Survivor Series 2002

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

Survivor Series

November 17, 2002

Madison Square Garden

New York City, New York

News & Notes: I only have extra storylines to discuss before we begin. The Dawn Marie/Torrie feud continued after No Mercy. Dawn appeared to apologize and agree to break off her relationship with Al Wilson, but Al felt lonely after his divorce. He wanted to do something for himself, so Al asked Dawn to marry him! Dawn said yes, reducing Torrie to tears. Then Al attempted to invite Torrie to the wedding, but she refused. Torrie said Dawn was using and manipulating her father. In other matters, Nowinski’s issues with Dreamer continued. Al Snow tried to help, but Christopher told Snow he had nothing to do with his success. To prove this wrong, Snow aided Nowinski in victories, but this pissed Chris off. He attacked his mentor, so Snow recruited Maven to fight against Nowinski.

Elsewhere, Cena found his calling. He dressed as Vanilla Ice for Stephanie’s Halloween party and rapped for her. Plus, Cena cut raps on his opponents. He will evolve the persona in the coming weeks. But he wasn’t the only one who changed. Stacy Keibler gave Test a makeover and suggested marketing ideas. She wants to call Test’s fans his Testicles! Then we have Matt Hardy. He took Shannon Moore under his wing, making him a Mattitude Follower, or an M-F’er for short. Back on RAW, Flair approached Batista backstage and sang his praises, but Batista seemed hesitant. Next, Orton created RNN News to give people periodic updates on his recovery from injury! And speaking of new creations, Bischoff introduced F-View, a hidden camera that spies on the talent. Finally, Scott Steiner is on his way to WWE but hasn’t picked a brand yet.

Now, I have one last thing to mention. WWE held a one-hour show called Super Tuesday, a joint effort between RAW and Smackdown. I will reference it throughout the review.

Promotion:

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The PPV: They show clips of Hell in a Cell while we hear Paul Heyman warning Brock Lesnar. Brock kept going, despite what his match with the Undertaker did to him. Heyman says he can’t protect Lesnar if he doesn’t play as a member of the team. Brock wants to face the Big Show, who is seven feet tall and five hundred pounds, but Heyman doesn’t think he can win. However, Brock says he is the WWE champion. What will happen when the unstoppable force meets the immovable object? Meanwhile, Eric Bischoff wants to distance himself from Smackdown by evolving his product. Tonight, he will unveil his ingenious creation, the Elimination Chamber! Six men will fight for survival and engage in a battle of the unknown. They will place their bodies, futures, and lives on the line for the symbol of Bischoff’s revolution, the World Heavyweight Championship.

“Always” by Saliva plays while fireworks explode. Then JR welcomes everyone to the world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden. While he says this, Lawler gasps when he sees the chamber hanging over their heads. This is the audience’s first glance at the structure, which Lawler calls ominous. With that said, JR and King discuss the card as Bubba and Spike arrive for the opening contest.

Elimination Tables Match: Bubba Ray Dudley, Spike Dudley, & Jeff Hardy vs. 3-Minute Warning & Rico

Storyline: Bubba and Spike earned a tag title shot by defeating Storm and Regal. The problem was that Spike had pissed off Bischoff by telling Eric to bite him, so Bischoff sent 3-Minute Warning after them. They jumped Spike and Bubba, injuring Spike. Then Eric allowed Bubba to find a new partner, so Bubba chose Jeff Hardy. However, 3-Minute Warning distracted Bubba by hanging Spike upside down on the stage, leaving Jeff to take the pin. Later, Bubba teamed with Jeff and Spike on different occasions to wrestle 3MW, but they cheated to win and put Jeff through a table. And finally, Bubba, Jeff, and 3MW competed in a ten-man tag with participants from the Elimination Chamber.

The Match: Everyone brawls until the Dudley team gains the advantage. Bubba press slams Spike onto their opponents, Jeff hits a vaulting plancha, and they do variations of the Wassup Drop. Then Bubba tells Jeff and Spike to get tables. They set one up in the corner, but Rosey stops them. He gorilla presses Spike and charges at him, but Spike moves, and Rosey crashes through a table. Undaunted, Rosey almost catches a flying Jeff before splashing him. Afterward, 3MW blocks a Dudley Dog and flips Spike face-first onto a table to eliminate him. Now Bubba and Jeff knock Rosey and Jamal off the top rope and give them Poetry in Motion, but Rosey takes Jeff into the crowd when he recovers. Once Bubba fends off Rico and Jamal, he goes to help. They put Rosey on a table, and Jeff takes him out with a Swanton from the balcony!

