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Morning Glory RCC: The
Top Ten Matches Of 2000
2000 is remembered as one of
the best years for wrestling ever. The year where HHH had an amazing run of awesome
matches. The year Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho, and Chris Benoit established themselves as
top notch stars. 2000 started with a bang at Royal Rumble, and ended with a bang with the
Hell In A Cell match. These are my top ten matches of 2000, complete with SOME minimal
play-by-play, a quick recap of the feud behind the match, and star ratings that are of
course my opinion only.
10/ Triple H VS Cactus Jack, World Title, Hell In A Cell
No Way Out, February 2000
THE FEUD: Triple H destroyed Mankind on RAW in January, so Foley decided Mankind
was not good enough to face HHH, and reverted back to his Cactus Jack persona. The two
battled in a Streetfight at the Royal Rumble, with HHH coming out on top. On the same RAW
that the Radicalz turned on Cactus, this match, Hell In A Cell, was set up for no Way Out,
with Cactus's career on the line. Most people, including myself, could not see who was
going to win this one.
THE MATCH: Cactus kicks off on HHH, then tries to open the door, but it's chained
shut. HHH takes control and hits a face buster. He throws Jack into the side of the cell,
then into the steps. HHH throws the steps at Cactus, then hits them with a chair! Back
inside, HHH smacks Cactus with a chair, then hits a DDT for two. Cactus comes back with a
low blow and a DDT on the chair. Russian legsweep onto the chair gets two, then Cactus
charges at HHH and eats the DROP TOEHOLD ONTO THE CHAIR, RAVEN~! style! Outside, Cactus
gains control and slingshots HHH into the cell, causing a Flair Flop. HHH is bleeding like
mad. Cactus drops an elbow on HHH, then throws the stairs at him. HHH ducks and they rip a
hole in the side of the cell. Jack throws HHH outside, and piledrives him through the
announcers table. Cactus then finds a BARBED WIRE 2X4, and hits HHH with it. HHH climbs
the cell to escape, and Jack follows him. HHH shoves him off, through the Spanish table,
HOLY SHIT! Jack is up though, and climbs the cell. On the roof, HHH goes medieval with the
2X4, but Cactus comes back with a suplex and a DDT. He then SETS THE 2X4 ALIGHT and hits
HHH with it. He tries a piledriver onto the 2X4, but HHH backdrops him and the CELL GIVES
WAY like in the Mankind/UT HIAC, and Jack plummets down to the ring, which breaks! HHH
looks shocked, but drops down to see Cactus getting back up, like a zombie! HHH hits the
Pedigree, and that's it. Not quite as good as the HBK/UT HIAC, but very close ****.
THE AFTERMATH: This WOULD have been the perfect match for Foley to go out with.
Absolutely brutal, and a perfect way to sum up Foley’s career. Foley proved to be a
role model for future main eventers, by putting over a new star in a big way on his way
out. Let’s hope HHH, Undertaker, and others do this, instead of following the Steve
Austin route. However, Foley’s legacy was tarnished just one month later, when he
came back out of retirement for the main event of Wrestlemania 2000. If Foley had put Rock
over for the title, or won the match, fair enough…..but as it was, Foley was
eliminated from the Fatal Fourway match second, jobbing once again to HHH. It seems to me
that Foley was there in order to add Linda McMahon to the mix. Which is just sad really.
9/ Kurt Angle VS The Rock, World Title
No Mercy, October 2000
THE FEUD: Angle defeated HHH to become the number-one contender to Rocky's title,
and at the same time, The Rock was being accused of making Rikishi run over Steve Austin.
Angle has Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley in his corner, but HHH has warned that if she gets
harmed, Angle will pay.
THE MATCH: Brawl to start, Angle hits Rock with a chairshot on the floor. Back
inside, Rocky hits a Samoan drop and Angle bails. Brawl to the back, then back to the
ring, where Rocky hits a dragon screw and locks on the Sharpshooter. Angle taps, but the
ref is distracted by Steph on the outside. Rocky chases her, but when he gets back in,
Angle hits a belly-to-belly, then a flying forearm for two. Stalling, then they brawl
outside, where Rock spits in Angle's face. Angle uses the belt to knock Rock out for two.
