Written by: Bob Colling
World Wrestling Federation presents Smackdown
Date: 3/21/2002
From: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Kurt Angle comes out to kick off the program to join the commentary team.
Opening Contest: Edge vs. Booker T: Early on, Booker works over Edge with a series of punches and chops in the corner. Edge hits a top rope clothesline and gets a near fall. Edge continues his offense with a back breaker. Booker drops Edge with a few clotheslines. Edge battles back with a flapjack and an atomic drop followed by a couple of clotheslines of his own. Edge plants Booker with a face buster and goes to the top rope. Angle leaves the commentary table but is kicked off the apron by Edge. Edge leaps off the top to hit a cross body on Angle! Booker misses a scissors kick and is yanked down to the mat by Edge. Booker accidentally kicks the referee and is met with a spear from Edge, but there is no referee. Angle comes back in and hits the Angle Slam! Booker waits for Edge to get up and hits the scissors kick for the win. (*. A simple way to continue the Edge/Angle feud as it was apparent that Angle was going to get involved at some point. The crowd didn’t seem overly interested in a match between these two. Felt rather dull, as well.)
Backstage, Hulk Hogan walks into Vince McMahon, who greets the Hulkster. Vince reminds Hogan that he created him. Hogan is told that every time he went into business for himself, he fell flat on his ass. Vince didn’t like that Hulk turned on the New World Order. McMahon noted the draft taking place on RAW and asked if Hogan would want to be the number one pick. Hogan is told to think about it, but he tells McMahon he will stick around on Smackdown for the night.
Backstage, Bradshaw and Faarooq are playing cards in their office until William Regal enters. Regal refused to give Bradshaw five dollars, believing that he would use the money at a strip club. William reminds the APA that they could be split up due to the draft on Monday. Bradshaw agreed, but told Regal that one of them would be on the same show to kick Regal’s ass! Regal leaves the office and walks into Diamond Dallas Page, the WWF European Champion. DDP thinks Regal is mad about losing the WWF Intercontinental Championship at Mania. Regal is actually mad about DDP holding the WWF European Championship and challenged DDP to a match. DDP accepts the challenge.
Backstage, Scott Hall pumps Kevin Nash up for his match against the Rock later on in the night. Nash tells Hall he will kick Rock’s ass, something Hogan couldn’t do.
Second Contest: Lita & Trish Stratus vs. WWF Women’s Champion Jazz & Ivory: Trish and Ivory started the match. Ivory has the early control with a clothesline. Ivory scoop slams Stratus and tags in Jazz, who delivers a leg drop for a near fall. Lita distracts the referee and Trish is double teamed briefly. Trish avoids Jazz in the corner and Lita gets the hot tag. Lita cleans house until Jazz drops her throat first across the top rope. Trish nearly pins Jazz after a top rope cross body and is attacked by both heels. Trish kicks Jazz and hits a springboard bulldog to pin Jazz! (1/2*. That could have been a lot worse. Stratus is starting to get her groove going in the WWF ring.)
Backstage, Lilian Garcia congratulates WWF Intercontinental Champion Rob Van Dam on winning the championship at Mania. She also asks RVD about the draft on Monday. RVD tells her that wherever he is drafted, he will continue to be Rob Van Dam.
Backstage, Spike Dudley is getting checked on by a trainer. Spike puts Brock Lesnar over as the baddest man he ever was in the ring with.
Third Contest: WWF European Champion Diamond Dallas Page vs. William Regal: Regal works over DDP with a few uppercuts but is met with a backdrop from Page. DDP nails Regal with a quick clothesline and a swinging neck breaker for a two count. Regal comes off the ropes to deliver a running knee strike to DDP’s head. Regal hits a suplex but can’t get a three count. Regal nearly wins after an arm trapped neck breaker. DDP hammers away on Regal with a few chops and a clothesline. Page drives Regal down to the canvas with a sit down powerbomb and a DDT! Christian comes down and yanks DDP off Regal. Regal knocks Page out with the brass knuckles and wins with the Regal Stretch to win the title. (*. A couple of good moves, but again a rather dull match. Having the belt on Regal is a better decision and keeps Regal relevant moving forward after his Mania lost.)
Chris Jericho and Stephanie McMahon come out to cut a promo. He tells the fans that him not having the WWF Undisputed Championship would not last long because on RAW this Monday he teams with Stephanie McMahon to take on Triple H in a handicap match. Jericho reminds everyone that he beat the Rock and Steve Austin in the same night and took HHH out of action for eight months. Jericho considers the win at Mania a fluke win for HHH. Jericho will not lose to HHH and Stephanie will not leave the WWF. Jericho and Stephanie tell the fans that they need her in the company. Triple H makes his way out and Jericho says he will finish the game this Monday. HHH takes a shot at Jericho about his pink, sparkly robe saying that Liberace called and wanted his pajamas. HHH says that the WWF may need Stephanie because they could never have too many whiny bitches. The Game showed a video of Stephanie’s embarrassing moments. HHH tells Jericho that he earned his respect at Mania. HHH is confident that he will be the champion after Monday. Stephanie reveals that the match on RAW is not a triple threat match with it being HHH vs. Jericho vs. Stephanie! Stephanie is going to become the first ever female WWF Undisputed Champion. After the in-ring segment, Jericho realized he could become champion again if he pinned Stephanie, which brought a smile to his face.
