World Wrestling Entertainment presents Heat
Date: 12/29/2002
From:
Matches:
1.) Maven defeated Jimmy Valentino
2.) Johnny Stamboli defeated Randy Broche
3.) Steven Richards defeated Jeff Hardy
4.) Raven defeated Tommy Dreamer, Raven is allowed back onto RAW
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Maven wins his enhancement match following a top rope missile dropkick.
2.) Stamboli won his enhancement match following a top rope twisting leg drop.
3.) Backstage, Raven and The Hurricane are talking. Hurricane says whatever Raven just said goes against everything he stands for. Raven insists Hurricane think about it. Chief Morley walks up and says that they are a little worried about Raven’s masterpiece. Morley wants to cut it off before it gets too bad. Morley recalls seeing Raven watching in the parking lot and knows Raven wants back on the show. Morley offers Raven a shot back onto RAW if he ends the masterpiece. Morley tells Raven that he has to beat Tommy Dreamer to get back on RAW. Raven accepts the offer.
4.) Steven Richards shared a pre-tape promo where he gushes over WWE Women’s Champion Victoria and does so by simply not saying anything and moaning the entire time.
5.) Richards controls Hardy with a headlock and delivers a shoulder block. Hardy hip tosses and arm drags Richards a few times. Hardy stops and blocks a kick followed by a few right hands. Richards hip tosses Hardy and mocks Hardy before getting a right hand to the face. Richards dumps Hardy over the top to the floor to avoid a head scissors. Richards stomps on Hardy to maintain control of the match. Richards chops Hardy in the corner, but misses a splash and Hardy gets a two count. Richards knee lifts Hardy several times in the corner. Richards takes Hardy over with a snap suplex and puts a full nelson on Hardy. Richards has the hold locked in, and Hardy seems to be fading. Hardy gets to his feet and elbows free. Hardy kicks Richards to the mat. Hardy hits a reverse Twist of Fate and both men are down. Richards and Hardy trade right hands until Richards gains control. Hardy spin kicks Richards to the mat. Hardy clotheslines Richards and avoids a dropkick to leg drop Richards. Hardy goes for a cover after a leg drop, but Richards kicks out. Hardy hits the Whisper In The Wind and manages a two count. Hardy hammers away on Richards in the corner. Hardy delivers a face buster and goes to the top rope. Victoria gets on the apron and Richards crotches Hardy. Richards plants Hardy with a double under hook DDT to win the match. Richards got a bloody nose thanks to the Whisper In The Wind, and they keep a wide shot. (*1/2. Hardy is done for and this has to be the absolute obvious direction of that. I love that Richards won and I like the pairing with Victoria. I don’t hate the direction and having Hardy lose to a guy like Richards still benefits him, but that window is probably close to closing.)
6.) Raven tries for a quick rollup, but Dreamer kicks out at two. Raven controls Dreamer with a headlock and a shoulder block for a two count. They have a standoff until Raven kicks Dreamer in the midsection and misses a clothesline. Raven avoids a DDT and rips off his skirt. Dreamer decks Raven with a right hand, but Raven dumps Dreamer through the ropes to the floor. Dreamer pummels Raven with right hands and sends him into the railing. Raven regains control in the ring with strikes, but misses a clothesline and Dreamer hits a neckbreaker. Dreamer tries for a rollup, but Raven kicks out. Dreamer clotheslines Raven to the mat. Dreamer punches Raven in the corner, but misses a spear in the corner and hits the ring post. Raven wraps Dreamer’s arm around the ring post. Raven stomps Dreamer in the corner. Raven slams Dreamer’s hand onto the ring steps. Raven covers Dreamer, but only gets a two count. Raven delivers a knee drop to the back of Dreamer’s head from the middle rope. Raven controls Dreamer with an arm lock. Dreamer breaks free, but Raven yanks Dreamer down and delivers an arm breaker for a two count. Raven keeps Dreamer on the mat with an arm bar. Dreamer tries to fight out and delivers a clothesline. Dreamer continues with a swinging neckbreaker for a near fall. Dreamer punches Raven several times in the corner and bites his forehead. Raven collides with Dreamer in the corner. Dreamer hits a running cutter out of the corner, but Raven kicks out at two. Dreamer tries for the Death Valley Driver, but Raven counters. Dreamer plants Raven with a DDT, but Raven gets his boot on the bottom rope. Dreamer moves the referee and Raven delivers a low blow to pin Dreamer. Raven is allowed back onto RAW. (*. Man, just watch their ECW stuff and ignore anything they do in WWE.)
Final Thoughts:
A lackluster Heat, but I’m hopeful that Steven Richards is given a shot get some level of a push. If I had to guess, Richards could likely take Raven’s spot in the midcard of being a heel who wins a few times, but gets a heavy focus on Heat with storylines to enhance other wrestlers.
Thanks for reading.