Layin' da SmackDown - SmackDown recap for April 20, 2000

"Road Dogg" Jesse James beats Edge after reversing a roll-up by grabbing Edge's tights while going for a roll-up himself. Before the match begins, it is announced that Edge and Christian will defend the WWF Tag Team Championships against D-Generation X (Road Dogg and X-Pac) at Backlash.

Backstage, WWF co-owner Shane McMahon tells Triple H and WWF co-owner Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley that he will start "rounding everybody up" for something later.

We look back on "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's Stone Cold Stunner to "Iron" Mike Tyson in January 1998.

Triple H and WWF co-owner Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley show up. Triple H says that over the last couple of days, he has heard people talk about how he had a bad day on Raw, which he says he does not have very many of, but the record books will show that he never lost the WWF Championship to Chris Jericho, that there never was a fast count from now ex-WWF referee Earl Hebner and that he, Stephanie and WWF co-owner Shane McMahon never fired Hebner for said fast count. He then says the one thing from Monday that could be considered bad was WWF co-owner Linda McMahon's announcement of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin coming back at Backlash in The Rock's corner. Triple H admits he would not feel comfortable leaving he and Stephanie's future kids with Linda, as Linda is "a psycho" for slapping Stephanie and needs help. He then says that he snapped and that he would never really hurt Linda, and that he is a "nice guy," but Shane punched him for putting her in the position for a Pedigree. He says Shane is a "mama's boy," but says there is nothing with loving your mom like Shane does before saying that a woman who would slap her daughter would the same woman would take a fair contest between two great athletes for the WWF Championship and stack the odds against him by putting "Stone Cold" Steve Austin in The Rock's corner. He then says that if The Rock wants someone in that corner, then he will give him an opportunity to get used to it by putting someone not only in his corner, but also in every corner and around the ring, as he will take on "The Ayatollah of Buttholah" in a Lumberjack Match. Triple H says that the lumberjacks for the match are being carefully selected by Shane McMahon, then says that the McMahon-Helmsley regime is in control, taking care of business and making sure there are no more bad days. Suddenly, Tazz shows up, and says it is good to see Triple H in a pleasant mood. However, the mood is about to change. He says Triple H walks around like he has everything under control and has all the bases controlled, but all he has to do is open his mouth a little wider and bite into something he just can't swallow. He then says Triple H doesn't have to put the WWF Champion; all he has to do is lace his boots up tight, get in the ring and find out why people call him "The Human Wrecking Machine." Triple H says that if he wants a piece of him tonight, he's got it. He tells him to bring the ECW World Heavyweight Champion with him and tells him that if he steps into the ring, he will find out this is the World Wrestling Federation and Triple H will prove to everyone that ECW "sucks." Tazz tells Triple H from one champion to another to get ready to get choked out, and that he doesn't play games.

Backstage, Chyna tells Lita that she should be lucky that Eddie Guerrero is in a good mood as he gives her and Essa Rios a chance to team up with them again against The Dudley Boyz (Buh Buh Ray and D-Von Dudley), and that Eddie is only in a good mood because he passed his GED test. She also tells Lita not to screw up again.

Backstage, Kurt Angle is met by WWF co-owner Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley, who tells him that his most admirable quality is his credibility and that he is the only Olympic gold medalist in the World Wrestling Federation. She also wonders if he could bring credibility to tonight's Lumberjack Match and invites him to become a lumberjack. Angle accepts the invitation, saying it would be his honor, but Stephanie says the honor is all hers.

The Dudley Boyz (Buh Buh Ray and D-Von Dudley) beat Eddie Guerrero and Essa Rios after Lita inadvertently takes out Eddie Guerrero with a top rope cross body meant for Buh Buh Ray, who ducks. After the match, CHyna grabs Lita by the hair, then The Dudley Boyz pull out a table. When Chyna runs backwards into the table, she looks at the Dudleys briefly before tossing Lita to them and leaving the ring, allowing Buh Buh Ray to powerbomb Lita through the table.

Backstage, The Radicalz (Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, Perry Saturn) make fun of Tazz "looking like Donkey Kong" as he throws out challenges before WWF co-owner Shane McMahon shows up and asks the three of them to take part in tonight's Lumberjack Match. All three of them accept.

Before the next match, Big Show says Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is his town and instead of calling him Big Show, they call him "Big Funky." He proposes that he and Rikishi have a dance-off to see who the better dancer is. Big Show goes first, followed by Rikishi, but when Rikishi turns his back on Big Show, Big Show immediately attacks Rikishi to get the next match started.

Big Show and Rikishi wrestle to a double count-out. After the match, Rikishi tells Big Show that he and the fans want him back in the ring so they can finish what they started. Both men have a stare-down, then Rikishi places his trademark sunglasses on Big Show. Big Show retuns the favor by pullng out a pair for Rikishi. Both men then dance. Backstage, Kurt Angle watches them dance, embarrased that he is even seeing such a spectacle. Suddenly, Rikishi superkicks Big Show before taking the sunglasses off of Big Show.

