Judgment Day
May 19th, 2002
Gaylord Entertainment Center
Knoxville, Tennessee
 
Note: This is the first U.S. PPV under the newly-named World Wrestling Entertainment, or WWE as they had been sued by the World Wildlife Fund back in 2000 with the courts siding with that WWF, and over the weeks we would see vignettes hyping the new name with the company encouraging fans to “Get the “F” Out”.
 
Sunday Night Heat:
 
1. William Regal defeats D-Lo Brown at 6:22 to retain the WWE European Championship.
 
Actual Show:
 
We see the opening video for Judgment Day.
 
Your hosts are Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler.
 
1. Eddie Guerrero pins Rob Van Dam with a backslide and using the ropes at 10:17 to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship.
 
The Buildup: On the 4/22 RAW, Eddie attacked RVD after his match with Mr. Perfect only to RVD to avoid the Frog Splash, and at Insurrextion RVD got his rematch for the IC Title though won by DQ and he would give Eddie the 5-Star Frog Splash after the match. On the 5/6 RAW, RVD and Jeff Hardy defeated Eddie and Booker T in a match when RVD pinned Eddie and on the 5/13 RAW, RVD attacked Eddie after his match as this match was made.
 
Analysis: We kick off this PPV with our first title match of the night. Eddie defeated RVD back at Backlash to win the IC Title and now RVD looks to regain the title here. RVD gets a big pop from the crowd while Eddie was pretty hot as a heel. The two men have a staredown to start the match and exchange shoves as RVD ducks a shot and pounds on Eddie, and he hooks a headlock and knocks Eddie down for a one count as Eddie gets a kick in and hooks a headlock on RVD. RVD whips him off and Eddie flips over him as RVD hits a clothesline for a two count and then he hits a powerslam for a two count, and Eddie rolls outside to regroup before returning to the ring as they lock up with Eddie backing RVD into the corner. He pounds on RVD and whips him into the other corner as RVD catches him with a boot to the face and he fakes him out with a springboard, and he hits a split-legged moonsault on Eddie and kicks at his back repeatedly as he hits a backdrop and spinning legdrop for a two count. He kicks Eddie in the head and pounds on him as Eddie reverses a whip and RVD flips over his back before hitting a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for a two count, and he stomps on Eddie repeatedly and looks for a surfboard submission as Eddie tries to crawl away only for RVD to drop an elbow on him. He manages to hook the surfboard submission on Eddie and tosses him to the mat as he hits a standing moonsault for a two count, and Eddie begs off as RVD pounds on him in the corner until Eddie gets a shot in and he kicks at him. He stomps on RVD repeatedly and rams him into the buckle as he pounds on him in the corner and stomps on him, and he chokes RVD with his boot and rolls outside as he drapes RVD across the apron and drives the elbow into his head. He grinds his arm into RVD’s face and returns to the ring as he rams RVD into the buckle and pounds on him in the corner, and RVD tries to battle back until Eddie rakes the eyes and pounds on him only for RVD to reverse a whip. He hits a monkey flip on Eddie and pounds on him until Eddie sends him into the corner and stomps on him, and they trade blows with Eddie taking control and RVD reverses a whip into the other corner as he rams the shoulder into Eddie’s back repeatedly. He hits another monkey flip on Eddie and pounds on him as he hoists Eddie onto his shoulders and hotshots him on the top rope, and he hits the Rolling Thunder on Eddie for a two count and Eddie escapes a suplex attempt as he hooks a rollup for a two count. RVD catches a kick attempt and hits a spin kick on Eddie as he goes up top only for Eddie to crotch him on the top rope, and he hits a powerbomb on RVD and goes up top though he misses the Frog Splash and they trade blows. RVD hits a spin kick on Eddie and goes up top only to miss the 5-Star Frog Splash and both men struggle to their feet, and RVD slides under Eddie and leaps over him as he ducks a shot and hits a crossbody on Eddie for a two count. Eddie rakes the eyes and pounds on RVD who hooks a backslide for a two count and Eddie avoids a spin kick, and he hooks a backslide of his own and uses the ropes for leverage which gets the three and he retains the title. The match itself was good as both men worked hard and put on a solid title match. Eddie was getting back into a groove and RVD was hitting his groove as well, and they still had good chemistry as Eddie once again cheats to win and retain. The crowd was into the match and RVD, but are not happy when Eddie wins. Eddie gets the win over RVD and retains the title though this issue isn’t over yet. Grade: 3
 
We see Vince McMahon, Stacy Keibler, Rev. D-Von, and Deacon Bautista backstage as D-Von leads them in a prayer for the safety of Keibler and her victory tonight over Trish Stratus, and he says that he told Bubba not to show up or he will have hell to pay as Vince says he has to see someone.
 
2. Trish Stratus (w/ Bubba Ray Dudley) pins Stacy Keibler (w/ Rev. D-Von and Deacon Bautista) with the running bulldog at 2:54 to retain the WWE Women’s Championship.
 
Debut/Temp. Farewell: Dave Bautista grew up in a broken home in a rough neighborhood as he would work various jobs as a teenager while taking up bodybuilding, and he would go to the Power Plant to train and join WCW only to be told that he would never make it as a wrestler. He would sign with WWE in 2000 and trained under Wild Samoan Afa while also competing in WXW, and he would be sent to OVW where he competed as Leviathan in the Disciples of Synn and would win the OVW Heavyweight Title. He would be brought up to the main roster on the 5/9 Smackdown as Deacon Bautista, Rev. D-Von’s right hand man and he makes his PPV debut here though this would be his last until December.
 
