Judgment Day - ARCO Arena, Sacramento California, May 20th, 2001

The End is Nigh! Judgment Day is upon us! I liked this opening video a lot. They’re starting to get a little more adventurous with the video packages and it’s cool. Clips of the shows set to dramatic music are awesome but as I’m sure I'll say a lot in these coming shows - change is a good thing, and something the WWF needs to keep rolling with. 

No messing around with backstage skits of “earlier tonight on Heat”s this month. Right into the first match. 

William Regal vs. Rikishi

Commissioner Regal starts us off with a promo, saying that his match is strictly business. He plans on punishing Rikishi for giving Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley a Stink face, which gets a big pop and it explains why Rikishi is a babyface again better than I can. Let me try anyway - he returned as a heel “hired hitter” for Mr. McMahon and his coalition but after a talking to by Mick Foley decided that he was better than being a hired goon and refused to do their bidding, superkicking Regal and yes, giving Stephanie a Stink Face. So he’s back to being smiling, dancing babyface Rikishi and the whole “running over Stone Cold” thing doesn’t get mentioned much anymore.

Regal blocks an early attempt at the Stink Face with a low blow and avoids being sat on, peppering the big man with forearms and knees to the head. 

This match only goes four minutes and after a short flurry from the “physical commissioner” as Heyman keeps calling him, a leg drop, a corner crush and a Stink Face sends Regal running out of the ring to take a breather.

Back in the ring he avoids a corner rush sending the big man into the ringpost and drops him with a Neckbreaker to surprisingly win this match. Regal beats Rikishi not just cleanly but super quickly.

As it turns out this match may have been cut short on purpose as sadly, despite having only just returned a couple of weeks prior from his burst eardrum, Rikishi suffered a shoulder injury during this match which would cause him to miss the rest of 2001 - see you in December, big man. 

Backstage, Edge and Christian discuss their tag team turmoil match later and chance to become 8 time tag team champions if they win and earn another title shot. They aren’t bothered about Jericho’s potential mystery partner. Kurt Angle interrupts to ask for advice about ladder matches. “Don’t fall off, and if you do fall off make sure it’s with your medals”. 

Triple H and Stephanie arrive and find Mr. McMahon waiting in their locker room. He asks what they were thinking, messing with Undertaker’s wife last week. The Game assures him that he and Austin have everything well in hand. Vince points out that he only ever messed with his own wife, not someone else’s. I mean yeah I guess if THAT’s your line. 

Two Out of Three Falls match for Kurt Angle’s Olympic Gold Medal

Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle

1st Fall - Pinfalls only

2nd Fall - Submission only

3rd Fall (if needed) - Ladder match

This feud has been building since just before Wrestlemania and what began about proving who the best wrestling in the world is has become about Kurt Angle’s Olympic medals. Benoit stole them and it's been a three week long game of “finders, keepers” since then. 

There’s no mention of it here but at Insurrextion, Benoit beat Angle in a traditional two out of three falls match 2 - 0, which is the only time I can remember seeing that. They should have mentioned it here to make it seem like that's a possible outcome! 

Before Benoit’s entrance, Angle promises to get back his medals which have spent three weeks resting against Benoit’s “genitals” and to prove he’s the best technical wrestler in the WWF. 

Little bit of trivia to start us off - I mentioned quite early in Kurt’s career in these articles that his finishing move, the Olympic Slam, was eventually renamed the Angle Slam due to pressure from the Olympics and not wanting to be associated with the WWF and Pro-wrestling. This is the first show where that comes into effect. I’m sure I’ll keep calling it the Olympic Slam until I’m used to it but it is referred to exclusively as the Angle Slam from this PPV onwards. It was brought to their attention off the back of them having built this whole storyline around Benoit essentially dishonouring the Olympic medals by putting them down his pants. They also massively downplayed that they were Olympic medals during this story, only calling them Kurt’s “Gold medals”. He hasn’t used his real medals on TV since about a week after his debut in 1999. His real one has a big green ribbon rather than the thin red, white and blue ones he has on TV. 

Kurt jumps Benoit while he’s handing the medals to the referee and drops him with two German suplexes. He mimics Benoit’s taunt and tries to do the Diving Headbutt, but Benoit rolls clear and steals a move of his own, dropping Kurt with an Olympic slam! Benoit wins the first fall at 1:07!

