[tense music]
[tense music continues]
[narrator] And now...
WWE Backlash.
[intense music]
[people cheering]
[Jim] With 17,154 fans
selling out Chicago's Allstate Arena
for the 18th consecutive time,
we welcome you to WWE Backlash.
Our fans at WWE, New York, our fans around the world,
we thank you for being with us.
I'm Jim Ross alongside with Paul Heyman here at ringside.
And Paul, tonight is personal,
but it's about every major title in World Wrestling Entertainment.
[rock music]
[bell rings]
[announcer] The following six-man tag team match
is scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first, the team of D-Von, Bubba Ray, Spike.
The Dudley Boyz!
[Jim] So, Paul, this should be a raucous way to get us started here tonight.
[Paul] No doubt, there's a lot of bad blood between The Dudley Boyz
and the X-Factor, and I am looking forward to see who walks away...
...from this opening match ass-kicking myself.
[Jim] The Dudleys.
Looks like a Dudleyville City Council meeting in there
with Spike, D-Von, and Bubba Ray.
[rock music]
[people cheering]
[announcer] Introducing X-Pac, Justin Credible,
and Albert, the X-factor!
[Jim] The Dudleys, the three half-brothers.
The big Daddy Dudleys DNA wailing on X-Factor, led by X-Pac.
[bell rings]
And the Dudleys certainly in a street-fighting environment.
One's gotta believe if this thing gets out of control,
it's gonna be all Dudleys.
[Paul] No doubt the Dudleys are the masters of mayhem.
And here comes Spike!
[Jim] Indulged by Dudley.
Just drove his foot right into the solar plexus
of the 350-pound Albert. And now what?
Spike's body being put at risk by his own brothers
for the family cause.
[Paul] Spike is being used as human torpedo
by Bubba Ray and D-Von,
and the early advantage goes to The Dudley Boyz.
[Jim] Justin Credible brought back in and referee Teddy Long
will have his hands full here.
For these highly spirited six athletes,
as Paul Heyman mentioned,
lot of bad blood between these two teams.
And the combination.
There's Spike Dudley looking for the three here.
Little Spike, the runt of the Dudley litter
as he is referred to, about 150 pounds with his boots on.
[Paul] But can you imagine how tough he is?
He has survived all the beatings he got as a kid
from Bubba Ray and D-Von.
[Jim] And Spike looking-- Oh, my God!
He was looking for the Dudley Dog
and the 6' 8", 350-pound Albert...
[Paul] Look at this, Spike being used as human battering ram!
Wham! Falls right on top of the X-Factor,
and now Justin Credible controls the pace.
[Jim] Big Daddy Dudley's DNA all over the ring here
with little Spike.
[referee] One, two...
[Jim] Nice pinning predicament there by Justin Credible.
And Spike Dudley has been isolated here.
And it's kind of strange to me-- Uh-oh!
-That's not a good landing. -[Paul] Not in my book, it's not.
[Jim] Kind of unusual to me that D-Von and Bubba Ray
would have allowed Spike to start this match, Paul.
[Paul] Well, actually not because Spike is as tough as they come.
Like I said, he survived all the beatings, and now he makes the tag.
[Jim] D-Von Dudley knocking down X-Pac.
Not once but three times.
Nice high hit from Justin Credible.
And a straight right-hand that oh-eights and three-eights Albert on the apron.
[men grunt]
And Albert returned that in kind.
Gives out a straight martial arts kick right into the face of D-Von Dudley.
[Paul] No reason to pick a fight with a man the size of Albert.
It just doesn't make sense to me.
[Jim] This crowd is certainly anticipating, as we all are,
our main event tonight, with the WWE Intercontinental and Tag Team Titles
all on the line in one match,
when The Undertaker and Kane take on Stone Cold Steve Austin
in triple eights.
And that is not a very desirable position
for D-Von Dudley to find himself in.
[Paul] Well, if Big Daddy Dudley's gonna have grandchildren,
it won't be from D-Von.
[Jim] The Dudleys the Wizards of the Wicked Wood.
But this is not a table match.
This is a six-man tag team match-up.
[Paul] No, but they did promise tables tonight,
and Chicago, from what I understand, loves the table.
[men grunt]
[Jim] Whiplash that was. This Albert is a freak of nature.
Six, eight, 350 and he's just-- He's not a plodder, he's not a Clydesdale.
This guy can move around.
[Paul] Everything that he does is with intent and malice.
[Jim] He's also very bright, he's got a college degree.
Played football at Pittsburgh. Hell of an athlete.
And X-Pac, the leader of this trio with a leg drop.
And here come Bubba Ray to make sure that we don't see three on that exchange.
[Paul] Yeah, but quite frankly it's not Albert's intelligence that frightens me.
It's his size, his ability, and his agility.
And now X-Pac, speaking of ability,
wearing down D-Von Dudley.
[Jim] Another point about Albert's intelligence
is that he's not one to mention it.
[Paul] Oh, I didn't say that he was, and I'm knocking him for saying it.
I'm just saying, he's a physical guy, that's what scares me about him,
and personally, I'm a fearless man.
[people cheering]
[Jim] D-Von Dudley also very fearless in another way.
Trying to find out--
Spinning heel kick by X-Pac catching D-Von Dudley right in the temple.
And D-Von is hurting there and X-Pac...
wasting no time and not going for a count.
He went for a straightaway choke hold that X-Pac knows is gonna be broken.
[Paul] A lot of personal issues between the Dudleys and the X-Factor.
[Jim] X-Factor thinking that they have been shortchanged
by the WWE marketing department.
-[Jim] Watch this shot. -[Paul] Wham! Takes down D-Von.
If D-Von's gonna be afraid of something tonight,
he needs to fear the educated feet of X-Pac.
[wrestler] Come on, you little bitch! Come on.
[Jim] Justin Credible.
Might not be well-served to get within scent of D-Von Dudley.
[Paul] No, D-Von knows how to throw those right hands, I'll tell you that.
[Jim] Nice sidewalk slam by Justin Credible
using D-Von's own momentum coming off the ropes against D-Von.
[Paul] Justin is an educated athlete.
Justin knows how and when to pick his spots.
And now is the time to tag in big bad Albert.
[Jim] D-Von has been worn down somewhat.
The heavy hitter comes in, Albert.
Straight kick right to the abdomen.
Now D-Von's on the hook.
[Paul] Oh, my--!
[Jim] Unbelievable strength, look at Albert.
How strong is this bull?
There's a cover, and Spike got a kick right to Albert's ear.
It interrupted the count long enough for D-Von to get back to his feet.
[Paul] That's all that counts, the ends justify the means.
[Jim] X-Pac tagged in. Tags back out now.
And now X-Pac and Justin Credible double-teaming.
D-Von, not on this one.
Change! D-Von coming from nowhere
with the double clothesline.
[Paul] But can D-Von make the tag because if he doesn't,
it's over for the Dudleys.
[people cheering]
[Jim] D-Von crawling downward to his corner.
And the outstretched hand of Bubba Ray is there.
And so is the tag.
Bubba Ray Dudley.
One-man wrecking crew here.
Oh, the powerbomb.
X-Pac backed up with the right hand in,
but it doesn't slow down Bubba Ray very much.
And Bubba Ray with the sidewalk slam is on.
[referee] Three, two...
[man yelling]
Albert coming for Bubba Ray.
Missed Bubba Ray, but got plenty of X-Pac inadvertently.
Bubba the legal man here.
Upside down goes Justin Credible.
And Bubba poised and waiting.
[Paul] Oh, no! Oh, no, no, no.
[Jim] D-Von going up top.
We know what a fate awaits Justin Credible. What's up...
And what's coming down.
[Paul] That was my line.
And here comes Bubba's line.
And this is trouble. What are you expecting?
[people cheering]
[Jim] The Wizards of the Wicked Wood...
the Dudleys, and D-Von has been instructed to bring in the table.
Oh, man, what a shot by Albert!
And that took D-Von right out of his game plan.
Right off his dental plan too, I think.
Bubba Ray now.
In there with both Justin Credible and X-Pac.
[grunts]
And Bubba made a mistake there. Oh, my God, look at this.
[Paul] Dee... ohh!
[Jim] Double shot there on Bubba Ray.
And well-- Yes, it is. X-Factor wins it.
[rock music]
[announcer] Here are your winners, the X-Factor!
[Paul] Well, that's it. The X-Factor walks away tonight
with their hands up in the air against The Dudley Boyz.
The advantage in this feud now belongs to the X-Factor.
[Jim] And Albert hasn't had enough of Bubba Ray yet.
X-Factor has won this match,
and now Justin Credible
dealing with that chair that D-Von Dudley was gonna bring in the ring
until Albert changed his mind.
And this does not look good for the remaining standing Dudley, Bubba Ray.
[Paul] Well, Chicago wanted the tables, and tables they shall receive.
[Jim] Wait a minute, D-Von...
D-Von is up to the pole.
And Albert just got-- split the Y.
[people cheering]
Oh, look out. Three Dudleys down.
And that's pow, back to the wall!
X-Factor wins the match,
but their leader tastes the wood here at Backlash.
[rock music]
The Wizards of the Wicked Wood lose the match,
but they leave a lasting impression on X-Factor.
[Paul] Oh, no doubt. 3-D threw the table on X-Pac.
The war-- The war between the X-Factor
and The Dudley Boyz has just begun.
[screaming]
[Jim] It was Albert that took Bubba Ray out of the game
and then boom, the double cross-kick finished off Bubba Ray.
[Paul] A pin by X-Pac. One, two, three.
But that's not all.
The Dudley Dog by little Spike Dudley
takes down Justin Credible,
and leaves X-Pac at the mercy--
at the mercy of Bubba Ray and D-Von, 3-D through the table!
[people cheering]
[Jim] It looked like a car wreck in the ring.
And, well, speaking of cars.
Wonder who this is gonna be.
[Paul] I'm afraid to find out.
The deaf guy.
[Jim] Who are those guys?
[people cheering]
[wrestler] Your Ladyship, Your Ladyship.
Duchess of Queensberry, you're finally here.
Did you have a wonderful trip, dear?
My trip will be so much better
once I'm out of this horrible, horrible city.
I wholeheartedly agree with you, but, Your Ladyship,
thank you once again for coming, thank you very much.
Thank you for inviting me.
Gentlemen, now look, I know you're used to guarding the Duchess,
but America is a barbaric place-- barbaric, I tell you!
So remember, forewarned is forearmed, okay?
Well, are we going to stand around here or watch?
I'm sorry, Your Ladyship, it's my fault.
Please, gentlemen, take her Ladyship to her quarters, thank you.
By the way dear, you look absolutely ravishing tonight.
Magnificent, absolutely wonderful. Bye-bye.
[people cheering]
[interviewer] Kurt, excuse me, Kurt.
You are just minutes away from your ultimate submission match
with Chris Benoit and frankly, you're awfully calm.
And why wouldn't I be?
What's wrong with being calm or confident?
I'll let you in on something.
You know ever since I beat Chris Benoit at WrestleMania,
he isn't going around saying he's the best technical wrestler today.
You know why that is?
Because he knows it's a crock.
He knows that claim holds no merit.
He knows I own him.
And he knows that later tonight,
the clock may show 30 minutes,
but to him, it's gonna seem like a lifetime.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to shine my medals.
[Jim] Well, Kurt Angle should be in for the fight of his life
as is the Wolverine Machine, Chris Benoit.
We're in Chicago, our 18th consecutive sellout here at the Allstate Arena.
I tell you what, the hardcore title on the line momentarily,
but we start off heat tonight with a new champion crowned.
[Paul] Oh, no doubt, we're starting off heat with Jerry Lynn.
Jerry Lynn winning the light heavyweight title
from Crash Holly.
Now Raven going back for the hardcore championship
against Rhyno, watch this.
Earlier tonight on MTV, Jerry Lynn and Crash Holly
for the Light Heavyweight title, and look at Jerry Lynn
take on Crash Holly.
[Jim] And Jerry Lynn with a cradle-- watch the handful of tights!
That shocked me.
Jerry Lynn winning the light heavyweight champion,
but the way he won it!
[Paul] Well, the ends justify the means.
And now for the hardcore championship.
You talk about a situation where the ends justify the means.
[rock music] [bell rings]
[announcer] The following contest scheduled for one fall...
...is for the World Wrestling Entertainment Hardcore coming at you.
Introducing first from Detroit, Michigan,
weighing 285 pounds, World Wrestling Entertainment Hardcore Champion,
Rhyno!
[Jim] The 275-pound man-beast.
His Hardcore title set to be defended.
[rock music]
[people cheering]
[announcer] The challenger from the Bowery,
weighing 235 pounds, Raven!
[Jim] Raven, a very strange enigma. A complex competitor, to say the least.
Started becoming a fan-favorite seemingly, here in the WWE.
And this man with no disqualifications,
and pinfalls count anywhere.
[Paul] This is the type of match that Chicago loves.
Raven, one-on-one against Rhyno
for the Hardcore title, winner take all. I love it!
[Jim] Raven and Rhyno. No strangers in their career, Paul.
[Paul] No, both men are former ETW champions.
And if you wanted to be a champion in ETW,
you had to know how to use weapons.
Both these men are proficient with their hands, their feet,
and their use of weaponry.
[Jim] We have seen Raven in many situations with us.
Has a very high threshold of pain. He's gonna need it here.
And-- and the drop toe hold by Raven, driving Rhyno's head
right on a stop sign. Could be over early, but it's not.
[Paul] Gonna take a lot more than that to put down the big, bad Rhyno.
[Jim] Rhyno, 275.
He is a thick competitor, to say the least.
[Paul] From the mean streets of Detroit, Michigan.
[Jim] Trash can dented right on the head of Rhyno.
And there's another cover!
And Raven with two near falls in this contest.
Remember, no disqualifications...
Man, what a shoulder block.
[Paul] Rhyno is just so impressive, he knows to stay right on top of his man.
And now! Now Rhyno with a weapon!
[Jim] Rhyno extremely aggressive, to say the least here.
And certainly, Raven, who as we said has a very high threshold of pain,
and that will be tested in this match.
And Raven got that trash can up, but Rhyno ran right through it.
[Paul] Did him a lot more damage-- and a cover.
[Jim] Hear on the outside. That's legal, falls count anywhere
in these Hardcore match-ups.
[Paul] I'll give Raven a lot of credit, but actually I'm gonna give Rhyno
a lot more now 'cause he's again using everything at his disposal
to put away Raven.
[Jim] Rhyno moving around these steps.
These steel steps, positioning them, and...
Raven's barely able to stand here after that shot with the trash can.
And Raven getting up close and personal with the steps,
and now Rhyno has a folding chair.
What are they doing here?
Raven's taking a seat.
And Rhyno almost trying to knock Raven's head off.
[Paul] Oh, man, I don't like the looks of this! Here comes Rhyno!
[Jim] Rhyno! Oh, my God!
Raven moved out of the way at the last moment.
Rhyno leaping from the ring steps.
Almost got impaled in that steel chair he set up.
And now here comes Raven!
[Paul] And now what's good for the goose is good for the Raven!
-And Raven scored with a clothesline. -[referee] One, two...
[Jim] That could be-- No, it's not.
Rhyno, the powerhouse, took him out.
[Paul] Watch this, here comes Rhyno, 275 pounds.
Wham! Straight into the chair.
Rhyno's momentum working against him.
[Jim] Again, no disqualifications, no count-outs.
