EOTR Feud Of The Week: Chris Benoit vs Kurt Angle

By @Phranchize19 and @TrueGodImmortal

Some rivalries are born out of entertainment some are born because wrestlers are the best at that they do. This week we will discuss one of the best rivalries ever in Kurt Angle vs  Chris Benoit, where these two legends gave it all they head over a three year period. Two of the best wrestlers to ever lace up boots, you knew Kurt Angle and Benoit wasn’t going to disappoint from an in ring standpoint, but with the element of entertainment Kurt Angle brought it made for an even more entertaining rivalry. Whether it was about tapping out to a submission or their reluctant tag team, they would entertain the audience through the duration of their epic feud.

Best Match
It was tough to pinpoint a single match that was their best encounter, because there are so many, but this is the one we selected and I think most would agree that it's hard to argue against it.

*Kurt Angle vs Chris Benoit
WWE Championship
Royal Rumble 2003

-Hands down their best encounter. This wasn’t about entertainment. This wasn’t about fun. This was about Angle being back on the mountaintop and Benoit wanting to win the title. These two went out and put on an absolute clinic. When you think of a wrestling clinic this is the match you show people, for a few reasons. For one, Angle showcased why he was one of the best. Two, Benoit had what would likely be considered his breakthrough performance, as the standing ovation he got after the match was huge, and set the tone for him to win the Rumble the very next season. There are so many matches we could reference as their best, as they have some classics on Smackdown, at Unforgiven 2002, Backlash 2001, and many others. This feud would spawn so many great matches that it would take up the entire article. There isn't a bad match in their feud at all.

Underrated Matches
There are so many great matches that we figured we should list a couple of those, since there are no bad matches to speak of, only matches that were too short and mostly don't even count. Let's take a look at the underrated matches. 

*Kurt Angle vs Chris Benoit
2 Out Of 3 Falls/Three Stages Of Hell
Judgment Day 2001

-We were tempted to put their Unforgiven 2002 clash here in the first spot but this match was too good to ignore. You have to love every second of this. These two went out there and arguably had the best match of the night. It was simply fantastic. They never had a bad match as the two had excellent chemistry that can never be ignored, so with that being said, let's take a look at two more underrated matches in their feud.

*Kurt Angle vs Chris Benoit
Wrestlemania 17

-Another match between these two technicians that showcased exactly what you expected. Angle and Benoit went at each other with everything they had and this match tends to get slept on just because it's a part of one of the greatest events in WWE history, and in my opinion, the greatest Wrestlemania ever.

*Kurt Angle vs Chris Benoit
Ultimate Submission
Backlash 2001

-The master of the Ankle Lock. The master of the Crossface. These two went at it in an often forgotten match that showed that both men were able to compete at the highest level for over 30 minutes. This match was fun, and even went to sudden death, where Benoit pulled out the win continuing his face turn and push. I honestly think that 2001 feud between Angle and Benoit is one of the best feuds in ring wise of the last 20 years. It was consistent top tier performances over and over again, and this match was another on the list.

Who Won The Feud
I would say Angle won barely, as the high profile matches saw him get the win, including Wrestlemania 17 and Judgment Day 2001, along with their best match, Royal Rumble 2003. Benoit got the victory at Unforgiven 2002 and Backlash 2001, but it seemed that Angle had his number. This feud would end up catapulting Benoit to the next level, pushing him to become a main event level star by the time it was finished, so in reality, no one really lost this feud. It's a classic feud that needs to be remembered and appreciated for years to come.

-EOTR

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Eyes on the Ring 1:38 AM  No comment

EOTR Retro: The 5 Best WWF PPVs Of 1999

By @TrueGodImmortal

Let me be clear: 1999 was the worst year of the Attitude Era. It didn't feature a lot of great matches or shows, but it was a year of moments, for better or worse. The PPV market was booming for WWF however, and they would end up seeing big profits during this year and huge popularity. While it would be easy to pinpoint and look at the worst shows, I wanted to look at the best of the best. Let's get into it.