Angle goes upstairs, but gets crotched and superplexed, but then hits a German suplex
before Rock can take control. Angle misses a moonsault, and Rock hits the Smackdown DDT, a
belly to belly, and the spinebuster. Steph tries to interfere and gets a Rock Bottom.
Suddenly HHH runs down to a MONSTER pop and beats on Angle, then hits a Pedigree on Rock,
before taking Steph away. Angle gets two from the Pedigree, but Rock comes back with a
DDT. Here's Rikishi to NO HEAT (Jesus, he'd only just been revealed as the driver and
STILL couldn't get heat!) as Rock hits the Rock Bottom. Rikishi comes in and charges
Angle, but hits Rock instead. He aims a superkick at Angle, but hits Rock again. Jesus, he
can't even run interference right! He aims another kick at Angle, who ducks and hits him
with the Olympic Slam. Rock is up but he walks into the Olympic Slam for the pin and the
title, to a massive face pop I must add. Kurt cries in his celebration. Great match, and a
good attempt to get Rikishi over, which honestly wasn’t happening anytime soon ****.
THE AFTERMATH: This was the icing on the cake for Kurt Angle’s rookie year in
the WWF, and he went on to hold the title for a staggering 5 months. Angle’s reign
was not the best, as he didn’t really have any clean wins over top talent, barring
the 6 man Hell in a Cell. The Rock once again proved his unselfishness here, putting Angle
over as a legitimate main eventer, and then going on to feud with the heatless Rikishi.
8/ Triple H, Chris Benoit, Perry Saturn, Dean Malenko, and X-Pac VS The Rock, Cactus
Jack, Too Cool and Rikishi
RAW, February 2000
THE FEUD: This was the show that The Radicalz turned on Cactus and joined HHH. HHH
set up a ten-man tag, and told Cactus to find some partners. BTW, this was an AWESOME heel
team, and should have become the new DX. BTW (again) Kane had not been seen in a while,
after Tori and X-Pac turned on him....
THE MATCH: Big brawl to start, and then Too Cool double team Saturn. Bulldog and
Worm by Scotty, but Malenko interferes, and Saturn hits a suplex. Malenko tags in, and
hits a leg lariat and a clothesline. Suplex attempt is reversed by Scotty, and Rikishi
tags in. He no-sells Malenko's offence, so he tags Benoit in, and he hits a German suplex.
Rikishi comes back with a belly-to-belly and a corner charge, then tags Cactus. He goes
after HHH, causing a mass brawl. Eventually it dies down , and HHH takes control of Jack.
HHH tags X-Pac, and Cactus hits a neckbreaker and tags Rocky. Spinebuster to Malenko!
Spinebuster to Benoit! Rock Bottom to X-Pac! HHH comes in, and Rikishi takes his head off
with a superkick. X-Pac gets clotheslined off a Bronco Buster attempt, then Grandmaster
Sexay hits the Hip Hop Drop! He dances, but HHH comes in and takes control. Benoit comes
in and hits a suplex for two. Sexay is in the wrong part of town, and gets BEATEN DOWN 5
ON 1! HHH hits a suplex, and tags in Saturn who hits a legdrop. He tags Malenko, and they
hit a double dropkick. Tag to Benoit, but Sexay hits a DDT and tags Cactus! Mass brawl,
but HHH Pedigrees Sexay, and Benoit hits the Swandive Headbutt for the pin. The brawl
continues, and in come the New Age Outlaws with steel pipes to make it 7 on 5, but out go
the lights, and here's KANE WITH PAUL F'N BEARER! CHOKESLAM TO SATURN! CHOKESLAM TO GUNN!
THE HEELS RUN FOR COVER! Kane lights the ringposts as the crowd goes batshit. ****1/2,
without a doubt one of the best RAW matches ever…….and it kicks the arse of the
ten man tag involving the nWo that was recently on RAW.
