Royal Rumble
January 20th, 2002
Philips Arena
Atlanta, Georgia
 
Actual Show:
 
We see the opening video for the Royal Rumble.
 
Your hosts are Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler.
 
1. Spike Dudley and Tazz defeat the Dudley Boyz (w/ Stacy Keibler) when D-Von taps out at 5:06 to retain the WWF Tag Team Championships.
 
The Buildup/Title Change: On the 12/24 RAW, Tazz would cost Bubba Ray a match against Tajiri and on the 12/27 Smackdown, Tazz and Spike would defeat the Dudleyz in a non-title match. On the 1/3 Smackdown, the Dudleyz would defeat Spike and Tazz in a rematch and on the 1/7 RAW, Tazz and Spike defeated the Dudleyz in a Hardcore match to win the tag titles. On the 1/10 Smackdown, the Dudleyz attacked Spike and Tazz after their match only for Spike and Tazz to escape, and on the 1/14 RAW Spike defeated Bubba in a singles match. On the 1/17 Smackdown, this match was made as the Dudleyz attacked Spike and Tazz in the parking lot.
 
Analysis: We kick off the first PPV of 2002 with our first title match of the night. Tazz and Spike upset the Dudleyz two weeks ago to become tag champions and now the Dudleyz look to regain the titles here. Tazz and Spike get a good pop from the crowd as Spike comes out in a neck brace while the Dudleyz were pretty hot as heels. The Dudleyz waste no time and attack Spike and Tazz to start the match as they send both men to the outside, and Tazz and D-Von trade blows until Bubba gets a shot in and they hit a double team on the floor. They throw Spike back into the ring and hit the double team on him as well as Bubba then hits a hangman’s neckbreaker on Spike, and he takes the brace off of Spike and hits another hangman’s neckbreaker as he stomps on him and hits a suplex. D-Von tags in and drives the elbow into the back of Spike’s head as he hits a snapmare and a neck snap on Spike, and Bubba tags in and hits another suplex on Spike who escapes a third suplex attempt as he gets a kick in and hits the Dudley Dog on Bubba. D-Von distracts the ref as Tazz gets the tag and the ref forces him back out while the Dudleyz pull Spike back to their corner, and they hit a double flapjack on Spike and D-Von goes up top only for Spike to avoid the diving headbutt. Bubba gets in the ring though Spike avoids the Dudleyz as they clothesline each other and Tazz gets the hot tag, and he hits a pair of clotheslines on the Dudleyz and then he hits a series of modifies suplexes as he hits a Northern lights suplex on D-Von for a two count with Bubba breaking it up. He whips Tazz into the corner and Tazz catches him with a back elbow as Spike goes up top and hits a crossbody on Bubba, and Tazz hits a running boot on Bubba and then Spike hits the Dudley Dog as Keibler gets on the apron. Tazz ducks a slap and hooks the Tazzmission on Keibler until D-Von nails him from behind and Keibler gets knocked to the floor, and Spike gets in the ring and kicks at D-Von who blocks the Dudley Dog by sending Spike over the top to the floor. He charges at Tazz who avoids it and D-Von hits the corner as Tazz hooks the Tazzmission on and D-Von taps out as Tazz and Spike retain the titles. The match itself was decent as both teams worked hard and put on a basic title match. Tazz and Spike have gelled well as a team while the Dudleyz were hitting their peak as a team, and they had good chemistry as Tazz and Spike get a clean title defense. The crowd was into the match and popped for Tazz and Spike when they won. Tazz and Spike retain the titles over the Dudleyz and both teams move on. Grade: 1.5
 
We see footage from RAW and Smackdown last week.
 
Lilian Garcia interviews Edge, who says that Regal talks about fighting on the streets and they can a fight if he wants, and he says that he can play dirty if Regal wants as he holds up a chair and he says that the Devil will get burnt.
 
2. William Regal pins Edge after a shot with brass knuckles at 9:45 to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship.
 
The Buildup: On the 1/10 RAW, Edge cut a promo mocking Regal only for Regal to hit him in the back of the head with the brass knuckles, and on the 1/13 Smackdown Edge and Rikishi defeated Regal and Kurt Angle in a tag match when Edge pinned Regal and after the match, he would hit the Edgecution on Regal on a chair which broke Regal’s nose. On the 1/7 RAW, Regal attacked Edge after his match and hit him again with the knuckles, and on the 1/10 Smackdown Regal would challenge Edge to a title match at the PPV which Edge accepted. On the 1/14 RAW, Regal and Test defeated Edge and Rob Van Dam when Regal pinned Edge after using the knuckles, and on the 1/17 Smackdown Regal tried to attack Edge during his match with Test only for Edge to hit both men with a chair.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is our second title match of the night. Edge defeated Regal back at Vengeance to retain the IC Title and now they face off here in a rematch after Regal had hit Edge with the brass knuckles. Edge gets a good pop from the crowd while Regal was red hot as a heel, and the ref checks Regal and finds a pair of brass knuckles in his tights which he takes away. Edge wastes no time and attacks Regal to start the match as he hits a pair of clotheslines and whips Regal into the corner, and he hits a backdrop on Regal and stomps on him repeatedly in the corner as he chokes him with his boot and slams his head into the mat twice. Regal gets a knee in and hits a running kneelift on Edge as he pounds on him until Edge hooks a backslide for a two count, and Regal knocks him down and grinds on his face as Edge counters a whip with a standing enzurgiri on Regal. Regal goes behind Edge and hits a stiff German suplex for a series of two counts as he drives his knees into Edge’s face for a two count, and he hooks a submission on Edge who fights to his feet only for Regal to get a shot in and he looks for the double underhook powerbomb. Edge blocks it with a backdrop though Regal holds onto him and rolls through as he hits the double underhook powerbomb for a two count, and he knocks Edge out to the apron and then he hits a running knee that knocks Edge to the floor as he goes out to the apron. He pulls Edge onto the apron and looks for the double underhook powerbomb only for Edge to escape as he hits a DDT on the apron, and he throws Regal back into the ring for a two count and he whips Regal into the corner as both men clock heads. They trade blows with Edge knocking Regal down and then he hits a spin kick before hitting a suplex for a two count, and Regal gets a back elbow in and hits another German suplex on Edge though Edge fires back with a clothesline for a two count. He gets a kick in and looks for the Edgecution though Regal escapes and trips Edge up as he hooks the Regal Stretch on, and Edge reaches the rope to force a break and Regal pulls him back only for Edge to trip him up and he hooks the Regal Stretch on Regal. Regal grabs the rope to force a break and Edge hits a dropkick to the back as he hooks a rollup for a two count, and he goes up top only for Regal to pound on him and he goes up himself though Edge battles back and knocks Regal to the mat. He sets himself on the top rope and hits a spin kick on Regal as he looks for the spear only for Regal to pull the ref in the way, and he pulls another pair of brass knuckles out of his tights and hits Edge in the face with them which gets the three and we have a new champion. The match itself was pretty good as both men worked hard and put on a solid title match that was better than their Vengeance match. Both men were hitting their stride by this point and their chemistry was getting better as Regal is able to use the knuckles this time to steal the title. The crowd was into the match and Edge, but are not happy when Regal wins. Regal gets the win over Edge and is the new IC Champion, but this issue isn’t over yet. Grade: 3
 
