David Hunter
Welcome to the final part of the epic Triple H vs Mankind feud that kickstarted in late 1999 and has motored through 2000. Part 1 and Part 2 can be found there if you need a refresher or want to see a lot of the backstory of the feud.
So we just rolled through THE ROY-AL RUM-BLE (tm Vince McMahon) and Triple H soundly got his ass kicked after the match, in part thanks to a barbed wire covered 2×4, despite being the pinfall victor and retaining his WWF Title.
We roll onto Raw where we seemingly have authority rearing its head as Triple H and Big Show are set to take on The Rock until The Rock gets some needed help! Skip to the 0:40 second mark.
An added bonus as Triple H’s forehead is wrapped up in gauze to start the match. Rikishi comes out and the crowd is pretty lukewarm overall but gets hot as the match continues, especially on a DDT to Triple H from Rock. End of the match comes when Rock sets Big Show up for the Rock Bottom but Triple H low blows him. The Outlaws run down to take out Rikishi. Triple H goes to chairshot Rock after knocking out the referee for good measure but then CACTUS JACK comes limping down the ramp and this crowd gets nuclear. The barbed wire 2×4 makes a reappearance and this crowd is molten as Cactus lays waste to Big Show and Triple H! As usual, match was lackluster and maybe * but the aftermath is huge. These crowds are as hot as they were in the mid to late 1980s and it shows.
Two weeks later, The Radicalz have debuted on Smackdown and now on Raw, Triple H lays out the challenge to Cactus Jack that he gets one last shot at the WWF Title at No Way Out.
Triple H shows how pissed he is as he counters his attitude prior to the Royal Rumble and outlaws weapons such as barbed wire 2x4s, thumbtacks, and sharp metallic objects. Triple H even lets Cactus decide the match he wants and it’s… a HELL IN THE CELL! Crowd utterly erupts at this announcement. Just listen to the boos as Triple H adds the stipulation that Foley’s career is over. It really is a great culmination to the arc of Foley constantly interfering in Triple H’s reign as WWF Champion and Triple H just wanting to be rid of Foley, period at this point. Cactus turns around and requests that Triple H never gets a re-match as Cactus gets the winner of Big Show/Rock for the main event at WrestleMania. This is a great promo overall. The end comes when The Radicalz, to big boos, take out Cactus Jack in an ambush setting up an electric main event.
Then we get the best 10 man tag in WWE history pitting Triple H/X-Pac/Chris Benoit/Dean Malenko/Perry Saturn against Mankind/The Rock/Rikishi/Too Cool.
Many fans cite this as one of the hottest matches on Monday Night Raw, period and it’s an easy ****1/4 classic (if not higher). The crowd is absolutely molten from the word GO, everybody in this match is treated like a star, every key move and spot is massively over. The best part is that there’s a storyline reason behind this match and every wrestler is integral to that story. The end comes when Grandmaster Sexay tags Cactus in to huge cheers to battle Benoit. Referee didn’t see the tag and a pure chaotic brawl breaks out. Triple H Pedigrees Sexay allowing Benoit to deliver a diving headbutt for the pin before Triple H and Cactus brawl outside. The Outlaws run in with weapons and start laying everybody out. The lights go out and KANE returns to a monster pop. Kane takes out Saturn and Billy Gunn with chokeslams to huge cheers and this crowd is going nuts!
As a result of Kane’s return we get another handicap match, this time No DQ too, with Triple H and an unnamed partner against Kane the next week on Raw, February 14th.
Turns out Triple H continues to be devious, setting it up so he’s teaming with Big Show and X-Pac. Triple H eventually sets up Kane for a Pedigree after a long beatdown until The Rock’s theme hits! Big Show immediately nulls that thread by Chokeslamming Rock to big boos from the crowd. Crowd goes nuclear when Cactus’ theme hits at the 10:17 mark! Kane gets the pin after chokeslamming Big Show following a Rock chairshot as Cactus and Triple H continue brawling at ringside. Match was a * if that but all the aftermath. Cactus, Rock, and Kane eventually hold them off.
