Smackdown!
Minneapolis, Minnesota
November 30, 2000

After one of the most chaotic episodes of RAW IS WAR in recent memory, SmackDown! emanated from the Target Center in Minneapolis!

SmackDown! opened with the news that Commissioner Mick Foley had promised title shots to five men at Armageddon -- Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Triple H, Rikishi and the Undertaker. As the commish sat backstage playing Connect Four, World Wrestling Federation Champion Kurt Angle approached him and demanded to know what was going on. Foley said that Angle would find out soon enough.

The opening match on SmackDown! was a six-person tag match pitting the Hardy Boyz and Lita against Dean Malenko, Eddie Guerrero and Perry Saturn of the Radicalz. Throughout the match, Malenko made advances towards Lita, who had rejected his come-ons on RAW. Eventually, Lita hit a moonsault on Malenko, but Terri distracted the referee, allowing Guerrero to nail a frogsplash on the former Women's Champion. Eddie then rolled the unconscious Malenko on top of Lita for the win. After Malenko came to, he looked more concerned with Lita's well-being than with his team's victory.

Commissioner Mick Foley then hit the ring to address the controversy surrounding the World Wrestling Federation Championship. The commish said that Kurt Angle was a conniving, double-talking sniveling liar -- but that Angle was right about the excessive violence in the Federation as of late. Foley said that after Monday's No.

1 contenders match between Rock and Rikishi ended in a disqualification, he was thinking of making another No. 1 contenders match, but he figured that one would just end in a screwjob also. Therefore, the commissioner said "screw it!" and called out all FIVE No. 1 contenders!

The first contender is The Rock, who got a monstrous ovation as he headed to the ring! The People's Champion said it didn't matter that there were five No. 1 contenders, because he would walk out of Armageddon as Federation Champion. 

The second contender is the Undertaker, who was screwed out of the title at Survivor Series thanks to a pre-meditated plan by Kurt Angle and his brother, Eric. The American Bad Ass told Foley that he would do anything to get his shot at Angle.

The third contender is none other than Stone Cold Steve Austin, who seemingly had the title won on RAW, before Triple H interfered in the bout. The fourth contender is Rikishi, who met Rock in the controversial No. 1 contenders match on RAW. And the fifth contender was Triple H, who returned on Monday's RAW after his horrible accident at Survivor Series.

Commissioner Mick Foley said that since the five men's lives were so intertwined, he needed a way to settle the whole situation once and for all. Foley told the men that they weren't to have any physical contact on SmackDown!

unless it was in the ring in a match he made, or else they would lose their title shot -- and if Angle were to interfere, then he would be stripped of his title.

The commissioner then said that the issues between the six men would end at Armageddon -- when they met for the Federation Championship inside Hell in a Cell, which he called the most awesome match ever conceived in the Federation.

Federation Champion Kurt Angle then headed out to the stage, telling Foley that he had lost his mind. He said he defended his title with honor, and he wasn't a cheater. He called the match barbaric. Triple H looked at Angle and said, "Sucks to be you, doesn't it?" Triple H then told Foley it was ironic that he made a Hell in a Cell match, after the Game retired the commish in a Hell in a Cell match in February. 

Triple H then brought out his wife, Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley. The Game said that it was a special day -- his and Stephanie's one-year wedding anniversary. Triple H even invited all the superstars to their wedding celebration! 

The McMahon/Helmsley locker room was fesitvely decorated with roses in celebration of the couple's one-year anniversary. As Triple H and Stephanie celebrated, the Game told Harvey Wippleman that he was expecting a special surprise, and he asked him to keep on the lookout.

After defeating Val Venis and Steven Richards on RAW, Road Dogg and K-Kwik got a shot at the Tag Team Championship on SmackDown!

against Right to Censor members Bull Buchanan and the Goodfather. During the match, Mr. Richards tried to interfere, but referee Teddy Long sent him back to the dressing room. K-Kwik seemed to have the match won after a 450-splash onto Mr. Buchanan, but Ivory nailed K-Kwik with the Women's Championship, and the Right to Censor retained their titles.

Over a candlelit dinner, Triple H gave Stephanie an anniversary gift. Harvey came in bringing champagne, which seemed to startle the Game. Triple H told Harvey to go back outside and wait for the surprise to arrive.

European Champion William Regal came out to say that the competition for his title seemed to be wearing thin. He issued an open challenge to the "chaps" in the back, and none other than Scotty 2 Hotty took him up on his challenge! Despite hitting the Worm on Regal, the goodwill ambassador kicked out of a pinfall attempt, and hit a neckbreaker for the win.

