No Mercy
October 20th, 2002
Alltel Arena
North Little Rock, Arkansas
 
Note: On the 9/23 RAW, it was announced that the rosters would be locked down and no Superstar could jump to a different brand unless they were officially traded.
 
Sunday Night Heat:
 
1. The Hurricane pins Steven Richards at 3:05.
 
Actual Show:
 
We see the Undertaker in his dressing room looking at his cast as Kane comes in and sits down next to him before asking how Taker’s week was.
 
We see the opening video for No Mercy.
 
Your hosts are Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler for RAW, and Michael Cole and Tazz for Smackdown.
 
1. Chris Jericho and Christian defeat Booker T and Goldust when Jericho pins Goldust at 8:48 to retain the World Tag Team Championships.
 
Title Rebranding: With the introduction of new titles on Smackdown, the tag titles on RAW were rebranded as the World Tag Team Championships
 
Title Changes: On the 9/23 RAW, Kane and the Hurricane defeated the Un-Americans to win the World Tag Team Titles and on the 10/14 RAW, Jericho and Christian defeated Kane and Hurricane to win the tag titles.
 
The Buildup: On the 9/23 RAW, Jericho defeated Goldust in a match to retain the IC Title and on the 9/30 RAW after suffering a series of losses, the Un-Americans would argue and brawled with each other leading to disbanding though Storm and Regal would remain allies, and that same night Booker and Jericho had a confrontation backstage. On the 10/7 RAW, Booker defeated Big Show in a cage match only for Jericho to attack him afterwards and bust him open, and on the 10/14 RAW Booker attacked Jericho before his match and then tried to attack him afterwards only for officials to hold him back as Eric Bischoff made this match. Later that night, Jericho would cost Booker a Falls Count Anywhere match against the Big Show when he hit Booker with a chair.
 
Analysis: We kick off this PPV with our first title match of the night. Jericho and Christian won the tag titles 6 nights ago and look to have a successful defense here against Booker and Goldust, who were cruising as a team and look to become champions here. Booker and Goldust get a big pop from the crowd while Jericho and Christian were pretty hot as heels. Goldust starts off the match with Jericho who demands Booker tag in which he does only for Jericho to quickly tag Christian, and Booker pounds on Christian who reverses a whip and Booker blocks a hiptoss as he hits a clothesline on Christian. He goes after Jericho who avoids him and Christian pounds on Booker in the corner as Booker counters a whip and hits a side kick for a two count, and Goldust tags in and kicks at Christian who reverses a whip and Goldust hits a clothesline before working the arm. He hits a side kick on Christian for a two count and Christian gets a knee in as Jericho tags in only for Goldust to get a kick in and he hits an uppercut, and Jericho ducks a shot only for Goldust to hit a butt slam on both Jericho and Christian who he clotheslines over the top to the floor. He trips Jericho up and slingshots him over the top onto Christian on the floor as Booker throws Jericho back into the ring, and Goldust pounds on Jericho in the corner only for Christian to hotshot him on the top rope as Jericho goes up to the middle rope and hits a missile dropkick for a two count. He kicks at Goldust and chokes him on the ropes as he slams down on his back and tags Christian who pounds on Goldust, and he hits a Russian legsweep on Goldust for a two count and chokes him on the mat as Jericho tags in and they pound on Goldust. Goldust catches Jericho with a clothesline and Christian knocks Booker off the apron as Jericho pulls Goldust towards his corner and stomps on him, and Christian chokes Goldust with his boot only for Goldust to avoid a dropkick with Christian landing on the mat and Goldust hooks a rollup for a two count. He hits a snap powerslam on Christian who tags Jericho and he drops an elbow on Goldust as he grabs at his leg, and Goldust ducks a shot and hits a neckbreaker on Jericho as Booker gets the hot tag and he fires up on Jericho. He hits a side kick on Jericho who ducks a shot and Booker hits a flying forearm as he ducks a shot and hits a side kick on Christian, and Jericho gets a shot in only for Booker to counter a whip and he gets a knee in though Jericho avoids the scissors kick. Booker catches him in a spinebuster for a two count and Jericho reverses a whip into the corner as Booker leaps over him and hooks a sunset flip for a two count, and he pounds on Jericho who reverses a whip and Booker catches him ducking with a kick only to miss the side kick as he crotches himself on the top rope. Christian comes in only for Booker to hit a double clothesline as Goldust tags in and he hits a double bulldog, and he ties Christian up in the ropes and hits the Shattered Dreams as Jericho charges only for Goldust to hit a drop toehold which sends Jericho head first into Christian’s groin. He hooks a rollup for a two count and Jericho escapes a Curtain Call attempt as he trips Goldust and hooks the Walls of Jericho on, and Booker gets in the ring and hits a side kick on Jericho to break the hold as he hits the scissors kick and Goldust gets a two count with Christian pulling him outside. He pounds on Goldust until Booker hits a baseball slide and he goes up top before hitting a missile dropkick on Jericho, and he does the Spinaroonie as Christian brings one of the belts into the ring only for Booker to send him over the top to the floor. Jericho attempts a springboard though the middle rope breaks and he recovers as he backdrops Booker over the top to the floor, and Goldust gets in the ring and hits a bulldog on Jericho for a two count as Christian puts Jericho’s foot on the rope. Booker throws Christian over the barricade into the crowd and Jericho hits the bulldog on Goldust onto the belt, and he goes up top and hits a moonsault on Goldust which gets the three and he retains the titles. The match itself was good as both teams worked hard and put on a solid title match. Booker and Goldust were hitting their groove as a team while Jericho and Christian were gelling as a team, and they had good chemistry though the match does hit a snag when the rope breaks and Jericho and Christian steal the win. The crowd was into the match and Booker and Goldust, but are not happy when Jericho and Christian win. Jericho and Christian retain the titles over Booker and Goldust as both teams move on. Grade: 2.5
 
Funaki interviews Al Wilson as he shows him footage from the previous three weeks and Wilson struggles to answer before saying he didn’t have sex with Dawn Marie.
 
