Results
WWF SMACKDOWN 04 JAN 2001
Stone Cold Steve Austin ambushes William Regal, hunts down Stephanie, Stuns Mr. McMahon, and wins a triple threat over Kane and The Undertaker to earn a WWF Championship shot against Kurt Angle.
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Show Metadata
- Name: WWF SmackDown!
- Air Date: Thursday, January 4th, 2001
- Taped Date: Saturday, December 30, 2000
- Venue: Freeman Coliseum, San Antonio, Texas
- Commentators: Michael Cole & Jerry “The King” Lawler
- Brand: Pre-brand split (Attitude Era)
- Show Type: Taped broadcast
WWF Title Holders at Time of Show
- WWF Championship: Kurt Angle (since 10/22/2000)
- WWF Intercontinental Championship: Chris Benoit (since 12/10/2000)
- WWF Tag Team Championship: Edge & Christian (since 12/21/2000)
- WWF European Championship: William Regal (since 12/4/2000)
- WWF Hardcore Championship: Raven (since 1/1/2001)
- WWF Women’s Championship: Ivory (since 11/2/2000)
- WWF Light Heavyweight Championship: Dean Malenko (since 4/27/2000)
Segments and Matches (in order)
Segment 1 – Opening Video
The show opened with highlights from the New Year’s Day edition of Raw. Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley added a match to the #1 Contender’s tournament for the WWF Championship: Steve Austin vs. William Regal, with Stephanie as special guest referee. Stephanie feigned an eye injury to stall the match, then fast-counted Regal’s roll-up to give him the win and eliminate Austin.
Segment 2 – Austin Arrives Early
Steve Austin was shown waiting in the arena’s parking area, apparently for Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley to arrive.
Match 1 – WWF Intercontinental Championship: Chris Benoit (C) vs. Chris Jericho
Type: Singles
Duration: 2:43
Winner: Chris Jericho (via disqualification after Perry Saturn’s interference; Chris Benoit retained the WWF Intercontinental Championship)
Jericho came to the ring with a microphone and said Lt. Commissioner Debra had granted him the title shot and that he would leave as Intercontinental Champion. Benoit answered on the microphone, telling Jericho to “shut the hell up” with his insults.
The two traded blows before Benoit went for the Crippler Crossface; Jericho reached the ropes. Jericho attempted the Walls of Jericho but was shoved into the corner, then hit a bulldog for a two-count. Benoit rolled away from a Lionsault and hit a German suplex, which Jericho countered into a Walls of Jericho attempt. Perry Saturn, with Dean Malenko and Terri at ringside, attacked Jericho for the disqualification. The Hardy Boyz and Lita ran in and chased the Radicalz from ringside, and Benoit left holding the title belt.
Segment 3 – Austin Ambushes Regal
William Regal arrived by limousine, telling Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley by phone that Austin was nowhere to be found. Austin attacked him moments after he hung up, threw him onto the limo’s hood, and drove the car in reverse through stacks of equipment until Regal was thrown off. Austin repeatedly rammed the debris, then resumed the assault, including shots with a pipe, until referees pulled him away from a bloodied Regal. After the break, EMTs were shown loading Regal into an ambulance.
Match 2 – The Dudley Boyz vs. Right to Censor (Bull Buchanan & The Goodfather) (w/Steven Richards)
Type: Tag Team Match (#1 Contendership for the WWF Tag Team Championship at the Royal Rumble)
Duration: 3:34
Winner: The Dudley Boyz (via pinfall, 3D on Bull Buchanan)
WWF Tag Team Champions Edge & Christian joined Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler on commentary to scout their Royal Rumble opponents. As the Dudley Boyz came out, the champions claimed they had already beaten them “37,742.5 times,” explaining that the half was a match thrown out while they were on their way to victory.
D-Von and The Goodfather started. Buchanan tagged in and took a cross body from D-Von for a two-count. With Bubba Ray distracting the referee, The Goodfather sent D-Von into the steel steps outside, and RTC worked him over, with Bubba breaking up a Goodfather pin attempt. D-Von countered a Buchanan slam and made the hot tag; Bubba cleared Buchanan in the ring and knocked The Goodfather off the apron. The Goodfather charged in and accidentally hit Buchanan. The Dudleyz hit a top-rope clothesline and set up The Goodfather for the 3D, but Edge & Christian pulled him to safety while Steven Richards argued with them. Buchanan took the 3D instead for the pin, making the Dudley Boyz #1 contenders at the Royal Rumble. After the bell, Bubba set up Christian for the Wassup headbutt, but Buchanan shoved D-Von off the top rope, The Goodfather kicked Bubba, and Edge & Christian laid out both Dudleyz.
