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Post by darbicus on Jan 6, 2023 0:50:46 GMT 1
WWE BacklashApril 21, 2002Kemper ArenaKansas City, MO*Brock Lesnar w/Paul Heyman d. Bradshaw in an Interpromotional Match
With the WWE brand split about to take effect, Paul Heyman was taking "The Next Big Thing" Brock Lesnar exclusively to Smackdown. On his way to the blue brand, however, Lesnar challenged anyone in the Raw locker room to a interpromotional match at Backlash, a challenge that was answered by Bradshaw. The rough and tumble Texan looked to "initiate" the rookie into the WWE, but Lesnar easily had his way with the brawling Cowboy, finishing him off in convincing fashion with an F5.
*The Hurricane d. X-Pac by Pinfall to Retain the Cruiserweight Title
Shortly after Wrestlemania The Hurricane had managed to wrestle away the Cruiserweight Title from Matt Hardy v 1.0. Despite losing his sidekick Mighty Molly in the brand split, The Hurricane continued his winning ways over the heavily favored veteran X-Pac, defeating him with a Vertebreaker to retain the Cruiserweight Title.
*The Dudley Boyz [Bubba Ray & D-Von Dudley] d. Billy & Chuck by Pinfall in an Interpromotional Match to Retain the World Tag Team Titles
With the brand split in effect, certain titles would become exclusive to certain brands, based on the way the random assignment of superstars went. With the Dudley Boyz together as a unit on Raw, former tag team champions Billy & Chuck (who were together on Smackdown) attempted to stop the World Tag Team Titles from being exclusive to Raw. The challengers took advantage early of an apparent knee injury to Bubba Ray, when he landed awkwardly on the outside. Gunn and Palumbo isolated Bubba and nearly had the match won after Palumbo hit a Powerbomb on Bubba and got a near 2 count. As Chuck was arguing with the ref over the count though, Bubba snuck up from behind and hit a neckbreaker, giving him the chance to tag in D-Von who cleaned house. The Dudleys took control and, after dodging a Fameasser from Billy, hit the former tag champ with a 3-D to retain the titles and keep them on Raw.
*Sting d. The Big Show by Submission
After being assigned to the Raw brand, The Big Show attempted to assert his dominance in the brand over the newly arrived icon Sting. Despite losing to The Undertaker at Wrestlemania, Sting had apparently achieved a level of respect in the WWE locker room, though that was not equally expressed by the Giant, who accused the Stinger of attempting to hold him down back in WCW all those years ago, while also saying he wasn't going to infringe on "his turf." For his part, Sting attempted to make peace with the Big Show, only to receive a chokeslam in response. Sting responded to this by attacking Big Show during a WWE title match with Chris Jericho. Big Show attempted to throw his weight around against the Icon, but Sting used a Rope a Dope strategy to wear down the big man, before dropping him with three Stinger Splashes in the corner. He then polished off the Giant by locking him in the Scorpion Death Lock to get the submission victory.
*Kurt Angle d. Edge by Pinfall
On the Smackdown roster, there was a lot of jockeying for position in order to achieve the patronage of Smackdown owner Vince McMahon. One such person involved in this was Kurt Angle, who was told by Vince he needed to showcase more "ruthless aggression" in order to be more successful. To that end, Angle targeted Edge on an episode of Smackdown, however was shocked by an upset win for the former IC Champion over the Olympic Hero. In response, Angle challenged Edge to a rematch at Backlash. To Angle's suprise though, it appeared as if Edge would match his upset from weeks prior, nearly scoring a pinfall after and Edgecution DDT. Angle however was able to score a quick pinfall with a roll up while holding the tights, escaping with the cheap victory.
*Trish Stratus d. Lita & Jazz by Pinfall to Retain the Women's Title
Despite regaining the Women's Title in her hometown of Toronto at Wrestlemania, Trish Stratus didn't have long to rest on her laurels, as she was immediately attacked by the returning Jazz the following night on Raw, setting up a rematch for the title at Backlash. Things became a little more complicated however when Lita beat Trish in a Non-Title match, causing her to be added to the Backlash encounter, making it a triple threat match. All three women brought their A-Game, with Lita and Trish setting aside their differences to double team Jazz, viewing her as the biggest threat to the title. With Jazz neutralized temporarily, Trish and Lita turned their attentions to each other. Lita nearly pulled off the upset again, hitting her Moonsault on Trish, but Jazz recovered enough to break up the pinfall. Jazz and Lita then had an encounter, with Jazz nearly winning with her double chickenwing submission, only for Trish to break up the hold. Trish then hit the dazed Jazz with Stratusfaction to pick up the victory and escape with her title.
*Mr. Perfect d. Matt Hardy w/Shannon Moore by Pinfall in an Interpromotional Match to Retain the Intercontinental Title
Matt Hardy had won a 10 man battle royal to earn the opportunity to bring the Intercontinental Title back to Smackdown, but to do so he would have to contend with the newly crowned champion Mr. Perfect. The prophet of Mattitude, despite having his disciple Shannon Moore at his side, was unable to best the veteran champion, as Mr. Perfect finished him off with a Perfect-Plex to continue his highly successful return.
*Hulk Hogan d. The Undertaker by Pinfall
With the WWE title seemingly finding a place on Smackdown (pending the outcome of Backlash's main event), Smackdown owner Vince McMahon ordered a #1 contenders tournament be held to decide who would challenge for the belt at the next big show. To McMahon's chagrin, Hulk Hogan advanced to the finals of the tournament (after Stone Cold Steve Austin was attacked by Rhyno at McMahon's urgings, forcing him out of the tournament) and would face an old nemesis in The Undertaker to try and earn a shot at the big prize once again. The Undertaker initially dismissed Hogan as a "fading nostalgia act", but quickly changed his tune when the Hulkster nearly beat him inside of a minute. Undertaker then slowed the match down and fought back against Hogan, hitting him with a chokeslam in an attempt to pin him. Hogan however "hulked up" after kicking out at 2, and put the Phenom on the ropes, until Undertaker threw the referee in the way of Hogan's big boot. This led Vince McMahon to send out the Man Beast Rhyno to take out Hogan, but an attempt at a Gore failed as Rhyno hit Undertaker by mistake. Hogan then threw Rhyno out of the ring, hit his leg drop and scored the upset victory over The Undertaker, earning a future WWE Title shot.
*Chris Jericho d. Triple H by Pinfall in an Interpromotional Match to Retain the WWE Championship
WWE Champion Chris Jericho was assigned to Smackdown in the course of the WWE Brand Extension, leaving Raw seemingly without a World Champion. Triple H, who had been drafted to Raw, sought to rectify this by defeating his old rival Jericho at Backlash. The match was a close back and forth with the fate of the title and seemingly both brands in question. Naturally, outside forces also got involved as The Undertaker, despite having lost a match to Hulk Hogan earlier, attempted to help Jericho retain the title for Smackdown by attacking Triple H. Likewise, The Big Show attempted to help his former employer in Triple H by attacking Jericho. Despite the outside interference, Jericho eventually fought out of a Pedigree and hit Triple H with the Breakdown, followed by the Lionsault, to score the victory and solidify his title reign, escaping with the WWE Championship to Smackdown, leaving Raw high and dry to close out the show.
Off-Camera Title Changes:
April 22: Christian d. Mr. Perfect to Win the Intercontinental Title
April 25: Billy Kidman & Jerry Lynn d. Billy & Chuck, Team Canada [Lance Storm & Test] & The Golden Greeks [Rico Constantino & Nicos Arion] to Become the Inaugural WWE Tag Team Champions |
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Post by darbicus on Jan 6, 2023 23:17:25 GMT 1
WWE InsurrextionMay 4, 2002Wembley ArenaLondon, EnglandRAW Exclusive Pay Per View*The New Wave [Randy Orton & David Flair] d. Justin Credible & Steven Richards by Pinfall
In a standard tag team match, the 2nd generation tag team known as The New Wave (consisting of Randy Orton and David Flair) relatively easily defeated the Extremist tag team of Justin Credible and Steven Richards, with Orton pinning Richards after hitting the Overdrive.
*Rob Van Dam d. William Regal by Pinfall
In a standard match, Rob Van Dam defeated William Regal in his home country via pinfall with a 5 Star Frogsplash.
*Mr. Perfect d. Kanyon by Pinfall
In a standard match, Mr. Perfect defeated Kanyon with a Perfect-Plex. This would mark Mr. Perfect's last match with the company, as he would be fired after this Pay Per View due to unprofessional behavior on the flight back to the states.
