Rebellion
October 26th, 2002
Evening News Arena
Manchester, England
 
Note: This is a Smackdown-exclusive PPV
 
Dark Match:
 
1. Bill DeMott defeats Shannon Moore at 5:00.
 
Actual Show:
 
We see the opening video for Rebellion.
 
Your hosts are Michael Cole and Tazz.
 
Stephanie McMahon comes down to the ring and welcomes everyone to Rebellion as she says that due to actions beyond his control, the Undertaker will not be here tonight though the handicap match for the WWE Championship will still happen. She says that should Edge pin either Brock Lesnar or Paul Heyman in that match, he will become WWE Champion and since this is the first Smackdown-only PPV, they want to make it the best of the year and as part of her trade with Eric Bischoff, she had RAW’s most entertaining star flown out to compete tonight as she brings out Booker T.
 
1. Booker T pins Matt Hardy with the scissors kick at 12:01.
 
Substitution: Booker is replacing the Undertaker
 
Analysis: We kick off this PPV with a pretty interesting matchup. Matt has been cruising in the midcard and was set to face Taker here, but instead he now faces Booker who comes over from RAW for one night. Booker gets a big pop from the crowd while Matt was pretty hot as a heel. The two men square off to start as Matt demands a test of strength twice only to pull away and Booker does the same to him, and they lock up with Matt hitting an armdrag and they lock up again with Booker hooking a headlock and he goes behind Matt. Matt hits a back elbow and goes behind Booker as he hooks a headlock and Booker whips him off with neither man going down when they collide, and both men block a hiptoss attempt and Booker hits a pair of clotheslines on Matt as he hits a dropkick and Matt rolls outside to regroup. He returns to the ring and gets a kick in as he hooks a rollup for a two count and Booker knocks him down, and he pounds on Matt and rams him into the buckle as Matt reverses a whip into the corner and Booker catches him with a back elbow. Matt holds the ropes to avoid a spin kick as he rolls outside to regroup and Booker goes after him as he pounds on Matt, and Booker rams Matt into the apron and pounds on him as he throws him back into the ring only for Matt to get a kick in and he pounds on him. Booker tries to battle back and Matt reverses a whip as he hoists him up and hotshots him on the top rope, and he hits a swinging neckbreaker on Booker for a two count and pounds on him in the corner as he grinds his boot into the back of Booker’s neck. He chokes him on the ropes and pounds on him as he whips him into the corner only for Booker to leap over him and hooks a sunset flip for a two count, and he pounds on Matt who ducks a shot and hits the Side Effect on Booker for a two count as he hooks a submission on. Booker fights to his feet and breaks the hold only for Matt to hit a back elbow and then he hits a legdrop on Booker, and he hits a neckbreaker on Booker for a two count and goes back to the submission as he grinds down on Booker and then transitions into another submission. Booker fights to his feet and escapes the hold only for Matt to get a kick in and Booker reverses a whip though Matt catches him ducking with a kick, but Booker catches him in a spinebuster and fires up on Matt who ducks a shot and Booker hits a flying forearm. He hits a superkick on Matt for a two count and pounds on him as he hits a spin kick for a two count and whips him into the corner, and Matt catches him with a boot to the face and goes up to the middle rope only to miss a legdrop and Booker goes up top. He hits a missile dropkick on Matt for a two count and then he hits a spin kick as Matt ducks a shot and gets a kick in, but Booker blocks the Twist of Fate and hits the Bookend on Matt for a two count as Matt counters a whip and gets a kick in before hitting the Twist of Fate for a two count. He looks for a second Twist of Fate though Booker escapes and gets a kick in as he hits the scissors kick which gets the three and he wins the match. The match itself was good as both men worked hard and put on a solid match. Booker was hitting his stride by this point while Matt was continuing to get into a groove as a singles star, and they had decent chemistry as Booker gets the clean win. The crowd was into the match and popped for Booker when he won. Booker gets the win over Matt and both men move on. Grade: 2.5
 
After the match, Booker takes the mike and says he came here for one reason which is to give the fans what they want to see as he does the Spinaroonie.
 
We see Paul Heyman go into Stephanie McMahon’s office and he asks if it was her idea to force him team up with Brock Lesnar against Edge for the WWE Title, and he says that it’s not right after what the Undertaker did to them and if Edge pins him, Edge becomes champion. He says that it’s not fair and she says that as far as what happened to Heyman, she thinks he deserved it and it wasn’t fair when they broke Taker’s hand as she says life isn’t fair which Heyman should know about.
 