The second fall begins immediately and is submissions only - Benoit goes right for the Crossface but Angle is too close to the rope and breaks it, scrambling to the outside.

They fight around the ring slamming each other into the ring steps and announce tables. Angle gets a big physical advantage by picking up Chris and running him crotch first into the ring post. 

Back in the ring he stomps at Benoit’s legs and attempts the ankle lock a couple of times but Benoit scrambles to lock in one of his own. They grapple on the mat trying for holds but again Angle gets to the ropes. 

Kurt regains and maintains control, throwing Benoit around with a pair of overhead belly to belly suplexes but Benoit blocks the third and goes for a Crossface with Kurt again getting to the rope.

They trade the advantage back and forth with Angle working on Benoit’s knee, and Benoit pops the crowd by using the move of his new best buddy Chris Jericho, locking Angle in what looks like a Walls of Jericho before he gets to the ropes.

He follows up with a figure four leglock and Kurt teases tapping out before rolling over to reverse the pressure and break the hold.

After more back and forth, Kurt pulls Benoit into an Angle Slam and turns him over into the ankle lock for a quick submission. Kurt Angle wins the second fall at 12:10 to even things up at 1-1. We now go to the third fall, a ladder match. 

They get a short break while the referee hangs the medals above the ring. Kurt does throw some kicks at the downed Benoit while that’s arranged. 

The match gets more violent immediately as Angle throws Benoit into the ring steps and goes to get the ladder. He’s confused and gets a rickety red and yellow one from under the ring instead of using the nice black and silver one that’s set up in the entrance way for them already to use.

Angle climbs the thin, ugly ladder until Benoit rushes and knocks him off of it. I do think that him using this worse ladder was a planned spot as the referee makes no attempt to tell him otherwise. 

Benoit gets the taller, WWF ladder and climbs but Angle brings him down with a much harder bump to the mat. 

Kurt tries to use the ladder as a javelin into Benoit’s head but he ducks and backdrops the Olympian and the ladder to the outside, before swinging the ladder into Kurt who takes a rough bump - It looked like it got him right under the jaw!

Kurt stops Benoit from climbing the ladder with a low blow and continues to take the ladder down after Benoit sets it up - Kurt doesn’t want the ladder set up until he’s sure he can climb it in peace. 

They continue to slam each other into the ladder - Angle with a suplex on Benoit which looked painful! 

Benoit manages to shrug off being dumped off the ladder and locks Kurt in the Crippler Crossface. Angle taps out but it doesn’t matter in a ladder match of course. As he tries to incapacitate Angle, Edge and Christian run to the ring! They pull Benoit out of the ring and beat him up two on one allowing Kurt to climb the ladder and get his medals, winning the match at 23:54! Kurt has his gold medals back and he escapes with Edge and Christian as Benoit seethes in the ring. 

This was good, but I preferred their Ultimate Submission match at Backlash. Hopefully both men can move on to other feuds now (spoilers, they both do).

Backstage as William Regal gets stitched up from the cut Rikishi gave him earlier, The Undertaker bursts in and demands that he make the WWF title match tonight a No Holds Barred match. Regal is reluctant but being threatened by Undertaker will change most people’s minds.

Live from WWF New York, Light Heavyweight Champion Jerry Lynn gives us an interview. It starts nice and friendly between him and JR but he snaps and starts shouting about how he should be at the PPV wrestling and defending his title rather than talking. He gets a little bit “shoot-promoy” as he targets JR specifically who was head of talent relations at the time which was never acknowledged on TV. 

Backstage, Kane is walking around hitting things with his chain. In kayfabe…what’s he actually doing here? Just getting himself hyped up I guess. 

WWF Hardcore Championship

Rhyno © vs. Big Show vs. Test

This one is actually about the feud between Big Show and Test, which we get a little recap for but Commissioner Regal decided that instead of them going one on one, it would be more entertaining if it was a Hardcore match also featuring Rhyno. He’s not wrong is he? 

Big Show and Test start fighting before Rhyno even makes his entrance and weirdly the bell rings. The title is on the line before the champ is even out there. 

Rhyno struggles to separate the ring steps and then joins Test for a two on one attack on Show, who overpowers them and sends them out of the ring. 

