The Lloyd

> WWF Light Heavyweight Title Match: Jushin Thunder Liger [vs] Jeff Hardy © w/ Lita, Nidia & Shelton Benjamin Non Title Grudge Match: Eddie Guerrero & Rey Mysterio [vs] Perfect and Sexay WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Edge [vs] ‘Y2J’ Chris Jericho © Grudge Match: ‘The Big Red Machine’ Kane [vs] ‘Broken’ Matt Hardy w/ Lita, Nidia & Shelton Benjamin Double Or Nothing Match: Regal and Malenko [vs] The APA Handicap Cage Match: ‘The Game’ Triple H [vs] Vince McMahon & The Undertaker Triple Threat Match for the WWF World Heavyweight Title: Rikishi [vs] ‘The World’s Largest Athlete’ Big Show [vs] ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin © Bonus Questions: 1). Which Match will be the Match Of The Night...? __________________ 2). What will the Overall Rating of the Show be...? __________________ (within 5 gets a point, spot on gets 2 points) 3). How many Championships will change hands (out of a possible 3)...? __________________ 4). Heat Pre-Show Match: Hardcore Holly and Val Venis vs Albert and Perry Saturn 5). Heat Pre-Show Match: Marty Jannetty vs Jerry Lynn

FEBRUARY 2002, WEEK 3… In The Booth: Michael Cole and Tazz Medical Update… We opened Smackdown with an update on the condition of ‘The American Badass’ The Undertaker… ‘Taker was brutally attacked, and laid out in the parking lot on Smackdown last week, and there were doubts about whether he’d make it to No Way Out this Sunday or not… However, tonight we learned that he would be back in time for Sunday Night’s Pay-Per-View… w/ Rikishi w/ Haku & Umaga [vs] ‘The Big Red Machine’ Kane These two big men collided in a great contest here, where either man could have scored the win. For the finish, Matt Hardy arrived in the front row of the crowd, and put Kane off enough for him to walk onto a ‘Super Kick’. Upon his landing, Rikishi realised he was in position for a ‘Running Leg Drop’, and the big Samoan squished the masked face of ‘The Big Red Machine’. 72 Winner: Rikishi w/ Haku & Umaga Finish: 'Running Leg Drop' Angle Clears The Way… Kurt Angle has been asked by ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin to take out either Rikishi or Big Show ahead of No Way Out… He’s been promised a future WWF World Heavyweight Title Match, and so he’s been taking his mission very seriously… However, when he arrived tonight following the final bell of the previous match, and he hit Umaga on the back with a steel chair… The move had little effect and Haku began to chase Angle away… Umaga and Rikishi also gave chase, and the announce team began to realise that the door was now open for a Matt Hardy attack… Matt wasn’t alone for long, because his brother Jeff and ‘Senior’ Shelton Benjamin made their way out for the 3 on 1 attack of Matt’s No Way Out opponent… However, Kane was ready for them, and threw the oncoming Jeff Hardy over the top rope, before hitting a Chokeslam on Shelton…!! Matt was left alone in the ring with ‘The Big Red Machine’… But it wasn’t long before Jeff slid back in… He was then kicked in the face by Kane for his troubles, and he crumpled to the floor and rolled out under the bottom rope… Matt began to take off his big jacket… but then slowly climbed out of the ring, ready to fight another day… and that other day is going to be Sunday at No Way Out… Kane versus Matt Hardy in what is potentially going to be Matt’s biggest ever singles match…!! Scotty Too Hotty [vs] ‘The Japanese Buzzsaw’ Tajiri There was a great bit of tit-for-tat, back and forth, striking early on in this one. The problem for Scotty Too Hotty was that Tajiri seemed to relish the fight, and excels in these kinds of brawls. He dominated the middle portion of the match, and even countered a running bulldog during Scotty’s comeback. In the end, Scotty nearly got knocked out after the ‘Buzzsaw Kick’. 57 Winner: ‘The Japanese Buzzsaw’ Tajiri Finish: 'Buzzsaw Kick' Lots Of Friends… We cut backstage next, and found Coach trying to find someone for an interview… and eventually found who he was looking for… Big Show…!! But he wasn’t alone…!! Coach: “Show, Show… Did you see Kurt Angle’s failed attempts at taking out Rikishi earlier…!? Are you worried he’ll be coming for you next…?!” Big Show: “Does it look like I’m worried, Coach…?! I got Edge… Eddie Guerrero… Rey Mysterio… We’re all watching each others’ backs tonight… Let’s say Angle tries anything, like Austin has tried to get him to do… If I don’t get to him, one of these guys will… If he doesn’t show… Whiiiiich I suggest he doesn’t… Then the three of us are just gonna chill out, have a few beers, and play some dominos…!!” Al Snow [vs] ‘The Ego-Maniac’ Chris Jericho An amazing match here, with Chris Jericho fighting a true veteran in Al Snow. Both men know how to put on a show, but it was Jericho hitting most of the impactful offence. Snow went for his ‘Snow Plough’ late on, but Jericho had a counter for it, and managed to hit a bulldog. As he tried to land a ‘Lion Sault’, Snow got his knees up. But Jericho was expecting it, and landed at Snow’s feet, catching both legs, rolling the veteran over, and locking in the ‘Walls Of Jericho’! 83 Winner: ‘The Ego-Maniac’ Chris Jericho Finish: 'Walls Of Jericho' Light Heavyweight Legends… We learned about a singles match set for the Heat Pre-Show next… between two former Light Heavyweight Champion, veterans, who have a lot of beef… Marty Jannetty and Jerry Lynn HATE each other… it stems all the way back to when Jannetty returned to the WWE, and beat Lynn on his re-debut… He ended Lynn’s Light Heavyweight Title run on that night, and the hatred has spread ever since… Now, on the Heat Pre-Show of No Way Out, they can finally settle the score…!! No Bradshaw… Too Bad? Sure… Next up, we were due to see D’Lo Brown battle Bradshaw, and the former headed to the ring to a song from Eminem’s new album… The track is called – Business – and it got the crowd bopping and dancing along…!! D’Lo had a more serious look on his face here though… Wanting to fight Bradshaw to prove that the APA member is not to be trusted… However, Bradshaw came out in a suit… and did NOT look ready for a fight… Bradshaw: “Guys… Guys… D’Lo… I’m so sorry… I don’t know what to say… I can’t possibly compete against you tonight, D’Lo… As you know, I have a huge match at No Way Out with my BEST FRIEND, and mentor, Faarooq… against William Regal and Dean Malenko… What you might NOT know… is that I sent my damn, ELBOW PADS… off to get dry cleaned ahead of Sunday… and they’re not back yet… So… I’m so sorry… but there’s no way I can compete tonight… I’m sorry…!!” Bradshaw dropped the microphone, and left through the curtain, as a furious D’Lo shook his head… (not in the usual D’Lo Brown way)… Spiked… In the back, Spike Dudley was talking with a backstage worker, about his big win against Jerry Lynn on RAW… He was saying he could beat ANYONE… when ‘The Animal’ Batista walked by... Spike made a badly timed joke about how big Batista is… and the huge newcomer didn’t take kindly to his words… Spike ran off, and left the backstage worker to be slammed into the wall by Batista…!! William Regal & Dean Malenko [vs] Local Enhancement Talents As one-sided as a tag team match can get here, with the technicians Regal and Malenko dominating the two youngsters across the ring from them. Regal mercifully made one of them tap out with the ‘Regal Stretch’ in the end. 65 Winner: William Regal & Dean Malenko Finish: 'Regal Stretch' A Push… Steven Richards was backstage next… Sat in the driver’s seat of his rental car, and talking about the two men who pushed him around on RAW; Bill DeMott and Razor Ramon… He said he wanted to challenge either of them to a match on the RAW after No Way Out… Steven Richards: “Now… If you’re wondering why I’m sat in my car… just sat here, waiting… It’s because my car isn’t starting, and I’m waiting for a ‘Big Push’…!!” Terri’s Boys… We saw a pre-taped video package with Terri and her ‘Boys’, Albert and Perry Saturn… and they were talking about their rivals, The Holly Cousins, and Val Venis… Terri explained that so far, her ‘Boys’ were 2 for 2 against Hardcore, Crash, and Val… but at No Way Out, on the Heat Pre-Show, they’re going to get the chance to win a 3rd straight match… Val Venis and Hardcore Holly… versus Albert and Saturn…!! Hardcore Holly [vs] ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin Speaking of Hardcore Holly, he was in action in our Main Event here tonight, against the WWF World Heavyweight Champion: ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin. He put up one heck of a fight here, in what is currently ranked the second best match since this diary began. That’s right, a Hardcore Holly Match is the second best match since this diary began. Take THAT Togg. Austin controlled the pace, and the ring general stopped the crowd getting into it. When Holly started chopping, and fighting back though, the crowd began to come alive. The passionate group of fans in the building brought everything Holly had out of him. For the finish though, Austin wriggled free of the ‘Alabama Slam’ and kicked Holly in the gut. He then dropped the former Tag Team and Hardcore Champion with the ‘Stone Cold Stunner’, and his job was done tonight… Or was it…?! 99 Winner: ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin Finish: 'Stone Cold Stunner' Not Over Yet… As it turned out, that match wasn’t the last thing Austin had to do tonight… because the biggest rival of The Four Man Power Trip – Triple H, burst through the curtain to his own entrance music… and stomped to the ring with a Sledgehammer…!! ‘The Game’ had two things on his mind, and two things only… Knock the crap out of Austin, and get the attention of Vince and Shane McMahon… He achieved the first of those goals by kicking Austin low, and then planting him face first with a ‘Pedigree’… He then grabbed the Sledgehammer again… and stood over Austin’s fallen body… threatening to slam the hammer down on the WWF World Heavyweight Champion’s skull… But he was stopped by Vince and Shane McMahon…!! The McMahons weren’t alone though… as they brought some Police Officers out with them… Four didn’t seem like it would be enough, but as they surrounded ‘The Game’ in the ring, it soon became obvious that it wasn’t…!! Triple H began punching and pushing them around, seemingly not needing to use the Sledgehammer… Then suddenly, Shane dropped down behind him, and landed a vicious low blow from behind…!! Triple H fell to his knees, and was soon face-down on the mat being handcuffed… Vince slapped his defenceless Son-in-Law across the face, and he was taken away… With Undertaker being attacked on RAW… to Triple H heading off to jail… the Handicap Cage Match at No Way Out looks less and less likely that it’s going to happen… Quick Results: Rikishi [def.] Kane Tajiri [def.] Scotty Too Hotty Chris Jericho [def.] Al Snow K-Kwik [def.] Big Boss Man William Regal & Dean Malenko [def.] Local Enhancement Talent Steve Austin [def.] Hardcore Holly Show Rating: 90

The 'Go-Home' show before No Way Out 2002... > Rikishi w/ Haku & Umaga [vs] ‘The Big Red Machine’ Kane Scotty Too Hotty [vs] ‘The Japanese Buzzsaw’ Tajiri Al Snow [vs] ‘The Ego-Maniac’ Chris Jericho D’Lo Brown [vs] Bradshaw K-Kwik w/ Billy Gunn [vs] Big Boss Man William Regal & Dean Malenko [vs] ???? Hardcore Holly [vs] ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin

