Review: WWE Summerslam 2003 DVD

Brett Mix’s WWE Summerslam 2003 Review:

 
                                                                                                                           

 “Sex Sells…..hey, we’re going to put you on the Poster!” –WWE

 

?

?

?

-WWE Summerslam 2003 took place on Sunday, August 24th, 2003 at the America West Arena in Phoenix, Arizona in front of 16. 113 fans.

-This was the 16th Annual WWE Summerslam PPV event.

-The original card to this show had 9 matches but it was cut down to 7 for the PPV placing the other two on Heat.

-Jamie Koeppe was shown in attendance as she one the 2003 Diva Search that wasn’t televised but she never made it to WWE programming outside Confidential.

-Triple H hadn’t won at Summerslam since 1998 over The Rock in a ladder match until this event.

-This show took place on Vince McMahon’s Birthday and after the show they threw him a surprise BDAY Party in the ring.

-The event marked the second time the Elimination Chamber format was used by WWE; the first was at Survivor Series 2002.

-The America West Arena has a maximum capacity of 19,000, but that was reduced for SummerSlam 2003. The event grossed over $715,000 in ticket sales from an attendance of 16,113, the maximum allowed. This was later confirmed by Linda McMahon, WWE CEO, in a press release on August 26, 2003. The event resulted in 415,000 pay-per-view buys (a 0.88 pay-per-view buyrate). The promotion’s pay-per-view revenue was $24.7 million

-This event marked the first time Jonathan Coachman was a heel and he foreshadowed his turn with HEEL like questions during interviews before his turn during the Bischoff vs Shane match.

-This was Randy Orton’s Summerslam Debut and he found himself in the Main Event. (He’d main event his first two, actually as he did again in 2004 against Chris Benoit)

-Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler do the commentary for Raw and Tazz and Micheal Cole do it for Smackdown!

-On Sunday Night Heat before the event:

-Matt Hardy defeated Zach Gowen via forfeit after Gowen couldn’t make it to the event due to the brutal beatdown by Lesnar.

-Also WWE Cruiserweight Championship Match: Rey Mysterio (c) defeated Shannon Moore at 2:03.

-Now onto the PPV……………

1) Opening Contest- La Résistance (René Duprée and Sylvain Grenier) (c) vs the Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von) (managed by Spike Dudley) for the WWE World Tag Team Championship

Lillian Garcia sang the National Anthem beforee the show.

There was a patriotic theme yet again at Summerslam like the year before and the opening match has two American’s beating the hell out of two Frenchmen.

They are however the Tag Team Champions and were fairly new to the company at that point but got magnificent heel heat as if it were hard to do….
Dudley Boyz looking to become 17 time tag team champions. Those belts switch way too much.

Then again Dudleyz are probably counting every promotion and think about how many PPV’s in the attitude era they opened up by winning the tag gold, They pretty much did that from 2000-2004 more or less anyway at a variety of shows.
Rob Conway made his debut the week before this and attacked Dudleyz with there own American flag and buried them under Old Glory and we hadn’t seen Conway since…..till tonight.

The match was basic.

Back and forth brawling with double team moves, both teams got there few minutes of high offense with a lot of momentum.

One spot springs to mind when D-Von kept single handedly power slamming everybody in sight and as King elluded to he was a man on a mission and the crowd ate it up.

It looked like the Dudleyz were even going to win and become the 17 time champions but La Resistance pulled a fast one in the climax and the crowd in Phoenix who were red hot near the end of this opener all were pissed at this spot.

A Camera man who was actually Rob Conway with a wig in disguise hit the Dudleyz behind the ref’s back!

La Resistance covered the Dudley Boyz and retained the World tag titles to open Summerslam 2003 as the fans booed at 7:49 with Conway’s help. The three then form the stable after that and walk to the back with the tag gold. Little Spike Dudley comes running out from the back and Conway reveals himself.

Coach catches up to Bubba after the match and he says he is determined to take back the titles, next shot they get! Considering the booking of that division, they probably did.

Nice spots, a pretty good match here to open. Nice ending though, that was rather good or noteworthy.

**

?

?

2) The Undertaker vs A-Train (managed by Sable)

The attempt to get A-Train over as a singles star didn’t work out so well. Yeah, he put on some alright matches with Taker, and Kane and even Chris Benoit around this time period.

