Rikishi’s INSANE Stage Splash & Lita’s Signature Look! - WWE SmackDown 6/8/00 Review

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" trope8:06 - Match 1: Chris Jericho vs. Test (KOTR Qualifier)9:10 - The Rock ignores Chaz / Disgruntled worker storylines13:33 - Lost WWF beauty pageant commercials15:53 - Steve Allen and the PTC censorship battles18:40 - The McMahons & DX celebrate / No Vince tonight20:47 - The Rock brings "Payback Pie" to Buffalo22:50 - The "American Badass" music license rabbit hole26:26 - Undertaker vs. The Regime 28:18 - Match 2: Too Cool vs. Godfather & Dean Malenko29:13 - Match 3: Chris Benoit vs. Jeff Hardy (Intercontinental Championship)31:13 - Match 4: Edge & Christian vs. The Dudley Boyz33:50 - The "Clean Pin" vs. "Clean Finish" Smart Mark debate35:15 - Stephanie McMahon barges into the women’s locker room36:16 - Kane confronts Undertaker: "I was enjoying it"38:32 - Women’s Battle Royal 40:10 - Tommy on training vs. "Gaga" in the women's division43:27 - Tori screws Lita / Stephanie retains the title46:01 - Match 5: Matt Hardy vs. Eddie Guerrero (KOTR Qualifier)47:45 - Val Venis & Trish Stratus promo48:26 - Match 6: Val Venis vs. Rikishi49:33 - RIKISHI SPLASH OFF THE STAGE!53:25 - Main Event: Rock, Taker & Kane vs. Triple H & DX54:41 - The MO of SmackDown: Feeling over Advancement56:40 - Sunday Night Heat main event recap57:07 - 2000 Headlines: Dwayne Johnson’s Hollywood breakout1:01:03 - Dark Match talk: The Dups and a young Brock Lesnar1:02:44 - The night Tommy saw Kurt Angle get over1:08:23 - The frustration of the "Need to Know" basis in WWE1:12:45 - Broken illusions: Why Tommy misses Kayfabe1:15:26 - Final Thoughts & OutroFollow Tales from The Attitude Era on all social mediahttp://youtube.com/@TFTAttitudeEra http://twitter.com/TFTAttitudeErahttp://instagram.com/TFTAttitudeErahttp://tiktok.com/@TFTAttitudeEra Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.