Sorry about the wait. Croooooow lost my dorm's address so I had to wait awhile for the tape to arrive. It's probably old news by now, but for the sake of continuity, wagons west!
From the first time they locked up, I just got the gut feeling that this was going to be one kick-ass match. HHH backed up Benoit into the corner, and they grappled before Benoit kicked Hunter in the stomach. He attempted an enziguri, but HHH ducked and lifted Benoit by his leg and rammed his knee into the mat. After a chop block, he continued to work on Benoit's knee with stomps and elbows. He kept him on the mat, and utilized a leg grapevine. What would have been even better is if he pulled out the old Reverse Indian Deathlock that he used to use in his WCW days. HHH bridged his back and pulled on Benoit's neck. He released him, and they soon went to the outside where Benoit rammed HHH into the steps. Back in the ring, Benoit caught Triple H with a single arm DDT, and gave him a side suplex while HHH was in a hammerlock for a two count. He hit a Northern Lights Suplex for another two count. They went outside again, where Benoit dropped HHH on the English announcing table. They went back in trhe ring, where Benoit gave HHH a snap suplex for a two count. He locked on an armbar submission and then a cross armbreaker, but HHH didn't tap out. Benoit also hit another hammerlock side suplex, and followed up with the headbutt from the top rope onto the arm he'd been working on. When Benoit got up, HHH rolled him up in an inside cradle for a two count. HHH fought back with a high knee and a neckbreaker. He set Benoit on the top rope, and hit a superplex, which left both men laying. HHH went for the Pedigree, but Benoit backdropped him out of it. He hit two rolling German suplexes, but HHH elbowed his way out of a third. Benoit hit a Dragon Suplex for a two count. He then hit another Dragon Suplex for another two count. HHH hit the facebuster, but Benoit countered into the Crippler Crossface. HHH arched his back and nearly fought out of it, but Benoit started hitting him mercilessly and locked the Crossface on tighter. HHH powered his way out and hit a Samoan Drop. Stephanie McMannequin-Cube came to ringside and smacked Benoit when he was on the ropes. HHH went for the Pedigree, but Benoit powered out. He went for it again, but Benoit powered out. As Stephanie distracted the ref, HHH hit a low blow and finally nailed the Pedigree for the three count. Oh, and in case you couldn't tell, this match kicked ass!
Rating: ***3/4
This was pretty good, as far as cage matches go, and had several innovative spots. It's sad that most of X-pac's arsenal has been reduced to punches. As he tried to climb out of the cage, Jericho hit a springboard dropkick on X-pac's ankle, crotching him on the ropes. Jericho hit a missile dropkick, and backdropped X-pac into the cage. X-pac countered with a beautiful spinning heel kick. After the Bronco Buster, X-pac climbed the cage, but Jericho followed him and gave him a powerbomb from the top of the cage. Jericho tried climbing out, but X-pac crotched him on the top of the cage. Jericho applied the Walls of Jericho on the top of the cage, but let go. X-pac kicked him and then shoved him off the top of the cage all the way to the mat. X-pac started to climb out, but Jericho dropkicked him through the cage, and X-pac was crotched on the top of the open door! Jericho escaped through the door for the win, while X-pac straddled the door. That door spot was the last thing I expected and was a true mark-out moment. I can't believe they got X-pac to job twice to Jericho on consecutive PPVs. Someone must have laid down the law to him.
Rating: ***
The match was announced as no-DQ. WTF? Throughout the early part of the match, there was a lot of ringside brawling, (as if we didn't get enough in the Austin vs. Rikishi match) including a humorous spot where the Rock punched Angle through a cardboard cut-out of himself. Once they got in the ring, Angle executed several excellent belly-to-belly suplexes throughout the match. Since I just described two matches in pretty good detail, we'll cut to the chase. Angle went for a moonsault, but Rock moved and nailed a DDT. The Rock hit his out of control belly to belly, and Steph got on the apron. The Rock gave her the Rock Bottom, and almost hit the People's Elbow, but Angle took him out with a clothesline. HHH came back out and pounded away on Angle. Then he Pedigree'ed the Rock for attacking his wife. He dragged Steph from the ring, as Angle made the cover. The Rock kicked out and hit another DDT. Rikishi came out to help the Rock. The Rock Rock Bottomed Angle, but was slow making the cover, so Angle kicked out. Rikishi entered the ring and went for a Yokozuna (RIP) butt-alanche in the corner, but got both Angle and The Rock. He accidentally superkicked The Rock, and abruptly stopped, before Murphy's Law could take hold. When Angle got up, Rikishi charged, but Angle hit the Olympic Slam. He hit another won on the Rock and covered to win the WWF Title. Pretty good match, but the brawling at the beginning made it lose points.