FEBRUARY 2002, WEEK 3… In The Booth: Jim Ross, Michael Cole and Tazz Undertaker Under Attack… We opened the show with a chaotic scene in the parking lot… The announce team were frantically talking about what they suspected had happened… Somebody had been taken out and was laying on the concrete, being helped by doctors and referees… The cameraman finally got into position, and we found The Undertaker laid out, flat on his back… The announce team couldn’t confirm what had happened, but they had a few suspects… Triple H came to mind, as ‘Taker’s most recent AND future opponent at No Way Out… The Rock was also a suspect, as he was taken out by ‘The American Badass’ a few weeks ago, and hasn’t been seen since… Will ‘Taker make it to No Way Out now…?! w/ ‘The Big Valbowski’ Val Venis [vs] Albert w/ Perry Saturn & Terri Venis and Albert showed great chemistry here, and had a decent opening match after the strange scenes from the parking lot. Val and the Holly Cousins have been feuding with Terri’s Boys, and that feud looks set to continue following Albert’s dominant win here. 66 Winner: Albert w/ Perry Saturn & Terri Finish: 'Baldo Bomb' Playing ‘The Game’…?? Back in the parking lot, we saw Triple H walking towards the building in a leather jacket, Motorhead t-shirt and jeans… he was carrying a duffel bag, presumably with his wrestling gear in… He passed The Undertaker, who was being loaded into an ambulance… ‘The Game’ snarled at ‘Taker as he walked past… On the commentary table, Cole and Tazz deduced that since he’d just arrived, there’s no way he could have been involved in taking ‘The American Badass’ out tonight… Jim Ross: “Guys, I’ve known ‘The Game’ a LONG time… I would not put ANYTHING past him…!!” New Gimmick, Brother… Not for the first time in recent weeks, we saw Razor Ramon and Bill DeMott talking backstage, next… The difference tonight though, was that they were being a little more public in their conversation… talking about who they had in their sights, and how they’d watch each others backs… But they were interrupted by an unlikely man… Steven Richards… who was attempting to blow up a large balloon…!! Razor Ramon: “EY YO!! Check it out… Steven Richards… My man… What, the HELL… are you doin’ man…?! What’s with the balloon…” Steven Richards: “Glad you asked, man… I’m uh… Hopin’ to get a ‘Big Pop’ tonight… I heard that was a good way to, uhh… I’ll be honest… I’m completely confused…!!” Ramon asked to take a look at the balloon… Richards passed it to him, but Ramon let it go…!! It fizzed and buzzed around them, before Bill DeMott slammed into Richards, and sent him flying into some backstage equipment… The poor Richards had no idea what hit him…!! Non-Title Match: Rapid Fire (K-Kwik & Billy Gunn) [vs] Perfect & Sexay Since winning the WWF World Tag Team Titles, Perfect and Sexay haven’t exactly had the best of form. Rapid Fire have been exceptional since ditching X-Pac though, so this non-title match was a real risk for the Champs. They didn’t let it phase them though, and dominated things from the start. K-Kwik managed to get a hot tag late on but even Billy Gunn couldn’t stop the cocky Perfect and Sexay. In the end, Kwik was pinned with the ‘Perfect Plex’. 77 Winners: Perfect & Sexay Finish: 'Perfect Plex' Brad News Brown… In the office of WWF Commissioner Mick Foley, ‘The Real Deal’ D’Lo Brown was struggling to retain his composure… D’Lo Brown: “Mick… Nothing but respect, for the job you do here… But I’ve put up with a lot over the last 12 months… I got sent back to developmental… I got called a JOKE by Kurt Angle… and now, this from Bradshaw… He’s treating Faarooq… a man I’ve looked up to my entire career… like a FOOL… and to top it off… he punked ME two weeks in a row…!! I want Bradshaw… In a match… TONIGHT…!!” Foley said that unfortunately, neither Faarooq nor Bradshaw, were here tonight… But… On Smackdown, D’Lo can get his wish… a 1 on 1 match against Bradshaw, where he’ll have the big Texan all to himself…!! Jerry Lynn’s Tough Challenge… Jerry Lynn has been toying with Marty Jannetty for weeks now, but tonight, it was ‘The Rocker’s’ turn… and he’d picked what he called, a “very tough opponent’ for Lynn tonight… Jannetty didn’t want to waste much time, and he brought Lynn’s opponent out… SPIKE DUDLEY…!! Spike Dudley [vs] Jerry Lynn A fast-paced match here, which was only slowed down when Jerry Lynn wanted it to be. He dominated Spike, until Mary Jannetty showed back up. After distracting Lynn multiple times, he was able to deliver a well-placed thumb to Lynn’s eye. This allowed Spike to roll Lynn up, and pick up a big, big, win! Much to the delight of Jannetty! 49 Winner: Spike Dudley Finish: 'Roll-Up' Game On… In the back, Coach caught up with Triple H for a word on The Undertaker… Coach: “Triple H… Triple H… Was that your plan tonight…?! Was that your reason for being here…?! Taking out The Undertaker like that…!?” Triple H: “Coach… I have no idea what you’re talking about… I came here for a fight… But I don’t wanna fight The Undertaker… It was… Never, about fighting The Undertaker… See I wanna fight… a McMahon… Give me ANY McMahon… Vince or Shane… Or… BOTH…” ‘The Game’ strolled off, still carrying that duffel bag…!! Local Enhancement Talent [vs] ‘The Animal’ Batista A smaller local guy, who tried to run from ‘The Animal’ here, and then use his speed to hit some nice strikes. But most of them just bounced off Batista’s massive frame. He looked extra ripped tonight, and ended it with a brutal looking ‘Batista Bomb’. 47 Winner: ‘The Animal’ Batista Finish: 'Batista Bomb' The Big Red Devil… Matt Hardy: “In your highest moments… Be careful… Because that’s when the Devil comes for you…!!” At the Hardy Compound, Matt Hardy was showing us round some of the halls and rooms he has available to him… ‘Senior’ Shelton Benjamin was cooking in the kitchen… while Jeff Hardy was working out with Lita and Nidia in the gym… Matt Hardy: “You might think… That I’m referring to ME in my highest moment… and KEARNE (Kane) as the Devil… But… I KNEW YOU’D THINK THAT… Because the person in their highest moooment… is KEARNE… and the DEVIL… is ME…!! YEEEAAAaasss… No Way Out… Brother Jeff and I… will EEEEND, the two masked fiends… Kearne and The Thunder Tiger, Jushin… And it will be… WONDERFULLLLL!! YEEEAAASSSSS!!” w/ ‘The World’s Largest Athlete’ Big Show [vs] Haku w/ Rikishi & Umaga Two of the roughest, toughest, meanest men in the WWF right now did battle here. Rikishi and Umaga wanted their fellow Islander to weaken Big Show ahead of Rikishi and Show’s Triple Threat World Heavyweight Title Match with ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin at No Way Out this weekend. But weakening Show is easier said than done, even if you are a big, strong, Tongan. Haku had his moments, but he was eventually stopped when Big Show grabbed him by the throat and hit his ‘Show Stopper Chokeslam’. 70 Winner: ‘The World’s Largest Athlete’ Big Show Finish: 'Show Stopper Chokeslam' Two Can Play That Game… As has been Big Show’s Modus Operandi in recent weeks, ‘The Olympic Gold Medallist’ Kurt Angle appeared after the bell, and nobody had noticed him arrive!! He slid into the ring behind Show, and tried to lock in his ‘Ankle Lock’ submission hold… Rikishi and Umaga were on him like a shot though, and didn’t allow Kurt to do any damage to the Giant… Even though he will stand in Rikishi’s way at No Way Out… Before he gets to the Pay-Per-View though… big ‘Kishi has a date with ‘The Big Red Machine’ Kane on Smackdown…!! No APA Here Tonight… We learned earlier that Faarooq and Bradshaw weren’t here tonight… But, standing with backstage interviewer Coach, were the APA’s No Way Out opponents… Coach: “Guys… The APA have accepted your challenge for No Way Out… These guys are big, bad, rough Texans… How do you two rate your chances…?! What’s your… strategy to win…?!” William Regal: “Well Jonathan… Thank you for asking old chap… You’ve always been extremely nice to me… I won’t be sharing our strategies here… but in terms of how we rate our chances… well… tell him Dean…” Dean Malenko: “Mr. Regal… I’m the ‘Man Of A Thousand Holds’… and LORD knows, you know well over five hundred yourself… I say we have a pretty good chance, against a couple of bullies who probably know one hold… and that’s how to hold a BEER…!!” William Regal: “It’s technical athletes… versus lay about drunk… gamblers… WE don’t gamble… We take everything we do, with precise accuracy… and control EVERY situation we are in…!! At No Way Out… We wipe our debt with these plonkers, and move on…” Edge & Eddie Guerrero [vs] Chris Jericho & Chris Benoit Eddie Guerrero’s 2002 began with a loss to Chris Jericho, meaning that ‘Y2J’ received a very late entry in the Royal Rumble Match. But Eddie went on to WIN the Rumble, and he’s undefeated since. Jericho and his partner Chris Benoit did their best to stop Eddie here, but his partner Edge wasn’t ever going to allow that to happen. He was on a mission tonight, and if he hits that kind of form on Sunday at No Way Out, he’ll do what he did here tonight and hit a ‘Spear’ and win the Intercontinental Title. The ‘Spear’ tonight was for Benoit, but it could very well be Jericho taking that particular move on Sunday. 85 Winners: Edge & Eddie Guerrero Finish: 'Spear' Laying The Smackdown… This week on Smackdown… we already know Kane and Rikishi will go 1 on 1 in what should be an epic meeting of the two big men… D’Lo Brown will also get his match with Bradshaw, in an effort to prove to Faarooq that his partner can’t be trusted… The announce team then confirmed a big main event set for Smackdown, as WWF World Heavyweight Champion ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, battles an old rival in the form of Hardcore Holly…!! As this was being announced, ‘The Game’ Triple H once again appeared on our screens… Triple H: “Looks like I’m heading to Smackdown then… If I wanna get Vince and Shane’s attention before No Way Out… I have no problem showing up in Austin’s match…!!” Quick Results: Albert [def.] Van Venis Perfect and Sexay [def.] Rapid Fire Spike Dudley [def.] Jerry Lynn Batista [def.] Local Enhancement Talent Big Show [def.] Haku Edge & Eddie Guerrero [def.] Chris Jericho & Chris Benoit Show Rating: 83

> ‘The Big Valbowski’ Val Venis [vs] Albert w/ Perry Saturn & Terri Non-Title Match: Rapid Fire (K-Kwik & Billy Gunn) [vs] Perfect & Sexay Spike Dudley [vs] Jerry Lynn ???? [vs] ‘The Animal’ Batista ‘The World’s Largest Athlete’ Big Show [vs] Haku w/ Rikishi & Umaga Edge & Eddie Guerrero [vs] Chris Jericho & Chris Benoit

I think intergender wrestling has a place on certain rosters and certain companies. I think I'd struggle with this current WWF roster, because for example Big Show versus Nidia would be a bit odd... There's plenty of other examples. If Victoria and co are going to beat lower card guys, then there's a ceiling to their popularity and achievements. Would she beat Austin? Or Jericho? Or even D'Lo Brown? I find it easier to just focus on one gender. If I was writing WWE right now, I'd probably give the women's division their own weekly show! Maybe the first hour of RAW? And don't worry, I have big plans for Rikishi, Haku and Umaga... And indeed Samu when he comes back from rehab!

