World Wrestling Entertainment presents RAW
Date: 12/9/2002
From: Knoxville, TN
RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff and Chief of Staff, Chief Morley (fka Val Venis) are in the ring. Morley says they are there to address two men. The first man is WWE World Heavyweight Champion Shawn Michaels. The other man is the challenger, Triple H. Michaels and HHH are both on the big screen. Bischoff says it is clear to him that their match at Armageddon can’t be just a regular match. Instead, their match will be two out of three falls, but that’s just the beginning. Bischoff says the first fall is a street fight. The second fall is a steel cage match. The final fall will be a ladder match, if necessary. HHH liked the first two stipulations, but looked worried about the ladder match. Bischoff says the end is near for their feud. (Usually these segments are 10+ minutes long, but this was over in about three minutes.)
Opening Contest: Goldust & Booker T vs. Lance Storm & William Regal: Booker and Storm kickoff the tag match. Booker gains control with a wrist lock, but Storm knee lifts free only to be met with a clothesline and a spin kick. Goldust tags in and nails Storm with a strike from the middle rope. Storm forearms Goldust and tags in Regal. Goldust dropkicks Regal followed by a leaping butt strike. Regal tosses Goldust with a suplex and a knee strike to send Goldust to the floor. Storm rams Goldust into the apron back first and Regal keeps control with a strike to the back. Goldust is double teamed in the corner. Storm drives Goldust down to the mat with a back suplex for a near fall. Storm slams Goldust and keeps control with a chin lock. Goldust elbows free and tries for a slam, but Storm lands on top for a near fall. Storm knee strikes Goldust several times, but Goldust manages to tag in Booker. Booker cleans house with clotheslines. Booker nails Storm with a leaping forearm and spin kicks Regal to the floor. Storm runs into a spinebuster, but Booker only gets a two count. Booker chops Storm in the corner several times. Booker avoids Storm in the corner and hits a flapjack. Booker does the spinarooni and misses a leaping spin kick. Booker hits a scissors kick on Storm, but Regal makes the save. Regal forearms Booker a couple of tomes. Goldust tags in as Booker is backdropped. Goldust hits a double clothesline and atomic drops Regal. Goldust sets Regal up for the Shattered Dreams and kicks Regal in the nuts. Goldust powerslams Storm, but only manages a two count. Storm forearms Goldust, but is caught by Goldust and Booker hits a leaping heel kick. Booker and Regal go to the floor to brawl. Storm takes Goldust down and locks in the Sharpshooter forcing Goldust to submit and wins the match. (**. I’m guessing that Booker and Goldust are winning the tag titles at Armageddon in the four way match. It’s the only logical thing because Booker and Goldust are losing way too many times on TV to not get a big PPV win at this point.) After the match, Coach interviews Booker and Goldust at ringside. Coach notes that they come up short each time lately. Booker threatens Coach that the microphone will be shoved up his ass. Goldust chimes in as Booker walks off and Goldust takes the blame. Goldust thinks he is the weak link and everyone knows it. Goldust is going to ask Bischoff to give Booker a different partner for Armageddon. Goldust says that Booker has been through too much and Booker doesn’t need it.
Backstage, Trish Stratus is reading Hulk Hogan’s book when Chris Jericho enters the scene and pretends to read the book. Jericho says that Stratus has been looking at him a certain way and knows there is sexual tension. Jericho tells Trish he’s always available for Vitamin C. Stratus pokes fun at Jericho for having a small penis after he was left naked on RAW last week. Jericho think it’s funnier to see Trish laying motionless after she’s put through a table. Stratus is left a little concerned.
Backstage, Rob Van Dam is on the phone and asks how their brother is doing. Eric Bischoff and Chief Morley enter the scene and cutoff RVD’s conversation. RVD asks why they didn’t do anything about Triple H using a chair on him last week. Bischoff reminds RVD to get ready for his match with Batista tonight. RVD tells Bischoff that the guy they hung up on was actually Scott Steiner. Chief Morley scrambles to call Steiner back.
Backstage, Jacqueline and Steven Richards are shown making their way to the ring. Victoria stops Richards and wants to give Richards something for luck. Victoria scratches Richards chest and bites his neck. Steven clearly likes it in a sexual manner.
