Throwback Thursday: William Regal & His Brass Knuckles (Royal Rumble 2002, No Way Out 2002)

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I was watching some old PPVs on the WWE network and was reminded of the time when William Regal, known for being a great striker, took to using brass knuckles to guarantee his victories. Let’s take a look at Regal’s love of this weapon and how he always managed to sneak a pair of them into the match.

Regal v. Edge

Raw & Smackdown! December 2001: On one episode of Raw Edge mocked William Regal, resulting in Regal attacked Edge from behind with a pair of brass knuckles. On the following Smackdown! episode William Regal and Kurt Angle faced Edge and Rikishi in a tag match. After Edge and Rikishi picked up the win, Edge hit Regal with a steel chair and an Edgecution (a DDT move) onto the chair, breaking Regal’s nose.

Regal’s broken nose.

Royal Rumble 2002:
Since returning to the ring after his nose was broken by Edge this match was full of fire, especially as it was for the WWF Intercontinental Championship. Due to his history of using brass knuckles Regal was searched before the match. The referee found brass knuckles in Regal’s tights and confiscated them. With that pair gone everyone thought Regal didn’t have any brass knuckles on him but at the end of the match Regal took out a second pair and hit Edge with them. With this advantage Regal pinned Edge to win the match and the Intercontinental Championship title.

No Way Out 2002:

In a Brass Knuckles on a pole match Edge and Regal faced off yet again for the IC title. With the brass knuckles on the pole being legal it was expected that that pair of brass knuckles would be used for the victory. However, Regal had smuggled in another pair of brass knuckles into the match and used them (illegally, as that pair was not legal in the match) to pick up the win over Edge and retain his IC title.

Edge caught in the Regal Stretch shortly before he would be hit with the brass knuckles.

 

Regal pulling out the brass knuckles on Hornswoggle of all people was a more recent moment of time that I couldn’t believe he was going to hit someone with them.  (Fortunately for Hornswoggle, Regal let him go without getting beaten up with the weapon.) Regal also used the knuckles on the likes of Booker T, Shawn Stasiak and many more.

I always found his use of this weapon odd and very heelish of Regal (which, of course, is the point.)

It was odd to me that he used the weapon as his history of being a street fighter of sorts seeing as he worked at a wrestling challenge booth at the age of fifteen and, aside from being a great striker, he was also well versed in submission maneuvers from a young age. I believe JR used to say he fought for money on the “mean streets” of Blackpool.  Either way, Regal never needed the brass knuckles but he did use them well.

Thoughts? Comments? Any other superstars with affinities for particular weaponry you want a closer look at? Let me know!
A nerd all around and a huge wrestling fan for over half of my life. Just your average book worm, fan girl, and wrestling enthusiast. Unintentionally I apparently copy CM Punk with my straight edge lifestyle (ahem, I was straight edge before I saw him on a TV screen but I digress...) but that's okay because, love him or hate him, you will remember him. Brand new to this website, hopefully I don't disappoint!