[2001-01-31-OVW-Christmas Chaos] Brock Lesnar & Shelton Benjamin vs Sly Scraper & Johnny Spade

[GSR]

Sly Scraper is the former ‘Collector’ for Bolin Services, Sylvester Terkay, while according to Jim Cornette Spade is doing a gimmick where he thinks he’s a future WWF champion. Wristlock by Scraper and in one motion Shelton leaps to the top rope, bounces off it flipping backwards and reverses the hold. Spinning headscissors. He scrappily ends up on Scraper’s shoulders, and then botches the huracanrana. Tag to Brock who drops an elbow and Spade is in to break up the pin. Spade is at it again, kneeing Brock in the back as he hits the ropes which allows Sly to catch him with a spinning heel kick. Tag to ‘Smooth Johnny’ and Lesnar kicks out of his cover, pressing Spade higher than the top rope in doing so. Nip up followed by a huge press slam. Release overhead belly to belly. Scraper is in there to try and help out, but he and Brock end up going at it on the outside. As the ref tries to regain some order and get Lesnar back to his own corner, Sly pulls down the top rope as Shelton is whipped into them and he goes sailing out over to the floor. Another team stealing the ‘wassup’ spot with Sly being the one to deliver the headbutt. Pump handle suplex by Scraper before wheelbarrow slamming his own partner onto Shelton. Double crossbody attempt and both men go down. Hot tag to Brock. Holy shit, a tilt-a-whirl slam on Scraper with Lesnar making it look like he only weighs about 150lbs it was that easy for him. Double ‘Rock bottom’, lateral press by Brock but Spade with a leg drop off the top to the back of his head. Shelton drops Sly with a superkick and, after landing on his feet from a monkey flip, does the same to Spade. Knee to the face of Scraper and Brock is stood on the top turnbuckle. SHOOTING STAR PRESS THAT LOOKED FUCKING INCREDIBLE!!! Listen to the fan’s reaction to that. Spade is back to his feet to make the save though. Jeez! Backbreaker on ‘Smooth Johnny’, 450 splash by Shelton and this one is over.

 

The night the WWF thought that maybe all that money they paid out on that developmental deal for Lesnar was money well spent after all. It was your formulaic ‘Stretching Crew’ tag with Shelton getting the heat and Lesnar as the hot tag. While Benjamin fudged on a few things, Brock looked so good and is picking this wrestling lark up in quick time. The way he manhandled Scraper and threw him around; he’s got presence, agility and that ‘Shooting Star’! If you’re going to watch one thing from this match watch that, the elevation, everything about it was perfect and a country mile from the Wrestlemania attempt against Kurt. I can’t believe that wasn’t the finish though and they had Spade break up the cover? Unbelievable! If they wanted to showcase Shelton’s 450, let that me the move that gets broken up. Hopefully they learn from the fan’s reaction to the move. A note for Jim Cornette who was much more palatable here than at any point last year too, maybe someone had advised him to tone it down a notch!

[soup23]

That Shooting Star Press was amazing. Match otherwise was fun in seeing development of stretching crew but struggled in cohesiveness as an overall match. **1/4