UC Santa Barbara Events Center
Santa Barbara, California
September 23, 2002
The stars of WWE were in California this week with Raw coming from Anaheim and Smackdown doing a house show in Santa Barbara. The fallout from Unforgiven starts now as we start the lead up to No Mercy. With The Undertaker busy, Edge steps up to face WWE Champion Brock Lesnar for the house shows. Smackdown was burying Raw in terms of quality so this sets up to be a good show. Let's get to it.
Match 1
D'Von Dudley vs Sho Funaki
WWE writers finally pulled the plug on the Reverand D'Von gimmick and it was for the best. D'Von went back to being regular D'Von Dudley and Deacon Bautista was about to get a big gimmick change. D'Von beats Funaki with a DDT to open the show.
Winner: Dudley by pinfall
Match 2
Billy & Chuck vs Val Venis and Doug Basham
Who is Doug Basham? Arguably one of the most underrated wrestlers at the time. He was OVW founder "Nitro" Danny Davis' first student and real life nephew that started in 1993. He had been putting on fantastic matches in the indies and in OVW where he had a damn good match with Chris Benoit on September 7th. He teams with the veteran Val against Billy Gunn and Chuck Palumbo. Billy and Chuck got the win.
Winners: Billy and Chuck by pinfall
Match 3
John Cena vs Matt Hardy
V1 gets the rising Cena here although Cena hadn't accomplished much since his debut match with Kurt Angle. Hardy wins it with a low blow and twist of fate.
Winner: Hardy by pinfall
Match 4
WWE Cruiserweight Champion Jamie Noble and Nidia vs Billy Kidman and Torrie Wilson.
Fake couple vs real couple as Noble and Nidia take on Kidman and Wilson. Kidman beats the champ with a powerbomb.
Winners: Kidman and Wilson by pinfall
Match 5
Edge vs Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship
Lesnar had fought to a draw with The Undertaker the night before at Unforgiven so Edge draws the assignment tonight to face him. Keeping with the theme of the current feud going on, Eddie Guerrero interferes and throws Edge off the top rope right into the F-5 to give Lesnar the W.
Winner: Brock Lesnar by pinfall (still WWE Champion)
Match 6
Bull Buchanan vs Batista
Remember how I said they had BIG plans for Batista? Well he pretty much rips Bull's asshole inside out in this match and wins it with a sit down powerbomb.
Winner: Batista by pinfall
Match 7
Kurt Angle vs Rikishi in a Kiss My Ass match
The rematch from the 2000 King of The Ring Finals two years later! Despite being groomed for a main event run, Rikishi actually wins the match and gives Kurt the stink face after.
Winner: Rikishi by pinfall
Match 8
Tajiri vs Shannon Moore
Another cruiserweight match with Shannon taking on the Japanese buzzsaw. Shannon wins it with a sunset flip.
Winner: Shannon Moore by pinfall
Match 9
Chris Benoit and Chavo Guerrero Jr vs Crash Holly and Rey Mysterio Jr
Kind of a bizarre hodge podge to end the night but ex-WCW alumnists Chavo and Chris team up to face Rey and Crash. Eddie Guerrero was on the card earlier, maybe there was a house show storyline going on that's been lost to time. Either way Mysterio takes it with the 619 and springboard leg drop on Chavo.
Winners: Crash and Rey by pinfall
Kind of a weird show with the last match being a hodge podge of a tag team match and the main event being in the middle of the card like it was out of 1978. Not to mention Angle taking a loss to Rikishi of all people. Still, what separated Smackdown from Raw was the incredible in ring matches going on so this show must have been fun to see live. Up next is Monday Night Raw coming from Anaheim, California so I'll see you there.
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