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Headlines:
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Taz's name in the WWF will most likely be spelled T-a-z-z. This is most likely due to the Looney Tunes character Taz, whose name is spelled with one "z." Ted Turner owns Looney Tunes and the WWF wanted to avoid any legal problems that they might have with Turner and WCW over that, trademark, so they decided to have Taz use two z's in the spelling of his name.
According to Wade Keller, the Blue Meanie is just about to be released from the WWF. Keller also reports that Jim Ross noted on the WWF.com web site that Shawn Stasiak is also on his way out, due to him recently recording conversations with wrestlers without their permission.
Kevin Nash's contract with WCW isn't up until the summer of 2002, as is Scott Hall's. Had the two not signed an extension in 1997, their contract would have been up this past summer.
Royal Rumble is on January 23 from Madison Square Garden.
Droz announced to us that he got married last week when he was on WWF's Byte This.
Billy Gunn will be appearing on Sabrina the Teenage Witch on Friday, February 4 on ABC. This is his first Hollywood gig, and he's taping it as we speak.
WWF Superstar, The Rock, will be appearing on January 6th edition of the ABC daytime show "The View" to promote his new book "The Rock Says", which debuts the previous day. Speculation is being made that The Rock's could top the best seller's list, as the great success of Mankind's book reached #1 on the list.
Some very creative rumors going around on the Internet about Eric Bischoff coming to work as a TV character on WWF broadcasts. These are absolutely untrue, albeit somewhat humorous rumors.
In Jim Ross' latest Ross Report, he states that Sean Stasiak(Meat) has officially been released from the federation. If you missed this week's earlier news, Stasiak was suspended on Monday afternoon due to tape recording other wrestler's conversations in the locker rooms and on the bus. It was confirmed on Friday that Stasiak has officially been let go.
Apparently, as of yesterday, the WWF is in the process of holding a Millenium show from 11:00 PM until Midnight on the USA Network. It was origionally going to be a pay-per-view event, but now it is reportedly being turned into a USA Network special.
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Smackdown
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As SmackDown! kicked off from the campus of Florida State University, Triple H and Stephanie conducted a meeting with the entire World Wrestling Federation roster. They said Vince and Shane were not in the building and that McMahon-Helmsley would reign. They even announced two matches that would take place later on SmackDown! Al Snow would take on Mankind, and the Federation Championship would be on the line as the Big Show defended against The Rock.
After the fireworks signaled the beginning of the show, the Big Boss Man and Prince Albert made their way to the ring. Boss Man grabbed a microphone and went on a tirade, but he was interrupted Chris Jericho. Y2J said that he couldn't stand listing to the Boss Man's "boring" rants and he immediately challenged Prince Albert to a match. As the contest began, Chyna and The Kat came out and took in the action. As the Boss Man distracted the referee, Prince Albert grabbed a nightstick. But Chyna came from behind and delivered a low blow to the Prince, who dropped the nightstick. Jericho seized the opportunity, clobbered the Prince with the stick, and then finished him off with an Asai moonsault for the win. After the match, Chyna and The Kat retreated to the locker room, and Y2J seemed confused as to why Chyna assisted him with his victory.
Backstage, Stephanie said she wanted to go out to the ring for Kurt Angle's match with Test. Triple H tried to stop her, but she insisted. After both competitors made their way to the ring, Stephanie followed. Stephanie's appearance at ringside distracted Test repeatedly. But Test took the advantage and began hammering Angle in the corner. Stephanie, who provided commentary during the match with Michael Cole and Jerry "The King" Lawler, jumped to her feet and insisted that the bell be rung. Then she told the announcer to declare Angle the winner by disqualification; Test was using a closed fist, which is illegal, Stephanie said. Test chased after Stephanie, but D-Generation X caught him from behind and pummeled him. Then Triple H hit him squarely in the nose, which had been broken just a few weeks before by DX. When Gerald Brisco and Pat Patterson helped Test, who was bleeding badly from the nose, Triple H ordered the former stooges into a Tag Team Title Match against the New Age Outlaws.
