HHH in 2000

[StretchMediatedHypertrophy]

13 years later and I still think anyone kicking out of the Banzai Drop is bullshit.That being said, Rikishi had only been in the company for about a month or so at that point and was getting hugely popular. It was the perfect showcase to building him up as a future main event player. The segments building up to the match were killer too. HHH usually smirks or laughs off other people, but he sold Rikishi as someone he didnt want to fuck with.

 

He was using the Fire Thunder Driver as his finish at that point, so HHH wasn't no-selling a finish.

[Overly Critical Man]

It's a line of thought that carried over from Yokozuna using the banzai drop. I just feel if any fat man used the banzai drop, it's blasphemy for it to be kicked out of.

[goodhelmet]

Steve Blackman...

 

Create a Steve Blackman Thread

[Fat Spanish Waiter]

No-one will post in it!

[Victator]

I will

[Brian Fowler]

Do a Blackman project with Vic.

[Victator]

I've already started.

[GojiColin]

Triple H vs Rikishi Smackdown January 4th 2000

 

 

This thread got me to revisit the WWE circa 2000, since this was when I got back into wrestling.  Back then I was much more of the stereotypical internet wrestling fan, so watching it again has been interesting; almost like watching it for the first time again.

 

I was so on the 'Triple H sucks' bandwagon, but watching those matches now it's pretty obvious that he was way better then I ever gave him credit for.  The New Years Resolution match vs Show, the Rikishi match, vs Jack at the Rumble; at the very least these were all really good matches and I'm only in January.  And even his mic and acting is pretty good.  I'm shocked how much fun the HHH/Steph "Power couple messes with each other by moving their pawns about" skits are and how much they contribute to the undercard guys having stuff to do.

 

That's the thing that strikes me the most as missing from modern WWE programming.  in 2000 if you were on TV you had some sort of plot thread, even if it was as simple as "Torrie thought you were perving on her, so she sics Kane on you".  Now you can be a title holder and still not have a plot.

[Matt D]

Hunter vs Rikishi - Smackdown 1/4/2000

 

Alright hopefully I have the right match here. I know they had a couple. I guess I will look for downward punches to... wait, defending against Big Show  in April? That's not right. Let me try again.

 

Ok fake Mick Foley. This sounds more right. Fink sounded so earnestly excited announcing Rikishi out of the rigged lottery and all the faces are chanting his name. It's not just Rikishi at this point but Rikishi Phatu. He has Too Cool leave from the start and it makes it all seem a little more special for some reason. Hunter's entrance has become so much of a parody of itself, culminating in the peeing-himself moment from a few months ago, that it's easy to forget how primal and potent it was in 2000.

 

Hunter is Bockwinkelish in his gameplan attacking in the corner and i agree it was a good start. It makes him seem potent and dangerous and in doing so, it make Rikishi seem all the more of a force in coming back immediately. I don't know about a legdrop on the outside in the first minute of the match. Despite what FSW says about Rikishi moving better than Show and Henry I think both of them might have taken that stairs shot more spectacularly. He really does throw himself into the announce table, etc, though. 

 

Hunter has to keep shifting his offense as Rikishi is just too much for him. He goes for a pin after the knee-counter on the back body drop which I've never seen before, but I think he just wants to get out of there despite his aggression. He's wrestling this as desperate but not chickenshit. This is the opposite of Jericho match which was very focused for the most part. This is a vulnerable heel champion match and Trips is no Tully. Nothing Hunter does through most of this is particularly smart, but that can be played up with him not being prepared (And in fact being actively surprised) and also his exhaustion post Big Show. The end result is that Kish ends up looking like a million bucks. I didn't love the banzai drop kick out but only because it didn't look particularly believable. It might have been a camera angle thing.

 

Steph actually does a great job as a distraction, giving the chair to Hunter and then running around the ring to distract the ref. The kick out afterwards is what makes the match as the fans explode. I've never seen a heel get an asshole chant after getting himself disqualified like that before and that's an lement of the crowds from the era but it's also proof positive of how the match was effective. 

