Man I forgot the opening to this Summerslam was “Let the bodies hit the floor”. This is such a fantastic opening and as far as openings go this is hands down my favorite so far. This is during the Invasion angle and the WWE is just oozing talent on the roster. They have also gone to the Green and Blue logo that I believe they kept for a few years after this. We have Paul Heyman and Jim Ross on commentary and Lance Storm the intercontinental champion is out to be serious for a minute. Our first match is Lance Storm and Edge.
Edge vs. Lance Storm (Intercontinental Title Match): This is a match that is pitting the WWF and the alliance against each other for the title with Edge trying to bring it back to the WWF. We start with some back and forth wrestling until lance storm gets the upper hand and ends up face first into the security wall. The crowd is firmly behind Edge in this match and you watch this match saying Lance Storm is technically great. He would have done really well in early nineties WCW. This is a really good match and they have great chemistry. Man Edge is really over in this match and I wonder if this is the best singles match of his career at this point. Lance Storm is definitely calling this match and pulling a great one out of Edge. We get a awesome reversal spot of the half crab and Cristian accidently spears Edge. Lance Storm superkicks Christian and ALMOSTgets the win. A great sequence of reversals later and Edge hits the big DDT and WINS THE IC TITLE. WOW what a way to start this Summerslam. Christian hugs Edge after the match and Edge celebrates and you can tell he’s a bit emotional. Really really really good opener. Maybe the best since ‘88.
Spike Dudley & APA vs. Test & Dudleys: Spike is the first one out with his SWEET mullet and the sweet Molly Holly. Man she reminds me of Dana Brooke maybe its just the blond hair and the build. HA! You could go to WWFAPA.com if you wanted too I wonder if it’s still active. We have referee Nick Patrick in this match sporting his great WCW polo. Man the APA does EVERYTHING stiff and with intensity. Man Big Cass looks so much like Test its crazy. Spike Dudley gets the tag in and it doesn’t work so well for him as Test tries to kill him. During this the Dudleys get a table and set it up outside. Spike tags in Bradshaw and he is laying it in to Test. He hits him with a shoulder block that legit makes him leave his feet. Bradshaw powerbombs Test which looks really awesome and Buh Buh Ray pulls him out the ring. Spike Dudley goes for the Dudley Dog and he gets thrown from inside the ring to the outside and through the table. The referee goes outside to check on him and this leads to Shane coming in and blasting Bradshaw with a chair. Test gets the pin and we have two really good matches to start the show.
Tajiri vs. X-Pac (Light Heavyweight vs. Cruiserweight Title Match): Tajiri is out first to a great pop and man Imiss him. X-Pac looks really good here although I think he’s wearing the bandana for a reason. We get some really good match wrestling between the two to start this match which is a bit surprising.The cruiserweights of today should watch this match as its WWF/E style however its constant movement. The crowd really doesn’t care what X-Pac is doing is that what X-Pac heat is? However the crowd is super behind Tajiri especially during the babyface comeback. Man so far no matches have been crazy short or too long to start. Albert comes down to distract and interfere in the match and catches some red mist to the face however Tajiri turns into a X-Factor and X-pac is now the undisputed lightly cruiserweight champion?
Rhyno vs. Chris Jericho: Man if you weren’t watching Rhyno during this time you missed out. He is out with Stephanie McMahon who is rocking leather. The crowd goes CRAZY for Jericho’s countdown clock and entrance. If i’m not mistaken around this time is when Jericho was running with the Stephanie is a dirty, disgusting, brutal, bottom feeding, trash bag, hoe bit. So in the first few matches we’ve had Lance Storm, Edge, Farouq, Bradshaw, The Dudleys, Tajiri, Jericho and Rhyno. That’s all in the first four matches of the night. The WWF is extremely loaded with talent at this point. This is making me think about doing an article that compares now and 2001. Man these two are getting quite a bit of time and the crowd is all about Jericho. Rhyno hits an AWESOME move where he spins Jericho on his shoulders and finishes with a neck breaker. Another match that has been a pleasure to watch as Jericho has used alot of top rope offense to try to ground the beast. Stephanie distracts the referee and she gets a kiss from Jericho and she just needs to take it in MAAAAAAN. Rhyno locks in the walls of Jericho however Jericho is able to get to the bottom rope. Man was there anything cooler than Rhyno going to the corner for the gore?Jericho gets out of the way oft he gore and locks in the walls of Jericho and Rhyno taps out. You hear Stephanie screaming in the background. Wow another very solid match that was so much fun to watch. Nothing bad so far.
