Podcast

Tales from the Attitude Era

Comedy, Sports, Wrestling

Pro wrestling shows dominate the top sports podcast charts, but none are from the perspective of the show's writer, until now. Tommy Blacha has written on Conan O'Brien, Da Ali G Show, The Eric Andre Show, and co-created Adult Swim's Metalocalypse. He was also the head writer of WWE (then WWF) during their big boom period, affectionately referred to as The Attitude Era.

Tommy was a significant figure in the Attitude Era, primarily known for his work as a comedy writer and performer. He played a crucial role in shaping the entertainment aspect of the WWF product during this time. Joined by co-host Rob Pasbani (Metal Injection, Squared Circle Pit), the two look back on the unique moment in time. discussing the creative mindset behind some of the biggest stories of the Attitude

Tales from the Attitude Era is a weekly one-hour podcast looking back at a specific famous moment or storyline from the period in WWE when Blacha was head writer, between 1999 and 2001, producing some of wrestling's most iconic personalities, both in front of and behind the camera. There was a sense of heightened sensationalism surrounding the industry during this time. Fans were eager to learn about the backstage politics, personal relationships, and locker room dynamics that fueled the drama on-screen.

Every week. Rob Pasbani will lead the show offering a recap of events, and reactions from critics & fans of the time. Blacha will then offer his unique insider perspective explaining the hows and whys of famous moments involving larger-than-life figures like Vince McMahon, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, and Triple H. whose influence extended beyond the ring and into the boardroom. Fans were captivated by learning about their roles in shaping the direction of the company and the industry as a whole further fueled fans' fascination with the backstage of the Attitude Era.

Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wrestling chart
#72
Episodes
130
Releases
Weekly
Typical length
1 hr 8 min
On air since
2024
Latest episode
1 day ago

Episodes

130 episodes, newest first

  1. Rikishi Tries to Run Austin Over Again and the Ratings Hit a Two-Year Low - WWF RAW 10/16/00 Review

    Episode 129

    Show notes

    RAW is at the Joe Lewis Arena in Detroit on October 16th, 2000, the same building where Steve Austin was run over nearly a year ago. Tommy Blacha grew up in Detroit, worked at this arena as a kid, and was at this show. He says the go-home episode for Austin's revenge pay-per-view should have felt massive. Instead it drew the lowest RAW rating since 1998. The show never promotes its main event until the final segment. Tommy says the whole thing smells like a writing room where too many things stayed unsettled for too long.

    Rikishi's sitdown interview with Coach is the best thing they have done with the angle in weeks. He comes out in all black, says Foley is not keeping him from the arena to protect him from Austin, he is protecting Austin from what Rikishi will do to Austin. Rob says this is what the character needed from the beginning. Austin gets the biggest pop of the night and delivers a promo about the photos of Rikishi he keeps around the house. Then Rikishi shows up in the garage in a car, in the exact spot where he hit Austin, and makes the No Mercy staredown happen in the right place. Tommy says it works but still feels lesser than it should. Regal wins the European title from Al Snow, which everyone agrees was long overdue.

    The Triple H, Stephanie, and Kurt Angle triangle has come completely off the rails. Triple H is working as a full baby face with nobody establishing the turn. Stephanie arrives and Angle carries her bags. Triple H issues an or else to Angle backstage. Stephanie later hits Jeff Hardy with a tire iron in the main event, and Rob points out she just happened to have a tire iron. The main event, Rock and the Hardys against Angle, Edge, and Christian, is a massive matchup that never got a graphic, never got a mention, and almost nobody in the building knows it is happening until it starts.

    Please support the show, and join our brand new Patreon, featuring watch-alongs for classic matches.

    You also get these episodes uncensored and one day early!

    Please subscribe at https://patreon.com/talesfromtheattitudeera

    Other major discussion points include:

    • Eddie Guerrero opens the show with a heel promo about how China cried too much; Jericho interrupts and says for the first time in a month the show is not opening with a 20-minute talking segment; Eddie pulls a hamstring on a back body drop 90 seconds in and the match is cut short
    • Tommy notes Billy Gunn has been back for three weeks and has had zero promo time to explain why he is back or how he feels about DX
    • The Conquistadors turn out not to be Edge and Christian under the hoods but Christopher Daniels and Aaron Aguilera; the heels were technically telling the truth, which Tommy finds delightful
    • Benoit is revealed to be getting fed scripted lines on commentary; Tommy says this is where the template begins that will slowly squeeze out wrestlers being inventive on their own

    0:00:00 Welcome

    0:01:13 Joe Lewis Arena

    0:02:05 Tommy at the Show / Detroit Memories

    0:03:11 Eddie Guerrero Opens / Jericho Interrupts

    0:05:07 Eddie Hamstring Injury / X-Pac & Billy Gunn

    0:07:00 Billy Gunn Discussion / No Vignettes / DX Dissolution

    0:10:16 Stephanie Arrives / Angle Carries Her Bags

    0:11:07 Stephanie Becoming Head Writer / Writers Pitching for Her

    0:13:32 Rikishi Sitdown Interview With Coach

    0:19:22 Heat Recap: T&A vs APA / Strip Poker Segment

    0:23:33 Triple H / Stephanie / Angle Backstage

    0:27:37 Al Snow (England) vs William Regal (European Title)

    0:31:09 Triple H Threatens Angle Backstage

    0:33:22 Triple H vs Kane

    0:39:25 Austin Promo in Ring

    0:40:25 Rikishi in the Garage

    0:43:28 X-Pac Calls Out Billy Gunn

    0:45:13 Billy Gunn Demands Match From Foley

    0:47:31 Dudleys vs Conquistadors

    0:49:56 Road Dog vs Val Venis / Naked Mideon

    0:52:06 Stephanie Announces Angle on Heat

    0:55:00 Rock & Hardys vs Angle, Edge & Christian (Main Event)

    0:59:07 Ratings Discussion / Lowest Since 1998

    1:03:20 WCW Australia / Buy WCW Discussion

    1:05:22 Patreon / Sign-Off

    Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr 7 min
  2. Edge and Christian Are the Conquistadors and Nobody Is Fooled - WWF SmackDown 10/12/00 Review

    Episode 128

    Show notes

    SmackDown is at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on October 12th, 2000. Tommy Blacha was in the building for this one and says the atmosphere around these LA shows is changing. More agents, more Hollywood meetings, Vince at a Radio and Television Society luncheon while the product is getting worse. Before getting to the show, they read a listener comment from PMFG who fantasy books three different options for the driver. Rob and Tommy work through all of them and land on the same conclusion: Kurt Angle was the only pick that would have made the subsequent program worth watching.

    The show is mostly a cooldown episode that barely moves anything forward. The Rock sits down with JR and distances himself from Rikishi. Tommy says this is the wrong call entirely. The Rock should be furious at Rikishi for using his name and his car and putting him through a year of interrogations. Eddie Guerrero attacks Billy Gunn with a tire iron before their scheduled match, turning it into a triple threat IC title match with X-Pac, and then steals the pin directly off X-Pac's cover to win the title. Austin sits in his truck all episode while cops, JR, and Foley try to talk him out of it. He eventually agrees to face Rikishi at No Mercy in a no holds barred match.

    Angle and Stephanie are the one thing that actually works. Angle convinces Right to Censor to put Val Venis in a Rock title match by telling them it is a win for everybody and admits he cannot see his own goosebumps. He and Stephanie stand tall after the main event to close out SmackDown looking strong heading into No Mercy. Tommy and Rob spend the back half of the episode discussing the growing chaos in the writing room and the decision to make Stephanie head writer, which nobody who was there was happy about.

    Please support the show, and join our brand new Patreon, featuring watch-alongs for classic matches.

    You also get these episodes uncensored and one day early!

    Please subscribe at https://patreon.com/talesfromtheattitudeera

    Other major discussion points include:

    • Edge and Christian debut the Conquistadors gimmick at commentary during the Dudleys vs Low Down tables match, speaking exclusively in rudimentary Spanish; the announcers refuse to acknowledge them
    • Al Snow comes out representing Hong Kong with a fu manchu and a portrait of Hong Kong Fooey; Regal is appalled on commentary
    • Triple H and Road Dog face Benoit and Saturn in a match where Triple H works a full baby face hot tag without the writers bothering to establish the turn; Benoit pins Triple H and it means nothing
    • Austin confronts Too Cool in the back looking for Rikishi
    • Tommy defends Vince Russo's WCW run on the grounds that he inherited a company where top performers had contracts letting them refuse storylines and nobody was incentivized to help the company succeed

    0:00:00 Cold Open

    0:00:27 Welcome / SmackDown 10/12/00

    0:02:10 Staples Center / WWF Scaling Up / XFL Distractions

    0:05:02 PMFG Fantasy Books the Reveal

    0:10:22 Kurt Angle as the Best Option for the Driver

    0:16:49 Episode Overview

    0:19:55 Dudleys vs Low Down / Conquistadors Debut at Commentary

    0:22:38 The Rock Sitdown Interview with JR

    0:27:18 Eddie Attacks Billy Gunn With a Tire Iron

    0:29:19 X-Pac vs Eddie vs Jericho (IC Title Triple Threat)

    0:32:08 Austin in Garage / Cops Show Up

    0:32:40 Angle Recruits Right to Censor / Val Venis vs Rock Booked

    0:34:27 Al Snow (Hong Kong) vs Albert / Regal on Commentary

    0:36:36 Jim Ross Pleads With Austin

    0:39:28 Triple H & Road Dog vs Benoit & Saturn

    0:43:25 Triple H / Stephanie Backstage

    0:44:13 Foley to Ring / Austin Agrees to No Mercy

    0:49:49 Hardys vs Raven & Taz (Tag Title Match)

    0:53:12 Stephanie Announces She Is in Angle's Corner Permanently

    0:53:36 Kurt Angle vs Kane

    0:56:01 Austin Confronts Too Cool / Clocks Grandmaster Sexay

    0:57:31 Rock vs Val Venis (Main Event)

    1:00:06 Angle & Stephanie Stand Tall After the Match

    1:00:45 Stephanie as Head Writer / Russo WCW Discussion

    1:07:57 Patreon / Sign-Off

    Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr 9 min
  3. Rikishi "Did It for The Rock" and Gets Zero Reaction - WWF RAW 10/9/00 Review

    Episode 127

    Show notes

    RAW is at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim on October 9th, 2000, the same building that hosted WrestleMania 2000. Mick Foley has promised he will name the person who ran over Steve Austin. He comes out to a mixed reaction, booed and cheered, which Tommy Blacha says has nothing to do with Austin. That is the audience booing the writing. Foley brings in Shawn Michaels, who points the finger at The Rock and leaves. William Regal on commentary agrees. Tommy was in attendance at this show and remembers the crowd already feeling the weight of a year of stalling.

