| Date: November 3rd, 2001
| Venue: The Manchester Evening News Arena | City: Manchester, England
| Attendance: 15, 612

Tonight the Rebellion from the Alliance continues. Like all of these Rebellion pay per views nothing is announced before hand so who knows what the card will be like? There have been a few title changes since No Mercy though with The Hurricane losing the European title to Bradshaw and Bradshaw losing it to Christian. The Dudley Boyz lost their WWF Tag Team titles to The Rock and Chris Jericho who lost those titles to Booker T and Test. But the Dudley Boyz then beat The Hardy Boyz for the wCw tag team titles.

A video package kicks us off focusing on the two biggest names in the WWF, Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock. The WWF title will be on the line. Jim Ross then welcomes us to Manchester, he’s joined by Paul Heyman and lets us know that Steve Austin will be defending the WWF title against The Rock and Chris Jericho defends his wCw title against Kurt Angle. Billy Kidman lost his Cruiserweight title to Tajiri.

After doing some research it appears that some matches were announced before hand, not that they’ve been announced on Raw or Smackdown. Kurt Angle is announced to defend his wCw US title against William Regal, which now won’t happen because Angle has defected to the Alliance. The Hardy Boyz were scheduled to face Lance Storm and Chris Kanyon but Kanyon got injured. Rhyno was supposed to challenge Chris Jericho for the wCw title but Rhyno got injured too. In a dark match before the show aired, Billy Gunn and Chuck Palumbo defeated Lance Storm and Justin Credible.

Edge (c) vs. Christian – Steel Cage Match for the WWF Intercontinental Championship

Christian might be the new European Champion after beating Bradshaw on Smackdown but tonight only the Intercontinental title will be on the line. It’s the third consecutive PPV meeting between the two, Christian won the first at Unforgiven and then Edge beat Christian at No Mercy in a ladder match. Christian attacks Edge as he enters the cage but Edge soon gets back into it with a back body drop. Edge and Christian have wrestled on the previous two Rebellion pay per views, teaming up and winning once and losing the other time. Edge hits a couple of hard Irish whips to Christian but Christian gets back into it with a backbreaker. Edge gets the first near fall of the night but tries to follow that up with a spear which Christian sidesteps. Christian gets a couple of near falls and then hits a snapmare and stomps away at his brother.

Christian hits another backbreaker for another near fall and then climbs up the cage quite quickly. Edge makes sure he doesn’t get all the way over though. It’s all Christian at the moment as he hits a knee for a two count and then tries to escape the cage through the door. Once again Edge makes sure he doesn’t get out. Christian attempts a superplex but Edge throws his brother to the canvas before jumping off the top with a high cross body for a two count. Christian comes off the top but Edge reverses it and tries for his Impaler DDT but Christian drops down and slingshots Edge into the cage for another near fall. Christian locks on a sleeper but Edge gets out of it, ducks a clothesline and hits one of his own. Edge climbs to the top but Christian goes up with him and hits a side suplex. I can’t see the IC title changing in England but Christian winning would not be a bad move. Edge hits a spear from nowhere but he’s taken too much of a beating to pin Christian.

Edge picks up the momentum, hitting a spinning heel kick and bulldog for a two count. Both men then try their finishers and eventually it’s Edge who hits the Edge-o-matic for a two count. The champion then climbs up the cage which is moving all over the place but Christian stops him. Edge throws his brother into the cage multiple times and then climbs up the cage, getting one leg over but Christian meets him up there and drops him on the top rope. Christian then climbs over the cage and surely it’s over? Christian climbs down the other side but Edge pulls his legs through the cage and ties him up! Edge climbs up the cage and falls to the mat to win the match! It’s a successful defence for Edge in Manchester!

Rating: 6.5/10

There’s a highlights VT from Raw showing Kurt Angle defecting to the Alliance.

