Written by: Bob Colling
World Wrestling Federation presents RAW
Date: 4/29/2002
From: Buffalo, NY
Opening Contest: WWF Intercontinental Champion Eddie Guerrero vs. Jeff Hardy: Guerrero takes Hardy down but Hardy quickly comes back with a couple of arm drags. Eddie uppercuts Hardy but Jeff gets a near fall after a clothesline. Hardy takes Guerrero over with a head scissors and the champ heads to the floor. Eddie dropkicks the left knee of Hardy to get the upper hand. Guerrero continues his offense with a heel kick, which was more of a shoulder strike. Eddie follows up with a back suplex and goes to the apron but misses a senton splash. Hardy with a double leg drop and nearly pins Guerrero. Eddie drives Jeff down with a brain buster and goes to the top rope. Hardy recovers in time to cut Guerrero off and they are on the middle rope. Hardy is able to hit a superplex! Hardy stops Guerrero with a jaw breaker and a leaping forearm strike. Hardy delivers another double leg drop to the lower midsection area of the champion. Eddie crotches Jeff on the top and goes for a superplex but Hardy shoves Eddie off. Jeff misses the Swanton but does hit a Whisper in the Wind but the referee is knocked out as well. Eddie goes to the floor and grabs the championship. Hardy slingshots to the floor but is hit with the championship. Eddie takes advantage and hits the frog splash for the win. (*1/2. Was that a type of finish that needed to happen? Hardy is stuck in the tag scene while Eddie has been on fire since his return and won the strap within a month. Why not a simple clean win for the heel champion to put more heat on him? Some okay action by these two, but given more time I’d suspect a classic between these two.)
Steve Austin makes his way down to the ring and lets it known that he is not in a good mood. He is actually quite pissed off. This has to do with the fact that he got screwed over at Backlash and then his tag partner last week, Big Show, turned on him and joined the New World Order. Thus, he wants to have a match with Big Show. Ric Flair comes out and doesn’t appreciate the accusation that he has something to do with that. A match with Show won’t happen tonight because Flair sent Show on a promotional tour of India. However, tonight it will be Steve Austin teaming with Bradshaw to take on Scott Hall and X-Pac with Ric Flair himself as the referee.
Backstage, Goldust and Booker T are chatting about Booker’s match with RVD tonight. Goldust thinks they could be the best tag team ever in the WWF and puts his wig on Booker T. Lets just say that Booker did not appreciate that gesture.
Second Contest: Rob Van Dam vs. Booker T: Booker starts the match backing RVD into the corner and delivering several strikes for the early advantage. RVD comes back with leaping spin kick and a spinning heel kick for a two count. Booker stops Van Dam with a quick power bomb and sends RVD into the ring steps. Booker gets a near fall after a standing side kick. Van Dam gets a near fall after a springboard cross body and a spin kick. RVD hits a Rolling Thunder for a two count. Here comes Goldust to watch the match. Booker avoids a monkey flip and nearly steals a win with his feet on the ropes. Goldust accidentally decks Booker from the apron. RVD with a spin kick and the Five Star Frog Splash for the win. (*. Yeah, that was more of an angle advancement for the partnership of Booker and Goldust.)
Backstage, Terri talks to Bradshaw about last week. Bradshaw says that it was Big Show who attacked him from behind and that he will get revenge next week. He also says that if Ric Flair gets in his way he will light his ass on fire, too.
Backstage, Molly Holly asks Jazz if she really is challenging for the WWF Hardcore Championship, but she doesn’t answer.
Backstage, Coach interviews Shawn Stasiak about wrestling Brock Lesnar this week after the quick defeat last week. Stasiak rambles about his own planet and whatnot.
Third Contest: Brock Lesnar vs. Shawn Stasiak: Lesnar simply manhandles Stasiak and rams him into the ring post several times. Back into the ring, Lesnar quickly hits the F5 and the referee calls for the bell. (DUD. Just a complete squash to put over the next top heel for the WWF.)
Backstage, Ric Flair is talking to Debra about telling Steve Austin that he is telling the truth. He wants Debra to convince Austin. Debra has a message from Austin for Flair and she slaps Flair! She mentions to not trust anybody and she leaves. Flair is not thrilled about the continued lack of respect.
Backstage, Undertaker asks Sgt. Slaughter if they are friends. Slaughter says there is a mutual respect. Taker wants Slaughter to tell Hogan to meet him in the ring later.
Fourth Contest: Steve Austin & Bradshaw vs. Scott Hall & X-Pac: Bradshaw flips Pac into the ring and hammers away on him in the corner. Bradshaw delivers a big boot and knocks Hall off the apron. Bradshaw clotheslines Pac in the corner and continues to pummel Pac. Pac drops Bradshaw with a spinning heel kick. Hall enters but Bradshaw clubs away on Hall and delivers an elbow drop. Austin gets tagged in but Hall backs away quickly. Austin works over Hall’s arm and stomps away on Hall in the corner. Austin drops Pac with a right hand and sends him to the floor before going back to work on Hall. Bradshaw enters and takes Hall over with a snap suplex for a near fall. Bradshaw clotheslines Hall in the corner and gets a near fall after a swinging neck breaker. Austin tags back in to work over Hall some more. Hall tags in Pac who runs into a right hand from Stone Cold. Austin with a back suplex and sends Pac hard into the corner.
