The Year in PPV- 2002, Part I

As I continue my journey through the PPV years in the WWE Network, there was one year that I was interested in checking out more than anything: 2002. Wrestling fans love to look at 2002 as one of the better years in the new millennium, as the ending of the Attitude Era and the beginning of the Aggression Era. Likewise, many fans also look down on the year 2002 as the year that the WWF became the WWE, and many claim that the company was never the same afterwards. I can't really argue on either side because I wasn't a fan at the time, so let's just focus on the importance of the year in terms of their shows.

One thing that cannot be ignored is the star power that is featured throughout this year, including The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho, Undertaker, Ric Flair, Kurt Angle, Kane, Rob Van Dam, Eddie Guerrero, Edge, Chris Benoit, Rey Mysterio, Brock Lesnar and so much more that they needed to be split amongst the two brands of RAW and SmackDown. So this year was a very important year in serving as the prototype of a new rivalry between shows (in an attempt to re-create the Monday Night Wars within the company). Like any other year, we would see surprising returns, rising superstars, epic confrontations and so much more, so what is it about 2002 that sticks out in fans minds?

Let's find out...


1. Royal Rumble

The midcard for this event is on the filler side of things, but the show kicks into high gear with its main event matches. The Street Fight between Ric Flair and Mr. McMahon is far from a technical masterpiece, but is a lot of fun and uses the hardcore gimmick to its advantage and makes up for the technical shortcomings of its two performers. The Undisputed Title is defended in a match that nearly steals the show thanks to the charisma and wrestling abilities of Chris Jericho and The Rock. It has its fair share of overbooking, but it is still a match that feels important and not an afterthought when it comes to the winner of the Royal Rumble match.

The Rumble match itself has moments of excitement thanks to the performances of its biggest players. Everyone remembers the segment with Maven and the Undertaker, the showdown between Triple H and Stone Cold Steve Austin, and the return of Mr. Perfect. All of which add moments of suspense to a Rumble match that has its fair share of underwhelming moments. Of course, it's a bit obvious who was going to win the match, but it does set the right kind of tone on the Road to WrestleMania.

Recommended


2. No Way Out

There are tons of matches throughout the night that continue to paint that picture that is the card for WrestleMania, and their developments are the brightest spots of the night. However, the matches are a bit underwhelming and have that feeling of being filler. It's really surprising to say that a card with The Rock vs. The Undertaker, Kurt Angle vs. Triple H, and Chris Jericho vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin is lackluster, but it is because each wrestler involved is only there to hold their spot until WrestleMania, with no glorious pay off or tease at a future feud, as all of these main event players would be facing someone else on the grandest stage of the year.

The biggest impact this show has on the Road to WrestleMania is the debut of the nWo. With Scott Hall, Kevin Nash and Hulk Hogan making their returns to the company, it was obvious that they would be stirring some form of controversy throughout the night, but it is still entertaining and somewhat surreal to see WCW's biggest source of income standing in a WWF ring.

Skip It


3. WrestleMania X8

This WrestleMania will always be remembered for one moment specifically: The Icon vs. Icon match between Hollywood Hulk Hogan and The Rock. I remember John Cena once said that if you were to mute the match, it would be one of the sloppiest matches you'll ever see. But it is the reactions from the crowd in Toronto's SkyDome that really defined the match as an all-time classic. Many have looked at the rest of the card as underwhelming when compared to this match that should have been the main event of the evening.

That being said, there is solid storytelling to be told in spades throughout the evening. While the main event between Triple H and Chris Jericho is not the greatest (admittedly, it is wrestled very well, but the crowd is drained following the Hogan/Rock match), the story of Triple H's return from injury and challenging Jericho for the Undisputed Championship is the type of cliched underdog story that could only work on a show like WrestleMania. There's also a very solid No Disqualification match between Undertaker and Ric Flair (which is very surprising given the shape that Flair looks out of), and a very good gem of a match between Kurt Angle and Kane. Add that to some solid undercard championship matches, and some rocking performances from Saliva and Drowning Pool, and this has all the makings of a memorable WrestleMania.

The only real dud matches on the card are a lackluster encounter between Stone Cold Steve Austin and Scott Hall, and a feud between Booker T and Edge over a Japanese shampoo commercial (WHAT?). Add some factors, such as Hogan/Rock not being the main event, the silent crowd reactions during the Triple H/Jericho match, some silly moments surrounding the Hardcore Championship throughout the night, and many fans have enough ammunition to disregard this PPV as a whole, but I will go on record to say that it is a very underrated show that should be watched for the amount of hype surrounding one of sports entertainment's greatest moments.

Highly Recommended


4. Backlash

Just like WrestleMania, Backlash feels like a show that is centered on ONE moment, with Hulk Hogan challenging Triple H for the Undisputed Championship, but there are many matches on the card that are more than able to hold their own. Rob Van Dam and Eddie Guerrero have a tremendous match for the Intercontinental Championship, and Kurt Angle and Edge have a strong matchup signifying the potential of Edge moving up the main event picture. This show can also be regarded as the PPV debut of Brock Lesnar, and the match of the night definitely goes to the war between Undertaker and Stone Cold Steve Austin with Ric Flair as guest referee to determine the number one contender for the Undisputed Championship. But when it is time for the main event, it is up to Triple H and Hulk Hogan to deliver a quality main event to end the night on a high note.

Sadly, they are unable to do that. Hogan and Triple H don't have the greatest wrestling chemistry together, and can't rely on the crowd to cover that up with positive reactions (like Hogan could with The Rock at WrestleMania). Still, the match is more about the moment than anything else, and if the fans were able to go home happy, that should be all that matters I guess.

Mild Recommendation


5. Insurrextion

This PPV is just awful. There is nothing of redeeming value throughout this entire show. Every match on the card is a disappointment, and given some of the talent involved, is a shameful effort on the company's behalf. It's a show that took place in the U.K., but does that mean they are entitled to any lesser form of quality than shows in the U.S.? I don't think so. But this show plays like a drawn out episode of RAW (ironic, given that it is a RAW exclusive PPV). It's no wonder why these kinds of PPVs were phased out within the next year, because it was clear the British fans were treated to mediocre filler PPVs with little significance on wrestling history.

The only spot in history this show has is that it was the last PPV under the WWF name. Given the 18 year history of WWF PPVs, it's a shame that THIS was their last show under the name because this show is a terrible way to close out any kind of era in the company's history.

Skip It


Initial Thoughts: There's a lot of good stuff here, but also a lot of stuff that feels like the last bit of scraps from the Attitude Era. Each show has its fair share of epic encounters (except Insurrextion), but require sifting through some underwhelming moments to get there. This would be the final run of PPVs in terms of the company as the WWF, and many would argue the absolute end of the Attitude Era. With the attitude gone, it was time for the newly named WWE to find something different, and they found it in the form of ruthless aggression and the beginning of the Aggression Era.

Continued in Part II...


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