[2000-03-16-WWF-Smackdown] Kurt Angle & Bob Backlund vs Chris Jericho & Tazz

[soup23]

Angle ragging on the local sports team doesn’t ever get old. I do love the pairing with Backlund too even though I could see some people thinking it is too comedic a spot. Chyna laughing at Jericho’s jokes on the other hand….. not a good fit at all as we have said. Match sadly only goes 2.5 minutes but again it is nice to see Tazz still in there with these guys even though I’m not a huge Tazz fan or anything. I wonder with it being mid March when he got inserted into the Hardcore stuff for Mania and why they shouldn’t have just made the triple threat at Mania a four way. End comes when Jericho has the Walls of Jericho locked in when Benoit interferes. This draws Chyna in and Eddy out. That was one way to set up multiple Mania programs at least. ¾*

[Loss]

I love that Backlund calls Angle "Mr. Angles". Jericho's babyface promos around this time were so ridiculously sophomoric but they did get a reaction. I kind of liked that everyone got pre-match talk time and wish they'd bring that back. The match is over pretty quickly, but it's a good mix of talent, and I'm always impressed at how good of shape Backlund keeps himself in when he shows up for these things. Benoit attacks Jericho from behind for the DQ to get the ball rolling for that feud and a match we'll see a billion times in 2000. Eddy hits Chyna from behind, which will be quickly forgotten after a storyline twist that benefits everyone.

[GSR]

Everyone gets a bit of time on the mic before this one gets started. Angle does his customary promo running down the town in which they are in, then tells the people how they have ‘two’ heroes to look up to and cheer for. Backlund cuts a good short one saying how he stopped wrestling four years ago because of the voluminous cavity the people have fallen in to, and that Mr Angle is the man that will bring them out of that cavity and put morality back into their lives! Jericho’s music sadly interrupts a ranting Bob and he refers to Backlund and Angle as the two biggest nerds in all of America, and says how he wants to ram his fist up Backlund’s backside and use him as a ventriloquist’s dummy! He gives us a demonstration with his hand, putting on a voice as well, which is all pretty lame but which Chyna seems to find amusing. Tazz is out, does his catchphrase and this one is finally underway.

 

Angle and Tazz start off, they fight into the corner and Angle with a belly to belly. He tags in Backlund who goes straight for the chicken wing, but when Tazz escapes, he immediately tags back out. Angle telegraphs a leap frog and Tazz with a lovely belly to back suplex. Jericho with a powerbomb into a pick up powerbomb. Lionsault (which Michael Cole calls an Asai moonsault), and Backlund is in to break up the pin. Tazz chases him off and he heads into the audience with Tazz in pursuit. Tazzmission on Backlund at the back of the arena, Angle with a sunset flip, Jericho rolls backwards and locks on the ‘Walls’. Chris Benoit sprints down the aisle and nails Y2J in the back for the DQ. Chyna is in to help Jericho and drops Benoit with a forearm and puts the boots to him until Eddy Guerrero clocks her from behind. Benoit with a top rope headbutt to Angle as The Radicalz leave everyone laying.

 

Action was perfectly fine here, but we only got a few minutes before the Benoit run in. Enjoyed the Backlund cameo, didn’t enjoy Chyna being competitive with, and getting the better of Chris Benoit. You forget that she was considered ‘on a par’ at least with the male wrestlers.