I have beingz teh seeing Ruthless Aggresion!

[janusd 0]

Jesus holy fuck. Ruthless Aggression, while a RAW show, completely rocked. I'm not going to recap the entire thing like a TSM reviewer or anything like that, just give people a rundown on what happened and how cool it was to be there live. One of the referees kinda looked like Ric Flair, and he got a "WOO!" chant for it, so that was a funny note for the entire show.

 

Got dropped off at the Sydney Superdome at around 6:45pm. Sat around outside with Peter (my brother) for about half an hour, before we decided to head on in. I fucked up almost instantly as I guessed - the electronic turnstile system confused my poor primitive brain. I still got through alright though, and then my brother and I proceeded to walk halfway around the Superdome looking for the door listed on our tickets. Once we found said door, we waited in line and eventually got in and were directed to our seats.

 

We pretty much sat down and waited after that. To ease the pain, we got previews of Wrestlemania 20 for the Gamecube, RAW 2: Ruthless Aggression for Xbox, and Smackdown: Here Comes The Pain for Playstation 2. After these cycled a few times, we got a pair of fucking AWESOME music videos to pass the time...Evanescence's Bring Me To Life and Mudvayne's Not Falling. Both clips are awesomely done. After this we got a generic rockish theme and a faint "Fink" cry as Howard Finkel came to the ring and welcomed us to the arena. After the usual warnings, he said he wanted to introduce someone.

 

"Oh! She's got legs~!"

 

That's right, our first appearance of the night was Stacy Kiebler. Cheers from the crowd as she strutted to the ring and took the mic, also welcoming us to the arena and stating that it was good to be here. First of a number of great lines of the night, as she said that since she was Down Under, she wanted to show us what SHE had 'down under'. Catcalls from the crowd as she gyrated her hips, but she was interrupted.

 

"I'm BACK! And better than ever..."

 

We then get our first and only live look at Eric Bischoff, co-GM of the RAW Brand. After strutting down to the ring, he admonishes Stacy and says that if there's anyone who's going to get to see what she's got down under, it's most definitely going to be him. He stands there with this smug look on his face as Stacy shakes her head, and then *BOOM!* we get fire and red lights as Kane, towel on head and ugly-evil as ever, comes down to the ring. Bischoff says that if she doesn't like him, she can talk to his big friend...and Kane turns around, grabs Eric by the throat, and CHOKESLAMS him to a pop from the crowd. He then turns around and gets ready to chokeslam Stacy, but we're interrupted.

 

"HOLLA IF YA HEAR ME!"

 

Scott Steiner runs down to the ring, and Kane releases Stacy and turns around. As Steiner gets into the ring and faces Kane, he stops dead.

 

"This is a test..."

 

Steiner then makes the fatal mistake of turning his back on Kane, who delivers a PAINFUL lariat to the back of Steiner's head before leaving the ring. The Big Red Machine walks up the ramp as Test comes down, and Stacy also leaves the ring. Test climbs into the ring to confront Steiner, and we have our first match of the night.

 

Scott Steiner vs. Test: Nothing really of note impressed in this match. It looked like Test's big boot missed entirely at one point. And Steiner is a suplex machine...of sorts. Stacy interferes at one point and tries to slap Test, but he blocks and prepares to kiss her, and Steiner attacks from behind. Eventually, Steiner wins with his reverse DDT-thing.

Winner: Scott Steiner via Reverse DDT-thing

 

Steiner and Stacy then get a standing ovation - the first of many that night, as Steiner hits his catchphrase ("This goes out to all my freaks in Sydney! Big Poppa Pump is your hookup! Holla if ya hear me!") and Stacy poses on the ropes a few times before they head to the back. Howard Finkel climbs back into the ring and we're introduced to the next match.

 

"...I'll show ya!"

