Jump to content

The Kurt Angle Match Marathon


HarmonicGenerator

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 202
  • Created
  • Last Reply
  • Paid Members

If I remember right, that Insurrextion match has a surprising result. One I can't remember happening in any other wrestling match.

If you mean what I think you mean,

 

 

 

 

It's so hard to keep these unpredictable. Some are great matches don't get me wrong but the general gimmick of them I hate, how many 2 out of 3 falls matches actually finish 2-0?

One of my favourite booking tropes of this century, actually, was during one of The Briscoes' reigns in ROH, they had a series of 2/3 falls matches with teams that had pushed them close in previous defences, that they would then whitewash 2-0. It meant that when a team finally took a fall off them (I believe the No Remorse Corps) the crowd went MENTAL thinking the Briscoes were in jeopardy. They still won.

Didn't Benoit beat Kurt Angle 2-0 at Insurrextion 2001? Also he lost the U.S. title to MVP in the same manner. Also Flair/Foley at Vengence 2006. Very much the exception, not the rule, but they do happen.

 

 

Spoiler tags if anyone cares about being spoiled for the 15 year old match.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Awards Moderator

Once more unto the Angle-Benoit series, dear friends, once more… Insurrextion time.

 

The match:

Benoit's out first for this 2 out of 3 falls match. And joining Paul Heyman on commentary it's… Michael Cole! First time he's called an Angle match on PPV.

 

Heyman loves these guys.

 

Boooooooooo goes the crowd as Angle comes out, without his medals because I think Benoit's nicked them at this point in the story. "Where the hell are my gold medals?" asks Kurt on the mic. Hopefully not by the pool area. :-(

 

Benoit says they're safe and warm. I bet he's stuck them up his arse, the lunatic.

 

Angle's wearing a neat red/blue combo singlet which I've not seen before.

 

They've locked up and broken up a few times, loads of chain wrestling to kick off. That's very vague but I'm kind of a little distracted by the picture quality, this show feels like they were just filming a house show or something - I don't know if I can quite describe it but see what I mean if you put the show on the Network.

 

More chain wrestling, Crossface attempt, Angle to the ropes. Kurt knows the score by this point. He slides out of the ring for a rest. He's upset. No medals.

 

He gets back in the ring, tries for the Anklelock, Benoit reaches the ropes, counters it and sends Kurt outside. Not a lot of room ringside at Insurrextion, you'd have dives right into the crowd with that setup these days.

 

They face off and it's strike time, Heyman says the same thing on commentary except he says 'slugfest', and Angle rolls out again. They're doing the running-round-the-ring spot from Backlash again, Benoit hasn't learned.

 

Benoit goes down after being flapjacked into the turnbuckle. Elbow as Benoit lies over the apron (becoming an Angle trademark that). Suplex for 1. Belly to belly and a "woo", then another. Benoit's taking them oddly, he wraps one arm around Angle like a manly hug but leaves his other arm down by his side. He hits one of his own.

 

Benoit then does the Three Amigos, with the hip swivels and everything, but the third one slings Angle into the ropes. Kurt gets to do the Bret turnbuckle bump again, a few German Suplexes land, then Benoit does the headbutt and the first fall is his.

 

The second fall begins with the Ringside Brawl and Benoit sent into the steps. Third time in a row I've said that, bet he does it at Judgment Day as well.

 

Benoit hugs Angle properly this time so he can do a top rope belly to belly. But then he kicks out. There's another Back Suplex, this time he considered protecting his head for a moment but decided against it. But then he holds his head afterwards. :-(

 

Customary Chinlock Time.

 

Benoit fightback turns into another belly to belly. That's four this match, I think? Another Back Suplex is countered this time, but Angle's very much in control.

 

Small package comeback by Benoit gets two, then they swap punches and chops and kicks and eye rakes until a Benoit DDT leaves them both down.

 

Angle Slam very gracefully countered into another Bret bump, and some more German Suplexes, and he's off to do the Headbutt again! Kurt moves this time.

 

Anklelock countered into Crossface, into Angle rollup into Benoit rollup, 1, 2, 3, Benoit wins two in a row!

 

Angle-Benoit series: 2-2

 

Kurt's not pleased. He's angry and upset and Benoit is just grinning like the madman he would become.

 

I fucking knew it, he had the medals down his crotch the whole time. I wouldn't have them back, Kurt, they'll fucking reek for one thing.

 

My thoughts:

It's never going to be less than good with these two. Which this was - but not really anything we haven't seen already.

 

Angle landmarks:

First PPV match called by Michael Cole

First 2-out-of-3 falls match

 

PPV record so far:

13 wins by pinfall

3 wins by submission

6 losses by pinfall

4 losses by submission

1 loss by unconsciousness

4 multi-man match losses (Angle not defeated)

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Awards Moderator

2-out-of-3 Falls Part 2, Judgment Day. If I remember correctly - and it is my memory I'm going off here, because I haven't watched the pre-match video - it's first fall, pinfalls only, second fall, submissions only, third fall, Ladder Match for the gold medals?

 

I just hope they've washed the medals since they've been in contact with Benoit's cock.

 

The match:

Aha! I was right! Howard Finkel just ran through it all and I got it right. "The third fall, if necessary"… you've made it a Ladder Match, guys, of course it's going to be necessary.

 

"Kurt seems lost without his gold medals", says JR, which is what I was going to say. His neck is so huge now.

 

I feel like Benoit's the heel here. Stealing is wrong. Not as wrong as murdering your family, of course, but still wrong. 

 

Six guys in the crowd did a one-letter-each 'B E N O I T' sign but they clearly didn't coordinate on what kind of card to use because four of the letters are white and the other two are orange and pale hellow.

 

Angle doesn't let Benoit get anything in to start with, stomping him in the corner, giving him the Bret bump and THREE GERMAN SUPLEXES! "YEAH!" he cries, and I agree, because that's a first. That'd win three matches against Steve Blackman.

 

He misses a Benoit style headbutt and Benoit hits the Angle Slam and pins him! First fall Benoit!

 

He goes straight to the Crossface and Angle reaches the ropes and tries to escape. Ringside Brawl time.

 

What did Benoit hope to get out of this, I wonder? Would he have just kept the medals? Flogged them? Wanked on them?

 

This arena is very well lit. You can see everyone in the crowd.

 

Angle just drove Benoit's crotch into the ring post. The medals are hopefully no longer down there. It must have been uncomfortable doing that Insurrextion match with them lolling around in there, actually.

 

Ringside Brawl's still going on. When it's over, Kurt goes for the Anklelock and Benoit crawls to the ropes. He tries again, Benoit counters, Angle counters, Benoit counters into the Crossface, Angle reaches the ropes.

 

After a bit more back and forth, a chop's met with an eye rake and Angle has Benoit down. Suplex keeps him down. Belly to belly. He tries for another, Benoit goes for the Crossface, Angle reaches the ropes. I feel like I've said that a lot the past couple of nights.

 

Snap Suplex by Benoit, both men down. Neither man going for submissions that much in this fall, curiously. Weird leg hooky chinlock thing leads Jack Doan to warn "I'll DQ ya!" even though this fall can only end in SUBMISSION. Don't do it, Doan.

 

Benoit locks in the Walls of Jericho for a moment.

 

(They're trying submissions now)

 

Figure Four Leglock by Benoit. Kurt doesn't have to do the mini-sit-ups thing everyone does in this move because there's no pins being counted here. He reaches the ropes, anyway.

 

Benoit's targeting the leg now. Even if it doesn't submit him that could serve him well in the Ladder Match. Angle chucks him through the middle rope for a breather and we get a little more Ringside Brawling.

 

Back in the ring, a bit more back and forth, Benoit DDT, Angle Slam by Kurt, both men down again, ANKLELOCK. Benoit taps. 1-1. Ladder match time!

 

The medals weren't even up on the ceiling in the first place!

 

Okay.

 

Wait.

