WWF Insurrextion (May 2002)

From London, England; Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler

Opening WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Eddie Guerrero v Rob Van Dam: Lots of RVD fans across the pond. They really missed the boat with him in 2001/2002, because he was getting the best reactions of the night on almost all of these shows, and probably should have been a top guy. Reversal sequence ends in a stalemate, so Rob spinheel kicks Eddie out of the ring, then nails him with a baseball slide to setup a springboard moonsault. Rob with a slingshot legdrop for two on the way back in, and a bodyslam sets up the splitlegged moonsault for two. Eddie counters some lightning kicks with a sunset cradle, but Rob counters into a monkeyflip - only to miss a spear, and go flying out of the ring. Guerrero is right on him with a whip into the steps, then cracks him with a backelbow on the way back in. Eddie with a vertical suplex for two, and a side suplex sets up a slingshot somersault senton for two. Eddie grounds him with a chinlock, but Rob is in the ropes. He tries bailing to break the momentum, but Eddie stops him short with a slingshot across the bottom rope, but Rob sunset flips him for two. Schoolboy gets two, but Eddie doesn't do schoolin', and levels him with a lariat to setup an anklelock. Rob gets the ropes again, and tries more lightning kicks, but Eddie cuts him off with a dropkick to the knee, followed by a grapevine. Rob escapes, so Eddie dropkicks the knee again to cutoff any potential comeback, then slaps on a leglock. Rob escapes and manages a superkick this time, then wins a slugfest on his way to monkeyflipping the champ. Vertical suplex of his own gets two, and a bodyslam sets up rolling thunder for two. Another slam, so Eddie counters into a victory roll, but Rob counters that into a rolling fireman’s carry, which he immediately segues into a springboard moonsault for two. Fabulous sequence there. Five Star Frogsplash, but Eddie rolls out of the way, and bails to the floor to grab the title belt - getting himself disqualified at 11:24. Didn't quite have the mojo of the Backlash match, and I hated the ending (though, at least, it was in character), but still really solid. These two had wonderful chemistry together. ** ¼

Jazz and Molly Holly v Trish Stratus and Jacqueline: The heels attack and toss Trish to the floor so they can double-team Jacqueline, with the dust settling on she and Molly. Molly quickly walks into an atomic drop, however, and they do the goofy steamroller over the referee spot - which usually establishes a comedy match, but they abandon that right away. Jazz comes in to toss Jacqueline around, and a bodyslam sets up a legdrop for two. Clothesline sets up another legdrop, but Jacqueline rolls out of the way this time, and tags. Trish comes in hot, but quickly falls for an eyerake, and gets superkicked. Jazz hoists her up in a double-chickenwing that's quite flattering on Trish, and they cut the ring in half on her until Trish manages to neckbreaker Jazz for two, and tag. Jackie comes in hot and DDTs Jazz, but ends up in a half-crab after interference from Molly. STF, but Trish saves, and we have a four-way brawl - Trish and Jacqueline getting simultaneous pinfalls at 7:23. Too long for what they brought to the table, but energetic. ½*

X-Pac v Bradshaw: You know, I'd pretty much completely forgotten that X-Pac was ever in the WWF version of the nWo. And, wow, if you thought he looked like a tool during the original nWo days, well that was just a warm up for this. Bradshaw manhandles him with ease in the early going, so X-Pac sticks and moves - unloading lightning kicks to take Bradshaw down, then hitting a few turnbuckle smashes to draw blood. I assumed that was hardway, because I couldn't imagine them booking a bladejob in the first two minutes of this pointless midcard match, but a quick rewind clearly shows Bradshaw blade himself. Weird, and unnecessary. X-Pac spinkicks him for two, then chops him to his knees to setup a charging 'big' boot for two. Headvise goes nowhere, so X-Pac dumps him into the corner for a ten-punch, but gets powerbombed. Bradshaw mounts a comeback with some closed fist action and a powerslam for two, then adds a neckbreaker. Flying shoulderblock gets two, but he runs into another spinheel kick for two, and X-Pac follows up with a flying bodypress - only to get caught in a fallaway slam. Big boot, but Scott Hall shows up to run interference, and he whacks Bradshaw with a weapon to allow the little guy a two count. Bronco buster, but Bradshaw dodges, so Hall hops onto the apron to block the Clothesline from Hell - allowing X-Pac the X-Factor at 8:49. A bit awkward at points, though not bad. *

WWF Hardcore Title Match: Steven Richards v Booker T: Richards surprises him with a quick armdrag early on, but that just pisses Booker off, and the challenger destroys him with chops in the corner. Cute bit follows, as Booker rolls to the floor to throws weapons in from underneath the ring - with Richards tossing them all out before he can come in and use them. Booker still manages to kick his ass, and hits a savate kick for two, then whacks him with a trashcan. Can-assisted superkick gets two, and a flapjack follows, but Richards manages a shot with a serving tray for two. Backdrop puts Booker on the floor, and Richards covers out there for two before rolling his challenger in for an elbowdrop. Booker throws the Harlem sidekick, but Steven is ready for it, and ducks - Booker crotching himself on the ropes, and getting whacked with another weapon for two. Chinlock wears Booker down, but a whip into a corner mounted trashcan gets reversed, and Booker catches him with a diving forearm. Spinebuster gets two, and the Harlem sidekick sets up a missile dropkick for two. Steven fires off a desperation superkick for two, but quickly walks into the BookEnd at 9:50. Really slow, boring, and disjointed effort. Afterwards, Crash Holly shows up and schoolboys the tired Booker to pin him for the belt, but takes too long celebrating his sneak attack, and takes an axekick to give Booker the belt back. Oh, but the fun's not over, as Tommy Dreamer and Justin Credible run out to try and steal the belt, but Booker fights them off, so Richards returns with Jazz in tow - a low blow allowing Steven to regain the belt, and he bails before anyone else can show up. What a mess. Thankfully, the Hardcore Title was nearly finished as a concept by this point. DUD

