Written by: Bob Colling
World Wrestling Entertainment presents RAW
Date: 8/26/2002
From: New York, NY
RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff makes his way out to stage to start the program. Bischoff promises an historical evening. The WWE IC and Hardcore Championships will be unified tonight between RVD and Tommy Dreamer. A HOF wrestler will get a lifetime award. Bischoff brings out WWE Champion Brock Lesnar with Paul Heyman and they head to the ring.
Heyman gets on the microphone and says that they stand on the sacred ground, but the fans are chanting for Rock to stop him. Heyman talks about being in the famous MSG. Heyman names some legends that wrestled at MSG and says they don’t come close to equaling Lesnar. Heyman reminds us that the told everyone this was the case. Heyman told the fans that Lesnar would end Hulk Hogan and defeat the Rock, but nobody listened to him. Heyman would think the people would listen, but they don’t. Lesnar grabs the microphone and says he’s just 25 and is the youngest champion in WWE history. Lesnar proclaims that nobody can beat him.
Shawn Michaels music hits, but it’s not Michaels. Instead, it’s Triple H coming out mocking Michaels and doing his taunts. HHH says that is the last time we’ll ever hear Michaels music. HHH brags about crippling Michaels at SummerSlam and says that Michaels didn’t belong in the same ring as him. HHH doesn’t think that Michaels will ever walk again. HHH turns his attention to Lesnar and begins to walk towards the ring. HHH says that Lesnar wouldn’t be champion if it wasn’t for him. HHH softened the Rock for Lesnar last week. HHH also told Lesnar when he came out to RAW with the championship that he’d be there waiting. HHH believes that Lesnar owes him. HHH wants to know if Lesnar is man enough to play the game and they have a standoff.
The Undertaker’s music hits and Taker makes his way down to the ring. Taker tells HHH that he has this whole thing wrong and believes he gets the first shot at Lesnar. Taker refers to himself as the number one contender. Taker really wants to know if Lesnar is the next big thing, or next big bitch. HHH attacks Taker from behind and Taker is double teamed in the corner. HHH and Lesnar have a standoff and Taker pummels both men with right hands. Taker splashes both men in opposite corners and HHH to sent to the floor. Taker slaps Lesnar a few times. Taker big boots Lesnar over the top to the floor. HHH gets back in the ring and they have a standoff until HHH bails to the floor.
After a commercial, Eric Bischoff stands at the announcers table and reveals it will be HHH vs. Undertaker in the main event to determine the number one contender to Lesnar’s championship.
Opening Contest: WWE Tag Team Champion Christian vs. Booker T: Booker takes Christian down to the mat and delivers several right hands. Christian ducks a clothesline but is met with a forearm. Booker misses a scissors kick and Christian drives Booker down over his knee for a one count. Christian stomps on Booker in the corner and chokes Booker briefly. Booker is met with a knee lift to the gut and Christian keeps a sleeper on Booker. Booker elbows free and is met with a knee lift to the gut for a two count. Christian boot scrapes Booker and continues to choke Booker on the mat. Booker beats on Christian with chops in the corner. Booker drops Christian with a few right hands and a spin kick. Booker gets a rollup out of the corner for a near fall. Christian takes Booker down and uses the ropes for a two count. Booker hits a leaping heel kick after a Goldust distraction. Goldust hammers away on Lance Storm and they fall to the floor. Booker gets out of the Un-Prettier and scissors kicks Christian for the clean win. (*1/2. A fine match, but there wasn’t really a flow to it. Felt like a match to justify Booker and Goldust to continue to be challengers to the tag titles after SummerSlam.)
Backstage, Christian is pissed about what happened and thinks he got screwed. Lance Storm reminds him that they still have the gold. Test enters the scene and says he has something planned that will have people talking about them for years to come. Test had the American flag with him.
Earlier in the day, Christopher Nowinski asked WWE Women’s Champion Molly Holly to be in his corner tonight and assured Molly that she’d be safe from the Dudley’s. Victoria was there and wished Nowinski luck. Nowinski has a feeling he’ll be getting real lucky.
