SummerSlam (2002)

Infobox Wrestling event
name=SummerSlam (2002)


theme="Fight" (Jim Johnston)
promotion=World Wrestling Entertainment
brand=Raw
SmackDown!
date=August 25 2002
venue=Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
city=Uniondale, New York
attendance=14,797cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wwf/summer.html#2002|title=SummerSlam 2002|accessdate=2008-01-25|publisher=Pro Wrestling History]
lastevent=Vengeance (2002)
nextevent=Unforgiven (2002)
event=SummerSlam
lastevent2=SummerSlam (2001)
nextevent2=SummerSlam (2003)

SummerSlam (2002) was the fifteenth annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It took place on August 25 2002 at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York.

The main match on the SmackDown! brand was for the WWE Undisputed Championship between The Rock and Brock Lesnar. Lesnar won the match and the WWE Undisputed Championship after pinning Rock following an F-5. [cite web|url= http://www.pwwew.net/ppv/wwf/august/2002.htm|title=SummerSlam 2002|accessdate=2008-01-23|publisher=PWWEW.net] The predominant match on the Raw brand featured a Unsanctioned Street Fight between Shawn Michaels and Triple H, which Michaels won after pinning Triple H by reversing Triple H's Pedigree attempt into a jackknife roll-up. [cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/summerslam07/history/2002/|title=SummerSlam 2002 Results|accessdate=2008-01-25|publisher=WWE] [cite web|url=http://www.hoffco-inc.com/wwe/ppv/ppv/sum02.html|title=SummerSlam 2002 Results|accessdate=2008-01-25|publisher=hoffco-inc] The primary match on the card was an interpromotional match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship between Rob Van Dam and Chris Benoit, which Van Dam won by pinfall after performing a Five-Star Frog Splash. The main matches on the undercard were The Undertaker versus Test and Kurt Angle versus Rey Mysterio.cite web|first=Rick|last=Scaia|url=http://www.oowrestling.com/recaps/ppv/20020825.shtml|title=WWE SummerSlam|accessdate=2008-01-23|date=2002-08-25|publisher=Online Onslaught] cite web|url=http://www.twnpnews.com/information/summerslam.shtml|title=SummerSlam 2002 Results|accessdate=2008-01-25|publisher=twnpnews.com]

Background

The main feud heading into SummerSlam on the SmackDown! brand was between The Rock and Brock Lesnar, with the two feuding over the WWE Undisputed Championship. On the June 24 edition of "RAW", it was announced that Brock Lesnar would face off against the WWE Undisputed Champion at SummerSlam.cite web|author=PK|date=2002-06-24|url=http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/tv_reports/30496/411s-WWE-Raw-Report-6.24.02.htm|title= 411's WWE Raw Report 6.24.02| publisher=411mania.com|accessdate=2008-01-24] At King of the Ring, Lesnar defeated Rob Van Dam last in the King of the Ring tourmanent to earn the right to face the WWE Undisputed Champion at SummerSlam. At Vengeance, the pay-per-view one month before SummerSlam, The Rock defeated The Undertaker and Kurt Angle in a Triple Threat match to win the WWE Undisputed Championship after pinning Angle after executing a Rock Bottom.cite web|date=2002-07-21|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/vengeance/history/vengeance2002/mainevent/|title=The Rock defeated Undertaker and Kurt Angle in a Triple Threat Match to become WWE Champion|publisher=WWE|accessdate=2008-01-24] cite web|first=Adam|last=Martin|date=2002-07-21|url=http://www.wrestleview.com/messages1/2190.shtml|title=WWE Vengeance Results - 7/21|publisher=WrestleView|accessdate=2008-01-24]

Another feud heading into SummerSlam was between Shawn Michaels and Triple H. At Vengeance, Michaels returned after being out for 4 years. Triple H had a decision to go to either SmackDown or Raw. Michaels told Triple H that if you come back to Raw we will reform D-Generation X. Triple H chose to go to Raw. The next night, Triple H and Michaels reformed D-Generation X. As Triple H was saying "suck it" he turned around and delivered Michaels a Pedigree and walked out of the arena. The next week, Michaels was attacked from behind by Triple H, by getting his head run into a car window. The next week, Michaels told Triple H that he isn't 100% but he will be at SummerSlam.

Event

The event unofficially began with a Sunday Night Heat match between Spike Dudley and Steven Richards. Spike pinned Richards.cite web|first=Rick|last=Scaia|url=http://www.oowrestling.com/recaps/ppv/20020825.shtml|title=WWE SummerSlam|accessdate=2008-01-23|date=2002-08-25|publisher=Online Onslaught] cite web|url=http://www.twnpnews.com/information/summerslam.shtml|title=SummerSlam 2002 Results|accessdate=2008-01-25|publisher=twnpnews.com]

The first match was between Kurt Angle and Rey Mysterio. The match started off with Mysterio getting the advantage over Angle, as he attacked Angle from the entrance way. The two entered the ring, which it saw Angle dominate Mysterio in the match. However, Mysterio was able to hit a huge senton, from the ring to the floor on Angle. The finish had Angle reverse an attempt top rope hurricarana, directly into the Ankle Lock, which Mysterio could not escape, and tapped out.