Segment 4 – Debra Warns Austin
A bloodied William Regal was loaded into a River City EMS ambulance. After the break, Austin was again watching the car entrance. Lt. Commissioner Debra tried to calm him down, warning that if he did to Stephanie what he had done to Regal, he would lose his job and go to jail.
Segment 5 – The Rock Interview
The announcers reviewed Kurt Angle’s interference in The Rock’s match on Raw. Backstage with Kevin Kelly, The Rock said he would win the 2001 Royal Rumble to earn another shot at the WWF Championship.
Match 3 – The Rock vs. Kurt Angle
Type: Singles (non-title)
Duration: 8:46
Winner: Kurt Angle (via disqualification)
Angle came out with a microphone, said The Rock had provoked his interference on Raw, and insulted the San Antonio crowd, saying they remembered the Alamo but not to shower or brush their teeth.
Angle met The Rock on the ramp, and The Rock fought him back to the ring. Angle took over with a suplex for a two-count and raked the eyes, but was thrown over the top rope. The Rock slammed Angle into the announce table monitors; when both men stood on the table, it collapsed beneath them. Angle hit the Olympic Slam onto the mats and table debris, then rolled The Rock back in before the count-out and scored a two-count with a top-rope dropkick. After a double collision, the two traded punches until The Rock hit a belly-to-belly suplex. The Rock shoved the referee away, hit a low blow and a spinebuster, then abandoned the People’s Elbow to grab a steel chair. The referee took the chair; The Rock hit the Rock Bottom on Angle, retrieved the chair again, and gave the referee a Rock Bottom. A second referee also took a Rock Bottom, and more officials were driven off by The Rock and the chair. The Rock struck Angle with the chair, drawing the disqualification, then raised the WWF Championship and laid it across Angle.
Segment 6 – Austin Catches Stephanie
After the break, Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley’s limo arrived. Austin went for the door, but Stephanie escaped out the other side and fled through the backstage area, tripping over everything in her path, while Austin fought through a security guard. She ran onto the stage, and Austin, still in street clothes, threw her into the ring and berated her on her knees for playing “stupid little games.” Mr. McMahon came out to save his daughter and offered Austin a spot in the night’s #1 Contender’s match for the WWF Championship against Kane and The Undertaker, with the winner facing Kurt Angle on Monday’s Raw, on the condition that he leave Stephanie alone. Austin said he would choose the title shot over revenge on Stephanie, but noted the deal said nothing about her father, and gave Mr. McMahon a Stunner.
Segment 7 – Vince Names Himself Referee
Backstage, a recovering Mr. McMahon told Stephanie the main event needed a special guest referee who was a McMahon, and appointed himself the special troubleshooting guest referee.
Match 4 – Matt Hardy & Lita (w/Jeff Hardy) vs. Perry Saturn & Terri (w/Dean Malenko)
Type: Mixed Tag Team Match
Duration: 3:22
Winner: Perry Saturn & Terri (via pinfall, Terri pinned Lita after Dean Malenko’s DDT)
Matt and Saturn started, and Saturn took the early advantage before Matt rammed him into the turnbuckles. Malenko grabbed Matt’s leg on the top rope, allowing Saturn to regain control and slam him. Terri tagged in and slapped Matt, but her low-blow attempt struck Saturn instead. Lita entered with a hurricanrana on Saturn and hit the Twist of Fate on Terri while Matt and Saturn fought outside. Malenko pulled Lita off the cover, dragged her to the floor, and kissed her; Lita slapped him and Jeff clotheslined him. Matt dove off the top turnbuckle onto Jeff and Saturn. Lita hit a moonsault on Terri, but Malenko again pulled her out, hit a DDT, and rolled her back in, where Terri covered her for the win.
Segment 8 – Kane Interview
Backstage, Lilian Garcia asked Kane, wearing a darker mask than usual, about his opportunity at a WWF Championship match. Kane repeatedly stressed that this was his “chance” and said he would punish both Steve Austin and his brother, The Undertaker, to take it.
Segment 9 – XFL Commercial
A commercial promoted the upcoming XFL, asking viewers whether they remembered when they loved football and promising that football is not supposed to be clean.
Match 5 – Val Venis (w/Ivory & Steven Richards) vs. “The One” Billy Gunn
Type: Singles
Duration: 3:21
Winner: Val Venis (via pinfall after Steven Richards’ superkick)
Venis took early control. While he argued with the referee, Gunn rallied with a clothesline, punches, and the Fameasser for a two-count. Gunn drove Venis into the barricade, but Venis whipped him into the steel steps and targeted his injured knee. Back inside, Gunn hit a DDT and a pair of slams, but Venis answered with a boot to the face and was caught using the ropes for leverage, prompting the referee to stop the count. Gunn hit the Cobra Clutch slam, but Ivory distracted the referee from the apron, and Steven Richards entered to superkick Gunn, allowing Venis to score the pin. After the match, Gunn pulled Ivory into the ring and set up a piledriver, but Richards intervened; Gunn punched Richards and threw him from the ring.
