The Kurt Angle Show - No Mercy 2002 [Show Notes] (Patreon)

We covered you and Benoit’s match against each other at Unforgiven 2002 last month, and on the Smackdown after that show in San Diego we get you vs. Benoit vs Rey Mysterio in a really awesome triple threat match in the main event.

From the Observer:

“Main was a three-way with Mysterio over Benoit and Angle when he pinned Benoit with the West Coast pop.

Benoit vs. Angle is the most incredible mat wrestling you'll see outside of the heyday of Kiyoshi Tamura. Mysterio mixed in with great high flying spots and the finish came across perfectly. Benoit lost nothing taking that pin because the match was so good and it popped the crowd because they didn't expect it.

Mysterio, who is from San Diego, got the biggest reaction of anyone on the show and was put in the main event because they figured that would happen. Well, some people figured. Vince was against the idea of Mysterio in the main event before the show, but not so against it when Mysterio got the huge reaction.”

So the hometown hero Mysterio gets the big win here.

Do you remember Vince being against putting Rey in TV main events in his early few months in the company?

We should also talk about from this same show an absolutely incredible Edge vs Eddie Guerrero No DQ match.

From the Observer:

“The Edge vs. Eddy Guerrero No DQ match was incredible. Without question one of the best matches of the year. Guerrero, the heel, got a standing ovation after the match for his performance, in particular taking the DDT off the nearly top of the ladder, and doing a power bomb flipping over the ladder. He also took a backdrop into a vertical ladder and did the flip into the ring senton with Edge in the middle of a ladder sandwich. I'd say ****1/2 for that.”

Do you remember if there was a big reaction in the back watching this one Kurt?

Were you chomping at the bit to get to work against Eddie again as it had been a couple of years since you last faced each other.

When are you told of the idea of being a tag team? Was this all a Heyman idea? Any hesitation?

This was also announced at the time: “Angle will be helping promote the first Kurt Angle Classic show from 11/8 to 11/10 in New Orleans at the Morial Convention Center. It will be a combination USA vs. The World invitational wrestling tournament plus a pro bodybuilding competition, a powerlifting competition, an arm wrestling tournament and a strong man contest. I believe Angle is only involved in the wrestling tournament. The connection with the bodybuilding world is that Angle's personal manager, Dave Hawk, was a former fairly big-name pro bodybuilder. The idea is to present amateur wrestling with musical ring entrances, personality profiles and high production values. On 11/8, there will be a team of the Marine Corps & Navy vs. Army & Air Force. The rest will be battles between U.S. world class wrestlers against top international stars, headlined by Cael Sanderson in freestyle and Gardner in Greco (Gardner's first matches since his toe was amputated after his being stranded in the freezing wilderness). In freestyle, Sanderson will wrestle at 185, Tim Hartung (Brock Lesnar's former college roommate who would be considered Angle's toughest competition for an Olympic team berth if he were to come back) at 212 and Kerry McCoy at 265. There will also be $75,000 in prize money. I guess it's an amateur pro wrestling show, or a pro amateur wrestling show, or we've got to invent new terms. Both Lesnar and Angle will be attending the weekend activities”

Where did this idea come from…how did it all come together?

The week after Smackdown was in Lafayette, LA.

Smackdown GM Stephanie McMahon announces a tournament to crown the first ever Smackdown Tag Team Champions to begin on the show, with the finals being at No Mercy.

We’ll cover the tournament as we go along here. But on this show, we go back to you vs. Edge in a singles match - which isn’t a bad thing as you guys always have a great match.

Onto the match:

From the Observer:

“Edge pinned Angle in 21:00 of what we're told was a tremendous match. They went about 16:00 with a

ref bump and a finish where each ref raised one guys' hand. Came back with 5 hot minutes, ending when Angle went to hit Benoit with a chair, but the chair hit the rope and rebounded back hitting Angle. Edge pinned him with a spear.

Backstage, Benoit was laughing at Angle, but Stephanie informed them they are now a tag team and had to get along, and if they didn't get along, they'd both be suspended for one year.”

How awesome is it to work with Edge so much during this year? What did you think of them teaming up you and Benoit?

Meltzer would even say that you are definitely the wrestler of the year at this point. Hard to disagree there Kurt.

Then later in the show:

“The main event saw Mysterio over Benoit. Match live didn't have much heat but was said to be very good. Angle interfered, allowing Mysterio to hit the West Coast pop for the pin. Angle and Benoit went back-and-forth doing a pull-apart after the match, including a spot where they tore Dave Finlay's shirt off and Finlay chased Angle out of the ring.”

The part with you guys ripping Finlay’s shirt was after the show went off the air - was this you guys just ribbing on Fit when you knew the cameras were off?

Also on the show, the first round of the Tag Team Tournament has Eddie & Chavo Guerrero defeating Rikishi & Mark Henry and in a bit of a surprise - Faarooq & Reverend D’Von defeated Billy & Chuck.

The next Smackdown on 10/10 was in Phoenix, and you and Benoit defeated Billy Kidman & John Cena in the tag team tournament. But you guys are doing the “odd couple tag team” stuff as Benoit throws you out of the ring when you have the ankle lock on Kidman, only for Benoit to apply the crossface on Kidman for the win.

So next week it’s gonna be you and Benoit vs the Guerreros in the semi-final, but earlier in the show there’s a confrontation with you four guys.

So they’re bringing up in the storyline the rumor of you taking time off to train for the 2004 Olympics.

Was it still a realistic goal here in October 2002, or are they just playing up on it all now for the storyline?

Also in the tag tourney - Edge & Rey Mysterio defeated the super random team of Brock Lesnar & Tajiri. It feels like they’re really really just throwing random people together now just to get 8 teams to put together a tournament doesn’t it?

