[2001-02-19-WCW-Nitro] Billy Kidman & Konnan vs Chavo Guerrero Jr & Road Warrior Animal

[GSR]

The dreaded Chavo & Animal team!  Hopefully Konnan is able to match up against him better and we don’t have a repeat of when they faced Rey & Kidman.  We get a recap of Konnan coming to Kidman’s aid last night after Animal had taken him out of the Six Way Elimination match.  Chavo makes his entrance at which point we cut backstage to see Animal and Konnan already going at it.  To be honest, keeping those two back there and having Kidman and Chavo wrestle a singles match wouldn’t be the worst idea.  As Chavo watches the goings on on Nitrovision he’s jumped from behind by Kidman, doing like everyone else these days and coming through the crowd. This has barely got started and we head for a commercial break.  On our return a bunch of referees are out struggling to separate Chavo and Kidman while Konnan and Animal have fought their way down to the ring.  Tornado DDT by Chavo who then steps out to help Animal, nailing Konnan in the back and then throwing him into the guard rail.  Konnan looks motivated here and even pulls out a springboard dropkick.  There’s nobody home on Kidman’s top rope splash but Konnan is able to cut off Chavo’s tag, Tony Schiavone saying how their strategy has to be to keep “that monster” on the outside.  Konnan ties up Chavo in this cool Lucha leglock submission and Animal is in to break it up, he’s being heavily portrayed as the difference maker between these teams.  Chavo distracts the official so Animal can choke K-Dawg over the ropes.  Irish whip is reversed and Konnan with the roll through clothesline.  I’m sure I heard someone call that Rolling Thunder by the way.  Tag to Kidman and the Animals have done a good job of keeping Animal out of there.  Right as I type that in he comes again, although every entrance has been illegal, Chavo working the entire match for them.  A double clothesline sends Animal to the outside and Chavo is all alone.  An ugly looking facejam, timings slightly off.  Kidman drags Chavo over to the corner for the Shooting Star but Animal pulls him out of harms way.  Animal catches Kidman on the crossbody from the middle turnbuckle to the floor so Konnan comes off the apron himself with a somersault onto them.  The match has returned to where we started, Kidman and Chavo in the ring while the referee is doing his best to separate Animal and Chavo on the floor.  Kidman lands a sit-out powerbomb when from the back sprints Rey Mysterio.  They team up for a Nutcracker, Kidman then hits the Kid Crusher and Konnan holds Animal’s leg to prevent him from saving his partner as the Animals take the win.  For reasons known only to a few ,Animal has to look strong, even though he was kept that throughout, and leaves Kidman laying with a huge powerbomb.

Expectations were low and I was dreading this but it was an enjoyable bout and they did the best possible considering the almighty handicap that is Road Warrior Animal.  This push of his in 2001 is one of the most perplexing things going.  Nice to see K-Dawg bringing it, even if there was that unfortunate botch in there.