WWE Heat 6/16/2002

World Wrestling Entertainment presents Heat
Date: 6/16/2002
From: Atlanta, GA

Matches:
1.) Goldust defeated Steven Richards
2.) Tommy Dreamer defeated Shawn Stasiak
3.) D’Lo Brown defeated Crash Holly
4.) Raven defeated Jeff Hardy by disqualification

Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Richards attacks Goldust before the bell with right hands in the corner. Richards is wearing a shirt saying that he misses Victoria. Richards misses a dropkick attempt and Goldust catapults Richards into the ropes and over his knees. Goldust delivers a butt strike for a two count. Richards gains control with right hands and is met with a clothesline in the corner. Richards tosses Goldust away and delivers a clothesline. Richards takes Goldust over with a snap suplex for a near fall. Richards knee drops Goldust on the back a few times before locking in a chin lock. Goldust blocks a splash with his knees. Goldust drops Richards with right hands followed by an atomic drop and clothesline for a near fall. Goldust plants Richards with a snap powerslam for a near fall. Richards takes Goldust down and almost wins with his feet on the ropes. Goldust drops down to throat thrust Richards and hits the Curtain Call for the win. (*1/2. A fine extended squash for Goldust who is getting over in his new face role. He’s entertaining in the ring with his offense and presents himself well.)

2.) Stasiak backs Dreamer into the corner, but Dreamer quickly counters with a headlock only to be slammed to the mat. Stasiak stomps on Dreamer, but Dreamer comes back with a hip toss and a drop toe hold. Dreamer clotheslines Stasiak over the top to the floor. Dreamer grabs a beer and spits it into Stasiak’s face. Stasiak connects with a suplex on the floor. Stasiak continues to work over Dreamer with strikes against the ropes. Stasiak sends Dreamer hard into the corner and stomps on Dreamer to maintain the advantage. Stasiak pulls Dreamer out of the corner with a slam. Stasiak slams Dreamer to the mat followed by a snap suplex for a two count. Stasiak continues to work over Dreamer in the corner with strikes to the lower back. Stasiak locks in a bearhug, but Dreamer doesn’t submit. Stasiak kicks Dreamer and goes back to a bearhug, but still isn’t able to get a submission. Dreamer bites free, but runs into a big boot. Dreamer plants Stasiak with a spinebuster and both men are down. Dreamer drops Stasiak with a few right hands and a backdrop. Dreamer plants Stasiak with a DDT for a near fall. Stasiak counters a piledriver with a backdrop and clotheslines Dreamer. Stasiak misses a splash in the corner allowing Dreamer to hit the Death Valley Driver for the win. (**. Not too bad of a match as they kept a decent pace and did enough to hold my interest throughout. Neither man is really up to anything, but they worked well here.)

3.) Crash Holly makes his way out and hands a note to D’Lo Brown. Crash has a microphone and taunts D’Lo, who is at the commentary table. Crash claims that D’Lo has been trying to hold him back for the past fifteen years and challenges D’Lo to a match. D’Lo accepts the challenge.

4.) Crash hammers away on Brown, but Brown hits a flapjack and a scoop slam. D’Lo delivers a quick leg drop for a two count. Brown hammers away on Crash in the corner. Crash boots D’Lo in the corner and hits a running bulldog. Crash taunts D’Lo and casually steps over Brown. Crash heads to the top rope, but Brown catches Crash to hit a swinging side slam for the win. (1/2*. Well, the crowd seemed to be buying into D’Lo there. The angle with Crash was a bit random, but it gives D’Lo an impressive victory in short order.)

5.) Raven hip tosses Hardy to start the main event. Raven scoop slams Hardy, but doesn’t follow up on the advantage. Hardy shoulder blocks Raven and nearly wins with a rollup. Hardy hip tosses Raven and delivers a scoop slam. Hardy heads to the top rope, but Raven stops Hardy with a right hand. Raven hooks Hardy for a superplex, but is shoved off. Hardy misses the Swanton Bomb. Raven pummels Hardy on the mat, but doesn’t go for a cover. Raven goes the middle rope and drives his knee down onto the back of Hardy’s neck for a two count. Raven continues to work over Hardy with strikes and a running bulldog out of the corner for a near fall. Hardy kicks Raven followed by a spinning back kick. Hardy avoids a splash in the corner and forearms Raven. Hardy delivers a sit out jawbreaker and a leg drop splash for a near fall. Hardy comes off the ropes with a forearm smash. Raven tosses Hardy through the ropes to the floor. Raven comes off the ropes to clothesline Hardy and knee lifts Hardy to the floor. Raven taunts the crowd. Raven clotheslines Hardy over the top to the floor. Hardy has grabbed a camera cord and chokes Raven while on the apron. Hardy climbs to the middle rope and chokes Raven with the cord causing a disqualification. After the match, Hardy leaps off the top to hit the Swanton Bomb. (*1/2. I was hoping for an actual match, but this felt like an angle advancement to get over Hardy’s new attitude in recent weeks. I really wish they’d do something of substance with Raven.)

Final Thoughts:
An underwhelming episode of Heat this week with the action not really delivering much quality this time around.

Thanks for reading.