Raw Deal - Raw recap for March 20, 2000

RAW

Michael Cole interviews WWF Chairman Vince McMahon, who announces at the behest of Gerald Brisco that there will be a tag team elimination tournament where the winners will meet in a battle royal to decide the #1 contenders for the WWF Tag Team Championships. Pat Patterson tells Vince to talk about "the big one," and Vince says that if that match is made, it will rock the World Wrestling Federation down to its foundations tonight. Michael Cole then mentions that he loved Saturday Night Live over the weekend - which featured The Rock as special guest host and Vince McMahon, Triple H, Mick Foley and Big Show in the cold opening - and that gives Vince the idea to start the show in a style not unlike Saturday Night Live.

Before the next match, D-Generation X (X-Pac and "Road Dogg" Jesse James) come out to The Kings, a re-imagining of the DX theme by Run-DMC. The song is on the upcoming WWF Aggression, a compilation of original songs based on WWE entrance themes by hip-hop artists. The album will be available in stores tomorrow, and the song will continue to be DX's theme throughout the year.

The Hardy Boyz (Jeff and Matt Hardy) beat D-Generation X (X-Pac and "Road Dogg" Jesse James) to continue to the tag team battle royal after Kane and Paul Bearer show up to attack X-Pac. Tori attacks Kane to no avail, and when she gets in the ring after the match, The Hardys toss Tori into Kane, who proceeds to choke slam her.

Triple H and WWF co-owner Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley are seen approaching the ring.

Triple H and WWF co-owner Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley show up. Upon Stephanie asking for the fans' undivided attention, the crowd boos, and Triple H goes off on them, demanding respect for himself and Stephanie. Triple H then says at WrestleMania, the fans will have no choice but to bow down on their knees and respect him, as he will beat both The Rock and Big Show in a Triple Threat Match to retain the WWF Championship. He then says that WWF Chairman Vince McMahon clams to have a match that will rock the foundation of the World Wresting Federation, and says if the match is that big, it has to have him in it. He calls Vince McMahon to the ring, but Big Show and WWF co-owner Shane McMahon show up instead. Shane says he knows exactly what Vince meant by that announcement, and challenges Triple to defend the WWF Championship against Big Show tonight. Triple H says he would love to, but he declines, saying he does not have to defend the WWF Championship before WrestleMania, even though he could, and says "that big goof" Big Show does not deserve a title shot. Suddenly, WWF Chairman Vince McMahon shows up and says what Shane has proposed is not a big idea, and says that Triple H is willing to defend the WWF Championship as that is exactly what is going to happen. He announces that the match will be Triple H vs. Big Show vs. The Rock. Vince knows that the Triple Threat Match is in two weeks, but eh asks why they should not have the match in Chicago, Illinois tonight. Shane says that Vince is making a smart business decision, and dares Triple H to take the challenge, as does Vince. Triple H accepts the challenge for tonight, on the ground that the match does not take place again and there will be no rematch, especially at WrestleMania. Vince then tells Triple H to take his lips, pucker them up, and instead of kissing his daughter or kissing his ass, he wants Triple H to kiss the WWF Championship goodbye.

The Rock is seen arriving to the arena.

The Big Boss Man and Bull Buchanan attack The Godfather before the next match can begin.

Backstage, "Road Dogg" Jesse James and X-Pac demand that Triple H and WWF co-owner Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley do something about Kane after losing a shot at the WWF Tag Team Championships. Triple H proposes putting Kane in a match with Rikishi so Kane can get his ass kicked.

Too Cool (Grandmaster Sexay and Scotty 2 Hotty) beat The Radicalz (Perry Saturn and Dean Malenko) to advance to the tag team battle royal later tonight. During the match, Eddie Guerrero trips Scotty 2 Hotty from outside of the ring, and Grandmaster Sexay hits Eddie with a right hand. Eddie gets back up, but when he gets on the apron, Grandmaster Sexay throws him into Perry Saturn, and both men end up on the outside. Malenko puts Scotty 2 Hotty in the Texas Cloverleaf, but Grandmaster Sexay hits Malenko with a superkick to give Too Cool the win. Backstage, Rikishi Phatu shows satisfaction with Too Cool's victory.

Members of the Chicago Bears football team are seen in the front row.

Kane beats Rikishi Phatu by disqualification after X-Pac and "Road Dogg" Jesse James attack Kane from behind. Rikishi gets back up after the choke slam and fights X-Pac and Road Dogg off, but the numbers game catches up and X-Pac hits Rikishi with the X Factor. X-Pac and Road Dogg run off after Kane gets back up.

Kevin Kelly interviews Chris Benoit backstage. Benoit says he does not have to explain his actions from SmackDown last week, and he says it disgusts him what Kurt Angle does with the gold around his waist. He hopes that Angle bears witness to what he does to Chris Jericho tonight.

Michael Cole is outside of The Rock's dressing room.