We see highlights from Smackdown 2 nights ago.
 
2. Billy Kidman and Torrie Wilson defeat John Cena and Dawn Marie when Kidman pins Cena at 5:25.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is our first tag match of the night. These two teams have been having their own issues separately and now they face off here to settle things. Kidman and Wilson get a good pop from the crowd while Cena and Marie had decent heat as heels. Kidman and Cena keep the ladies from going after each other to start the match until Cena attacks Kidman from behind, and he stomps on Kidman who ducks a shot and hits a headscissors on Cena as he pounds on him in the corner. Cena reverses a whip into the other corner and catches Kidman on his shoulders on a leap attempt as he hotshots him on the top rope, and he stomps on Kidman repeatedly and whips him hard into the corner as he attempts a delayed suplex only for Kidman to escape. He hooks a rollup for a two count and Cena hits a clothesline as Marie tags herself in and she kicks at Kidman repeatedly, and Kidman catches a kick attempt and blocks a slap as he holds Marie by the hair and tags Wilson as he bends Marie over his knee and Wilson spanks her repeatedly. She kicks at Marie and leaps over her before hitting an armdrag and a dropkick for a two count as she whips Marie into the corner, and Marie leaps over her and hooks a rollup for a two count as she gets a kick in and hits the X-Factor on Wilson for a two count. Wilson ducks a shot and hits a spear on Marie as they brawl on the mat and Kidman tries to break it up, but they end up rolling over him and he celebrates briefly as Cena comes in and hits a slam on Wilson. Marie stomps on Wilson repeatedly and hits a headbutt to the ribs as Wilson gets a kick in only for Cena to tag in and he knocks Kidman off the apron, and he grabs Wilson by the hair and blocks a slap only for Wilson to hit a low blow and Kidman gets the hot tag. He goes up top and hits a back elbow on Cena as he hits a clothesline and a dropkick for a two count, and Cena reverses a whip and Marie kicks Kidman in the back from the apron only for Kidman to no-sell it and he slings Marie into the ring. Cena hits a spinebuster on Kidman for a two count and Kidman escapes a back suplex attempt as he hits a tornado bulldog for a two count, and he avoids a splash from Marie who hits Cena by mistake and Wilson comes in as she tackles Marie to the mat and they brawl to the floor. Cena gets a kick in and Kidman escapes a slam attempt as Cena catches a kick attempt and Kidman hits an enzurgiri, and he goes up top and hits the Shooting Star Press on Cena which gets the three and he wins the match for his team. The match itself was decent as both teams worked hard and put on a basic tag match. Kidman and Wilson looked decent as a team as did Cena and Marie, and they had good chemistry as Kidman and Wilson get the win. The crowd was into the match and popped for Kidman and Wilson when they won. Kidman and Wilson get the win over Cena and Marie as both teams move on. Grade: 2
 
After the match, Kidman and Wilson celebrate until Wilson gives him a long kiss and heads to the back as he is left stunned.
 
Edge says that his odds are increased and he feels the electricity in the air as this is all about opportunity, and he says that he’s wanted to be WWE Champion since he was a kid and it doesn’t matter who he pins in the match as he will be WWE Champion.
 
