WWF Smackdown - February 7, 2002
by Scrooge McSuck
The Rock is out first, dressed to compete. Please tell me this isn't going where I think it's going. We recap Monday Night on Raw when Undertaker cost Rock the match by smashing him over the head with a lead pipe. Rock wants to reciprocate what Undertaker said about "beating respect into him" and says that Undertaker's match with Maven is going to wait... then he's interrupted by Booker T. Yup. They ARE going there. Booker says there's nothing worse than a "sucka with a big ego" like the Rock has. Booker says he's the one who beat Triple H last week and he'll be the one that makes an example of the Rock. Rock says he can dig it. If Booker wants to be in the movies so badly, they can make a movie right now and it'll be called "The Rock whooping your candy-a$$ all over LA."
The Rock vs. Booker T:
Just like the match on Monday Night, the action begins without a referee within a reasonable distance. Rock unloads with right hands and bounces off the ropes with a diving clothesline. Booker cuts Rock off with a scissors kick and the bell finally rings with Tim White coming down. Booker lays into the Rock with chops and Rock fires back with his own. Booker counters a whip attempt with a standing heel kick. Booker avoids a back body-drop but gets tossed over the top rope trying to follow up. Booker regains control on the floor, sending Rock into the barricade. Back inside, Rock avoids the jumping heel kick and plants Booker with a DDT. They barely get to their feet at the 9 count. Rock gets the better of a slugfest and takes Booker T over with a belly-to-belly suplex for two. Booker with another cut-off and the Scissors Kick connects. Instead of going for the cover, Booker T stops to give us a Spinarooni. Rock nips up and hits the spine-buster. He connects with the People's Elbow and covers for three at 4:28. I was honestly expecting some non-finish with Undertaker running in.Earlier today, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley met with "Dr. Richards" to discuss the news on Stephanie's pregnancy. Dr. Richards produces the results of the ultrasound ("it's a picture of the baby!"). I so desperately want to hit fast forward, but I'm suffering for the sake of making sure I don't miss anything. Stephanie reminds the viewers that they'll be renewing their vows on Monday. "That's smashing."
Kurt Angle comes to the ring with a baby stroller. I can only take one guess who pitched the idea for this storyline. Angle seems sure of himself about going to WrestleMania (and presumably challenging for the Undisputed Championship). Angle says he deserves the title shot because Triple H cheated, and Mr. McMahon agreed with him. He says beating Triple H is a "gimme". Unfortunately, his announcement is overshadowed by the announcement of Stephanie having a baby. "I've never felt sorry for a baby before, not until Monday Night." He says Stephanie will be a great mom, but imagine Triple H being your father. "Even as a fetus, the kid is smarter than his dad." Angle says Triple H isn't a man, he's "something else… literally" because of his drooping brow and knuckle-dragging. Angle says he knows what the baby will look like and whips out a stuffed Gorilla with a fake nose. Wait... please tell me that isn't official merchandise, because it has a Triple H shirt stitched on! Angle has a gift for the baby: bananas. How did THIS not get pulled? Maybe not for being offensive, but for being beyond stupid. Triple H has enough of the nonsense and comes to the ring. He must mean business, because he doesn't come down to entrance music. He nails Angle with a right hand and slams the stroller on him.
Rob Van Dam, Edge, and Rikishi vs. William Regal & The Dudley Boyz:
I guess we aren't done with the Regal and Dudley alliance after all. RVD has Goldust to deal with, so we're clearly running with another Edge/Regal match at No Way Out with the way things are looking. I know, I'm overjoyed with their nonstop interaction for the last 2-months. All six men brawl to kick things off. D'Von hits RVD with a twisting back elbow. RVD avoids a charge to the corner and hits a body press for two. Edge tags in and hits D'Von with a spinning heel kick. Whip is reversed to the corner, D'Von meets a boot and Edge hits a missile dropkick for two. Edge fights a 3-on-1 in the corner but is quickly overmatched and posted. I guess the fellas don't feel pain, because he comes right back with a body press for two. Regal cuts him off with a knee to the face. Bubba punishes Edge with a flurry of elbow drops and makes sure to mock RVD at the same time. D'Von with clubbering blows in the corner. Edge surprises him with a modified face-buster and tags in Rikishi. He runs wild with right hands and plants Bubba with a Samoan drop for two. The ring clears with everyone taking turns hitting their spots. Rikishi crushes Bubba in the corner, setting up a Stink-Face… and then the Dudley Boyz hits a 3D out of nowhere to pick up the victory at 5:08. Post-match, Regal busts Edge's mouth with the Power of the Punch. I wasn't feeling this one.Chris Jericho comes out for our next "heel needs to talk down the babyface" segment. We just sat through the painful segment with Angle, so I apologize if I'm not wetting my pants with excitement for this one. You'd think after last Monday when he beat the Rock for the SIXTH TIME, he would begin to get the recognition and respect he deserves, BUT NO, anywhere he goes, it's all about Steve Austin whooping his a$$ at No Way Out. Jericho says to hell with that and calls Steve Austin out to the ring.. and it's Will Sasso from MadTV doing the Austin impression. WOW. TWO UNFUNNY HEEL TALKS FOREVER SEGMENTS SEPARATED BY 8-MINUTES. THANK YOU, WWE! THANK YOU! The real Stone Cold comes out, sending Jericho running, then does a bit with Sasso before laying him out with a Stunner. I'm supposed to spend $30 for a PPV based on this dreck?
Al Snow hypes up Maven for his upcoming match with The Undertaker.
Ric Flair comes across Chris Jericho in the halls and tells him as a possible prelude to WrestleMania, it'll be Chris Jericho vs. Triple H tonight in a Non-Title Match.
