No Way Out '02

Legacy Review

No Way Out '02

February 17, 2002 from the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, WI

 

Commentary: Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler

 

We're on the road to Wrestlemania 18, and this year's will be one of the bumpy, windy ones. A full on road course even, with several hairpin turns. The intro video for this show has been cut off the Peacock copy, I'd assume due to music rights issues. The stage is made up of two 18 wheelers that are being used as projection screens for what would usually be the trons, which is an interesting choice. 50/50 WWF co-owners Vince McMahon and Ric Flair had a match at the Royal Rumble that Flair won, which sent Vince off the deep end. Even more than usual. In the weeks that followed he came to the conclusion that the only way to "save" his creation was to kill it off entirely, and to that end he was going to inject a "LETHAL DOSE OF POISON" into the company. As he made that declaration he turned around the chair he was sitting in to show on the back was......the NWO logo. They're coming, and they're coming tonight.

 

The show starts right up with the NWO's music and they make their way out. This is the original NWO trio of Hollywood Hogan, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall. All ex-WWF guys, but most notable is Hogan making his return, his first WWF appearance since losing to Yokozuna and his trick photographer at King of the Ring '93. All three guys look genuinely happy to be there, with Nash especially looking very emotional. Didn't know he had it in him. Nash talks first and says "You wouldn't believe how much heat we have with the boys backstage". Oh great, we're still doing the insider talk stuff then. That stopped being cool and edgy years ago. He takes offense at all the horrible things people have said about the NWO and plays up to the fans, saying all they want is a clean slate. Hall then takes the mic and drops the "Hey yo". He says they're not the bad guys, but "a bunch of marks" just like you. Please stop with that stuff. Hall says they don't want any trouble, just to have a chance to sign some autographs and drink some beers with the boys (not Hall, as the other two make clear, which is a bit funny but also very true). Hogan then takes the mic and the crowd makes it clear he's the one they wanted to see. He says they're not here to kill the WWF, they're here to make it better and all they want from the fans is a chance. He then thanks Vince for giving the NWO that chance, which gets some boos. "God bless Vince McMahon, God bless all of you and God bless America". They all hug, pose and end scene. Well that didn't come off all that well. It's so obvious it's just a setup for them to turn into what we all expected them to be later.

 

WWF Tag Team Championship #1 Contenders Tag Team Turmoil Match- The winners of this match, in theory, will get a tag title shot at WM. Opening up are two fairly newly formed randomish teams: Scotty2Hotty and Albert against the Canadian team of Lance Storm and Christian (right back in the tag ranks mere months after breaking up with Edge). Scotty and Storm start with some basics. After a counter sequence Scotty gets a roll up for 2. Albert tags in, gorilla presses Storm, then catches Christian coming in and gives him the giant swing. Bicycle kick on Storm for 2. The Canadians use distraction and double teams to get Albert down. Double clothesline from Albert. Christian accidentally backdrops his own partner over the top to the floor, then he and Scotty counter each other's signature move setups. Albert goes for a double squash avalanche but the Canadians dodge, then clothesline Albert 360 to the floor with Storm also going with him. Scotty runs in and gets Christian down in the drop zone. The W O R M is cut off by Storm! Christian hits the Unprettier and pins Scotty to move on. The next team out is the Hardy Boyz. They charge in and we're quickly donnybrooking. The Hardyz double faceplant Christian. Matt goes for the second rope legdrop but Storm knocks him off. That lets the Canadians get Matt trapped in their half of the ring. Matt gets Christian with a hot shot and tags out to Jeff. Hot tag run from Jeff. Storm takes the low blow legdrop. Russian leg sweep from Jeff into a stack up for 2 as everyone starts brawling again. Storm drop toe holds Jeff into the half crab! So smooth. Matt comes in to break it up. He goes for the Twist of Fate but Christian cuts that off. Storm accidentally dropkicks Christian! Twist of Fate/Swanton Bomb combo on Storm and the Canadians are out. Next up, the Dudley Boyz. One more time for these forever rivals. Quick Poetry in Motion on Bubba Ray. They try for one on D'Von but Bubba Ray cuts it off and they get Jeff in peril. Bubba Ray gets Jeff down and puts him into a unique new quasi-figure four somewhat Indian Death Lock type hold that Matt quickly breaks up. Back elbow from D'Von for 2. Jeff dodges a Bubba Ray senton off the second rope. Both sides tag and Matt runs wild. He hits the legdrop off the second rope on D'Von for 2 as we go EVERYONE IN THE POOL again. Matt sets up for a Twist of Fate on Bubba Ray. Stacy Keibler comes in and pulls him off by the hair! Lita spear on Stacy! Bubba Bomb on Matt! Lita hurricanrana off the top rope on Bubba Ray! He goes to the floor and Jeff hits him with a senton off the top! Matt rolls up D'Von with a handful of tights....er, pants and gets the pin! The Dudleyz 3D Jeff on the floor on their way out for some revenge. Next up, the quickly ascending new team of Billy and Chuck, making their PPV debut as a team. Matt tries to fight alone but the numbers quickly become too much. Superkick from Chuck. Billy hits the Fameasser and gets a quick pin. Our final team in this match is the APA. Another quick 2v2 brawl outside and inside the ring. Faarooq hits a tackle off the second rope on Chuck for 2. Bradshaw comes in and absolutely unloads on Chuck with some seriously stiff shots. We don't take kindly to your type around here.... Billy's pigtails don't help any I'm sure. Chuck manages to slug back and get Bradshaw down. Fallaway slam from Bradshaw. Double tackle from the APA for 2. Billy comes in and neckbreakers Faarooq. Faarooq tries to fight out but B&C get him stuck in their corner. Billy runs into a spinebuster and Faarooq tags out. Big boot from Bradshaw on Chuck. Corner clotheslines and Chuck gets tossed over the top to the floor. Clothesline from Hell on Billy and the APA get the win and, theoretically, the WM title shot! Which they would get, but in a four way match with three of the other teams that lost in this match, one of which will win the tag titles between now and WM (I'll leave you in suspense which team for now). Which made this whole exercise kind of pointless. Still, not too shabby a match overall. The Hardyz/Dudleyz portion was their usual goodness and APA definitely brought the stiffness for their final segment. **3/4

 

In the back with Michael Cole, WWF co-owner Flair thinks the NWO aren't on the up and up. Gee, I wonder why. Taker interrupts and warns Flair he's got his eye on him. 

 

Rob Van Dam def Goldust in 12:15- This is one of those old school Goldust feuds where Goldust has been "showing interest" in his opponent, but minus the obvious homosexual vibes from those early Goldust days. Lawler mentions he doesn't like watching movies "in that letterbox way" at home which doesn't surprise me a bit. Back in those early DVD days I would preach to all my friends how widescreen was the correct way and fullscreen was for fools, to the point they'd be sick of me banging on about it. But I was right, as now everything is in its correct aspect ratio and every damn TV show has gone cinematic widescreen now. Anyway, Goldust jumps RVD as soon as he's in the ring and clotheslines him 360 right back out. Back in RVD goes to the educated feet to turn things around. The corner shoulderblocks plus backflip hit. Cartwheel moonsault for 2. Goldust bails to the floor and chest puffs at RVD. He stalls on the floor and decides he's had enough of this and starts to leave, then changes his mind and slowly walks back. Lawler says his favorite movie line is from American Pie. Another not shocked. But I loved that movie too back then, I was most definitely in the right age demographic. Again anyway, RVD has enough of Goldust's stalling and attacks him on the floor. The spinning legdrop off the apron hits. A knee to the head from Goldust puts RVD off the apron back to the floor, then Goldust hits an elbow off the second rope down to the floor. JR: "I wonder if that was a bionic elbow. Probably not". Wild and fairly stiff punches from Goldust on the floor. Back in Goldust hits a hip attack (with more ass than hip) for 2. More pretty straight and stiff looking punches from Goldust and he stretches RVD across the top of the corner. He slingshots RVD throat first into the top rope. Running kneedrop for 2. Another slingshot into the ropes and this time he lets RVD fall back first onto his knees. Goldust goes to some wear down chinlocks and drops on RVD's back to keep him down. After a couple of those RVD turns around and Godust crotches himself on RVD's knees, but he quickly comes back with a clothesline for 2. RVD blocks a hiptoss into a backslide for a long 2. Quick kick from RVD and both guys are down. Spinning heel kick from RVD. Handspring monkey flip, RVD springs up top and hits a flying kick for 2. Rolling thunder hits for 2. Goldust ducks down and hits the uppercut from the mat, but RVD shrugs it off and counters with a quick senton. He goes up top again. Goldust dodges the frog splash! DDT from Goldust! RVD just kicks out! Goldust hooks up for the Curtain Call. RVD flips over and hits another heel kick for 2. They exchange some shots and RVD counters a Goldust bulldog attempt. Another heel kick and RVD springs up top again. FIVE STAR FROG SPLASH! That gets the pin. Another rock solid match. It was a bit dangerous letting Goldust control so much, but old Dustin looked as good as he had in years and RVD got his stuff in. **3/4

 

In the back, Austin walks right into the NWO. Hall offers a peace offering, some ice cold Steveweisers from the NWO. Uh, should Hall even be touching those? Knock him right back off the wagon. Austin's not thirsty and tosses them away. The NWO lets him pass without incident. Guess they're playing the long game.

 

WWF Tag Team Championship: Spike Dudley & Tazz (c) def Booker T & Test in 7:58- Test and Booker were teammates in the Alliance during the Invasion so this isn't a completely random team up. They also held one or other of the tag titles during the Invasion but hell, who didn't. After getting firmly and completely buried during the Invasion for the simple crime of being the final proper WCW World champion Booker's going to be stuck in the tag division and middest of the midcard for a while now. Another jump start. Jeez, what is this, the Attitude Era? Test pounds on Tazz in the ring. Tazz comes back with a back elbow and clothesline. Tag to Spike and he hits a missile dropkick off the top. Test tries for a powerbomb but Spike punches out. Then Spike counters a press slam into a roll up, but Booker has ref Jack Doan distracted. Clothesline from Test and he pounds Spike on the mat. Test holds Spike up in a Hart Attack like position and Booker hits a side kick. Chops from Booker on Spike. The heels work Tazz and his quick temper to double team. Corner clotheslines from Test. Spike dodges a Test elbow drop. He goes for the Dudley Dog but Test dumps him over the top to the floor. Booker hits the scissors kick and we get a spinaroonie. Cover and Tazz breaks the pin up as JR continues to try to figure out what the spinaroonie is supposed to accomplish. Spike uses Booker putting him on the second rope to hit a DDT. Tags on both sides and Tazz runs wild. Northern lights suplex on Booker for 2. He ducks Test's big boot of death, dumps Booker over the top to the floor, and tries for a Tazzmission but Test headbutts free. Spike comes in and hits the Dudley Dog! Tazz covers for 2. Test tries for an illegal leverage pin the corner but Doan catches him. Test doesn't like that and gets in a shoving match with Doan. The Tazzmission is on! Test taps out! Decentish. **

 

So there's no more suspense, it would be Billy & Chuck that win the tag titles on the Smackdown after this show, their first tag title win and they'd carry them to WM, the start of their run as the dominant team in the division for most of the year. 

