Austin culprit unrevealed at Unforgiven
By JOHN POWELL -- SLAM!
Wrestling
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin returns to WWF action.
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In keeping with the WWF's bookers strategy of maintaining the status
quo and stretching their angles for every last pop they can get, the
surprises were short and few at the potent Unforgiven pay-per-view from the
First Union Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. About the only shocker
was the reemergence of Scott (Scotty Flamingo, Johnny Polo, Raven) Levy in
the WWF. His Raven persona intact, Levy Evenflow DDT'd Jerry Lawler to
soften him up for Tazz in their strap match. Other than that, no storylines
were advanced. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin still didn't find out who "ran him
over" at last year's Survivor Series. The so-lengthy-it-hurts love triangle
between Triple H - Stephanie McMahon - Kurt Angle continued unabated and
The Rock once again retained the WWF World Heavyweight Title.
Austin returning to the active WWF roster was met with great enthusiasm by
the fans in attendance. It was as almost he never left 11 months ago for
some almost career-ending neck surgery. Driving into the arena in a pick-up
truck, Austin was hot on the heels of the person who "mowed him down".
Commentator Kevin Kelly attempted to interview Austin. Stone Cold laid him
out flat. Next to cross the rattlesnake's path was Kurt Angle. Angle
presented Stone Cold with an honourary gold medal which he draped around
his neck. The medal was about the size of a quarter and meant as an insult.
Angle said he hoped Austin would store it in a "special place". "I will.
Right up your ass!," Stone Cold snarled, punking out Angle.
Austin goes nose-to-nose with Steve Blackman.
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The Rock greeted Austin with a hearty "welcome back" in his locker room.
The two shook hands. Just Joe horned in on the conversation and Austin laid
the smackdown on him. Making his rounds, Austin confronted Stephanie
McMahon asking her where Triple H was. Stephanie presented him with the
exact baseball cap he had been wearing the night of the accident. She told
Austin that she had kept it in hopes she would be able to give it back to
him some day. Austin said he had learned not to trust anyone in the WWF and
left.
As he alluded to on Sunday Night Heat, Shane McMahon announced in the ring
that he had "unbiased" proof of who the culprit was. On the TitanTron he
showed footage of Steve Blackman hitting Ken Shamrock with a car from years
ago. Shane concluded that it must be Blackman as the Shamrock incident
matched the circumstances surrounding the attack on Austin. Knowing that
Shane was unfairly pointing the finger at him because he knocked Shane off
the TitanTron at SummerSlam, Blackman came to the ring staring down
Shane.
New theme music trumpeting his entrance, Austin entered the ring stepping
between Blackman and Shane. After a brief staredown, Austin gave Blackman a
Stunner. Shane rejoiced retrieving a cooler full of beer outside the ring.
Austin and Shane popped a few saluting the audience then
Austin Stunned
Shane (Clip: 1.6 MB) three times. According to the announce team that meant Austin didn't
buy Shane's scheme and that Austin's search would continue at the Raw Is
War premiere on TNN tonight.
Lawler stands stunned at Raven's sudden appearance.
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In a mega punch-punch-kick-kick fest of a main event, Mick Foley once again
interjected himself into an apparent Chris Benoit title win. At seven
minutes in, Benoit labeled The Undertaker, Kane and The Rock with chair
shots. Benoit rolled up The Undertaker. The official counted three even
though The Undertaker had placed his foot over the bottom rope before the
ref could drop his hand a third time. Benoit left the ring with the belt
thinking he had won. Foley emerged and declared that the match would
continue. Kane, The Rock and The Undertaker made Benoit pay for his short
cut by taking turns in throwing him into part of the entrance way
structure.
A few minutes later, Benoit resorted to the same strategy clubbing down
Kane and The Undertaker with a steel chair. He put The Rock in the Crippler
Crossface. The Undertaker made the save just as The Rock was about to tap
out. The Undertaker chokeslammed Benoit. Kane pulled The Undertaker out of
the ring. The Rock recuperated enough to slam Benoit to the canvas with a
Rock Bottom. The Undertaker attempted to pull The Rock off Benoit but
slaphead Kane, apparently not wanting to keep his chance at winning the WWF
World Heavyweight Title alive, grabbed The Undertaker stopping him from
interfering. The Rock consequently pinned Benoit.
The next WWF pay-per-view is No Mercy on October 22nd.
WWF Unforgiven 2000 Results
The Dudley Boyz, The Acolytes Vs Right To Censor (Steven Richards,
Bull Buchanan, The Good Father, Val Venis)
Sound effort by everyone involved but Steven Richards' wrestling
ability is downplayed once again even though he has wrestled in the WWF and
had a long run in ECW. Richards slips in a Stevie Kick and Val (the legal
man) covers giving RTC the win. The Acolytes keep the other RTC members at
bay while the Dudleys put Richards through a table.
Winners: The Right To Censor at 6 minutes and 3 seconds.
Match Rating: 6 / 10.
Jerry Lawler Vs Tazz (Strap Match)
It takes three piledrivers from Lawler to put Tazz on Dream Street.
