Michael Cole and Tazz on commentary for this match. All four of these guys are former friends, putting that aside for the WWE United States championship. The three challengers enter first, and Rhyno cost Chris Benoit the belt last month against Eddie Guerrero. As Eddie pulls up at the entrance way I realize how much I miss his matches. Lukewarm reactions all around for this match. In a tag team match last week Eddie attacked all three challengers with his championship. Benoit, Tajiri, and Rhyno wait for Eddie to get into the ring. They try and corner him as he hands the belt to the referee but he escapes back out of the ring unscathed.
EDDIE GUERRERO © VS. CHRIS BENOIT VS. RHYNO VS. TAJIRI (WWE UNITED STATES CHAMPIONSHIP)
WWE Summerslam (24th August 2003)
The match starts and the challengers fight between themselves, with Benoit clearing Tajiri from the ring, but turning around into a shoulder tackle by Rhyno. Rhyno stomps on Benoit and knocks him down with a short arm clothesline. Benoit fights back but Rhyno avoids an irish whip, Benoit locks in the crossface early but Eddie is quickly in to save his title. Eddie bails again as Tajiri finds his way back into the match, kicking Benoit in the chest and slamming him down for a knee drop. Again Eddie breaks up the cover and takes it to Tajiri before the Man Beast shows up, causing Eddie to high-tail it again. Rhyno sends Tajiri into the corner but meets a back elbow, Tajiri gets knocked down with a hard clothesline out of the corner. Rhyno covers Tajiri but Eddie Guerrero's there at 2. This time Eddie Guerrero doesn't stay out of harm's way, getting attacked from behind by Benoit. The champion staggers into Rhyno who gets a shot in before Tajiri knocks his head off with a jumping heel kick!
Benoit hits Guerrero with a chop before Tajiri slams him down and covers, but Benoit's having none of that. As they pair off again Rhyno sends Benoit into the corner and lays in the boots. Rhyno chokes at Benoit in the corner before turning his attention to Eddie. Eddie Guerrero catches Rhyno with a kick to the gut first. Eddie takes Rhyno into the corner but Rhyno reverses the irish whip sending him across the ring. Rhyno splits Eddie Guerrero in half with a running shoulder barge in the corner and forcing him into the mat with a running powerslam. Rhyno covers and Benoit tries to drag him off Guerrero, but decides clocking him around the back of the head works as well. Chris Benoit hits a snap suplex for a nearfall as we see Tajiri send Eddie out to the floor. Benoit clocks on to Tajiri, knocking him down with a chop and hitting a back suplex. Chris Benoit covers but the champ's there to break it up. Eddie decides the ring's crowded so he sends Rhyno to the outside, and lifts Chris Benoit for a suplex, dumping him over the top rope too.
Eddie Guerrero now with his focus on Tajiri, but Tajii is able to send him off the ropes, Tajiri leap frogs and sends Eddie over with his feet before hesitating on a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Rhyno breaks up the cover and both Tajiri and Eddie try to roll out of the ring, but Rhyno brings Guerrero back in. Chris Benoit's back on his feet and he charges across the ring at Rhyno with a knee to the gut, giving Eddie an escape route. Rhyno lifts Benoit and charges him across the ring into the turnbuckles! Eddie is there to try and pick up the pieces but Benoit gets his foot on the bottom rope at 2 ½. Rhyno was there to kick Eddie in the back just in case and he brings Eddie to the top rope. Tajiri's back in the match and he brings Benoit to another corner, booting away at him as Rhyno hits a superplex. Rhyno covers but Tajiri breaks it up. Tajiri kicks at Rhyno's ribs and covers for a nearfall of his own. Chris Benoit starts working on Tajiri but ducks too quick from an irish whip, getting kicked in the chest. The second time Benoit does send Tajiri across the ring, but Tajiri hits a backspring elbow! Eddie Guerrero breaks up the cover but Rhyno sneaks behind him with a high back suplex. Rhyno covers for another nearfall.
