Unforgiven
September 22nd, 2002
Staples Center
Los Angeles, California
 
Sunday Night Heat:
 
1. Rey Mysterio pins Chavo Guerrero at 8:58.
 
Actual Show:
 
We see the opening video for Unforgiven.
 
Your hosts are Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler for RAW, and Michael Cole and Tazz for Smackdown.
 
1. Booker T, Goldust, Bubba Ray Dudley, and Kane defeat the Un-Americans when Kane pins Lance Storm at 9:52.
 
The Buildup/Return: Beginning in August, vignettes would play on both shows hyping the return of Kane and on the 8/26 RAW, Booker defeated Christian in a match though the Un-Americans vowed to make a major statement. Later that night, they attempted to burn the American flag until Booker and Goldust made the save though they were beaten down, but then Kane would make his return with his new look and mask as he helped Booker and Goldust clear the Un-Americans from the ring. On the 9/2 RAW, Booker defeated Regal in a match and later that night, Kane defeated the Un-Americans in a handicap match until Test hit him with the big boot and again attempted to burn the American flag only for Bradshaw to make the save. On the 9/9 RAW, the Un-Americans defeated Bradshaw and Kane when Regal assisted them and officially joined the group with Booker and Goldust making the save, and later that night Test and Regal defeated Booker and Goldust by DQ when Kane and Bradshaw got involved and the four men cleared the Un-Americans from the ring. On the 9/16 RAW, it was revealed Bradshaw suffered an injury and would be out of action as Booker defeated Test and Storm and Christian defeated Bubba and Spike in a match that saw them powerbomb Spike through a table, and later that night Kane defeated Regal by DQ when the Un-Americans got involved until Bubba, Booker, and Goldust made the save with Booker making the challenge for this match.
 
Analysis: We kick off this PPV with a big 8-man tag match. Booker, Goldust, Bubba, and Kane have all had issues with the Un-Americans for the last month and now they team up here to face the group. Booker, Goldust, Bubba, and Kane get good pops from the crowd while the Un-Americans were pretty hot as heels. Goldust starts off the match with Christian and they lock up with Christian getting a knee in as he pounds on Goldust, and Goldust reverses a whip and hits a butt slam on Christian as he gets a kick in and hits an uppercut for a two count. Christian gets a knee in and pounds on Goldust as Storm tags in only for Goldust to hit a double clothesline, and Bubba tags in and he pounds on Storm while Goldust pounds on Christian as they hit double elbows and nail Regal and Test. Storm catches Bubba with a jawbreaker and hits a back elbow as he rams him into the buckle and pounds on him in the corner, and he chokes him with his knee and Bubba counters a whip as he ducks a shot and puts Storm in the tree of woe in the corner. He pounds on Storm and hits a clothesline that knocks Christian off the apron only for Regal to nail him from the apron, and Bubba reverses a whip and hits a flapjack on Storm for a two count as Goldust tags in and he pounds on Storm. Storm reverses a whip and Christian trips Goldust up from the floor as he pulls him outside and rams him into the barricade, and he throws Goldust back into the ring and Storm rams him into the buckle as Test tags in and he rams Goldust into the buckle. He hits a series of back elbows on Goldust in the corner and stomps on him repeatedly as Goldust ducks a shot and hits a flying clothesline, and Booker tags in and fires up on Test who reverses a whip and Booker hits a flying forearm as he hits a side kick on Regal. He knocks Christian off the apron and Test nails him from behind as Booker counters a whip and hits a side kick on Test for a two count, and Regal goes after Booker who holds the ropes on a whip as Bubba comes in and hits a slam on Regal. He holds Regal’s legs up as Booker goes up top and he hits a diving headbutt to Regal’s groin as Bubba calls for the tables, and they go outside and pull a table out as they put it on the apron only for Storm and Christian to hit a double baseball slide which drives the table into Booker. Storm pounds on Booker and throws him back into the ring as Test rams him into the buckle and hits a series of back elbows in the corner, and he pounds on him and whips him into the other corner as he splashes him for a two count and Regal tags in. He kicks and pounds on Booker for a two count as he hits a modified suplex for a two count and Christian tags in, and he kicks at Booker repeatedly and hits a snapmare as he hooks a submission on Booker who fights to his feet and breaks the hold. Christian catches him with a knee to the ribs for a one count and he pounds on Booker in the corner as he whips him into the other corner, but Booker leaps over him and hooks a sunset flip for a two count as he ducks a shot and he hits a spinebuster on Christian. Kane gets the hot tag and fires up on Storm as he hits a backdrop and then he hits a clothesline on Regal, and he knocks Test off the apron and splashes Storm in the corner as he hits another clothesline on Regal and a sidewalk slam on Test. He hits a tilt-a-whirl powerslam on Storm for a two count as Regal breaks it up and all 8 men brawl with Kane reversing a whip on Regal, and he hits a big boot on Regal as Test gets in the ring only for Kane to avoid the big boot and he hoists Test onto his shoulders. Test slides off and gets a kick in as he hits a pump handle powerslam and he ducks a shot before going behind Booker, but he blocks the full nelson and gets a kick in as he hits the scissors kick and then he does the Spinaroonie. Christian gets in the ring and hits an inverted DDT on Booker as Kane grabs him by the throat only for Storm to get a shot in, and Kane catches a superkick attempt and grabs Storm by the throat only for Christian to hit a low blow and Storm hits the superkick for a two count. Booker hits a side kick on Storm and pounds on Christian who avoids a side kick as Booker crotches himself on the top rope and Christian knocks him to the floor, and Bubba gets in the ring and ducks a shot as he hits the Bubba Bomb on Christian and Regal gets in the ring. He knocks Bubba over the top to the floor as Goldust gets in the ring and ties Christian up in the corner before hitting the Shattered Dreams, and Test gets in the ring and hits the big boot on Goldust as Kane goes up top and hits the flying clothesline on Test. Storm gets in the ring though Kane avoids the superkick as he grabs him by the throat and hits the Chokeslam, and Regal gets in the ring with the brass knuckles only for Kane to knock him down as he gets the three on Storm and wins the match for his team. The match itself was good as both teams worked hard and put on a solid 8-man tag. Kane’s team looked good as a unit while the Un-Americans were at their peak as a unit, and they had good chemistry as Kane’s team ends up getting the win. The crowd was into the match and popped for Kane’s team when they won. Kane’s team get the win over the Un-Americans as both teams move on. Grade: 3
 
