House Show/TV tapings random happenings

[air_raid]

AUGUST 2000

THE MAIN EVENTS

The Rock vs Triple H is still going on in Cleveland and a cage match in Washington, no Rocky on 12th so we have a big double of HHH vs Kurt Angle then Undertaker & Kane vs Big Show & Chris Benoit. Greenville on 19th we move to The Rock vs Kurt Angle then next night we have split crews, Mobile has the title match but Baton Rouge will have been more than happy with The Undertaker vs Triple H plus Jericho v Benoit.

13th we have a split roster so In Springfield it’s Undertaker & Kane vs Kurt Angle and, umm, Albert doing double duty (we’ll get to why) and in New Haven it’s Chris Jericho vs Chris Benoit.

THE CARDS

Kane vs Chris Benoit happens another couple of times then a scheduled tag run falls apart ; Benoit lands on Chris Jericho thereafter as was their default! Val Venis vs Al Snow is a peculiar run early month for the ICT, Perry Saturn vs Eddy Guerrero is back on for the Euro belt, our tag champions don’t have regular opponents (!), Steve Blackman usually defends the HCT against Big Boss Man.

The Dudley Boys vs Lo-Down in tables matches concludes before the Duds start bouncing around but Hardy Boys & Lita vs T&A & Trish Stratus is very consistent, Dean Malenko vs Crash Holly for the LHW belt is constant, APA vs Goodfather & Bull Buchanan happens often and Jacquelyn vs Ivory carries on plus the Rikishi vs Taz revenge match and a couple of instances early of X-Pac vs Scotty Too Hotty swapping wins, and late month Snow stuck with Mideon.

Immediately after 12th in Detroit the decision is made to send Big Show to fat camp, prompting the Albert sub in Springfield and the shuffle to planned cards, abandonment of Shane’s stable and Kane turning heel on 14th Raw.

VARIATIONS

So… Edge & Christian. They beat the APA in Cleveland then in Washington it’s an eliminator with the Acolytes, Hardys and T&A. In Detroit it’s the Dudleys and Lo-Down but 13th even with two cards running, they get a night off. They miss Greenville too but in Mobile beat Too Cool and Lo-Down to round off their month on the road. Other IC title matches see a reprise of Venis vs Eddy in Detroit, a rare Val vs Y2J in Greenville, and Val give Rikishi the rematch in Mobile. Road Dogg & X-Pac beat Too Cool in Detroit, the Dudleys in New Haven and the Hardys in Mobile, which is odd form for a team about to be split. Otherwise…. Rikishi beats Mideon in Detroit, Springfield has Lo-Down vs Kaientai and Crash vs Essa Rios, New Haven has Gangrel vs Just Joe, the Dupps vs Rodney & Pete Gas, Joey Abs vs Mideon and The King vs Brooklyn Brawler. Greenville has Kane take a night off when the tag can’t happen because of Shows absence so it leaves Taker vs Benoit (!). Just Joe vs Brawler completes Mobile, and Baton Rouge has Gangrel vs Rios and Kaientai vs the Dupps.

TVs

1st SmackDown in Birmingham Kane does a stretcher job after him and Rock lose to Show & Benoit, and HHH/Angle/Stephanie beat the Dudleys. 7th at MSG notable dark matches - the Dupps beat the Haas Brothers (which goes on all month) and the Mean Street Posse beat Vince Goodnight & Low Ki. Of note on Raw Show/E&C go non finish with Matt Hardy & the APA, Taker makes the save to build towards ANOTHER Taker/Show match that won’t happen. Next night at former Meadowlands for SmackDown they start the build for King v Taz and HHH abandons Angle in a tag to Rock & Taker. 14th Raw in Providence we pivot - Kane saves Taker from Benoit & Shane only to turn on him and steal his bike. 15th in Worcester SmackDown has Blackman pin Benoit with help from Y2J, the aftermath leading to the Blackman/Shane feud, and Hunter pins Rock non title with help from Angle. 21st in Lafayette is big ; Blackman loses the HCT to Shane and Steph drops the belt to Lita in first Women’s title match to main event Raw. Next night in New Orleans Lita & Rock go non finish with Steph & Kurt. Greensboro the night after SummerSlam has Dupps beat the Posse while Abs beats Just Joe dark, and live Chyna retains the ICT against Val and there’s the forgotten first HHH vs Eddy match. Finally on Fayetteville SmackDown the Dudleys lose to Kaientai (!) and Saturn drops the Euro belt to Snow.

DEPARTURES

I believe nobody!

[air_raid]

SEPTEMBER 2000

THE MAIN EVENT

A run you didn’t know about or didn’t make TV - The Rock vs Triple H vs Chris Jericho is our title match at the FleetCenter and in Knoxville, then Rock has a week off so it’s Hunter and Jericho in a streetfight in Seattle and in Denver on a night of two crews. 16th it’s a double shot with HHH vs Kurt Angle in Champaign plus Rock vs Kane vs Chris Benoit vs Rikishi, 23rd a gigantic 19,500+ squeeze into MSG for the cross feud six man of The Rock, Undertaker & Triple H vs Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit and Kane. If accurate the number reported means they outdrew the monster gate of June 98 and SummerSlam in the same building at the peak of Stone Cold.

The other shows on 10th (Reno) and 16th (Moline) have a rearranged streetfight of The Undertaker & Rikishi vs Chris Benoit & Kane…. Originally meant to be Taker & Kane vs Benoit & Big Show. Taker, Rock, HHH and Kurt are the only guys not to work both Illinois shows.

THE CARDS
 The Undertaker & Rikishi vs Chris Benoit & Kane actually manages to happen nearly every night. Eddy Guerrero is continuing to feud with Val Venis until he "accidentally" wins the ICT from his bird, then he has a semi-regular defence against.. Crash Holly?? He's come off a couple of losses to Taz. Edge & Christian do a run of three way defences against the Dudley Boys and Lo-Down, then settle into a program with Too Cool. The Hardy Boys & Lita vs T&A & Trish Stratus run remains consistent. Al Snow vs Perry Saturn for the Euro belt happens nearly every night too. APA vs Goodfather & Bull Buchanan carries on after RTC do a few with Too Cool, before Val joins up and it becomes an 8-man with the Duds and Acolytes losing to all four RTC including their inspirational leader Steven Richards. Steve Blackman vs Big Boss Man carries on early month then the Lethal Weapon starts defending the title against X-Pac. Plus, Steven Regal is back and wrestling Mideon. Sounds great.

