Thursday Night Smackdown!
Date: 6/21/03
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Venue: Bridgestone Arena
Attendance: 12,739/ 12,750
Smackdown! comes on air and the pyros explode on the stage. The Rock’s music hits and the crowd jumps on their feet. Rock walks down the stage and poses for the crowd in the ring. Rock gets a microphone and looks completely serious. Rock says that so much as happened since Badd Blood. He talks about the WWE Title constantly changing hands, Triple H laying out challenges, and people getting hurt. Rock says he forgot to mention the mystery opponent Rock will be facing at Vengeance. Rock says he isn’t a big fan of surprises and at the end of the night he will know his opponent. Rock laughs and tells Evolution to throw the kitchen sink at him because no matter who he faces, he will be their candy ass all over the arena.
Rock says he is going to lay the Smackdown! on his opponent and carry that over into Summerslam, where Triple H will go down instantly and fall to the great one. Rock says Evolution is going to turn into an afterthought sooner than later. Rock demands Triple H to come out and Evolution’s music hits. Randy Orton walks out all alone with a microphone on the stage. Orton stands alone and stares at the Rock with his cocky smirk. Orton begins to speak, but Rock interrupts says that he wanted Triple H, not a man who tapped out on RAW to Chris Jericho.
Orton looks angry, as the crowd cheers for Jericho. Orton tells the crowd to shut their mouths and also for the Rock to shut that big trap of his. Orton says that at the end of tonight, Rock and the rest of the WWE Universe will be speechless after you all realize Rock will not be able to beat his opponent. Rock never seems to be able to beat this man in tough matches. Orton continues and Rock interrupts him again and asks Orton if he wants to know what the Rock thinks about his mystery opponent. Orton laughs and tells the Rock he would be thrilled if Rock told him how he felt. Rock says it doesn’t matter what the Rock thinks and that Orton should be much more worried about the man who made him tap on RAW.
Orton says that Triple H is going to take care of Jericho once and for all tonight. Rock says the only reason Orton isn’t taking care of it is because Orton can’t deal with his own business himself. Orton tells Rock to start respecting the youth and talent in this company because he is standing right in front of him. Rock tells Orton to prove it and challenges him to a match tonight. Orton smiles and accepts, but warns Rock and tells him he should focus on much more important things. Orton smirks and walks off, as Smackdown! goes to commercial.
[COMMERCIAL]
Smackdown! is back on air with Goldberg backstage with a bandage on his head after the attack from the steel chair he received on RAW. Goldberg is focused, but visibly angry. The camera goes back to ringside with Michael Cole and Tazz. Tazz talks about how disappointed Goldberg must feel right now. Cole agrees and he says that we are surely not done with Lesnar and Goldberg by any means.
Match #1
3 on 3 Tag Team Match
Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray Dudley & D’Von Dudley) & Trish Stratus vs The Basham Brothers (Doug Basham & Danny Basham) & Gail Kim
The Basham Brother’s music hits and Doug and Danny Basham make their way to the ring. The Basham’s look for some respect, as their partner’s music hits. Gail Kim makes her way to the ring, still with Trish Stratus’s Women’s Championship. Gail makes her way to the ring. The Dudley Boyz music hits and the WWE Tag Team Champions make their way to the ring. Trish Stratus’s music hits and she makes her way to the ring. Trish stares down Gail from the beginning and the match begins with Doug Basham and D’Von Dudley.
Doug and D’Von lock up and Doug whips D’Von into the ropes. D’Von avoids a clothesline and comes running with a leaping shoulder block. Doug gets up and is hit with another shoulder block. Doug scrambles on the mat and crawls over to tag in Danny Basham. D’Von goes for the clothesline to Danny, but Danny ducks under it. Danny grabs D’Von’s head and brings him to the corner. D’Von’s head is bounced off the turnbuckle. D’Von stumbles out of the corner and Danny hits a small spinebuster and goes for the pin, “one…t…kick out!”
