This remains one of the most underwhelming examples of a"Dusty finish" in WWE's long and storied history with them. Despite the requisite interference from the other members of The Nation, this remains one of the best matches The Rock and Ken Shamrock had during their extensive feud. They had the crowd eating out of the palms of their hands as they struck the perfect balance between showmanship and athleticism But that goodwill and promise for an enticing back-and-forth rivalry was mostly squandered with this convoluted DQ. The fact is, Shamrock needed to win that night. In order to solidify his position as a legitimate contender in WWE, and not just a guy who was moonlighting away from his full-time gig as an MMA competitor, Shamrock needed to secure the Intercontinental Championship from someone like The Rock. Instead, Shamrock would hold onto the title for all of 10 seconds before the referee stripped it away from him due to some shenanigans involving a pair of brass knuckles that The Rock somehow planted in Shamrock's tights without the The World's Most Dangerous Man even noticing. This also led to a very uncomfortable exchange between Shamrock and the ref as they discussed just what that bulge was in the front of his tights. And then Shamrock snapped, and snapped the ref's ankle with an Ankle Lock. Do not p*ss of the master of the Lion's Den, referee.