 

I've seen this match better a bunch of times, but I would put a check mark on the "Good Year" category for Hunter here. The match did exactly what it was supposed to do; Rikishi came out looking better and it elevated him a ton and the Hunter-Steph pairing came out looking almost as strong as before for surviving it under the circumstances. 

[Fat Spanish Waiter]

Downward punches though.

Fowler? I'm gonna do another one tomorrow...

[Brian Fowler]

Watching the LMS now. Been a busy busy week.

[Brian Fowler]

I don't have a lot to add not already said, but the pop when Jericho pulls Hunter back to the center of the ring in the Walls is spectacular.  I love when Steph slaps Jericho, and it's really poor, and then she reloads and just absolutely smacks the taste out of his mouth. 

 

I also like how they teased a basic repeat of The Rock/Mankind LMS finish (which was at that point the only LMS in WWF history) with the double monitor shots instead of chairs, and again used the idea of a draw tease at the finish.

 

Triple H is clearly the superior guy in this match, although I think part of that was Jericho still hadn't fully adjusted to WWF style. 

 

Steph is a really great heel second here.  Her smirk during the pedigree count is just so cocky and evil.

 

I have to be honest, this match was a lot better in my memory than in re-watching, but it's still a really solid affair. 

[Greggulator]

 

This match is really good.

 

I have no idea of the context. It's sometime after Jericho beat HHH on Raw but HHH purged the refs into reversing the decision. Linda apparently made some sort of "surprise match" and it was Jericho. HHH sells Jericho's countdown entrance like he's Andres Biedrins forced to go into a FT shooting contest against Ray Allen with his newborn child's life hanging in the balance.

 

Jericho comes in a house of fire. He hits a bunch of his trademark high energy spots and gets a few 2 7/8th counts. That's something HHH does really well in this match (and others) -- he's great at JUST kicking out in time. HHH gets control with a high knee and then slows the pace down to his liking, as JR notes. HHH doesn't really work on a specific body part but just tries to grind Y2J down -- big shouldertackles in the corner, a sleeper, etc.

 

Jericho has one good hope spot when he starts punching HHH who backpedals. But Jericho put his head down after whipping HHH into the ropes and takes a DDT. Jericho then elbows his way out of a sleeper (that HHH *REALLY* cinched in) and whips H into the corner only to eat a big boot that he takes real well. The transition back comes after that spot. HHH climbs the ropes and gloats by blowing a kiss to Steph. Jericho dropkicks HHH and then quickly gets up and does a hurucanrana from the top that HHH sells like death.

 

Jericho gets control after this. He gets his bulldog on HHH for a terrific near kick-out.  HHH does a great Flair beg-off crawl-away as Jericho pounces. But that was a distraction as HHH counters Jericho's move off the ropes and regains control with his knee to the face. He sets up for the pedigree but Y2J attempts the Walls. They're struggling and HHH punches Jericho and powers out, sending Chris to the corner. There's then an awkward face-first fall (solely on Jericho's part) out of the corner and Chris lands right in HHH's junk. Steph (who has been noticeable but far from distracting at ringside) gets on the apron and drops the belt into the ring for Hunter to use. Steph still controls the ref's attention, however.

 

Jericho dodges a belt shot with a heel kick and then hits whatever the Lionsault and gets a visionary fall. Jericho goes to break that up and Hunter tries to attack. Jericho dodges and there's a ref bump. Y2J locks on the Walls and Hunter is frantically tapping to it. Steph comes in to slap the taste out of Jericho's mouth. Chris catcher her slap, though. He gloats and is about to put Steph into the Walls. He finally does but HHH is up and crowns Jericho with the belt. Steph worms her way outside as HHH hits the Pedigree. Steph rolls in the ring. 1-2-3. Ballgame.

 

The crowd was super hot. HHH really went overboard to make Jericho look like a total threat. It was great in that department. He sold everything magnificently well, gave Jericho a ton of stuff, and had to cheat to win. Steph's timing was great, too. The only stumble in the match was the weird facefirst fall into Hunter's nutsack but that wasn't anything too much. Chalk another up in the HHH 2000 positive column.

