Rebellion 2000 - Sheffield Arena, Sheffield England, December 2nd, 2000

Another UK exclusive PPV! In 2022, 2023 and 2024 the WWE has hosted major PPVs on UK soil but back in the day we got two of these per year. These are always fun as they’re basically house shows from the hottest era in wrestling history. It’s nice to see everyone!

The opening video package repurposes comments by Mick, Rock and Austin from this past week’s Smackdown talking about Armageddon and the six man hell in a cell, twisted to fit tonight’s Fatal Four way main event which is clever but not worth seeing.

In the arena, Commissioner Mick Foley and his Lieutenant Commissioner Debra open the show. It’s classic glad-handling of the live crowd assuring us that they’re very happy to be here (and I’m sure they were).

Mick talks about the main event and busts out his classic Triple H impression explaining that The Game isn’t here out of protest at not being included in the main event. Debra says that the main event tonight has no disqualifications, and Kurt can lose the title without being pinned himself. That brings the WWF Champion out to the ring and he protests the main event and sucks up to Mick and Debra trying to get the match changed. Debra botches her line as Mick gives her the mic to give the “that decision is FINAL” catchphrase he’s built up but she waffles on and Mick’s music plays so he’s forced to grab the mic and shout it himself over the music. The three of them leave together as Kurt continues to bend Mick’s ear. 

Tonight’s commentary duo is Jim Ross and Tazz, who’s been doing Sunday Night Heat every week since it moved to MTV and is trying to make it as a real commentator. They do address their rivalry from a few months ago explaining that Mick Foley spoke to them both earlier in the day and made sure they knew to behave themselves. Tazz isn’t great but he’s enthusiastic and still learning. This was his biggest commentary assignment yet! 

Elimination Tables match

The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von Dudley) vs. Edge and Christian vs. T&A (Test and Albert, with Trish Stratus)

During T&A’s entrant, Tazz fills in the Jerry Lawler role as he talks about how hot Trish is. He’s not wrong, let's be honest.

The Dudleyz are OVER in England.

Albert and D-Von start it off. It’s conducted under normal triple threat tag team rules with two men in the ring, and a team is eliminated when one man goes through a table. The Dudleyz get the earlier advantage with a double suplex on Albert and Bubba takes the lead, and in a cool spot as The Dudleyz run at Albert with a table trying to clothesline him, he hits a pump kick which snaps the table in two and knocks both Dudleyz down. 

Test and Albert try a doubl backdrop on Bubba but D-Von moves the table for him. Edge and Christian smartly stay out of the way in the early going but Edge tags in to get some cheap shots on Bubba and tags right back out the moment he gets back up. 

As Albert sets up something on the top rope on Bubba - maybe a superplex? - Edge and Christian come in like thieves in the night and double powerbomb Albert off the ropes and through a waiting table. Test and Albert are eliminated. 

Edge and Christian have full advantage and isolate D-Von and work him over for a bit under classic tag team rules until a hot tag to Bubba. It’s shut down and as Edge and Christian try their own version of the Wazzup headbutt, Bubba rolls through and D-Von shoves Edge into his own partner. Edge then gets the original version from The Dudleyz. “D-Von - get the tables!” and he does. Christian tackles his own partner to save him from a 3D but then turns into one of his own right through the table and The Dudley Boyz win! This was fun but too short to be good.

Michael Cole interviews Lita who comes across really well talking about how she was cheated at Survivor Series by Steven Richards and that tonight she’s going to win the Women’s title. She also mentions all the love and fan mail and letters she gets from the fans in UK and how excited she is to have made her first trip across. What’s funny about that is that when I was a kid I had a big poster of Lita on my bedroom wall (yeah I did) and it had the Insurrextion logo on it, which was the previous UK tour which she wasn’t on. I think it came with one of the UK tabloids or something. 

WWF Women’s Championship

Ivory © (w/Steven Richards) vs. Lita

Steven Richards cuts a pre match promo about bringing his good fight to the UK. He even brings up that The Full Monty was filmed in this very city (it was - great comedy movie, and it won awards). He decries the UK for having a pub on every street corner. Ivory then turns her attention to Lita specifically and how she “wears her underwear above her waistline” and says she’ll have a scar for the rest of her life because she wanted to fight Ivory instead of just listening to her. Ivory is a great promo. Lita gets a huge pop from the UK fans when she enters - Lita is awesome and tackles Ivory the moment she’s in the ring to start the match.