Michael Cole interviews The Rock backstage. The Rock tells Michael Cole to go suck on a monkey's nipple before taking the microphone and telling him to find a monkey. The Rock then states that he is okay with WrestleMania being brought to Raw, and that he is ready for Triple H and Big Show, and that tonight, the only two things they should be concerned about is knowing their roles and shutting their mouths.

WAR ZONE

Before the next match, Chris Jericho shows up before Kurt Angle can even speak and welcomes everyone to Raw Is Jericho. He tells Chris Benoit that he may take himself seriously, but he does too as he makes fun of Benoit's voice before telling Benoit that he will give him an "actual #1 Y2J beating" that he will never, ever forget. Jericho is suddenly attacked from behind as Kurt Angle guests on commentary for the next match.

Chris Jericho beats Chris Benoit. During the match, Chris Benoit hits Kurt Angle for telling him to get his hands off his belt, and Angle responds by hitting Benoit in the head with one of his championships and tossing him back in the ring as the referee is dealing with Jericho. After the match, Bob Backlund shows up, but Jericho beats him up when he gets in the ring. Jericho then turns around to get hit in the head with Angle's other championship.

Kurt Angle and Bob Backlund celebrate backstage.

Al Snow ties to get "The Lethal Weapon" Steve Blackman to do something special for the people of Wisconsin tomorrow night, but Blackman wants none of it, even as a man dressed like Benjamin Franklin tries to get him to do it.

Al Snow and "The Lethal Weapon" Steve Blackman beat The Hollys (Hardcore and Crash Holly) to advance to the tag team battle royal later tonight. During the match, Tazz shows up with referee Teddy Long and attacks Crash Holly in an attempt to win the WWF Hardcore Championship, and chases him into the crowd. This leaves Hardcore Holly on his own against Snow and Blackman as Crash Holly runs out of the arena with the Hardcore title.

We see part of the music video for The Kings by Run-DMC, on the upcoming album WWF Unforgiven, a collection of hip-hop interpretations of WWF entrance themes that will be available in stores tomorrow.

GTV is back after a lengthy absence, and we see black-and-white backstage footage where The Kat talks with Terri. Terri tells The Kat that she is in pain, but not in as much as The Kat is from not being on TV anymore. The Kat is furious as Terri leaves the room.

Edge and Christian beat The Acolytes (Faarooq and Bradshaw) to advance to the tag team battle royal later tonight. During the match, Mideon shows up with a mop in his hands, and he tries to use it as a weapon against Edge only to accidentally hit Bradshaw, costing The Acolytes the match. After the match, Mideon tries to explain himself, but The Acolytes beat him up.

Test beats Val Venis. Before the match, it is announced that Trish Stratus and Tori can be seen in bikinis Thursday night on WWF.com. During the match, Trish Stratus gets on the apron and distracts Val Venis. Venis goes for a roll-up, but Test reverses it into a roll-up of his own and grabs the tights to get the win. Val Venis takes exception to this and attacks Test after the match only to be attacked by Prince Albert. Test then continues to attack Venis, then Trish Stratus tells Test and Albert to stop. Test throws Venis out of the ring, then Trish says that they know what everyone wants to see "T&A." She then says we are looking at just that: Test and Albert.

The Dudley Boyz (Buh Buh Ray and D-Von Dudley) guest on commentary for the next match.

The tag team battle royal ends with no winners and no #1 contenders for the WWF Tag Team Championships after The Dudley Boyz (Buh Buh Ray and D-Von Dudley) hit Dudley Death Drops on Edge and Jeff Hardy before powerbombing Matt Hardy onto Christian and putting them both through a table.

Triple H retains the WWF Championship against Big Show and The Rock. During the match, WWF co-owner Shane McMahon pulls the top rope down on The Rock during The People's Elbow. He is about to hit The Rock with a steel chair when WWF Chairman Vince McMahon takes a chair away and hits Shane with a hard right. Triple H then punches Vince, and Big Show then pulls Triple H back into the ring, all while WWF co-owner Stephanie McMahon is distracting referee Earl Hebner on the apron. Triple H then hits the facebreaker knee smash followed by the Pedigree to retain. After the match, The Rock chases Shane into the crowd, but as Triple H and Stephanie leave, WWF co-owner Linda McMahon shows up. A fan gets up on the ramp, and Triple H tackles him so that security can deal with the guy, who is taken out of the shot. Linda congratulates Triple H on retaining, and while there will be no Triple Threat rematch for the WWF Championship, a special ingredient will be added at WrestleMania: a deserving individual whose dreams should come true, if for one night only. Therefore, she will make the final decision, and the main event at WrestleMania 2000 will be a Fatal Four-Way where Triple H will defend the WWF Championship against Big Show, The Rock...and Mick Foley, who has returned to the WWF. Mick Foley brawls with Triple H in the ring, and he hits both Triple H and Big Show with the WWF Championship to end the show.