| Bad Blood | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Promotion | World Wrestling Entertainment | ||
| Brand | Raw | ||
| Date | June 15, 2003 | ||
| City | Houston,Texas | ||
| Venue | Compaq Center | ||
| Attendance | 10,000[1] | ||
| Buy rate | 385,000 | ||
| Pay-per-view chronology | |||
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| Bad Blood chronology | |||
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The 2003Bad Blood was aprofessional wrestlingpay-per-view (PPV)event produced byWorld Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was the secondBad Blood and took place on June 15, 2003, at theCompaq Center inHouston,Texas. The event was held exclusively for wrestlers from the promotion'sRawbrand division.
This was the first Bad Blood held since1997, which had been produced as the 18thIn Your House event. This 2003 event replaced the previously annualKing of the Ring PPV and marked the beginning of worldwide pay-per-views (with the exception of the older and more significantRoyal Rumble,WrestleMania,SummerSlam, andSurvivor Series pay-per-views) being brand exclusive (the UK-exclusive pay-per-views had been brand exclusive sinceInsurrextion 2002).
Themain event was aHell in a Cell match, featuring wrestlers fighting in a ring surrounded by a steel structure. In this match,Triple H defeatedKevin Nash to retain theWorld Heavyweight Championship. Two predominant bouts were featured on theundercard; in respectivesingles matches,Ric Flair defeatedShawn Michaels andGoldberg defeatedChris Jericho.
The event marked the second time the Hell in a Cell format was used by WWE at a Bad Blood event; the first was at the inaugural Bad Blood in 1997. The 2003 Bad Blood event grossed over $500,000 ticket sales from an attendance of 10,000. This event helped WWE increase its yearly pay-per-view revenue by $6.2 million from the previous year. When the event was released on DVD, it reached a peak position of second onBillboard's DVD Sales Chart.
Bad Blood was first held as the18th In Your Housepay-per-view (PPV) in October 1997;In Your House was a series of monthly PPV shows first produced by the then-World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) in May 1995. The In Your House branding was retired following February 1999'sSt. Valentine's Day Massacre: In Your House event, as the company moved to install permanent names for each of its monthly PPVs.[2] After six years, and after the promotion had been renamed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in early 2002,[3] WWE announced the return of Bad Blood (with the stylization being "Bad" instead of "Badd") as its own PPV event to be held on June 15, 2003, at theHouston,Texas, replacing the previously annualKing of the Ring PPV. It was also made exclusive to wrestlers of theRaw brand,[4] a storyline subdivision called thebrand extension in which the promotion divided its roster into two separate brands, Raw andSmackDown!, where wrestlers were exclusively assigned to perform.[5]
The event featured eightprofessional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existingscripted feuds,plots andstorylines. Wrestlers portrayed eithervillains orfan favorites as they followed a series of events which built tension, leading to a wrestling match. All wrestlers were from the Raw brand – a storyline division in which WWE assigned its employees to a different program.
Themain event at Bad Blood featuredWorld Heavyweight ChampionTriple H defending the title againstKevin Nash in aHell in a Cell match. The buildup to the match began atBacklash, where Triple H nailed Kevin Nash with asledgehammer during asix man tag team match, enabling Triple H topin Nash for the victory. AtJudgment Day, Nash defeated Triple H in asingles match viadisqualification, but didn't win the championship.[6][7] On the May 19 episode ofRaw, after Triple H successfully defended the World Heavyweight Championship againstRic Flair,Co-General ManagerSteve Austin announced that due to Nash winning at Judgment Day by disqualification, Nash would face Triple H again at Bad Blood for the World Heavyweight Championship in a Hell in a Cell match.[8][9] On the May 26 episode ofRaw, thefeud between the two wrestlers intensified whenRandy Orton and Triple H attacked Nash.[10][11] On the June 2 episode ofRaw, Nash teamed withShawn Michaels andThe Hurricane defeatedEvolution in atag team match. After the match, Nash delivered aJackknife powerbomb to Triple H.[12] On the June 9 episode ofRaw, Austin announced thatMick Foley would officiate the Hell in a Cell match as theguest referee.[13][14]
One of the featuredpreliminary matches was Shawn Michaels versusRic Flair in a singles match. The hype to this match began on the May 26 episode ofRaw, where Michaels challenged Flair to a singles match for later during the show, which Flair accepted. As the match was about to take place, Co-General ManagerEric Bischoff announced that the Flair versus Michaels match was to take place instead at Bad Blood. Later that night, Flair and Michaels lost to Triple H in ahandicap match after Flair betrayed Michaels, enabling Triple H to finish him off with the Pedigree.[10][11] On the June 2 episode ofRaw, Michaels and Flair were in apromo, where they both discussed who was the better wrestler. Later, Michaels, along with Kevin Nash and The Hurricane, defeated Evolution.[12][13] The feud between Flair and Michaels enhanced on the June 9 episode ofRaw. During the show, Flair and Michaelsmanaged Randy Orton and The Hurricane, respectively; after Orton defeated The Hurricane, Flair and Michaels brawled until the program went into acommercial break.[13][14]