*The Dudley Boyz [Bubba Ray & D-Von Dudley] d. The Island Crue [Jamal & Rosey] by Disqualification to Retain the World Tag Team Titles
The Dudleys were set to face the men they had defeated for the World Tag Team Titles at Wrestlemania in Jamal & Rosey in a Wrestlemania rematch. The former champions though seemed more intent on hurting the champions than regaining the titles, and before long the match devolved into a brawl that ended in a disqualification victory for the Dudleys.
*Booker T w/Goldust d. Christopher Nowinski w/Al Snow
Since the brand split had begun, Booker T had adopted something of an odd couple friendship with Goldust, with the two forming a tag team in recent weeks. At the same time, Al Snow had brought in Chris Nowinski, the finalist from the first season of Tough Enough, to be his new protege as opposed to Maven. The rookie Nowinski availed himself decently, but Booker T had little difficulty in defeating him with the Book End.
*Trish Stratus, Lita & Jacqueline d. Jazz, Molly Holly & Ivory by Pinfall
In a six woman tag match, the trio of Trish, Lita & Jacqueline were able to best Jazz, Molly Holly & Ivory, with Lita pinning Ivory following a Moonsault.
*Bradshaw d. Christian by Disqualification [Christian Retains the IC Title]
Christian had defeated Mr. Perfect to win his second Intercontinental Title the night after Backlash, and was set to defend against the former APA member Bradshaw in this match. The texan outpowered Captain Charisma with relative ease, although was unable to put the champion away due to his more cowardly tactics. In the end Bradshaw hit Christian with the Clothesline from Hell, but only after the referee had been blatantly hit by Christian, resulting in a Disqualification of the champion, but allowing him to keep his title.
*Triple H & The Big Show d. Kane & Sting by Pinfall
In the wake of Triple H failing to win the WWE Championship, Raw was left without a World Champion. In addition to this, Raw owner Linda McMahon appointed a General Manager to run the day to day operations of her brand. That General Manager turned out to be "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, who quickly announced that a new World Heavyweight Champion would be crowned in the near future, with these 4 men earning opportunities to compete for the inaugural championship. In this match, Kane & Sting teamed to face the old duo of Triple H and Big Show. The former cohorts of the McMahon-Helmsley Regime were able to set aside long standing differences to work well against the untested team of the Big Red Machine and the Icon, though all four men eventually ended up brawling with each other. In the end, Big Show was able to get some measure of revenge against Sting for his Backlash loss, pinning him after a Chokeslam. |
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Post by darbicus on Jan 9, 2023 0:40:55 GMT 1
WWE Judgment Day May 19, 2002 Gaylord Entertainment Center Nashville, TN
*The Hurricane d. Tajiri by Pinfall to Retain the WWE Cruiserweight Title In a standard title defense, The Hurricane defeated Tajiri with a Vertebreaker to retain the Cruiserweight Title. After the match however, the super hero was attacked by Jamie Noble and his girlfriend Nidia, who not only viciously assaulted the super hero, but stole the Cruiserweight Title belt in the process before running to the back like thieves in the night.
*Trish Stratus d. Molly Holly by Pinfall to Retain the WWE Women's Title Since the Brand Split, Molly Holly had abandoned her role as "Mighty Molly" and being the sidekick of The Hurricane, instead reverting to a more puritanical gimmick. She decried the "filth" that dominated the Women's Division in WWE, and promised to bring dignity back to the Women's Title by unseating the champion Trish Stratus. While Molly put up a good fight, Trish was able to counter the Molly-Go-Round into a pinning powerbomb combination, scoring the pinfall and retaining her title.
*Team Canada [Lance Storm & Test] w/Coach Callis d. The Golden Greeks [Rico Constantino & Nicos Arion] by Pinfall With the institution of a new set of tag team titles on Smackdown (the WWE Tag Team Championship), teams were jockeying for position to lay claim to the championships held by Billy Kidman and Jerry Lynn. The Golden Greeks consisting of "cousins" Rico Constantino and Nicos Arion (the latter being formerly known as Nick Dinsmore in OVW) faced off against Team Canada, which paired Test with newcomer Lance Storm along with their personal Coach Don Callis. In this standard tag match, Coach Callis was able to get his team the win, distracting Rico long enough for Test to nail him with the Big Boot and KO the rookie to score the 3 count.
*D-Von Dudley & Maven d. Al Snow & Christopher Nowinski by Pinfall to Retain the World Tag Team Titles Following his win of the Intercontinental Title in February, Maven had been betrayed by his trainer and mentor Al Snow, who revealed his new protege as Tough Enough finalist Christopher Nowinski. This feud had been simmering for several months and had grown to include the World Tag Team Champions in the Dudley Boyz, as Snow and Nowinski challenged for the titles on an episode of Raw. The match ended in a No Contest when Bubba Ray was counted out after hurting his knee (thanks to an Al Snow chop block), which would have led to D-Von having to defend the titles by himself at Judgment Day. However, D-Von named Maven as an "Honorary Dudley" for tonight only, and he was allowed to substitute as a partner. In the match, Maven was finally able to get a measure of revenge against his mentor, pinning him after a jackknife roll up from a German Suplex, as he and D-Von retained the titles for the Dudleys.
*Edge d. Kurt Angle by Pinfall in a Hair vs. Hair Match After losing to Kurt Angle via underhanded tactics at Backlash, Edge was eager to receive a return match against the Olympic Hero, something that Angle was reluctant to give. Edge finally goaded Angle into giving him a rematch, saying that Edge would shave his head if he lost to Angle a second time. It was only after Angle signed the contract that Edge revealed that if Angle lost, he would have his own head shaved as well. Angle did everything he could to get out of the match, feigning injury and illness, but Smackdown Owner Vince McMahon refused to budge on the stipulation, being more concerned with his ongoing issues with both Hulk Hogan and Stone Cold Steve Austin. In the match, Angle appeared distracted whenever he looked up and saw the barbers chair in the entryway, and it was this distraction that ultimately allowed Edge to hit Angle with a Spear and pick up the win. Before Edge could shave Angle though, Angle locked Edge in a Guillotine Choke and choked him out, taking him up to the barber's chair and apparently ready to shave Edge bald instead. However this brought out Austin, who hit Angle with a Stunner and then strapped him to the barber's chair, helping Edge shave the Olympic Hero bald.
*Eddie Guerrero d. Rhyno by Pinfall to Win the Inaugural WWE United States Championship With the Intercontinental Title locked down on Raw, Smackdown owner Vince McMahon introduced a new secondary championship to the Smackdown brand, the WWE United States Championship. An 8-Man Tournament was held on Smackdown to crown the inaugural champion, with the finals taking place at Judgment Day. The tournament came down to Eddie Guerrero and Rhyno, with the former being injured due to being beaten down by Brock Lesnar in the semifinals (which resulted in a DQ loss for Lesnar). Rhyno looked to take advantage of the injured ribs, keeping Guerrero gasping for air for much of the early part of the match. Guerrero however persevered and used Rhyno's own momentum against him, causing the Man Beast to miss an attempted Gore and slam himself head first into the ring steps on the outside. Guerrero then threw the concussed Rhyno into the ring, hit a Frogsplash and picked up the win to become the first ever US Champion.
*Christian d. Jeff Hardy by Pinfall to Retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship Jeff Hardy had earned an Intercontinental Title shot by winning a Triple Threat match on Raw shortly after Christian had won the title from the departing Mr. Perfect. Captain Charisma faced off against his old rival, taking advantage of the fact that Jeff Hardy was dealing with an injured knee going into the match. Despite this, the Extremist had Christian on the ropes towards the end of the match, hitting a series of high flying manuvers that nearly won him the title. However, before Hardy could polish off Christian with the Swanton Bomb, his knee nearly buckled as he climbed the top rope. The momentary distraction allowed Christian to knock Hardy to a sitting position on the top rope. Christian then climbed to the second rope and hit a modified Killswitch from the turnbuckle to score the pinfall and retain the title.
*Hulk Hogan vs. Chris Jericho Ended in a No Contest [Jericho Retains the WWE Championship] Hulk Hogan had earned a title shot at Chris Jericho via his win the previous month at Backlash. With Hogan riding a wave of nostalgia against the 21st Century Champion, it was another case of old guard vs. new guard. Hogan went through the usual paces of his matches, out powering the younger champion, but unable to keep up with Jericho's high pace offense. Both men appeared to be fighting to a standstill, but things went south when The Undertaker came out from the back. The Phenom chokeslammed both men, leaving them both lying and causing the match to end in a No Contest.
