[2001-01-01-WWF-Raw] Chris Benoit vs Test

[GSR]

A distressed Stephanie McMahon, who is covered in mustard, is in her dressing room and on the phone to her father.  Vince doesn’t seem overly sympathetic towards her, basically saying that she’s a McMahon and to man up.  Trish Stratus enters the room and you hear the tone in his voice change immediately on realising she’s there.  He announces an additional match for tonight’s show, Chris Benoit to defend his Intercontinental title against Test, and Steph wonders what Test has done to deserve a title shot?  Vince is in no mood for getting an earful from his daughter or having to explain his actions so claims that they’re “going through a tunnel” and “he’s losing her” as he hangs up the phone!  Trish has this almighty grin on her face thinking that she’s schmoozed the boss, only for Steph to tell her that her big breasted tactics may work with men but they don’t with her and she can forget about hanging out with the McMahon family as there is only one dominant female in the McMahon’s and that’s her!

Test is getting himself ready in his dressing room when he’s joined by Trish.  The team of T&A are no more and he’s seemingly done with her too; saying how she’s been more interested in her Sugar Daddy recently and he couldn’t care less for a match against Chris Benoit as the only match he wants is against Albert.  Trish uses those charms to good effect again, talking about him being the only person she wants to have anything to do with, how he’s always been the star and that’s why she chose him first.  They will get to Albert but tells him tonight they need to concentrate on the Intercontinental title as she wants to be there to raise his hand when he becomes champion.  That does the trick and the two of them leave together.

Test has got some nice high impact offense such as the full nelson slam and the gut wrench powerbomb.  Benoit escapes the pump handle and snatches Test’s arm as he looks for the crossface, the challenger forced to desperately scramble to the bottom rope for the break.  Belly to back suplex.  After ‘The Crippler’ runs face first into a big boot Test heads upstairs.  Out from the dressing room sprints Albert and, on seeing him, Test with a plancha from the top turnbuckle to the floor before whipping him into the ring steps.  Tilt-a-whirl slam followed by a big pump handle slam.  Test again climbs the turnbuckles, this time though Trish is up on the apron and gives him a shove as he falls to the mat.  Benoit makes the cover to retain as Trish goes to check on Albert, JR and ‘the King’ a bit confused over what’s just gone on.  The former T&A go at it post-match, a bunch of officials out to try and separate the pair.

[soup23]

Test and Trish are backstage and Test says that Trish should go back to her little sugar daddy. T&A have split which is something I don’t remember at all from the end of 2000 and Trish is backing Test. She gives him a reassuring pep talk and the match is up next.

Match isn’t anything but a storyline device for T&A. The back and forth between Benoit and Test is actually pretty promising and I think they could have a good match if given 8-10 minutes on tv. Albert comes out after 3 minutes of action and Test dives on him from the top rope. When Test ascends to the top rope again, Trish shoves Test off and then scurries away. Test and Albert have a pull apart as the segment ends. **

[AstroBoy]

This was solid enough.  They get right into it with a rugged pace and Test executes all his power stuff just fine.  Benoit beats on him until Test makes a comeback with more power moves but Trish pushes him off the rope for a screwy finish.