WWE Smackdown 5/16/2002

Written by: Bob Colling

World Wrestling Entertainment presents Smackdown
Date: 5/16/2002
From: Montreal, Quebec

Triple H comes out and talks about getting revenge on Vince McMahon and wants Chris Jericho but instead gets Edge. Edge is upset about the sledgehammer last week and doesn’t care if they are both good guys on Smackdown. HHH says he never claimed to have been a good guy. That leads to Edge and HHH brawling but here comes Kurt Angle and Chris Jericho to get in on the action. Angle hits a spear on Edge and HHH is sent into the ring steps. Jericho holds Edge to allow Angle to cut some of his hair off! HHH is up and chases the heels from the ring to end the segment.

Backstage, Vince McMahon is hitting on Stacy Keibler about her swimsuit competition and awards Kurt Angle and Chris Jericho with a tag match against Triple H and Edge for tonight.

Opening Contest: Randy Orton & Val Venis vs. Lance Storm & Bob Holly: Storm and Orton kick off the match with Storm missing a dropkick but Holly clotheslines Orton from the apron. Holly works over Orton with chops in the corner but Orton fights back with strikes off his own. Orton gets distracted by Storm to allow Holly to regain control by hitting a dropkick. Orton battles back with a dropkick of his own and Venis gets the hot tag. Venis knocks Storm down several times with strikes and a backdrop. Venis plants Holly with a spinning spine buster and a regular spine buster for Storm. Orton heads to the top waiting for Storm and hits a cross body but Storm kicks out at two. Orton hits a modified leg assisted neck breaker for a near fall. Storm nails Orton with a super kick but Orton counters the pin attempt with a rollup and pins Storm. (*1/2. Well, that was a really quick match and it held by interest, but it wasn’t great.)

Backstage, Maven asks Torrie Wilson out on a date and she says yes. Rev. D-Von and Deacon Batista enter with D-Von preaching to Maven about lustful thoughts. Al Snow chases the two heels off.

Backstage, Gregory Helms interviews Funaki about why he has evil on his shirt, but Funaki says he is busy and turns away from the interview. Helms sees a note attached to Funaki’s shirt and reads it. “Hurricane, congrats on your title shot tonight… but take head on your win, because then your pain will surely begin!”

Backstage, Chris Jericho says that he delivered a message to Triple H tonight. He proceeds to remind us that he is the reason that HHH missed eight months of action.

Second Contest: Maven vs. Rev. D-Von: D-Von attacks before the bell hammering away on Maven in the corner. D-Von hits an elbow drop and continues to stomp away on Maven. D-Von misses a middle rope elbow drop. Maven nearly wins with a couple of rollups. Maven plants D-Von with a DDT for another near fall. Maven takes D-Von over with a German suplex but is stopped with a low blow thanks to Deacon Batista causing a distraction. D-Von hits the Saving Grace (lifting reverse DDT) for the win. After the match, Al Snow makes the save until Batista nails Snow with the steel briefcase. (1/2*. I’m enjoying Rev. D-Von’s gimmick and push, thus far.)

The swimsuit competition between Torrie and Stacy doesn’t happen due to Tajiri coming out and preventing Torrie from revealing anything. Instead, WWE Women’s Champion Trish Stratus comes out and shows off her red lingerie to piss off Stacy. Trish kicks Stacy out of the ring to end the segment.

Backstage, Vince McMahon is praising Rev. D-Von and Deacon Batista for their recent success. Stacy comes in and asks for a title shot against Trish Stratus, which he gives her and asks that D-Von and Batista protect her before the pay per view.

Third Contest: Rikishi vs. Rico: Rikishi is distracted by Billy Gunn on the outside but Rico fails at the sneak attack. Rikishi hits a lifting ace crusher but only manages a two count. Billy nails Rikishi with a clothesline on the floor causing Rikishi to spin around in midair. Rico gets a few kicks on Rikishi in the corner and taunts the fans. Rikishi stops Rico with a belly to belly suplex. Rikishi goes for a butt splash in the corner but Rico gets the referee to have the tag champs attack Rikishi, but that doesn’t work. Rico nearly wins following a standing spin kick. Rikishi counters a sunset flip attempt with a sit down splash for the win. (1/2*. That was rather expected and uneventful. A lot of quick matches thus far.)

Backstage, Vince McMahon is angry that Billy, Chuck and Rico would lose to Rikishi. He says that they will take care of Rikishi as he will have a mystery partner.

Backstage, Triple H suggests that Chris Jericho give Mick Foley a call regarding Hell in a Cell. Edge comes over and says they still have a problem. HHH suggests Edge wins a few World Championships before confronting him. Edge thinks he will go his route and marry the boss’s daughter. HHH says their issues will have to wait until after tonight.

