Eyes On Smackdown: 20 Classic Matches From Smackdown (Part 1)

By @Phranchize19

Today, we start our two part look at 20 classic Smackdown matches to honor the 1000th episode of Smackdown coming up shortly. Phranchize will kick us off with his list of 10 classic matches before True gives us another 10 tomorrow. Which matches make our list? Let's get into part 1.

*Kurt Angle vs Brock Lesnar 
Iron Man Match 
WWE Championship 
September 18, 2003

-This might be the greatest match in the history of Smackdown. Two of the best ever in the ring for an hour and they literally tore the house down. The best Ironman match in WWE history perhaps? It's that good.

*Edge vs Eddie Guerrero 
No Disqualification Match 
September 26, 2002

-Edge was in a quest to prove he was a main event guy and this match was a huge stepping stone in proving that. One of the most underrated matches in both men’s careers, but easily a top 5 Smackdown match period.

*Triple H vs The Rock 
WWE Championship 
August 26, 1999

-Triple H had not too long ago won the WWE title and was the biggest heel in wrestling. The Rock, by virtue of Austin being on the shelf off and on was the top babyface in wrestling. This match was the first ever WWF title match in smackdown history and would be a catalyst to arguably one of the greatest feuds in wrestling.

*John Cena vs Shinsuke Nakamura 
No. 1 Contenders Match For WWE Championship 
August 1, 2017

-Two legends collided for the right to go to Summerslam as the number 1 contender. This was a dream match of sorts and it lived up to the expectations. Nakamura got a much needed victory and Cena made Nakamura look like he belonged.

*Team Hell No and Randy Orton vs The Shield 
June 14, 2003

This was a huge because it marked the first time ever that The Shield had been defeated in 6 man action. Up to that point, no three man combination had come close to defeating The Shield and the pop Daniel Bryan got for overcoming his “weakest link” demons still stands as one of the best moments of Smackdown history. 

*Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho vs The Dudley Boyz vs The Hardy Boyz vs Edge and Christian 
TLC 3 
May 24, 2001

-This match made history as the first TLC match to not only be featured on free TV, but also to include 4 teams. TLC had only been featured at Wrestlemania and Summerslam up to that point so this was huge deal. The match did not disappoint as Benoit and Jericho added a new element to the match that people had not yet seen and walked away victorious.

*Carmella vs Natalya vs Charlotte vs Tamina vs Becky Lynch 
Money In The Bank Match 
June 20, 2017

-History was made yet again and this was the first MITB match on network TV. This was a rematch from the first ever Women's MITB match 2 days prior so in essence, we got two MITB matches in a span of 3 days. Carmella would make history by being the first and so far only multi-time MITB winner for women.

*John Cena vs Eddie Guerrero Parking Lot Brawl 
September 11, 2003

-Eddie and John Cena put on a fight in a parking lot brawl. The match was to be contested around a circle of cars with no rules. It was the first of its kind and of course Eddie gets away with “cheating”, but John would come out of this match as a huge threat and a semi main event player.

*JBL vs Eddie Guerrero 
Steel Cage Match
WWE Championship 
July 15, 2004

-Eddie Guerrero and JBL had a GRUESOME feud. It was about the WWE title but things got way too personal (and at times uncomfortable) but it all came to a head in this match. These two put on a stellar Steel Cage match and garnered more heat for new main eventer JBL while continuing the rivalry between Eddie Guerrero and GM at the time, Kurt Angle. The best Steel Cage match in the history of Smackdown? It has a claim for that title.

*Kurt Angle vs Edge vs Chris Benoit vs Eddie Guerrero 
No. 1 Contender For WWE Championship 
December 5, 2002

-4 men who have become synonymous with the show were invovled in the Smackdown No. 1 Contenders match and they would not disappoint. 4 different styles but a true classic match that took a lot out of all of these men. So much action was packed into this and it really put Smackdown on the map as WWE’s “wrestling show” for sure. It still owns that title.