    The reveal comes after the main event. Foley exonerates The Rock and then points to Rikishi. The crowd gives him nothing. Rikishi repeats himself. He explains he ran over Steve Austin for The Rock because WWF was always about the great white hope and his people were always held back. Rob and Tommy dismantle this immediately. The Rock had already been world champion. He was once the corporate pick over Steve Austin. Yokozuna was a world champion. The logic is broken on every level. Rikishi later said he was unhappy with the angle, hated memorizing a long scripted promo he did not believe in, and felt the company killed the hottest character he had ever had.

    Tommy explains what was happening backstage: too many writers, new people cycling in every few weeks, no script supervisor, and a bottleneck at Vince producing whatever survived to the last minute. Rob notes Foley reportedly turned down being the driver because his Christmas book for children was coming out. Tommy says they should have had Rikishi say he did it, attack someone, and powder. Save the explanation for later. Instead they got the Scooby-Doo ending and burned Rikishi's momentum at the same time.

    Please support the show, and join our brand new Patreon, featuring watch-alongs for classic matches.

    You also get these episodes uncensored and one day early!

    Please subscribe at https://patreon.com/talesfromtheattitudeera

    Other major discussion points include:

    • Lita wins a hardcore women's title match against Jackie with a cookie sheet
    • Raven challenges Steve Blackman to a non-hardcore match to get heel heat for denying the crowd weapons; Lillian Garcia announces it as a hardcore title match anyway; Ross corrects her live on air; the crowd is dead until Blackman pulls out nunchucks after the bell
    • X-Pac and Benoit versus Triple H and Jericho is the best match of the night; four elite workers pull off a convoluted reluctant-partners story cleanly; Benoit pins Triple H; Tommy notes it goes nowhere
    • The Conquistadors debut by attacking the Hardys during a Low Down match; a GTV clip interrupts the Eddie and Chyna match to reveal Eddie in the shower with two valets

    0:00:00 Cold Open

    0:00:28 Welcome / RAW 10/9/00

    0:01:49 Austin Hit-and-Run Origins / Everyone Pitched to Be the Driver

    0:07:13 Sunday Night Heat Promotion / Marketing Missed Opportunity

    0:08:42 Ratings / Anaheim / WrestleMania 2000 Arena

    0:14:08 Risk-Averse Booking / The Machine Growing

    0:18:10 Foley Opens to Mixed Reaction

    0:19:13 Main Event Booked / Jericho & Triple H vs X-Pac & Benoit

    0:21:08 Shawn Michaels Brought In / Points to The Rock

    0:25:00 Lita vs Jackie (Hardcore Title)

    0:27:17 Chyna & Deborah Backstage

    0:29:50 Deborah Interrogated by Foley

    0:32:17 Triple H / Stephanie Backstage

    0:35:43 Linda McMahon Limo Arrives

    0:36:35 Raven vs Blackman / Lillian Garcia Botch

    0:41:40 Linda McMahon Interrogated

    0:46:18 X-Pac & Benoit vs Triple H & Jericho

    0:49:15 Triple H Demands Benoit at No Mercy / Edge & Christian

    0:50:01 Hardys vs Low Down / Conquistadors Debut

    0:51:13 Al Snow (Greece/Grease) / Regal on Commentary

    0:55:33 Eddie & China / GTV Shower Reveal

    1:01:42 Michael Clark Duncan / Vince's Definition of Huge

    1:03:20 Crash Holly / Scotty Too Hotty Interrogations

    1:04:51 China Breaks Off Engagement / Billy Gunn

    1:07:48 Main Event: Rock & Rikishi vs Angle & Kane

    1:08:45 Rikishi Reveal / "I Did It for The Rock"

    1:17:22 Listener Mail / Rikishi Quote / Meltzer

    Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr 28 min
  4. William Regal "Besmirched" His Way Into Our Hearts - WWF SmackDown 10/5/00 Review

    Episode 126

    Show notes

    SmackDown comes from Baltimore on October 5th, 2000, and it is a noticeably better show than the RAW that preceded it. Tommy Blacha and Rob Pasbani spend a few minutes up top explaining what that probably means behind the scenes: somebody noticed, somebody said something, and the pendulum swung back toward wrestling. William Regal shows up and within minutes of sitting at the commentary table, uses the word "besmirched" and immediately gets over with everyone in Rob's friend group. Tommy says Regal has the full checklist and is the total package, not Lex Luger.

    Austin confronts Foley in a segment that actually works. Foley tells Austin that his job has sucked since Austin arrived, which Rob and Tommy note is exactly what they had been saying for weeks. Austin gives Foley the chance to reconsider, hears no, and delivers what passes in Steve Austin's world as an apology before stunning him anyway. Tommy says the stunner is starting to feel like a pie in the face. Meanwhile, in the second Stephanie and Triple H backstage segment of the night, she tells him "the only thing hurting me is you." Both hosts agree it is not going where it should.

    In the main event, Rikishi runs in and interferes on The Rock's behalf against Kane, costing them the match on a DQ. Tommy and Rob spend the back half of the episode fantasy booking a better Austin mystery driver reveal, agree there was almost nobody satisfying on the current roster, and settle on Goldberg or Flair as the only options that would have actually worked.

    Please support the show, and join our brand new Patreon, featuring watch-alongs for classic matches.

    You also get these episodes uncensored and one day early!

    Please subscribe at https://patreon.com/talesfromtheattitudeera

    Other major discussion points include:

    • Jacky and Low Down pin Lita in what everyone expects to be a Hardy exhibition; Jeff Hardy hits a split-legged moonsalt that Rob says suggests he has been watching Sabu tapes; the upset does not lead anywhere for Low Down despite Tommy pitching for them backstage
    • Billy Gunn interferes in the X-Pac match to help Al Snow win; Michael Cole explains on commentary that it is because Billy Gunn was kicked out of DX; Tommy says this is his pet peeve and the announcer explanation is the weakest possible version of storytelling
    • Eddie Guerrero eats a Goodfather powerbomb pin in the RTC match; Tommy says you can always recover from a loss if your character has attitude around it, and Eddie Guerrero has plenty of that
    • Benoit comes out and complains; Jericho interrupts and challenges him; they have the match of the night before Triple H runs in and bleeds; Rob says he would rather see Jericho and Benoit than Benoit and Triple H
    • Taz and Raven win via DQ over the Dudley Boys on a convoluted ring bell spot; the Dudleys immediately powerbomb Raven through a table; the crowd wanted the tables the entire time and Tommy says it all feels like a house show already

    Chapter Marks

    0:00:00 Cold Open

    0:00:30 Welcome / SmackDown 10/5/00

    0:01:45 Writing Staff / Creative Pendulum Discussion

    0:06:42 Austin Fallout / Show Overview

    0:08:22 Hardys & Lita vs Low Down & Jacky

    0:18:05 Foley Backstage / William Regal Debuts

    0:26:11 Foley Checks Limo / SmackDown Your Vote

    0:28:13 RTC vs APA & Eddie Guerrero

    0:31:14 Stephanie / Triple H Backstage

    0:34:03 Taz / Raven Promo

    0:36:30 Taz & Raven vs Dudley Boys

    0:40:02 Austin Arrives / Foley Flips Table

    0:42:03 Foley Confronts Austin

    0:48:39 Angle Promo / Edge & Christian vs Rikishi & Too Cool

    0:52:44 Stephanie / Triple H Part 2

    0:55:40 Blackman vs Albert (Hardcore Title)

    0:58:03 Angle Approaches Stephanie

    1:00:17 Benoit vs Jericho / Triple H Runs In

    1:03:31 Kane Backstage / Rock vs Kane (Main Event)

    1:05:48 Rikishi Foreshadowing / Austin Reveal Discussion

    1:16:05 Patreon / Sign-Off

    Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr 18 min
  5. Austin Stuns Foley Before He Can Finish the Ultimatum - WWF RAW 10/2/00 Review

    Episode 125

    Show notes

    RAW is at the MCI Center in Washington DC on October 2nd, 2000. The show opens with a tribute to Dennis Dunn, father of executive producer Kevin Dunn, who reportedly saved the entire WWF tape library from a fire that would have ended any hope of a WWE Network. Then The Rock opens with a Marion Barry joke that kills in DC. Then Angle comes out. Then Triple H. Then Foley. Then Benoit. Then Kane. Then Rikishi. Tommy Blacha and Rob Pasbani have a name for this. They call it the variety hour. It is not a compliment.

    The Austin investigation finally moves an inch when Billy Gunn is brought out as the prime suspect, clears himself with a flight delay alibi, and drops the first real clue in weeks: the person who ran Austin over had blond hair. Foley announces he has solved the case and immediately leaves. Austin stuns Billy Gunn anyway. Later, Austin stuns Foley before Foley can finish announcing a suspension. Rob likes the moment. Tommy already knows the reveal is going to disappoint everyone. The best spot of the night is the Brooklyn Brawler falling over a catering table before Austin even extends his hand.

    The TNN numbers held steady from week one, which the hosts treat as genuinely impressive given typical first-week drop-off. The bad news is the show has less than thirty minutes of wrestling in two hours. The worse news is that for the first time, Rob is losing patience with Mick Foley as commissioner.

    Please support the show, and join our brand new Patreon, featuring watch-alongs for classic matches.

    You also get these episodes uncensored and one day early!

