Edge and Christian have totally parted ways
By JON WALDMAN -- For SLAM! Wrestling
TORONTO -- Christian took out his brother tonight on WWF RAW is
WAR following an Intercontinental title defence by
Edge against Lance Storm. Christian attacked Edge from
behind with a chair, then smashed the King of the Ring
Trophy into his stomach. Then, in a moment that drew a
"holy sh*t" chant, Christian laid his brother's head
on a chair, and smashed another over his head,
performing a solo con-chair-to.
The split had been teased for weeks, but the impact
moment did not disappoint the sold out crowd at the
Air Canada Centre, who thoroughly booed Christian.
Edge had to be carried off by officials after the
match.
RECAP:
Dark match #1 - Mike Awesome vs. Albert
Albert received a strong chorus of boos when he came
out, while Awesome did not get much of a reception.
The match was slow, with plenty of restholds. Albert
pulled out a surprise Baldobomb to mercifully end the
match.
1 out of 10
Dark match #2 - Hugh Morrus vs. Slade?
It was hard to tell the name of the second wrestler
because of the acoustics in the ACC. In any case,
Slade put on a good show, but Morrus tried too hard to
keep the match slow. At one point Morrus almost
screwed up a suplex. The bump looked bad, but Slade
seemed to be okay. Morrus finished the match with a
top-rope elbow drop to Slade's back.
4 out of 10, all four belonging to Slade
Out comes Jonathan Coachman and what sounded like
Chris Leary (again, bad acoustics are to blame), and
we're set for Jakked/Metal tapings.
Match #1 - Justin Credible vs. Billy Gunn
People, don't you understand you are encouraging the
WWF by popping for Gunn? For the love of God please
stop. A pretty formulaic match here, nothing to speak of. At
one point the crowd began chanting "Aldo". Canadians
never forget. Gunn finishes with the Fame-Asser.
3.5 out of 10
Match #2 - Chavo Guererro Jr. vs. X-Pac - Light-Heavyweight Title
Something's wrong with this picture. Chavo should be
the one with the gold, especially if he can carry a
match like he did here. X-Pac got less heat than Albert coming out. Let's hope
we don't see much more of Waltman. Continuing with tonight's theme, Pac get's a "1-2-3"
chant. Nice touch. Chavo busts out a head scissors to the floor, and
follows up with a nice pescado. X-Pac, however, gets
the advantage late and finishes with the X-Factor.
7 out of 10.
Match #3 - Kaientai vs. Tommy Dreamer and Raven (with
Terri)
Instant 5 points for putting Dreamer and Raven back
together. Best match of the night by far. Taka and
Funaki pull out a nice drop-kick assisted cross body
on the ECW'ers early on, and later Micinoku pulls out
Air Taka on both men. Terri interferes, doing a
cross-body off the top rope??? Someone must've slipped
Terri some tequila, because she went all out Lucha.
Raven finishes the match with the Evenflow. Great
match, and I hope they develop this more.
9 out of 10
Match #4 - Scotty 2 Hottie vs. Chuck Palumbo
Nice pop for Scotty. Dear lord why couldn't it have
been Scotty vs. Chavo tonight? At one point, Scotty
fricks up a springboard DDT, then goes back and
REPEATS THE SPOT! Dear God, Taylor how long have you
been in the business to know better than to not do
that?
2 out of 10
Here comes Lillian for the national anthem, followed
by Paul Heyman and Jim Ross (who gets a pretty good
pop). Lights, camera, action, we're ready for RAW.
Segment #1
Undertaker vs. Test
Test gets some major heel heat here. Man I'd hate to
be booed in my own city.
Undertaker does his usual no-sell stuff, until Steven
Richards comes down and superkicks Taker for the DQ
finish. Test comes in post-match and gives Taker the
high kick... and Taker sells it! Wow.
4 out of 10 for Undertaker FINALLY selling.
Christian does a promo backstage, and gets a pretty
big pop for it.
Segment #2
Richards is interviewed backstage, and challenges the
Undertaker for Smackdown! Dollars to doughnuts Val
Venis returns tomorrow.
Tajiri sets up a tag match The Big Show against the
Dudley Boyz. The match will be for the number one
contenders for the tag belts.
We get our first Austin vignette. A surprise? This
could be interesting...