[NintendoLogic]

Triple H vs. The Rock

Judgment Day 2000

Iron Man Match

 

Before the match begins, HHH sends the McMahons to the back because he wants to make a point about being able to win on his own. The match begins with the two combatants jaw-jacking at each other. Rock works a headlock and HHH bails to the outside. Once HHH returns, he works a headlock of his own, but Rock tags him with a right and he bails again. Back in, and Rock gains the advantage after tagging HHH again, but he catches Rock with an elbow in the corner and takes control with a clothesline. From there, HHH goes after Rock's arm. He has a bunch of nifty ways of going after it; in addition to various armbars, he slams it against the turnbuckle and busts out a single-arm DDT. Eventually, Rock hits the Rock Bottom out of nowhere and gets the pin. HHH rolls out of the ring, and to his credit, Rock has to shake off the damage to his arm. Rock 1, HHH 0.

 

The action moves outside and they start brawling on the entrance ramp. While out there, HHH takes a couple of big boy bumps into the guardrail. I think one of the things that separates 2000-01 HHH from post-quad injury HHH is that the former was a much bigger bumper. Once they get back in the ring, Rock goes to work on HHH's leg. He starts by slamming it against the ringpost and then applies a figure-four leglock. HHH eventually turns it over and rolls into the ropes. Back outside, and we get the olbigatory Attitude Era brawl in the crowd. HHH is still selling the leg, which is pretty impressive. They take it back in, and HHH takes control with a vertical suplex and a couple of elbow drops. Rock tries to get back in it by going after the injured leg, but HHH tosses him over the top rope. He tries to go after Rock, but he gets whipped knees-first into the ring steps, doing more damage to the leg. Rock tries to capitalize with a shinbreaker and legscissors. He tries for another figure-four, but HHH counters and hits the Pedigree. Rock 1, HHH 1.

 

Once HHH regains his faculties, he busts out a Ric Flair-style choke, which leads to a slugest. Rock whips HHH into the ropes, but HHH gets a pin with a small package. HHH 2, Rock 1.

 

HHH is still selling the leg, which is awesome. Rock wins a slugfest, but HHH tosses him out. We get more brawling on the entrance ramp, and both guys hit suplexes and sell the impact to allow them to catch a breather. Rock gains the advantage after back body dropping HHH on the outside and tries to take control in the ring, but HHH counters with a facebuster and hits a piledriver for the pin. Lawler on commentary: "Piledriver always works!" HHH 3, Rock 1.

 

HHH is firmly in control, but he does yet another Flair tribute by going to the top only to be thrown off. HHH is really wearing the Flair influence on his sleeve in this match. We get a teased double countout, followed by Rock busting out LA MAGISTRAL, which gets two. HHH goes into the ropes but applies a sleeper, which he works seemingly forever. He tries to gain extra leverage by putting his feet on the ropes, but special guest referee Shawn Michaels (more on him later) does his best Tommy Young impression by kicking HHH's feet off. HHH gets into it with HBK, giving Rock time to recover. HHH goes back to the sleeper, but Rock counters with a belly-to-belly suplex for another teased double countout. Back up, and HHH tries to go back to the sleeper, but Rock counters with a DDT and gets the pin. HHH 3, Rock 2.

 

They roll out to brawl on the outside some more. HHH grabs a chair, but HBK takes it away from him and puts it in the ring (foreshadowing!). Rock hits a neckbreaker on the outside to allow them both to catch a breather. Once they get back in, HHH suckers Rock in by begging off (yet another Flair tribute!) and kicks him in the gut. He then grabs the chair and blasts Rock in the head with it. Chairshots to the head make me queasy, but at least this one was protected. Anyway, Rock gets a win by disqualification and we're tied at 3.

 

Rock is still on dream street, so HHH rolls him up with his feet on the ropes for good measure and gets the pin. HHH 4, Rock 3.

 

Rock is busted open, and HHH goes back to the sleeper. Rock fights out, but HHH reapplies it, which proves to be too much. Rock passes out, putting HHH up 5-3.