Segment 10 – Vince’s Requests
Backstage, Mr. McMahon, still hurting from the Stunner, asked Stephanie to bring him painkillers and to cut the sleeves off his referee shirt, saying he could not referee with sleeves. Stephanie left to get the pills and a pair of scissors.
Segment 11 – Trish Stratus Visits Vince
After the break, Trish Stratus was shown massaging Mr. McMahon’s back, remarking that her massage classes had come in “handy.” She asked about his holidays, and he answered that they were probably a lot like hers and “a lot of fun,” alluding to the two spending the holidays together as suggested on Raw.
Stephanie returned with the sleeveless referee shirt and demanded to know what was going on. Trish said she had really come to see Stephanie and asked whether she enjoyed what Trish did to Test on Raw, then thanked Mr. McMahon for “the favor” and left. When Stephanie asked about the favor, Mr. McMahon said it was personal.
Segment 12 – The Undertaker Interview
Jonathan Coachman interviewed The Undertaker, who said only space and opportunity stood between him and the WWF Championship. He said he was not selling Kane or Steve Austin short, especially with Mr. McMahon refereeing, and pointed to his decade in the WWF as a “Decade of Destruction.” He closed by saying anyone feeling froggy should jump, and that whoever tried him would be made famous. Austin was shown lacing his boots before the break. After a commercial for WWF No Mercy on Nintendo 64, Mr. McMahon told Stephanie to calm down and trust his troubleshooting refereeing.
Match 6 – Rikishi (w/Trish Stratus & Albert) vs. Test
Type: Singles (Rikishi substituting for Albert)
Duration: 2:43
Winner: Rikishi (via pinfall, Banzai Drop)
Test came to the ring expecting to face Albert, but Trish announced that Mr. McMahon’s favor was giving her and Albert the night off, and that Test would face Rikishi instead. Trish and Albert accompanied Rikishi to ringside.
Test avoided an early Rikishi charge in the corner and knocked him down with punches. Rikishi took over with a belly-to-belly suplex, a leg drop, and stomps in the corner, and blocked a sunset flip. Test rolled away from a Banzai Drop and went after Trish on the floor, but was cut off by Albert; after colliding with the ring post, Test clotheslined Albert down. Back inside, Test hit a flying elbow from the top rope for a two-count. Trish grabbed Test’s leg, giving Rikishi time to recover and hit a Samoan drop and the Banzai Drop for the pin. After the match, Albert hit the Baldo Bomb on Test and told Rikishi to sit on him again; Rikishi delivered a second Banzai Drop from the second rope as Trish looked on.
Match 7 – Kane vs. The Undertaker vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin
Type: Triple Threat Match (No Disqualification; #1 Contendership for the WWF Championship; Mr. McMahon as special troubleshooting guest referee)
Duration: 5:33
Winner: Stone Cold Steve Austin (via pinfall on The Undertaker after a Stunner; earned a WWF Championship match against Kurt Angle on Raw)
Mr. McMahon came to the ring in his sleeveless referee shirt, nursing his neck, with Earl Hebner serving as the primary referee. Austin, taking the place of the injured William Regal, entered as Kane and The Undertaker began brawling. Kane and The Undertaker briefly double-teamed Austin before turning on each other. Kane sent The Undertaker over the top rope with a big boot, and Austin hit Kane with a Lou Thesz Press. The Undertaker pulled Austin outside and rammed him into the steel steps. Austin threw The Undertaker back in and hit another Lou Thesz Press for a two-count. The Undertaker big-booted Austin but ran into a flying clothesline from Kane, then hit a DDT on Kane and set up the Last Ride. Austin tried to break it up but struck Hebner when The Undertaker ducked, and Kane escaped the Last Ride with a low blow and threw his brother out of the ring.
Austin hit a Stunner on Kane and covered him, but Mr. McMahon watched from the floor without counting. When referee Tim White arrived to count, Mr. McMahon pulled him out and sent him to check on Hebner, then slowly counted to two. As Austin argued with Mr. McMahon, The Undertaker attacked and hit chokeslams on both Austin and Kane. Rikishi interrupted a Last Ride attempt on Austin with a kick to The Undertaker, who chokeslammed Rikishi but turned into a Stunner. Mr. McMahon counted the three, and Austin earned a WWF Championship match against Kurt Angle on the following Monday’s Raw. Mr. McMahon left holding up three fingers on each hand.
Episode Info
- Show: Smackdown
- Air Date: 4 January 2001
- Location: San Antonio, Texas
- Venue: Freeman Coliseum
Related Coverage
- WWF SMACKDOWN 04 JAN 2001
- Pain Points