After the match, Michael Cole interviews William Regal who says that he’s been blessed with a gift which is the power of the punch, and he heads to the back as officials come out and help Edge to the back.
 
We see a shot outside the Philips Arena.
 
We see footage from Smackdown 3 nights ago.
 
3. Trish Stratus pin Jazz with the running bulldog at 3:43 to retain the WWF Women’s Championship.
 
The Buildup: On the 12/27 Smackdown, Jazz would attack Stratus after her match and on the 1/7 RAW Stratus was set to face Terri Runnels in a wet T-shirt contest only for Jazz to again attack her. On the 1/14 RAW, Jazz defeated Jacqueline to become Number One Contender and brawled with Stratus after the match, and on the 1/17 Smackdown, Jazz attacked Stratus during an interview and injured her hand.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is our third title match of the night. Stratus has been rolling as Women’s Champion and faces a tough challenge here in Jazz, who was climbing up the ladder and looks to become champion here. Stratus gets a good pop from the crowd while Jazz was pretty hot as a heel. Jazz wastes no time and attacks Stratus to start the match as she hits a backdrop and a big splash for a two count, and Stratus battles back until Jazz reverses a whip and Stratus catches her ducking with a sunset flip for a two count. They trade pin attempts with Jazz hitting a clothesline and then she hotshots Stratus on the top rope, and she slams down on Stratus’ arm and hits a legdrop for a two count as she knocks Stratus down and wraps her arm around the rope twice. Jacqueline tries to pull Jazz off and they argue before trading shoves as Stratus attempts a rollup, but Jazz counters by sitting on top of Stratus for a delayed two count and Stratus catches her with a jawbreaker. She fires up on Jazz who escapes a DDT attempt by snapping Stratus to the mat by her arm and Stratus escapes a back suplex attempt, and she hits the springboard bulldog on Jazz for a two count as Jazz rolls through for a two count and she ducks a shot. She kicks at Stratus and hits a DDT for a two count as she whips her into the corner and splashes her, and she whips Stratus into the other corner only for Stratus to catch her with a boot to the face and she hits the running bulldog 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 continuing to grow in the ring while Jazz was getting into a groove as well, and they had good chemistry as Jazz dominated until Stratus pulled it out in the end. The crowd was into the match and popped for Stratus when she won. Stratus retains the title over Jazz though this issue isn’t over yet. Grade: 1
 
We see footage from earlier today of Ric Flair arriving to the arena with his children Megan and Reid.
 
We see the buildup to the next match.
 
4. “Nature Boy” Ric Flair forces Vince McMahon to tap out in a Street Fight at 14:55.
 
