Vengeance (2001)
Encyclopedia
Vengeance was the first annual Vengeance
WWE Vengeance
Vengeance is a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by professional wrestling promotion WWE. The inaugural event took place on December 9, 2001 and replaced WWE Armageddon for that year due to the possible insensitivity of the latter's name with respect to the September 11 attacks....

 professional wrestling
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...

 pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...

 event produced by the World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...

 (WWF). It took place on December 9, 2001 at the San Diego Sports Arena in San Diego, California.

The main feature of the event was a three-match tournament to unify
Championship unification
Championship unification is the act of combining two or more separate professional wrestling championships into a single title.-History:In professional wrestling, championships may be unified to consolidate the number of championships in a given promotion, or to add legitimacy and prestige to a...

 the WWF Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...

 and the unbranded former WCW Championship
WCW World Heavyweight Championship
The World Championship Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation . It existed within WCW between 1991 and 2001. Following the acquisition of WCW by World Wrestling...

 into what became known as the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world
Undisputed Championship
An Undisputed Championship is a professional wrestling term for a champion who has obtained all of the major individual championships in his field during his era...

.

Background

The Invasion, which began in June 2001, ended at Survivor Series, the previous event, when Team WWF won a "Winner Takes All" Survivor Series match. The Alliance was forced to close business as a result, and all their titles except for the WCW Championship were abandoned (the remaining championships were unified with WWF championships in matches at Survivor Series and deactivated, and the WCW Cruiserweight Championship
WWE Cruiserweight Championship
The World Wrestling Entertainment Cruiserweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment and was originally a World Championship Wrestling title. It was challenged by cruiserweights at a maximum weight of 215 lbs...

 would later be revived as a WWF title). On Raw the following night, WWF Owner Vince McMahon
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...

 attempted to strip Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler...

, who was a member of The Alliance, of his WWF Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...

, and award it to Kurt Angle
Kurt Angle
Kurt Steven Angle is an American professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and 1996 Olympic gold medalist. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is recognized as a 15-time World Heavyweight Champion...

. At this moment, Ric Flair
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....

 debuted, and revealed that the owners of The Alliance sold their stock to Flair, making McMahon and Flair co-owners. Flair then prevented McMahon from stripping Austin of his title. McMahon and Flair then agreed to a tournament at Vengeance to unify the remaining WCW Championship (which became unbranded and referred to only as the World Championship) with the WWF Championship. The tournament would feature a match between WWF Champion Austin and Angle, and a match between World Champion The Rock and Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer...

. The winners of both matches would then face each other in the final to determine the WWF Undisputed World Heavyweight Champion.

Austin and Angle started a feud
Feud (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...

 over the WWF Championship at the Invasion
WWF InVasion
Invasion was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on July 22, 2001 at the Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio...

 event, where Team WWF, which Austin and Angle were a part of, faced Team Alliance in a 5-on-5 tag team match. During the match, Austin turned on Team WWF and hit Angle with a Stone Cold Stunner
Stunner (professional wrestling)
A stunner is a common term in professional wrestling referring to the seated three-quarter facelock jawbreaker maneuver, predominantly used by Stone Cold Steve Austin and named for his Stone Cold Stunner finisher...

, allowing Team Alliance to win. On the July 23 episode of Raw Is War, Austin stated that he did this because he felt that Vince McMahon was grooming Angle to take over his spot, and that he was "unappreciated" when McMahon insisted he return to the old Austin. Austin and Angle would then begin a rivalry, with Angle challenging Austin for the WWF Championship at SummerSlam
SummerSlam (2001)
SummerSlam was the fourteenth annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on August 19, 2001 at the Compaq Center in San Jose, California...

, which Angle won by disqualification, thus Austin retained the title. Angle then won the WWF title in his hometown of Pittsburgh, PA at Unforgiven, but lost it back to Austin when then-WWF Commissioner William Regal
Darren Matthews
Darren Kenneth Matthews , is an English professional wrestler, author and color commentator currently signed to WWE and competing on the SmackDown brand under the ring name William Regal. He is also known for his time in World Championship Wrestling under the ring name Steven Regal...

 joined The Alliance and cost Angle the match on the October 8 edition of Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...