 

Brass Knuckles on a Pole Match for the WWF Intercontinental Championship: William Regal (c) def Edge in 11:18- Putting a bow on this fairly long running feud before everyone moves on for WM. After months of trying Regal finally took the title from Edge at the Rumble thanks to the POWER OF THE PUNCH, aka brass knuckles. Because of that, we're putting the knucks on the good old pole tonight. Usual rules, whoever gets the object off the pole can legally use it in the match. Before he gets in the ring ref Jimmy Korderas wants to make sure Regal doesn't have the backup knucks anywhere. While that's going on we get another jump start as Edge couldn't wait. He pounds Regal all around ringside. Clothesline and suplex from Edge back in the ring. Backdrop for 2. He goes for the pole but Regal hits him from behind. Regal then climbs but gets pulled back down. Dropkick from Edge. Regal tries to momentum toss Edge over the top but Edge lands on the apron and goes for the pole. Regal just stops him before he gets the knucks. Some more ringside and crowd brawling follows. Edge goes for the knucks, fights Regal off, then says the hell with it and hits a missile dropkick instead for 2. Regal lifts Edge and drops him gut first on the top rope. Abdominal stretch from Regal with the rope leverage game. Edge hiptosses out and tosses him out to the floor. Edge climbs again. Regal pushes him off the top rope down into the barricade! Double underhook powerbomb on the floor from Regal. Back in Regal hooks on the Regal Stretch. Edge has blood in his mouth but I'm pretty sure that's capsule blood for drama, nothing real. Edge slowly drags himself over and gets a rope break. Another double underhook powerbomb from Regal for 2. Regal turns, smiles, and decides its time for the knucks. Edge crotches Regal on the top rope! Regal lifts Edge up for a powerbomb on the apron but neither of them can hold their grip or balance and they both tumble down to the floor. Oof. Not good. We get a replay and it looks like Regal lost his grip and dropped Edge, then fell down himself. Edge slowly drags himself back in the ring and up the pole. Regal cuts him off from the apron. He punches Edge down into the ring and Regal gets the knucks! Edge goes up and back suplexes him off the ropes. The knucks are down in the ring. Edge tries to get the knucks but Regal kicks them away. Edge DDTs Regal for 2. Spear! Edge goes out to get the knucks and puts them on. Regal low blows Edge and hits him with the backup knucks! Knew they were in there somewhere. Like the Rumble, I don't know where Regal was keeping them. That gets Regal the pin to retain. Not too great a match to start with but that botch off the apron really hurt too. *3/4

 

The Rock def The Undertaker in 18:20- Pretty textbook "these two top guys have nothing else going on right now, throw them together" match before their separate WM programs begin. Taker already teased his earlier tonight. That's not to say there's no feud at all. After the Rumble Rock mocked Taker for getting eliminated by Maven, which set heel "everybody better respect me or else" Taker off. As part of the build Rock helped Maven beat Taker for the Hardcore title. After that Taker Tombstoned Rock on top of a limo. Rock charges in and guess what, jump start again. Did someone sneak Russo back in the building? Rock fights off a goozle but runs into a Taker big boot for 2. Rock hits a really sloppy swinging neckbreaker but Taker is quickly back on top. Rock takes advantage of Taker stalking the ref trying to get Taker out of the corner to slug back. Taker cuts it off again with a side suplex for 2. Taker slows things down already with a chinlock. After Rock fights back up Taker hits some knees to the gut and an elbow. Rock ducks another big boot near the ropes and clotheslines Taker out to the floor. During the usual ringside knockaround Rock eyes the Spanish announce table. Taker gives Rock a stair shot, looks at the Spanish table and goes "Yeah, I can use that". First he crotches Rock on the barricade, then sits down on the stairs and lets him know about it. He punches Rock over the barricade and it's crowd brawl time. The Spanish announce table sitting over there "So, we're not doing this then?". Back to the ring and Taker hits elbows on the apron, then an apron legdrop. Cover for 2. Another Rock comeback is cut off with a huge Shinya Hashimoto like leaping DDT from Taker. Another cover for 2. Taker hooks on a bear hug. Well this is different. Rock slowly fades down. After arm drops Rock fights back up and hits a flying clothesline. Stand up slugfest. Rock finally gets some momentum and hits a DDT. Spinebuster! Elbow pad off. Taker cuts off the People's Elbow with a goozle! Low blow from Rock to get free! Smackdown punches in the corner. Taker wrings Rock's arm into another goozle. Chokeslam! But Taker's slow to cover because of the damage received and Rock kicks out. Taker goes out and sits on his bike. Ref Mike Chioda goes out to see what's what and Taker throws him into the stairs! Guess that was the plan. Taker then gets his trusty lead pipe out from his bike. Flair runs out! He attacks Taker! Taker no sells a chop and kicks Flair right in the face. Rock ducks a pipe shot. World's Shittiest Sharpshooter! Chioda is up and back in. Now Vince runs out. He distracts the ref. Rock releases the hold and flips Vince in the ring. Smackdown punches for Vince! Taker hits Rock from behind and scoops him up. Flair hits a pipe shot on Taker! Rock Bottom! Rock gets the pin! Flair leaves with Taker's pipe. That's not over. OKish match that took forever to really get going, and when it did the runs ins happened. Easily Rock's weakest PPV match in a long time. **1/4

 

One month after his big WWF return Mr. Perfect has been relegated to the WWF New York stand up segment. They tried with him in the Rumble, giving him a late run, but he's just not peak Perfect anymore. Far from it.

 

The next match is going to need a bit of a setup. Triple H came back from injury as a full face, but during the time he was out Steph had gone full evil again, so they weren't compatible anymore. Trips started to break it off, but Steph convinced him to stay by telling him she was pregnant and they agreed to renew their vows instead. But a tape from Linda McMahon proved to Trips it was all a RUSE and Steph was never pregnant. After that Trips used the vow renewal to break up with Steph entirely, which gave us the famous angry Steph roaring moment. In revenge, Vince has appointed Steph as the special guest ref for this match.

 

Ironically despite what's happening on screen Trips and Steph had gotten closer than ever during his injury recuperation and were a very solid real life couple by this point. 

 

For the Undisputed WWF Championship Match at Wrestlemania: Kurt Angle def Triple H in 14:55- Angle was the last one eliminated by Trips when he won the Rumble so he's the one getting this shot as the McMahons screw with HHH. Don't have any illusions about what the real feud is here. Steph comes out first to Trips' old pre-Game music. She has words with Fink and he corrects himself, it's just Stephanie McMahon. No more Helmsley. The YOU SUCK chant for Angle with his music is here! I honestly thought that started later in the year after or during his Edge feud. It's pretty amazing no one is referencing the old love triangle between these three from the summer of 2000, especially with Steph openly being on Angle's side. While Steph is reminding HHH she's the ref Angle sneaks behind and tries to roll him up. More flash cradles from Angle but HHH counters them all before Steph can count. Angle pounds HHH down in the corner with Steph cheering him on. HHH pops out with a clothesline and stomps Angle down in another corner. Short clothesline from HHH. Angle grabs HHH's arm and pulls him into a back suplex. HHH ducks and Angle clotheslines Steph over the top rope to the floor! Man, he was going full speed on that. Huge pop from the crowd for that too. Timekeeper Mark Yeaton checks on Steph as she's dead on the floor. A group of refs run in to check on her as HHH clotheslines Angle to the floor on the other side of the ring. He looks down at Steph not really caring. Angle comes back in with chops. Swinging neckbreaker from HHH as Steph is carried out and Tim White takes the match over. HHH puts Angle in the corner, climbs up, and waves at Steph before commencing mounted punches. Angle ducks under and goes to ROLLING GERMANS. HHH tries to block but Angle hits all three and covers for 2. Back elbow from Angle for 2. An "Angle sucks" chant distracts Angle and HHH takes advantage of it. Angle hits a belly to belly suplex! Cover for 2. Another belly to belly for 2. A third. Sleeper from Angle! HHH slowly fades down, but gets back up at just one arm drop and tries to back Angle into the corner to get free. That doesn't work, so HHH runs him forward instead. That works. HHH uses Angle mounted punches to powerbomb him. Angle ducks a clothesline but HHH hits the high knee. Spinebuster from HHH for 2. Facebuster for 2. Angle backs up and begs off, going all the way to the floor. As they go back in the ring Angle straight up hits Tim White in the back of the head! HHH hits a hangman's neckbreaker then goes to check on White. Low blow from Angle. Angle Slam! Steph runs back in to count. HHH kicks out! Far from fast counting, Steph's actually counting slow. Guess it's her hurt neck. The straps are down! Angle's, not Steph's. Wouldn't that be something. Ankle lock! HHH quickly counters and Angle squashes Steph in the corner. She's out again. Kick wham DDT from HHH. Cover but both refs in the ring are down. HHH drags White back up. Angle hits HHH from behind and that sends White tumbling out to the floor. This is getting ridiculous. Another German from Angle. Angle goes out and gets a chair. HHH ducks a chairshot. Pedigree! White drags himself back in to count. Steph elbow drops White! Then kicks him in the general area of his crotch. HHH stares her down. He grabs Steph and sets her up for a Pedigree! Chairshots from Angle! Angle Slam! Angle covers and gets the pin, winning the WM title shot. There's almost no way for HHH and Angle to have a bad match, but this damn sure tried with all the Steph and ref shenanigans. Fortunately the talent of the guys involved still made it just about work. It would also all be rendered meaningless the next night on Raw, as HHH got a rematch and won his title shot back. I said the road to WM would be a curvy one this year. ***

 

Elsewhere, the NWO storm into the Rock's locker room. Hogan says Rock is "my son's favorite wrestler".  Hall takes a picture of Rock and Hogan with his disposable camera (remember those?). Hogan then says "So much for the people's taste". Rock takes issue with that and goes into a detailed explanation of the journey that camera can take across all three guy's posteriors. The best part is Rock completely destroying the old Diesel character with his mocking little "honk honk".

