WWE Raw
December 23rd, 2002
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
TONIGHT: Jericho/Christian vs. Book/Goldust for the tag titles plus a "Santa’s Little Helpers" Divas Match
1) Rob Van Dam & Kane vs. Jamal & Rosey (w/ Rico)
“He got his chestnuts roasted over the open fire years ago...” -Jerry Lawler on Kane
WWE Monday Night Raw
December 16th, 2002
Orlando, FL
Commentary - Jim Ross & Jerry Lawler
1) Victoria & Steven Richards vs. Trish Stratus & Test (w/ Stacy Keibler)
WWE Monday Night Raw
October 28th, 2002
Okay so first 18 minutes of this show is classic 2002 in the worst way. 10 minutes of more Katie Vick garbage aka Triple H having a mannequin in a casket pretending its a dead girl. Hurricane comes out and has H’s face photoshopped on a dude getting stuff pulled out of his ass in the hospital. Idk I enjoy dumb stuff that is fun in wrestling but this isn’t fun or funny, it sucks. And is embarrassing.
Then we get a hidden camera in Trish Stratus’s locker room and Jerry is being all horny and annoying.
1) Rob Van Dam & Tommy Dreamer vs. William Regal & Lance Storm
WWE Raw Review
October 21st, 2002
So, the WWE Network's description for this show had me confused as fuck because it said it was the final Raw before No Mercy, but it's actually the Raw after No Mercy. So after that mind fuck that took me five minutes to figure out, I finally got started on this.
Triple H has a message for 'the boys in the back' to start the show. He says he's untouchable and proceeds to say he has a tape to expose whether or not Kane slept with Katie Vick before or after death. This shit really is gonna keep going huh? Hurricane runs down to attack and try to take the tape. Flair stops him and H says he is gonna show the tape later whether Kane shows up or not. Lots of EDGY references to Katie Vick being dead. Well then.
1) Jeff Hardy vs. Chris Nowinski
This wasn’t as terrible as you’d think. Jeff flew and bumped around. AL SNOW shows up with a chair, Nowinski grabs it, Hardy dropkicks it into his face and hits a swanton. 1..2.. Snow pulls Nowinski out and this leads to him getting the win. Ok?
Match rating - **
Eric Bischoff backstage, Stacy Keibler walks up and asks for something and Bischoff grants it, I can’t remember what it was. Big Show shows up and Bischoff says he’s facing Rico, Jamal & Rosey and there’s not a damn thing he can do about it..
Tommy Dreamer confronts Al Snow about his actions. Snow makes it known that it’s all about Nowinski being one of his Tough Enough “kids”. Dreamer says tonight they’re facing in a Singapore cane match. Nowinski comes through the curtain and says he doesn’t need Al’s help. Damn. Snow done worked himself into a shoot.
2) Lance Storm & William Regal vs. Bubba Ray & Spike Dudley - #1 Contender’s Match for the Tag Team Titles
Spike starts with Lance and a backslide pinning combo for a near fall. Bubba gets in and we get a small hot tag from Spike a minute or two later. Meanwhile backstage, Kane has arrived. Hot run from Spike with a hurricanrana. It’s back and forth but Spike & Bubba get the win.
Match rating - **1/4
Jericho & Christian tell Trish to tell Booker & Goldust they aren’t suckas and basically insinuate that she slept her way to the top like Victoria has been saying.
Bischoff announces the Elimination Chamber for Survivor Series but with no details on what the match will entail.
BATISTA HYPE VIDEO
3) Test vs. D-Lo Brown - Special Guest Ref: Stacy Keibler
New look for Test and it appears he’s distancing himself from the Unamerican stable? Stacy slaps D-Lo at the bell and this turns into her favoring Test and counting slow/acting distracted when D-Lo has a chance for a pin. This costs him the match as Test boots his ass down and gets the fast three count. Test leaves and Stacy latches onto him so I guess this is gonna be a thing now.
