WWE Raw
Fleet Center
Boston, MA
November 4, 2002
Commentators: Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler
Ring Announcer: Lilian Garcia
The good news is we are free and clear of the Katie Vick embarrassment and Shawn Michaels is back to full time duty. Remember the night after Unforgiven when I said Raw lacked top faces to go against Triple H? How's the future hall of fame, ex-WWF champion Shawn Michaels stack up? The Elimination Chamber is coming up with Triple H defending the World Heavyweight Championship against Kane, Chris Jericho, Rob Van Dam and Booker T with one slot open. Gee, wonder who the sixth man will be? Before we get to tonight's events, we got some dark matches.
Dark Match 1
Nathan Jones vs Arch Kincaid
Nathan Jones was on his trial run before getting called up to appear on television. The monster from Australia defeats Arch here.
Time of match: 2:27
Winner: Jones by pinfall
Dark Match 2
Spike Dudley vs D-Lo Brown
Normally this match would be okay, but they're running a concussion angle with Spike hence Bubba Ray and Jeff Hardy as a team. Why have Spike wrestle on the same night he's supposed to be out in the storyline? Spike wins it with a roll-up.
Time of match: 5:42
Winner: Spike by pinfall
Now let's get to the show. We open with closed circuit television feed of Eric Bischoff watching the tape of him and Stephanie kissing from the previous week. Bischoff looks in the mirror distraught.....what? Can they stop doing stupid angles? Anyway JR and King welcome us and Shawn Michaels is in the back with his new HBK t-shirt. We get to our first match.
Match 1
3 Minute Warning (Rosey and Jamal) with Rico vs Bubba Ray Dudley and Jeff Hardy
This match stems from last week when 3 Minute Warning cost Hardy and Bubba their tag title shot against Chris Jericho and Christian. All four men brawl in the ring to start with Bubba knocking down Rosey with a clothesline. Jeff and Jamal remain and Jeff hits a midair dropkick on Jamal. The heels regroup outside and Bubba launches Jeff over the top rope onto all three of them. Jeff removes his shirt for the lady friends as Bubba takes over on Jamal inside. Bubba hits a second rope senton bomb and knocks Rosey to the outside. Jeff takes over on the left arm of Jamal then takes him down, covering for a deuce. Bubba tags in but eats a knee to the ribs. JR says Shawn Michaels hasn't wrestled in this building since Wrestlemania 14 as Jamal tags out to Rosey. Rosey hits a belly to belly suplex and kicks away at him. King asks about the kiss between Eric and Stephanie as Jamal tags in, only to miss the double headbutt. Bubba hits a double clothesline then Jeff tags in. He dropkicks both Samoans and covers Jamal for a two count. Jeff pulls the top rope down and Rosey goes flying then hits whil o whisp on Jamal. He covers for a deuce then takes Rosey out again with a bodypress over the top to the outside. Inside, Rico goes to interfere but he's pulled outside by Spike Dudley. Spike hits the Acid Drop on the outside but inside Jamal clotheslines Bubba down. Jamal then slides outside and drops Spike ribs first on the barricade. Bubba hits a neckbreaker on Rosey and Jeff hits the Wazzzupppp. Bubba tells Jeff to get the tables and while Jeff goes outside, Bubba hits the Dusty Punches on Jamal. Bubba drops down and Jeff hits Poetry In Motion on Jamal. Rosey pulls Bubba out and pushes Jeff off the top rope. Jamal hits the elevated Samoan Drop and covers for 1...2...3 to win the match. Decent match but once again the faces take the fall on Raw, showcasing the lack of star power on the show.
Time of match: 6:21
Winners: 3 Minute Warning by pinfall
We cut to Victoria who's with Ivory who hasn't been on Raw in a bit. Victoria is thrilled she's back on Raw and also thrilled that Trish agreed to have a hardcore match at Survivor Series. Victoria says she's going to take the title and her soul but Ivory says she's got her first, but she'll leave a piece for Victoria. Victoria says after the beating she gives her, she's going to have pretty little scars. Ivory "They thought I was nuts..." We cut to Trish Stratus preparing and when we come back from break, its time for the next match.
