RAW
July 22nd, 2002
Van Andel Arena
Grand Rapids, Michigan
 
Actual Show:
 
We see the opening video for RAW.
 
Your hosts are Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler.
 
Eric Bischoff comes down to the ring and says that he loves everyone here as he says tonight, he is bringing the Undisputed Champion the Rock here though that’s not all as he is also bringing the man who will make this show the #1 show in the history of sports-entertainment, and he says that he stole this man last night from Stephanie McMahon and he will be the next legend as he has ruthless aggression. He brings out Triple H who comes down to the ring and Bischoff says that tonight, but Triple H interrupts and says that he will bring out his best friend Shawn Michaels who comes down to the ring, and Bischoff says that he is bringing everyone this combination and he is officially going to name Michaels Triple H’s new manager. He says that when you see Triple H in action, Michaels will be in his corner and when Triple H is in films around the world, Michaels will be in the supporting role and when Triple H is seen anywhere, Michaels will not be far behind and Michaels says that he knows Bischoff doesn’t know him that well. He says that while he has no problem being Triple H’s manager, he has a problem with Bischoff telling him anything and Bischoff says that he’s telling Michaels that he will be Triple H’s manager because he is Eric Bischoff, and he says that Michaels will be Triple H’s manager because he is Eric Bischoff and Michaels doesn’t have the stroke he had before. He says that he’s not Vince McMahon and Michaels doesn’t have a choice as Michaels says that he realizes who Bischoff is, and Bischoff needs to realize who he is as he doesn’t need stroke since he’s been here for 15 years and doesn’t react to ultimatums well. He says that when given a choice of Bischoff’s way or the highway, he’ll always take the highway as he heads to the back and Bischoff says if he walks out, he's walking out on the fans and he won’t be let back in. Triple H gets in his face and Bischoff says that if Michaels is really his friend and they’re as tight as everyone says, he would go talk some sense into him and Triple H heads to the back as Bischoff says that with that taken care of, he will unify the Intercontinental and European Championships as Jeff Hardy will face Rob Van Dam in a ladder match.
 
We see Triple H run into Shawn Michaels backstage as Michaels has his bag and Triple H tells him to calm down, and Michaels says he’s earned the right to do what he wants and Triple H should know better than anyone that he has a problem with people telling him what to do. He says that Triple H came to RAW because of him though he didn’t choose to work for Bischoff as Triple H says Michaels is walking out on him and the fans, and he asks if being his manager would be that bad as Michaels can’t wrestle anymore because of his back and he should be by his side. Michaels says that he’s not what he was though he still has his pride and Triple H says he doesn’t have to be his lackey, he’s just asking him not to take his ball and go home like Steve Austin did as they should make this ride together and he has an idea to make this work and it will be good.
 
Commercial break
 
1. Rob Van Dam defeats Jeff Hardy in a Ladder match at 6:56 to unify the WWE Intercontinental and European Championships.
 