The next match was a contest between Ric Flair and Chris Jericho. Jericho put Flair into the figure-four leg-lock. Chris insisted that Flair tapped out, but the referee ordered the match to continue. Flair then won the match by putting the same move onto Jericho.

The third match of the night was between Edge and Eddie Guerrero. During the match, Guerrero targeted Edge's shoulder. Guerrero also countered a spear attempt by dropkicking Edge right in the shoulder, and Eddie deciding to deliver a frog splash onto Edge's shoulder instead of onto his torso. However, Edge rallied with an Edgecution and a Spear to get the pinfall.

The next match was for the WWE Tag Team Championship. It was between The Un-Americans (Lance Storm and Christian) and Booker T and Goldust. During the match, Booker was able to hit a scissors kick to both Storm and Christian. But Test, made a run-in, giving Booker the big boot. Storm was able to make the cover, as a result, Storm and Christian retained the WWE Tag Team titles.

The fifth match on the card was for the WWE Intercontinental Championship. It was a match between Chris Benoit and Rob Van Dam. Benoit went into this match holding the championship, that was exclusive to the Smackdown! brand. Van Dam was on the Raw. Van Dam won the match, after pinning Benoit after a Five Star Frog Splash and taking the title from Benoit, and bringing it over to the Raw brand.

The Undertaker against Test was next. Lance Storm and Christian both interfered in the match, but received chokeslam from The Undertaker. Undertaker won the match with a Tombstone Piledriver. After the match, Undertaker celebrated with an American flag.

The seventh match was the Unsanctioned Street Fight match between Shawn Michaels and Triple H. This was Shawn Michaels' first WWE match since WrestleMania XIV. Michaels came out fast, utilizing a punch-kick offense to start, but also hitting a reverse crossbody. However, Triple H took the advantage in the match, as he hit a series of backbreakers to Michaels. Michaels retaliated many assaults by Triple H, as he hit Triple H with a ladder. Michaels was able to hit a splash on Triple H from the top rope, through a table on the floor. The match came to an end, when Michaels went for Sweet Chin Music, but was reversed into a Pedigree, but Michaels reversed the Pedigree into a jackknife roll-up. After the match, Triple H struck Michaels with his sledgehammer twice, forcing Michaels to be carried away on a stretcher.

The main event was for the WWE Undisputed Championship between The Rock and Brock Lesnar. Brock Lesnar dominated early with some power moves. The Rock went for the Sharpshooter. However, Paul Heyman got involved in the match, as he was attacked by the Rock. Which was followed by Heyman being delivered a Rock Bottom through the Spanish announcers table. The two gave each other a Rock Bottom. The match came to an end, when Lesnar stopped a People's Elbow. Then Lesnar hit the F-5 on the Rock and got the three count, thus making Lesnar the new WWE Champion.

Aftermath

On the August 26 edition of "RAW", due to the requirements of the WWE Undisputed Championship being defended on both shows, Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff, expected Brock Lesnar to be able to return on RAW the next night. However, SmackDown General Manager Stephanie McMahon, announced that Lesnar's contract only required him to defend the title on SmackDown!, forcing Bischoff to separate the World Heavyweight Championship from the WWE Championship and in turn making the title lose its "Undisputed" name.cite web|url=http://onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/raw/020826.html|title=RAW results - August 26, 2002|accessdate=2008-01-25|publisher=Online World of Wrestling] [cite news | author = Michael McAvennie | title = WWE The Yearbook: 2003 Edition | publisher = Pocket Books | date = 2003 | pages = 220 - 222 | language = English] On the September 2 edition of "RAW", Eric Bischoff awarded Triple H with the World Heavyweight Championship in the form of the old WCW Championship belt. [cite web|url=http://onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/raw/020902.html|title=RAW results - September 2, 2002|accessdate=2008-01-25|publisher=Online World of Wrestling] [cite web|url=http://pwwew.net/tv/raw/020902.htm|title=Raw is War - September 2, 2002|accessdate=2008-01-25|date=2002-09-02|publisher=PWWEW.net]

The Undertaker went on to challenge Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship at Unforgiven, and again at No Mercy in a Hell in a Cell match. Shawn Michaels would return full-time to the ring at Survivor Series and win the World Heavyweight Championship from Triple H in the first ever Elimination Chamber match.

This pay-per-view was awarded Best Major Show for 2002 by Dave Meltzer's Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

Results

Other on-screen talent

Notes

*After winning the WWE Undisputed Championship, Brock Lesnar became the youngest WWE Champion in history. Two years later at SummerSlam 2004, Randy Orton became the youngest World Heavyweight Champion in history at the age of 24, beating Lesnar's feat by only a few months. To this day they remain the youngest title holders of their respective championships.

References

External links

* [http://www.wwe.com/shows/summerslam07/history/2002/ Official 2002 SummerSlam site]
* [http://www.twnpnews.com/information/summerslam.shtml twnpnews.com - SummerSlam]
* [http://www.hoffco-inc.com/wwe/ppv/ppv/sum02.html hoffco-inc.com - SummerSlam '02 review]