In this episode of the Place to Be Podcast, Justin and Scott head into the Vintage Vault for Unforgiven 2002. They talk about Brock Lesnar, the Undertaker, Triple H, RVD, Ric Flair and much more.

So fire up this action-packed episode and join Scott and Justin because it is time for another edition of the PTB Podcast!

http://placetobenation.com/place-to-be-podcast-episode-317-unforgiven-2002/

3MW weren't the gangsters from 1995, Rosey was there but not Jamal. I'm not 100% sure who the other one was, I've heard Samu but it looks nothing like him. I think Samu had another brother who didn't make it as big as his brothers and cousins.

Good call Chief... I believe you are right, it was just Rosey.

Finished the show, good listen. Justin's RVD impression had me in stiches. The next couple years of shows will be interesting because 2003 is when a lot of people checked out. I didn't check out completely, but it's the closest I ever came. You raise good points about HHH's title reign in general and how they would point out all the negatives in a guy before feeding him to HHH for a couple PPV's. It's hard to imagine who they could have put the belt on if not Hunter, Brock was a heel champ on SmackDown so having a face champ on Raw could have worked. RVD and Booker were probably the most over babyfaces, but I think there would need to be a lot of work done to both to heat them back up.

Thanks! I am looking forward to 2003 in the way I looked forward to 1995... lots of material to work with. Sometimes when the shows are really good, the shows can be tough to do since you can only gush so much. It is good to have things to debate for sure. Booker was SUPER over at this point...I didn't remember him being this hot.

It sure felt like he was on the cusp of doing something bigger. Booker never quite ascended to that upper echelon, but there certainly was a window of time & opportunity for him to break through.

 

Here's my post, taken from the "____ should have been a top guy" thread.

 

Booker T.

Ignoring the WCW run for a moment, Book had a window of opportunity to REALLY breakthrough as the babyface ace of WWE in 2002. I still wish he would have swept through the nWo like a scalpel that summer and went on to bigger & better things by that fall. But the return of Shawn, the teaming with Goldust, and other factors clearly pushed him down the pecking order in terms of priorities. It's really unfortunate.

Truth be told, he could have still been salvaged as late as '03 with the WrestleMania 19 match. But... Well, yeah.

 

Anyone else think Booker could have gotten over strong as the top babyface for the company in 2002? Or was the card simply too stacked with stars at the time? They had SO MUCH name value on the roster, but I think that would have been the prime opportunity to launch Book to the top. Say what you will, but the guy was getting mainstream buzz with the Spin-A-Roonie, the hand gesture, and just everything. He was easily one of the most entertaining aspects of RAW for awhile there.

And Goldust could have gone along for the ride. No need to bust up their outrageously awesome chemistry for Book to get his singles push. Hogan had his running buddies in the 80's. Rock & Mick were oddball friends. Not EVERY babyface has to be a rebel or a total solo act. Goldie could've done just fine as Booker's occasional tag team partner and general sidekick.

Based in reality or rumor, the IWC backlash against 'Taker is quite ironic considering the reaction to a clean job to Lesnar over a decade later!

Ahh, yes. The streak. We talkin' Taker-Lesnar, folks.

 

The response to the Mania match honestly is overblown. But damn. It's just such a real, raw, and visceral reaction that it's impossible to judge. People have every right and reason to be upset or feel slighted. That means it WORKED. It resonated. It reached out, grabbed people by their collars, and roughed them up a bit.

 

That's good. That's the intent. That's the whole sole PURPOSE of pro wrestling. It's supposed to reach you. Fans are supposed to be emotionally attached & invested in the stories. But moving along...

 

Can't wait until you guys talk up their Hell In A Cell match. I remember people WANTING to dump on it at the time, since it had no death-defying spots or unnecessary stuff off the top of the cage. People had pegged Matt Hardy to run in, attempt interference, and take the obligatory "big bump of doom." But it never happened. So then people WANTED to shit all over the match, but in reality - it was just too damn good.

So yeah. Eager to hear what you guys thought of it, as I think it did as much to put the final stamp of approval on Lesnar as just about anything - the wearing of Hulk's blood as warpaint, the win over Rock at SummerSlam, or anything else for that matter.

I watched this again a couple of years ago. I think Guerrero-Edge and Angle-Benoit carry it. Undertaker-Lesnar is respectable, once you get past the crappy finish....which I just COULDN'T in 2002