WWE Smackdown 8/8/2002

Written by: Bob Colling

World Wrestling Entertainment presents Smackdown
Date: 8/8/2002
From: Richmond, VA

A video package highlighting the career of Hulk Hogan is shown and it’s done as if he’s about to be dead. The package switches to Brock Lesnar and promotes the match taking place tonight.

Opening Contest: Kurt Angle vs. John Cena: Angle takes Cena over with a fireman’s carry to start the match. Cena counters with a headlock and shoulder blocks Angle. Cena decks Angle to the floor with a forearm strike. Angle puts a headlock on Cena and delivers a shoulder block. Cena forearms Angle and delivers a clothesline. Cena powerslams Angle for a two count. Angle tosses Cena over the top to the floor. Angle rams Cena face first into the ring steps. Angle stomps away on Cena a few times and delivers several strikes in the corner. Angle chops Cena in the corner several times. Cena counters with chops in the corner. Cena boots Angle in the corner, but Angle hits an overhead belly to belly suplex. Angle takes Cena over with another overhead belly to belly suplex for a near fall. Cena blocks a suplex attempt and takes Angle over with one of his own. Angle rams Cena into the corner a few times with shoulder strikes. Angle gets a two count following a backbreaker. Angle controls Cena on the mat with a sleeper hold. Cena fights out with strikes but misses a clothesline and Angle connects with a series of German suplexs. Cena blocks the third attempt delivering a few elbow strikes and plants Angle with a DDT. They trade right hands with Angle getting the advantage. Cena hits a flying forearm and clotheslines. Cena backdrops Angle, but Angle takes Cena down and locks in the ankle lock only to be kicked away by Cena. Cena plants Angle with a tilt a whirl side slam for a two count. Angle misses a spear in the corner and hits the post shoulder first. Cena dropkicks Angle off the apron and Angle hits his face on the ring steps. Chris Benoit comes into the ring from behind and locks in the Crossface! Rey Mysterio comes out and head scissors Benoit to the floor to save Cena. Eddie Guerrero slides in and decks Mysterio from behind and delivers a tilt a whirl backbreaker. Edge comes out and plants Guerrero with a face buster. Edge spears Angle off the apron to the floor. (**. Not a bad match as Angle was able to carry Cena to a solid match. The crowd is clearly not invested into Cena as he’s a basic guy that has no depth and looks bland. Judging by the Rey and Edge involvement it looks like WWE is trying to get the rub onto Cena with their help. Angle, Benoit and Guerrero is an incredible trio of heels. Hopefully that’s a thing because that would be nuts.)

Backstage, Marc Lloyd meets up with Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero walking. Lloyd wants to know why they left RAW for Smackdown. Guerrero talks about Benoit having Rock submit on Smackdown. Guerrero puts over Benoit as the master of submission. Kurt Angle enters the scene and tells Guerrero that nobody makes people tap like him. Angle takes credit for being the master of the submission holds. Benoit thinks that Angle was about to be counted out and says that Smackdown as the best competition. Benoit claims they needed real competition and that’s why they showed up here on Smackdown. Guerrero cools them off from getting into a confrontation. Guerrero suggests a six man tag match tonight. They agree to have the match.

Second Contest: Rev. D-Von vs. Mark Henry: Henry is distracted by Batista, but elbows D-Von anyway. D-Von sunset flips Henry, but doesn’t take him down. Henry sends D-Von into the corner followed by a clothesline. Henry splashes onto D-Von over the middle rope and slides to the floor. D-Von avoids Henry in the corner and delivers a forearm followed by a clothesline. D-Von comes off the ropes to deliver a fist drop and stomps. D-Von continues to stomp on Henry to maintain control of the contest. D-Von double stomps Henry. Henry blocks a stomp and decks D-Von with a strike and clotheslines. Henry backdrops D-Von followed by a scoop slam. Henry tries for a slam, but D-Von wiggles free. Henry connects with a flapjack and decks Batista off the apron. Henry plants D-Von with a running powerslam for the win. (*. Naturally this came across rather clunky and awkward. Henry getting the clean win is fine with me, but D-Von has potential as a heel character that they are cooling off on.) After the match, Batista attacks Henry. D-Von goes to the top rope, but Rikishi comes out and slams D-Von off the ropes. Rikishi knocks Batista to the floor, as well. D-Von has to hold Batista back. Rikishi wants Batista for a match right now.

