Vengeance
December 9th, 2001
San Diego Sports Arena
San Diego, California
 
The Buildup: The RAW after Survivor Series, Ric Flair would make his return and reveal that he was the consortium that Shane and Stephanie McMahon sold their stock to so they could buy WCW and ECW, and as a result he and Vince McMahon were now co-owners of the WWF at a 50/50 split.
 
Sunday Night Heat:
 
1. The APA defeat “The One” Billy Gunn and Chuck Palumbo at 6:20.
 
Actual Show:
 
We see the opening video for Vengeance.
 
Your hosts are Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler.
 
Return: We last saw Jerry Lawler at No Way Out 2001 as he would work that week’s TV before quitting after his wife Stacy Carter (The Kat) was fired and he would walk out with her, and he would work the indie scene and was the color commentator for WWA’s first PPV Inception. He would work the first tapings of XWF as the color commentator as he and Carter would separate, and he would return to the WWF as he made his return the night after Survivor Series and he makes his PPV return here.
 
Vince McMahon comes down to the ring and says that for the record, last Thursday he stood in the ring and wasn’t about to kiss anyone’s ass as there is no one man big or bad enough to make him kiss anyone’s ass, and he says that he was ready to take care of business only for Steve Austin to show up on the Titantron and beat the hell out of Kurt Angle before threatening to beat him up. He says that his own partner Ric Flair came out and said that if anyone interferes in the proceedings, he would immediately suspend them and then Rock took advantage of him by shoving his face into Rikishi’s ass, and he says it was the most humiliating experience of his life and the people reacted by laughing at him. He says that this is not a cartoon or a comedy skit on TV as everyone laughed at him and no one laughs at the misfortunes of billionaires, and he says that everyone laughs when he tells them to laugh and they need to remember that he who laughs last, laughs loudest. Just then, Ric Flair comes out on the stage and says that everyone hopes we’ve seen the last of Vince because the fans came to see Vengeance, and he says that the show is about to start right now.
 
Return: We last saw Ric Flair on WWF PPV at the 1993 Royal Rumble as he would lose a career-ending match to Mr. Perfect the next night on RAW and he would work his remaining dates into February, and he would return to WCW and reformed the Four Horsemen as he would win the NWA Title in the summer from Barry Windham only to lose it to Rick Rude. He would then win the WCW Title from Vader at Starrcade and unified that with the International Title only to lose to Hulk Hogan in his debut match at Bash at the Beach, and Flair would lose a retirement match to Hogan at Halloween Havoc though would return in early 1995 by allying with Vader against Hogan. He would then feud with Arn Anderson before reforming the Horsemen again as he would win the US Title in 1996, and after the New World Order formed Flair would turn face and feuded with them until he was taken off TV in 1998 after disagreements with Eric Bischoff. He would return at the end of the year and became the President of WCW after defeating Bischoff in a match, and he would turn heel and won the WCW Title a few more times until the reboot in 2000 where he joined the Millionaire’s Club. He would feud with Shane Douglas and Vince Russo while winning the WCW Title one more time before being taken off TV, and he would return at the end of the year as the new owner of WCW as he formed the Magnificent Seven and feuded with the top faces. He would be there until WCW closed as he would face Sting in the main event of the final Nitro and he would take time off to heal up, and he would return to the WWF on the RAW after Survivor Series as the new co-owner and he makes his PPV return here.
 
1. Scotty 2 Hotty and Albert defeat Christian and Test when Albert pins Christian at 6:19.
 
The Buildup: On the 11/22 Smackdown, Test would defeat Scotty in a match and on the 11/26 RAW, Scotty and Albert would save Edge from an attack by Test, and on the 11/29 Smackdown Christian would retain the European Title over Scotty when Test took out Albert and helped Christian win. On the 12/3 RAW, Albert defeated Test in a match thanks to Scotty and on the 12/6 Smackdown, Test and Christian defeated Scotty and Albert in a tag match.
 
Analysis: We kick off the last PPV of 2001 with our first tag match of the night. These two teams have been going at it for the last few weeks and face off here to settle their issues. Scotty and Albert get a good pop from the crowd while Christian and Test had solid heat as a heel. The two teams waste no time and brawl on the outside to start the match as Scotty throws Christian into the ring and Christian nails him coming in, and Test reverses a whip and sends Albert into the apron as Christian pounds on Scotty who reverses a whip and Christian slides under him. He goes behind Scotty who hits a pair of back elbows and he flips over Christian’s back as he knocks him down and hits a drop toehold, and Test tags in and Scotty slides under him as Albert tags in and pounds on Test before knocking him down. He hits a big splash on Test for a two count as Christian breaks it up and Albert shoves him off the apron to the floor, and Scotty tags in and they whip Test into the corner as Scotty pounds on him until Christian hotshots him on the top rope. Test hits a clothesline on Scotty and pounds on him on the mat as Christian tags in and he pounds on Scotty before hitting a slam, and he stomps on Scotty repeatedly and pounds on him on the mat as he chokes him and rams him into the buckle. Test comes in and they stomp on Scotty repeatedly in the corner as Test rams him into the buckle and whips him into the corner before splashing him for a two count, and Christian tags in and pounds on Scotty in the corner as he chokes him with his boot and tags Test who rams Scotty into the buckle. He pounds on Scotty in the corner and whips him into the other corner as Scotty catches him with a back elbow, and he ducks a shot and Test catches a superkick attempt as Scotty ducks another shot and hits the superkick on Test. Albert gets the hot tag and hits a clothesline on Christian as he knocks him down and ducks a shot before pounding on Test, and he hits a headbutt and whips Test into the corner before whipping Christian into Test and he splashes both men. He trips Christian up and does a giant swing as he catches Test with a back elbow and gets a two count on Christian, and Test and Christian pound on Albert who hits a double clothesline and he looks to grab Christian only for Test to trip him up from the floor. He pulls him outside as Scotty gets in the ring only for Christian to duck a shot and he hits an inverted DDT, and he mocks Scotty as Albert gets in the ring though Christian avoids the pump kick and looks for the Unprettier. Albert escapes by putting Christian onto his shoulders though Christian slides off and Test hits the big boot on Albert, and Christian gets a two count as Scotty breaks it up and Test pounds on him before hooking him from behind. Christian charges only for Scotty and Test to backdrop him over the top to the floor and Scotty hits a pair of back elbows, and he hits the bulldog on Test and does the Worm as he drops an elbow on him only for Christian to get in the ring. He ducks a shot and looks for the Unprettier only for Albert to get in the ring and he grabs Christian as he hits the Baldo Bomb 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 solid tag match. Scotty and Albert were gelling well as a team as were Christian and Test, and they had decent chemistry as Scotty and Albert get the clean win. The crowd was into the match and popped for Scotty and Albert when they won. Scotty and Albert get the win over Christian and Test as both teams move on. Grade: 2
 