Chavo Guerrero Jr is backstage and is excited because he gets to interview the divas tonight. Hugh Morrus then shows up says that he is interviewing the divas tonight. Chavo says he’s better looking but Hugh says he could pummel him right now. They agree to do the interview together. They barge in to the locker room where Trish is wearing a towel. Trish gets rid of them by saying they should go and interview Lita. They leave.

Scotty Too Hotty vs. The Hurricane

This is a first time meeting between these two men on pay per view. The Hurricane is looking for his first PPV win tonight on the third time of asking but Mighty Molly is nowhere to be seen. It’s a Rebellion debut for both men who exchange locks and holds in the early going. Hurricane hits a clothesline to take the advantage and then lays into Scotty in the corner. Hurricane then throws Scotty out of the ring but Scotty skins the cat and hits a head scissors and clothesline for a two count. Scotty then motions for his trademark bulldog but Hurricane sidesteps it and hits a neckbreaker for a two count. Hurricane hits a suplex for another near fall. Hurricane hits a neckbreaker off the top rope and then rolls Scotty up for yet another near fall. The resident superhero applies a wrist lock and then a hiptoss. Another near fall.

Hurricane is a great character in the WWF and he applies a modified camel clutch. Scotty gets out of it but Hurricane knocks his opponent back down with a clothesline. The former European Champion then puts on his cape and heads to the top but Scotty meets him up there and attempts a superplex. Hurricane shoves Scotty to the mat and then comes off the top but only into a right hand. Hotty then hits a DDT. Man, who wouldn’t want to see The Hurricane vs. The Blue Blazer. Both Hurricane and Scotty slowly get to their feet and Scotty hits a superkick for a two count. He then attempts a suplex but Hurricane blocks it and takes him down. Hurricane then goes for the Worm! But Scotty gets up and Hurricane grabs him by the throat. He doesn’t get the chokeslam but he hits a superkick for a two count. Hurricane then goes for the Eye Of The Hurricane but Scotty avoids it, hits his bulldog and the Worm! And that’s enough for the three! Scotty Too Hotty beats The Hurricane tonight in an upset! Hurricane has been a regular in WWF programming recently but Scotty, who hasn’t been used much, picks up the win!

Rating: 5.5/10

Chavo Guerrero Jr and Hugh Morrus are backstage with Trish who is now fully clothed. She says that Lita is behind this door and she’ll be right back. Guerrero and Hugh Morrus go in there anywhere where Lita is in her underwear. She gets mad and chases them off.

Diamond Dallas Page is backstage saying the people of England are depressed. They can only get better though and that’s a good thing. He spreads the positive message.

The Big Show vs. Diamond Dallas Page

It’s a first time meeting between these two men on PPV. Big Show wrestled on the 1999 Rebellion show and lost to Kane. These two men did have a run in on Raw last week when DDP accused The Big Show of being the man to have defected to the Alliance. Big Show lays into DDP in the early going Page gets back into it with some kicks and a headlock. Big Show easily gets out of the headlock and shoves DDP to the outside. Big Show then throws DDP back into the ring over the top rope. Back in the ring and DDP takes the advantage with three chop blocks. DDP then goes up to the top and takes Big Show down with a clothesline. DDP works the leg of Big Show but the big man takes the Alliance member down with clotheslines. Big Show then attempts his chokeslam but DDP kicks him and hits the Diamond Cutter! DDP is way too slow to cover Big Show though and when he does, Show fires his shoulder up. Page was lying right next to Show, he could have easily pinned him.

Big Show then hits his chokeslam and that’s all she wrote. Big Show beats Diamond Dallas Page tonight which makes it three for three for the WWF against the Alliance tonight. After the bell, DDP picks up a microphone and says that wasn’t a bad thing, it was a good thing because now he gets to leave this country.

Rating: 4/10

Chavo and Morrus charge into another locker room where Mighty Molly screams because she’s been seen without her cape on.