We see Stephanie McMahon talking to Billy and Chuck backstage as she says that when they beat Jamal and Rosey tonight, it will be for Smackdown as this is about pride and redemption, and they say that they will represent Smackdown tonight and Bischoff will kiss her ass.
 
2. Chris Jericho forces “Nature Boy” Ric Flair to tap out at 6:16 to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship.
 
The Buildup/Title Change: On the 8/26 RAW, Jericho cut a promo saying that he should’ve won the match at Summerslam and he would lose a match to Jeff Hardy by DQ when he refused to break the Walls of Jericho, and on the 9/2 RAW Jericho would attack Flair after his match with Triple H and later that night, Flair and Rob Van Dam defeated Jericho and Triple H in a tag match. On the 9/16 RAW, Jericho defeated RVD to win the IC Title and while celebrating, he would ask Bischoff for a match against Flair at the PPV with Bischoff agreeing.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is our first title match of the night. These two fought back at Summerslam with Flair getting the win and now they face off here in a rematch with the IC Title on the line. Flair gets a good pop from the crowd while Jericho was red hot as a heel. The two men lock up to start with Jericho backing Flair into the corner and he shoves him back as Flair slaps him in the face, and they lock up again with Jericho hooking a headlock and he knocks Flair down as Flair sends him over the top with Jericho landing on the apron. He goes up top only for Flair to nail him coming in and he pounds on Jericho who reverses a whip as Flair catches a dropkick attempt, and he looks for the Figure-4 only for Jericho to send him to the outside and Flair gets a shot in as he gets on the apron. Jericho hits a springboard dropkick that knocks Flair to the floor and he goes outside as he pounds on Flair and throws him back into the ring, and he goes up top and hits a missile dropkick on Flair for a two count as he pounds on him and chokes him on the ropes. He slams down on Flair’s back and pounds on him in the corner as he hooks an abdominal stretch until Flair escapes with a hiptoss, and Flair pounds on Jericho who rakes the eyes and he whips Flair inside out in the corner with Flair landing on the apron. He ducks a shot and nails Jericho as he gets in the ring and pounds on him before sending him into the post with Jericho falling over the top to the floor, and Flair goes outside and whips Jericho into the steps as he pounds on him and throws him back into the ring. He drops a knee on Jericho and hits a snapmare as he goes up to the middle rope and drops a knee on Jericho for a two count, and he pounds on Jericho in the corner and whips him into the other corner as Jericho leaps to the middle rope only for Flair to hit a chop block. He hits a kneebreaker on Jericho and looks for the Figure-4 only for Jericho to hook a small package for a two count, and Flair pounds on Jericho who reverses a whip and he hits a back elbow as he lands on his feet on a Lionsault attempt though he appears to hurt his knee. He begs off as the ref keeps Flair back and calls for the trainer only for Jericho to reveal that he is fine, and he trips Flair up and hooks the Walls of Jericho on as Flair taps out and Jericho retains the title. The match itself was decent as both men worked hard and put on a basic title match that was not as good as their Summerslam match. Flair was getting back into his groove while Jericho was hitting his stride, and they still had good chemistry as Jericho outsmarts Flair and retains. The crowd was into the match and Flair, but are not happy when Jericho wins. Jericho retains the title over Flair and both men move on. Grade: 2
 
We see Eric Bischoff, Jamal, and Rosey in Bischoff’s office as Bischoff says that this is their night and while this is their first night as a team, they have to remember that they are representing him and RAW as he brings in Rico and says he will be in their corner. Rico says that they are ready to beat Billy and Chuck tonight and then later tonight, Bischoff can sit back and enjoy as Stephanie performs “HLA”.
 
We see a shot outside the Staples Center.
 
We see Shaquille O’Neal in the crowd.
 