Second Contest: Jacqueline vs. Steven Richards: Richards backs Jacqueline into a corner, but misses a right hand. Jacqueline fights back with a chop, but misses a backdrop attempt. Richards tries for a gut wrench, but Jacqueline counters with an arm drag and attempts a crossbody, but is slammed by Richards. Richards tries for a DDT, but Jacqueline gets a two count with a northern lights suplex. Richards rams Jacqueline into the corner and sends her across the ring back first into another. Richards plants Jacqueline with a side slam for a two count, but Richards put her boot on the bottom rope. Richards sits Jacqueline on the top turnbuckle, but Jacqueline crotches Richards on the top rope. Jacqueline spikes Richards with a tornado DDT for a near fall. Richards drops Jacqueline over the top rope and hits a lifting double arm DDT for the win. (*1/2. For what they are trying to achieve here, I thought it was a solid match. Jacqueline can hang with the guys.) After the match, Victoria comes down to the ring and hits the Widows Peak. Trish Stratus runs down to the ring and nails Victoria with a kick causing Victoria to bail to the floor. Trish helps Jacqueline, but Jacqueline shoves her away.
Backstage, Terri interviews Jeff Hardy about his match with Triple H. Terri think HHH challenged Hardy because Hardy is seen as a young HBK. Hardy says if he can capture a little bit of HBK tonight he’ll be ready to go. Shawn Michaels enters the scene and says that Hardy is talking about him as if he’s dead. Michaels wishes Hardy luck. Hardy asks for any advice on how to beat HHH. Michaels says that if Triple H gets a little bit ahead of himself, that’s when you take advantage. Hardy appreciates it and tells Michaels that if he needs advice for the ladder match let him know. Michaels doesn’t appear thrilled by that offer.
Third Contest: Batista vs. Rob Van Dam: RVD tries for a spin kick, but Batista avoids it easily. Batista tosses RVD down to the mat face first out of a lockup. Batista chokes RVD over the ropes, but misses a clothesline. Batista lifts RVD up into the air and down to the mat followed by a couple of clotheslines. Batista tries for a cover, but RVD kicks out at two. Batista stomps RVD on the mat and chokes RVD for a moment. Batista catches RVD in the corner, but RVD breaks free and hits a springboard kick off the middle rope. RVD nails Batista with a spinning heel kick and a leg drop. RVD hits the rolling thunder, but Batista kicks out at two. RVD kicks Batista into the corner, but Batista counters only to run into a boot. RVD leaps off the middle rope to deliver a kick to the face. RVD leaps to the top, but Ric Flair causes a distraction. Batista throws RVD off onto the ropes chest first. Batista looks for a powerbomb, but Kane runs down to the ring and brawls with Batista to cause a disqualification. Kane knocks Batista to the floor and RVD heel kicks Flair. (*. I wouldn’t have had hated if Batista destroyed RVD and got a clean win here. RVD doesn’t have momentum and isn’t scheduled for the PPV. Instead, they went the safe route and did some angle advancement with Kane.)
During the commercial break, Chief Morley confronted Kane backstage. Morley says that Kane ruined a match made by Bischoff. Kane has no idea who Morley is and does a Val Venis taunt. Morley doesn’t find that funny. Morley puts Kane in a handicap match against Three Minute Warning in a handicap match. Kane says he thinks it sucks to be Three Minute Warning.
Fourth Contest: D’Lo Brown & Christopher Nowinski vs. Al Snow & Maven: Maven chases Nowinski around ringside while Snow forearms Brown in the ring. Nowinski gets in the ring and is punched by both Snow and Maven. Nowinski comes off the ropes and is met with a double arm hip toss. Nowinski eye rakes Snow and tags in Brown. Snow arm drags Brown a few times followed by strikes to the shoulder. Maven enters the match, but is met with a knee lift to the midsection. Brown shoulder blocks Maven, but Maven hip tosses Brown. Maven avoids a clothesline by Nowinski, but gets knocked down by Brown. Nowinski legally tags in and stomps Maven on the mat several times. Nowinski tosses Maven to the mat for a two count. Maven tries to fight back with strikes, but Nowinski takes Maven down and tags in Brown. Brown decks Maven with a right hand and a slam. Brown continues with a leg drop and taunts Maven. Nowinski tags in and goes to the top rope looking for an axe handle, but Maven dropkicks Nowinski in midair. Maven crawls to his corner and tags in Snow. Snow decks Nowinski with a clothesline and pummels Nowinski with strikes in the corner. Snow plants Nowinski with a pump handle back suplex, but Brown makes the save on the cover. Snow ducks a clothesline and backdrops Brown. Snow nails Brown with several headbutts and a side Russian leg sweep for a two count. Maven brawls with Nowinski in the corner as Brown goes to the floor. Brown trips Maven while Snow clotheslines Nowinski to the floor. Brown plants Snow with the Sky High to earn the win. (*. There were a few moments during the match where it appeared that both Maven and Nowinski were either in the wrong spot, or completely missed their timing. The pairing of Brown and Nowinski makes little sense to me. I don’t think Brown connects as a heel at this point. This probably should have been on Heat.)