2. Torrie Wilson pins Dawn Marie with a swinging neckbreaker at 4:41.
 
Debut: Dawn Marie Psaltis grew up a wrestling and worked briefly in real estate before moving onto entertainment, and she would work in modeling before transitioning to wrestling in 1995 where she worked in the indie scene as a valet while also training to be a wrestler. In 1998, she would join ECW as Lance Storm’s valet under the name Tammy Lynn Bytch as Storm was feuding with Chris Candido and Tammy Sytch, and she would eventually change her name to Dawn Marie and managed the Impact Players until Storm left in 2000. She would work as a commentator and also managed Simon Diamond and Johnny Swinger until ECW closed in 2001, and she would return to the indie scene and also spent time in XWF while also working as a stock trader and she would also co-host a radio show. In 2002, she would sign with WWE and debuted on the 5/30 Smackdown asking to be Vince McMahon’s new assistant, and she would also serve as assistant to Stephanie McMahon as she made an appearance backstage at Unforgiven last month and she makes her in-ring PPV debut here.
 
The Buildup: On the 9/26 Smackdown, Wilson defeated Nidia in a bikini contest and afterwards, Marie came up to her and congratulated her though said she should face someone who could really give her a challenge like herself, and on the 10/3 Smackdown Wilson brought her father Al to the show and introduced her to everyone with Marie introducing herself. Later that night, Marie came up to Al and showed off her bikini to him as she casually flirted with him, and Wilson would end up defeating Marie in a bikini contest only for Marie to attack Wilson after it. On the 10/10 Smackdown, Al stopped by again much to Wilson’s surprise and Marie would again flirt with him as Wilson would defeat Marie in a lingerie contest, and later that night Marie would hand him the new Divas Undressed magazine which included the key to her hotel room. On the 10/17 Smackdown, Wilson met up with Al who said nothing happened between him and Marie as he gave her a bouquet of flowers, and later that night Marie and Matt Hardy defeated Wilson and Rikishi in a tag match when Marie pinned Wilson as this match was made. Later that night, Wilson learned the flowers were actually for Marie as she looked for Al and she would find him with Marie in the shower much to her shock.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is a pretty interesting matchup. Marie has been getting in Wilson’s head by openly flirting with her father and now Wilson comes here looking to settle this. Wilson gets a good pop from the crowd while Marie had decent heat as a heel. Marie stalls on the floor and Wilson hits a baseball slide to start the match as she stomps on her and rams her into the apron, and she throws Marie back into the ring and ducks a shot as she hits a pair of clotheslines and whips her into the corner. Marie catches her with a boot to the face and stomps on her as Wilson catches her ducking with a sunset flip for a two count, and Marie gets a knee in and Wilson reverses a whip into the corner as Marie leaps out to the apron and catches her with a shoulder to the ribs. She hotshots Wilson on the top rope only for Wilson to hit a baseball slide as she stomps on her and Marie catches her with a knee, and she rams Wilson into the apron and throws her back into the ring as she stomps on her and whips her hard into the corner. She knocks Wilson down and stomps on her as she hooks a submission on and hits a slam before stomping on her, and she hits a headbutt to Wilson’s groin for a two count and Wilson ducks a shot as she tackles Marie to the mat and they brawl before rolling over the ref. Marie argues with the ref and kicks at Wilson as she whips her into the corner only for Wilson to catch her with a boot to the face, and Marie hits a clothesline on Wilson who catches her ducking with a kick and she hits a snap suplex for a two count. She hits a dropkick on Marie for a two count and she tosses her to the mat by her hair as she kicks at Marie and trips her up, and she slingshots Marie into the corner and hooks a rollup for a two count as she hotshots her on the top rope and hits a swinging neckbreaker which gets the three and she wins the match. The match itself was practically a squash as Marie got a few shots in, but she puts Wilson over strong in the end. The crowd was into the match and popped for Wilson when she won. Wilson gets the win over Marie though this issue isn’t over yet. Grade: 1
 
Jonathan Coachman interviews Rob Van Dam, who says that Ric Flair is a 16-time World Champion and he is a limo-flying, jet-flying son of a gun while he doesn’t style or profile, and he says that he’s more a chair-smashing, frog-splashing, risk-taking, yin-and-yanging dude named RVD. He walks away as Coachman sees Brock Lesnar, Paul Heyman, and Tracy walk past and he goes up to them, but Heyman and Lesnar walks away as Tracy says what she said was true and Taker is a liar and a cheat and she’s here to watch him get what he deserves.
 
We see a shot outside the Alltel Arena.
 
We see the buildup to the next match.
 
3. Rob Van Dam pins “Nature Boy” Ric Flair with the 5-Star Frog Splash at 8:01.
 
The Buildup/Heel Turn: On the 9/23 RAW, Flair explained his actions the night before as he said Triple H was right about him because he cared more about the fans than himself, and he officially became Triple H’s mentor turning him heel as RVD came out to confront him only for Triple H to attack him and the two men beat him down until Bubba Ray Dudley made the save. Later that night, Flair and Triple H would defeat RVD and Bubba in a tag match and on the 10/14 RAW, this match was made and Flair would cost RVD a match against Triple H.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is a pretty big matchup. Flair cost RVD the World Title the previous month and now RVD comes here looking for revenge. RVD gets a big pop from the crowd while Flair was pretty hot as a heel. RVD wastes no time and attacks Flair on the floor to start the match as he whips him into the post and gets on the apron, and he hits a side kick on Flair who falls into the crowd and RVD drapes him across the barricade as he gets on the apron and hits a spinning legdrop. He throws Flair into the ring and goes up top as he hits a side kick on Flair and then he hits a cartwheel moonsault for a two count, and Flair begs off as RVD hits a low dropkick and he pounds on him in the corner until Flair rakes the eyes. RVD battles back and whips Flair inside out in the corner as he continues to pound on Flair and hits a spin kick, and he pounds on Flair on the mat and Flair reverses a whip into the corner as RVD catches him with a back elbow. He hits a springboard side kick on Flair for a two count and Flair begs off again as RVD grabs at him only for Flair to hit a low blow, and he hits a chop block on RVD and stomps on the knee as he pounds on him in the corner and stomps on him repeatedly. He chokes RVD on the mat and kicks at him as he pounds on him and wraps his leg around the rope before pounding on him, and RVD tries to battle back only for Flair to rake the eyes and he kicks at RVD’s leg before hitting a chop block. He stomps on RVD repeatedly in the corner and pounds on him before hooking the Figure-4 on as they roll into the ropes and the ref forces a break, and Flair stomps on RVD’s leg and RVD gets a shoulder in as he hits a slingshot sunset flip for a two count. RVD blocks a hiptoss attempt and hooks a backslide for a two count as he pounds on him only for Flair to avoid a dropkick with RVD landing on the mat, and Flair looks for the Figure-4 again only for RVD to hook a small package for a two count and he pounds on Flair in the corner. He whips Flair into the other corner and Flair catches him with a back elbow as he goes up top only for RVD to toss him to the mat, and he hits the Rolling Thunder on Flair for a two count and then he hits a spin kick as he goes up top and hits the 5-Star Frog Splash which gets the three and he wins the match. The match itself was decent as both men worked hard and put on a basic match. RVD was hitting his stride by this point while Flair was slowly getting back into a groove, and they had decent chemistry as RVD gets the clean win. The crowd was into the match and popped for RVD when he won. RVD gets the win over Flair and both men move on. Grade: 2
 