The other featured preliminary match wasGoldberg versusChris Jericho in a singles match. The buildup to the match began on the May 12 episode ofRaw, where a "mystery assailant" attempted to run Goldberg over with a vehicle, though Goldberg was able to avoid it. Later that night, Goldberg went on to defeatChristian in aSteel Cage match.[15][16] On the May 19 episode ofRaw, it was revealed thatLance Storm was the "mystery assailant". He, however, told Austin that he was only hired to run Goldberg over, and that Jericho conspired the attack.[8][9] On the May 26 episode ofRaw, Jericho held a in-ring segment titledThe Highlight Reel. During the segment, he explained that he conspired the attack because he grew jealous towards Goldberg's success inWCW, disliking Goldberg'sego and felt that since joining the WWE, he had achieved everything he had ever wanted in his career, especially becoming the firstWWE Undisputed Champion in history and all that was left was to defeat Goldberg and challenged him to a singles match at Bad Blood. Afterwards, Goldberg came down to the ring and accepted Jericho's challenge, and as he was about to perform a spear, Jericho sprayed Goldberg's eyes withpepper spray.[10][11]
A non-physical rivalry developed between the Co-General Managers, Stone Cold Steve Austin and Eric Bischoff, who were feuding over who was the better authority. On the June 2 episode ofRaw, it was announced that both men would face each other in a series of non-wrestling contests labeled the "Redneck Triathlon" at Bad Blood. The contests would include a belching contest, apie eating contest, and a singing contest.[12]
| Role: | Name: |
|---|---|
| Englishcommentators | Jim Ross |
| Jerry Lawler | |
| Spanish commentators | Carlos Cabrera |
| Hugo Savinovich | |
| Interviewers | Jonathan Coachman |
| Terri Runnels | |
| Referees | Charles Robinson |
| Nick Patrick | |
| Chad Patton | |
| Earl Hebner | |
| Jack Doan | |
| Mick Foley(Hell in a Cell match) |
Before the event airedlive onpay-per-view,Ivory facedMolly Holly onSunday Night Heat, one of WWE's secondary TV programs. Ivory won via pinfall after aPoison Ivory.[18]
When the pay-per-view began, TheDudley Boyz (Bubba Ray Dudley andD-Von Dudley) facedRodney Mack andChristopher Nowinski. The Dudleyz initially dominated the match and executed theWassup? on Nowinski. During the match,Theodore Long, Mack and Nowinski's manager, verbally distracted D-Von, resulting in D-Von punching Long and distracting the referee. Nowinski hit Bubba with a face mask that he wore. After the referee placed his attention to the match, Nowiniski pinned Bubba for the win.[19][20]
After the tag team match, Stone Cold Steve Austin defeatedEric Bischoff in the first contest in the "Redneck Triathlon", a belching contest.[18][20]
The second match wasScott Steiner versusTest in which the winner would earn the managing services ofStacy Keibler. In the early stages, both competitors wrestled inconclusively until Steiner performed aBelly to belly suplex on Test. Test attempted to hit Steiner with a chair but the chair hit Test. Steiner performed theSteiner Flatliner to win the match and Keibler's managing services.[19][4]
In the next match, Christian facedBooker T for theIntercontinental Championship. The match began with Booker T executing aspinebuster. Booker T won the match by disqualification after Christian hit him with the title belt, meaning Christian retained the title.[18][20]
After that, Austin faced Bischoff in the second round of the Redneck Triathlon; they have to place their face onMae Young's crotch. Bischoff won after Austin forfeited, performing a Stunner on Young.[18][4]
In the next match,Kane andRob Van Dam facedLa Résistance (René Duprée andSylvan Grenier) for theWorld Tag Team Championship. This was the final pay-per-view that featured a masked Kane until the2012 Royal Rumble. La Résistance gained the early advantage when Grenier performed aDDT on RVD. Kane and Van Dam, however, regained control when Kanechokeslammed Duprée. Towards the end, Kane brawled with Grenier and Duprée at ringside, prompting Van Dam to perform anaerial technique onto ringside. La Résistance, however, avoided the attack resulting in Van Dam landing on Kane. In the ring, while Kane was still at ringside, La Resistance performed a double spinebuster on Van Dam, proceeding into a pinfall to win the World Tag Team Championship.[19][21]
In the first main match, Goldberg faced Chris Jericho. In the early stages of the match, Jericho and Goldberg fought at ringside. During this tussle, Goldberg attempted to execute a spear on Jericho, who was positioned on the security barricade; Jericho, however, avoided the attack as Goldberg broke through the security barricade. Goldberg was billed as being injured, prompting Jericho to apply severalsubmission holds on Goldberg's injured shoulder. After remaining in control for the duration of the match, Goldberg was able to counter Jericho'sWalls of Jericho and execute theJackhammer on him. Goldberg then covered Jericho for the pinfall.[18][4]
