WWE: 2002 vs. 2003

[Papacita 0]

I've been meaning to start this topic for a while, but when reading through the answers to the survey in the WWE folder, one thing that surprised me was that a lot of posters listed 2003 as the worst year ever for WWE. Granted, 2003 had its problems, but I honestly can't understand how people can list it as being worse than 2002. I mean...the shampoo matches, people feuding over t-shirts, dogs and all that crap. I dunno...maybe you all saw it differently, but I can't remember seeing a wrestling product as bad as WWE 2002. And for all its problems, overall, I wouldn't even say 2003 WWE was all that bad.

 

So what do you think?

[Guest Ray]

Conversely, I can't understand how anyone would rate 2003 over 2002. I mean, Raw sucked in both years, but Smackdown was great during the last half of 2002, with Benoit, Edge, Angle, Misterio, Eddie, and Chavo all working their asses off. The quality of wrestling plummetted when heyman was demoted in early 2003 and Benoit spent most of the year as a JTTS. Angle also lost a lot in 2003 due to injury, and after the Rumble he never was able to get back to his 2002 form.

 

2002 > 2003.

[Papacita 0]

Smackdown had some good stuff going on around that time (and more than its share of bad stuff as well), but it was such a small part of what was a horrible year overall. I say 03 is better because one, there were great matches up and down the year (and they didn't just involve the same six people), storylines on both brands were better (though that's not saying much when you think back to some of the angles in 02), plus there was much more stability in 03. While HHH's long reign wasn't really a good thing, at least you knew throughout the year that he was the focus of Raw. Same with Brock and Kurt on Smackdown. In 02, they went from Flair/McMahon to the nWo to Hogan/Rock vs the nWo to Austin vs Flair and so on. Same thing on Smackdown. Comparing both years, overall, I really can't see how anybody can say that 02 was better.

[SamoaRowe 0]

2002 nearly turned me off from wrestling for good numerous times (Jericho's title reign being overshadowed, Katie Vick, for example). However, 2003 didn't do this to me at all. I always found a reason for hope and right now I feel as if my sticking around has paid off.

[JoeDirt 0]

The only PPV I liked through all of 2002 was Summerslam. I just thought it was a really, really bad year, with very little that interested me. However, the start of 2003 was pretty bad, too. I'm leaning towards saying 2003 was better, but I really don't know.

[Guest TheZsaszHorsemen]

2002 was better. Once they got settled into the GMs they had four solid PPVs in five months (Vengeance, SS, No Mercy, SurSer).

[Guest Man Of 1,004 Modes]

2002 was worse I think. Not because of the nWo being brought in, but how poorly WWE was booking for most of the year. Wrestlemania was filled with matches fit to main event Sunday Night Heat, a feud over a shampoo commercial, and HHH/Stephanie.

 

The Brand Split left RAW with a TERRIBLE roster, and having bradshaw as the #2 wrestler (face) was awful. The Main Event for about 4 weeks straight was Austin (or Austin/Partner) vs. nWo Member (or all of them).

 

Backlash was booked horribly, with all heels going over for no reason, and massive run ins for the World Title match. Hogan/Taker feud was booked WORSE, with the motorcycle stalling and draggings.

 

Hogan to me though, was one BRIGHT SPOT for T.V., as it was just nice to see him on TV and putting over the younger guys (Angle, Brock, HHH etc all went over Hogan clean on TV/PPV).

 

September is when Smackdown made a turn for the better, with the Smackdown Six having matches with each other for several months, while RAW was HHH vs. the flavor of the month.

 

 

2003 wasn't TOO bad, but it shouldn't get any recognition as being good either.

[AnonymousBroccoli 0]

I think the selling point for 2002 going over 2003 was that I only missed one PPV in '02, whereas in '03, I couldn't be bothered to order half of them.