The Buildup: On the 12/17 RAW, Vince would cost Rob Van Dam a match against Chris Jericho while Flair was the ref and Flair and RVD would put Vince and Jericho in stereo Figure-4s, and on the 12/27 Smackdown Vince talked about his resolutions when Flair interrupted and brought up his history with Vince before punching him and telling him that he would face Flair at the Rumble. On the 1/7 RAW, Vince would show a video highlighting Flair’s career before putting on a wig and one of Flair’s robes to mock him, and Flair would come out and demand Vince take the robe off only for Vince to pull out a lead pipe and hit Flair in the head with it before assaulting him. On the 1/14 RAW, Flair would change the match to a Street Fight until Jericho interrupted and Flair would attack him until Vince came out and the two beat Flair down, and on the 1/17 Smackdown Vince did an interview with Jim Ross where he vowed to ruin Flair’s life as he admitted he enjoyed doing so.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is a pretty big matchup. These two have been going back and forth since Flair revealed he was the new co-owner of the WWF and now they face off here to seemingly settle their issues. Flair gets a big pop from the crowd while Vince was red hot as a heel. The two men have a staredown to start the match and they lock up with Flair backing Vince into the corner and Vince shoves him to the mat, and he poses to mock Flair and they lock up again with Vince hooking a headlock and he grinds down on Flair. Flair whips him off and Vince knocks him down as he does a strut to mock Flair again and they lock up with Flair hooking a headlock, and he goes behind Vince and works the arm as he trips him up and stomps on him before pounding on him in the corner. He stomps on Vince repeatedly until Vince gets a kick in and whips him into the corner as he rams the shoulder into the ribs repeatedly, and he hits a back elbow and kicks at Flair as he pounds on him only for Flair to battle back with chops. Vince rakes the eyes and whips him hard into the corner as he hits a clothesline on Flair and stomps on him, and Flair flops to the mat and Vince rams the shoulder into the ribs again as he whips him inside out in the corner and Flair rolls out to the apron. Vince knocks Flair to the floor and goes outside himself as he grabs a sign and hits Flair in the head with it twice, and he whips Flair into the barricade and pulls out a trash can as he hits Flair in the head with it which busts him open. He pounds on Flair and rams the knee into the ribs twice as he rams Flair into the post and pounds on him, and he whips Flair into the steps and then he hits a slam on the floor as he takes Megan’s camera from her. He holds Flair up and takes a picture with the camera before tossing it back to her and he throws Flair back into the ring, and he knocks Flair down and drops an elbow on the knee as he hooks a submission on and he drives his knee into Flair’s ankle twice. He hooks another submission on and rolls outside as he rams Flair’s knee into the apron twice and then he rams his knee into the post twice, and he rolls back into the ring and hooks the Figure-4 on Flair who turns the hold around on Vince and he quickly breaks the hold. He rolls outside to regroup and goes to the timekeeper’s table as he pulls out a lead pipe and brings it into the ring, but Flair catches him with a low blow and Vince again rolls outside to regroup as Flair goes outside as well and pounds on Vince. He rams him into the barricade and grabs a monitor as he hits Vince in the head with it and Vince falls over the announce table, and we see Vince is busted open as Flair continues to pound on him and throws him back into the ring. Vince begs off and Flair kicks him down as he pulls him back outside and holds him up in front of his children as Megan takes a picture, and Flair bites Vince in the face and pounds on him before throwing him back into the ring as Vince begs off again. Flair kicks him down again and pounds on him as he hits another low blow and then he grabs the pipe which he hits Vince in the head with it, and then he hooks the Figure-4 on Vince who taps out and Flair wins the match. The match itself was very good as both men worked hard and put on a pretty fun fight. This was a good match for Flair so he can get back into a groove in the ring while Vince was still serviceable, and they had good chemistry as Vince dominated the first half until Flair won in the end. The crowd was into the match and popped for Flair when he won. Flair gets the win over Vince though this issue isn’t over yet. Grade: 4
 
Michael Cole attempts to interview Nick Patrick only for Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley to come up and dismisses Patrick, and she says that the beating Flair just gave Vince is nothing compared to what Triple H will do in the Rumble. She says that Triple H will destroy everyone in the match including Steve Austin and she wishes that Debra was at ringside so she could destroy her, but then Steve Austin comes up behind her as she says that she and Triple H are a team until she realizes Austin is behind her. He says “What” repeatedly until she screams and runs away as he says that he will win the Royal Rumble, and he says that 29 pieces of trash will be thrown over the top rope and he will head to WrestleMania because he said so.
 
We see a shot outside the Philips Arena.
 
We see the buildup to the next match.
 
5. Chris Jericho pins the Rock with a rollup and his feet on the ropes at 18:50 to retain the WWF Undisputed Championship.
 
The Buildup: On the 12/13 Smackdown, Rock and Rob Van Dam defeated Jericho and the Undertaker in a tag match and on the 12/24 RAW, Jericho defeated Rock and Kurt Angle in a Triple Threat match when he pinned Rock. On the 1/3 Smackdown, Rock defeated Booker T to become the Number One Contender and on the 1/10 Smackdown, Rock and RVD defeated Jericho and Test in a tag match when Rock made Jericho tap out. On the 1/17 Smackdown, Rock cut a promo on everyone claiming they would win the Rumble and face Rock at WrestleMania when Jericho interrupted and demanded to be respected, and they went back and forth until Rock got in Jericho’s face and walked away from him.
 
Analysis: Our last match before the main event is our fourth and final title match of the night. Jericho has been rolling as Undisputed Champion and faces a tough challenge here in Rock, who got screwed by Vince the month before and now looks to become champion again. Rock gets a huge pop from the crowd while Jericho was red hot as a heel. The two men have a staredown to start the match as Jericho puts his hand in Rock’s face and motions to bring it, and Rock knocks Jericho down and hits a back elbow before hitting a Samoan drop for a two count. Jericho holds the ropes on a whip and rolls outside to regroup as Rock goes outside and chases him back into the ring, and he hits a spear on Jericho and pounds on him on the mat as Jericho catches him ducking with a kick. He ducks a shot and hits a flying forearm on Rock and pounds on him on the mat as he whips him into the corner and splashes him, and he slaps Rock in the face and pounds on him as he whips him into the other corner only to miss a charge as he rams his shoulder into the post. Rock pounds on Jericho who reverses a whip and Rock catches him ducking by slamming his head into the mat, and Jericho hotshots Rock on the top rope and kicks at him as he stomps on him repeatedly in the corner. He pounds on Rock who battles back until Jericho reverses a whip into the other corner and Rock catches him with a back elbow, and Jericho hits a spin kick for a two count and then he hits a suplex on Rock for a two count as he takes the pad off the buckle. Rock tries to battle back as Jericho ducks a shot and trips Rock up before attempting to hook the Walls of Jericho on, but Rock escapes by spinning Jericho to the mat and Jericho catches him with a back elbow as he hits a low dropkick. He pounds on Rock on the mat and goes up top as he hits a missile dropkick for a two count and then he hooks a submission on, and Rock fights to his feet and breaks the hold only for Jericho to hit a back elbow and he goes up top again. Rock crotches him on the top rope and pounds on him as he goes up himself and hits a superplex, and he fires up on Jericho who counters a whip with a kick though Rock reverses a whip and hits a belly-to-belly suplex on Jericho for a two count. Jericho reverses a whip into the corner and hits the running bulldog on Rock as he hits a pair of Lionsaults for a two count, and he argues with the ref as they exchange shoves before going up to the middle rope only for Rock to block a missile dropkick attempt and he hooks the Sharpshooter on. Just then, Lance Storm and Christian run down to the ring and Storm distracts the ref as Jericho taps out, and Rock breaks the hold and knocks Storm to the floor as Christian brings one of the belts into the ring though Rock ducks a swing. He pounds on Christian and knocks him over the top to the floor as Jericho catches Rock in the Rock Bottom for a two count, and Nick Patrick comes out and forces Storm and Christian to the back as Jericho hits a senton on Rock. He looks to mock Rock by doing the People’s Elbow only for Rock to send him over the top to the floor and he goes outside himself, and he rams Jericho into the steps and clears the announce table off though Jericho blocks a ram into the table and he rams Rock into the table. He hotshots Rock on the table and clears it off as he puts Rock on the table and climbs onto it himself, and he looks for the Rock Bottom though Rock blocks it with a trio of back elbows and he hits the Rock Bottom which puts Jericho through the other table. He throws Jericho back into the ring for a two count and looks for another Rock Bottom though Jericho blocks it with a series of back elbows, and he trips Rock up and hooks the Walls of Jericho on though Rock reaches the rope to force a break. Jericho pulls Rock back to the center though Rock surprises him with a small package for a two count and Jericho stomps on him, and he pounds on Rock and avoids a flying clothesline as Rock takes the ref out by mistake and Jericho grabs the belt. He hits Rock in the face with the belt and calls for a new ref as Patrick runs back down to the ring and Jericho gets a two count, and Rock gets a kick in and hits a DDT on Jericho though Patrick refuses to count the pin and Rock gives him the Rock Bottom. He hits a spinebuster on Jericho and the People’s Elbow though the original ref is still down and Rock checks on him, and Jericho hits a low blow and rams Rock into the exposed buckle as he hooks a rollup and uses the ropes for leverage which gets the three and he retains the title. The match itself was great as both men worked hard and put on another great title match. Both men were hitting their stride by this point and they still had great chemistry as this was on par with their Vengeance match though not quite up to the No Mercy match, and Jericho once again steals the win and screws Rock out of the title. The crowd was into the match and Rock, but are not happy when Jericho wins. Jericho retains the title over Rock and both men move on. Grade: 4
 