Fourth Contest: Tajiri vs. Test: Tajiri starts off hitting a spinning heel kick but is crotched on the top rope. Test works over Tajiri with a few strikes a running clothesline in the corner. Tajiri drops Test with a super kick. Tajiri plants Test with a tornado DDT but can’t get a three count. Test charges the corner but gets trapped in the tarantula. Tajiri kicks Test on the back of the head but misses another kick. Test misses a running big boot but hits a full nelson slam for a near win. Torrie Wilson is shoved off the apron by Test. Tajiri nearly wins after another super kick. Test finishes Tajiri off with a big boot. (*. Honestly, Test should have managed to beat Tajiri with a little more domination. I’m not entirely sure the match helped promote Test.)
Backstage, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall are with Vince McMahon. Vince tells Nash he looks ready for his match with the Rock. Vince feels that the New World Order is going to make a statement tonight. He thinks that the Rock will be castrated tonight! McMahon tells them that he will likely be picking them for Smackdown since Flair likely doesn’t want the poison.
Fifth Contest: The Hurricane vs. Mighty Molly: Molly attacks Hurricane before the bell. Hurricane goes for a choke slam but instead walks away and is attacked again by Molly. Molly delivers a handspring back elbow and a dropkick. Hurricane backdrops Molly to the floor and plays to the crowd. Brock Lesnar enters the ring and slams Hurricane. Lesnar hits the F5! Lesnar viciously clotheslines Molly! Paul Heyman raises Brock’s arm as the fans boo.
Backstage, The Undertaker asks Ric Flair to draft him on Monday so every day would be a WrestleMania moment for him.
Backstage, Chuck asks Billy if hiring Rico was a good decision. Rico enters and tells them their style is passe and after their match with the Hardy Boys they would get a makeover.
Sixth Contest: WWF World Tag Team Champion Billy & Chuck vs. The Hardy Boys: Matt and Chuck kick off the match with Matt nearly rolling Chuck up. Chuck stops Matt with a clothesline to gain control. Matt gets a two count after a swinging neck breaker. Billy and Jeff tag in with Billy being double teamed in the corner. Jeff hits a cross body off the ropes for a two count. Chuck yanks Jeff by the hair from the apron and Billy hits a tilt a whirl slam. Jeff dropkicks the champs and tags in Matt. Matt enters and cleans house. Poetry in Motion on Chuck in the corner. Matt plants Billy with a tornado DDT, but Chuck knocks Jeff off the top. Matt hits a middle rope leg drop. Rico tosses Jeff into the ring and onto the referee. Rico drops Matt across the top rope and Billy gets the win following the Fameasser! (*. A flat match. The fans don’t care about Matt, at all. Matt is one guy who has zero connection to the crowd. In comparison, Jeff is a star in the making.)
Main Event: Kevin Nash vs. The Rock: So, this will get about eleven minutes it looks like. Nash cuts Rock off with a short clothesline and an elbow strike. Nash knee lifts Rock and goes for snake eyes, which connects in the corner. Hall chokes Rock while the referee was distracted. Nash jumps onto Rock’s back as he was across the middle rope. Hall clotheslines Rock from the apron. Nash works over Rock in the corner with a series of right hands. Nash asks Rock who the bitch is now after delivering a few elbow strikes. Rock fights back with right hands but is tossed over the top to the floor. On the floor, Nash is sent shoulder first into the ring post. Hall continues to attack Rock on the outside. Back in the ring, Nash hits a side slam for a near fall. Nash locks in a bear hug to control Rock in the middle of the ring. Rock fights out of the hold with right hands. Rock hits a leaping clothesline and a DDT. Scott Hall enters the ring but is punched to the floor. Rock plants Nash with a spine buster and hits the People’s Elbow but Hall enters and breaks up the pin to cause the DQ. Rock counters the Outsiders Edge by back dropping Hall to the floor. Rock goes to the commentary table but is attacked by Nash. Nash powerbombs Rock through the announce table. Hulk Hogan comes out and makes the save. Nash is sent into the ring post and Hall is sent to the ring. Hulk hits the big boot and leg drop on Hall. Nash enters but gets the big boot and leg drop treatment as well. X-Pac runs out and whacks Hogan over the head with a steel chair. Hogan has been busted wide open! Hall nails Hogan with a chair as well. Nash hits Hogan with the chair. Hogan gets the spray paint treatment. (DUD. A boring match to close the show. The closing segment was effective in giving the New World Order some kind of heat as they had been getting dominated as of late. X-Pac joining the group makes sense, but doesn’t make them appear stronger or anything.)
Final Thoughts:
Well, that was a bad show to sit through. The wrestling was boring and for the most part the show just promoted RAW and the draft. I suppose that makes sense. A thumbs down for this Smackdown.
Thanks for reading.