Jonathan Coachman interviews William Regal, who says that his methods are successful and Edge is a Superstar, but he’s been fighting for a living since he’s been 15 years old and Edge made a mistake by incurring his wrath as he will win the IC Title tonight.
 
2. Edge pins William Regal with the spear at 9:09 to retain the WWF Intercontinental Championship.
 
The Buildup: On the 11/19 RAW, Vince McMahon announced the creation of the Kiss My Ass Club as he said one member of the Alliance would be the first member of the club to get their job back, and Regal would come out and kiss Vince’s ass to earn his job back. On the 11/26 RAW, Regal would start utilizing brass knuckles during his matches as he used them to defeat the Big Show, and on the 11/29 Smackdown Regal would cost Edge a match against Kurt Angle only for Edge to come out later that night and save Austin from Angle and Regal. On the 12/3 RAW, Edge attacked Regal on the stage after Regal’s match as this match was made and on the 12/6 Smackdown, Edge, the Big Show, and Kane defeated Regal and the Dudley Boyz in a 6-man tag match.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is our first title match of the night. Edge has been rolling as IC Champion and faces a tough challenge here in Regal, who was cruising in the midcard and looks to become champion here. Edge gets a good pop from the crowd while Regal was pretty hot as a heel. The two men lock up to start with Edge backing Regal into the corner as they jockey for position until the ref forces a break, and they lock up again and jockey for position as the ref again calls for the break only for Regal to get a shot in. Edge hits a clothesline and a back elbow on Regal as he goes up to the middle rope and hits a missile dropkick on Regal, and Regal rolls outside to regroup and Edge goes after him as Regal gets a kick in and he sends Edge into the post. He bounces Edge off the ropes and kicks at him as he throws him back into the ring and continues to kick at him, and he pounds on Edge who reverses a whip into the corner and he hits a backdrop on Regal for a two count. Regal reverses a whip and knocks Edge down for a two count as he rams the knees into Edge’s head repeatedly and knocks him down, but Edge blocks a shot and grabs the arm until Regal goes behind and Edge escapes as he attempts a sunset flip. Regal pulls him up by the hair and uses his knee to drive Edge’s head into the mat for a two count as Edge hooks a small package for a two count, and Regal gets a knee in and hits a running kneelift for a series of two counts as he drives his knees into Edge’s face. He stomps on Edge and hits a suplex for a two count as Edge blocks a kick and gets a kick in himself as he hits a swinging neckbreaker, and he hits a clothesline on Regal and pounds on him as Regal reverses a whip and Edge avoids a shot before hitting the Edge-o-Matic for a two count. He pounds on Regal in the corner and puts him on the top rope as he continues to pound on him and goes up himself, and he hits a hurricanrana on Regal for a two count and goes behind him as Regal gets a back elbow in only for Edge to hit a Northern lights suplex for a two count. Regal catches him with a back elbow only for Edge to use his legs to launch Regal over the top to the floor, and Edge goes out to the apron only for Regal to avoid a dive as Edge crashes into the steps and the ref checks on him. Regal pulls out a pair of brass knuckles hidden in the apron and puts them in his tights as he throws Edge back into the ring for a two count, and he hits a double underhook powerbomb on Edge for a two count and stomps on him only for Edge to catch him with a standing enzurgiri. He ducks a shot and hooks a rollup for a two count as he hooks a backslide for a two count and Regal knocks him down, and he hits a pair of double underhook powerbombs on Edge for a two count and stomps on him repeatedly. The ref forces him back and Regal puts the brass knuckles on only for Edge to hit the spear 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. Edge was hitting his groove by this point while Regal was also hitting his groove as well, and they had decent chemistry as Edge gets a clean title defense. The crowd was into the match and popped for Edge when he won. Edge retains the title over Regal and this issue isn’t over yet. Grade: 2.5
 
We see Ric Flair in his office talking to someone on the phone about tonight as Kurt Angle comes in and repeats what Vince said earlier, and he says that Flair may be the greatest ever though he will never have an Olympic gold medal as Flair agrees with him. Angle says that Flair has also never been Undisputed Champion which he will be tonight as Flair was a multi-time World Champion, but he will be the first Undisputed Champion and Flair says he has a good shot as Angle says he will beat Austin before watching Rock and Jericho beat the crap out of each other and then he will become champion.

