WWE at Wheeling Civic Center (11/11/02)

Wheeling Civic Center

Wheeling, WV

November 11, 2002

Never understood why Vince McMahon decided to hold house shows for Smackdown on the same night Raw was broadcasting. Not to mention tonight they're in West Virginia of all places. Still, Vince wanted to make sure every small town in the US had a chance to see guys live, which is the double edged sword. We're running the same card tonight as they've run all weekend so let's get to it.

Match 1

Val Venis, Eric Angle and Shelton Benjamin vs D'Von Dudley, Ron Simmons and Bull Buchanan

Same match as all weekend with the same exact result. Val Venis takes it with the Money Shot.

Winners: Venis, Angle and Benjamin by pinfall

Match 2

Tajiri vs Crash Holly vs Jamie Noble for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship in a 3 Way Dance

Tajiri pinned Crash Holly with the buzz kick but Noble rolled up Tajiri and hooked the tights to win the match.

Winner: Noble by pinfall (still Cruiserweight champion)

Match 3

John Cena and Doug Basham vs Billy Kidman and Chuck Palumbo

Cena and Kidman had a falling out after their loss in the tag title tournament which led to Cena's heel turn. Here, he's got OVW alumni Doug Basham and Kidman teams with Chuck Palumbo, who's lost without Billy Gunn. Palumbo pinned Basham here.

Winners: Kidman and Palumbo by pinfall

Match 4

Matt Hardy vs Rikishi in a Kiss My Ass match

Here we go again with another Kiss My Ass match. Rikishi wins and hits Matt with the stinkface after, next.

Winner: Rikishi by pinfall

Match 5

Albert vs Chris Benoit

Same thing from yesterday. Big Show comes out, lays out both guys, calls out Brock Lesnar, Lesnar runs out and starts a fight. Everyone breaks them up. 6 more days till Survivor Series.

Winner: No one (no contest)

Match 6

Dawn Marie vs Torrie Wilson in a Bra & Panties Match

Same match from yesterday with the same result, Torrie wins.

Winner: Torrie

Match 7

Los Guerreros (Eddie and Chavo Jr) vs Edge and Rey Mysterio for the WWE Tag Team Championship

Same match as the entire weekend with the same result, the faces get the double pin to retain.

Winners: Edge and Mysterio by pinfall

Survivor Series was just six days away and there's still no matches signed apart from Lesnar vs Big Show. Raw had the Elimination Chamber and Trish vs Victoria, maybe this week will shed some light on the subject. Too bad the gimmick matches like Kiss My Ass and Bra & Panties had to take center stage with Kurt Angle and others not wrestling. Tonight's Raw is next so I'll see you there.

WWE at Carver Arena (11/10/02)

 

Carver Arena

Peoria, IL

November 10, 2002

The stars of Smackdown head to Peoria, Illinois for a Sunday house show one week before Survivor Series. Thankfully this show seems to be different than last night's one. That's definitely a good thing. So let's get right to it.

Match 1

D'Von Dudley, Ron Simmons and Bull Buchanan vs Eric Angle, Shelton Benjamin and Val Venis

Six man tag action to start with Kurt's older brother Eric teaming with the rookie Shelton and the veteran Val against the mean looking fellas. Venis pinned Buchanan after a money shot.

Winners: Shelton, Angle and Venis by pinfall

Match 2

Crash Holly vs Nathan Jones

The monster from Australia gets Crash Holly on this house show. Jones crushes Holly with the full nelson slam for the win.

Winner: Jones by pinfall

Match 3

Tajiri vs Jamie Noble for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship

Billy Kidman seemed to be next in line for a Cruiserweight title shot but they're gonna run this Tajiri feud into the ground first. You know the drill, Noble hooks the tights to get the pin.

Winner: Noble by pinfall (still Cruiserweight champion)

Match 4

Billy Kidman and Chuck Palumbo vs Doug Basham and John Cena

The OVW stars Basham and Cena team up to face Kidman and Palumbo. Kidman takes it with the 7 Year Itch on Cena.

Winners: Kidman and Palumbo by pinfall

Match 5

Matt Hardy vs Rikishi in a Kiss My Ass Match

Wonder who Matt pissed off to draw this assignment again and again. Still, Rikishi wins with the banzai drop and gives Matt the stinkface after.

Winner: Rikishi by pinfall

Match 6

Albert vs Chris Benoit

Now this looks interesting. The big bad Albert finally meets someone he can't intimidate, Benoit.....too bad the match is a no contest. Why? Big Show came in, laid out both guys and demanded Brock Lesnar to come out. Lesnar ran out but everyone held back the two men.

