From The Shelf- WWF Judgment Day 2000

WWF Judgment Day 2000
Louisville, KY
5/21/2000

Key Points:
-After being defeated at Backlash for the WWF Championship, Triple H gets his rematch against The Rock in an Ironman match.
-Shawn Michaels offers to be the guest referee of the Ironman match despite costing The Rock the WWF Championship the last time he refereed a match between Rock and Triple H.
-Big Show looks for revenge after being humiliated for weeks by Shane McMahon.
-Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho look to prove who has a better submission hold in a submission match.

Your hosts are Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler.

I want to point out how awesome the opening video is, as they explain how many things can be done in an hour and what will happen to Triple H and Rock in that one hour.

The McMahon-Helmsley Regime go over the plans for each other matches and they send out WWF Hardcore Champion Gerald Brisco for coffee. They hear some noise and we see the Headbangers attacking Brisco backstage. Brisco escapes just in time.

Kurt Angle, Edge, and Christian vs. Too Cool (Scotty 2 Hotty and Grandmaster Sexay) and Rikishi
Kurt Angle comes out and discusses that since hanging out with Edge and Christian he’s gotten a lot of attention from teenage girls and tells them to follow his three I’s. Edge and Christian then top him by performing their all-time great five second pose….THE JUG BAND!!!! Edge’s fake teeth are hilarious. The heels attack from behind to start but they get stacked up in the corner for corner ass rams by Too Cool. Angle bails before Rikishi could charge in. Sexay and Edge officially start. They trade counters and Sexay hits an enzuigiri. Second rope dropkick by Sexay and Hotty tags in. Too Cool take Edge down by the hair then hit a double elbow drop. Edge pokes the eye and tags Christian. Suplex by Hotty and he performs the moonwalk, allowing Christian to attack. Christian goes to send Scotty into the corner but Sexay blocks. Edge tries to do the same thing for Christian but gets hung up and Sexay crotches him on the ropes. Double clothesline to Christian and they drop toe hold Edge into the groin of Christian. They pail and Sexay dances but HIS PANTS FALL DOWN!!!! Hotty laughs at him but the distraction causes Christian to attack from behind. Christian mocks them so Rikishi tags in and cleans house. Angle goes for a sunset flip but Rikishi blocks and misses the seated senton. They triple team Rikishi in the corner and Christian tags in. Rikishi fights out of the corner and Hotty tags in. Bulldog by Hotty and Angle blocks the Worm with a clothesline. Edge comes in and stomps away on Hotty. Tag to Angle and he chokes Hotty in the ropes. Angle sends Hotty into the corner hard and he hits a clothesline for 2. Tag to Christian and he charges in the corner but eats boot. Cristian goes for a powerbomb but Hotty escapes and hits the Ally-Oop into the ropes. Tag to Rikishi and he cleans house. He stacks them up in the corner and hits the corner Ass Ram in the corner. STINKFACE TO ANGLE!!!!! Angle and Christian with a double DDT to Rikishi but it has no effect and he hits a double clothesline. Edge spears Rikishi and mocks the Worm, allowing Hotty to hit a bulldog. W.O.R.M. Worm by Scotty and Sexay superkicks Angle. Worm to Angle!!! Rikishi goes for the Rikishi Driver on Edge but Christian nails him with a ring bell. Edge covers but Sexay catches him with the Hip Hop Drop allowing Rikishi to cover for 3!!! We dance afterward.
Winners- Too Cool and Rikishi ***1/4 ( This was at the peak of Too Cool and Rikishi’s popularity, so the crowd was MOLTEN hot for them. Super fun tag match that was incredibly entertaining and allowed all six men a chance to shine. Perfect opening bout. )

Shawn Michaels promises to do his job tonight regardless of who he talks too before the main event.

We see on Sunday Night Heat that Eddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko, and Perry Saturn confront each other.

