Armageddon
December 15th, 2002
Office Depot Center
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
 
Note: On the 11/25 RAW, it was revealed that Eric Bischoff had hired Sean Morley, the former Val Venis, to become his new Chief-of-Staff and he would now go by the name Chief Morley.
 
Sunday Night Heat:
 
1. Jeff Hardy pins D-Lo Brown at 4:56.
 
Analysis:
 
We see the opening video for Armageddon.
 
Your hosts are Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler for RAW, and Michael Cole and Tazz for Smackdown.
 
1. Booker T and Goldust defeat Chris Jericho and Christian, Lance Storm and William Regal, and the Dudley Boyz in a Fatal 4-Way Elimination match to win the World Tag Team Championships.
 
Eliminations:
1. Bubba Ray pinned by Regal at 5:18.
2. Regal pinned by Goldust at 6:33.
3. Jericho pinned by Booker at 16:45.
 
The Buildup: On the 11/25 RAW, Jericho and Christian defeated the Dudleyz to retain the tag titles despite the match being restarted twice, and later that night the Dudleyz would steal their bags and threw them out into the crowd as Jericho and Christian came out on the stage in towels only for Spike to steal the towels and they would scurry off. On the 12/2 RAW, Jericho and Christian attacked the Dudleyz after their match and gave both men the Con-Chair-To, and later that night Booker and Jericho faced off in a singles match until Goldust and Christian got involved and it became a tag title match with Jericho and Christian retaining. On the 12/9 RAW, this match was announced as Storm and Regal defeated Goldust and Booker in a match and after the match, Goldust would claim to be the weak link of his team and offered to find Booker another partner though Booker would assure him that he was his only partner. Later that night, the Dudleyz and Trish Stratus defeated Jericho, Christian, and Victoria in a 6-person tables match which saw Storm, Regal, Booker, and Goldust also get involved.
 
Analysis: We kick off the last PPV of 2002 with our first title match of the night. Jericho and Christian have been rolling as tag champions and face a tough challenge here in Booker and Goldust, Storm and Regal, and the Dudleyz. Booker, Goldust, and the Dudleyz get good pops from the crowd while Jericho, Christian, Storm, and Regal were pretty hot as heels. Bubba starts off the match with Storm though Regal distracts Bubba and Storm attacks him from behind as he pounds on him, and Bubba reverses a whip into the corner and Storm leaps over him as Bubba nails Regal and pounds on Storm. He whips Storm into the corner and splashes him as he pounds on him until Storm tags Christian and Bubba tosses him into the ring, and D-Von tags in and they hit a double flapjack on Christian for a two count as Christian gets a knee in and tags Regal. He pounds on D-Von who hits a flying clothesline and he drops an elbow on Regal for a two count as Goldust tags in, and he kicks at Regal and pounds on him as Regal counters a whip and gets a kick in as he hits a modified suplex and clothesline to the back of the head. Christian tags himself in and stomps on Goldust as he pounds on him in the corner and Jericho tags in, and he continues to pound on Goldust in the corner and Goldust reverses a whip as he catches a dropkick attempt and slingshots him over the top to the floor. He pulls Jericho onto the apron and hits a suplex back into the ring for a two count as Jericho catches him ducking with a kick, and he hits a flying forearm on Goldust and pounds on him as Christian tags in and kicks at him before working the arm. Goldust turns it around and hooks a headlock as he knocks Christian down and catches him in an atomic drop, and he hits a clothesline on Christian for a two count and tags Bubba as they hit a double back elbow and then they hit a double back elbow on Jericho. They pound on Jericho and Christian as they hit stereo elbows and they do a handshake before hitting stereo elbows on Regal and Storm, and Bubba hits a slam on Christian and holds his legs up as D-Von goes up top and hits the diving headbutt to Christian’s groin. All eight men brawl with D-Von pounding on Christian in the corner until Christian gets a knee in and pounds on him, and D-Von reverses a whip and Regal gets a blind tag as Bubba gets in the ring and the Dudleyz hit the 3-D on Christian. Storm goes up top and hits a legdrop to the back of Bubba’s head as Regal gets the three and the Dudleyz are eliminated, and Goldust gets in the ring and pounds on Regal who reverses a whip and Storm gets a knee in from the apron. Goldust catches Regal in a powerslam which gets the three and Regal and Storm are eliminated as Jericho gets in the ring, and Goldust sends him over the top to the floor and Booker chases Jericho back into the ring as Jericho ducks a shot and Goldust hits a butt slam. He pounds on Jericho in the corner and tags Booker who pounds on Jericho and both men counter a whip with Booker hitting a side kick for a two count, and he works on the arm until Jericho backs him into the corner and pounds on him as he whips Booker into the other corner and Booker catches him with a back elbow. Goldust tags in and they hit a double team on Jericho for a two count as Christian breaks it up and Jericho hits a low dropkick, and Christian tags in and he kicks at Goldust repeatedly as he chokes him on the ropes until Goldust catches him ducking with an uppercut. Goldust ducks two shots only to miss a crossbody as he falls to the outside and Jericho whips him into the steps, and he hits Goldust with Regal’s flag and throws him back into the ring as Christian stomps on him and pounds on him on the mat. He hits a gutbuster on Goldust for a two count and Goldust tries to battle back until Christian gets a kick in and hooks an abdominal stretch on, and Goldust fights out of the hold only for Christian to get a kick in and he yanks him to the mat as Jericho tags in. He stomps on Goldust and pounds on him until Goldust hits a clothesline and Christian comes in and knocks Booker to the floor, and Jericho knocks Goldust down and throws him into his corner as Christian comes in and they stomp on him repeatedly. Christian slaps Goldust in the face twice and Goldust tries to fight out of the corner as he knocks Jericho off the apron and hits a modified slam on Christian, and Christian grabs at Goldust’s leg and Goldust kicks him away as Booker gets the hot tag and he fires up on Jericho. He knocks Christian to the floor and Jericho reverses a whip as Booker hits a flying forearm and then he hits a side kick on Christian, and Jericho gets a shot in and whips Booker into the corner as Booker leaps over him and hooks a sunset flip for a two count. He pounds on Jericho in the corner and hits a clothesline on Christian as Jericho hits a sleeper slam on Booker for a two count, and he pounds on Booker who reverses a whip and Jericho ducks a shot as he trips Booker up and looks for the Walls of Jericho. Booker hooks a small package for a two count and pounds on Jericho as both men counter a whip and Booker gets a knee in, and he knocks Christian off the apron and gets a kick in though Jericho avoids the scissors kick and escapes a spinebuster attempt with a sunset flip. He hooks the Walls of Jericho on Booker who crawls for the rope though Jericho pulls him back until Goldust gets in the ring and hits a bulldog to break the hold up, and he stomps on Jericho as Christian goes up top with one of the belts only for Goldust to crotch him on the top rope. Jericho sends Goldust to the outside and Booker reverses a whip as he sends Jericho into Christian who falls to the floor, and Booker hits a side kick for a two count and goes up top as Christian grabs at his leg and Booker kicks him to the floor. Jericho gets a shot in and goes up himself as Booker blocks a superplex attempt and slams Jericho to the mat, and he sets himself on the top rope and hits a missile dropkick on Jericho for a two count as Jericho reverses a whip into the corner. He hits the running bulldog on Booker who avoids the Lionsault with Jericho landing on his feet and Booker hits a flapjack, and he does the Spinaroonie and gets a kick in as he hits the scissors kick on Jericho only for Christian to distract the ref. Goldust knocks Christian down and Booker gets a two count as he and Goldust pound on Christian and clothesline him over the top to the floor, and Jericho grabs the belt and hits Booker in the face with it as he hits the Lionsault for a two count and argues with the ref. He grabs the belt and charges only for Booker to catch him in the Bookend which gets the three and we have new champions. The match itself was good as all four teams worked hard and put on a solid title match. All four teams have gelled well together and they had good chemistry though the Dudleyz, Storm, and Regal didn’t do too much and probably could’ve been left out, and it was a good moment for Booker and Goldust to finally win the titles. The crowd was into the match and popped for Booker and Goldust when they won. Booker and Goldust get the win and are the new tag champions as all four teams move on. Grade: 3
 
