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Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia; January 20, 2002Commentators: Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler
WWF Tag Team Championship Tazz & Spike Dudley vs. Dudley Boyz (w/ Stacy Keibler): I completely forgot the Tazz/Spike Dudley team. The Dudleyz knock Spike from the ring and hit the 3-D II (reverse 3-D) on the floor. Back in the ring they hit the 3-D II on Spike. Bubba removes the Spike’s neck brace (from a 3-D in the parking lot on SmackDown) and neckbreakers him. D-Von tags in and hits a Hennig neck snap as Tazz finally makes it back to the apron. Bubba Dudley hits a brainbuster on Spike. Bubba tries another but Spike reverses into the Acid Drop. Tazz gets a tag but D-Von distracted the referee so that allows double stomping on Spike. The Dudleyz hit a REALLY HIGH double flapjack. D-Von goes to the top but MISSES the diving head-butt. Bubba comes in and Spike avoids a double splash and the Dudley Boyz collide. NOW Tazz tags in and destroys everyone. Tazzplex to both Dudleyz and a nice Northern Lights suplex to D-Von for two; Spike crossbodies and Tazz adds a boot to the side of his head. Bubba is in hyper-sell here. Spike gets another Acid Drop on Bubba. Stacy tries to distract Tazz so he slaps the Tazzmission on her. D-Von counters another Acid Drop chucking Spike over the top. Tazz avoids a charge and slaps on the Tazzmission on D-Von for the tap out. 4.5/10 Good match; a little short but they packed as much action as they could into the five minutes allowed.
Recap of the Edge/William Regal fight over the Intercontinental Championship. Edge broke Regal’s nose early on in the feud that required a few surgeries. Regal was using brass knuckles to win a bunch of his matches (including Edge) that caused Edge to snap on SmackDown and clobber everyone in sight (including Regal, Test and referee Nick Patrick) with a chair. Edge plans on re-breaking Regal’s nose again.
WWF Intercontinental Championship Edge vs. William Regal: Referee Nick Patrick checks all over the ringside area for brass knuckles. Patrick finds knuckles on Regal’s person and Edge attacks while Regal is arguing with him. He backdrops him and stomps in the corner and rams Regal’s reconstructed nose in the canvas a few times. Regal manages a standing knee trembler to get a breather. Edge counters a European uppercut into a backslide for two. Regal stays on top raking the face; Edge enziguris Regal in the back of the head bur Regal comes back with a one handed release 360 German suplex. Regal gets a bunch of nearfalls then hits the double knee strike; reverse criss-cross chinlock by Regal. Edge counters a butterfly something into a butterfly-pinning suplex for two; Regal hangs on to the butterfly and rolls Edge over into a butterfly bomb. Regal knocks Edge to the apron and hits a knee trembler to send Edge to the floor. They battle on the apron; Edge DDTs Regal onto the apron. Back in the ring, Regal tries to rebound off the turnbuckle and they hit head to head for a double KO. They trade blows and Edge gets the advantage by spinning wheel kicking and vertical suplexing Regal; he gets two. Regal counters the Edge-O-Matic into another one-handed 360 suplex but Edge pops right back up with a clothesline and they are both down again. Regal counters the Impaler DDT into the Regal Stretch. Edge makes the ropes and Edge locks in his own STF. Edge rebound dropkicks Regal off the rope for two. Edge climbs but Regal counters; Edge shoves him off and hits a top-rope spinning wheel kick. Edge readies for the spear but Regal fumbles with his trunks; that draws Nick Patrick over and allows Regal to partially sidestep a charging Edge and he (with Regal’s help) plows into the referee. Regal manages more knuckles and knocks Edge out cold with them. Nick Patrick recovers to count Edge down for three and Regal wins the IC title. Post-match Regal tells Michael Cole that the Power of the Punch is a blessing. 6.5/10 Entertaining match; Edge was just coming into his own as a singles competitor. Regal has such a unique style it works with some wrestlers and clashes horribly with others, this one worked. It was different from the usual style the WWE fan is used to.