We see the Big Show with Stephanie McMahon backstage as he says that it’s not right and she says she’s not the best one to give him advice about this, and then Eric Bischoff comes up to them and asks what this is as Show is property of RAW and he demands to know why he is talking to Stephanie. She says that she will let them talk and walks away as Show says that he hasn’t been on PPV since July and he’s a giant that’s a former World Champion though he is standing around with his thumb up his ass, and Bischoff says that Show better not take that tone with him or talk to Stephanie as he asks who the hell Show thinks he is. Show grabs Bischoff and slams him against the wall as he says that he should be in the main event or he will snap Bischoff’s neck.
 
We see a video package highlighting the history of the Intercontinental Championship.
 
We see highlights from Smackdown 3 nights ago.
 
4. Jamie Noble (w/ Nidia) pins Tajiri with a rollup at 8:15 to retain the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.
 
The Buildup/Face Turn: Since the summer, Noble and Tajiri had been teaming up and on the 10/10 Smackdown, they were set to compete in the tag title tournament only for Noble and Nidia to be thrown out of the arena during an argument and Tajiri would lose in the tournament even with Brock Lesnar as his partner. On the 10/17 Smackdown, Noble defeated Nidia in a match with Tajiri as the ref only for them to reunite and they would take Tajiri out as this match was made and Tajiri turned face.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is our second title match of the night. Noble has been rolling as Cruiserweight Champion and faces a tough challenge in Tajiri, who had been attacked by Noble and Nidia 3 nights ago and looks to become champion again. Tajiri gets a mixed reaction from the crowd while Noble had solid heat as a heel. Tajiri wastes no time and hits a baseball slide on Noble to start the match as he hits a springboard moonsault onto Noble, and he throws Noble into the ring for a two count and Noble reverses a whip into the corner as he hits a high knee to Tajiri’s back. He stomps on Tajiri in the corner and hits a snapmare as he kicks at Tajiri’s back only for Tajiri to hit a snapmare and he kicks Noble in the back, and he hits a slam on Noble and drops a knee on him for a two count as Noble attempts a sunset flip only for Tajiri to flip out of the ring. He kicks Noble in the face and rolls back into the ring for a two count as he stomps on him and Noble reverses a whip into the corner, and he catches Tajiri on a leap and hits an electric chair drop for a two count as he stomps on him and hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for a two count. He hooks a submission on Tajiri who fights to his feet and Noble gets a kick in as Tajiri attempts a crucifix only for Noble to hit a Samoan drop for a two count, but Tajiri hooks the crucifix for a two count and Noble hits a clothesline for a two count as Tajiri tries to battle back only for Noble to get a kick in. He whips Tajiri hard into the corner and hoists him up only for Tajiri to escape with a sunset flip though Noble rolls through, and he drops an elbow on Tajiri’s back and drives the knee into it twice as he goes back to the submission. Tajiri fights to his feet only for Noble to get a shot in and he rams the shoulder into Tajiri’s back repeatedly in the corner, and he puts him on the top rope and goes up himself though Tajiri gets a series of back elbows in and knocks Noble to the mat. He sets himself on the top rope and lands on his feet on a moonsault attempt as he gets a kick in and hits a tornado DDT, and he fires up on Noble and kicks at him repeatedly as Noble reverses a whip and Tajiri hits the handspring elbow. Noble avoids the kick only for Tajiri to hit a superkick for a two count and Noble counters a whip as Tajiri ducks a shot and hooks a submission on, and he hits a German suplex for a two count and pounds on Noble who reverses a whip into the corner though Tajiri avoids a charge and hooks the Tarantula on. Noble avoids the kick and gets a kick in though Tajiri trips him up and slingshots him into the corner, and he kicks Noble in the head though Nidia gets on the apron and distracts the ref as she plants a kiss on him. Tajiri argues with the ref and Noble gets a kick in as he hits a double underhook powerbomb for a two count, and he stomps on Tajiri and drops an elbow on him as Tajiri blocks the Tiger Bomb and Noble ducks a kick. They trade momentum with Tajiri leaping onto Noble’s shoulders and he attempts a victory roll, but Nidia holds Noble’s leg from the outside and he falls on top which gets the three and he retains the title. The match itself was good as both men worked hard and put on a solid title match. Noble was hitting his groove by this point while Tajiri was also hitting his groove as well, and they had good chemistry as Nidia ends up helping Noble retain. The crowd was into the match and Tajiri, but are not happy when Noble wins. Noble retains the title over Tajiri and both men move on. Grade: 2.5
 
After the match, Nidia checks on Noble until Tajiri grabs her by the hair and plants a kiss on her which she clearly enjoys, and Noble gets in Tajiri’s face only to get on his knees and make out with Nidia though Tajiri kicks Noble in the head and heads to the back.
 