In the next main match, Ric Flair faced Shawn Michaels. During the match, Michaels set up a table at ringside and positioned Flair on it.Randy Orton then came through the audience and attempted to interfere in the match, but Michaels performed Sweet Chin Music on him and put Flair through the table with aSplash. Near the end of the match, Michaels knocked the referee down and as he was about to performSweet Chin Music on Flair, it allowed Orton to hit Michaels with a chair. Orton then placed Flair on top of Michaels and ran out of the ring. When the referee recuperated, he saw the cover and officiated the pinfall made by Flair.[20][4]
After the match, the final contest in the "Redneck Triathlon" was held. Originally it was supposed to be a singing contest, though both men agreed to change it into a pigpen contest, where the objective was to throw your opponent into a pigpen. Austin threw Bischoff into a pigpen set up near the Bad Blood entrance stage, thus Austin won the triathlon 2–1.[18][20]
In the main event, Triple H faced Kevin Nash inside Hell in a Cell for the World Heavyweight Championship, with Mick Foley as the guest referee. During the start of the match, both men used a steel chair, a hammer, and the cell to their advantage. Eventually, Nash hit Triple H with a barbed wire bat many times before Triple H hit him with the steel steps. As Triple H brought a sledgehammer into the ring, Foley attempted to take it away from him, resulting in Triple H hitting Foley and Nash with a steel chair. Foley began to gush blood from the chair shot. Foley then stuck a stinky sock into Triple H's mouth as retaliation, but Triple H broke up the hold and knocked Foley to the floor. Triple H then delivered aPedigree to Nash. During this time, Foley had recuperated and was able to officiate the pinfall made by Triple H on Nash, thus Triple H retained the World Heavyweight Title.[19][22]
The Compaq Center had a maximum capacity of 16,285, which was reduced for Bad Blood.[23] The event grossed US$500,000 in ticket sales from an attendance of 10,000—the maximum allowed.[24] The event retailed as $34.95, but was offered free of charge to members of theUnited States armed forces who were returning from theIraq War.[25] Not counting the buys from military personnel, the event received 285,000 pay-per-view buys. The promotion's pay-per-view revenue was $24.7 million, which was greater than the following year's revenue of $18.5 million.[24]Canadian Online Explorer's professional wrestling section rated the event a four out of ten possible points. The main event was rated a five out of ten possible points, while the standard match between Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels rated a seven and a half out of ten possible points.[20]Pro Wrestling Torch, a newsletter and wrestling website in operation since 1987, rated the event a three and a half out of ten possible points.[26]
The event was released onDVD on August 18, 2003.[27] The DVD was distributed bySony Music Entertainment.[28] The DVD debuted onBillboard's Top Weekly DVD sales chart on September 6, 2003, reaching a peak position of second.[29] The DVD remained on the chart for eight more weeks, ranking lower every week. The DVD finally ranked on October 25, 2003 reaching a final position of 19th.[30] The DVD also received reviews from customers; the average customer rating fromAmazon.com was a three out of five possible stars.[31]
After Bad Blood, Stone Cold Steve Austin announced anElimination Chamber match to take place atSummerSlam for the World Heavyweight Championship. The match featured Triple H, Chris Jericho, Goldberg, Kevin Nash, Randy Orton, and Shawn Michaels; at SummerSlam, Triple H won the match to retain the World Heavyweight title.[32][33] The storyline between Flair and Michaels ended when Michaels was announced as a participant in the Elimination Chamber match, in which Flair would not participate.[34][35] Although their feud ended, the feud reengaged five years later in 2008. AtWrestleMania XXIV, Michaels defeated Flair in a retirement match, a stipulation that only applied to Flair. As a result, Flair retired from professional wrestling.[36][37]
Jericho and Goldberg continued to feud over several weeks before being announced as participants in the Elimination Chamber match, in which Goldberg eliminated Jericho.[32][33] During the weeks leading up to SummerSlam, Kane wouldturn on Rob Van Dam after the loss of their tag titles, and his unmasking which occurred eight days after this event along with his heel turn, would lead to a No Holds Barred match between the two at SummerSlam in which Kane won, ending their team.[32][33] La Résistance would engage in a feud with the Dudley Boyz, eventually a match was scheduled for SummerSlam between the two teams over the World Tag Team titles. La Résistance was able to win the match and retain the titles.[32][33]
Bad Blood would be a short-lived PPV at the time, however, as Bad Blood was discontinued after the2004 event, which was also Raw-exclusive.[38][39][40] The original 1997 event was notable for introducing the Hell in a Cell match, which was featured as the main event match for each Bad Blood event.[2][4][38] The name would be revived in2024.[41]