Character Change: On the 4/4 Smackdown, D-Von Dudley confronted Vince McMahon about the Dudleyz being split in the draft with Vince blaming Flair for picking Bubba, and he said that he saw potential in D-Von though he had to go out and find himself. The next week on 4/11, D-Von returned and claimed to have saw the light as he offered to be Vince’s spiritual advisor now known as Rev. D-Von with Vince agreeing to and he also agreed to be D-Von’s benefactor.
 
The Buildup/Title Change: On the 4/11 Smackdown, Keibler would become Vince McMahon’s personal assistant after giving him a sexy dance, and on the 5/13 RAW Stratus and Bubba Ray Dudley defeated Jazz and Steven Richards in a mixed tag match with Stratus pinning Jazz to win the Women’s Title. On the 5/16 Smackdown, Keibler was set to face Torrie Wilson in a swimsuit contest only for Tajiri to take Wilson to the back and Keibler declared herself the winner, but Stratus would come out to take Wilson’s spot and showed off some lingerie as she cleared Keibler from the ring. Keibler would complain to Vince who gave Keibler a title match at the PPV and he also asked D-Von and Bautista to be in her corner to combat Bubba.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is our second title match of the night. Stratus won the Women’s Title 6 nights ago and looks to have a successful defense here against Keibler, who had been humiliated by Stratus on Smackdown and looks to become champion. Stratus gets a good pop from the crowd as does Bubba while Keibler, D-Von, and Bautista had solid heat as heels. Stratus wastes no time and pounds on Keibler to start the match as Keibler reverses a whip and Stratus ducks a shot, and Keibler hits a spin kick on Stratus for a two count and then she hits a backdrop for a two count only for Stratus to hit a short clothesline. She hits another clothesline on Keibler and trips her up as she hooks a Boston crab on Keibler who powers out of the hold, and they trade pin attempts and Stratus ducks a shot as she gets a kick in and hit a neckbreaker on Keibler for a two count. She pounds on Keibler and hits the Chick Kick which sends Keibler through the ropes to the outside and Bubba laughs at her, and Keibler slaps him in the face and he stalks her which distracts the ref as Bautista gets in the ring and hits a slam on Stratus. Keibler rolls back into the ring and gets a two count as she stomps on Stratus and hooks a submission on, and she stands on Stratus’ back while pulling at her hair and Stratus catches her ducking with a kick as she hits a baseball slide on Bautista. He gets on the apron and Stratus avoids Keibler who hits Bautista by mistake and Bubba pulls him to the floor, and then Stratus hits the running bulldog on Keibler 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 hitting his groove by this point while Keibler looked decent as well, and they had decent chemistry as Stratus gets a clean title defense. The crowd was into the match and popped for Stratus when she won. Stratus retains the title over Keibler and both women move on. Grade: 1
 
After the match, D-Von gets in the ring and charges at Stratus who rolls outside to avoid him and she heads to the back, and Bubba gets in the ring and confronts D-Von who offers a handshake which Bubba accepts. Bautista tries to sneak up behind him and Bubba pounds on him as he sends him over the top to the floor, and D-Von hits a clothesline on Bubba and agonizes over his actions as Bautista gets back in the ring and stomps on Bubba repeatedly. D-Von holds Bautista back and gets a shot in on Bubba as he tells Bautista to get a table and he goes outside, and he pulls out a table and slides it into the ring as D-Von yells at Bubba and Bautista looks for a powerbomb only for Bubba to escape with a backdrop. He grabs D-Von and backs him into the corner until Bautista hits him in the back of the head with the collection box and then they hit a double flapjack which puts Bubba through the table.
 
We see Ric Flair and Arn Anderson in Flair’s office as Vince McMahon comes in and says that he’s looking at the Nature Boy, and they shake hands as Flair says Vince was right all along about Austin and Austin’s done everything to stop him though he will take Austin down while Vince couldn’t and he will have Austin under his control.
 
We see a shot outside the Gaylord Entertainment Center.
 
We see the buildup to the next match.
 
3. Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman defeat the Hardy Boyz when Heyman pins Jeff at 4:47.
 