Hell he even was carried by Benoit to a phenominal and by far the best match of his career. But that is Benoit for you…who could carry a broom stick to a four star match.
However, power moves, a boring character and roaring every time you hit a splash in the corner with a hairy back and chest will only get you so far.

We see Taker compete in this kind of match here he tries to take down the big man for about the 76th time in his career on a big show. Including house shows it’d be well over 1, 000 without question.

At least that did not become as frequent as the days went on as Taker has improved his quality and workrate over the years in a number of ways.

?

Undertaker wanted revenge on Albert or “A-Train” because he had injured his ribs, and even costed him matches including the one I saw on Smackdown 3 weeks before Summerslam live.
This match is a basic formula.

Taker dominated early with a side russian leg sweep, Taker hits a series of moves to A-Train, Albert tried to get in control and Taker has the crowd on his side as he took it to the big man for a couple of minutes.

The complexity of the match changed when Albert drove Taker’s bad ribs into the steel ring post on the outside then tried to wear down Taker inside the ring with a scoop slam among other power moves and many near falls but Taker wouldn’t give in,
When Taker got back in control he gave Albert a big boot and weakened the arm of A-Train for Old School which he hit and the crowd went wild for it.

Sable tried to distract Taker but he’d have none of that.

Taker got the win at 9:19. Sable then came in the ring and tried to get with Taker as she felt his chest, then Tajer smiled and grabbed Sable by the throat, until “I’m all grown up” hit’s and the GM of SD who had been gone for a few weeks made her return.

Stephanie ran down and tackles Sable and slapped her around for a bit till Albert took her away. Stephanie applauded Taker’s win in the ring. Clearly the Billion Dollar Princess has forgiven the old deadman for abducting her a few years ago with those kind of looks.

Standard big man material here, blah…

 

* 1/4

?

 

 

3) Shane McMahon vs Eric Bischoff in a No Disqualification Falls Count Anywhere Match

This is a STRANGE match.

It’s bad, then it’s strange, then it’s fun, then it’s confusing, then it’s fun again, then it’s over.

It’s just a roller-coaster of emotions that features very little wrestling, thank god.

First Bischoff talks on the mic about how far he went with Linda and how many times he ya know.

Vince even let Bischoff kiss Linda during this storyline. I swear I don’t know what went on in Vince’s head in 2003, with all his poor decisions and he even wanted an incest storyline. This after Katie Vick/Al Wilson, then he came up with JR burned by Kane, Father vs Daughter, among other terrible ideas.

ANYWAYS getting past the horror that was WWE television 7 years ago and back to the match, Shane-O-Mac came to the ring and danced around despite meaning business. He jumped on Bischoff with rights and left and did’t stop as the fans went crazy.

Shane brawls with Bischoff landing rights and slamming Uncle Eric headfirst into the announce table.

The action took to the outside until BAM someone hit Shane with a chair in the back!
Who could it be?!?!?!?

The Coach! Jonathan Coachman has turned heel and the fans were shocked. I sure as fuck was but it was brilliant as he definately suits a heel as proven many times in the years since and the segment coming up during the match.

One of the more underrated and unexpected heel turns over the years that has turned out for the better, that’s for sure. He was bland as a face interviewer.

Coach then helped Bischoff beat the hell out of Shane as Coach sent Shane into the steel steps and Bischoff announced the match was now NO DQ and now Falls Count Anywhere!

They go in the ring.

Bischoff demands that Ross and King’s mic be shut off.

Coach calls the action with JR Impressions while Bischoff Karate kicks shane in the ring while Coach holds him up.

Coach: (JR IMPRESSION ON MIC) “Shane is down! Shane’s DOWN! Shane’s DOWN! That’s A slobber knocker! He’s stomping him like a Government mule!”
Shane then low blowed and fought back as the fans cheered and then Bischoff gave him a cheap shot!

JUST THEN the Glass Shattered and Austin came out as he was the Co-GM here, not a run I paticularly enjoyed from him but it was better then no Steve Austin. Fans werre chanting his name and popped huge when he came out.
Steve then got provoked by Coach after Shane pushed him into Austin, and Steve then beat the hell out of Coach., Austin ordered that King and JR’s mic’s be turned back on and that he was going to leave till Shane made Bischoff slap Austin so Austin stunnered Bischoff after flipping him off. Shane covered Bischoff 1…2.. then picked him up as he didn’t have enough just yet.

Shane then went to the Spanish table, moved the monitors as Austin laughed from inside the ringside area!

As I said, a truly unique match!

