Vengeance 2002

(All screen captures are the property of World Wrestling Entertainment)

Vengeance

July 21, 2002

Joe Louis Arena

Detroit, Michigan

News & Notes: Much has changed since King of the Ring, so let’s get started. Vince addressed the entire roster and challenged them to embody the same ruthless aggression he showed throughout his career. He wanted to see who had it and who didn’t, and Vince threatened to eliminate those who didn’t belong. This led to Raven losing a match to Dreamer, which banished Raven to working on Heat. It also inspired Steven Richards to pick fights with Flair and Dreamer. Meanwhile, Vince had plenty on his plate since regaining 100% control, so he appointed general managers for RAW and Smackdown. Vince selected the most controversial picks possible. First, he hired Eric Bischoff as the RAW GM! Then Vince chose Stephanie to oversee Smackdown! Vince even declared the superstars could openly negotiate with either side, so Eric and Steph vowed to sign the injured Triple H.

The general managers weren’t the only ones who sought Helmsley. HBK and Nash claimed Hunter would join the nWo, but Vince disbanded the group before this could happen. In other news, Rey Mysterio is on his way to WWE! They hyped his debut for the week after this PPV, but this pissed off Chavo Guerrero. He demanded a fight with Rey. Elsewhere, Jackie Gayda feuded with Trish. They added Nowinski and Bradshaw to the mix and had a mixed tag encounter. It was one of the worst matches in WWE’s history. And speaking of the women, Molly Holly continued her rivalry with Trish. Trish pantsed Molly in front of everyone to reveal granny panties! Then we have Randy Orton. He had issues with D-Von and Batista. Orton faced them with multiple partners, but Batista pinned Randy twice! Finally, Johnny the Bull arrived in WWE and quickly captured the Hardcore title.

The PPV: The opening video quotes Ezekiel 25:17 and the path of the righteous man. The inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men beset him on all sides. But blessed is he who shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness. He is his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost souls. With that said, the Undertaker, Kurt Angle, and the Rock talk about striking down upon each other with great vengeance and furious anger. Angle promises to fulfill his fate. The Rock seeks to reach his destiny. And Taker wants to make them feel his fury. The narrator says you will know he is the one when he lays his vengeance upon thee.

Now, “Downfall” by TRUSTcompany plays while fireworks explode. Michael Cole welcomes everyone to the show. Thanks to Stephanie, he and Tazz will call the first half of the PPV. JR and King will handle the second half. While Cole and Tazz discuss the card, Bubba and Spike arrive for their contest.

Elimination Tables Match: Bubba Ray & Spike Dudley vs. Chris Benoit & Eddie Guerrero

Storyline: Vince booked Eddie vs. Bubba because Bubba attacked Eddie at King of the Ring. Eddie beat Bubba with a roll-up and attempted to put Bubba through a table. It backfired, but Benoit locked Bubba in the Crossface. Then Vince permitted Benoit to compete on RAW, so Benoit and Eddie fought Bubba and Spike. They drove Spike through a table and gave Bubba the Crossface and a Frog Splash. Later, Booker and Goldust saved Bubba and Spike from another attack, so they joined forces. Benoit and Guerrero recruited the nWo to help, which led to a ten-man tag, but the nWo won. Finally, Bubba, Spike, and Jeff Hardy wrestled Benoit, Eddie, and Regal in an elimination contest. Regal used the knucks on Jeff, and Benoit made him pass out in the Crossface. Afterward, Benoit and Eddie tried to use a table, but Bubba and Spike ran them off.

The Match: Benoit and Guerrero subdue Bubba and Spike with double-teaming, cheap shots, and suplexes. Then Eddie struggles to set up tables. This allows Spike to nail a somersault plancha onto Eddie, but Benoit attacks Spike. Next, Spike and Bubba save each other from table spots, and Bubba rallies. He backdrops Benoit and Guerrero and floors Benoit with a side slam. Spike even adds a flying stomp to Benoit while Bubba gives Eddie the flip, flop, and fly. A Wassup Drop on Benoit follows, but Benoit answers with a Crossface on Spike. Bubba also breaks a table with a missed senton. However, a miscommunication enables Spike to eliminate Eddie with a Dudley Dog on a table! Unfortunately for Spike, Benoit press slams him onto a table on the floor! This leaves Bubba and Benoit, and Bubba ends it with a Bubba Bomb on the table.

