10 Money Matches WWE Rushed To Give Away For Free

5. Triple H Vs. Chris Benoit (3 February 2000, SmackDown)

Chris Benoit Triple H
WWE Network

Less than three weeks after winning WCW's World Title for the first time at Souled Out 2000, Chris Benoit was jobbing to Triple H on SmackDown. Now, nobody is suggesting that shouldn't have been the outcome. Trips was on top of his game that year, everyone has to earn their spot blah, blah, blah. All of that is true, but this was Benoit's second night on the roster.

Plus, it was a WWF vs. WCW situation that could've made some cash.

It wouldn't have hurt anybody to book another run of multi-man matches on TV and keep one-on-one enticement strictly for pay-per-view. Five months after Benoit stared at the lights here, he was positioned as a sizeable threat to The Rock's WWF Title reign. That match could've done without this SmackDown loss.

Granted, Benoit did make Triple H tap to the Crossface while Earl Hebner was down, and yes, he did look competitive. Beyond those crumbs of comfort though, the whole thing felt rushed. Nobody would have scoffed at a tag match like the one that'd happen on Raw the next week.

Advertisement
Contributor

Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.