Backlash 2002
April 21st, 2002
Kemper Arena
Kansas City, Missouri
 
Note: This is the final U.S pay-per-view to be held by the company while still known as the WWF
 
The Buildup: On the 3/18 RAW, Linda McMahon announced that the board of directors issued a decree that the company would split into two brands with Ric Flair running RAW and Vince McMahon running Smackdown, and she announced that a draft would take place with Flair and Vince building their rosters through that draft. On the 3/25 RAW, the draft occurred as Linda declared that the Undisputed Champion and Women’s Champion would float between both shows, and she also announced that Steve Austin was a free agent due to a clause in his contract and couldn’t be drafted. Vince and Flair would draft 10 picks throughout the night with a lottery taking place immediately after on WWF.com to fill out the rosters which were locked down starting on the 4/1 RAW, and the end results were:
 
RAW: The Undertaker, the New World Order (Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, and X-Pac), Kane, Rob Van Dam, Booker T, the Big Show, Bubba Ray Dudley, Brock Lesnar, William Regal, Lita, Bradshaw, Steven Richards, Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, Raven, Mr. Perfect, Spike Dudley, D-Lo Brown, Shawn Stasiak, Terri Runnels, Jacqueline, Goldust, Trish Stratus, Justin Credible, the Big Bossman, Tommy Dreamer, Crash Holly, and Mighty Molly
 
Smackdown: The Rock, Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan, Billy & Chuck (w/ Rico), Edge, Rikishi, D-Von Dudley, Mark Henry, Maven, Billy Kidman, Tajiri, Chris Jericho, Ivory, Albert, the Hurricane, Al Snow, Lance Storm, Diamond Dallas Page, Torrie Wilson, Scotty 2 Hotty, Stacy Keibler, Christian, Test, Faarooq, Tazz, Hardcore Holly, Val Venis, and Perry Saturn
 
Sunday Night Heat:
 
1. The Big Show defeats Justin Credible and Steven Richards at 2:11.
 
Actual Show:
 
We see the opening video for Backlash.
 
Your hosts are Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler.
 
1. Tajiri (w/ Torrie Wilson) pins Billy Kidman after spraying red mist in his face at 9:08 to win the WWF Cruiserweight Championship.
 
The Buildup/Title Change/Heel Turn: On the 4/4 Smackdown (taped 4/2), Kidman defeated Tajiri to win the Cruiserweight Title after Wilson prevented Tajiri from using the title and he would berate her after the match, and on the 4/11 Smackdown Tajiri officially turned heel by forcing Wilson to begin wearing a traditional Japanese kimono and he would defeat the Hurricane as he continued to berate Wilson until Kidman made the save. On the 4/15 Smackdown, it was announced Tajiri would get his rematch here as he and Chavo Guerrero defeated Kidman and the Hurricane in a tag match when he pinned Hurricane.
 
Analysis: We kick off this PPV with our first title match of the night. Kidman won the Cruiserweight Title from Tajiri a few weeks ago and now Tajiri comes here looking to become champion again. Kidman gets a good pop from the crowd while Tajiri was pretty hot as a heel. The two men lock up to start with neither gaining an edge and they lock up again with neither gaining an edge as they exchange shoves, and Kidman hits a clothesline on Tajiri and stomps on him repeatedly as Tajiri blocks a hiptoss attempt and Kidman gets a knee in. He flips over Tajiri and ducks a spin kick as Tajiri ducks a shot and hits an armdrag on Kidman who hits one of his own, and Tajiri sends Kidman into the buckle and pounds on him in the corner as Kidman turns it around and pounds on Tajiri. Tajiri reverses a whip into the other corner and Kidman catches him with a boot to the face as he leaps onto Tajiri’s shoulders, but Tajiri blocks a hurricanrana attempt and slingshots Kidman into the corner with Kidman landing on the middle rope. He hits a missile dropkick on Tajiri for a two count and pounds on him as Tajiri reverses a whip into the corner, and Kidman hits a headscissors on Tajiri who rolls outside to regroup and he trips Kidman up as he hoists him up in a wheelbarrow and hotshots him on the barricade. He throws Kidman back into the ring and hits a slam as he drops a knee on him and chokes him on the bottom rope, and he slides out of the ring and kicks Kidman in the head before rolling back into the ring and he hits a snapmare as he hooks a submission on. Kidman fights to his feet and breaks the hold as he ducks a shot and hits a hurricanrana on Tajiri who catches him in a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, and he rams Kidman into the buckle and puts him in the tree of woe as he hits a baseball slide on Kidman and rolls outside. He pulls Kidman’s back into the post and rolls back into the ring as he stomps on Kidman and hits a backbreaker, and he hooks another submission on Kidman who escapes with a knee for a two count and Tajiri hits an axehandle. He drops an elbow on Kidman and stomps on him as Kidman tries to battle back and he whips Tajiri into the corner, and Tajiri avoids a charge and looks for the Tarantula though Kidman escapes it as Tajiri lands on the apron. He kicks at Kidman and slingshots onto his back as he hooks the Tarantula on Kidman who avoids the kick and they trade blows, and Tajiri looks for the handspring elbow only for Kidman to hit a dropkick to the back for a two count and Tajiri escapes a back suplex attempt. He hits a spin kick to the back of Kidman’s head and Kidman escapes a suplex attempt as he goes behind Tajiri, but Tajiri turns it around and hits a German suplex for a two count as Kidman reverses a whip into the corner and Tajiri ducks a shot. He hits a superkick on Kidman for a two count and Kidman escapes a powerbomb attempt by slamming Tajiri’s head into the mat, and he goes up top only to miss the Shooting Star Press and Tajiri kicks him in the head for a two count. He kicks at Kidman and rams him into the buckle as he puts him on the top rope and pounds on him before going up himself, and Kidman gets a shot in and hits a sitdown spinebuster off the top for a two count as Tajiri counters a whip and Kidman gets a kick in. He hoists Tajiri up for a powerbomb only for Tajiri to spray red mist in his face and he falls on top 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. Both men were hitting their groove by this point and still had good chemistry as Tajiri uses the mist to get the title back. The crowd was into the match and Kidman, but are not happy when Tajiri wins. Tajiri gets the win over Kidman and regains the Cruiserweight Title as both men move on. Grade: 3
 
After the match, Michael Cole tries to interview Tajiri who yells at him in Japanese before forcing Wilson to the back.
 
