GSR

Jim Ross reminds everyone that these two teams will face off in individual matches at Backlash, although he’s still none the wiser as to what this ‘Duchess of Queensbury Rules’ match between William Regal and Chris Jericho entails. Paul Heyman says it is the most dangerous match in the history of European wrestling, however when pressed further can’t offer anything more! Y2J hasn’t been informed of the rules yet either, but doubts there is no-one who knows more about duchesses and queens than William Regal! The opening moments see the spare man breaking up the opposition’s submission attempts. Regal with a nice roll out of the Jericho armbar as he looks to transition to the Regal Stretch. He can’t quite get it locked in and Y2J scores with an enzuigiri. Tag to Benoit who’s straight at it with those rolling Germans. Angle meets a similar fate before a Jericho Cactus clothesline takes both out of there. Benoit with a Dragon suplex on Regal, he then applies the crossface and the Commissioner taps. Surprisingly quick match seemingly designed to get over the effectiveness of the crossface prior to the Ultimate Submission match at the PPV.

Spike has D-Von and Bubba with him, the two taking a seat next to JR and Paul Heyman at the commentary desk. After Rhyno makes his entrance X-Factor, who the Dudleys are facing at Backlash, show up at the top of the entrance way. Spike dropkicks Rhyno through the ropes to the outside and then nails him with a plancha from the top turnbuckle. He collects some weapons from under the ring but as climbs back inside Rhyno kicks a trash can lid into his face. Rhyno goes for the gore however Spike grabs that lid and swings it into his head. X-Factor start to slowly walk down the rampway leading to the Dudleys leaving their position at the desk to cut them off. Spike hits the Acid Drop but Albert pulls him out to the floor at the count of two to break up the pin. Albert gets waffled, though on returning to the ring Spike walks into a gore as Rhyno retains. Justin Credible ends up receiving a post-match 3-D, the Dudleys saving Little Spike as it looked like the X-Factor were just about to start triple teaming him.

Rising Son blows the green mist leading Larry Rivera to make comparisons to Kendo Nagasaki, Great Kabuki and the Great Muta. Excalibur is out seconding Super Dragon. Rivera has to tell his co-commentator to shut up when he starts talking about Excalibur being a masked Kevin Kleinrock and that they should concentrate on the match. Good on you Larry! Wow, Rivera calls the Magistral cradle a Dandina, which I’ve not heard anyone call it in a long time. Nice surfboard dropped into a Dragon sleeper. Revolution Pro gets a mention. Son flips over on the belly to back and dropkicks Dragon in the back as he ends up draped over the middle rope. Excalibur knew the 619 was coming but is unable to stop it. A great flying headscissors. Dragon steps out the way of the backflip and stiffs Son with a clothesline. The official physically removes Excalibur when he enters the ring, although after Dragon has a word with him then decides to let it go, the two of them double teaming Son. Apparently this ref used to be a wrestler by the name of Felony but that was very strange unless there is some ongoing story involving him we’re not aware of. Double hiptoss into a double powerbomb. Excalibur throws Son to the outside and holds him in position for a springboard Dragon Twister press. Son get whipped to the corner but he steps out the way of the Dragon shoulder tackle, Dragon going flying through the ropes and crashing on the concrete. A nuts bump. Corkscrew senton to the floor by Son. Dragon catches him on the springboard rana and after a bit of manoeuvring hits a Dragon suplex. This ref is counting super slow on that to the point the fans are booing it. Son rolls out the way of a Phoenix splash and lands the springboard rana at the second time of asking for a near fall. He misses the Swanton, Dragon signals “it’s over” and after the Psycho Driver, it is. Rivera can’t believe that move is legal thinking he’s almost committed murder! A showcase, spot fest for the Revolution Pro guys. The match was the opener on the show and was perfect for it’s position, the crowd lapping up what they were seeing. I’ve got to admit it was nice to watch these guys not going thirty minutes for a change.

