[2000-08-27-WWF-Summerslam] Jerry Lawler vs Tazz

[soup23]

A really good video package to chronicle this feud and it had a lot of juice behind it. King comes from the commentary booth and attacks Tazz. Tazz responds and we have a pretty good meatn and potatoes type match with a ton of punches and trash talk. Tazz no sells the piledriver which shocked me. Tazz says he going to choke King out and then come for JR. Tazzmission is locked in and JR goes toward the ring. He grabs the candy jar and slams it against Tazz. King pins him to a huge pop. Pretty fun match while it lasted. **

[GSR]

Judging by the extensive highlights recapping what led to this, the build has been great.  Tazz comes to the ring wearing a cowboy hat, shades and waving a white stick, mocking JR who, in storyline, had to have some glass removed from his eye after Tazz took a baseball bat to the window seat of a car that he was sat in.  As he bangs on the commentary desk with his cane saying “where are you JR, I can’t see you?” Lawler gets up out of his seat and says “let’s see if he can see this” cracking him in the jaw with a right hand.  A dropkick to the back of Tazz sends him chest first into the turnbuckles and ‘the King’ follows that up with a clothesline.  Fist drop off the middle, but when he tries it a second time Tazz rolls out the way and Lawler punches the mat.  He stomps away on ‘the King’ before throwing him to the floor in front of JR.  Tazz runs his mouth at Ross, forgetting about Lawler who clubs him from behind.  They return to the ring with Tazz now on his knees backing off, only to headbutt ‘the King’ in the groin.  Scoop powerslam but he misses the somersault senton off the top.  Lawler pulls down the strap, piledriver and Tazz is back to his feet almost as quick as ‘the King’.  Awesome facials by Lawler on seeing that Tazz is already up.  Referee Teddy Long gets bumped and Tazz tells JR “I’m going to choke him out and then I’m coming for you”.  ‘Tazzmission’ and with Long still down, JR leaves his position at the commentary desk and smashes a candy jar over Tazz’s head.  Lawler with the cover and he gets the win as Ross gives him a standing ‘o’ on his return to the table.

It’s amazing how much spice an angle adds to something.  This is very similar to the match they do in Jonesboro on 10/28 that’s filmed for MCW TV (same no sell piledriver, same missed somersault senton, same ref bump off a side headlock), although with the whole Lawler out for revenge on Tazz for what he did to JR, you care about this so much more.  Perfectly enjoyable fare with Ross getting payback, Tazz his comeuppance and ‘the King’ the win.