RVD vs. Jeff Hardy (Hardcore Title Ladder Match): This PPV is pretty much an all star game from early 2000’s wrestling. Seriously the amount of talent in this PPV is insane. Now you have two extremely over superstars who become WWF/E main eventers in a HARDCORE TITLE MATCH. Wow Jeff Hardy may have just gotten the loudest ovation so far for his entrance. As far as ladder matches go they have some stiff competition with the TLC match, Rock/HHH, and HBK/Razor to follow. Crazy thing both men are wearing the same color scheme hm.. This match with Jeff Hardy hip tossing RVD from inside the ring to outside the ring and then hitting a springboard corkscrew. Jeff Hardy is throwing his body all over the place and it’s been like five minutes. It’s possible that this is already the best Hardcore Title match of all time.. We finally get hte ladder in the ring and RVD ends up on it and Hardy hits a springboard from outside to inside moonsault onto RVD who’s on the ladder. Finally we get a loud chorus of RVD chants after hitting his patented shoulders in the corner and then backflip shoulder spot. These two men are really laying everything out here and neither have tried climbing the ladder yet. Jeff Hardy goes to climb the ladder after putting RVD outside the ring and takes a tough bump off the ladder OUCH! I was early last Summerslam announcing a match of the night so I won’t deem this Match of the Night yet but damn it’s good. The match begins to wind down and Hardy is about to grab the title until RVD pushes over hte ladder and Hardy takes another nasty bump. This leaves RVD with the option of climbing up and taking the title. GO WATCH THIS MATCH.
Undertaker & Kane vs. DDP & Kanyon (Undisputed Tag Title Cage Match): Who’s better than Kanyon? DDP comes out with some awesome pyro for his self high five taunt. Undertaker looks fuckin JACKED for this match and his wife Sara is flanking he and Kane. Camera moves to DDP’s face and he looks like “what have I gotten myself into?” Sara locks the cage and takes the key…I guess the referee’s are cool with that. We have a referee inside the ring of this cage match with these four big men. Lots of hard and heavy offense from the brothers of destruction. Undertaker rams DDP into the cage and does it with not much care. Kane then powerbombs Kanyon into the corner of the cage. Everything looks like it hurts in this match.Of course we get hte heel’s trying to escape and we have Undertaker STANDING ON TOP OF THE CAGE. He tells Kane to let Kanyon go and to double team DDP. Undertaker grabs a chain from out of f’n no where. Kanyon is like hey bro uh… good luck to ya I’m out. Undertaker and Kane destroy DDP and gets the win after the last ride finisher. Another really good match.
Kurt Angle vs. Steve Austin (WWF Title Match): I guess that means the WCW World Title is main eventing the show?Kurt ANgle comes out to a good pop and looks like a million dollars. Man I forgot all about this theme music for Austin and by the way you can go to StoneCold.com. Angle and Austin stare each other down with such an intensity and I’m hyped just watching them look at each other. Austin throws the title and we have them to punching the hell out of each other. Austin gets the upper hand early and works on Angle’s leg. Austin works so well as a heel it’s incredible that he’s the biggest baby face of all time. The crowd is firmly behind Angle which is kind of awesome to see considering who he is facing. This has been a very traditional match with lots of stiff punches and great psychology. This is a classic match that has very little if any flaws in it. They now take this match outside the ring and into the crowd where Angle who is a bloody mess suplexed onto the concrete. Angle is bleeding so bad that in today’s WWE this match would be stopped. Angle locks in the ankle lock like he’s shamrock while Austin in laying on top of the barricade. He now drags austin in leg first over the steps and back in the ring. He locks in the ankle lock again and the fans go BONKERS! Angle looks like Austin from Wrestlemania Thirteen screaming while having Austin locked in the submission. We have multiple referee’s get knocked out one with the title. Angle hits the angle slam and HERE COMES NICK PATRICK who says the winner via disqualification is Kurt Angle. This is the way to do a non finish in wrestling. After the match Angle punches Nick Patrick and locks him in the ankle lock. I’m not sure what Meltzer rates this but it’s damn near perfect. This is the best Summerslam ever and we still have the main event to go.
The Rock vs. Booker T (WCW Title Match): The big gold belt may be my favorite title of all time. It’s so damn pretty and is the best thing to ever come out of the WCW not named Ric Flair. Here comes The Rock to a thunderous ovation that tops Jeff Hardy’s. However that’s saying a lot for Jeff who I believe was only topped by The Rock as far as ovations go. We have two men that have similar offenses with some power slams and using there athleticism throughout the match. Loud Rocky chants echo during this match. This match goes from inside the ring to outside the ring as lil naitch is referee and probably the only referee left standing after the last match. We get back in the ring after some brawling in the crowd. Some more back and forth and Rock locks in the ugliest sharpshooter ever. Shane gets involved and Rock flips him into the ring. Booker T doesn’t get the pin and Shane ends up using the title and blasts the rock. Booker T is unable to cover him immediately. This brings out the two scariest men in the locker room and Shane takes one hell of a clothesline from hell. Finally its back to a one on one match with no one else around and Booker T hits the spinarooni and rock hits a kip up into the Rock Bottom. Rock gets the pin and the crowd goes WILD! The Rock is the WCW champion and this PPV is flawless.
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It’s not close folks this is the best Summerslam to this point. All other PPV’s have down spots and points however this is thoroughly enjoyable from beginning to end. The match of the night will go to Kurt Angle and Stone Cold Steve Austin for the WWF Title. Its one of my favorites so far and interested to see where it falls when its all said and done. Go watch this PPV before the 2017 version you won’t be disappointed. Until Summerslam ‘02 be awesome.