Jonathan Coachman interviews Booker and Goldust, who say that a lot of people didn’t give them a chance though the fans believed in them and Goldust proved he’s not the weak link as they are the tag team champions if you can dig that.
 
We see footage from Sunday Night Heat earlier tonight.
 
2. Edge defeats A-Train by disqualification at 7:13.
 
Heel Turn: On the 4/4 Smackdown, Albert and Scotty 2 Hotty lost a tag match to Billy and Chuck and Albert would attack Scotty after the match which turned him heel.
 
The Buildup/Name Change: On the 12/5 Smackdown, Albert defeated Rey Mysterio in a match and attacked his knee with a chair until Edge made the save and the two men would brawl backstage later that night, and right before the main event Albert would attack Edge’s knee with a chair. On the 12/12 Smackdown, this match was made as the newly-dubbed A-Train and the Big Show defeated Edge and Kurt Angle in a tag match.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is a pretty big matchup. A-Train attacked Edge with a chair twice in the last two weeks and now Edge comes here looking for revenge. Edge gets a big pop from the crowd while A-Train had tepid heat as a heel. The two men lock up to start with A-Train shoving Edge into the corner and they lock up with Edge hooking a headlock, and A-Train whips him off and knocks him down as he pounds on Edge in the corner and whips him into the other corner. Edge catches him with a back elbow and goes up to the middle rope as A-Train catches him on a crossbody attempt and hoists him onto his shoulder, but Edge slides off and sends A-Train into the corner as he hits a dropkick to the back and goes outside before tripping A-Train up. A-Train shoves him off into the barricade and goes outside as well as he pounds on Edge only to miss a charge and hits the post, and Edge rams A-Train’s arm into the post twice and both men roll back into the ring as Edge hits a chop block and a dropkick to the knee. He hits a legdrop to the back of A-Train’s head for a two count and works the arm until A-Train gets a shot in, but he misses a charge in the corner and Edge hooks a rollup for a two count as he pounds on A-Train who catches him in a powerslam for a two count. He rams Edge into the buckle and pounds on him in the corner as he rams the knee into him twice and chokes him on the ropes, and he slingshots Edge throat first into the middle rope for a two count and hooks a submission on as Edge escapes the hold with a jawbreaker. He fires up on A-Train and hits a clothesline that A-Train no-sells as Edge ducks a shot and hits a flying forearm, and he hits a spin kick on A-Train and ducks a shot as he hits the modified facebuster for a two count. A-Train reverses a whip and Edge holds the ropes as he catches A-Train with a kick and goes up to the middle rope, and he hits the Edge-o-Matic on A-Train for a two count and goes up top only for A-Train to catch him coming in with a pump kick for a two count. A-Train goes outside and grabs a chair only for Edge to hit a baseball slide and he throws A-Train back into the ring, and he goes up top again and hits a crossbody on A-Train for a two count as he gets a kick in though A-Train escapes the Edgecution. He ducks a shot and grabs Edge by the throat as he hits the Baldo Bomb for a two count and he grabs the chair though the ref tries to take it from him, and Edge hits the spear on A-Train for a two count and A-Train grabs the chair again as he hits Edge in the knee with it which draws the DQ and Edge gets the win. The match itself was decent as both men worked hard and put on a basic match. Edge was hitting his stride by this point while A-Train was getting back into a groove, and they had decent chemistry though the ending was a bit weak. The crowd was into the match and Edge, but are not happy with the ending. Edge gets the win over A-Train by DQ and both men move on. Grade: 2
 
