It was a year of seismic transformation. The Attitude Era was officially dead, killed by the brand extension draft in March. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin walked out. Vince McMahon declared a "New Era" of "ruthless aggression." Amid the chaos, the blue brand—SmackDown—evolved from the "B-show" to a critically acclaimed, work-rate driven phenomenon.
If Brock Lesnar was the sledgehammer of SmackDown, the tag team division was the scalpel. This is where the legacy of 2002 is truly cemented.
It was a year of seismic transformation. The Attitude Era was officially dead, killed by the brand extension draft in March. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin walked out. Vince McMahon declared a "New Era" of "ruthless aggression." Amid the chaos, the blue brand—SmackDown—evolved from the "B-show" to a critically acclaimed, work-rate driven phenomenon.
If Brock Lesnar was the sledgehammer of SmackDown, the tag team division was the scalpel. This is where the legacy of 2002 is truly cemented.