. On the October 29 episode of Raw, Angle successfully defended the WCW United States Championship
WWE United States Championship
The WWE United States Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It was originally a National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling championship, and is currently the secondary championship of the Raw brand....

 over William Regal. Angle later joined The Alliance during a WrestleMania X-Seven
WrestleMania X-Seven
WrestleMania X-Seven was the seventeenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on April 1, 2001 at the Reliant Astrodome in Houston, Texas. The event was the first WrestleMania held in the state of Texas...

 rematch between Vince McMahon and then-WCW owner Shane McMahon
Shane McMahon
Shane Brandon McMahon is an American executive, currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of YOU On Demand. A former executive and professional wrestler for World Wrestling Entertainment , he is the son of WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon and former US Senate candidate Linda...

, he interfered seemingly to aid Vince but instead struck the members of team WWF with a steel chair. However, he was later revealed to be a planted mole by Vince McMahon, helping Team WWF defeat Team Alliance at Survivor Series when he helped The Rock last eliminate Austin in the winner take all match.

The feud between The Rock and Jericho, both members of the WWF, began when Jericho grew jealous of The Rock. The Rock kept reminding Jericho that he had never won "the big one" (a World Heavyweight Championship) and wrote Jericho off as a "comedy act." On the October 11 edition of SmackDown!, Jericho defeated Rob Van Dam
Rob Van Dam
Robert Alexander "Rob" Szatkowski , better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam , is an American professional wrestler and actor who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....

 to become the number one contender to Rock's WCW Championship. At No Mercy he defeated The Rock to win the title, becoming a world champion for the first time in his career. The following night on Raw, Jericho and The Rock put their differences aside and won the WWF Tag Team Championship when they defeated the Dudley Boyz
Dudley Boyz
Team 3D was a professional wrestling tag team, consisting of Brother Ray and Brother Devon, formerly sporadically joined into a stable by Brother Runt on several intervals...

 (Bubba Ray and D-Von). On the October 29 edition of Raw, Rock and Jericho successfully defended the WWF Tag team titles against then Alliance members, Booker T
Booker Huffman
Robert Booker Tio Huffman , better known by his ring name Booker T, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler and currently signed to WWE, on its SmackDown brand, as part of the announcing team. Booker is best known for his time in both the World Wrestling Entertainment and World...

 and Test but a few days later on SmackDown!, they dropped the titles to Booker T and Test after Jericho inadvertently Missile dropkicked
Dropkick
A dropkick is an attacking maneuver in professional wrestling. It is defined as an attack where the wrestler jumps up and kicks the opponent with the soles of both feet; this sees the wrestler twist as he or she jumps so that when the feet connect with the opponent one foot is raised higher than...

 The Rock, enabling Test to nail Rock with the big boot for the victory. After the match, The Rock and Jericho stared each other down, which ended with Rock nailing Jericho with two Rock Bottoms. Later on that edition, Rock challenged Jericho for the WCW Championship in a No Mercy rematch. On the November 5 edition of Raw, The Rock defeated Jericho to win the title back with a surprise roll up. Jericho turned on The Rock following the match, brutally assaulting him with the belt and a steel chair. He also attacked The Rock by delivering a Russian legsweep following his elimination in the WWF vs. Alliance winner take all match at Survivor Series
Survivor Series (2001)
Survivor Series was the fifteenth annual Survivor Series pay-per-view professional wrestling event produced by the World Wrestling Federation...

 the previous month and nearly cost team WWF the match, and the feud between the two continued to escalate in the weeks leading up to Vengeance.

Event

Before the event went live on pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...

, The APA
Acolytes Protection Agency
The Acolytes Protection Agency , was a professional wrestling tag team that consisted of Bradshaw and Faarooq. They wrestled for the American promotion World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment between October 1998 and March 2004....

 (Bradshaw
John Layfield
John Charles Layfield is a former American professional wrestler, a former commentator/host for mixed martial arts promotion Vyper Fight League and financial analyst for Fox News...

 and Faarooq
Ron Simmons
Ronald "Ron" Simmons is an American semi-retired professional wrestler and retired American football player. He is recognised as being the first Black world heavyweight champion in professional wrestling and the first of only two African Americans to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship,...

) defeated Billy and Chuck
Billy and Chuck
Billy and Chuck was the professional wrestling tag team of Billy Gunn and Chuck Palumbo seen in World Wrestling Entertainment.-History:Near the end of the Invasion storyline, Chuck Palumbo was kicked out of the WCW/ECW coalition. In response, he defected to the WWF, where he began teaming with Gunn...

 in a match, taped for Sunday Night Heat
WWE HEAT
WWE Heat was a professional wrestling television program produced by World Wrestling Entertainment...