Stone Cold Steve Austin, Debra, Kurt Angle and Shane McMahon are backstage talking strategy for tonight. Angle points out that they are sat at a round table like the Knights of the round table. Angle gives everyone names, Austin is King Arthur and Shane is Merlin. Austin ends up calling Angle pathetic and leaves.

The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray & D-Von)(c) vs. The APA (Bradshaw & Faarooq) vs. The Hardy Boyz (Matt & Jeff) – Elimination match for the wCw Tag Team Championships

It’s a firs time triple threat match between these three top teams. All three teams have wrestled at Rebellion once before, The Dudley Boyz in a winning effort, The Hardy Boyz and APA in a losing effort. Bubba Ray starts the match off with Matt Hardy. The Dudley Boyz beat the Hardy Boyz for the titles with help from their manager Stacy Keibler who isn’t ringside tonight. Matt gets the first near fall of the match and Bubba Ray tags in Bradshaw. Bradshaw and Matt double team Bubba Ray before Bradshaw DDT’s Matt for a near fall. Bradshaw lays into Matt in the corner. Both men are former European Champions. Matt hits a DDT from the top rope for a near fall. Matt tags in Jeff who gets a big pop. The Hardy Boyz hit a double suplex on Bradshaw for a near fall.

Bradshaw tags Faarooq as a “we want tables” chant breaks out. Faarooq lays into Jeff and hits him with a powerslam for a two count. Faarooq goes for a Dominator but Jeff escapes it. D-Von then tags himself in but gets taken down quickly by Faarooq. The Dudley Boyz have wrestled on all 12 PPVs so far in 2001. Faarooq hits D-Von with a spinebuster but Bubba Ray makes sure there isn’t a three count. The Dudleyz then go for their flying headbutt on Faarooq but Bradshaw makes sure it doesn’t happen. Bradshaw then hits a fallaway slam on D-Von from the top! The Dudleyz hit a version of their 3D on Faarooq but Bradshaw fights the Dudley Boyz to the outside. MAtt Hardy then hits Twist Of Fate on Faarooq and eliminates the APA from the match.

The Hardy Boyz hit a double suplex on Bubba Ray but Jeff soon gets caught with some double teaming from Bubba Ray and D-Von. Bubba calls for the table and D-Von obliges.Jeff baseball slides the table into D-Vons face but turns around into a Bubba Bomb. Bubba Ray then tags in D-Von who throws Jeff out of the ring. Classic heel tactics as Bubba Ray lays into Jeff on the outside before throwing him back into the ring. D-Von gets a near fall. D-Von locks on a sleeper but the crowd are right behind Jeff who gets out of it but gets caught with a powerslam. D-Von tags Bubba Ray back in and he drops a few elbows for a two count. Jeff Hardy hits a low blow and then a hurricanrana off the top rope for a two count. Bubba Ray and Jeff both make tags and Matt takes both Dudleyz down. Matt hits a legdrop off the second rope on D-Von before Bubba breaks up the cover. The Hardyz then hit poetry in motion on Bubba Ray but D-Von avoids it. Jeff attempts a Swanton Bomb on D-Von but once again he gets out of the way. The Dudleyz then hit 3D on Matt Hardy on that’s enough for the win. The Dudley Boyz retain their wCw Tag Team Championships tonight.

Rating: 6.75/10

We get some footage from Smackdown with The Rock and Chris Jericho losing the WWF Tag Team titles to Booker T and Test. The Rock and Jericho then went at it after the match.

Vince McMahon is backstage with Chris Jericho and The Rock. Vince wants Jericho and The Rock to bury the hatchet in time for Survivor Series. Vince demands that they shake hands and they do. Jericho then tells The Rock not to lose another big one and The Rock gives Jericho a big right hands to take to the ring with him tonight. Referees break them up.

 Tajiri vs. William Regal

The Alliance commissioner Regal gets on the mic and says it’s wonderful to be back in England. He takes a pop at the crowd using their dole money to come and see him. He then says that he is the people’s role model, not David Beckham or anyone from Manchester United.

