Smackdown!

First Union Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
April 12, 2001

Stone Cold Steve Austin, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley headed to the ring as SmackDown! kicked off from the First Union Center in Philadelphia! The crowd booed mercilessly as Triple H declared that he and Austin are the two most dominant superstars in World Wrestling Federation history. The Game said that fans need look no further than the Hardy Boyz and Lita to find out what happens when someone tries to stop them.

Triple H addressed the fact that some fans felt that they had crossed the line on Monday night. The Game said the hell with that -- he would let fans know when it had gone too far! Triple H said that Austin was that damn cold, and he was that damn good, and together, they were that damn unstoppable!

Stone Cold then grabbed the microphone and talked about his actions in recent weeks -- specifically, his brutality towards The Rock at WrestleMania and towards J.R. last week on SmackDown! Austin said he busted J.R. open because he could, and there was no one around who could stop him.

The Rattlesnake said that the Hardys and Lita were in the wrong place at the wrong time. He said he felt no remorse for what he did to Lita on RAW IS WAR, and added that there wasn't a single sumbitch in the locker room who could stop him or Triple H.

As Austin mocked the crowd, Jeff Hardy attacked Triple H from behind with a chair, and then hit the Rattlesnake! With Austin and the Game reeling, Stephanie went up to Jeff and slapped him across his face! Jeff retaliated by nailing Stephanie with the Twist of Fate! Jeff then fled the ringside area as an irate Triple H and Stone Cold tried to recover!

After the commercial break, Commissioner William Regal watched footage of what had just happened, calling it an outrage. Triple H entered the commissioner's office, and an enraged Game told Regal that nobody did that to his wife, and he wanted a piece of Jeff Hardy on SmackDown! Regal said he would take care of it.

The first match on SmackDown! pitted Spike Dudley against Albert. The Dudley Boyz had asked for a rematch against X-Factor after what had happened on RAW, but Commissioner Regal would only grant Spike a singles match against Albert. Spike hit the Dudley Dogg on Albert, but X-Pac got involved and broke up the pinfall. Moments later, Albert hit a big boot to the face to win the bout via pinfall. After the bout, the Dudleys and X-Factor duked it out, and the Dudleys hit the "Wassap!" on Albert! Bubba Ray told D-Von to get the table -- but X-Pac hit the X-Factor on D-Von, and then X-Pac and Justin Credible hit the "X Marks the Spot" on Bubba Ray. Albert then gave Spike the BaldoBomb off the ring apron through a table!

Backstage, Debra asked Dave Hebner where J.R.

was, and Dave pointed her in the right direction.

Jeff Hardy entered Commissioner Regal's office, and Regal informed him that he would be receiving an Intercontinental Championship match against the Game on SmackDown! Regal then told Jeff never to put his hands on a woman ever again, and when Jeff tried to complain about what Austin and the Game did to Lita, Regal just ignored him and told him to stay away from Stephanie! Regal said that if Jeff ever put his hands on Stephanie again, then he would never receive another title shot -- and Jeff said that after SmackDown!, he might not ever need another title shot, since he could be the new Intercontinental Champion!
As Jeff left the commissioner's office, the Big Show entered and asked Regal for a match against Undertaker and Kane. Regal told the Show to find two tag team partners, and he could team up with them against Taker and Kane in a three-on-two Handicap Match on SmackDown!

Lilian Garcia interviewed Crash about the problems the Holly family has been having lately with Rhyno and Edge & Christian. Crash said that Rhyno was a non-issue -- and then, out of no where, Rhyno gored Crash, knocking him out!

Debra then entered J.R.'s locker room and said she felt terrible about what Austin did to him in Oklahoma last week. She said that she had nothing to do with it, and then she asked how he was doing. J.R. said he would be OK -- and then Stone Cold walked into the locker room! Austin accused J.R.

of hitting on his wife, and then threw him out! The Rattlesnake told Debra to pack her bags and to leave the arena. Austin would leave the arena with his wife, holding her arm as the two left.

Test then entered Jeff Hardy's locker room and congratulated him for what he had done to Stephanie earlier in the night. Test said that he had wanted to do the same thing on many occasions! Test then wished Jeff good luck in his Intercontinental Championship match against Triple H.