We see Chris Benoit backstage looking for Eddie Guerrero who he finds in the hallway and he says that Chavo is getting beat up by Kurt Angle right now as he leads him to the room, and we hear Chavo screaming from behind a door as Eddie says Benoit must think he’s stupid and that he was going to be set up by him and Angle. He says that the person screaming isn’t Chavo until Chavo comes flying out of the room and we see Kurt Angle appear as well, and Eddie tries to go after Angle only for officials to hold him back while Benoit and Angle walk away.
 
We see the buildup to the next match.
 
5. Triple H pins Kane with the Pedigree at 16:41 to unify the World Heavyweight and WWE Intercontinental Championships.
 
Temp. Farewell: This is the last PPV appearance of the Intercontinental Championship until 2003
 
The Buildup/Title Change: On the 9/30 RAW, Eric Bischoff announced a match between the World Champion and IC Champion to unify the titles and later that night, Triple H defeated Bubba Ray Dudley to retain his title while Kane defeated Chris Jericho to win the IC Title despite Triple H getting involved. On the 10/7 RAW, Triple H and Flair attacked Hurricane before his title match though Kane would defeat the Dudleys, Jericho and Christian, and Rob Van Dam and Jeff Hardy in a TLC match by himself to retain the titles, but after the match Triple H would come out and call Kane a murderer as he brings up someone named Katie Vick. On the 10/14 RAW, Kane told his side of the story in that he and Katie were friends 10 years ago and he was taking her home from a party because she was drunk, but they got into an accident where he suffered a broken arm though she didn’t survive and he has lived with that guilt ever since. Triple H would then come out and said that Kane wasn’t telling the whole truth as he claimed Kane was also drunk and that when the autopsy was done, the doctors found Kane’s semen and he again accused Kane of being a murderer as well as imply that Kane raped her after her death. Kane would then leave the arena saying he didn’t want to do something he would regret and Bischoff would bring out Pat Patterson to show a tribute video to the IC Title only for Bischoff to have 3 Minute Warning take out Patterson, and in the main event Triple H defeated RVD in a Lumberjack strap match only for Kane to come out and take out Triple H, Ric Flair, and the lumberjacks.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is our third title match of the night. Triple H has been rolling as World Champion and looks to retain here over Kane, who was being tormented by Triple H and looks to become champion here while making history as being the last IC Champion. Kane gets a big pop from the crowd while Triple H was red hot as a heel. The two men lock up to start with Kane backing Triple H into the corner and Triple H turns it around as he gets a shot in, and Kane knocks him down and Triple H gets a kick in as he pounds on Kane who reverses a whip into the corner. Triple H catches him with a back elbow and Kane grabs him by the throat as he shoves him into the corner and pounds on him, and he hits a backdrop on Triple H who rolls outside to regroup and he trips Kane up only for Kane to shove him off into the barricade. Kane pulls Triple H back into the ring and pounds on him as Triple H catches him ducking with a kick only for Kane to hit a clothesline for a two count, and he pounds on Triple H in the corner and whips him into the other corner as he splashes him and Triple H flops to the mat. Kane pounds on him in the corner and whips him into the other corner only to miss a charge and Triple H hits a neckbreaker, but Kane sits up and Triple H ducks a shot as Kane hoists him onto his shoulder only for Triple H to slide off. He hooks a headlock only for Kane to whip him off and he hits a powerslam for a two count as he kicks and pounds on Triple H, and Triple H catches him ducking with the facebuster and clotheslines him over the top to the floor with Kane landing on his feet. Triple H goes outside and Kane grabs him by the throat only for Triple H to rake the eyes and he hits a high knee that sends Kane into the post, and both men roll back into the ring and Triple H stomps on him repeatedly as he rams him into the buckle and they trade blows with Kane taking control. Triple H gets a kick in and hits a swinging neckbreaker for a two count as he hits a pair of hangman’s neckbreakers for a two count, and he pounds on Kane in the corner and whips him into the other corner as Kane catches him with a back elbow. Triple H catches him in a spinebuster for a two count and chokes Kane with his knee on the ropes as he slingshots him throat first into the middle rope, and Kane tries to battle back and Triple H ducks a shot as he jumps on Kane’s back and hooks a sleeper on. Kane fights to his feet and escapes the hold with a back suplex only to miss the elbow though he hits a big boot on Triple H, and he rams Triple H into the buckle and pounds on him in the corner as he whips him into the other corner and splashes him. He hits a sidewalk slam on Triple H and goes up top as he hits the flying clothesline and then Ric Flair runs down to the ring, and Kane shoves the ref away and Flair hotshots him on the top rope as Triple H pounds on him and Kane reverses a whip before hitting another big boot. Flair brings the belt into the ring and Kane knocks him down as he stomps him to the outside and Triple H hits him in the face with the belt for a two count, and then the Hurricane runs down to ringside and attacks Flair as he sends him over the barricade into the crowd. Triple H goes outside and gets a kick in as he hits the Pedigree on Hurricane on the floor and rolls back into the ring, and Kane sits up and fires up on Triple H as he hits a pair of clotheslines and he throws Triple H into the corner. He pounds on him and hits a powerslam for a two count as Triple H catches him with a back elbow and goes up to the middle rope, but Kane catches him coming in and rams him into the corner as he puts him on the top rope and pounds on him. He goes up himself only for Triple H to pound on him and shove him to the mat as he sets himself on the top rope, but Kane catches him coming in with a boot to the face and he sits up as he grabs Triple H by the throat. Triple H hits a series of back elbows and avoids the big boot as Kane hits the ref by mistake and Triple H backdrops him over the top to the floor, and he comes off the apron only for Kane to catch him and he hits the Chokeslam which puts Triple H through the announce table. Flair pounds on Kane who no-sells his shots and he knocks Flair down as he throws Triple H back into the ring, and he goes for a pin though the ref is still down as Flair pulls out the sledgehammer and brings it into the ring. He charges at Kane who blocks the swing and he hits a big boot on Flair as he grabs the hammer and Triple H begs off, and Kane winds up the hammer only for Triple H to hit a low blow and he grabs the hammer though Kane hoists him onto his shoulder. Triple H hits Kane in the ribs with the hammer and charges at him only for Kane to duck a shot and he grabs Triple H by the throat, and he hits the Chokeslam as a second ref runs down to the ring and Kane gets a two count with Flair pulling the ref out of the ring. He knocks the ref down and goes up top as Kane catches him coming in and he hits the Chokeslam on Flair, and Triple H rams Kane into the corner and hits the Pedigree which gets the three and he retains the title. The match itself was good as both men worked hard and put on a solid title match. Triple H was getting back into a groove by this point while Kane was also getting back into a groove, and they had good chemistry as Kane tries to overcome the odds only for Triple H to escape with the title. The crowd was into the match and Kane, but are not happy when Triple H wins. Triple H retains the title over Kane and retires the IC Title as both men move on. Grade: 3
 
