Armageddon 2002 Review

Even if you’ve never seen this PPV, I’m sure you’ve seen Shawn Michaels falling from the ladder through the tables with JR going “HOW DO YOU LEARN TO FALL OFF A 20 FT LADDER?” from every WWE video package from 2004-2008.

Match #1: World Tag Team Championship

Christian & Chris Jericho (c) vs Booker T & Goldust vs Lance Storm & William Regal vs The Dudley Boyz

This is an elimination match. About 4-5 minutes in Regal rolls up Bubba Ray for 3, which confuses JR who isn’t sure if Bubba is out of the match. But he is. Seconds after Goldust powerslams Regal and eliminates Regal/Storm. Given the build this match really should have just been BookDust vs Jericho/Christian from the start. Goldust gets isolated from Booker and beat down for a while. Goldust with a sidewalk slam to Christian and the hot tag to Booker! Booker cleans house. Booker with a sunset flip out of the corner for two followed by a knife-edge chop fest. Jericho hits the Flashback for two. Christian tries to bring the title into the ring and climbs to the top but Goldust crotches him on the rope. Booker dodges a Lionsault and hits a flapjack, followed by the Axe Kick. Christian distracts the ref just long enough for Jericho to kick out. Jericho hits Booker T with the title belt, which Nick Patrick somehow doesn’t see. Jericho hits the Lionsault and Booker somehow kicks out! Jericho tries to use the title again but Booker hits the Book End and gets the victory. Really nice moment with BookDust celebrating after going from Booker hating Goldust to them being best friends. I always really enjoyed their story. The match itself was pretty awesome but it really should have just been the final two teams involved. Regal/Storm and Dudleyz felt like such afterthoughts.

Match #2

A-Train vs Edge

On paper this actually sounded like it could be decent but it sort of ended up being run of the mill. Edge starts off with control but sort of deviates between which body part he’s attacking before A-Train takes over. A-Train works over the neck. Edge makes his comeback but dives off the ropes into a bicycle kick for two. A-Train grabs a chair but Edge fights him off and its a diving crossbody for two. Baldo Bomb from Albert for two. Albert picks up the chair again but takes a spear from Edge for two. Really, really unnecessary finisher kickout. A-Train hits Edge in the leg with the chair, causing a DQ. A-Train tries to hit Edge again but Edge dropkicks the chair into him then picks it up and hits it over his head.

Match #3

Eddie Guerrero vs Chris Benoit

The winner of this match gets a title shot at whoever is champion in the near future. Quite a bit of submission trading early on in this one. Eddie with a diving crossbody to Benoit from the ropes to the outside. Eddie works over the leg of Benoit. Rolling German Suplexes after a failed Crossface attempt. Eddie reverses a powerbomb and hits his own set of German Suplexes to Benoit. Eddie hits a Frog Splash but Benoit kicks out. 3 matches, 4 finisher kickouts so far tonight. While Benoit is recovering on the outside of the ring, Eddie distracts the ref and Chavo runs down, hitting Benoit with one of the tag titles. Eddie locks in the Lasso From El Paso but Benoit gets the ropes. Powerbomb by Benoit. Benoit heads to the top but while the ref checks on Eddie, Chavo tries to get involved. Benoit tosses Chavo off the apron. Diving headbutt from Benoit for two. Benoit fights out of the Lasso from El Paso and locks in the Crossface for the victory. Really enjoyed this match and I really enjoy how both guys constantly look like they’re trying to do something during submission holds rather than just taking the submission. I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite match between them (Vengeance ’03 has that honor) but I really liked it.

Dawn Marie & Al Wilson come to the ring. Dawn shows footage of her seducing Torrie Wilson in a hotel room, stripping and kissing her. Al is very uncomfortable. Al tells her to stop the footage and then she does and they both leave. They can’t all be winners.

Match #4

Batista vs Kane

As a huge Batista mark, Batsta was greener than Drax The Destroyer at this point of his career. Batista and Kane trade some strikes early on. Kane ends up outside the ring and Flair tries to chop Kane, only to get choked against the barricade. Back in the ring Kane hits a sidewalk slam and goes for the flying clothesline. Batista dodges and goes for a powerbomb but can’t seem to lift Kane enough and just starts clubbing away at his back instead. Spinebuster from Batista for two. Kane chokeslams Batista but Flair distracts the ref. Kane attacks Flair and then gets hit with the Batista Bomb, giving Batista the win. I don’t get what this match was trying to accomplish. If they were trying to build up Batista, they failed miserably because he literally only capitalized when Flair got involved. It also made Kane look kind of stupid at times. Weak match that really didn’t seem to accomplish anything.

John Cena and Bull Buchannan come out and rap for a couple minutes.