 

Undisputed WWF Championship: Chris Jericho (c) def "Stone Cold" Steve Austin in 22:24- I genuinely wonder how much of a chance people thought Austin had at the time, I really can't remember. Angle's win definitely would have put a bit more doubt into this as to what the final WM setup would be. Angle/Jericho was pretty much a non-starter because they didn't have the combined star power for a WM main event yet, and Angle had gone back heel after the Invasion. Austin/Angle was unlikely because they'd faced each other so much in '01, but Austin/HHH was pretty plausible even with both guys currently faces. Commentary straight up talks about Jericho being a transitional champion, which is a perfect nutshell for how this title reign went. They go nose to nose after the bell and discuss things. Jericho gets ahead of Austin by telling Austin he's #1. Austin, naturally, responds with the same. Lockup! About time tonight. Neither guy gets an early edge. Jericho hits the first punch, which almost amuses Austin. Austin hits some shots and tosses Jericho out to the floor. Speed run coming back in and Austin hits a back elbow. Chops in the corner from Austin. Lots of chops. He then gives Jericho a ton of buckle shots all the way down the corner. Suplex from Austin. Another one. More chops in the corner. Jericho's going to have full on hamburger chest. Jericho turns things around with a swinging neckbreaker and hits some chops of his own. He tries coming off the top rope but Austin catches him coming down, then 360 clotheslines him to the floor. Yet more chops from Austin on the floor. Back in Austin hits some corner shoulderblocks. Jericho dodges on the other side and Austin goes shoulder first into the post. Austin actually walks halfway up the aisle trying to get some space and shake his arm off, but ambushes Jericho when he gets close. Attitude Era style stage brawl time. Austin tosses Jericho into both 18 wheelers in the stage. He continues knocking Jericho around coming back down the aisle. Jericho drops Austin on the barricade ringside. Back in Jericho goes up top but Austin hits the ropes to crotch him. More chops and Austin hits a superplex. He puts Jericho back up top on the opposite side and hits another superplex. Austin then puts Jericho up in another corner. We're going for all four corners. The third one hits! Austin's wearing down, that one didn't land very well. Austin seems to agree, as he doesn't go for corner #4 and covers Jericho instead. He whips Jericho back and forth across the corners, then pops out with a clothesline when Jericho tries to reverse. Jericho tries to hide behind Hebner, then hits a sneaky low blow on Austin. He pounds away on Austin on the mat and hits more chops in the corner. Austin ducks under and tries a kick, but Jericho grabs it for a leg takedown into a Walls attempt. Austin fights it off before it's on. Jericho chops Austin down in the corner. I think Austin's knees are bothering him, he has a most definite hitch in his step every time he tries to run off a whip. He manages to get Jericho up and hit him with a hot shot, or more accurately a stun gun, his old WCW finisher, and drops an elbow for 2. Jericho momentum tosses Austin out to the floor, then follows and gets a chair. Austin kicks to block a chairshot and Hebner takes the chair away at almost the exact same time. Austin seems to have a real hard time deciding where or what to throw Jericho into. Jericho reverses and Austin kind of meekly collapses toward the timekeeper's area. They seem to mutually decide to give up on that and get back in the ring. Austin dodges a Lionsault. Sleeper from Jericho. A really crappy one, he does not have the top arm on right at all. A sleeper doesn't involve palming Austin's bald head like a basketball. Austin goes down and it looks more like a chinlock than anything. They stay in it for a long while too. Austin fights back up, dodges a dropkick, and goes for a Boston crab/Walls! Jericho fights that so Austin slingshots him into the corner instead. Jericho fights off a Stunner. Clotheslines from Austin and he plants Jericho with a spinebuster. He catches Jericho leaping and powerslams him for 2. Misdirection bulldog from Jericho. The Lionsault just barely hits, Austin was a long way away. Jericho goes for it again and this time was slightly better. Austin kicks out! Austin tries a Thesz press but Jericho blocks it into the Walls! Austin slowly crawls over and gets a rope break. Jericho goes out and get the WWF Title belt. Austin attacks him before he can do anything with it, but Hebner goes down in the exchange. They kind of weakly brawl around as they seem to lose their place again, then Austin spinebusters Jericho onto the belt. Cover and Jericho just kicks out. Jericho counters a Stunner into a Breakdown onto the belt! Austin kicks out! Jericho goes for another misdirection bulldog but Austin ducks and Jericho clotheslines Hebner right out of the ring. Ref bumps have been ridiculous tonight, and not in a good way at all. Austin hooks a Boston crab on. Jericho taps out but there's no ref. Again. Every match this run Jericho's tapped out with no ref present. Jericho tries a belt shot but Austin counters with a Stunner! Here come the NWO. You knew this was coming. Austin tries to fight them all off but the numbers eventually become too much. Hall Stunners/cutters Austin and they leave. Jericho drags Hebner back in, covers Austin, and gets the pin to continue the awful title reign. Even before all the ref bumps and interference kicked in that was a very schizophrenic match. At times it was as good as you know these two could be, but there were also lots of little hitches and issues that really held it back, particularly in the second half. I did enjoy chops being so prevalent during the match though. **1/2

 

After the bell the NWO attack again and Hall lays Austin out with another Stunner. Hogan gets the spraypaint and they do the classic NWO spraypaint on Austin's back. End show. None of the NWO stuff during the show really hit the mark, and you can tell by the lukewarm crowd reactions. I'm not sure if it was NWO fatigue in general, or poor timing and they should have been brought in at the start of the Invasion rather than after. Regardless, it's not working as well as anyone would have hoped.

 

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- Average matches across the board equals an average at best show. There's not a lot of good to speak of outside the base match quality either, as none of the big angles heading into Wrestlemania seem to be hitting and all three of the top matches ended with tons of ref bumps and interference.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: C- 

Souled Out 2000

Legacy Review

Souled Out 2000

January 16, 2000 from the Firstar Center in Cincinnati, OH

 

Commentary: Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan and Mike Tenay

 

Welcome to the start of the final full year of WCW's existence. As the calendar turns to the new millennium change is once again underway in WCW. The kick from Goldberg that would end Bret Hart's career happened at Starrcade, and while no one knew how bad it would be yet and he had been trying to wrestle through it until just before this show, Bret was now out due to the concussion and was forced to vacate the World title. Little did anyone know he'd already wrestled his last proper match (his 2010 WWE matches don't count). In a small bit of karmic penance, Goldberg also suffered a major injury soon after Starrcade on Nitro when he punched through a limo window that turned out to be real instead of gimmicked, severing an artery in his arm and putting him in the hospital. He would be out for several months. In addition, US champ and Russo booking binkie Jeff Jarrett was also out with a concussion suffered only a week before this show.

 

Changes were also once again taking place behind the scenes. Due to the spate of injuries the top of the card had to be completely reworked, and Russo's initial idea was of all things to have MMA ringer Tank Abbot (their Dollar General Ken Shamrock who hadn't even wrestled a PPV match yet) win the World title in a battle royale, then lose it quickly after. That was the last straw for Turner brass, who were already not happy with what they'd gotten from their high profile Russo investment. Russo was temporarily suspended from duty, and wanting an experienced hand they brought Kevin Sullivan back in to lead the booking committee, a job he'd held off and on during Bischoff's era. However, that was not a popular move in the locker room. One positive thing you could say about Russo was he tried to give everyone something do to, while the perception was Sullivan was only interested in pushing his friends. In particular, the group later known as the Radicalz were so unhappy with the move they wanted out right now. Particularly Chris Benoit, who had a longstanding personal beef with Sullivan. Because of that, when the card for this show was restructured it was done trying to keep that group happy and willing to stay in WCW.

 

There's no intro video at all, probably due to all the last second card changes. The show intros are getting more WWF-like than ever. Mike Tenay returns to the booth for the first time since before Russo took over. They blame Jarrett's concussion on....Benoit hitting a diving headbutt off the top of a steel cage? That clearly hit Jarrett in the gut and not in the head? Your logic does not resemble our Earth logic. We then get footage of the Revolution taking out Konnan backstage during the preshow, because what this company needs is more injuries. The match graphics for this show are HILARIOUS. They're ripped right off the DVD release of some indy promotion.

 

Catch As Catch Can Match: Billy Kidman def Dean Malenko (w/Shane Douglas) in 2:11- Filthy Animals member Kidman is taking on all three members of the Revolution in three separate matches with three separate stipulations. First up is Malenko in a "catch as catch can" match, which in a nutshell is supposed to be amateur style wrestling with strictly enforced rope and corner breaks, with the added rule that if you go out of the ring and your feet touch the floor you automatically lose the match. Remember that last part. Basic start with Malenko doing some nice chain wrestling and hiding in the corner when things don't go right. He holds Kidman in a headscissors. Kidman slowly escapes and charges fists flying, but Malenko hides in the corner again. Malenko dodges a dropkick and tries a jackknife cover. Kidman rolls through it and lays in some ground and pound. Malenko, instinctively, rolls out to the floor. Commentary: "The match is over isn't it?". No one acts like it and Malenko gets back in the ring like everything's normal and still going, until Lil' Naitch calls for the bell. That's it, it's over. No one looks happy about that. In fact both wrestlers look very upset as they leave. I don't think that was the planned finish, but they'd backed themselves into the corner with the rules and had to stick with them. Which honestly is unusual for WCW so I guess give them some small credit there. Still a completely stupid match and situation though. 1/4*

 

More evidence things did not go as planned- commentary has to vamp while the video package for the next match is loaded up. During Vampiro's promo Masahiro Chono randomly interrupts and says something in Japanese. WCW had just sent a few guys over to work the January 4th Tokyo Dome show, then still called Wrestling World (which I have reviews of all of elsewhere on the blog, shameless plug), reopening the WCW/New Japan pipeline for the first time in a couple of years.