-Phranchize

Read More

Eyes on the Ring 8:43 PM  2 comments

EOTR Match Of The Week: Batista vs Eddie Guerrero

By @Phranchize19

Continuing our theme of Ruthless Aggression main event matches, we have an undefeated gem for you this week. Let's take a look at Batista vs Eddie Guerrero for the World Heavyweight Championship at No Mercy 2005.

Background
Batista would be drafted to Smackdown as the World Champion. Eddie Guerrero had finished a feud with Rey Mysterio and would earn a shot at the World Title. Eddie would try to convince people that he turned over a new leaf. Many would be skeptical of this new Eddie, including the World Champion. Eddie would parlay that he and Batista were friends even though they were going to have a World Title match. Batista would lay down the law that if Eddie betrayed him, he would get hurt.

The Match
The match begins with a stare down and a bit of chain wrestling. The feeling out process would continue until Eddie tried to pin Batista. We would see Batista use his strength in a knuckle lock. Batista would maintain control until Eddie rolled out of the ring. Batista would again maintain control until Eddie picked up the aggression. Batista would again maintain control with a headlock until the action picks up. Batista would get a near fall and Eddie again rolls outside the ring. Eddie would grab a steel chair but then throw it down. Batista would not take this kindly and grabbed Eddie by the throat. Eddie would counter which would lead to a frog splash. Eddie would only get a near fall but he would maintain control in the match with a body scissors. While Batista would try to come back, Eddie would attack the back again to maintain control. Eddie would take the turnbuckle off and think about using it but thought against it and dropkicked Batista in the face. Eddie would maintain control until Batista's power would take over but Eddie would dropkick the leg of Batista. Batista would try to roll up Guerrero, but would only get a two count. Eddie would get back into the driver seat of this match soon after. Eddie wouid accidentally run over the referee and after seeing both the ref and champ down, Eddie would then give that sly grin and grab a chair, but then Eddie would again think it over and would throw out the chair. Batista would see Eddie with the chair and would then go on the attack. Batista would attempt a Batista Bomb but he could not execute and instead executed a spine buster. Eddie would kick out of a pin attempt. Eddie would get control again and execute the Three Amigos. Eddie would then attempt a frogsplash but Batista moves and executes the spinebuster and then he would get the three count.

Fact: Eddie was actually set to defeat Batista to become World Champion at another PPV rematch but he would tragically pass away.

Highlights
-Eddie Guerrero gives his Lie, Cheat and Steal grin with both the ref and Batista down
-Eddie frogsplash on the back of Batista
-Eddie shakes Batista’s hand after the match but once Batista turns his back we see the grin

Grade and Analysis
This match was a gem. Batista was still learning as a main event star and Eddie was the perfect person to teach him what to do. Batista led a lot of this match surprisingly and he did a good job. The story of Eddie turning over a new leaf gave this story an extra wrinkle that it needed. Eddie played his role perfectly and he shined. The crowd was hot for both of these men to win the match. A few beats away from it being a true classic but a VERY solid outing nonetheless.

Rating: 8/10

-Phranchize 

Read More

Eyes on the Ring 11:55 PM  1 comment

EOTR Tag Team Tuesdays: 5 Tag Team Matches At Survivor Series

By @TrueGodImmortal

Survivor Series is almost here and you can bet we are excited here at EOTR. The card looks solid and is building up well, so we wanted to do something different. We wanted to look at 5 tag team matches at Survivor Series. Not the 5 on 5 or the 4 on 4, but matches that feature two man teams over the years. Let's take a look at 5 interesting tag matches at the November event.

*The Dudley Boyz vs The Hardy Boyz
Survivor Series 2001

-As the Hardy Boyz were starting to tease a breakup, they would end up going into Survivor Series looking to unify the tag titles and put the WWF on top over the WCW/ECW Alliance. This was a tag team steel cage match that got out of hand, and had great action throughout. However, after Matt made it out of the cage for his team, it was up to Jeff to do the same. Jeff would make it to the top and be right there, but made the mistake of wanting the big moment and would end up costing them the match and the titles. This would set for a possible breakup of the team that just never happened, though a one off match occurred.

