Today's review comes to us from my buddy Skippy. I let him choose a match he wanted to see reviewed, since he lets me use his Peacock account so I can do this blog and do these reviews. Thank Skippy, on with the review!
THE MATCH - EDGE & CHRISTIAN VS. THE HARDY BOYZ VS. THE DUDLEY BOYZ (SUMMERSLAM 2000)
SETTING THE STAGE - On August 27th, 2000 WWF was comfortably ahead in the ratings over WCW and ECW that they wouldn't have to worry about either for much longer. In WCW, Kevin Nash is one day away from winning the WCW Title from Booker T, who had just won it a month beforehand at the debacle known as Bash at the Beach 2000. The man named Stone Cold Steve Austin is one month away from returning from a neck-injury (in kayfabe from being hit by a car), and search for the man who laid him out last November. The Rock and HHH have been fighting back and forth since Wrestlemania, with the McMahon's trying to regain power. Mick Foley is Commissioner, bang bang. And we are here with the biggest party of the summer!
So far tonight we have seen Right to Censor beat Too Cool and Rikishi, with the first appearance of future diva Victoria, as one of the Ho's. She would resurface in 2 years. X-Pac would beat Road Dogg in the last match of the Run-DMC version of DX. Chyna would become a 2 time Intercontinental Champion, Steve Blackman made Shane McMahon take his first huge bump, and Benoit beat Jericho in a Best 2-out-of-3 Falls Match. Soon to come would be a "Stinkface" match (don't expect a review of that one) with Terri and The Kat, with the main event supposed to be a triple threat match with The Rock, HHH, and Kurt Angle. It would mostly be Rock and HHH as a botched Pedigree on the announce table concussed Angle to the point that he can't remember the match.
That brings us to our match today. The first ever TLC match came about from the constant attacks on one another between Edge & Christian, Dudleys, and Hardys. E&C would be chasing and holding the titles all spring, since WrestleMania 2000 and the Triangle Ladder Match. The Hardy's would be fighting for the Hardcore title, and T&A (Test and Albert) most of the spring, with the help of new Team Extreme member Lita. The Dudleys were coming fresh off a feud with DX (X-Pac and Road Dogg) as Bubba was on a quest to powerbomb every woman he could through a table, last being Tori. The three teams that defined tag team wrestling in the early 2000's would be set on a collision course for the first ever Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match, put together by Commish Foley, and we are now here for the first of many of this new match type genre.
REVIEWING THE MATCH - Our 6 men of the night make their ways to the ring with the last two being the home grown Hardy's. They decide to rush to the ring and get the action going. And that action started furious, with Edge and Christian bringing in the chairs. The Hardy's would take them and use them against the other 4. But after an attempted Poetry in Motion, Jeff ate the steel in the face. Soon the Ladder's would join the fray, and get set up for the first time. Bubba Ray would be the first to climb with the Hardy's powerbombing him off with ease. Jeff and Devon would be next, with Edge hitting a double Russian Leg Sweep on the two. Christian would try next with Bubba hitting a high risk Bubba-Bomb on him, and Christian folding like an accordion. Jeff would be pushed off and landed on another ladder see-sawing that ladder into his brother's face. This would be followed up by the Dudley's patented "Whazz Up" on Edge, which of course signaled the third aspect of our match, TABLES! The tables would quickly be erected, and Christian quickly received the dreaded 3D through said table. Now we get to a point of setting up things for later in the match as they stacked two tables ontop of two other tables, that will come back later. The Hardy's would gain advantage after a Twist of Fate/Leg Drop combo from Matt to Edge, followed by a leap frog leg drop to add insult to injury on Edge. Even more damage would befall Edge, as they sandwiched Edge within a ladder, and tossing Christian rib first on top of him. The biggest bump of the match so far would come next as Jeff Hardy took a 20ft ladder to the outside and tried to land on Bubba Ray with a Swanton Bomb, but Bubba skipped town and Jeff crashed and burned through the tables. The massive ladder would be pulled into the ring, as the remaining 5 men climbed over each other to try and grab those Tag Team belts. It would come down to Bubba Ray as the last man standing, and he would climb, but as they say in wrestling, you set it up, you go through it, as Edge and Christian sent Bubba packing and out through the 4 tables I mentioned earlier. Edge and Christian seemingly had the match won, until Lita made her way to the ring and knocked it over, sending the champions tumbling outside the ring. Matt Hardy set the ladder back up and climbed to the glory land, until Devon Dudley tilted the ladder, sending Matt backwards out of the ring and through yet another table. Lita would come check on her boyfriend, Matt, as Edge would come and spear the hell out of her, rendering her out of the match. Some how, some way, Jeff Hardy was up and climbing again, as he raced Devon to the belts. Edge and Christian would pull the ladder away leaving the 2 swinging. Devon would fall off and a ladder shot to Jeff knocked him down as well. Edge and Christian would finally climb the tall ladder and retain their Tag team Titles.
BREAKING IT DOWN - Wow, what a match. So a lot of things to cover and talk about. If you read Matt and Jeff's book, they were told they would of won the titles at WrestleMania 2000, but it changed to Edge and Christian, as the plan changed that they would win this match in their home area, with Cameron NC right down the road from the arena. But, that did not come to fruition, and they would have to wait a little longer to dethrone the champs. Next month at Unforgiven, the Hardy's would finally take down E&C inside a steel cage match, but it almost feels like too little too late. The hometown win would of made more sense, but with E&C being the whining cheat to win heels, it made sense that they should win the match they were not wanting to compete in. The match itself was the next logical step from their Triangle Ladder match at WrestleMania 2000, and would be followed up with TLC 2 at WrestleMania X7. I hate to say it, but I think either of the Mania matches are better than this one, but all 3 as a set are a work of beauty. Now I will take the time to say something about the insane stunts of Jeff Hardy, and I truly think he needs to retire. Every time he does another stunt, he cuts even more time with his kids, even more time off of being able to function later in life, and matches like this set the stage that he had to up himself each time, until there is nothing left.
Rating - 8 out of 11
STAY TUNED FOR MORE!!
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