3. Funaki pins Crash Holly with a rollup at 5:35.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is a pretty basic matchup. Funaki had been transitioning into becoming an announcer and looks to get a win here over Crash, who was floating in the midcard and looks to get back on track here. Funaki gets a good pop from the crowd while Crash had tepid heat as a heel. The two men lock up to start with Funaki working the arm and Crash rolls through as he works on Funaki’s arm, and Funaki turns it around and takes Crash to the mat with a headlock as Crash escapes with a headscissors and Funaki escapes. Crash takes Funaki to the mat with a headlock and Funaki escapes with a headscissors as Crash escapes and they trip each other up before having a standoff, and Funaki offers a handshake and Crash slaps his hand away as he pulls out a Japan headband from his tights and puts it on. He does fake karate moves and bows to Funaki to taunt him as Funaki catches him with a kick and he hits an armdrag and a hiptoss, and he hits a dropkick on Crash who begs off in the corner and he offers a handshake which Funaki accepts only to get a kick in. He pounds on Crash in the corner and Crash reverses a whip back into the corner as Funaki leaps over him and hooks a sunset flip for a two count, and he pounds on Crash who holds the ropes on a whip and slides outside to regroup as he trips Funaki up and drives the elbow into his throat. He returns to the ring and pounds on Funaki’s back as he hits a snapmare and grabs Funaki’s arms before driving his knee into the back, and he whips Funaki into the corner and Funaki hits a springboard reverse crossbody though Crash rolls through for a two count. He hits a sidewalk slam on Funaki for a two count and stomps on him as he hooks a submission on, and Funaki fights to his feet and breaks the hold as he pounds on Crash who avoids a dropkick with Funaki landing on the mat. Funaki catches him with a kick and hooks a small package for a two count as Crash hits a clothesline and works the arm, and he whips Funaki hard into the corner though he misses a charge in the corner and Funaki hits a running bulldog. Crash reverses a whip and Funaki catches him ducking with a tornado DDT as he hits a low dropkick for a two count, and Crash rakes the eyes and hits an atomic drop on Funaki who catches him with a clothesline for a two count. Crash reverses a whip and Funaki attempts a rollup though Crash sits on him for a two count until Funaki turns it around for a two count, and he catches a kick attempt and spins Crash around as Crash catches a kick attempt and avoids an enzurgiri. He looks for a cradle only for Funaki to block it with a rollup of his own 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. Funaki was still serviceable in the ring as was Crash and they had decent chemistry with Funaki getting the clean win. The crowd was into the match and popped for Funaki when he won. Funaki gets the win over Crash and both men move on. Grade: 1.5
 
We see Nidia walking down the hallway as she walks up to Jamie Noble and says that the people of Manchester smell bad, and he says that the UK people are nothing but trash and they will quickly get back to God’s country where people are normal.
 
We see Rey Mysterio getting ready for his match.
 
4. Jamie Noble (w/ Nidia) defeats Rey Mysterio and Tajiri in an Elimination match to retain the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.
 
Eliminations:
1. Tajiri pinned by Noble at 2:51.
2. Mysterio pinned by Noble at 12:48.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is our first title match of the night. Noble has been rolling as Cruiserweight Champion and faces a tough challenge here in the former champion Tajiri as well as Mysterio, who was rolling in his team with Edge and looks to become champion. Mysterio gets a big pop from the crowd and Tajiri also gets a good pop from the crowd while Noble was pretty hot as a heel. Noble wastes no time and knocks Mysterio to the floor to start the match and Tajiri kicks at Noble as he pounds on him, but Noble gets a knee in and Tajiri catches him ducking with a kick as Noble sends him through the ropes to the outside. Mysterio rolls into the ring and Noble stomps on him repeatedly as Mysterio holds the ropes on a whip and backdrops Noble over the top onto Tajiri on the floor, and Mysterio hits a slingshot twisting crossbody onto both men on the floor and throws Noble back into the ring for a