411 Video Review: The Bob Barron Special Tape Review

-Bob Barron’s Christmas present to me? This tape, full of sweet TV matches, and two special ones at the end. They are surprises until you read them though.

(SD!-9/26/02)-No DQ-EDDIE~! Guerrero vs. Edge-Lockup, and Eddie controls, whipping Edge in and getting that back elbow. Edge then whips Eddy in, and they hit the shoulderblock sequence, ending up with Edge getting a monkey flip. Edge wraps Eddie’s arm around the rope in the corner, and then goes to the armwringer and the hammerlock. Eddie rams Edge back to the corner and pounds on Edge. He drapes Edge over the second rope and goes inside-out, snapping Edge’s neck across the rope. He comes back in and CHEATS TO WIN~! for 2. He taunts the fans because Eddie is GOD, and then whips Edge in, who reverses and gets a back bodydrop. Edge gets a dropkick and slams Eddie, following up with an elbowdrop for 2. Edge goes to the armbar again, but Eddie breaks out of the hold and hits a NICE enzuigiri. He stomps away on Edge and then nails Edge with an elbow. He gets cocky and starts dancing, nailing Edge with right hands, and then gets a vertical suplex for 2. He hits the chinlock. Edge breaks out, but Eddie whips him in, so Edge reverses and hits a SNAP powerslam. Edge heads up top, but Eddie meets him and gets the SUPERDUPERPLEX for 2. He hits an elbow rush and whips him in. Edge reverses and Eddie hops up for a victory roll, but Edge gets an Electric Chair Hotshot to put Eddie down. Edge rolls outside and grabs a ladder from under the ring. He runs around the ring to nail Eddie with it, but he ends up nailing referee Mike Sparks. Eddie grabs a chair from under the ring and nails Edge with it. He rolls Edge in and then nails Edge in the ribs with the chair. He goes up top for the Frog Splash, but that misses, and everyone is down. Commercial, and when we come back, we see that Eddie is pounding on Edge in the corner. Mike Chioda has come in to be the new referee, and Eddie whips Edge in and grabs the SLEEPAH! During this, we get to see the ladder shot to Sparks and Edge hitting a spear on Eddie during the break, only to have Chioda run down and count 2. Sparks is also taken to the back for precaution. Edge breaks the sleeper and gets his faceplant for 2. Edge goes to the second rope, only to see Eddie break that up and hit a SUPER HURRACANRANA for 2. We have our first “EDDIE!” chant of the night. Eddie grabs a knucklelock and pounds on Edge, and looks for his triple jump springboard rana, so Edge is like, “NO POBO!” and hits a NASTY powerbomb to counter. Edge goes outside, grabs a ladder, comes in, and gets it dropkicked back into his face. More “EDDIE!” chants as Eddie gets ANOTHER ladder. Eddie pounds away on Edge and hits a STIFF European Uppercut to put Edge on the ladder. He then takes the other ladder and sandwiches Edge…no way. SLINGSHOT SOMERSAULT SENTON ONTO THE LADDERS!!! Eddie is INSANE! He takes too long and it only gets 2. It gets a replay. Eddie stands up a ladder and starts climbing, but Edge goes upstairs and meets him, so Eddie rams his head into the top of the ladder and nails the ULTIMATE MURDERDEATHKILL POWERBOMB!!! It gets 2.999999! Add more nines if you want to! Eddie leans the ladder against the turnbuckle and rams Edge against it. Eddie goes to the other corner and charges, but Edge steps out and BACK BODY DROPS EDDIE ON TO THE LADDER. HO-LY SHIT. Eddie landed on his head and neck right there. Edge takes the other ladder and sets it up. He climbs, but Eddie gets up and climbs with him. Edge gains control and pounds Eddie onto the ladder. Edge pulls Eddie out onto the ropes and hits AN EDGECUTION OFF THE LADDER AND THE ROPES!!! Adios, amigo. ****Ѕ, and THAT is how you end a feud.

(SD!-10/3/02)-Kurt Angle vs. Edge-Moments ago: Edge got sucker punched by Angle…just because Kurt Angle is Kurt Angle. The two lockup and head for the corner, but they break clean. You never see that now-a-days. Kurt gets a single leg and grabs a waistlock, which Edge reverses and takes Angle down with. Kurt goes right to the hammerlock, but Edge reaches under with a single leg to take Kurt down, but Kurt kicks Edge away. Edge gets an armdrag to the armbar. Wrings the arm, countered by Kurt to a headlock. Edge whips in Kurt to start the shoulderblock sequence, ending with an Edge hiptoss. He gets a dropkick and then another armdrag, going to the armbar. He legdrops the arm and then keys the lock. Angle takes him down for 2, but Edge kept the lock in and goes right back to it. He switches to an armbar, but Angle breaks it and pounds away. Kurt whips Edge in, who reverses it to an elbow, and gets the armdrag and the armbar again. Kurt pulls the hair to break and pounds away on Edge. Edge comes back with an overhand chop and stomps away. He whips Kurt in, who reverses. Edge ducks the lariat and nails a spinning leg lariat for 2. Edge whips Kurt to the corner, but is dropped to the apron, and he whips the arm across the top rope. Outside, Edge nails Kurt from behind and rolls him in. He throws Angle to the ring post, shoulder first. Edge goes to the armbar, but Angle breaks and ANGLE SLAMS Edge to the floor!!! Angle follows out with a hotshot to the barrier, and then rolls Edge in so he can PUNT his ribs. OUCH! He gets a suplex for 2 and then pounds on Edge some more. Edge fights back and whips Kurt to the corner. Kurt reverses and charges, but hits boot, so Edge charges and eats an Overhead Belly to Belly Suplex for 2. Kurt snapmares into a body scissors chinlock, while Cole and Tazz talk about the psychology of the move, cutting off the air AND making Edge’s ribs hurt even more. THAT is why they are better than JR or King. Edge gets out of it and whips Kurt in, who reverses and gets the kneelift. HUGE boot to the ribs again. Kurt stomps and covers for 2. He gets an abdominal stretch and then Edge hiptosses out. His whip is reversed, and Kurt goes to the kneelift again, only to see Edge school boy him for 2. Kurt comes back with his High Angle Backdrop for 2. He moves to a seated reverse bearhug and gets the bodyscissors again. Edge breaks it fairly quickly and whips Kurt in. Angle ducks the clothesline but the cruel mistress that is irony bites him as Edge gets the Overhead Belly to Belly. 10 count spot, with both men up at 9. They trade rights and Kurt whips Edge in. Edge ducks the clothesline and gets a flying forearm and Edge is building momentum. Two lariats, and a BACK BODY DROP! FACEPLANT! 1…2…NO! Kurt gets a kneelift, but Edge flips out of the Backdrop attempt. He ducks under Kurt’s clothesline and NAILS Kurt with a sidekick. Edge Goldbergs up in the corner as Kurt gets up. Charges for the spear, but Kurt snaps off an Overhead Belly to Belly sending Edge RIGHT INTO the referee. KICK WHAM…no, EDGECUTION! NO REF!!! Kurt GOES LOW and gets the ANGLE SLAM! NO REF…WAIT! NEW REF! 1…2…JOHNNY ACE!!! The straps are DOWN, BAYBEE! ANGLELOCK! Edge gets to the ropes, and then snaps Kurt across the top rope. He goes up top, and Kurt tries his Pop-Up Superplex, but Edge pushes him off, so Kurt tries Plan B, a SUPERDUPERPLEX, but Edge Dynamite Kid’s Kurt and the ref counts three. Kurt’s arm is raised by new ref Mike Sparks, but Chioda was semi-awake and saw that EDGE won the match. Houston, we have a problem, the refs ARGUE~! SPARKS SHOVES CHIODA! CHIODA KNOCKS SPARKS OUT WITH A RIGHT HAND! WHAT A HOSS! WE HAVE A DOUBLE PIN? Back from the break, and we’re still wrasslin’ as Kurt pounds on Edge. During the break, Angle nailed another Overhead Belly to Belly on Edge. Now Kurt ties Edge up in the ropes and SPEARS Edge twice, but the second knocks Edge loose and Kurt tumbles to the outside on a third attempt. Kurt gets to the apron so EDGE SPEARS Kurt off the apron and into the barricade. Edge goes up top…PLANCHA!!! Kurt gets rolled back in and Edge nails a MISSILE DROPKICK! ONE…TWO…NO!!! Edge is ready…KICK WHAM…no, Kurt’s clothesline misses, EDGE-O-MATIC gets 2!!! Kurt comes back with a Released German Suplex. Rolling Germans…one…two…but before number three, HEEEEEEERE’S BENOIT!!! Angle seems distracted but finishes the trifecta. They argue and Kurt goes for trifecta #2…one…EDGE ROLLS UP ANGLE FOR 2!!! Kurts NAILS Edge with a lariat and argues with Benoit again. Kurt charges Edge in the corner, but meets a boot. Second try sees Edge go up and over with a Sunset Flip, only to see Kurt roll into the ANGLELOCK! Edge rolls Kurt to the outside, who grabs a chair while the ref checks on Edge. He goes inside, and readies the chair, but Benoit tries to wrest it away! He swings for Benoit, but he jumps down and the chair bounces off the top rope into Angle’s face!!! SPEAR! ONE! TWO! THREE!!! AWESOME match. Benoit’s presence was sheer brilliance, and the ending reeked of originality. ****Ѕ.

