Chris Benoit won the Intercontinental championship from Rob Van Dam on 29th July on an episode of Raw and took it to Smackdown during an “Open Season” on brand contracts for WWE wrestlers making this an interpromotional match, the only one tonight. Every match on this event is in my top 250 matches to review list. (I mean I had to push it that far to get Taker/Test in there, but still.)
Before the match starts we go to WWE's Times Square property now called The World. Jamie Noble and Nidia are there representing Smackdown. It's a weird segment for a “make out” contest, with Noble cheering Nidia on. After what feels like an eternity we cut to backstage at the arena, with Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff, and his Smackdown counterpart Stephanie McMahon. Bischoff says Nidia will be a great asset to Raw, she knows her place in the business. That wouldn't fly in 2017, even if the company wasn't PG. McMahon reminds him he came from WCW by cutting his balls off saying Womens' place in the business is on top. Bischoff says we'll see who's on top after the Intercontinental championship match. In a nice touch, Tony Chimel makes Chris Benoit's introduction for Smackdown, and The Fink introduces Rob Van Dam. Raw's commentary team of Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler are in the booth for this match.
CHRIS BENOIT © VS. ROB VAN DAM (WWE INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP)
WWE Summerslam (25th August 2002)
I forgot how catchy RVD's theme tune was. They reach to lock up as the bell rings and RVD kicks Benoit's leg. Benoit reaches for a strike as they lock up again but RVD weaves it. They finally touch with the grapple and RVD knocks Benoit down with kicks to the ribs. Another kick to the chest sends Benoit out of the ring. Benoit stretches his legs on the outside as JR talks about his training in the Hart Dungeon. Benoit gets back in the ring and again RVD catches him with a roundhouse to the ribs. Benoit catches the second shot and a dragon screw takes RVD down. Benoit pounces on RVD trying to focus on the neck, but RVD's able to make it to his feet in a loose headlock, but Benoit withstands RVD's strikes. RVD is able to send Benoit across the ring but a shoulder tackle knocks him to the mat with a bang. Benoit sends RVD into the corner but RVD rolls over a charging Benoit and rolls across the ring. He springboards back from the corner with a cross body for a nearfall.
Chris Benoit gets back to his feet but gets knocked down with a spinning kick. RVD sends Benoit across the ring and Benoit rolls under a clothesline. Van Dam ducks the reply but goes over Benoit's head with a spinkick and gets caught with a german suplex! Chris Benoit takes a breather on the mat before hitting RVD with a sliding elbow drop to the back of his neck. Rob Van Dam is brought to his feet but they fuck up posting his shoulder so he slumps on the turnbuckle. Chris Benoit knocks RVD down with a short-arm clothesline getting a nearfall of his own. Benoit hits a standing back breaker and covers again but RVD gets a shoulder up at 2. Chris Benoit hits a snap suplex as JR mentions his idolising of Dynamite Kid for a third quick nearfall. Benoit takes control of RVD's left shoulder on the mat, kneeling over him on one knee for leverage as I notice he's bleeding from the mouth. RVD monouvers to his feet and arm drags Benoit, breaking the hold but is knocked down with a back elbow before he can capitalise. RVD counters another suplex attempt into an inside cradle but Benoit kicks out at 2!
RVD avoids a chop, catching Benoit in a backslide for another nearfall. RVD monkey flips Benoit across the ring but the time and space allows Benoit to charge at Van Dam with a clothesline. They're both feeling the effects of this match as RVD tries to get to his feet in the corner. Chris Benoit carries on the assault, sending RVD head first into the top turnbuckle. Benoit softens up Van Dam with a chop before sending him across the ring, but the challenger gets the boot up. RVD sees the chance for a split-legged moonsault but Benoit got his knees up! Chris Benoit decides to climb to the top rope, because high-risk strategy just worked for RVD? Chris Benoit hits the mat on a diving headbutt, quite hard to watch in retrospect. RVD is quick to capitalise with a spinning leg drop (I believe the 420 leg drop in a past life....) but eats shit on a Five-Star Frog Splash attempt. Benoit pounces with a crossface, and RVD slowly has to spin himself and reach his foot out to the bottom rope. We see the General Managers each cheering on their competitor in this match backstage as Benoit brings RVD to his feet by the ropes.
Chris Benoit sends RVD into the corner before hitting him with a knife-edge chop and kicking his ribs. RVD looks fired up as Benoit sends him across the ring. Again RVD is able to cut off Chris Benoit and jump to the top in one fluid motion but Benoit sends him crashing to the floor. Rob Van Dam hit the security barrier on his way down, landing on his shoulder. Chris Benoit sees a target and goes after RVD, sending him into the ring post in a hammerlock. Chris Benoit sends RVD back into the ring and drops him with a shoulder breaker and another sliding elbow drop. Chris Benoit brings Rob Van Dam to his feet and strikes him, RVD is able to shoot one back before being sent across the ring and knocked down with a back elbow. Chris Benoit covers but RVD kicks out at 2. Benoit keeps pressure on the shoulder, pulling back on them both on the mat. His knee digging into RVD's back. RVD makes it to his feet but Benoit rides the momentum all the way, switching the pressure back in his favour and he brings Rob Van Dam to his knees. Benoit straightjacket's RVD's arms across his chest and the referee checks for a chokehold.