two count as Tajiri breaks it up. He stomps on Mysterio repeatedly in the corner and avoids a charge from Noble as Mysterio catches him with a boot to the face, and Tajiri kicks Noble in the head and Mysterio slides under Tajiri who goes behind Mysterio and Mysterio escapes a back suplex attempt. He hits a wheelbarrow bulldog on Tajiri while kicking Noble to the mat and he gets a two count on Tajiri as Noble gets a kick in, and he hits a Northern lights suplex on Mysterio for a two count with Tajiri breaking it up and he pounds on Noble. Noble reverses a whip and Tajiri hits the handspring elbow on both men as he whips Mysterio hard into the corner and puts Noble in the tree of woe, and he hits a baseball slide on Noble and Mysterio gets a kick in as he whips Tajiri into the corner only for Tajiri to avoid a charge and he hooks the Tarantula on Mysterio. Noble hits a dropkick on Mysterio and Tajiri kicks Noble in the head as he hits a superkick on Mysterio and Noble gets a kick in, and he hits the double underhook powerbomb which gets the three and Tajiri is eliminated as Mysterio rolls back into the ring and Noble stomps on him. He slaps Mysterio on the back of the head repeatedly and Mysterio counters a powerbomb with a hurricanrana for a two count, and Mysterio ducks a shot and hits a spin kick on Noble as he knocks him down until Noble reverses a whip into the corner. Mysterio hits a springboard headscissors that sends Noble into the corner and goes up top only for Noble to catch him in a powerbomb for a two count, and he sends Mysterio shoulder first into the post and stomps on him as Nidia pulls Mysterio’s arm into the post. Noble hits a snapmare and slams Mysterio’s arm into the mat twice as he works on the arm and Mysterio hits a trio of back elbows, and he attempts to escape with a snapmare though Noble hangs onto the arm and continues to work on it as he drives a knee into it and drops an elbow on the arm. Mysterio rolls out to the apron and Noble stomps on the arm repeatedly as he pounds on the arm and slams him to the mat, and he hooks a submission on the arm and Mysterio fights to his feet as he breaks the hold and slides under Noble. Noble hits a clothesline on Mysterio for a two count and stomps on him repeatedly as he chokes him with his boot in the corner, and he continues to stomp on Mysterio repeatedly and hits a Northern lights suplex for a two count as he goes back to the submission on the arm. He drives the knee into the arm twice and goes back to the submission as Mysterio fights to his feet only for Noble to send him into the corner, and he dropkicks Mysterio in the back and Mysterio gets a kick in as he tries to battle back and goes up top. Noble nails him first and puts Mysterio on his shoulders only for Mysterio to pound on him and hits a tornado DDT, and he fires up on Noble who gets a knee in and Mysterio reverses a whip before hitting a flapjack on Noble. He goes out to the apron and hits a springboard legdrop on Noble for a two count as he pounds on him and whips him into the corner, and Noble backdrops him over the top with Mysterio landing on the apron and he gets a shoulder in as he goes up top and hits a seated senton on Noble for a two count. Noble counters a whip and gets a kick in as he hits a suplex slam on Mysterio for a two count and Mysterio ducks a clothesline, and he gets a kick in and leaps onto Noble’s back as he hits a sunset flip only for Nidia to get on the apron and she distracts the ref. Mysterio scares her to the mat and Noble nails him from behind as Mysterio escapes a back suplex attempt, and he hits a drop toehold that sends Noble into the ropes though Nidia trips him up from the floor and Noble gets a kick in. He hits the double underhook powerbomb on Mysterio for a two count and Mysterio goes behind Noble, and he leaps onto Noble’s shoulders and attempts a victory roll though Noble sits on him with Nidia providing leverage from the floor which gets the three and Noble retains the title. The match itself was good as all three men worked hard and put on a solid title match. All three men were hitting their groove and had good chemistry though given how short Tajiri was in the match, it would’ve been better if it was just Mysterio and Noble though Noble does look strong pinning both men. The crowd was into the match and Mysterio, but are not happy when Noble wins. Noble retains the title over Mysterio and Tajiri as all three men move on. Grade: 3
 
