Sunday Night Heat

August 20, 2000

With SummerSlam just seven days away, two more matches were announced on HEAT. Based on what happened on RAW, two brothers will collide, as the Undertaker will seek revenge on his younger sibling Kane for the Big Red Machines unmitigated assault on the American Bad Ass. Also, The Kat will battle Terri in a Stink Face Match, in which one must apply Rikishi’s signature move to the other to win the match!

HEAT kicked off with Essa Rios challenging Dean Malenko for the Light Heavyweight Championship. Rios took control early with his scintillating aerial maneuvers, but ultimately, Malenkos experience prevailed. Malenko caught Rios in the Texas Cloverleaf to earn the submission win and retain his title.

In the back, Just Joe informed Al Snow that he overheard Lo Down talking about Snows lack of skills and his goofy look just to get attention. Then, Joe added that Lo Down was talking smack about Head! Snow response? He and Just Joe were going to straighten Lo Down out!

Addressing his Jerichoholics, Chris Jericho acknowledged that he’s been ambushed and brutalized on a nightly basis. He added that his fans were worried that he’d quit before he gets killed. Jericho’s response was he doesnt think he can quit. Y2J said that when Chris Benoit, his opponent at SummerSlam in a best two-out-of-three falls match, was 85 and on his death bed missing a tooth, he’d still be coming at him, because this war will never, EEEEEEVER end!

In the dressing room, Marissa Mazzola interviewed Kurt Angle, scheduled for a one-on-one battle with Matt Hardy in the main event. Angle broke down the word integrity. In short, Angle said his gold medal proved he had integrity. For tonight, Angle vowed to teach Hardy a little about integrity, as well as his other two I’s.

At the start of Lo Downs match against Just Joe and Just Snow, er, Al Snow, announcer Michael Cole inquired on how many people fall for Joes act of rumor and gossip. For two grapplers teaming up for the first time, Joe and Snow were impressive early. Snow nailed Chaz with the Snow Plow and was about to earn the win, but, suddenly, Perry Saturn pushed Snow off the top rope. Lo Down soon finished Snow off with a Chaz superplex and DLo frog splash with Joe simply standing on the apron looking on!

Before T & A’s match against Right to Censor, Steven Richards vowed he’d silence that hussy Trish Stratus the first chance he got. He made good, dragging Trish away from ringside! The distraction gave Bull Buchanan and the Goodfather the advantage in the early going, but Test and Albert rallied, putting Bull in a pinning predicament until the Goodfather interrupted the count. Albert pressed Bull over his head, but Steven superkicked the big man, causing Bull to land on top of Albert and give Right to Censor the win!

Kurt Angle tangled with Matt Hardy, with Lita at ringside, in HEATs main event. Looking on from their dressing room were Angle’s allies -- Shane McMahon and Triple H. Angle was aggressive throughout, but Hardys acrobats kept the 2000 King of the Ring off balance. Later in the match, Angle hit a belly-to-belly suplex, but Hardy got some needed help when Lita executed a flying head scissors on Angle out of nowhere! Angle barely escaped defeat on more than one occasion. Later, Angle came back with a back suplex and appeared to have the match won, until Lita grabbed Angles foot to interrupt the count. A frustrated Angle grabbed Lita, but the fiery redhead slapped him in the face! Angle escaped Hardys Twist of Fate and threw him into Lita, knocking her off the apron. Suddenly, Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley hit the ring and attacked Lita, to the delight of brother Shane and husband Triple H! Angle hit a distracted Hardy with Stephanies Womens Championship belt -- Stephanie will defend against Lita on RAW -- and finished him with the Olympic Slam. Kurt and Stephanie, the two friends celebrated in-ring, as did Shane and Triple H in the back, as HEAT went off the air!