[1998-03-15-WCW-Uncensored] DDP vs Chris Benoit vs Raven

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[soup23]

I can see this as pretty revolutionary to the WCW audience at the time, but I was immune to the whole thing. The spots were pretty contrived and the three way format didn't allow the intensity level to match the previous two months Benoit matches on PPV due to the different pairings within the match. I did like some of the psychology that happened within the match like Raven/Benoit teaming up to isolate DDP by sending him through the Uncensored sign but overall the match felt fairly uneven. Page's comeback into the match got huge pops. The Diamond Cutter into the table looked awkward but brutal at the same time. A good match, but not really a great one and a match that loses some of its luster over the years. ***

[Loss]

I hated that three-way collar-and-elbow tie-up so much. But they made up for it by putting a garbage can over Raven's head and hitting him with crutches. There were some really clever brawling spots in this, especially the stuff with the stop sign. It says a lot that I liked this considering my distaste for brawling away from the ringside area these days. I really appreciate the creativity of this match - it's not something that really looks great years later, but I'd still call it very good, and I can see why it was so loved at the time. This stuff was really a departure from the norm, especially for WCW, which didn't have a ton of garbage brawling.

[Childs]

Fuck three ways, but this was pretty good despite the inherent nonsense. They did a nice job taking DDP out of commission and then making him look like a tough bastard as he crawled all the way down the ramp. The weapons stuff worked okay, though the diamond cutter through the table didn't look so hot.

[Migs]

This felt like an ECW match from '96, although a good one. The "use my sign" bit was such a blatant self rip-off, though.

 

Quite a year Benoit has had on PPV so far.

[Superstar Sleeze]

WCW United States Champion Diamond Dallas Page vs Chris Benoit vs Raven - WCW Uncensored 1998

 

Call me crazy, but I really enjoyed this clusterfuck. It was non-stop action, but much like the cruiserweight triangle match at Starrcade they always incorporated all three guys in logical ways. I liked this a bit better than the cruiserweight match because of the three distinct characters involved and how they built drama going into the finish stretch. You have the asskicker Benoit, the sado-masochist Raven and the never say die DDP and the match really felt really character driven. They do a triple lock up, which is contrived, but I liked the intensity of the lock up and they establish early it is every man for himself when they each deck each other. The lock up spills to the outside and they throw DDP into the stairs ribs, those pesky, never healing ribs, first. DDP sells this and we get some Benoit and Raven, but it is a normal amount of selling as opposed to the egregious amount you normally see in this time of match. I loved DDP avoiding baseball slide only to have Raven take it and then hitting a nice slingshot cross body. Raven was actually really good in this too by wildly just on top of people. It really felt very chaotic with people just shoving each other when they weren't looking. I think this Raven's best match in WCW as opposed to the asskicking he took at Souled Out. Raven directs traffic and forges an alliance with Benoit to take out the champion by sending him through the Uncensored sign. DDP is fucking out and looks done for. Raven suplexes table onto Benoit. I am such a mark for throwing objects and I loved that spot, but Raven gets overzealous and goes flying into the table. Benoit plays it smart and he carries Raven back to the ring to increase the distance between him and DDP. Kudos to Tenay for picking up on this. Benoit hits the drop toehold onto the chair, which always looks nasty and Raven's eye starts to swell pretty immediately. DDP slide on his side back to the ring in just awesome dramatic fashion. I love DDP! It is time to rip-off ECW wholesale, but hey what has not been seen by this audience is new now. They do the triple sleeper spot. It turns out NOAH ripped off this match for the triple German. DDP is fucking over it is awesome. The dude totally deserved to main event five PPVs in a row in 1998 and his reign in 1999. Anyone who says otherwise has either not watched the footage or is blind! Raven tells Benoit lets take out the champ again and here is the Use My Sign from Lodi, but it is a Stop SIgn! AWESOME! DDP is laid out on the table and Benoit attacks Raven. Raven fucked up that one. Benoit looks to superplex Raven through DDP in the table, which would have a HOLY SHIT spot for the ages. But DDP sends Benoit flying off and hits a nasty Diamond Cutter where the table does not break and Raven goes chest first into the edge. Wrestlers not being as athletic made these types of spots look brutal as hell. Great fucking finish! Benoit looked like an asskicker, but just did not pull the trigger early enough. DDP may have never-healing ribs, but his spirit just won't die. There is a never dull moment and never a moment where the match loses credibility. It was a chaotic war between three men. Another feather in the caps of Benoit & DDP! ****

[PeteF3]

Well, you can't accuse this one of being boring. There are some spots that are kind of eye-rolling, especially ones that were overdone afterward like the triple sleeper. But they seemed fresh and new at the time, and they did a really good job of generally avoiding the "two guys trade spots while one guy rests" pitfall of many multi-man matches like this. The one sequence where DDP is out is set up pretty logically as part of a running thread where it's teased that Raven and Benoit are aligned, which adds a bit of a psychological thread to the brawling. I'm pretty positive that Benoit was Raven's best opponent--maybe not a hot take, but he actually makes Raven look like a hard worker and a guy on his level as a talent. The big climactic move doesn't quite hit but it's a convincing enough finish. I had no idea what to expect going in but this was a lot of fun.

[TravJ1979]

Enjoyed this even though I also hate three ways. With this being WCW this has a chance at being a WCW MOTY contender, at least up to this point.