*Sting d. Triple H, Kane & The Big Show by Pinfall to Win the Inaugural World Heavyweight Championship With the WWE Championship firmly entrenched on Smackdown, Raw owner Linda McMahon needed a new world champion. On the night after Backlash, she announced both the appointment of a new General Manager of Raw in "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, as well as the creation of the World Heavyweight Championship (which used the same "Big Gold Belt" as the old WCW title, but did not share the lineage of that championship). To crown the inaugural champion, a Fatal Four Way was scheduled for Judgment Day, with Sting, Triple H, Kane & The Big Show all earning spots to compete for the title. Also on hand to award the title to the champion was a debuting Ric Flair. All four men battled it out in an out and out brawl, with Triple H and Big Show temporarily teaming up (until the Giant attempted to pin The Game with a quick powerful right hand punch) against Kane and Sting, but for it to end up every man for himself. In the end The Big Show was standing tall and appeared ready to win the title, and was caught arguing with Ric Flair at ringside. Flair took a swing at the Giant from the ring apron, causing the Big Show to move backwards right into the waiting arms of Sting, who caught Big Show with a Scorpion Death Drop. He then pinned Big Show right before Triple H could break up the pin, giving Sting the victory and making him the first ever World Heavyweight Champion.
Off-Camera Title Changes:
May 23: Jamie Noble d. The Hurricane to Win the Cruiserweight Title
May 30: Team Canada d. Billy Kidman & Jerry Lynn to Win the WWE Tag Team Titles
June 10: Lita d. Trish Stratus to Win the Women's Title |
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Post by darbicus on Jan 10, 2023 3:51:27 GMT 1
Note: Stone Cold Steve Austin doesn't walk out of the company in this universe, due to actually having a direction for his character going forward.WWE King of the Ring June 23, 2002 Nationwide Arena Columbus, OH
*Rob Van Dam d. Christian by Pinfall in a KOTR Semifinal Match to Win the Intercontinental Title The King of the Ring tournament this year was set up as an interpromotional confrontation between the Raw and Smackdown brands, with each semifinal essentially serving as a "final" for the respective brand, and the winners meeting in the interpromotional final, with the winner receiving a shot at their brand's respective world title. On the Raw side as well, General Manager Dusty Rhodes informed Christian that his Intercontinental Title would also be on the line against Rob Van Dam. The match was a competitive one, especially since Christian's usual method of retaining his title (getting intentionally disqualified) wasn't available to him to advance in the tournament. In the end, Christian prepared a one man Con-Chair-To, but Van Dam was able to dodge out of the way. With the ref down, RVD then hit a Van Daminator on Christian with the Chair, knocking out the champion. He disposed of the evidence and then hit a 5 Star Frogsplash to pick up the win, the IC Title, and advance to the KOTR final.
*Brock Lesnar w/Paul Heyman d. Edge in a KOTR Semifinal Match The self-professed "Next Big Thing" Brock Lesnar had run roughshod through much of the Smackdown roster in his short time on the Blue Brand, easily securing himself a place in the King of the Ring Semifinals. Against Edge, Lesnar faced his toughest challenge yet, but the former Intercontinental Champion still couldn't deal with Lesnar's overwhelming power, as Brock pinned Edge following an F5 to advance to the finals.
*Team Canada [Test & Lance Storm] w/Coach Callis d. Billy & Chuck to Retain the WWE Tag Team Titles The Anti-American Faction known as Team Canada had managed to win the WWE Tag Team Titles in recent weeks, and had also threatened to "in celebration" desecrate the American flag. This brought out former World Tag Team Champions Billy & Chuck, who turned face in the process. In this title defense, Team Canada fell on their back foot early as the veteran tag expert Billy Gunn was able to counter any attempt at a double team. In the end however, it was Coach Callis on the outside that proved to be the deciding factor. With the referee distracted by Lance Storm, he drilled Chuck with the Canadian flag from behind, stunning him long enough for Test to drill Palumbo with the Big Boot to pick up the victory and retain the titles.
*Booker T & Goldust d. The New Wave [Randy Orton & David Flair] by Pinfall In this #1 contendership match for the World Tag Team Titles, the unlikely duo of Booker T & Goldust defeated the young upstarts known as The New Wave, Randy Orton & David Flair, when Goldust pinned Flair after hitting him with the Curtain Call.
*The Dudley Boyz [Bubba Ray & D-Von Dudley] d. Triple H & The Big Show by Disqualification to Retain the World Tag Team Titles After failing to win the inaugural World Heavyweight Championship, Triple H demanded a title shot from Raw General Manager The American Dream Dusty Rhodes. After some cajoling, Rhodes acquiesced, but revealed that Triple H would receive a World Tag Title shot against The Dudley Boyz by teaming with The Big Show. During both the build to the title defense and the match itself, it was clear that Triple H's anger was boiling over. It finally reached a crescendo after Bubba Ray managed to kick out of a Pedigree. With his anger having reached its breaking point, Triple H grabs a sledge hammer and lays waste to the Dudleys, resulting in a DQ loss. When Big Show confronts him about it, Triple H laid him out with a sledge hammer shot as well before storming off to the back.
*Eddie Guerrero d. Raven by Pinfall to Retain the United States Title For several weeks Raven had been interrupting matches on Smackdown, spreading a "maifesto of anarchy" and promising to change the WWE once and for all. After interrupting a match involving Chavo Guerrero and being confronted by Eddie's nephew about it, Raven attacked Chavo, laying him out with an Evenflow DDT and then delivering a drop toe hold into an open steel chair. This brought the wrath of the US Champion on Raven, as Eddie challenged him to a title match. Raven surprisingly held his own against the US Champion for a good portion of the match, displaying a level of wrestling skill he hadn't in his WWE tenure up to that point. However Eddie was able to fend off Raven, hit the Frogsplash and retain the title.
*Sting d. William Regal by Pinfall to Retain the World Heavyweight Title After denying Triple H the opportunity to compete for the World Title at King of the Ring, Raw General Manager Dusty Rhodes held a 12 man battle royal amongst Raw stars who rarely received a World Title Shot. That battle royal was won by former Intercontinental Champion William Regal, who vowed to become the first British World Champion. Sting however was able to counter the technical minded Regal, pinning him after hitting him with a Scorpion Death Drop. At the end of the match though, Sting was attacked from behind by a returning Triple H and his sledge hammer, who busted open the champion and floored him with the Pedigree before posing with the title belt.
*Brock Lesnar w/Paul Heyman d. Rob Van Dam by Pinfall to Win the King of the Ring Tournament The King of the Ring final turned out to be a Wrestlemania rematch, as Brock Lesnar faced the man he had scored his first WWE victory over in Rob Van Dam. In contrast to their match in Toronto, RVD was seemingly ready for the Next Big Thing, and pushed Lesnar moreso than any other opponent Lesnar had up to that point. Van Dam was able to counter the F5 into a DDT that left Lesnar stunned, before following up with the 5 Star Frog Splash that should have won the match. However Paul Heyman distracted the referee, subtly sliding the Intercontinental Title belt into the ring in the process. Van Dam pushed Heyman off the ring apron, but while the referee was distracted, Lesnar picked up the title and KO'ed Van Dam with it. For good measure Lesnar followed up with an F5, this time connecting and securing the pinfall, as well as the title of King of the Ring.
*Stone Cold Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan & Chris Jericho d. The Undertaker, Kurt Angle & Rhyno by Pinfall The alliance of mutual respect between Stone Cold Steve Austin and Hulk Hogan grew to include Chris Jericho as the feuds with The Undertaker and Kurt Angle also grew in intensity. This six man tag match saw Vince McMahon's enforcer, Rhyno, added to the mix, in an effort to take out Austin and Hogan once and for all. In the end it was the wigged Kurt Angle's embarrasment that cost his team, as the freshly shaven Angle was stripped of his hair and his dignity by Hulk Hogan, causing him to run off in shame. It was then a 3 on 2 advantage that saw Austin hit Rhyno with a Stunner, which Hogan followed up with a Legdrop and Jericho with a Lionsault that gave the face team the win to end the night.