After the match, Edge dropkicks the chair in A-Train’s face and he grabs the chair himself as he hits A-Train in the head with it before hitting him in the back repeatedly with it.
 
We see the Big Show and Paul Heyman outside Show’s locker room as Show says that Lesnar is here to make an impact and he knows that Lesnar is going to be in Angle’s corner, and he says that he gets no respect as WWE Champion and he’s going to speak his mind to Stephanie McMahon. Heyman says that Show is not thinking rational and the last time they tried this, Stephanie lifted Lesnar’s suspension and he says Show needs to focus on Angle while he reasons with Stephanie.
 
3. Chris Benoit forces Eddie Guerrero to tap out at 16:48.
 
The Buildup: On the 11/21 Smackdown, Benoit defeated Chavo Guerrero in a match and on the 11/28 Smackdown, Los Guerreros defeated Benoit and Kurt Angle to retain the tag titles when Eddie pinned Benoit after Chavo hit him with one of the belts. On the 12/5 Smackdown, Benoit forced Eddie to tap out in the Fatal 4-Way elimination match though Eddie would hit Benoit with his title belt and cost him the match, and on the 12/12 Smackdown Los Guerreros defeated Benoit and Billy Kidman in a tag match as this match was made.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is a pretty big matchup. These two men have been going at it for the last few weeks and now they face off here to settle their issues. Benoit gets a good pop from the crowd while Eddie had solid heat as a heel. The two men square off to start as Eddie goes for the leg though Benoit gets a shot in and they lock up with Eddie going behind Benoit, and Benoit takes Eddie to the mat and works the arm as Eddie escapes and trips Benoit up before working on the leg. Benoit fights to his feet and Eddie backs him into the corner as he pounds on him and they lock up with Eddie taking Benoit to the mat with a headlock, and Benoit fights to his feet and whips Eddie off as Eddie knocks him down and Benoit hits a backdrop on Eddie. He hits a snapmare and hooks a submission on Eddie who fights to his feet and he escapes the hold with a hiptoss, and Eddie hooks a submission on the arm and Benoit tries to escape by rolling through though Eddie rolls through himself and keeps the hold on. Benoit again tries to roll through to escape though Eddie again rolls through and hangs onto the hold as Benoit fights to his feet, and he hoists Eddie up in the air and hits a modified electric chair drop for a two count as he pounds on him in the corner. Eddie ducks a shot and nails Benoit as he hits a snapmare and hooks another submission on as Benoit tries to roll through, and Eddie grabs the rope to force a break and Benoit stomps on him as he hits a flapjack only for Eddie to avoid a charge and he sends Benoit to the outside. Eddie goes up top and hits a crossbody onto Benoit on the floor as he pounds on him and throws him back into the ring, and he stomps on Benoit’s leg repeatedly and drops the elbow onto it repeatedly as he hooks another submission on. Benoit kicks at Eddie’s back repeatedly to try to escape though Eddie maintains control on the leg and Benoit grabs the rope to force a break, and he stomps on Benoit repeatedly in the corner and slams down on Benoit’s leg twice as he hooks another submission on. He gets a two count and kicks at the leg as he pounds on Benoit in the corner and whips him into the other corner before splashing him, and Benoit catches him with a boot to the arm and looks to take him to the mat though Eddie escapes and Benoit ducks a shot. He hits 5 straight German suplexes on Eddie and goes up top though Eddie rolls away and Benoit comes down, and he pounds on Eddie’s back and hits another pair of German suplexes though Eddie grabs the rope to block a third one and Benoit pounds on him. Eddie escapes a powerbomb attempt and ducks a shot as he hits a trio of German suplexes on Benoit, and he ducks a shot and gets a knee in as he hits a brainbuster on Benoit and goes up top before hitting the Frog Splash for a two count. He charges at Benoit and hits a spear that sends both men through the ropes to the outside as he stomps on Benoit repeatedly, and he rolls back into the ring and distracts the ref as Chavo Guerrero runs down to ringside and hits Benoit in the head with his title. Eddie goes outside and throws Benoit back into the ring for a two count as Benoit escapes a suplex attempt and gets a shot in, but Eddie hits a drop toehold and hooks the Lasso from El Paso on Benoit who grabs the rope to force a break. Benoit holds the rope to block a whip and Eddie kicks at his leg repeatedly as Benoit counters a whip and knocks Eddie down twice, and Eddie ducks a shot and Benoit gets a kick in as he hits a powerbomb on Eddie and goes up top though Eddie distracts the ref. Chavo gets on the apron and nails Benoit as he goes up himself though Benoit blocks a superplex and knocks Chavo to the floor, and Eddie crotches Benoit on the top rope and goes up himself though Benoit pounds on Eddie and shoves him to the mat. He sets himself on the top rope and hits the diving headbutt on Eddie who surprises him by tripping him up and he hooks the Lasso from El Paso back on, but Benoit escapes by tripping Eddie up and hooks the Crossface on as Eddie tries to roll through to escape though Benoit keeps the hold on and Eddie taps out to give Benoit the win. The match itself was really good as both men worked hard and put on a solid match. Both men were hitting their groove by this point and still had great chemistry, but it felt like they didn’t hit the next gear to make the match better though they can put on a really good match in their sleep with Benoit getting the win. The crowd was into the match and popped for Benoit when he won. Benoit gets the win over Eddie and both men move on. Grade: 3.5
 