WWF European Championship- Eddie Guerrero © w/Chyna vs. Perry Saturn vs. Dean Malenko
Malenko and Saturn double team Guerrero to start and they hit a backbreaker/top rope kneedrop combo on Guerrero. Corner back elbow by Saturn to Guerrero and he clotheslines Malenko for 2. Leg lariat by Malenko but Saturn comes back with a spinning flapjack. Press slam to Guerrero and he goes for a suplex but Malenko saves him so Guerrero goes low on both. Guerrero cleans house and hits a back elbow to Saturn. Assisted springboard hurricanrana to Malenko and he hits a hurricanrana to Saturn. Malenko blocks a tilt-a-whirl headscissors with a sidewalk slam for 2 as Saturn saves. Saturn charges in the corner but eats elbow and Guerrero hits a Tornado DDT for 2 as Malenko saves. Tiger Driver by Malenko gets 2. Malenko rolls through a sunset flip attempt and goes for the Texas Cloverleaf but he releases to clothesline Saturn. Guerrero puts Malenko on top and follows up but Saturn stops him and hot shots Guerrero. Overhead belly to belly suplex by Saturn and he goes for a superplex but Malenko blocks. Now Guerrero goes up but Malenko catches him with a gutbuster off the top rope!!!! Saturn goes up and hits the Frog Splash for 2 as Malenko saves!!! Texas Cloverleaf on Malenko by Saturn but Guerrero breaks and hits the Brainbuster for 2 as Malenko saves. Malenko covers but Guerrero breaks it up with a basement dropkick. Small package by Malenko gets 2. Saturn charges but Guerrero low bridges him sending him to the floor. Back suplex by Malenko to Guerrero and he goes up. Splash off the top by Malenko and Saturn hits a back suplex on both Guerrero and Malenko!!! Saturn goes out and Chyna nails Saturn with her roses!!!! Guerrero goes for the sunset flip but Malenko blocks. Chyna goes to nail him with the flowers but Malenko blocks so Chyna trips him up, sending him face first into the roses. Inside cradle by Guerrero gets 3. Chyan reveals there was a lead pipe in the roses.
Winner and Still European Champion- Eddie Guerrero *** ( Very solid match but there was no heat for it. No one cared about the action, which was really good, so that was disappointing. )

Gerald Brisco sneaks around backstage seeing if anyone is going to attack him. He slips seeing himself in the mirror and then punches the mirror in frustration. Jerry Lawler, under his breath, thinks Brisco split his pants.

Video package for Shane McMahon/Big Show airs.

No Holds Barred- Shane McMahon vs. Big Show
McMahon goes for a suicide plancha to the floor but Show catches him and rams him into the post a few times to start. Show sends Shane into the steps and he slams Shane onto the steps. He steps on the hand of Shane and he clothesline Shane into the crowd. Show presses Shane back into the ring and back in, Show kicks Shane in the ass a few times. Short arm clothesline by Show and he hits a superkick. Big Bossmna comes out and nails Show in the leg a few times with the nightstick. Show comes back with some headbutts and a powerbomb. T&A come out now and they go to nail him with chairs but Show nails the chairs and cleans house of them. Trish Stratus comes in and goes low on Show!!! Show grabs Trish and HE TOSSES HER OUT OF THE RING ONTO T&A!!!! Double clothesline to T&A on the floor and he stalks Shane up the ramp. Show tosses Shane into the set and he grabs a piece of metal from the set. He goes to nail Shane but Shane SWINGS off the set and kicks Show to stop him. T&A now double team Show and Shane rams a case into Show for 2. Show fights back and Shane tries to climb the set to escape. Show stops and now Bull Buchanan attacks from behind with the nightstick. Shane drops a speaker box onto the leg of Show and he nails Show in the head with a cinderblock for 3!!!
Winner- Shane McMahon ** ( This match told a good story in that the cocky Shane would have been destroyed had he not had help from four other guys. The match itself wasn’t all that special and it failed to push Bull Buchanan which was the goal with the finish. )

Show is taken out on a stretcher claiming that his leg is broken.

Gerald Brisco goes into the refs locker room and asks if he could rest for a little while. The refs start discussing a plan to pin Brisco which wakes Brisco up. Brisco freaks out on them and leaves.

Triple H discusses family with Shawn and then makes fun of the shorts Shawn is wearing for the match.