Second Contest: William Regal & Christopher Nowinski vs. Bubba Dudley & Spike Dudley: Bubba and Nowinski start off with Nowinski backing Bubba into the corner, but Bubba gains control with right hands and chops in the corner. Bubba jabs Nowinski several times and elbows Nowinski in the corner. Bubba hits a neckbreaker for a two count. Bubba slams Nowinski and Spike hits a top rope double stomp to maintain control. Spike decks Regal off the apron and misses a splash as Regal pulled Nowinski away. Molly rams Spike groin first into the ring post and Nowinski gets a two count. Regal tags in and beats on Spike with a few strikes. Spike takes both Regal and Nowinski down and tags in Bubba. Bubba double clotheslines them and splashes Regal in the corner. Bubba tosses Nowinski with a German suplex and side slams Regal for a two count. Bubba tosses Nowinski to the floor and jabs Regal a few times. Molly misses her top rope somersault and is slammed by Bubba. They hit the What’s Up on Molly. Spike grabs a table from under the ring and Bubba is slapped nearly allowing Regal to win the match. Nowinski slams Spike on the floor. Regal collides with Nowinski on the apron and Bubba hits the Bubba Bomb to pin Regal. After the match, Bubba sets the table up in the middle of the ring. Bubba tries for a powerbomb, but Nowinski and Regal save her. Spike hits an Acid Drop onto the table, but it doesn’t break. Regal hit his face on the table and Bubba powerbombs Regal through the table to end the segment. Nowinski is holding Molly on the stage. (*1/4. Just a basic match, really. The Nowinski/Molly angle is just creepy and the frat boy wanting to have the virgin is a bad one.)
Backstage, Bischoff is talking to someone in the RAW Special Guest locker room. Bischoff will be introducing them to the crowd soon.
Backstage, Molly Holly thanks Christopher Nowinski and asks if there is anything for her to do to repay him just to let her know. Nowinski hugs her and says he’s sure he could think of something with a smirk.
Eric Bischoff is in the ring and introduces Jimmy Snuka as the special guest. Bischoff has a plaque for Snuka and shows Snuka a tribute video. Bischoff hands the lifetime achievement award to Snuka. Bischoff asks how Snuka feels and cuts Snuka off. Bischoff says for the last three minutes he’s been thinking and asks if he just said three minutes. Jamal is in the ring and gets chopped by Snuka. Rosey comes in from behind and Snuka is met with two clotheslines. Jamal heads to the top rope and hits a big splash. Bischoff is loving this at the top of the ramp.
Chris Jericho comes out for his match and puts Snuka in the Walls of Jericho. Jericho grabs a microphone and asks when did MSG get named Madison Square Has-been. Jericho doesn’t believe that Snuka deserves special treatment. Jericho should get awards. Jericho is mad about SummerSlam and shows footage making Flair submit. Flair did have his hand on the ropes. Jericho is going to take out his anger on Jeff Hardy, Flair’s buddy. Jericho is going to sing New York, New York because his Fozzy concert was cutoff by Flair. The show goes to commercial, and when RAW returns Jericho is still singing until Jeff Hardy comes out.
Third Contest: Jeff Hardy vs. Chris Jericho: Jericho attacks Hardy before the bell with a forearm strike. Jericho hits a vertical suplex and dropkicks a kneeling Hardy. Hardy tries to fight back with strikes, but Jericho chokes Hardy against the ropes. Hardy hits a leaping clothesline and hammers away on Jericho in the corner. Hardy head scissors Jericho out of the corner, but Jericho nails Hardy with a clothesline. Jericho chokes Hardy over the middle rope. Jericho continues with strikes to keep control of the contest. Hardy blocks a dropkick and catapults Jericho over the top to the floor. Hardy heads to the top rope and takes Jericho out with a crossbody on the floor. Hardy runs the railing but is caught in midair and slammed by Jericho on the floor. Jericho rolls Hardy into the ring and delivers a few stomps. Jericho drives Hardy down with a backbreaker. Jericho chokes Hardy with part of his shirt and taunts the fans. Jericho pulls back on Hardy’s arms while digging his knee into his back. Hardy fights out and is met with a knee lift. Jericho dropkicks a seated Hardy for a two count. Jericho plants Hardy with a back suplex and delivers a few elbow drops. Jericho chokes Hardy over the middle rope and taunts the crowd before missing a splash over the middle rope. Hardy hammers away on Jericho, but Jericho avoids a dropkick by holding the ropes and hits a running senton for a two count. They begin to trade strikes with Jericho getting the advantage. Jericho taunts Hardy after a right hand. Jericho stops Hardy with a sleeper hold slam for a two count.