The comedian that is Rob Feinstein has taken to calling Elax “Ex-Lax”. Without doubt he’s the only person who finds himself funny, hammering this “joke” long past the point of tedium. Ki tells Elax that this “isn’t personal, it’s business”, but as he turns around to hand the microphone back Elax clips out his knee and starts stomping on it. Give him some credit he’s come with a game plan, although Feinstein and Gargiulo are more interested in plugging RF’s video business and what interviews he’s recently filmed. Elax drags Ki out the corner by one leg, Ki doing that impressive full length split before getting to his feet and blasting him with an enzuigiri. Ki pulls Elax’s shirt over his head, so he can chop away at his bare chest. Stiff kicks to the back followed by a crossface across the bridge of the nose. Elax takes out the knee a second time when a tentative Ki delays slightly on the Tidal Crush, hesitant as to whether he’d be able to hit it after the earlier damage that was done to it. Ki quickly takes over again, kicking Elax twice in the chest and a third around the side of the head. Repeated headbutts, Ki holding Elax by the hair and not letting him go. More chops to the chest which is turning a nice shade of red. Feinstein is now talking about twinks. Can someone cut his microphone? After being sat on the top turnbuckle Elax fires back, shoving Ki backwards to the mat. A very shoddy tornado DDT. He then starts sobbing that it was only a two count, presumably knowing that there is every chance his suffering is moments away from continuing. Ki blocks the implant DDT, hammerlocks the arm and rolls Elax up for a near fall. That was a real cool looking pin attempt. Elax is back attacking the knee. Feinstein the Love God thinks it’s appropriate here to tell us about the night he allegedly had sex with two women at the same time. I almost wrote this during the March Jersey All Pro show when he was prattling on, but what it is they say about guys who feel the need to talk and brag about stuff like this? DDT. Middle rope moonsault to the leg. Ki drives Elax into the ropes to prevent the implant DDT and a boot to the gut takes him off his feet. More of those headbutts. A stiff forearm floors Elax and looks to have KO’d him. It has, the referee calling for the bell to stop the match. Dixie, Insane Dragon and the scruffy ref are out to check on Elax and help him to the back. Elax is awful, the commentary is worse, the match was too competitive (Ki should’ve completely squashed him), but I enjoyed watching Ki stiff and beat the fool up.

Kane and the Undertaker are walking backstage looking for the Commissioner’s Office, Taker telling Kane to hang tight as they’re going to get themselves some payback. They reach his office and Regal wonders how he can help them? Taker swipes the tea and crumpets off his desk before grabbing him around the throat. He says that just got set up and somebody owes them an explanation. He wants Steve Austin & Triple H and once they’ve gone through them they’re going after Edge, Christian and Rhyno. Regal let’s him know that he’s not inclined to grant their request as he doesn’t have to do anything they say. Kane sets a few things in his office on fire and that was all the persuasion the Commissioner needed, he grants the BoD a no disqualification tag team title match tonight against Edge & Christian and should they win that, then they can have Austin & HHH. Vince McMahon, Triple H and ‘Stone Cold’ pay the Commissioner a visit and Mr. McMahon thinks he has a bit of explaining to, coming up with this idea that if Kane & the Undertaker beat Edge & Christian then they get a shot at HHH & Austin. Regal says how it’s a “no disqualification match” and they can use that to their advantage... Kevin Kelly grabs a word with Kane and the Undertaker and questions whether they’re ready for the match after everything they’ve gone though tonight. Taker’s ready, saying how that tonight Edge & Christian will lose the tag team titles for the seventh time and once they’ve finished with them they will show ‘Stone Cold’ and Triple H what it’s like to be a bad ass! The champions have got the new Hardcore champion, Rhyno, in their corner, so it’s safe to say he’ll be involved a fair bit in this. Kane’s left elbow is all taped up after what happened earlier. Team ECR attack Kane while Bikertaker is still circulating the ring on his Harley. Taker parks up to help his ‘brother’ and even three-on-two this looks like it will be every bit the mauling that previous matches between these teams have been. Yup, one armed Kane is too much for them. As he goes to chokeslam Edge he’s gored by Rhyno, Taker oblivious as he’s putting a beating on Christian on the outside. Edge works over the left arm and Taker is in to break up the pin attempt following a flying armbar. Christian carries on where Edge left off until Kane escapes the short arm scissors with the one-armed Gotch lift. Tag to Taker but Earl Hebner never saw it as he was distracted by Edge and orders him out of there. This is no DQ, why is he listening to him? In fact why is he even waiting to be tagged? Moments later he makes a tag that is seen, not that it should matter. The tag team champions are in trouble as Taker is cleaning house in there. He picks up Christian for a chokeslam when he’s nailed by a Rhyno chair shot. Rhyno clears Kane from the ring but then walks into a big boot, taking a great bump onto the steel rampway. Chokeslam onto the ramp. Kane is jumped from behind by Triple H and Steve Austin leaving Taker all alone with E&C who have the advantage. Taker ducks the Conchairto, he then nails Edge before giving Christian the Last Ride to crown new tag team champions. He too then gets attacked by ‘the Game’ and ‘the Rattlesnake’ until Kane eventually runs them out of there.