 

Three Way Dance: Vampiro def WCW World Tag Team Champions David Flair & Crowbar (w/Daffney) in 10:28- David Flair still has his crowbar, and now has a new partner named Crowbar. It's a crowbar overload. Crowbar looks a bit like Kanyon but it's a completely different and much smaller guy. Jump start with Vampiro dodging a golden crowbar shot. Double faceplant on both heels. David rolls out and Vampiro pounds on Crowbar for a bit. Crowbar maneuvers into hitting a northern lights suplex for 2. Vampiro lands on his feet off a monkey flips and back kicks Crowbar to the floor. Tope suicida on Crowbar. Daffney distracts the ref but it doesn't do much of anything. Hell, she can distract me. She's nuts but she's still hot. I've dealt with crazy before. Anyway, Vampiro still easily stays in control on both guys. David and Crowbar do this ridiculous grappling dance with each other to get in position on the floor to take a Vampiro baseball slide. Crowbar does a somersault dive over the top to the floor that takes out both David and Vampiro. That allows the heels to finally get control for the first time. Big splash by Crowbar off the apron onto Vampiro on the floor. Chops from David in the ring. Vampiro easily reverses and tosses David out. Crowbar comes from behind and German suplexes Vampiro. Slingshot legdrop for 2. Vampiro puts Crowbar up top and hits a superplex for 2. Crowbar gives us our first crotch shot of the night. Russo's definitely been pushed back if it's taken this long. Crowbar slams David onto Vampiro for 2. Suplex from David for 2. The ref in this match is counting super slow for some reason. Crowbar and Vampiro completely fuck up a powerbomb. After that Vampiro says fuck it and goes back on offense. Uranage on Crowbar that David takes FOREVER to break up even though he was standing right there. Big splash off the top rope from Crowbar, but he doesn't bother to cover. He wants David to put the figure four on. He just about manages to do so. While in the figure four Crowbar big splashes Vampiro again and covers. David pulls Crowbar off and they fight! They're NUTS, see. Daffney tries to make peace but David back suplexes Crowbar, then decides it's time for some nookie with Daffney. Crowbar rolls David up for 2. Vampiro powerbombs Crowbar. Daffney gets back in and Vampiro attacks her. Dodge and charging David squashes Daffney in the corner! Vampiro hits Nail in the Coffin and pins David while Daffney stands right there and doesn't do anything. Sloppy as hell. I'm pretty sure they had to cover the time the last match lost which didn't help any. 1/2*

 

The Mamalukes (w/Disco Inferno) def The Harris Boys in 9:31- With Russo taking a back seat Creative Control, along with the whole "Powers That Be" crap and Russo playing Dr. Claw, is no more and the Harris Brothers are just the Harris Brothers again. Er, the Harris BOYS. Close enough. Quick start by one of the Harriseses, the no logo shirt one. Bull fights back and No Logo Harris rolls out. Back in Vito gives No Logo a hiptoss and the Italians double team. They call for Discos help but Disco makes like he can't hear them. Heenan: "Disco doesn't want to be here! Like me!". Unintentional shoot comments for the win. Or possibly not that unintentional. The Mamalukes stay in control on Logo Harris. Vito drops an elbow right on Logo's crotch. The Harrises use a shot from the apron to turn the tide and take control. A predictably dull heat sequence follows. Though I have no idea who's supposed to be face or heel in this match, if anyone. Some "boring" chants start to echo out. Bull manages a sunset flip but they roll so far they end up in the ropes. Vito's Italian temper finally overflows and we go full on DONNYBROOK. Disco shoves his own man Vito off the top rope, but somehow Vito ends up on top of one of the Harrisi and gets the pin. Total backfire by Disco. A technically competent wrestling match in the strictest sense of the term, but it's impossible to give the slightest shit about any of these guys. *1/2

 

WCW Cruiserweight Championship: Oklahoma def Madusa (c) (w/Spice) in 2:55- Hoo boy. We're really doing this. Oklahoma's gone from fighting the freaks to the misogynist fighting the women to prove men are superior. He comes in wearing the belt after stealing it from Madusa on weekly TV. How does he even qualify for the Cruiserweight division? Because shut up. Madusa comes out wearing a Bucs jersey. #66 Blackman, zero memory for me. Commentary says he used to play for the Bengals but now is with the Bucs. I thought she's supposed to be the face here. Don't ask, it's almost Russo I guess. Plus, '99-2000 Bengals, that's when they were still the joke of the NFL so no one gave a shit anyway. Shoving match that Oklahoma wins. Madusa lays in some kicks, and she's wrestling barefoot again. Back kick and Oklahoma does a .3 Flair Flop off the ropes. Oklahoma goes right to the hair pulling. What a man. Real tough guy. He does the '80s women's wrestling hair snap mares. More kicks from Madusa, then chops. Oklahoma ducks in the corner and Madusa hits the top buckle, then falls head first into Oklahoma's crotch in the most obvious set up way. Madusa tries a kick off the second rope but doesn't hold her balance well and barely gets it. Off the other side she hits a better missile dropkick off the second rope. She misses a dropkick in the middle of the ring that Oklahoma was nowhere near going into. Horrible timing there. Oklahoma hits a leaping DDT and drags Madusa into the corner. He gets his bottle of BBQ sauce which, believe it or not, he's been using as a weapon during the feud. That's being taken seriously. Spice grabs the bottle away. Asya comes out and takes out Oklahoma! All the women are teaming up. Back in the ring Oklahoma pulls down Madusa's skirt thing, rolls her up and pins her. Fucking hell THAT'S the finish? As if the rest of the match wasn't bad enough. DUD

 

While the other women hold him Madusa pours the BBQ sauce down Oklahoma's tights for revenge. Please let us never speak of any of this again. Fortunately this would pretty much be the end of the Oklahoma character. He'd vacate the title on the Nitro after this show because he was so very obviously over the weight limit. 

 

Four Way Match for the WCW Hardcore Championship: Brian Knobbs (c) def "Screamin'" Norman Smiley, Meng and Fit Finlay in 6:08- Knobbs just defeated unexpected hardcore ace Smiley for the title on the Thunder before this show. Which means no one saw it. Smiley's gimmick gear for tonight is police riot gear. Not the worst idea. It's a four way, but there's a tight alliance between Knobbs and Finlay, and a much looser one between Smiley and Meng. Jump start as Knobbs is still walking in. Trash can lids immediately start flying around. Smiley holds a trash can forever waiting to get someone to hit, then finally tries Meng. As expected, no effect. Meng kicks the can into Smiley's face and Norman's SCREAMING. The Knobbs/Finlay team gangs up on Meng. Smiley hits Knobbs with a pipe or nightstick or something. Everyone goes to the floor. Knobbs completely muffs Smiley trying to run him into the ring apron. Meng chops Smiley and he screams again. I won't lie, it's chuckle worthy. As usual for WCW the trash cans are still getting thrown around. They can't seem to understand you can use things other than that in a hardcore match. Finlay finally gives us some variety when he uses Smiley's riot gear helmet as a weapon. He and Knobbs then get a table out. They then team up to crotch Smiley on the post. Tony: "Now he's Cryin' Norman Smiley". Well done. He and Finlay brawl into the crowd but then immediately come right back. Side thought: Meng's afro should be illegal. His head's hard enough already and now it has all that extra padding. Smiley cautiously approaches Knobbs behind his riot shield, then drops a low blow and gives us some wiggle. He tries coming off the second rope but Knobbs hits him coming down with his own riot shield! That gets Knobbs the pin to retain. Dull match, decent finish. *

 

Bunkhouse Brawl: Billy Kidman def Perry Saturn in 10:03- Kidman vs the Revolution match #2. Everyone's in their regular gear here, rendering the Bunkhouse Brawl part half meaningless. All Saturn early as he blocks a hiptoss and hits a clothesline, then press slams Kidman. Kidman gets a tiltawhirl flying headscissors and dropkick, then lays in some mounted punches. Misdirection clothesline for 2. There's a lot of high pitched shrieks going on for Kidman out there. I don't really get it but whatever. He tries for some kind of flying bulldog but Saturn crotches him on the top rope, then hits his crazy springboard flying clothesline that sends both of them to the floor. That move is so legit dangerous. Then Saturn covers on the floor for 2. Since when were Bunkhouse Brawls falls count anywhere? Saturn stays in control in the ring, wrapping Kidman in something like a Mr. Salty (shoutout to Joey Styles wherever he is now). Kidman turns a suplex attempt into a cradle for 2. Saturn quickly kills him again with a clothesline. Springboard legdrop for 2. Saturn suplex drops Kidman over the top rope for 2. Another Kidman comeback attempt is cut off with a superkick as this is turning into legal murder. Saturn uses the remnants of Kidman's shirt to flip him across the ring. Saturn goes under the ring and gets a table. While he's doing that Kidman goes for a plancha that barely hits the target. Kidman then finishes setting the table up himself. Heenan says something about he and Tony using the table. Tenay: "Under the table I'm sure if you're involved Heenan". OH SHIT. Totally intentional shoot comments for the mega win. It's well known that Heenan, disgusted with being stuck in WCW, was often drunk during shows. Heenan even responds with an over the top "Thank you Mike!". Back in the ring it's Saturn killing off a comeback attempt once again. Elbow off the top rope for 2. Kidman again flips over into a roll up for 2 and again gets killed by a clothesline after. Saturn then does the impossible, hitting Kidman with a powerbomb for another 2. Kidman dodges a moonsault off the top rope and finally strings some offense together, hitting a bulldog and spinebuster for 2. Saturn grabs Kidman near the ropes and belly to belly suplexes him over the top rope through the table on the floor! DAMN. Saturn covers on the floor but Kidman kicks out. Saturn drags Kidman back in and calls for the Rings of Saturn. Then goes up top. Maybe not. Kidman goes up with him, they take forever trying to find their footing, and then Kidman flips Saturn down to the floor. I don't think they were able to pull off what they really wanted. Once again it's Saturn up first. He goes for another powerbomb but that's sure as hell not going to work twice. Kidman does his usual faceplant counter and gets the pin! Mostly solid but way too long for what they were doing. Saturn dominated the entire match until the shock comeback win. **1/2

 