    Please subscribe at https://patreon.com/talesfromtheattitudeera

    Other major discussion points include:

    • Raven takes the pin in his second week as Jericho and the Dudleys beat him, Taz, and X-Pac; Tommy sees a potential faction and explains what it could have been with the right booking
    • Lita vs Ivory is advertised and never happens; Jacqueline attacks instead and they brawl through the locker room out to the garage where Jacqueline hits Lita with a fire extinguisher off the top of a truck
    • Edge and Christian are steered into a hardcore title shot against Steve Blackman; Edge calls the title cracked and gross; they lose and look like herbs; Tommy explains how to take a loss without losing your heat
    • Benoit chairs Kane during the tag match to cost them the win, setting up what should be a Benoit-Kane program; Rob asks if it goes anywhere; Tommy confirms it does not
    • Triple H vs Angle for the number one contendership ends with Benoit interfering, Stephanie accidentally handing Angle the match, and Triple H taking a chair to the head; Triple H ends the show by turning his back on Stephanie crying in the ring
    • SmackDown Your Vote is up to 110,000 registered voters; The Rock spoke at a Capitol Hill rally and almost told Gore and Bush where to go before settling for a much more measured ultimatum

    Chapter Marks

    0:00:00 Cold Open

    0:00:27 Welcome / RAW 10/2/00

    0:02:09 Attitude Era Fizzling / WCW Context

    0:08:41 TNN Ratings / Show Overview

    0:11:08 Dennis Dunn Tribute / Kevin Dunn

    0:12:20 Rock Opens RAW / Wrestling vs Talking

    0:15:31 Rock's Marion Barry Promo

    0:17:25 Angle Responds / Be Like Kurt

    0:20:10 Foley / Triple H / The Variety Hour

    0:25:17 Benoit / Kane / Rikishi / Tag Match Booked

    0:33:32 Hardys vs Too Cool

    0:35:36 Foley / Edge & Christian / Hardcore Title

    0:36:17 Taz & Raven & X-Pac vs Jericho & Dudleys

    0:41:43 Lita vs Jacqueline Backstage Brawl

    0:43:10 Rob Loses Patience With Foley

    0:44:36 Rock & Rikishi vs Benoit & Kane

    0:45:53 Foley's Ultimatum / Billy Gunn Prime Suspect

    0:49:12 Edge & Christian vs Blackman (Hardcore)

    0:52:32 Brooklyn Brawler / Austin Stuns Everyone

    0:54:52 Austin Stuns Foley

    0:58:52 SmackDown Your Vote / Capitol Hill Rally

    1:00:12 Triple H vs Angle (Main Event)

    1:02:24 Triple H Turns Back on Stephanie

    1:05:08 Patreon / Sign-Off

    Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr 7 min
  6. Foley Says "Or Else" & Former Writer Explains Why That's the Problem - WWF SmackDown 9/28/00 Review

    Episode 124

    Show notes

    SmackDown comes from Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh on September 28th, 2000. Before Tommy Blacha and Rob Pasbani get to the show, they read a listener comment that takes about two minutes to accurately diagnose every creative problem WWF is about to run into over the next two years. Tommy cannot disagree with a word of it.

    Foley opens the show warning Austin to play by his rules or else. Austin responds by hiding in a phone booth backstage and jumping Road Dog in the middle of a hardcore match. Raven gets his first WWF promo and it is immediately buried by a Jericho interruption, dragged into the Taz and Lawler comedy feud, and aimed at entirely the wrong people. Rock and Triple H team up against Angle and Benoit in a main event that works as a match and means nothing as a story. Stephanie pulls a chair away from Rock at the worst possible moment. Angle slam. Three count.

    Tommy, still occasionally sending in material but increasingly disconnected from the room, explains what is actually happening behind the scenes: not laziness, but too many voices, a soap opera decree from management, Hollywood writers who do not know the roster, and a company so financially successful it has stopped being hungry. The people there are working harder than ever. The output is getting worse.

    Please support the show, and join our brand new Patreon, featuring watch-alongs for classic matches.

    You also get these episodes uncensored and one day early!

    Please subscribe at https://patreon.com/talesfromtheattitudeera

    Other major discussion points include:

    • Lita introduces the new tag champions the Hardys before beating Jackie in a match that Edge and Christian have no business being ringside for
    • Steve Blackman gets nothing from his SummerSlam moment; six weeks later he is in a throwaway hardcore match used as a vehicle for an Austin run-in
    • Trish recruits Kane for a six-man by mentioning Rikishi; the hosts assume it leads somewhere; it does not
    • Raven and Taz beat Jericho and Lawler after X-Pac interferes and Raven hits the DDT; the Dudleys run out after; Tommy says Raven and X-Pac should have been the team
    • Chyna strips down mid-match to intimidate Steven Richards; the hosts note she looks exactly the same; she wins anyway
    • Stephanie pulls the chair away from Rock and hands Angle the win; Rob says the milk on the Triple H and Angle story is starting to turn

    Chapter Marks

    • 0:00:00 Cold Open
    • 0:00:27 Welcome / SmackDown 9/28/00
    • 0:03:06 Listener Feedback / YouTube Comments
    • 0:11:04 Foley Opens the Show
    • 0:19:16 Benoit / Angle / Main Event Booked
    • 0:22:40 Austin Finds Road Dog and X-Pac
    • 0:26:23 Lita vs Jackie / Hardy Tag Titles
    • 0:27:35 Road Dog vs Blackman / Austin Phone Booth
    • 0:32:32 Trish / Kane Backstage
    • 0:33:54 Taz / Raven Promo
    • 0:40:46 Jericho Interrupts / Tag Match Set Up
    • 0:42:37 Triple H / Rock Backstage
    • 0:43:15 Sunday Night Heat / MTV Discussion
    • 0:45:42 Too Cool & Rikishi vs Kane & T&A
    • 0:46:53 Jericho & Lawler vs Taz & Raven
    • 0:49:13 Rock Promo / Kevin Kelly
    • 0:50:01 Chyna vs Steven Richards
    • 0:54:42 Foley on Stage / Austin Stuns X-Pac
    • 0:58:38 Triple H / Rock Backstage
    • 0:59:48 Rock & Triple H vs Angle & Benoit
    • 1:06:23 Patreon / Sign-Off

    Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr 8 min
  7. The Hardys and Edge and Christian Have a Forgotten Ladder Classic on Free TV - WWF RAW 9/25/00 Review

    Episode 123

    Show notes

    Raw moves to TNN. Austin is back on Monday night for the first time in almost a year. The Viacom suits need to be impressed. Tommy Blacha and Rob Pasbani review WWF RAW from Penn State University on September 25th, 2000, a show that hotshots two pay-per-view quality matches in one night and still finds time for Tommy to notice that the machine is getting too big.

    Austin opens the show, stuns Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit in the same segment, visits Undertaker backstage in a scene that felt like a western, and walks in on William Regal reading Shakespeare before stunning him before he can finish a sentence. The Hardys and Edge and Christian have a ladder match that Rob calls forgotten and incredible in the same breath. Edge pulls off a spear from the top of a giant ladder onto a dangling Jeff Hardy, the same spot he will use six months later at WrestleMania 17, and nobody in the building even knows it yet.

    Tommy, still loosely working on things for the company at this point but feeling the ground shifting, talks about what it smells like when the writing staff gets too big, the synergy people start showing up, and creative gets convoluted. He also raises the question nobody on screen seems to be asking: every time Austin stuns someone, is there a next week?

    Please support the show, and join our brand new Patreon, featuring watch-alongs for classic matches.

    You also get these episodes uncensored and one day early!

    Please subscribe at https://patreon.com/talesfromtheattitudeera

    Other major discussion points include:

    • Kane vs Rikishi barely starts before Rikishi grabs a chair and the whole thing collapses
    • Raven DDTs Lawler and Bubba Ray Dudley in the same night; a Tazz and Raven alliance appears to be forming
    • Chyna cuts an emotional promo about her Playboy cover; Right to Censor immediately interrupts; Eddie Guerrero challenges them for the IC title on the spot
    • Kurt Angle reads the USA Today while Trish Stratus puts his gold medal somewhere he does not notice until he looks up
    • X-Pac smashes a glass bottle over Jericho's face to win the first blood match; Jericho puts him in the Walls of Jericho on the announce table after the bell
    • Triple H inadvertently helps Rock retain the title by throwing Benoit into a Rock Bottom; Benoit headbutts Stephanie on his way out

    Chapter Marks

    • 0:00:00 Cold Open
    • 0:00:29 Welcome / RAW on TNN
    • 0:02:01 First RAW on TNN Overview
    • 0:06:40 Penn State / Show Context
    • 0:11:14 Austin / Foley / Benoit / Angle
    • 0:21:28 Kane vs Rikishi
    • 0:24:58 Austin Visits Undertaker
    • 0:26:11 Foley / E&C Backstage
    • 0:30:10 Tazz vs Bubba / Raven Returns
    • 0:36:22 Stephanie / Triple H Backstage
    • 0:38:24 Ladder Match: Hardys vs E&C
    • 0:42:58 Austin Interrogates the Stooges
    • 0:44:16 Chyna Playboy Promo / RTC / Eddie
    • 0:48:38 Angle / Trish Stratus Backstage
    • 0:49:56 X-Pac vs Jericho (First Blood)
    • 0:51:15 Austin / Triple H Locker Room
    • 0:53:20 Eddie vs Val Venis (IC Title)
    • 0:55:30 Crash at WWF New York / Regal Returns
    • 0:56:25 Rock vs Benoit (Main Event)
    • 1:00:53 Patreon / Sign-Off

    Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr 2 min
  8. WWF Unforgiven 2000 Review: The Main Event Everyone Built Toward Gets Eaten by Backstage Segments

    Episode 122

    Show notes

    Stone Cold Austin arrives at the First Union Center, attacks Kevin Kelly in the parking lot, and spends the entire night demanding answers that nobody gives him. Tommy Blacha and Rob Pasbani review WWF Unforgiven 2000 from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Their verdict: the first pay-per-view since WrestleMania that delivers good, but not great.

    Raven walks out during the Tazz and Lawler strap match, DDTs Lawler, Tazz wins, and Jim Ross says on commentary that Raven is not even on this roster. The ECW crowd pops accordingly. Jericho and X-Pac have the match of the night, it ends clean, no ref bump, X-Pac taps to the Walls of Jericho. Edge and Christian face the Hardys for the tag titles in a steel cage with convoluted rules, Jeff Hardy gets eliminated three minutes in, re-enters through a door, Lita does a hurricanrana from the top of the cage, and the Hardys win their first tag team championship.

    Triple H and Kurt Angle in a No DQ match with Foley as special referee is the most anticipated match on the card. It runs short because backstage segments ate the time. Stephanie low blows Angle. Triple H wins. The hosts describe the finish as sweaty. Tommy, who wrote for WWF during this period, observes that the writers' room was expanding, performers were becoming less empowered, and scripted lines were taking over. He ends with: "Boy, am I glad I don't work there anymore."

