Angle, Rock, KOTR victors
By JOHN POWELL -- SLAM!
Wrestling
For Kurt, the angle played out. Kurt Angle won this year's King Of
The Ring title and a shot at the WWF World Heavyweight strap by pinning a
wounded Rikishi Phatu in the finals of the annual WWF
tournament. The prized crown has been held in the past by such other
grappling greats as Owen Hart, Bret Hart, Steve Austin and Triple H.
In a belt swapping frenzy, the KOTR pay-per-view emanating from the Fleet
Center in Boston, Massachussets, also had The Rock reclaiming the federation's
World Heavyweight Title in a six-man tag team match and Canadian pranksters
Edge and Christian walking out of a four-team elimination bout with the WWF
World Tag Team belts, much to the chagrin of champs Too Cool. And, Crash
Holly interrupted the Hardcore Title Evening Gown match between the Stooges to
run off with the Hardcore Title.
Angle, a legit Olympic wrestling champion, fought three matches in one
night to take home the King Of The Ring honours. In a fantastic bout, Angle
defeated Chris Jericho with the Olympic Slam after Stephanie McMahon
distracted Jericho. Crash Holly was Angle's opponent in the Semi-Finals.
Angle disposed of him in under four minutes.
Rikishi, the other KOTR finalist, notched wins over enemies Chris Benoit
and Val Venis, though they each did damage to Rikishi's arm. Benoit was
disqualified for using a chair five times on Rikishi and upon losing, Venis
hit Rikishi's shoulder with the ring stairs and whacked it with a steel
chair. Coming out to face Angle, Rikishi's shoulder was bandaged up tight.
Rikishi fought well but Angle's belly-to-belly suplex from the second rope
took what was left in the big man. Angle's official coronation will take
place on Monday's Raw Is War broadcast.
As Vince McMahon had anticipated, the six-man main event (Vince and Shane
McMahon, Triple H versus Kane, The Undertaker and The Rock) had the face
squad at each other's throats once his wife and WWF CEO, Linda McMahon,
introduced the stipulation that put Triple H's WWF World Championship on
the line. Kane, Taker and The Rock purposely broke each other's attempted
pinfalls, refused to tag out when they were hurting and blind tagged their
partners often. Kane and The Undertaker even brawled outside the ring
momentarily using steel chairs and the ring steps as weapons.
The match's finale had Kane chokeslamming The Rock and Tombstone
Piledriving Triple H. As Kane went for the cover, The Undertaker pulled him
outside the ring nailing him with a steel chair in the head. Going around
to the other side of the ring, Taker chokeslammed Shane McMahon off the top
rope and through the announcer's table. Back in the ring, Vince McMahon
prepared to deliver a People's Elbow on The Rock just as he had done on
SmackDown! last week. As Vinnie Mac bounced off the ropes, The Rock caught
him in a Rock Bottom slam. The People's Champ pinned McMahon and was
declared the new WWF Champion.
A furious Triple H stormed back to the locker room leaving the McMahons to
fend for themselves. The Undertaker drove off on his motorcycle telling The
Rock he owed him one though it was his interference that cost Rocky the
title at the last pay-per-view.
The next WWF pay-per-view is Fully Loaded on July 23rd.
WWF King Of The Ring 2000 Results
Rikishi Vs Chris Benoit (KOTR Quarter-Finals Match)
At about three minutes in, Benoit goes ballistic chair shotting
Rikishi a handful of times. Benoit slaps on the Crippler Crossface. A
gaggle of officials make him release the hole. Benoit climbs to the top
rope and Swan Dive headbutts Rikishi then locks on the Crossface again. A
waste of Benoit considering what he could have brought to the tournament's
matches.
Winner: Rikishi via disqualification at 3 minutes and 18 seconds.
Match Rating: 3 / 10.
Linda McMahon cuts a promo saying she wants to confront Vince. What
they don't talk at home? McMahon tells the Faction he won't lose his
cool.
Benoit explains DQing himself out of the tournament. It was to prove
that he can do what he wants, when he wants and that nobody can stop him.
And he picks the KOTR to prove that? Ummm. Okay.
Eddie Guerrero Vs Val Venis (KOTR Quarter-Finals Match)
Eddie's cut his hair short. Trish climbs up on the apron. Chyna pulls
her down to the floor. Venis grabs Chyna by the hair. Chyna punches him in
the face. A Fisherman's Suplex puts Guerrero out.
Winner: Val Venis at 8 minutes even.
Match Rating: 8 / 10.
Pat Patterson picks out his evening gown backstage. The wardrobe
consultant says she can't work miracles. Heh. Heh.
Crash Holly Vs Bull Buchanan (KOTR Quarter-Finals Match)
Almost a total squash with Buchanan bouncing Crash around like a
tennis ball. Crash ducks Bull's Guillotine Leg Drop and rolls him up.
Winner: Crash Holly at 4 minutes and 6 seconds.
Match Rating: 3 / 10.
Vince and Linda clash in her office. Linda wonders if Vince's team will
wrestle the match fairly or call in reinforcements as he did on SmackDown!