VARIATIONS
In Seattle, E&Cs threeway is with the Dudleys and Too Cool while Lo-Down beat thrown-together Dean Malenko & Crash, plus Snow works Taz. On the split crews night of 10th, Reno has numbers made up with Gangrel vs Essa Rios and Jacquelyn vs Ivory, Taz wrestles The King, Too Cool go over Kaientai and Boss Man works Crash ; over in Denver we have Jack Dupp vs Pete Gas (LOL), Joey Abs vs Just Joe and there's a fun day off for Eddy and Dean working each other, as they could do in their sleep. MSG has a stacked card all to its own - Jackie subs for an injured Trish in the six person, Too Cool wrestle Lo-Down, E&C defend against the Dudleys, Blackman goes over Gangrel, King & The Kat vs Taz & Ivory, and a tag of Rikishi & Y2J vs X-Pac and suddenly a heel, Eddy G.

TVS
4th in Lexington has Regal back on board dark with Chris Michaels, plus Doug Basham works a tag on Jakked - live show has Eddy "accidentally" win the ICT from Chyna in a three way with Angle to start his heel turn, plus the RTC abduct Val while unconcious, so they can brainwash him. Next night in Louisville Damaja (who will be Danny Basham) gets a dark match too. 11th in Phoenix K-Krush in dark with Pete Gas, Just Joe actually works TV on Jakked against Rios and on Raw Lita retains over Ivory and Venis officially appears with the RTC. Next night still in Phoenix we have Joe & Gangrel against the Dupps and K-Krush vs Abs dark and Lita beats Ivory and Jackie for Heat. 18th in sold out Chicago we have a Chad Collyer sighting doing a job to Saturn on Jakked, "Steven William Regal" debuts his ettiquette lessons, the misery resumes for Test as Hunter, Angle and Stephanie beat T&A and Trish and he has to do a pinfall job to his ex. Plus Taker pins Rock non-title. Next night in Milwaukee Regal's beating Joe for Heat, and Angle kisses Steph. Yes, I consider that noteworthy. Unforgiven features the debut of Raven, next night on Raw the Hardys retain against E&C in a forgotten ladder match and in Pittsburgh on PA there's another Haas Brothers vs Dupps dark match and on SmackDown with HHH unconscious Angle forces himself on Steph again.

DEPARTURES

None that I know of, again.

[air_raid]

OCTOBER 2000

MAIN EVENTS

The Rock vs Kane is our title match in Richmond then we have a superbly random Triple H & Rikishi vs Kurt Angle & Kane 7th-8th in San Jose and San Diego. 14th in St Louis it’s Rocky & Hunter vs Angle & Chris Benoit, then 15th in Grand Rapids it’s HHH vs Kurt one on one. 28th at the AirCanada in Toronto - OH SHIT! - it’s Stone Cold Steve Austin & The Rock vs Chris Benoit & Rikishi with new WWF Champ Angle defending against Hunter underneath, then 29th in Buffalo it’s a huge six man. Yes, Rock Austin and HHH on the same team.

8th they also run Fresno in a double shot and the biggest star power there is either the six person mixed tag or Chris Jericho vs X-Pac. 15th in Toledo there are split crews again so Jericho vs X-Pac vs Benoit goes on last.

THE CARDS

It gets ever harder to spot anything regular. Chris Jericho vs X-Pac is pretty common, Eddy Guerrero moves onto defending the ICT against the returned Billy Gunn. Our mixed six person moves to Hardy Boys & Lita vs Edge, Christian & Jacquelyn and though Kane bounces around he wrestles Road Dogg more than once. Dudley Boys vs T&A resumes, usually a tables match, Al Snow vs Perry Saturn happens often with or without the Euro belt, plus a few defences for Al vs William Regal, then new champ Regal ends up with Crash Holly for a while, and Goodfather & Bull Buchanan vs APA continues and a few instances of Too Cool vs Lo-Down though the RTC end up with Too Cool at the end of the month. Dean Malenko vs Sho Funaki for the LHW happens a bit too.

I assume The Undertaker has a knock.

VARIATIONS - EXHAUSTING

In Richmond it’s the end of T&A and Trish Stratus as the heels in the six person, Eddy is with Road Dogg, Malenko works Raven which was probably interesting, Lo-Down start an unsettled month with D‘Lo  losing to Bradshaw, Just Joe does a job for the Brooklyn Brawler, when Jackie fails to make it her, umm, former Women’s title rival Harvey Whippleman steps in to lose to Ivory, and Crash is with Gangrel. In San Jose Lo-Down beat Malenko & Crash, Gunn pins Val Venis, Raven is in with Steve Blackman for the HCT, and Essa Rios vs Funaki makes up numbers. The California double shot is jumbled or concluded thus ; Fresno has Malenko with Rios and Blackman with Funaki, the APA going over Lo-Down, Crash with Joe and K-Krush vs Joey Abs - San Diego sees Chris Benoit beat TAFKA Mr Ass, The King vs Raven, Brawler losing to Mideon and Dupps vs Pete Gas & Rodney. In St Louis its Blackman in with old enemy Venis. More stretched cards on 15th - in Grand Rapids its Ron/Abs and Dupps/Posse again plus Val with Crash and Mideon beating Gangrel, in Toledo Saturn does double duty beating Rios but losing to Blackman, Hardys vs Edge & Christian occurs as a straight tag for once, and get this for random - The Kat teams with Just Joe to beat Ivory and the Brawler. End of month, Toronto has Regal vs Malenko (FUCK), Eddy with Crash again, Billy with X-Pac and the first in the Y2J vs Kane run, and Buffalo has Malenko vs X-Pac non title and E&C losing to the Dudleys in a tables match.

Fun note - Triple H makes an appearance on the UPW show on 11th (along with "Ho" characters Mandy & Victoria - yes, THAT Victoria), which is loaded with indy names of the era - B-Boy, Frankie Kazarian, Ricky Reyes, eventual WWE recruit Nathan Jones, Donovan Morgan, Chris Daniels winning their title - but of real note, Regal beats Samoa Joe half way up the card, and the opener sees a win for a guy named The Prototype. You may have heard of him, even if you can't see him.