Match 2
Ivory vs Trish Stratus
This is a non-title match as JR says Ivory is a trainer on Tough Enough 3. King slobbers over Ivory's outfit and Ivory wastes no time pounding away on Trish. Ivory with a big slap and a scoop slam takes control early. Ivory hits a roll over suplex for a two count as Victoria sits in on commentary. Trish ducks the line and hits one of her own before covering for a deuce. Trish gets kicked in the head but counters with a Chick Kick of her own. Trish covers for a two count and JR asks Victoria why she challenged for a hardcore match. Victoria doesn't say a word as Ivory hits a gutwrench suplex. Ivory covers for a two count and locks in a chinlock. King asks about Victoria's hat and once again she doesn't say anything. Trish sunset flips Ivory for 1...2...nope. Trish hits a neckbreaker and covers for a two count and Victoria continues to ignore King & Ross. Trish charges in the corner but eats elbow. Ivory hops on the second rope but Trish hits the Stratusphere. Trish gets rolled up for 1....2...nope. Ivory hits a clothesline and whips Trish into the corner. A charge eats boot and Trish completely misses the bulldog but Ivory sells it anyway. Trish covers for 1...2....3 to win the match. A rare off night for these two as that was pretty sloppy, but they only had a few minutes to do anything. Trish wins as Victoria seethes at the booth.
Time of match: 3:17
Winner: Trish by pinfall
We get a graphic for tonight's main event, a tag match between Kane & Booker T vs Triple H and Chris Jericho. Trish spots Victoria wearing her hat and they start jawing at each other. Victoria throws a water bottle at her and they fight on the ramp. Victoria sends Trish into the titantron and has to be restrained by the referees. JR "My god she wants to maim Trish!" Back from break JR says they were in a hornet's nest between Victoria and Trish. We get shown some of the Superbowl 36 Champion New England Patriots at ringside including Mike Vrabel, Larry Izzo, Marc Edwards, Mike Compton and two others I shockingly can't recognize. We then go to a hidden camera of Terri Runnels bent over a fridge, thanks Dunn. Victoria barges in and Terri says they can get an interview later and calls her crazed. Victoria rips Terri's shirt off and then her skirt.....pointless segment apart from the gratuitous shot of Terri in her underwear.
We go from half-naked Terri to RNN Breaking News.....yippie. Randy Orton says his shoulder now has 32% mobility and its up 2% from last week and he thanks the fans for it. He plugs GetwellRandy@WWE.Com and Orton smiles. Orton and John Cena have turned heel and thankfully for the better.
Cut to Eric Bischoff yelling at a production guy for all the hidden cameras and fires the dude. He goes to leave but HHH and Ric Flair barge in. Eric wants to know what he can do for them. HHH asks where the hell did Shawn Michaels come from and he could jump them at any moment. HHH is sick of worried about Shawn and is sick of his treatment on Raw. HHH bitches about the tag match he's in later and the Elimination Chamber. HHH says he has no idea what an elimination chamber is and Eric says that's the point, no one does. Eric says HHH should be able to handle the Chamber and prove he's that damn good. He says he can avenge the loss at Summerslam if Shawn decides to join the match. HHH says somebody might be influencing Eric and has Ric hit the VCR. Ric shows the Eric and Stephanie kiss and Hunter says "Let me get this straight, I put on a mask and dress like Kane to screw a mannequin but you put on a mask like Vince McMahon to make out with my ex-wife. Who's screwing who?" If only Chris Warren walked in to say "Does anybody know who's sleeping with who?" Finally we cut here and go the ring for the next match.
Match 3
William Regal and Lance Storm vs Tommy Dreamer and Al Snow.
