[2001-01-22-WWF-Raw] Big Show & Chris Benoit vs Chris Jericho & The Rock

[Kadaveri]

Watching the build to Wrestlemania 17 and was surprised at how good this was. The Big Show just returned at the Royal Rumble the night previously where he chokeslamed Rock through a table. It's suggested by commentary that this may have cost Rock the Rumble match as he still made it to the final 3 despite being hurt. So these two are to clash again meanwhile Benoit and Jericho are back from their ladder match.

Jericho is hurt from the ladder match and soon has to be taken backstage for medical help after being brutalised by Show. This forces Rock to fight in a handicap situation. There's a wonderful part where Rock gradually takes down an increasingly dazed Big Show with running punches, but the best parts of the match are the Rock vs. Benoit exchanges. Eventually Jericho heroically returns to save Rock who looks like the odds were about to overwhelm him, and we get a load of big moves for an exciting finishing stretch. Really good match.

***1/2

[soup23]

Rock gives a sit down interview where he talks about a multitude of things while also blasting Big Show about his return last night. Rock is doing a ton of different variety promos in 2001 and all are working well given some of his 2000 stuff didn’t hold up as well as watching it in real time. This is a really strong tv match and behind Austin vs Angle as the best one we have seen so far this year. Big Show all of a sudden looks fresh and a monster and uses his size to dominate Rock and Jericho sending Jericho out of the match with a chokeslam on the floor. Rock and Benoit had great chemistry together as we saw in 2000 and that continues here. Jericho makes his triumphant return and the finishing stretch is really enjoyable. The action was frantic, violent and still felt engaging and fresh which shows how smart it can be at some points to send someone away for a bit even if you don’t call it “fat farm” as it isn’t like these four haven’t matched up a lot over the years. ***1/2 (6.8)