Earlier Today: Kurt Angle arrived at WWFNY and hoped his many many fans wouldn't get their filthy filthy hands on him. Upon sending the help to collect his award for him, Angle notices that the people "smell like Spike Dudley."

It's New York! It's WWFNY! It's Tazz and Michael Cole! And in the crowd, another gold medallist, Tino Martinez! (1988 Baseball.) Tino looks like he doesn't want to be on camera much but they show him twice because they forget the graphic the first time. Q & A segment with Kurt Angle later!

the One Billy Gunn (w/WWF the Music Volume 5) vs Val Venis - Billy Gunn's appearance once again proves an easy segue to King Of The Ring talk - about as helpful as Gunn's been in sometime. Qualifying matches for KOTR on Raw. RTC is officially in disarray - Steven Richards has been dethroned as leader (they didn't do a vignette for it - maybe because they still don't know what they're doing with these guys?) Circle, lockup, no one getting the better of it now Gunn pushes Val in the corner but Val switches it around at the last second and Gunn is in the corner. Knee, right, right. Val tries to run Gunn all the way in the other corner's turnbuckle but Gunn blocks it, punch to the gut, turnbuckle shot for Val. Beating down in the corner. Gunn's pumped. Teddy Long shows him the WWF patch on his referee shirt as if to say "Look, I have a patch!" Val charges out of the corner but Billy busts out that drop toe hold again. Armbar! Shots to the shoulder. Val escapes with an eye poke, right, right, clothesline misses and Gunn clotheslines Val out of the ring. Gunn out under the bottom rope but he a punch. Shot in to the barricade. Chop. Whip, reversed and Val goes into the steps. Stomp. Val thrown in, Billy follows and gets stomped. Will either of these guys be in the KOTR tournament? Val has a lot of potential blah blah blah. Reverse neckbreaker by Val. "One more!" So he does one more. Val looks, raises his hands. Stomp. Val goes outside and gives some elbow shots. Back in. Boot choke. let go at 3. Forearm to the back of the neck. Reverse neckbreaker. Wacky lucha submission move! C'mon Tazz, call it so I don't have to look it up. "Octopus Maneuver" is good enough for me. Val lets go (because Billy isn't figuring his way out of it.) Val sets up - piledriver that never works, Billy Gunn with a backdrop. Val up with a clothesline to stop that. Cover one two kickout. Val puicks up Billy But Billy fights back with punches. Off the ropes, big boot! Unfortunately, it's the wrong Canadian, so Gunn's just staggered - Val off the ropes and right into the tilt-a-whirl slam. Hooking the legs, one two kickout.  Whip, reversed, kick to the midsection, Val's Cradle Suplex one two kickout. Whip, reversed right into the One and Only one two three. (5:48) That last minute wasn't so bad. Coming later, Test vs Big Show.

Backstage, Angle stares at his award plaque as he gets a massage. He's the first WWF superstar to be inducted in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame - what have Spike Dudley and Shane McMahon accomplished in their lives?

Combos Invasion of Last Monday

Tazz talks about how they're not allowed to talk about the WCW situation. 

Kurt Angle hits the stage to talk. It's a good thing they've stopped talking about a brand new Heat because having a guy cut a solo promo on the stage seems a lot like the old Heat. Kurt Angle's happy to be in NYC, so he can show everyone what a real champion looks like. People in NY are used to buying their championships (like the Yankees) or trying to buy them but failing (like the Mets, Rangers and Knicks.) But Angle actually earned his championship. He didn't buy it, steal it or rip it off. Every since Angle stepped foot in the WWF, he gave them someone to look up to - he's an Olympic Champion, a college education and no criminal record, unlike the people here. (Tazz on having a criminal record: "There's nothing wrong with that!") The fans start chanting "Angle Sucks." "People, I do not suck - I'm an Olympic champion!" He's won National Titles, he's won World Titles and he's won Olympic Titles. And he's had the same kind of success in the WWF - winning the European Title, the IC Title, the King Of The Ring and the World Title in one year. "You Suck!" No he doesn't, because he was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. The ONLY WWF Superstar to do that. Maybe soon, he'll write a book about his accomplishments - which all these people will read. Tonight, he wants the people to listen and learn. Angle starts talking about Shane McMahon, and gets interrupted by another "You Suck" chant. "No, Shane McMahon doesn't suck." Then he rethinks it and Shane really does suck.

Michael Cole and Tazz talk about the Undertaker/Sara footage. It's so disturbing, let's show it again! Talk about the voice.

