We continue our Intercontinental Championship series with a fast paced match from some of the best wrestlers ever.
Background
Jericho has an obnoxious way about him that fans love. We all know the history between Jericho and Stephanie McMahon. Jericho at No Mercy had injured X-Pac with a power bomb and following that, he injured Eddie Guerrero with the Walls of Jericho. In January, Jericho won the IC title from Benoit in a Ladder Match so all three of these men had an axe to grind with Jericho. With the way Jericho insulted Stephanie McMahon, Vince McMahon decided it would be fair if all three men got a shot at Jericho and the IC title.
The Match
This match starts with Jericho vs Eddie with Benoit and X-Pac battling outside. Once Benoit disposed of X-Pac, he and Guerrero double team Jericho. Jericho finally gets the upper hand only to be stopped by X-Pac. As the action continues, Benoit and Jericho fight outside while Guerrero and X Pac fight inside. After X-Pac takes a frog splash, Jericho interrupts the count. Jericho is then pummeled by Benoit and is pinned but Guerrero puts the foot on the rope. Benoit and Guerrero again double team Jericho. After a few pin attempts, Benoit and Guerrero finally begin to fight each other. As they fight each other, Jericho and X-Pac come in and attempt a double pin only for a near fall. We get back to Jericho vs Benoit in the ring. After these two go back and forth, the other competitors come to the ring. Jericho has maintained control at this point and Justin Credible comes out, but is attacked by Jericho. After Benoit is disposed by X-Pac and Credible, Jericho hits the lionsault on Guerrero but X-Pac breaks up the count. We finally get all four men in the ring where Benoit suplexes Guerrero. X-Pac then hits a mean spinning kick on Benoit and while trying to gloat, he gets rolled up by Jericho who wins the match.
Highlights
-Benoit tells Guerrero to go up top in an attempt to double team X-Pac but puts him in the crossface instead
-While X-Pac is attempting a Bronco Buster Jericho drop kicks him
-Guerrero reverses an Irish whip by Benoit into a hurricanrana
-Jericho puts all 3 men in the Walls of Jericho in a span of about 20 seconds
-Benoit is pulled out of the ring and Credible and X-Pac both superkick him
-Guerrero performs a Mr. Perfect style neckbreaker on Benoit while he has the cross face applied to X-Pac
Grade and Analysis
While not a classic, this was still a fun Intercontinental Championship bout. The storytelling about what Jericho has done to all these men in the months preceding was smart. The action was fast with very few down spots. It wasn’t opening the show but this could’ve opened it as it was an energetic match that didn’t fail to disappoint. Lack of time hurt the bout more than anything, but it was a solid contest
Rating: 7.5/10
-Phranchize
0 comments:
Post a Comment