We see Bradshaw warming up backstage as Faarooq comes up to him and they embrace as they compliment each other on how their doing on their shows, and Faarooq says that he will make sure what happened to him on RAW won’t happen again.
 
2. Scott Hall (w/ X-Pac) pins Bradshaw (w/ Faarooq) with a rollup at 5:47.
 
Temp. Farewell: Aside from an appearance at Insurrextion, this is Bradshaw’s last PPV until 2003
 
Farewell: Aside from sporadic appearances, this is Scott Hall’s final WWF PPV as he would be fired in May due to his actions in the infamous “Plane Ride from Hell” as well as his ongoing personal problems, and he would work the indie scene for the next decade and made numerous appearances with TNA as he would win the tag titles once as he struggled to get clean. After more incidents including at an indie show where he was in a very bad state, he would hook up with Diamond Dallas Page who took him in and helped him get clean along with Jake Roberts. He would kick his addictions and would make numerous appearances with WWE while making a few more indie appearances alongside his son Cody, and Scott Hall would sadly pass away from a series of heart attacks on March 14th, 2022 at the age of 63. Scott Hall was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2014 as Razor Ramon by Kevin Nash, and he would be inducted again in 2020/1 as part of the New World Order.
 
The Buildup: On the 3/21 Smackdown, Kevin Nash lost a match to the Rock by DQ when Hall got involved and they would take Rock out until Hulk Hogan made the save, but then X-Pac would come out and attack Hogan as he was revealed as the newest member of the nWo. On the 3/25 RAW, the nWo defeated Hogan and Rock by DQ when Kane got involved to help Hogan and Rock, and on the 3/28 Smackdown Kane, Rock, and Hogan defeated the nWo in a 6-man tag match. On the 4/1 RAW, the nWo took over the abandoned APA office much to Bradshaw’s chagrin though they would beat him down, and later that night Kane defeated X-Pac by DQ when the Outsiders got involved and Bradshaw would make the save. On the 4/8 RAW, X-Pac defeated Kane in a falls count anywhere match thanks to the nWo and X-Pac would take Kane’s mask until Bradshaw again made the save, and later that night Flair would suspend Kevin Nash indefinitely without pay as Nash threatened to sue him. On the 4/15 RAW, the nWo tried to attack Austin only for Bradshaw to make the save as this match was made and later in the night, Austin and Bradshaw defeated the nWo and the Undertaker in a handicap match when Bradshaw pinned X-Pac.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is a pretty interesting matchup. Bradshaw has been having issues with the nWo for the last few weeks and he comes here to face Hall, who was cruising in the midcard and looks to get a win here. Bradshaw gets a good pop from the crowd as he brings Faarooq out to be in his corner while Hall was pretty hot as a heel. The two men square off to start with Hall throwing his toothpick in Bradshaw’s face and Bradshaw knocks him down as he pounds on him, and he rams Hall into the buckle and rams the knee into the ribs as he pounds on him in the corner and Hall reverses a whip. Bradshaw catches him ducking with a shot and he hits a DDT on Hall for a two count as Hall falls to the outside and Faarooq pounds on him, and he hits a clothesline on X-Pac and throws Hall back into the ring as Hall reverses a whip and Bradshaw knocks him down. He drops an elbow on Hall for a two count and kicks at him repeatedly as he pounds on him and hits a suplex for a two count, and he pounds on Hall and knocks him down for a two count as Hall rakes the eyes and pounds on Bradshaw. He chokes Bradshaw on the ropes and X-Pac gets a shot in from the floor as Hall pounds on Bradshaw who battles back, but Hall gets a kick in and pounds on Bradshaw as he whips him into the corner and splashes him before slapping the back of his head repeatedly. He stomps on Bradshaw in the corner and Bradshaw gets a kick in as he tries to battle back only for Hall to get a stomp in, and he continues to stomp on Bradshaw in the corner until Bradshaw hits a tackle and he fires up on Hall. He hits a back elbow and a big boot on Hall as he whips him into the corner and splashes him until Hall reverses a whip into the other corner, but he misses a charge and Bradshaw hits the Clothesline from Hell on Hall for a two count as X-Pac puts Hall’s foot on the rope. He slaps Bradshaw from the floor and Faarooq chases him around the ring as X-Pac gets on the apron and Bradshaw knocks him into Faarooq’s arm, and Faarooq rams X-Pac into the post as Hall hits a low blow on Bradshaw and hooks a rollup which gets the three and he wins the match. The match itself was decent as Bradshaw pretty much dominated it until Hall steals it in the end. The crowd was into the match and Bradshaw, but are not happy when Hall wins. Hall steals the win over Bradshaw though this issue isn’t over yet. Grade: 1.5
 
We see a shot outside the Kemper Arena.
 
We see Vince McMahon go into Ric Flair’s office and he confronts Flair as he brags about the nWo winning and he thinks he’s starting to like his style, and he says that as an owner Flair knows what it’s like as it is never enough for his employees. He says that they question everything Flair does including his integrity and they are distrustful of Flair as he says Flair is feeling the heat, and he says that Flair is now between a rock and hard place by naming himself the referee for the Austin/Taker match. He says that Flair is either a fool or brilliant and he’s starting to relate to him as Flair says Vince has no clue who he is and never will, and he says that he’ll never be like Vince McMahon and Vince says that he could try as he leaves.
 