Rico gets Bubba on a table in the ring and attempts a moonsault, but Jeff crotches him after a long delay. Jeff also lands the Whisper in the Wind on Jamal and tries a barricade run, but Jamal smacks Jeff with a table. With Jeff dazed, Jamal puts him through a table with a flying splash. This leaves Bubba alone against Rico and Jamal. Jamal saves Rico and looks for a Frankensteiner, but Bubba turns it into a superbomb to get rid of Jamal. Unfortunately, Rosey returns, and they triple-team Bubba, so D-Von appears in his Dudley garb! He clears the ring, and the Dudleys plant Rico on a table with a 3D for the victory!

Thoughts: This was chaotic, and I mean that in a good way. The action became somewhat sloppy, but the competitors worked it into the flow well. There was only one exception. Jeff Hardy missed his cue to crotch Rico on the ropes. They edited the network version, but he took way longer on the original broadcast. Rico even yelled, “Come on, Jeff, goddammit!” Other than that, this was an enjoyable madness with a great finish.

Survivor: Bubba Ray (14:22)

Bubba and D-Von pose on the turnbuckles, but Bubba stares at D-Von when they finish. After a pause, the Dudleys high-five and celebrate, so JR asks what this means.

Elsewhere, Stacy is at the World. She says Test would be there, but she sent him on a promotional tour. After all, Test loves to surround himself with his Testicles! With that said, Stacy introduces Saliva to perform “Always” on the stage. They show recaps of the different feuds on this card while they play.

Back at the arena, RVD stretches between two forklifts while Cole and Tazz take over commentary for the Cruiserweight Title contest. Cole stumbles over his words and says Kidman has Noble’s numble, whatever that is. Also, Kidman debuts his new rap theme. I miss his WCW song.

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

Storyline: Noble and Tajiri had a rematch in Memphis, and Noble dressed as Elvis for the bout. Jamie defeated Tajiri with Nidia’s help and moved on to a renewed rivalry with Kidman. Meanwhile, Kidman’s issues with Cena continued. He beat Cena, but John thought Kidman cheated, so he argued with the ref and attacked Kidman. Later, Kidman teamed with Funaki against Noble and Crash on an episode of Velocity. Kidman earned the win for his team with a Shooting Star Press. Billy also partnered with Torrie against Cena and Dawn Marie at Rebellion, and they succeeded. The pairing with Torrie continued when Kidman and Torrie faced Noble and Nidia, and Kidman pinned Noble! Afterward, Noble fought Kidman in a non-title contest, which Kidman won.

The Match: Noble regroups after Kidman’s pin attempts and a hurricanrana. Then Noble counters a rebound clothesline with a neckbreaker and grounds Kidman with a seated surfboard. Once Kidman escapes, Noble knocks Billy outside for a dive before seeking a flying crossbody. As Noble leaps, Kidman dropkicks him out of the air and scores a fireman’s neckbreaker. Noble answers with a falcon arrow, but Kidman responds with a sit-out face plant. An SSP attempt follows, so Nidia pulls Jamie out of the ring. Nevertheless, Kidman does a flying crossbody onto Jamie and nails a slingshot leg drop. Kidman also blocks a Tiger Bomb, so Nidia slaps him.

Now Kidman sends Jamie into Nidia and drops Noble with a BK Bomb. Next, Noble hits a Tiger Bomb in two tries before they scuffle on the top rope. This time, Kidman reverses Noble into a super sit-out gourdbuster. When that gets two, Kidman looks for a bulldog, but Noble shoves him into the corner for a draping DDT. Noble can’t believe it only earns two, and neither can Nidia. She grabs Kidman’s foot when he climbs again. Kidman has to deal with Nidia and Noble, but he knocks Jamie down and ends it with the SSP.

Thoughts: This was great. They maintained a good pace and used some nice nearfalls toward the end. The contest didn’t have amazing heat with the crowd, but they reacted in all the right places, so this did its job.