Off-Camera Title Changes:
June 24: Booker T & Goldust d. The Dudley Boyz for the World Tag Team Titles
June 27: The Undertaker d. Chris Jericho for the WWE Championship
July 1: Molly Holly d. Lita for the Women's Title
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Post by darbicus on Jan 10, 2023 17:34:36 GMT 1
WWE VengeanceJuly 21, 2002Joe Louis ArenaDetroit, MI*John Cena d. Kurt Angle by Disqualification
In recent weeks Kurt Angle had been in the throes of a losing streak, unable to get a win since his head was shaved by Edge at Judgment Day. This led to Angle issuing an open challenge on Smackdown, which was answered by a debuting John Cena. Angle's woes continued in that match, as Cena catapaulted the Olympic Hero into an exposed turnbuckle and rolled him up for the huge upset. In the rematch at Vengeance, Angle attacked Cena with reckless abandon, and the youngster's offense was swatted away for the most part. Cena did manage to get a near fall after hitting a modified back suplex into a slam, but that merely served to enrage Angle further, as he hit an Angle Slam on the rookie. He then locked him in an Ankle Lock, which caused Cena to immediately tap out. Angle however refused to break the hold, having lost all semblence of common sense, leading to the referee reversing his decision and disqualifying Angle, giving him yet another loss. Angle finally broke the hold and celebrated as if he had won another gold medal as Cena was helped to the back.
*Booker T & Goldust d. The Island Crue [Jamal & Rosey] by Pinfall to Retain the World Tag Team Titles
The odd couple of Raw, Booker T and Goldust, had continued their unlikely partnership to fruition by winning the World Tag Team Titles from the Dudley Boyz the night after King of the Ring. Against former champions Jamal and Rosey, Booker and Goldust were again able to overcome the odds by standing tall and defeating them, with Booker pinning Rosey after a Scissor Kick to the back of the head.
*Billy Kidman w/Torrie Wilson d. Jamie Noble w/Nidia by Pinfall to Win the Cruiserweight Title
Since winning the Cruiserweight Title, Jamie Noble and Nidia had been living the high life, moving from "the trailer park to the pent house". In doing so, Nidia entered into a feud with Torrie Wilson as to who the most beautiful woman on Smackdown really was. This invariably led to their paramours engaging in a feud over the Cruiserweight title. Noble targeted Kidman's knee, trying to take the high flying Shooting Star Press out of Kidman's repertoire. However the former champion had more moves in his arsenal than just that one, and hit a Kid Krusher powerbomb for a near fall. When the referee took a bump to the outside, Nidia attempted to get involved and hit Kidman with the title belt. However Torrie intervened and tackled Nidia to the ground. The distraction allowed Kidman to counter Noble's attempt to lock on the Trailer Hitch into an inside cradle, as a second referee ran down and counted the pinfall, giving Kidman his second Cruiserweight Title.
*The Big Show d. Jeff Hardy by Pinfall
After months of coming up short in big matches, The Big Show was looking to rebound in a match against the Extremist Jeff Hardy. Despite giving up nearly 300 pounds to the Giant, Jeff Hardy was in control for much of the match, using his high flying offense to keep The Big Show on the ground as much as possible. However the Giant was able to come back strong and hit a Chokeslam on Jeff Hardy for a near fall. Hardy took control again and nearly hit the Swanton Bomb for the win, only for the Big Show to prevent him from hitting the move, crotching him on the top rope. Big Show then hit a Chokeslam off the top rope to pick up the much needed victory.
*Molly Holly d. Trish Stratus & Lita by Pinfall to Retain the Women's Title
Molly Holly had managed to defeat Lita for the Women's Title on the July 1st edition of Raw, mostly thanks to Trish inadvertently hitting Lita with a Chick Kick as opposed to Molly. This caused Raw General Manager Dusty Rhodes to set up a Triple Threat match at Vengeance for the title. While Trish and Lita were initially teaming together to take out Molly, the miscommunications between the two challengers eventually led to them fighting between themselves, with Molly more than willing to let them fight amongst each other. Molly eventually picked up the win on Lita after Trish hit the Stratusfaction on her rival, with Molly shoving Trish out of the ring and then sniping the pin to keep the title.
*Chris Jericho & Edge d. Team Canada [Lance Storm & Test] w/Coach Callis by Disqualification [Team Canada Retain the WWE Tag Team Titles]
The Anti-American group known as Team Canada had attempted to bolster their ranks by recruiting fellow Canadians Chris Jericho and Edge. After being turned down by both men, Team Canada had garnered some measure of revenge, costing Edge a chance at the #1 contendership to the US Title and also costing Chris Jericho his WWE championship in the process. This led to Jericho and Edge teaming together to try and take the WWE Tag Team Titles from Storm and Test. Despite having never teamed together, Jericho and Edge made a formidable pairing, pushing the tag champs to the limit. In the end it would be another Canadian who turned the tide, as the returning Chris Benoit sided with Team Canada and attacked Jericho and Edge, resulting in a disqualification victory for the challengers but keeping the tag belts with Lance Storm and Test.
*Stone Cold Steve Austin d. The Undertaker by Pinfall to Win the WWE Championship
Receiving some unexpected help from Team Canada, The Undertaker had managed to become a 5 time WWE Champion after defeating Chris Jericho the Smackdown following King of the Ring. At roughly the same time, much to Vince McMahon's chagrin, Stone Cold Steve Austin became the #1 contender to the WWE Title. This led to the two storied rivals meeting once more for the title. Austin's neck, which had been giving him trouble in recent matches, was an issue here, as the huge strikes from The Phenom threatened to permanently injure the Rattlesnake. But the wily Austin fought through the pain once more and hit the Deadman with two Stone Cold Stunners, reclaiming the WWE title for a record tying sixth time. However after the match there was a staredown between Austin and the man who was waiting for him at Summerslam in Brock Lesnar.
*Triple H d. Sting by Pinfall to Win the World Heavyweight Championship
Following his attack on Sting at King of the Ring, Raw General Manager Dusty Rhodes threatened to suspend the Game indefinitely without pay. However, Sting convinced Rhodes not to do this, instead asking him for a title match with The Game at Vengeance. Rhodes acquiesced, but only by installing Ric Flair as the Special Guest Referee for the match, to ensure a fair contest. Flair indeed call the match right down the middle for the most part, much to Triple H's chagrin. However in the end, when Triple H was attempting to use a sledge hammer on Sting, Flair took the hammer and then turned on the Stinger, smashing him in the gut with the foreign object. Triple H then hit Sting with a Pedigree for good measure as Flair counted the fall, aligning himself with the new World Heavyweight Champion as the show went off the air.
Off-Camera Title Changes:
July 25: Chris Benoit d. Eddie Guerrero to Win the US Title
August 5: The Big Show d. Rob Van Dam to Win the Intercontinental Title |
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Post by darbicus on Jan 16, 2023 2:02:20 GMT 1
WWE Summerslam August 25, 2002 Nassau Coliseum Uniondale, NY
*Kurt Angle d. Rey Mysterio by Pinfall After weeks of continuing on his losing streak, Kurt Angle found himself facing Smackdown's newest superstar in the form of luchadore Rey Mysterio, who was making his Pay Per View debut here. In a stellar opening match, both men went back and forth with each other in an effort to secure the important win. In the end Angle delivered a top rope Angle Slam to Mysterio to pick up the win, finally ending the shnide that he had been on for several weeks.
*The New Wave [Randy Orton & David Flair] d. The Golden Greeks [Rico Constantino & Nicos Arion] by Pinfall in an Interpromotional Match In a battle for promotional bragging rights, two of the young teams of each respective brand fought against each other, with The New Wave defeating The Golden Greeks after Orton hit the Overdrive on Rico Constantino to pick up the victory.
*Chris Jericho & Hulk Hogan d. Team Canada [Lance Storm & Test] w/Coach Callis by Pinfall to Win the WWE Tag Team Titles With Edge challenging Team Canada's newest member for the US Title later in the night, former WWE Champion Chris Jericho promised that he would have an "All-American" tag team partner to take on the WWE Tag Team Champions. That man proved to be WWE Legend Hulk Hogan. Hogan's presence on the team threw off Test and Storm entirely, and even the interference of Coach Callis on the outside couldn't save Team Canada from defeat. After Test seemingly had the match won with the big Boot, Hogan Hulked Up, hit a Big Boot of his own and then pinned the seven footer with his patented Leg Drop, securing the WWE Tag Team Titles for the first time in his career.