Booker T (w/Midnight) def Stevie Ray by DQ in 6:29- Harlem Heat explodes!....Again. What's funnier is commentary says "we never thought we'd see this" even though this is the second time in two years they'd broken up. Hell, they only got back together so they could break up again! Booker's got new gear with straps on it. Thankfully that won't last. Both guys come out to Harlem Heat's music. Booker sends Midnight to the back before the match starts. After some jawing Booker lays the first shots in and hits a side kick. Ray rolls out but Booker follows and stays on him. Back in they do about the weakest "speed" run ever and Booker hits a flying forearm for 2. Ray responds with a back elbow and hits a clothesline with a 360 Booker sell. He then tosses Booker over the top back to the floor. Both guys swap guardrail shots. Back in Ray hits a powerslam for 2. Ray keeps Booker grounded with a chinlock and some punches. Snap mare and elbow drop for 2. Ray hits a horrible backdrop that the camera cuts away from. I wonder if that was live or a later edit. WWE has never really cared about leaving WCW botches in because, why should they. Booker comes back with a kick combo. Scissors kick. Spinaroonie! Book End! Wait, someone's running in. It's AHMED JOHNSON! Or the artist formerly known as, Tenay says "I know who that is" without ever saying his name. Johnson attacks Booker, drawing the DQ. Midnight runs back out but doesn't do anything as Ray plants Booker with the Slapjack, then Johnson hits a powerbomb. Ray takes a mic, calls Johnson "Big T", and says say hello to the new Harlem Heat. Um, Booker T to Ahmed Johnson I'd call a massive downgrade. 1/2*

 

Tank Abbott def Jerry Flynn in 1:39- Full on Antonio Inoki special pseudo MMA "shoot" fight here, the kind that Inoki will go to more and more the next few years and almost put New Japan out of business in the process. Abbott attacks Flynn in the corner and flips him back out of the corner. After a reset Flynn hits a kick and tries a cross armbreaker that Abbott fights out. Eventually Abbott lifts Flynn up and tosses him. He then swings a punch that completely misses Flynn's face and Flynn doesn't react to it at all. Another punch connects. The ref does arm drops, WHILE TENAY SAYS THERE'S A 10 COUNT, gets three and calls for the bell. I'm not bothering, I dealt with enough of this crap while reviewing the Inokism era January 4th Tokyo Dome shows. NR

 

Remember after watching that, Tank Abbott is the guy Russo wanted to put the WCW WORLD TITLE on. 

 

Last Man Standing Match: Buff Bagwell def Diamond Dallas Page in 11:40- After the full Inokism match, we get a full Val Venus feud special, as this is all wrapped up around rumors that Buff is boinking Kimberly. Can we get confirmation that there will be a 10 count in this match before it gets going? Lots of jawing and pointing after the bell that leads into a slugfest. The fight goes to the floor as Bagwell gets whipped into the guardrail, then DDP flips him over and they fight up into the crowd. They go through the hockey bench area or penalty box into a tarped off section. Coming back in DDP manages to balance on the guardrail and pose. Back in DDP turns a blocked hiptoss into a swinging neckbreaker. Bagwell fights out of a Diamond Cutter attempt and hits his own swinging neckbreaker. DDP turns a kick block into a clothesline. Cactus Clothesline from DDP! Now they work their way up the aisle over toward the internet desk WCW was still using. Jawbreaker from DDP. They both swing computer monitors at each other and take each other out! DDP then hits Bagwell with a keyboard. Bagwell hits DDP to get him on the desk and climbs up the WCW.com sign. Bagwell dives off and puts DDP through the desk! Bagwell walks back toward the ring and DDP limps after him. Did the ref even try for a 10 count on DDP there? Back in the ring Bagwell low blows DDP. Bagwell starts feeling it and struts around. That sets DDP off. He slides under in the corner and crotches Bagwell on the post. Corner elbows from DDP as a big "DDP" chant starts up. Bagwell gets a back elbow in the corner and hits a Vader bomb. The ref counts both guys down. They're both up at 8. DDP hits a ripcord back elbow but both guys are down and counted again. This ref is really playing into the crowd chanting the count with him. It's not about you ref. Back up and they're slugging it out again. Nice series of counters and Bagwell hits a DDT. Both are up at 9 again. Bagwell grabs DDP and hits a half and half suplex that he also flips over and lands like a powerslam. Look at DDP actually dragging some effort out of Bagwell. He calls for the Blockbuster. And it hits! DDP drags himself up at 8 or 9. Bagwell then attacks DDP with a baton he brought with him. DDP drags himself up by the ropes again. Diamond Cutter! Here comes Kimberly. While she's walking out Bagwell gets up at 9 but DDP doesn't, giving Bagwell the win. Good match showing again how good DDP had gotten dragging this out of Bagwell, but with a pretty flat finish. ***1/4

 

While Bagwell's looking at Kimberly DDP attacks him with the baton. Kimberly leaves with DDP but gives no real indication how she really feels about any of this. 

 

Caged Heat Match: The Wall (w/Shane Douglas) def Billy Kidman in 4:59- The finale of the Kidman/Revolution trio as Kidman looks for the clean sweep. Caged Heat is essentially WCW's ripoff of Hell in a Cell, it's a similar size cage. It's making its debut tonight as commentary is shocked at how big it is. Talk about zero fanfare for something that should get at least a little. Wall is a mystery opponent announced by Douglas as the newest member of the Revolution. Reminder he got his name because he was originally partnered with Alex Wright's disastrous Berlyn character and WCW wanted the pun. As Wall gets in Kidman dropkicks him into the cage! Kidman gets a chair from under the ring and hits Wall with it, until Wall ducks a shot and punches the chair into Kidman's face. Back in Wall tries coming off the top rope but Kidman dropkicks him and covers for 2. Both guys do some dodges and Kidman runs into a big boot. Wall presses him and tosses him into the cage. Back in Wall goes into his usual dull kicky/chokey offense. Clothesline for 2. Kidman fights off a superplex and hits a sunset bomb for 2. Wall responds with a Samoan drop. Kidman counters a suplex attempt into a DDT for 2. He's getting more offense in than he did the whole Saturn match. Goozle from Wall, but Kidman uses his usual powerbomb counter to hit a hurricanrana. He sets Wall up in the corner. Wall does not play along by getting right to his feet. Kidman tries coming off the top rope anyway, flies into a goozle, Wall hits the chokeslam, and gets the pin. That was pretty pointless. 3/4*

 

To set up the next match- Terry Funk, now 55 years old, made his return to WCW at the start of the year. His last major WCW run in 1989 he was already "middle age and crazy", I guess he's more middle age now. Funk was immediately made the new WCW Commissioner, and kicked off a feud with the newly reformed NWO (Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Bret Hart and Jeff Jarrett as NWO 2000 with silver and black colors).

 

Hardcore Match: Kevin Nash def Terry Funk in 7:55- Funk's commissionership is also on the line in this match. Nash jumps Funk in the aisle and we're on. Both guys try to stick and move and they slug it out back and forth around the ring. Nash hits a couple of chairshots and Funk says "Come on you fucking chump!". Nash jackknifes Funk through the announce table! Well that was sudden. How do you go up from that this early in the match? Nash takes a mic, says Funk has a ton of heart but no common sense (honestly Funk would probably agree), then says if Funk can crawl back in the ring he can keep his commissionership. Funk staggers around and slowly drags himself back in. Nash: "I'm a lying son of a bitch". We know. Nash hits his usual corner shots and Funk staggers around. Being dropped through the table back first busted him open on his forehead by the way. Wrestling logic. Must have been a stray piece of wood. Nash clotheslines Funk 360 back to the floor with Funk doing a crazy dangle off the ropes before going down. While going around the ring Funk grabs a chair and tosses it in the ring, joining the one Nash already had. Back in Nash hits more chairshots. Funk cuts off another with with a gut punch and gives Nash some chairshots back. DDT from Funk for 2. I guess Turner's gone blood paranoid again because we stay in wide shots away from the ring and the only ringside camera shots show Funk's back. Headbutt from Nash. Funk tries to swing more shots but Nash gives him more chairshots in the head with Funk doing more classic Funk wobblelegged selling. Return chairshot from Funk and he sets both chairs up in the ring, then gets a third. Nash hits a low blow, jackknifes Funk through the chairs, and gets the pin to become the new WCW Commissioner. Old man Funk gave it all he had left but Nash vs a legend is never a good idea, you know he's not interested in showing respect or letting the legend get much in. Still can't believe they blew the big announce table spot right at the start of the match too. *3/4

 

I can't remember if the original plan for the main event was a Benoit/Bret rematch, but I do know it was going to be Benoit vs Jarrett for the vacant title before Jarrett's injury. Sid Vicious his replacement. Arn Anderson is the special guest referee for this match. Arn's prematch promo does a great job of selling the main event as a big deal better than anything or anyone else has.

 

Vacant WCW World Heavyweight Championship: Chris Benoit def Sid Vicious in 14:50- Kind of hard to believe but this is face vs face as both guys are faces, and in fact have been "good friends" the last couple of months per commentary. Didn't know Sid had friends. In a new move, Buffer does his usual overly long intros after both guys are in the ring in super special ring announcing style, only letting him unnecessarily eat up even more time. Lockup! Rough but clean break in the corner. Off another corner break Benoit ducks around to a waistlock but Sid back elbows him down before he can do anything. Sid then helps Benoit up in the corner, showing this is an honorable fight. Saturn and David Flair have both shown up in the entranceway. Why are they both here? Even more relevant, why are they together? Shoulderblock from Sid and he pushes Benoit over the top to the floor. It's not just Saturn and David after all, half the damn roster has now shown up to watch the match from this side of the curtain. Reset in the ring and Sid gorilla presses Benoit. Front drop suplex from Sid. Benoit ducks a clothesline and basement dropkicks Sid's knee. There's the strategery. He starts picking Sid's knee apart. He sets Sid up on the floor, then dropkicks the stairs into Sid's knee! Damn that always looks vicious. Sid tries to fight back on the floor but Benoit chops him back down, rolls him back in and covers for 2. Figure four! Sid fights and manages to turn it over. Benoit takes a rope break. Another chop from Benoit and he basement dropkicks Sid in the head while Sid is on his knees. He wraps Sid's knee around the middle rope and goes after it again. Dragon screw! More chops in the corner. Snap suplex/elbow drop combo from Benoit for 2. Sid tries another comeback and Benoit kicks the bad knee to get him back down. Benoit puts on a half crab, then locks the leg and bridges back into a full on Mutalock! Sid refuses to submit and Benoit eventually lets go. More punishment on the knee. A baseball slide sends Sid out to the floor. The crowd gets behind Sid and he starts hulking up in the ring. Open hand slap to Benoit! Benoit ducks a clothesline and dropkicks the knee again. ROLLLLLLLLLLLING GERMANS! No, Sid elbows out after just one! Powerslam from Sid for 2. Benoit does a rolling leg takedown into a legbar. Sid uses the crowd to fight back up again and gets a rope break. Another Benoit German suplex and he calls for the finish. The headbutt off the top hits! Sid kicks out! HUGE kickout that flung Benoit across the ring. Goozle! Sid hits the chokeslam! Benoit just barely gets a foot under the ropes to keep from getting pinned. The crossface is on! Sid taps out! Benoit, FINALLY, wins the WCW World title! Now, I should point out that unnoticed by commentary, Sid's leg was also under the ropes when he tapped out. That was an important out they gave themselves they will need later. As for this match, it was as good as it possibly could have been. Benoit shows he's a miracle worker by carrying Sid to a good main event. The layout really helped as it was very smart, Benoit controlling most of the match and saving Sid's offense for short comeback spots. A clean finish is also very much appreciated, especially with all the wrestlers standing at the entrance stage seemingly on standby to interfere. ***

