Rebellion '02

Legacy Review

Rebellion '02

October 26, 2002 from the Manchester Evening News Arena in Manchester, England

 

Commentary: Michael Cole and Tazz

 

The UK exclusive PPVs are winding down. This will be the final fall one, and the next to last one ever. As usual with these shows having a short turnaround from regular PPVs, this is taking place just a week after No Mercy. Since the spring UK PPV was with the Raw roster just after the start of the brand split, tonight the UK fans are getting the Smackdown roster.

 

Whoever wrote the dialogue for the intro video deserves a raise. Very cool stage for this show, kind of playing off the Mancunian grunge indy music scene. SD GM Steph's music hits and she comes out to start the show with a "card subject to change" announcement. Brock Lesnar was originally supposed to defend the WWE Championship (in a handicap match teaming with Heyman) against the Undertaker, but Taker was back home in the US because his wife Sara was about to give birth. Edge is stepping in as a replacement. Steph also says that as part of the trade she just made earlier in the week to get Big Show from Raw, she's managed to get "the most exciting superstar on Raw" on the SD roster for one night only, Booker T.

 

Booker T def Matt Hardy Version 1 in 12:00- MATT FACTS: Matt loves English muffins (me too, though I rarely eat them). Matt's Version 1 entrance is still the best. And yes kids, that's what watching a video on the internet looked like in the days before Youtube. Minus the 10 minutes of buffering. Well, by 2002 that part had gotten better. Matt wants a knucklelock to start out, then pulls back when Booker goes for it. Now Booker offers a knucklelock and pulls away. After some more jockeying both guys agree to a regular lockup. Quick armdrag from Matt. Booker's almost amused. Another lockup and Booker cranks a headlock, then goes around into a hammerlock. Matt reverses. Speed run and shoulderblock standoff. More speed and we get hiptoss blocks, then Booker hits a clothesline. Dropkick and Matt goes to the floor for a think. Quick roll up from Matt back in for 2. Booker didn't appreciate the tights pull and starts laying in shots. Matt dodges a side kick and bails to the floor again. This time Booker follows and stays on Matt. Back in Matt hits a hot shot, followed by a swinging neckbreaker for 2. After some bland heel offense from Matt Booker does his corner floatover cradle for 2. Matt hits a uranage for 2. Booker fights out of a chinlock but runs into a back elbow. Legdrop from Matt. Hangman's neckbreaker for 2. During another chinlock Tazz is already out to lunch on commentary, and he'll be out there all show. I'll say it again, AEW Tazz is not new, it's who Tazz has always been on commentary. Booker comes back with a spinebuster. He lays into Matt with punches and chops. Forearm and superkick for 2. Spinning heel kick for 2. Matt gets a boot up in the corner. Booker dodges the legdrop off the second rope and goes up top. Missile dropkick for a long 2. Side kick from Booker. He loads up for the Spinaroonie. Matt stops him and hooks up for the Twist of Fate. Booker pushes free. Book End! Matt just gets a foot on the rope before 3! Twist of Fate! But Matt's too hurt to cover right away. When he does Booker just kicks out. Matt goes for another one. Booker twists free. Scissors kick! Booker gets the pin! Since it was cut off during the match Booker gives the crowd a Spinaroonie after the bell. Rock solid opener. Iron out a few rough patches and they definitely have a better match in them. **1/2

 

In the back, Heyman storms into Steph's office and complains how unfair it is he has to be in a handicap match with Brock's title on the line, tries the "I got busted open in Hell in a Cell last week" card, then when Steph rebuffs that gets desperate and says he didn't bring his wrestling gear and all he has is the $2500 suit he's wearing. Steph says that's $2500 down the drain. Heyman says "You're so much like your father" and walks out. Ha!

 

After that is a recap of the whole "Dawn Marie macking on Torrie's elderly dad" angle, which I went into enough for the No Mercy review and refuse to do so again. 