We see Stephanie McMahon in her office as Paul Heyman comes in and says he’s been thinking about adding Chris Benoit to his group as she says that Lesnar’s suspension is still lifted as of now, and Heyman says that he has a bigger issue to discuss and many have been questioning Stephanie’s decisions. He says that tonight, the WWE Title will be decided in a match between the Big Show and Kurt Angle which involved integrity, and Stephanie says if Show had integrity when he won the title at Survivor Series and it’s up to Lesnar if he wants to be in Angle’s corner as they will both have to wait and see what happens.
 
We see a shot outside the Office Depot Center.
 
We see a video package highlighting the issues between Torrie Wilson and Dawn Marie.
 
Dawn Marie and Al Wilson come down to the ring as she says that everyone has been buzzing about what happened between her and Torrie in that hotel room, and she says that people have been asking questions about what happened and she says that Torrie isn’t here because she is embarrassed and ashamed. She says that she’s not hiding anything and will show everyone what she promised as he shows the footage from the hotel room including what wasn’t seen on Smackdown of Marie giving Torrie a glass of champagne which Torrie drinks and she feeds Torrie a strawberry. We then see Marie stripping Torrie to her bra and panties before taking off her robe to reveal her lingerie as they start to kiss, but then Marie has the footage paused and asks if everyone likes it because she did as she says it was very hot. Al says that they’ve seen enough and Torrie is his daughter as he can’t let this go any further, but she says that his daughter went further and she asks if everyone wants to see how far Torrie went. She has the footage continue though Al again tells her to stop as he’s had enough and Marie says everyone wants to see more, and Al says he doesn’t care what everyone wants and he begs her to stop as he’s putting his foot down and Marie says she’ll stop for him as she says she doesn’t want to upset him and she’s proven her point about Torrie. She says that Torrie is nothing but a sexual predator and they should go back to their hotel room to have some fun as they head to the back.
 
The Buildup: Following No Mercy, Marie continued her relationship with Al much to Torrie’s chagrin and on the 11/7 Smackdown, Al proposed to Marie which she accepted and on the 12/5 Smackdown, Marie confronted Torrie and said that she really wanted Torrie. She said if Torrie came to her hotel room that night and did what she asked, she would break off the engagement which Torrie agreed to, and on the 12/12 Smackdown Marie told Al that she still wanted to marry him and called Torrie a sexual predator as Torrie came out and assaulted her with Marie vowing to show the full footage from the hotel here.
 
We see Shawn Michaels warming up for his match.
 
4. Batista (w/ “Nature Boy” Ric Flair) pins Kane with the Batista Bomb at 6:39.
 
Character Change: Since we last saw him at Judgment Day, Deacon Bautista would turn on Rev. D-Von and feuded with him throughout the summer, and in November he would be signed to RAW under the new shortened name of Batista.
 
The Buildup: On the 11/18 RAW, Flair was forced to face Kane in a match which he refused to do so and Batista would lay Kane out, and on the 11/25 RAW Batista would defeat Kane in a match after Flair hit Kane in the head with a chair. On the 12/2 RAW, Batista defeated the Hurricane in a match and assaulted him afterwards along with Flair until Kane made the save, and on the 12/9 RAW this match was made as Batista defeated Rob Van Dam by DQ when Kane got involved and they would clear Batista and Flair from the ring.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is a pretty big matchup. These two men have been going at it for the last few weeks and now they face off here to settle their issues. Kane gets a good pop from the crowd while Batista had solid heat as a heel. The two men lock up to start with Kane hooking a headlock and Batista whips him off as neither man goes down when they collide, and they lock up again with Kane going back to the headlock and Batista whips him off before hitting a clothesline. He stomps and pounds on Kane who blocks a hiptoss attempt and he hits a swinging neckbreaker on Batista, and he pounds on Batista and clotheslines him over the top to the floor as Batista regroups with Flair and returns to the ring. Kane gets a kick in and works the arm until Batista gets a knee in and he hoists Kane onto his shoulder though Kane slides off, and he hits a slam on Batista and drops an elbow on him for a two count as Batista reverses a whip and Kane catches him ducking with a kick. He charges at Batista who sends him over the top to the floor and Kane quickly returns to the ring as Batista hits a spear for a two count, and he hits a suplex on Kane for a two count and pounds on him in the corner as he whips him into the other corner and Kane catches him with a boot to the face. He fires up on Batista and hits a clothesline only for Batista to send him over the top to the floor and he pulls him onto the apron, and Kane hotshots him on the top rope and Flair goes after Kane who blocks a whip and he no-sells Flair’s shots as he grabs him by the throat. Batista goes outside and grabs Kane as he hits a short clothesline and throws him back into the ring though Kane battles back, and he whips Batista into the corner and splashes him as he hits a big boot and sidewalk slam on Batista for a two count. Kane goes up top only to miss the flying clothesline and Batista gets a kick in as Kane blocks the Batista Bomb and Batista pounds on him, but Kane hits a low blow and goes up top again as he hits the flying clothesline on Batista though Flair distracts the ref. Kane grabs Batista by the throat only for Batista to hit a series of back elbows and he hits a spinebuster for a two count, and Kane counters a whip and grabs Batista by the throat as he hits the Chokeslam only for Flair to get on the apron and distract the ref. Kane pulls Flair into the ring and pounds on him as he hits a big boot and Flair begs off only for Batista to get a kick in, and he hits the Batista Bomb on Kane 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. Kane was hitting his groove by this point while Batista was slowly getting into a groove, and they had decent chemistry as Flair makes the difference and helps Batista win. The crowd was into the match and Kane, but are not happy when Batista wins. Batista gets the win over Kane and both men move on. Grade: 2
 