The fans chant “Lita” as she effortlessly throws Ivory around and dropkicks her for a near fall. They’re working very fast together and you can sense this one isn’t going to last long.

Another near fall off a back suplex and that gets Richards up on the apron - for a huge pop when Lita knocks him off, down to the floor. That goes let Ivory take control with chops and stomps in the corner.

Steven Richards keeps shouting at Lita and so when she gets a chance, she dives through the ropes at him to take him out. Lita sunset flips Ivory from the outside back in, trying to roll her up into a cover but Ivory grabs the ropes with some help from Steven and gets a crooked victory to retain her Women’s championship in a very short match. Too short to be good but definitely not bad. I’d have liked to see them go another five minutes.

Michael Cole interviews The Rock about tonight’s main event. It’s funny as he puts on an English accent and says he’ll whip Kurt Angle’s candy bum (he used the same joke against William Regal last week). He offers Kurt an early Christmas gift - an ass whipping all over Sheffield. “If ya smell…” A short, fun and functional promo to pop the UK fans by letting them hear The Rock say the name of their hometown.

WWF Hardcore Championship

Steve Blackman © vs. Perry Saturn

Jim Ross asks where Terri is, and Tazz explains that Perry left her in the US so that she wouldn’t see the level of violence he’s going to give Steve Blackman. That’s cute, but really they just didn’t think she was worth paying airfare for. She’s not. 

Blackman gets a big pop when he comes out. “The greatest Hardcore Champion of all time.”

This is a fun match as the two take turns blasting each other with trash can lids and baking sheets for near falls. It’s also Tazz’s change to show off as he corrects JR on the names of a couple of moves (a drop toe hold and a crucifix pin attempt) and provides some good analysis - Perry Saturn’s thick, muscular neck is what saved him from being knocked out by these trash can shots and allowed him to keep kicking out.

Saturn sends Blackman to the outside and dives out after but Blackman is waiting with another metal sheet to blast him in midair. Saturn shrugs that off easily enough and uses a fire extinguisher before bringing a steel chair into the ring.

He sets up the chair but it backfires when Blackman drop-toe holds him into it off the ropes.

The Hardcore champion gets his trademark martial arts weapons from under the ring and after a quick flurry, gets a close near fall with a suplex while the stick is between Perry’s legs.

Saturn uses a low blow and a small package for another close near fall, but Blackman recovers and drives the steel chair back into Saturn’s face with a straight kick to win the match and retain his Hardcore title. 

Before the next match, William Regal is interviewed and speaking in his natural, Northern voice talks about how honoured he is to be here. It feels like a babyface promo until he starts talking about how he’s the only sports hero “these people” have and how he knows everyone is on the dole so he’s delighted to be a ray of hope for them. 

WWF European Championship

William Regal © vs. Crash Holly (w/Molly Holly)

Out in the ring after making his entrance to a mixed reaction, William Regal gets on the mic and cuts a move overtly heel promo. He says he expected a better reaction than Stone Cold Steve Austin or The Rock in his home country because he is their hero. This guy is the best. It draws a “Regal sucks” chant. 

Regal goes on the attack early and shows off his mat skills, grinding Crash down with elbows and forearms and chain wrestling him on the mat with wrist and arm locks. 

Crash gets a near fall with a roll up but Regal immediately shuts him back down with a stiff forearm and continues the punishment.

Regal gets a couple more near falls just grinding his forearm into Crash’s face, and then locks him in a chinlock. 

Regal hits his custom neckbreaker and gets the three count, but Holly’s leg is on the ropes.

Crash and Molly protest to the referee and while Regal is distracted with that, he turns into a missile dropkick by Molly Holly! 

Crash covers and the referee counts - Crash Holly wins the European Championship! 

He gets zero time to enjoy it as Regal clobbers both Hollys from behind and lays into Molly with stick boots to the head and shoulders before leaving with the European title belt as if he did win. Regal steals the belt, but Crash Holly is officially the new European Champion! 