 

What the fuck.

 

Angle could have just GONE TO RINGSIDE AND PICKED UP HIS MEDALS AND GOT THEM BACK.

 

THE ENTIRE 

 

FUCKING 

 

TIME

 

WHAT.

 

So he'd have to overpower who? Jack Doan? The timekeeper?

 

FUCKING COME ON.

 

WHY

 

WHY

 

WHY

 

DID HE NOT JUST GO AND GET THEM

 

HE WAS OUT FIRST.

 

BENOIT WASN'T EVEN THERE TO STOP HIM.

 

HE COULD HAVE JUST GONE AND GOT THEM AND HE'D HAVE HIS MEDALS.

 

YES HE'D HAVE 'LOST THE MATCH'

 

BUT HE'D HAVE GOT HIS MEDALS

 

WHICH IS WHAT THE MATCH WAS FOR

 

FUCK

 

FUCK 

 

FUCKING 

 

STUPID.

 

I haven't paid attention to anything in this third fall so far, but Kurt's just done his first bump off a ladder, and an orange WrestleMania X ladder for that matter. Benoit throws him into the crowd and gets a bigger silver ladder.

 

JUST TO RETURN TO THIS

 

SORRY

 

BUT IT'S NOT EVEN LIKE A TITLE WHERE JUST GRABBING IT MEANS IT'S NOT YOURS

 

THE MEDALS ARE HIS IN THE FIRST PLACE

 

HE'S ABSOLUTELY ENTITLED TO THEM

 

BENOIT

 

FUCKING

 

STOLE THEM

 

I'M SORRY, THIS IS JUST THE STUPIDEST THING WWE HAVE EVER DONE. 

 

WHY

 

Sorry. Anyway, Benoit's fallen off the ladder as well now, he got hit with it a few times, Angle aimed it straight at this head, Benoit ducks and the ladder, followed by Kurt, go over the top rope. Benoit smacks him in the chest (not the jaw, JR) with the ladder on the outside.

 

WHY DID ANGLE NOT JUST TAKE HIS MEDALS BACK FORM THE REFEREE AND RUN

 

WHAT THE FUCK

 

WHY PUT YOURSELF THROUGH ANY OF THIS

 

WHEN 

 

YOU 

 

COULD

 

HAVE

 

JUST

 

GOT 

 

THEM

 

Sorry, I'm just unable to get over the sheer stupidity of this. 

 

Benoit's been hit with the ladder a few times, but Angle's just been slingshotted into it. Bret bump, couple of chops, run into the ladder, Angle runs up it, Benoit tips them both over.

 

German by Benoit and Angle's head lands dangerously close to the ladder, which Benoit's now wedged in the corner. I can't get invested in this at all (Bret bump by Benoit into the ladder. Ouch.)

 

Not even a bit (Benoit suplexed onto a ladder positioned against the ropes). Good bumps and everything (Angle uppercutted by the ladder in the face) but I've lost all levels of engagement (ladder to Angle's face, Benoit sets it up on top of him so he's trapped) because there's no reason why it should have come to this when the medals were at ringside the entire time and Angle could have just walked over and got them back.

 

Angle powered the ladder up, Benoit went down - ladder-cam shows the replay as his neck lands on the top rope and he bounces off. Crossface applied, Angle taps, EDGE AND CHRISTIAN RUN-IN! It's been a while!

 

Benoit fights them both off as Angle climbs the ladder and grabs the medals.

 

Which, as I may have mentioned, it would have been easier to do if he'd just got them at the start of the match, SINCE THEY WERE RIGHT FUCKING THERE.

 

Angle-Benoit series: Angle 3 - 2 Benoit

 

My thoughts:

Again, it's a very good match. They all are. But the medals being down there the whole time just took me right out of it. It's just SO stupid.

 

Angle landmarks:

First trio of German Suplexes

First Ladder Match

First ladder bump

 

PPV record so far:

13 wins by pinfall

4 wins by submission

1 win with ladder

7 losses by pinfall

4 losses by submission

1 loss by unconsciousness

4 multi-man match losses (Angle not defeated)

 

 

Kurt and Chris are going to leave each other alone until Unforgiven 2002 now. But I'll still have to do two matches next time because it's King Of The Ring 2001 and Kurt's doing double duty!

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Awards Moderator

You're actually going to have to go triple duty for KOTR, H-Gen. Kurt wrestled both his old pals Christian and Edge in tournament matches, then the Shane McMahon match later on.

 

Bollocks! I should have known that, I can vividly recall reading the show recap in the WWF magazine that summer.

 

Right, so that's three more matches on one show. They're not making this easy for me to finish by HOF time, are they? I'll try and cover the two tournament matches in one post, and then the Street Fight separately, tonight or tomorrow/Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/whenever I'm not asleep - but I'll edit it into here.

 

 

Match 1: Christian

It's the Giant Electric Chair stage! Used to be great fun to climb up that on SmackDown and jump off. Or make yourself fall off and your character did the D-Von Shaky Ladder Sell. 

 

Kurt's out first (and he's in the opener) and he's developed a six pack since the last time he came out with the straps down. The Kurt we see on the match graphic looks markedly different from the one in the ring.

 

Christian's out next, wearing his sweaty vest and glasses and looking for all the world like Kassius Ohno if he'd put a bit more work in first time round.

 

He starts on Kurt straight away but Kurt picks him up, throws him down and stomps him in the corner. Heyman points out he needs to finish this quickly because he needs as much rest as possible between matches.

 

Bret bump and a Christian neckbreaker for two.

 

Christian tries a sunset flip, countered into an Anklelock but that's countered too. Belly to belly blocked once but not the second time. Is that a "Let's go Angle" chant?

 

That cunt from Full Sail who wears the tie dye is in the crowd. Dirty fucker probably hasn't washed since then. 

 

Ringside Brawl. The apron is grey tonight. Looks good - like SmackDown used to when they went all silver.

 

Christian shoved off the top rope to the floor. He used to do that a lot… which may be partly why he broke down in the end.

 

Gutwrench slam by Angle, back suplex, Christian still kicking around. Kurt Angle has, according to Heyman, just been inducted into the national wrestling hall of fame. Sixteen years later, WWE have caught up!

 

I think that is "let's go Angle" they're chanting… and they're doing a clap clap clapclapclap at the end of it. The decline and fall of civilisation began here.

 

Christian's being slammed and suplexed all over the place here.

 

The comeback's cut off with an eye rake, which is fast becoming an Angle trademark, but Christian hits a kick and they're both down.

 

Out comes Shane McMahon wearing a WCW t-shirt. He looks so young. Angle's distracted so Kurt misses the Moonsault. He knows he needs 100% focus if he's ever going to hit that thing again. 

 

Christian comeback proper now in effect. Shane's wearing some hideous trackie bottoms even I wouldn't have worn back then. Anklelock is locked in, Christian crawls over the referee to get to the ropes, Angle slam's countered into the Unprettier but Shane pulls Christian off Angle and skips away! He wants Angle exhausted, I assume. Because he's the heel in this I guess?

 

Christian's on the apron, Angle Slam is hit OVER the ropes (that's a first) and that's a 3. Onwards!

 

My thoughts:

Quick opener, telling a couple of stories, none of which were really all about Angle vs Christian.

 

-

 

Match 2: Edge

I manage to skip between chapters on the Network so that Kurt Angle's music does not stop playing from one match ending to the next beginning. Kurt gets pyro twice tonight.

 

(Also, he's extremely carelessly just letting his medals be taken away from him before the match. Considering the trouble he's been having recently this seems silly.)

 

Edge comes out looking pained. I didn't watch the Rhyno match but maybe he got Gored.

 

Pre-Match Mic Bit - Kurt tells Edge he doesn't want anything to get in the way of their friendship. He points out he's got the Street Fight with Shane McMahon, and since there's no way Edge could beat Angle, he should just let Kurt have this one. Forfeiting is the right thing to do as his friend. "Come on Edge, I think I know you", HA, and Edge responds by punching Kurt in the face and hitting a flapjack.

