Pat Patterson vs. Gerald Brisco
Evening Gown Match for the Hardcore Title
I haven't got much to say about this one. The gimmick became overdone and tired long ago, and it's pretty safe to say these two passed their prime a couple years back. The humor just isn't working anymore, and Vince needs to realize that. I'll take Saturn, making the run in with a new ref and winning his first gold.. just because he needs it, while Brisco and Patterson don't.
Winner: Perry Saturn
X-Pac, Road Dogg & Tori vs. Dudley Boyz
Dumpster Table Match
I like the little bit of history they threw our way the other night, remembering the infamous NAO Dumpster incident in the weeks before Wrestlemania 14 with the Dudleys' fall from grace. Though it isn't a trend I'd like to see every week, I'm glad to see they haven't forgotten one of the feuds that helped launch the Attitude era. Getting to the match, anybody that doesn't expect a sloppy series of bumps, falls and big spots should check their head. With X-Pac throwing his hands up in the air and mailing his recent matches in, the Dudleys are gonna have to work extra hard to keep things decent here. Silly stips, 2 below average workers and one guy that's given up on his career do not a good match make. I'll take the Dudleys, just because I can.
Winners: The Dudley Boyz
Too Cool vs. Edge/Christian vs. T&A vs. Hardy Boyz
Tag Team Championship
The belts need to change hands tonight, and with the Hardy Boys' stagnation, T&A never catching on and Too Cool working more and more as singles, the winners seem to be pretty obvious. I'm not positive which rules this one will be fought under, though I'd hope it isn?t just a straight up brawl. All eight men are extremely talented (and yes, I meant to include T&A in that list), so the action could be very worthwhile.. though it'll be very easy to just fall back and let things become a spot-fest.
I'd like to see the Hardys take home their second tag titles here, so I won't completely rule a Matt and Jeff victory out. Edge and Christian simply have more promise as champions right now.
Winners: Edge & Christian
Kurt Angle vs. Chris Jericho
King of the Ring Quarterfinals
Jericho's got the momentum, while Angle's got the big feud with HHH looming on the horizon. These are a couple of the fastest rising stars in the promotion, and it's tough to call a winner so early. The two have worked well together in the past when they haven't blown their loads too early and spent the rest of the match trying to recapture a pace. If they keep the spots flowing evenly throughout, building to a strong finish and maybe.. just maybe.. slipping in a bit of psychology for sticklers like Spence and I, we could see something really special in the first round. I've got a strong hunch this might be the big surprise match of the night, and I'm gonna go out on a limb in picking Y2J.
Winner: Chris Jericho
Crash Holly vs. Bull Buchanan
King of the Ring Quarterfinals
For the sake of the future, I hope Crash takes a win here and begins a strong run towards future credibility. Though he hasn't been able to show it more than fleetingly, tangled in the Hardcore division, Crash Holly is actually a promising talent. He's got the charisma, the willingness to bump, and a moveset that supposedly goes the distance. While Bull's enjoying the immediate push that most WWF superstars get to experience early on, I'd bet it's all about to come to a halt Sunday night. Crash Holly gets the nod in my opinion, though he won't get far.
Winner: Crash Holly
Rikishi Phatu vs. Chris Benoit
King of the Ring Quarterfinals
As I've said in the past, Rikishi is one of the few big men in the industry that's actually worth his weight. Though he has trouble sometimes, he's never afraid to keep up with the smaller guys and will bump when the situation calls for it. Though I've quickly become tired of his "dancin man with the ass" gimmick, an upcoming feud with Venis could lend a bit more personality to his character.. which is just what he needs. Benoit's in similar water, as fans don't know if they're supposed to cheer him or boo him anymore. Something needs to happen in this match, something decisive. The Tazz run-in is likely, though if it goes down I'd wager he causes Benoit?s advancement in the tourney, not his elimination. Chris just jobbed the IC gold to Phatu. Look for him to gain his revenge Sunday night.
Winner: Chris Benoit
Val Venis vs. Eddy Guerrero
King of the Ring Quarterfinals
Eddy and Val are becoming two of the top "can't miss" prospects of tomorrow. After an overly stale character was dumped in favor of a strongly motivated heel, fans and critics alike have suddenly recognized Venis' above average talents and sung their praises. When he faces off with one of the world's finest workers, bar none, in Guerrero, sparks can't help but fly. I'll go with Chyna interference here, accidentally costing Latino Heat his spot in the semis.