Winner: Billy Kidman (New Champion) (7:29)

Angle watches the end of the match and asks Benoit if he sees it. If Billy freakin’ Kidman can win a title at Survivor Series, they can regain their tag belts. That is, if Benoit can stay out of the team captain’s way. When an angry Benoit hears this, he dares Kurt to repeat himself. Angle says he sees what Benoit is doing and won’t fall for it. Kurt says they are a team, a unit, amigos, partners, bosom buddies, and friends to the end. When they are together, no one can beat them. So, what does his partner say? Benoit contemplates before offering a handshake, but Kurt doesn’t want that. Tag team partners don’t shake hands. They hug! Kurt embraces Benoit, who doesn’t return the gesture. He stands with his arms at his sides, wishing he was elsewhere.

Meanwhile, Jericho warms up backstage.

Then, we see the F-View camera spying on Victoria through a hole in the ceiling. She brushes her hair while doing the mirror mirror routine. Victoria asks the mirror who is the prettiest Diva of them all. When the mirror apparently answers Trish, Victoria freaks out. She calls the mirror crazy and smashes it before asking a cardboard cut-out of Trish what she’s looking at. With that out of her system, Victoria calms herself and leaves. Lawler says Victoria hasn’t been the same since a house fell on her sister.

Hardcore Match for the Women’s Title: Victoria vs. Trish Stratus (c)

Storyline: Trish teamed with Booker and Goldust against Victoria, Christian, and Jericho. Beforehand, Jericho and Christian hit on Trish, and Booker and Goldust mocked Victoria. Then the contest happened, and Jericho made Trish submit to the Walls of Jericho. Later, Victoria challenged Trish to a Hardcore Match for the Women’s Title, which Trish accepted. Ivory returned and offered to soften Trish up for Victoria, but Trish defeated Ivory. Afterward, Victoria and Trish brawled. Meanwhile, Bischoff’s F-View cameras caught Terri calling Victoria crazy, so Victoria jumped her. Bischoff booked Victoria vs. Terri the following week, but Terri didn’t want to do it. Eric told her to either fight or convince Victoria to back out. Otherwise, he would fire her. Victoria acted like she would walk away only to attack Terri until Trish saved her. Finally, Trish competed against Torrie in a Bikini Challenge on Super Tuesday, but Nidia ruined it.

The Match: Victoria attacks while Trish removes her jacket. She uses the garment to choke Trish and throw her. Then Victoria grabs a broom. She rolls through a monkey flip and chokes Trish with the weapon before using it for a hanging choke in the corner. Now Trish flips her and returns the broom strikes, but Victoria takes her outside for some brawling and lands a slingshot leg drop. Next, Victoria wedges a trash can between the ropes, but it backfires. So, Trish answers with Kendo stick shots and an ironing board, which leaves Victoria with a bloody nose.

Despite the injury, Victoria blocks a handstand headscissors while they fight with a trash can lid. A powerbomb follows before Victoria fetches a mirror. Unfortunately, Trish steps on the mirror during a Chick Kick. More Kendo stick action leads to a sloppy bulldog by Trish, but Victoria fires back with a drop toe hold and finds an extinguisher. She sprays Trish after a delay and defeats Trish with a snap suplex.

Thoughts: This was a mess, both literally and figuratively. They had some nice weapon spots, but this also contained awkward sequences. Plus, they lost their original finish. Victoria planned to use the mirror, but Trish stepped on it. You could hear the ref telling them about the broken mirror. The improvised finish wasn’t great, which soured an already mediocre contest.

Winner: Victoria (New Champion) (7:01)

We see Booker hyping himself up backstage before Coach interviews Bischoff. Coach asks for insight about the Elimination Chamber, so Eric tells him to expect history and the future all in one night. When he debuts the chamber, fans will witness history in the making. Bischoff will lay the groundwork for the future of this industry. Once again, he has outdone Stephanie McMahon! While Bischoff says this, the Big Show approaches. He says, “Howdy, stranger.” Then Big Show tells Bischoff he made a mistake when he traded him to Smackdown. If he doesn’t believe him, watch as he becomes the new WWE champion!

Now they cut to Brock Lesnar warming up. Heyman emerges from a room, clutching the WWE title to his chest, so Brock asks what’s wrong with him. Is he nervous? Heyman says he is. He has been nervous ever since the Big Show came to Smackdown. Paul begged Brock not to pick a fight with him. And yet, here he is. Lesnar has broken ribs and has to defend his belt against a seven-foot-tall giant! He spent the better part of two weeks coughing up blood, but they have to put that behind them. They are in Madison Square Garden. This is Heyman’s hometown. Heyman promises to do everything in his power to ensure his client leaves as the WWE champ.