 

Punches exchanged in the corner, and more strikes as they run with lots of the "cccchhhh" sound effect that means they're putting some effort into them. 

 

WHOA. Belly to belly over the top rope to the floor for Edge. Only 4% as nasty as the one Brock Lesnar did to Shannon Moore that time, but still, big stuff.

 

Ringside Brawl, Edge into steps.

 

Back Suplex gets 2. Did Full Sail Cunt move to Florida so he could be at all the NXT shows? He doesn't look any younger in 2001 than he does now. I realise that writing about him is giving him what he wants, though, so I'll stop.

 

Chinlock.

 

Edge gets plonked on to the top rope, something weird happens then he does a roll up. Not sure what happened there. Belly to belly gets 2. Back to the Chinlock and Angle's bleeding from the mouth now.

 

JR keeps talking about Edge's youth even though he'd been in WWE a year longer than Angle and therefore should be considered the veteran of the two. 

 

Ringside brawl part 2, Edge draped over the barricade and then popped back in the ring. Angle climbs the turnbuckle and gets crotched with a dropkick, then hit with a Frankensteiner.

 

Edge hits a couple of clotheslines and a back body drop. Angle misses a dropkick and gets slingshotted into the turnbuckle, which he takes BY THE THROAT. Watch that move, his throat hits the turnbuckle. Angle Slame countered, near fall for Edge, he hits the Edge-O-Matic, Christian runs down but distracts Edge? Angle rollup, Full Sail Cunt's on his feet, Edge kicks out, ref bump, Anklelock, Edge taps (way to cement your new hope for a top face?), Shane McMahon run-in, Shane spears Angle (way to steal the finisher of your new King, guys?) Edgecution DDT, 3 count, Edge wins with Shane McMahon's help which I have to admit I don't remember happening. 

 

Ah well. They got his singles push right in 2002, so no harm done.

 

My thoughts:

They'll have better matches next year. Edge was a good pick to win the tournament, my mind had altered the details though so I'd forgotten that the immediate aftermath of the match and the KOTR win was actually all about Shane McMahon rather than anyone else though.

 

-

 

Match 3: Shane McMahon

It's the Street Fight time! This is one of those matches that immediately comes to mind for Kurt Angle, so let's see if it holds up!

 

Shane McMahon out first. Owner of WCW, so heel? But lots of signs in the crowd, so face? They've mentioned 'owner of WCW' a LOT. Invasion's coming.

 

I have to go with heel, because Angle's on his third match so he's absolutely at a disadvantage SPEAR! SPEAR! Shane taken down and in a waistlock he can't get out of. Back Suplex and stomps. Angle's mad. he even chucked down his medals without ceremony or care. Which seems excessively unnecessary considering the misery they'd caused him just a month ago.

 

Loads of knees to the gut now. This is pretty great. Unlike Shane's punches which were awful. He does what I think was meant to be a Skull Crushing Finale type thing but it went badly. Watching Shane get beaten up is fun. 

 

Angle's on all fours in the middle of the ring - bleeding above the eye, which JR credits to Shane's punches (hmm) - challenging Shane to a wrestle. He has a go and is immediately and thoroughly thrashed for it. Nice.

 

(Also, when Kurt was coming out this third time I just noticed he'd got a new entrance video. See 'landmarks').

 

Gutwrench and belly to belly throws send Shane flying. That cut Kurt's got looks very, very nasty. Little bit like Samoa Joe's in London. Another belly to belly and now he's just forearming Shane across the face. I can't deny it's fun to watch. Shane crawls to the corner and Angle slaps him in the face.

 

If this rumoured AJ Styles match at WrestleMania takes place, I wouldn't be opposed if it went down like this so far.

 

Kurt challenges Shane again. Shane gutlessly kicks him in the ribs instead. Some rubbish clothesline are stopped by more takedowns. JR tries to list all the guys that Shane McMahon has beaten. He gets Big Show… Vince… Test… and then runs out. 

 

Shane is now running away from Kurt. He must be heel here? Shane jumps onto the barricade and onto Kurt, then climbs up behind the announce table and jumps over it onto Kurt.

 

Kendo Stick produced. THWACK to the ribs, several to the top of the back until Kurt charges him into the ring post, but then Kurt hits it and gets clotheslined in to the crowd (albeit sadly not into Full Sail Cunt, putting him off attending wrestling events forever).

 

In a beautiful moment, Kurt suddenly appears from behind the barricade and grabs Shane in a chokehold when he's not looking.

 

Shane looks knackered. They're both down after a move into the steps. He tries a pin and Angle kicks out by bridging up by his neck. Ha. Shane elbows him in annoyance and brings out an MDF board and a bin and two bin lids and a sign and another bin.

 

Three sign shots to the back and an unprotected headshot (it's your fault Kurt's a wreck, Shane, I'm blaming you, now give him the Commissionership of SmackDown Live, go on).

 

Shane then locks in the Anklelock and Kurt fights out of it (which, to be fair, didn't look that hard, but Kurt's had a hard night so benefit of the doubt). Bret bump and Shane tries a float over DDT - the float over wasn't great but the DDT hit. He then goes for the Sharpshooter but falls over. He gets back up though, just like, unfortunately, Full Sail Cunt who's mugging for the hard cam in the background. Fuck you, guy.

 

Angle gets out of the hold by smacking Shane on the arse with the Kendo Stick.

 

Full Sail Cunt ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE HE'S DOING THE "TEN" CHANT" WITH THE REFEREE'S COUNT. IN 2001. SOMEBODY STOP THIS TIME TRAVELLING TWAT.

 

Shane avoids another Kendo Stick shot and does more punches with his little dance which Heyman compares to Ali and Frazier.

 

Bin to the head (unprotected) and then two right on the gut. He puts the bin on Angle and heads to the top rope for a Shooting Star Press! Blimey! Kurt moved out of the way and Shane hits nothing but bin. Not a bad looking Shooting Star at all, that, watching the replay. Better than Brock's - but we'll get to that!

 

Angle hits an Attitude Adjustment over the top rope to the floor. It's not that but it looks the same. Fighting up the aisle, they're off to do the glass bit!

 

Shane suplexes Angle on the aisle. Ouch. Looked a hard landing - for both of them, to be honest, but more for Angle. They exchange punches (Shane's look pretty good here) and Kurt chucks him into one of the legs of the giant electric chair.

 

Glass bit's coming up.

 

Setting it up...

 

Belly to belly, KERTHUNK, glass does not smash, Shane lands right on his head. He's getting up somehow. They do it again, glass smashes this time, blood everywhere, ouch ouch OUCH. Horrible! I mean, brutal Street Fight spot, but horrible!

 

FUCKING HELL. Angle just did another one from the other side and Shane just collapses into it and crumbles because it doesn't break. Then they do it again. Horrible horrible horrible. "OH MY GOD." cries a disgusted Heyman as Angle just throws Shane face first through the glass. Shane looks horrendous. Blood and glass everywhere. They always compare these things to a car wreck but it's never felt more appropriate than here.

 

Kurt puts Shane's corpse on an equipment thing and wheels him back to the ring. The shift he's put in on this night is just mad. As for Shane, taking those bumps again and again… ridiculously he kicks out, which is impressive for being dead like he probably should be at this point in the match.

 

Not only that, he's been able to smack Kurt in the head with a bin lid a few times (unprotected, naturally) and hits an Angle Slam that looks far better than it had any right to be. Kurt kicks out.

 

Shane's slingshotted into the turnbuckle, and ends up half over it, blood dripping down off his head. Horrible. Angle puts him on the top rope and grabs the board. Which might be actual wood rather than MDF, I may have judged it harshly. He's positioned that too, balanced himself on top of it… AND HITS A TOP ROPE ANGLE SLAM.