Fourth Contest: WWE Cruiserweight Champion Tajiri vs. Billy Kidman vs. The Hurricane: Tajiri attacks Kidman before Hurricane even begins his entrance. Hurricane runs into the ring and stops them from fighting but along with Kidman attacks Tajiri hitting a double hip toss. Hurricane attempts a choke slam on Kidman but can’t hit the move. Kidman plants Tajiri with a sit out spine buster for a near fall. Hurricane drives Kidman down with a reverse neck breaker and heads to the top rope where Tajiri stops him but Kidman knocks Hurricane to the floor and bulldogs Tajiri. Kidman barely hits the shooting star press on Tajiri but Hurricane makes the save. Hurricane attempts the cover but Tajiri reaches the ropes to break the cover. Tajiri kicks Kidman off the apron and kicks Hurricane but misses a second kick and Hurricane hits a choke slam to pin Tajiri and win the title. (*. Jesus, I was kind of hoping for a long match here but once again they are given a short amount of time. Hurricane winning the title isn’t a shock considering he actually has an angle going on and is likely going to incorporate the championship now, too.)

WWE Undisputed Champion Hulk Hogan comes out and is greeted with such an ovation that is clearly gets to Hogan emotionally to the point that he forgets about his knee injury he should be selling. Hogan hopes this dream never ends and knows that Hulkamania will live forever. Vince McMahon comes out and says that Hulkamania sucks. McMahon thinks that Hulkamania is a cancer and that the Undertaker is going to bury it at Judgment Day. McMahon created it and he can kill it whenever he wants to. McMahon slaps Hogan but is met with a right hand and Hogan eventually hits the leg drop to end the segment as he poses for the crowd.

Main Event: Kurt Angle & Chris Jericho vs. Edge & Triple H: Edge doesn’t wait for Triple H as he is double teamed by Jericho and Angle at the start. HHH runs down to the ring and evens the odds working over Angle with right hands. Edge and Jericho are the legal men to start while Triple H drops Angle chest first across the guard railing and follows up with a clothesline on the floor. Edge misses a clothesline and plants Jericho with a flapjack followed by a leaping forearm shot. HHH decks Jericho with a right hand from the apron and tags into the bout. Triple H sends Jericho into the corner and hammers away on Jericho with a series of right hands. Jericho stops HHH with an eye rake and Angle enters but runs into a high knee. Edge tags in and works over Angle with strikes but Angle gets control before running into a spinning heel kick. Edge goes to the top and kicks Jericho away but Angle runs the ropes to hit an overhead belly to belly suplex for a two count. Jericho enters the match and chops Edge in the corner a few times followed by a dropkick to a seated Edge. Angle gets the tag and works over Edge briefly with Jericho. Angle controls Edge hitting an overhead belly to belly suplex. Jericho enters and kicks Edge in the ribs. Jericho misses a springboard moonsault but Edge can’t make the tag thanks to Angle cutting him off with a right hand.

Jericho comes back in and hits a couple of snap suplexs for a two count. Edge and Jericho are on the middle rope until Edge knocks Jericho off and hits a missile dropkick. Angle enters and knocks Edge into HHH allowing the tag. HHH clean house hitting a neck breaker on Jericho and a spine buster on Angle. HHH delivers a face buster to Jericho and went for the Pedigree but Angle made the save. HHH clotheslines both Jericho and Angle and Edge hits a top rope clothesline. Edge catapults Jericho over the top to the floor and face plants Angle. Jericho has a chair but is speared by Edge. Angle takes Edge over with the Angle Slam. HHH drives Angle down with the Pedigree but Jericho breaks up the cover attempt. HHH and Jericho go to the floor where HHH brawls with Jericho but is sent into the ring post. HHH sends Jericho and the referee into the railing. HHH and Jericho are brawling into the crowd leaving Edge and Angle in the ring. Edge hits an overhead belly to belly suplex on Angle and sets up for the spear but Angle whacks Edge over the head with a steel chair! Angle hits the Angle Slam and has the cover as the referee recovers giving Angle the three count and victory for his team. (***. A good match that got some time, which isn’t a shock considering the talents involved. The heel team winning is a good thing to give them heat for the pay per view in three days. Edge/Angle has been a fun feud and Judgment Day would deliver for the them.)

Final Thoughts:
In-ring wise the show had too many quick matches and the main event was the only match to get any time to get me invested in the action. I’m not overly excited for the Hogan/McMahon stuff as it probably would serve better on RAW, but whatever. Both shows struggled to deliver compelling television before the pay per view.

Thanks for reading.