This is a first time PPV meeting between these two former friends. Both men struggle to get the advantage until Tajiri hits a kick to Regals face. We get some decent chain wrestling from the two, something Regal will be right at home with. Tajiri hits some brutal kicks sending Regal to the outside. Tajiri follows him out but Regal sends him into the ringpost a couple of times. Back in the ring and Tajiri hits a back body drop and a standing moonsault for a two count. Regal uses his weight to take down Tajiri down for a few near falls. Tajiri is currently the wCw Cruiserweight Champion but the title isn’t on the line tonight. Regal hits a running knee to the head for a two count. Regal joined the Alliance, helping Austin to beat Kurt Angle for the WWF Championship. Regal applies a chinlock which Tajiri gets out of so Regal drops the Japanese Buzzsaw on the ropes.

Tajiri goes up top and hits a missile dropkick for a two count. Tajiri then hits a backflip elbow and locks on the tarantula! Tajiri goes back up top but Regal gets out of the way of a moonsault. Regal locks on the Regal Stretch and this one is over. William Regal beats Tajiri tonight in his home country. Something didn’t quite click in this one. After the bell Tajiri spits green mist in the face of William Regal.

Rating: 4/10

Michael Cole is backstage with Kurt Angle who says that the audience tonight look like escapees from Strangeways Prison. He then says Y2J is a silly nickname. Y is for yellow, 2 is for having a number 2 and J is for jerk.

Chris Jericho (c) vs. Kurt Angle – wCw Championship Match

This is the third meeting between these two men on pay per view. Angle won the first two, beating Jericho for the Intercontinental title at No Way Out 2000 before beating him again in the quarter final of the 2000 King Of The Ring tournament.This will be the third high stakes match between the two and this time, the winner takes home the wCw Championship. It’s Jericho’s first PPV defence of the belt he won at No Mercy a couple of weeks ago. Kurt goes into the match as United States Champion after beating Rhyno on Raw a couple of weeks ago but that belt isn’t on the line tonight. Kurt wrestled on last years Rebellion show and won the main event whilst Jericho has wrestled at the previous 2 events, beating Road Dogg and losing to Kane. Jericho hits a German suplex in the early going and follows it up with some knife edge chops. Angle hits a firemans carry but Jericho hits a flying forearm.

Both of these men have not only wrestled on every PPV so far this year but also every PPV last year. This is the 28th PPV in a row both men have wrestled on, joint with the record holder Christian. Angle hits a German suplex and then attempts the Angle Slam but Jericho reverses it into a Walls Of Jericho attempt. Angle gets to the ropes and on to the apron where Y2J hits his trademark dropkick before the two battle on the outside. Jericho throws Angle into the ring steps and then back into the ring. He goes up top and hits a high cross body for a two count. Angle attempts the Ankle Lock from nowhere but Jericho makes sure he doesn’t lock it on and throws Angle into the ring post a couple of times. Jericho hits a shoulderbreaker and it’s all Jericho now. Kurt hits a hotshot to get back into it and follows that up with a belly to belly suplex. Angle attempts a Walls of Jericho which Jericho is quick to get out of. Jericho comes off the top but Angle blocks him and hits a belly to belly suplex for a near fall.

Angle hits a clothesline and a suplex before applying a sleeper. A win for Angle tonight would even up the WWF vs. Alliance war for the night 3-3. Otherwise it’s 4-2 to the WWF with two matches to go. Jericho gets out of the sleeper and hits an enzeguri. Jericho fights back with a flying forearm, a neckbreaker and a standing hurricanrana. Jericho then locks on the Ankle Lock! Kurt gets to the ropes and fights back with three German suplexes. But it’s not enough to win the title. Kurt tries for the Ankle Lock but Jericho counters it into the Walls of Jericho! Angle manages to get to the ropes again. Jericho goes for the Ankle Lock but the wCw referee breaks it up! That was unnecessary. Angle gets up and Jericho hits a bulldog and goes for the Lionsault but Jericho gets his knees up. Angle goes for the Angle Slam but Jericho slips down the back and rolls Angle up for the three! Jericho wins the match and retains his wCw Championship! Angle attacks Jericho after the match and hits the Angle Slam twice.