Ya know, it’s amazing because this match was heading to DUD territory until the final half with Austin and then the Shane table bump, and the entertainment with Coach’s heel turn/JR impression and the good guy winning in the end.

Shane-O-Mac gets some revenge on Bischoff by pinning him after an amazing elbow drop from the top turnbuckle through Bischoff’s chest onto the Spannish announce table. After the bump Shane-O made sure to pin Easy E at 10:36 to get the victory.

Austin was laughing as they celebrated with beer.

Good fun in the 2nd half which gets it a * 1/4 or else it would of been a DUD. Shane is a warrior and nicely booked, a good treat for the fans.

 

* 1/4

?

 

4) “Latino Heat” Eddie Guerrero (c) vs “The Rabid Wolverine” Chris Benoit vs “The Man Beast” Rhyno vs “The Japanese Buzzsaw” Tajiri in a Fatal-Fourway match for the WWE United States Championship

?

This is NOT a Single-Elimination, Fatal-Fourway match, this is a ONE FALL or Submission and the winner is US Champion with all four guys going at it at once no matter who pins who.

The odds are not good for Eddie to retain given those rules but he had his Lationo Supporters in Arizona and he was cocky coming to the ring in his lowrider. Eddie had won the US Title in the tournament finals over Chris Benoit in a **** 1/4 match that went over 20 minutes with Chris Benoit that I consider to be an all time classic.

Four great competitiors, especially two of the top 10 in ring competitors of all time in Benoit and Eddie.
I’ve said time and time again why Benoit is #1 and I’ve never been convinced wrong every time I see him perform his magic inside that ring as he does everything correct, with meaning, with emotion, with power, and at his size it is absolutely amazing, his selling, psychology, and mind for wrestling is unlike anybody I have ever seen.
All four men going at it at once this should be fun!

Eddie doesen’t have to be pinned to lose the title so when Benoit locks Rhyno in the crossface, Eddie breaks it up. Tajiri hits Rhyno with a big kick then hits Benoit. Eddie goes to the outside in a smart strategy. What a terrific mind Eddie has for wrestling. All four men in and they’re beating the hell out of each other.

Eddie then threw Rhyno to the top turnbuckle, but Rhyno charged back and gores Eddie in the corner. Benoit then ruthlessluu then hits a vertical suplex but Rhyno gets a two. Benoit hits a chop on Tajiri, followed by a brilliant back suplex. Benoit had an amazing four star match with RVD last year at this event in 2002, while Rhyno had a great one with Y2J at *** 1/2 Summerslam 2001.
Eddie chops Tajiri and then the Buzzsaw hits a back breaker aftrer a leap frog after a series of quick back and forth ducks and reversals.

Total-Non-Stop-Action here. TNA, yes.

Benoit got his foot on the bottom rope after Tajiri hit a swift kick. Rhyno then with a superplex to Eddie while Tajiri kicks at Benoit in the corner then Tajiri hits Rhyno with shots to the ribs.

Eddie and Benoit with some solid reversals and suplexes, and Benoit takes the US Champion down.

Benoit with unreal chops to Rhyno until he threw him out oof the ring.

The pace is insanely quick that you almost can’t keep up with the action. However a few men including Benoit wnet for there finishers and whoever tapped first would be champ. Benoit had a crossface on Rhyno while Eddie had a half crab on Tajiri. However Tajiri got out of the predicament and then Eddie using his wrestling smarts drop kicks Benoit off of Rhyno, Benoit doesen’t like it and slaps a crossface on Eddie that Rhyno ends up breaking up.

Rhyno hits a spinebuster with shades of Double A on Tajiri. Benoit with a big dropkick to RHyno to the outside. What a pace to the match. Tajri with a springboard to Rhyno hitting him off the apron. Benoit with three German’s to Tajiri a hattrick.
Tajiri then with a german to Benoit returning the favor into an inverted bridge applying pressure to Benoit’s sergically repaird neck! 1…2, a kick out. Chris gets caught in Tajiri’s Taratula and he broke it before five. Eddie then with the US title in his hands while Rhyno gored Eddie.

Guerrero, lying cheating and stealing. Tajiri with a high kick, makes Eddie go flying to the outside. Benoit hits Tajiri on the top rope and Beout then climbs to the rop rope and hits a diving headbutt to Rhyno, Tazz compliments Benoit’s in ring psychology.
One of the fastest matches ever considering all things, what a fucking match!

