RAW
October 7th, 2002
Thomas and Mack Center
Las Vegas, Nevada
 
Dark Match:
 
1. Solo defeats Horshu.
 
10/13 Sunday Night Heat taping:
 
1. Mark Jindrak pins Justin Credible.
2. Lance Storm pins Johnny “The Bull” Stamboli.
 
Actual Show:
 
We see the opening video for RAW.
 
We see Eric Bischoff in his office as he welcomes us to a special edition of RAW and they are live from Las Vegas, and he says that this is RAW Roulette where every match will be determined by a spin of the wheel and he goes over the various stipulations. He says the wheel represents the best of Las Vegas and he is ready for some action as he spins the wheel to determine the first match and it lands on Steel Cage match.
 
Your hosts are Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler.
 
1. Booker T defeats the Big Show in a Steel Cage match by escape at 8:07.
 
Analysis: We kick off this edition of RAW with a pretty big matchup. Booker was starting to have issues with Chris Jericho and looks to get a win here over Show, who was floating in the midcard and looks to get back on track here in the cage. Booker gets a big pop from the crowd while Show had decent heat as a heel. The two men lock up to start with Show backing Booker into the corner and he rams the knee into him repeatedly, but Booker avoids a shot and pounds on Show as he kicks at him repeatedly until Show reverses a whip and hits a sidewalk slam. He whips Booker into the corner and Booker catches him with a boot to the face as he goes up top only for Show to pull him to the mat, and he hits a pair of clotheslines on Booker and steps on his back as he hits a second short clothesline and pounds on him in the corner. He whips Booker into the other corner only to miss a charge and Booker goes for the door though Show nails him, and he throws Booker into the cage and sits down on him as he rams the back of his head into the cage and knocks him down. He hits a back suplex on Booker who ducks a shot and he hits a spin kick on Show only for Show to get a knee in, and he rams Booker’s back into the cage and hits a suplex as he goes for the door though thinks twice about it and he pounds on Booker in the corner. Booker tries to battle back only for Show to get a knee in and he pounds on Booker before hitting a big boot, and he steps on Booker’s chest and kicks at him as he looks to go out the door only for Booker to fire up on him. Show shoves him down and Booker continues to pound on him as Show shoves him down again and Booker hits a side kick that drives Show into the cage, and he hits the scissors kick on Show and goes up top as he hits a second scissors kick on Show before climbing up the cage. Show grabs at his leg and goes up himself as he pulls Booker back into the cage and grabs him by the throat, but Booker hits a low blow and Show falls to the mat as Booker climbs over the cage and reaches the floor to win the match. The match itself was decent as both men worked hard and put on a pretty basic cage match. Booker was hitting his groove by this point while Show looked like he was going in slow motion, and they had decent chemistry though they didn’t use the cage as much as they could’ve and Booker gets the win. The crowd was into the match and popped for Booker when he won. Booker gets the win over Show in the cage and both men move on. Grade: 2
 
After the match, Booker recovers on the floor until Chris Jericho runs down to the ring and he attacks Booker, and he throws him into the cage and pulls the pad off the barricade as he pounds on Booker and rams him into the barricade. We see Booker is busted open as Jericho rams him into the cage again and pounds on him before heading to the back.
 
We see Eric Bischoff in his office as he says they’ve had their first casualty tonight and he hopes they don’t end up like Booker as we see he is talking to Kane and the Hurricane, and Bischoff says Kane fits in a town like Vegas as he is a tag champion and IC Champion and Kane says he will take the World Title at No Mercy. Bischoff says that Kane is greedy though greed has consequences as they will defend the tag titles tonight, and he spins the wheel to determine the stipulation and it lands on Tables, Ladders, and Chairs and Bischoff says he will decide the opponents shortly as he wishes them luck and Kane says luck is for losers.
 
We see officials helping Booker T to his feet and they escort him to the back.
 
Commercial break
 
We see a shot of the Las Vegas Strip.
 
Terri Runnels interviews Chris Jericho, who says that he had a reason to attack Booker as he is sick and tired of being overlooked and he is a huge rock star, and he says that Booker cost him the IC Title last week and now Booker’s blood is on his hands which will happen to anyone that insults him from now on.
 