WWF Hardcore Championship Match:
The Undertaker (c) vs. Maven (w/ Al Snow):
It's been about a month since Taker last defended the title on TV, and about the same amount of time since his reign has been mentioned on commentary. Snow feeds a trash can lid to Maven, allowing him to get a few shots before Taker shrugs it off and punishes him in the corner. Whip across the ring and Taker lays Maven out with a clothesline. Maven rolls away from an elbow but can't take advantage and has a trash can punched into his face. Snow pulls Maven to safety, bringing Taker to the floor. Snow's next distraction doesn't work, as Taker smashes Maven over the head with a trash can. Taker has enough of Snow's interference and dumps him over the barricade. Snow returns with the ring bell, saving Maven from the Last Ride. Taker boots Snow out of the ring and hits Maven with the Chokeslam, pulling him up at a two-count. Taker with a Dragon Sleeper (called "Taking Care of Business"), but here's the Rock. He whacks Taker with a chair and puts him down with the Rock Bottom, allowing Maven to cover and win the Hardcore Title at 5:35. Just a bunch of gaga to finish this Taker/Maven storyline and hype the match at No Way Out.
Jerry Lawler is in the ring to MC the posedown between Billy & Chuck and Stacy Keibler & Torrie Wilson. We get 10-minutes to hammer home the point that in 2002 WWE, vague male homosexual behavior is something we should be disgusted about and/or dislike, while it's perfectly fine for two women to be sexy together under the same circumstances. Torrie and Stacy "win", then Stacy gets butt-hurt that Torrie is getting more attention. Add "women acting catty or bitchy over shared spotlight" to the list of dumb crap this segment taught me.
Mr. McMahon is on the phone when Triple H appears in his office. Hunter tells Vince that he blew out his quad to put money in Vince's pockets. When that happened, Vince told him he was a tired race horse being sent to the glue factory. He's put himself through the pain of rehabbing for the sake of coming back early and guaranteeing his shot to headline WrestleMania. He earned that shot by beating 29 men at the Royal Rumble, and then Vince decided he can take that away from him for the sake of "that little a$$ kisser, Kurt Angle." I should note "a$$" has been bleeped all night long except for this segment. With that out of the way, Hunter says that Stephanie asked him to speak to Vince about walking Stephanie down the aisle for the renewal of their vows on Raw. Vince says "he'll think about it", so Hunter tells him he'll never be near his grandchild. McMahon retorts by changing tonight's Main Event to Triple H taking on Chris Jericho and Kurt Angle in a handicap match.
Jonathan Coachman catches up with the Rock backstage, asking if they're even. Rock says no, Taker cost him his shot at the WWF Championship. Undertaker attacks from behind and chokeslams Rock onto the hood of a limo. Taker adds insult to injury, giving Rock a tombstone on the roof. "WHAT A SICK, SICK HUMANBEING!" Michael Cole is still over the top with selling some of this.
"Feel So Numb" by Rob Zombie is the official theme song of No Way Out.
Triple H vs. Chris Jericho & Kurt Angle:
I can't imagine this one having a clean finish, unless you want to make one of the heels look like a geek. Hunter kicks off the action, hitting Jericho with a baseball slide. Jericho charges at him and smacks his own shoulder on the post, then gets knocked over the barricade. Hunter rolls Angle in the ring and hits him with a DDT for two. Jericho comes from behind, distracting Helmsley long enough for Angle to hit with a German suplex. Hunter fights off the set, but Jericho again attacks from behind. Hunter keeps fighting off one, but gets hit from behind before he can mount a decent string of offense. Jericho works Hunter over in the corner. Hunter pops out with a Spear and unloads with mounted right hands. Whip and Jericho with a diving forearm. He goes for the Walls but Hunter knocks him into Angle and gets an inside cradle for two. Angle sends Hunter to the corner and meets a boot. He recovers quickly to hit Hunter with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex, but the Ankle Lock is blocked. Jericho with a slam and elbow drop for two. Hunter avoids a double-team assault and runs wild on both men. Hunter with the Walls of Jericho on the hold's namesake, then puts Angle in an Ankle Lock. Does Hebner even know who the legal man of the team is? "This handicap match is turning into a 2-on-1 affair." Michael Cole is still a moron in 2002. Jericho accidentally hits Angle with a missile dropkick trying to save him from a Pedigree. Hunter avoids a chair shot from Jericho, but another Pedigree attempt backfires as Angle hits the Angle Slam onto the chair to get the three-count at 5:41. I'm surprised there was a legitimate fall under any circumstances. Stephanie comes out to check on her husband, then immediately goes to hold her belly as Jericho backs her into the corner. Hunter wakes up from his jobbing coma and clears the ring with the chair. Hunter and Stephanie embrace, but Angle attacks from behind, knocking Hunter on top of Stephanie.Final Thoughts: Babyface Triple H is already reaching the point of being a tired act, and he's only been back for six weeks! This storyline with his strained relationship with Stephanie would be fine if either could perform well in their role, but Hunter is a bland babyface and Stephanie doesn't hit a stride as a heel until a solid decade later, so we're forced to watch shows built around two people doing a complicated "one's a heel, one's a face" storyline that involves a non-wrestler and neither is knocking it out of the infield, let alone the ballpark. The rest of the show is the same tired mess that Raw was on Monday. I'll give Undertaker and Rock a little credit for trying to take their rivalry more seriously than the comedy filled nonsense to hype Angle/Hunter and Jericho/Austin at No Way Out, but it's still not a match I've had in my list of must-see rivalries.
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