[2001-03-26-WWF-Raw] Edge & Christian & Kurt Angle vs Matt & Jeff Hardy & Chris Benoit

[GSR]

Kurt Angle is out at the start of this historic episode of Raw.  He says that everyone is giddy over the big news and it’s pretty darn shocking to him too!  That news is that Wrestlemania is less than a week away and he still doesn’t have a match!  The only thing keeping him going is knowing he’s the best wrestler in the promotion, if not the world, and if the company is pre-occupied with other things rather than finding him an opponent, he’ll keep complaining and protesting until they finally do.  He’s interrupted by Chris Benoit, to a decent reception from the fans.  ‘The Crippler’ points out that he too doesn’t have an opponent yet and as he slowly steps into the ring says what really annoys him this claim of Angle’s to be the best wrestler in the WWF.  Benoit’s promo hasn’t been the clearest, Heyman and JR clarifying that he’s calling Kurt out.  Angle accepts, making it known that there is no way he will ever tap to the crossface.  The two come to blows before scrambling on the mat where Benoit locks on the crossface and Kurt starts tapping.  Edge & Christian run out for the save of their old Team ECK partner.

On to the match and as soon as ‘the Crippler’ sees Kurt make his entrance goes out to meet him, however Christian gets a shot in on Benoit first.  It looks likely that they’re probably saving their confrontation until Mania.  Edge and Matt start us off, things having calmed down from the opening pier sixer.  The Hardyz with a double suplex on Edge.  Jeff mistakenly follows Edge to the outside, when he goes to get back in, Christian grabs him and slams him backwards into the barricade.  A brief heat section before he hot tags Benoit who takes it to E&C.  The Hardyz with Poetry in Motion on Angle who then staggers into the crossface.  That lasts a second or so at the most, Christian stomping on ‘the Crippler’ to break the hold.  Benoit counters his attempted reverse DDT into the crossface and Christian taps.  Kurt attacks him post-match and the two briefly go at it, which includes a ‘Crippler’ suicide dive after he had clotheslined Angle to the floor.  Matt lays out Edge with a Twist of Fate.  Rhyno is down from the back and he gores Matt.  He’s about to leave when he notices Lita in the ring checking on her boyfriend.  That brings him back inside and he gores her too.  It’s noted that Spike Dudley has already been put out of action due to being gored through the table on Smackdown so Rhyno is starting out with some semblance of a push it seems.

A surprisingly short encounter.  As I thought, there was hardly any interaction between Angle and Benoit during the match itself, clearly saving that for Wrestlemania.