 

Benoit heads to the back to have some words with Mean Gene. New Commissioner Nash interrupts and promises to make Benoit's life a living hell starting tomorrow. He'd never have a chance to fulfill that promise. Despite WCW's hail mary attempt to keep them happy, the next day before Nitro began all the Radicalz again asked for their release and this time it was granted. From reports we've gotten since it seems like they went over the heads of anyone in WCW right to Turner brass to get them. They'd all debut for WWF in short order, before the Royal Rumble. That action got the Turner corporate guy that replaced Bischoff as the true head of WCW, Bill Busch, fired and replaced by another Turner suit, Brad Siegel. The WCW World title would be vacated once again and in a fit of spite Benoit's title win was even erased from the history books. It wouldn't be recognized until after WWF's buyout. In fact the title would go on another convoluted journey between here and the next PPV, but I'll get into that next time.

 

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- It's not the *worst* WCW PPV they've put on recently or anywhere close to how bad 2000 would get later, but that's not saying much. There was a calmer feel around the whole thing with Russo having less control, which was appreciated. It's also hugely consequential in that the entire sequence of Sullivan's return to the head booker chair and the subsequent departure of the Radicalz, especially Benoit right after winning the title, and another change in WCW's corporate leadership are more important signposts on the road toward WCW's ultimate end.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: D+ 

Royal Rumble '02

Legacy Review

Royal Rumble '02

January 20, 2002 from the Philips Arena in Atlanta, GA

 

Commentary: Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler

 

2001 was a hugely important year in WWF history. It saw the purchase of both WCW and ECW, the unofficial end of the Attitude Era at Wrestlemania 17 to culminate one of the greatest Rumble to WM seasons ever, the lackluster Invasion angle which completely buried the WCW name once and for all, and in December the crowning of the first ever Undisputed Champion. As the calendar turns, it would turn out that 2002 would be no less consequential, the first year of what would later become known as the Ruthless Aggression era.

 

There's two major stories heading into this year's Rumble. First, the return of Triple H to a massive hero's welcome back at the first Raw of the year at MSG, coming back from the devastating quad tear that almost ended his career the previous spring. I'm not sure if it was the original plan or not, but the reception he got meant he would be a face for really the first time in his career as his comeback got underway, and he was the overwhelming favorite to win the Rumble. Second, the continuing post-Invasion saga of Vince McMahon and Ric Flair being 50/50 co-owners of WWF. Their inability to get along or work together has escalated to the point where they're going to settle it the way you're supposed to in wrestling, in the ring, tonight.

 

The opening video is really cool, showcasing great and famous Rumble moments of the past in a museum like setting. And also that year Vince won it. Don't ask, it was Russo.

 

WWF Tag Team Championship: Spike Dudley & Tazz (c) def The Dudley Boyz (w/Stacy Keibler) in 5:06- Spike's ongoing war with his half/half and half/quarter/tenth/whatever it is brothers continues. He recently partnered up with the Dudleyz' former ECW and Alliance stablemate Tazz and with him finally wrested the tag titles away on Raw a couple of weeks prior. Incidentally, that's also the only non-Hardcore title Tazz won his entire WWF run. Spike's coming in with a neck brace on after taking a 3D in a parking lot on weekly TV. As usual with the Dudleyz it's a jump start as soon as everyone's in the ring. Bubba Ray is taking a page out of Jeff Hardy's recent playbook, wearing a cap and leaving it on for the first part of the match. The difference is Bubba Ray is wearing it backwards. The Dudleyz back suplex Tazz on the floor, and that also knocks the cap off. Spike gets isolated in the ring and also takes a double team back suplex. Bubba Ray targets Spike's hurt neck, hitting a neckbreaker, then taking Spike's neck brace off and hitting another. Suplex from Bubba Ray. D'Von tags in and keeps the focus on the neck. He hits a leaping neck snap, a nice shoutout to Mr. Perfect, who it had already been announced would be making his WWF return in the Rumble tonight. Bubba Ray continues hitting suplexes or possibly brain busters. Spike manages to slip out of one and hits the Dudley Dog! Both guys crawl for tags. Ref Jack Doan has a brain fart, first holding back D'Von, then he realizes, turns around and keeps Tazz from coming in after not seeing the tag. The Dudleyz hit Spike with a double flapjack. Spike avoids a D'Von headbutt off the top rope, then dodges and gets the Dudleyz to double clothesline each other. Tag to Tazz. Clotheslines and suplex tosses for everyone. Northern lights suplex on D'Von that Bubba Ray breaks up before 3. Spike hits a crossbody off the top rope on Bubba Ray. Tazz hits a kick to Bubba Ray's head that Bubba Ray does a crazy sell of. Another Dudley Dog on Bubba Ray. Stacy gets on the apron. Tazz ducks a slap from her and puts her in the Tazzmission! D'Von quickly saves her. Spike goes for another Dudley Dog but D'Von tosses him out to the floor. Tazzmission on D'Von! He quickly taps out! Fine for the time it got. After dominating the tag division most of the last year the Dudleyz were being slowly phased out, and would be one of the teams broken up in the first brand split draft after Wrestlemania. *3/4

 

WWF Intercontinental Championship: William Regal def Edge (c) in 9:45- Despite losing to Edge at Vengeance Regal's continued going after the title using the "power of the punch", as in brass knucks, so Edge has countered with a good old steel chair. Recently on Smackdown a one man conchairto broke Regal's nose, which commentary said required "multiple surgeries" to get Regal looking normal again. Ref Nick Patrick searches around the whole ring for knucks during entrances, then does an extensive check of Regal before the match. Even going so far as to put his hand down Regal's tights! Just another night in Blackpool for Regal I guess. And Patrick does find the knucks! While Regal's reeling from that Edge attacks. He hits a backdrop and stomps Regal down in the corner, then faceplants Regal right on his formerly broken nose. Regal responds with a quick running knee to Edge's head. Edge dodges a European uppercut and wraps up a backslide. Regal quickly escapes that and hits a forearm. Edge hits a ripcord enzuguri. Nice, that was a bit different. Regal does a sloppy German suplex that Edge does a full 180 on, then covers for 2. More knees for another 2. Regal hooks up a double underhook. Edge backdrops to try to get free, but Regal hangs on and maneuvers around to hit the powerbomb for 2. Another nice sequence. Running forearm from Regal. Another running knee sends Edge to the floor. Regal puts on a double underhook on the apron. Edge gets free and DDTs Regal on the apron! Hardest Part of the Ring TM. He drags Regal in and gets a 2 count with Regal getting a foot on the rope, but most of Edge's body was also under the ropes and Patrick admits he never should have counted anyway. They collide hard near the corner and both guys are down. Forearm exchange as they get back up. Edge hits a leg lariat and suplex for 2. Another Regal German. Edge clothesline for 2. Edge goes for the Edgecution. Regal counters and grinds Edge down into the Regal Stretch! Edge crawls and gets a rope break. He tries to counter into his own Stretch but can't do it as good and Regal gets an easy rope break. Edge dropkicks Regal in the back and rolls him up for 2. After a top rope fight Regal gets dropped down and Edge hits a spinning heel kick off the top rope. While Regal's down he gets his backup knucks out. After how extensive a search Patrick did I don't want to know where those were hidden. Edge goes for the spear, but Regal uses Patrick as a shield! While Patrick's down Regal hits the power of the knucks punch! Edge is out. Regal crawls over, covers, and gets the pin to take the IC title! After he leaves Edge is still out and every ref in the building comes in to check on him. Perfectly solid. **1/2

 

WWF Women's Championship: Trish Stratus (c) def Jazz in 3:43- History mostly remembers Trish and Lita and that's fair enough, but to me this more than any other was the feud that really solidified this era of the women's division as the best in the ring until the start of the modern women's era. Jacqueline is the guest ref for this for really no particular reason. Trish is coming in with a hurt hand after Jazz smashed it in the lid of an equipment trunk. Jazz jumps her as soon as she gets in the ring. Backdrop and big splash for 2. Trish forearms back and hits a sunset flip that leads to a run of cradle counters. Clothesline from Jazz and she hits a hot shot. Legdrop for 2. She finally starts working on Trish's hurt hand, though she seems to be going for the arm more than the hand. After cranking Trish's arm on the bottom rope Jazz takes issue with Jacqueline's count and they shove each other. Trish comes from behind and rolls Jazz up. Jazz counters into her own cradle. Jacqueline hesitates, then counts 2. Jawbreaker from Trish. Jazz goes after the hand/arm again. Trish counters into a springboard Stratusfaction! Jazz kicks out! DDT from Jazz for 2. Corner clolthesline. Trish gets a boot up in the corner. Another Stratusfaction! That gets a pin to retain! Bit of a sudden ending there but decent enough match. **

 