TVs
2nd in Washington we have familiar dark matches of K-Krush vs Abs and Dupps vs Haas Brothers, next night in Baltimore the tag happens again but Ron goes over Just Joe instead, plus for SmackDown the Hardys and Lita lose to Lo-Down & Jackie. 9th in Anaheim, Chris Daniels jobs to Krush dark, and on Raw Lita beats Jackie in the first Womens hardcore match I recall and the Conquistadors interfere in Hardys/Lo-Down. A momentus episode on Raw where GTV returns to show Eddy in the shower with Mandy & Victoria leading to his split with Chyna, and Mick Foley reveals Rikishi "did it for the Rock" i.e. he ran over Stone Cold. Next night in LA Prototype does a dark match and Dupps & Krush beat the Posse & Joe. 16th in Detroit K-Krush goes over Daniels again and Dupps beat the Posse for the millionth time and on Raw Eddy sustains a legit injury and Regal relieves Snow of the European title. 17th in Cleveland, dark the Conquistadors explode! - Daniels goes over Aaron Aguilera who will later have a cup of coffee as Carlito associate Jesus. On SmackDown Lita vs Trish happens for the Womens title for perhaps the first time on TV and the main is truly PPV worthy - Rock vs HHH vs Angle vs Benoit non title, won by Angle pinning Hunter. Night after No Mercy its Haas/Dupps yet again, and on Jakked Low Ki does a job for Crash, while live its a seminal moment as Lita defends against Trish in a "Bra and Panties match." Also a match I alluded to elsewhere - the Conquistadors beat Edge & Christian to retain, as E&C expected to squash Daniels and Aguilera, but they've been replaced by the Hardys. Mick Foley makes the only sensible ruling - that the Hardys lost the belts to E&C under masks the night before but just won them back. At Nassau on the 24th the most fun match on SmackDown has Rock, Billy and Chyna beat all four RTC in a handicap match. 30th Raw in Boston Eddy's back and beating Chyna in their grudge match when Steven Richards interferes, the rest of RTC beat the Hardys and Lita in a mixed six person, and Steve Austin returns to TV matches beating Rikishi in a cage. Plus Debra returns as Lt Commissioner to Mick. Finally 31st in Rochester the Haas boys beat the Posse and the Dupps lose to Too Cool, Ivory wins the belt from Lita in a four way with Trish and Jackie after E&C interfere, and Eddy helps Benoit get a pinfall win over HHH. Also in two separate angles, Rocky and Austin do their finishes on each other. It begins!

DEPARTURE
I'm fed up of writing none so let's clutch at straws - Mandy from Mandy & Victoria is let go as a cost cutting measure in October.

Heres a clip from Buffalo

 

Edited December 5, 2022 by air_raid

[air_raid]

NOVEMBER 2000

THE MAIN EVENT

We kick off with most-peculiar Steve Austin & Chris Jericho vs Rikishi & Val Venis in Las Cruces NM and Lubbock TX - the latter is a split crew, Kurt Angle vs Triple H vs Kane in San Antonio. In Cincinnati and Dayton we move to Stone Cold & The Undertaker vs Angle & Kane, while over in Huntington a stronger midcard is topped with Y2J vs Chris Benoit. After Survivors and TVs loaded shows in Chicago and Omaha have Austin & Taker vs Benoit & Rikishi, with Angle vs Jericho for the belt underneath (as it was in Cincinnati).

The Rock isn’t on the road this month.

THE CARDS

Eddy Guerrero vs Billy Gunn continues regardless of which holds the ICT. When he isn’t main event Kane is back squashing Road Dogg. William Regal starts a busy month back with Al Snow, works a returning Hardcore Holly for a couple of weeks, then goes back to Crash. The Hardy Boys start the month with defences against Edge & Christian while Lita wrestles Jacquelyn then they end up in ANOTHER mixed six person, now against Goodfather, Bull Buchanan & Ivory.  Dudleys vs T&A usually in tables matches wraps up and then Bubba and D-Von end up back with E&C. Too Cool pick up the spare heels working RTC early month, E&C mid month and ending with T&A. Snow ends up with Val Venis, the HCT is Steve Blackman vs Perry Saturn most of the month. Early month shows are completed with Dean Malenko vs Raven and Crash losing to Steven Richards, and Gangrel and Mideon swap wins whenever numbers need making up.

X-Pac has issues with his neck again.

VARIATIONS

Benoit works Dogg in San Antonio which also has K-Krush vs Joey Abs, The Dupps vs Pete Gas & Rodney and Sho Funaki vs Essa Rios. In Cincinnati Blackman works Raven and Crash gets a win over Brooklyn Brawler. In Dayton Too Cool vs E&C is split into two singles, Dudleys work RTC and Blackman is with Big Boss Man. In Huntington Lita challenges Ivory, Malenko defends against Crash, the Hardys are back with T&A, it’s Dupps/Posse again, Raven works Funaki and Brawler WINS, against Abs.

TVs

6th in Houston - bet you’re sick of reading these - K-Krush beats Abs and the Dupps beat the other two. For Jakked Crash beats Shawn Hernandez who goes on to be in LAX. On Raw Molly Holly debuts, RTC win the tag belts and Triple H turns back heel on Austin. Next night in Dallas is uneventful. 13th in Columbus Mark Henry is in for a dark match to decide if he’s ready to come back (he isn’t) and on Raw K-Kwik debuts helping out Road Dogg. Next night in Indianapolis Shelton Benjamin vs Rob Conway is a dark match of note and Eddy loses non-title to Stone Cold. Night after the PPV in Orlando for some reason Abs teams with Just Joe to beat the other two Posse dark, and live Taker is permitted to beat E&C in a handicap match (hmm). Next night in Fort Lauderdale Billy wins the ICT from Latino Heat, Regal loses non title to Rocky and Molly wins her first match over Trish Stratus with the Molly Go Round. 27th in Ames IA the Posse continue to implode as Abs beats Gas dark and live Triple H returns from 8 days selling injury to cost Austin the belt against Angle. 28th in Minneapolis Joey (Abs) beats Gas but (Just) Joe loses to Rodney, and Funaki beats Lenny Lane, and on SmackDown the new alliance of Lo-Down and Tiger Ali Singh has them beat Blackman and the Dudleys in a tables match.

DEPARTURES

Not until next month.

 

[air_raid]

DECEMBER 2000

There’s next to no point in doing my usual format as there’s only two reports found this month, both from 28th. A sellout in Tulsa has Steve Austin vs William Regal (JR in Austin’s corner) while a small but stacked card in Amarillo has The Undertaker & Chris Jericho vs Kurt Angle & Kane supported by the ICT (Chris Benoit vs Hardcore Holly) and tag belts (Edge & Christian vs Dudleys vs APA).

The rest thus : in Amarillo, Test vs Albert, Steve Blackman vs Taka Michinoku, Essa Rios vs Sho Funaki and K-Kwik vs Perry Saturn. Tulsa is slightly more bells and whistles - The King vs Raven with both ring announcing and interference from The Kat, Billy Gunn vs Val Venis, Hardys vs Goodfather & Bull Buchanan and Ivory vs Molly Holly both with interference from Steven Richards, Too Cool vs Lo-Down, Big Boss Man beating Tex Slazenger (Mideon reverting to a WCW gimmick) and Crash Holly goes over Brooklyn Brawler with introductions from Mrs Stone Cold - Debra.