We see a shot outside WWF New York and we go inside where Shawn Michaels is as he says that it was an honor to be a wrestling fan and watch Vince and Flair go at it, and he says that he is predicting either Steve Austin or the Undertaker to win the Rumble.
 
We see the buildup to the main event.
 
6. Triple H wins the Royal Rumble match.
 
Order of Entry and Time Lasted:
 
1. Rikishi (13:39)
2. Goldust (12:52)
3. The Big Bossman (3:05)
4. Bradshaw (7:17)
5. Lance Storm (4:46)
6. Al Snow (5:12)
7. “The One” Billy Gunn (3:37)
8. The Undertaker (7:40)
9. Matt Hardy (4:16)
10. Jeff Hardy (1:30)
11. Maven (3:34)
12. Scotty 2 Hotty (2:36)
13. Christian (12:14)
14. Diamond Dallas Page (5:15)
15. Chuck Palumbo (9:04)
16. The Godfather (1:48)
17. Albert (:48)
18. Perry Saturn (2:57)
19. Stone Cold Steve Austin (26:46) (Ironman)
20. Val Venis (2:58)
21. Test (1:42)
22. Triple H (23:14) (WINNER)
23. The Hurricane (:39)
24. Faarooq (:36)
25. Mr. Perfect (15:18)
26. Kurt Angle (16:09)
27. The Big Show (2:45)
28. Kane (1:02)
29. Rob Van Dam (2:12)
30. Booker T (:33)
 
Order of Elimination:
 
1. Bossman by Rikishi (1)
2. Storm by Snow (1)
3. Bradshaw by Gunn (1)
4. Goldust by Taker (1)
5. Snow by Taker (2)
6. Rikishi by Taker (3)
7. Gunn by Taker (4)
8. Jeff by Taker (5)
9. Matt by Taker (6)
10. Taker by Maven (1)
11. Maven by Taker (7)
12. Scotty by Page (1)
13. Page by Christian (1)
14. Albert by Christian and Chuck (2, 1)
15. Godfather by Christian and Chuck (3, 2)
16. Christian by Austin (1)
17. Chuck by Austin (2)
18. Saturn by Austin (3)
19. Venis by Austin (4)
20. Test by Austin (5)
21. Hurricane by Austin and Triple H (6, 1)
22. Faarooq by Triple H (2)
23. Show by Kane (1)
24. Kane by Angle (1)
25. RVD by Booker (1)
26. Booker by Austin (7)
27. Austin by Angle (2)
28. Perfect by Triple H (3)
29. Angle by Triple H (4)
 
Debut: Maven Huffman played baseball in high school and worked as a teacher before applying for the inaugural edition of Tough Enough, and he would be the male winner of the show and has made a few appearances on TV as he makes his PPV debut here.
 
Return #1: We last saw Triple H on PPV back at Judgment Day 2001 as the next night on RAW, Triple H and Austin would lose the tag titles to Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit and during the match, Triple H would suffer a torn quad though he would finish the match. He would go in for surgery and spent the rest of the year in rehab as he made his return to TV on the 1/7 RAW and he makes his PPV return here.
 
Return #2: We last saw Goldust on WWF PPV back at Backlash 1999 as he would last until June when he left the company and he would resign with WCW, and he was set to debut as the mysterious character Seven only to cut a shoot promo trashing the gimmick and went back to wrestling as Dustin Rhodes. He would feud with Terry Funk before being fired by Vince Russo in 2000 though he would return at the end of the year, and he would feud with Ric Flair and Jeff Jarrett until the company closed in 2001. He would work in his father’s promotion Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling throughout 2001 before taking a buyout of his Time Warner contract to return to the WWF, and it was announced that he would make his return here as Goldust.
 
Return #3: We last saw Val Venis on PPV back at WrestleMania X-7 as part of the Right to Censor and he would take time off to deal with nagging injuries, and it was announced that he would make his return here as he would also go back to his porn star gimmick.
 
