[2000-03-20-WWF-Raw] Chris Benoit vs Chris Jericho

[Loss]

The first of a few dozen (if I had to guess) Benoit-Jericho matches in 2000-2001 that we'll be watching. Jericho's pre-match promo has an edge to it that I like, and Benoit ambushes him to make this pretty intense right away, immediately making clear this is a strong rivalry. This was really good. I think this is good for them both in different ways -- Benoit needed to work with a guy who was over, and Jericho needed to log some good matches. While this is all action, it's also pretty empty, but that's typical of most WWF TV matches in the time period, so I don't hold that against it too much. ***1/4

[soup23]

I have always liked the chemistry between these two and this was a good start. The 3 way angle has been built well and is the 2nd most consistent program being built to Mania besides the main event ordeal. Jericho seems to be more precise and focused when working with Benoit which I do think is a tribute to the ring generalship Benoit carries. ***

[GSR]

Kevin Kelly grabs a word with ‘the Crippler’ before the match and says that Kurt Angle may have bought a lot of notoriety to the Olympic gold, but those are the amateurs and these are the pros. It disgust him what he does to the WWF gold, and hopes he sits back and watches what he’s going to do to the supposed number one contender.

 

Angle is out first as he’ll be providing guest commentary on the match. Just as he’s about to speak though, ‘Break Down the Walls’ kicks in before he gets the chance to say anything. That was funny! He’s jumped from behind Benoit and ‘the Crippler’ rips off his shirt and lays those chops in on him. Benoit rams him into the ring post before throwing him inside to get this officially underway. Reverse atomic drop by Benoit, Jericho then ducks a clothesline and fires back with some chops of his own. ‘The Crippler’ with a snap suplex followed by a backbreaker for two. Y2J counters a belly to back and lays his opponent out with a lariat. Double underhook into a backbreaker. Benoit reverses the Irish whip, he goes for a backdrop, but Jericho with a kick to the chest. As Y2J charges at him though, ‘the Crippler’ with a hotshot as the match continues to go one way and then the other. He looks to wear down his opponent with a rear chinlock, before a face first suplex where he just dumps him over the top rope. Back elbow is missed and Jericho with a flying forearm. A bulldog for two. Whip to the corner is reversed and Y2J goes chest first into the turnbuckles. Benoit with a belly to back, however Jericho flips over and dropkicks him in the back sending ‘the Crippler’ tumbling through the ropes to the outside. As Benoit uses the announcer’s desk to help him get back to his feet, his hands accidentally touch one of Angle’s belts that are laid out on it. Kurt’s not happy, “could you get your hands off my belt Mr Benoit? Get your hands off my belt!” and shoves Benoit who responds by decking him with a right hand. Jericho joins the action on the outside, but Benoit levels him with a vicious clothesline. He throws him back inside and tells Angle “that’s what you get for running your mouth”. That slight delay is all Y2J needs, and when Benoit climbs up on the apron, he’s hit with a Jericho springboard dropkick. Angle KO’s Benoit with one of his title belts and a Lionsault gets the three. Kurt apologises for his actions as “nobody touches his belts”, while suck up ‘the King’ doesn’t blame him for what he just did. Bob Backlund is out and goes after Jericho although he sees him coming. It’s either a distraction or Kurt is simply not happy that Y2J put his hands on ‘a great American’, as he then clobbers Jericho with one of his belts and leaves his two opponents for Wrestlemania laid out as Backlund cheers him on.

 

I liked this one a lot. Benoit and Jericho aren’t afraid to hold anything back on each other, and as a result they lay all their stuff in and there is a real intensity to the match. Angle was good on commentary, not distracting from the action at all, and the finish with him KO’ing Benoit and then Jericho with the belt progresses things nicely as we move ever closer to Wrestlemania.

[ohtani's jacket]

Y'know, I always thought Benoit and Jericho were a poor match-up but that's not true at all. That surprises me as I was not happy with this feud at all when Benoit debut in the WWF. I had a real 4 stars or bust mentality at the time and was bitterly disappointed with their PPV matches. I guess I didn't appreciate the intensity with which they worked and was looking for something different at the time. Jericho has looked great every time he's been in the ring with Benoit and he's not a guy who I'd immediately associate with intense physicality. Angle was a huge distraction on commentary here but the work convinced me that I should give the Benoit vs. Jericho matches another shot.