Falls count anywhere in this Hardcore title match.
And Raven the veteran.
[people cheering]
And Rhyno, right outside.
Notice Rhyno got around Raven's threshold of pain.
Rhyno's right there with him.
[Paul] Rhyno is a man-beast, there's no stopping him.
Raven has to bring everything at his disposal
to try to take down Rhyno.
Rhyno loves being the hardcore champion.
[Jim] Yes, it is the kitchen sink being tossed into the ring
by the challenger for Rhyno's Hardcore title.
[Paul] You say that like it's a bad thing.
-[Jim] What's that? -[Paul] The kitchen sink.
-[Jim] All legal. -[Paul] I love it personally.
I endorse it.
[people cheering]
[Jim] And Raven's trying to shake it loose here.
Rhyno's right back up, and Raven just got his brains scrambled
with that trash can lid.
[Paul] Rhyno now has to keep the pressure up on Raven.
Has to keep coming for Raven. And now another weapon.
Rhyno is so effective when it comes to these things.
[Jim] Raven got hit right in the face with that sign.
And now there's the cover.
And Raven somehow kicks out.
Listen to this impact.
A brain scramble.
[Paul] When it comes to Hardcore Wrestling, that's what you call technique.
[people clamoring]
[Jim] Raven again with another shot to his head.
And again, Rhyno going for the cover,
and Raven shows his resilience,
and his guts quite frankly, in kicking out.
[Paul] What I like about Raven is that he always rolls back over.
He doesn't stay on his back for long.
Even though right now he's beaten down,
Raven doesn't want to be in pinning predicament.
[people grunting]
[Jim] Rhyno shoving that shopping cart
with ten items or less right back in the face of Raven.
[Paul] But there ain't no discount in a Hardcore title match.
-[Jim] No coupons. -[Paul] And I love coupons too.
[Jim] More impact. Here, look at this.
Shopping cart into another human being's face.
There's no fit, but he got it again, did Raven.
[Paul] Well, Rhyno's dictating the pace big time right now.
And Raven needs to find himself a weapon to counter Rhyno.
[Jim] What is that?
[Paul] Me personally, I'd just run like hell.
[people grunting]
[Jim] Raven with a drop toe, for the second time in the match.
And this time Rhyno's face bounced off that shopping cart.
Raven's bought himself a little bit of time.
[Paul] But not a lot. Raven needs to capitalize.
The question is, does he still have it in him to do so?
[Jim] Here's another look at the drop toe hold, here.
[Paul] That shopping cart could be the big equalizer in this match.
[Jim] Shot to the head.
And that-- That sign.
Put a head print in it.
[Paul] Who did that sign ever victimize like that?
Did it deserve that type of a punishment?
[Jim] Shot that one.
Ooh, man!
Man! Did you hear that?
Raven now building some momentum on this man-beast.
-[Paul] Bulldog! -[Jim] Nice bulldog by Raven.
Raven's got a chance here.
Raven with a cover. And roll, Rhyno.
Got that left shoulder off the canvas
as the referee's hand was coming down.
[Paul] Raven can't get frustrated.
He got the advantage using the shopping cart.
He needs to keep the pressure-- Oh, here it comes again.
That shopping cart,
becoming the most dangerous part of the Hardcore title match.
[Jim] Oh! Trash can to the face!
There's a cover. And again Rhyno with a powerful kick-out.
[Paul] How close! How close can Raven be
to becoming the Hardcore champion again?
[Jim] Raven's had two or three near falls.
Now, the shopping cart again.
Raven up. Crowd behind Raven here
in this challenge
for Rhyno's hardcore title.
[Paul] No rules, no disqualifications,
falls count anywhere, this match truly is for the Hardcore championship.
[Jim] Sternum first!
But Rhyno...
Then he got Raven right in the head. That could be it right there.
No, it's not!
Raven again, just refusing to stay down.
You've gotta wonder how much more either of these mens' anatomy can take.
[Paul] The human body can only take so much.
Rhyno...
Raven way off. Rhyno trying to...
Holding himself on those ropes, Rhyno, he's got something on his mind here.
Here we go! He was looking for his gore.
And he went right inside the shopping cart.
[Paul] This is Raven's chance! If he ever had a chance,
it's right here, right now!
[Jim] Everything including the kitchen sink is being used on Rhyno.
Rhyno's Hardcore title could be saying goodbye.
We got-- Oh! Oh, how close.
[Paul] My God was that close!
Rhyno, wicked to the core, and he nails the shopping cart.
Gore! Gore!
[Jim] Rhyno got the Gore that time.
-And don't you love it! -[bell rings]
-And Rhyno retains... -[rock music]
[announcer] The winner of this bout and still Hardcore champion. Rhyno!
[Jim] Well, I'll tell you what, Raven's got nothing to be ashamed of
in this losing effort because he had on more than one occasion
less than a count away from defeating Rhyno,
who seems to be impervious to pain and impregnable.
[Paul] Oh, man, Rhyno is the man-beast. 6, 2, 275 pounds.
Take another look at this.
He sticks his weight in, and he just demolishes that poor shopping cart.
But here it is, the great equalizer.
Gore, gore, gore!
And a one, two, three for Rhyno.
[bell rings]
[Jim] A hell of a hard-fought battle between these two.
It took a lot out of Rhyno as well,
but he retains his Hardcore title.
Ladies and gentlemen, just a little bit later on,
it's gonna be Shane McMahon going one-on-one
with a 7' 2", 500-pound Big Show.
Not in a wrestling match, in a last-man-standing match.
And Paul, Shane McMahon is a huge, no pun intended, disadvantage.
[Paul] Can you talk about a father's vindictiveness?
Vince McMahon puts his own son in the ring
against a man twice his size
and more than twice his weight.
My God, it's just gonna be a beating.
Shane McMahon, though, is not intimidated
-as he evidenced last Thursday night... -He should be.
...on SmackDown.
[people cheering]
Hello, Big Show. I saw what you did to Test,
so I thought I'd try to calm you down by reading from this fable
to turn that frown upside down.
The story stars a giant, a beanstalk, and a boy named Jack,
but for the purposes of this story the boy will be named Shane O'Mac.
Now Shane had a dad that was angry and crass
because at WrestleMania, Shane kicked his dad's ass.
Shane's dad was sore, he could barely walk,
so we called Shane out for a father-son talk.
They stood in the ring face to face and toe to toe
when Vince called out for The Giant, Big Show.
Fi-fi-fo-fum, I'm seven foot tall, but me plenty dumb.
Show grabbed Shane by the neck, picked him up off the mat,
then choke-slammed Shane down with a ferocious splat.
Vince grinned from ear to ear upon seeing the crash,
said, "You two will compete this Sunday at Backlash."
Once the match started, The Giant looked high and low,
but he couldn't find Shane. Which way did he go?
Up to the top of the mighty beanstalk, the people were stunned,
they could barely talk.
The fairy tale ends with a mighty crash landing,
and when it was all said and done,
Shane O'Mac was the last man standing.
[people cheering]
Shane an entertaining story, but how wise do you think it is
to poke fun at The Big Show before your last-man-standing match tonight?
-[woman] Shane... -Look, it--
Shane, listen-- Excuse me.
I was thinking about this and you know, if you would just apologize to dad,
-I mean, sincerely apologize. -I'm not gonna apologize.
He might call off the match against The Big Show,
I mean, Shane, do you have any idea what dad has told Big Show
to do to you tonight?
Yes, I think so.
You know what, Shane, your biggest problem
is that you live in a fantasy world.
At least Dad lives in the real world.
Well, this story is real.
And I'll tell you one thing:
this story tonight will have a happy ending.
[people cheering]
Let me do the thinking.
Stone Cold, all the titles were on the line tonight
from Main Event here at Backlash.
What about the possibility of you losing
the World Wrestling Entertainment Championship?
Stone Cold Steve Austin ain't gonna lose a damn thing.
Do you realize who you're talking to, son?
My name is Stone-- Shut up!
My name is Stone Cold Steve Austin and ain't gonna lose a damn thing.
All Triple H has got to do is do his part and everything will be just dandy.
-Do you understand me? -Yes, sir.
Fine. Interview's over.
Oh, put that down it's disgusting.
Excuse me, Duchess of Queensberry.
Duchess, excuse me, Your Majesty, I was wondering
if you could please enlighten us on the rules
of the Duchess of Queensberry rules match that's gonna take place here tonight.
I beg your pardon, but who are you?
I'm Jonathan Coachman from World Wrestling Entertainment.
I was just wondering if you could tell our worldwide audience
what the rules are for the match tonight.
Yes, it's really very simple.
-In order to win-- -[wrestler] Duchess, Duchess.
You don't have to answer. This man's a commoner.
Coachman, you should know better.
Badgering the Duchess like that. Who do you think you are?
You told me earlier, once the Duchess arrived,
I could ask any question I wanted--
Rubbish! I said no such thing.
Now, you better be gone with yourself, sunshine,
else you'll be back calling potato sack races in Kansas City.
Go on, bugger off! Bugger off!
Your Ladyship, I apologize for these commoners,
but I appreciate you very much coming to watch my match tonight.
When you go out there, don't forget, dear,
don't look anyone in the eye because all of these people,
they're insanely jealous of your beautiful good looks.
Okay. Thank you.
Take care of her, gentlemen, please.
Enjoy yourself, dear.
Wonderful, magnificent.
[Jim] Well, Commissioner Regal will take on Y2J
in whatever in the world a Duchess of Queensberry rules match is.
I ain't got a clue.
[Paul] Neither do I!
[Jim] Well, this whole thing started...
...soon after Regal became a Commissioner of the WWE.
[William] Hello and welcome to the first official day of the Regal regime.
[Chris] Good God, Regal,
would you please shut the hell up.
[William] You listen to me, sunshine,
I will not have a little toe rag like you come out here and besmirch me.
[narrator] And now Regal has made this match:
Jericho versus the entire Right to Censor.
This is nothing more than punishment.
It's a match set up by Commissioner Regal.
Handicap table match, Dudleys and Y2J.
Here's the 3-D. 3-D!
[William] You cannot besmirch, soil the Commissioner's tea.
Don't think for one moment, Chris Jericho, you are getting away lightly.
Oh, no. Because you will face me,
your Commissioner, William Regal, in a Duchess of Queensberry rules match.
I have no clue what the Duchess of Queensberry rules are.
No one seems to know at all except William Regal, of course.
[narrator] Nobody knows more about Duchesses and queens than William Regal.
[Chris] Regal, it's good that you know your history because on Sunday
at Backlash, I'm going to get medieval on your ass.
[classical music]
[announcer] The following contest is the Duchess of Queensberry rules match.
Introducing first from Blackpool, England,
weighing 240 pounds, the Commissioner of World Wrestling Entertainment,
William Regal!
[classical music continues]
[Jim] I agree with that sign.
Hello to all my friends here in Chicago. Hello!
[people booing]
I would now like to introduce...
[people chanting "asshole"]
[Jim] Not the most flattering of chants
for our Commissioner, Paul.
[Paul] How insulting!
Ladies and gentlemen...
the Duchess of Queensberry.
[people booing]
[classical music]
[Jim] I find it somewhat odd that
folks are just trying to find out what these rules are,
which would help you and I unless you know and you're not telling.
[Paul] Well, actually, my Uncle Moshe, the Peeping Tom,
called before, and I know the rules for the Duchess of Queensberry match.
[Jim] You wanna share those with...
[Paul] I wish I could, but I'm sworn to secrecy.
But you will find them to be very fair in Jericho's favor, no less.
And I love the Duchess's hairdo, it's very flattering.
[Jim] Now, the Duchess is here and certainly regally,
the corporate Commissioner, he represents the McMahon party.
[Paul] What? Stand up, stand up!
Get up, I tell you. Stand up!
-Hello, Your Majesty, how are you? -[Jim] Hello, ma'am.
Welcome to America.
-[Jim] Can I sit down now? -[Paul] You should sit down.
Your--
Did you not call her "ma'am"?
-Called her ma'am. -Your Majesty.
-Oh. -Your Majesty.
She's royalty.
You know, it's about time legitimate royalty
was in World Wrestling Entertainment.
[rock music]
[rock music continues]
[announcer] From Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada,
weighing 227 pounds,
Chris Jericho!
[Jim] How ironic is it that Chris Jericho
made his World Wrestling Entertainment debut in this very arena.
[people cheering]
And now he is embarking on another adventure
to meet the Commissioner
in a match that
Jericho doesn't even know the rules.
I don't know how fair that really is, quite frankly.
[Paul] Doesn't really matter. You get in the ring and you fight the Commissioner.
That's what it's all about. Why do you need to know the rules anyway?
Rules, schmools.
[people cheering]
So let me get this straight.
That is the Duchess of Queensberry?
That's strange because I thought that the Duchess of Queensberry
looked a little more like this.
[people laughing]
[Jim] She has a nice smile.
[Paul] The Duchess?
Although to be quite honest, I don't know which one of you looks more like a man.
[Paul] Smile, Duchess. She has beautiful...
But even though Chicago is the Windy City...
[people cheering]
from the looks of it, it seems that Queensberry
is the ugly city.
[Paul] Why would you want to incite the Duchess?
[Jim] He's insulting royalty, is Mr. Jericho.
[Paul] The poor mum is still mourning the loss of Princess Di.
[Jim] Well, here we go, the bell has sounded, and folks
we're gonna call it like we see it, but we don't know the rules
or the structure of a Duchess of Queensberry rules.
[Paul] Do you think the referee knows the rules?
[Jim] That's doubtful.
-[Paul] This could be interesting. -Come out.
Come on out.
-Come on. -[Jim] And Regal got a--
A cheap shot on the break and Jericho fighting right back.
I don't know what the rules are, we're gonna kind of
go along with you at home and here in the arena
as to how this match progresses.
And again, Regal knows the rules,
but he's the only one apparently that does.
Nice wrist lock applied by William Regal.
[people grunting]
Jericho is at an obvious disadvantage here as we mentioned,
he doesn't have a clue what the rules are.
And Jericho going up on top.
[people cheering]
Nailing the Commissioner.
It was the Commissioner that cost to Jericho
the Intercontinental title.
And I'm gonna say that that's exactly why Triple H has that title today.
Thanks to our Commissioner.
[Paul] Well, the Commissioner can back up any ruling that he makes.
He's not just some pantywaist, he is a physical, physical commissioner.
[Jim] He's a corporate commissioner, in my view.
But in any event, right now, Chris Jericho,
a young man from Winnipeg, Manitoba.
[people clamoring]
With the right hands and kicks. And now dropping our Commissioner
right across the security walk.
And Jericho tossing Regal back into the ring.
[Paul] He is besmirching the Commissioner, and that's my problem with Y2J.
[Jim] Jericho looking for the missile drop kick, did not find it.
Yeah, Jericho landed on that arm.
May have hurt his elbow there, I'm not sure.
[Paul] And notice how the Commissioner now dictates the pace
as he takes advantage of the situation.
[Jim] The suplex, and now the lateral press. And Jericho kicking out.
And Regal keeping the pressure on, this is...
[people chanting]
something we've seen from Regal before and there's the Duchess of Queensberry.
And you never know who you're gonna meet here in the WWE.
[Paul] I just met a Duchess.
Notice now, the Commissioner, who knows the rules of the match
taking advantage of Jericho, beating down Y2J.
And, of course, waving to his public.
Very important for royalty.
[Jim] He certainly perceives himself to be a goodwill ambassador.