Winner: No one (no contest)

Match 7

Dawn Marie vs Torrie Wilson in a Bra & Panties Match

Standard diva trope of the time which sees Torrie "win" by stripping Dawn Marie down. Wonder if Al Wilson was watching.

Winner: Wilson

Match 8

Los Guerreros (Eddie and Chavo Jr) vs Edge and Rey Mysterio Jr for the WWE Tag Team Championship

Our main event is the same as last night's with the exact same result. Edge and Rey get the double pin on Chavo and Eddie to retain.

Winners: Edge and Mysterio by pinfall (still WWE Tag Team Champions)

Kind of sad how Kurt Angle didn't work on this card with Eric on it. House shows were usually a waste of time at this point so they could have had Eric and Kurt face Ron Simmons and D'Von for all anyone cared. Lesnar didn't face Big Show in the ring apart from the scrum in the middle so maybe Vince came to his senses to save the match for Survivor Series. The next show after this is tonight's Sunday Night Heat so I'll see you there.

WWE at Champaign Assembly Hall (11/9/02)

Champaign Assembly Hall

Champaign, IL

November 9, 2002

The stars of Smackdown have come to Champaign, Illinois for a special house show just eight days before Survivor Series. Brock Lesnar got manhandled by Big Show who also squashed Matt Hardy that night. Let's see if the storylines on the house show cards have changed or if its the same old matches.

Match 1

Albert vs Rikishi in a Kiss My Ass Match

Right off the bat the answer is NO as we get yet another Kiss My Ass match featuring Albert and Rikishi. Naturally Rikishi hits the superkick, gets the pin and hits the stinkface on Albert.

Winner: Rikishi by pinfall

Match 2

Doug Basham and Bull Buchanan vs Eric Angle and Shelton Benjamin

Yes, you read that right, ERIC Angle got some work in on this OVW match. For those that don't know, Eric is one of Kurt Angle's older brothers although he's the closest in age. He wrestled for Waynesburg University after high school. Eric was still hanging around as Buchanan was due to get a repackage. Basham and Benjamin are the prospects so to speak. Benjamin pinned Basham after a tornado DDT.

Winners: Angle and Benjamin by pinfall

Match 3

Val Venis vs Nathan Jones

The beast from Australia faces the veteran Venis here. Venis missed the money shot and Jones pinned him after a full nelson slam.

Winner: Jones by pinfall

Match 4

Tajiri vs Jamie Noble for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship

Same old shit here as Noble defends against Tajiri for the one millionth time. Noble gets the pin using the tights to retain.

Winner: Noble by pinfall (Still Cruiserweight champion)

Match 5

Big Show vs Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship

I'll never understand why Vince McMahon insisted on house show matches featuring your upcoming main events. This was never intended to be televised but they had a chance for a Hogan/Andre story here, could have at least held off. Worse, Lesnar gets the pin after cracking Show with a steel chair.

Winner: Lesnar by pinfall (still WWE Champion)

Match 6

D'Von Dudley and Ron Simmons vs Crash Holly and Chuck Palumbo

Palumbo was completely lost without Billy Gunn at this time so they threw Holly in there to give him a partner against D'Von and Simmons. D'Von pinned Crash to win the match.

Winners: Simmons and Dudley by pinfall

Match 7

John Cena and Dawn Marie vs Billy Kidman and Torrie Wilson

The same match from Rebellion was going around the house show circuit. Marie had an inside cradle on Wilson but Kidman reversed it to win the match.

Winners: Kidman and Wilson by pinfall

Match 8

Chris Benoit vs Matt Hardy

Then now ex-tag team champion faces Mattitude on this house show. Benoit rolled through the twist of fate and won it with the crippler crossface.

Winner: Benoit by submission

Match 9

Los Guerreros (Eddie and Chavo Jr) vs Edge and Rey Mysterio Jr for the WWE Tag Team Championship

Los Guerreros get their title shot on a house show against the new champions. The ref counted a double pin when Edge hit the spear on Eddie and Rey hit the springboard legdrop after the 619 on Chavo.

Winners: Edge and Mysterio by pinfall (still Tag Team Champions)

This show definitely varied in quality depending on the match for sure. Rikishi vs Albert doesn't sound appealing and anytime Dawn Marie and Torrie have to wrestle, its a chore. Tajiri vs Noble had gotten old but Benoit vs Hardy sounds fun along with the double main event. We're 8 days out from Survivor Series and apart from Lesnar vs Big Show, there aren't any Smackdown matches announced yet. Hopefully tonight's Velocity will give some answers. Before that, we have the Raw Saturday house show in Philadelphia at the First Union Center. I'll see you there.