We see Stephanie McMahon in her office watching the previous match as Tracy comes in and Stephanie says she knows about relationships having just watched her ex, and she says that she understands why Tracy kept these secrets because she still loves Taker and Tracy denies it, saying she can’t stand the ground he walks on. Stephanie says that she must care about Taker regardless of everything and Tracy says she wanted to let this go, but then Heyman called her saying he knew about everything and Stephanie says that basically while she had a relationship with Taker in the past, everything she has said recently has been a lie and Heyman put her up to it. Tracy admits it was a lie and she just ran with it as she does want Taker back and she doesn’t care about his pregnant wife, she will say whatever she has to get him back, but then the Undertaker comes in the office and says she’s a lying bitch as he thanks Stephanie and says he owes her one before leaving. Stephanie says that Tracy has told her last lie and she can leave the building which she does.
 
We see a shot outside the Alltel Arena.
 
We see the buildup to the next match.
 
6. Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit defeat Edge and Rey Mysterio when Edge taps out at 22:00 to become the inaugural WWE Tag Team Championships.
 
Debut: This is the debut of the WWE Tag Team Championships which would be exclusive to Smackdown
 
The Buildup: On the 9/26 Smackdown, Edge defeated Eddie Guerrero in a No-DQ match to end their feud and in the main event, Mysterio defeated Angle and Benoit in a triple threat match, and on the 10/3 Smackdown Stephanie announced the creation of the WWE Tag Team Titles with a tournament starting that night and the finals would take place at No Mercy. That night, two tournament matches took place and that same night, Edge would defeat Angle thanks to Benoit which led to a confrontation in the locker room. Stephanie would help break it up and ordered them to team up in the tournament or risk being suspended as both men reluctantly agreed, and in the main event Mysterio defeated Benoit thanks to Angle and the two men brawled in the ring. On the 10/10 Smackdown, the tournament continued as Stephanie reminded Angle and Benoit of their obligation and Los Guerreros would try to stir the pot between them, and later that night Los Guerreros would trick Benoit with Eddie taking him out with a chair with the intent of blaming Angle. On the 10/17 Smackdown, the Guerreros attacked Edge and Mysterio after their win and Benoit would confront them as they denied attacking him, and Benoit and Angle had a confrontation as well as the three teams brawled before Benoit and Angle defeated the Guerreros to set up the finals.
 
