Smackdown!

Tupelo, Mississippi
May 23, 2002

There was a chill in the air as the May 23 episode of SmackDown! kicked off from the BancorpSouth Center in Tupelo, Miss., amid news of Hollywood Hulk Hogan's impending retirement on the show!

The opening bout on the show pitted Triple H against Lance Storm. Prior to the bout, Storm said Triple H may think he achieved a great victory in Hell in a Cell at Judgment Day, but all The Game had really proved was that he wasn't the impressive competitor he claimed to be. Storm said Triple H was nothing but a bloodthirsty animal, and was about to be taught a lesson as only a true wrestling technician could do.

The momentum shifted back and forth, and Storm was soon in control, as he took advantage of The Game's brutalized state from Hell in a Cell, busting Triple H wide open. Storm locked a bloody Triple H in a single-leg Boston Crab, but The Game made it to the ropes. Storm nailed a superkick, and went up top, but Triple H pushed the ref into the ropes and knocked Storm to the mat. Triple H then nailed the Pedigree and scored the pinfall win!

Backstage, Christian talked to Kurt Angle -- who was off-camera. Christian asked if Kurt was sure he wanted to go out in front of the people, and Kurt said yes. He said he had to be courageous, and turn his baldness into a positive. Christian said another positive was that the people wouldn't be chanting "You suck" -- they'd be chanting "You're bald!" Christian wished Kurt luck.

Moments later, Angle's music played, but the Olympic hero was nowhere to be found. The music went off, and then came on again -- and this time, out came the gold medalist, wearing a wig and wrestling headgear! Angle said that people said it was a near-miracle when he won a gold medal with a broken neck, but even this tops it. Kurt said he was able to regrow his hair in less than a week. Angle said he was sorry that people paid good money to see a bald guy crying, but said to look at the bright side -- there was always Hulk Hogan to look forward to.

Kurt said Edge may have gotten a fluke victory over him at Judgment Day, but he would not be anyone's object of ridicule. He excused himself to go to the back and try out some new hair gel, but suddenly, Maven's music filled the arena!

Maven was laughing as he walked out to the stage. Maven said there was no shame in being bald! He suggested that Kurt might even look better bald. He told Kurt to take the rug off his head and just be himself. He promised Kurt that his fans wouldn't make fun of him -- and the people agreed that they wanted to see Angle in his natural state.

Kurt asked who Maven was, asking if he worked here. Kurt said Maven had won some contract on MTV, and wondered if the Tough Enough winner had any idea who he was talking to. Angle said if Maven thought it was a wig on his head, he should come to the ring and remove it himself.

Maven put down his microphone and headed to the ring, where Kurt attacked him. Maven fought back and tried to rip Angle's wig off, but the Olympic hero recovered, giving Maven a German suplex. Kurt then backed away from the ring as Edge came out to attack him. Edge tried to rip the wig off, but Christian saved Angle.

Test was posing in a backstage mirror when he was approached by Stacy Keibler. Keibler told Test that Mr. McMahon was counting on him to take care of Randy Orton. Test said he would take care of Orton -- but first he would take care of something else. He then gave Stacy a kiss!

Mr. McMahon's personal assistant, Stacy Keibler, joined Michael Cole and Tazz on commentary for the match pitting Test against Randy Orton. Test was looking to do Mr. McMahon's dirty work, taking out Orton. Test seemed to have the match won with his pump-handle slam, but he picked Orton up when the ref counted two. Test missed a boot and got crotched on the top rope, allowing Orton to gain the advantage. The youngster went up top, hitting a cross body, but Test reversed it for two. Test went after the ref, but Orton caught him. Moments later, Test went for another pump-handle slam, but Orton reversed for a near-fall. Orton nearly upset Test on a few occasions. Soon, Test hit a huge spinning reverse neckbreaker, and pinned Randy for the victory.

Marc Loyd interviewed WWE Undisputed Champion Undertaker. Taker said he'd told the world what he was going to do to Hulkamania, and he'd done it. The Dead Man said he was now the best in the world -- the WWE Champion. He said he was the man to beat. He said there were superstars out there who aspire to be Undisputed Champion, but to have that distinction, they had to step into his yard and look Big Evil in his eye. He said he didn't see anybody out there who was ready to step up to the challenge. Loyd asked about Monday's controversial match with Rob Van Dam, when Taker nearly lost the title, only to have RAW owner Ric Flair restart the match. Taker asked Loyd what his point was. He said that Flair had restarted the match due to poor officiating. Taker said he was the WWE Undisputed Champion, and now he'd like to get back to the reason he was here in the first place -- he said he was here to watch the sweet end of Hulkamania.

