Wrestling-wise, this has to be one of the WWF's finest PPVs all year. Hey, give me Jericho/Benoit or give me death!
I gave this match such a high rating because they finally let Malenko do what he does best, and that's wrestle. What a concept. Scotty tried to bulldog Malenko early to set up the Worm, but Malenko clotheslined him. Malenko went to work on Scotty's leg, dropping elbows on it. He continued, using several submission holds and backing Scotty into the corner and kicking at his legs. Scotty with a roll up out of nowhere for two. Outside the ring, and back in they went, with Malenko hitting a superplex. Scotty with a backslide for a two count. Malenko went for a powerbomb, but Scotty countered and hit the bulldog. Scotty then hit the Worm, ignoring his injured leg. Malenko got right back up after the move. Scotty went for a hurricanrana, but Malenko countered into a beautiful butterfly powerbomb for a two count. Malenko went up top, but was caught by Scotty. He attempted a superplex, but Malenko countered with a vicious DDT which planted Scotty. The ref made the three count and Malenko was still LHW Champ.
Rating: ***1/2
These two work great together. Benoit hit two successive German suplexes early, and suplexed Jericho out onto the floor. He went for a tope, but Jericho avoided him. Benoit about KILLED himself by landing on his head. That didn't stop him from taking control of Jericho in the ring, hitting a knee to the midsection and putting him in an abdominal stretch. Jericho fought back with a reverse elbow and the Lionsault. Jericho hit a spinning heel kick and a bulldog for a two count. He went for hit jump-out-of-the-corner-and-dropkick-him thing, but Benoit swatted his feet away. Benoit went to the top, but Jericho attempted a superplex. However, Benoit blocked it. Jericho came back with his double powerbomb for two. Benoit caught Jericho in the Crippler Crossface, but Jericho made it to the ropes. Jericho put Benoit in the Walls of Jericho, but he made it to the ropes. Jericho went for a flying forearm but nailed the ref by mistake. Meanwhile, Benoit grabbed the IC belt and nailed Jericho with it. The ref was revived for a two count. He then suplexed Jericho on the belt and went up top for the flying headbutt. As he came off the top, Jericho raised the belt and smashed it into Benoit's face. The ref saw it and called for the DQ. Would it have killed them to give the match a clean ending?
Rating: ***1/4
A good performance put on by Essa and Eddie here. The match started off kind of shaky with all the Chyna: Warrior Princess interference, but picked up once they got to the outside. Essa hit a beautiful Asai moonsault onto Eddie and Oh my God! You bumped the English announcing table! You bastards! Eddie tried to escape Essa, but Essa vaulted over one of the corners with a somersault plancha onto Eddie. Back in the ring, Eddie hit a superplex, followed by a brainbuster. He went up top, but Essa arm dragged him off the turnbuckles. Essa attempted the moonsault, but Eddie put his knees up. He lifted Essa into an airplane spin into a neckbreaker for the three count. Afterwards, Essa dropkicked Eddie, who sailed into Chyna. Lita then ripped off Chyna's dress for our obligatory T&A for the night. And no, I'm not talking about Test and Albert.
Rating: ***
Before the match, we were treated to a drunken Debra making the annoucements. It's the only time I've ever wished for Lilian Garcia. Road Dogg told her no disrespect for her mic work (why not?), but he likes to make his own announcements. Edge and X-pac started, trading hammerlocks. Edge hit a spinning heel kick. Road Dogg in, and was taken down by a flying head scissors by Edge. Christian and X-pac were in, and The Road Dogg helped to double team. Road Dogg did his stupid dancing punches, followed by his stupid musical kneedrop. Christian was sent into the ropes, and both guys went for a cross body, colliding in mid air. Edge came in off the top with a headbutt on Road Dogg, but Christian only got a two count. X-pac in, and they go for a double back body drop, but Christian reverses into a double DDT. He tagged Edge, who came in and Speared Road Dogg. A brawl between the four erupted, and Christian hit X-pac with the bell, then covered him for three. Classic tag team storytelling in this one, but it had several components *cough*Road Dogg*cough* that kept it from being a great match.
Rating: **3/4
The rules were the first person to pin Crash would win the belt. I dug this one because the Hardys incorporated WRESTLING moves into the match, instead of just hitting people with things. After a few minutes, Crash tried leaving, but the fight just followed him. Jeff Hardy swung off the steel hook things on the Backlash set and took over Saturn with a headscissors. Crash tried escaping by climbing up the steel structure. Matt Hardy followed him and was hung out to dry. Back in the ring, everybody attacked everybody. Jeff Hardy legdropped the Cookie Sheet of Doom onto Crash's face for a two count. The Hardys brought a ladder in, and clotheslined people with it. Jeff then set it up and did the Swanton Bomb on Crash. Everybody attacked everybody again, with Crash somehow ending up on top of Tazz for the pin.
Rating: **1/2
Nothing really special in the match that no one hasn't already seen, so I'll skip to the end. Shane McMannequin was the special ref, of course. The Rock kicked out after being hit with the title belt by Vince McMannequin. Outside they went, and HHH and the Rock fought up onto the Spanish announcing table. Rock goes for the Rock Bottom, but Shane stops him. Instead, the Rock grabbed Shane, stacked him against HHH, and Oh my God! They killed the English announcing table! You bastards! The Stooges come out in ref uniforms, and started attacking the Rock. Vince and HHH joined in, but The Beer Elemental's music hit! Austin came down and took out the heels with a chair. Linda McMannequin came down with Earl Hebner. After Rock hit The People's Elbow, she ordered him to make the three count. He did so, and we had a new WWF Champion.
Rating: **1/2
With Angle talking about American heroes, suddenly Hulk Hogan's old music hit. The Big Show came out dressed like Hulk Hogan, and even had the voice down pat. "Let me tell you something, Kurt Angle, dude!" Hilarious stuff. After going through Hogan's catchphrases, the match started. Angle attacked "The Showster", but Show no sold it just like Hogan used to do. He blocked Angle's shot and started punching him. Irish whip, big boot, leg drop, Angle kicks out! A Hogan chant started up.
"That's the loudest cheers Hogan's had in years!"
-Jim Ross
Angle eventually pissed The Show off, and he kicked the crap out of Angle, delivering the chokeslam for the pin. This match just gets points for pure comedy.
Rating: **1/4
This was kind of boring. I like the Dudleys, and I dig T&A as power workers, but they just don't click. And the match just went on and on and on. Trish Stratus distracted Bubbalicious, who got a big boot from Test for the pin. After the match, Buh Buh grabbed Trish, but she started kissing him again. He let go of her, but when she tried to get away, he grabbed her and D-von set up the table. He superbombed her through it and the crowd went nuts. The Dudleys left while Trish was tended to. Buh Buh kept saying, "I got you, you little bitch!" over and over.
Rating: *3/4
Talk about boring, this was just the pits. I think the Acolytes are very underrated workers and there's something about the asskicker gimmick that makes me mark out for them. But Buchanan and the Bossman can't bump worth crap, and Buchanan seemingly can't do a single move without leaping into the air. Mercifully, Buchanan ended it with a scissor kick on Bradshaw from the top for the pin.
Rating: *1/4
Overall PPV Rating: ***
Except for a couple of stinkers, this was a high quality PPV. There's not really that much else to say really.