. The opening match was a tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...

 match between Scotty 2 Hotty and Albert, and Christian and Test. Before the match had even started, Scotty and Albert started attacking Christian and Test. Scotty dominated in the beginning but Test soon tagged in. Albert, who was of Test's size, then tagged in. Scotty and Albert double-teamed Test before Christian attacked Scotty. Test and Christian took the opportunity and assaulted Scotty and prevented him from tagging in Albert. Scotty fought them out, however, and tagged in Albert. Albert dominated both of them, and set Christian up for a Baldo Bomb, but Test pulled Albert out of the ring. Scotty hit Christian with a bulldog, and attempted a Worm, but Christian knocked him down. Christian tried to hit the Worm, but Albert stopped him. Test made the save by hitting Albert with a big boot. Scotty hit a bulldog on Test, and hit a Worm. Christian tried to hit Scotty with an Unprettier, but Albert hit Christian with a Baldo Bomb for the victory.

The second match was between Edge and William Regal for Edge's WWF Intercontinental Championship
WWE Intercontinental Championship
The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is the original secondary title of the promotion. Currently, it is the secondary championship exclusive to the SmackDown brand...

. In the beginning of the match, Edge had the advantage, showing his speed and agility. However, Regal threw Edge out of the ring, and knocked him against the barricade. In the ring, Regal hit Edge with a series of European uppercuts and reversed a sunset flip into a knee drop. Edge fought back and got several near-falls before Regal knocked Edge with a forearm smash but Edge kicked Regal to the outside. On the ring apron, Edge tried to hit Regal, a diving spear on the floor but Regal sidestepped and Edge crashed the ring steel steps. As the referee was distracted, Regal took out a pair of brass knuckles
Brass knuckles
Brass knuckles, also sometimes called knuckles, knucks, brass knucks, or knuckledusters, are weapons used in hand-to-hand combat. Brass knuckles are pieces of metal, usually steel despite their name, shaped to fit around the knuckles...

 from under the ring and stuffed them into his tights. In the ring, Regal hit Edge with a powerbomb
Powerbomb
A powerbomb is a professional wrestling throw in which an opponent is lifted up and then slammed back-first down to the mat. The standard powerbomb sees an opponent first placed in a standing headscissors position...

 and two double underhook suplexes. Regal then hit Edge with a series of brutal kicks and, when the referee turned around, he took out his brass knuckles. Edge immediately speared Regal to win and retain his title.

The third match was between Matt
Matt Hardy
Matthew Moore "Matt" Hardy is a semi-retired American professional wrestler. He is best known for his stints in World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....

 and Jeff Hardy
Jeff Hardy
Jeffrey Nero "Jeff" Hardy is an American professional wrestler, who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he is a former two–time TNA World Heavyweight Champion...

 with Lita
Amy Dumas
Amy Christine Dumas , known by her primary stage name Lita, is the lead singer for the band The Luchagors as well as a retired professional wrestler and WWE Diva active from 1999 to 2006....

 as the Special Guest Referee. In the beginning, the two had several reversals until Matt got in control. Jeff sidestepped when Matt attempted a diving leg drop. Jeff hit a falling headbutt and a clothesline. Jeff went on to deliver a diving leg drop of his own. Jeff went to the top rope but Matt trapped him in a Tree of Woe. Matt then applied the sunset flip, which Jeff countered and both men were lying outside the ring. In the ring, Jeff injured his left knee, which Matt would work on. He hit a chop block and a series of moves. He tried a powerbomb
Powerbomb
A powerbomb is a professional wrestling throw in which an opponent is lifted up and then slammed back-first down to the mat. The standard powerbomb sees an opponent first placed in a standing headscissors position...

, but Jeff countered it into a Compactor Clutch. Matt assaulted Jeff again with a Half Boston Crab. Jeff got to the ropes, breaking the hold, and kicked Matt to the outside. Jeff went to the top, but, because of his hurt knee, he fell down. Matt grabbed Jeff's leg but Jeff hit a mule kick. Matt tried a Twist of Fate, but Jeff countered it into a leg drop
Leg drop
A leg drop or legdrop refers to an attack used in professional wrestling in which an attacking wrestler will jump and land his leg across a fallen opponent's chest, throat, face or head or in some cases, the groin/lower-abdominal area...