Thoughts: This was awkward. They took too long to set up the tables. Plus, they rushed through the eliminations. I wanted to enjoy this because some parts were good, but the presentation didn’t work. A regular match between these four would have been better.

Winners: Bubba Ray & Spike Dudley (15:01)

Backstage, Coach interviews Eric Bischoff. He says Eric is there for one reason, but his RAW superstars’ performance has to please him. Eric says he is proud of his guys. You just saw their fast-paced and hard-hitting ruthless aggression! Now, he is here to sign the most ruthless man he knows, Triple H. When Eric says this, he spots Triple H on the other side of the room. Eric runs over to him and says it was great to meet Hunter on Thursday. Hunter shakes his hand, but he tries to enter Stephanie’s office. Bischoff blocks his path and asks what he is doing. Hunter says Bischoff gave him his sales pitch, so it’s Stephanie’s turn. He will decide who to pick later. Bischoff asks Hunter if he’s negotiating. Triple H quotes Bischoff and says you should always be negotiating.

Cruiserweight Title Match: Jamie Noble (c) (w/ Nidia) vs. Billy Kidman

Storyline: Noble and Nidia convinced Tajiri to hang with them by promising him a threesome, so Tajiri teamed with Noble against Kidman and Hurricane. During the contest, Kidman beat Tajiri with a Shooting Star Press. Later, Noble and Nidia invited Tajiri to dinner and some gambling in Atlantic City. Noble was living the high life because of the money he was making as the Cruiserweight champ. He earned this cash with wins over Chavo, Hurricane, and Funaki. Then Noble and Tajiri had a rematch with Kidman and Hurricane, and Kidman pinned Noble! Kidman also traded victories with Tajiri, but Tajiri kept spraying him with the mist. After the second time it happened, Noble powerbombed Kidman, and Noble and Nidia taunted him. (Add Noble to the list of people who successfully powerbombed Kidman!)

The Match: They tussle in and out of the ring and trade pin attempts until Noble regroups. Then Kidman scores a headscissors and attacks Jamie when he pokes his head through the ropes. Next, Kidman’s missed slingshot crossbody leads to fighting outside, and Noble shoves Nidia into Kidman. The stunt enables Noble to land an armbreaker and send Kidman into the post. Now, Noble targets the arm and shoulder with a wristlock, a hammerlock, and a keylock. Kidman almost rallies with a hurricanrana, but Jamie secures a Fujiwara armbar. A series of counters follow before they fight on the top rope. Kidman hits a super BK Bomb, but he misses the SSP. Afterward, Jamie rolls him up for two before finishing Kidman with a tiger driver.

Thoughts: This was a solid encounter. Unfortunately, a few things prevented it from being great. I liked Noble’s work on Kidman’s arm and shoulder, but it should have factored into the finish. Plus, this had an abrupt ending and little heat. I can only call this good but not amazing.

Winner: Jamie Noble (7:27)

Marc Lloyd interviews Kurt Angle. He talks about the possibility of Angle winning the Undisputed title, but he offends Kurt by saying, “If.” Kurt says you could say “If” about a lot of things. If Detroit made better cars, maybe the economy wouldn’t be in the toilet. Kurt says he deals in whens. Before Kurt can say more, Heyman interrupts him. Paul presents Angle’s potential opponent for SummerSlam, Brock Lesnar. Kurt introduces himself to Brock, but he tells Heyman to shut up. Angle heard Heyman give the Undertaker the same spiel last week. Then Kurt says facing Brock would honor him, but he warns Lesnar not to mess with him like he did with Taker, or he’ll take him down. This isn’t the summer of Brock. It’s the all-year Angle. Kurt asks if Brock gets it, and Brock wishes him good luck. Once Lesnar leaves, Angle calls him pompous.

