[2000-05-25-WWF-Smackdown] Kurt Angle vs Chris Benoit

[soup23]

These two are quickly becoming the Awesome/Tanaka of the second half of 2000. Once again, they fly through as much as they can here in five minutes, but it is still five minutes and I would appreciate things being stretched out to 10-12. I stand by my theory that this has inflated Angle’s reputation somewhat in the beginning because while he hangs with these heavy hitters in these sprints, we haven’t seen any long form matches from him yet. Holly comes in and does the chair shot interference that he did on Monday night. Holly vs Benoit is set for Raw. *3/4

[GSR]

Kurt says on his pre-match walk to the ring how it’s been too long since he last had WWF gold strapped around his waist, and while the people here don’t have much to live for, the good news for them though is that they’ll remember this night forever because they will witness the crowning of a new Intercontinental champion! Angle with an arm drag and a go behind as he looks to bully and rush Benoit in the opening moments. Release overhead belly to belly. Another overhead throw followed by a clothesline for the first two of the match. Whip to the corner, but as he charges he runs into a Benoit back elbow. A pair of knife edge chops and a series of kicks to the mid-section. As referee Jack Doan admonishes ‘the Crippler’, big double leg takedown by Angle. Nice Judo throw, which I think is a new addition to his arsenal. Irish whip is reversed and Benoit with a huge elbow smash. A stiff looking lariat for two, and a lovely German suplex for the closest fall yet. ‘The Crippler’ heads upstairs, but Angle meets him and hits a belly to belly off the top. With both men down on the canvas, out walks a chair wielding Bob Holly. When Angle gets back to his feet, he clocks him over the head with it for the DQ. He goes to blitz Benoit with it too, but ‘the Crippler’ gets in their first with a kick to the stomach, swipes it away and then cracks ‘Hardcore’ with it leaving him laying. So its Benoit vs Holly for the IC title on Raw.