TVs

4th at the former Meadowlands it’s yet another Dupps vs Haas Brothers dark plus they have a look at ECWs Chris Chetti in a loss to Funaki. Live on Raw, Regal regains the Euro belt from Crash he lost two nights prior at Rebellion. Same two dark matches next night at MSG ; nothing of note on SmackDown. 11th in Memphis a rather special tryout of American Dragon vs Spanky, I doubt you need to be told who they became. For Jakked Too Cool beat Slash & Seven - Slash having been Wolfie D and continuing the gimmick into the New Church in TNA, Seven being Kevin Thorn/Mordecai. This being the episode of Raw Chyna does a stretcher job to the RTC with the neck injury. Next night in Little Rock Dragon gets his win back and Slash/Seven team with dark match fixture Scott Vick to win a six man. For SmackDown Eddy Guerrero causes Y2J to drop a fall to Dean Malenko, with the Jericho/Radicals enmity building to the next round of Y2J v Benoit. 18th in Greeneville - does this one sound familiar? - Just Joe & Joey Abs beat the Dupps, also Slazenger pins Boss Man. On the live show The Rock & Taker take the tag belts off E&C. Next night in Charlotte Kurt helps his buddies win them back. 22nd Raw in Chattanooga Seven loses to Rios dark, Slash to K-Kwik for Jakked, and live, T&A lose to Too Cool when Stephanie interferes on Test for… old times sake?? Next night in Nashville Slash/Seven lose to Joey & Joe. Test and Albert are already fighting on the road before next TVs but they spell out separation of T from both A and from Trish Stratus. 29th in Austin, Abs beats Shawn Hernandez (“Hotstuff” in ROH and eventually LAX member. THAT Hernandez) then next night in San Antonio continues good form to beat occasional tag partner Just Joe. Most interesting televised development is a series of matches that crown Stone Cold as challenger for the belt on the first Raw of the New Year.

DEPARTURE

Its hardly the cull that’s on the horizon but this is the last month Gangrel is booked in any capacity. Vampires were so 1998. Plus the company finally gives up on Road Dogg and his recreational issues. He’ll be back eventually.

Edited December 18, 2022 by air_raid

[air_raid]

JANUARY 2001

THE MAIN EVENTS
We've got big guns out - 6th in Anaheim its The Rock & Undertaker vs Kane & Rikishi plus Kurt Angle vs Stone Cold Steve Austin for the belt then next night in Sacramento its a big six man. 13th in Detroit it's Austin & Taker teaming (Angle vs Chris Jericho underneath) and the same next night in Madison WI, while over in Green Bay Angle vs Y2J headlines. Cleveland on 26th has Taker, Kane & Austin vs Triple H, Rikishi & Haku (WTF) with Angle vs Chris Benoit underneath and MSG on 27th (a monstrous near 19,500) we add Rocky and Benoit to make a giant 8 man main with Angle vs Y2J underneath. Finally in Philadelphia on 28th (15,000+) it's Angle/Jericho with two tags of Taker/Kane vs Rikishi/Haku and Rock & Austin vs Hunter & the Crippler. Fucking hell.

THE CARDS
Its a bit messy underneath but can I shock you? Hardys vs Dudleys vs Edge & Christian happens a lot. We see a fair few of grudge matches Test vs Albert and Billy Gunn vs Val Venis before Billy moves to Steven Richards leaving Val with K-Kwik, as well as Raven vs Steve Blackman fairly consistent for the HCT. Too Cool vs Goodfather & Bull Buchanan is more common than other matches for either team and Ivory vs Molly Holly for the Womens title is on a fair few times. Perry Saturn vs K-Kwik happens a few times as does Hardcore Holly vs Big Boss Man although Bob does a few jobs to Albert too when Test moves on to defences against Christian on Edge's nights off.

VARIATIONS
Y2J works Saturn in Anaheim, his only exception. Benoit beats Jeff Hardy in Detroit and Billy in Madison ; Matt works Saturn in Detroit, and the Hardys are off on 14th so the APA take their place in the three way in Green Bay. In Cleveland its Dudleys vs Hardys vs RTC and at MSG Dudleys vs Hardys vs APA.

Otherwise - APA vs RTC in Anaheim, APA vs Lo-Down plus Saturn vs Crash Holly & Molly in a handicap match in Sacramento. In Detroit Bull loses to Blackman then amazingly Goodfather loses to Brooklyn Brawler thanks to Billy. In Madison its APA vs the Dupps, Ivory vs The Kat, Hardcore jobbing to Albert, The King vs Raven, Test vs Sho Funaki and Scotty vs Chaz one on one. Meanwhile in Green Bay Boss Man pins Tex Slazenger, Lita wrestles Molly, Goodfather gets revenge on Brawler, Saturn beats Crash and Blackman beats Bull again. Cleveland has Christian vs K-Kwik and Hardcore vs Saturn.

TVs
San Jose Raw has a familiar dark match, Pete Gas & Rodney vs Joey Abs & Just Joe. Donovan Morgan loses to K-Kwik for Jakked, and the most important debut of the year happens in the Raw main as HHH returns to lay waste to Austin at the end of his shot at Kurt, and "The Game" plays on TV for the first time. Next night in Oakland Prototype (yes) beats Aaron Aguilera, Rodney loses to Raven, Abs to Essa Rios, and Slazenger to Boss Man, all dark. 15th in Milwaukee Chad Collyer loses to Saturn for Jakked, next night in Chicago Abs beats Bo  Dupp and Tex beats Just Joe. Night after the Rumble (where Big Show returns, remember) Test beats William Regal for the Euro belt and the mysterious Ninja woman debuts to help Raven regain the HCT. 30th in Columbus our mate Scott Vick goes over Steve Bradley, and "SmackDown Xtreme" has Dudleys vs Hardys for the tag belts in a tables match and Angle retains over Rock and Hunter when Austin screws Trips.

DEPARTURES
This is finally the end of Dennis Knight who had been Mideon but working the Tex Slazenger gimmick lately. He'd done well to get a 4 year gig out of it. After losing a handicap match to the Dudleys for Heat, this is the end of the line for three guys who'd travelled very different paths - Tiger Ali Singh, Chaz, and D'Lo Brown - the "can't miss" prospect of 1999 gone with 2000 barely out. He'll be brought back briefly in a couple of years, but what a drop off that one was. Those dark matches were the end of Just Joe but don't worry, he lands that sweet Celebrity Wrestling job on ITV. This is also the month Joey Abs, Rodney & Pete Gas are sent to developmental (MCW) never to return.