We see Eric Bischoff in his office as he spins the wheel and it lands on Blindfold as we see Triple H is with him, and Triple H says it’s dangerous to have a match where you can’t see as Ric Flair comes in and tells Triple H to calm down. Triple H says that if this is about keeping him away from Kane, it won’t work because he guarantees that Kane’s life will never be the same as he walks away, and Flair tells Bischoff not to worry as he brings in two ladies and says they want to show Bischoff what they will do to him in his hotel. They walk out as William Regal walks in and asks Bischoff if he is mad about what he’s doing as he’s a gentleman and then Goldust walks in, and Regal asks for his match to be a regular match though Bischoff says he knows the deal and rules are rules. He spins the wheel to determine their match and it lands on Las Vegas Showgirls as Regal says he likes that, and Bischoff says he’s got it wrong as both men will be wrestling dressed as showgirls and Goldust says that Regal can finally be a queen.
 
Commercial break
 
We see a vignette hyping the debut of Batista.
 
2. Triple H (w/ “Nature Boy” Ric Flair) pins D-Lo Brown with the Pedigree in a Blindfold match at 2:34.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is a pretty interesting matchup. Triple H was preparing for his match at No Mercy and looks to get a win here over Brown with both men blindfolded. Triple H was red hot as a heel while Brown had jobber heat. Both men put their blindfolds on to start the match and they end up walking past each other while looking for each other, and they bump into each other and both throw a missed punch as they bump into each other again with Triple H backing Brown into the corner. He gives a clean break and yells at him though Brown walks away while Triple H reaches for him though hits the corner, and they bump into each other again with Brown knocking Triple H down though he ends up grabbing the ref and threatens him. Triple H nails Brown from behind and pounds on him as he chokes him on the ropes and stomps on him, and he looks for the Pedigree though Brown escapes with a backdrop and he pounds on Triple H on the mat for a two count. They walk into each other with Brown hitting the Sky High and Triple H rolls out to the apron with Flair checking on him, and Flair gets in the ring and distracts the ref as Triple H takes the blindfold off and kicks at Brown before hitting the Pedigree which gets the three and he wins the match. The match was nothing much as both men did very little due to the blindfolds until Triple H cheats to win. The crowd was in and out of it for the match and are not happy when Triple H wins. Triple H gets the quick win over Brown and both men move on. Grade: .5
 
We see Eric Bischoff in his office as he says the tag titles will be defended in a TLC match and we see he is talking to Christian, Bubba Ray Dudley, and Jeff Hardy, and he says that they know more about TLC than them and they try to back out though Bischoff threatens suspension. He says that they can each pick their own partner and they walk out as Bischoff asks if this is great, and he turns around and sees Goldust dressed as a showgirl as he agrees with him and walks out.
 
Commercial break
 
3. William Regal pins Goldust with a shot from brass knuckles at :50.
 
Note: Both wrestlers would compete dressed as Las Vegas Showgirls
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is a pretty interesting matchup. These two men have been going at it for the last few weeks and now they face off here though both have to be dressed as showgirls. Goldust gets a good pop from the crowd while Regal was pretty hot as a heel as he is done up more fully as a showgirl complete with makeup. Goldust wastes no time and slings Regal into the ring to start the match as he pounds on him and hits a butt slam, and he pounds on him in the corner and ties him in the ropes as he looks for the Shattered Dreams until Lance Storm runs down to the ring. Goldust goes outside and pounds on Storm as Regal pulls out the brass knuckles and Goldust kicks Storm away, and he rolls back into the ring and Regal knocks him out with the knuckles which gets the three and he wins the match. The match itself was nothing much as it was more about humiliating Regal until he steals the win. The crowd was into the match and Goldust, but are not happy when Regal wins. Regal steals the win over Goldust and both men move on. Grade: DUD
 
Commercial break
 
We see a shot of downtown Las Vegas.
 
Terri Runnels interviews Christian, who says that he won’t be partnering with any of the Un-Americans because he wants to win and he was upset at first, and he says that he won 3 TLC matches by himself as Chris Jericho walks up and says the only one Christian didn’t win was the one he won. He says that is the best TLC match that is forgotten and since Kane robbed him of his IC Title last week, he says they should rob Kane of the tag titles tonight and Christian agrees.
 
