Welcome to the first instalment of Tybo Talks 2002. This month we are talking Royal Rumble.
With the ease of access to pretty much all of WWE’s back catalogue on the WWE Network I thought it would be cool to change it up a bit and do some classic reviews (with a twist). The plan is to review every PPV of 2002 while watching all Raw and Smackdown episodes in between.
So, let’s get the obvious stuff out the way, Royal Rumble 2002 was held on January 20th in the Phillips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia with 16,106 people in attendance. This was also the last ‘WWF’ Royal Rumble.
Now before I go any further, I’m not really going to explain the matches move for move. No one needs that, the PPV is on the WWE Network. This is going to be my thoughts on the booking and general thoughts about the matches and the events as a whole.
Tag Team Championship
Spike and Tazz (C) vs The Dudley Boys w/ Stacy Keibler
The opening match of the show was for the Tag Titles, I had honestly forgotten that Spike and Tazz were even a tag team let alone champions. This is such a strange pairing, it feels like they really wanted to do something with Spike because he was so over back then but didn’t know what to do. So, they just paired him with Tazz and gave them the titles. On the whole, this was a basic ‘Spike’ match. He was completely dominated throughout but somehow pulled out the victory. The highlight of this match was Tazz putting Stacy in the Tazzmission. Winners and still Champions – Spike and Tazz
Intercontinental Championship
Edge (C) vs William Regal
This had been a solid rivalry from both men, I think I would go as far to say that this could have been one of Edge’s best rivalries to date. Regal is one of those guys who just makes everyone look great in the ring, and I think this series of matches went a long way to cement Edge as a solid mid-carder.
This was when Regal had just started using the now infamous ‘Brass Knucks’ so famous in fact that Regal has them on a stand in his NXT office. There was some great heel work from Regal in this match, with the referee checking him and everywhere looking for the foreign object and keeping it concealed. This match ended with a knockout punch and Edge took it like a champ! Winner and New Champion – William Regal
After the match, Cole caught up with Regal, and Regal said he had been blessed with ‘The Power of the Punch’. Always thought this would make a great t-shirt but it never happened.
Women’s Championship Match
Trish Straus (C) vs Jazz
(Jaqueline was the referee)
I remember when they started having Jacqueline as the ‘special referee’ for women’s matches, I always thought it was a nice touch to make the women’s division feel like it was something.
I was never really a WCW fan so I didn’t really know a lot about Jazz as she only debuted a few weeks before this match, interrupting a wet t-shirt contest between Terri and the Trish. This was while Trish was champion too, which says more about the women’s division in 2002 than I could ever say.
One thing was clear Jazz could wrestle, and Trish was moreover than any diva on the roster. With Jazz injuring Trish’s hand on Smackdown, this just added more to Trish’s huge underdog status. Honestly, this was not the worst divas match I have ever seen and Jazz carried Trish a lot but Trish was getting better and better with every match she had. Winner and Still Champion – Trish Stratus
Street Fight
Vince McMahon vs Ric Flair
This was back when McMahon and Flair were 50/50 owners of WWF after Shane and Steph had sold their shares to Flair. This was a great way to bring Flair into the company after WCW went out of business. It gave Vince a great rival to work with and helped both get over, one as a heel and one as a face.
Leading into this match, Vince dressed as Flair in a segment on Raw, if you have not seen this I suggest you check it out, it’s genius! Now I love Vince, I always have but damn that guy can’t wrestle. This match is so stiff and has no fluidity at all, it’s safe to say that Vince is not a ‘pretty’ wrestler. What he loses in talent he more than makes up for in the ability to take some huge bumps.
FunFact: Ric Flair almost didn’t have this match as he was really struggling with believing he could still go. Even admitting to breaking down and crying in front of the McMahon Family.
Now, I know it was 2002 and it was a street fight, but the number of headshots with signs and trash cans is insane, the fact you never see shots like that anymore makes the impact of them when you watch old stuff all the more impactful. I have one main issue with this match, this was a street fight, no rules, no holds barred, anything goes. So why the hell did Flair win with a figure four? I have been a wrestling fan for a long time and I have never seen a tap out
Backstage – Quick segment, Steph is talking to Cole about Triple H, and him winning the Royal Rumble. This is the beginning of the end for Mr and Mrs Helmsley, but more about that in later reviews. Austin interrupts her. Austin’s whole promo is basically him saying a wrestler’s name and shouting WHAT! And the crowd eat it up. Classic circa 2002 Stone Cold. Classic.
