Van Andel Arena
Grand Rapids, Michigan
November 2, 2002
Commentators: Mark Lloyd and Michael Cole
Its another edition of Velocity and there's a lot to do on Smackdown these days. Unfortunately this episode I found doesn't have the Smackdown recaps so we're just getting straight matches. Also unfortunately its almost the exact same guys from last week. But first....since this was taped on the same night as Smackdown, we have some dark matches.
Dark Match 1
Bull Buchanan vs Shelton Benjamin
This was a dark match that wasn't aired on Smackdown or Velocity. It was pretty much a tryout for the ultra athletic Benjamin to see what he could do. WWE definitely liked what they saw because they signed him to a contract not long after. He got the win over Buchanan.
Winner: Benjamin
Dark Match 2
Val Venis vs Ernest Miller
Ernest "The Cat" Miller made his WWE debut on a dark match on the last Sunday Night Heat and here he gets a second look against Val Venis. Unlike Shelton, Venis got the duke. Guess they felt Miller was already an established veteran and didn't need the rub.
Winner: Val Venis by pinfall
Now let's get to our first televised match.
Match 1
Reverend D'Von vs Chuck Palumbo
Palumbo gets bumrushed as soon as the bell starts and stomped on by D'Von. Dudley pounds away on Palumbo as Michael Cole babbles on about Brock Lesnar with his partner joining in to talk about Big Show. Dudley taunts the crowd and rakes the face as Cole says Ron Simmons is behind the new aggression. Cole then talks about Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit as D'Von gets a nerve hold on Palumbo. The crowd chants "we want tables" as Palumbo powers out of it with fists. He drops D'Von with an elbow and a hiptoss before delivering shoulderblocks in the corner. D'Von counters with a knee to the face and a hotshot off the top turnbuckle. D'Von chokes Chuck on the second rope then locks in a chinlock. D'Von shouts "get up boy" but walks into an inside cradle for a deuce. D'Von pounds away on Chuck and delivers a sidewalk slam as the announcers babble on about Big Show again. D'Von goes up to the second rope but gets caught mid-air in a belly to belly suplex. Cole talks over Mark and continues to babble on about Brock Lesnar. Palumbo rallies with a series of clotheslines and a backdrop on D'Von. Chuck blocks a hiptoss and turns it into a flapjack. He covers for 1..2....nope. Palumbo decks D'Von with a right hand and sends him into the corner. A charge eats boot but Chuck still hits an overhead suplex. He covers for 1...2....nooooo. Palumbo goes for the superkick but D'Von catches the leg and hits a DDT. D'Von covers for 1...2....noooooo. D'Von admomishes the ref then sends Chuck off the ropes. Palumbo ducks the line and nails D'Von with the superkick. He covers for 1....2....3 to win the match. D'von took his eye off the ball for one second and Palumbo made him pay. Serviceable and safe match from both guys, it definitely didn't suck.
Time of match: 5:41
Winner: Palumbo by pinfall
We were supposed to get a recap from the last episode of Tough Enough but its cut out from this upload. Instead we get hype for the main event tag match featuring Crusierweight champion Jamie Noble teaming with Crash Holly against Billy Kidman and Funaki. Onto the next match.
Match 2
Chavo Guerrero Jr vs Tyson Dux
As mentioned on the Raw review, Dux was a Canadian local who was doing house shows and TV tapings. At least he gets his TV match here. Bell's gone and Tyson starts strutting around causing Michael to say "What is that kid doing?" hahahaha. Chavo tells Tyson to get out of the ring and Tyson does it again causing Mark to say "What the hell is this?" Chavo starts with a scoop slam and tells Tyson to leave the ring. Tyson responds with a dropkick as Mark on commentary brings up Stephanie McMahon kissing Eric Bischoff on Smackdown.....which was never mentioned again. Tyson arm drags Chavo a few times and drops him with a heel kick. Chavo bails as Tyson dances around again. Michael says somebody needs to tell Tyson to take some Ritalin. Chavo takes over with strikes and a european uppercut. He kicks away at Tyson in the corner as referee Jimmy Korderas tells Chavo to get off. Chavo delivers a back suplex and covers for a deuce. Chavo continues to pound away on Dux when Tyson is sent into the corner. Chavo looks like he's going for shattered dreams and instead dropkicks Dux. He snapmares and covers for 1...2...nope. The announcers continue to make fun of Dux but Tyson catches him in a backslide for 1...2..nope. Cole continues to make heel comments which was out of place eight years before he was doing it to Daniel Bryan but Dux catches Chavo with a head scissors. Tyson drops Chavo with a clothesline and goes for a suplex but Chavo blocks it, Tyson settles for a reverse DDT instead. He covers for a deuce and Chavo begs off in the corner. Tyson goes for 10 punches in the corner but Chavo hotshots him off the top rope. Chavo hits a brainbuster and covers for 1..2....3 to win the match. Chavo wins but what's with the announcers heeling on the kid? Little bit out of place but oh well, Chavo gets the duke.
Time of match: 4:28
Winner: Chavo Guerrero Jr by pinfall
We go to highlights of the Rebellion tour over in Europe including the ppv. Ironically it would be the last Smackdown ppv ever held in the UK, the last Raw one would be in May. We get a graphic showing our main event as we go to commercial. Onto the next match.