Analysis: We kick off this edition of RAW with our lone title match of the night. RVD and Jeff retained their titles the night before and now they face off here to unify the belts. Both men get a big pop from the crowd and they are pretty split for the whole match. The two men lock up with RVD going behind Jeff who turns it around as RVD escapes with an armdrag and Jeff hooks a headscissors, and RVD escapes and they have a standoff as they lock up with Jeff hooking a headlock and RVD whips him off. He hits a dropkick on Jeff and hooks a front facelock on as Jeff backs him into the corner and stomps on him repeatedly, and RVD reverses a whip into the other corner and Jeff catches him in a headscissors as he clotheslines him over the top to the floor. Jeff goes outside and grabs a ladder as RVD returns to the ring and he hits a baseball slide that drives the ladder into Jeff’s ribs, and he gets on the apron and hits a moonsault on Jeff as he brings the ladder into the ring and sets it up before climbing. Jeff nails RVD and pulls him down as he stomps on him until RVD reverses a whip and Jeff blocks a monkey flip by stretching RVD’s legs out, and he sets the ladder up and climbs only for RVD to pull him down and he grabs the ladder though Jeff dropkicks it out of his hands. Both men go outside and each grab a different ladder as they bring them into the ring and duel with them, and RVD hits a spin kick that drives Jeff’s ladder into him and he puts him on the ladder as he hits a cartwheel moonsault. He sets up the other ladder and climbs as Jeff pounds on him and climbs up behind him as he hits a back suplex off the ladder, and he grabs the other ladder and puts it on RVD as he goes up top and hits the Swanton which drives the ladder into RVD. Jeff climbs the ladder with RVD doing the same and they trade blows as RVD rams Jeff’s head into the ladder and hits a sunset flip powerbomb on Jeff, and he hits a spinning legdrop on Jeff and puts him on the ladder as he hits the Rolling Thunder and sets the other ladder up. He climbs up as Jeff rams the second ladder into RVD’s back and sets it up before climbing up himself only for RVD to kick at him twice, and he tips the other ladder over with Jeff falling to the mat as RVD hits a splash off the ladder onto Jeff before climbing back up and he retrieves the title to win the match. The match itself was good as both men worked hard and put on a solid title match. Both men were hitting their stride by this point and they still had good chemistry as it was very quick for a ladder match and RVD gets the win to unify the belts. The crowd was into the match and popped for RVD when he won. RVD gets the win over Jeff and unifies the titles as both men move on. Grade: 2.5
 
After the match, RVD celebrates with the title and helps Jeff to his feet as he raises his hand out of respect.
 
Commercial break
 
We see a shot outside the Van Andel Arena.
 
Christopher Nowinski comes down to the ring and says that he wants to thank Eric Bischoff for letting him come out here and get something off his chest, and he says that since making his debut in WWE, he’s been perplexed as to why the fans hate him because he’s a Harvard graduate. He says that they should be grateful for him though he understands why they can’t relate to someone like him, and he says that they should be excited by what he will bring to them and future fans as the Undertaker comes down to the ring. Nowinski says he knows Taker is upset about losing last night so he will let him speak as he hands him the mike, and Taker offers a handshake which Nowinski accepts only for Taker to ram the knee into him repeatedly in the corner. He whips Nowinski into the other corner and splashes him as he gets a kick in and hits the Last Ride on Nowinski before heading to the back.
 
We see Eric Bischoff backstage talking to someone as he says that the Undertaker is filled with ruthless aggression and he’s an icon as we see he is talking to Rhyno, and he says that Rhyno will be that if he joins him as this show is about momentum and he knows him inside and out. He says that he wants him on RAW to make it the best show and Rhyno says he appreciates the first-class travels as they will keep in touch when he comes back, and he walks away as Shawn Stasiak and D-Lo Brown walk up to Bischoff and say they want an opportunity to get on the show. Bischoff says they should be careful what they wish for as he has a 3-minute hole that needs filled and he’ll give it to them, and he says he wants to see a winner while entertaining him because if they bore him, neither one of them will leave the ring on their own power.
 
Commercial break
 
2. William Regal and Molly Holly defeat Bubba Ray Dudley and Trish Stratus when Stratus taps out at 3:55.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is our lone tag match of the night. Stratus and Molly were still having issues and they face off here with Bubba and Regal as their partners. Bubba and Stratus get a good pop from the crowd while Regal and Molly had solid heat as heels. Bubba starts off the match with Regal who attacks Bubba’s injured arm and Bubba reverses a whip into the corner as he hits a backdrop, and he hits a clothesline on Regal who regroups in his corner with Molly as she tags in and Bubba goes to tag Stratus only for Molly to shove him. She looks for a test of strength though Bubba toys with her and starts dancing until Molly slaps him in the face, and he teases throwing a punch as she ducks and he slaps her on the ass before tagging Stratus and she hits a clothesline and armdrag on Molly. She hits a dropkick on Molly and pounds on her until Molly reverses a whip and Regal yanks Stratus to the mat by her hair from the apron, and Molly hits a Northern lights suplex for a two count and tags Regal who works on Stratus’ arm and takes her to the mat for a two count. He trips Stratus up and steps on her hair as he gets a knee in and he knocks Bubba to the floor before holding Stratus from behind for Molly, but Stratus avoids a dropkick as Molly hits Regal by mistake and Bubba gets the hot tag as he hits a pair of clotheslines on Regal. Regal reverses a whip and Bubba ducks a shot though Regal blocks the Bubba Bomb with a low blow, and Molly goes up top while Regal holds Bubba from behind only for Bubba to send Regal into the ropes which causes Molly to crotch herself on the top rope. Bubba hits a clothesline on Regal and tags Stratus who hits the handstand hurricanrana on Molly as Bubba throws her to the outside, and he hits a slam on Regal and holds his legs up as Stratus goes up top and hits the diving headbutt to Regal’s groin. Bubba goes outside and looks to get a table only for Molly to distract him and he chases her to the back, and Regal hits a back suplex on Stratus and hooks the Regal Stretch on as she taps out and he wins the match for his team. The match itself was decent as both teams worked hard and put on a basic match. Both teams looked fine together and had decent chemistry as Regal makes Stratus tap. The crowd was into the match and Bubba and Stratus, but are not happy when Regal and Molly win. Regal and Molly get the win over Stratus and Bubba as both teams move on. Grade: 1
 
