[2001-02-01-WWF-Smackdown] Kurt Angle vs The Rock vs HHH

[GSR]

Triple H has weaselled his way into this title match, Stephanie convincing her father to add him to it as he was rushing to leave the arena.  ‘The Game’ is facing Steve Austin at No Way Out and the zero tolerance rule is in effect; neither man can touch the other until the PPV.  Michael Cole mentions that the champion doesn’t have to be pinned to lose his title here, so when Angle sees the Rock and HHH starting without him he sprints down to join the action.  He quickly gets despatched over the top rope to the floor by the Rock, which starts a familiar patter, as every time he re-enters the ring he’s immediately thrown back out.  The Rock walks into a ‘Pedigree’, Angle pulling him to the outside to stop the pin.  ‘Stone Cold’s’ music starts and Austin is walking to the ring, a cooler full of beer in hand.  HHH glares at him and is caught from behind with an ‘Olympic slam’, the Rock with the last gasp dive to break up that cover.  ‘The Rattlesnake’ commandeers Tony Chimel’s seat, taking a pew ringside to sink a few cold ones.  The spare man continues to make it impossible for anyone to grab a pinfall.  Triple H is slow climbing upstairs and Rock slams him to the mat.  Ric Flair’s number one fan imitating a trademark spot of his.  A hard whip to the corners sees ‘The Game’ go sailing out over the turnbuckles to the floor.  Belly to back by Angle on the Rock and everyone is down. Austin gets up from his seat, walks over to HHH and leaves an open beer next to him.  That get’s swiped away when he spots it.  Jerry Lawler points out that Triple H doesn’t drink, well if anyone would know it would be him.  Dragon screw into the ‘Sharpshooter’, HHH recovering and drilling Rock with a DDT as he’s got the hold applied.  Reverse neckbreaker and for the umpteenth time this match Cole screams “We’ve got a new champion” and like every other time the cover was kicked out of.  Overhead belly to belly to ‘the Game’.  Angle celebrates but doesn’t realise that the Rock is up.  ‘Rock Bottom’, more “new champion, new champion” nonsense, however Stephanie is on the apron distracting referee Earl Hebner.  Spinebuster and Rock sets himself for the ‘People’s elbow’.  A Kurt low blow puts a stop to that.  ‘Olympic slam’ and Stephanie is on the apron once again.  The additional seconds Hebner is dealing with her enables Rock to get a shoulder up when he eventually does start to count.  HHH blocks the gut wrench with a double leg takedown as Earl lurks in close proximity, I sense a ref bump coming.  Yeah, Angle kicks him off into Hebner.  As HHH is about to hit the ‘Pedigree’ he delays to mouth something to Austin.  Low blow by Kurt who then cradles ‘the Game’.  ‘Stone Cold’ slides into the ring and slaps the unconscious Hebner’s hand to the mat three times.  The show closes with Cole unsure as to how Austin and HHH will make it to No Way Out without destroying their careers or their lives.

[soup23]

They keep raising the tension for the Austin vs HHH match and overall this wasn't too far behind the SummerSlam match which I seem to like more than most. THe energy was good here and Angle continues to exude more confidence in there with the big guys. We did get some call backs from attitude era tropes like Austin counting the refs hand but overall this was a fun way to end the show. *** (6.1)