*Booker T w/Goldust d. The Big Show by Pinfall to Win the Intercontinental Title Despite also being one half of the World Tag Team Champions, Booker T's singles career was also continuing with success unabated, as he won a Battle Royal on Raw to crown a new #1 contender for the Intercontinental Title. Standing in his way though was The Big Show, who had defeated RVD for that same title that same night (albeit with help from Triple H and Ric Flair.) The Giant dominated much of the match, using simply brute strength to beat down the challenger. Booker managed to counter a Chokeslam though into a side kick, stunning him long enough to mount a comeback. After several hard hitting moves, Booker managed to get the Big Show down on the ground long enough to hit a Harlem Hangover from the top rope and pin him to win the IC Title.
*Billy Kidman & Torrie Wilson d. Jamie Noble & Nidia in a Mixed Tag Match After beating Jamie Noble for the Cruiserweight Title, the feud between the two "first couples of Smackdown" had only grown in intensity, leading to this mixed tag match at Summerslam. The wrestling aspect between Kidman and Noble was well done, but the cat fight between Nidia and Torrie took center stage for much of the match, especially at the end when Torrie ripped the top off of Nidia, briefly exposing her for the Pay Per View crowd, before rolling her up and getting the pinfall for her team.
*Kane d. The Undertaker by Pinfall in an Interpromotional Match In another interpromotional match, The Undertaker agreed to take on his brother Kane in another encounter of their long standing rivalry. However this match proved to be slightly different than before, as it was interrupted by Raven at the start of the match, as he began to espouse his anarchy manifesto. This led to both Kane and The Undertaker attacking Raven, Kane delivering a Chokeslam and Undertaker delivering a Last Ride to him. The match then went on as planned, only changing at the end. When The Undertaker was signaling for a Tombstone on his brother, Raven appeared back at ringside and provided a distraction to The Undertaker. Though Raven took another hard shot to the face, knocking him off the apron, the distraction allowed Kane to catch Undertaker in a Tombstone of his own and score the pinfall over his brother.
*Chris Benoit w/Coach Callis d. Edge by Submission to Retain the United States Title At the previous month's Vengeance Pay Per View, Chris Benoit had made his return and aligned himself with Team Canada, costing Edge and Chris Jericho the WWE Tag Team Titles in the process. He then defeated his longtime rival Eddie Guerrero to win the United States Title, with Coach Callis proclaiming it to be the "Canadian Heavyweight Championship." Against Edge, who challenged Benoit for the title, it appeared that the Crippler's reign as said Canadian Champion would be short lived, as he clearly underestimated the former IC Champion and was nearly beaten following an Edgecution. A back and forth soon followed, with Benoit trying to work over the head and neck area of Edge, and Edge continuing to use innovative offense to try and stay one step ahead of Benoit. In the end, though, Edge went for a Spear, only for it to be countered straight into the Crippler Crossface in the center of the ring, leaving Edge no choice but to tap out, giving Benoit the title retention.
*Trish Stratus d. Molly Holly by Pinfall to Win the Women's Title Trish had won a match against Lita to earn the title shot against women's champion Molly Holly. However both ladies would still have to contend with the Xtreme Diva, as Lita was named the Special Guest Referee for this title match. For the most part, Lita called the match right down the middle as both women vied for the title. However, Molly argued with Lita one to many times, leading to Lita "accidentally" knocking Molly off the top rope when she attempted her Molly-Go-Round finisher. As Holly got in the face of Lita, she was suddenly got from behind by a Chick Kick from Trish, who followed up with Stratusfaction to pick up the win and regain the Women's Title.
*Triple H w/Ric Flair d. Rob Van Dam w/Sting by Pinfall to Retain the World Heavyweight Championship After defeating Sting for the World Heavyweight Title at Vengeance, albeit with help from Ric Flair, Triple H refused to grant Sting a rematch for the title. Raw General Manager Dusty Rhodes was forced to agree with Triple H, citing the "no rematch clause" in the contract for the Vengeance title shot. Instead, Sting decided to stand in the corner of the man who would challenge Triple H for the title in Rob Van Dam. During the course of the build for the match, Triple H had Flair cost RVD the Intercontinental Title to the Big Show, leading to RVD challenging Triple H to a No DQ match at Summerslam. With Sting on the outside, Flair was effectively neutralized, allowing Hunter and Van Dam to have a competitive match, that RVD was seemingly getting the advantage in. However, things changed when a huge bodybuilder came out of the crowd and attacked RVD out of nowhere. The man, later identified as Dave Batista, pushed Van Dam off the top rope when RVD was ready to hit the 5 Star Frogsplash, and then proceeded to take out Sting with a huge sitout Powerbomb. As Batista stalked to the back, Triple H hit the Pedigree on Van Dam for the added exclamation point and pinned him to retain the title.
*Brock Lesnar w/Paul Heyman d. Stone Cold Steve Austin by Pinfall to Win the WWE Championship After winning the WWE Championship the month before, it became clear that Stone Cold Steve Austin would have to defend against the rookie sensation, Brock Lesnar. Surprisingly, this drew concern from Lesnar's agent Paul Heyman, who confronted Austin on an episode of Smackdown and asked him to forefit the title. He cited Austin as the "first Paul Heyman Guy" and was concerned about what Lesnar would do to Austin, who was quickly running out of time as an active competitor due to his ongoing neck issues (which commentary was quick to acknowledge). After asking Austin if one more match was "worth it" (to which Austin replied "You God Damn Right" before stunning Heyman in the center of the ring), Lesnar came out and briefly skirmished with the champion before being separated by security. In the match itself, though, Austin was dominated like he had never been dominated before, as none of Austin's signature moves could seemingly take down the Next Big Thing. Austin kept trying to go for the Stunner, but Lesnar kept finding ways out of it. Eventually Lesnar hit Austin with two F-5's for good measure, definitively pinning the Rattlesnake and becoming the youngest WWE Champion in history to close out the show.
Off-Camera Title Changes:
August 26: Rob Van Dam d. Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship
September 2: Rob Van Dam Stripped Of the World Title Following Controversial Title Finish The Previous Week.
September 2: Triple H d. Rob Van Dam to Win the Vacant World Heavyweight Title
September 5: Team Canada d. Chris Jericho & Hulk Hogan to Win the WWE Tag Team Titles
September 19: Matt Hardy d. Billy Kidman by Pinfall to Win the Cruiserweight Title |
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Post by darbicus on Jan 18, 2023 1:29:06 GMT 1
WWE Unforgiven September 22, 2002 Staples Center Los Angeles, CA
*Matt Hardy w/Shannon Moore d. Billy Kidman w/Torrie Wilson & Jamie Noble w/Nidia by Pinfall to Retain the Cruiserweight Title The Cruiserweight Title scene had shifted somewhat when the "Guru of Mattitude" Matt Hardy regained the championship from Billy Kidman, relying on help both from his acolyte Shannon Moore as well as former champion Jamie Noble, thus making the original singles match between Kidman and Noble into a Triple Threat match. The action on the outside of the ring was almost as noticeable as the action inside the ring, as the seconds for all three men consistently got into fights amongst themselves. As to the inside of the ring, Hardy attempted to stay out of the rivalry between Kidman and Noble, allowing them to fight between themselves and only interjecting himself to keep a pinfall from happening. This eventually nearly backfired as both the former champions finally put their differences aside and targeted the new champion, taking him out temporarily before resuming their match. Kidman was looking to finish off Noble with a Shooting Star Press, when Shannon Moore was able to interject himself and push Kidman off the top rope. This allowed Matt to sneak in and hit a Twist of Fate on Noble to pick up the victory and retain the title.
*Booker T & Goldust d. The Big Show & Christian by Pinfall to Retain the World Tag Team Titles The feud between Booker T and The Big Show expanded to cover the tag titles, with the additional stipulation (courtesy of Raw General Manager Dusty Rhodes) that the man who suffered the pinfall would leave the Raw brand for good. Big Show and Christian couldn't gel together initially, giving Booker T and Goldust an early advantage. However things changed after Goldust seemingly hurt his knee, allowing Christian to take advantage and isolate Booker's tag partner. After working over the former IC Champion for a while, Big Show looked to put him away with a Chokeslam, only for Booker to interfere and distract the referee long enough for Goldust to hit a desperation low blow on the Giant. Goldust then made the hot tag to Booker who cleaned house, until The Big Show returned to his vertical base and resumed dominance. Big Show looked to put Booker Away, only to get caught with a sudden sidekick followed by a kick to the gut and an Axe Kick to the back of the head. Goldust took care of Christian as Booker pinned The Big Show a second time, retaining the titles and sending the Giant off of Raw.
