Layin' da SmackDown - SmackDown recap for March 23, 2000

Triple H shows up with WWF co-owner Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley to start tonight's show. Triple H says that on Monday night, WWF Chairman Vince McMahon had an announcement that would rock the World Wrestling Federation from its foundation, and tonight, Stephanie will make an announcement that will not only rock the WWF from its foundation but also knock it off. In the meantime, Triple H has a question that he needs answered. He mentions the announcement of the main event for WrestleMania taking place that very night and how it was made under the premise that it would never happen again, then talks about how he won the match and retained the WWF Championship only to run into WWF co-owner Linda McMahon - whom he says was "ready to screw [him]" - and placed in a Fatal 4-Way match for the title at WrestleMania with the men he just beat as well as a re-hired Mick Foley. Triple H then asks his question: "Linda McMahon, who the hell do you think you are, to come out here and demand anything of me, to come out here and tell me what I am going to do?" Triple H then demands Linda to come out and tell him who she thinks she is. Linda shows up and reminds Triple H that she has as much stroke as anyone else, and because of that and the fact that Mick Foley is a deserving individual whose dream was to be in a WrestleMania main event, she made the Fatal 4-Way Elimination Match for the WWF Championship. Also, since a McMahon is in the corner of the three other participants, she will be in Foley's corner, and there will be a McMahon in every corner in the Fatal 4-Way Match. She also announces that Mick Foley is coming back for one night and one night only. Triple H tells Linda that he is not buying the "one night only" line, and asks what is next if Foley takes the WWF Championship, as Foley is retired. Linda says that in all likelihood, Foley will win the match at WrestleMania and go out on top as he has always wanted. However, if that were to happen, the title would be declared vacant and held up in a tournament that would take place for the next few weeks until Backlash, where a new WWF Champion would be crowned. Triple H admits that Linda has put a lot of thought into this, but tells her that she has wasted her time as he will be leaving as WWF Champion after beating The Rock first because he hates him the most before beating Big Show and saving Mick Foley for last to spite Linda. He also tells Linda that after brutally beating Mick Foley at WrestleMania, it will be on her, and that he hopes she will remain in Foley's corner afterwards as nobody will be behind Foley by then and Linda will be the one assisting Foley as Foley wonders why Linda could not leave well enough alone until he realizes that she did it because she is "a cold, heartless bitch." Linda is shocked at first, but then she leaves.

Backstage, Ivory gives a very tense and impatient Crash Holly a back massage. Suddenly, Ivory calls for referee Teddy Long before breaking a jar over the back of Crash's head to try to take the WWF Hardcore Championship from him. Crash escapes with the title.

Before the next match, Kurt Angle says he realizes that he made a bid to defend a title against Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho at WrestleMania, but now he has to put up not just one title, but both of them. He then announces that this match is a Two-Fall Triple Threat Match where one fall is for one title and the second fall is for the other. He then says one does not have to be a genius, much less "one of the several dairy farm inbreds from Wisconsin" to figure out that this is a conspiracy against him. He then says that tonight, he will give Benoit a taste of what to expect at WrestleMania with a little touch of integrity, intensity and intelligence (the last of which Angle claims Benoit does not have). Chris Jericho guests on commentary after Chris Benoit makes his way to the ring.

Kurt Angle beats Chris Benoit by disqualification after Chris Jericho hits ANgle in the back of the head with the WWF Intercontinental Championship before hitting Benoit with it and putting Angle in the Walls of Jericho. Bob Backlund is seen watching the match from backstage during the match. After the match, Jericho puts Angle in the Walls of Jericho before referes and officials try to restore order, then lets go of the hold and briefly does the same to Benoit.

Backstage, Kevin Kelly interviews WWF Chairman Vince McMahon. Vince says he has an idea as to what WWF co-owner Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley's announcement is. Vince predicts that Stephanie will announce that she is pregnant and that she will deliver an eight-pound baby anteater in nine months. He then says he is proud to be in The Rock's corner at WrestleMania. He also announces that that at WrestleMania, The Dudley Boyz (Buh Buh Ray and D-Von Dudley) will be defending the WWF Tag Team Championships against The Hardy Boyz (Jeff and Matt Hardy) and the team of Edge and Christian in a Triangle Ladder Match. He also announces that tonight, Buh Buh Ray Dudley will go one-on-one with The Rock.

In footage from earlier today, Al Snow tries to get "The Lethal Weapon" Steve Blackman to milk a cow at a Wisconsin dairy farm. When milk splatters onto Blackman's face, Blackman goes outside, take his nunchuaku and smacks the cow with them.

The Godfather beats Bull Buchanan by disqualification after The Big Boss Man gets in the ring and attacks The Godfather with his nightstick. After the match, Boss Man and Buchanan attack The Godfather, and Buchanana attacks him with a baton.

Backstage, Crash Holly tells Hardcore Holly that somebody that he feels somebody is going to try to take the WWF Hardcore Championship. Hardcore tells him that he has talked to everyone in the back and that nobody is going to attack him during his next match, and implies that if Crash cannot trust him, he cannot trust anybody.

Al Snow and "The Lethal Weapon" Steve Blackman beat The Hollys (Hardcore and Crash Holly) by count-out. During the match, the crowd is heard chanting "Let's go Head Cheese." Also during the match, Hardcore Holly shoves referee Jimmy Korderas into the path of a clothesline by Al Snow that is meant for him. Afterwards, Hardcore attacks Crash and chases him into the crowd after unsuccessfully trying to pin him to win the WWF Hardcore Championship. A second referee shows up for the match between Hardcore and Crash in the tech area as Snow and Blackman win by count-out. After the match, Snow and Blackman are attacked by T&A (Test and Prince Albert), then Trish Stratus shows up as Test and Albert make their way up the ramp. Trish says that T&A gives the fans what they want to see: T for Test and A for Albert..

