[2001-01-29-WWF-Raw] The Rock vs Chris Jericho vs Chris Benoit vs Big Show

[GSR]

)A fatal four way to determine the number one contender for the World title, the winner getting that shot on the upcoming ‘Smackdown: Extreme’.  The Rock was attacked earlier in the show by the Big Show as he looked to take him out prior to the match.  Kurt Angle is out to join JR and ‘the King’ to get a close up look at his next opponent.  They’ve dug up some cheesy pizza advert that Angle made after winning his Olympic gold which they’re using to make fun of him.  Angle describes Chris Jericho as “the most obnoxious man in the business”.  Y2J naturally has to get some jibes in on the commercial, saying how it does make him feel hungry, not for pizza, but for the WWF championship.  Chris Benoit is out second and he and Jericho are not bothering to wait for anyone else.  Ross calls the Big Show “the biggest human being he’s ever seen”.  I was going to say did he not call El Gigante matches in WCW, then remembered he made his WWF debut at Wrestlemania IX which featured an Undertaker vs Giant Gonzalez match.  The Rock is immediately snatched around the throat on entrance and chokeslammed, Benoit breaking up the pin.  Jericho is caught on the attempted crossbody, which gets turned into the ‘Final Cut’, ‘the Crippler’ again being the one to break it up.  This opening portion has all been about putting Show over as a monster.  An accumulation of Rock clotheslines sends him over the top rope to the floor as the four wrestlers pair off.  Benoit with a great release German suplex but he misses the diving headbutt.  Samoan drop by Rock, Show breaking up the cover after having dumped Y2J into the front row.  A Jericho missile dropkick barely fazes him as the three practically have to work together to get Show down.  The ‘Crippler crossface’ is broken up, as is the ‘Sharpshooter’ and as is the ‘Walls’, it becoming apparent that you’re probably going to need to incapacitate more than one person to get the win here.  Benoit with a low blow (“a man who clearly lacks integrity”) but Show grabs him around the neck, lifting him up off the mat.  Jericho gives them a shove over the ropes to the outside, however when he turns around, turns into a ‘Rock Bottom’, the Rock moving onto  ‘Smackdown: Extreme’ to challenge for the World title.

[soup23]

A weaker main event in a Raw that was really anchored by the Austin vs HHH contract signing. HHH lays an attack and then they add the stipulation that they aren’t to touch until No Way Out so we will see how that goes for the next 4 weeks. The action here was ok but rushed and Jericho taking the pin felt out of place but I guess they want to keep heat on Big Show. I don’t remember what happens with the match between Angle and Rock at SmackDown Extreme but I guess we will see.. **1/2