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[1995-02-04-ECW-Double Tables] Chris Benoit vs Al Snow


Loss

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  • 5 weeks later...

I've seen this match many times, and I think while it's a good match, it is interesting because it shows some telling things about Paul Heyman's vision of wrestling. He would book a good match for the sake of having a good match, but he would throw it out cold and it was always in a niche spot on the card. WCW got criticized for doing the same thing, yet I never saw a difference between how Heyman used "wrestlers" and how WCW used "wrestlers". Meanwhile, the stuff that was built up well rarely resulted in a good actual wrestling match.

 

The one thing that always stands out to me when watching this -- in a negative fashion -- is Joey Styles' commentary. Declaring something a match of the year before it's over is really overbearing, but more than that, the comment that the match had more actual wrestling in the first five minutes than any PPV match had in the previous five years was nauseating.

 

1994-1995 was probably the peak of Snow's career, oddly enough, even though he did work on a bigger stage and was seen by more people a few years later. And this match is a good feather in his cap. It's a nice showcase for both guys, but I think Snow was a better fit in SMW.

 

It's also worth noting that this match wasn't intended to get over Snow or even Benoit -- it was intended to get over ECW.

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Agreed that when rewatching the ECW stuff, Joey Styles is a real annoying part of the problem. I think the root of it for me comes from the fact that numerous times he blasts other promotions for what he sees as flaws in their products or inferior wrestling, but when there was a seriously awful match going on (and trust me in ECW there was many) he just went along with his scthick as business as usual. I am not asking him to bury the product but I think JR's "bowling shoe ugly" comments are just the right amount of line marking to nod to the hardcore fans that he is aware that the match sucks without breaking kayfabe completely.

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Styles commentry is horrendous in this. I've always felt that this is a match (abeilt decent) where ECW shoots themselves in the foot on a quite few levels.

 

As Loss said, this thrown out cold for the sole purpose of getting ECW over. Not the guys. Thats not nessercilary a bad thing, as ECW was trying to bulid its rep. But then it did get over and there's no follow up.

 

You would have thought that this could have at least led to rematch or two, before transitioning into Benoit/Malenko vs Snow/Guerrero.

 

Styles' comment about more wrestling in 5 minutes than on PPV in the last 5 years is terrible. Because the momnet I hear it I stop concentrating on the match in hand and start thinking about all the matches that were on PPV in that 5 year time frame that smoke this.

 

So by the end of the match all i think was that this wasn't as good a wrestling match as say the Rude/Steamboat Ironman and that Joey Styles is an idiot.

 

Benoit/Snow is a decent match. But it exists in a vaccum. and sadly doesn't really mean anything in the big picture.

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I've seen this match many times, and I think while it's a good match, it is interesting because it shows some telling things about Paul Heyman's vision of wrestling. He would book a good match for the sake of having a good match, but he would throw it out cold and it was always in a niche spot on the card. WCW got criticized for doing the same thing, yet I never saw a difference between how Heyman used "wrestlers" and how WCW used "wrestlers". Meanwhile, the stuff that was built up well rarely resulted in a good actual wrestling match.

 

The one thing that always stands out to me when watching this -- in a negative fashion -- is Joey Styles' commentary. Declaring something a match of the year before it's over is really overbearing, but more than that, the comment that the match had more actual wrestling in the first five minutes than any PPV match had in the previous five years was nauseating.

 

1994-1995 was probably the peak of Snow's career, oddly enough, even though he did work on a bigger stage and was seen by more people a few years later. And this match is a good feather in his cap. It's a nice showcase for both guys, but I think Snow was a better fit in SMW.

 

It's also worth noting that this match wasn't intended to get over Snow or even Benoit -- it was intended to get over ECW.

I'm guessing you mean peak as a worker for Snow right? That's probably true.

For his overall career though, it's hard to say his 'peak' was his main event run in ECW with head a few years later and his role as Foley's buddy after that.

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I've seen this match many times, and I think while it's a good match, it is interesting because it shows some telling things about Paul Heyman's vision of wrestling. He would book a good match for the sake of having a good match, but he would throw it out cold and it was always in a niche spot on the card. WCW got criticized for doing the same thing, yet I never saw a difference between how Heyman used "wrestlers" and how WCW used "wrestlers". Meanwhile, the stuff that was built up well rarely resulted in a good actual wrestling match.

 

The one thing that always stands out to me when watching this -- in a negative fashion -- is Joey Styles' commentary. Declaring something a match of the year before it's over is really overbearing, but more than that, the comment that the match had more actual wrestling in the first five minutes than any PPV match had in the previous five years was nauseating.

 

1994-1995 was probably the peak of Snow's career, oddly enough, even though he did work on a bigger stage and was seen by more people a few years later. And this match is a good feather in his cap. It's a nice showcase for both guys, but I think Snow was a better fit in SMW.

 

It's also worth noting that this match wasn't intended to get over Snow or even Benoit -- it was intended to get over ECW.

I'm guessing you mean peak as a worker for Snow right? That's probably true.

For his overall career though, it's hard to say his 'peak' was his main event run in ECW with head a few years later and his role as Foley's buddy after that.

 

Yes, his peak as a worker. Not that his run as Foley's second is anything to point to as a peak of anything.

