#55: Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit vs. Edge vs. Eddie Guerrero, WWE Smackdown (12/5/2002).
This is a #1 Contenders Fatal 4 Way Elimination Match, where the winner will challenge Big Show for the WWE Championship at Armageddon.
This is another match that I haven’t seen since it aired, but I remember being really hyped about this after I saw it. Let’s see if it holds up.
Edge was attacked before this match by A-Train, so his leg was pretty banged up. Hey, remember A-Train?
The action is quick right away, and after a commercial break, Eddie is on top, stomping away at everyone. Edge punches at Eddie, and hits a high back body drop. Flapjack to Benoit, and a back body drop to Angle. Eddie with a chop block, and a nearfall on Edge. Benoit and Angle double team the injured leg of Edge. Eddie tries a roll up on Angle, and he kicks out. Angle and Eddie fight in the corner, and Benoit continues the attack on Edge’s leg.
Angle and Eddie are on the outside, and Benoit chops away at Edge. He hits a leg drop to Edge’s leg, which is cool. Irish whip to Benoit, and a face plant to Benoit for a very close nearfall. Eddie is back in, and he sends Edge to the outside. He suplexes Benoit to the outside, and Angle returns to the ring. Big suplex to Eddie for a 2 count. Angle punches Eddie in the corner, but Latino Heat rakes the eyes to fight back. Kicks to the chest of Angle, followed by several forearms.
Suplex by Eddie follows, and that gets a 2 count. Belly to belly suplex by Angle to Eddie, and his Angle Slam is countered by a nice arm drag by Eddie. Gut wrench suplex follows, and Eddie connects with the Frog Splash for a razor thin 2 count. Benoit is back in, and he hits a German Suplex to Eddie. He goes to the top rope, and he hits the diving headbutt. Eddie just barely kicks out. Edge is in with the Edgecution to Benoit, and Benoit kicks out. So many close nearfalls already.
Angle is back in, and Edge sends him to the outside. Eddie sends Edge to the outside, and Benoit hits a series of German Suplexes to Eddie. He goes for a third, and Edge is in to hit a Spear to Eddie. Benoit sends Edge to the outside. Benoit locks in the Crossface to Eddie, and he taps out. Eddie is eliminated. Angle is quickly in, and he goes right on the attack to Benoit. German Suplexes connect, and Edge is on the top rope. Missile dropkick that got some height connects on Angle, and he kicks out.
Chop block by Benoit takes Edge down. Big clothesline to Benoit by Angle. Angle Slam is countered by Edge, and Benoit gets the Crossface locked in. Angle breaks up the Crossface, and locks Benoit in the Ankle Lock. Benoit escapes and sends Angle to the outside, while also knocking the referee down temporarily. Eddie is still here, and he hits Benoit in the back of the head with the Tag Team Title. Edge spears Eddie, then spears Benoit. He makes the cover, and Benoit is gone. It’s down to Edge and Angle!
Angle is right back in the ring, and he puts the Ankle Lock in on Edge’s injured leg. Edge is close to the ropes, and Angle pulls him back to the middle of the ring. Edge reverses the Ankle Lock and sends Angle flying to the outside of the ring. Angle pulls Edge out with him, and sends him into the steel steps. Back from commercial, and Angle is hammering down on Edge’s head. Clothesline connects to Edge, who is bleeding slightly, and Edge kicks out.
Snap suplex causes more damage to the leg, and Edge kicks out again. Angle drives his knee into Edge’s neck against the ropes. Edge fights back with chops to the chest, and right hands in the corner. He boots Angle in the face, but walks into a belly to belly suplex. A sleeper hold is locked in next by the Olympic Gold Medalist. Edge is almost fading, but he starts to fight back. He escapes, and hits a Belly to Belly of his own.
Back to their feet, Edge unloads with right hands to Angle, followed by a series of clotheslines. Back body drop connects, and Edge drops Angle on the back of his head for a 2 count. Angle is quick to respond, with a series of German Suplexes. Edge counters one into a roll up for a close 2 count. Edge is able to connect with a Spear that gets a very close 2 count. Edge tries for the Edgecution, but Angle reverses into the Angle Slam, which Edge counters into the Edgecution, and Angle just barely, and I mean barely, kicks out.
Edge is going to the top rope, despite his hurt leg. Angle is up, and he runs up the turnbuckle. Edge knocks him back down, and Edge comes down with a missile dropkick, and Angle just barely kicks out again. Edge goes for the Spear, and Angle kicks him right in the face. Angle Slam connects, and Edge kicks out at 2! Huge pop for that. The straps are down, and Angle locks in the Ankle Lock. Edge counters into a roll up for 2, and Angle is right back on the Ankle Lock.
Edge tries to kick his way out of it, but Angle will not let go. Edge crawls to the ropes, and finally breaks the hold. Angle keeps the hold on, and Edge hits an enziguri to break it. Edge hits his own Angle Slam, and that gets a close nearfall! So many razor close nearfalls in this damn match. Edge is back on the top rope, and Angle runs up the turnbuckle and catches him with an Angle Slam off the top rope that crushes Edge. He makes the cover, and gets the win.
That was definitely as fun as I remember. As expected from this era, these guys just have great chemistry with each other, and the added story element of Edge’s injured leg coming into this added a whole new layer. The portions with Benoit and Guerrero were fast and furious, and that should be remembered as well. The stars of this match are Angle and Edge, who have an absolute barn burner of a closing stretch as the final 2. I wish Edge didn’t get sidelined in 2003, and I wish he wasn’t drafted to Raw in 2004, because you can tell here that he was gearing up to be a monster babyface for WWE.
I also appreciate the fact that Edge never submitted in this match. That gave his character some grit that helped his popularity even more. Also, I have to commend everybody in involved for the nearfalls. Even though I’ve seen this before, I bit on every nearfall because they were that damn close! Just an excellent piece of business here. Smackdown Six simply does not miss.