We see Lita warming up in her dressing room as Matt Hardy comes in and says this has been a tough time for them, and he says that he and Jeff have had her in the middle of this and this means a lot to him as he will prove he is the better wrestler of the Hardy Boyz. Lita says that she knows it’s a big night and she’s always been on his side as his girlfriend, but as the referee she has to be impartial and Matt says he’s fine with that because Jeff won’t get a chance to beat him and they should have a huge celebration tonight afterwards to put this all behind them.
 
We see the buildup to the next match.
 
3. Jeff Hardy pins Matt Hardy with the Swanton Bomb at 12:33.
 
Special Guest Referee: Lita
 
The Buildup: On the 11/19 RAW, Lita would lose a Women’s Title match to Trish Stratus after Matt put Lita back in the ring while she was groggy, and on the 11/22 Smackdown Matt confronted Jeff about what happened at Survivor Series and called him selfish as Lita called Matt selfish in their relationship. On the 11/26 RAW, Jeff would lose a European Title match to Christian and Matt confronted him after the match though Lita would call Matt selfish, and on the 11/29 Smackdown the Hardyz argued after a loss with Jeff challenging Matt to a match at the PPV. On the 12/3 RAW, the Hardyz defeated Spike Dudley and Tajiri in a match despite miscommunication and they would argue after the match, and Lita would try to calm them down only to get shoved down by both men and Matt would force Lita to be the referee for the match to prove she wasn’t taking sides. On the 12/6 Smackdown, Jeff and Matt had one more confrontation as Matt continued to call Jeff selfish and that Lita would show whose side she is on.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is a pretty big matchup. After being one of the best teams of the last few years, the Hardyz now face off against each other to settle their issues with the wildcard being Lita as the ref. Both men and Lita get a good pop from the crowd though they side more with Jeff over Matt. The two men lock up to start with Matt hooking a headlock and Jeff escapes as they engage in a test of strength, and Jeff goes behind Matt and works the arm as Matt turns it around and trips Jeff up before walking across his back. They lock up again with Matt going back to the headlock and he knocks Jeff down as he blocks a hiptoss attempt only for Jeff to hit an armdrag and he works on the arm, and Matt tries to escape with an armdrag though Jeff hangs on and continues to work the arm as Matt fights to his feet. He counters a whip with a back elbow on Jeff and he hits a slam as he drops a fist on him for a two count, and he rams Jeff into the buckle and pounds on him in the corner as Jeff turns it around and pounds on Matt who gets a shot in. He hotshots Jeff on the top rope and hits a hooking clothesline for a two count as Jeff tries to battle back, but Matt hooks a sleeper on until Jeff escapes by whipping him off and he hooks a sleeper of his own on Matt who escapes with a back suplex. He goes up to the middle rope only to miss the legdrop and Jeff hits a jawbreaker on Matt as he hits a flying clothesline, and he kicks at Matt in the corner and Matt reverses a whip into the other corner as Jeff catches him with a boot to the face. He goes up to the middle rope and hits a legdrop on Matt for a two count as Matt reverses a whip and Jeff goes up top, but Matt crotches him on the top rope and puts him in the tree of woe as he stomps on him repeatedly until Lita frees Jeff. Matt hooks a rollup for a two count and sends Jeff over the top with Jeff landing on the apron as Matt gets a shoulder in, and he attempts a slingshot sunset flip powerbomb though Jeff holds the ropes and hits a hurricanrana on Matt on the floor. He throws Matt back into the ring and gets a shot in as he does a slingshot flip over Matt’s back though seemingly hurts his knee, and Matt stomps on him repeatedly and hits a chop block on the knee as he pulls at it repeatedly and slams down on it twice. He gets a kick in only for Jeff to escape a piledriver attempt as he hits a Russian legsweep on Matt and hooks a rollup for a two count, and Matt hooks a single leg Boston crab on Jeff who grabs the rope to force a break and Matt grabs the leg as he trips Jeff up. He looks for the Figure-4 only for Jeff to shove him off through the ropes to the floor and he hits a baseball slide, and he attempts a slingshot plancha though is in too much pain and Matt rolls back into the ring as he grabs the leg only for Jeff to hit a modified enzurgiri. They trade blows until Matt ducks a shot and gets a kick in as he looks for the Twist of Fate only for Jeff to trip him up, and he hits a legdrop to the groin and then he hits a back suplex on Matt as he goes up top though Matt nails him first. He tosses Jeff off the top to the mat and gets a kick in though Jeff again blocks the Twist of Fate by shoving Matt off and he gets a kick in, and Matt escapes a Twist of Fate attempt and hooks a backslide for a two count as Jeff gets a pair of kicks in. He attempts a piledriver which Matt escapes with a backdrop though Jeff attempts a sunset flip and Matt sits on him while using the ropes for leverage, but Lita catches him and Matt argues with her as Jeff hooks a rollup for a two count and Matt hits a clothesline. He stomps on Jeff repeatedly and sends him to the outside as he pulls him onto the apron though Jeff blocks a ram into the buckle, and he rams Matt into the buckle and goes up top though Matt nails him first as he goes up himself and looks for the Twist of Fate. Jeff blocks it and slams Matt to the mat as he sets himself on the top rope and hits the Swanton Bomb which gets the three and he wins the match though Matt had his foot on the rope which Lita missed. The match itself was decent as both men worked hard and put on a solid, if disappointing match. Obviously, they were one of the best teams ever though as opponents, they didn’t have the best chemistry and Lita did call it down the middle until she missed Matt having his foot on the rope. The crowd was into the match and popped for Jeff when he won. Jeff gets the win over Matt though this issue isn’t over yet. Grade: 2.5
 
We see a shot outside the San Diego Sports Arena.
 