The match has been set up by Commissioner Regal, his idea of punishment for the four due to all the ongoing issues he’s been having with them. Just as things are about to get underway they’re interrupted by the Commissioner along with Kurt Angle. He has a couple of announcements. First of all he tells Chris Jericho that he will be facing him in a ‘Duchess of Queensbury Rules’ match at Backlash, the rules of which he will explain at a later date, while Chris Benoit will meet Kurt Angle in a 30 minute Ultimate Submission match, where the man who gets the most submissions in thirty minutes win. The two teams pair off, ‘the Crippler’ and Bubba taking it to the floor while D-Von and Y2J go at it inside. Angle has stayed on the ramp to watch, and no doubt to try and interfere at some point. Michael Cole and Tazz are puzzled over these ‘Duchess of Queensbury’ rules. Jericho nails D-Von with the springboard dropkick but is then floored by a Bubba Samoan drop. Benoit is in, although he ends up on the receiving end of a Bubba bomb. Wazzup diving headbutt. Kurt is shown smirking with the Dudleys in control of things. They collect a table from under the ring which they rest on the apron, Y2J goes for a baseball slide but they lift the table up, he slides underneath it and they then run the table into him. Jericho recovers to move it out the way just as the Dudleys are about to flapjack his partner through it. Moments later, after Y2J had been laid across it, Benoit cuts off D-Von as he heads to the top. ‘The Crippler’ is clubbed by Bubba but then Jericho sends him sprawling to the outside. Bubba saves his partner from being double superplexed through the table and then D-Von flips it out the way when Benoit looks to German him through it. Missile dropkick by Jericho to D-Von. They lay him on the table and Y2J goes for the Lionsault but as he leaps to the middle rope Bubba pulls him out to ringside. Benoit has climbed to the top turnbuckle, although with the ref turning his back on the in ring action to try and deal with Bubba and Jericho, Angle runs down the aisle and gives him a shove. D-Von moves out the way and ‘the Crippler’ crashes through the table, the official, unaware of what happened and only seeing him piled up in the wood, then awards the match to the Dudleys.

A rare singles match for Grandmaster Sexay who has been teaming with Steve Blackman recently, doing an “odd couple” tag team. The Grandmaster starts dancing and Eddy immediately takes advantage. Eddy kicks out of the cover after a DDT and then rolls to the outside. Baseball slide dropkick. Bloody hell, GMS with a bulldog onto the steel rampway. The European champion ducks out the way of the flying crossbody but is soon once again on the defensive as he takes his customary bump into the top turnbuckle. Enzuigiri. Eddy kicks the Grandmaster off as he goes for a spinning toe hold, sending him crashing into the ring post. Belly to back. He takes way too long climbing the turnbuckles and GMS is able to capitalise, landing a superplex. As he heads up top himself, Eddy grabs the leg of referee Tim White. White pulls himself free, but in doing so loses his balance and stumbles into the ropes causing the Grandmaster to fall to the mat. Eddy with a quick rolling cradle , putting his feet over the ropes for added insurance and he retains the gold.

A very smartly dressed Commissioner is opening proceedings on tonight’s Smackdown. He says “hello” to all his good friends in Nashville, although judging by their response he doesn’t have many. First piece of business he has involved the Brothers of Destruction and he calls them out to the ring to join him. When they do the Commissioner wonders what on earth they were playing at Monday night on Raw? Attacking ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin and Triple H as they were celebrating their victory! He let’s them know that that will not be tolerated, that you should not interfere in other people’s matches and suggest they stay away from Austin and HHH. Regal thinks that Kane looks ready for action and it’s only fair he defends his Hardcore title, the man he’ll be defending it against, Rhyno. Rhyno is accompanied by Edge & Christian, however the Undertaker quickly takes care of them, fighting them into the crowd. Inside the ring it’s all Kane. After a flying clothesline he grabs Rhyno around the throat and plants him with a chokeslam. The match is seconds away from being over when Kane is attacked from behind by both Austin and Triple H. They destroy him with chair shot after chair shot, Tazz reminding everyone that this is a Hardcore match so it’s all legal. The Undertaker is nowhere to be seen, lured out the building by Edge & Christian in what looks like one giant set up. When they’ve finished their attack Austin puts Rhyno on top of Kane and we have a new WWF Hardcore champion. On hearing Triple H’s music Taker rushes back to the ring but Austin and ‘the Game’ scarper before he can get his hands on them.

The barbed wire bat is placed in the middle of the ring with each team on opposite sides of the building. They were supposed to wait until the count of ten to sprint, that’s probably not the right word considering who is involved here, to the ring where the first person who grabs the bat can use it, but Kanemura doesn’t bother waiting and sets off early. Freddy steals it away from him and swings it into his chest before terrorizing some fans in the crowd. The women are clearly frightened by him given the screams you here! Kanemura whips Freddy into rows of chairs, it may not be IWA Mid-South but it is an IWA show after all! Ah, this is clipped. I thought it might be and it is. Pogo and Leatherface have disappeared backstage, literally as its pitch blank and we can’t see a thing. Leatherface actually shoves a fan who gets too close to the action. Kanemura, who has been busted open, hands Pogo his sickle which he sticks into Freddy. Pogo is looking real big here, like seriously overweight. He gets hold of a knife which he slashes across Freddy’s, likely padded, back. Bulldog onto the barbed wire bat. Draping DDT onto the bat, both times Freddy getting a shoulder up on the cover. Pogo hangs him over the top rope with a chain while on the other side of the ring Leatherface catches Kanemura as he goes up top and slams him onto a mass of steel chairs that had been bought inside. Leatherface saves his partner but they end up getting whipped into one another. Kanemura with a bodyslam followed by the senton splash for the win.