Return #4/Farewell #1: We last saw Charles Wright on PPV back at WrestleMania X-7 as the Goodfather and he would continue to work TV into the early days of the Invasion before taking some time off, and it was announced he would make his return here as the Godfather though he claimed he had now gone legit and was running an escort service. Aside from sporadic appearances, this is his final WWF PPV as he would be drafted to Smackdown and made a few appearances on TV before semi-retiring, and he would continue to make appearances to this day while also competing on a semi-regular basis on the indie scene. Charles “The Godfather” Wright was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2016 by the APA.
 
Farewell #2: This is Perry Saturn’s final WWF PPV as he would be the final pick in the draft in March and worked the C-Shows before suffering an injury and he would be released in November, and he would spend time in TNA and worked the indies before disappearing from public view as many feared that he had died. He would resurface in 2010 and briefly returned to wrestling before retiring in 2011 as he would share his story about dealing with homelessness and drug abuse during his disappearance.
 
The Buildup: On the 12/10 RAW, Austin faced Chris Jericho in a cage match for the Undisputed Title only for Booker to again cost him the match, and on the 12/13 Smackdown Booker and Vince stayed in the skybox until Austin made his way in disguised as a fireman as he would chase Booker out of the arena. He would end up finding Booker at a supermarket and assaulted him while Vince and Flair watched from the skybox, and on the 12/17 RAW, Booker would again try to hide from Austin this time in a church though Austin would again find him and chased after him. On the 12/20 Smackdown, Booker would officially sign a contract and was put into a First Blood match against Austin though he would win thanks to Bossman, and on the 12/24 RAW Austin would attack Booker at Vince’s Christmas party. On the 12/27 Smackdown, Booker and Bossman defeated Austin in a handicap match and on the 1/3 Smackdown, Austin would declare entry for the Rumble and on the 1/7 RAW, Austin and Rock defeated Booker and Bossman in a tag match. That same night, Triple H made his big return and declared entry for the Rumble only for Angle to interrupt and also declare entry for the Rumble, and the two men would end up brawling with Triple H hitting the Pedigree on Angle. On the 1/10 Smackdown, we got promos for the return of Goldust, Godfather, Venis, and Perfect and in the main event, Austin and Angle went to a no contest when Kane got involved which led to a brawl with Kane, Show, and Triple H with Triple H standing tall while Taker watched from the stage. On the 1/14 RAW, Austin and Triple H had a confrontation and brawled until Taker laid both men out with a chair, and on the 1/17 Smackdown Austin and Triple H defeated Angle and Booker in a tag match and had a staredown as Taker again watched from the stage.
 
Side Feud: On the 1/10 RAW, Matt defeated Jeff and Lita in a handicap match when he pinned Lita as he told both he was done with them, and on the 1/17 RAW Taker defeated Jeff to retain the Hardcore Title and would send both Jeff and Lita off the stage as Matt watched from WWF New York. On the 1/20 Smackdown, Matt challenged Taker for the title though Taker would defeat him and he would then jab a chair into Matt’s throat to put him on the shelf.
 