Heres the main from Philly ;

 

Edited December 12, 2022 by air_raid

[air_raid]

FEBRUARY 2001

THE MAIN EVENTS

The Rock, The Undertaker & Kane vs Triple H, Rikishi & Haku rolls on early month through Raleigh, Greensboro and Columbia - the latter is a split crew, over in Columbus GA it’s Kurt Angle vs Chris Jericho for the belt. After TVs Stone Cold Steve Austin slots into the six man in St Paul on Rockys night off, next night in Boston (nearly 15,500) it’s a huge 8-man with Chris Benoit added to the heel team with Angle/Y2J underneath. 17th in Cedar Falls and 18th in Evansville it’s back to a six man (Austin version) with Angle v Jericho either underneath (17th) or on 18th, main eventing Cape Girardeau MO. Those are the last reports before TVs either side of No Way Out and month end.

THE CARDS

Kurt Angle vs Chris Benoit is a WWF title run you didn’t know happened. Otherwise the Crippler works X-Pac who’s back from neck injury, and had returned with a few matches early and later month vs Big Boss Man in an odd heel vs heel pairing - Chris Jericho actually gets a night off when he isn’t with Angle. The Dudley Boys are usually defending the tag belts against Bull Buchanan & Goodfather leaving the eternal rivals Hardy Boys vs Edge & Christian though there are a few shows with the mixed six person tagging Matt & Jeff with Lita against Perry Saturn, Eddy Guerrero & Terri Runnels - during which the ever versatile Toronto lads bounce around a bit. Big Show has a few different opponents but most commonly it’s Billy Gunn who’s already fading into the background. New Euro Champ Test defends against Albert every night. Raven does HCT shenanigans involving multiple title switches on 24/7 usually beginning with a match with Steve Blackman or Crash Holly. All featuring the masked “ninja woman.” Women’s title is Ivory vs Molly Holly and while the undercard is very jumbled Val Venis and K-Kwik swap a few wins - when the latter isn’t with Raven. Repeat variations later have Albert back with Boss Man to lose to the APA, Test with Val and Big Show with Al Snow.

VARIATIONS 

Raleigh has the last six person where local heroes Hardys/Lita beat the RTC, plus Alberts with Crash. In Greensboro, X-Pac works Val, Billy’s with Albert, Blackman with Boss Man and Show with Hardcore Holly.  Night of the split crews it’s all hands on board - Columbia adds Too Cool vs Kaientai and Al Snow vs Brooklyn Brawler, Val works Crash, while in Columbus Trish Stratus vs Jacquelyn, E&C work the APA, Hardcore is with Boss Man and Blackman with Albert, Hardys/Radicals is a straight tag and the Haas Brothers beat the Samoans (I believe this is Eddie & Matt a/k/a 3MW). In St Paul Shows with Snow and the HCT starts as Raven vs Blackman vs Hardcore, in Boston Al is added making it a four way. In Cedar Falls Show beats K-Kwik, Test works Val and there’s a tag of Molly & Hardcore vs Ivory & Steven Richards. Split shows again 18th are interesting - in Evansville it’s Too Cool/Kaientai again, The Kat actually wrestles - and beats - Victoria while Jerry Lawler is also on hand to beat Dean Malenko, the Haas lads beat Scott Vick & Steve Bradley, Eddy really plumbs the depths with Bo Dupp and K-Kwik goes over new signing/returnee Justin Credible. Meanwhile in Missouri Hardcores with Richards and Crash with the Brawler.

TVs

Atlanta Raw on 5th at the Georgia Dome (near 25,000) has TV jobs for a few of the NWA Wildside lads including David Young and Kid Romeo, and 12th at the former Meadowlands (15,000+ sellout) Low Ki loses to Crash for Jakked. Next night at Nassau (sellout) dark looks at Inferno Kid and Vick vs Bradley. 19th in St Louis (sold out) the Haas boys go over Scott and Steve again. Next night in Kansas City Rhino’s doing a dark match and Credible does a squash for Jakked. Night after No Way Out they tape Essa Rios vs Samoa Joe which is worth a watch.

DEPARTURES

Less than 48 hours after being forced to join the RTC at No Way Out, The Kat is let go for, from all accounts, being a pain in the arse to work with and no longer being worth the hassle. The King gets no heads up and walks out in protest but he’ll be back when she starts shagging someone else. Post PPV Raw is the last appearance of Ravens masked helper, who (worst kept secret ever, even at the time) was Tori, and that’s the end of her gig after two fairly eventful years.

[air_raid]

MARCH 2001

What did the house shows look like on the way to the apex of company fortunes and the biggest turning point in North American wrestling history? Let’s find out.

THE MAIN EVENTS 

On Reno 10th and San Diego 11th we’re not fucking about - it’s Steve Austin vs Triple H. 17th at the SkyDome (15,000+) and 18th in Montreal (12,000+) we have six mans where Austin tags with Undertaker & Kane to face HHH, Big Show & William Regal. These all have the risible stip that Austin’s Mania title shot is at stake. Those same three weeks there’s usually another crew in towns like Springfield, Wilkes-Barre and El Paso headlined by a fun oddity - Kurt Angle fresh off losing the big belt challenging Chris Jericho for the ICT and losing. Although on 4th while that Wilkes-Barre show happens, over in Hershey, Hunter tags with Rikishi & Haku to lose to Kane & the Dudley Boys. 24th we have a 17,000+ sellout at MSG for Stone Cold, Taker & Kane vs HHH, Angle & Show, finally 25th it’s two crews with Austin vs Trips in Worcester and Taker/Kane vs Show/Angle in Baltimore.

Thats right ; The Rock is off the road already.

THE CARDS

Chris Jericho’s other most frequent challenger is Eddy Guerrero, Kane vs Haku happens a fair few times. Chris Benoit spends half the month with X-Pac and half against Perry Saturn. The tag title scene is a mess ; the Hardy Boys defend against Bull Buchanan & Goodfather if RTC aren’t finishing a run with APA, until the Dudley Boys win the gold back and then Matt & Jeff start working with Edge & Christian and/or X-Factor although E&C beat the Duds in Canada. Ivory vs Molly Holly is a frequent title match but some lucky towns get Lita vs Trish Stratus. Often Test defends the Euro belt against buddy Val Venis, after the LHWT switch occurs Crash Holly vs Dean Malenko is every night - Crash also works Christian when Edge has a couple of nights off - Big Show is often defending the HCT against Billy Gunn, the undercards are constantly moving but Raven vs Justin Credible happens more than once, William Regal is often I with Hardcore Holly or Steve Blackman, and Rhino is getting up to speed against Brooklyn Brawler.

VARIATIONS - ow.