No time off to recover, three days after his elbow got horrifically sliced open in CZW, Kasai is back wrestling. He’s got an almighty padded bandage covering that elbow as well as a bandaged shoulder and forearms. Usuda is wearing a belt, although being that I know little about BattlARTS, no idea what title it is. The opening few minutes show that Kasai is completely out of his depth going against a Shoot Stylist, forced to constantly go to the ropes to break Usuda’s submissions. He calls for a timeout and we get a bit of comedy as he eats a banana. Usuda doesn’t slip on the banana peel, although Kasai shortly after does. Kasai uses what few teeth he has left to bite his way out of a chinlock and then goes into pro wrestling mode, picking up a couple of two counts following an implant DDT and a frog splash. You can see that nasty wound on his elbow has opened up, blood seeping through and turning the bandage red. He runs into a boot before being punted in the head. Usuda transitions from an armbar to a triangle, the ropes once more Kasai’s friend. ‘The Crazy Monkey’ does get in one final hope spot after spiking Usuda with a DDT, however makes the mistake of heading upstairs, Usuda kicking the ropes causing him to fall to the mat. He then slaps on a sleeper/rear naked choke for the tap. A complete clash of styles in what ended up being a poor match. I couldn’t tell if Usuda was pulling some of his kicks or he was just coming up short, still Kasai was selling them and it didn’t look good. Can’t say I was impressed with Usuda’s grappling or his submissions either. Not worth the time.

Michael Cole grabs a word with Jeff Hardy when he arrives at the building, wanting to get some comments about having to give Triple H a rematch for his newly won Intercontinental title. That’s all fine by Jeff because they (the Hardyz) still have some unfinished business of their own after what Steve Austin and Triple H did to Matt and Lita last week. It’s a busy show for Cole who not too long later has an interview scheduled with Steve Austin. That interview has barely gotten underway when Austin is blindsided by Matt Hardy. JR talks about him wanting revenge for what ‘Stone Cold’ did to Lita while Heyman thinks he must have a death wish. A bunch of referees eventually separate the pair and restore some order back there. Triple H and Stephanie are in their dressing room when they’re joined by a livid ‘Stone Cold’. He wants HHH to help him go kick the Hardy Boyz’ asses but Hunter is more concerned about his upcoming I-C title match, thinking if they go and do exactly that then Jeff won’t be able to defend the belt against him later. Austin then offers to help him win the title back but Triple H turns the offer down, telling him that with the state he’s in he’ll screw the whole thing up and get him DQ’d. He suggests going back to the hotel and calming down, saying that he’ll take care of this. Matt’s giving Jeff a pep talk in the dressing room when Lita shows up, defying their request for her to stay in the hotel. They try to tell her that it’s not safe here but she can’t just sit back and wants to be right with them should anything go down. As the Hardyz make their way through backstage ready for the match they’re met by Commissioner Regal who bars Matt from ringside due to his earlier attack on ‘Stone Cold’, He then threatens him that should he take one step out there he will strip Jeff off the Intercontinental title on the spot. No Matt so the champion only has Lita in his corner, Stephanie in her husband’s. To quote Jim Ross, HHH “opens up with intensity and physicality.” Heyman calls it “embarrassing” for Triple H to have lost the I-C title to Jeff. That’s hardly putting over the Hardyz. Delayed vertical suplex, the opening few minutes having been all ‘the Game’. He drops a knee across Jeff’s forehead for a two count before mounting and raining down punches. Hardy tries to fire back after escaping a second suplex but gets caught with a powerslam. Abdominal stretch, HHH grabbing the top rope for some added leverage. Referee Earl Hebner eventually kicks his arm away and although Jeff hip tosses himself free he can’t really get a footing in the match, constantly being cut-off every time it looks like he might be finally getting into it. After a facebuster, Lita breaks up the cover by pulling Triple H off Jeff. Stephanie goes to slap Lita for interfering but she blocks her shot and then takes off after her, HHH having to get down in front of his wife at which point Lita thinks better of it. ‘The Game’ throws Jeff to the outside, however he doesn’t see that he’s grabbed the title belt which he clocks him in the head with, Triple H being sent flying over the announce desk. Hardy slams him into the ring post and then the ring steps, the tide having finally turned. Missile shotgun dropkick for a two count, HHH barely getting a shoulder up. Jeff picks up a bunch more near falls but can’t put the challenger away. Triple H sidesteps out the way of the Whisper in the Wind. He goes upstairs himself but gets nailed with a dropkick and ends up seated on the top turnbuckle. Top rope Frankensteiner. HHH avoids the Swanton as we cut backstage to see Matt Hardy watching on a monitor. Steve Austin jumps Matt, beating him down, all this apparently being shown live on the Titan Tron. Lita is in a quandary over what to do and decides to go and check on her boyfriend when through the curtain comes Austin, Lita now trapped. In the ring Triple H pins Jeff to become the new I-C champion, that happened off camera though as they were concentrating on Austin and Lita. It’s only on the replay do we see he got the pin with the Pedigree. Austin and Triple H give the Hardyz a right old post-match beating, blasting them with hard unprotected chair shots and ‘Stone Cold’ removing his belt to use as a whip. With the Hardyz helpless HHH points to Lita, who Stephanie grabs by the pants and throws inside. Just as they’re about to do the unthinkable to her, the lights in the building go out and Limp Bizkit kicks in. It’s not Fred Durst coming to her rescue but the Brothers of Destruction. HHH and Austin act like they’re ready to fight, however the moment Kane and the Undertaker enter the ring they immediately exit, saving the fight for another way. Great finish to the show.

