RAW
April 8th, 2002
America West Arena
Phoenix, Arizona
 
4/14 Sunday Night Heat taping:
 
1. The Hardy Boyz defeat Justin Credible and Steven Richards.
2. Goldust defeats Shawn Stasiak.
3. Crash Holly defeats Jacqueline.
4. Bradshaw defeats the Big Bossman.
 
Actual Show:
 
We see the opening video for RAW.
 
Your hosts are Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler.
 
The Undertaker comes down to the ring and asks what the hell is going on around here as he’s a bit confused and pissed off, and he says that last week he challenged Triple H for the Undisputed Title at Backlash which Triple H accepted and Ric Flair sanctioned it. He says that now he finds out that he’s out of the title match which is now Triple H and Hulk Hogan which is unacceptable and bullshit, and he says that RAW stops now and he will stay in the ring until someone comes out and explains it to him as Ric Flair comes down to the ring. He says that he has an explanation as he felt too ambitious and he wanted to see Taker and Triple H go at it though Vince did have the right to make the match at Backlash, and he says that while Taker is ranting and trying to tell everyone what to do, he wants him to remember that he runs the show. He says that while Vince got to make the match at Backlash, he gets to make the match after Backlash so Taker needs to calm down, and Taker says that he thinks Flair is a liar and a no-good son of a bitch as he thinks Flair is still tore about what happened at WM. He says that he doesn’t blame him as he would be hot too and the way he sees it, Flair has one option as he can make him the Number One Contender for after Backlash and there is no one that deserve it more than him which he knows is true. He asks if Flair will name him Number One Contender or will he have to pull out another WM moment as Steve Austin comes down to the ring, and he asks if Flair is about to hand Taker a title shot after Backlash and if Taker really deserves it. He asks if Flair is scared of Taker and if Taker is really dead or if he’s special enough to earn a title shot, and he says that he can ride Taker’s bike as long as he wants to and he says his watch is saying that it’s time for Flair to make a decision between him or Taker getting the title shot. Flair says that both men deserve to be Number One Contender and before he makes a decision, he wants to clear something up as they are going the wrong direction and Taker has made his life miserable since he drafted him. He says that Taker has worn his ass out and cost him a tag match a few weeks ago which he doesn’t appreciate, and he says that last week should’ve been the greatest moment in RAW history in signing Austin ended with Austin giving him the Stunner. He says that doesn’t work for him either and it’s a new day as he wants to make things clear in that he’s not Vince McMahon, he’s Ric Flair and from now on anyone who puts their hands on him or thinks about it will have hell to pay. He says that there will be two matches tonight as Taker will face Rob Van Dam while Austin will face Scott Hall, and Taker says that Flair is full of crap as the title shot is his which he deserves and Austin doesn’t deserve it. He says that Flair needs to listen up and if he’s not the Number One Contender, there will be hell to pay which is something Austin can’t do anything about until Austin attacks him and clotheslines him over the top to the floor. He goes to kick Flair though hesitates as Taker gets on the apron and Austin knocks him back to the floor, and officials come out and hold Taker back as Flair rolls outside and they escort Taker to the back.
 
Commercial break
 
1. Bubba Ray Dudley and Booker T wrestle to a no contest when Bubba pins Goldust at 3:55 to retain the WWF Hardcore Championship.
 
Analysis: We kick off this edition of RAW with our first title match of the night. Bubba won the Hardcore Title the week before and looks to have a successful defense here against Booker, who has been cruising in the midcard and looks to become champion. Bubba gets a good pop from the crowd while Booker had solid heat as a heel. Booker does the Spinaroonie and then Bubba responds with a dance of his own to start the match as he ducks a shot and pounds on Booker, and he hits a back elbow on Booker and clotheslines him over the top to the floor as he goes outside himself only for Booker to get a kick in. He pounds on Bubba who reverses a whip and sends Booker into the steps as he throws him back into the ring and then he throws numerous weapons into the ring, and he ducks a trash can lid swing and hits a back suplex on Booker for a two count as he rams him into the buckle and hits a slam. He goes up to the middle rope only to miss a springboard splash and Booker hits a side kick as he stomps on him in the corner, but Bubba rakes the eyes and pounds on Booker who counters a whip by getting a knee in and he hits the scissors kick. He grabs a STOP sign and hits Bubba in the back with it as he grabs a trash can and hits Bubba in the head with it twice, and he pounds on Bubba in the corner and Bubba counters a whip as he hits a Samoan drop on Booker. Bubba starts to fire up and hits a clothesline on Booker as he hits a slam and drops a trio of elbows on him, and he goes outside and pulls a table out as he slides it into the ring and Booker ducks a shot before hitting a spinebuster. He sets the table up as Goldust runs down to the ring and hits Booker in the back with a lid before hitting a DDT, and he looks for a DDT on Bubba who escapes and gets a kick in as he powerbombs Goldust through the table which gets the three and he retains the title. The match itself was decent as both men worked hard and put on a basic title match. Booker was hitting his stride while Bubba was slowly getting into a groove as a singles star, and they had decent chemistry as Goldust tries to take advantage of the 24/7 rule though Bubba manages to survive it. The crowd was into the match and popped for Bubba when he won. Bubba retains the title over both Booker and Goldust as all three men move on. Grade: 1
 