Storm enters in all red tights carrying the Canadian flag with Regal in blue and red carrying the English flag. Storm grabs the mic before the match and says tomorrow is election day and Americans take that freedom for granted. He then gets cut off by a Scott Steiner titantron montage then the faces make their entrance. Dreamer starts with Storm and fires away with right hands as the crowd starts an ECW chant. Dreamer brings Regal in the hard way and rams him into Al's boot. Al tags in and they beat around Storm and Regal but Storm grabs Al's knee and rams it into the apron. Regal takes down Al and tags in Storm. Dreamer gets a USA chant in as Storm works over the left leg. Al can't get the tag so Regal tags in to work over the leg. Regal stretches the left leg and Storm tags in to chopblock Al. Storm covers for a two count then goes back to work. JR says Shawn Michaels will be on later for a chat. The crowd chants USA again and Lance soccer kicks Al's leg. Al rallies back with a right hand and a clothesline then gets the mild tag to Dreamer. Dreamer backdrops both Regal and Storm but a brawl develops. Dreamer hits the Death Valley Driver on Storm but Regal kicks him in the head. Storm rolls on top for 1...2....3 to win the match. Again the heels win a tag team match to put over the fact the babyfaces on Raw are completely useless. The match wasn't bad, just too short to build any drama.
Time of match: 3:35
Winners: Storm and Regal by pinfall
Backstage Shawn Michaels gets some coffee and chats with a production dude. He asks where HHH is and the guy tells him where to look. As Shawn Michaels walks off, Batista walks into camera frame. Apparently this was the compensation from Smackdown for Big Show jumping ship. No longer Deacon Bautista, now its simply Batista. We cut to Stacy Keibler's legs and ass walking up to Test with a post office crate of fan mail. Stacy's marketing plan is working with Test-icle fans. Test isStacy combing his hair and ignores Stacy bending over directly in front of him. Stacy reads some thirst letters but he ignores her. She finally says "Andrew" (his real name) to get his attention. Test says he doesn't want to do this and sits down. Apparently he's getting a haircut....yay, ripping off Metallica. On to the next match.
Match 4
Batista vs Justin Credible
Its the Raw debut for Batista who JR describes as a monster. Credible looks terrified as Batista bum rushes him to start. Batista heaves Credible across the ring and clotheslines him in the corner. Batista hits a huge elevated slam but the charge in the corner eats boot twice. Credible jumps right into a shoudlerblock and Regal Roll. Batista eats ringpost on a charge and Credible tags him twice with a right hand. Justin shoves him off the ropes and Batista somewhat misses the clothesline. Batista hits the sitdown powerbomb and covers for 1....2...3 to win the match. Batista squashes the former ECW Champion, the sky was the limit for him. This felt right out of 1993 when Credible was PJ Walker.
Time of match: 1:25
Winner: Batista by pinfall
HHH in the back with Flair is sick of waiting for Shawn. He's going to the ring to call him out. Flair says he doesn't know what he has planned. HHH says he'll be in the ring anyway. Back from break here's HHH and Flair for a conference. HHH says Shawn's career ended in Boston so come on out so he can end him permanently. Shawn doesn't come out and HHH says remember to NOT accept the invitation to Elimination Chamber at Survivor Series. HHH says his body won't be able to handle the Chamber and there won't be a next time when he's done with him. HHH says there isn't a damn thing he or anyone else can do about it JR "Well they can beat him." Here's Booker T for a rebuttal. Booker "Tell me you didn't just say that." Booker says he can deal with Shawn later but right now he's got the FIVE TIME WCW CHAMPION to deal with. HHH says he was a five time champion but that was then and this is now. Right now he can't hold HHH's jock. Booker "Is that so? That ain't the way I see it." Booker says he's sick of the world championship around his waist and he's taking it at Survivor Series. HHH says Booker says "You think you run this damn show. Well you don't run Booker T. At Survivor Series don't hate the player, hate The Game. Now can you dig that SUCKAAAAAA.....and here comes Chris Jericho to put in his two Canadian cents. Jericho whines about hearing "sucker" and being called a "sucker" CHRIS JERICHO IS NOT A SUCKER! King "Its sucka, not sucker." JR "He looks like he's wearing Liberace's pajamas." Jericho says he's going to beat HHH and personally guarantees he'll eliminate Booker himself. Jericho says the spinaroonie is stupid and its got nothing on the Juke N Jive. Normally that would look ridiculous but Jericho is so irate that it kind of works. Jericho holds up his index finger and says he's got more talent in his little finger than Booker. JR "That's his index finger" King "Don't be an assclown." JR sarcastically "Ass clown...." Jericho says he and Hunter don't like each other but they're partners tonight and Booker is the sucker now. Jericho says the T in Booker T stands for trap! Right on cue HHH and Jericho attack....ITS A TRAP! Booker fights them off for a second but then its a two on one. Kane runs out to make the save as King says "Run away! Get out of there!"