*Trish Stratus d. Lita & Molly Holly in a Ladder Match to Retain the Women's Title The three women vying for the Women's Title continued to operate in each other's orbit, with a second triple threat match scheduled for the Pay Per View. This time, Lita and Molly had a match on Raw, with the winner determining the stipulation of the match. Since Lita won that match, she chose to have the first ever Women's Ladder Match for the title, relying on her experience as paired with the Hardy Boys to pay off. All three women had a series of spots off the ladder, each hitting their finisher off of a ladder at one point or another during the match. In the end it looked as if Lita would pull out the victory, but a timely powerbomb from an exhausted Molly cost her the match, allowing Trish the opportunity to climb the other side of the ladder and retrieve her belt.
*Team Canada [Lance Storm & Test] d. The Golden Greeks [Rico Constantino & Nicos Arion], Billy & Chuck & Los Guerreros [Eddie & Chavo Guerrero] by Pinfall to Retain the WWE Tag Team Titles After regaining the tag team titles, Team Canada was faced with three different teams each vying for their belts. This included the new pairing of Eddie Guerrero with his nephew Chavo. The Guerreros appeared to have the match won, as Eddie hit Nicos Arion with a Frogsplash for the near fall. However Storm was able to pull Eddie off at the last minute and steal the pinfall in order to retain their titles.
*Raven d. The Undertaker by Disqualification After costing The Undertaker a match with his brother Kane at Summerslam, Raven was left to face the wrath of an angry Deadman at Unforgiven. Raven insisted that his actions were logical, and that he was "bringing out the monster" that the Undertaker had tried to hide away with his biker gimmick. To that end, Raven was less concerned about winning the match than he was about "revealing the Undertaker's hypocrisy", goading on the Deadman throughout the match until eventually the Undertaker's temper snapped and he attacked Raven with reckless abandon, delivering a Last Ride through the table that resulted in a DQ win for the Bowery Prophet and leaving The Undertaker fuming.
*Chris Jericho d. Chris Benoit w/Coach Callis by Pinfall to Win the United States Title The third member of Team Canada, Chris Benoit, had helped cost Jericho and Hogan the WWE Tag Team Titles shortly after they had won them (although Brock Lesnar's attack on Hogan had done more to that end.) This led the former WWE Champion to challenge his old rival for the US Title. Benoit and Jericho had a highly competitive match, that ended in controversy when Coach Callis got involved. However, instead of helping Benoit, he inadvertantly tripped him up, leading to Jericho rolling up Benoit from behind and picking up the surprise victory and winning the United States Championship for the first time.
*Sting d. Batista w/Ric Flair by Disqualification The previous month at Summerslam the WWE had seen the debut of Batista, a workout associate of Triple H and new signee to Monday Night Raw. He had joined with Ric Flair and the World Heavyweight Champion to form the group Evolution, after helping The Game retain the World Heavyweight Title against Rob Van Dam by attacking RVD's corner man Sting, setting up this match for Unforgiven, which was Batista's first official match. The Animal availed himself well against the Icon Sting, but was clearly more set on taking. This led to Batista not listening to the referee's instructions, resulting in him being disqualified after refusing to let up in the corner on Sting. Both Batista and Flair left the Icon lying though, as the announcers wondered who could stop this new group.
*Brock Lesnar w/Paul Heyman d. Hulk Hogan by Referee Stoppage to Retain the WWE Championship After defeating Stone Cold Steve Austin for the WWE Title (and indeed, seemingly putting Austin on the shelf indefinitely), Brock Lesnar set out to finish off other legends in the WWE, namely the nostalgia run of Hulk Hogan. Lesnar attacked Hogan out of the blue when the Hulkster was planning for a tag title defense against Team Canada, leading to he and Jericho losing their titles. Hogan then challenged Lesnar to a WWE title match. Despite Hulking up in the early going, Lesnar outpowered Hogan, though the Hulkster refused to give up. Eventually Brock locked Hogan in a Bearhug and refused to let go, while Hogan refused to submit. The Hulkster eventually passed out, leading to the referee calling off the match. Lesnar continued his assault after the bell, but Hogan was saved by, of all people, The Undertaker, before too much damage could be done.
*Triple H w/Ric Flair d. Rob Van Dam & Kane by Pinfall to Retain the World Heavyweight Championship The night after Summerslam, due to the interference of Batista in their title match, Raw General Manager Dusty Rhodes ordered a rematch between Triple H and RVD for the World Heavyweight Title inside Madison Square Garden. Their, RVD managed to pin Triple H after the Game was attacked by Kane, whom Triple H and Evolution had attacked earlier in the night, winning the title. However, due to Kane's interference, Rhodes stripped Van Dam of the World Title the following week, with Triple H regaining it in yet another rematch. This would lead to a final confrontation as a Triple Threat Match, with Kane joining the fray of facing both Triple H and Rob Van Dam. The two challengers were bound and determined to get revenge on Triple H, but The Game was one step ahead of them and managed to keep Kane and Van Dam fighting each other as opposed to him for much of the match. It appeared as if Kane had taken out RVD with a Chokeslam through the announce table, leaving the Big Red Machine alone with the leader of Evolution for a period of time. But Before Kane could pin Triple H after delivering a Tombstone, RVD came diving back in with a 5 Star Frogsplash to break up the pin, leaving all three men down. Batista then came to ringside, only to be confronted by Dusty Rhodes with a steel chair, also backed up by Booker T and Goldust. With Batista neutralized, the match continued on without outside interference, but Triple H managed to get ahold of a sledge hammer from underneath the ring and use it to knock out Kane before delivering a Pedigree to RVD to pick up the win and retain his title.
Off-Camera Title Changes
September 30: Al Snow & Christopher Nowinski d. Booker T & Goldust to Win the World Tag Team Titles
October 3: The Big Show d. Chris Jericho to Win the United States Title
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Post by darbicus on Jan 22, 2023 3:50:33 GMT 1
WWE No Mercy October 20, 2022 Alltel Arena Little Rock, AR
*Randy Orton w/Ric Flair d. David Flair by Pinfall Shortly after Unforgiven, Triple H's new stable Evolution approached the second generation tag team called The New Wave (consisting of Randy Orton and David Flair) and said they were looking to expand their membership. After hinting that Flair would join his father in Evolution, Orton and the group turned on his tag partner, with Randy joining the group instead. This led to a one on one match between the former partners at No Mercy. In the end, Ric Flair would cost his own son the match, holding his foot as he attempted to suplex Orton into the ring from the outside, leading to Orton pinning the younger Flair. Orton and Ric then celebrated as David looked on frustrated from the ring.
*Los Guerreros [Eddie & Chavo Guerrero] d. Rey Mysterio & Edge by Pinfall The two Guerreros (Eddie and his nephew Chavo) had targeted the WWE Tag Team Titles, but would have to contend with the newly formed team of Rey Mysterio and Edge. After a highly athletic match, Los Guerreros were able to lie, cheat and steal their way to a victory, with Chavo playing possum and suckering Edge into a small package to pick up the victory.
*Matt Hardy w/Shannon Moore d. Tajiri by Pinfall to Retain the Cruiserweight Title In a standard title defense, Matt Hardy was able to pick up the victory over Tajiri after Shannon Moore distracted the Japanese Buzzsaw, absorbing the Green Mist and allowing Hardy to pick up the win and retain the title with a Twist of Fate.
*Molly Holly & Victoria d. Trish Stratus & Lita by Pinfall In the course of their feud over the Women's Title, Molly Holly introduced a figure from Trish Stratus' past as a fitness model, the somewhat off-kilter Victoria, to the WWE. Victoria blamed Trish for her being blacklisted from the world of fitness, leading to her seeking revenge. Adding to Trish's problem was the fact that she and Lita didn't trust one another, with the latter looking to win the Women's Championship from Trish. This led to them having miscommunications during the match, allowing Victoria to pick up the upset over Trish, pinning her after a Widow's Peak finisher.