THE AFTERMATH: The only men to gain a high level of success after this match were
HHH, Rock, and Benoit really. HHH and Rock feuded throughout 2000, having some classic
matches in the process, while Benoit was slowly elevated to the main events of the card.
Foley retired just a few weeks after this match, Too Cool did fine in the tag division,
until injuries hampered them and their gimmick got old, Saturn and Malenko’s lack of
charisma held them down, and X-Pac is well, X-Pac. Rikishi is probably the saddest story
here. At this point, he was so over that he could easily have had a decent main event run.
However, the WWF chose to wait for a while, until his face heat dwindled, then turned him
heel as the man who ran over Steve Austin. Rikishi never got over in this role, and it
didn’t help that Austin totally squashed him in the blowoff. Despite numerous
attempts, Rikishi has never really gotten over since, and remains on Smackdown as a basic
JTTS.
7/ Triple H VS The Rock, World Title, Iron Man Match
Judgment Day, May 2000
THE FEUD: Rock and HHH had been feuding all year, and May was the month where the
McMahon-Helmsley Faction were at the height of their power. HHH lost the title to Rock in
April, and challenged him to a rematch at Judgment Day. Since it is an Iron Man match,
Shawn Michaels returned to be the referee.
THE MATCH: I'm not gonna bother with play by play, because it would take so long,
and I’m a lazy British git. The match was something else, with both men proving how
well they had improved, into two of the greatest wrestlers of the new decade. It’s a
pity HHH isn’t producing the same sort of form now. So anyway, all I'm gonna recap is
the last fall. So we're at a 5-5 fall tie, HBK has been bumped, and the Faction are
attacking. Suddenly the nursery rhyme video appears on the Titan Tron, and the girls sing
that "all evil is back from the dead". That part still sends shivers down my
spine now. UNDERTAKER rides out, marking the first appearance of the 'American Badass'
gimmick, and gets in the ring. He lays out X-Pac, and the crowd go batshit. BIG BOOT TO
ROAD DOGG! HHH IS SENT OVER THE TOP ROPE! CHOKESLAM TO SHANE! RIGHT HAND TO VINCE!
CHOKESLAM TO X-PAC! HE GRABS STEPH! HHH MAKES THE SAVE BUT GETS CHOKESLAMMED! HBK is back
in, only to see Taker hit HHH with a TOMBSTONE! HBK calls for the bell and dq's The Rock,
giving the title to HHH. Taker is pissed, and chases HBK to the back as the Faction
celebrate. ****1/2 all the way.
THE AFTERMATH: This turned out to be a kind of final blowoff between the two, as
for some stupid reason, HHH never jobbed the title to Rocky, instead leaving the job to
Vince McMahon at the King of the Ring. HHH and Rock’s long time feud, which actually
dates back to 1997, has not really continued after this point, and was only teased just
last month at King of the Ring 2002. However, with HHH injured again, it’s not likely
to happen any time soon. Undertaker’s comeback has proven to be successful, and his
transition from Prince of Darkness to Badass Biker has worked well. Taker remains as over
as ever, gaining huge cheers whether face or heel, and he is of course the current
Undisputed Champion.
6/ Triple H VS Stone Cold Steve Austin VS Kurt Angle VS Rikishi Vs The Rock VS
Undertaker, World Title, Hell In A Cell
Armageddon, December 2000
THE FEUD: All 6 are after Angle's World Title, and Foley, commissioner at the time,
decides to put all 6 in the dangerous HIAC match, much to the chagrin of Vince McMahon.
The second, HIAC of 2000, and my personal favourite. I prefer this one just for the sheer
chaos.
THE MATCH: Mass brawl to start, and Angle and UT are the first two in the ring.
