[1996-09-15-WCW-Fall Brawl] Chris Benoit vs Chris Jericho

[Superstar Sleeze]

Chris Benoit vs Chris Jericho - WCW Fall Brawl 1996

 

You can tell how much Jericho wanted to be a great wrestler. Just how bad he wanted it is really admirable and looking back I can't help but at least root for him to succeed. That being said, I am shocked he did not cripple himself or someone else in this timeframe. He just would totally overly extend his capabilities in these matches in the ridiculously stupid highspots he would do and his general sloppiness. The falling springboard back elbow to the floor where he basically took a flat back bump on the apron was just ridiculous. Dusty was just hilarious, "Jericho is a tremendous athlete...silence...I think he just broke his back.". He goes from raving Dusty to Oh My God that stupid muthafucker almost killed himself in a heartbeat. I have always wanted to watch this match due to the names attached. It seems that besides the Eddy Guerrero match at Fall Brawl 1997 that Jericho just did not really have the framework to have a great match in WCW. Benoit did not really put it together until 1998, but boy, once he did he was great. He was really hit and miss up until that point. This match is just a standard spotfest. Benoit's spots always look great and he just tears into Jericho. Jericho's spots look better than normal because Benoit was better at selling and bumping than Jericho at this point. Up until the Swandive Headbutt, I thought this was a fun little spotfest and look at what these two could. Then after the headbutt they just ran out of gas. There was aimless walking then quick roll ups and then a surfboard. They totally had no fucking clue what to do next. Then it is like light bulb goes off we are in WCW, why don't we do a tombstone reversal. Hey, I am all for it. Jericho instead of covering goes for the Lionsault. For some reason, that little skip Jericho does over his opponent cracked me up. Jericho's nearfall is a top rope frankensteiner, but Benoit wins with a super back suplex. Jericho really did have no concept of psychology until WWF. Wow! Benoit in 1998 would have been mature enough to extract a lot more out of Jericho in a bout like this, but in 1996 Benoit is just as spotty (better spots and safer) so it is just a clusterfuck.

[PhilTLL]

BH: "I guarantee they heard those chops all the way in... Vietnam from here."

(laughter)

DR: "Hello, Bobby?"

TS: "Did you say Vietnam?"

BH: "I was trying to pick the farthest place from here."

DR: "He just picked that right out the air. It just flew by. He's amongst us, I guarantee ya."

-----

BH: "The way it looks to me is Jericho's looking for the Shell Answer Man, his needle's on E, and Benoit is just cruising down the road."

DR: "The Shell Answer Man???"

TS: "For you youngsters who weren't born, the Shell Answer Man was a guy who... Never mind."