We see Eric Bischoff talking to someone as he says that when the 3 minutes are up, they’ll know what to do as he walks up to Chris Benoit and they shake hands, and he says Benoit is tough as hell and he brings up the series with Booker T in WCW as Benoit will face Booker tonight with the winner getting an IC Title match next week.
 
We see the Rock walking down the hallway.
 
Commercial break
 
The Rock comes down to the ring and says that he has finally come back to Grand Rapids as he says that while he wouldn’t hang out with the Undertaker or Kurt Angle, he does want to tell them thank you for making the match one of the greatest matches he’s been a part of. He says that he is focused on tonight and he is here doing what he said he would do as he told Bischoff he would be here tonight as Undisputed Champion, but then Eddie Guerrero comes out on the stage and asks who the hell Rock thinks he is as he has a problem with him. He says that he has two daughters at home and they worship him as he says that the other night when he came into their room, he says that he saw something disturbing where he saw a picture of himself as well as a poster of Rock. He says that Rock is such a big shot and movie star as he says that he knew he had to teach them a lesson and show they discipline, and he says that he ripped up the poster and burned as they cried for him to stop and he told them they have to respect him. Rock tells him to stop as he calls him a freak and he talks to his kids like that while he says he’s not a movie star, and he says that Eddie is a movie star as everyone’s seen his movies asking if he was either Cheech or Chong. Eddie says that’s exactly what he’s talking about as Rock doesn’t respect anyone and the reality is Rock is jealous of him, and he says that everyone knows that he’s the better wrestler and he’s better looking as he has the hottest haircut in America today and no one can wear the mullet like him. Rock says that with a haircut and face like that, Billy Ray Cyrus had sex with a retarded hyena and Eddie says that Rock is funny though he’s tired of being disrespected, and tonight he wants to teach Rock a lesson in respect as they should have a match tonight and when he beats him, he gets an Undisputed Title shot next week. Rock says that while he doesn’t speak Spanish, he will speak so Eddie will understand as he mocks him though says he will face him tonight and whip his ass, and Eddie says he will kick Rock’s ass and Rock says he knows Eddie can bring it so he plans on laying the smackdown on Eddie’s ass if you smell what he is cooking. Eddie heads to the back as Rock leaves the ring and starts heading to the back while Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman come out for Lesnar’s match, and they walk right past Rock without acknowledging him and Rock heads to the back.
 