Backstage, Kurt Angle speaks to Chris Benoit and expresses his outrage that Regal just got cheated out of his title in England and he doesn’t want the same to happen to him. He asks Benoit to “lend him his support” tonight and promises him a WWF title match in future in return. 

WWF Intercontinental Champion Billy Gunn and Chyna vs. WWF Light Heavyweight Champion Dean Malenko and Eddie Guerrero

They show a video package for this match which includes all the Chyna and Eddie break up stuff from last month. It’s pretty much the same as the one before the Eddie and Rikishi match at Unforgiven and also not worth seeing. Shout out to the long-haired Billy Gunn sighting, plus seeing Victoria and Mandy again in the GTV footage. I think that technically makes this the blow off to this feud as weirdly they never did the Eddie vs. Chyna match you’d expect, and Chyna has moved on to her feud with the Right to Censor now. 

Chyna looks incredible in white boots and tiny black gym shorts, with a white top with the Union flag across her chest. 

This is a big house show match as all four participants fight, and Chyna military presses Eddie as Billy military presses Dean and they throw the two Radicals into each other, sending them scurrying to the outside.

Breaking down to a proper tag team match, Chyna and Dean are legal and Chyna dominates with kicks in the corner. 

Tazz gets pretty annoying in this match, continually bringing attention to Chyna’s “biscuits” and laughing at his own dirty jokes. He’s trying too hard to be Jerry Lawler.

Eddie gets a cheap shot in on Chyna to let Dean get back into this and the two Radicals tag in and out, isolating the 9th Wonder of the World in the corner. 

Billy gets worked up in the corner, unable to help his partner as the fans chant “Eddie sucks.” and the punishment on Chyna continues until she counters with a sneaky low blow and a DDT on Dean.

Chyna makes the tag to The One who motors through Malenko and Guerrero with clotheslines and backdrops. 

Chyna beats up Eddie and throws him to the outside as the Intercontinental Champion gives the Light Heavyweight Champion a huge powerslam, a jackhammer suplex and then the Fameasser but Eddie breaks up the three count.

Chyna gets her former fiance out of the ring and Billy hits the sleeper slam he’s used since the name change to pin Dean Malenko and win the match for his team.

Some random English presenter I’ve never seen before or since interviews the fans. Even I can barely understand their accents, but the girl screaming about how she’s travelled so far to be here (Birmingham, so about 90 miles. It’s a less than 2 hour drive) steals the show in the sense that her voice could strip the enamel from your teeth. 

Chris Jericho vs. Kane

Jericho enters with a mic and welcomes us to “England is Jericho” and works up the crowd with generic “hey I’m in the UK” stuff before calling Kane a jackass and running to the ring and going right on the attack. 

Jericho controls the match with chops and punches, even fighting Kane to the outside and running his head into the ring steps and rolling him back inside.

The domination is short lived as Kane shuts Jericho down with an uppercut and bullies him with his size, choking Jericho and knocking him down over and over with clotheslines.

Kane lifts Jericho by the throat high above his head by the neck and slams him down for a near fall. 

This isn’t as good as their match at Survivor Series but tells a simple story as Kane just hammers Jericho, and Y2J refuses to stay down.

Kane chokes Jericho in the corner with a boot on the throat.

Jericho perseveres and fights back with a running forearm and rallies with chops and a missile dropkick for a near fall. 

Jericho sidesteps a corner charge and rolls up Kane in a schoolboy for a near fall, but doesn’t let go of the leg and tries to turn the massive Kane over into a Walls of Jericho, but Kane grabs Y2J by the throat and stands up. 

Jericho stops the chokeslam and hits a running bulldog but Kane gets his knee up to stop the Lionsault and follows with a massive chokeslam for the three count. Kane wins again. 

Kane leaves, and a groggy Jericho rolls out of the ring and grabs a steel chair, giving chase and hitting Kane across the back with it and continuing the fight at the top of the ramp until he’s restrained by multiple referees. Jericho does turn Kane into a Walls of Jericho and actually makes Kane tap out before he’s finally dragged off by the refs. 