They fight into the crowd, walking and brawling and throwing punches at each other until they disappear backstage.

Test chokes Show with a rubber hose and then Rhyno runs a trolly covered in equipment cases into his head. It doesn’t keep the big man down for long as he throws Rhyno against a wall hard enough to dent in the plasterboard and then tries to pin him vertically against the wall which was a cool spot. 

Test and Rhyno work together and knock Show off the loading dock onto a pile of wooden pallets and then brawl back towards the ring one on one.

Back in the ring there’s a flurry of near falls with shots to the head with trash can lids and a DDT onto a trash can lid. Big Show returns and flattens Rhyno with a cool looking chokeslam but turns into a Big Boot from Test. 

Rhyno drops Big Show with a Gore but Test uses a fire extinguisher to blind them both. Test is dumped to the outside and then in a cool finish, runs up the ring steps in the ring and dives through Big Show with a Gore, who was holding a trash can! That’s enough to keep him down and Rhyno retains the Hardcore title. 

Backstage, Commissioner Regal works up the courage to go and tell Stone Cold Steve Austin that his WWF title match is now No Holds Barred, even considering sending some poor stage hand in to do it. When he does go in, Austin isn’t bothered about the change in rules. Interesting to me in this segment is that you can see that Austin and Debra’s office is clearly a purpose built stage - the room doesn’t have a roof and is just four walls in a much larger space. 

In the Hardyz locker room, Eddie Guerrero offers to give Lita some helpful advice about Chyna but she politely declines. Win, lose or draw she wants to do it on her own tonight. 

WWF Women’s Championship

Chyna © vs. Lita

The promo package for this match features on Chyna’s total lack of competition in the women’s division. That is true and it’s fine to acknowledge it but you’d think this meant they had plans to bring in a new woman to feud with her. That wasn’t the case but it ends up not mattering which I’ll get to at the end of the match.

Lita is so popular - the crowd were chanting for her during segments where she was out with The Hardyz, Triple H and Stone Cold last month. The male fans are typically gross about the WWF Divas, but it is nice to hear so many female cheers for both her and Chyna. The champ enters wearing cool peacock inspired ring gear with a huge feathered collar. 

The two women hug at the bell and start this match with a lot of respect for each other. Chyna even helps Lita back up after shoving her down.

Lita uses her speed to evade Chyna in the early going but it breaks down to Chyn dominating and Lita showing her toughness by kicking out.

A tornado DDT and some mounted punches give Lita the most offense any woman has had against Chyna so far. She gets a near fall off a crossbody from the middle rope.

Chyna takes control and has the match won with a military press but she pulls Lita up at the two count and immediately pays for it as Lita rolls her through into a submission hold while the fans chant for Lita. 

Chyna breaks the move using her legs, and that brings Eddie Guerrero out to the top of the ramp to watch this match up close.

Lita counters a power bomb into a huricanarana and a roll up for a very close near fall but Chyna finally ends this surprisingly competitive match by countering the Twist of Fate with a powerbomb. Chyna retains the women’s title, and scowls at Eddie Guerrero who leaves without incident. 

After the match, Chyna helps Lita to her feet and they raise each other’s arms and leave together. But the real story I want to talk about here is that this is the last time we’ll see Chyna sadly.

I’ve alluded to her personal offscreen issues with Triple H and Stephanie a few times but it seems that around this time, that all finally became too much to bear and bubbled up in an unpleasant way. Stories have come out since about Chyna demanding crazy amounts of money to resign her contract (amounts that would have put her in the same salary bracket as Stone Cold and The Rock) and so the decision for her to quietly leave the company and pursue other interests was mutual. It’s a shame as she was at the peak of her popularity and seemed to have some new story options as women’s champion. Leaving the company began a personal spiral for her that she never recovered from and she tragically passed away of an accidental overdose in 2016. She was only 46 years old. I always liked Chyna and I said more than once that at D-Generation X’s peak she was its most popular member. I stand by that. 

Michael Cole catches up with Kurt Angle backstage and asks if this is the end of this chapter of his career now that he has his medals back. Kurt says no, this is just the beginning and promises an Olympic Medal ceremony reenactment tomorrow on Raw. They were told to tone down the Olympics connection but it seems like the WWF is going to ignore that. Vince never did like being told what he could and couldn’t do. 