 

I missed the first part of the intro music, but we have the pink-tight wearing Stevie Richards coming down to the ring. He poses in the ring and on the ramp, and the crowd just boos the heck out of him and he looks confused. His opponent, coming down to the old, old Dudleyz music as always, is little 150 pound Spike Dudley.

 

Stevie Richards vs. Spike Dudley: Amusing start up as Spike runs around the inside of the ring, getting the crowd all psyched up. Stevie controlled most of the match, even at one point hitting a SICK looking Death Valley Driver, but Spike made comebacks much to the CHEERING of the crowd, doing things like the top rope foot stomp, and his tackle-headbutt move, as well as run-stomping Stevie in the corner. Unfortunately for him Richards won with his legs on the ropes.

Winner: Stevie Richards, legs on the ropes

 

The psycho looking Richards got out of the ring and walked up the ramp - but all the attention was in the ring as Spike got a freaking standing ovation from the lovely Australian crowd. After little Spike has slapped hands with the fans and has gone backstage, we're introduced to the next match almost straight off the bat.

 

"Helllllloooo ladies!"

 

Val Venis~! He gets a HUGE cheer from the crowd as he comes down to the ring, walking around the ring and posing, doing his whole striptease-dance thing with his towel, before taking the mike and hitting his usual "Helllllloooo ladies!" line. This is another great line of the night, and I'll quote it straight from memory: ("The Big Valbowski is like a kitchen clock! You put two hands on him and he'll SURE AS HELL tell you the time~!") and got a HUGE cheer for that, before we were introduced to his opponent.

 

"It's Evolution!"

 

I'd like to point out that I agree that Evolution's music rocks, as we get Randy Orton, who also looks cool. He also seems to be the arrogant sort from what I saw - looking very smug about his appearance. He hops in the ring and we get our next match of the night.

 

Val Venis vs. Randy Orton: Both he and Venis have a semi-posedown in the ring, and Val gets the most cheers. Match is then underway, with some nice armdrags by Venis throughout the match. HILARIOUS call from the crowd: ("Randy'll tell you what time it is!") that got us laughing. Val's Blue Thunder Driver (I think that was it) made everyone wince, but when he went for the Money Shot, Orton crotched him, then picked him up, bounced him off the ropes and hit the RKO for the win before getting out of dodge.

Winner: Randy Orton via RKO

 

Venis was out in the ring for a while, but cheering from the crowd got him on his feet, and after he did his pose in the ring, some lucky git in the crowd got his towel. Well, maybe not so lucky come to think of it. But anyway, we go back to the Fink as we get our next announced match of the evening.

 

"Holla at ya, playa!"

 

And we get Rodney Mack, who is unfortunately without Theodore Long. That would've made my night, I swear. He states that Teddy isn't there tonight because 'Whitey got ahold of him and he's getting medical attention' and then threatens to kill the whitey who comes out - from what we could hear, anyway. His opponent...

 

"STAND BACK! THERE'S A HURRICANE COMIN' THROUGH!"

 

...gets a HUGE pop! The Hurricane comes out to the ring, posing on the ramp for the crowd, and also posing when he gets into the ring with Rodney. The big guy wants to go right NOW, but Hurricane is busy posing and the referee does NOT back the Mack~ and holds him back until his opponent is ready to go.

 

Rodney Mack vs. The Hurricane: Mack slaps Hurricane, and the superhero backs into the corner and looks at the crowd, lifts his arms, and a massive "WASSUPWITDAT!" cry goes through the fans, which was excellent. Good match, with Mack getting a few power moves in on Hurricane, and everyone's favourite superhero countering with his usual offence such as the flying neckbreaker and his funny flying clotheslines. Shining Wizard attempt misses, Mack powerslams Hurricane to hell, but Hurricane gets him down, goes up top and hits the Overcast flipping neckbreaker, rolls to the corner, and comes back to nail the Shining Wizard for the victory.