Backstage, WWF co-owner Shane McMahon gives The Mean Street Posse (Rodney, Pete Gas, Joey Abs) some opportunities to live like Triple H, Mick Foley and The Rock for one night.

Before the next match, The Rock comes out to Know Your Role by Method Man from WWF Aggression, which is now available in stores.

The Rock beats Buh Buh Ray Dudley.

Jim Ross interviews Mick Foley in the ring. Foley mentions that a few weeks ago, he said he would not be like all those who had retired before only to come back six weeks later, and says he was a man of his word by coming back in only four. He then assures that his return will be for one night only, and says in the last four weeks, he not only got his first real haircut in sixteen years, but he did relatively little until he got a call from WWF co-owner Linda McMahon asking him if he wanted to be apart of WrestleMania. Foley said he look forward to meeting the fans over the weekend at Fan Axxess, but Linda then told him that he was going to be part of the main event of WrestleMania, which he had never been a part of. For the next 20 minutes, he tried to talk Linda out of it, but then realized that as a wrestler, you do not just walk out on WrestleMania. He accepted, but he had never been more nervous than when he showed up in Chicago, Illinois as he did not know how the fans would react. Thankfully, the reaction blew him away, as most everyone is happy to have him back for one night. He knows some people will not forgive him for coming back soon, but Foley fells that he would not forgive himself if he let the opportunity to main event WrestleMania slip away. As for the main event, it has four of the best athletes to step into a WWF ring, but it is his night and not theirs. He then addresses Triple H verbally attacking Linda McMahon, and says that he will not threaten him with barbed wire baseball bats and thumbtacks because he has done that already, and he admits that he enjoys seeing stitches on his face as they were put there because of him. He then says that he understands fully how to hurt Triple H, and that is to take his belt and make him realize there is a thing he can do about him WWF Champion as he will be retired. He then says he will walk down the aisle and look at Triple H, and Triple H will realize his last act as an active wrestler was kicking his ass. Foley then says that as great a match as No Way Out was, it will not end with him looking back with blood on his face, tears in his eyes and a sad smile on his face, as WrestleMania will end with blood on his face, tears in his eyes and the WWF Championship in his hands.

We see GTV footage where The Kat returns a skirt to Terri Runnels. The Kat leaves, then Terri Runnels finds dark spots all over it, much to Terri's disdain.

Jacqueline beats Lita after Lita becomes overconfident during a roll-up. After the match, Lita hits Jacqueline with a DDT before hitting her with a moonsault off the top rope.

We see a small part of the music video for The Kings by RUN-DMC from WWF Aggression, available in stores now.

Before the next match, The Mean Street Posse (Rodney, Pete Gas, Joey Abs) are accompanied to the ring by WWF co-owner Shane McMahon dressed like Triple H, The Rock and Mick Foley. Shane then introduces them as such, then brings out Big Show. He then proposes all four men in the ring have a preview of what will happen at WrestleMania, which starts a quick squash match where Big Show beats The Mean Street Posse, Shane guests on commentary, and Big Show allows Rodney to go for the People's Elbow only for Rodney and Joey Abs to fall victim to a double choke slam. The match ends with Big Show pinning all three members of The Posse.

Too Cool (Grandmaster Sexay, Scotty 2 Hotty, Rikishi Phatu) beat The Radicals (Perry Saturn, Dean Malenko, Eddie Guerrero). After the match, X-Pac and "Road Dogg" Jesse James attack Too Cool from behind along with The Radicalz, then Kane shows up with Paul Bearer and becomes a one-man wrecking crew, attacking The Radicals until Road Dogg pucnhes the back of Kane's knee before X-Pac hits Kane with a steel chair. Rikishi tries to battle back, but he also gets laid out with a steel chair.

WWF co-owner Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley shows up. Stephanie asks WWF co-owner Linda McMahon to come to the ring so she can feel the impact of what she is about to announce first-hand. Linda shows up, and Stephanie says she wishes that she was surprised to see her mother Linda, especially on Raw, but she knew it was just a matter of time before Linda meddled in her business. She says it is not unheard of for a mother to feel jealous or threatened by her daughter, for after she was born, she took away the last bit of affection that her father, WWF Chairman Vince McMahon, showed Linda, and instead of showing love and affection, Linda tried to control her. She uses example making her make her own bed instead of letting the maid do it, restricting her funds to $100 a week during junior week and not letting her buy the turbo model sports car in high school. Linda says it was all for her own good, but Stephanie counters by saying that in college, Linda only gave her enough money for a one-bedroom apartment and she had to convince the CFO to slip her a little extra cash, for even at 19, she knew how to use her assets to get what she wanted, as this was a trick that Linda taught her: the power of persuasion, especially that of the opposite sex, as control equals power. Stephanie says there is only room for one dominant female in the company, and that is her. She gives Linda credit for having the guts to change the main event at WrestleMania to stack the deck against Triple H as well as re-hire Mick Foley, if only for one night. Linda says it was the right thing to do, and Stephanie tells Linda she is not as smart as she thinks she is and that Triple H is right for calling Linda "a conniving bitch." Stephanie then slaps Linda and sends her falling to the mat. Linda is crying as Triple H shows up, approving of what has happened as the show ends.