The Buildup: On the 4/22 RAW, Lesnar defeated Matt when the ref stopped the match because Matt couldn’t continue, and at Insurrextion the Hardyz defeated Lesnar and Shawn Stasiak in a match only for Lesnar to beat down all three men after the match. On the 5/13 RAW, the Hardyz defeated Lesnar by DQ in a handicap match when Heyman got involved and Heyman would challenge the Hardyz to a tag match which they accepted.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is our first tag match of the night. The Hardyz have been going at it with Lesnar for the last two months and they face off here though Lesnar has Heyman as his partner. The Hardyz get a big pop from the crowd while Lesnar and Heyman had solid heat as a heel. Jeff wastes no time and attempts a slingshot plancha on Lesnar to start the match though Lesnar catches him, and then Matt hits a baseball slide that knocks Lesnar down and they stomp on Lesnar before chasing Heyman into the ring. They stalk him until Lesnar nails both men from behind and sends Matt to the outside as he hoists Jeff up and rams him into the corner, and he rams the shoulder into Jeff repeatedly and whips him into the other corner as Jeff catches him with a boot to the face. He goes up to the middle rope only for Lesnar to catch him in a belly-to-belly suplex and he hoists him onto his shoulder, but Jeff slides off and sends Lesnar into the corner as Matt tags in and ducks a shot before hitting a flying forearm. He pounds on Lesnar who gets a knee in and he rams the shoulder into Matt’s ribs repeatedly in the corner, and he whips Matt into the other corner and presses him up though Matt escapes and dropkicks Lesnar in the back. Lesnar catches him in a powerslam and pounds on him as he whips him into the corner and hits a backdrop, and Matt tries to battle back only for Lesnar to pound on him and he hits a backbreaker as he kicks at him. He rams the shoulder into Matt’s ribs in the corner and whips him into the other corner only for Matt to catch him ducking with a swinging DDT, and Jeff gets the hot tag and ducks a shot as he fires up on Lesnar who reverses a whip into the corner and Jeff goes up top before hitting Whisper in the Wind. He hits a jawbreaker on Lesnar and trips him up as Matt goes up to the middle rope and they hit a double team on Lesnar, and they pound on Lesnar in the corner and hit Poetry in Motion as Matt clotheslines him over the top to the floor. Jeff goes outside and chases Heyman into the ring as Matt grabs him and pounds on him in the corner, and they hit Poetry in Motion on Heyman as Lesnar trips Matt up and pulls him outside before pounding on him. Jeff goes up top only for Lesnar to stand in his way and he catches Jeff on a leap though Jeff falls on top for a two count, and Jeff pounds on Lesnar as Matt gets on the apron and Lesnar reverses a whip as he launches Jeff into Matt who gets knocked to the floor. Lesnar hoists Jeff onto his shoulders and hits the F-5 as Heyman tags in though he trips going through the ropes and he gets the three to win the match. The match itself was decent as both teams worked hard and put on a basic match that was basically a handicap match. The Hardyz were at their peak as a team while Lesnar was continuing to grow, and they had good chemistry as Lesnar dominates most of the match with Heyman getting the pin. The crowd was into the match and the Hardyz, but are not happy when Lesnar and Heyman win. Lesnar and Heyman get the win over the Hardyz as both teams move on. Grade: 1.5
 
Marc Lloyd interviews Booker T, who says that business is business and Ric Flair chose him to be the newest member of the nWo as he is a 5-time WCW Champion, and he says that he is a professional though he gets distracted by someone and walks over to a young lady. He asks what she is doing over here and if she wants an autograph which she says she would love and she has a special place for him to sign, and she whispers something in his ear and he gets excited as she hands him her hotel room key and walks away.
 
We see the barber chair set up by the stage.
 
We see the buildup to the next match.
 
4. Stone Cold Steve Austin defeats “Nature Boy” Ric Flair and the Big Show in a handicap match when he pins Flair at 15:34.
 