We see the wheel is stopped on “Blank on a Pole” as we see Eric Bischoff, Stacy Keibler, and Trish Stratus with Bischoff saying their match was already decided, and he says that the thing that will be on the pole will be a paddle and he knows how much it means for Stratus to be champion. He says that they will go double or nothing as he spins the wheel and it lands on Bra and Panties as Stratus accuses Bischoff of cheating, and he explains the rules of the match and Stratus reluctantly agrees before leaving as Keibler leaves as well.
 
We see Spike Dudley and Tommy Dreamer in the locker room as Bubba Ray walks in and says he needs a partner for the TLC match, and he says Dreamer would be the perfect partner and Dreamer agrees though Spike looks downtrodden and Bubba asks what’s wrong. Spike says he’s watched Bubba and D-Von in the TLC matches and hoped that this would be his time to team with Bubba and become tag champions, and Dreamer agrees to back out for Spike and Bubba says let’s do this as they walk out.
 
We see Stacy Keibler walking down the hallway.
 
Commercial break
 
4. Trish Stratus defeats Stacy Keibler in a Bra and Panties match at 2:19 to retain the WWE Women’s Championship.
 
Stipulation: The winner would spank the loser with a paddle
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is our first title match of the night. Stratus has been rolling as Women’s Champion and faces a unique challenge here in Keibler as it is a Bra and Panties match with the loser being spanked with a paddle. Stratus gets a good pop from the crowd while Keibler also got a good pop from the crowd. Keibler wastes no time and yanks Stratus to the mat by her hair to start the match as she slams her head into the mat repeatedly, and then she rams her head into the belt twice and kicks at her as she chokes her with her boot and stomps on her repeatedly. She chokes her with her boot again and hits a snapmare as she goes for Stratus’ shirt only for Stratus to kick her away, and she pounds on Keibler in the corner and kicks at her repeatedly only for Keibler to catch her with a boot to the face. She slaps Stratus in the face and Stratus reverses a whip as she gets a kick in and attempts the bulldog only for Keibler to crotch her in the corner, and she puts Stratus in the tree of woe and stomps on her repeatedly as she pulls her shirt off though Stratus recovers and quickly rips Keibler’s shirt off. She pounds on Keibler who reverses a whip and she hits a spin kick on Stratus as she tries to take off her pants, but Stratus hooks a rollup and pulls Keibler’s shorts off to win the match and retain the title. The match itself was nothing much as both women did what they could for the time they got with Stratus getting the win. 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, Keibler kicks Stratus in the head and climbs up the pole as she grabs the paddle and then she grabs Stratus, but Stratus hits a snapmare and grabs the paddle as she holds Keibler by her panties and spanks her repeatedly. Keibler rolls outside though Stratus goes after her and continues spanking her until Keibler retreats to the back, but then Victoria comes down the ramp and has a staredown with Stratus as they trade blows with Stratus ramming Victoria into the barricade. Victoria recovers and rams Stratus into the apron as she stomps on her and rams her head into the apron, and then she rams her into the barricade and throws her into the ring as she hits a superkick on Stratus and pulls her around the ring by her hair. She hits a slam on Stratus and goes up top as she hits a moonsault on Stratus and goes outside, and she pulls Stratus to the outside and whips her into the steps before being forced to the back by the ref.
 
Jonathan Coachman interviews Jeff Hardy, who yells out into the locker room if he wants to do this and we see Rob Van Dam appear as he says he’s in and they shake hands.
 
Commercial break
 
We see the opening video for RAW.
 
Jonathan Coachman interviews Victoria, who asks if she has Stratus’ attention now and when she beats her for the title, she will know what this is all about and she will show everyone who Stratus really is as he should ask Stratus about her past even though she’ll deny it and she’s been hurt by Stratus so it is Stratus’ turn to get hurt.
 