Winner: The Hurricane via Shining Wizard

 

HUGE cheering for Hurricane at the end of the match, as like Spike before him he goes around the ring and slaps hands with the lucky bastards in the front row. While going up the ramp someone wanted a photo, so Hurricane just grabs him and poses - which looked hilarious - before heading up to the back. We get straight back into the thick of things with the next introduced match, involving TWO~ WWE divas!

 

"I just lost my mind..."

 

Fuck yes! We got Victoria! Accompanied by Stevie Richards, she comes down to the ring to her awesome intro music, and waits in the ring for her opponent. As far as I'm concerned it was pretty blatantly obvious who HER opponent was going to be...

 

"It's time to rock and roll~!"

 

Yep, it's Trish Stratus. She got a huge pop, just like Victoria did with her entrance, and poses with a few fans before getting into the ring.

 

Victoria vs. Trish Stratus: Basic women's match. Good moves from both females, Trish hitting her marvellous handstand hurricanrana on Victoria, as well as the 'Chick Kick', neither of which got the pin thanks to Stevie's interference. Unfortunately, Richards tries to interfere one too many times and is stopped by Spike Dudley! The little guy knocks Richards out against the ringpost. Hilarious moment between me and the guy next to me, after Victoria low blows Trish.

 

(Him: "Hahah! Broken pussy, broken pussy!"

 

Me: "Broken pussy's still good!"

 

Him: "But it's damaged goods!"

 

Me: "Point")

 

Widow's Peak attempt is blocked by Trish, and she nails the Stratusfaction bulldog for the one two three.

Winner: Trish Stratus by Stratusfaction bulldog

 

Victoria leaves with Stevie, glaring at the ring while Spike attends to Trish who appears to be as hurt as any diva after that match. They pose in the ring - and get yet another standing ovation from the crowd, who cheers for the entire match. I swear, we Australians just adore the wrestling...and Howard Finkel's next announcement gets a pop as he announces Raw's Tag Team Titles are on the line! Which means...yep, here comes the Frenchies, La Resistance. I can't really see the difference between Sylvian Grenier and Renee Dupree anyway. They hit the ring and talk to the crowd in French, before stating in english that during their Melbourne tour, they had been called 'wankers' and had no idea what this meaned, so 'no wanker chants'. This of course prompts a MASSIVE "WANKERS!" chant from the crowd, which seems to irritate them. But we have a match, and given this is RAW, we know their opponents.

 

"Yeah! We're coming now!"

 

God, Bombshell is a rocking song, as we get the Dudley Boyz! Both Bubba Ray and D-Von get a motherfucking standing ovation from the fans. They hit the ring and pose on the ropes, and some lucky git one row in front and off to my left catches the hat that Bubba Ray throws off his head. And then, finally, after much posturing and posing, we get underway!

 

La Resistance vs. Dudley Boyz - Tag Team Titles: Very, very amusing match, with consistent French insults from the crowd. Dupree and Grenier (whichever was on the apron) kept turning around whenever everyone started a "WANKER!" chant. The Dudleyz controlled most of the match, and I think it was Grenier in the ring who begged off Bubba and offered a handshake, and Bubba just gave him that thrusting-arm insult (HUGE crowd pop!). Back and forth through the match, one of La Resistance takes a 3-D, before the entire crowd starts up a "WE WANT TABLES" chant! A prolonged pause, and it's "D-VON! GET THE TABLES" time! Unfortunately, La Resistance puts a stop to this, CHEATING TO WIN~! by using the French flag! This causes a massive, and I repeat MASSIVE Bullshit chant from the crowd!

Winners: La Resistance by CHEATING TO WIN~!

 

After the match, La Resistance offer us a table, and I quote ("Let the French Resistance get you a table!"). They set it up in the ring, but Bubba Ray and D-Von are back up, and one of La Resistance goes over the top while the other one gets nailed with the flag! A pause in the ring...AND WE GET SUPERBOMB THROUGH A TABLE! MOTHERFUCKING HUGE CROWD POP! Bombshell rocks the arena as the Dudleyz pick a piece of the table and a fan from the crowd, to keep the table piece as a souveiner! They then go out into the fans, around, and back into the ring before heading backstage!

