World Wrestling Entertainment presents Velocity
Date: 1/4/2003
From: Albuquerque, NM
Matches:
1.) Nunzio & Jamie Noble defeated Jim Lucas & Jeff Michaels
2.) A-Train defeated Derek Selsvold
3.) Funaki defeated Charles Shipwright
4.) Smackdown Tag Team Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr. defeated Tajiri
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Noble and Lucas start off the tag match with Noble controlling the action with strikes. Noble misses a splash in the corner, but manages to send Lucas chest first into the corner and follows up with stomps. Nunzio tags into the match and leaps off the middle rope to dropkick a seated Lucas for a near fall. Nunzio continues with a side Russian leg sweep for a near fall. Lucas fights back with a few strikes, but Nunzio drops Lucas with a back suplex. Nunzio knee lifts Lucas in the corner and hits the Sicilian Slice for a near fall. Nunzio locks in an arm bar, but Lucas reaches the ropes. Noble returns to deliver a front suplex. Nidia cheap shots Lucas from the floor as the referee was distracted. Noble slams Lucas and leaps off the middle rope missing an elbow drop attempt. Michaels gets the tag and backdrops Noble. Michaels tries for a suplex, but Nunzio kicks Michaels on the knee. Lucas gets tossed to the floor and Nunzio stomp on Lucas. Noble locks in the Trailer Hitch and forces Michaels to submit. (*1/2. I was a bit surprised that Lucas kicked out of Nunzio’s finisher. I don’t think it happens often for an enhancement guy to kick out of finishing moves like that.) After the match, Nunzio kicks Michaels in the groin as Nunzio held Michaels.
2.) A-Train quickly goes to work on Selsvold with strikes, but runs into a boot in the corner. Selsvold tries to deliver a clothesline, but Train doesn’t budge. Selsvold atomic drops Train, but Train drops Selsvold over the ropes gut first and tosses Selsvold to the floor. Train sends Selsvold into the ring post face first. Train decks Selsvold with a short arm clothesline. Train sends Selsvold chest first into the corner and delivers a big splash. Selsvold tries to fight back with elbow strikes, but Train delivers a back suplex. Train hits a splash off the middle rope for a near fall. Train pummels Selsvold in the corner and delivers a knee lift. Train connects with a bicycle kick and drives Selsvold down with an over the shoulder backbreaker for the win. (*. I’m sold on an A-Train push and I’m sure I’m not part of the majority for that.)
3.) Funaki controls with a headlock at the start of the match and delivers a shoulder block. Funaki hip tosses Shipwright and hits a dropkick. Funaki punches Shipwright in the corner several times, but Shipwright counters with stomps. Funaki hits a middle rope crossbody for a near fall. Funaki drop toe holds Shipwright and hits a kneeling dropkick. Funaki kicks Shipwright and hits an overhead belly to belly suplex for a near fall. Shipwright pummels Funaki over the back. Funaki sunset flips Shipwright for a near fall. Shipwright clubs Funaki over the back and rams Funaki into the corner. Shipwright chokes Funaki over the ropes before delivering a scoop slam. Shipwright misses a middle rope leg drop. Funaki punches Shipwright in the corner followed by an elbow and running bulldog out of the corner. Shipwright stops Funaki with a jawbreaker. Funaki boots Shipwright in the corner and hits a tornado DDT for the win. (*. Simple and effective for Funaki. Funaki is getting himself over as a backstage interviewer and is obviously a more than capable in-ring worker.)
4.) Chavo takes Tajiri down to the mat to get a headlock. Tajiri breaks free with an arm drag and they have a standoff. Chavo kicks Tajiri a few times and bridges Tajiri to the mat. Tajiri fights back with a leg sweep and arm drags Chavo. Tajiri hip tosses and scoop slams Chavo before maintaining arm control on the mat. Chavo rams Tajiri into a corner and delivers a few shoulder rams. Chavo delivers a dropkick to a kneeling Tajiri for a near fall. Chavo plants Tajiri with a back suplex for a near fall. Chavo puts an abdominal stretch on Tajiri, but Tajiri breaks free with elbow strikes. Tajiri kicks Chavo on the leg several times to drop Chavo to the mat. Chavo sends Tajiri chest first into the corner. Chavo boot scrapes Tajiri in the corner. Tajiri blocks a boot scrape and shoves Chavo backward. Tajiri delivers a few chops before hitting a handspring back elbow. Chavo avoids a kick, but Tajiri hits a spinning heel kick for a two count. Chavo boots Tajiri in the corner, but is met with a kick after leaping off the middle rope. Tajiri manages a two count. Tajiri puts the Tarantula on Chavo, but has to let go of the hold quickly. Chavo gets the referee in the way and kicks Tajiri. Tajiri counters the Gory Special, but Chavo rolls through and puts his feet on the ropes to pin Tajiri for the win. (**. They didn’t have a ton of time, but the action was decent for what it was. The finish feels like their go-to finish when they don’t want a guy to take a clean pin, but I’m not sure why Tajiri shouldn’t take a pin against a tag team champion.)
Final Thoughts:
A harmless episode of Velocity. There’s nothing of major note, but I love these shows because it gives me vibes from back in the day where there’s several squash matches to promote the main roster guys.
Thanks for reading.