William Regal vs. Hardcore Holly
European Championship Match
I'm not sure why Holly isn't involved with his cousin(s) further down the card here, but it's just as well.. I'd rather see a Hardcore face off with our current European Champion than Steve Blackman. When John says this guy's getting heat, he isn't yanking your chain.. attending the Smackdown tapings this past Tuesday, Regal was invoking such a reaction I couldn't decipher a single word of his promo. Audiences absolutely despise the guy, and he's loving every minute of it. In the ring he's never been stronger, and at his current pace, we could be seeing Stephen William in the main event within another year or two. On the flip side, Hardcore Bob Holly seems to be in position to head for the main event sooner than that. His return was treated as quite the event, with Kurt Angle selling for him like it was the second coming. What we're getting here is a preview of what could be in store for us even further down the road.. and I'm sure both men realize it. Could be a show-stealer, and I'll take Hardcore as the winner, but not the new champion.
Winner: Hardcore Holly
Steve Blackman, Crash and Molly Holly vs. T&A and Trish
I was quite pleased to see the former Mona finally arrive in the WWF, and though she completely blew her very first springboard, I think she's got big things in her future. Generally a crowd pleaser, we'll see all the big spots with very little substance to fill the gaps. T&A pick up the 'v', likely pinning poor Crash, who hasn't been given much of a push comparable to his ever-expanding talent.
Winners: T&A
Ivory vs. Lita
Women's Championship Match
I think Lita is definately carryable to a watchable match, and with Ivory acting as the WWF's strongest active female worker we're likely to get the best Women's title match possible right here. Ideally, we won't be going more than five minutes here, and I don't see Vince booking it much longer than that in the first place. We'll more than likely get some missed spots along the way, but overall I'd figure this as a neat little package of a match, which is much better than what we've been seeing from the division since its reintroduction during the era of Sable a couple years back. As for a victor, I'm a sucker for a dress, and Ivory fills hers out really well as a forefront member of the RTC. She retains.
Winner: Ivory
The Hardy Boyz & The Dudley Boyz vs. Bull Buchanan, Goodfather, Edge & Christian
Survivor Series Elimination Match
I really have no idea why the Goodfather is being pushed in the ring over Stevie Richards. Though I fully understand the idea of the 'cowardly heel', inviting audience reactions by constantly avoiding physical contact whenever possible, as the leader of the stable Richards needs to take a more decisive position. He's been booked as a legitimate threat on the few occasions that he's stepped between the ropes, yet he hasn't found his way into this one. If Guerrero weren't already a heel champion, I'd suggest Stevie look for work in the Intercontinental Title scene. John's right, I think we've seen Edge / Christian vs. the Hardys a bit too often this year. It's time for both for a blowoff, and I think that's waiting in the wings once we get this little elimination match out of the way.
Winners: RTC / Edge & Christian
Billy Gunn, Chyna, Road Dogg & K-Kwick vs. The Radicals
Survivor Series Elimination Match
On one end of the spectrum here we've got the Radicals, who have been called the most threatening stable in WWF history.. yet haven't been given any sort of push to give the fans that same opinion. On the other side stands what's left of DX: Billy Gunn, the Road Dogg, Chyna and newcomer K Kwik. Though they're far from an imposing collection, just about every one of them has been pushed to the moon and beyond in recent weeks. In both cases I feel something needs to change, and I don't think there's much question as to what that is. We've got something of a grab bag here, as the Radicals obviously have the skills to give us a great one, but haven't been delivering of late. Some of that is doubtless due to lack of motivation, and I'd suggest a strong showing here could mean good things for them down the line. John's idea of a Benoit solo victory sounds good, but if the WWF is serious about pushing these four as legitimate hardasses, they'll need more than just a solid leader.
Winners: The Radicals
Chris Jericho vs. Kane
This is probably Y2J's big chance to hit the brakes on his recent downhill slide and start back up the path to the main event. Though his character has been sort of directionless for some time now, his work in the ring has echoed the sentiment. If Jericho comes out ready to play this Sunday night, I'd be willing to bet it's a sign of things to come. Judging by his recent performances, I'd say that's more than likely. John's theory holds water, but I don't think the feud has legs to last further than this PPV. Jericho gets the victory here, as the WWF hasn't any idea of what to do with Kane in the main event picture.
Winner: Chris Jericho
Kurt Angle vs. The Undertaker
WWF Championship Match
It's something of a disappointment that Kurt Angle's incredible rookie year has found itself capped off with a second rate title, not one month into his first reign as champion. Though the Undertaker certainly retains his big name value, the man's lost more than a step or two over the last couple years, and I'm not sure Angle has what it takes to get a good match out of him. I've got no problem with him in the main event for right now, but the time is drawing near for the American Bad Ass to ride off into the sunset. Watching him hobble to the ring this past Thursday after Smackdown went off the air was as sad a sight as you're ever likely to see. The desire still burns, just as strong as it did during his first WWF appearance exactly 10 years ago, but his body just isn't up to it any more. Still, I wouldn't bet against this match serving as a sort of thanks for the decade of dedication to the Fed the 'Taker's put in. If there were ever a time for one last title reign, it's now. When it's over, though, I'd implore the WWF to give his career the proper sendoff it deserves.
Winner: The Undertaker
Rikishi vs. The Rock
Here's one that won't end with one PPV. I fully expect the Rock's ribs to play a crucial part in the way this one plays out, and now that the People's Champ has shown he understands what psychology's all about (in the Smackdown match John mentioned earlier), that expectation doesn't appear nearly as farfetched. It's no secret Rikishi isn't doing half the business he was expected to after his big heel turn (as evidenced by the re-turning of HHH.. the WWF's trump of all trump cards), and like John said he needs a huge win over a major league face to solidify himself as a force to be reckoned with. He isn't gonna get many more opportunities to take a clean win like this, and I'll be surprised if he does the job to an injured Rock this Sunday night.
Winner: Rikishi
Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Triple H
Though I won't go so far as to say I didn't enjoy the surprise HHH heel turn a couple weeks ago (quite the opposite, actually.. I loved it..), the whole thing feels like it's been rushed, as neither Austin or Helmsley have ben in top form while promoting it. This is something around which you could base the company for nearly a full year, and by lighting the fuse this soon after Stone Cold's return to the ring the bookers are trimming the impact down significantly. Neither man is physically able to give it their all as of this weekend, and that too will put things in a negative light. Certainly HHH's injury has something to do with the way we're viewing this card, as his continued efforts are a large part of what made the last year's worth of PPV broadcasts so incredibly successful. It could be said that a healthy HHH = an effortlessly good main event, and if that's so... what does an injured Austin and an injured Hunter add up to? In my book, it's a hurried match that won't hit near the high water mark it would have two months from now. I'm with John, we'll get a little taste of things here before both move on to other things for a little while. This is the kind of feud you don't want to spoil. I'll take Austin, for argument's sake, though my money has him taking it via a DQ.
Winner: Steve Austin
IN CLOSING...
The WWF has a card worth the purchase here, though it doesn't hold as much promise as its predicessors. We've got several matches that ride the razor's edge and could very easily end up surprising us, but could just as well fall into the abyss of poor faceoffs. As one of the Big Five PPVs, the workers could be that much more motivated to give it their all this time, and I'm sure that will factor into the end result as well. Again, not a poor roster by any means, and a peek into what's to come from this federation if nothing else. I'll be along for the ride, no question.
until next time, i remain
drq
drq
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