FEBRUARY 2002, WEEK 2… In The Booth: Michael Cole and Tazz Long Hard Night… We opened the show with The Hardy Family making their way to the ring… in what was Nidia’s first appearance live in an arena… Jeff has a big night coming up at No Way Out, as he battles the legendary Japanese star Jushin Thunder Liger – who is in action later tonight… But Matt is yet to find an opponent for the event… and he was out here to find one… Matt Hardy: “Hahaaaaa YEEEAASSssss… As this version of Matt Hardy… I don’t fear ANYONE… Not even death himself can touch me… Matt Hardy… CANNOT DIE…!! YEEEAAASSsss… At No Way Out… I’m looking for someone… AAaaaaanyone… to meet me in that reeeng… and find out if they’re man enough… to step to the HEAD of House Hardy…!!” There was a pause, as nobody answered the challenge… The Hardy Family began to leave, but as they got to the ropes… BOOM!!! Hell, Fire and Brimstone… KANE arrived… House Hardy stood their ground initially, but soon realised they didn’t want to fight the ‘Big Red Machine’, and backed away… The group left the ring via the announce table side, as Kane came in the ramp side… As the Family made their way up the ramp, they didn’t take their eyes off of Kane… who pointed at Matt, and then did the throat slit sign with his hand…!! Michael Cole: “Well partner… looks like we’ve got Kane versus Matt Hardy at No Way Out…!!” Tazz: “OOoohhhh buddy… that one could tear the roof off the building… but Kane could very well tear House Hardy’s… house down…!!” w/ Umaga w/ Rikishi & Haku [vs] Big Boss Man As his name would suggest, Big Boss Man is not a small man. But even he was intimidated by the vicious Umaga, who didn’t slow down for a breather once in this short match. Boss Man had some nice moments, and even hit a Sidewalk Slam – a move he has become known for. But Umaga kicked out of the resulting pin with gusto, and ended up winning it moments later with his ‘Samoan Spike’. 57 Winner: Umaga w/ Rikishi & Haku Finish: 'Samoan Spike' Big Chokeslam After the match was over, the 500lb Big Show made his way to ringside…!! Somehow nobody had seen him arrive…!! Show took his giant right hand, and put it around the throat of Rikishi… He attempted a ‘Show Stopper’ Chokeslam on the big Samoan, but before he could lift his No Way Out rival, Haku clubbed him on the back with double-fists… Show and Haku brawled for a few moments, before Umaga joined his tag team partner in running Big Show off… Show was furious, but he knew he was outnumbered badly… Back Watchers…? In recent weeks, ‘The Bad Guy’ Razor Ramon has talked about being alone in the locker room right now, and facing guys like we just saw in Rikishi, Haku and Umaga, who run in a pack… He mentioned getting someone to watch his back, and when we came back from a commercial here tonight, he was talking with someone… The cameras didn’t pick up what Ramon and Bill DeMott were talking about… They actually looked like they were being quite covert about their conversation in general… Jushin Thunder Liger [vs] Local Enhancement Talent Great performance from Liger here. He sped things up well, but also slowed things down when he needed to. The local talent was slightly larger, and thick in the mid-section, so Liger chopped him down with low kicks. He also ended it with a high-impact move as he dropped the youngster with a great looking ‘Brainbuster’. 69 Winner: Jushin Thunder Liger Finish: 'Brainbuster' Acolytes Double Protection Agency… We cut to the back following Liger’s impressive win, and found Bradshaw reading a note on a small piece of paper… When his tag team partner Faarooq walked up… Bradshaw looked delighted to see his best friend, but Faarooq was a little more unsure… Faarooq: “Alright, man… You gotta tell me what’s goin’ on…!! I got D’Lo (Brown) tellin’ me you punched him on purpose… I got Regal and Malenko breakin’ into our office… leavin’ us notes all up in there, man… Everyone’s askin’ me… what’s up with Bradshaw…?!” Bradshaw looked back at the note for a moment, and then didn’t even respond to ANY of Faarooq’s questions… Bradshaw: “Did you SEE the note from Regal and Malenko…!? Look at this… They want a match… at No Way Out… If they win, their debt to us is WIPED… If we win… get this… Their debt is DOUBLED…!! Double or Nothing…?! My kinda odds…!!” Bradshaw walked off, saying he’d be accepting the challenge… while Faarooq stood with his hands on his hips, and said ‘DAMN!’… ‘The Real Deal’ D’Lo Brown [vs] Steven Richards D’Lo and Richards are two very talented performers, but Richards spent way too long caring about what the fans thought than actually delivering meaningful offence. After arguing with one fan in particular in the front row, Richards turned around and was planted with a brutal ‘Sky High’. 73 Winner: ‘The Real Deal’ D’Lo Brown Finish: 'Sky High' Felt That… As D’Lo Brown was having his hand raised, the big Texan APA member Bradshaw slid into the ring behind him… Bradshaw ran past his target, hit the ropes, and then came back with a ‘Clothesline From Hell’ that almost took the stunned D’Lo’s head off… Bradshaw shouted something at him, and then grabbed a microphone… He shouted that he ‘meant to hit him that time’… and then threw the microphone down defiantly…!! Holly Lot Of Trouble… Backstage, Hardcore Holly was angrily talking to his Cousins Crash and Molly Holly… He was seething about losing to Perry Saturn on RAW… and he was annoyed at Val Venis for his role in the feud between the Hollys and Terri’s Boys (Albert and Saturn)… when Val Venis walked up, looking like he didn’t know there’d been any ruckus or ill feeling towards him… Val Venis: “Helloooooo Hollys…!!” Hardcore’s face said it all… He was completely unimpressed with Val’s actions on the night he dated both Terri and his Cousin Molly… and he’s done nothing to win Hardcore’s favour so far… Hardcore Holly: “Here’s an idea for ya Val… How about you clear outta here, before I stick my boot up your ass!! Terri’s Boys have challenged us, and we’re tryin’ ta figure out which one of me and Crash should take on that big b*****d Albert on RAW…” Val Venis: “I’ll do it…!! Yeah… Yeah… There’s no sense in either of you guys getting hurt, on my account… I’ll fight Albert… and I’ll beat him too…!! I will do it… in Molly’s honour…!!” Molly said Val was really sweet, and held his hand for a brief moment, before noticing that Hardcore Holly had seen them touch… and she quickly let go… Hardcore said that Val had better win… Otherwise Terri’s Boys would be two for two against them… w/ Edge, Eddie Guerrero & Rey Mysterio [vs] Chris Jericho, Mr. Perfect & Mr. Sexay w/ Chris Benoit It was a case of three Champions (Jericho, Perfect and Sexay) against two Number One Contenders (Eddie and Edge) and their partner Mysterio, was the odd man out. The wildcard in the match, and the man who was in the ring for the longest, was also the one who scored the decisive move, and the decisive pinfall. For the second straight week on Smackdown, he pinned Mr. Perfect, this time following his brilliant finisher the ‘619’. If he hits that at No Way Out, Eddie and Rey will beat the Tag Champs, in a non-title match. 83 Winners: Edge, Eddie Guerrero & Rey Mysterio Finish: '619' Will This Feud Ever End…?! We cut to a backstage interview segment next, where Jerry Lynn was talking with Coach, about his long-time rival Marty Jannetty… Jerry Lynn: “So… Jannetty lost… AGAIN… When will you learn Marty…?! You may be a great wrestler… You may be one of the best to ever do it… But I am, SO much smarter than you… and I’ll tell ya…” Before Lynn could finish his thought, Jannetty walked up looking angry… Marty Jannetty: “HEY!... You’ve played some games with me… games that I’ve lost, so far… and you are smart… I’ll give you that… but you better be at RAW… Because I’ve lined up an opponent for YOU…!!” Lynn shrugged, and walked off arrogantly… Jannetty looked like he was up to something… Local Enhancement Talent [vs] ‘The Japanese Buzzsaw’ Tajiri Another clean, and decisive win for Tajiri here. He’s won his first eight matches here in the WWF, and he looks to be a real contender for Light Heavyweight Gold in the future. 52 Winner: ‘The Japanese Buzzsaw’ Tajiri Finish: 'Buzzsaw Kick' Stipulated Stipulation… We got a quick reminder about the stipulations for tonight’s Main Event between Triple H and The Undertaker from the announce team… Michael Cole: “Tazz, if Triple H wins tonight, his match in the Cage against Vince McMahon at No Way Out will NOT be at risk of being interrupted… because The Undertaker will be BARRED from the building…!!” Tazz: “That’s all very well and good Cole, but ‘The American Badass’ is aptly named… If… Or I gotta say it… WHEN… he wins tonight… He gets added to the match, and it’s a 2 on 1 handicap…” Michael Cole: “Yeah Triple H versus Vince and Undertaker… I don’t like those odds…” ‘The Game’ Triple H [vs] ‘The American Badass’ The Undertaker Before the match started, Mick Foley demanded that Vince McMahon and the WWF World Heavyweight Champion: ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, leave ringside, and allow the two big bulls in the ring to do battle. Vince was furious, and Undertaker seemed a little thrown early on. He received a barrage of offence from ‘The Game’, and had to cover up to avoid taking some early shots to the face and body. Once he got rolling though, the Hardcore Champion was difficult to stop. A fan got into the ring late on, and the distraction allowed ‘Taker to regain control after a great comeback from Triple H. ‘The American Badass’ used a thumb to the eye to keep ‘The Game’ at bay, before ending it with the ‘Tombstone Piledriver’. Undertaker is going to No Way Out! 88 Winner: ‘The American Badass’ The Undertaker Finish: 'Tombstone Piledriver' Olympic Sized Proposition… Having watched the Main Event on a monitor, Vince McMahon and ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin were delighted with what they saw… Steve Austin: “God Damn Vince… He did it… Hell of a match right there, and now… No Way Out… In the Cage… Triple H goes down… BAM… Then Rikishi… and Big Show… BAM…!! What a night for the Power Trip, huh?!” There was then a knock at the door, and Vince and Austin’s attention was taken by the man entering the room… Unknown Voice: “You uhh… You wanted to see me, sir…?!” Vince McMahon: “KUUUURT…!! The man who makes Ankles Hurt…?! Right…?! And the man who thinks he should be the Number One Contender for the WWF World Heavyweight Title…?!” Kurt Angle: “That’s right, sir… I’m that man…!! With respect, of course Austin…” Vince McMahon: “Well Mr. Angle… I think… I could work with that… See, I have a proposition for you… A man you know VERY well, The Big Show, has been running amok in the WWF for a long time now… Rikishi… Austin’s other opponent at No Way Out… isn’t much better… Running around with those big Island Boys in his crew… But if one of either Show or Rikishi didn’t make it to No Way Out… and we had ourselves a 1 on 1 match… I… as Chairman of the World Wrestling Federation… Would look extremely favourably on that fact…” Angle looked a little confused… He didn’t really grasp what was in it for him… Steve Austin: “What…?! Alright, kid… I’m a spell it out for you… If somehow… Big Show or Rikishi… Doesn’t make it… to No Way Out… Maybe we can give you… A World Heavyweight Title shot down the line…” Angle realised what was happening, and seemed happy with that… He shook both Vince and Austin’s hands… as the show went off the air… With just over one week to go before No Way Out, the card looks full and exciting… Quick Results: Umaga [def.] Big Boss Man Jushin Thunder Liger [def.] Local Enhancement Talent D’Lo Brown [def.] Steven Richards Edge, Eddie Guerrero & Rey Mysterio [def.] Chris Jericho, Mr. Perfect & Mr. Sexay Tajiri [def.] Local Enhancement Talent The Undertaker [def.] Triple H Show Rating: 85

Or has it already begun...?! I hint at it a couple of times, but it properly kicks off at WrestleMania, and the night after In Your House? Maybe that's what I'll call the 'Invasion' PPV I've got set for later in the year... 'Invasion In Your House'... Yeah Victoria is amazing. I just don't think I can ever do a Women's Division well. I do 6 or 7 matches per TV show, and 7-9 for a PPV... Realistically, I can fit one match a week around the women's division, and maybe one or two segments? But then I get less for the rest of the card. I like Light Heavyweights, because they can be integrated with the Heavyweights/Tag Teams, etc. But the women's needs to be so separate, and I find it hard. I feel Victoria is better suited to being a wrestler than she is a 'manager', or other on-screen character. 3 Minute Warning were great! Jamal is already Umaga here though, so I'm not sure I could bring him back to 3MW. I could have Rosey join the Samoan/Islanders group in his 3MW gimmick... Hmm...

ahaha! Why would you? I looked up debuts from developmental in 2002, as it was a huge year in the WWF, and I came across this list: Batista, Brock Lesnar, John Cena, Nidia, Randy Orton, Jamal & Rosey, Victoria, Rico... I don't have any plans for Victoria or Rico as yet, and Rosey is one that has options. I could either go Superhero gimmick, or add him to my growing list of big Samoans/Island Boys. I just thought it was funny how Nidia was listed before Randy !!

