[2000-03-16-WWF-Smackdown] The Rock vs X-Pac

[soup23]

Rock attacks before the bell on the outside. Pac bumps well for Rock and now he has been thrusted up to be the main DX lieutenant in a more prominent role than even 1999. Big Show and HHH along with their respective McMahons make their way down the aisle. That turns this match into a glorified lumberjack match with HHH and Show having pretty major beef now. I guess the coalition exploded earlier on this SmackDown. Rock gets in a spinebuster as a hope spot. Rock hits a good powerslam move that feels unique for him but Tori stops the count. X-Pac then pastes Rock with a spinning heel kick but eats a Rock Bottom while going for Bronco Buster. Show interferes distracting the ref and allowing HHH to nail a belt shot for a nearfall. Just then the fire erupts and here comes Kane looking for X-Pac. I thought this did a good job of continuing to advance things towards Mania and I really don’t have that huge an issue with the triple threat for the title as it currently stands. **1/4

[Loss]

I liked the couple of minutes we got of the match before everyone showed up, even though all of the excess was well done too. Rock looks like superman with all the kickouts and everything he is overcoming, and at this point, they are doing a great job building toward his surefire title win at Wrestlemania.

[GSR]

X-Pac is having words with Triple H and he’s not overly keen on having to face The Rock, “Rocky, that’s your fight”. ‘The Game’ says that this is Vince McMahon’s doing as he made the match, but tells him not to worry as he’ll get him out of it. Tori’s wearing some seriously short shorts here! The Rock is over huge and this one gets going before he’s even made it to the ring. Rock launches X-Pac over the barricades and into the audience where he continues to take it to him. He hurls him back into the ringside area, but when he goes to ram Pac’s head into the barricade, he blocks it and unloads with chops and kicks. Now it’s X-Pac’s turn to throw Rock into the audience, although he’s quickly back in charge with Pac taking a bump on the concrete off a clothesline. After he posts him, Shane McMahon and the Big Show make their way out, Rock then throws X-Pac inside and the bell rings as it appears the match hasn’t even officially begun yet! X-Pac reverses an Irish whip and Shane hooks the Rock’s ankle causing a distraction. Flying clothesline for two and now here comes Triple H and Stephanie to ringside as well. Pac hurls Rock over the top rope to the outside where the Big Show starts attacking him. Triple H gets involved to, but surprisingly nails the Big Show first, before throwing Rock into the ring steps and then back inside. Pac makes the cover with his feet on the ropes, but Rock kicks out at the count of two. Spinebuster out of nowhere by the Rock. Nice Samoan drop and a big slam on X-Pac. He’s got the cover, however Tori is up on the apron distracting the official. As Rock goes over to her, X-Pac nails him with a spinning heel kick. The bronco buster is cut off as Rock is quickly up to his feet, snatches and then plants Pac with the ‘Rock Bottom’. Big Show pulls Earl Hebner’s leg at one stopping the count, and as Earl admonishes him, Triple H is in and waffles Rock with the World title belt. He’s still able to kick out of the subsequent pin and here comes Kane who’s making a beeline right for X-Pac. Kane decks him for the DQ and chases him into the crowd, as Rock, HHH and the Big Show then go at it in the ring. As Triple H and Show start fighting each other, Vince McMahon is shown smiling as he watches on a screen backstage as the Coalition has completely imploded.

 

Rock and X-Pac have good chemistry together as Pac is more than happy to bump and fly around for Rocky’s offense. I didn’t care for the cheap DQ, but Rock had already overcome the odds in the match having kicked out of that belt shot. He also got the better of things in the post-match so it wasn’t like he came out of this looking weak or anything. Crazy that they’re only a shade over a fortnight away from Wrestlemania and the main event is still a ‘three way’ with no mention or talk of adding Foley to the mix whatsoever.