Taker kicks his ass. Austin and HHH go, and HHH hits the facebuster. Austin comes back
with the rope straddle thing, but HHH wraps his knee around the ringpost. Rock hits a
Samoan drop on Angle for two. HHH hits a suplex on Austin, but Austin rakes him across the
mesh on all sides of the cell, busting him open. Into the ring, and Rikishi legdrops
Austin, then shakes hands with HHH, cos he's a BAD MAN and all. HHH responds with the
Pedigree. Yeah! Go Hunter! It gets two before Rocky breaks it up and hits a DDT on HHH for
two. Angle breaks and hits the Olympic Slam on Rock, which is broken by Austin and the
Stunner for Angle. THAT is broken by Taker, who chokeslams Austin. Rikishi brawls with
Austin, who hits a clothesline and the Thesz Press. Vince McMahon drives a truck to
ringside, and proceeds to rip part of the cell off before Foley stops him. Everybody exits
to the back, where Austin puts HHH through a car window. HHH Pedigrees Rock on a car roof.
Everyone is bleeding now. We brawl back to ringside, where HHH, Austin, Angle and UT climb
to the cell roof. The timekeeper throws Taker a chair as Rikishi climbs up. Taker goes
medieval on Angle with the chair. Rikishi gets the chair and takes out UT, as Angle bails.
Taker is up, and he CHOKESLAMS RIKISHI OFF THE CELL INTO THE TRUCK! HOLY SHIT! Rock and
Austin brawl, and Rock hits a spinebuster. HHH breaks up the People's Elbow, but Rock hits
a Rock Bottom on Angle. Austin breaks and Stuns Rock, but HHH stops him from getting the
pin, and Angle crawls across and gets the pin to retain. Austin is up though, and he stuns
Angle. Everybody is bleeding, HHH, Austin, Rock and Angle are bleeding inside the ring,
Taker is lying on the roof, and Rikishi is dead in the back of the truck. Awesome, and my
fave HIAC match ever, ****3/4.
THE AFTERMATH: Still my favourite Hell in a Cell, the match was chaotic and bloody.
Angle summed up his reign as the cowardly heel here, and wasn’t even allowed to
celebrate his win, ending up taking a Stunner from Austin. Rikishi’s big bump could
never match Foley’s, but was still enjoyable from my standpoint. The match, as it was
put together from basically nothing, ended up meaning nothing in the following months. I
feel that given the hype he had coming into the match, the best bet here would have been
to put the title on Undertaker, for a last run at the top as a face. Taker is one of those
wrestlers who I would love to see go out on the top as a face, which is why I’m
hoping for a full face turn at the minute.
5/ Chris Jericho VS Triple H, Last Man Standing
Fully Loaded, July 2000
THE FEUD: Jericho had been a thorn in HHH's side for a while, especially after he
defeated HHH for the World Title on RAW in April, a decision that was overturned. Jericho
enraged HHH when he kissed Stephanie, HHH's wife, at King Of The Ring, then cost HHH the
number-one-contenders match on RAW. Jericho appeared to be winning the feud, as he
dropkicked HHH through a table, caused him to get a Stinkface from Rikishi, and caused him
to lose to the Brooklyn Brawler. However, HHH used a vicious sledgehammer attack to get
his own back, and then a Last Man Standing match was set up for Fully Loaded.
THE MATCH: Jericho takes control to start, and HHH gets the hell out of there.
Jericho follows with a springboard dropkick, but back inside, HHH hits Jericho with the
knee, and they head to the outside. HHH works on the ribs, which are bandaged, and uses
the bandages to choke Jericho. Triple H suplexes Jericho on the floor for five. Back
inside we hit the ABDOMINAL STRETCH as Jericho's ribs weaken. Jericho comes back with a
hiptoss, but the Lionsault hits the knees and HHH hits a DDT for seven. HHH puts on a body
scissors sleeper, and it gets nine. He hits the Pedigree and relaxes on the rope, but
Jericho is up at nine again. HHH gets a chair and goes medieval, but Jericho hits a low
blow to stop a Pedigree attempt and turn the tide. Jericho smacks him with the chair and
HHH is busted wide open. Flying forearm and dropkick from Jericho. He hits a bulldog on
the chair, but HHH is up at four. Jericho throws him over the top, but on the outside HHH
whips him into the stairs. He tries a Pedigree on the stairs but Jericho reverses. They
both connect with monitor shots, but both are up at nine. They go back inside, and Jericho
locks in the Walls Of Jericho, as HHH bleeds some more. Steph breaks it up and gets put in
the Walls as well. HHH knocks him outside and finds the sledgehammer, but Jericho blocks a
shot and gets the hammer. He nails HHH in the stomach. Jericho goes for a moonsault off
the barrier, but HHH catches him and does a back suplex through the announcers table. HHH
is up at nearly ten, and gets the win. Amazing match, but I think that the wrong person
went over. Even now, HHH still always seems to go over Jericho, no matter what the
situation. Maybe the conspiracy theories are right, who knows? ****3/4.