What a thrown together face (is Raven a face?) team. Gunn and Test don’t bother waiting for Raven, Paul Heyman wondering if they can even trust him. Nice spinning side slam by Test on Malenko. Eddy immediately offers his hand to Gunn on his first foray into the match, it’s ‘the One’ though who ends up crossing him. He doesn’t see the blind tag and as he presses Eddy overhead Saturn blasts him with a superkick. Belly to back suplex. Gunn hits the Fameasser on Malenko but gets felled by an Eddy cheap shot from the apron. Slingshot senton. The Radicalz are doing their best to keep ‘the One’ on their side of the ring. Saturn clotheslines him across the top rope and pulls him to the floor where he drives him into the ring steps. Back inside, Malenko with some repeated kicks to the sternum. Pumphandle suplex by Saturn after Gunn had initially blocked the German. ‘The One’ catches him with a tilt-a-whirl and hot tags to Raven. Bulldog on Eddy, Saturn in to break up the cover. That brings in Test who plants him with a full nelson slam and then obliterates him with that great looking big boot of his. Malenko clubs Test in the back leaving Raven all alone with he and Eddy. Raven avoids the Eddy splash off the top and although Eddy rolls through, he snatches an arm and hits the Raven Effect, getting a huge pinfall over the European champion. A sizeable upset seeing Eddy do the job to Raven, although I’m guessing that’ll lead to a European title match for him on Smackdown or on next week’s show. I still think they need to get Eddy away from the Radicalz although kinda like the idea of Saturn as his muscle. I don’t see any place for Malenko any more.

After the clips of Chris Benoit helping Chris Jericho to the back air we see William Regal still in the ring. He calls out ‘the Crippler’, telling him that he just blew it, he’s the Commissioner and what he says goes. He wants a match with him and orders him to get his bloody miserable carcass out here right now. Benoit answers the challenge and he’s got back up in the shape of Y2J, there to counter Kurt Angle who has stayed by the side of Regal. The two hit the ring, Jericho taking care of Angle. Belly to back and ‘the Crippler’ looks to make short work of the Commissioner but there’s no-one home on the diving headbutt. Clubbing forearms followed by some snug uppercuts from the former Lord. Stiff kicks to the back. Knee strikes and more uppercuts as Regal dictates the pace. Seated abdominal stretch. He telegraphs the backdrop and Benoit with an inside cradle for a near fall. Vicious knife edge chops by ‘the Crippler’. A pair of rolling belly to back suplexes, Regal firing off an elbow to block the third. The Commish throws him to the floor where Angle rams him into the apron. That brings around Jericho, the ref stepping to the outside to try and separate the two as they go at it. Meanwhile inside Regal has the Regal Stretch locked in. With the official still trying to calm the situation, as he talks to Angle, Y2J hops into the ring to break the hold. Benoit then applies the crossface and Regal taps before Kurt has the chance to do anything. I could watch these two get it on all day.

Haha, all Angle says is “Your Olympic hero...” and he’s cut off by Chris Jericho’s entrance music. Y2J says that unless he was going to finish that sentence with “...is a complete and utter ass clown,” then he’s got nothing more to say! Great armdrag by Jericho into an armbar. Some nice reversals sees Kurt pick up an early two count. Angle stomps him down in the corner, whips him to the opposite one but Jericho rushes out with a clothesline. Hip lock take over. A springboard dropkick sends Kurt through the ropes to the outside (cool to see a slight variation on that) where he makes the mistake to turn his back on his opponent who nails him with a baseball slide. Jericho drops him across the barricade and then throws him into the timekeeper’s chair. Whilst there Angle grabs the ring bell and buries it into Jericho’s ribs. He slams him into the announce table as Heyman says to leave them it alone as they don’t speak Spanish! Y2J fires back but is caught on the double axe handle and Angle launches him with an overhead belly to belly. Belly to back. Jericho counters the knee to the mid-section with a roll up for a near fall. Kurt blocks the German suplex and utilises a drop toe hold in looking for the ankle lock, Y2J scrambling to the ropes for the break. Jericho counters a German with a Victory roll, Kurt kicking out just before the three. Flying forearm. Angle rolls out the way of the Lionsault, although Jericho adjusts in mid-air to land on his feet. With Kurt heading off towards the dressing room, Y2J in pursuit, out from the back runs William Regal who attacks Jericho for the DQ. The fight returns from the rampway to the ring where the numbers eventually become too much and as a payback for what has happened to them over recent weeks, Angle and Regal put a combination ankle lock/Regal stretch on Y2J. Chris Benoit with the save and this is great. He German’s Regal and then German’s Angle right on top of his head. We return from a commercial break to see that Benoit ended up helping Jericho from the ring, the two having garnered a significant amount of mutual respect for each other after all their wars over the past year or so.