3. Brock Lesnar (w/ Paul Heyman) pins Tommy Dreamer with the F-5 in a Singapore Cane match at 2:34.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is a pretty interesting matchup. Lesnar had attacked Dreamer a few weeks ago and now they face off here in a Singapore cane match. Dreamer gets a decent pop from the crowd while Lesnar was pretty hot as a heel. Dreamer tosses a cane at Lesnar’s feet to start the match as he beats on him with another cane and uses it to hit a Russian legsweep, and Lesnar rolls outside to regroup and Dreamer comes off the apron only for Lesnar to catch him in a belly-to-belly suplex on the floor. He grabs the cane though tosses it aside and stomps on Dreamer repeatedly as he whips him into the steps and throws him back into the ring, and he whips Dreamer hard into the corner and rams the shoulder into the ribs as he whips him into the other corner and again rams the shoulder into the ribs. He hits a pair of backbreakers on Dreamer and stomps on him as he whips him into the corner only to miss a charge as he rams his shoulder into the post, and Dreamer catches a kick attempt and hits a low blow on Lesnar as he hits the DDT for a two count and grabs the cane. He hits Lesnar in the back with it only for Lesnar to block a swing as he hoists Dreamer onto his shoulders and hits the F-5 which gets the three and he wins the match. The match itself was basically a squash as Dreamer got a few shots in, but he puts Lesnar over strong in 2 and a half minutes. The crowd was into the match and Dreamer, but are not happy when Lesnar wins. Lesnar gets the win over Dreamer and both men move on. Grade: 1
 
After the match, the Undertaker runs down to the ring and grabs a cane as he beats on Lesnar with it before sending him to the outside.
 
Commercial break
 
We see Shawn Michaels and the Big Show talking backstage as Show brings up when he superkicked him a few weeks ago and he doesn’t look tough anymore without the nWo, and Michaels says he might not be tough anymore though Show can find out if he wants and Show says he might.
 
We see Eric Bischoff on the stage as he tells D-Lo Brown and Shawn Stasiak that they have 3 minutes and better make it good.
 
4. D-Lo Brown and Shawn Stasiak wrestle to a no contest at 3:00.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is a pretty basic matchup. These two men were looking to get an opportunity on RAW and are given the shot here by Bischoff though only have 3 minutes to do it. Neither man get much of a reaction from the crowd as they both have jobber heat. Stasiak gets a kick in and pounds on Brown to start the match as Brown escapes a suplex attempt and hits a slam for a two count, and he hits a side dropkick on Stasiak for a two count and pounds on him as Stasiak reverses a whip and Brown ducks a shot. Stasiak hits a powerslam for a two count and Brown hooks a small package for a two count as Stasiak catches him with a kneelift, and he hooks a submission on Brown as Bischoff asks what he’s doing and Stasiak slams Brown onto his arm as he drops a knee on him for a two count until Bischoff starts counting down quickly. Brown and Stasiak trade blows as Bischoff says they should’ve listened to him and two big men come out of the crowd and attack both men with the ref calling the match off. The match was nothing as it was just here for Bischoff to bring out his new henchmen. The crowd was more focused on Bischoff than the match and could care less about it. The match ends with no winner and both men move on. Grade: DUD
 
After the match, one of the men presses Brown up and hits a Samoan drop as the other hits a full nelson flapjack on Stasiak, and the first one goes up top and hits a splash on Brown while the other goes up to the middle rope and hits a springboard splash on Stasiak.
 
Commercial break
 
We see Triple H go into his dressing room where Shawn Michaels is as Triple H hands him something and tells him to put it on as Michaels gets excited and Triple H says he’ll see him shortly.
 
We see Booker T and Goldust in the dressing room as Goldust says Booker was impressive last night against the Big Show, and he says it was a great performance as David slayed Goliath and Booker is King of the giant slayers. Booker says that he knows Goldust has something for him to wear and make a fool out of himself as Goldust says he has something better, and he puts a Don King wig on Booker though asks if he’s mad about it and Booker says he’s not mad as only in America, he will take out Benoit if he can dig that.
 