 

Billy Kidman & Torrie Wilson def John Cena & Dawn Marie in 5:22- Zero reaction for Cena, who's making just his second PPV appearance ever. He and Kidman teamed up in the WWE tag title tournament, but after losing in the first round Cena turned on Kidman to turn heel. The guys hold the women back at the bell because they want to tear into each other, then Cena attacks Kidman from behind. Speed run and Kidman hits a flying headscissors. He gets on Cena's shoulders, but Cena pushes him off down into the top rope. Cena gets Kidman up for a delayed suplex and shows off with some squats. Kidman takes advantage to get free and roll Cena up for 2. Big clothesline from Cena. Marie tags herself in and starts kicking Kidman. Guess guys vs girls is legal in this one. Kidman easily shrugs Marie's offense off, grabs her hair, and tags in Torrie. Kidman drapes Marie over his knee so Torrie can spank her. Someone in the crowd is getting off on that. Armdrag and basement dropkick from Torrie for 2. Marie gets a roll up for 2 and faceplants Torrie. Torrie rolls under, gets a double leg takedown and it's roll around cat fight time. Kidman decides to join the pile just because. The ref gets Kidman out, and Cena uses that opening to come in and slam Torrie. Marie hits some weak ass stomps and a "gut" headbutt. Torrie kicks Marie away, but she lands in her corner and tags out. Cena runs over and takes Kidman out so he can get Torrie on her own. Low blow from Torrie on Cena! Kidman tags in and hits a diving back elbow off the top rope. Dropkick for 2. Marie kicks Kidman in the back from the apron. Kidman grabs her and flips her in the ring, but then runs into a Cena spinebuster for 2. Kidman hits the flying bulldog for 2. Torrie tackles Marie and they fall out of the ring "fighting". Enzuguri from Kidman with a great delayed flop from Cena. Kidman goes up top. SSP! Pretty off target but still. That gets the pin. Happy Torrie plants one on Kidman after the bell. There's definitely some tongue in there. Either Torrie's a hell of a kissing actress or there was something real there because that was some legit making out. *1/2

 

Funaki def Crash in 5:36- Nice to see Crash still around, I figured after the retirement of the Hardcore title he had no purpose in life anymore. He does seem to have lost his mind though. Nice basic start with a lot of mirrored counters and stalemate. Funaki offers a handshake and Crash slaps it from behind. Crash then goes into hits tights and pulls out a headband with a rising sun logo on it, then goes into a bunch of mocking martial arts moves. Funaki waits for him to bow, then kicks him in the face. Smart. Deep armdrag from Funaki. Hiptoss and dropkick and Crash backs off and begs off. Now he offers a handshake. Funaki takes it, then kicks Crash. Funaki corner cradle for 2. Crash goes to the floor and pulls Funaki down with him. Apron elbow. Tazz, again, is off on his own planet somewhere. Cole calls him out on it. Tazz says he's just trying to have fun and entertain people. Cole: "Well we're three matches in, you want to start anytime soon?". DUDE. Tazz, taking it in stride, says Crash just hit Funaki with a stiff shot like he just took from his broadcast colleague. Springboard crossbody from Funaki. Crash rolls through it for 2, then hits a side suplex for 2. The headband is off! Guess Crash is serious now. And then he hooks on a chinlock. Devastating. Crash dodges a Funaki dropkick. Funaki kicks him from the mat and wraps up a small package for 2. Crash pops out and hits a HUGE clothesline. Funaki dodges in the corner and hits a bulldog. DDT and basement dropkick for 2. Inverted atomic drop from Crash. Funaki recovers to hit a clothesline for 2. They trade a couple of cradle near falls. Crash ducks an enzuguri and tries a magistral cradle. Funaki blocks it and pins Crash! Mildly fun character stuff but not much else. *3/4

 

