How would you rate the Benoit/RVD match?

[Guest The Ruthless Aggressor]

I thought the match was incredible, around ****1/2 for sure. It would of been a bit higher, but RVD getting out of the crossface so many times was pretty silly, it made the move look crappy.

[Guest Angle-plex]

The crowd wasn't really into the match, but I would have gave it ****.

[Guest BionicRedneck]

I'd have to watch it again, but i'm thinking between *** and ***1/2

[Guest HartFan86]

****1/2-****3/4

[Guest bps "The Truth" 21]

A litte better than the RAW match...Although they went an odd way with Benoit dominating almost the whole match.

 

Although I don't agree with the result...it was the MOTN IMO.

[Guest the pinjockey]

***1/2

 

They went to long of Benoit beating on RVD. They should have placed some RVD spots in there every once in a while. MOTN though (Rey/Angle was too short but I think it would have beat RVD/Benoit given time)

[Guest RicFlairGlory]

MOTN is the match everybodys going to remember, and aside you (RVD) and Anglesault (Angle), I think that HBK making his comeback, or to a lesser degree Lesnar winning it all is what everyones going to remember. HBK/HHH, MOTN, though I rated RVD/Benoit higher star wise.

 

RVD/Benoit gets 4 1/4 as far as I'm concerned, I'd go to 4 3/4 if the finish wasnt abrupt, and the crowd cared, but... meh, still a good one

[Guest Brian]

Benoit transitioned between his offense well, really well, and made RVd's offense look sorta awkward, so I agree with how they went about it. I'm thinking ***3/4. Fuck the crowd, we knew it wasn't going to be that good.

[Guest CanadianHorseman]

****1/4.

 

Great, stiff match. The rolling Northern Lights hammerlock sequence was breathtaking.

[Guest massivHEDtrauma]

I'm going with ***3/4. It was slightly better than the Raw match, yes. But it did seem like they were lost around the middle, unsure what to do. Still, the THREE NORTHERN LIGHTS OF DOOM~! were cool as hell. Now that I'm thinking back to them, I say ****. But I'm still sorta kinda half-heartedly upset that RVD went over.

[Guest myburninghammer]

****.

 

Hated the ending and don't see the point of Benoit jobbing unless he's either going to be pushed to the top or they're going to have a back-and-forth type of feud. Benoit, however, gets ***** from me...he fuckin' rocked it.

[Guest RickyChosyu]

*** Pretty good. RVD just isn't ment for these kind of matches, though. Finish wasn't too good, either. Made the arm work seem like a waste. I don't like sitting through lots of armwork that is supposed to come off as meaningfull, and then find out that it has nothing to do with the finish. I feel like I've been cheated when that happens. Great work by Benoit, though.

[Guest TheHulkster]

I don't know about ****. RVD wasn't afraid to forget that Benoit beat the ever loving piss out of his arm for a good 5 minutes. I think Benoit-Edge would produce better results. Edge might not do thirty flips before executing his moves, but he doesn't have a stoner's memory either.

[Guest HartFan86]

I just watched it again...not that good at all as I expected. ***3/4.

[Guest RickyChosyu]

I don't think RVd has any excuse here. He's shown he has the ability to cordinate all of his offense to attack a certain area, he should be able to cordinate it to sell a specific area, too. Just shitty selling.

 

Plus, and this may be a minor gripe, or something, but does anyone notice that Benoit never actually hooks the arm with the crossface? He just pulls on the neck and leaves the arm free. Quite annoying. He should just work the neck the entire time if he wants it to lead to the crossface, because never once does it appear that the person's arm is being put under and stress.

[Guest Brian]

I liked the way he was hooking it pressing it more to the ground this time. I picked up on it, and it made it look like he was able to arch back more.

[Guest godthedog]

yeah, the arm thing with the crossface is bothersome.

has the crossface always been sold as something that damages the arm, or is that just when he came to the wwf?

and why don't they just sell it like it damages the neck, since a) that's what it looks like it's doing, and b ) that's what it really is doing.

 

i thought the match was **** easy, possibly even ****1/4. great storytelling (shitty selling aside), well-timed comebacks, match of the night.