*The Rock and John Cena vs The Miz and R-Truth
Survivor Series 2011

-One of the most famous tag team main events in the history of the event, this was the first match for The Rock since 2004. Almost 8 years removed from his last match, Rock would team with his Wrestlemania 28 nemesis John Cena to take on The Miz and R-Truth in what turned out to be a pretty decent match. Rock doesn't do much of the heavy lifting in the match, but he would take a few bumps and win the match for his team with a big People's Elbow and then lay Cena out with a Rock Bottom to close out the night.

*Randy Savage and Mr. Perfect vs Ric Flair And Razor Ramon
Survivor Series 1992

-A heavily promoted tag team match that didn't go the way we expected. Initially, Savage was supposed to team with the Ultimate Warrior, but as we know, Warrior didn't make it to this match and would not be heard from again on WWF TV for quite sometime. Mr. Perfect would replace Warrior, which worked out better in the long run, as Razor was getting a small heel push and Flair was continuing his subpar heel run in the company. This match is actually solid, but the result is a bit underwhelming, as Razor and Flair got DQed and lost. I would have preferred Razor to take the pin after a Savage elbow drop, but as expected, this was an indecisive finish and I'll attribute that to the fact that Warrior was replaced. Still, this was a solid contest.

*Edge and Rey Mysterio vs Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit vs Los Guerreros
Survivor Series 2002

-This is the greatest tag team match in Survivor Series history. It's one of the best tag team matches of the Ruthless Aggression era. When you take the members of the Smackdown Six and put them together with the tag titles on the line, you're bound to get greatness. Greatness is exactly how I would describe this match as all three teams gave their all in this triple threat elimination match. Angle and Benoit were eliminated first in a shocking turn of events, but Los Guerreros managed to hold on and win this match. It was a great culmination to the month long battles between both teams and this was the perfect ending and a classic match at the greatest Survivor Series event.

*CM Punk and Daniel Bryan vs The Wyatt Family
Survivor Series 2013

-Of all the tag team matches, this is the most forgettable one on the list for one glaring reason: Bray Wyatt didn't wrestle. Punk and Bryan were teaming together and that was amazing, but what made it so interesting was that they were battling the much bigger and brutal Harper and Rowan. Of course, Punk and Bryan would end up winning this contest, but it's surprising that we didn't get the anticipated Punk vs Wyatt and Bryan vs Wyatt battle, which made this match a little underwhelming, but still enjoyable nonetheless.

-True 

Read More

Eyes on the Ring 9:42 PM  51 comments

EOTR Match Of The Week: Chris Benoit vs Chris Jericho vs Eddie Guerrero vs X-Pac

By @Phranchize19

We continue our Intercontinental Championship series with a fast paced match from some of the best wrestlers ever.

Background
Jericho has an obnoxious way about him that fans love. We all know the history between Jericho and Stephanie McMahon. Jericho at No Mercy had injured X-Pac with a power bomb and following that, he injured Eddie Guerrero with the Walls of Jericho. In January, Jericho won the IC title from Benoit in a Ladder Match so all three of these men had an axe to grind with Jericho. With the way Jericho insulted Stephanie McMahon, Vince McMahon decided it would be fair if all three men got a shot at Jericho and the IC title.

