Smackdown
December 6th, 2001 (taped December 4th)
Allstate Arena
Chicago, Illinois
 
Dark Match:
 
1. Brock Lesnar pins Rico Constantino at 3:31.
 
12/9 Sunday Night Heat taping:
 
1. Tazz forces Funaki to tap out at 3:44.
2. “The One” Billy Gunn and Chuck Palumbo defeat Spike Dudley and Tajiri at 6:41.
3. Jeff Hardy pins Perry Saturn at 5:06.
 
Actual Show:
 
We see the opening video for Smackdown.
 
Your hosts are Michael Cole and Jerry “The King” Lawler.
 
1. Edge, Kane, and the Big Show defeat William Regal and the Dudley Boyz (w/ Stacy Keibler) when Edge pins D-Von at 3:36.
 
Analysis: We kick off this edition of Smackdown with a big 6-man tag match. These 6 men were set to face off at Vengeance in separate matches and they face off here to build momentum. Edge, Kane, and Show get good pops from the crowd while Regal and the Dudleyz were pretty hot as heels. The two teams waste no time and brawl to start the match as Show sends Bubba over the top to the floor, and Kane clotheslines D-Von over the top to the floor as Edge pounds and stomps on Regal in the corner. He whips Regal into the other corner and hits a backdrop as he pounds on Regal who reverses a whip and D-Von yanks Edge to the mat by his hair from the apron, and Regal knocks Edge down and tags D-Von who pounds on Edge in the corner and knocks him down before choking him on the ropes. Bubba tags in and they hit a double tackle on Edge as Bubba drops a trio of elbows on him for a two count, and he pounds on Edge who ducks a shot and both men clothesline each other as Kane gets the hot tag and he fires up on D-Von. He hits a backdrop on Bubba and splashes D-Von in the corner as he hits a clothesline on Bubba and a big boot on Regal, and he goes up top and hits a flying clothesline on Regal as the Dudleyz nail Kane and knock Show off the apron. They duck a double clothesline attempt from Kane as Edge makes a blind tag and the Dudleyz clothesline Kane over the top to the floor, and Regal knocks Edge to the floor as Show gets in the ring and nails Regal before hitting a pair of clotheslines on the Dudleyz. Keibler hands Regal a pair of brass knuckles and gets on the apron to distract Show though Kane scares her into the ring, and Show grabs her and pulls her over his knee as he pulls her skirt up only for the Dudleyz to nail him. They hit a double flapjack on Show as Kane gets in the ring and nails both men as he whips Bubba into the corner, but Bubba catches him with a back elbow and the Dudleyz hit the 3-D on Kane as Show hits a clothesline on D-Von and he grabs Bubba by the throat before hitting the chokeslam. Regal nails Show in the face with the knuckles as Edge gets in the ring and hits the spear on Regal before getting a kick in on D-Von, and he hits the Edgecution on D-Von which gets the three and he wins the match for his team. The match itself was decent as both teams worked hard for the time they got and put on a basic 6-man tag. Both teams worked well together and had good chemistry as Edge, Kane, and Show get the win. The crowd was into the match and popped for Edge, Kane, and Show when they won. Edge, Kane, and Show get the win over Regal and the Dudleyz as these issues aren’t over yet. Grade: 1
 
We see Kurt Angle in the parking garage as a limo pulls in and Vince McMahon steps out of it, and Angle says he’s glad Vince made it as Vince says that he wouldn’t let Angle forfeit his chance to be the Undisputed Champion and Angle says he wanted to apologize for what happened. Vince says that he has plans for Austin tonight and he has other plans for Rock tonight though before this night is over, Rock will be kissing his ass instead as they head inside.
 
Commercial break
 
We see a shot outside the Allstate Arena.
 
We see highlights from RAW 3 nights ago.
 
We see footage from earlier today of Jeff Hardy confronting Matt Hardy about his match tonight and their match at Vengeance as well as Lita being the referee.
 
We see Vince McMahon and Kurt Angle in Vince’s office as Vince says that those are the plans for later tonight and Angle says Austin will get what he deserves, and Angle asks if Vince is feeling alright and Vince says he’s been having trouble sleeping as Angle mentions Vince’s voice being sore and he hands him a cough drop. He says that he tried to put himself in Vince’s shoes in regards having to go out and kiss Rock’s ass on TV, and Vince says that he has plans for Rock that he knows Angle will like.
 