Back from commercial, Stacy Keibler is marveling at Test's new do and says "I can actually see your testicles growing!" Har de har har....on to the next match.
Match 5
Test (with Stacy Keibler) vs The Hurricane
Gotta feel bad for Hurricane, went from tag team champion and a very entertaining sidekick to Kane to fodder to Test. Test comes out with short hair....yay? Hurricane eats an elbow to start as the announcers immediately ignore the ring to yap about Shawn Michaels. A charge by Test eats boot and Hurricane goes to work on the left arm. Test gas a backdrop blocked by Hurricane but hits a full nelson slam. Tests punches Hurricane into the corner and delivers elbows and boots. Test clobbers Hurricane with a clothesline and does it again in the other corner. King "I'm a big testicle!" This is getting old already. Hurricane sunset flips out of a powerbomb but Test pulls him back up, only to get caught in another sunset flip. Hurricane hits a clothesline and shining wizard before covering for a two count. Hurricane hops on the second rope but misses a crossbody. Test calls for the big boot but misses it and Hurricane goes for the chokeslam. Test elbows out of it and goes for the pump handle slam but Hurricane rolls to the apron. Hurricane snaps Test off the top rope and goes upstairs. Test catches him in mid-air and sets him up for....Cross Rhodes? Yes, years before Cody used it. Test covers for 1..2...3 to win the match. After the match Stacy says he has a big announcement to make. Test goes to leave but Stacy kisses him. He then grabs the mic and says "I love my testicles". Sophomoric humor aside, at least they're trying to do something with Test and Stacy.
Time of match: 3:41
Winner: Test by pinfall
We get a montage of the Elimination Chamber blueprint which doesn't really show much. Still, it gives the fans something to think about and imagine their own designs. Coming up later is the big tag match and we go to commercial. Back from break we get a music video for Chris Jericho set to King Of My World by Saliva. After the match, Jericho is in the back with Christian saying he ain't no sucka. Christian "You ain't not no sucka eitha!" Jericho wants Christian to take Rob Van Dam out of the equation and Christian tells him not to worry about it. Christian says he'll take RVD out and take his place in the Chamber as Jericho calls him a genius because it'll give him an ally to help get him the title. Christian says HE wants to be the champion and they get in a petty squabble with Jericho storming out. Hidden camera footage shows Jericho going over strategy with HHH and Flair. HHH says to watch for Shawn Michaels and Jericho calls him the Has-Been Kid. He says that's their problem, not his. HHH says he'll have Ric at ringside to have their backs. Ric "If Shawn gets involved, he's all mine." Jericho then asks if Eric Bischoff has been giving Stephanie her own 3 minute warning and Hunter just walks away. Shawn Michaels opens a nearby door to show he was listening all along as we cut to commercial. Back from break its on to the next match.
