Jess “The Body” Ventura and Tony Schiovane call the matches tonight. Everyone's mileage will vary on how they look at Chris Benoit's matches over the last decade. I am one for the performer over letting the actions of one weekend eliminate a whole career spanning over two decades. I understand WWE's position on the matter, it's just too big (and good quality) of a chunk of wrestling history to delete for me. 2 Cold Scorpio has been someone I've enjoyed watching since I found his work, I believe the first clip of his I saw was actually the clips of this match on Benoit's DVD. He would be more famous for his ECW catalogue, and being one of the few that didn't use weapons and violence excessively in the company.
Chris Benoit still has long hair here, coming to the ring in a leather jacket. 2 Cold Scorpio walks down to the ring slapping the hands of fans, I didn't know he was this popular so early in his career. Scorpio climbs to the top turnbuckle, somersaulting off before dancing and taking off his jacket. That's one hell of an entrance.
CHRIS BENOIT VS. 2 COLD SCORPIO
WCW Superbrawl III (21st February 1993)
They circle and lock up. Benoit takes Scorpio into the ropes for a clean break as Ventura points out this is a feeling out process. The second collar-elbow tie up sends Benoit into the ropes. Scorpio tries to break clean but Benoit cheapshots him. Chris Benoit hits a headbutt and takes control of Scorpio with a right hand. Benoit sends 2 Cold Scorpio across the ring, hitting him with a back elbow. Benoit stomps on a grounded Scorpio and hits a snap suplex. Ventura mentions that he was trained in the famous Hart Dungeon. Benoit hits a hard chop and sends Scorpio corner to corner, but Scorpio leaps to the top rope and back at Benoit with a body press! 2 Cold Scorpio gets a nearfall. Scorpio hits Benoit with a dropkick then picks up some speed, a spinning heel kick causes Benoit to take some time on the floor.
Chris Benoit grabs Scorpio's left arm, but Scorpio rolls through and counters. Benoit counters back with more rolls of his own, bringing Scorpio in tight this time. Scorpio uses his free arm to flip himself over and reverse the pressure back but gets tripped. Chris Benoit hip throws Scorpio to the mat, locking an armbar on the mat. Benoit wrenches the arm tighter as Scorpio gets to his feet, Scorpio uses the top rope this time to reverse the hold and a Northern Lights sends Benoit down to the mat in an armbar. That's two very awesome, very different sequences already. Scorpio stretches Benoit's shoulder across his knee, Benoit tries to escape but Scorpio brings him facefirst into the mat, keeping hold of the armbar. 2 Cold Scorpio transitions to a hammerlock, and stands with Benoit's arm between his feet. He talks to the crowd before falling back, adding pressure. The fans didn't like it much but liked it more the second time. Benoit gets to his feet and gets a hammerlock of his own behind Scorpio.
Scorpio tries to back Benoit into the ropes, but Benoit's directing them. Scorpio grabs the neck and flips behind Benoit, grabbing a waistlock. He runs Benoit to the ropes, Benoit holds on but Scorpio handsprings back to the middle of the ring. Benoit charges but is leapfrogged. Scorpio goes prone just waiting to send Benoit back out to the floor with a Japanese arm drag! Chris Benoit shakes some feeling back in his arm, getting back in the ring at 6. He's not overly keen on taking on Scorpio however he asks for a test of strength. Scorpio accepts and they struggle for advantage, Benoit goes down first, having to bridge and keep his shoulders off the mat. Benoit forces his way back up, sending Scorpio down to bridge. Benoit uses his weight to try and force Scorpio down but to no avail. Scorpio catches Benoit with his feet and sends him over, they get to their feet, with neither man getting an advantage until Scorpio releases and hits a pair of standing dropkicks. He keeps Benoit on the mat with another armbar. Scorpio gets to his feet, hitting a leg drop across the arm before going straight back to the armbar on the mat.
Chris Benoit fights to his feet but Scorpio reverses an irish whip, Benoit baseball slides behind Scorpio, taking him down with a double-leg but Scorpio kicks him off. Benoit blocks a dropkick before taking time to pick up speed, only to miss an elbow drop as Scorpio rolls out of the way. 2 Cold Scorpio hits a superkick to Benoit as they get on their feet then arm drags him over for another armbar. Scorpio sits Benoit up and stretches his shoulder vertical, attacking it from all angles with Benoit's other arm trapped. Scorpio rolls Benoit in a modified crucifix for a nearfall. The referee was pretty slow getting there though. Chris Benoit fights back to his feet again, Chris Benoit has Scorpio groggy and he just IMPLANTS Scorpio's skull into the top turnbuckle. Scorpio gets sent across the ring, Benoit leapfrogs him, then kips back to avoid a clothesline. Chris Benoit dodges a spinning kick by Scorpio, dropping him with a clothesline. Apparently, Chris Benoit worked a tag team tournament in WCW at Clash of the Champions XIX, as he takes time to talk to the crowd.