This match was originally scheduled for last Thursday on Smackdown, however due to Rhyno taking Crash out backstage it never took place. Jim Ross points out that Crash, the Light Heavyweight champion, has the unique opportunity to leave the arena tonight with two title belts. After the challengers make their entrance Rhyno sneaks out and gores Hardcore Bob before the bell. Edge screams for it to be rung and, when it is, immediately makes the cover only for Crash to save his cousin. Referee Tim White throws Rhyno out of there but it looks like the damage has been done. Christian with a reverse DDT, dropping Hardcore across his own knee as they continue to work him over. JR calls the champions “nice long haired boys from Toronto.” Holly blocks the piledriver and counters with an Alabama Slam although can’t make the tag. He forces the escape from Edge’s reverse chinlock and nails him with a textbook dropkick. Now he makes it. Tornado bulldog onto Christian, as Crash gets to his feet though Edge spears him out of his boots. With White trying to clear Christian from the ring, behind his back Molly hits the Molly-Go-Round on Edge. Great near fall and from their reaction it sounds like the crowd were expecting that to be the title change. Crash comes off the top with a crossbody but Edge rolls through and hooks his trunks for the three. Decent TV match.

In what must be a first, at least when it comes to the year 2001, Johnny Swinger becomes the first to person to wrestle in ECW, WCW and WWF. E.Z. Money would’ve joined him but he never even got a look in with the WWF, despite being picked up at WCW’s close. Kid Kash could possibly achieve the feat too, although I have no idea if he makes an appearance in WWF rings this year. Kevin Kelly and Tom Prichard acknowledge that Swinger is “no stranger to mat action.” It’s all K-Kwik until Swinger avoids the clothesline by sliding through Kwik’s legs, boots him in the gut and hits a sit-out swinging neckbreaker. Running clothesline in the corner. He stomps him down, but when he turns his back on him, Kwik flips himself up to the top turnbuckle and lands a sloppy looking missile dropkick. Both to their feet at the same time, Kwik blocking Swinger’s shots and dropping him with one of his own. Flying forearm. The finish follows courtesy of a sit-out front suplex which I think Kelly calls the Hat Rack Crack. That’s a shockingly bad name for a move if I heard correct! With the huge influx of recent talent there’s really no place for Johnny Swinger in the WWF. Not that he was helped having to work with Kwik, but if this was a try-out for him you can see why he wasn’t called back.

The only version I could find of this online was missing the introductions and joins the action right as Malenko tags in Saturn, Ki down on the canvas. Alex Arion is probably best known for a handful of appearances in the formative years of Ring of Honor. Ki counters the Saturn powerbomb with a jawbreaker. Flying headscissors followed by the Tidal Crush. Arion off the top with a missile dropkick, however in doing so he inadvertently sends Saturn hurtling towards his own corner. Ki tries a second handspring, this time though Malenko snatches and dumps him. He tosses him to the floor and then causes a distraction so that Saturn can drive him backwards into the metal ring steps. Delayed vertical suplex. Malenko sits Ki upstairs for a belly to back superplex, Ki fires off some elbows and after Malenko crashes to the mat hits a high crossbody. He’s unable to make the tag, Saturn grabbing an ankle when he was only inches away. Enzuigiri and now he makes it. Nice dropkick by Arion. Saturn catches him on the crossbody attempt so Ki gives his partner a helping hand by dropkicking him in the back. That brings in Malenko who clubs Ki, sending him through the ropes to the outside. Big clothesline to Arion, Saturn then with the spinning cradle suplex for the three. Almost a step up for in in terms of WWF opposition here, meaning that it’s not either Essa Rios or Crash Holly for once. Perfectly fine action but I can’t say he overly stood out though here as he did in those matches.