Third Contest: Rikishi vs. Batista: Rikishi hammers away on Batista followed by a clothesline. Batista blocks a hip toss and plants Rikishi with a full nelson slam. Batista works over Rikishi in the corner with strikes and knee lifts. Batista knee lifts Rikishi followed by right hands. Batista clotheslines Rikishi to maintain control of the contest. D-Von gets a cheap shot on the apron. Rikishi plants Batista with a DDT and signals for a back splash in the corner, but Batista got his knees up. D-Von accidentally hits Batista allowing Rikishi to hit a savant kick and pins Batista. (1/2*. The push of Rikishi continues.) After the match, Batista is angry with D-Von.)

Backstage, Brock Lesnar tells Paul Heyman that he’s going into Hulk Hogan’s locker room to make sure that Hogan wants to do this. Heyman tries to talk Lesnar out of it, but that doesn’t work. After a commercial, Lesnar approaches Hogan’s locker room. Lesnar confronts Hogan asking if he really wants to end his career tonight. Hogan says that Lesnar is young and full of life. Hogan suggests that Lesnar put everything on the line tonight. Hogan wants Lesnar to put his SummerSlam title shot on the line tonight. Lesnar accepts that challenge. Heyman is livid. Lesnar asks if Heyman is losing confidence in him and walks off.

Backstage, Torrie Wilson is attacking Nidia in her lingerie as Jamie Noble tries to break them up. Billy Kidman entered the scene and attacked Noble. Several officials come over to stop the fighting.

Fourth Contest: Billy & Chuck vs. The Hurricane & Shannon Moore: Chuck attacks Hurricane from behind with right hands. Hurricane gets out of a slam and taunts Chuck. Hurricane drop toe holds Chuck followed by a shining wizard for a two count. Hurricane eye rakes Chuck and Moore leaps off the top to hit a head scissors. Billy decks Moore and stomps away on Moore in the corner. Moore dropkicks Billy and Hurricane enters to nail Billy with several right hands. Hurricane plants Billy with a tornado DDT. Chuck decks Moore off the apron. Hurricane tries to chokeslam both Billy and Chuck, but is instead met with a double flapjack and Chuck gets a two count. Chuck sends hurricane into Billy’s knee in the corner. Rico chokes Hurricane from the apron. Billy beats on Hurricane in the corner with right hands. Billy misses a splash in the corner and Hurricane hits a neckbreaker. Chuck tags in and Moore hits a few clotheslines and a flipping neckbreaker. Moore hits a twisting dive off the top onto Chuck. Billy plants Moore with a cobra clutch slam. Hurricane chokeslams Billy! Rico is sent over the top to the floor. Hurricane takes Rico out with a dive to the floor. Moore is caught by Chuck on a hurricanrana attempt. Billy misses a clothesline as Moore was on Chuck’s shoulders. Moore gets a rollup on Chuck to win the match! (***. I don’t know if I’m overrating this, but I thought Moore and Hurricane did a fantastic job with their offense and they were made to look great by Billy and Chuck selling for them. There was constant action and the crowd was into it. I really enjoyed this match.)

Backstage, John Cena is talking to Edge while Rey Mysterio is doing pull ups. Cena recalls what happened to him earlier by Benoit. Edge motivates Cena to make the future now. Mysterio chimes in and says he has Kurt Angle tonight.

A vignette promoting Kane’s return saying “the fire still burns” is shown.

Backstage, Paul Heyman knocks on Stephanie McMahon’s door. Stephanie asks if Heyman has seen Dawn Marie, but Heyman hasn’t seen her. Heyman explains to Stephanie what just happened between Hogan and Lesnar. Stephanie thought it was a genius idea by Heyman and Lesnar to make SummerSlam a win/win situation. Stephanie approves of the idea. Heyman says she’s becoming more like her father everyday and walks off.