5. Fully Loaded 1999

-While this show wasn't the greatest, it had some upsides to it and a lot of fun moments overall. Jeff Jarrett vs Edge was a solid match, along with The Acolytes tag team match with The Hardy Boyz. I could have done without a few matches in the middle of the card, but I did enjoy seeing Triple H vs The Rock in the Fully Loaded Strap match and the First Blood main event between Stone Cold Steve Austin and Undertaker for the WWF Title. Overall, this event was solid enough, not a classic but solid enough.

4. Armageddon 1999

-I'm not extremely fond of this show as far as some of the matches, but then there are matches that I love. It's a double edged sword like with most shows from the year. I enjoyed the Tag Team Battle Royal, the triple threat for the European Title, and I thought the Chris Jericho vs Chyna match was pretty good, but there are matches here like the Kurt Angle vs Steve Blackman, the Women's match, and the 3 minute WWF Title Match between Big Show and the Big Boss Man that served no purpose. I liked Triple H vs Vince McMahon in the main event, but it went far too long and had a lot of filler in the match. My favorite match of the night however and the highlight of the show was the electric tag team title match between The Rock and Mankind vs The New Age Outlaws. A solid event, not the best, but good enough to watch again.

3. Backlash 1999

-This is the only event on here from the first half of the year, and it wasn't a bad event. With a huge main event there to carry the show, the WWF didn't see the need to put in too much effort when creating this card. Still, the opening six man tag was decent, the Hardcore title match was interesting, and the No. 1 Contenders match for the tag team titles would be good as well. While the Boiler Room Brawl between Mankind and the Big Show disappointed along with the oddly paced Undertaker and Ken Shamrock match, I have to say good things about the two best matches of the night. Triple H vs X-Pac was a really good battle and the main event of The Rock vs Stone Cold Steve Austin definitely didn't disappoint and was the match of the night. Backlash was a fun show to watch and on paper, it could have been a classic. Still, it turned out much better than a majority of the WWF PPVs on the year.

2. Summerslam 1999

-Truthfully, Summerslam is usually hit or miss, and while there were some low moments on this show, overall it was a good event. I liked the fact that the main event was a triple threat, as it allowed for three different styles to clash in one mega match. Triple H, Mankind, and Stone Cold Steve Austin went at it for 20 minutes in a really fun main event that saw Mankind walk away with the title and the win. The rest of the event is hit or miss, but I enjoyed the ridiculousness of The Rock vs Billy Gunn (minus the sight of the portly white woman's cheeks), and I thought the Tag Team Turmoil was great as well. Outside of that, the match of the night might actually be Test vs Shane McMahon, which was a surprisingly good contest. Overall, Summerslam 1999 isn't a classic (no 1999 PPV was), but it was a solid event for the worst year in the WWF Attitude Era.

1. No Mercy 1999

-While this event was far from perfect also, it was easily the most entertaining event of the year without question. Aside from having The Fabolous Moolah wrestle in her senior years, and The Godfather fighting Mideon, this show was solid all around. The show boasts one classic match, with the excellent Ladder Match between The Hardy Boyz vs Edge and Christian for the managerial services of Terri and 100,000 dollars. That match was Ladder Match perfection and it was the match of the night. However, I still enjoyed the Four Corners match, and some of the action between Val Venis and Mankind was great, while surprisingly the Chyna and Jeff Jarrett match was watchable. The main event, Triple H vs Stone Cold Steve Austin was a really good contest, and the ending set the tone for what could have been the greatest triple threat ever. All in all, this is a solid event, and the best event of 1999 without question IMO.

-True

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Eyes on the Ring 2:31 AM  No comment

EOTR Tag Team Tuesdays: The Usos

By @AmeenKnows

I honestly was an adamant hater of The Usos when they were faces. They were boring and tiring. Their characters were stale and repetitive. Its like being forced to watch the same John Cena promo week after week. Then something changed. There was a click and the light went off and boom! Instant fire.