European Title Match: Jeff Hardy (c) vs. William Regal

Storyline: Vince put Jeff Hardy in a non-title bout with the Undertaker because Jeff wouldn’t leave him alone. Taker beat him easily, but Jeff didn’t give up. He challenged Taker to a Ladder Match for the Undisputed title. This time, Jeff almost won, and he earned Taker’s respect. Taker raised his arm afterward. Meanwhile, the effort impressed someone else. Flair praised Jeff and encouraged him to go after Regal’s European belt. Jeff took the advice and defeated Regal to become champion! The loss devastated Regal, but Nowinski comforted him. However, Regal got revenge. He teamed with Benoit and Eddie against Jeff, Bubba, and Spike. Regal decked Jeff with the knucks, and Benoit made Jeff pass out in the Crossface.

The Match: Regal slaps Jeff and knocks him down after Jeff flips over him. Then William blocks a sunset flip, but he misses a knee drop. Now Jeff attacks the leg and nails a jawbreaker. An awkward catapult to the outside follows, but Regal catches Jeff’s dropkick through the ropes. When Regal tries to pull Jeff to the floor, Jeff turns it into a hurricanrana. Next, Regal evades Jeff’s attack off the barricade but can’t escape a Whisper in the Wind inside the ring. Jeff continues with a spin kick and a leg drop to the crotch before performing the Swanton. Unfortunately for Jeff, Regal raises his knees into Hardy’s back and plants him with a half nelson suplex. Regal continues with a backbreaker, but Jeff takes Regal down with an arm whip. With Regal dazed, Jeff rolls him up for a three.

Thoughts: This started sloppy, but they were finding their groove before the quick finish. They must have cut their time because something else went longer than expected. This was a shame. Sadly, I can’t call it good because of the short duration.

Winner: Jeff Hardy (4:16)

Backstage, Ric Flair congratulates Jeff Hardy on his win. He reminds Jeff about what he said weeks ago. Jeff is on his way. Then Hogan joins them and praises Jeff, so Hardy thanks him and leaves. Once Jeff is gone, Hogan calls Flair “Rickles” and says Jeff is unreal. Flair says Hogan is still the man, which gives Hogan an idea. He says he might do a Hulkamaniac Swanton tonight. Flair can hear JR calling it now. He will say Hogan slipped and hit one of the ugliest Swantons ever! After laughing this off, Hogan discusses Bischoff and Stephanie. What was Vince thinking? This could be the best or worst thing to happen to the business. Flair says Steph better watch her ass because Bischoff will either own the company or run it out of business. When Hogan hears this, he says, “Tell me about it.”

Next, it’s time for Chris Jericho vs. John Cena. Cena challenged Jericho to a straight wrestling contest. He told Chris to leave the chair at home, but Jericho grabbed a chair during John’s entrance. Jericho misses a shot, so Cena grabs the weapon and decks Jericho before the match starts. (On a side note, Cena wears tights in the Red Wings’ colors. He changes the color of his gear for each town.)

John Cena vs. Chris Jericho

Storyline: Angle issued an open challenge to any young talent. A rookie named John Cena answered the call. When Angle asked Cena what he offered, Cena said ruthless aggression and slapped Kurt. Then Cena did well, but Angle won, and Kurt refused to shake his hand. However, the Undertaker showed Cena respect. Unfortunately, Cena angered Jericho when he interrupted him, so they wrestled. Jericho cheated to win before faking Cena out with a handshake. Next, Cena and Taker paired against Jericho and Angle. Beforehand, Cena annoyed Taker, so he told John to leave. This prevented Cena from saving Taker from Jericho and Angle, which pissed Taker off. They teamed anyway, and Cena pinned Jericho! Afterward, Jericho got revenge with a low blow and a chair during their rematch. Meanwhile, they scrapped the planned Jericho/Edge encounter for this PPV because Edge is busy. So Cena challenged Jericho.