Danny picks up D’Von, but D’Von counters with a forearm to Danny and D’Von runs over to tag in Bubba. Bubba comes in and clothesline Danny to the mat. Danny comes back up and Bubba hits a sidewalk slam and goes for the pin, “one…two…kick out!” Bubba looks frustrated, but gets back up and picks up Danny. Danny counters with a right hand and Bubba goes for a right hand too. The two exchange right hands and both go for clothesline. Both men connect with a clothesline and are looking for a tag. Trish looks over at Gail and Trish smirks. Trish yells to tag her in. Bubba heads over to Trish and Danny heads over to Gail. Gail looks worried and Bubba makes the tag to Trish. Gail avoids the tag from Danny, but she is still the legal person in the match now.
Trish gets in the ring and walks toward Gail. Gail is on the apron and looks around. Gail jumps off the apron, runs and grabs the Women’s Title, and runs away. Bubba yells to tag him in and Trish does. Trish leaves the ring and chases Gail, with both divas going backstage. Bubba stands in the ring, while both Basham’s discuss who is going to go after Bubba. The Basham’s make a decision and both competitors make their way into the ring. Both look at each other and charge after Bubba. They hit a double clothesline to Bubba and bring him down. The referee tells them that only one can be in the ring. The Basham’s continue going after Bubba and don’t listen to the referee, so the referee calls for the bell.
Winner: Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray Dudley & D’Von Dudley) & Trish Stratus via DQ
D’Von comes in the ring to save his partner. Doug catches D’Von in mid stride and hits a spinebuster to D’Von. D’Von grabs his ribs, as he went down hard. Danny goes to the outside and grabs a steel chair. Danny comes in the ring and nails a newly standing Bubba in the head with the chair. Doug grabs the chair and nails D’Von in the ribs. Doug throws the chair on the mat, as the Dudley’s are down and the Basham’s celebrate to commercial.
[COMMERCIAL]
Smackdown! comes back on air and Cole discusses how the Basham’s always take the cowardly way out of stuff and that is because they know they cannot beat the Dudley’s. Tazz says he isn’t sure, but they surely looked dominant after the match. Cole says Tazz is a fool and people like the Dudley’s irritate him. La Resistance’s music hits and Cole says that even more arrogant characters are coming out now. Rob Conway, Rene Dupree, and Sylvain Grenier come out to boos. They make their way into the ring.
Dupree takes the microphone and wonders if we are really in Nashville, Tennessee at the moment. The crowd cheers and he asks Sylvain and Rob if it is really true. He wants to know if this is really Music City USA. The crowd cheers again. Dupree says he can’t believe a city so well-known can be so crappy. The crowd boos and Dupree says he knows his history. He says he knows that Nashville is one of the best cities in this pathetic country for immigrants, but although immigrants come here, he is surprised you disgusting people treat them like trash.
Dupree says him, Rob Conway, and Sylvain Grenier are disgusted to be apart of this and basically do not want to be out here giving you people the entertainment you surely do not deserve. He says once they go back to the Providence of Quebec, they will not tell their families to go to Nashville. The crowd boos again. Dupree says the other problem is that you don’t support hard working immigrants, but you support American athletes when in reality they shouldn’t be supported in the first place.
Grenier takes the microphone and he says he is going to cut to the point. He says Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin are two American athletes which should get zero, absolutely zero credit. He says they won their titles by chance, but he says when La Resistance finally gets their chance against the so called World’s Greatest Tag Team, they will win the titles because they aren’t another overrated American tag team. Conway grabs the microphone, but he is interrupted by Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin. The World Tag Team Champion’s stand on the stage with a huge pop.
Benjamin has the microphone and says that La Resistance has no room to speak because they aren’t the champions. Benjamin demands that if they have beef on the champions, don’t take it out on their country and the great Nashville crowd. Dupree takes the microphone and says that he is going to come out week after week and tell everybody how us French greats are not appreciated enough because you American’s do not appreciate anything except fatty foods and crappy American music. The crowd boos again. Shelton and Haas make their way to the ring. Dupree and Grenier leave the ring, but Conway does not get the message and gets dropped by right hands from Haas and Benjamin. Conway rolls out the ring and is helped out by Grenier and Dupree. La Resistance walks away and yell over to the ring at The World’s Greatest Tag Team, as the commercial runs.