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    Other major discussion points include:

    • RTC, the Dudley Boyz, and the Acolytes are thrown together into an 8-man tag with a Steven kick finish; everyone looks weak
    • Al Snow represents Italy in the Hardcore Invitational with a Tony Danza portrait and a red cloth; Blackman wins; the 24/7 rule is suspended until RAW with no clear explanation
    • Austin and Angle meet on screen for the first time; Angle offers him an honorary gold medal; Austin tells him where to put it
    • Shane McMahon presents "evidence" involving old footage of Blackman bumping into Shamrock; Austin stuns Blackman (the hosts say this badly herbs him for a pop), then stuns Shane
    • Rock survives the Fatal Four-Way against Benoit, Undertaker, and Kane; Benoit "wins" the title but his foot is on the rope; Foley restarts; Rock retains via Rock Bottom; the hosts hate the fatal four-way format

    Chapter Marks

    • 0:00:00 Cold Open
    • 0:00:53 Welcome / Unforgiven 2000
    • 0:02:03 Pay-Per-View Value / Black Box
    • 0:05:50 Card Overview / Show Impressions
    • 0:08:31 RTC 8-Man Tag
    • 0:14:29 Triple H / Stephanie Backstage
    • 0:15:41 Tazz vs Lawler / Raven Debuts
    • 0:26:34 Austin Arrives / Kevin Kelly
    • 0:27:23 Hardcore Invitational / Blackman Wins
    • 0:35:32 Austin Meets Angle
    • 0:36:32 Jericho vs X-Pac
    • 0:39:07 Foley's No DQ / Rock and Austin
    • 0:41:28 E&C vs Hardys Steel Cage
    • 0:50:17 Austin / Stephanie Locker Room
    • 0:53:36 Eddie vs Rikishi / Chyna
    • 0:57:13 Triple H vs Angle (No DQ)
    • 1:07:53 Shane McMahon's Evidence
    • 1:16:22 Tommy's Insider Take
    • 1:17:08 Fatal Four-Way / Rock Retains
    • 1:21:09 Overall Assessment
    • 1:23:45 Patreon / Sign-Off

    Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr 25 min
  9. Kurt Angle Has a Sledgehammer & a Kiss for Stephanie - WWE SmackDown 9/21/00 Review

    Episode 121

    Show notes

    Kurt Angle ends the main event with an Angle Slam, a sledgehammer, a surprise kiss on Stephanie McMahon, and the line "ask your wife if I kiss like a pansy." Stone Cold cuts a pre-tape from his house in Texas that sells both hosts on Unforgiven more than anything else on the show. Tommy Blacha and Rob Pasbani recap the September 21, 2000 edition of WWF SmackDown, live from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the final SmackDown before Unforgiven 2000.

    The opening segment puts the entire 40-man roster around the ring while Foley plays amateur detective. Rock denies running over Austin with a Swedish Chef impression. Triple H defends himself. Angle says maybe it was SA Rios. Xpac accuses Jericho. Undertaker arrives to a big pop. Brawl. The hosts agree this works. The gay panic jokes Triple H keeps making backstage do not.

    Eddie Guerrero comes out with roses, delivers a speech about how Chyna is a superstar and he is nothing, reveals her Playboy cover for the first time, and gets on one knee. The crowd chants "just say no." She says yes. The hosts discuss whether this storytelling decision serves Chyna or undermines her.

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    Other major discussion points include:

    • Shane McMahon makes a surprise return two months after Blackman knocked him off a scaffold at SummerSlam and says he'll reveal who ran over Austin at Unforgiven; Triple H hears it, turns to Stephanie, and points out Shane said he was "all alone" in the hospital
    • Jeff Hardy wore Sting facepaint as a kid and called himself the Wolverine; Edge and Christian found old footage and screened it in a dark room with a projector, then attacked the Hardys with chairs
    • Al Snow represents Spain as European Champion with a Ricardo Montalban portrait, a pinata, and a red cloth; the Hardcore title match collapses under 247 rules and Blackman wins by kicking a garbage can into Taka's face
    • Jericho and Lawler vs Xpac and Tazz ends in a DQ when Tazz chokes Lawler with a strap; the stipulation that those two couldn't touch before the pay-per-view is never acknowledged as lifted
    • Too Cool forces a reluctant four-man dance on both the Acolytes and the Dudleys; Bradshaw holds out longest
    • SmackDown Your Vote: 90,000 registered, and they give you the real number, not 100,000

    Chapter Marks

    00:00 Cold Open

    00:28 Welcome / Milwaukee / SmackDown 9/21/2000

    01:55 Show Overview

    03:06 Opening Segment / Who Ran Over Austin?

    06:39 Triple H Defends Himself / Gay Panic Analysis

    09:08 Angle / Xpac Accuses Jericho / Stephanie Blamed

    11:32 Undertaker Arrives / Brawl

    14:18 Val Venis vs Scotty 2 Hotty

    17:20 Backstage: Triple H / Greg Luganis Jokes

    22:48 Hardys Promo / E&C Dark Room

    24:19 Al Snow (Spain) vs Steve Blackman

    27:54 Austin Up Next / SmackDown Your Vote

    32:34 Austin Pre-Tape

    33:23 Shane McMahon Returns

    35:09 Triple H Catches Stephanie in a Lie

    37:32 Jericho and Lawler vs Xpac and Tazz

    39:42 Chyna Confronts Eddie Backstage

    40:41 Eddie's Apology / Chyna's Playboy Cover

    44:16 Eddie Proposes / Chyna Says Yes

    48:10 Acolytes / RTC / Too Cool Dancing

    49:41 Main Event

    52:07 Gay Panic Spot / Undertaker's Motorcycle

    53:31 Angle Slam and Sledgehammer

    54:11 Angle Kisses Stephanie / "Who's Crying Now?"

    57:10 Final Thoughts / Patreon

    59:11 Sign-Off

    Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr
  10. HHH Questions Kurt Angle's Lifestyle; Final Episode on USA - WWE RAW 9/18/00 Review

    Episode 120

    Show notes

    Triple H tells Kurt Angle he just wants to be friends with Stephanie, maybe go shopping for drapes. Kurt has never been more offended. Tommy Blacha and Rob Pasbani recap the September 18, 2000 edition of WWF Monday Night Raw, live from the Rosemont Horizon in Chicago, Illinois, six days before Unforgiven 2000. Also the last Raw on USA Network.

    The opening promo ends with Rob, as a gay man, explaining exactly why "shopping for drapes" works and why "batting on the other side of the plate than the rest of us" is the one line that doesn't. Foley books TNA and Trish against Triple H, Angle, and Stephanie, and the hosts are almost surprised it took this long to get here.

    William Regal makes his WWE debut at the Rosemont, which Tommy calls the single best venue to debut anyone who needs an immediate reaction. Regal sets up a dinner table, demonstrates proper napkin usage, and explains that American parents have clearly failed their children. Jericho interrupts with a fake British accent and a failed tablecloth magic trick. Xpac shows up with nunchucks.

    Undertaker pins the world champion in a non-title match six days before Unforgiven. The four challengers brawl to end the show. The hosts spend two minutes establishing the correct wrestling terminology for what just happened.

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    Other major discussion points include:

    • Tazz arrives as substitute ring announcer in a thug'd up suit jacket with the arms ripped off, a bow tie, and Thug Life on the back, introduces Rikishi as "6,000 pounds from the waist down," and announces the result directly into Lawler's ear
    • Hugh Hefner recorded a video for Chyna's Playboy issue and could not learn Eddie Guerrero's name in however many takes, referring to him only as "the boyfriend"
    • Eddie fakes being sick to send Chyna in to wrestle Rikishi in his place, then sprays mace in Rikishi's eyes, and Rikishi gives Chyna a bonsai drop while staring directly at Eddie
    • The USA vs Viacom lawsuit backstory: USA claimed first right of refusal, WWE argued they did not match the deal because Viacom included $5 million in advertising that USA could not offer
    • Tommy has a detailed memory of rooting for heels as a teenager at Cobo Arena, a drunk accountant in a suit who produced a small Soviet flag from his blazer pocket, and what his mom thought of all of it
    • The Rosemont Horizon: 15 straight sellouts, Tommy calls it a top five guaranteed hot show venue, and WWF chose this specific building to debut Regal and switch networks for good reason

    Chapter marks

    • 00:00 Cold Open
    • 02:50 USA vs Viacom Lawsuit
    • 07:42 William Regal Debut Discussion
    • 09:47 Show Starts / Stephanie Opens
    • 19:47 Acolytes Attack RTC / Dudleys vs Goodfather and Bull Buchanan
    • 21:59 Rock Promo / "Lord of Monkey Piss" / Undertaker Responds
    • 24:44 Foley Books Rock vs Taker and Kane vs Benoit / Hugh Hefner Can't Say Eddie's Name
    • 27:04 Backstage: Eddie's "Sick" / Kane vs Benoit / Ring Bell Chaos
    • 30:10 European Championship Discussion / 2004 Dark Period
    • 31:28 Backstage: Triple H, Stephanie, and Angle / "Girls Room Is Down the Hall"
    • 38:32 TNA and Trish vs Triple H, Angle, and Stephanie
    • 44:42 Angle Hugs Stephanie Post-Match / Triple H Spears Angle
    • 46:01 Eddie Wrapped in a Blanket / Tazz as Ring Announcer
    • 48:49 Rikishi vs Eddie / Chyna Caught in the Middle
    • 54:13 William Regal Debuts / Table Manners Promo
    • 56:39 Tommy's House Show Story / The Drunk Accountant with the Soviet Flag
    • 1:01:36 Jericho Interrupts Regal / Xpac Attacks with Nunchucks
    • 1:03:07 Too Cool vs Edge and Christian / Austin Pay-Per-View Promo
    • 1:04:15 Foley: "Smackdown Your Vote"
    • 1:05:08 Main Event: Rock vs Undertaker (Non-Title) / Benoit on Commentary
    • 1:05:59 Undertaker Pins Rock / Four-Way Brawl to End the Show
    • 1:08:02 Final Thoughts / Patreon / Rosemont Wrestlemania History
    • 1:10:49 Sign-Off

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    1 hr 11 min
  11. Edge and Christian Introduce the Hardys of the Future - WWE SmackDown 9/14/00 Review

    Episode 119

    Show notes

    Eddie Guerrero shows up at the Playboy Mansion demanding to speak to Hugh Hefner. The bodyguard thinks he means his actual mother. The door gets slammed in his face. He walks away cool. Tommy Blacha and Rob Pasbani recap the September 14, 2000 edition of WWF SmackDown, live from the America West Arena in Phoenix, Arizona.

    Foley books three tag matches to force the Unforgiven participants to coexist: Angle and Triple H vs T&A, Kane and Benoit vs the Acolytes, and Rock and Undertaker vs the Dudleys in a tables match. The stipulation is that if you attack your partner before the pay-per-view, your Unforgiven match is cancelled. The hosts count roughly six ways the stipulation gets broken before the night is over.