The Match: Cena makes Jericho regroup with knockdowns and takedowns before hitting a spinebuster. Then Jericho answers with a hotshot, a back suplex, and a body guillotine, but the ref stops Chris from removing a turnbuckle pad. After fending off pins, Jericho scores more knockdowns and taunts Cena. He also nails the Breakdown when Cena misses a clothesline. Instead of covering, Jericho climbs, so Cena crotches him and hits a superplex! A tilt-a-whirl slam follows, but Jericho cuts Cena off with a second-rope dropkick.

Now Jericho lands on the turnbuckles when Cena catapults him, but John catches a diving Jericho and performs a belly-to-belly suplex. Cena even uses an Oklahoma roll after a missed Lionsault, but Jericho counters it. Following that, Jericho drops Cena with the Flashback (sleeper slam) and covers him with his feet on the ropes. When it only gets two, Jericho yells at the ref. Nevertheless, Jericho does a bulldog and the Lionsault, but he doesn’t pin him. Jericho tells Cena to get up and attempts the Walls of Jericho, so John turns it into an inside cradle for three!

Thoughts: This was good. They told a nice story, and the finish made Cena look great without taking too much away from Jericho. Chris can claim it was a fluke. Plus, it’s interesting to see Cena doing moves you wouldn’t see him do years later.

Winner: John Cena (6:16)

Jericho throws a fit afterward. He smacks the post with a chair and turns over the steps.

Meanwhile, Bischoff and Coach wait outside Stephanie’s office. Bischoff sees someone approach, so he asks who the hell he is and why he is there. The man says he is Stephanie’s attorney. Bischoff says serious negotiations are happening, so the man needs to walk away. The attorney says he can’t because he is there to deliver legal documents. When Bischoff asks if it’s a contract, the man says he can’t tell him. Then he enters the office, much to Bischoff’s chagrin.

Back at ringside, JR and Lawler take over the announcer’s table. Lawler reluctantly shakes Tazz’s hand before Cole and Tazz leave. Once they are gone, we see RVD and Lesnar warming up backstage.

Intercontinental Title Match: Rob Van Dam (c) vs. Brock Lesnar (w/ Paul Heyman)

Storyline: RVD interrupted Lesnar’s coronation, so Heyman demanded an Intercontinental title shot for Brock. He got his wish, but Heyman caused a DQ when RVD almost succeeded. Afterward, they continued scuffling, and Lesnar powerbombed Van Dam on the announcer’s table. Later, Flair asked to wrestle Lesnar because Brock cost Ric his 50% ownership of the company. Lesnar defeated Flair, but RVD called Brock out to fight again. Heyman suggested they meet at the PPV instead. After they booked the encounter, Heyman claimed he created and built RVD into a star. Dreamer took exception to these statements and came to fight Heyman and Lesnar. Brock beat him up, but RVD arrived and gave Heyman the Van Terminator! Lesnar retaliated by giving RVD an F5 on the ramp. Finally, Lesnar teamed with Taker against RVD and Flair. RVD hit the Five Star on Lesnar, but Taker pinned Van Dam.

The Match: They trade takedowns and knockdowns until RVD knocks Brock outside with a spin kick. It frustrates Lesnar, so he regroups. Back inside, RVD attacks Brock’s legs, sending him out of the ring again. This time, Brock catches a diving RVD twice and nails a powerslam on the floor. Plus, Brock targets the ribs with gutbusters and an overhead belly-to-belly. RVD answers with a step-over heel kick and tries a monkey flip, but Brock sends him flying. Now Brock rams him into the apron and focuses on the ribs with a bear hug and an ab stretch. RVD escapes before scoring a slingshot leg drop, a flying kick, and Rolling Thunder. Van Dam even leaps to the top rope, but Lesnar pulls him down for an F5 attempt, which RVD counters into a DDT! The Five Star Frog Splash follows, so Heyman grabs Charles Robinson to cause a DQ.

