Smackdown!

Thomas Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada
September 16, 1999

Picket signs in hand, every World Wrestling Federation referee was marching outside the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. They were on strike, demanding better working conditions after repeatedly being thrown pillar to post over the last few weeks on RAW and SmackDown!

Inside the arena, as SmackDown! got underway, Stone Cold Steve Austin came to the ring and demanded a rematch from Triple H (the easy way) or he promised the champion would leave the arena in a bodybag (the hard way). Triple H appeared and said he had been ordered to defend the title -- but it wasn't going to be against Austin.

After the break, Shane McMahon called out his lifelong friend Joey Abs! Abs, with Terri and the rest of the Mean Street Posse, answered the challenge. Without any referees, it was an all-out brawl. Gerry Brisco and Pat Patterson, in striped shirts, came down, but Rodney and Pete Gas promptly took them out. Shane dove off the top rope, hitting his former friend with a corkscrew plancha. Sean "The Man" Stasiak came from the back and administered the three count! Shane was the victor, and his sister came from backstage for a congratulatory hug. Meanwhile, Test stood near the entranceway and smirked.

Just days before her Federation Women's Championship match against Luna, Ivory came to the ring and invited Internet queen Cindy Margolis, who was sitting at ringside, to join her. Ivory forced Margolis to pose for the fans. As Margolis tried to look sexy against her will, Jeff Jarrett came out and put a figure-four leglock on the Internet queen! Ivory celebrated, and got a high-five from the Intercontinental Champion, but when she turned her back, she too was a figure-four victim!

Longtime official Tony Garea refereed the next match: Mark Henry vs. Steve Blackman. Blackman was out for revenge after "Sexual Chocolate" pulled a no-show during their tag team match on RAW. As Blackman tried to climb back into the ring, Val Venis came from behind and clobbered him with a Kendo stick. Henry was able to get the pin and retain his European Title. After the match, D'Lo Brown appeared and put a beating on his former friend.

Up next, Chris Jericho, accompanied by Curtis Hughes, announced that backstage, Ken Shamrock "admitted" that Jericho was really the World's Most Dangerous Man. It was an obvious lie, and Shamrock had the opportunity to take his aggression out in a one-on-one match with Hughes. With the referees on strike, Jericho said he went out and found an international refereeing sensation - a man so famous, Jericho claimed, that he had to wear a mask to protect himself: Senor Manuel Lopez Garcia aka El Dopo. When Shamrock applied the ankle-lock submission hold, Hughes grabbed the ropes. El Dopo immediately called for the bell, disqualifying Shamrock for not breaking the hold. An upset Shamrock unmasked El Dopo to reveal Howard Finkel underneath! Jericho and Hughes ran away, and Finkel got on his knees and pleaded with Shamrock. The World's Most Dangerous Man kicked him off and walked away in disgust.

With five superstars going after the Federation Champion at Unforgiven, who would start the match? That distinction would be determined in a Royal Rumble rules match. It was refereed by the Federation's head of security Jim Dotson and time keeper Mark Yeaton. The Rock and the Big Show were the first two competitors, followed by Mankind and Kane. Undertaker was the final participant, but he was dressed in street clothes and joined Michael Cole and Jerry "The King" Lawler at the commentator's table. After Mankind clotheslined Kane up and over the top, The Rock tossed out Mankind. With the Big Show and The Rock tangling near the ropes, the Undertaker walked into the ring and tossed both of them over, winning the contest. The Big Show was irate, getting in the Undertaker's face. Mideon and Viscera came out and stood between the two men. The Rock grabbed a steel chair and clobbered both Mideon and Viscera, but when he turned to the Big Show, the 7-footer kicked through the chair and knocked The Rock down and out. Viscera finished him off with a vertical splash. After Undertaker whispered into the Big Show's ear, they walked away together.

Next up Hardcore and Crash Holly called out Chyna. It started as a Handicap Match, but Mr. Ass soon arrived and the numbers were evened. Former referee and current Federation road agent Dave Hebner (twin brother of Earl Hebner) officiated the match. Chyna clearly wanted to do all the work herself, but Mr. Ass made a blind tag and then won the match after a Fame-Ass-Er on Crash Holly. As Chyna got in Mr. Ass' face, Jeff Jarrett came from behind and knocked her out with a frying pan. Debra and Miss Kitty, carrying a bag, joined Jarrett in the ring. Jarrett took a cooking apron and a soup ladle out of the bag. He put the apron on Chyna, the frying pan in one of her hands and the ladle in the other, and said the only thing left for her to do was "get your ass in the kitchen and start fixin' my supper."

The Big Boss Man put a doggy bag up on a pole above the ring for a "Pepper on a Pole Match" against Al Snow. As Boss Man climbed the poll, the British Bulldog came from the back with two rottweilers. Boss Man grabbed the doggy bag and threw it. Al Snow retreived it, and referee Sgt. Slaughter awarded him the match!

After getting in the face of the Intercontinental Champion after the Cindy Margolis incident, Test got his shot at Jeff Jarrett with the title on the line. The Mean Street Posse hit the ring, and it was all-out chaos in no time as Sean Stasiak, Brisco, Patterson and Shane and Stephanie McMahon soon followed. Referee Mark Yeaton called for the bell, but Jarrett continued to put a beating on Test. Stephanie came to her finacee's aid, and Jarrett grabbed her leg as if he was going for a figure four! Luckily, Shane made the save, knocking Jarrett down with a spear.

Shane wasn't done for the night yet. Triple H and Chyna came out because the champion was forced to make a title defense. Triple H had been given the right to pick the referee, and he selected Shane. All that was left to do was for the champion to choose an opponent. And he picked Vince McMahon! Vince didn't want anything to do with it, saying last Monday's RAW was personal and he has given his word to stay off Federation television. But Triple H made it personal when the champion made an inappropriate comment about Linda, and Vince attacked him! Shane signaled for the bell, and the match got underway. Triple H took out years worth of aggression on Vince. He stomped him, choked him and even put him through the announcer's table with an elbow. He grabbed a steel chair and clobbered both Vince and Shane, busting Vince wide open. Brisco, Patterson and Linda McMahon came down to try to stop the carnage. Triple H knocked Brisco and Patterson out, and Chyna grabbed Linda, holding her and forcing her to look at her bloodied husband. As Triple H set up for the Pedigree, Stone Cold Steve Austin hit the ring. He hit Chyna with a stunner, and then delivered one to Triple H. Then Austin grabbed Vince and placed him on top of the champion, dragged Shane over to administer the count -- and within three seconds Vince McMahon became the World Wrestling Federation Champion! Austin left through the crowd, and a furious Triple H went chasing after. Meanwhile, a shocked but festive group of Linda, Shane, Brisco, Patterson and Vince celebrated a new champion!