WWE Survivor Series (November 2002)

From New York, New York; Your Hosts are Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Michael Cole, and Tazz

Opening Six-Man Tag Team Elimination Tables Match: Jeff Hardy and The Dudley Boyz v Rico and 3-Minute Warning: MSG is definitely an arena that benefits from a minimalistic set design, and thankfully they take advantage of that here. I hate the giant overblown sets in general, but never more than when they ruin the Garden with them. Big brawl to start, of course, with the faces cleaning house. Not satisfied, Bubba Dudley decides to press-slam Spike Dudley out onto the heels, but they catch him, so Jeff adds a springboard dive onto everyone. Bubba looks like a total asshole in those shorts. Plus, it's fucking November in New York! Put on pants! They bring Rico into the ring to triple-team for a while, but 3-Minute Warning clean house before they can put him through a table. Rico tries vertical suplexing Spike through a table, but Dudley counters into the Dudley Dog - only for 3MW to save, and put him through a table at 4:23. They try tandem flying splashes on the remaining babyfaces, but end up getting crotched on the top rope, and a brawl in the crowd results in Hardy putting Rosey through a table with a Swanton off one of the exit tunnels at 7:42 - ala Royal Rumble 2000. In the ring, Rico and Jamal try to put Bubba through a table, but Jeff saves, and Bubba nearly side superplexes Rico through it, but Jamal pulls it out of the way. Brawl on the floor, and Jamal manages to flying splash Jeff through a table out there at 10:31. Bubba is left two-on-one, and manages to hold his own, but an attempt to put Rico through a table is blocked by Jamal. Jamal tries to put Bubba through it with a rana from the top, but Dudley counters into a powerbomb through the table at 11:42. So now the ending should be a given, but Rosey runs back out, and both 3MW guys to help Rico put Bubba through the table. They're about to get it done, when suddenly D-Von Dudley runs down to save his former tag team partner, and they put Rico through a table with the Death Drop at 13:53. Total spotfest - a fun and energetic way to get the crowd into things. * ½

WWE Cruiserweight Title Match: Jamie Noble v Billy Kidman: Jamie tries locking horns in a collar-and-elbow, but Kidman immediately surprises him with a schoolboy for one, then sunset cradles him for one. Jamie whips him into the ropes, but gets caught with a rana for one, and Noble wisely bails - only for Kidman to chase him back in! Cross corner whip by the challenger, but Noble finds a swinging neckbreaker for two before Kidman can follow-up. Bow-and-arrow, but Kidman escapes, so Jamie tosses him over the top to thwart a comeback, and dives after him with a tope. Noble tries a flying bodypress on the way back in, but Kidman knocks him out of the air with a dropkick, and adds a diving backelbow. Another dropkick, but a clothesline is countered into a pump-handle, then countered back by Kidman into a death valley driver for two. Smooth, fluid sequence there. Jamie manages a nice falcon arrow for two, but a German suplex is countered by Billy into a belly-to-back facebuster to setup the Shooting Star Press, but Nidia cuts that effort off by pulling the champ out of the ring. Kidman regroups by flying bodypressing Noble on the floor instead, then rolls him in with a slingshot legdrop for two. Side suplex, but Jamie counters into a double-underhook powerbomb, so Kidman counters back with a backdrop, and sitout spinebusters him for two. Reversal sequence ends in Jamie hitting the double-underhook powerbomb for two, but a superplex attempt is countered by Kidman with a sitout facebuster off the top for two. Wild! Kidman tries a bulldog, but Noble counters into a sick looking elevated DDT for two. Bodyslam, but Kidman counters into an enzuigiri to setup another Shooting Star Press, but Nidia gets in the way again, and Noble heads up to superplex Kidman down - only for Billy to shove him off, and hit the Press for the title at 7:29. This was awesome! Spotty, sure, but loaded with unique, exciting spots, and fast paced throughout. ***

WWE Women's Title Hardcore Match: Trish Stratus v Victoria: Victoria attacks from behind before the bell, and chokes the champ down with her jacket. She finds a broom and swings, so Trish ducks and monkeyflips her, but can't knock the broom out of her challengers hands, and gets choked with it some more as a result. Trish manages a snapmare, but gets whacked with the broom again before she can capitalize, then abused with a trashcan lid until she bails. Victoria follows and whips her into the post, then rolls her back in with a slingshot somersault legdrop for two. She takes too long setting up a trashcan in the corner, however, and Trish sends her into it with a slingshot for two. Trish finds an ironing board (because they're women, you see) to whip Victoria into, then follows with the Chick Kick for two. She punishes her for kicking out by beating her with a cane, but a handstand rana off the top gets blocked, so Trish whacks her with the can lid to avoid getting powerbombed. Another swing knocks Victoria all the way out to the floor (and busts her open, which is a 'first' I could have done without), and Trish follows to toss her into the steps, but walks into a powerbomb on the way back in. Victoria grabs a mirror to finish the job, but Trish Chick Kicks her for two before she can use it, then drops her with a sloppy bulldog for two. That looked terrible. Victoria bails, but manages to spray Trish with a fire extinguisher on the way back in (well, 'manages on the third try,' but still), and a snap suplex crowns a new champion at 7:01. Not exactly well worked, but certainly not boring, and certainly unique. ½*

