WWE at Midwest Wireless Civic Center (9/9/02)

Midwest Wireless Civic Center

Mankato, MN

September 9, 2002

The stars of Smackdown have made it to Mankato, Minnesota for a special Monday night house show. Smackdown's main event for Unforgiven is The Undertaker challenging Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship and the house show matches should be great...on paper anyway. Let's get to the action.

Match 1

Chavo Guerrero Jr and Tajiri vs Shannon Moore and The Hurricane

Same match that had been going around the house show circuit with 2/3 of 3 Count facing Chavo and Tajiri. Hurricane pinned Chavo to get the duke.

Winners: Moore and Hurricane by pinfall

Match 2

Hardcore Holly vs Matt Hardy

This match stems from Smackdown where Holly and Hardy got it on. Hardy takes it with a twist of fate.

Winner: Hardy by pinfall

Match 3

Billy and Chuck vs Mark Henry and Randy Orton

The makeshift team of Henry and Orton would actually be teammates a year later at Survivor Series, but here they take on Palumbo and Gunn. Henry pinned Billy after a powerslam.

Winners: Henry and Orton by pinfall

Match 4

Albert, Mike Awesome and Bull Buchanan vs Horace Hogan, Val Venis and John Cena

Talk about the hodge podge of the century with none of these guys having anything to do with each other normally. Venis pinned Awesome after the Money Shot.

Winners: Hogan, Venis and Cena by pinfall

Match 5

Rico vs Rikishi in a Kiss My Ass Match

Same match from Global Warning Tour with the exact same result. Rikishi wins and hits the stinkface on Rico.

Winner: Rikishi by pinfall

Match 6

Chris Benoit vs Edge

This match would have been awesome to see live. Apparently Kurt Angle distracted Benoit allowing Edge to hit the spear and win.

Winner: Edge by pinfall

Match 7

Reverend D-Von vs Batista

As usual D'Von faces his former protege and Batista wins with the spinebuster

Winner: Batista by pinfall

Match 8

Billy Kidman vs Eddie Guerrero

This would have been a great Cruiserweight match in WCW four years earlier. As it is, Guerrero wins it with the frog splash.

Winner: Guerrero by pinfall

Match 9

Rey Mysterio Jr vs Jamie Noble for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship

Torrie Wilson was the special guest ring announcer for this match. Noble turned the West Coast Pop into the Tiger Bomb for the win to retain.

Winner: Noble by pinfall (Still Cruiserweight Champion)

Match 10

Kurt Angle vs Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship

This match was a dream match as the 1993 NCAA Champion Angle takes on the 2000 NCAA Champion Lesnar. Chris Benoit interfered to slap the Crossface on Angle but Lesnar hit him with the F-5. Lesnar then pinned Angle after another F-5 to retain.

Winner: Lesnar by pinfall (still WWE Champion)

Some of these matches had been done before like Rico and Rikishi and the opener. At least they were continuing the Angle/Benoit thing by having them interfere in each other's matches. Still, this looked like a great card and the best Smackdown had to offer, just missing The Undertaker. The next show after this is tonight's episode of Raw. I'll see you there.