Match 6
Rob Van Dam vs Christian
Christian has his marching orders from Jericho to take out RVD as King imitates Jericho going "ahyayayayya" from earlier. Bell rings and JR gives us the upcoming house show schedule including tomorrow night in Manchester. Christian starts with a headlock but shoulderblocks him down. RVD nips up and dropkicks Christian down. Van Dam clotheslines Christian over the top to the floor then baseball slides him to the mat. Van Dam goes for the second rope moonsault, landing on his feet after Christian moves. Rob suplexes Christian on the barricade but misses the leg drop off the apron. Christian breaks up the count then sends Van Dam into the steel steps. Christian stomps away at Rob then does a mock point taunt. Christian hits a powerslam and covers for a deuce. Christian locks in a chinlock but Rob powers out of it, only to run into a knee to the ribs. Christian covers for a two count and pounds away with right hands. The announcers yap on and on about Shawn Michaels as Christian taunts the crowd. Rob step over heel kicks Christian but trips running the ropes, recovering with a spinning heel kick. Rob monkey flips Christian and splashes him for a near fall. Rob misses a kick and goes flying over the top rope. He quickly goes upstairs and hits a flying crossbody for a two count. Rob kicks Christian down but completely whiffs on rolling thunder. Christian put his knees up but Rob didn't even land on them. Christian covers anyway for a two count and goes for a reverse DDT but Van Dam takes the bump before Christian can get ready. He tries again but Van Dam goes down too quick so Christian sticks his knee out to at least make it look like a backbreaker. Christian covers for a deuce and starts punching away. Christian goes outside to grab a chair and goes to hit Rob with it but Rob rolls out of the way. Referee Charles Robinson grabs the chair and Rob sweeps the leg to drop Christian. Rob sends him into the corner, hits shoulderblocks but runs into a boot. Christian goes upstairs but Van Dam kicks him. Rob backflips off the top rope, hits the second rope dropkick then goes back upstairs. Van Dam hits the 5 star frog splash and covers for 1..2....3 to win the match. Rob had an off night for sure as his timing sucked in this match. Still, the win was to give him at least some momentum going into the elimination chamber.
Time of match: 6:35
Winner: Rob Van Dam by pinfall
Back from commercial here comes Harvard University's own Chris Nowinski for a conference. Chris says he was looking forward to coming back to Boston since he's the only Harvard graduate in WWE history. Chris says the town has gone down the gutter since he left. How can a town with so many institutions of higher learning be so stupid? Nowinski pauses for heat but the crowd doesn't pop. Chris says Harvard grads run this town because their combined brainpower wouldn't generate enough heat to melt Ted Williams' frozen corpse (didn't we get enough corpses the last two weeks?). He says Ted Williams was not a great man, Larry Bird wasn't a great man and Nomar Garcia-whatever was not a great man. I know this is for cheap heat but Ted Williams was a highly decorated World War 2 and Korea fighter pilot. Chris says Einstein and Shakespeare were great man. Chris "And he once said...." and Al Snow's music hits. I burst out laughing when I saw this live because in real time Chris went "And Shakespeare said...." followed by WHAT DOES EVERYBODY WANT!" Al Snow is in wrestling tights as Nowinsky scoffs saying "just ground me dad". Nowinsky challenges Snow but from behind is the returning Maven. Al says someone else is going to take him. Chris turns around right into a Maven clothesline. Maven hits a big dropkick as JR says Maven is back from his injury. Al Snow decks Nowinsky outside as well. Al and Maven shake hands in the ring as JR is confused why he's here. Basically they're trying to hype up Tough Enough 3 by having the previous Tough Enough grads on TV.
We cut backstage to Kane pacing around when Goldust comes up to him. He wants to congratulate him for being Booker's tag team partner. Kane tells him to leave him alone but Goldust says he's banned from ringside. He thinks maybe Kane should loosen up and try some breathing exercises. Kane chokes him against the wall and says "what do you not understand what I just said?" Booker T walks by to stop Kane. Booker says they're opponents at Survivor Series but tonight they're partners. Booker T says HHH was playing mind games with Kane. "Who has sex with a dead body?" Goldust raises his hand and both Kane & Booker slowly turn their heads to him. "What, I was young and stupid, come on give me a break." Booker says he needs Kane focused and ask him if he digs it. Kane says he can dig that......SUCKAAAAAA. Booker and Goldust approve.
