January 2003

So, I just watched this for the first time and expected an absolute shitshow, a match that just falls apart instantly between two guys who dislike eachother so much, they can't even stay professional for long enough to have a match. Now, this is a below average match for sure - Triple H's unnecessary blading comes off as trying too hard, the layout of having the babyface dominate most of the match is questionable, Steiner's thong being as visible as Lita's is a tough image to deal with, and the finish is obviously angered the crowd - but, for years, I'd heard that this was one of the worst title matches ever and I just wasn't offended by it as much as I should've been…

WWE Champion Kurt Angle vs Chris Benoit - Royal Rumble 2003 Before the Benoit murders/suicide, this wasn't just my favorite Benoit match this was my favorite match period. I just rewatched the match for the first time and it just doesn't hold up nor did I expect it too. This match and the Jericho/Michaels match are definitely harbingers of the current pro wrestling style in the WWE. The strong emphasis on moves and the total de-emphasis on in-ring character and the story of the match being motivated by the characters and storyline surrounding it. Whether the standing ovation after the match was a work or not, it was clear my fellow Bostonians were searching for a chant t…

Chris Benoit vs Charlie Haas - WWE Smackdown 1/23/03 Stephanie McMahon, at the peak of her hotness (she is still pretty hot), says the word "tonight" about 8 million times and then bends over and you get it. Benoit is such a great TV worker it is not surprising that there is no definitive list of all his great TV matches. This is a match that I have never seen pimped. I only watched it because it is on the same show as a Angle vs Rey Rey match that has been pimped. I was very impressed. This is such a breath of fresh air compared to the rote men's floor exercises that pass for pro wrestling today. This was intense, gritty competition to see who the better man is.…

It's funny Angle and Benoit had that highly praised match a few days before on PPV and Rey gets a much better match out of Angle in Anyways this is great great cat and mouse stuff. Rey was probably Angle's best opponent. Also Rey takes an absolutely disgusting headdrop bump that would have made the All Japan dudes cringe. ****

I don't have as much access to 2003 CMLL TV as I did with '00-02, but I'll watch whatever I can. This was a short match. I'd call it a sprint, but they didn't do much sprinting. It was just really short. It ended up being a decent showcase for the Infernales, but the tecnicos didn't get to do much. You'd think Super Crazy was at least get a highspot in. Satanico and Blue Demon brawled at the end, and it goes to show what a Satanico mark I am as it had me thinking, "Hmm, that could be good."

This had a lot of moves, but it was probably the most pure lucha match you'll see from January, 2003. For some reason, I thought it was going to be an apuestas match, but it was actually some sort of title match. I love the fact that there are guys doing a Rock 'n' Roll Express gimmick in Mexico. That's cool. I'm not sure whether you could get away with the Orientales gimmick in this day and age, but I like the mask designs. Lots of fun lucha exchanges in this and some nice dives. Unfortunately, the commentary is dubbed over the top of the footage so you lose the crowd noise, which is a bummer.

Talk about it here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUGm2g3rPeY&feature=youtu.be

This was a lot of fun. You got some brief interactions between Kobashi & Misawa, and those were pretty wild as you'd expect, then you got KENTA & Marufuji doing their thing - some fast paced, energetic sequences. My favorite thing though was just seeing KENTA & Kobashi kick Marufuji's ass - my goodness their offense looked so great & Marufuji sold the beating well. Great match. ****