2001: Good matches rarely talked about

[Loss]

This was generally a fun year, idiotic booking aside in WWE, so there's some stuff here I'd love to talk about.

 

Most notable on that list, at least for WWE, would be Rock/Jericho v Benoit/Show from the RAW the night after the Royal Rumble in '01. Really sweet match with everyone doing everything they're supposed to do. I reviewed this a while back, actually.

 

Also in 2001, Austin v Jericho from the Smackdown after Summerslam was terrific, with Jericho doing some nifty submission work on Austin's arm. The downfall is that it was all building to a Walls of Jericho (??), but the upside is that it's a very fun match. Jericho v Taijiri from the RAW after KOTR is fun as well. I also liked the Benoit/Jericho v Angle/Regal match from RAW in spring. All the other good TV stuff has pretty much been covered.

 

WCW did some terrific stuff before folding too. Scott Steiner v Kevin Nash is a total miracle in every sense of the word. I believe the match happened the night after Sin '01. Jake Roberts said it best, when he remarked that if Nash has always been able to work like that, and hasn't been, he should have been fired on the spot. Just WAY better than it had any right to be. The cruiserweight gauntlet on Thunder to earn the title shot at SuperBrawl is very good as well, although the match was hurt by an almost complete lack of heat. Rey and especially Jamie Knoble shine here. They could have conceivably doubled the match time, because even at 20 minutes, it was still too rushed. Steiner/DDP from Greed '01 is DDP trying to recreate the magic of the Goldberg match at Havoc '98 by also stealing spots from Hart/Austin at Wrestlemania XIII, and getting a good match out of Steiner. To Scott's credit, he was motivated at this time, and had some better-than-expected title defenses against Kidman, Rey, Nash ... and HUGH MORRUS. Yes, you read that right. There was also a six-man involving Luger and Buff (Booker T returned here, I don't remember all the participants) that I loved at the time because people who hadn't worked hard in years came to impress that night.

 

Sass, if you're reading, now would be a good time to talk about that Benoit/Show match you love so much.

 

[Guest Some Guy]

I liked the RVD/Rock and RVD/Austin matches from Raw or SD! during the late summer/early fall. I'd have to re-watch the Rock match (it's on a Rock DVD) but I seem to remember them both being pretty decent matches where RVD was kept grounded in reality by two very good workers. This was also the pinacle of RVD's popularity in WWE and where he should have gotten a huge push. As we've discussed in another thread, I think that RVD was biggest potential mega-star who they dropped the ball with.

[Marty]

RVD-Rock had two matches. One was in September when Steph did a run-in. That one's on the Rock DVD. The other was on October 15 here in Ottawa, where Jericho did commentary. I was of course at the latter show and you have no idea how over RVD was at the time until you're there with the live crowd.

[Loss]

Is the Ottawa match the one where the Alliance interfered for the DQ, and Jericho just walked off because Rock told him to stay out of his business? I loved that angle.

[Marty]

Is the Ottawa match the one where the Alliance interfered for the DQ, and Jericho just walked off because Rock told him to stay out of his business? I loved that angle.

That's the one.

 

Great, great angle. Leading up to it, of course, was the Alliance angle where Austin gathered everyone for vote as to who should team with him in the main event. It was of course a rigged vote by Austin to get Booker T on his team, and more specifically, as a sort of punishment to RVD. Built some nice sympathy face heat for RVD too. That led of course to Austin/Booker vs. Angle/Taker that finished with RVD frog splashing Angle almost via the full length of the ring. We sat in the highest deck for that show, and it was quite a visual seeing RVD go from one side of the ring to the other. It only helped his cause to be pushed further too.

[Ray]

Austin/Angle vs Rock/Jericho from Smackdown before Survivor Series. Ridiculously underrated. Jericho's hope spots as the FIP are great, heel work from Austin and Angle is great, and Rock's hot tag was insane. No finish, but they're heading into the big Survivor Series tag so it's understandable. Plus they have a dozen guys run in and hit finishers and the crowd goes nuts.

 

Austin vs Benoit from Smackdown 2/15/01. Only nine minutes long but good while it lasts. Sort of a counterpoint to their 11/20/00 match, which had Austin trying to play Benoit's game (wrestling) whereas this had Benoit tyring to play Austin's game (brawling).

[Loss]

Good choices, Kawada~! And welcome to the board.