3. Eddie Guerrero pins Edge with a sunset flip powerbomb off the top rope at 11:57.
 
The Buildup: On the 8/29 Smackdown, Eddie defeated Edge in a rematch after using a chair to advance in the Number One Contender series, and later that night Edge would save Rikishi from an attack by Eddie and Chris Benoit. On the 9/5 Smackdown, Edge teamed with Rikishi and the Undertaker to defeat Eddie, Benoit, and Kurt Angle in a 6-man tag, and on the 9/12 Smackdown the Guerreros defeated Edge and John Cena in a tag match only for Edge to avoid a Stinkface by putting Eddie’s face in Chavo’s ass. On the 9/19 Smackdown, the Guerreros defeated Edge and Rikishi in a tag match and Eddie would hit Edge in the head with a chair which busted him open as this match was made.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is a pretty big rematch. These two men fought at Summerslam with Edge getting the win and now they face off here as Eddie looks to get his win back. Edge gets a good pop from the crowd while Eddie was pretty hot as a heel. Eddie stalls on the outside to start the match and the ref keeps Edge back as Eddie gets in the ring and hooks a rollup for a two count, and Eddie goes back outside to stall and Edge follows him as he chases Eddie back into the ring and Eddie stomps on him repeatedly. He pounds on him and rams him into the buckle as Edge reverses a whip and he hits a backdrop on Eddie, and he hits a flapjack on Eddie and pounds on him as he continues to pound on him in the corner only for Eddie to get a shot in. He rams Edge into the buckle and pounds on him in the corner as Edge reverses a whip and hits a powerslam for a two count, and he hits a suplex on Eddie for a two count and pounds on him as he whips him into the corner only for Eddie to catch him with a back elbow. He goes up to the middle rope and hits a tornado DDT on Edge as he stomps on him repeatedly and hits a brainbuster for a two count, and he hooks a submission on Edge who fights out of the hold with a series of knees and Eddie gets a kick in as he hits a back suplex on Edge for a two count. He hooks a front facelock on Edge and transitions into another submission as Edge fights to his feet and breaks the hold, but Eddie catches him with a back elbow and stomps on Edge repeatedly as he pounds on him until Edge gets a shot in. Edge misses a charge and hits the corner as Eddie pounds on him in the corner and chokes him with his boot, and he chokes him on the ropes as he unties the buckle only for Edge to hook a rollup for a two count and then he hooks a small package for a two count. He ducks a shot and gets a kick in as he hits a swinging neckbreaker on Eddie and they trade blows on their knees, and Edge fires up on Eddie and hits an atomic drop as he hits a flying forearm and ducks a shot before hitting the modified facebuster for a two count. He whips Eddie into the corner and Eddie leaps over him as he gets a kick in only for Edge to escape a suplex attempt, and he hits the Edge-o-Matic for a two count and Eddie catches him with a jawbreaker as he grabs the arm and pounds on Edge. He goes up top only for Edge to counter a hurricanrana with a sitdown powerbomb for a two count and Eddie leaps onto Edge’s shoulders, but Edge hotshots Eddie on the top buckle and looks for the spear only for Eddie to avoid it though Edge avoids hitting the corner. He ducks a shot and gets a kick in as he hits the Edgecution for a two count with Eddie getting his foot on the rope, and Edge goes up top only for Eddie to avoid the missile dropkick and he takes the pad off the buckle though Edge reverses a whip and sends Eddie into the exposed buckle. Edge rams the shoulder into Eddie’s ribs in the corner and puts him on the top rope as he goes up himself only for Eddie to ram him into the exposed buckle, and he hits a sunset flip powerbomb and grabs the tights as he gets the three and he wins the match. The match itself was good as both men worked hard and put on a solid match though it was a slight step behind their Summerslam match. Edge was hitting his groove by this point while Eddie was back in his groove, and they still had good chemistry as Eddie cheats to get his win back. The crowd was into the match and Edge, but are not happy when Eddie wins. Eddie steals the win over Edge though this issue isn’t over yet. Grade: 3
 
We see Triple H go into the locker room where Rob Van Dam and Ric Flair are as Triple H says that RVD is so calm and collected, and he says that means he has no passion or desire which says to him that there is no way RVD will become champion tonight. He then points to Flair and says he used to have the passion and desire that made him the Man though he doesn’t have anything anymore, and he says that it’s appropriate that RVD would be getting ready for his match with a loser like Flair who gets in his face. RVD says that Triple H came all the way here to say that and he would rather associate with someone like Flair than someone like Triple H any day.
 
We see the buildup to the next match.
 
4. Jamal and Rosey (w/ Rico) defeat Billy and Chuck when Jamal pins Billy at 6:39.
 
Stipulations: If Jamal and Rosey win, Stephanie McMahon must participate in “Hot Lesbian Action” and if Billy and Chuck win, Eric Bischoff must kiss Stephanie’s ass
 
Debuts: Eddie Fatu (Jamal) and Matt Anoa’i (Rosey) were trained by their uncle Afa and debuted in his promotion in 1995, and Fatu would work in FMW while Anoa’i worked the indie scene alongside Samu as the Samoan Gangsta Party and they would make a few appearances in ECW in 1996. In 2001, Fatu and Anoa’i signed with WWE and competed in HWA as the Island Boyz under the names Ekmo and Kimo where they won the tag titles, and they would also compete in Memphis and won the tag titles there before making their debut on the main roster over the summer. They would be brought in as Eric Bischoff’s heavies that he unleashed on those that didn’t entertain him and they were given the names Jamal and Rosey, and they were later dubbed 3-Minute Warning due to Bischoff giving people 3 minutes before unleashing them.
 