Our story starts with a tournament to name new Smackdown Live Tag Team Champions. The Usos breezed through the first round, defeating the Ascension. The following week however, they would be defeated by American Alpha in 28 seconds. What would follow was a beat down bestowed upon AA by the enraged Usos and it was glorious, no Bobby Roode. For the first time, Jimmy and Jey had stood up for what they wanted. They didn't just accept defeat and embarrassment. They felt they were wronged and did something about it. They did the generic promo about being done trying to earn the respect of the fans, but it intrigued me because their characters before were all about fan acceptance.

Every speech and every promo, the fans this and fans that. It was sickening. So with American Alpha unable to compete in the finals of the tournament, a new number 1 Contender's match, if you will, was made. The Usos defeated the Hype Bros on the Backlash preshow for the right to face Heath Slater and Rhyno later that night. They would go on to lose that match.

A month later, they would go on to beat American Alpha to become number one contenders yet again for the Tag Team Titles at No Mercy and unfortunately came up short again. They competed in the Raw vs Smackdown Survivor Series Tag Team Elimination Match, being eliminated by Cesaro and Sheamus in the final. They lost two more opportunities to become SD Live Tag Team Champions before once again attacking American Alpha again. After the Elimination Chamber PPV, they attacked AA again which would lead to a match between both teams on March 14th. The Usos won that match and the subsequent rematch a week later to win the SD Live Tag Team Titles. Their reign was threatened by Breezango at Backlash this past Sunday, but they persevered and retained in a really fun. Their reign is currently at 63 days and counting, and will continue to grow.

To match their new attitude, the Usos abandoned the colorful shorts and war paint for a more modern look. One of the things I hated about them as a face was their matches carried the same formula. Hot Tag, Uso Crazy dive to the outside, Superkick and Uso Splash before the 3 count. This almost made the matches pointless to watch because you knew what you were getting. It made me wonder why they would limit their moveset when they have done more in previous matches. Now they work a more technical and aggressive style. Including something as basic as limb targeting has brought a more interesting component to their skillset. Now they're cocky and entitled douchebags and it couldn't work more perfectly for them. Their match with AA a week before Mania was a Mania worthy match. The crowd was hot for both teams and they delivered. It's the best match I've seen from them since their matches with Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns. I think eventually they will have to return to the Samoan heritage characters because that's the way things work in WWE, but for now I'm just going to sit back and enjoy what's being presented to me and it is great TV.

-Ameen

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Eyes on the Ring 2:07 AM  No comment

Eyes On WWE: Top 10 Backlash Matches

By @TrueGodImmortal 

WWE is bringing Backlash back for the 2nd straight year, once again for the Smackdown brand. Today, we wanted to take a look back at the history of the event, and rank the top 10 matches in the history of the PPV. There's a chance we might be adding another match to this list after this year's edition of the event (AJ vs KO will be a classic), but all in all, the top 10 matches of the event are set in stone. Let's take a look.

10. Shawn Michaels vs Randy Orton vs Edge vs John Cena
WWE Championship 
Backlash 2007

-During the long winded run of John Cena as WWE Champion, he would stumble across some great matches. Following his classic match with HBK at Wrestlemania 23 and an even better match with HBK at RAW in London, Cena was taken to the limit by these three competitors in a really good main event that saw Cena retain. This match is one of those slept on PPV matches that should get more credit.

9. Undertaker vs Batista 
World Heavyweight Championship 
Backlash 2007

-This match is one of the most fun yet indecisive matches thus far on the list. After Taker got a big win over Batista at Mania 23, the two would do battle in another contest, this time in a Last Man Standing match, and the result would be slightly different than their Mania bout. Batista and Taker pushed each other to the limit, literally, as their match ended in a draw with both men completely exhausted. It doesn't have a definitive end, but it did show that Taker and Batista could go toe to toe and give it all they have.