    Triple H and Angle team up and spend the entire match trying to outshine each other against T&A. Test takes advantage of the dysfunction, pins Triple H clean, and gets the biggest singles win of his career to that point. T&A are not given a moment to celebrate. The hosts have a lot to say about that.

    Edge and Christian, meanwhile, introduce the Hardys of the Future. Two elderly men dressed exactly like Matt and Jeff with the jinkos and the cutoff shirts come to the ring. Then Lita's music hits. It is a third old man. Edge says "dude, time travel rules" and he is not wrong.

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    Other major discussion points include:

    • Tazz buys a front-row seat directly behind Cole and Lawler, brings a bucket of popcorn, gets mic'd up throughout the Blackman vs Saturn hardcore match, and pours the rest of the popcorn on Cole on his way out
    • Kane and Benoit have a dysfunction problem: Benoit walks out mid-match and leaves Kane in a two-on-one situation while the hosts puzzle over who technically broke the stipulation first
    • Val Venis joins Right to Censor in white pants while everyone else wears black, says "I wasn't brainwashed" and "selective censorship is not wrong," and the crowd responds with a "ho" chant
    • Rock asks Lillian "do you like pie?" and the hosts have a lot of questions about the internal logic of this new catchphrase
    • Listener of the week: MKJ Comics writes in about his grandma who thought wrestling was real her whole life, called upset every time Triple H used a sledgehammer, and was buried with a John Cena wall clock
    • PMFG weighs in: we are already in the bad creative period, the problems of 2001 started in 2000, and the Radicals died months in with no story

    Chapter marks

    • 00:00 Cold Open
    • 00:22 Welcome / Phoenix / SmackDown 9/14/2000
    • 03:18 Listener Comments / Jonathan on Kreski and Continuity
    • 11:25 MKJ Comics: The Grandma Who Thought Wrestling Was Real
    • 15:12 PMFG: "We're Already in the Bad Creative Period"
    • 16:00 Back to the Show / America West Arena
    • 18:29 Foley Opens / "I Answer to the Fans"
    • 18:51 Tangent: Paul Heyman 2025 / "We Don't Answer to the Fans"
    • 22:43 Opening Segment / Foley Books Unforgiven
    • 25:10 Triple H Out / Tag Matches and Stipulations Announced
    • 31:25 Kane and Benoit vs Acolytes
    • 36:39 Triple H in Foley's Office
    • 37:34 Eddie at the Playboy Mansion
    • 38:58 Chyna Packs Her Bags
    • 40:14 Val Venis / "I Wasn't Brainwashed"
    • 42:52 Rikishi and Too Cool vs Right to Censor / Eddie Interferes
    • 44:59 Test and Trish Backstage
    • 45:36 Triple H and Angle vs T&A / Test Pins Triple H
    • 50:46 Tazz Wants to Quit / Foley Books Tazz vs Lawler at Unforgiven
    • 51:27 Edge and Christian: The Hardys of the Future
    • 54:43 Blackman vs Saturn / Tazz Heckles from Front Row
    • 56:32 Edge, Christian, and X-Pac vs Jericho and the Hardys
    • 58:32 Rock Promo / Do You Like Pie?
    • 1:00:04 Main Event: Rock and Undertaker vs Dudleys (Tables Match)
    • 1:04:19 Final Thoughts and Sign-Off

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    1 hr 7 min
  12. The HHH, Angle, and Stephanie Looney Tunes Segment Nobody Saw Coming - WWE RAW 9/11/00 Review

    Episode 118

    Show notes

    Eddie hears Chyna is going to be on the Playboy cover. The same Eddie who spent months praising his own security and confidence and pride in her. The reaction is immediate and completely inconsistent. Tommy Blacha and Rob Pasbani recap the September 11, 2000 edition of WWF Monday Night Raw, live from Phoenix, Arizona, two weeks before Unforgiven.

    Triple H draws Jericho as his surprise opponent and they run a fast, heated match before X-Pac runs in for the DQ. Triple H shoves him off and nobody explains anything. The DX dissolution continues, unaddressed. Later, in the Kurt Angle vs T&A match, Stephanie sneaks out despite Triple H's explicit instructions, and what follows is Tommy's unlikely standout of the night, a Looney Tunes sequence involving all three performers that works entirely because the execution is crisp and the performers are that good.

    Tazz, after getting knocked out by a David Hasselhoff portrait, grabs the mic and says exactly what everyone has been thinking. He can't compete with Lawler's political power. Nobody wants him here. The outsider is tapping out. Tazz has become just another victim of the WWF. The hosts find it oddly engaging.

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    Other major discussion points include:

    - Lita wins the Women's Title from Ivory after Midian's streaking run-in provides the distraction, with the hosts noting she has no angle heading into Unforgiven despite being champion

    - Hardy Boys become number one contenders after Edge's interference accidentally helps them beat the Dudleys, setting up Hardys vs Edge and Christian at Unforgiven

    - Mick Foley announces a Fatal Four Way for Unforgiven with Rock defending against Undertaker, Benoit, and Kane, and the hosts question why Undertaker earned a shot after just getting pinned

    - Val Venis appears completely fine after being abducted last week, hits the Acolytes with a chair, and joins Right to Censor with no conversion promo and no explanation

    - Tommy opens the episode with stories from behind the scenes at the 2000 MTV VMAs, held that same week at Radio City Music Hall, including what it was like to work on a live production that made wrestling look organized by comparison

    - Observer notes include William Regal's debut held for time, talks with Raven about joining the company, and K-Kwik ready to debut with a plan to pair him with Road Dogg

    Chapters:

    00:00 Cold Open

    02:27 Tommy at the 2000 MTV VMAs

    10:50 Back to the Show / RAW and SmackDown at the Same Venue

    11:59 Perry Saturn's Travel Nightmare

    12:33 Show Overview / JR Gives the Card

    13:29 Foley's Opening Promo / The Austin Investigation

    14:15 The Rock Comes Out

    15:36 Benoit Claims #1 Contendership

    16:09 WWF Name / World Wildlife Fund Lawsuit

    20:52 Foley Books the Main Event

    21:41 Hardys vs Dudleys / Edge and Christian on Commentary

    23:44 Lita vs Ivory / Women's Title

    25:22 Kurt Angle in Foley's Office

    26:57 Eddie and Chyna: Earlier Today

    30:52 Eddie and Chyna vs Too Cool

    32:34 Eddie Attacks Too Cool / Rikishi / Chyna's Decision

    35:21 Triple H Backstage

    36:12 Triple H's Entrance / Chyna Reveals Playboy

    40:25 Triple H vs Jericho

    43:33 X-Pac DQ / DX Implosion

    47:47 RTC vs Acolytes / Val Venis Joins Right to Censor

    50:24 Al Snow vs Tazz

    52:04 Tazz's "Tapping Out" Promo

    53:54 SmackDown Your Vote / Bush and Gore

    56:53 Kurt Angle vs T&A

    1:01:53 Foley Books Triple H vs Angle at Unforgiven

    1:02:23 Steve Blackman vs X-Pac / Jericho Interferes

    1:04:20 Benoit and Kane Backstage

    1:05:28 X-Pac Attacks Jericho Backstage

    1:06:38 Rock and Undertaker Backstage

    1:08:02 Main Event: Rock and Undertaker vs Benoit and Kane

    1:10:05 Benoit Pins Undertaker / Fatal Four Way Announced

    1:11:42 Observer Notes / Regal, Raven, K-Kwik

    1:15:47 Creative Direction / The Road Ahead

    1:16:34 Final Thoughts and Sign-Off

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    1 hr 17 min
  13. Eddie Guerrero's Emmy Performance Saves a Mediocre Show - WWE SmackDown 9/7/00 Review

    Episode 117

    Show notes

    Chyna confronts Eddie backstage and tells him he used her, stepped on her, and only loves the title around his waist. Eddie turns it around completely. His family. His friends. His personal wants. You were on Jay Leno three times. Third Rock from the Sun. Your magazine. Not one page. Are you going to be behind me when I face Road Dog, or is the door right there? Tommy Blacha and Rob Pasbani recap the September 7, 2000 edition of WWF SmackDown, live from Louisville, Kentucky.

    With Jerry Lawler sidelined from Raw, Tazz joins Michael Cole on commentary in what Tommy and Rob call a preview of the future SmackDown announce team. He roots openly for heels, steals JR's catchphrases, and corrects Cole's move calls in character. Then Lawler returns mid-show, strap in hand, and chokes Tazz out in the middle of his Brooklyn catchphrase.

    Steve Austin cuts a pre-tape from home, back to camera, nine months out of action. He doesn't forget and he doesn't forgive. It's a good thing the next pay-per-view is called Unforgiven. The promo doesn't fully hang together but Tommy and Rob say it doesn't need to. Austin coming back on screen is enough to make a rough episode feel like must-see TV.

    Other major discussion points include:

    • Triple H beats Test and Albert in a handicap match when Kurt Angle runs in uninvited, helps Triple H win, and does the you're-welcome look from the stage despite Triple H wanting nothing to do with him
    • Rock pins Christian in the main event after Edge is taken out by Rock's own chair, with Foley inserting Kane as Christian's partner in a decision neither host can explain, and Kane chokeslams Rock through the announce table on his way out
    • Benoit pins Rikishi after RTC distraction, and Tazz corrects Cole's move calls in character, including the moment Cole calls a Northern Lights suplex a Sherman suplex
    • APA and Dudleys have a bloody, joyful barroom brawl at the Have a Nice Day Cafe, cap it with a handshake bit between Bubba and Farooq, and then Kaientai shows up wanting sake
    • Too Cool lose to the Goodfather and Bull Buchanan and the worm is blocked for the second straight week
    • Tommy opens the episode discussing WWE Studios, the XFL, the WWF record label, and what it looked like from the inside as WWF expanded into every possible business at once

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    New watch along added: Gorilla Monsoon Mixtape!

    Previous watch alongs include RVD/Sabu vs. Hayabusa/Hakushi, Verne Gagne vs. Dick the Bruiser, Rock vs Hogan and Buddy Rogers vs. Pat O'Connor.

    You also get these episodes one day early!