Angles exceptions are beating Billy in Canada. In El Paso and Bakersfield Eddy & Malenko randomly win three ways over the Dudleys and Kaientai. Otherwise in Springfield Ivorys actually with Lita, Hardcore with Raven, Albert losing to Grandmaster Sexay and the tag title is Dudleys v Hardys v Kaientai. In Hershey Eddy is with Credible, Malenko with Blackman, Crash and Molly do a tag against Val and Ivory, Test works Saturn, Albert has to make do with Bo Dupp and Benoit works a handicap with Credible and eventually X-Pac when Waltman is late to the building. Over in Wilkes-Barre the Haas Brothers work Scott Vick & Steve Bradley, Ravens with Rhino, the three way is Hardys vs Kaientai vs Too Cool and we dust off Al Snow vs Big Boss Man. In Reno and San Diego our only exception is Regal with Grand Master, in El Paso and Bakersfield Farooq vs Boss Man and Bradshaw vs Albert is a pair of singles, Blackman works Saturn. At MSG Raven defends the HCT against Billy and E&C work the APA, In Baltimore Sexay actually teams with Blackman to work Kaientai and - here’s fresh! - Jerry Lynn vs Essa Rios gets added. Finally in Worcester Farooq is with Albert and Bradshaw with Boss Man, both are which are far from fresh.

TVs

6th in Washington we have dark matches with the Haas lads against Vick & Dupp, Bradley beating Nick Dinsmore (Eugene). 13th in Anaheim Vick & Bradley tag to lose to Kaientai and Prototype wins a squash, but you can’t see it or him. 19th in Albany there’s another look at ex ECW Chris Chetti losing to Taka, Vick loses to Dupp and a very decent match taped for Jakked has Rios go over Low Ki. Next night in Providence Vick gets his win back and Chetti beats regular tag partner Nova (who eventually will be Simon Dean). 26th in Cleveland Bradley beats Chad Collyer and Chetti is with Johnny Swinger, 27th in Detroit Swinger does a job for Nova.

DEPARTURE

With an influx of talent on the way it’s hardly surprising this is the last month they use any Dupps. 

[air_raid]

Edit - posted incomplete by mistake 

Edited January 2, 2023 by air_raid

[air_raid]

April 2001

Austins a heel, they’ve bought WCW, and Rockys fucked off. We’ve jumped the shark, what are the live cards looking like on the other side of the peak?

THE MAIN EVENTS

11th in Tallahassee, Steve Austin & Triple H tag with William Regal to lose to Undertaker, Kane & Chris Jericho. Next night it’s two crews - Taker & Kane vs Austin & HHH in Pensacola and Y2J vs Kurt Angle in Fort Myers. 21st it’s similar pair of mains in Waco and Tyler, 22nd the crews reunite and it’s the six man again. Those are our only non TV reports.

THE CARDS

Chris Benoit vs Kurt Angle is a fixture on single crew nights. Edge & Christian vs Hardy Boys vs Dudley Boys vs X-Factor too. Big Show does two nights with Billy Gunn then two back with Big Boss Man, while Raven beats Perry Saturn in Florida and swaps wins with Haku in the desert states. Haku was losing to Test early but Test resumes Euro title rematches with Eddy Guerrero 21st/22nd. Crash Holly vs Dean Malenko vs Jerry Lynn also happens throughout Florida. Essa Rios and K-Kwik are with Kaientai in a tag in Tallahassee and two singles in Fort Myers. Goodfather & Bull Buchanan lose twice to Steve Blackman & Grandmaster Sexay on top of one 8-man involving the APA opposite Steven Richards and Val Venis and a 10-person the RTC face where the three Holly cousins make up the babyface side.

VARIATIONS

Benoit picks up Regal (logically) in Pensacola but works Venis in Tyler as Regal is losing to local boy Bradshaw in a flag match (which closes). Jeff and Matt work singles matches respectively with X-Pac (for the ICT) and Credible in Pensacola, and vs Malenko and Saturn in Waco. In Fort Myers the Dudleys team with Spike Dudley to beat E&C and Rhino, in Tyler they beat the Torontans and X-Factor in a three way. Jerry Lynn and Essa Rios wrestle each other in Waco then tag to lose to Saturn and Malenko in Albuquerque. It’s Hardcore vs Boss Man in Tallahassee and vs Venis in Pensacola where two singles have Albert pin Farooq and Bradshaw go over Boss Man. Lita vs Ivory completes Waco, in Tyler it’s Rhino vs K-Kwik, Billy jobbing to Albert and Spike’s with Brooklyn Brawler. The Hollys beat Kaientai in Waco, K-Kwik vs Brawler rounds out a packed show in Albuquerque.

TVs

At Ft Worth TV the night after Mania there are dark matches for Dave Taylor and Redd Dogg (who will become Rodney Mack) - he also works for Jakked. Next night in Oklahoma City they have a look at Rodney’s Mrs Jazz in defeat to Ivory. 9th in Boston Jerry Lynn vs Bryan Danielson dark was probably worth watching and on Jakked Low Ki tags with Alex Arion to lose to Saturn & Malenko. 16th in Knoxville there’s a feast of dark match developmental guys - Rico Constantino (yes, that Rico) beats Nick Dinsmore (Eugene), Randy Orton beats veteran Flash Flanagan, and the Minnesota Stretching Crew (Brock Lesnar and Shelton Benjamin) beat BJ Payne & Shooter Schultz when Lesnar hits Payne with a - eep - Shooting Star Press. Next night In Nashville the tag goes again, Orton beats Steve Bradley and Rico beats our mate Scott Vick. It’s also worth a mention that Heat before Backlash they throw Lynn out on TV the first time and he wins the LHWT from Crash.

DEPARTURES

Excluding short term absences I don’t think anyone loses their job this month. Couple of big ones next month.

 

 

[Arch Stanton]

I love reading these, especially from around this time period where it feels like I can still remember every character and every TV feud so vividly. This was also the time where I'd started reading more and more about the developmental talents online. It's really interesting seeing when they started to get their first matches on the road with the main crews. In a lot of cases, I never realised guys were working dark matches so early.

[DavidB6937]

My favourite thread of 2022 and glad to see it continue this year so thank you @air_raid🙂

[air_raid]

MAY 2001

MAIN EVENTS… umm, Main Event

Literally only two reports available. 26th-27th in Salt Lake City and Vancouver, right before memorable TVs from Alberta, tag champions Chris Benoit & Chris Jericho defeat Stone Cold Steve Austin and makeshift partner William Regal when “the Crippler” pins the WWF Champion.

THE CARDS

Pretty decent. The Undertaker vs Kurt Angle always stands out. Kane vs Rhino for the HCT will have been fun. Big Show vs Test is a grudge match after Test cost Show (deja vu) to Shane O at Backlash. Matt Hardy vs Edge for the Euro belt with his then-Mrs helping Matt retain makes me smile. Jerry Lynn vs Eddy Guerrero for the LHWT is surprising to read, even more so that it’s Lynn that cheated in victory. There’s an eliminator of X-Factor beating the Dudley Boys, APA and Dean Malenko & Perry Saturn, plus Jeff Hardy vs Billy Gunn and Spike Dudley vs Crash Holly.

