[2003-10-19-WWE-No Mercy] Chris Benoit vs A-Train

[ohtani's jacket]

Wasn't sure what we were in store for here. It was either going to be a waste of Benoit's talents, a classic Benoit carry job, or an overrated Benoit carry job. The verdict? Pretty good. Benoit worked from underneath and bled hard way from the mouth. A-Train was okay. He was a bit too methodical at times, but he hit Benoit with some good looking shit, and I liked the wrinkle of A-Train having a counter for the german suplex and the crossface. There was a blown spot where A-Train was supposed to gorilla press Benoit onto a chair that looked scarier, and nastier, than the planned spot would have. Benoit won with a sharpshooter, which was fitting as it was a very Bret-like performance. Stu had died a few days earlier, so I guess it was a tribute spot. The Baltimore crowd was one of the best WWE crowds of the year. I usually bitch about how this could have been a TV match, but it entertained me. 

[Makai Club #1]

I haven't seen this match for nearly 5 years now (wow, how time goes) but I remember loving it. I remember the build being solid for this and it all just manifested for an entertaining match that I couldn't find much fault in. A-Train never looked as good as he did during this period either. It all just came together for him and Benoit could do no wrong either. I was huge on Benoit while running through the TV for this year. I rated it around 4 stars. Not exactly a MOTYC but a step up from the rest of the show which was one of the more disapointing PPVs involving the Smackdown talent. MOTN.