After the match, Noble and Nidia celebrate and she tries to put the belt around his waist only for Mysterio to dropkick both in the back, and they fall into the ropes and Mysterio hits the 619 on both of them before heading to the back.
 
We see Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle in their dressing room as Angle asks what he doesn’t understand in that he’s the captain of the team which is why they are tag champions, and he says that their alliance is like the USA and England as Benoit says he’s Canadian though Angle says it’s all the same. He says that Benoit is good, but isn’t the best as he is since he’s an American and Benoit needs to follow his lead as Benoit says he beat Angle at Unforgiven and on Smackdown, and he says that it proves he’s the better wrestler and is the true captain as Angle says that Benoit cheated both times and winners never cheat. He says that Benoit fits in here in England with his bad teeth and Benoit says Angle is so funny as he says if Stephanie’s stipulation wasn’t in effect, he would kick his ass right now and they have to defend the titles tonight so Angle should follow his lead and they will be fine. Angle says Benoit has it wrong because he would be kicking Benoit’s ass which is bloody damn true and he walks away.
 
5. Rev. D-Von and Ron Simmons defeat Chuck Palumbo and Val Venis when D-Von pins Palumbo at 4:09.
 
Substitution: Venis is replacing Billy Gunn
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is our second tag match of the night. D-Von and Simmons have been cruising as a team and were set to face Billy and Chuck here, but with Billy on the sidelines they now face the mismatched team of Palumbo and Venis. Palumbo and Venis get a decent pop from the crowd while D-Von and Simmons had tepid heat as heels. D-Von and Simmons waste no time and attack Palumbo and Venis to start the match as D-Von whips Palumbo into the corner and splashes him, and he whips Palumbo into a powerslam from Simmons and he stomps on him for a two count as he hooks an abdominal stretch on. Palumbo escapes the hold with a belly-to-belly suplex on Simmons and tags Venis as D-Von also tags in and Venis hits a pair of clotheslines, and he hits a backdrop and a urinage slam on D-Von for a two count as he avoids an elbow from Simmons who hits D-Von by mistake. Venis pounds on Simmons and hits a clothesline as he ducks a shot and gets a pair of knees in on D-Von, and he hits a double underhook suplex on D-Von only for Simmons to duck a shot and he hits a spinebuster on Venis. He and D-Von stomp on Venis repeatedly and D-Von hits a jumping back elbow as Simmons tags in and he kicks at Venis, and he pounds on Venis and hooks a submission on as he slams down on Venis’ back twice only for Venis to catch him on a third attempt with a knee to the groin. Palumbo gets the hot tag and hits a pair of clotheslines on both men as he hits a belly-to-belly suplex on D-Von and knocks down Simmons, and he pounds on D-Von and hits a discus punch as Venis comes in and knocks Simmons down as they hit a double hiptoss on D-Von. Simmons knocks Venis down and Palumbo pounds on him who gets a kick in and he whips Palumbo into the corner, and Palumbo ducks a shot and knocks D-Von down as he hits a belly-to-belly suplex on Simmons and ducks a shot before hitting the Jungle Kick on D-Von for a two count with Simmons breaking it up. Venis pounds on Simmons and sends him to the outside as he goes outside as well only to miss a charge and he runs into the post, and Palumbo goes after Simmons who gets a shot in and D-Von hooks a rollup which gets the three and he wins the match for his team. The match itself was decent as both teams worked hard and put on a basic tag match. D-Von and Simmons have been gelling well as a team while Palumbo and Venis looked decent as a team, and they had decent chemistry as D-Von and Simmons get the win. The crowd was in and out of it for the match and are not happy when D-Von and Simmons win. D-Von and Simmons get the win over Palumbo and Venis as both teams move on. Grade: 1.5
 