Fifth Contest: Edge, Rey Mysterio Jr. & John Cena vs. WWE Intercontinental Champion Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero & Kurt Angle: Angle and Edge have started the match with Angle hammering away on Edge in the corner followed by some chops. Edge hits a belly to belly suplex on Angle, but Angle knee lifts Edge. Edge stops Benoit with a flapjack. Mysterio tags in and hammers away on Benoit. Benoit lifts Rey up and drives him down to the mat gut first. Benoit knee lifts Rey a few times followed by a knee lift as Rey came off the ropes. Rey boots a charging Benoit and tries to climb the ropes, but Benoit stops Rey. Mysterio head scissors Benoit out of the corner. Benoit forearms Mysterio from behind. Guerrero tags in and controls Mysterio with a wrist lock. Mysterio leaps off the ropes to head scissors Guerrero and tags in Cena. Guerrero and Cena trade right hands in the middle of the ring. Cena hip tosses Guerrero followed by a suplex attempt. Cena plants Guerrero with a back suplex for a near fall. Angle and Edge brawl to the floor. Benoit and Guerrero double team Cena in the corner. Guerrero forearms Cena in the corner and tags in Benoit.

Benoit sends Cena hard into the corner back first. Benoit takes Cena over with a snap suplex for a two count. Benoit tags in Angle to keep control of Cena in the corner. Angle nails Cena with a short arm clothesline. Angle keeps a sleeper on Cena in the middle of the ring. Cena comes off the ropes, but Angle connects with a spinebuster. Guerrero tags into the match and hits a slingshot senton from the apron for a two count. Guerrero stomps on Cena and backs off taunting the crowd. Cena continues to be worked over by Benoit with a back suplex. Cena elbows Benoit in the corner, but Benoit drop toe holds Cena. Benoit chops Cena in the corner, but Cena tries to fight back only to be decked by Guerrero. Guerrero continues with strikes to Cena and controls Cena with a front face lock. Guerrero plants Cena with a back suplex. Guerrero heads to the top rope, but Mysterio causes a distraction and Cena hits a superplex!

Edge and Angle get tagged in with Edge cleaning house and backdrops Guerrero. Edge spears Benoit in the corner and spears Guerrero. Angle tries for the Angle Slam, but Edge breaks free to spear Angle. Benoit tosses Edge with a German suplex. Mysterio hits a wheelbarrow bulldog on Benoit. Guerrero spikes Mysterio with a brainbuster. Cena hits a spinning side slam, but Angle hits the Angle Slam on Cena. Mysterio connects with the 619 and the West Coast Pop to pin Angle! (**3/4. Honestly, it’s probably a disappointing match. Cena worked the majority of the match and his heat segment was plodding after a while. The closing minute of the match was highly enjoyable and just a sample of what this could have been if they kept it up for the duration of the match. A big pin for Mysterio on Angle, as well.)

Backstage, Marc Lloyd is with Kurt Angle during the break. Angle is stunned that he was pinned by Mysterio. Angle says “I just got pinned by a freaking twelve year old.” Angle wonders what is going on here lately. Angle notes that Mysterio was the illegal man and is likely an illegal citizen. Angle promises that Rey will suffer a broken ankle.

Sixth Contest: WWE Cruiserweight Champion Jamie Noble & Nidia vs. Billy Kidman & Torrie Wilson: Noble decks Kidman from behind and Nidia delivers a boot. Noble almost wins with a fisherman suplex. Noble chokes Kidman over the middle rope. Kidman head scissors Noble followed by a dropkick. Kidman misses a clothesline, but hits a sit out powerbomb for a two count as Nidia breaks the cover. Noble runs into Nidia and clotheslined to the floor by Kidman. Kidman tries to spank Nidia, but Noble dropkicks Kidman and is backdropped to the floor. Kidman tags in Wilson and Wilson spanks Nidia over Kidman’s knee. Kidman misses a slingshot crossbody to the floor. Wilson hits a neckbreaker on Nidia followed by a chop. Wilson kicks Noble, but Nidia gets a rollup on Wilson from behind and wins the match. (*1/2. I was not expecting Nidia and Noble to win the match, but I like it. The focus here was on the women it felt like.)