THE AFTERMATH: If Jericho had gone over here, it would have cemented his role in
the main events for good. Instead, while guys like Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit and Rikishi
continued to climb the ladder, Jericho was left in the lower card. He broke through into
the main events in June 2001, with a feud against Steve Austin, then continued up the
card, taking what was then the WCW title from the Rock, and becoming the first ever
Undisputed champion. All this happened while HHH was out injured….and upon HHH’s
return, ‘The Game’ took the Undisputed title from Jericho, and then by the next
PPV Jericho didn’t get on the card. May’s Judgment Day saw HHH kill off the
threat of Jericho in a poorly done Hell in a Cell match, and I think that the only thing
stopping him slipping down the card again right now is the brand extension. I don’t
normally believe the ‘HHH holds people down’ theories, but with this one, I do
see some fact. HHH is obviously threatened by Jericho for some reason.
4/ Chris Jericho VS Chris Benoit, Submission Match, IC Title
Judgment Day, May 2000
THE FEUD: Benoit and Jericho had been feuding since Benoit's arrival in the WWF,
and the two had a great match at Backlash, where Benoit retained his title by dq. He then
decided to give Jericho a rematch, and made it a Submission match.
THE MATCH: Jericho chops away and hits a bulldog. He locks on an armbar, which
Benoit escapes. Jericho tries a tombstone, but it is reversed into a shoulderbreaker for
Benoit. Benoit hits the Swandive Headbutt onto Jericho's shoulder. Notice that Benoit goes
for the shoulder to set up the Crossface. Jericho tries the Walls Of Jericho, but Benoit
escapes. Jericho hits the springboard dropkick, but on the outside Benoit whips him into
the stairs, shoulder-first. Jericho comes back with a kneedrop onto the stairs, then back
inside a double-arm backbreaker. Jericho charges to the turnbuckle but Benoit moves and
Jericho hits shoulder first. Benoit capitalizes and rams the shoulder into the post twice,
then puts on an armbar. Snap suplex and knee to the shoulder from Benoit. Short arm
clothesline leads to another armbar variation. Jericho makes the ropes, and Benoit charges
but misses and hits the turnbuckle knee-first. Jericho takes control, beating Benoit with
his own knee-brace. Jericho hits a dropkick and a Lionsault after Benoit reverses a
figure-four leglock. Jericho then pulls out a variation of Tajiri's Tarantula, making
Benoit scream in pain! Benoit fights out and goes for the three German suplexes, but
Jericho counters to the Walls. Benoit hits him with the knee-brace and locks on the
Crippler Crossface. He moves the arm across the throat and chokes Jericho unconscious, and
the ref stops the match and awards it to Benoit. Awesome match, almost as good as
Bret/Austin but not quite. To think these guys would be TEAMING a year later after seeing
the beating they gave each other here….crazy. ****3/4.
THE AFTERMATH: Nothing can touch Bret/Austin, as it is probably the best match in
the WWF ever and a testament to two of the greatest wrestlers ever. This match solidified
both Benoit and Jericho’s presence in the upper midcard, and proved that an
old-school style match could work well in the present day. The finish was worked well, as
it took nothing away from Jericho, while getting Benoit over as a full on badass with a
devastating finishing hold.