 

We then get a lovely twenty minute intermission to stretch our legs. Here I found out my brother forgot his wallet and couldn't buy himself food or a drink or anything. He wanted to borrow my bankcard but I feigned deafness from the ROCKINGLY loud music, which was half true. So we got our lovely intermission, with promise of an UBER cool match after the break...and when we got back, oh yes..oh yes.

 

"WOOOOO!"

 

Massive cheering as Ric Flair comes out, despite the fact he's a heel. He struts down the ramp and into the ring, walking around and not doing the Flair Strut, sadly. His opponent is then introduced, for what I will swear by was the BIGGEST FUCKING POP OF THE NIGHT.

 

"Oh! Oh! Shawn!"

 

THERE IS A GOD! Everyone in the entire arena fucking marked out as "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels made his entrance! Huge cheering from the crowd as he poses on the ramp and in the ring, before he and Flair circle the ring and we get the bell!

 

Ric Flair vs. Shawn Michaels: Motherfucking hilarious start to the match as they continue to circle each other. "Wooo"s from the crowd and various insults about Flair's age ("Geriatric!" "Don't break your hip!") prompt him to stop the match and grab a microphone, and by god does Flair rule when he rips on the crowd.

 

(Flair: "You know, I'll take your wives home and show them what a real man is if you don't shut up!" *pause* "You there, fatboy, don't say a word!" *slight pause* "You paid to see it, not speak to it, so shut up.")

 

The match itself was decent. Flair did his usual dirty evil heelish tactics, which worked like a charm. At one point Michaels stopped the match and posed with a few fans, which was cool. HILARIOUS moments included when Michaels bitchslapped Flair, and later on nailed an enzugiri - both of which Flair selled like absolute DEATH. We got to see the Figure Four, which prompted a competition chant between me and the guy next to me once again ("Break his leg!" "Turn him over!"). Michaels ended up reversing the figure four, and after nailing the Macho Elbow off the top, tuned up the band and nailed SWEET CHIN MUSIC~! for the three count.

Winner: Shawn Michaels via Sweet Chin Music

 

Heeeeeuggggggggggeee pop as Michaels poses in the ring, before slapping hands with the fans and heading backstage. I don't think I need to mention 'standing ovation' at this point, because it's been happening so much. Even Flair got a standing ovation and a lot of "Woooos" from the crowd. And the next match, announced as a tag match, is what I consider to be absolute justice and rule, as rockish music introduce the man whose heart beats for his peeps, Christian! Huge pop as he comes down to the ring, and we get his partner.

 

"BREAK THE WALLS DOWN!"

 

YES! YES! GOD YES! Chris Jericho! The King of the World comes strutting down to the ring, and before we get to their opponents, we get some lovely dialogue. Jericho and Christian together absolutely RULE on the microphone, I swear.

 

(Christian: "I noticed that when I came out here, that all you Australians LOVE Christian!" *crowd cheer* "But you didn't seem so excited when my close personal friend Chris Jericho came out...so let's give him a big hand, for my close personal friend, Chris Jericho!" *crowd boos, and Jericho gets the mic*

 

Jericho: "I don't have time to be talking too long to you Aussie assclowns, but I can see this sign over here. 'Chris Jericho, King of the Wankers. I don't even know what that means, assclowns!")

 

This of course prompted a huge "WANKER" chant from the crowd. What was hilarious then is that while one side of the arena chanted that, the section I was in actually began chanting that "Fozzy Sucks", prompting Jericho to get on the mic again. This man is godlike.

 

(Jericho: "You people over here, chanting 'Fozzy Sucks!' and you people over here chanting 'Jericho's a Wanker'! Make up your goddamn minds, will you!?")