Triple Threat Elimination Match for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship: Jamie Noble (c) (w/Nidia) def Rey Mysterio and Tajiri in 12:47- Noble and Nidia can't wait to get away from the UK and all the classless, stinky people and back to West Virginia, which is hilarious. Sorry West Virginia. I'd think complaining about the room temperature beer would be an easy way to go for them but they don't. Quick start with Noble shoving Mysterio off the apron and Tajiri attacking Noble from behind. Noble tosses Tajiri through the ropes to the floor, then catches Mysterio coming in. Mysterio backdrops Noble onto Tajiri on the floor! Running corkscrew plancha onto both guys! Tajiri keeps Mysterio from pinning Noble and attacks him. Just noticing Mysterio is wearing Spiderman gear tonight. Not full on, just slightly themed. Mysterio and Tajiri do some nice rapid fire counters. Mysterio takes Noble out while hitting a wheelbarrow bulldog on Tajiri, and covers Tajiri for 2. Northern lights suplex from Noble on Mysterio that Tajiri breaks up. Big chops from Tajiri on Noble. He hits the handspring elbow on both other guys. Tajiri puts Noble in the tree of woe and hits a baseball slide, then gets Mysterio in the tarantula. Noble gets planted with a Tajiri kick to the head. Tajiri sets up for the buzzsaw kick, but sees Mysterio behind him and superkicks him off the apron. That opens the door for Noble. Tiger Driver! Noble pins Tajiri to eliminate him. Mysterio crawls back in and Noble hooks him up to finish it. Mysterio counters into a hurricanrana with a cradle for 2. Running heel kick from Mysterio. He flying headscissors Noble into the corner, then goes up top. Noble catches him into a powerbomb for 2. Noble posts Mysterio's shoulder, then Nidia helps out by stretching Mysterio's shoulder on the post. Noble stays focused on the arm. He grinds Mysterio down and works a hammerlock. Mysterio tries to flip snap mare out but Noble rolls through and keeps the hold on. Elbow drop to the arm. Modified ARMBAR with a knucklelock from Noble. Mysterio tries to fight back but Noble kills him with a clothesline for 2. He gets right back on the arm. Noble runs Mysterio's shoulder into the corner and dropkicks it against the turnbuckle. Mysterio tries to kick back out of the corner. Noble gets Mysterio up for an electric chair. Mysterio twists around and hits a DDT! After the 10 count both guys slug it out. Mysterio hits a flapjack. Springboard guillotine legdrop for 2. Mysterio goes up top and hits a butt splash for 2. Noble hits a falcon arrow for 2. Mysterio hits a Code Red! Nidia immediately gets on the apron to distract Chioda. Mysterio drop toe holds Noble into the ropes. Noble's out of 619 position, but he does a good job of using Chioda to get right and make it look organic instead of staged. Doesn't matter anyway, because Nidia trips Mysterio on his run. Noble hits the Tiger Driver. Mysterio kicks out! Mysterio works around and looks like he's trying for a poisonrana. Noble blocks it, stacks Mysterio up, and gets a leverage assist from Nidia to get the pin! After the bell Mysterio hits a double 619 (1238?) on the couple for revenge. Very nice match, though the opening section with Tajiri seemed a little redundant as much as I love Tajiri. ***1/4

 

In the back, tag champs Angle and Benoit are still working on their team chemistry. 

 

D'Von & Ron Simmons def Chuck Palumbo & The Big Valbowski in 4:06- Lots of guys in transition in this match. D'Von was already out of his Reverend phase but hadn't gone back full Dudley yet. The APA was one of the many teams broken up in the spring in the brand split draft, and Simmons was wrestling under his real name for the first time in WWE instead of as Faarooq. Billy & Chuck had just split up and Palumbo got his last name back, as well as I assume his original sexual orientation. The former Val Venis was a redundant hanger on post Attitude Era and would soon be repackaged under his real name, Sean Morley. Jump start by the D'Von/Simmons team, who are the heels here. Simmons hits a powerslam on Palumbo but the ref is getting Venis out of the ring and is late on the count. Abdominal stretch from Simmons. Palumbo gets free, hits a belly to belly suplex, and tags. So does Simmons. Clotheslines and a backdrop from Venis. He plants D'Von with a side slam for 2. Simmons gets fought off and Venis hits a double underhook suplex. Simmons gets back in and plants Venis with a spinebuster, sending Venis in peril. D'Von hits the flying back elbow. On some rear chinlock working Venis crotches Simmons and both sides tag. Hot tag run from Palumbo. He jabs D'Von down as we go full DONNYBROOK. Double hiptoss on D'Von. Palumbo tries his jabs on Simmons but he's less amused. Or affected. Palumbo hits Simmons with another belly to belly. Superkick on D'Von for 2. Simmons hits Palumbo from the floor, and D'Von rolls Palumbo up with a handful of tights for the pin. Not a lot happening here. 1/2*