5. Al Snow pins Test with a bowling ball shot in a Las Vegas Street Fight at 5:39.
 
Analysis: Our next match on the card is a pretty interesting matchup. Snow had been brought over to RAW from Smackdown and looks to get a win here over Test, who was back on his own and looks to get back on track here. Snow gets a good pop from the crowd while Test had solid heat as a heel, and before the match we see the wheel be spun and it lands on Street Fight. Both men go outside and look under the ring to start the match as they pull out various weapons until Test hits Snow in the back with a street sign, and he throws Snow back into the ring only for Snow to crotch him on the top rope and he beats on him with a pair of dice. He grabs a street sign and goes up top only for Test to catch him coming with a STOP sign for a two count, and he pounds on Snow and grabs a trash can which he wedges in the corner before grabbing a street sign. He charges at Snow who hits a drop toehold that sends Test into another trash can for a two count and he pounds on him, and Test reverses a whip and sends Snow inside out in the corner with Snow landing on the apron and he gets a shot in. Test grabs a trash can lid and hits Snow in the head with it for a two count as he puts Snow on the top rope and pounds on him, and he grabs the can and puts it on the mat as he continues to pound on Snow and goes up himself though Snow blocks a superplex. He pounds on Test and drops him onto the can as Snow sets himself on the top rope and hits a crossbody for a two count, and Test counters a whip and gets a kick in as he hoists Snow up for a powerbomb though Snow pounds on him. He grabs the lid and hits Test in the head with it as Test regroups in the corner and Snow goes outside before pulling out a bowling ball bag, and he gets in the ring and puts on a Hawaiian shirt as he pulls out a bowling ball though Test gets to his feet. Snow avoids the big boot and Test ducks a swing from the ball as he gets a kick in though he gets tripped up in what looked like a botched move, and Snow hits Test in the head repeatedly with the lid and grabs the ball as he hits Test in the head with it which gets the three and he wins the match. The match itself was decent as both men worked hard and put on a sloppy brawl. Snow was at his peak by this point while Test was still in a good groove, and they had decent chemistry though it was a bit weird seeing Test lose as Snow was doing nothing. The crowd was into the match and popped for Snow when he won. Snow gets the win over Test and both men move on. Grade: 1.5
 
Commercial break
 
We see a shot of the Las Vegas Strip.
 
6. Jerry “The King” Lawler pins Steven Richards with a rollup at 2:24.
 
Stipulation: The winner would earn the services of the Godfather’s hos for the night
 
Analysis: Our last match before the main event is a pretty interesting one. Lawler comes off of commentary to have this match with Richards, who was floating in the midcard and looks to get back on track here. Lawler gets a good pop from the crowd while Richards had tepid heat as a heel, and we see the wheel spin and it lands on “It’s Legal in Nevada” as both men learn one of them will earn a night with the Godfather’s hos. Richards wastes no time and attacks Lawler from behind to start the match as he hits a back elbow for a two count, and he pounds on Lawler in the corner and knocks him over the top to the floor as he goes outside himself and throws Lawler back into the ring. He drops an elbow on Lawler for a two count and then he hits a suplex on Lawler for a two count as he goes up to the middle rope, but Lawler catches him coming in with a boot to the face though Richards recovers first and gets a pair of knees in. He pounds on Lawler in the corner and Lawler starts to fire up as he pounds on Richards and hits a dropkick, and he hits a slam on Richards and goes up to the middle rope as he drops a fist on Richards for a two count. He hits a backdrop on Richards only for Richards to catch him ducking as he looks for a piledriver though Lawler escapes with a backdrop, and Richards attempts a sunset flip only for Lawler to sit on him which gets the three and he wins the match. The match itself was decent as both men did what they could and put on a basic match. The crowd was into the match and popped for Lawler when he won. Lawler gets the win over Richards and both men move on. Grade: 1
 
After the match, the Godfather and the hos get in the ring and dance with Lawler.
 
Commercial break
 
We see a vignette for Randy Orton.
 
We see a shot outside the World and we go inside where Randy Orton is meeting with fans.
 
Terri Runnels interviews Kane, who says that he’s been fighting the odds for a long time though for the first time in his life, he’s happy and he has a chance to make history by being the first man to hold the tag team, IC, and World Title at the same time, and he says that he knows he can do it as does Triple H so it doesn’t matter what he faces, he will be damned if anyone stops him. Just then, Jonathan Coachman comes up to them and says that Triple H and Ric Flair are attacking the Hurricane and Kane runs off, and we see Triple H and Flair beating down Hurricane with Triple H pulling his mask off until officials force them back and then Kane comes in to check on Hurricane.
 