 

HHH refuses to break the hold, so HBK pulls him off by the hair, leading to a shoving match (still another Flair tribute!). This gives Rock a chance to regain his bearings, and HHH takes a Harley Race-style bump over the turnbuckle and to the floor. There's a little more than ten minutes left at this point and Rock needs pins, so he rolls HHH back into the ring, but HHH hits a DDT. He then goes up again, but Rock counters again, this time with a superplex. They go back outside, and HHH sets up the announce table so he can put Rock on it. He tries to Rock Bottom him through the table, but Rock counters and Pedigrees HHH onto the table, allowing Rock to get a countout victory. HHH 5, Rock 4.

 

HHH comes up bloody as the McMahons make their way back to the ring and just beats the count to avoid getting counted out a second time. Back in the ring, and Shane and Vince try to interfere, but Rock knocks them off the apron. He then hits a spinebuster and the People's Elbow and gets the pin to tie things up at 5.

 

Shane pulls Shawn out of the ring, but Shawn slugs him and Vince. Rock hits a Rock Bottom, but Shawn gets knocked out and DX comes in to give Rock a gang beatdown. All of a sudden, some cryptic music starts playing, and Undertaker returns and debuts his biker persona. Once he makes it to the ring, he takes out DX and chokeslams Shane and Vince. He then tries to chokeslam Stephanie, but HHH breaks it up, thus making himself a target of Taker's wrath. He hits HHH with a chokeslam and then a tombstone piledriver, forcing HBK to award HHH a fall by disqualification. HHH thus wins 6-5 and becomes WWF champion. I thought titles couldn't change hands on a disqualification, but whatever. A far bigger problem is that the ending was horribly botched, as Taker didn't hit the tombstone until after time had expired.

 

One big problem with Iron Man matches is that it's hard to keep the crowd interested for the whole 60 minutes because they know only the last few minutes matter. The way I see it, there are two main ways of getting around that. One, have pins come in unorthodox ways so that every high-impact move is a credible nearfall. Two, have the heel build up a huge lead to increase the sense of urgency. What do you know, this match employs both. In all, this match is very smartly constructed. On a macro level, it feels kind of like a series of mini-matches strung together, which along with things like the chair spot setup suggests a heavy Pat Patterson influence. Even so, you have nice touches at the micro level like Rock getting a pin with the Rock Bottom but not being able to capitalize further because of the damage to his arm. And HHH plays the role of top heel to perfection, showing that he's good enough to hang with Rock but still willing to take shortcuts. Make no mistake, this isn't a perfect match by any means. There's too much brawling on the outside. The middle portion drags a bit. And the ending sucked and was botched to boot. The biggest problem I had, though, was Shawn as referee. He didn't do anything particularly bad, but his outfit was atrocious. His ref shirt plus daisy dukes getup was bad enough, but his shirt gets untucked at some point, making it look like he's not wearing any pants at all.Still, the pluses far outweigh the minuses, making this an easy addition to the plus side of the ledger for HHH's 2000. In fact, I'd call it the WWF MOTY for 2000.

[NintendoLogic]

EDIT: double post

[NintendoLogic]

EDIT: Are you fucking kidding me?

[DJ Hero Morganti]

Apparently, you post 3 times in support of triple haitch.  (come on that was awesome and you know it)

[Matt D]

You people are off in left field here. There's no rhyme or reason to this.

[Fat Spanish Waiter]

Yeah there's supposed to be a combined effort what the eff.

[Fat Spanish Waiter]

No more new matches, only previously reviewed ones. Let's all catch up.

[NintendoLogic]

That's what I thought, but than that other guy did his own thing, so I figured it was open season. Whatever, I'm not the one with the banhammer hanging over my head.

[Matt D]

I'm not touching that iron man match for a while. It's an iron man match!

 

No one quote me on this but this one time DO WHAT FSW SAYS.

[Fat Spanish Waiter]

That's what I thought, but than that other guy did his own thing, so I figured it was open season. Whatever, I'm not the one with the banhammer hanging over my head.

Eh I have like fifteen accounts, I'll just post more on the LooseCannon one.

[Brian Fowler]

So now i'm like 4 behind... Lets make a schedule or something.

[The Man Known as Dan]

Man, am I the only person on the planet that figured out that an ironman match does not take into account HOW you win the falls you do? The title on DQ rule does not apply there.