Undisputed Championship
Chris Jericho (C) vs The Rock
I’m sure everyone and their dog know by now that Jericho beat both Austin and The Rock in one night (Vengeance 2001) to become the first-ever Undisputed Champion, but did you know that it was originally meant to be Chris Benoit winning both titles? Imagine how different it would have been if Benoit wasn’t injured at the time.
Jericho was the perfect heel at this point, worked the two belts to look great. I think there is no doubt that the later part of 2001 into early 2002 was career-defining for Jericho, catapulting him to the main event status he deserved to have. The match was pretty standard, very back and forth as you would expect, this is neither man’s best match but it’s an enjoyable watch.
There is a pretty cool table spot in the match where The Rock ‘Rock Bottoms’ Jericho from one table to another. After the referee goes down, the then ‘dodgy’ WCW referee Nick Patrick comes out but refuses to count the 3 for The Rock, Jericho gets the win with a low blow, an exposed turnbuckle, and his feet on the ropes. Could Jericho use any more heel finishes to get the win? Winner and Still Champion – Chris Jericho
FunFact: With this win Chris Jericho became the first (and only) superstar to beat The Rock three times on PPV. (No Mercy 2001, Vengeance 2001 and Royal Rumble 2002)
WWF New York – It’s a shame WWF New York isn’t there anymore, always wanted to go. Shawn Michaels is there for an interview, I know its 2002 but he is wearing the craziest Texas flag shirt I have ever seen.
Royal Rumble Match
30 Men, One Match, One W1nner.
Now I’m not going to sit here and tell you who came out and who went in, that would take all day. This was a good Royal Rumble match overall, it’s worth mentioning that this was a pretty star-studded Rumble match.
- This was the first rumble after the purchase of WCW and ECW so potentially anyone could have been there.
- I have always been a huge fan of the rumble, always great to see some interesting rivalries begin going into Wrestlemania. There are some definite standout performances in this match.
- Rikishi goes in first and lasting a large chunk of the match.
- The Undertaker clearing the ring on a fair few occasions.
- I can’t mention Undertaker without mentioning this being the year he was involved in possibly the most shocking elimination in Rumble history when the young upstart and first Tough Enough Winner Maven eliminated The Deadman.
FunFact: Maven recently revealed that The Undertaker suggested taking aspirin to help thin his blood to get better colour, when Maven told him he was allergic they did shots of Jack Daniels instead
- Maven did pay for it getting beat down all over the arena.
- Outside of the obvious (Austin and Triple H), The Godfather got the pop of the night when he returned.
- Talking of Austin did you know this was his last ever Royal Rumble?
- In this match, Austin eliminated Christian and Chuck twice as he eliminated them both, threw them back in and eliminated them again.
- The match rolled on and there was a point when the star power in the ring was unmatched. Austin, Triple H, Angle, Big Show, Kane and Mr Perfect all in the ring at once, six Hall of Fame worthy wrestlers.
- The Final Four ended up being Austin, Angle, Triple H and Mr Pe
r fect.
FunFact: Stone Cold Steve Austin broke a few records in this Royal Rumble. He was the first man to be in the final-four on five different occasions (1997,1998,1999,2001 and 2002). Austin was also the first man hit 30 cumulative eliminations. He also lasted the longest in this Royal Rumble Match ( 26:46)
- This match was some great booking for Prefect, it’s just a shame that he would eventually be fired only four months later.
- The Final Two being Triple H and Angle, it came as no great shock that Triple H won. Winner – Triple H
Overall – No great shock that Triple H won this year’s Rumble, with the manor that he returned and the fact that he had been out for nearly a year at the hands of Jericho and he is the Undisputed Champion, the story practically writes its self. This takes nothing away from the match or the whole event.
Match of the Night: Outside of the Royal Rumble match itself, the best actual match on the card would have to be Edge vs William Regal, Intercontinental Championship match. As I mentioned Edge’s rivalry with Regal is a standout in Edge’s early 2000’s career. The match was solid wrestling and could have easily gone either way.
It was a solid PPV, I think the fact that there were only pre-announced entrants in the Rumble was a downfall but aside from that, it was a great PPV. A perfect beginning for the Road to Wrestlemania.
Tybometer 2002
Royal Rumble – 3.5 / 5
Make sure you check back next month when ill be reviewing No Way Out
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