[COMMERCIAL]
Smackdown! comes back on air with Cole and Tazz talking about how on RAW Rowdy Roddy Piper came out and introduced himself as Tajiri’s manager. Cole says Piper demands the fans to respect the talent that Tajiri brings to the table. Tazz counters and says that respect is earned, not given. Piper should know that, but Tajiri obviously doesn’t.
Match #2
Non-Title Singles Match
Tajiri vs Ultimo Dragon
Ultimo Dragon’s music hits and the dragon makes his way to the ring. Ultimo Dragon stands tall in the ring and looks to make an impact tonight. Tajiri’s music hits and the crowd boos, as the Cruiserweight Champion and his manager, Rowdy Roddy Piper, makes their way to the ring. They walk down the ramp and Piper yells at the crowd, telling them that Tajiri is worth the price of admission and he deserves your cheers, not boos. Tajiri goes in the ring and Piper yells something in Japanese, which pumps up Tajiri. The referee rings the bell.
Tajiri goes for a quick kick to the ribs of Ultimo, but Ultimo catches the kick. Tajiri and Ultimo share a brief stare, when Tajiri counters with an enzuigiri. Ultimo goes down and Tajiri taunts the crowd. Piper yells from the outside that Tajiri can do that to any superstar who gets in his way. Tajiri turns around into Ultimo behind him. Ultimo gives Tajiri hard right and left kicks to the ribs. Tajiri falls to the outside and Ultimo runs back and then forward. Ultimo leaps over the ropes and splashes onto Tajiri. Both men roll around outside in pain.
The referee gets to a three count, when both men get up. Tajiri goes for a kick to the midsection, but Ultimo avoids it and jumps onto the barricade. Ultimo dropkick’s Tajiri and Tajiri stumbles over and his back hits the side of the ring. Ultimo gets up and rolls Tajiri into the ring. Ultimo stands on the apron and waits for Tajiri to get up to attempt a springboard. Piper comes over and grabs Ultimo’s leg, but Ultimo kicks away Piper. Ultimo focuses again on Tajiri, but Tajiri comes up quickly and smacks Ultimo in the head with a hard kick. Ultimo knocks out and falls hard to the outside.
The crowd boos Tajiri, while Piper grabs Ultimo and rolls him into the ring. Tajiri goes for the pin, “one…two….kick out!” Tajiri and Piper cannot believe it. Tajiri angrily picks up Ultimo, who counters quickly into a roll up, “one…kick out!” Ultimo uses all his energy on his roll up and has a tough time getting up, but Tajiri gets up. Tajiri goes belly to back and hits a dragon suplex. Tajiri lets Ultimo get up and Ultimo backs up to the ropes. Ultimo is still feeling the effects from the kick to the head. Tajiri comes over to him and puts him in the Tarantula. Ultimo is screaming in pain and the referee counts to four, then Tajiri breaks the hold.
Ultimo falls down to the mat, belly first. Ultimo is out and Tajiri comes over and kicks him around a little bit. Ultimo is clearly out of it and Tajiri laughs at the vulnerable Ultimo Dragon. Tajiri rolls Ultimo over on his back and slowly gets down to pin him, “one…two…three!”
Winner: Tajiri
Piper slides in the ring and kicks Ultimo in the ribs in retaliation for kicking him earlier. The referee goes to hold Tajiri’s arm up, but Piper knocks him out the way and holds up Tajiri’s arm. The crowd boos and Piper keeps yelling that Tajiri is real talent. Piper looks to the stage and yells for Mysterio to come down, but Mysterio doesn’t come down. Tazz says that Tajiri is on a real roll and people need to start realizing that, as the commercial hits.
[COMMERCIAL]
Smackdown! comes back on air with The Rock in his locker room drinking water and focusing for his main event match tonight. Chris Jericho comes walking up to Rock and sits next to him. Jericho says it is ridiculous that he is put in a match tonight against both Triple H and Batista all by himself. Rock tells Jericho just to take care of business like he knows Jericho can. Jericho says that each member of Evolution is a major ass clown and he can’t wait to get through the crap so he can finally beat Randy Orton once and for all. Rock promise that he will teach Orton a lesson or two tonight, and Jericho tells him he better.