 

There was also usually one or two very good undercard feuds going on throughout '02 (the main event was seldom worthwhile either year, and only on SD!) with Edge vs. Angle, RVD vs. Eddie, Edge vs. Eddie, Angle vs. Benoit, RVD vs. Lesnar (I liked it), Jericho vs. Booker (usually a tag team thing), the whole SD! 6 tag scene, and so on.

 

What did 2003 in was the series of long, awful storylines getting top billing. HHH vs. Steiner, HHH vs. Nash, the whole Vince/Hogan/Steph/Gowen/Piper saga, Goldberg. Katie Vick was shit, but it only lasted 3 or 4 weeks.

 

In '03, they probably had more good main event matches overall, thanks to the SD! side. And WM19 kicks the hell out of WM18. TV matches are probably pretty close.

 

The two years aren't miles apart, and there are plenty of highs and lows to both, but I'm reasonably secure in putting 2002 over 2003.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

2002 was one of the worst years in WWE history. 2003 was at least watchable.

[Guest Man Of 1,004 Modes]

Two years that were worse than 2002: 1995 & 1999. 95 was just completely shit. Diesel main eventing EVERY CARD until December wasn't very helpful, pushing people like Sid, Mabel, and Davey Boy Smith as World Title Threats was awful, Bret Hart was stuck in mid-card feuds with the likes of Hakushi, Issac Yankem DDS, Jean-Pierre Laffitte, and Jerry Lawler.

 

The KLIQ was running wild. Gimmicks were crap. (Rad Raford? Fatu making a difference? The Body Donnas? Aldo Montoya? Hunter-Hearst Helmsley? Xanta Klaus? The list goes on and on)

 

 

1999 I can't even remember...and I watched almost every week. Nothing really stands out except for the pushes of Billy Gunn & Triple H in the middle/second half of the year. The Intercontinental Title was turned into shit with about 15 title switches, which included reigns by Goldust (3 years after he meant anything), The Godfather, and the Road Dogg!

[Guest I Got Banned for Sucking]

2003 was worse than 2002. By far.

 

Basically every PPV in 2002 had something to offer. Some of 2002's highlights included a worthy WrestleMania (which should at least be a given), interesting title changes, an awesome Elimination Chamber match, a damn good start for the Tag Team Championship on SmackDown!, Brock Lesnar running wild, as well as lots of other interesting angles and damn good matches.

 

2003? Triple H at the top of every card that he was eligible to be, challenging guys over and over again, and what was worse was that the people that he challenged more than once pretty much sucked. SmackDown! ran wild over Raw pretty much right through 2003, but how much Raw was absolute crap that year dragged the entire product down.

 

So, I didn't find 2002 bad at all - I enjoyed it a lot. I did not enjoy 2003, thanks to Raw.

[Lil' Bitch 0]

2003, out of the whole year, there's trouble as to listing anything truly memorable. Last year was just so fucking depressing.

[Guest Hot Ticket]

SmackDown! ran wild over Raw pretty much right through 2003

Still high?

 

RAW in 03 pissed all over smackdown! in terms of interestin feuds/storylines. from readin meltzer reports, a lot more people watched and bought PPVs pertainin to RAW. havin brock and angle on top really hurt SD. Game's main events were no better quality wise cept for his mania match but atleast people bought them. even when the mcmahons left, sd's main event couldnt sell until eddy took the lead and the other one cried and took his ball home.

 

sd 03 bright spots: submission taker, return of sable, eddy getting back to great form and gettin really over, train/benoit matches which helped a new guy get better (anythin to hep the future is good), john cena got really over

 

but none of those made people watch

[Guest Man Of 1,004 Modes]

Five months of Vince/Hogan/Gowen/Piper/Stephanie/Sable/O'Haire as the #1 interest on Smackdown in 2003 isn't something to brag about.

[Guest Choken One]

I cant remember 2002 to save my life.

 

So clearly it was worst.