Lawler pulls Tazz around and touches three of the four turnbuckles. From
out of nowhere, Raven steps in (Clip: 848 K). Lawler turns around with a look of
astonishment on his face. Raven Evenflow DDT's Lawler and splits. The
Tazmission is put on and Lawler submits.
Winner: Tazz at five minutes even.
Match Rating: 5 / 10.
Al Snow (challenger) Vs Crash Holly (challenger) Vs Test (challenger)
Vs Saturn (challenger) Vs Funaki (challenger) Vs Steve Blackman (champion)
(WWF Hardcore Title Match)
The bout starts out quite well with some breath-taking high-risk moves
then degenerates into a brawl in the crowd. Crash wins the title at 3:53.
Saturn wins it at 4:06. Blackman fights off his challengers with his
martial arts billy clubs. He wins back the title at nine minutes. Everyone
pummels Blackman near the entranceway but no one gets the three count by
the ten minute time limit.
Winner: ...and new (sort of) WWF Hardcore Champion...Steve Blackman
at 10 minutes.
Match Rating: 2 / 10.
X-Pac Vs Chris Jericho
Boy, do things at Unforgiven ever pick up here. Jericho and X-Pac wow
the crowd with a sophisticatedly executed, unpredictable match-up. Jericho
gives X-Pac the Bronco Buster early on and kicks out of the X-Factor. X-Pac
escapes the Walls Of Jericho. X-Pac tries a nifty maneuver off the top rope
and falls victim to the Walls Of Jericho. Ross mistakenly refers to the WCW
name for the finishing move - the Lion Tamer. X-Pac submits but blindsides
Jericho with the padded nunchuckus like he did before.
Winner: Chris Jericho at 9 minutes and 3 seconds.
Match Rating: 7.5 / 10.
Edge, Christian (champions) Vs The Hardy Boyz (challengers) (WWF Tag
Team Title - Steel Cage Match)
Not as spectacular as one might have thought. Though appreciated, the
stunts are getting a little too predictable now. Both members of a team
must climb over the top and have both feet touch the floor to win. Jeff
Hardy is dumped off the top of the cage early in the bout. He falls to the
floor. Try as he might, Jeff is thwarted every time he attempts to get back
in to assist Matt. Though he knocks out the official and steals his keys to
unlock the cage door, Jeff is blocked by Christian who slams the cage door
in his face and locks it back up. Matt is busted open due to the
double-teaming.
Jeff uses a ladder to knock Christian down to the floor. Finally, Jeff
employs the ladder to get to the top of the cage. He does a corkscrew
plancha from the top of the cage hitting Edge and Matt. Lita does a run-in
on Christian doing a wicked hurracanrana on Christian off the top of the
ladder and side of the cage. Edge climbs to the top. The Hardys follow with
chairs. Edge takes both chairs to the head and falls back into the ring.
The Hardys descend and become the new champs.
Winners: ...and new WWF World Tag Team Champions...The Hardy Boyz at
13 minutes and 19 seconds.
Match Rating: 7.5 / 10.
Eddie Guerrero (champion) Vs Rikishi (challenger) (Intercontinental
Title Match)
Eddie wants to bail on the match. Chyna pushes him back to the ring.
Chyna pulls Eddie outside to rescue him from a Stink Face. Rikishi
challenges Chyna about it. Chyna stop Rikishi from landing a butt drop on
Eddie. Rikishi punches Chyna and spin-kicks her in the face. In a decision
that doesn't make any sense at all, Rikishi is DQ'd for hitting Chyna.
Winner: ...and still Intercontinental Champion...Eddie Guerrero via
a DQ at 6 minutes and 15 seconds.
Match Rating: 1 / 10.
Kurt Angle Vs Triple H (No DQ Match)
Kurt sings Happy Birthday to Stephanie in the ring before the
knock-down, full-tilt action starts. In a cool but damaging move, Angle
Olympic Slams Triple H from the English announcers' table through the
Spanish announce team's table. Triple H gets up bleeding from the mouth and
around one of his eyes. Triple H is basically at Angle's mercy as he works
on the ribs he injured with the sledgehammer on Smackdown. Hitting half a
Pedigree, Triple H summons Stephanie into the squared circle. He demands
that Stephanie make a choice between him and Angle. Stephanie low blows
Angle and Triple H lands the Pedigree to put Angle away. Stephanie hovers
over Angle worried about his condition. Triple H kisses Stephanie roughly.
Some of the blood from his mouth is now on her own. Stephanie looks
disgusted.
Winner: Triple H at 12 minutes and 26 seconds.
Match Rating: 8 / 10.
The Rock (champion) Vs The Undertaker (challenger) Vs Kane
(challenger) Vs Chris Benoit (challenger) (WWF World Heavyweight Title -
Four Way Match)
Winner: ...and still WWF World Champion...The Rock at 16 minutes
and 4 seconds.
Match Rating: 3 / 10.
Total Event Time: 2 hours and 45 minutes
Overall Event Rating: 7 / 10.