Trish Stratus comes down to the ring for her match only for Molly Holly to come down to the ring and she says that the Women’s Champion shouldn’t be a cheater or to flaunt her body around, and she says that everyone wants the champion to be pure and wholesome like her as Stratus is a cheater. She hits her with the mike and throws her to the outside as Stratus tries to battle back only for Holly to reverse a whip and she sends Stratus into the steps before heading to the back.
 
3. Jazz forces Trish Stratus to tap out at 4:26 to retain the WWF Women’s Championship.
 
The Buildup: On the 3/18 RAW, Jazz and Ivory attacked Stratus and Lita after their match and on the 3/21 Smackdown, Stratus and Lita defeated Jazz and Ivory in a tag match when Stratus pinned Jazz. On the 4/1 RAW, Stratus defeated Terri Runnels in a paddle on a pole match only for Molly Holly to attack her and break the paddle over her head, and on the 4/8 RAW Jazz would cost Stratus a match against Holly. On the 4/15 RAW, Stratus and Holly had a confrontation backstage and Stratus would defeat Holly to earn a title shot at the PPV.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is our second title match of the night. Jazz has been rolling as Women’s Champion and faces a tough challenge here in Stratus, who was looking to get another chance to get revenge on Jazz and become champion again. Stratus gets a good pop from the crowd though is now at a disadvantage thanks to Holly while Jazz had solid heat as a heel. Jazz throws Stratus into the ring to start the match and clotheslines her in the back of the head as she whips her into the corner, and she hits a sidewalk slam on Stratus for a two count and kicks at her until Stratus hotshots her on the top rope. She pounds on Jazz who ducks a shot and she hoists Stratus onto her shoulders as she hits a rolling senton, and Stratus rolls under her and hits a clothesline as Jazz rakes the eyes and pounds on Stratus who battles back. Jazz ducks a kick only for Stratus to hit the kick for a two count and she pounds on Jazz as she stomps on her repeatedly in the corner, and she puts Jazz on the top rope and goes up herself as Jazz pounds on her and shoves her to the mat only for Stratus to hit the handstand hurricanrana. She hits a pair of clotheslines and a neckbreaker on Jazz for a two count as Jazz catches her ducking with a kick, and she hits a sitdown powerbomb on Stratus for a two count and chokes her on the ropes as she chokes her with her boot. She whips Stratus into the corner only to miss a charge and Stratus hooks a rollup for a two count only for Jazz to rake the eyes, and Stratus counters a whip and gets a kick in as Jazz counters the Stratusfaction with a back suplex for a two count. She whips Stratus into the corner and catches a kick attempt as she snaps Stratus to the mat and hooks a Boston crab on, and she transitions into an STF on Stratus who taps out and Jazz retains the title. The match itself was decent as both women worked hard and put on a decent title match. Stratus was slowly getting into a groove while Jazz was also hitting her groove as well, but this was more about Holly attacking Stratus before the match and Jazz taking advantage to win. The crowd was into the match and Stratus, but are not happy when Jazz wins. Jazz retains the title over Stratus and both women move on. Grade: 1.5
 
After the match, Marc Lloyd attempts to interview Jazz who simply walks away.
 
We see highlights from RAW last week.
 
We see Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman in their dressing room as Heyman says that you don’t get a second chance at a first impression, and he says that he wants Lesnar to have no regret and no remorse as this is all Lita’s fault and he will show her how rough he can play and he is the Next Big Thing.
 
4. Brock Lesnar (w/ Paul Heyman) defeats Jeff Hardy (w/ Lita) by referee stoppage at 5:31.
 
Replacement: Jeff is replacing Matt Hardy
 
Debut: Brock Lesnar played football and wrestled in high school as he would win numerous championships before heading to the University of Minnesota, and he would become a Division I heavyweight champion and was a 2-time All American before signing with the WWF in 2000. He would train in OVW and competed there as he would win the tag titles with fellow Minnesota alum Shelton Benjamin, and he would work dark matches throughout 2001 until he made his debut on the 3/18 RAW with Paul Heyman as his new advisor and he makes his PPV debut here.
 
Temp. Farewell: This is Lita’s last WWF PPV until 2003
 
The Buildup: On the 4/1 RAW, Lesnar attacked the Hardyz after their match and left them laid out, and on the 4/8 RAW Heyman hyped up Lesnar and revealed he was Lesnar’s new agent as the Hardyz would attack Lesnar and hit him multiple times with chairs which Lesnar no-sold. On the 4/15 RAW, Heyman snuck into Lita’s dressing room and started playing around with her thongs much to her chagrin, and later that night the Hardyz lost a match to Booker T and Goldust when Heyman came on the stage with Lia’s thongs and distracted them. Matt went after him only for Lesnar to attack him and he would give Matt the F-5 on the stage as this match was made.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card sees a huge debut. Lesnar has been making waves since debuting a month ago and he looks to win his first official match here, and he was set to face Matt though now faces Jeff due to what he did to Matt the previous week. Jeff gets a big pop from the crowd while Lesnar had solid heat as a heel. Jeff wastes no time and attacks Lesnar to start the match as Lesnar gets a knee in and he pounds on Jeff, and he sends Jeff to the outside and he goes outside himself as he chases Jeff back into the ring and Jeff hits a dropkick that knocks Lesnar off the apron to the floor. He attempts a slingshot plancha only for Lesnar to catch him and he hoists him onto his shoulder though Jeff slides off and sends Lesnar into the post, and Lesnar rolls back into the ring and Jeff goes up top as he hits a crossbody for a one count and Lesnar rams him into the corner. He rams the shoulder into Jeff’s ribs repeatedly and tosses him to the mat as he rams Jeff into the corner again, and he hits a pair of belly-to-belly suplexes on Jeff and then he hits a trio of stiff backbreakers on Jeff who tries to come back with kicks. He fires up on Lesnar who reverses a whip into the corner and then he whips Jeff hard into the other corner, and he whips Jeff back into the other corner as Jeff goes up top and hits Whisper in the Wind on Lesnar as he hits a jawbreaker and legdrop to the groin. He goes up top and hits the Swanton on Lesnar for a two count as he rolls outside and brings a chair into the ring, and Lesnar hoists him onto his shoulders and hits the F-5 as he then hits a trio of powerbombs on Jeff and the ref calls the match off which gives Lesnar the win. The match itself was decent as Jeff got a few shots in, but he puts Lesnar over strong in 5 and a half minutes. The crowd was into the match and Jeff, but are not happy when Lesnar wins. Lesnar gets the win over Jeff though this issue isn’t over yet. Grade: 1.5
 
We see the buildup to the next match.
 