Los Guerreros say that they have to tell their family about this trip and the people have treated them like gold, and they mistake where they actually are though they say it’s not as bad as Mexico and they remember the Alamo which they won. They say that they have every right to be confident with how good they are and they can’t wait for the celebration waiting for them when they win the tag titles, and they say that the food here sucks and they can’t wait to have some real food back home as they will polish their belts.
 
We see a shot outside the Evening News Arena.
 
6. Rikishi pins Albert with the Banzai Drop at 7:18.
 
Stipulation: The loser would have to kiss the winner’s ass
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is a pretty interesting matchup. Rikishi has been cruising in the midcard and looks to get a win here over Albert, who has been floating in the midcard and looks to get back on track here. Rikishi gets a good pop from the crowd while Albert had tepid heat as a heel. The two men lock up to start with Rikishi hooking a headlock and Albert whips him off as neither goes down when they collide, and Albert goes behind Rikishi and gets a shot in as he hooks a headlock and Rikishi whips off with neither again going down when they collide. Rikishi ducks a shot and hits a clothesline on Albert as he pounds on him and Albert ducks a shot though Rikishi fakes him out by showing off his ass, and Albert rolls outside to regroup before returning to the ring and he challenges Rikishi to a test of strength only for Rikishi to get a shot in. He hits a headbutt that Albert no-sells and he hits one of his own as he pounds on Rikishi in the corner and stomps on him repeatedly, and he takes the pad off the buckle and pounds on Rikishi in the corner until Rikishi turns it around and pounds on Albert. Albert reverses a whip and sends Rikishi into the exposed buckle as he splashes him for a two count and he hooks a submission on, and Rikishi fights to his feet and breaks the hold only for Albert to get a shot in and he yanks Rikishi to the mat. Rikishi ducks a shot and both men clothesline each other as Rikishi fires up on Albert and knocks him down, and he hits a Samoan drop on Albert and ducks a shot as he gets a kick in and hits a DDT on Albert for a two count. Albert ducks a shot and hits the pump kick on Rikishi for a two count only to miss a charge as he rams into the exposed buckle and Rikishi hits a superkick, and he goes up to the middle rope and hits the Banzai drop on Albert which gets the three and he wins the match. The match itself was nothing much as both men did what they could and put on a basic match. Rikishi was hitting his peak by this point while Albert was getting back into a groove, and they had decent chemistry as Rikishi gets the clean win. The crowd was into the match and popped for Rikishi when he won. Rikishi gets the win over Albert and now Albert must kiss Rikishi’s ass. Grade: 1.5
 
After the match, Albert tries to head to the back as Rikishi takes the mike and says that in case Albert forgot, he has to kiss his ass and the ref takes the mike as he says Albert has until the count of 10 to return to the ring or risk suspension without pay. The ref counts and Albert makes it back to the ring in time as he tries to beg and offer a handshake before getting on his knees, and Rikishi goes to bend over only for Albert to hit a low blow as he grabs Rikishi by the throat and hits the Baldo Bomb. Albert takes the mike and says the only one kissing someone’s ass is Rikishi as he looks to give him the Stinkface though Rikishi hits a low blow, and he splashes Albert in the corner and gives him the Stinkface as Albert heads to the back and Rikishi brings Cole, Tazz, and the ring announcer into the ring as all four dance.
 