    Please subscribe at https://patreon.com/talesfromtheattitudeera

    Chapter Marks

    00:00 Intro

    00:32 Tommy's Consulting Role

    04:51 Too Much Soap Opera

    08:56 Rob on 40 Years of Fandom

    11:45 Show Overview / Tazz Replaces Lawler on Commentary

    17:01 X-Pac vs Jericho

    18:49 Kurt Angle in Foley's Office / Angle vs Undertaker Booked

    19:34 Edge and Christian Promo / "Rocker Taker" / The Rock Comes Out

    22:11 The Rock Sets Up a Handicap Match for the WWF Title

    23:54 Backstage: Triple H and Stephanie

    25:35 Acolytes at the Have a Nice Day Cafe

    26:06 Benoit vs Rikishi / Tazz Corrects Cole's Move Calls

    28:09 Eddie and Chyna Backstage: "Where Was I When You Were on Jay Leno?"

    35:15 APA vs Dudleys Barroom Brawl / Lawler Returns and Chokes Tazz Mid-Catchphrase

    35:44 Triple H vs Test and Albert

    36:51 Angle Runs In / Saves Stephanie / Triple H Wins

    39:26 Chyna Backstage with Road Dog / Triple H and Stephanie Argue About Angle

    44:04 Eddie Guerrero vs Road Dog

    47:33 Eddie Attacks Road Dog Post-Match

    48:07 Too Cool vs Right to Censor

    51:21 APA and Dudleys at the Bar / Kaientai Wants Sake

    53:46 Kurt Angle vs Undertaker / Benoit Interferes

    54:56 Triple H and Stephanie Backstage

    55:44 Stone Cold Pre-Tape: "It's a Good Thing the Next PPV Is Called Unforgiven"

    57:40 Rock Ambushes Edge / Main Event Set

    58:31 Main Event: Rock vs Christian and Kane (WWF Title Handicap Match)

    1:01:43 Final Thoughts / Patreon Plug

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    1 hr 6 min
  14. Christian Pins The Rock & Test Confesses to Calling the Cops on HHH - WWE RAW 9/4/00 Review

    Episode 116

    Show notes

    Test steps out with Trish and asks Mick Foley to wait. November 28, 1999, the night Triple H took the money, the power, and Stephanie, Test sat back. The smile on his face when those cops came. He made the call. Tommy Blacha and Rob Pasbani recap the September 4, 2000 Labor Day edition of WWF Monday Night Raw, live from the Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky, airing at 11pm due to the US Open on USA Network.

    Foley opens the show with a full investigation, narrowing the spousal abuse complaint down to 373 suspects, then bringing out Stephanie, Angle, Chyna, and Eddie one by one. The Test reveal lands as clever soap opera with real nostalgic stakes. Triple H then immediately Pedigrees both Test and Albert in the same night and leaves them on the mat.

    In the IC title triple threat, Angle knocks Chyna out cold with the belt. Eddie dropkicks Angle out, turns around, and finds Mamacita laid out. He chooses her over Angle. They fall together in a heap, the referee counts three, and Eddie Guerrero is the new Intercontinental Champion. The camera pans to catch a devious grin on his face while Chyna cannot see it, a reveal Tommy and Rob say undercuts everything the pairing has built.

    Other major discussion points include:

    • Christian pins The Rock with a Conchairto to close the show while Kane joins JR on commentary and delivers emo monologues about being dragged from the gutter and pain becoming your friend
    • The Dudleys beat the APA and Kaientai in a tables match, prompting Tommy to push for consistent rules: one member through the table ends the match, and anything requiring both should have its own name
    • Right to Censor kidnaps Val Venus after his promo defending personal freedom, and Lawler's RC Cola live read accidentally plays over Road Dogg's entrance promo
    • Tommy opens the episode comparing WWF's late-2000 slide to the current moment in WWE, using a JP Morgan stock analysis and a Fightful report about Netflix executive pressure on the 2025 creative team

    Please support the show, and join our brand new Patreon, featuring watch-alongs for classic matches.

    New watch along added: Gorilla Monsoon Mixtape!

    Previous watch alongs include RVD/Sabu vs. Hayabusa/Hakushi, Verne Gagne vs. Dick the Bruiser, Rock vs Hogan and Buddy Rogers vs. Pat O'Connor.

    You also get these episodes one day early!

    Please subscribe at https://patreon.com/talesfromtheattitudeera

    Chapters:

    00:00 Intro

    01:39 WWE 2025 vs. WWF 2000: Tommy's Exit, the TNN Move, and the Business Slide

    03:44 JP Morgan Analysis / Netflix Execs Pressure WWE Creative

    12:27 How to Watch on archive.org / Complete 2000 WWF Collection

    15:27 Show Overview / Aired at 11pm on Labor Day

    16:03 Opening Segment: Foley Investigates the Arrest / 373 Suspects

    21:42 Test's Confession: "November 28, 1999"

    29:24 Foley Books Triple H vs. Test / "I'm Not the Champion, But Okay"

    32:45 Number One Contender's Match: Kane vs. Benoit / Rock on Commentary

    37:17 Tables Match: Dudleys vs. APA / Rules Discussion

    41:27 Eddie Begs Foley / Triple Threat IC Match Booked

    42:27 SmackDown Your Vote / WWF Invites Bush and Gore to Debate

    44:29 IC Title Triple Threat: Eddie Guerrero vs. Chyna vs. Kurt Angle

    47:11 Test Hyped / Triple H and Stephanie Backstage

    48:52 Eddie Explains to Chyna / Offers the Belt Back / The Devious Face

    52:27 Triple H vs. Test (w/ Albert and Trish) / Angle Sneaks Up on Stephanie

    57:26 Naked Mideon with Foley / The Implication

    58:01 Val Venus vs. Right to Censor / "Stick It Where the Sun Don't Shine"

    1:00:20 Crash and Malenko Backstage / Edge and Christian: "Genital Warts Rule"

    1:02:46 Hardcore Title: Boss Man vs. Steve Blackman

    1:04:40 Road Dogg and Val vs. Right to Censor / RC Cola Disaster / Val Kidnapped

    1:07:15 Lawler and Jericho vs. Tazz and Mideon

    1:09:25 King Rolls Up Tazz / Austin Statement Teased for SmackDown

    1:11:00 Kane on Commentary / Emo Kane / "Pain Can Become Your Friend"

    1:11:48 Main Event: Rock and Undertaker vs. Edge and Christian / Conchairto / Christian Pins Rock

    1:14:52 Final Thoughts and Sign-Off

    Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr 18 min
  15. Chyna DDTs Stephanie & Triple H Gets Arrested for Spousal Abuse - WWE SmackDown 8/31/00 Review

    Episode 115

    Show notes

    Triple H and Stephanie are finally reconciling backstage when there's a knock on the door. It's the police, responding to a spousal abuse complaint. Triple H gets put in the car. Mick Foley runs up asking what about his main event. Tommy Blacha and Rob Pasbani recap the August 31, 2000 edition of WWF SmackDown, live from the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

    The show opens with Stephanie explaining her whereabouts since SummerSlam, but Angle immediately counters with footage of Chyna and Triple H's hug on Raw, then footage of Chyna tending to Triple H after their match. He accuses Triple H of domestic violence, Chyna comes to the ring to defend herself, and Angle gives her the Angle Slam. Tommy and Rob call it A+ soap opera from start to finish.

    With Triple H in a police car, the main event becomes Eddie vs Angle one-on-one, Chyna in Eddie's corner and Stephanie forced into Angle's. Angle cheats to win using the IC title belt. Chyna beats up Angle post-match, turns to face Stephanie, who tries to talk her way out. Chyna grabs her by the hair and DDTs her to one of the loudest pops of the night.

    Other major discussion points include:

    • Edge and Christian mock Monday's mini Hardies in a promo
    • Al Snow pins Saturn with a dragon sleeper submission to win the European Championship in a match involving Head, a stopped pinfall by Teddy Long, and a finish nobody saw coming
    • Undertaker vs Benoit for the number one contendership ends by disqualification when Kane interferes
    • Kaientai get caught laughing at the Dudleys' TLC losses, leading to the APA costing the Dudleys the match before the Dudleys table Funaki as a receipt
    • Trish Stratus shows up to Val Venis demanding respect, Val tears into her, telegraphing his turn to Right to Censor
    • Tommy covers Sunday Night Heat: Crash Holly, Dean Malenko, Kane's mask promo targeting The Rock, and what happened to T&A and the APA

    Just announced!

    Rob and Tommy announce the launch of their brand new Patreon featuring watch-alongs for classic matches.

    New watch along added: RVD/Sabu vs. Hayabusa/Hakushi

    The first watch along includes Rock vs Hogan and Buddy Rogers vs. Pat O'Connor.

    Please subscribe at https://patreon.com/talesfromtheattitudeera

    Chapters:

    00:00 Intro

    2:51 Crown Coliseum, Fayetteville, NC

    5:18 Tommy's Story: Steiners at a WCW Clash of Champions in This Arena

    7:32 Back to SmackDown / Storyline Momentum vs Raw

    7:56 Recap Focuses on Raw, Not SummerSlam

    8:15 Stephanie McMahon Opens the Show: The Alibi

    9:36 Kurt Angle Interrupts Stephanie

    12:54 Chyna Comes to the Ring

    14:34 Angle Slam on Chyna / Eddie Runs Out / Segment Analysis

    15:53 Triple H Arrives at the Arena / Stephanie Slaps Him

    16:43 Road Dog Promo at Fort Bragg / vs Bull Buchanan

    18:58 Chyna and Eddie Approach Foley

    19:41 Edge and Christian Promo / Six-Person Tag vs Hardy Boyz and Lita

    23:11 Backstage: Angle Approaches Stephanie About the Kiss

    24:45 European Championship: Al Snow vs Saturn

    27:42 Triple H and Stephanie Reconcile Backstage

    29:04 Al Snow's Post-Match Promo: "Citizens of Europea"

    30:49 Number One Contender Match: Undertaker vs Benoit / Kane and Rock Arrive

    32:13 The DQ Finish Problem: "Only Pinfall or Submission" Goes Out the Window

    35:55 Tazz Promo / Jericho Cuts Him Off

    40:00 Tazz vs Chris Jericho / Lawler Interferes

    41:05 What Went Wrong with Tazz in WWF / Tommy's Take on Vince's Blind Spot

    44:06 Just Joe Tells Angle About the Loud Noises / Angle Calls the Cops

    44:34 Kaientai Mock the Dudleys / Dudleys vs Kaientai / APA Interfere

    46:16 Backstage: Kurt Finds Stephanie / Trish Confronts Val Venis

    47:20 Rikishi vs Val Venis / Right to Censor Interference

    47:54 Chyna and Eddie Backstage Before the Main Event

    48:25 Triple H and Stephanie Make Up / Cops Arrive with Spousal Abuse Complaint

    49:24 Foley Changes the Main Event / Stephanie Forced Into Angle's Corner

    50:43 Main Event: Eddie Guerrero vs Kurt Angle

    51:05 Angle Wins with the IC Belt / Chyna DDTs Stephanie Post-Match

    54:21 Sunday Night Heat Rundown

    56:21 Closing Thoughts and Sign-Off

    Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

    57 min
  16. "That's My Mami!" Eddie Guerrero Shoves Triple H Over Chyna - WWE RAW 8/28/00 Review

    Episode 113

    Show notes

    Chyna knocks on Triple H's door to check on him after SummerSlam. They share a platonic hug. Eddie Guerrero walks in, shoves Triple H, and says "That's my mama." Tommy Blacha and Rob Pasbani recap the August 28, 2000 edition of WWF Monday Night Raw, live from Greensboro, North Carolina, one night after SummerSlam 2000.

