A-TRAIN VS. CHRIS BENOIT

 Before the match, Josh Matthews finds Mr. McMahon backstage and asks how he’s feeling about tonight’s match. McMahon says he isn’t as nervous as Matthews is holding the microphone. Mr. McMahon says it’s Personal Business and threatens that anyone who thinks of interfering in his match will be permanently joining the unemployment line before excusing himself. Michael Cole reminds us of the main event and we run through the tale of the tape.

  A-Train makes his way out first as Michael Cole runs through some countries showing No Mercy tonight. Chris Benoit makes his way out, he’s beaten A-Train but A-Train refuses to believe it. It’s actually happened twice, 26^th August and 2^nd September episodes of Smackdown.

 

Michael Cole and Tazz are on commentary for this match.

 

A-TRAIN VS. CHRIS BENOIT

WWE No Mercy (19^th October 2003)

  A-Train backs Chris Benoit into the corner, but Benoit fights back before running into a shoulder tackle. Benoit powders to the floor. A-Train sends Benoit across the ring and he slides to the floor again.

  Back in the ring, A-Train gets some shots in, he sends Chris Benoit across the ring but Benoit rolls under a clothesline. Chris Benoit connects with chops, A-Train catches one but misses the clothesline, Benoit tries for the Crossface but A-Train powers out sending Benoit into the corner. A-Train boots Benoit before connecting with knee strikes. Benoit is sent across the ring but explodes out of the corner with a running strike. Benoit kicks A-Train in the midsection and chops but they’re shrugged off by the time he’s hit the ropes, running into a back elbow. Benoit rolls out of the way of an elbow drop and jumps on the attack with right hands. A-Train is sent into the top turnbuckle and it fires him up, Benoit is sent into the top turnbuckle and A-Train unloads right hands and a knee to the midsection. Chris Benoit avoids a charge and goes back on the attack with right hands. A-Train shoves Benoit across the ring, but Chris Benoit is back on his feet and he chops at A-Train in the corner.

  A-Train finds some respite with a knee to the midsection, he clubs Benoit down and slams him. A jumping splash gets A-Train a nearfall, Chris Benoit gets to his feet in the corner and sends A-Train into the middle turnbuckle with a drop toehold. Benoit runs into a bicycle kick for another nearfall, and A-Train rubs his forearm in Benoit’s face. A-Train chokes Benoit near the ropes and absorbs some chops into his chest hair before clubbing away at Benoit’s surgically repaired neck. A-Train lays into Benoit in the corner, forcing him to roll out to the apron. A-Train sends Benoit into the middle rope with a guillotine and gets kicked from the floor before choking Benoit on the mat. A-Train stands over Chris Benoit and slaps him across the face before hitting a double underhook facebuster on to his knee. He covers but Benoit gets his foot on the bottom rope. A-Train stomps Benoit and knocks him down with a headbutt. Another headbutt backs Benoit into the ropes and A-Train makes the mistake of talking to the referee. Chris Benoit kicks A-Train’s leg from behind and kicks him across the ring but A-Train reverses the irish whip and knocks Benoit down with a double sledge.

  A-Train pulls on Benoit’s arms as he pushes his knee into the back, Chris Benoit works to his feet but A-Train clubs the back of his neck again. Benoit is sent off the ropes but he hits a desperation DDT, leaving them both down for a nap. They mirror each other as they get to their feet at about 7, Benoit ducks a right hand but the german suplex is countered. A-Train hits a german suplex and dumps Benoit to the floor. Chris Benoit is charged into the barricade in front of the military personnel before A-Train grabs Tony Chimel’s chair. Chris Benoit meets A-Train with kicks to the midsection but gets cut off with a knee. A-Train lifts Benoit above his head and drops him on he chair. That did not look intentional. A-Train chokes Benoit to give him some time and he wedges the chair in the corner. Chris Benoit charges at A-Train with right hands but gets cut off. A-Train sends Benoit into the ropes, but is caught in a roll-up, A-Train rolls through but gets put in the Crossface! A-Train fights to his feet, Benoit hits the rolling german suplexes! Chris Benoit goes to the top rope but A-Train pulls him down to the ring. A-Train runs through Chris Benoit then thinks about going to the top rope, but changes his mind and hits the Derailer. 1,2, NO!

  Chris Benoit gets to his feet in the corner, he ducks a big boot and A-Train kicks the steel chair. Benoit takes him down with a dragon screw and puts A-Train in the Sharpshooter until he taps out.

WINNER: CHRIS BENOIT

 The finish was significant for this match,as Stu Hart had recently passed away. How they got there made this a passable A-Train match, which to be honest is what I can hope for. Except the scary drop Benoit had on the chair, this was pretty good. A-Train got to look dominant, where Benoit had to take every opening to try and bombard A-Train with attacks. It was a pretty standard single-brand PPV filler. [**] 3.5/10