Temp. Farewells: This is Billy and Chuck’s last PPV until 2003
 
The Buildup: On the 9/5 Smackdown, Rico told Chuck that it was time as Chuck would propose to Billy to be his life partner with Billy accepting and it was announced the ceremony would take place the next week, and on the 9/9 RAW Bischoff complained about the publicity it was getting which he called a publicity stunt. He would then reveal that he had something that he knew everyone wanted to see, “HLA” or “Hot Lesbian Action” as he brought out two women and they began making out and stripping each other, but then he declared they were taking too long as he had Jamal and Rosey lay them out. On the 9/12 Smackdown, Billy and Chuck had their commitment ceremony with Rico and Stephanie McMahon as witnesses though Billy and Chuck eventually revealed this was just a publicity stunt much to Rico’s chagrin, but then the elderly priest revealed himself to be Bischoff with Jamal and Rosey attacking Billy and Chuck as well as Stephanie as it was revealed Rico was in on it until they were chased off by the Smackdown roster. On the 9/16 RAW, a group of women protested the event due to Bischoff’s recent treatment of women and Bischoff confronted them in the ring, but then one of them hit a low blow on Bischoff and revealed herself to be Stephanie as Billy and Chuck attacked Bischoff. They would fight off Jamal and Rosey before retreating into the crowd as Bischoff made the challenge to Stephanie with the stipulations included, and on the 9/19 Smackdown Stephanie officially accepted Bischoff’s challenge and they would have a back-and-forth via video feed as each vowed to win.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is a big inter-brand match. RAW and Smackdown have been sniping at each other for the last few weeks and now they face off here in this tag match with the stipulations in place. Billy and Chuck get a decent pop from the crowd while Jamal and Rosey had solid heat as heels. Jamal and Rosey waste no time and attack Billy and Chuck to start the match though Billy battles back on Jamal as he hits a clothesline which sends both men over the top to the floor, and Chuck battles back on Rosey who reverses a whip and Chuck escapes a slam attempt as Rico gets on the apron. He catches Chuck with a kick to the head and Rosey hits a back suplex on Chuck as he pounds on him and rams him into the buckle, and he chokes Chuck in the corner while Jamal pounds on him from the apron and tags in as Rosey chokes Chuck from the apron. Chuck catches Jamal with a boot to the face only for Jamal to get a kick in and he kicks Chuck to the mat for a two count, and he pounds on Chuck and tags Rosey who pounds on Chuck and stomps on him repeatedly as Chuck tries to battle back. Rosey rakes the eyes and hits a slam on Chuck for a two count as he tears at his face and Chuck again tries to battle back, but Rosey hits a headbutt and tags Jamal as they hit a double headbutt on Chuck and Jamal drops an elbow on him for a two count. He pounds on Chuck and knocks Billy off the apron as Rosey comes in and they stomp on Chuck repeatedly, and Rosey taunts Billy by stretching Chuck’s arm out to him and pounds on him as he hits a slam and he knocks Billy off the apron. He goes up to the middle rope only to miss a moonsault and Billy gets the hot tag as he fires up on Jamal and kicks at Rosey before hitting a dropkick, and Rico gets on the apron and Billy scares him to the floor as he hits a clothesline on Jamal and he rams their heads together though they no-sell it. They hit a double headbutt on Billy and Rosey knocks Chuck off the apron as Jamal goes up top only for Chuck to get in the ring and toss him to the mat, and Billy ducks a shot though Rosey blocks the One and Only with a back elbow and he hits a full nelson facebuster on Billy. Chuck gets in the ring and hits the Jungle Kick on Rosey only for Jamal to hit a superkick on Chuck, and he presses Billy up only for Billy to hit the Fameasser on Jamal as Rico gets in the ring only for Billy to block a shot. He hits a clothesline on Rico and throws him over the top to the floor as Rosey gets in the ring and nails Billy, and he whips him into Jamal who presses him up and hits a Samoan drop which gets the three and they win the match. The match itself was decent as both teams worked hard and put on a basic match. Billy and Chuck were hitting their peak as a team while Jamal and Rosey looked ok in their first real match, and they had decent chemistry as Jamal and Rosey win though it did appear the ending might have been a bit botched. The crowd was into the match and Billy and Chuck, but are not happy when Jamal and Rosey win. Jamal and Rosey get the win over Billy and Chuck which means Stephanie must now take part in “HLA” as both teams move on. Grade: 1.5
 
Jonathan Coachman interviews Eric Bischoff, who says that he knew Jamal and Rosey would come through for him and now Stephanie has to take part in “HLA” for the crowd, and he shows off three women and asks who wants to take part in “HLA” with Stephanie as they chant “HLA”.
 
We see the buildup to the next match.
 