The Hardy Boyz v Brock Lesnar and Shawn Stasiak: Don't know why they bothered shoehorning Stasiak in there, instead of just putting Brock over huge by squashing both guys in a Handicap match. Shawn runs in like a maniac and goes to work on Jeff Hardy with power stuff, then slaps on a chinlock. Jeff uses a stunner to escape, and gets the tag to Matt Hardy - Matt hitting a quick neckbreaker. Poetry in Motion, but Brock pulls Stasiak out of harms way, and tags in. And, yeah, that's that for poor Matt, as Brock starts squashing him like a bug. A bug that owes him money. He completely ignores Shawn, so Stasiak tags himself in, but that allows Matt to tag as well, and Jeff comes in hot - the Swanton finishing Stasiak at 6:43. Afterwards, Brock gives both Boyz F5s, then kicks the shit out of Stasiak for good measure. ¼*

WWF European Title Match: Spike Dudley v William Regal: And, of course, the obligatory Regal match. Too bad they didn't also book goofy battle royals for him to win every time they ran English shows, like they used to for Davey Boy Smith back in the day. He controls the champ early on, but runs into a diving forearm and a series of dropkicks leave Regal begging off. Spike responds with a spear, but Regal blocks the Dudley Dog, and Spike lands badly - twisting his ankle. Regal backs off as the referee signals for medical help, and the EMTs rush down - making us think this is legit. They take Spike's boot off and help carry him out, but Regal wants the damn title - injury or not. He attacks in the aisle and drags Spike back by his ankle, and goes to work on the ankle for a bit, then hits a double-underhook powerbomb for two. Suplex, but Spike snaps off an inside cradle to retain at 4:56. Barely a match, and I didn't care for that booking at all. DUD

Steve Austin v Big Show: Ric Flair acts as the special outside enforcer for this. Steve kicks at his knee early on, but walks into a clothesline, and Show chops him in the corner. Austin responds by swiping at the knee again, and he takes Show down with a clothesline of his own, followed by a kick to the balls. Steve keeps after the knee, and wraps it around the post a few times on his way to applying a leglock. Show escapes and hits a bodyslam, then hiptosses Steve a few times. This is just so slow and dull thus far. Show with a vertical suplex, so Austin starts kicking at the knee again, but gets backdropped to stop that effort. Unintentionally hilarious moment follows, as they do a replay of the backdrop, just as Show executes another one in the split screen. Poor Flair looks bored to tears on the outside, and I think he may actually be leaning against the ringpost to hold him up in case he falls asleep out there. Big Show helps him drift off by slapping on a bearhug, and you know, I appreciate the efforts at psychology, but this is just brutally dull. Austin with some noticeably weak headbutts to escape, and he comes off the middle rope with a Thesz press to take Show down. Show responds with a big boot, but a short-clothesline ends up hitting the referee - allowing Austin the Stunner. No referee to count, however, so Flair slides in to do it - only for Scott Hall and X-Pac to pull him out. Ric chases them away, and Show recovers as Austin reacts - hitting another big boot. Now Kevin Nash joins us, but Austin fights them both off with Stunners, and pins Show at 15:00. Austin was the antithesis of motivation at this point, and this was a total house show effort in every way. DUD

Main Event: Triple H v The Undertaker: Slugfest to start, and HHH controls with a high knee, followed by a cool backdrop. Clothesline sends Undertaker over the top, and Hunter follows to post him, but Undertaker manages a lariat for two as they head back in. Undertaker with a pair of short-shoulderblocks to setup the ropewalk forearm, but HHH pulls him down to block, then hammers him with punches. Vertical suplex sets up an elbowdrop for two, and they spill out again - HHH clotheslining him out there. The referee gets in the way as they re-enter, allowing Undertaker a stunner across the top rope to turn the tide, and he follows with a corner clothesline. Undertaker with a legdrop across the apron, and he clips HHH's knee to setup a leglock. HHH escapes, but something goes wrong with the ring, and the ropes suddenly lose their tautness, and collapse. Undertaker blows him low for two, then slaps on a chinlock, as the ropes sag like a flaccid penis. Hunter escapes with a side suplex, and hits a hangman’s clothesline. Undertaker tries a big boot, but Hunter ducks to crotch him on the top rope - only it doesn't look nearly as impressive or painful when the ropes are clearly loose. Pair of swinging neckbreakers, and HHH improves a spinebuster without use of the ropes for two. Pedigree, but Undertaker railroads him into the corner to block, then big boots him. Chokeslam, but Hunter counters into a DDT for two, and hits a kneeling facebuster. Pedigree again, but Undertaker counters into a chokeslam - hitting it this time for two. Undertaker grabs a chair, but the referee protests - allowing HHH to high knee it into his face for two. Undertaker responds with a DDT for two, and he hits a snake-eyes, but HHH no-sells, and hits another high knee, then manages the Pedigree at 14:31. These two could always be counted on to have great chemistry, where even when they're wrestling half-assed matches like this one, it's still decent, and not boring. *

BUExperience: Not much to see here, as the show started off well enough, but hit a rough patch with the Hardcore title match, and never quite found its way back onto the green.

DUD