Temp. Farewell: This is Steve Austin’s last WWE PPV until 2003
 
The Buildup/Heel Turns: On the 4/22 RAW, Flair tried to explain his actions at Backlash until Austin interrupted him and Flair would put Austin in a tag match with Bradshaw against the nWo though Bradshaw would be laid out backstage, and Flair would name Show as Austin’s new partner and the match ended in a no contest when Show turned on Austin and joined the nWo, turning heel. On the 4/29 RAW, Flair tried to explain he had nothing to do with Show’s actions and made a rematch with Austin and Bradshaw against the nWo with himself as the ref, and Austin and Bradshaw would win the match despite X-Pac’s foot being on the rope though Austin would tell Flair they still weren’t good. At Insurrextion, Austin defeated Show with Flair as the ref despite interference by the nWo and Austin made it seem like he had forgiven Flair only to give him the Stunner, and on the 5/6 RAW Show cut a promo on joining the nWo and being held down by Austin and the WWF. Later that night, Austin, Flair, and Bradshaw fought the nWo in a 6-man tag only for Flair to turn heel on Austin and become allied with the nWo, and he announced that Austin would face him and Show in a handicap match at the PPV and he put Austin in the Figure-4 with the nWo assisting him. On the 5/13 RAW, Flair gave himself an Undisputed Title match against Hulk Hogan though Austin would cost him the match and Flair would put Austin in a lumberjack match against the newest member of the nWo, and that new member was revealed to be Booker T though Austin would win the match only for Arn Anderson to attack him and he was beaten down by Flair and Show.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is a big handicap match. Austin has been making Flair’s life miserable so Flair turns to the nWo for help in taking out Austin, and he puts Austin in this match against himself and Show to teach Austin a lesson. Austin gets a huge pop from the crowd while Flair and Show were pretty hot as heels. Austin wastes no time and knocks Flair down to start the match as he pounds on Show and continues to knock Flair down, and he whips Flair into the corner and hits a backdrop as he stomps on Show repeatedly in the corner and gets a kick in. Show blocks the Stunner and Austin hits a clothesline on Flair as he ducks a shot and kicks at Show’s knee repeatedly, and he continues to pound on Show and knocks him down as he looks for the Figure-4 while Flair goes up top only for Austin to nail him coming in. He pounds on Flair and clotheslines him over the top to the floor as he trips Show up and stomps on his groin, and he hooks a Figure-4 on Show as Flair gets in the ring only for Austin to knock him down and he hooks the Figure-4 on Flair. He avoids an elbow from Show and breaks the hold as he rolls outside and brings a chair into the ring though the ref takes it from him, and Austin rolls outside and brings another chair into the ring as he opens it up and takes a seat before flipping the ref off. Flair comes in and Austin gets a shot in on Show as they lock up with Austin hooking a headlock and he knocks Flair down, and he pounds on Flair on the mat until Flair rolls outside to regroup with Show as Austin goes outside as well. He grabs a beer and brings it into the ring though the ref makes him throw it away which he does as Flair gets back in the ring, and they lock up with Flair hooking a headlock and he knocks Austin down as Austin hits a backdrop and Flair begs off. He rakes the eyes and pounds on Austin in the corner as Austin battles back and Flair flops to the mat as Austin hits another backdrop, and Flair begs off again and Austin chokes him in the corner as he pounds on him and he blocks an atomic drop attempt before hitting a clothesline on Flair. Show tags in and Austin does a series of pushups to taunt him as they lock up with Show backing Austin into the corner, and he pounds on Austin as they lock up again with Show continuing to pound on Austin in the corner. They lock up a third time with Show again backing Austin into the corner though he avoids a shot and pounds on Show in the corner, and Show reverses a whip and hits a big boot on Austin as Flair tags in and he continues to pound on Austin. He hits a low blow on Austin and they trade blows until Flair rakes the eyes and goes up top only for Austin to toss him to the mat, and he stomps on Flair repeatedly in the corner and pounds on Show as he comes in only for Show to reverse a whip and he hits a powerslam on Austin. Flair gets a two count and stomps on Austin repeatedly as he pounds on his back and continues to pound on him in the corner, and he kicks at Austin’s leg repeatedly and trips him up as he drives his knee into Austin’s and tags Show. He drops an elbow on the knee repeatedly and slams it into the mat twice as he hits a legdrop on the knee and tags Flair, and he looks for the Figure-4 only for Austin to hook a small package for a two count and he hits a clothesline on Flair. Flair gets a shot in and kicks at Austin’s knee as he hooks the Figure-4 on until Austin turns the hold around on Flair, and Show comes in and drops an elbow on Austin to break the hold as Austin blocks a hiptoss and hooks a backslide on Flair for a two count. Flair pounds on Austin who battles back and they trade blows with Flair hooking a headlock and he knocks Austin down, and Austin catches Flair in a spinebuster and hooks the Figure-4 on him as Show comes in and hits a legdrop on Austin to break the hold. Flair kicks at Austin and tags Show only for Austin to catch him with a boot to the face twice and he goes up to the middle rope, and he hits the Lou Thesz press on Show and pounds on him on the mat as he drops an elbow on him and Flair comes in. Austin reverses a whip and hits the Lou Thesz press on Flair as he pounds on him on the mat and drops an elbow on Flair’s groin, and he hits a spinebuster on Flair for a two count as Show breaks it up and grabs Austin by the throat though Austin hits a series of back elbows to escape. X-Pac runs down to ringside as Austin gets a kick in and hits the Stunner on Show who grabs him by the throat again, but Austin gets a kick in and looks for the Stunner as X-Pac gets in the ring though Austin avoids a kick with X-Pac hitting Show by mistake. Austin kicks at X-Pac and hits the Stunner as he kicks at Flair and hits the Stunner on him which gets the three and he wins the match. The match itself was good as all three men worked hard and put on a solid match. Austin was hitting his peak by this point while Flair and Show looked decent as a team, and they had good chemistry though the match did drag a bit too long with Austin overcoming the odds to win. The crowd was into the match and popped for Austin when he won. Austin gets the win over Show and Flair though this issue isn’t over yet. Grade: 2.5
 
Michael Cole and Tazz are in the crowd as they hype the next match.
 
We see the buildup to the next match.
 