Chris Jericho was walking backstage when he ran into Faarooq. Y2J said he'd gotten the beating of a lifetime at Hell in a Cell, and now, four days later, he had to work. Jericho said he had no desire to fight anyone tonight. He asked Faarooq for protection, offering him a lot of money. He asked Faarooq how much he had to pay, and he said the only thing Jericho should pay is attention. As Faarooq walked away and Y2J questioned who his opponent would be, Jericho was approached by Mark Henry. Henry said Jericho had a pretty face, and it was a shame that he would have to bust it up tonight!

In a tag match stemming from developments earlier in the night, Edge and Maven took on Christian and Kurt Angle -- who was still wearing his wig and headgear. Amazingly, Angle wrestled a good portion of the match with his wig intact (thanks to the wrestling headgear holding it on). He took every opportunity to goad Edge. Maven hit Angle with a low blow, and tagged in Edge, as Angle tagged in Christian. Edge was a house afire, taking it to his younger brother and Angle. Edge tagged in Maven, and all four men went at it. Angle soon hit the Angle Slam on Edge, only to be floored by a DDT from Maven. Maven hit a missile dropkick on Christian, but Kurt broke up the pinfall. Kurt suplexed Maven, only to get a facebuster by Edge. Edge speared Christian, only to be backdropped to the outside by Angle, who followed him outside. Christian went for the Unprettier, but Maven rolled him up and scored the pinfall!

Rico was looking at his Tag Team Championship in his locker room when he was approached by Billy & Chuck. Billy said he hoped Rico wasn't getting too attached to his gold, and Rico said he knew it was a fluke, and that he knew he was a champion by default, and it was only temporary. He also said the belt didn't go with any of his clothes! Rico said Billy & Chuck deserved to be champs, and they told him not to forget who brought him to the dance. Rico said he would prove himself to the former champions, and he gave them a hug.

Accompanied by Deacon Batista, Reverend D-Von headed to the ring to take on Rikishi -- one half of the Tag Team Champions. Prior to the bout, D-Von told Rikishi that his thong was disgusting and distasteful. He told him to head to the back right now and put some clothes on - but Rikishi simply attacked D-Von! Rikishi's Tag Team Championship partner, Rico, soon headed to ringside, and Billy & Chuck soon walked to the stage to watch the bout. Rikishi was about to give Rico a Stink Face, but as Batista distracted the referee, Rico climbed into the ring and nailed Rikishi with the Tag Team Championship. D-Von then covered for the pinfall. After the bell, D-Von and Batista double-teamed the Phat Man. After the two left, Rico got into the ring and mockingly tried to help Rikishi, only to laugh at his partner, much to Billy & Chuck's delight.

In his locker room, Chavo Guerrero Jr. was watching footage of his uncle Eddie attacking Stone Cold Steve Austin this past Monday on RAW. As he watched, he was approached by mild-mannered reporter Gregory Helms. Helms said some unnamed source had been leaving dastardly notes for The Hurricane. He speculated that it wasn't a coincidence. Chavo said he didn't need to leave notes -- he would do his talking in the ring tonight, taking Hurricane's Cruiserweight Title. As Chavo left, Helms smelled something funny, and found another note in a locker. "I'm not tall, and I'm not fat, but I left you a clue," -- and Helms said, "What's up with that?" The clue seemed to be a bag of beef jerky.

Marc Loyd interviewed a beat-up Triple H, marveling that The Game had beaten Jericho in Hell in a Cell and then come back to beat Storm again tonight. Triple H said there were no winners in Hell in a Cell -- just survivors. The Game said his focus was no longer on Jericho or Storm -- it was back where it always should have been, on becoming the WWE Undisputed Champion.

The Game was then approached by Storm, who said Triple H had gotten lucky tonight, but his luck was about to run out. As Triple H looked at Storm, Test kicked him in the face with a huge boot, knocking The Game down!

The Cruiserweight Championship was on the line, as The Hurricane defended against Chavo Guerrero Jr. Hurricane soon rattled his challenger, and climbed up to the second rope. He hit the "Overcast" flying neckbreaker to pick up the pinfall victory for a successful title defense.