> Umaga w/ Rikishi & Haku [vs] Big Boss Man Jushin Thunder Liger [vs] ???? ‘The Real Deal’ D’Lo Brown [vs] Steven Richards Edge, Eddie Guerrero & Rey Mysterio [vs] Chris Jericho, Mr. Perfect & Mr. Sexay Local Enhancement Talent [vs] ‘The Japanese Buzzsaw’ Tajiri ‘The Game’ Triple H [vs] ‘The American Badass’ The Undertaker

FEBRUARY 2002, WEEK 2… In The Booth: Jim Ross, Michael Cole and Tazz NOT Mick Foley… The announce team spoke about how Mick Foley would be here TONIGHT… to confirm the status of the Triple H/Vince McMahon feud… and what they’ll be doing at No Way Out… But it was not Mick Foley who opened the show… Much to the dismay of the fans… Kurt Angle: “BOO all you want…!! My name is KURT ANGLE… and I’ll give you a HURT ANKLE…!!” The crowd booed louder and louder, although some found him funny… He went on to repeat his rhetoric of the last few weeks; that HE should be the number one contender to Steve Austin’s WWF World Heavyweight Title… He said he’d beaten Big Show, and could beat Rikishi… but this brought out Eddie Guerrero… The man who won the Royal Rumble, and will face the winner of Austin/Big Show/Rikishi at No Way Out… Eddie Guerrero: “Hey Angle… Chou’re boring us to TEARS, and chou’re giving us HURT EARS!! I know why you’re out here… I know what chou’re trying to do… But maybe, choo shoulda won the Royal Rumble, like I did Ese…!?” Kurt then challenged Eddie to a match for later tonight… which Eddie accepted… Angle left without much fuss, and Eddie did the same… but then as Guerrero was half way up the ramp, ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin’s music hit… ‘Latino Heat’ got ready for a fight, but Austin walked past him like he wasn’t even there… He didn’t even look at his rival and potential future opponent… He just stomped to the ring and flipped off the crowd… He was in a match next, to kick off the in-ring action tonight… Scotty Too Hotty [vs] ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin Scotty Too Hotty was Austin’s first opponent when he debuted in the WWF, and they’ve both come a long way since then. Austin is a machine out there at times, and while Scotty’s charisma is infectious, he could do nothing to stem the tide of the constant pummelling from old ‘Stone Cold’. In the end, Austin hit his ‘Stunner’ on the former Too Cool member, to score the win. 85 Winner: ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin Finish: 'Stone Cold Stunner' Big Show Stopper… Somehow, after the match, nobody saw Big Show sneak out to ringside… The sneaky, but huge, giant grabbed Austin by the throat and hoisted him high up into the air… before slamming him down with the ‘Show Stopper’ Chokeslam…!! Saves Us A Job… In the back, Rikishi, Haku and Umaga were shown watching the action on a big screen… Rikishi commented that Big Show attacking Austin saved them from heading out to the ring… If Austin had laid a finger on Scotty Too Hotty after the bell, the three big Island Boys were ready to pounce… ‘Kish went on to thank his family members for their help in recent weeks, for watching his back, and for just being awesome Usos… He then promised to have Umaga’s back, in his match on Smackdown… Marty Jannetty [vs] Bill DeMott Jannetty was out to prove his worth here, after a string of defeats since losing his Light Heavyweight Title. However, he couldn’t get rolling in the match because Jerry Lynn came out to ringside to cause trouble. After multiple distractions, Jannetty eventually walked onto a running Cross-Body from the heavy-set DeMott, who then went up to the top rope to hit the ‘Last Laugh’. 71 Winner: Bill DeMott Finish: 'Last Laugh' (Moonsault) The Camera Doesn’t Lie… Backstage, old friends D’Lo Brown and Faarooq were talking, as D’Lo began to get more irate with his former mentor… D’Lo Brown: “Listen, man… I’m TELLING you… I’ve watched the footage (of Bradshaw’s actions on Smackdown) a hundred times… He hit me in the face, an’ it was NOT an accident…!!” Brown was referring to the segment last week, which saw Bradshaw attack William Regal and Dean Malenko… Agents and wrestlers came out to stop him, including Faarooq and D’Lo… and Bradshaw landed a flailing arm on D’Lo’s face… His eye and cheek still looked swollen and badly bruised… Faarooq: “I don’ know man… That was a hectic night… accidents happen…” D’Lo Brown: “THAT… was no accident… Man… I can’t believe you’re taking his side in this…” D’Lo walked off… leaving Faarooq with his hands on his hips and shaking his head… He called out that “it ain’t like that”, but D’Lo could no longer hear him and was out of camera shot… Faarooq: “… DAMN!!” w/ K-Kwik w/ Billy Gunn [vs] Big Boss Man Rapid Fire (Kwik and Gunn) are a fun tag team, and they get the crowd behind them well in their matches. Big Boss Man couldn’t be more opposite to that, and he tried to suck the life out of the arena, as well as squeezing the life out of Kwik in Bear Hugs and Abdominal Stretches. However, Kwik is quick, and once he created some space, Boss Man couldn’t stop him. He hit his ‘Consequence’ to win it! 63 Winner: K-Kwik w/ Billy Gunn Finish: 'Consequence' (Neckbreaker) Holly Planet… We cut backstage, to where Val Venis was thanking The Holly Cousins for saving him from a beatdown on Smackdown… Hardcore Holly: “Yeah well, don’t thank us… Thank Molly… We woulda let you suffer…” Val Venis: “Molly, thank y…” Hardcore Holly: “Yeah well, you better hope I don’t lose tonight against Perry Saturn…!! I’m only in a match with that big sonofab*tch because I stopped him killing you…!!” Crash said that just because they saved him, doesn’t mean they’re cool… Hardy Highlight Reel… We took a trip to The Hardy Compound next, and found Matt, Jeff, Lita and ‘Senior’ Benjamin sat in what appeared to be a ‘Cinema Room’… A very large TV, which must have been about FORTY INCHES was counting down slowly from ten… Matt turned to the camera… Matt Hardy: “WELCOME… To the Hardy Compound… I knew you’d coooome…!! Let’s take a look at a TRIBUUUUTE… to Jushin… Thundaaa… Ligaaa… A ‘Highlight Reel’… If you weeeell…!!” The video got down to 1, and began playing… It showed two things mainly… Jeff Hardy winning the Light Heavyweight Title, and lifting it above his head… and Jushin Thunder Liger getting eliminated from the Royal Rumble by The Undertaker…!! The Family laughed as it played... and when it finished, there was a knock at the door… Jeff told ‘Senior’ Benjamin to answer the door… He stood up, and opened it… to reveal Jeff’s ‘Other Love’… Jeff Hardy: “Everyone… This is Nidia…!! And Nidia… This is… Everyone…” Matt Hardy: “Welcoooommme… YEEEESSSsss… This is, WONDERFUL…!!” Matt seemed pleased to meet her… and Shelton was welcoming too… Lita and Nidia shared a look, and there seemed to be a tiny bit of animosity between the two… But it looks as though Nidia is the newest member of The Hardy Family…!! Local Enhancement Talent [vs] ‘The Animal’ Batista Another great performance, and another dominant victory for ‘The Animal’ Batista here. He won it once again, with his ‘Batista Bomb’. 33 Winner: ‘The Animal’ Batista Finish: 'Batista Bomb' No Protection… Agency… We cut backstage, and found William Regal and Dean Malenko stood outside the door, that isn’t a door, to the office of The APA…!! The fan favourite tag team stood outside the door… and looked nervous about entering… According to Bradshaw, the pair owe him and Faarooq a LOT of money, and things have started turning physical, and in some cases, downright nasty… The two took a moment to gather themselves… and then Regal knocked on the door, and they entered… There was nobody in the office…!! Regal and Malenko couldn’t believe it…!! But they decided to write Faarooq and Bradshaw a note…!! Razor Wants Some Edge… Elsewhere in the back, Coach was interviewing ‘The Bad Guy’ Razor Ramon… Coach: “Razor, tough… tough… loss last week to Rikishi… With WrestleMania 18 right around the corner, and plenty of potential opponents… Where does Razor Ramon go next…?!” Razor Ramon: “EY YO…!! Tough loss…?! Listen up, Coach… Las’ week, Rikishi had some help… I was basically fightin’ THREE big, scary, Island Boys… So maybe… as WrestleMania 18 approaches… Maybe I need some back up around here… Don’t forget… Hard work pays off… Dreams come true… Bad times don’t last… but Bad… Guys… DO!!” w/ w/ Hardcore Holly w/ Crash & Molly [vs] Perry Saturn w/ Albert & Terri Both Holly and Saturn knew they’d been in a match here, as both left with cuts and bruises. A very physical affair, predicated on a personal issue that runs deep between themselves, and the four people at ringside, all stemming from Val Venis. Saturn won it in the end, locking Holly up in his ‘Rings Of Saturn’ finisher, and making the tough guy from Alabama pass out. 71 Winner: Perry Saturn w/ Albert & Terri Finish: 'Rings Of Saturn' An Imperfect Start… In a pre-recorded segment, Mr. Perfect and Mr. Sexay were admiring their WWF Tag Team Title Belts… It hasn’t been the ‘Perfect’ start to life as Tag Champs… last week, the veteran Mr. Perfect lost to newcomer Rey Mysterio… a defeat that he termed a ‘minor setback’… especially since they’ll be facing Mysterio and his partner Eddie Guerrero at No Way Out… Mr. Perfect: “But since we’re the Champs… we have some sway around here… So on Smackdown… we’re teaming with another Champ in Chris Jericho… To take on Rey… Eddie… and Edge…!!” Mr. Sexay: “We’re Perfect… We’re Sexay… and we’re the BEST team in all of WWF…!!” ‘Latino Heat’ Eddie Guerrero [vs] ‘The Olympic Gold Medallist’ Kurt Angle One of the best matches of the year so far, between two up and coming mega stars. Angle has so far had just a four month World Title reign, but it’s only a matter of time before he gets back to the top of the company. As for Eddie, his time on top might come extremely soon. He’ll Main Event WrestleMania 18 this year, after winning the prestigious Royal Rumble Match. Angle made it to the Final Four in that match, upon his return from a spell on the sidelines following getting his head shaved bald by Big Show. The bald head makes Angle look like more of a badass though, and he’s looked on a mission in recent weeks. He believes he should be the next in line for a WWF World Heavyweight Title shot. However, Eddie will get the Title shot at ‘Mania, so he aimed to put Angle in his place here tonight, and did just that in the end. For the finish, Angle was attempting a ‘German Suplex’ from the top rope, but Eddie managed to shake him off. Angle landed hard, and Eddie wasn’t waiting. He spun around on the top rope, and hit his ‘Frog Splash’ to score the win and end the night on a high. But the show itself wasn’t over. 95 Winner: ‘Latino Heat’ Eddie Guerrero Finish: 'Frog Splash' Foley Is Good… WWF Commissioner Mick Foley arrived in the ring next… ready to reveal his decision surrounding Triple H and Vince McMahon and his group… Mick Foley: “Ladies and Gentlemen, I won’t take up too much of your time… Shane McMahon is out injured… I’ve uhh… I’ve seen the Doctor’s write-up, and he can’t go at No Way Out…” Mick went on to confirm that ‘The Game’ Triple H would face the Chairman of the WWF, and his Father-In-Law Vince McMahon in a STEEL CAGE Match at No Way Out… BUT, the outcome of a match scheduled for Smackdown could change the match completely… Mick Foley: “On Smackdown… It’ll be Triple H… versus The Underrrrrtaker…!! If Triple H wins… ‘Taker will be BANNED from the building… and FIRED on the spot if he shows up… but if ‘Taker wins on Smackdown… Then that Cage Match… is gonna be Triple H… versus Vince McMahon… and his tag team partner… The Undertaker!!” Foley confirmed that all parties were happy with the terms, and were looking ahead to Smackdown already…!! Quick Results: Steve Austin [def.] Scotty Too Hotty Bill DeMott [def.] Marty Jannetty K-Kwik [def.] Big Boss Man Batista [def.] Local Enhancement Talent Perry Saturn [def.] Hardcore Holly Eddie Guerrero [def.] Kurt Angle Show Rating: 88

> Scotty Too Hotty [vs] ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin Marty Jannetty [vs] Bill DeMott K-Kwik w/ Billy Gunn [vs] Big Boss Man ???? [vs] Batista Hardcore Holly w/ Crash & Molly [vs] Perry Saturn w/ Albert & Terri ‘Latino Heat’ Eddie Guerrero [vs] ‘The Olympic Gold Medallist’ Kurt Angle

He most certainly did :D Hahaha!! I wondered if anyone would pick up on that!! Haha I do have plans do debut the class of 2002 properly, in 2002... but I'll be doing it all differently to real life.