Thoughts: This was great, and I’m fine with the finish. It keeps Brock looking strong because he didn’t lose outright, but it also doesn’t hurt RVD. My only gripe is I wanted it to go longer. RVD and Lesnar had good chemistry. The action made me wish they had faced each other more often.

Winner: RVD (by DQ) (9:21)

Afterward, RVD dropkicks Heyman, and Charles Robinson throws wild punches at Paul. However, Lesnar attacks RVD and flings Robinson across the floor. Then RVD dives onto Lesnar and rolls him into the ring. RVD grabs a chair and looks for a Van Terminator, but Heyman hooks his foot. This allows Brock to suplex RVD on the chair and give him an F5 onto it.

Meanwhile, Bischoff is still waiting outside Stephanie’s office. She emerges looking sad, so Bischoff thinks things didn’t go very well. Did Triple H not sign? Stephanie says he signed, so Bischoff freaks out and yells at Triple H. Hunter tells him to back off, but Bischoff refuses. He wants to know what the Hell Triple H just did. Hunter says he signed his divorce papers. As far as his business decision, he hasn’t made up his mind yet. Triple H walks away after saying this, so Bischoff says Triple H is his!

No DQ Match: Booker T vs. The Big Show

Storyline: Goldust antagonized the Big Show by dressing as Steve Irwin and Darth Vader. He mocked Big Show, so Nash told Big Show to deal with Goldust and Booker or pay the consequences. They beat Goldust up backstage, but Booker put X-Pac through a table. Later, Big Show lost to Booker, so Nash punched Big Show and fought until HBK separated them. However, Shawn superkicked Show for his failure. Meanwhile, a contest between Booker and Eddie drew Booker into Eddie’s feud. When Benoit and Eddie recruited the nWo, we got the ten-man I mentioned earlier. Nash tore his quad, but the nWo still won when Big Show chokeslammed Booker. This led to another Booker/Big Show encounter. It ended in chaos when Big Show used a chair. Afterward, Show chokeslammed Booker on the announcer’s table and asked Bischoff for this No DQ fight.

The Match: Booker fights, but Big Show tosses him and stands on him. Then Booker scores an enziguri, so Show answers with clotheslines and sends Booker outside. Now Booker grabs a chair, only for Big Show to punch it away. Big Show uses the post, the steps, and the apron to wear Booker down, but he crashes into the post on a missed clothesline. With Show dazed, Booker rams him into the post and chokes him with a cable. This leads to fighting around the announcers’ tables. Booker clears both and decks Show with a monitor before putting him through the Spanish table with a scissor kick! Back inside, Booker blocks a chokeslam with a low blow and nails a second scissor kick. He follows with a Houston Hangover for the victory.

Thoughts: This was better than I expected. It was fun. They kept it short and filled it with some impressive spots. I liked the scissor kick on the announcer’s table. A win like this is what Booker needed. The fans reacted well to it.

Winner: Booker T (6:14)

Afterward, Booker throws his gloves into the stands and does a celebratory Spinaroonie!

Meanwhile, Torrie Wilson and Dawn Marie are at the World. Torrie says she won the Golden Thong award the last time they were there. This makes Dawn roll her eyes. Torrie also says everyone is buzzing about the Undisputed title match. She picks the Rock to win, so Dawn mocks her for picking him. Dawn thinks the Undertaker will succeed. Then Dawn says she should have won the Golden Thong award. This causes an argument, but JR tells them they are out of time.

Now it’s time for Triple H’s decision, but Bischoff and Stephanie come to plead their cases. Bischoff promises Hollywood screenplays and assures him it will be all business, unlike with Stephanie. Steph says she knows Hunter better than anyone. They could make Smackdown the best show on TV, and it would be strictly business. Steph even reminds Hunter about how Bischoff treated him in WCW. Hunter says this places him between an arrogant prick and a cold-hearted bitch, but he wants to go with the devil he knows. However, HBK interrupts. Shawn tells Hunter to sign with RAW for the friendship and fun. Plus, they can make Bischoff’s life a living hell. This is enough to convince him. Hunter says, “Sorry, Steph,” and hugs Shawn. Once they leave, Bischoff gloats. He says the difference between them is he has testicles, so Steph slaps Bischoff and knocks him on his ass.