Stacy was rubbing Mr. McMahon's shoulders, and said for the record that the kiss that Test gave her meant nothing, and that she was just having fun out in the ring. Vince said nothing could make him angry tonight, because history would be made on SmackDown! Vince said tonight we would hear Hulk Hogan's farewell address and nothing would bother him. Suddenly, Jericho barged into the locker room and asked why he should have to face Mark Henry just four days after Hell in a Cell. McMahon said he appreciated what Y2J did in Hell in a Cell, but this was another opportunity for Jericho to take in his legacy -- could he beat the World's Strongest Man?

That match was up next, as Y2J met the World's Strongest Man. Jericho's left arm was havily bandaged, and Y2J was clearly still hurting from Hell in a Cell. It didn't take long before the full-contact impact caused the bandage on Jericho's forehead to pop off, and Y2J was soon a bloody mess. Each man had soon brought a chair into the ring, and as the ref grabbed Henry's chair and tossed it from the ring, Jericho walloped Henry with another chair. Y2J then pinned the World's Strongest Man for the win.

Hollywood Hulk Hogan headed to the ring to a huge standing ovation from the sold-out crowd in Tupelo. Hogan was very emotional as the crowd chanted his name. Hogan said he was born Terry Bollea on August 11, 1953, in Augusta, Ga., but he was raised in Tampa, Fla. He said he was the proud son of Ruth and Pete Bollea, working-class people who worked all their lives just to support his family. One day, about 20 years ago, he had the opportunity to get into the business. He had the honor and privilege to perform in front of millions of Hulkamaniacs around the world.

For the past 20 years, Hogan said he'd had a blast. The "Hogan" chants began again as he said there was just one thing he regretted -- that his father passed away at Christmastime and wasn't alive to see him out in the ring with all his Hulkamaniacs. Around Christmastime, Pete Bollea had his sixth stroke, and as Hogan visited him in the hospital, he said his father lit up every time RAW and SmackDown! were on. One day, Hogan said his father got tired of laying in the hospital, tearing the tube out of his throat and saying two things to him. One, he said, "Terry, you need to go back to wrestling and straighten out your career." And two, he said, "Terry, you need to go back home to the WWF." Hogan began to cry thinking about his father's words.

Hogan said here he was, and he couldn't have done it without the Hulkamaniacs. He thanked the fans for that. He also thanked the fans for believing in him, and said if it wasn't for the fans, he wouldn't be who he is today. But there was one other thing he wanted to thank the fans for -- for helping him take the biggest step in his professional career. Hogan said there came a time when you just had to step down. He thanked the fans for believing in Hulkamania and for all of the memories. He said before he left the arena tonight for the very last time, he had one hope and one dream -- that Hulkamania will live forever! From the bottom of his heart, Hogan said thank you.

The crowd gave Hogan a standing ovation, and the Hulkster posed for the crowd. But as he was posing, "No Chance in Hell" blared over the sound system, and out came the SmackDown! owner to the ring.

With a smirk on his face, Vince said, "Say it ain't so." Vince said the sky is falling and the world is coming to an end because Hulk Hogan is announcing his retirement. He asked where Hogan was making the most important announcement of his professional career, saying it was apropos and pathetic that Hogan was making the announcement in Tupelo, which he called the "rectum of Mississippi." Vince said he could have told the fans last week that Hogan would pull a stunt like this, saying he could smell it on him. He told Hogan to read his lips -- there was no chance in hell of him retiring any time soon.

Vince said that 10 years ago, Hogan had walked out on him, but he wouldn't let it happen again. Vince said he had a signed contract, and if Hogan walked out, he would sue Hogan and his family for everything he had. Vince said the only way Hogan would leave his company was when the Hulkster's body was decomposing in a pine box. Vince reminded Hogan that he created "Hulk Hogan," and he owned Hulkamania. He said he intended to milk Hulkamania for every cent he could until the day Hogan died.

Hogan said he was counting on Vince coming out and ruining his moment, figuring the SmackDown! owner would pull such a stunt. He grabbed Vince by the shirt collar, and punched Vince down and whipped him with his weight belt! 

As Hogan attacked Vince, he was attacked from behind by WWE Undisputed Champion Undertaker. Hulk fought back, downing Taker with an axehandle and clotheslining the champion from the ring. Hogan challenged Taker and Vince to return to the ring as SmackDown! went off the air.