[2000-09-04-WWF-Raw] The Undertaker & The Rock vs Edge & Christian

[soup23]

Kane is out for commentary showing more personality from him as I can’t recall him doing something like this before. Lawler is disposed from Tazz earlier. Taker challenges Kane from his bike. This match did a lot for E&C. Just a few months earlier, Edge was getting jobbed out to Taker in a singles match in three minutes. Here they are seen as a tag threat and work over Taker as FIP for 5 minutes or so until he makes the tag to Rock. The E&C on top segment was also smothering and kept building properly. Benoit runs out and attacks Taker after he tags in Rock. Rock hits the Rock Bottom on Christian but Edge makes the save. Edge then pastes Rock with a chair that gets a close nearfall. Kane pulls out the referee and brawls with Taker on the floor and E&C give Rock the conchairto. That allows them to get a pin on Rock even though it was tainted. Big moment for them and a fun as hell match overall. ***1/4 (6.5)

[AstroBoy]

It was a pleasant surprise to see Edge and Christian get such an extended heat segment on Undertaker. They were really presented as the superior team and a real threat here, very refreshing stuff. Rock gets the hot tag and the crowd eats it up. Extracurricular stuff outside the ring lets Edge nail Rock with a chair for a close nearfall. Hebner is really distracting and annoying in all this stuff down the stretch, sticking out really badly. I was shocked that Edge and Christian got the double chairshot on Rock and the pinfall as Christian scores it on the champ. Really big win for them and they now feel like big time players capable of being seen at a main event level in these interactions.

 

**3/4

[Migs]

I was really dreading this match based on E&C's prior interactions with Rock and Undertaker (the latter especially), but this was a really good tag match that made E&C look credible. The control segment on the Undertaker isn't amazing, but it does exist and serves to improve their credibility. The finishing sequence is a little disjointed with the run-ins, but it does work to get a couple of big near falls, and set up the con-chair-to (which the camera angle doesn't help here), to get the win.

[GSR]

Jim Ross informs us that Steve Austin plans on making a special announcement this Thursday on Smackdown and has a lot to say about his return, his future and his assailants from last November.

Kane heads to ringside and takes a seat next to a rather surprised JR to provide commentary for the upcoming tag title match.  Neither Edge nor Christian look to keen to start for their team, and as they play ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors’ to decide, Christian is jumped by ‘the Great One’.  Taker with a big boot followed by an elbow drop for a two as the Hardy Boyz and Lita are shown watching on a monitor backstage.  Running lariat in the corner, side slam and this time Edge is in to break up the pin.  Taker runs into an elbow and Christian comes off the middle with a clothesline before making the tag to his partner.  Edge telegraphs the attempted backdrop, DDT and Christian returns the favour with the save.  As the Undertaker lets Christian have it, he forgets about Edge who wipes him out with a spear.  Edge and Christian utilise quick tags and double team offense to get the heat on Taker, goading Rock on the apron as they do so.  Double clothesline sees both Edge and Take go down.  Hot tag to the Rock who gets an insane reaction from the fans.  It’s like their response to him gets louder each week, just crazy.  He plants Christian with a tilt-a-whirl slam and gets a two after a DDT.  Chris Benoit is out and goes straight for the Undertaker.  On the other side of the ring a Rock right hand sends Edge over the top rope and to the outside.  ‘Rock Bottom’ on Christian and you can see Earl Hebner just slightly delaying things in order for Edge to have enough time to make the save.  Christian then distracts Hebner as Edge grabs a chair from ringside and blasts Rock over the head with it.  Great near fall with Rock kicking out at the last moment.  Taker is now back on the apron, having missed what just went down, but having dealt with ‘the Crippler’.  Spinebuster, Rock drapes an arm over Edge and it looks like we’re about to have new tag team champions when Kane pulls Hebner from the ring to prevent him finishing the count.  Taker goes after his brother and Earl is trapped between them as he tries to separate the pair.  ‘Conchairto’ to “the skull of the Rock” behind the official’s back and the champs retain the titles.  Ross is in disbelief that Edge and Christian came away with the gold here, calling them the “luckiest men in the world”.

After how previous matches between Edge & Christian and the Undertaker had gone, another match between these is the last thing I wanted to see…or so I thought.  E&C were treated as equals as opposed to jobbers, were credible and, for the first time, came across as legit main event players.  Only slight negative would be the Benoit interference, but this is a very good, bordering on great TV match.