And that European uppercut that shot Jericho.
Caught him again and the knockdown of Y2J
by Commissioner William Regal.
[Paul] A victory by the Commissioner here, he might get knighted!
He might get knighted for his efforts.
[Jim] Well, I guess that's always a possibility.
[Paul] I'd love to be knighted.
[Jim] He'd be right alongside Elton John and all other famous folks
that have been knighted.
[Paul] Have you ever been knighted?
[Jim] No.
Ain't many knights in Oklahoma.
Yeah, so Jericho fighting his way back up now.
We still don't have a hint as to what the uniqueness
of this-- The rules of this match are.
Looks to be pretty basic thus far anyway.
And the southpaw, but that left foot on it.
This eligible bachelor stuff
is gonna get our Commissioner in trouble here.
Constantly waving, and nobody cares.
[Paul] Maybe that's part of the rules, you ever think of that?
[Jim] Look out here.
-A hurricanrana-- -[people cheering]
Regal at the top as Regal trying to impress the lovely Duchess,
sitting here at ringside.
[Paul] And she is a beautiful lady, isn't she?
[Jim] Well, let's not get carried away.
I'm sure she's a nice person. I don't know, I don't know the lady.
-Five! -[Jim] Her Majesty.
-Six. -[Paul] Well, Her Majesty knows the rules,
and Regal knows the rules,
and Y2J knows he has to fight for his right
-against the Commissioner tonight. -[people grunts]
[Jim] Or not, Vince. I suppose I should correct myself.
Her Ladyship.
[Paul] And the referee just has to wing it.
That's all he has to do.
[Jim] That's fine form by Jericho, again locking down Regal
whose chest is a bright red from those knife-edge chops.
And Regal-- Oh!
Regal looking to take Jericho out
with a modified bulldog.
And Regal driven face-first to the canvas.
[Paul] He's going for the lionsault!
[Jim] He caught it. Jericho caught the lionsault.
[bell rings]
-He's got the-- -What the hell are you doing?
[Jim] What the hell's that? The bell rang, the referee didn't count.
What's going on?
Ladies and gentlemen, according to the Duchess of Queensberry rules,
the time limit for round one has expired.
-[Jim] Round one? -[Paul] Oh, he didn't tell you
-about the rounds, I'm sorry, -[Jim] Round one?
I forgot to mention that to you.
[Jim] So now it's rounds?
And Jericho had the match-- Wait a minute.
-[Jim] Regal recovers. -[Paul] Regal.
-[Jim] I guess round two started now? -[Paul] Yes.
-Yes this is round two. -[Jim] Okay.
[Paul] I'm sorry I didn't mention it earlier,
but I was sworn to secrecy.
[Jim] Well, round one is over, round two has begun, I...
[Paul] Okay, so Jericho wins in round two,
then he's the better man, it's that simple.
[Jim] Frankly, in my book, Jericho's already won this match.
And Regal, catapulting Jericho.
Hanging Jericho across the top rope.
Oh, man what a suplex that was.
[Paul] And he landed right on his forehead, which drives the head back.
Jericho could be suffering from a whiplash situation.
And-- Hello, Commissioner, how are you?
Sir, madam, ma'am, Your Majesty.
[Jim] The Commissioner continuing to attempt to impress her Ladyship.
And now, Regal looking for...
Come on.
...his favorite, the submission maneuver.
-[Jim] The Regal Stretch. -[Paul] And Jericho's blocking the arm.
And Regal got it. Regal got it!
[Jim] Regal's got the Regal Stretch against Jericho.
-Come on. -[Jim] Jericho's face turning bright red
from the pressure of this maneuver.
[Paul] He's so close to those ropes, but so damn far away.
[Jim] This match could be over at any moment here.
Jericho inching towards the bottom rope.
Inching and he's got it.
And the referee now calling for the break.
[referee] Two, three...
[Jim] And finally, our Commissioner with a blatant cheap shot there.
Finally breaks the hold.
[Paul] Well, we've established now,
we've established that you have a five until break, right?
-[Jim] Yes. -[Paul] So the referee,
again he's winging it, but he's doing a pretty damn good job.
And it's a very fair contest in round two.
[Jim] On the rope with a roll-up.
And-- And now Jericho
[people cheering]
trying to turn Commissioner Regal.
Referee had a surprised look on his face as we did
when that bell sounded earlier.
-Here we go. And it's over! -[Paul] It's over.
[Jim] Jericho, with the walls of Jericho,
making the Commissioner beg!
Ladies and gentlemen according to the Duchess of Queensberry rules,
you cannot win by submission.
[Jim] What the hell can you win by?
[Paul] Pinfall, of course. Look, it says it right here in the rules.
Didn't I mention the submission thing to you before? I'm sorry.
I really do apologize, I meant to buzz you on that.
You should come to more of those announcers meetings.
[Jim] Man, this is a load of...
chicken liver.
What are the rules-- Wait a minute.
[people cheering]
There's Jericho walking towards her Ladyship...
[Paul] Oh, whoa, whoa. What's this?
She's a Duchess. She's royalty.
[Jim] And the Royal agency, whatever they are...
Wait, look out! Go!
[Paul] He's got his tables over there.
[Jim] Regal just nailed with that scepter.
[bell rings]
And the referee has called for a disqualification.
According to the Duchess of Queensberry rules,
there is no disqualification.
[Paul] It says that right here, JRC.
-No disqualification. -[Jim] Oh, come on, Paul.
[Paul] Rounds, no submissions, and no disqualifications.
My Uncle Moshe the Peeping Tom, is the best source I ever had.
[Jim] Well, all I know is that Jericho just got hit right between the eyes.
Jericho's almost out of it here
after getting hit with the lady's scepter.
And this is gonna be-- Jericho kicked out.
And Regal can't believe it.
And quite frankly, I thought it was academic
after that shot with her scepter.
Woman carrying a scepter.
Another shot there by Regal.
What else-- Are there any other surprises you wanna inform all of us?
[Paul] I'd like to, but I can't. All I can tell you is this--
and this is no surprise--
Jericho is taking a whale of a beating.
[Jim] Paul, quite frankly, I don't think you know
a damn bit more about this than any of the rest of us.
[Paul] You're welcome.
[Jim] And Regal now.
He's making it up as he goes along, is that is that what we're doing here?
[Paul] What we're doing here...
What we're doing here is demonstrating what happens when you fight City Hall.
And the Commissioner, the physical Commissioner
is employing a beating on Y2J.
[Jim] Well, I'll tell you what, double-arm suplex by Regal,
now looking for the cover.
And that's gonna-- no, it's not!
I tell you, this Duchess is no more a Duchess, Paul, than you are a queen.
[Paul] I have no comeback for that one. And neither does Jericho.
Because right now Jericho is at a severe disadvantage
-at the hands of Regal. -[Jim] Jericho landing on his feet.
Dubious occurring,
knocking down Commissioner William Regal.
Now I wonder if that's within the rules
of the Duchess of Queensberry match-up.
[Paul] Of course it is.
Hey, you don't think this is a one-sided affair, do you?
[Jim] Yes, I do.
Look at this impact.
Boom, right there.
[Paul] And that'll knock your equilibrium right out of you.
And if you can't stand on two feet, you can't win a wrestling match.
[Jim] Well, there's a lot of other things knocked out of you, quite frankly.
Oh, that-- She's a beaut, ain't she?
She ain't no more-- She's probably from...
[Paul] Easy. Easy, she's royalty.
She's not walking the streets of Piccadilly Circus, you know.
[Jim] Well, maybe that was last week, who knows? I have no idea,
but my instinct tells me she's probably not a Duchess.
I mean, she's beautiful.
[Paul] She's not a cowgirl from Oklahoma, she's royalty.
[Jim] Jericho stomping away at the Commissioner.
No disqualification, right, Paul?
-[Paul] No disqualification... -[Jim] There you go.
And Jericho following the Commissioner in.
And now Jericho-- Well, you can't win by submission.
You can't win by submission, Chris.
Well, if there's no disqualification,
and that was, like, about the nastiest shot.
-[Paul] Right in the royal jewels. -Let's go.
And--
[Jim] Oh, my God!
Oh, my God. That brought Regal right out of it!
[people mocking]
Regal has...
It must be her cologne, or perfume or something, I don't know.
[Paul] Her Ladyship has been besmirched right in front of your very eyes.
[Jim] Regal just-- Jericho just took down the--
Her Ladyship's security.
[Paul] She's not an athlete, she's royalty!
[Jim] Oh, my God, what is Jericho doing here?
[Paul] JR, stop him, stop him right now!
[Jim] Jericho has lost it.
[people cheering]
This could be an international incident, this could--
This-- Oh, my God, he's pulling...
What? Oh, good Lord!
Up with the bloomers and the walls of Jericho.
And Her Ladyship is tapping out.
But Regal with a chair shot. And another chair shot.
And a third chair shot.
Commissioner William Regal with three chair shots to Chris Jericho.
And I guess that's okay.
[classical music]
[announcer] According to the Duchess of Queensberry rules,
here is your winner, William Regal.
[Paul] No disqualifications, no submissions,
but the chair is legal.
The winner of the match, he backed up his claims.
The physical commissioner, William Regal.
[Jim] Oh, for God's sakes, she's coming out of her hair.
Duchess, my butt.
I can't look. Jericho just got the shafting of a lifetime.
[Paul] How dare he! How dare he put his hands on the Duchess!
You don't mess with royalty that way.
You don't smack them around and put them in the Walls of Jericho.
[knocking on door]
Hey, Vince. You wanted to see me?
Yeah.
Are you ready for this task?
Yeah.
I'm ready.
Just because he's my son,
you're not going to hold back are you?
I'm not going to hold anything back. I'm gonna let it fly.
Let me put it another way.
Because he is my son
you're not going to hold back, right?
Exactly. Because his last name's McMahon,
I'm gonna destroy him.
I like that, Show. I like that about you, Show.
So, let me just offer congratulations.
We both know I'm gonna be the last man standing.
Yes, we do.
[Jim] Whoa, what kind of father is that?
[Paul] The right kind, the one that instills discipline
into his ungrateful child!
[Jim] Well, folks, we're just moments away from the 30-minute
Ultimate Submission match-up.
The competitor who scores the most submissions in 30 minutes wins.
This will be a war, no doubt about it.
Here's how these two came together tonight.
[narrator] Two of the greatest superstars of World Wrestling Entertainment today.
Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit.
They've got two of the most feared submission holds
in World Wrestling Entertainment.
Chris Benoit, The Rabid Wolverine.
The Rabid Wolverine, the Machine.
Benoit is a machine!
Benoit is just tenacious.
The master of the Crippler Crossface.
Benoit going for the Crossface!
Benoit looking for the Crippler Crossface.
Crossface.
Crossface, he's got it locked in.
Got the Crippler Crossface! And a good takedown.
Oh, my God!
-[Jim] Kurt Angle. -[Paul] An Olympic gold medalist.
[Jim] The Olympic hero.
[Paul] This man knows what he's doing in the ring.
[Jim] Angle has accomplished more in his short career in the WWE
than anyone in WWE history.
[Paul] The master of the ankle lock.
-Kurt Angle going for the ankle lock. -[Jim] Angle's got the ankle lock.
Angle's gonna break the ankle!
And that's the ankle lock.
[Paul] Angle with the ankle lock.
[Jim] The ankle lock's locked in.
Angle's gonna break the ankle!
[narrator] Benoit and Angle,
two of the greatest submission wrestlers in our business.
Benoit and Angle test each other's guts in Backlash.
The first ever 30-minute Ultimate Submission match.
[man] Thirty minute.
[man 2] 30-minute Ultimate Submission match-up.
[man] The most submission maneuvers.
The man who scores the most submissions in 30 minutes
will win that match.
Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit!
Submission after submission.
Thirty-minute ultimate submission match in Backlash!
[Jim] Chris Benoit getting a final warm-up here
before his 30-minute match-up.
Ultimate submission match with Kurt Angle here, just a moment or two away.
And what about that Duchess of Queensberry?
Oh, I think the Duchess is a great lady,
and I want to apologize to the Duchess
for Y2J's behavior.
I'm sorry, ma'am.
She looked more like a truck driver to me.
[pop music]
[bell rings]
[narrator] The following contest is the 30-minute Ultimate Submission match.
Introducing first from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, weighing 237 pounds,
Olympic gold medal winner, Kurt Angle.
[music continues]
[Jim] Certainly, you have to look long and hard
to find any athlete in the history of WWE
that has accomplished more in such a short time
as Kurt Angle.
Yes, he won the 1996 gold medal for the United States
at the Olympic games.
Many consider him to be the greatest 220-pound freestyle champion
the United States has ever produced.
[Paul] It's true. It's true.
[people booing]
[Jim] Not a lot of love.
Ever since Michael Jordan quit in his prime,
rather than play another minute in this town...
I notice that the city of Chicago is a little short on winners,
and a little long on fat, sweaty pigs.
[people booing]
Hold on a second.
David Wells, Don Baylor, Jerry Krause, Roger Ebert,
this whole damn arena, the list goes on and on and on.
And Chris Benoit, you may not be a pig,
but you're sure as heck gonna be squealing like one tonight.
And if these people could sit still long enough,
rather than make a run for nachos,
they'll know what I'm talking about.
It's true, it's damn true.
[Paul] Man, he's ramped up for this, isn't he?
[Jim] Absolutely.
[rock music]
[narrator] From Edmonton, Alberta, Canada,
weighing 229 pounds, Chris Benoit!
[Jim] The Crippler Crossface versus the ankle lock.
And the Wolverine Machine knows
he's in for 30 minutes of hell here.
So does Kurt Angle. It's a 30-minute match.
And the most submissions in 30 minutes wins.
They'll be a 30-second rest period between decisions
we have been informed.
[Paul] But here's the real danger of the match.
It's not just the Crossface against the ankle lock,
it's any submission hold by either man that can score a point.
That's the problem, that's the whole thing here.
Angle is so proficient at submission wrestling
and so is Benoit.
[Jim] Angle learned his in the amateurs,
and Benoit learned a lot of his in the Hart Family Dungeon in Calgary.
Our goodwill wishes to Stu Hart while we're thinking about that.
Benoit from Edmonton.
-[Paul] Benoit also spent a year, -[people cheering]
a whole year, 365 days,
in the New Japan Dojo.
Can you imagine how much punishment Benoit had to survive there?
[Jim] But the key word is "survive," and he did.
Both men locking up very aggressively here.
Into the corner. And referee Mike Chioda
trying to step in between these two.
Submission matches, the focus is quite simple.
It's all on an individual's joints. And hyper-extending those joints.
That's the goal of a submission wrestler.
Attack a body part, a joint like a knee,
as Angle is going for it there in that single-leg takedown.
And now Benoit looking at that elbow
and licking his chops. And look at Angle.
And you notice that when Angle floated over,
Benoit shot his form right in Angle's face.
[Paul] Benoit, it's not just about wrestling here,
it's about counter-wrestling, and in that aspect,
Benoit, in my opinion, is at a disadvantage.
[Jim] Both these men have increased their cardiovascular conditioning
leading up to this match-up.
Angle again, double-leg takedown.
Angle perhaps could take down--
Angle with an ankle lock and Benoit fully aware of that.
And Benoit now, trying to control Angle's head.
They have rolled into the ropes and the referee again will call for the break.