FEBRUARY 2002, WEEK 1… In The Booth: Michael Cole and Tazz Olympic Opening… We kicked off the show with ‘Olympic Gold Medallist’ Kurt Angle heading to the ring… The now bald technician looked like he was on a mission…!! Kurt Angle: “I’m Kurt Angle… Your Olympic, Hero… And I’ve got news for you… I should be… The Number One Contender… For the WWF World Heavyweight Title…!!” The crowd booed, but Angle wasn’t deterred at all… Kurt Angle: “I’m serious… I beat Big Show… I sure is HELL, can beat Rikishi… So can someone explain to me… How they’re getting Title shots… at No Way Out…?! Anybody…?!” Rikishi lead Haku and Umaga to the ring… and Angle got the heck out of there as quickly as he could… He hopped the guard rail, and took his chances with the fired up crowd instead of confronting Rikishi and co… w/ Rikishi w/ Haku & Umaga [vs] ‘The Bad Guy’ Razor Ramon With people like Kurt Angle questioning why he’s getting a WWF World Heavyweight Title shot at No Way Out, Rikishi needed a big win here. Razor Ramon wasn’t about to let him get one. ‘The Bad Guy’ felt like he was up against three big Islanders, but if he’d focused on Rikishi a little more, he might have gotten the win. In the end, he was hit with the ‘Rikishi Driver’ and laid flat out for the pin. 71 Winner: Rikishi w/ Haku & Umaga Finish: 'Rikishi Driver' Two Tribes… We cut backstage next, where we found Triple H standing with Vince and Shane McMahon… WWF Commissioner Mick Foley was playing peacemaker, and he had a few security guards around him… Mick Foley: “You know why I’ve called you all here today… Vince… Shane… You’ve both tried to end Triple H’s career… and me personally… I’d like to see him kick your ASSES at No Way Out…” Foley conceded that since Vince McMahon owns the company, he knows he can’t just make the boss do whatever he wants him to… So he suggested that between them, they come up with a plan that suits all parties… since they all hate each other, and all want to get their hands on each other… Triple H: “I’ll make it simple for you… I want both of you… In a Steel Cage… No Way Out for either of you…!! I don’t even mind the handicap match… I’ll kick both your asses…!!” Vince McMahon: “Ha, Ha, Ha… Not sure who you think you are, pal… but we OWN this place… and in a 2 on 1 Cage Match, we’d own YOU… Buuutt… Shane…?” Shane McMahon: “Yeah… The problem with your plan, ‘Game’… is that I’m INJURED… But uhhh… We could come up with a plan…” Triple H didn’t believe him, and another argument broke out… We cut away, with the group still arguing and discussing what we would see at No Way Out between them… Mick Foley confirmed that on RAW, he’d announce the decision… w/ Al Snow [vs] Shelton Benjamin w/ The Hardy Family Al is a wily veteran, and if this was 1 on 1, he’d have most likely put Shelton away. However, ‘Senior Benjamin’ had some help at ringside in the form of The Hardy Family. Jeff, Lita and Matt made their presence known a few times, and completely changed the flow of the match, and indeed the outcome. Shelton did the heavy-lifting at the end though, hitting his brilliant ‘T-Bone Suplex’ to score the biggest win of his career! 67 Winner: Shelton Benjamin w/ The Hardy Family Finish: 'T-Bone Suplex' Highlight, Really? After the match, Matt Hardy and The Family climbed into the ring… and Matt grabbed a microphone… Matt Hardy: “WONDERFUL…!! Senior Benjamin with another… VEEEEECTORY… YaaaaAAASSSsss…!! But now… Now it’s time to get, serious… People think… Brother Nero and I… were angered by Jushin Thunder Liger’s HIGHLIGHT REEL…” Last week on RAW, The Hardyz were interrupted by a Highlight Reel playing on the big screen, showing clips from Liger’s legendary career… Matt Hardy: “We weren’t angered… we thought it was… TREEEEEMENDOUS…!! It was so good in fact… that for RAW NEXT week… We’ve put together a Highlight Reel of our OWN…!!” w/ w/ Rey Mysterio w/ Eddie Guerrero [vs] Mr. Perfect w/ Mr. Sexay Mr. Perfect is one of the most fluid, and quickest, wrestlers in the world. But even he couldn’t keep up with Rey Mysterio here. The high flying masked star was quicker thank quick, and couldn’t be caught for long enough for Perfect to hit any of his high-impact offence. In the end, Perfect was attempting a waste-lock with a potential German Suplex, but Rey rolled him up for the flash pinfall victory! A big win against one half of the new WWF Tag Team Champions! 73 Winner: Rey Mysterio w/ Eddie Guerrero Finish: 'Roll-Up' Big Valb-Sorry-Ski ‘The Big Valbowski’ Val Venis headed to the ring next… looking extremely sorry and sad… He was dressed in black trousers, and a fitted t-shirt, and didn’t do his usual schtick., like the towel thing… he asked for a microphone… and didn’t even say “Helloooo Ladies!”… Val Venis: “I’m… I’m sorry…!!” Val paused… He wiped away what looked like genuine tears… and looked up to the ceiling for guidance… Over the last couple of weeks, Val has upset a lot of people… He dated Molly Holly (Hardcore and Crash Holly’s Cousin) AND Terri (Manager of Albert and Perry Saturn) on the same night…!! Then, when leaving the second date with Terri, he knocked some drinks into big Albert… Val Venis: “I’m sorry to a number of people… I’m sorry to Terri… I’m sorry, SO sorry, to Albert, and Perry Saturn… I’m sorry to Hardcore and Crash Holly… and most of all… I’m sorry Molly Holly… So very sor…” Val was mid-flow, when the music of Terri’s Boys (Albert and Perry Saturn) hit… They were soon followed to the ring by The Holly Cousins – Hardcore and Crash…!! Terri, Albert, Saturn, Hardcore and Crash surrounded the ring… Terri asked for a microphone and said: “Apology NOT accepted”… She then ordered her ‘Boys’ to climb into the ring, and teach Val a lesson!! They didn’t have to be told twice, and they kicked lumps out of the fan favourite… Hardcore and Crash also climbed into the ring… but they hovered nearby, without getting involved…!! Then, after the fans began to cheer and chant her name… Molly Holly arrived…!! Molly slid into the ring, and tried to grab Albert and Saturn… Terri got in her way, and she pleaded with her Cousins - Hardcore and Crash, to help! It took a few seconds, but the two obliged, and they pulled Albert and Saturn off Val…!! The two tag teams then began to slug it out, with Terri’s Boys initially gaining the upper hand… but Val got back up, and helped the Holly Cousins… Albert and Saturn were sent packing, as Hardcore and Crash thanked Val for the assist, and he thanked them more…!! w/ Regal & Malenko [vs] Steve Blackman & Steven Richards w/ Ivory The WWF Tag Team Division continues to grow in stature, and Regal and Malenko have been a huge part of that. They won comfortably here by isolating Steven Richards, and not allowing the tag to the much more dangerous Steve Blackman. In the end, Regal made Richards tap to the ‘Regal Stretch’ but they could have ended it a lot earlier. An absolute masterclass from the two technicians. 75 Winners: Regal & Malenko Finish: 'Regal Stretch’ Don’t Tug On Superman’s Cape… and Don’t Owe Money To The APA…!! After the match was over, the big Texan APA member Bradshaw, slid into the ring and almost decapitated Dean Malenko with his ‘Clothesline From Hell’… Regal put up a little more of a fight, as the two traded punches and elbows… but the fresher, and frankly larger and stronger, Bradshaw came out on top using his Pump Handle Drop… He grabbed a microphone… Bradshaw: “HEY…!! QUIT PLAYIN’ DUMB…!! GIMME MY MONEY… NOW…!!” Regal and Malenko could barely move, let alone respond… and Bradshaw got ready to keep them both down… He decided to slide out of the ring, and grab some hardware, in the form of a steel chair… However, unfortunately for him, but fortunately for Regal and Malenko, the locker room began to empty, as concerned WWF Stars came to keep Bradshaw back… Most notable by their arrival, were Faarooq and D’Lo Brown… Faarooq didn’t seem to know what money Regal and Malenko were supposed to owe the APA, but Bradshaw started flailing his arms about, and having an apparent tantrum… It lead to D’Lo catching a flailing arm to the face… which knocked him down, and would later cause a thick black eye and a bruised right cheekbone.., Kwik, Get RAW On… Next up, we learned that K-Kwik would be in action this coming Monday, on RAW… Kwik, who is one half of ‘Rapid Fire’ with Billy Gunn, has had an interesting few months to say the least… X-Pac tried to kick him out of New Generation X, but Kwik stood his ground, and beat X-Pac to end the faction… and in 2002 so far, his win/loss record is very up and down… He needs a big win on RAW, and Billy Gunn could do with his young tag team partner doing well too… Local Enhancement Talent [vs] ‘The Japanese Buzzsaw’ Tajiri Tajiri’s opponent tonight was a larger youngster, with really impressive arms. He was a little green, and looked a little robotic at times. Ultimately, he came up against a really fluid mover in Tajiri. The established Japanese star didn’t care how big his opponent was, he chopped the young stud down to his height, and then finished him off with the ‘Buzzsaw Kick’. 32 Winner: ‘The Japanese Buzzsaw’ Tajiri Finish: 'Buzzsaw Kick' On A Power Trip… Backstage, Eddie Guerrero was leaving the locker room, when he bumped into potentially his future WrestleMania 18 opponent: ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin… The camera panned to reveal that Austin wasn’t alone… WWF World Heavyweight Champion Austin, and the WWF Hardcore Champion The Undertaker, tried to intimidate the Royal Rumble Winner: Eddie Guerrero… Austin got in his face initially, but when Undertaker put his arm around Eddie, ‘Latino Heat’ looked a little mad… He laughed it off… but it was clear his laugh was sadistic and ill intended… Eddie Guerrero: “Ha… Haah… Ha… Haha… Guys, guys, guys… Chou’re out here worrying about me…?! When choo should be worried about Big Show AND Rikishi… Maybe… Maybe I should be worried about those two, for ‘Mania…?! Because one of them… is going to BEAT choo… at No Way Out…!!” Eddie sloped away, leaving Undertaker, and particularly Austin, absolutely furious…!! Match Made… Next up, we learnt that due to Christian’s injury, Edge would be getting an Intercontinental Title shot… against Chris Jericho at No Way Out… IF… he can defeat Chris Benoit, in the Main Event… Tonight…!! And that match… was next…!! w/ Edge [vs] ‘Crippler’ Chris Benoit Chris Jericho was a pest early on, and ended up getting himself ejected from ringside. It left us with an excellent 1 on 1 encounter between two Canadian workhorses, that the crowd really got behind. Benoit dominated, using throws and holds to control Edge, and he tried to silence the fans. But they came alive for Edge’s offence, and helped him a lot in the comeback. For the finish, Benoit missed his Diving Headbutt from the top rope, because Edge rolled out the way. As Benoit got up holding his face, Edge unleashed the ‘Spear’ and almost cut him in half! 95 Winner: Edge Finish: 'Spear' Over The Edge… After the match, Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho returned through the curtain, but stayed on the stage to stare down Edge… The two will clash at No Way Out, for Jericho’s Championship, with revenge on Edge’s mind… It was Jericho who caused he and his Brother Christian to lose their WWF Tag Team Titles… Quick Results: Rikishi [def.] Razor Ramon Shelton Benjamin [def.] Al Snow Rey Mysterio [def.] Mr. Perfect Regal & Malenko [def.] Steve Blackman & Steven Richards Tajiri [def.] Local Enhancement Talent Edge [def.] Chris Benoit Show Rating: 86 Some backstage news, and just as her ‘on-screen romance’ with Val Venis takes off, Molly Holly has begun dating Jeff Hardy in real life… The big questions are: How will Jeff react to her interactions with Val on the TV show…?! And will Jeff soon be introducing everyone to his ‘other love’ (other than the Light Heavyweight Title)…?!

