WWF Raw Flashback - 15 yrs. ago
February 7, 2000
Dallas, Tex.
Originally Published PWTorch Newsletter #588
Report by Wade Keller, PWTorch editor

Raw featured a main event 10-man tag match involving The Radicals fresh off their jump from WCW. With added attention on WWE following the announcement of the XFL football league, the result was a 8.1 TV rating for the final quarter-hour of the show...

From the 2000 PWTorch Newsletter Back-Issues. Not a VIP member? Go VIP HERE.

- [Q1: 6.0] The program opened with footage of last week's major angles with the Radicals vs. DX... Jim Ross said after the clean sweep over the Radicals last week, Triple H and Stephanie are more powerful than ever... X-Pac came to the ring with Tori for an apparent interview. The Radicals walked to the ring forcing X-Pac and Tori to bail out to ringside. Saturn said they didn't come out to cause trouble. Dean Malenko said last week they were good, but not good enough. Eddy Guerrero thanked the WWF fans for their support and for the privilege of being able to perform in front of them. Chris Benoit, wearing a shirt only he could get away with wearing, thanked Cactus Jack for making their presence possible. Jim Ross said they wanted to thank Cactus, then they would be on their way out of town. Cactus walked out.

Just as he stepped into the ring, Triple H and Stephanie interrupted from the stage. Triple H proposed he fight Cactus one more time at No Way Out. He said it was his last shot at the WWF Title, but there would be no outside weapons like two-by-fours and thumb tacks. He said if Cactus agrees to that, he could choose any other style of a match. Cactus said Triple H left him no choice but to say "Hell in a Cell." Cactus asked Triple H if he has the guts. Ross said Triple H doesn't want that match, calling it a "career-ending mistake." Triple H said okay, but added one stipulation - Cactus would have to put his career on the line.

- [Q2: 6.4]... Cactus said he has done it all in his career except for one thing, main eventing a WrestleMania: "If I don't beat you, I don't want to wrestle ever again. But when I do beat you, there will be ridiculous stipulations, no title defenses, that's it - I win, I go to WrestleMania, and you sit home. I take on the winner of the Big Show vs. Rock in the greatest show in our industry. You accept my stipulation, then damn right I'll put my 15 year career on the line." Triple H said, "Cactus Jack, at No Way Out, Hell in the Cell, you will face The Game, and if you win, you will go to WrestleMania the WWF Champion - the main event. But if I win, I will end your career." Triple H approached the ring and said he takes what he wants when he wants it - and "right now, I want a piece of your ass."

Triple H entered the ring and told the four Radicals they can show appreciation to the man who gave them their four contracts - and all four paused, then attacked Cactus Jack. The crowd booed. X-Pac entered the ring and gave Cactus a Bronco Buster for good measure. Saturn and Malenko double suplexed Cactus. Benoit then hit a top rope headbutt. Triple H stood over Cactus and told him it was the beginning of the end of his career. Triple H then gave Cactus the Pedigree... [C]...They replayed the Radicals attacking Triple H... Backstage Triple H announced that he, X-Pac, Malenko, Benoit, and Saturn would face Cactus and four partners of his choosing later on the show...

- [Q3: 6.2] (1) The New Age Outlaws beat Edge & Christian at 5:40. The Dudleys came to ringside to join Ross and Lawler on commentary. Buh Buh got in Ross's face. Ross asked him if he had somewhere to be. Buh Buh said, "Yeah, in your face." The girls in the crowd screamed for everything Edge & Christian did, reminiscent of the Rock & Roll Express in the '80s. Buh Buh drove Christian throat-first over the top rope. Road Dogg followed up with a quick pump-handle slam for the win. Buh Buh got in Ross's face after the match. Edge attacked Buh Buh. The Dudleys fled... Backstage Mark Henry told Mae Young not to go to ringside because anything could happen out there... [C]... Kurt Angle came out and ripped on Mark Henry. Angle said he won Olympic gold and Henry's greatest accomplishment was impregnating Young. He said, "While impregnating an elderly woman while living in sin may be acceptable to the people of Dallas, Texas," it was not acceptable to an Olympic hero.

(2) Kurt Angle beat Mark Henry by DQ at 1:55 when Mae Young interfered. After dumping Henry over the top rope, Young made her way to the ring. She hit a gloating Angle from behind. Angle lifted her into a fireman's carry and slammed her to the mat. Henry got up and saw Young on her back in the ring and became distraught. EMTs tended to Young... The Rock entered the arena wearing a shirt only he, Booker T, and Chris Benoit could get away with wearing...