Commercial break
 
5. Chris Benoit forces Booker T to tap out at 5:52.
 
Stipulation: The winner would earn a WWE Intercontinental Championship match next week on RAW
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is a pretty big matchup. Booker was coming off a huge win the night before and looks to get another win here over Benoit, who was coming off a tough loss the night before and looks to get back on track here. Booker gets a big pop from the crowd while Benoit was pretty hot as a heel. The two men lock up to start with Benoit working on the arm and Booker turns it around as he hooks a headlock on and knocks Benoit down, and they lock up again with Booker working the arm as Benoit backs him into the corner and rams the shoulder into the ribs repeatedly. He rams Booker into the corner twice and pounds on him as Booker ducks a shot and hits a superkick on Benoit, and he pounds on Benoit who counters a whip and gets a kick in as he hits a backbreaker on Booker for a two count. He whips Booker hard into the corner and hits a snap suplex for a two count as Booker tries to battle back though Benoit gets a shot in, and Booker counters a whip and hits a side kick on Benoit who battles back until Booker reverses a whip. He hooks a sleeper on Benoit who escapes with a back suplex and he takes the padding off the middle buckle, and the two men trade blows with Booker taking control as he hits a backdrop and clothesline on Benoit. Benoit ducks a shot and Booker hits a flying forearm as he hits a spinebuster on Benoit and goes up top, and he hits a missile dropkick on Benoit for a two count and gets a kick in though Benoit avoids the scissors kick and gets a shot in. Booker blocks a German suplex attempt with a pair of back elbows though Benoit pounds on him and hits a trio of German suplexes, but Booker hits a back elbow and goes behind Benoit who hits a back elbow as he goes behind Booker and hits another German suplex for a two count. Booker escapes a slam attempt and Benoit ducks a spin kick as he gets a shot in and he whips Booker into the corner, but Booker leaps over him and hooks a sunset flip for a two count as Benoit rams the shoulder into the ribs and he sends Booker into the exposed buckle. Benoit takes Booker to the mat and hooks the Crossface on as Booker taps out and Benoit gets the win. The match itself was good as both men worked hard and put on a solid match. Booker was hitting his stride by this point while Benoit was getting back into a groove, and they had good chemistry as Benoit cheats to win. The crowd was into the match and Booker, but are not happy when Benoit wins. Benoit gets the win over Booker and gets an IC Title shot next week as both men move on. Grade: 2
 
Commercial break
 
Eric Bischoff joins the commentary team for the next match.
 
6. The Big Show pins Spike Dudley with the Chokeslam at 1:02.
 
Analysis: Our last match before the main event is a pretty interesting matchup. Spike was coming off a big win the night before and looks to get a huge upset win here over Show, who was coming off a tough loss the night before and looks to get back on track here. Spike gets a good pop from the crowd while Show had solid heat as a heel. Spike wastes no time and hits a headbutt to the ribs that Show no-sells to start the match as he swats away a dropkick attempt, and he kicks at Spike and tears his shirt off as he stomps on him repeatedly and steps on him before ramming the knee into his ribs. He picks Spike up and drives him into the corner as he pounds on him and grabs him by the throat before hitting the Chokeslam which gets the three and he wins the match. The match was basically a squash as Spike puts Show over strong in 62 seconds. The crowd was in and out of it for the match and are not happy when Show wins. Show gets the easy win over Spike and both men move on. Grade: .5
 
After the match, Show goes outside and pulls a table out as he slides it into the ring and sets it up before picking Spike up, but then Bubba Ray Dudley runs down to the ring and hits a low blow on Show as Spike falls onto the table. Bubba pounds on Show who gets a shot in on Bubba’s injured arm and he grabs Bubba by the throat, and he chokeslams him onto Spike and puts both men through the table.
 
We see a shot outside Triple H’s dressing room.
 
Commercial break
 
Triple H and Shawn Michaels come down to the ring wearing D-Generation X shirts as the D-X music plays and Michaels says when you thought it was safe to turn on RAW, look who’s back in town and they are the rebels before being a rebel was cool. Triple H takes the mike and asks if everyone is ready as he says for the thousands in attendance and the millions watching at home, let’s get ready to suck it as he kicks Michaels and hits the Pedigree before ripping the shirt off and heading to the back.
 
Commercial break
 
We see Triple H get into his limo which drives away from the arena as another limo with a Smackdown license plate pulls up to the arena, and the window rolls down and we see Stephanie McMahon in the limo as she wants the usher to tell Bischoff the competition has arrived.
 