Michael Cole says that Matt Hardy and Lita, after a brief stay in hospital, are resting at home tonight following the brutal attack on them on Raw. The era of the lengthy promo to kick off the shows sees Triple H, Steve Austin and Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley out at the onset. We’re in Philadelphia tonight and that very much looks like Hat Guy front and centre a couple of rows back. Triple H says how a month ago the World Wrestling Federation was a pretty rosy place, but here we are just a few weeks after Wrestlemania and how things have changed. ‘Stone Cold’ and himself are now the two most dominant men in the WWF (note: The Rock has been indefinitely suspended by Mr McMahon) and they will do what they want, will take what they want and if you try to stop them, just ask the Hardy Boyz and Lita. Austin carries on, basically saying he did what he did because he could and there’s not a single person back there who can stop him. He starts laying into the fans when Jeff Hardy runs down and cracks Triple H in the back with a chair and then Austin in the head with it. Stephanie slaps him, he gives her the Twist of Fate and then sprints out of there before anyone knows what’s just happened. We’re back from an advertisement to see an angry Triple H paying a visit to the Commissioner’s office. He tells him that nobody does that to his wife, he doesn’t care what he has to do, even if it means putting the Intercontinental title on the line, but he wants Jeff Hardy tonight. Regal says not to worry and that he’ll take care of it. Jeffrey, as Regal calls him, is summoned and the Commissioner let’s him know that Triple H is furious, has demanded a match and doesn’t even care if it’s a title match. He congratulates him on getting a title match but warns him if he ever besmirches Stephanie again he will never get another one. Kevin Kelly grabs a quick word with Jeff who says that winning the Intercontinental title would be great, but tonight is about payback for Matt and Lita. Cole wonders if Jeff, a tag team specialist, knows what he’s getting himself into against one of the best in the business. Talking about business, that’s what ‘the Game’ is tonight, no calm, measured entrance, no posing on the apron and spitting water into the fans, he goes straight for the man who laid out his wife earlier in the show. Triple H takes it to him, Tazz saying how Jeff needs to avoid being in close as he can’t utilise his speed advantage. Stephanie is shown watching on from the dressing room and although holding her neck, liking what she sees. Jeff catches him with a flying headscissors followed by a pair of dropkicks as he looks to build momentum. He unloads with punches while on the middle turnbuckle but ‘the Game’ just shoves him backwards. Whisper in the Wind for a near fall. Hunter sidesteps the charge and sends him to the outside. Jeff blocks having his head slammed into the ring steps and slams Triple H’s into it instead. He goes for a dive off the barricade however HHH catches and powerslams him onto the ringside mats. That wasn’t executed the cleanest so they repeat the spot, this time Jeff being slammed after diving off the apron. Back in the ring Hardy tries to fire back but runs into a high knee, ‘the Game’ deciding against the cover so he can dish out some more punishment. He’s picking his shots, talking trash as he does so. Jeff escapes the sleeper with a jawbreaker and hits a side Russian legsweep. As he heads upstairs HHH grabs referee Tim White by the shirt and pulls him into the ropes causing Jeff to crotch himself. White and Triple H get into a shoving match which results in White getting bumped. With Hardy still stranded up top HHH joins him, setting himself for a superplex, when Matt Hardy, not at home recuperating after all, sprints down the rampway into the ring and cracks him with a steel chair. Swanton bomb and White comes around to count the three as we have a new Intercontinental champion. There’s a huge response to the title change that Cole calls the “upset of the decade.” Whether they decide to build on this for Jeff or whether it will be a quick return to the tag team ranks will be interesting to see.

Rhyno has been working his way through the Holly family and should at least, in theory, have more of a fight with Hardcore Bob than he had done with Crash and Molly. Hardcore out to try and restore a bit of honour to the family name. Both men come out swinging, Tazz and Michael Cole thinking that this will be a very physical match. Rhyno takes that great bump he does when running into a raised boot. They’re rolling about on the match as this is turning into a right old scrap. The two trade chops before Bob ducks one and floors Rhyno with a clothesline. He drives him backwards into the corner and is just relentless. Every time referee Jimmy Korderas pulls him off he’s right back on the attack. Rhyno eventually snaps and gores both Holly and the official. Molly Holly runs out and passes a trash can to her cousin which he dents over Rhyno before swinging it into his head. The match seemingly just ends at that point, presumably a non-decision.

Commissioner Regal is still trying to get some revenge on Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho and is really stacking the odds against them tonight in yet another handicap match. They open up strong, managing to clear the ring and isolate Edge. Belly to back suplex, Lionsault, diving headbutt, but Christian is in to break up the pin. Christian with what starts out as a reverse DDT only to drop ‘the Crippler’ across his own knee. The heels are utilising some quick tags so as not to let any of their team tire. Benoit counters a reverse DDT with a release Northern Lights suplex and hot tags Jericho, Y2J nailing everyone so he’s left all alone with Kurt Angle. Kurt ducks the bulldog but Jericho then blocks the Olympic Slam. Double leg takedown into the Walls. Regal gets cut off by ‘the Crippler’ before he can make the save and ends up locked in the crossface. Edge and Christian go to break the stereo submissions but they’re both seen coming and they then end up trapped in them. Maybe, inevitably, the numbers are ultimately too much, Angle clubbing Jericho who falls to the Olympic slam. The action isn’t finished, although Regal and Kurt probably wished they’d just left to celebrate their win rather than continue to put the boots in as they take another trip to stereo submission central.