Commercial break
 
We see an ad for Backlash.
 
We see an ad for WWF Forceable Entry: the CD featuring “The Game” by Drowning Pool.
 
Jonathan Coachman interviews Trish Stratus, who says that she’s just fine and Molly got her good from behind though tonight Molly has to face her, and she says she’s pretty pissed off and will show her as William Regal walks up to her and says that all Stratus is good for is flashing her knockers and Molly put her in her place. Stratus says that she remembers Spike Dudley putting Regal in his place and Regal says that Spike stole the victory over him, and he says that Spike degraded his reputation and that victory was a fluke though he will put an end to him tonight.
 
Terri Runnels interviews Kane, who says that the rest of his parts are working just fine and all his life, he’s been called a monster and a freak which he used to be ashamed of though after teaming with the Rock and Hulk Hogan, he realized that freaks kick ass and they are cool as he will mow down X-Pac tonight. He says that X-Pac is talented, but he’s not cool and it’s a simple fact of life that X-Pac sucks.
 
We see the New World Order in their dressing room as X-Pac says that he wants the Outsiders to stay back as he wants to prove he can do this himself and Kane is a goner.
 
Commercial break
 
2. X-Pac pins Kane after a chair shot in a Falls Count Anywhere match at 2:00.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is a pretty big matchup. These two men faced off last week with Kane winning by DQ and now they face off here in a falls count anywhere match to settle their issues. Kane gets a big pop from the crowd while X-Pac was pretty hot as a heel. X-Pac wastes no time and stomps on Kane to start the match as he pounds on him in the corner and kicks at him repeatedly, but Kane hits a pair of clotheslines on X-Pac and whips him into the corner as X-Pac catches him with a boot to the face. Kane hits a big boot and a flapjack on X-Pac as he clotheslines him over the top to the floor and he goes outside himself, and he pounds on X-Pac and sends him over the barricade into the crowd as he goes over the barricade himself and pounds on X-Pac while they head through the crowd. They head backstage as Scott Hall hits Kane in the back with a lead pipe while Kevin Nash hits Kane with a 2x4, and Hall beats on Kane with the pipe as X-Pac grabs a chair and hits Kane in the head with it which gets the three and he wins the match. The match itself was nothing as Kane dominated until the Outsiders helped X-Pac get the win. The crowd was into the match and Kane, but are not happy when X-Pac wins. X-Pac gets the win over Kane and both men move on. Grade: .5
 
After the match, Nash breaks the 2x4 over Kane’s back and X-Pac takes Kane’s mask off as he grabs the chair and hits Kane in the back of the head with it, but then Bradshaw comes in and chases the New World Order off before checking on Kane.
 
Commercial break
 
We see EMTs and Bradshaw helping Kane onto a stretcher.
 
We see the New World Order in their dressing room as X-Pac has Kane’s mask off and they make fun of Kane until Ric Flair comes in, and he says that there will be no more gang warfare and Nash asks what Flair will do about it as Flair says Nash is suspended indefinitely without pay and Nash threatens to sue him.
 
3. Spike Dudley pins William Regal after a brass knuckles shot at :03 to win the WWF European Championship.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is our second and last title match of the night. Spike upset Regal last week on RAW and now they face off again here with the title on the line. Spike gets a good pop from the crowd while Regal was pretty hot as a heel as he drops a pair of brass knuckles which the ref takes away though Regal hides a second pair in the top buckle. Spike grabs the knuckles while Regal and the ref are distracted to start the match and he hits Regal with them which gets the three and we have a new champion. The match was nothing as Spike outsmarts Regal and gets one of the biggest wins of his career. The crowd was into the match and popped for Spike when he won. Spike gets a second upset win over Regal and is the new European Champion as this issue isn’t over yet. Grade: N/A
 
Jonathan Coachman interviews Spike Dudley, who says that last week was no fluke as Tommy Dreamer, Jacqueline, the Big Show, and Bubba Ray Dudley come over to celebrate.
 