Commercial break
 
Lugz Boot of the Week: Rob Van Dam defeating Christian on RAW 3 nights ago
 
2. Rob Van Dam pins Matt Hardy with the Van Daminator at 3:56 to retain the WWF Hardcore Championship.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is our lone title match of the night. RVD was preparing for his big match at the PPV and looks to have a successful defense here against Matt, who was preparing for his match with Jeff at the PPV and looks to become champion here. RVD gets a big pop from the crowd while Matt got a mixed reaction from the crowd. The two men lock up to start with Matt hooking a headlock and he knocks RVD down as RVD leaps over him and does a backflip over him, and he gets a kick in though Matt catches him ducking with a swinging neckbreaker as he goes outside and pulls a ladder out. Matt gets on the apron and RVD gets a shot in only for Matt to slingshot the ladder into RVD’s groin as RVD tumbles over the top to the floor, and Matt rolls into the ring and grabs the ladder while RVD grabs it from the outside until Matt hits a baseball slide that drives the ladder into RVD. RVD heads up the ramp as Matt rolls outside and grabs the ladder which he jabs into RVD’s ribs twice as they head onto the stage, and Matt tosses the ladder at RVD who avoids it as he gets a kick in and hits a running bulldog onto the ladder. RVD goes backstage and tosses a trash can onto the stage before bringing out a rolling case and he rams it into Matt who falls onto it, and RVD gets on the case and hits a legdrop to the back of Matt’s head for a two count as he tries to set up the ladder only for Matt to hit him in the head with the can. He sandwiches RVD in the ladder and climbs onto the case as he hits a seated senton onto RVD for a two count, and he sets the ladder up and grabs a chair as he climbs up the ladder and dives off only for RVD to catch him with the Van Daminator which gets the three and he retains the title. The match itself was decent as both men worked hard for the 4 minutes they got and put on a basic title match. The crowd was into the match and popped for RVD when he won. RVD retains the title over Matt and both men move on. Grade: 1
 
After the match, RVD celebrates with the title until the Undertaker attacks him from behind and he pounds on him as he rams him into the set twice, and he grabs the ladder and jabs it into RVD’s ribs as he mocks him and stands over top of him.
 
Commercial break
 
We see Vince McMahon and Kurt Angle in Vince’s office as Vince says his throat is starting to feel better and he is feeling better about their plans, and he says that they will take out Rock and Austin tonight as Angle says he will get his double whammy on Sunday when he becomes the Undisputed Champion. Vince says that as far as tonight goes, he should give Rock a suppository and Angle laughs uncontrollably.
 
3. Christian and Test defeat Scotty 2 Hotty and Albert when Test pins Scotty at 3:46.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is our first tag match of the night. These two teams have been going at it for the last few weeks and they face off here to settle their issues. Scotty and Albert get a good pop from the crowd while Christian and Test had solid heat as heels. Scotty starts off the match with Christian who quickly tags Test and Scotty ducks a shot as he pounds on Test, but Test gets a knee in and tosses Scotty into the corner as he pounds on him until the ref gets between them. Test argues with the ref as Scotty goes up to the middle rope and hits a missile dropkick on Test for a two count, and he nails Test who reverses a whip and Christian gets a shot in from the apron as he ducks a shot and holds Scotty from behind. Test charges only for Scotty to get a kick in and he hits a back elbow on Christian as he hotshots him on the top rope, and he sends Test into Christian who gets knocked to the floor only for Test to hit a clothesline on Scotty and he pounds on him on the mat. He rams Scotty into the buckle and pounds on him in the corner as he stomps on him and continues to pound on him, and Scotty goes out to the apron and gets a shoulder in as he attempts a slingshot sunset flip and Test grabs the rope to block it. The ref kicks Test’s hands off the rope and Scotty hooks the sunset flip for a two count as Test hits a clothesline and argues with the ref, and he whips Scotty into the corner and Scotty catches him with a back elbow as he ducks a shot and hits a superkick on Test. Albert gets the hot tag and hits a clothesline on Test as he knocks Christian down and ducks a shot before pounding on Test and knocking him down, and he trips Christian up and does a giant swing as he knocks Test down and tags Scotty as he whips Albert into Test in the corner. Albert splashes Christian in the corner and they go outside as Scotty hits a running bulldog on Test and does the Worm, but Christian gets in the ring and nails Scotty from behind as he looks for the Unprettier only for Albert to get in the ring. Scotty shoves Christian off into Albert who hits the Baldo Bomb on Christian only for Test to hit the big boot on Scotty and Albert which gets the three and he wins the match for his team. The match itself was decent as both teams worked hard and put on a basic tag match. Scotty and Albert were gelling well as a team while Test and Christian looked decent as a team as well, and they had decent chemistry as Test and Christian get the win. The crowd was into the match and Scotty and Albert, but are not happy when Test and Christian win. Test and Christian get the win over Scotty and Albert though this issue isn’t over yet. Grade: 1
 
After the match, Test hits the big boot on the ref and poses for the crowd.
 