Backstage, Marc asks Rikishi for his thoughts about Triple H. Rikishi says this shocked and disappointed him and the whole world. They didn’t expect this from Triple H. He thinks this hurts the young guys on Smackdown because they look up to Hunter as a leader. Rikishi hopes Hunter is happy with his choice.

Elsewhere, Booker hypes up Goldust before Terri interrupts them. She congratulates Booker on his win and asks for his perspective on the Triple H situation. Booker says Hunter coming to RAW is great, but he better not kick him in the grill like Shawn Michaels did. If he does, they’ll play a game of You Just Got Your Ass Kicked by the Five-Time WCW Champion! When Booker finishes, Goldust says Triple H is the game, but they’re the ones with the bigger joysticks! Booker says he will ignore him, but he asks if you can dig that, sucka!

Next, we have Hogan and Edge vs. Storm and Christian for the tag titles. They are calling Storm and Christian’s group the Anti-Americans for now. When they arrive, Storm cuts a promo. He calls Hogan a real American fraud, but he says Hogan has a lot in common with America. They are past their prime and living off past glory. Christian says the only solace is they can cross the border into Canada after the show and leave this hateful country.

Tag Team Title Match: The Anti-Americans (Christian & Lance Storm) vs. Edge & Hollywood Hulk Hogan (c)

Storyline: Storm and Christian helped Test deal with Rikishi, so the Canadians bonded over their mutual hatred of America. They formed a team named the Anti-Americans. (They eventually changed it to the Un-Americans.) Then they interrupted Lilian’s rendition of “America the Beautiful” on the 4^th of July! They said they were sick of the Americana crap. Meanwhile, Hogan wrestled Jericho. Edge returned for revenge on Jericho and cost him the win. Afterward, Hogan and Edge sent Jericho packing and posed. This led to Hogan and Edge teaming up to go after the tag titles, and they succeeded! They even fended off Billy and Chuck in a rematch before hitting the casinos with the Rock. Edge called his team with Hogan a dream come true. Later, Hogan and Edge saved Rikishi from the Anti-Americans. Hogan, Edge, and Rikishi vs. The Anti-Americans resulted from the incident, and Edge pinned Storm.

The Match: Storm and Christian double-team Hogan after Hogan shoves Christian around. They hit a double suplex, but Hogan rises immediately. He gives them a double clothesline and a double noggin knocker. Then Edge and Hogan pinball Storm. Now Storm and Christian double-team Edge to take control. Christian lands backbreakers and uses a chinlock, but Edge fires back with an enziguri and plants Christian onto Storm with a facebuster. This opens the door for Hogan’s tag. He hulks up after Christian’s reverse DDT. The big boot and leg drop follow, but an eye rake and Storm’s superkick halts Hogan’s rally.

Christian and Storm subdue Hogan with frequent tags, ref distractions, and choking in the corner. This lasts until a double down between Hogan and Storm, which results in a hot tag by Edge. He cleans house with backdrops, corner spears, and an Edge-O-Matic on Storm. While this happens, Hogan takes Christian to the floor. Unfortunately, Edge wipes out the ref with a missed spear, so Test interferes. He rams Hogan into the post and floors Edge with a big boot, but the cover only gets two! Consequently, Rikishi attacks Test, and they brawl to the back. Back in the ring, Edge scores a spear on Storm, but Jericho jumps out of the stands. He clocks Edge with the title belt behind the ref’s back, and Storm covers for the three while Christian holds onto Hogan.

Thoughts: This wasn’t bad. It had some fun moments and a hot crowd. The problem was they overdid the interference. Test’s attack should have been the end. Having Jericho help them was overkill.