5. Kurt Angle pins Edge with the Angle Slam at 13:24.
 
The Buildup: On the 3/18 RAW, Edge and Kane defeated Angle and Booker T in a tag match when Edge pinned Angle, and on the 3/21 Smackdown Angle would cost Edge a match against Booker. On the 3/25 RAW, Edge attacked Angle after his match and the two brawled until officials forced them apart, and on the 4/4 Smackdown Edge tried to make peace with Angle by presenting him pictures of when they were partners though Edge would write various phrases on the back of the pictures to make fun of Angle. Later that night, Edge defeated Angle by DQ when Angle used a chair and the two would brawl during the main event between the Rock and Chris Jericho, and on the 4/11 Smackdown Angle ranted about not being named Number One Contender until Edge interrupted and challenged Angle to a match at Backlash which Angle accepted. Later that night, Angle would cost Edge a match against Chris Jericho and they double teamed Edge backstage until Hulk Hogan made the save, and on the 4/18 Smackdown Edge would save Hogan from Angle and Jericho and later that night, Angle and Jericho wrestled Triple H and Hogan to a no contest when Edge chased Angle into the crowd.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is a pretty big matchup. These two men have been going at it for the last month and now they face off here to settle their issues. Edge gets a big pop from the crowd while Angle was red hot as a heel. The two men lock up to start with Angle hooking a headlock and he knocks Edge down as Edge leaps over him and Angle hooks the ropes to avoid him, and Edge knocks Angle down twice and pounds on him in the corner as he whips him into the other corner and Angle catches him with a back elbow. Edge hits a dropkick on Angle and pounds on him as Angle reverses a whip and Edge ducks a shot before hitting a flapjack on Angle, and Edge clotheslines Angle over the top to the floor and Angle trips him up as he pulls him outside only for Edge to pound on him. He throws Angle back into the ring and Angle stomps on him repeatedly coming in as he pounds on him and Edge reverses a whip, and he hits a spin kick on Angle who ducks a shot and he hits a German suplex on Edge before stomping on him. He pounds on Edge in the corner and stomps on him repeatedly until Edge turns it around and he pounds on Angle in the corner, and Angle reverses a whip into the other corner and Edge catches him with a boot to the face only for Angle to catch him in a belly-to-belly suplex for a two count. He pounds on Edge who tries to battle back until Angle gets a kick in and he hits a suplex on Edge for a two count, and he hooks a submission on Edge who fights to his feet and he whips Angle off as Angle ducks a shot and hits another German suplex. Edge blocks another one with a pair of back elbows and he hits a belly-to-belly suplex on Angle as they trade blows, and Angle takes control until Edge ducks a shot and hits a flying forearm on Angle as he hits a clothesline and a backdrop. He stomps on Angle in the corner and whips him into the other corner as he ducks a shot and gets a kick in, and he hits the Edgecution on Angle for a two count and Angle gets a kick in as Edge escapes a back suplex attempt and ducks a shot before hitting the modified facebuster for a two count. He goes up top only for Angle to run up top and he hits a belly-to-belly superplex on Edge for a two count, and he looks for the Ankle Lock only for Edge to shove him away and Angle pounds on Edge who grabs the ropes to block a German suplex. He hits a pair of back elbows and Angle ducks a shot as he hits a trio of German suplexes on Edge for a two count, and Edge escapes an Angle Slam attempt and ducks a shot as he hits a German suplex of his own on Angle. He backdrops Angle over the top to the floor and goes up top as he hits a crossbody onto Angle on the floor, and he throws Angle back into the ring and goes up top again as he hits a missile dropkick on Angle for a two count. He gets a kick in and Angle escapes a second Edgecution as Edge gets a shot in though Angle blocks the Edge-o-Matic with a shot, and he hits the Angle Slam on Edge for a two count and hooks the Ankle Lock on as Edge reaches for the ropes though Angle pulls him back. Edge escapes by hooking a rollup for a two count and Angle hits a clothesline as he goes outside and brings a chair into the ring, and Edge avoids a charge as the chair bounces off the rope and hits Angle in the face as Edge hits the Edge-o-Matic for a two count. Angle rakes the eyes and goes for the chair though Edge gets a kick in and the ref gets the chair out of the ring while Edge looks for the spear, but Angle catches him with a kick and hits the Angle Slam 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. Edge was getting into a groove by this point while Angle was hitting his stride as well, and they had good chemistry as Angle gets the win though Edge looks strong even in defeat. The crowd was into the match and Edge, but are not happy when Angle wins. Angle gets the win over Edge though this issue isn’t over yet. Grade: 3
 
Chris Jericho comes down to the ring and says that he wants to get something straight in that 30 days ago, he was in the main event of WM as the Undisputed Champion and he was the top guy in the business, and he says now he stands in this ring without a match tonight and he is here as a common spectator. He says that is unacceptable as Billy Kidman and Trish Stratus had matches and Maven also has a match tonight, and he asks if he’s not good enough to be on the show which insults him and hurts his feelings though he feels good knowing that he’s still better than everyone here. He says that he is still better than the has-been Hulk Hogan and he asks if anyone really believes that Hogan deserves a title shot more than him, and he says that those that believe that Hogan will be champion again will be disappointed and Hogan will never again be champion because Hogan is not worthy of being champion while he is and he is worthy of having a match though he will just leave now which he does.
 
