SummerSlam (2001)

Infobox Wrestling event
name=SummerSlam (2001)


theme="Bodies" (Drowning Pool)
promotion=World Wrestling Federation
date=August 19 2001
venue=Compaq Center
city=San Jose, California
attendance=15,293
lastevent=InVasion
nextevent=Unforgiven (2001)
event=SummerSlam
lastevent2=SummerSlam (2000)
nextevent2=SummerSlam (2002)

SummerSlam (2001) was the fourteenth annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). It took place on August 19 2001 at the Compaq Center in San Jose, California.

The main event was Booker T versus The Rock for the WCW Championship, which Rock won by pinfall after executing a Rock Bottom. Another main match on the card was Steve Austin versus Kurt Angle for the WWF Championship, which Angle won after Austin was disqualified for attacking referees. Another main match on the undercard was a Steel cage match between WCW Tag Team Champions Undertaker and Kane and WWF Tag Team Champions Diamond Dallas Page and Kanyon, which Undertaker and Kane won after Undertaker executed the Last Ride and pinned Page.cite web|url=http://www.pwwew.net/ppv/wwf/august/2001.htm|title=SummerSlam results (PWWEW.net)|accessdate=2008-03-22]

Background

The main feud heading into SummerSlam was between The Rock and Booker T, battling over the WCW Championship. After losing the WWF Championship to Steve Austin at WrestleMania X-Seven, The Rock took a hiatus from professional wrestling to film the movie, "The Scorpion King". [cite web|url= http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/Bios/rock.html|accessdate=2008-03-22|title=The Rock's Biography|quote=The Rock would head to Hollywood after Wrestlemania to assume his first starring role as the title character in The Scorpion King.|publisher= Canoe: SLAM! Wrestling] On the July 9 2001 edition of "Raw", campaigning for The Rock's return began.cite web|url=http://otherarena.com/htm/cgi-bin/history.cgi?2001/raw070901|accessdate=2008-03-22|title=WWF RAW (July 9, 2001) Results|last=Zimmerman|middle=Robin|first=Christopher|publisher=The Other Arena] cite web|url=http://pwwew.net/tv/raw/010709.htm|accessdate=2008-03-22|title=WWF RAW (July 9, 2001) Results|publisher=PWWEW.net] Following the campaigning, The Rock returned to the WWF on the July 30 2001 edition of "RAW", where he chose to align himself with the WWF instead of The Alliance in their feud.cite web|url= http://otherarena.com/htm/cgi-bin/history.cgi?2001/raw073001|accessdate=2008-03-22|title=WWF RAW (July 30, 2001) Results|last= Zimmerman|middle=Robin|first=Christopher|publisher=The Other Arena] cite web|url= http://pwwew.net/tv/raw/010730.htm|accessdate=2008-03-22|title=WWF RAW (July 30, 2001) Results|publisher=PWWEW.net] This action was shown by The Rock delivering a Rock Bottom onto Shane McMahon, The Alliance leader. Later that week on "SmackDown!", Booker T and The Rock cut a promo, where Booker T challenged The Rock to a match at SummerSlam; the beginning of the The Rock-Booker T feud.cite web|url=http://otherarena.com/htm/cgi-bin/history.cgi?2001/smackdown080201|accessdate=2008-03-22|title=WWF SmackDown! (August 2, 2001) Results|last=Zimmerman|first=Christopher| publisher=The Other Arena] cite web|url=http://pwwew.net/tv/smackdown/010802.htm|accessdate=2008-03-22|title=WWF SmackDown! (August 2, 2001) Results|publisher=PWWEW.net] Seeking revenge for the attack on the July 30, 2001 edition of "RAW is WAR", McMahon fought The Rock in a Street Fight on the August 6 2001 edition of "RAW is WAR", where The Rock pinned McMahon. However, the feud between The Rock and Booker T intensified after the match, where Booker T and Shane McMahon double-teamed The Rock.cite web|url=http://otherarena.com/htm/cgi-bin/history.cgi?2001/raw080601|accessdate=2008-03-22|title=WWF RAW is WAR (August 6, 2001) Results|last=Zimmerman|middle=Robin|first=Christopher|publisher=The OTher Arena] cite web|url=http://pwwew.net/tv/raw/010806.htm|accessdate=2008-03-22|title=WWF RAW is WAR (August 6, 2001) Results|publisher=PWWEW.net] Later that week on "SmackDown!", in retaliation, The Rock accepted Booker T's challenge.cite web|url=http://otherarena.com/htm/cgi-bin/history.cgi?2001/smackdown080901|accessdate=2008-03-22|title=WWF SmackDown! (August 9, 2001) Results|last=Zimmerman|middle=Robin|first=Christopher|publisher=The Other Arena] cite web|url=http://pwwew.net/tv/smackdown/010809.htm|accessdate=2008-03-22|title=WWF SmackDown! (August 9, 2001) Results|publisher=PWWEW.net] On the August 13 2001 edition of "RAW is WAR", The Rock was involved in a Tag-Team match, where he lost to Booker T and Rhyno, along with Chris Jericho.cite web|url=http://otherarena.com/htm/cgi-bin/history.cgi?2001/smackdown081601|accessdate=2008-03-22|title=WWF RAW is WAR (August 13, 2001) Results|last=Zimmerman|first=Christopher| publisher=The Other Arena] cite web|url=http://pwwew.net/tv/raw/010813.htm|title=WWF RAW is WAR (August 13, 2001) Results|publisher=PWWEW.net] After the match, Booker T delivered his variation of the Rock Bottom on The Rock, a move dubbed, "The Book End". On the final edition of "SmackDown!" before SummerSlam, McMahon announced that Booker T would defend the WCW Championship at SummerSlam against The Rock.cite web|url=http://otherarena.com/htm/cgi-bin/history.cgi?2001/smackdown081601|accessdate=2008-03-22|title= WWF SmackDown! (August 16, 2001) Results|last=Zimmerman|middle=Robin|first=Christopher|publisher=The Other Arena] cite web|url=http://pwwew.net/tv/smackdown/010816.htm|accessdate=2008-03-22|title=WWF SmackDown! (August 16, 2001) Results|publisher=PWWEW.net] Later that night, the feud intensified once more during a Light's Out match between Booker T and The Rock, after Booker T delivered a Book End onto The Rock, through a commentators announce table.