Winner: Val Venis
Chris Jericho vs. Crash Holly
King of the Ring Semifinals
Much as I like Crash, I don't think he's quite at the level to go over as established a star as Y2J just yet. Though it would be an interesting enough scenario to see Elroy Jetson as the flukey surprise finalist.. I just don't think it's a prudent decision. While their angles may not have anything to do with each other at the time, I'd see that as a demonstration of the random nature of any tournament. At the very least, it'll net us a nice match. As I covered above, I don't think Crash can go over here.. it would ideally be a well fought, close match that sees Jericho walking away with a clean pin.
Winner: Chris Jericho
Chris Benoit vs. Val Venis
King of the Ring Semifinals
Here comes big swerve number two: Benoit doesn't make the finals. If you're a regular reader of my stuff, you'll know there's nobody I'd rather see reign as the 2000 King of the Ring more than Chris Benoit. While he's enjoyed a long run as IC champ, I still don't believe he's got the attention of the common fan. Not enough to merit a victory at the year's biggest tournament, anyway. Venis makes the finals, building his way to a strong midcard heel run.
Winner: Val Venis
Chris Jericho vs. Val Venis
King of the Ring Finals
What a tournament final should be. A fresh match, with clearly defined face and heel roles that the fans enjoy watching. It's a tough one to call, since Jericho doesn't exactly need the push as much as Val might.. but a Venis victory could knock Jericho from the position he's earned as one of the federation's top stars. I won?t begin to pretend this one's gonna be clean from start to finish (I'll leave that hopeless dream with Jericho/Crash Holly), but if nothing else I'd like to see a finish that isn't completely marred by outside interference. These two could put on one helluva show if the crowd gives them reason to, barring an untimely injury or a bizarre DQ finish. When the dust settles, I'll put my money on Jericho, squeaking by a tough victory that raises the stock of both men.
Winner: Chris Jericho
Triple H, Vince & Shane vs. The Rock, Kane & Undertaker
Six-Man Tag-Team Match
A couple months after WCW ran a similar angle (winner of this big tag match gets the belt), the WWF's running the same thing to main event a PPV.. and you know what? It works this time. Maybe it's the fact there aren't any actors in the roster, though I wouldn't put much money against a surprise Samuel L. Jackson appearance. Seriously though, I'm a bit surprised Vince went with a 6-man for the main event, and inserting Shane and himself to the mix only exploits the Federation's main downfall.. a near complete lack of main event heels. Not only does this drag the match down a couple notches (because Vince and Shane can't hope to pull as much weight as say.. Benoit or Malenko could.. though their insertion makes a lot more sense), but it almost insures a turn on the faces' side. The big money's on Kane, and though I'm looking more at an Undertaker turn, I will admit Kane would have the most to gain by going bad. His only World Title reign in the past was at Vince's bidding, a tidbit which I'm pretty sure hasn't been overlooked in the long run. As a face, Kane's getting mixed up with the Undertaker and the Rock.. and stands as a distant #3 in the eyes of the fans. Joining forces with HHH wouldn't make instant sense, but I'm confident Vince can make us believe. Against my better judgement, I'm going with the popular belief here. Kane's turning, and he's got several months of a World Title reign in his future.
Winner: Kane
In Closing...
I'll be the first to tell you every one of my predictions is probably wrong. But hell.. what fun is a preview that doesn't take any chances? If the tournament is even a glimmer of what it could be, we're in for a real treat this weekend. What the WWF's done in 2000 as a whole is simply amazing, especially when compared with how terrible and predictable the product was becoming just before Russo's big jump. We've gone from an Intercontinental Belt with no value whatsoever (after being passed around the likes of the Godfather and Goldust) to a strap of gold that's quickly reclaiming its past glory in the hands of Chris Benoit, Kurt Angle and Chris Jericho. The tag team division has been resurrected, when Kane and X-Pac were obliterating their opponents not one year past. New stars have risen from the least likely places (c'mon, who really thought Kurt Angle was gonna work out?), and others have arrived from otherwise-binding contracts with the competition. Tournaments like this don't come around every day, and if you don't take advantage and enjoy it now it may slip through the cracks and fall from grace.. like the WCW Cruiserweight Division.
until next time, i remain
drq
drq
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