We see Ric Flair and Arn Anderson in Flair’s office as the Undertaker comes in and has a staredown with Flair before walking out.
 
6. Eddie Guerrero pins Rob Van Dam with the Frog Splash at 11:43 to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship.
 
Return: We last saw Eddie Guerrero on WWF PPV back at Judgment Day 2001 as he would be written off TV at the end of the month and go to rehab to deal with his personal issues, and in November he would be arrested for a DUI and released from the company as he would get clean and become a born-again Christian. He would work the indie scene and made a few appearances with New Japan and the newly-created Ring of Honor, and he would also win the WWA Cruiserweight Title before being re-signed by the WWF and he makes his PPV return here.
 
The Buildup: On the 4/1 RAW, Eddie would make his surprise return as he attacked RVD after his match and gave him the Frog Splash, and on the 4/8 RAW Eddie would cost RVD a match against the Undertaker. On the 4/15 RAW, Eddie cut a promo claiming RVD stole the Frog Splash from him as well as the title as this match was made, and Eddie and William Regal defeated RVD and Spike Dudley in a tag match when Eddie pinned Spike and RVD attacked Eddie after the match.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is our third title match of the night. RVD has been rolling as IC Champion and faces a tough challenge in Eddie, who was back on the scene after some time off and looks to become champion again. RVD gets a big pop from the crowd while Eddie was pretty hot as a heel. Eddie wastes no time and pounds on RVD to start the match as RVD battles back and Eddie flips over his back, and RVD hits a spin kick on Eddie and pounds on him in the corner as he whips him into the other corner and hits a monkey flip. He hits a spin kick on Eddie for a two count and they trade blows as Eddie catches a kick attempt and snaps RVD to the mat, and he stomps on RVD in the corner and pounds on him as RVD reverses a whip into the other corner and he rams the shoulder into Eddie’s ribs twice. He does a backflip and ducks a shot as he goes behind Eddie who hits a back elbow and he rams RVD into the corner, and he pounds on RVD and stomps on him repeatedly as RVD throws Eddie into the corner and kicks at him before pounding on him. He hits a spin kick and a standing moonsault on Eddie for a two count as he pounds and kicks at him for a two count, and he pounds on Eddie and hits a suplex for a two count as he hits a slam and goes up top only for Eddie to crotch him on the top rope. He pounds on RVD and goes up himself though RVD blocks the superplex and hotshots Eddie on the top rope, and RVD goes up top again and hits a side kick on Eddie as he stomps on him and hits a cartwheel moonsault for a two count. Eddie blocks a suplex with a small package for a two count and RVD gets a kick in as Eddie escapes a suplex attempt and hooks a rollup for a two count, and Eddie rolls out to the apron and RVD hits a dropkick that knocks him to the floor as he slingshots out to the apron and hits a moonsault onto Eddie. He gets a kick in and hoists Eddie up for a suplex as he drops him on the barricade and he leaps onto the apron, and he hits a spinning legdrop to the back of Eddie’s head and throws him back into the ring for a two count. Eddie gets his knees up on a Rolling Thunder attempt and stomps on RVD repeatedly as he hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and a back suplex for a two count, and he stomps on RVD repeatedly and hits a drop toehold as he hooks a submission on RVD who fights out of the hold. Eddie slams down on RVD’s back and hoists him up in the Gory Special though RVD escapes and hooks a sunset flip for a two count, and Eddie hits a clothesline on RVD and pounds on him as he hits a side dropkick and goes out to the apron. He hits a slingshot somersault senton onto RVD for a two count and gets a kick in as he works the arm and goes up top before hitting a hurricanrana for a two count, and he hits a brainbuster on RVD and then he hits a back suplex for a two count as he goes up top only for RVD to crotch him on the top rope. He goes up himself though Eddie gets a shot in and hits a sunset flip powerbomb on RVD for a two count, and he gets a knee in and pounds on RVD who escapes a powerbomb attempt as he catches a kick attempt and hits a spin kick. Eddie rolls outside to regroup and brings the belt into the ring as RVD gets a kick in and takes the belt though the ref gets knocked down as well, and Eddie gets a kick in and hits a neckbreaker on the belt which he slides out of the ring before going up top and he hits the Frog Splash 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 Eddie was getting back into a groove, and they had good chemistry as Eddie uses the belt to get the win. The crowd was into the match and RVD, but are not happy when Eddie wins. Eddie gets the win over RVD and is the new IC Champion though this issue isn’t over yet. Grade: 3
 
We see the buildup to the next match.
 
7. The Undertaker pins Stone Cold Steve Austin after kicking a chair in Austin’s face at 26:58.
 
Special Guest Referee: “Nature Boy” Ric Flair
 
Stipulation: The winner would earn a WWF Undisputed Championship match at Judgment Day
 