-Break it! -[Paul] The defensive posture
is exactly, exactly-- Look at that, Benoit, from underneath now
trying to get a choke, a legal choke on Angle.
The defensive positioning
is equally as important as any offense any man can score.
[Jim] Angle had the chancery on Benoit
and was a little reluctant to make a timely break.
Another takedown by Kurt Angle, again he could do this this entire match,
but that's not the object. We're not scoring on points here.
Only thing that counts is submissions, no pinfalls.
Thirty minutes on the clock.
And now looks like Benoit trying to find the knee or the ankle.
Angle counters.
And Benoit, looking to pin a Crossface.
And Angle very close to the ropes.
And gets there in a hurry, and now Angle's gonna...
Things just settle down here a little bit.
[Paul] But he needs to as we learned Monday night on RAW.
A submission can come at any time from any direction,
and what you don't want right now is to find yourself behind by one submission.
Especially when we're not even five minutes into the match.
[Jim] Angle very impressive several days ago when he did that submission clinic.
And Angle somewhat-- He's taking his time quite frankly
in getting back into the ring.
Again as our clock continues to run at 26 and a half minutes to go in this match-up.
[Paul] The key here is not only to accentuate your own strength
but to exploit the opponent's weaknesses.
And both Benoit and Angle are so strong--
Oh, man, here we go! A takedown by Angle.
[Jim] Angle known in the in the amateur world as a tremendous takedown artist.
And Angle, that intense look on his face.
[Paul] The competition between these two
has reached the point that's downright scary.
[Jim] Angle getting inside Benoit.
Scoring the takedown, but no points in this match, only submissions.
Benoit looking for the Crippler Crossface, and Benoit's almost got it.
Angle desperately trying to get to the ropes and does so.
And again Angle, taking a walk here.
Angle distancing himself
[people clamoring]
from Chris Benoit and the Crippler Crossface.
And both men now back in the ring.
[Paul] They respect each other. They may not like each other,
but they respect each other's ability.
And Angle right now is learning
just how great of a counter-wrestler Benoit can be.
[Jim] Every time Angle is taken down, Benoit has been able to counter.
Nice waist-lock takedown.
And Again, Kurt Angle rolling out of bounds
and Benoit won't let go.
And Angle now reverses the waist lock.
Gets countered again.
[grunts]
The Crippler Crossface on the outside.
And Angle tapping out on the outside, but that's not gonna count.
You've gotta be in the ring, this is not Hardcore rules.
The submissions must take place inside the ring.
[Paul] Well, I disagree with Benoit here.
If you were in the Olympics and you rolled off the mat,
a tap would not count, a pin would not count.
So right now Benoit's in the wrong, and Angle is frustrating Chris Benoit.
Smart game plan by my Olympic hero.
[Jim] And now Angle getting somewhat frustrated
after tasting a Crippler Crossface.
-Now with that steel chair. -Put the chair down.
Put it down.
Angle trying to buy himself some time,
I think that Crossface may have pulled Angle's shoulder there.
-more than he wants to admit here. -Put the chair down.
Put it down.
[Paul] You can't let the other wrestler know if you have a weakness--
and Angle needs to hide any potential weakness he may have.
And Benoit needs to calm down.
[Jim] Unlike Kane, who we know has a severely injured left elbow.
And that big match-up later tonight.
The tag titles, the WWE title, and the Intercontinental title all at stake.
[people booing]
Angle has either dinged that shoulder,
or is wanting us to think that the shoulder is dinged.
No one has scored yet,
and we are at the 23-and-a-half minute and change mark
left in this match-up.
And there's a right hand. And Angle...
The takedown! Angle's got the knee.
Angle's got the knee and that's it! Angle got tapped out.
[Paul] How smart is Chris Benoit?
The man is as intelligent as they come.
I'll give him all the props in the world.
The moment he realized that he was in that kind of a compromising position,
he tapped. And you have to. It's about the longevity here.
As we both established before, it's about survival.
[Jim] So, Angle goes one up in submissions.
And again a 30-second rest period between the falls.
Didn't take long, here we go.
[Paul] The moment you realize you're tapped, you have to tap here.
'Cause any long-term damage, and you're a dead man.
[Jim] Angle trying to get that right hand, and Benoit...
-The right leg and the right hand. -[people grunting]
And right back to the knee he goes, Kurt Angle.
And the chop block
taking the legs from Chris Benoit,
who just submitted moments ago.
[Paul] Angle didn't smell the weakness, Angle caused the weakness!
And now he's capitalizing on it.
[Jim] Angle, again, even though Benoit tapped out quickly
to prevent any serious damage to his knee.
Angle is now focusing on that appendage.
Measuring...
Oh, wait!
[people cheering]
Benoit looking for Crossface.
He caught Angle coming in, did the Wolverine.
And turning Angle over. Angle--
Benoit, with crossed legs pressing there.
-And the count breaks ten, and he does. -[bell rings]
And Angle's got no choice but to quickly tap out.
And Benoit holds his hold a little long.
[Paul] I told you this wasn't about the Crossface against the ankle lock.
Both of these men know what they're doing.
The object is not to score and get a video clip,
the object is to score a submission.
[Jim] Angle was up one up, one to nothing,
and couldn't play defense long enough.
And Benoit retaliated.
-Benoit limping there, -[bell rings]
but when Benoit came back on that arm of Kurt Angle.
And Angle would like to have more than 30 seconds,
but that's not the way the game is played here.
Those chops just drive the air right out of you.
And Angle, shoulder-first into the ring post.
Pretty good strategy by Chris Benoit,
who has already weakened the arm of Kurt Angle.
[Paul] You've got to take advantage of every advantage.
[Jim] Overhand wristlock. Takedown!
Right back in that arm-breaker.
Right back in the arm-breaker.
Benoit trying to-- or Angle trying to flex his arm,
keeping it at a 45-degree angle.
And Angle in the ropes.
Referee's gonna call for the break, but more damage has been done
to that elbow of Kurt Angle by Chris Benoit.
[Paul] Angle did not want to be down two to one.
Angle desperately now trying to survive against Benoit.
[Jim] Shoulder breaker by Benoit
focusing on that left side of the body of Kurt Angle.
The elbow, the shoulder.
Remember, submission's all about working on the joint.
[people grunting]
Sternum-first goes Angle.
Down to a knee and now Benoit building some significant momentum here.
And Angle desperately holding onto the ropes as referee Mike Chioda
Benoit losing his composure there somewhat.
And Angle-- Angle with a chair!
Referee was on the other side of the ring, had been shoved down.
Angle just nailed Benoit with a steel chair right in the head.
And that's gonna give Kurt Angle the advantage again.
Like it or not. And then Angle with the ankle lock.
-And Benoit's gonna tap. -[bell rings]
Angle would have broken that, just snapped it.
[Paul] No doubt. Again, great presence of mind by Angle.
He took advantage of every--
And now Angle going back for Benoit.
[Jim] Benoit's got 30 seconds to regroup here somewhat.
And Angle, does not want to give up any advantage whatsoever.
We're about 15 seconds away from resuming this match-up
with Angle up two-to-one in submissions.
[Paul] You could give Benoit 15 minutes,
he's not getting over the ankle lock that fast.
This is a big turning point here.
Benoit's in trouble, and Angle's gonna take advantage of it.
[Jim] We've got 19 minutes left.
And now look at them--
Angle's got Benoit in a Crippler Crossface.
-And Benoit taps out of his own hold! -[bell rings]
[Paul] How insulting! How insulting! How degrading!
What brilliant strategy by my Olympic hero, Kurt Angle,
to make Chris Benoit tap
to Benoit's own submission hold.
[Jim] And that's a huge lead now for Kurt Angle.
He has the clock in his favor. Angle up three to one.
And depending on strategy here that Angle chooses to utilize,
the clock is an enemy of the Wolverine.
[Paul] The Wolverine's in big trouble here now.
[bell rings]
Angle has already beaten Benoit with Angle's hold.
Angle has beaten Benoit with Benoit's hold,
and we have only 18:12 left for Benoit to catch up.
He's behind three to one.
[Jim] And now Angle bringing Benoit to the apron.
And driving the point of his elbow
right into the solar plexus of Chris Benoit.
Benoit down three submissions to one.
And Angle can quite frankly take his time
and if he chooses to dictate a very deliberate pace,
that may be his best strategy here.
Nice suplex by Kurt Angle.
Dropping Chris Benoit, the Wolverine's head.
And again, Angle was looking for the ankle lock and Benoit was forced--
He had nothing else to do but to get in the ropes.
And now Benoit being made to pay by the Olympian.
Get off the ropes.
[Paul] Seventeen-twenty left, Angle up three to one.
Benoit is in a world of hurt right now.
And Angle's not letting up on the pressure either.
Nor should he.
[Jim] Look out here!
That's not in the rules-- Submissions here.
Come on, Kurt!
[people clamoring]
Kurt Angle with-- Very confident here.
Cannot get a submission on the outside of the ring.
If that was the case, Benoit would've had one earlier
because Angle did tap out early on the outside.
Overhand right.
Certainly Angle enjoying now punishing Chis Benoit
with that three-to-one advantage for the Olympian.
-And... -[Paul] Oh, my God!
[Jim] Benoit elevated Angle all the way over the top rope to the floor.
And if nothing else, Benoit has bought himself a little time
to recuperate, but that's not the Wolverine style.
[Paul] No, and he can't. Even if he wanted to, he can't, the clock is ticking.
He's down to 16:10.
And he's still down two falls.
[Jim] Right back to that left shoulder too.
[Paul] Oh, he's smart, he knows exactly what he's doing.
He needs to get back to the shoulder.
He needs to take advantage of Angle's weakness.
[Jim] A knife edge and a shot right to the shoulder.
Here's how Benoit turned the tide here.
Elevated Angle over the top rope.
-And now-- -[Paul] Boom!
[Jim] I can't tell you what that does to you.
Come on!
[Jim] And that was like a car wreck.
Angle reverses the whip.
Benoit had intended for Angle to go to the steps.
It was reversed.
And now the Wolverine Machine
has found himself again in a precarious position.
And there's the ankle lock on the outside.
And the referee's gotta stop this.
I don't know what--
Angle is taking advantage of the submission rules
trying to injure Benoit even more.
[Paul] Right, he thought on damage.
Smart game plan by my Olympic hero.
Fifteen minutes left, halfway through the contest.
Angle up three to one causing damage to Benoit.
Now puts him back into the ring.
[Jim] So we're halfway there in this match-up and again,
Angle going for that arm-breaker
trying to hyper-extend the elbow.
And look at Benoit, he's got to hold that elbow at least a 45-degree angle
and not let it get hyper-extended.
We're not looking at pinfalls here. We're only looking at submissions.
Benoit holding that arm.
Making sure it doesn't get in the hyper-extended position.
That's what Angle is shooting for here.
[Paul] The struggling for position tells the whole story.
The desperation on Benoit's face
clearly tells you the story.
He's down three to one. He desperately, desperately needs to avoid
this being four to one, or it could be all over at that point.
[Jim] Benoit on the ropes got the break.
Angle up very quickly. Angle in control.
Three-to-one advantage for Kurt Angle.
Under 14 minutes to go in the match.
Shades of the late Wilbur Snyder in the abdominal stretch.
Another submission maneuver.
Give it up.
[Paul] As much as Benoit needs those extra 30 seconds,
just to breathe right now, just to catch his breath.
Just to recuperate from the beating he has sustained.
He can't go down four to one.
Not now. Not with 13-and-a-half left.
[Jim] And Benoit counters.
But not for long, and Benoit rolled through.
There's a cross arm-breaker on Angle!
Angle fighting.
Angle writhing in pain finally gets to the ropes.
I'll tell you what, Benoit had the torque on that elbow of Kurt Angle.
[Paul] But again, Angle knows where he is at all times.
Angle was using the ropes to his advantage.
He makes sure that he's not in any kind of predicament
for any kind of time.
He's up three to one, and there's less than 13 minutes left.
[Jim] Great right hand by Kurt Angle, who's holding that right arm.
Benoit, quick as a cat here.
And he's going for the Sharpshooter.
[people cheering]
Benoit with the Sharpshooter.
Benoit with the Sharpshooter on Angle.
Angle screaming.
They can hear that in the home dungeon in Calgary.
The Sharpshooter. And Benoit doesn't want to let go.
But he finally does.
And now Angle's got two big problems.
His arm and his legs. Oh, man! What a shot that was.
Benoit is pugnacious, he just--
[Paul] Benoit has a problem.
And the problem is there's only 12 minutes left, and he's still down three to one.
[Jim] Benoit. No pinfalls.
Half Boston crab.
-Half crab, the knee to post. -[bell rings]
And Angle tapping out.
Benoit has drawn within one.
Angle leading three to two.
Benoit had that knee posted right in the back of the neck
in that half Boston crab,
putting all the pressure on the lower back of Kurt Angle.
[Paul] Kurt needs these 30 seconds right now, but then again, so does Benoit.
Benoit can't get anxious here.
He needs to catch his breath, he needs to formulate a game plan.
He's within one of tying this up.
[Jim] Both these young men in magnificent condition.
And they have to be, they've increased their conditioning
-in preparation for this match-up. -[bell rings]
And Angle now rolling out of bounds,
and that is not sitting very well with his fans here in Chicago.
And Angle, maybe he's preparing to get on his horse
and try to ride away from this 11 minutes left in this match-up.
[Paul] He's ahead three to two.
He is ahead. The clock is at Angle's advantage.
[Jim] Well, this is not the Olympic spirit
that we're seeing from Kurt Angle, quite frankly.
They look a bit wobbly.
Benoit's gonna press the issue here, Paul.
He's gonna continue to be the aggressor.
Angle knows Benoit's gonna get him.
[Paul] No doubt, Benoit's behind two to three.
Ten and a half left.
Benoit needs to keep the pressure eon Angle.
Angle with the advantage
needs to use every advantage in his own favor.
-And he does. -[Jim] Angle...
The clock is Angle's friend right now, and Angle
again has saddled up that horse and is trying to ride away in the sunset.
And finally catching Benoit coming in the ring.
Maybe that's what Angle's setting Benoit up for all along.
And now Angle trying to keep Benoit down.
Angle trying to draw another long breath.
Put some more oxygen in that body.
[Paul] We're under 10 minutes to go.
Angle up three to two.
The advantage again with The Olympic Hero, Kurt Angle.
[Jim] Angle, the desperation right to the face.
Got in the eyes of Chris Benoit when Benoit connected
with a couple of heavy right hands.
-And Benoit cannot beat Angle -[people clamoring]
with Angle in the ring and Benoit on the outside.
It doesn't work that way.
And now Angle
gonna try to make sure that Benoit doesn't get back in the ring.
Referee just staying between Angle and his competitor here.
If possible, anyway.
Again Angle, stomping away at Benoit.
[Paul] Benoit's so desperate, so desperate to get back in the ring,
where he could possibly score a submission to tie it up.
[Jim] Just over nine minutes remaining.
Benoit finally gets back in the ring,
and Kurt Angle awaiting The Rabid Wolverine from Edmonton.
Angle gonna resume the process here.
Front face lock into the suplex.
Driving more air out of Benoit, and Angle in control here.
Angle and quite frankly both these men in magnificent condition.
And Angle looking for that leg.
And Benoit's feeling it, sensing it.
Quickly gets to the ropes.
[Paul] Eight and a half remaining.
Angle keeping the pressure now on Benoit.
Taking advantage of Benoit's situation.
