WWE SmackDown gained its new identity of sorts in 2002. The blue brand finally emerged from the shadows of RAW as a result of the brand extension. The brand split allowed WWE to address the issues of a packed roster and forge greater competition.
Kurt Angle, Brock Lesnar, Edge, and Eddie Guerrero were among the names that became synonymous with SmackDown during this era. The Olympic Gold Medalist and the Beast would develop one of the most competitive rivalries in WWE history during the Ruthless Aggression Era.
Let’s take a look at some of the best WWE SmackDown matches during that year:
Kurt Angle & Chris Benoit vs. Los Guerreros (October 17)
Eddie and Chavo Guerrero squared off against Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit at the October 15 SmackDown taping. The winners of this match-up would head to No Mercy to compete for SmackDown’s very own WWE Tag Team Championship.
The match had a weird start with Rey Mysterio and Edge’s interference. The action got better with time. All four members showcased incredible chemistry inside the ring. Benoit tricked the Guerreros into thinking he’d attack Angle, only for him to pull a swerve, which was a nice touch.
Edge vs. Kurt Angle (May 30)
Edge shaved Kurt Angle bald at Judgment Day 2002. The two met in a steel cage at the May 28 SmackDown taping in Edge’s home country of Canada. The crowd was red hot for the native superstar as he entered the ring against the Olympic Gold Medalist.
Both men went back and forth for nearly 15 minutes in this match-up. The bout featured several high-risk spots from the top turnbuckle, including Edge’s spear on Angle and Angle’s Olympic Slam on Edge.
Kurt Angle vs. Eddie Guerrero vs. Edge vs. Chris Benoit (December 5)
This match featured four of the SmackDown six in action-packed sequences for over 20 minutes. All four men entered this Fatal 4-Way Elimination Match to earn a shot at the WWE Championship at Armagedon 2002.
Eddie and Benoit were eliminated in the first 10 minutes of the match. The remaining 10 minutes saw some of the best work from both Kurt Angle and Edge. The Olympic Gold Medalist eliminated Edge to win the match.
Edge vs. Eddie Guerrero (September 26)
Eddie Guerrero delivered PPV-quality matches on both RAW and WWE SmackDown in 2002. Latino Heat joined the blue brand after the draft. He soon found himself involved in a heated feud with Edge.
Both men collided on free television and PPV events, but their best match against each other came at the September 24 SmackDown taping. The No Disqualification Match featured some insane spots, including Guerrero’s sunset flip from the top of the ladder.
The Ultimate Opportunist flipped the momentum after putting away his opponent with an Edgecution from the top of the ladder. This match is arguably one of Edge’s very best from his WWE career.
Edge & Rey Mysterio vs. Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle (November 7)
Vince McMahon made a terrible decision by splitting some of the OG tag teams from the Attitude Era in the WWE Draft. That being said, the billionaire wrestling promoter did give fans some fantastic new pairings post-draft.
Two such great pairings came in Edge-Rey Mysterio and Chris Benoit-Kurt Angle. These four men breathed life into WWE SmackDown’s tag team division in 2002. They had one of the best tag team matches at No Mercy 2002.
The two teams met again for the WWE Tag Team Championship in a 2 out of 3 Falls match. Edge and Mysterio finally overcame Benoit and Angle in this great match to become the new tag team champions.
Honorable Mentions
- John Cena vs. Kurt Angle (WWE SmackDown – June 27)
- The Rock vs. Kurt Angle (July 18)
- Edge vs. Chris Jericho (WWE SmackDown – July 25)
- Brock Lesnar vs. Hulk Hogan (August 8)
Also read: Best WWE SmackDown Matches Of 2004
