Written by: Bob Colling
World Wrestling Entertainment presents Smackdown
Date: 5/9/2002
From: Bridgeport, CT
Vince McMahon and Stacy Keibler open the show with McMahon praising her for being a model employee while saying that not everyone has been one, most notably Triple H. McMahon announces that HHH must stay at least 10ft away from him at all times and if he doesn’t follow the rules there will be hell to pay. HHH comes out and gets in Vince’s face rather quickly asking what Vince meant by “hell to pay.” Suddenly, Test, Christian, Hardcore Holly, D-Von and Lance Storm come out and attack HHH. Chris Jericho comes out with a steel chair and whacks HHH with it. Jericho puts the Walls of Jericho on Triple H while McMahon screams at HHH. Vince announces that Triple H will compete against Chris Jericho at Judgement Day inside the Hell in a Cell!
Opening Contest: WWE Cruiserweight Champion Tajiri vs. The Hurricane: Tajiri opens the match working over Hurricane with kicks but Hurricane hits a clothesline to stop the champ. Hurricane hammers away on Tajiri in the corner but Tajiri delivers a kick to put an end to that offense. Tajiri puts Hurricane in the tree of woe and delivers a baseball slide dropkick. Hurricane plants Tajiri with a tornado DDT and a reverse neck breaker for a two count. Tajiri avoids a choke slam and hits a handspring back elbow. Hurricane hip tosses Tajiri over the top to the floor where Torrie Wilson checks on Tajiri but is pushed away. Hurricane hits a somersault dive over the top onto Tajiri. Tajiri nails Hurricane with a kick to the back on the apron. Wilson gets on the announcers table and starts to take off her clothing. Tajiri leaves the ring and flips out on Wilson for showing off her body. That leads to a count-out. After the match, Hurricane plants Tajiri with a choke slam. (*1/2. Tajiri is doing well as a heel here, but the match was mainly about Wilson breaking free from Tajiri’s control.)
Backstage, Chris Jericho tells Vince McMahon that he is going to end Triple H’s career at Judgement Day. McMahon makes a singles match between Triple and D-Von Dudley for tonight.
Backstage, Hurricane and Al Snow are joking around backstage when Hurricane sees a note that reads “ Congratulations, now you’re a star, unfortunately for you, I know who you are!”
Second Contest: Mark Henry vs. Test: This feud is because Test doesn’t believe that Henry is as strong as he claims to be. Early on, Test works over Henry with stomps in the corner and hits a big clothesline. Test drops Henry following a short arm clothesline but only gets a two count on the cover attempt. Henry battles back with clotheslines of his own. Henry picks Test up and hits a power slam but Test kicks out at two. Test misses a big boot and Henry hits a press slam! Henry hits a big splash but Test gets his boot on the bottom rope. Test shoves Henry off the middle rope and hits a top rope elbow drop for a two count. Henry blocks a big boot attempt and puts the full nelson on Test. Test eye rakes the referee on accident and is able to hit the big boot for the win. (*. I don’t know why, but I can buy into Test more if he were to not have trouble beating the low mid card babyfaces.)
Backstage, Kurt Angle and Christian are talking. Angle tells Christian that after Judgement Day, Edge will be known as the ugly brother!
Backstage, WWE Tag Team Champions Billy & Chuck are upset about having their pants yanked off recently. They will be wrestling Al Snow, Maven and Rikishi tonight.
Backstage, D-Von Dudley is with a mystery man holding his collection box. They go to the ring and D-Von announces his man as being Deacon Batista.
Third Contest: D-Von Dudley vs. Triple H: HHH comes to the ring with his face covered in dry blood and has a bandage on. HHH backdrops Dudley to start the match followed by a spine buster for a two count. Dudley fights back dropping HHH throat first across the top turnbuckle and delivers a clothesline. D-Von sends HHH to the floor where Batista rams HHH face first into the ring steps and delivers a clothesline on the floor. Dudley continues to work over HHH hitting an elbow drop and leaps off the middle rope to hit a flying clothesline for a near fall. D-Von misses a top rope diving head butt! HHH hits a reverse neck breaker as he tries to regroup. HHH grabs a steel chair but is attacked by Batista until he misses a splash and hits the ring post. HHH attempts the pedigree but Chris Jericho runs in and hits HHH with a metal briefcase. Dudley has the cover and pins HHH! (**. A shocking victory even with the interference. I enjoyed the segment.)
Kurt Angle makes his way to the ring and shows a picture of Edge if he were to be bald. He also shows a picture of himself enhanced. Angle wants Edge in the ring right now. However, WWE Undisputed Champion Hulk Hogan makes his way down and asks if Angle has a problem with people who are bald. Hogan notes that the best champions have been bald including Steve Austin and Billy Graham. Hogan says that if Edge doesn’t beat him at Judgement Day to make Angle bald, mother nature will get it done. Angle refutes that saying if the Undertaker doesn’t beat Hogan for the title, then he will! Hogan decks Angle after saying he was the only real American. Angle bailed to the floor but is speared by Edge on the stage!
Backstage, Vince McMahon announces that Kurt Angle will team with Chris Jericho to take on Hulk Hogan and Edge tonight!