The Match
This match starts with Jericho vs Eddie with Benoit and X-Pac battling outside. Once Benoit disposed of X-Pac, he and Guerrero double team Jericho. Jericho finally gets the upper hand only to be stopped by X-Pac. As the action continues, Benoit and Jericho fight outside while Guerrero and X Pac fight inside. After X-Pac takes a frog splash, Jericho interrupts the count. Jericho is then pummeled by Benoit and is pinned but Guerrero puts the foot on the rope. Benoit and Guerrero again double team Jericho. After a few pin attempts, Benoit and Guerrero finally begin to fight each other. As they fight each other, Jericho and X-Pac come in and attempt a double pin only for a near fall. We get back to Jericho vs Benoit in the ring. After these two go back and forth, the other competitors come to the ring. Jericho has maintained control at this point and Justin Credible comes out, but is attacked by Jericho. After Benoit is disposed by X-Pac and Credible, Jericho hits the lionsault on Guerrero but X-Pac breaks up the count. We finally get all four men in the ring where Benoit suplexes Guerrero. X-Pac then hits a mean spinning kick on Benoit and while trying to gloat, he gets rolled up by Jericho who wins the match.

Highlights
-Benoit tells Guerrero to go up top in an attempt to double team X-Pac but puts him in the crossface instead 
-While X-Pac is attempting a Bronco Buster Jericho drop kicks him
-Guerrero reverses an Irish whip by Benoit into a hurricanrana
-Jericho puts all 3 men in the Walls of Jericho in a span of about 20 seconds 
-Benoit is pulled out of the ring and Credible and X-Pac both superkick him
-Guerrero performs a Mr. Perfect style neckbreaker on Benoit while he has the cross face applied to X-Pac

Grade and Analysis
While not a classic, this was still a fun Intercontinental Championship bout. The storytelling about what Jericho has done to all these men in the months preceding was smart. The action was fast with very few down spots. It wasn’t opening the show but this could’ve opened it as it was an energetic match that didn’t fail to disappoint. Lack of time hurt the bout more than anything, but it was a solid contest

Rating: 7.5/10

-Phranchize

Read More

Eyes on the Ring 9:11 PM  No comment

EOTR Feud Of The Week: Eddie Guerrero vs Rey Mysterio

By @Phranchize19 and @TrueGodImmortal

This week, True and I will present to you a rivalry that lasted off and on for almost 2 decades. Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio have been friends forever but they’ve had a rivalry like no other in the sport. Captivating the world with their Lucha Libre style of wrestling, they wrestled all over the world, with and against each other. Today, we wanted to take a look at their rivalry and what made it so special, along with their best matches, and the most underrated. Let's get into it.

Best Matches
Since these two have wrestled in countless organizations and countless times, picking just ONE match wouldn’t be right so True and I decided to pick the best matches from both WCW and WWE.

*WCW
Eddie Guerrero vs Rey Mysterio JR
Title vs Mask Match
Cruiserweight Championship 

Halloween Havoc

-This was a MOTY candidate in our eyes. These guys tore the house down. Chemistry was never an issue for these two men but it shined brighter than it ever had on this night. This match with back and forth and it could very well be the best Cruiserweight Title match of all time. It's easily one of the best matches in both of their careers and it's definitely their best contest in WCW.

*WWE
Eddie Guerrero vs Rey Mysterio 

Ladder Match
Summerslam 2005

-One of the best matches I’ve ever seen (Phranchize). These guys laid it all on the line for the custody of Rey’s son Dominic. There were some nasty spots but it didn’t matter. This match was simply fantastic from start to finish. For me (True), this match had a bit of a silly element to it based on the premise and reason it was happening, but the action takes your mind off of that. Eddie didn't win this match or their best WCW encounter, but he delivered in the ring every time.

Underrated Matches
A look at the most underrated matches from the two stars in both WCW and WWE. What makes this rivalry so storied and great is that they really feuded in two companies and have gems in both of them. Let's see what gets the nod for the most underrated.

*WCW
Eddie Guerrero vs Rey Mysterio JR.
Cruiserweight Championship 

World War III

-We were very tempted to put this match as their best WCW match. The action was just as good as their Halloween Havoc clash. Eddie was quite physical in this match and it was a welcome sight. In the end, Eddie avenges his Halloween Havoc defeat

*WWE
Eddie Guerrero vs Rey Mysterio 

Judgment Day 2005

-We REALLY wanted to put their Great American Bash match but Eddie’s turn was in full effect here. Eddie was more vicious than I’d ever seen him. Rey playing the gutsy babyface was perfect to aiding the heel turn for Eddie, and Rey picks up the victory by DQ. The ending wasn't ideal but the match itself was superb.