    Triple H opened the show stranded in the parking garage, waiting for Stephanie who hasn't been seen since he accidentally hit her the night before. Kurt Angle comes to the ring and accuses him of domestic violence, then casually mentions his concussion is coming back to him. He remembers being in a hotel lobby after SummerSlam. He wasn't alone. Room A14. Wait, that was Stephanie's room. His memory is a little fuzzy.

    After Angle goads Eddie into defending Chyna's honor, he ends up running into the match with a steel chair anyway. The annoucers openly wonder whose side Chyna is really on. Tommy and Rob did not see this coming and loved every second of it.

    Other major discussion points include:

    • Edge and Christian bring out miniature versions of all three TLC teams for their 36-second pose, complete with tiny ladders, tiny tables, and a fight between the mini Hardies and mini Dudleys
    • Lita defends the Women's Championship against Jackie in the highest-rated quarter hour of the night, then eats an Edge spear post-match in what Tommy and Rob call a real test of whether her SummerSlam rub translated on its own
    • Chyna retains the IC title when Val Venis abandons his Money Shot to yell at Trish Stratus, who had been watching at ringside the entire match
    • JR grabs a trash can lid and clocks Tazz at ringside, letting Blackman retain the Hardcore title in a feud Tommy and Rob agree never justified itself
    • The Rock keeps the WWF title over Kane, but the Undertaker rides in on his motorcycle and choke slams Kane first, teasing a three-way championship program
    • Naked Midian debuts as a streaker in the Al Snow and Saturn mixed tag, wearing nothing but a fanny pack and a thong

    00:00 Intro and Cold Open: Eddie Guerrero Shoves Triple H Over Chyna

    00:33 Welcome to Tales from the Attitude Era

    00:52 Why Raw Aired at 11pm: US Open Tennis and the USA Network Problem

    1:07 Tommy's Backstage Story: Vince McMahon vs the Dog Show

    5:01 Post-SummerSlam Booking Philosophy and the Late Start Show

    6:06 The Chyna and Triple H Reunion: Kayfabe, Reality, and the Real-Life Timeline

    8:15 Mick Foley Opens the Show in Greensboro / Four Title Matches Announced

    10:31 Triple H Waits in the Parking Garage / X-Pac and Road Dog Weigh In

    10:54 Opening Match: Y2J and the Acolytes vs Benoit and T&A

    16:35 Kurt Angle Accuses Triple H of Abuse / Room A14 Revealed

    18:40 Triple H Cheap Shots Angle / Chyna and Eddie Watch from Backstage

    19:03 Intercontinental Championship: Chyna vs Val Venis

    23:00 Michael Cole Interviews Angle: "I Remember Stephanie's Room"

    23:42 Right to Censor Promo / Too Cool and Rikishi Dance Segment

    26:53 Chyna Enters Triple H's Dressing Room

    29:41 Eddie Guerrero Bursts In: "That's My Mama"

    31:53 Edge and Christian's Mini TLC Teams Segment

    36:24 Angle Talks Eddie Into Challenging Triple H

    36:53 Hardcore Championship: Tazz vs Steve Blackman / JR with the Trash Can Lid

    41:54 Just Joe Gets Kicked Out / Eddie Barges In and a Match Is Made

    45:14 Women's Championship: Lita vs Jackie / Edge Spears Lita Post-Match

    49:14 Kane Promo: No Voice Box, New Monster Heel Direction

    53:28 Patreon Plug

    55:38 Chyna and Eddie Backstage Before the Match

    56:03 Eddie Guerrero vs Triple H

    1:00:07 Frog Splash Miss / Pedigree Attempt / Angle Runs In with a Chair

    1:01:04 Chyna Saves Both Men / The Love Quadrangle Is Born

    1:03:05 Al Snow and Saturn vs Cat and Terry / Naked Midian Debuts

    1:05:25 Dudleys at WWF New York / The Rock Promo with Kevin Kelly

    1:06:47 WWF Championship: The Rock vs Kane / The Undertaker Rides In

    1:09:24 Ratings Breakdown: 4.93 Rating and 11.5 Share

    1:12:46 Closing Thoughts and Sign-Off

    Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr 14 min
  17. WWE SummerSlam 2000 Review: The First-Ever TLC Match & Shane McMahon's Insane Scaffold Fall

    Show notes

    Kurt Angle grabs the mic before the main event and announces he has an apology to make for kissing Stephanie McMahon. He's sorry he didn't do it sooner. Tommy Blacha and Rob Pasbani recap SummerSlam 2000, live from Raleigh, North Carolina on August 27, 2000.

    The love triangle runs through the whole show. Stephanie tells her makeup artist backstage that Kurt is a good kisser. Angle's pre-match promo drops the line "I gave your wife the kind of passion you could never give her." Then the Spanish announce table breaks early, Angle is immediately concussed, and the main event somehow has to keep going.

    The match of the night is the first-ever Tables, Ladders and Chairs match between Edge and Christian, the Hardy Boyz, and the Dudley Boyz, which Tommy and Rob call a blueprint for an even better version at WrestleMania the following year. Earlier, Shane McMahon climbs 75 feet up the entrance scaffolding trying to escape Steve Blackman, takes a kendo stick to the back, and falls in one of the biggest bumps either host has ever seen.

    Other major discussion points include:

    - Chyna pins Trish Stratus to become two-time Intercontinental Champion in a mixed tag with a stipulation that creates more problems than it solves

    - JR pays Tazz back by smashing the same candy jar Tazz used on Lawler weeks earlier over his head to help the King get the win, though Tommy and Rob agree Tazz deserved better from the whole feud

    - Road Dogg and X-Pac finally collide but their slow-burn DX breakup never generated enough heat for the match to land

    - Jericho and Benoit put on a solid two-out-of-three falls match in 13 minutes, though Tommy argues the stipulation demands more time and the feud deserved a cleaner finish

    - The show opens with a Fellini-inspired David Sahadi short film that Tommy and Rob call one of the most interesting pay-per-view cold opens of the Attitude Era

    - Kane and Undertaker brawl on the outside with the bell never ringing, in a match the hosts agree did nothing to elevate either man

    ---

    Just announced!

    Rob and Tommy announce the launch of their brand new Patreon featuring watch-alongs for classic matches.

    New watch along added: Dick the Bruiser vs. Verne Gagne

    The first watch along includes Rock vs Hogan and Buddy Rogers vs. Pat O'Connor.

    Please subscribe at https://patreon.com/talesfromtheattitudeera

    ---

    00:00 Intro and Welcome to SummerSlam 2000 / Raleigh, NC / Gate Figures

    05:27 Card Structure Discussion and the David Sahadi Opening Film

    11:44 Meltzer and Keller Review SummerSlam

    14:53 Right to Censor vs Too Cool & Rikishi

    19:44 Heat Recap: The Kiss Aftermath / Kurt Angle Arrives

    21:01 Road Dogg vs X-Pac / The DX Breakup Falls Flat

    24:26 Chyna & Eddie Guerrero Backstage / Trish and Val's Tension

    30:09 Intercontinental Championship: Chyna & Eddie vs Val Venis & Trish Stratus

    37:33 Stephanie in the Makeup Chair: Kurt Is a Good Kisser

    38:23 Jerry Lawler vs Tazz / JR's Candy Jar Revenge

    47:18 Steve Blackman vs Shane McMahon (Hardcore Championship) / The Scaffold Fall

    52:22 Chris Jericho vs Chris Benoit (Two-Out-of-Three Falls)

    57:08 The First-Ever TLC Match: Edge & Christian vs Hardy Boyz vs Dudley Boyz

    1:03:19 Triple H Confronts Stephanie About the Kiss

    1:04:03 Thong Stinkface Match: Cat vs Terry

    1:08:39 Kane vs Undertaker (The Bell Never Rings)

    1:11:50 WWF Championship Triple Threat: The Rock vs Triple H vs Kurt Angle

    1:19:01 Overall Show Breakdown and Final Thoughts

    Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr 22 min
  18. Kurt Angle Kisses Stephanie McMahon - WWE SmackDown 8/24/00 Review

    Episode 112

    Show notes

    Kurt Angle dismisses the EMTs from Stephanie McMahon's room, tells her he really cares for her, and kisses her to close the show. Tommy Blacha and Rob Pasbani break down the August 24, 2000 edition of WWF SmackDown, the final episode before SummerSlam 2000, live from the New Orleans Arena in New Orleans, Louisiana.

    The whole episode builds around one question: will Stephanie pick Triple H or Kurt Angle as her mixed tag partner? The McMahon family love triangle is at full boil, and the final two minutes of the show are, as Tommy puts it, maybe the most melodramatic moment in WWE history.

    Chris Jericho rolls out a Benoit photoshop promo that Tommy and Rob agree is well below the level of their blood feud, complete with Dr. Seuss rhymes. Benoit fires back with his own "picture." In the Tazz/Lawler saga, Tazz spray-paints Lawler's rental car, smashes the window, and finds J.R. in the passenger seat.

    Other major discussion points include:

    - Rikishi moons Right to Censor, wins his match against the Goodfather, and teases Stevie Richards with the stink face before Bull Buchanan pulls him out at the last second to save the heat for SummerSlam

    - The six-person tag (Trish/Val/Test vs Chyna, Eddie Guerrero, and Steve Blackman) ends when Val's nunchuck attack on Blackman backfires and takes out Test instead

    - Kurt Angle pitches himself as Stephanie's partner backstage, promising the match won't last more than three minutes. Triple H then storms out when Stephanie suggests Angle made good points about the hothead thing, proving the critique in real time

    - Road Dogg and X-Pac lose a handicap match to Undertaker in what Tommy and Rob call the least heated angle heading into SummerSlam

    - A full breakdown of the SummerSlam 2000 card

    - The WWF's SmackDown Your Vote campaign, a partnership with MTV's Rock the Vote driven by the looming threat of censorship from the Parent Television Council

    ---

    Just announced!