 

Kiss My Ass Match: Rikishi def Albert in 7:15- Albert's chest and stomach need a razor as bad as his back does right now. Big meaty lockup! We get a couple of shoulderblock standoffs. Rikishi flips the script and hits a clothesline. As Albert's coming off the ropes Rikishi ducks down for Albert to run into his ass. Albert sees, quickly hits the brakes and bails. After some thinking time Albert wants a test of strength. Headbutt tradeoff that somehow Albert wins. Against a Samoan. Is his skull loaded? He pounds Rikishi down in the corner. While ref Jimmy Korderas is with Rikishi Albert takes a top turnbuckle pad off. He then whips Rikishi into it and avalanches him against it. Cover for 2. Chinlock with rope leverage from Albert. They go to arm drops and Rikishi fights back up. Albert forearms in the back and pulls him back down by the hair. Double clothesline. After both guys stagger back up Rikishi gets some momentum with jabs and hits a Samoan drop. DDT from Rikishi for 2. Bicycle kick from Albert for 2. Albert charges the corner again but this time Rikishi moves and Albert takes the exposed buckle. Superkick. Rikishi hits the Banzai drop and it's over. What you'd expect. 1/4*

 

After the bell Albert tries to leave without fulfilling the match stipulations. Rikishi gets a mic and reminds him. Korderas then takes the mic and says Albert has until the count of 10 to get back in the ring or he's SUSPENDED. WITHOUT PAY. Albert gets back in but he's not happy about it. He gets down on one knee....then low blows Rikishi when he turns around. Albert goes to stinkface Rikishi. Low blow from Rikishi to cut that off and Albert takes the stinkface. Rikishi then gets the mic and says he's not leaving before he busts a move, and he wants the SD announce team to join him. Cole and Tazz join him in the ring, then Tazz says they need ALL the announcers! That means you, Chimel. All four guys take positions, the music starts, and the less said about after the better. With the combination of that hat and suit Chimel looks like a '20s mobster. Typical make the crowd happy house show stuff. 

 