Backstage, Goldust is standing outside Eric Bischoff’s office when Booker T walks up to him and asks if this is really going to happen. Goldust says he’s let Booker down too many times. Booker recalls Goldust trying to be his partner from day one. Booker believes he’s right about Goldust being a freak, but Goldust always had his back. Booker says that Goldust was the best tag partner he’s ever had. Booker says Goldust can quit, or they can go to Armageddon and become tag team champions. Goldust agrees to be his partner to be champions at Armageddon.
Backstage, Jeff Hardy heads towards the ring for his match with Triple H.
Fifth Contest: Triple H vs. Jeff Hardy: HHH yanks Hardy off the middle rope during Hardy’s entrance. Hardy stops HHH with a jawbreaker and a leg drop to the lower midsection. Hardy dropkicks a seated HHH. Hardy leaps off the middle rope to hit another leg drop for a two count. Hardy comes off the ropes and is met with a clothesline. HHH tosses Hardy to the floor and yells at the referee. Hardy fights back with right hands, but HHH sends Hardy into the ring steps. HHH sends Hardy into the ring steps again. HHH rolls Hardy back into the ring and pummels Hardy in the corner with right hands. HHH plants Hardy with a spinebuster, but Hardy kicks out at two. HHH stomps Hardy and delivers a backbreaker. HHH lifts Hardy over his shoulder with a backbreaker, but Hardy wiggles free and punches HHH. Hardy forearms HHH and tries to springboard off the middle rope, but is met with a kick to the midsection and HHH hits the Pedigree. HHH doesn’t go for the cover, but instead hits a second Pedigree to win the match. After the match, HHH pummels Hardy on the floor as Flair holds Hardy. HHH grabs a steel chair as Flair chokes Hardy. Shawn Michaels makes his way out and stands at the top of the aisle. HHH gets back in the ring and wants Michaels to come down. (*1/2. This felt like a destruction of Hardy that is meant to completely kill him off. I’ve probably said it before, but Hardy was on the brink of elevation up the card following the ladder match with Undertaker back in July, but he’s completely sabotaged himself and now he’s virtually lost all of his momentum.)
After a commercial, Shawn Michaels is helping Jeff Hardy along with a referee up the aisle. Ric Flair wants to have a word with Michaels. Flair tells HHH he wants to talk to Michaels. Michaels comes back to the ring and enters the ring. Flair has wanted to say something to Michaels for a long time. Flair talks about them being high as champions when they were in different companies. Flair recalls a time going through the airport and he knew he was the man. Flair recalls a time when a kid told him that Flair wasn’t the man anymore, but rather it’s Shawn Michaels. Flair asked “The Rocker?”, but it was the Showstopper. Flair asked Arn Anderson if Michaels had become good and Anderson didn’t want to hurt his feelings. Flair had to go home one day and say he had the ride of a lifetime, but you’re not the man anymore because Michaels is now. Flair went down while Michaels went up. Flair credits Michaels for being the best wrestler alive, but uses past tense. Flair conceded it with a tear in his eye. Flair knew Michaels was better because he saw him in the ring. Flair tells Michaels there is a new man in town and points at HHH. Flair says it will drive you crazy if you can’t find that mirror and say it’s not there. Flair recalls Michaels and HHH tearing down the house at both SummerSlam and Survivor Series. Flair doesn’t think Michaels has it in his heart or head anymore. Flair tells Michaels he needs to go home and grab his wife and have a talk with his kid. Flair tells Michaels it’s in a room they don’t want to go to. Flair tells Michaels he has to pass the torch just like he did. Flair tells Michaels that if he doesn’t pass the torch then HHH will kill him at Armageddon. Michaels doesn’t say a word as the fans are chanting his name. Michaels stares at them and leaves the ring. HHH calls out to Michaels on the aisle and HHH tells Michaels to go home and find the mirror. HHH promises to reclaim his championship and he’s going to make Michaels admit that he’s the man. HHH says that in six days the end is near. (I don’t think the crowd understood why Michaels was acting silent and seemingly questioning his ability without saying so.)