. Jeff hit a suplex
Suplex
A suplex is an offensive move used in professional sport wrestling . The move consists of one wrestler picking up his or her opponent off the ground and then using a large portion of his or her own body weight to drive the opponent down on the mat. Nearly all suplexes have the attacker going down...

, and went to the top rope again but, because of his knee, Matt took advantage and clutched him. Matt tried to hit a Twist of Fate but Jeff reversed it into his own. Matt attempted a pinfall on Jeff and used ropes for leverage but Lita ordered him to break it. Jeff went to the top rope again, but Matt caught him, and tried to hit him a Twist of Fate from the top. Jeff forced Matt off and hit a Swanton Bomb. Matt tried to get his feet on the ropes, but Jeff pulled them off, and won the match.

The fourth match was between the Dudley Boyz
Dudley Boyz
Team 3D was a professional wrestling tag team, consisting of Brother Ray and Brother Devon, formerly sporadically joined into a stable by Brother Runt on several intervals...

 (Bubba Ray and D-Von), and Big Show and Kane
Big Show and Kane
Kane and Big Show are two professional wrestlers currently signed to WWE, who formed a tag team during three periods: 2001-2002, 2005-2006 and 2011...

 for the Dudley Boyz's WWF Tag Team Championship. Kane dominated in the beginning, and tagged in The Big Show. The Big Show also dominated, but as he attempted a chokeslam
Chokeslam
A chokeslam refers to a type of body slam in professional wrestling in which the wrestler grasps their opponent's neck, lifts them up, and slams them to the mat. It is common in televised wrestling because it is simple and relatively safe, yet looks powerful on camera...

, Bubba Ray held the ropes and raked the eyes of The Big Show. D-Von tagged in but received a sidewalk slam from The Big Show. The Big Show then hit D-Von with a series of hip attacks. Kane and The Big Show dominated in the ring, knocking the Dudleys out of the ring. Kane went to the top rope and jumped to the outside, knocking out Dudleys. In the ring, Stacy Keibler
Stacy Keibler
Stacy Keibler is an American actress, model, and former professional wrestler and valet, best known for her work with World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment ....

 tried to encourage the Dudleys, but The Big Show snuck up and pulled down her skirt. The Dudleys hit Kane with a double suplex and started working on him. They gave Kane a diving headbutt low blow, and a series of double-team maneuvers
Professional wrestling double-team maneuvers
The double-team maneuvers in professional wrestling are executed by two wrestlers instead of one and typically are used by tag teams in tag team matches. Many of these maneuvers are combination of two throws, or submission holds. Most moves are known by the names that professional wrestlers give...

. They set him for the Dudley Death Drop but Kane kicked D-Von in the head and hit Bubba Ray with a clothesline. Kane tagged in The Big Show, who tried to chokeslam D-Von but Bubba Ray hit him a chop block. Kane tried to hit D-Von with a flying clothesline but accidentally hit The Big Show. Dudleys fell to the outside while Kane and Show argued in the ring. The Dudleys then hit The Big Show with a Hotshot onto an exposed turnbuckle for the win, retaining their title.

The fifth match was between The Undertaker and Rob Van Dam
Rob Van Dam
Robert Alexander "Rob" Szatkowski , better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam , is an American professional wrestler and actor who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....

 (RVD) for RVD's WWF Hardcore Championship
WWE Hardcore Championship
The World Wrestling Entertainment Hardcore Championship is a hardcore wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment and is contested under "hardcore" rules, meaning there is no disqualifications, no countouts, and pin falls could be counted anywhere...

. Earlier in the match, RVD hit The Undertaker with a top-rope somersault. Undertaker crotched RVD on the top rope and knocked him to the outside. He tried to drive him into the ringpost, but RVD reversed and knocked him into the ringpost instead. RVD attacked The Undertaker with the barricade, and tried to hit a bodypress but The Undertaker punched him. The Undertaker tossed him over a railing and choked
Chokehold
A chokehold or choke is a general term for grappling hold that critically reduces or prevents either air or blood from passing through the neck of an opponent. The restriction may be of one or both and depends on the hold used and the reaction of the victim...