Analysis: After a long and interesting night of wrestling, we come to our main event. These 30 men were looking to stake their claim to getting to main event WrestleMania and face Jericho for the Undisputed Title, and now we will see who will get that shot. The faces get big pops from the crowd while the heels were pretty hot as heels. Rikishi comes out at #1 to a good pop and we get our first big return as Goldust comes out #2 to a good pop. Rikishi wastes no time and attacks Goldust to start the match as he hoists him onto his shoulder though Goldust slides off, and he pounds on Rikishi and attempts a sunset flip as Rikishi teases a sitdown splash though Goldust slides away. He pounds on Rikishi and ducks a shot as Rikishi sends him over the top though Goldust makes it back in, and he hits a low blow on Rikishi and pounds on him until Rikishi backdrops him over the top though Goldust hangs on again. Rikishi pounds on Goldust and rams him into the buckle until Goldust rakes the eyes and he returns to the ring, and he pounds on Rikishi in the corner and Rikishi reverses a whip into the other corner as he splashes Goldust. Bossman comes out next as Goldust rolls outside to regroup and goes up top only for Rikishi to nail him first, and he pounds on Bossman and whips him into Goldust in the corner as he splashes both men and tries to dump Bossman. Bossman rakes the eyes and hits a clothesline on Rikishi as he stomps and pounds on Rikishi in the corner, and Goldust comes over and pounds on Rikishi as well as both men try to dump him out until Goldust nails Bossman. Bossman gets a kick in and pounds on Goldust as he hits a headbutt and continues to pound on him in the corner, and Bradshaw comes out next and pounds on Bossman as he hits a big boot on Rikishi and knocks Goldust down. He hits a back elbow on Bossman and pounds on Goldust who reverses a whip only for Bradshaw to knock him down, and Bossman pounds on Rikishi in the corner and Bradshaw pounds on Goldust as Rikishi reverses a whip into the other corner. He splashes Bossman and gives him the Stinkface as Bradshaw tries to dump Goldust out and Rikishi ducks a shot, and he hits a superkick on Bossman and clotheslines him over the top to eliminate him as Bradshaw pounds on Rikishi. Rikishi reverses a whip and hits a Samoan drop on Bradshaw as Goldust comes over and rams Bradshaw into the buckle, and he pounds on him in the corner until Bradshaw comes out with a powerbomb as Storm comes out next and he hits a pair of clotheslines on Goldust. Goldust escapes a slam attempt and hotshots Storm on the top rope as Rikishi tries to eliminate Bradshaw, and Storm catches Goldust with a kick and rams him into the buckle as he tries to dump him out though Goldust escapes. He tries to dump Storm out as Bradshaw rakes Rikishi’s eyes and Storm tries to eliminate Goldust as Rikishi comes over to help him, and Bradshaw kicks at Storm and pounds on him as Storm reverses a whip and Bradshaw catches him ducking with a shot. He hoists Storm onto his shoulders and tries to dump him out while Rikishi pounds on Goldust in the corner and Snow comes out next, and Storm hits a superkick on Bradshaw as Snow hits a clothesline on Storm and pounds on Rikishi in the corner. Storm whips Bradshaw into the corner though misses a charge and Bradshaw hits the Clothesline from Hell on Storm, and Goldust drops an elbow on Storm and Rikishi hits a superkick on Goldust as Snow pounds on Rikishi and tries to eliminate him. Bradshaw looks to dump out Storm who catches him with a low blow and Goldust rams the knee into Storm’s head, and he tries to eliminate Snow until Rikishi gets a shot in and Snow hits a clothesline on Goldust as Rikishi tries to dump out Storm. Snow and Bradshaw trade blows until Snow gets a pair of kicks in only for Bradshaw to knock him down, and Billy comes out next and Rikishi hits a headbutt on Storm as Billy pounds on Bradshaw who reverses a whip. Billy leaps over him and Bradshaw hits the big boot on Billy as Goldust tries to dump out Rikishi and Storm hits a jawbreaker on Snow, and Snow backdrops Storm over the top with Storm landing on the apron and he drags Snow over the top to the apron. They trade blows until Storm rakes the eyes though Snow catches a superkick attempt and hits one of his own to eliminate Storm, and Snow pounds on Rikishi who tries to dump him out and Goldust kicks at Billy as he pounds on him. Bradshaw kicks Goldust down as Snow pounds on Rikishi and Bradshaw tries to dump Goldust only for Billy to dump Bradshaw over the top and eliminate him, and Snow kicks at Rikishi repeatedly in the corner and chokes him as Billy rams Goldust into the buckle and pounds on him. Taker comes out next and grabs Billy by the throat as he hits the chokeslam and he nails Snow before ramming him into the buckle, and he kicks at Goldust and knocks Rikishi down as he hits a big boot on Snow and grabs Goldust by the throat as he chokeslams him over the top and eliminates him. He kicks at Snow and hits a headbutt as he nails Rikishi and then he throws Snow over the top and eliminates him, and Rikishi pounds on Taker who reverses a whip and he hits a big boot on Rikishi before clotheslining him over the top and eliminating him. He then throws Billy over the top and eliminates him as he waits for the next entrant and Matt comes out next with Lita, and he ducks a shot and pounds on Taker who grabs him by the throat as Lita goes up top only for Taker to catch her by the throat. He throws Matt into the corner and chokes Lita who hits a low blow as Matt hits a swinging neckbreaker on Taker, and both of them stomp on Taker repeatedly until Lita slides back outside and Matt tries to eliminate Taker. Taker gets a knee in and rams Matt into the buckle as he whips him into the corner and Matt catches him with a back elbow, and he ducks a shot and pounds on Taker in the corner as he tries to dump him out again until Taker knocks him down and stomps on him repeatedly. He looks to suplex him over the top as Jeff comes out next and saves Matt who hits a DDT on Taker, and they stomp on Taker repeatedly as Lita comes in and joins them briefly before being dragged out by the ref and the Hardyz embrace. They whip Taker into the corner only for Taker to hit a double clothesline and he throws Jeff over the top though he hangs on, and Taker nails Matt and hoists him onto his shoulder though Jeff gets a shot in and Matt slides off as he gets a kick in. He hits the Twist of Fate on Taker as Jeff goes up top and hits the Swanton on Taker as they look to eliminate him before attempting Poetry in Motion, but Taker catches Jeff and sends him over the top to eliminate him as he hits a clothesline on Matt. He hits the Last Ride on Matt and throws him over the top to eliminate him as Maven comes out next and Taker hits a big boot, and he hoists Maven onto his shoulder as Lita gets on the apron and Taker tosses Maven to the mat before shoving Lita to the floor. The Hardyz get in the ring and attack Taker again only for Taker to send both of them back to the outside, and he yells at them as Maven hits a dropkick to the back which sends Taker over the top and eliminates him in a shocking moment to a huge pop. Taker is left shocked and he returns to the ring as Maven begs off and ducks a shot only for Taker to pound on him, and he throws Maven to the outside and goes outside himself as he rams Maven into the barricade and grabs a chair. He hits Maven in the head with a stiff shot which busts him open and he jabs the chair into Maven’s ribs twice, and he pounds on Maven as