7. The Rock pins Eddie Guerrero with the People’s Elbow at 8:30.
 
Stipulation: if Eddie wins, he earns a WWE Undisputed Championship match next week on RAW
 
Analysis: After a fairly quick and interesting night of wrestling, we come to our main event. These two went back and forth earlier in the night and now they face off here with a title shot for Eddie on the line. Rock gets a big pop from the crowd while Eddie was pretty hot as a heel. The two men lock up to start with neither gaining an edge and they lock up again with Rock hooking a headlock, and he goes behind Eddie and works the arm until Eddie turns it around and he hooks a headlock on Rock. Rock whips him off and knocks him down as Eddie leaps over him only for Rock to hit a pair of armdrags on Eddie, and he goes back to the arm until Eddie flips through to escape only for Rock to hit a clothesline and he stomps on him. Both men counter a whip until Rock gets a kick in and he hits a belly-to-belly suplex on Eddie who ducks a shot and he hits a back suplex on Rock, and he stomps on Rock repeatedly in the corner and pounds on him before choking him and Rock battles back. Eddie catches him with a back elbow and stomps on him as he pounds on him and hits a dropkick, and he hits a snapmare and hooks a submission on Rock who fights to his feet and breaks the hold as he pounds on Eddie. Eddie hits a dropkick on Rock for a two count and hooks another submission on while using the ropes for leverage until the ref catches him and forces a break, and Eddie stomps and pounds on Rock for a two count as Rock battles back until Eddie reverses a whip and hits a clothesline. He hooks another submission on Rock who fights to his feet and breaks the hold as he fires up on Eddie and knocks him down, and he gets a kick in and hits the DDT for a two count as Eddie counters a whip and hits a clothesline on Rock who quickly nips up. Eddie counters the Rock Bottom with an armdrag into a rollup for a two count and he ducks a shot before hitting a hurricanrana, and he leaps over the top and hotshots Rock on the top rope as he goes up top only to miss the Frog Splash. Rock hits the spinebuster on Eddie and then he hits the People’s Elbow 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. Rock was getting back into a groove in the ring while Eddie was hitting his groove as well, and they had good chemistry as Rock gets a clean win. The crowd was into the match and popped for Rock when he won. Rock gets the win over Eddie and both men move on. Grade: 2.5
 
After the match, Rock celebrates as Brock Lesnar runs down to the ring and takes the belt from the ref which Rock sees, and Lesnar looks at the belt and has a staredown with Rock as he seemingly looks to hand it back to him only to toss it to the mat. He leaves the ring and heads to the back as Rock continues to celebrate with the belt.
 
We see Eric Bischoff walk up to Stephanie McMahon’s limo as he asks if she’s here for a wrestling lesson or to slap him in the face again, and she says that she’s here to kick him in the balls and he eggs her on to do so as she steps out of the limo. Bischoff does karate poses as Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman come outside with Lesnar getting in Stephanie’s face, and Bischoff mocks Stephanie as she opens the limo door with Lesnar and Heyman getting in it as Bischoff freaks out. She gets in the limo as well and asks Bischoff how it feels getting kicked in the balls as he can watch Lesnar on Smackdown, and the limo drives off and Bischoff yells he will knock them out as we go off the air.
 
7/28 Sunday Night Heat taping:
 
1. Raven pins Crash Holly.
2. Goldust defeats Justin Credible.
3. Steven Richards pins Matt Hardy.
4. Bradshaw pins Johnny “The Bull” Stamboli.
 
Final Analysis: Overall, this edition of RAW coming off a pretty solid PPV was a good show to really kick off Bischoff’s tenure as GM. After making his debut the previous week, Bischoff made it a point to really showcase his power and that the show would be run his way, and it definitely feels like we hit the reset button again this year after doing it earlier with the draft. We did have one title match as RVD still rules the midcard while Regal, Molly, Lesnar, Benoit, Show, and Rock get big wins, and in terms of the matches the opener and the main event were the best as the show is best remembered for Triple H turning on Michaels and Lesnar joining Smackdown. 2002 has been an interesting year to this point with a lot of change throughout the year and as we head towards Summerslam, we will see if things start to become stable or continue to have a chaotic feel. As for this show, it is a pretty decent show coming off a solid PPV in Vengeance. Final Grade: C+