VARIATIONS

None, for hopefully obvious reasons.

TVs

1st in Indianapolis Damaja (Danny Basham) beats Rob Conway, Scott Vick beats Race Steele, Mark Henry beats Flash Flanagan and - imagine! - Randy Orton jobs for Billy. May 7th at Nassau there’s another look at Dave Taylor (against Vick) and a first outing for Yoshihiro Tajiri losing to Sho Funaki. Next night in Hartford the Haas Brothers beat Vick and Steve Bradley, Devon Storm comes knocking again vs Rick Fuller and - Coliseum Exclusive? - Grandmaster Sexay is given a singles win over Val Venis. 14th in Cincinnati Leviathan (I doubt you need telling, Dave Batista) pins Nick Dinsmore (Eugene) with the move Mark Jindrak will later call the Mark Of Excellence, Vick goes over Bradley and Orton pins Rico Constantino. Next night at Freedom Hall in Louisville, a real treat for OVW fans - Orton beats Rico again and the Minnesota Stretching Crew beat BJ Payne & Damian for the tag belts courtesy of Lesnars Shooting Star Press - this is available on YouTube. 21st it’s worth noting Lynn wrestles Chris Daniels for Jakked and next night in Anaheim the Fallen Angel teams with Mikey Henderson to lose to Nova & Frankie Kazarian, plus Sylvester Terkay beats Bradley and - DEFINITELY a home video match - Lynn retains over Essa Rios.

I should mention that Canada TVs are where the WCW invasion starts - Lance Storm interfering to seemingly arbitrarily aid Steve Blackman & Trish Stratus beat Saturn & Terri on the Calgary Raw.

DEPARTURES

On the last day of the month on SmackDown Eddy Guerrero and the Hardys lose to X-Factor after Albert throws Eddy out of the ring and he seems injured but we aren’t sure if he’s faking it or indeed if the Hardys can trust him - this is later retconned to be a (storyline) real injury to write him out. People have noticed how bad his reliance on painkillers has become and he’s off to rehab. He’s not released until November but he won’t be on TV for nearly a year now.

This is also the end of the road permanently for his former Mamacita Chyna. She will sit out the rest of her deal until November when contract talks abruptly end. According to her sister she’s offered a 400K downside, according to JR and others she digs in her heels for no less than 1 million dollars a year guaranteed downside. The company wishes her the best getting paid her perceived worth through other ventures, such is the gulf in valuation. I think it’s fair to say the WWF had the right of that one.

Of less note this is the last month they book Val Venis in the RTC gimmick while they wait to repackage him. Although it’s the old package, he’ll be back gyrating for the Rumble.

Edited January 8, 2023 by air_raid

[air_raid]

JUNE 2001

THE MAIN EVENTS

3rd in Winnipeg it’s a hometown hero special - Steve Austin vs Chris Jericho for the WWF title. 9th In Greenville Austin’s off so a tag title three way goes on atop Undertaker vs Big Show and Kane vs Kurt Angle. 10th in Virginia it’s a split crew - in Hampton Roads (no, me neither) it’s Y2J and Chris Benoit defending against the Bionic Redneck and William Regal, while in Roanoke Taker vs Angle is the standout. 16th at the SkyDome (8000) Austin and Jericho go in a cage, next night down in Fort Lauderdale the cage goes on the tag title of Team Chris vs Austin and Rhino. Trenton NJ the night before the PPV is a bit low on star power, Kane goes in the cage with Show for the ICT.

THE CARDS

The Undertaker vs Big Show is pretty common though Show also does the last couple of revenge matches with Test. It’s Chris Benoit vs Rhino whenever Team Chris don’t defend the tag belts. Kane vs Kurt Angle really makes the most out of Kanes month with the ICT.  Matt Hardy vs Justin Credible for the Euro belt happens multiple times while it’s Jeff Hardy vs X-Pac for the LHWT though Jeff gives a few rematches to Jerry Lynn too. The slowly-turning Dudley Boys work many matches with the Hollys (sometimes table matches) but in Toronto & Fort Lauderdale are back with Edge & Christian who otherwise don’t have a regular opponent. The women are back with a regular match which is usually Lita & Molly Holly vs Ivory & Jacquelyn or Molly vs Jackie in singles. There are the dying embers of the APA vs Goodfather & Bull Buchanan feud, Raven vs Rhino happens a few times (for the HCT early month) as does Test vs Albert (for the HCT late month) and there are a few instances of Yoshihiro Tajiri vs Spike Dudley.

There are still no WCW wrestlers on the road proper although 27th the last show at the Louisville Gardens is an OVW show with heavy WWF involvement (also, randomly, Bobby Eaton) which is a who’s who of present and future (Cena/Orton/Lesnar all wrestle) and the main event is Taker & Kane vs Leviathan (Batista) & Diamond Dallas Page.

VARIATIONS

Kane works Regal in Winnipeg and Albert in Roanoke which ridiculously goes on last. Winnipeg is full of exceptions, it’s the of the runs of Lynn vs Sho Funaki, Raven vs Hardcore, Crash vs Spike and plus Hardys vs Dudleys vs X-Factor, Molly pins Ivory, there’s Dean Malenko vs Steve Blackman and Taker/Angle have a night off. That tag title three way in Greenville is Team Chris vs E&C vs X-Factor, and Test & Blackman beat the RTC. When split crews need more bodies, in Hampton Roads Spike drops Steven Richards, Edge beats Blackman, Christian loses to Raven, Duds/Hollys becomes a three way with Malenko and Perry Saturn and there’s Haku vs K-Kwik. While Roanoke sees Rhino work Credible, Tajiri beat Essa Rios, Lita pin Ivory and the Haas Brothers job to Kaientai (yes, Taka gets a payday at last). Sole and big exception in Toronto has Trish Stratus join the tag in place of Ivory to pick up the win in her back yard. The only addition to Fort Lauderdale is Haku vs Tajiri (that’s some WCW Saturday Night booking, isn’t it?). In Trenton Jeff works Credible who I’m not convinced was small enough to pass for LHW while Matt wrestles Regal (Mick Foley referees it) - his challengers also include Albert and X-Pac elsewhere. Finally also in New Jersey spare a thought for Billy Gunn - at least he’s booked, but he does a job for the equally going-nowhere Saturn.

You may also be interested to learn Lance Storm interferes on Benoits behalf in Toronto (which kinda makes sense) and next night in Fort Lauderdale  a rather more random Hugh Morrus interferes in Test vs Albert to help Shane’s mate.