WWE Title Match: The Big Show vs. Brock Lesnar (c) (w/ Paul Heyman)

Storyline: Bischoff punished Big Show after No Mercy with a contest against 3-Minute Warning and Rico. Then he traded him to Smackdown. Upon arrival, Show challenged Lesnar and sent a message by press slamming the Undertaker off the stage. This spooked Heyman. Paul said Brock wasn’t the same after Hell in a Cell, so he discouraged Brock from facing Big Show. However, Brock ignored him and accepted the match. No matter how much Heyman pleaded with Brock to listen to him, Brock confronted Big Show. This resulted in Big Show chokeslamming Brock on the announcer’s table. Since Brock wouldn’t abide, Heyman made Lesnar wrestle Eddie Guerrero alone to see how it felt without him. Brock won, but Show press slammed him off the stage. The attack left Lesnar with broken ribs, yet Brock called Show out again despite Heyman’s warnings. They brawled, and Brock bloodied Big Show.

The Match: They shove each other until Show scores a beal toss. When Lesnar answers with a tackle, Show regroups, and they brawl outside. Now Show rams Brock’s injured ribs into the post. Show sends him inside, but Lesnar counters a chokeslam into a back suplex. He even lands a German and a belly-to-belly, but Brock wipes out the ref on a missed charge. With the ref down, Heyman introduces a chair. Brock uses it to block a chokeslam and nails the F5! A new official arrives while Brock covers, but Heyman pulls him out of the ring and decks him! So, Lesnar chases the traitorous Heyman and falls into Big Show’s trap. Show whacks Lesnar with the chair and chokeslams him on the weapon. As Show pins him, Heyman revives the referee to count three.

Thoughts: They kept this short, explosive, and to the point. In modern times, Lesnar proved these matches are his forte, so I’m fine with that. I also get why they had Heyman betray Brock. They wanted to turn Lesnar face, which meant Heyman had to go. But was Big Show the right choice for the opponent? They did almost nothing with him for months and then tried to rehab his image in a few weeks. I’m unsure if it worked.

Winner: The Big Show (New Champion) (4:19)

Heyman jumps into Big Show’s arms as Show celebrates with the title. Tazz calls Heyman a slimy scumbag who screwed Lesnar, but Cole wonders why he did it. As Cole speculates, Heyman and Big Show escape in a limo before Brock recovers.

Then, they show Al Wilson and Dawn Marie in the front row. Dawn is all over Al.

Triple Threat Elimination Match for the WWE Tag Team Titles: Los Guerreros vs. Edge & Rey Mysterio (c) vs. Chris Benoit & Kurt Angle

Storyline: Stephanie gave Angle and Benoit a trophy for being the first WWE tag champs, but they broke it during an argument and knocked Stephanie down. So, she slapped them and made them fight, but Los Guerreros interfered and helped Benoit win. Meanwhile, Edge and Rey beat the Guerreros in a #1 Contender contest, but Eddie defeated Angle with Benoit’s help. Los Guerreros thought they deserved a shot because of this. Later, Edge and Rey got their opportunity in a 2 out of 3 Falls encounter and won the titles! Afterward, Steph announced this triple threat on Super Tuesday and booked Benoit vs. Eddie vs. Edge, which ended with Eddie rolling up Benoit for the three. Finally, Edge wrestled Chavo, Rey faced Eddie, and Benoit met Angle. The latter resulted in a wild brawl between the teams. After Benoit and Angle worked together to stand tall, Angle hugged Benoit.

The Match: Angle and Eddie keep tagging out when Edge and Rey use takedowns to get the better of them. Then Angle and Benoit seize control when Rey slips off the top rope on a moonsault attempt. They employ frequent tags, suplexes, and holds to subdue Rey. Once Rey rallies, the Guerreros drop off the apron to avoid Angle’s tag, so Kurt tags Benoit. Edge also tags and cleans house, but Angle and Benoit put Edge in a combined anklelock and Crossface, which Rey interrupts. Now, Benoit does rolling Germans on Edge, so Eddie joins the fun with a flying sunset flip. Eddie even scores a Frog Splash, but Benoit nails a flying headbutt on Eddie. Next, Chavo breaks up a Crossface with a belt attack and frames Angle. The ensuing disagreement between Benoit and Angle allows Edge to pin Benoit with a spear.