In the end after all the chaos, Eddie somehow retained the title coming from the outside and hitting a frogsplash on Rhyno who at this point was on his stomach so Eddie hit his Kidney’s, rolled him over and got the three count at 10:50 to retain the US title.

Eddie has done it.

Action everywhere between four guys who can dish out offense at a non-stop pace is an instant winner.

Given the talent it’s still not quite as good as it could have been if you expected it to steal the show like Cole said it might, (and he clearly forgot Lesnar vs Angle was on the card) but still brilliant in parts and quite underrated.

Very fun and great overall! Exciting, bottom line….

 

?

?

?
5) Kurt Angle (c) vs Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship

I was there.

No, not to see this match.

But I was there in the 3rd row behind Cole and Tazz to see Lesnar turn heel on Smackdown! in a cage match to set up the feud for this match here at Summerslam.

Yeah, it’s not a huge deal but for where I live I didn’t make it to many WWF/E events over the years, infact I’ve only gone to half a dozen shows in the two decades I’ve been a fan. But I did see this moment and I thought I’d mention it here since we see clips of it in the pre-match package where Brock alligns himself with Mr. McMahon against Angle for seemingly no reason.

Despite the dodgy booking it was completely predictable Lesnar was going to turn HEEL to set this match up. What wasn’t predictable was who would win the match? Both these guys are great wrestlers, I consider Lesnar a better overall package in the ring but Angle is better as an overall character. They had a brilliant match at Wrestlemania 19 that I rated **** 1/2, where Lesnar defeated Angle for the WWE Title.

Angle now WWE Chapion again this time around and we’ll see if a HEEL Lesnar this time can take it from a FACE Angle.

One thing for sure is this is going to be a great match from memory.

The two get a Ironman match on Smackdown! A little after this where Lesnar would regain the title. But this match here is 39 minutes shorter then that one as the two get a solid 21:17 to work with here at Summerslam for the Championship. This is the Smackdown! Main Event, and would Lesnar’s new PARTNER in HEEL VINCE help him win the title? That was the question.

Whenever guys like Benoit-Angle-Lesnar-Hart-Guerrero-Hunter-Austin-Savage-Steamboat-Flair are about to tie up (especially with one another) I always get a smile on my face because I know something amazing is about to happen and even if they go out there and put on a poor match to there standards it’ll still be alright because a poor match from those guys is still probably better then most matches if not all on a given card on any given night if they are full of quality with mediocre wrestlers.
This was the case here.

Pretty excited for the upcoming thrill ride would be the proper way to put it!

Lesnar and Angle the two accomplished wrestlers stand on opposite corners with a stare down while Mike Keota explained the rules and lifted the title high.

This was the year after Lesnar won the title in the main event of his first Summerslam last year in 2002 against The Rock.
During the first tie up Lesnar over powered Angle in the corner.

Then during the second tie up Angle with a front facelock and he overpowered Lesnar, until Brock switched into a hammerlock, and then Angle reversed it into a wristlock until both guys broke off and then the fans applauded in appreciation with the smart chain wrestling by both competitors. Beautiful stuff.
Angle then in a waist lock with a drop toe hold into a side headlock, then Lesnar and Angle kick up and the two stand in opposite corners again as the fans cheer.

This is pacing for a Classic, you can tell already.

Another tie up and Lesnar pushes Angle down.

Another and he pushes him down again and does his taunt where he jumps from side to side and he then smiles in a cocky way does the heel Challenger.

Brock and Angle tie up, Angle with a go behind and pushed Brock to the corner as Lesnar looks on furious. Keota telling both men to cool it as both men are conditioning themselves.

Angle with quick armdrags a few times to Lesnar until Brock had to get out of the ring as he was overwhelmes by Angle’s quick strike offense. Brock lesnar then snapped on the outside by pushing TV monitors and picked up Steel Steps and slammed then on the ground. Brock needed to cool off. Lesnar grabbed the WWE title and walked around posing with it and then Angle ran out of the ring and chased him from behind and caught up to him.

After a good start to this match with solid chain wrestling, a little brawling took place as Angle chased Lesnar who was holding Kurt’s belt and posing with it in the entrance way. Angle gave him some right hands until Lesnar’s power overtook Angle’s shots and then Brock took it to Angle and threw him back in the ring.

Once back inside, Angle got on the upperhand as neither man is gaining any momentum and the beginning part of the match is extremely back and forth. Angle hits a belly 2 belly suplex to the big man!

