[2000-01-31-WWF-Raw] The Rock vs Kurt Angle

[soup23]

Some more good commentary by Ross mentioning they met a few weeks ago and Angle’s undefeated streak could still be in tact due to Tazz maybe utilizing an illegal choke. I really liked Angle cutting a promo mid match that he is a hometown guy. Rock informs Kurt it doesn’t matter where he was born to a big pop. Low blows were really popular in WWF at the time as Angle throws one out here. These two show again in a tv environment that they have good chemistry with each other and that Angle really doesn’t get dwarfed being in there with one of the biggest stars in history. Angle tries to retreat but Tazz comes down the ramp and throws him back in. Spinebuster and People’s Elbow officially ends Angle streak once and for all. No shame in the first pinfall being against The Rock. Tazz accidently hits Rock with a clothesline in an angle I had no memory of. **

[Loss]

Angle and Rock have such good chemistry, both in the ring and as characters. Angle does finally get pinned for the first time, but I don't really have a problem with that. I love Angle grabbing the house mic to complain about being booed and Rock cutting him off when saying he was born at Mercy Hospital. Tazz sure got off to a strong start, accidentally hitting Rock in a post-match angle to set up a Smackdown match with the top guy in the company. Good segment.

[GOTNW]

I really liked the shine that started things off where Angle would try stuff only to get quickly cut off repeteadly. The Rock having signature ways of executing simple punches and stomps is something that really resonated with me when I was just starting to watch wrestling, for all the indy wrestlers coming in that love wrestling so much you'd expect them to show some dedication to their character and come up with something like that and at least try to get over. As the match went on it became way overreliant on their punches and they don't throw good ones, Lawler saying Angle throws open hands sounded especially ridiculous with how obvious them not connecting was, and there are a million other matches with basic offence and unmemorable transitions. What stood out to me most was Rock's signature take on the irish whip where he'd suddenly stop the momentum and turn Angle around and hit his move, again something distinctive and memorable that you don't see today. **

[Kronos]

This one doesn't waste any time on promos before the match, unlike their January 6th match. Instead they do that in the middle of the match, and it works beautifully. Angle yells at the crowd for not appreciating him for being born in their town.

 

The match is a fun little TV match, fought with a lot of intensity. Tazz gets involved, and they seem to be setting up a feud between him and Kurt Angle. But he really just looks silly even next to Angle, much less next to The Rock. It's no wonder nothing really came of his big debut.

[GSR]

No pre-match promo from either man as they get straight into things. Rock with a reverse elbow that knocks Angle down and he starts putting the boots to him. He telegraphs a back bodydrop but Kurt can’t take advantage, and Rock levels him with a clothesline before he takes to the outside. Rock is out after him, rams his head into the announcer’s table and then spits water into his face. When he goes to ram his head into a second table Angle blocks it and rams Rock’s own head into it instead. Clothesline on the floor and as the fans boo, Angle grabs the mic and wonders what’s wrong with these people? He says how he was born in this town and born in the Mercy Hospital five blocks from here! Rock nails him in the back and says that it doesn’t matter where he was born! Suplex and a cover for two. Low blow from Angle puts a stop to Rock’s beatdown, and a belly to back suplex for a two of his own. Overhead belly to belly for another near fall. Rock reverses an Irish whip, but when he goes charging in Angle gets a foot up. He then charges at his opponent, however Rock with a boot to the mid-section, DDT and it’s still not enough as Angle is able to get his shoulder up. Samoan drop and Angle has had enough. He rolls out the ring and heads back to the dressing room only for Tazz to come out, grab him from behind and throw him back in the ring. Spinebuster, ‘people’s elbow’ and Angle’s undefeated streak is officially over. Tazz goes to clothesline Angle after the match, but he ducks and nails Rock instead before chasing Kurt up the runway to the back.

 

The work was good as you’d expect with these two, and I liked the way they incorporated the mic work into the middle of the match as opposed the start. The pop wasn’t what I was expecting for Angle’s first pinfall loss, maybe with hindsight looking back, I was anticipating a bit of a bigger deal to be made out of it, not just happening in a throwaway match on Raw. Very surprised to see Tazz’s involvement; both playing a part in the loss and the interaction and clothesline on The Rock. Were they really considering him for a top of the card position or is it just a quick set up to lead to a match to prove he can’t hang with the WWF big boys? We will see…

[Stiva]

With hindsight, you'd give the WWF credit for some fantastic hierarchy booking; in January, Angle is putting up a fight with the top star in the company and in October, after working his way through the midcard, he finally wins the top gold. Of course, that's not what was intentional. This match was a solid TV affair and I LOVE when heels get on the mic mid-match to crank up the heat further. I can see why they tried to run a top program with these two as the work is so smooth, the promos are excellent and it's, clearly a match up that people want to see. A terrible shame that we only got the 1/2 PPV matches out of it.