We see Kurt Angle in the hallway as he asks where Brock Lesnar’s dressing room is and he’s pointed in the right direction
 
John Cena and B-2 come out on the stage as Cena cuts a freestyle rap.
 
Return: We last saw Bull Buchanan on PPV way back at WrestleMania X-7 as he would continue as part of the Right to Censor until the group disbanded and he made a few backstage appearances during the Invasion storyline, and he would return to OVW for more training before making his TV return in November as Cena’s new partner and he makes his return to PPV here.
 
Heel Turn/Character Change: In October, Cena would slowly turn heel and on the 10/31 Smackdown, he would show up at the Halloween party dressed as Vanilla Ice and cut a freestyle rap, and over the weeks he would incorporate that into his character as he would cut raps and wear throwbacks.
 
We see the buildup to the next match.
 
5. Victoria defeats Trish Stratus and Jacqueline in a Triple Threat match when she pins Jacqueline at 4:25 to retain the WWE Women’s Championship.
 
The Buildup: On the 11/18 RAW, Victoria defeated Stacy Keibler in her first title defense and Stratus would attack her after the match only for Steven Richards to save Victoria and he gave Stratus a DDT, and on the 11/25 RAW Stratus received her rematch for the title though Victoria would defeat her to retain. On the 12/2 RAW, Stratus defeated Ivory in a match while Victoria watched from the back wearing one of Stratus’ hats though Jacqueline would catch Victoria going through her bags, and later that night Jacqueline would defeat Victoria in a non-title match. On the 12/9 RAW, this match was made as Richards defeated Jacqueline in a match and Victoria attacked her afterwards until Stratus made the save, and later that night Stratus and the Dudley Boyz defeated Victoria, Chris Jericho, and Christian in a 6-person tables match when Stratus put Victoria through a table.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is our second title match of the night. Victoria won the Women’s Title at Survivor Series last month and looks to have a successful defense here against both Stratus and Jacqueline. Stratus gets a good pop from the crowd while Jacqueline got a decent pop and Victoria was pretty hot as a heel. Jacqueline wastes no time and attacks Victoria to start the match as she sends her to the outside and then Stratus and Jacqueline trade blows, and Stratus sends Jacqueline over the top and Jacqueline attempts to skin the cat only for Victoria to get on the apron and she kicks her to the floor. She hotshots Stratus on the top rope and hits a slingshot somersault legdrop for a two count as Jacqueline pulls her outside, and she pounds on Victoria who gets a knee in and she throws Jacqueline back into the ring as Jacqueline catches her ducking with a kick. She hits a legsweep on Victoria for a two count and Victoria leaps over her only for Jacqueline to hit a clothesline, and Stratus gets a shot in and attempts the Stratusfaction only for Victoria to catch her and they hit a double back suplex on Stratus. Jacqueline gets a two count as Victoria breaks it up and she rams Stratus into the buckle before ramming her shoulder into the ribs, and she puts Stratus on the top rope and gets a shot in as she goes up herself and hits a superplex with Jacqueline getting a two count and Victoria breaks it up. Jacqueline pounds on Victoria and gets a kick in as Stratus hooks a rollup for a two count with Victoria breaking it up, and she pounds on Jacqueline who hits a headscissors on Victoria who rolls out to the apron and Stratus slings her back into the ring. Stratus and Jacqueline grab Victoria’s legs and hoist her up into the air as they slam her to the mat and Jacqueline sends Stratus to the outside, and she gets a two count on Victoria and Stratus goes up top as she hits a crossbody on Jacqueline for a two count though Jacqueline rolls through for a two count. She kicks Victoria to the outside and Stratus pounds on Jacqueline as she whips her into the corner and Jacqueline catches her with a back elbow, and she goes up to the middle rope only for Stratus to hit the handstand hurricanrana and Victoria gets in the ring. Stratus ducks a shot and kicks at Victoria twice until Victoria catches a kick attempt only for Stratus to hit the Chick Kick, and she ducks a shot and hits a neckbreaker on Jacqueline as Victoria kicks her down and goes up top. Jacqueline shoves her off the top to the floor and Stratus hits the Chick Kick on Jacqueline for a two count as Victoria breaks it up, and Victoria rolls outside and Stratus pounds on Jacqueline as she whips her into the corner and splashes her. She goes for the pin only for Victoria to hit her in the head with the belt from the floor and Stratus falls to the outside, and Victoria gets in the ring and gets the three on Jacqueline to retain the title. The match itself was decent as all three women worked hard and put on a decent title match. All three were hitting their groove by this point and they had good chemistry as Victoria cheats to retain. The crowd was into the match and Stratus, but are not happy when Victoria wins. Victoria retains the title over Stratus and Jacqueline as all three women move on. Grade: 2
 
After the match, Victoria grabs the belt and then she grabs Stratus’ hat which she puts on as she heads to the back.
 