> Rikishi [vs] ‘The Bad Guy’ Razor Ramon Al Snow [vs] Shelton Benjamin w/ The Hardy Family Rey Mysterio w/ Eddie Guerrero [vs] Mr. Perfect w/ Mr. Sexay Regal & Malenko [vs] Steve Blackman & Steven Richards ???? [vs] ‘The Japanese Buzzsaw’ Tajiri Edge [vs] ‘Crippler’ Chris Benoit

1) Big Damo vs. Parrow He was on AEW this week, and lost to Spears! I think he could be good here though. 2) Willow Nightingale vs. Holidead 3) 'Filthy' Tom Lawlor vs. Ross Von Erich Man I love Carlito! Such a 'what could have been' performer to me!! Even in the recent Royal Rumble appearance, he could have done more/been around longer. I think he's a GREAT fit for this diary! Might be because I'm a huge fan of his, but it does feel right to me

FEBRUARY 2002, WEEK 1… In The Booth: Jim Ross, Michael Cole and Tazz A New Christian… We kicked off the first show of February 2002 with the now former WWF Tag Team Champions: Edge and Christian, strolling to the ring… The elephant in the room was Christian’s sling, as his left arm hung in the bandage… and he looked saddened… He didn’t waste much time in addressing it though… Christian: “Yeah so uhh… last week, during our unsuccessful Title defence… I uhh… I got hurt… and uhh… I’m gonna be out a little while, yeah…!!” Edge put his arm around his brother… and they both looked down at the ground… Last week, Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit arrived during the match with the new Champs: Mr. Perfect and Mr. Sexay… it was their distraction, and then physical interference that lead to E and C losing their Belts… and potentially Christian’s injury too… Edge was not happy…!! Edge: “Who does that…?! Who the HELL do they think they are…?! Jericho… This is your warning… Christian is out… but now that I’m on my own, I’m coming for that Intercontinental Title…!! And tonight… I’ll find a new partner to fight you and your ‘goon’…!!” ‘The Game’ Triple H [vs] Test These two have a lot of history, some of it ancient, but there still seemed like genuine hatred between the two of them here. Triple H fought back hard after a solid start from Test, but then almost walked on to a ‘Big Boot’ from the youngster. After narrowly avoiding the devastating kick, ‘The Game’ hit his ‘Pedigree’ and scored the win. 79 Winner: ‘The Game’ Triple H Finish: 'Pedigree' Less Than 99 Problems The Four Man Power Trip were shown next, watching the previous match… and agreed that Triple H’s form is a ‘problem’… Vince McMahon: “I can take care of Triple H… But we have two, very large, problems to deal with too… Big Show, and Rikishi… They BOTH want to be the Number One Contender and head to No Way Out to fight our glorious Champion: ‘Stone Cold’… Steve… AUSTIN…!! But I won’t allow it… And I certainly won’t allow these two behemoths to be on the same page… So tonight… Big Show VERSUS Rikishi… Winner goes to No Way Out…!!” Spike Dudley [vs] ‘The Animal’ Batista Despite picking up a couple of wins in the last few months, Spike Dudley stood absolutely no chance here. He was cut in half by a Spear early on, and pummelled into the mat by the powerful young stud. Batista mercifully put Spike away on 4 minutes with his ‘Batista Bomb’. 42 Winner: ‘The Animal’ Batista Finish: 'Batista Bomb' Not Everything Is As It Seems… We cut backstage following another impressive victory for Batista… to where old friends D’Lo Brown and Faarooq were catching up… They started off by talking about The Godfather, and his recent surgery/injury… Both men wished him well… D’Lo Brown: “Listen, man… You always taught me to speak up… Tell it like it is… and don’t take crap from nobody…!! Well… I gotta know, man… Is Bradshaw who he says he is…?! I mean… Can you… Do you… Really trust him…?!” Faarooq looked at the ground, and then seemed to look around for answers… He also may have been checking to hear if anyone was listening in… He said he wasn’t worried about Bradshaw… The outburst at the Royal Rumble where he attacked William Regal… or when he eliminated Faarooq himself from the Royal Rumble Match… Faarooq: “DAMN!!... You know me D’Lo… If I have to deal with him… to keep him in line… I will…!!” Bradshaw was then shown listening in, stood behind some backstage equipment… He didn’t look impressed by his tag team partner and mentor’s comments… He also didn’t seem impressed that D’Lo was questioning his integrity… Open Challenged… Next up in the ring, we had Marty Jannetty… Ready to find out who’d answered his ‘Open Challenge’… when his long-time rival Jerry Lynn headed onto the stage… Jerry Lynn: “Marty, Marty, Marty… You probably wanted to fight me tonight, huh…?! But I’ve found an opponent for you… who you don’t stand a chance against… He’s one half, of the NEW WWF Tag Team Champions… He is… Mr. SEXAY…!!” ** It was at this point that I switched to my new laptop… Sadly, I lost almost all of my images, and crucially, the background I made myself, much like the new one… But hey ho, it is what it is… Here come the new Tag Champs… Mr. Perfect and Mr. Sexay…!! w/ Marty Jannetty [vs] Mr. Sexay w/ Mr. Perfect Jerry Lynn remained at ringside, and his presence was a constant distraction to the experienced Jannetty. He lost in the end, when Mr. Perfect got up on the apron to distract the referee. Lynn slid into the ring, but Jannetty dropkicked him back out again. Then Sexay came up behind the veteran, and planted him with his ‘Legsweep Faceslam’. 74 Winner: Mr. Sexay w/ Mr. Perfect Finish: 'Legsweep Faceslam' The Perfect Night… After the match, Mr. Perfect and Mr. Sexay grabbed microphones… because they had a message for the WWF fans… and two WWF performers in particular… Mr. Perfect: “At No Way Out… Sexay and I… are gonna face our toughest test yet… As we take on the man who won the Royal Rumble Match – Number One Contender for the WWF World Heavyweight Title… Eddie Guerrero…!! And his partner… Rey Mysterio…!!” Mr. Sexay: “INNNN… In… a NON-TITLE Match…!! Okay…!!” Bad Guys… Backstage, Razor Ramon was stood with Bill DeMott… The two men, who used to work in another company, seemed to get along well… Razor Ramon: “Hey Yo…!! Impressed with your start here, Bill… Keep it up… I’m findin’ it… ‘Humorous’… how well you’ve been handling the schmucks you’ve been in the ring with…” The announce team commented on how strange the interaction was, and how they seemed to be reacting to private jokes… w/ Scotty Too Hotty [vs] Jeff Hardy w/ The Hardy Family Great match here, between two fast-paced, charismatic, stars. Jeff Hardy flew around the ring, as Matt, Lita and Shelton cheered him on at ringside. He had a scare late on, with Scotty hitting a bulldog and then the ‘Worm’. But Jeff kicked out of the resulting pin. The Light Heavyweight Champion found his second win soon afterwards, and hit a ‘Twist Of Fate’, before the ‘Swanton Bomb’. 81 Winner: Jeff Hardy w/ The Hardy Family Finish: 'Swanton Bomb' Thunder Highlights… As Jeff Hardy celebrated his win with ‘The Hardy Family’, a video package began playing on the big screen… Legendary Japanese star Jushin Thunder Liger’s Highlight Reel played to the live audience, to huge cheers… The Hardy Family flipped out in the ring… furious at what they’d seen…!! Chasing The Venis… We cut backstage, and found poor Val Venis… On the run from Albert and Perry Saturn…!! Val was being chased after his TWO dates last week during RAW; footage of which aired on Smackdown… The first was with Molly Holly, and it went really well… In the second, a tired Val wanted to leave Terri, who was making advances towards him… He basically ran out of the room, knocking into Albert and sending drinks flying all over the big youngster… Albert and Saturn were here for revenge tonight, but Val was quick, and managed to get away… He ran into a room, and shut the door behind him… and luckily, he found some friends in Hardcore and Crash Holly… Molly Holly’s two cousins… Hardcore Holly: “Ey VAL… You think we’re ‘friends’…?! You took our cousin out for dinner… and then went on another date, on the same, damn night… So I got an idea… GET out into that corridor, and take whatever punishment is comin’ your way pal…!!” Holly shoved Val through the door, and Albert and Saturn were right on him… ‘The Big Valbowski’ managed to get away again somehow though… Much to the anger of both of ‘Terri’s Boys’…!! w/ ‘The World’s Largest Athlete’ Big Show [vs] Rikishi w/ Haku & Umaga The Irresistible Force meeting The Immovable Object, was never going to be an instant classic. However, the crowd were into this one from the get-go. Big Show already had a great match with ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin at the Royal Rumble, and it seemed the fans wouldn’t mind a re-match at No Way Out. Equally, they didn’t seem to mind the idea of Rikishi versus Austin for the WWF World Heavyweight Title. What was abundantly clear though, was the respect between Show and Rikishi. The two big fan favourites shook hands at the start of the match, and appreciated each other throughout. They managed to knock each other out on the outside of the ring, with a double headbutt. ‘Kishi was closest to getting back into the ring, but neither man could beat the ten count!! 71 Winner: DRAW Finish: Double Count-Out Careful What You Wish For… After the match was over, WWF Chairman Vince McMahon, arrived on the stage… With a big grin on his face… Vince McMahon: “Well, it looks like since neither of you can decide on a winner, and number one contender for the WWF World Heavyweight Title at No Way Out… ‘Stone Cold’ Steve… AUSTIN… is gonna have himself a night off…!!” Vince laughed, and turned to leave like only he can… But he was stopped in his tracks by the sound of a car screeching, and then crashing… and the WWF Commissioner Mick Foley headed onto the stage with Vince… Mick Foley: “Hey Vince… How ya doin’…?! Listen, if Austin has the night off… maybe he can come to my place… watch the show… crack a beer… meet my kids…!? It’ll be GREAT…!!” Vince agreed, and said it sounded like a lovely idea… but Mick interrupted him with pure anger… Mick Foley: “IF THAT HAPPENS, I’LL STRIP AUSTIN OF HIS TITLE… I’ll strip Undertaker of HIS… and I’ll make ‘em fight each other… with the loser, losing their JOB!! See… at No Way Out… Now that we have a draw between Big Show and Rikishi… Austin is going to fight them BOTH… For his WWF World Heavyweight Title…!!” McMahon was livid, but he couldn’t do anything to Foley… because the intimidating Rikishi, Haku and Umaga made their way up the ramp…!! Hell… Fire… and Edge… Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit made their way to the ring next, for the Main Event… They were soon joined by one of their opponents: Edge, who waited on the stage… Edge: “I searched high, and low, to find this partner… He’s been through HELL in his life… and in his WWF career… But he’s here to drag both of YOUR asses through hell…” The flames hit behind Edge’s head… and KANE arrived…!! Edge & Kane [vs] Chris Jericho & Chris Benoit Kane was a real difference maker here, and his size and strength was something the other three men in the match simply don’t have. Edge took a beating from Benoit – who used his technical prowess to control the pace of the match, and more importantly, to keep Edge in their half of the ring. Kane was kept on the apron for a long time, but made a big impact when he came in. He hit some big boots on both Jericho and Benoit, and then took them both out with a flying double clothesline. Benoit took the pin in the end, following a ‘Spear’ from Edge. Jericho’s choices were to fight Kane and try and break up the pin, or just leave it and take the loss. 85 Winners: Edge & Kane Finish: 'Spear' Updates… The announce team were on our screens as the show went off the air, with an update on two of the WWF’s biggest stars… Jim Ross: “First of ladies and gentlemen, as we wind down here… The Rock… We still have NO… I… DEA… when, he’ll return to action…” Michael Cole: “WrestleMania is just a few short weeks away JR… and No Way Out is even sooner… Doesn’t look like he’s going to be on the No Way Out card to me…!!” Tazz: “Yeah well Rock’s not the only glaringly obvious omission from the card, and from tonight’s show… KURT ANGLE will be here LIVE on Smackdown… to address his status, and the WWF Fans…” Jim Ross: “It’s going to be a BLOCKBUSTER edition of Smackdown ladies and gentlemen… From Taz and Michael Cole… I’m Jim Ross…!!” Quick Results: Triple H [def.] Test Batista [def.] Spike Dudley Mr. Sexay [def.] Marty Jannetty Jeff Hardy [def.] Scotty Too Hotty Big Show and Rikishi DREW Edge & Kane [def.] Chris Jericho & Chris Benoit Show Rating: 85

