[2000-08-07-WWF-Raw] The Rock vs Chris Benoit

[soup23]

Rock starts out Raw and the crowd is molten. He wants a piece of Benoit tonight at all costs. This brings out Shane and Benoit and we get the title match set up for later with the added stipulation that it is no DQ. The match itself is a great sprint with Benoit being intense as hell, Rock hanging with him from a cardio standpoint and Shane inserting himself enough to get over the stipulation but not enough to derail the flow of the match overall. They only got about 8 minutes but they maximize their time and the crowd is going crazy. The finish was also really clever as Benoit locks on the crossface and like Storm on Nitro, it really feels like a title change could happen with Shane peppering Rock with additional kicks. Just then, Jericho makes his return from two weeks and gives Benoit two powerbombs onto a steel chair. As Jericho chases Shane to the back, Rock hits Benoit with the Rock Bottom to pick up the win. I liked Storm vs Booker well enough but in the African American vs Canadian main event match that dueled this night, this match outclassed it in most every way. ***1/2 (6.9)

[AstroBoy]

Shane's jumping back elbow is such a cool spot I love when he busts it out for some reason. I didn't like this as much as Chad but it hit a nice balance. For one I really liked the comebacks and cutoffs from Rock and Benoit. Rock fires back at just the perfect moment and Benoit goes into the Germans to cut him off and it's all impeccable. Shane's involvement was timed nicely and it was a good match that just didn't get to spread itself into much more than a fun cluster of a TV title match. The near finish around the Crossface was nice but if we're comparing TV title matches I'd say that the Storm-Booker match got more out of the Maple Leaf near finish.

 

**3/4

[ohtani's jacket]

I liked the pay-per-view match these two had to a large degree so when I saw Chad write that they had a strong match I had to give it a whirl. These two match up about a thousand times better than I would expect. Maybe Rock was a better worker than I give him credit for. I liked the match they had even with the screwy no-DQ stuff. It's a shame they transitioned back to Benoit vs. Jericho instead of a PPV rematch but I guess they figured Rock/Benoit II wouldn't generate buys.

[GSR]

It never ceases to amaze me the way The Rock has the crowd in the palm of his hand without even saying a word.  Benoit got a pinfall over The Rock on Smackdown and now Shane McMahon and ‘the Crippler’ seem to think that means that they will go on to face him for the World title at Summerslam.  The Rock tells them that there isn’t going to be any more tit for tat, back and forth, Chris Benoit can have a title shot, but he can have it right now!  Shane and ‘the Crippler’ head out and Benoit says how everyone knows he beat the Rock, all by himself,  at Fully Loaded only to have the World title stripped from around his waist by Commissioner Foley.  That’s okay though because he accepts the challenge and tonight will finally become the WWF World Heavyweight champion.  Shane gets the truck to replay the footage from Smackdown and tells the Rock that’s exactly what is going to happen to him again later before adding an additional ‘no disqualification’ to the match.  The Rock is fine with that as he’s not going to lose the title so any stipulation doesn’t matter to him.

The Rock makes his entrance through the fans and sneaks up on Benoit from behind.  That’s caught ‘the Crippler’ off guard and he clearly wasn’t expecting it as Rock takes control.  Dragon screw leg whip, Scorpion deathlock and with Benoit’s hand wavering as if he’s moments away from tapping, Shane McMahon is in the ring and nails Rock with a rabbit lariat to break the submission.  It didn’t take them long to use that ‘no disqualification’ stipulation to their advantage.  Flying back elbow from Shane and JR says that this might as well be a handicap match.  Benoit lights the Rock up with some knife edge chops but gets caught with a powerslam.  Belly to back suplex by ‘the Crippler’.  They end up on the outside and Rock reverses the Irish whip sending Benoit crashing into the ring steps, although before he’s able to capitalize, Shane with yet more interference.  The interference continues right in front of referee Tim White as JR stresses how there is nothing he can do about it as those were the rules which the Rock agreed to.  The Rock blocks the third rolling German and counters with a great release German of his own.  Belly to belly suplex, but at the count of two Shane pulls White out of the ring to stop the count.  The Rock takes off after McMahon, however his distraction has again turned the match in his man’s favour.  Diving headbutt off the top and despite looking done for, somehow Rock raises a shoulder.  Finally Shane’s inference backfires as, when primed for yet another attack, the Rock reverses things and ‘the Crippler’ clatters into him sending him flying.  Spinebuster, ‘People’s Elbow’ but you know who has recovered to save Benoit in the nick of time.  A big right hand sends Shane sailing over the top rope to the floor, he swings at Benoit who then snatches that arm and slaps on the crossface.  Shane puts the boots to the Rock to try and make him submit when out rushes Chris Jericho.  Benoit lets go of the crossface to go at it with Y2J but gets laid out by a pair of powerbombs onto a steel chair.  Jericho chases Shane into the crowd and finally it’s one on one.  Nigh on as soon as it is, ‘Rock Bottom’ and ‘the Great One’ retains the WWF World title.