WWE Rebellion 2002

[Guest TSMAdmin]

The Rebellion PPV currently rotating on DirecTV is worth watching. The show opened with Stephanie coming out to the ring and pretending to be her father, and introducing Rebellion.

 

[1] BOOKER T vs. MATT HARDY

Crowd chants for Booker T. Matt psychs Booker out by refusing to do a test of strength with him, and the Booker does the same thing in reverse. This match is funny because here you have two guys, who, on their respective rosters, could be top tier players if they were pushed right. Anyways, Hardy gets an armdrag and the crowd chants for Booker again. Booker blocks a hiptoss and clothesline and then dropkicks Hardy. Booker then goes for the spin kick, but Hardy slides to the outside. Booker goes out and brings him in, but Hardy gets a stun gun and neckbreaker for two. Hardy works Booker over in the corner before Booker does his corner rollup pin for two, but Hardy comes back with a side effect, also getting two. He follows up with a legdrop and another neckbreaker for two. Hardy puts Booker in a headlock, and the stretches the back. Booker powers out, though, and gets a spinebuster. They're both down and out, but they make it to their feet and Booker gets a savate kick for two. Hardy boots Booker in the corner, though, but misses the yodeling legdrop. Booker gets a missile dropkick off the top for two. He follows up with a spinning wheel kick and then brings the Book End out of mothballs, but Hardy has his foot on the rope and Booker only gets two on the pin. Hardy now gets the Twist Of Fate, and they're both down. Back up, and Booker gets the scissors kick for three [11:59] ***1/4 Really good match. Booker does the Spinaroonie after the match.

 

- Paul E. and Stephanie are shown arguing backstage.

 

[2] KIDMAN & TORRIE WILSON vs. DAWN MARIE & JOHN CENA

Think about this: this PPV was back in October and they were doing the Al Wilson story. October. And they're still doing it now. They spent about 5 months on this angle just to build up to a T&A match at Royal Rumble. Here's the lesson kids: stay in school. Cena attacks Kidman from behind but Kidman gets a flying head scissors. Cena returns the favor by hanging Kidman on the top rope. Cena gets a stalling suplex, and while he's holding Kidman up there he does squats. That's awesome. Kidman reverses it, though, with a rollup for two. Cena clothesline him and tags in Dawn Marie. They "wrestle", and then do the catfight spot where the roll with Kidman around on the canvas. Kidman gets a big pop for that. Cena sneaks in and slams Torrie, and then cheapshots Kidman. Wilson low blows him, though, Kidman gets a flying back elbow for two. Cena comes back with a spinebuster for two, but Kidman gets an acid drop and then an enzuigiri, and ends it with a shooting star press. [5:23] *1/4 Bleh. Cena looked really good in the small amount of time he was in there.

 

- Angle and Benoit are shown arguing backstage.

 