WWE Tag Team Championship: Kurt Angle & Chris Benoit (c) def Los Guerreros in 16:35- The reluctant team of Angle & Benoit took out the Guerreros in the semifinals of the tournament to crown the inaugural champions for this new title, then defeated Edge & Rey Mysterio in the finals at No Mercy in an all time classic. This is also just the start of a long on again, off again feud Angle (and his future proxies Team Angle) will have with the Guerreros over the next year or so. The UK crowd doesn't seem to give a damn about the Guerreros one way or another but they LOVE Angle and Benoit. Both teams jockey around and posture a lot after the bell. Angle eventually makes the call he's starting and Benoit says OK. Eddie gets in with Angle. Then backs off and tags out to Chavo. See, this is where the Guerreros' usual mind games have been backfiring the last few weeks. All they've accomplished is uniting Angle and Benoit in anger and irritation over the Guerreros' attempts to annoy them. Angle and Chavo lock up and we're on. Quick headlock takedown from Angle. Angle hiptosses Chavo and hits a backdrop. Eddie runs in, but right into a back elbow. The Guerreros roll out to rethink as Benoit aggressively tags himself in to Angle's chagrin. The crowd starts loudly chanting "We want Angle", leaving little doubt who the local favorite in this match is. Benoit and Eddie work some nice basic stuff in the ring. After a speed run Benoit hits a tiltawhirl backbreaker. Chavo runs in and takes a chop. Angle tags back in to a pop and the champs pound Eddie in their corner. Eddie fires back with a back elbow and tags out. European uppercut from Chavo on Angle. Quick Angle duck under into a German suplex! While Angle's bragging to Benoit about that Eddie nails him from behind. Benoit comes in and Germans Eddie! The champs get into a shoving match with each other, then turn and German both Guerreros! Eddie doesn't look right at all after that. Angle kicks him out of the ring and the ref throws up an X. That's not good. Angle goes over to Chavo and flips him into the ring. Snap suplex on Chavo while Benoit stomps on Eddie on the floor. Eddie can't be hurt that bad then. Chavo fights back on Benoit and tags out to Eddie, who'd crawled back up on the apron. Yeah, he's fine. Crazy stomps from Eddie in the corner. When the ref backs him off Chavo chokes Benoit. Eddie runs Benoit into an exposed top turnbuckle, the same one that was exposed from the last match. Wonder if the pad was never put back on, I honestly didn't notice. Back suplex from Eddie as we get another "We want Angle" chant. Benoit and Chavo exchange chops. Benoit arm takedown on Chavo into a crossface attempt! Chavo fights and gets to the ropes before it's on, then he tights pulls Benoit out to the floor. Eddie hops down and suplexes Benoit on the floor. Slingshot senton from Eddie for 2. He hooks Benoit up in the Gory Special. Benoit slides free and gets a sunset flip for 2. Clothesline from Eddie to put Benoit back down. More Euro uppercuts from Chavo. Benoit ducks one and backslides Chavo. Eddie breaks the pin up. Back suplex from Chavo. Benoit manages to front backdrop Eddie and gives him a powerbomb, but he's still in the wrong half of the ring and Chavo clotheslines him from the apron. Chavo tags in...right into the crossface! Eddie comes into break it up and Angle comes in to break him up. Eddie goes up top. Benoit dodges and Eddie frog splashes Chavo! Tag to Angle! Huge clotheslines on Eddie. Backdrop. Chavo gets planted with a German. Belly to belly suplex on Eddie for 2. Chavo gets Angle with a dropkick but gets jumped by Benoit as things really start to break down. Benoit German on Chavo. He tries for rolling Germans but Eddie breaks it up and takes his own German for his trouble. Benoit goes up top. Headbutt off the top on Eddie! Angle crawls over and covers. Chavo just barely breaks it up! Brain buster from Chavo on Angle, then he Cactus clotheslines Benoit out. Eddie covers Angle for 2, then goes up top. Angle run up! Guerrero blocks the suplex and pushes him back down! FROG SPLASH! Benoit saves the pin and puts the crossface on Eddie! Chavo breaks that up. Benoit dumps Chavo over the top to the floor. Eddie slips out of an Angle Slam attempt and pushes Angle into Benoit. That sets them off again. Eddie dropkicks Angle from behind (that's not pulled off every well). He wraps Angle up in the Lasso from El Paso (a modified cloverleaf). Oh, the ref's down on the floor. Didn't even see a ref bump in all the madness there. Angle gets free and puts the ankle lock on! Eddie's tapping but there's no ref. Chavo comes in and hits (taps) Angle with one of the tag belts. Eddie covers and Chavo gets the ref back in. Angle kicks out! Chavo tells Eddie to hold Angle and goes up top. Benoit pushes Chavo off down to the floor, then snaps Eddie over the top rope. Angle Slam! Angle gets the pin to retain! Four guys that could have a good match with each other (or pretty much anyone) in their sleep doing what they do. ***3/4

 

In the back, Heyman is doing push ups about as well as I would. Lesnar tells Heyman if Edge beats him to cost Brock the title he will "bust you in half". 