[Guest NiTR0]

As for in ring work, 2002 was suprerior to 2003. The things that SmackDown! were doing in the last half of 2002 was so good that I never ever have looked more forward to watching a SmackDown! then I did back then. RAW may be good now, but back then SmackDown! killed it, and I don't think the WWE have produced such consistent Programing since then. Los Guerrero, Edge & Rey Mysterio as well as Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit all made that an enjoyable time in wrestling.

[Guest NateRizzle]

2002 had some excellent stuff from Angle, Benoit, Guerreros, Mysterio and Edge.

 

2003 dragged on and on.

[Guest XtortugaX]

2002

[Guest I Got Banned for Sucking]

2002

Because...?

[Guest reekspeak]

2002 had a strong end to the year.

 

2003 had a strong start.

 

Overall, I'd say 2002.

[Guest I Got Banned for Sucking]

2002 had a strong end to the year.

 

2003 had a strong start.

 

Overall, I'd say 2002.

I agree, as 2002 came to a close, there were some great matches. 2003 didn't have as strong a start as 2002 had an end, but it was nevertheless better than 2003's end.

 

2002's start/mid was much better than 2003's end/mid, and, well, start, so 2002.

[The Amazing Rando 0]

Two years that were worse than 2002: 1995 & 1999. 95 was just completely shit. Diesel main eventing EVERY CARD until December wasn't very helpful, pushing people like Sid, Mabel, and Davey Boy Smith as World Title Threats was awful, Bret Hart was stuck in mid-card feuds with the likes of Hakushi, Issac Yankem DDS, Jean-Pierre Laffitte, and Jerry Lawler.

 

The KLIQ was running wild. Gimmicks were crap. (Rad Raford? Fatu making a difference? The Body Donnas? Aldo Montoya? Hunter-Hearst Helmsley? Xanta Klaus? The list goes on and on)

 

 

1999 I can't even remember...and I watched almost every week. Nothing really stands out except for the pushes of Billy Gunn & Triple H in the middle/second half of the year. The Intercontinental Title was turned into shit with about 15 title switches, which included reigns by Goldust (3 years after he meant anything), The Godfather, and the Road Dogg!

Looking back...I loved the Bodydonnas. They were cheap heel heat nearly at it's finest and I remember enjoying watching them get kicked around. Also, the blue-blood HHH brought forth THE BOW~ which I still use to this day. I'm not sure if he took it from anyone, but i stole it. The only thing I've come to regret about HHH...was that it was him, in character, that brought in Sable.

 

The rest of the gimmicks were crap, sure...and the main event scene was horrible, but don't pull everything down.

 

 

The biggest thing I remember about 1999 was...sadly...November 17th...Raw Is Love. Sure, there were a few other bright spots over the year (Rock/Foley for instance) but for the most part that's all I can remember from that time period...though I don't have much of a long term memory to begin with.

[Guest Anglesault]

2002's start/mid was much better than 2003's end/mid, and, well, start, so 2002.

Face HHH-o-Mania, the Jericho title reign, depushing the two men who carried the show in 01 all the way down, the NWO, shampoo feuds, The Wrestlemania from hell, are you on crack?

[Papacita 0]

2002's start/mid was much better than 2003's end/mid, and, well, start, so 2002.

Not at all. The period from about Survivor Series 01 to about Vengeance 02 was so fucked up it wasn't even funny. There weren't even that many strong matches to redeem this period. The product was just all around terrible...I'd say that creatively, this was THE lowest point I've seen for WWF (and yes, I was watching in 95). The end of 2003 had its low points (too much McMahon involvement and Austin's b.s. on Raw), but it was nowhere near as bad. Raw actually began to shape up once they got the title off of HHH, as they began making much better use of their roster. Smackdown, while not at the same quality as it was in the end of 02, still managed to put on great matches damn near every other week with programs like Tajiri/Rey, Benoit/Brock, Benoit/Cena, Los Guerreros/WGTT, and Cena/Angle (despite how ridiculous the feud may have been handled); again, the product wasn't at it best overall, but it was much better than the bull that was being thrown out early on in 02.