[2000-06-22-WWF-Smackdown] Chris Benoit vs Rikishi

[soup23]

Benoit is again pin pointing a body part in rikishi’s shoulder and going after it in this match. This was really fun and Benoit doing strongman spots like getting Rikishi up for the back suplex make him look credible. Rikishi then mounts a huge comeback, rolls through his big offense and wins the IC title to a HUGE pop. I had honestly forgot this happened so I popped as well. Nice celebration with Too Cool. Another strong Benoit tv match that goes less than five minutes. **1/2

[GSR]

‘The Crippler’ and Rikishi waste little time in getting it on. Scoop slam by Rikishi but he misses the legdrop and a Benoit baseball slide sends him sprawling under the bottom rope and to the outside. Rikishi battles back on the floor and looks to have gotten the upper hand, only to toss Benoit back inside and see ‘the Crippler’ drop a leg on his shoulder as he tries to get back in himself. The action returns to the floor where Benoit throws Rikishi into the ring steps. He looks to target his shoulder, pulling him shoulder first into the ring post before slapping on a shoulderlock submission. Desperation thrust kick from Rikishi who is really favouring that shoulder now. Benoit with a DDT which he follows with a belly to back suplex. He misses the diving headbutt, as Rikishi rolls out the way, and gets caught with a Samoan drop. Belly to belly, banzai splash and we have a new Intercontinental champion. Too Cool are out to celebrate with Rikishi but their celebrations are cut short as ‘the Crippler’ lays them all out with a chair and then puts Rikishi in the crossface as a bunch of officials struggle to get him to break the hold.

 

Always a fan of someone targeting a body part and making that the focus of their attack. Considering how Benoit had been booked recently I wasn’t expecting a title change here, even less so after a banzai splash. Despite the loss though, ‘the Crippler’ was put over strong in the post-match laying everyone out and ‘the crossface’ continues to be protected.

[ohtani's jacket]

I think the moral of the story here is that you don't dance when you defeat Chris Benoit for the Intercontinental title.