WWE Heat 5/26/2002

World Wrestling Entertainment presents Heat
Date: 5/26/2002
From: Memphis, TN

Matches:
1.) D’Lo Brown defeated Justin Credible
2.) Tommy Dreamer defeated Big Bossman
3.) Spike Dudley defeated Shawn Stasiak
4.) WWE Hardcore Champion Steven Richards defeated Crash Holly to retain the title

Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Credible fights out of a headlock, but Brown hits an arm drag and hip toss. Credible works over Brown in the corner with strikes. Credible misses a boot in the corner and Brown delivers a rolling leg slam. Brown continues with right hands against the ropes. Brown misses a clothesline and Credible manages to hit a spinning DDT. Credible works over Brown in the corner with jabs and right hands. Credible plants Brown with a powerbomb out of the corner for a near fall. Credible controls Brown on the mat with a sleeper hold. Brown gets a second wind and elbows free, but Credible eye rakes Brown. Credible misses a baseball slide and hits the ring post groin first. Brown decks Credible with right hands. Brown connects with a flapjack followed by a leg drop for a near fall. Brown hits a swinging side slam for a near fall. Brown leaps off the middle rope and Credible hits a superkick for a near fall. Brown plants Credible with the Sky High to win the match. (**. It’s a quick match, but they did enough to hold my interest. These two are staples on Heat and they at least put forth a good effort on a regular basis.)

2.) Bossman hammers away on Dreamer in the corner with right hands. Bossman splashes Dreamer in the corner, but Dreamer comes back with an atomic drop and clothesline. Dreamer delivers an elbow drop for a two count. Bossman decks Dreamer coming off the ropes to maintain control of the contest. Bossman sends Dreamer hard into the corner and slides to the floor to punch Dreamer over the middle rope. Dreamer elbows free and is met with a big boot off the ropes. Dreamer fights out of a headlock and tried for a slam, but Bossman lands on top for a near fall. Dreamer manages to slam Bossman and a side Russian leg sweep for a near fall. Dreamer can’t hit a Death Valley Driver due to his back. Bossman almost wins following a spinebuster. Bossman argues with the referee and is shoved by the referee allowing Dreamer to win with a rollup. (*. Of course this was a slow match and it dragged along until the finish. The finish was rather lame, too.)

3.) Backstage, Terri interviews the WWE Hardcore Champion Steven Richards. Richards is wrestling Bradshaw tonight and won’t have Jazz because she’s injured. Richards is insulted that Terri would suggest he can’t do it by himself. Richards calls Bradshaw a loud, beer drinking Texan and Bradshaw is behind him. Bradshaw slaps Richards on the back. Richards just wants to give Bradshaw the title so that nobody gets hurt. Bradshaw wants to kick Richards ass and he’ll see him out there. Richards says “I’m so dead.”

4.) Stasiak attacks Dudley before the bell sounds. Stasiak tries for a slam, but Dudley counters with a rollup for a two count. Dudley kicks Stasiak in the corner and tries for a move off the middle rope but appears to mess it up. Stasiak drops Dudley over his knee with a gut buster for a near fall. Dudley hammers away on Stasiak, but is met with a jumping elbow strike. Stasiak chokes Dudley over the middle rope. Stasiak hits a front suplex to keep control of the contest. Stasiak plants Spike with a gut wrench slam for a near fall. Stasiak is talking to the heavens, which distracts him. Spike headbutts Stasiak in the midsection and hits the Dudley Dog for the win. (*1/2. Not a surprise that Dudley would prevail here. It’s a short match and Stasiak looked okay in there. The gimmick reminds me of Ultimate Warrior, which I wonder if it’s kind of a spoof of him.)

5.) Raven is tired of Coach on commentary and leaves the announcers table. Raven gets a microphone and gets in the ring to cut a promo. Raven says he’s been with the company for two years and says the treatment has been lackluster and he deserves better. Raven says he’s been left broken and busted. Raven says people of lesser ability have been given more than him. Raven will no longer tolerate this. He says sometimes there are no choices and decides to quit.

6.) Richards is begging off from Bradshaw as Bradshaw tosses weapons into the ring, but Richards tosses them back to the floor. Bradshaw tosses the ring steps into the ring and Richards slides the steps to the corner, but bails to the floor. Richards runs around the ring and whacks Bradshaw with a lid a few times only to be met with a big boot. Bradshaw boots Richards on the mat and grabs the lid to smash Richards several times. Crash Holly comes out to grab a stop sign and has a referee with him. Richards is knocked out on the apron. Bradshaw misses a clothesline, but catches Richards with a fallaway slam. Crash has the stop sign, but hits the ropes and hits himself with the sign. Bradshaw sends Holly to the floor and Richards pins Holly to retain the title. (*. Essentially a bait and switch since Bradshaw wasn’t going to take the fall on Richards so they insert Holly to eat the pin. I wasn’t really satisfied by this for a main event.)

Final Thoughts:
Brown/Credible was a decent match, but this was another lackluster episode for Heat.

Thanks for reading.