Vince replies that his team doesn't need help because Kane, Taker and Rock
will be fighting amongst themselves. Vince tells Linda that if the faces
lose, they only have her to blame.
Kurt Angle Vs Chris Jericho (KOTR Quarter-Finals Match)
Killer effort by Angle and Jericho in an enthralling see-saw battle.
It's the best match of the night. At 8:38, Stephanie McMahon comes down to
the ring. Angle is tapping out in the Walls Of Jericho but the ref is
questioning Stephanie. Steph swings the WWF Women's title at Jericho. He
ducks and she hits Angle. Jericho kisses Stephanie. Angle picks up Jericho
in the Olympic Slam.
Winner: Kurt Angle at 9 minutes and 52 seconds.
Match Rating: 9 / 10.
We cut to the WWF Restaurant in New York. Mick Foley is hanging out at
the bar there. He's got a brush cut and Ivory pours him a beer. The crowd
there is cheering too loudly and we can't hear Foley. One assumes that he
might be there on Raw for the coronation of Angle.
Edge, Christian Vs The Hardy Boyz Vs T and A Vs Too Cool
(WWF Tag Team Title, Elimination Match)
Test is pinned by Matt Hardy at 3:42. T and A are the first to get the
boot. Christian spikes Matt Hardy with the Twist Of Fate to kick the Hardys
at 8:04. Scotty Too Hotty is not the legal man. The official sends him out.
As he is doing so, Christian labels Sexay with a tag belt. Edge pins Sexay.
No dancing from Too Cool? Awesome. Life is good! Could Too Cool be
splitting up over this? Hmmmm.
Winners: ...and new WWF World Tag Team Champions, Edge and Christian
at 14 minutes and 13 seconds..
Match Rating: 7 / 10.
Rikishi Vs Val Venis (KOTR Semi-Finals Match)
Val tries the Money Shot and is surprised by Rikishi when he stands
up. Rikishi belly-to-belly suplexes him to get the pinfall. Trish jumps on
Rikishi's back. Rikishi slams her and pulls her to a corner where he
prepares to do a Yokozuna-like butt drop. Val low blows Rikishi, hits him
with the ring stairs and a chair.
Winner: Rikishi at 3 minutes and 13 seconds.
Match Rating: 5 / 10.
It is announced that the WWF's Web site is relaunching on Monday. They
claim to receive 20 million hits a month. That would be 666 thousand a day. Maybe they mean page views not hits. Curious.
Crash Holly Vs Kurt Angle (KOTR Semi-Finals Match)
Crash falls victim to the Olympic Slam.
Winner: Kurt Angle at 3 minutes and 56 seconds
.
Match Rating: 6 / 10.
Footage of Donald Trump attending Saturday's WWF house show at Madison
Square Gardens. Trump says his favorite wrestler is The Rock and that Vince
McMahon is a close friend. J.R. makes fun of Trump's haircut.
Gerald Brisco (challenger) Vs Pat Patterson (champion) (Hardcore
Evening Gown Match)
A candidate for Worst Match Of The Year. I don't know about you but I
am tired of the WWF disgracing hardcore wrestling with this crappola. If
they aren't serious about it, why not just dump the belt? Patterson and
Brisco in drag? Why couldn't the satellite go down? Patterson brings a cart
full of...plunder? Do teddy bears and pillows count? Patterson rubs a
banana and a sanitary napkin in Brisco's face. Crash Holly ends the madness
taking a trash can to Brisco and Patterson. He pins Patterson.
Winner: ....and new WWF Hardcore Champion, Crash Holly
.
Match Rating: 0 / 10.
The Dudley Boyz Vs Road Dogg, X-Pac, Tori (Tables, Dumpster Match)
The Dudleys do their flying-headbutt-to-the-crotch thingy on Tori only
D'Von simulates a sex act as he lays between Tori's legs. Ain't that nice?
The Dudleys stack two tables up outside the ring and bring the ring
stairs in. Buh Buh stands on the steps and slams Road Dogg over the ropes
and through the two tables on the outside of the ring. D'Von
reverse-suplexes X-Pac through a table. The Dudleys chase Tori. She hides
in the dumpster. DX chair shots the Dudleys from behind and they fall into
the dumpster. DX closes the lids and are the winners. DX leaves. Tori is
still in the dumpster. The Dudley nab Tori. Dogg and X-Pac try to save her.
They both receive 3-D's. The Dudleys break a table in half with Tori.
Winners: DX at 9 minutes and 47 seconds
.
Match Rating: 7 / 10.
Kurt Angle Vs Rikishi (KOTR Finals)
Winner: and new WWF King Of The Ring, Kurt Angle at 4 minutes and 28
seconds
.
Match Rating: 6 / 10.
Vince McMahon, Shane McMahon, Triple H Vs The Rock, Undertaker, Kane
Winner: ...and new WWF World Heavyweight Champion, The Rock at 17
minutes and 53 seconds
.
Match Rating: 6 / 10.
Total Event Time: 2 hours and 40 minutes
Overall Event Rating: 8.5 / 10.