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I've seen this match many times, and I think while it's a good match, it is interesting because it shows some telling things about Paul Heyman's vision of wrestling. He would book a good match for the sake of having a good match, but he would throw it out cold and it was always in a niche spot on the card. WCW got criticized for doing the same thing, yet I never saw a difference between how Heyman used "wrestlers" and how WCW used "wrestlers". Meanwhile, the stuff that was built up well rarely resulted in a good actual wrestling match.

 

The one thing that always stands out to me when watching this -- in a negative fashion -- is Joey Styles' commentary. Declaring something a match of the year before it's over is really overbearing, but more than that, the comment that the match had more actual wrestling in the first five minutes than any PPV match had in the previous five years was nauseating.

 

1994-1995 was probably the peak of Snow's career, oddly enough, even though he did work on a bigger stage and was seen by more people a few years later. And this match is a good feather in his cap. It's a nice showcase for both guys, but I think Snow was a better fit in SMW.

 

It's also worth noting that this match wasn't intended to get over Snow or even Benoit -- it was intended to get over ECW.

I'm guessing you mean peak as a worker for Snow right? That's probably true.

For his overall career though, it's hard to say his 'peak' was his main event run in ECW with head a few years later and his role as Foley's buddy after that.

 

Yes, his peak as a worker. Not that his run as Foley's second is anything to point to as a peak of anything.

 

This is where we'll have to disagree. Being a second for a legit main eventer, during perhaps the hottest period for the most successful company in history, as well as being a semi credible midcarder is more than a lot of people get. They even got a brief tag title run when those belts at least meant a little.

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  • 2 months later...
  • 2 years later...

Preface: Even though Benoit's had a bunch of Yearbook matches already, I think his appearances are going to get more numerous going forward. Unless it's REALLY something I can't ignore, I'm going to try to talk about these matches as matches and performances only. Any double-meaning or an oblique reference to the murders and killing should be read as unintentional unless I spell it out as otherwise. Not out to play the LEAVE THE MEMORIES ALONE card, it's just that if there's anything more to say about the murder-suicide, there are other places to do it. This is a Match Discussion section, so I'm going to discuss the matches.

 

Anyway, I involuntarily giggle every time Al is referred to as "The Snowman" and wonder what a Benoit/Snowman match would actually be like. He also looks eerily like a taller Eddie Guerrero here. Styles puts over Snow's alliance with Dan Severn and makes reference to the recent UFC fight with Royce. I think it also bears mentioning that when Benoit got the "Crippler" gimmick it was believed to be a total mismatch for him. Obviously, referring strictly to performing and character work here, Benoit went on to justify that persona. Paul E. has his flaws to say the least but he saw something in Chris that no one else had to that point, so score one for him. It's paying off already, as Benoit has finally crafted a solid persona and is showing off some character work here. The match itself is quite good. I haven't been overly impressed by indy spot monkey Snow, but now that he's in with a guy who really knows how to structure a match, he looks really good here. Benoit establishes himself as the superior wrestler, and reigns Snow in by casually beating him to death, but Snow hangs because of his resilience and Benoit's overconfidence. Snow avoids one dragon suplex but doesn't avoid another, and Benoit gets the 3. They ended the match at just the right time--on some random indy spot show Snow probably would have kicked out of that, too.

 

Good stuff. It may have been in a vacuum, or maybe Paul E. actually had plans for Snow that didn't pan out. But this was a genuinely good match that didn't feel like fanboy wankery at all. It put Snow over as a gutsy kid (albeit one with like a decade experience at this point) and Benoit as a technical master who was also a remorseless killer (remember what I said in the preface!) Styles had that eye-rolling statement about 5 years' worth of PPVs but otherwise even he was fine.

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  • 2 years later...

I thought this was a great match but not one that was transcendent of great. I need to watch more Al Snow from this period and I really enjoy Chris Benoit's performance in this. I never really paid much mind to Styles' commentary until I read the comments in this thread. While it is a stupid comment to make, I've heard much worse and forgot about it. As you guys said, it's great in a vacuum and that's all it is but still great for what it is.

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  • GSR changed the title to [1995-02-04-ECW-Double Tables] Chris Benoit vs Al Snow
  • 4 weeks later...

Chris Benoit vs Al Snow - ECW Double Tables 2/4/95

This match made the Benoit DVD Set that the WWE put out in 2004 so it was regularly watched by me however I dont think I have seen this from 2007, but I still remembered most of it. A good 90s US Workrate match. I liked all the usual tropes at the beginning. Benoit fed that spot early to get Snow over. The one where he had his back turned and Snow hit the springboard dropkick. That was the biggest pop of the match. Definitely ralled people behind Snow as Benoit was a heel in the Triple Threat at this time. After that it was just the usual Benoit mugging. All the classic badass Benoit offense. It was a little too ragdoll-y for me. As Snow had no fight. Benoit gave him the Ocean Cyclone Suplex and another creative suplex as hop spots with about 2-3 minutes to go before Benoit polished him off with a Dragon Suplex. Between this and the Jannetty match, I dont see that much in Snow. He just looks like a good hand. Benoit showed he can bump well early (two good bumps to put Snow over), but lets call a spade a spade this is an offensive exhibition for Benoit not that much in the way of a great match, but that being said Benoit does have amazing offense. ***1/2

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  • 4 years later...

Snow is rather plain, but he hits his beats appropriately and allows himself to be carried to the best singles match of his career. Benoit is starting to *really* hit his groove, and now that he has a gimmick that fits his persona to a tee, it's no surprise that Heyman was looking to give him a big push.

***

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