Welcome to the sixth instalment of Tybo Talks 2003. This month we will be talking Bad Blood.
I started this over a year ago when I thought it would be a good idea to start a ‘2002’ series. 12+ months and over 500 hours of wrestling later I’m still going with a ‘2003′ series.
The idea was simple, 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 review and drop them on the day they were held. The plan is to review every PPV of 2003 while watching all Raw and Smackdown episodes in between.
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 event.
The Stats
This is the second Bad Blood PPV, but the first (In Your House: Badd Blood 1997) is not referenced.
Venue – Compaq Centre. Houston, Texas
Attendance – 10,000
Theme Song – Headstrong by Trapt
This is the first Raw exclusive PPV since the brand split. The opening vignette as you would expect would be all about vengeance and returning issues between old rivals with Nash and Triple H, and Jericho and Goldberg.
The stage looks cool with the oval jumbotron, but the massive drops of blood do look like a pair of hanging balls from some angles.
The Dudley Boyz vs Rodney Mack & Chris Nowinski
Fun Fact: At this point, Rodney Mack is still undefeated. (I wonder if there were high hopes for him here?)
This seemed a strange pairing of Mack and Nowinski, as Mack and Teddy Long are working the ‘WWE is racist and holding the black man down’ and there is no one more opposite to that than a posh Harvard graduate. The build to this one all seemed to happen on Heat. Nowinski had recently broken his nose so is wearing an unnecessarily shiny/sparkly face protector.
This is a fairly standard tag match, the only shock is that the makeshift tag team beat out the tag veterans, even if they did cheat to win.
Winners – Rodney Mack & Chris Nowinski
Redneck Triathlon (Round One) – Burping Contest
This is just Austin and Bischoff having some fun. I can’t tell if the burps are real or recorded, this is a funny segment though. Terri Runnels face throughout the whole segment is great.
Test vs Scott Stiner (Winner gets the managerial skills of Stacy Keibler)
The first thing you notice about this match is that Stacy gets the biggest pop of the three. This has been a great long-running rivalry between the three stars and it doesn’t look to be stopping anytime soon. This is old of those rivalries that have clearly been thought out and planned to go the distance.
This is not the worst match, but its not the best match. Although it does begin with one of Stiner’s most famous botches off the apron. Test gets legitimate heat form pushing Stacy over. I think this is a better fit for Stiner, in a mid-card match as its clear Test carries more of the match than you would expect. I am looking forward to the next step in this rivalry.
Winner – Scott Stiner
Backstage – Austin and Bischoff are setting up Round Two of the Redneck Triathlon, a pie-eating contest. This is ‘not apple pie or plum pie, but puntang pie’ The segment is basically Austin and Bischoff picking girls. This is really (really) pervy and awkward.
Intercontinental Championship: Christian (C) vs Booker T
There was a battle royal at last months Judgement Day with only former Intercontinental Champions (except Booker T) there was a lot going on at the end but basically Booker and Christian were the last two and Christian won (read Tybo Talks… Judgement Day HERE)
Christian was a great heel and IC Champ in 2003, it has taken a long time since the break-up of ‘Edge & Christian’ for Christian to come into his own and catch his stride but he really has now. This is the best match of the PPV up to this point, there is great back and forward between the two but Christian obviously cheats to win by knocking out Booker with the title.
Winner – Christian (and Still Intercontinental Champion)
Redneck Triathlon (Round Two) – Pie Eating Contest
This is so awkward that everyone keeps calling this a ‘pie-eating’ contest. It’s truly amazing what WWE thought could be a good idea back in the early 2000s. I think the most shocking thing about this segment is that Austin when with it, I expected more from Stone Cold.
So, Austin picks the ‘pie’ Bischoff is going to eat. And (of course) Mae Young comes out, Mae was literally up for anything. Bischoff kisses Mae and she low-blows him. Mae strips to almost nothing and hits Bischoff with a bronco-buster, this is the worst!
Austin hits Mae with a Stunner, and the Redneck Triathlon is 1-1.
Promo – This is the first promo for the arrival of Gail Kim, this is a clear rip-off of The Matrix.