The go-home Smackdown for No Mercy was in Toronto, Canada.

It’s the semi-finals of the tag tournament and to begin things, Mysterio & Edge defeated Faarooq & D’Von - so they’ll be facing the winner of you and Benoit vs the Guerreros at No Mercy.

From the Observer:

“Angle & Benoit beat Chavo & Eddy in 12:00 when Angle pinned Chavo after the Angle slam. Benoit got a chair and teased hitting Angle with it, but instead hit Chavo. A super match and one of the best WWE tag matches of the year. Edge & Mysterio attacked Guerreros before the match. Angle & Benoit then attacked Edge & Mysterio.”

Another banger of a match Kurt. And now with Chavo in the mix, we’re really establishing what was known as the “Smackdown Six” - you, Benoit, Edge, Mysterio, Eddie and Chavo - essentially just tearing the house down whenever you guys were working with each other during this period of time.

Paul Heyman is writing for Smackdown at this point, was he actively working with you guys behind the scenes when he’s putting together all the Smackdown TV shows?

At the time WWE business is way down not just from a year prior but from months prior. Do you think that was the result of the brand extension?

Did you feel that in your paychecks at the time?

It’s also reported that at the time the talk was it would be you or Benoit taking on Lesnar in the WrestleMania main event next year. Were you being told that and did you think it would be you & Brock at this point?

There was also talk of doing Brock Lesnar against boxing champion Lennox Lewis as well. Do you think you could’ve been convinced to lose to a non-wrestler back then?

And now we’re gonna have you and Benoit vs Mysterio & Edge at Mo Mercy to determine the first ever WWE Smackdown Tag Team Champions.

No Mercy on 10/20 Little Rock, Arkansas:

From the Observer:

“While the advance was poor, there was enough papering, particularly in the $200 section, to where the building looked fine on television. Reports were there were close to 10,000 in the Alltell Arena, probably not much more than 5,500 were paid. But those who were there made for a pretty lively crowd. The number of responses we got to the show was way down from last month, which looked to be the lowest buy rate for a WWE PPV show in five years. A decline, particularly since it was a fairly significant one, indicates more bad news.

It was a two-match show, with Angle & Benoit vs. Edge & Rey Mysterio being Match-of- the-year quality and the Lesnar vs. Undertaker Hell in a Cell match being a real violent bloodbath.

Ultimately, Undertaker did go down with the F-5 in Lesnar’s best career match on 10/20 in Little Rock at the No Mercy PPV.”

Before we get to your match on the show Kurt, let’s talk about some of the other matches on the show.

In the first match - Jericho & Christian were wrestling Booker T & Goldust when the middle rope completely snapped when Jericho attempted the Lionsault. Luckily he was completely fine and not injured from it, but it could have been pretty nasty.

Is it scary watching in the back when things like this happen?

Lesnar defeated Taker in the Hell in a Cell match as we mentioned, do you remember this probably being his best career match at this point? (Obviously as he’d not wrestled you in a high profile match yet!)

They also unified Kane’s Intercontinental title with HHH’s World Title, and this retired the IC Title after 23 years of existence.

(although only temporarily as it was brought back 7 months later).

What did you think of this decision to retire the IC Title, Kurt? This meant they just had the 2 World Titles on each brand as the only singles titles, and essentially nothing for the midcard singles wrestlers to fight over.

Something else I want your opinion on is…. Katie Vick!

Before No Mercy, they set up a ridiculously stupid storyline with Kane and HHH, and that Kane’s girlfriend had died in a car accident 10 years later.

But HHH claims Kane murdered her and had sex with her dead body.

Then the night after No Mercy, I gotta know, what the hell did you think when you saw or heard about HHH - dressed up as Kane - humping a corpse on worldwide TV - as they pretended it was the dead girlfriend of Kane?

Ok let’s get away from that subject!

And it’s on to the tag tourney final!

“They did a skit where Benoit told Eddy Guerrero that Kurt Angle was in a room beating up Chavo. Eddy thought it was a swerve. You could hear Chavo crying for help while Eddy said it wasn’t Chavo’s voice but a girl’s voice. The door came open and Chavo was beaten up and Angle came out of the room.”

You had to enjoy doing this type of stuff didn’t you?

6. Kurt Angle & Chris Benoit became the first WWE tag team champions over Rey Mysterio & Edge in 22:03. The match was off the charts.

Benoit used three german suplexes on Edge. He went up to the top for the head-butt, but Edge instead used a top rope superplex. Mysterio did a legdrop off the top on Benoit for a near fall and save.

Benoit used the crossface on Mysterio but Edge saved. Mysterio went for a 619 but Benoit got up and caught him, and while holding him, Edge came off the top with a missile dropkick to Mysterio’s back causing Benoit to collapse for a near fall. Angle gave Mysterio a belly-to-belly superplex and Benoit got a near pin. Edge hot tagged in and did a spot where he tossed a running Mysterio into the air where he did a huracanrana off the top rope on Angle.

Benoit went for a diving head-butt on Mysterio, who moved, and hit Angle instead for a great near fall. Benoit did a crossface on Edge forever right by the ropes when Mysterio hit the 619 to break it up. Angle slam on Mysterio off that move.

Angle used the ankle lock on Edge, who caught him in a tight small package for a great near fall. Edge threw Mysterio over the top where he did a moonsault block on Benoit. In the ring, Angle got Edge in the ankle lock. Edge reversed it, but Angle then reversed it back and got the submission.

Match of the year candidate.”

****¾

There we have it Kurt, you and Benoit are the first ever Smackdown Tag Team Champions!

The match was voted match of the year by readers of both the Wrestling Observer and Pro Wrestling Torch too!

What are your memories from this match?