> ‘The Game’ Triple H [vs] Test Spike Dudley [vs] ‘The Animal’ Batista Open Challenge: Marty Jannetty [vs] ???? Scotty Too Hotty [vs] Jeff Hardy w/ The Hardy Family ‘The World’s Largest Athlete’ Big Show [vs] Rikishi w/ Haku & Umaga Edge & ???? [vs] Chris Jericho & Chris Benoit

Satyr24 took the big prize again this month, so check your inbox for your Prediction Prize

JANUARY 2002, WEEK 4… In The Booth: Michael Cole and Tazz WWF Rocked We opened tonight’s edition of Smackdown, with footage from Monday Night RAW… where The Rock was brutally attacked by Vince and Shane McMahon, and their cronies ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin and The Undertaker… Leading to ‘Takier’ running Rocky down with his motorbike… Earlier in the show, Rock had asked that his ‘Family’ Rikishi, Haku and Umaga stay out of his affairs, and not offer him help… But it was Triple H who ended up saving the day and running the Four Man Power Trip off… Not before they could do some real damage though, and we don’t know when Rocky will return… Back live, and the aforementioned Power Trip were in the ring… Vince McMahon: “Hu… Yah… Well… The Four Man Power Trip reign SUPREME… And The Rock… is gone, ladies and gentlemen…!!” The crowd booed Mr. McMahon so loudly, the commentary team thought you’d be able to hear them from space!! But the boos turned louder still when Vince and his group began laughing at The Rock’s plight… Eventually though, those boos turned to cheers, as out came Triple H… followed by Rikishi, Haku and Umaga…!! Triple H: “Everyone keeps askin’ us… “Will Rocky make it back for ‘Mania”… and the answer remains the same… I know The Rock… Very well… and If there’s one thing I know… It’s that if there’s still life… If there’s still BREATH… in his beaten up body… then he’ll be at ‘Mania…!!” Undertaker looked put out by Triple H’s words… But Rikishi took the mic next… He said he was done talking… and marched his group to the ring… where The Four Man Power Trip had climbed down the back of the ring, so as not to get physical… They claimed to be leaving out of ‘respect’… As they were leaving the arena though, Big Show’s music hit… and the ‘World’s Largest Athlete’ took offense at them being on the stage as he entered for his match… Undertaker and Steve Austin weren’t going to stand for that, so they beat the stuffing out of him… ending it with a ‘Stone Cold Stunner’ and then a ‘Chokeslam’ ON the metal stage…!! Triple H, Rikishi, Haku and Umaga arrived too late to stop the attack, but Show’s match was still due to go ahead next…!! ‘The World’s Largest Athlete’ Big Show [vs] ‘The Olympic Gold Medallist’ Kurt Angle There was no way Big Show was at 100% in this match, after the attack on the stage. The start got delayed, while he received some basic treatment from a doctor at ringside, but once it began, it was all Angle. He was like a shark smelling blood in the water, and he eventually tapped Show out with his ‘Ankle Lock’. 83 Winner: ‘The Olympic Gold Medallist’ Kurt Angle Finish: 'Ankle Lock' Val’s First Date… On Monday night, during RAW… Val Venis went on not one, but TWO dates… The first, was with Molly Holly… Someone who he seems to really like, and really want to treat well… Their dinner date looked lovely, and it seemed like they were getting along really well… Val paid for everything, and was the complete gentleman… However, towards the end, he got a little twitchy, as he realised he had to go to his second date of the evening… Molly was left a little confused by the situation… w/ ‘Latino Heat’ Eddie Guerrero [vs] Shelton Benjamin w/ The Hardy Family It was great to see this match score so highly, as Shelton Benjamin continued his young career, and Eddie Guerrero looked to capitalise on his Royal Rumble victory. Shelton almost caused a huge upset, as he threw Eddie around the ring with brilliant suplexes and throws. However, Eddie knew what he was doing, and managed to roll out of a belly-to-belly throw. After he got up, he hit his ‘Three Amigos’, and followed them up with a ‘Frog Splash’. 81 Winner: ‘Latino Heat’ Eddie Guerrero Finish: 'Frog Splash' Jeff’s First Title Defence After Shelton’s excellent performance, his fellow Hardy Family member Jeff Hardy learned who he will be making his first Light Heavyweight Title defence against… At No Way Out… Hardy will battle the legendary Japanese wrestler: Jushin Thunder Liger, who made his WWF debut in the Royal Rumble…!! Liger vs Hardy… at No Way Out…!! Steven Richards [vs] ‘The Japanese Buzzsaw’ Tajiri Steven Richards’ last few months have been a struggle, and he was up against a very dangerous fighter here too. Tajiri is charismatic when he wants to be, and vicious when he needs to be, and he showed that here with a brutal display – finishing Richards off with his ‘Buzzsaw Kick’ to the temple. 43 Winner: ‘The Japanese Buzzsaw’ Tajiri Finish: 'Buzzsaw Kick' Real Deal Business We cut to a pre-taped segment next, where D’Lo Brown was in the recording studio, choosing his NEW entrance music… He was looking at some rap songs he liked, and trying to change the lyrics etc… But he eventually settled on an Eminem song, from his new album – ‘The Eminem Show’… The track was called ‘Business’, and has a catchy beat to it… Go here: **Ignore the talky bit at the start… and it wouldn’t have the lyrics etc, just the beat… It’d probably start with “YOU’RE LOOKIN’ AT THE REAL DEAL NOW” still… Best Friends For Years Back live, and we cut backstage to where Eddie Guerrero was stretching following his excellent match with Shelton Benjamin from earlier tonight… In walked his friend Rey Mysterio Jr, who has recently arrived in the WWF… Eddie Guerrero: “Hey man… Heard the news… You didn’t get the Jeff Hardy Match at No Way Out, huh?” Rey Mysterio: “Actually… That’s what I wanted to talk to you about… Since I don’t have a match at No Way Out now… How about me an’ you team up… like old times, man…” Eddie was about to say yes, when in walked Mr. Perfect and Mr. Sexay… a tag team who have a huge opportunity later tonight, as they’ll be taking on Edge and Christian for their WWF World Tag Team Titles…!! Mr. Perfect: “Well whaaaaadda we have here…?! Two little Mexican fellas… talkin’ about ‘old times’…?! What the hell do YOU know about ‘old times’… I’ve been wrestlin’, since you were still in diapers Eddie… and Rey… well… You might even still BE in diapers…!!” Rey tried to get in Perfect’s face… but Eddie held him back… and told Perfect he should focus his energy on his Title match tonight… since he’s old, he doesn’t have as much energy as he used to… Perfect said Eddie would see just how much energy he’s got later… A tense segment between the four men… w/ w/ William Regal w/ Dean Malenko [vs] Bradshaw w/ Faarooq Two excellent performers here, doing battle in a short, but fun match. Malenko and Faarooq brawled a little at ringside, and both got involved in the match inside the ring too. For the finish, Bradshaw ‘accidentally’ collided with Faarooq, who was on the apron. The veteran brawler took a nasty looking fall, and it actually brought concern from Regal. Bradshaw didn’t seem worried at all, and waited until Regal turned around, before unleashing the unstoppable ‘Clothesline From Hell’. 69 Winner: Bradshaw w/ Faarooq Finish: 'Clothesline From Hell' Val’s Second Date… Val Venis’ second date of the evening on Monday Night, was with the lovely Terri… Things seemed to be going well here too, but Val was extremely tired, having already been out with Molly Holly earlier on… He yawned a few times, and Terri got a little upset with him… However, she wasn’t completely put off… She tried it on with Val, who frantically made excuses to leave, realising he was more into Molly… The problem was, as Val burst through the door to leave, he… quite literally… ran into trouble… Val slammed the door open, and it must have his Albert’s arm… One half of ‘Terri’s Boys’ was walking with the other: Perry Saturn, and carrying drinks...!! Albert and Saturn were p****d, but Val got out of there as quickly as he could…!! Edge & Christian © [vs] Perfect & Sexay A brilliant Tag Team Title Match here, which was a tale of three very different stages of the match. The early stages were back and forth, but it soon settled into stage one, the section of the match where Perfect & Sexay dominated. Mr. Perfect is a veteran of the game, and his ‘student’ Mr. Sexay has learnt a few tricks from his mentor. Despite their combined experience and nous, they could do nothing about Edge and Christian’s comeback in stag two. Edge especially looked fired up, hitting elbows, and throws on the challengers. But stage three was sudden, and Edge and Christian could do nothing about it either. Chris Jericho slid into the ring while the referee was distracted by Chris Benoit, and hit a spinning back elbow on Edge. As the referee turned back around, Mr. Perfect hit his ‘Perfect Plex’ on Edge, and held him down to win the match, AND, win the WWF Tag Team Titles!! 76 Winners: and NEW WWF Tag Team Champions: Perfect & Sexay Finish: 'Perfect Plex' You Shouldn’t Have Done That… Jericho and Benoit stood on the stage, and laughed as Christian began to piece together what had happened… Jericho held his Intercontinental Title up in the air, and waved at Christian in the ring…!! Not Done Yet… In recent weeks, Marty Jannetty’s future has been called into question… The 41 year old, now former, WWF Light Heavyweight Champion certainly isn’t getting any younger… and as the Light Heavyweight Division continues to get faster and more aggressive, many (including long-time rival Jerry Lynn) believe his time is almost up… But Jannetty defiantly denied this idea… Marty Jannetty: “I’m not done yet… not by a long shot… It looks like I’m gonna have to PROVE how much I want this… and how much I’ve got left in the tank… So on RAW… I’m issuing an ‘Open Challenge’… ANYONE can come and fight me… 1 on 1… Jerry Lynn… That includes you, pal…!!” The Animal We saw a video package next, hyping newcomer Batista… ‘The Animal’ arrived in the Royal Rumble this past Sunday, making a huge impact by eliminating Kane…!! He followed that up on RAW by dominating Kamala, and sending the veteran back to Uganda…!! This coming week on RAW, Batista will be in action again… His opponent is currently unknown… w/ w/ Triple H & Rikishi w/ Haku & Umaga [vs] Steve Austin & The Undertaker w/ Vince & Shane McMahon The four men at ringside made a difference in this one early on, with Vince and Shane’s antics gaining an unfair advantage for the Four Man Power Trip. Late on though, the referee would kick them both, along with Haku and Umaga, out of the arena. Vince and Shane were scared to walk up the ramp with the two scary Islanders, and hovered at ringside for as long as possible. This too gave Austin and Undertaker an advantage, because the referee didn’t see the former hit a low blow on Rikishi! For the finish though, with the ringside area clear, it was ‘Kish who took over. He slammed into Undertaker on the apron, sending him flying into the side of the announce table. Soon afterwards, the big Samoan hit his ‘Rikishi Driver’ on Austin and scored what many felt was a huge upset! 93 Winners: Triple H & Rikishi w/ Haku & Umaga Finish: 'Rikishi Driver' Big Finish After the match was over, the music of the Big Show hit and the giant made his wat to the ring… He was slow and laboured, due to being attacked earlier in the night by Undertaker and ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin… and his subsequent match with Kurt Angle in which he tapped to the Ankle Lock… His injuries didn’t stop him hitting a Chokeslam on Austin, and another on ‘Taker…!! Show stood tall over both members of the Four Man Power Trip, and then demanded a microphone… Big Show: “AUSTIN…!! I WANT ANOTHER SHOT, AUSTIN…!! DO YOU HEAR ME…?!” Smackdown ended with Big Show repeating himself, while the victorious Triple H and Rikishi looked on… Quick Results: Kurt Angle [def.] Big Show Eddie Guerrero [def.] Shelton Benjamin Tajiri [def.] Steven Richards Bradshaw [def.] William Regal Perfect & Sexay [def.] Edge & Christian Triple H & Rikishi [def.] Steve Austin & The Undertaker Show Rating: 86

> ‘The World’s Largest Athlete’ Big Show [vs] ‘The Olympic Gold Medallist’ Kurt Angle ‘Latino Heat’ Eddie Guerrero [vs] Shelton Benjamin w/ The Hardy Family Steven Richards [vs] ‘The Japanese Buzzsaw’ Tajiri William Regal w/ Dean Malenko [vs] Bradshaw w/ Faarooq WWF World Tag Team Title Match: Edge & Christian © [vs] Perfect & Sexay Triple H & Rikishi [vs] Steve Austin & The Undertaker

Haha! Thank you man. I think I'm way more into the lower card feuds than I am the Main Event right now. It's almost harder to write for Austin, Rock, Triple H, Undertaker etc than it is Venis, The APA, Marty Jannetty Unfortunately, G'Father is out out. He had successful surgery though, which shortened his injury. On the same night, Christian picked up a 'knock', and although he can work through his injury, I like to write people off TV for a bit and let them rest up while they're out. Which I think is a few weeks.