WWF Women’s Championship Trish Stratus vs. Jazz: Jacqueline is the special referee for this match. Jazz slammed Trish’s hand into an equipment trunk on SmackDown to set this up; it is heavily taped. Jazz starts off hot with backdrop and a huge splash. Trish fights back and gets a sunset flip that they roll through about a dozen times for a bunch of nearfalls. Jazz hotshots Trish off the top rope and adds a legdrop. Jazz works over the injured hand wrapping it around the ropes a few times. Jazz and Jackie get into it; Jazz with a cover and Jackie gives her the longest two count ever. Trish fires back but Jazz arm locks out of a DDT. Trish flips over a back suplex and hits Stratusfaction but Jazz rolls through for two. Jazz hits the DDT for two. Jazz’s corner charge meets a boot and Trish hits a bulldog for three. 5/10 Way too short but a good match that seemed a little disjointed in the end.
Earlier tonight WWF co-owner Ric Flair brings his kids to the arena. Ric Flair became 50% owner of the WWF when Shane McMahon and Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley sold their “stock” in the company to Flair to buy WCW and resurrect ECW during the InVasion angle. Mr. McMahon did not like that obviously; Flair signed this match then made it a street fight.
Ric Flair vs. Mr. McMahon street fight: Both men were part “owners” of the WWF; Flair has his son and daughter in the front row. Vince throws Flair across the ring and then applies a side headlock. Vince knocks Flair down and MOCKS THE STRUT! Flair then outwrestles Vince and beats in in the corner. Vince puts Flair in the corner and shoulderblocks him; Vince chops in the corner and woos. Flair grabs him and chops him to hell; Vince rakes the eyes and clotheslines him. Jerry Lawler is a little too turned on by Vince’s physique; I’m sure Vince is not yelling that in his headset since he is in the ring. To the floor, Vince hits Flair with a road sign a few times, Flair is busted open. Vince retrieves a trashcan and bashes Flair with it. Vince works the laceration and posts Flair. Flair into the steps and Vince slams him on the floor. McMahon steals Ric’s daughter’s camera and takes a picture of a bloody Flair for her. How sweet. Back in the ring, Vince works Flair’s ankle and applies an overhead ankle lock. McMahon rams the leg into the ring apron and wraps it around the ringpost a few times. Vince applies a figure-four leglock. Flair turns it over and Vince retreats to the floor where he acquires the lead pipe. Ric low blows Vince and follows him to the floor and Flair chops the life out of Vince. Flair BASHES Vince with a television monitor. Nice cohesion as the monitor shows the replay in the foreground as Flair chops away in the background. Vince is busted now and Flair works his cut. Back to the ring Flair drags Vince to the floor; Flair bites Vince in front of his family. Flair continues the onslaught back in the ring. Flair kicks the grapefruits and grabs the pipe and clobbers him in the head. Flair adds the figure-four (with Flair dancing) and Vince taps out. 4.5/10 The bulk of the match was Vince’s bland offense, I know he obviously he is not a wrestler; so don’t wrestle. McMahon is at his best getting his ass kicked and he only did for the last five minutes of the match.
Michael Cole tries to get a word with referee Nick Patrick about the brass knuckles William Regal used but Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley shows up and explains how Triple H is going to win the Rumble. Steph then turns her attention to Debra, Austin’s wife. Austin shows up and cuts a “what?” promo on her.
