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SmackDown: 14/3/2002
The final SmackDown before WrestleMania 18 was live at the Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.
The show opened with a battle of two of the best in-ring technicians in the World Wrestling Federation, as Kurt Angle took on Rob Van Dam. The men brutalized each other with suplexes and a variety of intense maneuvers. Angle soon caught RVD with the ankle lock, but Van Dam kicked out of it, and even rolled Angle into a pinning combination for a two-count. Van Dam went up top for the Five-Star Frog Splash, but Intercontinental Champion William Regal - Van Dam's WrestleMania opponent - ran to ringside to distract him. That allowed Angle to jump to the top rope and deliver a stunning belly-to-belly suplex from up top! Angle then again applied the ankle lock, and this time, Van Dam tapped out!
After the bout, Regal stomped away at Van Dam, laying in to his WrestleMania challenger. But as the abuse continued, Kane marched to the ring, only to meet up with Angle on his way!
Angle and Kane slugged it out into the ring, where Kane knocked Angle to the outside. Regal tried to get a piece of Kane, but the Big Red Machine downed the IC Champion with a monstrous chokeslam!
Backstage, Mr. McMahon spoke on his cell phone, saying he couldn't wait for WrestleMania. Ric Flair then entered his locker room, and asked why Vince wanted to see him. Mr. McMahon said he wanted Flair to see the man who had complete authority in the Federation. Vince said that if Flair insisted on competing with Taker at WrestleMania, he was going to make it a no-disqualification bout! But Vince said he was giving Flair the night off on SmackDown! Flair said that if it was all the same to Vince, he would stay and watch the show. Vince said it wasn't all the same to him, and he didn't want he and Taker to cross paths on SmackDown! - he wanted Flair to be in one piece so he could watch Taker rip him limb from limb at WrestleMania! Vince sent Flair home, and Flair said he would leave, but only out of respect to the board of directors. Before leaving, Flair called Vince a piece of s**t!
Billy, Jeff Hardy, Bubba Ray Dudley and Bradshaw battled it out in a Fatal Fourway Match, just three days before their respective teams get in the ring at WrestleMania for Billy & Chuck's Tag Team Championship! Chuck, Matt Hardy, Lita, D-Von Dudley, Stacy Keibler and Faarooq were all at ringside for this unlikely bout. At one point, Bradshaw held Billy, as Jeff Hardy did the "Wassup!
" headbutt from the top rope! Billy hit the fame-asser on Bradshaw. Moments later, Jeff went for a Swanton Bomb on Billy, but Chuck pulled Billy from the ring, and Jeff missed. As the superstars brawled outside the ring, Billy hit the "One and Only" on Jeff and picked up the pinfall with his feet on the ropes! After the bout, Lita hit Billy with a top-rope Litacanrana, and Stacy then attacked Lita, and the two women went at it! As Billy & Chuck headed back to the locker room, the other six superstars brawled it out in the ring!
Lilian Garcia interviewed Christian, asking why he had turned on Diamond Dallas Page after DDP had helped Christian end his losing streak and had helped him win his match on RAW. Christian said he had won the match on RAW on his own. He said yes, DDP had helped him get back on the winning track, but after he started winning again, he didn't need DDP anymore. Christian said that DDP had used him too - that maybe if DDP took Christian under his wing, then Christian would forget that DDP took his European Championship. As Christian spoke, DDP snuck up behind him, and said that Christian should have just asked for a rematch for the European Title. DDP suggested that the two meet this Sunday at WrestleMania, and Christian agreed. DDP said it would be a good thing! Christian smiled and walked away.
Lita was in her locker room when she was approached by Trish Stratus, who apologized for accidentally kicking her on RAW.
Lita said it was no problem, but there would be no accidents at WrestleMania when she walked out as Women's Champion. Trish said that she would be the one winning the Women's Championship - and the two then got into a slapping match, which turned into an all-out brawl in the locker room!
Vince McMahon was again talking on the cell phone in his office when there was a knock at door, and this time, it was Ric Flair's oldest son, David! Vince said David looked better than the last time he saw him, when Undertaker beat the hell out of him on last week's episode of RAW. Vince said he called David because he was giving David the opportunity of a lifetime. Vince said that on SmackDown!, David Flair would be taking on the Undertaker! David asked if Vince was nuts, saying he wasn't going to fight Taker. He thanked Vince for the opportunity, but said he would pass. Vince told David that this was his chance to become a bona fide superstar and to follow in his dad's footsteps. Vince said David had no choice, because to be the man, you've gotta beat the man! As David left, Vince celebrated the making of the match, and moments later, the Undertaker entered Vince's locker room with a huge smile on his face! He shook Vince's hands and thanked the boss.
Next up, Al Snow defended the Hardcore Championship against the Big Show! Snow held his own with the 500-pounder, even rolling his bowling ball between Show's legs, right into the 7-footer's crotch!
Show soon downed Snow with a huge chokeslam, but was attacked by Goldust when he went for the pin! Maven then ran to the ring as Goldust clocked Snow with a trashcan lid! Show knocked Goldust to the outside, and Maven dropkicked Show to the outside. Maven then covered his own mentor and won the Hardcore Championship!
Hollywood Hulk Hogan headed for the ring, just 72 hours before he returns to WrestleMania for the first time in nine years. Hogan said he had seen a lot through the years. He said he'd seen every "next big thing" step through the ring and say they would kill Hulkamania. He singled out Roddy Piper, the Ultimate Warrior and Andre the Giant as men who failed to kill Hulkamania. He said they all fell victim to the same thing that Rock fell victim to on RAW - the big boot and the legdrop. Hollywood then showed the footage from RAW.