We see Trish Stratus go into the Rock’s dressing room and says that it was great what Rock did to Vince on Smackdown last week, and Rock says he appreciates it and she wanted to wish him luck tonight as she gives him a kiss on the cheek. She goes to leave though Rock stops her and says all he is focused on tonight is becoming Undisputed Champion, and he says that after tonight and they walk out champions then there will be plenty of time for Stratus to smell what he is cooking.
 
4. The Dudley Boyz (w/ Stacy Keibler) defeat Kane and the Big Show when Bubba Ray pins Show at 6:50 to retain the WWF Tag Team Championships.
 
The Buildup: On the 11/29 Smackdown, Kane and Show defeated the Hardy Boyz to earn a title shot at the PPV and on the 12/3 RAW, Kane defeated Bubba in a match and the Dudleyz would give Kane the 3-D until Show made the save. On the 12/6 Smackdown, Show, Kane, and Edge defeated the Dudleyz and William Regal in a 6-man tag match.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is our second title match of the night. The Dudleyz have been rolling as tag champions and face a tough challenge here in Kane and Show, who were thrown together as a makeshift team and look to become champions here. Kane and Show get a good pop from the crowd while the Dudleyz were pretty hot as heels. Kane starts off the match with D-Von who ducks a shot and he pounds on Kane as he ducks a shot and Kane hoists him onto his shoulder, but D-Von slides off and Kane blocks a rollup attempt as he hits a big boot on D-Von and a backdrop on Bubba. He hits a double clothesline on the Dudleyz who roll outside and Kane tosses Bubba over the top back into the ring, and Show tags in and pounds on Bubba as he hits a powerslam for a two count and Bubba holds the ropes on a whip attempt. D-Von refuses to tag in and Show works on Bubba’s arm until Bubba rakes the eyes and tags D-Von only for Show to catch him in a sidewalk slam for a two count, and he whips D-Von into the corner and splashes him as he squashes him repeatedly and he hits a clothesline on Bubba which knocks him to the floor. He hits a headbutt on D-Von which sends him to the outside and Kane throws D-Von back into the ring, and Show whips D-Von into the corner as Kane gets in the ring and Show whips him into D-Von in the corner. Bubba rolls back into the ring and Show whips Kane into him in the corner as Kane whips Bubba into D-Von in the other corner, and Show splashes both men in the corner as Kane sends Bubba over the top to the floor and Show sends D-Von over the top to the floor. Kane goes up top and hits a crossbody onto the Dudleyz on the floor as Keibler gets in the ring and looks on, but then Show comes up behind her and pulls her skirt down as he then puts her over his knee and he spanks her as she rolls out of the ring. Kane throws D-Von back into the ring and D-Von ducks a shot as Bubba gets in the ring and they hit a double team on Kane, and D-Von pounds on Kane who reverses a whip into the corner and he grabs D-Von by the throat as he hoists him up in a choke. Bubba kicks at Kane’s knee and D-Von falls on top of him as Bubba holds Kane’s legs up while D-Von goes up top, and he hits the diving headbutt to Kane’s groin and Bubba pounds on him as Kane tries to battle back until D-Von grabs at his hair from the apron. Kane grabs D-Von by the throat and Bubba splashes him in the corner as D-Von tags in and they hit a double flapjack on Kane, and they knock Show off the apron to the floor and look for the 3-D on Kane who hits a big boot on D-Von and a clothesline on Bubba. Show gets the hot tag and hits a series of clotheslines on the Dudleyz as he hits a back elbow on Bubba and a backdrop on D-Von, and he splashes Bubba in the corner and grabs D-Von by the throat only for Bubba to hit a chop block on Show’s knee. Kane comes in and pounds on both men until D-Von sends him over the top to the floor and Show nails both men, and Kane goes up top only for D-Von to avoid the flying clothesline as Kane nails Show by mistake and he hits a clothesline on D-Von. Bubba gets a two count as Kane breaks it up and he tosses Bubba to the outside as he and Show argue until the Dudleyz nail them, and Kane and Show battle back as Kane clotheslines D-Von over the top to the floor and Show hits a big boot on Bubba. He charges only for Bubba to avoid him and Show knocks Kane off the apron as Keibler laughs at him and Show pulls her onto the apron, and D-Von goes up top and hotshots Show on the top rope as Bubba takes the padding off the buckle and D-Von gets in the ring. They hoist Show up and hotshot him on the exposed buckle as Bubba gets the three and they retain the titles. The match itself was decent as both teams worked hard and put on a basic title match. The Dudleyz were hitting their peak as a team while Kane and Show looked decent as a team, and they had decent chemistry as the Dudleyz get a clean title defense. The crowd was into the match and Kane and Show, but are not happy when the Dudleyz win. The Dudleyz retain the titles over Kane and Show as both teams move on. Grade: 2
 
We see Matt Hardy getting his stuff together as Lita tries to apologize saying she didn’t see his foot on the rope, and she says she wants to talk though he walks away without saying anything.
 
We see the buildup to the next match.
 
