Former WWF writer Tommy Blacha and co-host Rob Pasbani dive into the June 8, 2000, episode of SmackDown from Buffalo! The road to King of the Ring features a chaotic main event and one of the most dangerous splashes in WWE history.

We break down Rikishi’s legendary splash off the 10-foot stage onto Val Venis, a move that still makes our knees hurt just watching it. We also witness a historic character shift for Lita, who debuts her signature "Whale Tail" look while getting robbed of the WWF Women’s Championship by Stephanie McMahon and a fast-counting Tori. Meanwhile, The Rock, Undertaker, and Kane are forced to team up against the McMahon-Helmsley faction. Accidental chair shots and internal friction threaten to destroy the alliance before the pay-per-view.

Tommy Blacha also pulls back the curtain on:

- The real-world pressure of the Parents Television Council (PTC) and Steve Allen trying to pull WWE advertising.

- Why Mosh (Chaz) was being "ignored" by The Rock backstage and the abandoned disgruntled worker storyline.

- Early impressions of a young Kurt Angle in dark matches and how one specific promo video made his career.

- Behind-the-scenes reality of "Sweeps Week" and why the network pressure didn't apply to the Attitude Era juggernaut.

- Chris Benoit and Jeff Hardy in a technical "work-rate" masterclass.

- Crash Holly’s continued parking lot brawls with Gerald Brisco and Pat Patterson over the Hardcore Championship.

- The night Tommy saw Brock Lesnar in developmental and the frustration of the "need to know" basis in the writers' room.

Don't forget to LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and hit the notification bell!

0:00 - Intro

1:40 - The "Number One Contender" trope

8:06 - Match 1: Chris Jericho vs. Test (KOTR Qualifier)

9:10 - The Rock ignores Chaz / Disgruntled worker storylines

13:33 - Lost WWF beauty pageant commercials

15:53 - Steve Allen and the PTC censorship battles

18:40 - The McMahons & DX celebrate / No Vince tonight

20:47 - The Rock brings "Payback Pie" to Buffalo

22:50 - The "American Badass" music license rabbit hole

26:26 - Undertaker vs. The Regime

28:18 - Match 2: Too Cool vs. Godfather & Dean Malenko

29:13 - Match 3: Chris Benoit vs. Jeff Hardy (Intercontinental Championship)

31:13 - Match 4: Edge & Christian vs. The Dudley Boyz

33:50 - The "Clean Pin" vs. "Clean Finish" Smart Mark debate

35:15 - Stephanie McMahon barges into the women’s locker room

36:16 - Kane confronts Undertaker: "I was enjoying it"

38:32 - Women’s Battle Royal

40:10 - Tommy on training vs. "Gaga" in the women's division

43:27 - Tori screws Lita / Stephanie retains the title

46:01 - Match 5: Matt Hardy vs. Eddie Guerrero (KOTR Qualifier)

47:45 - Val Venis & Trish Stratus promo

48:26 - Match 6: Val Venis vs. Rikishi

49:33 - RIKISHI SPLASH OFF THE STAGE!

53:25 - Main Event: Rock, Taker & Kane vs. Triple H & DX

54:41 - The MO of SmackDown: Feeling over Advancement

56:40 - Sunday Night Heat main event recap

57:07 - 2000 Headlines: Dwayne Johnson’s Hollywood breakout

1:01:03 - Dark Match talk: The Dups and a young Brock Lesnar

1:02:44 - The night Tommy saw Kurt Angle get over

1:08:23 - The frustration of the "Need to Know" basis in WWE

1:12:45 - Broken illusions: Why Tommy misses Kayfabe

1:15:26 - Final Thoughts & Outro

Follow Tales from The Attitude Era on all social media

http://youtube.com/@TFTAttitudeEra

http://twitter.com/TFTAttitudeEra

http://instagram.com/TFTAttitudeEra

http://tiktok.com/@TFTAttitudeEra

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