 

"Holy shit" chants the crowd, not for the first time this match, but the first time for Kurt Angle. That does it, Angle has won the Street Fight!

 

My thoughts:

Nasty stuff, but if you want a proper kind of Street Fight from this era, it's an excellent choice. Very good stuff from Kurt, and once it gets more into Shane's comfort zone of being a madman, his part is done as only he can! The glass stuff is hard to watch but looks absolutely devastating. And the finish to this (plus the one from the Christian match earlier) means we're now starting to see variations of the Angle Slam come into play.

 

-

 

Angle landmarks:

First Angle Slam over the ropes

First time vs Edge (perennial opponent)

First loss in a KOTR match

First Street Fight

First PPV with updated entrance video

First top rope Angle Slam

First "Holy Shit" chant for Kurt"

 

PPV record so far:

15 wins by pinfall

4 wins by submission

1 win with ladder

8 losses by pinfall

4 losses by submission

1 loss by unconsciousness

4 multi-man match losses (Angle not defeated)

 

 

 

 

Next time… The Invasion begins properly!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Awards Moderator

Inaugural Brawl time! 

 

Confession time: I've never seen Invasion. I've seen the RVD-Jeff Hardy match, which is great. And the Freddie Blassie promo, because he's brilliant. But that's it. They don't half pile on the World War II imagery in the opening video!

 

The match:

They have the fun triangular forked ramp thing for Alliance and WWE competitors. Bring that one back for Raw vs SmackDown shows.

 

Paul Heyman is calling himself the General Manager of ECW, alongside Stephanie as its owner - first use of the term 'General Manager'?

 

All the McMahons are getting entrances before any of the competitors. Alliance and WWE are tied 5-5 over the course of the night

 

Alliance out first. The Dudleyz with lots of lovely pyro. Still think they could have made more of their most recent run. All I wanted was a quick title run. A week or two would have done. Bloody New Day. I'd have been happy with getting D-Von in a Royal Rumble, him and Razor Ramon are the two biggest absences from Rumble history I think.

 

BROTHERS OF DESTRUCTION MUSIC. Yes! So they're not doing whole teams at a time. Loved these guys as a team in 2001.

 

Rhyno out next. So far, every participant in this 2001 match has also wrestled in WWE in the last year. This continues when Chris Jericho comes out. Crowd are loving Team WWE. Booker T next, with the WCW title and the US title by the looks of it. Stephanie is dancing to his music and it looks bad. JR and Cole are not being objective on commentary, but JR did just mention Ric Flair and Sting. Rubbing it in there.

 

Here's Kurt! Finally! Big time babyface reaction for Kurt! Nice dark blue singlet. I think that was his first proper babyface reaction. He's turned! He's turned!

 

DDP next. Loads of these guys have got pyro. He's had a match in WWE in the last year as well. Undertaker goes straight for him and a mass brawl erupts. 

 

STA PAH YA MANANA MANA HABBA DA KILL Stone Cold is out to a massive reaction last of all and everybody's brawling all per the place but I'm mainly going to write about the Angle bits.

 

Austin and Rhyno to kick off. 

 

A note: from here up to and including the 2002 Royal Rumble, Kurt Angle will be involved with Stone Cold on every PPV with the possible exception of Rebellion. That's the next seven months for Austin and Angle.

 

Is this one fall to a finish? I'll find out at the end I guess.

 

Jericho and Rhyno now. Then Booker T and Jericho.

 

Oh! Here we go, Angle's in. Many many punches to Booker as the crowd chants "Angle, Angle". He's a leader of the WWE. Booker kicks him and he goes down, D-Von comes in and Angle gets hit with a spinny forearm. You're under no illusions as to who the babyface team is here by the commentary! Kurt tags in Kane, see you again in a bit.

 

Bubba Ray and Kane now, then Undertaker tagged in, then a little while later, Rhyno's back, and then we get DDP and the Undertaker, then Booker's in again. Not a lot of Kurt Angle in this match. Austin in with Booker now.

 

Jericho again. This is an easy write-up! Bubba and Jericho now.

 

Here's Kurt, and the crowd lights up! He's taking on both Dudleys at the same time, both of them getting a belly to belly as JR cries "he's owning ECW!" So objective. DDP tries to block him and gets clobbered for it, but it allows the Bubba Bomb to connect. D-Von's legal though, and maybe they haven't decided exactly on the Alliance's name yet because Cole keeps mentioning the "coalition". Rhyno in now, he hits Angle with a belly to belly, Austin breaks up the pin.

 

Bubba in now and they exchange punches, Booker in and he hits the Scissors Kick and a spinaroonie, Undertaker breaks up the pin. Kurt's been schooled by the Alliance up to now. DDP in and hits a spinning sit out powerbomb but Austin's causing trouble. Angle kicks out. "Austin" chants. You would almost be fooled into thinking the fans don't want him to be a heel again?

 

Dudleys in again, Wassup connects, Jericho breaks up the pin. DDP in again and he's got a front face lock on, crowd's getting behind Angle as his teammates cheer him on. He's trying to power out of it, he manages and tags Austin, but the referee didn't see it… Kurt's dragged back to the Alliance corner and beaten down by the lot of them, leading to the Everybody Get In And Start Fighting All Hell Has Broken Loose portion of the match.

 

DDP just got chokeslammed by Undertaker.

 

Kurt Angle project chokeslam count: 9 (5 to Angle)

 

He also hit Charles Robinson with the Last Ride which seemed excessive, albeit not so much as Michael Cole calling Robinson trash because he works for WCW. Hey, I'm starting to think this Invasion angle was a bit one sided.

 

There's fights and things going on everywhere at the moment, the Dudleys are fighting Kane with tables, Austin's hurt his knee possibly, Taker and DDP have gone off into the crowd, and apparently Angle and Booker T are in the ring as the legal men but the camera's not been on them in a while. D-Von just got chokeslammed through the announce table.

 

Kurt Angle project chokeslam count: 10 (5 to Angle)

 

Several tables later, both Dudleys and Kane and Rhyno and Jericho are all down.

 

Oh no, hang on, Bubba's up, he and Booker are continuing to beat up Kurt Angle. He fights back against both of them however, German Suplex to Booker, Angle Slam to Bubba, Anklelock on Booker, countered into a ref bump and Angle's down again. Vince slides the WWE Title belt to Angle to use, Shane hits Vince with it and Angle chucks him out of the ring, does the same to Bubba, big pop as he hits Booker with the Angle Slam, STRAPS DOWN AND ANKLELOCK!!!!

 

Booker is tapping, Austin puts Chioda back in, Austin attacks Angle! Austin Stuns Angle! Austin puts Booker on Angle! He's defected! Alliance wins with Austin's help! Whaaaat dooooes thiiiis meeeeeean

 

(a load of matches against Angle, is what it means)

 

My thoughts:

As a Kurt Angle match, it's not essential. He's not in it that much, and he's being beaten up for most of the time that he is in it. But this is the first time Babyface Kurt has been on PPV so it's quite significant in that respect.

 

Angle landmarks:

First PPV as a proper babyface (by my reckoning)

First straps-down-into-Anklelock

 

PPV record so far:

15 wins by pinfall

4 wins by submission

1 win with ladder

9 losses by pinfall

4 losses by submission

1 loss by unconsciousness

4 multi-man match losses (Angle not defeated)

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Awards Moderator

Let the bodies hit the floor. It's Summerslam 2001 time. Angle and Austin, Angle and Austin!

 

The match:

Was this the match where Stone Cold hit a piledriver on Angle on the concrete in the lead-up, or was that Unforgiven? I feel like that was Unforgiven. I remember that episode of SmackDown so clearly. Austin has never seemed a more vile heel. HE WAS OUT TO HURT KURT ANGLE. He LIFTED THE MATS TO EXPOSE THE CONCRETE. And then he DID A PILEDRIVER. THAT'S A BANNED MOVE!

