[2000-11-06-WWF-Raw] The Rock & Steve Austin vs Kurt Angle & Rikishi

[soup23]

Vince is back and starts the show off with a promo. Vince gives a promo about the vote tomorrow. While knowing Vince’s political leanings do give way to some jargon that points a certain way, overall this was a nice effort to create awareness and non-partisan for WWF standards. Austin comes out right as the promo ends and him and Vince still have dynamic chemistry when in the ring with each other. Austin is now obsessed with the mastermind of who run him over. This makes Rikishi feel like a bumbling idiot. Angle and Steph comes out and Angle tells him to hold it right there BUCKKO! Kurt is now in his element and fits right in with these titans of the industry. Angle says it could have been George W Bush that ran over Austin after a few cold ones. Steph steps in and talks down to Austin. Angle attacks from behind but gets a quick Stunner for his troubles. Vince and Steph retreat as fast as they can. Backstage, Vince says something momentous is going to happen tonight and him and Steph leave with Kurt’s blessing. Angle is back looking for The Rock and he goes right into his dressing room and attacks him with the belt. That is a good bit of intrigue as to whether Rock can make it to the match. Later in the show, Rock is looking for Angle but runs into Austin. They chat about the match coming up and display some tension against each other. The long term destination towards Mania with them here is pretty awesome. Rock is headed to the ring for the match and gets sideswiped and taken out by a metal cart. Austin decides to go at it alone. The match isn’t much at all and really a vehicle for the angle. Rikishi gets a sledgehammer and Lawler loses his shit on commentary. HHH runs out to “help” Austin and I will say his turn wasn’t as premeditated as you would think. He gets a pretty big chorus of boos and shocked reaction when he hits Austin with the sledgehammer and black glove. Austin is bloodied and left laying to end the show. Well, here we go where the all time year for WWF hits a thud. I didn’t think this turn flopped near as bad as something like Flair vs Sting at Clash 10 but it also doesn’t really feel like the right move. I still don’t know who would have been the best choice for someone to be run over by Austin but Rikishi is done as the main heel already and HHH turning this quickly does feel like we are back where we started at the beginning of the year and all of his mobility was for naught. ½*

 

[Loss]

I would have gone with Jericho. He could have also taken credit for the cinderblock the night he debuted, which is something that was never answered.