5. Edge pins Kurt Angle with a small package at 15:28.
 
Stipulation: The loser would have their head shaved bald
 
The Buildup: On the 4/25 Smackdown, Angle would debut a brand new T-Shirt as Edge came out to seemingly make amends, but when Angle revealed the shirt it was shown to not be the one he thought it was as the shirt said “You Suck”. Later that night, Angle and Albert defeated Edge and Rikishi by DQ and Angle tried to attack Edge with a chair only for Edge to clear him from the ring, and on the 5/2 Smackdown Angle would debut his real shirt and hyped it up until Edge came out and continued to tease Angle. Angle challenged Edge to a match at the PPV and both men agreed to put their hair on the line as later that night, Angle and Lance Storm defeated Edge and Val Venis in a match with Angle pinning Venis, and on the 5/9 Smackdown Angle cut a promo on the match and showed photos of Edge without hair until a picture of Angle without hair was shown thanks to Edge. Hulk Hogan would interrupt and said Angle would be bald at Judgment Day as Angle threatened to take the title from Hogan if the Undertaker didn’t which led Hogan to clear Angle from the ring and then Edge hit the spear on Angle on the stage, and later that night Edge and Hogan faced Angle and Chris Jericho in a tag match which ended in a no contest when Triple H got involved. On the 5/16 Smackdown, Edge confronted Triple H about what happened last week and they brawled until Jericho and Angle attacked both men with Angle cutting off a part of Edge’s hair, and later that night Angle and Jericho defeated Edge and Triple H in a tag match with Angle pinning Edge.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is a pretty big matchup. These two men have been going at it for the last two months and they face off here with both men putting their hair on the line. Edge gets a good pop from the crowd while Angle was red hot as a heel. The two men lock up to start with Angle hooking a front facelock and he backs Edge into the corner as he gives a clean break, and they lock up again with Angle going back to the front facelock and Edge backs him into the ropes as he whips him off and Angle knocks him down. Angle ducks a shot and gets a kick in as Edge hooks a rollup for a two count and Angle gets a kick in before pounding on Edge, and Edge reverses a whip and sends Angle over the top to the floor as he hits a baseball slide that send Angle into the barricade. Edge goes outside himself and rams the back of Angle’s head into the barricade as he stomps on him and throws him back into the ring, and Angle stomps on him coming in and pounds on him as Edge reverses a whip and hits a backdrop on Angle. He pounds on Angle and ties him in the ropes as he drives the shoulder into Angle’s ribs only for Angle to hit a belly-to-belly suplex which sends Edge over the top to the floor, and Angle goes outside and throws Edge back into the ring as he stomps on him and pounds on him in the corner. He stomps on him repeatedly and continues to pound on him until Edge turns it around and 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 spinebuster for a two count. He pounds on Edge and chokes him on the ropes as he stomps on him repeatedly and pounds on him, and Edge reverses a whip and hits a back elbow on Angle who ducks a shot and gets a kick in as he hits a DDT for a two count. He hooks a submission on Edge who fights to his feet only for Angle to yank him to the mat by his hair, and he hits a suplex on Edge for a two count and goes back to the front facelock as he grinds down on Edge on the mat. He fights to his feet and breaks the hold as Angle ducks a shot and Edge catches him in a belly-to-belly suplex, and he fires up on Angle who reverses a whip and Edge ducks a shot as he hits a flying forearm on Angle. He hits a clothesline and a spin kick on Angle who counters a whip and Edge ducks a shot as he hits the Edge-o-Matic for a two count, and Angle reverses a whip and hits a belly-to-belly suplex on Edge who backdrops Angle over the top with Angle landing on the apron. Edge hits a baseball slide that sends Angle to the floor and then he hits a slingshot plancha onto Angle on the floor, and he throws Angle back into the ring and goes up top as Angle runs up top only for Edge to shove him to the mat. He sets himself on the top rope and hits a missile dropkick on Angle for a two count as Angle goes behind him and hits a German suplex, and he pounds on Edge’s back and Edge counters another German suplex with a rollup for a two count as he ducks a shot and gets a kick in. He hits the Edgecution on Angle and goes up top though Angle runs up top and hits a belly-to-belly superplex on Edge for a two count, and Edge ducks a shot and hits a superkick on Angle as he goes up to the middle rope and hits a DDT for a two count. Angle reverses a whip and Edge ducks a shot as Angle avoids the spear with Edge hitting the ref with it by mistake, and Angle hits a nasty release German suplex on Edge and goes outside as he brings a chair into the ring. He charges only for Edge to hit the spear though the ref is still down and Edge checks on him briefly before setting up for another spear, but Angle catches him with a kick and Edge escapes the Angle Slam as he ducks a shot and hits another spear on Angle for a two count. Edge gets a kick in though Angle escapes the Edgecution and ducks a shot as he hits a spear of his own, and then he hits the Angle Slam for a two count and he hooks the Ankle Lock on though Edge uses the ropes to get to his feet and he hits an enzurgiri. Angle recovers first and hooks the Ankle Lock back on though Edge kicks him off and hooks a small package which gets the three and he wins the match. The match itself was very good as both men worked hard and put on a good match that was better than their match at Backlash. Edge was hitting his groove by this point while Angle was hitting his stride and they still had good chemistry, and they built on the match they had last month with Edge getting his win back to even up the series. The crowd was into the match and popped big for Edge when he won. Edge gets the win over Angle who must now lose his hair, but he won’t go without a fight. Grade: 3.5
 
After the match, Angle attacks Edge from behind and slaps him in the face as Edge ducks a shot and gets a kick in before hitting the Edgecution, and he throws Angle to the outside and sends him towards the platform where the barber chair is. Angle kicks Edge away and crawls off the platform as he runs to the back with Edge chasing after him.
 
We see a shot outside the Marriott hotel and we go inside where Booker T is in a bed and the lady he met earlier crawls into bed with him, and she asks him to turn the lights off to make it more romantic as he obliges and he plants several kisses on her. We then hear another voice tell him to leave the nWo as Booker turns the light back on and we see Goldust in the bed with them, and Booker freaks out and Goldust says he planned this out for weeks as Booker storms out of the room.
 
We see the Hell in a Cell being lowered around the ring.
 
Michael Cole and Tazz hype the next match.
 
We see the buildup to the next match.
 
6. Triple H pins Chris Jericho with the Pedigree in a Hell in a Cell match at 24:29.
 
The Buildup: On the 4/25 Smackdown, Hulk Hogan attempted to give Triple H his rematch for the title only for Vince McMahon to announce Triple H would face Jericho for a title shot the next week, and later that night Jericho would defeat Triple H thanks to the Undertaker. On the 5/2 Smackdown, Vince made the title match no-DQ and threatened Triple H if he attacked Jericho at all, and Hogan would defeat Jericho when Triple H had the Undertaker’s music played and he would save Hogan from an attack by Jericho. On the 5/9 Smackdown, Vince was cutting a promo on Triple H who interrupted which led to Vince bringing out Hardcore Holly, Rev. D-Von, Test, Christian, and Lance Storm who beat him down, and then Jericho would come out and put Triple H in the Walls of Jericho as Vince told Triple H he would face Jericho in the Cell at the PPV. Later that night, Jericho would cost Triple H a match against D-Von and at the end of the night, Triple H would come out during the main event and laid everyone out with a sledgehammer until Vince came out and distracted him which allowed Jericho to hit Triple H with a chair. On the 5/16 Smackdown, Triple H cut a promo on Jericho until Edge confronted him about what happened last week and they brawled until Jericho and Kurt Angle attacked both men, and later that night Jericho and Angle defeated Triple H and Edge in a tag match with Triple H and Jericho brawling into the crowd.
 