Next week’s Raw opens up with a recap of what happened on Smackdown, including the Cactus and X-Pac match.
The show opens with Degeneration X to big boos from the crowd as Triple H leads the way. The Rock eventually comes out to a good crowd reaction. The Rock proceeds to mock Triple H’s vocal delivery to massive cheers and a Rocky chant from the crowd. Triple H proceeds to get pissed and proclaim it will be another DX Night but just as Triple H threatens Rock, Cactus’ music hits to another big pop from the crowd! Cactus’s line, “Unlike you, America does not hate my guts!” gets a monster reaction from the Atlanta crowd in approval as well. Cactus mentions coming off the Hell In a Cell onto Triple H’s body and then brings out Kane. Another chaotic brawl proceeds to break out, leading to Big Show’s arrival! Kane and Rock get taken out with chairshots before Triple H delivers a Pedigree to Cactus. Hot segment overall.
The main event kicks off at the 1:20:10 mark pitting Big Show, Triple H, and X-Pac against The Rock, Mankind, and Kane. End starts with Cactus making the hot tag to Rock leading to him cleaning house including a crazy bump by Triple H over the corner turnbuckle to the outside. Crowd is electric for the People’s Elbow but get pissed when Triple H yanks the top rope spilling Rock to the floor. Rock slams Triple H off the top rope to make the hot tag to Cactus which the crowd goes molten for. Despite X-Pac and Big Show coming in, Cactus delivers his Double Arm DDT to Triple H for a nearfall as X-Pac makes the save. Chaos ensues after Cactus grabs a fire extinguisher and Kane nails Big Show with a top rope flying clothesline. Triple H gets the pinfall after laying Cactus out with said fire extinguisher. Raw ends with the brawl heading to the stage area including Cactus hammering Triple H with a garbage can to the head. DX proceeds to run off, fleeing the brawl in the DX Express and Cactus sends a steel pipe through the windshield!
No Way Out: Hell In a Cell
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x117wsr_wwf-no-way-out-2000-triple-h-vs-cactus-jack-hell-in-a-cell-match-for-the-wwf-championship_sport
Most people know this match as well so I’ll summarize much like I did with the Rumble Match. The match is an easy ****1/2 classic with multiple crazy spots throughout including some repeats of the Mankind/Undertaker match from 1998 and the flaming barbed wire 2×4, managing to somehow up the ante from the Rumble Match’s weapon. Triple H taps an absolute gusher and Cactus busts a wall open thanks to throwing the steel steps and it’s just crazy spot and crazy moment after another from there.
The finish comes from a bonkers spots when Triple H back body drops Cactus through the ceiling and through the canvas as well. Triple H sells Cactus suddenly reviving himself perfectly, chewing out the referee and stumbling around in disbelief and anger. Triple H delivers the Pedigree and pins Cactus, ending Foley’s “career” in the WWE and further cementing himself as the top dog and deserving of his status as the company’s top heel as well.
Triple H would later feud with The Rock setting up WrestleMania’s main event which led to Big Show’s involvement as well and, unfortunately in terms of negating the impact of this feud, Foley too (which would be his final match for many years).
Final Thoughts
This feud was simply sensational from the very first moment. Foley was a perfect foil, Triple H stepped up his role immensely to the point that the crowd legit loathed him regardless of whom he was facing in the ring (later matches with Taka Michinoku and such would only further support this), and the storyline was really well told for two different Pay Per Views. Foley definitely helped cement Triple H but a lot of credit has to go to Triple H for stepping up as big as he did. He sold his ass off to make Foley into a legitimate threat for the WWF Title and played his role of power wielding WWF Champion hiding behind others at times perfectly. Anybody who says Foley “made” Triple H or carried Triple H in this feud is being too biased.
Credit to STLD Wrestling for feature image
