World Wrestling Entertainment presents Heat
Date: 12/22/2002
From:
Matches:
1.) Johnny Stamboli defeated Al Snow
2.) Spike Dudley & Tommy Dreamer defeated Michael Shane & Scoot Andrews
3.) Jacqueline defeated Molly Holly
4.) The Hurricane defeated Raven
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Stamboli controls Snow with a hammerlock until Snow takes Stamboli to the mat. Stamboli regains control on the mat, but Snow counters with a takedown. Snow hip tosses Stamboli followed by an arm drag. Stamboli punches Snow several times, but Snow delivers a forearm to knock Stamboli to the floor. Stamboli returns to the ring and stomps Snow. Snow hits a side Russian leg sweep for a near fall. Stamboli eye rakes Snow and drop toe holds Snow into the corner followed by a backbreaker. Stamboli elbow drops Snow a few times and chokes Snow on the mat. Snow kicks Stamboli a few times, but Stamboli responds with shoulder rams. Stamboli sends Snow into the corner back first and taunts the crowd. Stamboli covers Snow, but only gets a two count. Stamboli slams Snow to the mat leading a to a near fall. Stamboli knee lifts Snow a few times in the corner and delivers a forearm strike to the lower back. Stamboli chokes Snow over the middle rope. Snow staggers out of the corner to nail Stamboli with a clothesline. Snow ducks a clothesline and jabs Stamboli. Snow traps Stamboli’s arms and delivers a series of headbutts to drop Stamboli to the mat. Snow clotheslines Stamboli again followed by a backdrop. Snow slams Stamboli and signals for the corner. Snow misses a top rope moonsault. Stamboli leaps to the top rope and hits a twisting leg drop for the clean win. (*1/2. That was a major upset win for Stamboli, which is not something I was expecting, at all. The twisting leg drop off the top by Stamboli came across as a good finisher, too.)
2.) Earlier today, Scoot Andrews and Michael Shane are talking about their tryout tonight. Spike Dudley enters the scene and they ask Spike on how to get a job in WWE. Spike says they need to have heart, work their tail off and have a good attitude. They thank Spike for his advice as Spike leaves the room. Scoot says that Spike is small and they both think they deserve a job. Tommy Dreamer enters the scene and says that Spike is his friend and tough. Dreamer tells them that a job in WWE is something you earn and he’ll see them in the ring for their tryout.
3.) Shane and Dreamer kickoff the tag match with Dreamer taking Shane down to the mat with a fireman’s carry. Dreamer shoulder blocks Shane and drops Shane with a right hand. Shane knee lifts Dreamer and tags in Andrews. Dreamer hip tosses Andrews and tags in Spike. Spike leaps off the top to axe handle Andrews. Spike decks Andrews with a clothesline. Spike rams Andrews into the corner several times and hits an atomic drop. Spike gets a two count after a neckbreaker. Shane pulls down the middle rope causing Spike to crash to the floor. Scoot elbows Spike and Shane tags in to send Spike chest first into the corner leading to a near fall. Spike gets a two count with a sunset flip. Shane decks Spike with a clothesline and Andrews tags back into the match. Spike is rammed into the corner a few times before being taken down to the mat. Andrews puts a sleeper on Spike, but doesn’t get a submission. Shane returns to the match and stomps Spike. Shane pummels Spike with right hands and keeps control with a front face lock. Spike punches Dreamer on the apron to prevent a tag. Scoot tags in and Spike is double teamed. Scoot nails Spike with a dropkick for a two count. Shane kicks Spike in the ribs and eye gouges Spike. Shane sits Spike on the top rope and tries for a suplex, but Spike shoves Shane off and hits a double stomp. Dreamer and Scoot get the tag with Dreamer cleaning house. Dreamer plants Scoot with a spinebuster, but Shane made the save. Dreamer plants Scoot with the Death Valley Driver and Spike hits the Dudley Dog on Shane onto Scoot. Dreamer covers Scoot to win the match. (**. Okay, this was a pleasant surprise for there to not only be a story for the match, but for Shane and Andrews to get extended offense. I’m assuming WWE was really taking a hard look at them for contracts for them to get this kind of showing on TV.)
4.) Molly takes Jacqueline down to the mat at the start of the match. Molly keeps arm control for a few moments, but Jacqueline fights back with a monkey flip and a hip toss. Jacqueline dropkicks Molly to the floor and delivers a baseball slide. Jacqueline kicks Molly, but Molly responds with a wheelbarrow suplex for a near fall. Molly hooks Jacqueline hitting a series of snap suplexs for a near fall. Molly gouges Jacqueline’s face, but is forced to let go by the referee. Molly chops Jacqueline, but Jacqueline head scissors Molly to the mat. Molly drop toe holds Jacqueline over the ropes and chokes Jacqueline. Molly delivers a backbreaker for a two count. Molly stomps on Jacqueline several times and rams Jacqueline face first onto the mat. Molly rams Jacqueline into the corner and continues with stomps. Molly sits Jacqueline on the top rope, but Jacqueline delivers a spin kick for the win. (*. There was some decent stuff going on here, but it’s tough to care about this when there’s no reason behind it.)
5.) Raven makes his way down to the ring and says he’s sure that Jacqueline has heard of his masterpiece. Raven talks about exposing Mike last week for being a greedy pig, but now he’s been saved. Raven thinks that Jacqueline feels uncomfortable being close to him and he senses a guilty conscience. Raven doesn’t want Jacqueline to hide the fact she’s a gorgeous woman with a gorgeous body. Raven calls her a two dollar tramp and says she’s a pervert. Raven wants to be her salvation, but The Hurricane runs down to make the save. Hurricane calls Raven “citizen psycho” and says the only wrong going on here is Raven telling people what is right and what is wrong. Hurricane challenges Raven to a match.
6.) Raven eventually gets in the ring and Hurricane hits a neckbreaker followed by a flurry of strikes in the corner. Raven is slapped after a failed atomic drop and bails to the floor. Hurricane hits a slingshot crossbody to the floor. Hurricane rolls Raven into the ring and goes to the top, but Raven knocks Hurricane off and knee lifts Hurricane to the floor. Raven rolls Hurricane into the ring, but Hurricane delivers a few clotheslines. Hurricane hits a blockbuster off the middle rope for a two count. Raven kicks Hurricane to avoid a backdrop. Hurricane drop toe holds Raven and hits a shining wizard for a two count. Raven sends Hurricane into the corner face first. Raven misses a clothesline attempt and Hurricane tries for a chokeslam, but Raven elbows free. Hurricane avoids a DDT by hitting the Eye of the Hurricane to pickup the clean win. (*1/2. It’s honestly amazing how much they don’t value the Raven character. Hurricane being on RAW must mean he’s going to be a featured character at some point.)
Final Thoughts:
It’s an average episode of Heat, but I really liked that there was an angle for the tryout match. It served a purpose and they got an extended match out of it. I’d like more of that on the show.
Thanks for reading.