    Rob and Tommy announce the launch of their brand new Patreon featuring watch-alongs for classic matches.

    The first watch along includes Rock vs Hogan and Buddy Rogers vs. Pat O'Connor.

    Please subscribe at https://patreon.com/talesfromtheattitudeera

    ---

    00:00 Intro

    03:29 Stephanie Demands a Rematch

    09:37 Backstage: Triple H Proves Angle Right About the Hothead Thing

    10:29 Rikishi Moons Right to Censor

    15:17 Eddie Guerrero & Chyna Backstage

    21:47 Trish Stratus & Val Venis vs Chyna, Eddie Guerrero & Steve Blackman

    27:32 Backstage: Kurt Angle Pitches Himself as Stephanie's Partner

    29:26 Tazz Spray-Paints Lawler's Rental Car

    34:47 Chris Jericho's Terrible Benoit Photoshops

    39:12 Benoit Responds with His Own "Picture"

    42:13 DX vs Undertaker (Handicap Match) / The Slow-Burn Breakup That Isn't Working

    44:06 Triple H Storms Out on Stephanie / SmackDown Your Vote

    46:34 Saturn vs Al Snow / The Thong Stinkface Match Is Set for SummerSlam

    48:55 Jericho & Hardies vs Benoit & Edge & Christian

    51:01 Triple H Confronts Angle Backstage / The Rock's Big Easy Promo

    53:03 Main Event: The Rock & Lita vs Kurt Angle & Stephanie McMahon

    55:33 Epilogue: Kurt Angle Kisses Stephanie McMahon to End the Show

    56:34 Analysis: Is This the Best SummerSlam Go-Home Angle Ever?

    1:02:29 The SummerSlam 2000 Card Is Set

    Follow Tales from The Attitude Era on all social media

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    Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr 8 min
  19. Lita Wins the Women's Championship w/ The Rock as Referee - WWE RAW 8/21/00 Review

    Episode 111

    Show notes

    Lita wins the Women's Championship from Stephanie McMahon with The Rock as special guest referee in a main event! Tommy Blacha calls one of the greatest convoluted booked gaga matches of the Attitude Era. Tommy Blacha and Rob Pasbani break down the August 21, 2000 edition of WWF Monday Night Raw, live from the Cajundome in Lafayette, Louisiana, six days before SummerSlam 2000.

    The show opens with The Rock cutting a Louisiana-specific promo before Mick Foley gives him the night off and announces two title matches for the evening: Shane McMahon vs. Steve Blackman for the Hardcore Championship and Stephanie's Women's Championship defense against Lita, with The Rock serving as special guest referee. In the chaotic main event, Triple H and Kurt Angle accompany Stephanie to ringside with the Hardy Boys in Lita's corner. At the decisive moment, Angle accidentally nails Triple H with a belt while trying to interfere, The Rock delivers a Rock Bottom to Angle, and Lita hits a moonsault on Stephanie to win the Women's Championship.

    Earlier in the night, Shane McMahon sneaks a kendo stick into the Hardcore title match and cracks Steve Blackman across the skull to steal the championship, only for Foley to immediately book him into a rematch at SummerSlam. In their tag match, Triple H pins Farooq for the win but conspicuously hangs back while Bradshaw drops Kurt Angle with a Clothesline from Hell, planting seeds of tension between the two allies heading into Sunday.

    Other major discussion points include:

    - Mick Foley adds a wrinkle to the IC title picture: if Eddie Guerrero or Chyna pins Val Venis or Trish Stratus in their tag match, they become the new Intercontinental Champion

    - Kane destroys Rikishi with three vicious chair shots before Right to Censor prevents Too Cool from making the save

    - Jerry Lawler hides behind a pile of equipment backstage and drops it on an unsuspecting Taz to get his revenge before sliding back out to commentary

    - Tommy reads from both the Wrestling Observer and the Pro Wrestling Torch on why Big Show was sent home, covering conditioning concerns, attitude, and a herniated disc

    - Kurt Angle tells Stephanie he's thinking of leaving the McMahon family; Stephanie begs him to stay in a scene Tommy credits to writer Brian Gewirtz

    - Steve Austin has been medically cleared and is expected back imminently

    ---

    Just announced!

    Rob and Tommy announce the launch of their brand new Patreon featuring watch-alongs for classic matches.

    The first watch along includes Rock vs Hogan and Buddy Rogers vs. Pat O'Connor.

    Please subscribe at https://patreon.com/talesfromtheattitudeera

    ---

    00:00 Intro

    03:25 The Observer and Torch Debate WWF's Booking Pace

    05:49 The Rock's Louisiana Promo

    09:47 Foley Gives The Rock the Night Off / SummerSlam Matches Announced

    14:32 Jerry Lawler Ambushes Taz Backstage

    15:22 The Hardy Boyz vs The Dudley Boyz / Edge & Christian on Commentary

    17:02 Val Venis & Trish Stratus vs Crash Holly & Ivory

    20:15 Foley Puts the Intercontinental Title on the Line in the Tag Match

    22:27 Kane Destroys Rikishi / Right to Censor Stops Too Cool

    23:15 The Dirt Sheets: What Really Happened to Big Show

    30:28 The Acolytes vs Kurt Angle & Triple H / Triple H Leaves Angle to the Wolves

    33:06 Right to Censor Promo / Foley's Shrimp Etouffee Bit / RTC vs Too Cool & Rikishi Set

    36:20 Shane's Mean Street Posse Scheme Backfires / Angle Threatens to Walk Out

    38:13 Chris Jericho vs Perry Saturn / Benoit Runs Down / Angle's Olympic Wrestling Lesson

    40:55 Steve Blackman vs Test (Hardcore 24/7) / Shane McMahon Wins the Hardcore Championship

    43:05 Shane's Hardcore Title Problem / Foley Books SummerSlam Rematch / Edge & Christian vs DX Set

    44:48 Edge & Christian vs DX for the Tag Team Championships

    46:11 Main Event: Lita vs Stephanie McMahon for the Women's Championship / The Rock as Special Guest Referee

    54:06 Was This the First Women's Main Event in Raw History?

    58:18 Steve Austin Cleared to Wrestle / Expected Back Soon

    Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr 7 min
  20. Foley's McMahon Family Vote Tears the Group Apart - WWE SmackDown 8/17/00 Review

    Episode 110

    Show notes

    Mick Foley turns the McMahon family against itself with a Survivor-style vote to decide who faces The Rock. Tommy Blacha and Rob Pasbani break down the August 17, 2000 episode of WWF SmackDown, live from the Worcester Centrum in Worcester, Massachusetts, with SummerSlam just two weeks away.

    Shane, Triple H, Stephanie, and Kurt Angle open the show by declaring themselves a united family, but Foley quickly detonates it by replaying the footage of Kurt kissing Stephanie's cheek from Raw. Rather than pick The Rock's opponent himself, Foley forces the McMahon camp to vote among themselves — with Shane volunteering first before the group ultimately settles on Triple H. Angle storms off in a fury, telling Stephanie he feels voted off the island.

    Triple H gets the win in the main event only after Kurt Angle runs down with a chair and helps him double-team The Rock, giving The Rock his second pinfall loss in two shows heading into SummerSlam. Elsewhere, Trish Stratus grabs a water pitcher from the announcer's table and smashes it over Chyna's head during the Eddie Guerrero vs. Val Venis Intercontinental Championship match, setting up Trish and Val vs. Chyna and Eddie at SummerSlam.

    Other major discussion points include:

    - Rikishi gives Terri the Stink Face after The Cat recruits him as her partner in a mixed tag match against Perry Saturn and Terri, featuring a monkey flip in high heeled boots

    - Edge and Christian redefine TLC as Totally Lacking Coolness and teach Worcester the word hanosity, before losing to Jeff Hardy and D-Von Dudley in a match that sows dissension between the Hardys and the Dudleys

    - Chris Benoit defeats Steve Blackman in a Hardcore Championship match with Chris Jericho on commentary, leading to a candid discussion about how this footage ages given what Benoit would later do

    - Tommy Blacha explains why Kane was plugged into the Undertaker feud after Big Show was sent to OVW because management grew unhappy with him

    - Kane destroys X-Pac and Road Dogg, takes the mic, and announces he is a monster before brawling with Undertaker

    - Big Bossman refers to Kaientai as his Chinese buddies and then oriental buddies as they try to correct him, with Crash Holly and the APA picking up the win

    - A recap of Sunday Night Heat, including Dean Malenko retaining the Light Heavyweight Championship, a Jericho promo officially announcing his two-out-of-three falls match with Benoit at SummerSlam, Kurt Angle defeating Matt Hardy, and Stephanie McMahon attacking Lita to set up their Raw Women's Championship match

    ---

    Just announced!

    Rob and Tommy announce the launch of their brand new Patreon featuring watch-alongs for classic matches.

    The first watch along includes Rock vs Hogan and Buddy Rogers vs. Pat O'Connor.

    Please subscribe at https://patreon.com/talesfromtheattitudeera

    ---

    00:00 Intro

    05:20 The McMahon Family Claims Unity

    13:57 Terri and The Kat

    17:15 Backstage: The McMahon Family Votes on Who Faces The Rock

    18:09 Kat & Rikishi vs. Perry Saturn & Terri

    22:07 Shane McMahon Volunteers to Face The Rock

    22:31 Eddie Guerrero vs. Val Venis (Intercontinental Championship)

    29:18 Stephanie Wants to Fight The Rock / SummerSlam Tag Match Set

    30:14 APA & Crash Holly vs. Big Bossman & Kaientai

    33:04 The Vote Is In: Triple H Chosen / Kurt Angle Walks Out

    33:27 Chris Benoit vs. Steve Blackman (Hardcore Championship) / Jericho on Commentary

    47:27 Kurt Angle Threatens to Quit the McMahon Family

    48:43 Edge & Christian vs. Jeff Hardy & D-Von Dudley

    50:17 Why Kane Got Plugged Into the Undertaker Feud

    52:40 Right to Censor Targets Rikishi's Rear End

    56:39 X-Pac & Road Dogg vs. Too Cool / Kane Declares "I Am a Monster"

    58:39 Kane and Undertaker Brawl / Main Event: Triple H vs. The Rock

    1:02:00 Heat Recap

    Follow Tales from The Attitude Era on all social media

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    1 hr 5 min