We see the Rock walking down the hallway.
 
Commercial break
 
EA Sports Smack of the Night: Steve Austin costing Vince McMahon and Kurt Angle their match on RAW 3 nights ago
 
The Rock comes down to the ring and says that he has finally come back to Chicago as he says that before the main event and before he becomes Undisputed Champion, he has some business to take care of tonight as Chicago is known for being the Windy City, known for the Chicago Bears, and it will now be known for the sight where Vince McMahon kissed some ass. He says that it will be done in this ring as Vince McMahon comes down to the ring and takes the mike from Rock, and he says that Rock expects to humiliate him and belittle him as he wants to remind him that he is Vince McMahon. He says that he is a certified billionaire which means he can buy and sell everyone in this arena over and over, and a man of his distinction doesn’t kiss any ass, especially the People’s Ass as Rock will be the one puckering up and apologizing to him. But then we see Steve Austin on the Titantron as he says “What” repeatedly and says Vince thought he wasn’t going to be kissing anyone’s ass tonight, and he says that Vince thought Kurt Angle would save the day and be the hero as he just kicked the crap out of Vince’s backup plan. We see Angle laying on the ground as Austin stomps on him repeatedly and pounds on him as he says that he was going to make sure that Vince would kiss someone’s ass, and he says that if Vince tries to head to the back, he will be waiting for him and Rock takes the mike back from Vince. He says that it sucks to be Vince as Ric Flair comes out on the stage and says that Plan A for Vince didn’t work, and he says that in case there’s a Plan B and if anyone tries to interfere with this, they will be suspended as he heads to the back. Rock says there’s only one thing left to say as he tells Vince to get on his knees and Vince takes his jacket off, and he gets on his knees as Rock says this is the moment everyone has been waiting for as he turns around. He says it’s time for the People’s Ass as he teases Vince by pulling his pants down twice and then says that Vince’s lips aren’t good enough to kiss his ass, and he says that because Vince won’t kiss his ass doesn’t mean he won’t be kissing ass tonight as he has an ass that is a slobberknocker. Jim Ross comes down to the ring and yells at Vince as Rock says that last week, Vince looked good wearing Ross’ hat so he asks Ross to let Vince wear it again tonight as Ross obliges. Rock asks if Ross put plenty of BBQ sauce on his butt as Ross goes to pull down his pants though Rock stops him and says Vince isn’t kissing Ross’ ass, and he asks Ross to take a seat at the announce table which he does as he says he has a plan and Vince would love to kiss the ass he has which will bring him “Stratusfaction”. Trish Stratus comes down to the ring as Vince gets excited and Rock says he’s not a bad guy as he hands Vince some chap stick which Vince eagerly puts on, and Status turns around and pulls down her pants as Rock asks Vince what he’s waiting for and Vince goes to kiss it though Rock stops him. He calls Vince a sick freak and says he has another plan as he tells Stratus to head over to the announce table as well which she does, and he says that the time has come and he has one ass that he has chosen especially for Vince as Rikishi comes down to the ring. Vince tries to beg off only for Rock to give him the Rock Bottom and he holds Vince up as Rikishi bends over, and Rock shoves Vince’s face in Rikishi’s ass and says that on behalf of all the fans, the Vince McMahon Kiss My Ass Club is officially closed if you smell what he’s cooking.
 
Commercial break
 
We see a shot outside WWF New York.
 
4. Crash Holly pins Jacqueline with a rollup at 2:13.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is a pretty interesting matchup. Jacqueline was preparing for her title match on Sunday and looks to build momentum here over Crash, who was floating in the midcard and looks to get back on track here. Jacqueline gets a decent pop from the crowd while Crash got a tepid reaction from the crowd. The two lock up to start with Crash going behind Jacqueline and he toys with her until Jacqueline hits a back elbow, and she pounds on Crash who catches her ducking by slamming the back of her head into the mat and he pulls her by the hair while holding her down with his boot twice. He hits a suplex on Jacqueline for a pair of two counts and he hits a slam as he goes up top only for Jacqueline to crotch him on the top rope, and he falls into the tree of woe and Jacqueline hits a dropkick as she pounds on him and ducks a shot before hooking a rollup for a two count. She leaps onto his shoulders and hooks a victory roll for a two count as she pounds on Crash who reverses a whip, and she gets a kick in and hits a tornado DDT for a two count as she attempts a rollup though Crash rolls through and grabs the tights which gets the three and he wins the match. The match itself was nothing much as both did what they could for the 2 minutes they got and put on a basic match. The crowd was into the match and Jacqueline, but are not happy when Crash wins. Crash steals the win over Jacqueline and both move on. Grade: .5
 
After the match, Jacqueline gets in Crash’s face and Crash shoves her to the mat as she knocks him down and heads to the back.
 