 RVD on the floor. The Undertaker tried to use a steel chair
Folding chair
A folding chair is a light, portable chair that that folds flat, and can be stored in a stack, row, or on a cart.-Uses:Folding chairs are generally used for seating in areas where permanent seating is not possible or practical. This includes outdoor and indoor events such as funerals, college...

, but RVD hit him with a fire extinguisher. He hit The Undertaker's head with a trash can, and a flying crossbody. They fought on the stage where RVD hit a somersault leg drop. The Undertaker drove RVD's head on the stage, and attempted a Last Ride, but RVD held onto stage. The Undertaker went backstage and came back with a chair but RVD kicked it. He hit a Rolling Thunder on the stage and a Chair Surf
Dropkick
A dropkick is an attacking maneuver in professional wrestling. It is defined as an attack where the wrestler jumps up and kicks the opponent with the soles of both feet; this sees the wrestler twist as he or she jumps so that when the feet connect with the opponent one foot is raised higher than...

. He tried to hit a Van Daminator but missed, and The Undertaker hit him with the chair. The Undertaker chokeslam
Chokeslam
A chokeslam refers to a type of body slam in professional wrestling in which the wrestler grasps their opponent's neck, lifts them up, and slams them to the mat. It is common in televised wrestling because it is simple and relatively safe, yet looks powerful on camera...

med RVD off the stage through a set of tables for the victory, and won his first and only WWF Hardcore Championship.

The sixth match was between Trish Stratus
Trish Stratus
Patricia Anne Stratigias , better known by her ring name Trish Stratus, is a Canadian professional wrestler, actress and television personality currently signed with WWE. She is also a former fitness model....

 and Jacqueline
Jacqueline Moore
Jacqueline DeLois Moore is an inactive American professional wrestler, who was most recently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...

 for Stratus' WWF Women's Championship
WWE Women's Championship
The WWE Women's Championship was a professional wrestling championship in the World Wrestling Entertainment promotion. Created in 1956, it was the oldest active professional wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment history until its retirement in 2010 as a result from a unification...

. Jacqueline wrestled a great match in the beginning while knocking Stratus to the mat several times. Stratus kicked Jacqueline several times but was unable to knock her down. However, Jacqueline knocked Stratus by punching and kicking her on numerous occasions. She slammed Stratus twice and walked on her hair. Stratus however hit her with a clothesline for a near-fall. Jacqueline knocked Stratus down again but Stratus sent her in the corner. Stratus made a pinfall attempt with a victory roll for a near-fall. She tried to hit Jacqueline with the Stratusfaction but Jacqueline shoved her and kicked her for a near-fall. Stratus then hit and pinned her with a bridging backslide to win the match and retain her title.

The seventh match was the first match in the championship unification
Championship unification
Championship unification is the act of combining two or more separate professional wrestling championships into a single title.-History:In professional wrestling, championships may be unified to consolidate the number of championships in a given promotion, or to add legitimacy and prestige to a...

 tournament between Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler...

 and Kurt Angle
Kurt Angle
Kurt Steven Angle is an American professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and 1996 Olympic gold medalist. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is recognized as a 15-time World Heavyweight Champion...

 for Austin's WWF Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...

. In the beginning, both men applied holds
Professional wrestling holds
Professional wrestling holds include a number of set moves and pins used by performers to immobilize their opponents or lead to a submission. This article covers the various pins, stretches and transition holds used in the ring...

. Austin then took advantage and pounded Angle. The two had a test of strength and Angle applied the ankle lock. Austin kicked out of the hold, and applied an armlock
Armlock
An armlock in grappling is a single or double joint lock that hyperextends, hyperflexes or hyperrotates the elbow joint and/or shoulder joint. An armlock that hyperflexes or hyperrotates the shoulder joint is referred to as a shoulder lock, and an armlock that hyperextends the elbow joint is called...

, followed by an eye rake. He choked
Chokehold
A chokehold or choke is a general term for grappling hold that critically reduces or prevents either air or blood from passing through the neck of an opponent. The restriction may be of one or both and depends on the hold used and the reaction of the victim...

 Angle in the ropes and attacked in his biceps. Austin threw Angle into the ringpost three times, injuring the left side of Angle's torso. In the ring, Austin used an armbar takedown on Angle's injured left shoulder. Angle then applied the ankle lock on Austin. Austin reached the ropes and Angle broke the hold. Austin followed by knocking Angle's head on the announce table. Angle then wrapped Austin's leg around the ringpost, and applied the ringpost figure four leglock. Back in the ring, Angle applied the ankle lock but Austin rolled through. Angle hit a belly-to-belly suplex, and three German suplexes. Angle missed a moonsault
Moonsault
A moonsault, moonsault press, or back flip splash is a professional wrestling aerial technique. Much of its popularity in American wrestling is attributed to The Great Muta, despite it being used in North America by "Leaping" Lanny Poffo years before Muta came from Japan.In a standard moonsault,...

