last Ride to D-Von through the table while Kane fought Bubba Ray on the outside. However, before he could deliver the move, grainy video cam footage of a blonde woman in a swimming pool suddenly appeared on the Titantron, with Undertaker looking at it in a perplexed fashion. When the footage disappeared, Undertaker turned around into a 3-D from the Dudley Boyz through the table, which garnered the victory for the Dudleys.
*Chris Jericho d. Kurt Angle by Pinfall to Win the King of the Ring Tournament In the King of the Ring tournament Final, Kurt Angle attempted to do what no man had ever done before: win the King of the Ring tournament in back to back years. Jericho however was the stoutest challenge the Olympic Hero had faced and, in spite of some timely interference from Rikishi of the Sindicate, Jericho was able to defeat Angle with a small package, becoming the King of the Ring winner and spoiling Angle's intended coronation.
*Stone Cold Steve Austin d. Chris Benoit in a Steel Cage Match to Retain the WWF Championship On an episode of Smackdown in May, it appeared as if The Rabid Wolverine Chris Benoit had won the WWF Championship in his hometown of Edmonton, by forcing Austin to tap out to the Crippler Crossface. However, Austin's legs were under the bottom rope when he tapped, which the referee missed. This led to then Commissioner William Regal nullifying the result and giving the belt back to Austin. Regal though was overruled by incoming commissioner Shane McMahon, who vacated the title instead and ordered a rematch that night between Benoit and Austin (which Austin would win via a low blow and a roll up). McMahon then granted Benoit a rematch at King of the Ring in any stipulation he wanted, which led to Benoit choosing a Cage Match to keep the Sindicate out of the match. Left with nowhere to run, Austin fought like a crazed animal to keep his title, but Benoit seemingly had the momentum, especially after a Diving Headbutt from halfway up the cage to the fallen Rattlesnake. However, Austin smashed Benoit's head into the Cage several times and then delivered a piledriver on a steel chair, which was provided by Kurt Angle from the outside of the cage (as Chris Jericho chased Angle away from ringside). Austin then locked in the Stone Cold Sleeper to put Benoit out, before walking out of the cage to retain his title.
Off-Camera Title Changes:
June 25: Stone Cold Steve Austin & Kurt Angle d. Chris Benoit & Chris Jericho to Win the World Tag Team Titles (Angle and Austin's Singles Titles Were Also on the Line in This Match)
June 25: Albert d. Kanyon to Win the Hardcore Title
June 25: Justin Credible d. Albert to Win the Hardcore Title
June 28: Spike Dudley d. William Regal to Win the European Title
June 28: Albert d. Justin Credible to Win the Hardcore Title
June 28: Rob Van Dam d. Albert to Win the Hardcore Title
July 12: Rhyno d. Rob Van Dam to Win the Hardcore Title
July 16: Kanyon d. Spike Dudley to Win the European Title
July 16: Billy Kidman d. X-Pac to Win the Light Heavyweight Title
July 19: Tommy Dreamer d. Rhyno to Win the Hardcore Title
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Post by darbicus on Dec 21, 2022 22:36:28 GMT 1
Note: Diamond Dallas Page debuts the night after King of the Ring as a Babyface, attacking Steve Austin and playing on their history together as traveling the road together in WCW.
WWF Fully Loaded July 22, 2001 Gund Arena Cleveland, OH
*The APA [Bradshaw & Faarooq] d. Stone Cold Steve Austin & Kurt Angle by Pinfall to Win the World Tag Team Titles The night after King of the Ring, Steve Austin and Kurt Angle teamed up as members of the Sindicate and defeated Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho to win the Tag Team Titles, thus controlling all of the major titles in the WWF (Tag Team, WWF Championship, and IC Title). As a result though, Commissioner Shane McMahon ordered the two to defend not only their tag titles at Fully Loaded, but their individual titles as well. The APA won a Fatal Fourway match to become the #1 contenders to the tag team titles, taking on the Sindicate in the opening match. Austin and Angle worked surprisingly well as a tag team, despite their previous animosity with one another, but their teamwork fell by the wayside when Angle inadvertently hit Austin with one of the tag title belts while the referee was down, allowing Bradshaw to hit Angle with the Clothesline from Hell and pick up the pinfall victory and the tag titles.
*Kanyon d. Spike Dudley by Pinfall to Retain the European Title Spike Dudley had upset William Regal by winning the European Title from him shortly after King of the Ring, only to lose the title a couple of weeks later to Kanyon. In this title rematch, Kanyon was able to withstand the upset minded Dudley and finish him off with a Flatliner to retain the title.
*The Undertaker w/Kane d. Shawn Stasiak by Pinfall For several weeks, The Undertaker had been haunted by video images of someone stalking his real life wife Sara, which had cost the Brothers of Destruction matches during that time. Undertaker was bound and determined to find out who was stalking his wife. When he caught 2nd generation star Shawn Stasiak in the back showing off his new video equipment, he suspected it was him and proceeded to beat him down in the backstage area, before challenging him to a fight at Fully Loaded. Undertaker squashed Stasiak, bouncing him head first off the ring post and barricades several times and hitting him with a steel chair head first before the match even began. Undertaker then finished him off with a Last Ride, mercifully pinning him. After the match though, the stalker appeared behind a mask and with a muffled voice on the Titantron, promising to reveal his identity that week on Raw.