Match #3
Singles Match
Big Show vs Booker T
Booker T’s music hits and Booker makes his way out to the ring. Booker slides in and awaits his opponent. Big Show’s music hits and he makes his way to the ring. Show is on a path of destruction and the crowd realizes it, as they boo him continuously. Show injured Chris Benoit, after Benoit beat him for the United States Title. Show walks into the ring and keeps his evil glare into the face of Booker. The referee rings the bell.
Show stands in his corner and Booker looks confused, but comes walking over to Show to fight. Booker comes over and hits a right hand to Show, but Show looks angrier with each punch. Show doesn’t sell the punches and clenches his fist in frustration. Show pushes Booker away to the middle of the ring. Booker stumbles, but comes running back at Show. Show hits a massive knockout punch to Booker out of nowhere. Booker goes down in a heartbeat and Show just looks at the out cold Booker. Show puts his foot over Booker and the referee counts the pin, “one…two…three!”
Winner: Big Show
Show scares the referee out the ring and Show picks up Booker. He puts Booker into the corner to keep him standing. Show slaps Booker and asks where Benoit is. Show says he wants Benoit. Show yells at the knocked out Booker that he wants Benoit. Show goes for the chokeslam to Booker and raises him high in the air, when Chris Benoit’s music hits.
The crowd pops and Benoit runs down the stage to the front of the ring. Show stands tall and doesn’t move and just stares at Benoit. Benoit’s presence doesn’t scare away Show. Show picks up Booker again for the chokeslam and stares at Benoit. Show tells Benoit that this one is for you. Show drops Booker hard onto the mat with a chokeslam. Show continues to have a stare down with Benoit, as Smackdown! hits a commercial.
[COMMERCIAL]
Smackdown! comes back on air, when Goldberg’s music hits and the former WWE Champion makes his way to the stage and into the ring. Goldberg is upset and angry. Goldberg grabs a microphone and the crowd chants Goldberg’s name. Goldberg says first and foremost, he wants to know what happened on RAW and demands Brock Lesnar to come to the ring now so they can settle it like men. Goldberg looks toward the stage, similar to what Rock did earlier tonight, but nobody comes out. Goldberg says Lesnar is a wuss and the crap he pulled on RAW was absolutely Busch league.
Goldberg says he has an idea what happened last Monday and it goes a little like this. He says that obviously Brock Lesnar and the rat Heyman don’t think they can beat him one on one, so that is why Heyman got him arrested, found a new number one contender, and used Shawn Michaels as a weapon to try and finish me. Goldberg says he isn’t finished and won’t be until Paul Heyman is begging for mercy, Brock Lesnar is getting stretchered out like HBK, and the WWE Championship is around his waist.
Goldberg says he can’t wait to make that duo suffer pain like they surely deserve to feel, but suddenly Brock Lesnar’s music hits and the WWE Champion makes his way out to the stage with Paul Heyman. Goldberg tells Lesnar to get his ass into the ring immediately, but Heyman has a microphone and laughs, telling Goldberg that Lesnar will not be stepping into a ring tonight and quite frankly, won’t be stepping a ring that Bill Goldberg is occupying. Heyman says that Goldberg had his chance to end Brock Lesnar once and for all, but he lost. Heyman says that now, Goldberg will never see the WWE Championship as long as Brock Lesnar is the most dominant force in the company. Heyman tells Goldberg that the WWE and WCW are completely different. Heyman suggests that maybe Goldberg just can’t cut it in WWE because Goldberg is a one day title holder, or in better terms, a bust.
The crowd boos Heyman. Heyman taps the title on Lesnar’s waist and tells Goldberg that Goldberg’s isn’t ‘next’ on Lesnar’s list. He says Lesnar has better, more competitive, and more prestigious opponents to go after. Heyman laughs, as the crowd chants ‘HBK!’ Heyman says that he apologizes from the depths of his heart for Shawn Michaels. Heyman says he will never let his client lose and he used Michaels as guarantee that Brock will beat Goldberg. He says he promised Michaels a WWE Title shot against Brock if he guaranteed that Brock will win the title on RAW. He says Michaels agreed and his stupidity and vulnerability has left Michaels with a broken ankle. The crowd boos, but Heyman smirks and wishes Michaels the best and a full recovery.
