WWE Judgment Day (2002)

Judgment Day - May 2002

Nashville, Tennessee

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Hulk Hogan is the reigning and undisputed World Champion coming into this show. The WWE Tag Team Championships are held by Billy and Chuck, the Womens' Champion is Trish Stratus, the Intercontinental Champion is Eddie Guerrero, the Hardcore Champion is Steven "Stevie" Richards, the European Champion is William Regal, and the Cruiserweight Champion is The Hurricane, though, those last three titles would not be defended on this night.

COMMENTATORS: Jerry "The King" Lawler and Jim Ross

Judgement Day starts off with Eddie Guerrero defending his Intercontinental Championship against Rob Van Dam. From the outset these two cut a breathtaking pace with Guerrero showcasing outrageous energy in his selling, crowd-bating antics, and cut-offs. Van Dam sticks to his usual hits, but, at this point, he was so immensely over and had such good chemistry with Guerrero that the crowd eats it up. Credit should also go to these two throwing in enough near falls and reversals to leave you wondering who will be getting the victory. More than anything, what sets this match in the above average category is the spacing and execution - while it isn't flawless, there's no moment where either man is out of position, something that deserves a ton of credit when you consider how much these two ely on elaborately sequenced high spots and only nail them on their best nights. (3/5)

Backstage, Reverend D-Von Dudley and his deacon, Batista, pray with Stacy Keibler and Vince McMahon as she prepares for her match against WWE Womens' Champion, Trish Stratus. This one starts and ends with shenanigans as it is essentially a storyline-furthering angle more than an actual wrestling match. Between the bells, Stratus and Keibler showcase at least a little bit of athleticism, but nothing that would touch what we've seen the women do in 2015. The post-match runs a bit long for me and, as I'm not a particularly huge fan of the Dudleys, I'm not anticipating much enjoyment in seeing them wrestle at a future PPV. (1/5)

Next we have Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman taking on The Hardys. This is a continuation of a months-long feud between the two sides, Lesnar having bested both Jeff and Matt independently but not as a team. Heyman's involvement adds a new wrinkle to the match, but this one lacks "meat." Compared to what Lesnar had already shown in other matches, this is strictly "the basics" from a guy that was fresh enough to make every new move in his arsenal seem like a game-changer (no tornado powerbomb spot, for example). Predictable finish. Maybe the most bland Lesnar match I've reviewed. (2/5)

This was followed by Steve Austin vs. Ric Flair and the Big Show. I wrote a few weeks ago about the chemistry between Austin and Big Show and this would be more evidence of it. Austin was still incredibly over, but one can tell that that he was essentially going through the motions, wrestling in the midcard despite being, arguably, a more over babyface than Triple H or Edge or really anyone aside from Hulk Hogan (who was at his nostalgia run peak at this time). Austin dominates the early going before the numbers game catches up to him, but he knows his character so well that he stubbornly refuses to do anything but go after Flair's knee (even when it costs him multiple time). A really fun match that features all sorts of solid schtick Austin could utilize today if he had any interest in competing again. Further proof that Austin could engage an audience doing little more than flipping the bird, tossing chairs around, and stomping mudholes. (3/5)

Dave Meltzer gave the next match a glowing 4-star review, but I was slightly less impressed by Kurt Angle and Edge's Hair-vs-Hair match. There are plenty of positives - the crowd is hot for it, the wrestling is solid, and there are enough near falls in the final minutes to add some suspense to the match - but I generally reserve my 4-star ratings for matches worthy of a rewatch or a recommendation and I'm not sure this one meets that level of "awesomeness." Knowing the finish taints things a little bit, but guessing from the crowd's signs, I don't think anyone in attendance was shocked by the outcome either. I'll also readily admit that I'm a far bigger fan of Edge as a heel than I am of him as a babyface. (3.5/5)