Backstage, Dawn Marie a locker room to talk to Stacy Keibler. Stacy says that Stephanie has been looking for her. Marie insists that she’s going to give Stephanie the papers. Stacy knows what the papers are all about. Stacy wants to give the papers to Stephanie so that she can meet Vince McMahon at the hotel. Dawn is acting as if she may go to the hotel to meet Vince. Stacy slides the papers under the couch to screw over Dawn.

Backstage, Stephanie asks Stacy if Dawn was here with her papers. Stacy tells Stephanie that Dawn said something about meeting Vince McMahon at the Marriott. Stephanie apologizes for her behavior last week. Eric Bischoff appears from behind a plant and Stacy hands over the papers to Bischoff. Bischoff looks at the papers and laughs.

Backstage, Marc Lloyd is with Hulk Hogan. Lloyd asks if Hogan truly believes he has what it takes to defeat Lesnar. Hogan admits that Lesnar is stronger and younger than him. Hogan is relying on the support of the fans to help him defeat Lesnar tonight. Hogan says the real question needs to be what will Lesnar do when Hulkamania runs wild on him.

Main Event: Brock Lesnar vs. Hulk Hogan: Lesnar shoves Hogan to the mat to showoff his size advantage. Lesnar stomps on Hogan to gain the early advantage. Lesnar scoop slams Hogan and taunts the fans. Hogan gets up quickly and fires back with right hands. Hogan delivers several chops in the corner, as well. Lesnar misses a splash in the corner and Hogan gets a two count after a clothesline. Hogan continues with a few elbow drops and a boot scrape to the face. Hogan clotheslines Lesnar over the top to the floor. Lesnar trips Hogan and rams Hogan groin first into the ring post a couple of times. Lesnar delivers a few elbow drops. Lesnar delivers a running shoulder ram in the corner and continues with more shoulder rams. Lesnar tosses Hogan to the floor. Lesnar clears off the announcers table, but Hogan delivers a few strikes and sends Lesnar into the ring post. Hogan hammers away on Lesnar in the corner with right hands. Lesnar stops Hogan with a powerbomb out of the corner. Lesnar tries for a cover, but Hogan kicks out at two.

Hogan begins to get a second wind and Lesnar delivers a few right hands. Hogan begins to Hulk Up and points at Lesnar after no selling strikes to the back. Hogan big boots Lesnar and signals for the leg drop. Lesnar pops up and tries for the F5, but Hogan breaks free. Hogan decks Heyman off the apron and hits the leg drop! Hogan goes for the cover, but Lesnar powers out easily. Hogan is shocked. Hogan hammers away on Lesnar with right hands against the ropes. Hogan big boots Lesnar and gets stopped by Heyman. Lesnar decks Hogan from behind and hits the F5! Lesnar doesn’t go for the cover and instead locks in a side bearhug. Hogan is bleeding from the mouth. Hogan is fading and his arm drops three times. Lesnar wins the match clean by KO. After the match, Lesnar refuses to let go of the side bearhug and eventually does. Lesnar shoves the referee away. (***. I love the clean win and dominate win by Lesnar. It’s exactly what needed to happen and this is likely leading to Hogan being off TV for a while. The crowd was invested and the action was solid throughout.)

Brock Lesnar returns to the ring with a steel chair. Lesnar scares the referee from the ring. Hogan struggles to his feet. Lesnar whacks Hogan over the head with the chair to leave Hogan laying.

Final Thoughts:
I enjoyed the show this week as the main event really cements Lesnar as being the next top guy. His build is making Rock look like a major underdog to a guy who has just been there for five months. Moore & Hurricane tag match with Billy & Chuck was loads of fun, too. It looks like Guerrero, Benoit, Angle, Edge, and Mysterio are going to be major players on the brand and that should lead to at least one guaranteed good match on TV. I’m looking forward to it.

Thanks for reading.