 

Now I'm all riled up and ready to see Kurt kick his ass and this isn't even the right match for it. What do I remember about the Summerslam one… blood and lots of finisher kick outs and possible a cheap finish because they were second-fiddle to Rock and Booker T (and rightly so, to be fair, THE ROCK WAS BACK).

 

We've got the Alliance and WWE locker rooms watching this one. WWE's has a front row of Hardcore Holly, Kaientai (Taka was still around in August 2001?!), Crash and William Regal. Looks like Tazz got the only chair in the Alliance one.

 

Kurt's out first, and he's looking ready to take the WWE Title off Stone Cold. Today's singlet has snazzy embossed gold bits on it. The Federation's hopes are on our boy here. 

 

Whoa! Holy 2001 Music, Austin! I barely remember this one. Austin's paused by the entrance way. They're staring each other down. They approach each other and go STRAIGHT into the Ringside Brawl (well, aisle, but it counts). 

 

Earl Hebner is refereeing and you guys do not know how sad this makes me. I dread to think how he's going to ruin this one. I had months - MONTHS - of not having to watch him referee Kurt's matches, and now he's back in the main event and I have to bear Hebner again. Sad.

 

Angle may have had a great deal of ringside brawling experience but Austin's had more, and he took control outside the ring. Inside it's a different story as Kurt takes Austin down and starts punching him, and stomping in the corner until Hebner ALREADY RUINS THE MATCH by telling him off so Austin can rake him in the eye, which Hebner obviously does nothing about. Christ, I realise now why they've made the referees virtually anonymous. If it prevents another Hebner I'm all for the fact I don't know most of their names.

 

Angle hit a cross body but now Austin's in control again, working on the left leg. This has, I believe, proven to be quite effective in the past, I'm thinking Triple H. This also ties into Austin damaging the leg in the build-up (so this was definitely not the Piledriver one).

 

Anklelock! Austin escapes, retreats, suckers Angle in and clotheslines him on the outside. I liked heel Austin. He was good at it. They go back in and Angle goes ooooover the top rope. Austin flips off a fan in the front row. They go back in, Austin hits a suplex, and another, and another. He does a bit of quite obvious spot-calling, Kurt reverses the fourth one and Angle hits many German Suplexes. Three in fact, before Austin counters, no he doesn't, Angle hits two more, couple of clubs to the neck, then two more! "Woo!" 

 

Suplex City clap clap clapclapclap.

 

Angle Slam attempted, Austin fights back and knocks him into the corner. Angle's clearly no Lesnar because those seven Germans haven't had much effect on Stone Cold, he just tried for a superplex and doesn't seem to be that out of it. Superplex lands on the second attempt. Bit of blood from Stone Cold it looks like. Oh no, sorry, it's Angle, he's bleeding from the nose.

 

Stunner outtanowhere! Angle kicks out, which was horribly telegraphed by Hebner who did a double take a quarter of a second before it for some reason. Stunner! Angle knocked to the outside from that one. Head to the ring post, and again, JR says Angle's busted open, oh yes, he is, third shot to the ring post and now he's off to grab the title belt, which Hebner nicks off him like a thieving urchin. I hate Earl Hebner. Fourth shot to the ring post. I hate Earl Hebner. Five. This is heading into Nigel McGuinness territory though thankfully not so stupid because he's getting a hand up I think.

 

Austin now repeatedly punches Angle in the face and the CRIMSON MASK is in effect, so much blood.

 

You know, ANY other referee would have stayed in the ring, counted to 10 and it'd have been a count out finish by now. Fuck Hebner. He's indefensibly awful.

 

Austin rolled him in for a pin attempt, Angle kicks out, Austin takes him back out and hits him into the ring post AGAIN. Heel Austin was good stuff. I mean, what a twat and a bastard and everything, but he's not trying for cheers here.

 

Angle manages to get Austin over the railing into the crowd but Austin suplexes Angle over the railing onto the concrete. Okay, Austin might not be trying for cheers but he's getting them from the crowd in his area.

 

Mid climb-over, Angle attaches the Anklelock! "COME ON!" screams the face bend all the blood, it's quite a visual. He's dragging Austin backwards up the steps by the ankle into the ring AND ATTACHES IT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RING. Austin reaches the ropes.

 

Kurt's not bled this much since Armageddon, possibly ever. Belly to belly on the outside! Blood all over those mats, all over Austin, back suplex on the outside! For a man with no neck Austin took some silly bumps.

 

Both announcers are complaining about Hebner without realising that's what they're doing. Heyman is complaining about Hebner allowing Angle to take the advantage so much on the outside, JR about Hebner letting Austin do it. There's a common thread here guys.

 

ANGLE HITS THE MOONSAULT. THAT'S IT. It's not. But he hit the thing! 

 

Angle comeback in full effect until Austin locks in the Million Dollar Dream (JR's calling it the Cobra Clutch, but he also said we haven't seen it 'since the Ringmaster days' and I'm fairly confident he used it at WrestleMania X-Seven). Angle counters it into a pin attempt, Austin kicks out but keeps the hold on.

 

Hand thing time. He got the hand up the third time. Like always. Austin knocked outside but he's up before long. No rest for Kurt Angle. Stunner Number 3 ANGLE KICKS OUT.

 

Austin's angry.

 

Angle stands up, Austin slaps him in the face and goes for a fourth, Kurt catches the leg and hits the Angle Slam! Well he's kicking out of this quite clearly, you've only done one Kurt. Yep, he did.

 

All these finisher kickouts, we could be in the modern day. Only with more blood. 

 

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

 

AUSTIN JUST RAN RIGHT AT HEBNER AND PUNCHED HIM STRAIGHT IN THE FACE! SUPERB!

 

That's the best thing Austin ever did.

 

Chioda's come down, taking issue with Austin hitting a low blow and gets a Stunner for his trouble. Who's next? Tim White! Austin hits him in the head with the title belt! Angle Slam! 

 

Nick Patrick out as referee number 4, but he's ALLIANCE, he doesn't make the count but rings for the bell to DISQUALIFY STONE COLD for attacking all the referees!

 

Angle wins - by DQ - no title for him! Screwed!

 

Kurt gets mad with Patrick and makes him tap to the Anklelock. He gets his music played at the end. He didn't give up, he kept fighting, yells JR, down to the by god bone marrow, but Austin screwed him. However will this be resolved?

 

My thoughts:

That's one way to extend your feud by another month. Keep clobbering referees until you get disqualified! Decent match, nothing that'll stick in your mind forever but it's fine.

 

Angle landmarks:

Massive series of German Suplexes (7)

First DQ finish

 

PPV record so far:

15 wins by pinfall
4 wins by submission
1 win with ladder
1 win by DQ
9 losses by pinfall
4 losses by submission
1 loss by unconsciousness
4 multi-man match losses (Angle not defeated)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Awards Moderator

Rematch time - it's Unforgiven!

 

The match:

Kurt gets a HUGE babyface pop here. He's in his hometown, which helps - it looks like his family's in the front row next to a very over-excited African American kid - but I wonder whether there's a bit of post-9/11 patriotism playing a part as well.

 

Other than the piledriver thing, I guess the outcome of this match was going to be obvious. They couldn't NOT have the American Hero win the title in that climate.

 

Eric's in the audience.

 

This is definitely the biggest reaction he's ever had. They love him here.

 

Weird Austin music plays and in a odd scenario, he gets very little reaction at all. They skip the staring this time and go straight to brawling on the ramp.

 

(Hebner is refereeing again, I'm going to try my best to pretend he's not there but you've seen how successful I've been at that before)

 

Angle gets the first advantage this time, being clotheslined and hip tossed down the ramp to "Angle" chants. They're mentioning the piledriver, and WWE Commissioner Regal is taking personal responsibility for Angle's wellbeing here because he's not medically cleared to compete but he's going to anyway!

