7 Things You Should Know About WWE Royal Rumble 2001

5. The Jericho/Benoit Ladder Match Is A Classic

Any time you put two of the best wrestlers in a heated rivalry in a match where the only way to retrieve the Intercontinental Title is by climbing a ladder then you know the match is going to be great. When babyface Chris Jericho challenged heel Chris Benoit for the IC Title at the 2001 Rumble, they exceeded all expectations by having a fantastic match that was one of the best in the careers of both men. Prior to this ladder match, we were used to seeing crazy high spots and guys falling off the ladder while taking big bumps to wow the crowd. This one was more of a technical ladder match where they also used the ladder as a weapon for a lot of it. Both guys managed to use their submission moves during the match too, which weren't going to win the match. They were effective in terms of slowing down the other guy. There was an amazing submission spot near the end of the match. Benoit was on the ladder facing forward, so Jericho climbed up and grabbed his legs. Jericho pulled back on his legs so it was like he was giving him the Walls of Jericho near the top of the ladder. Benoit came back by shoving the ladder so that Jericho took a nasty bump off the top of the ladder. It was 19 minutes into this battle when Jericho was finally able to slow down Benoit enough to climb up and win the IC Title. Jericho used a chair to weaken Benoit, then he shoved the ladder and Benoit went tumbling over the top rope to the floor. It was a great way to win the match and put over Jericho as the victor in a hard fought battle. It's one of the best Ladder and Intercontinental Title matches ever although WWE wants you to ignore it because of Benoit's involvement.