WWE Title Match: Brock Lesnar v Big Show: Brock gets right in his face and shoves him, but a lockups goes to a power-stalemate. Another try ends similarly, but Show manages to overpower him the third time, and hits a hiptoss. He calls for the Chokeslam early, but Brock spears him down to avoid it, and Show bails. Lesnar is right on his tail, and back in, he hits an ugly looking side suplex - 'ugly' in all the wrong ways. He has a SLIGHTLY better luck with a German suplex, but the F5 gets blocked with a pair of kneelifts, and Show tries a big boot, but gets countered into an overhead suplex. Okay, THAT was pretty cool. F5, but Paul Heyman pulls the referee out to break the count, and Brock is not happy about that. The look on Paul's face as he realizes he didn't properly think things through is pretty epic. Unfortunately for Brock, he runs into a chairshot as he chases his former manager, and Show Chokeslams him onto the chair to win the title at 4:19 - thus giving Brock is first ever televised loss. Kind of a shame to waste it on Big Show, but the booking was epic, and definitely made me want to see a rematch where Lesnar destroys him and Heyman. *

WWE Tag Team Title Triangle Match: Edge and Rey Mysterio v Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit v Los Guerreros: Rey starts with Benoit, and they get into a neat (and painful looking) kicks versus chops sequence that ends in Rey snapping off a rana, then flapacking Chris to setup a legdrop. Drop-toehold into the corner sets up the tag to Edge, and they tandem hiptoss Benoit. More chops prevent Edge from keeping it going, however, and Angle gets the tag - only to run into a backdrop, and pass to Chavo Guerrero to avoid a follow-up. Chavo charges in a takes a drop-toehold, and Edge dropkicks him, then adds a bodyslam before tagging back to Rey for a slingshot legdrop for two. Chavo tries a powerbomb, but gets armdragged, so he recovers with an alleyoop, and passes to Eddie Guerrero to stomp Rey down proper, but he ends up taking a nice headscissors before he can do much damage. Mysterio adds a monkeyflip, so Eddie lets Kurt tag back in rather than deal with him and longer. Angle shows him how it's done, but Rey dodges him with another headscissors - only to get viciously alleyooped into the corner, and snap suplexed for two. Kurt short-clotheslines him then passes to Chris to neckbreaker him. Benoit adds a side suplex for two, and Kurt tags back in to add his own side suplex for his own two count. Olympic Slam, but Rey counters with an armdrag - only to run into a lariat before he can capitalize. Back to Benoit for a kneelift and a snap suplex for two, and Angle grounds the co-champion with a front-facelock, but Rey escapes into a bulldog, which Angle counters into a German suplex - then countered back by Rey into a spinheel kick. Both guys crawl for tags, but the Guerreros refuse to tag Kurt, and Rey gets to Edge just as a rerouted Angle gets to Benoit. Edge drops him with a half-nelson bulldog, and overhead suplexes Kurt to trigger a six-way brawl. As Rey is busied with the Guerreros on the floor, Angle blocks Edge's spear with a drop-toehold to setup the Crippler Crossface from Benoit - with Kurt adding the Anklelock on for good measure! Mysterio saves with a springboard seated senton, but Benoit still manages to grab Edge for the rolling Germans, only to have Eddie come off the top with a flying sunset flip during the second alarm - the move flipping Chris into hitting the suplex, and setting up an awesome pinfall where Chris is pinning Edge while Eddie is pinning Chris! It gets two. Chris gets rid of Eddie and gives Edge three more suplex alarms to setup the flying headbutt, but as he climbs, Eddie leaps with his Frogsplash to get the pin himself - the count broken up by Benoit's flying headbutt. This is just unreal. Chris gets Edge in the Crossface as Kurt puts Eddie in the Anklelock, but Chavo saves with a title belt shot - only for Benoit to get tricked into thinking Kurt did it! That allows Edge the Impaler, but Benoit blocks, so Edge reroutes into the spear to eliminate Angle/Benoit at 13:04. Kurt takes it badly, and German suplexes poor Edge on the way out, and Kurt adds an Olympic Slam of his own - giving Eddie a two count once they leave. Eddie keeps it going with a vertical suplex, and Chavo baseball slides Edge for two, as things settle back to tags again. The challengers cut the ring in half on Edge, but end up getting double-flapjacked as they try a tandem move. Tag to Rey, and he starts springboarding like a madman! Four-way brawl is dominated by the champions, and Eddie takes the 619 to setup the West Coast Pop - only for Chavo to whack Rey with the title belt to block the move, and Eddie to slap on the Lasso From El Paso for the title at 19:20. Given that Los Guerreros were going over anyway, what was wrong with that German suplex/sunset flip as the finish? This was not on par with the insanity that was the No Mercy match, but was a terrific entry in its own right. ****

