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[2000-01-06-WWF-Smackdown] The Rock vs Kurt Angle


soup23

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I was so thankful to see Angle's Memphis run throughout 1999. It gave great context to how he was primed to be a contender from the start when called to the big leagues. Still it is amazing to watch him in this match as the SmackDown audience is a far contrast to the Power Pro Studio of 1999. Rock is mega over, like top 5 all time in wrestling history on tape at this point. Signs and fan fare are everywhere. The fact that Angle strolls down the ring and holds his own as someone that had only been wrestling less than a year is extremely impressive. He has his character down and he is actually made to look competent at points with this big star. The match was short but spirited and really effective for what it set out to accomplish. We are given a tease for things to come and left wanting much more. Steve Blackman interferes allowing Angle to retain his undefeated streak. *1/2

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  • 5 months later...

This was really fun TV wrestling. Rock and Angle end up in a mic duel before a short, but fun fast-paced TV match with Rock showing off some impressive varied offense. Rock is insanely over, of course. I liked the booking of Angle winning by DQ to keep his undefeated streak alive while Rock is still booked to walk tall like a real top babyface should in how he closes the segment. Good stuff.

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  • 4 weeks later...

This whole segment was a lot of fun. The mic work at the beginning is good and then we get a fun match afterwards. Angle has only been in the WWF for 3 months at this point and he already has his character down and is getting good reactions from the crowd. However, nowhere near the level of reactions that The Rock was getting. I didn't remember the Angle-Stephanie relationship going this far back so that was interesting to me.

 

There's a horrible smarky sign in the crowd here, "Do You Smell What Dwayne Johnson is Cooking?"

 

**1/4

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Yeah, this is a really fun TV segment all round. Rock dropping his catchphrases, Angle picking up some nice heat, Rock dropping more catchphrases - with the crowd eating up all of it with the biggest possible spoon - and a short and sweet match. Angle celebrating the dodgy DQ victory like he'd won a world title was amusing, and of course Rock came back again to give the people what they wanted. I also had no recollection of Angle and Stephanie having any interaction so early in the year. That's some pretty exceptional long term booking if they were planting seeds for that way back here.

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I spent almost the entire decade of the 2000s as a radio DJ. Every day, people would call up and complain that they were sick and tired of hearing the same fucking Matchbox Twenty song, and that they were never going to listen to us again as long as we kept playing the same thing. Every quarter, we'd get data from the ratings companies on listener behavior. Every month, we'd get focus group data from our playlist consultants on listener behavior. And every quarter, and every month, we'd hear the same thing from the ratings companies and the playlist consultants -- people want to hear the hits. They say they never want to hear "3 A.M." again, but every time they hear the clear and powerful voice of Rob Thomas, they crank it up and sing along. The Rock knows his role here, and the people are rapturous. It's just good business, even if it is just business as usual.

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  • 2 weeks later...

This brought such a smile to my face. Its become easy to overlook how great weekly TV was at this time. Between the stellar mic work and some legit bumps including a sick suplex on the ramp, this was terrific fun and a prototype for successful TV. Of course, it helps to have performers at this level and they don't exactly grow on trees.

 

**3/4

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  • 2 weeks later...

Man, no wonder WWF was killing it in 2000. Both The Rock and Angle had their fingers on the pulse with their characters at this point, during the promos and then in the match. I loved how Rock built up to the suggestion of what to do with the medals and Angle just flew into a brawl with him. Both of these guys bounced around for each other really well and I could care less about the Blackman interference, it is great to see footage of guys so in their prime against each other.

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  • 1 month later...

"HHH, you threw every member of the rooty poo crew at The Rock!" Rocky's promo takes 4min, and the crowd are eating out of his hand. Angle is so hated. I really like the idea that people hating because he's a jerk ass, especially the way he brags about how awesome he is. He does a great job cutting old school promo that puts over Rock while still selling himself as a heel. Rock then starts again, complimenting Angle in a way that comes across as an insult. Truth is, Rocky is more of a dick than Angle.

 

The match is fun enough, with Rock perhaps being a little bit dominant but by no means squashing Angle. The best part for me is when Angle is taunting the crowd at one point. Then Blackman runs in. There's a DQ. It's the Attitude Era.

 

The post-match segment is pretty great, even if it's a little bit Hogan-like that Rock has to come back and get cheered some more.

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  • 1 month later...

The Rock’s got this crowd eating out of his hands; he’s just stood on the turnbuckles not saying anything and they’re going crazy for him. He says how Triple H threw every member of ‘the rooty poo crew’ at him Monday night, but he came out on top, avoided being fired and is decreeing himself ‘the People’s champion’. Angle thinks that as an Olympic champion, a real American hero, a representative of this great nation, as someone who is undefeated in the WWF and as a man of intensity, integrity and intelligence, he should be the People’s champion! He’s not happy that the people would rather have a GQ, smooth talking, smart alec as their People’s champion. The Rock’s not done and Angle’s comments have annoyed him! He couldn’t help but notice all his gold medals and tells him to wax those medals, shine them up real nice, turn hem sideways and stick them straight up his Olympic ass!

 

Angle rushes at The Rock, who sidesteps and unloads with a flurry of rights in the corner. Irish whip, Angle holds onto the ropes though and ducks out the ring. He heads back to the dressing room but The Rock chases after him and clotheslines him, with Angle taking a hard bump on the steel runway. Angle blocks a suplex, gives Rock one of his own and this time it’s his turn to take the bump on the steel. Back in the ring and The Rock blocks a right and fires back with some of his own. Angle reverses the Irish whip and a lovely overhead belly to belly for two. Swinging neckbreaker from The Rock for a two of his own. DDT and Angle manages to get his shoulder up again. A Samoan drop is still not enough to put him away, and seeing his partner in trouble here comes Steve Blackman. When he gets up on the apron Rock flips him into the ring before cracking him with his own Kendo stick. He hits Angle in the ribs with the stick, but right in full view of referee Tim White who disqualifies him. Post-match ‘Rock Bottom’ for Blackman, and with Angle celebrating like he’s won another Olympic gold medal, Rock returns to the ring to give him a ‘People’s Elbow’.

 

Rock has so much charisma it’s unreal. I’ve never seen any of Angle’s Memphis stuff, but I remember Meltzer saying how he had the wrestling down but he would need a mouthpiece when he gets to the WWF. Here he is a matter of months after his debut and hanging with one of the best talkers of all time. These two work so well together and we get a nice taster of what’s to come. That bump on the runway off the clothesline though! The DQ finish keeps Angle’s unbeaten streak going and his celebration is hilarious. Looking forward to seeing these two given fifteen minutes plus later in the year.

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This whole segment holds a special place in my heart. I was there live and it was only my second ever live show. My dad took me who is not a wrestling fan and he had a ball. The Rock's pop when he came out is still the loudest pop i've ever heard live. The building was shaking and I lost my shit when he hit Angle with the people's elbow. It's amazing that Angle had only been in the WWF for like 3 months and only wrestling for a little over a year. The match is fine but it's all about the pre match. There will never be another who can hold the crowd in his hand like the Rock.

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