The Cell was lowered for our next bout, easily my Match of the Night, Chris Jericho vs. Triple H. From the first few minutes of this one, Jericho and Triple H bring the fight to eachother with intense back-and-forth action anda bounty of cage and weapon spots. Jericho's shoulder is lacerated early and, not to be outdone, Triple H gets busted open. I'm, admittedly, not a huge fan of The Game, especially when he's in babyface mode, but I must begrudgingly give him credit for what he does here - pinballing around a touch too much, but making Jericho look like a ruthless equal in the process. If their WrestleMania feud and bout a few months prior had neutered the Ayatollah, this match effectively illustrates his toughness and proper placement among the top workers in the company. As the match goes into its second half, what is essentially just a no-nonsense, ultra-violent but somewhat "standard" Hell in a Cell match is taken up a notch with a very clever (and perfectly executed) ref bump, followed by a cage escape and even more brutality. When the fight gets taken to the top of the cage, the commentators do a wise job of highlighting the potentially career-ending danger of the situation while Jericho and Triple H throw in several gasp-inducing spots, including a huge backbody drop. When fans talk about how modern WWE limitations have made delivering a good Hell in a Cell match nearly impossible, this is the type of "good old days" Cell action they are referring to in comparison. Like the previous match, the finish is ultimately one that just about anyone could've predicted...but the way they get there is no less remarkable. (4.5/5)

The next match was the requisitie "heat killer" and saw Chuck and Billy defend their WWE Tag Team Championships against Rikishi and a partner selected by Smackdown Owner Vince McMahon....noneother than Chuck and Billy's manager/stylist, Rico. There's not much to say about this one aside from the fact that Rikishi seemed to either be working injured or just in a bit of a funk, looking noticeably winded and sluggish for certain sequences. Kudos to the WWE for a surprising finish, but, like the ending of the Womens' Championship match, I'm still not excited about seeing where this is leading. (1.5/5)

Main evennt time - Hulk Hogan defending the WWE World Championship against The Undertaker. The crowd is amped for this and Hogan actually moves pretty decently, or, as I'll explain, seems to be moving better than usual. How so? Unlike his matches against Triple H and The Rock, who had to slow down their pace to wrestle at Hogan's speed, The Undertaker's methodical, brawl-heavy style is a much better fit to Hogan. The fact is, neither man was going to leave the ground much and, as a heel, Taker relied on his least flashy offense. By not outshining the Hulkster, Taker makes this match a simple battle between two tough brawlers, deliberately staying away from anything that would remotely resemble a real wrestling match. I'd have to rewatch, but I'm not even sure we get a headlock. The finishing minutes are shockingly strong and suspenseful, ruined by a wholly unnecessary "crutch" of having Vince McMahon get involved. By the time the Chairman makes an appearance, the audience is willing to buy either man as the victor, especially when one considers that the Hulkster had basically "lucked into" his last title reign anyway. Instead of solidifying the next champion, we get a screwy finish where a definitive finish would've actually made both guys stronger. Hulk Hogan didn't need protecting in 2002 and the fans would've likely reacted even stronger had Taker won clean. A great example of how overbooking can really hurt what was a more than passable main event. (3/5)

With a watchability rating of 2.69-out-of-5, Judgment Day 02' has some serious lows (the Women's Championship and Tag Team Championship matches probably add up to less 10 minutes and I'd still shave time off both), but it also has some legitimate highs. The Hell in a Cell match is the best Triple H match I've reviewed since what? 2014's six-man tags between The Shield and Evolution? The Hogan/Taker match is considerably better than it reasonably should be considering Hogan's age and how unremarkable Taker's Biker persona was compared to his more beloved, iconic, and interesting Deadman gimmick. Edge/Angle, Guerrero/RVD, and Austin's match are all better than average, evidence that one could argue WWE's 2002 roster was the most stacked group of workers ever under contract at one time. If the Lesnar & Heyman vs. Hardys match had been given the time it needed and, I'm guessing, a green light from the agents/producers to actually deliver a match with more high spots (as both the Hardys and Lesnar were certainly capable of), this show could've served as one of the best "time capsule events" of its era. Sadly, it doesn't. 

FINAL RATING - Watch It...With Remote in Hand