Undisputed Heavyweight Championship Chris Jericho vs. The Rock: Jericho got the end of the year, holiday season, title reign; like Sheamus and The Miz (i.e., no one is watching). Except WWE had the confidence in Jericho to take it all the way to WrestleMania and we all know how that went. Y2J sticks the hand in Rock’s face and turns it into the “just bring it” gesture; that pisses him off and he clobbers Jericho and hits a Samoan drop. Jericho takes a hike but Rocky chases him around the ring and back into the ring where Rock spears Jericho. Jericho hits a flying forearm bur posts his shoulder on the ringpost. Rock plants Jericho but comes back with a hotshot off the tope rope. Jericho kicks on the mat and in the corner and segues into chops. Y2J scores with a spinning wheel kick on the Rock. Vertical suplex followed by the arrogant cover, it gets two. Jericho removes the top turnbuckle pad and goes for the Walls of Jericho; Rock reverses but Y2J mounts him with knuckles. Jericho to the top and comes off with a missile dropkick for two. Jericho applies a reverse chinlock with a knee in the back. Rock breaks out but Jericho keeps him down; Y2J climbs but Rock bounds off the ropes crotching Jericho. Rock slaps him on the top rope and superplexes him back in. Rock battles back and hits a belly-to-belly toss. Jericho reverses the Rock into the one-armed bulldog followed by two Lionsaults… for two! Jericho gets into it with Earl Hebner then goes to the second rope for another missile dropkick; Rock catches it and turns it into the Sharpshooter. Lance Storm and Christian come down to distract the referee while Jericho taps out. Rock quickly dispatches with the Un-Americans and that allows Y2J to hit a Rock Bottom… for two. Referee Nick Patrick chases Storm and Christian to the back. Jericho sets up the Rock for the People’s Elbow but Rock nips-up and tosses Jericho over the top. Rock meets him on the floor and they battle in the announce area. Rock hits Rock Bottom off the Spanish announce table THROUGH the other announce table. Rock tosses Y2J back in the ring and gets a two count. Jericho counters Rock Bottom into the Walls of Jericho; Rock (eventually) makes the ropes. Jericho goes for it again but Rock turns it into an inside cradle for two. Rock goes for a flying clothesline but Jericho avoids and Rock wipes out Hebner. Jericho uses the title belt and calls for another official, (crooked) Nick Patrick, who counts two. Rock pops up with a DDT and Patrick will not count. He informs the Rock he is not the official assigned to the match so he gets Rock Bottomed. Rock then spinebusters Jericho followed by the People’s Elbow. Earl Hebner is still out, though. Jericho gets a low blow and rams Rock into the exposed buckle and rolls him up with both feet on the ropes for three. Surprised he did not have to bury Rock in cement to get the win. 7/10 The match was good but had WAY too much going on besides the actual match. Rock looks awesome in the loss and Jericho looks like a jobber in the win. This is one of the reasons why, at WrestleMania X8 (full review, click here), people felt the main event, versus Triple H, was a foregone conclusion.
Shawn Michaels, in obnoxious Texas shirt, is at WWF New York. HBK predicts, fellow Texans, Undertaker or Steve Austin will win the Rumble.
The Royal Rumble: This year #1 Rikishi, back to babyface, and #2 Goldust, making one of his fifty returns to the WWF, start us off this year. Rikishi attacks while Goldust is not looking; Goldust comes back with a sunset flip and realizes that is a bad idea and slides out. Rikishi sends him over the top but not out. Goldust low blows Rikishi but goes over the top again but not out. Here comes #3 Big Bossman who was still in the WWF? Rikishi crotches Goldust on the top rope and sends Bossman into him and then avalanches him [Bossman]. Big Bossman comes back with a running elbow that sends Rikishi for a 360. Bossman and Goldust try to toss Rikishi. Goldust and Bossman turn on each other as #4 Bradshaw heads in and clobbers everybody. Rikishi hits the running corner butt-avalanche and gives the Bossman the Stink Face. Rikishi superkicks the Bossman and ELIMINATES him. Bradshaw attacks him from behind but gets Samoan Dropped. Here is #5 Lance Storm who attacks Goldust, if he could be serious for a moment. Rikishi works over Bradshaw as Storm tries to hoist Goldust over the top. Everyone brawls on the ropes. #6 Al Snow, who was the head trainer on Tough Enough at this point, heads to the ring. Bradshaw clobbers Storm with the Clothesline form Hell. Goldust walks into a superkick from Rikishi. Storm manages a low blow on Bradshaw to save elimination. Al Snow and Bradshaw trade blows as #7 Billy [Gunn] heads in. Billy Gunn had just formed the Billy and Chuck tag team. Billy works on Bradshaw but gets big booted. Al Snow gets Storm to the apron so Lance Storm suplexes Snow onto the apron with him and they brawl there. Al Snow side kicks Storm off the apron ELIMINATING him. Bradshaw gets Goldust on the ropes but Billy sneaks over and ELIMINATES Bradshaw; Goldust hands on. #8 Undertaker, newly turned heel, rides down. He comes in and kills everyone, chokeslam to Billy, big boot to Al Snow; Undertaker chokeslams Goldust over the top rope, ELIMINATING him. Undertaker’s heel turn made him even more invincible than before; it was just through sheer badass as opposed to urn power. Undertaker launches Al Snow over the top, ELIMINATING him. Rikishi tries the Undertaker but gets ELIMINATED immediately. Billy is no match either so Undertaker ELIMINATES him. Taker waits in “his yard” for #9 Matt Hardy who coincidently was feuding with Undertaker for injuring him, Lita and Jeff Hardy. Matt tries but gets goozled instantly so Lita tries to help, bad move, she gets goozled as well. Lita kicks his balls to counter and Matt adds the Twist of Fate. Both of them stomp away. Matt tries to eliminate him but Undertaker is still dominant.
