Rebellion a jolly bad show
By JOHN POWELL -- SLAM!
Wrestling
Date Available: Now.
Distributor: Koch International.
Price: $17.99
Usually when the World Wrestling Federation holds their British-only
pay-per-view each year the event is an electrifying show. Wanting to make a
good impression upon their fans there, the WWF and its talent put on their
working boots and thinking caps on. Not last year. At the time the
federation rolled into Sheffield, England, they had very few compelling
feuds lined up. In the infamous Sanka feud, Kane was looking for Chris
Jericho's head because he had earlier spilt some coffee on him backstage. A
master technician, Chris Benoit, was working a program with a brawler in
The Undertaker. Chyna and Billy Gunn were seeking revenge on Eddie Guerrero
and The Radicals. Perhaps the lamest of them all was Steve Austin's search
for the person who "ran him over" and put him out of wrestling for about a
year.
Rebellion, last year's British-only WWF pay-per-view, is now available on home video in North America.
|
Shackled with languishing angles it wasn't the fault of the talent that
Rebellion played out like an average episode of Raw Is War. I blame the
infirm booking. The throw-away Fatal Four-Way championship match which
capped the evening was a groaner and on the whole, not too many bouts
before that were aces either. Strangely enough, Kane and Jericho's
encounter at Rebellion was the best they had in that series. The tag-team
tables match is okay viewing (though we've seen it done better before) and
Perry Saturn fans can rejoice as this pay-per-view allowed him to fully
utilize his stunning arsenal of moves like he used to do in WCW and ECW.
Why the gifted toughman is still floundering in mediocrity while employed
by the WWF is a mystery to me.
It's sad to say but the best part of the show isn't even a match. It is the
events surrounding William Regal's return to the United Kingdom. Regal's
promos are a riot. Backstage before his match with Crash Holly (of all
people) a demure Regal puts down Britain's sports heroes. Boxers especially
take it on the chin. To Regal, Lennox Lewis "isn't even English" and
"Prince" Naseem is "worthless". Regal says he is proud to represent his
country then comments on his fellow Brits' "bad dental hygiene" and that
they are all "on the dole". The reaction he gets in the ring later and his
response to it are darn funny.
Though it was carried by Sky Box Office in Britain, Rebellion wasn't
available to be seen here in North America until the release of this tape.
Unlike other exemplary British pay-per-views, Rebellion was no great loss
to us here. The promo on the box cover which reads..."Never seen before in
the USA! The event that set the stage for Armageddon 2000!"...says it all.
WWF Rebellion Matches
- 1. Edge, Christian versus The Dudley Boys versus T and A (Three-Team
Elimination Table Match).
- 2. Ivory versus Lita (WWF Women's World Heavyweight Title Match).
- 3. Saturn versus Steve Blackman (WWF Hardcore Championship Match).
- 4. William Regal versus Crash Holly (WWF European Championship Title Match).
- 5. Chyna, Billy Gunn versus Eddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko.
- 6. Kane versus Chris Jericho.
- 7. The Hardy Boys versus Right To Censor (WWF World Tag Team Title Match).
- 8. The Undertaker versus Chris Benoit.
- 9. Kurt Angle versus Steve Austin versus The Rock versus Rikishi (Fatal
Four-Way WWF World Heavyweight Title Match).