[3] LOS GUERREROS vs. KURT ANGLE & CHRIS BENOIT

Angle is over HUGE in the UK. Before the match the Guerreros pose with the belts. Eddie starts, but he tags out to Chavo before any action. Huge "Angle" chants from the crowd. Side headlock by Angle, followed by a backdrop and then an elbow to Eddie. Benoit then tags himself in, and the crowd in turn chants "We Want Angle". Eddie tags in. Tilt-a-whirl backbreaker from Benoit is followed by a chop to Chavo. Angle tags back in and so does Chavo and he works Angle over with punches and the like before Angle german suplexes him. Benoit looks jealous of the german. Eddie then tags in and attacks Angle when he isn't looking. Benoit runs in and germans Angle, and then Angle and Benoit stare each other after Angle gets pissed that Benoit upstaged his german suplex. Really great stuff. They then both german each of the Los Guerreros at the same time. Angle gets a suplex on Chavo for two. Benoit tags in, and Chavo tags out to Eddie, who works Benoit over in the corner. Guerrero gets a back suplex, and tags in Chavo who then immediately gets put in the crossface. Chavo gets the ropes, though, and ends up dumping Benoit to the outside. Eddie suplexes Benoit out on the floor, and then Chavo brings him back in and tags in Eddie, who comes in with a springboard hilo. Eddie then locks on the gory special, but Benoit rolls him up for two. Chavo tags in and works Benoit over before Benoit gets a backslide for two. Chavo comes back with a back suplex and then cheapshots Angle on the apron. Eddie tags in but Benoit flapjacks him and then plants him with a brutal powerbomb. Chavo cheapshots Benoit, though, so both him and Eddie are down. Chavo gets tagged in and again walks right into a crossface, and Angle comes in to be backed out by the referee. Eddie goes for the frog splash on Benoit, who is lying on top of Chavo, but Benoit moves and Chavo gets froggie'd. Benoit gets the hot tag to Angle who cleans house. He belly-to-belly suplexes Eddie for two. Chavo dropkicks him, but Benoit is in and germans him, and then germans Eddie. Benoit then nails the swandive headbutt on Eddie, and Angle pins him for two. Chavo then suplexes Angle, but him and Benoit dump each other. Eddie pins Angle for two, and then climbs to the top rope. Angle tries to run rope to do his top rope suplex, but looks to nearly slip and Eddie pushes him off, and gets the frog splash. Benoit breaks the cover at two. Benoit puts the crossface on Eddie, Chavo breaks it and gets dumped by Benoit for his efforts. Angle and Benoit then bump into each other and into the ref. Guerrero then gets the Laso From El Paso on Angle, but Angle reverses to the Angelock. Chavo comes in and nails Angle with one of the worst belt shots I've seen in years. He basically just touched Angle with the belt, and then slide out. It look bad. Guerrero pins Angle, getting two. Chavo goes to the top rope but Benoit shoves him off to the outside and then hot shots Eddie. Angle gets the Angle Slam on him for three. [16:34] **** Excellent, but definitely not the best match between the four.

 

- Brock and Paul E. are shown arguing backstage.

 

[4] EDGE vs. BROCK LESNAR & PAUL HEYMAN

They start with Lesnar doing the Hogan power lockup. Lesnar then works Edge over in the corner with shoulders and boots until Edge drop toe holds him onto the bottom turnbuckle, and then dropkicks Lesnar out of the ring. Lesnar's back in and goes for a double leg, but Edge rolls him up for two in a nice spot. Lesnar tries to gorilla press slam Edge, but again Edge rolls him up for two. Lesnar gets dumped again, and they brawl outside. Brock's back in, but Heyman grabs hold of Edge and holds him as he tries to get back in, and Brock takes advantage. Edge comes back with a spinning wheelkick and he spears Heyman off the apron, but runs into a belly-to-belly suplex from Lesnar. Edge rolls outside and Lesnar follows him out and works him over before tossing him in and getting a two-count. Backbreaker and shoulderblock from Lesnar for two. Lesnar locks in a shitty looking modified boston crab, but Edge gets the ropes. Lesnar puts him in a chinlock. Match slows down here, big time. Edge tries to comeback and gets a rollup for two, but Lesnar clothesline him and gets a two count of his own. Lesnar locks Edge in the Hulkamania-killing bearhug. Edge battles up and eventually gets a dropkick, and then knocks Heyman off the apron. Lesnar gets a spinebuster for two, however. More shoulders in the corner from Lesnar, and then Edge again rolls him up for two. Edge goes for a spinning wheel kick but Lesnar catches him, and then Edge gets a faceplant, and follows it up with that backplant thing he does for two. Lesnar gets dumped. Edge flips Heyman into the ring and for whatever reason gives him a double axe handle from the top rope, making me wonder if we've time-warped back to the 1980s. He pins Heyman despite Heyman not being the legal man, and Lesnar breaks it at two. Lesnar gets dumped, again, and Edge comes off the top rope with a horrible, horrible looking plancha onto Lesnar. Back inside, and Edge gets a missile dropkick for two. Edge goes back to the top rope but accidentally bumps the ref coming off, and then gets the Edgecution, but the ref is out. Lesnar grabs a chair and then takes a lousy bump on the spear, which gets two. Lesnar bashes Edge with the chair and finishes it with an F5. [18:49] **3/4 I saw them do a match live in London, Ontario back in October and it was leagues better than this. Heyman (technically) never tagged in, so I don't so the point of the stip, either, unless they wanted to give the Brits the idea that Edge might pin Heyman for title, since no one's dumb enough to think Edge would be able to pin Lesnar. Lots of heat for this, though.

 

THE FINAL CUT

Well, they only showed four matches, and obviously showed the best ones (and there's nothing wrong with that). Really good show, and you should pick it up when it replays. It's playing all January on DirecTV.

 

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