5. The Undertaker pins Rob Van Dam with a chokeslam off the stage at 11:06 to win the WWF Hardcore Championship.
 
The Buildup/Heel Turn: On the 11/22 Smackdown, Taker confronted Vince about not being respected after 11 years as Vince put him in a match with Angle, but Taker would walk out of the match after Vince tried to attack him with a chair. On the 11/26 RAW, Vince and Angle would try and force Jim Ross to kiss ass though Taker would make the save and talk about being forced to kiss Vince’s ass for 11 years, but then he would attack Ross and force him to kiss Vince’s ass which turned him heel. On the 11/29 Smackdown, Vince told RVD he would defend the Hardcore Title at the PPV against Taker who would attack RVD after his match and said RVD would respect him, and on the 12/6 Smackdown Taker attacked RVD after his match though RVD would return the favor when he hit Taker in the head with a chair after his match.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is our third title match of the night. RVD has been rolling as Hardcore Champion and faces his toughest challenge yet in Taker, who was sporting a new attitude and looks to become champion. RVD gets a big pop from the crowd while Taker gets a mixed reaction from the crowd. The two men lock up to start with Taker shoving RVD to the mat and RVD ducks a shot as he kicks and pounds on Taker in the corner, but Taker grabs him by the throat and tosses him into the corner as RVD ducks a shot and gets a kick in before ramming the shoulder into Taker’s ribs repeatedly. He does a backflip and Taker catches him with a boot to the face as he drops an elbow on RVD for a two count and whips him into the corner, but RVD catches him with a back elbow and goes up top as he hits a somersault senton on Taker for a two count. He kicks at Taker and hits a spin kick for a two count as he kicks at him again and hooks a headlock only for Taker to pick him up and crotch him on the top rope, and he hits a big boot that knocks RVD to the floor and he goes outside as well as he rams RVD into the steps. He pounds on RVD and hoists him onto his shoulder though RVD slides off and he sends Taker into the post, and he hits a side kick on Taker and pounds on him as he kicks at him repeatedly and clotheslines him over the barricade into the crowd. RVD leaps onto the barricade only for Taker to nail him coming in and he drags him through the crowd as he rams him into the wall, and he pounds on RVD and grabs a flag from a fan as he chokes RVD with it though RVD catches him with a kick. He leaps onto the wall and hits a moonsault on Taker for a two count as he pounds on him until Taker gets a knee in, and he sends RVD into a set of guardrails and he drives the guardrails down onto RVD’s face as he rams him into a set of equipment. He pounds on RVD and grabs a chair only for RVD to spray Taker with a fire extinguisher and he hits Taker in the ribs with the extinguisher twice, and he kicks Taker in the head and stomps on him as he grabs a trash can and hits Taker in the head with it. He goes up the steps and climbs onto the ledge as he hits a crossbody onto Taker for a two count and he rams him into part of the stage, and he kicks at Taker and pounds on him as they climb up the steps and RVD knocks him down before stomping on him for a two count. He chokes him as they go out to the stage and RVD hits Taker in the back with a trash can lid before hitting a spinning legdrop for a two count, but Taker tears at RVD’s face and hits a headbutt as he stomps on him and hoists him onto his shoulder before ramming him into the set. He sets RVD up for the Last Ride only for RVD to grab the set to block it and he kicks at Taker repeatedly, and RVD climbs down to the stage only for Taker to knock him down and he grabs a chair though RVD catches him with a kick. He stomps on Taker and kicks at him as he hits the Rolling Thunder for a two count and he grabs the chair, and he hits a running dropkick that drives the chair into Taker’s face for a two count and he tosses the chair to Taker who avoids the Van Daminator with RVD kicking the set. Taker hits RVD in the back with the chair twice and hoists him onto his shoulder though RVD slides off and he kicks Taker in the back as Taker nearly goes off the stage, and RVD grabs the chair and tosses it to Taker who ducks the Van Daminator and he grabs RVD by the throat. He hits a chokeslam off the stage through a pair of tables on the floor which 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. RVD was hitting his groove by this point while Taker was getting back into a groove as well, and they had good chemistry as Taker gets the surprise win to become champion. The crowd was into the match and RVD, but are not happy when Taker wins. Taker gets the win over RVD and is the new Hardcore Champion as both men move on. Grade: 3
 
We see Ric Flair in his office as Chris Jericho comes in and says Flair has to deal with him as Flair has all the confidence in the world, and he says that Flair and everyone don’t think he can become champion as he says he’s beaten Rock twice and he will do it a third time tonight as he will become Undisputed Champion. He says that it will be all about him after tonight and Flair says if Jericho can pull it off, he will become the man and Jericho says that tomorrow night on RAW, Flair can present him with the Undisputed Championship and Flair says he will crown the champion tomorrow night regardless of who it is.
 
6. Trish Stratus pins Jacqueline with a backslide at 3:36 to retain the WWF Women’s Championship.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is our fourth title match of the night. Stratus has been rolling as Women’s Champion and faces a tough challenge here in Jacqueline, who was cruising in the Women’s Division and looks to become champion again. Stratus gets a good pop from the crowd while Jacqueline gets a decent pop from the crowd as well. The two women lock up to start with Jacqueline backing Stratus into the ropes and she gives a clean break, and they lock up again with Stratus hooking a headlock and she knocks Jacqueline down only for Jacqueline to hook a rollup for a two count. She pounds on Stratus and hits a backdrop as Stratus catches her ducking with a kick and she kicks Jacqueline to the mat, and Jacqueline shoves Stratus and the ref aside as she is favoring her arm though she knocks Stratus down. She stomps on Stratus repeatedly and pounds on her on the mat as she hits a pair of slams only for Stratus to hit a short clothesline for a two count, but Jacqueline blocks a kick and hits a legsweep on Stratus as she whips her into the corner only to miss a charge. Stratus hooks a rollup for a two count and Jacqueline hits a clothesline as she hits another backdrop on Stratus, and Stratus escapes a back suplex attempt only for Jacqueline to catch her with a back elbow and Stratus ducks a shot. She pounds on Jacqueline and attempts a springboard bulldog only for Jacqueline to toss her to the mat, and she hits a low dropkick to the back of Stratus’ head for a two count and kicks at her repeatedly as she whips her into the corner. Both women clock heads and Stratus hooks a backslide which gets the three and she retains the title. The match itself was decent as both women worked hard and put on a basic title match. Stratus was slowly getting into a groove by this point while Jacqueline was still pretty serviceable, and they had decent 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 Jacqueline and both women move on. Grade: 1
 
After the match, Jacqueline offers a handshake which Stratus accepts and she celebrates with the title.
 