Backstage, Kane is heading towards the ring for the upcoming handicap match.
Sixth Contest: Kane vs. Rosey & Jamal in a handicap match: Jamal and Rosey attack Kane from behind in the ring. Kane fights back with a double clothesline. Rico distracts Kane from the floor and Kane is met with a double clothesline. 3MW miss a double splash. Rosey slams Kane followed by a twisting leg drop for a two count. Kane is taken down by a double suplex. Jamal keeps control with a few strikes, but Kane comes back with a kick and a slam. Kane decks both men with clotheslines. Kane plants Rosey with a jumping DDT and heads to the top rope. Kane leaps off hitting a flying clothesline, but Rico gets on the apron. Rosey decks Kane from behind and delivers a chop in the corner. Jamal hits a running clothesline in the corner. Rosey accidentally splashes Jamal in the corner. Kane big boots Rosey to the floor and knocks Rico off the apron. Kane plants Jamal with a clothesline and wins the match. (*. Well, this is a bit bizarre. Two months ago I believed 3MW could have been the next tag champs, but this performance tends to make me think they’re not in that high of a thought now. If they needed a duo to sacrifice to Kane, I’m sure there were better options than 3MW.) After the match, Rico enters the ring and kicks Kane. Of course, Kane isn’t bothered by that. Rosey saves Rico from a chokeslam and Kane is double teamed. Jamal lifts Kane up to hit a pop up Samoan Drop. Jamal goes to the top rope and hits a splash. Rob Van Dam runs down to the ring and leaps off the top to nail Rico with a kick to the face. RVD spin kicks Jamal and kicks a chair into Rosey’s face. Jamal decks RVD from behind, but Kane grabs the chair and whacks Jamal over the head. RVD climbs to the top and hits the Van Terminator across the ring hitting a chair into Jamal’s face to leave 3MW laying.
Backstage, Test is looking up Stacy Keibler’s skirt as she’s putting together a Christmas tree. Stacy has a new marketing plan and says Test’s fans can enjoy Christmas in style. Stacy has Christmas balls in every color. Stacy flirts with Test about his balls. Stacy sings a song about Test’s balls and they make out.
RNN Breaking News is up next with Randy Orton in New York City. Orton is wishing everyone a Merry Orton Christmas. Orton would have used more red on the tree if it was his. Orton thinks everyone is going to have a better Christmas this year. Orton urges everyone to continue to send their best wishes to him and he knows he’ll be back in no time.
Backstage, WWE Tag Team Champions Christian and Chris Jericho talk about the chance to take out the Dudley Boys. Jericho seems annoyed by Trish Stratus insulting him. Victoria enters the scene and says nobody puts Stratus through a table, but her.
Backstage, Shawn Michaels meets up with Ric Flair and tells Flair that the Heartbreak Kid will be in the parking lot waiting for HHH since they want to question his heart.
Main Event: WWE Women’s Champion Victoria, WWE Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho & Christian vs. The Dudley Boys (Bubba & D-Von) & Trish Stratus in a tables match: D-Von hammers away on Christian to gain control of the match. D-Von pummels Christian in the corner as Trish tackles Victoria to the floor. D-Von hits a leaping clothesline to the tag champs. Bubba enters the match and clotheslines Jericho to the floor. Bubba backdrops Christian and insults Christian before delivering a few jabs. Bubba drops Christian with an elbow strike an does the same to Jericho and Victoria. Christian is sent into Victoria in the corner and Bubba splashes both of them. Victoria ends up falling onto Christian’s groin. Bubba scoop slams Victoria and D-Von goes to the top rope hitting the What’s Up on Victoria. Bubba slams Jericho and Trish leaps off the top to headbutt Jericho on the groin. Trish and D-Von try to get a table, but they are stopped. D-Von actually slides the table into Bubba, but Victoria accidentally hits Christian off the apron. Jericho rams Bubba to help Victoria as the show went to commercial.