We cut to Shawn Michaels to walks by Triple H's dressing room, looks at it and then continues walking. Finally its time for the main event.
Match 7
Booker T and Kane vs Chris Jericho and Triple H (with Ric Flair)
Flair gets to be at ringside but not Goldust, that's fair right? JR asks how HHH and Jericho can co-exist after feuding for most of 2002. King asks what about Kane & Booker but JR says they hadn't had a big feud yet. Jericho starts with Booker and rams him into the buckle. Booker hits Y2J with a side kick and chops him against the ropes. Booker drops Chris with a back elbow smash then chops him again. Jericho gets the necklock takedown and tags in HHH. Hunter punches away at Booker and taunts him. Booker blocks a punch and fires away with right hands, ducks the line and drops Hunter with a forearm. Booker clotheslines Hunter coming out of the corner and tags in Kane. Hunter tags out to Jericho and Chris punches away at Kane. Kane whips Jericho off and chokebombs him. Kane punches away at Chris and elbows him in the corner. Kane charges but eats boot then Y2J hits the missile dropkick. Jericho covers for two then kicks away at him. Kane hits an elevated slam but gets chopblocked by HHH. Booker gets in to chase off HHH but the ref turns his attention to him. Y2J grabs a chair and whacks Kane in the leg with it with Earl Hebner distracted. HHH starts working on the left leg as the crowd chants "Katie Vick! Katie Vick!".....lovely. Jericho tags in and takes over working the leg until Kane clotheslines him down. HHH tags in and continues to focus on the bad left knee of Kane. HHH locks in the figure four and Jericho reaches in for leverage. Earl Hebner yells at Y2J since he didn't see it and HHH tags Chris in. Kane slams Jericho and crawls toward Booker but HHH tags in to drop an elbow on him. Kane does a double suplex on Jericho & Triple H and Booker calls for the tag. Booker gets the "hot" tag and goes nuts on Jericho and Hunter. Booker dispatches Jericho then hits a sunset flip out of the corner on HHH. Booker cleans house then calls for the spinaroonie. Ric Flair gets decked off the apron and Booker hits the axe kick on HHH. Booker does the spinaroonie and double clotheslines both heels. Booker clotheslines Jericho over the top to the floor and hits the scissors kick on HHH. Booker covers for two before Jericho stops him. Jericho goes for the Walls of Jericho but Kane dives in to take Jericho out to the floor. Jericho sends Kane into the ring steps but Booker accidentally knocks Earl Hebner off the apron. He hits a superkick on Hunter then goes upstairs. Booker misses the top rope dropkick and HHH goes for the pedigree. Shawn Michaels runs in out of nowhere and hits Sweet Chin Music on HHH. Michaels goes out and throws Hebner back in the ring. Booker covers for 1...2....3 to win the match. As much as the fans loved it, once again it shows the only one who can get the upperhand on HHH is Shawn. Booker, Rob Van Dam, Kane, Goldust and everyone else has no chance. Shawn grabs the mic at the entrance way and says he's in for elimination chamber.
Time of match: 10:26
Winners: Kane and Booker by pinfall
Two weeks in a row Shawn Michaels stands tall to end the show. Now that the Katie Vick garbage is over, we can focus back on storylines that aren't embarrassing....for the most part. The tag division is a total mess, Test/Stacy is eye roll inducing and nobody can hang with Triple H straight up besides Shawn Michaels who has wrestled one match since Wrestlemania 14. Still, its all about the elimination chamber....which sucks for the rest of Raw. Other than Trish/Victoria, there's really NOTHING else to look forward to. Now believe it or not, there was another match after Raw went off the air. It was pre-taped to be shown a week later on Super Tuesday. I'll cover that match along with the others when the time comes. The next show after this would be Smackdown taped in Manchester, New Hampshire tomorrow night. Other matches on the card will be for Velocity and Super Tuesday. Either way I'll see you there.
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