*Billy Kidman w/Torrie Wilson d. Tajiri w/William Regal by Disqualification to Retain the Light Heavyweight Title Former WCW cruiserweight star and master of the Shooting Star Press Billy Kidman had debuted on Raw shortly before King of the Ring. Paired with the lovely Torrie Wilson, within weeks he had defeated X-Pac to become the new Light Heavyweight Champion. However then Kidman entered a feud with William Regal, when the former commissioner made a pass at Torrie in the backstage area. When Kidman confronted Regal about it, the Gentleman Villain directed his assistant Tajiri to take out Kidman. The match was competitive, with Kidman's high flying offense more than a match for the martial arts mastery of Tajiri. However the match ended in disqualification when Tajiri used the Green Mist on the champion in front of the referee, giving Kidman the DQ victory.
*Tommy Dreamer d. Rob Van Dam w/Paul Heyman by Pinfall to Retain the Hardcore TItle In the midst of a Hardcore Title match between Tommy Dreamer and former champion Rob Van Dam, another former champion (and sometimes ally of RVD) Rhyno appeared and attempted to Gore Dreamer to win the belt. Unfortunately Rhyno Gored RVD by mistake, and was then laid out by Dreamer with a Singapore Cane. Dreamer then pinned Van Dam to retain his title.
*Chris Jericho d. Kurt Angle by Submission to Win the Intercontinental Title In the first of the singles title matches of the night involving the Sindicate, Kurt Angle was forced to defend his Intercontinental Title against the man he had lost the King of the Ring final too in Chris Jericho. During the course of the match it appeared as if the Olympic Hero would successfully retain the title, but a mistimed Moonsault allowed Jericho to make the comeback. Towards the end of the match, Angle was locked in the Walls of Jericho. Stone Cold Steve Austin ran down to ringside, seemingly to make the save for Angle, but stopped himself and simply stared at Angle before walking away, apparently as revenge for Angle costing them the tag titles earlier in the night. Jericho resituated the Walls of Jericho into the Lion Tamer, which eventually got Angle to tap out, giving the victory and IC Title to Jericho.
*Edge & Christian d. The Hardy Boyz [Matt & Jeff Hardy] by Pinfall The Hardy Boyz had been having difficulties with one another as a tag team, due to miscommunications and arguments between the brothers, as Jeff accused Matt of being more concerned with his relationship with Lita while Matt accused Jeff of wanting to be a singles star. The two agreed to put their differences aside against their old enemies Edge & Christian, who were also embroiled in their own issues (mostly centered around Christian's jealousy of Edge). Both teams seemed to work well together though for this match, but another miscommunication between the Hardys led to Matt abandoning Jeff out of frustration. Christian then pinned Jeff after a Killswitch, seemingly putting the issues between and Edge on the back burner.
*Dawn Marie d. Molly Holly, Lita, Trish Stratus, Ivory & Tori in a Gauntlet Match to Win the WWF Women's Title Molly Holly defended the Women's Title in a Gauntlet match against 4 other women and a 5th "special guest competitor." After surviving the entire gammut of WWF's Women's Division, including particularly competitive matches against Lita and Trish, Molly was upended by this special competitor, who happened to be Mr. McMahon's personal assistant (really his mistress) Dawn Marie, who defeated the exhausted Molly to win the Women's Title.
*Stone Cold Steve Austin d. Diamond Dallas Page by Pinfall to Retain the WWF Championship The night after King of the Ring, both Kurt Angle and Steve Austin were attacked by a debuting Diamond Dallas Page. The former WCW Champion portrayed himself as the true People's Champion, and tried to remind Steve Austin of who he used to be before he "sold out" to Vince McMahon. Vince attempted to fire Page for his insubordination, but was overruled by Commissioner Shane McMahon, who instead granted Page a WWF Title Shot. For his part, DDP said if he couldn't convince Austin of who he used to be, he'd beat some sense into him. Due to having wrestled a tag match earlier in the night, Austin was at something of a disadvantage. However that quickly changed when Kurt Angle, in an inverse from Austin's actions earlier, interfered and clipped Page's knee on the outside before being ejected from the arena. Austin took control after this though, working over Page's knee before DDP caught him with a Diamond Cutter which nearly scored the fall. The two men continued to battle until the referee went down. Suddenly The Rock's music played throughout the arena, and The Great One made his way to ringside. Instead of attacking Austin though, The Rock attacked DDP, laying him out with a Rock Bottom. Austin then scurried over and made the cover of Page as the referee came to, securing the pinfall and retaining his title.
Off-Camera Title Changes:
July 23: Raven d. Tommy Dreamer for the Hardcore Title
July 30: Rikishi d. Chris Jericho for the Intercontinental Title
July 30: Tommy Dreamer d. Raven for the Hardcore Title
July 30: Matt Hardy d. Tommy Dreamer for the Hardcore Title
August 2: Jeff Hardy d. Matt Hardy for the Hardcore Title
August 2: Raven d. Jeff Hardy for the Hardcore Title
August 9: Jeff Hardy d. Raven for the Hardcore Title
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