Tag Team Championship: Kane & RVD (C) vs La Resistance
La Resistance seems to have come out of nowhere to be number one contenders for the tag team championships. La Resistance are working a similar gimmick the Un-Americans worked last year, if they are not American then they are superior. This is cheap heat, but it works.
The basic story of the match is that Kane can’t decide if he wants to be a heel or a face. After RVD ‘accidentally’ takes out Kane, La Resistance get the win and the titles.
Winners – La Resistance (and New Raw Tag Team Champions)
Goldberg vs Chris
Fun Fact: This rivalry goes all the way back to their days in WCW, where they had a rivalry but no match
Although this is not remembered as one of Jericho’s great rivalries, he does some great heelwork to get under Goldberg’s skin, without having to have a match till the time was right.
This match is far better than I was expecting, it’s worth going back to watch just to see how good Jericho really is. There is some great ring phycology from both guys, with Jericho ducking and dodging till Goldberg injures himself and then takes advantage.
Jericho makes Goldberg looks great, and this is a lot more than just a typical Goldberg squash match. Winner – Goldberg
Backstage – Austin and Bischoff choose a sing-off to be the third and final round in their Redneck Triathlon.
Ric Flair vs Shawn Michaels
More than ten years before their epic Wrestlemania match, where Michaels retired Flair there was this almost forgotten match. Flair has been managing Triple H, but one thing leads to another and they ended up having a match (both Flair and Triple H put on a phenomenal match I suggest everyone should check it out. Raw, May 19th, 2003)
Michaels said he wanted to see if he was in Flair’s league, Flair flirts with a face turn but then turns mega heel. This match is very different to their match at Wrestlemania, there is some great back and forward between the two in the early match, but then it all falls down. Randy Orton interferes, there are tables getting set-up, low blows and a lot of chair shots. As you would expect Michaels didn’t have a chance against these odds.
Winner – Ric Flair
Redneck Triathlon (Round Three) – Singing Contest
Bischoff is in the ring and starts singing his theme song, and it sounds bad. Very bad!
Austin comes out and beats down Bischoff, Stunners him and throws him in the Pig Pen, oh yeah there is a Pig-Pen. This is random, but fun, its just Austin being Austin.
World Heavyweight Championship: (Hell in a Cell) Triple H (C) vs Kevin Nash (Special Referee – Mick Foley) (Match of the Night)
Fun Fact: The first Bad Blood PPV (In Your House: Badd Blood 1997) was where the Hell in a Cell match was introduced
The main issue with the build for this match is, the whole thing concentrates far more on the classic rivalry between Triple H and Foley, and not the current one between Triple H and Nash. I think that’s why this match ended up being a Hell in a Cell, as a call-back to Triple H and Foley, but honestly, there have been so many Cell matches in the last 12-18 months it feels a little overkill.
As for the match, it’s a complete shot-fest, no real wrestling at all. It’s not long before both Nash and Triple H are busted open, and the trademark Sledge-hammer, barb-wire 2×4 and even a screwdriver are all being used. Even Foley ends up taking a beating so bad he is busted open.
The match does pick up towards the end and even looks like a triple-threat in points because Foley gets so involved. In the end its Triple H with a well-placed Sledge-Hammer who picks up the win in this complete blood-fest.
Winner – Triple H (and Still World Heavyweight Champion)
Overall
This was a good PPV, not a great PPV. This was the first Raw exclusive PPV since the brand split, so it obviously had a different feel to it than usual. The problem was there were no outstanding matches on the card. The Michaels vs Flair match could have been amazing but went south quickly. The Jericho vs Goldberg match was great, but I think the expectations were so low it almost shocked me.
Hell in a Cell would have to take Match of the Night purely based on the physicality and storytelling, but if you are looking for a solid wrestling match this match isn’t for you.
This PPV is better than last months Judgment Day PPV, but not by a huge amount. I think on paper this was a better show and if you were to go back and watch it you wouldn’t be really disappointed, but re-watching would be solely based on their being a Hell in the Cell match.
Bad Blood Rating – 2.5/5
2003 Rating (so far)
Royal Rumble 3.5/5
No Way Out 2/5
Wrestlemania 4/5
Backlash 2/5
Judgement Day 2/5
Bad Blood 2.5/5
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