Chris Benoit sends Scorpio across the ring and knocks him down again. Benoit takes more time talking before bringing Scorpio to his feet, but Ventura has faith he knows what he's doing. Benoit hits a backbreaker and stretches Scorpio over his knee, in a move I miss. It's just a simple touch to add to the move. Scorpio has to grab Benoit's hair and knee him to break free. Ventura calls him out for his dirty tactics, which is fair enough. Scorpio can't capitalize as Benoit stomps him on the ground. Benoit brings Scorpio over with a snapmare and applies a chinlock. Benoit goes for more direct impact, a right hand, before draping Scorpio over the top rope. “that's a variation of a slingshot suplex, without the suplex!” - Jesse Ventura. Benoit brings Scorpio down to the mat for more punishment in the forms of stomps. Scorpio rolls out to safety whether he wanted to or not. Chris Benoit looks pleased with himself, the crowd aren't so pleased.
Chris Benoit allows Scorpio back up to the apron, hitting him with a forearm. Scorpio blocks going into the corner using his foot and sends Benoit into the turnbuckle instead. Scorpio hits a shoulder block through the ropes and climbs to the top. Chris Benoit blocks a missile front dropkick and covers but only gets a nearfall. Chris Benoit goes back to a chinlock on a seated Scorpio as Ventura says he should have put him away. Scorpio uses the power of the crowd to get to his feet and elbow free but gets caught with a standing spinebuster. Benoit turns Scorpio over into a high-angle boston crab before it became a Walls of Jericho, but releases and goes back to a chinlock. 15 minutes through the 20-minute limit for the match as Chris Benoit perches Scorpio on the top rope. Chris Benoit hits a back superplex from the top!
The referee, Nick Patrick, has to count both men down. Chris Benoit gets to his feet at 6 and covers Scorpio, but he's too late and can only get 2. Chris Benoit hits a russian leg sweep and covers again, but Scorpio gets the shoulder up at 2. They're both out of it. Benoit lifts Scorpio again, Scorpio rolls through a back suplex countering to a crossbody for 2! 2 Cold Scorpio sends Benoit across the ring but ducks too early. Benoit clubs him across the back and hits a powerbomb. Benoit holds Scorpio down but Scorpio kicks out at 2. Ventura thinks Patrick's slow counting as Scorpio reverses a gutwrench with a sunset flip but they get tied up in the ropes. Benoit sends Scorpio corner to corner but runs into a knee. Benoit catches a kick to the gut but a dragon whip catches him off guard. Scorpio slowly gets to his feet and sends Benoit across the ring, Benoit ducks a pair of spin kicks but Scorpio decks him with a clothesline. Chris Benoit backs himself into the corner. Scorpio lets him get to his feet, somehow unaware of how little of the match remains. Benoit's sent across the ring and Scorpio follows with a corkscrew Stinger splash in the corner. Scorpio signals for something from the top, hitting a twisting moonsault (I have no idea how he did that) 1, 2, 2.9!
Chris Benoit reverses an irish whip as we get to the last minute of the match, Scorpio leaps to Benoit's shoulders but gets planted to the mat. Benoit's gone deaf now as we hear a 20-second announcement and he's stalling. Benoit hits a scoop slam and quickly runs to the middle rope for a leg drop, netting him another 2 count. 2 Cold Scorpio gets an inside cradle for 2 as Benoit brings him to his feet. The countdown goes on, 2 Cold Scorpio slides down, free from a full nelson, Benoit tries for a german suplex but Scorpio rolls through with a victory roll, Scorpio wins at the last second!
WINNER: 2 COLD SCORPIO
We see highlights of the match, Jesse Ventura claims the time ran out just before the 3.
This is a match I wish I'd seen before I became so cynical. Had 2 Cold Scorpio had a different opponent for the match it would easily be a hidden gem on the Network. Unfortunately, life is as it is, not as we want. This was a brilliant match, one worth checking out if you can. Around the 15 minute mark, I was convinced they were running the clock for this match. So the finish was one swerve from WCW that pleased this fan. I think it's safe to say at the time this match was innovative, and it was incredibly crisp. They both came out of the match looking better for it (thinking from “at the moment” perspective) and a good exhibition for both men early on in a Pay-Per-View. The match deserves a look but it obviously applies to your taste on Chris Benoit matches since 2007. – WORKRATE: 3.5/5 PERSONAL ENJOYMENT 2.75/5 OVERALL 6.25/10
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