, and Austin took advantage, hitting a Lou Thesz press, and a spinebuster. Austin then hit five German suplexes, but, while in the ropes, Angle hit a low blow, and an Angle Slam. Angle then tried to hit a Stone Cold Stunner
Stunner (professional wrestling)
A stunner is a common term in professional wrestling referring to the seated three-quarter facelock jawbreaker maneuver, predominantly used by Stone Cold Steve Austin and named for his Stone Cold Stunner finisher...

, but Austin reversed it into his Stone Cold Stunner to win the match, and retain his title.

The eighth match was the second match of the tournament between Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer...

 and The Rock for The Rock's World Heavyweight Championship
WCW World Heavyweight Championship
The World Championship Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation . It existed within WCW between 1991 and 2001. Following the acquisition of WCW by World Wrestling...

. The two exchanged many holds
Professional wrestling holds
Professional wrestling holds include a number of set moves and pins used by performers to immobilize their opponents or lead to a submission. This article covers the various pins, stretches and transition holds used in the ring...

 and reversals in the beginning. Jericho hit a spinning heel kick, and a missile dropkick. Jericho knocked The Rock's head into the steel ring steps, and hit a flying back elbow. The Rock came back with a flying clothesline. Jericho applied a sleeper hold but The Rock fought out of it. Jericho then hit a one-handed bulldog and a Lionsault. Jericho went to the top rope, but The Rock crotched him on the top. The Rock tried a Superplex but Jericho knocked him down, and hit a flying crossbody, but The Rock rolled through. Jericho continued attacking The Rock, but The Rock sent Jericho's head into the ringpost. Jericho fell to the outside where he dropped The Rock onto the barricade, and catapulted him into the ringpost. Jericho then tried to hit a Rock Bottom through the announce table, but The Rock reversed it into a People's DDT through the table. The Rock threw Jericho into the ring and set him for a Rock Bottom, but Jericho countered it into a Breakdown. He set The Rock up for the People's Elbow, but The Rock caught his legs, and applied a Sharpshooter
Sharpshooter (professional wrestling)
The Sharpshooter, originally named Sasori-gatame, Scorpion Hold in English, is a professional wrestling submission hold. The move is also known by several other names: cloverleaf leg-lace Boston crab, standing reverse figure-four leglock, and, the most commonly known alternative, Scorpion Deathlock...

 on Jericho. Jericho reversed it into his own Sharpshooter, but The Rock got to the ropes to break the hold. Jericho then applied the Walls of Jericho
Boston crab
The Boston crab is a professional wrestling hold that typically starts with the opponent lying supine on the mat, with the wrestler standing and facing them. It is a type of spinal lock where the wrestler hooks each of the opponent’s legs in one of his arms, and then turns the opponent face-down,...

, but The Rock countered it into a roll-up. The Rock hit a Rock Bottom, as Mr. McMahon
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...

 came down to ringside. The Rock went for the pinfall but McMahon distracted the referee. The Rock hit McMahon, and hit a Spinebuster on Jericho. He brought McMahon into the ring and hit Jericho with a People's Elbow. The Rock attacked McMahon and, while the referee checked McMahon, Jericho hit a low blow and a Rock Bottom to win the match, and the title.

The main event was the final of the tournament between Austin and Jericho. Right after Jericho defeated The Rock, Austin came out to start the match, but Angle hit Austin with a steel chair, while The Rock hit Jericho with a Rock Bottom, and then chased Angle backstage. The match started, and Austin speared Jericho. The two fought off outside the ring and on the announce table. Jericho took Austin to the top of table where Austin tried to hit a Stone Cold Stunner. Jericho countered it into a Walls of Jericho
Boston crab
The Boston crab is a professional wrestling hold that typically starts with the opponent lying supine on the mat, with the wrestler standing and facing them. It is a type of spinal lock where the wrestler hooks each of the opponent’s legs in one of his arms, and then turns the opponent face-down,...