5. Triple H pins Rob Van Dam with the Pedigree at 18:19 to retain the World Heavyweight Championship.
 
The Buildup/Title Debut: On the 8/26 RAW, RVD defeated Tommy Dreamer to unify the Intercontinental and Hardcore Titles and later that night, Triple H defeated the Undertaker to become the Number One Contender for the Undisputed Title only for Stephanie McMahon to reveal that Brock Lesnar was exclusive to Smackdown meaning the Undisputed Title would no longer appear on RAW. On the 9/2 RAW, Eric Bischoff came out with a briefcase as he brought out Triple H and he would take the old Big Gold Belt out of the briefcase, and he would declare Triple H the first World Heavyweight Champion. Later that night, Triple H would defeat Ric Flair in his first title defense and Chris Jericho attacked Flair until RVD made the save, and in the main event RVD and Flair defeated Triple H and Jericho in a tag match with RVD pinning Triple H. On the 9/9 RAW, RVD defeated Jericho, Big Show, and Jeff Hardy in a Fatal 4-Way elimination match to earn a title shot at the PPV, and on the 9/16 RAW Triple H and RVD exchanged promos with RVD clearing Triple H from the ring. Later that night, Triple H insulted Flair after his loss to Rico and would cost RVD the IC Title as he would give him the Pedigree, and in the main event RVD attacked Triple H before his match and busted him open though Triple H would defeat Jeff Hardy to retain only for RVD to again attack him and hit the 5-Star Frog Splash.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is our second title match of the night. Triple H was awarded the title earlier in the month and looks to have a successful defense here against RVD, who was screwed out of the IC Title by Triple H and he looks to get revenge and become champion again. RVD gets a big pop from the crowd while Triple H was red hot as a heel. The two men lock up to start with RVD hooking a headlock and he takes Triple H to the mat as Triple H escapes with a headscissors, and RVD escapes with a nip up and they lock up again with RVD taking Triple H back to the mat with the headlock. Triple H again escapes with the headscissors though RVD quickly escapes and takes Triple H back to the mat with the headlock, and Triple H again escapes with the headscissors though RVD again escapes and they have a standoff with RVD taunting Triple H. They lock up with RVD going back to the headlock only for Triple H to yank him to the mat by his hair and they lock up with Triple H working the arm, and he goes behind RVD who turns it around and he takes Triple H back to the mat with the headlock as Triple H fights to his feet. He backs RVD into the ropes and shoves him back as RVD slaps him in the face and Triple H gets a kick in before pounding on RVD, and RVD reverses a whip and Triple H knocks him down as he avoids a leapfrog only for RVD to hit an armdrag and he takes Triple H back to the mat with the headlock. Triple H reaches the rope to force a break and rolls outside to regroup as RVD has a bottle of water tossed to him, and he takes a drink from it and spits it in the air to mock Triple H who gets in the ring and RVD hits an armdrag before taking Triple H back to the mat with the headlock. Triple H fights to his feet and backs RVD into the corner as he gets a pair of knees in and pounds on him, and he whips RVD into the other corner and RVD leaps over him as he hooks a sunset flip for a two count and then Triple H hooks a rollup for a two count. RVD bridges up and attempts a backslide as Triple H flips him over his back and catches a kick attempt before avoiding the enzurgiri, but RVD hits a legsweep for a two count and he takes Triple H back to the mat with the headlock as Triple H fights to his feet and RVD escapes a back suplex attempt. He ducks a shot and hits a spin kick on Triple H who rolls outside to regroup and he avoids a somersault senton with RVD landing hard on the floor, and Triple H rolls back into the ring and demands the countout as RVD barely beats the count back into the ring and Triple H stomps on him repeatedly. He goes outside and drives RVD’s throat into the apron as he drives the elbow into the throat and pulls him outside, and he whips RVD into the steps and throws him back into the ring for a two count as he pounds on him on the mat. He chokes him on the ropes and slingshots him throat first into the rope for a two count as RVD escapes a suplex attempt, and he hooks a rollup for a two count and Triple H ducks a shot as he hits a neckbreaker on RVD for a two count. He throws RVD to the outside and goes outside himself as RVD blocks a ram into the Smackdown announce table and he rams Triple H into the table twice, and both men roll back into the ring and RVD pounds on Triple H who reverses a whip and RVD ducks a shot only for Triple H to hit the high knee for a two count. He goes up top only for RVD to get a kick in and he tosses Triple H to the mat as he pounds on him until Triple H reverses a whip, and he hooks the sleeper on RVD and takes him to the mat as RVD fights to his feet and escapes by sending Triple H into the corner. Triple H avoids a charge and RVD hits the corner only for RVD to catch him with a spin kick and they trade blows with RVD taking control, and Triple H reverses a whip and RVD flips over his back as he catches a kick attempt and hits a spin kick on Triple H. He ducks a shot and hits another spin kick on Triple H as he hits a cartwheel moonsault for a two count, and he pounds on Triple H in the corner and whips him into the other corner as he hits a monkey flip and rams the shoulder into Triple H’s ribs twice. He does a backflip and ducks a shot as he hits a springboard kick on Triple H and then he hits the Rolling Thunder for a two count, and Triple H rolls outside to regroup and RVD hits a slingshot plancha onto Triple H on the floor as he pounds on him and throws him back into the ring. He goes up top and hits a side kick on Triple H for a two count as he kicks at him only for Triple H to catch him ducking with the facebuster, and RVD leaps over Triple H who knocks the ref out of the ring by mistake and RVD hits a spin kick thought the ref is still on the outside. Triple H gets a knee in and looks for the Pedigree only for RVD to trip him up and he slingshots him into the corner, and he goes up top and hits the 5-Star Frog Splash on Triple H though the ref is still down and RVD goes outside to check on him. He rolls back into the ring only for Triple H to hit a low blow and he rolls outside as he pulls out the sledgehammer and brings it into the ring, but RVD hits the Van Daminator as he kicks the sledgehammer back in Triple H’s face and then Ric Flair runs down to the ring. He grabs the sledgehammer and stalks Triple H only to turn around and hit RVD in the ribs with it as he goes outside and throws the ref back into the ring, and then Triple H hits the Pedigree on RVD 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. Triple H was hitting his groove by this point while RVD was also hitting his groove, and they did have good chemistry as the match started slow though picked up at the end and it was more about Flair costing RVD the match. The crowd was into the match and RVD, but are not happy when Triple H wins. Triple H retains the title over RVD and both men move on. Grade: 3
 
After the match, Flair brings the belt into the ring and hands it to Triple H as they shake hands and embrace before heading to the back.
 
We see D-Lo Brown and Billy Kidman watching on the monitor and discussing what just happened as Eric Braeden walks up to them, and he says that’s why you keep your friends close and enemies closer as Brown and Kidman shake his hand and talk about his character on “The Young and the Restless”. Brown asks him about the women on the show and if he got any action off-screen as Braeden says he can’t talk about it as a married man for many years, and Kidman asks why he’s here as Dawn Marie walks up and says she’s with him as they walk away.
 