We see the buildup to the next match.
 
7. Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit defeat Los Guerreros when Angle pins Eddie at 16:36 to retain the WWE Tag Team Championships.
 
Analysis: Our last match before the main event is our second tag match of the night. Angle and Benoit were still having problems despite being tag champions and look to have a successful defense here against Los Guerreros, who have been trying to stir up more trouble between the champions and look to become champions themselves. Angle and Benoit get a good pop from the crowd while Los Guerreros had solid heat as heels. The two teams square off to start and Angle starts off the match with Eddie as they square off until Eddie tags Chavo, and they lock up with Angle hooking a headlock and he takes Chavo to the mat as Chavo fights to his feet and whips Angle off. Angle knocks Chavo down and blocks a hiptoss attempt as he hits one of his own and then he hits a backdrop on Chavo, and he hits a back elbow on Eddie and Los Guerreros roll outside to regroup as Angle taunts Benoit who tags himself in. Chavo returns to the ring and tags Eddie who goes behind Benoit and works the arm until Benoit turns it around as Eddie hooks a headlock, and Benoit whips him off and Eddie knocks him down as Benoit catches him in a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and he knocks Chavo down. He kicks at Eddie and pounds on him as he whips him hard into the other corner and rams him into the buckle, and Angle tags in and pounds on Eddie in the corner as Eddie reverses a whip and hits a back elbow. Chavo tags in and they stomp on Angle as Chavo pounds on him only for Angle to catch him in a German suplex, and he taunts Benoit only for Eddie to nail him from behind and stomps on him until Benoit gets a shot in and he hits a German suplex on Eddie. Angle and Benoit continue to argue as they hit stereo German suplexes on Los Guerreros and Angle stomps Chavo to the outside, and he stomps on Eddie and sends him to the outside as he grabs Chavo and slings him into the ring before pounding on him. He hits a back elbow and a snap suplex on Chavo for a two count as Benoit tags in and he kicks at Chavo before catching him with a knee to the ribs, and Chavo counters a whip by getting a kick in and he pounds on Benoit as he rams him into the buckle and tags Eddie. He pounds on Benoit in the corner and stomps on him repeatedly as Chavo chokes him from the floor and Eddie rams him into the exposed buckle, and he pounds on Benoit and hits a back suplex as he stomps on him and tags Chavo who kicks at Benoit repeatedly. Benoit tries to battle back until Chavo gets a kick in and he pounds on Benoit in the corner only for Benoit to reverse a whip into the other corner, and Chavo catches Benoit with a back elbow only for Benoit to take Chavo to the mat as he looks for the Crossface though Chavo grabs the rope to force a break. Chavo sends Benoit to the outside and Eddie gets a shot in as he hits a suplex on the floor and Chavo goes outside, and he throws Benoit back into the ring and tags Eddie who hits a slingshot somersault senton onto Benoit for a two count. He pounds on Benoit and hoists him onto his back as he hooks the Gory Special on until Benoit escapes with a sunset flip for a two count, and Eddie hits a clothesline on Benoit and tags Chavo who stomps on Benoit repeatedly and he pounds on him. Benoit catches him in a backslide for a two count with Eddie breaking it up and Chavo hits a back suplex on Benoit, and he knocks Angle off the apron and gets a two count on Benoit as Eddie tags in and he stomps on Benoit repeatedly. He kicks at Benoit who reverses a whip and he hits a flapjack on Eddie as he then hits a powerbomb only for Chavo to hit a clothesline from the apron, and Benoit kicks Eddie away and Chavo tags in only for Benoit to take Chavo to the mat and he hooks the Crossface on. Eddie breaks the hold up as Angle comes in and pounds on Eddie until the ref forces Angle out and Eddie goes up top, but Benoit avoids the Frog Splash as Eddie hits Chavo by mistake and Angle gets the hot tag as he hits a pair of clotheslines on Eddie. He hits a clothesline on Chavo and a backdrop on Eddie as he ducks a shot and hits a German suplex on Chavo, and Eddie gets a kick in and Angle reverses a whip as he hits a belly-to-belly suplex on Eddie for a two count with Chavo breaking it up. Angle gets a kick in though Chavo ducks a shot and hits a dropkick as Benoit gets a kick in and whips Chavo into the corner, and he hits a German suplex on Chavo as Eddie gets a shot in only for Benoit to go behind him and he hits a German suplex on him. Benoit goes up top and hits the diving headbutt on Eddie as Angle gets a two count with Chavo breaking it up, and Chavo hits a brainbuster on Angle and then he hits a clothesline on Benoit that sends both men to the outside. Eddie gets a two count on Angle and goes up top as Angle runs up to the top rope only for Eddie to shove him to the mat, and he hits the Frog Splash on Angle for a two count with Benoit breaking it up and he hooks the Crossface on Eddie. Chavo gets in the ring and breaks the hold up as Benoit escapes a suplex attempt and he hits a back suplex that sends Chavo over the top to the floor, and Angle gets a kick in though Eddie escapes the Angle Slam and he sends Angle into Benoit who knocks the ref to the outside. Benoit and Angle exchange shoves until Eddie hits a dropkick to Angle’s knee and he hooks the Lasso from El Paso on, but Angle escapes and hooks the Ankle Lock on Eddie who taps out though the ref is still out and Chavo brings one of the belts into the ring. He hits Angle in the back with the belt and throws the ref back into the ring as Eddie gets a two count and Chavo goes up top, but Benoit gets on the apron and shoves Chavo to the floor as he hotshots Eddie on the top rope and Angle hits the Angle Slam which gets the three and they retain the titles. The match itself was good as both teams worked hard and put on a solid title match. Both teams were gelling well as teams and they had good chemistry as Angle and Benoit retain the titles despite their differences. The crowd was into the match and popped for Angle and Benoit when they won. Angle and Benoit retain the titles over Los Guerreros though this issue isn’t over yet. Grade: 3.5
 