Match rating - *1/2
Lil interview with Victoria backstage. Book & Goldust come up to hype the inter gender tag match coming up. Goldust slaps Victoria on the ass as they leave.
4) Booker T, Goldust & Trish Stratus vs. Chris Jericho, Christian, & Victoria
This was loads of fun. Trish & Vic brawl to start. Everything Book & Goldust are involved in has a hot crowd so that always helps. Trish’s hurricanrana to Jericho (I think) off the top rope near the finish ruled, but it’s not enough to get her team the win as the Walls of Jericho finishes things.
Match rating - **3/4
Probably one of the worst segments in Raw history airs here as Triple H shows the footage he has to “expose Kane” and it’s just him dressed up as Kane in a funeral home and I.. can’t even go further into detail or “review” of this terrible Katie Vick bullshit. Upset I even took the time to watch this.
5) Al Snow vs. Tommy Dreamer - Singapore Cane Match
Ahh. This kinda sucked. Nowinski comes down and tries to hit Dreamer with a chair sorta but fucks up and hits Snow, but doesn’t seem to care. Alright. Dreamer wins off that chair shot.
Match rating - *1/2
6) The Big Show vs. Rico, Jamal & Rosey - Handicap Match
Pointless Bischoff bullshit. Seeing Show throw these guys around was kinda fun though. He wins and goes backstage and Bischoff announces he’s traded to Smackdown and never wants to see him again. Show doesn’t care and tells Coach not to feel bad for him because “you’re the one who still has to work for that asshole.”
THA HEARTBREAK KID SHAWN MICHAELS IS LIVE IN NEW YORK CITY. He rolls up in a wheel chair in front of a huge hot crowd and cuts a really good ass promo about how he’s gonna he better and hunt down Triple H. He acts like he has trouble standing then JUMPS UP FOR A HUGE POP. HBK IS COMIN FOR THE GAME BABY.
7) Triple H & Ric Flair vs. Kane & Rob Van Dam
As boring and honestly bad as H was during this era, him and Flair together is always awesome. In this instance, they were such good old school tag heels. After an opening brawl, they isolate Van Dam for a while which leads to the Kane hot tag. H & Kane battle to the back and Van Dam & Flair go at it in the ring where Van Dam pins Flair with a frog splash.
Match rating - **1/2
Meanwhile, Kane and H are still fighting backstage through tables and into the parking lot. Kane chokeslams H onto the hood of a car with a Tennessee license plate and stuffs him in the trunk. Kane says “Now I’m gonna screw you, the question is will you be alive or will I wait til you’re dead...” Kane drives off to close the show. End scene.
WWE Monday Night Raw
October 14th, 2002
Montreal, Canada
~OPENING VIDEO PACKAGE~~~
1) Kane & The Hurricane (c) vs. Christian & Chris Jericho - World Tag Team Title Match
WWE Raw
October 7th, 2002
Las Vegas, Nevada
1) Booker T vs. Big Show - Steel Cage Match
This actually was pretty good. They built towards a number of big spots and Booker’s comebacks ruled. Booker gets the win after a scissors kick off the top rope and escapes the cage.
Match rating - **3/4
Booker celebrates his ~big~ win and gets attacked by Chris Jericho who ends up busting him open.
Jericho wants respect and last week Goldust disrespected him so he attacked Booker.
It's announced that Kane and The Hurricane will defend their tag team titles in a TLC MATCH TONIGHT. YEs the almighty fatal four way. I love this match and am so excited to watch it again.
Backstage, the wheel spins for Triple H and it's a blindfold match. H is pissed at the idea. Flair brings in Bischoff a set of girls. William Regal walks in and says this whole thing is stupid. Bischoff puts Regal in a showgirl match against Goldust where Regal has to dress in drag.
