[2000-09-11-WWF-Raw] HHH vs Chris Jericho

[soup23]

HHH and Steph are backstage and HHH is frustrated at this mystery opponent nonsense. HHH doesn’t trust Foley and tells Steph to stay backstage as a precaution. As HHH makes his way to ringside we go backstage to Eddy/Chyna. Chyna informs Eddy she is going to be in playboy and Eddy flips out. Jericho gives a good promo getting under HHH’s skin and the match is on. I really appreciate how the matches worked between these two feels personal. Stephanie makes her way out but Jericho is still in control. HHH is able to get his knees up on a lionsault to save the match. Here comes Angle and he drags Stephanie to the back. HHH follows and him and Kurt get into a shouting match on the entranceway. X-Pac comes into the ring and hits a spinning kick and X Factor. HHH is pissed at the DQ and he punches X Pac. HHH is continuing to show some signs of a being a face without high fiving and being buddies with his enemies. Say what you will about HHH but his feud with Rock was really good and the 4^th best feud he has had in 2000. **1/2

[AstroBoy]

These two do have a nice edge when they match up that translates well even in a shorter TV match like this. Jericho still feels relevant and important against Triple H so that's something. Thought that Jericho's springboard dropkick looked pretty good and the Lionsault too, even though he hit knees. X-Pac runs in to further their feud and then Triple H gets to continue being a little more of an edgy tweener by running off Pac.

 

**

[GSR]

Commissioner Foley has put ‘the Game’ in a match with an unnamed opponent.  Triple H tells Stephanie that he doesn’t trust Foley for a second and therefore doesn’t want her coming to the ring with him tonight, preferring her to stay here in the dressing room.

HHH makes his entrance and no-one is any the wiser as to who his opponent is. 

We go backstage to see Chyna, frustrated yet again with Eddy Guerrero’s behaviour, while he tries to sweet talk his way around her.  When he tells her how fine she looks and that she should be in pictures, she admits to him that before they were together she had some photographs taken and is going to be on the cover of Playboy.  Eddy at first thinks it’s great that she’s doing an interview with them, when he realises that she is in fact having nude pictures printed he flips his lid, telling her that no-one is seeing his Mamacita.  He doesn’t care if he has to storm the palace or beat up Hugh Hefner himself, no-one is seeing her!

Back in the ring and ‘the Game’s’ opponent turns out to be Chris Jericho.  Jerry Lawler is practically beside himself at the prospect of seeing a naked Chyna.  Spinning heel kick by Y2J, but as he charges HHH backdrops him over the top rope and to the outside.  Double axe handle off the apron.  Triple H throws him shoulder first into the ring post and then back inside, however rather than follow up on his opponent he prefers to have words with referee Tim White.  The delay allows Jericho to nail him with a springboard dropkick sending Hunter sprawling to the floor.  JR and ‘the King’ are back talking about the number one contendership being announced later in the show.  Lawler jokes that no-one knows what Mick Foley will do, so it could end up being someone like Taka Michinoku or Funaki.  Jericho slams HHH’s head into the ring steps and gets a two count after a nice top rope flying back elbow.  ‘The Game’ regroups quickly and a high knee floors Y2J.  HHH is about to hit ‘the pedigree’ when Stephanie makes her way down towards the ring, disobeying Hunter’s request from earlier.  All that does is distract him and Jericho is able to counter.  He looks for ‘the Walls’ but isn’t able to fully turn HHH over, so instead catapults him into the turnbuckles.  Triple H gets his knees up on the Lionsault and with both men down, here comes Kurt Angle trying to drag Stephanie to the back.  ‘The Game’ sees what’s going on and sets off after them.  While he and Angle have an exchange of words, X-Pac arrives through the crowd and attacks Jericho, giving Y2J the DQ win.  Triple H is irate that Pac cost him the match and the two get into it as it looks like their friendship is now no more.