Rating: **3/4
My theory on why this match didn't do so well was because Edge & Christian were wrestling under masks, which hampered their vision, since they weren't used to them. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Nonetheless, there was some good tag action here. Jeff hit a nice rolling headscissors on one of the Conquistadores. At the end, the action spilled on the outside. Jeff ran the barricade and took out Conquistador Edge with a clothesline. Conquistador Christian hit a plancha on Jeff. Then Matt went for a plancha, but the Conquistadores held Jeff in front of him and he absorbed most of the impact. ConChristian hit a reverse DDT and covered, but Jeff broke it up with the Swanton Bomb. Matt ripped off his mask, but there was an identical one on underneath it. ConChristian hit his Tomakazee move that they STILL haven't given a name on Matt and covered for the victory.
Rating: **1/2
You know how I feel about garbage matches. They suck, but have more action then the awful ordinary matches, so they go in the middle. Too Cool and Lo Down started the table invitational, making me wonder if they were going to give us a table dance. After a few minutes, Lo Down both went through tables. Tazz & Raven emerged next. Grandmaster Sexay botched a spot where he was going to go for his outside the ring powerbomb on Raven through a table, but the moment his feet touched the table, it shattered. Scotty did the Worm while going under a table on Raven, but was put through a table himself moments later. The Dudleys were out next and promptly disposed of Tazz and Raven, driving Tazz through a table. The RTC was out, and the ref wound up unconscious somehow. Buh-Buh powerbombed Buchanan through a table, but Goodfather hit him with a chair, and replaced Bull's body with Buh-Buh's on the broken table. The ref woke up and awarded the match to the RTC, but another ref came down and restarted the match. Goodfather was shortly 3Ded through a table.
Rating: **
See above with garbage matches. Austin wasn't there yet, so Rikishi insisted he win the match by forfeit. Stone Cold's music hit, and Austin was seen driving his truck into the arena and out to ringside. How did they know to play his music? Did Austin call the tech guys on a cell phone? They brawled around ringside, and Austin tossed Rikishi onto the Spanish announcing table old west saloon style. Austin got a chair and pummeled Rikishi with it. He put on JR's cowboy hat and pummeled him again. He tried taking out Rikishi with the sledgehammer near his truck, but Rikishi kept moving. Austin used the tailgate to batter Rikishi and gave him one last chair shot, sending Rikishi into the bed of the truck. Austin drove the truck out of the arena and into the parking lot, where he dumped Rikishi on the curb. He tried to run over Rikishi, but a police car intercepted him and Austin hit that instead. Police arrived, pulled Austin out of his truck and arrested him. Quite an intense match, but too much garbage and no ending.
Rating: **
Not even Regal could carry Mideon to a good match, though Mideon DID pull out a dropkick. I mean, wow, a dropkick! He must have really been trying! The placement of the match was weird too, because it was set to follow Austin vs. Rikishi, so had no chance in hell of getting the fans interested. Mideon disrobed after a few minutes, which was followed by me holding my hands up to block the TV. I'm told Regal won after a superplex.
Rating: *3/4
I like Richards and Venis as good workers, but they can't carry the likes of Billy Gunn and Chyna. The RTC won when Eddie Guererro nailed Chyna (no, not that way) with a boquet of roses and someone covered her for the pin. In a shocking twist that I'm sure NOBODY saw coming, Gunn unraveled the flowers to find a steel pipe.
Rating: *1/4
This match doesn't get a star rating, because it never got underway. The Acolytes were ambushed before they could come out. Lita tried to go help, but T & A walked out just then and backed her into the ring. The Hardys ran in, and took care of T & A. Albert tried to flapjack Jeff, but Jeff countered with a sweet flying dropkick on the way up.
Overall PPV Rating: **1/2
The PPV wasn't as good as last month's Unforgiven. It had a super HHH/Benoit match, but the undercard wasn't as strong as last month. Not much else to say that hasn't already been said. See ya after Survivor Series!