Forgotten wwe match

[Guest]

I read the article at WWE.com about the "forgotten" TLC match and it reminded me of another match that was really really great, featuring amazing bumps...

 

the cage match involving Angle/Benoit from last year. I honestly can't believe this match isn't talked about much... well, nevermind, it's the WWE... I take that back. It's still a shame. I still get goosebumps thinking of Angle doing that beautiful moonsault off the top of the cage... or Benoit's insane diving headbutt from the top

[Guest Hogan Made Wrestling]

That was a really good match but I think the reason people don't remember it that well is because the (then) WWF was throwing out a lot of good matches at that time, and I would say that both Austin vs. Benoits, TLC 3, and Austin-HHH vs. Benoit-Jericho were all as good or better. Also, it was about on par with the rest of the Angle-Benoit feud, which is to say very good but not a total blow-away performance. Nevertheless, a good match that has been somewhat overlooked.

 

A lesser-known match I've always pimped for is Austin vs. Angle from RAW on Jan. 7 2001. The match was a classic, featuring some of the best work either man has done, and foreshadowing both Austin's superb year (which he continued at NWO vs. HHH and WM vs. Rock) and the great Austin-Angle feud that was to come later on. Take this match, give it 5 more minutes and a clean ending, and to me it's the match of the year for 2001.

[Guest]

i was just thinking about this match as I was reading the TLC post and the match of the year post. We all know whythat match has been forgotten, (the bookers decided to do it on the way to the arena for Raw) but that match was frickin brutal. besides the two suicidal high spots, i also remember Benoit catching Angle halfway up the cage and bringing him down with a german suplex. Maybe this is where the neck injury that 'Sault tells us about started. Anyway, yeah it was a year of great matches, but this match was even better than a lot of them. If this match is on PPV for the IC title or something, it's match of the year.

 

I remember the Austin/Angle match too, mainly because they were 1800 suplexes! Christ even Austin was doing it. Germans, gutwrenches, overheads, superplexes, they did everything possible (or everything that the WWF would possibly let them, anyway.) These are two great matches that were forgotten because they wern't announced untill the night they happened, and, in the case of the cage match, happened for no particular reason.

[Guest saturnmark4life]

Keith pointed this out, the austin/dude love feud in 98 was the first real McMahon/Austin feud and the matches were pretty damn good, especially (over the edge?) where taker chokeslammed patterson and brisco through the announce tables. Good bump from patterson. other than that

Vader/Owen one night only was cool

Taker/Michaels at ground zero was a good example of well placed overbooking

Rhyno/Raven at backlash doesn't get enough credit.

[Guest J*ingus]

Everyone always talks about how Mick Foley elevated Triple H to the top in early 2000 with their matches.  That's true, but it seems like they forget the awesome string of matches the two of them were putting on in the summer of 1997.  The cage match at Summerslam where Foley turned Superfly, their match at Canadian Stampede, and the falls count anywhere from MSG were all great, and all overlooked because of their later matches together.

[Guest RickyChosyu]

That was a really good match but I think the reason people don't remember it that well is because the (then) WWF was throwing out a lot of good matches at that time, and I would say that both Austin vs. Benoits, TLC 3, and Austin-HHH vs. Benoit-Jericho were all as good or better. Also, it was about on par with the rest of the Angle-Benoit feud, which is to say very good but not a total blow-away performance. Nevertheless, a good match that has been somewhat overlooked.

 

A lesser-known match I've always pimped for is Austin vs. Angle from RAW on Jan. 7 2001. The match was a classic, featuring some of the best work either man has done, and foreshadowing both Austin's superb year (which he continued at NWO vs. HHH and WM vs. Rock) and the great Austin-Angle feud that was to come later on. Take this match, give it 5 more minutes and a clean ending, and to me it's the match of the year for 2001.

While I did enjoy that match and thought both men went above and beyond what was expected of them (especially considering it was almost a throw-away TV match) but I think it's forgotten because of a few other reasons:

 

1) It occured well after the Angle/Benoit feud had ended, so many considered it simply a build-up match for Benoit/Jericho/Austin at KOTR.

 

2) It was over-excessive on bumps and violence. Too much bumping off the cell, too many dangerious spots that could have seen both men killed. It showed how much the WWF had given up on the idea of popularizing "wrestling" again and how they were forcing their wrestlers to risk death more often. The Angle/Benoit feud inititially seemed to be the WWF's way of saying "maybe this wrestling stuff still has some value" and they seemed to be going with it (building up the Cross-Armbreaker as a viable finisher, for instance) but by the time they had the cage match, they simply washed their hands with the whole idea and had them take the idea of a spot-fest to it's limits.

 

3) Angle/Austin did rock the house. I was lucky enough to be in attendance for that match, so it holds a nostalgia value for me all it's own. I'm glad to hear someone else remembers it too, cause it was a really great match.

 

Another match I'd like to bring up that seems to be all but forgotten was the Chris Benoit/Eddy Guererro Raw match from LA that occured in the few weeks leading up until Wrestlemania X7. For whatever reason, not many people seem to remember it that well, but it was a fantastic match with brilliant work from both men and the spark that began Benoit's face run. Both guys were at the top of their game and I don't know why this isn't still talked about, considering it had a good clean finish, too. Ah well.