Goldberg tells Heyman to shut his mouth immediately and tell his little client to get in the ring now. Heyman shakes his head, so Goldberg drops the microphone and gets to the outside of the ring, right in front of the ramp. Lesnar smirks at Goldberg and shakes his head no. The crowd boos, but the Smackdown! GM, Stephanie McMahon’s, music hits. Heyman looks shocked and Stephanie appears on the screen. Stephanie says she saw Shawn yesterday and she cannot believe what Lesnar did. She says that there needs to be some sort of redemption for Shawn. The crowd cheers and Heyman is shaking his head. Heyman says to Stephanie to not screw over his client again, but Stephanie tells Heyman to shut his mouth for once.
Stephanie says she doesn’t endorse what Heyman and Lesnar did, so she is going to give Goldberg another chance. Lesnar turns around and looks at the screen. Stephanie says that at Vengeance, Brock Lesnar will go one on one with Goldberg, for the WWE Championship, in a street fight! The crowd cheers and Heyman is pissed, yelling at Stephanie. Goldberg locks his sights on Lesnar and runs up the ramp. Lesnar turns around and turns into the spear of Goldberg! Goldberg spears Lesnar on the stage and the crowd goes crazy. Goldberg smirks at the downed Lesnar, as Smackdown! goes to commercial.
[COMMERCIAL]
Back after commercial, Josh Mathews is backstage with Kurt Angle. Kurt Angle is smiley and excited. Kurt is jumping around in joy and Josh asks him how he is doing. Kurt says he is doing great and Josh brings up how he won a fatal four way qualifying match and earned a spot in the fatal four way at Vengeance. Mathews says that we know it is Triple H and Kurt Angle currently in the match. Angle says it doesn’t matter who is in the match because he is going to win it and win the World Title at Summerslam.
Kurt says that he admires and wishes luck the other two men that will be competing in the match, but he says he is going to win and do something the Rock hasn’t done yet. He says he is going to take down Evolution because he is the smartest wrestler out here. Kurt says his pure wrestling ability added with his brain is unbeatable and that’s true, it’s damn true. Kurt walks away, as we go ringside.
Match #4
Tornado Handicap Match
Chris Jericho vs Triple H & Batista
Chris Jericho’s music hits and Jericho makes his way out. Cole talks about how the odds are unfairly stacked against Jericho in this match, especially now how it is it a tornado handicap match. Tazz says that if someone can get by it, it will be Jericho. Cole agrees, but wonders how Evolution has so much swing to get a match like this. Jericho gets in the ring, when Evolution’s music hits and Triple H and Batista make their way into the ring. The crowd boos the two, as they stand in the ring with Jericho and the referee calls for the bell to be rung.
Triple H and Batista circle around Jericho. Jericho knows what is coming and Jericho takes a deep breath and jumps after Triple H. Triple H is backed into the corner and Jericho hits right hands, but Batista grabs Jericho and pulls him off Triple H. Jericho hits elbows to Batista, but Triple H comes and hits a knee into the gut of Jericho. Triple H whips Jericho into the ropes and Batista runs into Jericho, hitting a clothesline. Jericho goes down after the hard clothesline and Jericho is in trouble.
Batista picks up Jericho and Jericho breaks out of it by hitting Batista with a backhand chop or two. Triple H comes from behind and hits a neckbreaker to Jericho. Triple H yells at Jericho, asking him if he really thinks he can mess with Orton and Evolution. Triple H goes down to go face to face with Jericho, but Jericho spits at Triple H and Triple H looks angry. Triple H kicks Jericho in the mouth and tells Batista to finish this guy. Batista picks up Jericho, but Jericho counters and tosses Batista to the outside of the ring. Triple H goes for a sneaky clothesline, but Jericho ducks under it. Jericho springboards off the ropes and hits a dropkick to Triple H.
Triple H gets up and Jericho hits a Northern Lights suplex to Triple H. Jericho goes for a pin, “one…two..” Batista is back and picks Jericho off of Triple H. Batista goes for a big boot, but Jericho ducks and jumps onto the back of Batista and goes for a sleeper hold. Triple H gets up and tries to get Jericho off, but Jericho is unrelenting. Batista ends up just falling back onto the mat to try and get Jericho off him. Batista falls, but Jericho won’t get off. Triple H cannot get Jericho off of him either. The will of Jericho is pushing him through. Batista uses his strength to get back up on his feet and try to drop Jericho again, but Batista begins to fade. The referee is holding up and dropping Batista’s arm and focusing on that. Triple H sneaks from behind and kick’s Jericho square in the balls.