The referee asks RVD if he wants to quit but he's able to roll backwards out of it and reverse the hold on Benoit. Chris Benoit is able to quickly counter it though, sending RVD hard into the mat. Rob Van Dam sweeps the leg with a back heel trip but misses a cartwheel moonsault which JR mistakenly calls Rolling Thunder. Benoit quickly locks in another Crossface mid-ring! The fans are behind RVD as he struggles, trying to save the Intercontinental championship for Raw, and he finds it in him to elbow his way out. Rob Van Dam tries to escape but Benoit rolls through into a pinning position! RVD frantically kicks out after 2 ½. Benoit sends RVD shoulder first into the ring post and goes back to the hammerlock. Chris Benoit hits three rolling Northern Lights suplexes. Chris Benoit rolls through again after the third and locks in a Crossface! RVD's nowhere near the ropes but he somehow crawls his way, Benoit breaks the hold as RVD's inches from the ropes going back to the trusty hammerlock on the mat. Benoit applies a dragon sleeper on the mat, keeping himself between RVD and the ropes. Rob Van Dam is able to get to his feet and rolls Benoit into a Crossface! Benoit quickly releases RVD's grip on the hold, deflating the crowd who really wanted him to tap and sends RVD down with a dropkick.
Benoit attacks RVD in the corner before sending him into the opposite turnbuckle. Chris Benoit runs into a back elbow, but RVD still needs the ropes to stay standing before knocking Chris Benoit down with a desperation springboard kick! Rob Van Dam covers but Chris Benoit saves his championship after 2. Rob Van Dam catches a kick and hits a step-over spinning heel kick knocking Benoit down. RVD gets Go Home Energy (GHE for short ©) hitting a Rolling Thunder. Chris Benoit is still able to kick out at the last second and it's starting to annoy me that RVD's bobble snapped or whatever happened. Actually Benoit used his hair to bring him up a lot. It was probably that. RVD sends Benoit into the corner and hits a shoulder block, but realises it wasn't a good idea. He knocks Benoit down with a spinning heel kick for another nearfall. Chris Benoit is sent into the corner but catches a Monkey Flip attempt, perching RVD on the corner. RVD kicks Benoit away and sets himself up, but turns his back on Benoit, allowing Benoit to crotch him on the top! Chris Benoit follows him, bombarding him with clubbing strikes to the back of the head and neck. Benoit wants a back superplex from the top rope but RVD counters with a cross body midair! RVD soars to the top rope and back down on top of Chris Benoit again with a Five-Star Frog Splash! RVD rotated in midair to hit Benoit flush, 1, 2 3!
WINNER: ROB VAN DAM (NEW WWE INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPION)
This
match was worked very well. With Chris Benoit wanting to wear down
Rob Van Dam, whilst also hitting him with thunderous strikes
throughout and high impact moves to slow him down, where as Rob Van
Dam wanted to take to the skies and use his martial arts experience
to beat Chris Benoit into submission and win back his championship.
As soon as Benoit started hurting the shoulder that became all he
worked on, even his strikes would target his left chest and shoulder
area. Chris Benoit got to look really strong against RVD which makes
sense since he's still fairly recent back from injury, but RVD didn't
look anywhere near a slouch. WORKRATE:
3.5/5 PERSONAL ENJOYMENT /3.55 OVERALL
7/10
Jim Ross and King happily exclaim we'll see the Intercontinental championship on Raw in Madison Square Garden. As the referee hands RVD his new belt Van Dam does the thumbs along with Fink announcing his name from the mat. That's a cool touch. We cut backstage to Bischoff and Stephanie McMahon again and Bischoff says that's why you never say never. He hopes Stephanie will enjoy watching the Intercontinental championship on Raw from now on. Steph laughs because her husband's going to retire the belt in 2 months in a terrible feud with Kane. Well she laughs like a mad woman anyway, the rest is just what I get from it.
A year later and the WWE Intercontinental championship had gone and come back again and it was back in RVD's hands by Summerslam 2003. It was also the beginning of unmasked, psycho Kane, who would face his short-term tag team partner at the event as part of his ride on the Crazy Train. For my actual selection though, Smackdown had brought back WCW's old United States championship for the Smackdown stars to wrestle for also on that brand. At Summerslam the champion was Eddie Guerrero. He would face Chris Benoit, Rhyno and Tajiri in a Fatal Four Way match at the event to defend said championship. He beat Chris Benoit in the tournament final the previous month at Vengeance, the first Smackdown-exclusive Pay-Per-View on American soil. Only Rebellion 2002 in the UK preceeded it.
To finish up I am nearing my 100th post on this blog, for which I am looking to do something special (alongside my previous plans) but as of yet I'm stumped. Any ideas can go to me on here or Twitter (button to the right of the page) and I look forward to hearing from you!
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