World Wrestling Entertainment presents Heat
Date: 1/12/2003
From: Phoenix, AZ
Matches:
1.) Steven Richards defeated Spike Dudley
2.) Tommy Dreamer defeated Aaron Aguilera
3.) D’Lo Brown defeated Maven
4.) The Hurricane defeated Jeff Hardy
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Richards works over Spike with a few strikes and a scoop slam. Spike gets a rollup for a two count on a few tries causing Richards to bail to the floor to regroup. WWE Women’s Champion Victoria is at ringside to help Richards. Richards returns to the ring and wants to do a test of strength. Spike gains the advantage and stomps on Richards hands before delivering several stomps in the corner. Richards bails to the floor again and runs around the ring. Spike is nailed by Victoria with a clothesline to help Richards get the advantage. Richards chokes Spike over the middle rope for a few moments. Richards plants Spike to the mat with a neckbreaker. Richards tries for a suplex, but Spike knee lift free, but Richards sends Spike hard into the corner chest first for a near fall. Richards keeps Spike on the mat with a full nelson. Spike elbows free from Richards and delivers a jawbreaker. Richards misses a splash in the corner. Spike atomic drops Richards followed by a clothesline and a neckbreaker for a two count. Richards begs off as Spike delivers a flurry of strikes in the corner. Spike kicks Richards away and hits a middle rope leg drop for a near fall. Spike tries for the Dudley Dog, but Richards shoves Spike away. Spike nearly wins with a rollup. Spike avoids a DDT and rams Richards into the corner. Richards sends Spike into the post shoulder first and hits the double arm DDT for the win. (**. A decent match to start off the show. I’m liking the pairing of Richards and Victoria as it works very well. I can get behind a push for Richards.)
2.) Earlier in the day, Tommy Dreamer cut a promo about having his name associated with other Royal Rumble winners and says it would be a dream come true to compete in the Royal Rumble if Bischoff picked his name.
3.) Dreamer controls Aguilera with a wrist lock, but is shoved to the mat where Aguilera misses a leg drop. Dreamer keeps arm control on the mat for a few moments. Aguilera backs Dreamer into a corner and delivers a few shoulder rams. Dreamer hip tosses Aguilera out of the corner. Aguilera sends Dreamer hard into the corner. Aguilera drives Dreamer down with a side slam for a near fall. Aguilera controls Dreamer on the mat, but doesn’t get a submission. Aguilera switches to a bearhug in the middle of the ring, but Dreamer fights out. Dreamer sunset flips Aguilera for a two count. Aguilera clotheslines Dreamer and goes back to control on the mat. Aguilera scoop slams Dreamer and goes to the corner. Aguilera leaps off and is met with a clothesline in midair. Dreamer punches Aguilera several times followed by a neckbreaker for a two count. Dreamer tries for a DDT, but ducks a clothesline and hits a Death Valley Driver to win the match. (*. Aguilera didn’t look too good here. Dreamer being a WWE loyalist is unintentionally hilarious to me.)
4.) Earlier today, Maven cut a promo about eliminating the Undertaker last year at the Royal Rumble and he’s ready to make another impact after a year of experience under his belt.
5.) Brown shoves Maven away and get a headlock to start the match. Maven breaks free, but Brown put a hammerlock on Maven. Brown shoulder blocks Maven and runs the ropes, but is met with a drop toe hold and a heel kick. Maven works over Brown in the corner with strikes. Brown plants Maven with a spinebuster. Brown decks Maven over the back with a strike. Brown continues with a clubbing blow over the back. Brown scoop slams Maven for a two count. Brown puts a bearhug on Maven, but doesn’t get a submission. Maven breaks free from the bearhug and hip tosses Brown for a two count. Maven tries for a suplex, but Brown avoids it and takes Maven down to the mat. Brown puts a Texas Cloverleaf on Maven in the middle of the ring. Maven reaches for the ropes to break the hold. Maven gets an inside cradle for a two count and is met with a heel kick by Brown for a two count. Brown forearms Maven a few times. Maven ducks a clothesline to deliver a neckbreaker. Maven decks Brown with a few strikes and dropkicks Brown. Maven nails Brown with a forearm smash and delivers a flapjack for a two count. Brown avoids a backdrop and plants Maven with the Lo-Down for the clean win. (*1/2. I guess this makes sense for D’Lo to get a win since he’s been getting some airtime on RAW in recent weeks with Test. I’m still surprised by this being a clean win, though.) After the match, D’Lo confronts the referee and thinks the white referee made slow counts because D’Lo is black.
6.) Earlier in the day, Jeff Hardy cut a promo about sliding down a rainbow an hour ago, but it was really a volcano, but it wasn’t the case. I have no idea what Hardy is talking about.
7.) Hurricane gets a waist lock on Hardy and takes Hardy to the mat with snapmare. Hardy leg sweeps Hurricane for a two count. Hardy arm drags Hurricane leading to a standoff. Hurricane takes Hardy down to the mat and keeps arm control. Hardy nails Hurricane with a spinning heel kick. Hurricane puts a headlock on Hardy, but Hardy breaks free. Hurricane puts a full nelson on Hardy for a moment. Hurricane decks Hardy with a clothesline for a two count. They begin to trade strikes with Hardy getting the advantage. They collide on stereo clothesline attempts and they both kick out on stereo pins. Hardy punches Hurricane several times, but Hurricane sends Hardy into the corner chest first and delivers a neckbreaker for a two count. Hurricane drops Hardy with a straightjacket slam for a near fall. Hardy hits a swinging neckbreaker after countering Hurricane. Hardy manages a two count with a leg drop cover. Hardy runs the ropes and kicks Hurricane to avoid a chokeslam. Hardy nails Hurricane with Whisper In The Wind for a near fall. Hardy slams Hurricane and goes to the top rope. Hardy misses the Swanton Bomb. Hurricane nails Hardy with the shining wizard and wins the match cleanly. (**. This is a massive upset and truly shows how far Jeff Hardy has fallen down the ranks in the WWE.) After the match, Raven attacks Hardy and plants Hurricane with a DDT. Hardy recovers and leg drops Raven on the lower midsection. Raven is sent to the floor with a double clothesline.
Final Thoughts:
A solid episode of Heat with a couple of decent matches. I’m liking the focus on Richards as a heel and being a featured player on Heat. D’Lo getting a push could be good, but the focus on race will limit how far it goes. It feels like a played out route to go. Hurricane picking up a huge win was a surprise, but Jeff’s value is decreasing seemingly by the week.
Thanks for reading.