Angle and Benoit take out everyone in frustration and leave while arguing. The Guerreros recover, so they try to steal a victory and fail. Nevertheless, Eddie and Chavo maintain the momentum through multiple tags, dropkicks, suplexes, and holds. Eddie adds a sleeper hold, but Edge escapes for a double flapjack and Rey returns. He performs a springboard crossbody and headscissors on Chavo and a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker on Eddie. Plus, Rey baits Eddie into splashing Chavo before Edge comes back. He spears Eddie into the corner and vaults Rey into a Frankensteiner. A 619 follows while Edge scuffles with Chavo, but Chavo stops the West Coast Pop with another belt strike. Edge neutralizes Chavo again, but Eddie makes Rey tap to the Lasso from El Paso.

Thoughts: This was outstanding. It wasn’t as good as the No Mercy match, but they did amazing. They maintained a fine pace and let nothing drag. Sure, Rey had a few shaky moments early on, but Angle and Benoit fit them into the flow almost seamlessly. The only downside was the crowd lost some steam toward the end. They were into Angle and Benoit and booed their elimination.

Winners: Los Guerreros (New Champions) (19:25)

Backstage, Kane does wall push-ups while JR and King discuss the Elimination Chamber.

Then Christopher Nowinski arrives. He says he’s the only Harvard graduate in attendance, so he insults the New York fans’ intelligence. Chris says you can’t buy intelligence like the Yankees bought their World Series titles. He also claims New York is number one in stupidity. When Nowinski says this, Matt Hardy interrupts him. (Matt Facts: Matt keeps the room temperature at a toasty seventy-five degrees and only drinks low-fat chocolate milk.) Hardy says Nowinski is wrong. New Yorkers aren’t stupid. They are losers! He expected the building to overflow with Mattitude, but they sucked the Mattitude out of him. Matt says he is choking harder than the Nicks! Since Chris and Matt can’t agree, they create a compromise. New Yorkers are losers and stupid. They are lupid! With that said, Matt and Chris raise each other’s arms.

Before they can leave, a siren sounds in the arena to signal Scott Steiner’s arrival! Lawler thinks it’s the cops, but he realizes his mistake. Meanwhile, Steiner poses and takes off his chain mail. Sensing trouble, Matt shoves Nowinski into Steiner, who throws Chris around the ring. Steiner suplexes both men and press slams Hardy onto Nowinski. Once they are gone, Steiner asks for a mic. (They edited the network version. On the original broadcast, Steiner yelled, “Give me a fuckin’ mic!”) Scott sends a message to his freaks in New York. Big Poppa Pump is your hookup. Holler if you hear him!

Elsewhere, Terri tries to interview Shawn Michaels. She asks him why he thinks he will win the World Title. Before Shawn can answer, RNN News interrupts with a special bulletin! Orton took time out of his rigorous rehab schedule to attend Survivor Series. But don’t worry. He didn’t hurt his shoulder during the flight, thanks to a sexy flight attendant named Sherri. She hooked him up with an extra pillow. Orton thanks the fans and tells them to keep sending well wishes to his email address. He will be back in no time! JR says he is holding his breath.

Next, Coach interviews Triple H. He says Hunter must defend his World Title in the most inhuman match in WWE’s history. Triple H says they deemed him the champ because he was the best. He beat everybody and overcame every obstacle over the past few months, but it wasn’t enough. Everyone envies him. Tonight, he will go against five of the best ever in the business. When it is over, he will walk out of MSG still the best, still the game, and still the champ, because he is that damn good! But for now, he has a first-class ticket to hell. Who is coming with him?

Bischoff created the Elimination Chamber by combining elements of the Royal Rumble, Survivor Series, and War Games. So, he comes out to explain the rules. The first four entrants will enter locked pods while the last two start the match. They will unlock the chambers in a random order every five minutes. You can eliminate your opponents by pin or submission. And the sole survivor claims the championship.

This leads to the entrances. Saliva performs Jericho’s “King of My World” theme from the World. Jericho, Booker, Kane, and Michaels enter the pods, and Triple H begins the match against RVD. On a side note, Shawn Michaels wears ugly brown tights and sports a ridiculous haircut. Apparently, they didn’t finish Shawn’s gear, but he wore it anyway.