6. Trish Stratus pins Molly Holly with a bulldog at 5:47 to win the WWE Women’s Championship.
 
The Buildup: Following KOTR, Stratus and Molly would continue their feud as they traded wins and Molly would also form an alliance with newcomer Victoria, and on the 9/2 RAW Stratus and Bubba Ray Dudley defeated Molly and Christopher Nowinski in a tables match as this match was made.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is our third title match of the night. Molly has been rolling as Women’s Champion and faces a tough challenge here in Stratus, who lost the title to Molly at King of the Ring and looks to become champion again. Stratus gets a good pop from the crowd while Molly was pretty hot as a heel. The two women lock up to start with Stratus going behind Molly and she hooks a full nelson before working on the arm, but Molly yanks Stratus to the mat by her hair and works the arm until Stratus nips up and takes control before going behind Molly. Molly hits a fireman’s carry for a two count as Stratus hooks a rollup for a two count and they lock up with Stratus hitting a pair of armdrags, and she hits a dropkick and a neckbreaker on Molly for a two count as Molly gets a shot in and she whips Stratus into the corner. Stratus catches her with a boot to the face only to miss an elbow and Molly stomps on her repeatedly as she hits a snap suplex for a two count, and she slams Stratus’ head into the mat and stomps on her as she throws her to the outside and goes outside herself. She rams Stratus into the steps and then she whips her into the barricade as Stratus tries to battle back until Molly gets a knee in, and she throws Stratus back into the ring and hooks a submission on as Stratus fights to her feet and escapes by sending Molly to the mat. Molly hits a low dropkick on Stratus and stomps on her as Stratus blocks a suplex with a small package for a two count, and she ducks a shot and hooks a rollup for a two count as Molly hits a drop toehold that sends Stratus throat first into the rope. She whips Stratus into the corner and Stratus escapes a backbreaker attempt as she hits the running bulldog for a two count, and Molly ducks a shot and pounds on Stratus who ducks a shot and she hits the Chick Kick on Molly for a two count. She pounds on Molly and whips her into the corner as Molly catches her with a boot to the face and she goes up top only for Stratus to crotch her on the top rope, and she attempts the handstand hurricanrana though Molly blocks it and she puts Stratus in the tree of woe. She stretches Stratus in the corner and hits the handspring elbow for a two count as she stomps on Stratus repeatedly, and Stratus hits a wheelbarrow bulldog on Molly which gets the three and we have a new champion. The match itself was decent as both women worked hard and put on a solid title match. Stratus was hitting her groove by this point while Molly was also hitting her groove, and they still had good chemistry as Stratus gets her win back and becomes champion again. The crowd was into the match and popped for Stratus when she won. Stratus gets the win over Molly and is Women’s Champion again as both women move on. Grade: 2
 
After the match, Jonathan Coachman interviews Trish Stratus in the aisle and she says that she performs for moments like this, and she says that she loves the title and loves the crowd.
 
We see Jamal, Rosey, and Rico relaxing in Eric Bischoff’s office with several women as Bischoff comes in and says he loves them, and he says that he knew they would come through for him and he couldn’t have done this without Rico. He says that they can go out and have some fun on him as they can use his name to get anything they want, and they leave as Bischoff asks two of the women to stay with him as he wants them to help him.
 
We see the buildup to the next match.
 
7. Chris Benoit pins Kurt Angle with a rollup and using the ropes for leverage at 13:56.
 
The Buildup: On the 9/5 Smackdown, Angle badmouthed Benoit while discussing their match last week until Benoit got in his face, and later that night during a 6-man tag Angle suffered a Stinkface from Rikishi while Benoit laughed which led to them brawling. On the 9/12 Smackdown, Angle called out Benoit for laughing at him and later that night, he would attack Benoit during his match with Rikishi and held him down while Rikishi gave him the Stinkface and Angle laughed which led Benoit to demand a match at the PPV with Stephanie agreeing. On the 9/19 Smackdown, Benoit and Angle were forced to team up and lost to Billy and Chuck, and after the match Angle put Benoit in the Ankle Lock only for Benoit to escape and put Angle in the Crossface.
 
Analysis: Our last match before the main event is a pretty big matchup. These two men have been going at it for the last few weeks and face off here to see who is the better man. Benoit gets a mixed reaction from the crowd while Angle was red hot as a heel. The two men lock up to start with both men jockeying for position until they tumble through the ropes to the outside and they quickly return to the ring, and they lock up with Angle going behind Benoit and he takes him to the mat as they chain wrestle with Angle riding Benoit and he goes behind him. Benoit escapes and looks for the Crossface as Angle grabs the rope to force a break and they square off with Angle tripping Benoit up, and he rides him again on the mat and looks for the Ankle Lock until Benoit grabs the rope to force a break. They lock up with Benoit working on the arm until Angle turns it around and goes behind Benoit who hits a snapmare, but Angle holds on and continues to work the arm until Benoit rolls through and takes control on the arm. Angle re-takes control and hooks a headlock as he knocks Benoit down and blocks a hiptoss attempt, and they trade momentum until Angle hoists him onto his shoulders though Benoit escapes with a sunset flip for a two count. They trade pin attempts for two counts until Benoit bridges up and they both attempt a backslide until Benoit takes Angle to the mat, and he looks for the Crossface as Angle grabs the rope to force a break and he rolls outside to regroup before returning to the ring. They lock up with Angle hooking a front facelock until Benoit escapes and goes back to the arm until Angle sends him to the outside, and Angle goes outside as well and pounds on Benoit as he hotshots him on the barricade and throws him back into the ring. He stomps on Benoit and hits a backbreaker for a two count as he kicks at Benoit’s head and hooks a submission on, and Benoit fights out of the hold and kicks at Angle who reverses a whip and he catches Benoit with a knee to the ribs. He rams Benoit into the buckle and pounds on him in the corner as he stomps on him and rams the shoulder into the ribs repeatedly, and he whips Benoit into the other corner only to miss a charge and he rams his shoulder into the post. Benoit kicks at Angle and rams his shoulder into the post again as he hits a back suplex for a two count, and he pulls Angle to the mat by his arm and hits a short clothesline as he gets a series of knees in until Angle ducks a clothesline. He goes behind Benoit and ducks a shot as he gets a series of knees in only for Angle to do the same and he hits a belly-to-belly suplex on Benoit, but Benoit ducks a shot and hits a pair of German suplexes on Angle who blocks a third one with a pair of back elbows. He goes behind Benoit and hits a pair of German suplexes of his own as Benoit blocks the third one and hits a pair of back elbows, and he goes behind Angle and hits another German suplex as Angle goes behind him and hits a trio of German suplexes on Benoit. Angle gets a kick in though Benoit escapes the Angle Slam and goes behind Angle as he hits a release German suplex, and Benoit goes up top only for Angle to run up top and hits a belly-to-belly superplex on Benoit for a two count. Benoit trips Angle up and hooks a rollup for a two count as Angle hooks the Ankle Lock on Benoit who kicks his way out of the hold, and he hosts Angle onto his shoulder though they trade momentum with Benoit regaining control and he hits a shoulderbreaker. He goes up top and hits the diving headbutt on Angle for a two count as he quickly hooks the Crossface on, but Angle grabs the foot and forces a break as he hooks the Ankle Lock on Benoit who quickly escapes and hooks the Crossface back on. Angle rolls through to escape and hooks the Ankle Lock back on as Benoit goes for the rope only for Angle to hook the Crossface on, and Benoit goes for the rope only for Angle to use his foot to push it away though Benoit escapes and hooks a rollup while using the ropes for leverage which gets the three and he wins the match. The match itself was great as both men worked hard and put on a solid match. Benoit was back in his groove by this point while Angle was hitting his stride, and they still had great chemistry as Benoit outsmarts Angle to get the win. The crowd was into the match and did pop for Benoit when he won. Benoit gets the win over Angle though this issue isn’t over yet. Grade: 4
 