JANUARY 2002, WEEK 4… In The Booth: Jim Ross, Michael Cole and Tazz The Chance To REIGN Over The WWF We opened the show with ‘The Great One’ The Rock heading to the ring, to a huge ovation… Rock fell short in his quest to win the Royal Rumble Match, and head to WrestleMania 18 to fight for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship… But he was in the mood to fight tonight… The Rock: “The Rock is SURE, that OL’ Stone Cold, and ‘The Great One’ will fight at a WrestleMania again down the road… Maybe next year, Rattlesnake… But right now The Rock has other PLANS… Yu see The Rock knows… The Rock GUARAN-DAMN-TEES, that The Undertaker was told to put me out early… Do NOTHING else… But throw The Rock over the top rope… If that’s how you wanna play it ‘American Naughty Botty’, that’s fine by The Rock… But maybe you wanna get your boss Vince to TELL you… to come to this ring… and get the beating of a LIFETIME… From ‘The Grea’…” Rock couldn’t finish his thought, because it soon became apparent that the ring was being surrounded by the Chairman of the WWF – Vince McMahon, and his group the ‘Four Man Power Trip’… ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, The Undertaker and Shane McMahon looked ready for a fight, as Austin and Taker laid down their Championship Belts… But The Rock wasn’t alone and outnumbered for long… Friends and family members alike, Rikishi, Haku and Umaga strolled to ringside, and ran The Power Trip off… The new group had worked with The Rock in the Royal Rumble Match, and they’re all extremely close… However, Rocky told the big Samoans that he doesn’t need their help, and doesn’t want their help to fight Vince and his cronies… Rikishi, Haku & Umaga [vs] X-Pac & The Dudley Boyz The big Samoan group won this one, when Umaga put X-Pac down with the ‘Samoan Spike’. Pac had taken his eye off the powerful youngster, after knocking Rikishi down to one knee on the apron with a series of spinning kicks. 75 Winners: Rikishi, Haku & Umaga Finish: 'Samoan Spike' The Hardy Compound Matt Hardy: “Jeffrey… Nero… Hardy… EEEZ… The new, Light Heavyweight Champion… Of tha WWF… Brother Nero… I KNEW YOU’D WINNNN…” Jeff Hardy: “Thank you Brother… In this world I love THREE things… My Family… My Light Heavyweight Championship Belt… and a little lady, you guys are yet to meet… but soon… I promise…” Jeff hugged ‘Senior’ Shelton Benjamin, before high-fiving Lita and his Brother Matt… They all gave Jeff pats on the back for his Title win… Most Wanted Venis We were reminded that tonight, ‘The Big Valbowski’ Val Venis has not one, but TWO dates tonight… Molly Holly and Terri are both interested in the gorgeous Val, and he’s very much interested in them too… On Smackdown this week, we’ll find out how the dates went… Kamala [vs] ‘The Beast’ Batista A quick match here, with newcomer Batista putting the veteran Kamala down in a brutal beatdown. Kamala made his second appearance for the WWF in 2002 here, but it was also his last. 26 Winner: ‘The Beast’ Batista Finish: 'Batista Bomb' Olympic Level Comeback We saw at the Royal Rumble, that the now bald Kurt Angle RETURNED to the WWF… And on Smackdown this week, ‘The Olympic Gold Medallist’ will compete against the man who shaved him BALD at Armageddon six weeks ago: The Big Show… Owe The APA, The APA Owe You Faarooq seemed a little unsure about what Bradshaw was saying tonight… Especially after the big Texan went into business for himself at the Royal Rumble… First, attacking William Regal with his ‘Clothesline From Hell’ before Regal and Dean Malenko’s match with the Dudley Boyz – an act he claims earnt the APA a boat load of money… He then ELIMINATED his own partner Faarooq from the Royal Rumble Match… Bradshaw: “Alright… I ain’t out here to answer anybody’s questions… It’s all just… ‘business’… Faarooq and I are out here, to settle some business in fact… Because Mr. Regal and Mr. Malenko owe us a LOT of money… It’s time ta pay up boys…” Bradshaw went on to confirm that his friend The Godfather was out injured… and that tonight, Faarooq, will fight Dean Malenko 1 on 1… w/ w/ Faarooq w/ Bradshaw [vs] Dean Malenko w/ William Regal Dean Malenko won this one, tapping out Faarooq to his ‘Texas Cloverleaf’. Bradshaw had the chance to break up the hold, with the referee distracted with William Regal on the outside of the ring. He chose to do nothing though, and Faarooq tapped when the referee turned back around. 70 Winner: Dean Malenko w/ William Regal Finish: 'Texas Cloverleaf' Canadian Idiots Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho, and his back up, Chris Benoit, was stood ready for a promo next… Chris Jericho: “Edge and Christian… Those Canadian IDIOTS… They’re stupid, greedy, IDIOTS… They’re already the WWF Tag Team Champions… and they wanted to enter the Royal Rumble Match, for a chance to become WWF World Heavyweight Champion too…?! It shouldn’t have been ALLOWED…!!” Chris Benoit: “Uhh Chris… You were in the Rumble… Aren’t you the Intercontinental Champion already too…?!” Chris Jericho: “DAMMIT BENOIT…!! Listen… On Smackdown, Edge and Christian will defend their WWF Tag Team Titles, against Perfect And Sexay… And WE’RE… gonna be there…” ‘The Big Red Machine’ Kane [vs] Big Boss Man Two big hosses clashing here, in a match that resembled more of a fight. Boss Man had some brilliant early offense, but he was soon taken down by Kane’s power and size advantage. He hit a brutal looking big boot while the pair were outside the ring, then followed it up with a ‘Chokeslam’ to pick up the victory. 76 Winner: ‘The Big Red Machine’ Kane Finish: 'Chokeslam' Marty Ja-Not-Y In catering, Jerry Lynn was talking to a group of staff, but was ultimately talking to anyone who would listen, about his long-time rival Marty Jannetty… He was laughing about Jannetty losing the Light Heavyweight Title – meaning Lynn can now challenge for the Belt himself… He suggested that Jannetty should retire, and that if he wants someone to hold the door for him on the way out, then Lynn would gladly step up and slam it on his ass… Scotty Too Hotty [vs] Bill DeMott Bill DeMott has looked like a machine since he arrived in the WWF earlier this month. A third win on the bounce here, and against another established star in Scotty Too Hotty. His brutal looking powerbomb was enough in the end here, and DeMott gave very little celebration. 64 Winner: Bill DeMott Finish: 'Powerbomb' Played The Game Two men who had a successful night at the Royal Rumble last night, met in the locker room, when Triple H came in to find Eddie Guerrero sat waiting for someone… Triple H: “Expecting someone else…? Listen, man… Just wanted to say… I have huge respect for you, and I wanna congratulate you on the Rumble win last night… But make no mistake about it… If you win the WWF Title… That target on your back… I’ll be the one who painted it… and I’ll be the first to plunge a knife into it…” Eddie stood up… He wasn’t playing around… But then he smiled, and began a small laugh before shaking Triple H’s outstretched hand… Eddie Guerrero: “You wouldn’t be the man I thought you were, if you didn’t… But it’s okay… Because WHEN I win the Title at WRESTLEMANIA BABY… Me an’ you can rip it up out there any time amigo…!! Now… If choo’ll excuse me…” Triple H spun around… but it was a friendly arrival, rather than one of the members of the Four Man Power Trip he’s been battling for months… Rey Mysterio and Triple H shared a look as Rey arrived and HHH left… He then shook his best friend Eddie’s hand, and patted him on the back… The two Mexican Americans laughed together, as the camera cut away… ‘The Great One’ The Rock [vs] ‘The Bad Guy’ Razor Ramon Rocky and Razor tore the house down here, with the crowd fully into it from the beginning. The two fantastic athletes put on a match that ebbed and flowed, and the momentum flipped back and forth over and over again. In the end, The Rock kipped up behind Razor following a lariat, and then hit a spinebuster. He followed it up with the ‘People’s Elbow’. Razor kicked out of the resulting pin, but then things got a little crowded at ringside. The Four Man Power Trip arrived; Undertaker riding his Harley, and the rest walking alongside. They tried to distract The Rock but it back-fired to an extent, because Razor got distracted himself, and fell victim to the ‘Rock Bottom’! 93 Winner: ‘The Great One’ The Rock Finish: 'Rock Bottom' Rock Hammered The Rock found himself surrounded as Razor Ramon rolled out under the bottom rope… ‘The Great One’ decided to go after The Undertaker, taking the big Hardcore Champion through the ropes to the floor… He was quickly pounced on by Shane McMahon and Steve Austin, who put the boots to The Rock… Vince McMahon then knocked Rocky down with a steel chair, as the crazy Undertaker slowly climbed onto his motorbike…!! As The Rock got back up, ‘Taker drove his bike right at him… The bike collided with Rock’s knees, and sent him flying into the ring apron… A brutal attack, which Undertaker actually looked like he regretted… Steve Austin and co were in shock too… Triple H came running out to ringside with his sledgehammer, and the Four Man Power Trip scattered… ‘The Game’ called desperately for help to come out to the ring as he stood over his fallen former rival… There was a moment where Triple H realised he could finish The Rock off and use the sledgehammer, but he decided to lay his weapon down and hold The Rock’s hand, as he screamed out in pain… Quick Results: Rikishi, Haku & Umaga [def.] X-Pac & The Dudley Boyz Batista [def.] Kamala Dean Malenko [def.] Faarooq Kane [def.] Big Boss Man Bill DeMott [def.] Scotty Too Hotty The Rock [def.] Razor Ramon Show Rating: 89

Yeah when you said that I thought: "NOooooo!!! Someone guessed!!!" I thought I'd done a good job of having him go under the radar... but once the big favourite babyfaces were gone (mainly The Rock) Eddie was in there with five heels for the final six... even before that Mr. Sexay (heel), Bradshaw (acted like a jerk earlier in the show), and Tatanka (legend making one off appearance) made up the final nine!! So Eddie would have been a HUGE favourite for everyone as we approached the end... I forgot to say, YOU won the Prediction Contest for the Rumble, scoring a whopping 10/15, so I'll send your prize via PM shortly

Ummm... maybe? > Rikishi, Haku & Umaga [vs] ??? Kamala [vs] ‘The Beast’ Batista Dean Malenko w/ William Regal [vs] Faarooq w/ Bradshaw ‘The Big Red Machine’ Kane [vs] Big Boss Man Scotty Too Hotty [vs] Bill DeMott ‘The Great One’ The Rock [vs] ‘The Bad Guy’ Razor Ramon