(SD!-10/3/02)-“The Crippler” Chris Benoit vs. Rey Mysterio-This is the first ever meeting between these two. How weird is that??? Benoit beats the hell out of Mysterio to start, getting a backbreaker and whipping Rey to the corner HARD. Benoit charges and meets boot, and then Rey’s tilt-a-whirl headscissors is countered and Benoit brings the CANADIAN VIOLENCE to Rey. He whips Rey in who does a Flair Flip, but Benoit catches him on top. Splash Mountain…no he walks out for a Crucifix Bomb, but Rey counters into a rana. The Splash Mountain counter would have been much nicer. Drop toehold into La Magistral for 2. It isn’t a Dandina as Tazz says, since a Dandina doesn’t include the armscissors. Rey gets a flying bodyscissors into the bulldog for 2. Whip is reversed, and Rey slides under and tries a monkey flip. Benoit nails Rey, but the momentum takes them both out. Rey goes back in and gets a cross-corner springboard somersault plancha! Back in, Rey gets 2, and the plancha gets a replay. Rey with some elbows and comes off the ropes, so Benoit tosses him up and into a backbreaker! Corner whip and Rey bounces back in to a Radicalz Backdrop for 2. Whip and a back body drop by Benoit. Corner whip and Rey hits the buckles chest first. He gets pounded down and Benoit locks in a standing Goku-Raku Stretch (set up for The Hurricane’s X-Plex). Rey rolls through to his own, but Benoit counters. Rey falls backwards and kicks up and over with a sunset flip for 2. AWESOME sequence. Benoit with some more VIOLENCE, and then he stomps away some more. Snapmare into a surfboard, which Rey counters into his own. Benoit counters to a Full Nelson (Dragon Suplex attempt?), but Rey sits down and rolls backwards into a HUGE Wheelbarrow Suplex. He follows with a short clothesline and does the WILD PEGASUS COVER (the way he’d pin someone after one of his AWESOME powerbombs) for 2. Whip and toss up, but Rey dropkicks Benoit. Rey fights back, and his whip is reversed, so Rey comes back with a quebrada, which is caught, but Rey slips out of Snake Eyes and gets a Spinning Leg Lariat. Benoit is slumped in the corner so Rey gets a running dropkick. He goes up top and hits a Split-legged Moonsault for 2. Rey tries a victory roll, but Benoit drops him down for a German, but Rey counters into a kick, which is caught, so Rey gets an enzuigiri, and Benoit is on the ropes. 619 is CAUGHT and Benoit nails his shoulderbreaker. SWANDIVE HEADBUTT gets 2. Here comes the Crossface, and here comes the ropes. Rey whipped to the corner, but he flips out of a German. He dropkicks Benoit down to size and hits a Sprinboard Legdrop. This time the 619 connects. Rey rolls through the West Coast Pop as Benoit ducks, but Benoit falls right into Angle’s hands, who snaps him across the rope, giving Rey the time to hit a Frankensteiner Roll-up for the win. This was just two great wrestlers having a damn fine match. **** So Angle comes in and we got a brawl in our hands. GERMAN WAR, and Angle gets the Anglelock, but Benoit rolls, grabs the arm and gets the CRIPPLER CROSSFACE! TAP ANGLE! TAAAAAAAP! HE DOES! Both men are up and wanna go at it again, AND WE ARE OUT OF TIME!!!

(RAW-10/7/02)-TLC 4 for the WWE Tag Team Titles-Rob Van Dam and Jeff Hardy vs. Dudley Boyz 2.0 (Bubba and Spike) vs. Chris Jericho and Christian vs. Kane and The Hurricane (C)- This, of course, is from the RAW Roulette Show, or as I like to call it, “Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal: Part Tres.” Kane is alone and WHOOPIN’ ASS cuz he’s a hoss. Back body drop for Spike, sideslam for RVD, back body drop for Bubba. Chrises get the ladder, but Dudleyz get them off…the ladder. RVD and Hardy double team but get the big lariat from Kane. Kane tosses Jeff and sends him to the stairs. RVD comes off the apron, but gets caught, so Jeff actually HITS the Railrunner. Wow. Bubba is in and does the “Hurricane Ladder” spot. So was Heyman booking this? Kane boots Bubba down though. RVD gets his Missile Sidekick on Kane. Jeff and RVD double lariat Kane outside, and now Jericho gets a lariat on Spike and a High Angle Backdrop. Chrises put the ladder’s top facing the ring on the top turnbuckle and whip Spike chest first into it. They beat down on Bubba as we get a replay. Double back body drop. Bubba comes back with an elbow and then the Flip Flop ‘n Fly. He gets clotheslined out and Kane follows with the FLYING LARIAT OF DOOM on Christian. Bubba gets the ladder and Kane gets clobbered. Bubba climbs, but Kane gets him off for a chokeslam. Spike can’t take down Kane either, and gets pressed over the top and onto RVD. Jericho gets a ladder-shot on Kane and on the outside, Christian gets the Diving Reverse DDT. Kane is put on the table and Jericho and Christian wanna do something with the ladder off the apron, but RVD says “NO POBO!” and somersault sentons the ladder, see-sawing the Chrises into oblivion. Meanwhile, Hardy gets a chairshot on Kane and then climbs the ladder. LEGDROP THROUGH KANE ON THE TABLE!!! “HOLY SHIT!” chant for that one. Bubba is in and he throws a ladder onto Jericho outside. He climbs, but Christian comes in and powerbombs him off the ladder. COMMERCIAL BREAK, and when we come back, two ladders are up, Bubba is pounding on RVD, so RVD swings through the ladders to break that up. Both men climb (E-C-DUB!), but the Chrises are ready. Jericho bulldogs Bubba, in the spot that gave him a concussion. Christian gives RVD a Diving Reverse DDT off the ladder, incorrectly called by JR. He said RVD did it. Spike tries climbing, but the Chrises stop him and Spike is slammed over the top to the outside. Kane comes in as Christian climbs. RVD is right there, but Christian kicks him down. Christian climbs, but RVD pushes the ladder and Christian STRADDLES that top rope like a MAN. Jeff up top, but Kane catches him for a powerslam. Kane with the cornerwhip lariat and Jeff is tossed. Kane climbs but Spike tries to stop him, so Kane knocks him down and then rams the ladder into Spike. Jericho with a chair shot on Kane who had the ladder, and a chair shot to the back of Bubba. RVD gets his spinkick, and Jeff and RVD hit Poetry in Motion on Kane…who is now slouched. RVD goes to do something, but Jeff is like “GO UP TOP, MAN!” And Hardy has a chair…and ya’ll know what that means…VAN TERMINATOR! KANE TOOK IT FULL ON! HOLY SHIT! Jericho goes to suplex Jeff on the ladder, but Jeff reverses to his own. We get replays of the suplex and the Van Terminator. Christian climbs to the top rope, but Jeff tosses him onto a ladder. EWWWW. Jeff climbs one of the ladders, but Bubba clims as well, and Bubba gets the advantage and a SUPERPLEX OFF THE LADDER. HO-LY SHIT. Replay from the view of the titles (cool view) and RVD starts to climb. Bubba stops and knocks RVD off. Jericho climbs and Spike tries, but he gets kicked away, so Spike pushes the ladder so that Jericho falls over the ropes to the outside, nearly hitting the steps. HO-LY SHIT. The replay confirms what we already know: Jericho ate it HARD. Spike starts to climb, but Christian pulls him off, so Spike tries a Dudley Dog and gets pushed outside through a table. Christian climbs, but Bubba sets up another ladder and climbs and gets a BUBBA BOMB off the ladder! RVD is up top, and it’s THE FIVE…STAR…FROG…SPLASH! Jeff is now up, but his Swanton misses. Bubba back body drops him over the top rope through a table to stop that. RVD waits…VAN DAMINATOR on Bubba. RVD climbs, but Jericho gets a chairshot and they do the Walls of Jericho across the top of the ladder. He knocks RVD up and over and he hits his head on the ladder. Jericho climbs, but here is Kane, chokeslam off the ladder, Zombie situp, and he grabs the titles. Ugh. Kane takes a LEGDROP THROUGH THE TABLE, A VAN TERMINATOR FULL ON, and he wins? He should be DEAD. Good spots, horrible ending, pacing was all right, but it didn’t have the same feel as the 3 previous, so this is the worst TLC match ever…at ***3/4. Of course, Bob spared me the HHH promo afterwards…you know the one.