But Angle too has to be very careful. He cannot get overconfident.
[Jim] Fatigue will, and perhaps has become a factor.
Nice drop toe hold.
And Angle had one thing on his mind, and that was to break Benoit's ankle.
The drop toe hold and looking for the ankle,
and Benoit smartly gets to the ropes.
But Benoit now has two enemies: Kurt Angle and the clock.
[Paul] We're under eight minutes to go.
And the fact is that if either man slaps on a submission hold,
the opponent is in big, big trouble.
[Jim] Angle tossing Benoit on the outside, and I don't know how,
how bright this is, Angle perhaps should have left Benoit out here.
But Angle...
And-- Oh, my God, suplex.
And Benoit's body just bounced right off this floor.
It's a thin black mat, more for aesthetic purposes than anything else.
Not a hell of a lot of protection.
And that was a hard suplex,
as Benoit hit with his kidneys first.
[people grunting]
First! Two hot shots.
And again, out of desperation, a rake of the eyes by Kurt Angle.
Benoit was building some momentum, Paul, but it was cut off quickly.
[Paul] You have to be desperate in this situation. Seven minutes to go.
And either man can pull a miracle out right here with a submission.
Angle, if he gets it four to two,
clearly, he'll have such an advantage that not even Benoit can pull out of.
But if Benoit ties it up, Angle could be in a very bad way.
[Jim] Angle looking back at the clock, which is on one of the big screens here.
There's six-thirty and change remaining
in this 30-minute Ultimate Submission match.
Angle up three to two.
Another right hand by Angle.
Benoit barely able to stand, and the clearcut advantage right--
What-- The leg-- Takedown.
Benoit going for the ankle. He's fighting for the ankle lock.
Benoit looking for something here.
And Angle found what he was looking for, and that was the sanctuary of the ropes.
[Paul] As I've been saying all night long, it's the great presence of mind
not just the balance, not just the whereabout.
And Now-- Now an advantage for Angle if he capitalizes big time!
[Jim] Big mistake by Chris Benoit,
who took a chance there, and it may cost him the match.
And there's another submission move by Kurt Angle.
Got the arm hooked, the leg bent backwards.
Trying to post that elbow, look at that forearm right in Benoit's face.
And Benoit driving those elbows right into the ribs of Kurt Angle.
But Angle trying to choke out Benoit.
That arm has slipped under the chin.
[Paul] The leverage that Kurt Angle is employing right now,
the position that Kurt Angle is employing.
Everything, everything right now
is in favor of The Olympic Hero, Kurt Angle,
and there's only about five minutes left.
[Jim] Benoit's mouth wide open, trying to get that air in his body.
And it may be the end is maybe imminent here for Chris Benoit.
Look at the arm. Under the chin.
Cutting off the oxygen supply.
Benoit with that mouth wide open trying to suck in as much air as he can.
[Paul] But all Angle has to do is hold on now.
Four-forty-eight left.
Angle up by one.
If Angle can hold on, it's all his,
he wins the 30-minute submission match.
[Jim] Benoit being bent over so he can't expand those lungs.
And again, the leg grapevine.
And that-- And Benoit fighting with everything he's got in his body
to fight out of this predicament.
But Kurt Angle will not unlock his hands.
Angle's got those hands locked underneath the jaw of Chris Benoit.
And there you see it. A great look right there.
Our camera taking you right inside the ring.
[Paul] Angle is running down the clock. We're at 4:10 now.
And Benoit while he struggles is costing himself all that oxygen.
[Jim] And Benoit breaks him with a jawbreaker.
I don't know how much Benoit's got left,
but at least he caused some separation there
with just under four minutes to go.
[Paul] But can he capitalize?
[Jim] I think you just got your question answered.
At least not on that exchange.
A shot right to the kidneys again.
Angle knows exactly where he's placing those boots.
Driving the air out of Chris Benoit. Look at the flex from those kicks.
They're not done randomly.
Angle knew exactly what part of the anatomy,
what organ he wanted to attack.
[Paul] Oh, he's precise in his methodology.
And now The Olympic Hero, Kurt Angle.
Belly to belly!
[Jim] Man, what a belly to belly overhead suplex that was.
And now Angle sits.
[people booing]
And he is firmly, firmly in the driver's seat.
Well, just over three minutes to go.
Another belly-to-belly overhead throw by Kurt Angle.
[Paul] Less than three minutes remaining, Angle up three to two.
And now The Olympic Hero, Kurt Angle,
if he just keeps the pressure on Benoit,
will leave Backlash the winner of the 30-minute Ultimate Submission match.
[Jim] But Benoit reverses.
And Benoit, with a suplex, a belly-to-back suplex.
And Benoit holding on.
Benoit has got some big moves here.
And Angle's eyes are getting glassy.
That's a second suplex. And how is Benoit doing it?
Angle blocked that one. Catching Benoit in the ear.
Looking for the-- Oh, My God. There it is. Nope.
Benoit countered. Benoit countered.
Looking for the ankle. Or looking for the knee.
Angle, he's trying to get to the ropes. And Angle taps out!
-[bell rings] -At two minutes and change, we are tied.
We are tied at three.
And now it's a two-minute match.
[Paul] Chris Benoit just made Kurt Angle tap out
to Kurt Angle's own submission hold, the ankle lock.
[Jim] And that is-- You talk about adding insult to injury.
Much like Angle did to Benoit earlier,
defeating Benoit, the Crippler Crossface.
-And now we are tied at three, -[bell rings]
under two minutes remaining.
So now, with the bell sounding at a minute and a half and change,
we are about 90 seconds of hell here for these two men.
[Paul] Can you imagine the desperation going through both men's minds right now?
Neither man can afford to lose this match.
[Jim] And it looks like Benoit wants to beat Angle
with the ankle lock or something with that knee.
That's the focus right now.
And Angle hanging near and close and dear to those ropes.
[Paul] Angle is vulnerable, and he knows it.
He knows that he's vulnerable.
Angle definitely trying to survive against Chris Benoit.
[Jim] Angle may be happy to compete for a draw here.
Another waist lock into that suplex.
The Wolverine Machine.
And Angle holding on, and a low blow!
Oh, a low blow!
Angle with a low blow and down went Benoit,
who was in control.
And y'all come on. It can't end this way!
Benoit on the ropes, but Angle pulled him away.
With 30 seconds remaining.
Angle's trying to get that ankle lock on Benoit,
who rolls against the pressure to the other side of the ring.
Twenty seconds remaining.
Inside 20.
To the suplex. Angle, the suplex.
-[Paul] Ankle lock! -[Jim] Angle's got the ankle lock!
-[Paul] Time to go! -[Jim] Can Benoit hold on?
Benoit's about to tap.
He's gonna tap! On three. He's gonna--
-[bell rings] -Benoit! Benoit just tapped out.
[Paul] He's tapping. Benoit just tapped!
[Jim] But it was after the bell, Paul. It was after the bell clearly.
And we are going to end this match apparently tied at three.
He tapped.
-He tapped! -[Jim] He tapped after the bell, Kurt.
What's going on here?
Referee talking to the ring announcer, I think.
Ladies and gentlemen, the 30-minute time limit has expired.
And with the submissions all even, the referee has demanded
that this match continue until sudden death!
[Jim] Well, sudden death means that we'll not use the clock,
and the first person to score a submission will win this match.
So Angle is almost ready to break out in tears!
[Paul] Hey, I gotta admit, I like it.
Personally, I really like it.
I'd like to see who's the better submission wrestler,
Angle or Benoit.
[Jim] We don't need no kissin'-sister finishes here.
It's gotta be no draw, we are in sudden death overtime.
And again, Angle going right back to work on that ankle and knee
of Chris Benoit.
[Paul] Well, you can't blame him. I mean, if it's gonna be a sudden death overtime,
let's go for sudden death. And Angle, again taking advantage
of the weakness that he himself created.
[Jim] Man, what a suplex that was.
Benoit had the advantage late in the match
until that low blow by Angle turned the table.
And then there was nothing but guts
for Chris Benoit to hold on in that ankle lock.
But the damage has obviously been done to the Wolverine.
And Angle is upright.
[people booing]
He has the momentum, but we'll see.
Benoit rolling through.
Looking to grab something. No pinfalls.
A little guillotine there by Kurt Angle.
That's a version of the abdominal stretch, but it's vertical.
[Paul] The positioning here, the struggle for the positioning.
It's just so impressive.
And now, look at the leverage that's being applied by Angle.
[Jim] Angle using the ropes for an unfair advantage.
And Benoit-- Wait! Benoit with the Crossface!
Benoit turned on Angle. Benoit turned on Angle.
-We're in overtime. -[Paul] He'll do it.
[Jim] Crossface is applied!
-[Paul] Yeah! -[Jim] And Benoit's done it.
[bell rings]
Benoit's come from behind to defeat Kurt Angle in overtime.
[announcer] Here's your winner, Chris Benoit!
[Jim] Oh, what a hell of a match!
Thirty-plus minutes of hell for these two stallions.
But tonight was Chris Benoit's night.
[rock music]
Benoit countered Angle's guillotine.
into the Crippler Crossface!
And Angle, just like anybody would do,
had nothing to do but tap out.
[Paul] I have no problem calling Chris Benoit the winner.
I hate to think that Kurt Angle could be the loser of this match.
[Jim] Over 30 minutes for these two men.
And Benoit on this night
before 17,000-plus in Chicago is the better man.
[Paul] Well, here it is, the Crippler Crossface.
And Angle had absolutely, positively no choice but to tap.
[people cheering]
[Jim] Gonna take a break.
They're spirited there.
I wonder if they're... Is he upset with Kane or something?
[Paul] I don't know, look at that arm. That's what concerns me.
What do you think they're talking about?
My guess would be they're talking about what kind of excuses
they should make tomorrow, after tonight we take their titles off them.
And prove to them that we're the dominant team.
Be my guess.
Well, you know who else is gonna be making excuses?
Is my brother Shane.
And I tried to warn Shane, I mean I told him he's not living in the real world,
you know, he's going to lose this match with The Big Show.
Yeah, well, Shane's always lived in a fairy tale world, hasn't he?
[Jim] Well, we'll find out fairy tale or not because Shane McMahon
in just a few moments, will meet the seven-foot-two,
500-pound Big Show in a last-man-standing match.
And if there was ever an underdog here tonight,
Shane McMahon is that man.
How in God's name will he survive?
It's not enough that my son Shane flew down to Atlanta, Georgia,
and literally, right out from underneath my nose
stole WCW from me.
I now own WCW!
It's the recruiting going on here behind the scenes
all right, and you know what? Congratulations.
You just got your first WWE superstar in WCW.
It still remains a fact that you have the potential to be
the biggest, meanest, nastiest WWE champion of all time.
Which way will you go, Show?
Will you go with Shane O'Mac to WCW?
Or will you remain here?
[narrator] Oh, no, what the hell is this?
Shane going for the ride.
[Shane] Yeah, we know which way he's gonna get, by the way.
And Backlash Shane McMahon, it's gonna be you.
One on one. The last man standing.
You and The Big Show!
[Jim] What kind of father would send his son
in a last-man-standing match against a 500-pound mountain?
An angry, vengeful billionaire father.
Have you thought through what I'm capable of doing to Shane?
Yeah, I have. I'm looking forward to it.
[narrator] And wait, there's Shane. Where'd he come from?
Oh, my God, what was that?
It's The Big Show. The Big Show!
Five hundred pounds!
Can you imagine if he does this to Shane McMahon
Sunday at Backlash Last Man Standing?
Do you think The Big Show is seeing Shane McMahon
in the face of Test here tonight?
Imagine what Shane is thinking after seeing Test get dismantled.
A message from Big Show to Shane, we meet Sunday at Backlash!
[children's music]
Hello, Big Show.
I saw what you did to Test, so I thought I'd try to calm you down
by reading from this fable, to turn that frown upside down.
Once the match started, The Giant looked high and low,
but he couldn't find Shane. Which way did he go?
Up to the top of the mighty beanstalk.
The people were stunned, they can barely talk.
The fairy tale ends with a mighty crash landing.
When it was all said and done, Shane O'Mac
was the last man standing.
[rock music]
[announcer] The following contest is the Last Man Standing match,
introducing first The Big Show.
[Jim] Well, Mr. McMahon has certainly made sure this match is happening.
And Mr. McMahon has made sure that The Big Show is motivated
to eliminate Shane McMahon.
in this Last Man Standing match, Paul.
Seven feet two, 500 pounds.
My God, Shane McMahon's gotta be willing to take more chances
than perhaps he should, just to upset
or survive this monstrous adversary.
[Paul] And not since the days of Al Capone
has there been a massacre this public.
[pop music]
[announcer] From Greenwich, Connecticut, Shane McMahon!
[Jim] Shane McMahon has got that McMahon blood running in his veins.
He knows no fear. He will not be intimidated.
But you know, Shane's a good-size kid.
He's 6' 2", maybe 230, maybe 240, I don't know.
[Paul] Right, so he's facing a man clearly a foot taller
-[bell rings] -and probably twice his weight.
-[Jim] Exactly. -[Paul] Okay, my prediction,
Shane McMahon is going to get his ass kicked.
[Jim] I don't think you're going out on a limb on that one there, pal.
And where Shane-- Oh, Shane McMahon.
[Paul] Let me guess: which way did he go, right?
[Jim] And Shane McMahon using that kendo stick...
all over The Big Show who's not the--
was not the valedictorian of his high school class, I don't think.
[people cheering]
Shane McMahon giving The Big Show that book.
Shane O'Mac's chance, ringing out the Allstate arena here,
with 17,000-plus on hand.
Shane fighting for his life using that kendo stick.
Oh, man, oh, man.
Now, that's the difference-- one huge clothesline from a guy that size,
and the whole complexion of the match changes.
[Paul] No doubt about it, The Big Show, seven feet two, 500 pounds,
and Shane McMahon is being pressed into the ring.
[Jim] And Shane McMahon's done a lot of amazing things.
He's surprised us on more than one occasion
in big match environments.
And Big Show...
Listen to those shots!
That's right in the man's spine.
Three hard shots, and The Big Show's up again.
Trying to block that one to his big old head.
That's like six or seven chair shots,
and finally the 500-pounder goes down.
Last man standing. No pinfalls.
The match will end if a man cannot answer a 10-count.
And referee Jack Doan utilizing that count as we speak.
[people cheering]
And you can do whatever it takes to keep the man down.
[Paul] Can you imagine swinging a steel chair
and connecting with another man's skull six times?
And then he gets up for more.
[Jim] Well, quite frankly, I wouldn't want to find myself in that predicament,
but Shane McMahon is fearless.
[Paul] What is he doing?
[Jim] What is that smell?
What is that?
[Paul] He's trying gag out The Big Show!
[Jim] What is that smell?
Smells like ether. What is that?
[Paul] I don't know, but Shane McMahon's trying to protect himself from it.
And he's trying to bring the big man down.
[Jim] What a pungent odor that is,
and whatever it is, The Big Show is moving slower and slower.
And Shane holding on for dear life here,
and The Big Show's face has turned bright red from whatever that--
[Paul] He's dropping, The Big Show is dropping.
[Jim] Remember, it's last man standing.
The Big Show is fading.
Shane McMahon, whatever that substance is
over the face of The Big Show, who has...
[Paul] Not even the referee. Not even the referee can stand the smell.
[people chanting]
[Jim] Big Show now, lying motionless on the canvas,
and the referee is going to utilize that count.