 

Austin keeps trying for the Stunner, but he hesitates a couple of times  - this means Angle is in his head, says JR - and ANGLE HITS THE THESZ PRESS! It looks good. Clothesline! Austin's put on the turnbuckle and is being punched and chopped all over the place. JR says Austin knows he can't beat Angle in a fair fight, Heyman thinks Angle shouldn't even be here tonight.

 

They refer to Austin's history of neck problems - he knew exactly what he was trying to do with that piledriver. That was such a great horrible heel move, that piledriver. One move, that was all it took, but it worked so well (okay, obviously not since Angle's wrestling a main event three days later but you know what I mean). Imagine if a certain WrestleMania 33 competitor did that on concrete to his presumed WrestleMania opponent in the lead-up to WrestleMania this year? 

 

Actually, don't, he'd probably get a 'what a great spot, clap clap clapclapclap' chant.

 

Sorry, while I've been writing that Angle hit a superplex and Austin got the advantage for a little bit and then got clotheslined over the top rope. He's had enough, he's grabbed the title and he's walking out. I don't think that's going to work here - not just because Angle did the thing The Rock always used to do to him and ran up the ramp to beat him back down it, but also because EARL HEBNER DOESN'T DO COUNTOUTS BECAUSE HE THINKS HE'S MEANT TO GO OUT THERE WITH THEM I HATE HIM SO FUCKING MUCH.

 

Austin just got thrown off the ramp! Can't quite tell if that was a long way down but Kurt takes a casual walk to join him and starts punching and stomping him all over the place. Hebner. Just ….

 

Angle picks Austin up and carries him back to the ring. That'll do it. They go back out and Austin gets his head into the ring post a couple of times like last month. Hebner's getting in every shot shouting "GET IN THE RING" but you actually see him do a little glance to make sure he's on camera before he starts BECAUSE EARL HEBNER IS A WHORE.

 

Angle has exposed the mats by the announce table, but Austin fights back, rolls just into the ring to break the count that Hebner hasn't been fucked to start yet because he's too busy being a whore, and tries for the piledriver on the exposed floor, but Angle counters into a back body drop! Austin bleeding now as Angle chops him while he's draped over the announce table. Now Angle's thinking about the piledriver and Austin counters it into the back drop and that is a sick, sick thud as Kurt lands. He takes most of it on his leg but that must have hurt.

 

Saying that, I dunno how much protection those mats actually give. 

 

Oof, Austin picks Angle up and drops him by the gut onto the Spanish Announce Table.

 

This should definitely have gone to a double count out by this point.

 

Austin does it again and then a third time. He rolls in and out of the ring but there's really, truly no point because Hebner hasn't even got to 1 yet, he's too busy making sure he gets five seconds of telling them off EVERY TIME THEY DO FUCKING ANYTHING HE IS JUST SO, SO AWFUL.

 

They're back in the ring but it's all Austin. Angle selling the neck, so Austin drops the knee on it a few times. JR basically just said "NECK" five times in a row to make sure we're all picking up on it. Austin now stands on the neck. He pops out to taunt Kurt's family and a lady just screams "FUCK YOU" at him.

 

Kurt's comeback is cut off and Austin hits an axe handle. Angle kicks out at 2. "Let's go Angle, clap clap clapclapclap" say the crowd. 

 

Chinlock time, but Kurt's the victim!

 

"USA" chin gives Kurt some Hulk Powers and he shakes his way out of the hold, tries a rollup, Austin counters and Hebner is appallingly out of position but still makes a two count. Back to Austin targeting the neck but Angle blocks it this time, no he doesn't, yes he does, German Suplex. Can he beat 7 this month? No he can't, he has to let go after 3.

 

He goes for the Moonsault but gets crotched before he can try the move and Austin goes for a top rope back suplex, but Kurt counters it into a cross body. Spinebuster by Austin. The crowd aren't all that awake here, I think they know this one's not ending until the finishers start flying.

 

Did they ever address why Stone Cold didn't just do the same thing here that he did at Summerslam and get himself disqualified?

 

Both men down and NOW Hebner starts counting.

 

Kurt hits a DDT and Austin flops out of the ring. I'm not sure if he realised but said flop was right where the exposed mats were and apparently Hebner's duties don't extend to putting the mats back so nobody gets hurt so Austin flopped right onto the concrete.

 

Angle hits a Stunner, Austin kicks out. Angle Slam countered, they're calling that move by Austin an Angle Slam but that was definitely just a Back Suplex, I can't call it an Angle Slam. Angle kicked out anyway. 

 

Piledriver being teased again. 

 

FUCK HE HIT IT. Gasp from the audience. Angle looks dead. Maybe it's growing up in the banned era but they just look so devastating. He kicks out and there's a big pop.

 

Austin's waiting for him to get up for a Stunner but Kurt catches the leg and connects with the Anklelock! Crowd's fully woken up now! It looks like he's reached the ropes but he's only grabbing the apron, he taps at the same time and that counts as a submission apparently because the bell rung and Kurt Angle is a two-time WWE Champion!

 

His family's all in the ring celebrating with him (is Karen there?) and The Rock, Undertaker, Big Show, the Hardys, APA, Kaientai, Kane, Billy Gunn, Albert, Jericho, Scotty 2 Hotty, Crash, Molly Holly, Lita, Edge, they're all out there and everybody's super pleased!

 

My thoughts:

That finish just comes out of nowhere! Better match than Summerslam.

 

Angle landmarks:

Second WWE Championship win

First non-gimmick PPV match won by submission

 

PPV record so far:

15 wins by pinfall
5 wins by submission
1 win with ladder
1 win by DQ
9 losses by pinfall
4 losses by submission
1 loss by unconsciousness
4 multi-man match losses (Angle not defeated)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Awards Moderator

Since I've got a free night, one more. No Mercy 2001, Kurt against Stone Cold (again) and Rob Van Dam.

 

Before I start it. Rob Van Dam. Where did it all go wrong for him in WWE? He was a STAR around this time. I remember there being a proper buzz around him. He caught on so quickly and people loved him. I loved him. He was in the main event of this one, and for me, that made him a main eventer (this could be partly because I still felt like if they put you in a main event you were a main eventer and that was all it took. You must be a top guy because you're in the main event, and you wouldn't be there if you weren't a top guy, would you? That all changed for me somewhere around JBL, or possibly with Brock Lesnar actually, it took me a while to come round to him in the top spot) but it just didn't happen for him. Not until 2006 anyway and that was YEARS and YEARS too late to capitalise. I think a lot of people would probably blame Triple H at Unforgiven 2002 for condemning him to never being a true top guy but I think it may have been earlier than that. He'd been faffing around with the Intercontinental Title for months prior to the Triple H match and good as the Eddie Guerrero series was, he'd been mid card for a while there. Vengeance 2001 with The Undertaker is probably an example. I enjoyed that match a lot at the time because it was two of my favourites but if I watched it again now (it's coming up by the end of this week) I expect a lot of it will have been RVD being put in his place. I guess it's probably just his star rising at the wrong time. He'd have been lost in the Invasion shuffle if they'd tried to really strap the rocket to him at the same time, too many other story lines going on (maybe the Invasion killed him as much as it made him). Then once that was over you had the Undisputed Title thing and he didn't get a lookin. Then Triple H came back and was a lock for the Rumble, and by that time the ship had kind of sailed. It's a shame, anyway. I loved RVD back then.

 

The match:

Kurt's the poster for this show.

 

Just caught the end of the pre-match video and I stand by it, RVD should have been a massive star. Vince was trying to sign him away from the Alliance! I wish that this RVD was still the first one that came to mind for me and not the shadow person he became.

 

Kurt's also out first, and without his medals. Benoit was out with a neck injury so they're probably not down his tights again. Is this medallessness a new thing? We'll find out.

 

No DQ in this match, which is also for the WWE Championship, that Kurt Angle is no longer holding. He must have lost it back to Austin on TV!

 

BIG pop for Rob Van Dam!