 but Austin flipped him off the table. On the floor, he suplex
Suplex
A suplex is an offensive move used in professional sport wrestling . The move consists of one wrestler picking up his or her opponent off the ground and then using a large portion of his or her own body weight to drive the opponent down on the mat. Nearly all suplexes have the attacker going down...

ed Jericho and tossed him into the ring. The two fought out of the ring, and Jericho threw Austin shoulder-first into the ringpost. Jericho wrapped Austin's arm into an armbar, and used the ropes for leverage, but the referee broke the hold. Jericho attempted a flying forearm smash, but Austin ducked, and Jericho hit the referee. Jericho hit a low blow and a Stone Cold Stunner. McMahon came out again and ordered Nick Patrick
Nick Hamilton
Joseph Nicholas "Nick" Patrick Hamilton Jr. , better known by his ring name Nick Patrick, is a professional wrestling referee. He is a former referee for World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment...

 to referee the match. However, Ric Flair
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....

 interfered and pulled Patrick out of the ring and attacked him. McMahon knocked Flair into the ringpost. Austin then hit a low blow, and assaulted McMahon. He hit a Lou Thesz press on Jericho and applied the Walls of Jericho. Jericho tapped out but the referee was down. Booker T
Booker Huffman
Robert Booker Tio Huffman , better known by his ring name Booker T, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler and currently signed to WWE, on its SmackDown brand, as part of the announcing team. Booker is best known for his time in both the World Wrestling Entertainment and World...

 came out and hit Austin with the WWF Championship belt. The referee recovered and Jericho pinned Austin to win the match, and became the first ever Undisputed
Undisputed Championship
An Undisputed Championship is a professional wrestling term for a champion who has obtained all of the major individual championships in his field during his era...

 Champion in the World Wrestling Federation. The World Championship was unified into the WWF Championship and the two belts collectively represented the title named Undisputed WWF Championship.

Aftermath

Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler...

 lost in a rematch against Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer...

 for the Undisputed WWF Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...

 on the December 10 edition of Raw due to interference from Booker T
Booker Huffman
Robert Booker Tio Huffman , better known by his ring name Booker T, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler and currently signed to WWE, on its SmackDown brand, as part of the announcing team. Booker is best known for his time in both the World Wrestling Entertainment and World...

. Austin then briefly feuded with Booker T, which involved the returning Big Bossman
Ray Traylor
Ray Walter Traylor, Jr. was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Big Boss Man and World Championship Wrestling under various ring names, most notably Big Bubba Rogers.-Early years:Traylor, a prison guard in...

 Jericho successfully defended his title against different opponents until The Rock earned a match for the Undisputed Championship at Royal Rumble
Royal Rumble (2002)
Royal Rumble was the fifteenth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on January 20, 2002 at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia...

 on the January 3 edition of SmackDown!

The feud between Edge and William Regal continued. Regal ambushed Edge several times with brass knuckles
Brass knuckles
Brass knuckles, also sometimes called knuckles, knucks, brass knucks, or knuckledusters, are weapons used in hand-to-hand combat. Brass knuckles are pieces of metal, usually steel despite their name, shaped to fit around the knuckles...

 before finally challenging Edge to a rematch for the WWF Intercontinental Championship
WWE Intercontinental Championship
The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is the original secondary title of the promotion. Currently, it is the secondary championship exclusive to the SmackDown brand...

 at Royal Rumble, which Edge accepted. On the January 7 edition of Raw, buildup towards the Royal Rumble match started, with Austin, the returning Triple H
Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley...

, Kurt Angle
Kurt Angle
Kurt Steven Angle is an American professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and 1996 Olympic gold medalist. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is recognized as a 15-time World Heavyweight Champion...

, Kane
Kane (wrestler)
Glenn Thomas Jacobs is a Spanish-born American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name, Kane. He is signed to WWE, appearing on its SmackDown brand, but is currently inactive due to injury....

, The Big Show
Paul Wight
Paul Donald Wight, Jr. , better known by his ring name, Big Show, is an American professional wrestler and actor, currently signed to WWE on its Raw brand....

 and The Undertaker all declaring their participation in the match, and starting a feud.

Results

# Result Stipulation Time
The APA
Acolytes Protection Agency
The Acolytes Protection Agency , was a professional wrestling tag team that consisted of Bradshaw and Faarooq. They wrestled for the American promotion World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment between October 1998 and March 2004....