The other main match on the card was Steve Austin versus Kurt Angle for the WWF Championship. The previous month at InVasion, Team WCW/ECW (Booker T, Diamond Dallas Page, Rhyno and Bubba Ray and D-Von Dudley) defeated Team WWF (Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho, The Undertaker and Kane). Team WCW/ECW won after Austin turned on the WWF and executed a Stunner on Angle.

Event

Before the event aired live on pay-per-view, a match for Sunday Night HEAT aired on MTV. The match was originally slated to be a handicap match featuring Lita, and Jacqueline (representing the WWF) versus Torrie Wilson, Stacy Keibler, and Ivory (representing the Alliance). Backstage, before this match, Wilson and Keibler attacked Lita, weakening her. Matt Hardy checked on her and advised her not to compete in the match, but she insisted that she was fine. Jacqueline was alone in the beginning of the match, until Molly Holly (from the WWF) ran to the ring, and became a part of the match, teaming with Jacqueline. Lita eventually came down to the ring, and hit the Twist of Fate onto Ivory, allowing Jacqueline to pin her for the win.

The first match to air was for the WWF Intercontinental Championship, with reigning champion Lance Storm facing off against Edge. Before the match started, Christian and other WWF stars were shown backstage watching the match. The start of the match saw Edge nail Storm with a clothesline, and a cross-body splash from the top rope. Storm regained momentum and began the attack on Edge, knocking him off of his feet. When Edge got up, he his a powerslam onto Storm. Storm made his way to his feet and trapped Edge in a single-leg Boston Crab, which Edge broke by grabbing the top rope. As Edge got up, Christian ran down to the ring. Christian tried to spear Storm, but missed and hit Edge instead. Edge hit a DDT onto Storm and covered him to get the pin, and win the championship.

The next match was The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von) and Test versus The APA (Faarooq and Bradshaw) and Spike Dudley (with Molly Holly). As the match began, Spike immediately tried to attack Bubba Ray and D-Von, although Bubba Ray quickly threw Spike down. Test took over and attacked Spike while Bubba Ray and D-Von took out a table. Test picked up Spike and prepared to throw him into the table. Before he could, Spike poked his eyes, which caused Test to drop Spike. Test recovered and threw Spike into the table. Shane McMahon then ran down to the ring, and nailed Bradshaw with a steel chair, allowing Test to get the pin and win the match.

Results

Other on-screen talent

Notes

*This was the only pay-per-view in WWE history where the WCW Championship was defended in the main event.
*This is the first and only SummerSlam to feature both WWF Championship and WCW Championship matches.
*This was the first SummerSlam to feature the event's modern logo. While the "double "S"" logo had appeared the year before, the color was different (blue and yellow in contrast to green and blue) and the font for the word "SummerSlam" was slightly different.

References

External links

* [http://www.wwe.com/shows/summerslam07/history/2001/ Official 2001 SummerSlam site]
*cite news|title=2007 Wrestling Almanac & Book of Facts|work=Wrestling’s Historical Cards|publisher=Kappa Publishing|date= 2007|pages=108-109
* [http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/wweppv/summerslam01.html onlineworldofwrestling.com - SummerSlam '01 results]
* [http://www.twnpnews.com/information/summerslam.shtml twnpnews.com - SummerSlam]
* [http://www.hoffco-inc.com/wwe/ppv/ppv/sum01.html hoffco-inc.com - SummerSlam '01 review]