(10/17/02-SD!)-Tag Title Semis-LOS RUDOS GUERREROS~! vs. Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle-The tape starts the match from its actual start. See, before the match actually started (which isn’t shown), Rey and Edge came down and did a number on everybody in the match to get back at The Guerreros and to soften up Benoit and Angle if they won. Eddie pounds away on Angle to start and whips Kurt in, but Kurt reverses to his back elbow. Chavo comes in but gets hiptossed. Angle pounds on Eddie in the corner and whips him in, gets a lariat for 2. He knocks Chavo off the apron and then gets a suplex for two. Tag Benoit (crowd POP!) and he pounds away on Eddie and makes with the Canadian Violence. Whipped in for a back elbow, and it gets 2. Backbreaker gets 2. Tag Kurt, and Eddie is getting a beatdown. He reverses a whip to a back elbow and tags Chavo. Chavo makes with a short clothesline for 2. Stiff Euro Uppercut, but his whip is reversed into an Overhead Belly to Belly for 2. Tag Benoit. He whips Chavo into a Kitchen Sink Kneelift, and then hits the Radicalz Backdrop for 2. Short clothesline gets 2. Second one is countered to a Chavo backdrop, and then into a rear chinlock so that Chavo can tag Uncle Eddie. Eddie pounds away and hits a STIFF Euro, but Benoit turns a suplex into the Crossface before you can say “Benoit turned that suplex into a Crossface.” Chavo saves, and then gets tagged in. Chavo pounds away, but Benoit brings the Violence. Chavo stops that with a HARD Euro Uppercut, and then brings RUDO VIOLENCE~! upon Benoit. Snapmare into a chinlock, and Benoit is in trouble. He fights out but bounces off the ropes into Eddie’s knee and back into a Chavo dropkick for two. Tag Eddie, and Chavo holds for the slingshot senton. He goes into RUDO MODE and makes with a Yakuza Kick to the mush. Beautiful. He stomps away on Benoit and we hear an “ANGLE!” chant. Chavo with a cheap shot on Angle and the Guerreros double team Benoit behind the refs back to extend the HEAT SEGMENT. Another chinlock, and Benoit battles out and whips Chavo in. Chavo knocks him down and goes up top. Benoit stops him and hits the Superduperplex. Benoit crawls, and Angle is in and the crowd is going CRAZY. Lariats para todos. Back body drop for Eddie. German for Chavo. Eddie’s whip is reversed into an Overhead Belly to Belly for 2 as Chavito saves. Kurt wants a short clothesline on Chavo, but that’s reversed into a dropkick. Benoit whips Chavo to the corner, German Suplex out of it! Holds on, but Eddie breaks it up, so Benoit gets a German on HIM, and then hits the Swandive Headbutt! Angle covers for two as Chavo saves. Chavo gets the WWE Brainbuster on Angle and knocks Benoit to the floor. Eddie only gets a two count. Eddie feels Froggy, but Kurt pops up, and gets sent right back down. Eddie connects with the FROG SPLASH! 1…2…Benoit comes in and gets the CROSSFACE! Chavo stops that nonsense. Chavo’s brainbuster is countered into an inside-out backdrop by Benoit. Eddie knocks Angle into Benoit AND the ref, and then clips Angle as everyone else tumbles. Lasso From El Paso, but Angle rolls into the Anglelock! Eddie taps but there is no ref. Here comes Chavo with a chair, but Benoit grabs it…and then shakes Chavo’s hand! The crowd is booing, and Angle turns around…to see Chavo get CREAMED with the chair. Angle smiles as Benoit nails Eddie in the back with the chair, and one Angle Slam later, Angle and Benoit are heading for No Mercy and a shot at the titles. This match made me cry many tears of joy for professional wrestling and dammit, The Guerreros are so my new favorite heel team of all time. My favorite match of 2002. ****Ѕ

(10/24/02-SD!)-#1 Contendership Match-LOS RUDOS GUERREROS~! vs. Edge and Rey Mysterio-Edge procures a headlock and knocks down Chavo for one. Edge with an armdrag, but Chavo fights back and whips him in, but gets hiptossed for 1. Edge and Rey want this over QUICK. Chavo in the corner and gets a shoulder to the gut from Edge for 2. Chavo comes back and whips Edge in, but gets a spinning leg lariat. Corner whip as Rey is tagged in, and Edge is whipped into a Spear on Chavo. Eddie gets knocked down, and X-Pac’s one contribution (well, I wouldn’t even call it that) to the sport, the Bronco Buster, follows on Chavo. Rey’s springboard split-legged quebrada hits the knees and Chavo tags in his uncle. Double whip, but Rey ducks the lariat on Eddie and gets the body scissors into a bulldog, but also takes Chavo over with a headscissors. Fun spot there. Edge comes in with a headscissors for Eddie and Rey tries a pescado, but gets caught. Edge tries a baseball slide, but the Guerreros lift Rey up and over, and then lariat Edge with him. THAT is funner. Rey is rolled in and Edge hits the steps. Eddie whips Rey in for the back elbow. He stomps away and pounds away on Rey in the corner. Tag to Chavo and he brings the shoulders to Rey’s back. He stomps away and Chavo distracts the ref as Eddie proceeds to CHEAT TO WIN~! with the tag rope. Top rule of heels in tag matches: Cheat with the tag ropes whenever possible. Chavo’s short clothesline gets 2. Eddie tags, but no slingshot senton, opting to come in and stomp away. This makes more sense later in the match. He just lets Rey crawl towards Edge, and then NAILS Edge to break that up. Eddie is GOD. Pumphandle backbreaker gets 2. He whips Rey in, but Rey reverses and back body drops Eddie. Rey crawls, but Eddie wants a cheap shot on Edge again, so Edge knocks him down! Eddie then PUNTS Rey’s ribs and whips Rey in for a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for 2. Chavo comes in and whips Rey chest-first to the corner, but Rey flips out of the backdrop attempt and dropkicks Chavo into the turnbuckle. Rey crawls again, but Eddie stops him, so Rey hits a spinning leg lariat. HOT TAG Edge, and he nails Chavo with a lariat. He ducks an Eddie lariat and gets a dropkick. Double flapjack! Chavo gets an Edge-O-Matic for 2 as his uncle saves with a dropkick to Edge’s head. Rey’s whip on Eddie is reversed, but he holds on to the ropes and back body drops Eddie over the top rope to the floor. Drop toehold for Chavo, but the 619 is caught by Eddie (THANK GOD). Edge ducks a Chavo lariat and gets a Spear for 2 as Eddie saves. Rey springboards in and bodyscissors Eddie up and over. 619 for Chavo, and there’s Powerbombs Away. Edge rolls into the Jackknife Pin, but EDDIE nails the Slingshot Senton! He puts Chavo on top as the ref gets him out of the ring. Behind all this, Rey gets a springboard guillotine legdrop on Chavo and puts Edge on top as Eddie plays to the fans. Edge gets the win and the title shot, and the look on Eddie’s face as he turns around to see that his team lost afterwards is PRICELESS. Rey was quite the Ricky Morton, there. ****1/4.