After the match, Angle and Benoit get in each other’s faces and exchange shoves as Los Guerreros try to steal the belts only for Angle and Benoit to stop them, and they scare Los Guerreros out of the ring and they celebrate with the belts.
 
We see Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman in their locker room as Heyman is doing pushups and says he has everything under control, and Lesnar says he did his job at No Mercy while Heyman didn’t do his tonight and he will bust him in half if Edge pins him to win the title.
 
8. Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman defeat Edge in a handicap match when Lesnar pins Edge at 18:51 to retain the WWE Championship.
 
Analysis: After a long and interesting night of wrestling, we come to our main event. Lesnar was rolling as WWE Champion and is forced to team with Heyman here against Edge, who was cruising in the tag division and looks to finally become champion. Edge gets a big pop from the crowd while Lesnar and Heyman were pretty hot as heels. Edge starts off the match with Lesnar and they lock up with Lesnar shoving Edge to the mat and then Edge avoids Lesnar twice, and Lesnar hoists Edge up and drives him into the corner as he rams the shoulder into the ribs repeatedly and stomps on him repeatedly. He whips Edge into the other corner and Edge catches him with a back elbow as he hits a drop toehold that sends Lesnar into the buckle, and he hits a dropkick that sends Lesnar to the outside and Lesnar regroups with Heyman before returning to the ring. Edge ducks a shot and Lesnar attempts a backdrop though Edge hooks a sunset flip for a two count and Lesnar presses him up, and Edge escapes and hooks another sunset flip for a two count as Lesnar gets a knee in and he pounds on Edge. He chokes him on the ropes and pounds on him as Edge holds the ropes on a whip and mocks him before sending him over the top to the floor, and Lesnar flips out as Heyman calms him down and they regroup until Edge goes outside and nails Lesnar from behind. He pounds on Lesnar and rams him into the apron as Lesnar gets a knee in and he rams Edge into the apron, and Edge reverses a whip and sends Lesnar into the post as Lesnar rolls back into the ring and Edge tries to get in the ring though Heyman grabs at his leg. Lesnar gets a shot in and stomps on Edge as he whips him into the corner only for Edge to avoid a charge and he sends Lesnar into the corner, and he hits a spin kick on Lesnar and then he drives the shoulder into Heyman which knocks him off the apron to the floor. Edge gets a kick in though Lesnar escapes the Edgecution and hits a belly-to-belly suplex on Edge before going outside, and he pulls Edge to the outside and stomps on him as he rams his back into the post and throws him back into the ring for a two count. He stomps on Edge and hits a backbreaker as Edge tries to battle back only for Lesnar to knock him down for a two count, and he pounds on Edge on the mat and hits a clothesline to the back of the head as he slams down on Edge’s back and hooks a modified Boston crab on. Edge reaches the rope to force a break and Lesnar stomps on him as he hooks another submission on until Edge fights to his feet and breaks the hold, and Edge ducks a shot and Lesnar catches him on a crossbody attempt as he hoists him onto his shoulder though Edge slides off. He hooks a rollup on Lesnar for a two count and Lesnar hits a clothesline for a two count as he goes back to the submission on Edge, and Edge reaches for the ropes only for Lesnar to roll into a pin attempt for a two count and he pulls Edge to the center of the ring as he grinds down on him. Edge fights to his feet and attempts to break the hold only for Lesnar to ram him into the corner and he rams the shoulder into the ribs, and he rams Edge into the buckle and whips him into the other corner as he catches a boot attempt though Edge ducks a shot. He hits a dropkick to Lesnar’s back which sends him into the corner and then he hits a baseball slide on Heyman, and Lesnar catches him in a spinebuster for a two count and stomps on Edge as he rams him into the buckle and he rams the shoulder into Edge’s ribs in the corner. He whips Edge hard into the other corner and again rams the shoulder into the ribs as he chokes him with his boot and whips him into the corner, but Edge avoids a charge and Lesnar rams his shoulder into the post as Edge hooks a rollup for a two count and Lesnar no-sells a pair of clotheslines. Edge ducks a shot and hits a flying forearm on Lesnar who catches him on a spin kick attempt though Edge escapes a slam attempt, and he hits the modified facebuster on Lesnar who counters a whip though Edge ducks a shot and he hits the Edge-o-Matic for a two count. He clotheslines Lesnar over the top to the floor as Heyman gets on the apron and Edge tosses him into the ring, and he goes up top and hits an axehandle on Heyman for a two count as Lesnar breaks it up and Edge kicks him to the outside. He goes up top and hits a crossbody onto Lesnar on the floor as he throws him back into the ring and goes up top again, and he hits a missile dropkick on Lesnar for a two count and goes up top again only for Lesnar to avoid the crossbody and Edge hits the ref by mistake. Lesnar hoists Edge onto his shoulders though Edge escapes the F-5 and hits the Edgecution though the ref is still down and Edge checks on him, and Heyman slides a chair to Lesnar and gets on the apron as Edge scares him to the floor and he avoids a swing from Lesnar. He hits the spear on Lesnar for a two count and goes up top as Lesnar grabs the chair and he jabs it into Edge’s ribs as he comes in, and he hoists Edge onto his shoulders and hits the F-5 which gets the three and he retains the title. The match itself was good as both men worked hard and put on a really good title match. Edge was hitting his stride by this point while Lesnar was also hitting his groove and Heyman mainly stayed out of the match, and they had good chemistry as Heyman does end up helping Lesnar retain. The crowd was into the match and Edge, but are not happy when Lesnar wins. Lesnar and Heyman get the win over Edge and Lesnar retains the title as all three men move on. Grade: 3.5
 
After the match, Lesnar heads to the back as officials come out and check on Edge while Heyman grabs the chair and stalks Edge, but Edge kicks the chair back in Heyman’s face and hits the Edgecution before posing for the fans as we go off the air.
 
Final Analysis: Overall, this special PPV for the UK was a solid show that was a good showcase for the Smackdown roster. It was clear that WWE was dipping their toe into the possibility of having brand-specific PPVs as Insurrextion earlier in the year was a RAW-only show while this was Smackdown-only, and it was smart having these UK shows be the guinea pigs in essence to see if brand-specific shows can work in the main canon. Lesnar is still the man while Angle, Benoit, and Noble retain their titles and Booker, Kidman, Torrie, Funaki, D-Von, Simmons, and Rikishi get big wins, and in terms of the matches the last two matches were the best while the rest ranged from solid to below average. 2002 has been an interesting year to this point as Smackdown was clearly the better show than RAW for the most part, and as we come to the end of the year we will see if that holds true. As for this show, it is a solid show that showcased Smackdown and also gives the UK crowd a good show. Final Grade: B-