Foley Keeps Saying “Or Else” and a Former Writer Explains Why That’s Already the Problem – WWE SmackDown 9/28/00 Review

SmackDown comes from Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh on September 28th, 2000. Before Tommy Blacha and Rob Pasbani get to the show, they read a listener comment that takes about two minutes to accurately diagnose every creative problem WWF is about to run into over the next two years. Tommy cannot disagree with a word of it.

Foley opens the show warning Austin to play by his rules or else. Austin responds by hiding in a phone booth backstage and jumping Road Dog in the middle of a hardcore match. Raven gets his first WWF promo and it is immediately buried by a Jericho interruption, dragged into the Taz and Lawler comedy feud, and aimed at entirely the wrong people. Rock and Triple H team up against Angle and Benoit in a main event that works as a match and means nothing as a story. Stephanie pulls a chair away from Rock at the worst possible moment. Angle slam. Three count.

Tommy, still occasionally sending in material but increasingly disconnected from the room, explains what is actually happening behind the scenes: not laziness, but too many voices, a soap opera decree from management, Hollywood writers who do not know the roster, and a company so financially successful it has stopped being hungry. The people there are working harder than ever. The output is getting worse.

Other major discussion points include:

– Lita introduces the new tag champions the Hardys before beating Jackie in a match that Edge and Christian have no business being ringside for

– Steve Blackman gets nothing from his SummerSlam moment; six weeks later he is in a throwaway hardcore match used as a vehicle for an Austin run-in

– Trish recruits Kane for a six-man by mentioning Rikishi; the hosts assume it leads somewhere; it does not

– Raven and Taz beat Jericho and Lawler after X-Pac interferes and Raven hits the DDT; the Dudleys run out after; Tommy says Raven and X-Pac should have been the team

– Chyna strips down mid-match to intimidate Steven Richards; the hosts note she looks exactly the same; she wins anyway

– Stephanie pulls the chair away from Rock and hands Angle the win; Rob says the milk on the Triple H and Angle story is starting to turn

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0:00 Cold Open

0:27 Welcome / SmackDown 9/28/00

3:06 Listener Feedback / YouTube Comments

11:04 Foley Opens the Show

19:16 Benoit / Angle / Main Event Booked

22:40 Austin Finds Road Dog and X-Pac

26:23 Lita vs Jackie / Hardy Tag Titles

27:35 Road Dog vs Blackman / Austin Phone Booth

32:32 Trish / Kane Backstage

33:54 Taz / Raven Promo

40:46 Jericho Interrupts / Tag Match Set Up

42:37 Triple H / Rock Backstage

43:15 Sunday Night Heat / MTV Discussion

45:42 Too Cool & Rikishi vs Kane & T&A

46:53 Jericho & Lawler vs Taz & Raven

49:13 Rock Promo / Kevin Kelly

50:01 Chyna vs Steven Richards

54:42 Foley on Stage / Austin Stuns X-Pac

58:38 Triple H / Rock Backstage

59:48 Rock & Triple H vs Angle & Benoit

1:06:23 Patreon / Sign-Off