We see Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle in Lesnar’s locker room as Angle says that he knows Survivor Series still stings for Lesnar and he had Show beat, and he says that Lesnar gave Show the F-5 which is incredible only for Paul Heyman to interfere and cost him the title. He says that if Lesnar is in his corner, he will be able to get his hands on Heyman for costing him the title, and Lesnar says that Angle won’t regret helping get his suspension lifted and Angle says he has something that might help Lesnar make up his mind. He puts a videotape into the VCR and plays what happened at Survivor Series to Lesnar.
 
We see a shot outside the Office Depot Center.
 
We see the buildup to the next match.
 
6. Kurt Angle pins the Big Show (w/ Paul Heyman) after an F-5 from Brock Lesnar at 12:37 to win the WWE Championship.
 
The Buildup/Face Turn: On the 11/21 Smackdown, Lesnar spent most of the show waiting for Show and Heyman to arrive and even threw Matt Hardy through a wall out of frustration, and Stephanie would confront him and told him he would get a rematch once he’s fully healed as she threatened to suspend him if he didn’t listen to her. Show and Heyman would arrive and explain their actions at Survivor Series with Heyman adding Lesnar wouldn’t get a rematch only for Lesnar to attack Show on the stage, and later that night Show defended the title against Edge only for Lesnar to come out and give Show the F-5 before chasing Heyman out of the arena. On the 11/28 Smackdown, Stephanie announced that Lesnar was suspended indefinitely and he was escorted out of the arena as she would make a match between Show and the Fabulous Moolah as punishment for being booed by the Columbia fans, but Lesnar would return at the end of the night and would F-5 Show through the announce table. On the 12/5 Smackdown, Lesnar did an interview from Minneapolis which was interrupted by Show and Heyman as Lesnar vowed to be at Armageddon, and in the main event Angle defeated Edge, Chris Benoit, and Eddie Guerrero to become Number One Contender only for Show to give Angle the Chokeslam after the match. On the 12/12 Smackdown, Angle met up with Lesnar at an autograph signing and said he would help get Lesnar’s suspension lifted if he helped him against Show and Lesnar said he would think about it, and Stephanie would announce that Lesnar’s suspension would be lifted at the PPV and in the main event, Show and A-Train defeated Angle and Edge in a tag match when Show pinned Angle.
 
Analysis: Our last match before the main event is our third title match of the night. Show won the title last month and looks to have a successful defense here against Angle, but the wild card is Lesnar who was no longer suspended and vowed to make an impact. Angle gets a good pop from the crowd while Show was pretty hot as a heel. The two men lock up to start with Angle going for the leg only for Show to shove him to the mat and they lock up again with Angle going behind Show, but Show takes him to the mat and works the arm until Angle escapes with a headscissors and Show quickly escapes. Angle hooks a headlock and Show whips him off as he knocks him down and Angle gets a kick in before hooking a front facelock, but Show hoists Angle onto his shoulders and Angle hits a series of back elbows as Show dumps him over the top onto Heyman on the floor. Show looks to check on Heyman as Angle gets in the ring and he dumps Show over the top to the floor, and Angle goes out to the apron and goes up to the middle rope only for Show to catch him on a leap and he hotshots him on the barricade. He pounds on Angle and throws him back into the ring as Angle charges only for Show to grab him by the throat, and he throws Angle over the top to the floor and Angle gets on the apron as Show slings him back into the ring. He hits a clothesline on Angle and pounds on him as he chokes him with his boot in the corner and hits a suplex for a two count, and Angle gets a kick in and tries to battle back only for Show to hit a sidewalk slam for a two count and he hits a headbutt. He chokes Angle on the ropes and Angle catches him with a jawbreaker as he pounds on him and ducks a shot, and he catches Angle on a crossbody attempt and hits the Final Cut for a two count as he pounds on him and hooks a bearhug on. Angle bites Show in the face to escape the hold and pounds on him as Show blocks a whip and Angle kicks at him, and Show reverses a whip into the corner and Angle catches him with a back elbow as he leaps on Show’s back and hooks a submission on. He takes Show to a knee and keeps the hold on as Show fights to his feet and escapes the hold by snapping Angle to the mat, and Angle gets a kick in and goes up to the middle rope as he hits a tornado DDT on Show and he fires up on him. Show shoves Angle to the mat and Angle ducks a shot as he hits a dropkick to the knee and pounds on Show, and he kicks Show in the face and goes up top as he hits a missile dropkick for a two count and Show gets a knee in. He whips Angle into the corner and Angle leaps up top as he hits a moonsault on Show for a two count and Show blocks a whip with a clothesline, and he hoists Angle up for a powerbomb though Angle escapes by pounding on Show and he ducks a shot as he escapes a tilt-a-whirl. He hits the Angle Slam on Show for a two count and hooks the Ankle Lock on as Show rolls through and grabs Angle by the throat, and Angle counters the Chokeslam by hooking a rollup and then he hooks the Ankle Lock on as Show kicks him off with Angle taking out the ref. Heyman throws a chair into the ring and Show goes for it only for Angle to get a kick in and he grabs the chair, and Show blocks a swing with a punch only for Angle to hit him in the head on the second try for a two count with Show throwing Angle onto the ref. Angle hooks the Ankle Lock back on and Show taps out though the ref is still down as A-Train runs down to the ring and nails Angle, and he hoists him onto his shoulder and hits a modified backbreaker before leaving the ring and heading into the crowd. Show grabs Angle by the throat and hits the Chokeslam as Brock Lesnar runs down to the ring and kicks at Show, and he hoists him onto his shoulders and hits the F-5 before chasing Heyman to the back as Angle gets the three and we have a new champion. The match itself was good as both men worked hard and put on a solid title match. Angle was hitting his stride by this point while Show was back into a groove as well, and they had good chemistry as Lesnar makes the difference and helps Angle get the win. The crowd was into the match and popped for Angle when he won. Angle gets the win over Show and is the new WWE Champion as both men move on. Grade: 3
 
We see a shot outside the World and we go inside where Rob Van Dam is as he says that the main event will be a classic and he thinks Michaels has Triple H’s number, and he says that no one loves seeing Triple H get his ass beat more than him.
 