Jericho controls Hardy with an abdominal stretch, but doesn’t get a submission. Hardy hip tosses free, but Jericho decks Hardy in the corner. Jericho tries for a crossbody and Hardy dropkicks Jericho in midair. Hardy hits the Whisper In The Wind off the top rope and delivers a jawbreaker. Hardy connects with a double leg drop for a near fall. Jericho rolls through a rollup and tries for the Walls of Jericho. Hardy kicks Jericho away and nearly wins with an inside cradle. Jericho plants Hardy with a bulldog, but Hardy blocks the Lionsault by getting his knees up. Hardy almost gets Jericho with a leg drop cradle pin. Jericho blocks a kick, but Hardy uses his free leg to kick Jericho. Hardy goes to the top rope hitting the Swanton Bomb! Hardy goes for the cover, but Jericho reaches the ropes to break the cover. Jericho counters a hurricanrana locking in the Walls of Jericho, but Hardy reaches the ropes. Jericho is refusing to let go of the hold and the referee calls for a disqualification. After the match, Jericho looks like he’s snapped as he continues to refuse to let go. Sgt. Slaughter and several referees have come out to help Hardy. (**1/4. Well, that certainly got a bunch of time, but it felt slow and plodding to me for the most part. The closing moments of the match were decent, but I wasn’t overly entertained by it. Hardy’s booking since the ladder match with Taker continues to be a major blunder on the RAW brand.)
Backstage, Terri meets up with Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar. She asks if they have a preference to who would win the main event. Lesnar says it doesn’t make a difference to him. Heyman and Lesnar laugh it off.
Backstage, Test reveals that he’s going to burn the American flag, which Storm and Christian are a fan of.
The Un-Americans make their way down to the ring to apparently light the flag on fire. Test thinks it is about time that Americans realize what everyone else thinks of them. Test feels like burning the flag would be the best thing to do. However, Kane’s vignette plays to scare the Un-Americans. However, Kane doesn’t appear and they are going to continue to burn the flag. Booker and Goldust slide into the ring and they get beaten down by the Un-Americans. Test has the flag, but Kane’s music plays and it is KANE! Kane is back! Kane ducks a flag shot and decks Test with a few right hands. Christian whacks Kane with a chair, but that doesn’t work. Kane chokeslams Christian! Kane decks Storm over the top and ducks a big boot by Test. Kane chokeslams Test! The Un-Americans bail up the aisle. Booker has a microphone and says they aren’t going anywhere. Booker does the spinarooni. Kane stops Booker from leaving and says the fans didn’t come here to just see that. They also came here to see Kane do the breakdance. Kane proceeds to do his version, which wasn’t too bad, actually.
Fourth Contest: WWE Intercontinental Champion Rob Van Dam vs. WWE Hardcore Champion Tommy Dreamer in a hardcore match: This is the final hardcore match on RAW, at least for the championship. They are basically eliminating the title. The crowd naturally chants for ECW before the start of the match and they shake hands to show respect for each other. RVD takes Dreamer down with a headlock and RVD misses a somersault leg drop. They avoid each other a few times and they have a standoff. Dreamer elbows RVD and dropkicks RVD as RVD was doing a split. Dreamer rams RVD into the corner head first, but RVD comes back with a few shoulder rams in the corner. Dreamer hits RVD with a kendo stick followed by a side Russian leg sweep. Dreamer goes under the ring and grabs a ladder. RVD misses a baseball slide, but still kicks the ladder into Dreamer for a two count on the floor. RVD lays the ladder over the railing and apron. Dreamer plants RVD with a spinebuster on the floor. Dreamer tries to suplex RVD onto the ladder, but RVD breaks free. Dreamer tries for a bulldog, but RVD holds onto the ropes and Dreamer hits the ladder face first. RVD crotches Dreamer on the railing and delivers a kick. RVD leaps off the bridged ladder to kick Dreamer again for a two count. RVD tosses a chair into the ring and hits a standing moonsault for a two count. RVD lays the chair over Dreamer and tries for a split legged moonsault, but Dreamer blocks it. Dreamer tries for a DDT, but RVD counters with a northern lights suplex for a near fall. Dreamer tries for a Death Valley Driver, but settles for a DDT managing a two count. Dreamer side slams RVD onto the ladder. Dreamer leaps off the middle rope missing an elbow drop. RVD lays a ladder onto Dreamer and hits the rolling thunder splash. Dreamer manages to kick out on the cover attempt. RVD leg drops Dreamer and gets crotched on the top rope. Dreamer lays the ladder over the middle rope and looks for a suplex, but RVD crotches Dreamer on to the ladder and hits a spinning heel kick. Dreamer is trapped in a tree of woe and RVD dropkicks the chair into Dreamer’s face. RVD heads to the top rope hitting the Five Star Frog Splash for the win. (**1/2. There goes the hardcore division, which was played out at this point anyway. The match was fine for what it was and the crowd reacted well to what they were doing. There was never a doubt about who was going to prevail here. I think a guy like Bradshaw would have been better suited in this position to cast any doubt.) After the match, they embrace and Dreamer shows respect to RVD before leaving.
