WWE Velocity 8/24/2002

World Wrestling Entertainment presents Velocity
Date: 8/24/2002
From:

Matches:
1.) Mark Henry defeated Mike Awesome
2.) Tajiri defeated Funaki
3.) Chuck Palumbo defeated Hardcore Holly
4.) Randy Orton defeated Billy Gunn

Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Lita joins Marc Lloyd on commentary this week on Velocity. Lita is recovering from neck surgery.

2.) Awesome attacks Henry with right hands to start the match. Henry comes off the ropes to clothesline Awesome and dangerously drops Awesome on a press slam as Awesome eye rakes free. Henry nails Awesome with a body strike and tries for a press slam, but Awesome blocks it. Henry puts a bearhug on Awesome, but Awesome punches free. Henry powerslams Awesome for a two count. Henry sends Awesome into the corner and runs into a big boot. Awesome double stomps Henry followed by strikes on the mat. Awesome leg drops Henry for a two count. Awesome chokes Henry over the middle rope and splashes Henry over the ropes. Awesome heads to the middle rope and clotheslines Henry for a near fall. Henry knee lifts Awesome and press slams Awesome down to the mat. Henry misses a big splash off the ropes. Awesome double stomps Henry before going to the top rope. Awesome hits a top rope splash for a two count. Awesome attempts a powerbomb, but Henry backdrops free to counter the move attempt. Henry splashes Awesome in the corner and hits a powerslam for the win. (*. Awesome isn’t ever going to get a push as long as Heyman is booking Smackdown due to bitterness from how Awesome left ECW. The match wasn’t horrible, but the crowd was lifeless for it.)

3.) Lita tells Lloyd that her appearance tonight doesn’t mean that she’s on Smackdown and insists this is just a visit.

4.) Funaki confronted Lloyd during his entrance to tell Lloyd that he’s the number one announcer.

5.) Tajiri kicks Funaki on a bow and delivers a chop against the ropes. Funaki takes Tajiri down to the mat for a moment. Funaki chops Tajiri and delivers an arm drag followed by a dropkick. Funaki tosses Tajiri with a suplex, but Tajiri landed on his feet and superkicks Funaki. Tajiri rams Funaki into the corner and bites Funaki followed by a tilt a whirl backbreaker. Tajiri knee drops Funaki for a near fall. Tajiri presses his knee into the back of Funaki. Funaki sunset flips Tajiri, but Tajiri reaches the ropes and elbow strikes Funaki over the apron. Tajiri goes to the apron missing a springboard moonsault. Funaki manages a two count on a cover. Funaki kicks Tajiri on the side of the head for a near fall. Funaki sends Tajiri into the ropes and Tajiri goes for the tarantula, but Funaki counters with a sit down powerbomb for a near fall. Funaki ducks a kick and tries for a rollup, but Tajiri counters with a rollup of his own for a two count. Funaki attemps the tarantula, but Tajiri rolls free and dropkicks Funaki followed by a kick to the face for the win. (**. Honestly, for a short match I thought they did quite well and exceeded my expectations. Funaki did some stuff that I was not expecting and held his own against Tajiti. I’m glad that Tajiri got the clean win, though.)

6.) Holly is distracted by Rico and Billy at ringside allowing Chuck to get the cheap advantage. Chuck catches Holly in the corner and drops Holly over the top turnbuckle followed by a right hand. Chuck sends Holly chest first into the corner and delivers shoulder rams to the lower back. Billy decks Holly with a right hand while the referee is distracted. Chuck takes Holly over with a snap suplex for a near fall. Chuck splashes down onto Holly’s back, but Holly gets Chuck on his shoulders to connect with an electric chair slam. Holly misses a strike and Chuck hits a back suplex for a near fall. Chuck forearms Holly on the lower back a few times. Holly fights back with a right hand. Holly chops Chuck a few times, but Chuck hits an overhead belly to belly suplex. Chuck keeps Holly on the mat with a chin lock before switching to a headlock. Holly gets up, but runs into an elbow strike. Chuck punches Holly a few times, but Holly battles back with strikes until an eye rake stops him. Holly counters an overhead belly to belly suplex hitting one of his own on Chuck. They begin to trade strikes until Holly chops Chuck and delivers a clothesline. Holly backdrops Chuck and hits a standing hurricanrana for a two count. Chuck walks into a dropkick and Holly nearly wins the match. Chuck powerslams Holly for a near fall. Chuck waits in the corner for a superkick, but Holly blocks it and tries for the Alabama Slam, but Rico gets involved. Billy gets in the ring and plants Holly with a cobra clutch slam allowing Chuck to win the match. (**. I enjoyed the match as they did enough impactful moves to hold my interest. The finish is a little bit lackluster, but I also like that they are still giving some momentum to Billy and Chuck.) After the match, Holly gets some revenge, but is attacked by all three men. Randy Orton slides into the ring and makes the save.

7.) Randy Orton grabs a microphone and suggests that Billy and Chuck get back into the ring and take a beating like real men now that the odds are even. They enter the ring and are quickly sent out of the ring by Holly and Orton.

8.) Orton and Billy are going to have a singles match in the main event. Orton backs Billy into a corner and cleanly backs off. Billy shoves Orton, but is met with a right hand. Orton scares Billy on the mat in the corner. Billy kicks Orton followed by a jab and rams Orton into the corner face first. Billy chokes Orton briefly in the corner before delivering more strikes. Orton sends Billy chest first into the corner followed by a hip toss. Billy tosses Orton over the top to the floor. Chuck decks Orton with a right hand on the floor. Billy controls Orton with a sleeper on the mat. Orton prevents his arm from dropping three times and comes off the ropes only to be met by a dropkick. Holly tries to get his hands on Billy, but can’t get him. Billy covers Orton for a near fall. Billy rams Orton into the corner and chokes Orton briefly. Orton tries to fight back, but is cut off by Billy. Billy misses a splash in the corner and Orton plants Billy with a DDT leading to both men being down on the mat. Billy knee lifts Orton and misses a splash in the corner nearly getting pinned by Orton again. Orton nails Billy with right hands and boots Billy in the corner. Orton leaps off the middle rope to bulldog Billy for a two count. Orton heads to the top rope and hits a crossbody on Chuck. Holly and Chuck go to the floor to brawl. Billy signals for the Fame-Asser, but Holly enters and hits the Alabama Slam to allow Orton to pin Billy. The referee was distracted by the brawling and then Rico to allow the interference. (*1/2. A rather basic match and a similar finish to the previous match kind of made this a bummer. I’m sure this will lead to a tag match and maybe that will happen right here on Velocity.)

Final Thoughts:
A couple of solid matches this weeks makes Velocity a fine show overall.

Thanks for reading.