History Lesson: Judgment Day

JUDGMENT DAY

With Judgment Day taking place tonight, we’ve decided to take a lot back at Judgment Days from years past in a new feature we’d like to call “History Lesson”. Pay attention – there will be a quiz!

The Divas have held some sort of role at Judgment Day from 2000 all the way to 2006, with 2007 serving as the first Diva-free Judgment Day in several years. Thankfully, this year does continue the new streak, with the Triple Threat Women’s Title match holding prominence on the card. But as we look forward to what could be a memorable Women’s Title match, we’re also looking back at the varied and eventful Diva moments of Judgment Days past. Join us, won’t you?

JUDGMENT DAY 2000 – Tori Nearly Gets “Wood”
Yes, remember that sly double-entendre? I can say that back in 2000, I didn’t quite get the joke (give me a break – I was 11) but I did have a soft spot for Tori. She was my favorite Diva back then, yet I still wanted to see her get her due from the Dudley Boyz. I clearly wasn’t alone, as the feud between the Dudleyz and X-Pac & Road Dogg extended for quite some time, with Tori escaping the dreaded “tables” numerous times. Remember when the WWE would hold out conclusions and extend storylines in order to build suspense and excitement? Yeah, that’s quite a distant memory when compared to today. Anyways, here is the last half of The Dudley Boyz vs. X-Pac & Road Dogg (w/ Tori). Near the end of the match is when Tori nearly “gets the tables”, so to speak:

JUDGMENT DAY 2001 – Chyna vs. Lita
In a matchup nearly everyone was looking forward to, (the WWE’s two most popular Divas finally going head to head!) Lita looked to defeat the dominant Women’s Champion Chyna, utilizing her aerial manuevers against Chyna’s obvious strength advantage. Look for an appearance by Eddie Guerrero, who was starting to show signs of a split from the 9th Wonder of the World:

JUDGMENT DAY 2002 – Trish Stratus vs. Stacy Keibler
It seemed rather absurd at the time that an inexperienced Stacy Keibler would get a title shot against Women’s Champion Trish Stratus, but with the added factors of the newly-feuding Dudley Boyz in either corner, the match wasn’t half bad. Trish had to contend with not only Stacy and D-Von, but Deacon Batista (remember him??) as well. Valiant as ever, Trish Stratus defended her Women’s Title against Stacy Keibler in what was hardly destined to be a straight-forward match:

JUDGMENT DAY 2003 – Trish Stratus vs. Victoria vs. Jacqueline vs. Jazz
When Women’s Champion Jazz took on Victoria, Trish Stratus, and Jacqueline, all of the Divas, save for Jacqueline, were rather new to the WWE game (Trish had been around, but was only recently coming into her own as a perfomer). Victoria was a psycho, Trish was the vaslty-improving underdog, Jacqueline was the hard-nosed veteran, and Jazz was the newcomer who virtually dominated every match she was in. Stevie Richard, Victoria’s glorified bitch, was at ringside, certain to stick his nose into the match whenever he saw an opportunity. Certainly, this match did not lack in excitement, and it was impossible to tell just who would walk out with the Women’s Title:

JUDGMENT DAY 2003 – Torrie Wilson vs. Sable (Bikini Contest)
Also on the same night, Torrie and Sable had quite the feud going on – from Playboy covers to good old fashioned HLA, there was never a dull moment when these two were around. So, when it came time for Torrie Wilson to face Sable in a bikini contest, everyone knew that both women would pull out all the stops. Q.E.D., it came down to who would manage wear the least while – at the same time – not going NC-17 on us and strutting their stuff to the musical beat:

JUDGMENT DAY 2004 - Torrie Wilson vs. Dawn Marie
Doesn't it seem like Torrie Wilson's best feuds had sexual undertones? I don't know, maybe it's just me. What can I say? It was compelling. Anywho, Torrie took on Dawn Marie in a one-on-one matchup, looking to avenge for her father's death at the hands of Dawn's.. um.. stamina? *cough* These Divas definitely had a score to settle, and this guaranteed for quite the physical confrontation:

JUDGMENT DAY 2005 - Kurt Angle's Got the Hots for Sharmell
Remember Kurt Angle's creepy feud with Booker T? He wanted to "get with" Sharmell, for lack of a better/politically-correct term, and as this WWE-produced video package suggests, he had a few screws loose. Would Booker T avenge his wife's honor, or would Angle get his dirty-minded wish? Well, sorry, this package doesn't tell you. However, it does provide for some cringe-worthy moments that make you wonder what the hell is going on at TNA at the moment (because you and I both know we're not watching...):

JUDGMENT DAY 2006 - Melina vs. Jillian Hall
Melina was already having a crappy night - MNM had just imploded, and now she had to face nemesis (and soon-to-be BFF) Jillian Hall. She clearly was not in the mood for this, but doesn't that make for a better match? Two angry women who hate each other - sounds like the makings of an epic match to me! I won't give the ending away, (in case you've had a memory lapse or something) but it's safe to say that Melina's night didn't get much better:

So, is there any chance of tonight's match topping these moments? Here's hoping! And hey, at least be grateful we even have a Divas match - because as you learned in today's lesson, it's the first in two years!

Finally, it's time for that pop quiz I promised. NO CHEATING! I'm watching you. Who won in Judgment Day 2003's Fatal Four-Way Women's Title match? Put your answer below, and we'll see just who was paying attention. Looking for the answer? Well, watch the goddamn match. I'm not your fucking babysitter..

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Tags Chyna Dawn Marie Jacqueline Jazz Jillian Lita Melina Sable Sharmell Stacy Keibler Tara Tori Torrie Wilson Trish Stratus