Scotty comes out next and Taker throws Maven back into the ring before knocking Scotty down. He gets in the ring and throws Maven over the top to eliminate him as he goes back outside and grabs the chair, and he jabs it into Maven’s ribs and throws him over the barricade into the crowd as he goes into the crowd as well and he drags Maven up into the stands. They go into the lobby as Christian comes out next and Taker rams Maven into a popcorn stand before taking a handful of popcorn and eating it, and he walks away and officials check on Maven as Christian poses with the title until Scotty makes it into the ring. Scotty pounds on Christian and whips him into the corner only for Christian to duck a shot and he hits an inverted DDT, and he chokes him on the mat and pounds on him as he rakes his boot across his face and rams him into the buckle. He pounds on him in the corner and stomps on him as Page comes out next and pounds on Christian, and he ducks a shot and hits a spinning clothesline as he hoists him onto his shoulder though Christian slides off and hits the inverted DDT. He stomps on Page repeatedly and pounds on him as he chokes him on the ropes and tries to eliminate him, but Page catches him with a back elbow and ducks a shot as he hits the Diamond Cutter on Christian and Scotty pounds on Page. Page gets a knee in and Scotty ducks a shot as he hits a superkick on Page that sends him through the ropes to the outside, and Scotty hits the bulldog on Christian and does the Worm as he drops an elbow on him only for Page to throw Scotty over the top and eliminate him. He stomps on Scotty repeatedly and Chuck comes out next as he trades blows with Page before raking him in the eyes, and Page reverses a whip and Chuck catches a kick attempt as he ducks a shot only for Page to catch him with a back elbow. He hits a swinging neckbreaker on Chuck who catches him with a jawbreaker and he hits a discus punch as he stomps on him in the corner, and he chokes him with his boot only for Page to throw him into the corner and he pounds on him. Chuck reverses a whip and Christian hits a clothesline on Page as he pounds on him on the mat and Chuck stomps on him, and they try to dump Page who fights out of it only for both men to pound and stomp on him in the corner. Godfather comes out next making his return as he brings out 12 escorts and dances with them as Chuck blocks the Diamond Cutter and Christian backdrops Page over the top and eliminates him, and Chuck tries to dump Christian and Godfather attacks both men until Christian pounds on him and Albert comes out next. He knocks Christian down and whips him into the corner as he splashes him and he ducks a shot before pounding on Chuck, and he whips Chuck into the corner and splashes him as Godfather pounds on Albert who reverses a whip and he hits a pump kick on Godfather. He tries to dump him out only for Christian and Chuck to toss Albert over the top and eliminate him, and they pound on Godfather who ducks a double clothesline and he hits one of his own as he whips Chuck into the corner. He whips Christian into Chuck and looks for the Ho Train though misses as Chuck and Christian clothesline him over the top and eliminate him, and Christian gets a kick in and pounds on Chuck who battles back as Saturn comes out next and nails Chuck from behind. He hits a swinging neckbreaker on Chuck and drops an elbow on him until Christian pounds on him only for Saturn to get a knee in, and Chuck hits a clothesline on Saturn and pounds on him as Saturn battles back and gets a knee in before stomping on him. Christian rakes Saturn’s eyes and Saturn tackles him to the mat as they trade blows on the mat until Chuck kicks at Christian, and he kicks at Saturn and pounds on him in the corner as he chokes him with his boot until Christian tries to dump Chuck out. Saturn looks to help only to nail Christian and he hits a suplex on Chuck as he tries to eliminate Christian, and Chuck nails Saturn from behind and kicks at him as he hits a back elbow and pounds on him in the corner. Austin comes out next to a huge pop and nails all three men as he stomps on Chuck repeatedly in the corner, and Saturn nails Austin from behind only for Austin to hit a low blow and he knocks Christian down as he throws him over the top and eliminates him. He kicks at Saturn and hits the Stunner as he knocks Chuck down before throwing him over the top and eliminating him, and then he throws Saturn over the top and eliminates him as he goes outside and throws Christian back into the ring. He gets a kick in and hits the Stunner before throwing Christian over the top to the floor and he goes outside as he throws Chuck back into the ring, and he gets a kick in and hits the Stunner on Chuck as he throws him over the top to the floor and sits on the top rope. Venis comes out next in his return to a good pop and Austin nails him coming in as he stomps on him repeatedly in the corner, and Venis rakes the eyes and pounds on Austin as he rams him into the buckle and pounds on him in the corner. He hits a back elbow on Austin and drops an elbow on him before dropping a knee on him and he pounds on him on the mat, and he continues to pound on Austin who reverses a whip and he hits the Lou Thesz Press on Venis as he pounds on him on the mat. Test comes out next and hits a clothesline on Austin as he rams him into the buckle and pounds on him in the corner, and he chokes Austin with his boot and stomps on him repeatedly as Venis comes over and does the same. They choke Austin with their boots and then they hit a double back elbow as they pound on him until Austin catches Test ducking with a kick, and he pounds on both men and avoids a big boot from Test who hits Venis instead and Austin pounds on him. He clotheslines Venis over the top and eliminates him as he avoids the big boot before getting a kick in, and he hits the Stunner on Test and throws him over the top to eliminate him as Triple H comes out next to a huge pop. The two men have a staredown and trade blows with Austin taking control until Triple H gets a knee in and he pounds on Austin, and Austin ducks a shot and Triple H hits the high knee as Hurricane comes out next and Triple H hooks a headlock. Austin whips him off and Triple H ducks a shot as both men clothesline each other and Hurricane stalks both men, and he grabs both men by their throats though they no-sell it as they throw Hurricane over the top and eliminate him. Austin pounds on Triple H in the corner only for Triple H to battle back and Austin reverses a whip into the other corner, and Triple H hits a clothesline on Austin and pounds on him as Austin reverses a whip and hits a spinebuster. Faarooq comes out next and pounds on both men as he hits a spinebuster on Austin and tries to throw him out, and Triple H nails Faarooq from behind and Faarooq reverses a whip as Triple H catches him ducking with a kick. Austin gets a kick in and hits the Stunner on Faarooq as Triple H clotheslines Faarooq over the top and eliminates him, and Triple H pounds on Austin in the corner and stomps on him repeatedly as he rams him into the buckle and tries to eliminate him. Austin battles back and tries to dump him out until Triple H rakes the eyes and pounds on him in the corner, and Perfect comes out next for his return to a big pop as Austin pounds on Triple H on the mat and rams him into the buckle. Perfect throws his towel at Austin and pounds on him as he stomps on him before knocking Triple H down, and he kicks at Triple H and pounds on Austin in the corner as he tries to dump him