Match 3
Albert vs Mark Bartolucci
If you don't remember, Bartolucci was a Canadian local brought in to make a few tapings to see what he could do. Before the match Albert gets on the mic and says he saw all the stares from the people. He says he knows what they were thinking "Albert, is he sexy or what?" Albert continues to put over his looks as the crowd chants "Shave your back". Albert "Jealousy will get you nowhere. Ladies, all this hair is 100% natural. All these men can't be getting the job done, ladies can run their hands through his man-fur". It definitely is working to draw heat. Bell's gone and Mark Lloyd says he feels sorry for Bartolucci. Albert levels Bartolucci with a clothesline then gorilla presses him off the top rope. Albert sends him off the ropes and Mark goes for a sunset flip, but Albert blocks it with a leg drop. He covers for a deuce then sends him into the corner. Mark gets the foot up but Albert blocks a crossbody and powerslams him in the other corner. Mark is in the tree of woe and Albert stomps away at him. The announcers start babbling on about Brock Lesnar and Big Show again as Albert continues to stomp away at Bartolucci in the corner. Albert invites the ladies into the ring then continues to punch at Mark. Mark tries to fight back with right hands and a dropkick. Bartolucci runs right into the bicycle kick and slingshots him into the second rope. Albert hits the Baldo Bomb and covers for 1....2....3...to win the match. Total squash by Albert although he'd be getting a new name soon. Not much to say apart from Albert is a mean looking fella.
Time of match: 2:42
Winner: Albert by pinfall
We're shown a graphic saying the main event is coming up next....yippie.
Match 4
Crash Holly and WWE Cruiserweight Champion Jamie Noble (with Nidia) vs Funaki and Billy Kidman
Finally some Cruiserweight action. Cole brings up the actually funny situation at the Halloween party where Noble and Nidia dressed as each other as Crash makes his entrance. Cole calls Crash "an absolute goof" and an "idiot". Cole must be in a bad mood tonight. Bell's gone and Kidman starts with Noble. Kidman eats a knee to the mid-section but head scissors Noble down. Kidman tags in Funaki and they double hiptoss & dropkick Noble. Crash gets in and gets double dropkicked as well. The announcers speculate who's coming to Raw with Big Show coming to Smackdown and the answer will be revealed on TV shortly. Both faces hit baseball slides on the heels before Funaki throws Noble inside. Noble begs off but catches Funaki with a boot. Noble kicks away at Funaki in the corner then backdrops Funaki on the apron. Funaki fights off Crash but Nidia pulls his ankles and he lands face first on the apron. The numbers game catches up to the faces as Crash and Nidia stomp on Funaki while the ref is busy inside. Crash throws Funaki inside and Crash tags in to land a forearm on the back of Funaki. Crash hits a delayed suplex on Funaki an covers for 1...2...nope. Crash gets a series of near falls on Funaki then forearms him in the back. Funaki fights back but Crash hits a drop toe hold before tagging Noble back in. Mark Lloyd keeps babbling about Stephanie and Eric Bischoff kissing and Cole tells him to shut up. Noble gets a chinlock on Funaki as Cole says Funaki had never wrestled in England before. Was he not on any European tour the last four years? Funaki catches Noble with a backslide for a deuce but Jamie hits a clothesline. Noble sends Funaki into his corner where Crash tags in and hits a dropkick to the back of the head. Crash covers for a deuce and tags in Noble. Cole says Crash is an idiot and a goof but is still the most prolific hardcore champion of all time. Funaki tries to fight back in the corner but Noble misses a charge. Funaki drives Noble down with a bulldog and Crash tags in, but Kidman gets the hot tag. Kidman goes to town on Crash and Noble then does a reverse neckbreaker to Crash while holding Noble for a ddt. He covers Crash for 1...2....nope. Crash hits a tornado bulldog on Kidman and covers but Funaki pulls Crash off. Funaki throws Noble outside and hits a plancha but the ref turns his back on the ring. Nidia goes upstairs but Kidman moves, Nidia hitting Crash with a crossbody. Funaki pulls Nidia out as Kidman hits a sitdown powerbomb on Crash. Kidman covers for 1...2....nooooo. Kidman and Funaki hit a double dropkick inside the ring but Noble pulls Funaki out. Kidman hits an enziguiri on Crash and pulls him to the corner. Kidman hits the 7 Year Itch and covers for 1...2...3 to win the match. Kidman and Funaki celebrate after the match as Nidia and Noble are irate outside. Cole goes to the replay of Kidman hitting the 7 Year Itch. That was a damn good match for what it was, its too bad they only got a little over 6 minutes.
Time of match: 6:39
Winners: Kidman and Funaki by pinfall
Its a shame C shows were only designed to get the A & B shows over because they could have had a chance to do something special, featuring guys in OVW and what not. Unfortunately the NXT as we know it wouldn't be around for another 10 years. Still, the Chavo match was entertaining and the tag match was great. Smackdown was the place to be at the time and even though these were the mid-carders, it was still better than most of what Raw was doing. Tomorrow the stars of Raw were in New Brunswick, Canada while the stars of Smackdown would be in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Also tomorrow night is Sunday Night Heat. I'll see you in New Brunswick.
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