Rhyno sends Eddie into the ropes, but is caught with a tilt-a-whirl headscissors, sending him through the ropes. Eddie Guerrero turns his attention back to Benoit, hitting an assisted headscissors from the top rope. Rhyno blindsides Guerrero and knocks him down with a chop. Benoit fires at Rhyno with chops of his own and sends him chest first into the turnbuckles. Rhyno lays out Benoit with a rough clothesline and Benoit takes a breather out of the ring. The champion knocks Rhyno out of the ring with a running attack and goes to work back on Tajiri. Eddie sends Tajiri into the corner but runs into a boot to the jaw. Tajiri leaps up to Eddie's shoulders but Eddie brings him down and trips him. Eddie positions Tajiri for the Lasso from El Paso and turns him over. Benoit and Rhyno are now back in the ring, and Benoit locks in a crossface on Rhyno! The referee has to check both Rhyno and Tajiri, and Tajiri's trying to make his way to the ropes. Tajiri finally breaks the hold and Eddie goes to break up Benoit's crossface with a dropkick too. That was about the only time I think the crowd woke up for this match.
Eddie seems confident, but not for long as he's caught in Benoit's crossface too! Rhyno and Tajiri kick at Benoit and Guerrero to break up the crossface. Tajiri and Rhyno turn their attention to each other and Tajiri lands on his feet from a powerbomb attempt. Rhyno irish whips Tajiri back into a hard spinebuster and covers, but only gets 2. Benoit sends Rhyno out of the ring, going back to Tajiri, Tajiri is sent into the ropes, and he kicks Rhyno off the apron as he handsprings back. Chris Benoit hits a pair of german suplexes on Tajiri out of the confusion. Eddie Guerrero tries to take advantage but is sent over with a back body drop by Benoit. Tajiri is able to switch and hits a bridging german suplex of his own. Tajiri rolls through for the cover, 1, 2, 2.9999! Chris Benoit still kicks out, and the crowd bought into that easily. Chris Benoit sends Tajiri into the corner, but Tajiri avoids a charge locking in his Tarantula hold in the ropes. The referee's focus is in that corner as Eddie sneaks in the ring with the belt on the other side! Rhyno sees Guerrero and hits the Gore but he got the belt
Eddie Guerrero climbs to the top, but a roundhouse kick by Tajiri knocks him down to the arena floor. Tajiri decides he wants to fly but Benoit crotches him and hangs him in the Tree of Woe. Chris Benoit decides he's going to give it a try and hits a diving headbutt on Rhyno. Chris Benoit covers but Tajiri just frees himself in time to break the pinfall at 2. Chris Benoit ducks a Buzzsaw kick and a running powerbomb sends them both tumbling to the floor. Eddie Guerrero sneaks to the top rope... Frog splash on Rhyno! Eddie retains the championship!
WINNER: EDDIE GUERRERO (STILL WWE UNITED STATES CHAMPION)
This match had four clear roles, Eddie was the champion facing his friends but willing to do anything to keep his championship, Chris Benoit was screwed last month so he wants to prove he can beat Guerrero. Rhyno was Eddie's “insurance policy” last month and wanted the belt for himself with Tajiri being the friendly challenger that wants to make the most of his shot. They all did very good work and got some time to shine. Tajiri is a bit of a dark horse in wrestling, he's not one of the first people I think of for good matches, but he has an impressive resume looking at it. They worked well but the crowd weren't as in to it as I though they would be and that brought me out of it a bit.WORKRATE: 3/5 PERSONAL ENJOYMENT 2/5 OVERALL 5/10
I have everything set for my 100th post, which will be released either later on this afternoon or tomorrow before I continue my Summerslam anthology. The next Summerslam a lot would have changed. Tajiri and Rhyno would both be drafted to the Raw brand in the 2004 Draft Lottery, and Chris Benoit would win the 2004 Royal Rumble match and move to Raw to wrestle for the World Heavyweight Championship. As for Eddie Guerrero, he climbed up the card from United States champion to WWE champion. Eddie would also feud with one Kurt Angle, the at-the-time Smackdown General Manager and upon Angle's return to in ring competition Eddie Guerrero was assigned to be his opponent at Summerslam.
No comments:
Post a Comment