We see Kurt Angle recovering as he talks to Vince McMahon on the phone and says he won’t forget the sight of what happened to Vince, and Vince flips out on the phone as Angle keeps it away from his ear and says he will become Undisputed Champion to make it up to Vince though Vince hangs up.
 
Commercial break
 
We see Booker T backstage as he goes into Vince McMahon’s office though finds Ric Flair instead and they shake hands, and Booker says that he was looking for Vince and wanted to talk to him as Flair says Vince left and Booker can talk to him if he needs. Booker says that he and Vince hate Steve Austin’s guts and he has to talk about getting his job back, and Flair says that Vince got rear-ended and is not going to be here though he brings up Booker stealing Austin’s truck on RAW. Booker says it was a great idea though he did bring it back to Austin and he just cares about getting his job back, and Flair says that he’s not hiring right now and Vince isn’t here as Booker asks if he just said that and then says that’s cool.
 
We see the APA in their office as the Undertaker walks by though he stops and asks if they’re staring at him, and Bradshaw says Taker owes them an explanation and when Taker was fighting for the WWF Title, they were the ones watching his back and rode with him as they were always there for him though Taker slapped all of them in the face. Taker says they need to calm down and if he slapped anyone in the face, they would be crying and they must think Jim Ross didn’t get what he had coming as he thinks they are thinking they’re better than him and they are taking this too personal. He says that he’s on his way to the ring and if they want to get it together, he will show them how to respect someone as Bradshaw says they can dance.
 
Commercial break
 
5. The Undertaker pins Bradshaw with the chokeslam at 3:17.
 
Analysis: Our last match before the main event is a pretty interesting matchup. These two men had a confrontation moments ago and now they face off here to settle their issues. Bradshaw gets a good pop from the crowd while Taker gets a mixed reaction from the crowd. Taker gets a kick in and rams Bradshaw into the buckle to start the match as he pounds on Bradshaw in the corner and whips him into the other corner, but Bradshaw catches him with a back elbow and gets a kick in as he pounds on Taker who reverses a whip and Bradshaw knocks him down. He rams Taker into the buckle and gets a knee in as he pounds on him in the corner and whips him into the other corner, and he splashes Taker and hits a swinging neckbreaker as he drops an elbow on him for a two count and Taker begs off. He sends Bradshaw through the ropes to the outside and he rolls outside as well as Bradshaw pounds on him, and he hoists Taker up only for Taker to slide off and he sends Bradshaw into the post before hitting a clothesline. He throws Bradshaw back into the ring and drapes him on the apron as he drives the elbow into his throat and pounds on him, and he rolls back into the ring and continues to pound on him as Bradshaw hits a big boot on Taker and drops a pair of elbows on him for a two count. He pounds on Taker who catches him ducking with a DDT as Faarooq comes down to ringside and gets on Taker’s bike, and Bradshaw ducks a shot and clotheslines Taker over the top to the floor as Faarooq drives the bike to the back. Bradshaw goes outside and pounds on Taker as he throws him back into the ring and Taker reverses a whip into the corner, and Bradshaw avoids a charge only for Taker to catch him with a big boot and he grabs him by the throat as he hits the chokeslam which gets the three and he wins the match. The match itself was decent as both men worked hard and put on a basic match. Taker was hitting his stride by this point while Bradshaw looked decent in this solo outing, and they had good chemistry as Taker gets the clean win. The crowd was into the match and Bradshaw, but are not happy when Taker wins. Taker gets the win over Bradshaw and both men move on. Grade: 1
 
After the match, Taker heads up the ramp as he sees his bike on the stage and he turns around to taunt the fans, but then Rob Van Dam comes up behind him and hits him in the head with a chair.
 
Commercial break
 
Sharmell interviews Chris Jericho, who asks who felt he didn’t hold up against Steve Austin on RAW though he doesn’t care about everyone’s opinion, and he says that his opinion is the only one that matters and he will fare well against Rock and Austin tonight as he will become the first Undisputed Champion and become a living legend.
 