2) Triple H vs. D-Lo Brown - Blindfold Match
Now this shit's getting dumb. D-Lo Brown bounces to the ring and that's the most enjoyable thing about this. After fumbling around for a little while, Flair distracts the ref and H takes off his blindfold and pedigrees D-Lo for the win.
Match rating - *1/4 (one star for D-Lo's entrance and 1/4 for them showing up)
Bischoff brings Bubba Ray Dudley, Jeff Hardy, and Christian into his office. Basically telling them they are all in the TLC Match later and have to find partners.
3) Goldust vs. William Regal - Showgirl Match
This happened. Regal is hilarious in everything so it was at least a little entertaining. Lance Storm distraction allows Regal to bust Goldy with brass knuckles for the win.
Backstage, Christian and Chris Jericho decide to team up in the tag title TLC match later on.
Trish & Stacy have their shot at spinning the wheel and of course it's two weird, sexually charged stipulations. Paddle on a pole and bra & panties. What a combo.
Bubba Ray runs up on Tommy Dreamer backstage and asks him to be his partner. Spike is there and looks sad. Bubba asks why and Spike said he was hoping he'd get his chance to team with his brother in a TLC match like Devon used to. Dreamer tells Spike to be Bubba's partner and GOD DAMN RIGHT.
4) Trish Stratus (c) vs. Stacy Keibler - Bra & Panties/Paddle on a Pole Match for the Women's Title
Trish strips down Stacy and gets the win then paddles her afterwards. After the match, Victoria runs down and lays out Trish. Now that was good shit, I love Victoria.
Backstage, Jeff Hardy reveals his partner for the TLC match as... ROB. VAN. DAM.
5) Al Snow vs. Test - Street Fight
This was so random. Al Snow gets the most random ass good pop for what I'm guessing is a rare appearance on Raw since he's normally on Tough Enough. They hit each other with trash cans, lids, and signs. Botch a spot and then Snow hits Test with a bowling ball (see above).
6) Jerry Lawler vs. Steven Richards - Legal In Nevada Match
Jesus fuck. The winner of this gets a night on the ho train with the Godfather. Obviously Jerry the pervert wins and leaves with them.
RANDY ORTON hype video. Also worth noting, a Batista one aired earlier. Are we building towards their uniting with H & Flair to form Evolution? Both videos were sick. Batista's was him working out and talking himself up. Orton's included highlights of him in the ring and his dad talking about how in 10 years he will be remembered as one of the best to ever step in the ring. Well it's 18 years later and that was definitely a correct assumption.
Kane is backstage getting interviewed by Terri. He vows to become the first ever to hold the World Heavyweight, IC and Tag titles all at the same time. Meanwhile, H & Flair assault Hurricane. Coach lets Kane know and he runs down the hall, but it's too late. Kane yells out "YOU SON OF A BITCH" at Triple H. This rules. So much hype heading into this TLC match from every corner of the motherfucker. LETS GO.
7) Kane & The Hurricane (c) vs. Bubba Ray & Spike Dudley vs. Christian & Chris Jericho vs. Jeff Hardy & Rob Van Dam - TLC Match for the Raw Tag Team Titles
So, this is a match I watched probably 20 times as a kid. It was on the first Ladder Match compilation DVD that WWE did and was definitely a favorite of mine. With that in mind, reliving it was loads of fun and it was honestly even crazier than I remembered. Plus having the backstory of the Spike stuff, Kane missing Hurricane because of H & Flair, etc - it added even more to it. This was a trainwreck in the best possible way and the first TLC Match in Raw history so that makes it a must see in my book. Kane overcomes the odds and wins the match by himself so he & Hurricane retain the titles.
Match rating - ****1/4
Triple H and Ric Flair come out afterwards. They said they promised to make his life hell before the end of the night. H says he knows about Katie Vick. The show closes with him saying Kane murdered her and "Kane.. you're a murderer" and the show goes off the air just like that... Wow. This is gonna be some shit. I've heard the name Katie Vick, but haven't seen anything regarding this story so this should be interesting.