Video package for Benoit/Jericho airs.

Submission Match for WWF Intercontinental Championship – Chris Benoit © vs. Chris Jericho
Knees to the gut by Benoit to start and he works over Jericho. Jericho comes back with a bulldog and he chops away in the corner. Crowbar by Jericho but Benoit escapes and they trade counters until Benoit hits a shoulderbreaker. Benoit goes up and hits a diving headbutt onto the shoulder of Jericho. Rear abdominal stretch with a chinlock applied by Benoit but Jericho escapes. Jericho takes Benoit down and goes for the Walls of Jericho but Benoit counters out. Back elbow by Jericho and a springboard dropkick knocks Benoit off the apron. Jericho follows out and Benoit sends him shoulder first into the steps. Jericho hits a kneebreaker onto the steps and he stomps away. Back in, Jericho hits a double underhook backbreaker. They trade chops and Jericho charges in the corner but misses and eats the post shoulder first. Benoit exposes the top turnbuckle and he rams Jericho’s shoulder into the exposed bolt a few times. Arm bar by Benoit but Jericho arm drags out. They trade chops again and Benoit hits a snap suplex. Slam and a kneedrop by Benoit and he hits a short arm clothesline. Cross armbreaker by Benoit but Jericho makes the ropes to break. Benoit goes for a corner kneestrike but misses and hits the steel bolt. Flapjack by Jericho and he drives Benoit’s knee off the mat. Dragon screw leg sweep by Jericho and he hammers Benoit on the mat. Jericho takes Benoit’s kneebrace off and he hammers the knee of Benoit with it. Flying forearm with the brace by Jericho and he goes for the Figure-4 but Benoit kicks away. Dropkick to the leg by Jericho and he hits the Lionsault. WALLS OF JERICHO HANGING ON THE ROPES BY JERICHO!!!!!! Benoit is able to fight out of it and he misses an enzuigiri. Rolling German suplexes by Benoit but Jericho fights back and goes for the Walls of Jericho. Benoit nails him with the knee brace to block and he catches Jericho in the Crippler Crossface. Jericho reaches for the ropes so Benoit pulls him to the center of the ring and re-applies it. Jericho passes out!!!
Winner and Still WWF Intercontinental Champion- Chris Benoit ***3/4 ( A great battle between two of the top technicians at the time that was hampered by a lack of heat. The crowd was never really invested in the drama of the holds so the finish of Jericho passing out fell flat. With more heat this probably would have been something special. As is, it is very good. )

Gerald Brisco talks about how everyone is trying to beat him for the Hardcore Championship. Meanwhile, in the background, the food vendors are talking to a ref about getting the belt so Brisco attacks him.

The Rock tells Shawn Michaels that if he doesn’t call the match down the middle they’re confrontation will not take sixty minutes.

Tables Match- DX (Road Dogg and X-Pac) w/Tori vs. Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von Dudley)
D-Von and Road Dogg start. Leaping shoulderblock by D-Von and he hits a back elbow. Tag to X-Pac and he hammers away in the corner. Leaping shoulderblock by D-Von to come back and he tags Bubba. Jabs by Bubba but X-Pac comes back with a spinkick. X-Pac goes for a table but Bubba stops him and brings him back in. Bubba misses an Avalanche in the corner and X-Pac charges but eats boot. Second rope clothesline by Bubba and he slams X-Pac. WHAT’S UP~!!! What’s Up to Road Dogg as well!!! DX starts to walk away but the Dudleyz stop him and back in, X-Pac kicks D-Von in the back allowing Dogg to jump on him in the ropes. Dogg stomps away and tags X-Pac. Spin kick in the corner by X-Pac and he gives D-Von the Bronco Buster. DX choke away on D-Von in the corner and Dogg grabs a front facelock. D-Von backs Dogg to the corner and tags Bubba in. The ref didn’t see it which allows DX to continue their double team. Spinning heel kick by X-Pac but D-Von comes back with a double clothesline to DX. Tag to Bubba and he cleans house. Sidewalk slam to X-Pac and he hits the Bubba Bomb on Dogg. Samoan Drop to X-Pac and they grab tables. They set up tables in the corner and Dogg sends D-Von into the steps on the floor. Dogg sets up a table on the floor and hits a Pumphandle Slam off the steps through a table to eliminate D-Von.
Bubba hammers away on Dogg on the floor and he chokes away on the apron. X-Pac goes for the Bronco Buster on the table to D-Von but Bubba takes X-Pac down by the hair. Bubba sets up a table and X-Pac goes for a hurricanrana but Bubba blocks and powerbombs X-Pac through the table!!!
Bubba and Dogg slug it out and they HIPTOSS THE REF THROUGH A TABLE!!!! DDT by Bubba and they set up a table. 3D through the table on Dogg but the ref never saw it. Gerald Brisco comes out and pulls Road Dogg out from the rubble. Tori comes in and goes to slap Bubba but he blocks and grabs Tori. D-Von sets up a table and Bubba goes for the super powerbomb on Tori but Brisco goes low to save her. X-Pac goes up and hits a super X-Factor through the table on Bubba for the win!!!
Winners- DX **1/2 ( Decent brawl that got good once they started the table spots. The screw job at the end was kind of crappy but they wanted to go one more PPV before paying it off with Tori going through the table. )