Very impressive, as it was overhead and Lesnar kicks out at 1! Angle stomps on Lesnar in the corner and then Kurt knew he’d make Brock exert energy by kicking out so he went for near falls at any chance. Lesnar is an ANIMAL though and got up right away and Brock then picked up Angle, lifted him high in the air and threw him over the top rope to the outsid hitting the floor. Lesnar is scary and can change a match at any moment. Lesnar slammed Angle into the steel steps hard. Brock is in control as the confidence is beginning to build in the challenger after Brock choked out Angle with his bg boot. Brock Lesnar then stalking the champion in the ring, stalking the head, then Brock with an amazing release back suplex to Angle where he flipped in mid-air. Brock went for a near fall, Angle countered with a near fall but Lesnar kicked out. Amazing fast paced, back and forth action and no matter how many times Angle tries to get in control, the Animal, Lesnar just seems to find a way back into the match, Brock hit a back breaker to Angle, driving his knees into the Kidney of the Olympic Gold Medalist.

Angle then gets caught in one of Lesnar’s signature holds a reverse chinlock, body scissors, methodically wearing down the Champion and his eyes told the story, Extremely intense. Lesnar despite still holding Angle in a Body Scissors went for a near fall but Angle kicked out. During the Body Scissors the fans chanted for Angle as Brock locked on a reverse chinlock.

Kurt Angle back to his feet with right hands, and then Lesnar just smiles as Angle walks into his high knee. Brock back in control as Lesnar scoops up Angle and hits yet another back breaker as he drops Angle’s Ribs/Kidney region into his knee with such velocity. Lesnar then stomped on Angl ein the corner and continued to choke out Angle yet at the same time took apart the mid-section of Angle.

Kurt then with desperate right hands to the Challenger, but Lesnar did not last long taking the punishment and took Angle down. Brock then with a Perfect Plex looking move into a HIGH CRADLE and landed back in suplex form. What power. Lesnar OWNS.
It’s too bad we haven’t seen The Brock Lock. That move was deadly.

Lesnar then spears Angle in the mid-section continuing to wear out the opponents ribs as he is displaying awesome psychology, Lesnar with that strength then nails down the Champion to the canvas. Brock Lesnar then continued to work on the rib-cage/abdomen/kidney area of Angle as he drove his shoulder viciously into the buckle hurting Angle about five times.

Then suddenly after the sixth time, Angle moves and Brock hurts his shoulder as he rammed the turnbuckle hard. Lesnar sells the shoulder that hit the corner while Angle buys himelf some time with smart selling still hurting, selling the mid-section that had been worked brilliantly by Brock Lesnar.

Angle then began to work on Brock’s injured shoulder now as that was a smart move. The cardio-contioning of both men is amazing as is the stamina and endurance.
Angle hit’s a german suplex to Lesnar and he kicks out. Cole puts over what a match this has been and I’m inclined to agree.

Angle went for an Angle Slam but Brock Lesnar counters with a Spine Buster. Brock covers Angle and Kurt kicks out. Cole says that every near fall everyone in Phoenix is on the egde of there seat and the match is certainly enthralling.

Brock Lesnar goes for the F-5 and somehow, someway, Angle counters Lesnar’s finishing move with a tornado DDT and a nearfall.

ANGLE means business as he takes off the staps.

Angle then connects an Angle Slam but Brock Lesnar kicked out of the Angle Slam in a Classic match here!

Angle then puts BACK on the straps and takes them off again to add drama while he slaps on the Ankle lock. Cole then asks Angle to break Brock’s damn ankle. Shut up Cole.

Lesnar countered out of the Ankle lock and it pushed Angle into referee Mike Keota and the ref is down.

Angle then is upside down on Brock in a unique maneouver.

Angle then is choking Lesnar’s legs with his feet, until Kurt switches back to the Ankle Lock. Brock is in amazing pain and that is the only way Angle is realistically back in the match.

Lesnar is tapping to the AnkleLock but there is no referee.

Vince McMahon then comes out in a semi-formal Hawain like shirt and smacks Angle in the back with a chair while the crowd chant Asshole. McMahon watched the rest of the match from ringside. Brock and Angle to there feet and Brock from one leg connects with the F-5! Angle might be out cold!

1…..2…..and NO! Angle kicked out and Vince can’t believe it! Neither can Brock or the fans, or Tazz and Cole!