 

Austin's still got his weird music. It makes sense, in a way, if you're trying not to give them anything to cheer for, don't give them the music they like.

 

RVD is the x factor in this match, by the sounds of Heyman and JR, not knowing which way he's going to go. Will he go for Angle or Austin?

 

We don't find out straight away as Angle hits a German on Austin, then one on RVD, then another on Austin, then a belly to belly on RVD! But then RVD and Austin team up to get rid of Angle and face off with each other.

 

The crowd's with RVD - Angle pops up and is down again - and they face off again. Austin flips him off, RVD flips him off right back and does the thumb thing. Yeah, he was SUCH a main eventer year, what a waste. 2006, I ask you. 2004 would have still been too late but so much more credible than JBL or Randy Orton when he was 11 years old.

 

Austin tried a Stunner on Angle and he turned it into the Anklelock but a Van Dam kick puts a stop to that. He kicks Austin a few times as well, Austin wisely rolls so he's not on his back. Angle gets Rolling Thunder and RVD lands on Kurt's face (okay maybe it was stuff like that that meant he wasn't Champion sooner).

 

'RVD' chants for a Van Dam/Austin bit. Angle's being kept out of the ring, will resume when he's back. Or rather, when he's back and isn't just sent outside again.

 

Here he comes! Straight for Austin, and he takes the Michinoku Bump over the top this time.

 

Back again! This time he's the one who sends Austin out, and we get the Ringside Brawl, Angle's slingshotted into the ring post and that's him out for a bit again.

 

And he's back! Brawling with Austin into the crowd and then out of the crowd. They carefully get into position under the top rope and RVD does a flip onto them both.

 

RVD sends Angle inside the ring and leg drops Austin off the announce table. Now we get a bit of Angle vs. Van Dam. I like it.

 

Leg hook suplex by Angle (Tazzesque) and then CONNECTS with the Moonsault - that's twice in three months, I think he's got the hang of this move now! Austin sneaks in for the pin though but RVD kicks out.

 

Austin and Angle now, they exchange holds, they exchange Stunner attempts, they hit each other with dual clotheslines and both go down. RVD sees his moment and tries for the Five Star Frog Splash but misses. Angle hits a German into a pin and RVD would have stayed down like Steve Blackman if Austin hadn't broken it up. Austin Stuns Angle, RVD breaks it up, RVD hits Austin with a split-legged moonsault, Angle breaks it up, Angle Slam on RVD, RVD can see Austin coming to break it up so doesn't waste his energy trying to kick out (very sensible), Austin breaks it up.

 

Now to Austin and Angle brawling on the outside, exchanging chops and setting up for an announce table bump. We haven't seen one of these from Kurt for a good while. Austin gets backdropped but the table doesn't break. Angle then gets taken out by a flying blur that was Rob Van Dam.

 

Vince is out.

 

We're back to Angle vs RVD. Did they ever have a PPV singles match? I'd look forward to watching that one. Angle does some punches, RVD does some kicks, Angle's in position, no he's not, Angle runs up to the top rope and hits a top rope belly to belly!

 

All are down.

 

Stunner to Angle, he bounced to the outside (kind of, he hit a rope en route) and we've got another Austin/RVD bit. Or not, Vince just hit him with a chair. I'd have left RVD that chair if I were you, Vince. Five Star connects while Vince is telling Angle to get inside and win - which he does, just in time to break up the pin!

 

Van Dam is getting a "Suplexfest" (not quite a City yet) while Austin bleeds. He gets 4 and then an Angle Slam. Shane McMahon does a gormless looking run-in and chucks Angle outside and into the ring post. Vince comes CHARGING at Shane, fists flying and they go tumbling over the announce table. Angle's out and I expect that's the finished, yes, RVD does his weird floppy Stunner sell and Austin gets the pin.

 

My thoughts:

Good Triple Threat, that. Doesn't often get talked about but worth a look!

 

Angle landmarks:

For the first time… there kind of weren't any. I knew this would happen at some point, but we got nothing we've never seen before from Kurt Angle in this match. No Angle landmarks! And because he wasn't involved in the finish there's nothing to go from there either. No landmarks! 

 

He's still never been pinned or submitted in a Triple Threat, if that counts?!

 

PPV record so far:

15 wins by pinfall
5 wins by submission
1 win with ladder
1 win by DQ
9 losses by pinfall
4 losses by submission
1 loss by unconsciousness
5 multi-man match losses (Angle not defeated)
 
 
 
That'll do for tonight. Next up is Rebellion, where Kurt takes a break from Stone Cold by wrestling Jericho again.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Awards Moderator

Chris Jericho has never beaten Kurt Angle in a singles match on PPV. Will that change at Rebellion 2001? 

 

Yes. Yes it will. He's going to win.

 

The match:

Okay, so since No Mercy, Kurt Angle has won the US Title, and he's in the Alliance now, so he's a heel again. He's not actually a heel though, because it's all part of a long-term double cross to save the WWE at Survivor Series. Chris Jericho's the WCW Champion, but he's actually still part of Team WWE. Got it?

 

JR's turned on him, certainly.

 

This match is for the WCW Championship but not the US Championship. And it's a UK PPV so Jericho's winning.

 

I'd totally forgotten Angle had been US Champion.

 

This is the first time the WCW Title has ever been defended on Sky Box Office, according to JR. I guess that's probably true, most of the PPVs were on Sky Sports back in 2001 and I'm guessing WCW PPVs wouldn't be Box Office worthy.

 

They start with a lockup, Jericho takes Angle down, he reverses, Nick Patrick's refereeing which automatically makes this better than Angle's last three PPV matches. Jericho elbows Kurt and he goes down. Kurt does a Fireman's Carry. Vintage. Jericho knees him in the face quite viciously. Three Amigos by Jericho. Bloody hell, loads of people used to do that move before Eddie Guerrero, didn't they? This is at least the third time I've seen it just in Kurt Angle matches!

 

German for Jericho. Angle Slam blocked, Walls of Jericho attempted, Angle reaches the ropes. Springboard kick and Kurt's outside. Ringside Brawl time? It's a Kurt Angle match, of course it is! He even goes into the ring post!

 

Note for Earl Hebner: Patrick is inside the ring, doing the 10 count. Inside the ring. Not outside. He's doing his fucking job DO YOUR FUCKING JOB HEBNER YOU TWAT.

 

Sorry. I mustn't let my newfound hatred for Earl Hebner ruin every match.

 

Top rope cross body by Jericho, Angle kicks out. Anklelock attempted, countered, Angle shoulder first into the ring post (that previously went into the steps outside), and again. Shoulderbreaker. Clever Jericho.

 

He sends Kurt into the ropes and Kurt FLIES into the air for a Sunset Flip (he gets some big air on it). Lots and lots of countering of various moves until Jericho gets hotshotted into the ropes and hit with a belly to belly. Punchy choppy corner time. Jericho chops back, the crowd looks bored, there's blokes sitting like this is the worst thing they've ever seen. Give over, blokes. You've got Rock vs. Austin coming tonight!

 

Another belly to belly cuts off Jericho's momentum. Regular suplex, then it's Welcome to Chinlock City. "Y2J" crowd so they're paying a bit more attention.

 

Jericho fights out, Angle takes him down and stomps his leg lots. Softening him up, clearly. Jericho rollup gets two. "As the match goes longer, Angle gets stronger", says Paul Heyman. I bet he was proud of that one.

 

Chinlock City II.

 

Jericho fights out again, enziguiri, both men down. Angle "got nailed like a jack in the box", says JR. What?! What does that even mean?

 

The comeback begins in earnest now with a neckbreaker and a hurricanrana. Another German gets countered into a rollup straight into a Jericho Anklelock! Angle reaches the ropes. 