 

Handicap Match for the WWE Championship: Brock Lesnar (c) & Paul Heyman def Edge in 18:50- Edge's main event preparation education continues. Heyman's dressed like he normally would if he was just managing, lanyard and all. The only difference is his fists are taped up. On his entrance we get a close up of Lesnar's stitches from the HIAC match with Taker. Heyman hides on the apron in the corner while Lesnar starts the match. Lesnar goes full Macho Man on Elizabeth, directing Heyman exactly where to stand. Lockup that Lesnar easily wins. Edge ducks another lockup to try to annoy Lesnar. Then does it again and mocks Lesnar's little jump. Lesnar lifts Edge up and rams him into the corner! I don't think that was a good idea on Edge's part. Edge gets a back elbow, drop toe holds Lesnar into the corner and dropkicks him to the floor. Heyman runs over to try to calm Lesnar down. Back in Edge goes into dodge mode again, flipping out of a backdrop attempt to cradle Lesnar for 2. Another cradle off a press slam attempt. Lesnar clubbing blows put Edge back down. Edge grabs the ropes to stop, mocks Lesnar's flexing, and low bridges Lesnar back down to the floor. Now Brock's PISSED, taking it out on the stairs. Edge goes out and attacks Lesnar from behind. Lesnar's power overwhelms him, but Edge manages to whip Lesnar into the post. As he's getting back in Heyman grabs Edge's leg to pin him down. It's legal tonight. Lesnar pounds Edge and Heyman dances around the ring celebrating what he did! Fantastic. Spinning heel kick from Edge. He spears Heyman off the apron! Lesnar belly to belly suplex on Edge. He goes back to the floor and drags Edge out with him. Post shot for Edge's back. Back in Lesnar hits his big deadlift backbreaker. Again Edge tries to slug back but runs and bounces off the brick wall that is Lesnar. More Lesnar punishment to Edge's back. Lesnar puts on his idea of a Boston crab. That's a new one. Edge gets to the ropes. Chinlock from Lesnar with his knee in Edge's back. Arm drops and Edge fights back up. Lesnar catches a crossbody attempt, but Edge works around into a roll up for 2. Clothesline from Lesnar for 2. He hooks on that reverse bear hug on the mat he used to "retire" (temporarily) Hulk Hogan. Edge slowly crawls to the ropes. When he's almost there Lesnar turns him over into a bridge for 2, then cranks on the hug some more. Again we go to arm drops as Edge looks like dead weight. But it's not over yet. Lesnar backs Edge into the corner to cut off him fighting back. Edge dodges around and manages to dropkick Lesnar into the corner! He takes a second to baseball slide Heyman, but again switching focus backfires as Lesnar hits a spinebuster for 2. More big corner shoulderblocks from Lesnar. Edge dodges and Lesnar goes into the post! Roll up for 2. Edge tries clotheslines that have zero effect on Lesnar. Flying forearm from Edge that puts Lesnar down. He goes for a spinning heel kick but Lesnar catches him! Edge uses that position to work Lesnar around into a faceplant! Reverse DDT for 2. Edge clotheslines Lesnar 360 to the floor. Heyman's on the apron. Big mistake. Edge flips him into the ring! Remember, handicap match so Heyman's legal. Edge double ax handle off the top! He covers Heyman. Lesnar just barely pulls Edge off before 3! Edge goes up top and dives down onto Lesnar on the floor. He slides Lesnar back in and goes up top again. Missile dropkick! Lesnar kicks out! Edge goes up top again. Lesnar ducks and Edge crossbodys Chioda! F5....NO Edge counters into the Edgecution! Cover but no ref. Heyman slides a chair to Lesnar, then distracts Edge. Edge ducks the chair swing. Spear to Lesnar! Lesnar kicks out! Edge goes up again, but Lesnar still has the chair. Chair to Edge's gut as he comes off the top rope! F5! Heyman gets Chioda back in and Lesnar gets the pin to retain. Well done by everyone involved. Smart layout with the handicap stipulation actually being a negative for Lesnar and Heyman instead of a positive. Lesnar and Edge worked great together too. I've seen this compared to the Sting/Vader playbook, which has some truth in it. I also get vibes of the Flair/Giant matches in WCW. ***1/2

 

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- Stop me if you've heard me say this before: it's a UK house show on PPV. Fortunately I'll only have to say that one more time after this. Still, the last two matches deliver enough to get this up to average, which is pretty good by usual UK PPV standards.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: C