Jericho breaks the hold immediately and falls to the ground with Batista. Triple H picks up Jericho and whips him into the ropes. Jericho is hit with a spinning spinebuster. Triple H helps up Batista. Batista is angry and goes after Jericho immediately. Batista throws Jericho into the corner and hits him with hard right hands. Batista backs up and Jericho stumbles out of the corner. Batista goes for a powerbomb and hits a hard one on Jericho. Batista goes for the pin, “one…two…kick out!” Triple H and Batista cannot believe it.
Batista goes and picks up Jericho. Batista whips Jericho into the ropes. Jericho ducks under a double clothesline and runs back at Triple H and Batista. He hits both with a clothesline and has a second burst of energy. Jericho grabs Triple H and throws him out of the ring and hard to the outside. Batista gets up and Jericho runs at him. Jericho hits Batista with an elbow and Batista stumbles around. Jericho hits another Northern Lights suplex. Batista gets up quickly, but is dazed. Jericho hits the running bulldog and Batista goes down in the ring. Jericho runs toward the ropes to attempt the Lionsault, but it seems Jericho’s knee gives out on him.
Jericho begins to limp and doesn’t put pressure on his right leg. Jericho looks to go over to Batista and puts pressure on his foot, but he collapses onto a knee. Jericho’s face shows that he cannot believe what is happening. Triple H comes back into the ring and Jericho fights to get up. Jericho throws a weak right hand, but Triple H blocks it and goes for the Pedigree. Triple H connects and goes for the pin, “one…two…three!”
Winner: Triple H & Batista
Triple H helps Batista out, as Batista says he isn’t done with Jericho. Batista goes to get a chair. A number of referees and a medic comes running down. Batista slides into the ring with the chair and holds it up, ready to smash it on Jericho. The referees get in the middle of the two and Batista drops the chair in frustration. The medic checks on Jericho and is getting assistance by all. Triple H and Batista walk out victorious and appear to have no regret to the apparent injury Jericho has suffered.
[COMMERCIAL]
Smackdown! comes back on air and goes backstage to two referees helping Chris Jericho move around, as Jericho is using only one leg to walk around. They walk by Ric Flair and Jericho gives him a stare sometime when Jericho isn’t nursing his pain. Flair is eating an apple and laughs at Jericho, saying that he should have never gone after Evolution in the first place. Jericho gives Flair a disgusted look, as the referees continue to move Jericho to get help.
Tazz and Michael Cole are shown at ringside and Cole says that Flair might have a point. He says Jericho’s injury doesn’t look good and Tazz agrees, saying when he knee goes you know it is not a good sign. Both men wish Jericho the best of luck, while acknowledging that Evolution warned Jericho bad things were going to happen. Cole hopes Rock doesn’t experience the same luck.
Match #5
Singles Match
The Rock vs Randy Orton
Randy Orton’s music hits and the crowd boos, as the Intercontinental Champion makes his way down to the ring. Orton says Rock doesn’t want to face him and the crowd keeps booing him. Orton looks toward the stage and wants the Rock to come down. The Rock’s music hits and the crowd goes on their feet. Rock storms out and makes his way to the ring. Rock poses for the crowd and gets into the corner. The referee calls for the bell and the match begins.
Orton and Rock circle the ring and Orton trash talks the Rock. Rock tells Orton to back up his trash talk, and Orton goes after the Rock. Orton goes for the Rock’s legs, but Rock gets away and stomps away at Orton. Orton crawls to the outside of the ring and regroups, before making his way back into the ring. Rock tells Orton to bring it and the two share right hands. Rock hits a hard right hand, sending Orton against the ropes. Orton comes running at Rock, but Rock counters by whipping Orton into the ropes. Rock hits a clothesline onto Orton. Orton gets up and is hit by a swinging neckbreaker.