Backstage, Lita is getting a drink at the catering table and Trish stratus approaches and mocks Lita for both losing earlier and for her pre match promo thanking the fans. Lita throws her drink in Trish’s face and beats her up through the backstage, laying her on an equipment case and running her head first into the wall. She rips her top off and they fight into the women’s locker room where we see Ivory in her underwear - they’re comically oversized. Steven Richards works to cover up Ivory as officials split up Lita and Trish. 

WWF Tag Team Championships

The Right to Censor © (The Goodfather and Bull Buchanan, w/Val Venis) vs. The Hardy Boyz (Matt and Jeff Hardy)

As The Hardyz make their entrance, I believe the point in the previous segment with Trish and Lita was to explain Lita’s absence from ringside during this one. The Right to Censor team do have Val Venis with them. I mentioned it during the previous Smackdown too but he’s swapped his white pants for black ones to match the rest of the group. He’s also showing off his arms with cut off sleeves which makes sense. I mentioned it when he first joined the group but its ironic that Val was in the best shape of his entire career right at the point he was forced to wrestle with his body entirely covered up.

Bull and Goodfather jump the challengers while they pose and show off for the crowd. It doesn't work for long as Matt and Jeff give them the run around and take them out with a pair of matching dives to the outside and from there the match breaks down into tag team formation with Bull and Jeff as the legal men.

The big men isolate Jeff and keep him in their half of the screen, tagging in and out and working over Jeff mostly with punches and chokes in the corner.

There’s a moment where as Jeff runs the ropes he kind of crumples and falls out of the ring. Matt gets in and takes over where he left off. It seems like Jeff is genuinely injured or knocked goofy.

Goodfather tries to hit Matt with one of the tag belts but he ducks and Bull takes it instead. Matt knocks Goodfather out of the ring and hits a leg drop on Bull and might have the titles won but Goodfather breaks up the cover. 

The Right to Censor now isolates and works over Matt as Jeff struggles to take his spot back up on the apron in his corner. It’s hard to tell if it's his arm, his leg or something else which is bothering him but I know he doesn’t miss any time after this show so whatever it is isn’t serious. 

Matt gets a hot tag and Matt and Jeff pour on the offence, taking out Bull with Poetry in Motion and laying out Goodfather with a Twist of Fate. Matt goes to fight with Bull as Jeff follows up with a Swanton Bomb. He has the titles won, but Val Venis comes off the top with a Money Shot splash onto Jeff’s back, reversing the cover as the referee turns around and allowing Goodfather to get the three count.

The Right to Censor retained the tag team titles in a decent match where it seemed like Jeff Hardy was hurt. He’s not selling any body parts now so I suspect a concussion or head injury if anything. 

Kurt Angle goes to see Edge and Christian and ask for their help tonight in his WWF title match. Christian is selling his ribs and says he can’t help because he went through a table earlier. Kurt calls them selfish! 

The Undertaker makes his way to the ring through backstage where he runs into Chris Benoit. It’s just a distraction as while they exchange words, the other three Radicals jump the American Badass from behind, stomping and kicking away at his knee and holding it prone allowing Benoit to slam a metal bin onto it. 

The Undertaker vs. Chris Benoit

Chris Benoit enters first, and when The Undertaker’s music plays he doesn’t come out. Benoit gets on the mic and says the American Badass must have left his badass back in America. He asks to be declared the winner via forfeit but Undertaker’s music plays a couple more times until he does eventually come out limping heavily. Even on one leg, Undertaker wants to fight Benoit.

Undertaker attacks quickly and uses his power and size to throw Benoit around the ring and even bust out a rare military press which gets a near fall.

Benoit keeps throwing kicks out at the bad knee but Taker powers through and does his arm-wringer-rope-walking trademark which he sometimes calls “Old School.” He sells his knee when he lands and gets a near fall.

Benoit goes for the leg again and tries to use the ring post as a weapon but Undertaker’s legs are too strong and pulls him into the post face first and continues the assault on the outside.

He even catches Benoit’s jump off the ring apron and drives him spine first into the ring post.