(10/24/02-SD!)-Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit-This one is for DA TROPHY~! You know which one. Angle outwrestles Benoit TWICE in the beginning, taking him to mat like a mofo, but Benoit is like, “This is PRO Wrestling…” and NAILS Kurt with an elbow out of a waistlock. I don’t think Kurt was expecting it. Benoit pounds away on Angle and then whips him in for the back elbow. To the corner, where Canadian Violence is abundant. Benoit tries to whip, but Angle turns it into a short clothesline. He stomps away on Benoit and gets a suplex for 2. Angle pounds away and chokes down Benoit before hitting a High Angle Backdrop for 2. He stomps away and brings Benoit to the corner and makes with the OLYMPIC VIOLENCE! He whips Benoit in, but Benoit boots him away and lariats him from behind. He bounces off the ropes with an elbow to the back of Angle’s head. Angle reverses a whip into his own back body drop, only to see Benoit do the exact same thing back to Angle. I love that psychology. Benoit then starts off the GERMAN WAR with two of his own, but Angle blocks the trifecta and hits HIS for 2. Angle readies an Angle Slam, but Benoit falls out and gets the MEGA German Suplex, with Angle doing the FULL FLIP ONTO HIS FACE. I love that move. CUTTHROAT~! and Benoit is on top, with Angle’s feet pretty much by the ropes on the opposite corner. No matter, as Benoit NAILS the Swandive Headbutt, but is too slow to cover with the Wild Pegasus Pin for 2. He goes right to the Crossface and Angle reaches for the ropes, but Benoit pushes the ropes away with his feet. Angle rolls backwards to get a pin, but Benoit rolls with him right into the middle of the ring. Angle grabs the ankle and falls back and gets 2 before Benoit releases and Angle can procure the Anglelock. That’s pretty dang cool. Benoit turns over and kicks Angle back off the ropes and catches him off them with a small package for 2. Angle Slam gets 2, so he locks on the Anglelock, and Benoit does the familiar roll through to the Crossface, and then Angle rolls through to break, where Benoit catches him with a LARIATOO! He goes up top, but Angle pops-up with a Belly to Belly for 2! There go the straps, but Eddie is on the apron and Chavo knocks Angle with the tag belt, letting Benoit roll Angle up for the cheap win. Arrgh. That ending was WEAK. ***1/4. And where’s Angle destroying the trophy?

(10/31/02-SD!)-Chris Benoit vs. Edge-Benoit gets the waistlock and Edge rolls through so Benoit switches to the headlock. Edge goes to a top wristlock, but Benoit takes him down, so Edge holds on and rolls back to the wristlock. Edge goes to the armbar, then moves to the hammerlock, so Benoit drop toeholds him and goes to the front chancery, only to see Edge go back to the hammerlock and key the lock. Benoit backs him to the corner, and then goes to work, baby. Headlock takedown, stood out of by Edge, who whips him in to start the shoulderblock sequence, which ends with an Edge getting a kneelift. Edge with a gutbuster and then pounds on Benoit in the corner. Benoit comes back with Canadian Violence, but Edge pounds away, so Benoit makes him eat MORE Canadian Violence. Benoit with a short clothesline, and may the asskicking begin. Edge reverses a corner whip and Benoit hits hard for 2. Benoit is tossed, and Edge follows with an axehandle off the apron and a hotshot. Back in, Edge covers for 2. Benoit powers out of a chinlock, and Edge pounds away, so Benoit brings the Violence. Edge reverses the whip, and then throws Benoit across the top rope. Benoit falls to the outside and Edge tries a baseball slide, but Benoit moves and NAILS the shoulder twice, and then Edge goes towards the steps, so Benoit dropkicks the shoulder against the steps because he is your GOD. Rolled back in for 1 Benoit rams the shoulder into the turnbuckle twice and locks in a standing armbar. Edge armdrags out but Benoit gets a RUNNING ELBOW. MISAWA! He rams Edge’s shoulder to the post and gets the Radicalz Backdrop for 2. Edge is bleeding hardway from the nose or mouth, probably from the post shot. Benoit whips into a drop toehold, and then Kaientais Edge in the mouth and shoulder with a dropkick. AY YI YI! Snap Suplex gets 2. Benoit kicks Edge down and whips Edge HARD to the corner, and then legdrops the back of his head to be a dick. CANADIAN VIOLENCE with both hands, and then Benoit runs into an Edge back elbow off a corner whip. Edge goes to the second rope, but Benoit stops him, but Edge comes back and stops Benoit, and hits a Super Split-Legged Facebuster. Commercial Break, and we come back to Edge going for a Missile Dropkick, only to see Benoit swat it away and lock that fucker in…THE CROSSFACE. Edge gets to the ropes as we see what happened during the break: Benoit gets speared off the apron. Benoit comes back with the Rolling Germans, and he’s cutting his damn throat…so he can miss the Swandive Headbutt. DAMMIT. CANADIAN VIOLENCE WAR!!! Benoit wins and tries to ram that shoulder into the corner, only to see Edge turn it into Snake Eyes and then the Edge-O-Matic for 2. Edge whips, but Benoit grabs the arm, so Edge stays with it and gets the Faceplant for 2. HE brings the Canadian Violence, and then he whips Benoit in for the flapjack. Here comes the spear, but Benoit turns that into the Crossface. HELL YEAH. Edge tries to roll through, but Benoit goes with him and it’s still in, baby. Edge tries grabbing the ref since he can’t make the ropes…and Kurt Angle comes down and pulls Benoit out!!! Angle DARES him to hit him, leaving enough time for Edge to baseball slide Benoit into Angle. Edge up top, and gets a flying clothesline on Angle as Benoit moves. Back in as Edge ducks a lariat, and then hits the SPEAR WITH THE HURT SHOULDER for the win. No selling, just SPEAR AND PIN. That knocks a Ѕ* off my favorite ass-kicking of the year. ***3/4. Benoit is GOD.

(10/31/02-SD!)-Kurt Angle vs. Eddie Guerrero- Eddie starts out by talking trash to EVERYBODY. Angle then outwrestles him and Eddie is pissed. Kurt grabs a headlock, and they go into the shoulderblock sequence, but Kurt blocks Eddie’s hiptoss and gets his own. He gets an armdrag and then picks up Eddie and then just THROWS him across the ring and he rolls out. He throws a TANTRUM, and then he gets back in. His go-behind is reversed, and then Eddie goes to the ropes, so the ref tries to break it up, but Eddie cheats and gets a cheap shot on Kurt. He pounds Kurt down in the corner, and then Kurt busts out with a lariat. Kurt whips him in for a back elbow, and then his next is reversed, so he ducks a clothesline and gets a flying forearm. Kurt charges at Eddie, but he gets drop toeheld to the turnbuckle, and then Eddie hits a WWE BACKDROP DRIVER! EDDIE IS GOD. It seems as if Kurt is slightly off-key after that move for the rest of the match, and with good reason, too. Eddie kicks away on Angle, and then makes with the elbow rush. He gets the front chancery and moves to the rear chinlock. Kurt elbows out and whips Eddie in off the headlock, but Eddie runs him over. Eddie goes back to the chinlock, but then moves to a rear crossface. Kurt elbows out and whips out of the headlock, and snaps off a powerslam. Both men up, and Eddie dropkicks the knee and then the head. He chokes away on Kurt in the corner, and then chokes Kurt across the bottom rope. Outside-in suplex gets 2. Eddie goes back to the chinlock, but Kurt elbows out and runs into a knee to his kitchen sink. Eddie gets a rear headscissors and then CHEATS TO WIN~! Kurt eventually rolls through to the Anglelock! Eddie kicks him off and lariats him. Eddie with a snapmare/dropkick to the head combo. Eddie pounds Kurt down in the corner and then gets cocky, because he owns Kurt. Whip is reversed, but Eddie kicks Kurt in the gut and grabs a waistlock, so Kurt reverses it to a MEGA German Suplex. Both men down, we got a replay, and they’re up trading rights. Kurt whips Eddie in for a LARIATOOOOOOOO! LARIATOOOOO! Kurt whips Eddie in for a BAAACK BODY DROP. Man, is this late 80s jobber superman comeback offense or WHAT? Kurt ducks a lariat and grabs the waistlock, but Eddie blocks, bounces off the ropes, and runs into a Belly to Belly Suplex. That didn’t have the overheadness that I usually like to see, but no matter, as Eddie gets the ropes at 2. Kurt’s corner whip is reversed, and Eddy looks for his brainbuster, so Kurt falls out and gets the Rolling Germans for 2. Straps are DOWN, and Kurt readies the Angle Slam, so Eddie turns it into a SWEET FUCKIN ROLL-UP for 2. You remember when he faced Rocky after he won the title at Vengeance? And he countered that Rock Bottom to that roll-up? This was SWEETER. Kurt gets a lariat and whips Eddie to the corner, who meets him with a back elbow, goes to the second rope, and LEAPS BACK with a Tornado DDT. FUCKING SWANK! We’re taking the trip to El Paso, but Angle gets the AngleLock. Eddie gets to the ropes. Now Angle grabs a waistlock, but Eddie is in the ropes, so he gets UN FOULE and gets his WWE Brainbuster. Eddie is up top, but Kurt shoves the ref into Eddie and he is DOWN. Chavo gets on the apron and is knocked down, so Angle readies the Pop-Up…only to be smacked by a tag belt…from Benoit. Eddie readies himself, Frog Splash, good-bye, go home. BRILLIANT. I now await Benoit to re-debut the Dragon Suplex. **** Afterwards, Benoit knocks out Chavo and Eddie with the belt because he is GOD.