Rock yells at Orton, telling him to actually bring it now. Orton gets up in his corner and Rock goes after him. Rock puts Orton into an armbar, which Orton counters into a headlock to Rock. Rock counters and tosses Orton into the ropes. Rock misses a clothesline and Orton runs back at Rock and hits a knee to the gut of Rock. Rock flips over and grabs his ribs. Orton picks up Rock and throws him into the corner. Orton hits hard rights to Rock, but Rock counters and flips Orton into the corner. Rock hits rights of his own, but Orton sneaks in an uppercut and Rock backs off.
Rock comes back toward Orton, but Orton hits a DDT to Rock. Orton goes for the pin, “one…two…kick out!” Orton gets up and stomps Rock, keeping him on the mat. Orton picks up Rock and whips him into the ropes. Orton hits a back body drop onto the Rock. Rock holds his back in pain and Orton begins stomping on the Rock again. Orton yells out to the crowd that he is the best in the world. He comes back to get Rock, but Rock grabs the leg and drops Orton. Rock goes for a sharpshooter. Rock applies the sharpshooter to Orton and Orton is in pain. Orton gets a good crawl to the rope, but the Rock holds him in place. Orton tries to get out of it and almost does, but Rock reapplies the hold. Orton is able to sneak his way to grab onto the ropes. The referee makes the Rock break the hold.
Rock breaks the hold and Jericho holds onto the ropes tight and use them to help himself up. Rock goes and picks up Orton. Rock whips Orton into the ropes and goes for the spinebuster, but Orton won’t let him get him off the mat. Rock stops trying and gets up to go face to face with Orton. Rock goes for the Rock Bottom out of nowhere, but Orton elbows out of it and goes for the quick RKO! Rock throws Orton off of him. Rock puts his hands on his knees and wants a Rock Bottom. Orton gets up and turns around. Rock sets up the Rock Bottom again, but Orton is elbowing out of it again. Rock is frustrated and breaks the Rock Bottom and, instead, throws Orton to the outside.
The crowd begins to boo and Rock looks over to the stage. Triple H is on the stage and walking toward the ring. Rock walks to the side of the ring closest to the stage and leans over the ropes. Rock is yelling at Triple H, asking him what the hell he did to Jericho. Triple H laughs and says it wasn’t him. Rock screams and tells Triple H to fight him now. Triple H laughs and stops half way up the stage. Rock turns around and Orton is in the ring with a steel chair. Orton nails Rock in the head with the steel chair and the referee calls for the bell.
Winner: The Rock via DQ
Rock is out cold. Triple H continues to walk down the ramp and grabs a microphone. Triple H looks down at Rock and says that he didn’t have anything to do with Jericho getting hurt, but he sure did have something to do with Rock’s future ass kicking. Triple H says that when he tells the world about Rock’s opponent for Vengeance, he hopes Rock stays down on the mat even more uncomfortable than he is now. Triple H reminds everybody that the Rock has to beat this man to get a World Heavyweight Title shot at Summerslam. He says everyone knows Rock cannot beat him when it matters and we will finally get to meet the man.
The crowd is quiet and Triple H looks toward the stage. GLASS SHATTERS! The crowd pops, as Stone Cold Steve Austin’s music hits and the Texas Rattlesnake makes his way to the stage. Austin looks around to the Nashville crowd going crazy. Austin makes his way down to the ring. Austin poses for the crowd and finally goes face to face with Triple H in the middle of the ring. Austin doesn’t smile, while Triple H acts buddy-buddy and goes for a handshake with Austin. Rock gets up slowly and finally gets on two feet. Rock turns Austin’s shoulder and looks at him eye-to-eye. Austin hits Rock with a Stone Cold Stunner!
The crowd boos Austin, as Rock flops to the mat and Austin looks down at the Rock. Triple H and Orton grab Austin’s arms and raise them in the air. Triple H is ecstatic, as Cole says this is first time we have seen Austin since Wrestlemania. Austin still doesn’t look too enthusiastic, as Triple H and Orton celebrate. Austin breaks the arm raises and goes face to face with Triple H again. Triple H tries to reason with Austin, but Austin hits Triple H with a Stunner out of nowhere! Orton gets out of the ring, as the crowd cheers Austin again and he gets a few beers thrown at him. Austin celebrates with a beer on the turnbuckle, as Triple H and Rock are down in the ring, leaving more questions than answers.
