October 15, 2001 | Corel Centre – Ottawa, Ontario | TV Rating: 4.1
The Good
It’s not great, but The Rock Vs RVD is about as decent as the wrestling gets on this show, despite the non-finish. There is an interesting dynamic with Chris Jericho at ringside wanting a piece of the Rock. Slim pickings, but Edge Vs X-Pac is about as good as a four minute TV match from 2001 has any right to be.
The Bad
Big Show vs The Dudley’s is simply a bust. And Show loses when Keibler Distracts him, The “Duchess of Dudleyville” Stacy Keibler. Watching week to week it’s also funny in 2001 how Show is booked (Terribly). They can’t seem to decide if he’s an unstoppable monster or a lazy ex-WCW guy who needs to be taught a lesson…
The APA squash Hurricane and Lance Storm. That’s the Hurricane and Lance Storm, who have a WCW Tag Team Title shot in six days time at the PPV. That’s the APA who aren’t even booked on WWE’s No Mercy PPV.
The Indifferent
God bless Mick Foley, and I know he’s beloved by fans. But his opening promo here was pretty pointless. He explains why he came back as Commissioner despite, by his own admission, coming back to a place where he gets yelled at and keeps getting fired from (on-screen). Then Trish Stratus returns, and she unrobes to her lingerie for no apparent storyline reason. Ok.
Another week another in-ring Alliance Promo. This at least has a point, Austin gets Booker T as a tag team partner tonight and RVD gets a shot at The Rock, but again it’s just a bit dull by now. And the fact that once again there’s no booking logic (This week RVD can just be given a WCW Title match against The Rock by new Alliance Commissioner William Regal when in previous weeks the “owner of WCW” couldn’t seem to book his own title matches) just makes it all the more ho-hum.
Tazz and Billy Kidman is something and nothing. Rhyno and Chris Jericho only exists as a match for the post-match Alliance run-in and the Rock making the save only to Rock Bottom, Chris Jericho. The main event of Booker T & Steve Austin against Undertaker & Kurt Angle is your bog standard Raw main event of the era.
Overall
I’ve seen worse shows. I’ve seen a lot better. It’s not too bad in places but considering we’re six days away from No Mercy it doesn’t really work as a show designed to make you want to purchase that PPV.