Referee gets to ten here, this match is over.
[Paul] Now come on.
-[Jim] Oh, there's Vince McMahon! -[people cheering]
What the hell!
Now wait a minute! No, not your own son!
For goodness sakes!
That's your own son!
Come on!
Shane beats his dad at WrestleMania, and now he gets attacked.
He gets worn out on a steel chair. What's that about?
[Paul] The owner of the WWE
just cracked the owner of WCW
right in the head with a steel chair.
[Jim] When it looked like Shane had defeated The Big Show,
Daddy Dearest makes his presence felt.
[Paul] Here's Shane McMahon, already The Big Show's down,
and Vince McMahon comes in to save the day.
He's done the damage and now, now Mr. McMahon leaves ringside.
[Jim] Vince McMahon just scrambled his own son's brains
with that steel chair,
and now The Big Show is starting to come around.
The referee has got his count on both men here.
If The Big Show gets up and Shane McMahon doesn't,
The Big Show will obviously win this last-man-standing match.
And The Big Show is up.
[Paul] And it looks to me like he's gonna be the last man standing.
Oh, he picked him up! The Big Show picked up Shane!
[Jim] How bright was that?
Shane McMahon was out at an 8-count.
[Paul] I don't think this is just about victory now.
This is about punishment.
[Jim] Sidewalk slam with a 500-pounder.
You're right, Paul, The Big Show,
he wants to win, there's no doubt about that.
But he wants to hurt Shane McMahon.
The Big Show thinks he's going to gain favor from Mr. McMahon
if The Big Show destroys the owner of WCW.
[Paul] I agree with him. I think he's right.
You can question his intelligence all you want,
but you gotta admit, he's right in that aspect.
[Jim] Shane McMahon pulling himself up.
Showing a great deal of courage and heart just to get up.
And it might be-- He might be well served-- Speaking of Shane...
-[Paul] We're up to seven. -...just to stay down.
[Jim] Shane's got nothing to be ashamed of here.
That was a sickening thud.
Big Show's hand looks like a catcher's mitt.
[Paul] I think even if Shane wanted to stay down,
The Big Show would keep picking him up.
This is a beating, a public beating
in front of 17,154 live witnesses.
[Jim] Big Show again driving the air out of Shane McMahon.
One!
[Paul] And you got how many more at home watching?
Watching Shane McMahon get beaten by Mr. McMahon's emissary,
the seven-foot, two-inch Big Show.
Four!
[Jim] Shane McMahon...
Five!
Five count just passed by.
Six!
[Paul] This is the greatest night in The Big Show's life.
[Jim] No fairy tale ending here, unfortunately, ladies and gentlemen.
And we're up to eight.
The second time we've had an eight count.
And The Big Show just wants to hurt this kid.
He wants to break Shane McMahon's body and spirit.
One!
-And he may succeed breaking the body... -I'm the man!
...but you'll never break that McMahon fighting spirit.
Kneel before me!
[people cheering]
[Paul] Look at this.
The back of Shane's head bounces right off the canvas like a Super Ball,
-and this is it, it's over. -Six!
-Seven! -[Jim] Big Show in firm control.
-Eight! -Another eight count.
And again The Big Show with that sadistic side.
The backbreaker.
[people cheering]
[Paul] Backbreaker?
[Jim] The backbreaker and there's Test!
There's Test!
Test with that big shot.
The Big Show is toast. He caused the altercation last week,
and Test hasn't forgotten.
[people cheering]
Test almost was Shane's brother-in-law at one time.
[Paul] Oh, but The Big Show's up.
[Jim] And The Big Show now might break Test in half.
Test thrown over the top like a rag doll.
He's 6' 6", 270.
[people clamoring]
And Test, thrown out into the front row
here in Chicago.
And our ringsiders here at Backlash, getting up close and personal
with the young bachelor from Toronto,
who just got head and shoulder first into the ring steps.
[Paul] The Big Show has already decimated, decimated Shane McMahon,
and now, The Big Show's attention turns towards Test.
[Jim] Wait, where's the Show going?
[Paul] Anywhere he wants to.
He's 500 pounds.
[Jim] Every bit of it.
[Paul] And all of those pounds, mean.
[Jim] Test grabbing a weapon.
And The Big Show trying to get his hands up
to protect that big mug of his.
And he just--
He can just turn the table
and change the complexion of a match with one move.
And now Test is gonna be punished, just like Shane McMahon was punished.
Shane McMahon is back to his feet,
and here comes Shane down the aisle.
Shane McMahon may not know where he is,
but then again maybe he does.
The Big Show opening up on Test.
And Shane O'Mac the giant killer right back in the fight here.
Test has been incapacitated.
And Shane McMahon showing no fear.
And no intimidation.
And now the big man's got a weapon.
The 500-pounder's got him a weapon. That pipe!
Oh, come on!
[Paul] Can you imagine what would happen if The Big Show connects?
Shane needs to run like hell right now.
[Jim] Shane McMahon--
well, Shane McMahon's getting away from The Big Show,
who's got that pipe, that lead pipe or whatever it is.
And Shane McMahon doing the smartest thing that he can do,
and that's to get as far away from The Big Show as he can.
[Paul] But The Big Show's following him!
My God, a 500-pound giant following Shane McMahon!
[Jim] The biggest stalker in history.
Oh, Shane-- Where is Shane going?
Test pulling The Big Show down.
Another shot to to The Big Show's head.
He's gonna break his forearms if he's not careful,
trying to cover up from those shots.
[people clamoring]
And now The Big Show launching that big arm, that big hand.
Oh, low blow.
Test with the low blow.
[Paul] The Big Show was going to chokeslam Test right now
at the entranceway.
[Jim] The low blow and the right hands. My God!
[people cheering]
[Jim] Oh, my God, don't do it, Shane.
-Don't do it. -[Paul] Oh, my God!
[Jim] Oh, my God!
Shane McMahon just put his body and soul
over the line to drive his body through The Big Show's.
And look at the broken wood.
The broken bodies.
[people cheering]
And both men are down, and the referee is counting.
[Paul] How far of a fall do you think that was?
[Jim] My God, I have no idea, it was unbelievable...
...on that staging, but both men are down.
Six!
Shane McMahon and The Big Show are down.
Seven!
And Test... helping Shane up.
Holding Shane up over the camera or crane.
[Paul] Now how fair is this?
[Jim] It's not very damn fair,
but it sure indicates the strength of Test!
[people cheering]
I think The Big Show's been counted out.
And Shane McMahon has done it!
-My God, Shane McMahon has done it! -[pop music]
[announcer] Here is your winner! Shane McMahon!
[Jim] He must have been 50 feet in the air.
But Shane McMahon propelled himself off the top of that scaffolding,
using his own body like a human missile.
And there you see the remains of the 500-pound Big Show.
Shane McMahon is, yes, the last man standing!
[Paul] Look at this. Are you telling me that Shane McMahon wanted to do this?
No way! Shane McMahon had to do this!
This is the only way to take out--
Oh, my God, he jumped down on top--
on top of The Big Show!
[Jim] Here's another look at it. From the top of your screen.
My God! Broken wood! Broken bodies!
This is unbelievable. That's got to be at least 50 feet!
Maybe more.
I'll tell you what, I've seen a lot of--
This is-- We'll be looking at this piece of videotape for years.
We talked about Mick Foley off the top of the cage
many years ago in Pittsburgh.
That had to be over 50 feet, Paul.
I can't even tell you,
he was all the way up there at the top of the entranceway,
and he dove off, but you know what? He had to do it.
because if he didn't do it, there was no way on earth
he could put away The Big Show.
He landed right on top of The Big Show.
-You're right about that. -The momentum.
It's overwhelming.
Shane McMahon putting his life on the line to win this match.
That's how badly Shane McMahon wanted to win.
And proved something not only to The Big Show,
but to Shane's own father.
Shane is the owner of WCW.
[Paul] I don't care what he's the owner of, what he is right now
is the owner of The Big Show's ass.
Because Shane McMahon, look what he's willing to do
to take out The Big Show. My God!
Look at the momentum coming down on top of The Big Show.
[Jim] For the love of God.
Can you tell me what the hell that is?
I have no idea.
Can you tell me what the hell that is?
Dad, Dad, I don't know, but you've got to calm down, okay?
At least we've got the championship match tonight,
all titles on the line,
Austin and Triple H will not only be the Intercontinental
and World Wrestling Entertainment champions,
but they'll be the Tag Team champions as well.
That I can assure you of.
Well, I can assure you of one thing,
as of this day forward, I only have one son,
and his name is Triple H.
[Jim] Oh, man.
Now, what kind of father is that?
[Paul] Yo, big up to my hometown, New York City.
[Jim] Well, that's interesting.
We're gonna look inside WWE New York and Steve Blackman's there.
Steve, I'll tell you what, you've been in the ring with Shane McMahon.
What do you think of that last move, what can you say about it?
You've been there with him.
What's going on, JR?
[Jim] I just-- Did you see what Shane just did?
I sure did. You know, I have to say,
Shane and I have had some problems in the past,
but I never expected him to pull something off like he did tonight.
I never thought he'd even return to another Hardcore match
after the one that we had at SummerSlam.
It took some real guts out there, and I was impressed as hell.
So hopefully the guy's all right.
[Jim] I--
Oh, yeah! Oh, yeah!
[people cheering]
Let the Grand Master break it down like this, you see what I'm saying G?
The Big Show is bad, and he thinks he's all wack.
But he just got booted by Shane O'Mac.
Oh, yeah!
Nice one. Give me some, dog. Give me some!
Give me some, dog.
Come on, dog.
-[Jim] Give me some, dog. -[Paul] I didn't know Blackman was a dog.
[Jim] I figure we'll look at this. Folks, you gotta take a--
we've gotta take another look at this.
This is the damnedest thing I think I've ever seen.
I thought Mick Foley off the cage was amazing, this is--
This is off the page, this is of another stratosphere.
Look at this.
[people cheering]
God Almighty, that's gotta be 50 feet or more.
[Paul] Imagine how The Big Show feels.
[Jim] No margin for error.
[rock music]
[narrator] The following contest scheduled for One Fall
is the Triple Threat Match for World Wrestling Entertainment's
European Championship.
Introducing first, from Cameron, North Carolina,
weighing 223 pounds,
the new World Wrestling Entertainment European Champion,
Matt Hardy!
[Jim] Matt Hardy defeated Eddie Guerrero to become new European Champion
last Thursday night on UPN SmackDown.
Just three days ago.
And it wasn't easy, Paul, but Matt got it done with that Twist of Fate
and became the new European Champion.
I know he'd love to be defending the title
this Saturday in the UK on Sky Box Office,
as a part of the extravaganza known as WWE Insurrextion.
[rock music]
[announcer] The challenger, from Toronto, Canada,
weighing 221 pounds, Christian!
[Jim] Again, we'll be in the UK on Saturday.
Big Sky Box Office extravaganza.
Also want to say hello to our fans in Australia
where we're live on Late Night.
[hip hop music]
[announcer] From El Paso, Texas, weighing 215 pounds,
Eddie Guerrero.
[Jim] Certainly from one of the most respected wrestling families
in our business is Eddie Guerrero.
And the uniqueness of this match is our fans know in these Triple Threat matches,
three men in the ring at the same time.
The first man to score pinfall or submission wins.
Therefore the champion does not have be involved
in the decisions to lose his title.
-Christian wouldn't even be in this match -[bell rings]
if he hadn't sucked up to Regal last week.
[Paul] Come on, now. That's uncalled for, and you know it.
[Jim] I believe that's true, and I know it.
And Matt Hardy a marked man in more than one way here.
Not only is he the European Champion, but again,
he doesn't have to be involved in the decision.
This could be a situation where Guerrero and Christian
double-team and eliminate Matt Hardy.
And quite frankly, that's exactly what they're doing.
Matt Hardy thrown right out on his head,
and now that leaves Eddie Guerrero and Christian.
And Christian from behind.
Every man for himself.
[Paul] No doubt the Triple Threat Match, first man that scores the pin
leaves with the European title.
[Jim] And again, the minutes are drawing more near and near
for the main event here tonight.
The Undertaker and Kane, the tag team champions
against Stone Cold & Triple H.
And there is a powerslam and near fall.
With Austin's WWE title
and The Game's Intercontinental title,
along with the Tag titles, all at stake in one match.
That is still to come.
Oh, nice hurricanrana, what an adjustment in mid-air
by Eddie Guerrero.
[Paul] Eddie Guerrero is a phenomenal athlete.
Can you imagine what would happen if Eddie Guerrero
left here tonight the European Champion?
[Jim] He would go to Insurrexion on Saturday as the new man.
The new European Champ.
And Matt Hardy back up and back in the fight.
[Paul] Do you think the man that leaves here the European champion
also wins the heart of Lita?
[Jim] I don't think so. I think Matt Hardy's
gonna have Lita's heart win, lose, or draw.
And Matt not in a very good position here.
Slipped out.
Matt Hardy countered, avoiding the contact by Christian.
Almost rolled up Eddie Guerrero.
And now Matt looking for the Twist of Fate.
Got a clothesline instead.
[Paul] Well, Christian is no stranger to Matt Hardy.
The feud between the Hardys and Christian
has been a longstanding one here in the WWE.
But now, both men here as singles competitors,
and Eddie Guerrero to me is the wild card.
[Jim] Nice thing about this match in my view is that
there's no Edge, there's no Radicalz, there's no Jet, there's no Lita.
It's just three guys, all with an equal chance
of leaving with the European title.
Drop toehold.
And Eddie Guerrero...
And there's a sunset flip very near the ropes.
Guerrero got his head hung up on the bottom rope.
Comes up fighting.
And outside goes the former European champion of three days ago.
And Christian,
he and his partner Edge, a seven-time Tag Team champion.
You've got to believe somewhere down the road...
he'll have singles aspirations as here tonight.
And there's a cover, Paul.
[Paul] Well, this is the way to go about it.
The European Championship on the line.
And now Matt Hardy in the ring alone with Christian.
These two are no strangers to one another.
They both know each other very, very well.
[Jim] Extremely well, and Eddie Guerrero on the outside
pulling the reigning European champion out, Matt Hardy.
And boy, the baseball slide by Christian I think got both guys.
[Paul] Christian wants the European Championship for many, many reasons,
-but most of all-- -[Jim] Money!
-[Paul] There's nothing wrong with money. -[Jim] No.
Nothing wrong at all with it.
Oh, look at this move.
Look for the DDT.
Great balance and athleticism by Matt Hardy.
[Paul] I mean, I don't see Matt Hardy just giving the money away.
[Jim] And Eddie Guerrero back in the ring.
Hooking up Matt Hardy.
Outside backhand brainbuster.
Matt Hardy dropped on his head.
Eddie Guerrero now, with Christian on the outside, can seize the moment.
Oh, and another brainbuster.
More importantly, seize the European title, and this should be all!
Nope. Was that it? No!
And Eddie Guerrero with a look of doubt quite frankly,
I thought he had three.
[Paul] But now's not the time to get frustrated.
Now's the time to keep the pressure on!
[people cheering]
[Jim] Nice high elevation in that back body drop.
As Matt Hardy peels that shirt off...
much to the delight of the young ladies here in Chicago
and a couple of guys in the third row...
Another shot right there, another right hand by Eddie Guerrero.
Matt Hardy hung up and nowhere to go,
but I think we know the direction, Paul.
Oh, there's Christian.