3/ Edge & Christian VS Dudley Boyz VS Hardy Boyz, Tag Titles, TLC Match
Sumerslam, August 2000
THE FEUD: These three teams had been going at it for months, and after Edge and
Christian's heel turn, the feud hat just get hotter. During the early summer, the Hardyz
were caught up with T&A, the Dudleyz with DX and E&C with the Acolytes, but on the
second-biggest card of the year, the WWF saw an excuse for a mad spot-fest between the
three and booked a re-run of their WM classic.
THE MATCH: Chairs are thrown to start, then Buh Buh Ray gets the ladder. Edge hits
a Russian legsweep on Buh Buh and Matt Hardy off the ladder. Christian climbs, but Buh Buh
hits the Full Nelson Bomb from off the ladder. Jesus Christ, these guys are insane. Jeff
climbs, but Edge shoves him off, and he hits another ladder on the way down that snaps up
and hits Matt in the face. Dudleyz hit Wasssuuup! from the ladder, and D-Von brings the
tables into play. 3-D on Christian through a table. Tables are stacked outside, 2 on 2.
Matt hits the Twist Of Fate and the legdrop of the ladder on Edge, and Jeff follows up
with the leapfrog over the ladder into a legdrop. Edge gets sandwiched in a ladder, and
Matt throws Christian from the top rope, into the ladder. Jeff tries the Swanton Bomb from
off the ladder through the table on Buh Buh, but Buh Buh moves and Jeff is DOA. Buh Buh is
shoved off a ladder through the stack of tables outside. Matt climbs, but D-Von shoves him
off, through the stack of tables on the other side of the ring! HOLY SHIT! E&C climb,
but Lita does a run in, only to be speared by Edge. D-Von and Jeff climb, but the ladder
falls and they are left swinging from the belts! D-Von falls, but E&C use a ladder to
knock Jeff off, killing him, then climb to get the belts and retain. Amazing spotfest,
topped only by TLC2 at WMXVII ****3/4.
THE AFTERMATH: At the time the match seemed impossible to top, but like I said,
they managed it at WMXVII. Maybe the addition of Lita, Spike, and Rhyno added something to
that match, but again it was the incredible bumping of all 6 men that made the match. I
think they know that they can’t top it again without being seriously hurt, which is
why another TLC match is unlikely to happen. Edge has gained the most success out of the 6
men, and is on the verge of becoming a major main eventer. Christian’s push is coming
to fruition now in the ‘Anti America’ angle, and Bubba Ray is doing OK on RAW.
D-Von, in his awesome ‘Reverend’ gimmick, is doing well in the Smackdown
midcard, and is getting protégé Bautista over in the process. Jeff Hardy has had a lot
of success, recently coming close to winning the Undisputed title. I feel Matt Hardy has
been somewhat screwed, as he is probably the third best worker out of the six, and has had
the least of a push. He could do with more charisma, but reminds me so much of Bret Hart.
2/ Triple H VS Cactus Jack, World Title, Streetfight
Royal Rumble, January 2000
THE FEUD: Mankind had been 'fired' by Stephanie and HHH, but returned on RAW, only
to be brutalized by HHH. Mick Foley then decided that Mankind could not beat HHH, and
brought back his mental Cactus Jack persona to finish the job. A Streetfight was set up
for the Royal Rumble at MSG.
THE MATCH: HHH grabs a chair after Cactus beats him down, but Cactus gets it and
legdrops it onto him. Out to the floor they go, where Jack suplexes HHH onto a garbage
can, then onto the steps. Cactus gets the barbed wire 2x4, but HHH steals it and hits Jack
a few times before it gets discarded. Jack hits a double arm DDT then gets the 2x4 back,
and thrapes HHH with it, drawing so much blood it's amazing. HHH IS HARDCORE!!! Jack
attempts a piledriver on the announcers table, but HHH reverses. Back inside HHH goes for
the Pedigree, but Jack reverses into a slingshot and then smashes HHH's face into the
barbed wire for two. They brawl outside and HHH hiptosses Jack into the stairs,
knee-first, and HOLY SHIT, HHH has a pair of HANDCUFFS. HHH charges at him with the
stairs, but Jack hits a drop-toehold and HHH hits the stairs, RAVEN~! STYLE!!!! Jack is
still handcuffed though, so HHH finds a chair and goes medieval with it, ala Rock at
Rumble 99. The Rock actually does a run-in now, saving Jack, and knocking HHH out with a
chair. A cop removes the handcuffs and Jack closes in for the kill, hitting the piledriver
on the table. He then finds some thumbtacks and scatters them in the ring, but HHH
backdrops him on them and hits a Pedigree for two. HHH then hits another Pedigree, this
time on the tacks, for the win, and he is bleeding like fuck. *****, greatest brawl ever,
and the match that made Triple H.