- [Q4: 5.9] Backstage EMTs tended to Young. Young began stripping saying she knows everyone wants to see her puppies. The EMTs looked disgusted when she took off her shirts... Hardcore Holly told Crash Holly he's taken one too many shots to the head...

(3) The Hollys beat The Acolytes at 2:37 in a no-rules hardcore match. They fought to the arena concession stand and began destroying equipment. Bradshaw and Faarooq began drinking beer; Faarooq actually stuck his mouth over the dispenser. Not quite a Shockmaster Moment, but still pretty classic, Bradshaw set up Hardcore for a piledriver on the counter, but Viscera ran around the corner with a two-by-four, but before he could hit Bradshaw, he slipped on the beer and belly flopped to the wet floor. He recovered quickly before Bradshaw had to improvise and bashed Bradshaw with the board. Hardcore covered Bradshaw for the win.

- [Q5: 6.1] (4) Chris Jericho beat Viscera via DQ when The Hollys attacked Jericho at 3:22. Jericho called Viscera the love child of MR. T and Fat Albert. The Acolytes ran in and cleared the ring of the Hollys and Viscera. Faarooq followed in Viscera's footsteps by bouncing into the ropes and having his head snap underneath the top rope before he could rebound. The Acolytes suplexed Viscera... [C]... They recapped the Radicals turning on Cactus... Michael Cole interviewed The Radicals. They said they do appreciate the fans, but had to side with someone with stroke. Malenko said desperate people do desperate things. Saturn said he never liked Cactus in the first place... Kevin Kelly stood outside The Rock's locker room. He said Rock will comment on the Radicals turn later on the show... Luna yelled at Gangrel. Gangrel told her to stay cool and she can win the Women's Title... [C]... An XFL video package aired with clips from the press conference and media reports. They managed to edit out any snide comments made by the anchors...

- [Q6: 6.6] (5) Jacqueline pinned Luna with a back suplex at 1:12 to retain the Women's Title... [C]... A Tazz video feature aired including his "13" symbol and new catch phrase, "The mood is about to change." They showed him "on the streets of Brooklyn" where he grew up. He said where he came from survival wasn't an option, it was mandatory. Not to be picky, but where isn't survival "mandatory"?... Kevin Kelly interviewed Rock who put his new "Poontang Pie" t-shirt over Kelly's head. He said he was meant to go to WrestleMania, so he would slap the fat off of Big Show's ass at No Way Out on his way to WrestleMania. Rock announced that he was volunteering to team with Cactus Jack so the match would be five-on-two, not five-on-one. He then told the Radicals to roll up the contracts they are so proud of and shove them up their candy asses. Great interview...

- [Q7: 6.8] (6) The Dudleys beat D-Lo Brown & Godfather when D-Von pinned D-Lo at 2:55. After the match, Buh Buh Ray had Barbara Bush in position for a powerbomb through a table, but Edge, Christian, and the Hardys intervened. The Dudleys had to wait an awkwardly long time for the babyfaces to make the save...

- [Q8: 7.4]... They replayed the Radicals turn on Cactus yet again... Cole interviewed Cactus backstage. Cactus, sounding more and more like Dallas Page every week, talked about how he became a success against all odds.

(7) Triple H & X-Pac & Saturn & Dean Malenko & Chris Benoit beat The Rock & Cactus Jack & Rikishi & Too Cool when Benoit pinned Sexay after a top rope headbutt. Rikishi & Too Cool surprised the five heels by joining Rock and Triple H for the match. Rock battled Triple H on the rampway and Foley battled Benoit in the crowd. Meanwhile, Rikishi cleared the ring of the rest of the heels. Stephanie joined Ross and Lawler on commentary. She said Rikishi and Too Cool had no right to be out there. Hot action with great crowd heat. Benoit gave Rikishi an impressive belly-to-back suplex.

[Q9: 8.1]... Rock gave a series of consecutive spinebusters to the heels. Triple H ran in and turned the tables. Rikishi made the save. X-Pac set up the Bronco Buster, but Rock moved. Grand Master Sexay hit X-Pac with a top rope legdrop. X-Pac tagged in Triple H.

The Outlaws ran to the ring with lead pipes. The lights in the arena went out. Paul Bearer then stepped out onto the stage in Kane's colors; Kane followed behind him. Kane got to the ring and all seven heels attacked him. Kane fended them off and chokeslammed Saturn and Gunn. A super-hot main event with a fresh mix of wrestlers who are over with WWF fans.

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