After the match, Brisco taunts Bubba allowing D-Von to attack from behind. They set up a table and 3D Brisco through it!!!

Creepy little girl video plays and a message says his judgment day is here.

Video package for Rock/Triple H airs.

Ironman Match for the WWF Championship- The Rock © vs. Triple H
Shawn Michaels is the guest ref. Triple H comes out with the McMahons and he sends them to the back because he wants to win this match on his own. They oblige and head to the back. Headlock by Rock but HHH escapes and we go to the test of strength. Rock breaks and goes right back to the headlock. Shoulderblocks by Rock gets 2 and he rolls HHH up for 2 forcing HHH to bail. Back in, HHH now goes to the headlock. Rock escapes and knocks HHH down forcing him to bail again. Back in, Rock knocks HHH down. Whip to the corner and Rock charges but eats elbow. Clothesline by HHH and he works over the arm of Rock. HHH knocks Rock down and he grabs an arm bar. Rock breaks with some rights but HHH catches him with the Divorce Court for 2. Back to the arm bar goes HHH as we are ten minutes in. Rock backs HHH to the corner to break and he hits some rights. Rock Bottom by Rock gets 3!!! Rock 1-0.
HHH bails to the floor to regroup. Rock follows out and he drags HHH up the ramp. HHH fights back with some shots to the ribs but Rock sends him into the railings to come back. HHH drops Rock onto the railings and he hits some rights. He goes for a kneestrike but Rock moves and HHH hits the barricade. Rock suplexes HHH back into the ring for 2. Rock slams HHH’s leg off the post a few times and he hits a kneebreaker onto the steps. Back in, Rock pulls HHH out of the corner and he kicks away at the bad leg of HHH. Clothesline by Rock and he grabs the Figure-4. HHH turns the hold over and they roll to the ropes to break the hold. They head back to the floor and Rock is sent into the barricade. Clothesline on the floor by HHH and they fight in the crowd. Back in the ring, HHH hits a suplex as we are twenty minutes in. Elbow drops by HHH gets 2 and he works over Rock in the corner. Rock charges but HHH dumps him to the floor. HHH follows out and Rock reverses him into the steps knees first. Back in, Rock jumps on HHH’s knee that was hanging in the ropes. Rock continues to work over the leg of HHH and he rakes the eyes of Rock to stop him. Kneebreaker by Rock and he goes for the Figure-4 again but he kicks Rock away sending him face first into the turnbuckle. Pedigree by HHH gets 3!!! Tied 1-1.
HHH chokes away on Rock and he gets a small package for 3. HHH 2-1.
Rights by Rock but HHH pulls him to the floor to stop him. They fight up the ramp and HHH is reversed into the set. Clothesline on the floor by Rock and he goes for a suplex but HHH blocks and reverses to his own. Back suplex on the floor by Rock and both men are down as the match has hit the halfway mark. Rock sends HHH into the apron and then connects with a backdrop on the floor. Back in, Rock knocks HHH down but HHH rakes the eyes. Facebuster by HHH and he hits a piledriver for 3. HHH 3-1.
HHH stomps away in the corner but Rock comes out with a clothesline. Rights by Rock but HHH comes back with a back elbow for 2. HHH goes up but Rock arm drags him off the top to stop him. Rights by Rock and HHH charges in the corner but eats elbow. Inside cradle by Rock gets 2. High knee by HHH gets 2. They slug it out and HHH grabs a sleeper. HHH uses the ropes for leverage and Shawn eventually catches it, so he kicks HHH’s legs off the ropes forcing him to break the hold. Rights by Rock and HHH goes back to the sleeper. Rock counters into a belly to belly suplex and both men are down with forty minutes gone. Rock covers for 2 and he hits a float over DDT for 3!!! HHH 3-2.