Elsewhere, Vince, Triple H, Stone Cold and their two wives are all together. Vince doesn’t want them to be “the judged” tonight. Triple H says that he and Austin are “judge, jury and executioner”. This was…nothing. I almost didn’t even mention it. 

Chain match for the WWF Intercontinental Championship

Triple H © (w/Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley) vs. Kane

I’m impressed they managed to get a video package that felt like it focused on Triple H and Kane specifically considering how intertwined this feud is with the Undertaker and Stone Cold feud. 

After both men enter, Triple H keeps his distance as Kane swings the chain around in the ring. The objective here is that both men are to be joined at the wrist by a steel chain. There’s no messing around with “touch the four corners to win” gimmicks as this is basically a no disqualification match with a chain connecting them.

Triple H uses a second chain to attack Kane and wraps his still taped up “broken” arm around the ring post a few times. 

The Game wasts zero time bringing more weapons in and hammers Kane with a pair of chair shots across the back and then across his injured arm.

In the ring, Triple H makes sure the chain is linked to Kane’s broken arm and despite a flury of punches and a shot to the back with the chain, Triple H maintains control and focuses all of his attacks on Kane’s arm - bouncing it off the ring steps, the ring post, the security wall and the announce desk. He doubles over the chain and lashes Kane’s arm with it too. It’s a pretty brutal beating.

As Triple H gets a chair, Kane pulls the chain sending him crashing into the ring post and The Game comes up bleeding. Kane seizes the opportunity to slam Triple H around ringside and then in a cool spot wrap his head up in the chain and use a sort of modified camel clutch on him. 

With him on the outside, Kane wraps Triple H’s throat in the chain and dramatically hangs him with it while standing in the ring, and then lashes him across the back with it. I’m not really sure how you gimmick a chain so I can only assume every one of these punches, chokes and spots hurt like hell and these guys are just powering through. Crazy. 

Kane tries for his flying clothesline but Triple H yanks on the chain to stop it. Back on the outside, Kane slams Triple H from the top of the security wall to flat on his back outside the ring. That sounded so painful.

Back in the ring, Triple H recovers with more chain shots but the Pedigree is blocks and Kane drops head first into Triple H’s crotch with a low blow! 

Kane follows with his flying clothesline but using the chain and then stalks for a chokeslam, which he gets! Triple H takes another awesome looking chokeslam. He always does. The fans are so loud and the boos get intense as Stone Cold runs to the ring to save his partner. Kane sends him packing but when Austin comes back in with a chair and swings for Kane, he hits Triple H instead! Kane covers and the fans absolutely erupt for Kane winning the Intercontinental title in a bloody brawl! 

Austin leaves looking frustrated and annoyed at having cost The Game his title, and Kane triumphantly swings the Intercontinental title belt above his head. This was great and the fans were at a fever pitch for the finish. 

Jonathan Coachman interviews Chris Jericho, who says he has a partner. One that is “an absolute animal” and repeats his promise from Smackdown. He isn’t promising to win, he’s just promising that Edge and Christian will lose.

Elsewhere, a bloody Triple H struggles to stand as he yells at Vince McMahon about the perceived lack of help in his title defence. Boo Hoo. 

Tag Team Turmoil for the number one contendership for the WWF Tag Team Championships

Edge and Christian vs. The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von Dudley, w/Spike Dudley) vs. The APA (Bradshaw and Faarooq) vs. The Hardy Boyz (WWF European Champion Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy) vs. X-Factor (X-Pac and Justin Credible, w/Albert) vs. The Radicals (Perry Saturn and Dean Malenko w/Terri) vs. Chris Jericho and a Mystery Partner

The first two teams are the APA and the Radicals. Perry Saturn always has Terri with him but I never mention her because she’s useless. Saturn and Farrooq kick things off and the Radicals take control early with a double team.