 

That quieted the crowd until we got to see their opponents, who according to Finkel are re-uniting for one night only...and were I watching this on TV, I'd get widescreen as we get a Shattered Dreams Production and Goldust emerges onto the ramp and strolls down to the ring! Everyone knows what this means as he climbs into the ring and his music is replaced...

 

"CAN YOU DIG IT, SUCKA!?"

 

...by that of Booker T! The pyros on the ramp nearly blind people given the darkness of the arena, though. And thus, once the master of the Spinaroonie and the current Intercontinental Champion gets to the ring, we have a match!

 

Team Canada (Christian/Chris Jericho) vs. BookDust (Booker T/Goldust): Very good match here, Goldust was highly amusing when he 'spazzed out' and scared both Christian and Booker away. At one point Christian bounced on the ropes and slipped off and fell to the floor, that got some laughs. Hilarious moment as my section of the arena started up a 'Canada Sucks' chant at Jericho, who turned around while on the apron and FLIPPED US THE BIRD. Golden. We saw the Shattered Dreams on Christian, Jericho attempted the Lionsault on Booker and missed...and Team Canada wins the match after Jericho nails Booker with the IC Title.

Winner: Team Canada (Christian/Chris Jericho) via CHEATING TO WIN~!

 

Jericho challenges Booker for the IC belt, for Sunday's show at the Superdome, and I'm pissed that I'm not going. Cheer from the crowd at the challenge, but Jericho and Christian get a combined "Canada Sucks" and "Wankers" chant all the way to the back. Goldust checks on Booker, and the crowd starts up a chant for the Spinaroonie, unfortunately we don't get it as Booker looks to be hurt - or is just selling it really well - and heads to the back. Howard Finkel gets on the mike to pimp the games and merchandise, then announce the final event of the evening.

 

"ONE OF A KIND!"

 

Yesss...high-flying, hard-kicking (for a WWE guy), it's Rob Van Dam! He gets a huge cheer and an "R-V-D" chant from the fans, as he gets into the ring and hits his poses. It's a bit obvious for anyone who watches wrestling who his opponent at this point is going to be.....yep, there's the *BOOM* and here's Kane - bolded again cause he rocks - to come stalking down like a Big Red Monster and start the match.

 

Rob Van Dam vs. Kane: Fairly short match, actually. RVD got his usual kicking spots in, after Kane beat him around a lot. They've got the Big Red Maskless Machine in no-selling mode, which is cool. After beating RVD up, the high-flyer gets revense with arrays of kicks and flying moves, landing the Rolling Thunder as well. Kane goes for aHe goes for a top rope martial arts kick but flattens the ref, and Kane goes for the chokeslam. Broken up with a low blow, Kane collapses and RVD then jumps back up for the FIVE STAR~! and hits it! But with the ref down, he can't do much...and Kane gets up, flattens him with a big boot, and then CHOKESLAMS his ass! The ref recovers.....but it gets a two count and Kane is PISSED! The poor referee gets a chokeslam for his troubles, and a second ref runs down to signal the DQ.

Winner: Rob Van Dam, via Disqualification

 

After that, absolute hell broke loose. Kane chokeslams the other referee and sets up RVD for another chokeslam...and Randy Orton hits the ring! Then Shawn Michaels! The heels and faces battle each other! Then Ric Flair comes down for the heel advantage, but he's countered by the appearance of The Hurricane! The three faces clear the ring for the end of the show, and Finkel pimps the merchandise and thanks us for being there~

 

Oh, and we got to keep the souvinier cushion that we sat on.

[Guest Crowe]

...

 

(Y)

 

Pimpin'.

[Guest Space_Cowboy]

Just got back from tonights show, quite enjoyable even if the matches themselves were nothing special. Jericho and Christian alone made the night worth it.

Edited August 2, 2003 by Space_Cowboy