Big Show vs Test - Show tries to attack while Test is posing on the second turnbuckle but Test moves and lays in punches. They don't work so well and Big Show pushes him in the corner and gives him knees. Test and Big Show are "long time rivals." (Long time meaning "since Judgment Day.") Corner whip, Test rebounds out with a clothesline, right, right,, kick, kick, kick, corner whip no Show stops that and whips Test in. Kick, biel out in to the middle of the ring. Pulling Test up by his head and eliminating him from the Royal Rumble. Show celebrates. Show comes out and gets a kick, right, right, whip no Test goes into the barricade. Pick up and run into the steel post. Show press slams him, just barely over the top rope. Taunting "Big Show" chant from the crowd. Darryl-esque. Test tries to escape to the far corner but Show eventually catches up and pounds him, even with some buttshots. Mick Foley hosts neck week! Bearhug. Test pulls out Mongolian Chops to the head to break out and when that doesn't work, a face bite. Off the ropes, under the clothesline, right into the slam, no Test falls behind, pushing Show in to the corner. Right, right, off the ropes, clothesline Show is still standing. Another clothesline and he's still standing. Corner whip, reversed, Show charges into a back elbow .Test goes to the top rope - flying back elbow knocks Show down! Test calls for the boot, he tries it and Show catches him, spins him around, setting up for a powerbomb? Yes, and he's got Test up, but Test punches his way down! Test going for the top rope elbow, it connects! One Two Kickout! Test can't believe it, but goes back at it with rights, which haven't really worked all match but he's trying. Off the ropes, under the Show clothesline, cross body is caught and turned into the Final Cut, no Test falls behind, Show charges with a clothesline and misses, off the ropes and into the Big Boot! One Two Three (4:50) Remember when Big Show used to beat Test in :20 seconds or less?

Kurt Angle harasses people. "I've got a website too! www.wwfkurtangle.com !"

Classic King Of The Ring Moment - Jericho beats Chris Jericho, Spike Dudley and Rikishi on his way to become the 2000 KOTR.

On the sit down stage, it's Q&A time. Cole asks a question but Angle brushes him off so he can put his award on a pedestal and admire it some more. Anyway, Angle says, of course, the King of the Ring jumpstarted his career last year. The crane camera shot keeps getting blocked by people holding up pictures - of Tupac? And John Travolta. That's random. Angle says he's here to talk about himself, not Shane McMahon. Footage from the Hall of Fame ceremony. Next to the gold medal, that's the greatest experience he had. He wanted to wear his gold medals over his tuxedo but they won't let him. Angle shows off his Hall Of Fame ring. Angle talks some more. Oh no, they sent the Germ to ask who they thought their favorite Olympic Hero is. Get this - no one picks Kurt Angle! Shocking. Angle: "With the exception of Tazz, everyone here in New York are idiots! No one said Kurt Angle!" I think the point of this was to show the lessening influence of the WWF. Tazz apologizes on behalf of NY. Cole congratulates him on his award. More with Kurt later. More matches next, maybe.

1-800-Call-ATT Triple Team on Angle From Thursday

Kurt (and his plaque) are out to commentate on the next match. Angle gives his buddy Tazz a hat from the hall of fame. No gift for Cole, but he can touch the plaque! Cole: "I'm sure Chris Benoit would have a warm place for it."

Saturn (w/Terri and Dean and a hat) vs Steve Blackman (w/Trish Stratus) - Dean stifles a yawn on the entrance, not a good sign. Blackman gets all the freaks. Lockup, no Saturn's gonna cheap kick, forearm, whip, clothesline no Blackman goes behind, roll up try but Saturn gets to the ropes. Hey, remember when Trish and Kurt had some sort of relationship? Michael Cole does. Saturn turns around and charges at Blackman, Steve ducks the clothesline, kick is caught, enzuiguri not. Turnbuckle smash. Eight punches to the head, one to Dean on the apron, clothesline for Saturn. We don't really get any resolution to that sudden memory return, other than that Trish probably had a crush on Kurt and women like Kurt because he tries to be friends. Whip, dropkick but Saturn holds the ropes. Elbow drop. Legdrop. Cover one two. Saturn throws Blackman over the top rope, no, Blackman holds on, and holds on, and holds on, and Saturn is finnaly back over so Blackman can headscissors him out. Blackman goes after Terri for no reason - oh, no, he's going for a chair. That'll end this quick - Blackman to the apron, pulls the chair back and ref Jack Doan grabs it on out of his hands. Blackman turns to argue this blatant rules keeping and Saturn knocks his legs off the apron, dropping him jaw first. Saturn throws him back and joins in. Stomps, pick up, punch no Blackman blocks and fired back with three of his own. Whip, back elbow. Back Kick.  Whip, flap jack lift into a chop, I think, because we're looking at the announcers well Tazz tells us that Michael Cole is a virgin. Blackman off the ropes, but going no where because Terri has his leg. Blackman stares at her, then turns around into a superkick. Meanwhile, Trish runs after Terri and the chase is on. Terri escapes through the ring, Trish getting cut off by Doan; that inadvertent distraction allows Malenko to sneak to the apron and hot shot Blackman, who falls right into a Northern Lights Suplex one two kickout! That was close (and a nice near fall set up.) Of course, the subtlety ends when Malenko gets back on the apron for no particular reason except to bump into Saturn when his whip gets reversed - LETHAL KICK one twp three. (3:31) It's so Lethal, Saturn may be out again. Angle is the only one who notices or cares.

RAW IS WAR comes to Allstate Arena 9/13 - shouldn't this be sold out already?

Next week of Sunday Night Heat - Mick Foley. But right now, he's everywhere else, like People Magazine. 

Let's take a look at what set up this Shane/Angle rivalry. Shane's theme sounds like a heel's music.

Angle gets one more speech, since there's no skit to resolve. Shane disrespected him and his gold medals by interrupting the medal ceremony. Angle's Olympic Hero - a super hero, really. Lex Luthor got hurt when he disrespected Superman. If Shane accepts the challenge, Shane will get hurt. (Cue Angle's music) Shane may own WCW, but Angle will own Shane.