3. Chris Jericho vs Chris Benoit - WWF Intercontinental Championship (2001)
In retrospect, Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho's feud seemed to last for years. These two had such chemistry that their feud was a well that WWE Creative couldn't help but keep tapping. Their ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship in 2001 may have been their crowing achievement. Though the legacy of the ladder match begins with Shawn Michaels vs Razor Ramon in 1995, there's an argument to be made that it was perfected here. With both men desperate to beat the other, and to cause the other as much pain in the process, each spot was completely believable. In a lot of ladder matches, a certain degree of faith is placed in the audience that they stretch their suspension of disbelief slightly further than usual. It doesn't make a lot of sense that ladders will be placed in a very specific, non-winning position for a later spot, but we the audience accept it because the action is usually so intense. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-sQ0CxGhqY The genius of this match is how believably the ladder is used. Each spot makes sense, and the decision making behind each can be backed up by logic. They both want to hurt each other. The kayfabe respect both men have sells that they have to hurt one another before even trying to win. And on top of this, they still managed to do some extremely innovative stuff. And when Benoit jumps through the ropes into Jericho swinging a steel chair, they also manage to win the award for the best chair shot ever. Seriously, it's a work of art.
Michael Palmer is a contributor at whatculture.com and thelineofbestfit.com, and he probably likes WWE slightly more than most people would call "healthy".