Oh, Christian hanging on to Matt Hardy
as Eddie Guerrero attempted the hurricanrana.
And so now, Christian trying to take Matt--
And Matt Hardy just dropped Christian on Guerrero.
And Matt Hardy, double clothesline from the top!
Matt Hardy fighting for his European title life.
And that is not what Christian and Eddie Guerrero wanted.
Christian thrown over the top rope.
Eddie slammed.
And Matt Hardy. Second rung, take a chance here.
[people cheering]
Can't waste too much time.
And he doesn't. The leg drop scores, but his hook--
Oh, man, Eddie Guerrero shows his toughness and resiliency, Paul.
[Paul] No doubt. No doubt Eddie Guerrero definitely wants once again
to reign as the European champion.
[Jim] Matt Hardy's head bounced right off the apron.
And that apron has very little give in it.
Not very friendly.
Wait a minute.
Oh, come on!
There's Edge, running him into the ground!
Korderas, the referee, Korderas...
was detained.
And Eddie Guerrero now gonna take advantage of that predicament.
Another near call!
[Paul] One second away. Eddie Guerrero was one second away
from being the European champion again.
-[Jim] There's Edge with that cheap shot. -[people cheering]
That steer took him down.
And wait a minute.
There's Jeff Hardy.
[people cheering]
Jeff Hardy coming to get some of Edge.
And Jeff landing on his feet on the outside.
He had pointy on it.
And Jeff Hardy on top.
Jeff Hardy, the Swanton.
And now he nails Edge.
Matt Hardy after Jeff's Swanton with a Twist of Fate.
[Paul] Twist of Fate!
[Jim] The leg is hooked!
And Matt Hardy retains his European title!
[announcer] The winner of this bout and still European champion,
-Matt Hardy! -[rock music]
[Jim] Edge and Christian would have loved to have had a bargain-basement victory,
but it was not to be here in Chicago tonight.
[Paul] So Matt Hardy, once again, remains the European champion,
but to me, the big story is that Jeff Hardy
won the fight for his brother.
[Jim] Seventeen thousand plus-- our 18th consecutive sell-out here in Chicago--
has just about seen it all.
But we have never seen anything like the biggest elbow drop in history.
It had to be 50 feet,
as Shane McMahon standing on top of the structure,
Test encouraged Shane to put it all on the line, and by God, the kid did it.
[Paul] Look at this. Off the top.
I mean, how high is that really?
Can we get a tape measure?
Shane McMahon, look at the momentum.
Wham! On top of The Big Show's body.
[Jim] Shane McMahon has been taken for a medical evaluation, but up next,
it will be all the major titles in the WWE on the line in one match.
And this hellacious war shocked us all
when it started at WrestleMania.
[narrator] Stone Cold Steve Austin will do anything
to become the WWE champion.
Anything...
What the hell is this?
It's a new champion.
Stone Cold has sold his soul to Satan himself
to win the WWE title.
Someone tell me this is not happening!
Stone Cold Steve Austin has sold his soul.
Why, Steve?
[Steve] I don't owe you no explanation, I don't owe you people a damn thing.
[narrator] The Rock is trapped inside the cage
with Stone Cold Steve Austin and Mr. McMahon.
Here comes The Game, and he's got that sledgehammer.
I cannot believe it. The Rattlesnake, The Game,
and the boss, on one vile, ugly, nasty page.
What you see is the two most dominant men
in World Wrestling Entertainment today,
in the past, in the future.
Can you believe McMahon's alliance
has the Intercontinental title and the WWE title.
[Steve] We will do what we want.
[narrator] This is damn sure sick.
[Steve] And believe me, no one can stop us.
[narrator] The Undertaker and Kane!
When have they seen enough?
The Undertaker and Kane stepping into the ring,
and the tough guys want to leave.
[man] Who was it that told Triple H and Austin
that beating up commentators and women made them badasses.
[narrator] Through Hellfire and brimstone, these two will want
to take care of business.
The brothers of destruction.
If you manage to defeat Edge and Christian tonight, you can have Triple H and Austin.
[narrator] Let us ride!
Covered by The Undertaker.
Undertaker and Kane are tag team champions.
And now they get Triple H and Stone Cold.
I had to do a little compromising with Linda.
In addition to having to face Undertaker and Kane at Backlash,
the titles have to be up for grabs.
What's so bad about that, we want to be the champs.
It's not just the tag team titles that are up for grabs, guys.
[narrator] The WWE titles, the Intercontinental titles,
will be at stake at Backlash.
[The Undertaker] The stakes, they just rose a little bit.
Hey, wait a minute, Austin and The Game
are tagging The Undertaker and Kane from behind.
[man] We will tell you when it is too much.
This is heinous.
[Steve] Why don't we see who the most dominant team is?
[man] There ain't a single man that can stop
Stone Cold Steve Austin and Triple H.
We're going to take Triple H in Austin.
We're going to show him what it's like to be a badass.
The brothers of destruction.
[Steve] What you see is the two most dominant men
in World Wrestling Entertainment today.
All I see in the ring are dead men walking.
[narrator] That was off-the-page intense!
[Steve] Why don't we see who the most dominant team is?
[rock music]
[people cheering]
[Jim] We are ready for our main event.
And there's the four-time Intercontinental champion
The Game, Triple H, along with his wife, Stephanie McMahon Helmsley.
The Game's title on the line
in this tag team match.
[bell rings]
[announcer] The following tag team contest
is scheduled for one fall,
and all titles are on the line.
Introducing first, accompanied by Stephanie McMahon Helmsley,
from Greenwich, Connecticut, weighing 260 pounds,
The World Wrestling Entertainment Intercontinental champion,
Triple H!
[Jim] The sadistic son-in-law of the chairman of the WWE
has never been a WWE tag team champion.
But if he and Austin are successful tonight,
The Game will be only the second man in WWE history
to be the WWE champion, Intercontinental champion
European champion and Tag Team champion.
The other, Shawn Michaels.
[Paul] Well, you know what they say. It's like the song says,
it's all about The Game.
[rock music]
[announcer] From Victoria, Texas, weighing 222 pounds,
the World Wrestling Entertainment champion,
Stone Cold Steve Austin.
[Paul] This is your routine. Say it.
[Jim] All I can say is that Triple H broke my arm.
But Stone Cold...
broke my damn heart.
[Paul] That's not how you say it. Here's how you do it.
Stone Cold. Stone Cold.
The Rattlesnake. Stone Cold.
That is without question the most dominating force
in the history of World Wrestling Entertainment.
Admit it, the man who defeated the Rock at WrestleMania
for the WWE title.
Admit it, the man that helped beat the crap out of Lita.
Admit it, the man, the man himself,
Stone Cold Steve Austin.
[Jim] A man that whipped my ass in front of my own family in Oklahoma.
-Yeah, that man. -[Paul] I wasn't trying to rub it in.
I'm trying to be nice to you.
[Jim] Well, he's The Bionic Redneck, he's the WWE champion,
but his title is on the line tonight as well.
[rock music]
[announcer] Introducing World Wrestling Entertainment's tag team champions,
weighing 326 pounds,
Kane!
[Jim] It was Austin and Triple H who two weeks ago
with a vile steel chair attack,
damaged the left elbow of Kane.
It is heavily taped,
and one half of the Tag Team champions is here.
We do not know how badly-- My God.
[rock music]
[narrator] From Houston, Texas, weighing 330 pounds,
The Undertaker!
[Jim] The American badass.
And the fans of Chicago on their feet.
This will be a slobber-knocker main event.
Not for the weak of heart.
All the major titles in the WWE on the line.
[revs engine]
Gotta pick on this rude American.
And he's going to be fighting two rude Americans in Austin and Triple H.
Who is the most dominant team in the WWE?
Will it be those two, the Brothers of Destruction?
The Tag Team Champions?
Or Will it be The Bionic Redneck and The Game?
[Paul] Can you feel it? Can you feel it?
It's all up for grabs now.
Austin, Triple H, Undertaker, and Kane.
[people cheering]
[Jim] And Austin and Triple H regrouping in a hurry.
You've got to believe that perhaps Austin and The Game don't wanna go face-to-face
on a level playing field, with these two near seven feet,
300-pound-plus monsters.
[Paul] Well, it's not a level playing field,
damn it, it's not a level playing field.
Look at the left arm of Kane.
That damage was inflicted by Stone Cold and Triple H.
[Jim] Austin and The Game,
somewhat cautious of re-entering the ring.
And remember, if Austin gets pinned,
he loses the WWE title to, obviously, whoever pins him.
The same goes for Triple H and his Intercontinental title.
However, if The Undertaker and Kane are pinned or made to submit,
they will lose their tag team titles.
And there must be a winner here.
-[bell rings] -[Paul] He who has the gold has the power.
And he who has the power, has the gold.
[Jim] Triple H nailed.
And now, he's gonna start this match up.
I would assume, and it's only an assumption,
that The Undertaker will start because of Kane's-- That injured elbow.
We don't know how badly Kane is hurt. We've heard all kinds of rumors.
We've heard torn ligaments, we've heard bone chips.
It could be the bursa sac that's been damaged.
[Paul] Yeah, but here's the point.
We've always said that Kane is not a man, he's a monster, that he's invincible,
invulnerable, impervious to pain!
Austin and Triple H, know better.
They know that Kane is vulnerable tonight,
they know that Kane's arm, that left arm is damaged.
And if they can exploit that advantage,
we will have new WWE Tag Team champions tonight.
[people cheering]
[Jim] This capacity crowd getting somewhat impatient here
as Stone Cold and The Game...
Now, here comes The Game back in the ring.
And met by The Undertaker, good right hand.
And I think The Game took one right on the nose.
And that could be fatal.
Both teams will walk through hell barefoot to win this match, I'll tell you.
[Paul] You cannot let the crowd dictate the pace here.
The advantage to me, the advantage could go to either team.
You can say that Austin and Triple H don't have the experience as a team,
that Undertaker and Kane have together,
but then again, neither Austin nor Triple H
have a damaged left arm the way Kane does.
[Jim] A lot of ironies in this match, Undertaker and Kane now.
Their patience has run out.
As they are now retrieving the opposition.
The Undertaker and Kane
hammering Stone Cold and Triple H,
and Austin knocked down with a thunderous right hand
by the American badass.
Senior referee Earl Hebner has the unenviable task
of officiating this contest
with every major title in the WWE on the line...
[Paul] This is what they call "For all the marbles."
[Jim] The Game looking to become a tag champion for the first time.
And ironically enough-- Look out here.
Kane blocks it.
Goes downstairs. Pitches The Game face first on our table.
As The Undertaker has Austin back in the ring.
And The Undertaker working Austin right next to the phones,
and Kane now's head bounces off our table
as The Game runs up in the ring.
[Paul] Did you see the size of that man up close?
[Jim] Undertaker now has Austin here on the outside.
Another right hand.
And now back on the inside.
Triple H held upstairs.
[people cheering]
And choked by Kane. Bad arm and all.
And now Austin goes for the ride.
Kane's injured arm holding up.
Kane's got that arm locked in apparently.
I don't know how wise that is. You can tell that arm
is, that elbow, heavily bandaged, Paul, heavily padded.
[Paul] Pretty defensive about it, isn't he?
[Jim] Well, he should be.
[Paul] Especially with two pariahs in the ring with him,
like Austin and Triple H.
[Jim] So it is Triple H and Kane now
as this match finally get settled down to a one-on-one situation.
As far as this Tag Team match is concerned,
Kane essentially fighting, at least we think with one arm basically, Paul.
[Paul] But it's more than just a tag team match,
more than just a tag team title match,
the Intercontinental and the WWE Championships
are on the line as well.
[Jim] And one of the ironies of this match-up is that The Undertaker
has been a tag team champion with both Austin and Kane!
And last year at Backlash, it was Stone Cold
who remember cost Triple H the WWE title against the now-suspended Rock.
[Paul] A lot of history a lot of bad blood amongst all four of these men.
But every championship is on the line.
It's all on the line in this one single match.
[Jim] Kane was coming with right hands as best he could.
And The Game got in there with a shot on the elbow.
And what a knockdown by Kane, almost taking The Game out of his boots.
[Paul] Notice how closely, notice how closely Kane keeps that arm to his body.
[Jim] Austin wanted Kane before Kane could make the tag.
But that's not the way it's gonna be.
And look at the Rattlesnake begging off on the American Badass.
[Paul] Did you ever think you'd see the day that Steve Austin
was actually showing fear of another man?
[Jim] I sure as hell didn't.
And now, The Undertaker pulling a page out of Austin's book
and stomping the mud out of the Rattlesnake.
and by God, trying to rock you dry.
Rake of the eyes by Austin.
The WWE title on the line.
Every time Austin's in there, you got to think about the WWE title.
[Paul] Do you think Austin was really afraid
or do you think he was just playing possum?
[Jim] Knowing the Rattlesnake, I don't know if he's afraid of anything.
But then again, The Undertaker is not--
The Undertaker opening up on Austin.
Those elbows right to the temple.
And now the WWE champion being manhandled
by The Undertaker.
You talk about pillar to post.
Four Irish whips.
Austin is almost-- He is down.
And Austin-- oh, Austin wants to make friends.
You don't trust anybody.
[Paul] Well, if there's one man he wants to fear,
it's The Undertaker.
[Jim] You're damn right about that.
A backstabbing Rattlesnake ain't gonna get no handshake
from The Undertaker.
But he'll get a right hand to the face from Kane.
And Kane is begging for the tag.
[Paul] And Undertaker won't give it to him.
-Undertaker will not-- And he does. -[Jim] Reluctantly.
The Undertaker makes the tag to Kane.
[Paul] But only once Undertaker had the advantage.
Look at this. A kick right to the face of Stone Cold Steve Austin.
But here's the big story, the only time Undertaker
can't get his brother, was when he had the advantage.
[Jim] All right, now Austin-- Look at that. Looking for that arm.
But the clotheslining stab.
But Kane in a tremendous amount of pain
makes the tag to his brother The Undertaker.
Kane rolling out to the floor. Got to get some circulation back in that arm.
Triple H got the tag.
And got a right hand. He got tagged all right.
And The Game, another hammering shot by The Undertaker.
Triple H again, his Intercontinental title on the line.
When you see him in the match like he is now,
his Intercontinental title at stake.
And, of course, The Undertaker and Kane's tag titles at stake at all times.
Arm wringer.
-[Paul] He's going up. -[Jim] A little old school here.
[Paul] The Undertaker walking the ropes.
[Jim] Unbelievable balance for a man that's about, a shade under seven feet,
and well over 300 pounds.
Austin came in illegally and got stoop-slammed.
And now Austin's gonna get a taste of what Triple H just dined on.
[Paul] Six foot ten, 325, and walking the top rope.
[Jim] The twin towers of doom.
The Undertaker and Kane literally asserting themselves,
and manhandling the WWE and Intercontinental champion.
And I may be biased, and I probably am, but that's the way it is.
Right now The Undertaker and Kane are, by God, dominant.
[Paul] Well, I'm glad you admit it. I'm glad you admit that you're biased--
And now Kane!
Kane attacks Austin and Triple H from behind.
[Jim] And he wasn't biased. He knocked them both down. Did Kane.
[people clamoring]
Kane. I don't know who's living. It was Austin or Triple H.
I don't think it matters to the Brothers of Destruction.
Not at all, here goes.
Undertaker looking to put Austin away.
And Triple H frantically caused some separation with a heavy right hand.