Commercial break
 
6. Stone Cold Steve Austin and the Rock defeat Kurt Angle and Chris Jericho when Jericho taps out at 8:01.
 
Analysis: After a fairly quick and interesting night of wrestling, we come to our main event. These four men were preparing for their matches at the PPV and face off here in a tag match to build momentum. Austin and Rock get a big pop from the crowd while Angle and Jericho were red hot as heels. Angle and Jericho waste no time and stomp on Rock to start the match as Austin rushes down to the ring and pounds on Angle, and Rock and Jericho roll outside and trade blows as Austin continues to pound on Angle before getting a kick in and he hits the Stunner for a two count as Jericho breaks it up. He pulls Angle to his corner and tags in only for Austin to pound on him as he whips Jericho into the corner, and Jericho escapes a back suplex attempt only for Austin to hit a clothesline for a two count as he drops an elbow on Jericho and rams him into the buckle twice. He trips Jericho up and slingshots him into the corner as he hits a clothesline and hooks the Walls of Jericho on Jericho, but Angle comes in and breaks the hold up as Austin knocks him through the ropes to the outside and Rock tags in. He pounds on Jericho who ducks a shot and hits a flying forearm on Rock as he hits a low dropkick and tags Angle, and he kicks at Rock and pounds on him in the corner as Rock turns it around and pounds on Angle in the corner. Angle reverses a whip into the other corner and Rock hits a clothesline as he hits a belly-to-belly suplex on Angle, and he rams Angle into Austin’s boot and tags him in as he kicks at Angle and pounds on him only for Angle to reverse a whip. Jericho gets a shot in from the apron though Austin blocks a belly-to-belly suplex by raking Angle’s eyes and Angle ducks a shot, and Austin blocks a German suplex with a series of back elbows and gets a kick in though Angle blocks the Stunner and Austin knocks Jericho off the apron to the floor. Angle hits a belly-to-belly suplex on Austin and rams him into the buckle as he pounds on him in the corner, and he stomps on him repeatedly and tags Jericho who pounds on Austin and knocks him down as he continues to pound on him in the corner. He stomps on him repeatedly until Austin tackles him to the mat and pounds on him as Jericho ducks a shot and blocks a Lou Thesz Press by slamming Austin to the mat, and he hooks the Walls of Jericho on only for Rock to hit a clothesline on Jericho to break it up as Angle tags in and he knocks Rock off the apron to the floor. Austin pounds on Angle who blocks a kick attempt and he hooks the Ankle Lock on as Jericho rams Rock into the announce table and the post, and Austin reaches the rope to force a break and Jericho comes in as he and Angle drag Austin to the center of the ring and Angle hooks the Ankle Lock back on. Rock gets in the ring and hits a clothesline on Angle to break the hold as he gets the hot tag and he fires up on Jericho, and Jericho reverses a whip and Rock hits a flying clothesline as he tosses Angle into the ring and pounds on him in the corner. He ducks a shot from Jericho who hits Angle by mistake and Rock gets a kick in as he hits a DDT for a two count as Angle breaks it up, and Austin comes in and knocks Angle to the outside as he pounds on him while Jericho hits a low blow on Rock. He hits the Rock Bottom on Rock for a two count as Austin breaks it up and Angle gets in the ring as he drags Austin to the outside, and he pounds on Austin while Jericho pounds on Rock and Austin rams Angle into the announce table. Rock reverses a whip and hits a spinebuster on Jericho before hooking the Sharpshooter on as Jericho taps out and Rock wins the match for his team. The match itself was good as both teams worked hard and put on a solid match. These four men were hitting their stride by this point and still had great chemistry as Rock and Austin get the win. The crowd was into the match and popped for Rock and Austin when they won. Rock and Austin get the win over Jericho and Angle as these issues aren’t over yet. Grade: 2.5
 
After the match, Angle yells at Jericho and hits the Angle Slam on him before heading to the back as Austin gets in the ring, and he calls for some beer as he hands Rock one and they toast each other and the belts as we go off the air.
 
Final Analysis: Overall, this edition of Smackdown was a solid episode to serve as the final build to Vengeance. Coming off of a really good Survivor Series, Vengeance was being hyped up as a big show considering it was all about the crowning of an Undisputed Champion, but this show did a good job getting the rest of the card hyped as well. We did have a title match as RVD still rules the Hardcore Division while Edge, Kane, Show, Test, Christian, Crash, Taker, Austin, and Rock get big wins, and the matches were fairly standard as the big moment was Rock forcing Vince to kiss Rikishi’s ass. 2001 has been a great year to this point and after a lot going down throughout the year, we will see if they can end on a high note. As for this show, it is a pretty solid show as we head into the final PPV of 2001. Final Grade: B-