Smackdown!
San Antonio, Texas
January 4, 2001

As SmackDown! opened from the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, Stone Cold Steve Austin was shown waiting in the parking area.

The first SmackDown! match of the new year was for the Intercontinental Championship, as Chris Benoit defended his title against Y2J himself, Chris Jericho! Prior to the match, Jericho promised to make the first SmackDown! match of the year a memorable one. Y2J said if it wasn't for Lt. Commissioner Debra giving him the title shot, he wouldn't be here, and if it wasn't for Old Lady Benoit forgetting to take her birth control pills, Benoit wouldn't be here! Benoit then interrupted Y2J and told him to follow his own advice, and to shut the hell up! Benoit said that every one of their matches was the same -- Jericho came out and talked, and then the Wolverine came out and kicked Y2J's ass! He then challenged Jericho to prove him wrong.

The match between two of the World Wrestling Federation's young studs was a textbook in high-paced scientific wrestling. Jericho was able to turn Benoit into the Walls of Jericho, but Perry Saturn -- Benoit's partner in the Radicalz -- came down to interfere, giving Y2J the win via disqualification, but not the title. As Saturn and Malenko attacked Jericho after the match, the Hardy Boyz came down to save Y2J!

Backstage, a limo pulled into the parking lot. Out of the limo walked William Regal, who looked around for a moment, and then told Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley (who he was talking to on a cell phone) that Stone Cold was nowhere to be found. But as soon as he hung up the phone, the Rattlesnake attacked Regal, knocking him onto the hood of the limo! Austin then got into the driver's seat, and -- with Regal still on the hood -- rammed the car into a storage area, sending the European Champion flying! Stone Cold then drilled the car into the heap again, before getting out of the car and attacking the goodwill ambassador with a pipe! Federation officials finally pulled the Rattlesnake off Regal, as the European Champion lay on the ground a bloody mess! Regal had to be stretchered out of the arena.

World Wrestling Federation Tag Team Champions Edge & Christian headed to ringside to provide commentary for the match between the Dudley Boyz and Bull Buchanan and the Goodfather of the Right to Censor, as the winners of the match would meet the champions at the Royal Rumble. Edge & Christian said that that would have no problem facing the Dudleyz, since they had already beaten them 37,742 1/2 times! Moments later, D-Von Dudley threw something at Christian, and Christian screamed, "What are you doing, you dork?" Edge then referred to the Dudley Boyz as the "Deliverance Boyz."

During the match, Michael Cole asked Edge how he felt after being put through a table on RAW IS WAR, and Edge asked Cole how he felt about going to the hairdresser, looking at a picture of the Backstreet Boys, and saying, "Yeah, that's what I want!" Christian laughed and added, "Vidal, can you please reekasize me? I'm not feeling 14-year-old girlish enough!" During the match, the Dudleyz went for 3-D on the Goodfather, but Edge & Christian pulled him out of the ring. As the Right to Censor argued with Edge & Christian outside the ring, the Dudleyz hit 3-D on Bull inside the ring and won the match!

It will be Edge & Christian against the Dudley Boyz for the Tag Team Championship at the Royal Rumble!

In the parking area, Stone Cold was once again pacing when he was approached by Lt. Commissioner Debra. She begged Austin not to do the same thing to Stephanie that he had just done to Regal, saying that if he did, he would lose his job and his career, and he would probably go to jail. She begged him to think about his actions.

Kevin Kelly then interviewed The Rock about requesting a non-title match with Kurt Angle on SmackDown!, after the Olympian cost the People's Champion a shot at the Federation Championship on RAW. The Rock said there was more than one way to get a shot at the Federation Championship -- and promised to win the Royal Rumble match, earning a shot at the Federation Title at WrestleMania.

Kevin Kelly then interviewed The Rock about requesting a non-title match with Kurt Angle on SmackDown!, after the Olympian cost the People's Champion a shot at the Federation Championship on RAW. The Rock said there was more than one way to get a shot at the Federation Championship -- and promised to win the Royal Rumble match, earning a shot at the Federation Title at WrestleMania. The Great One then said that for one night only, he wasn't concerned with the title, or with winning or losing -- he was only concerned with making Angle suffer.

As Angle made his way to the ring for that match, he said if there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was a crybaby like The Rock. He said that he was just scouting his potential opponents on RAW, and that it was Rock who touched him first. He told Rock to stop being a whiner like everyone in San Antonio. He said the people of San Antonio always said "remember the Alamo" -- but they always forgot to shower, to hold a job, and to use a toothbrush! Angle then told Rock to "just bring it." Indeed, the World Wrestling Federation Champion suffered at the hands of the People's Champion -- the two men even went through the commentators' table! Eventually, Rock attacked the referee, ending the bout, but the brutality didn't end, as the Great One took it to Angle with a steel chair!

