WWF Smackdown 3/28/2002

Written by: Bob Colling

World Wrestling Federation presents Smackdown
Date: 3/28/2002
From: Philadelphia, PA

Opening Contest: Booker T vs. Diamond Dallas Page: Booker gets the upper hand working over DDP with strikes. DDP fights back with some chops and is met with a leaping side kick. DDP delivers a jaw breaker and a discus clothesline. Booker goes for a scissors kick but DDP blocks it and hits a sit down power bomb! DDP hits a running diamond cutter! Brock Lesnar enters the ring and drops DDP with a spine buster! Lesnar hits the F5! I’d imagine that DDP won this by disqualification despite there not being a bell. (NR. Honestly, they probably could have had a good match given a few more minutes, but they gotta get Lesnar over more. However, he already is over.)

Kurt Angle makes his way down to the ring and is greeted by the fans with a “You suck” chant. Angle thinks the fans should show appreciation towards him considering he broke his damn neck in the Olympics to win a gold medal. Angle isn’t happy about Stephanie McMahon being kicked out of the Federation on Monday. Angle considers Stephanie to be someone who brought smiles to people’s faces all over the world. Angle holds a moment of silence to remember Stephanie. The fans boo and Angle tells them they are all heartless! Vince McMahon comes out to prevent Angle from going after the fans. Vince blames HHH for all of this happening. Vince says that HHH drugged Stephanie up, married her and embarrassed her. He knows that Stephanie wasn’t perfect, but she was pretty close to it. Vince reveals he is going to make HHH’s life a living hell on Smackdown! HHH makes his way down to the ring and tells Vince he will make the owner’s life a living hell as well. Kurt demands a match with HHH after seeing the footage of HHH pinning Stephanie on RAW. Ric Flair comes out and it ends up being a tag match later tonight. It will be Flair teaming with HHH to take on Vince and Kurt Angle!

Backstage, the Dudley Boys talk about a tag team title match against Billy and Chuck. If they win they stay together, but if they lose they go their separate ways. Bubba notes that they got their start in Philadelphia and they are going to take the champs to the extreme!

Second Contest: WWF World Tag Team Champions Billy & Chuck vs. Dudley Boys: Chuck and Bubba kick off the tag match with Chuck hammering away on Bubba with right hands and stomps. Bubba turns the tables with a series of punches and chops in the corner. Bubba dropkicks Chuck for a near fall. D-Von tags in and so does Billy. D-Von hits a leaping shoulder block and a neck breaker on Billy for a near fall. Both Billy and D-Von are down and they both tag out. Bubba clotheslines Chuck and hits a back drop. Chuck is met with a DDT but kicks out at two. Billy is driven down to the mat with a Samoan Drop. Bubba hits the Bubba Bomb for a near win. A double flapjack on Billy and Rico stops D-Von on the top rope. Bubba has Chuck on his shoulders to allow D-Von to hit a clothesline from the top. Rico causes a distraction and D-Von chases after Rico. That allows Billy to hit the Fameasser on Bubba and Chuck gets the win. (*1/2. Why on earth would D-Von just run to the back after Rico? Just makes him look rather silly. A decent match that could have been better if the Dudley’s portrayed more of a desperation to win the match.) After the match, the Dudley Boys get their heat back by hitting the What’s Up on Billy. Billy is sent through a table with a 3D, too. Bubba and D-Von embrace to end the segment.

Backstage, Bradshaw and Faarooq talk about how they will forever be brothers and to enjoy their last night on the same show. They call over Tajiri and Torrie Wilson to have a party. They send Tajiri to get more guys, while Torrie stays to play some strip poker!

Backstage, Lilian Garcia interview Matt Hardy and Lita, who are happy to be on the same brand (RAW). Matt is happy that Team Xtreme is on the same brand, but gets cut off by Chris Jericho. Jericho is pissed about not being champion and should be on both shows! Jericho will never be happy until he is champion again. Matt calls Jericho a has-been, which no one wants to be. Jericho ends up attacking both Matt and Lita!

Backstage, the Rock approaches Hulk Hogan about their match coming up soon. Hogan puts over their partner Kane as being bigger and badder than anyone else he has ever been in the ring with. Rock assures Hogan saying that Kane is an ass kicker and can be trusted. Kane enters the scene full of energy and tells Rock it doesn’t matter if he is ready! Kane asks what are they gonna do when Hulk Hogan, the Rock and the Big Red Machine goes wild on you?!

Third Contest: Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, & X-Pac vs. Hulk Hogan, the Rock & Kane: Rock and Pac start the six man tag match. Rock arm drags Pac a few times to keep control of the bout. Pac runs into an overhead belly to belly suplex. Pac follows up with a standing spin kick and tags in Hall, who I met with right hands from Rocky. Rock drops Hall with a clothesline for a near fall. Hall catches Rock to hit a fall away slam for a two count. Here comes Nash, who is health, delivering knee lifts to Rock’s midsection. Rock fights back with a series of right hands until Hall enters the match. Rock drives Hall down to the mat with a spine buster. Hogan gets the tag into the match and cleans house with right hands. Hogan sends Pac over the top to the floor. Hogan with a big boot and the leg drop on Hall. Nash elbow drops Hogan to break up the cover. Nash side slams Hogan for a two count. Pac kicks Hogan several times in the corner to maintain control of the contest. Hall has a sleeper hold on Hogan to get control of the match. Hogan gets up and fights out of the hold by hitting a back suplex. Kane gets tagged in and he hits a top rope clothsline on Hall. Pac is met with a tilt a whirl slam. Kane side slams Hall and big boots Nash. Pac sent over the top to the floor. Pac goes for the bronco buster but Kane stops him and hits the choke slam to win the match. (**. Some decent action throughout here. I liked that Kane was able to get the pin fall and gets a rub from teaming with Rock and Hogan. The New World Order just can’t get any momentum and are not all that much of a threat, it feels like.)

