Raw is War

Greenville, South Carolina
January 21, 2002

Less than 24 hours after Triple H earned a golden ticket to the main even at WrestleMania X-8 by winning the Royal Rumble Match, RAW kicked off live from Greenville, N.C.!

A brief yet poignant tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. began the broadcast. After the opening fireworks fizzled away, the crowd roared as Rob Van Dam came to the ring where he joined up with Tazz and Spike Dudley against the Dudley Boyz and Booker T in six-man tag action. On Sunday night, Tazz and Spike defeated the Dudleys to retain the Tag Team Championship.

The match opened with RVD and Booker trading shots in the ring. Booker delivered a series of kicks to RVD’s midsection, but Van Dam responded with a few martial arts kicks of his own.

Shortly after, Bubba Ray and Tazz entered the ring. Bubba dropped several elbows on Tazz and produced a two count. Bubba tagged in Booker, who slapped a scissors kick onto Tazz and tagged in D-Von.

The momentum seesawed between the two teams from there. Eventually, all six men brawled in the ring. RVD climbed the top rope and launched a Five-Star Frog Splash on D-Von and took the pin to give his team the victory!

Backstage, Chris Jericho’s locker room was shown on camera. Jim Ross announced that the Undisputed Champion would address the crowd next!

Y2J indeed took the mic in the center of the ring after the break.

Jericho reminded everyone that he was still the Undisputed Champion, having defeated The Rock at the Royal Rumble. He said he tried to persuade fans to take him seriously, but they had refused. He mocked everyone for thinking it was a foregone conclusion that The Rock would win the match. But in the end, Jericho said, The Rock lost and Chris Jericho won. Even if you don’t like it, Y2J continued, you must appreciate everything he’s done because his accomplishments were far too grand to ignore. He has earned the right to be called the Undisputed Champion. The good news, however, is that Jericho is a very forgiving man. He said he would give everyone a chance to make it up to him by allowing them to give him a standing ovation. The crowd thought this was just goofy, and decided to boo him instead.

Suddenly, Triple H’s entrance music hit and The Game appeared on the entrance ramp. The 2002 Royal Rumble winner entered the ring and clapped mockingly at Y2J. Triple H said that Jericho had not, in fact, defeated everyone there is to beat. The fact is that Jericho has not beaten Triple H. The Game reminded Y2J that he has a guaranteed entry to WrestleMania where he will compete for the Undisputed Championship. The big question, Triple H said, is whether Jericho will be there. Triple H said that there were two months remaining for Jericho to prove that he was no fluke and no joke.

In two months, it will be WrestleMania, and if Jericho makes it there as the champ, Triple H said it would be time for Y2J to play the Game!
Without warning, Kurt Angle appeared on the entrance ramp with a microphone in hand. Angle asked Triple H how he lived with himself, claiming that he had thrown Triple H over the top rope the previous evening. Not only that, but after The Game climbed back into the ring, he attacked Angle from behind. If Triple H had any decency, he would have attacked him head on. That was Angle’s style. He said he wouldn’t wait until later in the evnening, he would attack The Game right there! Angle sprinted to the ring, but Jericho jumped Triple H before the Olympic hero got there. Jericho and Angle teamed up in beating Triple H. Then, The Rock stormed out and disposed of both attackers! The People’s Champion angrily stared down Y2J and Angle, who retreated backstage.

The next match of the night featured an Intercontinental Championship rematch between Edge and the new champ, William Regal. Referee Nick Patrick searched the ring apron to make sure that Regal hadn’t planted any foreign objects there. Edge attacked Regal outside the ring, delivering a backdrop onto the hard floor. Edge tossed Regal in the ring and the match began.

The momentum evened out as each man took turns dishing out a brutal beating. Regal took the upper hand by locking a submission hold on Edge in the center of the ring. Edge refused to tap out, and Regal broke the hold.

