World Wrestling Entertainment presents Velocity
Date: 11/23/2002
From: Hartford, CT
Matches:
1.) Albert defeated Crash Holly
2.) Chuck Palumbo defeated Danny Gimondo
3.) Bill DeMott defeated Danny Doring
4.) Matt Hardy defeated Funaki
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Crash has a backpack with him and grabs shaving cream and razor to taunt Albert. Crash bails to the floor after avoiding a strike. Crash wants a test of strength and yanks on Albert’s back and chest hair. Albert delivers an over the shoulder backbreaker to stop Crash. Albert rubs Crash’s face into his chest hair. Albert rams Crash into the corner face first before tossing Crash across the ring. Albert misses a splash and misses a right hand. Crash hammers away on Albert and drop toe holds Albert into the corner. Crash rams Albert’s face into the corner a few times. Crash dropkicks Albert into the corner. Crash acts like Ultimate Warrior and turns around into a bicycle kick to give Albert the clean win. (*. I support an Albert push.) After the match, Albert tosses Crash to the floor. Crash rubs shaving cream on Albert’s back, but Albert plants Crash with the Baldo Bomb.
2.) Palumbo wins his match with a reverse Boston Crab.
3.) DeMott backs Doring into a corner and misses a strike. Doring delivers a strike, but DeMott responds with chops in the corner. Doring chops DeMott but that does nothing. DeMott punches Doring to the mat. DeMott stomps on Doring in the corner. DeMott misses a running splash and Doring almost wins with a rollup. Doring forearms DeMott a few times and avoids a backdrop with a kick. DeMott stops Doring with a clothesline. Doring tries to fight back with right hands, but DeMott sets Doring up for a powerbomb. Doring punches free and ducks clotheslines, but DeMott counters a hurricanrana with a powerbomb. DeMott goes to the top rope hitting the No Laughing Matter moonsault. DeMott takes his time and covers Doring for the win. (*. I’m surprised there was no mention of Doring’s history in ECW. DeMott is enjoyable in his bully character which is actually quite realistic.)
4.) Hardy arm drags Funaki to open the match and taunts the crowd. Hardy almost wins with a rollup and taunts the fans again. Hardy shoulder blocks Funaki, but misses a clothesline and Funaki gets a two count with a rollup. Hardy nails Funaki with a right hand and stomps on the mat. Funaki backdrops Hardy to the floor and hits a slingshot crossbody to the outside. Hardy plants Funaki with the Side Effect for a near fall. Hardy chokes Funaki between the ropes. Hardy hammers away on Funaki in the corner. Hardy chokes Funaki in the corner while on the apron. Hardy drops Funaki throat first over the top rope. Hardy hits a back suplex turned into an elbow drop for a near fall. Hardy controls Funaki with a neck vice. Funaki hammers away on Hardy and boots Hardy in the corner. Funaki avoids Hardy in the corner and hits a bulldog. Funaki kicks Hardy on the side of the head for a near fall. Funaki drop toe holds Hardy and delivers a dropkick to Hardy. Funaki hits a swinging reverse DDT out of the corner for a near fall. Hardy runs into an elbow in the corner and Funaki goes to the top, but is met with a boot and the Twist of Fate to give Hardy the clean win. (**1/4. A decent main event with Funaki providing some good offense. The crowd doesn’t buy into Funaki as a challenger, but the in-ring was not bad at all.)
Final Thoughts:
I enjoy guys like Albert, DeMott and Hardy so this was a fine episode even if the in-ring wasn’t memorable by any means. If you subtract the Smackdown replays during the show this is a harmless 20-minute show every week.
Thanks for reading.