Segment #3
Dudleyz vs. Tajiri/Show
Torrie comes down mid-match, and predictably get
bumped off the apron by the Big Show. Show carries her
to the back, leaving Tajiri alone to lose the match
and get put through a table. Eventually, Show comes
back and chases off the Dudleyz. Not bad, not good.
4 out of 10
Backstage, Booker T and Shane McMahon approach
Christian to help him during the match. Some heel heat
for Christian at the end of the segment.
Segment #4
Kanyon appears form WWF New York to wish Austin well.
Austin is shown in the back with another vignette.
Segment #5
Segment with Saturn seeking help from Hurricane Helms.
A good way to develop Hurricane's character, the crowd
enjoyed the sketch.
Rock vs. Christian - WCW title
Booker T gets a good pop; Shane is booed.
Pretty divided crowd here, even a "Rocky sucks" chant.
God bless Toronto!
Rock pulls out a sharpshooter, to MAJOR boos. Good
psychology by the Rock to play up being the heel.
Eventually, Christian gets a CLOSE two-count after a
fallout reverse DDT, and Rock quickly responds with a
Rock Bottom for the duke. Good match, good psychology
by the Rock to go heel.
5 out of 10
Booker T and Shane attack after, but APA chases them
off.
Segment #6
The gift has arrived, and it's a pickup truck. Austin
goes to the back to see it, and ends up getting
knocked out by Kurt Angle to a huge pop. Angle drives
away with Austin in the flatbed. Very hot segment
Segment #7
Matt Hardy/Lita vs. Hurricane/Ivory
Matt has no heat here, Hurricane gets a chant, as does
Lita. The match itself is passable and predictable.
Hurricane and Ivory go over here, with Saturn causing
some interference. Saturn attacks Hurricane after the
match. Oh great, now it's Saturn vs. Helms.
4 out of 10
Edge comforts Christian backstage, but Lance Storm
walks in and challenges Edge to a title match. We know
where this goes.
Segment #8
Angle has Austin chained and blindfolded on a bridge.
This is another strong segment, but Angle decides to
go to a higher bridge.
Segment #9
Storm vs. Edge
Edge wins a solid match with a split-legged roll-up
quickly, but Lance attacks after the match and takes
out Edge's knee. Christian comes in, chases Storm off,
and then turns on Edge. Hottest segment of the night,
hands down
7 out of 10 for the match, another 3 points for the
turn.
Segment #10
Chris Jericho/Jeff Hardy vs. Rob Van Dam/Rhyno.
Before the match is announced, Hebner gets the chant
of the night, "you screwed Bret". Chant goes into the
match, which was a stellar match. All involved get
pops, with Jericho getting the loudest of the night.
Jericho and Hardy combine for a poetry-in-motion to
the outside on Rhyno in a nice spot. Jericho end up
pinning RVD with another split-legged roll-up, thus
officially defining the move as the "Canadian
roll-up". Solid match with a few good spots.
8 out of 10
Segment #11
Several have left the building already when Debra
comes down to plead with Angle to let her husband go.
The skit had to be done twice due to problems with the
microphone. Cut to the bridge, where Angle decides to
let Austin off with a soaking in a pool. Angle gets a
title shot at Unforgiven.
After the show ends, Booker T and Shane come out and
call out the Rock. Rock comes out and gets beat down.
APA chases off Booker T, and beat up Shane. Booker T
comes back out after the APA take Shane away, but is
quickly given a spinebuster and People's Elbow to send
the crowd home happy.
Top five signs:
1 - I pity the fool Sucka! (with a picture of Mr. T)
2 - Bring back the afro
3 - Flair is God
4 - Canada Misses Benoit
5 - I Steal Cable
Raw - September 3, 2001
- Have you heard? Something big is coming to Canada.
The country that already has Steve Yzerman, lots of
snow, a nifty flag, Vince Carter, two major languages,
socialized medicine and really high taxes is about to
get the only thing it needs to be complete:
WrestleMania X-8. And there's no truth to the rumour
that the WWF did it just to prove that I would travel
to another country to stand in line for Essa Rios'
autograph. Let the celebration begin, live from
Toronto.
- Match 1 - Undertaker vs. Test
Somebody's been practicing his wrestling holds!