Undertaker stomps away as #10 Jeff Hardy, surprisingly, runs down. Matt DDTs Undertaker and all three members of Team Xtreme stomp away. Undertaker says “enough of this shit” and ends them both with a double clothesline. Eventually, Matt hits another Twist of Fate and Jeff Hardy adds a Swanton. They try Poetry in Motion but Undertaker catches Jeff and ELIMINATES him; Last Ride to Matt and he is ELIMINATED. #11 Maven just after winning Tough Enough Season 1 comes out and gets his ass kicked. Lita, Matt and Jeff attack the Undertaker but he fights them all off but that allows Maven to dropkick the Undertaker over the top rope, ELIMINATING him. Undertaker heads back in and murders Maven, tosses him to the floor, and kills him on the floor with a chair. Undertaker knocks out a cameraman and continues to assault Maven on the floor. #12 Scotty 2 Hotty dances to the ring. Undertaker, just to be a dick, punches Scotty out in the aisle. Taker returns to the ring and (illegally) ELIMINATES Maven and drags him through the crowd. Undertaker destroys Maven in the concession area as #13 Christian heads out. Scotty has still not made it into the ring; Christian hangs out on the top rope waiting for him. He makes it in and the Rumble resumes. Christian blocks the Worm bulldog with a diving reverse DDT. #14 Diamond Dallas Page heads out during his inspirational speaker gimmick and gets caught by Christian with a reverse DDT. Christian tries to eliminate him but gets caught with a Diamond Cutter. Scotty attacks and superkicks DDP through the ropes; he sets up for the Worm on Christian and nails it. DDP returns and ELIMINATES Scotty as #15 Chuck [Palumbo] heads down. DDP hits a swinging neckbreaker on Chuck as the Rumble takes on a slight WCW feel. Christian recovers and clotheslines DDP. Everyone stomps in the corner; here comes #16 Godfather (post RTC), makes his return to the WWF, going “legit” bringing escorts to the ring. Meanwhile in the ring Chuck and Christian ELIMINATE Page; we do not see it because the camera has been on Godfather’s escorts the whole time. By the time Godfather makes it to the ring #17 Albert heads out, I thought it was Grandmaster Sexay at first, but he was gone at this point; Albert was in a tag team with Scotty and calling himself the “Hip Hop Hippo”. Albert beats on Chuck with avalanches. Godfather tries to whip him but it is reversed into the bicycle kick. Albert tries to eliminate Godfather but Christian and Chuck sneak up and ELIMINATE Albert. Godfather runs through them and tries a double Escort Train; they both avoid it and team up to ELIMINATE Godfather. Here comes #18 Perry Saturn jogging down and hits a neckbreaker on Chuck. Saturn is wearing cow-print trunks. Saturn and Chuck hammer each other. Saturn spears Christian but he recovers and they double team Saturn. Saturn manages a brainbuster on Chuck. Here is #19 “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, well this should clear out the ring. Austin whips everyone’s asses. Austin ELIMINATES Christian; Stunner to Perry Saturn. Chuck is ELIMINATED there goes Saturn, ELIMINATED. Austin has time so he drags Christian back in the ring and stuns him and tosses him over the top again. Austin retrieves Chuck and stuns Chuck and tosses him out over the top again.