[Guest Anglesault]

ut that match was frickin brutal. besides the two suicidal high spots, i also remember Benoit catching Angle halfway up the cage and bringing him down with a german suplex. Maybe this is where the neck injury that 'Sault tells us about started.

No, it's a knee injury from the moonsault.

[Guest RickyChosyu]

No, it's a knee injury from the moonsault.

If that hurt his knees, he didn't show it. At the following KOTR PPV he wreslted three times and by the third match he was still wrestling at a blinding pace. Painkillers work wonders, don't they?

[Guest Kahran Ramsus]

The reason I don't talk about the Angle/Benoit cage match much, is that I truly don't believe it to be as good as the other four matches in the series.  I have them ranked as follows:

 

1.  Best 2 out of 3 Falls, Insurrextion

2.  Wrestlemania X-7

3.  Three Stages of Hell, Judgement Day

4.  Ultimate Submission Match, Backlash

5.  Cage Match, RAW

[Guest DiabloIIFreak1010]

Wasn't three stages of hell Austin vs. Triple H in a Single/Streetfight/Cage match at No Way Out? Or did I miss something?

[Guest Hogan Made Wrestling]

"Wasn't three stages of hell Austin vs. Triple H in a Single/Streetfight/Cage match at No Way Out? Or did I miss something?"

 

No match has ever officially been called that by WWE, it's just a popular internet name for 2-3 falls matches with stipulations.

 

Props to whoever brought up the Benoit-Eddy match. This was a really smartly worked match, including two really nice brainbusters and some other stiff moves. On that same night in the main event, there was another really good match: Angle vs. The Rock where Rock won by DQ when Angle wouldn't break the anklelock after Rock made the ropes. It was a good match in putting over Angle's "dangerous dork" character, and featured actual psychology from a bearhug as Angle worked the Rock's back with suplexes and then went to a bearhug submission. Unlike the fatman style though, this actually looked like it could hurt, as he clenched his fists in the small of the Rock's back and squeezed. All in all it was a good night on RAW with two ***ish TV matches.

[Guest Psychoticslam]

How about Kane vs. Mankind, and Kane/Mankind vs. Austin/Taker. Two HIAC matches that happened on RAW in 1998.

 

I haven't seen the tag match, but what pisses me off is that these are left out of HIAC highlight videos. Admittedly, there wasn't much buildup to them, but in kane/mankind, mick bumps off the side of the cage, kane goes into tacks, there's some brutal chairshots and stair shots, and kane even pulls out a pescado inside the cage.

 

Why does WWE overlook these when documenting HIAC's history?

[Guest J*ingus]

Because the Kane/Mankind match was basically just a "lite" version of the Taker/Mankind match, with alot of the same spots used, but all of them toned down from the PPV match.  It was a good match, but was just a pale shadow of the more famous one.  And nobody remembers the tag match because nothing worth note happened in it.

[Guest Anglesault]

No one remembers the tag match because nothing happened PERIOD. I don't think the match even started. It just had Taker beating up Paul bearer inside the cage.

[Guest Nevermortal]

The tag match was cool, but it was more of an angle builder. The memorable moment was Austin fighting with Kane(?) on top of the cage.

[Guest RickyChosyu]

On that same night in the main event, there was another really good match: Angle vs. The Rock where Rock won by DQ when Angle wouldn't break the anklelock after Rock made the ropes. It was a good match in putting over Angle's "dangerous dork" character, and featured actual psychology from a bearhug as Angle worked the Rock's back with suplexes and then went to a bearhug submission. Unlike the fatman style though, this actually looked like it could hurt, as he clenched his fists in the small of the Rock's back and squeezed. All in all it was a good night on RAW with two ***ish TV matches.

Yeah, I remember that match. It was one of the only times I remember the bear-hugg looking like a dangerious move that could hurt someone. Rock's selling back then was really a thing of beauty as people were with him the entire match despite how he was trapped in a move usually thought of as a rest hold. Angle and Rock always did have great chemistry.

 

Hmm....well, I'm not sure if this counts for a list like this since everyone at the time really praised it, but I don't hear much talk of it now, so I'll bring it up: The Rock, Cactus Jack, Too Cool and Rikishi Vs. HHH, X-Pac, Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, and Perry Saturn from a Raw leading up to NWO 2000. Just really terrific work from everyone and a huge reminder of how good many people involved in the match are, or used to be, in some cases.

 

And while I'm at it, does anyone remember the Angle/Regal Vs. Benoit/Jericho tag match? It was under "Dutches of Queensberry" rules back when Regal was doing that gimick in his feud with Jericho. Aside from the rather lame finish, the match was just awesome and seeing Regal work with Benoit is probably the only time I've really liked him in the ring durring his WWF stay.

[Guest TheyCallMeMark]

This might be a little out there but I really really liked th InVasion match-up of Booker T and Kurt Angle on SmackDown! when Angle first won the WCW title off of him.