out and he kicks at Triple H. He catches him with a pair of back elbows and pounds on him before pounding on Austin until he and Triple H try to dump Perfect, and Triple H pounds on Perfect and Angle comes out next as he pounds on Triple H in the corner while Perfect kicks at Austin. Angle chokes Triple H with his boot and Austin catches Perfect with a low blow as he pounds on him and rams him into the buckle, and he pounds on Perfect while Angle pounds on Triple H until Triple H and Perfect battle back on Angle and Austin. Angle blocks a suplex attempt and hits one of his own on Triple H as he stomps on him repeatedly and Perfect tries to dump Austin, and Angle tries to eliminate Triple H until Austin pounds on Angle who reverses a whip and he hits a belly-to-belly suplex on Austin. Show comes out next and hits a headbutt on Angle as he grabs Perfect by the throat and hits the Chokeslam, and he grabs Triple H and Austin by the throats only for them to kick at Show and they pound on him though Show hits a double clothesline. He hits another clothesline on Austin and a headbutt on Triple H before hitting one on Austin as Angle goes behind for a German suplex, but Show blocks it with a back elbow and he presses Angle up only for Triple H to kick at Show’s knee and save Angle. He pounds on Show who reverses a whip and he hits a big boot on Triple H as Austin holds the ropes to avoid the big boot only for Show to hit a clothesline, and he hits a headbutt on Perfect and Angle as Triple H hits a low blow on Show who counters a whip by grabbing Triple H by the throat and he hits the Chokeslam. Kane comes out next and has a staredown with Show as they trade blows until Kane ducks a shot and hits a clothesline that Show no-sells, and Show hits a big boot on Kane and they grab each other by the throats until Show breaks Kane’s grip on him. Kane hits a low blow and picks Show up as he dumps him over the top and eliminates him in a big spot, and Austin gets a kick in and hits the Stunner on Kane as Angle hits the Angle Slam which sends Kane over the top and eliminates him. Triple H hits a clothesline on Angle and Austin stomps on Perfect in the corner as Triple H stomps on Angle in the other corner, and Austin and Perfect trade blows as Angle battles back on Triple H who gets a kick in and he hits a DDT. RVD comes out next as he goes up top and hits the 5-Star Frog Splash on Angle as he ducks a shot and hits a superkick on Triple H, and Austin gets a kick in though RVD blocks the Stunner and hits a spin kick as he catches a kick attempt and hits a spin kick on Perfect. He hits a slam on Austin and then he hits the Rolling Thunder only for Triple H to get a kick in and he hits the Pedigree on RVD, and Austin kicks at Triple H while Angle pounds on Perfect who battles back as Austin rams Triple H into the buckle. Perfect blocks a suplex attempt and hits one of his own as Booker comes out last and Austin pounds on Triple H in the corner, and Booker picks RVD up and throws him over the top to eliminate him before doing the Spinaroonie only for Austin to get a kick in and he hits the Stunner which sends Booker over the top and eliminates him. Angle nails Austin from behind and Austin escapes the Angle Slam as he gets a kick in though Angle blocks the Stunner, and Triple H gets a kick in though Austin blocks the Pedigree by tripping Triple H up and he slingshots him into the corner. Angle hits the Angle Slam on Triple H and Perfect pounds on Austin who battles back until Angle nails Austin from behind, and Angle hits a trio of German suplexes on Austin who blocks a fourth one with a low blow and he nails Perfect in the corner as he tries to eliminate him. Angle nails Austin from behind and tries to dump him out with Perfect’s help though Austin rolls back into the ring, and both men stomp on him repeatedly as Austin battles back and all three men pound on each other repeatedly. Austin knocks Angle down and tries to eliminate Perfect only for Angle to dump Austin over the top and eliminate him, and Perfect pounds on Angle in the corner until Austin trips Perfect up and pulls him outside as he rams him into the barricade. He pounds on Perfect as Angle goes outside and he nails Austin before ramming him into the steps as he and Perfect roll back into the ring, and Triple H pounds on Angle who battles back and he stomps on Triple H in the corner along with Perfect. Austin brings a chair into the ring and hits Angle in the head with it before doing the same to Perfect and Triple H, and then he heads to the back as Perfect pounds on Triple H and holds him from behind only for Triple H to avoid a clothesline from Angle who sends Perfect over the top though he hangs on. Angle pounds on Triple H until Perfect pounds on Angle who reverses a whip and Perfect catches him ducking with the Perfect-Plex, and he hits a neck snap on Angle only for Triple H to clothesline Perfect over the top and eliminate him. Triple H and Angle have a staredown as Triple H hits a spear on Angle and pounds on him on the mat, and he pounds and stomps on Angle in the corner as Angle reverses a whip into the other corner and Triple H catches him with a boot to the face. Angle catches him in a belly-to-belly suplex and he tries to eliminate him though Triple H lands on the apron and Angle stomps on him, and Triple H battles back and returns to the ring as he takes Angle to the mat and chokes him before charging at him. Angle backdrops him over the top though Triple H hangs on and rolls back in as Angle celebrates only to see Triple H back in, and he ducks a shot and Triple H catches him ducking with the facebuster as he clotheslines Angle over the top to eliminate him and Triple H wins the Rumble. The match itself was great as all 30 men worked hard and put on a really fun Rumble. There wasn’t a lot of longevity as Austin and Triple H are the only ones to go over 20 minutes with Austin being the ironman at nearly 27 minutes, and Angle and Perfect do last over 15 minutes and Perfect looks the best of the returns along with Goldust. There were some lame performances from guys like Show, Kane, RVD, Booker, and Test who could’ve looked better though we did get a huge moment with Maven eliminating Taker, and there was no doubt that Triple H was winning coming back from injury. The crowd was hot for the whole match and popped big for Triple H when he won. Triple H gets the win and is heading to WM, but his road is going to have some bumps along the way. Grade: 4
 
After the match, Triple H celebrates and poses for the crowd as we go off the air.
 
Final Analysis: Overall, the first PPV of 2002 was a pretty solid show that had a decent first half though was carried completely by the last three matches. The show was pretty much built on those three big matches and they did deliver for the most part, and a lot of focus was of course on the Rumble which it should and it also delivers in a big way as well. We did get four title matches as Jericho, Spike, Tazz, and Stratus retain their titles Regal now rules the midcard and Flair and Triple H get big wins, and in terms of the matches the last three matches were the best with the other three matches ranging from good to just slightly below average. Coming off what ended up being a pretty great 2001, 2002 is off to a good start and we will see how the road to WrestleMania X8 plays out as we will get some major twists and turns along the way. As for this show, it is a really good show and kicks off what is sure to be a memorable 2002. Final Grade: B+

Last edited by riddlr285 (3/15/2024 8:40 pm)