The Buildup: On the 3/21 Smackdown, Taker confronted Flair and claimed that he wanted to be drafted to RAW even though he didn’t, and on the 3/25 RAW Taker would be the first draft pick to RAW much to his chagrin as both Flair and Vince vowed to sign Austin to their brand. On the 4/1 RAW, Flair attempted to present Triple H with a brand new Undisputed Championship belt only for Taker to interrupt, and Triple H would come out and Taker challenged him for the title at the PPV with Triple H accepting, and later that night Austin would end up choosing to sign with RAW though he would give both Vince and Flair the Stunner. On the 4/8 RAW, Taker and Austin confronted Flair about the Backlash main event being changed by Vince as Flair made two matches to determine the next Number One Contender, and Taker would defeat Rob Van Dam while Austin defeated Scott Hall and Flair announced they would face off at Backlash to determine the Number One Contender. On the 4/15 RAW, Flair confronted Austin for his actions last week and Austin said he didn’t want Flair to get involved in his business, and then Taker would come out and confronted both men as Flair announced he would be the referee for the match. Later that night, Austin and Bradshaw defeated Taker and the New World Order in a handicap match only for Taker to hit Austin in the head with a chair.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is a pretty big matchup. These two men were looking to become the next contender for the Undisputed Title and face off here to determine the next challenger, and the wildcard in the match is Flair as the ref. Austin gets a big pop from the crowd as does Flair while Taker was red hot as a heel. The two men have a staredown to start the match and they lock up with Taker hooking a headlock as he knocks Austin down, and Austin rolls outside to regroup before returning to the ring as they lock up again with Austin hooking a headlock. Taker whips him off and neither man goes down when they collide as Austin randomly does a set of pushups to frustrate Taker, and they lock up with Taker going back to the headlock and he knocks Austin down as Austin catches him with a clothesline. They tease a test of strength only for Austin to flip Taker off and they lock up again with Taker going back to the headlock, and he knocks Austin down again and Austin comes back with a hiptoss as he hits an armdrag and a drop toehold on Taker. He works the arm and drives the knee into it repeatedly as he puts Taker’s shoulders on the mat for a two count, and he continues to work the arm as Taker fights to his feet and backs Austin into the corner before getting a shot in. Austin ducks a shot and pounds on Taker in the corner as he whips him into the other corner and Taker catches him with a boot to the face, and he hits a clothesline on Austin for a two count and works the arm as he goes up top and hits Old School on Austin for a two count. Austin reverses a whip and Taker ducks a shot as Austin hits the Lou Thesz Press on Taker and pounds on him on the mat, and he drops an elbow on Taker for a two count and then he clotheslines Taker over the top to the floor with Taker landing on his feet. He trips Austin up and pulls him outside as he pounds on him and throws him back into the ring only for Austin to again clothesline him over the top to the floor, and Austin rolls outside and rams Taker into the announce table repeatedly as he pounds on him and throws him back into the ring. Taker hits a big boot that knocks Austin off the apron to the floor and goes outside himself as he rams Austin into the announce table, and he pounds on Austin who blocks a ram into the steps and he hits a series of back elbows before pounding on him. He knocks Taker over the barricade into the crowd and he goes into the crowd as well as he continues to pound on Taker and chokes him, and he rams Taker into the timekeeper’s table and sends him over the barricade back to ringside as he rams him into the announce table again. He rams Taker into the post and pounds on him as he looks for a piledriver only for Taker to escape with a backdrop, and he drops an elbow on Austin and pounds on him on the floor as he rams him into his motorcycle and then the New World Order come down to ringside. Austin battles back on Taker and rams him into the motorcycle only for Taker to get a kick in and he rams Austin into the steps, and he rams the knee into Austin repeatedly and knocks him down as he throws him back into the ring and drapes him across the apron. He drives the knee into Austin’s head twice and gets on the apron as he hits a legdrop to the back of Austin’s head, and he rolls back into the ring and stomps on Austin’s knee repeatedly as he drops an elbow on it repeatedly and hooks a submission on. Austin reaches the rope to force a break and gets a series of kicks in as he pounds on Taker who hits a clothesline for a two count, and he hooks another submission on Austin and kicks at his back as he pounds on him and continues to grind down on him. Austin escapes by raking the eyes only for Taker to get a two count and Austin reverses a whip as he hooks a sleeper on, but Taker escapes with a back suplex for a two count and goes back to the submission as Austin fights to his feet and breaks the hold. He ducks a shot and gets a kick in though Taker blocks the Stunner and hits a clothesline for a two count as he grinds his arm into Austin’s face, and he rams Austin into the buckle though Austin ducks a shot and pounds on Taker who ducks a shot and he hits the flying clothesline on Austin for a two count. He chokes Austin on the mat and takes the pad off the buckle as he pounds on Austin in the corner and Austin reverses a whip into the exposed buckle, and Taker ducks a shot and both men clothesline each other as Austin starts to fire up and he pounds on Taker in the corner. He stomps on him repeatedly and whips him into the other corner as Taker catches him with a back elbow and hoists him onto his shoulder, but Austin slides off and pounds on Taker as he whips him into Flair and gets a kick in before hitting the Stunner on Taker. He goes for the pin though Flair is still down and Austin tries to help him up only for Taker to hit a low blow, and he grabs Austin by the throat and hits the chokeslam for a two count as he goes outside and brings a chair into the ring. Flair takes the chair from Taker and Austin hits a low blow on Taker who reverses a whip and he hits a big boot on Austin for a two count, and Austin reverses a whip and hits a spinebuster on Taker for a two count as he gets a kick in though Taker blocks the Stunner by sending Austin into Flair. Taker grabs the chair and hits Austin in the head with it for a two count as he looks for the Dragon sleeper though Austin escapes with a clothesline for a two count, and Austin hooks the Dragon sleeper on Taker who escapes by ramming Austin into the corner and he hits a pair of back elbows. He grabs the chair though Austin avoids the swing and he pounds on Taker in the corner as he stomps on him repeatedly, and Austin grabs the chair only for Taker to kick it back in his face which gets the three and he wins the match despite Austin having his foot on the rope. The match itself was good as both men worked hard and put on a solid match that was maybe a bit too long. Austin was starting to slow down at this point while Taker was hitting his stride and they still had good chemistry, but it drag on a bit too long and the main story was Flair missing Austin’s foot on the rope. The crowd was into the match and Austin, but are not happy when Taker wins. Taker gets the win over Austin and is the Number One Contender as both men move on. Grade: 3
 
After the match, Flair heads to the back and Taker celebrates as he rubs it in Austin’s face until Austin pounds on him and gets a kick in before hitting the Stunner.
 