(11/7/02-SD!)-2 out of 3 falls for the WWE Tag Team Titles-Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle © vs. Edge and Rey Mysterio-Kurt with the waistlock takedown and Rey gets the hammerlock and standing headlock. He’s whipped off it to the corner, but eats a boot and Rey slides under Angle and kicks him right back to the corner. Rey with a drop toehold, into the headlock, and Kurt moves to the top wristlock, which Rey armdrags out of. Rey does the SPINNING ANGLE TAUNT, and Angle gives chase. Rey with UN MORTAL (619 w/o the dropkick) and Angle falls for it and goes through the ropes. Benoit can’t even look. Kurt applauds Rey being a pussy, and just BEGS him to come right at him, so Rey runs into a boot and a short clothesline. Kurt turns his back and Rey kips-up, and then ducks a lariat into the tilt-a-whirl headscissors and Angle is suitably PISSED OFF as Rey tags Edge. Kurt still wants Rey, so he tags in Benoit hard. I love the hard tags. Edge with the headlock, and Benoit whips him in and eats a shoulderblock. Edge then gets two armdrags and a dropkick and then works Benoit in the corner. CANADIAN VIOLENCE is started by Edge. Now you die, boy. E grabs a headlock and gets whipped in, but Benoit telegraphed it, so Edge bounces off again and gets pulled by the hair by Angle, who gets knocked off, so Benoit gets a RUNNING ELBOWAH! MISAWA!!! HARD whip to the corner, and the Radicalz Backdrop as Angle is tagged in. He stomps away on Edge and knocks Rey off the apron. Angle chokes down Edge and hits a suplex for 2. He tags Benoit and Benoit kicks Edge in the gut and HE brings the VIOLENCE like it should be brought, period, WITH BOTH HANDS. Benoit whips him in, but eats an elbow. Benoit grabs a waistlock but Edge elbows out and hits a flash Edgecution. HOT tag Rey, who comes in with a springboard guillotine legdrop for 2. Rey’s corner whip is reversed, but he gets a drop toehold to the turnbuckle to set up the Bronco Buster, but Angle comes in so Edge whips him into Benoit and spears Angle into him. Rey dropkicks Angle out and then Rey and Edge do the Tossing Super Rana for 2 as Angle pulls Rey off. Edge lariats Kurt to the outside, and then they hit Powerbombs Away on Benoit to take the first fall. Kurt attacks right away and stomps them down, but Rey armdrags out of the Angle Slam attempt. He runs into the Overhead Belly-to-Belly though, and momentum has SHIFTED. It gets 2. High Angle Backdrop gets 2 and Angle CHOPS Benoit in. Not tag, CHOPS him in. Benoit gives him that “What the fuck are you thinking?” look and then kicks away. Fireman’s carry gutbuster and Rey gets whipped to corner. Benoit looks for a SUPER GUTBUSTER. Somewhere, Dean Malenko is smiling, and, just like Rey used to do to Dean, he counters it into a Super Bulldog and we’ve got a race to the corners. Both tag, but Edge is HOT. Lariat, lariat, back body drop. Edge tosses Benoit and gets Kurt with a Belly to Belly (IRONY), and readies the spear. He misses Angle and runs RIGHT into Benoit and the title belt. There go the straps, there is the Anglelock, there goes Rey, oh, but Benoit pushes him off. Edge can only tap. Tied at 1 fall apiece. Benoit and Angle argue as we hit the commercial break. When we come back, Rey is flipping over Angle over the ropes, ducking a lariat and getting tripped by Benoit. Angle kicks Rey and gets 2. Angle pounds on Rey in the corner and tosses him out as he distracts the ref. Benoit works over Rey, introducing him to the barrier and such, and then rolls him in for 2. Angle gets angry that Benoit couldn’t get the cheap fall. Kurt tries a FRONT FACELOCK SUPLEX, but Rey counters it into a Released Northern Lights Suplex. Angle catches a kick, and then gets nailed with a spinning heel kick. Tag to Edge, and he kicks Angle down. CANADIAN VIOLENCE, and his whip is reversed and Kurt eats the boot. Edge runs into another Overhead Belly to Belly, though. Tag Benoit, who whips Edge in for a Back Body Drop. Backbreaker gets 2. Benoit busts the ELEVATED HALF CRAB! Edge kicks him away, and Benoit tags out. Angle knocks Rey off the apron and kicks down Edge. Short clothesline for 2. Tag Benoit and he pounds away on Edge. Benoit whips Edge to the corner, and he eats a back elbow. Edge climbs, but Benoit stops him and gets a SUPERDUPER Backdrop. Both down, both tag, Rey is hot. Rey ducks the lariat and gets a dropkick. Corner whip is reversed, but Angle hits the STEEL pole, and Rey gets the Bronco Buster. Benoit pulls Rey and gets a HUGE German. Yay. Benoit knocks Edge off, and Rey falls out of an Angle Slam, pushing Angle into Benoit, knocking Benoit outside. Drop toehold to the ropes, 619 misses. Rey charges and gets tossed to the rop rope, LANDING ON HIS FEET, and then busting a No-Look Springboard Rana attempt, which Angle blocks, so Rey goes up and over with a sunset flip and gets the PIN…with Angle grabbing onto the bottom rope as the referee Brain Hebner counted three. New champs??? Angle and Benoit are going BERZERK. We take a commercial and here’s the replay of what happened before and during the break. The match must continue, and Angle and Benoit are still fighting with each other as Rey starts off the decisive fall with a Springboard Dropkick on both of them. He pounds on Benoit, but his corner whip is reversed VERY HARD, and Benoit gets a Radicalz Backdrop. Kurt comes in and they do the Double Knee Crush. Kurt pounds and whips and pounds some more. Snapmare and tag for Benoit, who gets a DROPKICK TO THE MUSH. KAIENTAI! Canadian Violence shot knocks Rey down. SWANK Gutwrench Suplex follows. Tag Kurt, who does a not so SWANK Gutwrench. He literally tossed Rey. Kurt gets 2 as Edge saves. Kurt switches to a front chancery, but Rey fights out, gets a bodyscissors, and turns it into a DDT. Hot tag Edge. He goes up top and gets the FLYING LARIAT OF DOOM. Flapjack for Benoit, spinning heel kick for Angle. Benoit gets clotheslined over the top. Edge ducks an Angle lariat and gets the Edge-O-Matic for 2. Angle grabs an Anglelock out of nowhere, but Edge rolls Angle through to the turnbuckle, and REY FOLLOWS WITH A 619 USING THE RINGPOST. Benoit takes care of Rey though, and inside, Edge ducks the lariat and gets the spear. Ref counts, Benoit comes off the top with the Swandive Headbutt, and it HITS ANGLE. He gets dropkicked to the outside by Rey, and Edge covers for the pin and the titles. Not as good as the No Mercy tag, but then again, what the fuck is? ****3/4. This gets 1/4* off for the Dusty Finish.