Elimination Chamber Match for the World Title: Shawn Michaels vs. Booker T vs. Chris Jericho vs. Kane vs. Rob Van Dam vs. Triple H (c) (w/ Ric Flair)

Storyline: When Bischoff announced the competitors, he included Shawn Michaels. Eric gave him his chance at revenge if he desired it. Meanwhile, Hunter taunted Kane with a tape of Hunter dressed as Kane having sex with Katie Vick’s corpse. Hunter also interviewed the Katie mannequin, which led to Triple H vs. Kane in a Casket Match. HBK appeared from the casket, superkicked Hunter, and accepted Bischoff’s invitation. Shawn even helped Booker pin Hunter when Booker and Kane wrestled Hunter and Jericho. Later, Kane and RVD faced Christian and Jericho for the tag titles, but they disqualified Jericho for using a chair. A paranoid Jericho attacked everybody, including Christian, because Christian wanted to weasel his way into the Elimination Chamber. Plus, Booker fought Hunter, which ended with a wild brawl that saw Jericho stand tall. Finally, the participants competed in a ten-man tag, and Hunter pinned Kane with Flair’s help.

The Match: RVD sends Hunter onto the steel, rams him into the wall, and performs a Rolling Thunder over the ropes! Then he wants to leap off Jericho’s pod, but Jericho crotches him before entering the fray. Now Jericho and Triple H team up against RVD. He fights back, but Hunter scores a DDT as Booker emerges from his pod. Booker knocks everyone down, does a Spinaroonie, and trades heel kicks with RVD. He continues with a scissors kick on Hunter, but RVD retakes control. Rob lands a Five Star on Hunter from the top of a pod. It strikes Triple H’s throat, bruising his trachea! Before RVD can capitalize, Booker surprises him with a missile dropkick to eliminate Van Dam.

Kane joins next and takes out his opponents before smashing Jericho through a pod door. It bloodies Jericho, but Chris sneaks back to pin Booker after a Lionsault. This doesn’t deter Kane’s onslaught. Only a low blow and missile dropkick from Jericho does that. While this happens, HBK completes the field. Shawn, Hunter, and Jericho hit their finishers to get rid of Kane. Unfortunately for Shawn, Hunter and Jericho work together to bloody Michaels.

Shawn rallies and looks to piledrive Jericho on the metal floor, but Jericho backdrops him. Jericho follows with a bulldog and Lionsault, which earns two, much to Jericho’s chagrin. Afterward, Michaels moonsaults onto Chris and places him in the Walls of Jericho! However, Hunter breaks it with a DDT. The problem is that Jericho tries to steal the cover, so Hunter pulls him off, and they argue. Jericho locks Hunter in the Walls, but Shawn superkicks Jericho and pins him. This leaves Hunter and Shawn. Triple H keeps trying a Pedigree on the metal but settles for sending Shawn through a pod door. When Shawn recovers, Hunter catches a superkick and drops Shawn with a Pedigree, but a slow cover gets two! Once Shawn blocks a second attempt, he hits Sweet Chin Music for the three!

Thoughts: This seemed cursed. They had a lot going against them. Hunter got injured, and they messed up the entry order. Shawn should have come out in Kane’s spot, so they had to improvise. They worked around the shortcomings beautifully. Better Chamber matches happen after this, but they did fine for the first outing. Also, kudos to Triple H for working through his bruised trachea. He could barely breathe for much of this encounter.

Winner: Shawn Michaels (New Champion) (39:20)

JR and Lawler say that MSG and the world are on their feet for Shawn’s victory. Ross asks if you believe in miracles. Shawn believed in himself and his ability and survived the Elimination Chamber! As Shawn celebrates, confetti rains from the ceiling.

The Good:

• The main event

• Bubba, Spike, & Jeff vs. 3-Minute Warning & Rico

• Noble vs. Kidman

• Los Guerreros vs. Benoit & Angle vs. Edge & Rey

The Bad:

• Trish vs. Victoria

Performer of the Night:

I must give it to Triple H for working through a bruised trachea. He gained a reputation for powering through horrific injuries over the years.

Final Thoughts:

This was another outstanding PPV. Only the women’s match fell short, and even it wasn’t that bad. 2002 was a year where the in-ring quality constantly had to make up for questionable booking and creative decisions. They were lucky to have such a stacked roster after the WCW and ECW acquisitions.

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