Rating: 7.5/10

Michael Cole is backstage with The Rock. The Rock puts Michael Cole over and says he’s asked a good question. The Rock asks if Michael Cole is looking to get some English pie or some English strudel. It doesn’t matter which way Michael Cole swings! Great promo from the very best promoer in history.

Lita & Torrie Wilson vs. Stacy Keibler & Mighty Molly – Tag team match with Trish Stratus as the special guest referee

Lita gets a huge pop as she comes out. Paul Heyman claims to wear the same underwear as Lita. Stacy Keibler is looking to get her first PPV victory tonight on the third time of asking. She starts the match against the girl that beat her at No Mercy, Torrie Wilson. The two girls cartwheel and Torrie hits a dropkick. Lita is the only one of these four girls to have wrestled at Rebellion before and that was against Ivory last year. Lita tags in and hits a big clothesline in the corner. Lita hits a back suplex and tags in Torrie. Torrie hesitates with a kick and it’s Mighty Molly on the outside that makes the difference. Molly tags in and drops some elbows on Torrie. Molly tags Stacy back in and she chokes Torrie with her boot. Molly tags back in, she was Randy Savage’s valet in wCw. We then get a double team submission from Molly and Stacy which looks like it would break Torrie’s back in half. That earns Molly a near fall.

Molly hits a backbreaker and heads to the top where she misses her finisher by a mile. Torrie tags in Lita who hits a spinning head scissors. Stacy comes in and Lita throws Molly into Stacy. Lita then tries poetry in motion but Molly makes sure it doesn’t happen. Lita hits twist of fate on Molly and it’s over! Torrie Wilson and Lita win the match! After the match Stacy complains about the refereeing and so Trish bulldogs Stacy! Not the worst womens tag team match I’ve ever seen but Torrie and Stacy are pretty horrendous.

Rating: 4.25/10

We get a video package of Austin turning heel on The Rock at Wrestlemania 17, beating him for the WWF Title. Austin then joins the Alliance.

Stone Cold Steve Austin (c) vs. The Rock – WWF Championship Match

It doesn’t get any bigger than this. This is the fifth PPV singles match between Austin and The Rock and it has been Austin that won the first 4 matches. The Rock has main evented the last two Rebellion pay per views as the challenger to the WWF title and he has been unsuccessful at both. Austin also lost at last years event as Kurt Angle successfully defended the WWF title against Rock, Austin and Rikishi. Austin attacks The Rock before the bell but Rocky fights back and hits a clothesline and a neckbreaker. The Rock then attempts Rock Bottom but Austin fights out of it. The Rock then throws Austin out of the ring, throws him into some chairs at ringside and spits water in his face. The two men slug it out where The Rock knocks Austin down to the floor. Rocky then throws Austin into the ring and clotheslines him back out of it! The challenger then takes champion up the ramp where a lot of The Rocks fights go.

Stone Cold attempts a suplex on the ramp but The Rock reverses it and suplexes Austin on the steel! These two men will be on opposite teams at Survivor Series in a couple of weeks. Rocky back drops Austin on the ramp before taking him back towards the ring. This is Austins 2nd PPV defence of his 6th WWF Championship reign. He previously beat Kurt Angle and Rob Van Dam at No Mercy. Back in the ring and Austin chokes The Rock on the ropes. Only The Dudley Boyz and William Regal have managed to score wins for the Alliance so far tonight. Austin gets multiple near falls and then throws The Rock back out the ring. Austin attempts a piledriver on the announce desk but The Rock gets out of that. Austin then hits a front suplex on The Rock on the announce table. Back in the ring and Austin hits a Lou Thesz Press, hitting rights and lefts before flipping off the live audience and dropping an elbow for a two count. The Rock then hits a Lou Thesz Press and drops an elbow on the champion for a two count!

