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
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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
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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
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