We see highlights from Smackdown 3 nights ago.
 
We see a shot outside WWF New York and we go inside where Rikishi is as he says that it was his pleasure and he thought he would have Vince’s head surgically removed from his ass, and he says that Vince has been demeaning people though now the Kiss My Ass Club is closed and he is ready to back his ass up again.
 
We see the buildup to the main events.
 
7. Stone Cold Steve Austin pins Kurt Angle with the Stunner at 15:01 to retain the WWF Championship.
 
The Buildup/Face Turn/Heel Turn: On the 11/19 RAW, Vince McMahon would brag about winning the Invasion as he would ultimately fire Paul Heyman, Shane, and Stephanie and later that night, he would attempt to strip Austin of the WWF Title and award it to Angle only for Ric Flair to interrupt and revealed he and Vince were partners as he gave the title back to Austin. On the 11/22 Smackdown, Flair announced a unification title match between Austin and Rock at the PPV only for Vince to come out, and he would propose a mini tournament with Austin facing Angle and Rock facing Jericho with the winners facing each other to determine the Undisputed Champion which Flair agreed to. Later that night, William Regal confronted Austin which led to Austin being beaten down by Regal, the Dudleyz, Christian, and Test, and on the 11/26 RAW Vince tried to force Austin to kiss his ass though Austin would give him a low blow and he whipped Vince’s ass with his belt. On the 11/29 Smackdown, Austin would defeat Regal in a strap match and Angle would attack Austin after the match only for Edge to make the save, and on the 12/3 RAW Austin would defeat Jericho only for Booker T to make an appearance backstage as he stole Austin’s truck. Later that night, Rock and Trish Stratus would defeat Angle and Vince McMahon thanks to Austin and on the 12/6 Smackdown, Austin and Rock defeated Angle and Jericho in a tag match and they would toast the belts after the match.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is the first of the triple main event. These two men have been going at it for the last few months and face off here to finally settle their issues while seeing who will go to the main event as WWF Champion. Austin gets a huge pop from the crowd while Angle was red hot as a heel. The two men have a staredown to start the match and they lock up with Angle backing Austin into the corner and Austin turns it around, and they jockey for position until the ref forces a clean break and they lock up again with Angle again backing Austin into the corner and the ref forces the break. They lock up a third time with Austin getting a knee in and he pounds on Angle as he stomps on him repeatedly, and he pounds on Angle who holds the ropes on a whip and rolls outside to regroup before returning to the ring. They lock up with Angle going behind Austin and he takes him to the mat as he rides him until Austin rolls outside to regroup, and he returns to the ring and flips Angle off as they lock up with Angle going behind Austin again until Austin works the arm. Angle turns it around and hooks a headlock as he knocks Austin down only for Austin to hit a back elbow, and he stomps on Angle’s hand and pounds on him as Angle catches a kick attempt and looks for the Ankle Lock though Austin quickly escapes. He pounds on Angle who ducks a shot as he goes behind Austin who blocks a German suplex by going back to the arm, and Angle turns it around until Austin rakes the eyes and he chokes Angle on the ropes as he wraps his arm around the rope and pounds on it. Angle battles back until Austin reverses a whip and he sends Angle over the top to the floor before going outside himself, and he rams Angle into the post repeatedly and gets a knee in as he rams Angle into the steps and throws him back into the ring. Angle stomps on him coming in and pounds on him as Austin catches him ducking with an armbreaker for a two count, and he rams Angle into the buckle and pounds on him in the corner as Angle reverses a whip and Austin ducks a shot. He goes behind Angle who rolls through and he hooks the Ankle Lock on as Austin reaches for the rope only for Angle to pull him back to the center of the ring, and Austin manages to reach the rope to force a break and Angle pounds on him until Austin backdrops him over the top to the floor. Austin rolls outside and rams Angle into the announce table twice as he pounds on him and throws him back into the ring, but Angle rolls back outside and trips Austin up as he rams his knee into the post repeatedly and pounds on him. He hooks the Figure-4 on the post and rolls back into the ring as he hooks the Ankle Lock back on until Austin kicks him off, and Angle hits a belly-to-belly suplex on Austin who tries to battle back only for Angle to rake the eyes and he rams Austin into the buckle. He pounds on Austin in the corner and stomps on him repeatedly as Austin battles back on Angle who reverses a whip into the other corner, and he hits a trio of German suplexes on Austin for a two count and stomps on him repeatedly before going up top only to miss the moonsault. Austin hits a pair of clotheslines on Angle who ducks a shot and Austin hits the Lou Thesz Press before pounding on Angle on the mat, and he hits a spinebuster on Angle for a two count and Angle rakes the eyes as he pounds on Austin who ducks a shot and he hits a pair of German suplexes. Angle blocks a third one with a series of back elbows though Austin ducks a shot and hits another trio of German suplexes on Angle for a two count, and Angle tries to get out of the ring and Austin grabs at him only for Angle to hit a low blow and he hits the Angle Slam for a two count. He gets a kick in though Austin blocks the Stunner by shoving him off as he gets a kick in and hits the Stunner on Angle which gets the three and he retains the title. The match itself was really good as both men worked hard and put on a solid match that was not up to their previous matches. Both men were hitting their stride by this point and still had great chemistry though as I said, this didn’t reach the levels of their previous matches and Austin gets the clean win. The crowd was into the match and popped for Austin when he won. Austin retains the title over Angle and now waits to see who he will face to determine the Undisputed Champion. Grade: 3.5
 
We see Trish Stratus doing her makeup in her dressing room as Test barges in and says that last week, she gave Rock a thank you kiss and he thought he would make her the luckiest girl on the planet by giving her a congratulatory kiss. He says that she is lucky to get a chance to touch someone like him as she is like every other chick and once she has Test, she can forget the rest though she just laughs at him and he calls her a tease as he says she can’t get him fired and she shoves him out of her dressing room.
 
