[2001-03-19-WCW-Nitro] Chris Kanyon vs M.I. Smooth

[GSR]

We get a brief recap of what happened last week between these two and then what went down at Greed last night.  Smooth looks infinitely times better wrestling in a leotard as opposed to shirt and trousers.  Kanyon goes to punch Smooth, who just catches the punch and drives him down with one hand.  Huge leapfrog followed by a deep powerslam.  Smooth doesn’t even go for a cover, Schiavone saying how “this is personal”.  He clotheslines Kanyon over the top rope to the outside and joins him on the floor.  Back in the ring Smooth grabs a go behind, Kanyon using a mule kick to free himself.  That’s the second straight match that spot has been done.  Scott Hudson says Kanyon is no longer “the Innovator of Offense”, rather “the Innovator of Offensive Behaviour”.  Whip to the corner is reversed and Smooth with a big running splash.  He runs into a raised boot and Kanyon with a Russian legsweep that gets him a two count.  Schiavone is back on about Eric Bischoff’s open invitation for any former World champions, clearly intimating that at least one will be making an appearance on next week’s show.  Slingshot elbow drop, Smooth kicking out of the cover.  He telegraphs the backdrop and Smooth grabs him by the hair and slams him backwards to the mat.  Powerbomb.  Kanyon avoids the charge and Smooth goes shoulder first into the ringpost.  As he hops to the outside to grab a steel chair, out runs Road Warrior Animal who DDT’s Smooth.  Referee Charles Robinson was occupied with Kanyon so he didn’t see any of this.  Kanyon quickly darts back inside and makes the cover for the win.  The Cat, out after seeing what was going on, was unable to prevent the victory but cleans house and then challenges Animal & Kanyon to a tag team match on Thunder.  Great!

Kanyon deserves way better than to be saddled in this feud with Smooth.