Bradshaw puts Pac on the top turnbuckle and attempts a suplex but is shoved off by Pac. Bradshaw catches Pac in midair to hit a fallaway slam. Hall enters to club Bradshaw and allows Pac to dropkick Bradshaw’s knee. Hall hits his own fallaway slam but Bradshaw kicks out at two. Bradshaw caught Pac on a spin kick attempt by hitting a slam. Austin gets tagged back in and hammers away on the heels. Austin mounts Hall with a series of right hands and an elbow drop. Pac drops Austin with a spin kick but Austin comes back with two spine busters. Pac avoids the Stunner but Austin runs over both heels with a clothesline. All four men are in the ring brawling. Austin hits the Stunner on Pac and goes for the cover. Hall puts Pac’s foot on the bottom rope but Flair doesn’t see it and Austin gets the win! (*1/2. Again, the action wasn’t horrible but the finish just continues the Flair storyline. The crowd simply doesn’t care about the New World Order and the constant jobbing isn’t helping their case.)
Backstage, Hall and Pac meet up with Flair and complain about what just happened. Hall threatens that if Flair was a wrestler they would take him out.
The Undertaker makes his way down and brags about being better than Hogan in his prime. Taker takes credit for Hogan running away from the company in the mid 90s. WWF Undisputed Champion Hulk Hogan makes his way down and confronts The Undertaker. Taker tells Hogan that at Judgment Day he is going to beat Hogan like the bitch that he is. Naturally, Hogan decks Taker and rips off his shirt as Taker heads to the back.
Fifth Contest: WWF Hardcore Champion Bubba Ray Dudley vs. WWF Women’s Champion Jazz: Bubba turns around after playing to the crowd and Jazz gets a few shots in. Jazz puts a sleeper hold on Bubba but gets slammed down to the mat. Bubba dances with Jazz and shoulder blocks the WWF Women’s Champion. Jazz wants to do a test of strength but Bubba decides to dance and gets stopped with a low blow. Jazz tosses some weapons into the ring. Jazz whacks Bubba over the head with a trash can lid. Bubba bites Jazz’s ass and is slapped for doing so. Bubba drives Jazz down with a side slam and has a trash can. Bubba puts the trash can over Jazz and jabs the can a few times.
Bubba decides it is time to get a table. Steven Richards enters and breaks a guitar over Bubba’s head. Richards covers and wins the championship! (1/2*. That wasn’t all that entertaining.)
Backstage, William Regal is surrounded by old Hulkamania gear and is watching an old show involving Hogan. Regal is not a fan of Hogan nor his fans. So, he will be wrestling the WWF Undisputed Champion later tonight
Backstage, Steve Austin and Bradshaw are sharing a few beers when Ric Flair comes over and asks if he has proven himself to Austin. Austin says he hasn’t. Well, Flair decides to make a six man tag match for next week. It will be the New World Order against Bradshaw, Steve Austin and the Nature Boy Ric Flair!
Sixth Contest: WWF European Champion Spike Dudley vs. Goldust: Spike misses a baseball slide on the floor and is met with a clothesline from Goldust. Back in the ring, Goldust continues to work over Spike. Goldust decides against kicking Spike in the nuts. The referee checks on Spike and the referee is distracted. Booker enters and drops Goldust with a spin kick. Dudley hits the Acid Drop and wins the match. (DUD. The focus was again on the Booker/Goldust issue.)
Prior to the match, Regal offers some tea to Hulk Hogan. Hogan comes to the floor and Regal pours tea for the Hulkster. This is actually happening. They take a sip of tea but Hogan spits the tea into Regal’s face and attacks Regal sending him into the ring steps and announce table.
Main Event: WWF Undisputed Champion Hulk Hogan vs. William Regal: Regal begs off in the ring but Hulk doesn’t care and hammers away on Regal. The Undertaker comes in and attacks Hogan with right hands. Taker delivers a running clothesline in the corner and continues to stomp away on the champ. Taker takes Hogan’s weightlifting belt and has the belt buckle around his fist. Taker begins to punch Hulk several times with the buckle. Hogan has been busted wide open. Taker is just pummeling Hogan and scares the referee to the floor. Hulk tries to get up but he is losing a lot of blood. Taker choke slams Hogan and stares down at a laid out Hulkster to end the show. (DUD. There was no main event here as it was just some angle advancement to actually give us a reason to care about the Taker/Hogan match at the PPV in a couple of weeks.)
Final Thoughts:
RAW continues to focus heavily on angle advancement instead of putting on good matches. Smackdown seems to be the brand to watch if high quality action is what you prefer. Honestly, nothing memorable on the show this week with really the final segment being a good way to put some hype into the main event feud.
Thanks for reading.