 

The finish was just so great. Angle is down, Booker T covers and at 2.9 count he kicks out. It happened a couple of times and the way Booker sold it was awesome; he looked like he was about to break down in tears. Then Angle hitting the ankle lock and getting the title... It was all deeply satisfying.

 

Most people would probably call it a stretch but I would give it ***3/4 or ****. Something about that match seemed great to me.

 

I have watched alot of Booker T... and between WWE and WCW I would say it was his best with little hesitation (some of his matches with DDP were real good, too... particularly when they fought over the title on SmackDown!).

[Guest Hogan Made Wrestling]

That tag match was the one on Smackdown right? If were talking about the same one, then yes it was a good match. Speaking of Regal and Jericho, anyone remember the cage match they had on RAW (just after Backlash I believe). It wasn't as good as most of the stuff mentioned so far in this thread, but it was better than either of their two PPV matches IMO and featured some really nice stiff headbutts from Regal. A nice little match during a period (Backlash to Judgement Day) that didn't feature all that many of them.

[Guest y2jailbait]

I remember the Guerrero/Benoit match. I loved that match, I watched it over and over again for what seems like weeks. that was the first time i ever saw Benoit Vs. Guerrero and it was a pleasure to watch!

[Guest RickyChosyu]

That tag match was the one on Smackdown right? If were talking about the same one, then yes it was a good match. Speaking of Regal and Jericho, anyone remember the cage match they had on RAW (just after Backlash I believe). It wasn't as good as most of the stuff mentioned so far in this thread, but it was better than either of their two PPV matches IMO and featured some really nice stiff headbutts from Regal. A nice little match during a period (Backlash to Judgement Day) that didn't feature all that many of them.

Yeah, it was on Smackdown.

 

That was indeed a good cage match. I remember they even tipped their hat to Bret/Owen by starting it off with both men desperately trying to escape right away. It was a nice end to an entertaining feud, even though their matches were never as good as everyone would have liked.

 

While I'm scowering my head for great TV, Angle and RVD had a few matches which were really something. I regret not giving RVD as much credit as he deserved back then, because he more than allowed himself to be carried and step up his game when put against guys like Austin and Angle. He even carried Taker to a really fun hardcore match at Vengence.

[Guest bps "The Truth" 21]

Everytime this topic comes up I give a shout out to Benoit vs. Guerrero vs. XPac vs. Jericho IC title match at No Way Out.

[Guest ManKinnd]

I always liked Angle/Jeff Hardy's KOR qualifying match on Raw. Call it ***1/2 or so.

[Guest Army Eye]

the cage match involving Angle/Benoit from last year. I honestly can't believe this match isn't talked about much... well, nevermind, it's the WWE... I take that back. It's still a shame. I still get goosebumps thinking of Angle doing that beautiful moonsault off the top of the cage... or Benoit's insane diving headbutt from the top

Yeah that match deserved better.  Both guys did some incredible bumps and it was all for nothing really.  The match was hardly even talked about again.  They should've been replaying those spots for weeks!

[Guest]

The only reason they forgot about it, was because it pulled a low ratings, which really isn't a surprise, just a shame. Either way, it kind of shows you how the WWE cares more about the ratings than the work, because if that match had pulled in a high 5.5 rating or so, you can bet your ass it would've been talked about, and probably placed on the year end review show

[Guest Army Eye]

Nod.  I don't need to tell you that they make way too much out of the ratings.  The rating of any given quarter hour, there are so many influencing factors besides the two guys who are on the screen

[Guest]

I always liked Angle/Jeff Hardy's KOR qualifying match on Raw. Call it ***1/2 or so.

For some reason, this reminds me of another match, Matt Hardy vs. Benoit for IC title. The best part was a beauty finish, where benoit grabbed matt's swinging arm mid-twist of fate and locked in a crossface for the win.

 

And while I'm at it, I don't know if it still counts, because everyone remembers this match, but Taka vs. HHH! I swear this could be one of the best non-ppv title matches I've seen, to this day. I was in a basement with 12 other people, and even when Jericho Dusty'ed the title for 5 minutes, we wern't as loud.

[Guest RickyChosyu]

Everytime this topic comes up I give a shout out to Benoit vs. Guerrero vs. XPac vs. Jericho IC title match at No Way Out.

Indeed, a great match. Even X-Pac seemed motivated here, though it was essentially the other three doing the body of the work. I thought they pulled out one helluva match considering the circumstances and how little they had to build fan interest. I think the Benoit/Eddy situation along with X-Pac's pressence in the match really confused most people.

[Guest Rick001]

The Jeff Hardy vs. RVD match at Invasion because they basically said lets give these fans a show and they did, far better than thier ladder match.

[Guest godthedog]

i know it's from 9 years ago, & i know i'm always pimping it, but the bret/flair iron man match in boston garden was amazing.  i don't know if it even qualifies as a forgotten match, cause almost nobody's heard of it in the first place, but it's probably the best iron man match ever.

[Guest ManKinnd]

Where can you get the Bret/Flair ironman?