Tournament Results: Quarterfinals: Angle and Benoit def. Billy Kidman and John Cena, Los Guerreros def. Mark Henry and Rikishi, Edge and Mysterio def. Brock Lesnar and Tajiri, and Rev. D-Von and Ron Simmons def. Billy and Chuck. Semifinals: Angle and Benoit def. Los Guerreros and Edge and Mysterio def. D-Von and Simmons
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is our fourth title match of the night. With RAW having their own tag titles, Smackdown now gets a set of tag titles and these two teams face off to see who will be the inaugural champions. Edge and Mysterio get a big pop from the crowd while Benoit gets a mixed reaction and Angle was red hot as a heel. Mysterio starts off the match with Angle and they lock up with Angle hitting an armdrag as they lock up again with Angle going behind Mysterio, and he takes him to the mat and rides him as he slaps the back of his head repeatedly and then he picks Mysterio up before tossing him to the mat. They lock up with Angle going behind Mysterio who escapes by stomping on Angle’s foot and he hits a fireman’s carry and a dropkick to Angle’s knee, and then he hits a legdrop to the back of Angle’s head and Angle reverses a whip into the corner as Mysterio catches him with a boot to the face. He goes up to the middle rope and hits a headscissors on Angle as he hits a drop toehold and slaps the back of Angle’s head repeatedly, and he rolls outside to regroup and tags Edge as they lock up with Edge going behind Angle and he takes him to the mat. He hooks a front facelock only for Angle to escape and he goes behind Edge as he works the arm and then he hooks a headlock, and he knocks Edge down and Edge hits a hiptoss and an armdrag on Angle before hitting a dropkick and Benoit tags in. They lock up with Benoit going behind Edge who takes him to the mat with an armdrag and Benoit hooks a headscissors, and Benoit hooks a headlock and Edge escapes as they engage in a test of strength and they exchange armdrags with Edge taking control. Benoit backs Edge into the corner and rams the knee into him repeatedly as he gets a shot in and goes back to the headlock, and he takes Edge to the mat and grinds down on him as Edge fights to his feet and Benoit knocks him down. Edge catches him with a knee to the ribs and then he hits a gutbuster on Benoit for a two count as he drives the knee into him repeatedly, and he hits a backbreaker on Benoit for a two count and stomps on him as he rams the shoulder into the ribs and pounds on Benoit in the corner. Benoit battles back on Edge who reverses a whip and he hits a flapjack on Benoit as he hooks a rollup for a two count, and he rams Benoit into the buckle and pounds on him as Benoit reverses a whip and Angle catches Edge with a knee to the back from the apron. Benoit stomps and pounds on Edge who ducks a shot and he hits the spear on Angle which knocks him to the floor, and Benoit ducks a shot and goes behind Edge who blocks a German suplex with a series of back elbows as he goes behind Benoit and hooks a rollup for a two count. Angle hotshots Edge on the top rope and Benoit hits a clothesline as he drops an elbow on Edge and hits a neckbreaker, and Angle tags in and kicks at Edge as he stomps on him repeatedly and chokes him with his boot. He pounds on Edge who battles back until Angle reverses a whip and he catches Edge with a knee to the ribs for a two count, and he hooks a submission on Edge who fights to his feet and breaks the hold by ramming Angle into the corner. He gets a shot in and Angle reverses a whip into the other corner as Edge catches him with a boot to the face, but Angle catches him in a belly-to-belly suplex and tags Benoit who kicks at Edge and he rams him into the buckle. He pounds and stomps on Edge in the corner as he whips him hard into the other corner and rams the knee into his ribs twice, and he pounds on Edge and whips him into the corner as he hits a trio of German suplexes and knocks Mysterio off the apron. He goes up top only for Edge to get a shot in and he goes up himself as he pounds on Benoit and hits a superplex, and Mysterio gets the hot tag and knocks Angle off the apron as he hits a headscissors on Benoit who reverses a whip into the corner. Mysterio hits a drop toehold that sends Benoit into the buckle and he hits a low dropkick on Benoit as Angle gets in the ring, and Mysterio ducks a shot and hits a dropkick that sends Angle to the outside as he catches Benoit with a knee to the face. He pounds on Benoit and drapes him across the rope as he goes out to the apron and hits a springboard legdrop for a two count with Angle breaking it up, and Edge hits a clothesline on Angle which sends both men over the top to the floor and Benoit reverses a whip as Mysterio ducks a shot and attempts a wheelbarrow bulldog only for Benoit to slam him to the mat. He hooks the Crossface on Mysterio as Edge gets in the ring and breaks the hold up though Angle trips him up and pulls him outside, and Edge pounds on Angle and rams him into the steps as Mysterio escapes a slam attempt and hits a dropkick to the back which sends Benoit into the ropes. Benoit blocks the 619 and hoists Mysterio onto his shoulder as Edge goes up top and hits a missile dropkick that puts Mysterio on top of Benoit for a two count, and Mysterio goes up top only for Angle to get in the ring as he runs up top and hits a belly-to-belly superplex on Mysterio. He knocks Edge off the apron and Benoit gets a two count on Mysterio as he whips him into the corner and tags Angle, and Benoit rams the knee into Mysterio’s back twice and Angle pounds on him as he stomps on him and hits a backbreaker for a two count. He knocks Mysterio down and hits a suplex for a two count as he hooks a front facelock on and Mysterio fights to his feet, and he blocks a suplex attempt and escapes the hold with a backdrop as he pounds on Angle who reverses a whip and he hits a belly-to-belly suplex for a two count. He rams Mysterio into the buckle and tags Benoit as both men stomp on Mysterio and Benoit hits a backdrop for a two count, and he hits a back suplex on Mysterio for a two count and stomps on him as he pounds on Mysterio in the corner. He whips Mysterio into the other corner and Mysterio catches him with a boot to the face as he hits a springboard headscissors which sends Benoit shoulder first into the post, and Edge gets the hot tag and hits a pair of clotheslines on Angle as he hits a back elbow on Benoit and a backdrop on Angle. He ducks a shot and hits the modified facebuster on Benoit as he ducks a shot and hits the Edge-o-Matic on Angle for a two count with Benoit breaking it up, and Mysterio comes in and they whip Benoit into the corner as Edge rams the shoulder into the ribs. Mysterio hits the Bronco Buster on Benoit and Edge whips Angle into the corner as he rams the shoulder into the ribs and puts him on the top rope, and Edge launches Mysterio into Angle as Mysterio hits a hurricanrana on Angle and Edge gets a two count as Benoit goes up top though Edge avoids the diving headbutt and Benoit hits Angle by mistake. Mysterio hits a dropkick that sends Benoit to the outside and Edge gets another two count on Angle who hits a German suplex on Edge, and he stalks Edge who backdrops Mysterio into Angle and Edge looks for the spear only for Benoit to trip him up. Mysterio trips Angle up and pulls him outside as Benoit hooks the Crossface on Edge only for Mysterio to hit the 619 on Benoit to break it up, and Angle gets in the ring and hits the Angle Slam on Mysterio as he hooks the Ankle Lock on Edge who shoves him off and hooks a small package for a two count. Edge ducks a shot and hits the spear on Angle for a two count as Benoit breaks it up and Mysterio hits a baseball slide that knocks him to the outside, and Mysterio flips onto Edge’s shoulders and Edge tosses him onto Benoit on the floor as he gets a kick in though Angle blocks the Edgecution. He trips Edge up and hooks the Ankle Lock on as Edge rolls through to escape and hooks the Ankle Lock on Angle, but Angle escapes and hooks the Ankle Lock back on Edge who finally taps out and we have new champions. The match itself was excellent as both teams worked hard and put on a tremendous tag match. Both teams have gelled well as teams and they still have great chemistry with each other as they put on a tag clinic with Angle and Benoit getting the win though Edge and Mysterio look strong even in defeat. The crowd was red hot for the match and Edge and Mysterio, but they do show respect for both teams after Angle and Benoit win. Angle and Benoit get the win over Edge and Mysterio and are the first WWE Tag Team Champions though this issue isn’t over yet. Grade: 5
 
We see the trainer checking on the Undertaker’s hand as Taker tells him to give him the shot which he does.
 
7. Trish Stratus pins Victoria with a rollup at 5:34 to retain the WWE Women’s Championship.
 
Debut: Lisa Marie Varon competed as a cheerleader and earn her degree in biology before becoming a bodybuilder and competed in fitness competitions, and she would make a one-time appearance with WCW in 1999 before meeting Chyna who recommended she get into wrestling full-time. She would sign with the WWF in 2000 and trained at UPW as she would appear on TV as one of the Godfather’s hos, and in one segment she would take a powerbomb through a table by the newly-turned Goodfather. She would then continue training in Memphis and also in OVW where she competed as Queen Victoria, and she would make her return to the main roster in July under the name Victoria and she makes her PPV debut here.
 