Edge drove Regal into the turnbuckle then delivered a backdrop and a spinning heel kick that produced a near fall. Moments later, Edge climbed the top rope and leapt at Regal. Regal had produced a pair of brass knuckles that flew off when Edge connected. While Patrick nursed an injured knee, Edge retrieved the knuckles and smashed them into Regal! He rolled up the champion, but Nick Patrick stopped the match after a two count upon spotting the brass knuckles clasped in Edge’s hand. Edge snapped after being disqualified. He assaulted Patrick and several other refs that came to his aid!

Backstage, Edge sported a maniacal grin as security escorted him from the beginning.

Kane was getting dressed in the locker room when Big Show came up from behind. Show said that until last night, he had never been picked up and thrown over the top rope. He shook Kane’s hand and congratulated him, then said it would never happen again. Billy and Chuck then rushed in and said they’d been looking for Kane everywhere. Billy said that they had a lot in common because they all liked the color red! Chuck produced a red headband with Kane printed on it! He went to put it on Kane, but the Big Red Machine grabbed his hand and stopped him. This offended Billy and Chuck, who pounded on Kane then fled the room!

Debra was discussing her outfit with the seamstress when Mr. Perfect said that he was glad to meet her.

Perfect said that Debra’s husband may be the toughest SOB in the Federation, but he was not perfect. Mr. Perfect spit out his gum and snatched it in midair before turning and making his exit.

Following a break, Ric Flair came down the ring wearing a big smile on his face after defeating Vince McMahon in a Street Fight at the Rumble. Flair said that for 25 years he wrestled night in and night out, bleeding, sweating and paying the price along the way. He had to leave his family behind in order to become one of the greatest champs of all time. He said the only thing he knew about all four of his children was that he saw all of them born but missed out on other great moments in their lives due to his strenuous wrestling schedule. He said he didn’t regret one moment of it though, because the fans became his family. In recent years, Flair said his goal was for his children to look past his championship past. He wanted to look at them as a great man. When Vince started to screw with him, Flair said he had to change his favorite setting. At the Rumble, it became, “To be the man you’ve got to beat Vince McMahon.” He did so at the Rumble and thanked everyone who supported him for all these years. Flair asked the fans to allow him to indulge himself for a minute. He cited how Vince had ripped a camera out of Megan Flair’s hands and taken a picture of the two. Flair then brought up a few of Megan’s pictures on the TitanTron that showed Flair gripping Vince’s bloody head!

Vince immediately came out to offer a rebuttal. The co-owners of the Federation stood eye to eye while Vince said that if he lost at the Rumble, he wasn’t the only one; Flair had lost too. Every Federation Superstar and every fan lost at the Rumble because Vince said he was going to do something even he would regret. With his trademark evil, conniving look, Vince leaned in close to Flair and uttered, “You’ll see.”

After a break, Val Venis came out dressed to the gills in his porn star outfit. Val took the microphone and crooned a smooth, “Hello ladies!” He said the Big Valbowski makes ladies dreams come true. That night, he promised that one lucky lady would come into the ring and remove his towel. Val began searching for the lucky woman, spotting many eager volunteers. After much thought, Val selected a striking young woman out of a ringside seat. Once the woman climbed in the ring, Val said he didn’t want to know her name because she couldn’t get too attached. The woman nervously reached out and grabbed the towel and gave it a stiff tug. Val rewarded the woman by giving her a long, sweet kiss.

Mr. Perfect emerged from the entranceway and came down to take on Val. Perfect chopped Val in the corner and dished out a Perfect Snapmare. Mr. Perfect continued to control Venis, but Val fought back. Both men beat each other to the mat when Stone Cold suddenly came to the ring and picked up a steel chair.