Undertaker whips out arm drags, a drop toehold and an
STF, but Test rallies with a sidewalk slam and a pair
of Russian leg sweeps. Test is trying for a third
when 'Taker reverses it into a leg submission, then
follows with a jumping clothesline and a running
lariat. The signal is given for the Last Ride, but
Steven Richards runs in and drops the Dead Man with a
superkick. The disqualification doesn't stop Test
from hitting his patented big boot to the face after
the bell.
- Through the miracle of modern technology, we go
back to earlier today, when Christian was telling a
random ACC employee that being a celebrity in Toronto
is tough, especially when you're preparing to beat The
Rock. Two fans don't really recognize Christian, so
he demands for the couple to be removed from their
ringside seats. Zooming back to the present, Richards
is asked why he attacked the 'Taker. His answer
doesn't reveal much, but we do learn that they will
wrestle each other tomorrow on Smackdown!
- Video is shown that confirms what most of us have
long suspected: next year's WrestleMania will be held
at SkyDome. In the commissioner's office, William
Regal tells Tajiri to pick a partner to take on the
Dudley Boyz for tag team number one contender status.
Tajiri chooses the Big Show, and Regal fails miserably
trying to make a funny.
- Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley leads the rest of the
Alliance in surprising Steve Austin and Debra. The
boys are suitably decked out - even Tazz is wearing an
Austin shirt. Steph tells Stone Cold that everyone
loved what he did to Kurt Angle and his precious
medals last week, and she promises Austin an even
bigger surprise later tonight.
- Match 2 - Dudley Boyz vs. Tajiri and Big Show
The new woman in Tajiri's life, WCW's Torrie Wilson,
makes an early appearance in an outfit that can only
be described as form fitting. Ahem. Tajiri
accidentally sprays the green mist in the eyes of the
Show, who then stumbles and knocks Wilson off the
apron. The Dudleys dodge the handspring back elbow
and plant Tajiri with the 3-D to get the win. Then
it's table time, as Tajiri takes a ride through the
wood while Show carries Wilson up the ramp.
- Booker T and Shane McMahon pay a visit to
Christian, who is busy polishing his brother's King of
the Ring trophy. Shane-O-Mac promises that both of
them will be in Christian's corner, but only if Booker
gets the first title shot after the WCW title is taken
from The Rock. And we have ourselves a deal.
- Kanyon kisses Austin's butt via satellite from WWF
New York. Stone Cold loves the segment, but gets a
big scare when SMH bursts in without knocking. Steph
tries to reassure the WWF champ that Angle won't show
up tonight. It doesn't seem to work.
- Match 3 - Shawn Stasiak vs. Spike Dudley
My mom always told me if I don't have anything nice to
say... so I'll just say this one is short, and Spike
wins with a Dudley Dog. Stacy Keibler and Molly Holly
get into it afterwards.
- Edge wishes his brother good luck, and he seems
surprised when Christian tells him he needs to go it
alone. Strangely confident, Christian even gives the
trophy back to Edge. After a commercial, Saturn turns
to The Hurricane for help locating Moppy. Using some
dubious logic, Helms points the finger at Matt Hardy.
- Match 4 - Christian vs. The Rock - WCW Title Match
On paper, this doesn't look like much of a contest.
But that's before we're introduced to guest ring
announcer Booker "I wish I was The Rock" T and guest
timekeeper Shane "I help heels find their way"
McMahon. Booker's help on the outside allows
Christian to score a near fall, but The Rock battles
back with a Samoan drop that leaves both men down.
Christian takes a swing with the belt while the ref is
distracted; Rocky ducks and hits a belly-to-belly
throw and a DDT. A spinebuster sets up the
Sharpshooter, but Shane drags the ref out of the ring.
The WCW champ chases Shane and runs into Christian's
inverted DDT, though he manages to kick out at two.
Christian is thrown into Booker, then falls victim to
a Rock Bottom that finishes the match. The Rock
beckons Booker to bring it, and a short double team by
Booker and Shane is thwarted when the APA runs down
and chases them into the crowd.
- Steph is on the phone, and she and Debra are both
excited. It seems the surprise is here.
- The melodic sounds of Drowning Pool bring Stephanie
to the ring. Looking for some cheap heat, Steph mocks
the Canadian fans for saying eh, celebrating
Thanksgiving on the wrong day and generally being
lazy. She then introduces a man she says is not lazy,
Stone Cold. His surprise is unveiled by Debra on the
Titam Tron and it's... well, it's a new truck. I have
to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming of an
old episode of Let's Make A Deal. Debra runs down the
features (including - get this - an antenna!) and says
that she wants a ride, so Austin and Stephanie join
her in the garage. The Rattlesnake is taken with his
new truck, so much so that he climbs in the bed and
does the "I'm the king of the world" bit from Titanic.