Both men go to the floor and Rock slams HHH’s face off the steps. He drops HHH off the timekeeper’s table and HHH goes to nail Rock with a chair but Shawn takes it away. Rock sends HHH into the steps but HHH sends him to the railings. Rock comes back with a swinging neckbreaker on the floor and they head back in. HHH nails Rock with a chair and he gets DQ’ed!!! Tied 3-3.
HHH rolls Rock up with his feet on the ropes for 3. HHH 4-3.
Sleeper by HHH but Rock’s arm only goes down twice. Rock fights out but HHH catches him once again with the sleeper. Rock’s arm goes down three times!!! HHH 5-3.
HHH won’t release the hold so Shawn pulls HHH off by the hair. They get into a shoving match and it allows Rock to recover. Rights by Rock and he sends HHH to the corner and HHH falls all the way to the floor. Back in, HHH hits a DDT for 2. Ten minutes left in the match. HHH goes up but Rock crotches him and follows up. HHH fights him off but Rock heads back up and hits a superplex. Rock covers for 2!!! Rock clotheslines HHH to the floor and follows out. Rock works him over on the floor and he catapults HHH into the ring post. HHH reverses Rock into the steps and they fight onto the announce table. HHH goes for a Rock Bottom on the table but Rock blocks and hits the Pedigree onto the announce table!!!! Rock rolls into the ring and HHH gets counted out!!! HHH 5-4.
The McMahons make their way out as a bloody HHH struggles to get off the announce table. He makes it back in before being counted out again!!! Rights by Rock and he hits a clothesline. DDT by Rock and he knocks the McMahons off the apron. Spinebuster by Rock and he hits the People’s Elbow for 3!!! Tied 5-5.
Shane pulls Shawn out of the ring and Shawn lays him out. He nails Vince and Rock is sent into Shawn, knocking him off the apron. Rock Bottom to HHH but DX comes out to attack him. Suddenly, the little girls appear on screen and say he’s back from the dead. UNDERTAKER IS BACK!!!!! He’s on a motorcycle!!!! Taker cleans house of DX and the McMahons!!!! He goes after Stephanie but HHH stops him. Taker chokeslams him as the clock runs out!!! Tombstone to HHH!!!! Shawn tells Howard Finkel Rock got DQ’ed for Undertaker’s attack on HHH!!!
Winner by score of 6-5 and the NEW WWF Champion- Triple H ****1/4 ( The first half dragged since they wanted to kill time do to going so long which is one of the biggest issues I have with ironman matches in general. However, the second half was phenomenal. I loved the ways Triple H picked up near falls; capitalizing on times when Rock was at his weakest and especially repeatedly using the sleeper until it finally work. The last ten minutes were awesome and dramatic and the Undertaker’s return was a great moment. Another phenomenal match and performance as Triple H and Rock proved the people who didn’t think they could go that long wrong. )

The 411: A great PPV from one of the WWF's hottest periods. Everyone brought their A game and their wasn't a single bad performance on the show. There are no bad matches and there are two matches that are worthwhile. The WWF was hitting their stride in terms of match quality and entertainment value and it shines here. This is a show that is totally worth a look especially to see just how great the WWF was in 2000.

Final Score:  8.5   [ Very Good ]