World Wrestling Entertainment presents Heat
Date: 7/14/2002
From:
Matches:
1.) WWE Hardcore Champion Bradshaw defeated Raven to retain the title
2.) Sean O’Haire defeated Shawn Stasiak
3.) WWE Women’s Champion Molly Holly defeated Jacqueline to retain the title
4.) Big Show defeated Matt Hardy
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Earlier today, Lilian Garcia chats with WWE Hardcore Champion Bradshaw. Bradshaw has something to show her, which is good and hard. Bradshaw shows the championship with a makeover as it has a Texas look now. Bradshaw says he wasn’t good in school and drank too much beer and played too much football. This is referencing Christopher Nowinski. Bradshaw says that today is an unlucky day for Raven. Bradshaw has taken hardcore to a new level and we’ll see that tonight.
2.) Raven hits Bradshaw with a trash can lid, but Bradshaw responds with a shot, as well. They go to the floor where Bradshaw sends Raven into the announcers table and rams the ring steps into Raven’s face. Bradshaw chops Raven around ringside followed by strikes. Bradshaw sends Raven into the ring steps face first. Bradshaw forearms Raven a few times. Bradshaw nails Raven with a cowbell. Bradshaw slams Raven to the mat and hog ties Raven. Raven gets up and is nailed by a trash can lid. Bradshaw tries for a powerbomb, but Raven holds onto the leg of Bradshaw. Bradshaw jabs Raven with the fire extinguisher. Raven fights back with cooking sheet shots and a plant. Raven chokes Bradshaw with the cowbell. Raven gets on Bradshaw’s back and is rammed into the corner. Bradshaw rams Raven into the corner a few times. Bradshaw hits a side suplex and both men are down. Bradshaw sends Raven into the ropes to deliver a back elbow and a clothesline in the corner. Raven ducks a clothesline, but is caught in a fallaway slam and is tossed across the ring. Raven drop toe holds Bradshaw face first into a steel chair. Bradshaw boots a chair into Raven’s face. Bradshaw nails Raven with the Clothesline From Hell with the cowbell around his arm for the win. (*. I can see myself buying into Bradshaw as a bigger level face for the RAW brand, but he’ll need to get out of the hardcore stuff sooner rather than later. This felt like an extended squash, which is a shame for Raven.)
3.) Stasiak takes O’Haire down to the mat with a side headlock, but O’Haire breaks free only to be met with a shoulder block. Stasiak runs the ropes and is met with a hip toss and arm drag. Stasiak hammers away on O’Haire, but is met with a dropkick and another arm drag. O’Haire keeps arm control on the mat for a few moments. Stasiak continues to deliver strikes, but elbows O’Haire in the corner followed by a clothesline for a near fall. Stasiak chokes O’Haire over the bottom rope. Stasiak rams O’Haire chest first over the apron and catapults O’Haire into the bottom rope from the apron. Stasiak drives O’Haire down with a front suplex for a near fall. Stasiak puts a headlock on O’Haire, but doesn’t get submission. O’Haire elbows free and shoulder blocks Stasiak. Stasiak connects with a powerslam for a two count. Stasiak continues with a back suplex and a snap suplex for a two count. O’Haire fights out of a headlock with elbows and nearly wins with a sunset flip. O’Haire powerslams Stasiak followed by a back suplex. O’Haire floats over after a snap suplex for a two count. O’Haire kicks Stasiak and ducks a clothesline to dropkick Stasiak a few times. O’Haire hits the Cruel Intentions to win the match. (*. It’s a better match than the Stamboli match that Stasiak had last week, but Stasiak continues to be uninteresting in the ring. O’Haire has a great look, but he still has a way to go before he’s going to break through in the WWE.)
4.) Crash Holly is the special referee for the women’s title match. This is important because Molly is his cousin and he’s been having issues with Jacqueline as of late.
5.) Jacqueline gets a rollup on Molly for a two count in the opening moments of the contest. Molly tries for a hip toss, but Jacqueline counters with one of her own. Jacqueline decks Molly with a few right hands to maintain the advantage. Molly drops Jacqueline over the ropes and delivers an elbow drop. Molly connects with a swinging neckbreaker for a two count. Jacqueline gets a rollup on Molly, but is stopped by a clothesline. Molly chokes Jacqueline over the middle rope. Molly drives Jacqueline down with a backbreaker for a two count. Jacqueline fires back with strikes, but a knee lift stops her. Molly yanks Jacqueline down by her hair a few times. Molly tries for a cover, but only gets a two count. Jacqueline atomic drops Molly and delivers a few strikes to drop the champion. Jacqueline hits a rolling fireman’s carry and a standing senton splash. Jacqueline kicks Molly a few times leading to a near fall. Jacqueline leaps off the top and accidentally hits Crash with a crossbody. Crash holds Jacqueline to allow Molly to deck Jacqueline with the championship and Molly pins Jacqueline for the win. (*. It was just a matter of time for Crash to cost Jacqueline and I actually liked how they went about it. It wasn’t the usual way to screw someone over, so I’ll give them credit for that.)
6.) Show shoves Hardy into the corner and taunts him. So, Hardy takes his shirt off and punches Show a few times. Show sends Hardy into the corner and misses a big boot. Hardy tries to send Show into the ropes, but is met with a clothesline. Show headbutts Hardy to the mat. Show chops Hardy in the corner to maintain control of the match. Show tries for a vertical suplex, and drives Hardy down to the mat. Show misses an elbow drop and Hardy attempts the Side Effect, but Show counters. Hardy dropkicks Show on the knee and is met with a powerslam. Show covers Hardy managing a two count. Show puts a bearhug on Hardy in the middle of the ring. Hardy breaks free and is met with a big boot. Show send Hardy into the corner, but Hardy boots Show and hits a middle rope Side Effect for a two count. Show counters a Twist of Fate and Hardy dumps Show over the top to the floor. Hardy hits a top rope moonsault to the floor. Hardy goes to the top rope as Show returns to the ring. Hardy leaps off, but is caught and chokeslammed by Show for the three count. (*1/2. It’s not a bad big man vs. smaller man kind of match. Hardy was able to get some excitement from the crowd, but it was just a matter of time before Show was planting Hardy with the chokeslam.)
Final Thoughts:
There wasn’t much going on here from an entertainment standpoint. I wasn’t invested in much and the best match, the main event, isn’t something you need to see. It’s a rare instance where an hour program felt like a chore to get through.
Thanks for reading.