Marc Lloyd interviews Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman, who say that this has been personal as the WWE Title is personal to them and Lesnar has worked for this his whole life, and they say that if Taker wants to be personal with them, they will be personal with him as they are not sorry for what they did to Taker’s wife and won’t be sorry for what Lesnar does to Taker tonight.
 
Eric Bischoff comes down to the ring with two women and says that he loves everyone here as he says that it’s understood that L.A. stands for Los Angeles, but tonight L.A. stands for Lesbian Action, specifically Hot Lesbian Action and he’s interviewed hundreds of girls before picking his two ladies here named Peaches and Cream. He says they are here for one reason and that’s to give the fans some HLA as they start rubbing on each other until Bischoff stops them, and he says that he’s changed his mind because the only action taking place tonight will involve the losing General Manager and he introduces Stephanie McMahon who comes down to the ring. He says that he’s been thinking about this for a long time and he has two ladies with him because he wants to have a threesome, and he asks the ladies to get starts by taking off some clothes and they take off their tops as he says they should help Stephanie. They take off Stephanie’s jacket and rub her shoulders while Bischoff gives instructions and they start rubbing her all over her body, and he says it’s time to get serious and they go to kiss Stephanie until he stops them and says he’s changed his mind again. He says that the ladies are excused and they head to the back as he tells Stephanie to stay and that she’s not done yet, and he says that he wanted to humiliate Stephanie like never before and he worked hard to find the ugliest, fattest, and most repulsive woman he could find. He says that Stephanie said on Smackdown she might like HLA and he wants to put it to the test as he brings out his hand-picked woman, and he introduces her as Hildegard and says that Hildegard has done prison time as she’s used to this sort of thing. He says that if anyone is going to enjoy this moment, it will be him and he wants Hildegard to lay some HLA on Stephanie, and Stephanie appears hesitant at first before planting a big kiss on Hildegard and she grabs all over her while Bischoff laughs until he realizes something is wrong. Just then, Hildegard hits a superkick on Bischoff and reveals “herself” to be Rikishi as he splashes Bischoff in the corner and gives him the Stinkface, and Bischoff rolls outside to regroup as Stephanie and Rikishi dance.
 
We see the buildup to the main event.
 
8. Brock Lesnar (w/ Paul Heyman) and the Undertaker wrestle to a double disqualification at 20:19; Lesnar retains the WWE Championship.
 
Name Change: With Lesnar being exclusive to Smackdown and the World Heavyweight Title being introduced on RAW, the Undisputed WWE Championship would become simply the WWE Championship.
 
The Buildup: On the 8/26 RAW, Lesnar cost Taker a Number One Contender’s match to Triple H only for Stephanie to reveal Lesnar and the Undisputed Title were now exclusive to Smackdown, and on the 8/29 Smackdown Stephanie revealed a series of matches to determine the Number One Contender to Lesnar. That night, Eddie Guerrero defeated Edge to advance and then Rikishi defeated Eddie with Chris Benoit then defeating Rikishi, and in the main event Stephanie revealed Taker was signed to Smackdown as he defeated Benoit and Kurt Angle in a Triple Threat to become Number One Contender. On the 9/5 Smackdown, Lesnar and Taker had a face-to-face with both men putting over their accomplishments until Heyman brought up Taker’s family and Taker warned him to keep things professional, and Heyman continued to taunt Taker by offering to take care of Taker’s wife with Taker shoving him away and Lesnar would get in his face. On the 9/12 Smackdown, Taker brought Sara to the arena with him and had a confrontation with Matt Hardy which led to Matt demanding a match with Taker, and Matt would defeat Taker by DQ when Heyman confronted Sara in Taker’s dressing room and Taker would go after him though Lesnar hit Taker with a chair and put a hand on Sara’s stomach while saying life’s a bitch. On the 9/19 Smackdown, it was revealed that Sara was in the hospital due to false labor though Taker would still arrive to the show as Heyman had private security hired to protect Lesnar, and at the end of the show Taker arrived and cut a promo which led to a brawl between the two men until Lesnar was arrested.
 