Winners: Christian & Lance Storm (New Champions) (9:48)

Angle walks backstage before the main event, but Bischoff stops him. He enjoyed meeting Angle on Thursday. Now he wants him on RAW, no matter the outcome of the triple threat. Bischoff says they could be a winning team along with Triple H. Angle says this flatters him, but he has to go capture the Undisputed title. Angle tells Bischoff he will talk with him later.

Meanwhile, Stephanie watches this on a TV. Marc Lloyd arrives and tells her he saw Bischoff talking to Angle. This is on top of signing Triple H. Steph says Hunter signed with RAW, and she isn’t happy about it. But as the cliché says, Bischoff won the battle, but she will win the war. Bischoff talking to Angle is fine because Stephanie is in contact with all the RAW superstars. She promises to rip the heart out of RAW. Then Steph dismisses Marc from the room. JR and Lawler wonder what she means.

Triple Threat Match for the Undisputed Title: The Rock vs. Kurt Angle vs. The Undertaker (c)

Storyline: Angle’s win over Hogan made him confident enough to ditch the wig and ask Taker for a title shot. Taker mocked Angle for almost losing to Cena, so Kurt put Taker in an anklelock. Later, Taker vs. Angle ended in controversy. Kurt locked Taker in a triangle choke. Taker turned it into a pin for a three, but he tapped, so they called it a draw. Vince booked this triple threat because of it. Meanwhile, Taker wanted revenge on the Rock. He waited for him in the parking lot, but a confrontation between Taker, Angle, and Jericho thwarted Taker’s plans. Rock eventually called Taker out, but Angle appeared instead. It led to a wild brawl between Taker, Rock, and Angle. Taker came out on top, but the Rock got the better of them in their next scuffle. One last wild fight between the three saw Angle stand tall.

The Match: Angle grows offended when they ignore him, so Taker and Rock work together and take out Angle. However, Kurt returns and uses suplexes until Rock scores a DDT. Now, Taker knocks Angle outside again and goes after the Rock. When Kurt comes back, they steal each other’s finishers and break up the ensuing pins. Rock does an anklelock on Kurt and chokeslams Taker. Taker gives Angle the Angle Slam. And Angle hits a Rock Bottom on the Rock! Following that, Rock nails the People’s Elbow on Taker, but Angle pulls Rocky to the floor for some brawling. Everybody fights around ringside until Angle is bleeding. Back inside, Taker targets the cut and floors Angle with Old School. Angle grabs a chair to retaliate, but Taker and Rock pinball him.

A series of blocked finishers follows, which results in a ref bump. Angle seizes the opening and wipes out Taker and Rock with a chair shot and the Angle Slam, but both only earn two! Once the Rock recovers, he puts Angle in a Sharpshooter, only for Taker to break it. Afterward, Angle turns a Last Ride attempt into a triangle choke. He holds on until the Rock stops him, but Angle hooks Rock in the anklelock. When Rock counters this, Taker chokeslams Angle. But that’s not all. Rock drops Taker with a Rock Bottom before Angle rolls Rock up for two. Taker also big boots Rock, but Angle plants Taker with an Angle Slam. Unfortunately for Kurt, he gets caught in a Rock Bottom, and Rock pins him before Taker can prevent it.

Thoughts: This was amazing. They kept it exciting and mixed in some great close calls and nearfalls. The action never lulled. Plus, I enjoyed everyone stealing each other’s finishers. The crowd loved this, and rightfully so.

Winner: The Rock (New Champion) (19:47)

The Good:

• Rock vs. Angle vs. Taker

• RVD vs. Brock

• Booker vs. Big Show

• Cena vs. Jericho

The Bad:

• Hardy vs. Regal disappointed me.

Performer of the Night:

I’m giving it to RVD. I loved his match with Brock and the stuff that happened afterward.

Final Thoughts:

The show had a weak start, but the second half turned it into a fine PPV. Plus, that main event put it over the top. This ended up being enjoyable. They also did a good job building toward SummerSlam, which is excellent.

Thank you for reading. My next review is SummerSlam 2002. Look for it next Sunday!