Fourth Contest: WWE Tag Team Champions Billy & Chuck & Rico vs. Al Snow, Maven & Rikishi: Snow and Chuck open the match trading right hands with Snow getting the advantage. Snow head butts Chuck’s chest several times and hits a leaping forearm strike for a two count. Rikishi gets tagged in and decks Chuck with a few right hands and a clothesline. Billy tries his luck but is punched as well. Rico enters and hammers away on Rikishi but is nearly sat on if it weren’t for Billy entering and hitting a clothesline on Rikishi. Rikishi turns Billy inside out with a clothesline and tags in Maven. Maven is kicked by Rico on the apron to allow Billy to clothesline Maven. Chuck enters and clothesline Maven several times. Chuck takes Maven over with an overhead belly to belly suplex. Rico tags in and works over Maven in the corner with kicks. Maven shoves Chuck into the corner and plants him with a DDT!
Snow and Billy get the tags with Snow working over Billy with several strikes in the corner. Snow knocks Chuck off the apron and hits a sit out spine buster on Billy for a two count. Chuck super kicks Snow to the floor but Rikishi hits a Samoan Drop and super kick on Chuck! Rico tries his luck but Rikishi isn’t hurt by it. Rikishi splashes Rico in the corner and that sets up for the Stink Face. Chuck makes the save to send Rikishi to the floor. Rico hits a spinning heel kick on Snow and Billy pins Snow after the Fameasser! (**. Not a bad match and the victory is fine for the champs since they are moving past the duo of Snow and Maven, anyway.)
Backstage, Lance Storm mocks the recent success that Randy Orton has been having and challenges him to a singles match, which is accepted.
Fifth Contest: Randy Orton vs. Lance Storm: Hardcore Holly is the special referee for the match. Orton knocks Storm down with a leaping forearm strike and works over Lance in the corner. Storm gets a cheap shot in after Holly pulled Orton off in the corner. Storm follows up with a spinning heel kick and wrenches on Orton’s neck. Orton elbows Storm in the corner and fights back with clotheslines. Orton hits a dropkick but gets a slow count from Holly. Orton hits a snap power slam but gets another slow count from Holly. Storm hits a rolling fireman’s carry but Orton kicks out at two on a rather fast count. Orton shoves Storm off the top rope and hits a nice cross body but Holly slow counts Orton. Storm avoids a kick and locks in the half Boston Crab but Holly is pushing the rope back with his boot and Orton is forced to tap. (*1/2. Orton is impressive already. Holly isn’t entertaining at all.) After the match, Val Venis makes the save for Orton attacking the heels. Holly bails to the floor to avoid Venis.
Backstage, Hulk Hogan and Edge showoff their posing abilities before their main event tag match. Edge had acted like Hogan since he wasn’t in the room but Hogan walked in and went along with it in a comedy sketch.
Main Event: WWE Undisputed Champion Hulk Hogan & Edge vs. Chris Jericho & Kurt Angle: Hogan and Angle kick off the main event with Angle punching Hogan which zero impact. Hogan clotheslines Angle and gets a two count following an elbow drop. Hogan scoop slams Angle after taking care of Jericho. Hogan throat thrusts Angle and keeps control in the corner with several strikes. Angle is met with a back elbow strike from both opponents and Edge hits a spinning heel kick. Angle hits an overhead belly to belly suplex on Edge and tags in Jericho. Jericho works over Edge in the corner with chops but runs into a big boot. Edge hits a middle rope missile dropkick. Edge plants Jericho with a face buster and clotheslines Angle sending Kurt over the top to the floor. Edge drops Jericho throat first across the top rope and hammers away on Jericho. Angle drops Edge throat first across the top rope while the referee was distracted and Jericho gets a near fall following a sleeper hold slam.
Angle hits a snap suplex on Edge but can’t get a three count on the cover attempt. Edge gets out of a sleeper and collides with Angle as they both attempted a cross body. Angle tags in Jericho who grabs Edge’s boot but is met with a kick. Hogan gets the hot tag and the place explodes. Hogan hammers away on the heels and rams them into each other followed by a double clothesline. Hogan big boots Angle to the floor and Jericho comes from behind. Hogan begins to Hulk Up as Jericho punched him. Hogan big boots Jericho and hits the leg drop but Angle pulls the referee out at the count of two. Angle works over Hogan but Edge enters to help Hogan out hitting a jumping DDT. Jericho low blows Hogan and puts the Walls of Jericho on the champ! Triple H runs into the ring with a sledgehammer and hits everyone with it! Hogan is livid as he just cleaned house with the sledgehammer. (**1/2. A decent match with yet another non-finish to the main event. Hogan got a crazy pop for when he got the hot tag just showing he was way over at this point.)
Vince McMahon comes out and tells HHH to try and hit him with the sledgehammer. McMahon comes down to the ring asking if HHH has the guts to hit him with it. HHH wants to hit Vince and swings but misses. Jericho comes in from behind as HHH turns around and whacks HHH with a steel chair. Jericho stands over Triple H to close the show.
Final Thoughts:
Aside from the shocking win for D-Von Dudley, the show isn’t all that great. The main event was okay and we got plenty of angle advancement for the HHH/Jericho feud. I think their match needed the Hell in a Cell stipulation, as well.
Thanks for reading.