*Batista & Ric Flair d. Kane & Rob Van Dam by Pinfall Kane and Rob Van Dam teamed up to try and take out Evolution's Ric Flair and Batista as revenge for their issues with World Heavyweight Champion Triple H. However the veteran and the rookie controlled much of the match, keeping Van Dam in the match as much as possible and keeping Kane on the sidelines. When the Big Red Machine finally did enter the match, he cleared out Flair and Batista, but a returning Randy Orton helped his Evolution teammates by clubbing Kane with a lead pipe behind the referee's back. While Van Dam was distracted chasing Orton, Batista then hit a huge powerbomb and picked up the pinfall victory on Kane.
*Chris Jericho d. The Big Show by Disqualification After being banished from Raw due to his loss at Unforgiven, The Big Show immediately went to Smackdown and established a name for himself, winning the United States title from Chris Jericho. In this rematch, The Big Show could no longer surprise the former champion with his appearance, and thus Jericho was able to run circles around the larger champion. This frustrated Show to the point where he lost his temper and, when he finally caught Jericho, he simply chokeslammed him through a table at ringside, resulting in a DQ loss.
*Kurt Angle & Chris Benoit d. Team Canada [Lance Storm & Test] w/Coach Callis by Pinfall to Win the WWE Tag Team Titles Right after Chris Benoit had lost the US Title at Unforgiven, he was kicked out of Team Canada by Coach Callis and hit with a 2 on 1 beatdown by Lance Storm and Test. Surprisingly, Benoit was saved from further damage by the Olympic Hero Kurt Angle, who had seemingly turned face in recent weeks once his losing streak had somewhat subsided. This led to the old rivals, Benoit and Angle, teaming up to take on Team Canada for the WWE Tag Team Titles. Surprisingly, Angle and Benoit geled well as a team and were able to defeat the champions with an Angle Slam to Test followed by a Diving Headbutt from Benoit to win the titles.
*Triple H w/Ric Flair d. Booker T w/Goldust by Pinfall to Retain the World Heavyweight Championship AND Win the Intercontinental Title After Unforgiven it was announced that Intercontinental Champion Booker T would take on World Heavyweight Champion Triple H in a Champion vs. Champion, Title for Title contest at No Mercy. This led to Evolution doing everything in their power to hurt Booker T, costing him and Goldust the Tag Team Titles while also attacking Booker at every turn. Things became more personal when, fed up with Dusty Rhodes' interference in their affairs, Evolution laid out the Raw General Manager, putting him on the shelf indefinitely and raising the ire of Dusty's son, Goldust. Booker more than held his own against The Game in the match, but it was clear that without Dusty's influence, Evolution was going to run roughshod over the IC Champion, with Flair and Orton's interference neutralizing Goldust's presence at ringside and allowing Triple H to pick up the win with the Pedigree, becoming a double champion.
*Brock Lesnar w/Paul Heyman d. The Undertaker by Pinfall to Retain the WWE Championship The Undertaker had won a Battle Royal on Smackdown to become the new #1 contender to the WWE Champion Brock Lesnar, much to the chagrin of Paul Heyman. Heyman tried everything he could to get the Next Big Thing out of the match, but Lesnar eventually stopped him, saying he wanted to measure himself against the best. Undertaker and Lesnar had a knock down drag out fight that was devoid of outside interference, despite Raven appearing in the crowd to view his nemesis The Undertaker from afar. In the end, much to the surprise of many, Lesnar beat the Phenom clean with an F-5. As Lesnar celebrated, he was confronted by the Undertaker, who offered his hand in respect. Despite Heyman's pleas, Lesnar took the hand and then continued to celebrate, leaving Heyman to question his place next to his client as the show went off the air.
Off-Camera Title Changes:
October 21: Triple H forefits the IC Title, due to holding the World Heavyweight Title. He attempts to give it to Ric Flair, but this title change is nullified by Interim Raw GM Jim Cornette, who vacates the title.
October 21: Bradshaw Wins a 12 Man Battle Royal, Last Eliminating Ric Flair, to Win the Vacant IC Title. |
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Post by darbicus on Jan 22, 2023 10:51:26 GMT 1
WWE RebellionOctober 26, 2002Manchester Evening News ArenaManchester, EnglandSmackdown Exclusive Pay Per View*John Cena d. Spike Dudley by Pinfall
The poster child of "ruthless aggression" had turned heel and adopted a new persona as a white rapper, trash talking his opponents on the way to the ring (and usually insulting the crowd in the process). This character was still in its infancy, but Cena was able to get the win with a Fireman's Carry Slam to Spike that Cena referred to as the F-U.
*The Big Show d. The Golden Greeks [Rico Constantino & Nicos Arion] in a 2 on 1 Handicap Match
United States Champion The Big Show continued his run of dominance in the company since his arrival onto the Smackdown brand, taking on The Golden Greeks in a Non-Title Handicap Match. While Nico and Rico were able to hold their own in the early going of the match, but the Giant easily reestablished his dominance and pinned both Nicos and Rico at the same time after hitting them with separate Chokeslams.
*Team Canada [Lance Storm & Test] w/Coach Callis d. Scotty 2 Hotty & Albert by Pinfall
In a standard tag team match, Team Canada got back to their winning ways by defeating the duo of Scotty 2 Hotty & Albert, with Test pinning his former tag team partner after planting him with a big boot to the face. Afterwards, Albert took his frustration out on his partner Scotty, planting him with a Baldo Bomb in the middle of the ring and storming off.
*Kurt Angle & Chris Benoit d. Billy & Chuck by Submission to Retain the WWE Tag Team Titles
The new tag team champions Angle & Benoit faced stiff competition from former champions Billy & Chuck. As they had at No Mercy, Angle and Benoit surprisingly worked well together, at least until a miscommunication between the champions led to Angle accidentally knocking Benoit off the apron. While this miscommunication didn't cost them the titles, as Angle quickly locked Chuck in an Ankle Lock and picked up the submission win, after the match the two former rivals began shoving one another, having to be separated by WWE officials.
*Jamie Noble & Nidia d. Billy Kidman & Torrie Wilson by Pinfall
The rivalry between Nidia and Torrie Wilson picked back up again, with Jamie Noble and Billy Kidman coming along for the ride. This time Nidia was able to best her rival, pinning her after hitting a Lou Thesz press while Kidman and Noble continued to fight amongst themselves on the outside.
*Matt Hardy w/Shannon Moore d. Crash Holly by Pinfall to Retain the Cruiserweight Title
In a standard title defense, Matt Hardy successfully retained the Cruiserweight Title by defeating Crash Holly, pinning him after hitting a Twist of Fate following interference from Shannon Moore.
*Chris Jericho d. The Undertaker by Pinfall
This match was a rematch of the #1 contenders match that the two men had on Smackdown just days before, and the outcome was the same as it was there. The Undertaker controlled much of the match and looked ready to pin Jericho following a Last Ride, but was distracted by the appearance of Raven on the outside, who continued to say that his "Prophecy" would be achieved. This distraction allowed Jericho to fight back and roll up the Phenom from behind, securing the pinfall victory.
*Brock Lesnar w/Paul Heyman d. Chavo Guerrero w/Eddie Guerrero by Pinfall to Retain the WWE Championship
Despite Los Guerreros attempting to Lie, Cheat and Steal their way to a victory for the WWE Title, Brock Lesnar was able to beat them both back with relative ease, pinning Chavo after an F-5 and then delivering one to Chavo's uncle Eddie for good measure afterwards, before celebrating with the crowd.
Off-Camera Title Changes:
November 4: The Island Crue d. Al Snow & Christopher Nowinski to Win the World Tag Team Titles
November 7: Edge & Rey Mysterio d. Kurt Angle & Chris Benoit to Win the WWE Tag Team Titles |
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Post by darbicus on Jan 22, 2023 18:07:50 GMT 1
WWE Survivor SeriesNovember 17, 2002Madison Square GardenNew York City, NY*Bradshaw d. Christian by Pinfall to Retain the Intercontinental Championship
The night after No Mercy, Triple H had attempted to vacate his newly won Intercontinental Championship to "Nature Boy" Ric Flair, only for the title transfer to be overruled by the newly appointed interim GM of Raw, Jim Cornette, who declared the title vacant as a result. A battle royal was held to crown a new champion that same night, which was won by Bradshaw. Former IC Champion Christian was one of the last men eliminated from the battle royal, leading to him challenging the Texan for the coveted championship. Christian attempted to use every underhanded tactic in the book to beat the new champion, but couldn't find a way to finish off the Texan, leading to Bradshaw retaining the title via pinfall after nearly decapitating Captain Charisma with a Clothesline from Hell.