Stephanie was beaming after receiving a platinum bracelet from Triple H, when Harvey came in and said there was an irate man outside who wanted to talk to him. Fearing the worst, the Game grabbed a champagne glass and readied to smash it over an enemy's head. But the guest turned out to be Chris Benoit, who offered to beat up Stone Cold as an anniversary gift. The Game said thanks anyway, but the Wolverine should just worry about his tag match against Y2J and Billy Gunn.

Kane and Benoit teamed up next to take on Chris Jericho and "The One" Billy Gunn.

Prior to the match, Y2J told Kane that he was like a hemorrhoid -- giant, red and a pain in the ass! "The One" would ultimately fall victim to the Crossface, giving Kane and Benoit the win.

Stephanie was alone drinking champagne when Kurt Angle entered. A flustered Stephanie told him that Triple H was in the bathroom. Kurt said that he was sorry about the things he said about her Monday night, and he asked if she would again be his business partner for the Hell in a Cell match. Stephanie told Kurt that he was OK on his own, and that she needed to be with her husband right now. Angle then hugged Stephanie -- and really seemed to enjoy it, by the way. He then let go of Mrs. Game and left the locker room when Triple H came out of the bathroom, clearly angered at what he was seeing. 

Lo Down and Tiger Ali Singh were looking for revenge after Steve Blackman beat the hell out of Tiger on Monday's RAW. They were looking for Commissioner Foley, but instead ran into Lt. Commissioner Debra. Tiger's sexist remarks angered Debra, and she told the three men that they would have to face the Dudleys and Blackman in a table match that evening!

Backstage, Tazz interviewed Crash and Molly Holly about their match against the Right to Censor on Sunday Night HEAT. As the fighting cousins talked about their match, all Tazz did was make comparisons between Crash and Forrest Gump!

Jonathan Coachman then interviewed Stone Cold Steve Austin, asking about Triple H's taunts about attending his anniversary party. The Coach reminded Austin that if he attacked Triple H at the party, then as per Mick Foley's stipulation earlier in the evening, he would be out of the Hell in a Cell match at Armageddon. The Texas Rattlesnake said that no one tells him what to do.

Stephanie and Triple H were continuing with their celebration when Test and Trish Stratus entered. Test thanked Stephanie for not marrying him. Stephanie said that her year with Triple H was the best year of her life ... and Trish said that she would be celebrating too, if she was with Triple H! That angered Test, who dragged Trish from the party. That also angered Stephanie, after seeing Triple H blush at Trish's remarks!

In a six-man table match, Tiger Ali Singh and Lo Down took on the Dudley Boyz and Steve Blackman. In what has to be considered a huge upset, Lo Down and Tiger won the match when D'Lo gave Blackman a Sky Hi into the table!

As the Helmsleys enjoyed desert, Rikishi entered their locker room and told Triple H that it would be every man for himself at Armageddon.

In an interview with Lilian Garcia, Edge and Christian promised Kurt Angle that they would take out two of his Hell in a Cell opponents later in the night, when the three faced Undertaker and Rock in a Handicap Match.

Hardcore Holly and Raven had some words in the locker room earlier in the evening, which would lead to a hardcore match between the two. The match never even made it to the ring, as the two men battled everywhere -- in the locker room, outside the arena and even in moving traffic! Eventually, Hardcore Holly ripped a stop sign off a pole with his bare hands and nailed Raven with it for the pin!

Triple H was examining the gift that Stephanie gave to him -- lingerie -- when Harvey came back in and said their cake would be arriving shortly. The Game said he didn't order a cake, and he figured it was another plan by the Texas Rattlesnake. He grabbed a champagne glass and waited by the door to crack Austin over the head, should Stone Cold make an appearance. Soon there was a knock at the door and a bald-headed, goateed guy walked in -- but it wasn't Stone Cold! It was the guy delivering the cake!

The main event on SmackDown! was a three-on-two Handicap Match, with the Undertaker and The Rock taking on Edge, Christian, and Federation Champion Kurt Angle. After a chokeslam and a Last Ride, the Undertaker pinned Angle for the win!

Their special guest was set to arrive, so Triple H and Stephanie turned off the lights in their locker room and prepared to attack the Rattlesnake. The guest soon came in, and the Game attacked! Oddly, we would soon see Stone Cold outside the locker room listening, with a big smile on his face

He then opened the door, turned on the lights, and said, "Happy anniversary, jackass!" Stunned, the Game looked down to see who he had beaten up -- and it was a bloody Vince McMahon!