Commercial break
 
4. The Undertaker pins Rob Van Dam with the Last Ride at 9:02.
 
Stipulation: The winner would advance to the Number One Contender’s match at Backlash
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is a pretty big matchup. Taker was looking to become the Number One Contender and looks to get a win here over RVD, who was rolling as the IC Champion and looks to pull off an upset win over Taker. RVD gets a big pop from the crowd while Taker was red hot as a heel. The two men lock up to start with Taker backing RVD into the corner and he pounds on him as he hits a back elbow and a headbutt, and he tears at RVD’s face and stomps on him repeatedly as he rams the knee into him in the corner and whips him into the other corner before splashing him for a two count. He pounds on RVD in the corner and whips him into the other corner as RVD catches him with a boot to the face and he pounds on Taker, and Taker catches him in a sidewalk slam for a two count and RVD tries to battle back until Taker gets a knee in. Taker drapes him across the apron and drives the elbow into RVD’s throat as he kicks him in the head and drives the elbow into the throat again, and he gets on the apron only to miss the legdrop and RVD hits a baseball slide as he gets on the apron and hits a moonsault onto Taker. He pounds and kicks at Taker and rams him into the announce table as Taker gets a knee in and hoists RVD onto his shoulder, but RVD slides off and rams Taker into the post as he kicks at him and throws him back into the ring before hitting a slingshot springboard kick. He hits a spinning legdrop for a two count and then he hits the Rolling Thunder on Taker before going up top, but Taker crotches him on the top rope and pounds on him as he goes up himself and hits a superplex on RVD for a two count. He drops an elbow on RVD for a two count and goes outside as he brings a chair into the ring and he scares the ref, but RVD hits the Van Daminator on Taker and goes up top as Eddie Guerrero runs down to ringside and RVD hits a crossbody on him. He pounds on Guerrero and rams him into the barricade as he rolls back into the ring only for Taker to grab him by the throat, and he hits the chokeslam for a two count and looks for the Last Ride though RVD escapes and hits a legsweep. He goes up top and hits a side kick on Taker as he goes up top again and hits the 5-Star Frog Splash on Taker, but Guerrero hits RVD in the head with the belt from the floor and Taker gets a two count before hitting the Last Ride which gets the three and he wins the match. The match itself was good as both men worked hard and put on a solid match. Both men were hitting their stride by this point and had good chemistry as this was more about Guerrero costing RVD the match. The crowd was into the match and RVD, but are not happy when Taker wins. Taker gets the win over RVD and both men move on. Grade: 2.5
 
Commercial break
 
Jazz comes out to do commentary for the next match.
 
Terri Runnels interviews Molly Holly, who says that she dropped the superhero gimmick because it was holding her down and instead of being able to showcase her talents, she saw the match last week and she is the most beautiful Diva in the WWF as she is also pure and wholesome.
 
5. Molly Holly pins Trish Stratus with a rollup at 3:59.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is a pretty interesting matchup. Holly attacks Stratus last week after her match and now Stratus comes here looking for revenge. Stratus gets a good pop from the crowd while Holly had decent heat as a heel. The two women waste no time and brawl on the ramp to start the match as Stratus rams Holly into the apron and throws her into the ring, and Holly begs off and Stratus gets a kick in as she pounds on her and stomps on her repeatedly in the corner. She pounds on Holly and attempts a monkey flip though Holly lands on her feet and ducks a shot only for Stratus to hit a standing enzurgiri, and she pounds on Holly who grabs the ropes on a whip and slides outside to regroup before heading to the back. Stratus goes outside and throws Holly back into the ring as Holly gets a shot in and pounds on Stratus who reverses a whip, and Holly catches her ducking with a kick and hits a clothesline as she chokes Stratus on the mat and does it again with her leg. She rams Stratus into the buckle and stomps on her in the corner as she whips her into the other corner and hits a handspring elbow for a two count, and she stomps on Stratus and rams her head into the mat twice as she chokes her on the ropes and hits a modified backbreaker for a two count. She stomps on Stratus and goes up top only for Stratus to crotch her on the top rope and she hits a handstand hurricanrana, and she goes outside and yells at Jazz as the ref gets between them until Jazz shoves him aside and Stratus gets a kick in on Holly. She looks for a Stratusfaction only for Jazz to hit her in the head with the belt and Holly throws her back into the ring, and she hooks a modified rollup which gets the three and she wins the match. The match itself was decent as both women worked hard and put on a basic match. Stratus was slowly getting into a groove while Holly was also getting back into a groove, and they had good chemistry as Jazz ends up costing Stratus the match. The crowd was into the match and Stratus, but are not happy when Holly wins. Holly gets the win over Stratus and both women move on. Grade: 1
 