The Buildup: On the 9/23 RAW, Stratus defeated Victoria and Molly Holly in a triple threat match when she pinned Molly and on the 9/30 RAW, Victoria would attack Stratus backstage before their match and then Stratus would defeat Victoria by DQ when Victoria hit her in the face with a chair. On the 10/7 RAW, Victoria attacked Stratus after her match and said she would expose Stratus for who she really is as she claimed Stratus hurt her in the past, and on the 10/14 RAW this match was made as Victoria revealed she and Stratus were both offered contracts with WWE though she claimed Stratus stabbed her in the back only for Stratus to confront her and slap her in the face. Later in the night, Stratus and Jacqueline defeated Victoria and Molly in a tag match and the two women brawled after the match as this match was made.
 
Analysis: Our last match before the main event is our fifth title match of the night. Stratus won the Women’s Title last month and looks to have a successful defense here against Victoria, who was showing an obsession with Stratus and looks to become champion. Stratus gets a good pop from the crowd while Victoria had solid heat as a heel. The two women lock up to start with Victoria backing Stratus into the ropes and she slaps her in the face, and Stratus gets a shot in and they lock up again with Victoria hooking a headlock and she takes Stratus to the mat. Stratus fights to her feet and whips Victoria off as Victoria knocks her down and kicks at her before stomping on her repeatedly in the corner, and Stratus hits a clothesline on Victoria for a two count and kicks at her until Victoria catches a kick and ducks the Chick Kick. Stratus catches her ducking with a kick for a two count and Victoria rolls outside to regroup as Stratus goes outside and pulls Victoria into the post, and she hits a clothesline on Victoria who rams her into the post and she hoists Stratus onto her shoulders as she hotshots her on the barricade. She kicks at Stratus and throws her back into the ring as she hits a slingshot somersault legdrop for a two count, and she rams the shoulder into Stratus repeatedly in the corner and whips her into the other corner as she hits a monkey flip. Stratus blocks a second monkey flip attempt and puts Victoria on the top rope as she goes up herself only for Victoria to shove her to the mat, and Stratus hits the handstand hurricanrana on Victoria for a two count and Victoria gets a knee in as she hoists her up in a backbreaker submission. Stratus escapes the hold and flips Victoria over into a rollup for a two count as Victoria slaps her in the face twice, and she hits a slam on Stratus and hoists her onto her shoulders as she hits a spinout sidewalk slam. She goes up top and kicks Stratus away only for Stratus to put her on her shoulders and she hits an electric chair drop on Victoria for a two count, and the two trade blows with Stratus taking control as Victoria reverses a whip and Stratus ducks a shot before hitting the Chick Kick for a two count. She hits a pair of swinging neckbreakers on Victoria and looks for the Stratusfaction though Victoria escapes with a back suplex attempt, but Stratus lands on her feet and hooks a rollup which gets the three and she retains the title. The match itself was good as both women worked hard and put on a decent title match. Stratus was getting into a groove by this point while Victoria was also getting into a groove, and they had good chemistry as Stratus gets a clean title defense. The crowd was into the match and popped for Stratus when she won. Stratus retains the title over Victoria though this issue isn’t over yet. Grade: 2
 
After the match, Stratus celebrates with the title only for Victoria to hit a superkick and the ref tries to hold her back before forcing her to the back.
 
We see a shot outside the World and we see highlights from Armageddon 2000 as we go inside the World where Rikishi is, and he says that rewatching the footage sends shivers down his spine and that should’ve ended his career as he will never forget the match and Hell in a Cell is no joke as he predicts Taker will win.
 
We see the buildup to the main event.
 
8. Brock Lesnar (w/ Paul Heyman) pins the Undertaker with the F-5 in a Hell in a Cell match at 27:15 to retain the WWE Championship.
 
The Buildup: On the 9/26 Smackdown, Taker defeated Matt Hardy in a squash only for Lesnar to hit Taker twice in the face with the belt which busted him open, and on the 10/3 Smackdown Heyman revealed to Lesnar that Stephanie was granting Taker a rematch with a stipulation in place. Later that night, Lesnar would cost Taker a Falls Count Anywhere match against Matt and would slam a helium tank into Taker’s hand, breaking it, and later that night Stephanie confronted Lesnar and Heyman and told them that Lesnar would face Taker in Hell in a Cell. On the 10/10 Smackdown, Taker would destroy Matt while wearing a heavy cast and later that night, Lesnar and Heyman would appear with a mystery woman as Heyman said she would tell everyone what kind of man Taker was as he introduced her as Tracy, and Taker would come out and chase Heyman and Lesnar off as Tracy confronted him and said they had gotten together 3 months ago as she didn’t know he was married though Taker claimed not to know her and she would slap him in the face. Later that night, Taker would try and call Sara to explain the situation though she would hang up on him and then Lesnar would call her later to taunt her, and in the main event Lesnar and Tajiri lost to Rey Mysterio and Edge as Lesnar attacked the three men until Taker made the save and attacked Lesnar with the cast. On the 10/17 Smackdown, Taker admitted that he knew Tracy though says that it was a long time before he met Sara and he hadn’t seen Tracy in 7 years, and Tracy would counter saying she and Taker had slept together 10 days prior only for Stephanie to ban her from any arena. Lesnar and Heyman would then demand Stephanie force Taker to take the case off before the PPV and Stephanie said she would think about it, and later that night Stephanie would decree Taker would be allowed to wear the cast much to Lesnar and Heyman’s dismay. Lesnar would seemingly stalk Stephanie until Taker came out and attacked him and Heyman with the cast, busting Heyman open.
 