In a match for the Women's Championship, Chyan defended against Ivory of the Right to Censor. Ivory centered her attack around Chyna's neck, but after a gorilla press, Chyna pinned Ivory to retain her title. After the bout, Steven measured Chyna for a Stevenkick, but he missed, and the Ninth Wonder of the World nailed him with a DDT!

The Big Show entered the APA's office and asked them to be his partners against Taker & Kane -- but Faarooq and Bradshaw laughed him off! The Show asked if they said no because they were afraid of Taker & Kane or just because they didn't want to team with him -- and they told the Show to take his pick!

Backstage, Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit talked about their upcoming match, where the two of them would meet Edge, Christian, Kurt Angle and Commissioner Regal. Jericho told his former enemy that it looked like they were being set up to be screwed -- and Benoit told Jericho that they should just go with it!

That match was up next, and the four-on-two odds were just too much for the Wolverine and Y2J to overcome, as Angle pinned Jericho after an Olympic Slam to win the bout. But after the match, Jericho locked Regal in the Walls of Jericho, and Benoit locked Angle in the Crossface!

Due to Rhyno's gore earlier in the evening, Crash was unable to participate in the Tag Team Championship match pitting him and Hardcore Holly against Edge & Christian. So instead, Hardcore took on Rhyno. This bout more resembled a fistfight, and there was definite bad blood between the two men. Ultimately, Rhyno went for the gore on Hardcore, but Holly pulled the ref in front of him, ending the bout in a no-contest. Molly Holly then ran out with a trash can, and Hardcore Holly obliterated Rhyno with it! Rhyno then managed to get away from Hardcore, but as Hardcore tried to go after him, Molly held him back!

Big Show asked Grand Master Sexay if Sexay and Steve Blackman would team with him against Taker & Kane. Sexay told Show to get to steppin', and Show was about to kick Grand Master's ass, until Steve Blackman chased Show away with his nunchucks!

Backstage, Test was looking through a copy of the new "Divas" magazine when he was approached by the Right to Censor. Val Venis, Bull Buchanan and the Goodfather tried to convince Test to make a change and to join their group. Test mocked the group, and told them to go away before anyone saw him talking to them!

Val told Test to meet him in the ring to see just how deep his convictions ran.

The Big Show was still looking for a partner when he ran into Kaientai. Through an interpreter, the Show asked Kaientai to team with him. Taka and Funaki asked who they would be facing, and Big Show told them not to worry, since it was a three-on-two Handicap Match. Kaientai agreed to team with the Show, since they said he reminded them of Godzilla! The Show asked Taka and Funaki for some eggrolls and wanton soup, and then grabbed his newfound partners and headed for the ring!

That match was up next, and when Undertaker and Kane made their entrances, Taka and Funaki almost ran for their lives! Eventually, the Show got fed up and left Taka and Funaki out to dry! Kane gave Taka and Funaki a double chokeslam, and the Undertaker gave Taka the Last Ride! At Taker's request, Kane gave Funaki the Last Ride and pinned him!

Next up, Test took on Val Venis. Steven, Bull and the Goodfather tried to get involved in the bout, but Test battled back. Steven tried to hit Test with a Stevenkick, but he accidentally hit Bull! Raven then hit the ring and nailed Steven with a DDT. Test would win the match, pinning Val after a big boot to the face -- but the real fun began afterwards! The members of the Right to Censor weren't happy with each other -- Bull & Goodfather got into a shoving match, and then both men punched out Steven, and then Steven pounded on Val! All four men were brawling with one another!

A medical technician checked on Stephanie's neck. The billion-dollar princess complained to Triple H that not only had Jeff injured her neck, but he had also broken her earring -- her really expensive diamond ones! The Game told Stephanie to stay backstage to get medical attention, and he promised to kick Jeff's ass just for her.

The main event on SmackDown! was an Intercontinental Championship match, as Triple H defended against Jeff Hardy. With Stone Cold, Matt Hardy and Lita not in the arena, and with Stephanie backstage still nursing her neck injury suffered earlier in the night, the bout was set to be straight-up one-on-one for the title. The Game gained control of the match, but soon made a mistake by mouthing off to the referee, and then shoving him down. That gave Matt Hardy -- who had been at the arena all along -- the opportunity to sneak into the ring and nail Triple H in the head with a chair, allowing Jeff to hit the Swanton and score the pin!

Jeff Hardy is the new Intercontinental Champion!