Jonathan Coachman interviews Ric Flair as he asks if he didn’t see Austin’s foot on the rope during the pin and he shows Flair the replay, and Flair simply says “shit” and walks away.
 
8. Billy and Chuck (w/ Rico) defeat Al Snow and Maven when Billy pins Maven at 5:59 to retain the WWF Tag Team Championships.
 
Debut: Rico Constantino competed on American Gladiators and won the championship in the first half of the 1990-1991 season, and he would train to be a wrestler in 1998 and competed in Empire Wrestling Federation before signing with the WWF in 2000. He would work in OVW and won numerous titles including the OVW Heavyweight Championship as he worked dark matches throughout 2001, and he would make his TV debut on the 3/21 Smackdown as the new stylist of Billy and Chuck and he makes his PPV debut here.
 
The Buildup: On the 4/11 Smackdown, Billy, Chuck, and Rico insulted Maven until Snow stood up for him and later that night, Snow defeated Chuck in a match and on the 4/18 Smackdown, Snow and Maven teamed with Rikishi to defeat Billy, Chuck, and Albert in a 6-man tag as this match was announced.
 
Analysis: Our last match before the main event is our fourth title match of the night. Billy and Chuck have been rolling as tag champions and face a tough challenge here in Maven and Snow, who were gaining steam as a team and look to become unlikely champions. Maven and Snow get a good pop from the crowd while Billy and Chuck had solid heat as heels. Billy and Chuck waste no time and attack Maven and Snow to start the match as they pound on them in the corners until Maven and Snow reverse whips, and Maven hits a clothesline on Billy and Snow knocks Chuck down as he clotheslines him over the top to the floor. Billy gets on the apron and Maven knocks him to the floor as Chuck trips him up and pulls him outside, and he nails Maven as Billy rams him into the barricade and throws him back into the ring as Chuck stomps on Maven repeatedly. Billy tags in and pounds on Maven who tries to battle back only for Billy to get a knee in and Maven reverses a whip, and Billy knocks Snow off the apron and Maven gets a kick in as he hits a DDT on Billy who keeps Maven from tagging Snow. Chuck tags in and rams Maven into the corner as he rams the shoulder into the ribs repeatedly and pounds on him, and Maven ducks a shot and Chuck catches a kick attempt as Maven hits an enzurgiri and Snow gets the hot tag. He fires up on Billy and Chuck as he hits a backdrop on Chuck and pounds on Billy in the corner while Rico gets on the apron, and Billy reverses a whip and Snow holds the rope on a whip only for Chuck to hit a clothesline from the apron. Billy hits a swinging neckbreaker on Snow for a two count and Chuck tags in as he pounds on Snow and hits a snapmare, and he hooks a submission on Snow who fights to his feet and breaks the hold until Chuck catches him in a belly-to-belly suplex for a two count. He rams Snow into Billy’s foot and tags him in as he rams Snow into the buckle and he whips Snow into the other corner, and Billy ducks a shot and sends Snow into the corner though he misses a charge and falls to the mat. Chuck comes in and Snow hits a drop toehold that sends Chuck head first into Billy’s groin as Maven gets the hot tag, and he fires up on Billy and Chuck as he hits a dropkick that sends Chuck to the outside and Billy nails Maven from behind. Maven reverses a whip and Billy catches him ducking with the Fameasser for a two count as Snow pulls Maven out of the ring, and he pounds on Billy and slingshots over his back only for Chuck to hit the Jungle Kick on Snow as Maven returns to the ring. Chuck holds him from behind as Rico gets in the ring only for Maven to duck a spin kick and Rico hits Chuck by mistake, and Billy pounds on Maven in the corner and Maven reverses a whip as Snow catches Billy in a sitdown spinebuster. Maven goes up top and hits a crossbody on Billy for a two count as Rico gets in the ring again only for Snow to chase him out of the ring, and Chuck gets in the ring and hits the Jungle Kick on Maven which allows Billy to get the three and they retain the titles. The match itself was decent as both teams worked hard and put on a basic title match. Billy and Chuck were hitting their stride as a team while Snow and Maven looked decent as a team, and they had decent chemistry as Billy and Chuck get a fairly clean title defense. The crowd was into the match and Snow and Maven, but are not happy when Billy and Chuck win. Billy and Chuck retain the titles over Snow and Maven as both teams move on. Grade: 2
 
We see the buildup to the main event.
 
9. “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan pins Triple H with the legdrop at 22:05 to win the WWF Undisputed Championship.
 
The Buildup/Face Turn: On the 3/18 RAW, Hogan and Rock had a back and forth talking about their match at WM with Hogan ripping the nWo shirt off and he officially turned face, and later that night the two would team up and defeated the Outsiders in a tag match by countout. That same night, Triple H would cut a promo on winning the title when Stephanie McMahon interrupted and made a handicap match with her and Jericho against Triple H the next week, and on the 3/21 Smackdown Triple H went back and forth with Jericho and Stephanie as the handicap match was changed into a triple threat. On the 3/25 RAW, Triple H defeated Jericho and Stephanie in the triple threat match by pinning Stephanie which forced her to leave the WWF, and on the 4/1 RAW Flair would present Triple H with a brand new Undisputed Championship belt. On the 4/4 Smackdown, Vince announced that due to winning the coin toss, he not only earned the first draft pick but also the right to name the Number One Contender as he announced Hogan would get the shot, and Hogan and Triple H would have a back-and-forth with the two men having a staredown. On the 4/11 Smackdown, Triple H and Hogan had a confrontation backstage and later that night, Triple H defeated Kurt Angle when Hogan countered interference from Jericho though Triple H would get in his face, and Angle would shove Triple H into Hogan who would take Triple H out and he held the title up until Angle and Jericho laid him out with Jericho holding the title up. On the 4/15 RAW, Triple H cut a promo on facing Hogan at the PPV as well as possibly facing Austin or the Undertaker as his next challenger, and on the 4/18 Smackdown Vince confronted Hogan about his title match and said that Hogan would face reality. Later that night, Hogan cut a promo vowing to become champion one more time until Jericho interrupted and they went back and forth until Angle came out and helped Jericho beat down Hogan until Edge made the save. In the main event, Hogan and Triple H wrestled Angle and Jericho to a no contest when Hogan hit Triple H with a chair and then Triple H would return the favor by hitting Hogan with the chair.
 
