SmackDown! kicked off from the Fleet Center in Boston with the Hardy Boyz and Lita teaming up to take on the Dudley Boyz and Stacy Keibler, who limped her way to ringside with a brace on her right ankle. Before the match started, Jazz made her way out and got in the face of Lita. An injured Stacy stepped aside and “allowed” the Women’s Champion to take her place in the six-person tag team match. The boys from Dudleyville took it to Jeff Hardy, cutting off the ring and putting the boots to the master of the Swanton. Jeff finally tagged in Matt, but the Dudley Boyz continued their assault on the older Hardy. D-Von climbed the ropes to set up the Dudleyz’ “Wassup?!” spot, but Lita pushed him off and onto the canvas. Matt then hit Bubba Ray with a low blow and set him up for a dose of his own medicine! With Matt holding Bubba, Lita dove off the top turnbuckle head-first and hit her own version of the “Wassup?!” splash. Jazz ran into the ring and tried to take out Matt, but the older Hardy suplexed the Women’s Champ and allowed Lita to take over on the beating. Lita went for the Twist of Fate, but, while the ref’s back was turned, Stacy jumped into the ring and crushed Lita’s face with a brace-loaded spinning-heel kick! This allowed Jazz to nail a Fisherman’s Suplex on Lita to give her team the win!
Backstage, Undertaker was in his locker room watching a tape of his brutal beating of Arn Anderson from RAW when Federation co-owner Ric Flair walked in. Flair called Taker a “cold-blooded bastard”, and told him that he was furious about the beating of his best friend. The Nature Boy turned off the television, took out the videotape, threw it against the wall and told the Dead Man that he would get his answer later in the night.
After commercial, Stone Cold Steve Austin, who was still limping from the nWo’s attack on him on RAW, walked to the ring carrying a steel chair. Before the Rattlesnake was able to say a word, the nWo’s music hit as the trio made their way to the stage. Stone Cold said that the first S.O.B. that comes to the ring would get his ass handed to him. Hollywood Hulk Hogan said that after what Scott Hall did to his knee on RAW, Stone Cold was in no position to make any threats. Hogan said that Austin was about in as good of shape as The Rock. Hogan said that the Great One wasn’t at SmackDown!, so Hogan was going to use this time to produce a video package tribute to the greatest ever – Hollywood Hulk Hogan. With that said, Hogan left the stage.
Scott Hall took the mic and told the Rattlesnake that they took The Rock and Stone Cold out with relatvie ease. Hall then played video footage of the trio’s concrete-block attack on Austin from RAW. Hall said that was just the beginning of the Rattlesnake being treated like an animal. He said at WrestleMania X8, Austin would go down and out. Kevin Nash asked Hall if they should go down to the ring and take out Stone Cold right then, but Austin interrupted them and said that he was going to walk up to them and take the duo out himself. Stone Cold walked halfway up the ramp and pulled a strange device out from his jacket. Austin aimed the contraption and fired a huge net at Nash, which engulfed the nWo giant! Hall tried to help Nash out, but Stone Cold started attacking the Bad Guy! Nash finally fought his way out of the net as Hall fended off Austin, and the duo fled the stage into the back! The Rattlesnake slowly made his way back to ringside before celebrating with a couple brews.
Intercontinental Champion William Regal battled Big Show in a non-title match. Show had total control of the match, treating the Englishman like a rag doll. However, as Show gave the sign for his chokeslam, Regal, using his “power of the punch”, pulled out his brass knuckles and blasted the behemoth right in the jaw! The force knocked out Show, but the huge man bounced off the ropes and fell on Regal! The Englishman couldn’t kick out from the dead weight of the giant, so Big Show picked up the non-title victory!
Backstage, Booker T was getting ready to shoot a commercial for a Japanese shampoo product. The Book asked Tajiri to critique his dialogue, which he began to spit out. “Yo Japanese people! What’s the deal with your nasty hair? Just because you know Kung Fu doesn’t mean you know shampoo!” Booker T said. Torrie Wilson told Booker that Tajiri said his dialogue was very offensive. The Book asked him what was wrong with it, and Torrie said that Tajiri wondered why Booker made fun of Japanese people’s hair when Booker’s hair looked like “Buckwheat on crack.” A furious Booker said Tajiri’s advice was pointless before walking out!
Stephanie McMahon and Undisputed Champion Chris Jericho were in their locker room backstage. Stephanie told Y2J that he would have to team up with Kurt Angle on SmackDown! and that the two of them would get along. Stephanie asked Jericho if he got her her hand lotion, but as he handed it to her, she screamed at him for buying the wrong brand! She told him to go buy her the correct lotion right away, but Jericho said he would do it after his tag match on SmackDown! Stephanie said that he needed her for his big match against Triple H at WrestleMania X8 and he needed to keep her happy, so she demanded Y2J to go buy her the lotion right then!
Hardcore Champion Maven defended his championship for the first time as he faced Goldust. The veteran took it to the rookie, as Goldust started things off hardcore right away when he bashed Maven’s skull with a trashcan. The Golden One continued his assault on Maven when he went for a fire extinguisher under the ring. Goldust threw the weapon into the ring, but before he could use the extinguisher, Maven pulled the trigger, which sent the cold cloud of smoke into the Bizarre One’s face, allowing the Tough Enough winner to cover a dazed Goldust for the win!
After the match, Undertaker made his way to ringside on his motorcycle. With Maven still struggling to get to his feet in the ring, the Dead Man entered the squared circle and began beating on the rookie. He continued his attack until Al Snow rushed to the ring and blindsided Taker! Snow began to punch out the Dead Man and eventually hit a superkick to take Taker out of the ring. Snow followed him to the outside and picked up a steel chair to take out the Dead Man, but Taker caught Snow and hit a chokeslam on the Tough Enough trainer on the concrete floor. Flair then ran out to ringside and took the lead pipe from Taker’s motorcycle. The Nature Boy jumped into the ring and started beating the hell out of the Dead Man, thus getting some retribution back for his friend Arn Anderson, as well as Maven and Snow. With Taker writhing in pain, Flair picked up the mic and said that he still refused to have a match with the Dead Man at WrestleMania X8.