Here is #20 Val Venis making his return from the RTC. Austin kicks his ass and stomps a mud hole. Venis manages to get the upper hand on Austin long enough for #21 Test to come down who has immunity from being fired, do not know why (after the InVasion) anyone would want to fire him? At any rate, Test and Val beat on Austin. I don’t think that will last long. Test misses Austin and boots Venis allowing Austin to ELIMINATE him. Test has no shot one-on-one with Austin and takes a Stunner and gets ELIMINATED. #22 Triple H heads out, do not think Austin will toss him before #23, and I believe HHH is making his return from injury here. Triple H may not get to the ring before #23. They trash talk and then brawl. #23 The Hurricane comes out as Austin and HHH double clothesline each other. Hurricane goozles both of them and… they realize it’s the Hurricane; they double ELIMINATE him and return to their brawl. Wow, that seems quick for #24 Faarooq he knocks HHH down and spinebusters Austin. Faarooq tosses HHH into the ropes he counters and tosses him into Austin. Stunner! Faarooq, ELIMINATED. Jobber. They go back to their brawl. #25 Mr. Perfect, nice. I do not think Austin and HHH will have their way with the future Hall of Famer. He stomps away on Austin and floors HHH. Perfect chops Austin in the corner. Austin and HHH try to toss Perfect; here is #26 Kurt Angle. Angle goes for Triple H and stomps him in the corner. They pair off and brawl in separate corners, Angle vertical suplexes HHH. Austin for some reason saves HHH from an Angle elimination so Kurt belly-to-bellys him. Weelllllll, it’s #27 Big Show stomping to the ring; chokeslam to Mr. Perfect he double goozles Austin and HHH and… they realize it’s Big Show so they kick his legs to counter. He runs them over with a double clothesline. Kurt tries to German suplex Big Show but Angle gets pressed by Big Show. HHH kicks his leg but Big Show big boots him. Austin stops a whip into Big Show’s boot but eats a clothesline instead. Big Show head-butts everyone and chokeslams Triple H. Here’s #28 Kane coming off a dominant performance last year. They brawl in the center of the ring, everyone else is out. They goozle each other; Kane kicks him in the nuts and bodyslams Big Show over the top rope, ELIMINATING him. Impressive. Kane turns into a Stunner from Austin then an Olympic Slam from Angle over the top ELIMINATING Kane. Kane goes fifty minutes last year and does not last to the next number this year; he did eliminate the Big Show, though. HHH runs over Angle. #29 Rob Van Dam makes his Rumble debut off the top rope with a Five-Star Frogsplash half way across the ring onto Angle. He avoids a Stunner with a roundhouse kick followed by Rolling Thunder to Austin. Triple H sneaks up on RVD and Pedigrees him. Everyone in the ring is down. #30 Booker T gets the lucky ass draw this year, sucka. He arrives and scrapes RVD off the canvas and ELIMINATES him. Booker Spinaroonies right into a Stunner that sends him sailing over the top, ELIMINATING him. The final four for the 2002 Royal Rumble are; Steve Austin, Triple H, Kurt Angle and Mr. Perfect. Kurt tries an Olympic Slam from behind, but Austin counters into a Stunner, however he is pushed off into Triple H, who sets him up for the Pedigree, which Austin counters into a corner slingshot; Kurt Olympic Slams him off the rebound. Perfect and Angle team up on Austin; Kurt hits the triple rolling German suplexes. Austin almost eliminates Perfect; Angle shows up and they almost eliminate Austin. Austin fends both guys off and goes back to trying to toss Perfect. Angle sneaks up and ELIMINATES Austin from behind. Perfect goes to work on Angle; Austin pulls Perfect to the floor and Angle comes out and rams him into the steps. Angle works on HHH. Austin grabs a chair and clobbers Angle, clobbers Mr. Perfect and waffles Triple H as well and finally leaves. All three are down and they woozily swing at each other. Perfect hits a Perfect-plex on Angle for fun, followed by the Hennig neck snap; but Triple H ELIMINATES Mr. Perfect on the rebound. It is down to HHH and Kurt Angle. Triple H works over Angle and boots him in the face. Kurt lands a belly-to-belly though. Angle tosses HHH over the top but he survives and choke-takedowns Angle. Triple H charges but his feet did not touch; Angle celebrates. Angle realizes and charges into a facebuster that dazes him against the ropes and HHH clotheslines him over the top ELIMINATING him to win the 2002 Royal Rumble. 6.5/10 Not a bad Rumble it got a little tedious with Undertaker, Austin and HHH each not budging (selling) for most of the rest of the combatants; other than that fun Rumble.