And now Austin with a cutting blow to the back of the head of The Undertaker.
And the two-man power tryst.
The Game and the Rattlesnake, stomping away at The Undertaker.
Undertaker only in the wrong part of town
in the corner of the WWE and Intercontinental champion.
[Paul] When it comes to The Undertaker's yard,
it's that corner that can be best described as Death Valley.
[Jim] Hard clothesline by Austin.
Taking the 320-pounder down.
Undertaker's face again bouncing off our table.
Here comes Kane around.
And the referee having trouble restraining Kane, but in the meantime,
The Undertaker's being physically dissected by both Austin and The Game.
[Paul] You have to admire the teamwork of Austin and Triple H here.
I didn't think they could put it together this well, this fast.
[Jim] Well, these two men obviously on the same page.
Gotta make Mr. McMahon happy, who has not had a happy night
since his son, Shane, won the Last Man Standing match-up.
I couldn't believe Triple H is now Mr. McMahon's only son.
That's pretty pathetic in my view.
[Paul] And how proud Mr. McMahon must be of Triple H.
[Jim] A load of shots by The Game.
Intercontinental champion.
That taped right hand
measuring The Undertaker, and The Undertaker's head snapping back
from the velocity of those shots.
And a cheap shot by that backstabbing Rattlesnake on the outside.
[Paul] Well, now the backstabbing Rattlesnake
is employing a smart game plan.
Knocking down The Undertaker, cutting him down to size
in Austin and Triple H's corner.
[Jim] And with Kane already hurt,
with that elbow that we've talked about, and have documented.
Now, The Undertaker has been isolated.
And is like fresh meat to the WWE and Intercontinental champions.
Another hard right, The Undertaker fighting with all he's got.
He's got the other corner.
The American Badass in a street fight here.
Knocking Austin down on the apron.
Trying to regain the advantage.
But not this time.
The face-buster caught The Undertaker.
Irish whip either side. DDT! A DDT!
And The Undertaker got cover.
We could have a new Intercontinental champion here.
Big time DDT.
[Paul] But can he cover?
Can he take advantage? Can he capitalize on the situation?
[Jim] Not this time.
Not this time for The Undertaker.
[Paul] Can he make the tag?
[Jim] Does he want to make the tag, that's the question.
-He didn't earlier. -[Paul] What's he doing?
[Jim] Undertaker concerned about his brother's elbow.
And he did not make the tag. And Austin with a cheap shot on Kane,
after knocking down Kane's brother, The Undertaker.
Here comes Kane back in with a right hand.
Glancing blow on Austin.
Who scores with a Lopez press.
[people cheering]
And the right hands. Austin's got The Undertaker down.
Tag team titles now in real jeopardy.
[Paul] So you're telling me that The Undertaker is taking Kane's beating.
[Jim] In so many words, that's exactly what's going on.
The Game trying to get involved.
Got a foot to the face.
Austin's going for the ride.
Triple H now. Both men going downstairs.
And both men. Austin, again knocked down from the clothesline.
But so does The Undertaker. He goes down as well.
[Paul] And he needs to make the tag.
The Undertaker needs to make the tag right here.
[Jim] Kane tagged himself in.
Kane tagged himself for the match.
Kane with a right hand.
Dead foot. Down goes the WWE champion.
Down goes the Intercontinental champion.
And The Big Red Machine now went one on,
giving Austin and Triple H all they can handle.
The sidewalk slam.
Austin's WWE title at stake here.
It is in jeopardy.
The Big Red Machine is going to fly.
Triple H going up top on the other side.
The clothesline.
Down goes the champion. Oh, my God.
[Paul] Oh, no!
[Jim] And down came the Intercontinental champion.
Kane will not be denied.
One arm or not.
Oh, and The Game got a shot in, right on that elbow.
A hard shot, Paul. Right on the elbow.
[Paul] Austin and Triple H are exploiting the only weakness
that they can find on Kane.
[Jim] Austin trying to exchange right hands with Kane,
but to no avail.
The WWE champion reverses The Big Red Machine.
Looking for the stump.
But Kane comes back with a reverse elbow.
He's only got one arm as we said.
Triple H and Austin taking a hell of a beating here
at the hands of a rejuvenated Big Red Machine,
who's got to be just writhing in pain.
Oh, Austin.
Arm bar takedown, a modified version, torquing that elbow of Kane.
[Paul] Stone Cold-- Go ahead. If you wanna say it, I'll say it for you.
Stone Cold sold his soul for the WWE title.
You don't think he's gonna allow that title
to be placed in jeopardy, do you?
[Jim] Austin ripping at that elbow, that padding.
And that is the focus now here.
Kane tagged himself in.
Much to the chagrin of his brother, The Undertaker.
And that may be the last time we see The Undertaker officially in this match,
if I know Austin and Triple H as well as we both do.
[Paul] The Undertaker did not want to tag his brother in.
Can you honestly see this happening before your eyes?
Do you think The Undertaker has a heart?
[Jim] Well, yes. He's a human being.
He's a big, tough, rugged human being,
but he's got a heart, and so does his brother Kane.
Kane may be a monster. He may have monster-like tendencies,
but he's a human being with flesh and blood.
And that arm is killing him right now.
A lesser man wouldn't even be here competing tonight.
God, Austin's got that steel chair.
No! Oh, my God!
Austin just rammed that chair right on Kane's injured elbow.
And Austin running away from The Undertaker
who is now giving Austin more reason to run
because The Undertaker's got that steel chair.
And he's been unarmed.
Wait a minute. The Game now.
God Almighty!
[Paul] Like a shark that smells blood, The Game takes advantage.
And look at this. Austin driving the chair right...
-[Jim] That's ruthless. -...into the injured arm of Kane.
[Jim] That is ruthless.
And uncaring.
And now The Game, wrenching in on that elbow,
with all-- He's got great leverage.
Great technique by The Game. The cerebral assassin.
And now using his knee as a post to try to hyper-extend that elbow.
Just like we saw earlier in the Ultimate Submission match
with Benoit and Angle.
[Paul] It's all about leverage.
It's all about positioning.
And tonight, to me, it looks like it's all about The Game.
[Jim] Kane fighting back Giving us all he's got.
The Big Red Machine does not want to quit.
And the tag made.
The WWE champion back in.
Stomping away.
And not the head, not the shoulder, not the knees, but that left elbow.
And now the right hands.
Hard rights.
Stunning Kane.
Austin sadistic.
Saw a sign that said "sellout."
-[people cheering] -And Kane counters. Kane back on top.
But before Kane can do too much damage, The Game comes in
and saves Austin's ass.
[Paul] And saves their chance for the WWE Tag Team championship.
This match is about the goal. This match is about the championship.
It's about who is truly the dominating team.
The dominating duo in World Wrestling Entertainment.
[Jim] Austin with that wide base.
Trying to put the twist on that elbow.
Austin trying to take it--
If you look at your TV from left to right,
we're trying to take the elbow--
And Kane back up to a vertical base.
Scoring with the only thing he's got right now, and that's a right hand.
And look at this. Kane's left arm is useless.
Couldn't finish the maneuver.
But Austin finished Kane right there
by driving Kane's elbow, arm first, left side, into the turnbuckles.
[Paul] If you're looking for mercy from Austin, you're not gonna find it.
-[Jim] I know that. -[Paul] He's a merciless individual.
But then again, so is Triple H.
Again applying pressure on the arm.
[Jim] Triple H with that cheap shot,
backing away from The Undertaker.
And The Undertaker got a shot in on Austin,
but The Undertaker needs to be in that corner because Kane is--
The Undertaker's gotta get tagged here.
If not, this may be a matter of time before Kane can't compete anymore.
[Paul] And then we will have new WWE Tag Team champions.
Can you imagine the power that Mr. McMahon will have
if he has in his control the WWE title,
the Intercontinental title, and the WWE Tag Team championship.
[Jim] Great leverage applied in the modified overhand wristlock,
but well, the wrist is not the focus here, it's the elbow of Kane.
Kane now is suffering.
And the pain has got to be riveting through Kane's body
like a shock of electricity, every time that elbow is punished.
And look at Kane's power. Fighting back up.
And Triple H using again the leverage. But Kane won't stay down!
My, God! Kane won't stay down and sent Triple H for a ride with one arm.
[Paul] And Kane is so close, so close to the tag,
and yet he's so far away.
[Jim] Kane's got to make a tag here.
This is the best chance he's had.
And-- Oh, wait a minute.
Triple H pulled The Undertaker away from the corner
And now Austin pulling Kane to the center of the ring.
The cheap shot by The Game prevented the tag.
Austin seizing the moment.
Making sure that Kane was brought back out
away from Kane and The Undertaker's corner.
[Paul] I am so impressed, I am solely impressed with Austin and Triple H.
They have come together so well.
They are such a well-oiled machine,
and they've only been a team now for less than a month.
[Jim] Well, they're a hell of a team.
There's no doubt about that.
They're a hell of a team.
But it's two miserable, son of a--
[Paul] Right, but they are the Intercontinental
and Entertainment champions.
[Jim] I know what they are.
Kane trying to manhandle Austin, but again-- Oh, Austin.
Got a short suplex in there.
If nothing else that's caused some separation.
May have driven some of the air out of Kane.
But Kane again is in a corner that he does not want to be in.
It is not a neutral corner. Certainly not Kane's corner.
It is the one corner that you want to stay out of if you're Kane and The Undertaker.
[Paul] And Triple H is going up.
The pace being dictated by Austin and Triple H.
-[Jim] Kane is like a wounded animal. -[people cheering]
Got a foot out, out of desperation, out of self-preservation,
and stuck it right in Triple H's face!
[Paul] Kane is surviving on instinct alone.
But he's a long, long way from his corner.
[Jim] The Undertaker desperately wants his brother to tag him in.
Austin gets the tag.
Austin gets a tag.
Kane just was barely able to fight his way back up.
Austin catching the sleeper, but not for long.
One arm-- Kane!
Dropping Austin south in that suplex.
Austin tried the sleeper. Kane turned into the headlock,
and then used in against Austin.
[Paul] But Kane has to make the tag, or this match is over.
[Jim] Austin makes a tag to The Game.
The Game.
Hooking Kane up.
Taking Kane down.
Single-leg pickup.
And now drop the knee into that quadricep muscle.
But that will not be the focus. Kane brought back up to his feet.
How much more punishment can any human being...
Kane The Undertaker, whomever. How much more can he take?
And The Game looking for the Pedigree.
And got it!
Kane just got Pedigreed.
And Triple H not going for the cover, tags in the WWE champion.
And it's Austin going for the cover.
And The Undertaker came in and shot right to Austin's head.
I don't understand why The Game didn't go for the cover.
Get the hell up, damn it, get up.
[Jim] Oh, look out! Chokeslam.
[people cheering]
Undertaker got that chokeslam in on the WWE champion.
If Kane can make the cover, we've got a new WWE champion!
[Paul] And meanwhile the billion-dollar princess, Stephanie McMahon Helmsley
has Hebner distracted.
-Hey! Hey! -[people cheering]
[Jim] Oh, the referee just shoved Stephanie.
[Paul] He's just shoved down Mr. McMahon's daughter.
[Jim] Cover! There's a cover! There's a cover!
Oh, my God! How close was that?
Kane now half a count away from winning the WWE title with one arm.
[Paul] But Kane hasn't the leverage. Kane cannot beat on Austin.
He can't hook the leg.
And now Triple H comes back into the game.
[Jim] Another tag. Austin and The Game make the exchange.
And Kane with the Ends of Dirt.
And Triple H went right into the official.
Kane's got to make a tag here.
Referee Earl Hebner got hit right in the face.
Kane is close to his corner.
Kane is there. Kane made the tag.
I'm not so sure the referee saw it, but Kane did make the tag.
And The Undertaker. Opening up on Austin.
Opening up on The Game.
Triple H our legal man here.
And The Undertaker manhandling single handedly
beating down the Intercontinental champion.
And Austin. Knocked in the corner.
Those huge body shots on the WWE champion.
Undertaker. My God, he's a fireball.
[Paul] He's taking on The Undertaker,
taking on Austin and Triple H all by himself.
[Jim] Austin knocked outside.
Undertaker.
Trying to give The Game-- Oh, my God!
[Paul] Last ride!
[Jim] Jesus! Oh, man!
A last ride!
[Paul] That is not the legal man!
The Undertaker is not the legal man.
-[Jim] Come on! -[Paul] He cannot win
the Intercontinental Championship if he's not the legal man.
[Jim] The referee did not see the tag apparently, is all I can figure.
And Austin from behind.
And a low blow on Austin.
A stunner on Kane!
Austin, an illegal man for the low blow on The Undertaker,
put the stunner on Kane.
But Austin's not the legal man either.
I think, you see, it's Triple H and Kane.
The referee on the outside. And so is The Undertaker.
It-- And Austin-- Hey, wait a minute.
Stephanie just gave her husband one of those title belts.
Those championship belts.
Austin knocked over the railing by The Undertaker.
[Paul] But meanwhile Triple H has the title in his hand!
[Jim] Kane barely able to stand.
Triple H took the last ride. He's barely able to stand.
But Triple H is got a weapon. And he got knocked back on his face.
My God, after all this, are you going to tell me
that Kane is going to beat The Game for the Intercontinental title here?
And the princess is in the ring.
Oh, my...!
For the love of God.
Kane kicked Stephanie right in the face.
And there's Mr. McMahon with a sledgehammer.
Wait a minute! Right on the elbow!
The sledgehammer.
Mr. McMahon was going for the ride,
but The Game's got the sledgehammer.
Around the head. Oh, my God.
McMahon calling the referee.
Getting the referee up.
But the sledgehammer hit Kane in the head.
No! No, God. No damn it.
-[Jim] No! -[Paul] New tag team champions!
[bell rings]
[announcer] The winners of this bout, and new
World Wrestling Entertainment Tag Team champions,
Triple H and Stone Cold Steve Austin.
[Jim] My, God, I don't believe it!
I don't believe it.
Damn it, this is not right, Paul!
[Paul] Believe it because it's happening.
He who has the gold has the power,
and he who has the power has the gold.
[Jim] Austin and Triple H would not have the gold
if it hadn't been for that damn sledgehammer
and Mr. McMahon getting involved.
[Paul] But they have it. They have the gold.
Austin and Triple H are the new WWE Tag team champions!
[Jim] The two-man power trip have all the gold.
But by God, if The Undertaker's got a breath in his body,
there's gonna be some serious hell to pay.
Somebody's going to get hurt badly.
Somebody's going to get their ass kicked.
[Paul] Here it is, Kane has Triple H by the goozle.
Stephanie, showing a wife's love for her husband,
gets kicked right in the face.
And Mr. McMahon, the world's greatest father,
comes to defend his daughter.
[Jim] Yeah, coming with a sledgehammer.
And look at this. The sadistic son-in-law
with the sledgehammer to the injured elbow of Kane.
And then this. He'll come back with the sledgehammer,
hitting Kane right in the head.
-[Paul] Kane attacked Triple H's wife. -[Jim] He did not.
[Paul] What did you get, a kick in the face?
[Jim] She had no business being in the ring.
[Paul] Well, now Kane is going to have a long time
to contemplate about his actions
because not only does he have a hurt elbow,
he's a former Tag Team champion.
[Jim] All I can say is that Austin and Triple H
have got a big ass-whipping coming.
There's gonna be some serious hell to pay! le H