8. Chris Jericho pins the Rock with the Rock Bottom at 19:05 to win the World Championship.
 
The Buildup/Heel Turn: On the 11/19 RAW, Vince announced the WCW Championship would now be known as the World Title and that night, Rock would retain the title over Kurt Angle only for Jericho to attack Rock after the match which officially turned him heel. On the 11/22 Smackdown, Jericho and the Dudley Boyz defeated Rock and Rob Van Dam in a handicap match when Jericho pinned Rock, and on the 11/26 RAW Rock and Kane would defeat Jericho and Angle in a tag match. On the 11/29 Smackdown, Vince tried to force Trish Stratus to join the Kiss My Ass Club until Rock made the save and attacked Vince until Jericho attacked Rock with a chair, and on the 12/3 RAW Jericho cut a promo vowing to become Undisputed Champion though he would lose a match to Austin that night. Later that night, Rock and Stratus defeated Vince and Angle in a tag match where Vince would be forced to kiss Rock’s ass or risk Angle being removed from the tournament, and on the 12/6 Smackdown Rock would tease Vince kissing his ass as well as Jim Ross’ and Stratus’ only to bring Rikishi out and he shoved Vince’s face in Rikishi’s ass. Later that night, Rock and Austin defeated Jericho and Angle in a tag match and would toast the belts after the match.
 
Analysis: Our last match before the main event is our second of the triple main event. These two men have been in a heated feud for the last two months and face off here to settle their issues while also seeing who will face Austin to determine the Undisputed Champion. Rock gets a huge pop from the crowd while Jericho was red hot as a heel. The two men lock up to start with Rock hooking a headlock and he knocks Jericho down as Jericho leaps over him and Rock hits a pair of armdrags, and he works on Jericho’s arm who rolls through and takes control on Rock’s arm before hooking a headlock. He knocks Rock down and Rock leaps over him as he knocks Jericho down and stops him from leaving the ring, and he rams Jericho into the buckle and whips him into the corner as he hits a clothesline and Jericho reverses a whip before hitting a spin kick on Rock. Rock rolls outside to regroup and gets on the apron as Jericho hits a missile dropkick that sends Rock back to the floor, and Jericho goes outside and pounds on Rock as he rams him into the announce table twice only for Rock to then ram Jericho into the table twice. Jericho blocks a ram into the steps and he rams Rock into the steps as he throws him back into the ring and goes up top, and he hits a back elbow on Rock for a two count and pounds on him on the mat as he hits a suplex and puts a foot on his chest. He kicks at Rock and chokes him on the ropes as he pounds on him and Rock ducks two shots before hitting a flying clothesline for a two count, and Jericho counters a whip and ducks a shot as he hits a back suplex on Rock for a two count and then he hits a clothesline for a two count. He rams Rock into the buckle and stomps on him repeatedly in the corner as he slaps him in the face and Rock reverses a whip, and Jericho catches him ducking with a kick only for Rock to hit a belly-to-belly suplex and a Samoan drop on Jericho for a two count. He pounds on Jericho who reverses a whip and he hooks a sleeper on Rock as he takes him to the mat and grinds down on him, and Rock fights to his feet and breaks the hold as he pounds on Jericho who catches him with a back elbow and Rock avoids the Lionsault as Jericho lands on his feet. Rock pounds on Jericho who ducks a shot and he hits the running bulldog before hitting the Lionsault for a two count, and he argues with the ref and hits a suplex on Rock as he goes up top only for Rock to crotch him on the top rope. He pounds on Jericho and goes up himself as Jericho blocks a superplex attempt by shoving Rock to the mat, and he sets himself on the top rope and hits a crossbody as Rock rolls through for a two count and Jericho hits a clothesline. He stomps on Rock repeatedly and pounds on him in the corner as he whips Rock into the other corner only for Rock to avoid a charge as Jericho hits the post, and he tumbles over the top to the floor and Rock goes outside as well only for Jericho to hotshot him on the barricade. He trips Rock up and slingshots him into the post as he clears off the announce table and pounds on Rock, and he rams Rock into the table and pulls him onto it as he slaps him in the face and looks for the Rock Bottom though Rock blocks it with a series of back elbows. He hits a DDT which puts Jericho through the table and pounds on him as he throws him back into the ring and looks for the Rock Bottom, but Jericho blocks it with a series of back elbows and he hits the inverted Russian legsweep before hitting a senton on Rock. He mocks Rock by going for the People’s Elbow though Rock trips him up and hooks the Sharpshooter on Jericho, but Jericho quickly escapes and hooks a Sharpshooter of his own on Rock who grabs the rope to force a break. Jericho pulls Rock to the center of the ring only for Rock to hook a small package for a two count and then he hits the Rock Bottom, but then Vince McMahon runs down to the ring and gets on the apron to distract the ref only for Rock to knock him to the floor. He catches Jericho in the spinebuster and looks for the People’s Elbow as Vince gets on the apron again and Rock pulls him into the ring, and he hits the People’s Elbow on Jericho and pounds on Vince in the corner only for Jericho to hit a low blow and the Rock Bottom on Rock which gets the three and we have a new champion. The match itself was great as both men worked hard and put on a really good title match. Both men were hitting their stride by this point and still had great chemistry as this is up there with their other matches, but Vince makes the difference as he helps Jericho get the win over Rock. The crowd was into the match and Rock, but are not happy when Jericho wins. Jericho steals the win over Rock and is the new World Champion, but gets no rest as it’s time to determine the Undisputed Champion. Grade: 4
 
9. Chris Jericho pins Stone Cold Steve Austin after a belt shot from Booker T at 12:37 to become the Undisputed WWF Champion.
 
