Smackdown!

Evansville, Indiana
May 25, 2000

Answers and retribution were demanded at SmackDown! before a sellout crowd in Evansville, Ind.

SmackDown! opened with police officers stationed in the center of the ring, at the request of Mr. McMahon. When the limousine carrying Mr. McMahon, Shane McMahon and Gerald Brisco arrived, Mr. McMahon demanded that the Undertaker be arrested for trespassing Monday on RAW. Not even a second after Mr. McMahon promised that what happened Monday would not take place this evening, the Undertaker appeared and attempted to run the owner of the World Wrestling Federation over with his motorcycle!

An incensed Mr. McMahon screamed at the officers for not protecting him from the Undertaker’s attack, and called out the Grim Reaper. Out came the Phenom of the Federation, decked in a black trench coat, dark glasses and blue bandana. After asking who the hell the Undertaker thought he was, Mr. McMahon warned that he would pay a price for his actions.

Mr. McMahon proceeded to verbally attack the Undertaker, first telling him that he single-handedly cost The Rock the Federation Title at Judgment Day. Then he addressed Monday night, saying he could have arrested him for trespassing that evening if he wanted to, and informed him that he is without a contract and that nobody walks out on Vince McMahon. On those grounds, the Federation’s owner demanded the Undertaker’s arrest. But the Phenom revealed that it was Linda McMahon who re-signed him to a new contract -- "lots of years, lots of zeros" -- before Judgment Day.

So since he couldn’t have the Undertaker arrested for trespassing, Mr. McMahon demanded his arrest for attempted vehicular homicide. One officer responded that if he should arrest the Undertaker, he would have to arrest Mr. McMahon as well, for assaulting a police officer by jamming his finger in his chest. Mr. McMahon was left alone with the Undertaker, who grabbed him by the throat in a chokeslam attempt. Shane came to his father’s rescue, but his chair shot had no effect on the Grim Reaper!

Tag Team Champions Edge and Christian informed fans that they issued an open challenge to any team that they haven’t beaten, except they claimed that they’ve defeated everybody. Everybody except Eddie Guerrero and Chyna. "Latino Heat" took the match right to the champions with quick tags and double teams. Edge came back with a standing dropkick, and the champs kept the European Champion in their half of the ring. Guerrero reversed an attempted Christian powerbomb into a sunset flip, and was able to make the needed tag to Chyna. The Ninth Wonder of the World cleaned house, but ran into an Edge spear. The tag champions double-teamed Chyna and shoved the referee, causing the disqualification.

The Acolytes caught Crash Holly in the APA office. Faarooq had thought Crash learned his lesson from the beating Bradshaw gave him on RAW, but Crash challenged Faarooq to another fight by shaking a beer can and opening it in his face. In the ring, Crash got off to a fast start by breaking a 2 x 4 on Faarooq’s face, but the momentum didn’t last long. Crash was hoping to show Faarooq that he wasn’t a 14-year old kid, but the old veteran taught young Crash what hardcore was really all about, finishing him with The Dominator on a trash can.

To determine the No. 1 contender to the Intercontinental Title, Chris Jericho, Hardcore Holly and Val Venis competed in a Triple Threat Match. Jericho and Venis united to attack Holly, but that ended when the two Superstars prevented each other from making the pinfall. Jericho took control of the match and almost finished Venis with a missile dropkick. He later caught Holly in a tarantula, a submission hold utilizing the ring ropes, but Venis broke up the hold. After a late Venis rally, Jericho hit his Lionsault on "The Big Valbowski," but fell victim to a Holly guillotine leg drop. With Jericho out of the way, Holly covered Venis for the win to earn the No. 1 contender spot.

In the office of the McMahon-Helmsley regime, Brisco informed Vince that The Rock was on his way. Against advice, Mr. McMahon insisted that he would handle "The People’s Champion." When they met in the parking lot, Mr. McMahon insisted he was not looking for trouble and offered The Rock the night off, but not before attempting to stir trouble between he and the Undertaker. Before The Rock left, he asked Mr. McMahon to come a little closer, and slapped him in the face! While Mr. McMahon recovered, the Undertaker was seen in the back stalking him.

Matt Hardy battled Essa Rios, but Rios’ real problems were with Lita after she caught him hanging out with the Godfather’s hos on RAW. Those problems looked to be forgotten before the match, when Lita accompanied Rios to the ring as usual. Rios and Hardy took to the air, taking incredible risks. The tone of the match changed when Rios first used Lita as a shield, then threw her into a Hardy right hand. After Hardy barely escaped a Rios moonsault, his backdrop sent Rios flying right into Lita, who was standing on the apron. The two collided head-to-head, and Hardy hit the stunned Rios with the Twist of Fate to earn the win. Rios attacked Lita after the match, powerbombing her and hitting a moonsault splash. The Hardys came to the rescue and helped Lita to the back.

Mr. McMahon was glad that The Rock was gone and started to come up with a plan to get rid of the Undertaker. Triple H suggested that they find somebody who can look ‘Taker in the eye, somebody tough enough get the job done. The answer was a "Giant Killer," Shane McMahon!

In an Eight-Man Tag Team Match, Too Cool teamed with the Dudley Boyz to take on T & A, with Trish Stratus, and X-Pac and the Road Dogg with Tori. With things in hand, X-Pac went for the Bronco Buster on Grand Master Sexay, but missed. Grand Master then tagged Buh Buh Ray, who hit X-Pac with a full nelson slam. As Test and Albert pulled the Dudleys under the ring rope, Scotty Too Hotty did his worm on the Road Dogg. A short time later, with the referee knocked out of commission, DX, and T & A unloaded until Rikishi evened the odds. A 3-D on X-Pac spelled victory for Too Cool and the Dudleys, but the real story was after the match, when Too Cool and Rikishi did their dance, joined by the Dudleys!

Kurt Angle challenged Chris Benoit for the Intercontinental Title, with the winner to face Hardcore Holly Monday on RAW. In his quest for gold, Angle was more serious than usual, and it showed in an intense, hard-hitting battle featuring two technically sound competitors. Angle threw virtually every amateur move in his arsenal at Benoit, but couldn’t keep the champion down. Benoit came back with an elbow to the face and a perfectly executed snap suplex. Eventually, it was Angle showing resilience, even escaping Benoit’s dragon suplex. Angle caught Benoit off the top rope with an underhook suplex, but moments later, Hardcore Holly came ringside, steel chair in hand. Hardcore nailed Angle, forcing the disqualification. Holly then received a chair shot of his own from Benoit, who stood over the fallen Holly and told him he’d see him Monday.

Out came the unusual pairing of Al Snow and Steve Blackman, with Snow scheduled in singles competition against Bull Buchanan, accompanied by the Big Boss Man. Snow had the match in control until the Boss Man hit him from behind with his nightstick. Buchanan’s guillotine kick won the match. For good measure, the Boss Man hit Blackman with the nightstick.

Shane McMahon, "The Giant Killer" met the Undertaker in the main event. In response to insulting chants, Shane bragged about what he did to the Big Show at Judgment Day, all by himself. But this time, Shane’s cat-like reflexes was no match for the Phenom’s brute strength and intensity. The Phenom executed the chokeslam, but had to ward off DX and the McMahon-Helmsley regime. Triple H led a three-on-one attack, with Vince directing traffic, but to the unexpected rescue came The Rock! "The Great One" and the Undertaker teamed to lay the smack down on DX, with the Undertaker giving Shane a Tombstone Piledriver. As the McMahon-Helmsley faction retreated to the back, the Undertaker gave chase on motorcycle. The Rock stood atop the second rope staring down the retreating regime as SmackDown! went off the air.