Analysis: After a long and pretty hot night of wrestling, we come to our main event. These two fought last month which ended in a no contest and Lesnar continued to torment Taker, and now Taker gets one more shot here at Lesnar inside the Cell. Taker gets a big pop from the crowd while Lesnar was red hot as a heel. The two men square off to start the match with Lesnar avoiding the cast repeatedly as he goes behind Taker and takes him to the mat, and Taker fights to his feet and hits a series of back elbows as he gets a kick in and hits another back elbow. Lesnar reverses a whip and hits a powerslam for a two count as he stomps and pounds on Taker before ramming the shoulder into the ribs repeatedly in the corner, and he whips Taker into the other corner only to miss a charge and Taker gets a shot in on the ribs with the cast. He kicks at Lesnar and winds up with the cast only for Lesnar to roll outside and he heads for the door though it is padlocked shut, and Taker goes outside and chases Lesnar back into the ring as Lesnar stomps on him and pounds on him. He gets a shot in on the cast and stomps on him in the corner as he pounds on him and wraps the cast around the rope, and he continues to pound on Taker and works on the arm as Taker gets a shot in with the cast only for Lesnar to get a knee in. Taker reverses a whip and hits Lesnar in the head with the cast as Lesnar rolls outside and we see he is busted open, and Taker goes outside and hits Lesnar in the face with the cast again as he stomps on him and hits a back elbow. He rams Lesnar into the steps and stomps on him as he sends him into the Cell and stomps on him again before pressing his face into the Cell, and he rams Lesnar into the Cell again and hits a clothesline for a two count as he pounds on him with the cast and rakes his face across the Cell. He throws Lesnar into the Cell and hits him in the face with the cast as he throws him back into the ring and drapes him across the apron, and he drives the cast into Lesnar’s face and gets on the apron as he hits a legdrop on Lesnar and then he goes up top. He comes off with a knee to Lesnar’s throat for a two count and rams him into the Cell as Heyman tries to reach in through the Cell and Taker nails Lesnar with the cast, and he hits a big boot on Heyman and rams Lesnar into the steps as he pulls Heyman up by the tie and we see Heyman is busted open. Taker rams Heyman into the Cell repeatedly and avoids a charge from Lesnar who hits Heyman by mistake and Taker charges, but Lesnar hoists him up and rams him into the Cell as he picks him up again and rams his back into the post before ramming him into the Cell. Heyman takes his belt off and hands it to Lesnar through the Cell as he stomps on Taker repeatedly and ties the belt around the cast, and Heyman takes the belt and holds Taker up as Lesnar pounds on him and grabs a chair from under the ring. He hits Taker in the back with the chair and then he beats on the cast with the chair until the belt breaks apart and Lesnar tears at the cast, and Taker battles back and pounds on Lesnar on the floor as Lesnar gets a kick in and rams the cast into the Cell twice. He continues tearing at the cast and drives his boot into Taker’s face until Taker gets a kick in twice only for Lesnar to get a shot in, and he goes back to the cast and pounds on Taker as he throws him back into the ring and stomps on him repeatedly. He finally pulls the cast off and pounds on Taker as he stomps on the hand repeatedly and wraps it around the rope, and he puts Taker on the top rope and pounds on him as he goes up himself and holds onto the roof while kicking at Taker repeatedly. Taker hits a low blow and shoves Lesnar to the mat as he walks across the top rope and drops an elbow on Lesnar for a two count, and Lesnar rolls out to the apron and Taker grabs at him only for Lesnar to hotshot him on the top rope. Taker catches him with a big boot which sends Lesnar off the apron into the Cell and then he hits a suicide dive onto Lesnar though he rams himself into the Cell, and he goes to grab the steps though his hand is still in pain as Lesnar gets a shot in and he sends Taker into the Cell. Lesnar hits a clothesline on Taker and grabs the steps as he rams them into Taker’s face and Taker is badly busted open, and Lesnar hits him in the head with the steps again and he grinds Taker’s face into the Cell as he pounds on him. He chokes him with his boot and throws him back into the ring as Taker gets a kick in and punches him with his bad hand, but Lesnar catches him in a spinebuster for a pair of two counts and he pounds on Taker as he stomps on him in the corner and continues to pound on him. Taker battles back and hits a clothesline as he stomps on Lesnar’s hand repeatedly and grabs the arm before going up top, but Lesnar pulls him to the mat and gets a kick in as he hoists Taker onto his shoulders though Taker slides off. He grabs Lesnar by the throat and hits the chokeslam for a two count as he pounds on Lesnar and splashes him in the corner, and he whips Lesnar into the other corner only for Lesnar to catch him with a boot to the face and he gets a kick in as he looks for the Last Ride. Taker escapes with a backdrop and he catches Lesnar ducking with a DDT for a two count as he looks for the Last Ride, but Lesnar rams Taker into the corner and he rams the shoulder into the ribs repeatedly before pounding on him. Taker then grabs him and hits the Last Ride for a two count as he hoists Lesnar onto his shoulder though Lesnar slides off, and he hoists Taker onto his shoulders and hits the F-5 which gets the three and he retains the title. The match itself was excellent as both men worked hard and put on a really fun and bloody Cell match. Taker was hitting his stride by this point while Lesnar was hitting his groove as well, and they still had great chemistry as they beat the crap out of each other with Taker bleeding badly and Lesnar gets a clean title defense. The crowd was red hot for the whole match and Taker, but they do show Lesnar respect after he wins. Lesnar retains the title over Taker inside the Cell and both men move on. Grade: 5
 
After the match, officials take the padlock and chain off the door as Lesnar leaves the Cell and grabs the title which he puts around his head, and he climbs up to the roof and poses with the title as we go off the air.
 
Final Analysis: Overall, this PPV ended up being a pretty solid show that was carried by the two top matches from Smackdown. Since the brand split back in March, it has been fairly consistent that Smackdown had the better matches than RAW and that shows here as Smackdown clearly outclassed RAW on this night. Lesnar and Triple H are still the top of their brands while Angle and Benoit now rule Smackdown’s tag division and Jericho, Christian, Noble, and Stratus retain their titles, and in terms of the matches the main event and WWE Tag Title match were easily the best while the rest ranged from good to average though nothing was outright bad. 2002 has been an interesting year to this point as it was clear Smackdown was the superior brand to this point, and as we head to the end of the year we will see if RAW can end the year on a strong note. As for this show, it is a pretty good show best remembered for two matches and how strong Smackdown was. Final Grade: B+