[2002-10-03-WWE-Smackdown] Chris Benoit vs Rey Mysterio

[Superstar Sleeze]

The year 2002 is the only year since 1997 that I did not watch any wrestling at all during a calendar year. I was still smarting from the WCW buyout and the pathetic Invasion. Even bringing back the NWO did not get me to give a fuck about wrestling. I have gone back and watched a handful of matches from 2002, but I thought I look at the 8 or 10 best. This period of time will be crucial for how I rank Benoit, Mysterio and Guerrero for GWE.

Chris Benoit vs Rey Mysterio - Smackdown! 10/3/02

 

This was a tremendous TV bout! It is amazing that this is pretty much their signature singles match. For all the time spent in WCW and WWE, they very rarely crossed paths in a singles setting. They had tag feuds in WCW 99 and as part of the Smackdown Six, but this match represents their most famous signature encounter. It is even more surprising because they were both signature Smackdown stars during the Brand Split era. Guess you can chock it up to them both being babyfaces for the majority of their runs.

 

Hearing Tony Chimel's voice took me straight back to high school. That was crazy.

 

This match needs to be shown to the entire modern day locker room. This is the blueprint for an action-packed match where storytelling and selling are still critical aspects to the match. It is clear that Benoit and Mysterio are huge influences on today's wrestling, but I think a lot of wrestlers/agents have the wrong takeaway from matches like this. Yes, there are a lot of moves and the moves are over, but the characters, context and motivation around the moves are really what gives these moves their impact.

I love how all of Benoit's cool moves are counters to Rey Mysterio getting a little too cute. Rey due to his size disadvantage needs to use speed and finesse. I am not trying to demean this technical acumen, but when compared to the cold, rigidity of Benoit's straight-forward assault, these are very cute moves, but they are effective. My main point is Benoit is robbing you of seeing Mysterio hit his cool armdrag, wheel-barrow, and 619 and Benoit is countering with badass impactful moves like backbreaker, wheelbarrow suplex and shoulderbreaker. Since Benoit is robbing of these moments, he and his moves are not getting over like a babyface, but instead it is putting him over as a badass heel and Mysterio as an underdog face.

 

Another credit to this match is the beginning. I have been all over the extinction of the babyface shine from pro wrestling. I think it is incredibly crucial in getting a crowd invested in a babyface before the heat segment. I think it is 100% essential when a wrestler is new or not that over. Nobody wants to cheer for a loser. An unestablished babyface that goes into a heat segment without a shine is an almost guaranteed death sentence. Not does Rey Rey necessarily need a shine no, but I think it is a great way to get a crowd going. I love how this shine plays out with Benoit firing all cylinders early really laying in his shit early only to have Rey use his finesse to counter and then setup 2-3 really slick high spots and I loved the somersault splash to the outside. That was a perfect punctuation on a great shine. Now when his fancy armdrag gets countered into a vicious backbreaker, I am spending the heat segment cheering to see more cool Rey offense and see his bully get his comeuppance. That is why the shine is important.

 

The finish sequence was very nicely done. Rey was able to set up the 619, but Benoit countered into a nasty shoulderbreaker. From there, it was the typical Benoit full court press with the diving headbutt and Crippler Crossface (too close to the ropes). Rey is able to use movement to create opportunities for an awesome legdrop onto Benoit that was quickly set up and totally credible into the 619. Angle, who was Benoit's partner that did not like Benoit, interferes to set up the Latino Frankensteiner (TM Michael Buffer) for the Rey Rey win.

 

One last point, Rey Rey's strikes were on point and he surprisingly had not problem going blow for blow with the heavy handed Benoit.

One of the best TV matches I have seen in quite some time. Really well-executed. A perfect, action-based, movement-oriented match that stayed true to face, heel dynamics. ****

[MJH]

Is this on YouTube? And did these guys have several matches together (in this era) or just the one? There was a Benoit/Rey match around this time where someone pointed out to me (and I agreed) that you could see the age/etc in Benoit because his feeding/catching wasn't as sudden/snappy as it had been a few years earlier.

[Superstar Sleeze]

It is either on yt or DM. Should be the first hit via Google. Yes surprisingly I believe this is their signature match. Both spent so much time as faces is the reason for the dearth of matches.

[Loss]

They never had a televised singles match in WCW. They may not have had a match at all, in fact.

[Makai Club #1]

Well this was ruled to the surprise of absolutely no one. Benoit did an excellent job working the back of Rey and Rey sold is to perfection. A really well worked match. A better finish makes this a MOTYC. ***3/4

 

[ohtani's jacket]

I thought this was a decent TV match, but I'm pretty sure they were capable of more than this if the focus had been on Benoit vs. Mysterio and not the ongoing Benoit/Angle rivalry. It's obvious that the bout is filler before the Benoit/Angle pull apart. Well worked filler, but filler all the same. The part apart itself is pretty good. lol at the ref who tells Benoit: "It's over, Chris. It's fucking over."