[2000-05-18-WWF-Smackdown] Chris Benoit & Hardcore Holly vs Chris Jericho & Val Venis

[soup23]

I guess they are trying to mix up more people into the IC title mix with Hardcore and Val out there. This is the second time in six months they have tried to insert Holly into this position and it just doesn’t ever work. There wasn’t much to the match at all before Hardcore Holly brings in a chair and hammers first Jericho and then Benoit. He works over Benoit’s leg heavily and that is something to look for in the Judgment Day match for continuity. 1/2*

[GSR]

The Big Valbowski heads to the ring and says for the past two months he’s been supressed by the most repressive regime in the history of the WWF, the McMahon-Helmsley regime. Week after week he’s arrived at the arena only to hear the words “Val, we just don’t have any plans for you”. Tonight he’s decided to take things into his own hands, to make his own plans, and issues a challenge for next Monday on Raw to whomever the Intercontinental champion is after Judgment Day. Chris Benoit walks out and takes exception to the word “whomever”, as there is no doubt in his mind that after Judgment Days he will be the Intercontinental champion. He tells him he can have that title shot, but says they can do it right here, right now! Just as he steps into the ring, they’re interrupted by Chris Jericho. Y2J says that while Benoit is on the way to retaining that Intercontinental championship, he may run into a roadblock, a wall; because after he experiences the ‘Walls of Jericho’ he won’t have to worry about that championship as ‘the Crippler’ will become the crippled. Now Bob Holly is joining the party as Michael Cole informs us that he’s scheduled to be Chris Benoit’s partner in a tag team match against Chris Jericho and a partner of his choosing. Bob’s not too happy that Venis is issuing challenges and thinks that he should be the one facing the winner on Monday night, not him. Y2J cuts him off and says that since Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley wants him to choose a tag partner, and since Val is so unhappy, he’s choosing him and then runs straight for Holly.

 

As Jericho and ‘Hardcore’ trade blows on the arena floor, Venis and Benoit go at it inside. Reverse atomic drop followed by a lariat by Val for two. Scoop powerslam and Holly is in to break up the pin. Benoit blocks the suplex and counters with a snap suplex of his own. Double clothesline sees both men go down. Val makes the tag and Y2J with a bulldog to ‘the Crippler’. Running back elbow, Lionsault and again Holly breaks up the count. A clothesline by Val sends ‘Hardcore’ and himself over the top rope and to the outside, while in the ring Jericho with a single leg trip on Benoit from where he transitions to ‘the Walls’. Holly cracks Venis over the head with a chair and then nails Y2J with it for the DQ. As Benoit is about to leave, Holly turns on his own partner and a horrendous looking chair shot to the side of his head. Full force and ‘the Crippler’ didn’t even put his hands up to protect himself. ‘Hardcore’ repeatedly hammers away at his leg with that chair as Benoit is left in agony grasping at his knee and having to be carried out of there on a stretcher.

 

Not much of a match, but I like what we saw of Benoit and Venis working together, even if it did feel kinda forced adding him and Holly to the Jericho/Benoit mix. That chair shot to ‘the Crippler’ was horrific, and every bit as bad if not worse than some of those Ian Rotten delivered ones. The finish with Holly attacking his leg seems to be giving him a ‘weak’ spot prior to their upcoming submission match.

[Robert S]

That chairshot to Benoit's head was hard to look at, even without thinking what happened to Benoit (not wanting to open the box of Pandora here).