8. Stone Cold Steve Austin vs The Rock 
WWF Championship 
Backlash 1999

-The build for this match was fun. Austin had his Smoking Skull belt thrown in the river, Rock held a fake funeral for him, Austin got revenge, and whooped Rock's ass for it, and Shane McMahon appointed himself as the guest referee to stack the deck against Austin. Make no mistake, even with the deck stacked, Austin found a way to overcome, and he would walk away with the WWF Title and Smoking Skull belt in tow. A very solid match.

7. Edge vs John Cena vs Triple H
WWE Championship 
Backlash 2006

-I'm not very fond of this event in general, but I do enjoy this match. I thought Edge and Triple H did an amazing job and Cena was good in keeping up with them. The match got bloody after a certain point, and from there the intensity level rose completely. Cena would once again walk out of Backlash with his hand raised, winning the match in under 20 minutes. Despite the slightly shorter run time of the match, what Edge, Cena, and Triple H did in those 18 minutes was special.

6. Edge vs John Cena
World Heavyweight Championship  
Backlash 2009

-Another Last Man Standing match leads us to the final Backlash before a big hiatus. Cena had won the belt and went into Backlash with all the momentum behind him. Unfortunately for Cena, he was due for his 20th feud with Big Show, who showed up to help cost him the match and the title. Edge would win and walk away with the Championship once again.

5. Kurt Angle vs Chris Benoit 
Backlash 2001

-This was a 30 minute Ultimate Submission match and one of the more underrated matches in the history of the event. While this match isn't as good as their matches in 2002 or 2003, it's still a really great contest which allowed two submission specialists to try and one up the other. After spending 30 minutes in the ring, they would see the time run out with their score tied at 3 submissions a piece, and Sudden Death would come next, and that's when Benoit would gain the upper hand to win Ultimate Submission 4-3. This was a truly superb contest to watch and despite being slept on, it is one of the best.

4. Kurt Angle vs Edge 
Backlash 2002

-Edge was becoming a singles star. Angle was entering his in ring prime. The two met at the right time. This match was just a pleasure to watch and I like this better than their Judgment Day the month after. Edge proved he could hang toe to toe with Angle in the ring, and the action was fast paced a majority of the match, because Angle would end up stealing a victory here to continue the feud. This is a match that I could watch over and over.

3. Chris Benoit vs Shawn Michaels vs Triple H 
World Heavyweight Championship 
Backlash 2004

-After the legendary triple threat between these three at Wrestlemania, the Canadian crowd was fully behind Benoit in the rematch. While not as great as their Mania encounter, this match is really a great back and forth battle between three amazing workers. Of course, Benoit retains and wins the match in a fitting way, but this bout is easily one of the best matches to take place at the PPV.

2. Randy Orton vs Cactus Jack 
Intercontinental Championship 
Backlash 2004

-This is the match that made Orton a future megastar. His feud with Foley pushed him to newer heights. The two had great chemistry and this match took Orton from a face in Evolution to the true legend killer. Going 20 plus minutes with Foley and battling with barbed wire bats and thumbtacks, Orton showed his tenacity and toughness in a major victory that boosted his career instantly.

1. The Rock vs Triple H 
WWF Championship 
Backlash 2000

-This is one of the greatest matches in both men's careers. The thing about this match is that it carries the honor of featuring some of the biggest crowd reactions and the first official PPV appearance for Stone Cold Steve Austin in months. Austin was supposed to be in The Rock's corner, and while he wasn't there the whole time, he eventually showed up to help Rock when Vince, Shane, and company interfered. Austin would take out everyone with a steel chair, Rock would hit the People's Elbow and win the match to secure the WWF Title once again. Austin and Rock would drink beers to celebrate the victory. Of all the matches at Backlash, this is the most iconic.

-True

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Eyes on the Ring 1:42 AM  No comment