Considering the prematch assault, Undertaker is dominating this and back in the ring punches Benoit around and locks him in a long standing bearhug, grinding down Benoit until he headbutts out of it. Benoit runs right into a big boot and that gets a near fall too.

Benoit’s tactic finally pays off as he goes for the leg and uses a chop block to finally ground Undertaker and then sets about working on the leg with stomps and kicks as Taker crawls around the ring. He does clamp on a leg lock which forces Taker to rally and fight out of it but he’s grounded again quickly with a dropkick to the knee.

Benoit uses a figure four, and Undertaker reverses it but after a long period of having his leg worked on Undertaker isn’t able to get up off the mat and capitalise. Benoit walks in and amazingly Undertaker rolls Benoit up with an inside cradle and gets the three count! 

A furious Benoit chases the referee and questions him. This was a good match and really put Benoit over huge as someone like Undertaker was basically forced to use a desperate roll up to win the match and escape with a victory. 

Fatal Four Way match for the WWF Championship

Kurt Angle © vs. Rikishi vs. The Rock vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin

Rikishi enters first and insultingly the WWF Champion Kurt Angle enters second. This match does have two of the biggest stars in history to be fair, and The Rock enters and waits for Stone Cold to come out last so they can rush the ring and start the fight with Rock going right for Rikishi and Austin going right for Angle.

Stone Cold gets the first near fall on Kurt with a spinebuster, and then gets out of the ring and swaps with The Rock allowing him to get a near fall on Kurt too with a Samoan drop as Austin beats up the man who ran him over - lets not forget that - around the ring.

The Rock throws Angle to the outside as Stone Cold brings Rikishi inside and we get the fan pleasing sight of Austin and Rock working together and double teaming Rikishi.

The Rock spots Kurt leaving with his title belt and so chases after him and stops him at the top of the ramp, bringing him back to the ring.

Austin hits the Thez press on Rikishi and the big elbow for another near fall. Rock throws Kurt in who gets the same Thez press and mounted punches and those two go back to the outside leaving Rock and Rikishi fighting in the ring. 

The action in this one is relentless. Rock and Austin haven’t stopped moving! 

Rikishi gets his first offence crushing Rock in the corner and setting up for a Stink Face but backs into a low blow from The Rock instead. 

A spinebuster and a People’s Elbow in the ring looks set to hand The Rock the WWF title but Kurt Angle breaks up the three count. He covers Rikishi and tries to steal the pin but Austin breaks that up! He tries to do the same but too much time has passed and Rikishi kicks out.

Angle goes on the attack and Rikishi recovers and its the bad guys turns to get their licks in, working together to beat down both Austin and The Rock.

The good guys come back and send Angle and Rikishi to the floor and the fans explode for the stare down between Austin and Rock. The two throw punches going back and forth and the fans erupt for Austin hitting the Stunner. He scrambles to the cover but Angle breaks it up and tries one of his own, which is broken up by Rikishi. The Rock kicks out! 

Back on their feet with Rikishi and Angle back on the floor, Rock hits a Rock Bottom on Austin and has the cover…but Rikishi pulls the referee out of the ring. Angle catches Rock with an Olympic Slam but by the time the referee is back in positon Rock kicks out! 

Edge and Christian run down to the ring to help their buddy Kurt Angle, fighting with Rock and Austin. Rock hits a Rock Bottom on Rikishi...but Edge breaks up the three count! 

As The Rock fights with Edge and Christian, Austin hits a Stunner on Rikishi and has the match won…until the Radicals run down and break up that cover too! Austin goes out to fight Benoit and Guerrero allowing Kurt to give Rikishi his third finisher in a row - the Olympic Slam - for the cover and Kurt Angle retains the WWF Championship in a frantic main event, with help from Edge, Christian and all four Radicals.

After the match, Edge and Christian help Kurt to the back leaving all four Radicals against Austin and Rock. Dean Malenko gets a Stone Cold Stunner, and both Saturn and Guerrero get Rock Bottoms, sending the Radicals packing too. Benoit rushes the ring, and The Rock intercepts him and sends him into a waiting Stunner! Guerrero tries it too and runs right into a second Rock Bottom! 

The fans get sent home happy as Austin and Rock converse in the ring, and then share a beer. Lovely stuff.