We see the buildup to the main event.
 
7. Triple H defeats Shawn Michaels in a 2-out-of-3 Falls match to win the World Heavyweight Championship.
 
Decisions:
1. Triple H pins Michales in a Street Fight at 20:35.
2. Michaels pins Triple H in a Steel Cage match at 31:05.
3. Triple H retrieves the belt in a Ladder match at 38:33.
 
The Buildup: On the 11/18 RAW, it was revealed Triple H had suffered a crushed trachea during the Elimination Chamber and missed the show, and Michaels would cut a promo on becoming champion and said that he was wanting to see how much farther his body can go. In the main event, Rob Van Dam defeated Booker T and Chris Jericho to earn a title shot next week, and on the 11/25 RAW RVD defeated Michaels by DQ when Triple H made his return and gave RVD the Pedigree on the floor before attacking Michaels and hitting a backbreaker on a chair. On the 12/2 RAW, Triple H defeated RVD to earn a title shot at Armageddon with Michaels as the guest referee and the two brawled with Michaels hitting Sweet Chin Music on Triple H, and on the 12/9 RAW Bischoff announced that the match would be 2-out-of-3 falls and he would reveal the stipulations of each fall. Later that night, Triple H defeated Jeff Hardy in a match and he would continue attacking him after the match until Michaels made the save, and Flair would cut a promo putting Triple H over and saying Michaels needed to pass the torch to him as Michaels walked away. Michaels would then demand Triple H meet him in the parking lot at the end of the show and assaulted him as he would knock him into a dumpster, and then he would climb up onto the roof of a truck and came off with an elbow onto Triple H.
 
