Wrestling Roommate's Favorite Cage Match

Suplex

By Aaron Heller, the Wrestling Roommate
@stillreal2me on Twitter

While I did not make last week’s From the Rafters Radio show, I promised Kevin that I would write a blog for to come out on Thursday of last week and in perfect wrestling roommate fashion, I finally sat down Monday night to write the blog. The match I would have spoken about on the show was the match of Chris Benoit versus one of my favorite wrestlers of all time, my Olympic hero, Kurt Angle. The match was on Raw in June 2001.  The match not only was good, but to be honest it was all the story development that was happening ringside.

The match was 13 days before the King of the Ring pay-per-view and a triple threat match between Austin, Benoit, and Chris Jericho. After the cage lowered the glass broke and a very heel rattlesnake came out to the announce table. The entire time JR was not happy about the addition to ring side. Also on commentary was Paul Hayman who was always, in my opinion, a great announcer. This was one of my favorite Austin personas. When he came to the table he even threatened to whip JR’s “butt.”

The match included a German suplex from the top rope from Benoit on to Angle, a diving head butt from the top of the cage, and Benoit did his rolling German suplex (9 I believe, even though there was a release at 6). After the last suplex by Benoit, Austin prevented Benoit from winning, resulting in a diving headbutt from Benoit off the top of the cage. Benoit then had the door slammed on his head allowing Angle to crawl out of the cage and unto the floor. Austin then basically destroyed Benoit with a chair the likes we will not see on WWE anytime soon.

Benoit goes up high

This match was what we would call PPV quality now, and the fact that not only the match occurred on a Raw(is War) but also this match is everything I remember and loved about the Attitude Era. The personas were larger than life, because they were larger than life. These guys were allowed to basically go out and be themselves, only turned up to max. I can take it or leave it with the other junk from the era. The slogans like get the F out, and the ho train, but the legends that made the Era a time we reminisce about now because they were doing what they did best.

 For me it’s not the creative team that is lacking now, it is the talent. The guys in the back are canned 80’s style guys that are not allowed to do what they do best….be themselves (that is a story for another time though.)

If you have not seen the match it can be found on YouTube in entirety I highly suggest it as it is my favorite cage match and my pick for last week’s Rafters Roundtable.

Part one of the match
Part two of the match