Note: During the match, referee Tim White would suffer a shoulder injury which would sideline him for almost two years.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is a pretty big matchup. These two men have still been going at it even after their match at WM and now they face off here in the Cell to finally settle their issues. Triple H gets a big pop from the crowd while Jericho was red hot as a heel. The two men have a staredown to start the match and they trade blows with Triple H taking control until Jericho catches him ducking with a kick, and he pounds on Triple H who reverses a whip and Jericho ducks a shot as Triple H hits the high knee. He pounds on Jericho and hits a backdrop as he pounds on him in the corner and throws him over the top to the floor, and Triple H goes outside as well as Jericho blocks a ram into the Cell and he pounds on Triple H who blocks a ram into the Cell. He pounds on Jericho as both men roll back into the ring and Triple H knocks him down only for Jericho to duck a shot, and he hits a flying forearm on Triple H and pounds on him on the mat as he chokes him and pounds on him in the corner. He stomps on him repeatedly until Triple H turns it around and pounds on Jericho in the corner as Jericho reverses a whip into the other corner, but he misses a charge and rams his shoulder into the post as he falls to the floor and Triple H goes outside as well. He rams Jericho into the Cell repeatedly and hits a clothesline as he throws him back into the ring and rams him into the buckle, and he hits a pair of short clotheslines on Jericho and then he hits a suplex for a two count as he gets a knee in and rams Jericho into the buckles. Jericho reverses a whip and sends Triple H inside out in the corner with Triple H tumbling over the top to the floor, and he comes off the apron by dropping an elbow on Triple H and pounds on him as he whips him into the Cell and slaps him in the face. Triple H reverses a whip and sends Jericho into the steps as we see Jericho is bleeding badly from the shoulder and Triple H sets the steps up, and he pulls Jericho onto the steps and looks for a piledriver though Jericho trips him up and slingshots him into the Cell. He pulls a ladder out and jabs it into Triple H’s face which busts him open as he slides the ladder into the ring, and he stomps on Triple H and rams him into the Cell as he rakes his face across the Cell and throws him back into the ring. He grabs the ladder and rams it into Triple H’s face again as he props it up in the corner and stomps on Triple H repeatedly, and he pounds on him on the mat and whips him into the ladder in the corner as Triple H falls to the outside. Jericho grabs the ladder and drops it on Triple H as he goes outside and pounds on him before ramming him into the steps, and Triple H tries to battle back only for Jericho to reverse a whip and he sends Triple H into the Cell as he puts the ladder back into the ring. He throws Triple H back into the ring and grabs the ladder only for Triple H to grab a chair and he hits the ladder back in Jericho’s face, and he hits Jericho in the back with the chair as Jericho gets a kick in and he pounds on Triple H before hitting a bulldog onto the ladder. He goes outside and throws the steps into the ring as he picks them up only for Triple H to hit a drop toehold that sends Jericho face first into the steps, and he ducks a shot and hits a neckbreaker on Jericho who reverses a whip and Triple H catches him ducking with the facebuster. He grabs the steps and tosses them at Jericho who rolls outside and Triple H goes outside as well as he hoists Jericho up and rams him into the Cell, and he rams Jericho into the steps and throws him back into the ring as he avoids a charge and sends Jericho into the ref who gets knocked off the apron into the Cell. Triple H hits a clothesline on Jericho who grabs the chair and he hits Triple H in the head with it as he goes for the pin, but the ref is still down on the floor and Jericho goes outside as he picks the ref up and rams him into the Cell. We see the ref is busted open as Jericho pounds on him and stomps on him before returning to the ring and Triple H catches him in the spinebuster, and more officials come out with bolt cutters as they cut the chain off the door to get inside and they check on the ref. Jericho grabs the chair and charges at Triple H who kicks the chair back in his face as he goes outside and pulls out the sledgehammer, and he hits Jericho in the head with the hammer which busts him open and Triple H goes for the pin though the officials are still checking on the ref. Jericho rolls outside and crawls out the door as Triple H goes after him only for Jericho to slam the door into Triple H, and Triple H crawls out the door and Jericho kicks at him repeatedly as he pounds on him until Triple H drags him to the announce table. Jericho blocks a ram into the table and he rams Triple H into the table as he grabs a piece of the table and slams it down onto Triple H, and he pounds on him and drags him onto the Spanish announce table as he looks for the Pedigree though Triple H fights out of it. He hits a DDT that puts Jericho through the table and he crawls over the other table as he grabs a 2x4 wrapped in barbed wire, and Jericho climbs up the Cell to the roof and Triple H follows him up as Jericho grabs the 2x4 and hits Triple H in the back with it twice. He trips Triple H up and hooks the Walls of Jericho on as a second ref climbs up to the roof and Triple H uses the Cell to power out of the hold, and Jericho grabs the 2x4 only for Triple H to hit a low blow and he looks for the Pedigree only for Jericho to escape with a backdrop. Triple H grabs the 2x4 and hits Jericho in the head with it for a two count as he gets a kick in and hits the Pedigree which gets the three and he wins the match. The match itself was very good as both men worked hard and put on a solid Cell match. Both men were hitting their stride by this point and they still had good chemistry though it wasn’t as violent as it probably could’ve been, but it was interesting to see the match end on the roof which has never happened to this point and Triple H finally puts this feud to end. The crowd was into the match and popped for Triple H when he won. Triple H gets the win over Jericho and both men move on. Grade: 3.5
 
We see Kurt Angle running backstage as he sits in a chair and puts a shower cap on to hide from Edge who runs past, and then Angle checks to see if it’s clear and runs away with Edge right behind him.
 