THE AFTERMATH: See the aftermath for the Hell in a Cell involving these two. This
match certainly made HHH, and the HIAC simply added to the legend of ‘The Game’.
My top choice is probably considered strange, as it’s not really one you’d think
of in a MOTY standpoint. But it was my fave match of the year….so sue me.
1/ Triple H VS Chris Benoit
No Mercy, October 2000
THE FEUD: Benoit had been threatening HHH's wife, Stephanie. At this time, HHH was
taking a quasi-face turn, as he thought Steph was cheating on him with Kurt Angle. As
Angle was feuding with The Rock over the World Title at this time, HHH got into a program
with Benoit. Benoit cost him the number-one-contenders spot, and headbutted Steph, making
HHH very angry. HHH had tapped out to the Crossface on RAW as well.
THE MATCH: The crowd is basically treating HHH as number-one face here, and he gets
a bigger pop than even The Rock or Austin. He doesn't have Steph with him though. HHH goes
for the knee as the announcers wonder who is the better technical wrestler. HHH pounds
away at the knee in the corner, then puts Benoit in a leg grapevine, and follows up with a
bridged Indian Deathlock. Benoit escapes and they brawl outside, where Benoit whips him
into the stairs, hurting HHH's shoulder. Back inside, Benoit hits a single arm DDT, and a
hammerlock suplex. He's really going for the shoulder with some vicious stuff here. A
northern lights suplex gets two for Benoit, and back outside we go, where Benoit
slingshots HHH into the table then back inside, snap suplexes him. Armbar by Benoit, then
another hammerlock suplex, and the Swandive Headbutt onto HHH's shoulder, like in the
Submission match with Jericho. HHH makes a comeback with a small package, and he reverses
a suplex attempt into an inverted suplex, then follows with a neckbreaker. HHH hits a
superplex, but Benoit comes back with the German suplexes and a pair of awesome DRAGON
SUPLEXES for two. Benoit goes for the Crossface, but HHH powers out. Benoit tries to slap
it on again, but HHH reverses into a Death Valley Driver, called a Samoan Drop from that
"Redneck Scumbag" (thanks to Tazz for that one!) JR. Here's Steph, and she slaps
Benoit, and HHH goes for the Pedigree. Benoit reverses to the Crossface, but HHH reverses
to the Pedigree, and Benoit reverses AGAIN to the Crossface, but HHH reverses, hits a low
blow, and hits the Pedigree for three and the victory. Jesus Christ, now THAT'S WRESTLING,
***** without a doubt, and my Match Of 2000 to boot. Both men carried their amazing form
into 2001, where both were cut short by injuries in May. HHH returned in January 2002 a
shadow of his former self, and Benoit is just returning to the ring now.
THE AFTERMATH: If either man can reach this form again, I’ll honestly be
surprised. Both men at this point were at the top of their game, and a ****+ match was
near enough guaranteed when the match was announced. HHH was for me the biggest success
here, as he proved that he could match Benoit’s technical ability, after brawling
through most of his matches. It’s a real pity that they were both injured in 2001, as
they were scheduled for a feud, and would have torn up the ring, especially with HHH
working as a heel, and Benoit as a face. This is proof that HHH CAN work when playing the
face, and shows that it is indeed the injury that had ruined his form.
So…there you have it. Agree, disagree, it honestly doesn’t matter. This is only
my opinion. Feedback as always is appreciated.
E-MAIL: scott.newman@ntlworld.com
AIM: thesuperstar24
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