Analysis: After a long and interesting night of wrestling, we come to our main event. Michaels shocked the world by winning the World Title last month and looks to have a successful defense here against Triple H, who looks to win back the title here in a 2-out-of-3 falls match with a stipulation attached to each match. Michaels gets a huge pop from the crowd while Triple H was red hot as a heel as he comes out with Ric Flair though Flair quickly gets ejected. Michaels wastes no time and attacks Triple H to start the match as Triple H hooks a headlock and Michaels whips him off, and he leaps over Triple H who throws him over the top with Michaels skinning the cat back into the ring and Triple H blocks a rollup attempt. Michaels pounds on Triple H and clotheslines him over the top to the floor as Triple H tries to pull out a trash can only for Michaels to hit a baseball slide, and Michaels goes for a slingshot plancha though Triple H avoids it and Michaels barely misses hitting the can. Triple H hits a clothesline on Michaels and hotshots him on the barricade as he rams him into the barricade and chokes him with his boot, and he throws Michaels back into the ring and drapes him across the apron as he drives the elbow into Michaels’ throat and pounds on him. He grabs the can only for Michaels to kick it back at him and he hits a springboard reverse crossbody which drives the can back into Triple H, and he knocks Triple H down and pulls a table out as he sets it up at ringside and pounds on Triple H. He looks to suplex him through the table though Triple H blocks it and gets a shot in as Michaels blocks a ram into the steps, and he rams Triple H into the steps and throws him back into the ring as he grabs the can and goes up to the middle rope. Triple H catches him coming with a boot that kicks the can back in Michaels’ face and he whips Michaels into the corner only for Michaels to catch him with a boot to the face, and Michaels goes up top and hits a crossbody that Triple H rolls through for a two count and he hits a clothesline. He goes outside and pulls out a second table which he puts next to the first table as he pounds on Michaels and gets on the apron, and he looks to suplex Michaels over the top through the tables though Michaels blocks it and suplexes Triple H back into the ring for a two count. Triple H reverses a whip and Michaels ducks a shot as Triple H hits the high knee and goes outside before bringing a chair into the ring, and he pounds on Michaels in the corner and rams his shoulder into the back repeatedly as he sets the chair up. Michaels escapes a tilt-a-whirl attempt and he hits a sidewalk slam on Triple H onto the chair as he whips him hard into the corner twice, and Triple H rolls outside to regroup and Michaels comes off the apron with an elbow as he rams Triple H’s back into the apron twice. Michaels pulls out a trash can lid and both men roll back into the ring as Michaels hits Triple H in the back with the lid and looks for Sweet Chin Music, but Triple H blocks it and hits a kneebreaker on Michaels as he slams his knee into the mat and puts the can in the ring. He slams Michaels’ knee down onto the can and rolls outside as he drags Michaels to the corner and rams his knee into the post twice, and Triple H rolls back into the ring and hits a chop block on Michaels’ knee as he yanks at the leg and drops an elbow on the knee. He hooks the Figure-4 on Michaels who tries to reach for the rope only for Triple H to pull him back to the center of the ring, and Michaels turns the hold around on Triple H who quickly releases the hold and grabs the lid as he hits Michaels in the head with it for a two count. He throws Michaels to the outside and goes outside himself as he drags Michaels up the aisle and rams him into the barricade, and he pounds on Michaels and rams him into the set as he heads to the back and comes back with a 2x4 wrapped in barbed wire. He looks like he’s going to hit Michaels with it only to go back to the set and he sets the 2x4 on fire as he charges at Michaels with it, but Michaels gets a kick in and grabs the 2x4 as he hits Triple H in the head with it which busts him open and Michaels pounds on him. They head down the aisle as Michaels rams Triple H into the barricade and pounds on him while Triple H begs off, and Michaels rams him into the post and throws him back into the ring as he brings another chair into the ring and he hits Triple H in the head with the lid. Michaels sets the chair up and Triple H reverses a whip as he hits a drop toehold that sends Michaels face first into the chair, and then Triple H hits a DDT on Michaels and he looks for the Pedigree only for Michaels to hit a low blow and he hits the flying forearm. Michaels nips up though he hurts his knee doing it and Triple H hits a chop block on the knee as he hits the Pedigree which gets the three and Triple H wins the first fall, and the cage starts to come down as Triple H goes outside and pulls out a table which he slides into the ring. Triple H throws more weapons into the ring before rolling back inside as the cage is set in place and Triple H grabs a trash can, and he hits Michaels in the head with it and props the table up in the corner as Michaels blocks a ram into the table though Triple H does the same. He pounds on Michaels who reverses a whip and Triple H catches a dropkick attempt as he slingshots Michaels into the cage which busts him open, and he pounds on Michaels on the mat and grabs the can as he hits Michaels in the head with it and rakes his face across the cage. He rams Michaels into the cage and knocks him down as Michaels reverses a whip and Triple H catches him ducking with a kick, and Michaels recovers and rams Triple H into the cage twice as he hits a clothesline and Lou Thesz press before pounding on Triple H on the mat. Triple H shoves him off and climbs to the top of the cage as Michaels climbs up after him and Triple H rams him into the cage, and Triple H tries to go over the top though Michaels grabs him and climbs to the top of the cage as well. They trade blows as Flair comes back down to ringside and Triple H rams Michaels into the cage before telling Flair to set up more tables, and Flair pulls out a pair of tables and stacks them on top of the other tables at ringside as Michaels tries to climb down the cage though Triple H stops him. They trade blows with Michaels taking control and they climb back down into the ring as Michaels rams Triple H into the cage twice, and Triple H gets crotched on the top rope and Michaels sets himself on the top rope as he drops the elbow on Triple H. He sets up for Sweet Chin Music as Flair gets in the cage and grabs a chair though Michaels ducks a swing and pounds on Flair, and Triple H tries to crawl out the door though Michaels stops him as Flair grabs the chair only for Michaels to get a kick in. He grabs the chair and hits Triple H in the head with it before hitting Flair in the head with it which busts him open, and Michaels rams Flair into the cage and rakes his face across the cage as he rams him into the cage again and pounds on him in the corner. Flair attempts an atomic drop though Michaels blocks it and knocks Flair down as Triple H gets a kick in and looks for the Pedigree, but Michaels escapes with a backdrop and hits Sweet Chin Music on both Flair and Triple H before grabbing the table and setting it up. He puts Triple H on the table and climbs to the top of the cage as he comes off with a splash that puts Triple H through the table which gets the three and Michaels wins the second fall, and the cage is raised up as the belt is attached to the hook and raised above the ring while officials help Flair to the back. Michaels goes outside and grabs a ladder which he slides into the ring and sets it up in the corner as he pounds on Triple H in the other corner, and he whips Triple H into the ladder and he grabs the ladder as he jabs it into Triple H’s face and then he drops the ladder onto Triple H’s back. Michaels hits a suplex on Triple H onto the ladder and then he sets the ladder up as he climbs to the top of the ladder only to miss the splash, and then Triple H hits the Pedigree on Michaels and pulls the ladder to the center of the ring as he climbs up. Michaels grabs him and pulls him down to the mat as he hits Sweet Chin Music which sends Triple H to the outside and he climbs the ladder, but Triple H gets in the ring and tips the ladder over as Michaels crashes through the stacked tables in a nasty spot. Triple H sets the ladder up and climbs to the top as he retrieves the belt and we have a new champion. The match itself was very good as both men worked hard and put on a solid match though it was nowhere near their match at Summerslam. Michaels was slowly getting back into a groove while Triple H was hitting his stride by this point, and they still had great chemistry though again it felt like something was missing from this match and it was sad that Michaels’ reign only lasted a month though it made sense to have Triple H be the dominant force. The crowd was into the match and Michaels, but are not happy when Triple H wins. Triple H gets the win over Michaels and is the new World Champion as both men move on. Grade: 3.5
 
After the match, Triple H celebrates with the title as we go off the air.
 
Final Analysis: Overall, the final PPV of 2002 was a pretty solid show though it was quite a step down from Survivor Series. Obviously, it was going to be tough to follow how great that show was and it was also interesting that RAW had one more match on this show over Smackdown, but it was still a good way to end the year. Triple H and Angle are now the top dogs on their shows while Booker and Goldust rule the tag division and Victoria still rules the Women’s Division, and Edge, Benoit, and Batista get big wins, and in terms of the matches the main event and Benoit/Eddie were the best while the rest ranged from good to solid with nothing outright bad. 2002 has been a great year despite all the turmoil and the roster itself is pretty stacked despite some big names being gone, and we will see if they can ride the momentum going into 2003. As for this show, it is a pretty solid show to close out what was a chaotic and great year that was 2002. Final Grade: B-