World Wrestling Entertainment presents Velocity
Date: 2/8/2003
From: Philadelphia, PA
Matches:
1.) John Cena defeated Bryan Danielson
2.) Nunzio defeated Funaki
3.) Bill DeMott defeated Phil Brown
4.) Edge defeated A-Train
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) There’s a video package promoting a match between Edge and A-Train where Edge is determined to get revenge on Train for what he’s done to Mysterio and Edge in recent weeks. They are working tonight on Velocity.
2.) Danielson gains wrist control on Cena, but Cena counters quickly. Danielson tries to counter, but Cena doesn’t let go. Danielson yanks down on Cena’s arm to break free and drop toe holds Cena to the mat. Danielson arm drags Cena to the mat and keeps the advantage with an arm bar. Danielson bridges up out of a test of strength on the mat and monkey flips Cena. Cena decks Danielson with a clothesline. Cena forearms Danielson over the back and sends Danielson hard into the corner back first. Cena elbows Danielson coming off the ropes for a two count. Danielson fights free from a bearhug and a waist lock. Danielson nails Cena with a kick to the side of the head. Danielson mule kicks Cena followed by a couple of uppercuts. Danielson knee lifts Cena and delivers a kick to the back. Danielson tries for a cover, but Cena kicks out at two. Cena boots a charging Danielson and hits a spinning slam for the win. (**. It’s kind of nuts to think about where these guys would be in a decade. Danielson hadn’t even reached his peak indie popularity at this point. It’s obvious that there’s a major styles difference, but they worked a fine match.)
3.) Nunzio and Funaki trade waist locks at the start of the bout. Nunzio fights out of a headlock, but Funaki shoulder blocks Nunzio. Nunzio slams Funaki and Funaki comes back with an arm drag. Nunzio forearms Funaki followed by a strike. Funaki misses a dropkick as Nunzio held onto the ropes. Funaki avoids an elbow drop and tries for a crossbody off the middle rope, but is met with a dropkick in midair. Nunzio stomps Funaki on the mat and continues with an elbow drop. Nunzio rubs Funaki’s face on the mat and taunts the crowd. Nunzio puts a bow and arrow on Funaki, but doesn’t get a submission since it’s rather sloppy looking. Funaki gets a rollup on Nunzio for a two count. Funaki gets a backslide for a two count, but Nunzio responds with a forearm strike. Nunzio works over Funaki with a sleeper on the mat. Funaki elbows Nunzio, but is yanked down to the mat. Nunzio stomps Funaki on the mat, but Funaki fires back with right hands. Nunzio blocks a kick, but Funaki uses his free leg to nail Nunzio with a kick to the head. Funaki bulldogs Nunzio coming off the ropes for a two count. Funaki connects with a kneeling dropkick for a two count. Funaki boots Nunzio in the corner, but Nunzio spikes Funaki with a tornado arm breaker for the win. (**. Funaki has a cult following even in 2003. It’s smart to have a new heel in Nunzio pickup a clean victory. I’m liking the tornado arm breaker as his finisher, too.)
4.) A vignette promoting Sean O’Haire encouraging people to indulge on their sexual needs.
5.) DeMott controls the early moments of the match hitting a splash in the corner and clubs away on Brown over the middle rope. Brown responds with a right hand and staggers DeMott. Brown kicks DeMott, but runs into a clothesline. DeMott plants Brown with a powerbomb to win the match. (*. A pissed off DeMott is an entertaining character.) After the match, DeMott powerbombs Brown a second time.
6.) Train backs Edge into a corner and pie faces Edge before being shoved away. Train misses a strike in the corner and Edge fires back with right hands. Train elbows Edge to the mat out of the corner. Train runs through Edge with a shoulder block, but misses a big splash attempt. Edge kicks Train on the mat several times. Train sends Edge into the corner, but misses a splash. Edge spears Train into the corner and continues with knee lifts. Edge dropkicks Train on the knee and is met with a clubbing clothesline. Train stomps Edge on the mat several times. Train shoves Edge into the corner. Train drives Edge down with a backbreaker. Train continues with an elbow drop to the lower back. Train forearms Edge over the back and Edge lays on the apron. Train locks in an abdominal stretch, but Edge refuses to give in. Train delivers another backbreaker and slaps the back of Edge’s head. Train pulls Edge up and locks in another abdominal stretch. Edge counters a slam with a rollup for a two count. Train knocks Edge to the mat and pummels Edge with strikes on the canvas. Train goes back to a bearhug. Edge forearms Train attempting to break free and delivers a jawbreaker. Edge comes off the ropes to clothesline Train, but Train doesn’t budge. Edge hits a leaping forearm smash. Edge counters a press slam by slamming Train from behind for a two count. Train rams Edge into the corner back first and tries for the Train Wreck, but Edge counters with a dropkick. Edge misses the spear and is splashed by Train in the corner. Train follows up with a short arm clothesline. Edge blocks a splash by getting his knees up and spears Train to pickup the clean win. (**1/4. A decent match for a big match for Velocity standards. They have had a feud going on since late last year so to have it essentially blowoff on Velocity is a bit surprising. Train can’t seem to maintain momentum and I’m assuming isn’t destined for a substantial heel push on Smackdown.)
Final Thoughts:
A solid episode of Velocity as all the action here was harmless entertaining wrestling. I can get behind the stronger main events on Velocity since they absolutely have the depth on both RAW and Smackdown to sprinkle in bigger matches for the lower level programs.
Thanks for reading.