Commercial break
 
We see a shot of the Las Vegas Strip.
 
7. Kane defeats Chris Jericho and Christian, the Dudleys, and Rob Van Dam and Jeff Hardy in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match at 25:07 to retain the World Tag Team Championships.
 
Analysis: After a fairly quick and interesting night of wrestling, we come to our main event. Kane and Hurricane were set to face 3 teams in this TLC, but Hurricane was attacked by Triple H and Ric Flair meaning Kane would now have to defend the titles by himself. Kane, RVD, Jeff, and the Dudleys get big pops from the crowd while Jericho and Christian were pretty hot as heels. All 7 men waste no time and brawl to start the match as everyone tries to attack Kane who fights them off, and he hits a backdrop on Spike and a sidewalk slam on RVD as Bubba pounds on Kane who reverses a whip and he hits a backdrop on Bubba. He pounds on Jeff in the corner as Jericho and Christian bring a ladder into the ring and Kane fights off RVD and Spike, and Jericho and Christian set the ladder up and climb it only for the Dudleys to pull them down while Kane nails RVD. He pounds on Jeff as Bubba sends Christian to the outside and Kane rams Jeff into the ladder before pounding on RVD, and he rams him into the buckle and whips him into the corner as RVD leaps over him and kicks at him while Jeff comes over and pounds on Kane. Kane hits a double clothesline on both men and he sends Jeff over the top to the floor before going outside himself, and he rams Jeff into the steps and RVD comes off the apron only for Kane to catch him by the throat. Jeff runs the barricade and hits a clothesline on Kane as Bubba gets in the ring and puts the ladder on his shoulders, and he spins around while hitting Jericho and Christian with the ladder twice as Kane gets in the ring and kicks the ladder into Bubba. RVD goes up top and hits a side kick on Kane as Jeff gets in the ring and they hit a double clothesline on Kane which sends all three men over the top to the floor, and Spike gets in the ring only for Jericho to hit a clothesline and then he hits a back suplex on Spike. Christian grabs the ladder as he and Jericho put it on the top corner and Christian stomps on Bubba in the corner, and Jericho whips Spike face first into the ladder and pounds on Bubba in the corner along with Christian. They hit a double backdrop on Bubba and Christian holds Bubba for Jericho only for Bubba to avoid Jericho who hits Christian by mistake, and Bubba pounds on Jericho and drives the elbow into his head as he clotheslines him over the top to the floor. Kane goes up top and hits a flying clothesline on Christian as Bubba goes outside and brings a ladder into the ring, and he hits Kane with the ladder and sets it up as he climbs only for Kane to pull him back down and he grabs Bubba by the throat. He hits the chokeslam on Bubba as Spike leaps onto Kane and pounds on him only for Kane to hit a slam on Spike, and he presses Spike up and tosses him onto RVD on the floor as Jericho brings another ladder into the ring and he jabs it into Kane. Christian pulls Kane outside and hits an inverted DDT on the floor as Jericho goes outside and they put Kane on a table, and they pound on Kane with Christian choking him as they get on the apron and grab the ladder. RVD goes up top and hits a somersault senton onto the ladder as it slingshots into Christian and Jericho’s faces, and Jeff pulls out another ladder and sets it up as he grabs a chair and hits Kane with it before setting up another ladder. He pounds on Kane and climbs up the ladder as he hits a legdrop which puts Kane through the table and Bubba gets in the ring, and he grabs one of the ladders and throws it on top of Jericho on the floor before climbing the other ladder. Christian gets in the ring and hits a powerbomb on Bubba off the ladder as Jericho and RVD get in the ring, and Bubba recovers and pounds on RVD before setting up a second ladder as both he and RVD try to climb each ladder and trade blows. Jericho climbs up as well and trades blows with Bubba as Christian holds RVD by the leg until Jericho hits a bulldog on Bubba off the ladder, and RVD tries to climb up both ladders and Christian climbs up behind him as he hits an inverted DDT off the ladders. Spike rolls back into the ring and climbs the ladder only for Christian to pull him back down and he slams him over the top to the floor, and RVD kicks at Christian who gets a knee in and he pounds on RVD before stomping on him repeatedly. Christian climbs the ladder only for Kane to get in the ring and he tips it over