Analysis: After a fairly long and interesting night of wrestling, we come to our main event. Triple H won the Undisputed Title the previous month and looks to have a successful defense here against Hogan, who was once again a face and now he looks to become champion one more time. Both men get a big pop from the crowd as they seem to side more with Hogan over Triple H. The two men have a staredown to start the match and they lock up with Triple H shoving Hogan into the corner, and they lock up again with Triple H again shoving Hogan into the corner as they lock up a third time with Hogan shoving Triple H into the corner. They engage in a test of strength with Triple H bringing Hogan to his knees as Hogan fights to his feet only for Triple H to get a back elbow in, and he works the arm and they transition into another test of strength as Hogan fights out of it and hooks a headlock. He knocks Triple H down and they lock up again with Triple H backing Hogan into the corner and he slaps him in the face, and Triple H gets a kick in and pounds on Hogan as he stomps on him and rams him into the buckle before continuing to pound on him in the corner. He chokes Hogan in the corner and pounds on him as Hogan reverses a whip into the other corner and hits a backdrop, and he hits a pair of clotheslines on Triple H and pounds on him in the corner as he chokes him and continues to pound on him. Triple H catches him ducking with a shot only for Hogan to backdrop him over the top to the floor and he goes outside himself, and he rams Triple H into the post and pounds on him as he whips Triple H into the barricade and Triple H rakes the eyes. Hogan blocks a suplex on the floor and hits one of his own as he rakes Triple H’s eyes and Triple H blocks a ram into the steps, and he pounds on Hogan and rams him into the steps as both men roll back into the ring and Triple H pounds on Hogan in the corner. He whips Hogan hard into the corners twice and gets a kick in as he looks for the Pedigree only for Hogan to trip him up, and he slingshots Triple H into the corner and hooks a rollup for a two count as he pounds on Triple H in the corner. He whips him into the other corner and splashes him as he continues to pound on him and he whips Triple H back into the other corner before splashing him, and he hits a Diamond Cutter on Triple H for a two count and pounds on him as Triple H escapes a slam attempt and he hits a pair of chop blocks. He goes outside and rams Hogan’s knee into the apron as he drags him to the corner and he rams his knee into the post, and he pounds on Hogan and rams his knee into the post again as he rolls back into the ring and hits another chop block on Hogan. He drops an elbow on Hogan’s knee and pounds on him on the mat as he drops another pair of elbows on the knee and he hooks a submission on, and he looks for the Figure-4 only for Hogan to kick him off and Triple H hits another chop block on the knee. He drops the elbow on the knee repeatedly and hooks another submission on before looking for the Figure-4 again, but Hogan kicks him off into the corner though Triple H pounds on him on the mat and he chokes him as he finally hooks the Figure-4 on. Triple H uses the ropes for leverage until Hogan turns the hold around on him and then Triple H grabs the rope to force a break, and he hooks a sleeper on Hogan and grinds down on him as Hogan fights to his feet and escapes the hold with a back suplex. He starts to fire up on Triple H and hits an axehandle as he continues to pound on him and he hits the big boot, and he hits the legdrop on Triple H as Chris Jericho runs down to the ring with a chair and he pulls the ref out of the ring. Hogan goes after Jericho who hits him in the face with a chair and he puts the ref back in the ring only for Triple H to pound on him, and Jericho reverses a whip and Triple H catches him ducking with the facebuster as he clotheslines him over the top to the floor. He pounds on Hogan who starts to hulk up and he pounds on Triple H as he hits the big boot only to miss the legdrop, and Triple H ducks a shot and gets a kick in as he hits the Pedigree only for the Undertaker to run down to the ring. He knocks the ref out and brings the chair into the ring as he hits Triple H in the head with the chair which busts him open, and he puts Hogan on top of Triple H only for Hogan to pound on Taker and clothesline him over the top to the floor before hitting the legdrop on Triple H 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. Hogan was getting back into a groove by this point while Triple H was also getting back into his groove and they had good chemistry, and it was a pretty big shock to see Hogan as champion again as well as Triple H’s reign end so quickly. The crowd was into the match and popped for Hogan when he won. Hogan gets the win over Triple H and is the new Undisputed Champion as both men move on. Grade: 3.5
 
After the match, Hogan celebrates with the title until Triple H gets in his face and he offers a handshake which Hogan accepts, and Hogan continues to celebrate with the title as we go off the air.
 
Final Analysis: Overall, this PPV ended up being a pretty solid show though it wasn’t as good as I think it had the potential to be. Coming off a pretty big WM and the brand extension coupled with the draft, this looked to set the new era off on a strong note though while it was good, it could’ve been so much more. Hogan is once again the man while Eddie and Tajiri now rule their divisions and Jazz, Billy, and Chuck retain the titles, and Hall, Lesnar, Angle, and Taker get big wins, and in terms of the matches the main event was the best while the rest ranged from good to slightly average with nothing terrible though nothing stood out. 2002 has been an interesting to this point as we were now in a new era with RAW and Smackdown as separate brands, and we will see if the next PPV can be better as both brands really establish their identities. As for this show, it is a pretty solid show that wasn’t great, but it wasn’t terrible either. Final Grade: C+