The action doesn’t last long and Faarooq hammers Perry with a spinebuster for the three count to eliminate The Radicals at 1:32. The Dudley Boyz are the next entrances (accompanied by Spike) and get immediate “we want tables” chants. It’s physical with the teams tagging in and out. There’s no real spots as they just wrestle and go back and forth. Bubba does duck a Clothesline from Hell and drops Bradshaw with a sidewalk slam which gives the Dudleys the first (and only) lasting advantage of this exchange. The cameras zoom in on a fan holding a sign which says “we want tabels”. Yes, spelt like that. The Dudleys give Bradshaw the LOD’s old “doomsday device” finisher, and then the Wazzup headbutt on Faarooq. The fans explode for the “get the tables!”. They’re SO loud, this is incredible. What an amazing crowd during this whole PPV - they’ve been overexcited all night long. D-Von sets up a table on the outside, as Crash and Hardcore Holly run down. Crash distracts the refeee, Hardcore drives D-Von through the table with an Alabama slam and then Bradshaw clobbers Bubba with a Clothesline from Hell to pin and eliminate The Dudley Boyz at 6:28.

The fourth team is the X-Factor duo of X-Pac and Justin Credible. We’ve seen a lot less of this team since Backlash than we did before. X-Pac looks super weird - he’s shaved off his goatee! The Uncle Kracker music is dubbed here (sorry guys) but they do have Albert with them. X-Factor use their speed to isolate Faarooq but when he makes a hot tag to Bradshaw everything changes. The big Texan motors through both, throwing them around but as he tries to supplex X-Pac, Albert trips him from the outside and holds down Bradshaw’s ankles. X-Pac pins Bradshaw to eliminate the APA at 10:13. There’s a long wait for Bradshaw and Faarooq to leave as their upset about the loss but the next team is European Champion Matt Hardy (who doesn’t bring his belt) and Jeff Hardy, The Hardy Boyz. The Hardyz move fast and there’s the traditional “loud girly squeal” when Matt and Jeff remove their t-shirts. X-Pac and Credible drive Jeff into the ring post on the outside and then Albert throws him effortlessly back into the ring for more double teaming. Quick tags in and out from X-Factor, and X-Pac gives Jeff a Bronco Buster which draws loud boos and “X-Pac sucks” chants.

The Hadyz come back and have this leg of the match won with a Swanton Bomb but Albert pulls Matt out of the ring. Jeff takes him out with a dive over the ropes but that leaves the European Champion alone in the ring and one double superkick later, X-Pac pins Matt Hardy to eliminate The Hardy Boyz at 13:24. Next up is Chris Jericho and his mystery parner. Y2J enters first and doesn’t speak - he just gestures to the back for his partner, who turns out to be Chris Benoit. Benoit already technically wrestled three matches tonight against Kurt Angle. Benoit starts and being so fatigued, X-Pac and Credible isolate and work him over two on one. Heyman is great here really emphasising the significance of this - Benoit and Jericho were bitter rivals who formed a partnership against Angle and Regal out of convenience previously but here they are actually committing to chasing a Tag Team Championship match together. Jericho tags in and as he goes for a flying forearm, X-Pac ducks and the referee gets taken out instead. Funnily, you can see Jericho give him a nod before to make sure he’s in position. With no referee, Albert drops Y2J with a bicycle kick and that almost ends the match when the new referee runs down. Jericho and Benoit take down Albert with a double suplex, then give Credible one across his own partner. Benoit takes down Justin in a Crossface as Jericho puts X-Pac in the Walls of Jericho for a double submission, which eliminates X-Factor at 18:40.

The seventh and final team is Edge and Christian and now the winners of this exchange will be the number one contenders for the Tag Team titles. Christian sends Benoit to the ring steps and the forme 7 time tag team champions isolate Jericho on the inside. Benoit shouts encouragement from the apron as they work over Y2J, focusing on his ribs and stomach with knees and gut busters. Jericho’s comeback has him try a Lionsault but Edge gets his knees up which might have ended the match if not for Benoit breaking up the cover. He crawls and gets a hot tag to Chris Benoit who machine guns through both men with clothslines, dumping Edge to the outside and getting a close near fall off a bridging German suplex on Christian. It breaks down with all four men in the ring fighting, and Edge and Christian try their old finisher - the double stacked superplex. Jericho gets Christian on his shoulders instead and Benoit brings him down with a missile dropkick for a near fall. 

Benoit and Jericho try a con-chair-to of their own but Edge takes down Jericho with a spear. Benoit manages to get Christian into a Crippler Crossface and Christian taps out, giving Jericho and Benoit the victory at 25:48! Jericho and Benoit win Tag Team Turmoil, even the odds with Edge and Christian and earn themselves a shot at the WWF Tag Team titles. 