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

****1/3

 

Not as good as Benoit/Dean 96, but what can you do?

[Guest RickyChosyu]

I believe it's always been a shoulder attack. He has done it in modified ways that made it appear to be more of a neck/mid-section attack (he does a cool STF style version) but mostly, it has been the shoulder. I'm not possitive, but I'm pretty sure that he used to hook the arm with his legs in a vyce, because I'm sure I would have noticed such a glaring eror in the psychology before after seeing so many of his matches.

 

I can tell he's using his legs to allow him more leverage on the neck, and thus, sacrificing leverage on the arm, but if he's going to do that, then why bother working the arm? Stupid.

 

But shit, Benoit's arm work did rock the house, even if it didn't have much to build up to (or a competent opponent to sell it), eh?

[Guest Tim Cooke]

Yuck.

 

This match exposed RVD for what he is...

 

A spot filled wrestler who can only go 10 minutes.

 

Benoit did a FANTASTIC job trying to put together something but he was basically working with air in the ring.

 

RVD was blown up 8 minutes into the match and never got back on track.

 

This match also showed that RVD is about as smart of a worker as Undertaker is. Benoit kept giving him the openings to make his comebacks yet RVD either didn't take them or didn't use them right.

 

Ricky Morton, a man with about 4 moves, ALWAYS knew how to use the openings to get the crowd back into it and then let his heel opponent reel him back in. RVD, with a ton of flashy spots, couldn't be bothered to try to figure out what to do.

 

Kudos to Benoit for giving it his all as usual. Too bad the match sucked.

 

Tim, thinking that SummerSlam WAS indeed the WWE's best effort and the best they can produce, which in limelight is pretty sad.

[Guest Kotzenjunge]

I've got it pegged around **** myself, but I'll have my ratings up later including the reasoning with the Kotzenjunge Upchuck.

 

Fo sheez,

Kotzenjunge

[Guest The Flying Dutchman]

I just watched it again...not that good at all as I expected. ***3/4.

 

Generally accepted star rating system...

 

DUD - Worthless match

* - Bad match

** - Perfectly Acceptable Wrestling

*** - Good Match

**** - Excellent Match

***** - Perfect Match

[Guest Incandenza]

I'd say ***3/4 is pretty fucking good.

[Guest The Flying Dutchman]

My point, exactly. Unfortunately, me and my friends zoned out during the Benoit/RVD match and started making dead baby jokes, so I missed the Rolling Northern Lights Hammerlock Suplexes. Let's see Jim Ross call THAT properly.

[Guest Brian]

I have to agree with Tim, especially with how Benoit sequenced his offense RVD just looked really spotty.

[Guest Incandenza]

I loved the match, but honestly, RVD is a useless tool without a GOD AMONG MEN~! like Benoit or Guerrero to carry him.

[Guest ISportsFan]

Basically, RVD got a finish that he could have still sold the arm and made me happier, despite the complete suckiness of the selling the whole match and the Video Toaster-like addition of the ending.

 

Just try your jump onto the top thing, then not make it 'cause your arm hurts. Then go out and climb up the ropes. Hit the ***** and win the match. Easy.

 

Of course, Benoit catching RVD on the top, hitting a single arm DDT or armbreaker off the top, and killing him with the crossface SHOULD have been the finish.

 

The rolling Northerns, with a hammerlock the whole time, just rocked my world, though. The match was ****1/4, ALL because of Benoit. He just totally ROCKED the party tonight.

 

Jason

[Chunk]

I give it **** because benoit kicked ass, and although the ending wasnt brilliant, it was suprising and entertained me.

 

I think RVD could have made the match better by actually mounting some more offence during the early stages and middle of the match. It just looked a bit strange that Benoit was all over RVD and ripped his arm apart, only to go down for the frog splash!

 

Still a great match though!

 

ChUnK!

 

p.s. RickyChosyu, i agree about the hooking of the arm on the cross face, it makes the move seem more effective. Im sure thats a bad ahbit Benoit has got into since joining the WWE. I cant remember him doing that when he was a part of the Radicalz!