Analysis: After a long and interesting night of wrestling, we come to our main event. Austin and Jericho survived their matches to come into this match as champions and now they will face off to crown the first Undisputed Champion. Austin gets a big pop from the crowd while Jericho was red hot as a heel. Austin comes right out after the last match and grabs at Jericho to start the match as he throws him into the corner and pounds on him, but then Kurt Angle comes down to the ring with a chair and he hits Austin in the head with it before getting out of the ring. Jericho goes for the pin though Rock gets in the ring and hits the Rock Bottom on Jericho before chasing Angle to the back, and Jericho recovers first and gets a two count as he stomps on Austin repeatedly and pounds on him as Austin reverses a whip and Jericho hits a flying forearm. He pounds on Austin on the mat and whips him into the corner as he splashes him and he pounds and stomps on him, but Austin hits a spear on Jericho and pounds on him on the mat as he rams him into the buckle repeatedly and gets a kick in. Jericho escapes a Stunner attempt and rolls out to the apron to regroup only for Austin to knock him to the floor, and he goes outside and pounds on Jericho as he stomps on him repeatedly and hotshots him on the barricade. He whips Jericho into the post twice and pulls the padding off the floor as Jericho gets a shot in and knocks him down, and he clears the other announce table off and pounds on Austin as he puts him on the table though Austin blocks a suplex by pounding on Jericho. Jericho blocks a kick attempt and trips Austin up as he looks for the Walls of Jericho though Austin blocks it by sending Jericho to the floor, and Austin hits a suplex on Jericho on the concrete and throws him back into the ring as he gets a pair of knees in and whips Jericho into the corner. Jericho avoids a charge by sending Austin shoulder first into the post and then he again sends Austin shoulder first into the post, and he snaps Austin’s arm on the rope repeatedly and pounds on him in the corner only for Austin to avoid a dropkick as Jericho lands on the mat. Austin slingshots Jericho into the corner and hits a clothesline for a two count as Jericho quickly hooks an armbar on Austin while using the ropes for leverage, but the ref catches him and forces a break as Jericho gets a knee in and hits a suplex before going up top. Austin nails him coming in and rams Jericho into the buckle as he pounds on him in the corner and attempts a backdrop, but Jericho rolls through and hooks the Walls of Jericho on Austin who grabs the rope to force a break and Jericho stomps on him repeatedly. He pounds on Austin who reverses a whip and he avoids a flying forearm from Jericho who takes out the ref by mistake, and Austin pounds on Jericho and hits a back elbow only for Jericho to hit a low blow and the Stunner on Austin. Vince comes back out as he brings Nick Patrick down to the ring to be the referee only for Ric Flair to run down to the ring, and he pulls Patrick out of the ring and knocks him down as Vince nails Flair and he rams him into the post. Jericho pounds on Austin who hits a low blow and he rolls outside as he knocks Vince down and stomps on him repeatedly, and he rolls back into the ring and pounds on Jericho who ducks a shot and Austin hits the Lou Thesz Press as he pounds on him on the mat. He drops an elbow on Jericho and pounds on him on the mat as he whips him into the other corner and Jericho catches him with a boot to the face, and he goes up to the middle rope only for Austin to block the missile dropkick as he hooks the Walls of Jericho on Jericho who taps out. Just then, Booker T comes out of the crowd and grabs one of the belts as he gets in the ring and hits Austin in the back of the head with the belt, and he heads back into the crowd and Vince puts the ref back in the ring as Jericho gets the three and is the first-ever Undisputed Champion. The match itself was good as both men worked hard and put on a solid title match. Both men still looked good even after already competing and there was a lot going on with Flair, Vince, and even Booker getting involved, and this was a huge moment for Jericho as he finally breaks through and becomes the man. The crowd was into the match and Austin, but are not happy when Jericho wins. Jericho gets the shocking win over Austin and is the first Undisputed Champion as both men move on. Grade: 3
 
After the match, Jericho and Vince head up the ramp as confetti falls and they celebrate as we go off the air.
 
Final Analysis: Overall, the final PPV of 2001 was a pretty solid show that was clearly carried by the triple main event. All of the focus on this show was about crowning a new Undisputed Champion though the rest of the card looked solid as well, and for the most part it did deliver though it wasn’t quite up to some of the other PPVs from this year. Jericho is now the man as Taker now rules the Hardcore Division while Edge, the Dudleyz, and Stratus retain their titles and Scotty, Albert, Jeff, and Austin get big wins, and in terms of the matches the last three clearly carried the show along with RVD/Taker while the rest ranged from good to decent with nothing outright bad. 2001 has been quite the year for the WWF with the Invasion dominating most of it and now with the WWF as the lone company, we will see how they continue to handle business as 2002 starts. As for this show, it is a pretty solid show that caps off what was a pretty memorable year in 2001 as far as PPVs go. Final Grade: B