Match #5 – Women’s Championship

Victoria (c) vs Jacqueline vs Trish Stratus

Ah yes, Jacqueline’s yearly random title shot. That woman loses like 25 straight TV matches, wins 1, gets a title shot. Flipping leg drop from Victoria to Trish. Leg sweep and clothesline from Jacqueline to Victoria. Trish goes for the Stratusfaction early but Victoria helps Jacqueline catch her and turn it into a back suplex. Superplex from Victoria to Trish. Trish and Jacqueline double team Victoria and Jacqueline tries to steal the pin. Diving crossbody from Trish to Jacqueline, who rolls through for two. Headkick from Trish to Victoria followed by a neckbreaker to Jacqueline. Victoria climbs the ropes for a moonsault but Jacqueline shoves her from the ropes out of the ring. Headkick from Trish to Jacqueline but Victoria breaks up the cover. Trish clotheslines Jacqueline in the corner while Victoria is outside the ring. Trish covers but Victoria whacks her in the head with the title belt which the ref doesn’t see. Victoria sneaks in and pins Jacqueline for the victory. I liked parts of this match but I think it needed more time and an ending with a more impactful move. There were a lot of good spots but because it was only 4 minutes long, they had to keep squeezing in spot after spot. Would have been nice if they sacrificed that Dawn Marie segment to give this match a few extra minutes. Really not all that bad of a match though. Still think Victoria is the best woman wrestler I’ve seen in WWE.

Backstage Kurt Angle tries to recruit Brock Lesnar into his corner for his title match against Big Show. Angle reminds Brock that Heyman turned on him and cost him the WWE title against Big Show. Lesnar thanks Angle for getting his suspension lifted and says he won’t regret it. But he doesn’t say anything about being in Angle’s corner. Angle puts a video into the VCR showing Heyman screwing Lesnar over and walks out.

Match #6 – WWE Championship

Big Show (c) vs Kurt Angle

Big Show has Angle on his shoulders and tosses him out of the ring…right onto Paul Heyman. Big Show beats down Angle outside and around the ring. Every time Angle tries to fight back, Big Show regains control. Big Show hits the Final Cut for two. Bearhug from Big Show. Angle fights back and locks in a sleeper hold. Tornado DDT from Angle. Missile dropkick from Angle, followed shortly after by a moonsault. Angle Slam for two and the crowd gets really into the match. Big Show reverses an ankle lock attempt. Angle locks in the Ankle Lock but Big Show fights out and the ref gets knocked down. Angle hits the chair over Big Show’s head and the ref gets up. Big Show just kicks out and tosses Angle onto the ref. Angle has the ankle lock in but A-Train runs in and hits a backbreaker on Kurt. Big Show chokeslams Angle but Brock Lesnar runs in and F-5s Big Show. Angle crawls over onto Big Show for the win! This was a ridiculously fun match. Didn’t really expect too much going in but I really enjoyed it and I think it was an instance where the run ins accomplished a lot.

Match #7 – 3 Stages of Hell – World Heavyweight Championship

Shawn Michaels (c) vs Triple H

Love seeing Michaels have an entrance with the title. The first fall of this match was a street fight. Trash can gets introduced and Michaels dives onto a flooed Triple H with it. Triple H gets his foot up, knocking the can into HBK’s face. Triple H starts working over the leg of Michaels. Triple H locks in the figure four but HBK reverses. Triple H sends Michaels toward the set and busts out the barbed wire 2×4, which he proceeds to light on fire. Michaels steals the 2×4 and hits Triple H with it. Low blow from Michaels but Triple H ends up chop blocking him and following it up with the pedigree to take the first fall after abou 20 minutes. The second fall is a steel cage. Triple H sends Michaels into the fence and now both men are bleeding. Both men fight on top of the cage right in front of the two tables set up outside the ring. Ric Flair takes a third and fourth table and stacks them. Ric Flair gets into the cage but Michaels hits him in the head with a chair. Triple H goes for a Pedigree but Michaels reverses and superkicks him. HBK puts Triple H on a table and dives through it off the cage for fall number two. Now the ladder match. Michaels dives off the ladder onto Triple H but Triple H moves. Pedigree from Triple H. Triple H is climbing the ladder but Michaels recovers and stops him. Michaels superkicks Triple H, sending him out of the ring but falling over himself. Michaels climbs the ladder and nearly has the title but Triple H comes back in and shoves the ladder over, sending Michaels through the tables outside the ring. Triple H climbs and wins it. I definitely enjoyed parts of this match but other parts really deviated from the story and sort of felt forced. It was super long, nearly 40 minutes and I don’t really think it required that either. It had some great spots though, I’ll say that.

Over this was a pretty decent show with a lot of decent stuff. My favorite matches were the opening tag, Eddie/Benoit and Angle/Big Show. The 3SoH was solid but a bit inconsistent at parts. Women’s match was fun for what it was but had a weak ending. Kane vs Batista was kind of dreadful and Edge vs A-Train was underwhelming and had some really unnecessary finisher kickouts.