We see a shot outside the World and we go inside where Maven and Torrie Wilson are on a date.
 
7. Rikishi and Rico defeat Billy and Chuck when Rikishi pins Chuck at 3:50 to win the WWE Tag Team Championships.
 
The Buildup: On the 5/2 Smackdown, Billy and Chuck defeated Rikishi and the Hurricane to retain the tag titles only for Rikishi to give Rico the Stinkface, and on the 5/9 Smackdown Billy, Chuck, and Rico defeated Rikishi, Al Snow, and Maven in a 6-man tag match. On the 5/16 Smackdown, Rikishi defeated Rico in a match and Vince chastised them for the loss as he made this match and said he would pick Rikishi’s partner himself.
 
Analysis: Our last match before the main event is our third title match of the night. Rikishi has been having issues with Billy and Chuck over the last month and challenges them here for the titles, but a wrench is thrown in as Rikishi doesn’t know who his partner is. Rikishi gets a good pop from the crowd while Billy and Chuck were pretty hot as heels, and it is announced that Rico will be Rikishi’s partner much to his chagrin. Billy wastes no time and attacks Rikishi to start the match until Rikishi shoves him down and pounds on him, but Billy gets a kick in and hits a DDT on Rikishi who no-sells it and he hits a superkick on Billy before knocking Chuck down. He whips Chuck into Billy in the corner only to miss a charge and Billy and Chuck hit a double flapjack on Rikishi, and they stomp on Rikishi repeatedly and Rikishi holds the ropes to avoid a dropkick from Billy as he looks to tag out though Rico turns away from him. Billy hits a neckbreaker on Rikishi and tags Chuck who rams the shoulder into Rikishi repeatedly in the corner, and he pounds on Rikishi and hits a belly-to-belly suplex for a two count as Billy tags in and Chuck gets a kick in. Billy hits the Fameasser on Rikishi for a two count and Chuck tags in who pounds on Rikishi and he hits a spinning punch that knocks him down, and Rikishi catches him ducking with a kick and he ducks a shot as Chuck avoids hitting Rico and Rikishi hits a belly-to-belly suplex on Chuck for a two count. He fires up on Chuck and hits a backdrop as he hits a Samoan drop on Billy and Chuck attempts a sunset flip only for Rikishi to sit down on him for a two count as Billy breaks it up, and Rikishi reverses a whip and presses Billy up as he hits a cutter and Chuck catches him with a dropkick. He holds Rikishi from behind as Rico gets in the ring only for Rikishi to avoid a spin kick as Rico hits Chuck by mistake, and Rikishi hits a superkick on Rico and goes for the pin as he gets the three and we have new champions. The match itself was nothing much as it was basically a handicap match with Rikishi working the whole match though he ends up overcoming the odds and wins the titles himself. The crowd was into the match and did pop for Rikishi when he won. Rikishi and Rico get the win over Billy and Chuck and are the unlikely tag champions, but this issue isn’t over yet. Grade: 1
 
After the match, Rikishi heads up to the stage and does a dance for the crowd while Billy and Chuck argue with Rico.
 
We see Edge looking for Kurt Angle backstage only for Angle to hit him in the head with a trash can lid and he rams Edge into a door, and he rams him into several tables and drags him onto the stage as he pounds on him and says he will show everyone a haircut. He stomps and pounds on Edge as he tosses him onto the platform and Edge tries to battle back only for Angle to pound on him, and Edge escapes the Angle Slam and hooks a sleeper on Angle who ends up passing out and Edge puts him in the chair. The barber hands Edge an electric razor and Edge tries to shave off the hair though it doesn’t work and the barber hands him another razor, and Edge shaves off Angle’s hair and then grabs a can of shaving cream as he puts a bunch of it on Angle’s head. He grabs a razor and uses it to get the rest of the hair as he grabs a mirror and slaps the back of Angle’s head to wake him up, and Angle sees himself in the mirror and freaks out as Edge knocks him down and gets on the stage. He grabs the mike and says if Angle is sick of everyone chanting “You Suck”, they will now chant “You’re Bald” as he has Angle’s music played and the crowd chants “You’re Bald” while Angle freaks out and runs to the back trying to hide his head.
 
We see the buildup to the main event.
 
8. The Undertaker pins “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan with the chokeslam at 11:20 to win the WWE Undisputed Championship.
 