TVs

Minneapolis Raw has Taka win a dark match and also the Minnesota Stretching Crew win with Governor Jesse Ventura in their corner. Yes, they had Jesse and didn’t put him on TV. For Jakked HBKs cousin Michael Shane does a job for Lynn. Next week in Richmond there are dark looks at those Haas boys, ECW alumnus Chilly Willy and for the hundredth time, Inferno Kid. Same next night in Baltimore as well as Jackie vs Ivory. 18th in Tampa Chris Daniels & Scoot Andrews lose to Kaientai for Jakked and DDP arrives on Raw. I’d be amiss if I didn’t mention Booker T making his debut at the end of KOTR, next night at MSG is all kinds of interesting with the Full Blooded Italians vs Danny Doring & Roadkill as a dark match, Raven vs Low Ki for Jakked, and live, Mike Awesome winning the HCT on 24/7 rule. Next night a few more surprises on SmackDown see Page cost Kane the ICT to Albert in one of my most hated switches ever, Torrie Wilson makes her debut in a backstage skit and WCW tag champs Chuck Palumbo & Sean O’Haire show up but get beaten down like jobbers, not for the last time. Also Scotty Too Hotty returns from injury just as his partners been booted….

DEPARTURES

MSG Raw is the end of the gimmick and pretty much the end full time for both Bull Buchanan (short two gigs in July) and Goodfather. Barry will eventually be brought back briefly as B2, John Cena’s hype man, and Godfather will show up at the Rumble and for occasional one offs for the next few years. Brian Christopher gets his papers this month after being stopped at the Canadian border at the end of May in possession of weed, speed and the old marching powder, though initially he lies to his dad and says it was steroids. He avoids jail time and the company will bring him back a couple of times but never for long. It’s the beginning of a slow decline for another of wrestling’s sad stories.

Edited January 9, 2023 by air_raid

[air_raid]

JULY 2001

What do cards look like on the way to the best-selling non "big 5" PPV of all time (to this point)? You'll probably be surprised.

THE MAIN EVENTS
1st in Spokane is a bit weird, noteworthy for a couple of WCW matches but the biggest starpower match is Chris Jericho vs William Regal where our Olympic hero is there only in the capacity of guest timekeeper. North Charleston SC and Augusta 7th/8th are very much split WWF and WCW matches (Stone Cold's injured) with The Undertaker & Kane vs Diamond Dallas Page & Mike Awesome on top. Post next TVs the panic button has been hit and the Alliance is a thing so Albany and New Haven have Booker T vs Kurt Angle for the WCW belt atop that tag. After Invasion and TVs, Syracuse has a rematch and Wilkes-Barre has Angle & Kane vs Booker & Rhino.

THE CARDS
Spokane aside, game of two halves, both in terms of card appearance and whats presented each night. When they toy with half and half, the WWF side has Dudleys vs Edge & Christian vs Hardys vs Hollys in a very familiar tag title match, Rhino vs Test, either APA vs Bull Buchanan & Jerry Lynn or Bradshaw vs the outgoing Buchanan as a singles, Yoshihiro Tajiri vs Raven and Molly Holly vs Ivory while WCW presents Booker T vs Lance Storm for the belt, Chuck Palumbo & Sean O'Haire vs Kanyon & Shawn Stasiak for the tag belts, Billy Kidman vs Shane Helms vs Chavo Guerrero Jr for the Cruiser title, and an unscheduled (see below) Mark Jindrak jobbing for Hugh Morrus.

Mid month there are a few matches where wins are split and a few where they (ahem) aren't. Chris Jericho goes over Stasiak, Albert retains the ICT (ugh) against Morrus. The APA beat Palumbo & O'Haire in Albany but split wins in singles in New Haven. An eliminator between the TLC lads and Storm & Kanyon is won by the Hardys in Albany and the Duds in New Haven, and its honours even between Kidman vs X-Pac non title, Perry Saturn vs Justin Credible, Billy Gunn vs Raven and Trish Stratus & Lita vs Torrie Wilson & Stacy Keibler.

Post PPV E&C are beating the Duds and Kanyon/Stasiak, Kidman's working Scotty Too Hotty, there's a six/8-man (main depending) with Jericho, William Regal & Tajiri (and/or Kane) losing to Rob Van Dam, Taz and Mike Awesome (and/or Rhino), Storm is retaining the ICT over Albert, X-Pac is beating former stablemate Credible, the Hardys are doing honours for the WCW tag champs, Saturn swaps wins with Jindrak as do Raven & Morrus with Hardcore Holly & Billy G. It's hardly inspiring, is it?

VARIATIONS
Spokane wraps the following feuds - X-Pac vs Jeff, Tajiri vs Spike Dudley, Jacquelyn vs Ivory, Albert and Kane in a cage, Rhino vs Raven, Dudleys vs E&C vs Hollys, plus a bonus of Matt & Lita vs Big Show & Trish. WCW presents Booker T vs Buff Bagwell (LOL) for the belt and Helms vs Chavo.

TVs
In Tacoma 2nd before ECW muddy the waters we have Billy vs K-Kwik and Raven & Lynn vs Kaientai as dark matches, and in the same building next night Essa Rios vs Chris Daniels. There's a very TNA feel about Atlanta on 9th - AJ Styles (yup) wins a dark match and Flying Elvises explode as Jorge Estrada beats Sonny Siaki. Next night in Birmingham they have a look at Johnny The Bull in defeat to RVD. FleetCenter on the 17th, Helms & Chavo vs Kaientai will have been fun, not sure what Lynn will have dragged out of Jindrak. In Buffalo the night after Invasion its Rios vs Scotty and Kidman vs K-Kwik, next night in Pittsburgh Test does a job for Palumbo. Finally 30th in Philadelphia its another look to see if they missed the boat on Chaz (vs Inferno Kid) - they didn't.

DEPARTURES
Buff Bagwell has a cup of coffee on the WWF books and I don't really need to repeat the story about how repeated phone calls from his mother to JR gets him canned as more trouble than he's worth and he loses all his road bookings. Haku tapes losses on the weekend shows for Raven and for Jindrak, and that's the end of his use, anachronistic as he always looked in the Attitude Era anyway. Less permanently, Mark Jindrak disappears for ages after house show appearances and TV run ins this month, as they realize the multiple-time WCW tag team champ isn't really ready at this level. He'll go to developmental for ages, eventually to be brought back and famously even to be considered for a role in Evolution.

Dean Malenko does one last tv job for Scotty after a spat with Saturn then fades into the background, wrestling a handful more matches in OVW and on benefit shows but gradually transitioning into backstage roles. I thought as THE “technical guy” in a diverse Cruiserweight division he’d have been a great foil for Tajiri, Spike, Kidman and later a babyface Hurricane, but either the WWF didn’t see it or at nearly 41 maybe he just felt it was time? I read at the time there was consideration to asking him to work Eddy one last time instead of Benoit at One Night Stand, which didn’t materialise. Shame.

Edited January 28, 2023 by air_raid