The Rattlesnake came into the ring and promptly bashed Perfect hard over the noggin! Stone Cold was about the leave the ring when Val Venis took the microphone and stopped him. He said Perfect got what he deserved because he didn’t have the guts to deliver his message to Austin’s face. If Val ever had a problem, he wouldn’t go to Austin’s pretty little wife. Val leaned into Austin’s face and said he would say it to his face and if necessary, whip his ass. Stone Cold had enough of that tomfoolery. He reached out and Stunnered Val! Stone Cold took the mic and told Val to get back into the ring. He looked at his watch and said he had time to tell a story about a man named Jed. He was a poor mountaineer who kept his family fed.

Stone Cold continued relaying the story of Jed Clampett and his family. When he finished, Austin said he wasn’t there to tell that story. He was there to tell the story of how Stone Cold went to the Royal Rumble after training real hard. He said that two sumbitches got real lucky and threw him over the top rope. The good news, though, was that Austin had already entered himself in the 2003 Royal Rumble! Plus, Stone Cold would go to WrestleMania to whip some ass. That’s the bottom line (WHAT!?) ‘cuz Stone Cold said so!

Billy and Chuck took on Kane and Big Show in a tag match. Kane and Show initially overpowered Billy and Chuck, but Chuck managed to hold Show’s leg down from outside the ring while Billy pinned the big man!

Backstage, Triple H caught up with The Rock and said he didn’t need him to be his savior. Rock asked why Triple H was so angry. Rock told Triple H to go do something and get in a better mood. The Rock said he wasn’t there to be a savior, but to whip Angle and Y2J’s candy asses all over Greenville.

The APA was busy keeping watch over WWF New York. Bradshaw couldn’t contain his excitement that the Godfather was back and the operator of legitimate escort service.

Godfather was indeed backstage, gathering up his hook …uh… employees. One of the young ladies came out and said that they would be ready in just a minute.

The Godfather and his ladies came to the ring next. The Godfather asked who would have ever though he would go legit. But he realized that nobody wanted to see women looked on as objects, they just wanted to see ass! That’s why he opened this own business that can be reached at 1-800-GODFATHER. The Godfather then asked for some music so his ladies could dance, but Lance Storm’s music blared and the Canadian came out to address the crowd.

Storm said he liked a good time as much as the next man, but the ring was a sacred place for serious competition. He felt that the Godfather was disgracing the ring and that the people would rather see him involved in athletic competition. He told the Godfather to leave or else Lance would escort them out personally.

Godfather said that Lance would get no action from his escorts, but that he would whip Lance’s ass legitimately. Lance climbed in the ring and soon took the Godfather’s Ho Train!

A Shattered Dreams production starring Golddust played next. Goldust said that just when it looked like he was gone forever, he was pulled back in to become the brightest shining star in the Federation.

Backstage, Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley asked Triple H how he could team with The Rock after everything he has said about her. She told her husband to go into The Rock’s locker room and kick his ass. “When will you realize that the whole world does not revolve around what you want?” came Triple H’s reply. Stephanie asked how come he couldn’t ever recognize her contributions to The Game’s success. Triple H told her to make a contribution and do something she never does … shut up!

The main event of the evening came up next with The Rock and Triple H teaming against Angle and Jericho. Jericho and Y2J clashed first, but The Game soon tagged in and picked up where his partner left off in beating Jericho silly. The Rock liked what he saw and asked to be tagged back in. The Great One went to deliver a People’s Elbow, but Angle didn’t like that idea so much. He pulled Rock out of the ring and smacked him upside the head a few times. From there, Y2J had a much easier time with things. He fought Rock until both men were exhausted to the point that they needed to tag in their partners.

Triple H decimated Kurt Angle with a huge spinebuster and then catapulted Y2J over the top rope!

The Game turned his attention back to Angle while Y2J rooted around beneath the ring. Triple H hit Angle with a Pedigree and probably would have pinned him if Y2J hadn’t leapt off the top rope and disrupted the count. Rock tagged back in and came to blows with Y2J. Jericho bulldogged The Rock then grabbed the ring bell. But Y2J’s tomfoolery worked against him as he missed Rock and clocked Angle in the head with it. Rock followed with a Rock Bottom and won the match!