Street Fight: "Nature Boy" Ric Flair def Mr. McMahon in 14:55- I think it goes without saying that this is Flair's first match back with the WWF. Strangely, there's no stipulations or nothing on the line in this match. Both guys will still be 50/50 WWF owners no matter who wins. Flair's oldest and youngest kids, daughter Megan and son Reid, are ringside. Midring staredown before the bell. This was a match no one could have imagined during Flair's first WWF run because Vince was still years away from actually working matches. Lockup! Vince wins that and Flair goes a little nuts with his first bump. Vince cranks a headlock, hits a shoulderblock and poses. He mocks Flair's strut. Another lockup and Flair does his hammerlock workaround into a leg takedown. He pounds Vince down in the corner, then struts around himself looking very happy. He's been on record how bad late era WCW was for him and how much of a relief it was to be back with a properly run company. Vince hits a chop in the corner, a halfway decent one. Flair turns him around and shows him how to do chops right. Vince eye rakes and hits a clothesline. Flair comes out of the corner, milks the moment.....Flair Flop! There's definitely a bit of a pop for that. Corner whip and Flair Flip, but he can't get all the way over and lands in the ring. Ring rust. Vince knocks him down to the floor. Flair takes a shot with the famous "Keep Off" aisleway sign. Vince runs Flair into the barricade, then gets a trash can from under the ring and gives Flair a shot with that. Flair, as you knew he would, is busted open. Vince works the cut and runs Flair into the post and stairs. He gets Flair in front of his kids, takes Megan's camera, points the camera at him and Flair and takes the 2002 equivalent of a selfie, then tosses the camera back. Nice catch from Megan on that. Back in Vince stays in control and starts working on Flair's leg. Apron and post shots on the knee. Vince hooks on a figure four! After a couple of near falls Flair fights and reverses it! Vince releases and goes to the floor limping. He goes under the timekeeper's table and gets the lead pipe he's been using this whole feud. Flair cuts off a pipe shot with a low blow! More chops from Flair on the floor. He grabs a monitor from the Spanish announce table and nails Vince with it! Funny bit after where Flair looks in the monitor wanting to see himself, then the camera gets the other monitor in frame where we do see the replay. Now Vince is bleeding. Flair takes him over to his kids, bites Vince's cut and poses for pictures. Back in Vince begs off. Flair attacks the cut again and gets another sneaky style low blow. Then he picks the pipe up and nails Vince with it! The figure four is on! Vince taps out WITH BOTH HANDS! It's got a bit of the usual McMahon smoke and mirrors, but by and large Vince lets Flair lead a very Flair style match. It shows that Vince could be unselfish with people that he trusted. This would be the kickoff of Flair's new beginning in WWF, slowly getting his confidence back and having the proper final act of his THE greatest of all time career over the next 6 years. ***

 

In the back, Steph rescues Nick Patrick from having to explain what happened in the IC title match. Steph then cuts a promo supporting her returning husband Triple H, saying he's taking out everyone in the Rumble, listing them off then going into great detail about how hard Austin is going down. Unknown to her, Austin heard from his locker room and has snuck up behind her. When Steph realizes Austin "WHAT"s her until she runs off screaming! Freaking hilarious. Austin then conducts the crowd in a WHAT concerto. We're in the period that chant has absolutely taken over. More on that in a bit. 

 

Undisputed WWF Championship: Chris Jericho (c) def The Rock in 18:48- Running this back one more time before everyone moves on for Wrestlemania season. The difference in this match is it's the first one after Jericho's clear heel turn after winning the title at Vengeance. MASSIVE pop for the Rock. As I said before, at this point I think he's the undisputed #1 star in the company, surpassing Austin. Another prematch staredown with Jericho talking and Rock listening. Jericho puts his hand in Rock's face! Rock responds by putting his fist in Jericho's face. Unbelievably quick back elbow from Rock, then a Samaon drop for 2. That was video game turbo speed. Jericho bails to the floor. Rock goes out and chases him. Spear from Rock back in the ring! Jericho fights back with a flying forearm. Corner clothesline. Rock dodges and Jericho goes shoulder first into the post. Faceplant from Rock. Jericho gets a hot shot and chops Rock in the corner. Rock hits a back elbow but runs into a leg lariat for 2. Suplex from Jericho. Arrogant cover! Jericho goes over and takes a top turnbuckle pad off. Rock fights off a Walls attempt. Jericho kicks him back down and lays in some ground and pound. Missile dropkick for 2. Jericho works a chinlock and we get arm drops. Rock fights back up but runs into a back elbow. He manages to crotch Jericho on the top rope, hits some chops and superplexes Jericho. Snap belly to belly from Rock for 2. Jericho hits the misdirection bulldog. Lionsault! No cover. He goes for a second one and it hits! Rock kicks out! Full on temper tantrum from Jericho and he gets in a shoving match with Hebner. He tries coming off the second rope, but Rock catches him and hooks on the World's Shittiest Sharpshooter! Jericho's fellow Canadians Lance Storm and Christian run out. Storm distracts Hebner while Jericho clearly taps out. Rock fights Christian off in the ring. Jericho hits Rock with a Rock Bottom! Rock kicks out again! Senton from Jericho. He realizes where he and Rock are. Elbow pad off and Jericho goes for a People's Elbow. Rock kips up and momentum tosses Jericho over the top to the floor! Both announce tables get cleared off. Jericho pulls Rock up on the Spanish table for a Rock Bottom. Rock fights it off, and Rock Bottoms Jericho off the Spanish table through the English table! He drags Jericho back in and covers for a long 2. Rock coils behind Jericho looking to finish it. Jericho fights a Rock Bottom off. He fights Rock over into the Walls! Rock crawls and gets a rope break. Jericho tries the Walls again but Rock small packages him for 2. Speed run, Jericho ducks and Rock wipes out Hebner. Jericho gives Rock a shot with one of the belts. Nick Patrick runs in and counts. Rock kicks out! Jericho is beside himself. DDT from Rock. He covers but Patrick straight up refuses to count. Guess he's lapsed back into full evil after tiptoeing around it the whole Invasion. Rock Bottom on Patrick! Spinebuster on Jericho. The People's Elbow hits! Rock covers but Hebner's still out. Low blow from Jericho. He runs Rock into the exposed turnbuckle! There's a nice long payoff. That's still not enough, as Jericho stacks Rock up in the corner and puts his feet on the ropes for extra leverage. Hebner counts and Jericho gets the pin to retain! Like Kurt Angle the year before, the improbable weasel heel title reign continues. One last dose of Rock/Jericho goodness as they'd built up great chemistry over the past months, and the overbooking doesn't hurt too much now Jericho's a clear heel again. ****1/4

 

Back to the WHAT takeover. On the go home Raw Austin gave what just might be my favorite promo of all time, so I'm putting it here as a lead in to the Rumble. Austin goes over his pre-Rumble training, Rumble strategy, has words for Triple H throughout, and tops it off with an ode to the greatest fast food restaurant in the world. It's so good he breaks Cole multiple times.

 

 

Royal Rumble- I could listen to Howard Finkel run down the Rumble rules all day. They should seriously get old footage of him doing it every year.

1 & 2. Rikishi and Goldust- The Curse of Ted DiBiase hits Rikishi, drawing #1 after being #30 last year. Goldust is one of several wrestlers, or characters, making their already announced WWF return in this Rumble. Nowadays they'd all be unannounced surprises but that wasn't quite as much of a thing back then. I love JR's "Rikishi's weight is from Parts Unknown" line. After the bell Goldust circles Rikishi while the gold flakes continue to fall. Rikishi attacks and we're off. Goldust makes the error of trying a sunset flip and gets the hell out of town. Rikishi gets Goldust over the top a couple of times but he manages to land on the apron both times. There's a special countdown clock this year, doing away with the traditional clock graphic.

3. The Big Boss Man- For some reason Goldust decides to climb the top rope. Rikishi crotches him, then squashes Boss Man in the same corner. Boss Man gets Rikishi down in the corner and he and Goldust agree to team up to try to get the large ass out. They can't.

4. Bradshaw- You'd think Bradshaw would do better in Rumbles, he's a barroom brawl guy. Rikishi gets Boss Man down in the drop zone and it's stinkface time. Superkick and Rikishi eliminates Boss Man. JR: "He can take a shower and disinfect his face". Rikishi Samoan drop on Bradshaw.

5. Lance Storm- He and Goldust have a spunky back and forth, but completely whiff a hot shot that Storm sells anyway. Other than that bit of a slow start this year.

6. Al Snow- Bradshaw Clothesline from Hell on Storm! Good Texan on Canadian violence. Snow makes the seemingly mandatory attempt to lift Rikishi over the top rope in the corner. Goldust's gold flakes are still all over the ring.

7. Billy- No longer Billy Gunn or The One or Mr. Ass or anything else. It's just Billy, of Billy & Chuck, the soon to be new dominant tag team in the company. Billy goes speed but runs into a Bradshaw big boot. Snow and Storm both go over the top onto the apron and slug it out there. Back kick from Snow and Storm falls down eliminated. While Bradshaw's trying to get rid of Goldust Billy sneaks from behind and eliminates Bradshaw.

8. WWF Hardcore Champion The Undertaker- Now we're kicking things up a notch. Taker rides out on his bike, Rumble or no. Chokeslam on Billy. Shots from Taker on everyone else. He chokeslams Goldust over the top right to the floor. Taker tosses Snow out. Clothesline and Rikishi's gone. Taker tosses Billy out! Ring completely cleared.

9. Matt Hardy- Good symmetry here as both Hardyz had been feuding with Taker over the Hardcore title. Matt comes in firing, but runs into a goozle. Lita tries coming off the top rope and lands in a goozle! Low blow from Lita on Taker! Swinging neckbreaker from Matt and they both lay in stomps on Taker. Get the illegal woman out refs. Finally she does leave. Taker seems almost amused by Matt's attempts to get him over the top rope and easily turns the tables.

10. Jeff Hardy- Without even looking at the rundown I called this would be Jeff. During the countdown Taker tried to suplex Matt over the top rope. Jeff charges in and trips Taker down while he has Matt lifted up. The Hardyz stomp away on Taker. Lita loses her cool and joins them until the ref drags her out. The Hardyz hug to make sure everyone knows they're good again after their little feud at the end of last year. Taker has enough and double clotheslines them. Jeff is tossed over the top onto the apron. Taker lifts Matt up but Jeff breaks it up. Matt Twist of Fate on Taker! Jeff hits the Swanton Bomb! They go for Poetry in Motion. Taker catches Jeff and dumps him over the top and out! Fantastic. Matt gets planted with the Last Ride and Taker tosses him out. Taker's the last man standing again as we hit the next countdown. That whole Taker/Hardyz sequence was really good.

11. Maven- The first Tough Enough winner trying to get going for real. Come into Taker's yard, kid. He charges in....and runs right into a big boot. Taker lifts Maven up to dump him, but Lita's still there and gets on the apron. Taker drops Maven in the ring and shoves her off. The Hardyz attack Taker again! Seems like sore losers to me. Taker fights them off again. MAVEN DROPKICKS TAKER IN THE BACK AND ELIMINATES HIM! HOLY SHIT! One of the absolute most shocking Rumble eliminations there's ever been. MASSIVE POP from the crowd for that. Everyone is stunned, no one moreso than Taker. He slowly gets back in the ring, stalks Maven, pounds him down and tosses him through the ropes to the floor. Taker absolutely murders Maven with a chairshot to the head, pushes a cameraman down, and goes back in for more damage. The ref gaggle finally gets the courage, and numbers, to try to get him away. While that's happening the countown hits.