We see Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman backstage as Heyman says they are about to walk out to the home of the worst audience in history in Phoenix, and he says that these people don’t respect themselves though Lesnar must keep his temper under control and he’s his agent for a reason.
 
Commercial break
 
We see a shot outside the America West Arena.
 
Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman come down to the ring as Heyman says that he thanks the fans for their irrelevant opinion and as long as Lesnar is standing here, they will take as long as they deem appropriate because when you stand next to someone like Lesnar, you can do anything you damn well please. He says that it pleases him to educate everyone on some historical facts that led Lesnar to the decision of hiring him as his agent, and he says that it is a fact that he managed Steve Austin and groomed him to become Stone Cold. He says that it is a fact that he groomed the Undertaker and he was the architect of a concept called ECW that spawned Attitude and created the conglomerate you see today, and he says that there is a moral to the story which is that he, better than anyone else, can spot the next big thing and he says the next big thing is Brock Lesnar. He says that Lesnar is a NCAA Heavyweight Champion and is invincible and indestructible as he is also impervious to pain, and he says that Lesnar is the next big thing and if they won’t take his word for it, they can watch it as we see highlights of Lesnar’s path of destruction over the last few weeks, and Heyman says that he told everyone as the Hardy Boyz run down to the ring and attack Lesnar. They whip Lesnar into the corner and attempt Poetry in Motion only for Lesnar to catch Jeff and toss her over the top to the floor, and he presses Matt up and tosses him onto Jeff on the floor as the Hardyz grab a pair of chairs and get back in the ring. Lesnar stomps on Jeff until Matt jabs his chair into Lesnar’s ribs though Lesnar no-sells it and kicks at Matt, and he sets up for a powerbomb until Jeff hits him in the head with his chair and then Matt hits Lesnar in the head with his chair which sends Lesnar to the outside and he regroups with Heyman.
 
Commercial break
 
6. The Big Show pins Mr. Perfect with the Chokeslam at 1:44.
 
Analysis: Our last match before the main event is a pretty interesting matchup. Show was floating in the midcard and looks to get back on track here against Perfect, who was also floating in the midcard and looks to get a win here. Show gets a good pop from the crowd while Perfect had decent heat as a heel. Perfect crotches Show on the ropes to start the match as he pounds on him in the corner though Show no-sells it, and he tosses Perfect into the corner and stomps on him repeatedly as he knocks him over the top to the floor. He pulls Perfect onto the apron and knocks him back to the floor as he goes outside only for Perfect to rake the eyes, and Show blocks a whip and throws Perfect over the top back into the ring as Perfect begs off and Show catches a kick attempt. He hits a short clothesline on Perfect who catches him with a boot to the face and he avoids a charge from Show who misses splashing the ref, and Perfect pounds on Show and hits a low blow as he hits the Perfect-Plex for a one count and Show grabs him by the throat before hitting the Chokeslam which gets the three and he wins the match. The match itself was nothing more than a squash as Perfect got a few shots in, but he puts Show over strong in just under 2 minutes. The crowd was into the match and popped for Show when he won. Show gets the quick and easy win over Perfect as both men move on. Grade: 1
 
We see Steve Austin walking down the hallway as he goes into Ric Flair’s office and sits down at his desk.
 
Commercial break
 
We see an ad for Backlash.
 
We see an ad for WWF Divas: Tropical Pleasure on VHS and DVD.
 
We see highlights from earlier tonight.
 
We see Steve Austin in Ric Flair’s office as Flair comes in and Austin says he has some explaining to do as he is confused if he is out or not, and Flair says that if Austin wins, he will face Taker at Backlash to determine the Number One Contender as Austin thanks him for explaining it to him.
 