 (Bradshaw
John Layfield
John Charles Layfield is a former American professional wrestler, a former commentator/host for mixed martial arts promotion Vyper Fight League and financial analyst for Fox News...

 and Faarooq
Ron Simmons
Ronald "Ron" Simmons is an American semi-retired professional wrestler and retired American football player. He is recognised as being the first Black world heavyweight champion in professional wrestling and the first of only two African Americans to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship,...

) defeated Billy and Chuck
Billy and Chuck
Billy and Chuck was the professional wrestling tag team of Billy Gunn and Chuck Palumbo seen in World Wrestling Entertainment.-History:Near the end of the Invasion storyline, Chuck Palumbo was kicked out of the WCW/ECW coalition. In response, he defected to the WWF, where he began teaming with Gunn...

Tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...

 match
06:20
1 Scotty 2 Hotty and Albert defeated Christian and Test Tag team match 06:20
2 Edge (c) defeated William Regal Singles match for the WWF Intercontinental Championship
WWE Intercontinental Championship
The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is the original secondary title of the promotion. Currently, it is the secondary championship exclusive to the SmackDown brand...

09:06
3 Jeff Hardy
Jeff Hardy
Jeffrey Nero "Jeff" Hardy is an American professional wrestler, who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he is a former two–time TNA World Heavyweight Champion...

 defeated Matt Hardy
Matt Hardy
Matthew Moore "Matt" Hardy is a semi-retired American professional wrestler. He is best known for his stints in World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....

Singles match with Lita
Amy Dumas
Amy Christine Dumas , known by her primary stage name Lita, is the lead singer for the band The Luchagors as well as a retired professional wrestler and WWE Diva active from 1999 to 2006....

 as Special guest referee
12:32
4 The Dudley Boyz
Dudley Boyz
Team 3D was a professional wrestling tag team, consisting of Brother Ray and Brother Devon, formerly sporadically joined into a stable by Brother Runt on several intervals...

 (Bubba Ray and D-Von) (c) (with Stacy Keibler
Stacy Keibler
Stacy Keibler is an American actress, model, and former professional wrestler and valet, best known for her work with World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment ....

) defeated Big Show and Kane
Big Show and Kane
Kane and Big Show are two professional wrestlers currently signed to WWE, who formed a tag team during three periods: 2001-2002, 2005-2006 and 2011...

Tag team match for the WWF Tag Team Championship 06:49
5 The Undertaker defeated Rob Van Dam
Rob Van Dam
Robert Alexander "Rob" Szatkowski , better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam , is an American professional wrestler and actor who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....

 (c)
Hardcore match for the WWF Hardcore Championship
WWE Hardcore Championship
The World Wrestling Entertainment Hardcore Championship is a hardcore wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment and is contested under "hardcore" rules, meaning there is no disqualifications, no countouts, and pin falls could be counted anywhere...

11:04
6 Trish Stratus
Trish Stratus
Patricia Anne Stratigias , better known by her ring name Trish Stratus, is a Canadian professional wrestler, actress and television personality currently signed with WWE. She is also a former fitness model....

 (c) defeated Jacqueline
Jacqueline Moore
Jacqueline DeLois Moore is an inactive American professional wrestler, who was most recently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...

Singles match for the WWF Women's Championship
WWE Women's Championship
The WWE Women's Championship was a professional wrestling championship in the World Wrestling Entertainment promotion. Created in 1956, it was the oldest active professional wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment history until its retirement in 2010 as a result from a unification...

03:35
7 Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler...

 (c) defeated Kurt Angle
Kurt Angle
Kurt Steven Angle is an American professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and 1996 Olympic gold medalist. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is recognized as a 15-time World Heavyweight Champion...

Singles match for the WWF Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...

15:05
8 Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer...

 defeated The Rock (c)
Singles match for the World Championship
WCW World Heavyweight Championship
The World Championship Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation . It existed within WCW between 1991 and 2001. Following the acquisition of WCW by World Wrestling...

19:08
9 Chris Jericho defeated Steve Austin Title Unification
Championship unification
Championship unification is the act of combining two or more separate professional wrestling championships into a single title.-History:In professional wrestling, championships may be unified to consolidate the number of championships in a given promotion, or to add legitimacy and prestige to a...

match for the World Championship and the WWF Championship unified into the Undisputed WWF Championship
12:31

External links

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