(11/12/02)-World Tag Team Titles-Chris Jericho and Christian © vs. Rob Van Dam and Kane-This is the opener of RAW before Survivor Series, which also saw Booker T get squashed by HHH, which made sure he didn’t have a chance in the Elimination Chamber. Jericho and Rob do the obligatory headlock-hammerlock sequence, and Rob whips Jericho in and gets tackled. Kip-up, splits, leapfrog, spinkick in that order for RVD. He pounds away and whips Jericho in for the Rolling Monkey Flip and then a Standing Moonsault gets 2. Tag Kane, and he takes Jericho to the corner. Follow-up Lariat off the whip. Whip again, Jericho with the boot and goes to the 2nd rope. Takes too much time and gets a lariat in mid-air for his troubles. Kane with the double choke, and then Christian comes in and is tossed outside. Kane with a military press and tosses Jericho onto Christian. RVD follows with a SWEET No-Hands Tope. Jericho gets rolled in for the Chokeslam, which Kane hits. Ref is taking his time outside, so Christian makes with UN FOULE when Kane tries to chokeslam him. Christian pounds away, and chokes Kane down in the corner. Kane stops a corner whip, and then gets his own, but runs into a boot. Christian then runs into Kane’s ONE HANDED Sidewalk Slam, cuz you know, if you don’t do it with one hand, you ain’t a hoss. Tag RVD, who ducks a lariat and knocks Jericho off the apron. RVD with a Triple Strike, but Christian catches the third, so RVD tries an enzuigiri, which is ducked, and then RVD keeps his balance and nails Christian in the face with a mule kick! Rolling Thunder gets 2. Jericho is up top, and RVD kicks him down to crotch him. Christian charges but eats…well, MORE than turnbuckle, should I say. Rob school boys Christian for two. RVD’s whip is reversed, but Christian eats a boot and RVD springs to the top, only to be knocked off HARD into the rail. OUCH. Jericho makes with the choking and the stomping and such, and then Christian goes out and rolls Rob in. He stomps away and tags Jericho, who kicks away and gets a backdrop for 2. Chinlock, powered out, and then Jericho pulls the hair. JERICHO JUKE AND JIVE~! And that’s followed up with the TSN scoreboard and I am TOTALLY loving my Canadian Televsion Viewing. Jericho chokes RVD on the ropes and makes with the Running Rope Straddle. Tag Christian, and there’s a double corner whip. RVD flips over a charging Jericho and lariats Christian. Spinning Heel Kick for Jericho. Hot Tag Kane and he’s a HOSS ‘O FIRE!!! He cleans house and gets a big boot on Jericho and a Tilt-a-Whirl Slam on Christian. Jericho is tossed and Kane makes with the FLYING LARIAT OF DOOM on Christian. Jericho attacks from behind and the Chrises get the Double Suplex. RVD comes off the top with a crossbody onto both Chrises. Kane with a chokeslam on Christian, but Jericho uses the belt shot to subdue Kane. RVD then heads up top and makes with the FIVE STAR FROG SPLASH from 3/4 across the ring! Kane crawls over for the pin, and Jericho CRUSHES him with a chair for the DQ. TOTAL cop out ending to a hot match. ***1/4 Afterwards, Jericho kills RVD AND Kane to show that he wasn’t gonna go over at Survivor Series.

(11/14/02-SD!)-Edge vs. CHAVITO~! Guerrero-Chavo with a go behind, and Edge reverses to the headlock. Chavo whips Edge in, gets tackled, gets armdragged, and armbarred. Chavo pushes off and grabs a headlock, then Edge gets his own. Chavo elbows out but Edge gets one as well. Hiptoss by Edge, then a drop toehold into the armbar again. To the headlock, but Chavo goes to his own, and Edge elbows. Chavo then hits his FANTABULOUS dropkick to stop Edge’s streak right there. Chavo lariats Edge over the top, and Edge climbs to the apron. Shoulder to the gut, but Chavo stops a second with a knee to the head. Edge flips out of the outside-in suplex, takes Chavo to the corner and flapjacks him for 2. Rey is watching as Chavo holds the opposite ropes on a whip, and flips Edge to apron. They trade rights before Chavo gets knocked down, so when Edge comes through Chavo commits UN FOULE with the ropes in a sheer BRILLIANT attack. Chavo with the Euro Uppercuts in the corner and he gets a short clothesline for 2. Snapmare to an armbar, and then he locks in an inverted top wristlock (setup for Buffalo Sleeper). Edge battles out and Chavo whips him in, who blocks a kick, but misses a lariat, and Edge goes for the Edge-O-Matic, only to see Chavo get a backdrop. He goes up top, but Edge Kidmans Chavo out of the air. Edge ducks a lariat and whips Chavo in for a back body drop. LARIATOOOOOOO! Forearm shot! Whip, but Chavo’s lariat misses and the Edge-O-Matic gets 2. OVERHAND VIOLENCE in the corner and he pounds Chavo down to get ready for the spear, but he SPEAR SPEAR ARIES SPEARS the turnbuckle and Chavo gets a SPEAR SPEAR SPEAR! IRONY IRONY IRONY! IT GETS 2! 2! 2!!! OK. That joke is over now. Chavo’s corner whip is reversed, but Edge eats boot. Edge rolls through a Chavo Sunset Flip and then tries the catapult, only to see Chavo hop on the second turnbuckle and go for the Tornado DDT, which Edge counters into the KICK WHAM EDGECUTION for the win. Counterrific! ***

(11/14/02-SD!)-Rey Mysterio vs. Eddie Guerrero- I hope for greatness with this match. Lockup, Rey with an armdrag. Again, Eddie hammerlock, then a snapmare, lateral press. To the chinlock, and now the side headlock. Rey whips Eddie in, gets tackled. Eddie runs into a back body drop. Rey Front dropkick, then an armdrag into an armbar. Eddie elbows out and elbows Rey into the corner. Eddies whips Rey in for the tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. It gets 2. Back to the armbar, replay of the tilt-a-whirl. Wrings the arm and elbows the arm into oblivion. He stomps Rey down, brings him out and gives him an elbow. Rey kicks back, but Eddie stomps him down and grabs a knucklelock, working the arm again. Rey fights back in the lock, runs the ropes, and gets a springboard headscissors. Rey runs into an armdrag and a hammerlock, but snapmares out. Rey with a monkey flip, and looks for the 619, but Eddie pulls the ref in front and Hebner takes it in the ribs. Rey with rights as Chavo comes down and hits his Reverse Gory Special Facebuster. EDGE comes down and knocks Chavo out of the ring and pounds him down. Inside, Eddie makes with a POWERBOMB and it only gets 2 as Edge comes in and spears Eddie. Chavo knocks Edge out as refs comes out and break this shindig up. Chavo gets whipped to the rail as the combatants are out on the inside. Commercial break, and we come back with a Rey Springboard Moonsault for 2. REY gets a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for 2. He looks for the Bronco Buster and gets it. He pulls Eddie out. Up top, but Eddie PUSHES HIM OVER THE ROPES. EWWWWW. Replay, and rightfully so. Eddie is waiting…PESCADO! Rolled back in and gets the RUDO BACKDROP and heads up top. Rey is up and he meets him up top for a SUPERDUPERPLEX. Rey hurries over to cover for only a 2 count. Eddie’s clothesline is ducked, and Rey armdrags out of a powerbomb attempt. Rey with elbows and whips Eddie in, who reverses and RIPS REY HEAD OFF with a lariat for 2 as he TRIED to CHEAT TO WIN~! Eddie gets an Armbar Strangle Hold and then he hits Rey with elbows. Up top, Eddie gets elbowed off and Rey gets a MOONSAULT PRESS for 2. It gets a replay as Rey works over Eddie, but Eddie whips Rey in, catches a quebrada, but Rey turns it into an armdrag to the outside. Baseball slide knocks Eddie down, and then he nails the SUPER CALO INSIDE OUT SLINGSHOT SENTON. They were facing the same way. YUCK. REPLAY THAT SHIT! Now in, Rey Springboard falling splash hits knees, and Eddie small packages him for 2. WWE Brainbuster and Eddie is gonna go up top. Eddie rolls through the Frog Splash, but gets tossed to the buckle and spinning heel kicked. 619, Rey looks for the WCP, but he rolls through for a Sunset Flip, rolled through to a Sharpshooter into the Lasso and Eddie CHEATS TO WIN~! by grabbing the ropes!!! QUE FUCKING BUENO. ****1/4 I want this match every fucking week already.