 

Three more Germans, however, have Angle back in control. He tries for another Anklelock and Jericho does a very nice counter I've never seen before (he kind of just reached back and grabbed Kurt by the leg) and turns it into the Walls, but Angle reaches the ropes again. Patrick gets involved so Angle takes advantage, but only for a moment because Jericho hits the bulldog, knees up for the Lionsault. Angle's hobbling around, doesn't get the Angle Slam, rollup by Jericho, 1 2 3!

 

Jericho retains the WCW Title for WWE or something!

 

Kurt beats him up after the match and finally pops him up for the Slam. Then another one. "Woo!"

 

My thoughts:

One of their better matches, actually, this one. No Chyna interference, no Stephanie interference, just the two guys. Give it a whirl.

 

Angle landmarks:

First title shot (WCW)

First PPV as US Champion (even if they didn't mention it in the match)

 

PPV record so far:

15 wins by pinfall
5 wins by submission
1 win with ladder
1 win by DQ
10 losses by pinfall
4 losses by submission
1 loss by unconsciousness
5 multi-man match losses (Angle not defeated)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Awards Moderator

Let's just get the Invasion out of the way tonight. Winner Takes All.

 

1) I already did this match when I did my Survivor Series thread, so it feels like I've just watched it even though it's been a year and a bit. 

 

2) I will only be talking about the bits Kurt's in so there could be long stretches of relaxation for me here.

 

3) Let us take a moment to appreciate the Survivor Series 2001 poster.

 

220px-SS_01.jpg

 

The match:

Guess what? Just like at Armageddon… THE END IS HEEEEEEEEEEEYYAAAAAAAAAA!

 

Smashing opening video for this one.

 

 

This is Kurt teaming with fellow Alliance members RVD, Booker T, Shane McMahon and Stone Cold to take on The Rock, Big Show, Undertaker, Kane and Chris Jericho in Team WWF.

 

(in addition to only covering Kurt's bits of the match, I'm not going to talk much about the feeling of the match or anything like that. If you want that, read the Survivor Series Match A Day thread. It's all in there)

 

He's out fourth in the Alliance team. Gets a decent reaction. His upper body continues to expand by the month, but only from the ribs up to the neck. Looks like he's lost the US Title at some point since Rebellion as well.

 

Stone Cold's not got his proper music back yet. Undertaker's still got Limp Bizkit though so it balances out.

 

Just realised, this show is Kurt's two-year anniversary. 11th for Undertaker. Their second consecutive Survivor Series against each other. Randy Orton, fifteen years.

 

JR just name dropped Jim Cornette, but I just remembered that's not that weird since he had OVW at the time.

 

Team WWF should have signed Shawn Stasiak and Tazz to team with Undertaker and Big Show. Kurt's greatest enemies. 

 

Rock is such a star. I mean, this whole match, if you compare it to the best they could put together in 2016, 2001 is so far ahead it's incomprehensible. Stars stars stars.

 

Combinations in the match that haven't included Kurt Angle, part 1:

 

1) Rock and Austin

2) Rock and Booker T

3) Jericho and Booker T

4) Jericho and RVD

5) Kane and Booker T…. no wait! Kurt's in!

 

It's Kurt and Kane, in a preview of what's to come at WrestleMania. First time they've ever faced off on PPV I think. Kane is dominating Angle until Kurt hits a German. Kane sits up. Punchy punchy punchy, no joy, sidewalk slam. Lots of red in the ring right now. Top rope clothesline hits. Never looked as good once he lost the mask. I understand that's an odd comment to make.

 

Survivor Series 2000 flashback as Undertaker comes in to take on Kurt. Where's Eric when you need him? He's improved his trousers since last year. Angle wisely tags in Booker T.

 

Combinations in the match that haven't included Kurt Angle, part 2:

 

1) Undertaker and Booker T

2) Undertaker and Austin

3) Undertaker and Booker T… no wait! Kurt's in again!

 

Kurt clearly not keen on Booker T. Sowing seeds for another future feud there. Kurt hits a neckbreaker which is a rarity for him. Ducks an Undertaker punch, can't hit the German, Taker hits a DDT, both men down.

 

Big Show's got sideburns. Undertaker tags him in. Clotheslines and big chops. He's finishing what he started at No Way Out possibly!  RVD takes some big bumps for Kurt as Big Show decks the whole of the Alliance team. Chokeslam blocked, ANGLE SLAM TO BIG SHOW! Heyman sounds impressed, JR can't be arsed. Booker T tags in.

 

Combinations, part 3:

 

1) Big Show and Booker T

2) Big Show and RVD

3) Big Show and Shane. Show is eliminated

4) Rock and Shane 

5) Kane and Shane. Chokeslam!

 

Kurt Angle project chokeslam count: 11 (5 to Angle)

 

6) Undertaker and Shane 

7) Jericho and Shane. Shane is eliminated

 

Angle's in to take Shane's spot and we get some Jericho/Angle action again. Angle gets hit with the double-arm backbreaker and Austin breaks up the pin. Takedown by Angle, a few punches, and I miss Booker T getting tagged in because the camera's on Shane being helped out by Tony Garea, whose defection to the Alliance must have gone unnoticed because why else would he be helping Shane?

 

Combinations, part 4:

 

1) Jericho and Booker T

2) Jericho and RVD

3) Kane and RVD

 

Oh hang on, it's degenerated into a mass brawl. Rock and Angle are going at it by the announce tables while RVD eliminates Kane. Kurt's got the upper hand, Rock's draped over the table at the moment, but as Undertaker takes on the whole Alliance team, Angle gets back in the ring to join in the beating. Taker gets him with Snake Eyes and a Big Boot. He could have won this match by himself! Angle's going up for a Last Ride, the move he didn't have to take last year… it connects! Angle's out, and is apparently legal? RVD must have been eliminated somewhere. Angle eliminates Undertaker anyway, I'm counting that as a win by pinfall in his overall record even if Austin did the work.

 

Combinations, part 5:

 

1) Rock and Booker T (Kurt breaks up a Rock pin… it looks like RVD is still in, it must have been a tag I missed before then). Booker is eliminated

2) Rock and RVD

3) Jericho and RVD. RVD is eliminated. In comes Angle!

 

Angle and Austin double-team Jericho until Rock comes in for the save, and we're back to Angle and Jericho. The Fireman's Carry comes out and Kurt takes us to Chinlock City. He does the leg takedown from Rebellion and tags in Austin.

 

A few minutes later Angle heads back in and Hebner allows the Alliance to cheat. I've managed to ignore him for quite a while tonight. Elbow knocks Jericho down, Jericho kicks out. We're down to the four guys who'll be in the tournament at Vengeance next month. They do the German counter into a Jericho ankle lock move from Rebellion, Austin's back in.

 

And now some more Kurt. Jericho's on the ropes. Austin back in and Angle holds Jericho down for his new mate. Austin repays the compliment by going to Chinlock City himself.

 

Austin tags Angle back in right as Jericho gets the hot tag to The Rock, who takes him down, hits a Dragon Screw and locks in the Sharpshooter, ANGLE TAPS OUT! He's eliminated!

 

I guess I can skip to the finish now.

 

(I've actually just let it play while watching Newsnight. This whole Trump thing is just frightening. Utterly frightening.)

 

Oh! Here he comes. Hebner's down, Rock's down, Angle clobbers AUSTIN with the WWE Title belt (he was with Vince all along!), Rock Bottom, Team WWF wins! I mean, it counts as a loss for Kurt but he was a spy the whole time!

 

My thoughts:

He's important to the finish, but it's not really Kurt's match, this. A ton better than the Inaugural Brawl.

 

Angle landmarks;

First Survivor Series match

First elimination scored in an elimination match (Undertaker by pinfall)

First time eliminated in an elimination match (Rock by submission)

 

PPV record so far:

16 wins by pinfall
5 wins by submission
1 win with ladder
1 win by DQ
10 losses by pinfall
5 losses by submission
1 loss by unconsciousness
1 team loss (Survivor Series)
5 multi-man match losses (Angle not defeated)

 

 

 

Invasion done and dusted!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...