Winner Of The Feud
It's pretty simple to see who won this feud. Eddie got a lot of victories that didn't mean as much, but in their biggest contests and bouts, Rey walked away with the win. That can be stated for the Halloween Havoc match and for the Summerslam ladder match. Regardless, this feud was great in every promotion it took place, and even though Rey stands as the winner of the feud, Eddie delivered in every match and promo, carrying the feud from that standpoint. This is a classic rivalry.

-EOTR 

Read More

Eyes on the Ring 1:51 AM  No comment

EOTR Retro: The 5 Greatest Eddie Guerrero Matches

By @TrueGodImmortal

Eddie Guerrero was one of the best to step foot in the ring. Ever. Period. His talent in the ring was second to none, and over the years, Eddie would ascend to heights many thought weren't possible. Eddie did this through his hard work and his in ring ability, putting on classic matches frequently whether in ECW, AAA, WCW, or WWE. Today, I wanted to take a look at the 5 best matches in Eddie's career. Let's get into it.

5. Eddie Guerrero vs Dean Malenko
(ECW 1995)

-This match was two out of three falls and the final match for both in ECW before leaving for WCW. I wanted to put the Eddie vs Edge match here, but this one was just a bit better. Dean and Eddie were doing things that weren't seen before in the company, and their level of talent exceeded many others. Eddie won the first fall, Dean won the second fall, and the final fall was an epic battle throughout and it seemed as if Dean got the win, when in actuality, he didn't. Both men had their shoulders down, and as a result, we got to see the final match in ECW between these two end in a draw. Excellent contest.

4. Eddie Guerrero vs Edge vs Kurt Angle vs Chris Benoit
(Smackdown, 2002)

-The Smackdown Era was amazing. It was one of those eras that really showcased talent for their gifts and ability, not just based on the politics backstage that usually dominated the way things went. This match was one that honestly shocked me, as it is one of my all time favorite matches. It was a pure wrestling match, with all four competitors giving their all. The match ended with Angle getting the win, but Eddie was on fire during this time period and he was great here.

3. Eddy Guerrero and Art Barr vs Octagon and El Hijo del Santo
(When Worlds Collide 1994)

-The fact remains, Eddy in AAA was some of the best work of his career. It was a hair vs mask match, and it took place at the mega event When Worlds Collide. This contest was two out of three falls, and after Eddie and Barr won the first fall, Octagon and El Hijo won the final two falls to take a classic match. They really had one of the most technical sound and entertaining matches I've ever watched and you can find it on YouTube and DailyMotion. It's the best match on the When Worlds Collide show which is a great event in its own right.

2. Eddie Guerrero vs Brock Lesnar
(No Way Out 2004)

-The moment his entire career changed for the best. Eddie was the man inside the ring and as a tag team wrestler, he was a champion. He had been US Champion, and he had given us classics, but his masterpiece was yet to come. His masterpiece came when he went toe to toe with Brock Lesnar for the WWE Title. This match was interesting from start to finish and despite the interference from Goldberg, it was an excellent bout and an even more excellent moment seeing Eddie walk away with the WWE Title. Eddie definitely deserved this moment and the championship.

1. Rey Mysterio vs Eddie Guerrero
(Halloween Havoc 1997)

-There aren't many matches in WCW history as good as this one. In fact, this might be the greatest of them all. After a solid build up, we witnessed a back and forth contest with these two amazing wrestlers going at it with everything they had. Rey was in his prime, Eddie was in his prime, and this mask vs title match had grave implications for Rey. After a ton of amazing action, Rey managed to walk away with the Cruiserweight Title and keep his mask in tact, but the ride to get to that point was one of the greatest I've ever seen. While there are many classic Eddie Guerrero matches, this one takes the cake as the best.

-True 

Read More

Eyes on the Ring 10:14 PM  No comment