with Christian crotching himself on the top rope, and Jeff goes up top only for Kane to catch him on a dive and he hits a powerslam on Jeff as he whips him into the corner and splashes him. He hits a big boot on Jeff which sends him to the outside and sets one of the ladders up as he tries to climb only for Spike to grab at his foot, but Kane rams the ladder into him and then he jabs it into Spike’s ribs which sends him to the outside. Jericho brings a chair into the ring and hits the ladder back in Kane’s face as Bubba gets in the ring and Jericho jabs the chair into his ribs, and he hits Bubba in the back with the chair only for RVD to hit a spin kick on Jericho as Jeff gets in the ring. He leaps off Bubba’s back and hits Poetry in Motion on Kane as he grabs a chair and places it against Kane, and RVD goes up top and hits the Van Terminator on Kane as Jericho grabs Jeff who blocks a suplex attempt and he suplexes Jericho onto the ladder. Christian goes up top only for Jeff to grab him and he tosses him onto the ladder as Jeff sets up the ladder and climbs, and Bubba gets in the ring and climbs the other side as he gets a shot in and rams Jeff’s head into the ladder. He hits a headbutt and a suplex off the top of the ladder as RVD climbs the ladder only for Bubba to climb the other side and he pounds on RVD, and he knocks RVD off the ladder only to fall off the ladder himself and Jericho climbs the ladder as Spike grabs at his leg. Jericho kicks him away twice and reaches for the belts only for Spike to tip the ladder over and he sends Jericho over the top to the floor, and Spike sets the ladder up and climbs as Christian gets in the ring and pulls him down only for Spike to fire up on him. He looks for the Dudley Dog only for Christian to toss him off and Spike crashes through a table on the floor, and he climbs the ladder as Bubba grabs another ladder and sets it up before climbing up behind Christian. He grabs Christian and hits the Bubba Bomb off the ladders as RVD goes up top and hits the 5-Star Frog Splash on Christian, and Jeff goes up top only to miss the Swanton Bomb and Bubba backdrops him over the top with Jeff crashing through a table. RVD grabs a chair and tosses it to Bubba as he hits the Van Daminator and he sets the ladder up before climbing, but Jericho grabs a chair and hits RVD in the back with it as he climbs up behind him and pounds on him before putting RVD in the Walls of Jericho on top of the ladder. He releases the hold and shoves RVD to the mat as he reaches for the belts only for Kane to climb up the other side, and Jericho pounds on Kane who grabs him by the throat only for Jericho to ram his head into the ladder repeatedly. Kane grabs Jericho by the throat again and hits the Chokeslam off the ladder as he sits up and climbs back up the ladder before retrieving the belts and he wins the match. The match itself was excellent as all 7 men worked hard and put on a fantastic match. All 7 men were hitting their stride by this point and had great chemistry as Kane overcomes the odds and retains the titles by himself in a great showing. The crowd was red hot for the whole match and popped for Kane when he won. Kane retains the titles by himself over 3 teams and all 7 men move on. Grade: 4.5
 
After the match, Kane celebrates with the titles until Triple H and Ric Flair come out on the stage and Triple H says he promised Kane’s life would never be the same, and he says that earlier Kane said this was the happiest he’s been in his life and he says that some people can’t be happy. He asks Kane how happy Katie Vick is and he says he knows everything as 10 years ago, Kane killed her and he calls Kane a murderer as we go off the air.
 
Final Analysis: Overall, this edition of RAW was a pretty memorable episode with a great main event and an infamous angle starting. With the show being in Vegas, I thought doing the RAW Roulette was a nice touch and made every match feel unique by doing all the different stipulations. We had two title matches as Kane and Stratus retain their titles while Booker, Triple H, Regal, Snow, and Lawler get big wins, and in terms of the matches the main event was easily the best while the rest was pretty standard though this is also where the infamous Katie Vick angle begins. 2002 has been an interesting year to this point and this was easily one of RAW’s best shows since the brand split, and as we continue on we will see if they can keep the momentum going into No Mercy. As for this show, it is a very memorable episode and we will see if RAW Roulette becomes a regular thing. Final Grade: B