We see footage from the upcoming new movie Gladiator starring Russel Crowe. (This footage is not shown on WWE Network.)

Backstage, Kevin Kelly interviews Kurt Angle, who says that as a modern-day gladiator, Gladiator is a phenomenal movie and Dreamworks Pictures went all-out on it. He then says that he has been personally invited by Steven Spielberg to attend the world premiere, but he was upset that he will not be starring in the film. However, if they have a sequel, he might be in it, and his fans just might see their Olympic her on the big screen. He says that Rikishi does his dance and that he does not know any better, and that Big Show used to be the WWF Champion and used to mean something; now Big Show stands for nothing. Angle says he himself stands for intensity, integrity and intelligence, and when he wins the Intercontinental Championship tonight, everyone will see that the stock market will rise, the world will become a better place and he will see Kevin Kelly at the movies.

Triple H beats Tazz in a match that sees the WWF Champion against the ECW Champion in a non-title match. During the match, WWF co-owner Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley distracts referee Mike Chioda so that Triple H can hit Tazz with a low blow to stop the Tazzmission. Afterwards, a man gets on the apron and distracts Chioda. Triple H knocks down Chioda and the man at the same time, and the man is none other than "The Innovator of Violence" Tommy Dreamer. Dreamer gets back in the ring but inadvertently takes out Triple H, and Triple H hits Dreamer with the Pedigree for the win.

Backstage, Trish Stratus tells T&A (Test and Albert) to focus on their match with The Godfather, not on the cleavage. T&A's responses show that they are clearly transfixed on Trish's cleavage.

T&A (Test and Albert) beat The Godfather and D'Lo Brown after D'Lo inadvertently strikes The Godfather with a right hand meant for Albert, who ducks. During the match, Buh Buh Ray stares as Trish Stratus from the stage, and D-Von Dudley has to stop him as he walks down the ramp and take him to the back. After the match, The Godfather tries to forgive D'Lo Brown, but D'Lo Brown hits him with the Sky High and tells him "Screw you!"

X-Pac beats Christian. During the match, Tori distracts referee Jimmy Korederas while "Road Dogg" Jesse James gets in the ring. Edge follows him down there and yanks Road Dogg off the ring apron, but X-Pac hits a distracted Christian with the X Factor. After the match, Edge and Christian fight Road Dogg and X_Pac, and Edge and Christian come out on top.

Backstage, WWF co-owner Shane McMahon compliments The Dudley Boyz (Buh Buh Ray and D-Von Dudley) on the powerbomb to Lita through the table as it is the intensity he is looking for, and invites them to become lumberjacks in tonight's Lumberjack Match. They accept after D-Von isis told tables may be involved and Buh Buh Ray is assured that people can be hit with the Dudley Death Drop.

We look back on "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's beer bath with the Coors Light beer truck on WWF Chairman Vince McMahon and WWF owner Shane McMahon from March 1999.

Chris Benoit retains the WWF Intercontinental Championship against Kurt Angle by disqualification after Big Show pushes Benoit off the top rope and chases Kurt Angle to the back.

Triple H invites The Big Boss Man and Bull Buchanan to be lumberjacks for tonight's Lumberjack Match. They accept the invitation.

Backstage, D-Generation X (Triple H, "Road Dogg" Jesse James, X-Pac), Tori, and WWF co-owners Shane McMahon and Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley brag about their in-ring success tonight before focusing on the Lumberjack Match, saying they have Chris Jericho and The Rock right where they want them.

We see footage from earlier today where Crash Holly comes back from the Ringling Brothers/Barnum and Bailey circus event to be met by a clown and a man in a trench coat with a glasses and fake nose disguise. It is pretty obvious that the man in the trenchcoat is referee Teddy Long, but it is not so obvious that the clown is one of the members of The Mean Street Posse (Rodney, Pete Gas, Joey Abs) until Crash beats him up only to be swarmed by two more clowns as he escapes. The two clowns then fight each other, allowing Crash to escape, and it becomes obvious who the clowns are when they argue over the WWF Hardcore Championship.

Backstage, Kevin Kelly interviews The Rock. He says he has no problem with Chris Jericho or having a match with him, but he has a problem with the match being a means for Triple H to delay the inevitable, as he is taking the WWF Championship from him at Backlash. He tells Triple H to live it up, have a picnic, fly a kite and "go down to the Philadelphia[, Pennsylvania] zoo and suck some monkey's nipple" with the WWF title until then. The Rock then says that if WWF Chairman Vince McMahon wants to get involved in the WWF Championship match at Backlash, then "Stone Cold" Steve Austin will be in his corner, ready to strike. He then says it does not matter what Triple H does or how many lumberjacks throws at him, as he is looking at the next WWF Champion.

Chris Jericho beats The Rock in a Lumberjack Match after constant interference by Triple H and WWF co-owner Shane McMahon, who also fight with The Rock during the match, which ends with Shane distracting the referee so that Triple H can hit The Rock with the WWF Champion and placed a downed Chris Jericho over The Rock to give Jericho the win.