Hogan said the only thing that ever came close to killing Hulkamania was the Hulkamaniacs. He said that when the people decided to leave him, they almost killed it. But he said that he realized one thing - that he didn't need the fans. He said the Hulkamaniacs could not kill Hulkamania, and he had proved that on Monday night. Hollywood then showed the footage from Monday night a second time!
Hollywood then said he had a special treat for any newer fans - and he again showed the footage from Monday night, this time in slow motion!
Hogan said he knew Rock thought he was the exception to the rule.
He said that when he beats Rock at WrestleMania, a terrifying thought would enter Rock's mind - he would realize that he was ordinary and common, just like the fans! Hogan said that Rock was just like the millions and millions of Rock's fans who thought they could put Hogan out, only to fall victim to Hollywood!
Hogan then asked for the footage to roll one more time - but instead of the footage, out came The Rock to a huge ovation! The People's Champion said Hogan was wrong about one thing - unlike any other man Hogan had ever faced, Rock could care less about Hulkamania. Rock said as far as he was concerned, Hulkamania was a fantasy in Hogan's mind. Rock said Hogan lived in a fantasy world. But he said this Sunday was a reality. He said Hogan could beat him in a tag or run him down in a semi, but there was no way Hogan would win at WrestleMania.
Hollywood said Rock could talk a great game, but told Rock to realize that talk was cheap. He said Rock would be getting in the ring with him, who had beaten him for the 1-2-3. Hogan admitted that Rock was better than the rest, and that the two of them were responsible for the biggest match in the history of wrestling. Hogan said there was just one question that he had asked of every opponent - "Whatcha gonna do when Hulkamania runs wild on you?" Hogan then tore his shirt off!
Rock stared down Hollywood, and said he would tell him what he was going to do. Rock then walked to the ring and stood nose-to-nose with Hogan.
Rock said that this Sunday at WrestleMania, he would put an end to Hogan's legend, and would go down in history as being the best ever. Rock said if he were Hogan, he would say his prayers, if ya smell what The Rock is cookin'! The two men dropped their microphones and stared each other down, until Hogan took a few steps back and left the ring.
In tag action, Booker T and Test took on Edge and Tajiri, accompanied to the ring by Torrie Wilson. Edge hit the Edge-ecution on Test, but Booker caught Edge with a scissors kick and picked up the pinfall! After the bout, Test held up Edge and forced him to watch Booker do the spinerooni! Booker then hit a kick to the back of Edge's head for good measure!
Backstage, Coach interviewed Stone Cold Steve Austin about his match with Scott Hall at WrestleMania. Austin said he wasn't nervous because it wasn't his first WrestleMania. He said Scott Hall had pissed him off. He said he would go into Toronto and open a can of whoopass on the sumbitch. He said he was going to WrestleMania to whip a man's ass and give him a Stunner for the win.
As Stone Cold spoke, Scott Hall headed to the stage, totally interrupting the Texas Rattlesnake. Hall addressed Austin, saying Stone Cold didn't have to hide in the back. He said Austin was telling the whole world what he was going to do to Scott Hall. Hall said maybe he should show the whole world just what Scott Hall did to him on Monday's RAW.
He then showed the footage of him kicking Austin's butt on Monday night.
Back in the ring, Hall said he heard from Austin that he was the toughest S.O.B. in the Federation. He challenged Austin to prove it. He said that if Austin had something to say to him, he should say it to his face. He said he wasn't going anywhere until Austin came out, and moments later, Austin's music hit!
A referee briefly ran out to the stage, and Kevin Nash was apparently waiting next to the stage with a steel chair, because Nash thought the ref was Austin and went after him with the chair! Realizing it wasn't Stone Cold, Nash ran from the stage, and Stone Cold then attacked Hall from behind in the ring! The Rattlesnake dropped Hall with a Stunner and flipped him off, before Nash chased Austin away with the steel chair!
OOOOOOWHOOOOOO!
The crowd cheers as the arena goes dark before a spotlight shines on Nash who looks around in confusion before the Titantron fizzes and goes static several times before it shows Death Valley once again, then starts showing Nash's attack on the Bladewolf then the camera goes all the way from where SmackDown was to Death Valley.
"Did you hear about the man who can't be destroyed?" The little girl's voice asked as flashes of the many times someone' tried taking out Bladewolf is shown, followed by his returns and the destruction he's carved.
The video shows the same druid riding the carriage with the casket in the glass container at the place with the black wolf standing guard next to a grave site with the TX symbol, camera zooms in towards the grave.
"You can't kill that just... won't... die..."
Suddenly a hand bursts out of the grave and the video shows the back of a hooded figure dressed in a long black leather trench coat. The person turns their head and the video goes black with the numbers of 3.17.2002 appearing before they blew away like dust.
Nash looked around before a lightning bolt suddenly strikes a part of the stage, revealing the TX symbol that was on fire as Nashs tared with wide eyes.
"Kevin Nash..." the crowd popped when they heard the deep, dark and demonic voice of the Bladewolf. "This Sunday. WrestleMania 18. You will... BURN... IN... HELL!"
Multiple wolf howls are heard along with sinister, ominous music playing as SmackDown goes to commercial break with Nash looking terrified now...
And that's it for this chapter.