In another match ordered by Triple H and Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley, Jeff Hardy took on his brother Matt in singles competition. At first, the brothers - not to mention Terri -- seemed a little skeptical about the battle, but eventually the competitive fires flared and they went at it. Jeff came flying off the top rope and landed badly on his left leg. Matt took advantage, dropping his brother with a headlock into a neckbreaker, and pinned his brother for the win. After the match, Jeff, Matt and Terri embraced in a show of respect.
Backstage, Tori stormed into Triple H and Stephanie's locker room and yelled at them for forcing her into a pudding match, and ordering Kane into a glorified Handicap Match against the Outlaws on RAW. Stephanie said that if Tori wanted revenge, Tori and Stephanie could have a match on SmackDown! After Tori exited the locker room, the Mean Street Posse made its way in. In a match ordered by Triple H and Stephanie on RAW, the Posse had been brutalized by the Acolytes, so the threesome from Greenwich were doing anything they could to get on Triple H and Stephanie's good side.
Tori made her way to the ring as Kane watched on a monitor from backstage. Suddenly, the Posse, clearly on orders from Triple H and Stephanie, ambushed Kane in the backstage area. Things only got worse for Tori. Stephanie introduced Tori's real opponent - X-Pac. The degenerate quickly put Tori away after a bronco buster and X-Factor.
Kane had to come out and help Tori back to the locker room. Because Kane was able to get up from the beating the Posse gave him, Triple H forced Rodney, Pete Gas and Joey Abs into a rematch with the Acolytes.
No holds were barred and falls counted anywhere as Al Snow battled Mankind. Before the match got underway, Al was seen backstage in the DX locker room. Out in the ring, Al attempted to take out all his jealously on Mankind, pummeling him with various steel objects. Later Al and Mankind fought backstage and into the DX locker room. After they spilled outside the locker room, Mankind immediately pinned Al. After the match, we learned why Snow's plan had backfired. The Rock emerged from the locker room. It wasn't DX's locker room after all, it was The Rock's!
In another brother-vs.-brother match ordered by Triple H and Stephanie, Edge took on Christian. Edge collected the victory after he reversed a roll-up attempt by Christian.
Faarooq (aka Ron Simmons) made his return to the campus where his jersey is retired as the Acolytes took on the Mean Street Posse in a rematch from RAW. The Posse tried to escape the arena before the match got underway, but Stephanie and Triple H caught them, and told them to get in the ring or they'd be fired. The match was a short one: Faarooq pinned Rodney after about one minute with a spinebuster. But before it was all said and done, the Acolytes put a beating on all three members of the Posse.
Backstage, Lilian Garcia interviewed Jim Ross, who said that if he had to describe Stephanie in one word, he'd use a word that rhymes with "witch" and begins with a "b." But J.R. paid for his remarks. When he came face to face with Triple H and Stephanie backstage, Triple H verbally tore into him, and Stephanie slapped him!
In a six man tag team match, Too Cool and Rikishi Phatu battled Viscera and the Holly cousins. Rikishi planted Viscera with a superkick, causing the big man to retreat to the locker room. Then Rikishi finished off Hardcore Holly with a splash off the second rope. Phatu and Too Cool celebrated their victory with a post-match dance.
The Tag Team Championship was on the line as the New Age Outlaws defended against Gerry Brisco and Pat Patterson in a no disqualification match. Brisco and Patterson pulled out a few tricks to get the advantage early in the match, but the Outlaws pulled it out at the end as Mr. Ass pinned Brisco after a Fame-asser.
The final match of the night was a Federation Championship contest in which the Big Show defended against The Rock. The first couple - Triple H and Stephanie - came out to take a special seat on the top of the entrance ramp. They announced that Rock and Big Show's battle would be a Lumberjack Match, and several superstars came down to serve as lumberjacks. Eventually both superstars spilled outside the ring and the lumberjacks attacked both of them. Clearly the match was set up by Triple H so that he could soften up The Rock and the Show. But Mankind spoiled the plan as he appeared with a shopping cart full of foreign objects, and he began clobbering the lumberjacks with garbage cans and steel trays. The Big Show and The Rock eventually recovered and joined him, causing the lumberjacks to retreat backstage. Eventually, The Rock and Viscera were the only two superstars left in the ring and The Rock dropped the big man with a Rock Bottom and People's Elbow as an irate Triple H looked on from the opposite end of the ramp.
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