Commercial break
 
7. Stone Cold Steve Austin pins Scott Hall (w/ X-Pac) with the Stunner at 9:35.
 
Stipulation: The winner would advance to the Number One Contender’s match at Backlash
 
Analysis: After a fairly quick and interesting night of wrestling, we come to our main event. After Taker won his match earlier tonight, Austin now must win this match to get a chance to be Number One Contender while Hall looks to keep Austin from getting to Backlash. Austin gets a big pop from the crowd while Hall was pretty hot as a heel. Austn wastes no time and pounds on Hall in the corner to start the match as he rams him into the buckle and continues to pound on him, and he hits a back elbow on Hall and chokes him with his vest as he chokes him on the ropes and slams down on his back. He hits a slam on Hall for a two count and works the arm as he hits a short clothesline for a two count and he throws Hall to the outside, and he goes outside as well and pounds on him as Hall battles back until Austin rakes the eyes and gets a knee in. He throws Hall back into the ring and whips him hard into the corners as Hall reverses a whip and sends Austin over the top to the floor, and X-Pac pounds on Austin who battles back and he ducks a shot as he hoists X-Pac up and hotshots him on the barricade. He stomps on X-Pac as Hall goes outside and Austin pounds on him as he whips him into the steps and throws him back into the ring, and he gets a kick in though Hall escapes a Stunner attempt and Austin rams him into the buckle repeatedly until Hall hits a low blow. He stomps on Austin repeatedly and shoves him to the outside as X-Pac pounds and stomps on Austin as Hall goes outside, and he pounds on Austin and throws him back into the ring as he pounds on him in the corner and both men block a hiptoss attempt. Hall hits a short clothesline for a two count and he hooks a sleeper on Austin who escapes with a back suplex, and he chokes Hall on the ropes only to miss a dive as he crotches himself on the ropes and Hall gets a two count. He stomps on Austin repeatedly and knocks him down as he goes up to the middle rope only for Austin to nail him coming in, and he pounds on Hall who ducks a shot and both men clothesline each other as X-Pac gets a shot in on Austin from the floor. Austin hits a spear on Hall and pounds on him on the mat as Hall ducks a shot and Austin hits the Lou Thesz press before continuing to pound on Hall, and he drops an elbow on Hall as X-Pac gets on the apron and Austin knocks him to the floor before getting a kick in. Hall blocks the Stunner by sending Austin into the ref and he ducks a shot only for Austin to catch him in a spinebuster, and X-Pac gets in the ring only for Austin to catch him in a spinebuster as the Undertaker runs down to the ring. He pounds on Austin and grabs him by the throat as he hits the chokeslam until Bradshaw runs down to the ring, and he pounds on Taker and clotheslines him over the top to the floor as he goes outside as well and they continue to brawl. Bradshaw rams Taker into the steps and clotheslines him over the barricade into the crowd as Hall gets a two count, and he hoists Austin up with the ref again getting knocked down and Hall hits the fallaway slam on Austin. X-Pac gets back in the ring and pounds and stomps on Austin repeatedly as Ric Flair runs down to the ring and pulls X-Pac off of Austin, and they argue as Hall looks for the Outsider’s Edge on Austin who escapes with a backdrop and Flair nails X-Pac. Austin gets a kick in and hits the Stunner on X-Pac as he ducks a shot and gets a kick in before hitting the Stunner on Hall which gets the three and he wins the match. The match itself was good as both men worked hard and put on a solid, if somewhat sloppy match. Both men seemed a bit off in this match and the chemistry wasn’t that good as Austin gets the win thanks to Flair. The crowd was into the match and popped for Austin when he won. Austin gets the win over Hall and both men move on. Grade: 2
 
After the match, Flair goes to raise Austin’s hand only for Austin to get a kick in and he hits the Stunner on Flair, and he celebrates with a beer bash as we go off the air.
 
Final Analysis: Overall, this edition of RAW was a pretty solid episode to continue the build to Backlash. Now that we were a week into the brand extension era, we were clearly seeing how the shows were shaping their identity and who was going to be getting showcased on each show. We did have two title matches as Spike now rules the midcard while Bubba still rules the Hardcore Division and X-Pac, Taker, Holly, Show, and Austin get big wins, and in terms of the matches RVD/Taker was the best while the rest was pretty standard for TV as we got more build to Backlash. 2002 has been an interesting year to this point and we will see how the brand extension looks with our first co-branded show in Backlash. As for this show, it is a pretty standard show that continues building to Backlash. Final Grade: C+