Backstage, Triple H is preparing when Lilian Garcia and Trish Stratus walk by for Lilian’s match.
Howard Finkel is in the ring with Stacy Keibler. Keibler tells Fink that she is not here to support Fink. Stacy is here to make sure that Trish Stratus doesn’t interfere in the match. Fink says that Stacy is interfering with something in his trousers.
Fifth Contest: Lilian Garcia vs. Howard Finkel in a tuxedo vs. evening gown match: Whomever wins the match will become the RAW ring announcing job. Garcia takes Fink down after Fink called her a hooker. Fink tries to get the gown off of Garcia, but can’t do so. Garcia starts to take off Fink’s tuxedo. Fink shoves Garcia into the ropes and grabs a microphone saying that this is how it should be. Trish and Stacy are in the ring leading to Fink getting triple teamed. All three women strip Fink’s tuxedo off and Lilian wins the match. Fink has red underwear and they go to a wide shot. (NR. Glad that’s over.)
Main Event: The Undertaker vs. Triple H in a number one contenders match: HHH attacks on the floor during Taker’s entrance and sends Taker into the ring post a few times. HHH clotheslines Taker over the railing into the crowd. HHH delivers a few strikes on the floor and rolls Taker into the ring. The bell officially sounds and Taker clotheslines HHH to counter a pedigree attempt. Taker hammers away on HHH in the corner followed by a leaping clothesline. Taker connects with a leg drop for a two count. Taker clotheslines HHH and goes to the corner to hit Old School for a two count. HHH eye rakes Taker to break free from a chokeslam. Taker splashes HHH in the corner with a clothesline. Taker drops HHH face first over the top rope. HHH delivers a high knee lift and sends Taker through the ropes to the floor. HHH sends Taker into the ring steps. HHH hammers away on Taker against the railing. HHH rams Taker face first onto the ring steps a few times. HHH hits a swinging neckbreaker for a two count. HHH elbow drops Taker for a two count. Taker hammers away on HHH, but HHH gets a sleeper on Taker for a moment. Taker drops to his knees struggling to stay awake.
Taker fights back with right hands. HHH drops Taker face first over his knee for a two count. HHH goes back to a sleeper, but doesn’t make Taker pass out with it. Taker takes HHH over with a side suplex. They begin to trade right hands with Taker dropping HHH. HHH knee lifts Taker but runs into a clothesline. Taker rams HHH into the corner and runs into a back elbow. Taker sends HHH into the referee in the corner and delivers a few more strikes. Taker sends HHH into the referee again and connects with a big boot. Taker signals for a chokeslam and plants HHH. Brock Lesnar runs onto the apron and Taker punches Lesnar off. HHH low blows Taker and tries for a Pedigree, but Taker backdrops free. Lesnar whacks Taker with the championship. HHH crawls over and pins Taker to win the match. (*1/2. I feel like these two just don’t have great chemistry and the match as not very entertaining at all. The message is clear to HHH that Lesnar would rather wrestle him.)
In the parking lot, Stephanie McMahon has arrived and Eric Bischoff tells Stephanie to leave, but knows she can’t help herself. Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman enter the scene. Stephanie asks if Bischoff ever shuts up. Stephanie asks what Triple H is the number one contender for since Lesnar is now exclusive to Smackdown! Stephanie says that RAW will never see the undisputed champion ever again. Stephanie asks how her peaches taste now. Bischoff is stunned as the limo drives off.
Final Thoughts:
Coming out of SummerSlam, this weeks episode of RAW was a mostly average episode. Lesnar being exclusive to Smackdown really made the main event pointless now since Triple H can’t challenge Lesnar. Kane’s return was nicely done, but I didn’t like the comedic stuff right afterward. There was a few decent matches on the show, but it’s a really average total episode of RAW this week. I was expecting more coming out of SummerSlam and having the show in MSG. This was a let down.
Thanks for reading.