Stone Cold locks on a sleeper but Rocky gets out of it and locks on a sleeper of his own! Austin gets out of that with a jawbreaker. Austin looks tired now but he hits a weak spinebuster. The Rock hits a big clothesline and belly to belly suplex for a two count. The Rock then accidentally throws Austin into the referee before clotheslining the referee, taking Earl Hebner out. Austin tries for a Stunner but The Rock pushes him away and locks on The Sharpshooter! Earl Hebner is actually hanging out of the ring. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. Austin locks the Sharpshooter on The Rock now. The Rock manages to reverse it but with the referee still down Kurt angle runs out and smashes The Rock with a chair! Chris Jericho then runs out and takes out Angle with the chair! The Rock gets up and sees Jericho with the chair so lays into Jericho! Austin gets up and tries for a Stunner on The Rock but Rocky catches the leg and hits the Rock Bottom! Angle gets back in the ring and lays into The Rock but The Rock gets rid of him.

The Rock hits a spinebuster on Austin but as he tries for the People’s Elbow, Kurt Angle grabs his leg and hits him with the WWF title! Austin then hits the Stone Cold Stunner on The Rock and pins him for the three! Austin beats The Rock for a 5th time on PPV and retains his WWF title! Austin hugs Angle after the bell and celebrates with his title.

Rating: 7.75/10 

 

And that was the third annual Rebellion PPV. These shows are never hyped in America, they’re really just seen as a glorified house show. There were quite a few guys missing, the likes of Undertaker, Kane, Booker T, Test, Rob Van Dam were all not on this show as well as Lance Storm being reduced to the pre show. Edge and Christian kicked us off and like at No Mercy they were given over 20 minutes. Weirdly their matches haven’t clocked as much as I thought they would but this is a good defence for Edge. I could see this feud continuing into a blowoff at Survivor Series but after a ladder and cage match, how do you top that? Scotty Too Hotty is a man that returns to pay per view tonight with a huge win over WWF regular The Hurricane. That’s a big upset if you ask me and probably the wrong result. Hurricane is really entertaining and I’m surprised he lost.

Big Show then beat Diamond Dallas Page. The DDP is well and truly through. He was buried by the Brothers Of Destruction at Unforgiven and now he’s been reduced to losing to The Big Show in what was a pretty long squash match. Big Show, like Scotty Too Hotty, hasn’t had any momentum for a while so for DDP to lose to him shows what they think of Page. The Dudley Boyz beat The Hardy Boyz and the APA in a battle between three teams who have been teaming up for a long time now. There weren’t any title changes on this show which is what we’ve come to expect from UK shows. William Regal beat Tajiri pretty cleanly in a battle between two old friends. Not sure what this result does for either guys but Regal wins in his home country. Jericho then beat Angle clean which shows how much they’re pushing Jericho as a main eventer. These two always put on good matches but you can’t expect title changes on English PPVs.

The women’s match was as you’d expect. Lita and Molly carried Stacy and Torrie who are still weak in the ring. There isn’t a women’s title at the moment so there’s nothing for the women to fight for. Then in the main event, Steve Austin beat The Rock with a lot of help from Kurt Angle. It doesn’t get any bigger than these two and I think we’ll see them feud again soon. It only seems natural as they are the two biggest names on the roster.

Overall Rating: 57.8/100 (ranked 58th out of 130)

Match Of The Night: Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. The Rock
Worst Match Of The Night: Big Show vs. DDP/William Regal vs. Tajiri
Surprise Of The Night: Scotty Too Hotty beats The Hurricane
Worst Booking Of The Night: Scotty Too Hotty beats The Hurricane
Superstar Of The Night: Stone Cold Steve Austin
Rebellion 2001 Will Be Remembered For: The cage match between Edge and Christian