Main Event: World Heavyweight Title Elimination Chamber Match: Triple H v Chris Jericho v Rob Van Dam v Booker T v Kane v Shawn Michaels: This is the first ever Chamber match. Triple H starts with Van Dam, and Rob snaps off a spinheel kick, and legsweeps the champ down. HHH manages a kneeling facebuster as they criss cross to setup a quick Pedigree, but Rob backdrops him onto the platform to block, then follows to toss him into the chamber wall a few times and draw blood. Rob monkeyflips him out there to setup a rolling thunder on the platform, then back into the ring, bodyslams Hunter. Rob climbs the chamber and dives at Hunter with a somersault bodyblock, as the first interval expires, and Jericho enters the match. He goes right for Rob, but takes a spinheel kick to setup a standing moonsault for two. Springboard sidekick knocks Chris out onto the platform, so Rob tries diving at him from the top, but Jericho moves - Van Dam managing to cling to the cell wall, and turn it back on him with a flying bodypress! That was pretty fucking cool. Despite that, Rob gets overwhelmed against both Jericho and HHH, and takes some abuse as Hunter high knees him to setup a senton splash from Jericho for two. They whip Rob into the cage wall a few times, and HHH DDTs him as the period ends and Booker T comes into the mix. He unloads on everyone, and trades spinkicks for Van Dam for a bit, until HHH steps in. Booker fights him off with an axekick, so Rob decides to punctuate it with a Five Star Frogsplash from the side of the chamber, but messes up the landing and legitimately injures himself, along with HHH. Booker quickly puts him away with a missile dropkick at 13:38, then hooks a HHH's leg for two. Jericho pulls him off and goes after him with chops in the corner, then bulldogs Booker to setup the lionsault - only to miss, and take a spinebuster for two. Kane is in next, and give it to the bookers, at the very least the entry order for this thing was arraigned perfectly. Kane comes in hot, taking Booker out, and tossing Jericho out onto the platform for a ram into the chamber wall. Another ram into (clearly plastic) wall of one of the mini-chambers that house the guys as they prepare to enter shatters the 'glass,' and he chokeslams Booker, but gets caught up with HHH, and a now bloody Jericho lionsaults Booker for the pin at 17:41. Kane goes back to beating on Chris, and gets a weak slam off the top rope on HHH as they try not to injury anyone with the awkward chamber design. The buzzer sounds, and apparently Survivor Series aired on HBO in 2002, because Edie Falco from season four of The Sopranos enters the fray. Oh, wait, that's Shawn Michaels. The haircut threw me. He comes in hot, but ends up getting corner whipped by Kane, then chokeslammed. HHH and Jericho each get one as well, but a Tombstone on HHH gets blocked by shoving him into a Superkick from Shawn, and Hunter adds a Pedigree to setup a lionsault from Jericho at 22:54. Jericho and HHH double up on Shawn to draw blood, but they can't put him away. Shawn manages a diving forearm on HHH, but gets caught with a bulldog from Jericho as he kips up, and Chris lionsaults him for two. Shawn blocks a corner charge and flying moonsault presses Jericho for two, then puts him in a Boston crab, but HHH DDTs him to save - getting two out of it when Jericho breaks the cover. Um, it's elimination style, Chris. That leads to a slugfest with the champ, and Hunter kneeling facebusters him for two to win that exchange. Pedigree, so Chris counters into a Boston crab, but Shawn breaks it up with a Superkick to end Jericho's night at 30:43. See, now that save actually made sense, because it took Jericho out of the match, and leaves Michaels with a weakened Triple H. Big slugfest goes HHH's way with a spinebuster for two, and he backdrops Shawn out onto the platform to block a charge, then follows and puts Shawn through one of the plastic walls with a slingshot. What a cheap ass construction job. Back in, that gets the champ two, and he wins another slugfest with another kneeling facebuster. Pedigree on the platform, but Shawn counters with a slingshot into the cage wall, then clotheslines Hunter in for a flying elbowdrop off the top of the chamber! That one looked like it came dangerously close to RVD'ing Michaels. Superkick, but Hunter counters into the Pedigree for two. Another one, but this time Shawn counters, and the Superkick crowns a new champion at 39:21. Honestly, I'm kinda surprised the match concept has lasted for as long as it has, because unlike the original Hell in a Cell, this didn't exactly have people aching to see a follow-up. Not that it was 'bad,' per se, just way too long, and fell apart a lot after Rob's botched Frogsplash put HHH on plod street for the rest of the match. Interestingly, this was Shawn’s one-and-only world title win during his career renaissance, as he repeatedly refused the belt every time it was offered to him after this. ** ½

BUExperience: There’s enough good stuff on the undercard (including the absolutely awesome tag title match), but the main event is really long for what it is, and not near good enough to justify the extreme length. Still, it’s historically significant as the first Elimination Chamber match, and as Shawn’s only world title win during his entire comeback run, so it’s certainly not totally worthless.

**