Another 5 minute Eddy vs Benoit tv match that is good like we saw numerous times on Nitro. This ends in a DQ with Chyna getting involved and she ends up taking a spill and suffering an inury. I don’t really remember the ramifications of that and knowing what the main event of Fully Loaded is, I think Benoit should just have flatly went over. **1/2

These two looked motivated to have a little TV match of some substance as Benoit works the ribs and they work the match around that little story. Eddy's opportunistic comebacks and Benoit's cutoffs are well-integrated here and it's just as good as it could have been given what the match was meant to be.

Chris Benoit looks all business tonight. A fast paced start and Eddy takes ‘the Crippler’ down with a huracanrana. The Irish whip is reversed and Benoit keeps hold of the arm, hotshotting Eddy onto the top rope. Tilt-a-whirl backbreaker by Guerrero as the match is flowing one way and then the other. The direction changes again, this time after Benoit dumps Eddy across the top rope after a face first suplex. Can’t ever remember Benoit gorilla pressing anyone before, but he does so tonight, dropping Eddy chest first to the mat. Stomachbreaker as ‘the Crippler’ focuses his attack on the ribs. A couple of vicious chops but he then runs into an elbow. Eddy drives him back into the corner where he unloads and dishes out some nasty knife edge chops of his own. Benoit blocks the tornado DDT and snake eyes’ Eddy onto the top turnbuckle. He picks up the European title ready to slug him with it, when Chyna enters the ring, snatches it off him and levels Benoit with a right for the weak DQ. Eddy dropkicks ‘the Crippler’ and he goes flying backwards into Chyna, knocking her down. As Eddy checks on her, Benoit blasts him with the title belt and then puts Chyna in the crossface as a bunch of officials struggle to get him to break the hold.

 

Despite the weak finish the work was strong (naturally), although it did have a feeling that it wasn’t really going anywhere. Post-match with Benoit snapping and putting Chyna in the crossface was great as she’s been protected to the point you rarely see her in a position like that. The crowd were almost hushed into silence when it happened. If possible, there seems to be an added focus and intensity to Benoit here than usual.