(11/14/02-SD!)-Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle-Both Los Guerreros and Edge and Rey are at ringside for this. Lockup, headlock takeover by Benoit, headscissors for Angle. Takedown, Benoit to the headlock, gets whipped in for the shoulderblock sequence, and Angle ducks a lariat and gets a Released German. He talks shit to Eddie. Olympic Rudo? Benoit with the VIOLENCE, and then boots, and whips Angle in, who reverses into his Belly-to-Belly. Angle taunts Eddie some more, but Benoit NAILS Kurt with a straight right. Elbowdrop, whips Angle in, back elbow for 2. Side backbreaker gets 2. Corner whip and Kurt goes face-first. To another corner, and Benoit boots Angle down. Angle battles out and whips Benoit to the corner, who reverses it and Angle hits head-first, with Benoit nailing a lariat from behind. Benoit taunts the champs outside, and Angle tries a double axehandle, only to see Benoit’s right hand, and then he gets tossed into the champs by Benoit. Back inside, Angle takes control, but Benoit gets the Rolling Germans…1…2…Angle blocks and goes into his own…1…2…3. It only gets 2. Angle pulls down the straps and he waits for Benoit, Angle Slam, but Benoit falls out and grabs the Crossface! Eddie eggs on Benoit, but Angle grabs the ankle and gets the Anglelock, and he holds on as Benoit tries to counter it twice, and then Benoit finally does it, but Angle gets the Angle Slam. “Watch this.” to Eddie by Kurt, and he locks in the LASSO FROM EL PASO in front of Eddie! EDDIE IS PISSED. “THIS MOVE SUCKS!” Eddie gets in the ring and Angle tosses him in front of the champs, and we got a pier-six outside the ring. Angle is just watching and Benoit comes from behind with the MEGA GERMAN SUPLEX, and then we all go into the ring and hell is breaking loose. Los Guerreros are tossed by Edge and Rey. They then lock in an anklelock on each of Angle’s ankles! Edge then gets a pseudo-Crossface on Benoit as Los Guerreros come in and get them some of the champs. Angle with the Anglelock on Eddie, and Benoit grabs the Crossface on Edge and Edge AND Eddie are tapping. *** for the whole thing.

(11/22/02-SD!)-Rey Mysterio vs. Jaime Noble (w/Nidia)-Noble works over Rey to start, booting him down. Corner whip, Noble catches the boot, flips out of a monkey flip, but gets nailed with a front dropkick. Rey’s whip is reversed, but he jumps to the second rope and springs back into a headscissors. Noble rolls outside and Rey baseball slides over Noble, and gets rammed to the raling. He gets rammed to the corner inside and gets booted. Rey’s arm gets wrapped around the ropes and dropkicked. Noble with the outside in suplex, which Rey falls out of. He goes to work with right hands, but Noble gets a boot and whips Rey in. Rey gets tossed up and dropkicks Noble in the air. Flapjack, and a spinning heel kick for 2. Rey’s whip is reversed into a HEAD AND ARM NOBLEPLEX for 2. Noble wants the Tiger Driver, but Rey flips out, drop toehold, 619. Nidia pulls Rey off the apron and gets chased into the ring. Noble tosses Rey up and over himself onto the second rope, but Rey springs back up and over with the West Coast Pop for the win! So this gets barely 4 minutes? **3/4.

(11/22/02-SD!)-Chris Benoit vs. Chavo Guerrero (w/UNCLE EDDIE~!)-Mmmm…sweet, sweet revenge is in order right here. Chioda tosses Eddie to the back, and Eddie asks him if he REALLY wants to do that. Benoit boots Chavo and pounds away. Whip, back elbow. Side backbreaker gets 2. CANDIAN VIOLENCE, whip into a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for 2. Corner whip, and Chavo hits chest first, German Suplex, holds on, Chavo reverses to a full-nelson, Benoit to his own, and Chavo knees away. Chavo with a rib breaker, and whips Benoit hard to the corner, and then rams Benoit into the turnbuckle, ribs first. Elbow shots to the ribs, but Benoit fights back with the VIOLENCE before Chavo pounds back. Benoit comes back and whips Benoit in, who reverses and runs into a back elbow. Chavo runs into the Crossface, and Chavo rolls Benoit to the outside in a neat counter. Chavo with a TOPE SUICIDA! Rolls Benoit in. Slingshot splash hits the knee, but Chavo comes back and nails Benoit some more. Kitchen Sink kneelift rolled through, and then Benoit makes with the ROLLING GERMANS! Benoit CUTTHROATS and goes up for the Swandive Headbutt, which connects! Slow to cover, and it gets 2. Replay of the headbutt. Benoit’s ribs are hurting as he picks Chavo up, so Chavo goes right back to work on it. Benoit ducks a shot and hangs Chavo on the top rope, ribs first. Chavo shoulders through the ropes, followed by a Springboard Plancha which Benoit COUNTERS INTO THE CROSSFACE! Adios, Chavo! Five minutes? ***

-And now…the two big surprises. Enjoy!

(93-WWF Coliseum Home Video XXVI)-The Steiner Brothers vs. The Hart Brothers-This is the only meeting ever between the two teams, which is a damn shame since The Harts were on their way to breakup land and the Steiners had just gotten there after a tour with NJPW. Your commentators are Stan Lane (Midnight Express, BAY-BEE!) and the late, always great Gorilla Monsoon. Bret and Scott start out with a slow circling and Scott gets a double leg as Bret goes to the ropes while Scott tried the half nelson. Lockup, and Bret gets the Fireman’s Carry as he rides Scott down and they get to the ropes. Steiner with a single leg takedown and grabs a standing legbar, and Bret gets into a blocking position as Scott grabs the headlock. Lane and Monsoon sell this psychology to death. Whip in, duck down, leapfrog, and Steiner knocks Bret through the ropes to the outside. Owen eggs his brother on, helping him out as Bret sees if he has teeth left. Tease of the knucklelock, and they trade armbars. Steiner whips him in, but Bret falls out of the powerslam and gets a rolling reverse cradle for 2. Bret gets an armdrag to the armbar and tags Owen. Owen wrings the arm and gets the armbar. Scott slams out and WOOF! Here comes Rick. They do a sweet mat wrestling exhibition before we get a standoff. Rick works over the arm and whips Owen in, who reverses and drops down, but TRIES TO LEAPFROG RICK STEINER. Nope. Rick misses an elbowdrop and Owen grabs a headlock, but Rick gets a Dangerous Backdrop for 2! YAY! DEATH! Owen does his kipup out of the armbar and then flips out of a backdrop and nails a German Suplex for 2! Rick tags Scott and Scott whips Owen in who reverses, drops down and gets a spinning heel kick for 2. Northern Lights Suplex for 2! Jackknife Pin rolled through by Steiner, who stands up into a Released Tiger Driver for 2. Both men tag out and Scott wants Owen when he gets back in. Watch for that later. Rick goes behind and shoves Bret. Steiner with a top wristlock and trips Bret into the armbar. Breaks it across his knee, and Bret slams out of it, only to see Rick hold on to the armbar. Taunts Owen and Rick breaks the arm across the knee again. He grinds Bret down to the mat, looking for the half-nelson clutch pin, and it gets 2 twice. Bret whips him in and ducks down, and gets a knee to the kitchen sink. Headbutt and a slam, but Bret misses the elbow drop as Rick goes back to the arm. Rick tries to go back to the half nelson clutch and gets 2. Bret pushes Rick off and whips Rick in, drops down and nails a dropkick, and then a DDT. Legdrop and then a couple clubs to the back. They trade rights as Bret goes to the sleeper, which SO works because he wasn’t gonna win a slugfest with Rick. Rick could always sell a sleeper pretty damn good, because he WAS really dumb. Raises the arm twice, and Rick digs deep and rams Bret to the corner. Bret goes right back to it because he RULES, but Rick goes to his knees and falls into the ropes on the third check, an awesome way to break that hold, which Bret doesn’t break for about thirty seconds because he’s channeling Ohtani or something like that. Bret with his kick to the gut and a big right hand. Suplex and Bret goes to the second rope for his elbow, but Rick gets the boot up. Now STEINER goes up for the Super Bulldog and he hits it for 2! Bret goes to a corner and gets whipped hard to the corner for a 2 count. Tag to Scott, and he whips Bret in for his tilt-a-whirl slam for a close 2. He whips Bret to the corner, who reverses, and hits the post HARD. He rolls to the outside. Scott interrupts the count as Bret walks around the outside of the ring. Scott pulls Bret up to the apron for the outside-in suplex, but Bret blocks and Scott gets suplexed to the outside. Scott hurt the knee and Bret works…the back? Rolls Scott in and Owen is fially tagged in. Slam and Owen goes up top. Diving Headbutt to the back for 2. SWANK Gutwrench suplex for 2. Abdominal Stretch as Gorilla and Stan question Owen and Bret not working the knee, and Scott hiptosses out. Owen whips Scott in and SNAPS OFF a Belly to Belly for 2. Scott hits the turnbuckle hard and Bret gets tagged in. He pounds Scott down and gets the Russian Leg Sweep for 2. Tag Owen, who whips Scott in, drops down, and Scott meets Bret on the apron, and it only gets 2. Owen misses the dropkick as Rick gets tagged in. Rick whips Owen into a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for 2. Slam by Rick. Tombstone (kinda) for 2. Scott in and gets a RELEASED Dragon Suplex in 1993! Only gets 2. Tag Rick, who whips Owen in for the Steinerline. Elbowdrop for 2. Camel Clutch as my brother walks in the room and notes the STEINER MULLET that Scott is rocking. Tag Scott, and it’s the STEINER SQUARE DRIVER. Bret saves for 2 because Owen is absolutely gone. Owen gets tossed to the outside. He tries to whip Owen over the top rope, but Steiner gets slingshotted over the top. Owen is crawling to Bret and gets the tag. Inverted atomic drop and the lariat for 2. Side backbreaker and Bret to the second rope. Elbowdrop for 2. Headbutt, and the Sharpshooter, but Rick breaks it up. Owen comes in for it, but HE gets rocked. Here comes the Doomsday Bulldog, but Bret stops it as Owen gets the victory roll for only 2. Owen runs into his brother and Rick who go to the outside as Scott goes to the top??? Double axehandle on Bret on the floor as Owen follows with a plancha on Rick, and the ref counts them out for a FAT COP OUT ending. WHAT THE FUCK? ****Ѕ. The ending sucked and they should have went to the knee when Scott hurt it. Afterwards, the Steiners call back the Harts and THEY BE CLUBBERIN’, TONY! They get broken up, and then the HARTS do the same for the Steiners!!! It’s mayhem! Gorilla: “Is that Pat Patterson? Boy, did HE get fat!!!” They make up afterwards, though.