*Matt Hardy d. Tajiri, Billy Kidman & Jamie Noble in a Fatal Fourway Match to Retain the WWE Cruiserweight Title
The self-professed "Master of Mattitude" had dominated the cruiserweight division throughout the fall, but had made enemies of Tajiri, Kidman and Jamie Noble in the process. This led to newly installed Smackdown General Manager Shane McMahon (after Vince had seemingly suffered a heart attack in early October) to make a Fatal Fourway match for the Cruiserweight Title, though this time with Shannon Moore (as well as Torrie and Nidia) barred from ringside. The match turned into a chaotic affair with all four men getting near falls against the others, and Hardy just struggling to survive. Despite Shannon Moore being banned from ringside though, he managed to appear dressed as a camera man at ringside, causing a camera to explode in the face of Billy Kidman as he attempted a Shooting Star Press. This allowed Hardy to rip Kidman off the ropes and pin him quickly to retain the title.
*The Dudley Boyz [Bubba Ray & D-Von Dudley], The Island Crue [Jamal & Rosey] and Al Snow & Christopher Nowinski d. Team Canada [Lance Storm & Test], The Golden Greeks [Nicos Arion & Rico Constantino] and Billy & Chuck in a Survivor Series Match
The tag teams of Raw and Smackdown competed in an Interpromotional Survivor Series match, though separate from the official "Team Smackdown vs. Team Raw" match later in the night.
- Jamal d. Nicos Arion by Pinfall
- Rosey d. Rico Constantino by Pinfall
- Lance Storm d. Christopher Nowinski by Submission
- Test d. Al Snow by Pinfall
- Jamal & Rosey Were Disqualified
- D-Von Dudley d. Chuck Palumbo by Pinfall
- Bubba Ray Dudley d. Billy Gunn by Pinfall
- Test d. D-Von Dudley by Pinfall
- Bubba Ray Dudley d. Lance Storm by Pinfall
- Bubba Ray Dudley d. Test by Pinfall
Sole Survivor: Bubba Ray Dudley
*Victoria d. Trish Stratus by Pinfall in a No Disqualification Match to Win the Women's Title
The feud between Victoria and Trish Stratus had only escalated since the former's arrival to the WWE. She had dominated any competitor put in front of her, including Trish herself in a tag match at No Mercy. With the two enemies seemingly fighting at every chance they got, Raw interim GM Jim Cornette sanctioned a Hardcore Match for the Women's Title at Survivor Series. The match between the two divas stayed around the ringside area of MSG, but involved a lot of Hardcore plunder as they pelted each other with everything they could find. The end came after Trish was setting up Victoria for a Stratusfaction onto an open trash can, only for Victoria to catch her by surprise with a fire extinguisher blast straight to the eyes. Victoria then followed up with the Widow's Peak to pick up the win and capture the Women's Title.
*Los Guerreros [Eddie & Chavo Guerrero] d. Edge & Rey Mysterio and Kurt Angle & Chris Benoit by Pinfall in a Triple Threat Match to Win the WWE Tag Team Titles
The tag team division on Smackdown had been consumed by these three teams fighting over the championships, with the friendly rivalry of Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle exploding into near hostility following the victory by Edge and Rey Mysterio to win the belts a couple of weeks earlier. Added into the mix was the uncle and nephew tandem of Los Guerreros, with Eddie and Chavo also staking a claim to the titles due to their victory over the new champions the previous month. This led to a highly competitive triple threat match at Survivor Series. Just like real life, The Guerreros managed to pick up a victory after Eddie broke up a Crippler Crossface on Rey with a Frogsplash, picking up the victory and winning the tag team titles.
*Team Smackdown [The Undertaker, The Big Show, Raven, Ron Simmons & John Cena] d. Team Raw [William Regal, Jeff Hardy, Goldust, Maven & Randy Orton] w/Ric Flair in a Survivor Series Match
Newly appointed Smackdown General Manager Shane McMahon (filling in for his father, who had been ordered to rest following an apparent heart attack prior to No Mercy) made a friendly wager with Raw Interim GM Jim Cornette over brand supremacy, with a 5 man team from each brand facing off in each a traditional Survivor Series match. Each team was frought with peril, as The Big Show didn't want to work with anybody and The Undertaker had issues with Raven, while Randy Orton and Goldust were also still feuding over what had happened to Goldust's father Dusty Rhodes.
- John Cena d. Maven by Pinfall
- The Undertaker Was Eliminated After Being Attacked by Raven's "Prophecy", the debuting Mark Jindrak and Sean O'Haire.
- Raven was intentionally counted out
- Randy Orton d. Ron Simmons by Pinfall
- Goldust and Randy Orton were counted out after brawling on the outside
- The Big Show d. William Regal by Pinfall
- Jeff Hardy d. John Cena by Pinfall
- The Big Show d. Jeff Hardy by Pinfall
Sole Survivor: The Big Show
*Chris Jericho d. Brock Lesnar w/Paul Heyman by Pinfall to Win the WWE Championship
Chris Jericho had won a #1 contenders match against The Undertaker (thanks to Raven) in order to earn a shot against WWE Champion Brock Lesnar. Meanwhile, the champion had a falling out with his agent Paul Heyman, swearing to go it alone. Heyman, in a futile attempt at revenge, tried to ingratiate himself with Jericho, but Y2J wouldn't have anything to do with him either. This left Heyman adrift until, on the final episode of Smackdown before Survivor Series, he pled with Brock to become his client again, which Lesnar reluctantly agreed to, provided Paul wouldn't get involved in his matches. Thus Heyman was in Lesnar's corner for the highly competitive matchup. The announcers didn't give Y2J much chance, but the matchup between the former champion and the current one was rather evenly paced, as Jericho used his quickness to try and avoid Lesnar's more power based offense. However Lesnar eventualy caught and wore down the challenger. At one point with the referee temporarily down, Paul Heyman snuck a chair into the ring, which Lesnar waved off. He resumed the match and eventually hit Jericho with an F-5. Before the referee could finish counting the three though, Heyman pulled him out of the ring and decked him, KO'ing him temporarily. As soon as Lesnar figured out what happened, Brock gave chase to Heyman around the ring. Heyman dove into the ring, but was cut off by Lesnar, who angrily stared down his manager. Suddenly from behind Jericho hit Lesnar with a knee drop to the face out of desperation, before staying down on the ground unaware of what was going on. Lesnar was stunned long enough for Heyman to tee off with a open head first chair shot to Brock, knocking him out. Heyman then threw the referee back into the ring and ran away as Jericho, still unaware of Heyman's interference, woke up and hit the Lionsault to pick up the win and regain the WWE title.
*Shawn Michaels d. Triple H, Sting, Booker T, Kane & Rob Van Dam in an Elimination Chamber Match to Win the World Heavyweight Championship
In response to Evolution's attack on Raw General Manager Dusty Rhodes, Raw owner Linda McMahon had appointed a new General Manager on an interim basis in the form of Jim Cornette. Cornette had threatened Triple H and company with a lawsuit if they attacked him the same way that they attacked Dusty Rhodes, keeping Evolution at bay for the time being. He also announced a match designed for everyone with a grudge against the World Heavyweight Champion to get revenge on the champion in the form of the Elimination Chamber. Two men would start in a ring surrounded by a large steel structure, with a new man entering the ring every five minutes. The last man standing after all six men had entered would be the World Heavyweight Champion. Cornette announced the first four competitors would be Sting, Booker T, Kane & Rob Van Dam, with the 5th competitor being, if he was medically cleared, Shawn Michaels, who had not been seen since Wrestlemania when he was attacked after their Street Fight by the Game. Michaels responded in the affirmative that he would compete.
- Triple H and Rob Van Dam enterted the match at #1 and #2 respectively.
- Sting entered the match at #3.
- Shawn Michaels entered the match at #4.
- Triple H d. Rob Van Dam by Pinfall with The Pedigree after Van Dam missed a 5 Star Frogsplash on Sting.
- Booker T entered the match at #5.
- Kane entered the match at #6.
- Kane d. Sting by Pinfall with a Chokeslam.
- Triple H d. Booker T by Pinfall with The Pedigree.
- Triple H d. Kane by Pinfall with The Pedigree after a Sweet Chin Music from Shawn Michaels.
- Shawn Michaels d. Triple H by Pinfall with Sweet Chin Music to Win the World Heavyweight Title.
Michaels closed the show with confetti raining down in MSG, having made his successful comeback at last, and recaptured a World Championship.
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