[2000-02-27-WWF-No Way Out] Chris Jericho vs Kurt Angle

[soup23]

A really fun match that looks like the wave of the future. You can really tell that Jericho isn't enthusiastic about having Chyna with him as she is essentially a nonfactor. The match was worked in a high octane pace and really maximized the time allotted. Finish is clever too while presenting Kurt as legit while still taking a short cut to escape with the belt. The celebration that was added on throughout the night was awesome comedy bits. ***1/4

[Loss]

This was a good, heated match between two guys who were clearly climbing the ladder pretty rapidly. Chyna is such a ridiculous albatross on Jericho at this point. I wish they'd slow down the action just a little bit because there are times they do something really good and don't give it quite enough time to resonate, but the crowd was with them all the way. I too liked the way the finish was set up, although it was some really shoddy refereeing to know the belt is in the ring and just leave it there for a few minutes when the action spills outside. I thought it was a nice touch that Jericho had his elbow taped up when he attacked Kurt in the parking lot later in the show, considering the work done on it in this match. Both guys look like future headliners, which turned out to be the case. ***1/4

[Laney]

This was a very good PPV opener between two guys who were relatively new to the company and were hot acts. It's match-ups like this that really define what the IC title is about as you have two guys that you know are moving up the ladder. A fun match with a lot of action and a great build to the finish. Chyna seemed a little out of place here as her presence was unnecessary.

 

***1/2