[2003-02-06-WWE-Smackdown] Eddy Guerrero & Chavo Guerrero Jr vs Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas

[Superstar Sleeze]

WWE Tag Team Champions Los Guerreros vs Team Angle - Smackdown 2/6/03

 

Benjamin & Haas are a bit bland. I love a good amateur/shooter gimmick, but I feel like it has to be couple with being a cocky prick or being a white meat babyface. These two seemed better suited for the latter, but they were not positioned that way nor were either exuding that. They just sort of are there. I love Eddie. It has been a long time since I watched some Eddie. I have to say this is more like Eddie in cruise control than Eddie rock n rolling, but it was still nice to watch him again. He is such a pleasure to watch. I thought Chavo was laying his shit in and looked good. Early on Guerreros try to wrestle Team Angle clearly not a great strategy but they fare ok. This is what I mean Haas & Benjamin are just sort of there. Then the Guerreros take over with some double teams the old tag rope choke or posting. Good suplex by Eddie and a hard shot by Chavo. It is a traditional shine, but the Guerreros look good. Team Angle takes over when Chavo gets hit off the apron. They do their finish (the Benjamin jumps over Haas and lands on Chavo). Second time Eddie breaks it up. It just does not feel hot. Eddie hits Three Amigos and then a superplex and Chavito hits a Frogsplash for two. Things get kinda sloppy in the finish with Chavo missing a save but still going through with it and the nearfall on Eddie didn't come off great. Heyman takes a bump off by catching a Chavo splash which was crazy. Then Eddie frogsplash, Shelton isn't legal and Haas with an Oklahoma Roll to win. Not a bad finish kind of a microcosm of the whole match, not bad. ***

[Wahoos Leg]

This is an all-action tag match with real stakes, a creative finish, and it’s historically significant as it marks the start of the first title reign for Benjamin and Haas. Any booker could take a lesson from the way Team Angle gets presented, and built up quickly as contenders, then champions, but without having them shoved down the throats of the audience. Associating them with Kurt Angle and Paul Heyman right off the bay certainly helps.

You can read my full review of this match here, as part of the 365 Wrestling project.

 

[ohtani's jacket]

This was a decent match but it had a weird dynamic. It was heels vs. heels but wrestled like it was faces vs. faces. Haas and Benjamin don't even cheat to win. Instead, they get a babyface style victory. The action is good, but none of the match-ups are outstanding. Eddie is good but doesn't set the world on fire. I do agree that Team Angle have been handled well. They don't appear to have a tremendous ceiling, however, as they do lack charisma. It's hard to imagine that either of them would have been a breakout singles star. But it's cool to see some more amateurs in the WWE, and a bit more mat wrestling at times. I'm always down for that.