Lesnar frustrated and the eye contact between Vince and Lesnar was fucking awesome. Vince ordered Brock to do it again and Angle then got caught up in an F-5 but Angle countered it into the Ankle Lock yet again! The ref is up, the fans are cheering!

Angle pulls Lesnar to the inside of the ring while Vince is panicking on the outside of the ring! Angle is twisting the Ankle!

In the end ay 21:17, Kurt Angle made Brock Lesnar TAP OUT to his Ankle lock and Angle retained the title.

What a match! A Classic for sure!

Just as good as the WM 19 match if not better, and actually I think I do consider it better to be honest. Faster paced, psychology was better, better crowd, everything worked better here.

Both CLASSIC CONFRONTATIONS for sure though. After the match Angle then slammed Vince, while Cole says “Happy Birthday, Vince!”

Angle celebrated with the title and left the match as Champion.

Borderline in my top 50 matches ever.

?

 

?

?
6) Kane vs Rob Van Dam in a NO DQ Match

?

Basically the story here was these two were former tag partners and when Kane unmasked in MSG he turned on Rob for being…normal…okay. Almost as bad as the cup of coffee with Y2J in 2000.

?

I just did not find the chemistry all there during this one.
Van Dam got a nice spinning heel kick to the face of Kane catching him with a steel chair to the head which got a great ovation but other then that, RVD was made Kane’s bitch with chokeslams and other power moves by the Big Red Monster.
Now the rules, if you don’t know two men start out in the ring here.
This match was made a No Disqualification singles Match immediately before it began as announced by the Fink.

In the end Kane won the match after he dodged RVD’s Van Daminator attempt from one side of the ring to the other in Shane-O-Mac fashion by Van Dam.
Kane botches a dive out to Van Dam but it is editted on the Anthology set, however you can still hear the laughs.
Kane then tombstoned Rob on Steel Steps outside the ring, threw him back in the ring and the Monster was on a roll as he picked up the win at 12:49. It wouldn’t last. The match was fairly slow, a little dissapointing but it definately had its spots. Good but nothing overly special in the slightest unfortunately.

 

?
7) Main Event- Triple H (c) (W/Ric Flair) vs Goldberg vs Y2J Chris Jericho vs Randy Orton vs Kevin Nash vs Shawn Michaels In an Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship

10 tons of Steel.
2 Miles of Chain.
36 feet in Diameter.

And all that garbage. No, it’s impressive but you all get the picture. If you don’t, here is one.

Last guy standing is World Champ, and you’re eliminated by Pinfall or Submission there is NO DQ or Countout obvioussly.

Here we go!

The first two guys in the ring are Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels.

These two had a historic rivalry in 2003 and although I haven’t seen much, did it again 5 years later in 2008.
Awesome chemistry between these two guys as Jericho and Michaels for my money put on a **** 3/4 match at Wrestlemania 19, then a *** 3/4 Raw match in the Summer of 2003. That’s not even diving into their terrific 08 work which saw their best match probably at Judgment Day at a even four stars.

HBK and Jericho in the center of the ring tie up to begin the Chamber match while Nash (who was making his 3rd Summerslam appearance, first in 8 years), Orton, Goldberg (who were both making there first SSlam Appearances) and The Game wait cautiously in there Chamber Cages awaiting a random entrance, and quite obviously (in kayfabe) hoping there the last one out there as he’d have the best chance at winning the match. (Just like a Rumble match)
Shawn in his 7th Summerslam, but only his second in seven years, with a hammerlock behind Y2J while Jericho reverses that into one of his own, all this after Jericho had a 10 second side headlock to HBK.

HBK comes off with a shoulder block, followed by a springboard off the ropes and a crossbody to Jericho, then a backslide by HBK. Jericho with side headlock and then HBK bridged out of a pinning attempt. Jericho idolized HBK growing up as it’s been well documented. HBK with a sunetflip but it’s countered and Jericho got a nearfall, as DID HBK afer he countered with a roll-up.

Y2J disrespected HBK with a slap, HBK came bck with one of his own.
HBK with a back body drop then Y2J once up got a Walls of Jericho half on, HBK reversed it into an inside cradle then a bulldog by Michaels, but it went wrong as his face hit the canvas. Jericho with a lionsault gone wrong as he landed on his feet but he hit the elbow to the head of Michaels.

What action.

The next entrant came in and it was Randy ORTON!