Jericho drops Bubba with a sleeper hold slam. Victoria enters the match and stomps Bubba several times. Victoria stomps Bubba in the corner, but is shoved away. Bubba plants Victoria with a side slam and both struggle to get up. Bubba crawls to his corner, but the referee gets distracted and didn’t see the tag to Stratus. Bubba is triple teamed. Bubba is busted open from his nose. Jericho returns to the match and leaps off the middle rope to deliver a strike. Bubba jabs Jericho several times, but Jericho kicks Bubba followed by a clothesline. Jericho chokes Bubba on the mat for a few moments. Jericho misses a springboard moonsault and is speared by Bubba. Bubba crawls towards the corner, but Jericho stops Bubba. Christian slides a table into the ring to help out Jericho. Jericho punches Bubba a few times in the corner. They trade strikes until Bubba sends Jericho into the table. Bubba plants Christian with a Samoan Drop. Bubba tags in D-Von and D-Von cleans house with strikes. D-Von drops Jericho with a neckbreaker and tosses Victoria into the ring. Stratus nails Victoria with a kick to the face. Stratus pummels Victoria on the floor. D-Von tries to put Christian through the table with a reverse DDT, but Jericho makes the save. Dudley’s hit a reverse neckbreaker, that is not the 3D. Victoria tries to get involved, but D-Von grabs Victoria as Bubba slides another table into the ring.
D-Von gives Victoria to Bubba, but Steven Richards makes the save. Richards sits Bubba on the top, but Spike Dudley comes out and moves the table as Richards hit a superplex. Spike nails Richards with the Dudley Dog. Christian tosses Spike over the top to the floor. Christian is met with a double flapjack by the Dudley’s. Jericho struggles to his feet, but Lance Storm and William Regal storm the ring to attack the Dudley’s. Booker T and Goldust run into the ring and attack the champs. Goldust hits the Golden Globes shot in the corner on Christian. Stratus nails a hurricanrana on Jericho, but Jericho stops Stratus with a clothesline. Jericho tries for a powerbomb, but Booker superkicks Jericho. Booker scissor kicks Jericho and goes for the spinarooni. Storm nails Booker with a heel kick. Dudley’s drive Storm down with a 3D. Victoria runs into the ring and is trapped by the Dudley’s. Trish goes to the corner and sits on the top rope. Stratus ends up powerbombing Victoria through the table to win the match. (**1/2. It’s a fine match, but the interference was a bit overkill and I didn’t like that the match had some regular tag rules at any point. Trish putting Victoria through the table doesn’t impact much of anything. Dudley’s may have benefited more by actually winning the match, but if they had directly won then it’s likely obvious they aren’t winning the tag titles at the PPV.)
Backstage, Ric Flair and Triple H head to the parking lot. They are screaming for Michaels to show his face. Michaels ends up knocking out Triple H with a shovel and superkicks Flair. Michaels tosses HHH onto a garbage bin and they brawl up a ramp in the parking lot. Michaels hits HHH with a trash can and says “how’s that for heart?” Michaels climbs a ladder against a truck and leaps off the truck onto HHH below, which we don’t see contact. Michaels hit an elbow drop. Michaels and HHH are laid out inside a dumpster. Michaels climbs out and says HHH mistook his humility for weakness. Michaels promises that HHH will see the Showstopper at Armageddon. He’s going to prove that he’s the man because he still can. “At Armageddon, the end is indeed near.”
Final Thoughts:
Well, I’m not a big fan of the midlife crisis Shawn Michaels that seemed to be presented for most of this build for Armageddon. The closing segment provided some relief that Michaels is going into the match with some confidence, at least. Man, they sure loved using the phrase “the end is near.” on this episode, didn’t they? That’s kind of corny. For a go-home show, I don’t think it was a strong show to make me feel compelled to watch Armageddon. So, for an average overall show I think it’s leaning towards a thumbs down.
Thanks for reading.