12. Scotty2Hotty- Taker dumps Maven back in the ring and sees Scotty. I don't like his chances. Taker knocks Scotty out in the aisle with one punch! Then he goes back in the ring, tosses bleeding Maven over the top and out, which does count as an elimination even though Taker's out, then dumps him over the barricade and pounds him up into the medium priced seats. They're going all the way into the concession area as the countdown hits again.

13. WWF European Champion Christian- The camera is still following in the back and Taker tosses Maven into a popcorn machine. I think they've made their point, let's get on with the rest of the match. Taker grabs a mouthful of popcorn and I think he's done. Meanwhile, Christian is standing in the ring by himself and loving it. Scotty is still in it but is laid out in the aisle. Finally Scotty drags himself back in and we're on again. Christian dodges a Worm setup and hits a reverse DDT.

14. Diamond Dallas Page- Entering his only career Rumble. He takes it to Christian while Scotty recovers. Diamond Cutter on Christian! Man, how much has DDP's bad WWF run killed him, that got almost no reaction. Scotty superkicks DDP through the ropes to the floor, then sees Christian in position. Cheap pop move time. The W O R M hits, then DDP comes from behind and dumps Scotty out!

15. Chuck- The former Chuck Palumbo, the other half of the platonic partners Billy & Chuck. DDP fights him off and hits a swinging neckbreaker. Chuck comes back with a jawbreaker. After some back and forth Christian helps Chuck out with DDP.

16. The Godfather- Another returnee in this year's Rumble. Rumble or no, he's got the Ho Train with him. A train with TWO cars. It is his big return. Hold up. THREE cars. Every escort service in Atlanta is making money tonight. I'm not joking here, I wish I was, DDP gets eliminated off camera while TV is completely focused on Godfather dancing with his hos. What a perfect summation of DDP's WWF run. I'm also not joking when I say when Godfather finally get in the ring the countdown starts up for the next entrant.

17. Albert- Too Cool's music played for Albert so I guess this is when he's with them still. He gives Godfather a bicycle kick and goes to eliminate him. Chuck and Christian instead come from behind and eliminate Albert. Godfather gets both of them in the corner and loads up the train. Both guys dodge, double clothesline and Godfather is eliminated.

18. Perry Saturn- Are Saturn's trunks....cow print? He always was a little strange. But to be a Ranger, God bless them and all our troops, you've got to have a screw loose. All three guys back and forth brawl while the crowd gets distracted by something else going on.

19. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin- Shit's getting serious now. Kind of an early number for Austin too. Vest off, in ring, whoop ass can open. Christian is out. Stunner on Saturn. Chuck is out. And Saturn is out. Another complete ring clear. As is tradition, Austin checks his wrist tape watch. He decides there's too much time left and he might get bored so he drags Christian back in, gives him a Stunner, and tosses him out again! That should count as an elimination for next year's Rumble. Chuck then gets pulled in to take a Stunner and get double tossed. Austin, like in '97, sits on the top rope and checks his "watch".

20. Val Venus- Another of the returnees. I don't like his chances to last. And not just because he's gotten older. Austin's all over him as soon as he's in. WHAT stomps in the corner. Venus eye pokes and gets some shots in. He's actually able to string some moves together. Austin's trying to kill the whole period. Thesz press during the countdown.

21. Test- Venus did last. Color me shocked. Test and Venus team up to keep Austin down. Austin slugs back and Test big boots Venus while aiming for Austin. Clothesline and Venus is gone. Stunner on Test and out he goes. Austin lays down in the ring and makes sure his watch is still working.

22. Triple H- Here we go. The two favorites and the two guys clearly positioned to fight this Rumble out. Being HHH's first match back from injury he very much takes his time on his entrance, milking it for all its worth. HHH finally gets in and they stare down. I know it's been more than 90 seconds or 2 minutes. Slugfest!

23. The Hurricane- Fantastic placement for this entry. Austin and HHH double clothesline each other. Hurricane runs in and wants a chokeslam. Goozle on HHH. Goozle on Austin. Austin and HHH look at each other, say "Can you believe this shit", and team up to toss Hurricane out! Fantastic. Then they go right back to slugging it out with each other. Big chop exchange in the corner. Austin hits a spinebuster, but HHH's knee catches him in the head.

24. Faarooq- He'll put up a bit more of a fight. Big spinebuster on Austin. HHH saves Austin. Stunner on Faarooq. Then HHH follows up with a clothesline and Faarooq is gone! Austin and HHH take turns trying to eliminate each other.

25. Mr. Perfect- Big nostalgia pop for Curt Hennig's return. He spent the second half of the '90s in WCW mostly looking like a physical shell of his former awesome self. Greatest Intercontinental champion of all time before Gunther in my opinion. He takes a minute to survey the situation then charges right into the middle of it. Again Austin and HHH team up to try to get rid of the guy getting in the way of them fighting each other.

26. Kurt Angle- With Taker gone Angle is the only real plausible chance for a non-HHH or Austin upset winner. He goes right after HHH while Austin and Perfect go at it and the crowd chants "You suck! WHAT?". I heard HHH say "Go" right before Angle suplexes him. Oh yeah, HHH is back. Austin again saves HHH and takes an Angle belly to belly suplex for his trouble.

27. The Big Show- Perfect quickly takes a chokeslam. Double goozle on HHH and Austin. They fight free and pound on Show. Show responds with clotheslines. Angle tries to German suplex Show! Not happening. Show presses Angle up but HHH kicks Show's knee before he can do anything. Chokeslam on HHH.

28. Kane- Show and Kane both in late, two guys that will never win but can both make a lot of noise. Kane had just set the record for most eliminations in a single Rumble the year before. He and Show slug it out while everyone else rests. Very modern setup, one that I don't care for. There should always be things happening all over the ring, even if it's at half effort to save energy as long as the focus isn't on them. Double goozle! Neither guys will give an inch. Finally Kane low blows Show. He lifts Show up and dumps him over the top to eliminate him! Phenomenal strength. Austin Stunner on Kane. Angle gets Kane up for an Angle Slam and dumps him out to eliminate him! Guess neither of those guys will make too much noise this year. The four guys still in go back to their previous pair offs.

29. Rob Van Dam- Nice pop for the only member of the Alliance that got anywhere with the WWF crowd during the Invasion. He goes right to the top rope. FIVE STAR FROG SPLASH on Angle! He fights off the other three guys with the educated feet. Rolling thunder on Austin. HHH Pedigree on RVD! But he can't follow up and everyone is down. The way HHH collapsed after that it was almost like he blew his quad out again. I suspect he's not fully back in ring shape yet. The other guys slowly get back to slugging it out again while RVD lays dead in the middle of ring. Perfect blocks an Angle suplex attempt and hits his own, sadly not a Perfectplex. Imagine how insanely great a peak Perfect/Angle match could have been.

30. Booker T- Unlike RVD, he was mostly buried during the Invasion, leading to the crowd to not give a damn about him at all. It'd get better eventually. As soon as he gets in he dumps RVD out! That'll get the crowd to turn against you hard. Booker then looks around and sees everyone's down so decides to give us a Spinaroonie. Austin Stunner! The ricochet sends Booker all the way out to the floor!

FINAL FOUR: Austin, HHH, Perfect, Angle- Angle tries to Angle Slam Austin but Austin slips free. Angle then fights off a Stunner. That sends Austin into HHH's waiting Pedigree arms. Austin fights that off and slingshots HHH into the corner, with HHH going crazy over the top with it. Angle Slam on HHH! While all this is going on Perfect is kneeling in the corner literally sucking wind. Sorry to say, he's just not up to it anymore as WWF would soon find out. He finally gets up and tries to swing some shots at Austin. Angle ROLLING GERMANS on Austin! Austin low blows out after three. Austin gets Perfect up on the ropes. Angle comes up and he and Perfect get Austin over the top but not out. Again Austin tries to get Perfect out. Angle comes from behind and eliminates Austin! That's narrowed the field. Austin drags Perfect out and the three of them slug it out on the floor. Damn those Goldust gold discs are still freaking everywhere. Angle and HHH go at it again in the ring, with Perfect slowly joining in. Austin comes in with a chair and waffles Angle and Perfect! And HHH for good measure! Damage done, Austin leaves. Everyone staggers back up. Perfect holds HHH for Angle. Angle charges. HHH ducks and Angle clotheslines Perfect. I'm pretty sure Perfect was supposed to be eliminated there but he couldn't get himself over the top rope and he falls back in the ring. He then attacks Angle. PERFECTPLEX ON ANGLE! Then he does the neck snap. OK, I might have been wrong about that earlier moment, but it was still ugly. HHH clotheslines Perfect out! It's down to two. Hey, remember when these two were in that soap opera love triangle with Steph a couple of years ago? Random thoughts. Angle puts the straps down and they charge in! HHH gets early control, but runs into a belly to belly. Angle tries to dump HHH out. He goes over but lands on the apron. HHH punches Angle back and gets back in. Clothesline and HHH chokes Angle. Angle backdrops HHH over the top! HHH grabs the top rope and just BARELY holds on to keep himself from being eliminated! Angle thinks he's won and celebrates. He turns around and sees HHH. Facebuster! Clothesline and HHH eliminates Angle to win the Rumble! The big comeback is fully on. HHH is going to Wrestlemania.

 

Solidly good Rumble. Not quite as good as the previous years' excellent one, but better than the other Attitude Era Rumbles (anything's better than the '99 Rumble). It started a bit slow, but got rolling good with the Taker/Hardyz stuff and mostly held the momentum from there. The way they did HHH and Austin flipping between beating on each other and teaming up on people keeping them from beating on each other was really well done. An interesting statistical note here: there was no real ironman this year (Austin was #1 in time at a bit under 27 minutes), but overall at just under 70 minutes this was the longest Rumble to date. ***1/2

 

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- Not much happening on the undercard here, but the top matches all delivered to one extent or another and a good Rumble match will always make it at least a decent overall Rumble show. HHH's return was a great shot in the arm to help recover from the Invasion not going as well as hoped, even if it meant Jericho getting an even worse first title run than Angle had the previous year. But the road to Wrestlemania will not be a straightforward one this year, as we'll see in February when another massive return turns the entire company upside down once again.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: B