[2000-03-06-WWF-Raw] Kurt Angle vs Chris Jericho

[soup23]

Angle continues to get good heat and the back and forth between him and Jericho is well done. Speaking of Jericho, no Chyna with him so we will see if that is done already. The match itself was good but short and used more as a storyline vehicle for the debuting Bob Backlund to come out and apply the chicken wing to Jericho. I mark for Backlund always so him being the mentor to Angle seems like a good fit to me. **

[Loss]

Enjoyed the pre-match insults from both of them. Ok action while it lasted. Jericho is really over. Backlund showing up and going crazy is awesome, and I like the Angle-Backlund pairing, which is mostly forgotten and didn't last at all.

[AstroBoy]

I thought Angle looked pretty lost at moments here. This was pretty clunky overall but served mostly as a vehicle to get to the Backlund appearance which was pretty awesome. Jericho's look was pretty awful here by the way. Angle's mic work was really nice before the match and you could see his potential but I didn't think the match was anything that good.

[GSR]

Pretty funny promo from Angle as he walks to the ring. He talks about looking into the crowd and how, even with all his success, he could end up a nobody just like them…or worse, he could end up a washed up, potty mouthed has been like Chris Jericho! Y2J’s music interrupts him and Jericho cuts a childish response saying how ‘Kirk Angel’ may have the I-C title, but he’s also got a case of bad breath and B.O. He goes on to say how he’s an Olympic geek who’s never kissed a woman and still lives at home with his Mum. A nice spot where Angle goes for a leapfrog, but Jericho just chops him as he’s in mid-air. More rapid fire chops and forearms, followed by a double underhook into a backbreaker. Angle reverses the Irish whip and hotshots Jericho on the top rope. Overhead throw for two. Desperation spinning heel kick from Y2J and a bulldog. Flying forearm, however Kurt ducks out the way and Jericho takes out referee Teddy Long instead. Irish whip by Angle, but his dropkick connects only with air as Y2J holds onto the ropes. Lionsault,and even though he can clearly see the official is still down, Jericho covers him and gets the visual pin counting the three himself before going over to try and wake up Long. Angle grabs the belt and is about to nail Jericho with it, when Y2J gets in there first with a boot to the mid-section causing him to drop it. ‘Walls of Jericho’ and Teddy is back in the land of the living. As Kurt is about to reach the ropes for the break, Jericho pulls him back into the middle of the ring. It looks like me might have a title change on our hands, when Bob Backlund appears from nowhere and puts the crossface chickenwing on Jericho for the DQ. A bunch of refs try to get him to break the hold until he relinquishes it himself and Angle raises his arm.

 

I felt Angle was the better promo of the two as Jericho seems to rely on child like insults, name calling and catchphrases. The action was okay, nothing special or anything, while the crowd were pretty silent at Backlund’s arrival. Makes me wonder if they knew who he was at this point, or whether they thought some crazy old dude was just attacking Y2J!