-And now, probably the 411 consensus pick for Match of the Year in 2002 for WWE…

(10/20/02-No Mercy 2002)-Tournament Finals for the WWE Tag Team Titles-Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle vs. Rey Mysterio and Edge-Angle and Rey start. Kurt with an armdrag to start, then takes Rey to the mat and rides him down, slapping him in the head. Kurt with a tossing double leg slam, and he wants Edge. They go nose to nose and Rey wants Angle, but Angle gets a waistlock, and Rey steps on his foot and gets a fireman’s carry, a dropkick to the knee, and a legdrop. Corner whip reversed, Angle meets foot, eats a second-rope headscissors from behind, and a drop toehold as Rey slaps HIM around, and then goes to the outside to piss Angle off. Tag to Edge, who takes Kurt down, but Kurt goes to the hammerlock. Switch to the headlock, and we have the shoulderblock sequence, which ends with an Edge hiptoss, followed by an armdrag and a dropkick. Tag to Benoit, who goes behind, but Edge takes him down, and Benoit headscissors Edge, so Edge kicks out. Side headlock by Benoit into the top wristlock by Edge, but Benoit armdrags out, so Edge holds on and switches to the armbar. Chain wrestling at its finest. Benoit back Edge to the corner and goes to work with the knees, then brings Edge out for a headlock. Takes him over and gets a 1 count. Edge whips Benoit in, and the shoulderblock sequence ends with a knee to the kitchensink. Gutwrench gutbuster gets 2. Edge with some knees to the sternum, and then a side backbreaker for 2. CANADIAN VIOLENCE WAR, won by Benoit, and he whips Edge in, who reverses and gets a flapjack. EL DANDINA~! gets 2!!! Benoit gets taken to the corner, and then Edge whips Benoit in, who reverses as Edge’s back hits Angle’s knee. Benoit pounds away and whips Edge in, who ducks a lariat and SPEARS Angle off the apron. Benoit tries a German, but Edge elbows out and gets a rolling reverse cradle for 2, as he gets kicked out into a hangman across the top rope by Angle, into a Benoit lariat. Benoit drops the elbow and then gets a spinning neckbreaker for 2. Tag to Angle as Edge is now officially Ricky Morton. Angle chokes away, and gets a NICE elbow. Edge fights back, but his whip is reversed into a kneelift for 2. Angle with the chinlock bodyscissors right in front of Rey. Edge breaks and pounds on Angle in the corner. Whip is reversed, but Angle meets boot, so Edge runs into the Belly to Belly. Tag to Benoit, who comes in with a kick to the gut. To the corner, CANADIAN VIOLENCE, and then he boots Edge down. HARD whip to the corner, and Edge goes chest first. Benoit with the kneelifts, and then he just pounds on Edge and whips him to the corner chest first. ROLLING GERMANS, and then he knocks Rey off the apron, CUTS THE THROAT, BLOWS THE SNOT ROCKET~!, goes up top, and gets crotched. Edge meets him as they trade shots, and gets the SUPERDUPERPLEX. HOT TAG TO REY, who knocks Angle down and gets the tilt-a-whirl headscissors on Benoit. Corner whip reversed, but Rey drop toeholds Benoit to the buckle, and gets a running dropkick on the seated Benoit. Ducks an Angle lariat, and gets a dropkick. Rey pounds on Benoit and gets the Springboard PSICOSIS GUILLOTINE LEGDROP IN THE ROPES for 2 as Angle saves. Edge pounds and the Cactus Clothesline takes them both out. Rey’s whip is reversed, but he ducks the lariat and goes for the bodyscissors bulldog, which Benoit turns into the BACKDROP FACEBUSTER SEGUED INTO THE CROSSFACE! AWESOME! Edge breaks it up, so Angle pulls him outside and gets rammed to the stairs. Benoit gets dropkicked into position for the 619, so Benoit catches him and looks for the shoulderbreaker, only to see Edge Missile Dropkick Rey on top for a CLOSE 2 count. Rey heads to the top rope, but Angle makes with the Pop-Up Belly to Belly! He knocks Edge off the apron as Benoit covers for only 2. Rey gets whipped HARD into the heel corner and Angle is tagged in. Now REY is Ricardo Mortono. Angle pounds away and then gets a backbreaker for 2. Suplex gets 2. Angle with the front chancery, and tries the Front Facelock suplex, but Rey turns it into a released Northern Lights. His whip is reversed and gets TOSSED with the Belly to Belly for 2. Tag Benoit and he whips Rey in for a LARGE Back Body Drop for 2. Radicalz Backdrop gets 2. CANADIAN VIOLENCE in the corner, TRASH TALKING and then the corner whip, but Benoit eats boot, and then a springboard rolling headscissors as Benoit’s shoulder hits the post. Tag Angle, HOT TAG EDGE. LARIATS para todos! Back Body DROP for Angle. Half-Nelson Faceplant for Benoit! Edge-O-Matic for Angle gets 2 as Benoit saves. Double whip to the corner by the faces. And Edge gets whipped into a SPEAR SPEAR SPEAR on Benoit. Bronco Buster for Benoit, and then a spear in the corner for Angle. TOSSING SUPER RANA! Edge covers for 2 as Benoit comes off the top with the headbutt and hits Angle. Rey dropkicks Benoit out. Edge covers again for 2.999999. Angle with the Released German and Angle is READY for the Angle Slam, but Edge Belly to Bellies Rey into Angle! Edge wants the Spear, but Benoit trips Edge into the Crossface! Edge makes it to the ropes but Benoit isn’t legal, so Rey hits the 619 on Benoit while he has the CROSSFACE IN! Angle Slam for Rey, Anglelock for Edge, who kicks off and small packages for 2. Edge ducks the lariat and SPEAR SPEAR SPEARS Angle for 2 as Benoit saves. Baseball slide to knock Benoit to the outside. Rey looks for a tope, no…wait. Edge catches Rey, and they do the ASSISTED ASAI MOONSAULT TO THE OUTSIDE! KICK WHAM…NO, Edge gets tripped into the Anglelock, reaches for the ropes, gets pulled back, counters to his own, but Angle rolls through to his own and Edge is SO FUCKING SCREWED. BUH-BYE! *****. You already know the praises of all four involved.

-Final Analysis: Go back and count them up. TEN ****+ matches. Unbelievable. Anything lower is STILL great because it just doesn’t suck. I so owe Barron for this, and I love this Christmas Present. Thank you, man. Just goes to show you that even though RAW sucked, SmackDown! delivered the goods. See if you can’t find somebody that has the last couple of month’s TV matches taped. It’ll be worth it, trust me.