No Holds Barred match for the WWF Championship

Stone Cold Steve Austin © vs. The Undertaker

Much like the Kane and Triple H video earlier, I’m glad this one was able to focus on the two men in the match. It does a fantastic job of showcasing Austin’s intense new attitude. The Rattlesnake has snapped. He’s unhinged. They do change up the order that things happened for the purposes of the narrative and it works well. The music is great too - this video got me way more excited about the match than I was before.

Before either participant enters, Mr. McMahon’s music plays and Vince swaggers on down to ringside to take a seat at commentary. He actually hasn’t been around much since Backlash so I suppose they need to remind us that he’s the one pulling Austin and Triple H’s strings. Vince almost corpses at Heyman’s antics, demanding JR stand for the boss and then demanding he sit back down instantly.

Undertaker enters first but doesn’t wait for Austin and jumps him during his entrance. Referee Earl Hebner just rings the bell and lets the match start at the top of the ramp as Undertaker beats the Rattlesnake from pillar to post. 

In a cool spot, Undertaker does his “old school” rope walking axe handle on the security wall. Austin runs away, trying to get some space and disappearing back up the ramp but Undertaker follows and keeps the beating going with more big right hands and driving him into various walls and barriers.

Finally back in the ring, Undertaker gets a steel chair but Stone Cold is there to pounce on him as he slides into the ring and stops him from using it. Austin finally has some control and tries to focus his attack on Undertaker’s leg, wrapping it up in the ropes but he misses his chair shot attempt. This one is all action! They’re both relentless. The first near fall is for Undertaker after dropping the champion with a big boot. 

Undertaker gets distracted wanting to attack McMahon on commentary but it just allows Stone Cold to jump him from behind and refocus on the legs, wrapping them around the ring post.

The pace finally slows down with Austin working on The Undertaker’s right knee, grinding it out with elbows and leg locks. I mentioned previously that Stone Cold had changed up his look a little by adding red to his black knee braces and tonight he has more new ones with a rattlesnake print on them. The fans loudly chant “Austin sucks!” which is a crazy turn of events from around this time one year ago - remember his one night return at Backlash 2000? 

Undertaker fights out of it and has had enough, taking the fight back outside and clearing off the announce table and then chokeslamming Stone Cold right through it! He gets distracted again stalking McMahon, chasing him away from the ring but this time Austin is down and out and he has plenty of time to do it. 

Taker scoops up the limp WWF champion and rolls him into the ring for a close count, and gets another off an elbow drop.

Austin manages to get back into the fight with a desperate swing with one of the monitors from the announce desk. If you know what you’re looking for it’s very obvious Undertaker is blading and sure enough he comes up with blood running down his face. Austin draws loud “asshole” chants as he removes the turnbuckle covers in the ring. After a big exchange of punches, Austin gets a near fall off his Thez press and punches, and from another low blow - the 4th or 5th one in this match according to JR. Austin does take a moment to appreciate the loud boos he's getting from this crowd with a demented smile on his face. 

Taker gets out of a sleeper hold with a back suplex so Austin grabs the chair Undertaker brought in earlier and cracks the challenger with a big swinging chair shot! He doesn’t cover and instead stalks for a Stunner. Taker gets to his knees and gives Austin the finger but still gets dropped with a Stone Cold Stunner. That feels like the end but Undertaker kicks out! Stone Cold grabs the chair and hammers Taker with chairshot after chairshot to the body but gets a low blow of his own! Undertaker plants the WWF Champion with a chokeslam and grabs the steel chair and gives him a taste of his own medicine with chair shot after chair shot to his body. 

Undertaker rushes the ring with his sledgehammer but runs right into a chair shot! Taker hammers The Game too and then drops Austin with one to the head! He covers and this time it’s Vince who breaks up the cover!

Undertaker stalks Vince and when Austin swings for Taker, he hits McMahon instead! Vince is out! Undertaker sets up Stone Cold for a Last Ride but Triple H clocks him with a sledgehammer blow! In weird timing, Kane’s music hits when he runs to the ring but all it does is distract from the three count. I’m going to blame Earl Hebner.

An incredibly chaotic finish to the main event but thanks to Triple H, Stone Cold retains the WWF title, leaving a bloody Undertaker being comforted by the new Intercontinental Champion Kane at the close of the show.