Stephanie got out of the other side of the car and -- as the Rattlesnake stalked her -- she ran frantically into the building! With a look of terror on her face, Stephanie ran from Austin, eventually winding up on the entranceway! As she fearfully ran to ringside, the sound of broken glass filled the arena, and Stone Cold walked to ringside to confront her face to face. The Rattlesnake then threw a petrified Stephanie into the ring. He said he had warned her Monday night that he wouldn't play her games. He promised that she would learn to listen to Stone Cold.

Suddenly, "No Chance in Hell" blared in the arena, and Vince McMahon came to his daughter's aid! Vince told Austin that he was not to harm a hair on Stephanie's head -- because Vince could give him what he wanted. Vince said he could rewrite the record book, giving Austin the win via disqualification -- putting Stone Cold in the Triple Threat Match for the No. 1 contenders spot! He said he would do that for the Rattlesnake, as long as Austin promised not to hurt Stephanie. Vince promised Austin that if he didn't accept the offer, then he would put Austin through hell.

Stone Cold accepted Mr. McMahon's offer to compete in the Triple Threat Match, and he promised not to harm daddy's little girl. But Vince hadn't said anything about harming daddy -- and the Rattlesnake gave Mr. McMahon a Stone Cold Stunner! The Rattlesnake glared at Stephanie before leaving the ring.

Moments later, Stephanie checked on her father, whose neck was in a lot of pain. Mr. McMahon told his daughter that he had decided to name a special troubleshooting referee for the Triple Threat Match, and that the referee's last name was McMahon. Stephanie was worried that it would be her, but Vince said that it would instead be him!

After the match, Billy got a hold of Ivory and was about to piledrive the Women's Champion, but Steven Richards saved her. Billy then punched out Steven!

In the locker room area, Mr. McMahon asked his daughter to get him some pain killers for his neck, and also to cut the sleeves off his referee shirt. When Stephanie returned to the locker room, she found Trish Stratus rubbing down her father's neck! Trish asked Mr. Mcmahon how his holidays were -- and he said he had a feeling that they were the same as hers! Trish said she was there to see Steph, and she asked if Steph enjoyed what Trish did to Test on Monday's RAW. Stephanie said what she'd enjoy was if Trish got the hell out of the locker room. Trish did leave -- but not before thanking Mr. McMahon for a favor.

The Coach then interviewed the Undertaker about the Triple Threat Match. The Taker said that Kane and Stone Cold would have to get through his yard to get the title shot -- and he said he would do whatever he had to do to get his title shot.

Backstage, Stephanie asked her father what he was doing with Trish. Vince avoided the question and told Stephanie to calm down. He said the only concern was his role as referee in the Triple Threat Match.

Test was set to take on his former partner, Albert. Before the match, Trish told Test she was sick of carrying his weight around! She then told Test that Mr.

In the locker room area, Mr. McMahon asked his daughter to get him some pain killers for his neck, and also to cut the sleeves off his referee shirt. When Stephanie returned to the locker room, she found Trish Stratus rubbing down her father's neck! Trish asked Mr. Mcmahon how his holidays were -- and he said he had a feeling that they were the same as hers! Trish said she was there to see Steph, and she asked if Steph enjoyed what Trish did to Test on Monday's RAW. Stephanie said what she'd enjoy was if Trish got the hell out of the locker room. Trish did leave -- but not before thanking Mr. McMahon for a favor.

The Coach then interviewed the Undertaker about the Triple Threat Match. The Taker said that Kane and Stone Cold would have to get through his yard to get the title shot -- and he said he would do whatever he had to do to get his title shot.

Backstage, Stephanie asked her father what he was doing with Trish. Vince avoided the question and told Stephanie to calm down. He said the only concern was his role as referee in the Triple Threat Match.

Test was set to take on his former partner, Albert. Before the match, Trish told Test she was sick of carrying his weight around! She then told Test that Mr. McMahon had given her and Albert the night off as a favor, and she introduced Test to his new opponent -- Rikishi! As Trish and Albert watched on at ringside, Rikishi won the match after a Samoan drop and a sit-down splash. After the match, Albert beat on Test, and then watched on as Rikishi again squashed his former partner!

The main event on SmackDown! was the Triple Threat Match involving Stone Cold Steve Austin, Kane and the Undertaker, with the winner getting a shot at Kurt Angle's Federation Championship on RAW!

Mr. McMahon stood at ringside as the troubleshooting referee, with Earl Hebner serving as the official inside in the ring. It didn't take long for Hebner to be put out of commission by an errant clothesline by Austin. Moments later, Stone Cold hit a Stunner on Kane, but Mr. McMahon refused to get in the ring to count. When referee Tim White ran to the ring to count the pin, Mr. McMahon even pulled him to the outside, breaking up the count! Finally, nearly a minute after Austin first stunned Kane, Mr. McMahon got in the ring, but not surprisingly, Kane was able to kick out of the pinfall attempt.