The Buildup: On the 4/22 RAW, Taker thanked Ric Flair for doing the right thing at Backlash with Flair saying he didn’t do Taker any favors, and later that night Taker cut a promo on facing Hogan at the PPV until Triple H showed up at the arena and the two men brawled until Triple H was arrested. Later that night, Hogan cut a promo talking about being champion again and the match against Taker, and on the 4/25 Smackdown Taker would cost Triple H a match against Chris Jericho and the two men attacked him until Hogan made the save and he would brawl with Taker. On the 4/29 RAW, Taker cut a promo on what he would do to Hogan who confronted him and Hogan would get a shot in on Taker, and later that night Hogan was set to face William Regal only for Taker to attack him and bust him open using his own weightlifting belt. On the 5/6 RAW, Hogan would steal Taker’s motorcycle and rode it down to the ring as he cut a promo on Taker who would come out on the stage and demanded his bike back, and Hogan would drive the bike to the back and then he would run over it with a semi much to Taker’s chagrin. On the 5/13 RAW, Taker would attack Hogan backstage and tied him to the back of his motorcycle as he would drive him around the arena with Hogan crashing into a stack of boxes and pipes as he appeared to have injured his neck. On the 5/16 Smackdown, Hogan cut a promo on living in the moment until Vince interrupted and said he was looking forward to seeing Taker end Hulkamania at the PPV, and Hogan would attack Vince and give him the legdrop.
 
Analysis: After a long and interesting night of wrestling, we come to our main event. Hogan shocked the world by winning the Undisputed Title last month and looks to have a successful defense here against Taker, who won the title shot last month and looks to become champion again. Hogan gets a big pop from the crowd while Taker was red hot as a heel as he comes out wearing Hogan’s weightlifting belt. Taker wastes no time and whips Hogan with the belt repeatedly to start the match and he wraps the buckle around his fist, but Hogan blocks it and pounds on Taker as he grabs the belt and whips him repeatedly with it until the ref takes it from him. He hits a clothesline on Taker and pounds on him as he rakes the eyes and continues to pound on Taker in the corner, and he whips Taker into the other corner and splashes him as he pounds on him and chokes him before hitting a backdrop. He clotheslines Taker over the top to the floor and goes outside himself as he pounds on Taker and rakes the eyes, but Taker catches him with a back elbow and pounds on Hogan as he hits a headbutt until Hogan reverses a whip and sends Taker into the steps. He pounds on Taker and whips him into the barricade as he throws him back into the ring and Taker gets a kick in, and he catches Hogan with a back elbow and works the arm as he goes up top only for Hogan to crotch him on the top rope. He pounds on Taker and goes up himself as he hits a superplex on Taker for a two count and he pounds on him on the mat, and he continues to pound on Taker who ducks a shot and he hits a chop block on Hogan as he drops an elbow on the knee twice. He goes outside and rams Hogan’s knee into the apron as he drags him to the corner and rams his knee into the post, and he rolls back into the ring and kicks at the knee as he drops an elbow on the knee and hooks a submission on it. Hogan escapes by slamming his other leg into Taker’s head repeatedly and they trade blows with Hogan taking control, but Taker gets a shot in and hooks a headlock as Hogan whips him off and knocks him down. He hits the big boot on Taker who blocks the legdrop and hooks a half Boston crab on Hogan who reaches the rope to force a break, and Taker pounds on Hogan in the corner and Hogan reverses a whip into the other corner as Taker catches him with a back elbow. Hogan avoids a charge as Taker crotches himself on the top rope and Hogan pounds on him until Taker ducks a shot, and he grabs Hogan by the throat and hits the chokeslam for a two count as Hogan starts to hulk up and he no-sells Taker’s shots. He pounds on Taker and hits the big boot before hitting the legdrop for a two count as he pounds on Taker who catches him ducking with a DDT for a two count, and then Vince McMahon comes down to ringside as Taker rolls outside and brings a chair into the ring only for Hogan to kick the chair back in Taker’s face. He hits a second legdrop on Taker as Vince gets on the apron and distracts the ref only for Hogan to pull Vince into the ring and he knocks him down before hitting the legdrop, and Taker grabs the chair and hits Hogan in the back with it before grabbing him by the throat and he hits a second chokeslam 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. Hogan was getting back into a groove while Taker was hitting his stride by this point and they had good chemistry, but it was clear that Hogan’s reign was only temporary and Taker deserved to have another run as champion. The crowd was into the match and Hogan, but are not happy when Taker wins. Taker gets the win over Hogan and is the new Undisputed Champion as both men move on. Grade: 2.5
 
After the match, Taker forces the ref to put the belt around his waist which he does and then he raises Taker’s hand in victory, and he goes outside and brings the chair back into the ring as he places it against Hogan’s throat and slams it down into the mat. He grabs the chair and jabs it into Hogan repeatedly which sends him to the outside and he celebrates with the belt as we go off the air.
 
Final Analysis: Overall, this PPV was a pretty solid show and was slightly better than Backlash. With the brand extension now about two months old, we were seeing how both brands were shaping their identities and Smackdown gets the nod here as they get the second half of the show with RAW having the first half. Taker is now the man while Rikishi and Rico now rule the tag division and Eddie and Stratus retain their titles, and Lesnar, Heyman, Austin, Edge, and Triple H get big wins, and in terms of the matches the Hell in a Cell was the best with Edge/Angle right behind it while the rest ranged from good to average with nothing being terrible. 2002 has been an interesting year to this point as the roster was going through some flux with new faces coming in trying to establish themselves, and we will also see some big returns as we head into the summer. As for this show, it is a pretty solid show that continues the transitional year that is 2002. Final Grade: C+

Last edited by riddlr285 (8/07/2024 2:22 pm)