[2000-10-22-WWF-No Mercy] Steve Austin vs Rikishi

[soup23]

The big Steve Austin return match is not really a match. WWF seemed to pain themselves in a corner here as you have freshly turned Rikishi who did it for the Rock and you don't want to really job him out completely but you also have the biggest ace in company history returning after a year so he of course needs to look strong. As a result, its kind of a half measured approach. The brawling was ok for the most part here but it didn't really feel like a match. That is acceptable on a META level of Austin just wanting revenge but some of the things felt like shortcuts while watching instead of hate filled. Then you add the Michael Bay segment outside which I thought was way too overwrought and Austin slamming into the police car was too melodramatic. Interesting to watch but not much meat as a match and the ending result was more befuddlement than excitement that Austin is back in the fold. *1/2

[GSR]

Apparently ‘Stone Cold’ hasn’t arrived yet so we get a video recap of what led to this ‘No Holds Barred’ match that is one year in the making.  Jerry Lawler wonders whether he will show up, although Jim Ross is more confident.  Rikishi walks down to the ring carrying a sledgehammer as the commentators now talk about how if Austin doesn’t show Mick Foley will have to come out here, raise Rikishi’s hand and declare him the winner via forfeit.  He grabs a mic and says how he told everyone that Steve Austin was too scared to face the man who ran him over, before telling Foley to get his ass out here and announce him as the winner of the match.  A concerned JR thinks something must’ve happened to Austin as he can’t believe that he no showed.  The Commissioner makes his way out and is in no rush, seemingly trying to buy ‘the Rattlesnake’ as much time as possible.  Just as he’s about to speak the panes of glass crack in Austin’s music and a truck is seen speeding to the arena and driving down to the ring.  Fists of fire from ‘Stone Cold’ who slams the truck door into Rikishi’s head.  Austin beats him around ringside, hurls him into the ring steps, across the commentary table, he’s like a man possessed unleashing a year’s worth of pent up frustration out.  The fight goes into the stands where Rikishi throws a fans drink into Austin’s face, the first bit of offense he’s got in.  ‘The King’ is not sure that was the wisest idea, comparing giving Austin a beer to being on a par with giving Popeye some spinach.  Rikishi blocks the piledriver on the concrete and counters with a backdrop.  That doesn’t stop ‘Stone Cold’s’ attack mind, in fact the way he’s going it looks like nothing will stop him.  Austin whips Rikishi with his belt and then hangs him over the ropes.  He picks up a TV monitor to use as a weapon but runs into a right hand.  Rikishi has had a couple of cut off spots in this, although those seemingly last only seconds before Austin is back pummelling him.  It’s a similar story here as ‘Stone Cold’ blitzes him with repeated chair shots busting him open until Rikishi ends up falling into the trunk of the truck.  Austin opens a can of Bud and reverses the truck out of the building (I’m gobsmacked that this was allowed).  He dumps the bloodied Rikishi up against a wall and then backs his truck up.  As he accelerates, ready to crush him against it, a police car drives in front and Austin’s truck crashes into this.  A fleet of cops arrive on the scene and a surrounded Austin is cuffed, read his rights and taken away.  While a bloodied Rikishi stills lies on the grass, the driver of the car that Austin ran into is carried away on a stretcher to be taken to a medical facility.

What a strange match.  Austin destroyed him from start to finish with Rikishi barely being competitive and hardly getting any offense in.  I don’t see how anyone could buy him as a threat after the way he was treated here, he’ll certainly take some rehabbing.  The finish was too OTT for my liking, a police car appearing out of nowhere and then a dozen or so cops on the scene within seconds.  Whatever.