Fourth Contest: Chris Jericho vs. Matt Hardy: Hardy starts off with a clothesline and Jericho is catapulted into the corner. Hardy hits a leg drop from the middle rope for a near fall. Jericho runs into a big boot and gets crotched on the top rope. Jericho stomps away on Hardy. Lita comes off the top to hit a hurricanrana. Hardy with the Side Effect but can’t get a three count. Matt kicks Jericho into Lita, sending her off the apron. Jericho low blows Hardy to avoid the Twist of Fate and wins with the Walls of Jericho. (*. A quick match to get Jericho back on the winning side of things. Honestly, he lost a lot of steam from the jobbing to HHH recently.) After the match, Jericho puts the Walls of Jericho on Lita because he can.

Backstage, the APA is playing cards with some superstars. They talk about their favorite memories over the years. Tajiri wins a hand of poker, while Christian flips out over being close to a royal flush. Torrie Wilson takes off her necklace, which disappoints Bradshaw.

Fifth Contest: WWF Intercontinental Champion Rob Van Dam vs. Test: Early on, Test works over RVD with blows and catches RVD in midair only to be met with a side kick. Test drops RVD throat first across the top rope. RVD dropkicks Test and hits a springboard kick from the second rope. RVD misses a step over heel kick and Test hits a full nelson slam. Test nearly steals one with his feet on the ropes but the referee saw them. RVD nearly wins with a spinning heel kick after the referee shoved Test. Test gets his hands kicked off the top rope when he was avoiding a sunset flip. Test clotheslines RVD and goes after the referee. Test attempted a power bomb but RVD counters with a roll up for the win. (*. Again, a quick match. Seems like they are going with a referee screwing over Test type of thing, maybe.)

Backstage, Coach interviews Raven about being handpicked to take the WWF Hardcore Championship back to RAW. Raven says the WWF Hardcore Championship is his first objective. Raven thinks that Maven will fell the “Raven Effect”!

Sixth Contest: WWF Hardcore Champion Maven vs. Raven: Maven misses a spear in the corner and hits the ring post. Raven destroys Maven with trash can lid shots. Maven delivers a few more trash can lid shots of his own. Maven uses a broom to low blow Raven. Raven backdrops Maven to the apron, who slips off and hits the floor. Maven goes to the top and hits a missile dropkick. Tommy Dreamer comes out and hits Maven with a cooking sheet. Maven nails Dreamer with a forearm shot. Raven plants Maven with a DDT and wins the title. (1/2*. Just some hardcore fun. Raven was never used properly in the WWF.)

Backstage, Vince is pissed about picking a rookie as they now lost the championship. He is confident that he will get Austin to sign with Smackdown! Angle says he has good word that Austin will be on RAW, so Vince will be there too.

Backstage, Hurricane chubs a beer and passes out in the APA office. William Regal taunts the APA saying they are out of business. Bradshaw agrees and beats up Regal. Bradshaw and Faarooq say it was a good run and turn the open sign to a “Sorry—we’re closed.”

Main Event: WWF Undisputed Champion Triple H & Ric Flair vs. Kurt Angle & Vince McMahon: Flair isn’t wearing his in-ring gear, so this will be a fight. Flair and Angle start the match. Angle backs Flair into a corner and Flair pokes Kurt in the eyes followed by a series of chops. HHH tags in and hammers away on Angle to gain the advantage. HHH runs into an overhead belly to belly suplex by Kurt. Angle gets double teamed in the corner with chops. Angle rakes Flair’s eyes but Ric locks in a sleeper hold. Angle drives Flair down with a back suplex. Kurt stomps away on Ric’s knee and focuses his attack on the knee. McMahon enters to keep control on Ric. Angle gets some cheap shots in on Flair while the referee was distracted. Flair avoids a figure four being put on him. Angle knocks HHH off the apron to prevent a tag from being made. Angle is stopped by Flair with a low blow. Angle reverses the figure four with the ankle lock. HHH enters and plants Kurt with a DDT! Vince gets the figure four locked in. Flair rolls over but Angle breaks that up quickly. HHH and Angle tag in with HHH hitting a reverse neck breaker. Angle runs into a spine buster but Vince breaks up the cover. HHH goes for the Pedigree on Angle but Vince hits him with a title belt, but HHH kicks out at two! Vince tags in and mocks Flair after decking HHH. HHH pops up to clothesline Vince. Flair leaps off the top and hits McMahon with an axe handle. All four men are brawling with HHH going after Angle on the floor. Flair goes for the figure four but here comes the Undertaker. Taker big boots Flair and puts Vince on top. McMahon covers and gets the pin. (*1/4. It’s a strong main event on paper, but again it doesn’t deliver a lot of entertaining value. Looks like Taker will continue to have a working relationship with Vince moving forward.)

Final Thoughts:
Aside from the six man tag match, the show doesn’t feature any redeeming quality from an in-ring perspective. The only effective segment was the interview to make the main event happen. Hopefully the shows starting with the brand split get better because they really didn’t put much effort in the shows leading into it.

Thanks for reading.