[2001-04-02-WWF-Raw] Chris Jericho vs William Regal & Kurt Angle (Handicap)

[GSR]

During the Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley vs Trish Stratus whipping match earlier in the show, Y2J came out to save Trish after William Regal had interfered to help Stephanie.  Backstage Steph had some strong words for the Commissioner, how he has to do something about Chris Jericho, and his answer was to put him in this handicap match against himself and Kurt Angle.

Regal has already got some welt on his chest.  JR says it is from the match at Wrestlemania; it’s either that or he’s been having some fun backstage getting someone to chop him as a warm up.  Paul Heyman doesn’t think Jericho can survive here against both of these men.  Angle tries to cheap shot Y2J and although he senses him coming and floors him, the distraction works allowing Regal to get the first shots in.  The Commissioner runs into a back elbow and Jericho off the middle with a missile dropkick.  Y2J is doing his best to try and keep some distance between his opponents.  He applies the Walls to Angle, however Regal with a kick to the face to break that up.  European uppercut as they go about working him over.  Jericho catches Regal with a spinning heel kick.  Bulldog followed by the Lionsault and Angle is in for the save.  Y2J kicks him off the apron and then slams him into the ring steps, trying to take him out of the match so that Regal is all alone.  As he heads upstairs, Kurt recovers to swipe an ankle.  Butterfly suplex off the top by Regal.  Kurt with the Olympic slam, he doesn’t go for the cover though, opting to let the Commissioner take the glory.  Jericho kicks out of the pin attempt, Angle annoyed that Regal wasted too much time before making it.  He cracks Y2J in the back with a chair when he hits the ropes and the Hangman’s Noose neckbreaker gives them the win.  They’re not finished, continuing to put the boots in post-match, Chris Benoit saving Jericho as Angle has him trapped in the ankle lock.  Heyman says how he didn’t come out here to save Y2J, he came out because he hates Kurt Angle, although stresses that after saving him, Chris Jericho now owes him one.

[Makai Club #1]

In an odd way, this definitely came off like a Handicap match between singles wrestlers. And I mean that positively. A lot of handicap matches with singles wrestlers have fluid tag team wrestling but that's not entirely plausible. This was very unstructured and erratic. I can't recall Regal or Angle doing a single double team move that's not them stamping or punching Jericho. Jericho ramped up his urgency to fight against the two well and sold really well. A solid performance for Jericho. Benoit saves Jericho after the match when Regal and Angle put the boots to him. ***