Jonathan Coachman has been summoned to Commissioner Regal’s office. He tells him that he’s quite concerned about this new found mutual respect that Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho have for each other so thinks it’s about time that we see the next classic encounter in their rivalry and wants ‘the Coach’ to go and inform them that they will be facing each other later on this evening. Benoit and Jericho are in the ring when it’s noticed that there is no referee. Ah, here he comes, the Commissioner himself. Regal says that having made this match for his friends, the fans, he thinks he’s the only person who has the honour and dignity to officiate such an epic battle! There’s a clean break on the collar & elbow tie up, Regal not liking that one bit, telling them to “fight” and to get the bloody hell on with it! Benoit runs into a big boot, however as Jericho then charges him, ‘the Crippler’ with a drop toe hold. He looks for the crossface but Y2J is able to scramble free. They’re wrestling this clean, showing the other plenty of respect while Regal again instructs them to get on with it. Double underhook backbreaker by Jericho and the Commissioner with a very deliberate, slow count on the pin attempt. Benoit with a release German and now he’s waving to the fans rather than doing his job and officiating the match. ‘The Crippler’ pulls him in the way of a Jericho missile dropkick which results in Regal forearming them both; Jericho for dropkicking him, Benoit for pulling him in the way. That was the last straw as they both then team up against him, ripping open his shirt and taking it in turns to chop his chest raw. Belly to back suplex, Lionsault, diving headbutt and finally a combination Walls and crossface, the Commissioner tapping frantically. It’s only when a bunch more referees rush out to does the torture stop. Not much of a match but a very fun segment. Main event of the shows aside, there has definitely been a noticeable shift into shorter length matches these past few weeks.

We get a recap of last week’s Raw, where Rhyno gored Crash and then Molly out of their boots. That has led to this handicap match which I can’t see ending any differently. Crash lasts a shade longer and does pick up a couple of near falls, off a huracanrana and a running crossbody, however the outcome is the same, going down to the gore after missing a clothesline. He worked the whole match for his team, Molly’s only involvement being slapping Rhyno from the apron. She jumps on his back post-match but he flips her over. As he sets himself for the gore, Hardcore Bob sprints out and gets between the two, flooring Rhyno who rolls to the floor. Hardcore isn’t the most exciting of feuds for Rhyno although I can’t see it being one that lasts long. No need to remind you that was your WWF Light Heavyweight champion jobbing in a handicap match in a shade over sixty seconds right?

There is literally only a minute of this available online, recorded from the live Satellite feed. It’s the sort of thing you would hope would show up on the WWE Network at some point down the line in a Daniel Bryan career retrospective as, according to the HistoryofWWE, it’s only his second ever WWE match (the first being the tag team dark match from February 2000 which saw him, Spanky, Shooter Schultz and Lance Cade all get signed). Jerry Lynn at this point hasn’t made TV yet and has just been working house show and the Wrestlemania Fan Axxess event. Dragon floats over on the suplex and catches Lynn with that cool Northern Lights suplex where he hooks his opponent’s leg. Huge running forearm smash in the corner. He goes for a second after whipping him into the opposite one but Lynn gets a boot up. Leaping tornado DDT off the middle and that gives him the win. He doesn’t have much of a run but the plan is to watch everything available for Jerry Lynn during in the WWF.

William Regal is on guest commentary with Tazz and Michael Cole. Not sure if he’s been at WWF New York with them throughout the show or whether he’s just shown up for his match. The Commissioner is very happy that Eddy Guerrero is the European champion, a man who brings pride and honour to the belt, unlike Test, who has a face he says he would never tire of hitting! Eddy escapes the military press but gets caught with a rapid tilt-a-whirl slam. He launches him skywards, the champion coming down chest first to the mat. Gut wrench powerbomb. Test is running through his impact moves early here. A drop toe hold seemingly stops his momentum. Cole wants to know if the Commissioner is going to punish Steve Austin for his attack on Jim Ross the other night. Regal’s almost in shock that he would even ask such a thing, saying how Ross was obviously asking questions that he shouldn’t have been asking and he upset the man! Test blocks having his head rammed into the corner and then does so to Eddy, who gives it the wobbly leg selling. Huge press slam where he throws Guerrero onto the top turnbuckle. He goes for the big boot but Eddy drops to his knees offering his hand. Regal appreciates that show of sportsmanship, saying it’s what the business is all about! The hand is swiped away and Test with a tilt-a-whirl into a sit-out powerbomb for a near fall. Eddy flips over on the pumphandle and shoves Test into the referee. A low blow out of the ref’s view and he quickly schoolboys him to retain the gold. Post-match Test does connect on the big boot, something Regal thought was “bloody disgraceful”!

In case anyone hasn’t been paying attention, Shawn Hernandez is better known as Hotstuff Hernandez. He really didn’t get to display what he’s capable of here, one leap frog being it on the agility front, although he did go up for a couple of suplexes. Haku sold nothing for him, even on Hernandez’s comeback where he backed Haku into the corner and unloaded with chop after chop followed by forearm smash after forearm smash, it was more about showing how much Haku can take and that someone like Hernandez, as physically impressive as he may look, is no match for him. Finish comes via Tongan Death grip.