One of the greatest Ladder Matches of all time, Benoit vs. Jericho at the 2001 Royal Rumble was part of a consistently-strong card, one which featured no duds - even Ivory vs. Chyna for the Women's Title, whilst mega-short, served the intended purpose. Feature bouts sitting alongside this one included Triple H vs. Kurt Angle for the WWF Title, The Dudley Boys vs. Edge & Christian for the Tag Titles, and the Rumble itself, won by Steve Austin for the third time. It was a mighty supercard, and remains one of the best Royal Rumble shows ever, but it should be this ladder-based war for which it is most fondly recalled. The infamous Walls Of Jericho on top of the ladder spot has been replayed a million times, but how about Benoit's flashy dive to the outside of the ring, only to be met with a crashing chairshot from Jericho, or the undeniable chemistry between the duo that makes this a fascinating watch from bell-to-bell. WWE's history department hasn't been too hot on Chris Benoit (and justifiably so), but matches like this cannot be ignored. As a professional wrestler, Benoit was second-to-none, and this match proves why.
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.