Analysis: After a long and interesting night of wrestling, we come to our main event. Lesnar has been rolling since winning the title last month and looks to have a successful defense here against Taker, who was looking to get revenge after his wife was pulled into this while also becoming champion again. Taker gets a big pop from the crowd while Lesnar was pretty hot as a heel. The two men have a staredown to start the match with Taker shoving Lesnar back and they square off with Lesnar stalling in the corner, and they lock up with Lesnar shoving Taker back and they lock up again with Lesnar shoving Taker back again. They lock up a third time with Taker shoving Lesnar to the outside and Lesnar quickly returns to the ring as they lock up with Lesnar hooking a headlock, and Taker whips him off and Lesnar knocks him down as Taker hits a hiptoss and he clotheslines Lesnar over the top to the floor. Lesnar regroups before returning to the ring and they lock up with Lesnar getting a knee in and he pounds on Taker, and he works the arm until Taker escapes with an armdrag and he works the arm until Lesnar gets a knee in and he pounds on Taker. He rams the shoulder into Taker’s ribs repeatedly in the corner and whips him into the other corner as Taker catches him with a boot to the face, and he ducks a shot and hits the flying clothesline on Lesnar for a two count as he goes back to the arm and goes up top before hitting Old School. He rams Lesnar into the buckle and whips him into the other corner as Heyman gets on the apron only for Taker to hit a big boot and knock him to the floor, and Lesnar rams the shoulder into Taker’s ribs twice in the corner and hits a suplex for a two count as he stomps and pounds on Taker. He stomps on Taker in the corner and chokes him as he pounds on him and rolls outside before pulling Taker into the post, and he kicks Taker in the head and rolls back into the ring as he gets a two count and pounds on Taker before ramming the shoulder into the ribs in the corner. Taker battles back and gets a kick in as Lesnar reverses a whip and hits a powerslam for a two count before stomping on him, and he hooks a bearhug on Taker and goes behind him as he takes Taker to the mat and grinds down on him. Taker fights his way out of the hold and pounds on Lesnar on the mat only for Lesnar to get a knee in as he goes behind Taker and takes him to the mat, and he again grinds down on Taker and forces his shoulders to the mat for a two count as Taker fights to his feet only for Lesnar to take him back to the mat. Taker fights to his feet again and escapes by sending Lesnar through the ropes to the outside and Lesnar returns to the ring, and Taker ducks a shot and pounds on Lesnar as he knocks him back to the outside and Taker goes outside as well. Lesnar gets a kick in only for Taker to hook a headlock and he sends him into the timekeeper’s table as he stalks Heyman though Lesnar hits Taker in the face with the belt which busts him open, and Lesnar pounds on Taker and throws him back into the ring for a two count as he continues to pound on him on the mat. Lesnar kicks at Taker and pounds on him as he grinds down into the open wound and Taker tries to battle back, and he whips Lesnar into the corner and splashes him as he whips him into the other corner and splashes him again. He grabs Lesnar by the throat only for Lesnar to hit a series of back elbows to escape though Taker hits a big boot for a two count, and he whips Lesnar into the corner and hoists him onto his shoulder as he hits Snake Eyes and another big boot for a two count. He pounds on Lesnar on the mat and rams him into the buckle as he continues to pound on him in the corner, and he reverses a whip back into the corner only for Lesnar to take out the ref by mistake and Taker grabs Lesnar by the throat before hitting the chokeslam. Just then, Matt Hardy runs down to the ring only for Taker to hit a clothesline and then he hits the Last Ride on Matt, and Lesnar hits a spinebuster on Taker for a two count and pounds on him as Taker catches him ducking with a DDT for a two count. He hoists Lesnar onto his shoulder though Lesnar slides off and shoves Taker into the ref as he hits a clothesline and Heyman throws a chair into the ring, and Lesnar grabs the chair only for Taker to hit a big boot and he grabs the chair as he hits Lesnar in the head with it twice which sends Lesnar to the outside. Taker goes outside and grabs Heyman as he knocks him over the barricade into the crowd and we see Lesnar is busted open, and Taker throws Lesnar back into the ring and pounds on him as he hits another big boot and the legdrop for a two count. He looks for the Last Ride only for Lesnar to escape with a backdrop and he gets a kick in as he hoists Taker up for the F-5, but Taker escapes and gets a shot in only for Lesnar to ram him into the corner and the two men trade blows as the ref tries to separate them. Taker throws Lesnar into the corner and pounds on him as Lesnar battles back and the ref again tries to separate them, but Lesnar shoves the ref into the corner and yells at him only for Taker to pound on him with Lesnar tackling Taker to the mat until the ref calls for the bell and ends the match. The match itself was good as both men worked hard and put on a solid title match. Lesnar was hitting his groove by this point while Taker was hitting his stride as well, and they had good chemistry though the ending was a bit weak even though you knew a rematch was coming. The crowd was into the match and Taker, but are not happy with the ending. The match ends with no winner and this issue isn’t over yet. Grade: 3
 
After the match, Taker throws Lesnar over the top to the floor though Lesnar quickly returns to the ring and pounds on Taker who tries to battle back, and more officials come out as Lesnar shoves them away and he sends Taker to the outside though Taker returns to the ring. He hits a low blow on Lesnar and grabs him by the throat as he hits the chokeslam and Lesnar rolls outside, and he and Heyman are escorted to the back by the officials until Taker goes outside and heads up the aisle. The two men brawl in the aisle with Taker getting a series of knees in and he sends Lesnar through the set, and Taker stands tall in the entranceway as we go off the air.
 
Final Analysis: Overall, this PPV was a pretty solid show even though it pales in comparison to Summerslam. Obviously, the bar that Summerslam set was pretty high and there was no way that this show would match up to that, but for what we ended up getting it was a fine show. Triple H and Lesnar are still the top dogs while Jericho still rules the midcard and Stratus now rules the Women’s Division, and Booker, Goldust, Bubba, Kane, Eddie, Jamal, Rosey, and Benoit get big wins. In terms of the matches, Benoit/Angle was the best while the rest was pretty much around the same level with nothing being terrible, and there was a lot of filler involving Bischoff and Stephanie that might have slowed things down a bit. 2002 has been an interesting year to this point as things feel very different compared to how the year started, and as we continue through the year we will see how the last PPVs of the year end up being. As for this show, it is a pretty solid show to continue the crazy year that is 2002. Final Grade: C+