Naturally, Angle chooses that moment to strike with a
pipe. As Debra and Steph shriek, Angle loads a chain
and a cinder block in the bed with Austin and speeds
off.
- Match 5 - Lita and Matt Hardy vs. Ivory and The
Hurricane
The Toronto fans actually cheer The Hurricane even
though he doesn't fare well against Hardy. Matt is
about to drop a leg from the second turnbuckle when
he's distracted by Saturn, which gives Helms time to
recover and execute the Eye of the Hurricane for the
win. Seeing through Hurricane's earlier deception,
Saturn gives him a clothesline and a suplex after the
bell.
- Edge tries to console his distraught brother, but
his efforts go for naught when Lance Storm arrives to
ridicule Christian and the entire city of Toronto. A
few snappy comebacks later and Edge has made the
verbal save, and it looks like he'll put his
Intercontinental belt on the line against Storm later.
- Debra is frantic, so Stephanie gives the cops the
details of Austin's abduction over the phone as the
rest of the Alliance worries. Magically, a camera has
followed the truck to a nearby bridge. Angle has
Austin tied up with the chain and is preparing to
throw him off the bridge into a river. Stone Cold
does the unthinkable and apologizes for throwing
Angle's medals away, but Kurt pretends not to hear him
by giving him a taste of his own "what?" medicine. A
frightened Bionic Redneck tells the Olympic hero that
he really doesn't want to do it, and Angle agrees...
but only so he can stuff him back in the truck and
find a higher bridge. Back at the arena, Steph sends
the members of the Alliance out to try to save Stone
Cold.
- Match 6 - Lance Storm vs. Edge - WWF I-C Title
Match
An enzuigiri knocks Storm over the top rope to the
floor, but he rallies with a springboard clothesline,
a jawbreaker and a dropkick. Both men go for a cross
body coming off the ropes and both go down. Storm
drives a shoulder into the back of Edge's left knee
and locks in the half crab. Edge gets to the ropes on
his second try, but Storm continues to work on the
knee. Out of nowhere, Edge reverses one of Storm's
moves into a roll-up and gets the three count. Storm
tries to do more damage but Christian is on hand with
a steel chair to prevent more harm. Helping his
brother up, Christian even fetches his trophy. Then
it happens. Christian turns and drops his brother
with a chair shot to the head. Some of the fans are
actually cheering as Christian hits Edge with the
trophy, then sandwiches his head in a one-man
Con-chair-to. A phalanx of refs has to come out to
put an end to the carnage. All I have to say is...
finally.
- Main Event - Rob Van Dam and Rhyno vs. Jeff Hardy
and Chris Jericho
Hardy nails an early Swanton Bomb but can't make the
cover due to his injured ribs. Jeff dodges a Rhyno
Gore and tags in Jericho, who runs wild on both of his
foes. Y2J has RVD in the Walls of Jericho, but drops
the hold to give Hardy a launching pad to dive to the
floor on Rhyno. Van Dam hits a handspring splash and
scores a two count, then gets rolled up and pinned by
Jericho.
- Scenes from a bridge - Part 2. Angle has Austin on
a taller bridge, so Stone Cold says he'll go back and
get Angle's medals. That's not enough for Kurt, who
gives Austin a few minutes to think about begging and
crying for his life. After a commercial break, we
come back to... a test pattern and a technical
difficulty screen.
- Finally, we're back. Debra pleads for Angle to let
her husband go as she watches the episode on the Titan
Tron. Angle slaps a whimpering Austin around and
calls him pathetic. Only one thing can save the
Rattlesnake, and that's if he agrees to a return match
for the WWF title. Oh, and it has to be in Angle's
hometown of Pittsburgh at Unforgiven. Austin agrees,
but Angle says he's still going in the water - and he
proceeds to push him into a kiddie pool that he had
set up on the bridge. A dripping wet Stone Cold can
only watch helplessly as Angle mocks his "Wind Beneath
My Ring" song and drives off in his new truck, ending
this week's show. Don't forget that Smackdown! is live
tomorrow night.