Orton in and attacked HBK, a man he’d meet in a pretty good match the next month at Unforgiven, Orton back body dropped HBK onto the steel outside the ring while Jericho chops Orton, and then Orton comes back with a side neckbreaker. All three men in the ring and HBK punched both men down.

HBK chops Jericho sends him with an irish whip but Jericho hit’s a modified spinning heel kick, and a near fall. Fact action here as Orton hits a dropkick to Jericho, but then stomps on Jericho relentlessly. Orton then got pushed to the outside by Michaels and landeeed BACK FIRS|T ont he steel. Jericho on the ourside of the ring kicks away at Orton on the Unforgiving steel and Jericho then posed as some of the crowd in Arizona cheered.
Jericho then slammed Orton on the Steel.

Jericho back int he ring with the Walls of Jericho on Shawn Michaels in rhe center of the ring and it looks like Michaels may just give up here!

Out next is the biggest man in the match. Kevin Nash, the veteran comes in and cleans house. The former 4 time WCW Champion, and one time WWF Champion. Diesel, Big Daddy Cool, Big Sexy, or simply Nash was a 7 foot street fighter with a ton of power moves to all three other competitors that it’s near impossible to keep up. Nash with a nice sidewalk slam to Orton though! Every man for himself and Nash then cloteslines Michaels with a hard one and he used to be his bodyguard.
Michaels then Superkicked NASH! RR 1996 Nostalgia! Jericho then rolled up on Nash and got the 1, 2, 3 at 8:05.

KEVIN NASH IS THE FIRST ONE ELIMINATED by Chris Jericho after Shawn’s Superkick!

Nash has been eliminated but he hits Jericho with a Jackknife Powerbomb to Jericho, then another to Orton after he left.

Triple H enters the match but catches a superkick by Michaels and he falls right back into his cage.

4 men laying down, Michaels and Jericho both busted open, Orton layed down, HHH still layed down in his Chamber and Berg yet to arrive as the last man! A slug fest comes out with Orton, HBK and Y2J Chris Jericho.

Goldberg finally came in and evrybody is in and Nash is gone.

5 men in the ring.

Goldberg’s power is Scary as he cleans house. The fanbase in the WWE were not always behind Big Bill but they were here as this was one of his few bright spots during his one year in the company.

Orton then gets Speared by Goldberg and elimanted at 13:05. King says, “Oh No, now HHH is on his own.”

It’s interesting watching Berg vs HBK. Goldberg irish whipped HBK and he flipped upside down. HHH is still in his cell. Only two other guys are Jericho and Gioldberg.
Jericho turns around outside the ring on the steel stage and Goldberg in without a doubt the spot of the match Spears Jericho into the Bullet Prood Glass twice breaking it. Good GOD, WOW!
Right after, Goldberg cleans his third opponent in a row.

Berg then spears and Jackhammers HBK and eliminated him at 15:19.

Goldberg then spears Jericho and hits him with a Jackhammer at 16:03!

At 19:12, Triple H shocked a lot of people when Flair handed him his favourite ring toy and hit Goldberg with a Sledgehammer shot that Flair slickly threw through the Chamber to The Game’s hand and got the three count. Triple H then celebrates with Flair and Evolution as he walks away with the Gold not before attacking Berg with Evolution to set up there feud for Unforgiven! Had Trips been healthy it could of been booked better, but it was sitll fun with The Berg dominance, the best the best thing he ever did in the WWE was during that match with his 4 eliminations. Spot of the match was Berg’s spear to Jericho through the glass. WOW, just wow, Jericho is tough for that.

?

Very good match but could of been loads better and the ending left a sour taste in a lot of people’s mouths. In saying that ** 3/4 is still a good rating and that’s what it deserves for me, nothing more but it was pretty fun in areas obviously…

?

 

?

?

?

 

Final Rating for WWE Summerslam 2003 = 6/10
This show was saved by a few matches, but since there are only seven on the card it’s kind of hard to be saved that dramatically. It’s a good thing Lesnar vs Angle for the WWE title was as good as it was because this show wasn’t very good from a quality; bang for your buck stand-point from match to match until that one. The US Title fatal fourway, the Lesnar-Angle bout and parts of other matches with a little of the Chamber match make this watchable but barely passable. Nothing REALLY god awful but a lot of stuff mediocre and slow at times, the WWE just wasn’t very hot during this period with the failed Goldberg push among other things. Less then average PPV for Summerslam standards but not overly bad, a watch for Angle/Lesnar is suggested.

——————————–